Body Mass Index etc.

B.M.I. is a reliable indicator of total body fat, which is related to the risk of life-threatening diseases. The score is valid for both men and women, but it may overestimate body fat in athletes and others who have a muscular build. It may also underestimate body fat in older people and others who have lost muscle mass.

To determine your B.M.I., click on this link:BMI calculator

(Read the full story at The New York Times)

Lack of outdoor play linked to short-sighted children

The time children spend outdoors could be linked to a reduced risk of being short-sighted, research suggests.

An analysis of eight previous studies by University of Cambridge researchers found that for each additional hour spent outside per week, the risk of myopia reduced by 2%.

Exposure to natural light and time spent looking at distant objects could be key factors, they said.

The studies involved more than 10,000 children and adolescents.
Researchers are presenting their findings at the American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting in Florida.

Dr Justin Sherwin and his research team concluded that short-sighted children spent on average 3.7 fewer hours per week outdoors than those who either had normal vision or were long-sighted. But they said the reasons why were not yet clear. They expected to find that children who spent more time outdoors also spent less time doing activities like reading, studying or playing computer games, but no such link was found in two of the eight studies which looked at this relationship.

(Read the full story at BBC News - Health)

Vitamin D helps control Multiple Sclerosis gene

The first evidence of how vitamin D deficiency and genetics interact to increase the risk of multiple sclerosis has been reported by researchers.

 

A UK and Canadian team found that vitamin D helps to control a gene known to increase MS risk, the PLoS Genetics journal reports. 

It suggests that vitamin D supplements taken during pregnancy and early in life could prevent the disease.

More than 85,000 people in the UK are thought to have MS.
The condition results from the loss of nerve fibres and their protective myelin sheath in the brain and spinal cord, causing neurological damage. 

It is not entirely clear what causes MS but other research has suggested vitamin D, produced in the body through exposure to sunlight, plays a part.
Specifically there is evidence that populations from Northern Europe have an increased risk of developing MS if they live in areas receiving less sunshine.

Various pieces of research have also pointed to genetic causes.

In the latest study, researchers at the University of Oxford and University of British Columbia looked at a section of the genome on chromosome six which had been shown to have the strongest effect on MS risk.

While one in 1,000 people in the UK is likely to develop MS, this number rises to around one in 300 among those carrying a single copy of the gene variant - known as DRB1*1501 - and one in 100 of those carrying two copies.

The researchers found that proteins activated by vitamin D in the body bind to a particular DNA sequence next to the gene, altering its function.They believe that vitamin D deficiency in mothers or even in a previous generation may lead to altered expression of the gene in their offspring. 

....



It is thought that in people who carry the gene variant, a lack of vitamin D during early life might impair the ability of the thymus to delete rogue T cells, which then go on to attack the body, leading to a loss of myelin on the nerve fibres. 

---


And it is also recommended that children under five take daily vitamin D supplements. 

(Read the full story at BBC News)

Fit at Any Age: Your 50s Strength Workout

Strong bones are important at any age, but even more so in middle age. Bone density peaks at age 30 and then starts to drop.

 The good news is that exercise, particularly strength training, can slow this process down.

This 15-minute routine helps build and maintain bone and muscle, and increases your metabolism.

Do it 2–3 times a week.

(Read the full story & see the exercises here)

Cancer? More exercise, not less, may be best

In the past, doctors often told cancer patients to take it easy during treatment. Although the appropriate amount of exercise varies from patient to patient, that conventional wisdom is now considered old hat. In fact, new guidelines on cancer and exercise from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) urge cancer patients to be as physically active as possible both during and after their treatment.

"The idea that you should be staying put and resting is ultimately doing more harm than good," says Kathryn Schmitz, Ph.D., an epidemiologist at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, in Philadelphia. Schmitz, who studies the role of physical activity in chronic diseases, presented the guidelines at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual meeting last week.

The last thing people overwhelmed by cancer's psychological and physical impact may want to hear is "exercise more." During treatment, bone-crushing fatigue, nausea, and body-changing surgery -- not to mention the emotional drain of coping with worried children, friends, and life partners -- often puts exercise very last on the list of priorities.

Still, experts now say that exercise may help with -- not add to -- those problems. It boosts energy, helps stave off the weight gain often associated with treatment, and provides a psychological pick-me-up at a time when a person's morale is likely to be battered.

How much exercise is enough? The ACSM recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week, which works out to about 20 minutes a day -- the same amount recommended to the general public.

That said, the organization is realistic about how cancer and its treatment can alter mood and energy levels. Any kind of activity -- even a short walk -- is better than none, the ACSM says.

