Posts Tagged ‘obesity’

Obesity in 20s can cause heart attack in 40s

Obese people who have type 2 diabetes in their 20s are likely to be at higher risk of a heart attack or stroke in their 40s, if they do not change their lifestyle, warn health experts. If your blood pressure (BP) is 136/88 and you’re a man with a waist over 40 (inches) or a woman with a waist over 35 (inches), it spells trouble,” said Dale J. Hamilton, diabetes clinical services chief at The Methodist Hospital in Houston. “These are two of the five symptoms of metabolic syndrome, a problem that can lead to type 2 diabetes. All you need is three to begin seeing increased atherosclerosis.”
High triglyceride levels over 150, insulin resistance and a low LDL (good cholesterol) are factors of metabolic syndrome, along with high BP and central obesity. This condition afflicts 47 million Americans, says American Heart Association.
Many of them will end up with type 2 diabetes, which can eventually lead to coronary artery disease and stroke. “Small changes every day can help curb big problems later on,” said Hamilton.
“Losing five to 10 pounds will help lower blood pressure. Reducing saturated fats, carbohydrates, and eating about two-thirds the amount you eat now will help you lose weight around the middle. Walk 45 minutes a day instead of 30,” added Hamilton.
Some experts believe replacing sugar with high fructose corn syrup in processed foods in the US and Canada in the 1990s has played a role in the rise of type 2 diabetes cases.
High fructose corn syrup is made by changing the sugar in corn starch to fructose, another form of sugar. It has become popular because it extends the shelf life of processed foods and is cheaper than sugar. It has also become a popular ingredient in many sodas and fruit-flavoured drinks.
“The problem with high fructose corn syrup is that it promotes central obesity,” Hamilton said, according to a Methodist Hospital release. “Another problem with it is that it fools your body into thinking you are hungry. I don’t think you need to eliminate it from your diet, you just need to be aware of how much of it you are consuming on a daily basis because too much can lead to serious weight gain.”
Keep in mind, he said, type 2 diabetes symptoms often go untreated because there are few or no symptoms until it is too late
Obese people who have type 2 diabetes in their 20s are likely to be at higher risk of a heart attack or stroke in their 40s, if they do not change their lifestyle, warn health experts. If your blood pressure (BP) is 136/88 and you’re a man with a waist over 40 (inches) or a woman with a waist over 35 (inches), it spells trouble,” said Dale J. Hamilton, diabetes clinical services chief at The Methodist Hospital in Houston. “These are two of the five symptoms of metabolic syndrome, a problem that can lead to type 2 diabetes. All you need is three to begin seeing increased atherosclerosis.”
High triglyceride levels over 150, insulin resistance and a low LDL (good cholesterol) are factors of metabolic syndrome, along with high BP and central obesity. This condition afflicts 47 million Americans, says American Heart Association.
Many of them will end up with type 2 diabetes, which can eventually lead to coronary artery disease and stroke. “Small changes every day can help curb big problems later on,” said Hamilton.
“Losing five to 10 pounds will help lower blood pressure. Reducing saturated fats, carbohydrates, and eating about two-thirds the amount you eat now will help you lose weight around the middle. Walk 45 minutes a day instead of 30,” added Hamilton.
Some experts believe replacing sugar with high fructose corn syrup in processed foods in the US and Canada in the 1990s has played a role in the rise of type 2 diabetes cases.

TV before bedtime leads to sleep debt

WASHINGTON: Television watching may be an important determinant of bedtime and may contribute to sleep debt, according to the latest research.
The study included 21,475 people aged 15 or older. All participants completed the American Time Use Survey between 2003 and 2006. The activities that the participants engaged in two hours before bed time were recorded.
Television viewing was by far the dominant pre-sleep activity, accounting for approximately 50 percent of pre-bed time.
The authors of the study Mathias Basner and David Dinges of the University of Pennsylvania were surprised to find that watching television appeared to be the most important time cue for the beginning of the sleep period.
Sleeping less than seven to eight hours daily hinders alertness and is associated with increased obesity, mortality and morbidity.
Dinges said that “Given the relationship of short sleep duration to health risks, there is concern that many Americans are chronically under-sleeping due to lifestyle choices.
Dr. Basner added that “watching less television in the evening and postponing work start time in the morning appear to be the candidate behavioural changes for achieving additional sleep and reducing chronic sleep debt. While the timing of work may not be flexible, giving up some TV viewing in the evening should be possible to promote adequate sleep.”
The findings were presented at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.
tv-gutWASHINGTON: Television watching may be an important determinant of bedtime and may contribute to sleep debt, according to the latest research.
The study included 21,475 people aged 15 or older. All participants completed the American Time Use Survey between 2003 and 2006. The activities that the participants engaged in two hours before bed time were recorded.
Television viewing was by far the dominant pre-sleep activity, accounting for approximately 50 percent of pre-bed time.
The authors of the study Mathias Basner and David Dinges of the University of Pennsylvania were surprised to find that watching television appeared to be the most important time cue for the beginning of the sleep period.
Sleeping less than seven to eight hours daily hinders alertness and is associated with increased obesity, mortality and morbidity.
Dinges said that “Given the relationship of short sleep duration to health risks, there is concern that many Americans are chronically under-sleeping due to lifestyle choices.
Dr. Basner added that “watching less television in the evening and postponing work start time in the morning appear to be the candidate behavioural changes for achieving additional sleep and reducing chronic sleep debt. While the timing of work may not be flexible, giving up some TV viewing in the evening should be possible to promote adequate sleep.”
The findings were presented at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.

Diabetes

Diabetes in various forms affects up to 5percent of the world population with 12 million diabetics in Western Europe alone. Of the different ways in which diabetes presents, noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) is probably the most commonly encountered genetic disease. NIDDM or Type II diabetes is multifactorial, depending also on environmental factors including obesity, sedentary lifestyles and nutritional imbalances.

Yoga has shown some beneficial results in curing diabetes.

The yoga exercises that are prescribed for curing diabetes is different from hatha yoga exercise because it involves positions tailored to treat certain conditions, as well as meditation, relaxation and stretching exercises.

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Heart Attacks: Causes and Risk Factors

What is a Heart Attack?

When the flow of blood to the heart is obstructed, a heart attack occurs. If the blood flow is not restored quickly, lack of oxygen can cause damage to that part of the heart muscle and it can begin to die. Therefore, if you think you or someone else is having a heart attack, get help immediately. Treatment for a heart attack has a better chance of minimizing damage to the heart if it is given within one hour of the first symptoms.

People who have heart attacks most likely suffer from coronary artery disease which is brought about by the build up of fatty material known as plaque inside he coronary arteries. These arteries supply the heart with blood and oxygen. This buildup can take many years to occur. When a heart attack happens, some of this build up splits off and causes a clot. A big enough clot can partially or entirely prevent blood from getting to the heart muscle.

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