Category Archives: Health News

A new study has found that patients taking statins – cholesterol-lowering drugs – have a reduced risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers from the University of Southern California and University of Arizona analyzed 399,979 men and women and found that those taking statins for two years or more had a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s ...click here to read more

A new study has found that changes in sleep – sleeping too long or too short – can alter gut bacteria. Researchers suggest that these changes can contribute to metabolic conditions such as obesity, or type 2 diabetes. For the study, nine male participants with normal healthy weight were selected. The researchers limited the sleep ...click here to read more

Pets have been found to help aid in mental illness management based on research findings. Researchers from the U.K. surveyed over 50 adults with long-term mental illness to uncover the role which pets play. The responses unveiled that 60 percent of respondents placed pets in the central and most important circle – above family, friends ...click here to read more

Seniors in assisted living facilities benefit from intimate and social relationships. The study examined relationships among couples living in assisted living and found that later-life couplehood or companionship – regardless of marriage status – could benefit seniors’ well-being. On the other hand, there were some detrimental outcomes including feeling the burden of caring for the ...click here to read more

A new study has found that yoga can improve blood pressure among prehypertension patients. Prehypertension means that elevated blood pressure is close to the dangerous levels, but can be brought down to reduce one’s risk of hypertension – high blood pressure. Lead author Dr. Ashutosh Angrish explained, “Patients with prehypertension (slightly elevated blood pressure) are ...click here to read more

Asthma patients have higher rates of insomnia, according to research findings. Scientists found that insomnia was more common among people with asthma and is associated with poorer asthma control, as well as depression and anxiety. Asthma patients often report sleeping troubles, but the prevalence of insomnia and its link to asthma have long been unknown. ...click here to read more

Sweet potatoes are known to be superfoods in their own right, but a new study suggests that consuming waste water from sweet potatoes cooking may offer up a trimmer waistline. Researchers found that the starchy waste left behind in the water after cooking made mice slimmer. The mice in the study consumed high-fat diets and ...click here to read more

Researchers are exploring the possible effects of marijuana on vision. The researchers found abnormal changes in the eyes’ retina associated with regular use of cannabis. The researchers aimed to explore the effects of marijuana use on the function of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Marijuana is known to act on the central neurotransmission, so studying the ...click here to read more

A new study has found that adolescents with a high body mass index (BMI) are at a higher risk of suffering from cognitive impairment in their midlife years. To investigate this association, the researchers analyzed 507 people who were tracked on average for 33 years, beginning at the age of 17. The participants completed computerized ...click here to read more

This weekly health news roundup presents Bel Marra Health’s latest news articles on Alzheimer’s disease, protein leakage, brain fog, cervical spondylosis, and immune system. This week, we discussed the early signs of Alzheimer’s disease, protein leakage in kidney disease, brain fog causes and prevention methods, causes and treatment of cervical spondylosis, and the best foods ...click here to read more

Many Americans are not going for essential visits to their dentist due to high cost. The most affected are working-age adults of which 13 percent reported skipping their dental appointments because of the price tag. Even for people with private insurance, cost was the main reason they didn’t go for regular dental care. Study author ...click here to read more

A derivative of marijuana may be used for hard-to-treat epilepsy, based on two clinical trials. The researchers found that cannabidiol (CBD) helped reduce seizure frequency in children and adults with hard-to-treat forms of epilepsy. The drug is still in its experimental phase and doctors caution that CBD is not a cure for epilepsy. So far, ...click here to read more

A new study has found that just missing out on one hour of sleep can greatly increase one’s risk of a car accident. Researchers found that getting five hours of sleep or less was associated with a fourfold risk of a car accident the following day. That is comparable to driving with blood alcohol levels ...click here to read more

A new study has found that marijuana use among baby boomers is on the rise. Dr. Benjamin Han, geriatrician and health services researcher at the Center for Drug Use and HIV Research (CDUHR), explained, “Given the unprecedented aging of the U.S. population, we are facing a never before seen cohort of older adults who use ...click here to read more