National health literacy day 8th september 2017 lynchs pharmacy douglas

Feeling a little blue lately? A handful of recent research suggests you're not alone.

Thankfully, there may be something — or several things — you can do about it.

Researchers have known for decades that certain activities make us feel better, and they're just beginning to understand what happens in the brain to boost our mood.

People with lower iron levels may be at greater risk of heart disease, a new study has found.

Researchers analysing genetic data have uncovered a potential protective effect of iron in coronary artery disease, suggesting that having a higher iron status reduces a person’s risk of coronary artery disease (CAD), a type of cardiovascular disease (CVD) where clogged arteries reduce the amount of blood reaching the heart.

CVD is a leading cause of death worldwide, according to the World Health Organization, resulting in more than seven million deaths a year.

• The ability to manage your emotions and remain calm under pressure has a direct link to your performance. TalentSmart has conducted research with more than a million people, and we’ve found that 90% of top performers are skilled at managing their emotions in times of stress in order to remain calm and in control.

Probiotics may relieve symptoms of depression, as well as help gastrointestinal upset, research from McMaster University has found.

In a study published in the medical journal Gastroenterology, researchers of the Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute found that twice as many adults with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) reported improvements from co-existing depression when they took a specific probiotic than adults with IBS who took a placebo.

What is health literacy?

The concept is very simple, according to the world health organisation - the more a patient knows about their medicine, the more likely they are to continue taking their prescribed treatment correctly. The benefits to patients who do increase their knowledge of their medicines is well documented and include: