LET'S TALK ABOUT PNEUMONIA

In recent News, ESPN reporter Ed Aschoff, who covered the Southeastern Conference (SEC) college sports for the network, died Tuesday, 24th December 2019, after a battle of pneumonia. He was 34. That's sad right?

That is why we will like to educate everyone about Pneumonia.

What is Pneumonia?
Causes of Pneumonia
Signs and Symptoms of Pneumonia
How is Pneumonia Transmitted?
Types and Classification of Pneumonia
Complications and Risk Factors
Treatment and Prevention

What Is Pneumonia?

Pneumonia is a form of acute respiratory infection that affects the lungs. The lungs are made up of small sacs called alveoli, which fill with air when a healthy person breathes. When an individual has pneumonia, the alveoli are filled with pus and fluid, which makes breathing painful and limits oxygen intake.

Pneumonia is the single largest infectious cause of death in children worldwide. Pneumonia killed 808 694 children under the age of 5 in 2017, accounting for 15% of all deaths of children under five years old. More than 1.5 million cases are yearly in Nigeria. Pneumonia affects children and families everywhere, but is most prevalent in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Children can be protected from pneumonia, it can be prevented with simple interventions, and treated with low-cost, low-tech medication and care.

What Causes Pneumonia?

Pneumonia is caused by a number of germs or infectious agents, including viruses, bacteria and fungi. The most common are bacteria and viruses in the air we breathe. The body usually prevents these germs from infecting your lungs. But sometimes these germs can overpower your immune system, even if your health is generally good.


How is Pneumonia Transmitted?

Pneumonia can be spread in a number of ways. The viruses and bacteria that are commonly found in a child's nose or throat, can infect the lungs if they are inhaled. They may also spread via air-borne droplets from a cough or sneeze. In addition, pneumonia may spread through blood, especially during and shortly after birth. More research needs to be done on the different pathogens causing pneumonia and the ways they are transmitted, as this is of critical importance for treatment and prevention.

What are the Signs and Symptoms of Pneumonia?

Pneumonia can range in seriousness from mild to life-threatening. It is most serious for infants and young children, people older than age 65, and people with health problems or weakened immune systems.

The signs and symptoms of pneumonia vary from mild to severe, depending on factors such as the type of germ causing the infection, and your age and overall health. Mild signs and symptoms often are similar to those of a cold or flu, but they last longer.

Signs and symptoms of pneumonia may include:

√ Chest pain when you breathe or cough
√ Confusion or changes in mental awareness (in adults age 65 and older)
√ Cough, which may produce phlegm
√ Fatigue
√ Fever, sweating and shaking chills
√ Lower than normal body temperature (in adults older than age 65 and people with weak immune systems)
√ Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
√ Shortness of breath

Newborns and infants may not show any sign of the infection. Or they may vomit, have a fever and cough, appear restless or tired and without energy, or have difficulty breathing and eating.

When to see a Doctor or Pharmacist

See your doctor or Pharmacist if you have difficulty breathing, chest pain, persistent fever of 102 F (39 C) or higher, or persistent cough, especially if you're coughing up pus.

It's especially important that people in these high-risk groups see a Doctor or Pharmacist

√ Adults older than age 65
√ Children younger than age 2 with signs and symptoms
√ People with an underlying health condition or weakened immune system
√ People receiving chemotherapy or taking medication that suppresses the immune system
√ For some older adults and people with heart failure or chronic lung problems, pneumonia can quickly become a life-threatening condition.

What Are The Risk Factors?

While most healthy children can fight the infection with their natural defences, children whose immune systems are compromised are at higher risk of developing pneumonia. A child's immune system may be weakened by malnutrition or undernourishment, especially in infants who are not exclusively breastfed.

Pre-existing illnesses, such as symptomatic HIV infections and measles, also increase a child's risk of contracting pneumonia.

The following environmental factors also increase a child's susceptibility to pneumonia:

indoor air pollution caused by cooking and heating with biomass fuels (such as wood or dung)
living in crowded homes
parental smoking.

Trust this has helped you..

Feel free to ask questions, comment and contribute...

Watch out for our next write up, where we will talk about Types/Classification, Prevention and Treatment of Pneumonia.

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Compliment of the season and Happy New Year in Advance!!!

