医学科普类英文文章
人民的身体健康素质,对于实现国家的崛起战略具有重要意义。下面是学习啦小编带来的医学科普类英文文章,欢迎阅读!
医学科普类英文文章1
Do Human Beings Carry Expiration Dates?
After celebrating her 60th year on the throne in style this pastweek, Britain's QueenElizabeth II can now look forward tobreaking some more records. She is already, at 86,Britain'soldest monarch (were she to die now, her son wouldimmediately be the 12th oldest).On Sept. 10, 2015, she wouldpass Queen Victoria to become the longest-reigning monarchinBritish history. To beat Louis XIV (who succeeded to the throneat the age of 4) for thelongest reign in European history, she would have to live to 98.
Elizabeth II is still going strong, but the maximum human lifespan isn't rising at anythinglike therate of average life expectancy, which is rushing upward globally at the rate of aboutthree monthsa year, mainly because of progress against premature mortality. Indeed, we mayalready have hitsome kind of limit for maximum lifespan -- perhaps because natural selection,with its strict focus onreproductive success, has no particular need to preserve genes thatwould keep us going to 150.
The oldest woman in the world, Besse Cooper, a retired schoolteacher in Georgia, will be116 onAug. 26, according to the Gerontology Research Group, an organization that studiesaging issues. That's a great age, but it's a hefty six years short of the record: 122 years and164 days, set byJeanne Calment of France in 1997. In other words, if Mrs. Cooper can getthere, Mrs. Calment'srecord will have stood for 21 years; if she can't, maybe longer.
That's a long time, considering that there are now nearly a half million centenarians alive intheworld. That number has been going up 7% a year, but the number of those over 115 isnotincreasing.
If Mrs. Cooper does not take the record, there are only two other 115-year-olds alive totake onthe challenge, and one of them is a man: Jiroemon Kimura, a retired postman fromKyoto. He'swithin seven months of beating the age record for his sex, set by ChristianMortensen, who died in 1998. But Mr. Kimura is less likely than a woman to make 122, andthere are fewer women over 115 today (two) than there were in 2006 (four) or even 1997 (three).
At least two people died after their 110th birthdays in the 1800s, if you're willing to trustthe birthcertificates. So the increase of 12 years in maximum life expectancy during the 20thcentury wasjust one-third as large as the increase in average life expectancy during the period(36 years).
In 2002, James Vaupel of the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research in Rostock,Germany, startled demographers by pointing out that every estimate published of the levelatwhich average life expectancy would level out has been broken within a few years. JayOlshanskyof the University of Illinois, however, argues that since 1980 this has no longer beentrue foralready-old people in rich countries like the U.S.: Official estimates of remaining years oflife for awoman aged 65 should be revised downward.
Thanks to healthier lifestyles, more and more people are surviving into old age. But that isnotincompatible with there being a sort of expiration date on human lifespan. Most scientiststhink thedecay of the body by aging is not itself programmed by genes, but the repairmechanisms thatdelay decay are. In human beings, genes that help keep you alive as a parentor even grandparenthave had a selective advantage through helping children thrive, but onesthat keep you alive as agreat-grandparent -- who likely doesn't play much of a role in the well-being and survival of great-grandchildren -- have probably never contributed to reproductivesuccess.
In other words, there is perhaps no limit to the number of people who can reach 90 or 100,butgetting more than a handful of people past 120 may never be possible, and 150 isprobablyunattainable, absent genetic engineering -- even for a monarch.
