Health News related to Phone Not Being Bad for Mental Health, Fit Gamers Challenging Stereotype, Wealthier Countries Drinking More Alcohol, Cancer-Killing Virus That Activates Immune System, Age-Reversing Drug, Abdominal Fat Predicting Heart Attacks, Restoring Rudimentary Form of Vision, Baby’s First Breath, COVID-19 and Individuals with Diabetes
Note: I do not write/own any of the health news bits (and cover picture) given here. The links on each of the news bits will redirect to the news source. The content given under each headline is a basic gist and not the full story.
1. Why Spending A Long Time on Your Phone Isn’t Bad for Mental Health
Source: Lancaster University
30 Nov 2020
General smartphone usage is a poor predictor of anxiety, depression or stress say researchers. They measured the time spent on smartphones by 245 users for one week. Surprisingly, the amount of time spent on the smartphone was not related to poor mental health. Instead, the study found that mental health was associated with concerns and worries felt by participants about their own smartphone usage.
2. Fit Gamers Challenge ‘Fat’ Stereotype
Source: Queensland University of Technology
30 Nov 2020
Esports players are up to 21 per cent healthier weight than the general population, hardly smoke and drink less too, says a new study. The findings were based on 1400 survey participants from 65 countries.
3. Older Adults in Wealthier Countries Drink More Alcohol
Source: Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health
30 Nov 2020
New global study finds older people in wealthy countries consume more alcohol than their counterparts in middle-income countries, on average, although a higher cost of alcohol is associated with less frequent drinking. Across counties, people drink less as they get older, but at different rates and starting points.
4. A Cancer-Killing Virus That Activates Immune System, Helps Eliminate Colon Cancer
Source: City of Hope
1 Dec 2020
A cancer-killing virus that scientists developed could one day improve the immune system’s ability to eradicate tumors in colon cancer patients, reports a new study. The preclinical research demonstrates that combining the oncolytic virus CF33 with an immune checkpoint inhibitor results in lasting resistance to certain tumors.
5. Drug Reverses Age-Related Mental Decline Within Days
Source: University of California – San Francisco
1 Dec 2020
Just a few doses of an experimental drug can reverse age-related declines in memory and mental flexibility in mice, according to a new study. The drug, called ISRIB, has already been shown in laboratory studies to restore memory function months after traumatic brain injury (TBI), reverse cognitive impairments in Down Syndrome, prevent noise-related hearing loss, fight certain types of prostate cancer, and even enhance cognition in healthy animals.
Original written by: Nicholas Weiler
6. AI Abdominal Fat Measure Predicts Heart Attack and Stroke
Source: Radiological Society of North America
2 Dec 2020
An automated AI measurement of visceral fat area on abdominal CT images predicts future heart attack or stroke risk better than overall weight or BMI. The researchers studied 12,128 patients over 5 years. Visceral fat area was independently associated with future heart attack and stroke. BMI was not associated with heart attack or stroke.
7. Restoring A Rudimentary Form of Vision in The Blind
Source: Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience – KNAW
3 Dec 2020
Restoration of vision in blind people through a brain implant is on the verge of becoming reality. Recent discoveries show that newly developed high-resolution implants in the visual cortex make it possible to recognize artificially induced shapes and percepts.
8. Baby’s First Breath Triggers Life-Saving Changes in the Brain
Source: University of Virginia Health System
3 Dec 2020
A team of researchers has discovered a signaling system within the brainstem that activates almost immediately at birth to support early breathing. That first gasp that every parent cherishes appears to trigger this support system. The research may offer important insights into Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
9. Individuals with Diabetes Have Increased COVID-19 Impact
Source: Vanderbilt University Medical Center
4 Dec 2020
Researchers have discovered individuals with type 1 and type 2 diabetes infected with COVID-19 are three times more likely to have a severe illness or require hospitalization compared with people without diabetes. Because of this amplified impact, they are urging policymakers to prioritize these individuals for COVID-19 vaccination.
