Julie O’Connor, 49, died from cervical cancer after being given the all-clear by doctors.

“Space medicine” took another small step forward after an astronaut who developed a blood clot in a neck vein was diagnosed and treated while onboard the International Space Station (ISS), physicians at NASA and elsewhere report.

The research team didn’t reveal the astronaut’s name, age or gender, but said the ISS crew member developed an asymptomatic thrombosis – blood clot – in the jugular vein, the major vein draining blood from the brain back to the heart.

Episode of space medicine

Back on Earth, such a case could be quickly remedied in the nearest emergency room. But the logistics of doing so in space were far more complicated, said the team that included Dr James Pattarini of Houston’s National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Johnson Space Center and Dr Serena Aunon-Chancellor, of the Louisiana State University Health Science Center, in Baton Rouge.

Reporting the details of the incident in the New England Journal of Medicine, they said that in this episode of space medicine, medical decisions occurred “across multiple space agencies to overcome the numerous logistic and operational challenges”.

According to the doctors, it was only by sheer luck that the astronaut’s blood clot was discovered at all.

The crew member was taking part in a “vascular research study” that involved intermittent ultrasound examinations of blood vessels before, during and after the ISS space mission.

Although the astronaut showed no symptoms of vein blockage – no headache or facial redness – the jugular vein was abnormally “prominent” during a physical exam, and a follow-up ultrasound confirmed a clot.

After multiple “telemedicine” discussions with medical staff back on Earth, it was decided that the astronaut would be treated with the blood thinner enoxaparin (Lovenox), 20 vials of which had been part of the space station’s medical kit.

Normal gravity

The dose was reduced, however, so that the astronaut could be treated until other blood thinners could be dispatched to the space station. Forty-two days after the crew member’s clot had been diagnosed, a switch in medications was made, from enoxaparin to apixaban (Eliquis).

The clot slowly shrank over months of treatment, but blood flow through the jugular was still not fully back to normal, even three months after treatment.

However, when the astronaut finally returned to Earth – and normal gravity – blood flow in the jugular returned to normal, and treatment was discontinued. In fact, 10 days after landing the clot was completely gone.

Two experts in circulatory health who read over the report said it gives fascinating new insight into how zero-gravity conditions could compromise blood flow.

The astronaut’s clot was a form of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), but these clots most often form in the legs, noted Dr Craig Greben, chief of interventional radiology at Northwell Health in New Hyde Park, New York.

It seems that “the weightlessness astronauts experience during space missions may be another unstudied cause of DVT that requires rigorous research, because it can be silent and fatal, and space travel is only increasing,” Greben said.

Abnormal venous flow

Dr Maja Zaric agreed. She’s an interventional cardiologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

Zaric said the astronaut was in real danger from the clot.

“The size and proximity of documented blood clot to the heart could have easily put [the crew member] into harm’s way, as it could have travelled down to the heart causing pulmonary embolism, or up extending into the head and brain veins,” she explained.

And Zaric noted that ultrasounds conducted on other crew members confirmed that zero-gravity conditions can radically change the dynamics of blood flow.

“In six out of 11 studied astronauts, there was abnormal venous flow detected,” she said. Instead of the steady forward movement that pushes blood through veins, the astronauts exhibited a “to and fro” or “sloshing” movement, Zaric explained. That does not “ensure effective return of head and brain blood back to the heart,” she said.

In essence, gravity appears key to healthy blood flow, and without it a “stasis” appears to occur within vessels, Zaric said.

Power of telemedicine

The research team said the astronaut’s survival was a tribute to coordinated medical care. But the case also highlights a new spaceflight danger.

It’s now imperative that research continue into “the development of prevention and management strategies for venous thromboembolism in weightlessness, especially with future plans for prolonged space travel to the Moon and Mars,” the team wrote.

Greben agreed.

“In this space case, the power of telemedicine from a room on the International Space Station to the doctor’s office on Earth is sensational,” he said. “The future is now, and this is what telehealth looks like – a page out of ‘The Jetsons’ or a ‘Star Trek’ script.”

