Weight loss surgery may improve mobility, lower heart rate

Bariatric surgery for weight loss helps reduce heart risk. Source: Pixabay

Obese teenagers who undergo bariatric surgery for weight loss are likely to walk faster, have less walking-related muscular pain and lower heart rates in six months following the surgery, said a study.

Like adults, teenagers are not immune to the consequences of severe obesity, which can exacerbate functional mobility limitations and lead to a decline in physical activity because of the resulting muscular pain or musculoskeletal pain — that affects the muscles, ligaments and tendons and bones, caused by jerking movements, accidents, fractures and direct blows to the muscle as well as strain, repetitive movements and overuse.

The findings showed that the time to complete the walk improved from an average of 376 seconds (about 6.3 minutes) to 347 seconds (about 5.8 minutes) at six months after surgery compared with before surgery.

Share This Article

Related Article

• Weight loss surgery ups good cholesterol in obese boys: Study
• Beat obesity with safe, non-surgical weight loss treatment
• Obesity surgery: Diabetes study shows pros and cons
• Obese mums give birth to healthier kids after weight loss surgery
• Weight loss surgery tied to increase in drinking
• Less-invasive weight loss surgery safer: study

jQuery(document).ready(function(){ jQuery(’.rel-article’).bxSlider({ maxSlides: 6, slideMargin: 3 }); });

Watch Video: What’s making news

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=videoseries&w=640&h=390]

Further, the resting heart rate improved from an average of 84 beats per minute (bpm) to 74 bpm.

The changes seen at the end of six months post-surgery continued as long as two years, the researchers said.

In addition, the participants also felt reduction in walk-related musculoskeletal pain.

“Whether these positive changes in functional mobility and musculoskeletal pain persist over the long term and lead to further improvements in cardiometabolic risk requires evaluation,” said Justin R. Ryder from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, US.

For the study, published online in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, the team enrolled 242 teenagers (19 years old or younger), who had bariatric surgery from 2007 to 2012 and examined the effect of bariatric surgery on functional mobility and musculoskeletal pain in them.

Of the 206 participants, the majority were female, the average age was 17 and the average body-mass index (BMI) was 51.7.

Participants completed a 400-metre walk test (about a quarter of a mile) prior to surgery and at six months, 12 months and 24 months after surgery.

Outcomes measured were the time it took to complete the walk, resting heart rate (HR), post-test HR, and the difference of the resting and post-test heart rates.

Post-test heart rate also declined from an average of 128 bpm to 113 bpm. And the HR difference dropped from an average of 40 bpm to 34 bpm, the researchers found.

from The Indian ExpressHealth – The Indian Express http://bit.ly/29SYBud
via Food Channel Shows
from Tumblr http://bit.ly/29Mzbcz

Hypoglycemia on the rise, can lead to coma if untreated

Hypoglycemia is a short-term and avoidable complication of diabetes where the blood sugar of a person with diabetes drops to dangerously low levels. (Source: ThinkStock images)

Hospital admissions with patients diagnosed by hypoglycemia have seen a 39 per cent rise in last ten years, a study by an Indian-origin scientist has said.

Hypoglycemia is a short-term and avoidable complication of diabetes where the blood sugar of a person with diabetes drops to dangerously low levels.

“Given the continuous rise of diabetes prevalence, ageing population, and costs associated with hypoglycemia, individual and national initiatives should be implemented to reduce the burden of hospital admissions for hypos,” said Kamlesh Khunti, Professor at the University of Leicester.

According to the study, published in journal The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology, most hypoglycemic episodes are generally mild and can be self-treated by eating or drinking glucose tablets, sweets, sugary fizzy drinks or fruit juice. But if untreated hypoglycemic can lead to coma, hospitalisation and death.

Share This Article

Related Article

• How to manage diabetes during Ramadan
• Diabetics must be cautious during Ramadan fasting: experts
• Teen crosses diabetes hurdle,enters swimming event
• Diabetes breakthrough stalled in safety debate
• Diabetes breakthrough stalled in safety debate
• Sweet warning

jQuery(document).ready(function(){ jQuery(’.rel-article’).bxSlider({ maxSlides: 6, slideMargin: 3 }); });

Watch Video: What’s making news

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=videoseries&w=640&h=390]

For the study, the researchers took 1,01,475 cases between 2005 and 2014. The number of admissions for the low blood sugar episodes increased from 7,868 in 2005 to 11,756 in 2010 representing a 49 per cent jump and then 10,977 in 2014, up 39 per cent in ten years.

During the study period, hospital length of stay, mortality and one-month readmissions decreased progressively and consistently.

