The throbbing in your head

Headaches may be a common ailment, but it is not widely known that there are different kinds of headaches. Dr Loh Pei Kee, consultant neurologist at Ara Damansara Medical Centre, breaks down headaches into two categories – primary and secondary.

JULY 21, 2019

Dr Loh Pei Kee.

Primary headaches are the most common form of headache. Some common subtypes include tension-type headaches, migraines, and trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias (TACs). Tension-type headaches are usually “band-like”, fairly diffused and often mildly to moderately painful.

Migraine is more severe, with the headache commonly throbbing over one side of the head and associated with nausea or vomiting and sensitivity to light and noise. TACs are characterised by attacks of moderate to severe unilateral pain in the head and face, commonly associated with symptoms such as nasal congestion, eyelid swelling, lacrimation and ptosis.

Secondary headaches occur when external sources cause the headache. Dr Loh classifies them as:

♦ Trauma-related headaches, which are caused by trauma to the head and neck.
♦ Vascular-related headaches, which stem from issues involving the blood vessels, including aneurysms, arteriovenous malformation, inflammation of the blood vessels or arteritis, artery dissection and haemorrhagic strokes.
♦ Non-vascular-related headaches, which comprise a broader scope and can be caused by tumours, increased or low cerebrospinal fluid pressure or inflammatory processes.
♦ Headaches attributed to infection, which include intracranial or systemic infections.
♦ Headaches caused by a substance or its withdrawal, or analgesia overuse.
♦ Headaches caused by other disorders, which include disorders of the eyes, ear, nose, neck and oral cavity.

Separating normal from abnormal

Because everyone has experienced a headache in his lifetime, it is easy to brush headaches off as something trivial. However, Dr Loh says that it is dangerous to believe that all headaches can be ignored.

She says, “Most people don’t take headaches as seriously as other conditions such as chest pain. This is because people relate chest pain to heart attacks, whereas headaches may be caused by stress or lack of sleep. Thus, they do not usually recognise whether a headache is normal or not.”

Dr Loh lists some red flags or associated symptoms that people should look out for when experiencing a headache, as some may point to something more dangerous.

♦ Sudden onset of the worst headache the patient has experienced
♦ Progressive or recurring daily headache
♦ Age of onset is above 50 or below five years old
♦ Fever
♦ Drowsiness
♦ Presence of focal neurologic symptoms such as visual disturbance, limb weakness or numbness, slurring of speech and incoordination
♦ Vomiting and nausea
♦ Pain worsens on exertion such as coughing and sneezing, or when it is more painful to lie down than sit
♦ Onset during pregnancy

If these symptoms occur, her advice is to see a doctor immediately to ensure it is not something more serious. “Even if you do not experience any of these symptoms, if your headaches are prolonged and so frequent that they start to interfere with your work and social life, you should still see a doctor to try and reduce the frequency of your headaches for better quality of life.”

Get a second opinion

According to Dr Loh, not all headaches need to be medically treated. There are some ways you can reduce the occurrence of some primary headaches. More importantly, you need to make sure it is not a secondary headache.

Sometimes, headaches, especially primary ones, are caused by external triggers.

She says, “Sometimes, headaches, especially primary ones, are caused by external triggers. Therefore, try to identify and avoid these triggers, which may include lifestyle changes such as avoiding certain food, reducing stress and getting enough sleep.”

However, she notes that we cannot rely solely on lifestyle adjustments to resolve our headaches and occasionally may need to resort to medication. Headaches often go undertreated because people do not see it as life-threatening, but the lack of treatment can lead to other problems such as deteriorating quality of life.

On the other end of the spectrum, unusual and prolonged headaches may be a sign of more serious conditions such as tumours or abnormalities in the blood vessels, which can lead to something life-threatening. The dysfunction of the brain can also potentially affect movement, vision, speech, sensation and balance.

“If you notice that your headaches are unusual or prolonged, see a doctor for early treatment as it could mean something more dangerous. As for parents, if your child frequently needs painkillers, it is best to send him to a doctor for further examination,” says Dr Loh.

