Childhood Abuse Can Elevate Heart Disease Risk in Women

Women are more likely to have heart disease following a childhood that involved maltreatment including physical abuse, sexual abuse, or neglect, warn researchers.

The findings, published in the journal Heart, also revealed that adults who experienced various forms of maltreatment in their childhood appear to have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.

Previous studies suggested that childhood maltreatment is associated with an increased risk for many adverse mental and physical health outcomes, including cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in adulthood. “There is also little evidence of how the association between maltreatment in childhood and CVD differs by sex and age,” the study authors from the University of Bristol in the UK, wrote.

For the results, the research team set out to assess and compare associations between childhood maltreatment and cardiovascular disease in men and women in the UK as well as possible age differences and associations with early-onset CVD. They analysed responses to an online mental health questionnaire completed by 157,311 participants from the UK Biobank – an international health database designed to improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of serious and life-threatening illnesses.

The people selected had information on physical, sexual or emotional abuse, or emotional or physical neglect.

The findings showed that emotional neglect was the most common type of childhood maltreatment (22.5 per cent), followed by physical abuse in men (21.1 per cent) and emotional abuse in women (17.9 per cent).

The study that all types of maltreatment were associated with increased risk of CVD in both sexes but all forms of the maltreatment were more prevalent in women except for physical abuse, which was more prevalent in men.

Women were also more likely to experience a higher number of types of childhood maltreatment – 4.6 per cent of women experienced four or more types of maltreatment, compared with 2.7 per cent of men. Younger participants also reported a higher number of maltreatment types, especially women.

When only medical records and measured blood pressure were considered, the occurrence of CVD was lower, but the same sex and age patterns were observed. “All types of maltreatment were associated with a higher risk of CVD in both men and women, with stronger associations in the latter and in younger participants, but some age differences disappeared when only early-onset CVD was considered,” the authors concluded.

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Foods That Increase the Risk of Alzheimer’s and Dementia

The more studies are conducted on the connection between diet and dementia, the more apparent the link between an unhealthy diet and an increased risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia becomes. While previous studies mainly focused on healthy foods capable of decreasing the risk of said conditions, such as foods high in antioxidants, particularly flavonoids, like apples and spinach, as well as foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, like nuts and fatty fish, a recent investigation also pointed out that certain combinations of foods have been actually correlated with a higher risk of dementia.

Let’s examine the findings of the study and learn how to tweak your diet to enhance your chances of preventing the dangerous neurodegenerative disease.

Diet Can Have a Long-Term Effect on Brain Health in Senior Years

The study in focus was published in April 2020, in the journal Neurology, and it examined the diets of 209 French dementia patients over the course of 12 years, along with 418 control subjects of roughly the same sex, education, and age range - an average of 78 years. The authors of the study checked in with the participants and controls every 2-3 years, recording their health and dietary habits via a questionnaire.

The researchers mentioned that most of the subjects they examined had a typical French diet characteristic of the Bordeaux region, with an additional focus on snacks and processed meats apparent throughout their life, whereas the control subjects typically drifted away from the traditional Bordeaux diet in favor of healthier food choices, particularly plant-based foods.

Foods That Increase the Risk of Alzheimer’s and Dementia burgers and fries
Although the study only examined the diets of people aged 65 and older, the researchers are confident that poor diet choices were likely part of the participants’ nutrition habits for years before. “We know that diet over time, starting in midlife and probably even before, likely influences the risk of brain diseases later in life,” stated the head author of the study Cecilia Samieri, Ph.D., in an interview with Healthline.

In addition, the authors of the study pointed out that the inclusion of healthy food choices was just as important, if not superior, at preventing dementia as the exclusion of unhealthy food choices.

Food Combinations Capable of Increasing the Risk of Dementia
Foods That Increase the Risk of Alzheimer’s and Dementia couple shopping
Although processed meats have been a consistent feature in the diets of participants with dementia, there were also a few other food varieties, which the authors claim can increase the risk of dementia when combined. Mind you that processed meats, such as sausages, bacon, salami, etc., have been also recently added to the list of carcinogens capable of causing bowel cancer, so eating as little of those as possible will have a multitude of health benefits.

