A newly published study reported that children with new/recent onset epilepsy have significantly slowed expansion of white matter volume compared to healthy children over a two year interval. The reduced white matter volume may affect brain connectivity and influence cognition. Results of this study conducted by researchers from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine… Continue reading
Category: Health News
Fat storage on a belly or hips depends on your gender and genes
The age-old question of why men store fat in their bellies and women store it in their hips may have finally been answered: Genetically speaking, the fat tissue is almost completely different. “We found that out of about 40,000 mouse genes, only 138 are commonly found in both male and female fat cells,” said Dr.… Continue reading
Family Planning: U.S. Food Aid
Comprehensive Family Planning Approach Needed, Not Just ‘Contraceptive Dispensary’ In his latest New York Times column, Nicholas Kristof writes about the “unavailability of birth control in many poor countries,” noting some experiences from a recent trip to Africa. “So the pill, 50 years old this month in the United States, has yet to reach parts… Continue reading
Mom’s emotional and physical support may be protective against disease
Mothers from poor families who provide strong emotional support for their children can reduce their children’s future risk of mental and physical illnesses, a new study suggests. Low socioeconomic status has been associated with increased risk of mental and physical illnesses, but there are people who are able to thrive despite the adverse circumstances associated… Continue reading
New method to cure deafness: functional inner-ear cells
Deep inside the ear, specialized cells called hair cells detect vibrations in the air and translate them into sound. Ten years ago, Stefan Heller, PhD, professor of otolaryngology at the Stanford University School of Medicine, came up with the idea that if you could create these cells in the laboratory from stem cells, it would… Continue reading
What’s the safer alternative of laser eye surgery?
A new type of procedure for correcting short-sightedness could be safer than laser eye surgery, according to a new Cochrane Systematic Review. The study also shows that patients prefer the new procedure, despite there being little difference between the two in terms of improving vision. Myopia or short-sightedness is a condition where the eye focuses… Continue reading
Computer in help for diagnostic diabet-related eyes deseases
People with diabetes have an increased risk of blindness, yet nearly half of the approximately 23 million Americans with diabetes do not get an annual eye exam to detect possible problems. But it appears that cost-effective computerized systems to detect early eye problems related to diabetes can help meet the screening need, University of Iowa… Continue reading
Green tea against eye deseases
New research from Hong Kong suggests that green tea may protect against eye diseases such as glaucoma because the researchers found green tea antioxidants called catechins present in various tissue structures in the eyes of laboratory rats after they had ingested green tea. The researchers, based at Hong Kong Eye Hospital, Kowloon, and the Prince… Continue reading