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Posted: February 8, 2017 at 10:50 pm
Observer | 10 Habits Holding You Back From Health and Weight Loss Observer Do you spend hours at the gym but can't lose weight? Have you ever been extremely good about your diet for a few weeks, only to fall off track and wind up right where you began in the first place? Unfortunately, even when we have the best intentions ... |
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10 Habits Holding You Back From Health and Weight Loss - Observer
Posted: February 8, 2017 at 10:50 pm
There have been lots ofstudies on marriage that focus on younger women, so researchers wanted to take a closer look at the health effects of marriage and divorce on older women.
The interesting thing we found in our study is that with divorce in postmenopausal women, its not all negative, at least not in the short term, says Randa Kutob, an associate professor of family and community medicine at the University of Arizona.
It does seem that these women are consciously engaging in healthier behaviors after divorce.
For women who marry later in life, a few extra pounds may accompany their nuptials. On the other hand, older women who go through a divorce or separation may lose weight and see some positive changes in their health, according to the research, which is forthcoming in the Journal of Womens Health.
Using data from the national Womens Health Initiative, researchers looked at postmenopausal women ages 50 to 79 over a three-year period. The women fell into one of these groups:
Researchers looked at a number of health measures, including weight, waist circumference, and blood pressure, as well as health indicators such as diet, exercise, smoking, and alcohol consumption.
All of the women who started the study unmarried (either they had never been married, were divorced, or were widowed) saw some weight gain over the three-year period, which is not uncommon for women as they age, Kutob says.
However, those who went from unmarried to married gained slightly more weight than those who remained singleon the order of two or more additional pounds than their unmarried counterparts.
While the reason for the extra weight gain is not entirely clear, one theory on marriage-related weight gain at any age is that it may come from couples sitting down more often together for regular, sometimes larger, meals, Kutob says.
Potentially its portion size, because it doesnt seem to be related to their food choices, she said.
Both groups of womenthose who remained single and those who marriedsaw a decrease in diastolic blood pressure, but the decrease was greater for women who remained unmarried. The unmarried women also drank less alcohol than those who wed. There were no significant differences in smoking or physical activity between the two groups.
When researchers compared women who stayed married throughout the duration of the study to those who went from married to divorced or separated, they found that divorce was associated with weight loss and an increase in physical activity.
Women who stayed married gained about two pounds and saw a slight increase in their waistline over the three-year study period, while women who divorced lost a modest amount of weight and went down some in inches.
The married women also saw a decline in physical activity, while divorced womens physical activity increased. Alcohol consumption remained about the same between the two groups.
The researchers controlled for womens self-reported emotional well-being and found that the divorced womens weight loss did not appear to be related to depression. That is, women werent simply eating less and losing weight as an emotional response.
With regard to dietary quality, all women in the study showed improvements in the ratio of healthy to unhealthy food consumed. However, women who went from married to divorced had the most improved diets.
It does seem that these women are consciously engaging in healthier behaviors after divorce, Kutob says.
The one area in which divorced women lagged was smoking. Women who went from married to divorced were the most likely group to start smoking. However, its important to note that those who picked up the habit were typically former smokers, not first-time tobacco users, Kutob says.
While the studys results dont challenge existing research on the long-term health benefits of marriage, they offer new insight into some of the more immediate health effects of late-life marital transitions, and this could have important implications for postmenopausal women and their health-care providers, Kutob says.
As a health provider, my takeaway is that I should be thinking about marital transitions, and when people get married, say congratulations but also give them some advice and tools for their health, and encourage all women as they age to continue being physically active, she says.
With divorce, some women take that moment to focus more on their own health, as it would appear from our results. As a health provider, I should be encouraging them in those efforts so that those efforts arent short-term but become lifelong, Kutob says. Even a pretty devastating life event like a divorce can have some positive outcomes, and if we can encourage the positive it will probably help those people cope as well.
Additional collaborators were from the Brown University School of Public Health; the University of California, Davis; the University of Texas Health Science Center; University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; and the University of Iowa.
Source: University of Arizona
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Weight loss often follows divorce for older women - Futurity: Research News
Posted: February 8, 2017 at 10:49 pm
A recent study of Biggest Loser participants showed that metabolism decreases during weight loss and persists for six years. Recently,San Luis Obispo weight loss expert Carol Rowsemittweighed in as to why this occurred. To view her report, see below:
Dr. Kevin Hall and colleagues have gotten a lot of well-deserved attention for their work on metabolism in weight loss attempts in recent years. Our metabolism is determined by thyroid function.