Processed meats combined with starchy foods, such as potatoes, as well as alcohol and sweet snack foods like cookies and cake is what can contribute to the development of dementia, the authors suggest. So, apart from processed meats, minimizing the amount of starchy foods and sugary snacks and drinks one consumes should be a priority in order to lower one’s risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s.

Foods That Increase the Risk of Alzheimer’s and Dementia -healthy food
To reduced one’s risk even further, it would be beneficial to replace those unhealthy snacks and side dishes with nutrient-dense alternatives, such as nuts, dark chocolate, and fruit as a healthy snack, or legumes, vegetables, and whole grains instead of starchy foods. The more diverse and rich in both plant-based foods and sources of protein other than processed foods your diet is, the better.
Best of all, the dietary suggestions of the given study are in line with a diet that will also combat other common health concerns and not only dementia and Alzheimer’s. Following these simple and general guidelines will also decrease one’s risk of heart disease, lower the level of chronic inflammation in the body, and even help prevent the development of cancer.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

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Regular use of aspirin bad for uterine cancer patients

Regular use of over-the-counter non-steroidal inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin and ibuprofen is associated with an increased risk of dying in patients diagnosed with a type of uterine cancer.

"There is a increasing evidence that chronic inflammation is involved in endometrial cancer and progression and recent data suggests that inhibition of inflammation through NSAID use plays a role," said co-lead author of the study Theodore Brasky from Ohio State University in the US.

"Our finding was surprising because it goes against previous studies that suggest NSAIDs can be used to reduce inflammation and reduce the risk of developing or dying from certain cancers, like colorectal cancer," Brasky said.

In the study involving more than 4,000 patients, the researchers found that regular NSAID use was associated with a 66 per cent increased risk of dying from endometrial cancer among women with Type-1 endometrial cancers, a typically less-aggressive form of the disease.

The association was statistically significant among patients who reported past or current NSAID use at the time of diagnosis, but it was strongest among patients who had used them for more than 10 years in the past but had ceased use prior to diagnosis.

Use of NSAIDs was not associated with mortality from typically more aggressive form of the cancer, according to the study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

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What You Can Do Before Daylight Saving Time to Help Your Body Adjust

Failing to prepare for daylight saving time (DST) can have consequences.

Increased risk of traffic accidents, heart attacks, and even strokes the Monday after the “spring forward” in March are associated with losing the seasonal hour of sleep, say experts.

It’s known as the “DST effect.”

The resulting short-term sleep deprivation and circadian misalignment is also said to bring mood fluctuations, particularly in unprepared children and teens, people with mental health conditions, and people taking certain medications.

Planning ahead and making small adjustments before the time change reduces risk and minimizes the effects of daylight saving time.

Here’s some things you can do this coming week to help ease the transition.
Resetting your internal clock

Keeping good sleep hygiene is important year-round, but it becomes crucial during a time change.

“The cells in the heart, the liver, the lungs, the gut, and the brain are all in part regulated by internal clocks or genes, and those cells are also signaling each other,” says Daniel S. Lewin, PhD, DABSM, a pediatric psychologist, sleep specialist, and licensed clinical psychologist at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C.

“If they are signaling each other at the wrong times or if hormones are released at the wrong times, the evidence that there are long-term negative effects on a whole host of different health behaviors is important to consider,” Lewin told Healthline.

Unless we prepare our bodies for the change, daylight saving time will misalign our circadian rhythm.

Dr. Shalini Paruthi, the co-director of the Sleep Medicine and Research Center at St. Luke’s Hospital in St. Louis and a member of the American Academy of Sleep, suggests the following.

For the 3 nights before DST, go to bed 15 or 20 minutes earlier each night. For example, if your regular bedtime is 10 p.m., start by adjusting it to 9:40 p.m., then 9:20 p.m., and finally 9 p.m.
 
Begin adjusting the timing of other daily routines that are “time cues” for your body (e.g., start eating dinner a little earlier each night).
 
