Showing posts with label significantly. Show all posts
Showing posts with label significantly. Show all posts
Short Sleep Duration Significantly Decreases Heart Disease Risk
Saturday, May 17, 2014
A startling number of people take a good night sleep for granted, despite the mounting body of evidence to support a restful sleep between six and eight hours every evening. In the past, studies have made a loose correlation between the numbers of hours of sleep each night and risk of diseases ranging from cancer to cardiovascular disease and dementia. Researchers from the University of Chicago are presenting the result of a studyto the American College of Cardiology that explains a direct link between sleeping a minimum of six hours each night and dramatically increased risk of stroke, heart attack and congestive heart failure.
The study team found that individuals sleeping much more than eight hours each night had a significantly higher prevalence of chest pain or angina and coronary arterydisease, a narrowing of the blood vessels that supply the heart with blood and oxygen. The bottom line is simple: controlling the duration of restful sleep in a totally darkened room is a modifiable risk factor that can significantly reduce risk of heart diseases and related chronic illnesses.
Sleeping Less Than Six Hours Each Night Doubles Heart Attack Risk
Researchers examined 3,019 patients, aged 45 years or older participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, designed to assess a broad range of health issues. The study showed that people getting less than six hours of sleep each night were two times more likely to have a stroke or heart attack and 1.6 times more likely to have congestive heart failure. Conversely, those individuals that slept more than eight hours a night were two times more likely to have angina and 1.1 times more likely to have coronary artery disease.
Researchers examined 3,019 patients, aged 45 years or older participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, designed to assess a broad range of health issues. The study showed that people getting less than six hours of sleep each night were two times more likely to have a stroke or heart attack and 1.6 times more likely to have congestive heart failure. Conversely, those individuals that slept more than eight hours a night were two times more likely to have angina and 1.1 times more likely to have coronary artery disease.
Clearly the duration and quality of sleep is an identifiable risk factor for heart disease, robbing your health in a similar manner to poor dietary choices and lack of physical activity. The principal study investigator, Dr. Rohit Arora commented“We now have an indication that sleep can impact heart health, and it should be a priority… based on these findings, it seems getting six to eight hours of sleep everyday probably confers the least risk for cardiovascular disease over the long term.”
Sleep Seven to Nine Hours Each Night in a Fully Darkened Room to Lower Cardiovascular Disease Risk
While this research did not directly determine how sleepduration affects heart health, past studies have implicated hyper-activation of the sympathetic nervous system, glucose intolerance, diabetes, increased cortisone levels, blood pressure, resting heart rate and inflammatory markers, all known risk factors for increased risk of cardiovascular disease. As researchers continue to determine the link between sleep and heart disease, the message is clear: ensure a restful sleep between six and eight hours each night in a fully darkened room to dramatically lower heart disease risk.
While this research did not directly determine how sleepduration affects heart health, past studies have implicated hyper-activation of the sympathetic nervous system, glucose intolerance, diabetes, increased cortisone levels, blood pressure, resting heart rate and inflammatory markers, all known risk factors for increased risk of cardiovascular disease. As researchers continue to determine the link between sleep and heart disease, the message is clear: ensure a restful sleep between six and eight hours each night in a fully darkened room to dramatically lower heart disease risk.
Kava significantly reduces the symptoms of people suffering anxiety
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
A world-first completed clinical study by an Australian team has found Kava, a medicinal South Pacific plant, significantly reduced the symptoms of people suffering anxiety.
The study, led by the University of Melbourne and published in the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology, revealed Kava could be an alternative treatment to pharmaceutical products for the hundreds of thousands of Australians who suffer from Generalised Anxiety Disorders (GAD)
Lead researcher, Dr Jerome Sarris from Department of Psychiatry at the University of Melbourne, said GAD is a complex condition that significantly affected people’s day-today lives. Existing medications have a modest clinical effect and new effective options were needed for patients with anxiety.
“Based on previous work we have recognised that plant based medicines may be a viable treatment for patients with chronic anxiety. In this study weve been able to show that Kava offers a potential natural alternative for the treatment of chronic clinical anxiety. Unlike some other options it has less risk of dependency and less potential for side effects,” he said.
The study also found that people’s genetic differences (polymorphisms) of certain neurobiological mechanisms called GABA transporters, may modify their response to Kava.
“If this finding is replicated, it may pave the way for simple genetic tests to determine which people may be likely to have a beneficial anxiety-reducing effect from taking Kava,” Dr Sarris said.
During the eight-week study, 75 patients with clinically diagnosed Generalised Anxiety Disorder were given Kava or placebo, and anxiety levels were regularly assessed.
Results showed a significant reduction in anxiety for the Kava group compared to the placebo group at the end of the study.
In participants diagnosed with moderate to severe GAD, Kava had an even greater effect in reducing anxiety. Following the completion of the controlled phase, 26 per cent of the Kava group were classified as in remission from their symptoms compared to six per cent of the placebo group.
Participants in the Kava group were given tablets twice per day consisting of water-soluble extracted Kava (peeled rootstock) for a total dose of 120mg of kavalactones for the first three-week controlled phase. In cases of non-response this was increased to a double-dose twice per day for the second three-week controlled phase. Participants in the placebo group took matching dummy tablets in the same manner.
Kava was also well tolerated. Results showed no significant differences across the two groups for liver function which had previously been a concern for Kava’s medicinal use. In addition there were no considerable adverse reactions that could be attributed to Kava and no difference in withdrawal or addiction between the groups.
An additional novel finding of the study, recently published in Phytotherapy Research was that Kava increased women’s sex drive compared to those in the placebo group, believed to be due to the reduction of anxiety, rather than any aphrodisiac effect.
Future studies confirming the genetic relationship to therapeutic response, and any libido-improving effects from Kava is now required. Dr Sarris said these significant findings are of importance to sufferers of anxiety and to the South Pacific region which relies on Kava as a major export.
The study was funded by the NHMRC and Integria Healthcare who manufacture MediHerb and Thompson’s Kava products.
TV viewing exercise habits may significantly affect sperm count
Thursday, January 16, 2014
20 hours of TV weekly may nearly halve sperm count; 15 or more hours of moderate to vigorous exercise weekly may boost sperm count
Mens sperm quality may be significantly affected by their levels of physical activity, according to a new study led by researchers at Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH). They found that healthy young men who were sedentary, as measured by hours of TV viewing, had lower sperm counts than those who were the most physically active.
"We know very little about how lifestyle may impact semen quality and male fertility in general so identifying two potentially modifiable factors that appear to have such a big impact on sperm counts is truly exciting," said lead author Audrey Gaskins, a doctoral student at HSPH.
The study will be published online February 4, 2013 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Gaskins and her colleagues analyzed the semen quality of 189 men between the ages of 18 to 22 participating in the Rochester Young Mens Study during 2009 at the University of Rochester. The men were asked about their physical activity and TV-watching habits, in addition to health issues that may affect their sperm quality, such as diet, stress levels, and smoking.
Results showed that men who watched more than 20 hours of TV weekly had a 44% lower sperm count than those who watched almost no TV. Men who exercised for 15 or more hours weekly at a moderate to vigorous rate had a 73% higher sperm count than those who exercised less than 5 hours per week. Mild exercise did not affect sperm quality.
"The majority of the previous studies on physical activity and semen quality had focused on professional marathon runners and cyclists, who reach physical activity levels that most people in the world cannot match. We were able to examine a range of physical activity that is more relevant to men in the general population," said Jorge Chavarro, senior author of the study and assistant professor of nutrition and epidemiology at HSPH.
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