Anxiety, Depression Increased Chances of Cardiac Arrest & Stroke

A recent 5-year study on 221,677 individuals aged 45 and above devoid of having a stroke or cardiac arrest in their medical history, revealed that mental disorders like anxiety and depression could increase the chances of the occurrence of a cardiac arrest or stroke.

Men with extreme mental distress showed 60% increased chances of suffering a cardiac arrest and 44% raised the risk of getting a stroke. Whereas, women with extreme psychological stress displayed 24% higher chances of having a cardiac arrest and 68% heightened risk of experiencing a stroke.

Head author, Caroline Jackson of the University of Edinburgh in the U.K. said, “The stronger association between psychological distress and heart attack in men compared to women could be due to women being more likely than men to seek primary care for mental and physical health problems, thus partly negating the possible physical effects of mental health problems. Alternatively, it could reflect the known hormonal protection against heart disease in women since the study population included a large number of younger women,”

 “We did however find a strong association between psychological distress and stroke in women, perhaps suggesting different mechanisms exist between psychological distress and different types of cardiovascular disease in women,” she mentioned in an e-mail.

The study saw an incidence of 4573 cardiac arrests and 2421 strokes in total. The authors also remarked that other lifestyle habits such as low appetite, lack of physical activity, and smoking could individually affect mental health issues and cardiac problems.

“It is also possible that symptoms of depression or anxiety directly affect the body’s physiology through mechanisms such as hormonal pathways, inflammatory processes in arteries and increased risk of blood clotting,” Jackson added. “It is vital that further research seeks to identify the underlying mechanisms so that we can better understand the link between mental health and subsequent physical health and inform intervention strategies.”

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Kitchen Based Ayurvedic Tonics for 5 Stomach Disorders

Physicians recommend to consume food only when you feel hungry and maintain 3-hour gaps in between meals. They advise avoiding oily and spicy foods. In spite of following these tips, everyone faces stomach disorders such as indigestion, bloating, acid reflux, diarrhea, and constipation at one time or the other.

What happens if you don’t have immediate access to medical help?  As far as the relief is concerned, there are a few kitchen based ayurvedic tonics which can solve these problems. 

1. Constipation

Mix 1 tsp fresh ghee with 1/2 tsp salt into 1 1/4 cup hot water. Consume this mix an hour after dinner. Even a tablespoon of castor oil at bedtime may provide relief. But consult a doctor regarding pregnant women, children and the elderly.

2. Bloating

Toast 1 tsp fennel seeds and mix in 1 cup of boiled water. Add a few pieces of fresh ginger, a pinch of asafoetida, and consume this mix after dinner.

3. Acid reflux

Mix 1/4 cup plain yogurt with 3/4 cup water and mix well. Add a pinch of rock salt, roasted cumin, grated ginger with fresh coriander leaves and consume.

4. Diarrhea

Mix 1 inch of grated ginger in 1 1/4 cup water. Boil this mix with a little aniseed. After it boils, add a pinch of turmeric powder. After a while, strain this liquid and consume.

5. Indigestion

Mix 3-4 garlic cloves and 10-12 basil leaves in 1/4 cup wheatgrass juice and consume once a day.

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Physical Therapy Rehabilitation

Various physical therapy equipment, tools and exercises are available for patients after sustaining an injury or to mediate pain. Licensed physiotherapists are able to prescribe the best physical therapy for a specific ailment. Whether the patient is suffering from severe headaches or recovering from a surgery, the right exercises and equipment is the key to a swift and long-lasting recovery.

A physiotherapist will assist a patient to determine what the best therapy for their specific injury is. The strategy that a physiotherapist puts forward is aimed at helping the patient improve their movement and increase muscular strength. Some therapies require specialized physical therapy equipment. This includes physiotherapy tables, ozone generators and as well as medical disposables such as kinesiology tape.

Even though the Internet is packed with helpful advice on physical therapy that you can do at home, it is strongly advised to first seek the opinion of a licensed healthcare professional to ensure you fully recover, rather than cause more severe damage in the long-run.

