Historically, poor sleep has been seen as a side effect of mental ill health, but this study found that the link between sleep and mental illness is more complex. The study analyzed data from people with an average age of 65 and found short sleep was associated with the onset of depressive symptoms. For the […]
Lots of Americans are in the same situation and habitually get only five to six hours of sleep instead of the recommended seven to eight hours. But even a mild chronic sleep deficit may heighten the risk of developing heart disease later in life: Surveys of thousands of people have found that people who report […]
When you are under stress, your brain may release its own cannabinoid molecules to calm you down, activating the same brain receptors as THC derived from cannabis plants. A new Northwestern Medicine study in mice has discovered that a key emotional brain center, the amygdala, releases the body’s own cannabinoid molecules under stress, and these […]
Researchers are attempting to uncover the basics of how fat tissue is structured and, specifically, inflammation associated with obesity, in the hopes of unlocking the connection between the accumulation of fat and poor health outcomes. A new study from Lindsey Muir, Ph.DPh.D. and their colleagues uses single cell analysis of gene expression combined with spatial […]
High cholesterol is mainly caused by diets high in saturated fat, carrying excess fat around your waist and not exercising enough, and is described, alongside high blood pressure, as one of the ‘silent killers’ that are often symptomless and only identified through a medical emergency. Elevated levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, often referred to […]
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the destruction of certain neurons in the brain: dopamine neurons. The main symptoms of this disease are tremors, slowness of movement and muscular stiffness. Epidemiological studies show that other disorders may be associated, such as disturbances of sleep and of the circadian cycle. This cycle, defined […]
This new research is the first to find evidence of higher levels of depression and anxiety among higher education students compared with their peers. The authors found that by age 25, the difference had disappeared between graduates and non-graduates. Lead author Dr Gemma Lewis said: “In recent years in the UK we have seen an […]
Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) along with coronary artery disease and stroke are the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Taking at least 50 steps climbing stairs each day could significantly slash your risk of heart disease, according to a new study from Tulane University. The study found that climbing more than five flights of […]
A new study has an important message for people who consider themselves night owls. Investigators found that people with later sleep and wake times had less healthy lifestyles and were at greater risk of developing diabetes than those with early-bird sleep habits. “People who think they are ‘night owls’ may need to pay more attention […]
The number of steps you should walk every day to start seeing benefits to your health is lower than previously thought, according to the largest analysis to investigate this. A new study found that walking at least 3967 steps a day started to reduce the risk of dying from any cause, and 2337 steps a […]