The Cardio Blog retired
For regular readers of this blog, I have disappointing news. The Cardio Blog is now retired. That means that, while it will still be available for reading and searching, new posts will not be added. Our Cancer and Diabetes blogs are also being retired, which I mention here because some readers bookmarked more than one of the Life Sciences group.
The choice to stop publishing these three blogs is a business decision, and has nothing whatsoever to do with their quality. I am, and everyone here is, deeply grateful to the bloggers whose dedication to these sites gave so much information and inspiration to thousands of people. These three blogs are among the longest-running properties in our network, and it is sad to let them go.
Thank you to our many readers for visiting us, and sharing in the community here.
Brad Hill
Programming Director, Weblogs / AOL
The Diabetes Blog retired
For regular readers of this blog, I have disappointing news. The Diabetes Blog is now retired. That means that, while it will still be available for reading and searching, new posts will not be added. Our Cardio and Cancer blogs are also being retired, which I mention here because some readers bookmarked more than one of the Life Sciences group.
The choice to stop publishing these three blogs is a business decision, and has nothing whatsoever to do with their quality. I am, and everyone here is, deeply grateful to the bloggers whose dedication to these sites gave so much information and inspiration to thousands of people. These three blogs are among the longest-running properties in our network, and it is sad to let them go.
Thank you to our many readers for visiting us, and sharing in the community here.
Brad Hill
Programming Director, Weblogs / AOL
DIY blood typing kit
Filed under: Prevention
Have you had a chance to check out our latest new blog? DIY Life highlights the best of do-it-yourself on the web, and there's some really interesting stuff over there. For example, this DIY blood typing kit is kind of neat. For less than $10, you can send away for an at-home testing kit that contains everything you need to find out your blood type. When you're finished, you can laminate the card to carry in your wallet.Knowing your blood type is typically not a top priority, but in an emergency it can be critical. Matching blood types is crucial during transfusions and certain blood types can only receive a specific type of blood. Though it's simple enough for your doctor to test your blood type, if you haven't had it done or if you don't have any blood work scheduled, this little test might be helpful.
Too much exercise can be bad for you too!
Filed under: Research, Exercise
Exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. But in individuals with heart troubles, too much exercise can be a bad thing too -- it can speed up heart failure ... in rats, at least. These findings are in direct opposition to what researchers thought they would find -- that the more they exercised, the healthier rats are. But don't use these findings as an excuse to skip the gym for the next few decades -- it's still thought that a reasonable amount of exercise is better than a sedentary lifestyle. Excessive exercise might be a problem, but a daily walk will not kill you.
Soy nuts good for the heart?
Filed under: Prevention, Nutrition
Soy is one of the more well-known health foods because it's high in protein and low in fat, particularly of the saturated variety. So it comes as little surprise that studies have shown that soy nuts are good for the heart -- specifically, they help lower blood pressure and bad cholesterol, especially in women. Soy nuts are those tasty little things you find in the healthy section of your supermarket. I love them, and they make a great snacking substitution to chips and other junk food. I've even heard that some of them are coated in chocolate but I've yet to find those in my local grocery store.
What do you think of soy nuts?
The "Fat Scan"
Excess fat around the abdomen is a known risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes. In most cases, this issue is easily identifiable in people. If someone has a big belly, let's fact it -- they may be at risk. But, it turns out that it may not be that simple in all cases.
Scientists from London's Medical Research Council suggest that some people undergo what they are calling a "Fat Scan" -- an MRI to detect if slimmer looking people have excess fat around and inside their organs. Though most newer MRI machines are capable of measuring fat, only three centers (one in Dallas, one in New York, and one in San Diego) are currently using them for this purpose, and are doing so only for research purposes.
Until this MRI "Fat Scan" technology is perfected and regularly utilized, it's best to follow a healthy diet and regular exercise program, regardless of how fit they may appear on the outside.
Athletes die of heart attacks too
We're often lead to believe that if we exercise regularly, our heart should be fine as we age. But here's something that might throw a wrench in that theory: Runners die of early heart attacks too.The truth is, while exercise is great for your heart and can reduce your risk of heart disease by quite a bit, it doesn't mean you're immune to heart troubles just because you go for a run every few days. You still need to maintain a healthy lifestyle that is low in fat and high in produce, grains and lean protein. And most importantly, you need to talk to your doctor and get screened for heart disease.
A link between Cholesterol and Cancer ... and it's not what you think
Filed under: Drugs
Having low cholesterol will improve your chances against heart disease and other heart problems, but it appears that very low cholesterol has a bad side too -- it's been linked to cancer, according to a new study.The findings come out of a study that was measuring the amount of damage that statins--a type of cholesterol medication that includes the brand names Lipitor, Pravachol and Zocor--had on other organs in the body, including the liver. However, if you're on statins, there's no need to worry just yet. It's thought the risk is fairly minimal and researchers will have to investigate further to determine more information.
The truth about women and heart disease
Filed under: Women Heart Health
Although breast cancer seems to be getting a lot more press lately, the biggest threat to women's health today is actually heart disease. And although men are more often thought of when picturing a heart attack victim, the truth is women are actually more likely to both have heart disease and they're more likely to die from a heart attack in the weeks immediately following than men are. The Mayo Clinic has a handy quiz for women regarding the truth on a variety of health topics, heart disease and breast cancer included, and it's interesting to read the explanations after you take it because some of the answers are surprising!
Getting healthy in middle age is ok too
Filed under: Prevention, Aging Heart Health
What's your excuse for not making those much-needed healthy changes to your life? No time? No energy? Think you're too old and it won't make a difference? If you're nodding your head to that last one, stop slacking off. New research shows that people who start their healthy habits in middle age really benefit from making the changes, lowering their chance of heart disease by a whopping 40%.But if you're in your 20s, this doesn't mean you have the go-ahead to become a full-time couch potato. The mistakes you make today can pay off later in life, but at least those in their 40s and 50s know they still have a chance to improve their health.