After the basic Blaze and the angular Ionic, Fitbit has finally got the smartwatch formula right. The new Fitbit Versa works well, looks good, and is comfortable to wear for extended periods of time, though it’s not without its problems. Here’s our hands-on experience of using the wearable. Perhaps most importantly when compared with previous smartwatches from the...
Category: <span>Patient Education</span>
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Diabetes type 2 symptoms: Blood sugar levels this high could mean you have the condition
DIABETES type 2 symptoms include increased thirst and hunger, tiredness and unexplained weight loss. If not treated, the condition could lead to heart disease and vision problems. Having blood sugar levels this high could mean you have the condition. Diabetes type 2 symptoms occur due to problems with the hormone insulin, meaning the body cannot regulate...
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The bugs we carry and how our immune system fights them
Human beings are large, complex, multicellular, multi-organ systems. We reproduce slowly and rely on a breadth of mechanisms that allow us to control the myriad of rapidly replicating, simple life forms that have evolved to live in or on us. The immune system has to establish which cells belong to us and which are foreign,...
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Artificial sweeteners won’t affect your blood sugar: study
(HealthDay)—Can an artificially sweetened drink or food really satisfy your sweet tooth without raising your blood sugar levels? That depends on what’s in the food or drink, but a new review confirms that artificial sweeteners alone won’t cause a spike in blood sugar. “It’s been widely accepted that nonnutritive sweeteners don’t raise blood sugar, but there’s...
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Roseanne racist tweet: can sleeping pills change your behaviour?
Roseanne Barr has claimed that she was under the influence of the drug Ambien when she posted her already infamous racist tweet (since removed). But what do we know about Ambien and its side effects? Ambien is the American tradename for zolpidem, a commonly used “hypnotic” sleeping tablet. In the UK, it is also known as Stilnoct. Sleeping pills are...
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Heartbreaker? Smoking causing millions of heart attacks, strokes: WHO
While the link between smoking and a range of cancers is well known, the World Health Organization warned Thursday there was too little awareness of tobacco’s impact on the human heart. Credit: CC0 Public Domain On the occasion of World No Tobacco Day Thursday, the UN health agency hailed that smoking had declined significantly since...
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More important for heart patients to be active than thin
Increased physical activity, not weight loss, gives individuals with coronary heart disease a longer lease on life, according to a new study conducted at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). Increased physical activity, not weight loss, gives individuals with coronary heart disease a longer lease on life, according to a new study conducted...
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Metabolically ‘healthy’ obesity still linked to higher risk of cardiovascular disease
Women who are obese and who have been metabolically healthy for decades are still at higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease compared to metabolically healthy women of normal weight, according to an observational study that followed over 90000 American women for up to 30 years, published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journal. The findings indicate that...
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Controversial antibacterial ingredient now linked to inflammation and cancer
In the early 1970s, the chemical triclosan began to appear in a multitude of products. From soaps and toothpaste to cleaning supplies and pesticides, triclosan was reportedly an effective antibacterial and antifungal compound. Pretty much immediately after it started appearing in household products, the FDA commenced investigating the chemical’s safety profile, but it wasn’t until...
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What is a free PSA test and what is it for?
The free prostate-specific antigen test, known as the free PSA test, is used to help detect signs of prostate cancer. The test measures the level of unbound prostate-specific antigen in the blood, which can help doctors to diagnose issues like inflammation of the prostate or cancer. Free PSA tests are often used alongside other PSA tests to...