Chronic kidney disease creates ‘Island Of Widows’ In Nicaragua
Email this page March 3rd, 2014 (VOXXI) The town of Chichigalpa in Nicaragua has a very unique nickname: the Island Of Widows (Isla De Viudas). This unfortunate name comes with a morbid backstory: 1-in-3 men, mostly sugar cane workers, suffer, and eventually die, from Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). What’s worse, the disease is absolutely curable […]
Dark Chocolate Reaps Heart-Healthy Benefits
Email this page By Jessica Berman March 1st, 2014 (VOA) Researchers have known for some time that chocolate – especially dark chocolate – is good for the heart. Now, they know why. Besides tasting good, researchers found dark chocolate is protective against heart disease in two ways; it restores flexibility to stiffening arteries and […]
Biomarked for death – New blood test predicts if you will die in next 5 years
Email this page By Jessica Berman February 28th, 2014 (VOA) Researchers have developed a blood test that can predict the likelihood that you will die in five years. The controversial “death test” needs more work before it can be used by medical professionals, and public health officials. The test identifies four protein and metabolic markers […]
Amazing prosthetic allows amputee to feel sensation
Email this page By Jessica Berman February 7th, 2014 (VOA) A Danish man is the first amputee in the world to have sensation in his artificial hand thanks to a prosthetic that was surgically wired to the nerves in his upper arm. The accomplishment represents a tremendous leap forward for individuals with artificial limbs. Nine years […]
Women face higher risk of stroke than men
Email this page WASHINGTON, February 7, 2014 (AFP) – Women face a higher risk of stroke than men, particularly due to high blood pressure disorders in pregnancy and other hormonal factors, US doctors said Thursday. The warning was contained in new guidelines for preventing stroke, issued by the American Heart Association and for the first […]
Can Power of the Mind Control Chronic Pain?
Email this page February 5th, 2014 (VOA) Utah researchers say they’ve developed a technique that allows patients to use the power of their minds to help treat chronic pain. One in five people worldwide suffers from daily chronic pain, according to a 2004 report. A 2011 paper from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) showed that one in three U.S. adults […]
Costa Rica in a tough battle against dengue
Email this page By Mario Garita / ISH February 5th, 2014 (ISH) The Costa Rican Ministry of Health announced in late December it will increase its dengue prevention measures nationwide in 2014. In 2013, 52,247 cases of dengue were registered, 27,000 cases more than in 2012, costing the country about $416 million colones (US$816,000) in […]
Antioxidants fuel cancer in mice
Email this page By Jessica Berman February 3rd, 2014 (VOA) Millions of people take vitamins, minerals and herbal pills every day, hoping to stay healthy, and avoid disease. Much of that money is spent on antioxidants, like vitamins C and E, which is commonly believed to prevent or delay some types of cell damage, such […]
