The Impact of Weight Gain in Middle Age: Increased Risk of Premature Death and Cardiovascular Events

Gaining weight in your 40s and 50s can increase the likelihood of premature death by almost a third compared to maintaining a slim physique during middle age. People with slightly elevated blood pressure, cholesterol, or blood sugars and carrying excess weight are up to 30 percent more likely to die younger. These traits also raise the risk of heart attacks or strokes over the next 30 years.

A study conducted in Sweden between 1990 and 1999 examined around 34,000 individuals in their 40s and 50s who participated in a cardiovascular screening program. Participants completed a questionnaire about their lifestyle habits, medical history, and socioeconomic factors. Findings revealed that 15 percent of the participants met the criteria for metabolic syndrome, which included certain measurements for waist circumference, cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and blood glucose.

After accounting for factors like physical inactivity, BMI, and living situation, researchers discovered that individuals with metabolic syndrome were more likely to experience cardiac events earlier in life. More than a quarter of those with metabolic syndrome died compared to a fifth of those without the condition, making them 30 percent more likely to die within that time frame. They were also 33 percent more likely to experience non-fatal heart attacks and strokes.

Metabolic syndrome affects approximately one in four UK adults, with increasing obesity levels being a major factor. Each condition on its own, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity, can damage blood vessels, but having all three together poses a particularly dangerous situation.

To reduce the risk, it is important to adopt simple measures like maintaining a balanced diet, engaging in regular physical activity, and avoiding smoking. If lifestyle changes alone are insufficient, consulting with a GP can provide guidance on medication that can help mitigate the risk.

Researchers have identified a roundworm typically found in snakes within the human brain.

Imagine having a live worm in your brain – and not just any worm, but one that came from a snake. That's what happened to a 64-year-old woman in Australia, who is the first person in the world to be infected by a new parasite species.

The parasite is called Ophidascaris robertsi, and it is a type of roundworm that normally lives in the intestines of carpet pythons. Somehow, the woman ingested the worm eggs from a plant she picked near a lake where the snake had defecated. The eggs hatched in her gut and the larvae travelled through her bloodstream to various organs, including her brain.

The woman started feeling sick in January 2021, with symptoms like stomach pain, diarrhea, fever, cough and shortness of breath. She was treated for various infections, but none of them worked. It was only when she had brain surgery that the doctors found the culprit: an eight-centimetre-long worm that was still alive and moving.

The doctors removed the worm and sent it to a laboratory for identification. They also gave the woman anti-parasitic drugs to kill any remaining larvae in her body. She recovered well and was discharged from the hospital.

This case is a rare example of zoonosis, which is when a disease or infection jumps from animals to humans. As we encroach on wildlife habitats and interact more with animals, we may face more risks of catching new and unknown parasites. The researchers who studied this case have published their findings in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Patients treated by female doctors have a lower risk of complications, according to research.

According to a study published in JAMA Surgery, researchers in Canada found that male and female patients treated by female surgeons for fractures, hip replacements, and heart problems were about 10 percent less likely to experience complications such as internal bleeding or infection within 90 days following surgery than those treated by male surgeons. They were also 6 percent less likely to be hospitalized for surgery-related problems up to a year later. 

The study, which included roughly 1.2 million patients, suggests that the difference in results may be due to variances in how patients responded to guidance from male and female doctors. Male doctors were more likely to face disagreements from patients of both genders when giving advice on weight loss, exercise, and diet compared to female doctors. In an unrelated study, male doctors were also found to get the job done quicker, showing they had significantly shorter operating times for surgeries like gallbladder removal than their female counterparts. The majority of doctors are men and the share has been steadily increasing in recent decades. The Canadian researchers noted that female doctors were more likely to have younger patients with fewer risk factors than their male counterparts. 

Best Ways of Removing Stretch Marks #stretchmark

#stretchmark

Stretch mark is a type of scar that develops when the skin shrinks or stretches . The sudden change makes the collagen and elastin, which support our skin, to rupture. Stretch marks may appear as the skin heals.

Not everybody develops these narrow bands on their skin. Unstable hormone levels seem to play a role. One may also have a higher risk if people in the family do get stretch marks.

If you develop stretch marks, you are more likely to do so during these times: Growth spurts that occur in puberty, pregnancy, rapid weight loss or gain, weight training when you have rapid muscle growth.

