10 Reasons Not to Skimp on Sleep

Too busy to go to bed? Having trouble getting quality sleep once you do? Your health may be at risk.

By Sarah Baldauf, U.S. News & World Report

You may literally have to add it to your to-do list, but scheduling
a good night's sleep could be one of the smartest health priorities you
set. It's not just daytime drowsiness you risk when shortchanging
yourself on your seven to eight hours. Possible health consequences of
getting too little or poor sleep can involve the cardiovascular,
endocrine, immune and nervous systems. In addition to letting life get
in the way of good sleep, between 50 and 70 million Americans suffer
from a chronic sleep disorder—insomnia or sleep apnea, say—that affects daily functioning and impinges on health. Consider the research:

1) Less may mean more. For people who sleep under seven hours a night, the fewer zzzz's they get, the more obese
they tend to be, according to a 2006 Institute of Medicine (IOM)
report. This may relate to the discovery that insufficient sleep
appears to tip hunger hormones out of whack. Leptin, which suppresses
appetite, is lowered; ghrelin, which stimulates appetite, gets a boost.

2)
You're more apt to make bad food choices. A study published in the
October 15, 2008 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found
that people with obstructive sleep apnea or other severely disordered
breathing while asleep ate a diet higher in cholesterol, protein, total
fat, and total saturated fat. Women were especially affected.

3) Diabetes
and impaired glucose tolerance, its precursor, may become more likely.
A 2005 study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that
people getting five or fewer hours of sleep each night were 2.5 times
more likely to be diabetic, while those with six hours or fewer were
1.7 times more likely.

4) The ticker is put at risk. A 2003 study found that heart attacks were 45 percent more likely in women who slept for five or fewer hours per night than in those who got more.

5)
Blood pressure may increase. Obstructive sleep apnea, for example, has
been associated with chronically elevated daytime blood pressure, and
the more severe the disorder, the more significant the hypertension, suggests the 2006 IOM report. Obesity plays a role in both disorders, so losing weight can ease associated health risks.

6)
Auto accidents rise. As stated in a 2007 report in the New England
Journal of Medicine, nearly 20 percent of serious car crash injuries
involve a sleepy driver—and that's independent of alcohol use.

7) Balance is off. Older folks who have trouble getting to sleep, who wake up at night, or are drowsy during the day could be 2 to 4.5 times more likely to sustain a fall, found a 2007 study in the Journal of Gerontology.

8)
You may be more prone to depression. Adults who chronically operate on
fumes report more mental distress, depression, and alcohol use.
Adolescents suffer, too: One survey of high school students found
similarly high rates of these issues. Middle schoolers, too, report
more symptoms of depression and lower self-esteem.

9) Kids may
suffer more behavior problems. Research from an April issue of the
Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine found that children who
are plagued by insomnia, short duration of sleeping, or disordered
breathing with obesity, for example, are more likely to have behavioral
issues like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

10)
Death's doorstep may be nearer. According to three large studies
published in the journals Sleep and the Archives of General Psychiatry,
people over age 30 who slept five hours or less per night had
approximately a 15 percent greater risk of dying—regardless of
the cause—over the periods studied, which ranged from six to 14
years.

Mail Online

A great site for the latest health info

Diet and prostate cancer

Clinical trial results revealed exclusively to ITV News show for the first time on this scale, that changing diet and lifestyle after cancer has been diagnosed, can significantly improve a patient's outcome.

The trial, centred at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, involved men with advancing prostate cancer.

After a year of improving their diet and increasing exercise, nearly 40 per cent of them no longer required the expected surgery or radiotherapy.

Several studies show that eating certain foods may reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer, reduce the likelihood of prostate cancer coming back after treatment, or help slow down progression of the disease.

In recent years, the British diet has included less fruit and vegetables and more saturated fats and meat products. These changes may increase the risk of men developing prostate cancer over many years.

Find out more about how changing your diet may lower your risk of prostate cancer here.

135 grapes a day could help lower blood pressure and minimise risk of heart attack

135 grapes a day could help lower blood pressure and minimise risk of heart attack

By
Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 10:38 AM on 29th October 2008

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Grapes helped lower blood pressure and improve heart function in lab
rats fed an otherwise salty diet, U.S. researchers have said.

The findings, published in the Journal of Gerontology: Biological Sciences, may help people with high blood pressure, they said.

'These
findings support our theory that something within the grapes themselves
has a direct impact on cardiovascular risk, beyond the simple blood
pressure-lowering impact that we already know can come from a diet rich
in fruits and vegetables,'  said Mitchell Seymour of the
Cardioprotection Research Laboratory at the University of Michigan.

