Health

Drug overdose rate now higher in rural than cities

  

Pns: Drug overdose death rates in rural areas of the United States are now higher than in cities, a trend that worries federal health officials. In 2015, drug overdose was the leading cause of injury-related death in the United States -- with 52,000 fatalities attributed to opioid painkillers, heroin and other potentially deadly drugs, researchers said in a new report.US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald said rising overdose death rates...

Steady hand: how to do open-heart surgery in a quake

  

Pns: When the ground started shaking in Mexico City on September 19, many people ran out into the street. Not David Arellano.In the middle of performing open-heart surgery on a newborn, the pediatric surgeon just concentrated harder."The shaking was very violent, very intense. We had to hold down our equipment in the operating room," he said of his experience during the 7.1-magnitude earthquake that hit Mexico a month ago, killing 369 people.Arellano, 57, knows a thing or...

Living near trees makes people less stressed

  

Pns: Living near an abundance of trees makes adults less stressed, according to new research. People who build their homes in the lap of mother nature may have a healthier brain and may be at lower risk of developing stress-related depression and anxiety disorders than those living near the urban green or wasteland, the research says. The findings showed that city dwellers are at a higher risk of psychiatric illnesses such as depression, anxiety disorders and schizophrenia than...

15,000 under fives die from preventable illnesses each day: UN

  

Pns: Despite a dramatic fall in the infant mortality rate, 15,000 children aged under five still die each day around the world from preventable diseases, a UN report said Thursday. The report warned that because some African and South Asian countries are lagging behind in giving better treatment, more than 60 million young children will die between now and 2030 from illnesses that can be cured.In 2016, an estimated 5.6 million children died before reaching their fifth birthday,...

Scientists may have found a cause of dyslexia

  

Pns: A duo of French scientists said Wednesday they may have found a physiological, and seemingly treatable, cause for dyslexia hidden in tiny light-receptor cells in the human eye. In people with the reading disability, the cells were arranged in matching patterns in both eyes, which may be to blame for confusing the brain by producing "mirror" images, the co-authors wrote in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.In non-dyslexic people, the cells are arranged...

Hospitals in England to ban 'super-size' chocolate bars

  

Pns:"Super-sized" chocolate bars are to be banished from hospital shops, canteens and vending machines, NHS England says. Sweets and chocolate sold in hospitals should be 250 calories or under, the head of the body says.Under the plans, most "grab bags" will be banned - with hospitals given a cash boost for facilitating the change.The proposals would also see 75% of pre-packed sandwiches coming in at under 400 calories.Pre-packed savoury meals and sandwiches must also...

DNA study provides insight into how to live longer

  

Pns: Every year spent in education adds an average of 11 months to people's lifespan, say scientists. The researchers say a person loses two months for every kilogram overweight they are - and seven years for smoking a packet of cigarettes a day. Unusually, the Edinburgh university team found their answers by analysing differences in people's genetic code or DNA.Ultimately they think it will reveal new ways of helping us to live longer.The group used the genetic code of more...

Omega-6 reduces risk of diabetes: study

  

Pns: A new large-scale international study suggests that a diet rich in omega-6 polyunsaturated fats could significantly reduce the risk of developing diabetes. Led by Dr Jason Wu of The George Institute for Global Health in Sydney, the study looked at data from 20 studies involving 39,740 adults across 10 countries.Participants were laboratory tested for levels of two key omega-6 markers -- linoleic acid and arachidonic acid -- at the start of the study, and also for...

Child obesity grows tenfold since 1975: study

  

Pns: The world had 10 times as many obese children and teenagers last year than in 1975, but underweight kids still outnumbered them, a study said Wednesday. Warning of a "double burden" of malnutrition, researchers said the rate of increase in obesity far outstripped the decline in under-nutrition."If post-2000 trends continue, child and adolescent obesity is expected to surpass moderate and severe underweight by 2022," researchers wrote in The Lancet medical journal.The...

5 simple lifestyle for breast cancer prevention

  

Pns: October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which aims to increase knowledge of how we can help beat one of the most common cancers in women. Currently, breast cancer is the leading type of cancer among women, replacing cervical cancer. Here’s what you can do to cut your risks: Get movingA US study which looked at 1.4 million participants found that a higher level of physical activity could lower the risk of 13 different types of cancers, including reducing the risk of...