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.

Mental health: How stress affects your body

Stress is hardwired in most of us. When we hold back feelings, or when we are excessively competitive in everything we do, always in a hurry to get the work done, not satisfied with work or life, impatient or often carry office work home, then it's time to take a deep breath and blow off steam; in a positive manner.

If you're stressed out, it will show, especially if you are a Type A Personality. Our body is like a radar for stress; if you're losing it, you're losing your body. Today we walk you through the telltale signs of how stress affects your body. And it begins with your crowning glory - your hair.

Hair - You will lose or it will turn grey. Everyone falls victim to hair loss, even great leaders. The irony is that when you see your hair fall or see it turning grey, you stress out even further. So relax, the next person may have it worse than you.

Brain - This is when you think of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Stress is a trigger for headaches, insomnia, nightmares, depression, anxiety, mood swing, compulsive behaviour, to name a few. You will also feel light in the head, dizzy, experience difficulty in concentrating as well as have frequent racing or incoherent thoughts.

Mouth - Sometimes ulcers may not be linked to what you eat but, instead, be linked to the stress you feel. The other symptoms include jaw clenching, teeth grinding, stammering, dry mouth and problem swallowing. While it's easier said than done, try and be conscious of your mouth's movements when you're thinking hard or involved in a stressful situation.

Muscle - Body aches and muscle aches are a common complain, especially among office goers. Spasmodic pains in which your muscles twitch, are extremely debilitating to say the least. Triggered by stress on muscle groups or joints, these aches need rest and nourishment for proper rehabilitation - something that our stressful lives do not allow. Further, a weak muscle or imbalanced muscle group are easy prey for poor posture and stress-related injuries. Maintaining a good exercise routine and complementing it with adequate nourishment is the best way to fight such aches and pains.

Heart and Lungs - Stress is linked to cardiovascular diseases and hypertension. Chest pains and palpitations are not just related to cholesterol but also to stress. A heavy heart or an overwhelmed feeling adds more stress to your heart in more ways than one. Asthmatics can associate with this point. Stress makes it difficult to breathe and this results in constant sighing. Practise deep breathing exercises to fight the effects of stress on your heart and lungs.

Digestive tract - Your stomach is not a silent observer. Irritable bowls, irritable colon, ulcers - these are all manifestations of and reactions to stress. Certain digestive ill-health concerns like constipation and diarrhea are also fairly common.

Reproductive organs - Women are prone to menstrual disorder and recurrent vaginal infection, while impotence and premature ejaculation is a common problem among men. All these issues are stress-related. While problems like PCO and other hormonal imbalance related disorders are just as affected by poor lifestyle choices, sometimes these can also be triggered by poor stress management. In the long run, such issues can impact your chances of conceiving.

Skin - This is a lesser known fact, but stress may also result in skin-related ailments like eczema and psoriasis. Besides this, sweating, rash, itchiness and infections are also linked to increased levels of anxiety. The more you share your nervousness and tension with others, the lesser you'll be stressed. Besides all other stress outcomes like poor digestion, weak lungs, hormonal imbalances, etc, will manifest themselves as skin problems as well. For instance, most cases of acne that persist through to adulthood are related to these internal problems.

5 point guide to get noticed at work

A step-by-step to cut promotion lines and be noticed at work

Forget spouting the 'right phrases' and walking the boss's dog. There are more solid ways to be noticed at work. And no, you don't have to stoop to sycophancy and late hours. If you really want to stand out at work, here are the things you should do:

1 Don't wait to be asked

Take the initiative and do little things that impact the team, without being asked. Preparing progress reports, putting back-ups in place or setting up reminders - it's a sure way to be noticed in a hurry. Very often, we only do as we are told and this turns the boss into a task-master. If you can see the logical conclusion of steps A and B, go ahead and do before being told to. You are acting like an adult, paying attention and displaying foresight. All good things.

