Insulin can boost your immune system, here’s how

Insulin, a peptide hormone produced by beta cells of the pancreatic islets, boosts immune health, according to a new study. Toronto General Hospital Research Institute (TGHRI) scientists have identified a specific insulin signalling pathway that, when activated, revs up the response of T cells in the immune system to divide rapidly and secrete cytokines, chemical messenger proteins that activate the rest of the immune system. A fast and effective immune response protects us against disease and life-threatening infections by destroying infected cells or microbes, while a wrong or inefficient one can…

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How Mushrooms Can Aid In Diabetes Treatment

Eating white button mushrooms daily can act as a prebiotic by improving microbial community in the gut, which could then improve the regulation of glucose in the liver, a finding that could one day pave way for new diabetes treatments, say researchers. In the study, feeding white button mushrooms to mice changed the composition of gut microbes — microbiota — to produce more short chain fatty acids, specifically propionate from succinate, according to Margherita T. Cantorna, Professor at Pennsylvania State University in the US. Previous research has shown that succinate and…

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Single pill with two drugs can boost treatment for blood pressure, says study

A single pill with two drugs could transform blood pressure treatment as most of the patients are often reluctant to take more than a pill, according to a research. The research, published in the European Heart Journal, recognised that a major reason for poor rates of blood pressure control is that patients do not adhere to medications. Non-adherence increases with the number of pills, so administering the two drugs (or three, if needed) in a single tablet could transform blood pressure control rates, the researchers said. “The vast majority of…

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Kidneys can be affected because of poor air quality, says study

Polluted air increases the risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) which occurs when a person’s kidneys are damaged, or cannot filter blood properly, researchers, including one of Indian origin, have found. The study highlighted that people with diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure or heart disease are at an increased risk of developing CKD. Apart from PM2.5, air pollution also contains heavy metals such as lead, mercury and cadmium -all of which are known to negatively affect the kidneys. Researchers from the University of Michigan in the US, warn high risk…

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Tobacco smoke exposure can impact adolescents’ health, make them ill

Exposure to tobacco smoke can drastically impact teenagers’ health. A University of Cincinnati study found that teens exposed to tobacco smoke were at higher risk of having respiratory symptoms, such as shortness of breath and a dry cough at night. It also found that smoke-exposed teens were more likely to seek treatment at an urgent care or hospital emergency department. “There is no safe level of secondhand smoke exposure,” said Ashley Merianos, the lead author of the study. “Even a small amount of exposure can lead to more emergency department visits and…

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E-cigarettes are as dangerous as smoking. It can double the risk of heart attack

A new study has found that smoking an e-cigarette on a regular basis could double the risk of a heart attack. According to a new analysis of a survey of nearly 70,000 people, led by researchers at UC San Francisco, the dual use of e-cigarettes and conventional cigarettes appears to be more dangerous than using either product alone. The study also found that the risks compound, so that daily use of both e-cigarettes and conventional cigarettes raises the heart attack risk five-fold in comparison to the people who don’t use…

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