Sitting for long hours may lead to liver disease
Sitting for long hours can increase the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, according to a South Korean study. The researchers examined the association of sitting time and physical activity level with liver disease in nearly 140,000 people who underwent a health examination between March 2011 and December 2013. Physical activity level and sitting time were assessed using a questionnaire. The presence of fatty liver was determined using ultrasonography. Of the people studied, nearly 40,000 had liver problem. Remarkably, these associations were also observed in patients with a body mass index of less than 23. “The message is clear, our chairs are slowly but surely killing us. Our body is designed to move and it is not surprising that sedentary behaviour, characterised by low muscle activity, has a direct impact on physiology,” said Michael I Trenell, professor at Newcastle University in the UK. The study was published in the Journal of Hepatology. Read more here.
Playing outdoor reduces the risk of near-sightedness in children
Chinese research claims spending more time outdoor can reduce the risk of near-sightedness or myopia in children. The study was carried out on 1,800 children in primary schools in Guangzhou, China. About half of the students were assigned to a 40-minute class of outdoor activities, which was added to each school day, and their parents were encouraged to engage their children in outdoor activities after school hours. The other half continued their usual pattern of activity. After three years, 30.4% of children who spent less outdoors were found to be near-sighted, compared to 39.5% of those in the controlled group. The researchers called it clinically important as small children who develop myopia early are most likely to progress to high myopia. Read more here.
Anti-bacterial soaps not always effective against germs
A study shows that antibacterial soaps that use Triclosan are not much better than plain soap when it comes to fighting germs. To evaluate Triclosan’s germ-killing abilities, the team placed 20 dangerous bacteria strains, including Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enteritidis, in Petri dishes with either antibacterial or regular soap. The samples were heated to 22 or 40 degrees celsius simulating exposure to warm or hot water for 20 seconds. The team then spread bacteria on the hands of 16 adults, who had refrained from using antibacterial soap for at least the preceding week. They were then told to wash their hands for 30 seconds using either antibacterial or regular soap. The results show antibacterial soap was no more effective than plain soap at reducing bacterial contamination. The study was published in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. Read more here.
Heart attack risk higher in diabetic women than men
Diabetic women are at a higher risk of heart attack and other related complications than diabetic men as they age, say two different researches. The first research carried out at Zhong Da Hospital of Southeast University in Nanjing, China, reviewed 19 previously conducted studies done between 1966 and 2014 on 11 million people from North America, Europe and Asia. The researchers found that women with diabetes were at a 38% greater risk of heart attack than men. The second research carried out by a group of Italian doctors studied data between 2005 and 2012 from hospitals across the Tuscan region of Italy. The study included more than 3 million people. The researchers found that women with diabetes had a 34% greater risk of heart attack than men. Both studies were presented early this week at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, in Stockholm. Read more here.
Youngsters on antidepressants more prone to violence
Young people taking antidepressants such as Prozac and Seroxat are significantly more likely to commit violent crimes when they are on medication, but taking higher doses of the drugs appears to reduce that risk, scientists said on Tuesday. The research team led by Seena Fazel of Britain’s Oxford University used matched data from Sweden’s prescribed drug register and its national crime register over a three-year period, and found about 850,000 people were prescribed antidepressants, and 1% of these were convicted of a violent crime. The researchers also found that those who took lower doses had a higher risk of being violent. The research was published in the PLOS Medicine journal. Read more here.
Compiled by Abhijit Ahaskar
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