|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Statins can slash arthritis risk A daily dose of popular cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins can more than halve the risk of developing arthritis, a new study has claimed. Keele University studied more than 16,000 adults and found that people on the highest doses of statins 18.5mg or more a day had 60 per cent lower osteoarthritis rates than people not taking the drugs. They found that taking between 10mg to 18.5mg dose of the drug a day resulted in a 20 per cent reduction in the chances of developing the disease, the Daily Express reported. Osteoarthritis causes crippling pain usually in the hands, spine, knees and hips as bones rub against each other as cartilage breaks down. Researchers also found that some people on very low doses seemed to be at higher risk of arthritis than patients not taking statins. This suggests the condition may be more closely linked to heart disease than first thought. "The risk factors for cardiovascular disease are also associated with osteoarthritis. The co-occurrence of osteoarthritis and cardiovascular disease is common," researchers wrote in the Journal of General and Internal Medicine.
Dieting or skipping meals never helps an individual to lose weight. Instead, one should eat food items that help lose weight and increase metabolism. Experts say one should eat a healthy meal prepared with ingredients like ginger, salmon and olive oil. One must note, ginger helps in digestion, salmon is high in proteins, and olive oil help reduces appetite. Femalefirst.co.uk has listed down ingredients that help reduce weight and boost metabolism: Chillies: Experts say eating chillies can help burn energy, hours after a meal. Its also been suggested eating spicy food may temporarily suppress the appetite. Jalapenos or red and green chilli in a dish give them a fat burning boost. Almonds: Dry fruits contain proteins, fats and fibre a combination which helps reduces hunger. Nuts make a great alternative to fried snacks. Olive oil: Olive oil contains a compound called oleic acid that is used by the body to create oleoylethanolamide, which helps in weight loss and reduces appetite. Salmon (fish): It is high in protein and packed with Omega 3 that controls the production of the hormone, leptin, which regulates appetite. High leptin levels are linked to insulin resistance and obesity. Aim for at least two servings of oily fish a week to keep levels low. Ginger: It helps in digestion, but it also has a thermic effect by raising the bodys internal temperature, meaning it expends more energy. Ginger also has cholesterol lowering properties, so can help to improve cardiovascular health, as well as speeding up the metabolism. Kids of octogenarians live more The offspring of parents who live to a ripe old age are more likely to live longer, and are less prone to cancer and other diseases associated with ageing, scientists, including an Indian-origin researcher Ambarish Dutta, have found. Experts at the University of Exeter Medical School in UK led an international collaboration which discovered that people who had a long-lived mother or father were 24 per cent less likely to get cancer. The scientists classified long-lived mothers as those who survived past 91 years old, and compared them to those who reached average age spans of 77 to 91. Long-lived fathers lived past 87 years old, compared with the average of 65 to 87 years. The scientists studied 938 new cases of cancer that developed during the 18 year follow-up period. They found that overall mortality rates dropped by up to 19 per cent for each decade that at least one of the parents lived past the age of 65. For those whose mothers lived beyond 85, mortality rates were 40 per cent lower. The figure was a little lower (14 per cent) for fathers. In the study, published in the Journals of Gerontology: Series A, scientists analysed data from a series of interviews conducted with 9,764 people taking part in the Health and Retirement Study. "Previous studies have shown that the children of centenarians tend to live longer with less heart disease, but this is the first robust evidence that the children of longer-lived parents are also less likely to get cancer," Professor William Henley said. "They are also less prone to diabetes or suffering a stroke. These protective effects are passed on from parents who live beyond 65 far younger than shown in previous studies, which have looked at those over the age of 80. Obviously children of older parents are not immune to contracting cancer or any other diseases of ageing, but our evidence shows that rates are lower. We also found that this inherited resistance to age-related diseases gets stronger the older their parents lived," Henley said. Agencies
|
||
|
|
||
Drinking five cups of
coffee a day, even decaffeinated, may lead to obesity and chronic
disease, warns a new study. The study found that five cups doubled the
fat around organs in the abdomen a type of fat that causes deadly
conditions. A compound in coffee known as Chlorogenic Acid (CGA) was
thought to have health benefits, like preventing diabetes, but the
study found too much of it may cause a build up of fat and other
health problems. Researchers from the Western Australian Institute for
Medical Research and the University of Western Australia were hoping
to prove the cardiovascular benefits of coffee, but instead discovered
it can worsen obesity and related diseases. They found that mice given
an equivalent dose of five cups developed twice the amount of visceral
(abdominal) fat. Earlier studies say coffee drinking lowers the risk
of developing Type 2 diabetes. The CGAs were known for increasing
insulin sensitivity and reducing blood pressure and body fat
accumulation." But this study proved the opposite. There was also
increasing insulin resistance (which can lead to diabetes) and glucose
intolerance in mice having high CGA levels . The expert also warned
against weight loss products containing green coffee beans, which
could have high levels of CGA and cause weight gain.
Eat healthy, stay fit