在风风光光庆祝完自己登基60周年后,英国女王伊丽莎白二世(Queen Elizabeth II)现在可以期待打破更多纪录了。86岁的她已经是英国历史上最年长的君主了(如果她现在离世,她的儿子就会立即成为第12位年长的君主)。到2015年9月10日,她将会超越维多利亚女王(QueenVictoria),成为英国历史上在位时间最长的君主。要打败四岁时继承王位的路易十四(Louis XIV)成为欧洲历史上在位时间最长的君主,她需要活到98岁。
伊丽莎白二世身体依然很硬朗,但人类最长寿命并不像平均预期寿命一样在不断增长,后者在全球范围内以每年约三个月的幅度在增长,主要是由于对抗过早死亡方面取得的进展。的确,我们或许已经达到了某种最长寿命的极限,这可能是因为严格以繁殖成功为中心的自然选择过程没有必要特别保存能让我们活到150岁的基因。
根据研究老龄化问题的老年学研究组织(Gerontology Research Group)的数据,世界最长寿的女性、来自佐治亚州的退休教师贝斯·库珀(Besse Cooper)将在8月26日年满116岁。这是很长寿的年纪了,但是依然比世界纪录小六岁多:122岁零164天,它是由法国的雅娜·卡尔芒(JeanneCalment)创下的纪录。换句话说,如果库珀能活到这个年纪,那么卡尔芒的纪录就保持了21年,如果活不到,可能保持的时间会更长。
这会是漫长的一段时间,因为目前全世界有近50万百岁老人在世。这个数字在以每年7%的幅度增长,但115岁以上老人的人数并没有增加。
如果库珀没有刷新纪录,就只有两位在世的115岁老人接受这项挑战,其中一位是男性:来自日本京都的退休邮差木村次郎右卫门(Jiroemon Kimura)。他还有七个月就将打破由1998年去世的克里斯蒂安·莫滕森(Christian Mortensen)创下的男性最长寿命纪录。但木村次郎右卫门活到122岁的可能性没有女性大,而目前超过115岁的女性(两位)没有2006年(四位)多,甚至还不如1997年(三位)。
从出生证明来看,19世纪至少有两个人在110岁生日后逝世。因此,20世纪最长寿命12年的增长幅度只不过是同期平均寿命增幅(36年)的三分之一。
2002年,德国罗斯托克马克斯-普朗克人口研究所(Max Planck Institute forDemographicResearch)的詹姆斯·沃佩尔(James Vaupel)指出,每次公开发布的对平均寿命趋稳水平的估计都会在几年内被打破,这令人口统计学家感到吃惊。然而,伊利诺伊大学(University of Illinois)的杰伊·奥尔山斯基(Jay Olshansky)则认为,从1980年开始,在美国等富裕国家,这种规律已经不适用于已经进入高龄的老人了:官方对年龄在65岁的女性剩余寿命的估算应该下调。
由于生活方式越来越健康,活到高龄的人越来越多。但这与人类寿命存在某种期限并不矛盾。大多数科学家认为,人体随年龄增大而衰老本身并不是由基因决定的,但延缓衰老的修复机制却是由基因决定的。对人类来说,帮助人作为父母甚至祖父母活着的基因有助于孩子健壮成长因而具备了选择性优势,但帮助人作为曾祖父母活着的基因可能永远都不会有助于繁殖成功,因为曾祖父母在曾孙的健康和生存上可能发挥不了什么作用。
换句话说,活到90岁或100岁者的人数或许没有上限,但让一大批人活到120岁以上或许永远都不可能实现,没有遗传工程的帮助,人是很难活到150岁的,即便君主也做不到。
医学科普类英文文章2
女人永葆童颜的终极秘诀--大笑
Laughter not only makes you feel good, but it helps boost yourimmune system too.
大笑不仅可以使你感觉良好,还能加强你的免疫系统。
Scientists found that laughter decreases serum cortisol levels (stress chemicals), increases Tlymphocytes (white blood cellsthat play a key role in immunity), and increases the numberofnatural killer cells.
科学家发现,大笑可以降低人体内的血清皮质醇水平(造成压力的化学物质),增加T淋巴细胞(对免疫系统起到重要作用的白血球),还能增加体内的自然杀手细胞的数量。
These results suggest that laughter stimulates the immune system and ultimately makesyouhealthier.
这些研究结果表明,大笑可以增强免疫系统,最终让你变得更健康。
Researchers at Oxford University found that laughter can act as an effective pain reliever.Laughterreleases the feel-good chemical endorphin and it acted like pain relief to theparticipants.
牛津大学的研究发现,大笑可以有效地止痛。大笑会使体内释放出脑内啡,这种物质会使人心情愉快,并减少疼痛。
A study by Loma Linda University found that a good belly laugh positively affected twohormonesthat regulate appetite, leptin and ghrelin, meaning it could also help decreaseappetite.
美国加州洛玛连达大学的一项研究发现,捧腹大笑对人体内控制食欲的两大激素瘦蛋白和胃饥饿素起到很好的抑制作用。这就表示大笑可以减少食欲。
A study by a Canadian University found that laughter makes you more attractive to theoppositesex. The study found that smiley people seem more approachable, plus when youlaugh, yourblood supply increases, causing a rosy glow to the skin, making it appear moreyouthful andappealing to look at.
