Skipping Breakfast a Recipe for Heart Disease

Men who skip breakfast have a 27 percent higher risk of suffering a heart attack or developing heart disease than those who start the day with something in their stomach, according to a new study.

The study confirms earlier findings that have linked eating habits to elevated risk factors for heart disease, the researchers said.

"Men who skip breakfast are more likely to gain weight, to develop diabetes, to have hypertension and to have high cholesterol," said a senior author.

For example, breakfast skippers are 15 percent more likely to gain a substantial amount of weight and 21 percent more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, earlier studies have reported.

The new study,  found that these men also indulged more heavily in other unhealthy lifestyle choices. They were more likely to smoke, engage in less exercise and drink alcohol.

"We've focused so much on the quality of food and what kind of diet everyone should be eating, and we don't talk as often on the manner of eating," said Dr. "This study is not even discussing the type of food. It's just talking about behaviour and lifestyle choice. Part of heart-healthy living is eating breakfast because that prevents you from doing a lot of other unhealthy things."

For the new report, researchers analysed data culled from a 16-year study of nearly 27,000 male health professionals that tracked their eating habits and overall health from 1992 to 2008. During the study period, 1,572 of the men developed heart disease.

The study also found a 55 percent increased risk of heart disease in men who regularly indulge in late-night snacking. However, the researchers did not consider this a public health risk because few men reported eating after they'd gone to bed.

There are several possible explanations why skipping breakfast can have such a drastic effect on heart health.

The study found that men who skip breakfast do not pick up another meal later in the day, which indicates that they tend to "feast" on higher-calorie meals when they do eat. Previous studies have found that feasting can result in high cholesterol and elevated blood pressure, compared with nibbling smaller meals.

"It's the extra strain on the body of eating more calories during the few times in a day they do eat," he said.

The type of food that a person consumes during breakfast also might be a factor. "Breakfast is typically a time when people tend to eat a healthy meal," . "By skipping a meal that usually features fibre or fruit or yoghurt, you're missing out on an occasion where people can get healthy nutrients."

Younger men tend to skip breakfast more frequently than older men, the investigators found, which leads to another possible explanation. "It may be in line with the fact that these are men who are rushing out to stressful jobs and not eating along the way," Dr. said, noting that stress is bad for heart health and is associated with negative lifestyle choices such as drinking or smoking.

The study did not include women, but Dr. believes the same pattern likely occurs in women who skip breakfast. "There haven't been any studies independently on women, but I would suspect we would find the same outcomes," she said.

Dr. said the study reinforces the age-old emphasis on breakfast as a key to good health.

"There is so much we know about reducing risk of heart disease, and some things like exercise or quitting smoking take quite a bit of effort," he said. "But it is easy without a big huge financial or time commitment to have breakfast, even if it is a bowl of oatmeal or a bit of cereal before you start the day."

ps- this is only for information, always consult you physician before having any particular food/ medication/exercise/other remedies.

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What your eyes say about your health

Is there more to your health than meets the eye? According to experts, your peepers may hold clues to undiagnosed health problems and a routine eye test could reveal the truth.

Eyes are the window into the body, offering a great pre-warning for many life-threatening illnesses. Most of us think we only need their eyes checked for vision problems, but all of us should have regular examinations, as conditions such as diabetes can be detected in the eye before they start to cause problems in the body.

Here are some common eye symptoms that can be detected by opticians and what they could reveal about your health.

Red eyes Could be: High Blood pressure
When an optician shines a light into your eyes, they see the tiny blood vessels in your retinas - the sensitive tissue at the back of the eye.

High blood pressure can make these blood vessels appear twisted - or even cause them to burst so the eyes look red. A quarter of adults with high blood pressure don't know they have the condition, which can cause strokes.  

Yellow deposits behind the eye could be: Diabetes
Yellow deposits of fat, or small tears in the retina, are signs of Type 2 diabetes. A big change to your glasses prescription is another. Early diagnosis is key to avoiding long-term, sometimes fatal, complications.

Iris rings Could be: High cholesterol
White rings around the iris — the coloured part of the eye — are a sign of high cholesterol levels.

