Instagram makes it easier to exercise
People who followed researchers’ motivational posts on Instagram got more enjoyment out of their training sessions. Just a couple of minutes over the course of four weeks was enough to make a difference.
the Human body
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Cholesterol crystals play an active role in stroke, heart attacks
Cholesterol crystals form from “bad” cholesterol and are found in plaques that line blood vessels. When these plaques rupture, they can cause heart attacks or strokes. New research suggests that cholesterol crystals in plaques can actually trigger strokes and heart attacks.
People who need health care advice the most like it the least
Most people think it’s a good thing that public health authorities propose preventive health measures. The greatest resistance is found among individuals who need these measures the most – such as smokers, people with unhealthy diets or who don’t exercise.
Tumours in Space studies tumours, cancer risk of cosmic radiation
Can weightlessness stop cancer from growing? One of the nine research projects that has been given the go-ahead for the new China Space Station scheduled for 2022 is designed to answer this exact question.
Healthy students got rhabdomyolysis after intense exercise
The dreaded condition known as rhabdomyolysis may be much more common after a particularly intense training session than you’d think. But for most people, the only symptom is being slightly more sore than usual.
The magic behind the medals
The most successful winter Olympian ever opened nearly two decades of training logs to researchers to shed light on how she achieved her goals. Now researchers have looked at two methods she used for her high-intensity training sessions to see how they compare.
Higher weight increases risk of psoriasis
The higher a person’s BMI, the greater the chance of getting psoriasis. But researchers are still uncertain as to why.
How genes affect tobacco and alcohol use
Data from 1.2 million people reveal how tobacco and alcohol use may be linked to your genes and to various diseases.
C-sections by trained health officers a safe alternative
Sierra Leone has few doctors and even fewer surgeons to serve its seven million people. Since 2011, a non-profit group called CapaCare has been training community health officers to perform basic lifesaving surgeries. A new study shows the programme is working well when it comes to the most common surgery in the country — Caesarean sections.
Eight myths about your brain
Do we have a dominant brain hemisphere? Do we use our whole brain? Can we train our brains to be smarter? Does our ability to learn depend only on our genetic inheritance?
How you can reduce your pain
Are you bothered by persistent pain? Here’s a pain physician’s advice on how to change your perceptions of pain and get a grip on it.
Immune cells sacrifice themselves to protect against invading bacteria
Our immune systems are working overtime this time of year. Knowing that a bunch of dedicated immune cells are willing to explode themselves to inform other cells about the danger may offer a bit of consolation.
Experiments show that an “unknown” enzyme fights inflammation
An enzyme that normally repairs damaged DNA may be the key to a new treatment for inflammatory diseases.
Disabled people are often excluded from sex. With no reason.
The problem is global, say researchers, and caused primarily by ignorance and a lack of understanding.
Researchers make mini-brains from skin
By reprogramming skin cells to become brain cells, researchers have managed to cultivate lots of mini human brains. Some of them have begun to grow pupils for eyes. The technique helps researchers study the most minute details of the genetics of turning stem cells into other cells.
Norwegian family’s medical mystery solved
Back in the 1970s, a Norwegian family was found to have abnormally high red blood cell counts. Thirty-five years later, researchers succeeded in solving the mystery, thanks to new analytical methods and the latest developments in genetic engineering – and a chance meeting with a Swiss scientist.
Depressed? Never too late to improve your health
Are you in poor physical shape or struggling with depressive symptoms? Maybe both? You’ll live longer by improving either condition – even if you’re getting up in years.
Not easy finding dust masks suitable for women
The smelting industry needs to promote the availability of dust masks of more than one size, according to the research scientists behind a recent working environment study at Norwegian smelting plants.
First aid training for young children
The aim of the national campaign “Sammen redder vi liv” (Saving lives together) is to encourage Norwegians to save more lives. Children are included, and researchers have been given the job of ensuring that it succeeds.
How to train like the world’s most successful female cross-country skier
If you want to be as fast or as strong as the world’s most decorated female winter Olympian ever, you’ll have to train a lot — more than 900 hours a year. But don’t worry — most of that training will be low intensity.
Why you feel hungrier after you lose weight
Feeling hungrier and eating less for the rest of your life may be the price to pay once you’ve shed those extra pounds.
Heavy children more likely to underestimate their size
Children with a higher BMI are less accurate in estimating their own body size compared to their slimmer counterparts. And the bigger their body is, the more inaccurate their guesses.
Can orange light help the mentally ill?
A new treatment is being tested at an emergency psychiatric centre in Trondheim, where the windows and lamps are equipped with orange filters.
Obese individuals more prone to blood poisoning
Being overweight, little physical activity and smoking increase our vulnerability for severe bloodstream infections. These factors also increase mortality.