If you are a professional physiotherapist in need of specialized equipment, view the drugdu.com websiteand find exactly what you need.

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Workers in Open Office have Greater Work Productivity with Less Stress

Qualitative productivity is the major objective for all employees and employers in this world. But while working toward this objective, they often forget to pay attention to their routine physical activities, which can cause huge stress in addition to poor health outcomes.

In 2015, the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention published a report which states that workplace-related illnesses cost the U.S. economy more than $225 billion every year.

During this period, research from the University of Arizona reported that workers in open offices proved to be more productive with less stress compared to the ones working in closed private cubicles and AC offices. This study was led by the UA Institute on Place, Wellbeing and Performance and the UA Centre for Integrative Medicine, in association with the Baylor College of Medicine and Aclima Inc. This work was under the Wellbuilt for Wellbeing program, funded by the U.S. General Services Administration.

Dr. Esther Sternberg, the lead author of this study and the research director of the UA Centre for Integrative Medicine said, "This research highlights how office design, driven by office workstation type, could be an important health promoting factor."

This work was published under the title, ‘Effects of office workstation type on physical activity and stress’ in BMJ Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

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Healthy Interactions and Merck roll out digital diabetes management, counselling software

Merck and Healthy Interactions, a healthcare firm for people that provides digital and personal solutions for management and education of chronic illnesses, jointly started a diabetes management and engagement platform which encourages personal counseling programs.

Launched on August 17^th at the American Association of Diabetes Educators Annual Conference in Baltimore, the map4health platform is inclusive of a patient-interactive app that uses text and video messaging, goal tracking, and peer support forums. Healthcare professionals can also observe patient data development and analytics through a dashboard offered in the app whilst interacting with their patients. Diabetes patients residing in the US are being targeted by this platform, to be implemented as a solitary tool or incorporated into a diabetes self-management education or support (DSMES) program.

This digital service is a part of the two companies’ ongoing collaboration on the Journey for Control DSMES program. A number of educational services are included in this program under the Conversation Map, few of which integrated digital assistance in the form of e-learning modules, online sessions, and a patient app.

“With the launch of the map4health platform Healthy Interactions’ population health model now uniquely combines our proven high-touch Conversation Map programs with the complimentary map4health high-tech platform," Paul Lasiuk, co-founder and CEO at Healthy Interactions, wrote in an email statement. "Pure digital solutions have struggled to achieve target patient engagement and impact levels. Combining proven high touch with proven high tech delivers chronic patient behavior change with the promise of scale. We are humbled and thrilled to launch map4health today."

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5 Crazy Health Tricks Which Really Works

There are many healthy habits to improve your overall health such as losing weight, eating less, exercising more, sleeping more etc. But we have listed 5 healthy tricks which might sound counterintuitive, but really works.

Drink coffee before napping to be more alert

A Japanese study revealed that the consumption of about 200 milligrams of caffeine (1-2 cups of coffee) immediately before taking a 20-minute nap made people more alert and perform better on computer tests, compared to those who only took a nap.

For a healthier set of teeth, wait before brushing

Howard R. Gamble, immediate past president of the Academy of General Dentistry, recommended not to brush teeth immediately after meals containing citrus fruits and sports drinks. This is because the acidic content in the meals might affect teeth enamel. Hence, it would be better to wait for 30 to 60 minutes before brushing.

Curb eating by eating more

Amy Goodson, RD, dietitian for Texas Health Ben Hogan Sports Medicine said, "Eating small amounts of carbohydrates spike your blood sugar and leave you wanting more carbs. But the protein and fat helps you get full faster and stay full longer—and you end up eating fewer calories overall."

Feeling bloated? Drink water!

Bloating is often caused due to dehydration. When you feel bloated, consumption of more water brings relief. James Lee, MD, a gastroenterologist with St. Joseph Hospital in Orange said, "Water mixes with water-soluble fiber and makes it into a gel-like substance. This affects the motility of the gut and reduces the symptom of bloating." 