Another clue is 'xanthelasmas' — flat, white fat deposits under the skin on or around your eyelids. Studies show people with both these symptoms have a higher risk of heart disease.

Pale inner eyelids Could be: Anaemia
If the inside of your lower eyelids look pale when pulled down, you may be anaemic - lacking iron, which helps makes red blood cells. Anaemia can be treated with iron supplements, but can be a sign of internal bleeding, so see your GP.

Bulging eyes Could be: Thyroid problems
Prominent-looking eyes can run in families, but eyes that appear to bulge may be evidence of an over-active thyroid. Abnormal levels of thyroid hormone cause the tissues around the eye to swell, making it appear the eye is popping outwards.

Droopy eyelid Could be: Bell's Palsy or Stroke
A drooping eye can indicate Bell's Palsy, a temporary facial paralysis. It can also be a symptom of a stroke, especially if the speech is slurred.

More rarely, it could also be evidence of a brain tumour or an autoimmune disease that is known as myasthenia gravis.

Yellow eyes Could be: Liver disease
Liver conditions, including hepatitis and cirrhosis, can turn the whites of your eyes yellow — a symptom which requires an immediate doctor's trip. The colour is caused by bilirubin, a chemical created by the breakdown of haemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying molecule inside red blood cells.

Pale optic nerve Could be: MS or Brain tumour
The optic nerve, which transmits information from the retina to the brain, is visible at the rear of the eye to an optician. A pale optic nerve can be an early manifestation of MS or evidence of a brain tumour.

Different sized pupils Could be: Stroke or tumour
Healthy pupils are around the same size and react similarly to light. If this is not the case with you, check yourself for problems such as stroke, brain or optic nerve tumour, a brain aneurysm or MS.

ps- this is only for information, always consult you physician before having any particular food/ medication/exercise/other remedies.

ps- those interested in recipes are free to view my blog-

http://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/

for info about knee replacement, you can view my blog-

http://Knee replacement-stick club.blogspot.com/

for crochet designs

http://My Crochet Creations.blogspot.com/

I've not given details about designs, but those interested are 

free to mail me for the same.

High Cholesterol Risks: Top 2 Dangers

There are usually no symptoms of high-risk cholesterol, yet the dangers are very real -- even fatal.

A lot of people don't take the risks of high cholesterol very seriously. After all, one out of five people have high cholesterol. A staggering 50% of Americans have levels above the suggested limit. Could something so common really be a serious health risk?

Unfortunately, yes. Cholesterol is a direct contributor to cardiovascular disease, which can lead to strokes and heart attacks.

Despite all of the amazing medicines and treatments we have, cardiovascular disease is still the number one cause of death and illness in our society, according to doctors.

The World Health Organization estimates that almost 20% of all strokes and over 50% of all heart attacks can be linked to high cholesterol.

But if you've been diagnosed with high cholesterol, don't despair. The good news is that high cholesterol is one risk factor for strokes and heart attacks that you can change. You just need to take action now, before your high cholesterol results in more serious disease.

All About High-Risk Cholesterol Numbers

When it comes to high cholesterol risks, it's tough to keep the details straight. We might have a vague idea of whether our cholesterol is "good" or "bad," but we forget the actual numbers by the time we get to the parking lot outside our doctor's office. So it may be worth reviewing the basics.

Cholesterol is a fat-like substance circulating in your blood. Some of your cholesterol comes from the foods you eat. But the bulk of it is actually made in your own body, specifically in the liver. Cholesterol does have some good uses. It is needed to make some hormones and it is important for the function of our cells. But an excess of it in the bloodstream can lead to trouble.

Cholesterol comes in several different forms, but doctors focus mostly on two: LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol.

