Can't quit cigarrettes? Even cutting back can help reduce health risks
Quitting is obviously the best way to cut your risk of developing the most common and deadly smoking-related illness, lung cancer. However, studies indicate that cutting back also reduces the risk of contracting the disease, by up to 50 percent.
Work stress can lead to heart disease and diabetes Stress at work is an important risk factor for the development of heart disease and diabetes, finds a study published online by the BMJ today. |
Olive oil ingredient may improve circulation Certain micronutrients contained in olive oil and other foods could be responsible for the Mediterranean diet's well known heart-healthy effects, Spanish researchers report. |
Flaxseed Converted into Omega-3s in Human Body, New Study Shows Consumption of flaxseed oil can increase concentrations of certain omega-3 fatty acids in the human body-good news for vegetarians who will not consume fish or fish oil. |
C-Reactive Protein Role in Metabolic Syndrome Debated Medical sleuths looking to finger C-reactive protein as a cause of the metabolic syndrome may have to look elsewhere. Instead, CRP may be a marker for the metabolic syndrome, rather than one of its triggers. |
Chromium Picolinate May Provide Cardiovascular Benefits in Pre-DiabetesA preclinical study conducted at the University of Alberta shows daily use of chromium picolinate provides significant cardiovascular benefits in pre-diabetic rats that have insulin resistance. The study, presented at the 3rd World Congress on Insulin Resistance Syndrome, is the first of its kind to show that chromium picolinate may improve endothelial function -- the overall health of the circulatory system -- and thus may limit macrovascular complications in pre-diabetes. |
More than a third of global cancer deaths caused by modifiable factors A study published in the November 19 2005 issue of The Lancet concluded that one-third of the deaths from cancer worldwide are due to risk factors that could have been modified. Previous studies have examined the effects of risk factors on cancer mortality, but most have examined only one risk factor, one type of cancer, or one population. |
Effects of Protein, Monounsaturated Fat, and Carbohydrate Intake on Blood Pressure and Serum LipidsIn the setting of a healthful diet, partial substitution of carbohydrate with either protein or monounsaturated fat can further lower blood pressure, improve lipid levels, and reduce estimated cardiovascular risk. |
More Novel Effects of Diet on Blood Pressure and Lipids Recent "feeding studies" in a highly selected population of participants who are prehypertensive and stage 1 hypertensive have demonstrated that a diet modestly reduced in salt content coupled with an increase in fresh fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension [DASH] diet) could lower blood pressure. |
Vitamin E boosts lycopene’s inhibition of prostate tumor growthA study by Dutch and German researchers has provided evidence that lycopene may be able to inhibit the growth of prostate tumours and that its effect may be enhanced if it is combined with vitamin E. |
High Attributable Risk of Elevated C-Reactive Protein Level to Conventional Coronary Heart Disease Risk Factors As expected, scientific studies are showing that high levels of C-reactive protein in the bloodstream contribut to higher levels of cardiovascular disease and other ailments.. |
Researchers find green tea cancer prevention mechanism Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center have discovered an anticancer mechanism for epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a flavonoid in green tea found to be associated with many of its benefits. Although green tea flavonoids appear to be protective against cancer, their mechanism of action had not been completely defined. |
Study Links Restless Legs Syndrome to Poor Iron Uptake in the Brain The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke cautions against adding iron supplementation to aid RSL sufferers to avoid increased risk of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. The problem is not an iron deficiency, but an abnormality in iron receptors of brain cells. |
Potent spice works to block growth of melanoma in lab test Curcumin, the pungent yellow spice found in both turmeric and curry powders, blocks a key biological pathway needed for development of melanoma and other cancers, say researchers from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. |
Highly Purified Vitamin B2 Presents a Promising Therapeutic Strategy for Sepsis and Septic Shock Vitamin B2 could be used to help treat patients with sepsis, a mouse study suggests. The treatment boosts survival rates in rodents with the fatal form of blood poisoning. |
Homocysteine contributes to inflammatory bowel diseaseResearchers from Catholic University in Rome reported in the April 2005 issue of the American Journal of Gastroenterology that homocysteine is increased in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and may contribute to the inflammation that characterizes the condition. Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are among the most common forms of IBD. v |
Eating your way to Alzheimer's disease Reduction in caloric intake is well recognised to protect against cardiovascular disease and diabetes. However, rodents that eat less also have reduced development of age-related disorders initially thought to be independent of diet, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases. |
Telomere length and possible link to X chromosome Researchers say X-linked inheritance of TRF length is the most probable explanation for the findings of a recent study. They suggest that the process of ageing might be an X-linked trait |
Poor Prenatal Nutrition Permanently Damages Function of Insulin-producing Cells in the Pancrea Scientists at Joslin Diabetes Center have discovered one reason why infants with low birth weight have a high potential of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. |
Food fortification cuts cases of spina bifida in Canada The fortification of a nation's food with folic acid dramatically reduces the incidence of spina bifida and other neural tube defects. This benefit occurs without masking vitamin B-12 deficiency in elderly people, a theoretical risk of fortifying food with folic acid. |
Study indicates sun exposure reduces risk of multiple sclerosis Insufficient utraviolet radiation or vitamin D, or both, may influence the development of multiple sclerosis, according to a study in the British Medical Journal. The authors found that early exposure to sunlight, particularly in winter, reduces the likelihood of developing MS later in life. |
Smokers have lower serum levels of trace elements Smokers had significantly lower serum concentrations of retinol, alpha-tocopherol, selenium, and zinc and increased concentrations of copper. Throat swab cultures were more often positive for Streptococcus beta-hemolyticus in smokers than controls. |
|