health

New research out of the American Heart Association has found a link between artificially sweetened beverages like diet soda and an increased risk of stroke in post-menopausal women. Using self-reported data, this observational study compared women who consumed at least two artificially sweetened drinks per day with women who consumed few or no diet drinks, and it found that women in the first group were more likely to suffer from stroke and heart disease.

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Nearly 2,000 varieties of previously unknown gut bacteria have been discovered in the human digestive tract, according to a new study. The findings were made by researchers with the Wellcome Sanger Institute and the European Bioinformatics Institute, where the team identified nearly 2,000 varieties using computational methods. These newly identified gut bacteria species have not been cultured in a lab at this time.

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Apple has been working with the US Department of Veteran Affairs, more commonly called the VA, to make veteran health records accessible on the iPhone. The records will be available in Apple's Health app, assuming the veteran is getting medical care through the Veterans Health Administration. With this new feature, veterans will be able to readily access details about their vaccinations, medications, lab results, and more.

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We are, right now, headed down a road that leads to this planet's 6th mass extinction. It's not inevitable, but it is highly likely, and it's not particularly likely that we'll be able to avoid massive loss of life over the next few hundred years. A study published this week added to previous assertions that we're headed toward global trouble, suggesting that "over 40% of insect species are threatened with extinction" right this minute.

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Fitbit, one of the most recognized names in fitness wearables, has a new model out, but rather than its specs or features, it's the way it's being made available that's the biggest difference. Called the Inspire, the wristband can't be purchased directly, but instead is issued to users through corporate health initiatives or insurance providers. It's part of Fitbit's plan to lean more heavily into large-scale business deals, rather than consumer-focused devices.

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In 2017, fourteen-year-old Molly Russell took her own life. Her family laid part of the blame on Instagram when they discovered the teenager had viewed distressing images depicting self-harm or even suicide. Adam Mosseri, who took over Instagram in the wake of its co-founders’ departure, is promising to take action, primarily by putting a “sensitivity screen” to hide such content from view. That is until you consent to view it at your own risk and with full knowledge.

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There has been some noise raised around facial recognition lately, especially those in use by corporations and authorities. But while misuse of such technology is valid cause for concern, there are some younger, more optimistic minds that are thinking outside the box to use facial recognition for good. One such mind is 14-year-old Emma Yang whose Timeless app is making waves because of it aims to use the same technology applied to identify criminals and suspects for identifying family and friends for those stricken by Alzheimer’s disease.

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Verily, the health focused division of Alphabet which span out of the Google X moonshot lab, is looking to smart shoes for its next big advance. The company - which is attempting to coax healthcare breakthroughs by applying big data principles and cutting-edge technology to the human body - has already experimented with smart contact lenses and heart-monitoring watches.

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A new study has found that breakfast probably isn't the most important meal of that day and that dieters may have better luck losing weight if they skip the meal. Past observational studies have suggested that eating breakfast may be associated with a lower body weight, but the new study -- which looked at existing research -- found that people who skipped breakfast weighed less.

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The American Heart Association has published devastating research that found nearly half of all adults in the United States have heart disease. The health condition, which remains the number one cause of death in the US, is estimated to impact more than 121 million adults in the nation. According to the most recent "Heart and Stroke Statistics" report published in the AHA journal Circulation, 48-percent of US adults had some variety of cardiovascular disease in 2016.

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As we more and more become people of screens and digital media, questions surrounding both the benefits and dangers of screen time also grow in number and variety. Concerns are even greater when children, who have less self-control than their older counterparts, are involved. Parents may now have even great reason to fret over their kids’ use of mobile devices and viewing habits after research shows how too much screen time could cause a delay in learning when the child enters preschool.

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Though fitness trackers may be great for motivation or keeping an eye on one's general activity levels, they may not be terribly accurate when it comes to estimating the amount of calories the user has burned. The research, which comes out of the UK's Aberystwyth University, found that three popular fitness trackers tended to overestimate the amount of calories the users burned, in one case exceeding the actual amount by more than 50-percent.

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