To cool down, drink something hot 

A recent study reported that by sipping a hot beverage, the body senses the change in temperature and increases the sweat production. As the sweat evaporates, you naturally cool off.

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Improper Sleep can Ruin Your Social Life

A research team from the University of California, Berkeley, have reported that people who get insufficient sleep feel lonelier and don’t mingle with others. These sleep-deprived individuals also seem to be socially unattractive to others. These findings were published in the journal Nature Communications.

Matthew Walker, the study author and a UC Berkeley professor of psychology and neuroscience, said "We humans are a social species. Yet sleep deprivation can turn us into social lepers. The less sleep you get, the less you want to socially interact. In turn, other people perceive you as more socially repulsive, further increasing the grave social-isolation impact of sleep loss. That vicious cycle may be a significant contributing factor to the public health crisis that is loneliness."

The national surveys reported that nearly half of all Americans feel lonely. The feeling of loneliness also increases the risk of mortality by more than 45 percent which is double the mortality risk associated with obesity.

Walker concluded, "This all bodes well if you sleep the necessary seven to nine hours a night, but not so well if you continue to short-change your sleep; On a positive note, just one night of good sleep makes you feel more outgoing and socially confident, and furthermore, will attract others to you."

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Younger Children More Influenced by Robots Compared to Adults

A new study conducted at the University of Plymouth has reported that the opinions and decisions of young children are more significantly influenced by robots even if they are incorrect when compared to adults. This study was published in the journal Science Robotics.

The research was jointly led by former Plymouth research team member Anna Vollmer, who is at present a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Bielefeld, and Tony Belpaeme, a professor in Robotics from the University of Plymouth and Ghent University.

Professor Belpaeme said, "People often follow the opinions of others and we've known for a long time that it is hard to resist taking overviews and opinions of people around us. We know this as conformity. But as robots will soon be found in the home and the workplace, we were wondering if people would conform to robots.”

The research team worked hard to explore the positive effects of robots in health and education settings. By conducting a four-year ALIZ-E programme, it was concluded that social robots can help diabetic children accept the nature of their condition. L2TOR can help preschool children to learn a second easily language.

The research team concluded, "A future in which autonomous social robots are used as aids for education professionals or child therapists is not distant. In these applications, the robot is in a position in which the information provided can significantly affect the individuals they interact with. A discussion is required about whether protective measures, such as a regulatory framework, should be in place that minimizes the risk to children during social child-robot interaction and what form they might take so as not to adversely affect the promising development of the field."

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4 Health Benefits of the Queen of Spices – CINNAMON

Cinnamon, the Queen of Spices, has been a much-loved addition to food for the better part of a thousand years. The reason behind its effect includes increased fragrance in foods in addition to its medicinal uses.

There are many health benefits to cinnamon in general. Cinnamon can slow down the aging process, improves inflammation, regulates blood sugar levels, improves lipid content in the blood, fights cancer and reduces the onset of microbial infections.

1. Cancer

Cinnamon has a significant and positive effect on reducing the symptoms of cancer and also reduces the likelihood of developing cancers. Due to the presence of a component named coumarin, the contents of cinnamon can be toxic to developing cancer cells. Cinnamon even reduces the chances of cancer development in otherwise-healthy individuals.

2. Blood sugar regulation

When cinnamon is consumed, it reduces the concentrations of fat levels in the bloodstream. Thus it can produce a positive effect on your heart’s health and drastically reduces the chance of diabetes.

3. Proper functioning of the brain

A research study showed that when we smell cinnamon, it can improve cognitive processing. Similarly, consumption of cinnamon can significantly improve brain functionality.

4. Balances of the Immune System

Regular consumption of cinnamon can easily improve the immune system in healthy individuals.

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No Fruits and Vegetables in your Diet may Lead to Sleepless Nights

There has been an emergence in data supporting a connection between sleep and an individual’s diet, leading researchers to explore the link between sleep duration and the intake of fruit and vegetables.

