COVID-19 Pneumonia: Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment

All The News That's Fit: Light Pollution, Laughter's Benefits And Silkworms As Snacks

May 28, 2024

The dark side of light

Air pollution exposure is a known risk factor for stroke risk because inhaled particulates can cause pulmonary blood vessel inflammation. A new study suggests outdoor light pollution at night may also boost stroke risk.

The theory is that too much light at night may interfere with melatonin production and the sound sleep it induces.

Body of knowledge

When you laugh, your hypothalamus and pituitary gland release endorphins, a hormone that can elevate mood and make you feel happier. Laughter also increases respiratory rate and oxygen consumption, which boosts a sense of well-being, and in one study, it was found to lower overall glucose levels after a meal.

Get me that. Stat!

Drug overdose deaths stayed steady in 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with 107,941 deaths recorded, slightly higher than the 106,699 in 2021. Most of the deaths were linked to fentanyl, a synthetic opioid. Deaths due to heroin, methadone and prescription painkillers have been declining.

Stories for the waiting room

Daily doses of baby aspirin are sometimes recommended for adults to help prevent heart attack or stroke. A small study suggests a similar therapy might help reduce liver fat in patients with metabolic-associated liver disease, or MASLD.

MASLD, formerly known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, is widespread. It's estimated that one in three Americans has a problematic amount of fat in their livers, which can ultimately result in scarring and organ dysfunction.

It's not known yet how aspirin might decrease liver fat or scarring.

Doc talk

Sternutate — sneeze

Phobia of the week

Gelotophobia — fear of being laughed at

Never say diet

The Major League Eating speed-eating record for garlicky greens is 7.5 pounds in five minutes, held by Pete Davekos. No one stuck around to congratulate him.

Food for thought

Beondegi is a Korean snack food made with silkworm pupae. (Beondegi means pupa). Boiled or steamed, beondegi is served in paper cups with toothpick skewers at street stalls. It reportedly has a nutty, shrimplike taste with a hint of canned corn.

Best medicine

Doctor: "How much physical activity do you get each day?"

Patient: "I usually sit on a computer for at least 12 hours a day."

Doctor: "That's not good for your health."

Patient: "You're telling me. I should probably sit on a chair."

Observation

"Dad always thought laughter was the best medicine, which I guess was why several of us died of tuberculosis."

Medical history

This week in 1884, a patent for "flaked cereal" was applied for by Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, who was trying to improve the vegetarian diet of his hospital patients by creating a digestible bread substitute using boiled wheat.

Kellogg accidentally left a pot of boiled wheat to stand and become tempered. When it was put through a rolling process, each grain of wheat emerged as a large, thin flake. When the flakes were baked, they became crisp and light, creating an easy-to-prepare breakfast when milk was added.

His brother Will Keith Kellogg (W.K.) began his cereal-making career in the 1890s when he assisted his brother, saw the commercial potential and created the Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Co. (now Kellogg's).

Medical myths

According to some, drinking four glasses of water at the beginning of each day helps prevent heart attacks and remedies various conditions, including diabetes and tuberculosis. It's quite popular in some countries.

However, there is no empirical evidence to support the practice.

The only medical condition where research has shown increased fluid intake is helpful is constipation. The additional fluid (water or juices) lowers risk of dehydration and may help soften stools, making them easier to pass. It does not, however, necessarily treat the underlying cause of the constipation.

Curtain calls

Sunanda Kumariratana was the queen of Siam (now Thailand) and consort to King Rama V. In 1880, the boat she was riding in on the way to Bang Pa-In Royal Palace capsized, and she was thrown into the water. Dozens of people watched her drown, knowing that touching the queen was a capital offense even if it meant saving her life.

LaFee is vice president of communications for the Sanford Burnham Prebys research institute.

2.6 Million Die Annually Due To Alcohol: WHO

GENEVA – Alcohol kills nearly three million people annually, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on June 25, adding that while the death rate had dropped slightly in recent years, it remained "unacceptably high".

The UN health agency's latest report on alcohol and health said alcohol causes nearly one in 20 deaths globally each year, through drink driving, alcohol-induced violence and abuse, and a multitude of diseases and disorders.

The report said 2.6 million deaths were attributed to alcohol consumption in 2019 – the latest available statistics – accounting for 4.7 per cent of all deaths worldwide that year.

Nearly three-quarters of those deaths were in men, it added.

"Substance use severely harms individual health, increasing the risk of chronic diseases, mental health conditions and tragically resulting in millions of preventable deaths every year," WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

He pointed out that there had been "some reduction in alcohol consumption and related harm worldwide since 2010".

"(But) the health and social burden due to alcohol use remains unacceptably high," he continued, highlighting that younger people were disproportionately affected.

The highest proportion of alcohol-attributable deaths in 2019 – 13 per cent – were among people aged 20 to 39, the WHO said.

Drinking is linked to a slew of health conditions, including cirrhosis of the liver and some cancers.

Of all fatalities it caused in 2019, the report found that an estimated 1.6 million were from non-communicable diseases.

Of these, 474,000 were from cardiovascular diseases, 401,000 from cancer and a huge 724,000 from injuries, including traffic accidents and self-harm.

