Heart Disease In Women

Research

Bad Dreams in Older Adults Could Signal Onset of Parkinson's: Study

London: Older adults who start to experience bad dreams or nightmares could be exhibiting the earliest signs of Parkinson's disease, according to a study. The study, published in eClinicalMedicine, showed that in a cohort of older men, individuals experiencing frequent bad dreams were twice as likely to be later diagnosed with Parkinson's as those who did not. Previous studies have shown that people with Parkinson's disease experience nightmares and bad dreams more frequently than adults in the general population, but using nightmares as a risk indicator for Parkinson's has not previously been considered. "Although it can be really beneficial to diagnose Parkinson's disease early, there are very few risk indicators and many of these require expensive hospital tests or are very common and non-specific, such as diabetes," said lead author Dr. Abidemi Otaiku from the University of Birmingham, UK. "While we need to carry out further research in this area, identifying the significance of bad dreams and nightmares could indicate that individuals who experience changes to their dreams in older age without any obvious trigger should seek medical advice," Otaiku added. The team used data from a large cohort study from the US, which contained data over a period of 12 years from 3,818 older men living independently. Participants reporting bad dreams at least once per week were followed up at the end of the study to see whether they were more likely to be diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. During the follow-up period, 91 cases of Parkinson's were diagnosed. Most of the diagnoses happened in the first five years of the study. Participants with frequent bad dreams during this period were more than three times as likely to go on to develop Parkinson's. The results suggest that older adults who will one day be diagnosed with Parkinson's are likely to begin experiencing bad dreams and nightmares a few years before developing the characteristic features of Parkinson's, including tremors, stiffness and slowness of movement. The study also shows that our dreams can reveal important information about our brain structure and function and may prove to be an important target for neuroscience research. The researchers plan to use electroencephalography (EEG) to look at the biological reasons for dream changes. They will also look at replicating the findings in larger and more diverse cohorts and explore possible links between dreams and other neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's. (Agency) Read More► Aerobic Exercise May Help Boost Immune System Against Cancer: Study
Research

Women Should Exercise in The Morning, Men in Evening: Study

It has been traditionally said that exercising is more beneficial during morning hours. Turns out, the effectiveness of exercise depends on sex, according to a study. The study, published in Frontiers in Physiology, showed that for women doing exercise during the morning hours is more beneficial for health and for men the optimal time is evening. While exercise during any time helped females to reduce their total body fat, abdominal and hip fat, and blood pressure, these improvements were greater in morning-exercising women. On the contrary, only evening-exercising in men showed a decrease in their ratio of total to HDL cholesterol, blood pressure, respiratory exchange ratio, and carbohydrate oxidation, as fat became the preferred fuel source, the study revealed. "Here we show for the first time that for women, exercise during the morning reduces belly fat and blood pressure, whereas evening exercise in women increases upper body muscular strength, power, and endurance, and improves overall mood and nutritional satiety," said Dr Paul J Arciero, Professor at the Health and Human Physiological Sciences Department of Skidmore College in New York. "We also show that for men, evening exercise lowers blood pressure, the risk of heart disease, and feelings of fatigue, and burns more fat, compared to morning exercise," he added. For the study, the team recruited 30 women and 26 men to participate. All were between 25 and 55 years old, healthy, highly active, nonsmokers, and with normal weight, who were trained over 12 weeks at different times of the day. The researchers show that all participants improved in overall health and performance over the course of the trial, irrespective of their allocation to morning or evening exercise. "Our study clearly demonstrates the benefits of both morning and evening multimodal exercise to improve cardiometabolic and mood health, as well as physical performance outcomes in women and men," said Arciero. But crucially, they also showed that exercise time of day determines the strength of improvements in physical performance, body composition, cardiometabolic health, and mood. "Based on our findings, women interested in reducing belly fat and blood pressure, while at the same time increasing leg muscle power should consider exercising in the morning. However, women interested in gaining upper body muscle strength, power and endurance, as well as improving overall mood state and food intake, evening exercise is the preferred choice," said Arciero. "Conversely, evening exercise is ideal for men interested in improving heart and metabolic health, as well as emotional wellbeing." (Agency) Read More► Vitamin D Supplements Do Not Prevent Type 2 Diabetes Risk: Study
Health News

How High-Intensity Exercise Can Benefit

London: Regular high-intensity interval training (HIIT) exercises such as squats, sprints, and pedalling can improve the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease by impacting on several metabolic pathways in the body, finds a new study. A team from the University of Eastern Finland found that regular HIIT exercise over a period of 12 weeks significantly decreased the study participants' fasting glucose and waist circumference, and improved their maximum oxygen consumption rate and maximum achieved workload. These positive effects were associated with alterations in the abundance of a number of metabolites. In particular, exercise altered amino acid metabolism in adipose tissue, according to the study published in Scientific Reports. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disease, affecting approximately 25 per cent of the world's population. Being largely asymptomatic, the disease may progress from the accumulation of fat in liver cells to liver inflammation and liver cirrhosis. NAFLD is associated with obesity and other characteristics of the metabolic syndrome, such as Type 2 diabetes and abnormal blood lipid concentrations. The accumulation of fat in the liver can be reduced by weight loss and a health-promoting diet. Exercise is an integral part of the treatment of NAFLD. The benefits of exercise may relate not only to weight management, but also to alterations in the metabolites produced by the body and gut microbes, whose role in fatty liver disease remains poorly understood. The study involved 46 subjects diagnosed with NAFLD, who were divided into an exercise intervention group that had a HIIT session twice a week, plus an independent training session once a week for 12 weeks, and into a control group that did not increase exercise during the study. The most significant alterations were observed in amino acids and their derivatives, lipids, and bile acids. The levels of various gut microbial metabolites were also altered as a result of exercise, which is suggestive of changes in the composition of gut microbes, or in their function. Among these metabolites, an increased amount of indolelactic acid, for example, can strengthen the intestinal mucosa, immune defence, and glucose balance. Based on the findings, exercise can have a beneficial effect on many factors contributing to disease in patients with NAFLD, even without weight loss and dietary changes, the researchers said. Adipose tissue seems to play a key role in these effects. (Agency) Read More► Do You Suffer From Obsessive Health Consciousness?
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क्या पीपल की पत्तियों से हार्ट ब्लॉकेज का इलाज संभव है?

आयुर्वेद और पीपल की पत्तियां  -  Ayurveda and Peepal Leaves in Hindi आयुर्वेद ग्रंथों में पीपल को अश्वत्थ कहा जाता है और इसके कई चिकित्सीय उपयोग भी बताएं गए हैं। किसी भी औषधि का किस तरह से चिकित्सीय उपयोग होता है यह बात उस द्रव्य या औषधि में निहित गुण रस वीर्य विपाक कर्म और प्रभाव पर निर्भर करती है। चूँकि पीपल को आचार्य चरक ने मूत्र संग्रहणीय वर्ग, कषाय स्कन्ध वर्ग में, आचार्य सुश्रुत ने न्यग्रोधादि में और भावप्रकाश ने क्षीरिवृक्ष, पंचवल्कल वर्ग में रखा है। इसका विशेष उपयोग तो मूत्र संग्रहणीय कर्म के लिए, रक्त शोधन, घावों को धोने आदि के लिए ही विशेष रूप से किया जाता है। इसके काढ़े का प्रयोग वातरक्त की चिकित्सा में जब रक्त में यूरिक एसिड की मात्रा बढ़ जाती है में किया जाता है परंतु आयुर्वेद की औषधियों में इसके गुण कर्मो के आधार पर कई अन्य रोगों में उपयोग करने की युक्ति का विधान है तो हम ऐसे में जहाँ पीपल में निहित गुणों का प्रयोग किया जा सके उन बीमारियों में वैकल्पिक रूप से प्रयोग कर सकते हैं। यह भी पढ़े► स्वास्थ्य के लिए धीमे जहर की तरह है चाय पीपल का प्रयोग हॄदय रोगों में करने में भी यही  युक्ति है, मतलब हॄदय रोगों में ब्लॉकेज (Blockage) का मुख्य कारण रक्त में वसा की वॄद्धि होने से होता है और यह वसा की वृद्धि ग्रहणी रोग का उपद्रव कहा जा सकता है। इसलिए पीपल का प्रयोग ग्रहणी को ठीक करते हुए उन हॄदय रोगों में किया जा सकता हैं जिनमें रोगी को वसा की अधिकता ग्रहणी के कारण हुई हो। परंतु वातज हॄदय रोगों में पीपल का प्रयोग उचित नहीं क्योंकि रुक्ष और कषाय होने से और अधिक वात की वृद्धि करेगा । उक्त परिस्थितियों के अनुसार यदि कफज और पित्तज हॄदय रोग है तो सहायक औषध के रूप में या मुख्य औषधि के अभाव में विकल्प के रूप में चिकित्सक की देखरेख में किया जा सकता है और इससे परिणाम मिलने की संभवना भी 30 से 40 % तो है। आयुर्वेद में पीपल की पत्तियों के और क्या - क्या स्वास्थ्य लाभ बताए गए हैं? पीपल की पत्तियों से लेकर पंचाग सभी उपयोगी है और इसका प्रयोग घाव को धोने और भरने में किया जा सकता है, पत्तियों के प्रयोग से ज्यादा इसकी छाल और फल, पुष्पकली का उपयोग प्रचलन है। जहाँ पर व्रण से स्राव हो रहा हो उस घाव की सफाई और स्राव रोकने में इसका प्रयोग किया जा सकता है। वातरक्त में भी इसका अच्छा लाभ देखने को मिलता है। इसके फल का प्रयोग पित्त शांति कर पेट साफ करने में किया जाता है। इसकी कली का प्रयोग त्वचा के रंग को निखारने में भी किया जाता है। मुंह मे छाले होने पर पीपल की त्वचा का प्रयोग करते हैं। पीपल की पत्तियों और त्वचा को जलाकर मंजन बनाने के रूप में करते हैं। (वैद्य संकेत मिश्र, वरिष्ठ समुदाय प्रबंधक (Senior  Community Manager), निरोगस्ट्रीट) यह भी पढ़े► अर्जुन कषाय होते हुए भी हॄदय बल्य कैसे ?
Research

