Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol 2 Issue 91 i The Art of Healing

Call it the revenge of the middle-aged women. A recent report from the U.K. has found that women between 40-50 are doing more exercise than women half their age. One in four women approaching perimenopausal age are exercising almost every day, while a fifth of those aged 20-29 do anywhere near that. Fitness classes, once the preserve of the young and lithe, are big business, and smaller start-ups are booming as the demographics and motivations for working out change. The Guardian…

A new study from the University of Bath suggests CGMs may not be as accurate as many believe. Originally designed to help diabetes patients manage their blood sugar, these devices are now used by the healthconscious to track how different foods affect their glucose levels. The research measured blood sugar responses using two methods: a CGM device and the gold standard fingerprick test. The findings were striking, with CGMs consistently reporting higher blood sugar levels compared to finger-prick tests. When participants consumed a smoothie, the CGM overestimated the glucose index (GI) by 30%, and CGMs overestimated the time spent above the blood sugar level threshold recommended by Diabetes U.K. by nearly 400%. This could cause worry and unnecessary diet changes for people whose blood sugar is actually well-controlled. Medical Xpress…

The program uses sophisticated machine learning algorithms to analyse thousands of samples in fractions of a second (a process that can take months for humans), to gain a crucial understanding of where and how we need to act. The algorithm uses chemical components to identify characteristic ‘signatures’ (complex numerical figures, many thousands of characters long) that can accurately identify known microplastic types, using data from a process called fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Crucially, the program is the first in the world capable of analysing a library of microplastics ‘signatures.’ Lead researcher Frithjof Herb, a Monash University PhD candidate, and supervisor Dr Khay Fong, Senior Lecturer in the Monash School of Chemistry say they are addressing a significant bottleneck for progress in tackling the microplastics problem. “Not only is the…

“This new synthetic opioid nitazene is often being sold to people as a legitimate pharmaceutical,” says RACGP Queensland Chair, Dr Cathryn Hester. “Nitazene has been detected three times since November 2024, and I strongly suspect we’re only scratching the surface.” Unlike other states and territories, Queensland doesn’t have an overdose monitoring system or a public drug alert network. “I fear that once these drug testing services end, we will see more overdoses because the people taking them, including young people with their whole lives ahead of them, simply don’t know what they’re ingesting.” The Queensland drug testing service CheQpoint shut its doors on Thursday, 4 April 2025 after the Queensland government opted to close two drug testing sites. The Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) has called on the Queensland…

The survey of more than 1,000 Australian adults who fit new international diagnostic criteria for clinical or pre-clinical obesity published in January 2025, found that 87 per cent of respondents were currently trying to lose weight. The average weight of respondents was 109kg, and they were seeking to lose an average of 23 per cent of their body weight. The research sample of 1,037 Australians was identified from a nationally representative sample of 3,346 adults, indicating that 30 per cent of Australians are living with clinical or pre-clinical obesity. The survey by Metis Healthcare Research also revealed that most respondents had previously tried to lose weight, including 61 per cent who had attempted this at least three times. A further 18 per cent said they were “always trying to lose…

In a study aimed at identifying factors that contribute to misdiagnosis of this notoriously difficult to diagnose disorder, Psychiatrist Dr Joshua Flavell worked with cognitive Neurologist Professor Peter Nestor at the Mater Hospital Memory and Cognitive Disorders clinic and UQ’s Queensland Brain Institute, to analyse data from 100 patients suspected of having frontotemporal dementia who had been referred by specialist physicians like neurologists, psychiatrists or geriatricians. “Of the 100 patients, 34 were true-positive, and 66 were false-positive for frontotemporal dementia,” Dr Flavell said. “We found that misinterpretation of brain scans, particularly nuclear imaging, led to 32 patients being incorrectly diagnosed. “Likewise, cognitive testing such as tests of executive function also contributed to misdiagnoses in 20 patients.” The study compared the initial referral information with the final clinical diagnoses to determine…

Are We Living in a Kind Society? The question of whether we live in a compassionate community or country may seem like an abstract one, especially when we’re constantly confronted with unkindness in the media. However, as the latest World Happiness Report highlights, how benevolent our society is - and how benevolent we perceive it to be - has a significant impact on our life satisfaction. Compiled from the annual Gallup World Poll, which surveys about 1,000 people per country, the report ranks nations based on the average life satisfaction of residents. In 2025, Finland emerged once again as the happiest country, followed by Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, and the Netherlands. In a notable shift however, none of the large industrial powers made it into the top 20. “Western industrial countries…

