Latest news with #HarvardTHChanSchoolofPublicHealth
Sydney Morning Herald
7 days ago
- Health
- Sydney Morning Herald
Under pressure: Why being stalked increases women's risk of heart disease
Stalking raises the risk of heart disease for women and should be added to risk factors alongside smoking and bad diet, scientists have warned. Harvard University discovered that women who were stalked were 41 per cent more likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease, which can cause heart attacks and strokes. For those forced to obtain a restraining order, the risk rose to 70 per cent. Although stalking is known to cause fear and trigger mental health problems, the new study is the first to show it has an impact on heart health. 'To many people, stalking doesn't seem to be such a serious experience, as it often does not involve physical contact. But stalking has profound psychological consequences that can have physical implications,' says senior author Dr Karestan Koenen, professor of psychiatric epidemiology at Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. 'Our study highlights that these preventable, common, non-contact forms of violence against women are health hazards and need to be considered as such, just like we consider smoking or poor diet.' Stalking is defined as linked incidents causing distress, fear or alarm, which can involve obscene, threatening unwanted letters, text messages or phone calls, being watched or followed or having people loiter near to the home or workplace. For the new study researchers looked at the cardiovascular outcomes for 66,270 women aged between 36 and 56 who were enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study II between 2001 and 2021. Around 12 per cent reported that they had been stalked, while just over five per cent said they had obtained a restraining order.
The Age
7 days ago
- Health
- The Age
Under pressure: Why being stalked increases women's risk of heart disease
Stalking raises the risk of heart disease for women and should be added to risk factors alongside smoking and bad diet, scientists have warned. Harvard University discovered that women who were stalked were 41 per cent more likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease, which can cause heart attacks and strokes. For those forced to obtain a restraining order, the risk rose to 70 per cent. Although stalking is known to cause fear and trigger mental health problems, the new study is the first to show it has an impact on heart health. 'To many people, stalking doesn't seem to be such a serious experience, as it often does not involve physical contact. But stalking has profound psychological consequences that can have physical implications,' says senior author Dr Karestan Koenen, professor of psychiatric epidemiology at Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. 'Our study highlights that these preventable, common, non-contact forms of violence against women are health hazards and need to be considered as such, just like we consider smoking or poor diet.' Stalking is defined as linked incidents causing distress, fear or alarm, which can involve obscene, threatening unwanted letters, text messages or phone calls, being watched or followed or having people loiter near to the home or workplace. For the new study researchers looked at the cardiovascular outcomes for 66,270 women aged between 36 and 56 who were enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study II between 2001 and 2021. Around 12 per cent reported that they had been stalked, while just over five per cent said they had obtained a restraining order.
Hindustan Times
22-06-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Cardiologist shares top 10 benefits of plant-based milk: 'Lower in calories, definitely healthier choice for the planet'
There are many types of plant-based milks available, such as almond milk, soy milk, oat milk, and coconut milk, offering a range of flavours and textures. According to Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, plant-based milks have benefits for the heart and the planet. Dr Alok Chopra, a cardiologist, weighed in on the benefits of various plant-based milks in an Instagram post he shared on November 27, 2024. Also read | Plant-based milk or cow's milk: Which is healthier and why? Study reveals surprising results Oat milk is a plant-based milk alternative made by soaking oats in water and blending them with water. (Freepik) According to Dr Chopra, many plant-based milks are fortified with essential nutrients. He also highlighted how plant-based milks generally have a lower environmental impact than dairy milk, requiring less water and land to produce. In his caption, he wrote, 'Plant based milk is definitely a healthier choice for the planet and for you! Packed with nutrients, easy to digest, and full of so many positives.' Dr Chopra went on to list the 'benefits of plant-based milk': 1. High in fibre 2. Rich in nutrients 3. Lower in calories 4. Eco-friendly 5. Lactose free 6. Good for heart health 7. Anti-inflammatory properties 8. No hormones or antibiotics 9. Allergen-specific choices 10. Digestive benefits Is plant-based milk good for you? In a March 2025 interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Zeeshan Ali, PhD, nutrition expert and research program specialist at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), said, 'The science is clear: Plant-based milk alternatives offer significant advantages for human health. As a nutrition researcher studying the effects of dietary choices, I've observed how these alternatives provide essential nutrients while avoiding the health concerns associated with dairy consumption.' According to him, plant-based milks offer unique health benefits: ⦿ Soy milk provides protein comparable to dairy milk and contains beneficial isoflavones that support heart health. ⦿ Hemp milk delivers essential omega-3 fatty acids, crucial for brain function. ⦿ Oat milk supplies dietary fiber and complex carbohydrates that help maintain stable blood sugar. ⦿ Almond and walnut milks contribute healthy fats and vitamin E, supporting immune function. Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
