Diabetes Cases In The U.K. Up 60% In The Last Decade

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Diabetes Cases In The U.K. Up 60% In The Last Decade

Cases of diabetes in the U.K. have increased dramatically in the past decade. The number living with the condition now up to 60%. Since 2005 there have been an additional 1.2 million people diagnosed with the disease, which is equivalent to the population of Cyprus. The charity Diabetes UK revealed these figures and they want effective care and improved preventative measures. This will help cut costs of worse conditions and improve quality of life.

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Feel-Good Exercise Hormone Irisin Is Real

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Feel-Good Exercise Hormone Irisin Is Real

Scientists in the US have found that a feel-good exercise hormone called irisin DOES exist. Previously thought to be a myth but new research team from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute used mass spectrometry to look for irisin in blood samples of individuals after exercise. The form of mass spectrometry used in the new study was far more accurate and reliable in measuring irisin. Found that these people had released the exercise hormone from their body, which activates fat cells to increase energy turn over

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Scientists Genetically Engineer Yeast To Produce Morphine-Like Painkiller

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Scientists Genetically Engineer Yeast To Produce Morphine-Like Painkiller

Normally takes around a year to create painkillers from opium poppies. First they have to be grown, harvested, shipped around the world and finally processed. Now researchers have been able to cut this time down to just a few days. Scientists can do this by genetically engineering yeast to do it instead. cientists get the chemical thebaine, which they then turn into the opioid hydrocodone (painkiller).

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Researchers Falsely Claims Traces of Bubonic Plague on New York Subways

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Researchers Falsely Claims Traces of Bubonic Plague on New York Subways

Almost half of these DNA sequences didn’t match any known species. Researchers associated some of these microbes with the bubonic plague and anthrax. Research team initially claimed that the bacteria Yersinia pestis, which causes the plague, was found on the subway. Suggested that they represent normal co-habitants of a shared urban infrastructure that may even be essential to maintaining such an environment.

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GM Food Labels Do Not Act As A Warning To Consumers

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GM Food Labels Do Not Act As A Warning To Consumers

Current economic and political battle taking place in America over the labeling of genetically modified (GM) foods. In 2015, 19 US states considered GM food labeling legislation. 3 States (Connecticut, Maine and Vermont) have passed mandatory GM labeling laws. July 23: US House passed the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling bill and will move to the Senate and, if passed, will prohibit both state-level legislation regarding GM labels and the labeling of products that contain GM ingredients.

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White House funds ways to treat and identify heroin epidemic

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White House funds ways to treat and identify heroin epidemic

The number of heroin overdose deaths in the U.S. continues to climb, so White House is funding efforts to prioritize treatment over punishment for heroin user. $13.4 million grant from the Office of National Drug Control Policy. They will partner public health and safety officials to trace the origin of the drugs and its distributors. The project will be funded for one year and will target high intensity drug trafficking areas in Appalachia, New England, New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Washington and Baltimore.

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IBM TO BUY MERGE HEALTHCARE IN $1 BILLION DEAL

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IBM TO BUY MERGE HEALTHCARE IN $1 BILLION DEAL

IBM Corp said it would buy medical image company Merge Healthcare Inc. in a $1 billion deal and combine it with its newly formed health analytics unit. IBM plans to combine data and images from Merge Healthcare's medical imaging management platform with Watson's cloud-based healthcare computing system. The system analyzes high volumes of data, understands complex questions posed in natural language and proposes evidence-based answers.

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9 Risk Factors May Contribute to Most Alzheimer's Cases

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9 Risk Factors May Contribute to Most Alzheimer's Cases

A new study published in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry found that nine potentially modifiable risk factors may contribute to two thirds of Alzheimer's disease cases worldwide. The analysis shows how the risk factors vary because of the innate complexity of Alzheimer's disease development. But researchers suggest the preventive strategies targeting diet, drugs, body chemistry, mental health, pre-existing disease and lifestyle may help fight dementia. 

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Our Health & Industry-Funded Research

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Our Health & Industry-Funded Research

The New York Times blasted wide open an argument that highly affects the health industry in an article this past weekend. The problem? Three words: industry funded research. Coca Cola is a leader in this. The report was sparked after a newly-formed nonprofit organization claimed to be working on developing solutions to prevent and reduce chronic disease associated with poor diet and obesity. The issue is this organization has received significant funding from Coca-Cola. Another key issue is that the group suggests poor diet and health habits aren't to blame for obesity and weight gain. 

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New Report: 47 Million Diagnosed With Dementia

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New Report: 47 Million Diagnosed With Dementia

While often incorrectly considered a disease, dementia actually refers to a group of symptoms which negatively affect memory and social abilities, resulting in an interference with daily functioning. Primarily, problems with memory and impaired judgment or language are the two major areas affected by dementia.  However, numerous other causes and symptoms of dementia exist, which can make diagnosis and treatment difficult or even impossible. But now, health researchers have found that nearly 47 million people are living with dementia globally which is a major increased from 35 million in 2009. The question is why is this increasing so rapidly? They warned that there hasn't been a medical breakthrough and the numbers will likely continue to grow every 20 or so years. 

