Female smokers at greater risk of brain bleeds

Female smokers at greater risk of brain bleeds

Lifestyle Unknown   5:51:00 AM

Bleeding inside the lining of the brain or subarachnoid hemorrhage is significantly more common among smokers, especially women, a new study has found.

Subarachnoid hemorrhage results from bleeding into the lining between the brain's surface and underlying brain tissue, researchers said. Although these are more common among women than they are among men, the reasons for this difference were unclear. While smoking is the main risk factor, researchers have now examined the association between smoking habits and subarachnoid hemorrhage.

"Female sex has been described as an independent risk factor for subarachnoid hemorrhage, but we found strong evidence that the elevated risk in women is explained by vulnerability to smoking," said Joni Valdemar Lindbohm from University of Helsinki in Finland. "Our results suggest that age, sex and lifestyle risk factors play a critical role in predicting which patients are at risk for subarachnoid hemorrhage and emphasise the importance of effective smoking cessation strategies," said Lindbohm.

Although cigarette smoking was linked to an increased risk of subarachnoid hemorrhage among both sexes, women faced the highest risk. Researchers found that among light smokers (1 to 10 cigarettes per day), women were 2.95 times more likely to have subarachnoid hemorrhage compared to non-smokers, while men who smoked comparable amounts of cigarettes were 1.93 times more

likely.

Women who smoked 11 to 20 cigarettes per day were 3.89 times more likely to have subarachnoid hemorrhage compared to non-smokers, while men who smoked comparable amounts of cigarettes were 2.13 times more likely, researchers said. Women who smoked 21 to 30 cigarettes per day were more than 8.35 times likely to have subarachnoid hemorrhage compared to non-smokers, while men who smoked comparable amounts of cigarettes were 2.76 times more likely, they said.

The study found that subarachnoid hemorrhage risk significantly decreased among former smokers. Women and men that quit smoking more than six months earlier had comparable risk to non-smokers. "There is no safe level of smoking. Naturally the best option is never to start. Quitting smoking, however, can reduce the risk for subarachnoid hemorrhage in both sexes," said Lindbohm.

The study participants included 65,521 adults in Finish national surveys. Slightly more than half of participants were women, and their average age was 45 years. The findings were published in the journal Stroke.

Why some people are more intelligent than others

Why some people are more intelligent than others

Lifestyle Unknown   1:10:00 PM

The more variable a brain is and the more its different parts frequently connect with each other, the higher a person’s intelligence quotient (IQ) and creativity are, researchers have revealed for the first time.

In a bid to unlock the secrets of the human brain, a team of researchers led by the University of Warwick quantified the brain’s dynamic functions, identifying how different parts of the brain interact with each other at different times to discover how the intellect works.

More accurate understanding of human intelligence could lead to future developments in artificial intelligence.

Today’s brides and grooms are so mush in love! And they ain’t hiding it

Today’s brides and grooms are so mush in love! And they ain’t hiding it

Lifestyle Unknown   11:13:00 PM

Not everyone can build a Taj Mahal to immortalize their love. However, you can certainly express it through different ways and means. And if you do it in a way that touches the heart, nothing can be more moving than this.

In an ongoing trend, people are going all out to express their love for their partners on their wedding day. They are coming up with unique ideas to express their love for each other.

Avinash Dwivedi, who recently tied the knot with his long time actor girlfriend Sambhavna Seth, did something overwhelming at their Mehendi. Seeing his bride-to-be getting his name written on her palm, he decided to do the same. “I saw her putting in so much effort while putting on the mehendi. This was the least I could have done for her,” he says.

Designer Kresha Bajaj took on the mammoth task of stitching her love story on her bridal lehenga. Her inspiration was from the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Adrienne Maloof who immortalized her wedding gown by getting it framed. Little did she know that people are going to adore her work so much.

And not just human beings even animals were involved in the act of “mushy marriage”. Vidisha Shah and Gowrang, who got married in December last year carried their dog along to the aisle because Gowrang had proposed Vidisha by gifting her the dog. And when the D-day came, they didn’t to leave their pet behind.

According to designer Suneet Varma, “Since love marriages are happening more than arranged marriages, most of them have a love story to share and they want it to be remembered. What could be a better way of remembering the moment than picking up a souvenir on the wedding.”