FEW WAYS TO AVOID SPENDING THE HOLIDAYS IN THE TOILET

FESTIVE SEASONS are great until you come down with stomach flu/gastroenteritis/diarrhea

Here are a few ways to avoid spending the holidays in the toilet:

(1). Hand Hygiene

Hand washing with soap has been proven to reduce the risk of stomach flu/gastroenteritis by 47%.
Be sure to wash your hands often especially after using the toilet and before handling food whether you're cooking or eating it. Also be sure that your little ones wash their hands.

Hand washing (or handwashing), also known as hand hygiene, is the act of cleaning hands for the purpose of removing soil, dirt, and microorganisms.

(2). Avoid Contaminated Food
If you have to eat out, eat only at trusted eateries.
Ensure to prepare foods properly and preferably eat them when they are still hot. Wash vegetables, fruits and salads properly before eating. If you'll be travelling, stick to food and water from reliable sources.

(3). Store Food Properly
If you need to keep them for more than a few hours then store them appropriately.

(4). Kitchen Hygiene

Keep your kitchen clean and disinfected.

Kitchen hygiene therefore, is the maintenance of high standards of cleanliness and sanitation in the kitchen to prevent food contamination. It also includes adequate care for cooking ranges i.e. shelves, cupboard, sink, floor and the ceiling. In other words, kitchen hygiene brings about a clean kitchen.

(5). Vaccinate Children

Ensure your little ones have received rotavirus vaccine if they haven't already. Rotavirus is the most common cause of gastroenteritis in children.

Vaccination is one of the most effective ways to prevent diseases. A vaccine helps the body’s immune system to recognize and fight pathogens like viruses or bacteria, which then keeps us safe from the diseases they cause. Vaccines protect against more than 25 debilitating or life-threatening diseases, including measles, polio, tetanus, diphtheria, meningitis, influenza, tetanus, typhoid and cervical cancer.

How has this helped you?
Comment and let us Know...

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Compliment of the season and Happy New Year in Advance!!!

STILL ON TYPHOID FEVER: SIGNS, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT

In our First Write up on Typhoid Fever, we have established what Typhoid Fever is, Causes and Prevention. Now, lets talk about the signs, symptoms and Treatment of Thyphoid Fever.

What are the signs and symptoms of typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever?

Typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever have similar symptoms̵. People usually have a sustained fever (one that doesn’t come and go) that can be as high as 103–104°F (39–40°C).

Other symptoms of typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever include

Weakness
Stomach pain
Headache
Diarrhea or constipation
Cough
Loss of appetite

Rarely, symptoms might include confusion, diarrhea, and vomiting, but this is not normally severe.

In serious, untreated cases, the bowel can become perforated. This can lead to peritonitis, an infection of the tissue that lines the inside of the abdomen, which has been reported as fatal in between 5 and 62 percent of cases.

Some people with typhoid fever or paratyphoid fever develop a rash of flat, rose-colored spots.

What do you do if you think you have typhoid fever or paratyphoid fever?

The only way to know for sure if an illness is typhoid fever or paratyphoid fever is to have a sample of blood or stool (poop) tested for Salmonella Typhi or Salmonella Paratyphi.

If you have a fever and feel very ill, see a Doctor or Consult a Pharmacist immediately.

How are typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever treated?

Typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever are treated with antibiotics.

Resistance to antibiotics is increasing in the bacteria that cause these diseases. When bacteria are resistant to antibiotics, the bacteria are not killed and their growth is not stopped when antibiotics are taken. Your Doctor or Pharmacist may order special tests to see if the bacteria causing your infection are resistant. Results from those tests may affect what antibiotic treatment you receive.

People who do not get appropriate antibiotic treatment may have fever for weeks or months and may develop complications. People who do not get treatment can die from complications of the infection.

Other than antibiotics, it is important to rehydrate by drinking adequate water.
In more severe cases, where the bowel has become perforated, surgery may be required.

The danger from typhoid fever or paratyphoid fever doesn’t end when symptoms disappear

Even if your symptoms seem to go away, you may still be carrying Salmonella Typhi or Salmonella Paratyphi. If so, the illness could return, or you could pass the bacteria to other people. In fact, if you are a healthcare worker or work at a job where you handle food or care for small children, you may not be able to return to work until a doctor has determined you no longer carry the bacteria.

If you are being treated for typhoid fever or paratyphoid fever, it is important to do the following to lower the chance that you will pass the bacteria on to someone else.

√ Keep taking antibiotics for as long as the Doctor or Pharmacist has recommended.
√ Wash your hands carefully with soap and water after using the bathroom.
√ Do not prepare or serve food for other people.

