Increased Blood Fat Levels

London - Covid-19 disease severity seems to be affected by the characteristics of white blood cells called granulocytes, which are part of the innate immune system. Combined measurements of granulocytes and well-known biomarkers in the blood can predict the severity of the disease, according to a new study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. Granulocytes are a family of white blood cells that include neutrophils, eosinophils and basophils. They are part of the so-called innate immune system, which is the body's first line of defence against pathogens. There are many studies on how SARS-CoV-2 affects various components of the immune system, but there is still a lack of knowledge about the role of granulocytes in Covid-19. Researchers at the Karolinska Institutet have now investigated the characteristics of granulocytes in the blood during the early phase of SARS-CoV-2 infection in a total of 26 hospitalised patients with Covid-19 at the Karolinska University Hospital. They also performed follow-up analyses four months after hospital discharge and compared these with analyses of healthy uninfected individuals. Their results, published in the journal PNAS, may eventually contribute to more tailored treatments for Covid-19 patients. "Our study shows significantly altered characteristics of all granulocyte subsets in Covid-19A patients and this can be linked to the severity of the disease", said lead author Magda Lourda, who is a researcher at the Department of Medicine, Huddinge, at Karolinska Institutet. Combined measurements of granulocyte characteristics and widely used biomarkers in the blood called C-reactive protein (CRP) and creatinine, could predict key clinical features such as respiratory function and multiorgan failure. "The finding needs to be taken with caution considering the limited size of our study cohort, but our hope is that these combined measurements can be used to predict the severity of the disease, resulting in more tailored treatments for Covid-19 patients," Lourda said. Read More► How important is nutrition for eyes during Covid

Many young and middle-aged people today are dying of sudden heart attacks. Studies show that cardiovascular diseases (CVD) strike Indians a decade earlier compared to their Western counterparts. Why is this happening? How can we prevent it? Are we just focused on post-heart attack action? Or should we be focused more on prevention? Luke Coutinho, Holistic Lifestyle Coach Integrative and Lifestyle Medicine shares an input that could prevent heart attacks at a young age: Cholesterol is not the culprit, inflammation is: Many people believe that high levels of cholesterol and triglycerides are the sole culprits behind their heart attacks. The main reasons behind most heart attacks are inflammation and oxidative damage in the heart, blood vessels, endothelial lining, arteries, and more. While maintaining healthy cholesterol levels is important, we cannot blame heart attacks on cholesterol levels alone. What then can you do to keep inflammation in check and your heart strong? Adopt simple lifestyle changes. Switch From Ordinary Substandard Cooking Oils to Cold-Pressed Oils: Refined oils are highly inflammatory and a threat to your heart. Using refined oils just to save some money isn't a wise idea. Choose the right quality and quantity of oil to boost your heart health. It might cost you a few extra bucks, but remember, your health is not a cost but an investment. Switch From A Sedentary Lifestyle to An Active One: Even if you don't engage in a full-fledged workout, just stay active. Walking and yoga are the most effective exercises. Choose fun workouts that you enjoy -- dancing, aerobics, Zumba, swimming, whatever it is, but keep that body moving. People who live a sedentary lifestyle are at high risk of heart attacks. Having said that, over-working out with little or no rest or recovery period is equally harmful. So, figure out the adequate level of activity your body needs and stick to it. Don't Take Matters to Your Heart: Before renting out your heart space and mind space to a person, event or experience, ask yourself if it is worth it. While stress is inevitable, what sets a happy person apart from a stressed person is their capacity to diffuse and navigate stress and see things in a positive light. You can continue attending stress management classes and workshops, and while all of them can help you feel better for some time, the real change happens when you start changing your perspective towards life and how you relate to stress. Learn to accept and let go. Build your self-worth, create a beautiful inner world, reflect inwards, and allow these teachings to slip into your daily living. Fix Your Sleep Routine: There is nothing cool about pulling an all-nighter to work or socialize more. Your body only cares about survival. Remember, your sleep is your heart's free drug. The chronic deprivation of it can increase your risk of a heart attack. Your heart is a muscle that needs recovery. Lack of sleep increases your insulin resistance and makes you more prone to type-2 diabetes and a gamut of metabolic conditions. So, adopt a fixed sleeping schedule and sleep deep. We cannot wait for more misfortunate incidents to realize the importance of lifestyle and start prioritizing it. We must wake up and work towards prevention. Many of us may go through heart disease later in life, no matter how well we exercise or eat clean. So, identify risk factors and work towards tackling them. Even if one of your risk factors is genetic predisposition and there is nothing you can do about it, you can still alter your lifestyle. Our intelligent human body was designed to fix and heal itself. The least we can do is invest in it and help it do its job effectively. Lifestyle can help you bridge this gap. Read More► Does Using Oil on Your Hair Cause It Fall?