加拿大大学的一项研究发现,大笑可以使你对异性产生更大的吸引力。爱笑的人看起来更容易亲近,而且,当你笑起来的时候,体内的供血就会增加,皮肤就会显现出粉红色的红晕,使你看起来更加年轻,更加迷人。
医学科普类英文文章3
每多看1小时电视减寿22分钟
Warning: Experts have suggested that every hour of watching TV shortens life expectancyby 22 minutes.
Every hour spent watching TV, DVDs and videos as an adult reduces life expectancy byalmost 22 minutes, a study suggests. And viewing TV for an average of six hours a day cancut short your life by five years.
一项研究指出,成年人每看一小时电视、DVD或视频就会减少22分钟的寿命。每天平均看6小时电视会减寿5年。
The research claims that a sedentary lifestyle is as bad for health as smoking and obesity,because of the dangers posed by inactivity and the greater opportunities it offers forunhealthy eating.
该研究称,久坐的生活方式就跟抽烟和肥胖一样有害身体健康。因为久坐会对健康造成威胁,也会增加不良饮食的机率。
The academics conducting the study set out to calculate the overall risk to life expectancyfrom watching television. Their research involved more than 11,000 people over the age of 25.
学者们开展此项研究的目的是为了估算看电视对寿命的总体风险。他们的研究对象涵盖了年龄在25岁以上的1.1万多人。
Writing in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, they concluded: ‘TV viewing time may beassociated with a loss of life that is comparable to other major chronic disease risk factorssuch as physical inactivity and obesity.’
他们在英国《运动医学》杂志上的文章得出结论说:“看电视的时间长短可能与寿命减少有关,而且这一因素并不亚于其他导致慢性疾病的主要风险因素,例如缺乏运动和肥胖。”
The researchers, from the University of Queensland, used information from the AustralianDiabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study, together with population and death rate data.
昆士兰大学的研究人员采用了来自澳大利亚糖尿病、肥胖和生活方式研究的数据,以及澳洲人口和死亡率的数据。
But they said: ‘While we used Australian data, the effects in other industrialised anddeveloping countries are likely to be comparable, given the typically large amounts of timespent watching TV and similarities in disease patterns.’ In the UK, the average amount of timespent watching TV is four hours a day compared with five hours in the United States.
他们说:“尽管我们用的是澳大利亚的数据,但其影响同样适用于其他工业化和发展中国家,因为这些国家的人们通常看电视的时间也很多,疾病类型也比较相似。”在英国,人们平均每天花4小时的时间看电视,而美国人则每天看5小时电视。
Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, said it was‘biologicallyplausible’ that prolonged TV viewing results in disease and premature death. Otherwork suggests that sedentary behaviour is linked to obesity, high levels of bad blood fats andother heart disease risk factors, and more opportunities for grazing on junk foods.
位于波士顿的哈佛公共健康学院的研究人员说,看电视时间过长会导致疾病和早死,这在生物学上是讲得通的。其他研究也显示,久坐这一行为方式与肥胖、高血脂等多种心脏病风险因素相关,还会让人摄入更多垃圾食品。
Earlier this year, a separate study suggested the risk of developing type 2 diabetesandheart disease, or dying prematurely, rises by as much as 20 percent after just two hours aday in front of the box.
今年早些时候的一项独立研究发现,每天坐在电视机前2小时,患II型糖尿病、心脏病或过早死的机率就会上升20%。
England’s Chief Medical Officer, Sally Davies, said: ‘Physical activity offers huge benefits andthese studies back what we already know – that a sedentary lifestyle carries additional risks.We hope these studies will help more people realise that there are many ways to get exercise.’
英格兰首席卫生官莎莉?戴维斯说:“体力活动会带来极大的好处,这些研究也支持了我们早已知道的事情,也就是久坐的生活方式是危险的。我们希望这些研究能帮助更多人意识到锻炼的方式有很多种。”
Another study shows that exercising for just 15 minutes a day can increase your lifespanby up to three years. It can reduce the risk of early death by 14 percent, with each extra 15minutes reducing all-cause death rates by 4 percent.
另一项研究显示,每天只需锻炼15分钟就可以延长3年寿命,还会使过早死的机率降低14%。每多运动15分钟就能使各种病因导致的死亡率下降4%。