Universal Meditation Could Pay For The Public Option

T Goodman — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 20:29:44 -0800

Yes, there was a time when meditation and yoga were scorned upon as "hippie" or "new age" fads. But over and over again scientific studies have shown that meditation improves everything from heart health to study habits to forgiveness! Why wouldn't everyone want to learn meditation as a life skill? It would cut down the cost of medications, hospitalizations, surgeries, therapy needs, medical costs... Heck, everyone would be healthy! And maybe even nicer to each other.

Study Shows Liberals, Atheists, And Monogamous Have Higher IQ's

T Goodman — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 13:29:44 -0800

The March issue of the peer-reviewed Social Psychology Quarterly, a journal of the American Sociological Association, will contain an article entitled "Why Liberals and Atheists are More Intelligent." Though certain to cause some outrage, the investigator has collected some statistically significant IQ evidence that supports his theory.

Rehabilitation For Mini Strokes: It's About Time

T Goodman — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:44:44 -0800

.... TIAs aren't called mini strokes for nothing. The most common cause of TIA is the very same as the most common cause of stroke: blood clots blocking blood flow to the brain. The difference is that TIAs usually resolve within minutes or a few hours. The classification of the incident is all a matter of how long the blockage lasts; if the disturbance doesn't clear up within 24 hours, you've had a stroke, not a TIA.

Revolutionary Motorcycle Helmet Inspired By Human Skin To Reduce Traumatic Brain Injuries

T Goodman — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 13:44:44 -0800

This motorcycle helmet is designed to save your scalp. Not just your scalp, but your brain, because it's your brain that can suffer permanent impairment if you get tossed from a motorcycle. Now, if you survive such a toss, it's very possible you will suffer Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and/or spinal cord injury. But this helmet's been 15 years in the making so that it can offer nearly 70 percent more protection against TBI than other motorcycle helmets.

Observing The Brain As Singing Helps Stroke Victims Regain Their Speech

T Goodman — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 13:14:44 -0800

Singing therapy for stroke patients is an established rehabilitation technique, but a new study combined music therapy with brain imaging, so researchers could actually see what goes on in the brain as patients learn to sing their words. These observations are improving the chance of success for speech impaired stroke patients.

An End To Food Allergies? Well, Let's Start With Peanut Allergies

T Goodman — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 11:59:44 -0800

Peanut allergies are the most common cause of food related death. Four percent of children are allergic to peanuts and only 20 percent of those children ever outgrow the allergy. Symptoms of peanut allergy can include rashes, itchy skin, sneezing, teary eyes, vomiting, stomach cramps, diarrhea, and swelling. But severe symptoms may include anaphylactic shock, which can be deadly if not treated immediately. You don't mess with food allergies.

Sex Hormone Now In Phase III Trials As Treatment For Traumatic Brain Injury

T Goodman — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 15:44:44 -0800

....Several drugs are currently used to minimize the impact of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI); the precise one(s) prescribed often depend on the symptoms expressed. But 25 years of research on a biologically available hormone, progesterone, is finally in Phase III trials, having shown promise for early-identified and early-treated TBI patients, regardless of the specific symptoms.

Targeted Ultrasound Tested As Stroke Prevention Method

T Goodman — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 10:59:44 -0800

The large helmet is the ExAblate 4000, a magnetic resonance guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) device, by Israel's Insightec. ExAblate 4000 has been tested successfully to isolate and destroy the smallest of tumors in the brain, without affecting the surrounding tissues or bones. Now, researchers are looking at the technology to do the same with blood clots that can lead to stroke.

Tutankhamun's DNA Reveals True Cause Of Death

T Goodman — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 16:44:04 -0800

The most famous mummy in history, Tutankhamun, has had his artifacts exhumed and studied since 1922. For the last two years, in an effort to reveal why the Egyptian 'boy king' died young, teams of scientists from Egypt, Germany, and Italy, have studied Tut's DNA and come up with some interesting conclusions.

New Retinal Implant Contains "Fertilizing" Enzymes

T Goodman — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 10:44:04 -0800

"Implant" is becoming more and more literal in eye research. Like a gardener removes the dead roots of the soil's former dweller, tills and adds fresh soil and fertilizer to make the ground replantable, and finally adds new seeds, researchers have developed an implant that clears out the scar tissue of diseased retinas and seeds new ones. This quickly evolving procedure holds hope for millions of persons with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and age-related macular degeneration (ARMD).

Scientists To Work On Stroke Vaccine

T Goodman — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 11:59:04 -0800

Researchers at Sweden's Karolinska Institutet have been conducting studies on stroke for many years. Among their findings are studies indicating that stroke victims lack a certain antibody, anti-PC, in their immune systems that normally reduces the risk of arteriosclerosis, a thickening of arterial walls that can lead to stroke. Their most recent study provides the impetus to move ahead with the development of a preventative vaccine.

Alcohol And Energy Drinks Make Dangerous Cocktails

T Goodman — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 17:14:04 -0800

Apparently the new trend in high(er) education is to combine alcohol with highly-caffeinated energy drinks. Oh well. But those in the University of Florida's (UF) College of Public Health and Health Professions took an interest in studying the actual effects of this trend....

Neuroscientists Study The Effects Of Acupunture And Give It A Nod

T Goodman — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:29:04 -0800

Western medicine, being suspicious of anything that can't be objectively measured, has been late to incorporate acupuncture among its prescriptions for pain relief. But a study undertaken by neuroscientists at the University of York and the Hull York Medical School in Great Britain, may help to change some attitudes of medical professionals in the West.

