Quitting Smoking May Be Hazardous to Your Health
New research now concludes that quitting smoking may actually be hazardous to your health. While every medical expert agrees quitting smoking is important, the latest research demonstrates that quitting may actually increase a person's risk for Type 2 Diabetes -- though the risk does diminish over time.
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Coffee Drinking May Lower Risk of Type II Diabetes
Here is more good news about coffee and its potential as a health food: There is growing evidence that high intake of coffee, decaffeinated coffee, and tea are linked to a reduced risk of Type II diabetes.
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Majority of Diabetics Wear Wrong Shoe Sizes
More than six out of 10 diabetics choose to wear shoes that are the wrong size, increasing their risk of slow-healing foot ulcers, limb amputation and even early death, according to a recent study.
The research effort, performed at the University of Dundee in Scotland and published in the International Journal of Clinical Practice, looked at 100 volunteers, 24 to 89 years of age, who were patients at Ninewells Hospital Medical School in Dundee. The researchers excluded those who were patients at specialist foot clinics and those who experienced difficulty standing or who wore specially provided shoes.
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Healthy Feet Incompatible With Fat
Obesity can lead to foot amputations, warns a podiatry organization in Australia. This is "particularly [true of] those patients who have diabetes, because they can lose feeling in their feet and sustain injuries, which can get infected and sometimes require amputation," said Brenden Brown, vice president of the Australasian Podiatry Council. And, he said, most people are completely unaware of the feet-fat connection. Read more about Healthy Feet Incompatible With Fat
"Electric" Foot Bandage May Help Diabetics
A patented bandage with tiny batteries that run micro-currents through a wound to kill bacteria may hold promise for healing the stubborn foot ulcers that plague so many diabetics. "This electrical activity kills bacteria, keeps the wound clean and, in the studies we've had so far, has shown that this stimulates the wounds to heal," said Jeffry Skiba, president and CEO of Vomaris Innovations, based in Chandler, Ariz. Read more about "Electric" Foot Bandage May Help Diabetics
How Obesity Abets Type 2 Diabetes
Human fat can be healthy or sick - healthy in lean people and sick in obese. And a new research effort shows sick fat cells can produce proteins that contribute to type 2 diabetes. The study, performed by researchers at Temple University, discovered that fat cells in obese people bear a great deal of stress in a cellular component called the endoplasmic reticulum, which is the cells' protein factory. The stress, says lead researcher Dr. Guenther Boden, apparently produces proteins connected with insulin resistance, a major contributor to obesity-related diabetes. In particular, 19 proteins were more abundant in obese people's fat cells than lean people's, including three that were related to a specific endoplasmic reticulum stress-related response. Read more about How Obesity Abets Type 2 Diabetes
Obesity Not Always Indicative of Cardiovascular Risk
Obese people do not always carry an increased risk of heart disease, while some individuals of normal weight do. Two studies published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, revealed that how fat was distributed, like fat around the abdomen, was a consistent risk factor for heart disease. People who have their abdominal cavity lined with fat appear to be more likely to develop insulin resistance and have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Read more about Obesity Not Always Indicative of Cardiovascular Risk
Environmental Toxins and Early Puberty in Girls
Over the years, scientists have speculated about the negative effects of environmental toxins for years, wondering what emerging implications would be. New data published in The Journal of Pediatrics suggests that certain environmental toxins may disrupt the normal growth and hormonal development of some girls. Such toxins, like mycoestrogens found naturally in the environment, have properties similar to the female reproductive hormone estrogen, and are structurally similar to anabolic growth agents used in animal breeding. Read more about Environmental Toxins and Early Puberty in Girls
Cell Phones Linked to Insomnia and Headaches
Talking on your cell phone before going to bed could interfere with getting a good night's sleep, a recent study suggests. Carried out by Sweden's Karolinska Institute and Wayne State University in the US, the study suggests radiation from the handset can cause insomnia, headaches, and confusion. Scientists studied 35 men and 36 women between the ages of 18 and 45 who were exposed to radiation equivalent to that received when using a mobile phone. Others were placed in the same conditions, but given only false exposure. Those exposed to radiation took longer to enter the first of the deeper stages of sleep, and spent less time in the deepest one. Read more about Cell Phones Linked to Insomnia and Headaches
Understanding Stress
 For many, stress is just a normal part of a busy work schedule. Even though stress is becoming routine, it is self destructive in numerous ways. Studies reveal that stress causes deterioration in everything from your heart to your gums, and can make you more susceptible to everything from a common cold to cancer. One of the main culprits in the stress-illness connection is the hormone cortisol - though it plays a necessary role in helping us cope with acute or short-term threats. When an animal perceives danger, the body triggers a chain reaction of signals to release various hormones, like epinephrine (adrenaline), nor-epinephrine, and cortisol, from the adrenal glands. These hormones boost heart rate, increase respiration and increase the availability of glucose in the blood, thus enabling the "fight or flight" response. Because this response requires a great deal of energy, cortisol tells other taxing physical processes like digestion, reproduction, physical growth, and the immune system - to slow down or shut down altogether. Read more about Understanding Stress
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