“Clients come to me asking for customized clutches with the couple’s name embossed on it. Couples want something unique and they want to profess it to the world that they are taken,” he adds.

Psychologist Pulkit Sharma feels that this is very creative and personalized expression of love. “I think the goal should be to please your partner instead of showing off to the world how innovative you were in professing your love. That’s where the line has to be drawn.”

Fathers play key role in child development: study

Fathers play key role in child development: study

Lifestyle Unknown   7:22:00 PM

Fathers play a 'surprisingly' key role in their children's development, from language and cognitive growth in toddlerhood to social skills in fifth grade, according to a new study.

The research provides some of the most conclusive evidence to date of fathers' importance to children's outcomes and reinforces the idea that early childhood programmes should focus on the whole family, including mothers and fathersalike. "There is this whole idea that grew out of past research that dads really do not have direct effects on their kids, that they just kind of create the tone for the household and that moms are the ones who affect their children's development," said Claire Vallotton from Michigan State University in the US.

"But here we show that fathers really do have a direct effect on kids, both in the short-term and long-term," said Vallotton. Researchers found that fathers play a surprisingly large role in their children's development, from language and cognitive growth in toddlerhood to social skills in fifth grade. Using data from about 730 families, researchers studied the effects of parents' stress and mental health problems such as depression on their children.

Parental stress and mental health issues affect how parents interact with their children and, subsequently, childhood development. The study found that fathers' parenting-related stress had a harmful effect on their children's cognitive and

language development when the children were two to three years old, even when the mothers' influences were taken into account.

This impact varied by gender; fathers' influence, for example, had a larger effect on boys' language than girls' language, researchers said. Another key finding was that fathers' and mothers' mental health had a similarly significant effect on behaviour problems among toddlers, they said. Fathers' mental health had a long-term impact, leading to differences in children's social skills (such as self-control and cooperation) when the children reached fifth grade. In fact, fathers' depression symptoms when children were toddlers were more influential on children's later social skills than were mothers' symptoms, researchers said.

"A lot of family-risk agencies are trying to get the dad more involved, but these are some of the things they could be missing," said Tamesha Harewood from Michigan State. The findings were published in the journals Early Childhood Research Quarterly and Infant and Child Development.

Five ways to groom your beard this monsoon

Five ways to groom your beard this monsoon

Lifestyle Unknown   10:01:00 AM

One of the most common problems a man faces when he likes to keep a full beard is itching and acne. And monsoon season worsens these problems. Regularly trim your beard, use oil and keep it clean, says an expert.

Geetika Mittal Gupta, Dermatologist and Medical Director, ISAAC, shares a few tips to take proper care of your beard:

Regular trimming: Even when you plan to grow out your beard, it is necessary to use a trimmer to keep maintaining its shape and growth. Know what will suit your face shape and what look you desire. Trim your beard accordingly.

Keep it clean: It is important to keep your beard clean as facial hair gets dirty too. Wash it thoroughly and regularly. If you’ve a long beard, it is preferable to use a beard wash. A face wash works well for a stubble or trimmed beard. Use a leave on conditioner or a beard softener to maintain its cleanliness.

Use beard oil: Beard oil helps in maintaining the moisture of the skin beneath the beard. Just dab a few drops of oil onto your finger tips and work it thoroughly on your beard and the skin underneath. Beard oil also works in maintaining the shine of your beard, making it look healthy and full.

Use non-comedogenic moisturiser: Comedogenic means the moisturiser contains ingredients that can clog your glands and may lead to whiteheads, blackheads and pimples. So make sure your face moisturiser is labeled non-comedogenic.

Eat right: A beard is just another form of hair growth, and nothing works well for hair other than proteins. So consume a lot of proteins by eating green vegetables like peas, broccoli and spinach. Consumption of good proteins helps in better and healthy growth of the beard.

Uninspired? Do more of what already works

Uninspired? Do more of what already works

Lifestyle Unknown   1:41:00 PM

Here’s the problem: “Everybody already knows that” is very different from “Everybody already does that”. Just because a solution is known doesn’t mean it is utilised.

In 2004, nine hospitals in Michigan began implementing a new procedure in their intensive care units (ICU) Almost overnight, healthcare professionals were stunned with its success.

