Amarnath Online

Cutting the amount of salt in food can prevent thousands of deaths from heart disease, say British researchers.

Britain’s National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has called on the food industry to help decrease huge numbers of unnecessary deaths by reducing the level of salt in everyday products, reports express.co.uk.

As per the new guidelines by NICE, maximum salt intake per adult should be six grams a day by 2015, and three grams a day by 2025.

Over 40,000 people die from premature cardiovascular disease in Britain every year and six million men and women suffer from heart disease.

“These clear and important recommendations from NICE strengthen and endorse the current salt reduction campaign in the Britain,” Graham MacGregor, professor of cardiovascular medicine and chairman of campaign group Consensus Action on Salt and Health, was quoted as saying.

“This will result in hundreds of millions of pounds of savings because for every one gram reduction in salt intake, more than 12,000 strokes and heart attacks will be prevented. This is of even greater importance given the cost savings that must be made by the present government,” he added.

One in four people put their health at risk if they work without a break through the day, a new study has revealed.

Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) has warned that working in the same position for too long and going to work when ill or stressed can damage health.

Long working hours without a break can also lead to back pain, obesity, depression, heart disease and stroke.

Physiotherapists are concerned that overworking and not taking breaks is actually costing employers and their staff.

Employees pay the price with their health and there is a cost to employers in reduced productivity and performance. Work is good for us and can contribute to physical and mental wellbeing – but not when overworking means people don’t have the time or energy to look after their own health or when staff are at work but are not fit for work.

However when the pressure people face regularly exceeds their ability to cope, in other words stress, it is likely to lead to time off work and is linked to conditions such as depression, anxiety and heart disease.

Tea can be as good as water to keep you hydrated, a study has found.

“If you fancy a cup of tea on a hot summer’s day, have it. A cup of tea is going to give you the same hydration as a glass of water,” dailymail.co.uk quoted dietician Carrie Ruxton as saying.

During the study, Ruxton asked 21 men to drink mugs of tea over a 12-hour period, or a similar amount of plain, warm water. Then tea-drinkers were given water and vice versa.

The findings revealed that men did not pass any more water when drinking tea – and may even have passed slightly less. There was also little difference in levels of sodium and other vital salts.

“It’s a common misconception that drinking tea can increase the risk of dehydration because of the caffeine content. But this new study proves that there is absolutely no truth behind the theory,” Ruxton added.

“Drinking moderate amounts of tea – four mugs a day – offered the same excellent hydration qualities as plain water. In addition, urine volume was similar after tea or water, confirming that we do not urinate more after drinking tea.

“Not only is a mug of tea refreshing and delicious, it can be an important part of maintaining proper hydration.,” Ruxton added.

Catherine Hood of the Tea Advisory Panel, which funded the research, said: “Tea drinkers can be reassured that their favourite cuppa can count towards their fluid intake without the risk of dehydration.”

Being glued to TV or computer screens for long hours can give you backaches and headaches, says a new study that surveyed more than 30,000 teenagers.

Torbjørn Torsheim of the University of Bergen, Norway, worked with an international team of researchers to study the association between ’screen time’ and a headache or a backache.

“A rising prevalence of physical complaints such as back pain, neck and shoulder pain, and headache has been reported for adolescent populations,” said Torsheim.

“Parallel to this, adolescents are spending an increasing amount of time on screen-based activities, such as TV, computer games, or other types of computer based entertainment,” added Torsheim.

The researchers found that there was little interaction between specific types of screen-based activity and particular physical complaints, with the exception of headaches in girls, which seemed to be linked with computer use and TV viewing but not gaming.

Torsheim and colleagues suggest this indicates that physical complaints are not related to the type of screen-based activity, but to the duration and ergonomic aspects of such activity.

The amount of time teenagers spend in front of TV screens and monitors has been associated with physical complaints, said a University of Bergen release.

It may sound strange but their is a cause and effect relationship that exists between gout and diabetes. To understand how this work, it is a good idea to firstly know how each illness works separately, then the connection between the two can become more apparent.

Gout is another type of arthritis marked by pain, inflammation, and swelling. It comes about when the kidneys can not eliminate the build up uric acid in the blood. Uric acid is the end product of the metabolism or breakdown of purines, that if not properly eliminated from the body, results in the build up of uric acid, causing gout.

With elevated levels of uric acid (hyperuricemia) come the formation of urate crystals that deposit and settle in the joints of the body, resulting in the pain, inflammation, and swelling associated with gout. Therefore, it is possible that having diabetes can be a cause for gout to develop.

How can diabetes have a role in this?

One of the side effects of diabetes is poor circulation. When your kidneys are not getting the nutrients and oxygen they need, they will function at a level well below their best. This reduces their efficiency at removing uric acid.

Diabetes is an autoimmune disease, marked by insufficient amount of insulin in the body. Insulin is produced and secreted by the pancreas in response to elevated levels of sugar in the blood.

Complications surrounding diabetes can be related to the circulatory system. This reduces the ability to eliminate uric acid and explains how this cause and effect relationship can exist.

This does not mean that if you have diabetes that you will develop gout, and vice versa. It is the proper management of both conditions that can prevent complications from developing.

Prevention:

Preventing diabetes involves managing your blood sugar levels, and taking insulin if it has been prescribed. Many tens of thousands of people successfully live with diabetes.

Avoiding future gout attacks:

After your first gout attack has resolved, there usually is no treatment. However, if your symptoms return, then your physician will prescribe prophylactic medications to prevent further attacks. These medications act to reduce blood uric acid levels in the blood, which will decrease the chances of another attack.

Exercise and diet:

If you suffer from gout, following a healthy lifestyle can help lower the risk of developing diabetes. Exercise regularly, avoid excessive weight gain and eat a diet full of good nutrition.