Rowsemitt: The thyroid gland is in the neck. The hormones from the thyroid regulate metabolism. If your metabolism is high, you burn more calories at rest than would be normal. If your metabolism is low, you burn fewer calories at rest than normal. Symptoms of low thyroid include: cold, cold hands and feet, extreme fatigue, constipation, dry skin, hair loss. And with low thyroid, its hard to lose weight and easy to gain weight. Its also really hard to get out and exercise because you are exhausted.
Rowsemitt: Many different problems can cause low thyroid, including lack of iodine in the diet and eating large quantities of cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, Brussel sprouts). However, what is less well known relates to trying to lose weight.
In 1950, a study showed that young men fed a low calorie diet decreased their metabolism. Studies have confirmed this over the years, but the concept was not well known. That same year, a
Photo credit J. Emilio Flores for The New York Times.
researcher burned a pound of fat and found it contained 3500 kilocalories (commonly referred to as calories). The guy with the pound of fat must have had a better press agent because weve all been taught for years that if you eat 3500 fewer calories, you will lose a pound. But if you put the two ideas together, you get a better understanding of the real problem.
We have a thermostat in the hypothalamus, a small portion of the brain. This thermostat sets your rate of metabolism. Eat less and your thermostat recognizes that youre arent getting enough food to support your current weight; the thermostat resets to a lower rate so youll burn fewer calories at rest. You may be carrying an extra 100 lbs. that youre trying to lose, but the body pays more attention to the lack of current food supply. This response results from eons of evolution so that we can survive famine. So the thyroid has decreased function ON PURPOSE. We currently have no way to convince the thyroid to make more hormone during this time.
Rowsemitt: We were all taught to measure just TSH, the pituitary hormone that tells the thyroid gland how much thyroid hormone to make, rather than the actual thyroid hormones. That works fine most of the time. However, when you are in the famine response, youre burning fewer calories at rest, but TSH is perfectly normal because the thermostat has been reset lower. So if youre dieting, doing everything youre supposed to do to lose weight, and your thermostat is reset down, your doctor or other provider may order TSH, find its normal, and tell you your thyroid is fine. The active thyroid hormone, T3, is likely to be at the low end of normal and your metabolism will be low.
Rowsemitt: Sort of. However, most health care providers are not aware of the resetting of the thermostat and how to effectively treat the thyroid to safely eliminate low thyroid symptoms. I gave a presentation at the Obesity Medicine Association meetings in late September addressing these issues.
For more information about Carol Rowsemitt and her San Luis Obispo weight loss practice, visithttp://www.carolrosey.comor call (805) 748-0954.
Comprehensive Weight Management, A Nursing Corporation 295 Posada Lane Suite C Templeton, CA 93465 United States Phone: (805) 748-0954
Press release prepared bySan Luis Obispo web designersatAccess Publishing, 806 9th St. #2D, Paso Robles, CA 93446. (805) 226-9890.
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San Luis Obispo weight loss expert weighs in on Biggest Loser weight re-gain - A-Town Daily News
Posted: February 8, 2017 at 10:48 pm
Men's Fitness | If you really want to lose weight, you need to stop stuffing your face Men's Fitness But whatever you shovel down your gullet (and how much of it you shovel) will impact your lifetime weight far more than going to the gym or running 5 miles. In fact, a new study suggests that over the long term, your workouts might not matter at all ... |
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If you really want to lose weight, you need to stop stuffing your face - Men's Fitness
Posted: February 8, 2017 at 10:48 pm
This subject is probably one of the most annoying things in my life besides my husband's loud chewing and the kids' toe nail/boogie picking. Don't get me wrong, I've come a long way with my weight issues and nowadays I actually don't care about "the number" and I don't even hate my body anymore. In fact, I totally accept it and most days I quite like it. Sure, it's not a Ferrari, but it's a pretty economical and reliable station wagon and for that I am grateful.
BUT. But. But. But.
How is it that when a man says "I'm going on a diet!" he simply quits one or two things, such as beer or Coke (and instead takes up vodka and creaming soda), eats pretty much as he usually does after the healthy food thing wears off a few days in, then does a gigantic crap one morning and magically loses 6kg? Boom! Goal weight in well under a fortnight, motherf**ker!