Alcohol abuse also makes people more susceptible to infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, HIV and pneumonia, the report found.

An estimated 209 million people lived with alcohol dependence in 2019 – 3.7 per cent of the global population.

Total per capita consumption worldwide decreased slightly to 5.5 litres of alcohol in 2019 from 5.7 litres nine years earlier, the report found.

But alcohol consumption overall is unevenly distributed around the globe.

Well over half of the world's population over the age of 15 abstains completely.

Europe accounted by far for the highest levels of per capital drinking, at 9.2 litres, followed by the Americas at 7.5 litres.

The lowest consumption was in predominantly Muslim countries in Northern Africa, the Middle East and Asia, the report said.

Among people who drank alcohol in 2019, the report determined they consumed 27g of pure alcohol per day on average.

That is roughly equivalent to two glasses of wine, two small bottles of beer or two shots of spirits.

"This level and frequency of drinking is associated with increased risks of numerous health conditions and associated mortality and disability," the WHO warned.

In 2019, a full 38 per cent of current drinkers acknowledged having engaged in heavy episodic drinking, defined as consuming at last 60g of pure alcohol on one or more occasions in the preceding month.

Globally, 23.5 per cent of 15- to 19-year-olds were considered current drinkers.

That jumped to more than 45 per cent for people in this age group living in Europe and to nearly 44 per cent in the Americas.

The WHO said it was essential to improve access to quality treatment for substance use disorders.

In 2019, the proportion of people contacting such treatment services ranged from below 1 per cent to 35 per cent in countries providing this data.

"Stigma, discrimination and misconceptions about the efficacy of treatment contribute to these critical gaps in treatment provision," Dr Vladimir Poznyak, head of WHO's unit for alcohol, drugs and addictive behaviours, told reporters. AFP

"Unacceptably High": Alcohol Kills Nearly 3 Million People Every Year, Says WHO

Drinking is linked to a slew of health conditions. (Representational)

Geneva:

Alcohol kills nearly three million people annually, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday, adding that while the death rate had dropped slightly in recent years it remained "unacceptably high".

The United Nations health agency's latest report on alcohol and health said alcohol causes nearly one in 20 deaths globally each year, through drink driving, alcohol-induced violence and abuse, and a multitude of diseases and disorders.

The report said 2.6 million deaths were attributed to alcohol consumption in 2019 -- the latest available statistics -- accounting for 4.7 percent of all deaths worldwide that year.

Nearly three-quarters of those deaths were in men, it said.

"Substance use severely harms individual health, increasing the risk of chronic diseases, mental health conditions, and tragically resulting in millions of preventable deaths every year," WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

He pointed out that there had been "some reduction in alcohol consumption and related harm worldwide since 2010".

"(But) the health and social burden due to alcohol use remains unacceptably high," he continued, highlighting that younger people were disproportionately affected.

The highest proportion of alcohol-attributable deaths in 2019 -- 13 percent -- were among people aged 20 to 39, the WHO said.

Cancer, car crashes

Drinking is linked to a slew of health conditions, including cirrhosis of the liver and some cancers.

Of all fatalities it caused in 2019, the report found that an estimated 1.6 million were from noncommunicable diseases.

Of these, 474,000 were from cardiovascular diseases, 401,000 from cancer and a huge 724,000 from injuries, including traffic accidents and self-harm.

Alcohol abuse also makes people more susceptible to infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, HIV and pneumonia, the report found.

An estimated 209 million people lived with alcohol dependence in 2019 -- 3.7 percent of the global population.

Total per capita consumption worldwide decreased slightly to 5.5 litres of alcohol in 2019 from 5.7 litres nine years earlier, the report found.

But alcohol consumption overall is unevenly distributed around the globe.

Well over half of the world's population over the age of 15 abstains completely.

Europe accounted by far for the highest levels of per capital drinking, at 9.2 litres, followed by the Americas at 7.5 litres.

The lowest consumption was in predominantly Muslim countries in Northern Africa, the Middle East and Asia, the report said.

Heavy drinkers

Among people who drank alcohol in 2019, the report determined they consumed 27 grammes of pure alcohol per day on average.

That is roughly equivalent to two glasses of wine, two small bottles of beer or two shots of spirits.

"This level and frequency of drinking is associated with increased risks of numerous health conditions and associated mortality and disability," the WHO warned.

In 2019, a full 38 percent of current drinkers acknowledged having engaged in heavy episodic drinking, defined as consuming at last 60 grammes of pure alcohol on one or more occasions in the preceding month.

Globally, 23.5 percent of 15- to 19-year-olds were considered current drinkers.

That jumped to more than 45 percent for people in this age group living in Europe, and to nearly 44 percent in the Americas.

The WHO said it was essential to improve access to quality treatment for substance use disorders.

In 2019, the proportion of people contacting such treatment services ranged from below one percent to 35 percent in countries providing this data.

"Stigma, discrimination and misconceptions about the efficacy of treatment contribute to these critical gaps in treatment provision," Vladimir Poznyak, head of WHO's unit for alcohol, drugs and addictive behaviours, told reporters. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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