“Vision loss” is one of the major health threats which can crop up among the elderly people starting at the age of 65. To make the matters worse, a high percentage of the population remains unaware of the vision impairment which initiates without any warning signs. Vision loss can take place due to any age related disease, such as cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and macular degeneration.
‘Cataracts’ characterized by clouding of the eyes lens eventually results in blurry vision. Mostly driven by the factors like age, it could also result from eye trauma, certain medications, and various environmental and lifestyle factors. Additionally, some cataracts are congenital. This cloud continues to grow and interfere with vision.
continue reading Early Detection of Vision Problems Helps Reducing Vision Loss and Blindness

Middle-aged people are generally less active and more overweight compared to any other age group. This increases the level of inactivity in these people.
Gavin Turrell, Assistant Professor at the Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology conducted a research study to establish the fact with evidences. This research study aims to find out why the baby boomers are comparatively less physically active.
“Inactivity is one of the main reasons why two-thirds of men and over one half of women in the 45 to 64 age group are overweight or obese,” said Gavin Turrell.
continue reading Scientists Begin Understanding Factors Responsible for Low Physical Activity in Middle Aged People

Vitamin A was discovered in 1913. It is fat-soluble vitamin. Vitamin A is also known as retinol or carotenoids. Vitamin A is an “anti-infective” vitamin because of its functions of supporting the immune system. It exists in several forms and not as a single compound.

What are the functions of the vitamin A?

Vitamin A aids formation and maintainance of healthy teeth, skin, skeletal and smooth muscles and mucous membranes. It produces the pigments in the eye’s retina and thus it is termed as retinol. It promotes good vision, particularly in low light. Vitamin A is also necessary for reproduction and breast feeding. It is also required for the proper functioning of our immune system.

What are the food sources of vitamin A?

Retinol or preformed vitamin A is found in sources of animal origin while carotenoid or provitamin A is found in fruits and vegetables. Our body can transform some members of the carotenoid family like alpha-carotene, beta-carotene and gamma-carotene into vitamin A. These carotenoids are sometimes referred as “provitamin A” and retinol as “preformed vitamin A.”

continue reading The Role of Vitamin A in Your Health Care

A recent study findings have disclosed that the rate of increase in the self reported post-traumatic stress disorders among the combat-exposed military personnel since 2001 has gone up by almost three times.

Health implications of the military deployments are increasingly becoming causes of concerns the world over. According to the estimated given by several other studies more than 30% of the Vietnam war veterans were exposed to the post-traumatic stress disorders at various stages of the war and its follow ups. Similarly, almost 10% of the Gulf war veterans also reported having undergone the post-traumatic stress disorders even many years after the war was over.

Researchers conducted an analysis on almost 50,000 military personnel in San Diego and made attempts to study the effects of such military deployments who participated in the ‘Millennium Cohort Study’, a US health study of military personnel that lasted for more than 22 years.

continue reading Post Traumatic Stress Disorders Have Tripled Up in Combat Exposed Military Personnel

Researchers have been successful in identifying the “novel cyclic signaling in the dermis” which helps in coordinating the stem cell activities and in regulating the regeneration of numerous hairs. Scientists at the ‘University of Southern California’ conducted this research on animal models and could trace out the “signaling switch” that involves ‘bone morphogenetic protein pathway’.

According to the findings of this study that published in the January 17th issue of the journal “Nature”, this research has far reaching implications in understanding the activities of the stem cell’s regulation process during the regeneration.

Dr. Cheng Ming Chuong, the Principal Investigator said,”The research presents a new dimension for the regulation of hair re-growth and ultimately organ regeneration“.

continue reading Stem Cells Activating Hair Regeneration Identified

Smoking regularly for prolonged period increases the long term risks for eyes and has greater progression of severe eye-diseases with macular degeneration that is related with age.

