Face-blindness is real: sometimes I can't recognise my mother
The man standing next to me recoiled in horror. Why? Well, as it turns out, he was not Steve. He was just a tall, bald stranger with a Steve-esque posture. 'You're not my husband!' I said, as if he'd been trying to trick me. Then I beat a hasty retreat to the street.
I make mistakes like this a lot, and until recently I thought I was a natural-born Mr Bean, fated to a life of excruciatingly embarrassing, occasionally hilarious mishaps. But after enrolling in a study on a whim, I recently discovered a less
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The Independent
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New research suggests that walking 7,000 steps a day can support overall health
A new study suggests that walking 7,000 steps daily can significantly reduce the risk of various serious illnesses, presenting a more attainable goal than the widely publicized 10,000-step target. Led by academics from the University of Sydney, the research examined data from dozens of global studies, including those in the UK, involving tens of thousands of adults. Individuals consistently achieving 7,000 steps daily showed a 25% lower risk of heart disease, a 14% reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, a 38% decrease in dementia, and a 22% reduction in depression. The study also found that walking 7,000 steps a day was associated with a 47% lower likelihood of death during follow-up periods compared to 2,000 steps, and a 37% lower chance of cancer death. While 10,000 steps per day still offer greater health advantages, experts noted that even modest step counts provide benefits, with 7,000 steps being a realistic and clinically meaningful target for many.
Reuters
3 hours ago
- Reuters
Molina Healthcare lowers annual profit forecast again on rising medical costs
July 23 (Reuters) - Molina Healthcare (MOH.N), opens new tab on Wednesday cut annual profit forecast for the second time this month, anticipating higher medical care costs to weigh on its results, sending the health insurer's shares down more than 4% in extended trading. Health insurers offering government-backed health plans, including Medicare for older adults and Medicaid for the low-income population, have faced higher-than-expected medical claims over the past two years, increasing their costs. The elevated costs were driven by increased demand for healthcare among older adults covered under Medicare, as well as changes in Medicaid eligibility, which have resulted in insurers handling a higher number of sick patients requiring more medical services. The latest forecast cut is "disproportionately attributed" to Molina's health insurance plans under the federal Obamacare marketplace and reflects medical cost trend assumptions for the second half of the year, the company said. Earlier this month, Molina and larger peer Elevance Health (ELV.N), opens new tab cut their annual profit forecasts due to persistently high medical costs, while Centene (CNC.N), opens new tab withdrew its 2025 forecast following a significant decline in expected revenue from marketplace health insurance plans. Shares of Elevance Health and Centene dropped over 1% in after-hours trading. Molina now expects adjusted full-year profit to be at least $19.00 per share, compared to its previous range of $21.50 to $22.50 per share. The health insurer projected a full-year medical cost ratio, the percentage of premiums spent on medical services, of 90.2%, higher than analysts' expectations of 88.83%. For the second quarter, Molina reported a medical cost ratio of 90.4%, exceeding estimates of 88.65%. Adjusted earnings for the quarter stood at $5.48 per share, falling short of analysts' average estimate of $5.79 per share, according to data compiled by LSEG.
The Independent
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Science proves why your skin wrinkles. Here is what you need to know
Researchers finally know why our skin wrinkles over time - and Silly Putty can help explain it. Scientists at New York's Binghamton University say experimental evidence shows that it's a similar process to stretching out a favorite hoodie or t-shirt from overuse. Essentially, aging skin stretches in one direction, contracts in another, and then collapses. As you age, the contraction gets bigger, resulting in the formation of the skin folds and creases. 'If you stretch Silly Putty, for instance, it stretches horizontally, but it also shrinks in the other direction — it gets thinner,' Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Guy German, explained in a statement. 'That's what skin does, as well.' Wrinkles start to appear after around the age of 25 years old, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Scientists have long believed that skin wrinkles due to genetics, the effects of disease, and damage from the sun. As you get older, your skin cells are replaced at a slower rate, causing the skin's outer layer to thin and forming wrinkles. Lines in the face, including forehead and frown lines, are largely out of our control, as they're caused by repeated muscle movements. Previous studies, using computational models, have also shown changes in the mechanical properties such as the elasticity and structure of the skin's middle layer during aging. The layer, which contains the proteins elastin and collagen, is the home to hair follicles, blood vessels, and sweat glands. Until now, those changes had never been proven experimentally. 'When I got into this field, that was one of my goals – can I figure out aging?' said German. 'Because if I look at the TV, the radio, online, at shops, I'm being told 1,000 different things about how to improve my skin health, and I want to know what's right and what isn't.' To reach these conclusions, German and his team used a low-force tensometer to stretch out seven tiny strips of skin from people between the ages 16 through 91, simulating the forces the skin naturally experiences. The tensometer tests the maximum force a material can withstand while being pulled or stretched before breaking. The skin was collected through elective surgery or tissue from cadavers. They found that the skin has one set of mechanical properties when you're young. As you age, things get a bit 'wonky,' German noted. 'Things degrade a bit, and it turns out the skin stretches laterally more, which causes the actual wrinkles that form,' said German. 'And the reason why that exists in the first place is that your skin is not in a stress-free state. It's actually stretched a little bit. So there are inherent forces within your skin itself, and those are the driving force towards wrinkles.' The research, which didn't delve into how these forces could be halted, was published recently in the Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials. Of course, there are other things that we know affect the skin that can contribute to appearance over time. Spending too much time outside can result in a nasty sun burn, as well as age the skin prematurely with the same effect as aging naturally. 'If you spend your life working outside, you're more likely to have more aged and wrinkled skin than those who are office workers, for example,' German warned.