More than a funny turn

It is a scary experience to see a child having a funny turn because it may mimic a seizure. Although it is understandable for parents to panic in such a situation, Dr Sangita Dharshini Terumalay, consultant paediatrician and neurologist) at Subang Jaya Medical Centre advises them to stay calm.

Dr Sangita Dharshini Terumalay.

“People often mistake all funny turns in children as seizures, however not all funny turns are seizures. To ensure if it is a cause for concern, doctors need to know what happened before and during the event. To do that, doctors would need, eyewitness accounts to make a correct diagnosis in any child presenting with a possible seizure” she stresses.

According to Dr Sangita, as everyone usually carries a smartphone, the best possible step would be if the witnesses can record the child having a fit as it will then help the healthcare professional view the occurrence first-hand.

“By the time a child is brought in for examination, the child would be fine and hence, it becomes more challenging t to diagnose a seizure, especially in the absence of witness accounts. Knowing the details of the event is also important because we do not want to give anti-seizure medication to a child who had a non-epileptic phenomenon. Incorrectly diagnosing epilepsy can have adverse effect on a child’s schooling and social life, as well,” she adds.

The cause for fits, faints and funny turns can range from simple tantrums resulting in breath-holding spells to something more serious such as seizures. Seizures are transient clinical events that result from the abnormal, excessive activity of a set of cerebral neurons. Epilepsy is a neurological condition which affects the central nervous system and is usually diagnosed after someone has at least two seizures.

Funny turns are essentially non-epileptic events that may mimic epilepsy. The manifestations of funny turns differ according to age. “Infants may have single or repeated jerks in their sleep, known as sleep myoclonus. They can also have shuddering attacks that can be precipitated by feeding. Both these phenomena are not seizures.

“For toddlers, a possible cause of funny turns that can be mistaken for seizures are breath-holding spells. This is usually triggered by a trivial injury or emotional upset. Older children can experience psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES). While they may present as convulsions and can easily be misdiagnosed as epilepsy, there can be distinguishing features to differentiate the two. Is is also important to diagnose PNES as it may stem from a particularly stressful trigger that needs to be looked into,” adds Dr Sangita.

Digging deep

Based on the witness account, healthcare professionals might advice further tests to diagnose the root cause of the fit, which includes blood tests, electroencephalograms (EEG) or MRI scans of the brain.

Dr Sangita says, “A conclusive diagnosis is reached by collating the history of the patient, examining and reviewing the test results. If the results point towards epilepsy, treatment is started.”

It is important to take your child for a thorough check-up if the caregiver suspects a fit.

Better safe than sorry

If a child is diagnosed with epilepsy, there are treatments that can control the seizures. Your neurologist would start a suitable antiseizure drug based on the epilepsy syndrome diagnosed. There are other modes of treatment that can be considered if seizures are not controlled through medications, namely epilepsy surgery, ketogenic diet and vagal nerve stimulation.

“It is very important to know what to do when a child is having a seizure. We like to call this seizure first aid. For starters, do not panic and immediately call for help. The child must then be put in a lateral position by lying them on their side. Do not put anything inside the child’s mouth,” Dr Sangita advises.

Most seizures occur for a short duration, however, a seizure can sometimes be prolonged and result in irreversible brain damage. Other complications of uncontrolled seizures are learning difficulties and behavioural problems.

Hence, it is important to take your child for a thorough check-up if the caregiver suspects a fit, faint or funny turn, just to be sure, and start treatment immediately if it is indeed epilepsy.

https://www.star2.com/health/2019/07/21/rsd-hospital-head-aches/

Here’s how to eat right to prevent cancer

One-third of all cancer deaths are preventable and can be attributed to lifestyle choices that we all make every day. Poor diet, lack of physical activity, and consuming alcohol and tobacco are all associated with an increased risk of cancer.

February 7, 2019 Health, Living, Nutrition

By prof dr srikumar chakravarthi

Simply changing what and how much we eat can significantly reduce the risk. It is also important to note that a healthy, balanced diet should come from natural and whole foods, not from vitamin supplements.

Being overweight or obese has been linked to cancers of almost all the organs in the body, including kidney, pancreas, liver and breast. Given the lethality of some of these cancers, we have to be mindful of our weight and control our caloric intake.

