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From eye exams to blood tests and surgery: how doctors use light to diagnose disease

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/matthew-griffith-1539353">Matthew Griffith</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a> You’re not feeling well. You’ve had a pounding headache all week, dizzy spells and have vomited up your past few meals. You visit your GP to get some answers and sit while they shine a light in your eyes, order a blood test and request some medical imaging. Everything your GP just did relies on light. These are just some of the optical technologies that have had an enormous impact in how we diagnose disease. <h2>1. On-the-spot tests</h2> Point-of-care diagnostics allow doctors to test patients on the spot and get answers in minutes, rather than sending samples to a lab for analysis. The “flashlight” your GP uses to view the inside of your eye (known as an <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003881.htm">ophthalmoscope</a>) is a great example. This allows doctors to detect abnormal blood flow in the eye, deformations of the cornea (the outermost clear layer of the eye), or swollen optical discs (a round section at the back of the eye where the nerve link to the brain begins). Swollen discs are a sign of elevated pressure inside your head (or in the worst case, a brain tumour) that could be <a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/headache/increased-intracranial-pressure-icp-headache">causing your headaches</a>. The invention of <a href="https://openmedscience.com/lighting-the-way-in-healthcare-the-transformative-role-of-lasers-in-medicine/">lasers and LEDs</a> has enabled many other miniaturised technologies to be provided at the bedside or clinic rather than in the lab. <a href="https://theconversation.com/whats-a-pulse-oximeter-should-i-buy-one-to-monitor-covid-at-home-174457">Pulse oximetry</a> is a famous example, where a clip attached to your finger reports how well your blood is oxygenated. It does this by <a href="https://www.howequipmentworks.com/pulse_oximeter/">measuring</a> the different responses of oxygenated and de-oxygenated blood to different colours of light. Pulse oximetry is used at hospitals (and <a href="https://theconversation.com/whats-a-pulse-oximeter-should-i-buy-one-to-monitor-covid-at-home-174457">sometimes at home</a>) to monitor your respiratory and heart health. In hospitals, it is also a valuable tool for detecting <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(12)60107-X/fulltext">heart defects in babies</a>. <h2>2. Looking at molecules</h2> Now, back to that blood test. Analysing a small amount of your blood can diagnose <a href="https://theconversation.com/blood-tests-and-diagnosing-illness-what-can-blood-tell-us-about-whats-happening-in-our-body-80327">many different diseases</a>. A machine called an automated “full blood count analyser” tests for general markers of your health. This machine directs focused beams of light through blood samples held in small glass tubes. It counts the number of blood cells, determines their specific type, and reports the level of haemoglobin (the protein in red blood cells that distributes oxygen around your body). In minutes, this machine can provide a <a href="https://www.nuffieldhealth.com/article/inside-the-pathology-lab-what-happens-to-my-blood">snapshot</a> of your overall health. For more specific disease markers, blood serum is separated from the heavier cells by spinning in a rotating instrument called a centrifuge. The serum is then exposed to special chemical stains and enzyme assays that change colour depending on whether specific molecules, which may be the sign of a disease, are present. These colour changes can’t be detected with the naked eye. However, a light beam from an instrument called a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5476943/#R88">spectrometer</a> can detect tiny amounts of these substances in the blood and determine if the biomarkers for diseases are present, and at what levels. <h2>3. Medical imaging</h2> Let’s re-visit those medical images your GP ordered. The development of fibre-optic technology, made famous for transforming high-speed digital communications (such as the NBN), allows light to get inside the body. The result? High-resolution optical imaging. A common example is an <a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/153737#risks-and-side-effects">endoscope</a>, where fibres with a tiny camera on the end are inserted into the body’s natural openings (such as your mouth or anus) to examine your gut or respiratory tracts. Surgeons can insert the same technology through tiny cuts to view the inside of the body on a video screen during <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9553337/">laparoscopic surgery</a> (also known as keyhole surgery) to diagnose and treat disease. <h2>How about the future?</h2> Progress in nanotechnology and a better understanding of the interactions of light with our tissues are leading to new light-based tools to help diagnose disease. These include: <ul> <li> <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/advs.201903441">nanomaterials</a> (materials on an extremely small scale, many thousands of times smaller than the width of a human hair). These are being used in next-generation sensors and new diagnostic tests </li> <li> <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-019-0045-y">wearable optical biosensors</a> the size of your fingernail can be included in devices such as watches, contact lenses or finger wraps. These devices allow non-invasive measurements of sweat, tears and saliva, in real time </li> <li> AI tools to analyse how blood serum scatters infrared light. This has allowed researchers to build a <a href="https://www.advancedsciencenews.com/powerful-diagnostic-approach-uses-light-to-detect-virtually-all-forms-of-cancer/">comprehensive database</a> of scatter patterns to detect <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/aisy.202300006">any cancer</a> </li> <li> a type of non-invasive imaging called <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK554044/">optical coherence tomography</a> for more detailed imaging of the eye, heart and skin </li> <li> fibre optic technology to deliver a tiny microscope into the body on the <a href="https://www.uwa.edu.au/projects/microscope-in-a-needle">tip of a needle</a>. </li> </ul> So the next time you’re at the GP and they perform (or order) some tests, chances are that at least one of those tests depend on light to help diagnose disease.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/231379/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/matthew-griffith-1539353">Matthew Griffith</a>, Associate Professor and ARC Future Fellow and Director, UniSA Microscopy and Microanalysis Facilities, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/from-eye-exams-to-blood-tests-and-surgery-how-doctors-use-light-to-diagnose-disease-231379">original article</a>. </div>

Body

For type 2 diabetes, focusing on when you eat – not what – can help control blood sugar

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/evelyn-parr-441878">Evelyn Parr</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-catholic-university-747">Australian Catholic University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/brooke-devlin-2237174">Brooke Devlin</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a> Type 2 diabetes affects <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/diabetes/diabetes/contents/how-common-is-diabetes/type-2-diabetes">1.2 million Australians</a> and accounts for <a href="https://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/about-diabetes/type-2-diabetes/">85-90%</a> of all diabetes cases. This chronic condition is characterised by high blood glucose (sugar) levels, which carry serious <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(17)30058-2/abstract">health</a> risks. <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nrendo.2017.151">Complications</a> include heart disease, kidney failure and vision problems. Diet is an important way people living with type 2 diabetes manage blood glucose, alongside exercise and medication. But while we know individualised, professional dietary advice improves blood glucose, it can be <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0168822717317588">complex</a> and is not always <a href="https://www.publish.csiro.au/py/PY13021">accessible</a>. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168822724008039">Our new study</a> looked at the impact of time-restricted eating – focusing on when you eat, rather than what or how much – on blood glucose levels. We found it had similar results to individualised advice from an accredited practising dietitian. But there were added benefits, because it was simple, achievable, easy to stick to – and motivated people to make other positive changes. <h2>What is time-restricted eating?</h2> Time-restricted eating, also known as <a href="https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-nutr-082018-124320">the 16:8 diet</a>, became popular for weight loss around 2015. Studies have since shown it is also an <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2811116">effective way</a> for people with type 2 diabetes to manage blood glucose. Time-restricted eating involves limiting when you eat each day, rather than focusing on what you eat. You restrict eating to a window during daylight hours, for example between 11am and 7pm, and then fast for the remaining hours. This can sometimes naturally lead to also eating less. Giving your body a break from constantly digesting food in this way helps align eating with natural <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jne.12886">circadian rhythms</a>. This <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jnc.15246">can help</a> regulate metabolism and improve overall health. For people with type 2 diabetes, there may be specific benefits. They often have their <a href="https://doi.org/10.2337/dc12-2127">highest blood glucose</a> reading in the morning. Delaying breakfast to mid-morning means there is time for physical activity to occur to help reduce glucose levels and prepare the body for the first meal. <h2>How we got here</h2> We ran an <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/11/3228">initial study</a> in 2018 to see whether following time-restricted eating was achievable for people with type 2 diabetes. We found participants could easily stick to this eating pattern over four weeks, for an average of five days a week. Importantly, they also had improvements in blood glucose, spending less time with high levels. <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/2/505">Our previous research</a> suggests the reduced time between meals may play a role in how the hormone insulin is able to reduce glucose concentrations. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.39337">Other studies</a> have confirmed these findings, which have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12986-021-00613-9">also shown</a> notable improvements in HbA1c. This is a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK304271/">marker</a> in the blood that represents concentrations of blood glucose over an average of three months. It is the <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.4137/BMI.S38440">primary clinical tool</a> used for diabetes. However, these studies provided intensive support to participants through weekly or fortnightly meetings with researchers. While we know this level of support <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/0802295">increases</a> how likely people are to stick to the plan and improves outcomes, it is not readily available to everyday Australians living with type 2 diabetes. <h2>What we did</h2> In our <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168822724008039">new study</a>, we compared time-restricted eating directly with advice from an <a href="https://dietitiansaustralia.org.au/working-dietetics/standards-and-scope/role-accredited-practising-dietitian">accredited practising dietitian</a>, to test whether results were similar across six months. We recruited 52 people with type 2 diabetes who were currently managing their diabetes with up to two oral medications. There were 22 women and 30 men, aged between 35 and 65. Participants were randomly divided into two groups: diet and time-restricted eating. In both groups, participants received four consultations across the first four months. During the next two months they managed diet alone, without consultation, and we continued to measure the impact on blood glucose. In the diet group, consultations focused on changing their diet to control blood glucose, including improving diet quality (for example, eating more vegetables and limiting alcohol). In the time-restricted eating group, advice focused on how to limit eating to a nine-hour window between 10am and 7pm. Over six months, we measured each participant’s blood glucose levels every two months using the HbA1c test. Each fortnight, we also asked participants about their experience of making dietary changes (to what or when they ate). <h2>What we found</h2> We found time-restricted eating was as effective as the diet intervention. Both groups had reduced blood glucose levels, with the greatest improvements occurring after the first two months. Although it wasn’t an objective of the study, some participants in each group also lost weight (5-10kg). When surveyed, participants in the time-restricted eating group said they had adjusted well and were able to follow the restricted eating window. Many told us they had family support and enjoyed earlier mealtimes together. Some also found they slept better. After two months, people in the time-restricted group were looking for more dietary advice to further improve their health. Those in the diet group were less likely to stick to their plan. Despite similar health outcomes, time-restricted eating seems to be a simpler initial approach than making complex dietary changes. <h2>Is time-restricted eating achievable?</h2> The main barriers to following time-restricted eating are social occasions, caring for others and work schedules. These factors may prevent people eating within the window. However, there are many benefits. The message is simple, focusing on when to eat as the main diet change. This may make time-restricted eating more translatable to people from a wider variety of socio-cultural backgrounds, as the types of foods they eat don’t need to change, just the timing. Many people don’t have access to more individualised support from a dietitian, and receive nutrition advice from their GP. This makes time-restricted eating an alternative – and equally effective – strategy for people with type 2 diabetes. People should still try to stick to <a href="https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/guidelines/guidelines">dietary guidelines</a> and prioritise vegetables, fruit, wholegrains, lean meat and healthy fats. But our study showed time-restricted eating may also serve as stepping stone for people with type 2 diabetes to take control of their health, as people became more interested in making diet and other positive changes. Time-restricted eating might not be appropriate for everyone, especially people on medications which don’t recommend fasting. Before trying this dietary change, it’s best speak to the healthcare professional who helps you manage diabetes.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/241472/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/evelyn-parr-441878">Evelyn Parr</a>, Research Fellow in Exercise Metabolism and Nutrition, Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-catholic-university-747">Australian Catholic University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/brooke-devlin-2237174">Brooke Devlin</a>, Lecturer in Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/for-type-2-diabetes-focusing-on-when-you-eat-not-what-can-help-control-blood-sugar-241472">original article</a>. </div>