On the Saturday afternoon before the change, set your clocks ahead 1 hour in the early evening. Then go to sleep at your normal bedtime.

Working to reset your internal clocks over a few days rather than a single night prevents an unnecessary shock to your system.

Dr. Sterling Ransone Jr., a family physician in Deltaville, Virginia, agrees.

“Help yourself slowly adjust that clock so when we do move our clock forward, we’re kind of resetting things and we don’t feel quite as sleepy the next day or two days later,” he told Healthline.

And, if you’re struggling to reset your internal clocks, Ransone advises starting your day with exposure to natural bright light.

“We generally recommend that people, when they awaken, be exposed to bright light, and it’s that bright light that helps set your clock so your circadian rhythms will get in line,” he said.

Try awakening a little earlier the week before the “spring ahead” time change and going for walks or eating breakfast on the balcony or patio to increase your light exposure and regulate your circadian rhythm.
Phase out evening caffeine

If you regularly consume caffeine, putting parameters around your intake during the week before a time change can help you achieve the goal of resetting your internal clocks.

Experts recommend limiting your afternoon intake and slowly reducing the total amount of caffeine you consume in the days leading to daylight saving time.

“We like people, if they are going to partake in caffeine, to use it in the morning,” says Ransone. “By lunch or midafternoon, we don’t like to have a lot of caffeine because that can upset the time when you’re ready to go to sleep.”

For people trying to go to bed earlier each night, caffeine can impede their progress.

“I have my afternoon and evening coffee drinkers slowly decrease their evening caffeine intake over a few days,” Ransone said .

Ransone also recommends reducing your overall caffeine intake prior to the time change by choosing half-caffeinated coffees or, if home brewing, blending a mix of regular and decaf coffee.

“Going ‘cold turkey’ can sometimes lead to headaches,” he said.

However, he notes, “The eventual goal is no caffeine after midafternoon to promote healthier sleeping at night.”

So, you shouldn’t start drinking afternoon coffees the Monday after daylight saving time either.

Parents should also consider the sources of hidden caffeine, such as iced tea and orange sodas, that can cause sleep problems for their children and teens.

“Chocolate ice cream and chocolate milk are also problematic,” Lewin said.

You want to limit your children’s exposure to these sources of sleep-disrupting food and beverage products because helping prevent sleep loss saves the entire family from struggling with post-time change tantrums.

“For adults it’s important, but for kids, even if they can’t tell time, they’re going by their circadian rhythm and their own internal clock, and if you can slowly adjust, then usually that Monday will be a lot more pleasant with your toddler than it would have been otherwise if you don’t gradually try to change your clock,” said Ransone.

Without help adjusting, he says children on the Monday and Tuesday after daylight saving time can be “grumpy, combative, they’re whiny, and it has to do with the time change.”
 
Be stricter about screens
Experts say in the days leading up to daylight saving time, we need to commit to putting our electronics away at least 1 hour before bedtime.

“The hour or so before you go to sleep is probably one of the most important times,” says Ransone.

Blue light from screens can suppress our melatonin production, the substance our pineal gland makes that tells us it’s time to go to bed.

This includes light from e-readers, tablets, cellphones, and televisions playing for background white noise.

“A lot of people do things that stimulate their brain [in this hour before bed] and when you stimulate your brain, you can’t get to sleep quite as well,” he said.

In doing that, says Ransone, we can’t set our clock.

“It kind of screws up your schedule,” he said.

So, as you adjust your bedtime in advance, you need to consider how this impacts your access to evening screen time during that week.

Try swapping your nighttime screen time for other activities such as crossword puzzles, paperback reading, and spending time with pets.

If necessary, help yourself adjust in stages and cut out 10 to 20 minutes of screen time each night until you reach a full hour of screen-free time before the daylight saving change.

If you require a set amount of screen time for work, reduce your evening routine by 10 to 20 minutes each day and add them to the morning hours, if possible.

For teens who will be driving in the mornings following daylight saving time, this lesser exposure to blue light in the evenings leading to the time change is an important step in reducing the aforementioned “DST effect.”

