Health & Wellness
Researchers to examine factors driving obesity and what more can be done to help severely obese children.
04
September
2019
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14:00
America/Tegucigalpa
The number of overweight and obese preschool-aged children is on the decline in Alberta, but severe obesity remains virtually unchanged, according to a new study.
Researchers examined data from more than 160,000 Alberta children between the ages of four and six from 2010 to 2017. They found the prevalence of overweight children decreased from 17.8 to 15.7 per cent over the eight-year period, while the number of obese children dropped from 4.7 to 4.2 per cent. At the same time, the rate of severely obese preschool children remained virtually static at 2.2 per cent.
“It is good news, but the fact that severe obesity has remained fixed is concerning,” said Padma Kaul, a professor of cardiology at the University of Alberta and senior author of the study.
“We need to figure out what's going on there because those are the kids who ...
Headlines
20
September
2019
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14:00
America/Tegucigalpa
New AI program better at detecting depressive language in social media
U of A computing scientist developing technology that could help platforms like Twitter and Facebook alert users to possible depression.
A new technology using artificial intelligence detects depressive language in social media posts more accurately than current systems and uses less data to do it.
The technology, which was …
19
September
2019
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19:00
America/Tegucigalpa
U of A, City of Edmonton join international network of city-university partnerships
First partnership within Canada will collaborate on projects involving sustainable buildings, elder care and connected vehicle networks.
The University of Alberta and the City of Edmonton will collaborate on three projects using the collective might of an international network of city-university partnerships dedicated to finding …
18
September
2019
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17:51
America/Tegucigalpa
What you need to know about pharmacare
U of A health economist outlines pros and cons of proposed federal drug plan.
Canadians are finally ready to tackle the “unfinished business” of medicare, according to University of Alberta health economist Christopher McCabe.
“The fact that we don’t have equal access …
18
September
2019
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17:42
America/Tegucigalpa
Regulatory heft needed to curb false promises on stem cells, says health law expert
Government, physicians and advertising regulators need to team up to protect the public from marketing of unproven treatments, argues U of A health-trend skeptic Timothy Caulfield.
The legal and regulatory tools designed to protect the public from the marketing of unproven stem cell therapies will remain ineffective without bureaucratic will and grassroots efforts, according to …
17
September
2019
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14:00
America/Tegucigalpa
New piece of Alzheimer’s puzzle found
Researchers discover that two short strings of amino acids could pave the way to new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease.
Two years after discovering a way to neutralize a rogue protein linked to Alzheimer’s disease, University of Alberta Distinguished University Professor and neurologist Jack Jhamandas has found a new …
16
September
2019
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23:59
America/Tegucigalpa
COMMENTARY || Using technology to support caregivers of older people with dementia
Technology can support caregivers of people with dementia, but only if developers and designers take caregiver needs into consideration, argues U of A expert.
In June, the government of Canada released its long-awaited Dementia Strategy for Canada: Together We Aspire.
As a family caregiving researcher for more than two decades and a former family …
16
September
2019
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16:30
America/Tegucigalpa
New guide helps families adapt to celiac diet
Workbook reveals hidden sources of gluten, gives tips on how to adjust affordably.
If your child has celiac disease, you will need two of everything in your kitchen—just one source of extra expense faced by families dealing with Canada’s most common autoimmune disorder.
A new …
16
September
2019
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14:00
America/Tegucigalpa
How to prevent Little League elbow from causing big problems
U of A physiotherapist offers tips to help parents and coaches know whether a child has the common overuse ailment, how to prevent it and how to treat it.
Dominic Johnston was powering through her routine on the bars in 2017 when she felt a stab of pain in her arm.
The competitive gymnast, who was 10 at the time, was used to occasional aches and …
11
September
2019
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21:14
America/Tegucigalpa
Young transplant recipient gets 3-D models of his damaged heart
U of A project helps families, patients and medical trainees visualize congenital heart defects.
When Mason Thomas needed a heart transplant at age six, he asked to see his damaged heart so he could understand what was wrong with it, but the old organ was discarded after the surgery.
Today, …
10
September
2019
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21:13
America/Tegucigalpa
U of A summer programs bring underrepresented youth closer to professions in health care and research
HYRS Research Program and Venture Healthcare provide a first look into health sciences for young students.
Patricia Feng spent six weeks of her summer vacation discovering research labs, making new friends, running experiments and learning how complex and fascinating cell biology could be, thanks to a …
10
September
2019
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18:07
America/Tegucigalpa
How babies absorb calcium could be key to treating osteoporosis in seniors
U of A researchers first to reveal how breastfed infants are able to take in large amounts of calcium to build bones.
New research reveals the mechanism that allows breastfeeding babies to absorb large amounts of calcium and build healthy bones—a discovery that could lead to treatment for osteoporosis and other bone …