Five Facts About Thyphoid

√ Typhoid is a common bacterial infection in countries with low incomes.
√ Untreated, it is fatal in around 25 percent of cases.
√ Symptoms include a high fever and gastrointestinal problems.
√ Some people carry the bacteria without developing symptoms
√ Most cases reported in the United States are contracted overseas
√ The only treatment for typhoid is antibiotics


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Let's Talk About Typhoid Fever

In the last 5 years of practice as a Community Pharmacist, I've seen people coming for consultation with several misconception about Typhoid Fever. Many want to treat Typhoid with Malaria even when the widal test shows negative. As a result, I will like to enlighten our audience about Typhoid Fever.

Typhoid is a bacterial infection that can lead to a high fever, diarrhea, and vomiting. It can be fatal. It is caused by the bacteria Salmonella typhi.

The infection is often passed on through contaminated food and drinking water, and it is more prevalent in places where handwashing is less frequent. It can also be passed on by carriers who do not know they carry the bacteria.

What is typhoid?

Typhoid is an infection caused by Salmonella typhimurium bacteria that is spread from human to human.
Typhoid is an infection caused by the bacterium Salmonella typhimurium (S. typhi).

The bacterium lives in the intestines and bloodstream of humans. It spreads between individuals by direct contact with the feces of an infected person.

No animals carry this disease, so transmission is always human to human.

If untreated, around 1 in 5 cases of typhoid can be fatal. With treatment, fewer than 4 in 100 cases are fatal.

S. typhi enters through the mouth and spends 1 to 3 weeks in the intestine. After this, it makes its way through the intestinal wall and into the bloodstream. From the bloodstream, it spreads into other tissues and organs. The immune system of the host can do little to fight back because S. typhi can live within the host's cells, safe from the immune system.

Typhoid is diagnosed by detecting the presence of S. typhi via blood, stool, urine, or bone marrow sample.


How many people get typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever each year?



Worldwide, typhoid fever affects an estimated 11 to 21 million people and paratyphoid fever affects an estimated 5 million people each year.

In the United States each year, about 350 people are diagnosed with typhoid fever and 90 people are diagnosed with paratyphoid fever each year. These cases do not include people who do not seek medical care, who are not tested for either disease, or whose disease is not reported to CDC. CDC estimates typhoid fever affects 5,700 people in the United States each year. CDC has not made estimates for Salmonella Paratyphi.

Most people diagnosed in the United States have traveled to places where the diseases are most common.

If typhoid is caught early, it can be successfully treated with antibiotics; if it is not treated, typhoid can be fatal.

How are typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever spread?

These diseases are spread through sewage contamination of food or water and through person-to-person contact. People who are currently ill and people who have recovered but are still passing the bacteria in their poop (stools) can spread Salmonella Typhi or Salmonella Paratyphi.

You can get typhoid fever or paratyphoid fever if

√ You eat food or drink a beverage that has been touched by a person who is shedding (getting rid of) Salmonella Typhi or Salmonella Paratyphi in their poop and who has not washed their hands thoroughly after going to the bathroom.

√ Sewage contaminated with Salmonella Typhi or Salmonella Paratyphi gets into water you drink.

√ Sewage contaminated with Salmonella Typhi or Salmonella Paratyphi gets into water used to rinse food you eat raw.

What happens if you eat or drink something contaminated with Salmonella Typhi or Salmonella Paratyphi?

If you consume a food or drink contaminated with Salmonella Typhi or Salmonella Paratyphi, the bacteria can multiply and spread into the bloodstream, causing typhoid fever or paratyphoid fever.

How can I protect myself from typhoid fever?

Countries with less access to clean water and washing facilities typically have a higher number of typhoid cases.

If traveling to an area where typhoid is prevalent, vaccination is recommended. Before traveling to a high-risk area, getting vaccinated against typhoid fever is recommended.

Vacination: This can be achieved by oral medication or a one-off injection:

√ Oral: a live, attenuated vaccine. Consists of 4 tablets, one to be taken every second day, the last of which is taken 1 week before travel.

√ Shot, an inactivated vaccine, administered 2 weeks before travel.

Vaccines are not 100 percent effective and caution should still be exercised when eating and drinking.

Vaccination should not be started if the individual is currently ill or if they are under 6 years of age. Anyone with HIV should not take the live, oral dose.

