Dark chocolate good for liver disease patients

WASHINGTON – Doctors could soon be prescribing a dose of dark chocolate to help patients with liver disease, according to a new Spanish research.

The study suggests that dark chocolate can benefit patients suffering from liver cirrhosis and from dangerously high blood pressure in their abdomen.
It contains potent anti-oxidants, which reduce the post-prandial (after-meal) blood pressure …. Original source  : Dark chocolate good for liver disease patients.

Routine lifting doesn’t really harm your back

WASHINGTON – Frequent lifting does more good than harm for one’s back, according to a researcher in the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine.

Tapio Videman said disc degeneration is the main suspected origin of severe back symptoms and the main target in spine surgery.
But he challenged the common perception that disc degeneration … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Routine lifting doesn’t really harm your back.

Low vitamin D levels linked to lower lung function in asthmatic kids

WASHINGTON – Low levels of vitamin D are linked to lower lung function and greater medication use in children with asthma, according to a study.

Researchers, led by Dr. Daniel Searing at National Jewish Health, also reported that vitamin D enhances the activity … Original article on : Low vitamin D levels linked to lower lung function in asthmatic kids.

Diet high in B-vitamins ‘lowers heart risk’

WASHINGTON – Foods containing the B-vitamins folate and B-6 can cut the risk of death from stroke and heart disease for women and may reduce the risk of heart failure in men, a Japanese study has found.

The study has been reported in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.
“Japanese people need more dietary intake of … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Diet high in B-vitamins ‘lowers heart risk’.

Uncontrollable chuckles ‘can signal underlying illnesses’

NEW YORK – Laughing or crying at inappropriate moments, or out of context to one’s circumstances, can signal underlying illnesses like multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.

An MSNBC.com report cites an example of a naval aviator student who would break out into hysterical laughter during odd moments. He would also laugh in his sleep …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Uncontrollable chuckles ‘can signal underlying illnesses’.

Cut down on calories to live up to 100 years

WASHINGTON – Cutting down on calories can not only make you live up to 100 years but also keep you healthy throughout life, research shows.

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis (WUSM-SL), University College London (UCL), and Andrus Gerontology Centre, University of Southern California (USC) report that calorie restriction influences the same … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Cut down on calories to live up to 100 years.

India doubles mental health allocation

NEW DELHI – India has doubled its financial allocation for increasing awareness about mental health and improving existing infrastructure at the district hospital level, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said Friday.

Azad informed the Lok Sabha during question hour that the central government was increasing mental health allocation for each district from Rs.1.2 crore per annum … Read more »».

Doctors lengthen 9-yr-old girl’s leg magnetically

WASHINGTON – Morgan LaRue, a-nine-year-old girl, is the first cancer patient in Texas to benefit from a novel procedure that will magnetically lengthen her leg, sparing her the possibility of up to 10 future surgeries as her body grows.

The implant and extension took place at Texas Children’s Cancer Centre (T3C) in Houston, Texas. … Read : Doctors lengthen 9-yr-old girl’s leg magnetically.

Lung virus kills 200,000 kids worldwide annually

LONDON – A common virus that causes wheezing and pneumonia claims the lives of up to 200,000 children worldwide each year, says a new study.

The research, conducted by the University of Edinburgh, also showed that about 3.4 million children require hospital treatment for severe lung infection caused by the bug – respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). … Original article on : Lung virus kills 200,000 kids worldwide annually.

Obama calls for greater hospital access to patients by non-family members

Obama: Allow more access to hospital patients

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama is issuing a directive he says will make it easier for hospital patients, particularly gays and lesbians, to receive visitors and choose who will make medical decisions on their behalf.
Obama is asking the Health and Human Services secretary to begin the process of putting …. Source  : Gaea News Network.