Indeed, the most important factor in the relationship between diet and prevention of cancer is healthy weight maintenance throughout life. Weight maintenance can be achieved by balancing caloric intake from food and beverages, with physical activity.

Reduce Intake

Research suggests that too much dietary fat, especially unhealthy fats like saturated and trans fat, may lead to an increased risk for a variety of cancers such as colon, rectum and prostate cancer.

The fat content in meat may contribute to the production of secondary compounds in the body that act as carcinogens. Major sources include cheese, pizza, desserts and red meat.

Perhaps we can replace that “cheese leleh burger” with foods containing healthy fats, i.e. essential omega-3 fatty acids found in seafood and most plant-based oils.

Meanwhile, a high intake of processed meat and red meats (beef or pork) may be associated with an increase in stomach and colorectal cancers. Evidence suggests that risk for colon and rectal cancer may increase by 15%-20% for every 100g of red meat or 50g of processed meat per day.

Red meat contains compounds such as iron that may cause the formation of free radicals. Processed meats contain nitrates, which have been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals and are suspected of causing cancer in humans.

Consumption of processed meat also increases one’s exposure to carcinogenic chemicals from methods of preservation that involve smoke or salt.

There are still no robust studies that have conclusively shown that you should eliminate them entirely from your diet, but for those who are already predisposed to cancer (e.g. having family members with cancer), it is smart to limit your consumption of these two foods.

Carcinogens are also present in certain foods and evidence suggests that eating salt-cured, smoked, pickled or charcoal-broiled foods can increase the risk for cancer. Rates of stomach and oesophageal cancer cases are especially high in parts of the world where food is often prepared using these methods.

We should also be mindful of how we cook. A substance called benzopyrene is formed when fat from meat drips on to hot coals during broiling. The rising smoke then deposits this carcinogenic substance on the meat.

High-temperature frying may convert some of the meat proteins into products that damage our cells, which can lead to tumours and cancers.

The fat in foods like the cheese and meat in this burger may contribute to the production of carcinogens in the body.

Increase Intake

Specific nutrients and food constituents of fruits, vegetables and whole grains may act as anti-cancer substances when consumed in the proper amounts found in a varied diet.

Consuming fruits, vegetables, and whole grains may also help in healthy weight maintenance – the ultimate goal in cancer prevention, according to research.

Wholegrain plants such as wheat, oats, rice and barley contain vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre, which may help prevent cancers of the gastrointestinal tract, such as colon and rectal cancer.

Dietary fibre is the material from plant cells that the body cannot digest completely and it is found in vegetables, legumes, fruit, whole grain cereals, nuts and seeds.

Fibre provides bulk in the diet and it helps move food through the intestines and out of the body at regular intervals. However, fibre supplements are not recommended.

Plants contain many beneficial compounds such as vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phyto-chemicals and fibre, which may act to reduce the risk for cancers such as lung, mouth, pharynx, larynx, oesophagus, stomach and colo-rectal.

There are several groups of fruits and vegetables that may offer particularly protective effects, such as dark green and orange vegetables, cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, broccoli), flavonoids (soy, tea), legumes, sulphides (garlic, onion) and tomato products.

Antioxidants are compounds present in fruits and vegetables that help protect tissues from being damaged. Tissue damage is linked to increased cancer risk; therefore antioxidants may play a role in cancer prevention.

Types of antioxidants include vitamin C (ascorbic acid), vitamin E, and the carotenoids – vitamin A and beta-carotene. Their protective effect is only observed when one consumes antioxidants from plant foods such as fruits and vegetables, and not from supplements.

Phytochemicals (or phytonutrients) include dark green and orange vegetables, cruciferous vegetables, flavonoids and sulphides, and show a decrease in risk for cancer, but the relationship is unknown.

Take In Moderation

Heavy consumption of alcoholic beverages (more than two drinks per day for men and more than one drink per day for women) increases the risk of mouth, pharynx, larynx, oesophagus, liver, pancreas, bladder, colorectal and breast cancers.

The link between cancer and alcohol is complex because frequent alcohol consumption may result in many health problems. The carcinogenic effect may result from the direct contact of alcohol on the mouth, pharynx and oesophagus.

