Vitamin D Could Significantly Reduce Heart Disease, Stroke Risk

David Goodhue – AHN Reporter Orlando, FL (AHN) – Inadequate levels of vitamin D could significantly increase a person’s risk of heart disease, stroke and death, even in people who do not have heart disease, according to a new study. Researchers with the Intermountain Medical Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, followed 27,686 patients 50 years old and older with no prior history of cardiovascular disease. They said in a statement that patients with very low levels of vitamin D were 77 percent more likely to die, 45 percent more likely to develop coronary artery disease and almost 80 percent of the patients were more likely to have a stroke than patients with normal levels of vitamin D. The findings will be presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Conference in Orlando, Fla. on Monday. The researchers cautioned that the study was “observational,” but the findings were significant enough to warrant more study on the issue. Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved

Researchers: Surfing On World Wide Web Affects Readers’ Brain Functions

Ayinde O. Chase – AHN Editor Columbia, MO (AHN) – According to a recent survey 73 percent of all American adults use the Internet on a daily basis. In a recent study of Internet users researchers found that readers were better able to understand, remember and emotionally respond to material found through “searching” compared to content found while “surfing.” Kevin Wise, assistant professor of strategic communication and co-director of the Psychological Research on Information and Media Effects (PRIME) Lab at the University of Missouri says, “If, as these data suggest, the cognitive and emotional impact of online content is greatest when acquired by searching, then Web site sponsors might consider increasing their advertising on pages that tend to be accessed via search engines.” Half of the adults surveyed use the Web to find information via search engines, while 38 percent use it simply to pass the time. Internet analysts went further in their behiorial search engine analysis and examined how methods for acquiring news – searching for specific content versus surfing a news Web site – affected readers’ emotional responses while reading news stories. Researchers in the study monitored participants’ heart rate, skin conductance and facial musculature to gauge their emotional responses to unpleasant news. They found that unpleasant content triggered greater emotional responses when readers sought the information by searching rather than surfing. “How readers acquire messages online has ramifications for their cognitive and emotional response to those messages,” Wise said. “Messages that meet readers’ existing informational needs elicit stronger emotional reactions.” The researchers also found that information was better understood and remembered when individuals conducted specific searches for information. Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved

Long-Term Space Travel Poses Serious Risk To Astronauts Due To Virus Virulence

Ayinde O. Chase – AHN Editor Miami, FL (AHN) – New research suggests that prolific virulence and growth of bacteria, combined with reduced production of antibodies may pose a serious problem to the space program and space travel. Researchers say human missions to Mars, as well as all other long-term space flights might be compromised by microbial hitchhikers, such as bacteria. According to a report in  The Journal of Leukocyte Biology, l ong-term space travel appears to weaken astronaut’s immune systems; and it increases the virulence and growth of microbes. This combination of factors makes it vital for scientists to find tools that can help space travelers cope with these microscopic hitchhikers before they lead to disease, especially because astronauts won’t have the ability to return home to a hospital. Based on research from the study immune systems of both people and animals in space flight conditions are significantly weaker than their grounded counterparts. They also reviewed studies that examined the effects of space flight conditions and altered gravity on virulence and growth of common pathogens such as Salmonella, E. coli and Staphylococcus. Studies on bacteria virulence and spaceflight show that common pathogens reproduce more rapidly. When that happens, contamination is increased and serious infection risks are great for crew and colonization efforts. Human know how to reach great distances surpasses human know how to reach the destination disease free. Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved