Reader's Digest New Zealand Feb/ Mar 2026

RESEARCH BY MOLLY JASINSKI AND EMILY SURPLESS. PHOTOGRAPH BY ADAM VOORHES EXERCISE CANCER AWAY Prescriptions for exercise may soon join prescriptions for drugs as part of standard cancer treatment. A study of colon cancer patients in five countries found that people who added a structured exer- cise program to their recovery cut their risk of disease recurrence by 28% and their risk of death by 37% over the 25 years of the study. Those numbers, say experts, are better than many cancer drugs. The finding, presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology conference, is considered so important that regular exer- cise may soon become a routine part of cancer care. News From the WORLD OF MEDICINE BY Beth Weinhouse reader ’ s digest 44 february/march 2026 See-in-the Dark Contact Lenses Scientists are getting closer to giving people a real superpower: the ability to see in the dark. A contact lens developed at the Uni­ versity of Science and Technology in eastern China uses tiny nano­ particles that absorb infrared light, a part of the spectrum that is invisible to the naked eye. Until now, people who needed to be able to see in very dark or lowlight conditions had to use bulky nightvision goggles or other devices. The newly developed contact lenses actually worked best when people’s eyes were closed, as infrared light can easily penetrate the eyelids. Besides helping people who need to work in low­ light conditions, the new contact lenses may someday help people with color blindness to perceive colors more accurately as well. Look Up in the Sky Shorter days mean more opportunities to look up at the night sky ... which may help ward off depression. A Yale University study of people suffering from long COVID19 found that those who paused a few times each day to seek out something that inspired wonder had a 17% drop in depressive symptoms and a 16% rise in wellbeing com­ pared with the control group. If you’re not a night owl, try looking at something else that inspires awe, such as clouds, the colors in a garden or birds flying. Now Hear This A study in the April 2025 Journal of the American Medical Association found that treating hearing loss could be a key step toward preventing dementia. Researchers from Columbia, Vanderbilt, New York University and Johns Hopkins reviewed data from 2,946 people with an average age of 74.9 years. The results suggest that up to 32% of dementia cases “could be attributable” to undiagnosed hearing loss and that treating hearing problems might delay dementia onset. Also, doctors in Japan found that workers with hearing loss were sig­ nificantly more likely to have physical and occu­ pational challenges. Two good reasons to get your ears checked! IMAGE CREDIT: URDIALEX, VIA ADOBE STOCK readersdigest.co.nz 45 The Healthy