Heavy drinking can result in liver cirrhosis, which may lead to liver cancer. Alcoholics commonly have nutritional deficiencies because alcohol contains only empty calories, and food intake is often compromised. If heavy drinkers also smoke cigarettes, the risk for cancer is compounded.

Alcohol is high in calories and low in nutrients. Calories from alcohol can contribute to weight gain, again a risk factor for cancer. The risk factors for cancer act cumulatively to contribute to the occurrence of cancer; they are not necessarily the cause of cancer.

Lifestyle risk factors for cancer are usually preventable and avoiding certain factors may lower one’s risk in developing cancer. Avoid excess weight gain by limiting high caloric foods and beverages, decreasing food portions, limiting high calorie snacks and engaging in regular physical activity.

https://www.star2.com/health/2019/02/07/heres-how-to-eat-right-to-prevent-cancer/

How did Korean fried chicken become so popular?

There is fried chicken and then there is Korean fried chicken. Anyone who’s ever tucked into a plate of Korean fried chicken will understand that there’s nothing on earth quite like the sensation of biting into perfectly crispy chicken skin that melds fluidly into juicy (oh, how juicy!) succulent meat inside.

July 22, 2019 Food, Recipes

By ABIRAMI DURAI

It’s a yin-yang balance of crunch and tenderness that has in turn created a global obsession.

Interestingly, Korean fried chicken is relatively new even in its South Korean birthplace. As recently as the 1960s, Koreans were still struggling economically so chicken was hardly ever on the table.

As the country’s financial situation improved, chicken became a facet of everyday life.

It began with the arrival of rotisserie chicken in the 1960s and became ingrained in Korean food culture with the debut of Korea’s first fried chicken franchise, Lim’s Chicken, in 1977.

By the 1990s, modern versions of Korean fried chicken had well and truly arrived with the inception of restaurants like KyoChon 1991 and Nene Chicken, both of which opened in the 1990s.

These new modern restaurants popularised different flavour options for fried chicken; KyoChon for example, has almost single-handedly been responsible for the creation of the soy-infused fried chicken variant.

KyoChon 1991 is incredibly popular in Malaysia, with more expansion planned for this year. Photo: KyoChon 1991

Another notable creation is the crazily-popular yangnyeom fried chicken, which sees fried chicken thinly coated in a sweet-spicy sauce that makes use of another Korean staple – the spicy gojuchang paste.

In Korea, fried chicken isn’t fried chicken without a side-serving of beer, hence the word “chimaek” – a portmanteau of the words “chi” from “chicken” and “maek” from “maekju” (which means beer).

Although you can opt for a non-alcoholic beverage to pair with your fried chicken, beer remains the tipple of choice.

While Korean fried chicken is undoubtedly a hit in its homeland – in 2017, the number of fried chicken joints in Korea was 36,000! – what’s surprising is how feverishly the rest of the world has caught on to this hot Korean chick.

Korean fried chicken is now a huge international export, with chains like Bonchon, KyoChon and celebrity chef David Chang’s popular Momofuku, having a lot to do with expanding the poultry’s popularity to places as far-flung as the United States, Australia, Taiwan, China, the Philippines, Myanmar, Vietnam and Singapore.

In Malaysia, numerous Korean fried chicken outlets pepper the local scene, from KyoChon to Chir Chir Fusion Chicken Factory, Nene Chicken and many others.

According to KyoChon 1991’s operations director Joyce Chin, just for their original and red pepper variety of fried chicken, the brand sells an average of 35,000 chicken wings daily across their 14 nationwide outlets. This number surges to 52,000 on weekends.

Chir Chir’s fried chicken comes in all forms, including the delicious crispy fried chicken (left) and garlicky chicken (right), both of which boast crispy skin and juicy meat.

In line with the growing demand for Korean fried chicken, by the end of this year, Chin estimates that they will have 21 stores and a total of 600 employees.

Chin says there are many factors that have likely contributed to Korean fried chicken’s rise on the local front but most prominent among them is the taste factor.

“Everyone has different reasons for liking Korean fried chicken but my personal opinion is that it’s much more flavourful with unique flavours such as aromatic soy garlic, burning red pepper and sweet-on-the-lips honey.