Yet when a woman says "I'm eating healthy and changing my lifestyle" it is a serious declaration. She gives up coffee, she gives up wine, she gives up sugar and flour and starchy carbs. She takes up green drinks that taste like cold vegetable soup mixed with the grass out the back... in fact, she increases her intake of everything remotely green grass looking. She limits her portion sizes at meal times using a side plate to trick her brain, she drinks 2 litres of filtered water and exercises for a minimum of 30 minutes every day. She meditates and cleanses her soul, keeps a food journal and spends most of her day in the kitchen preparing and cleaning up healthy meals for her and her family. She has never been 'healthier' yet she is constipated for six out of seven days and when she's not in the kitchen prepping/cooking/cleaning she is on the toilet urinating like some kind of wee God. She resists the urge to weigh in because it is about a lifestyle choice and not a number but surely 18 days of pure good health will harbour some results that are worth seeing...
Am I right?
Arrrr... Nup! A measly 300g gone! How can that be?
Lucky for him, I feel good about myself anyway. I'm not hangry which means he gets to live and I am okay with not losing a single kilo which is good because otherwise I might just have to lace his food with laxatives. But then he would gloat even more over the diarrhoea weight loss. He actually would.
So what the f**k is happening here?
Well this is what it feels like is happening...
The Man body says: "Let's not f**k around mate. We've got a piss up next week and we ain't telling the boys we can't drink coz we are on a diet. So process every fat cell in sight at lightening speed and drop an ungodly 2kg log on day six! Job done!" Cue the naked mirror happy helicopter dance and bicep pashing.
The Woman body says: "Huh? What? We are trying to lose weight? Oh, I thought you said wait! Wait and hold on to every fat cell and digested green bit until it is safe to let it go... Let it go... Let it goooo... Oh, but I can't. Yes you can! Let's do this! This is your time! No... No... I'm not ready... Oh but you are... But what if we need to reserve our fat cells for possible starvation? What the f**k are you on about?" and on and so forth...
What is actually happening?
Simply put, men have more muscle than women and the more muscle you have the more fat you burn. Hence the reason they shed it quicker. Men also have 10 times more testosterone than women, which means their metabolism is 5-10 percent faster than women.
Women have oestrogen -- which helps with the obvious procreation thing -- but this funny little hormone makes it harder for us to burn fat after a meal. Yes, it makes us hold onto it. Which is great if we are in the dark ages and food is scarce. Women also have more cravings -- I don't know why but the research says so. Research also says we are more likely to turn to emotional eating -- yay for us.
And this all must be true because I googled it. So blame the testosterone/oestrogen you don't have/have. Men may have the weight loss edge over us but we can do so much more than they can -- like get aroused without anyone noticing, have multiple orgasms, wear male clothing without anyone raising an eyebrow, multi-task and, if we want, we can push a gigantic baby out of our vagina.
So f**k the testosterone and their fast weight loss. Feel good inside and outside because that is all that really matters.
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Why Men Lose Weight So Much Faster Than Women - Huffington Post Australia
Posted: February 8, 2017 at 10:48 pm
Sleep is not only a time for rest and recuperation, but also a time for our body to heal and restore.
Nutritionist Sarah Flower, has explored why a good nights sleep can help us lose weight and is vital to our health and wellbeing.
She said: Lack of sleep can affect our relationships, our work, and our energy levels, making us moody, irritable, unable to concentrate, hungry and tired, however, what is less known, are the ways it can also affect our health and even our weight.
How sleep can aid weight loss
When you are sleep deprived, you upset your natural hormone levels including Ghrelin - a hormone that sits in your stomach telling you to eat more, stimulating our appetite, especially for carb-rich and sugary food.
At the same time, our leptin response falls, failing to tell the brain when we are full, so we are constantly hungry - a reason why shift workers find it so hard to maintain a healthy weight.
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Lack of sleep can affect our relationships, our work, and our energy levels, making us moody, irritable, unable to concentrate, hungry and tired, however, what is less known, are the ways it can also affect our health and even our weight
A study by the University of Chicago, found dieters lost more than 56 per cent more fat than those who were sleep deprived. Those who were sleep deprived lost the same amount of weight but this was found to be more from muscle mass.
Reduce inflammation and repair
Sleep is a time for our bodies to repair and rejuvenate, as well as conserve energy.
When we sleep, we move from a catabolic state (where energy is used by the body for multiple functions) to an anabolic state (when we conserve energy in order to repair).