The vaccine may have adverse effects. One in 100 people will experience a fever. After the oral vaccine, there may be gastrointestinal problems, nausea, and headache. However, severe side effects are rare with either vaccine.

There are two types of typhoid vaccine available, but a more powerful vaccine is still needed. The live, oral version of the vaccine is the strongest of the two. After 3 years, it still protects individuals from infection 73 percent of the time. However, this vaccine has more side effects.

The current vaccines are not always effective, and because typhoid is so prevalent in poorer countries, more research needs to be done to find better ways of preventing its spread.

How Can I Avoid Typhoid Fever?

Typhoid is spread by contact and ingestion of infected human feces. This can happen through an infected water source or when handling food.

The following are some general rules to follow when traveling to help minimize the chance of typhoid infection:

√ Drink bottled water, preferably carbonated.
If bottled water cannot be sourced, ensure water is heated on a rolling boil for at least one minute before consuming. Be wary of eating anything that has been handled by someone else.

√ Avoid eating at street food stands, and only eat food that is still hot. Do not have ice in drinks.

√ Avoid raw fruit and vegetables, peel fruit yourself, and do not eat the peel.

Watch out for our next write up on The Symptoms and Treatment of Typhoid Fever.

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PHARMACISTS AND PHARMACY: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

After 5 years of practice as a Pharmacist, i will love to share some knowledge with you. What you need to know about Pharmacists and what to expect from Pharmacists.

Who Are Pharmacists?

Pharmacists are experts in medicines who can help you with minor health concerns. As qualified healthcare professionals, they can offer clinical advice and over-the-counter medicines for a range of minor illnesses, such as coughs, colds, sore throats, tummy trouble and aches and pains.
If symptoms suggest it's something more serious, pharmacists have the right training to make sure you get the help you need. For example they will tell you if you need to see a Medical Doctor or go for a medical Test.

All pharmacists train for 5 years in the use of medicines, that's Bachelor in Pharmacy (B. Pharm).  However some are trained for 6 years, that's Doctorate in Pharmacy (Pharm D). Pharmacists are also trained in managing minor illnesses and providing health and wellbeing advice. Many community pharmacies are open until late and at weekends. You don't need an appointment – you can just walk in. Most pharmacies have a private consultation room where you can discuss issues with pharmacy staff without being overheard.

Pharmacists can answer your questions on prescription and over-the-counter medicines.

Services That Pharmacists And Pharmacies Provide

√ Dispensing of Hospital prescriptions
√ Access to the repeat prescription service
√ An emergency supply of medicine (subject to the decision of the pharmacist)
√ Non-prescription medicines like paracetamol
√ Advice on treating minor health concerns and healthy living
√ Help you with Inhaler Technique
√ How to take a medicine safely
√ Helping you understand the correct dose of a new medicine and how often you need to take it.


Repeat Prescriptions

If you're regularly prescribed the same medicine, your Medical Doctor may offer a prescription that can be repeated several times. You choose which pharmacy you would prefer to collect your prescriptions from.

You'll then be able to collect your repeat medicines directly from the pharmacy you have chosen until your doctor needs to review your treatment. This means fewer trips to your Medical Doctor just to get another prescription.

If you are using this service, you will need to contact your chosen pharmacy a few days before you run out of medicine to ask for a new prescription and find out when it will be ready.

As part of this service, the pharmacist will ask if you're having any problems or side effects with your prescription medicines and, where appropriate, they can discuss this with you and your Doctor.


Minor Illnesses

Pharmacies can give treatment advice about a range of common conditions and minor injuries, such as:

√ Aches and pains
√ Sore throat
√ Coughs, colds and flu
√ Earache
√ Cystitis
√ Skin rashes
√ Teething
√ Red eye

If you want to buy an over-the-counter medicine, the pharmacist and their team can help you choose. Antibiotics will not be available over the counter to treat minor conditions.


New Medicine Service

New Medicine Service is available at pharmacies to give you extra help and advice if you're just starting on a new medicine for one of the following conditions:

√ Asthma
√ Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
√ Type 2 diabetes
√ High blood pressure
√ People who have been given a new blood-thinning medicine

Disposing of Old Medicines

If your medicine is out of date, unwanted, or some of it is left over after you have stopped taking it, don't put it in your household bin or flush it down the toilet. Instead, take it to your pharmacy to be disposed of safely.


