Runners can forget about the six foot margin for coronavirus safety. Because a runner’s wake can carry respiratory droplets much farther than the wakes of walkers (or standers), companion or competing runners directly behind a leader should hang back a good 30 feet. That’s the verdict of a computational model […]
Pain
Celebrex May Boost Risk of Heart Valve Trouble
Initially, researchers at Vanderbilt University thought Celebrex might improve the health of people with aortic stenosis, a dangerous narrowing of the heart’s aortic valve opening. So the researchers tested celecoxib, the active compound in Celebrex, on valve cells. As a Vanderbilt news release reports, it made the things worse. They […]
Pain Creams No Better Than Placebos
It hurts to think about how much Americans spend on creams that are supposed to relieve pain. In fact, those creams often do relieve pain, but apparently they do that no better than placebos. This disturbing news comes from Johns Hopkins University, whose researchers conducted a double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study […]
Enlarged Prostates May Actually Slow Cancer
Turns out that enlarged prostates, which can raise a PSA count and attract the attention of (1.) oncologists and (2.) surgeons, may actually offer some protection against aggressive prostate cancer. That theory comes from researchers at Purdue University, whose computer simulations suggest that enlarged prostates put increased pressure on tumors, […]
Marijuana Relieves Pain, More Research Is Wanted
No. It’s not surprising to learn that marijuana relieves pain, but it’s helpful for some people to know exactly how much cannabidiol (CBD), a marijuana plant extract, is needed to kill pain without getting anyone high. That’s what researchers at McGill University have figured out. First, from a McGill University news […]
Exercise Lowers Death Risk From Prostate Cancer
For years now, researchers have suspected that exercise lowered the risk of prostate cancer, but several studies turned up conflicting results. Now, from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, a large scale study suggests that exercise can lower the risk of aggressive prostate cancer. A Harvard news release reports that […]
Placebos Work, Even When We Know They’re Placebos
OK, it’s not news that placebos work. But it is interesting that they work even when patients are told that they being given a placebo. And it’s even more interesting to note that doctors can tell, by looking at a patient’s brain anatomy and psychological profile, if the placebo is […]
How To Keep Mosquitoes Away
What’s the best way to keep mosquitoes from biting you? The answer, according to a Wall Street Journal interview with Stephen Gluckman, professor of medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and a specialist in infectious diseases, is the same as it has been for years: DEET. […]
Does Stretching Improve Performance?
Does stretching improve our athletic performance? The short answer, from a new study recently published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, is no. But it doesn’t hurt performance either. The New York Times reports that the study involved 20 young male athletes, soccer players and rugby players, who […]
Your Brain On Dehydration
It doesn’t take long for dehydration to render us even less focused than we normally are. Two hours of yard work will do the trick. A Georgia Tech news release reports that researchers at the school came to that conclusion after reading many research papers on dehydration and cognitive ability. The […]