“It’s also less oily and the very thin batter allows for a paper-thin like crispiness which is different from traditional Western style fried chicken,” she says.

This crispiness is also what is most difficult to nail if you’re a home cook attempting to make this fried chicken yourself at home.

Korean fried chicken is typically lightly battered in corn starch (sometimes wheat flour or rice flour is added too) and then fried not once, but twice.
This is key to solidifying a whisper-thin crispy exterior while retaining moistness in the meat.

It is also what makes it different from Southern-style fried chicken, which is typically soaked in buttermilk first to obtain a thicker crust.

As the chickens used for Korean fried chicken are typically smaller, they crisp up well and are less likely to be tough.

When frying the chicken, you’ll have to be patient and wait for the oil to heat up to the required temperature (it should bubble furiously when you put a piece of chicken in). And trust me when I say patience is a virtue, because if you get restless and toss the chicken into the frying pan too early, you’ll end up with a soggy, greasy mess that no respectable Korean fried chicken would want to be associated with.

In the end, if you’re willing to put in the effort to make it work, you’ll end up with that most elusive of homemade creations: Perfect Korean fried chicken.

SPICY KOREAN FRIED CHICKEN (YANGNYEOM CHICKEN)

Serves 2 to 4

For the sauce

1 tsp minced ginger
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp soy sauce
3-4 tbsp vinegar
2 1/2 tbsp gojuchang paste
1/4 cup honey
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp sesame oil
3 tbsp tomato ketchup

For the chicken

8 chicken wings, cut into drummets and mid-wings, tips removed
1 tsp grated ginger
sea salt to taste
coarse black pepper to taste
1/2 cup potato starch
1/4 tsp baking powder

For garnish

1 tsp lightly toasted sesame seeds
spring onions, for garnish

To make the sauce

In a pot, combine all the sauce ingredients and cook until boiling. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce thickens up. Remove from the heat and set aside.

To cook chicken

Clean and dry chicken well. Marinate chicken with salt, pepper and ginger.

In another bowl, put potato starch. Drop chicken one by one into starch and coat thoroughly. Shake off excess starch.

In a large frying pan, heat up enough oil to nearly completely submerge chicken pieces. When oil is hot enough (test oil by dropping a piece of chicken in, if it bubbles up furiously, it’s hot enough), put in chicken pieces. Don’t overcrowd the pan as this will cause the temperature to drop.

Fry chicken for 5 to 6 minutes, turning chicken pieces to make sure they don’t overcook on one side. Remove from the heat.

Use a skimmer to remove the bits of starch that may have pooled at the bottom of the pan. Heat up oil again until bubbling, then drop chicken pieces in again and fry for 1 to 2 minutes.

Re-heat sauce until hot and quickly coat hot chicken in sauce. Sprinkle sesame seeds over chicken and garnish with spring onions. Eat immediately.

https://www.star2.com/food/2019/07/22/popularity-of-korean-fried-chicken/

Reduce stress by massaging these pressure points on your body

If you’re feeling stressed and worried, you can find instant relief by massaging certain points on your body.

Naya Din

July 10, 2019

This is known as pressure point therapy (acupressure). Ancient, traditional medicine used pressure points to improve blood and energy flow and bring relief to patients. It has been used to relieve tension, nausea and pain, improve digestion and sleep and help people heal faster.

“Science says there are thousands of pressure points. New pressure points are being discovered day by day,” he said. “Pressure point treatment began in China, but we Muslims have also been working on it since the beginning. Hijama therapy is based on pressure points.”

He said that in order for treatment to be effective, it’s important that you go to a consultant who knows what the pressure point connects to in the body.

Pressure points for back pain relief

A sedentary lifestyle or incorrect posture can lead to back pain. Tabrez demonstrated a pressure point on the arm that can be massaged to provide relief from upper and lower back pain. You can feel an improvement within three days.

Extend your right arm in front of you and locate the point on the middle of your forearm. Massage the point for 40 seconds on the first day, 30 seconds on the second day and 10 seconds on the third day. Then, massage using oils such as sesame oil.