• LDL is also called "bad cholesterol" -- Sperling suggests that you think of the "L" as standing for lousy. LDL cholesterol can clog your arteries, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke. Most people should aim for a level of less than 100 mg/dL. However, people who already have heart disease may need to aim for under 70 mg/dL.
• HDL is "good cholesterol." Imagine the "H" stands for healthy, Sperling suggests. This type of cholesterol attaches to bad cholesterol and brings it to the liver, where it's filtered out of the body. So HDL cholesterol reduces the amount of bad cholesterol in your system. You should aim for 60 mg/dL or higher.
• Triglycerides are not cholesterol but another type of fat floating in your blood. Just as with bad cholesterol, having a high level of triglycerides increases your risk of cardiovascular problems. Aim for a level of less than 150 mg/dL.

So although we all talk about high cholesterol risks, the term is a little misleading. What we really mean is high levels of bad LDL cholesterol and triglycerides and alow level of good HDL cholesterol.

What about total cholesterol? While anything under 200 mg/dL is still considered the target, most experts don't focus on the number. It doesn't mean all that much. Someone can have a total cholesterol of under 200 -- which is lower than average for Americans -- but still have unhealthy levels of HDL or LDL. 

Realizing the Risks: How Harmful Is High Cholesterol?

Everyone has cholesterol in their blood. But if your levels of LDL are too high, the excess can accumulate on the walls of your arteries. This build-up of cholesterol and other substances -- called plaque -- can narrow the artery like a clogged drain. It can also lead to arteriosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, which turns the normally flexible tissue into more brittle.

Plaques can form anywhere. If they form in the carotid artery in the neck, it's carotid artery disease. When they form in the coronary arteries -- which supply the heart muscle with blood -- it's called coronary artery disease. Like any organ, the heart needs a good supply of blood to work. If it doesn't get that blood, you could get angina, which causes a squeezing pain in the chest and other symptoms.

There are other high cholesterol risks. If these plaques break open, they can form a clot. If a clot lodges in an artery and completely chokes off the blood supply, the cells don't get the nutrients and oxygen they need and die.

If a clot gets to the brain and blocks blood flow, it can cause a stroke. If a clot lodges in the coronary arteries, it can cause a heart attack.

Do We Underestimate High Cholesterol Risks?

The risks of high cholesterol are quite clear. "If you look at populations of people," says Sperling, "the higher the cholesterol, the higher the level of heart and blood vessel disease." It's that simple.

But experts say that people don't take high cholesterol risks seriously enough. According to the CDC, in 2005 almost a quarter of American adults said they hadn't had their cholesterol checked in the last five years.

One problem is that high cholesterol doesn't cause symptoms that make people pay attention.

People naturally respond more to medical conditions that cause symptoms, says  doctors. Since you won't feel your rising cholesterol levels, you won't go to the doctor about it.

By the same token, people may be less likely to stick to treatment for high cholesterol than they would be for a painful condition.

People on cholesterol-lowering medicine don't feel any better according to doctors. It's not like taking a painkiller for an aching knee, where you know it's working. As a result, people may be less likely to follow their treatment plan over the long-term.

Also, high cholesterol risks are usually not immediate. The damage accumulates over years and decades -- high cholesterol in your 20s and 30s can take its toll in your 50s and 60s. Because the effects take time, many people don't feel real urgency in treating it. They feel they can just deal with it later.

Taking Action to Lower High Cholesterol Risks

There are many good treatments for heart disease, arteriosclerosis, and other serious conditions caused by high cholesterol. But it's a terrible shame to let things get that far when making changes now could prevent these life-threatening illnesses. Reducing your high cholesterol risks is a crucial step.

So what should you do? First, go to the doctor. "It's very important for all adults to get their cholesterol tested," says doctors Every adult over 20 should have a cholesterol test at least once every five years.

Also, keep track of your cholesterol levels yourself. Write down your current numbers and, if they're high, what numbers you should be striving for.

If you do have high cholesterol, get serious. Talk with your doctor about what your goals should be and how you should achieve them. Make sure you understand what lifestyle changes you need to make. If you already have heart disease or other risk factors like diabetes, you need to be even more careful.

Whatever you do, don't ignore your high cholesterol risks. Don't put off treatment for another year.

"Having high cholesterol may not hurt you today or tomorrow," says doctors. "But if you don't do something about it, it can have a terrible cost down the road."