The collegiate sports season is upon us, and with it the inevitable bruises, sprains and strains that come from tough competition. Portable wireless ultrasound devices could be key to getting fast, reliable assessment of on-the-field sports injuries, researchers say. These wireless devices deliver results faster and at lower cost, while making it easier to examine an injury on the sidelines or in a dugout, researchers report in the Journal of Sports Rehabilitation. “This study helps lay the groundwork for using wireless ultrasound more widely in sports medicine,” lead researcher Jessica Tolzman, a doctoral student in kinesiology at Michigan State University, said in a news release. Ultrasound imaging is often used to assess muscle and tendon characteristics involved in sports injuries, researchers said in background notes. For example, the quadriceps are critical for knee stability. Using ultrasound to assess their size and quality tracks a player’s recovery from injury, researchers said. Standard ultrasounds use panoramic, real-time imaging to capture entire muscle groups, researchers said. This involves large and expensive machines typically found in hospitals or labs. By comparison, small wireless ultrasound devices are more affordable and easier to use, but also more limited. They can only capture a single image at a time. Researchers decided to see whether these single images produced by wireless ultrasound could nevertheless provide meaningful muscle measurements. “We wanted to see if…  read on >  read on >

Kids are more likely to become couch potatoes — or enthusiastically active — based on what they see their parents doing day-to-day, a new study says. The example set by moms and dads appears to contribute to sedentary or active behavior in their children, researchers report in the journal Sports Medicine and Health Science. “Parents’ level of physical activity can directly influence their children’s habits,” said senior researcher Diego Christofaro, a professor in the Department of Sport Sciences at São Paulo State University in Brazil. “In other words, when parents maintain a more active routine, their children are less likely to remain seated for long periods,” he said in a news release. For the study, researchers tracked the physical movement of 182 6- to 17-year-olds for one week, as well as 161 moms and 136 dads. Results showed that children of inactive parents tended to be more sedentary. The reverse was also true — active moms and dads had kids who followed suit. Mothers tended to have more influence over their kid’s physical activity than fathers, researchers found. In fact, moms’ influence was more than twice that of dads. These results held even after they were adjusted for other factors like the family’s socioeconomic status, parents’ education and the children’s sex and age. Physically active or sports-minded parents likely understand the benefits of exercise and…  read on >  read on >

Kids are more likely to become couch potatoes — or enthusiastically active — based on what they see their parents doing day-to-day, a new study says. The example set by moms and dads appears to contribute to sedentary or active behavior in their children, researchers report in the journal Sports Medicine and Health Science. “Parents’ level of physical activity can directly influence their children’s habits,” said senior researcher Diego Christofaro, a professor in the Department of Sport Sciences at São Paulo State University in Brazil. “In other words, when parents maintain a more active routine, their children are less likely to remain seated for long periods,” he said in a news release. For the study, researchers tracked the physical movement of 182 6- to 17-year-olds for one week, as well as 161 moms and 136 dads. Results showed that children of inactive parents tended to be more sedentary. The reverse was also true — active moms and dads had kids who followed suit. Mothers tended to have more influence over their kid’s physical activity than fathers, researchers found. In fact, moms’ influence was more than twice that of dads. These results held even after they were adjusted for other factors like the family’s socioeconomic status, parents’ education and the children’s sex and age. Physically active or sports-minded parents likely understand the benefits of exercise and…  read on >  read on >

Do you use your time on the john to catch up on the news, go through your e-mail or check out social media? Be careful – you might be more likely to develop hemorrhoids, new research shows. Folks who use a smartphone on the toilet have a 46% higher risk of hemorrhoids than those who don’t, researchers reported Sept. 3 in the journal PLOS One. Smartphone use might inadvertently prolong toilet time, potentially increasing pressure on the anus and contributing to hemorrhoids, researchers explained. “We’re still uncovering the many ways smartphones and our modern way of life impact our health,” senior researcher Dr. Trisha Pasricha, a gastroenterologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, said in a news release. “It’s possible that how and where we use them — such as while in the bathroom — can have unintended consequences.” Hemorrhoids are swollen veins in the anal or rectal area that often cause pain or bleeding. They’re thought to occur due to increased pressure that occurs during pregnancy, with excess weight, or through straining during bowel movements, Harvard Medical School says. For the new study, researchers surveyed 125 adults undergoing colonoscopy at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. About 43% of the participants had hemorrhoids. Two-thirds of the participants (66%) told researchers they use smartphones while on the toilet. Reading news and using social media…  read on >  read on >

Do you use your time on the john to catch up on the news, go through your e-mail or check out social media? Be careful – you might be more likely to develop hemorrhoids, new research shows. Folks who use a smartphone on the toilet have a 46% higher risk of hemorrhoids than those who don’t, researchers reported Sept. 3 in the journal PLOS One. Smartphone use might inadvertently prolong toilet time, potentially increasing pressure on the anus and contributing to hemorrhoids, researchers explained. “We’re still uncovering the many ways smartphones and our modern way of life impact our health,” senior researcher Dr. Trisha Pasricha, a gastroenterologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, said in a news release. “It’s possible that how and where we use them — such as while in the bathroom — can have unintended consequences.” Hemorrhoids are swollen veins in the anal or rectal area that often cause pain or bleeding. They’re thought to occur due to increased pressure that occurs during pregnancy, with excess weight, or through straining during bowel movements, Harvard Medical School says. For the new study, researchers surveyed 125 adults undergoing colonoscopy at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. About 43% of the participants had hemorrhoids. Two-thirds of the participants (66%) told researchers they use smartphones while on the toilet. Reading news and using social media…  read on >  read on >

Middle-aged folks who don’t exercise are putting themselves at risk of life-threatening complex heartbeat irregularities, a new study says. Adults 40 to 65 with low fitness levels had a 52% increased risk for irregular heartbeat disorders, also known as arrhythmias, according to findings presented Wednesday at the European Society of Cardiology’s annual meeting in Madrid. Age also played a factor, with people’s risk rising as they advanced through middle age, researchers found. These sort of irregular heartbeats can be a red flag for heart disease, and indicate that docs need to pay closer attention to the heart rhythms of middle-aged adults, researchers said. “These findings are a powerful reminder that the heart often whispers before it shouts,” lead researcher Dr. Amit Moses, an internal medical resident at Chaim Sheba Medical Center in Israel, said in a news release. “Subtle signs, such as frequent irregular heartbeats and complex arrhythmias, give us an early warning of future risk before symptoms occur,” Moses said. “This could allow early intervention to alter the trajectory of disease, allowing us to move to a new era of anticipatory heart medicine.” For the study, researchers screened 1,151 healthy adults 40 to 65 who didn’t have any heart symptoms or structural heart disease — disease that affects the heart’s walls, valves and chambers. About 88% were men, and the average age was 52.…  read on >  read on >