London, Sep 6 (IANS) Using e-cigarettes containing nicotine causes an immediate increase in the formation of blood clots and a deterioration in the ability of small blood vessels to expand and dilate, as well as raised heart rate and blood pressure, according to research presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress on Monday.Nicotine is known to increase levels of hormones such as adrenaline in the body, which in turn can increase the formation of blood clots.The small study led by Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden analysed a group of 22 women and men aged between 18 and 45 years who were occasional smokers but otherwise healthy.The findings showed that using e-cigarettes containing nicotine created a set of immediate short-term changes in the volunteers. The team discovered an average 23 per cent increase in blood clots after 15 minutes that returned to normal levels after 60 minutes. There were also increases in the participant's heart rates (from an average of 66 beats per minute/bpm to an average of 73bpm) and blood pressure (from an average of 108 millimetres of mercury/mmHg to an average of 117mmHg). Researchers found that the volunteers' blood vessels became temporarily narrower after they used nicotine-containing e-cigarettes.These effects were not seen after volunteers used e-cigarettes that did not contain nicotine. "Our results suggest that using e-cigarettes that contain nicotine have similar impacts on the body as smoking traditional cigarettes. This effect on blood clots is important because we know that in the long-term this can lead to clogged up and narrower blood vessels, and that of course puts people at risk of heart attacks and strokes," said Gustaf Lyytinen, a clinician at Helsingborg Hospital and researcher at the Institute.While the damage caused by smoking traditional cigarettes, including the effects of nicotine on the body, are well-known, e-cigarettes are relatively new, and less is known about its effect on the body, said the researchers noting the need for more research to understand the effects.--IANSrvt/rs

एक नए अध्ययन से पता चला है कि कोविड-19 महामारी के दौरान बच्चों का वजन अधिक बढ़ गया, खासकर 5 से 11 साल की उम्र के बच्चों का। जर्नल ऑफ द अमेरिकन मेडिकल एसोसिएशन में प्रकाशित निष्कर्षों ने संकेत दिया कि कोविड -19 महामारी के दौरान शरीर के वजन में वृद्धि और मोटापे की व्यापकता थी, खासकर 5 से 11 वर्ष के बच्चों के लिए। यह निर्धारित करने के लिए कि क्या महामारी के दौरान बच्चों ने अतिरिक्त वजन उठाया, शोधकर्ताओं ने 1,91,509 बच्चों के इलेक्ट्रॉनिक स्वास्थ्य रिकॉर्ड का विश्लेषण किया, जिनकी आयु 1 मार्च, 2019 से 31 जनवरी, 2021 तक 5 से 17 वर्ष थी। शोधकर्ताओं ने कहा कि 5 से 11 साल के बच्चों ने कोविड -19 से पहले की समान अवधि की तुलना में कोविड -19 के दौरान 5.07 पाउंड अधिक प्राप्त किए, जबकि 12 से 15 वर्ष के बच्चों और 16 से 17 वर्ष के बच्चों ने 5.1 पाउंड और 2.26 पाउंड से अधिक प्राप्त किया। 5 से 11 साल के बच्चों में, वजन बढ़ने के कारण लगभग 9 प्रतिशत अधिक बच्चे अधिक वजन वाले या मोटे हो गए, जबकि 12 से 15 साल के युवाओं में 5 प्रतिशत और 16 से 17 साल की उम्र में 3 प्रतिशत बच्चे थे। 5-11 और 12-15 वर्ष के समूहों में अधिकांश वृद्धि मोटापे में वृद्धि के कारण हुई। कोएबनिक ने कहा, हमें बिगड़ते मोटापे की महामारी की निगरानी में तुरंत निवेश करना शुरू करना होगा और बच्चों को स्वस्थ वजन हासिल करने और बनाए रखने में मदद करने के लिए आहार और गतिविधि हस्तक्षेप विकसित करना होगा। यह भी पढ़े► कैंसर से पीड़ित बच्चों में और गंभीर हो सकता कोविड संक्रमण : लैंसेट