A new report in the British Medical Journal gives us the results of a 39 year study involving over 46,000 women. The shocking results: in the long term, women who have taken birth control pills may live longer!
Archive for the ‘medicine’ Category
Wasted Youth
On March - 10 - 2010ADD COMMENTS
Age against the machine is usually about longevity and healthy living from the perspective of how adults can make a difference in their own lives. Age management doesn’t just begin in adulthood, though. The wages of childhood and adolescence are something we all carry forward.
The CDC has taken the first stand against childhood obesity which has risen to almost 20% of children between the ages of 5 and 11. Teens have it nearly as bad. These kids are at very real long term risk of heart disease, diabetes, some cancers and arthritis. Some already show signs of disease such as poor glucose tolerance, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.
Fortunately, there is an alternative. A study presented at the American Heart Association’s 2010 Conference on Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism showed that physical fitness was directly correlated with academic achievement. Read the rest of this entry »
The straight poop on yogurt
On March - 1 - 2010ADD COMMENTS
Much ado has been made about yogurt as a treatment for “irregularity,” so much so that one major vendor of yogurt specifically markets their new blend of bacteria and fermented milk for the improvement of “long intestinal transit time.” It all sounds wonderful, just eat a cup of yogurt and the trains run on time. That’s actually proven to be true in multiple studies, which is great for most people.
For those who suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), a condition that makes a mockery of regularity, things are always a little more vexing. For them, yogurt induced regularity would be a godsend. Publishing in Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, researchers have taken a good look at this very question. Read the rest of this entry »
“Aspirin a Day” Controversy Thickens
On February - 26 - 2010ADD COMMENTS
This week, the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force came out with new recommendations on the use of daily low-dose aspirin to prevent heart attacks and strokes. In fact, the recommendations are so new they aren’t on their official website yet as I write this. The short version is that they think fewer people should be taking aspirin daily due to the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. However, just last year this same task force said that more people should be taking aspirin daily!
Two for a Friday
On February - 19 - 2010ADD COMMENTS
New Paper actually says “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”
Why? Because it’s good for your heart! There is a link to a PDF of the paper in the first paragraph of the linked article, and yes, the title really is “Don’t worry, be happy: positive affect and reduced 10-year incident coronary heart disease.” In a study of over 1700 adults, Canadian researchers found that people with a positive outlook had a reduced risk of heart disease. This suggests that controlling depression is an important part of a heart-healthy lifestyle.
I Can See Clearly Now
Another study of over 600 elderly people shows how important regular vision screening is. Researchers at the University of Michigan found that patients with untreated vision problems were at increased risk of Alzheimer’s Disease. They point out that “Proper vision is a requirement for many of the activities that previously have been found to lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. These include reading, playing board games, other mentally stimulating activities, social networking, as well as physical activity such as walking and routine exercising. A visual disorder may interfere with normal mobility and may also hinder a person’s ability to participate in such activities.” So remember to include vision screening among your regular check-ups.