Exercise and sauna bathing boost heart health more than exercise alone

  • Researchers investigated the effects of exercise and sauna bathing on cardiovascular health.
  • They found that exercise and sauna bathing together are more beneficial for cardiovascular health than exercise alone.
  • Further research is needed to determine optimal sauna temperatures and durations for cardiovascular health in different populations.

Physical activity promote cardiovascular health and reduces mortality risk. Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), measured through maximal oxygen uptake during maximal effort exercise testing, is inversely linked to cardiovascular conditions (CVD) and all-cause mortality.

Sauna bathing is a passive heat therapy used for pleasure, relaxation, and wellness.

Research from 2015 suggests that frequent sauna bathing is linked to a reduced risk of fatal cardiovascular and all-cause mortality outcomes. In addition, an observational study from 2018 found that higher levels of CRF and sauna bathing 3 to 7 times per week reduce fatal cardiovascular and all-cause mortality events compared to good CRF or frequent sauna bathing alone.

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The role WA courts play in mental health care when someone is in crisis

The Mental Health Project is a Seattle Times initiative focused on covering mental and behavioral health issues. It is funded by Ballmer Group, a national organization focused on economic mobility for children and families. The Seattle Times maintains editorial control over work produced by this team.

There are no easy decisions when judges are determining whether someone experiencing a mental health crisis should be held at a hospital against their wishes.

“It’s always hard,” said Judge John McHaleone of three judicial officers dedicated to presiding over cases in King County’s Involuntary Treatment Act (ITA) court.

In some ways, the proceedings in McHale’s courtroom look like any criminal trial: There’s a judge, a prosecutor and a defense attorney. But the person whose future is at stake is not accused of a crime.

“It’s somebody whose only crime is being mentally ill,” said Guin Raikes, who works as a public

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Are US Schools Doing Enough for Mental Health?

For 9-year-old Leah Rainey, the school day now begins with what her teacher calls an “emotional check-in.”

“It’s great to see you. How are you feeling?” a voice comes from her laptop. It asks her to choose an emoticon that represents how she feels: Happy. Sad. Worried. Angry. Frustrated. Calm. Silly. Tired.

Depending on her answer, Leah gets a few more questions: Have you eaten breakfast? Are you hurt or sick? Is everything okay at home? Is someone at school being unkind?

On a recent day, Leah chose “silly.” But she said she struggled with sadness during online learning.

Leah is in the fourth grade at Lakewood Elementary School in the American state of Kentucky. This year, all 420 students there will start their days the same way. The school is one of thousands across the United States using technology to measure students’ state of mind and warn teachers of

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Togo achieves ‘major feat’ of eliminating four neglected tropical diseases | global health

Togo has been praised by the World Health Organization for becoming the first country in the world to eliminate four neglected tropical diseases.

The WHO presented the west African country with an outstanding achievement award this week for eliminating Guinea worm, lymphatic filariasis, sleeping sickness and trachoma in just 11 years.

“Togo has achieved a major feat,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO’s regional director for Africa. “This achievement is an example for the rest of Africa and shows what is possible when health is made a priority.”

The country eliminated Guinea worm in 2011, then became the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to stamp out lymphatic filariasis, in 2017, and sleeping sickness, in 2020. This year, it successfully eliminated trachoma.

Togo’s president, Faure Gnassingbé, said: “Health is a priority that we have placed at the heart of our development policies.”

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a group of 20

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Israel temporarily freezes arrest of hunger-striking Palestinian as health falters

An Israeli military court on Friday temporarily suspended the detention of a hunger-striking Palestinian prisoner to allow him to receive medical care as his health rapidly deteriorates after nearly six months without food.

Lawyers for Khalil Awawdeh, however, said he would keep his 168-day fast going until he is granted a full release.

Israel says Awawdeh, 40, is a member of a terror group, an allegation he has denied through his lawyer, and no formal charges have ever been brought. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group demanded his release as part of an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire ending three days of heavy fighting in the Gaza Strip earlier this month, but it did not identify him as a member.

Ahlam Haddad, Awawdeh’s lawyer, has said her client’s health has been deteriorating and he is seeking to be released.

An Israeli military court earlier this week rejected an appeal to free Awawdeh. Awawdeh

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