“Accounting for diabetes prevalence, there was a reduction of admission rates, but this was down to an increase in newly-diagnosed people with Type 2 diabetes who have a much lower risk of hypoglycemia,” said Khunti.

The study also highlights on ways developed to help prevent and treat this chronic disease of hypoglycemia.

from The Indian ExpressHealth – The Indian Express http://bit.ly/29UnqmL
via Food Channel Shows
from Tumblr http://bit.ly/29L0oQK

Same set of genes can cause happiness and depression

The team doing the study reviewed a number of studies and emphasised the need to combine studies in mental health genetics with those that look at cognitive biases. (Source: File Photo)

Researchers have found that the same set of genes that make us prone to depression could also lead us to positivity in life.

The findings showed that cognitive biases occur when people consistently interpret situations though particular mental ‘filters.’

“We suggest that while no gene ’causes’ mental ill health, some genes can make people more sensitive to the effects of their environment — for better and for worse,” said Elaine Fox, Professor at the Oxford University in the UK.

Individuals who have a cognitive bias that emphasises negative aspects or thoughts, are more at risk of mental health disorders, researchers said.

Share This Article

Related Article

• Junk food may shrink your brain, says study
• Suffering from bipolar disorder? Practice yoga
• New smartphone gaming app can reduce anxiety
• Rogue gene that causes depression discovered
• Why autism is more prevalent in boys
• Depression a sign of different brain structure

jQuery(document).ready(function(){ jQuery(’.rel-article’).bxSlider({ maxSlides: 6, slideMargin: 3 }); });

Watch Video: What’s making news

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=videoseries&w=640&h=390]

What happens to people’s mental health is based on their environment, not because of differences in genes.

If an individual is in a negative environment, he/she is likely to develop the negative cognitive biases that lead to mental disorders.

On the other hand, individuals with the same set of genes but in a supportive environment are likely to develop positive cognitive biases that increase mental resilience, said the paper published in the journal ‘Molecular Psychiatry’.

For the study, the team reviewed a number of studies and emphasised the need to combine studies in mental health genetics with those that look at cognitive biases.

“There is a lot of research about these biases, and a lot of research about genes that may make people susceptible to mental ill health. However, we suggest that it could make more sense to bring together these two areas of research,” added Chris Beevers, Professor at University of Texas in Austin, in the US.

from The Indian ExpressHealth – The Indian Express http://bit.ly/29KYjnO
via Food Channel Shows
from Tumblr http://bit.ly/29XzrsJ

Pokemon Go can improve health, says expert

“What began as just playing the game has now become a hobby for me that provides certain health benefits,” Hoffman said in a university statement.

As the GPS-based Pokemon Go mobile game takes the world by storm, an expert in the US has found that there are health benefits from playing the augmented Reality (AR) smartphone game.

According to Matt Hoffman, clinical assistant professor at the Texas A&M College of Nursing, this quest to “catch ’em all” is great as it pokes people to travel across the land, searching far and wide for a pokemon resulting in regular exercising.

To progress in the game, players known as “trainers” must walk around to find and catch Pokemon and access specific locations called Pokestops — where Pokéballs and other useful items are collected. Poke eggs are among the things that can be collected at these locations.

Share This Article

Related Article

• Pokémon GO: Here are the tips and tricks that you need to know
• Pokémon GO location apps might help you find Pikachu and Mewtwo
• Property owners in US: Get off my lawn, Pokemon!
• Pokémon GO’s global launch soon: Here’s how you play
• Pokémon GO: Before the game, it was a Google April Fool’s Joke
• Pokemon GO shows how augmented reality is also augmented risk

jQuery(document).ready(function(){ jQuery(’.rel-article’).bxSlider({ maxSlides: 6, slideMargin: 3 }); });

Getting to Pokestops, catching different Pokemon and hatching the Poke eggs requires a lot of walking.

“What began as just playing the game has now become a hobby for me that provides certain health benefits,” Hoffman said in a university statement.

“I’ve spent an hour or two at a time venturing around the community to find Pokestops. And, to hatch one egg, a trainer must walk anywhere from one-six miles. There’s no doubt about it, I am exercising more as a result of playing the game, and I am enjoying it,” added Hoffman who has been affectionately dubbed the “Pokémon Professor” by co-workers.

Hoffman said the game also brings trainers at a certain place in search of Pokemon at Pokestops.

“The game is bringing people together, providing opportunity for social interaction and increasing our sense of belonging which can have a positive impact on our emotional and mental health,” Hoffman noted.

Since Pokemon Go is a non-violent game, it also pushes families to walk around playing the game together.