A new analysis of previous studies revealed that less sleep was linked with a heightened risk of obesity by 45% in concurrence with a diminished consumption of fruit and vegetables.

Researchers from Leeds University in England performed an observational study to explore this link between sleep duration and fruit and vegetable intake as there was a dearth of research on this subject. They published their findings in BMJ Open.

The study included 1612 individuals from the age of 19 to 65 who maintained a diary to record their sleep and consumption of fruits and veggies for four days. The findings from this observation presented that protracted sleepers took 28g per day lesser fruit and vegetables contrasted to adults who sleep for seven to eight hours a day. On the contrary, small sleepers ate 24g less fruit and vegetables a day than those who slumbered seven to eight hours.

The results therefore establish the connection between fruit and vegetable intake and duration of sleep. The researchers signify the promising applications of this association for lifestyle and behavioral modifying regimens.

The limitations of this study, however, should not be overlooked. The participants reported the observations themselves which have high chances of over-reporting. Moreover, such studies are cross-sectional studies which can only determine associations and not causal relationships between variables.

Nonetheless, there is a definite suggestion from this study regarding the link between the consumption of fruits and vegetables and sleeping periods. Further research on this subject is imperative to back and validate the findings of this new study.

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Cleaning & Greening can Reduce Depression

A research team from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia has suggested the several inexpensive ways of cleaning trash and the plantation of new grass and trees in vacant lands might reduce peoples’ feelings of worthlessness and depression.

Dr. Eugenia South, the lead author from the University of Pennsylvania said, “As an emergency medicine physician, I see the downstream effects that poverty and neighborhood environment have on health all the time. You can’t escape your environment. It is with you day in and day out. We know it is going to have an impact on both physical and mental health and my goal is to make that impact a positive one.”

South further added, “For people living in areas with dilapidated neighborhood environments, that impact is likely to be negative. Vacant lot greening is a simple and relatively low-cost neighborhood intervention that can turn an unhealthy environment into a healthy one.”

The inexpensive detailed greening intervention includes debris removal, land grading, plantation of new grass and trees, installation of a low wooden perimeter fence with openings, and regular maintenance.

Jerrett, a research team member with the Fielding School of Public Health from the University of California, Los Angeles, said the current study was able to “eliminate, or at least greatly minimize, the chance of the self-selection bias influencing the results, so that you’re getting something that’s starting to approximate what you would get in a randomized, controlled trial.”

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Segmented Plates with Images made Kids Eat More Veggies

A longitudinal study found that children in preschool consumed greater amounts of vegetables when their plates were divided and printed with pictures of fruits and vegetables.

Children took 13.82 grams more vegetables from printed plates per day than when they ate from plain white plates, and consumed 7.54 grams more, reported Emily Melnick, MPH, and Meng Li, PhD, both of the Department of Health and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Colorado Denver.

"I think the approach of using nudge methods to change what people eat is really important and there has been a lot of research on it in the general population, but there is little on how that affects kids," Li said. "If you think about what people eat and their early habits, the exposure kids have to food is really impactful in their adult behavior long-term."

There were 3 school days observed in a 1-week duration at two separate time points, and involved 235 children from 18 classrooms in Arvada, Colorado. The children were equally grouped in boys and girls and were of an average age of 3.8 years.

Children used white plates in the base duration. The intervention was conducted after 4 weeks, wherein children used the segmented plates with images. During the intervention, researchers gave an introduction to the plate to explain to the kids that the images on their plates were fruits and vegetables. The lunch menus remained unchanged each day.

Before and after consumption, the children's plates were weighed, and an average was calculated for the quantity of food taken and consumed. The intervention group saw the maximum effect on the second day when the lunch menu was devoid of fruit and included cucumbers and carrots.

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Researchers Suggest Heat Shock Proteins as Biomarkers for Bipolar Disorder

A new paper published in Medicine suggests that Heat shock proteins CPN10, CPN60, and CPN70 could act as biomarkers for bipolar disorder (BD). Moreover, CPN60 serum levels could act as a biomarker to specify which BD patients have abnormal activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.