Swiss doctors are expanding the range of prescriptions for patients with mental health conditions and chronic illnesses to include time in public gardens, art galleries and museums. The city of Neuchatel began the pilot project with doctors in early 2025, which will be tested for a year before plans to expand into other activities such as theatre. Developers are hoping the project will take off and that health insurance will cover culture as a legitimate form of therapy in the future. Reuters…

Is your phone your constant companion, all the way through bedtime? Well it might be messing with your sleep. A new study from Norway has found that more screen time in bed significantly raises the likelihood of insomnia. Sivertsen and his colleagues analysed survey responses from more than 45,000 adults ages 18 to 28. Participants were asked whether they used screens after going to bed, for how long, and for how many nights per week. Then they identified their common screen activities: watching shows or movies, gaming, social media, surfing the internet, listening to audio such as podcasts, or reading. The survey also asked when participants typically went to bed, when they got up in the morning, and how long it took them to fall asleep. Participants indicated how often…

Dr Jenny Allen is a leading expert in whale song structure from Griffith University’s Southern Ocean Persistent Organic Pollutants Program (SOPOPP) in the Centre for Planetary Health and Food Security. Her work along with fellow researchers is a unique collaboration between linguists, developmental scientists, marine biologists and behavioural ecologists. In this research, the team applied innovative methods inspired by how babies discover words in speech, to eight years of humpback whale recordings collected in New Caledonia. The findings revealed previously undetected structures in whale song, illustrating a deep commonality between two unrelated species united by the fact their communication systems were culturally transmitted. “Humpback whale song is culturally transmitted on a geographic scale not seen outside of humans, yet they are evolutionarily quite distinct from us,” says Dr Jenny Allen.…

Necrosis can be triggered by illness or injury – causing significant damage after heart attacks and strokes, for example. It’s a messy death for cells and tissue, unlike the planned cell death called apoptosis that’s a healthy part of the biological cycle. When studying necrosis in fruit flies, that are well known for their regenerative capabilities, a team of researchers at Arizona State University (ASU) noticed something unexpected: in their dying moments, cells surrounding those hit by necrosis sent out signals encouraging cell growth in healthier parts of the tissue. This was done by triggering the production of enzymes known as caspases. In apoptosis, caspases act as executioners, but when summoned by necrosis across relatively long distances, another type of caspase appears to promote healing in certain cells instead. “This…

For the purposes of the study, researchers (led by a team from Harvard University) defined healthy ageing as reaching 70 without any chronic diseases – and still being in good shape mentally and physically. The Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI) came out at the top of eight healthy diets prioritising fruit, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, and healthy fats. The diet also kept red and processed meats, sugary drinks, and salt to a minimum. “Our findings also showed that there is no one-size-fits-all diet,” says Anne-Julie Tessier, a Professor of Nutrition from the University of Montreal in Canada. “Healthy diets should be adapted to fit individual needs and preferences.” The researchers tracked the eating habits of 105,015 people across the course of 30 years, cross-referencing how their diets matched up…

Chronic autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and vasculitis (inflammation of the blood vessels) can be difficult to diagnose and are often wrongly identified as psychiatric or psychosomatic (emotional symptoms that manifest physically, like a stress-induced stomach ache). When doctors misdiagnose these conditions as “all in your head,” people may experience damaging effects on their wellbeing and self-esteem, and lose trust in healthcare services, according to a new study based on responses from more than 3,000 participants. “Although many doctors may have been intending to be reassuring by suggesting a psychosomatic or psychiatric cause for initially unexplainable symptoms, these types of misdiagnoses can create a multitude of negative feelings and impacts on lives, selfworth, and care,” said lead study author Melanie Sloan, DrPH, a researcher with the Department of…

In 2010, Judy Cornish put her career on hold and began spending time with people who were living at home with dementia. Many of her new clients were living alone and without family nearby. She found that recognising them as the experts helped her learn the things that were truly helpful. Now she is helping families and caregivers around the world, in places as diverse as Denmark, Poland and India, Brazil and Australia, and research programs are underway. The Art of Healing spoke to Judy about a new and different narrative we might develop to better understand the needs of people with dementia. Judy, I know there are some really big questions that are being asked around the world on how we can better manage dementia, that are not so…

Functional food is being optimised to meet the needs of the body’s fluctuating daily rhythm: consumers aren’t only thinking about what they eat, but also when, and in what order. Nutrient sequencing - eating fibre-rich vegetables first, followed by protein and fats, and then carbs - is becoming a recognised way for people with Type 2 diabetes to help manage their blood-sugar levels. In Japan, companies are also exploring chrononutrition, which ensures getting the right doses of health-focused ingredients such as protein and fibre at optimum times throughout the day. VML Intelligence…