“Research shows that high school students lose sleep on school nights following ‘spring forward,’” Paruthi told Healthline. “The loss of sleep during the school week was associated with a decline in vigilance and cognitive function, which raises safety concerns for teen drivers.”

One report found a 6 percent increase in fatal traffic accident risk associated with the spring ahead transition.

Keeping our families healthy and safe means doing due diligence to help them adjust to the upcoming change.
How parents can motivate teens

Getting your teens to care about circadian rhythms can be a challenge.

Experts say parents should begin with explaining the benefits, but keep it short.

“Work less toward telling them what to do, particularly in the long term,” says Lewin.

Instead, encourage them to try just one of the previously suggested ideas.

“If you can get a teen to try one of these modifications for 7 to 10 days, usually two weekends and one week in between, it is sufficient time for a teen to feel they have their sleep behaviors under control,” Lewin said.

“Once they feel that control, they feel better, they feel the benefits,” he added. “And at least at that point, with an attempt, they have internalized some of the skills they need to unravel.”

“Also, if you can talk a teen into engaging their social network, so if they can get their three best friends to shift their schedule with them, this way if they all commit, none are missing out on some of the social media chatter,” Lewin noted. “Then they can share their experience and that can reinforce for all of them some positive behavior in the close proximity of their social network,” he said.

“It also helps if the whole family commits to doing the same thing together,” Lewin added. “Parents setting an example, [such as] putting away electronics after 9 p.m., can be very positive and powerful.” 

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

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6 things that can happen if you rub your eyes too much

Rubbing your eyes after spending long hours ogling at the screen can give you temporary relief. But when done often or too much, it can lead to eye diseases, worsening the existing condition and even increase the risk of eye infection.
​The dangers of rubbing your eyes

If you stare at the computer all day long or have eye allergy, nothing feels more satisfying than giving your eyes a good rub. Rubbing the eyes feels therapeutic because it stimulates the vagus nerve, which can slow down your heartbeat and relieve stress.

Having said that, rubbing eyes too vigorously and too often can result in eye damage and exacerbate existing conditions, increasing your risk of infections. Here are seven things that can happen when you keep rubbing your eyes:

​It can increase the risk of serious eye disease
Chronic eye rubbing can weaken the cornea and lead to its distortion called keratoconus. Continuous rubbing of the corneal tissue can cause it to thin and become more cone-shaped. Severe damage can require a corneal transplant.

​You can scratch your cornea

That eyelash or piece of dust in your eyes can cause immense irritation and temptation to rub the eyes. But this can make the situation worse. This puts you at risk of scratching your cornea, which typically heals in a day or two. But if not treated properly, it can result in an ulcer. If something like this happens, use water or saline to rinse your eye instead.

​It can make your glaucoma worse
If you have any existing eye condition, rubbing the eyes can make it even worse. Glaucoma is often caused by an increase in the pressure inside the eye, known as intraocular pressure (IOP). This pressure can lead to several problems including damage of the optic nerve, which can eventually cause vision loss.

Patients taking glaucoma medicine are suggested not to rub their eyes, even if the medication makes them feel itchy and blurry.

​It can make your nearsightedness worse

People with nearsightedness, also called myopia, can make their condition worse by rubbing their eyes. The condition has become common among people in the past few decades. According to a 2016 study published in the Opthalmology, nearly 9.6 million people are highly myopic and their vision tends to worsen over time.

​It can increase your risk of infection

Even if you wash or sanitize your hands often, they can still pick up thousands of germs. Touching your eyes with dirty hands can transfer the bacteria to the eyes that can cause conjunctivitis or redness in the eyes. If you get an infection in your eyes, a warm compress may help soothe it.

​You can get dark circles and bloodshot eyes
If you rub your eye hard enough, you can break the tiny blood vessels in your eyes, which can result in bloodshot eyes. Dark circles can appear due to the inflammation caused by continuously rubbing the eyelid. The appearance of dark circles post eye rubbing is called post-inflammatory pigmentary alteration. 

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

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