Health
Bruce Lee may have died from drinking too much water, new study says
- Bruce Lee was known for saying, “Be water, my friend,” but the martial arts legend may have died from drinking a copious amount of it, according to a new study.
- Lee died of cerebral oedema, or a swelling of the brain, in July 20, 1973, at the age of 32.
- Kidney specialists from Spain are now claiming that the oedema was brought on by hyponatraemia.
- According to a study published in the December 2022 issue of Clinical Kidney Journal, the “Enter the Dragon” star died due to his kidneys not being able to remove excess water.
- Lee’s wife, Linda Lee Caldwell, previously noted her husband’s full liquid diet of “carrot and apple juice.
- Matthew Polly, author of “Bruce Lee: A Life,” would often mention in his book Lee’s water consumption throughout the day.
Bruce Lee was known for saying, “Be water, my friend,” but the martial arts legend may have died from drinking a copious amount of it, according to a new study.
Lee died of cerebral oedema, or a swelling of the brain, in July 20, 1973, at the age of 32. Kidney specialists from Spain are now claiming that the oedema was brought on by hyponatraemia, which occurs when sodium in the body gets diluted after drinking too much water.
CDC links enoki mushrooms to listeria outbreak
- The CDC has linked the Listeria outbreak to enoki mushrooms.
- Those who are pregnant, over the age of 65 or have a weakened immune system present a higher risk for severe illness.
- Symptoms of severe illness usually start two weeks after consuming the contaminated food, but can present themselves the day of or up to 10 weeks after consumption.
- Popular in East Asian cuisine, enoki mushrooms are known for their white color, thin stems and small mushroom caps.
- Although the source of the enoki mushrooms that caused the Listeria outbreak has not yet been identified, the outbreak strain has been detected in one of the samples collected by the FDA.
- As of this writing, there have been two confirmed cases reported: one in Nevada and another in Michigan.
The CDC has linked the listeria outbreak to enoki mushrooms.
Popular in East Asian cuisine, enoki mushrooms are known for their white color, thin stems and small mushroom caps. Enoki mushrooms are commonly sold by the root in bundles, usually wrapped in plastic or held together by a rubber band.
Updated vaccines launch to help protect against COVID this winter
With the weather getting cooler and holiday season approaching, it’s important we use all the tools available to help protect ourselves and our loved ones from COVID.
Updated vaccines provide protection against both the original COVID virus and Omicron.
Chinese woman’s quest for successful childbirth despite 26 miscarriages sparks criticism
- A Chinese mother who gave birth after 26 miscarriages faced online criticism after the hospital released her story.
- Her 26th miscarriage occurred in 2019 when the mother was 34 years old.
- The 37-year-old mother finally gave birth to a baby girl through a C-section this year.
- The hospital released her story as a “dream to be a mother coming true,” stating that “we intended to focus on the efforts and skills of our medical workers.”
- Weibo’s users were horrified by the obsession to have a child and the woman’s sacrifice.
A Chinese mother who gave birth after 26 miscarriages is facing online criticism after the hospital released her story.
With her most recent miscarriage occurring in 2019 at the age of 34, the woman gave birth to a baby girl through a C-section this year, according to a press release from the hospital. Although she had “lost hope” after her 26th miscarriage, the hospital’s surgical intervention allowed for a successful childbirth, reported South China Morning Post.
China eases restrictions on inbound travelers after more than 2 years
- On Friday, the National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China announced its first step toward easing its strict zero-COVID policy for incoming travelers.
- The mandatory quarantine for inbound international passengers will soon be reduced to five days, followed by three days of home isolation.
- The pre-departure test requirement within 48 hours of boarding a flight to China will also be cut from two negative tests to one.
- However, international travelers who do not have permanent addresses in China are still required to undergo a total of eight days of quarantine in hotels.
- The Chinese government has yet to announce when the changes will take effect.
China announced its first step toward easing its strict zero-COVID policy for incoming travelers.
The nation’s tough policy has led to a seemingly endless string of lockdowns, mass testing, contact tracing and quarantines. Although the restrictions have kept the COVID-19 infection rate relatively low, they have also pummeled China’s economy and tourism sector.
Rise of growth hormone use on children in China alarms health experts
- Chinese health experts are raising concerns about the growing interest among parents to use synthetic human growth hormones on their own children.
- The injections produce bone growth and development, and are supposed to be prescribed to children with certain medical and health conditions.
- Annual treatments for growth hormone powder injections can cost almost 19,000 yuan (approximately $2,600), liquid injections cost around 42,000 yuan (approximately $5,800) and long-acting injections cost about 196,000 yuan (approximately $27,000), all of which usually take two to five years to complete.
- Health experts cautioned parents against the treatments as they are not guaranteed to work and may even cause adverse reactions, such as an accelerated puberty development and growth plate fusion.
Chinese health experts are raising concerns about the growing interest among parents to use synthetic human growth hormones on their children.
Local media outlets cited by The Epoch Times reported that the Beijing Children’s Hospital had almost doubled its endocrinologist consultations since July, over 90 percent of which were parents inquiring about their children’s height. In some of the cases, the parents even ask the specialists directly to inject their children with “height boosting shots.”
Indonesia bans cough syrups after nearly 200 child deaths
- The Indonesian government has banned several brands of cough syrup after the number of children who have died from acute kidney injury (AKI) rose to 195 on Monday.
- Mohammad Syahril, a spokesperson for the Indonesian Ministry of Health, said at a press conference on Monday that the authorities have recorded more than 320 cases of AKI across the country and that 27 patients are still in the hospital.
- “Some syrups that were used by AKI child patients under five were proven to contain ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol that were not supposed to be there, or of very little amount," Indonesia’s Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said last month.