Other Pharmacy Services

Other services that may be available at your local pharmacy:

√ Emergency contraception
√ Asthma inhaler use and advice
√ Blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar testing
√ Weight management service
√ Vaccination

 Out-of-hours service

Many pharmacies offer extended opening hours in the evenings and at weekends. Some are open until midnight or even later, even on public holidays.

Trust you are enlightened. Feel free to comment, ask questions and share with your friends. You can also check out our home page for different write ups on healthy living.

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EXERCISE WILL GIVE YOU MORE ENERGY EVEN WHEN YOU ARE TIRED

After a long day at work, going to the gym is probably the last thing on your list of priorities but research has found that exercising actually gives you more energy. A study published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise found that levels of fatigue and depression improved after a 30-minute session of moderate intensity exercise.

This is because exercise improves your cardiovascular health which means that more blood and oxygen flow around the body, therefore giving you more energy.

If You’re Tired… Exercise

You can also check out our recent writeup on How Lack of Exercise and Inactivity is causing death like Smoking

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HOW EXERCISE CAN KEEP YOU YOUNG

To stay young, you have to keep your cells young, and what dictates a cell’s age is its DNA. Too many cycles of dividing can trigger the aging process, until eventually the cell peters out and stops dividing altogether.

But now researchers have found that exercise can help keep DNA healthy and young. In a small study published in the journal Science Advances, Anabelle Decottignies, from the de Duve Institute at the Catholic University of Louvain in Brussels, and her colleagues found that just moderate-intensity physical activity helps hold back cell aging.

They studied a specific part of DNA that keeps track of how many times a cell has divided. Each time a cell divides, it copies its DNA (which is packed into chromosomes) and this section of the chromosomes, called telomeres, gets shorter. In the study, Decottignies identified a molecule that’s responsible for directing this telomere-shortening. Until this work, not much was known about how the chromosomes controlled this DNA snipping process. Decottignies recruited 10 healthy people to ride stationary bicycles for 45 minutes and took a muscle biopsy from each of their legs before and after the cycling session. She also measured blood levels of muscle function with lactate, which muscle cells produce when stressed

Based on analysis of these samples, the researchers found that a compound called nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF1) regulates the production of a factor that in turn controls the shortening of the telomeres. Exercise boosts levels of NRF1, which protects the telomeres from being snipped away. “Think about NRF1 like varnish on nails,” says Decottignies. “You cannot change the nail, but you can change the varnish again and again. What you’re doing is refreshing and replacing the old section with new protective molecules at the telomeres.”

With each bout of moderate exercise, she says, the protection to the telomeres is refreshed, thus helping the DNA, and in turn the cells, to remain “younger” and hold off the aging process. “The protection is constantly renewed upon exercise,” says Decottignies.

Other evidence supports the connection between exercise and its effect on telomeres. NRF1 is also part of the pathway that’s activated during starvation; some studies have indeed hinted that a fasting diet may help cells stay biologically young and not divide as frequently.

In the study, the team didn’t actually measure whether the 45 minutes led to longer telomeres, but that’s a focus of future studies. For now, the findings provide strong support for a way that exercise may keep us young by keeping our DNA young.

Source: https://time.com/4426572/exercise-dna-telomeres/?iid=sr-link2

You can also check out our recent writeup on How Lack of Exercise and Inactivity is causing death like Smoking

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Lack of Exercise and Inactivity 'killing as many as Smoking'

A lack of exercise is now causing as many deaths as smoking across the world, a study suggests.

The report, published in the Lancet to coincide with the build-up to the Olympics, estimates that about a third of adults are not doing enough physical activity, causing 5.3m deaths a year.

That equates to about one in 10 deaths from diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and breast and colon cancer.

Researchers said the problem was now so bad it should be treated as a pandemic.

And they said tackling it required a new way of thinking, suggesting the public needed to be warned about the dangers of inactivity rather than just reminded of the benefits of being active.

The team of 33 researchers drawn from centres across the world also said governments needed to look at ways to make physical activity more convenient, affordable and safer.

It is recommended that adults do 150 minutes of moderate exercise, such as brisk walking, cycling or gardening, each week.

The Lancet study found people in higher income countries were the least active with those in the UK among the worst, as nearly two-thirds of adults were judged not to be doing enough.

The researchers admitted comparisons between countries were difficult because the way activity was estimated may have differed from place to place.

Nonetheless, they said they remained confident that their overall conclusion was valid.

