Saliva samples to replace blood tests for diabetes

Only My Health provides a quick roundup of all the latest health news that you should be aware of. According to Tianjin Medical University research, drinking tea or coffee may reduce the risk of stroke and dementia by one-third. According to a study conducted by the India Diabetes Research Foundation, saliva samples could soon replace finger-pricking blood tests for diabetes. Researchers devised a method for imbuing N95 face masks with antiviral and antibacterial properties. This would enable them to be worn for a longer period of time.

Coffee & Tea Can Reduce Stroke & Dementia Risk

Do you enjoy drinking tea or coffee? According to a new study, drinking tea and coffee is beneficial to your heart and brain. Tianjin Medical University researchers discovered that drinking several cups of coffee or tea per day may protect against stroke and dementia when compared to those who drank less or none at all.

People who drank 2-3 cups of coffee or 3-5 cups of tea per day had the lowest risk of stroke or dementia, according to the study. This amount of tea reduced the risk of stroke by 32% and dementia by 28%.

Saliva Samples To Replace Blood Tests For Diabetes

Blood glucose testing is an essential part of diabetes management. However, because diabetes patients must perform a finger-pricking blood test, the procedure is slightly painful.

This discomfort, however, may soon be forgotten, as a recent study found that saliva samples can be used to test for diabetes.

Scientists from the India Diabetes Research Foundation screened 90 people who took a standard 75-gram oral glucose tolerance test for the study. Among these, 53% had normal glucose tolerance, 18.9% had impaired glucose tolerance, and 27.8% had diabetes. The following day, all 90 people had their teeth examined. Adipokine concentrations in serum and saliva were also investigated. Adipokines are cell-signaling molecules that are produced by fat.

A serum test determines the level of albumin in the blood. The study discovered lower adipokine concentrations in saliva compared to serum, indicating type 2 diabetes. In addition, people with Type 2 diabetes had lower levels of adiponectin in their serum.

While larger clinical trials are needed before this test can be standardised as a diagnostic tool, doctors say evidence suggests that this non-invasive method may be able to detect type 2 diabetes earlier than serum tests.

Researchers Develop Face Masks That Kill Viruses

Traditional N95 and KN95 masks must be discarded or washed and disinfected after each use. This produces a lot of plastic waste, which is bad for the environment.

However, researchers have now developed a simple method that allows N95 masks to be worn for much longer periods of time.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in New York developed this new method. It not only improves the N95 mask's ability to protect against infection, but it also extends the mask's shelf life, which ultimately contributes to less plastic waste.

Various viruses were used to test the antiviral activity of polymer-coated polypropylene. A mouse coronavirus similar to the human coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, a human coronavirus, and a suid herpesvirus were among them.

The benefit of this method is that the antimicrobial polymer-coating process can be applied to existing mask filters rather than having to create new ones.