Babies in strollers are exposed to twice more pollution than adults

Babies in prams can be exposed to up to 60 per cent more pollution than their parents, causing potential damage to their frontal lobe and impacting on their brain development, a study has found. Researchers from the University of Surrey in the UK examined over 160 references to highlight the factors concerning the pollution exposure of babies in prams and associated mitigation strategies. The study, published in the journal Environment International, also investigated different types of prams based on their height, width, and whether they seat one child or two…

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Maintaining balance: Blood sodium levels may affect cognition in older adults

Scientists have found that lower levels of sodium in the blood – known as hyponatremia – is linked with a decline in cognitive function with advancing age. Hyponatremia occurs when the sodium level in the blood falls below 135 Millimoles Per Litre (mmol/L), according to a study published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. Mild hyponatremia was once thought to be asymptomatic, but recent studies suggest that it may be associated with higher risks of attention deficits, gait disturbances, falls, cardiovascular events, and even premature death.…

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Dear parents, take note. Children who snore are likelier to grow up into obese adults

If your child snores, don’t ignore it. It could lead to some serious health trouble later in life. A team of researchers has shed some light on the vicious cycle of childhood obesity and snoring. Scientists at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) looked at the relationships among maternal snoring, childhood snoring and children’s metabolic characteristics – including body mass index (BMI) and insulin resistance, which reflects future risk for developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease – in approximately 1,100 children followed from gestation through early adolescence. Led by endocrinologist Christos…

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Older Adults Should Engage in Household Work to Keep the Heart Healthy

Staying active can take you a long way to good health. It is not without reason that doctors tell us to engage in physical activities and lead an active lifestyle. It has various beneficial effects on our body, aiding day-to-day functions as well as keeping diseases at bay. Elders too should keep active to not fall prey to health problems. Even walking or carrying out household chores can work wonders. According to a recent study by University of Pittsburgh, engaging in daily activities like making bed, doing the laundry, climbing…

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Why Adults Shouldn’t Eat Baby Food

Celebrities have quite the knack for causing a stir when they release their “diet secrets,” and this week is no different. Today, Girls writer and star Lena Dunham posted on Instagram her “Trump Diet.” Dunham, a liberal stalwart, was facetiously remarking on how difficult she’s found eating since the November election. Her tone is clearly joking, but tucked in the third entry is a shout out to baby food, an infamous celebrity diet trend. Indeed, several celebrities tout baby food as their secret elixir for shedding pounds. Last summer, Camila…

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Why Heart Attacks Are Increasing Among Young Adults

Myocardial infarction or “Heart attack” as it is commonly known is increasing and now reaching epidemic proportions. Knowledge that heart attack can cause early and unexpected death is now widespread. Many young adults, especially men, come routinely to do a health check-up even if they have no symptoms. Many times this is because someone near or dear has suddenly succumbed to the disease. Despite this, vast majority of youngsters and young adults fail to identify the warning signs, which occasionally leads to tragic outcomes. Heart attacks in the young   Indians have heart attack almost a decade earlier than the west. In a recent study done in a large tertiary…

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