A white winter landscape might look magical, but the cold and snow and ice can make even the simplest of tasks potentially dangerous. “It’s slip and fall season,” said Dr. Letitia Bradford, an orthopedic surgeon who practices in rural communities in New Mexico and California. “We see a lot of ankle and wrist fractures during this time as people are slipping on water when it’s raining and ice spots or snow in colder areas.” Orthopedic surgeons with the American College of Surgeons (ACS) have some important tips for getting through the winter safe and injury-free: Slow down People who are cautious and mindful of conditions around them are less likely to slip and fall, Bradford said. “The thing that I tell people the most is to really take their time when doing something. Most of the time, injuries like slips and falls happen when you’re in a hurry,” Bradford said. People should move slowly and deliberately and keep an eye out for hazards like puddles, black ice and snow-hidden curbs when walking about, especially when carrying things like grocery bags that obstruct your view of the ground. “You can’t always watch out for ice spots because they do sneak up on you sometimes, but try to be wary of them when walking,” Bradford said. “Taking your time really is the key to a lot of…  read on >  read on >

Five of eight British children who received human growth hormone from the pituitary glands of deceased donors went on to develop early-onset Alzheimer’s disease many decades later, researchers report. Researchers at University College London (UCL) suspect that the growth hormone received by these people in childhood may have contained amyloid-beta protein plaques, which build up in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease over time. Their finding suggests that — in very rare contexts like these — the brain-robbing disease could be transmitted person-to-person. However, “there is no evidence that amyloid beta can be transmitted in other contexts — for example, during activities of daily life or provision of routine care,” wrote a team led by Dr. John Collinge. He’s a professor of neurology and head of the department of neurodegenerative disease at the UCL Institute of Neurology. The findings were published Jan. 29 in the journal Nature Medicine. As explained by the researchers, between 1959 and 1985 British children with growth issues were sometimes treated with human growth hormone that was extracted from the pituitary glands of cadavers. However, doctors worldwide put a halt to the practice when it came to light that these procedures could transmit a type of misfolded protein called a prion, which in turn could trigger a deadly degenerative brain disorder called Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (CJD). When seen in animals, the…  read on >  read on >

‘Young folk don’t write in cursive anymore’ is a common complaint of older folks in this keyboard-obsessed age. Now, new research suggests that kids who ignore handwriting are, in fact, missing out: By the time they reach college, their brain “connectivity” may be weaker than folks who write regularly. In a study of 36 university students, “we show that when writing by hand, brain connectivity patterns are far more elaborate than when typewriting on a keyboard,” said study co-author Audrey van der Meer, a brain researcher and professor of psychology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Better neural connectivity has myriad brain benefits, she added. “Such widespread brain connectivity is known to be crucial for memory formation and for encoding new information and, therefore, is beneficial for learning,” van der Meer explained in a university news release. Her team published its findings Jan. 26 in the journal Frontiers in Psychology. In the study, the Norwegian team tracked electroencephalogram (EEG) data from the group of students who were repeatedly asked to write or type a word they saw on a screen. EEG records electrical activity in the brain. The study had the students use a digital pen to write the word in cursive on a touchscreen and a single finger to type out the word on a keyboard. EEGs recorded brain activity every five…  read on >  read on >

SATURDAY, Jan. 27, 2024 9HealthDay News) — When should you worry about a rash? Rashes may look alike, but while over-the-counter medications can treat some rashes, others can signal a more serious condition, the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) says. “It is important to watch your symptoms closely at the onset of a new rash,” said Dr. Mallory Abate, a board-certified dermatologist in Baton Rouge, La. “Making note of any changes or new developments are instrumental to determining the severity of the medical condition and if immediate assistance is needed.” One key sign of bigger trouble is if you have a rash that is infected. Evidence of infection might include pus, yellow or golden crusts, pain, swelling, warmth or an unpleasant smell. The skin around an infection might look red, purple or brown, you might feel very hot or cold, have swollen lymph nodes, or a fever. “If you have a rash and your symptoms are not improving, make an appointment to see a board-certified dermatologist,” Abate said in an AAD news release. Abate and the AAD recommend people with rashes uses these clues to know when to seek medical attention: A rash over most of your body. A rash that blisters or turns into open sores or raw skin Fever or illness with a rash A rash that spreads rapidly A painful rash A…  read on >  read on >