Tuesday, September 10, 2024

10 THE STAR NEWS • Tuesday, September 10, 2024 @JamaicaStar www.facebook.com/JamaicaStar • www.jamaica-star.com E xperts at Johns Hopkins University in the US have estimated that unfixed vision problems play a role in 19 per cent of cases of dementia. The new study used medical records from more than 2,700 people over 70 in the US and found that dementia was more common in those with uncorrected sight problems. Scientists argue that declining sight lets the brain waste away, as it gets less information and adds to dementia symptoms as more effort is diverted from memory and thinking to be able to see instead. Study author Jason Smith said: “Since vision impairments are common among older adults, the proportion of dementia attributable to them might be sizeable. Importantly, more than 90 per cent of vision impairments are preventable or correctable. Addressing modifiable risk factors is a priority for dementia prevention.” Wearing glasses can ward off dementia E ating fish during pregnancy can reduce a child’s risk of autism by 20 per cent. Researchers suggested that eating seafood while expecting is beneficial for the child, as it contains natural omega-3 fatty acids and o t he r v i t a l nutrients such as iodine, iron and zinc that influence a tot’s brain, speech and hearing development. Pregnant women are encouraged to eat eight to 12 ounces (two to three servings) of seafood low in mercury to aid the baby’s brain development. But the researchers found that a quarter of the female participants didn’t consume any fish at all while expecting. Dr Emily Oken, co-author of the study at Harvard Medical School, said: “This study provides yet more evidence for the safety and benefit of regular fish consumption during pregnancy. “Other proven benefits include lower risk for preterm birth and improved cognitive development.” Fish diet can cut autism risk R esearchers were staggered to find that people who have pooches reported higher levels of depression and anxiety, contradicting the idea that pets are a comforting presence for humans. A team at King’s College London and Aarhus University in Denmark analysed the relationship between pet ownership and mental health during the coronavirus pandemic and were left in shock by their findings. Professor Christine Parsons, lead author of the study, said: “Our findings suggest that while pets can provide companionship, they are by no means a cure-all for mental health issues, especially during stressful times like a pandemic. “Although the body of research done on the topic has been mixed, we were genuinely surprised to find that pet owners generally experienced slightly higher levels of depression, anxiety, and anhedonia during the COVID-19 pandemic. “This runs counter to a prevailing public belief that pets are beneficial for mental health.” Owning a dog doesn’t make a person happy T iny robots could be used to treat bleeds on the brain. Scientists say that the technology could “open new frontiers in medicine” by injecting the bots into patients’ bodies. Lab tests carried out, using model aneurysms and rabbits, saw boffins engineer magnetic nanobots made up of blood-clotting drugs encased in a coating that is made to melt at a specific temperature. Billions of the bots were injected into an artery, where they clustered and released the drug at the area where it could prevent and stem bleeding. Dr Qi Zhou, from the University of Edinburgh, said: “Nanorobots are set to open new frontiers in medicine, potentially allowing us to carry out surgical repairs with fewer risks and target drugs with pinpoint accuracy.” Research has also shown that the nanobots are capable of transporting drugs to precise locations without the risk of them leaking into the bloodstream. Robots could help brain treatment