Poor sight causes people to overstep the mark

People with vision impairment are more cautious when stepping over obstacles when walking – but increase their risk of falls, according to a new study published in the journal Scientific Reports. Researchers at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) asked participants with simulated blurred vision to negotiate a 10cm-high obstacle on the floor under increasing time pressure.…

Long-acting contraception has proven highly effective but is restricted by some hospitals

AURORA, Colo. (Dec. 17, 2019) – Long-acting reversible contraceptives like intrauterine implants have greatly reduced unintended pregnancies and abortions, but government protections allowing religious hospitals to restrict care are limiting access to health care consumers, according to an expert at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. The commentary was published this month in the…

A closer look at the diabetes disaster

In Belize, where diabetes is rampant, patients need insulin every day to maintain proper blood sugar levels. But if people lack electricity or a refrigerator, they cannot store insulin at home. Medical advice pamphlets encourage such patients to keep their insulin in the refrigerators at small corner grocery stores instead. And so, in some cases,…

In some children with autism, ‘social’ and ‘visual’ neural circuits don’t quite connect

Among the first and most-documented symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a child’s aversion to interaction with others. Specifically, they appear uninterested in social activities and stimuli that would normally attract a young child’s attention, such as watching other children play, sing or dance. In a new study, published online December 17, 2019 in…