Body

Readers response: What have you had to cut out of your life to cope with cost of living pressures?

As the cost of living continues to rise, many people have had to cut things out of their day to day spending to cope with the financial struggles. We asked our readers what they have had to cut out of their budgets to cope with cost of living pressures, and the response was overwhelming. Here's what they said. Wendy Oliver - We don’t eat out often at all… I spend too much in the supermarket. Christine Brooks - I've cut out steak, good nutritional foods, TV streaming, entertainment, haircuts, new clothes, pets, pool cleaning, and more. Kerrie Dare - I limit steak meals. I've stopped my haircuts to every 4 months. Internet is getting chopped. I can only afford exercise classes twice a week. I don't eat as much fruit as I used too. I only buy groceries when on special. One bottle of wine per fortnight. One slice of sourdough in the morning, which means the loaf lasts a week. I turn on my washing machine around every 10 days & I have quick showers. No eating out or take away. Maybe one cup of coffee per week with a friend. Movies once every 6 weeks as a social group. No concerts or clubs. I drive only locally, so a tank of petrol lasts 1 month. No weekends away. Jane Dawes - No coffees, beauty treatments, hairdresser, eating out, takeouts etc. The trouble is not affording to spend on certain items has a flow on effect for businesses. Everyone is suffering. Lois E. Fisk - Going out to eat or see movies in the cinema or live plays or new clothes. I shop at the least expensive grocery stores as much as possible, and good cuts of meat rarely happen. Janice Stenning - Don't go to the hairdressers as often and don't buy as many clothes. Debra Dugar - Thinking about dropping my extras cover of my insurance. By the time I pay for it, I can't afford the gap you have to pay. Robyn Lee - Living in my own house. I now live with my family. Rhondda Hughes - Well, petrol is expensive so I have to really think if I can afford to visit anyone. I can’t eat meat much and even vegetables can be expensive. We have three chickens so they give us eggs but good quality eggs and healthy chickens require money too. Fortunately I live in Perth so, in comparison to other states, it isn’t as cold however the cost of heating is a significant consideration and therefore I just tend to go to bed. <div style="font-family: inherit;">Felicity Jill Murphy - Stopped going out to shopping centres. That's where I spend money unnecessarily.</div> <div style="font-family: inherit;">Image credits: Shutterstock </div> <div style="font-family: inherit;"> </div> <div class="x6s0dn4 x3nfvp2" style="font-family: inherit; align-items: center; display: inline-flex; min-width: 584px;"> <ul class="html-ul xe8uvvx xdj266r x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x1n0m28w x78zum5 x1wfe3co xat24cr xsgj6o6 x1o1nzlu xyqdw3p" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px -8px 0px 4px; padding: 3px 0px 0px; display: flex; min-height: 15px; line-height: 12px; caret-color: #1c1e21; color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, '.SFNSText-Regular', sans-serif; font-size: 12.000001px;" aria-hidden="false"> <li class="html-li xdj266r xat24cr xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x1rg5ohu x1emribx x1i64zmx" style="display: inline-block; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 8px;"> </li> </ul> </div>

Money & Banking

Despair after four years of pressure: how do Olympians deal with disappointment?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/christopher-mesagno-1252903">Christopher Mesagno</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/victoria-university-1175">Victoria University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/courtney-c-walton-1236295">Courtney C Walton</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> Australia’s soccer team entered Paris with high hopes of notching their first Olympic medal but those aspirations came crashing down with <a href="https://olympics.com/en/news/paris-2024-olympics-australia-vs-usa-football-women-group-match-3">defeat to the United States</a>. Even without star striker Sam Kerr, the Matildas – who enjoyed <a href="https://theconversation.com/connection-camaraderie-and-belonging-why-the-matildas-could-be-making-you-a-sports-fan-for-the-very-first-time-211526">a famous run</a> to finish fourth at the 2023 FIFA World Cup – were considered medal fancies but couldn’t progress past the group stage. It was a devastating loss – but how do these athletes (and others who don’t achieve their goals in Paris) rebound from the disappointment? <h2>The pressure of performing</h2> Every four years, <a href="https://olympics.com/ioc/news/olympic-games-tokyo-2020-watched-by-more-than-3-billion-people">billions of viewers</a> around the world unite in awe of the skill and perseverance of Olympians and Paralympians. The athletes fortunate enough to compete in Paris 2024 will have done their best to put years of dedicated preparation into their performances. Many will have performed well and some achieved their goal of claiming a medal. Others, though, will finish the games with the feeling they did not fully realise their potential when it counted most. This leaves many athletes finishing the games with crushing disappointment. Famously, legendary swimmer (and now retired) Cate Campbell experienced this after her results at the Rio Olympics, which led to awful abuse and <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-31/olympian-cate-campbell-pens-letter-to-trolls-qld/10186576">harassment from a portion of the Australian public</a>. <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.685322/full">Research has shown</a> that many athletes report lower wellbeing after returning from the Olympics, including <a href="https://theconversation.com/when-you-get-home-its-really-lonely-new-research-shows-how-athletes-cope-with-post-olympic-life-163576">a sense of loneliness</a>, disappointment, and lack of direction. One of the reasons Olympic disappointment is so difficult is the deep ways in which an athlete’s identity gets wrapped up in their performance. That is, after years of being seen as “an athlete”, many begin to feel who they are as a person is dependent on how they perform. <h2>Athlete mental health and the role of self-criticism</h2> The mental health challenges faced by many athletes are now well recognised. <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-020-01266-z">Research here in Australia</a> has found elite athletes show rates of mental ill-health at similar, if not greater, numbers than the general public. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1097/JSM.0b013e318287b870">Major performance disappointments</a> are well known contributors to this. Perhaps adding salt to the wound, one of the ways that elite athletes deal with disappointment is through self-criticism. This can include hostile ways of relating to oneself, which can lead to feelings of worthlessness and inferiority. Being self-critical is seen in many pursuits as the only way to get ahead, in an attempt to remove weakness and demand self-improvement. However, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165032718312254">research repeatedly shows</a> that most forms of self-criticism are associated with symptoms of mental ill-health. Moreover, harsh forms of internal judgement are <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0146167211410246">far less effective</a> at motivating growth and development than we might think. Athletes, like the rest of us, need to find another way to handle the inevitable setbacks and disappointments as they arise. <h2>A role for compassion</h2> A growing body of research and practice has suggested self-compassion might fit the bill. <a href="https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bjc.12043">Compassion can be defined</a> as the sensitivity to suffering in self and others, with a commitment to try to reduce or prevent the suffering. It can be directed to others, received from others, or directed internally (self-compassion). For an athlete experiencing post-Olympic distress, showing self-compassion involves turning towards that distress rather than avoiding, judging, or criticising, and then identifying what they need to address it. This is harder than it may seem. One of the reasons self-compassion is so difficult is because it goes against many of the ways in which we have learned to self-motivate. Indeed, many athletes will report a common worry: that being self-compassionate might lower their standards. That’s just not the case. <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0146167212445599">Research has shown</a> self-compassion can motivate self-improvement and athletes with higher levels of self-compassion show positive performance outcomes in sport. This is in contrast to self-criticism. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/1750984X.2022.2161064">Research has also shown</a> athletes who engage in more self-compassion tend to report a range of benefits including better mental health, and more helpful responses to disappointment. For this reason, there is a growing focus within clinical and sport psychology to help <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00050067.2022.2033952">develop self-compassion among athletes</a> as a resource for resilience. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wmMXGipifKA?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>Two-time Olympian Laurence Halsted says self-compassion helped improve his performance.</figcaption></figure> <h2>Building self-compassion</h2> So, how can athletes (and the rest of us) build an ability to be self-compassionate? <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-be-kind-to-yourself-without-going-to-a-day-spa-223194">There are lots of ways</a>. A great start is using our inner wisdom to recognise how we would offer compassion to another person we care for, and then directing it inwards. Perhaps ask yourself: “how would I respond to a close friend in this situation?” Other strategies aim to trigger a soothing response in our bodies which can affect <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12671-017-0745-7">both our psychology and physiology</a>. For example we can actively change the tone of our inner thoughts <a href="https://soundcloud.com/jamesn-kirby/cft-posture-facial-expressions-and-voice-tone?si=89b19f29fc56462fad532c19bb44899b&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing">and outward facial expression</a> to be friendly rather than neutral or hostile. Additional practices involve mental imagery (or visualisation) to <a href="https://soundcloud.com/courtney-walton-449877725/sets/exercises-to-promote-self">develop our “compassionate self</a>”, which we can then learn to step into. These practices make up some of the key ingredients to compassionate mind training and compassion-focused therapy, which have been <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2024-33588-001.html">shown to reduce depression and self-criticism</a>. In this way, athletes can offer themselves the support they need to get through the difficulties of Olympic and Paralympic disappointment. <h2>More than self-compassion</h2> Just as important as an athlete’s self-compassion is the receiving of <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.586161">compassion</a> from others. After her Rio disappointment, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-31/olympian-cate-campbell-pens-letter-to-trolls-qld/10186576">Cate Campbell said</a> <blockquote> Australians love winners — I felt like the only way I could endear myself to the Australian public was to come back with one of those shiny gold medals. </blockquote> So during and after these Olympic and Paralympic Games, let’s come together and support our athletes, no matter their result. For more on this topic, check out <a href="https://omny.fm/shows/psychtalks/what-do-athletes-need-for-good-mental-health">episode one of PsychTalks</a>, a podcast by the University of Melbourne’s School of Psychological Sciences.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/227904/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/christopher-mesagno-1252903">Christopher Mesagno</a>, Senior Lecturer - Sport and Exercise Psychology, Research Fellow - Institute for Health and Sport, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/victoria-university-1175">Victoria University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/courtney-c-walton-1236295">Courtney C Walton</a>, Academic Fellow & Psychologist, Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/despair-after-four-years-of-pressure-how-do-olympians-deal-with-disappointment-227904">original article</a>. </div>

