Groundbreaking innovations in healthcare, such as first blood test for preeclampsia and the FDA’s approval of a drug that could slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease made headlines this week. But a number of noteworthy studies have also shed new light on a variety of important topics, from the dangers of loneliness to the risks parents take during the formula shortage. Here are some of the top health news stories you may have missed this week from Yahoo News partners.
“We must not downplay the importance of loneliness on physical and emotional health”
In a study of more than 18,000 adults with diabetes in the United Kingdom, researchers found that loneliness “may be a greater risk factor for heart disease in diabetic patients than poor diet, smoking, lack of exercise or depression. An insider reported.
THE study, published last Thursday, followed diabetic patients who had not been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease and used questionnaires to assess loneliness. Over a 10-year period, researchers found that the odds of developing cardiovascular disease were 11 to 26 percent higher among patients with the highest loneliness scores, the response “never or almost never being able to confide to someone” being described as “never or almost never being able to confide in someone”. a high-risk characteristic.
The researchers also looked at social isolation as a possible risk factor for cardiovascular disease, but found that these scores “were not significantly related to any cardiovascular outcomes.”
“We should not downplay the importance of loneliness on physical and emotional health,” said Dr. Lu Qi, one of the study’s authors and a professor at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, said. “I would encourage diabetic patients who feel lonely to join a group or class and try to make friends with people with similar interests.”
Nearly half of U.S. parents resorted to unsafe feeding methods during formula shortage, study finds
Researchers at the University of California, Davis, found that nearly half of parents who used formula to feed their babies resorted to unsafe feeding methods during the period. shortage of formula in spring 2022, Salon reported this week.
The research, published last month, examined infant feeding practices during the infant formula shortage, caused by a combination of pandemic-era supply chain issues and an Abbott Nutrition infant formula recall. Abbott supplies more than 40% of infant formula in the United States, and at the time the survey was conducted, in May 2022, some states had out-of-stock rates of 90%. The researchers found that unsafe feeding practices – including “watering down formula, using expired formula, using homemade formula, or using breast milk from informal sharing resources” – increased from 8% before the shortage to almost 50% during peak shortage.
“Using expired infant formula is dangerous because the nutrients in the formula can degrade over time, which in itself can interfere with the infant’s growth and development,” the study explains. lead author Jennifer Smilowitz told Salon. “Acquiring breast milk informally – so it is milk sharing, whether online or with friends and family, as opposed to acquiring pasteurized donor milk – is not safe, as it may pose health and safety risks.”
“These practices may seem harmless when we think about an adult’s diet, but we need to remember that infants need a very specific balance of nutrients to grow and develop,” she added.
Men with better cardio fitness have lower risk of deadly cancer, new study finds
Men with better cardiorespiratory fitness have a lower risk of dying from lung, colon, or prostate cancer, as well as a lower risk of developing lung or colon cancer. An insider reported.
Research published last Thursday by the Swedish School of Sports and Health Sciences measured VO2 max – or the ability to use oxygen during exercise – of 177,709 Swedish men, and followed them for almost 10 years. Even after adjusting for lifestyle factors such as diet and smoking, people with at least moderate VO2 max scores were less likely to develop or die from certain cancers common in men than those with the lowest scores, even though data showed they had a slightly higher risk of developing prostate cancer.
Types of exercise that can improve cardiovascular health over time include walking, running, swimming and cycling, Insider said.
Drinking water from nearly half of US taps may contain cancer-causing chemicals
A study published Wednesday The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that at least one type of “forever chemicals” — synthetic compounds known collectively as PFAS — can be found in about 45 percent of U.S. tap water samples. Previous studies of these chemicals have found links to certain cancers, including kidney, liver and pancreatic cancers, as well as other health problems such as reproductive problems,…
