Category Archives: Health News

Norovirus is a costly illness, with associated healthcare expenses accumulating to nearly four billion dollars a year worldwide. Furthermore, the price tag skyrockets when you account for lost productivity and other societal costs, stacking up to $64 billion. The findings are the first to put a monetary value on norovirus illness and show its economic ...click here to read more

Rates of childhood obesity continue to rise in the U.S. since 1999. Researchers found that one-third of children aged two to 19 years old are overweight, nearly one-quarter are obese, and over two percent are severely obese. Lead researcher Asheley Skinner said, “Despite other recent reports, all categories of obesity have increased from 1999 to ...click here to read more

A new study suggests night shift work is harmful for women’s hearts, increasing their risk of heart disease. Lead researcher Celine Vetter said, “We saw a modest increased risk of heart disease associated with longer duration of rotating night shift work, which appears to wane after stopping shift work.” Compared to women who did not ...click here to read more

The risk of colon cancer has not been found to decrease with the use of statins. However, researchers suggest that a person’s cholesterol levels may affect a person’s risk of colon cancer. Researchers compared the use of statins and cholesterol levels in over 22,000 British patients with colon cancer to over 86,000 individuals without colon ...click here to read more

A possible explanation why women are outliving men may have to do with the fact that families are becoming smaller and women are having fewer children. Researchers looked at data from 140,600 people in Utah and found that men born in the late 1800s lived on average two years longer than women. This trend was ...click here to read more

A new study has found the highest levels of arsenic in babies who frequently are fed rice cereals. In fact, arsenic levels were found to be three times higher in babies who consumed rice cereals, compared to babies who did not. Lead researcher Margaret Karagas said, “The arsenic in their urine increased with the number ...click here to read more

The swimming season is approaching, but if it’s been a while since you took a dip, let us help refresh your memory with regards to swimming safety tips. The reminders on how to enjoy summertime swimming safely come from the American Red Cross. Some of the key points include: Swim in designated areas with a ...click here to read more

A new survey has found that many Americans turn to the power of prayer during the times of illness. Study author Jeff Levin said, “Outside of belief in God, there may be no more ubiquitous religious expression in the U.S. than use of healing prayer.” The results of the survey found that nearly 87 of ...click here to read more

A new study looked at gender, marital status, health, and risk of function impairment, and found that widowed women have lower risk of frailty than married women. The findings were published in the Journal of Women’s Health. The researchers first predicted that unmarried elderly women would have a higher risk of frailty compared to their ...click here to read more

Older adults who partake in strength training have been found to live longer, compared to those who don’t. The recommended guidelines for strength training is twice a week, and older adults in the study who met this criterion had a reduced mortality risk. Although the health benefits of aerobic exercises and regular exercise are well ...click here to read more

April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month, and with so many factors associated with Parkinson’s disease – sleep disorders, Lewy body dementia, and orthostatic hypotension – it’s important that we keep ourselves educated on this progressive neurological disorder. Below is a roundup of just some of Bel Marra Health’s editorials and news stories discussing the factors that ...click here to read more

April is Alcohol Awareness Month, which sheds light on the dangers of alcohol consumption and alcohol abuse. Here at Bel Marra Health we, too, want to inform you of the alcohol-related risks for your health including ALS, type 2 diabetes, and smoking problems. Below are some of Bel Marra Health’s editorials that discuss how alcohol ...click here to read more

Lack of sleep can contribute to many health complications, and the latest findings suggests poor sleep can hurt blood vessels by influencing cholesterol metabolism. The study looked at the effects of cumulative sleep deprivation on cholesterol metabolism in gene expression and blood lipoprotein levels. Researchers used a state-of-the-art technology to get information from a small ...click here to read more

A new study revealed that seniors need to improve their blood pressure and cholesterol levels  in order to reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Cardiovascular disease prevention among seniors is often difficult, as they are underrepresented in clinical trials and many doctors believe it is too late to begin intervention. A clinical review suggested ...click here to read more