Mind

Centenarian blood tests give hints of the secrets to longevity

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/karin-modig-1473484">Karin Modig</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/karolinska-institutet-1250">Karolinska Institutet</a> Centenarians, once considered rare, have become commonplace. Indeed, they are the <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/02/living-to-one-hundred-life-expectancy/">fastest-growing demographic group</a> of the world’s population, with numbers roughly doubling every ten years since the 1970s. How long humans can live, and what determines a long and healthy life, have been of interest for as long as we know. Plato and Aristotle discussed and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12092789/">wrote about the ageing process</a> over 2,300 years ago. The pursuit of understanding the secrets behind exceptional longevity isn’t easy, however. It involves <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7105197/">unravelling the complex interplay</a> of genetic predisposition and lifestyle factors and how they interact throughout a person’s life. Now our recent study, <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11357-023-00936-w">published in GeroScience</a>, has unveiled some common biomarkers, including levels of cholesterol and glucose, in people who live past 90. Nonagenarians and centenarians have long been of intense interest to scientists as they may help us understand how to live longer, and perhaps also how to age in better health. So far, studies of centenarians have often been small scale and focused on a selected group, for example, excluding centenarians who live in care homes. <h2>Huge dataset</h2> Ours is the largest study comparing biomarker profiles measured throughout life among exceptionally long-lived people and their shorter-lived peers to date. We compared the biomarker profiles of people who went on to live past the age of 100, and their shorter-lived peers, and investigated the link between the profiles and the chance of becoming a centenarian. Our research included data from 44,000 Swedes who underwent health assessments at ages 64-99 - they were a sample of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28158674/">the so-called Amoris cohort</a>. These participants were then followed through Swedish register data for up to 35 years. Of these people, 1,224, or 2.7%, lived to be 100 years old. The vast majority (85%) of the centenarians were female. Twelve blood-based biomarkers related to inflammation, metabolism, liver and kidney function, as well as potential malnutrition and anaemia, were included. All of these <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-019-0719-5">have been associated</a> with ageing or mortality in previous studies. The biomarker related to inflammation was uric acid – a waste product in the body caused by the digestion of certain foods. We also looked at markers linked to metabolic status and function including total cholesterol and glucose, and ones related to liver function, such as alanine aminotransferase (Alat), aspartate aminotransferase (Asat), albumin, gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (Alp) and lactate dehydrogenase (LD). We also looked at creatinine, which is linked to kidney function, and iron and total iron-binding capacity (TIBC), which is linked to anaemia. Finally, we also investigated albumin, a biomarker associated with nutrition. <h2>Findings</h2> We found that, on the whole, those who made it to their hundredth birthday tended to have lower levels of glucose, creatinine and uric acid from their sixties onwards. Although the median values didn’t differ significantly between centenarians and non-centenarians for most biomarkers, centenarians seldom displayed extremely high or low values. For example, very few of the centenarians had a glucose level above 6.5 earlier in life, or a creatinine level above 125. For many of the biomarkers, both centenarians and non-centenarians had values outside of the range considered normal in clinical guidelines. This is probably because these guidelines are set based on a younger and healthier population. When exploring which biomarkers were linked to the likelihood of reaching 100, we found that all but two (alat and albumin) of the 12 biomarkers showed a connection to the likelihood of turning 100. This was even after accounting for age, sex and disease burden. The people in the lowest out of five groups for levels of total cholesterol and iron had a lower chance of reaching 100 years as compared to those with higher levels. Meanwhile, people with higher levels of glucose, creatinine, uric acid and markers for liver function also decreased the chance of becoming a centenarian. In absolute terms, the differences were rather small for some of the biomarkers, while for others the differences were somewhat more substantial. For uric acid, for instance, the absolute difference was 2.5 percentage points. This means that people in the group with the lowest uric acid had a 4% chance of turning 100 while in the group with the highest uric acid levels only 1.5% made it to age 100. Even if the differences we discovered were overall rather small, they suggest a potential link between metabolic health, nutrition and exceptional longevity. The study, however, does not allow any conclusions about which lifestyle factors or genes are responsible for the biomarker values. However, it is reasonable to think that factors such as nutrition and alcohol intake play a role. Keeping track of your kidney and liver values, as well as glucose and uric acid as you get older, is probably not a bad idea. That said, chance probably plays a role at some point in reaching an exceptional age. But the fact that differences in biomarkers could be observed a long time before death suggests that genes and lifestyle may also play a role.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/215166/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/karin-modig-1473484">Karin Modig</a>, Associate Professor, Epidemiology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/karolinska-institutet-1250">Karolinska Institutet</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/centenarian-blood-tests-give-hints-of-the-secrets-to-longevity-215166">original article</a>.

Retirement Life

Undernourished, stressed and overworked: cost-of-living pressures are taking a toll on Australians’ health

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nicole-black-103425">Nicole Black</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/anthony-harris-7148">Anthony Harris</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/danusha-jayawardana-1406565">Danusha Jayawardana</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/david-johnston-1126643">David Johnston</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a> For the past few years, it has been impossible to escape the impact of inflation. Meeting our most basic needs – such as food, housing and health care – now costs significantly more, and wage increases <a href="https://futurework.org.au/post/for-most-workers-wages-are-still-failing-to-keep-up-with-inflation/">haven’t kept up</a>. There are signs relief could be on the horizon. Inflation has fallen to its <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/economy/price-indexes-and-inflation/consumer-price-index-australia/latest-release">lowest levels</a> since January 2022. But Australia now also finds itself in the midst of an <a href="https://theconversation.com/prepare-to-hear-about-an-official-recession-unofficially-weve-been-in-one-for-some-time-224963">economic downturn</a>, putting further pressure on households. Rising prices have an obvious negative impact on our financial health. But they can also have a profound effect on our physical and mental wellbeing, which is often overlooked. Australians may continue to feel the health effects of high inflation for quite some time. <h2>It’s costing more to live well</h2> Between March 2021 and March 2023, the price of goods and services <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/economy/price-indexes-and-inflation/consumer-price-index-australia/jun-quarter-2023">rose substantially</a>, marking a period of high <a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/education/resources/explainers/inflation-and-its-measurement.html">inflation</a>. <iframe id="5vFeh" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: none;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/5vFeh/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe> Worryingly, the prices of basic needs that are important for staying healthy – nutritious food, health care, housing and utilities – rose between 11% and 36%. <h2>Who is affected the most?</h2> Higher prices on essentials are virtually impossible to dodge, but they impact certain groups of people more than others. Wealthier households have managed their higher expenses by <a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/publications/fsr/2023/oct/pdf/financial-stability-review-2023-10.pdf">cutting back on discretionary spending and dipping into savings</a>. However, lower income households spend <a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/publications/fsr/2023/oct/household-business-finances-in-australia.html#:%7E:text=Lower%20income%20households%2C%20including%20many,than%20households%20on%20higher%20incomes.">a much larger portion of their income</a> on housing and other essentials. Without a savings buffer, these households experience severe financial strain and poor health outcomes. <h2>Financial stress affects our health</h2> Our research shows that high inflation has <a href="https://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/resources/resource-download/high-inflation-and-implications-for-health">a range of effects</a> on people’s health. These effects fall into three main groups: material hardship, psychosocial, and behavioural. 1. Material hardship People facing material hardship can’t meet their basic needs because they can’t afford to pay for them. Material hardship can present itself in a variety of ways: <ul> <li><a href="https://theconversation.com/how-many-australians-are-going-hungry-we-dont-know-for-sure-and-thats-a-big-part-of-the-problem-195360">food insecurity</a> – not getting adequate nutrition</li> <li><a href="https://theconversation.com/1-in-4-households-struggle-to-pay-power-bills-here-are-5-ways-to-tackle-hidden-energy-poverty-204672">energy poverty</a> – struggling to pay for electricity and gas</li> <li>deferred health care – putting off medical treatment</li> <li>housing insecurity – struggling to find a stable place to live.</li> </ul> Between August 2022 and February 2023, when inflation hit its highest levels in 33 years, over half (53%) of surveyed Australians reported <a href="https://melbourneinstitute.unimelb.edu.au/data/taking-the-pulse-of-the-nation-2022/2023/australians-face-challenging-budgetary-constraints">struggling to afford</a> their basic needs. Finding ourselves in this situation can have far-reaching implications for our health. For example, food insecurity is linked to <a href="https://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/VH_High-Inflation-Paper_FINAL_1.pdf">an increased risk of poor nutrition, obesity and chronic illness</a>, as households facing cost-of-living pressures shift towards cheaper, lower-quality food options. Energy poverty is linked to <a href="https://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/VH_High-Inflation-Paper_FINAL_1.pdf">physical and mental health problems</a> as people struggle to keep warm in wintertime, and cool in the summer. Delaying health care <a href="https://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/VH_High-Inflation-Paper_FINAL_1.pdf">increases</a> the risk of facing severe health problems, staying in hospital for longer, and being admitted to the emergency department. This isn’t just worse for individuals, it’s also far more costly for our health care system. 2. Psychosocial effects Psychosocial effects are the ways in which cost-of-living pressures impact our mind and social relationships. Difficulties in meeting our basic needs are strongly associated with <a href="https://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/VH_High-Inflation-Paper_FINAL_1.pdf">increased levels of psychological distress</a>, including symptoms of anxiety and depression. This impact can worsen over time if individuals experience sustained financial stress. By undermining our ability to work well, the psychosocial effects of prolonged financial stress can initiate a “vicious cycle”, leading to reduced productivity and lower earnings. Financial stress can also have a detrimental impact on spousal relationships, which can affect the mental health of other household members such as children. 3. Behavioural effects Cost-of-living pressures can also cause a number of changes in the way we behave. For many, these pressures have become a reason to work longer hours and gain additional income. Last year, Australians collectively worked 4.6% longer, an <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/employment-and-unemployment/labour-force-australia/aug-2023">extra 86 million hours</a>. But working longer hours <a href="https://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/VH_High-Inflation-Paper_FINAL_1.pdf">reduces people’s overall health</a>, especially among parents of young children facing greater time constraints. It also leaves less time for activities that help to keep people healthy, such as getting regular exercise and cooking healthy meals. <h2>How can policymakers respond?</h2> In theory, the Reserve Bank of Australia’s primary tool for combating inflation – raising interest rates – should help. By reducing aggregate spending in the economy, it is designed to put downward pressure on prices. But by bluntly increasing the cost of borrowing, it also puts significant short-term financial pressure on both lower-income mortgage holders and renters. Better acknowledgement of this fact, and of inflation’s broader impact on people’s physical and mental health, would be a great start. When formulating policy responses to high inflation, governments could factor health and wellbeing impacts into their assessment of the trade-offs between alternative policy responses. This could help minimise any policy’s long-term negative health consequences and its impact on the health care system. Policymakers could also focus on making sure affordable and timely access to health care, especially mental health support, is made available to those most vulnerable to cost-of-living pressures.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/223625/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nicole-black-103425">Nicole Black</a>, Associate Professor of Health Economics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/anthony-harris-7148">Anthony Harris</a>, Professor of Health Economics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/danusha-jayawardana-1406565">Danusha Jayawardana</a>, Research Fellow in Health Economics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/david-johnston-1126643">David Johnston</a>, Professor of Health Economics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/undernourished-stressed-and-overworked-cost-of-living-pressures-are-taking-a-toll-on-australians-health-223625">original article</a>.