- The recent rise of AKI cases in Indonesia came just weeks after the World Health Organization named four Indian-made cough syrups linked to the deaths of 70 children in the Western African country of The Gambia.
The number of Indonesian children who have died from acute kidney injury (AKI) due to taking cough syrup rose to 195 on Monday, prompting the Indonesian government to temporarily ban the sale and use of all syrup and liquid medicine.
At a press conference on Monday, Mohammad Syahril, a spokesperson for the Indonesian Ministry of Health, said that Indonesian authorities have recorded more than 320 cases of AKI across the country and that 27 patients are still in the hospital.
FDA reviews evidence pulse oximeters less accurate on people with darker skin
- A panel from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently met to review the reported inaccuracy of pulse oximetry in patients with darker skin.
- Members of the FDA’s Anesthesiology and Respiratory Therapy Devices Panel heard from patients, regulators, researchers and medical device developers to get relevant insights and recommendations.
- Pulse oximeters, which estimate the amount of oxygen in the blood through the use of light beams, have been found to give inaccurate readings as the skin’s pigmentation could affect how its sensor absorbs the light.
- In the U.S., groups are already conducting research on how to address the biases by either canceling out melanin’s effects on existing devices or developing entirely different methods to read oxygen levels.
The Medical Devices Advisory Committee of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently met to review the reported inaccuracy of pulse oximetry in patients with darker skin.
The meeting conducted on Tuesday was aimed at providing relevant insights and recommendations while the FDA conducts its evaluation of pulse oximeters’ accuracy and overall performance.
‘Like drinking a cup of milk tea’: China debuts world’s first inhalable COVID-19 vaccine
- China began administering the world’s first inhalable COVID-19 vaccine in Shanghai.
- The vaccine is a mist that is inhaled through the mouth.
- It was developed by Chinese biopharmaceutical company CanSino Biologics and was approved for use as a booster in September.
- Scientists believe that the aerosol vaccine will appeal to those afraid of needles and could boost vaccination rates in poorer countries because they are easier to administer.
China has started administering the world’s first inhalable COVID-19 vaccine in Shanghai.
Fully vaccinated residents in Shanghai lined up on Wednesday to receive the needle-free booster dose.
86-year-old bodybuilder breaks own record as oldest Japan bodybuilding championships competitor
- Japanese bodybuilder Toshisuke Kanazawa has broken his own record as the oldest male competitor in the Japan bodybuilding championships at the age of 86.
- Kanazawa participated in the 68th edition of the men's Japan bodybuilding championships in Osaka on Oct. 9, but he failed to reach the top 12.
- "I'm grateful for just being able to participate,” Kanazawa said. “I hope I can reach the hearts of others when they see me take on a challenge even in old age."
- Kanazawa, who began taking bodybuilding seriously at the age of 20, became a national champion 15 times throughout his bodybuilding career.
- He is set to compete in the world championships in Spain in November.
A Japanese bodybuilder has broken his previous record as the oldest male competitor in the Japan bodybuilding championships at the age of 86.
Toshisuke Kanazawa achieved the feat by participating in the 68th edition of the men’s Japan bodybuilding championships in Osaka on Oct. 9.
Filipino, Japanese Americans most likely amongst Asian American groups to experience obesity: study
- Researchers from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzed the data of 70,000 Asian Americans sampled from the U.S. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System surveys conducted from 2013 to 2020.
- The new study highlighted how the survey masked actual obesity rates and other associated risks among Asian American adults by lumping all Asian Americans into one group and using the standard body mass index (BMI) cutoff for obesity.
- The World Health Organization (WHO) recommended in 2014 that a lower threshold of a BMI ≥ 27.5 kg/m2, instead of BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2, should be used in defining obesity in Asian groups.
- Using the standard definition of obesity, the researchers estimated that the overall prevalence of obesity was 11.7% in Asian Americans, but using the lower cutoff doubled the prevalence to 22.4% overall.
- Segregating the data between subgroups, obesity rates in Filipino and Japanese Americans were revealed to be 28.7% and 26.7%, respectively, which are close to the 29.4% rate in white people but still lower than the 39.7% rate of obesity in Black participants.
- Using the standard definition, the prevalence of obesity among Vietnamese, Chinese and Korean Americans was 6.3%, 6.5%, and 8.5%, respectively, but using the suggested version reveals 13.6%, 13.2% and 17.4%.
Asian Americans from different ethnic groups possess significantly varied obesity rates, a new study has found.
The study, published in Annals of Internal Medicine on Oct. 4, analyzed the data of 70,000 Asian Americans sampled from the U.S. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System surveys conducted from 2013 to 2020.
China health chief warns against ‘skin-to-skin contact with foreigners’ amid first case of monkeypox
- Wu Zunyou, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s chief epidemiologist, announced on Weibo on Saturday that China now has one case of monkeypox after it “slipped through the net” despite tight COVID-19 restrictions.
- Wu listed five recommendations in his Weibo post, with the first one igniting controversy on the social media platform.
- “To prevent possible monkeypox infection and as part of our healthy lifestyle, it is recommended that 1) you do not have direct skin-to-skin contact with foreigners,” he wrote.
- “This is a bit like when the pandemic began, when some people overseas avoided any Chinese people they saw out of fear," one user commented, criticizing Wu’s message. “I don't believe these two things have any scientific basis, they are too broad and will exacerbate public panic."
- "When the pandemic first began, some of our foreign friends stood up and used our own platforms to tell everybody, 'Chinese people are not the virus,'" another Weibo user wrote.
A senior Chinese health official recently warned people on social media not to touch foreigners as the country reported its first case of monkeypox.
In a Weibo post on Saturday, Wu Zunyou, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s chief epidemiologist, announced that China now has one case of monkeypox that “slipped through the net” despite tight COVID-19 restrictions.
