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Outdoor Play, Sports Can Promote Motor Skills In Youngsters

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Children who spend more time playing outdoors or participating in different sports tend to develop better motor skills as they advance through elementary school, a new study says. Even a half-hour of independent outdoor play after a day at childcare makes a difference in kids’ motor skill development, researchers reported in the Journal of Sports Sciences. Children also did better if they tried more than one type of sport, researchers noted. “Engaging in two or more sports during early childhood education predicted better motor competence later in school age,” lead investigator Nanne-Mari Luukkainen, a doctoral researcher with the University of Jyvaskyla in Finland, said in a news release. “Based on the results, coaches and physical education teachers should consider the importance of both organized and non-organized physical activities in the holistic development of children and encourage children to engage in diverse physical activities,” Luukkainen added. For the study, researchers tracked more than 600 children living in Finland. The kids were ages 3 to 8 at the start of the study, and reached grades 1 through 3 during the three years that researchers followed their motor development. Children who picked up more than one sport were better able to walk and run; had better hand-eye coordination; were better at holding, catching and throwing objects in their hands; and had overall better fundamental movement skills, the study…  read on >  read on >

Improved Canine Eyedrops Deliver Antibiotics More Effectively

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Newfangled eyedrops for dogs might be better at helping them fight off infections, a new study says. Eyedrops containing hyaluronic acid helped antibiotics better coat the eyes of healthy dogs, compared to traditional eyedrop formulations, researchers recently reported in the journal Veterinary Ophthalmology. As a result, higher concentrations of the antibiotics remained longer in the canine’s eyes, which could potentially improve the eyedrops’ effectiveness against infection, researchers said. The drops still need to be tested in dogs with eye infections. If they work, then they should also help humans with eye problems, researchers said. “The findings of this study offer clear benefits for our veterinary patients, but they also carry translational relevance for human medicine,” said senior researcher Dr. Lionel Sebbag, an ophthalmologist at Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Koret School of Veterinary Medicine in Israel. “Dogs are affected by many of the same ocular diseases as humans, and their ocular anatomy and physiology are much more comparable to human eyes than those of the more commonly used pre-clinical research species, such as rabbits or rodents,” Sebbag said in a news release. “This makes dogs an especially valuable model in ophthalmic research.” Hyaluronic acid is a gooey, slippery substance that the human body produces naturally, according to the Cleveland Clinic.  It helps lubricate joints, keeps skin stretchy and flexible, and maintains hydration in the body. It’s…  read on >  read on >

Improved Canine Eyedrops Deliver Antibiotics More Effectively

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Newfangled eyedrops for dogs might be better at helping them fight off infections, a new study says. Eyedrops containing hyaluronic acid helped antibiotics better coat the eyes of healthy dogs, compared to traditional eyedrop formulations, researchers recently reported in the journal Veterinary Ophthalmology. As a result, higher concentrations of the antibiotics remained longer in the canine’s eyes, which could potentially improve the eyedrops’ effectiveness against infection, researchers said. The drops still need to be tested in dogs with eye infections. If they work, then they should also help humans with eye problems, researchers said. “The findings of this study offer clear benefits for our veterinary patients, but they also carry translational relevance for human medicine,” said senior researcher Dr. Lionel Sebbag, an ophthalmologist at Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Koret School of Veterinary Medicine in Israel. “Dogs are affected by many of the same ocular diseases as humans, and their ocular anatomy and physiology are much more comparable to human eyes than those of the more commonly used pre-clinical research species, such as rabbits or rodents,” Sebbag said in a news release. “This makes dogs an especially valuable model in ophthalmic research.” Hyaluronic acid is a gooey, slippery substance that the human body produces naturally, according to the Cleveland Clinic.  It helps lubricate joints, keeps skin stretchy and flexible, and maintains hydration in the body. It’s…  read on >  read on >

Brisk Walking Lowers Risk Of Heart Rhythm Disorders

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Long brisk walks might lower a person’s risk for heart rhythm problems, a new study says. Folks who stride faster than 4 miles per hour have a 43% lower risk of developing an abnormal heart rhythm, compared with those who amble at a pace of less than 3 miles an hour, researchers reported April 15 in the journal Heart. The time spent walking also influenced risk, with people who spent more time at an average or brisk pace enjoying a 27% lower risk of heart rhythm problems, researchers said. “These new findings reinforce the promotion of faster walking pace in physical activity recommendations,” concluded the research team led by Jill Pell, chair of public health with the University of Glasgow in the U.K. “Walking at a brisk pace may have a role in … prevention of cardiac arrhythmias.” For the study, researchers used data gathered as part of the UK Biobank health study on nearly 421,000 people, including nearly 82,000 who wore an accelerometer to track their walking pace. Overall, about 41% of people had a brisk walking pace, 53% an average walking pace and slightly more than 6% a slow pace. Results show that a brisk or average pace reduced the risk of any heart rhythm problem by 43% and 35%, respectively. People with a brisk or average pace also had a 46% and…  read on >  read on >