Money & Banking

8 reasons everyone should know their blood type

Why you should know your blood type What’s in a blood type? Potentially a lot, according to research, including a review of studies published in the Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Systems Biology and Medicine, that connects different blood groups to everything from risk of heart disease and dementia to urinary tract infections and the norovirus. While none of the studies are conclusive about cause and effect (they can’t say X blood type causes Y disease) and any increased risks are still pretty small, the research does highlight the importance of knowing your type – A, B, AB, or O – and how it could affect your wellbeing. Blood clots: Type AB, A, and B increases risk Danish researchers studied how blood type interacts with a genetic predisposition for deep-vein thrombosis (DVT), or blood clots in the lower legs that can travel to the lungs and become life-threatening. After analysing data on about 66,000 people over more than 30 years, they found that those with type AB, A, or B had a 40 per cent higher risk of DVT than people with type O, the most common type. When the scientists did further analysis to see which factors have the biggest impact on DVT risk on a population level, they found that an AB blood type contributed to about 20 per cent of blood clots; genetic mutations accounted for 11 per cent, being overweight accounted for 16 per cent, and smoking accounted for six per cent. Heart disease: Type AB, B, and A all increase risk People whose blood type is A, B, or AB have an increased risk of heart disease and shorter life spans than people who have type O blood, according to a large study published in BMC Medicine. After following more than 50,000 middle-age and elderly people for seven years, on average, researchers found that as many as nine per cent of cardiovascular deaths were attributed to having non-O blood types. However, as any doctor will tell you, lifestyle factors like weight, smoking and diet, which, unlike blood type, are modifiable, have a much greater impact on heart disease. Stomach cancer: Types A and AB increases risk Researchers have known for a while that people with blood type A are at risk for stomach cancer. But research published in BMC Cancer shows that people with blood type AB are also at risk. Using genetic data from a large number of cases and controls, researchers found a link between both blood types and gastric cancer in Chinese populations. A review of 39 previous studies confirmed their findings. Fertility: Type O reduces it Women with this blood type were twice as likely to have blood levels of the hormone FSH high enough to indicate low ovarian reserve, a measure of fertility, according to a study published in Human Reproduction. Researchers couldn’t say for sure why, though. Given that type O blood is the most prevalent, it doesn’t pay to worry too much about it. Age is a far more important risk factor for fertility problems. Pregnancy risks This has nothing to do with your “letter” blood type or the type determined by the ABO grouping system. This has to do with what’s known as the Rhesus (Rh) factor, which determines whether your blood type is positive or negative. This could cause complications in pregnant women if the baby’s Rh blood type is different from the mother’s. For instance, if the mother has a negative blood type and the baby has a positive one, the mother’s body can actually build up antibodies against the baby’s blood type. Luckily, this doesn’t affect the baby, but it could have a negative effect on future pregnancies. Fortunately, doctors can give pregnant women a shot early in their pregnancy that can prevent Rh-incompatibility problems. Dementia and memory loss: Type AB increases risk People with type AB blood have an 82 per cent greater risk for cognitive decline later in life, according to a study published in Neurology. That’s likely because they have larger amounts of what’s known as the Factor VIII protein, which helps with blood clotting. Study participants with higher levels of this protein were 24 per cent more likely to develop memory problems – regardless of their blood type – than people with lower levels. Blood type, however, is far from the only, or even most important, factor that affects your risk for cognitive decline. Stroke: Type O has the lowest risk People with a blood type other than O (the most common) have a higher risk of cardiovascular issues such as stroke, according to a study published in the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis. Biologists are still investigating why this might be; one possible explanation is that non-O blood types contain more of the Von Willebrand factor, a protein that has been connected to blood clotting and stroke in the past. Mosquitos like Type O blood If you find yourself scratching bug bites all summer long, your blood type might be to blame. In a one small study, researchers found that type Os are up to twice as attractive to mosquitoes as type As, with type Bs falling somewhere in the middle. Image credits: Shutterstock This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/healthsmart/8-reasons-everyone-should-know-their-blood-type" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>.

Body

"I've lost complete blood flow": Robert Irwin's near miss with python

Young wildlife warrior Robert Irwin suffered a near miss during a rescue mission over the weekend, when he tried to relocate a carpet python off the road. The 19-year-old took to Instagram on Sunday to share a video of him almost getting bit by the wild snake. "Gee, that gets the heart rate up - he missed me by that much," he said when the snake struck at him. "He's grumpy... he's really keen on biting me... what a gorgeous snake, he's big, he's not venomous but... they're designed to constrict," he said as the python began wrapping its body around his arm to ''constrict" him. "He's got a good grip there, I've lost complete blood flow to my hand, it's completely blue.. and I have no feeling left in my hand," he added. He eventually managed to rescue the snake, and relocated it to a safe spot in the bush the day after. "Near miss! Definitely had a good laugh with this grumpy carpet python - but great to get him rescued off the road and relocated to a much safer spot!" he captioned the post. <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0Fc3k-hiy9/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0Fc3k-hiy9/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Robert Irwin (@robertirwinphotography)</a> </div> </blockquote> Fans shared their shock and couldn't help but comment on how much the young conservationist was like his late father, Steve Irwin. "Dude you are killing us with these like-father-like-son bits," one fan wrote. "Holy crap. I actually thought I was watching Steve for a second and it took me back a moment. He's very much still alive in his family. No doubt about that," another added. "This is precarious yet hiss-terical !😂 all at the same time. Thank you for helping snakey dude slither to safety! 👍🏼💕" added a fellow conservationist. Images: Instagram

Travel Trouble

Worried about getting a blood test? 5 tips to make them easier (and still accurate)

