Mercyvill

The figures come despite efforts by the German government to help parents with childcare A study says Germany's birth rate has slumped to the lowest in the world, prompting fears labour market shortages will damage the economy.

  Lagos — A medical expert,   Prof. Emmanuel Bamidele, has said that asthma patients usually possess higher IQ than non-patients.  He spoke during the free screening exercise and lecture organised by the Nigeria Thoracic Society, one of the societies in the fore-front of caring for  asthma patients to mark this year’s world asthma day.

Sylvia Hoftsetter, 51, is accused of running clinics that provided some 12m opioid prescriptions in four years, making her rich ‘beyond her wildest dreams’ ‘She went from a very modest income for South Florida terms to richer beyond probably her wildest dreams,’ says a prosecutor. Photograph: eye35 /Alamy To neighbors, Sylvia Hofstetter was a wealthy businesswoman and grandmother who threw extravagant pool parties and went all out to decorate her upscale suburban home on Christmas and Halloween. That image was shattered when FBI agents raided the health care administrator’s Knoxville home in March. Federal prosecutors say the 51-year-old Florida native was running the largest illicit drug operation in the history of east Tennessee: a string of pill mills that raked in $17.5m in four years.

Story highlights Finding highlights a need for eye checkups for Ebola survivors A few people are still infected each week (CNN) American doctor Ian Crozier was treated for Ebola in Atlanta last year and declared free of the virus in his blood. But he had no way of knowing it still lurked in his eye. Weeks after he was released from the hospital, he experienced a piercing pain in his left eye, he told The New York Times. The pressure in his eye elevated while his vision decreased. After repeated tests, doctors discovered the virus was still living in his eye.

Living with mast cell disease 04:02 Story highlights Brynn Duncan has mast cell disease, which causes her to be allergic to almost everything Duncan has a feeding tube and is on constant doses of antihistamine Easley, South Carolina (CNN) The cracker or the bite of ice cream -- Brynn Duncan still isn't sure which one sent her into anaphylactic shock that day. Her food allergies change so frequently, keeping track is almost pointless. It was just another day with another massive allergic reaction. She can always tell when one is coming on. "I just get this overwhelming sense of -- they call it impending doom." Her labradoodle, Moose, starts alerting, licking her hands frantically.

A digital uprising in medicine has meant unprecedented changes to the U.S. healthcare system in recent years. With hastily-scrawled prescriptions and handwritten patient charts now having the life expectancy of a major character on Game of Thrones (translation: “not long for this world”), you may soon find yourself relying on new technology trends to increase the odds of your own survival. In fact, whether you know it or not, you’re probably relying on some of them already. Advanced EHRs Improve Patient Safety Electronic health or medical record systems (EHRs or EMRs) can save healthcare providers money by increasing efficiency, but an investment in so-called “advanced EHRs” can help detect at-risk patients, cut down on office visits, and even prevent accidents and deaths. Preliminary reports from an ongoing research project of Pennsylvania hospitals find that facilities that have adopted advanced EHRs—systems that go beyond simply storing and a...

Marc Koska has had a shot at saving the world; a single shot that has taken him 31 years. Back in 1984 the Englishman, then a 23-year-old who spent much of his time yachting in the Caribbean, was horrified like many others by the dire prediction that the newly-identified HIV virus could claim as many as 60 million lives. Unlike many others, he decided to do something about it. Koska spent three years researching the issue, reading everything he could find about the transmission of the virus, finding out how drug addicts used syringes and travelling to immunisation camps in Africa and to Geneva to learn about public health policy. He concluded that the pressing need was an inexpensive, non-reusable syringe, immersed himself in the intricacies of syringe design and patents, toured syringe manufacturing plants and studied plastic injection moulding techniques.

Making smart food choices can help you have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. Don’t forget breakfast. Try fortified ready-to-eat or cooked breakfast cereals with fruit. Fortified cereals have added nutrients, like iron or calcium. If you are feeling sick, start with 100% whole-grain toast. Eat more food later in the morning. Eat foods with fiber. Vegetables and fruits, like green peas, spinach, pears, and bananas Whole grains, like brown rice and oatmeal Beans, like black beans and kidney beans.

“All disease begins in the gut,” said Hippocrates. Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, was a wise man. Much of his wisdom, which is now over 2,000 years old, has stood the test of time. The quote above is one of them. Obviously, not  all  disease begins in the gut. For example, this does not apply to genetic diseases. However, there is evidence that many chronic metabolic diseases do, in fact, begin in the gut.

Patient who was flown to US after contracting disease in Sierra Leone is now in critical condition after initially being listed in serious condition A Unicef aid worker, right, visits a home that has been quarantined due to Ebola virus for 54 days in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Photograph: Michael Duff/AP An American healthcare worker who contracted Ebola while fighting the outbreak in Sierra Leone is now in a critical condition, doctors at the National Institutes of Health said on Monday.  10 clinicians to be evacuated to US after helping sick colleague The agency changed the woman’s status from “serious” to “critical” on Monday. The healthcare worker, who has not been identified, returned to the US on Friday and is receiving treatment at an NIH hospital in Bethesda, Maryland, outside Washington DC....

(Shutterstock*) Millions take toxic cholesterol and blood pressure lowering drugs that may do nothing to reduce heart disease specific mortality. Pomegranate juice, on the other hand,  actually reverses  underlying pathologies of the cardiovascular system that lead to bypass surgeries and heart attacks.  One of the most amazing clinical studies ever performed has been hidden away behind a pay wall for over a decade. When I first stumbled upon this clinical pearl two years ago, in the form of the publicly indexed abstract on pubmed.gov, my jaw nearly dropped. I’ve finally acquired the full version of the study and am now excited to report on its implications in greater depth to help raise awareness about the power of pomegranate to heal the body, and I believe, save millions lives from premature death from heart disease.

