Sports N Health

According to a finding of a new study from doctors in Utah who looked at the relationship between periodic fasting and cardiovascular disease, regular fasting may be good for the heart.

It was found by the researchers that people who fasted regularly had a 58 percent lower risk of coronary disease compared with those who said they did not fast.

From Well.blogs.nytimes.com:

The study showed only an association between fasting and better heart health, which means it’s possible that fasting may not have a direct effect but might just be more common among people who are healthier to begin with. Devout Mormons, for instance, abstain from alcohol, smoking and caffeine, which are all factors that could affect heart health.

But the researchers say the findings are important because they affirm the results of an earlier, larger study, published in 2008 in The American Journal of Cardiology, that found a similar association between fasting and heart disease among 448 patients.

“The first study we did was not a chance finding,’’ said Dr. Benjamin D. Horne, director of cardiovascular and genetic epidemiology for Intermountain Healthcare, a health services and managed care firm in Salt Lake City. “We were able to replicate the findings and show that people who fast routinely have a lower prevalence of coronary disease.’’

The finding of the report was presented at the American College of Cardiology conference in New Orleans this week.

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According to a recently concluded research, lung cancer rates among older women have doubled in the past thirty years.

Experts are of the view that lung cancer is occurring amongst those who started to smoke in the 1970s and 1980s, many of whom never kicked the habit. Latest figures reveal that rates for British women aged 60 and over rose from 88 per 100,000 in 1975 to 190 per 100,000 in 2008. Those over the age of 80 had the highest rates of all with 273 cases per 100,000 in 2008 that was three times as many as 1975 when there were only 84 per 100,000. It is believed that most of those affected started smoking in their twenties, thirties, and forties when smoking was far more socially acceptable.

It was also disclosed that almost half of all adults were smokers in 1975 but this has dropped to just over a fifth today.

Lung cancer is the second most common form of cancer in women after breast cancer, with almost 41,000 new cases diagnosed every year. Almost 90 percent of lung cancer patients get the disease due to smoking and the remaining 10 percent due to passive smoking, asbestos, or air pollution. In the United Kingdom, lung cancer is responsible for more than 35,000 deaths in a year, one every 15 minutes.

Jean King, Cancer Research UK’s director of tobacco control, said: ‘These figures highlight how important tobacco control measures are in helping people to stop smoking.’ Under new laws, cigarettes could be sold in plain packaging as trendy logos and brand names attract youngsters to take up the habit, making Britain the first country in Europe to ban branded boxes.

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Before you go ahead with the idea of bodybuilding, it is important for you to realize and remember that you would be expected to spend quality hours while encountering intense workouts. While the chances of injury cannot be ruled out despite all safety measures, you would also have to work with a high sense of care and diligence. You also need to note the fact that diet of a bodybuilder is very rich in nutrients and you would have to spend a good amount of money to attain the simple benchmarks of bodybuilding.

If you are keen to use steroids or health supplements, do make sure that you use them under a qualified medical advice. Remember, nothing can take place of a medical advice and the advice of a gym instructor may not be sufficient enough. You also need to wake up early, sleep early, and indulge yourself in about 4-5 hours of exercises. There are some things that need to be avoided – caffeine, smoking, alcohol, antidepressants, antihistamines, and drugs.

If you can do these things, then bodybuilding is all for you. Name, fame, recognition, and everything you ever dream about would fall easily in your laps and you will be admiring your decision to opt for bodybuilding with all smiles.

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