Health News

Exercising pelvic floor muscles ‘can boost sexual arousal during sex’

Exercising pelvic floor muscles ‘can boost sexual arousal during sex’Melbourne, Nov 7 : Exercising pelvic floor muscles (PFMs) can enhance arousal and sensation during sex, according to an expert.

The pelvic floor is a layer of muscles spanning the bottom of the pelvis that gives control over the bladder and bowel.

"Voluntary contraction of these muscles helps with sensation and arousal during sexual intercourse (and) involuntary contractions of the muscles occur during orgasm,'''' the Daily Telegraph quoted Royal Brisbane Women''s Hospital physiotherapist Rowan Hill, as saying.

Gestational diabetes during pregnancy doubles language delay risk in kids

Gestational diabetes during pregnancy doubles language delay risk in kidsWashington, Nov 7 : Children born to mothers with pregnancy-related diabetes are twice as likely to have language development problems, says a new study.

The research team from Universite Laval''s School of Psychology suggests that gestational diabetes can adversely affect brain development of babies leading to language delay in children.

Anti-herpes drug a double-edged sword for HIV patients

Washington, November 7 (ANI): A new study has revealed that the anti-herpes drug acyclovir can slow down HIV infection, but with the risk that treated cells may promote the emergence of multi-drug resistant HIV variants.

Moira McMahon and colleagues at Johns Hopkins used a sensitive infection assay of white blood cells, and observed that acyclovir could directly inhibit HIV replication.

The researchers said that the drug particularly targeted the reverse transcriptase (RT) enzyme, which converts HIV’s RNA into DNA to enable it to replicate.

However, as early as five days after initial infection, a mutant version of HIV (V75I) appeared in the cells, and spread to comprise over 90 per cent of the viral population within 94 days.

Achilles' heel of pancreatic cancer identified

Washington, Nov 7 : Researchers from UC Davis Cancer Centre have identified a metabolic deficiency in pancreatic cancer cells that can be used to slow the progression of one of the most fatal cancers.

They have found that pancreatic cancer cells cannot produce the amino acid arginine, which plays an essential role in cell division, wound healing, immune function and hormone regulation.

By depleting arginine levels in cell cultures and animal models, the team was able to significantly reduce pancreatic cancer-cell proliferation.

WHO praises complete smoking ban at all UN headquarters

WHO praises complete smoking ban at all UN headquarters New York - The World Health Organization on Thursday praised a decision to completely ban smoking and sale of cigarettes inside UN headquarters in New York as well as in other cities.

A smoking ban had been in place, but government delegates attending UN meetings at headquarters in New York, Geneva and Vienna, the three major UN buildings, usually ignore the ban, citing their rights as government officials.

Whole grain cereals ward off heart failure risk

Heart FailureA research by Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota and the Department of Epidemiology and Cardiovascular Diseases Program, University of North Carolina has revealed that whole grain cereals can ward off heart failure risk. The researchers used data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) for their study. They analyzed the results of baseline exams of more than 14,000 White and African American adults conducted in 1987-89, with follow-up exams completed during 1990-92, 1993-95, and 1996-98. By whole-grain foods the researchers meant oatmeal or grits, whole-grain cold cereal, and whole-grain or dark bread.

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