The purpose of sleep remains one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in science. Although we spend roughly one-third of life asleep, researchers still do not know why.
While sleep is often thought to have evolved to play an unknown but vital role inside the body, a new theory now suggests it actually developed as a method to better deal with the outside world. Read the rest of this entry »
Attractive women may have the competitive edge by letting their temper flare more, research suggests.
Researchers found women who rated themselves as pretty displayed a war-like streak when fighting battles to get their own way.
The University of California interviewed 156 female students to gauge their temperament and how they handled conflict.
The findings appear in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Read the rest of this entry »
Although an alkaline diet can help with allergies because it avoids foods that produce mucus such as flour, chocolate and eggs, some people still suffer from harsh allergies during certain times of the year.
A new study has discovered a molecule, known as thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), which specifically tells immune cells to produce an allergic response.
Researchers from the University of Texas believe that this molecule is the key to the development of allergic diseases such as asthma, eczema and food allergies.
Fish oil fed intravenously to patients in Intensive Care Units (ICUs), improves gas exchange, reduces inflammatory chemicals and cuts down hospital stay.
A randomised controlled trial, which examined the effects of including fish oil in the normal nutrient solution for sepsis patients, found a significant series of benefits. (Sepsis is the presence of pus-forming bacteria or toxins in the blood or tissues).
Read the rest of this entry »
Patients may have to be prescribed higher doses of antibiotics because of rising rates of obesity, say doctors.
The standard “one-size fits all” dose may not clear infection in larger adults and increases the risk that resistance will develop, they argue.
More work is needed to guide GPs on how and when to alter doses, an editorial in The Lancet to accompany the study by doctors from Greece and the US says.
GPs said it was an interesting theory but may end up being expensive. Read the rest of this entry »
Post-menopausal women who suffer from HIV have a higher risk of bone fractures, a new study suggests.
Although nutritional supplements such as vitamin D and calcium can help increase the strength of bones, a study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism indicates that therapies used to make HIV patients live longer can be detrimental to bone mineral density.
Previous studies have indicated that HIV patients have a higher prevalence of low bone density due to metabolic complications brought on by treatment.