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New study suggests bones heal differently than we thought

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New study suggests bones heal differently than we thought

It turns out that broken bones do not heal like doctors thought they did. For years it has been thought that fibrin was essential for bone repair. Fibrin is a protein that aids in blood clotting and helps in repairing fractured bones. However, a recent study from Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee suggests that this is not exactly true. According to the researchers at Vanderbilt, it is not the fibrin itself that helps to heal bone fractures, but rather the way in which fibrin breaks down. This research is important because it could help find a way to treat adults and the elderly who suffer from bone fractures heal just as well as children. The study was published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

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FDA approves OxyContin for children as young as 11

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FDA approves OxyContin for children as young as 11

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved OxyContin, a powerful and extremely addicting painkiller, for children as young as eleven years old. They claim the drug is safe for children as young as eleven who are suffering from chronic pain that cannot be successfully treated with other medications. The approval is a result of data that was submitted by Purdue Pharma, the drug’s manufacturer, to the FDA indicating that OxyContin is safe for children if used correctly.

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Nigeria Celebrates One Year Without Polio Case

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Nigeria Celebrates One Year Without Polio Case

Health officials in Nigeria are celebrating one year without a single case of polio. This is an impressive milestone. This indicates that the world is one step closer to making polio the second human infectious disease to be eradicated. Achieved with the use of an effective vaccination campaign.  The first disease to be eradicated was smallpox. Polio (poliomyelitis) is a paralyzing disease, which predominately affects children under five. 

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New study: Increasing autistic children’s levels of vasopressin, could help treat the social deficits common to autism

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New study: Increasing autistic children’s levels of vasopressin, could help treat the social deficits common to autism

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability  that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges. It alters the way a person communicates, interacts, behaves and learns. Learning, thinking and problem solving skills can range from what we call "gifted" to "severely challenge." Autism is difficult to diagnose. Many physicians observe an adult or child's behavior to determine disease. Many children do not receive a diagnosis until they are much older. 

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Researchers have developed a molecule that mimics exercise

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Researchers have developed a molecule that mimics exercise

Currently in the U.S., more than one-third (78.6 million) of adults are obese and 29.1 million people have diabetes. Type 2 diabetes accounts for about 90% to 95% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes Molecule first inhibits the function of ATIC, a cellular enzyme involved in metabolism. This inhibition causes another molecule called ZMP to accumulate in the cells. The buildup of ZMP tricks the cell into acting as if they are running out of energy. AMPK, the cell's central energy sensor, is activated, causing the cells to compensate for the supposed lack of energy by increasing their glucose uptake and metabolism. 

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5 Healthy Ways People Are Commuting

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5 Healthy Ways People Are Commuting

Commuting often has a bad rep. Long train rides, sitting for more hours of the day than we do at our current jobs along with delays and all that jazz. However, people living in certain areas of the world are taking advantage of more eco-friendly and healthy ways of commuting. Before they even get to work, they may have burns 250-500 calories. Sounds like a good deal right? Here are of the 5 most healthy and creative ways people are commuting today. 

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EBOLA VACCINE IS 'POTENTIAL GAME-CHANGER'

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EBOLA VACCINE IS 'POTENTIAL GAME-CHANGER'

Preliminary results suggest a vaccine against the Ebola virus has led to 100% protection and could transform the way Ebola is tackled. There were no proven drugs or vaccines against the virus at the start of the largest outbreak of Ebola in history, which began in Guinea in December 2013. The World Health Organization (WHO) said the findings, being published in the Lancet, could be a "game-changer".

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First pediatric double hand transplant performed on Baltimore boy

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First pediatric double hand transplant performed on Baltimore boy

A young boy from Baltimore, Maryland is the first child to receive a double hand transplant. The young boy’s name is Zion Harvey and he is just eight years old. He underwent surgery at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia teamed up with Penn Medicine to perform the world’s first every pediatric double hand transplant surgery on Zion.

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WORLD’S FIRST MALARIA VACCINE GETS APPROVED

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WORLD’S FIRST MALARIA VACCINE GETS APPROVED

The world's first malaria vaccine (Mosquirix) has received a green light for future use in babies in sub-Saharan Africa, which is backed by Bill Gates. The European Medicines Agency gave the Mosquirix vaccine a favorable review after 30 years of research by GlaxoSmithKline and the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative.

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Is Robotic Surgery Safe?

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Is Robotic Surgery Safe?

A recent report released from the CDC revealed findings researchers from three medical research centers concluded regarding the safety of robotic surgery. The report caused quite a gasp because it revealed that robotic procedures performed from 2007 and 2012 had over 8,061 device malfunctions, resulting in 1,391 injuries and 144 deaths.

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