A research study recently examined the effects of smoking on eyes and age related macular degeneration (AMD). The study reveals that such effects are more likely to cause a loss of vision among the elders also. Smoking has been categorized as a modifiable risk factor for such problems.

Dr. Ronald Klein and his colleague researchers at the ‘University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison’ conducted this study that involved 4,926 residents of the Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. All these resident participants were within an age group of 43 to 84 years in the specific time span of one year, 1987 to 1988.

continue reading Smoking is Associated with Progression of Severe Eye Diseases

Sexual addiction is a typical compulsive behavior causing deviations in normal living conditions resulting in to factors responsible for extreme stress. This may affect the whole family, friends, and working associates.

Sex addiction starts out as a “bit of fun” and in due course of time develops in to a destructive addiction. It is not just regarding a need of sex every minute or a need of obsessive masturbation. It is also relating to wider issues, not least the rise of internet pornography.

Along with the compulsion, dependency is an essential part of sexual addiction. Compulsive behavior is responsible for making sex a top priority. A sexual addict will be ready to sacrifice anything for the sake of sex.

Progressive intimacy disorder is very often synonymous with the sexual addiction. This grows with the time and causes negative impacts on the addict and its family. Sex addict normally feels compelled for intense behavior in order to obtain respective results.

continue reading Sexual Addiction and Its Related Behavioral Patterns

Scientists have been successful in producing technologically modified calcium rich carrots that help in significant enhancement of the rate of calcium absorption in the human body.

A recent study conducted at the ‘Texas A&M AgriLife’s Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center ‘on the calcium consumption of people who ate the carrot revealed that there was a significant increase in the net calcium absorption rate.

The research study that was conducted in collaboration with the ‘Taylor College of Medicine’ also revealed that if this specially developed carrot is added to a normal person’s diet it helps in preventing related diseases like osteoporosis.

“If you eat a serving of the modified carrot, you’d absorb 41 percent more calcium than from a regular carrot,” said Dr. Jay Morris, the lead researchers at the ‘Baylor College of Medicine in Houston’. Findings of this research study have also been published in the “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences”, in its online edition of January 14.

continue reading Scientists Developed Modified Calcium Rich Carrots

Use of Wireless communication devices are increasing exponentially. This growth is phenomenal particularly in past few years. Several researches concluded that increased exposure to the ‘Radiofrequencies (RF)’ emitted by these wireless communication devices cause potential health effects.

Almost all the present studies demonstrate effects on the healthy adults who comparably have lesser exposures to the RF fields. Experts are now realizing that findings of such studies are not relevant in case of children who have a higher exposure to the RF fields.”Potential health consequences from multiple, long –term, low intensity RF exposure need to be studied in detail in present context”, feel the researchers.

In case of children the ‘Specific Absorption Rates (SAR)’ is expected to be higher compared to the adults. It is mainly because of the closeness of the exposure wavelength the whole-body resonance frequency in case of children who are shorter in height compared to the adults.

continue reading Effects of Wireless Communication Devices on Human Health

Recognizing is an essential surviving skill. This is understood normally a general aspect when we recognize people, objects or animals by the sound they make. When the very similar objects make very dissimilar sounds we have certain inbuilt ‘pick up clues’ that help us identity the sound and its source.

Scientists now a days are conducting intensive research that is helped by the ‘Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)’ to understand the basic fundamentals of “how the human ear and the brain come together to help us understand our acoustic environment”.

Researchers have observed that the ‘auditory cortex’, the part of human brain that deals with sound is more adapted in each human being and the body system sets the ears in a typical tuning to the world around us. Humans continuously keep learning throughout their lifetime how to localize and identify different sounds. It is more relative in itself. Meaning thereby, if someone could hear the sounds through someone else’s ears the sounds would be altogether different to what normally we hear and recognize.

continue reading Understanding How the Human Ear and Brain Recognize Sounds Will Help Developing Sophisticated Hearing Aids and Speech Recognition Systems