The study also revealed that individuals who quit smoking, regardless of age, can achieve a life expectancy similar to non-smokers within approximately 10 years after quitting, and nearly half of this benefit can be noticed within just three years.
Researchers found that a combination of genetics and environmental factors reduces longevity in dementia patients. The same combination may shorten the lives of their siblings even without dementia.
The suicide rates increase substantially when air pollution rises, and the effect was particularly strong in the elderly, with older women 2.5 times more at risk than other groups.
While mental stress is commonly acknowledged in connection with grief, it is crucial to understand that grief can also present physical symptoms, including illnesses, fatigue, pain, and sleep disturbances.
The use of antidepressants, particularly fluoxetine, could affect the development of the prefrontal cortex of the infant's brain, potentially raising the risk of mental health disorders later in their life.
Researchers have developed smart earrings that could continuously monitor a person's earlobe temperature. The innovation known as Thermal Earring could also be potentially used to track signs of ovulation, stress, eating, and exercise.
The researchers made the interesting finding using a trial involving patients with a rare genetic condition called Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD).
People infected with the flu were more likely to need hospital care in the following year for common neurologic conditions than people who had the SARS-CoV2 infection.
Among women with a history of pregnancy complications, those who achieved or maintained high heart health after pregnancy were at a similar risk for heart disease as women without adverse pregnancy outcomes and good cardiovascular health, the study stated.
The study published in the journal BMJ indicated that individuals with hypermobile joints had a 30% higher chance of not fully recovering from COVID-19 and experiencing persistent fatigue associated with long COVID.
The studies showed that COVID antigens lingered in the blood up to 14 months after infection and more than two years in tissue samples of people who had the infection.
Those individuals who receive a COVID-19 vaccine during the first half of their menstrual cycle are more likely to experience cycle length changes than those receiving a vaccine in the latter half.
Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia among older people. The tendency to confuse the two terms, Alzheimer's and dementia — or to combine them — can lead to confusion. Alzheimer's and dementia are not the same thing. Dementia is a general term for memory loss and other intellectual abilities. Alzheimer's disease, named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer, is an irreversible brain disease that, over time, destroys memory and thinking skills. Symptoms typically appear in individuals around age 60, characterized by memory problems in the very early stages. Other symptoms include language deterioration, confusion, restlessness, forgetfulness, and mood swings. These early symptoms of Alzheimer's resemble the signs of natural aging, and can be overlooked.
Alzheimer's is not a normal part of the aging process. However, the greatest known risk factor is increasing age. While Alzheimer's disease generally affects individuals over 65 years old, up to five percent of people develop early onset Alzheimer's, which can appear as early as the 40s or 50s. Alzheimer's is a progressive disease, which means that the disease progresses — or worsens — over time, eventually destroying cognition. Early-onset Alzheimer's is a rare form of the disease. Typically, people who develop the disease have late-onset Alzheimer's.
Alzheimer's Research
Alzheimer's progression can be slowed but the disease cannot be cured. Current treatment focuses on slowing the disease's progression and managing the patient's behavioral problems.
Scientists continue to research the causes of Alzheimer's disease, which are not fully known. However research suggests that Alzheimer's develops due to a series of events in the brain over an extended period of time. Causes may include a combination of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. Each person differs in genetic make-up and lifestyle; so changes to any of these factors will vary depending on each unique individual. What scientists are trying to understand is why Alzheimer's mainly affects older adults. Research helps to reveal how age-related changes in the brain may harm neurons and contribute to damage, possibly leading to Alzheimer's disease.
Beyond genetics, scientists are increasingly looking to environmental and lifestyle factors that may contribute to Alzheimer's. Research suggests that brain health and heart health are connected. Since your brain is nourished by your body's networks of blood vessels, keeping fit and heart-healthy can increase your chances of delaying or preventing cognitive decline later in life. Scientists continue to examine the relationship between developing Alzheimer's and conditions that damage the heart or blood vessels, including: high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and high cholesterol.
Click start above to discover steps you can take for a healthy brain.