Identical signs of brain damage in sleep apnea and Alzheimer's
Identical signs of brain damage in sleep apnea and Alzheimer's New research has confirmed long-suspected links between sleep apnea and Alzheimer's disease, finding identical brain damage signs in both conditions. While the cause of Alzheimer's disease remains a mystery, amyloid plaques that are toxic to brain cells are known indicators of the disease. The new research showed these plaques start in the same place and spread in the same way in the brains of people with obstructive sleep apnea, as in those with Alzheimer's. The clinical study by Australian and Icelandic researchers, led by RMIT University, is published in the journal Sleep . Lead investigator Professor Stephen Robinson said scientists have known the two diseases are related, but what drives the connection is still unclear. "We know that if you have sleep apnea in mid-life, you're more likely to develop Alzheimer's when you're older, and if you have Alzheimer's, you are more likely t
Getting Back Pain While Working From Home? An Ergonomics Expert Offers Advice
Getting Back Pain While Working From Home? An Ergonomics Expert Offers Advice IDEAS BY ALAN HEDGE APRIL 15, 2020 2:13 PM EDT Alan Hedge is a professor emeritus at Cornell University and president of Humanuse, a leading-edge ergonomics company. E ven before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, roughly 1 in 6 U.S. workers, some 26 million people, worked either partly or fully from home . Now that number has grown significantly, as states are requiring non-essential employees to stay home . If you're one of these people, you may be noticing new aches and pains that you did not experience at the office. That's because even though it isn't mandated, many companies follow an ANSI-HFS standard in the design of their computer workstations, furnishing the office with the ergonomic furniture and accessories. However, most residential settings simply don't have the space to accommodate today's ergonomic office furniture, nor do most people invest in it, especially if they do the bulk of their
Learn How the NEW Nutrition Facts Label Can Help You Improve Your Health
Learn How the NEW Nutrition Facts Label Can Help You Improve Your Health The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued new regulations changing the Nutrition Facts label external icon on packaged foods. This is the first major change to the label since it was introduced in 1994. The changes are based on updated science, the most recent dietary recommendations, external icon , and public input. Using the new label can help you choose foods for a healthy diet. The label will be required on all packaged foods made in the United States and imported from other countries. The new label is already appearing on packages. Most items will have the new label by January 1, 2021. What is changing? Calories & Fat Larger, darker letters make calories the easiest item to see on the new label. When it comes to health outcomes, the type of fat you eat matters more than the overall amount of fat. For this reason, the label will no longer show the percentage of "calories from fat" but wil
Why you won't lose weight with exercise alone
Why you won't lose weight with exercise alone Exercise by itself isn't always enough to take off the weight. Now, evidence reported in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on January 28 helps explain why our bodies adapt to higher activity levels so that people don't necessarily burn extra calories even if they exercise more. The results suggest it's time to rethink the effect of physical activity on daily energy expenditure, the researchers say. They are also a reminder of the importance of diet and exercise in supporting weight loss goals. "Exercise is really important for your health," says Herman Pontzer of the City University of New York. "That's the first thing I mention to anyone asking about the implications of this work for exercise. There is tons of evidence that exercise is important for keeping our bodies and minds healthy, and this work does nothing to change that message. What our work adds is that we also need to focus on diet, pa
Losing Weight: Getting Started
Losing Weight: Getting Started Losing weight takes more than desire. It takes commitment and a well-thought-out plan. Here's a step-by-step guide to getting started. Step 1: Make a commitment. Deciding to lose weight, change your lifestyle, and become healthier is a big step to take. Start simply by making a commitment to yourself. Many people find it helpful to sign a written contract committing to the process. This contract may include things like the amount of weight you want to lose, the date you'd like to lose the weight by, the dietary changes you'll make to establish healthy eating habits, and a plan for getting regular physical activity. Writing down the reasons why you want to lose weight can also help. It might be because you have a family history of heart disease or want to see your kids get married, or simply because you want to feel better in your clothes. Post these reasons, where they serve as a daily reminder of why you want to make this change. Step 2: Take stock of
Adult Obesity Facts
Adult Obesity Facts Obesity is a common, serious, and costly disease. The prevalence of obesity was 42.4% in 2017~2018. From 1999–2000 through 2017–2018, the prevalence of obesity increased from 30.5% to 42.4%, and the prevalence of severe obesity increased from 4.7% to 9.2%. Obesity-related conditions include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer that are leading causes of preventable, premature death. The estimated annual medical cost of obesity in the United States was $147 billion in 2008 US dollars; the medical cost for people who have obesity was $1,429 higher than those of normal weight. Obesity affects some groups more than others. Non-Hispanic blacks (49.6%) had the highest age-adjusted prevalence of obesity, followed by Hispanics (44.8%), non-Hispanic whites (42.2%), and non-Hispanic Asians (17.4%). The prevalence of obesity was 40.0% among young adults aged 20 to 39 years, 44.8% among middle-aged adults aged 40 to 59 years, and 42.8% among
Fructose made in the brain could be a mechanism driving Alzheimer's disease, researchers propose.
Fructose made in the brain could be a mechanism driving Alzheimer's disease, researchers propose. New research released from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus proposes that Alzheimer's disease may be driven by the overactivation of fructose made in the brain. The study was published in the Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience and outlined the hypothesis that Alzheimer's disease is driven largely by Western culture that has resulted in excessive fructose metabolism in the brain. The paper brought together an interdisciplinary team of neurologists, neuroscientists, and experts on sugar metabolism. It presents evidence from extensive data and research conducted in Alzheimer's disease that links high fructose levels in the brain to the disease. It also helps explain associations, such as why diabetes and obesity are associated with an increased risk for Alzheimer's disease. "In essence, we propose that Alzheimer's disease is a modern disease dri
How and why resistance training is imperative for older adults
How and why resistance training is imperative for older adults For many older adults, resistance training may not be part of their daily routine, but a new position statement suggests it is vital to improving their health and longevity. "When you poll people on if they want to live to 100 years old, few will respond with a 'yes,'" says Maren Fragala, Ph.D., director of scientific affairs at Quest Diagnostics and lead author of the position statement. "The reason mainly being that many people associate advanced age with physical and cognitive decline, loss of independence and poor quality of life," adds Mark Peterson, Ph.D., M.S., FACSM, an associate professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Michigan Medicine and one of the senior authors of the statement. The position statement, published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research , and supported by the National Strength and Conditioning Association, highlights the benefits of strengt