Women More Likely to Have Asthma Attacks, Deaths Than Men: Report

London: Women with asthma who are going through puberty, pregnancy or are menstruating, are at higher risk of severe asthma attacks and deaths due to the lung disease, according to a report. The study conducted by a non-profit Asthma and Lung UK highlights that female hormones can trigger asthma flare-ups, BBC reported. The findings calls for more research to examine the sex-related differences in the common lung condition. Asthma is a condition in which the airways narrow, swell and may produce extra mucus, making breathing difficult. It is characterised by wheezing, breathlessness, tightness in chest, and coughing. There are about 136 million women worldwide who suffer from asthma. The report showed that more than 5,100 women have died from an asthma attack, compared with under 2,300 men over the past five years in the UK. It noted that many people were unaware that fluctuations in female sex hormones can cause asthma symptoms to flare up or even trigger life-threatening attacks. "Asthma tends to be overlooked or dismissed," Dr Samantha Walker, director of research and innovation at Asthma and Lung UK, was quoted as saying. In childhood, asthma is more prevalent and severe in boys. However, after puberty, the situation reverses, and asthma becomes more prevalent and severe among women, the report said. The charity said the current "one size fits all" approach to asthma treatment is "not working" because it does not take into account the impact that female sex hormones during puberty, periods, pregnancy and menopause can have on asthma symptoms and attacks. More must be done to tackle the "stark health inequality", it added. "Gaps in our knowledge are failing women, leaving them struggling with debilitating asthma symptoms, stuck in a cycle of being in and out of hospital and in some cases, losing their lives," Sara Woolnough, chief executive of Asthma + Lung UK, was quoted as saying. "There is not enough research into why women are more likely to be hospitalised and die from asthma and what treatments, new and existing, could help women," added Mome Mukherjee, researcher at the University of Edinburgh. (Agency) Read More► Vitamin-D, Omega-3, Exercise Can Reduce Cancer Risk by 61%: Study
Health News

Rising Infertility in Women Aged

Delhi has the lowest fertility rate among Indian states, with a Total Fertility Rate of 1.5, which is significantly lower than the national average (2.2). The growing problem of low egg reserve is one of the most significant factors contributing to lower fertility rates in urban women. Stress, pollution, pesticide exposure, and smoking and alcohol addiction are all major causes of this condition. A recent study found that one in every two women who were unable to conceive had a low egg reserve. Previously, it was a problem that arose with increasing age; however, this has changed. Low egg reserve is a common concern among today's young girls, with women as young as 27 years old experiencing infertility as a result. Consider the story of Kajol (name changed), a young woman who had given up hope of ever becoming a mother after two failed IVF blastocyst transfers (implantation of the embryo in the uterus). She had been dealing with primary infertility for eight years and had been diagnosed with a low Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) concentration, which indicates how many viable egg cells a woman still has. Donor eggs are almost always required in these situations because the woman's body does not produce enough eggs for retrieval. During an ultrasound, Kajol was also diagnosed with a very low Antral Follicle Count (AFC), which dashed her hopes even further. Ovarian Rejuvenation Therapy, also known as ovarian PRP, was used to allow Kajol to become a biological mother of a daughter, effectively ending their wait. Ovarian PRP is a quick and easy procedure that improves the organ's ability to generate eggs. This is critical for women with low AMH, because the typical stimulation of the ovaries during IVF may not produce the optimum results. Preparing the ovaries and then stimulating them boosts the odds of retrieving high-quality eggs and, as a result, higher-quality embryos. To generate platelet-rich plasma (PRP), we drew around 5ml of blood, spun it, and added reagents - the entire procedure took about 20 minutes. The PRP was then injected into the ovaries at least twice during the menstrual cycle's first 14 days. In the following cycle, we stimulated her ovaries for eggs and discovered that ovarian PRP worked for her. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) produced two grade-1 blastocysts, and frozen embryo transfer was performed the following cycle, with the implant successful on the first try. During antenatal screening, the nuchal translucency scan, dual marker, and non-invasive prenatal testing were all normal. Kajol is one of many women who have struggled for years to conceive due to a low egg reserve. With fertility rates declining, egg freezing is more important than ever for women. This procedure enables a woman to plan her pregnancy without fear of becoming infertile in her 30s. As a result of increased awareness, an increasing number of young women are choosing to freeze their eggs. We have seen an increase in the number of women under the age of 35 who have chosen to freeze their eggs in the last year. This is a safe and reliable option for any woman, married, single, or in a relationship. The eggs can be stored for up to ten years before being thawed and fertilised whenever she wants. (Dr. Gauri Agarwal, Founder & Director, Seeds of Innocence and Genestrings Diagnostics) Read More► How to Maintain A Healthy Liver