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Autism is Likely Considerably Undercounted: Study New York, 26 Jan (ONA) --- New research suggested that autism prevalence rose as much as 500% in recent decades, but it still may be underdiagnosed.In an analysis of data on 8-year-olds in the New York-New Jersey metropolitan area in the United States (US) researchers found that the number of children with autism and intellectual disability doubled over the time period.Among those without intellectual disability, however, the increase was fivefold. Still, the study, published in the journal Pediatrics, found that disparities ...

Head Injuries Associated With 2 To 3 Times Higher Mortality Rates In Adults: Study Pennsylvania, US, 25 Jan (ONA) --- New research indicates that head injuries are associated with two to three times higher mortality rates in adults.The 30-year-study, conducted by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, found that mortality rates among adults who experience moderate or severe head trauma were nearly three times higher than adults who never endured head injuries.The research found that over 23 million adults in the U.S., 40 years old or ...

Regular Fast Food Consumption Linked To Liver Disease: StudyCalifornia, 15 Jan (ONA) --- A new study from the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine has linked the regular consumption of fast food with potentially life-threatening liver disease.The study suggests that eating fast food can increase the likelihood of developing nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, which causes fat to build up in the liver.While regular fast food consumption has been linked to obesity and diabetes, researchers say this is one of the first studies to demonstrate a negative impact on ...

Child's Weight Has Little Effect on Mood, Behavioral Disorders: StudyLondon, 8 Jan (OAN) --- According to a new study, childhood BMI is unlikely to have a significant impact on children's mood or behavioral disorders.The results suggest that some previous studies, which have shown a strong link between childhood obesity and mental health, may not have fully accounted for family genetics and environmental factors.Children with obesity are more likely to be diagnosed with depression, anxiety, or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but the nature of the relationship between ...

China Reopens its Borders After Covid Closure Beijing, 8 Jan (ONA) --- China has reopened its borders to international visitors for the first time since it imposed travel restrictions in March 2020. Incoming travellers will no longer need to quarantine - marking a significant change in the country's Covid policy as it battles a surge in cases, BBC news reported. They will still require proof of a negative PCR test taken within 48 hours of travelling. The move has been welcomed by many eager to reunite with family. In Hong Kong, 400,000 people are expected to travel into ...

British Health Officials Warn of Deaths Caused by Treatment Delays London, 2 Jan (ONA) ---- In Britain, the deaths of an estimated 500 people each week caused by delays in emergency care is “not a short-term thing”, a senior health official has said.Ian Higginson, vice-president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, hit out at any attempt to “discredit” previous warnings from his organisation over serious problems in hospitals by blaming the pandemic.Higginson told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “What we’ve been hearing over the last few days is that the ...

Scientists Develop New Device to Treat Type 1 Diabetes Texas, 29 Dec (ONA) --- A small device was developed at the Houston Methodist Hospital that could significantly change the way patients are treated for type 1 diabetes. The study, published in Nature Communications journal, saw the research team delivering islet cells and immunotherapy directly into a small device that is 3D printed and is akin to a bioengineered pancreas, called the NICHE. The treatment conducted in the study restored healthy glucose levels and eliminated type 1 diabetes symptoms in animal models for ...

Walnuts Reduce Stress Levels: Study Canberra, 18 Dec (ONA) --- Walnuts are known for improving brain and heart health and cognitive performance. People often consume walnuts before examinations to improve their memory. Now, a new study has shown walnut consumption to be associated with decreased stress in university students. Also, the study has revealed some lesser known health benefits of walnuts.Researchers from University of South Australia recently conducted a clinical trial of undergraduate students during their university studies. The study describing the findings was recently ...

Risk of Dementia, BMI are Linked: Study Boston, UK, 18 Dec (ONA) --- Dementia instances worldwide are project to reach more than 150 million by 2050, constituting a sharp inrease from the 50 million cases that exist today. A global epidemic of obesity, generally measured by body mass index (BMI), persists, and past research revealed that obesity in middle age may raise the risk of dementia.Now, researchers from Boston University Chobanian, Avedisian School of Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, have found that different patterns of BMI ...

Intermittent Fasting Reverses Type 2 Diabetes: StudyAtlanta, USA, 15 Dec (ONA) --- People with diabetes who fast intermittently may no longer need medication, according to a new study.It is known that a healthy diet and regular exercise are essential for diabetes control.Now, a new study reveals that an intermittent fasting diet may reverse type 2 diabetes without the need for medication.Patients achieved complete diabetes remission after an intermittent fasting diet intervention, according to a new research study. Complete diabetes remission is defined as an HbA1c (average blood ...

