Archive for the 'Research & studies' Category

Research Into the Health Risks After Weight Loss Surgery

As the problem of obesity continues to increase in the West we are becoming more and more knowledgeable about the health risks of being significantly overweight and of the increased risk of death resulting from obesity. But just how far are these risks lowered by weight loss surgery?

A recent study looked at the records of a large number of people who had bariatric surgery from the start of 1995 to the end of 2004 and discovered that approximately one percent of patients died within twelve months of surgery and approximately 6 percent died within 5 years. When these statistics had been adjusted for age and sex and matched against figures for the population as a whole they were discovered to be fairly high. So what does this tell us about the ability of weight loss surgery to lower the overall risk to our health?

If we want to find the answer this particular question then we need to look behind the headline figures and look at just why these deaths happened and where the true difference lies between the population at large and obesity patients.

If we examine the detailed figures two particular things stand out.

The first is the figure for deaths resulting from heart disease which is the major cause of death in the obesity patients and is substantially above that found in the general population.

The second is the figure for deaths resulting from suicide and from drug overdoses which, although not officially classed as suicide, must nonetheless raise the question of whether or not such overdoses were truly accidents. In the general population you might expect to see roughly 2 suicides in a group of the same size as the study group and yet the group of patients showed a total of 30 deaths from suicide and drug overdoses.

If we look at these findings and set them alongside our wider knowledge about people undergoing weight loss surgery then we may possibly explain this variation to a certain degree.

In spite of the fact that bariatric surgery is usually very successful it is often not carried out until people are at risk from other conditions or comorbidities and, while surgery will cure a number of these problems and lower the risks from others, many people still remain at some degree of risk following surgery. In many cases for example people continue to be troubled by such things as high blood pressure and diabetes and it is perhaps not surprising that this section of the population remains at higher risk from heart disease.

Furthermore, while weight loss surgery may result in a significant weight loss many people remain very much overweight for a considerable time following surgery and some people will stay that way for years to come.

Finally, the changes in lifestyle which follow surgery can be dramatic and many people find that depression sets during the weeks and months following their surgery. Indeed much attention is given to the physical affects of surgery and the requirement for such things as a strictly controlled diet and an exercise program but, frequently, very little more than lip service is paid to the psychological affects of surgery.

Time will reveal the extent to which this explanation holds water but there is little doubt that improvements to follow-up care for gastric bypass patients would go a long way to solving this variation.

About the Author: GastricBypassFacts.info provides information on all forms of weight loss surgery from the roux-en-y gastric bypass to the mini gastric bypass
Source: http://www.articlesbase.com

Far Infrared Therapy Shown To Benefit Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Patients

A team of researchers reported in June 2007 in Nippon Rinsho have found what is sure to be a great health breakthrough for chronic fatigue syndrome saying that far infrared sauna therapy is showing to be a promising new treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) patients. This study, which involved thirteen patients from the Masuda Clinic in Japan, has offered important insight into CFS treatment. In this study, thermal therapy was performed using far infrared ray dry sauna for CFS patients who had symptoms such as fatigue, pain, and low-grade fever. These symptoms were dramatically improved in two patients, so prednisolone administration was discontinued. These two patients did sauna therapy consisting of a far infrared ray dry sauna at sixty degrees Celsius, with post-sauna warming. This therapy was preformed once each day, for a total of thirty-five days. Symptoms such as fatigue, pain, sleep disturbance, and low-grade fever were dramatically improved after only fifteen to twenty sessions of thermal therapy. Although the steroid administration was discontinued, the subjects did not show any relapse of symptoms during the first year after their discharge. The other eleven patients with CFS showed improvement in their physical symptoms such as fatigue and pain. Additionally, they reported that repeated thermal therapy had a relaxing effect and reduced appetite loss and complains in those patients who were mildly depressed. These results show that repeated thermally therapy may be a great method for the treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Far infrared technology wavelengths get into the body to create heat, which in turn creates great therapeutic benefits such as increasing blood flow to the muscles which delivers more concentrated oxygen, and therefore creating more energy to heal. Additionally, far infrared therapy stimulates circulation, helping the body to eliminate metabolic debris and waste.

Working with CFS requires daily therapy and the trouble with relying on a health professional’s office for your far infrared therapy means everyday trips to the office and more than likely fees. The best place to find far infrared heat is inside a Sunlight Sauna, which uses an exclusive Solocarbon heater, and operates at a lower temperature which is perfectly compatible with the human body. This lower heat frequency causes the production of more vital infrared light energy.