Have A Pint! Beer May Help Prevent Osteoporosis

T Goodman — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:29:04 -0800

Pretty soon, we're going to be a very happy nation and it will all be sanctioned by the medical establishment. Aside from those with serious illnesses getting to take a few legal hits on a marijuana joint daily, our glass or two of wine a day has been shown to support cardiovascular health. Now, we learn that beer, particularly beer with high levels of malted barley and hops, is good for our bones!

Magnetic Nanoparticles Update: Human Cancer Cells Tested

T Goodman — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:29:04 -0800

Scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Ovarian Cancer Institute have been experimenting with magnetic nanoparticles focused on attracting cancer cells so that they could be separated from healthy cells and removed from the site.

Supposedly Brain-Dead Patients Signal With Their Brains

T Goodman — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 19:44:04 -0800

If it's true that some brain damaged patients are actually capable of communicating with their brains, even though there are no movements made by their bodies, wouldn't that make "right to die" issues so much more complicated? But I'm jumping ahead here... Let me share the research and let you come to your own conclusions....

Scientists Find Hope For Psychosis In A Natural Supplement

T Goodman — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 07:44:04 -0800

On the heals of the report that medical professionals may be able to spot and treat schizophrenia before it manifests, comes news of hope for a natural preventative to psychosis. The natural substance is legal and can be purchased in pill form as a supplement at most general stores, supermarkets, drug stores, and specialty stores. It can also be found in many foods.

How Mother's Smoke Puts Infants At High Risk Of Sudden Infant Death (SIDS)

T Goodman — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 11:29:25 -0800

Though the link between mothers who smoke during pregnancy and babies who succumb to sudden Instant death syndrome (SIDS) has been made, one more piece of research has demonstrated specifically how the smoke impacts the fetus.

Neuroimaging Can Spot Schizophrenia Before It Manifests

T Goodman — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 17:14:34 -0800

"Pharmacological treatments for schizophrenia remain unsatisfactory, so clinicians and researchers like myself have started to dig in another direction," says Professor Ina Weiner, lead researcher. "The big question asked in recent years is if schizophrenia can be prevented."

Experimental Magnesium Compound Enhances Cognition In Rats

T Goodman — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 20:59:22 -0800

More and more, the influence of diet on various aspects of our health is being uncovered, often with very specific findings that leave us with obvious prescriptions for better health. Another study, published today in the journal Neuron, looked at the effects of a laboratory-designed magnesium supplement on the brains of rats of different ages.

Blood Pressure, Medication, Diet, And Dementia: What The Recent Research Tells Us

T Goodman — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 17:44:17 -0800

Since last week, when I wrote about certain blood pressure medications and their positive effects on memory, there have been a few new studies published relating the effects of medication and diet on blood pressure and dementia. Just so that you're not thinking deja vu all over again at what seems like a repetition of yesterday's news, I thought I'd prepare a short summary of how these studies interrelate and what they mean to us.

Medtronic's Melody Device Sings Sweetly To Those With Heart Defects

T Goodman — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 08:28:58 -0800

Without having to jump through the usual hoops required by the US Food and Drug Administration for approval, the medical device company, Medtronic, gained approval of its Melody transcatheter pulmonary valve through a "Humanitarian Device Exemption." This device could save those with pulmonary valve failure many open heart surgeries... and Medtronic has other heart valve devices lined up.

Rash On Your Bum? You May Have Toilet Seat Dermatitis!

T Goodman — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 10:44:00 -0800

The medical diagnosis of toilet seat dermatitis is a real one, but if it hasn't come to your attention, it may be because most cases are found in underdeveloped countries... until recently.

FYI: Driving Impairs Conversation On Cell Phones

T Goodman — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:14:42 -0800

Yes. You read right. You've heard that cell phones distract drivers. Now, for the first time, a study has proven that driving distracts a driver from those cell phone conversations!

Juicy News! Daily Blueberry Juice Repowers Memory In Seniors

T Goodman — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 13:29:37 -0800

In the last ten years, blueberries have received a lot of free publicity. There's always fresh news about the fruit with the highest anti-oxidant capacity and how it keeps flu, aging, belly fat, cancer, constipation, and heart disease at bay. The benefits of blueberry consumption are not superstition or folklore brought back from the natives of the Andes....

Time To Get Off Your Arse, Study Urges

T Goodman — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 10:59:09 -0800

It doesn't matter to your blood pressure, finds a Swedish research report, how much exercise you do for one hour a day; it matters what you do all day. In other words, if you have a desk job, it's time to get off your arse!

First Biomark For PTSD Established By Magnetic Brain Imaging

T Goodman — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 09:29:38 -0800

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which manifests itself in disturbing flashbacks, nightmares, paranoid behavior, and expressions of anger and hostility, had been medically diagnosed by empirical methods and by, essentially, ruling everything else out. Until now.

Blood Pressure Medicine And Alzheimer's: Do You Know Your ARBs From Your ACEs?

T Goodman — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 17:44:01 -0800

This is an ad for a blood pressure medication, not one for an erectile dysfunction drug. Lowering one's blood pressure can help to reduce the risk of heart attack during sexual activity, but what about lowering one's risk of dementia? Researchers from Boston University looked into this relationship.

Green Tea Lessens Chance Of Lung Cancer Among Smokers

T Goodman — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 11:44:47 -0800

As a former smoker, I commiserate with those who still smoke; it's very difficult to stop smoking, but you really must. Just in case you think it's too late to quit because the damage has already been done, that thought is unfounded. Stopping smoking can, over time, reverse lung damage... and, low and behold, new research shows so can green tea!

Mother's Milk Cocktail Improves Memory In Mild Alzheimer's Patients

T Goodman — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 15:14:27 -0800

Soon you will be able to find a "mother's milk" cocktail called Souvenaid® on your drug store or supermarket shelves. And why would you drink it? To improve your memory, of course!