Health Archives - Page 3 of 10 - Strategian: Science Magazine

California (USA) wildfire smoke over city

How wildfire smoke can harm human health, even when the fire is hundreds of miles away – a toxicologist explains

May 27, 2023 Kevin Engel Intersections

Christopher T. Migliaccio, University of Montana (from The Conservation) Smoke from more than 100 wildfires burning across Canada has been turning skies hazy in North American cities far from the flames. We asked Chris Migliaccio, a toxicologist at the University of Montana who studies the impact of wildfire smoke on human health, about the health risks people can face when smoke blows in from distant…

Moderate drinking has no health benefits

April 7, 2023 Kevin Engel Featured Article

Does drinking alcohol have any positive health outcomes? In particular, some past studies have implied that moderate drinking could have some benefit. A journal article that reviewed past research says “no.” Moderate drinking has no health benefits. “This systematic review and meta-analysis of 107 cohort studies involving more than 4.8 million participants found no significant reductions in risk of all-cause mortality for drinkers who drank…

Pharmaceuticals: corporations, markets, and manipulation?

January 13, 2023 Kevin Engel Intersections

Three books that examine the global pharmaceutical industry, the quest for profit, inequality and inequity, our own perceptions, the value of life itself, and more. *Petryna A. Lakoff A. & Kleinman A. (2006). Global pharmaceuticals: ethics, markets, practices. Duke University Press. [PDF] [Cited by] *Dumit J. (2012). Drugs for life: how pharmaceutical companies define our health. Duke University Press. [PDF] [Cited by] *Ecks S. (2022)….

Firearm violence in the United States

October 27, 2022 Kevin Engel Featured Article

“Firearm violence in the US is an unrelenting clinical, public health, societal, and political concern of major proportion. The morbidity and mortality attributed to firearms have continued to increase; have adversely and profoundly affected individuals, families, and communities; and have exceedingly important consequences for all of society. The frequent occurrence of firearm violence and the repetitive episodes of mass shootings highlight the pervasiveness of firearms…

What are PFAS, and why is the EPA warning about them in drinking water? An environmental health scientist explains

June 22, 2022 Kevin Engel Intersections

Kathryn Crawford, Middlebury (from The Conversation) “PFAS? What’s PFAS?” You may be hearing that term in the news as the federal government considers new rules and guidelines (link removed by the Trump administration) for the chemicals. Even if the acronym is new to you, you’re probably already familiar with what PFAS do. That’s because they’re found in everything from nonstick cookware to carpets to ski…

How do genetics, lifestyle, diet and the environment affect the microbiome-and then affect human health and disease?

April 17, 2022 Kevin Engel Featured Article

Research has shown that the human microbiome can play a large role in a person’s health. But how do “genetics, exposome [environmental factors], lifestyle and diet” affect the microbiome? Featured article: *Gacesa, R., Kurilshikov, A., Vich Vila, A. et al. (2022). Environmental factors shaping the gut microbiome in a Dutch population. Nature. “Alterations in gut microbiota composition and function are associated with a broad range of human health…

People gave up on flu pandemic measures a century ago when they tired of them – and paid a price

March 31, 2022 Kevin Engel Featured Article

J. Alexander Navarro, University of Michigan (from The Conversation) Picture the United States struggling to deal with a deadly pandemic. State and local officials enact a slate of social-distancing measures, gathering bans, closure orders and mask mandates in an effort to stem the tide of cases and deaths. The public responds with widespread compliance mixed with more than a hint of grumbling, pushback and even…

What is the microbiome?

March 6, 2022 Kevin Engel Understanding Science

The human microbiome involves the microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, and fungi) that live within or around the human body. Damage or changes or abberations of this “microbial organ” may affect human health and lead to disease. The microbiome, especially the microorganisms that inhabit the human gut, is seen as a key part in the initiation, regulation, and termination of all immune responses in the human body….

Into the future with COVID: stress, depression, endemic/pandemic … will there ever be “normal” again?

January 30, 2022 Kevin Engel Intersections

Will we ever return to the world of 2019? A time before COVID-19 dominated the education, work, mental and physical health–the very existence of billions of people. Globally, millions have died, hundreds of millions have tested positive, and those estimated numbers are surely all undercounts (Johns Hopkins University, Coronavirus Resource Center). The coronavirus is still with us and will continue to be into the future….

Long COVID: what it is, impacts, and treatments

December 28, 2021 Kevin Engel Quick bibliographies

“Long COVID refers to a variety of symptoms affecting different organs reported by people following Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection” (Taquet, 2021). “The symptoms of Long Covid include fatigue, dyspnea, cardiac abnormalities, cognitive impairment, sleep disturbances, symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, muscle pain, concentration problems, and headache” (Crook, 2021). Long Covid can be terribly debilitating and have profound effects on the people it impacts. See…