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Many US parents are not heeding recommendations on how to put their babies to sleep safely, a new government study finds. Most babies are being placed on their backs to sleep – one of the key ways to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), the study found.

Most parents aware of guidelines

But relatively few parents are following some other recommendations: Less than one-third said they only put their babies to sleep on “approved” surfaces, namely, a crib, bassinet or “pack and play.” And just 42% kept their babies’ sleep area free of blankets, pillows and toys.

Part of the problem may be that parents aren’t aware of those guidelines, said lead researcher Ashley Hirai, of the US Health Resources and Services Administration.

These guidelines are newer than the long-established message to put babies on their backs to sleep, she noted. And based on study participants’ responses, doctors are not always talking about them.

It was back in 1992 that the American Academy of Pediatrics began advising parents to put their babies to sleep on their backs, not their tummies. The federal government launched a “Back to Sleep” campaign to raise public awareness, and by 1998, the national rate of SIDS had dropped by 45%.

However, that decline stalled out. And infant deaths from accidental suffocation or strangulation during sleep have actually inched up over the years, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

All told, about 3 500 infants die suddenly each year in the United States.

Parents swayed by various influences

So in more recent years, additional safe-sleep recommendations have been laid out: Put babies to sleep only in a crib, bassinet or pack and play; keep those areas free of soft bedding, toys and crib bumper pads to help prevent overheating and accidental suffocation or strangulation; and have your baby sleep in your bedroom, but not in your bed.

To see how many parents are heeding the advice, Hirai’s team looked at CDC survey data from mothers in 29 US states.

More than three-quarters of moms said they usually put their babies on their backs to sleep. Fewer – 57% – said their babies slept in their room, but not in their beds. Even fewer were consistently following the advice on sleep surfaces and keeping babies’ sleep areas clear.

The vast of majority of mothers – 93% – said their doctor had recommended back-sleeping, and around 84% said they’d received advice on sleep surfaces and what items should be kept out of the crib. But less than half said their doctor had recommended room-sharing but avoiding bed-sharing.

Beyond doctors’ advice – or lack thereof – parents may be swayed by various influences, said Dr Rachel Moon.

She co-wrote an editorial accompanying the study, which was published online in the journal Pediatrics.

“We’ve learned that one’s attitudes and the social norms are incredibly powerful forces,” said Moon, who heads general paediatrics at the University of Virginia, in Charlottesville. “Particularly in the internet age, parents are getting information from so many sources besides their doctor.”

Bed-sharing a particular problem

And then there’s marketing. When parents walk into a store, Moon noted, they see soft bedding and may think they “need to buy it”. When they see pictures of celebrities’ nurseries, “stuffed with soft bedding”, they may be influenced, consciously or not, Moon said.

Bed-sharing – which has increased nationwide since the 1990s – is a particular problem, she noted.

“Many people believe that you cannot successfully breastfeed unless you bed-share,” Moon said. And in some cultures, she added, you’re considered a “bad parent” if you don’t sleep with your baby.

The study also found racial and ethnic disparities: Black mothers were least likely to report putting their babies on their backs to sleep, while room-sharing without bed-sharing was least common among black and American Indian/Alaskan Native families.

It’s not clear why, Hirai said. But, she added, less access to health care and other barriers – like having the space and money for a crib – could be among the factors.

“We need to work on multiple levels to address these disparities,” Moon said. That, she added, includes getting accurate information on safe sleep to everyone – not just new parents – and making neighbourhoods and housing safer.

That’s “so parents don’t feel like they have to bed-share to keep their baby away from rodents in the house or gunfire outside,” Moon explained.

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Experts say more men are getting tested, which explains the rise in diagnoses in England.

Women are being shamed into the procedure out of fear of being outcast or even killed.