“An association has been observed between BD and abnormal activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which plays an important role in the response to stress, although the role of HPA axis activity abnormalities in the pathophysiology of BD remains unclear,” wrote the authors, led by Yuhang Cheng, MD, The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders and Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing. Results of a recent meta-analysis uncovered a significant link between BD and both cortisol (CORT) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH).

 “Originally, it was believed that HSP only had intracellular functions, but evidence has been accumulating that they also have extracellular functions,” the authors wrote. HSPs may also help in immune function in addition to facilitating the folding of proteins.

Numerous studies have signified that HSP is concerned with BD pathogenesis. Therefore, HSPs could serve as biomarkers for BD. This is a table-turner, as there are presently no BD biomarkers. In the existing study, investigators screened HSP candidates as probable in vivo biomarkers in patients having both BD and BD with abnormal HPA activity.

 “Our findings in this preliminary study suggest that HSP potentially might be useful as a biomarker of BD and for distinguishing BD patients with abnormal HPA axis activity from BD patients with normal HPA axis activity,” the authors wrote. “Our results may eventually be useful for making an earlier diagnosis and therefore being able to initiate treatment for BD earlier.”

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Infancy ‘Obesity’ no Predictor for Obesity in Childhood

Researchers headed by Charlotte M. Wright, MBBS, MSc, MD, professor, Community Child Health, School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, UK, wrote in Pediatric Obesity,“‘Obesity’ in infancy is not, in fact, an important risk factor for obesity in childhood,”

On the contrary, the majority of youngsters with high BMI/obesity in mid-childhood were not very heavy infants, the researchers discovered.

Dr. Wright and colleagues pooled data on around 2,500 children from three longitudinal growth studies to explore whether high weight in infancy foretells obesity in childhood. After adjusting for age and sex, the weighed infants were categorized as “overweight” or “obese”.

They observed that infants with more weight were five times more likely to have BMI ≥ 2 SD at 8 years of age. But, 64% of infants with increases in weight (≥ 1 SD) had a normal BMI at 8 years. In children with a BMI ≥ 2 SD at 8 years old, 50% had a BMI ≥ 2 SD for the first time at that age. Only 22% of 8-year-olds had a history of raised weight as infants.

“In this study, raised weight in infancy (SD ≥ 1) was a significant risk factor for later overweight, and once a child had become overweight, this tended to persist, with three-quarters of those overweight at 8 years having been overweight earlier,” Dr. Wright and coauthors wrote. “However, we also found that over half the infants who were overweight had normal BMI by 8 years.”

Findings suggest that overweight infants usually stay overweight as children, however, infants with excessive BMIs seldom turn obese in childhood. “Thus, a high weight in infancy has a moderate positive predictive value for becoming overweight in mid-childhood, but not for becoming obese, and its sensitivity is very low,” the authors wrote.

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Sunscreen Lotions in Childhood can Reduce Melanoma Risk in Adulthood

It is estimated that one person dies every hour as a result of melanoma in the United States. In the past decade, the count has been increased by 53 percent. A recent study suggests that regular use of sunscreen lotions in childhood can reduce the risk of melanoma by 40 percent in young adulthood.

Dr. Caroline Watts, the author of this study and post-doctoral researcher from the University of Sydney said,“We found that Australians aged 18 to 40 years who were regular users of sunscreen in their childhood reduced their risk of developing melanoma by 40 percent compared to those who rarely used sunscreen. Lifetime use of sunscreen was associated with a 35 percent reduced risk of melanoma,”

Children need sun protection since their skin is much thinner and more susceptible to burning. Dr. Caroline Watts stated, “Regular users of sunscreen were more likely to be female, of British or northern European ancestry, and to have higher education levels, lighter skin pigmentation, and a stronger history of blistering sunburn; this may be related to women being more receptive to messages about sun protection, or that many cosmetic products have sunscreen in them.”

The study authors recommended wearing protective clothing like long sleeves and wearing a broad-spectrum sunscreen like SPF 30 on all exposed areas. 

