Physical activity helps prevent obesity virtually from birth. A new study in the journal Obesity shows that infants who are less active in their first year of life accumulate more fat in their lower torso, a risk for obesity later in life. Researchers used accelerometers like Fitbits attached to infant’s ankles to accurately gauge activity. Scientists say the evidence suggests getting babies crawling and walking as soon as possible.
Low doses of lithium may show promise in treating dementia. A study on rats in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease shows that a certain formulation of lithium can reverse Alzheimer’s and even reverse some of its effects in early stages of the disease. Low doses may even avoid some of lithium’s side effects. Researchers are still years away from experiments on people.
About half of people who are recovering from a concussion have sleep problems, but they sleep better and heal faster when they’re exposed to blue light early in the morning. A study in the journal Neurobiology of Disease shows that half an hour of blue light early in the day helps to reset circadian rhythms, increasing daytime alertness and promoting better sleep at night. Sleep is when the brain repairs itself. Researchers say concussion patients did better on brain speed and efficiency tests after getting blue light therapy.
And finally…maybe the two genders are becoming more equal. A study in the Journal of Time Use Research finds that teenage boys and girls spend almost equal amounts of time doing housework—about a half-hour per day. That’s a big change from about 20 years ago, when girls did twice the household chores that boys did. But that near equality hasn’t filtered up to their parents just yet. Married women still do housework twice as much as married men. But at least they don’t do four times as much, as they did 20 years ago.
Medical Notes 20-07: Week of February 16, 2020
Physical activity helps prevent obesity virtually from birth. A new study in the journal Obesity shows that infants who are less active in their first year of life accumulate more fat in their lower torso, a risk for obesity later in life. Researchers used accelerometers like Fitbits attached to infant’s ankles to accurately gauge activity. Scientists say the evidence suggests getting babies crawling and walking as soon as possible.
Low doses of lithium may show promise in treating dementia. A study on rats in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease shows that a certain formulation of lithium can reverse Alzheimer’s and even reverse some of its effects in early stages of the disease. Low doses may even avoid some of lithium’s side effects. Researchers are still years away from experiments on people.
About half of people who are recovering from a concussion have sleep problems, but they sleep better and heal faster when they’re exposed to blue light early in the morning. A study in the journal Neurobiology of Disease shows that half an hour of blue light early in the day helps to reset circadian rhythms, increasing daytime alertness and promoting better sleep at night. Sleep is when the brain repairs itself. Researchers say concussion patients did better on brain speed and efficiency tests after getting blue light therapy.
And finally, maybe the two genders are becoming more equal. A study in the Journal of Time Use Research finds that teenage boys and girls spend almost equal amounts of time doing housework—about a half-hour per day. That’s a big change from about 20 years ago, when girls did twice the household chores that boys did. But that near equality hasn’t filtered up to their parents just yet. Married women still do housework twice as much as married men. But at least they don’t do four times as much, as they did 20 years ago.
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