Injuries from killer high heels’
have doubled in a decade
Washington, May 25: If
you are one of those who steps out in heels frequently, you may want to change
your habit as a new study shows that injuries related to high heels have
doubled in a decade. The research by University of Alabama at Birmingham showed
that between 2002 and 2012, the frequency and severity of those injuries were
sufficient to suggest that wearing the appropriate shoes for the appropriate
occasion and being aware of one’s surroundings are good ideas.
Vice chair and Professor Gerald McGwin, Ph.D., who led the
study, said that although heels might be stylish, from a health standpoint, it
would be worthwhile for those interested in wearing high-heeled shoes to
understand the risks and the potential harm that precarious activities in
high-heeled shoes can cause. In addition to discomfort in the lower leg, ankle
and foot, research has indicated that walking in high-heeled shoes has been
shown to significantly reduce ankle muscle movement, step length, total range
of movement and balance control. Many studies have documented that the
long-term use of high heels alters the neuromechanics of walking and places
greater strain on the muscles and tendons of the lower legs, which can lead to
musculoskeletal disorders later in life.
McGwin’s team looked at data of injuries associated with
wearing high heels seen in hospital emergency departments between 2002 and
2012. There were 123,355 high-heel-related injuries seen during that period.
The peak year for injuries was 2011, with more than 19,000. People between the
ages of 20 and 29 were most likely to suffer an injury, followed by the 30-39
age group.
The vast majority of the injuries, over 80 percent, were
to the ankle or foot, with just under 20 percent involving the knee, trunk,
shoulder, or head and neck. More than half were strains or sprains, with
fractures accounting for 19 percent of all injuries. While white females as a
group had the largest number of heel-related injuries, the rate of injury for
black females was twice that of whites. The findings are published online in
the Journal of Foot and Ankle Injuries.
Source: www.thehealthsite.com
26.05.2015
Large brains provide a survival
benefit
Size does matter. The ones with the biggest brains
could indeed be the fittest to survive in this world as researchers have found
that in times of crisis, even fish with larger brain sizes have an advantage
over their peers. The researchers examined why investing in a larger brain
might provide an evolutionary advantage to compensate for the fact that brain
mass is very expensive to develop and maintain. ‘We have provided the first
experimental proof that a large brain offers an evolutionary advantage,’
explained first author Alexander Kotrschal from the Stockholm University in
Sweden.
In this study, the researchers investigated the influence
of brain size in survival of guppies, a species of freshwater aquarium fish
whose natural range is in the Caribbean region. They conducted an artificial
selection experiment and successfully generated large- and small-brained
guppies. The researchers released 4,800 guppies from these selection lines into
large semi-natural streams, which also contained a natural predator. About half
a year later, significantly more guppies with large brains had survived.
The researchers suggested that large-brained fish have an
advantage that allows them to better evade predation. ‘Our findings support the
hypothesis that large brains provide a survival benefit under predation
pressure,’ co-author Dustin Penn from the University of Veterinary Medicine
Vienna, Austria. The findings appeared in the journal Ecology Letters.
Source: www.thehealthsite.com
26.05.2015
There’s only one way
to succeed in anything, and that is to give it everything
Vincent Lombardi
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