Latest Health News

TUESDAY, Nov. 22, 2022 (American Heart Association News) -- Whether served in a casserole, almondine or roasted with garlic, green beans are sure to make an appearance on many a table this holiday season.And unlike many of the tempting treats that make up holiday meals, the green bean is one item that's not usually served with a side of guilt. In fact, it may be the Mighty Mouse of the holiday meal – here to save the day from a beckoning bounty of otherwise fat-laden, calorie-rich foods."If not prepared with higher-calorie ingredients, you can eat a large volume of them and feel fuller without overconsuming," said Maya Vadiveloo, an associate professor in the department of nutrition and food services at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston.There's little the mighty green bean...

TUESDAY, Nov. 22, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Research in wild bats is reinforcing a notion crucial to stopping future pandemics: When wildlife populations stay healthy, the odds of "crossover" viruses infecting humans subsides.In Australia, deforestation has caused a deadly respiratory virus to pass from fruit bats to humans, by forcing the two species into closer contact, a new study reports.Robbed of their winter habitats, large “flying fox” bat populations started breaking up over the past quarter-century and roosting in smaller groups closer to human agricultural and urban areas in subtropical Australia, the study authors explained.These bats are the natural reservoir of Hendra virus, which jumped from the bats into horses and then from horses to humans, according to the report...

TUESDAY, Nov. 22, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Exposure to even low levels of alcohol while in the womb can change the structure of the fetus’ brain, according to Austrian researchers.The study results suggest that pregnant women should strictly avoid alcohol, one author said.“Unfortunately, many pregnant women are unaware of the influence of alcohol on the fetus during pregnancy,” said lead author Dr. Patric Kienast. He's a PhD student in the biomedical imaging and image-guided therapy department, division of neuroradiology and musculoskeletal radiology at the Medical University of Vienna, in Austria. Kienast spoke in a news release from the Radiological Society of North America.In the study, his team used MRI scans to assess the impact of drinking on 24 fetuses. The MRIs were...

TUESDAY, Nov. 22, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- The genetic abnormality that drives Down syndrome causes the same sort of abnormal brain plaques and protein tangles that are found in Alzheimer's disease patients, a new study reports.Amyloid beta plaques and tau tangles have long been associated with Alzheimer's disease, and they're also evident in most people with Down syndrome by age 40, researchers note.These plaques and tangles are caused by prions -- normal proteins that become misshapen and start spreading through the brain like an infection. Prions appear to develop as a result of excess amyloid beta in the brains of people with both conditions, researchers said.Analysis of brain tissue samples from 28 deceased people with Down syndrome revealed measurable amounts of both amyloid...