Credit: iStock/Michail_Petrov-96 Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common form of heart disease. CAD affects 1 in 20 adults. When the vessels that supply the heart with oxygen-rich blood and vital nutrients (called coronary arteries) become narrowed or obstructed over time, this is referred to as coronary artery disease. The narrowing of vessels is … Continue reading Spotlight On: Coronary Artery Disease
Women’s Health
Is What’s Healthy in the Eye of the Beholder?
Credit: iStock In physiology research, the term “placebo effect” refers to the positive effects that result from our perception of something being healthy. For example, exercise benefits our health, but just knowing exercise is good for us may also enhance its benefits. There’s also a phenomenon known as the “nocebo effect”—negative effects that happen when … Continue reading Is What’s Healthy in the Eye of the Beholder?
Women in Science: How Far We’ve Come and Where We Still Need to Go
Credit: iStock The International Day of Women and Girls in Science is on February 11. While women have long been hidden from the scientific history books, influential figures—Hedy Lamarr, Katherine Johnson and Rosalind Franklin to name a few—are becoming more and more celebrated in mainstream media for their work. Yet, women and girls are still … Continue reading Women in Science: How Far We’ve Come and Where We Still Need to Go
Spotlight On: Scoliosis
Credit: iStock Scoliosis is a condition where the spine is curved or rotated. Scoliosis affects between 6 and 9 million people across the U.S. It is often diagnosed in the tween and teen years but can develop at any time. Women tend to have scoliosis more than men. There are four different types of scoliosis … Continue reading Spotlight On: Scoliosis
Turning Up the Heat: Enjoying Summer When You’re Pregnant
Credit: iStock Pregnancy affects everyone, even if you’re very healthy. Pregnant people experience a wide variety of body changes to be able to accommodate growing a baby. You may have heard someone say they have an increased appetite, random pains or even feel hotter when they’re pregnant. An increase in body temperature is normal during … Continue reading Turning Up the Heat: Enjoying Summer When You’re Pregnant
Addressing the Gender Gap in Sports Science
Credit: iStock Whether your favorite sport is swimming, track and field, fencing, field hockey or another of the 33 sports with competitions in Tokyo this summer, watching elite athletes perform is often an awe-inspiring event. You may ask yourself “how do they do that?” as you watch the incredible feats. However, more and more scientists … Continue reading Addressing the Gender Gap in Sports Science
Why Biological Sex Matters in Research Studies
Credit: iStock “Boys are rotten, made out of cotton. Girls are handy, made out of candy.” While this silly elementary schoolyard rhyme is obviously not accurate, the underlying message is true: Males and females are physiologically different in some ways, particularly when it comes to sex organs and hormones. Until recently, however, the majority of … Continue reading Why Biological Sex Matters in Research Studies
COVID-19 and Pregnancy: Disease Prevention May Be the Cure
Credit: iStock The COVID-19 pandemic continues to change our everyday lives while we await the progress of new treatments and vaccines to combat the risks of the illness. People who are pregnant and nursing are more susceptible to severe infections from respiratory viruses, such as the flu. This susceptibility may also put pregnant people at … Continue reading COVID-19 and Pregnancy: Disease Prevention May Be the Cure
It’s Not Your Imagination: Women Have a Harder Time Losing Weight
Credit: iStock Obesity is a major health concern in the U.S. It is predicted that more than half of all adults living in the U.S. will be obese by the year 2030. A major problem with weight loss is that most people regain lost weight over the next year. Exercise has been shown to be … Continue reading It’s Not Your Imagination: Women Have a Harder Time Losing Weight
Maybe She’s Born with It: Genetics Give Competitive Swimmers Their Edge
Competitive swimming is a demanding sport that requires maintaining a high level of activity—while partially submerged in the water—without being able to breathe naturally. It’s a sport—like any form of exercise—that may not be suited to everyone. Years of research have shown that competitive swimmers have larger lungs and better lung function than non-swimmers. In … Continue reading Maybe She’s Born with It: Genetics Give Competitive Swimmers Their Edge