05-11-2021
By
Earth.com staff writer
Social isolation has a negative impact on physical functioning in older adults that progresses over time, according to a new report published by Elsevier. The study adds to a growing collection of research that links social isolation among older adults with poor health and premature mortality.
Study lead investigator Dr. Borja Del Pozo Cruz is an expert at the Center for Active and Healthy Ageing in the Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics at the University of Southern Denmark.
“Physical functioning is understood to influence the health of individuals. And social isolation is prevalent among older adults,” said Dr. Del Pozo Cruz.
TORONTO Over a year into the global COVID-19 pandemic and the scale of waste from single-use personal protective equipment (PPE) is slowly being tallied as masks, gloves and face shields fill bodies of water and landfills. One of the major contributors for PPE waste is hospitals, where strict health, safety and sanitation protocols mean doctors, nurses, techs and most support staff change PPE frequently, but one U.K. company is tackling the issue head on. Based out of Cardiff in Wales, the Thermal Compaction Group (TCG) utilizes massive microwave-like machines that melt and compress used or faulty face masks, gowns and curtains – which are made of polypropylene – at 350 C to produce one metre rectangular blocks.
Date Time
Researchers map how people in cities get a health boost from nature
Trees lining a street may encourage people to take a longer stroll or choose to bike to work. New research shows how access to natural areas in cities can improve human health by supporting physical activity. The researchers plan to equip city planners with tools to create healthier, more sustainable cities around the world. By Sarah Cafasso
Your local city park may be improving your health, according to a new paper led by Stanford University researchers. The research, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, lays out how access to nature increases people’s physical activity – and therefore overall health – in cities. Lack of physical activity in the U.S. results in $117 billion a year in related health care costs and leads to 3.2 million deaths globally every year. It may seem like an intuitive connection, but the new research closes an
Covid-19 patients not admitted to hospital ‘go to GP more after infection’ (Andrew Milligan/PA)
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Coronavirus patients who are not admitted to hospital have a low risk of serious long-term effects, but they could report more visits to a GP in the six months after infection, new research suggests.
According to the six-month study, people who tested positive for the virus and were not admitted to hospital had a slightly increased risk of needing medical treatment for blood clots and breathing difficulties, compared with those who had not been infected.
Which blood pressure number matters most? It may depend on your age
Credit: CC0 Public Domain
In a new study from the University of Southern Denmark, researchers found people’s age may determine which blood pressure number matters most.
Systolic blood pressure is the best way to predict future cardiovascular events and death, irrespective of age, according to new research.
But in younger people, diastolic blood pressure could still be important. Systolic pressure – the upper number in a blood pressure reading – measures how hard the heart pumps blood into arteries.
Diastolic – The bottom number – indicates the pressure on the arteries when the heart rests between beats.