Research has also shown that those who are sleep deprived have higher levels of inflammatory proteins in the blood, making them more susceptible to whole body inflammation, putting them more at risk of diseases such as heart disease.
Lack of sleep also lowers the immune system, and it has been shown that those who have long-term sleep problems have a shorter lifespan.
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Paleo, Durkin & Atkins, the most popular diets explained
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Memory function
Sleep plays a vital role in setting and consolidating our days activities and memories as well as learning from these experiences.
Recent research demonstrates how our brains declutter and detoxify as we sleep, clearing away any toxins and plaque, which is believed to help lessen the risk of Alzheimers.
Lack of sleep can make it hard for us to concentrate and focus the following day. Being sleep deprived can affect our focus and even our reaction time. Studies have shown that our section time when driving after lack of sleep is, shockingly, as detrimental as being drunk at the wheel.
Relax
Our whole body goes through a relaxation period when we sleep. Our muscles relax and repair, our breathing slows down, our blood pressure lowers and our heart beat reduces.
As we get more tired and sleep deprived, our body slows down in preparation for sleep - a natural way for our bodies to reduce inflammation and repair itself.
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Temperature regulation
Our body temperature dips as we start to sleep, being at its coolest in the early hours of the morning. The cooler our body temperature, the better our sleep, which is why it is always advisable to have a cool bedroom as this not only aids sleep but also produces better quality of sleep.
Hormone regulation
We are governed by our hormones. To get a good nights sleep, our body converts serotonin into melatonin. Melatonin synthesis is triggered by darkness which helps induce and maintain sleep.
The production of melatonin is affected by lack of nutrients as well as computer and TV screen glare. Research has shown that exposure to noise and light during sleep can suppress the immune system as well as disrupt natural sleep patterns.
During sleep, our body pumps out a growth hormone which is responsible for repair and rejuvenation of our cells. It also help regulate our other hormones such as cortisol.
When we are stressed our bodies produce more of the hormone cortisol. This can have a negative effect on our health as well as our sleep. When cortisol is working correctly, it can help maintain our blood sugar balance as well as aiding a good nights sleep, making us less prone to weight gain, hearth disease and even diabetes.
Not eating after THIS time helped a woman lose weight.
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Weight loss: How doing THIS in bed can help you shed the pounds - Express.co.uk
Posted: February 8, 2017 at 8:42 am
I know Democrats and progressives are going nuts over President Trumps first few weeks in office I know the Middle East is a mess and that we have no small number of incredible challenges at home but I have my own worries. Like millions of other Americans, Im on my annual February diet.
You see, its not easy to be trim and fit in America. Our culture is saturated with an abundance of high-calorie, processed foods that turn into instant fat.We work long and hard in sedentary office jobs, then eat our stress away, two or three fast-food treats at a time. Weve become so fat, to quote Rodney Dangerfield, that our bathtubs have stretch marks.
We know our increasing tubbiness isnt healthy. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity-associated diseases such as diabetes have soared in recent years. Gallbladder diseases, sleep apnea, high blood pressure and heart disease are all caused by carrying too much weight.
And so we are on a continuous mission to lose weight. Our challenge is that the fad diets that promise to get us there go in and out of fashion faster than the white patent leather shoes and belts my father used to wear to church.According to the website The Daily Meal, the Mediterranean Diet it features natural, plant-based foods, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts is in.
So, too, is the Paleo Diet, which apparently is similar to the Mediterranean Diet, except legumes are forbidden.
Which is a shame, too, because I just learned that legumes include alfalfa, clover, peas, beans, lentils, lupin beans, mesquite, carob, soybeans, peanuts and tamarind which go well with the bourbon I am driven to drink as I try to figure out which diet to go on.
Volumetrics is another in diet. It encourages the consumption of low-energy-density foods, which make you feel full with fewer calories than high-energy-density foods. It also sounds like too much math is involved.
The Gluten Diet is on the outs, though, according to The Daily Meal. Apparently, it puts people at risk for different deficiencies such as B vitamin deficiencies, calcium, fiber, vitamin D and iron.
The Daily Meal no longer favors the Atkins Diet, either, which makes me sore. Dr. Atkins said we could eat delicious steaks, pork, chicken and fish. He said we could eat as much eggs and cheese and other tasty no-sugar treats as we could stuff into our bellies. His diet was all the rage for years.
But now The Daily Meal says his diet is a no go? That it is not heart-healthy and that most users are not compliant over the long term?