(Read the full story by Kate Stinchfield of Health.com as posted on CNN.com)

Eating butter and cheese 'doesn't increase risk of heart attacks'

From the Daily Mail:


It's great news for cheese and butter fans - scientists have found that eating dairy food doesn't increase your risk of a heart attack.


Nutritionists surveyed thousands of middle-aged people and found that even those who ate more than half a kilo {1.1 lbs} of cheese did not seem to suffer from increased risk.


Contrary to earlier beliefs that saturated fat might lead to a heart attack, researchers found that nutrients in dairy products actually counteract the harmful effects.


[....]



Her team doesn't believe the saturated fats in dairy products are harmless, but suggest other nutrients such as calcium, vitamin D and potassium may protect against heart disease for all but those who ate the most of them in their study.


[Full story]


Author's disclaimer: All content within this site is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional. The author is not responsible or liable for any diagnosis made by a user based on the content of this site. The author is not liable for the contents of any external internet sites listed, nor does he endorse any commercial product or service mentioned or advised on any of the sites. Always consult your own medical practitioner if you're in any way concerned about your health. 

Heart Disease

From BBC - Health.

Coronary heart disease is the biggest killer in the UK [and most Western societies]. But medical advances mean that having heart disease is no longer a death sentence and there are lots of things that you can do to reduce your risk.


[Click on this link to read all about understanding Heart Disease, Heart conditions, How to prevent Heart disease, etc.] 


Author's disclaimer: All content within this site is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional. The author is not responsible or liable for any diagnosis made by a user based on the content of this site. The author is not liable for the contents of any external internet sites listed, nor does he endorse any commercial product or service mentioned or advised on any of the sites. Always consult your own medical practitioner if you're in any way concerned about your health.

Post-traumatic stress disorder

From BBC-Health, with many thanks: 


Any of us can go through an overwhelming traumatic event, and most get over it without help. But about one in three go on with symptoms for many months or years – this is called post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 

Causes

Examples of traumatic events which could cause PTSD include:

• Getting diagnosed with a serious illness
• Having (or seeing) a serious road accident
• The unexpected injury or violent death of someone close
• Being taken hostage or prisoner-of-war
• Continuing physical or sexual abuse
• Rape
• Mistreatment in prisons or torture

There are several possible reasons for PTSD:

Psychological

• Remembering things clearly can help you understand what happened and, perhaps, help you recover.
• Avoidance helps you not become exhausted from remembering a trauma. It keeps the number of ‘replays’ down to a manageable level.
• Flashbacks force you to think about what has happened and decide what to do if it happens again. Being 'on guard' means that you can react quickly if another crisis happens and can give you the energy you need to carry on afterwards.

Physical

• Vivid memories keep your levels of adrenaline high, you will feel tense, irritable and unable to relax or sleep well.
• The hippocampus is the part of the brain that processes memories. In PTSD, high levels of stress hormones, like adrenaline, may stop it from processing the memories of the event, producing continuing flashbacks and nightmares.

Symptoms

Symptoms of PTSD usually start within six months, and sometimes only a few weeks after the trauma.

After the traumatic event you can feel grief-stricken, depressed, anxious, guilty and angry. In PTSD you may also:

• Have flashbacks and nightmares, reliving the event in your mind, again and again.
• Avoid thinking and feeling upset about it by keeping busy and avoiding anything or anyone that reminds you.
• Be ‘on guard’ – you stay alert all the time, can’t relax, feel anxious and can’t sleep.
• Feel physical symptoms – aches and pains, diarrhoea, irregular heartbeats, headaches, feelings of panic and fear, depression.
• Start drinking too much alcohol or using drugs (including painkillers).

Treatment

Try to get back to your usual routine, talk about what happened to someone you trust and try relaxation exercises. Eat regularly, take exercise and spend time with family and friends.

It could help to go back to where the traumatic event happened, but make sure you feel ready for this. Take care with driving – you‘re more likely to have an accident .

Don't be hard on yourself or expect too much. PTSD symptoms aren't a sign of weakness, They’re a normal reaction of normal people to terrifying experiences. Don't avoid other people, drink or smoke a lot, miss sleep or meals.

You will know you’re on the road to recovery when you:

• think about it without becoming distressed
• don’t feel constantly under threat
• don’t think about it at inappropriate times

Support

Psychotherapy helps by remembering the event, going over and making sense of it, your mind can do its normal job of storing the memories away and moving on to other things.

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) helps to think differently about your memories, so that they become less distressing and more manageable. It involves relaxation to help you tolerate the discomfort of recalling the traumatic events.