Brisk Walking Lowers Risk Of Heart Rhythm Disorders

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Long brisk walks might lower a person’s risk for heart rhythm problems, a new study says. Folks who stride faster than 4 miles per hour have a 43% lower risk of developing an abnormal heart rhythm, compared with those who amble at a pace of less than 3 miles an hour, researchers reported April 15 in the journal Heart. The time spent walking also influenced risk, with people who spent more time at an average or brisk pace enjoying a 27% lower risk of heart rhythm problems, researchers said. “These new findings reinforce the promotion of faster walking pace in physical activity recommendations,” concluded the research team led by Jill Pell, chair of public health with the University of Glasgow in the U.K. “Walking at a brisk pace may have a role in … prevention of cardiac arrhythmias.” For the study, researchers used data gathered as part of the UK Biobank health study on nearly 421,000 people, including nearly 82,000 who wore an accelerometer to track their walking pace. Overall, about 41% of people had a brisk walking pace, 53% an average walking pace and slightly more than 6% a slow pace. Results show that a brisk or average pace reduced the risk of any heart rhythm problem by 43% and 35%, respectively. People with a brisk or average pace also had a 46% and…  read on >  read on >

Timing Might Be Everything With Asthma Inhalers

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Folks with asthma might better control their symptoms by precisely timing when they use their inhaler, a new study says. A single daily preventive dose of inhaled corticosteroid is best taken at mid-afternoon for effective asthma control, researchers reported April 15 in the journal Thorax. That timing will suppress the usual nighttime worsening of symptoms better than using an inhaler at other times of the day, researchers said. They said the perfect timing is 4 p.m., as the body is most responsive to inhaled steroids at that time. “Mid-afternoon dosing … better improved nocturnal lung function and inflammatory biomarkers compared with the alternative dosage timings,” concluded the research team led by Hannah Jane Durrington, a clinician scientist at the University of Manchester in the U.K.. For the study, researchers followed 25 people ages 18 to 65 with mild to moderate asthma, who were randomly assigned to one of three different dosing regimens. Some took a daily inhaler dose between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m.; others a daily dose between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.; and the rest took two doses — one between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. and the second between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. Folks stayed on their assigned regimen for 28 days, then swapped to a different one after a two- to three-week gap. By the end, all participants had tried…  read on >  read on >

Timing Might Be Everything With Asthma Inhalers

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Folks with asthma might better control their symptoms by precisely timing when they use their inhaler, a new study says. A single daily preventive dose of inhaled corticosteroid is best taken at mid-afternoon for effective asthma control, researchers reported April 15 in the journal Thorax. That timing will suppress the usual nighttime worsening of symptoms better than using an inhaler at other times of the day, researchers said. They said the perfect timing is 4 p.m., as the body is most responsive to inhaled steroids at that time. “Mid-afternoon dosing … better improved nocturnal lung function and inflammatory biomarkers compared with the alternative dosage timings,” concluded the research team led by Hannah Jane Durrington, a clinician scientist at the University of Manchester in the U.K.. For the study, researchers followed 25 people ages 18 to 65 with mild to moderate asthma, who were randomly assigned to one of three different dosing regimens. Some took a daily inhaler dose between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m.; others a daily dose between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.; and the rest took two doses — one between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. and the second between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. Folks stayed on their assigned regimen for 28 days, then swapped to a different one after a two- to three-week gap. By the end, all participants had tried…  read on >  read on >

Pfizer Ends Testing of Obesity Pill After Possible Liver Injury

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Pfizer has stopped developing a once-daily pill to treat obesity after a person in a clinical trial showed signs of a possible liver injury. The company said the injury went away after the person stopped taking the drug, called danuglipron, The Associated Press reported. The pill was in early testing to help determine the best dose, according to a Pfizer spokeswoman. The company had planned to move the drug into late-stage trials, typically the final step before review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Pfizer will now stop all testing of danuglipron, including its use with other drugs for obesity treatment. However, the company said it still plans to work on other obesity treatments that are in earlier stages of research. Obesity drugs have become a major focus for pharmaceutical companies. Injectable treatments like Eli Lilly’s Zepbound and Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy have brought in billions in revenue. Zepbound earned nearly $5 billion in 2024 alone, The Associated Press reported. But these drugs must be injected, which some people do not want to do. As a result, drugmakers have been racing to develop pill versions. Lilly expects to release new data this year on two oral obesity drugs it is studying. While demand for these treatments is high, access has been an issue. Some patients face insurance issues or high out-of-pocket costs. Even with…  read on >  read on >

Everyday Digital Tech Is Protecting Seniors’ Brain Health, Study Says

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It’s a common notion that overuse of smartphones, tablets, laptops and other digital devices is rotting people’s minds. But the opposite appears to be true – regular use of digital technology seems to protect the brain against decline and dementia, at least among those present at the dawn of the tech revolution. Everyday use of digital devices appears to reduce seniors’ risk of cognitive impairment by 58%, on par with the protection gained from lower blood pressure, exercise and brain games, according to findings published April 14 in the journal Nature Human Behavior. These findings contradict concerns that the generation that swapped typewriters for personal computers would be subject to “digital dementia,” with a lifetime of technology use making brain decline more likely, researchers said. “There was no credible evidence … for widespread digital ‘brain drain’ or ‘digital dementia’ as a result of general, natural uses of digital technology,” concludes the evidence review led by Jared Benge, a neuropsychologist at the University of Texas at Austin’s Comprehensive Memory Center. For the review, researchers pooled data from 57 prior studies involving more than 411,000 people. These folks had an average age of 69 when research began. “The first generation who engaged with digital technologies has reached the age where risks of dementia emerge,” making them “digital pioneers,” researchers wrote. Someone born in 1945 would have paid…  read on >  read on >