Health

Mental health experts: Build healthy ties to prevent emotional crisis

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, September 23 — The Cagayan de Oro chapter of the Philippine Mental Health Association (PMHA), in partnership with Xavier University Psychology Department and XU Psychology Society, recently conducted a seminar on love, relationships, and emotional crises in connection with the World Suicide Prevention Day. The seminar, held at the XU Little Theater, was attended by psychology faculty and students from XU, Lourdes College and Liceo de Cagayan University, including psychometricians, psychologists, […]

Alzheimer’s stemmed but not stopped, say experts

by Mariëtte Le Roux PARIS, France (AFP) — Soaring rates of population growth and ageing have long been seen as portending a global explosion of Alzheimer’s, the debilitating disease that robs older people of their memory and independence. But an unexpected, and hopeful, trend may be emerging. In rich countries at least, recent data suggests the rate of new cases has slowed or even reversed — a tantalizing hint that quality-of-life improvements may protect against […]

Alzheimer’s stemmed but not stopped, say experts

by Mariëtte Le Roux PARIS, France (AFP) — Soaring rates of population growth and ageing have long been seen as portending a global explosion of Alzheimer’s, the debilitating disease that robs older people of their memory and independence. But an unexpected, and hopeful, trend may be emerging. In rich countries at least, recent data suggests the rate of new cases has slowed or even reversed — a tantalising hint that quality-of-life improvements may protect against dementia. […]

World must ready for global microcephaly ‘epidemic’: study

by Mariëtte Le Roux PARIS, France (AFP) — The world should prepare for a “global epidemic” of microcephaly, a condition which restricts head growth in foetuses, as the Zika virus takes root in new countries, researchers said Friday. Scientists from Brazil and Britain said they had found additional evidence that Zika is what causes the often debilitating disorder, a link already widely accepted in medical circles. In a study conducted among newborns in Brazil — […]

World must ready for global microcephaly ‘epidemic’: study

by Mariëtte Le Roux PARIS, France  (AFP) — The world should prepare for a “global epidemic” of microcephaly, a condition which restricts head growth in fetuses, as the Zika virus takes root in new countries, researchers said Friday. Scientists from Brazil and Britain said they had found additional evidence that Zika is what causes the often debilitating disorder, a link already widely accepted in medical circles. In a study conducted among newborns in Brazil — hardest hit […]

Raise breast cancer awareness? Challenge accepted!

QUEZON City, Philippines (September 8) – Social media is full of change challenges, and there is every indication that they are here to stay. A fairly recent example is the black and white photo challenge that went viral in Facebook. The challenge is simple enough. Once a friend tags you with a black and white photo, you have the choice ito either accept or decline the challenge. You will then replace your Facebook profile page with […]

Frenchwoman who received first face transplant dies

by Brigitte CASTELNAU LILLE, France (AFP) — The world’s first face transplant recipient, Frenchwoman Isabelle Dinoire, died in April “after a long illness”, a hospital said Tuesday. In 2005, at the age of 38, Dinoire received a graft comprising the nose, lips and chin of a brain-dead donor to replace parts of her face that had been mauled by her dog. The hospital in Amiens, northern France, confirmed the death of “Mrs D., the first […]

Zika could live in eyes, spread through tears: study

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The Zika virus can live in eyes, researchers said Tuesday, after conducting experiments on mice that may explain why some patients develop ocular disease and in some cases become blind. The study, published in the journal Cell Reports, studied the effects of Zika virus infection in the eyes of fetal, newborn and adult mice. “Our study suggests that the eye could be a reservoir for Zika virus,” said Michael Diamond, […]

Social media challenge – helping or not helping?

QUEZON City, Philippines (September 5) – After the Ice bucket Challenge, we now have the Black and White Challenge. Although it is a head-scratcher at first – as one wonders what it is all about – diligent internet search finally yields the issue: it’s all about breast cancer awareness. So, the next question is, how will the posting of a black-and-white photo as your profile pict would achieve the stated goal. The challenge-turned-web sensation was highly […]

Study finds strong link between Zika and Guillain-Barre

  By Julie Steenhuysen CHICAGO (Reuters) – A comparison of rates of Guillain-Barre syndrome before and after Zika arrived in seven countries has found a strong association between the virus and the illness, researchers from the Pan American Health Organization said on Wednesday. The current Zika outbreak was first detected in Brazil last year and has since spread across the Americas and the Caribbean. Pregnant women are considered to be at greatest risk because the […]

Malaysia confirms first case of Zika, launches measures to contain spread of virus

  KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia confirmed on Thursday its first case of Zika after a woman tested positive for the virus following a three-day visit to neighboring Singapore on August 19. The 58-year-old woman had showed signs of a rash and fever one week after returning from Singapore, according to Health Minister Subramaniam Sathasivam. “We are carrying out control measures against aedes mosquitoes near the woman’s home to prevent the spread of the virus,” […]