The research showed that rats on a high-salt diet had less cardiovascular risk when they ate grape powder

In
a study sponsored in part by California grape producers, Seymour and
colleagues examined the effects of ordinary grapes on rats that develop
high blood pressure when fed a salty diet.

Some of the rats
ate a diet containing a powder from red, green and purple table grapes
and a high-salt diet. Others were fed the grape powder and a low-salt
diet. The powder, which contained the same nutrients in fresh grapes,
allowed the scientists to measure the rats' intake carefully.

After
18 weeks, the rats that ate the grape-enriched diet had lower blood
pressure, better heart function, reduced inflammation throughout their
bodies, and fewer signs of heart muscle damage than rats that ate a
salty diet but no grapes.

'The inevitable downhill sequence to
hypertension and heart failure was changed by the addition of grape
powder to a high-salt diet,' Dr. Steven Bolling of the University of
Michigan, who heads up the lab, said in a statement.

Bolling
said he thinks flavonoids, beneficial chemicals found in grapes, green
tea, cocoa and and tomatoes, could be having an effect on blood
pressure. Flavonoids have been shown in other studies to have
heart-health benefits.

Food producers are keen to show the
health benefits of their products. Studies sponsored by chocolate
makers, almond and walnut producers have shown various heart benefits,
including reducing inflammation in blood vessels and lowering the risk
of heart attacks and stroke.

Grape powder comprised about
three percent of the rats' diet. For humans, that would be about nine
servings of grapes a day. One serving is about 15 grapes.

The
California Table Grape Commission provided financial support for the
study and supplied the grape powder. Other sponsors included the
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, part of the National
Institutes of Health.

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, can lead to heart attack, heart failure, stroke and kidney failure.

 

Major breakthrough in cancer research

Major breakthrough in cancer research as scientists unlock the secrets of crucial enzyme

By
Fiona Macrae

Scientists now understand the secrets of cancer enzyme telomerase

A
major breakthrough in cancer research could lead to the creation of
'one-size-fits-all' drugs capable of tackling almost all forms of the
disease.

Scientists have unravelled the secrets of an enzyme called telomerase that makes cancer cells immortal.

This allows them to multiply uncontrollably and cause disease.

The landmark discovery paves the way for the creation of drugs that block the enzyme, stopping tumour growth.

With
telomerase at work in almost all human cancers, such a drug or family
of drugs could have a major impact in the treatment of the disease
which affects almost 300,000 Britons a year and kills someone every
four minutes.

Liz Baker, of charity Cancer Research UK, said: 'This is a crucial part of the puzzle in understanding how telomerase works.

'Fundamental
research like this may help scientists to design drugs that block
telomerase and could potentially be used to treat a wide range of
cancers.'

The implications of the US research do not end there,
with new anti-ageing treatments or better drugs for age-related
diseases also possibly on the cards, the journal Nature reports.

The researchers from the Wistar Institute in Philadelphia, have deciphered the structure of a key part of telomerase.

In
healthy cells, the enzyme is all but switched off, and the cells
multiply a set number of times before dying - a key part of the ageing
process.

But in up to 90 per cent of cancers, the enzyme is activated, allowing runaway cell division and tumour growth.

Solving
the compound's structure will allow scientists to design drugs that
deactivate the enzyme and so halt the disease in its tracks.

The
targeting of cancerous cells should mean such medicines would be free
of the side-effects such as the pain, nausea and hair loss associated
with conventional treatments.

Previous attempts to make telomerase-blocking drugs have been thwarted by lack of knowledge about the enzyme.

Study leader Dr Emmanuel Skordalakes described the breakthrough as 'extremely exciting'.

'Telomerase
is an ideal target for chemotherapy because it is active in almost all
human tumours, but inactive in most normal cells,' he said.

'That means a drug that deactivates telomerase would likely work against all cancers, with few side effects.'

Unravelling the mysteries of telomerase could also pave the way for therapies that combat ageing and age-related diseases.

Switching on telomerase in a controlled, safe way, could theoretically produce younger, healthier and longer living tissue.

The
researchers concluded: 'Because telomerase has a critical role in both
cancer and ageing, these findings could potentially assist our efforts
to identify and develop inhibitors and/or activators of this enzyme for
the treatment of cancer and ageing, respectively.'

But the
enzyme's structure is complex and any drugs that are designed will have
to go through many years of laboratory, animal and human testing before
they reach the pharmacy shelves.

Red grapes 'are wonder cure for high blood pressure and cholesterol'

Red grapes are more than just the source for the world’s
finest wine - the fruits themselves are a wonder cure against heart
attacks, according to new research.

And while a glass of wine is
a recognised part of a healthy Mediterranean-style diet, it seems the
bits of the grape thrown away to make the tipple could be even
healthier.

