Respiratory Viruses Threaten to Cause Global Outbreaks

Viral pandemics occur with surprising regularity throughout world history and today we are battling with not one, but two respiratory viruses which threaten to cause global outbreaks. The novel coronavirus connected to the Middle East has infected a total of 40 people, while new bird flu in China is killing more and more patients. Is the danger of deadly pandemic real? Global health officials seem to explain there is no need of panic. Read more

Dead Man Brought Back to Life after 40 Minutes

Australian man was resurrected by doctors after forty minutes of being clinically dead. The new method which includes a mechanical CPR and portable lung machine is currently available only in one hospital in Australia, but promises hope for thousands of patients worldwide.

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Science on the Brink of AIDS Cure

Eight years ago, scientists declared the HIV could not be cured, but then there was the case of the Berlin Patient, who became the first person to ever be fully cured. Now science may be on the brink of discovering a successful AIDS cure, according to researchers at a Danish hospital. Read more

Several Diet Clichés Totally Untrue

Losing weight is not an easy task, but some common beliefs, diet clichés and misconceptions can sometimes make it even impossible. Many people prefer not to start a diet at all, because they think diet means restriction. If you want to change your way of eating to lose weight you need to know the most common diet clichés and the truth behind them.

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Where to start – diet or exercise for weight loss?

While many people find it easier to start their weight loss program with either diet or exercise, it turns out that these two should go together. Researchers have found that the best results can be achieved only when focusing on both simultaneously and that starting with the diet, which many weight loss plan encourage, is in fact not beneficial.

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Why Fast Food Is Dangerous for Your Health

Waistlines are expanding around the world as fast food is spreading to every country, every town and city mall. New, uncommon before diseases such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease emerge wherever the international fast food chains set foot in. The reason for that is simple – fast food is not only unhealthy, it poses a real danger to health and overall well-being of individuals and whole nations.

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How to Combat Sedentary Lifestyle

Sedentary lifestyle is one the major factors for developing very hazardous conditions such as high blood pressure, obesity, neuromuscular disorders, headache, even anxiety and depression. Whether modern life has made us lazy, or we just can’t escape the daily routine, the lack of physical activity makes us sick. So, what to do, and how to combat sedentary lifestyle?

All day long you are sitting – while drinking your morning coffee, then in the car driving to work. At least eight hours a day you sit in the office solving all kinds of issues, and then you sit again in the car on the way home. Having dinner and watching TV don’t make any difference. The truth is we don’t move, and even working out in the gym twice a week won’t help a lot. It doesn’t matter what you do once in a while. It matters what you do every single day. So, changing your lifestyle for the better begins with developing habits, but there are many other things that can help fighting the lack of activity.

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Playing Sounds during Sleep Boosts Memory

You might have studied all night for your test in the morning, and yet you have the feeling you just can’t remember anything. Does it sound familiar? Well, scientists now say sound stimulation during sleep can boost your memory.

Scientists have always suggested that sleep plays a critical role in the creation of long-term memories. We know that while we are sleeping, the brain processes and stores everything we’ve seen, experienced and learned during the day. But no one knows what exactly happens in our mind. Now German researchers discovered that playing certain type of sounds while you snooze might in fact improve your memory. Jan Born of the University of Tübingen said that memory consolidates when the brain waves are generating a slow oscillating rhythm, a normal body process. Read more

UAE with Lowest Life Expectancy among Gulf Countries

Last week, an Arab Youth Survey said UAE is the most preferred country for living for Arab young people, but a new US study now shows apparent downsides to UAE wealth. UAE records the lowest life expectancy among comparable, Gulf countries with heart disease the most frequent cause for death.

Arab youth is optimistic for their future, especially those who live or intend to move to the United Arab Emirates. This was the conclusion of a large study by a local public relation agency, Arab Youth Survey, which was released last week and showed that many young people from the region are attracted by the political, and mostly economic stability and growth of the country. The results, however, may be now looked at differently, after a new study from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington. The research assessed life expectancy rates and the particular causes for death in different countries and concluded that UAE ranks almost at the bottom for life expectancy among economically similar countries.

