World of Medicine

Just Say ‘I Can Do It’

When over 44,000 volunteers played an online game against a computer, those who were asked to use selftalk (eg, telling themselves “I can beat my best score”) and imagery (eg, imagining playing well) excelled beyond the control group, suggesting that psychological skills are of real use in competitive situations.

Nearly Half of Heart Attacks Are Silent

Heart attacks don’t always present with symptoms. An article in the journal Circulation found that around 45 per cent of them go unnoticed initially. The damage is discovered only later, when patients undergo an MRI or an ECG during a check-up or after showing signs of poor heart health. ‘Silent’ attacks triple the risk of eventually dying from heart disease, so once they’re detected, they should be aggressively treated with blood pressure control and lifestyle changes.

Caution to Daily Pill Takers

People with conditions requiring a regular pill routine sometimes experience adverse effects when they first try using a pill organiser, a UK study found. The probable cause: if they had been forgetting to take their pills before using the organiser, they may not have been getting expected results, so their doctors increased the amount prescribed. Once they take their medicine properly, they may end up with too much in their system, leading to incidents such as falls or low blood glucose.

New Tummy Trouble Culprit

A slower passage of food through the large intestine seems to increase the amount of harmful metabolites produced along the way, according to Danish research. This may raise the risk of colorectal cancer and chronic renal disease. Eating a fibre-rich diet, drinking lots of water, and exercising are all ways of speeding it up.