Category: 8. Health

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According to women’s weight loss coach Dr Akanni Salako, the key isn’t just cardio or calorie-cutting – it’s a smarter, more balanced approach. He reveals two easy hacks to help you shed fat and finally beat that stubborn belly pooch.

In an Instagram video posted on August 26, Dr Salako shares advice for women above 35 aiming to reduce belly fat, emphasizing a holistic approach beyond just cardio, strongly recommending strength training and meals rich in proteins and fibres. He also adds a sample workout chart and meal plan that will make it easier for you to adopt his advice. In addition to this, he also slips in a bonus tip that will help you manage meals on busy days.

Strength training

Dr. Salako recommends strength training for a minimum of three times a week. According to the fitness coach, “Cardio alone won’t help you lose stubborn belly fat, especially when you’re navigating hormonal shifts. Strength training builds muscle, balances your hormones, and allows you to burn more calories at rest.” He also shares a sample workout chart and suggests incorporating it in your next gym session.

Protein and fibres in every meal

The coach recommends making proteins and fibers a priority at every meal to support weight management and overall wellness. He explains that having consistent cravings is your body’s way of signalling a need for nutrient balance. He suggests, “Pair lean protein with high-fiber foods during your meals. This will help you stay full longer and prevent the midnight and the late night cravings.” He also shares a sample meal chart with go-to protein and fibre rich meal options, complete with cooking time and how it works for the body.

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‘Pivot plans’ for busy nights

When life gets busy, it’s easy to grab takeout or junk food. Having a few “pivot” meals will ensure you are never stuck without a healthy option, even on busy days.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. It is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.

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In fact, according to his clinical observation, one of the common complaints from women is mostly abdominal pain. And women dismiss these symptoms mostly. But this causes a delay in treatment and diagnosis at an advanced stage.

Dr Sharma shared his experience of how the situation escalates by revealing one of the frequent patterns among his patients, “I frequently see women who lived with gallstone pain for months, thinking it was acidity or indigestion. By the time they come to us, surgery is often the only option.”

Describing how all kinds of pain require medical attention, he said, “Abdominal pain should never be ignored, whether it’s dull, sharp, or recurring.” Earlier diagnosis, as per him, helps in better outcomes. Further, when things get complicated, the doctor observed that many women regretted waiting too long.

Awareness is the first step towards acknowledging that abdominal pain is something more than everyday discomfort, particularly for women.

Dr Sharma listed 5 potential health issues abdominal pain could be associated with, along with signs when one should visit a doctor promptly:

5 common overlooked conditions behind abdominal pain

1. Gallstones

• Gallstones are particularly common in women due to hormonal influences, obesity, and dietary factors.
• They can cause severe pain in the upper right abdomen, often after fatty meals.

2. Appendicitis

• Appendicitis can mimic menstrual cramps or general stomach pain in women, leading to misdiagnosis or delayed treatment.
• A ruptured appendix is a life-threatening emergency.

3. Endometriosis

• Though gynaecological, endometriosis often presents as severe lower abdominal pain and is commonly confused with gastrointestinal issues.
• It requires careful evaluation and sometimes surgical intervention.

4. Ovarian cysts

• Many women ignore bloating or dull pelvic pain, assuming it is related to their cycle.
• Large cysts can twist (ovarian torsion) and require urgent surgery.

5. Hernias

• Women often overlook groin or abdominal bulges, assuming them to be weight gain.
• Untreated hernias can lead to obstruction or strangulation, both surgical emergencies.

When should women seek medical help?

• Severe pain that does not subside with rest.
• Pain associated with vomiting, fever, or bloating.
• Persistent changes in digestion or bowel habits.
• Pain that worsens after eating.
• Pain interferes with daily activities.

In the end, Dr Sharma shared a very important piece of advice: “If abdominal pain is persistent or unusual for you, don’t self-medicate with painkillers or dismiss it as ‘normal.’ A simple ultrasound or diagnostic laparoscopy can save you from serious complications.”

Often, women ignore their abdominal pain due to family responsibilities, confusion with period cramps, and other reasons. Instead, they resort to home-based treatments, which often include painkillers. However, this is not the right approach, as timely diagnosis can prevent complications. As Dr Sharma reminded, modern laparoscopic treatment techniques include minimally invasive surgeries and shorter recovery times.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.

• The method can analyze proteins in 27 cells simultaneously compared to the previous limitation of 3 cells, making it possible to map the entire brain’s proteome within a few years.
• The technology can identify early warning signals for Alzheimer’s before symptoms appear, when treatments have a better chance of working.
• If the team succeeds in scaling up their methods by another 100 times, it may be possible to map the proteome of every cell in the human brain within a few years.