Three months after it began, the procedure had cut the infection rate of ICU  patients by 66 per cent. Within 18 months, this one method had saved 75 million dollars in healthcare expenses. Best of all, this single intervention saved the lives of more than 1,500 people in just a year and a half. The strategy was immediately published in a blockbuster paper for the New England Journal of Medicine. This medical miracle was also simpler than you could ever imagine. It was a checklist.

The Power of Never Skipping Steps

The checklist strategy implemented at Michigan hospitals was named the Keystone ICU Project. It was led by a physician named Peter Pronovost and later popularised by writer Atul Gawande.

In Gawande’s best-selling book, The Checklist Manifesto (audiobook), he describes how Pronovost’s simple checklist could drive such dramatic results. In the following quote, Gawande explains one of the checklists that was used to reduce the risk of infection when installing a central line in a patient (a relatively common procedure).

“On a sheet of plain paper, (Pronovost) plotted out the steps to take in order to avoid infections when putting a line in. Doctors are supposed to (1) wash their hands with soap, (2) clean the patient’s skin with chlorhexidine antiseptic, (3) put sterile drapes over the entire patient, (4) wear a sterile mask, hat, gown, and gloves, and (5) put a sterile dressing over the catheter site once the line is in. Check, check, check, check, check.

These steps are no-brainers; they have been known and taught for years. So it seemed silly to make a checklist for them. Still, Pronovost asked the nurses  to observe the doctors for a month as they put lines into patients, and record how often they completed each step. In more than a third of patients, they skipped at least one,” he writes.

This five-step checklist was the simple solution that Michigan hospitals used to save 1,500 lives. Think about that for a moment. There were no technical innovations. There were no pharmaceutical discoveries or cutting-edge procedures. The physicians just stopped skipping steps. They implemented the answers they already had on a more consistent basis.

New Solutions vs Old Solutions

We have a tendency to undervalue answers that we have already discovered. We underutilise old solutions —even if they are best practices —because they seem like something we have already considered.

Here’s the problem: “Everybody already knows that” is very different from “Everybody already does that”. Just because a solution is known doesn’t mean it is utilised.

Even more critical, just because a solution is implemented occasionally, doesn’t mean it is implemented consistently. Every physician knew the five steps on Peter Pronovost’s checklist, but very few did all five steps flawlessly each time. We assume that new solutions are needed if we want to make real progress, but that isn’t always the case.

Use What You Already Have

This pattern is just as present in our personal lives as it is in corporations and governments. We waste the resources and ideas at our fingertips because they don’t seem new and exciting.

There are many examples of behaviors, big and small, that have the opportunity to drive progress in our lives if we just did them with more consistency, like flossing every day, never missing workouts, performing fundamental business tasks each day and not just when you have time, apologizing more often and writing Thank You notes each week.

Of course, these answers are boring. Mastering the fundamentals isn’t sexy, but it works. No matter what task you are working on, there is a simple checklist of steps that you can follow right now — basic fundamentals that you have known about for years — that can immediately yield results if you just practice them more consistently.

Progress often hides behind boring solutions and underused insights. You don’t need more information. You don’t need a better strategy. You just need to do more of what already works.

Facebook is ideal for vulnerable narcissists to promote themselves

Facebook is ideal for vulnerable narcissists to promote themselves

Lifestyle Unknown   11:37:00 AM

Social networking sites such as Facebook provide the ideal environment for some narcissists to promote themselves and seek the admiration of others on a grand scale, according to a new study.

Researchers from the University of Florence in Italy suggest that vulnerable narcissists, who tend to be insecure and have lower self-esteem, are more likely to feel safer in online versus face-to-face interactions, which might lead them to prefer social networking as a means to gain approval and admiration.

Now, a blood test to prevent overuse of antibiotics

Now, a blood test to prevent overuse of antibiotics

Lifestyle Unknown   12:02:00 AM

An inexpensive blood test could one day tell doctors whether an infection is caused by a virus or a bacteria, and help prevent unwarranted prescribing of antibiotics, researchers said Wednesday.

The diagnostic test, described in the peer-reviewed journal Science Translational Medicine, is being developed by the Stanford University School of Medicine in California.