Not so fast! Several prominent studies have concluded that old Doc Atkins was onto something. Low-carbohydrate diets may actually take off more weight than low-fat diets and may be surprisingly better for cholesterol, too.
One of my greatest dieting disappointments of the last 20 years, though, was the failure of the exercise pill, which had shown promise at Duke University around 2002.
Researchers had located the chemical pathways that muscle cells use to build strength and endurance. With that knowledge in hand, there was hope that a pill could be created that would pump up muscle cells without the need for actual exercise.
Dieting Americans could have sat on the couch, chomping potato chips and dip, while their biceps got as round as cantaloupes and their abs got as hard as stone but this uniquely American dieting innovation wasnt to be.
I think Ill try a new, restrictive diet this February: the Democrats in Congress Diet.
Ill deny myself everything.
Tom Purcell: can be reached at Tom@TomPurcell.com.
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Still searching for a diet panacea - The Star Beacon
Posted: February 8, 2017 at 8:42 am
Dana Fedoruk decided it was time to get serious about weight loss when she grew weary of watching her weight fluctuate as she tried various diets, and of tiring easily while playing with her 7-year-old son, Ethan.
Fedoruk, 47, decided to undergo bariatric surgery. She completed pre-surgery testing and counseling about six miles from home, at the Indiana Regional Medical Center.
Bariatric surgery is performed at Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center, but IRMC coordinates pre-surgical appointments and testing to be completed in Indiana, which allows patients to stay close to home. IRMC staff work side by side with the staff of the Weight Management Center at Conemaugh to ensure sure all requirements and documentation are finalized.
Dana Fedoruk dropped from 279 pounds to 143 pounds after undergoing bariatric surgery, and changing her diet and fitness habits.
Working with Rebecca Williamson, a registered dietitian in the Corporate and Community Wellness Department at IRMC, Fedoruk readied to change her life.
Williamson says all the preliminary testing, which includes blood work, sleep studies, upper GI, EKG and any X-rays, can be completed at IRMC. Three to five people are involved each month, and some come in before work or during lunch for their tests.
I was a Size 24 and my heaviest weight, 279 pounds, on March 6, 2015, Fedoruk says. I thought I was about to be on a reality TV show.
I knew I needed to do something. I had done diet pills, over-the-counter plans. I told my doctor I needed a different way. I needed a life-changing, healthy way of living. At the time, my son was 7. It was hard for me to play with him. I honestly didnt think Id live to watch him grow up.
Prep Work
Fedoruk opted for the gastric sleeve procedure, which is less invasive and requires less healing time.
It was the best choice for me, she says of the October 2015 surgery.
She was home a few days later nearly pain-free. She doubts her recovery would have gone as smoothly without the pre-surgery assistance she received at IRMC.
It was wonderful, Rebecca actually taught me everything I was doing wrong, Fedoruk says. She taught me how to read labels, what to look for and what I should be eating.
Fedoruk has since her life-changing decisions to improve her health gained self-confidence and has a more outgoing lifestyle.
Williamson told Fedoruk she was limited to 1,500 calories a day. Fedoruk took this further and consumed 1,200 to 1,300 calories daily, with smaller meals and snacks. One of her go-to snacks was a cup of yogurt with strawberries and granola. She also began practicing yoga daily. Having undergone eight knee surgeries since she was 15, Fedoruk appreciated the low-impact exercise.
Her weight plummeted from 279 pounds in March to 221 in October. She had demonstrated her dedication, and she was ready for the surgery.
Less than a year later, she weighs 143 pounds and has never felt better.
Im half-Czech and half-Italian, Fedoruk says. Lots of good food. When I was depressed, Id lick the plate clean.Thats what I knew.
"To me, diets are temporary," she continues. "I made life changes.
Fedoruk's self-confidence has increased post-surgery
Before surgery I hid, she says. I never went out, and if I did, I tried to avoid people. I was always in bulky clothes and hiding my face in scarves, trying to hide my body in clothes that were way too big.
Now I go out. I have met people. Im definitely a lot more outgoing. I dont hide anymore. I like wearing nice clothes and dressing up in clothes that actually fit me. I dont nap through the day. My energy level is way up. I feel like I have improved my life and my lifestyle more than 100 percent.
