Health A-Z

Vancouver bans doorknobs for future construction projects

Hold on to your knobs while you still can. Humanity is about to embark on an era of doorknob prohibition, and it’s all starting with our friendly neighbor to the north, right in Vancouver, Canada.

Look at any door in your immediate vicinity; there’s a good chance it’s bearing a classic doorknob beloved by utilitarian’s and highly specific enthusiasts alike. In Vancouver, they’re about to become a dying breed. This past September, the city’s council amended its building code—the only city-specific building code in all of Canada—to mandate lever handles and lever faucets only.

Don’t kiss your knobs goodbye just yet, though. While all new construction projects will be required to follow the no-knob mandate, all buildings currently standing will be have their knobs grandfathered in. But this pro-lever movement isn’t about mere aesthetics; there’s something more important at play—a developing concept known as universal design.

As Tim Stainton, a professor and director of the School of Social Work at the University of B.C., told the Vancouver Sun, the movement focuses on the idea of a society that’s as physically accessible as possible:

Basically, the idea is that you try to make environments that are as universally usable by any part of the population. The old model was adaptation, or adapted design. You took a space and you adapted for use of the person with a disability. What universal design says is let’s turn it around and let’s just build everything so it is as usable by the largest segments of the population as possible.

A really simple version is the cut curbs on every corner. That helps elderly people, people with visual impairments, and moms with strollers. It makes a sidewalk that could otherwise be difficult for parts of the population universally accessible.

In fact, the Americans with Disabilities Act’s (ADA) guidelines for small businesses explicitly emphasize the problems with inaccessible door hardware and goes on to recommend the most universally accessible option: the lever.

Because Vancouver is the smallest sector of Canada that has its own building code, ideas that come to fruition there are often pushed out into the B.C. Building Code and, eventually, Canada’s National Building Code. And at that point, it’s not at all unlikely to expect the lever law to start making its way down towards the US.

As the ADA’s guidelines prove, universality of design is hugely important in creating a world of equal opportunity. So though we’ll still be able to keep our precious knobs for the time being, let’s hope for everyone’s sake that, one day, we’ll all be telling our grandchildren tale of the great doorknobs of yesteryear

Source: Gizmodo

Too Much Sport for Teenagers May Be bad for health

Peak scores of well-being for teenagers occurred with about 14 hours a week of sport practice, or twice the recommended 7 hours, but higher sport durations independently predicted poor well-being, according to a Swiss survey study published online November 21 in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.

“Sport practice is widely encouraged, both in guidelines and in clinical practice, because of its broad range of positive effects on health,” write Arnaud Merglen, MD from the Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland, and colleagues. “However, very limited evidence directly supports this statement among adolescents and the sport duration that we should recommend remains unknown. We aimed to determine sport durations that were associated with poor well-being.”

Between February 2009 and January 2010, the investigators recruited 1245 adolescents, aged 16 to 20 years, from various settings in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, including sport centers, peers of sport-practicing adolescents, and Web sites.

Using answers to a Web-based questionnaire, the investigators categorized weekly sport practice of the participants into 4 groups, from low (0 – 3.5 hours) to average (approximately equal to the recommended 7 hours; 3.6 – 10.5 hours), high (≈14 hours; 10.6 – 17.5 hours), and very high (>17.5 hours). The 5-item World Health Organization well-being index, scored from 0 to 25, with scores below 13 indicating poor well-being, allowed evaluation of well-being.

Participants had an average age just younger than 18 years, half were male, and 8.9% were overweight or obese. Sports participation was low in 35.2%, average in 41.5%, high in 18.5%, and very high in 4.8% of participants.

Very High Sports Practice Predicts Low Well-Being

The average well-being score for the entire sample was 17. Those in the very high sports practice group had more than twice the risk for poor well-being than those in the average group (odds ratio [OR], 2.29; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.11 – 4.72), as did those in the low-activity group (OR, 2.33; 95% CI, 1.58 – 3.44). In contrast, those in the high-activity group had about half the risk for poor well-being as those in the average group (OR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.23 – 0.93).

“We found an inverted, U-shaped relationship between weekly sport practice duration and well-being among adolescents,” the study authors write. “The peak scores of well-being were around 14 h per week of sport practice, corresponding to twice the recommended 7 h. Practicing higher sport durations was an independent risk factor of poor well-being.”

Limitations of this study include possible selection bias, observational design, reliance on self-report, and unknown direction of causality.

“[H]igher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines have been reported in very high and chronic sport practice, with a negative impact on physical and mental health,” the authors conclude.