Another point for back pain lies close to the wrist, in the centre of the forearm. Massage the point gently first and then press it three times. During the fourth press, hold for 10 seconds and then let go.

Pressure points for stress and migraine relief

Headaches, stress and migraines can be treated by massaging pressure points at the back of the neck. The first point is located at the base of the skull. Massage the two bony prominences on either side to relieve tension and improve blood flow to the brain.

Then, massage the point behind your ear. Press lightly between the two points three times to make your head feel lighter.

Follow SAMAA English on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

https://www.samaa.tv/living/health/2019/07/reduce-stress-by-massaging-these-pressure-points-on-your-body/

Vast majority of dietary supplements don't improve heart health or put off death, study finds

In a massive new analysis of findings from 277 clinical trials using 24 different interventions, researchers say they have found that almost all vitamin, mineral and other nutrient supplements or diets cannot be linked to longer life or protection from heart disease.

Date:

July 16, 2019

Source:

Johns Hopkins Medicine

Dietary supplements (stock image).

Credit: © monticellllo / Adobe Stock

In a massive new analysis of findings from 277 clinical trials using 24 different interventions, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers say they have found that almost all vitamin, mineral and other nutrient supplements or diets cannot be linked to longer life or protection from heart disease.

Although they found that most of the supplements or diets were not associated with any harm, the analysis showed possible health benefits only from a low-salt diet, omega-3 fatty acid supplements and possibly folic acid supplements for some people. Researchers also found that supplements combining calcium and vitamin D may in fact be linked to a slightly increased stroke risk.

Results of the analysis were published on July 8 in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Surveys by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that 52% of Americans take a least one vitamin or other dietary/nutritional supplement daily. As a nation, Americans spend $31 billion each year on such over-the-counter products. An increasing number of studies -- including this new one from Johns Hopkins -- have failed to prove health benefits from most of them.

"The panacea or magic bullet that people keep searching for in dietary supplements isn't there," says senior author of the study Erin D. Michos, M.D., M.H.S., associate director of preventive cardiology at the Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease and associate professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "People should focus on getting their nutrients from a heart-healthy diet, because the data increasingly show that the majority of healthy adults don't need to take supplements."

For the current study, the researchers used data from 277 randomized clinical trials that evaluated 16 vitamins or other supplements and eight diets for their association with mortality or heart conditions including coronary heart disease, stroke, and heart attack. All together they included data gathered on 992,129 research participants worldwide.

The vitamin and other supplements reviewed included: antioxidants, ?-carotene, vitamin B-complex, multivitamins, selenium, vitamin A, vitamin B3/niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin D alone, calcium alone, calcium and vitamin D together, folic acid, iron and omega-3 fatty acid (fish oil). The diets reviewed were a Mediterranean diet, a reduced saturated fat (less fats from meat and dairy) diet, modified dietary fat intake (less saturated fat or replacing calories with more unsaturated fats or carbohydrates), a reduced fat diet, a reduced salt diet in healthy people and those with high blood pressure, increased alpha linolenic acid (ALA) diet (nuts, seeds and vegetable oils), and increased omega-6 fatty acid diet (nuts, seeds and vegetable oils). Each intervention was also ranked by the strength of the evidence as high, moderate, low or very low risk impact.

The majority of the supplements including multivitamins, selenium, vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin D alone, calcium alone and iron showed no link to increased or decreased risk of death or heart health.

In the three studies of 3,518 people that looked at a low-salt diet in people with healthy blood pressure, there were 79 deaths. The researchers say that they found a 10% decrease in the risk of death in these people, which they classified as a moderate associated impact.

Of the five studies in which 3,680 participants with high blood pressure were put on a low-salt diet, they found that the risk of death due to heart disease decreased by 33%, as there were 674 heart disease deaths during the study periods. They also classified this intervention as moderate evidence of an impact.

Forty-one studies with 134,034 participants evaluated the possible impact of omega-3 fatty acid supplements. In this group, 10,707 people had events such as a heart attack or stroke indicating heart disease. Overall, these studies suggested that supplement use was linked to an 8 percent reduction in heart attack risk and a 7 percent reduction in coronary heart disease compared to those not on the supplements. The researchers ranked evidence for a beneficial link to this intervention as low.

