Fewer sports-related sudden cardiac arrest victims die nowadays, a trend linked with increased bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), reports a study presented today at ESC Congress 2019 together with the World Congress of Cardiology. The late breaking study also found that the incidence of sudden cardiac arrest during sports has not…
To increase bike commuters, look to neighborhoods: New research shows downtown and campus dwellers more likely to travel by bicycle
People agree that bike commuting improves health, reduces air pollution and eases traffic, a recent survey suggests. But that wasn’t enough to get most people to commute by bike. The new research indicates that a person’s neighborhood may play a large role in influencing the decision to commute by bike….
Long work hours associated with increased risk of stroke
People who worked long hours had a higher risk of stroke, especially if they worked those hours for 10 years or more, according to new research in the American Heart Association’s journal Stroke. Researchers reviewed data from CONSTANCES, a French population-based study group started in 2012, for information on age…
New tool can pinpoint origins of the gut’s bacteria
A UCLA-led research team has developed a faster and more accurate way to determine where the many bacteria that live in, and on, humans come from. Broadly, the tool can deduce the origins of any microbiome, a localized and diverse community of microscopic organisms. The new computational tool, called “FEAST,”…
Cycling lanes reduce fatalities for all road users, study shows: Roads are safer for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists in cities with robust bike facilities
In the most comprehensive look at bicycle and road safety to date, researchers at the University of Colorado Denver and the University of New Mexico discovered that it’s not the cyclists, but the infrastructure built for them, that is making roads safer for everyone. “Bicycling seems inherently dangerous on its…
How stress leads to Facebook addiction
Friends on social media such as Facebook can be a great source of comfort during periods of stress. However, if they don’t receive any support offline, stressed users are at risk of developing a pathological dependence on the social networking site — the so-called Facebook addiction. This is the result…
Wearable cooling and heating patch could serve as personal thermostat and save energy
Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a wearable patch that could provide personalized cooling and heating at home, work, or on the go. The soft, stretchy patch cools or warms a user’s skin to a comfortable temperature and keeps it there as the ambient temperature changes….
Despite transition period, maximal running shoes may still increase risk of injury
A six-week transition period did not help wearers adjust to “maximal” running shoes, indicating that increased impact forces and loading rates caused by the shoe design do not change over time, a new study from Oregon State University — Cascades has found. The shoes, which feature increased cushioning, particularly in…
Geographers use big data to predict how slope affects human travel rates
Have you ever been running on a sidewalk making pretty good time, then hit a hill and slowed way down? If so, you’ve experienced how slope affects travel rates. For most of us, understanding how slope steepness impacts our speed is a matter of fitness. For others, such as wildland…
Need to increase diversity within genetic data sets: Diversifying population-level genetic data beyond Europeans will expand the power of polygenic scores
Polygenic scores can predict a person’s risk for conditions like coronary artery disease, breast cancer, and type 2 diabetes (T2D) with great accuracy, even in patients who lack common warning signs. This new genome analysis tool holds promise for physicians, who may be able to intervene earlier to help prevent…
Harnessing multiple data streams and artificial intelligence to better predict flu: ‘Nowcasting’ technique enables highly accurate local flu surveillance
Influenza is highly contagious and easily spreads as people move about and travel, making tracking and forecasting flu activity a challenge. While the CDC continuously monitors patient visits for flu-like illness in the U.S., this information can lag up to two weeks behind real time. A new study, led by…