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/sapha-shibeeb-1481231">Sapha Shibeeb</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a> Blood tests are a common medical procedure, offering valuable insights into a person’s health. Whether you’re getting a routine check-up, diagnosing a medical condition or monitoring treatment progress, understanding the process can make the experience more comfortable and effective. For the majority of patients, blood collections are a minor inconvenience. Others may feel <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0887618506000041">uneasy and anxious</a>. Preparation strategies can help get you through the procedure. <h2>How blood is collected</h2> During venipuncture (blood draw), the phlebotomist (blood collector) inserts a needle through the skin into a vein and a small amount of blood is collected and transferred into a test tube. Tubes are sent to a laboratory, where the blood is analysed. A laboratory technician may count or examine cells and measure the levels of minerals/salts, enzymes, proteins or other substances in the sample. For some tests, blood plasma is separated out by spinning (centrifuging) the sample. Others pass a light beam through the sample to determine the amount of a chemical present. For collection, the phlebotomist usually selects a vein in the crook of your elbow, where veins are readily accessible. Blood can also be drawn from veins in the wrists, fingers or heels. A tourniquet may be applied to restrict blood flow and make the chosen vein puff out. <h2>Different tests require different preparation</h2> Before a blood test, the GP or health-care provider will give you specific instructions. These may include fasting for up to 12 hours or temporarily discontinuing certain medications. It is crucial to follow these guidelines meticulously as they can significantly impact the accuracy of your test results. For example, fasting is required before glucose (blood sugar) and lipids (blood fats) testing because blood sugar and cholesterol levels typically increase after a meal. If the blood test requires fasting, you will be asked not to eat or drink (no tea, coffee, juice or alcohol) for about eight to 12 hours. Water is allowed but smoking should be avoided because it can increase <a href="https://diabetesjournals.org/care/article/19/2/112/19825/Acute-Effect-of-Cigarette-Smoking-on-Glucose">blood sugar, cholesterol and triglyceride levels</a>. Generally, you will be asked to fast overnight and have the blood collection done in the morning. Fasting for longer than 15 hours could impact your results, too, by causing dehydration or the release of certain chemicals in the blood. If you have diabetes, you must consult your doctor prior to fasting because it can increase the risk of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) in people with type 1 diabetes. Most type 2 diabetics can safely fast before a blood test but there are some exceptions, such as people who are taking certain medications including insulin. <h2>5 tips for a better blood test</h2> To improve your blood collection experience, consider these tips: 1. Hydrate Drink plenty of water right up to 30 minutes before your appointment. Adequate hydration improves blood flow, making your veins more accessible. Avoid <a href="https://academic.oup.com/labmed/article/34/10/736/2657269">strenuous exercise</a> before your blood test, which can increase some blood parameters (such as liver function) while decreasing others (such as sodium). 2. Loose clothing Wear clothing that allows easy access to your arms to ensure a less stressful procedure. 3. Manage anxiety If the sight of blood or the procedure makes you anxious, look away while the needle is inserted and try to keep breathing normally. Distraction can help – virtual reality has been <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31889358/">trialled</a> to reduce needle anxiety in children. You could try bringing something to read or music to listen to. 4. Know your risk of fainting If you’re prone to fainting, make sure to inform the phlebotomist when you arrive. You can have your blood drawn while lying down to minimise the risk of passing out and injury. Hydration helps maintain blood pressure and can also <a href="https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/01.CIR.0000101966.24899.CB">reduce the risk</a> of fainting. 5. Discuss difficult veins Some people have smaller or scarred veins, often due to repeated punctures, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4989034/">chemotherapy</a> or blood thinner use. In such cases, venipuncture may require multiple attempts. It is important to talk to the phlebotomist if you feel discomfort or significant pain. A finger prick can be performed as an alternative for some tests, such as blood glucose levels. But other comprehensive tests require larger blood volume. <h2>Blood draws after lymph node removal</h2> Historically, there were concerns about drawing blood from an arm that had undergone lymph node removal. This was due to the risk of <a href="https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/side-effects/lymphedema/lymphedema-pdq#:%7E:text=Lymphedema%20is%20the%20build%2Dup,the%20way%20that%20it%20should.">lymphedema</a>, a condition marked by fluid build-up in the affected arm. Lymph nodes may have been removed (<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK564397/#:%7E:text=Lymph%20node%20dissection%2C%20also%20known,surgical%20management%20of%20malignant%20tumors.">lymphadenectomy</a>) for cancer diagnosis or treatment. However, a <a href="https://ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/JCO.2015.61.5948">2016 study</a> showed people who’ve had lymph nodes removed are not at a higher risk of developing lymphedema following blood draws, even when drawing blood from the affected arm. <h2>After your blood test</h2> The whole blood test procedure usually lasts no more than a few minutes. Afterwards, you may be asked to apply gentle pressure over a clean dressing to aid clotting and reduce swelling. If you do experience swelling, bruising or pain after a test, follow general first aid procedures to alleviate discomfort. These include applying ice to the site, resting the affected arm and, if needed, taking a pain killer. It is usually recommended you do not do heavy lifting for a few hours after a blood draw. This is to prevent surges in blood flow that could prevent clotting where the blood was taken.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/216073/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/sapha-shibeeb-1481231">Sapha Shibeeb</a>, Senior lecturer in Laboratory Medicine , <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/worried-about-getting-a-blood-test-5-tips-to-make-them-easier-and-still-accurate-216073">original article</a>.

Body

No, you can’t reverse ageing by injecting ‘young blood’ and fasting. But that doesn’t stop people trying

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rachael-jefferson-buchanan-297850">Rachael Jefferson-Buchanan</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/charles-sturt-university-849">Charles Sturt University</a> Like many celebrities and entrepreneurs, 45-year-old US tech billionaire Bryan Johnson is <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/health-and-wellness/taking-the-blood-of-your-17-year-old-son-anti-ageing-has-gone-too-far-20230530-p5dcd6.html">trying to reverse the ageing process</a>. Spending an average of US$2 million a year on an anti-ageing regimen, Johnson <a href="https://medium.com/future-literacy/at-45-i-now-age-slower-than-the-average-10-year-old-6932448fc608">claims</a> he now ages slower than some children. He explains: “the pace my body accumulates ageing damage is less than the average ten year old”. Many of Johnson’s age-reversal methods are questionable, involve dodgy science, and have known side effects. While you can’t stop the ageing process, and the gradual decline our bodies experience as we advance in years, there are some things we can all do – for free – to maintain our health as we age. <h2>What does Johnson do? And is it scientific?</h2> Fasting Johnson reports fasting for 23 hours a day. He then eats <a href="https://medium.com/future-literacy/one-meal-23-hr-fast-100-nutrition-18187a2f5b">one meal a day</a>: 2,250 calories of nutrient-dense food “customised” to his body’s needs. Eating for time-restricted periods in the day can have a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9650338/">positive effect</a> on how we <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29955217/">metabolise nutrients</a>, inflammation levels, hormonal regulation, and <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/how-good-is-your-cardiometabolic-health-and-what-is-that-anyway-202208182803">cardiometabolic health</a> (blood sugar, <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/in-depth/triglycerides/art-20048186">triglycerides</a>, cholesterol, blood pressure, BMI and waist circumference). However, a Spartan-like food intake can <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2121099/">impair</a> how our body responds to sugar (known as glucose tolerance). And it’s not necessarily any more effective for weight maintenance than <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29419624/">reducing calorie intake at each meal</a>. Large-scale, long-term human trials are needed to confirm the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34728336/">limited risk-benefit</a> findings of fasting. Acid peels Johnson has weekly <a href="https://www.asds.net/skin-experts/skin-treatments/chemical-peels/chemical-peels-for-aging-skin">acid peels</a> (which use a mild acid to exfoliate the skin) to maintain a “youthful glow”. But you cannot smooth sagging facial skin or remove deep scars or wrinkles. Acid peels also <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/chemical-peel/about/pac-20393473">come with risks</a>, including organ damage, infection, scarring and swelling. Plasma infusions Perhaps the most bizarre youth-inducing procedure Johnson has attempted is receiving blood transfusions from his 17-year-old son. US biotech companies have explored <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/feb/02/could-young-blood-stop-us-getting-old-transfusions-experiments-mice-plasma">plasma infusions</a> to tackle age-related diseases in humans for decades. But there are no proven clinical benefits. <a href="https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/blood-donation-process/what-happens-to-donated-blood/blood-transfusions/risks-complications.html">Side effects from blood transfusions</a> include blood-borne infections, fever and allergic reactions. <h2>Historical attempts to stay youthful</h2> Humans have been experimenting with <a href="https://academic.oup.com/biomedgerontology/article/59/6/B515/662071">anti-ageing methods for centuries</a>. These have included all sorts of behavioural and lifestyle practices that are quirky, questionable, and even sadistic. Ancient practices included <a href="https://www.marieclaire.com/beauty/news/a14382/anti-aging-beauty-through-history/">crocodile dung face masks</a>, which the Greeks and Romans used to brighten their complexions. Romans also used <a href="https://beautytap.com/2019/03/donkey-milk">donkey milk</a> and <a href="https://www.ancient-origins.net/history/swans-fat-crocodile-dung-and-ashes-snails-achieving-beauty-ancient-rome-003240">swan fat</a> to minimise wrinkles, due to their acclaimed rejuvenating properties. <a href="https://www.livescience.com/44071-cleopatra-biography.html">Cleopatra</a> apparently took daily baths in sour donkey milk. To sustain this lavish habit, she had a <a href="https://www.naturanecosmetics.com/en/content/26-faits-historiques">herd of 700 donkeys</a>. Sour milk contains <a href="https://science.jrank.org/pages/3780/Lactic-Acid-Lactic-acid-in-foods.html">lactic acid</a>, a naturally occurring <a href="https://www.mecca.com.au/edits/ingredients/alpha-hydroxy-acids/">alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA)</a> that exists in many modern-day exfoliants. So this idea was grounded in basic science, at least. <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530478/original/file-20230607-27-bv0w1t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530478/original/file-20230607-27-bv0w1t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530478/original/file-20230607-27-bv0w1t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530478/original/file-20230607-27-bv0w1t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530478/original/file-20230607-27-bv0w1t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530478/original/file-20230607-27-bv0w1t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530478/original/file-20230607-27-bv0w1t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Milk bath with dried fruits and flowers" /><figcaption>Don’t waste milk on a bath. <a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/bath-milk-flowers-1051210370">Shutterstock</a></figcaption></figure> During the 16th and 17th century, “Countess Dracula” aka <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_B%C3%A1thory">Elizabeth Bathory</a> allegedly resorted to serial killing to quench her thirst for youthfulness, <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/the-bloody-legend-of-hungarys-serial-killer-countess">bathing in the blood of her young victims</a>. <h2>The quest continues with cryotherapy</h2> Fountain of youth fixations have inspired many contemporary anti-ageing trends. Exposure to cold is a firm favourite. <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43587-023-00383-4">Some research</a> suggests this could have <a href="https://neurosciencenews.com/cold-aging-22928/">benefits</a> relating to longevity, by slowing cellular degeneration, <a href="https://www.cryo.com.au/anti-ageing-benefits-of-whole-body-cryotherapy/">stimulating collagen and elastin production</a>, increasing the metabolism, and reducing inflammation. Dutch motivational speaker Wim Hof includes <a href="https://www.wimhofmethod.com/cold-water-immersion">cold water immersion</a> as one of the three pillars of his <a href="https://www.wimhofmethod.com/">Wim Hof Method</a> to “increase mind-body connection”. Athletes such as <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2469985/Cristiano-Ronaldo-buys-Cryotherapy-chamber.html">Cristiano Ronaldo</a> use <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/21099-cryotherapy">cryotherapy</a>, exposing their bodies to extremely cold temperatures for two to four minutes to decrease the signs of ageing and enhance their general health. However, the <a href="https://www.medicinenet.com/what_are_the_side_effects_of_cryotherapy/article.htm">risks of cryotherapy</a> include bone fractures, frostbite, nerve damage, bleeding, cramping, swelling and skin infections. <h2>So what can we do to age well?</h2> Two of the more mainstream anti-ageing methods that Johnson recommends are the daily self-care habits of sleep and exercise. He has a <a href="https://medium.com/future-literacy/sleep-and-impulse-control-87e844218ff2">strict sleep schedule</a> that involves retiring to bed at 8pm, with a one-hour wind-down in a darkened room. Adults report poorer sleep quality and difficulty being able to sleep for long enough <a href="https://www.news-medical.net/health/How-Does-the-Suprachiasmatic-Nucleus-(SCN)-Control-Circadian-Rhythm.aspx">as they age</a>. Sleeping too much or too little is <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1043347/full">associated with</a> a greater risk of obesity, heart disease and <a href="https://theconversation.com/research-check-can-sleeping-too-much-lead-to-an-early-death-101323">premature death</a>. Developing a regular sleep routine, reducing bedroom distractions such as mobile phones, and exercising regularly can all help to <a href="https://www.sleepfoundation.org/aging-and-sleep">alleviate sleep problems</a>. <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530491/original/file-20230607-29-cw0f29.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530491/original/file-20230607-29-cw0f29.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=383&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530491/original/file-20230607-29-cw0f29.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=383&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530491/original/file-20230607-29-cw0f29.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=383&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530491/original/file-20230607-29-cw0f29.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=482&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530491/original/file-20230607-29-cw0f29.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=482&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530491/original/file-20230607-29-cw0f29.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=482&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Child and grandfather walk on a beach" /><figcaption>Exercise is also important for healthy ageing. <a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/s-vhziQHngM">Vidar Nordi Mathisen/Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure> Exercise, often cited as a <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/exercise-is-the-wonder-drug-for-healthy-aging-11633642719">wonder drug for healthy ageing</a>, is something Johnson takes very seriously. He does a “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNywRJgCRaQ">Blueprint</a>” workout that includes specially designed daily techniques, as well as <a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/high-intensity-interval-training/">high-intensity interval training sessions</a>, hiking and playing sport. From middle age onwards, we all need to exercise regularly, to increase our muscle mass, bone density, strength, endurance, coordination and balance. One of the greatest health risks for older people is <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK560761/">falling</a>, which balance, flexibility, endurance and strength training <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC381224/">can help</a> reduce. Physical activity can bring <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5408452/">social benefits</a> in older adults if undertaken in groups, and there are well-known <a href="https://www.whiddon.com.au/yourlife/the-mental-health-benefits-of-exercise-for-older-adults/">mental health gains</a>. Small changes in sleep, diet (eating <a href="https://health.gov/news/202107/nutrition-we-age-healthy-eating-dietary-guidelines">plenty of vegetables, fruit, wholegrains, healthy fats, and enough protein</a>), and exercise can support <a href="https://bmcgeriatr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12877-020-01900-5">healthy ageing</a>, reducing the chance of early death, and helping us all to lead an active and independent life in our senior years. Now that is something worth investing in.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/207038/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rachael-jefferson-buchanan-297850">Rachael Jefferson-Buchanan</a>, Lecturer in Human Movement Studies (Health and PE) and Creative Arts, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/charles-sturt-university-849">Charles Sturt University</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/no-you-cant-reverse-ageing-by-injecting-young-blood-and-fasting-but-that-doesnt-stop-people-trying-207038">original article</a>. Images: Getty