Protein analysis becomes more efficient

Researchers at Parallel Squared Technology Institute have developed methods that can analyze proteins in significantly more cells simultaneously than before. They work to make protein analysis as simple and affordable as DNA sequencing, writes Asimov Press.

Human cells contain more than 20,000 different proteins, all of which can change depending on the cell’s needs. These changes are crucial for understanding diseases like Alzheimer’s, where protein modifications play a central role.

The cost of analyzing a cell’s proteome has dropped from thousands of dollars to between 2 and 50 dollars per cell. The problem is that researchers can only analyze about a dozen cells at a time with existing technology.

Barcodes multiply capacity

The team has developed a system with nine different barcodes that attach to proteins. Previously, researchers could only use three barcodes simultaneously. The chemistry team has created 10,000 different barcodes during the year and uses algorithms to design better versions.

The researchers have also developed a method called timePlex. Instead of waiting 30-60 minutes between each analysis, they feed in three rounds of samples with a few minutes’ interval. This creates a continuous stream of signals that triples the capacity.

The combination of nine barcodes and three time-shifted loads allows the team to analyze 27 different proteomes in a single experiment. This is nine times more than the previous standard.

Alzheimer’s research as test area

The institute uses its technology to study Alzheimer’s disease, which affects 7.1 million Americans. The disease is linked to at least two proteins: amyloid-β plaques outside neurons and phosphorylated Tau proteins inside neurons.

The researchers analyze neurons from Alzheimer’s patients who died at different stages of the disease, from Braak 0 to Braak 6. They cut out thin sections of brain tissue and sort them into individual neurons. Each neuron is placed in small water droplets and marked with barcodes before analysis.

The goal is to find warning signals long before plaques or tangles become visible. The team hopes to identify markers that appear in the disease’s early, symptomless phase when treatments have a better chance of working.

Existing drugs like lecanemab and donanemab can reduce plaque burden and slow cognitive decline by 27 percent and 35 percent respectively over 18 months. But they can only be given after the patient shows clear symptoms.

From dozens to thousands of cells

PTI was founded in 2023 by Nikolai Slavov together with Harrison Specht and Aleksandra Petelski. The team now consists of 22 people in biochemistry, computational biology, and organic chemistry.

Their current limitation is that the robot preparing cell samples can keep pace with the mass spectrometers. When their barcodes and timePlex methods expand, the mechanical part of the experiment will become the bottleneck instead of mass spectrometry.

If the team succeeds in scaling up their methods by another 100 times, it may be possible to map the proteome of every cell in the human brain within a few years. This would have a major impact on understanding complex diseases.

The technology can also be used to track how signaling circuits malfunction in cancer, follow immune cells as they learn to recognize pathogens, or detect early changes in brain disorders long before symptoms begin.

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The brings together non-profit health organizations across Europe to advocate for policies that improve health through cleaner air. The Coalition’s new infographic sets out the evidence on the health burden of air pollution and the urgent steps needed to address it.

Air pollution is the leading environmental threat to health in Europe. It is linked to all major chronic diseases, including cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses, cancer, and diabetes. Scientific evidence shows that even low levels of exposure can be harmful. Certain groups are disproportionately affected: pregnant women, children, older people, individuals with pre-existing health conditions, and socio-economically disadvantaged populations face the highest risks.

Poor air quality carries substantial health impacts and a significant economic cost, amounting to hundreds of billions of euros each year in healthcare expenditure, lost productivity, and reduced quality of life.

To protect health and reduce these costs, EU and national decision-makers should:

• • • Accelerate the pace of binding emissions reductions
    • Introduce binding methane reduction targets
    • End subsidies for fossil fuels and ammonia-emitting practices
    • Remove the “renewable” designation from biomass that worsens air quality

“The annihilation of the smallpox, the most dreadful scourge of the human species, must be the final result of this practice,” Jenner wrote in 1801. And he would be proved right. In 1980, after a decades-long public health campaign that included widespread vaccination, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared smallpox had been eradicated. It remains the only infectious disease where this has been achieved.

A sleugh of other vaccines have been developed against other diseases, from influenza to human papillomavirus infections that cause certain cancers and the Sars-COV-2 virus behind Covid-19. In the past 50 years, an estimated 154 million lives have been saved by vaccines, according to one recent study.

Yet, opposition to vaccines – or hesitancy about accepting them – is widespread and on the rise in many parts of the world, even percolating into the uppermost branches of governments responsible for improving public health. This week, US health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr was quizzed by the Senate Finance Committee over his vaccine policies, resulting in fiery exchanges. On the same day, the surgeon general of Florida also announced plans to end vaccine mandates in the state. (Read more about why vaccine distrust is on the rise.)

