Fresh Live , Living Fresh Life

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Studies of new drugs traditionally involve at least two groups of people. The people in one of those groups are given only what they think is the drug. Really they get a placebo — an inactive substance. The drug is proven effective if it performs better than the placebo.

Some researchers do not think drug studies should use placebos. They say it makes more sense to compare new medicines to drugs already on the market. Then people would know if a new drug is any better.

“Placebo” is Latin for “I shall please.” It may contain nothing more than sugar.… Read the rest

Electronic devices are changing the way people listen to music. But studies show the devices may be causing hearing loss in many people. Some experts say people may be playing them too loud and for too long.

Researchers from Zogby International did a study for the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. It involved three hundred high school students and one thousand adults. They were asked about their use of portable music devices. Some of the most popular are Apple Computer’s iPod, C.D. players and portable laptop computers.

Forty percent of students and adults said they set the sound levels, or volume, at high on their iPods. But students… Read the rest

How Much Water Should People Drink?

This is the VOA Special English Health Report.

Many people believe they are supposed to drink eight glasses of water a day, or about two liters. Why? Because that is what they have been told all their life. But a new report offers some different advice. Experts say people should obey their bodies; they should drink as much water as they feel like drinking.

The report says most healthy people meet their daily needs for liquid by letting thirst be their guide. The report is from the Institute of Medicine, part of the National… Read the rest

People Traveling In Heavy Traffic And Polluted Air Will Increasing The Risk Of Suffering Heart Attack

Researchers say people traveling in traffic are three times more likely to suffer a heart attack whether driving in a car, riding a bus or bicycling. They say the risk of a heart attack is greatest within an hour of being in traffic. Researchers believe the main reason is polluted air.

The findings are based on a German study of almost seven hundred people who suffered heart attacks. The patients described their activities during the four days before their heart attack. Researchers found that… Read the rest

Why Smokers Are Skinny

Craving an afternoon snack? Take a drag on a cigarette, and your hunger will likely disappear. Smoking is the number one cause of preventable deaths in the Unites States and other developed countries, causing lung cancer, heart disease, and chronic bronchitis. But smokers are, on average, skinnier than nonsmokers. New research reveals how nicotine, the active ingredient in cigarettes, works in the brain to suppress smokers' appetites. The finding also pinpoints a new drug target for nicotine withdrawal—and weight loss.

The nicotine receptor in the brain has 15 subunits; they can combine in a multitude of… Read the rest

In contrast, positive expectations of treatment doubled the natural physiological or biochemical effect of the opioid drug among the healthy volunteers in the study.

The study of the placebo effect — and its opposite the nocebo effect — is published in Science Translational Medicine. The findings suggest that doctors may need to consider dealing with patients’ beliefs about the effectiveness of any treatment, as well as determining which drug might be the best for that patient.

‘Doctors shouldn’t underestimate the significant influence that patients’ negative expectations can have on outcome,’ says Professor Irene Tracey of the Centre for Functional Magnetic… Read the rest

Ginkgo biloba may protect memory: study

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Taking the herbal supplement ginkgo biloba may help delay the onset of cognitive impairment in normal elderly adults, according to a study published online Wednesday.

However, the study also showed a higher incidence of strokes and “mini-strokes” in ginkgo users. The reasons for this are unclear and require confirmation in other studies, the investigators say.

Extracts of ginkgo biloba are among the most widely used dietary supplements. The herb is marketed as a memory enhancer, and some studies have suggested it may help improve memory and other mental functions… Read the rest