News
Shining Cities Cast Shadow on Health: Study Links Bright Lights to Higher Stroke Risk
City lights at night are associated with an increased risk of stroke, highlighting the impact of nocturnal radiance on health, according to recent research.
United States: In the midst of the luminous urban sprawl, an aura of allure may cloak the beholder, yet beneath this facade lies a potential peril to one’s health, a recent research revealed.
Radiant artificial illuminations, penetrating the nocturnal realm, appear to wield influence upon cerebral blood circulation, predisposing individuals to heightened susceptibility to cerebrovascular afflictions, as outlined by investigators.
Individuals subjected to maximal nocturnal outdoor luminance exhibit a 43 percent elevated propensity towards maladies afflicting cerebral vasculature, as per findings.
Such maladies encompass arterial obstructions impeding cranial hemoperfusion and intracranial hemorrhages, constituting the principal etiologies of cerebrovascular accidents.
In light of these revelations, Jian-Bing Wang, an investigator affiliated with Zhejiang University School of Medicine in Hangzhou, China, articulated, “We proffer guidance to denizens, particularly urban dwellers, to contemplate mitigating such exposure to safeguard themselves against its potential deleterious ramifications,” in a communique.
The pervasive prevalence of artificial luminance has precipitated the ensconcement of four-fifths of the global populace within environments ensnared by light pollution, as per research appendices.
For this inquiry, Wang and associates scrutinized data pertaining to over 28,300 denizens domiciled in China, gauging their exposure to nocturnal outdoor luminance employing satellite-derived depictions illustrating luminous pollution.
These inhabitants inhabited Ningbo, a bustling port and industrial conurbation nestled among China’s eastern littoral, boasting a populace in excess of 8.2 million.
Throughout a six-year surveillance period spanning from 2015 to 2021, investigators discerned nearly 1,300 instances of cerebrovascular pathology, including 777 incidents of arterial occlusions instigating strokes and 133 incidents of intracranial hemorrhages inciting strokes.
Investigators underscored that sustained exposure to luminous nocturnal radiance could quash melatonin secretion, a hormone pivotal in fostering restorative slumber.
Consequently, luminance might engender an augmented predisposition to stroke by impeding restorative sleep, posited researchers.
“We necessitate the formulation of more efficacious regulatory frameworks and preemptive measures to mitigate the disease burden stemming from environmental elements such as luminance, in addition to atmospheric pollution, especially among denizens residing within the most densely populated, contaminated locales across the globe,” Wang emphasized.
Investigators also discerned a correlative augmentation in stroke susceptibility attributable to atmospheric pollution.
Individuals subjected to maximal concentrations of particulate matter in the atmosphere—attributable to combustion emissions, particulate matter, or airborne effluents—exhibited a 41 percent to 50 percent magnified risk of stroke relative to their minimally exposed counterparts.
Moreover, nitrogen oxide discharges emanating from vehicular traffic and industrial power installations augmented stroke vulnerability by 31 percent among those enduring maximal exposure, researchers appended.
The novel investigation finds publication in the periodical Stroke.
News
Lakers Rally with LeBron’s Triple-Double
United States: Le Bron James once again recorded his second triple double season where he scored, 21 points and also threw 13 assists and grabbed 12 rebounds to see the Lakers through to a 116-106 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. This win placed Laker in a better position within he Western Conference specially when they come out of a very hard 1-4 trek.
Davis, Reaves, and Russell Stand Up for Bank of America
Anthony Davis scored 31 points which was the most among the Lakers followed by Austin Reaves who scored 20 points and D’Angelo Russell who scored 18 points in the bench. LeBron reached his 114 th career triple-double midway through the fourth quarter to show that he was still a factor.
76ers’ Morris, Green Orthopedic Surgeries Devoid Starting Five Embiid, Maxey
The 76ers were missing two of their top players: missing its two main athletes: the reigning MVP Joel Embiid, who is suspended for three games, and exciting Tyrese Maxey who suffered a hamstring strain which will make him lay low for at least two weeks. Little five’s defense Philadelphia was defenseless throughout the match without its key players and the terrible five-game losing streak.
Takeaways
76ers: Without Embiid and Maxey, the 76ers’ defense fell short, and they couldn’t keep pace with the Lakers.
Lakers: Cam Reddish replaced D’Angelo Russell in the starting lineup under rookie coach JJ Redick, a move that allowed Russell to play comfortably and aggressively off the bench.
Key Moment
Philadelphia was however able to reduce a 13-point deficit to only two points before half-time but the Lakers again took charge of the game with a 8-0 run and a 10-0 run in the third quarter, as reported by Associated Press.
Notable Stat
At 39, LeBron has notched seven triple-doubles since surpassing Tim Duncan last year. He is now the second-oldest player in NBA history to record a triple-double, with Karl Malone holding the record at age 40.
