An analysis of more than 200 families revealed that when parents reported conflict and tension in their marriage, their interactions with their children were also strained in the immediate future. Study author Dr. Chrystyna Kouros writes, "The … [Read more...]
Mental Attitude
Two Explanations for the Link Between Stress & Heart Attack
Scientists may have a better understanding of why ongoing stress raises an individual's risk of having a heart attack. They believe stress triggers the body to make extra disease-fighting white blood cells, and this can cause inflammation in the … [Read more...]
Stress During Pregnancy May Increase Asthma Risk in Children
Past studies have shown that exposure to stress during pregnancy can increase a child’s risk for premature birth, low birth weight, and development problems. Now, a new animal-based study suggests that maternal stress during pregnancy, even just one … [Read more...]
Low Vitamin D Levels May Increases Alzheimer’s Risk
Older adults with low levels of vitamin D in their blood may have double the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease compared to seniors with sufficient vitamin D levels. In the study, the risk for dementia and Alzheimer's significantly increased when … [Read more...]
High Blood Pressure in Middle Age May Weaken Brain Later
If you let your blood pressure get too high in midlife, you may pay the price of mental decline when you are older. A study involving nearly 14,000 individuals found that hypertension in those aged 48 to 67 years was tied to a 6.5% drop in mental … [Read more...]
Unaware?
Only 5% of Americans realize obesity raises cancer and respiratory disease risk! The majority of the public believes obesity to be the second most serious health issue in the country, after cancer. When asked whether their weight was normal, 50% … [Read more...]
No Interruptions Please
Short interruptions (such as the few seconds it takes to silence that buzzing smart phone) have a surprisingly large effect on one's ability to accurately complete a task. Interruptions of just three seconds can double your chances for making … [Read more...]
Does Yawning Cool Down the Brain?
Australian researchers suggest that yawning might cool an overheated brain. Investigators found that contagious yawning was most prominent in the summer compared to the winter and most likely to occur when the temperature was about 68 degrees … [Read more...]
Tinnitus Affects How Sufferers Process Emotion
Tinnitus is a condition in which patients hear noises that aren’t really there such as ringing, whooshing, whistles, and whines. According to experts, individuals with persistent tinnitus are more likely to experience increased stress, anxiety, … [Read more...]
Dementia Risk Rises with Traumatic Brain Injury
A review of data on 188,774 veterans (ages 55 and up) found that 1,229 had been diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury (TBI). During the study's nine-year follow-up period, 16% of veterans with a TBI developed dementia compared with only 10% of … [Read more...]
Mental Attitude
What is the Key to Being a Good Comedian? A new study suggests that a stand-up comedian’s success at making an audience laugh is determined by how adept he or she is at linking humor and emotion. The lead author of the study, Dr. Tim Miles of the … [Read more...]
Brain Abnormalities in Youths Who Commit Homicide
A new study suggests that adolescents who have committed one or more homicides have significantly different brain structures than those who have not. The results were gathered using MRI findings on 20 brains of youths who committed at least one … [Read more...]
Learning A Second Language Slows Cognitive Decline
New research suggests that speaking more than one language may slow down age-related cognitive decline, even if the second language is learned during adulthood. Research leader Dr. Thomas Bak writes, "These findings are of considerable practical … [Read more...]
Cynics at Higher Risk for Dementia
Cynical, distrustful people may be at a higher risk of dementia, according to a new Finnish study. Researchers found that people with high levels of cynical distrust were three times more likely to develop dementia compared to people with low levels … [Read more...]