Revolutionary Gene Therapy Offers Hope for Untreatable Cancers London, 11 Dec (ONA) --- Scientists in the UK have used a revolutionary new type of gene therapy to treat a young patient with relapsed T-cell leukaemia. The administration of the technique – a world first – has raised hopes it could soon help to tackle other childhood cancers and serious diseases, the British Guardian news reportd. Alyssa, from Leicester, had undergone chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant in a bid to alleviate her leukaemia, without success. With no further treatments available, prospects ...

Scientists Finally Know Why People Get more Colds, Flu in WinterLondon, 6 Dec (ONA) --- Scientists behind a new study may have found the biological reason we get more respiratory illnesses in winter.It turns out the cold air itself damages the immune response occurring in the nose.In fact, reducing the temperature inside the nose by as little as 9 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius) kills nearly 50% of the billions of virus and bacteria-fighting cells in the nostrils, according to the study published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.“Cold air is associated with increased ...

Potatoes Can Be Good For Health If You Prepare Them the Right Way: StudyCanberra, 6 Dec (ONA) --- A group of researchers found that people who consume boiled potatoes have a 21% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to those who eat very little vegetables on a daily basis.The reason why potatoes gained a notorious reputation for causing lifestyle diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular conditions is mainly that those who eat potatoes regularly tend to slather the vegetable with far too much butter or ate them in a fried form.“When we separated boiled potatoes from mashed ...

Hot Weather Raises Risk of Stroke in Older People: StudyTokyo, 5 Dec (ONA) --- According to research presented at ESC Asia, a scientific congress put on by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), the Asian Pacific Society of Cardiology (APSC), and the Asean Federation of Cardiology, emergency visits for stroke are increased after a heatwave."Climate change and global warming are worldwide problems and stroke is a leading cause of death," said study author Dr. Ryohei Fujimoto of Tsuyama Central Hospital and Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical ...

Being Lonely or Unhappy May Accelerate Aging, Study ReportsBeijing, 4 Dec (ONA) --- An analysis of data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) of people older than 45 reported that psychological factors such as being lonely or feeling unhappy add up to 1.65 years to one’s biological age.To study the pace of aging, scientists have been developing so-called “aging clocks” — mathematical models that allow the measurement of biological age. These clocks combine data on various health parameters and medical conditions to produce predictions of biological ...

Playing Piano May Help Deal with Mental Health Issues like Depression: StudyLondon, 4 Dec (ONA) --- The research by the University of Bath had 31 adults participate in a randomised control study. They were divided into either a music training, music listening, or control group.People who had no prior musical instruction or expertise were told to complete weekly one-hour sessions. The control group either listened to music or used the time to accomplish schoolwork while the intervention groups engaged in musical activity.Dr Karin Petrini of the University of Bath, one of the authors ...

Vitamin D Could Help Extend Life Expectancy: StudyCanberra, 29 Nov (ONA) --- Now, a new study from the University of South Australia highlights evidence that vitamin D deficiency is linked to early mortality, prompting calls for individuals to follow healthy vitamin D level guidelines.The research, which was published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, indicated that the risk of death increased with the severity of the vitamin D deficiency.Vitamin D is an essential nutrient that helps maintain good health by keeping bones and muscles strong and healthy.This is the first ...

Study Identifies Enlarged Perivascular Spaces in Brains of Migraine SufferersWashington, 24 Nov (ONA) --- A new study has identified enlarged perivascular spaces in the brains of migraine sufferers.Results of the study will be presented next week at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).Migraine is a common, often debilitating condition, involving a severe recurring headache. Migraines may also cause nausea, weakness and light sensitivity.According to the American Migraine Foundation, over 37 million people in the US are affected by migraine, and up ...

Black Tea May Benefit Your Health Later in LifeCanberra, Australia, 23 Nov (ONA) --- A daily cup of tea could help you to enjoy better health late in life; however if you're not a tea drinker, there are other things you can add to your diet.The key is flavonoids, which are naturally occurring substances found in many common foods and beverages such as black and green tea, apples, nuts, citrus fruit, berries and more. They have long been known to have many health benefits; however new Edith Cowan University (ECU) research shows they may be even better for us than ...

Almonds Can Help Cut Calories: StudyCanberra, 22 Nov (ONA) --- A New research by the University of South Australia suggests that a handful of almonds can help keep additional pounds at bay.Researchers, who studied how almonds can alter human appetite, discovered that a snack of 30-50 grammes of almonds could encourage people to consume fewer kilojoules each day.The study, which was published in the European Journal of Nutrition, found that those who ate almonds instead of an energy-equivalent carbohydrate snack reduced their energy consumption by 300 kilojoules at the next meal, ...

