Health
Gateway to overcoming paralysis
NEW YORK — Using only her thoughts, a Massachusetts woman paralyzed for 15 years directed a robotic arm to pick up a bottle of coffee and bring it to her lips, researchers report in the latest advance in harnessing brain waves to help disabled people.
In the past year, similar stories have included a quadriplegic man in Pennsylvania who made a robotic arm give a high-five and stroke his girlfriend’s hand, and a partially paralyzed man who remotely controlled a small robot that scooted around in a Swiss lab. READ
Combatting chlorine
Olympic viewers are bound to be inspired as they watch the world’s best swimmers vie for gold at the upcoming Summer Games in London. But while Canada’s medal hopefuls spend countless hours training and competing in chlorinated waters, recreational swimmers sometimes shun the pool for a very superficial reason: dry hair. Elite swimmers can relate to the problem. READ
The best diet for you — what do you think?
To say that the world of nutrition is full of conflicting information is an understatement. All too often it has become a battle between the natural, preventative health community conflicting with the medical community on topics such as whether drugs and medication are really helping or harming, what foods are actually good for you and what substances in our food are safe or destructive. READ
Tattos replace some MedicAlert bracelets
Medical tattoos are becoming more common, with some people choosing to ink their wrists or other body parts with warnings about a health condition instead of wearing standard MedicAlert bracelets or necklaces, says a report in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. READ
A sleep that leaves you breathless
When Kathy Donkner was diagnosed with sleep apnea, she spent several nights in a sleep lab, hooked to scores of electrodes tying her to a device that gathered data about her breathing and sleep patterns. The procedure didn’t make for the most comfortable of nights, she acknowledges. Getting up to go to the bathroom, for instance, was an ordeal that involved calling for help to unplug herself from the monitor collecting her sleep data. READ
Suncreen warnings demanded
Sunscreen confusion won’t be over before summer after all. The government is bowing to industry requests for more time to make clear how much protection their lotions really offer. READ
Cancer claims fewer Canadian lives
The death toll cancer takes in Canada is on the decline, fuelled in large part by the fact that lung cancer is killing fewer Canadian men than it did in earlier decades, the Canadian Cancer Society said Wednesday. READ
Controversial ‘liberation therapy’ remains divisive
May Feitsma of Ponoka is disappointed the controversial “liberation therapy” treatment that claims to help those suffering with multiple sclerosis is still unavailable in Canada. READ
Zinc may shorten colds
Some people swear by zinc as a way to get over a nasty cold faster than usual — and researchers say that belief may be nothing to sneeze at. READ
Cancer claims fewer Canadian lives
The death toll cancer takes in Canada is on the decline, fuelled in large part by the fact that lung cancer is killing fewer Canadian men than it did in earlier decades, the Canadian Cancer Society said Wednesday. In its annual report on cancer in Canada, the agency estimated that close to 100,000 lives have been saved in this country over the past 20 years because of the declining cancer death rate. READ
Zinc may shorten colds
Some people swear by zinc as a way to get over a nasty cold faster than usual — and researchers say that belief may be nothing to sneeze at. An analysis of 17 patient trials comparing oral zinc preparations to placebo found that sucking on the lozenges appeared to shorten the duration of the common cold by about two days. READ
Aging and alone
Elaine Vlieger is making some concessions to Alzheimer’s. She’s cut back on her driving, frozen dinners replace once elaborate cooking, and a son monitors her finances. But the Colorado woman lives alone and isn’t ready to give up her house or her independence. READ
From earth with love
I remember walking across a vast meadow between two small mountains in the Yukon. It was June. The meadow welcomed the midnight sun with an ecstatic dance of wild rose, fireweed, flax and sweetly scented sage. Bird song from small groves of stunted poplars gladdened the morning while gophers whistled and ran for cover. Overhead, hawks circled. For all its beauty, life seemed chancier in the wilderness. READ
Gluten-free lifestyle battles celiac disease
For those living with celiac disease, a gluten-free lifestyle is a medical necessity. READ
Schools urged to fight obesity
WASHINGTON — Schools should be a cornerstone of the nation’s obesity battle, but to trim Americans’ waistlines, changes are needed everywhere people live, work, play and learn, a major new report says. READ
Olympics bound? Check your measles vaccination status
People planning to travel to the London Olympics are being reminded to make sure their measles vaccination is up to date. READ
Child’s temperament indicator of parenting conflicts
It’s a concept that parents may not be familiar with, but experts say it can explain a lot about family conflicts: Is your child’s temperament a good “fit” with yours? READ
It could be a long tick season in affected areas
Shortly after her first child was born, Colleen Safford left Manhattan for a 10-acre spread north of the urban jungle to create a new life for her growing family — a life immersed in the outdoors. READ
Pros, cons of pacifiers has parents wondering
Whether it’s referred to as a soother, dummy, binkie or bo-bo, new parents can feel conflicted over whether using a pacifier is the best thing for baby. While some moms and dads fall squarely in the no-soother camp — worried their child could become dependent, harm their teeth or delay speech development — other harried new parents find the nippled devices can be sanity-savers when their squalling infant can’t be comforted by anything else. READ
Get on the new nutritional bandwagon with kale
A lot of people have been jumping on the bandwagon of kale chips lately. And for good reason. As a dark, leafy cruciferous vegetable, kale is one of the healthiest vegetables on the planet. READ