Researchers made a cocktail extracted from the most
fibre-rich parts of the grape such as the skin and seeds which are the
waste byproduct in vineyards.

Tests on human volunteers found the
extract was extremely rich in both fibre and antioxidants which reduce
the risks of cardiovascular disease - the world’s biggest killer.

Most
other superfoods for the heart, like the plant extract psyllium or
healthy oats for instance, are usually good for either fibre or
antioxidants rather than both together.

But the tests at Madrid
University using a concoction called Grape Antioxidant Dietary Fibre
(GADF) was high in both potentially lifesaving ingredients.

Over
a 16 week period, adding the extract to the volunteers’ regular
diet ‘significantly’ reduced their ‘Lipid
Profile’ - the range of tests to determine a patient’s risk
of heart disease.

This included reducing blood pressure by up to
five per cent and cholesterol by up to 14 per cent among the
volunteers, said the research.

A Mediterranean-style diet
including components like red wine, olive oil and tomatoes has long
been considered healthier than other Western diets rich in deep fried
and fast food.

More...

• The online diet disasters: How personalised plans offer advice that is often wrong and sometimes dangerous
• Drinking fruit juice 'may stop medication working'

The research suggests the grape extract would make such a diet
up to 50 per cent even more effective in reducing the risks of heart
attacks.

Cardiovascular disease is the biggest cause of death in
the Western World accounting for up to 50 per cent of all natural
mortalities.

The extract, if turned into a health supplement,
could be particularly useful for those who suffer from high blood
pressure or high cholesterol, said the researchers.

The results
are published in the journal Nutrition today/Wed after 34 non-smoking
adults were tested with the GADF extract over 16 weeks.

While
that was going on, a further nine students from the university who were
not given the extract were also monitored so they could be compared to
the first group.

Those given GADF saw ‘significantly
reduced total cholesterol’, particularly LDL, the type known as
‘bad cholesterol’ which can lead to heart problems in later
life.

The reduction in both cholesterol and blood pressure was
much bigger than the effects caused by other high fibre products on the
market, they said.

Researcher Jara Perez Jimenez said: ‘GADF showed significant reducing effects in lipid profile and blood pressure.

‘The
effects appear to be higher than the ones caused by other dietary
fibres, such as oat fibre or psyllium, probably due to the combined
effect of dietary fibre and antioxidants.’

I limped for 10 years - but a tiny implant cured it in seconds

Thousands of Britons limp as a result of a dropped
foot caused by conditions such as stroke or head injuries. Brandon
Chambers, 38, a painter from Bristol, has benefited from a new implant.

He tells CAROL DAVIS about his experience, and his surgeon explains the procedure.

THE PATIENT

Making great strides: Brandon Chambers had
difficulty walking after a brain hemorrhage, but a new implant now
allows him to walk properly

A dropped foot doesn't sound very serious, but it's
extremely debilitating - I was only 22 when I developed it in my left
foot, and since then I haven't been able to walk without enormous
effort. I had to stop constantly to rest and would often trip over,
especially when I was tired.

It started when I woke up one
Sunday with an excruciating headache; I tried to sit up but collapsed,
so my flatmate called an ambulance.

I woke up ten days
later in hospital, paralysed down the left side of my body. I was told
a blood vessel in my brain had burst and had damaged the part that
controls movement (luckily my cognitive abilities weren't affected).

After
months of physiotherapy, I went home - in a wheelchair. It was five
months before I could walk again, and even then, because the muscles in
the ankle were still weak, my left foot dropped so my toes trailed on
the floor.

I had to wear a brace from below the knee to the
tip of my toes to keep my foot in a semi-raised position, so I wouldn't
trip over it.

But I still had to make a real effort to lift
my leg higher than normal to clear my foot, which was very tiring. The
brace was also heavy and caused painful calluses.

At the
time, I'd been a nursing assistant in A&E, but had to give that up.
Over the next decade or so I had regular check ups, then two years ago
my consultant mentioned a new technique, functional electrical
stimulation.

He explained electrodes could be stuck on the
leg just above the calf bone. A sensor pad connected by wires would
also be placed in my shoe under the heel of the foot.

Whenever
my heel started to rise off the ground, an electrical signal would be
sent to the leg and prompt the muscles to lift the front of the foot
before I put it down again.

The electrodes would be fired from a
control box - the size of a pack of playing cards - kept in my pocket;
the wires ran from here down the inside of my trousers.

I
was referred to Salisbury District Hospital. Six months later I was
given the two electrode patches. It was extraordinary to see my foot
move again after ten years.

I could feel tingling every
time the electrodes fired, and walking was so much easier. But I
developed eczema where the patches touched my skin, so it was hard to
use them for longer than a few days at a time.