Eye movement desensitisation & reprocessing (EMDR) - uses eye movements to help the brain to process flashbacks and to make sense of the traumatic experience.

Group therapy - talking with a group of people who have been through the same or similar traumatic events can help you feel less alone and isolated.

Medication - antidepressant tablets will reduce the strength of symptoms and relieve any depression. If you are so distressed that you can't sleep or think clearly, you may need tranquillising medication, although not for more than ten days or so.

Helping someone with PTSD

Remind yourself that they are irritable and jumpy because, in a way, part of them is still in the traumatic situation. Give them time to tell you about what happened. Ask general questions, and don't interrupt or talk about your own experiences.

[BBC disclaimer: All content within BBC Health is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional. The BBC is not responsible or liable for any diagnosis made by a user based on the content of the BBC Health website. The BBC is not liable for the contents of any external internet sites listed, nor does it endorse any commercial product or service mentioned or advised on any of the sites. See our Links Policy for more information. Always consult your own GP if you're in any way concerned about your health.]

Author's disclaimer: All content within this site is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional. The author is not responsible or liable for any diagnosis made by a user based on the content of this site. The author is not liable for the contents of any external internet sites listed, nor does he endorse any commercial product or service mentioned or advised on any of the sites. Always consult your own medical practitioner if you're in any way concerned about your health.

Untidy beds may keep us healthy

I never thought I'd ever see a justification for an untidy bed, but this is a great one.

"Failing to make your bed in the morning may actually help keep you healthy, scientists believe.


Research suggests that while an unmade bed may look scruffy it is also unappealing to house dust mites thought to cause asthma and other allergies.

A Kingston University study discovered the bugs cannot survive in the warm, dry conditions found in an unmade bed.

The average bed could be home to up to 1.5 million house dust mites.The bugs, which are less than a millimetre long [1/25th of an inch], feed on scales of human skin and produce allergens which are easily inhaled during sleep.

The warm, damp conditions created in an occupied bed are ideal for the creatures, but they are less likely to thrive when moisture is in shorter supply.


The scientists developed a computer model to track how changes in the home can reduce numbers of dust mites in beds. 

Researcher Dr Stephen Pretlove said: "We know that mites can only survive by taking in water from the atmosphere using small glands on the outside of their body."Something as simple as leaving a bed unmade during the day can remove moisture from the sheets and mattress so the mites will dehydrate and eventually die." 

[Full story]

Feeling grumpy 'is good for you' .. makes you think more clearly

In a bad mood? Don't worry - according to research, it's good for you.

An Australian psychology expert who has been studying emotions has found being grumpy makes us think more clearly. 

In contrast to those annoying happy types, miserable people are better at decision-making and less gullible, his experiments showed. 

While cheerfulness fosters creativity, gloominess breeds attentiveness and careful thinking, Professor Joe Forgas told Australian Science Magazine.

The University of New South Wales researcher says a grumpy person can cope with more demanding situations than a happy one because of the way the brain "promotes information processing strategies".

[...]


Professor Forgas said: "Whereas positive mood seems to promote creativity, flexibility, co-operation and reliance on mental shortcuts, negative moods trigger more attentive, careful thinking, paying greater attention to the external world." 

[Full story]

Tea 'healthier' drink than water

Drinking three or more cups of tea a day is as good for you as drinking plenty of water and may even have extra health benefits, say researchers.
 
The work in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition dispels the common belief that tea dehydrates. 

Tea not only rehydrates as well as water does, but it can also protect against heart disease and some cancers, UK nutritionists found. 

Experts believe flavonoids are the key ingredient in tea that promote health. 

These polyphenol antioxidants are found in many foods and plants, including tea leaves, and have been shown to help prevent cell damage.  

[...]

They found clear evidence that drinking three to four cups of tea a day can cut the chances of having a heart attack.

Some studies suggested tea consumption protected against cancer, although this effect was less clear-cut.

Other health benefits seen included protection against tooth plaque and potentially tooth decay, plus bone strengthening.

[...]
There was no evidence that tea consumption was harmful to health. However, research suggests that tea can impair the body's ability to absorb iron from food, meaning people at risk of anaemia should avoid drinking tea around mealtimes.


[Full story]

Sleep patterns affect weight loss

Managing sleep and stress levels can help in the battle against obesity, according to scientists in the US.

People getting too little or too much sleep were less likely to lose weight in a six month study of 472 obese people.

Their report in the International Journal of Obesity showed that lower stress levels also predicted greater weight loss.

A UK sleep expert said people need to "eat less, move more and sleep well".

[...]

The authors report that "sleep time predicted success in the weight loss programme".

People with lower stress levels at the start also lost more weight.

[Full story]