Based on 25 studies in 25,580 healthy people, data also showed that folic acid was linked to a 20 percent reduced risk of stroke. Some 877 participants had strokes during the trials. The authors graded evidence for a link to beneficial effects as low.

The authors point out that the studies suggesting the greatest impact of folic acid supplementation on reducing stroke risk took place in China, where cereals and grains aren't fortified with folic acid like they are in the U.S. Thus, they say, this apparent protective effect may not be applicable in regions where most people get enough folic acid in their diet.

Twenty studies evaluated the combination of calcium with vitamin D in a supplement. Of the 42,072 research participants, 3,690 had strokes during the trials, and taken together the researchers say this suggests a 17% increased risk for stroke. The risk evidence was ranked as moderate. There was no evidence that calcium or vitamin D taken alone had any health risks or benefits.

"Our analysis carries a simple message that although there may be some evidence that a few interventions have an impact on death and cardiovascular health, the vast majority of multivitamins, minerals and different types of diets had no measurable effect on survival or cardiovascular disease risk reduction," says lead author Safi U. Khan, M.D., an assistant professor of Medicine at West Virginia University.

Other authors include Muhammad U. Khan and Shahul Valavoor of West Virginia University; Haris Riaz of Cleveland Clinic; Di Zhao, Michael J. Blaha and Eliseo Guallar of Johns Hopkins; Lauren Vaughan and Victor Okunrintemi of East Carolina University; Irbaz Bin Riaz and M. Hassan Murad of Mayo Clinic; Muhammad Shahzeb Khan of the John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County; and Edo Kaluski of the Guthrie Health System.

The authors received no financial support for this research study and declare no conflicts of interest.

---

Story Source:

Materials provided by Johns Hopkins Medicine. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/07/190716095529.htm

WHO warns overweight risk in overly sweet baby food

COPENHAGEN (AFP) - Commercial baby foods often contain too much sugar and display confusing ingredient lists, according to a UN report that proposed new guidelines Monday to improve infant diets.

  Last Updated On 15 July,2019 04:59 pm

A high sugar intake can increase the risk of overweight and dental cavities, the organisation warned.

The World Health Organization (WHO) examined nearly 8,000 products from more than 500 stores in Austria, Bulgaria, Israel and Hungary between November 2017 and January 2018.

"In around half of products examined... more than 30 percent of calories were from total sugars and around a third of products contained added sugar or other sweetening agents," the European branch of the WHO stated.

The WHO noted that while foods that naturally contain sugars, such as fruits and vegetables, can be appropriate in young child diets, "the very high levels of sugars present in commercial products is a cause for concern".

A high sugar intake can increase the risk of overweight and dental cavities, the organisation warned.

And early exposure to overly sweet products can create a potentially harmful lifelong preference for sugary foods.

"Good nutrition in infancy and early childhood remains key to ensuring optimal child growth and development, and to better health outcomes later in life," WHO Regional Director for Europe Zsuzsanna Jakab said in a statement.

Up to 60 percent of inspected food products were labelled as suitable for infants under six months old, contrary to WHO recommendations "that infants receive exclusively breast milk for the first six months of life", said the report.

The WHO said it was updating its guidelines to help member countries adopt new legislation to curb high sugar intake.

The WHO wants the promotion of breast milk substitutes to end, and recommends that children between six months and two years be fed nutrient-rich foods prepared at home.

The organisation called for the banning of added sugars and sweeteners in baby foods, and said labels on candies and sweetened beverages -- including fruit juices and condensed milk -- should state the products are not suitable for children under three. 

https://dunyanews.tv/en/Technology/500465-WHO-warns-too-sugary-baby-foods

Healthy lifestyle may offset genetic risk of dementia

Living a healthy lifestyle may help offset a person's genetic risk of dementia, according to new research.

Date:

July 14, 2019

Source:

University of Exeter

Summary:

Living a healthy lifestyle may help offset a person's genetic risk of dementia, according to new research.