2 Don't shut up

Meetings are black holes that gulp time, attention and energy. Very little gets done in them and the average drone is dozing off or checking up on Twitter during them. First
off, don't sit in a corner or near the door which indicates you are anxious to buzz off or remain unseen. Sit up front and pay attention. Ask questions and voice opinions - but not too much. You don't want to be the person that extends meetings pointlessly and makes everyone groan. Don't be afraid to disagree, just do it in a way that address the issue and does not make it personal. And keep it short. You don't want to get into an argument.

3 Jot it down

It's a boring job, but the rewards make up for it. The reputation for being reliable is slowly built and start with small steps. Keeping all the visiting cards you collect handy, phone numbers in a file, pens in a stand, a calendar on your desk - and you become the goto guy for everything. Jot down every little deliverable, task, errand so that you can remember or bring it up when everyone else has forgotten.

4 Keep books around

Sure, you can find everything on the Internet, but books give you an air of intellect. They also indicate that you keep yourself updated, cross-check your knowledge and believe in reference. Keep reference books, dictionary, thesaurus and journals pertaining to your profession at hand in your cubicle or desk. People may laugh at first, but then they'll head your way to look-up a thing or two; then you can laugh back. A word to the wise: Keep bathroom reading at home.

5 Know the staff

Be kind and respectful to the staff you don't have to 'work' with - janitors, liftman, peons and watchmen. But don't be condescending. Know their names like you would your colleagues' and address them by it. Don't forget 'please' and 'thank yous' and never raise your voice at them. Treating people, from whom you have nothing to gain materialistically, with respect immediately gives you exemplary character traits. While you are at it, also know the names and a little information about your colleagues' spouses and children.

Think positive, keep heart healthy

Positive psychological characteristics such as optimism, life satisfaction, and happiness appear to reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular events, a new study has found.

The study conducted by Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers is the first and largest systematic review on this topic to date.

"The absence of the negative is not the same thing as the presence of the positive. We found that factors such as optimism, life satisfaction, and happiness are associated with reduced risk of CVD regardless of such factors as a person's age, socio-economic status, smoking status, or body weight," said lead author Julia Boehm, research fellow in the Department of Society, Human Development, and Health at HSPH.

"For example, the most optimistic individuals had an approximately 50 per cent reduced risk of experiencing an initial cardiovascular event compared to their less optimistic peers," she said.

In a review of more than 200 studies published in two major scientific databases, Boehm and senior author Laura Kubzansky, associate professor of society, human development, and health at HSPH, found there are psychological assets, like optimism and positive emotion, which afford protection against cardiovascular disease. It also appears that these factors slow the progression of disease.

To further understand how psychological well-being and CVD might be related, Boehm and Kubzansky also investigated well-being's association with cardiovascular-related health behaviours and biological markers.

They found that individuals with a sense of well-being engaged in healthier behaviours such as exercising, eating a balanced diet, and getting sufficient sleep. In addition, greater well-being was related to better biological function, such as lower blood pressure, healthier lipid (blood fat) profiles, and normal body weight.

If future research continues to indicate that higher levels of satisfaction, optimism, and happiness come before cardiovascular health, this has strong implications for the design of prevention and intervention strategies.

"These findings suggest that an emphasis on bolstering psychological strengths rather than simply mitigating psychological deficits may improve cardiovascular health," Kuzbansky said.

The study was recently published online in Psychological Bulletin.

Let’s make growing up fun

Balancing nutritional needs, adequate rest and replacing the word 'exercise' with 'activities' can bring a lot of enjoyment into growing up

You know how important exercising is for kids but are they ready to do it your way? Will they agree to go through your boring gym routine? Most probably not. What do you do then? India's leading holistic health guru Mickey Mehta says, "First of all it is important to switch the word 'exercise' with 'activity' and then make it interesting and fun for kids."

Daily activity: Fast-walking, jogging etc., work very well for kids and can be easily incorporated into their hectic daily lives. "Simple things like asking your child to take the stairs instead of the lift can work wonders," says Sunandita D, mother of a growing child.

