Diabetics may get help in improving blood sugar levels from this telehealth program

Turns out, improving blood sugar control in type 2 diabetes patients is as easy as using a telehealth program. A study conducted in veterans found that the program for diabetes self-management not only shortens the wait to talk to a physician specialist versus an in-person visit but also results in patients with type 2 diabetes having comparable improvements in blood glucose (sugar) control to patients receiving traditional care finds. The “telediabetes” program at the Veterans Affairs (VA) Pittsburgh Healthcare System, where the study took place, merges an electronic consultation, or…

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Get plenty of sunshine. Vitamin D may protect you from certain types of cancers

Higher levels of Vitamin D in the blood may be linked to a lower risk of developing certain cancers, according to a new study. “These findings support the hypothesis that Vitamin D has protective effects against cancers at many sites,” researchers reported in a study published in The BMJ medical journal. Vitamin D is made by the skin in response to sunlight. By maintaining calcium levels in the body, it helps keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy. While the benefits of Vitamin D on bone health are well known, there…

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Moms-to-be, take care of your health. Your immune system may influence baby’s brain

The state of a woman’s immune system during pregnancy may shape the connectivity of her child’s brain, suggests a study, emphasising the influence of maternal health on a child’s susceptibility to psychiatric disorders later in life. The findings showed that short and long-term brain functioning can be influenced by immune system activity during the third trimester of gestation. Infections, stress, illness, or allergies are commonly known to trigger immune responses. When the body’s immune system detects one of these factors, two proteins namely IL-6 and CRP are released as part…

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Beware, surgery and anaesthesia may affect your immediate memory

Turns out, surgery and anaesthesia can slightly affect the memory of patients. According to a new study, patients may score slightly lower on certain memory tests after having surgery and anaesthesia. In the study of 312 participants who had surgery and 652 participants who had not (with an average age in the 50s), surgery between tests was associated with a decline in immediate memory by one point out of a possible maximum test score of 30 points. Memory became abnormal in 77 out of 670 participants with initially normal memory…

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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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One Or More Sweet Beverage Daily By Either Partner May Reduce Chances of Pregnancy

Those trying their chances at pregnancy take note. According to a latest study, one or more sugar sweetened beverage everyday by either partner may significantly bring down the couple’s chances of pregnancy. “We found positive associations between intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and lower fertility, which were consistent after controlling for many other factors, including obesity, caffeine intake, alcohol, smoking, and overall diet quality,” said Elizabeth Hatch, from Boston University in the US. “Couples planning a pregnancy might consider limiting their consumption of these beverages, especially because they are also related…

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