Voice of Commonwealth

HEALTH AND FITNESS

Are you sleep deprived?

Health, UK (Commonwealth Union) – A novel blood test capable of accurately detecting 24-hour sleep deprivation has been pioneered by the University of Birmingham and Monash University. This degree of sleep deficiency significantly heightens the risk of severe injury or even fatality in environments reliant on safety protocols. Appearing in the Science Advances, this biomarker harnesses a blend of indicators present in the blood of healthy volunteers. Together, these markers effectively forecast instances where study participants had remained awake for over 24 hours in controlled laboratory settings. The biomarker demonstrated a remarkable 99.2 percent accuracy in discerning individuals who had been sleepless...

Novel hearing drug

Health, UK (Commonwealth Union) – UCL and UCLH researchers have achieved a significant milestone by completing the inaugural trial of a therapy engineered to address hearing loss. Dubbed the REGAIN trial, its outcomes, detailed in Nature Communications, mark the pioneering exploration of a treatment dedicated to reinstating lost hearing. Central to this trial was the investigation of a compound known as gamma secretase inhibitor LY3056480. Researchers of the study pointed...

Benefit of a protein sandwich

Health, UK (Commonwealth Union) – A groundbreaking discovery made by scientists at the University of Dundee holds promise for advancing drug development in tackling cancers and neurodegenerative diseases. Led by Professor Alessio Ciulli at the Centre for Targeted Protein Degradation (CeTPD), in collaboration with Dr. Georg Winter's team at the Research Center for Molecular Medicine (CEMM) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, the researchers have identified a novel...

Cultural understanding in dementia care

Health, Australia (Commonwealth Union) – A recent study conducted by Edith Cowan University (ECU) in collaboration with The Dementia Centre, HammondCare, has revealed that immigrants with dementia are prone to exhibiting agitation and aggression more frequently than their non-immigrant counterparts. The research, carried out by experts from ECU's Centre for Research in Aged Care and HammondCare's The Dementia Centre, emphasizes that behaviors such as agitation and aggression are prevalent among...

Exploring longevity in the blue zone of Sardinia

Health (Commonwealth Union) – The blue zone refers to a study titled “Identification of a geographic area characterized by extreme longevity in the Sardinia Island: The AKEA study” which identified the Nuoro province in Sardinia, Italy with high number of centenarians which was extended by scientists to other parts of the world such as Okinawa, Japan and Icaria, Greece. In the azure waters of the Mediterranean Sea lies the rugged...

Is vaping less unhealthy than smoking?

Health, UK (Commonwealth Union) – The concept of an electronic cigarette can be traced back to the 1960s when inventor Herbert A. Gilbert filed a patent for a "smokeless non-tobacco cigarette." However, this early attempt at creating a healthier alternative to smoking did not gain much traction, and the idea remained dormant for several decades. In 2003, Chinese pharmacist Hon Lik put forward the invention for the very first...

Fight, Flight or Freeze

The body’s fight-or-flight system releases stress hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol, that cause the body to stay aware and ready to respond to potentially dangerous situations.      While stress is a usual part of everyday life, it can sometimes cause a variety of unpleasant symptoms that we’re quick to attribute to other ailments. However, there are some key ways your body might be telling you to relax.     While per day an...