_ Chili Peppers and Colorectal Tumors By Jane Farrell article Capsaicin, a substance already known to relieve pain associated with shingles, may also ultimately reduce the risk of colorectal tumors, according to new research. Investigators from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine said that capsaicin, which is the active ingredient in chili peppers, activates a receptor on the intestinal cells of mice. Their findings were published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation.
_ Loud Noise Can Affect Your Brain By Jane Farrell article A lot of loud noise may do more than damage your hearing: It actually alters the way the brain processes speech, neuroscientists say. Researchers from the University of Texas at Dallas said that could eventually lead to difficulty in distinguishing speech sounds hearing loss. The investigatorsΓÇÖ findings were published in the journal Ear and Hearing.
_ Watch: Fish Oil for Traumatic Brain Injuries? By Jane Farrell article Here's another addition to our Third Age video collection. Press play to start learning.
_ Mobile Health Apps Need More Oversight By Jane Farrell article Although people often assume that mobile health apps have been ΓÇ£approved,ΓÇ¥ in fact there is very little oversight of the multibillion-dollar industry, according to health-law researchers.
_ The Latest Approach to Anti-Aging By Jane Farrell article Instead of fighting chronic diseases one by one as they develop, researchers suggest, medicine should focus instead on preventing several of these illnesses at once. That approach, the investigators say, could help extend healthy lifespans.
_ The Science of Therapy: More Progress Needed By Jane Farrell article Although itΓÇÖs well known that therapy helps patients with psychological disorders, researchers arenΓÇÖt clear what changes occur in the brain to relieve some of the disorders, according to a newly published paper.
_ Losing Your Sense of Smell By Jane Farrell article Many older people are not even aware that they have a problem with their sense of smell because the changes occur gradually over several years. They may not even notice that they are experiencing a loss of smell until there is an incident in which they don't detect food that has spoiled or the presence of dangerous smoke.
_ Distractions Can Hurt Memory By Jane Farrell article Older people are much likelier to suffer memory and cognitive impairment when theyΓÇÖre presented with ΓÇ£environmental distractionsΓÇ¥ such as material thatΓÇÖs irrelevant to the task at hand. The finding, by psychologists from Rice University and Johns Hopkins University, is the first to convincingly demonstrate impairment from environmental distractions, such as irrelevant speech, during tasks.
_ Patients Are Helping Doctors Do Research By Jane Farrell article PatientsΓÇÖ participation in health-care research is becoming more active thanks to ΓÇ£big dataΓÇ¥ research projects that use many people to provide real-time information on symptoms, side effects and results. An analysis published in the journal Health Affairs said that new technologies such as electronic health records and monitoring devices are playing an increasing part in major studies.
A New Cancer Treatment for Dogs By Jane Farrell article A cancer therapy that was until now only available for humans has been developed for dogs. Scientists from the Messerli Research Institute of the Vetmeduni Vienna, the Medical University of Vienna, and the University of Vienna have developed a way to use cancer immunotherapy on dogs. Almost half of dogs ten years or older develop cancer.
_ Local Anesthesia Better for Hip-Fracture Surgery By Jane Farrell article General anesthesia may not always be best for patients undergoing hip-fracture surgery, a study has found. The researchers, from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, found in another study that there were high rates of mortality and functional disability among nursing-home residents who were treated for hip fracture. Each year, about 300,000 hip fractures occur in the United States. They often happen as a result of serious falls that can impair functionality.
_ Your Television May Be Killing You By Jane Farrell article Watching too much TV can be fatal: Adults who indulge for three or more hours each day may double their risk of premature death, according to new research. Researchers, who published their findings in the Journal of the American Heart Association, said that watching television is one of many bad lifestyle habits on the rise.
_ Multiple Sclerosis and Cognitive Decline By Jane Farrell article In a landmark study of multiple sclerosis patients, researchers have traced the pattern of cognitive impairment of MS sufferers. The study, by investigators from the Kessler Foundation and the Cleveland Clinic, followed the patients over 18 years. That length of time allowed researchers a unique insight into the cognitive decline of people who have MS.
_ How Do You Recover from Anesthesia? By Jane Farrell article A new study has found important clues about the process the brain uses to ΓÇ£navigateΓÇ¥ back to consciousness after being on anesthesia. Earlier research has revealed some elements of brain activity under anesthesia, but until now there havenΓÇÖt been any findings on the navigation process out of anesthesia.
_ Two Anti-Smoking Treatments Better Than One By Jane Farrell article A combination of quit-smoking therapies is more effective than using just one for male smokers and people with a high level of nicotine dependence. Researchers from Duke Medicine analyzed the outcomes of 349 people who reported smoking ten or more cigarettes per day. The participants were given a six-item questionnaire that measured their level of nicotine dependence. Before they quit, the researchers provided the subjects with a nicotine patch.
A Microwave Device that Helps Treat Strokes By Jane Farrell article A device that detects different kinds of strokes in patients could be a lifesaving instrument, according to new research. Strokefinder, which is placed on a patientΓÇÖs head, uses microwaves to examine the patientΓÇÖs brain tissue. The device interprets the findings to determine if the stroke is caused by a blood clot or bleeding. The difference between those two kinds of strokes can be crucial in emergency treatment. Researchers from Chalmers University of Technology, Sahlgrenska Academy and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, in Sweden, studied 45 patients.
_ The Drug That Improves Anti-Cancer Viruses By Jane Farrell article Combining a widely used medication with a cancer-killing virus might improve the effectiveness of the virus in battling malignancies, according to a new study.