Seniors Prone to Face Vitamin B12 Deficiency: Study Quebec, 20 Nov (ONA) --- Many seniors may unknowingly be suffering from a vitamin B12 deficiency, a new study warns."We wanted to see what the association is between what people eat and the risk of developing vitamin B12 deficiency. And what we found was really interesting," said University of Sherbrooke nutrition professor Nancy Presse.The study involved a cohort of around 1,750 healthy elderly people who were followed for four years.After analysis, researchers found that between 10 and 13 per cent of their subjects had a vitamin ...

Honey Improves Key Measures of Cardiometabolic Health: Study Ottawa, 17 Nov (ONA) --- Honey improves key measures of cardiometabolic health, including blood sugar and cholesterol levels, especially if the honey is raw and from a single floral source, found researchers at the University of Toronto.The researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials on honey, and found that it lowered fasting blood glucose, total and LDL or 'bad' cholesterol, triglycerides, and a marker of fatty liver disease; it also increased HDL or 'good' cholesterol, and some markers ...

More Than 1 Billion Young People Could be at Risk of Hearing LossLondon, 16 Nov (ONA) --- It is estimated that 0.67–1.35 billion adolescents and young adults worldwide could be at risk of hearing loss from exposure to unsafe listening practices, according to the study, which was published in BMJ Journal, Britain.Recommended noise limits are no more than 85 decibels throughout a 40-hour week. Young people from ages 12 to 35 using devices such as MP3 players and cellphones, actively listened to content at 105 decibels, while the average noise level at entertainment venues was 104 to ...

Tomatoes Linked to Improved Gut HealthOhio, United States, 16 Nov (ONA) --- In a new study, researchers examined the effects of a tomato-heavy diet on the gut microbiome using an animal model.Researchers fed piglets a tomato-supplemented diet for 14 days and found that the balance of their gut bacteria shifted toward a healthier, more favorable profile.The results were recently published in Microbiology Spectrum.Researchers used 20 male piglets that were born in the summer of 2019. After they were weaned from their sows, they were fed a basal diet for 1 week.Next, researchers ...

Morning Physical Activity Linked to Lower Risk of Heart Disease, Stroke: Study London 15 Nov (ONA) --- Morning physical activity is associated with the lowest risk of heart disease and stroke, according to a study in more than 85,000 individuals published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a journal of the ESC. The findings were consistent regardless of the total amount of daily activity.The study used data from the UK Biobank. It included 86,657 adults aged 42 to 78 years who were free of cardiovascular disease at baseline. The average age was 62 years and 58% were ...

Study Explores Alternative to Medicine in Treating Anxiety Washington, 10 Nov (ONA) --- A study found that treating anxiety can be achieved through meditation as an alternative to medicine.For the first time, scientists compared patients who took an intensive eight-week mindfulness meditation program to patients who took escitalopram, the generic name of the widely-prescribed and well-studied anxiety drug Lexapro. They found that both interventions worked equally well in reducing debilitating anxiety symptoms. The study was published in JAMA Psychiatry.The researchers took 276 adults ...

Higher Exposure to Air Pollution Linked to Heart Attack Risk: Study Washington D.C, 9 Nov (ONA) --- A new study found that air pollution can cause serious health issues, and it can also trigger fatal heart attacks and strokes. Higher exposure to toxic air can lead to the narrowing of blood vessels in those already suffering from heart conditions, according to the study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC).Researchers warn that prolonged exposure to air pollution can lead to a sudden, temporary squeezing of the arteries, which can lead to a heart ...

Change in Sleep Patterns Affects Brain Development of Teenagers: Study New Jersey, 8 Nov (ONA) --- A new study found that teenagers who tend to sleep very late at night are at growing risk of having behavioral problems and delayed brain development later in life. The study was published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.In this study, the researchers have investigated the relationship between preference to sleep late and white matter development in the brain.Researchers studied 209 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 19 for the study. They said that 49% of them ...

Study Links Omega-3s to Improved Brain Structure, Cognition at MidlifeWashington, 6 Oct (ONA) --- Eating cold-water fish and other sources of omega-3 fatty acids may preserve brain health and enhance cognition in middle age, new evidence indicates.Having at least some omega-3s in red blood cells was associated with better brain structure and cognitive function among healthy study volunteers in their 40s and 50s, according to research published online in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Faculty of The University of Texas Health Science Center ...

      Liver Cancer Cases Could Rise by 55pc in Next Two Decades: Study Lyon, France, 6 Oct (ONA) --- A new analysis revealed that primary liver cancer was among the top three causes in cancer in 46 countries in 2022. The number of people diagnosed with or dying from primary liver cancer per year could rise by more than 55% by 2040, revealed a study in the Journal of Hepatology, which was published by Elsevier. Investigators call for further efforts in prioritizing the control of the disease. In light of the availability of new and improved global cancer ...