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A Better Life - Winchester News Gazette
Posted: February 8, 2017 at 8:42 am
Atrial fibrillation (also called AFib or AF) is the most common supraventricular arrhythmia in Western countries -- affecting at least 2.7 million people in the U.S., according to the American Heart Association. AFib is a serious condition, and one that I treat regularly in my practices at the Montefiore Einstein Center for Heart & Vascular Care in Bronx, New York.
During February's American Heart Month, here's some important information about AFib:
Typical Patient
AFib predominantly affects, but is not limited to, older people. This element is increasingly important because as our life expectancy continues to improve and the average age of the population increases, AFib is expected to grow and affect an estimated 50 million patients by 2060 across the U.S. and Europe. It's important to learn the facts of this condition as early as possible.
[See: The Facts on Heart Disease.]
Common Signs and Symptoms
The most common symptom of AFib is a quivering or irregular heartbeat (also known as an arrhythmia), though patients may experience palpitations, which are sensations of a racing, uncomfortable, irregular heartbeat, or a flip-flopping in your chest; lightheadedness and/or dizziness; confusion; shortness of breath and anxiety; weakness; fatigue; reduced ability to exercise; and/or chest pain or pressure. Please note, if you're experiencing chest pain or pressure, call 911 immediately.
Now that we've outlined the most commons signs and symptoms of AFib, there's one very important fact to note: Nearly one-third of AFib patients are asymptomatic. In other words, some people with AFib have no symptoms and are unaware of their condition until it's discovered during a physical examination. Because of this fact, it's crucial to schedule an annual physical exam with your doctor and understand your risks.
How to Treat It
There are a growing number of ways we can treat AFib and achieve great results. However, if left untreated, AFib can evolve from a momentary episode into a chronic, longstanding and potentially even permanent issue, causing subsequent concerns such as blood clots, stroke, heart failure and other heart conditions. In fact, patients with AFib are nearly five times more likely to experience a stroke those without AFib, are at an increased risk of developing dementia and have a nearly doubled risk of experiencing a heart-related death. Studies also show that individuals with AFib have an increased risk of renal disease.
It's important to discuss your risk of heart failure with your doctor, as AFib and heart failure frequently coexist and are often associated with several common predisposing risk factors. These include hypertension, coronary artery disease, structural heart disease, diabetes, obesity and obstructive sleep apnea.
[See: The 12 Best Heart-Healthy Diets.]
The Good News
There are a number of ways you can reduce your risk of developing AFib:
1. Increase your physical activity. Obesity is a significant risk factor for AFib. Consult your doctor to learn more about ways to safely increase your levels of physical activity.
2. Improve your diet. Undergo a weight-loss program and incorporate more fruits, vegetables and lean meats into your daily diet. Limit caffeine, alcohol, fats and excess salt. If necessary, consult your doctor about bariatric surgery.
3. Treat your blood pressure. Have a diet with low salt, and take your medications routinely, as hypertension increases your risk of developing AFib.
4. Treat your sleep apnea. If prescribed, remember to use your continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, mask every night. Doing so will improve your AFib.
5. Control your diabetes. If diet and exercise alone don't control your diabetes, please consult your doctor for more support and/or resources, as gaining control of your diabetes will reduce your risk of developing AFib.
6. Remember your medications. If your doctor prescribed blood thinners to you, it's important you never forget to take your medication to reduce your risk for stroke.
If you're diagnosed with AFib, there are many treatment options you can explore with your doctor, ranging from medications to minimally invasive procedures and, at times, surgery. One such procedure is a catheter ablation -- an established treatment to achieve freedom from AFib. Several randomized clinical trials have shown that catheter ablation improves symptoms and quality of life.
[See: 17 Ways Heart Health Varies in Women and Men.]
Although ablation is effective, the best outcome is achieved with a multidisciplinary approach that addresses multiple health conditions and cardiac risk factors. And remember, if you have AFib, the best outcomes are achieved if you actively care for yourself by keeping your weight down and controlling your blood pressure, diabetes and sleep apnea.
Consult your doctor for more information if you think you've been experiencing AFib.
Luigi Di Biase, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.A.C., F.H.R.S.,cardiologist, is the section head of electrophysiology and the director of arrhythmia services at the Montefiore Einstein Center for Heart & Vascular Care. Dr. Di Biase is also an associate professor of medicine within the Department of Medicine (Cardiology) at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Di Biase received his medical degree and completed his cardiology residency at the University of Bari in Bari, Italy. He completed a second-level master degree in Electrophysiology and Pacing at the University of Insubria in Varese, Italy, and his Ph.D. program in cardiovascular physiopathology at the University of Foggia, Italy. Dr. Di Biase's research focuses on cardiology and electrophysiology with specific emphasis on catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation and ventricular arrhythmias performed either manually or with robotic catheter navigation. Additionally, his research focuses on heart failure, particularly cases treated with cardiac resynchronization therapy devices. Dr. Di Biase is the author of nearly 300 publications in indexed journals, 300 abstracts and 18 electrophysiology book chapters.