“These results highlight the importance for physicians, caring for adolescents, to follow-up their level of sport practice and concurrently inquire about their well-being.”

Source: Med scape

‘Painful’ pinpricks may soon be history for diabetics

A new nanotechnology-based technique for regulating blood sugar in diabetics may give patients the ability to release insulin painlessly using a small ultrasound device, allowing them to go days between injections – rather than using needles to give themselves multiple insulin injections each day.

The technique involves injecting biocompatible and biodegradable nano particles into a patient’s skin. The nanoparticles are made out of poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) and are filled with insulin.

Each of the PLGA nanoparticles is given either a positively charged coating made of chitosan (a biocompatible material normally found in shrimp shells), or a negatively charged coating made of alginate (a biocompatible material normally found in seaweed).

When the solution of coated nanoparticles is mixed together, the positively and negatively charged coatings are attracted to each other by electrostatic force to form a “nano-network.”

Once injected into the subcutaneous layer of the skin, that nano-network holds the nanoparticles together and prevents them from dispersing throughout the body.

The coated PLGA nanoparticles are also porous. Once in the body, the insulin begins to diffuse from the nanoparticles. But the bulk of the insulin doesn’t stray far – it is suspended in a de facto reservoir in the subcutaneous layer of the skin by the electrostatic force of the nano-network. This essentially creates a dose of insulin that is simply waiting to be delivered into the bloodstream.

Using the new technology developed by Dr. Zhen Gu, senior author of a paper on the research and an assistant professor in the joint biomedical engineering program at NC State and UNC-Chapel Hill, and his team, a diabetes patient doesn’t have to inject a dose of insulin – it’s already there. Instead, patients can use a small, hand-held device to apply focused ultrasound waves to the site of the nano-network, painlessly releasing the insulin from its de facto reservoir into the bloodstream.

The study has been published online in Advanced Healthcare Materials.

Source: Yahoo News

5 Easy Ways to kick up Your Metabolism

Metabolism is the set of chemical transformations within the cells that is necessary for the maintenance of life. Putting it simple, right from breaking down the food to transforming it into energy, metabolism is the sum total of the entire internal biological processes.

Some people have great metabolism, as what they eat is never seen on their bodies, whereas some have it real slow. Though you can’t blame yourself for the slow metabolic rate you can definitely notch it up by following the simple tips:

Don’t skip your breakfast: ‘Eat breakfast like a king’ goes the adage. Your metabolism slows down during the night and if you skip your breakfast it further goes for a toss to conserve energy. This in turn can lead to unhealthy food choices in the day leading to weight problems. Having a healthy breakfast helps improve metabolism.

Exercise: Muscle burns more calories than fat. So, the harder your muscles work, the more post-workout rebuilding they have to do, thus increasing your metabolic rate. Go for 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise a day and 30 to 40 minutes strength training twice a week to keep your metabolism up

Switch to Green tea: Green tea contain antioxidant catechin which according to researchers help improve fat oxidation and thermogenesis, your body’s production of energy, or heat, from digestion.

Spice it up: Capsaicin, which gives peppers and spices their heat, helps increase energy expenditure by 50 calories a day. So if you like it spicy, do not worry, all that spice only gives that extra need kick to your metabolism.

Sleep well: Not getting enough sleep throws off your levels of leptin and ghrelin, the hormones that help regulate energy use and appetite thus slowing the metabolism and increasing the risks of obesity.

Source: Mens health

Coffee may Help Boost Blood Flow to Fingers

Drinking coffee can certainly help you stay awake during that work meeting or get energized before a test. However, a recent study shows that drinking a cup of caffeinated coffee a day can help boost blood flow in fingers.

Researchers found that the inner lining of the body’s smaller blood vessels could actually produce more blood flow with the help of a caffeinated drink.

In fact, they note that participants who drank a cup of caffeinated coffee a day had a 30 percent increase in blood flow over a 75-minute period compared to those who just drank a decaffeinated cup.

“This gives us a clue about how coffee may help improve cardiovascular health,” lead study researcher Masso Tsutsui, M.D., Ph.D., a cardiologist and professor in the pharmacology department at the University of the Ryukus in Okinawa Japan said, via a press release.

Previous findings have suggested that drinking coffee can help lower the risk of dying from heart disease and stroke, and that high doses of caffeine may improve the function of larger arteries.

Researchers had each participant–ranging in age from 22 to 30 who were not regular coffee drinkers–drink one five-ounce cup of Joe a day or a decaffeinated cup. Following, their finger blood flow was measured via a non-invasive technique for gauging circulation, known as flowmetry. This experiment was repeated with each type of coffee for two days.

