You may be able to determine if you’re at risk for cardiovascular problems by doing a simple stretching exercise rather than an invasive hospital procedure, according to a new study in The American Journal of Physiology.
Researchers found that the sit-and-reach test, or having patients see how far they can reach beyond their toes while in a sitting position, can be used as a measure of how flexible the arteries are. Because arterial stiffness often precedes cardiovascular disease, the results suggest that this simple test could become a quick measure of an individual’s risk for early mortality from a heart attack or stroke. Read the rest of this entry »
While previous studies have suggested drinking coffee can help preserve brain function, a new study concludes a cup of joe isn’t the solution.
According to Reuters, researchers at the University of Helsinki found no association between coffee consumption and declining cognition or dementia scores in either men or women.
They assessed the coffee drinking habits as well as other social, demographic and health data, of a large population of twin pairs who were 50 years old on average. The majority of subjects – 75 percent of men and 83 percent of women – reported drinking more than three cups of coffee a day. Read the rest of this entry »
It’s becoming less common for diabetics to lose their vision, according to a new study.
Researchers in Wisconsin followed nearly 1,000 type-1 diabetics between 1980 and 2007. They found that visual impairment is less common among those diagnosed after 1970, according to Reuters. The results also took into account age, blood pressure and other factors that can affect sight in diabetics.
They say better blood sugar control and improved treatment of diabetes-related eye disorders are preventing more cases of visual impairment than in previous years. Read the rest of this entry »
Giving up work completely on retirement could be bad for your health, US research suggests.
The study of 12,189 people found retirees who take on temporary or part-time work have fewer major diseases, and function better day to day.
The findings were significant even after considering people’s physical and mental health before retirement.
The University of Maryland study appears in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology. Read the rest of this entry »
Scientists in Japan said they have uncovered evidence that shows it may be possible to delay or prevent heart failure in humans.
In a paper published in the journal Circulation, Tetsuo Shioi, lead researcher and assistant professor of medicine at Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine in Kyoto, and his team described how they managed to suppress a variety of the P13K gene in a group of elderly mice.
The gene regulates the lifespan of cells and plays a role in the aging of tissues. In previous studies, suppression of this gene extended the lifespan of the roundworm and kept the hearts of old fruit flies healthy. Read the rest of this entry »
Scientists have discovered a significant correlation between blood pressure and outdoor temperature in a study that included a large sample of elderly adults.
The study was conducted by French scientists who monitored 8,801 French participants over the age of 65 and found that systolic and diastolic blood pressure values differed significantly across the four seasons of the year.
They noted that the higher the temperature, the greater the decrease in blood pressure. For example, systolic blood pressure decreased with increasing temperature, with an 8.0 mm Hg decrease between the lowest (less than 46.22 F) and the highest (70.16 F) temperatures. Read the rest of this entry »
