The reading room includes articles and videos of potential interest to consumers and medical professionals. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of the NC Medical Board, its members, and staff. Note: Some links may require registration or subscription.
American Heart Association
January 30, 2025
Flossing your teeth at least once a week may be linked to a lower risk of stroke caused by a blood clot blocking brain blood flow and irregular heartbeats, according to a preliminary study to be presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2025. The meeting is in Los Angeles, Feb. 5-7, 2025, and is a world premier meeting for researchers and clinicians dedicated to the science of stroke and brain health.
“A recent global health report revealed that oral diseases — such as untreated tooth decay and gum disease — affected 3.5 billion people in 2022, making them the most widespread health conditions,” said study lead author Souvik Sen, M.D., M. S., M.P.H, chair of the Department of Neurology, Prisma Health Richland Hospital and the University of South Carolina School of Medicine in Columbia, South Carolina. “We aimed to determine which oral hygiene behavior — dental flossing, brushing or regular dentist visits — has the greatest impact on stroke prevention.”
Read More…Medical News Today
January 25, 2025
It is becoming increasingly obvious that sleep plays a range of crucial roles in helping our bodies maintain various aspects of health, including brain health and mental health. A new study from the Universities of York and East Anglia in the United Kingdom — whose findings appear in PNAS — now looks at an even more intriguing aspect of the relationship between sleep, the brain, and mental health. The study found that disrupted sleep affected the brain’s ability to restrict intrusive memories, which could contribute to conditions including anxiety, depression, and even post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Earth.com
01/21/2025
Sunburn is painful skin damage that we’ve all experienced after spending a bit too much time outdoors without protection from UV rays. Whether it’s from a lazy beach day or an exhilarating hike, the aftermath tells a singular tale – crimson skin and a nagging sting. When it comes to sunburn, the prevailing wisdom suggests that DNA damage triggers inflammation and subsequent cell death. However, this recent research suggests that the real offender might be RNA, not DNA.
Medical News Today
January 14, 2025
Although doctors recommend that adults over the age of 18 get at least 7 hours of quality sleep each night, the most recent data suggest that many may face consistent sleep issues, such as insomnia and sleep apnea. Data from 2022 suggest that, in the United States alone, 39% of adults over the age of 45 were not getting sufficient sleep. Past studies report that not getting enough sleep each night can increase a person’s risk for several health concerns, including brain-related conditions, such as cognitive decline and dementia.
Medpage Today
January 13, 2025
Ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) are having a real moment. Few recent topics in public health and nutrition science have caused such a stir within the research community—and now, in the news, on social media, and in Congress—like these ubiquitous industrial formulations.
President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for HHS secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has made UPFs a central focus of his agenda to “make America healthy again.” Earlier in 2024, lawmakers from the other side of the political spectrum—led by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)—proposed legislation to put warning labels on UPFs, restrict the way they’re marketed to children, and increase funding for scientific research on UPFs and health. It was the first time the use of the term “ultraprocessed food” was recorded in Congress (a rudimentary search within the legislative record for the terms “sodium,” “sugar,” and “saturated fat,” which are often highly concentrated within UPFs, yielded nearly 1,500 unique results since the early 1970s).
Read More…NPR
December 31, 2024
“Brain rot” is the Oxford word of the year for 2024, and it’s pretty much what it sounds like: a perceived mental decline from consuming too much online media. If just reading that definition has you worried about your gray matter, never fear! Researchers are finding promising — and surprising — ways to boost our brain health and de-stress our minds. Here are nine stories on the topic that engaged our readers this year.