“A lot of times you can’t really tell what kind of infection someone has. If someone comes into the clinic, a bacterial or a viral infection often looks exactly the same,” said lead author Timothy Sweeney, an engineering research associate with the Stanford Institute for Immunity, Transplantation and Infection.

The new test, which is not yet on the market, works by identifying seven human genes whose activity changes during an infection, and whose pattern of activity can reveal whether an infection is bacterial or viral.

“Many diagnostics focus on trying to find bacteria in the bloodstream, but most infected people don’t have bloodstream infections, meaning such tests aren’t helpful. In contrast, our test can detect an infection anywhere in the body by ‘reading the immune system,’” Sweeney said.

“It is also significantly better -- three times better -- at ruling out bacterial infections compared to the next-best similar test, procalcitonin.”

The idea for such a test came after research published last year showed “a common response by the human immune system to multiple viruses that is distinct from that for bacterial infections,” said senior author Purvesh Khatri, assistant professor of medicine.

If further tests show that it works and is cost-effective, the test could be a useful tool in preventing the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens. Often, patients are prescribed antibiotics because the drugs are cheap. “If we really want to make a difference, our test has to be more cost-effective than the drug itself,” said Khatri.

Drug-resistant bacteria are blamed for two million illnesses and 23,000 deaths each year in the United States. Meanwhile, as many as one in three antibiotic prescriptions written in US medical facilities is estimated to be unnecessary.

The new test must undergo trials in a clinical setting, since most of the research until now has been focused on pre-existing, online digital data sets of gene expression in various patients. The seven-gene test was found to be accurate on blood samples from 96 critically ill children.

Before the test can make it to market, it must also be incorporated into a device that can give a result in an hour or less, researchers said.

“A commercial, rapid version of the test should be into clinical trials in around 18-24 months. Because of FDA regulations, etc., it may be a few years before it’s on the market,” said Sweeney.

Break your Ramadan fast with a healthy Eid

Break your Ramadan fast with a healthy Eid

Lifestyle Unknown   7:36:00 AM

With the holy month of Ramadan coming to an end, a month of fasting also concludes. After overcoming the difficult arc of maintaining the discipline to fast, the temptation to binge eat is strong and you certainly deserve an achievement treat. However, hastily going back to pre-Ramadan eating habits may send the body into a shock as it is not used to digesting heavy food any more. It is important to ease the body into ingesting normal portions of food over regular intervals. 

Here are some tips to have a healthy Eid:

* Avoid heavy meals: Meals with a high fat and sugar content take longer to digest and remain in the stomach for a long period of time, causing indigestion, flatulence and heartburn. Start with lighter meals.

* Choose a feast with healthy ingredients: A feast need not mean unhealthy junk always. Go for leaner cuts in non-vegetarian preparations and make sure the visible fat is removed. Avoid dessert preparations with high condensed milk content and, if possible, opt for low-sugar desserts. One way to keep the feast enjoyable without compromising on indulgence is by including a lot of natural sugars — found in fruits and dry fruits — in the food.

* Cook healthy: The self-responsibility doesn’t start at the feast table alone, but before it. Cooking methods also determine the health-quotient of your food, and yours. Avoid fried food. Instead, opt for other available cooking methods, such as baking, grilling and barbecuing. These methods open up menu options like tikkas, roasted chicken, baked non-veg preparations and grilled chicken/paneer sandwiches. To ensure maximum retention of nutrients, avoid overcooking as excessive heat leads to loss of important vitamins and minerals.

* Go easy on the salt: Excessive salt makes you feel bloated due to fluid build-up, exerting extra pressure on the kidneys. Try experimenting with other herbs and spices — such as parsley, coriander powder, thyme, rosemary, pepper, chilli powder — which are abundant in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, healthy oils and have anti-bacterial properties.

* Chew well: Remember the lesson taught in school — digestion begins not in the stomach, but in the mouth. Saliva contains digestive enzymes and proper chewing sends signals to the rest of the body to get ready for the digestion process. So, don’t hog down your meal. Instead, take your time to chew it well and savour every bite as you go.

Lifestyle Unknown   2:58:00 PM

Washington D.C.: About 35 to 40 percent of people faint at least once in their lives. But, for about ten percent of people who visit the emergency room for fainting, it can be a symptom of a potentially life-threatening condition like arrhythmia, or heart rhythm disturbance.

