PARIS, France (AFP) — Men whose marriages grow stronger over the years have healthier cholesterol and blood pressure than peers whose unions fall apart, said a study Tuesday that hinted at unexpected health perks of relationship counselling. Researchers got more than 600 men in Britain to rate the “quality” of their marriage at two points in time — when their child was three, and then again aged nine. The men could describe their union as […]
Tag: health
Child obesity grows tenfold since 1975: study
by Mariëtte Le Roux Agence France Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — The world had 10 times as many obese children and teenagers last year than in 1975, but underweight kids still outnumbered them, a study said Wednesday. Warning of a “double burden” of malnutrition, researchers said the rate of increase in obesity far outstripped the decline in under-nutrition. “If post-2000 trends continue, child and adolescent obesity is expected to surpass moderate and severe underweight by […]
Japan scientists grow drugs in chicken eggs
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japanese researchers have genetically engineered hens whose eggs contain drugs that can fight serious diseases including cancer, in a bid to dramatically reduce the cost of treatment, a report said Monday. If the scientists are able to safely produce “interferon beta”, a type of protein used to treat illnesses including multiple sclerosis and hepatitis, by rearing the hens, the price of the drug — currently up to 100,000 yen ($888) for a few microgrammes — […]
Orthorexia: When ‘healthy eating’ ends up making you sick
by Clara WRIGHT Agence France Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — People, it seems, have never been so afraid of their food -– and, say some experts, an obsession with healthy eating may paradoxically be endangering lives. Twenty-nine-year-old Frenchwoman Sabrina Debusquat recounts how, over 18 months, she became a vegetarian, then a vegan — eschewing eggs, dairy products and even honey -– before becoming a “raw foodist” who avoided all cooked foods, and ultimately decided to […]
Bee-harming pesticides in 75 percent of honey worldwide: study
by Kerry Sheridan Agence France Presse MIAMI, United States (AFP) — Traces of pesticides that act as nerve agents on bees have been found in 75 percent of honey worldwide, raising concern about the survival of these crucial crop pollinators, researchers said Thursday. Human health is not likely at risk from the concentrations detected in a global sampling of 198 types of honey, which were below what the European Union authorizes for human consumption, said […]
Skipping breakfast may double risk of hard arteries: study
by Kerry Sheridan Agence France Presse MIAMI, United States (AFP) — People who skip breakfast or eat poorly to start the day are twice as likely to develop hardened arteries, which can lead to deadly heart disease, researchers said Monday. The study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology uncovered signs of damage to the arteries long before symptoms or disease developed. Researchers said their findings could offer an important tool in the […]
Panic in Madagascar as plague spreads
by Tsiresena Manjakahery Agence France Presse ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar (AFP) — Crowds of fearful residents flock to their local pharmacies before dawn, desperate to buy masks and antibiotics to stave off a plague outbreak sweeping Madagascar. In just the past few days, the highly infectious disease has wreaked havoc in the poor Indian Ocean island nation, claiming six lives in the capital city Antananarivo and causing widespread panic. Like many of his neighbours, 50-year-old Johannes Herinjatovo […]
Eye selfie could screen for pancreatic cancer
SEATTLE, USA (Reuters) — In a laboratory in the Computer Sciences building at the University of Washington a photograph is being taken. The blue box was produced by 3D printing and the phone being slid into it is just a standard smartphone. Its camera is going to take a ‘selfie’ of the subject’s eyes. The photograph is analyzed using an app called BiliScreen being developed in the lab. It evaluates the color of the white […]
UK blood contamination scandal victims can sue: court
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Victims of a contaminated blood scandal in Britain which left at least 2,400 people dead, and their families will be allowed to seek damages following a High Court ruling on Tuesday. A High Court official said it was “appropriate” to issue immediately a group litigation order allowing a potential 500 claimants together to seek compensation. Lawyers acting for the health ministry had argued that the application to the court was […]
‘World’s heaviest woman’ dies in Abu Dhabi hospital
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AFP) — An Egyptian believed to be the world’s heaviest woman died Monday of heart and kidney failure at an Abu Dhabi hospital, following months of treatment to help her lose weight and one day walk again. A team of more than 20 doctors had been caring for the bedridden Eman Ahmed Abd El Aty, 37, since her arrival at Burjeel Hospital in May. El Aty first sought treatment in […]
Robotic fashion: Wear your heartbeat on your sleeve
by Joshua Melvin and Charlene Pele Agence France-Presse MILAN, Italy (AFP) — Dutch designer Anouk Wipprecht has a vision for a world in which people stop telling themselves little lies about their emotions — and she believes high-tech fashion is the key. Her creations, which combine digital technology with haute couture, play with social norms and aim to engineer a cold-turkey solution to our dearest deceptions, she told AFP on the sidelines of Milan Fashion Week. […]
McDonalds to limit use of antibiotics in chicken supply
NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — McDonalds says it will start globally rolling back use of antibiotics in its chicken products from 2018 as part of efforts to curb microbial resistance to drugs and the rise of superbugs. The decision follows a similar move undertaken in the US market in 2016. It applies to drugs that are also used in human medicine, called Highest Priority Critically Important Antimicrobials (HPCIA) by the World Health Organization (WHO). […]