For centuries, saunas have been cherished for their ability to relax the body and mind, offering an escape from the everyday. But today, these steamy sanctuaries are undergoing a modern-day transformation. The sauna is being reimagined as a vibrant social space to attract a younger, more trend-conscious crowd. From the sleek urban saunas of New York and Chicago to the tranquil waterfront saunas of Oslo and Brighton, to immersive art installations in Tokyo, saunas are reinventing themselves as dynamic hubs of culture, entertainment, and connection. Gone are the days of the solitary sauna experience. Today’s saunas are not just for unwinding; they’ve become the heart of lively social scenes, often featuring DJ sets, performances by drag queens, and even full-on concerts. What was once a quiet, introspective retreat has evolved…

The new longevity player, Biograph, is co-founded by one of the biggest names in longevity science, Dr. Peter Attia, and also by John Hering, a prominent Silicon Valley figure. The startup bills itself as the world’s ‘most advanced’ preventive health and diagnostics clinic. It is located in Silicon Valley with plans to open in New York City and eventually expand globally. It collects over 1,000 data points across 30+ evaluations to optimise people’s lifespan. But it doesn’t come cheap: Its Core membership costs $7,500 yearly; the premium Black membership runs to $15,000. This is just one example of a boom in emerging startups dedicated to living longer. TechCrunch…

The study, published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health in April 2025 involved a survey of over 5,000 Australian adolescents and is the first study of its kind in Australia to examine unhealthy behaviour and mental health, and examine their overlap with common and emerging health conditions in teens such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), asthma, eczema, chronic fatigue, hay fever, food allergies, type 1/ type 2 diabetes, ADHD and ASD. Lead author Dr Bridie Osman from the Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use at the University of Sydney, says that the issue of chronic disease and developmental conditions in teenagers is often overlooked as a serious public health concern. “These conditions can have a profound impact. They can hinder a teenager’s…

PFAS, commonly referred to as ‘forever chemicals,’ are widely used in industrial and consumer products, persisting in the environment and posing potential health risks. The contamination of PFAS in Australia’s drinking water and waterways is a growing concern for communities, governments, and water service providers. A federal inquiry is currently examining the scale of their use and impact nationwide. The first author of this study, Eubert Mahofa, says “PFAS are difficult to manage because they dissolve easily in water and can spread far from their original source, making contamination challenging to remediate.” In tests, the Monash membrane significantly outperformed traditional polyamide membranes, which typically remove only about 35 per cent of short-chain PFAS. The membrane creates an energetic barrier that prevents the movement of PFAS, effectively blocking contamination. “Our approach…

If you have difficulty remembering things, your mind may make the leap to Alzheimer’s disease - but that’s not the only cause of memory loss. Memory lapses can happen at any age and for any number of reasons. However when the underlying cause is found and treated, memory problems can often improve. A doctor can tease apart what parts of the brain are affected,” says Seth Gale, MD, a Neurologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Assistant Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School in Boston. “When you drill down to find out what’s actually happening with someone’s mental functions, you can reassure them. For example, it’s common for people to still have the capacity to learn and store information, but if they have overloaded their mental resources they may…

Artificial intelligence, used as a therapeutic tool, dates back to the 1960s when scripted responses were given to users as they described their emotional states. However while novel at the time, the AI then had no real understanding of the process it was involved in. Cut to now, and smartphone apps like Woebot, Wysa and Replika now have sophisticated, two-way conversations with their users, offering emotional support, mood tracking, and therapeutic exercises like journaling or mindfulness. With the arrival of generative online AI assistants such as ChatGPT, CoPilot and Gemini, mental health advice delivered by AI-driven systems looks surprisingly similar to strategies you’d expect to be given by real-world therapists. Each conversation is a unique interaction with an AI system that is much more context-aware and personalised – they’re even…

In today’s fast-paced world, self-care often feels like an afterthought - a luxury we wish we had time for but struggle to prioritise. But what if self-care was a personalised practice that nurtures your mind, body, and soul in exactly the way you need? Wellness coach, Reiki instructor, and author Kelsey Patel offers insight into the art of self-care saying, “Self-care means really listening to your body, checking in with yourself, and challenging your behaviour and beliefs when things feel out of alignment in your life.” It’s about consciously tuning into your needs and practising rituals that foster peace and healing. But while recognising the need for self-care is a step in the right direction, integrating it into your routine can be a challenge. With life’s never-ending demands, it’s easy…