So, is this a recent phenomenon, or has distrust in vaccines been around for as long as the jabs themselves? Why do they face protests from relatively small, but vocal, segments of the public? And how have these arguments evolved? This is a look at the long, and strange history of the anti-vax movement.

Back in the early 1800s, a series of controlled experiments by Jenner and other doctors quickly showed inoculation to be extremely effective, granting immunity against smallpox in well over 95% of those vaccinated. Public health authorities worldwide took action to roll it out. In the UK, a series of Vaccination Acts, passed in 1840, 1853 and 1871, made immunisation for children first free, then compulsory.

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Dr Kunal Sood, an anesthesiology and interventional pain medicine physician, has shared four symptoms that could be warning signals from your heart that indicate underlying complications.

In an Instagram video posted on August 6, the doctor stresses that while these signs – ranging from pounding heartbeats to chest pain – do not always confirm serious heart conditions, persisting or clustered symptoms are red flags that deserve to be checked out. He also adds that early detection of these symptoms can help with quick diagnosis and treatment, preventing complications related to delayed intervention which actually ends up saving lives.

Swelling in ankles or legs

That uncomfortable swelling in your ankles or legs by day’s end could be an early warning sign of heart failure. The swelling is caused by fluid build up, also known as edema, and could point towards heart failure or even kidney disease. According to Dr Sood, “In heart failure, weak pumping causes blood to back up in the legs.”

Irregular heartbeat

Fluttering, pounding or irregular heartbeat can point towards arrhythmia, a problem with your heartbeat’s rate or rhythm which can cause your heart to beat too fast or too slow. Dr Sood explains that atrial fibrillation is the most common form of arrhythmia and “raises stroke risk fivefold and can also cause heart failure or cognitive decline if untreated.”

Chest pain radiating to arm and jaw

Dr. Sood warns that if you are experiencing chest pain that radiates towards your arm and jaw, especially affecting the left side, it is a “classic sign of angina or heart attack.” He describes the pain as “heavy, crushing, or pressure-like” which has a tendency of spreading towards your neck, back or arms.

Fainting during palpitations

This condition is known as cardiac syncope – a temporary loss of consciousness caused when the heart fails to pump enough blood to the brain resulting in a lack of oxygen, according to the American Heart Association. Dr. Sood said, “This strongly suggests a rhythm problem like ventricular tachycardia or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.” He shares this accounts for approximately 15 percent of fainting cases.

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Warning signs that should not be ignored

Dr Sood lists the following warning signs as top priority and recommends seeing a doctor immediately if they occur or don’t go away:

• Severe crushing chest pain that spreads to the arm or jaw.
• You experience palpitations that lead to dizziness, breathlessness, or fainting spells.
• Worsening swelling, particularly when accompanied by shortness of breath.
• You can feel your pulse getting fast or irregular for the first time.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. It is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.

In addition to showing a marked reduction in coronavirus infections, the azelastine group also displayed fewer symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections, a lower overall number of confirmed respiratory infections, and, unexpectedly, a reduced incidence of rhinovirus infections, another major cause of respiratory illness. In the treatment group, 1.8% developed a rhinovirus infection, compared to 6.3% in the placebo group — a proportion similar to that seen for SARS-CoV-2.

Azelastine nasal spray has been available for decades as an over-the-counter treatment for hay fever. Previous in vitro studies on azelastine had already suggested antiviral effects against SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses. ‘This clinical trial is the first to demonstrate a protective effect in a real-world setting,’ says Professor Bals.

For Robert Bals, the results suggest practical applications: ‘Azelastine nasal spray could provide an additional easily accessible prophylactic to complement existing protective measures, especially for vulnerable groups, during periods of high infection rates, or before travelling.’ But Professor Bals also stressed the importance of further research: ‘Our results highlight the need for larger, multicentre trials to continue exploring the use of azelastine nasal sprays as an on-demand preventive treatment, and to examine its potential effectiveness against other respiratory pathogens.’

Besides Professor Bals, the randomized, double-blind phase 2 study ‘CONTAIN’ also involved the Institute of Clinical Pharmacy (Professor Thorsten Lehr, Dr. Dominik Selzer), the Institute of Virology (Professor Sigrun Smola), and the Saarbrücken-based pharmaceutical company URSAPHARM Arzneimittel GmbH, which sponsored the study and manufactured the investigational product. The Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) contributed through the research groups of Professor Smola and Professor Bals. The project serves as an excellent example of successful collaboration between academic research, industry partners and public health initiatives in the Saarland region.