Category: Features
Independent testing confirms no asbestos in Johnson’s Baby Powder
US healthcare corporation Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has announced that its widely-used consumer product, Johnson’s Baby Powder, was free of asbestos following allegations by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of trace amounts of the material found in a bottle purchased online. According to J&J, the FDA’s reported results could have either been because […]
Novartis trials new drug that delays breast cancer progression
A breast cancer diagnosis is usually distressing to patients across all age groups, especially for the younger ones who have much of life to experience. In fact, advanced breast cancer (ABC) in pre-menopausal women is more aggressive– it is the leading cause of cancer death in women aged 20–59 years old. Pharmaceutical conglomerate Novartis has recognised […]
Consultancy firm: senior care market to grow exponentially in Asia; new technologies to boost market
The Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, judging by its rapidly growing elderly population, could significantly boost silver market opportunities and elder-care productivity solutions, according to Spire Research & Consulting, which presented at Singapore’s ELDEX Asia 2019. The firm foresees product categories such as those related to assisted living facilities, medical tourism, telemedicine, and AI technology to supplement […]
Study: Poor cholesterol control in young people leads to heart problems later on
A recent study has found that people 45 years and younger with high levels of bad cholesterol have higher cardiovascular risks, including strokes. The “comprehensive” study highlights the long-term risk between cholesterol levels and cardiovascular diseases, by looking at non-HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol levels in over 400,000 multinational patients. HDL cholesterol is often the good […]
Samoa’s unvaccinated citizens to show red flags in country-wide vaccination against measles
The tiny Pacific nation of 200,000 is to widen its vaccination programme against measles, a highly infectious and deadly disease outbreak. Previous efforts were concentrated on children, who marked most of the dead, but will now include the entire population in a new vaccination campaign. The death toll from the outbreak has recently risen to […]
Finnish study finds link between antibiotic exposure and Parkinson’s disease
Around 10 million people worldwide have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD), a condition which affects the area of the brain related to movement; its patients also stand to develop symptoms of depression, sleep disruption, urinary difficulties and constipation, among others. As scientists seek to better the disease outcome, new research by researchers at Finland’s […]
Daily avocado intake reduces “bad” cholesterol, promotes eye health
Researchers at Pennsylvania State University (Penn State), US, have recently found that eating an avocado a day led to lower levels of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) – specifically small, dense LDL particles – and oxidised LDL in adults classed as overweight or obese. Highlights of the study showed that avocados were capable of reducing the number […]
Fibrous membrane designed in Switzerland to protect heart pacemakers
As useful as pacemakers may be, they do need to be surgically replaced every few years and may sport a layer of fibrous tissue on its surface by then, which could complicate the removal process, risk infections and so on. However, scientists from the Swiss ETH Zurich Research Institute (ETH Zurich) have designed a new […]
UK study highlights link between inflammation and mental sluggishness
The ‘sluggishness’ or ‘brain fog’ that most people feel alongside a chronic illness may have more to do with inflammation – according to scientists at the Centre for Human Brain Health (CHBH) at the University of Birmingham, UK, inflammation specifically affects brain activity related to maintaining alertness. Dr. Ali Mazaheri and Professor Jane Raymond of […]
Sleep deprivation has more dangerous affects than on just attention span, US study finds
A recent sleep study by Michigan State University’s (MSU) Sleep and Learning Lab has uncovered a greater impact of sleep deprivation on cognitive function than thought previously. Psychology Professor Kimberly Fenn said that sleep deprivation doubles the odds of placekeeping errors and nearly triples the number of lapses in attention. Placekeeping is simply a person’s […]
