Health & Life Magazine January 2017

LATEST NEWS AND RESEARCH
NUTS CAN
DECREASE
RISK OF
HEART
DISEASE
A handful a day can keep heart
disease at bay. A recent study by the
Imperial College of London shows
that 20g of nuts a day reduces the
risk of developing heart diseases by
30%, the risk of cancer by 15% and
premature death by 22%.
"Nuts and peanuts are high in fibre,
magnesium, and polyunsaturated
fats—nutrients that are beneficial for
cutting cardiovascular disease risk
and which can reduce cholesterol
levels. Some nuts, particularly walnuts
and pecan nuts, are also high in
antioxidants, which can fight oxidative
stress and possibly reduce cancer
risk." Although nuts are high in fat,
there is also evidence they could
reduce the risk of obesity, suggested
study co-author Dagfinn Aune.
COULD YOUR
SMART PHONE BE
HARMING YOUR
HAND HEALTH?
Did you know we spend an average of
10 hours a day on our phones and on
social media? A new study published in
the Journal of Hand Therapy shows that
our constant phone use may be harming
our hands. Our grip reflexes and nerves
get damaged and a painful condition
called De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis
develops from incessant scrolling and
texting. The study compared results
from a group of 237 people to data
COUGH
SOUND ANALYSIS
A reaseach team led by Associate Professor at
Queensland University, Dr. Udantha Abeyratne, PhD
(biomedical), have developed a diagnostic technology
based on the mathematical analysis of cough.
Coughing is one of the most obvious symptoms
of respiratory disease, but its quantative analysis is
not usually used in diagnosis. The team developed
machines that are able to distinguish disease-specific
features and capable of diagnostic accuracies in the
order of 90% compared to diagnosis by specialists.
Respiratory illnesses are difficult to diagnose without
access to imaging and laboratory facilities, but the
new technology is available on smartphones and is
automated, enabling diagnosis to be made without
needing to be in the same room as the patient.
3
JANUARY 2017
collected in 1985. Not only can we not
get a grip, literally, other aspects of our
general health are negatively impacted.
“Text neck,” characterized by stiffness
and headaches, can be experienced
when you’re hunched over your phone
for a long time. Your lungs may also be
affected when you are in that position,
because it restricts blood flow to the
area. Our advice to you: take regular
phone breaks!