The researchers found that when compared to decaffeinated coffee, the caffeinated version was able to help raise participants’ blood pressure and improve vessel inner lining function.

Though it is unclear at this time how this improvement occurred, researchers hope that caffeine may help open blood vessels in order to potentially reduce inflammation.

More information regarding the study was presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2013.

Source: Science World Report

Nut eaters have lower cancer, heart disease risk

Help yourself to some nuts this holiday season: Regular nut eaters were less likely to die of cancer or heart disease — in fact, were less likely to die of any cause — during a 30-year Harvard study.

Nuts have long been called heart-healthy, and the study is the largest ever done on whether eating them affects mortality.

Researchers tracked 119,000 men and women and found that those who ate nuts roughly every day were 20 percent less likely to die during the study period than those who never ate nuts. Eating nuts less often also appeared to still lower the death risk, in direct proportion to consumption.

The risk of dying of heart disease dropped 29 percent and the risk of dying of cancer fell 11 percent among those who had nuts seven or more times a week compared with people who never ate them.

The benefits were seen from peanuts as well as from pistachios, almonds, walnuts and other tree nuts. The researchers did not look at how the nuts were prepared — oiled or salted, raw or roasted.

Nut eaters stayed slimmer.

“There’s a general perception that if you eat more nuts you’re going to get fat. Our results show the opposite,” said Dr. Ying Bao of Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

She led the study, published in Thursday’s New England Journal of Medicine. The National Institutes of Health and the International Tree Nut Council Nutrition Research & Education Foundation sponsored the study, but the nut group had no role in designing it or reporting the results.

Researchers don’t know why nuts may boost health. It could be that their unsaturated fatty acids, minerals and other nutrients lower cholesterol and inflammation and reduce other problems, as earlier studies seemed to show.

Observational studies like this one can’t prove cause and effect, only suggest a connection. Research on diets is especially tough, because it can be difficult to single out the effects of any one food.

People who eat more nuts may eat them on salads, for example, and some of the benefit may come from the leafy greens, said Dr. Robert Eckel, a University of Colorado cardiologist and former president of the American Heart Association.

Dr. Ralph Sacco, a University of Miami neurologist who also is a former heart association president, agreed.

“Sometimes when you eat nuts you eat less of something else like potato chips,” so the benefit may come from avoiding an unhealthy food, Sacco said.

The Harvard group has long been known for solid science on diets. Its findings build on a major study earlier this year — a rigorous experiment that found a Mediterranean-style diet supplemented with nuts cuts the chance of heart-related problems, especially strokes, in older people at high risk of them.

Many previous studies tie nut consumption to lower risks of heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer and other maladies.

In 2003, the Food and Drug Administration said a fistful of nuts a day as part of a low-fat diet may reduce the risk of heart disease. The heart association recommends four servings of unsalted, unoiled nuts a week and warns against eating too many, since they are dense in calories.

The new research combines two studies that started in the 1980s on 76,464 female nurses and 42,498 male health professionals. They filled out surveys on food and lifestyle habits every two to four years, including how often they ate a serving (1 ounce) of nuts.

Study participants who often ate nuts were healthier — they weighed less, exercised more and were less likely to smoke, among other things. After taking these and other things into account, researchers still saw a strong benefit from nuts.

Compared with people who never ate nuts, those who had them less than once a week reduced their risk of death 7 percent; once a week, 11 percent; two to four times a week, 13 percent; and seven or more times a week, 20 percent.

“I’m very confident” the observations reflect a true benefit, Bao said. “We did so many analyses, very sophisticated ones,” to eliminate other possible explanations.

For example, they did separate analyses on smokers and non-smokers, heavy and light exercisers, and people with and without diabetes, and saw a consistent benefit from nuts.

At a heart association conference in Dallas this week, Penny Kris-Etherton, a Pennsylvania State University nutrition scientist, reviewed previous studies on this topic.

“We’re seeing benefits of nut consumption on cardiovascular disease as well as body weight and diabetes,” said Kris-Etherton, who has consulted for nut makers and also served on many scientific panels on dietary guidelines.

“We don’t know exactly what it is” about nuts that boosts health or which ones are best, she said. “I tell people to eat mixed nuts.”

Source: Dallas news

Alternative Treatments for Diabetes

Diabetes is continuing to emerge as one of the gravest healthcare threats with millions of people being affected all over the world. Till this date the conclusive treatment of diabetes is out of reach for modern medicinal tradition, but on the other hand an array of holistic procedures and alternative treatments are showing promise to curb diabetes under control. Here we introduce some of the best known alternative treatments for diabetes.

