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424 news posts in Health

Health

18 Aug 2016

Just ten weeks of exercise can protect heart

— by Emily Barker, Frontiersin.org Just ten-weeks of exercise is nearly 100% effective at protecting the heart from potentially lethal changes in heart rhythms. Professor George Billman, Field Chief Editor of Frontiers in Physiology, works on preventing ventricular fibrillation, a very specific and potentially lethal change in cardiac rhythm, since 1980. In his current work, he has found that exercise could be the best non-pharmacological way to protect our hearts after sudden cardiac arrest. During ventricular fibrillation the heart does not beat in a coordinated fashion, instead it is a disorganized electrical event. “This is what you will see when they call a code blue and bring in a defibrillator to try to restore a cardiac rhythm,” he explained. The heart receives two sets of nerves, the sympathetic and the parasympathetic. A change in cardiac rhythms can be found when there is high sympathetic activity and low parasympathetic activity. To find the best way to protect the heart, Prof. Billman and his research team induced animals with a sudden cardiac arrest. They then put some of the animals on a ten week training program. About 95% of those who exercised were protected at the end of the program, whereas the sedentary animals got worse over time. […]

Health

17 Aug 2016

Frontiers in Medicine welcomes new Specialty Chief Editor of the Dermatology Section

We are delighted to announce Prof. Robert Gniadecki as our Specialty Chief Editor of the Dermatology Section in Frontiers in Medicine. Prof. Gniadecki (University of Alberta, Canada) is past President of the Danish Dermatological Society, a board member of the European Society of Dermatological Research and International Society of Cutaneous Lymphomas and serves on the editorial board of several journals. Prof. Gniadecki’s research focuses on translational aspects of cutaneous oncology with a focus on the pathogenesis and experimental therapy of cutaneous T-cell lymphomas and immunology of skin cancers. His clinical research areas include psoriasis, skin cancer risk, radiotherapy and phototherapy of cutaneous T-cell lymphomas. Prof. Gniadecki emphasizes the importance of dermatology in light of our improved understanding of the intricate interactions within the human body. He said: “Skin is the largest immunologically active organ in the human body and skin inflammation has profound effect on other tissues and organs, in particular the cardiovascular, endocrine and the central nervous system.” Furthermore, he underscores connections between dermatology and other medical disciplines and the importance of accounting for these to advance the field because “dermatology is deeply rooted in general medicine and skin diseases and cannot be fully understood without reference to other medical […]

Health

17 Aug 2016

Hospitalized patients at risk if sodium levels are low

by Emily Barker, Frontiersin.org Hospitalized ‪patients could be at risk of weak ‪‎bones‬ and increased infections if physicians ignore signs of low-sodium in the body, known as hyponatremia. Scientists knew that hyponatremia caused swelling in the brain, however new research shows that the condition is actually systemic and affects all of the body. Hyponatremia can demineralize the bones causing osteopenia – weak bones – leading to increased risk of falls and fractures, it can also lead to greater risk of infection and cause sepsis. This is particularly dangerous for elderly patients. The sodium in the body is very tightly regulated in a very narrow range, certain illnesses can mean the body is unable to get rid of water properly causing the sodium level to get low.    “When that happens water moves from outside of the cells to inside of the cells, but we are finding that low blood sodium alters cellular function so that cells do not function properly;” explained Dr. Michael Moritz, Field Chief Editor for Frontiers in Pediatrics, and Associate Editor for Nephrology in Frontiers in Medicine. Patients who are acutely ill have high vasopressin, which decreases their ability to get rid of water, increasing the risk of […]

Health

04 Aug 2016

Frontiers in Medicine: New Leadership for the Geriatric Medicine Specialty Section