Open up: After being confined to classrooms and travelling to and from schools for a major part of the day, children need to go out to open spaces. Games like chain, lock and key, catching the crook, kho-kho, kabbadi, tug-of-war, hide and seek, hoola hoops etc. can probably do more for them than your gym can. Kids should be taken to water bodies for swimming, rowing and water sports. "Their games should create a sense of excitement and non-aggressive competition - boot camp games like crawling on forearms, duck walking, getting into a gunny bag and then hopping a distance works well for kids," he adds.

Rest right: Children grow during sleep and it is important that they sleep for more than seven to eight hours say pediatricians. The 'early to bed' part is especially necessary. With demanding school hours, tuition classes, extra-curricular activity classes, they are drained and should be encouraged to sleep early rather than watch television till late in the night.

Nutrition needs: Along with exercising and activities you should make sure that your child has nutritious, wholesome food, says nutritionist Deepshikha Agarwal. "Kids do not eat the necessary amount of food most of the time, so it is essential to give them calorie-dense food so that they get required nutrition. Give them food while they are on the run - like salted almonds, walnuts and pistachios. Unsalted ones may not tempt kids much."

Deepshikha feels that food should always be within reach for kids. She says, "Always keep fruits on the table or counters, instead of fried and junk food packets. Keep flaxseed around in their bedroom; that will encourage them to snack on it instead of having chocolates or empty calories."

Breakfast well: Making your kids eat a healthy breakfast is important. Mickey says, "If parents think that giving them a bowl of milk and cereal is enough then they are wrong. Wholesome breakfast should include bananas, upma and poha, dates, figs, and stuffed parathas."

Divorce, depression plague Kerala’s youth

Even as God's own country boasts of a cent per cent literate population, the state tops the charts when it comes to suicide and divorce

Looks like God's Own Country is fast metamorphosing into the haven of two ominous Ds - depression and divorce. Statistics spanning over 2010-2011 point to an alarming increase in the number of suicides and divorces in Kerala. What exactly is happening to the state that announced its cent per cent literacy to the world years ago?

Till divorce do us part ...

Funny as it might sound, looks like special funds need to be allotted to set up family courts across the state, with the existing 16 teeming with divorce cases. For, anything from the partner's body odour to infidelity triggers divorce.

About 8 to 10 divorce cases are filed in each of these courts on a daily basis, reports say. From 8,456 divorce cases in 2005-06 to 11,600 in 2009-10, the statistics from recent months indicate only an increase in the number of broken families. Kerala accounts for 1.96 lakh of the nation's 23.43 lakh divorced or separated women. Says Krishnaprasad, a lawyer with the Kerala High Court, "When a woman registers a complaint against her husband, even on the basis of apprehension, he stands a good chance to get arrested. And once the arrest happens, where is the question of working out a compromise formula? It is their egos that will work out more than the compromise. There have been many cases where wives have misused the anti-dowry laws to blackmail their husbands."

The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act has many loopholes, lawyers point out. "It is a double-edged sword; 90% of people misuse it. Ironically, the law that has been intended to protect women have more or less boomeranged on them, with the number of sister-in-law and mother-in-law arrests also on the rise with this provision," they say. Interestingly, the capital city takes the lead in the number of divorces. As many as 6,000 divorces took place in the past few months alone in Thiruvananthapuram's family courts. Proposals have been mooted to set up one more family court in Thiruvananthapuram. The 18 family courts in the state had a total of 38,231 cases filed last year.

Most of the divorce cases filed at court are by couples who have lived together for less than five years. "Ours is a society where physical abuse of women is much less in comparison to other states; here, the reasons for marital discord are different - ego clash, economic independence, low tolerance levels, debt, drinking, infidelity and impotency - among others," says psychiatrist C J John.

Calling it a day...

Statistics show that more than 80% of suicides are committed by people between the ages of 15 and 59. It cannot be refuted that divorce brings with it a fair share of depression too, notwithstanding the fact that the social stigma attached to separated couples has reduced considerably over the years. "It is a fact that nearly 78% of suicides are committed by married individuals," says psychologist Balakrishnan, adding, "In many cases, couples can be talked into settling their differences amicably. Unfortunately, we do not have an effective counselling system in place."