The deadly chronic endocrine disorder called diabetes making millions of people suffer and cause enormous medical complication leading to death. Diabetes typically is a disease that requires continuous management rather than curative approach as the disease at best can be checked and cannot be permanently cured. Though total recovery from diabetic condition is still out of reach as far as the curative approach of modern medical drugs are concerned, it is now a widely acclaimed fact that alternative treatments for diabetes with the use of herbs and herbal remedies are more effective to curb diabetes over a long period of time. These alternative therapeutic and lifestyle procedures which are also called holistic treatments are without side effects and can boost the natural process of metabolism to a significant extent.

Ayurveda

Ayurveda considers diabetes to be a disease intricately related to our metabolic disorder and as per Ayurvedic the situation can only be reversed by addressing the contributory factors effectively. The elimination of sugar from the dietary regimen, replacement of simple carbohydrates with complex ones rich with dietary fibers and finally use of herbs for boosting metabolism, these three are the principal ways that as per Ayurvedic principle can check diabetes. In many parts of the world, even across top healthcare establishments Ayurvedic treatment regimen is widely applied to treat diabetes.

Yoga

Among the alternative treatments for diabetes this ancient Indian procedure involving exercises and breathing techniques is considered to have most sustainable health effect. Yogic exercises ideally boosts up the metabolism and helps the cell level glucose consumption in the body. Yoga also helps to reduce other contributing factors that play an important role in causing diabetes like, stress, overweight or obesity syndromes, poor digestion, etc.

Herbal and Dietary Supplements

There are a number of herbs and herbal supplements that are medically proven to be effective to curb diabetes like neem, allium satvium, phylanthus amarus, tinosfora cordifolia and many more. There are particularly some minerals that are effective in reducing the chances of diabetes or in checking diabetes under control, for instance chromium, magnesium, vanadium, nicotinamide, vitamin E, etc.

Lifestyle and home remedies

Daily lifestyle habits and home regimen consisting changes in nutrition and dieting and other lifestyle aspects are accumulatively one of the most effective ways to treat diabetes. High fiber and low calorie diet, eating habit of breaking a big meal in small snack proportions, introducing more green veggies and fruits in daily diet, more physical movements and exercise, distressed living with sound sleep, are some of the irreplaceable lifestyle remedies to curb diabetes.

Acupuncture

Though the mechanism and healing effects of acupuncture for diabetes is still obscure to a greater portion of scientific community, it is widely used in some parts of the world as a healing technique for number of diseases including diabetes. The basic philosophy behind this ancient from of Chinese medication is to create the balance of vital energy through out the body by inserting therapeutic needles at various portions of the body.

Homeopathy

Among the alternative treatments for diabetes homeopathy is considered to have a great patient following simply because of having no side effects and simple yet sometimes effective treatment regimen. Much in the fashion of Ayurveda homeopathic medicines take best effects when applied with directed nutritional regimen or other lifestyle changes. Phosphorous, Codenium and Syzygium are some of the common homeopathic medicines prescribed checking diabetes.

Source: News Track India

compound in grapes minimize effects of meth

A new study has suggested that resveratrol, a natural compound found in colored vegetables, fruits and especially grapes, may also block the effects of the highly addictive drug, methamphetamine.

Dennis Miller, associate professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences in the College of Arts and Science and an investigator with the Bond Life Sciences Center, and researchers in the Center for Translational Neuroscience at MU, study therapies for drug addiction and neurodegenerative disorders.

Their research targets treatments for methamphetamine abuse and has focused on the role of the neurotransmitter dopamine in drug addiction.

Dopamine levels in the brain surge after methamphetamine use; this increase is associated with the motivation to continue using the drug, despite its adverse consequences.

However, with repeated methamphetamine use, dopamine neurons may degenerate causing neurological and behavioral impairments, similar to those observed in people with Parkinson’s disease.

Miller said that dopamine is critical to the development of methamphetamine addiction-the transition from using a drug because one likes or enjoys it to using the drug because one craves or compulsively uses it, asserting that resveratrol has been shown to regulate these dopamine neurons and to be protective in Parkinson’s disease, a disorder where dopamine neurons degenerate; therefore, we sought to determine if resveratrol could affect methamphetamine-induced changes in the brain.

Using procedures established by Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease research, rats received resveratrol once a day for seven days in about the same concentration as a human would receive from a healthy diet. After a week of resveratrol, researchers measured how much dopamine was released by methamphetamine.