We are pleased to announce the new Specialty Chief Editor of the Geriatric Medicine section of Frontiers in Medicine – Dr. Tzvi Dwolatzky, who is also the President of the Israel Geriatric Society. Dr. Dwolatzky is Director of Geriatric Services at Rambam Medical Center, Haifa, and Associate Professor of Geriatrics at the Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion – Israel Institute of Health Sciences. He has made important scientific contributions to various aspects of aging and common geriatric conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, frailty and longevity. In recent years, there has been increasing awareness of the issues that arise as a result of the growing and aging world population and its implications for healthcare, workforce, economy, social insurance and changing family structures. Increasing life expectancy poses new challenges to medicine and healthcare, emphasizing the need to find better approaches to cope with chronic noncommunicable diseases, currently being the major cause of death for the elderly. Given recent reported trends of unprecedented, pervasive and enduring aging of the world population, it is of utmost importance to improve and advance geriatric medicine. Dr. Dwolatzky emphasizes: “Geriatrics must become a vibrant field of medicine in order to meet the demographic challenges of […]

Health

29 Jul 2016

Fish oil vs lard – why some fat can help or hinder your diet

By Fabienne Eckert, Frontiersin.org A diet high in saturated fat can make your brain struggle to control what you eat, says a new study in Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience. If people are looking to lose weight, stay clear of saturated fat. Consuming these types of fatty food affects a part of the brain called the hypothalamus, which helps regulate hunger. The fat causes inflammation that impedes the brain to control the food intake. In other words, people struggle to control how much they eat, when to stop and what type of food to eat – symptoms seen in obesity.   The study found, through tests in rats, that a meal rich in saturated fat, reduces a person’s cognitive function that make it more difficult to control eating habits. “These days, great attention is dedicated to the influence of the diet on people’s wellbeing. Although the effects of high fat diet on metabolism have been widely studied, little is known about the effects on the brain;” explained Professor Marianna Crispino and Professor Maria Pina Mollica from the University of Naples Federico II. A diet rich in fat can take different forms and in fact, there are different types of fats. Saturated fats are found […]

Health

11 Jul 2016

Is the Agile Wallaby man’s new best friend?

Scientists name top five animals that are suitable to be kept as pets   by Samantha Bradey, Frontiersin.org Looking for a new pet? If so, consider the Agile Wallaby or the Asian Palm Civet. Responding to the growing trend in keeping exotic animals as pets a team, led by Dr. Paul Koene, has developed a methodology to assess the suitability of mammals to be kept domestically in a new study published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science. The top five animals were: the Sika Deer, Agile Wallaby, Tamar Wallaby, Llama, and Asian Palm Civet, which were all judged to be suitable pets by the scientists from the Wageningen University and Research Centre, in the Netherlands. So, will the Sika Deer challenge the common canine for the title of man’s best friend? “The main influence of this work is methodological. In the Netherlands many mammal species are kept and for a long time the government wanted to guarantee the welfare of animals;” Dr. Koene explained; “Therefore the Dutch Animal Act was made stating that mammals should not be kept unless they are production animals, or are species that are suitable to be kept by anyone without special knowledge or skills.” In order to determine […]

Health

07 Jul 2016

Mixing cannabis with tobacco increases dependence risk, suggests study

People who mix tobacco with cannabis are less motivated to seek help to quit Tobacco and cannabis are two of the world’s most popular drugs, used respectively by 1 billion and 182 million people worldwide (World Health Organization; United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime). The adverse health effects of tobacco are well known. Short-term effects of cannabis are transient impairments in motor function and working memory, planning, and decision-making, while possible long-term health effects of heavy cannabis use include physical and psychological dependence, permanent reductions in cognitive performance, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and some cancers (WHO). Many users mix cannabis with tobacco, not only to save money but also because tobacco can increase the efficiency of cannabis inhalation. But such mixing can increase the risk of dependence, suggests a new study in Frontiers in Psychiatry. “Cannabis dependence and tobacco dependence manifest in similar ways, so it is often difficult to separate these out in people who use both drugs,” says lead author Chandni Hindocha, a doctoral student at the Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit of University College London. “Cannabis is less addictive than tobacco, but we show here that mixing tobacco with cannabis lowers the motivation to quit using these drugs.” […]

