HEALTH & WELLNESS

A Neuropharmacology Expert Explains How Cannabis Holds Promise For Pain Management, Reducing The Need For Opioid Painkillers

4Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

HEALTH & WELLNESS, Journalism, SOCIETY, TOP FOUR, VIDEO REELS

A Neuropharmacology Expert Explains How Cannabis Holds Promise For Pain Management, Reducing The Need For Opioid Painkillers

Cannabis holds promise for pain management, reducing the need for opioid painkillers – a neuropharmacology expert explains how. Drug overdose deaths from opioids continue to rise in the U.S. as a result of both the misuse of prescription opioids and the illicit drug market. But an interesting trend has developed: Opioid emergency room visits drop by nearly 8% and opioid prescriptions are modestly lower in states where marijuana is legalized. Marijuana is produced by the cannabis plant, which is native to Asia but is now grown throughout the world. Individuals use marijuana for both its psychoactive, euphoria-inducing properties and its ability to relieve pain. Chemicals produced by the cannabis plant are commonly known as cannabinoids. The two primary cannabinoids that occur naturally i...

In The Effort To Combat The US Opioid Crisis FDA Approval Of Over-The-Counter Narcan Is An Important Step

12Sep

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

HEALTH & WELLNESS, POLITICS, TOP FOUR

In The Effort To Combat The US Opioid Crisis FDA Approval Of Over-The-Counter Narcan Is An Important Step

FDA approval of over-the-counter Narcan is an important step in the effort to combat the US opioid crisis. On March 29, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Narcan for over-the-counter sale. Narcan is the 4-milligram nasal spray version of naloxone, a medication that can quickly counteract an opioid overdose. The FDA’s greenlighting of over-the-counter naloxone means that it will be available for purchase without a prescription at more than 60,000 pharmacies nationwide. That means that, for 90% of Americans, naloxone nasal spray will be accessible at a pharmacy within 5 miles from home. It will also likely be available at gas stations, supermarkets and convenience stores. The transition from prescription to over-the-counter status is expected to take a few months. We are ...

Cookies, Chips, Frozen Meals And Fast Food And Other Ultra-processed Foods May Contribute To Cognitive Decline

12Sep

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

HEALTH & WELLNESS, TOP FOUR, VIDEO REELS

Cookies, Chips, Frozen Meals And Fast Food And Other Ultra-processed Foods May Contribute To Cognitive Decline

Ultra-processed foods – like cookies, chips, frozen meals and fast food – may contribute to cognitive decline. Scientists have known for years that unhealthy diets – particularly those that are high in fat and sugar – may cause detrimental changes to the brain and lead to cognitive impairment. Many factors that contribute to cognitive decline are out of a person’s control, such as genetics and socioeconomic factors. But ongoing research increasingly indicates that a poor diet is a risk factor for memory impairments during normal aging and increases the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. But when evaluating how some diets may erode brain health as we age, research on the effects of consuming minimally processed versus ultra-processed foods has been scant – that is, until now. Two re...

Coffee Or A Nap? — Why There’s No Substitute For Shut-Eye

19Aug

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

HEALTH & WELLNESS, IMPACT

Coffee Or A Nap? — Why There’s No Substitute For Shut-Eye

Can coffee or a nap make up for sleep deprivation? A psychologist explains why there’s no substitute for shut-eye. There is no denying the importance of sleep. Everyone feels better after a good night of sleep, and lack of sleep can have profoundly negative effects on both the body and the brain. So what can be done to substitute for a lack of sleep? Put another way, how can you get less sleep and still perform at your peak? As a psychologist who studies the ways in which sleep benefits memory, I’m also interested in how sleep deprivation harms memory and cognition. After some initial research on sleep deprivation and false confessions, my students at Michigan State University’s Sleep and Learning Lab and I wanted to see what interventions could reverse the negative effects of sleep depri...

A Nutritionist Explains The Science Behind An Apple A Day Keeps The Doctor Away

19Aug

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

HEALTH & WELLNESS, SOCIETY, TOP FOUR

A Nutritionist Explains The Science Behind An Apple A Day Keeps The Doctor Away

Does an apple a day really keep the doctor away? A nutritionist explains the science behind ‘functional’ foods. We’ve all heard that an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but how true is that? Apples are not high in vitamin A, nor are they beneficial for vision like carrots. They are not a great source of vitamin C and therefore don’t fight off colds as oranges do. However, apples contain various bio-active substances – natural chemicals that occur in small amounts in foods and that have biological effects in the body. These chemicals are not classified as nutrients like vitamins. Because apples contain many health-promoting bio-active substances, the fruit is considered a “functional” food. For years, I have taught university classes on nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, carbs, prot...