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Atrial Fibrillation: Understanding Symptoms, Risks and Treatment - Yahoo News
Posted: February 8, 2017 at 8:42 am
Nick Caplan, Northumbria University, Newcastle
NASA astronaut Scott Kelly recently spent one year in space, while his identical twin brother Mark (a former NASA astronaut himself) stayed on Earth. The mission was part of an important health experiment, looking at how being in space affects our bodies. While the data are still being studied carefully, NASA recently released some intriguing preliminary findings.
Kelly launched aboard the Russian Soyuz Rocket on March 27 2015, along with Russian cosmonauts Genaldy Padalka and Mikhail Kornienko (joining Kelly on the one year mission). Before, during and after the 340 days he spent aboard the International Space Station, a large volume of biological samples was collected from both Scott and Mark. By looking at molecular changes between the identical twins that were separated at launch, NASA hope to shed light on how certain proteins and bacteria in the body are influenced by nature or nurture by taking advantage of the extreme environmental differences between living on Earth or in space.
Space agencies around the world have a shared goal of taking people to Mars. Missions to Mars will involve crews spending about three years away from Earths gravity, taking about six months travelling to Mars in microgravity, followed by more than a year on the Martian surface, living and working in about a third gravity we experience on Earth. This is before the planets realign and its time for the six-month return journey back home. In order to safely complete this journey, effective countermeasures to the potential influences of the extreme environment of space on the human body must be developed.
Scott watches a bunch of fresh carrots at the ISS. NASA
Previous missions to the International Space Station have identified many of the effects of microgravity on human physiology. Muscles, especially those that help support the bodys posture against gravity, waste away, bones become less dense, increased pressure in the skull leads to visual impairments and the amount of blood in the body reduces. As if that wasnt enough, the heart also gets smaller as it can pump blood to the brain more easily and cosmic radiation can lead to increased cancer risk.
To counteract all this, astronauts on the International Space Station complete a rigorous exercise programme (about two hours daily), accompanied by a strictly planned diet.
The NASA Twins Study uses the relatively new field of omics the study of a large number of systems in the human body at a molecular level. Initial findings involved telomeres often described as the ticking clock of the cell. Telomeres are DNA sequences at the end of chromosomes protecting them from degrading. As we age, the telomeres get shorter and shorter.
The study found that telomeres in white blood cells get longer in space. This was potentially thought to be due to the increased exercise regime and strict diet that Scott followed, but perhaps Einsteins time dilation effect could be playing a part in astronauts ageing slower. Despite this, markers of inflammation in the blood increased in space and after landing back on Earth, which could have been caused by the physical stress placed on Scotts body during re-entry and landing.
Some changes to DNA were also seen in Scotts gene expression. This finding could help identify specific genes that are sensitive to environmental stress so that we can help protect them. During the second half of Scotts mission, bone formation also reduced, which is more commonly seen in osteoporosis.
Astronauts will need to reach Mars and be able to perform physical and cognitive tasks to survive for months on end in the partial gravity environment of the Martian surface. They will have to construct the habitat in which they will live, perform system maintenance and carry out scientific research. By understanding how microgravity influences astronauts DNA, drugs and other countermeasures can be developed to prevent these changes and ensure that astronauts stay healthy.
Of course, it is not all about exploring the solar system. Many of the global space agencies aim to study how space affects the human body in order to improve healthcare interventions for patients on Earth. As the use of omics develops, it could lead to personalised healthcare.
By using these techniques to comprehensively analyse blood samples taken in hospitals, or even in doctors surgeries, it might one day be the case that doctors can predict whether a patient might develop a certain disease, and prescribe preventative drugs to reduce the likelihood of the patient becoming ill in the first place. Findings from NASAs Twin Study could, therefore, help us living longer and healthier lives on Earth.
Nick Caplan, Associate Professor of Musculoskeletal Health, Northumbria University, Newcastle
This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
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NASA sent a twin to space for a year, while his brother stayed on Earth; what we found - The News Minute