Health

05 Jul 2016

Frontiers in Immunology: New Field Chief Editor takes the Helm

Frontiers announces the appointment of Professor Luigi Notarangelo, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, as the new Field Chief Editor for Frontiers in Immunology, effective on July 13, 2016. Professor Luigi Notarangelo, a world renowned expert in primary immunodeficiencies, has agreed to expand his role in the Journal from his current function as Specialty Chief Editor of the Primary Immunodeficiency section of Frontiers in Immunology.  His numerous scientific achievements include the identification of gene defects that contribute to severe combined immune deficiencies (SCID) and the development of novel treatment for children severely affected by congenital immunodeficiencies. In addition to his scientific research, Professor Notarangelo plays an active role in many professional societies, including being the President of the European Society for Immune Deficiencies from 2002-2006 and of the Clinical Immunology Society in 2015-2016, and co-chairing the Committee on Primary Immunodeficiencies of the International Union of Immunological Societies (IUIS). We also thank our outgoing and founding Field Chief Editor for the Journal, Professor Kendall Smith from Weill Medical College of Cornell University for his years of service to the community. Publishing across 18 specialty sections, including such multidisciplinary subject areas as Cancer Immunity and Immunotherapy, Frontiers in Immunology now has over 2500 editors from top institutions all over […]

Health

24 Jun 2016

Should we treat aging as a disease?

Academic, pharmaceutical, healthcare policy and pension fund perspectives. — By Elliott Williams “The fundamental questions of whether aging can and should be classified as a disease are not new, but today they are more pressing than ever for many reasons,” says Dr Alex Zhavoronkov, CEO of Insilico Medicine and Chief Science Officer at the Biogerontology Research Foundation. Gerontology, the study of old age, spans multiple academic fields from economics to social sciences. Biogerontology specifically focuses on those biological process that contribute to aging, as well as the ultimate effects of aging on our health. Insights from biogerontology studies will contribute to public and private medical research, influencing our societal values, and guide policy makers in their decisions. “The main problems in biogerontology are similar to those in drug discovery for most human diseases — but with fewer resources, less visibility and less of a sense of urgency,” says Dr Alex Zhavoronkov. To bring into focus aging as a disease, Dr Zhavoronkov is looking to the future, and the 2018 release of the WHO-curated ICD-11. The ICD (International Classification of Diseases) is an extensive piece of work used at all levels of healthcare management: from physicians to patient organizations, from insurers to policy […]

Health

14 Jun 2016

Overcome strength-training plateau with accentuated eccentric loading

Learning to train smart with accentuated eccentric loading training can lead to greater strength gains compared to traditional isoinertial loads, shows study by Fernando Bolaños, Frontiersin.org Hitting a plateau in strength training? The answer to overcoming it might lie in accentuated eccentric loading  (AEL). Many experienced strength trainers try to overcome a plateau by trying to adapt their strength programme, however this is sometimes ineffective. In just five weeks accentuated eccentric loading training considerably improved results for experienced strength-trainers, a study recently published in Frontiers in Physiology found. This method is based on the principle of repetitive muscle contractions applying a greater external load during the muscle’s lengthening, the eccentric phase of the lift, than in the shortening, the concentric phase. The eccentric phase, for example, is the action of lowering the dumbbell back down from the lift during a biceps curl, as long as the dumbbell is lowered slowly rather than letting it drop. This is different to the very popular isoinertial training where the same weight is used in both stages of the movement. “It is important to train using actions that are highly specific to normal actions. I have always been interested in trying to optimize training because […]

Health

31 May 2016

Raising awareness of brain research

By Damaris Critchlow, Frontiers Science Writer Since January 2014 the European Brain Council found the cost of brain disorders across Europe was just short of €800 billion, which is more than is spent on cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases put together. Dr. Mary Baker is the current President of the Year of the Brain and former President of the European Brain Council. She explains that the idea of the Year of the Brain is to raise awareness of the importance of the brain. Baker says she wants to change the discrepancy between the implications of brain disorders and the modest resources offered to brain research. The unsustainable cost to society needs to be balanced with its importance. Dr. Baker explains the brain is at the core of society and “an organ of great resilience, so we want to inspire and also encourage the younger generation to nurture, to develop and above all to protect their brain.” A three-fold mission to brain health Baker’s husband suffered a stroke, and this firsthand experience has sharpened her awareness of the multi-faceted ways health and social care systems respond to illnesses across all aspects of life. All of these, she explains: “mount and there […]