Daylight can prevent, treat heart attacks

CU medical school researchers have revealed that intense light could be used to treat heart attacks.

There are already lots of ways to treat a heart attack - CPR, aspirin, clot-busters and more.

"The study suggests that strong light, or even just daylight, might ease the risk of having a heart attack or suffering damage from one," said Tobias Eckle, MD, PhD, an associate professor of anesthesiology, cardiology, and cell and developmental biology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

"For patients, this could mean that daylight exposure inside of the hospital could reduce the damage that is caused by a heart attack," Eckle stated.

What's the connection between light and a myocardial infarction, known commonly as a heart attack?

The answer lies, perhaps surprisingly, in the circadian rhythm, the body's clock that is linked to light and dark.

Proteins in the brain regulate the circadian clock. But the proteins are in other organs as well, including the heart.

Eckle and Holger Eltzschig, MD, a CU professor of anesthesiology, found that one of those proteins, called Period 2, plays a crucial role in fending off damage from a heart attack.

During a heart attack, little or no oxygen reaches the heart. Without oxygen, the heart has to switch from its usual fuel - fat - to glucose. Without that change in heart metabolism, cells die and the heart is damaged

And here's where the circadian rhythm comes in.

The study showed that the Period 2 protein is vital for that change in fuel, from fat to glucose, and therefore could make heart metabolism more efficient. In fact, Strong daylight activated Period 2 in animals and minimized damage from a heart attack.

Future studies will try to understand how light is able to change heart metabolism in humans and how this could be used to treat heart attacks in patients

The findings were recently published in the journal Nature Medicine.

Why some women fear falling in love

 Simi Kuriakose delves into issues of women who come with a statutory warning 'Not Made for Love'

More often than not, we come across different categories of men: one who don't want to love, one who love to be twitterpated by a woman, and others who love, hurt and vow never to love again. Women generally try to be a living proof to the age-old myth that they're all about fairytales and candybars, so the kinds you'd find are those who're craving to catch the eye of a man and willing to trade any happiness just to be in love. Then there's the other sector of the pie chart illustrating women who love their singledom and don't want to be with a man (for reasons more than you can count). Here's introducing the woman who pushes a man away, not just any man, but a man who loves her to the core (yes that happens), despite having feelings for him.

So what's with women who walk about in the world with invisible placards that read 'not made for love'? Is commitment phobia the only reason or are these women pro-feminism - attracted to men but think they're better off without them? What are such women threatened by that they can't get enough nerve up to either be in love or respond to it?

Why does this happen?
If you're the woman we're talking about, we probably know what's on with you. Here are some reasons you may relate to:

Commitment phobia
This is a common problem for most relationship issues. But here, a commitment phobic woman may be a man repellent despite having feelings for him. She'll track down the negative ideas of being in a relationship and sort it out in the 'See-I'm-better-off-without-commitment' division of her brain.

Fear of being heartbroken
Women who have the ''I aint love material' issue are not just love phobic but hyper-petrified. Susan Mark (name changed on request), who is aware of her push-the-man-away skills says, "I know I always shun the idea of love from a man who's attracted to me, not because I'm not smitten by him. I just can't deal with heartbreak. I can't go through the whole high expectations, not-meeting-expectations, sobbing, crying and more phases. I rather be emotionally numb than be emotionally active for someone till he sedates me off it but yet I feel the pain."

Chase me till I'm unavailable:
It is true, men love the chase, it gives them a kick. And women are conscious about this feature in men. So, since they know being unavailable gets them all the attention, why not extend the chase by keeping him at safe distance. Saying no may be a backup plan. Some women love standby's. Other women just feel, if they fall for the drill of the chase, it might get different later. So they rather stay away.

Seen it, don't want to do it:
Clinical psychologist Mansi Hassan says, "Women who have seen bad relationships in life in their past or among family or friends tend to keep men at bay despite having feelings for them. They never realise that their relationship may be different than the bad ones they've seen but also end up never trusting anyone enough to be in love."

What to do
1. Hassan explains, "It is best to go with the flow, giving up on the extremist attitude in love."

2. Have courage, it's okay to face the devil of love than worrying about it going wrong. You never know, maybe your courage will help you get the best of life.

3. Remember, hurt means heal. If you ever get hurt, time heals it. So don't be afraid to be in love.

Reactions that such women have when in love:
1. Since you have a high expectation in love, Hassan says, you may end up being extremely clingy.
2. Mood swings might be common for such women.
3. Such women may also end up being co-dependent, says Hassan.

Begin your day with oats

Everybody needs to be health conscious today, because most of us face health risks due to various reasons like bad food habits, lack of exercise, stress, obesity, drinking alcohol , smoking, etc.

Being healthy begins by eating healthy. Most of us begin our day by having breakfast that is high in fat and calories, for eg. butter jam toast, cheese sandwiches, omelettes, sheera, vadas, dosas, etc. which is bad for the heart. You need to begin your day with a non-oily nutritious breakfast, for example, having oats. It's quick and easy to prepare, so you can't complain about not having the time to prepare breakfast. Here are some of the benefits of oats:

- Oats contain soluble fibre called beta glucan, which is known to help in reducing cholesterol by the blocking of re-absorption of cholesterol when it passes through the digestive system. Regularly having oats lowers the cholesterol levels in the body.

- Oats contains low levels of sodium. This reduces the risk of contracting high blood pressure and hypertension.