News
CDC Expands Bird Flu Protections for Farm Workers
The CDC’s expanded guidance aims to enhance farm worker safety and curb the spread of bird flu through proactive testing and treatment.
United States: Federal officials advised on Thursday that farm workers who are exposed to bird flu should be tested regardless of the fact that they show no symptoms, and this should be done if the workers were not protected with the right type of personal protective clothing.
The recommendation was made after a new Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report updated by the CDC revealed that some workers in the dairy industry had been unknowingly infected with the virus, as reported by The Hills.
Study Findings
In the report, officials note that blood samples were collected from 55 dairy farmworkers in Michigan and 70 farmworkers in Colorado, where cows tested positive for the virus over the summer. Analysis of the blood sample results revealed that eight of those workers tested positive for recent H5N1 bird flu exposure.
Writing in the report, the authors observed that the serum tests were performed between day 47 and 59 after the virus had been detected in a herd on each farm; most of the workers said they had to multi-task on their jobs, such as cleaning cow droppings, milking cows or moving and transporting livestock.
All the workers who had the virus said they cleaned the room or building where cows are milked, and 88% said they milked the cows.
Lack of Protective Gear Raises Concerns
Out of the working population, none of those found with an infection indicated that they wore respiratory protective gear at work, and only three out of the lot indicated that they wore protective eyewear at work, the report said. However, only one of the eight workers interviewed said that he or she once had a close interaction with the affected cows.
“All eight were Spanish speakers … none wore respiratory protection, and less than half wore eye protection, highlighting the need for better tools to support worker protection,” Demetre Daskalakis, head of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said during a call with reporters.
Symptoms or No Symptoms
Of the 115 workers interviewed, 40 percent said that they began experiencing a flu-like illness soon after bird flu was identified among the cows in the farms they operate, of the eight workers who displayed positive blood results indicating infection, five stated that after contacting the affected cows, they fell ill.
Out of those sick workers with bird flu, the symptoms identified most frequently were red, itching eyes with discharge, while the other five workers had no symptoms.
Sometimes, people infected with H5N1 may not have any clinical signs, according to CDC’s principal deputy director, Nirav Sha, who spoke to reporters.
“That means that we in public health need to cast a wider net in terms of who is offered a test so that we can identify, treat and isolate those individuals,” he said.
CDC officials previously suggested that bird flu testing should only be for persons who had close contact with an infected animal, and if they have signs of illness such as red eyes, fever, and cough.
CDC Recommends Tamiflu for Exposed Individuals
H5N1 Bird flu was identified for the very first time in cows in the United States in late March. Thereafter, according to CDC officials, 46 human infections with H5N1 bird flu have been reported, of which all, bar one, grew out of the ongoing epidemic involving dairy cows, as reported by The Hills.
Many of them have been documented in California, Washington, and Colorado.
The CDC is also now recommending that individuals with known exposure to the H5N1 bird flu should be offered Tamiflu — a medicine used to treat influenza — whether they have symptoms or not.
News
Sleep Disturbances Could Foreshadow Dementia
Addressing sleep issues in older adults could play a crucial role in preventing cognitive decline and dementia.
United States: A newly published research shows that the elderly patients who suffer from excessive daytime sleepiness and anhedonia that implies a reluctance to participate in daily activities could be at risk of developing a condition that often precedes dementia. The motoric cognitive risk syndrome, for instance, is marked by slow and unsteady gait, and minor cognitive dysfunction, especially in memory, as reported by HealthDay.
Key Findings
Based on the study conducted in Neurology and published on November 6, seniors who have sleep disturbances are 3.5 times more at risk to develop motoric cognitive risk syndrome compared to seniors without sleep problems.
The participants of the study consisted of 445 people the average age of which was 76; the participants filled questionnaires about their sleep, memory problems, and walking speed. At the beginning of the study, 42 patients were identified to have the syndrome, and 36 patients were diagnosed with it during the course of the actualization of the study. Of those who had sleep problems, 36% developed the syndrome, while only 7% in the group without sleep problems experienced the disorder.
The Need for Further Research
Despite the fact that the scientific study makes it possible to draw a correlation between sleep disorders and early cognitive impairment, the authors stress that it is still impossible to talk about direct causality. Dr. Specifically, the lead researcher at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Victoire Leroy, urged for more research to be done on the pathways relating sleep disruption to Motoric Cognitive Risk Syndrome and cognitive decline, as reported by HealthDay.
Implications for Older Adults
The conclusion suggests that screening for sleep issues in older people is crucial because the treatment of sleep problems may be an effective means for avoiding gradual cognitive impairment in the future. Dr. Leroy added: “Control of sleep disorders may decrease the probability of dementia in later years.”
This study supplements other research in the fight against aging, demonstrating how central sleep is to cognitive function.
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