UAE also has the highest death rates, with the biggest killers reported heart disease, road injuries, depression, diabetes and even drug use. In a table of 15 countries with similar geography, gross domestic product and income per capita, UAE is 15th with a life expectancy of 76.3 years. The other two Gulf countries, included in the study were Kuwait at 13th place (77.4 years) and Qatar at 11th place (79.8 years). According to the numbers, the most deaths in UAE in 2010 were caused by heart disease – a total of 2326, or 18 percent of all deaths, and people lost averagely 34 years of their lives due to the illness. With 1838 deaths, second in the ranking comes road fatality which took averagely 51 years of people’s lives.

Although the results may sound surprising at first sight, they in fact, follow a very clear logic. Most of the major causes of death in UAE are directly linked to lifestyle choices, so they could be prevented. While the Arab Youth Survey clearly shows that life in UAE is good, the US study explains that the good life and the various opportunities in the country lead to unhealthy, irresponsible habits. According to the Dubai Health Authority, heart disease and its related conditions and complications are to blame for one in five deaths in the Gulf region, making the illness a major health and social concern.

The rates for death caused by preterm birth complications and congenital anomalies were insignificant – 206 and 207 respectively. However, those deaths were among children and that’s why these numbers highly contributed to the low life expectancy in the country. Other lifestyle choices were also found to contribute greatly to the sad statistics – sedentary lifestyle, obesity, unhealthy eating habits, and lack of physical activity.

How to Beat the Heat and Stay Healthy

Spring has arrived in many parts of the world, but in Dubai summer is already coming with its extremely high temperatures. Other than being uncomfortable, bearing the hot weather also carries a risk of suffering a heat stroke and many other health conditions. So, how can we beat the heat and stay healthy in the hot climate?

Usually the elderly, the very young and the people with chronic diseases, overweight and even mental illnesses are at greatest risk of heat-related conditions. But even young, strong and perfectly healthy people can easily get sick if they stay under direct sunlight or participate in exhausting physical activities. Some of the major dangers of hot weather are the heat cramps, the heat exhaustion, and the heat stroke.

Heat cramps are caused by dehydration and muscular deprivation of needed oxygen and can be avoided by drinking water, stretching, and light massages.

Heat exhaustion happens when the body temperature is elevated (often around and over 39 degrees Celsius) and can be very dangerous. The person feels weakness, lethargy, headache, loss of concentration and nausea, and often judgment can be affected.

Heat stroke affects both older and younger people who stay at home without air-conditioning, stay outside, or exercise during heat. It is a real medical emergency and the person suffering should be immediately taken into a hospital. Patients feel weakness, confusion, delirium, and often stupor, coma and seizures.

The problem with hot weather is not only the high temperatures, but also the humidity which in Dubai can reach over 90% in the summer. Basically, the hotter, and the more humid it is, the higher your risk. So, how to stay protected and avoid heat-related conditions?

Well-known practices are drinking more water and electrolyte drinks, staying in a room with air-conditioning, and avoiding exercise. Other good ideas to beat the heat are the following:

Food! Food generates metabolic heat when the body breaks it down, so avoid large meals that are rich in protein. Eat more spicy foods because they stimulate the heat receptors in the mouth, increasing the process of sweating, which cools the body down. Drink water – not cold, but cool in temperature, and lots of black, green or herbal tea. Chrysanthemum tea, for instance, is very effective in reducing the body heat.

Take a shower – at least once daily, in lukewarm water because the cold water will generate even more heat after leaving the bathroom. Another way is to keep your wrists under a cold tap of water every two or three hours. It will cool your blood because the main veins pass through the wrists.

Clothes. Wear loose, lightweight and pale colored cotton clothes – they reflect the sun’s radiation and make evaporation of sweat easier, so your body cools down. You can even wear wet clothes – this also cools the body down.

Things to avoid – alcohol, coffee, and mostly Coca Cola because it generates metabolic heat. Avoid wearing your brand new shoes. Choose only trains, buses and taxis with air conditioning. You can easily tell the train has air-conditioning if the windows are closed.

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