Flu Vaccine
Could Save Your
Life if You Have
Heart FailureNeed another reason to
get your flu shot? Ac-
cording to an analysis
of data from more than
78,000 patients with
heart failure, getting
a seasonal influenza
vaccine was associated
with a 50 percent drop
in the risk of death
(from any cause) dur-
ing flu season and a
20 percent drop in the
risk of death during the
rest of the year. Accord-
ing to the study’s lead
author, it is well-known
that heart failure pa-
tients have an elevated
risk of flu-related
death, so it makes
sense that vaccination
can help. Getting vacci-
nated was also linked
to a 22 percent reduc-
tion in the risk of being
hospitalized with car-
diac problems.Osteoporosis Drug
May Cure BaldnessResearchers from the
University of Manches-
ter have discovered that
a drug originally devel-
oped to treat bone loss
may also help treat hair
loss. The drug, known
as WAY-316606, sup-
presses the activity of
a protein that is key
to regulating the
growth of many differ-
ent types of tissue,
including hair follicles.
In a lab, the researchers
extracted hair follicles
from male hair-
transplant patients,
then treated the sam-
ples with the drug. In
just two days, the drug
stimulated the hair fol-
licles to grow. A clinical
trial is needed to en-
sure that the treatment
is safe and effective
when used on hair still
attached to living hu-
man scalps, but experts
are excited about the
prospect of a new med-
ication, as existing hair-
loss treatments are not
effective for everyone.A PHOTO A
DAY KEEPS
THE DOCTORAWAY
Taking a photograph
each day and posting it
online is a popular
hobby, if the millions of
online pictures tagged
“#365” are any indica-
tion. To explore how
this habit affects health,
British researchers in-
terviewed the creators
of online photo journals
and discovered that
daily photography im-
proved respondents’
lives in several ways:
It made them mindful
of the present, it moti-
vated them to go for
walks to get their
photos, and it gave
them opportunities to
interact with folks who
share their interests.36 february 2019 | rd.com
Reader’s Digest
octographers/shutterstock