Heartburn is a signature symptom of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD), which is a cluster of symptoms and signs associated with regurgitation of stomach acid up to the pharynx and mouth. Patient-based studies of GORD have shown high prevalence and chronicity, particularly in Western societies. GORD is associated with significant health-care utilisation and diminished quality of life. [To
Whether or not you know any high school students that actually get nine hours of sleep each night, that’s what federal guidelines currently prescribe. A new Brigham Young University study found that 16-18 year olds perform better academically when they shave about two hours off that recommendation. “We’re not talking about sleep deprivation,” says study author
Neuroscientists may one day be able to eavesdrop on the constant, internal monologs that run through our minds, or hear the imagined speech of a stroke or a locked-in patient with inability to speak, according to researchers at the University of California, Berkeley. [Living a healthy lifestyle can reduce your chances of stroke, go for an ozone
Many people are addicted to medicines – and it’s often the over-the-counter medicines that can be bought without prescription. Medicines that can be bought in this way and that may be addictive include the following: Medicines and cough syrups containing codeine Slimming remedies containing ephedrine and/or amphetamine Although men and women can both become addicted
Why do heavy coffee drinkers have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, a disease on the increase around the world that can lead to serious health problems? Scientists are offering a new solution to that long-standing mystery in a report in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural & Food Chemistry. Ling Zheng, Kun Huang and colleagues explain that previous
A saliva test used to diagnose the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), is comparable in accuracy to the traditional blood test, according to a new study led by the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) and McGill University. The meta-analysis, which compared studies worldwide, showed that the saliva HIV test, OraQuick HIV1/2, had the same
Grief over the death of a loved one can cause a huge spike in a person’s risk of heart attack, especially in the early days after the loss, said a US study. The research tracked nearly 2,000 adults who survived a heart attack and found that among those who had just lost a loved one,
Medical suppliers cannot afford to buy equipment for Gauteng hospitals because the health department owes them money, the SA Medical Device Industry Association (Samed) said. “Some suppliers have notified the Gauteng Department of Health that they will put orders for medical products and services on hold, which will affect health services in Gauteng public hospitals,” Samed chief
Speed can save lives – especially in the case of blood poisoning. The more quickly and directly doctors recognise and treat sepsis, the greater the patient’s chances of survival. With the help of a new biochip, physicians will now be able to analyzer blood within their own practise. Is the patient suffering from blood poisoning? To
The HIV-prevalence among pregnant women in the country has increased from 29.4% to 30.2%, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said in Pretoria. “We’re still far from winning the war, but we are getting somewhere,” Motsoaledi said, releasing the National Antenatal Sentinel HIV and Syphilis Prevalence survey. It was made public eight months later than expected. Motsoaledi said there