“It encourages parents to go outside with their children while they play. Pokemon Go has the ability to transport families away from an evening on the couch to walking around the neighbourhood,” the author added.

Playing the game has also helped people discover new experiences and areas.

Hoffman emphasised players to watch where they walk and be aware of surroundings when playing. “Remember, you should never play Pokemon Go while driving. It’s also important to avoid playing in dark, isolated areas — there have been reports of trainers being robbed and attacked,” he noted.

from The Indian ExpressHealth – The Indian Express http://bit.ly/29WTNSb
via Food Channel Shows
from Tumblr http://bit.ly/2apEsYm

Diabetes prevalence higher in joint families than nuclear families: Study

The study also noted that T2DM prevalence was significantly higher in joint families than nuclear families, and highest among Jains as compared to other religions.

The study conducted on 5,444 residents of Dilshad Garden in east Delhi attempts to the understand the socio-economic and demographic factors among those who reported having Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) — the most common form of diabetes. Overall, T2DM was prevalent among 8.5 per cent of the total target population.

The study found self-reported prevalence of T2DM was more among men than women, and the highest among those aged between 60 and 69 years — showing an “increasing trend with increasing age”. In contrast, the study noted when it came to literacy, there was a “declining trend with increasing education after primary level”.

In terms of occupation, the study found it was most prevalent among retired persons, but the authors noted “multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that unemployed were more at risk of suffering from diabetes than employed”.

Share This Article

Related Article

• Sexual desire lower in postmenopausal women with metabolic syndrome: Study
• Girls above 14 in pvt schools at higher risk of eye diseases: Study
• Autism risks for siblings are higher than thought
• 350 million suffering from diabetes worldwide: Study
• Delhi school students most obese: Study
• Sweet messenger of death

jQuery(document).ready(function(){ jQuery(’.rel-article’).bxSlider({ maxSlides: 6, slideMargin: 3 }); });

Watch Video: What’s making news

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=videoseries&w=640&h=390]

The study also noted that T2DM prevalence was significantly higher in joint families than nuclear families, and highest among Jains as compared to other religions. The least prevalence of T2DM was among Muslims. Those with a per capita income of Rs 20,001 and above showed the highest prevalence, according to the study.

Gender-wise, the prevalence of T2DM was 9.1 per cent in men and 7.8 per cent in women. While the maximum number of subjects (23.2 per cent) of the study were aged between 20 and 29 years, the prevalence rate was the lowest (0.2 per cent) in this age bracket.

It was highest at 22.4 per cent among those aged between 60 and 69 years. While noting the “increasing trend with increasing age”, the study noted there seemed to be “a slight dip” in the 70 to 80 years age category, with 17.5 per cent prevalence of T2DM.

Religion-wise, while most subjects were Hindus (88.3 per cent) and the least were Jains (1.7 per cent), the prevalence of T2DM was highest among Jains (13.3 per cent), followed by Christians (11.1 per cent), Sikhs (9.8 per cent) and the least in Muslims at 7.5 per cent.

In terms of employment, prevalence of T2DM was least among the unemployed (0.7 per cent) and maximum among the retired (19.2 per cent), which the study noted could be related to age and factors such as “physical inactivity”.

from The Indian ExpressHealth – The Indian Express http://bit.ly/29JmAH6
via Food Channel Shows
from Tumblr http://bit.ly/29JmAap

Brain architecture of hearing, deaf people ‘nearly identical’

Although the study shows that there is a neurological similarity between deaf and hearing people, there are questions on what those neurological regions do in the deaf. (Representational Picture)

A recent study has shown that the neural architecture in the auditory cortex, the part of the brain that processes sound, of profoundly deaf and hearing people is virtually identical.

Lead author Ella Striem-Amit from Harvard said, “One reason this is interesting is because we don’t know what causes the brain to organize the way it does. How important is each person’s experience for their brain development? In addition, a lot is known about (how it works) in hearing people, and in animals…but we don’t know whether the same organization is retained in congenitally deaf people.”

Share This Article

Related Article

• ‘All eyes on colleges for blind, why turn a deaf ear to hearing impaired?’
• Fake brain
• Brain becomes ‘deaf’ to fading sounds: study
• Soon,a mobile phone for deaf 'n dumb
• Selective hearing: 'It’s all in the mind’
• ‘$4000 grant to re-structure teaching methodology for hearing impaired’

jQuery(document).ready(function(){ jQuery(’.rel-article’).bxSlider({ maxSlides: 6, slideMargin: 3 }); });
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=videoseries&w=640&h=390]

Those similarities between deaf and hearing brain architecture, Striem-Amit said, suggest that the organization of the auditory cortex doesn’t critically depend on experience, but is likely based on innate factors. So in a person who is born deaf, the brain is still organized in the same manner.

