/oss/taxonomy/term/874/all en /oss/article/covid-19-student-contributors-health/giving-worried-sick-whole-new-meaning <p>Everybody experiences stress differently, from the circumstances that cause it, to the ways that we cope with it. What doesn’t differ is that we all experience it, one way or another. There are a multitude of reasons why we get stressed: academic deadlines, social pressures and work-related responsibilities.</p> Fri, 09 Apr 2021 19:44:07 +0000 Cat Wang 8694 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know/cortisol-testosterone-and-finding-mate <p>For animals wanting to find the healthiest mate, cortisol (stress hormone) levels in their mates could have big implications. Luckily, it appears that animals detect cortisol levels through its interactions with other hormones, namely testosterone. Studies have shown that cortisol can block testosterone's actions, causing an animal to engage in more emergency behaviour such as fighting or fleeing, and less testosterone-influenced behaviour such as mating.</p> Thu, 18 May 2017 16:45:58 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 2452 at /oss /oss/article/environment-health-you-asked/are-wind-farms-really-bad-peoples-health <p>At present wind turbines produce a little over 2% of Canada’s electricity.  The industry’s goal is to have this number go up to 20% by 2025 leading to a rapid expansion of wind farms around the country.  In Ontario, wind power for the first time has surpassed coal in the production of electricity. This is good news in terms of greenhouse gas emission but it may come at a cost. More and more people living nearby, blame wind turbines for a variety of health problems.  The symptoms vary but include sleep deprivation, anxiety, depression and increased blood pressure.</p> Sun, 17 Feb 2013 02:40:02 +0000 Ariel Fenster PhD 1874 at /oss /oss/article/science-science-everywhere/stinky-boyfriend-blame-your-nose <p>Some girls find their boyfriend’s natural odor sexy, some find it repugnant. And a new study conducted by molecular genetics and microbiology professor Hiroaki Matsunami and his team at Duke University showed that the boyfriend’s sweat is not to blame; rather, the smell is in the nose of the beholder.</p> Sat, 24 Sep 2011 16:39:06 +0000 Melody Ko MD 1607 at /oss /oss/article/health-you-asked/it-true-getting-angry-can-affect-heart <p>Indeed, the risk of a heart attack or angina is nearly five times higher in the two hours following an anger outburst than at other times, and the risk of stroke is four times higher. Let’s not get too carried away with this though, because at any given moment the risk of a heart attack or stroke is very low, so even a five fold increase in risk isn’t that great. To put the numbers into perspective, researchers estimate that if 10,000 healthy people have one anger outburst a month over a year, one of them will suffer a heart attack or a stroke as a result of the outburst.</p> Tue, 21 Feb 2017 04:17:10 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 1484 at /oss