Combine the vast power and reach of social media, the unlimited resources of websites and apps, and the unquenchable thirst for health information and motivation. The result is a powerful tool for researchers, health care providers and patients. But like many aspects of the internet, it can be a mixed blessing.

“Social media are an incredible product to provide support and promote good information in ways we couldn’t do before,” said Dr Raina Merchant, director of the Penn Medicine Center for Digital Health in Philadelphia. “They can be a powerful way to understand what patients are talking about and what their concerns are.”

Dilemma of misinformation

Her research has included analysing Facebook posts to predict medical and psychological problems, using Yelp to evaluate drug treatment facilities, and helping clinicians use social media to better understand their patients’ experiences.

In analysing millions of health-related tweets, however, she encountered a pervasive online dilemma: misinformation.

“One that was really common was that people were saying if you eat frozen lemons, that will cure your diabetes,” she said. “Of course, that’s ridiculous, but you can do a lot of damage by stopping your medication and just eating frozen lemons. We have to counteract that.”

That’s the challenge at the intersection of social media and public health: harnessing the vast potential for good, while guarding against the pitfalls.

“Social media can be a great place to learn health tips and get inspiration from others,” said Loren Coleman, vice president of marketing and communications of Action for Healthy Kids. The non-profit promotes health and well-being for children and families at schools nationwide and supports using social media to further those goals. “And it can be a great way for adults, and even families together, to challenge themselves to make healthy lifestyle changes and keep yourself accountable.”

On the other hand, she said, “Cyberbullying is a huge problem. Parents need to be involved online and offline to help their kids navigate social media.”

Real-time medical advice

The scope of social media is hard to overestimate. A recent Pew Research Center study calculated 81% of Americans use smartphones and nearly as many have desktop or laptop computers. The centre also concluded 72% of U.S. adults use some type of social media. Among adults, 69% use Facebook, 37% use Instagram and 22% use Twitter.

There are countless websites and apps dispensing health information, tracking nutrition and fitness, offering encouragement and inspiration, linking people to support one another, even providing real-time medical advice.

At the professional level, Dr Robert Harrington, an interventional cardiologist and chair of the department of medicine at Stanford University in California, said social media is becoming “a really positive addition to how I live my professional life. It’s a more efficient use of my time, allowing me to digest and consider a lot more information than I used to.”

Harrington cites many ways social media enhances his work: more access to scientific journals, immediate interaction with colleagues far and wide, wider exposure to different perspectives.

At the same time, he’s not oblivious to the downside.

“One of the great things about social media is there’s a diversity of perspective,” Harrington said. “One of the challenges is that some of those perspectives can be dangerously wrong.”

Willing to engage

Lately, the cardiologist has been tangling online with people unhappy with his opposition to vaping because of the health dangers.

“They don’t want to talk about data or science, they want to talk about how they feel,” he said.

But Harrington said professionals shouldn’t shy away from the debate.

“You’ve got to be willing to engage,” he said. “I encourage clinicians and scientists to be on social media. We need more truthful voices in these conversations rather than belief-oriented voices.”

Merchant agreed.

Overload of information

“Health care providers can’t just leave it up to the internet to determine what’s correct,” she said. “We have to be part of the discussion and we have to defend good science.”

For the general public, the challenge is on the receiving end. With more information than ever available, the task is sorting through it all and determining what is credible.

“You need to figure out which are trusted sources,” Harrington said. “That means getting different perspectives and using critical thinking.”

Coleman said the term “infobesity” captures the overload of information that can inundate people on social media and everywhere online.

“Managing all of that for ourselves and our children in a healthy way is really vital,” she said.

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The benefits of exercise are well-known, but what if you’re not able to take a brisk walk or endure a punishing workout?

Luckily for you, scientists have identified a protein they think might one day help prevent muscle decline in seniors and people who are immobile.

‘Fly treadmill’

Sestrin, the protein, accumulates naturally in muscle after exercise. The researchers decided to find out more about its link to exercise by conducting experiments in flies and mice.

They created a type of “fly treadmill” and trained the flies for three weeks. They then compared the running and flying ability of normal flies and flies bred to lack the ability to make Sestrin.

“Flies can usually run around four to six hours at this point and the normal flies’ abilities improved over that period. The flies without Sestrin did not improve with exercise,” said study author Jun Hee Lee.

Lee is a professor in the department of molecular and integrative physiology at the University of Michigan.

The researchers also found that triggering overexpression of Sestrin in the muscles of normal flies and maximising their Sestrin levels gave those flies greater abilities than the trained flies, even without exercise.

Improved endurance is just one of the benefits of Sestrin. Experiments with mice showed that those without the protein did not gain the improved aerobic capacity, improved respiration and fat-burning typically associated with exercise.

Prevent muscle wasting

“We propose that Sestrin can coordinate these biological activities by turning on or off different metabolic pathways,” Lee said in a university news release. “This kind of combined effect is important for producing exercise’s effects.”

Further investigation showed that Sestrin can also help prevent wasting of muscle that’s immobilised, such as when a limb is in a cast for a long time.

This “highlights that Sestrin alone is sufficient to produce many benefits of physical movement and exercise,” Lee said.

That suggests that Sestrin could help combat muscle-wasting due to ageing and other causes without the need for exercise.

However, animal findings don’t always translate to humans and much more research is needed before that might be possible, according to the study authors.

For example, they still don’t know how exercise triggers Sestrin production.

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The UK government says a total of 52 tests have proved negative for the new strain of coronavirus.

Maybe you slipped into crisis mode during your 40s after an expected career change, or maybe it was your 50s after your kids went off to college. Or maybe you’re a real go-getter and it happened when you turned 25 and, instead of celebrating, you got stuck working late at a job you didn’t even like (@me). Whatever your specific sitch, you’re convinced this must be what a midlife crisis (or, okay, quarterlife crisis, for all the wunderkinds in the room) feels like.

Before you go out and blow your savings on a little red convertible (or your go-to equivalent), pump the brakes on your breakdown. Here’s what’s actually going on when the growing gets tough, according to experts.

First things first, is a midlife crisis a real thing?

Nope, it’s a unicorn…as in “a mythical creature in psychology,” says Dr Susan Krauss Whitborne, Professor Emerita in the Psychological and Brain Sciences department at University of Massachusetts Amherst. In fact, she adds, “We [people who do research in this area] really don’t find evidence that age is associated with any distinct changes in personality that would constitute what is popularly called a ‘midlife crisis.’”

She cautions that the term “midlife crisis” isn’t just fictional in itself, but that putting such a label on a tough time in your life can also be reductive and harmful to your overall mental health. It’s easy to chalk your problems up to age and slap a “This, too, shall pass” bumper sticker on ’em. It’s a lot harder to investigate what might be causing your increased anxiety, stress, or even depression — and face it head on, potentially with professional help.

So, if I’m not experiencing the signs of a midlife crisis, what’s going on?

Well, life. “People can go through a period of questioning and challenging at any point in adulthood, and it could be triggered by who knows what,” says Whitbourne. Maybe you’re dealing with an unexpected financial burden, caring for ageing parents, or feeling purposeless now that your kids have moved out. While the cause varies person to person, a 2008 study by economists David Blanchflower and Andrew Oswald found “the U-curve of happiness” — a.k.a. a statistical trend showing that people begin life optimistic, but that happiness decreases as they enter adulthood, and then bounces back in late adulthood — in 55 of 8o countries. (They also cited more than 20 other papers finding the U.)

According to their research, the average person hits rock bottom at age 46. (Sorry to anyone who just celebrated that particular birthday.) Luckily, that doesn’t last very long, says Barbara Bradley Hagerty, journalist and author of Life Reimagined: The Science, Art, and Opportunity of Midlife. “What begins to happen in your 50s is that you start to focus on things that are really important to you. You focus on your kids, your hobbies, the parts of work that really feel meaningful, and you begin to kind of climb up that U curve of happiness,” she explains. “Through your 50s and 60s and into your 70s, you actually become happier.”

