by University of Cambridge A survey of more than 3,400 university students in the U.S. has found that one in five respondents reported problematic smartphone use. Female students were more likely be affected and problematic smartphone use was associated with lower grade averages, mental health problems and higher numbers of sexual partners. Smartphones offer the potential of instant, round-the-clock access for making phone calls, playing games, gambling, chatting...
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Spinach supplement may increase muscle strength
By Ana Sandoiu Fact checked by Jasmin Collier New research has examined the potential of spinach extract as an enhancer of athletic performance. The active compound in spinach extract significantly improves muscle strength, leading the study authors to recommend banning the supplement in sports. Rich in calcium, magnesium, and iron, some people call spinach a “superfood.”...
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Four surprising ways to get a sunburn, and six ways to treat it
by Gillian Rutherford, University of Alberta When University of Alberta dermatologist Robert Gniadecki was growing up in Denmark, getting a sunburn was part of every family holiday. “The first day at the seaside you would go out in the sunshine, and the next day you would have a bonfire, peel your skin off and throw it in the fire,”...
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Simple Ways To Prevent Falls In Older Adults
LUISA TORRES Tomas Rodriguez/Getty Images/Picture Press RM As we age, the risk of falling increases and becomes increasingly perilous. A fall can be a real health set-back for a frail, elderly person. And, more older adults are dying from falls today than they used to 20 years ago. A recent study showed that more than 25,000 U.S....
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Can computer use, crafts and games slow or prevent age-related memory loss?
New study looks at timing and number of mentally stimulating activities MINNEAPOLIS – A new study has found that mentally stimulating activities like using a computer, playing games, crafting and participating in social activities are linked to a lower risk or delay of age-related memory loss called mild cognitive impairment, and that the timing and...
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Less than 40 percent of all U.S. adults have ever had HIV testing
Marc A. Pitasi, M.P.H., from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in Atlanta, and colleagues analyzed data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to determine the percentage of adults tested for HIV in the United States nationwide, including 50 local jurisdictions where the majority of new diagnoses of HIV infection were concentrated in 2016 and 2017 and seven...
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New method divides patients with ulcerative colitis in groups
by Karolinska Institutet Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have found a way of using gene expression conserved across species to divide patients with the inflammatory bowel disease ulcerative colitis into two distinct groups. The findings are published in the journal Nature Communications, and the researchers hope that the method can also be used to subdivide other autoimmune diseases. Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory bowel...
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Kidney disease linked to increased risk of falling
by Marc Ransford, Ball State University Kidney disease causes middle-aged people to be as susceptible to falling as older adults, say researchers from Ball State University. “Epidemiology of falls and fall-related injuries among middle-aged adults with kidney disease” recently published by the journal International Urology and Nephrology, found that people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) were at increased risk of...
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Two-in-one drug combining Herceptin with chemotherapy keeps women’s breast cancers at bay
by Institute of Cancer Research Guiding chemotherapy to a tumour by attaching it to the antibody-based target drug Herceptin (trastuzumab) is effective at treating women with breast cancer who have no other treatment options, a new clinical trial shows. The two-in-one treatment kept breast cancer at bay in women with a type of the disease called HER2-positive breast cancer who had stopped responding to existing drugs. As well as being effective in women with high HER2...
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Tackling the growing problem of loneliness and isolation
by University of Queensland A program to address social isolation and reduce burden on the health care system is being trialled in Australia, thanks to a partnership led by The University of Queensland. The Ways to Wellness Social Isolation Project—officially launched on 26 June—is a partnership between UQ, the Queensland Community Alliance, the Mt Gravatt Community Centre and the Mt...