Laughter, the Best Medicine
SHORT ON SLEEP? DON’T FORGET TO DRINK WATER
In a Pennsylvania State University study involving more than 20,000 participants, people who said they got only six hours of sleep regularly ran a greater risk of dehydration than those who got eight hours. The reason might lie with a hormone called vasopressin, which helps regulate the body’s fluid levels. It’s released in greater quantities later in the sleep cycle, so people getting less shut-eye might not have the optimal amount of it. If you know you’re short on slumber, make a point of drinking water.
Ten-minute Cancer Test
Australian researchers have developed a test that can detect cancer cells in ten minutes with 90 percent accuracy. Healthy DNA and cancer DNA, it turns
out, stick to metal surfaces differently. When cancer
DNA is added to water mixed with gold nanoparticles, which give the water a pink appearance, the water retains its rosy hue; when healthy DNA is added, it binds to the nanoparticles in a way that turns the water blue. Because the test is cheap and simple, it could be used as an initial screening at your primary care physician’s office, with follow-up if necessary. Researchers are now working toward clinical tests with patients who have various types of cancer.
Improving Vision and Hearing Deters Alzheimer’s
Researchers at the University of Manchester found that treating two common complaints of older adults can have the happy side effect of keeping their brains sharp. One study followed 2,000 older adults from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing; their rate of cognitive decline was slowed by 50 percent following successful cataract surgery. In another, 2,000 participants in the U.S. Health and Retirement Study showed a 75 percent slower rate of cognitive decline after they started using hearing aids. Experts theorize that the social isolation that often accompanies hearing and vision loss can mean less intellectual stimulation for your brain. Fixing these issues allows you to participate in more brain-activating pastimes, thus helping ward off dementia and Alzheimer’s.
EXERCISE PREVENTS FALLS
Each year, at least a third of people over the age of 65 take a tumble. A meta-analysis of 108 trials found that there’s one factor associated with notably reduced risk: physical activity. People who participated in tai chi fell 19 percent less often, while those who did balance and functional exercises (such as step-ups, chair rises, or standing on one leg) fell 24 percent less often. Most effective of all was combining multiple types of exercise, including lifting weights and balance exercises; people who did that decreased falls by 34 percent.
Common Drugs’ Depression Risk
Depression is listed as a potential side effect of more than 200 medications, including proton pump inhibitors such as Prilosec or Nexium for acid reflux, betablockers for high blood pressure, benzodiazepines such as Xanax for anxiety, and ibuprofen and other painkillers. A Columbia University study of 26,000 adults found that more than a third of participants were taking at least one of these drugs, and the more types they took, the more likely they were to be depressed. The study does not prove that the medications cause the condition, but if you notice any common symptoms of depression (such as loss of appetite, excessive fatigue, or thoughts of suicide), ask your doctor whether they might be related to one of your meds.