Study hard and you might lower your chances of dementia
(David Chandross/ The Conversation) — Every year hundreds of elderly students gather in Toronto for convocation, in-person and online, anxiously awaiting their diplomas. Some are in their nineties; some have dementia.
One graduate, who completed 15 courses taught by Ryerson University faculty, was a former entertainment manager …
Masks may actually increase your coronavirus risk if worn improperly, US surgeon general warns
(Jacqueline Howard/ CNN) — US Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams not only wants people to stop buying facemasks to prevent the novel coronavirus, but warns that you actually might increase your risk of infection if facemasks are not worn properly.
“You can increase your risk of getting it by wearing a mask if you are not a health care …
Women’s blood vessels age more quickly, leading to earlier heart disease: study
(Elizabeth Pratt / Healthline) — Women’s blood vessels age at a faster rate than men’s.
Researchers say this could explain why women develop different forms of cardiovascular disease at different times than their male counterparts.
Their study, published in JAMA Cardiology, found that blood pressure elevations occurred much earlier …
Who is vulnerable to coronavirus? So far children appear safe from COVID-19
(Sophie Scott/ The New Daily) — As authorities prepare for the coronavirus outbreak to be declared a global pandemic, health experts say there is already good evidence about who is most at risk from COVID-19.
The good news is that children seem to be safe from severe symptoms.
Chief medical officer Dr Brendan Murphy said one of the surprising …
Organ donor numbers reached an all-time high in 2019, Transplant Quebec reports
(Bena Oduro/ Global News) — Transplant Quebec broke records for organ donations in 2019 and the non-profit organization hopes to see the record broken again in 2020.
This is the first time in history the province’s organ donation number exceeds the number of people on waiting lists. Ten years ago, Transplant Quebec tested only 388 potential …
Canada preparing a Plan B pandemic response in case coronavirus containment fails
(Kathleen Harris/ CBC News) — A top Canadian health official says that while the federal government works to stop the spread of the coronavirus, it’s also preparing a robust response plan in case containment fails.
Answering questions from MPs on the House of Commons health committee Wednesday, Deputy Chief Public Health Officer …
Western junk-food diet can slow down your brain and make you eat even more junk
(Tibi Puiu/ ZME Science) — Switching from a healthy diet to a western diet (high fat, high added sugar) for a little as one week can significantly impair cognitive function and encourage people to eat more even when they’re full.
Disruption in the hippocampus, a region that is known to have a major role in learning and memory, seems to be …
Eating meat: links to chronic disease might be related to amino acids – new findings
(Laura Brown and Kelly Rose/ The Conversation) — Plant-based diets have been popular in the media recently, but research shows that going vegetarian or vegan isn’t only good for the environment, but for our health, too. Meat-rich diets are linked to a range of health problems, from heart disease and strokes to type two diabetes and some …
The brain of a lifelong bully looks different than the general population’s
(Ali Patillo/ Inverse) — One in four people will show patterns of antisocial behavior at least once during their childhood and adolescence. From stealing to bullying, lying, or even committing violence, most people grow out of these behaviors.
But for about 10 percent of the population, antisocial behavior never goes away, persisting …