Hindustan Times
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Indian student at Harvard worries about uncertain future: ‘If I don't graduate…'
International students at Harvard are facing an uncertain future after Donald Trump revoked the university's ability to enroll students from abroad. The move means Harvard can no longer enroll international students and existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status. The ban announcement was followed by Harvard suing the Trump administration in Boston federal court, calling the move unconstitutional retaliation for resisting the White House's political demands. Despite a federal judge on Friday granted a temporary reprieve to Harvard, students are stuck in a limbo. One such international student at Harvard opened up about his worries on social media. Akshay Narayanan, from India, is currently pursuing a master's in public health from Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. In posts shared on the social media platform X, Akshay admitted that he was worried about his future as an international student at the Ivy League school. 'Much is at stake - I don't know how the Harvard x Federal govt negotiation will unfold. I'm worried for all the obvious reasons,' he wrote. 'But I'm also sure that my friends, the incredible people they are will find ways to continue doing work that matters. No doubt. It gives me ease.' Before this post, the Indian student at Harvard took recourse in humour. 'Hey, if I don't get to graduate, at least the Harvard drop-out brand is pretty strong,' he joked. If Akshay does not get to graduate from Harvard, he is right about one thing at least - the Harvard dropout brand is indeed a pretty strong one. Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates are just two billionaires who did not complete their degree. Harvard currently has nearly 7,000 international students, representing about 27% of its total enrollment. According to Reuters, since taking office in January, Trump has assailed the so-called Ivy League universities, accusing them of fostering anti-American, Marxist and "radical left" ideologies.
Observer
10-05-2025
- Health
- Observer
Can photograph reveal your biological age?
Christina Caron The author is a reporter, covering mental health It's no secret that some people appear to age faster than others, especially after enduring stressful periods. But some scientists think a person's physical appearance could reveal more about them than meets the eye — down to the health of their tissues and cells, a concept known as 'biological age.' In a new study, published on Thursday in The Lancet Digital Health, researchers trained artificial intelligence to estimate the biological ages of adults with cancer by analyzing photos of their faces. Study participants with younger estimates tended to fare better after treatment than those deemed older by AI, researchers at Mass General Brigham found. The findings suggest that people's biological age estimates are closely linked to their physical health, which could reflect their ability to survive certain treatments, the authors of the study said. And in the future, facial age analysis may become more useful than age alone in helping doctors make tough calls about their patients' treatment, they added. Face-based aging tools have 'extraordinary potential' to help doctors quickly and inexpensively estimate how healthy their patients are, compared with existing tests, which use blood or saliva to measure chemical and molecular changes associated with aging, said William Mair, a professor of molecular metabolism at the Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health who was not involved in the study. While doctors usually visually estimate how healthy their patients are for their age, a tool like this could draw in much more data to make a better estimate, he added. FaceAge, the machine learning tool created by researchers at Mass General Brigham, found that study subjects with cancer appeared five years older than their chronological age. The biological age of people without cancer was typically close to their actual age. And those who were categorized as older were more likely to die, either from cancer or other causes. The researchers are not the first to find a link between facial and biological aging: A study in Denmark found that subjects who looked older than their chronological age tended to die earlier than their twins, and other studies have come to similar conclusions. FaceAge was trained on a database of more than 56,000 images of people age 60 and older, mostly sourced from Wikipedia and the movie database IMDB. The researchers then asked it to assess the age of study participants, most of whom had cancer, using photographs alone. Doctors could one day use FaceAge to decide whether to provide different treatment depending on a patient's estimated biological age, said Dr Raymond H Mak, a radiation oncologist at Mass General Brigham who worked on the study. Preliminary data suggests that FaceAge goes beyond the visual markers of age we might look to, like wrinkles, gray hair or baldness, and instead flags less obvious factors like hollowing of the temples (which reflects a loss of muscle mass) and the prominence of the skin folds on either side of the mouth, Mak said.