Then my
physio suggested a permanent implant. The Stimustep implant was exactly
the same as the external electrodes, but would be implanted in the leg,
so it wouldn't affect my skin.

I was referred to plastic
surgeon John Hobby, who performed the operation. I had a general
anaesthetic for the one-hour operation.

The implant itself,
which is the size of a £2 coin, consists of a tiny generator
attached to two minuscule electrodes; this was put under my skin, 15cm
below my left knee.

Two weeks later, a control box was strapped to my calf, which sends a signal to fire the electrodes.

Cables linked the control box to a sensor in my shoe, and the electrodes fired when the pressure pad detected my heel lifting.

I can control the intensity the nerves are stimulated: too little and my foot won't lift - too much and I'd have an odd gait.

The control box needs charging every few days, so I plug it into the mains overnight like a mobile phone.

The implant may need replacing in 20 years or so. But I can finally walk normally again and have no problems with eczema.

I've just been on holiday with my partner Selina to Barcelona and I was able to walk for hours. It's changed my life.

THE SURGEON

Mr John Hobby is consultant plastic surgeon at Salisbury District Hospital.

He says... Around
25,000 people in Britain a year develop a dropped foot. This is because
the area of the brain that sends signals to limbs has been damaged -
through stroke, head injury or other conditions.

In
patients with dropped foot, the signals to lift their foot when they
take a step are either not being generated or not getting through.

So
their foot drags and they can trip over it. Patients with some movement
are offered physiotherapy to re-educate the body and teach them to
cope.

They can also wear a splint that keeps their foot in
a half-raised position, around 45 degrees, so their toes don't trail
and walking is easier.

As the nerve and muscle systems are
often still intact in the foot, it is still possible to signal to the
foot to lift and turn when the patient takes a step.

We've
treated around 2,500 patients with patches - surface stimulation -
including those who've recently developed a dropped foot, and those who
may have had it for many years.

While the patches work
well, they can be difficult to apply; they have to be stuck in a
specific place - 1cm out and they don't work. They can also send an
unpleasant tingling when the electrodes fire through the skin, causing
skin irritation.

But we can now also implant a stimulator under the skin. It works the same way as the electrodes, without the skin irritation.

To
place the implant we make a 6cm incision, below the knee. We isolate
the common peroneal nerve, which runs down the leg and has two branches
- a deep branch that transmits the signals to lift the foot, and a
superficial branch, which mainly sends signals to turn it.

Then
we make a small incision in the protective cover of the nerve and
attach two electrodes - one to the deep branch, the other to the
superficial branch - securing them with stitches.

The
electrodes are then connected, via flexible silicon leads, to the
generator bit of the implant. We check the electrodes are working
properly then close up the incision with deep stitches and dress it.

We
see the patient two weeks later to check the wound is healing properly.
This is when the patient is given the control box that is strapped
around the calf and connected by cables to a pressure pad in the shoe.

The patient can then adjust the stimulation intensity themselves.

I was delighted to hear that Brandon's implant works well and wish him many years of useful movement.

• The operation costs £6,400 privately, and a similar cost to the NHS.

Adjustable-continence therapy

Balloons placed in the bladder can cure stress incontinence

Two balloons implanted into the bladder in as little as ten minutes may be a new solution for stress incontinence.

Research
shows that seven out of 10 women were helped by the therapy, which is
designed to increase pressure around the bladder neck.

After
six months, nearly 70 per cent of the women implanted with the
devices - for whom all other treatments had failed
- were dry with no leakages. Read the story online

Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP)

'When I kept falling over, my wife said I was drunk': One man's battle with the disease that killed Dudley Moore

On a good day, Ray Nind falls five times. In the past
year, he's been rushed to hospital six times to be treated for the
resulting injuries - usually cuts to the back of his head that need
stitches.

'When I first began falling, people
thought I was drunk,' says Ray, 56. 'Even my wife thought I had been
drinking. She kept asking if I'd "had a few" on the quiet, but I
honestly hadn't. I didn't know why I kept falling. Now, fortunately,
everyone who knows me is aware I fall because I'm ill.'

Until
recently, Ray, who lives in Ilford, Essex, ran a building business,
employed more than 20 staff and drove a three-litre Jaguar. 'Now I just
watch TV all day,' he says. 'It's all I can do.'

Read his story

Beating heart surgery technique

Traditional heart bypass surgery is often too risky for
elderly patients, but new techniques mean such patients can now have
the life-saving operation.

Here,
Christina Hunter, 83, a widowed mother-of-two from Kirkcaldy, Scotland,
tells CHARLOTTE HARDING how this has restored her quality of life, then
her surgeon explains the procedure.