Health (Page 80)

Cancer causing molecules are abundant in processed meats. gresei/ Shutterstock Many of us know that we should steer away from processed meats and eat more vegetables if we want to be healthier and lower our chances of developing certain types of cancers. While there are many reasons processed meats aren’t great for our health, one reason is because they contain chemicals called nitrates and nitrites. But processed meats aren’t the only foods that contain these chemicals. In fact, many vegetables also contain high amounts – mainly nitrates. And yet research suggests that eating vegetables lowers – not raises – cancer risk. So how can nitrates and nitrites be harmful when added to meat but healthy in vegetables? The answer liesContinue Reading

Elizabeth Holmes, founder and CEO of Theranos Mike Blake | Reuters SAN JOSE, CALIF. — In a surprise announcement, the government said Wednesday that it would likely rest its case next week against former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes in her criminal fraud trial. “It is likely that the government will rest next week,” Jeffrey Schenk, an assistant U.S. attorney, said adding that the government would not have enough witnesses to fill the week. The announcement came after a day of testimony from Theranos investor Alan Eisenman, the government’s 24th witness in the case. Eisenman, who the government says is a key witness, testified that he suspected he wasn’t being given accurate information about the company’s technology. “I had suspicions thatContinue Reading

Not all tumours can be detected by the body's immune system. Peddalanka Ramesh Babu/ Shutterstock A parasite commonly found in cats’ faeces might one day help treat cancer. My colleagues and I have discovered that the parasite that causes toxoplasmosis – a condition that can be harmful to pregnant women and those with a suppressed immune system – might be useful at destroying cancer tumours. At least, that’s what our study in mice suggests. For many years now, researchers have been looking at how they can use the body’s immune system to treat cancer – known as immunotherapy. This is because, alongside protecting us from the harmful effects of bacteria and viruses, our immune system also rids the body ofContinue Reading

The HPV vaccine protects against cervical cancer. KT Stock photos/ Shutterstock A vaccine to protect against human papillomavirus (HPV) has been found to cut cases of cervical cancer by nearly 90%, according to a recent study published in The Lancet. Cervical cancer, which can be caused by HPV, is one of the few cancers that can be prevented by a vaccine. This is why the HPV vaccination programme was introduced in UK schools in 2008, offered to girls aged 12-13. The programme has been extremely successful in the UK, with over 80% of eligible girls having received it to date. But our research has shown that there are still gaps in the vaccination programme. HPV is one of the mostContinue Reading

Does too much sleep really increase your risk of cognitive decline? Dragan Grkic/Shutterstock A good night’s sleep is important for many reasons. It helps our body repair itself and function as it should, and is linked to better mental health and lower risk of many health conditions – including heart disease and diabetes. It’s also been shown that not getting enough sleep is linked to cognitive decline and conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. But more isn’t always better, as one recent study found. Researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine have published a paper that indicates that just like getting too little sleep, sleeping too much may also be linked with cognitive decline. The research team wanted to knowContinue Reading

Any C-suite executive looking to lure workers back into the office has likely spent more time thinking about indoor air quality and ventilation over the past year-and-a-half than at any other point in their pre-pandemic life. That’s because healthy buildings have become the latest enticement to bring employees back into the office. As people slowly return to in-person work, they’re naturally concerned with how safe they’ll be. Companies continue to reassure workers that desks, computer keyboards, elevator buttons, and every other public surface are being sufficiently sanitized. But now they’re also paying closer attention to how healthy the air is inside those buildings — and the impact this can have not only on preventing the spread of Covid-19 and otherContinue Reading

Most of us probably know – more or less – how to resuscitate one of our fellow human beings. Even if you haven’t taken a course in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), you’ve probably seen the technique many times on television or in the movies. The early history of resuscitation was in many ways also the stuff of drama. On June 1, 1782, for example, a Philadelphia newspaper carried news of the latest resuscitative miracle: a five-year-old child had been restored to life after drowning in the Delaware River. Little Rowland Oliver was playing on one of the busy wharves that industrialisation had brought to the Delaware’s banks when he tumbled into the water. He struggled for ten minutes, then went limp.Continue Reading