“Severance,” which imagines a world where a person’s work and personal lives are surgically separated, will soon return to Apple TV+ for a second season. While the concept of this gripping piece of science fiction is far-fetched, it touches on some interesting neuroscience. Can a person’s mind really be surgically split in two?
Continuous glucose monitors rival A1c in predicting diabetes complications
Data from continuous glucose monitors can predict nerve, eye and kidney damage caused by type 1 diabetes, University of Virginia Center for Diabetes Technology researchers have found. That suggests doctors may be able to use data from the devices to help save patients from blindness, diabetic neuropathy and other life-changing diabetes complications.
A ‘smoke-free generation’ in Canada? New analysis says it would result in vast health gains, health care cost savings
Smoking stubbornly remains a leading cause of disease, disability and death in Canada, even as prevalence rates have fallen significantly over the last 50 years. So what new smoking cessation initiative can save lives and billions of dollars in health-care costs?
US soldiers’ nicotine pouch use 10 times higher than civilians
American soldiers are 10 times more likely to use nicotine pouches that can cause serious health issues than average American adults, according to a survey of military personnel at Fort Liberty, the largest American military base.
The ‘hot hand’ and the gambler’s fallacy: Why our brains struggle to believe in randomness
We are surrounded by random events every day. Will the stock market rise or fall tomorrow? Will the next penalty kick in a soccer match go left or right? Will your lottery ticket finally win?
Both high and low HDL levels are linked to age-related macular degeneration risk
University of California San Diego researchers have identified a U-shaped association between high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) risk, with lower incidence of AMD in the middle range and peaks in both the lower and upper ranges. The team also discovered specific genetic variants related to HDL metabolism as contributing factors to AMD.
Why do false claims that vaccines cause autism refuse to die? Here are nine reasons
The idea that autism is caused by vaccines has recently been revived by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the presumptive nominee for US Secretary of Health and Human Services, as well as by president-elect Donald Trump. When asked about vaccines at a recent press conference, Trump reportedly said there was “something wrong” with rising autism rates, adding: “We’re going to find out about it.”
New repair technique aids shoulder injury recovery
A technique for repairing rotator cuff injuries developed by University of Adelaide academics has delivered game-changing results for people with shoulder pain.
Good soccer players are quick-witted but not always agreeable, psychological profile study finds
The ability to plan several steps ahead and promptly adapt to a rapidly changing environment is essential to being an elite soccer player, a new study led by the Karolinska Institutet reports. The paper, which is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, also shows that it helps to not always be so agreeable.
The link between obesity and cancer risk
Obesity, recognized as a complex and growing health issue, is associated with an increased risk of various cancers. A comprehensive review appearing in Frontiers of Medicine provides insights into the mechanisms linking obesity to cancer risk and discusses potential clinical implications.