News tagged with human health

Distinct 'God spot' in the brain does not exist

Scientists have speculated that the human brain features a "God spot," one distinct area of the brain responsible for spirituality. Now, University of Missouri researchers have completed research that indicates spirituality ...

Neuroscience created Apr 19, 2012 | popularity 4.7 / 5 (24) | comments 1 | with audio podcast

Scar tissue turned into heart muscle without using stem cells

Scientists at Duke University Medical Center have shown the ability to turn scar tissue that forms after a heart attack into heart muscle cells using a new process that eliminates the need for stem cell transplant.

Cardiology created Apr 26, 2012 | popularity 4.9 / 5 (10) | comments 2 | with audio podcast

An apple a day lowers level of blood chemical linked to hardening of the arteries

(Medical Xpress)—Eating an apple a day might in fact help keep the cardiologist away, new research suggests.

Health created Oct 02, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (9) | comments 3 | with audio podcast

China researchers link obesity to bacteria

Chinese researchers have identified a bacteria which may cause obesity, according to a new paper suggesting diets that alter the presence of microbes in humans could combat the condition.

Overweight and Obesity created Dec 19, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (8) | comments 1

Sleep deprivation may disrupt your genes, study says

(HealthDay)—Far more than just leaving you yawning, a small amount of sleep deprivation disrupts the activity of genes, potentially affecting metabolism and other functions in the human body, a new study ...

Medical research created Feb 25, 2013 | popularity 4.3 / 5 (9) | comments 1 | with audio podcast

Gut microbes might reflect health, diet of older adults

(HealthDay) -- The health of elderly people appears closely linked with their diet and the type of microorganisms living in their gut, suggesting that what you eat may affect how well you age, according to ...

Medical research created Jul 13, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (6) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Compound in grapes, red wine could be key to fighting prostate cancer

Resveratrol, a compound found commonly in grape skins and red wine, has been shown to have several beneficial effects on human health, including cardiovascular health and stroke prevention. Now, a University ...

Cancer created Nov 10, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (6) | comments 5 | with audio podcast

Common food preservative may slow, even stop tumor growth

Nisin, a common food preservative, may slow or stop squamous cell head and neck cancers, a University of Michigan study found.

Cancer created Oct 31, 2012 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (6) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Study in mice discovers injection of heat-generating cells reduces belly fat

The injection of a tiny capsule containing heat-generating cells into the abdomens of mice led those animals to burn abdominal fat and initially lose about 20 percent of belly fat after 80 days of treatment.

Medical research created Sep 05, 2012 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (6) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

1,092 genomes and counting

Focusing on fine features in order to see "the big picture" seems almost counterintuitive, but that is exactly what is happening in the field of genomics. Researchers are sequencing human genomes, cataloging ...

Genetics created Nov 16, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (5) | comments 0

Could chemical in dishware raise your risk for kidney stones?

(HealthDay)—A chemical called melamine that's found in some dishware might raise your risk for kidney stones, a small new study suggests.

Health created Jan 21, 2013 | popularity 4.6 / 5 (5) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Scientists show potent new compound virtually eliminates HIV in cell culture

A new study by scientists on the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute shows, in cell culture, a natural compound can virtually eliminate human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in infected cells. The compound defines ...

HIV & AIDS created Jul 19, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (4) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Yoga reduces stress; now it's known why

Six months ago, researchers at UCLA published a study that showed using a specific type of yoga to engage in a brief, simple daily meditation reduced the stress levels of people who care for those stricken by Alzheimer's ...

Psychology & Psychiatry created Jul 24, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (4) | comments 0

Obesity accounts for 21 percent of medical care costs

(Medical Xpress) -- Obesity now accounts for almost 21 percent of U.S. health care costs -- more than twice the previous estimates, reports a new Cornell study.

Health created Apr 05, 2012 | popularity 3.4 / 5 (5) | comments 4 | with audio podcast

Effects of loneliness mimic aging process

The social pain of loneliness produces changes in the body that mimic the aging process and increase the risk of heart disease, reports a recent Cornell study published in Psychology and Aging (27:1). Changes in cardiovascular functi ...

Psychology & Psychiatry created May 01, 2012 | popularity 4 / 5 (4) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Health

At the time of the creation of the World Health Organization (WHO), in 1948, Health was defined as being "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity".

This definition invited nations to expand the conceptual framework of their health systems beyond issues related to the physical condition of individuals and their diseases, and it motivated us to focus our attention on what we now call social determinants of health. Consequently, WHO challenged political, academic, community, and professional organisations devoted to improving or preserving health to make the scope of their work explicit, including their rationale for allocating resources. This opened the door for public accountability [3].

Only a handful of publications have focused specifically on the definition of health and its evolution in the first 6 decades. Some of them highlight its lack of operational value and the problem created by use of the word "complete." Others declare the definition, which has not been modified since 1948, "simply a bad one." [4]. More recently, Smith suggested that it is "a ludicrous definition that would leave most of us unhealthy most of the time." [5].

In 1986, the WHO, in the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion, said that health is "a resource for everyday life, not the objective of living. Health is a positive concept emphasizing social and personal resources, as well as physical capacities." Classification systems such as the WHO Family of International Classifications (WHO-FIC), which is composed of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) and the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) also define health.

Overall health is achieved through a combination of physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being, which, together is commonly referred to as the Health Triangle.

For more information about Health, read the full article at Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.

Related topics: cells , air pollution , chemical , groundwater , microbes