5 November, 2015

One can of sugary drink increases risk of heart problem

You may want to starting avoiding that soda pop as a team of researchers has warned that drinking just over one can of sugary drink a day dramatically increases the risk of heart problems.

Drinking just one can of fizzy drink a day can raise your risk of heart failure by 23 percent, the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm study says, the Mirror reported.

A further analysis, excluding people diagnosed with heart failure in the first five years, showed the link still held true.

The researchers warned that because it was an observational study, no conclusion could be drawn to say sweetened drinks definitely caused heart failure.

They stressed that the study only involved older white men and the findings may not be applicable to younger age groups, women or certain ethnic groups.

In an accompanying editorial, Spanish professors Miguel Martinez-Gonzalez and Miguel Ruiz-Canela said people who drink a lot of sweetened drinks often have a poor diet overall, which is more of a determinant of ill-health than any one component.

The study appears in the journal Heart.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

05.11.2015

Spend 25% of day standing to cut obesity risk

A new study has found a simple way to reduce the obesity risk. All you have to do is spend at least one-quarter of the day standing.

Standing for at least one-quarter of the day has been linked to lower odds of obesity in the study led by the American Cancer Society in collaboration with The Cooper Institute, the University of Texas and the University of Georgia.

While sedentary behavior (such as watching TV and commuting time) has been linked to negative health effects, it is unclear whether more time spent standing has protective health benefits.

The study found that among men, standing a quarter of the time was linked to a 32 percent reduced likelihood of obesity (body fat percentage). Standing half the time was associated with a 59percent reduced likelihood of obesity. But standing more than three-quarters of the time was not associated with a lower risk of obesity.

In women, standing a quarter, half, and three quarters of the time was associated with 35 percent, 47 percent and 57 percent respective reductions in the likelihood of abdominal obesity (waist circumference). No relationship between standing and metabolic syndrome was found among women or men.

Researchers found that men meeting physical activity guidelines and standing a quarter to half of the time had a 57 percent reduced likelihood for abdominal obesity, whereas those meeting guidelines and standing three quarters of the time or more had a 64 percent lower odds for abdominal obesity.

These findings are cross-sectional, meaning they capture a 'snapshot' in time, so it is unclear whether less standing leads to more obesity or whether in fact obese individuals stand less. Additional prospective studies are needed to determine whether standing has protective health benefits.

Finally, it should be noted that some studies have found adverse health effects to prolonged standing, such as increased risk for varicose veins. Therefore, additional research into the effects of standing on health is definitely suggested.

The study appears in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

05.11.2015

Besides pride, loyalty, discipline, heart, and mind, confidence is the key to all the locks

Joe Paterno