Mindfulness can regulate biological stress responses, giving you a whole new view on life. (Mike Powell/Digital Vision/Thinkstock) Studies have shown that mindfulness training can boost a range of mental and physical health problems, but how it works hasn’t been clear. Now, researchers have developed a model suggesting that mindfulness influences health via stress reduction pathways. The work, published in the journal Current Directions in Psychological Science, describes the biological pathways linking mindfulness training with reduced stress and stress-related disease outcomes.

Treating obesity "may not be a simple matter of 'cutting back' on certain foods, but rather adopting methods used to curtail smoking, drinking, and drug use," says Nicole Avena.(Shutterstock*) Why are some foods—like chocolate, pizza, and French fries—more addictive than others—like brown rice or salmon? The answer may have something to do with how foods are processed, say researchers. The findings of a new study, published in the journal  PLOS ONE , suggest that methods used to curb smoking, drinking, or drug abuse may also work in combating “food addiction” and the growing obesity epidemic. If properties of some foods are associated with addictive eating for some people, this may impact nutrition guidelines, as well as public policy initiatives such as marketing these foods to children,” says Erica Schulte. (Michael Bentley,CC BY 2.0)) Food Rewards Despite the fact that highly pr...

A team of technicians getting ready to handle a sample for Ebola testing in Sinje, Grand Cape Mount, Liberia. Photo: UNMEER/Martine Perret The United Nations World Health Organization ( WHO ) yesterday announced that it has approved for use a rapid diagnostic test kit for Ebola that can provide results in 15 minutes and correctly identify 92 percent of patients infected by the disease that has killed more than 9,400 people, mainly in West Africa.

(Shutterstock*) Many studies have shown that cooking foods increases their caloric value by increasing the absorption of starches and proteins. Now a new study from Harvard shows how cooking also increases the absorption of fat that you eat. In this study, mice fed cooked peanuts absorbed significantly more calories from fat than those eating the same amount of raw peanuts. Fat contains more than twice the calories per gram than carbohydrates or proteins do, yet a recent study suggests that nuts are not fattening, even though more than 80 percent of their calories come from fat. The new study from Harvard, conducted under the direction of anthropologist Dr. Richard Wrangham, shows that raw nuts are even less fattening than cooked nuts.

(Getty Images) To die, sometimes you need only believe you are ill, and as David Robson discovers, we can unwittingly ‘catch’ such fears, often with terrifying consequences. Scientists are hopeful that 'smart' insulins which are undergoing trials could revolutionise the way diabetes is managed Beware the scaremongers. Like a witch doctor’s spell, their words might be spreading modern plagues. It’s a consistent phenomenon, but medicine has never really dealt with it — Ted Kaptchuk, Harvard Medical School We have long known that expectations of a malady can be as dangerous as a virus. In the same way that voodoo shamans could harm their victims through the power of suggestion, priming someone to think they are ill can often produce the actual symptoms of a disease. Vomiting, dizziness, headaches, and even death, could be triggered through belief alone. It...

A hormonally balanced breakfast is really quite simple,(Shutterstock*) If there’s one thing I coach my clients about successful weight loss, it’s the importance of setting a realistic goal when it comes to healthy eating. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, what better time to give yourself the gift of a leaner, fit body? By following the simple, proven tips below, you can quickly achieve the toned body you have always desired, with no strict rules to follow or killer workouts to endure. My clients are always amazed just how easy it can be…now it’s your turn!

Skip the processed food and chemicals. (Lew Robertson/iStock/Thinkstock) We’re all about healthy eating here at Be Well, but we believe in a little indulgence once in awhile, too. Unless you’re battling a condition that calls for strict adherence to a specific diet, having a bit of your grandma’s famous apple pie or a homemade treat shouldn’t be a problem on occasion. The important thing is to indulge in foods that are actually foods! It’s much healthier for your body and mind to use your “eat in moderation” tokens on things that are actually whole foods — there’s no use in indulging in processed chemicals or fake foods that are only going to weaken your health. I asked around the office to get a sense of what some of the other Be Well Health Coaches “would never touch,” no matter how indulgent the meal. Here’s a list of 5 things we don’t believe you should ever eat — even in moderation. Avoid these culprits – your body will thank you for it.

Changes in air pressure and humidity on an aircraft do not have a harmful effect on pregnancy, the RCOG says The safest time to fly during pregnancy is before 37 weeks or, if carrying twins, before 32 weeks, new advice says. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists says flying is not harmful during a low-risk pregnancy, but there may be side-effects. If more than 28 weeks pregnant, a woman should take her medical notes and a GP's letter. Many airlines have their own rules on when pregnant women can fly.

One of the symptoms is uncontrolled warts A woman with a rare disease has been spontaneously cured in an event so improbable doctors say it is the medical equivalent of a lottery win. The woman in her 50s, who is not being named, was plagued by warts and infections as part of "WHIM syndrome" - caused by a defective immune system. But US doctors say a fluke DNA mutation, reported in the journal Cell , effectively cured her in her 30s. One doctor said the odds of it happening were "astronomically low". 'Pupils dilated' Patients with WHIM syndrome have a defect in a single section of their DNA. They are still able to make the cells that form the immune system, but these get stuck in the bone marrow where they are produced.