Researchers found that resveratrol significantly diminished methamphetamine’s ability to increase dopamine levels in the brain.

The study has been published in Neuroscience Letters

Source: Silo Breaker

 

One in 10 adults suffers from hypothyroidism, finds survey

HypothyroidOne in 10 adults suffers from hypothyroidism, with the prevalence of the condition higher in inland cities than in coastal locations, says a countrywide study.

The seafood diet of coastal people may help prevent the disease, said experts in reaction to the findings.

The study, published in the Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism, shows that out of the 5,376 people who were surveyed, 10.95% were found to be suffering from hypothyroidism.

Hypothyroidism is a condition characterized by abnormally low thyroid hormone production, which affects the entire body system along with a person’s lifestyle.

“Of the 1,259 people studied in Mumbai, 9.61 per cent were diagnosed with hypothyroidism,” Dr Mahesh Padsalge, the city investigator of the study, said. “Out of these, 2.86 per cent did not even know that they were suffering from it.”

The study found that inland cities such as Bangalore, Delhi, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad had a higher prevalence of hypothyroidism compared to coastal locations such as the city, Goa and Chennai.

“It is just a theory and not a proven fact, but we believe that people in coastal areas have a lower risk of hypothyroidism because of iodine-rich diet,” Dr A G Unnikrishnan, principal investigator of the study, said. “Iodine is found in the head portion of fish and is an element required in the production of thyroid hormone.”

If left untreated, hypothyroidism can cause elevated cholesterol levels, an increase in blood pressure, an increased rate of cardiovascular complications, decreased fertility, and depression. In pregnant women, it can cause placental abnormalities and put the baby’s health at increased risk.

These symptoms are often confused with other disorders, making thyroid disorders one of the most under-diagnosed in the country.

The study revealed that women were three times more likely to be affected than men; of the affected population, 15.86 per cent were women and 5.02 per cent men. The finding was especially true for those in midlife, that is the age bracket of 46-54 years.

Researchers are still trying to figure out why women are more prone to the disorder.

“Thyroid disorders in India are characterized by a high prevalence, minimal diagnosis, poor awareness and low involvement of doctors in treatment,” Unnikrishnan said. “There is a growing urgency to create awareness of thyroid disorders, the need for early and regular diagnosis and the importance of following a recommended treatment regime.”

Like diabetes, there is no permanent cure for most forms of thyroid disorders, but with medication and precise treatment, these can be controlled so that patients lead normal lives.

Source: Press display

 

Is bottled water safer?

Drinking plenty of water is important for your health, because it maintains bodily functions, carries nutrients to cells and helps you stay hydrated and energized.

But you’ve probably wondered: Is fancy bottled water somehow better for you than plain tap water? And is it even OK to drink tap water without using a water-filtration device?

Many people believe that because bottled water goes through a filtration process that improves its taste, odor and color, it’s also healthier for you. Filtration eliminates possible contaminants such as lead, parasites and byproducts of chlorine, so it’s gotta be better, right?

Well, not really. “While (filters) can reduce exposure to (harmful) elements, it doesn’t necessarily mean bottled water will be better for your overall health,” says Katherine Patton, a registered dietician and certified sports dietician.

In the U.S., tap water is already treated to remove particles, chemicals and bacteria. During the process of treating public water, chlorine is added as a disinfectant, and fluoride is added for its dental health benefits (though there are those who say fluoride does more harm than good).

The Safe Drinking Water Act was put into place in 1974 to ensure that all drinking water that is “actually or potentially designed for drinking use, whether from above-ground or underground sources,” must meet the minimum safety standards established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. So whether you’re drinking water that came from a rural kitchen tap or one in a city restaurant, it should be safe.

Well water, however, is more likely to be contaminated since it doesn’t go through the same treatment and testing as water for public consumption. If the drinking water in your home comes from a well, filter it or hire a company to test its quality before you drink it.

But the water source isn’t your only concern: The pipes it flows through matter, too. Lead pipes can leach lead into water, making it harmful to drink (especially for children and pregnant women). If you aren’t sure whether or not your pipes are made of lead, have your water tested.

And what about microscopic creepy-crawlies? According to the National Sanitation Foundation website, “bottled water is regulated by the FDA, which has established water-quality requirements similar to those established by the EPA for public water supplies. Bottled water products and public water supplies are not required by either agency to be 100% free of contaminants, but the end product should always meet all federal, state or provincial drinking water standards.”

Of course, many people buy bottled water for its taste and portability. But if you’re buying it because you believe it’s safer than tap, you may want to start heading to the sink to fill up your glass.

Source: upwave