Infrared light is the part of the sun’s invisible spectrum of light that is able to penetrate the human tissue. Infrared heater technology uses these characteristics to heat the body directly instead of just the air. Far infrared saunas increase the body’s core temperature, helping the body to rid itself of harmful toxins through a deeper sweat. Conventional saunas heat the air with steam, which can often be extremely hot and only cause you to sweat on the surface. The steam also makes the air difficult to breath. A far infrared sauna, on the other hand, uses dry far infrared heat that is well ventilated which makes it extremely comfortable and relaxing. Many of America’s leading doctors and health experts endorse the use of Sunlight Sauna units. If you put one of these units in your home or practice for regular use, the health benefits are guaranteed to be well worth the investment, especially for those with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
About the author: More information on chronic fatigue and vitamin supplements can be found at VitaNet, LLC Health Foods. http://vitanetonline.com/
Source: http://www.articlesbase.com

Vitamin C is Good for Skin Care

Recent studies confirmed that vitamin C and its derivatives used in manufacturing skin care products can truly enhance the quality of skin in a few different ways. Vitamin C has anti-oxidant property which confirms its ability to fight against free radicals that are directly associated with ageing process and its apparent symptoms. Free radicals in particular refer to unstable molecule that can profoundly contribute to different symptoms associated with ageing. This article explores different essential qualities and functions of vitamin C for skin care.

Functions of Vitamin C

Vitamin C effectively protects our skin against free radicals. We develop free radicals due to exposure into sun, environmental pollution and cigarette smoking. Vitamin C promotes the production of collagen in the skin. Collagen refers to an important protein element that is essential for our skin’s firmness. So, as we can see, vitamin C encourages the production of collagen, and collagen is effective for skin toning. Thus we can easily understand how important vitamin C for skin care is.

In fact, when collagen is not produced in sufficient amount, that means, there is a deficiency in vitamin C in the body. It makes the skin starts becoming dull and gradually it will lose all its liveliness. Collagen plays a significant role in developing and maintaining connective tissues in the body. As vitamin C promotes the development of collagen, it means that it is essential to make your diet rich in vitamin C for skin care. It helps you to achieve a better skin all over. It definitely rejuvenates your skin from deep-root level and it reduces the wrinkles, one of the significant symptoms of ageing.

Availability of Vitamin C

In order to take the advantages of vitamin C for skin care, you need to make your diet full of citrus fruits like strawberries, kiwi and cantaloupe. There are plenty of vegetables that offer high amount of vitamin C such as cabbages, green peppers, broccoli, and spinach. It is always recommended that you should have plenty of these foods in your regular diet. However, if you are really serious about considering vitamin C for skin care, you may need to depend on vitamin C supplement as well, because our body does not posses the ability to produce vitamin C on its own.

Vitamin C for Skin Care

There are really a bunch of reasons that may compel you to make your diet rich in vitamin C for skin care program. But that does not mean that you eat a bag full of oranges every day. It does not necessarily bring about the skin you are longing for. To have a healthy skin and to make its glow visible to the outside world, it is a must that you need to organize your diet in such a fashion that it contains a healthy balance between different useful nutrients including vitamin C for skin care.

However, it is not so easy to implement especially when we search for the components to include for preparing skin care products for external use. Recent scientific studies have found the different derivatives of vitamin C for skin care products, which essentially offer almost the same advantages as natural vitamin C does with less consumption of ingredients particularly needed for the desired output.

There are plenty of beauty products available in the market that claim to contain vitamin C. Most of these beauty products offer skin care in terms of providing increasing protection against harmful ultra-violet rays. Some of these products are effective in increasing the production of collagen. Products rich with vitamin C have the ability to offer support against fine lines and pigmentations that are vital symptoms of ageing. However, one should not use them drastically prior taking advice from expert health practitioner. It’s the health practitioners, especially dermatologist who can guide you about using specific product depending on your skin type and quality.
About the Author: Dr John Anne is an herbal specialist with years of experience and extensive research on herbs and alternative health. If you are looking for more information, read about Vitamin C Benefits and Vitamins Overdose. Visit http://www.healthvitaminsguide.com for useful Information on Vitamins, Minerals and Amino Acids
Source: http://www.articlesbase.com

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