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Connected Health Platform Hopes to Enhance Manner in Which Patients Take Medication

Phillips-Medisize introduced a connected health platform to enhance the way people take medication while using connected health devices. 

The medical device maker’s third generation connected health platform functions with linked medical devices like injectors and inhalers to help patients. The platform can trace patients’ medication, place reminders, and offer incentives and peer communities to develop disease supervision, medication compliance and possibly, health outcomes.

Phillips-Medisize’s platform implements a health integration engine together with analytics to amalgamate patient data with digital medical records and other data from pharmacy and connected devices. The company expects that the platform betters health and medication end-results for patients which pose as the major hurdles encountered by the industry.

“Phillips-Medisize is a leader in connected health systems for medicine currently on the market, supporting patients daily across the globe. This new, advanced connected health platform builds on our deep knowledge and experience,” said Bill Welch, chief technology officer, Phillips-Medisize. “For us, connected health is a strategy for better serving our customers and their patients, not a buzzword. We are unmatched in the industry with our global innovation, development and manufacturing capabilities to create end-to-end systems.”

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Kissing Disease – It’s Real

Ever heard of the dangers of kissing? The infection termed as ‘kissing disease’ is a viral infection which spreads through saliva which is where it gets its name from. The disease can also be spread due to contact with infected mucous secretions from the nose, tears and throat. One can easily get exposed through a sneeze or cough from an infected person or by sharing infected utensils or even a glass of water.

It usually affects teens and young people below the age of 30. The most common symptoms include fever, tiredness, swelling of lymph nodes, muscle weakness, headaches, sore throat and night sweat. Additional symptoms include difficulty in swallowing, intense abdominal pain, breathing difficulty and anemia.

Physicians are able to diagnose the condition based on these symptoms. Sufficient rest and consumption of proper nutritious food with plenty of fluids are recommended. Gargling is recommended if the swelling of tonsils is observed.

There is no need for any specific treatment. Basic treatment is given just to relieve the symptoms. The shocking part is in spite of successful treatment; people will still carry the virus and can transmit to others.

It is generally recommended to follow hygiene practices such as to avoid kissing or sharing utensils, napkins, towels or glasses of an infected person. It is good to avoid over-crowded places. It is strictly advised to use napkins while sneezing or coughing to avoid spreading the virus.

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What is Rat Lungworm Disease?

Angiostrongyliasis or more commonly known as ‘rat lungworm disease’ has been linked with the consumption of raw vegetables infected with the larvae of the parasite Angiostrongylus cantonensis in the continental U.S.

Eugene W. Liu, MD, of the CDC, and colleagues reported that the CDC identified 12 angiostrongyliasis cases in the U.S. from 2011 to 2017, where 6 patients were reported to have consumed raw vegetables.

Rat lungworm infection is prevalent in Asia and the Pacific Islands. The parasite Angiostrongylus cantonensis lives in rats. Its feces becomes ingested by snails and slugs that crawl on garden vegetables. Then the parasite is transmitted to humans when these infected garden vegetables are "inadvertently ingested by humans".

Usually, Angiostrongyliasis causes temporary mild symptoms. But if the larvae migrates to the brain, it can lead to focal neurologic deficits, eosinophilic meningitis, coma, and death.  

Angiostrongyliasis can be identified through polymerase chain reaction testing of a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sample. The most commonly reported symptoms include subjective fever, headaches, generalized weakness, and numbness or tingling sensations. Though there is no specific treatment for A. cantonensis infection, 11 patients were administered with systemic steroids and 7 with the anti-parasitic drug named albendazole.

After two months of their initial evaluation, all 12 patients survived well and 11 cases showed great improvement. Four people had ongoing focal neurologic symptoms and one patient had seizures who was then treated with anti-epileptic drugs.

The research team from CDC said, "Healthcare providers, especially those in the southern United States, need to consider angiostrongyliasis in patients with eosinophilic meningitis, particularly those with a history of ingestion of gastropods or raw vegetables contaminated with larvae."

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