Pedro Hallal, one of the lead researchers, said: "With the upcoming 2012 Olympic Games, sport and physical activity will attract tremendous worldwide attention.

"Although the world will be watching elite athletes from many countries compete in sporting events... most spectators will be quite inactive.

"The global challenge is clear - make physical activity a public health priority throughout the world to improve health and reduce the burden of disease."

Prof Lindsey Davies, president of the UK Faculty of Public Health, agreed.

"We need to do all we can to make it easy for people to look after their health and get active as part of their daily lives," she said.

"Our environment has a significant part to play. For example, people who feel unsafe in their local park will be less likely to use it."

But others questioned equating smoking with inactivity.

While smoking and inactivity kill a similar number of people, smoking rates are much lower than the number of inactive people, making smoking more risky to the individual.

Dr Claire Knight, of Cancer Research UK, said: "When it comes to preventing cancer, stopping smoking is by far the most important thing you can do."

Source:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-politics-18876880


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Too Much Sleeping and Sitting Increases Chances Of Early Death

Sleeping more than nine hours a night, and sitting too much during the day could be a hazardous combination, particularly when added to a lack of exercise, according to new research from the University of Sydney’s 45 and Up Study.

The findings, published today in the journal PLOS Medicine, show that a person who sleeps too much, sits too much and isn’t physically active enough is more than four times as likely to die early as a person without those unhealthy lifestyle habits. (Too much sitting equates to more than 7 hours a day and too little exercise is defined as less than 150 minutes a week.)

“Evidence has increased in recent years to show that too much sitting is bad for you and there is growing understanding about the impact of sleep on our health but this is the first study to look at how those things might act together,” said lead author Dr Melody Ding.

“When you add a lack of exercise into the mix, you get a type of ‘triple whammy’ effect. Our study shows that we should really be taking these behaviours together as seriously as we do other risk factors such as levels of drinking and unhealthy eating patterns. ”

Dr Ding and her colleagues from the University of Sydney analysed the health behaviours of more than 230,000 of the participants in the 45 and Up Study – Australia’s largest study – which is looking at the health of our population as we age.

They looked at lifestyle behaviours that are already known to increase the risk of death and disease – smoking, high alcohol intake, poor diet and being physically inactive – and added excess sitting time and too little/too much sleep into the equation. They then looked at different combinations of all of these risk factors to see which groupings had the most impact on a person’s risk of dying prematurely from any cause.

As well as new evidence on the risky combination of prolonged sleep, sitting and lack of exercise, the researchers also found another problematic triple threat: smoking, high alcohol intake and lack of sleep (less than 7 hours a night) is also linked to a more than four-times greater risk of early death

And several other combinations led to more than double the risk of early death:
Being physically inactive + too much sleep
Being physically inactive + too much sitting
Smoking + high alcohol intake

“The take-home message from this research – for doctors, health planners and researchers – is that if we want to design public health programs that will reduce the massive burden and cost of lifestyle-related disease we should focus on how these risk factors work together rather than in isolation,” said study co-author Professor Adrian Bauman.

“These non-communicable diseases (such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer) now kill more than 38 million people around the world – and cause more deaths than infectious disease. Better understanding what combination of risk behaviours poses the biggest threat will guide us on where to best target scarce resources to address this major – and growing – international problem.”

About the 45 and Up Study

The 45 and Up Study is the largest ongoing study of healthy ageing in the Southern Hemisphere involving a quarter of a million people – one in every 10 men and women aged 45 and over in NSW.

Over time, we are asking all participants ongoing questions about their health, lifestyle, and the medications they use. It is providing the first large-scale, comprehensive measure of health as people move from mid to later life and allowing governments and health policy makers to better plan health services and programs for our ageing population.

It is an accessible resource that researchers and policy-makers can apply to use. More than 580 researchers have used the Study in their work, and numerous policy agencies are also using it directly to help them address important questions about designing and delivering health services.

Source:
https://sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2015/12/09/long-nights-and-lazy-days-could-send-you-to-an-early-grave--45-a.html


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FIVE FACTS ABOUT THE HUMAN HEART EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW

You can feel your heart thudding away every time you put your hand to your chest, but do you have any idea what’s really going on in there or what keeps your heart ticking as it should? Here are five facts about the human heart everyone should know.