The study was led by the University of Exeter -- simultaneously published today in JAMA and presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference 2019 in Los Angeles. The research found that the risk of dementia was 32 per cent lower in people with a high genetic risk if they had followed a healthy lifestyle, compared to those who had an unhealthy lifestyle.

Participants with high genetic risk and an unfavourable lifestyle were almost three times more likely to develop dementia compared to those with a low genetic risk and favourable lifestyle.

Joint lead author Dr El?bieta Ku?ma, at the University of Exeter Medical School, said: "This is the first study to analyse the extent to which you may offset your genetic risk of dementia by living a healthy lifestyle. Our findings are exciting as they show that we can take action to try to offset our genetic risk for dementia. Sticking to a healthy lifestyle was associated with a reduced risk of dementia, regardless of the genetic risk."

The study analysed data from 196,383 adults of European ancestry aged 60 and older from UK Biobank. The researchers identified 1,769 cases of dementia over a follow-up period of eight years. The team grouped the participants into those with high, intermediate and low genetic risk for dementia.

To assess genetic risk, the researchers looked at previously published data and identified all known genetic risk factors for Alzheimer's disease. Each genetic risk factor was weighted according to the strength of its association with Alzheimer's disease.

To assess lifestyle, researchers grouped participants into favourable, intermediate and unfavourable categories based on their self-reported diet, physical activity, smoking and alcohol consumption. The researchers considered no current smoking, regular physical activity, healthy diet and moderate alcohol consumption as healthy behaviours. The team found that living a healthy lifestyle was associated with a reduced dementia risk across all genetic risk groups.

Joint lead author Dr David Llewellyn, from the University of Exeter Medical School and the Alan Turing Institute, said: "This research delivers a really important message that undermines a fatalistic view of dementia. Some people believe it's inevitable they'll develop dementia because of their genetics. However it appears that you may be able to substantially reduce your dementia risk by living a healthy lifestyle."

The study was led by the University of Exeter in collaboration with researchers from the University of Michigan, the University of Oxford, and the University of South Australia.

---

Story Source:

Materials provided by University of Exeter. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/07/190714142509.htm

Ministers may advise on how much sleep people need

Ministers are reportedly planning to issue guidance on how much sleep people should be getting every night.

13 July 2019

The report suggests many adults could be risking their health due to a lack of sleep

The recommendations are expected as part of a series of proposals aimed at improving public health in the UK.

According to a leaked draft of the plans seen by The Times, up to three in four adults do not regularly get at least seven hours sleep per night.

It warns that making do with less has been linked to a range of physical and mental health problems.

• Sleep myths 'damaging your health'
• Body clock linked to mood disorders
• Late risers 'likelier to have early death'

Ministers are now planning to review the evidence - according to the draft, problems associated with lack of sleep include an increased risk of obesity, strokes, heart attacks, depression and anxiety.

It also suggests that sleep deprivation can hinder recovery from illness and surgery.

One idea being considered is for the health service to introduce "protected sleep time" for patients, when they are not disturbed unless there is a good clinical reason.

The draft guidance says: "As a first step the government will review the evidence on sleep and health. This is with a view to informing the case for clear national guidance on the daily recommended hours of sleep for individuals in different age brackets and to raise awareness of the key 'sleep hygiene' factors that can support healthy sleeping."

Health Secretary Matt Hancock is reported to be set to publish the full list of proposals - which mainly focus on plans to tackle smoking and to reduce obesity levels, in an attempt to help prevent disease and to save the NHS money.

Russell Foster, professor of sleep and circadian neuroscience at Oxford University, told The Times there was overwhelming evidence that good sleep could help protect against dementia, diabetes and depression.

However, he said ministers needed to be careful in the recommendations they make: "The difficulty is there's a lot of individual variation."

• Johnson promises review of unhealthy food taxes
• Sugar tax on soft drinks raises £154m

Another of the ideas being considered under the proposals includes extending the "sugar tax" to milkshakes.

The levy on soft drinks came into force in April 2018.

But Boris Johnson - who Mr Hancock is backing to become the next leader of the Conservative Party - has questioned whether such levies unfairly target the less well-off.

Mr Johnson has called for a review of the "sugar tax" and vowed not to introduce any new ones until it is complete.

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-48972243