Heat-Related Illnesses Are Now Being Tracked Nationwide After The Hottest Summer On Record

4Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

ENVIRONMENT, HEALTH & WELLNESS

Heat-Related Illnesses Are Now Being Tracked Nationwide After The Hottest Summer On Record

A new dashboard launched by the Biden administration to track heat-related illnesses will help municipalities and medical professionals with prevention efforts and assist families as they make housing decisions, particularly for older adults, experts say. The EMS HeatTracker launched last week monitors the number of heat-related illness calls emergency services receive on a county-by-county basis, as well as the gender, race, age and more of those who become ill due to high temperatures across the United States. The tracker, the first of its kind, will be updated weekly. This summer has been the hottest on record due to climate change. “Each year heat kills more people than any other type of extreme weather event, and the heat is getting worse,” said John Balbus, acting director of th...

‘Calories In, Calories Out’ It’s Time To Bust The Weight-Loss Myth

15Aug

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

BEAUTY, HEALTH & WELLNESS

‘Calories In, Calories Out’ It’s Time To Bust The Weight-Loss Myth

It’s time to bust the ‘calories in, calories out’ weight-loss myth. If you’ve ever tried to lose weight, there’s a good chance you’ve been told it all comes down to a simple “calories in, calories out” formula: burn more calories than you consume, and the kilos will disappear. And it’s easy to see the appeal of breaking weight loss down into simple maths – just follow the formula, and you’ll achieve success. It’s also believable because many people do lose weight when they first adopt this approach. Indeed, the diet industry’s reliance on the “calories in, calories out” concept is why society blames people for being overweight. Anyone who can’t follow this simple energy formula is only overweight because they lack the willpower to eat less and exercise more. But the only simple truth he...

New Research Shows That Virtual Reality Has Negative Side Effects And Can Be A Problem In The Workplace

4Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

HEALTH & WELLNESS, IN OTHER NEWS, SCIENCE

New Research Shows That Virtual Reality Has Negative Side Effects And Can Be A Problem In The Workplace

Virtual reality has negative side effects – new research shows that can be a problem in the workplace. Some employers are excited about swapping out computer monitors for virtual reality headsets, but the side effects of using VR are not completely understood. In a recent study, my colleagues and I propose 90 factors that could influence VR side effects in the workplace. In another study, we suggest guidelines to reduce these negative symptoms. Our analysis considers over 350 studies to identify a range of VR side effects. Some negative symptoms of VR use – like headaches, tiredness, eyestrain and neck and shoulder pain –are familiar to those workers who sit at a computer all day. But the nature of VR introduces new avenues for discomfort, such as disorientation, dizziness, nausea and in...

The 988 Hotline Offers Hope As Suicides Rise In The US – But Most Americans Aren’t Aware Of It

2Aug

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

HEALTH & WELLNESS

The 988 Hotline Offers Hope As Suicides Rise In The US – But Most Americans Aren’t Aware Of It

As suicides rise in the US, the 988 hotline offers hope – but most Americans aren’t aware of it. July 2023 marks the one-year anniversary of the national launch of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Currently, more than 200 call centers throughout the U.S. are responding to 988 calls. But few people know it exists. SciLine interviewed Dr. Emmy Betz, a professor of emergency medicine at the University of Colorado, who discussed the critical need to raise awareness about 988, the increasing numbers of suicide deaths in the U.S. and the signs that someone is thinking about suicide. Emmy Betz discusses 988 and suicide prevention. Below are some highlights from the discussion. Answers have been edited for brevity and clarity. Can you share some statistics about suicide in the U.S.? Emmy B...

Medicaid Coverage Leaves Out Many Older Americans Who May Need Help Paying For Medical And Long-Term Care Bills Where The Government Draws The Line

3Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

HEALTH & WELLNESS, IMPACT

Medicaid Coverage Leaves Out Many Older Americans Who May Need Help Paying For Medical And Long-Term Care Bills Where The Government Draws The Line

Where the government draws the line for Medicaid coverage leaves out many older Americans who may need help paying for medical and long-term care bills – new research. The big idea Medicaid, which provides low-income Americans with health insurance coverage, currently excludes large numbers of adults over 65 with social, health and financial profiles similar to those of people the program does cover. Based on a study we conducted, we determined that if strict eligibility rules for Medicaid were changed to help cover such people, from 700,000 to 11.5 million people over 65 would be newly eligible for the program. We analyzed data from the 2018 Health and Retirement Study, a large national survey of older adults conducted by the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan e...