Of course, with every rule comes an exception. This one? “People who have purpose in life, who really feel like they have a reason to get out of bed in the morning, their U curve of happiness is higher, no matter what their education or income level is,” notes Hagerty. “What they found is having a purpose in life seems to be this magic bullet, where people who have meaningful relationships [and engage in] meaningful activities seem to be happier.”

That said, Whitbourne maintains her point that, psychologically speaking, putting “midlife” in front of another word changes its meaning. “There’s so much individual variability, and part of what we find in our research is that people don’t all age the same,” she notes. “And midlife can be anywhere from 30 to 60, so that’s the other problem — it’s a little bit imprecise.”

READ MORE: How To Deal With The Difficult People In Your Life, According To Psychologists

How can I deal with something that feels like a midlife crisis (even though it really isn’t)?

If you suddenly feel a prolonged lack of energy (to the point where even brushing your teeth feels like a chore) or a glacier-sized weight of responsibilities resting on your chest, those are two potential signs that you’re going through something serious. It’s not necessarily a midlife crisis (because, again, those don’t exist), but — as the kids say — the struggle is real.

Your best bet to feel less bleh: “Look at whatever the signs are that you’re labelling a ‘midlife crisis’ or a malaise and say, ‘What’s really going on with me?’” says Whitbourne. Then, she recommends asking yourself how you can address the real, underlying issues and what steps you can take to feel better, learn from this experience, or grow.

Work suddenly feels harder than it used to? It’s probably not because you’re lacking in any actual energy — no matter how bogged down you might feel, says Hagerty. More likely, you’re just bored. Hagerty recalls learning this lesson from Howard H. Stevenson, the Sarofim-Rock Baker Foundation Professor emeritus at Harvard Business School and author of Just Enough: Tools for Creating Success in Your Work and Life. He told her, “If you’re doing the same thing year in and year out, you’re going to feel this malaise. So, do you have 20 years of experience, or do you have one year of experience 20 times?”

If you answer with the latter, then you’ve probably gone into crisis mode because you’re craving a new challenge. Hagerty suggests re-finding your purpose by “pivoting on your strengths” to do more of whatever makes you — ya guessed it — happy. Maybe that means asking your boss to focus on a different part of your work responsibilities, or using the skills you already have to switch into an adjacent lane for your career. Instant solution? No, but it is a surefire way to feel more fulfilled.

When the walls of responsibility seem to be closing in—family, work, mortgage (so, literally) — you can feel weighed down and with nowhere else to go. And, to a certain extent, you are stuck in this life you’ve created. “But the point is that if you just put one foot in front of the other…you’re going to get through it,” Hagerty says.

One thing to make the slog feel less like a, well, slog? Remembering that these responsibilities are the good kind. That’s where the socioemotional selectivity theory, developed by Laura Carstensen, Professor of Psychology and founding director of the Stanford Center on Longevity at Stanford University, comes in. She found that, as people age, they naturally begin to focus on what gives them emotional satisfaction and meaning, like their children, career, and home life.

What if I need some motivation?

Hagerty suggests reconnecting with old friends you might’ve lost touch with over the years, or making new ones by taking up a new hobby or finally pursuing a long-held passion. That can help fulfill what she calls “a little purpose,” which is any activity — whether it be cycling class or guitar lessons — that gives you a reason to bust out of bed in the morning. (The “big purpose,” she says, is often your family, especially children and grandchildren, but it can also be something external, like a political cause.)

Ultimately, knowing you’re not having a midlife crisis can, in itself, make you feel better, adds Whitbourne. Bad week or month (or several)? Sure. But it’s not a “crisis” — it’s just another normal part of growing up.

^{This article was originally published on www.womenshealthsa.co.za}

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China’s president tells a high-level meeting that the country faces a “grave situation”.