But that’s not to suggest experience plays no role in processing sensory information.

Evidence from other studies have shown that cochlear implants are far more successful when implanted in toddlers and young children, Striem-Amit said, suggesting that without sensory input during key periods of brain plasticity in early life, the brain may not process information appropriately.

To understand the organization of the auditory cortex, the team first obtained what are called “tonotopic” maps showing how the auditory cortex responds to various tones.

They then used the areas showing frequency preference in the tonotopic maps to study the functional connectivity profiles related to tone preference in the hearing and congenitally deaf groups and found them to be virtually identical.

“There is a balance between change and typical organization in the auditory cortex of the deaf,” said senior researcher Yanchao Bi from Beijing Normal University, “but even when the auditory cortex shows plasticity to processing vision, its typical auditory organization can still be found”.

The study also raises a host of questions that have yet to be answered.

“We know the architecture is in place – does it serve a function,” Striem-Amit said. “We know, for example, that the auditory cortex of the deaf is also active when they view sign language and other visual information. The question is: What do these regions do in the deaf? Are they actually processing something similar to what they process in hearing people, only through vision?”

The study appears in Scientific Reports.

from The Indian ExpressHealth – The Indian Express http://bit.ly/29UAtVv
via Food Channel Shows
from Tumblr http://bit.ly/29UAWHt

Extra virgin olive oil healthiest for frying fish: study

Healthiest way to fry fish is using extra virgin olive oil. (Thinkstock images)

The healthiest way to fry fish is to use extra virgin olive oil, especially if this is done in the microwave, a new study has found.

The frying techniques, the nature of the oil used and the fish species have been shown to exert a great influence on the changes that take place during the process.

Researchers from University of the Basque Country in Spain have shown that the choice of cooking oil is hugely important owing to its impact on the lipid profile in the fish and on the possible generation of toxic compounds in the oil during frying, which can influence food safety and human health.

Share This Article

Related Article

• The olive oil debate: getting it right
• Why fried food is not always bad for you
• Get the best of olive oils
• Get the best of olive oils
• ‘Liquid gold’: Olive oil and its benefits
• ‘Liquid gold’: Olive oil and its benefits

jQuery(document).ready(function(){ jQuery(’.rel-article’).bxSlider({ maxSlides: 6, slideMargin: 3 }); });

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=videoseries&w=640&h=390]
To conduct this research, fillets of European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) and gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) were shallow-fried in a frying plan and in a microwave oven using extra virgin olive oil and refined sunflower oil.

The changes that took place in the lipid composition of the fish and of the frying oil were studied by means of Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging (H-1 NMR).

During the shallow-frying of the fish under domestic conditions, not only do the fish lipids migrate to the frying oil, the components of the oil are also transferred to the fillet of fish.

As a result, the composition of the oil used for frying is modified. It is enriched by the acyl groups (fatty acids) that are present in a higher concentration in the fish fat than in the original oil, and simultaneously it is depleted in the acyl groups present in a higher concentration in the original oil than in the fish fat.

So after having been used for frying, the extra virgin olive oil was richer in omega-3, omega-1 acyl groups, linoleic and saturated fats (from the fish) and poorer in oleic, which is the main acyl group in olive oil.

Likewise, after having been used for frying, the sunflower oil was richer in all the acyl group types (coming from the fish) except linoleic, which is the majority acyl group in sunflower oil.

Both types of oil were enriched by small amounts of cholesterol from the fish. Besides the migration of lipids during frying, because these oils are subjected to high temperatures (170 degrees Celsius) in the presence of oxygen, certain small-scale thermal oxidation may take place in them.

In the extra virgin olive oil used for frying fish, this thermal oxidation reaction did not occur as it is more degradation-resistant than sunflower oil.

Yet in the sunflower oil used for frying fish in the frying pan, secondary oxidation compounds (aldehydes) were formed; some of them are regarded as potentially toxic depending on the concentration in which they are found.
It should be pointed out that these compounds did not form in the sunflower oil in the microwave oven.

Therefore, in view of the results obtained and bearing in mind the generation of these compounds that are potentially harmful for health, the healthiest option for frying is to use extra virgin olive and fry in the microwave, researchers said.

The study was published in the journal Food Research International.

from The Indian ExpressHealth – The Indian Express http://bit.ly/2a3nrUM
via Food Channel Shows
from Tumblr http://bit.ly/29MP3Nj