News tagged with human health

Measuring enzyme levels in cancer patients may reveal healthy cells' ability to survive chemotherapy

New research from MIT may allow scientists to develop a test that can predict the severity of side effects of some common chemotherapy agents in individual patients, allowing doctors to tailor treatments ...

Genetics created Apr 05, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

New review associates vitamin D with lower rates of tooth decay

A new review of existing studies points toward a potential role for vitamin D in helping to prevent dental caries, or tooth decay.

Dentistry created Nov 27, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 1 | 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

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

Study defines level of dengue virus needed for transmission

Researchers have identified the dose of dengue virus in human blood that is required to infect mosquitoes when they bite. Mosquitoes are essential for transmitting the virus between people so the findings have important implications ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created May 13, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Women altering menstruation cycles in large numbers, study shows

A surprisingly large number of women 18 or older choose to delay or skip monthly menstruation by deviating from the instructions of birth-control pills and other hormonal contraceptives, a team of University of Oregon researchers ...

Health created May 09, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Optimism is universal, and so are the benefits, researcher says

(Medical Xpress)—The capacity for optimism is often thought to be a defining characteristic of the human species. As a result, the potential benefits of optimism have been a popular research topic in psychology, and there ...

Psychology & Psychiatry created May 08, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Basic disinfectant could halt bird flu spread, study shows

Live poultry markets can act as hotbeds for H5N1 bird flu, but simple measures such as disinfecting trucks, equipment and market space could help stop the virus from spreading, researchers said Monday.

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created May 06, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

H7N9 bird flu: Lancet study confirms poultry as source (Update)

Chinese researchers reporting in The Lancet on Thursday confirmed poultry as a source of H7N9 flu among humans but said they found no evidence of person-to-person transmission.

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created Apr 25, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Quit smoking? Vitamin E may give extra boost to heart health

Taking a specific form of a vitamin E supplement can accelerate the health benefits that occur when people quit smoking, new research suggests. In the small study, improvement in blood vessel function associated with the ...

Health created Apr 23, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Kids more likely to pick up warts at home, not public spaces

(HealthDay)—Contrary to conventional wisdom, a new Dutch study has found that the most likely way children get infected with the virus that causes warts is from close contact with family members or classmates, ...

Pediatrics created Apr 22, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

WHO says China bird flu not spreading easily in humans

There's no evidence a new bird flu strain is spreading easily among people in China even though some of those sickened were close to patients with the virus, the World Health Organization said Friday.

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created Apr 19, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Examining function of all genes in the zebrafish genome to benefit human health

Equipped with the zebrafish genome, researchers have designed a method to assay the function of each and every gene and to explore the effects genetic variation has on zebrafish. So far the team has generated one or more ...

Genetics created Apr 17, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Genetic discovery found to influence obesity in people of African ancestry

The largest genetic search for "obesity genes" in people of African ancestry has led to the discovery of three new regions of the human genome that influence obesity in these populations and others.

Genetics created Apr 15, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

No proof China's H7N9 spreading between humans, WHO says

The World Health Organisation said Monday there is no evidence China's new H7N9 strain of bird flu is spreading between humans, as the death toll rose to seven and airline and tourism shares slumped.

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created Apr 08, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

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.

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