News by Subject Medicine & Health

Getting too little sleep was linked with a higher risk of having low bone mineral density (BMD) and developing osteoporosis, as reported in a recent Journal of Bone and Mineral Research study of postmenopausal women.

Study authors note multiple health issues including blurred vision from excessive screen time, neck and back pain from poor posture, carpal tunnel syndrome from repetitive motion, metabolic dysregulation from prolonged sitting and high consumption of caffeine and sugar, and depression and anxiety resulting from internet gaming disorder.

Controlled entry of calcium ions into the mitochondria, the cell's energy powerhouses, makes the difference between whether muscles grow strong or easily tire and perish from injury, according to research published in Cell Reports.

In mice, the drug bortezomib preserved muscle growth and prevented loss of elbow and shoulder motion in conditions resembling cerebral palsy and newborn brachial plexus injury, the most common causes of childhood paralysis.

Tests in rats showed enhanced efficacy of the drug as well as the absence of side effects, such as stomach bleeding. This innovation could be used to treat temporomandibular joint inflammation.

Specialist orthotics care for patients with mobility issues varies significantly depending on where they live, new research by Staffordshire University reveals. The findings, published on BMJ Open, have uncovered major differences across orthotics services at various NHS trusts and health boards.

New research from Trinity College Dublin shows that vitamin D deficiency is an important determinant of poor skeletal muscle function in adults aged 60 years and over. While resistance exercise is known to preserve muscle function, there is growing evidence that adequate vitamin D status may also be protective.

In research published today in Nature Communications, an interdisciplinary team from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute demonstrated how estrogen -- a natural hormone produced in the body -- can be polymerized into a slow-releasing biomaterial and applied to nervous system cells to protect those cells and even promote regeneration.

A clinical trial initiated by University of Kentucky researchers argues against the hypothesis that the diabetes drug metformin could help exercising seniors gain more muscle mass. The double-blind trial, conducted at the University of Kentucky and University of Alabama at Birmingham, found that older adults who took metformin while performing rigorous resistance exercise training had smaller gains in muscle mass than the placebo group.