Body

"You have to beg for help": how our welfare system pressures people to perform vulnerability

People who rely on welfare payments to survive are often required to repeatedly tell stories of their personal hardships. In a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/jun/07/job-seekers-could-have-welfare-stopped-under-onerous-new-points-based-system-advocates-warn">conditional welfare system</a>, many must regularly attend compulsory appointments, job search training courses, and self-development and treatment programs simply to receive their payments. People in extreme hardship often tell their stories even more frequently as they seek extra relief from non-government charities and community providers. Those on income support payments below the relative poverty line feel the crunch of <a href="https://www.ncoss.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NCOSS_CostOfLiving22_FINAL_DESIGNED.pdf">inflation and rising living costs</a> most severely. This means many will require extra support from welfare services to meet their basic needs. Integral to this system is the idea of “performing vulnerability”. “Performing vulnerability” – a term I borrow from UK-based researcher <a href="https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/vulnerability-and-young-people">Kate Brown</a> to update Australian academic <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/lowest-rung/FA159318C2D046EDD3C9347C8B8E4F2E">Mark Peel’s</a> idea of “performing poverty” – is not just about repeatedly describing personal hardship. It points to the expectation to describe hardship in particular ways that are recognisable – and hence believable – to support providers. My book, <a href="https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/making-a-life-on-mean-welfare">Making a Life on Mean Welfare: Voices from Multicultural Sydney </a>shows how the expectation to perform vulnerability to access support shapes experiences on both sides of the welfare frontline. It can compound the cycle of disadvantage associated with receiving welfare in the long term. It does so by <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0038026119876775">fostering mistrust</a> between welfare users and providers, as well as tainting how people in need of support see themselves and their situation. <h2>‘Tell me your story’</h2> For my doctoral research, I spent 18 months speaking to welfare users and workers in culturally and linguistically diverse southwest Sydney. I also observed different aspects of service delivery while volunteering at a community welfare organisation. I interviewed 25 welfare users and 11 community welfare practitioners. As a researcher of everyday experiences of welfare and poverty, I know all too well what it is like to ask people to tell their stories of hardship yet again. I also grew up in an impoverished family reliant on welfare to get by. I know firsthand what the impact of retelling stories of hardship can be, particularly when the audience is, as Peel <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/lowest-rung/FA159318C2D046EDD3C9347C8B8E4F2E">puts</a> it, “someone who has the power to give or deny them something they need”. One of the community welfare practitioners I interviewed summed it up by saying: "They’re coming again feeling ashamed. They’ve knocked on someone’s door, to tell yet again how shitty their situation is." Her response was to chat and put them at ease before saying, “Can you tell me your story?” She would follow up by saying, “You’ve given me some insight, let’s formalise your story a little bit.” Some welfare workers showed more scepticism, particularly when it came to giving out emergency relief. When someone refused to share more than the minimum information required to be eligible for extra assistance, one welfare worker commented: "That person doesn’t want to take responsibility." Another practitioner told me, “That woman dramatised her situation,” but quickly added, “That doesn’t mean she wasn’t genuine.” The willingness of people seeking assistance to disclose personal hardships and do so convincingly impacts on how deserving they may come across to those delivering support. The pressure to perform can overshadow encounters between welfare users and workers even when it doesn’t determine the outcome. <h2>‘It’s your dignity’</h2> Among the most marginal welfare recipients I spoke to, “performing vulnerability” was another toll of poverty. Those experiencing the worst hardship frequently told me about having to explain “the ins and outs” and feeling “embarrassed”, “intimidated” or “uncomfortable” when they had to present to welfare agencies. Two young people (whom I have given fictional names) powerfully conveyed the cost of telling all about their struggles: <blockquote> Kane: Often if you go to them sorts of people (welfare agencies) you’ve gotta put it all out there, that you’re homeless, that you got nothing, you got no friends, no family – and then they’re gonna go boom “alright” (you get the help you came for)… Nessa: Yeah, that’s what I had to do to get a house and it’s embarrassing (talking over each other) I think it’s embarrassing. Kane: You gotta go down to those levels you know – it’s wrong. Nessa: When you gotta expose everything and don’t want to, it’s, like, your dignity. Kane: Yeah, it’s everything. </blockquote> <h2>Performing is not pretending</h2> The most marginal welfare users get a great deal of practice performing their hardship. But knowing how to tell their story a certain way is not the same as pretending. Not only do people at the sharp end of the welfare system have to endure the hardships of poverty, but they must then recite it in a way that registers as genuine, pressing and beyond reprieve. As a woman living on the disability support pension put it:"You don’t have the flexibility that a rich person has to respond to crisis, so you have to beg for help. That takes time! And you know you’ll be judged like it’s your fault." A welfare system that demands disclosure of personal hardships – even when geared towards being <a href="https://onlinelibrary-wiley-com.ezproxy.uws.edu.au/doi/full/10.1111/1468-4446.12740">supportive</a> rather than suspicious – can undermine dignity and hold back those unwilling or unable to tell their story convincingly or in enough detail. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/you-have-to-beg-for-help-how-our-welfare-system-pressures-people-to-perform-vulnerability-180975" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Retirement Income

Block winners under pressure to explain their relationship with mystery bidder

The Block winners Omar Slaimankhel and Ozman ‘Oz’ Abu Malik are facing pressure to explain their mysterious relationship to the bidder who drove up the price of their multi-million dollar home. <div> <div> <div> <div> <div> In Sunday's finale episode, the Sydney mates are seen high-fiving millionaire bidder Adrian Portelli, before the auction had even begun. Omar and Oz then emerged as the winners of The Block’s ‘Treechange’ season, earning by far the biggest win in the show’s near-20-year history with a profit of $1,686,666.66 for their luxe home in Gisborne, country Victoria. The victory came after serial Block bidder Danny Wallis, who ended up buying the three homes that actually sold at auction, became locked in a battle with two other bidders, among them Portelli. With the battle driving the price up, Portelli, who arrived in a Lamborghini and greeted Omar and Oz with a hug, was eventually outbid by Danny Wallis. With Portelli left empty handed, he promptly left the auction site and expressed no interest in any of the other properties, despite beginning Omar and Oz's auction way above the reserve price. These behaviours have since raised questions about how well Portelli knew the Block winners, given they were on good enough terms to share a pre-auction high-five. “Oz and I got together with our agents a fair bit and they mentioned we had to reach out to all our networking and see who would potentially be able to come to the house and have a look at it,” Omar told <a title="www.dailymail.co.uk" href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-11397325/The-Blocks-Omar-Oz-reveal-truth-relationship-Mr-Lambo.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Mail Australia</a>. “We reached out to a mutual friend (Portelli) who said he might be keen. He’s watched the show. He’s seen our house and he absolutely loved it when he did come and see it a few weeks ago.” He added that he was “disappointed” people felt Portelli may have been a ‘dummy bidder’ designed to push the price of the home up. “He also saw another couple of houses and unfortunately for the them he wasn’t interested. I’m pretty sure he went to house three or four on auction days,” Omar added. Image credits: The Block </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="media image" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; width: 705.203px; margin-bottom: 24px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"> </div>

