22 January, 2014

Sunshine reduces BP and cuts risk of heart attack and stroke

A new study has revealed that exposing skin to sunlight may help to reduce blood pressure and thus cut the risk of heart attack and stroke. Research carried out at the Universities of Southampton and Edinburgh showed that sunlight alters levels of the small messenger molecule, nitric oxide (NO) in the skin and blood, reducing blood pressure.

Martin Feelisch, Professor of Experimental Medicine and Integrative Biology at the University of Southampton, said: ‘NO along with its breakdown products, known to be abundant in skin, is involved in the regulation of blood pressure. When exposed to sunlight, small amounts of NO are transferred from the skin to the circulation, lowering blood vessel tone; as blood pressure drops, so does the risk of heart attack and stroke.’  

While limiting sunlight exposure is important to prevent skin cancer, the authors of the study, including Dr Richard Weller of the University of Edinburgh, suggested that minimising exposure may be disadvantageous by increasing the risk of prevalent conditions related to cardiovascular disease.   

The results suggested that UVA exposure dilates blood vessels, significantly lowers blood pressure, and alters NO metabolite levels in the circulation, without changing vitamin D levels.  

Further experiments indicated that pre-formed stores of NO in the upper skin layers are involved in mediating these effects. The study was published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.  

Source: http://health.india.com

22.01.2014

Coming soon – Google contact lenses for diabetics?

In a news that will delight people suffering from diabetes across the world, Google has unveiled a contact lens which can monitor their blood glucose levels. Usually, diabetics have to prick their fingers to check their glucose levels and administer insulin accordingly to keep their disease under control.

Unfortunately though, it’ll take 5 years for the product to reach the market.

The device measures the glucose level in tears using sensors sandwiched between the two layers of a contact lens. The project was undertaken by the developers at Google X, and led by Brian Otis and Babak Parvaz.

‘We’re testing prototypes that can generate a reading once per second. We’re also investigating the potential for this to serve as an early warning for the wearer, so we’re exploring integrating tiny LED lights that could light up to indicate that glucose levels have crossed above or below certain thresholds. It’s still early days for this technology, but we’ve completed multiple clinical research studies which are helping to refine our prototype. We hope this could someday lead to a new way for people with diabetes to manage their disease.’, the developers wrote on Google’s official blog.  

Source: http://health.india.com

22.01.2014

Admire without jealousy, praise without flattery, follow without imitating, and lead without manipulating

Ritu Ghatourey