Anxiety helps people cope with pressure situations
People who feel more anxious than others are more likely to fare better during crisis, a study shows. Researchers from French Institute of Health and Medical Research measured electrical signals generated in the brain in 24 people using an electroencephalogram machine and put them in different situations. They found that the more anxious fare much better during pressure situations. The researchers pointed out that anxiety actually allows threat signals to reach the brain’s motor cortex more rapidly and that shows them to react quickly. This refutes previous studies which suggest that anxiety often leads to oversensitivity to threat signals and impairs how the brain processes threats. The study was published in the journal eLife. Read more here.
Smoking e-cigarettes can be as harmful as real cigarettes
E-cigarettes can be as harmful as conventional cigarettes and can even lead to cancer, warns study. Researchers from the University of California created an extract from the vapour of two popular nicotine-free brands of e-cigarettes and used it to treat human cells in Petri dishes. Compared to untreated cells, the treated cells showed several forms of damage, including DNA strand breaks. Cancer occurs when one or both of these DNA strands break apart and the cellular repair process does not work as it should. Researchers pointed out that more research is needed to figure out what e-cigarettes contain and whether those chemicals are safe for users. The study was published in the journal Oral Oncology. Read more here.
High blood sugar increases kidney risk
People with blood sugar levels higher than normal, but not enough to be called diabetes are more likely to have kidney problems, claims a University of North Norway study. The researchers measured blood sugar levels and indicators of kidney damage in 1,261 non-diabetic people in the age group of 50 to 62 years. At the start of the study, about 595 people were diagnosed with abnormal blood sugar levels. When the researchers followed up with the participants after five years, they found that people with slightly abnormal blood sugar were more likely to have hyperfiltration, a condition where filtration elements in the kidney don’t work properly and could lead to kidney diseases. The study appeared in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases. Read more here.
Old people more reluctant to report poor healthcare
Old people admitted to hospitals are more likely to suffer in silence when it comes to reporting poor healthcare services, claims a British government study carried out by Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. The researchers examined data from a national survey of almost 700 people over 65 years of age and found that 56% of people refrained from complaining about healthcare-related problems fearing it might impact their future treatment. It was found that 18% people above the age of 75 did not know how to raise the subject, while 32% felt complaining would not make any difference. Read more here.
Children with allergies are more prone to depression
Children who suffer from allergies at an early age are more likely to show signs of depression in later years of childhood, warns an American study. Researchers from Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City enlisted 546 children who had skin tests and exams at age one, two, three, four and seven. Their parents were asked to complete a behavioural assessment survey when the child turned seven. Parents responded to 160 questions about their child’s behaviours, emotions, fears and how often they felt sad. The findings revealed that kids with allergic sneezing, itchy or watery eyes or persistent wheezing at the age of four felt more depressed and anxious at the age of seven. The study was published in journal Pediatrics. Read more here.
Compiled by Abhijit Ahaskar