Real Estate

Evidence that human evolution driven by major environmental pressures discovered

The genes of ancient humans might have changed substantially due to environmental pressures and change, say an international team of researchers. A widely held belief related to human evolution is that our ancient ancestors’ ability to fashion tools, shelter, and use advanced communication skills may have helped to shield them from large environmental impacts such as changing climate, disease and exposure to other events affecting mortality. But research led out of Australian Centre for Ancient DNA at the University of Adelaide suggests that beneficial genes may have played a more important role in preserving our ancestors. Until now, the sudden increase in frequency of these genes in human groups was masked by the exchange of DNA between people during reproduction. Now, analyses of more than one thousand ancient genomes dating as far back as 45,000 years ago have found historic signals showing genetic adaptation was more common than previously thought. The study of evolutionary events, says the study’s co-lead author Dr Yassine Souilmi, has increased substantially in recent years, as these are the points where human genetics take historic turns. “Evolutionary events [are] exactly what shape our genetic diversity today,” Souilmi tells Cosmos. “That’s what makes us vulnerable to certain diseases [and] resistant to others. “Having a good understanding of evolution, we can have a better understanding of who we are.” Previous research by the Centre has uncovered a range of evolutionary trends, from historic climate change causing the demise of ancestral lions and bears, to the first interactions between humans and coronaviruses 20,000 years ago. And the broader field of research into ancient DNA has shed light on important moments in human history. Only recently did analyses of ancient genes uncover locations on the human genome associated with surviving Yersinia pestis – the bacterium that causes the bubonic plague. <h2>Single events probably triggered selection</h2> This study, published in Nature Ecology and Evolution, has similarly found environmental events might have been more influential on evolution among Eurasian groups. Such events might lead to a point of natural selection. Take, for instance, the emergence of a pathogen. If such a disease could kill people, those who managed to survive and continue reproducing would pass down favourable traits to subsequent generations. “Natural selection acts in two different mechanisms,” says Souilmi. “It only cares about whether you’re procreating successfully… when it acts, it’s either killing a lot of people, [preventing] some people from reproducing successfully, or some people are just not finding mates because they have some sort of ailment that’s not allowing them to mate successfully, or might make them undesirable. “What we’re finding is that the signal of natural selection we detected in this [research] was likely a single event, because the signal is clustered in time in a very early migration out of Africa. “Not all of the [events] we detected occurred at the same time, but the bulk of them did.” <h2>A mirror to the present</h2> This ‘agnostic’ study did not seek to identify the external pressures leading to the selection events indicated in these ancient genes, but future research by the team will seek to uncover that information. Studies like this, or those into specific pressures like the influence of the Black Death or coronaviruses on humans, show the impact of environmental change on our genetics. Souilmi says this is both insightful and cautionary, as environmental change in the present could be studied by humans in the future. He speculates that changes in the Earth’s climate, or the emergence of new pathogens, likely imposed selection pressures on ancient groups, whether through forcing shortages or changes to food supply or imposing physiological stressors. “Very likely, it’s the environment, the temperature, the weather patterns, that would have somewhat impacted the dietary regime of our ancestors out of Africa, and pathogens would have driven this [genetic] adaptation, which has shaped our genetic diversity now,” Souilmi says. “The direct lesson, socially, now, is that if we’re ever faced with events that are similar to that, we are not as immune to extreme episodes of adaptation where a lot of people might die, or be unable to reproduce. “Unless we do something to counteract the environmental changes, or viruses, bacterial or other pandemics, it could be a bad thing.” This article originally appeared on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/science/human-evolution-driven-by-environment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Matthew Agius. Image: Shutterstock

Body

Big study shows that lowering blood pressure lowers risk of dementia

A study across 20 countries has strengthened a link between lowering blood pressure, and reducing the risk of dementia. The meta-analysis, published in the European Heart Journal, draws on clinical trial data from 28,008 participants, to show the strongest link to date between medication that lowers blood pressure, and reduced dementia risk. “We know that high blood pressure is a risk factor for dementia – especially high blood pressure in midlife, so say 40 to 65 years of age,” says lead author Dr Ruth Peters, an associate professor at the University of New South Wales and program lead for dementia in the George Institute’s Global Brain Health Initiative. “But there has been some uncertainty about whether lowering blood pressure, especially in older adults, would reduce risk of dementia. “What we’ve done is take five really high-quality clinical trials and combine them into one dataset, which gave us the ability to really look at this question and look at the relationship between blood pressure-lowering tablets – antihypertensives – and dementia.” The five studies were all double-blind, randomised clinical trials – the ‘gold standard’ in medical research – with participants hailing from 20 different countries. The average age of the participants was 69, and participants were followed up an average of four years after doing the trial. Participants who took antihypertensives had a significantly lower chance of being diagnosed with dementia than those who took placebos. Dementia affects 50 million people worldwide: a number projected to triple by 2050. According to The Lancet’s 2020 Commission on dementia, treatment for hypertension (high blood pressure) is “the only known effective preventive medication for dementia,” all other methods of reducing your risk come from lifestyle and environment. “The strength of this study is the use of individual patient data in a meta-analysis of data drawn from randomised controlled trials of blood pressure medication. This is the first time such data has been meta-analysed,” says Professor Kaarin Anstey, a senior principal research scientist at Neuroscience Research Australia and the UNSW. “This is important for informing clinical practice,” adds Anstey, who was not involved with the study. Professor Nicolas Cherbuin, head of the Australian National University’s Centre for Research on Ageing, Health and Wellbeing, says that the study is “well-designed”, and reflects research by his team showing that higher blood pressure is linked to lower brain volumes and poorer brain health. “The diagnostic procedure and criteria used are well-established, the sample size is large, those with dementia at baseline were excluded,” says Cherbuin. But he points out that the study didn’t find an effect of blood pressure medication on cognitive decline, and nor did it include participants with mild cognitive impairment, who would be “more likely to convert”. Anstey points out that “inevitably” the participants in the cohort are now quite old, and thus may be different to populations developing dementia now. “Clinical trials involve highly selected samples and often exclude diverse ethnic groups,” she adds. “I hope that this reinforces the importance of blood pressure control for brain health,” says Peters. But she emphasises that, while this is useful news for preventing dementia in mid-life, people of all ages can improve their brain health by other means. “It’s not just blood pressure lowering – it has to be taken in the context of a healthy lifestyle.” This article originally appeared on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/dementia-blood-pressure-meta/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Ellen Phiddian. Image: Shutterstock

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Grace under pressure: Princess Kate heckled in Ireland

Princess Kate was the subject of a heckler in Northern Ireland, where she was greeting crowds after visiting a suicide prevention charity. Footage has emerged of the Princess of Wales shaking hands with the heckler, who filmed herself telling the royal that “Ireland belongs to the Irish”. “Nice to meet you but it would be better if it was when you were in your own country,” the woman said. The princess laughed off the comments before letting go of the woman’s hand and continuing to greet other members of the crowd. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> This woman reefing the arm off Kate Middleton and telling her 'Ireland belongs to the Irish'.... <a href="https://t.co/KK2gAqZ0Kv">pic.twitter.com/KK2gAqZ0Kv</a> — Caolán Mc Aree (@Caolanmcaree) <a href="https://twitter.com/Caolanmcaree/status/1578095529233641472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2022</a></blockquote> Northern Ireland has been a hotly contested region since 1922, when the southern part of the country become gained independence and became the Republic of Ireland while Northern Island remained in the United Kingdom. Despite the tense interaction, Princess Kate’s time in Belfast seemed quite successful, as she and her husband Prince William visited several cross-community support organisations. Earlier in the day, the royal was spotted making and enjoying a cheeky drink with her husband after the couple travelled to the city centre to view the new outdoor street food and retail market. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/10/kate-belfast.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> Kate Middleton was spotted trying her hand at cocktail making during her visit to Belfast, Northern Island. Image: Getty Images The market, which opened in July, was designed as a place for the community to come together to enjoy artisanal food and local products. The pair also met with workers from PIPS, a suicide prevention charity, and spoke to them about their work helping people at risk of suicide and self-harm. During their visit, the charity arranged for William and Kate to take part in an art therapy session, which saw them paint pumpkins with children whom PIPS has supported. Images: The Sun, Getty Images

Travel Trouble

Scientists have mimicked an embryo’s heart to unlock the secrets of how blood cells are born

