* A way to improve balance in older...

* A way to improve balance in older persons? The decline in somatosensory function that offers with age has been associated with an increased risk of falling. end a mechanism termed stochastic resonance, input noise has been shown to enhance the pair motor and sensory function. A subject of attention published in The Lancet showed that noise-based devices could improve age-related impairment of balance mastery In 12 elderly participants, all sway variables were reduc when subsensory noise was introduced into vibrating gel-based insoles.

* A calorie is a calorie-or is it? A small unless well-controlled study (21 subjects), reported at a meeting of the American Association for the close attention of Obesity, found that compared with human frames on low-fat diets, those onward low-carbohydrate diets can eat more and still throw away weight. While consuming an extra 25000 calories athwart the course of the 12-week contemplation the dieters on the low-carbohydrate diet still not to be found 20 lb. The average weight los in those who followed a low-fat diet was 23 lb

* Mom was right: it's better to eat slowly As reported in Family Practice moderns study findings show that eating quickly is associated with more gastroesophageal ebb than is eating more slowly Testing in 13 women and seven men after consumption of a 600-kcal meal in five minutes or 30 minutes set up that nonacid reflux was predominantly responsible for increased ebb within an hour after eating. According to the researchers, eating commons rapidly affects the gastric-pressure turn response, contributing to increased postprandial reflux

* Using chopsticks regularly could lead to osteoarthritis of the hand, according to subject of attention findings presented at a meeting of the American guild of Rheumatology. Based on interviews and standards in more than 2,500 men and women in Beijing, researchers determined that the mechanical stres of chopstick use was associated with osteoarthritis in the joints of the thumb first, and third fingers in the pair sexes, and the second finger in women Although the researchers noted that the risk of developing osteoarthritis from chopstick use is small, they believe further studious mood is warranted because the utensils were linked to a large proportion of osteoarthritis cases in the application of mind participants.

* Pain relief in brace clicks, without a needle stick or a pain medication pump? It could be in succession the way. According to a pres release from the American Society of Anesthesiologists, a of recent origin device currently being studied at the U.S. Food and remedy Administration uses a low-level electric in every one's mouth to dispense pain medication within the skin at the patient's rule The patient-controlled transdermal system (PCTS) is about the size of a credit card and adheres to the skin of the arm or chest. When activated according to the double-click of a button, the PCT delivers medication from one side of to the other 10 minutes. At 24 hours, the device prohibits off automatically. According to researchers, greater mobility may allow earlier rehabilitation in patients using PCTS

* pursue Mom's advice: "Wash your hands after you travel to the bathroom." According to a scan of more than 7,500 airport travelers, about individual fourth of travelers in of the present day York, Miami, and Chicago airports did not wash their hands before leaving public restroom However, in Toronto, where public campaigns encouraged handwashing after the newly come SARS outbreak, almost all travelers washed their hands. In answer to these findings, the American Society of Microbiology is launching a campaign to prefer handwashing. Let's hope the message spreads faster than the germs!

COPYRIGHT 2004 American Academy of Family Physicians

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