- The soluble fibre present in oats tends to slow down the digestion of carbohydrates, thereby reducing the spikes in the blood sugar levels, which in turn do not lead to unwanted urges to eat.

- Eating oats leaves one much fuller, therefore you tend to eat less. This is especially good for those trying to lose weight.

- Oats contains very less amount of fat and lesser calories. This makes it good for overall health.

- Being a good source of natural dietary fibre, oats are beneficial in curbing the problem of constipation.

- Oats are also known to contain compounds called phytochemicals that can reduce one's risk of cancer.

How to stay healthy in summer

Summer means fun and frolic but people sometimes forget that the scorching summer sun is not as kind on their skin as the winter rays are. The intense summer heat not only affects our body, but the skin too. These problems are further compounded by dehydration, leading to electrolyte imbalance due to excessive sweating. This also 'tells' on your skin harshly.

In such a scenario, no family would like to have holidays blighted by summer scorchers such as sunburn, sunstroke, dehydration or a slew of fungal infections that make hay while the sun shines. It's imperative to be aware of the dos and don'ts to sidestep all these problems. The best way to avoid dehydration is by drinking plenty of water and other liquids, such as tender coconut water and lassi (buttermilk).

Dr Mukesh Batra says, "The other problem endemic in India's hot and humid climate is excessive sweating. This often leads to prickly heat, which is marked by tiny blisters - especially in the folds of the skin and in areas of tight clothing. In such cases, homeopathic remedies can be particularly helpful, since they don't add to the body heat and are a non-toxic way of healing the body. To relieve prickly heat rash, take 4-5 pellets of Natrum Sulphuricum 6X, twice daily. To tackle fungal infections, so commonplace in summer, take the homeopathic Chrysarobic Acid 6C, 4-5 pills, twice daily."

The other tips he says we need to remember are:

Avoid fried food: Eating excessive fat or fried food leads to lethargy, as it slows down the digestive process. It also affects the skin, making it look unhealthy.

Reduce tea and coffee intake: Being a diuretic, too much tea and coffee can cause increased urination; this leads to water loss and dryness of skin.

Don't overeat: Eat light to feel light and healthy.

Avoid cigarettes and alcohol: Smoking and drinking, including consumption of carbonated or fizzy drinks, desiccate, or parch, your skin. Avoid.

Skip tight-fitting clothes: Tight, skin-fit clothes hamper circulation, increase sweating and cause discomfort. Loose-fitting, light-coloured clothes will keep you cool all day.

Maintain good hygiene: Bathe twice daily during summers to get rid of sweat and body odour. Use prickly heat talc.

Avoid sun exposure: Between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm, it's best to stay out of the sun, since its ultraviolet rays are at their peak. Use a sunscreen lotion with SPF (sun protection factor) of 15-30 on exposed skin, half-an-hour before you step out; reapply every 4-6 hours.

"For people particularly prone to heat rash, it's best to take preventive measures during summer. Alter your lifestyle during summers and avoid tanning your skin. Those whose work duties entail travelling long distances may not be able to avoid the sun, heat, humidity and pollution. Heat rash or boils could then plague their bodies. This can be brought under control by using a home-made paste of one tsp sandalwood powder, along with a little camphor and some buttermilk. A few minutes before bath, apply this preparation, preferably using cold water. The heat rash will disappear quickly," says Dr Batra.

He adds, "Alternately, use another time-tested recipe. To some nutmeg and rosewater, add equal parts of pea flower, sandalwood and coriander powders. Dab this paste on the affected areas, or the entire body, if required. After sometime, simply rinse with cold water. Your body will now feel fresh and refreshed."

Keep work stress out of your relationship

Often stressful work seeps into your personal relationships making it difficult to balance between the two. We share some ways to ease out and keep the spark alive in your relationship...

Everyday hassles and emotional issues cause stress in relationships. Often couples go through periods of change. Stress at work is deemed to be one of the major reasons for this turmoil.

Pooja Desai, 25, Investment banker, says, "My job is so stressful that by the time I reach home, I am left with no energy to spend quality time with my partner and this often leads to serious fights."

We all have stress in our lives, be it job related, marital, financial or otherwise. This often causes uncomfortable mental and physical reactions to events in life.

Communication is very important. Devang Shah, Media professional, says, "Work keeps me occupied most of the time. This has hampered my relationship greatly. There is hardly any time to go out with my partner and it is very difficult to explain always."

Since you cannot avoid the stress at work, recognising and managing stress is crucial. Find a way to converse about what causes stress with your partner and this will help you a great deal. Not only will this make your relationship stronger but at the end of the day, you will feel relieved and satisfied.

What's bothering you?

Find out what's bothering you. Stress is often tricky and we all have trouble figuring out what exactly bothers us. Share your problems with your better half. This will also help your partner to understand what you are worried about and can think of ways to keep from adding to your stress.

Effective communication

Communication is perhaps the only medium through which you can resolve issues that bother you. Turning away from your partner during stressful events can only damage the relationship. This also leads to feelings of rejection which is not healthy. Remember silence leads to greater frustration and increased anger which can drive the two of you apart.

Balancing work-life

Most of the times, indulging in activities that you don't have time for can be overwhelming. This may cause problems in your relationship with your spouse or even your entire family. Head out for a movie with your partner or a long drive over the weekend. Don't be a workaholic, for it only causes imbalance in your relation. Prioritising work can often relieve you of excess stress and tension and you can lead a better life.