Here are some of the latest developments in the world of health and medicine:
* Divorce Can Break More than Just Your Heart. Divorce increases the chances for serious illness, and even remarriage can’t heal the damage. These are the conclusions of two University of Chicago researchers who specialize in studying the links between marriage and health. Among their findings:
- People who are divorced or widowed have 20 percent more chronic health problems like heart disease, diabetes and cancer compared to their married counterparts.
- These same people have 23 percent more mobility problems, such as difficulty climbing stairs or walking moderate distances.
- Even remarriage only slightly lowers the incidence of chronic health and mobility problems.
Maybe staying single is the answer? Not according to the researchers, who found that “confirmed bachelors and bachelorettes” had 13 percent more depressive symptoms and 12 percent more mobility limitations than their married counterparts.
In other words, “for better or worse” is usually for the better.
* Blue M&Ms May Help Treat Spinal Injuries. The substance that makes blue M&Ms blue is a compound called Brilliant Blue G (BBG). A common food coloring, it may actually hold the key to reducing damage from spinal injuries, according to researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center. For years, spinal experts have known that when the spinal cord is traumatized, the body releases a chemical known as ATP, which actually kills nerve cells and can lead to permanent paralysis. The University of Rochester researchers identified BBG as a chemical that could block the effects of ATP, allowing the nerve cells to heal. When given intravenously to mice following a spinal injury, the BBG allowed the rats to walk again, albeit it with a slight limp. Untreated rats never regained mobility. The only side effect: For a short period of time, the mice turned blue.
It will likely be several years before this treatment is available for humans. However, if you’re walking down the street and you see a Blue Man, he may not be a Las Vegas performer, just a guy recovering from a back injury.
* Weight Loss May Ease Depression. Over the past two decades, numerous drugs have been developed to help people fight the often debilitating symptoms of clinical depression. But now, a research team led by doctors at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have discovered another, simpler, all-natural way to ease depressive symptom: weight loss. In a six month-long study, the researchers found that patients who lost at least 8% of their body weight also reported a significant improvement in their depressive symptoms. This was coupled with a significant drop in triglycerides, chemicals long linked to heart disease and stroke. If this discovery is validated, it may mean that the cure for depression isn’t Prozac, but Jenny Craig.
* Swine Flu Isn’t Going Away Any Time Soon. According to a report just issued by the World Health Organization, the H1N1 virus, also known as the “swine flu,” is continuing to spread. In fact, within the next two years, the virus may infect up to 2 billion people—one third of the world’s population. Although this particular strain of flu has not been as deadly as many flus of decades past, even a minor mutation could make it far more powerful. For this reason, the WHO is calling upon countries worldwide to do everything they can to promote healthy behaviors, such as simple hygiene, and to prepare local health facilities to deal with what could be one of the largest influenza outbreaks in a century.
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Interested in a career in the fast-growing and exciting health care field? Programs that help you qualify for a variety of entry-level positions are available now at Everest College. For more information, please contact Everest today!