Stem cells are the starting point for all other cells in our bodies. The <a href="https://www.eurostemcell.org/blood-stem-cells-pioneers-stem-cell-research" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first such cells to be found</a> were blood stem cells – as the name suggests, they give rise to different types of blood cells. But there’s much we don’t know about how these cells develop in the first place. In a study published today in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111339" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cell Reports</a>, we have shown how a lab simulation of an embryo’s beating heart and circulation lead to the development of human blood stem cell precursors. The tiny device mimics embryonic blood flow, allowing us to directly observe human embryonic blood formation under the microscope. These results may help us understand how we can produce life-saving therapies for patients who need new blood stem cells. <h2>Growing life-saving therapies in the lab</h2> To treat aggressive blood cancers such as leukaemia, patients often need extremely high doses of chemotherapy; a <a href="https://www.cancer.nsw.gov.au/myeloma/diagnosis-and-treatment/treatment/types-of-treatment/stem-cell-transplant#:%7E:text=A%20stem%20cell%20transplant%20involves%20killing%20blood%20cells,they%20are%20collected%20beforehand%20and%20kept%20in%20storage." target="_blank" rel="noopener">blood stem cell transplant</a> then regenerates blood after the treatment. These are life-saving therapies but are restricted to patients who have a suitable tissue-matched donor of blood stem cells. A way around this problem would be to grow more blood stem cells in the lab. Unfortunately, past experiments have shown that harvested adult blood stem cells lose their transplantation potential if grown in the lab. The discovery of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Induced_pluripotent_stem_cell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">induced pluripotent stem cells</a> – stem cells made out of adult cells – in 2006 led to a promising new approach. Induced pluripotent stem cells are made from the patient’s own cells, so there is no problem with tissue rejection, or the ethical issues surrounding the use of IVF embryos. These cell lines are similar to embryonic stem cells, so they have the potential to form any tissue or cell type – hence, they are “pluripotent”. In theory, pluripotent stem cell lines could provide an unlimited supply of cells for blood regeneration because <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immortalised_cell_line" target="_blank" rel="noopener">they are immortalised</a> – they can grow in the lab indefinitely. But the development of processes to allow us to grow particular types of tissues, organs and cell types – such as blood – has been slow and will take decades to advance. One must mimic the complex process of embryogenesis in the dish! <h2>Engineering an embryonic heart</h2> Current understanding of how embryonic blood stem cells develop is based on animal models. Experiments with anaesthetised zebrafish embryos have shown that blood stem cells arise in the wall of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20154733/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the main blood vessel, the aorta</a>, shortly after the first heartbeat. For ethical reasons, it’s obvious this type of study is not possible in human embryos. This is why we wanted to engineer an embryonic heart model in the lab. To achieve this, we used <a href="https://www.elveflow.com/microfluidic-reviews/general-microfluidics/a-general-overview-of-microfluidics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">microfluidics</a> – an approach that involves manipulating extremely small volumes of liquids. The first step in generating blood stem cells from pluripotent stem cells is to coax the latter to form the site where blood stem cells start growing. This is known as the AGM region (aorta-gonad-mesonephros) of the embryo. Our miniature heart pump and circulation (3 by 3 centimetres) mimics the mechanical environment in which blood stem cells form in the human embryo. The device pumps culture media – liquids used to grow cells – around a microfluidic circuit to copy what the embryo heart does. <h2>A step closer to treatment</h2> Once we got the cells to form the AGM region by stimulating cells on day two of starting our cell culture, we applied what’s known as pulsatile circulatory flow from day 10 to day 26. Blood precursors entered the artificial circulation from blood vessels lining the microfluidic channels. Then, we harvested the circulating cells and grew them in culture, showing that they developed into various blood components – white blood cells, red blood cells, platelets, and others. In-depth analysis of gene expression in single cells showed that circulatory flow generated aortic and blood stem precursor cells found in the AGM of human embryos. This means our study has shown how pulsatile circulatory flow enhances the formation of blood stem cell precursors from pluripotent stem cells. It’s knowledge we can use in the future. The next step in our research is to scale up the production of blood stem cell precursors, and to test their transplant potential in immune-deficient mice that can accept human transplants. We can do this by using large numbers of pluripotent stem cells grown in bioreactors that also mechanically stimulate blood stem cell formation. If we can easily produce blood stem cells from pluripotent stem cell lines, it would provide a plentiful supply of these cells to help treatments of cancer or genetic blood diseases. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/scientists-have-mimicked-an-embryos-heart-to-unlock-the-secrets-of-how-blood-cells-are-born-190530" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Image: UNSW

Body

"She sat on a throne of blood": Uni professor launches another attack on Queen Elizabeth

A controversial university professor has doubled down on her celebration of Queen Elizabeth's death, claiming she "sat on a throne of blood". Uju Anya, a linguistics professor at Pennsylvania's Carnegie Mellon University, <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/uni-professor-slammed-for-wishing-the-queen-excruciating-pain" target="_blank" rel="noopener">came under fire</a> earlier this week for a series of controversial tweets in which she hoped the Queen was in "excruciating pain" as she died. Now, the Nigerian-American lecturer has reiterated her claims on a podcast, saying, "This was a ruler. The very crown she had on her head signified the fact that she's a monarch was made from plunder. Diamonds. Blood diamonds." "The throne that she was sitting on is a throne of blood... Her very position as a monarch, the palace she lived in... were all paid for by our blood." She stood by her controversial tweets, which she admitted were an "emotional outburst", but said, "I said what I f****** said." "I was triggered by this news. It went deep into pain and trauma for me. Due to my family experience with the rule of this monarch." Anya also shared her thoughts on the Queen's role in the Nigerian Civil War in 1967 by showing support for the turbulent government. She said, "People expected me to be calm or to be... when the person who literally paid money for bombs and guns and military supplies to come and massacre your people is dying, you're not supped to dance." Anya's claims forced her employer to say in a statement, "We do not condone the offensive and objectionable messages posted by Uju Anya today on her social media account." "Free expression is core to the mission of higher education. However, the views she shared absolutely do not represent the values of the institution, nor the standards of discourse we seek to foster," they concluded. Despite thousands of people being up in arms over her comments and demanding an apology, others have jumped to the professor's defence. Over 4,000 people have signed a petition defending Anya, saying her posts on Twitter spoke to personal anguish the scholar still feels about atrocities by the British Empire decades ago that touched her family. Refusing to apologise, Anya once again tweeted, "If anyone expects me to express anything but disdain for the monarch who supervised a government that sponsored the genocide that massacred and displaced half my family and the consequences of which those alive today are still trying to overcome, you can keep wishing upon a star." Image credits: Getty Images / Youtube

Caring

Anne Heche's blood test results revealed after horror smash

An investigation of Anne Heche’s blood results have detected “the presence of drugs” following <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/new-details-of-actor-anne-heche-s-fiery-crash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">her horror smash</a>. The US actress was pulled out of her burning car after she smashed into a mansion in Los Angeles while driving a terrifying 140km/h on August 5. The 53-year-old suffered severe injuries and soon after the crash fell into a coma and has not regained consciousness since. Almost a week after the incident, a Los Angeles Police Department Public Information Officer confirmed there was a “presence of drugs” in Anne’s blood system. “Based on the blood draw, it revealed the presence of drugs, however additional testing is required to rule out any substances that were administered at the hospital as part of her medical treatment,” they told <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/anne-heche-blood-test-revealed-presence-of-drugs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News Digital</a>. "Any secondary drugs [takes] up to 30 days for [a] secondary test to come back.” TMZ previously reported that Anne had cocaine in her system upon arrival at the hospital, but that is yet to be confirmed. The crash is currently being investigated by the LAPD who have confirmed that if Anne is found to have been drunk she would face significant charges. "If found intoxicated, [Heche] could be charged with misdemeanour DUI hit and run. No arrests have been made so far,” a representative said. Anne’s representative has confirmed that she is in an “extreme critical condition”. “She has a significant pulmonary injury requiring mechanical ventilation and burns that require surgical intervention,” her representative said. “She is in a coma and has not regained consciousness since shortly after the accident.” Image: Getty

Caring

Bride wears engagement ring with blood in it

A bride-to-be has caused quite a stir after sharing a photo of her engagement ring that apparently has her fiancé’s blood in it. The woman shared the photo to the popular Facebook group “That's it, I'm wedding shaming” and at first glance it looks like a normal ring with a red stone. To everyone’s shock, she revealed that the “red stone” was in fact her fiancé’s blood. “Has anyone else opted out of a wedding band? I love my engagement ring so much, it has my fiancé’s blood in it and it is so special to me,” she began. “I’d rather that be put on my finger at the wedding instead of a band. I would have to get a custom one to fit my ring and I don’t know, I just don’t want to.” However, the comments were not nice about the $300 ring, with many questioning why anyone would do that. “I’m glad she loves it and is happy. It is heinous though,” one wrote. “I’m fine with one ring…as long as it’s not filled with BLOOD! What in the actual f**k?” someone else commented. "I hate it here," another simply wrote. Image: Facebook

Relationships

Man donates blood an incredible 600 times

A man has made an extraordinary accomplishment of saving more than 1,800 lives after donating blood 600 times. Bruce from Port Macquarie was egged on by his Aunty Mary after she had donated blood 70 times saying he would not be able to do as much as she did. But, Bruce being Bruce, he decided to accept his aunt's challenge and went ahead to donate blood. “My Aunty Mary told me she had done 70 donations, and that I would never catch her,” he said. “Smart lady, that one and the challenge was accepted.” Bruce, 60, now skateboards to an Australian Red Cross donation centre every fortnight to give generously. Since starting his blood donation, Bruce has become the first person in Port Macquarie – and one of only 60 people in Australia – to have donated blood a whopping 600 times. All those blood donations have contributed to saving the lives of up to 1,800 people including new mothers, babies, cancer patients and trauma sufferers. When asked for advice and encouragement on the process of donating, Bruce explained that it was a rewarding experience. “The vampires at [Lifeblood] are lovely and it doesn't hurt much at all, so I encourage others to put something back, roll up your sleeves and save a life,” he said. Bruce commended his Aunty Mary, saying that without her support he would not have reached the incredible milestone. Image: Australian Red Cross Lifeblood

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"You have to beg for help": how our welfare system pressures people to perform vulnerability

Block winners under pressure to explain their relationship with mystery bidder

Evidence that human evolution driven by major environmental pressures discovered

Big study shows that lowering blood pressure lowers risk of dementia

Grace under pressure: Princess Kate heckled in Ireland

Scientists have mimicked an embryo’s heart to unlock the secrets of how blood cells are born

"She sat on a throne of blood": Uni professor launches another attack on Queen Elizabeth

Anne Heche's blood test results revealed after horror smash

Bride wears engagement ring with blood in it

Man donates blood an incredible 600 times

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