1. How the human heart functions

Every day, your heart beats about 100,000 times, sending 2,000 gallons of blood surging through your body. Although it’s no bigger than your fist, your heart has the mighty job of keeping blood flowing through the 60,000 miles of blood vessels that feed your organs and tissues. Any damage to the heart or its valves can reduce that pumping power, forcing the heart to work harder just to keep up with the body’s demand for blood.

So how do you make sure your heart is in tip-top shape? "Keeping your body in good health helps keep the heart a more efficient organ". In other words, eat healthy, well-balanced meals and don’t skimp on the exercise.

2. Male heart attack symptoms, female heart attack symptoms

When it comes to matters of the heart, men and women definitely aren’t created equal. For instance, a man’s heart weighs about 10 ounces, while a woman’s heart weighs approximately 8 ounces.

Not only is a woman’s heart smaller than a man’s, but the signs that it’s in trouble are a lot less obvious. When women have a heart attack -- and more than a half million do each year -- they’re more likely to have nausea, indigestion, and shoulder aches rather than the hallmark chest pain.

Heart disease is the biggest killer of both men and women. And both genders should heed this healthy advice: Don’t smoke, keep your blood pressure and cholesterol levels in check, and watch for the obvious and the more subtle warning signs your heart could be in trouble.

3. Laughter: The good heart medicine

Health experts now have proof that laughter is good medicine. A good belly laugh can send 20% more blood flowing through your entire body. One study found that when people watched a funny movie, their blood flow increased. That’s why laughter might just be the perfect antidote to stress.

When you laugh, the lining of your blood vessel walls relaxes and expands.

4. Stress and the Monday morning heart attack

You’re more likely to have a heart attack on Monday morning than at any other time of the week.

Doctors have long known that morning is prime time for heart attacks. "We call it 'the witching hour,'" Krasuski says. That's because levels of a stress hormone called cortisol peak early in the day. When this happens, cholesterol plaque that has built up in the arteries can rupture and block the flow of blood to the heart. Add in the rise in blood pressure and increased heart rate from the stress of returning to work after the weekend, and you have the perfect recipe for a Monday morning heart attack.

That’s why it’s important to reduce your stress levels as much as you can. Practice meditation, exercise, laugh (see tip No. 3), or spend more quality time with your family -- whatever works best for you.

5. How sex helps the heart

Having an active sex life could cut a man’s risk of dying from heart disease in half. For married men, having an orgasm three or four times a week might offer potent protection against a heart attack or stroke, according to one British study.

Whether sex works as well for women’s hearts is unclear, but a healthy love life seems to equate to good overall health. For one thing, sexual activity is an excellent stress buster. It’s also great exercise -- burning about 85 calories per half-hour session.

If you find it difficult to have sex, that could be a big red flag that something is wrong with your heart. For example, some researchers think erectile dysfunction might warn of a heart attack up to five years in advance.

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Source: Webmd

WHAT ARE NON - COMMUNICABLE DISEASES (NCDs)?

WHAT ARE NON - COMMUNICABLE DISEASES (NCDs)?

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are diseases that are not passed from person to person, that is they are not transmissible directly from one person to another. They are of long duration and generally of slow progression.

The five main types of NCDs are cardiovascular diseases (e.g. heart attacks and stroke), certain cancers, chronic respiratory diseases (e.g. chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma), type 2 diabetes, and mental disorders. Others include Parkinson's disease, autoimmune diseases, chronic kidney disease, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, Alzheimer's disease, cataracts, etc. NCDs may be chronic or acute. Most are non-infectious, although there are some non-communicable infectious diseases, such as parasitic diseases in which the parasite's life cycle does not include direct host-to-host transmission.

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), including heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and chronic lung disease, are collectively responsible for almost 70% of all deaths worldwide. NCDs – primarily heart and lung diseases, cancers and diabetes – are the world’s largest killers, with an estimated 38 million deaths annually.  Almost three quarters of all NCD deaths, and 82% of the 16 million people who died prematurely, or before reaching 70 years of age, occur in low- and middle-income countries.

NCDs, primarily cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, cancer, and diabetes, are responsible for 71% of deaths worldwide, causing 15 million deaths in the prime of people lives - between the ages of 30 and 70 years - creating a global health epidemic that calls for immediate action. In addition, mental health conditions and disorders are a major concern, with depression alone affecting 300 million people.

The epidemic of NCDs poses devastating health consequences for individuals, families and communities, and threatens to overwhelm health systems. The socioeconomic costs associated with NCDs make the prevention and control of these diseases a major development imperative for the 21st century.