Know your lifespan with £435 test!
London: A blood test that can show how fast someone is aging – and offers the tantalizing possibility of estimating how long they have left to live – is to go on sale to the general public in Britain later this year.
The controversial test measures vital structures on the tips of a person’s chromosomes, called telomeres, which scientists believe are one of the most important and accurate indicators of the speed at which a
person is aging.
Scientists behind the A500 test said it will be possible to tell whether a person’s “biological age”, as measured by the length of their telomeres, is older or younger than their actual chronological age, as measured by the years since birth. Although the scientists do not yet believe they can narrow down the prediction to calculate the exact number of months and years a person has yet to live, several studies have indicated that individuals with shorter than normal telomeres are likely to die younger than those with longer telomeres. Continue Reading >>
Breastfeed 4 Months or Child will be bad!
Mums should breastfeed for at least four months to avoid having naughty kids, experts now advise.
It follows one of the biggest studies on breast-feeding yet.
Renowned Oxford University researchers examined the health and behavior of almost 10,000 mums and their children for five years. They found that the children who were breastfed for four months or more were far better behaved.
They also socialized better with other kids by their fifth birthday. Behavioral problems more common among bottle-fed babies ranged from hyperactivity, anxiety and restlessness – to stealing and lying. The researchers took into account other factors which could influence kids’ behavior – such as time spent with their parents at home.
But breastfed infants were still found to be 30 per cent less likely to be badly behaved. The team – led by leading UK public health expert Maria Quigley – is unsure what causes the effect.
Nutrients
It could be the bonding process – or breast milk nutrients such as fatty acids, which boost growth of brain cells. They called for further studies to investigate the link. Breast milk has long been known to stave off infections, and reduce the risk of illnesses such as asthma and eczema.
Department of Health guidelines state that women should try to solely breastfeed until babies hit six months. Many do this, but it is common for others to try for at least the first three months before they switch to a mixture of breast and formula milk.
Large numbers only bottle-feed their babies – due to difficulty feeding, lack of time, or other reasons. Ms Quigley called on authorities to help mums breastfeed.
She said: “Many struggle to breastfeed for as long as they might otherwise like. They should be given all the support they need.”
Many breast cancer patients could take hormone-reducing drugs to avoid a full mastectomy, a study showed. US researchers found one-a-day estrogen-lowering tablets can shrink tumors, eradicating the need for complete breast removal.
Supervised Exercised For Diabetics
CHICAGO: Diabetics get the most benefit when they exercise more than 150 minutes per week in a supervised fitness or exercise programs tailored to their needs, an analysis released on Tuesday suggests. The findings, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, suggest it may be time for policymakers to consider reimbursing patients for the cost of health club memberships and sessions with a personal trainer as a way to help control diabetes.
Diabetes and prediabetes will account for an estimated 10% of total health care spending by the end of the decade at an annual cost of almost US$500 billion (RM1.5 trillion) – up from an estimated US$194 billion (RM582 billion) this year, according to a report by insurer UnitedHealth Group Inc. In October, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention projected that up to a third of US adults could have diabetes by 2050 if Americans continue to gain weight and avoid exercise. Continue Reading >>
Hypnotising Away Phobia of Dentists
Many people dread visits to the dentist and feel a shiver go down their spine just thinking about the sound of the drill. They are afraid of pain and insist on anaesthesia, which often has unpleasant side effects such as a swollen cheek and strong pain afterwards. Some patients also cannot tolerate the anaesthetic. Dental treatment under hypnosis is a possible alternative in such cases.
A fearful patient unconsciously transmits his or her tension to the dentist, senses the dentist’s growing tension and reacts by becoming even more tense, according to the German Society of Dental Hypnosis (DGZH). The result, it said, is a vicious circle detrimental to the patient, the dentist and the treatment itself. There are patients with a pronounced dental phobia, a hypersensitive gag reflex or an allergy to local anaesthetics. Often they can be treated only under general anaesthesia, the DGZH said. Or they can allow themselves to be hypnotised. Continue Reading >>
Constipation – Symptoms, causes & treatments!
Constipation is not a disease, It occurs when bowel motions become harder or drier than normal and are more difficult to pass, or when you get fewer than your usual number of bowel movement.
Sometimes people worry too much about bowel movements. Bowel movements vary greatly for us all. There is no right or wrong number of daily or weekly bowel movements. For some people a bowel movement everyday is normal, for others a bowel movement every three to four days is normal.
Older people are more likely than younger people to get constipated due to several of the reasons mentioned below. However young people can also get easily constipated and babies may get constipated when they start solids or become dehydrated.
Some questions you can ask yourself to see if you are really constipated:
If your answers are yes to some of these questions, you may be constipated. Continue Reading >>