Researchers from the Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa have created a screening tool to help emergency doctors, predict the risk of a patient experiencing adverse events from these hidden conditions within a month of fainting. These include irregular heartbeat, heart attacks and even death.

Giving an insight, Dr. Venkatesh Thiruganasambandamoorthy, an emergency physician and scientist, said fainting is a big problem. He added, the way fainting patients are examined in emergency rooms varies greatly between physicians and hospitals.

"We hope that this screening tool will make the process more consistent and improve the detection of serious conditions related to fainting," he said.

After following up with patients and analyzing clinical findings from emergency doctors, Dr. Thiruganasambandamoorthy and his team found eight factors that physicians can plug into a screening tool. Added together, these factors give the patient's total risk of an adverse event, from very low to very high.

These factors include, the physician's diagnosis of the cause of fainting, signs of a common and harmless variety of fainting, such as being in a warm or crowded place, standing for a long time, or feeling intense fear, emotion or pain, a history of heart disease, abnormal electrocardiogram (ECG) measurements and higher levels of troponin, a protein specific to heart muscle.

An illusive Akarshan

An illusive Akarshan

Lifestyle Unknown   2:53:00 PM

At 16, I took it up as a serious hobby,” says the software engineer. “When I was done studying, the software industry was hit hard by recession and I continued to work at a small firm in Mangaluru till I realised my true potential to be a performer,” he shares.

That’s when he made the life-altering decision to set sail to the US – not to work in front of a computer, but to sail on cruise ships, performing close up illusions with sleight of hand, mind mysteries and hypnosis for starters. He may have performed over 800 shows across USA, Mexico and the Caribbean, but he still remembers the first trick up his sleeve — “When I was 10, I had learnt this trick where you fold a handkerchief around a match stick and then you break the match stick from the outside. But when you open the handkerchief, the match stick is magically restored! It brought me a lot of reputation at school too,” laughs the 28-year-old, who doubles as a theatrical pickpocket.

Inspired by American magician, David Blaine, Aakarsh has always believed illusions to be pure science. “It’s just that part of science that the common man hasn’t explored yet,” he says.

With a number of shows lined up, his arsenal, he says, has a number of tricks he is yet to road test. To give you an idea of what he can do – passing one cigarette through another is one of them. A trick that never fails him? “A bank note disappears from my hands and reappears from inside an uncut orange (Yup, the fruit), which was gift wrapped and given to an audience member way ahead of time!” he says about his signature move.

Speaking of moves, “A number of people have always assumed that I have a lot of girlfriends because of magic. Not true. I’m single,” he laughs.

A versatile magician, Aakarsh also doubles as a singer, dancer, a martial artist, an avid gamer and an entrepreneur with his own startup called TalentCult, a website that allows you to book artistes like him for events.

“I don’t have long term goals,” he tells us frankly. “I am happy where I am. I have decided to work hard on my magic, my company and on my spiritual path – something that’s equally important to be aware of myself and my illusions,” he concludes.

Zayn Malik releases clothing collection inspired by his Pakistani heritage

Zayn Malik releases clothing collection inspired by his Pakistani heritage

Lifestyle Unknown   4:07:00 AM

Former One Direction star Zayn Malik’s 23-piece clothing collection was inspired by his family’s Pakistani heritage.

The “Pillowtalk” hitmaker has released a 23-piece collection of t-shirts, hoodies and sweatshirts inspired by his latest music release and his roots, reported Contactmusic.

Hilarious German Beer Ad Campaign Shows Men Lovingly Gazing At Their Beer Belly Babies!

Hilarious German Beer Ad Campaign Shows Men Lovingly Gazing At Their Beer Belly Babies!

Lifestyle Unknown   12:42:00 PM

No, it’s not what you think. These men aren’t pregnant. What looks like a pregnant belly is actually a beer belly.

A new ad campaign for German beer Bergedorfer Bier shows men lovingly gazing at their beer bellies as if they’re expecting. Advertising firm Jung von Matt has done a brilliant job of bringing forth their tagline ‘brewed with love’ with these smiling men who pose like moms-to-be.