The various remedies for stretch marks are described below: 

Almond for Stretch Marks

Almond oil should be applied over Stretch Marks.

Potato for Stretch Marks

Potato has Starch which keeps the Skin soft and smooth. It has antioxidant which help in reducing the Stretch Marks. Potato makes the Skin uniform and firm.

Cut a Potato into thick slices then use a slice and rub it gently over the Stretch Marks for ten ( 10 ) to twelve (12) minutes. Leave it for five (5) minutes and Wash with warm water. Repeat it three (3) to four ( 4 ) times a week.

Aloe Vera for Stretch Marks

Burst 3 Vitamin E capsules into freshly extracted Aloe Vera gel and mix them well then apply on the marks.

Lemon Juice for Stretch Marks

Lemon juice should be applied to the Stretch Marks.

Olive oil for Stretch Marks

Warm Olive oil should be applied to the Stretch Marks everyday for a month.

Castor Oil for Stretch Marks

Castor Oil stimulates Elastin and Collagen formation . What these nutrients does is to: strengthen the Connective tissues, improve Skin elasticity and reduce Stretch Marks.

Massage three (3 ) to four ( 4) drops of Castor Oil on the Stretch Marks. The Skin should be wrapped with a cotton cloth. Get a hot water bottle and warm the affected body part for 15 to 20 minutes. Repeat two times everyday for a month.

Cocoa for Stretch Marks

The affected area should be massage with Cocoa butter for 5 to 10 minutes two times a day.

Lavender for Stretch Marks

The affected area should be massage with Lavender oil two ( 2 ) or three (3) times a day. Stretch marks will be cleared in few days.

Coconut Oil for Stretch Marks

The affected skin should be massage 2-3 times a day with Coconut Oil .

Argan Oil for Stretch Marks

Argan Oil has strong Antioxidant and Hydrating properties. These properties help to bring back the Skin elasticity. Argan oil prevents Collagen and Elastin breakdown . This property helps to reduce Stretch Marks.

Take three ( 3) to four ( 4) drops of lukewarm Argan Oil and apply it onto the affected area then massage gently for 10 to 15 minutes. Do this two times a day for a month.

Jojoba Oil for Stretch Marks

The high amount of Vitamin E in Jojoba Oil helps to bring back the Skin elasticity. Jojoba Oil stimulates new Skin Cells regeneration and it also keeps the Skin firm and treats Stretch Marks.

Four ( 4) to five ( 5) drops of Jojoba Oil should be applied on the affected area. Gently massage for 10 to 15 minutes two times a day. Do this for two ( 2 ) to three ( 3) months.

Note: You can get Jojoba Oil, Argan Oil, Lavender and Castor Oil from Jumia and Amazon and other places

Scientists say earliest Britons had dark skin

The oldest human remains found in the United Kingdom belonged to a man with dark skin and blues, a study by scientists in the UK has found.

Researchers at University College London and the British Natural History Museum reconstructed how the man, who lived 10,000 years ago, would have looked using the latest DNA analysis techniques and 3D-scanning of his skull.
Known as “Cheddar Man” after the southern English village where he was found in 1903, the man had “dark to black skin” and dark curly hair, according to the researchers.
DNA was recovered from the man’s skull and information about his physical characteristics was obtained by mapping the genetic data collected.

Genetic information is usually difficult to obtain in remains as old as Cheddar Man but had been preserved in his case thanks to the cool conditions inside the limestone cave where he was found.
“I first studied ‘Cheddar Man’ more than 40 years ago, but could never have believed that we would one day have his whole genome – the oldest British one to date,” said Professor Chris Stringer of the Natural History Museum.
“To go beyond what the bones tell us and get a scientifically -based picture of what he actually looked like is a remarkable – and from the results quite surprising – achievement.”
The scientists involved in the study explained that Cheddar Man’s ancestors were part of a population that travelled out of the Middle East and then on to Europe.

At least 10 percent of British ancestry can be linked to that population, they said.
A documentary on the findings will air in the UK’s Channel 4 TV station on February 18.

Previous studies have indicated that genes responsible for lighter features common in people of European descent developed at some over 8,000 years ago.

Source: sunnewsonline