According to analysis of clinical trials, taking vitamin D can prolong life in people who develop cancer. Researchers analysed data from randomised controlled trials that had compared people who took vitamin D supplements with those who took a placebo for at least 3 years. They found a significant link between the use of vitamin D supplements and a lower risk of death to cancer over the follow-up period. The research analysis showed that people who took vitamin D supplements had a 13 percent lower risk of dying from cancer than those who took a placebo over the same period.There was, however, no significant association between vitamin D use and prevention of cancer.
Seizures can be predicted
A new study has found a pattern of molecules that appear in the blood before a seizure happens. Researchers believe this discovery may lead to the development of an early warning system, which would enable people with epilepsy to know when they are at risk of having a seizure. They have discovered molecules in the blood that are higher in people with epilepsy before a seizure happens. These molecules are fragments of transfer RNAs (tRNAs), a chemical closely related to DNA that performs an important role in building proteins within the cell. When cells are stressed, tRNAs are cut into fragments. Higher levels of the fragments in the blood could reflect that brain cells are under stress in the build up to a seizure event.
Midlife diabetes and chances of stroke
There is, apparently, a link between type 2 diabetes and stroke, states a new study, which found that having blood sugar disease during middle age could increase one’s risk of having the most common type of stroke later in life. Researchers also found that people who had type 2 diabetes in their 40s or 50s were twice as likely to have narrower blood vessels in their brain in their 60s and beyond. An ischemic stroke, which is the more common type of stroke, is caused by a blockage in a blood vessel in the brain; it damages the area of the brain that is no longer receiving enough blood.
Brushing teeth could postpone Alzheimer’s
There is a clear connection between oral health and Alzheimer’s disease, say researchers who discovered that gum disease plays a decisive role in whether a person develops Alzheimer’s or not. They discovered DNA-based proof that the bacteria causing gingivitis can move from the mouth to the brain. The bacteria produce a protein that destroys nerve cells in the brain, which in turn leads to loss of memory and ultimately, Alzheimer’s. One simple way to tide over this problem is to brush teeth and use floss; regular visit to the dentist, if the individual has established gingivitis and there is history of Alzheimer’s in the family.
