Genital Itching May be First Signs Of Diabete - Expert

A health expert, Dr Joke Adeleye, has said that the first sign of diabetes in some persons could just be genital itching or a recurrent boil.

Dr Adeleye made this disclosure at the 2018 World Diabetes Day celebration organised by the UCH, Ibadan Diabetes Care team and Diabetes Association of Nigeria, Oyo State, with the theme “the family and diabetes.”

The diabetologist stated that itching in the genital area both for men and women could be a common sign of diabetes even when they have not noticed the other typical signs of diabetes such excessive passage of urine, feeling unduly thirsty, and losing weight despite a healthy balanced diet.

Adeleye, who noted that diabetes in some individuals is without symptoms, added that the vaginal itching in the woman may also be accompanied with a thick discharge.

The expert stated that itching of the skin, particularly around the genitals, until proven otherwise may be pointers to the fact that the blood glucose levels are high.

“So if you notice something unusual, particularly if you are an adult, you should get tested, even if such things are noticed in children, they also should get tested.”

 

Dr Adeleye urged that every adult after the age of 40 years should have their blood sugar checked at least one in three years.

“However, if you have a family history of diabetes, a young person who has siblings or parents with diabetes or risk factors for diabetes such as overweight, high blood cholesterol and blood pressure, request to have a blood sugar test done every year even if you do not feel unwell or have symptoms of diabetes,” she added.

Earlier, Professor Adesoji Fasanmade, the chairman at the event expressed concern on the increasing cases of diabetes in Nigeria, which he linked with lifestyle, diet and poor exercising.

Fasanmade, noting that of every 100 adults in Nigeria, 8 persons now live with diabetes but only half of them know they have the disease, urged Nigerians to be more proactive about their health.

Chairman, Diabetes Association of Nigeria, Oyo State, Chief Emmanuel Adeyinka, linked the upsurge in adult and juvenile diabetes to the aggressive and relentless advertisement by fast food vendors, urging parents to always serve children home balanced diet, fruits, vegetables and adequate water.

At the event had 250 persons tested for diabetes and a road show to create awareness about the disease.

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Too Much Sleep Could Lead To Cardiovascular Disease And Death

The recommended hours of sleep for adults to achieve healthy living is six to eight hours daily but experts said sleeping more than those hours could be linked to increased risk of cardiovascular (CVD) disease and premature death.

According to the findings of a new study published in the ‘European Heart Journal’, compared with people who slept six to eight hours a night, those who slept eight to nine hours had a five per cent increased risk for CVD or death. Lead author of the study Chuangshi Wang who is a doctoral student at the McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, urged adults to get enough sleep — that is, six to eight hours a day.

“But if you sleep more than nine hours a day, you may want to visit a doctor to check your overall health,” he added.” People who slept nine to 10 hours had a 17 per cent increased risk, and those who slept more than 10 hours increased their risk by 41 per cent.

The researchers also found a nine per cent increased risk in people who slept less than six hours, but that difference was not statistically significant. Daytime naps also increased the risk for cardiovascular events, but only in people who slept more than six hours a night.

The researchers controlled for age, body mass index, physical activity, diabetes, depression, smoking, alcohol consumption and many other health and behavioral characteristics.

The researchers gathered health and lifestyle information, including self-reported sleep data, on 116,632 people in 21 countries, followed them up for over eight years and recorded 4,381 deaths and 4,365 major CVD events. CVD events refer to any incident that may cause damage to the heart muscle. The heart is a busy organ, constantly pumping blood filled with oxygen and nutrients through your arteries, into the heart muscle (myocardium). Any interruption of blood flow will lead to an injury, or infarction.

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Prevent Stroke, Anemia And Other Diseases With Regular Diet Of Plantain

Plantains, also known as plátanos, are closely related cultivars of fruit or dessert banana. In general, they are treated as vegetables in the kitchen much like fellow tropical produces such as potatoes, taro, breadfruit, yam, sweet potatoes, etc. Indeed, plátano are one of the staple sources of carbohydrates for larger populations. Plantain is so rich that it is consumed in almost every part of the world.

Plantain is quite different from dessert banana, being taller and larger and more drought tolerant. It is a perennial herbaceous plant that develops from the underground rhizome. Like bananas, it too flourishes well under tropical moisture-rich, humid low-lying farmlands. At maturity, the rhizome gives rise to flower (inflorescence) that is carried up along its smooth, elongated, un-branched stem, piercing through the center of pseudo-stem, finally emerging out at the top in between its leafy clusters.

Plantain relatively has more calories weight for weight than that in the table bananas. 100g plantain holds about 122 calories, while dessert banana has only 89 calories. Indeed, they are very reliable sources of starch and energy; ensuring food security for millions of inhabitants worldwide. It contains 2.3 g of dietary fiber per 100 g (6% of DRA per 100 g). Adequate amount of dietary-fiber in the food helps normal bowel movements, thereby reducing constipation problems.

Fresh plátanos have more vitamin C than bananas. 100g provide 18.4 mg or 31% of daily required levels of this vitamin. Consumption of foods rich in vitamin-C helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful oxygen-free radicals. However, boiling and cooking destroys much of this vitamin in plantains. Plantains carry more vitamin A than bananas. 100 g fresh ripe plantains contain 1127 IU or 37.5% of daily required levels of this vitamin.

As in bananas, they too are rich sources of B-complex vitamins, particularly high in vitamin-B6 (pyridoxine). Pyridoxine is an important B-complex vitamin that has a beneficial role in the treatment of neuritis, anemia, and to decrease homocystine (one of the causative factors for coronary artery disease (CHD) and (stroke episodes) levels in the body. In addition, the fruit contains moderate levels of folates, niacin, riboflavin and thiamin.

They also provide adequate levels of minerals such as iron, magnesium, and phosphorous. Magnesium is essential for bone strengthening and has a cardiac-protective role as well. Fresh plantains have more potassium than bananas. 100 g fruit provides 499 mg of potassium (358 mg per 100 g for bananas). Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps control heart rate and blood pressure, countering negative effects of sodium.

At maturity, plantains are generally harvested unripe and right away carried to the market for sale. Look for firm, mature, deep green, well-formed plantains that feel heavy in hand. Do not buy overripe, damaged, split fruits, as they stay poor. Once at home, store them open at room temperature for up to 4-5 days. Once ripen, plantains too, like bananas, are very fragile and show signs of decay in short time span.

Plantains are inedible raw and should be eaten only after cooked. To prepare, just wash the raw fruit in cold water and mop dry using paper cloth. Using a paring knife, trim either ends. Then, cut the fruit into short lengths, split the skin superficially along the ridge and peel the skin gently away from the flesh to get firm flesh inside. Oftentimes, the whole fruit may be barbequed with its skin. Otherwise, its peeled flesh may be cut into thin slices, grated, chunks treated much like potatoes in many traditional African and West-Indian cuisine.

Plantains make delicious savory recipes, used in place of potatoes in grills, mashed, bake, or fries. In South-Indian Kerala state, plantain chips (vaazhakka upperi) seasoned with salt and pepper, is a popular snack. Tostones (plátano, fried twice), prepared in a similar way are again a popular snacks in the Caribbean and Latin Americas. Its flower head (inflorescence) and interior icicle-white, tender stem (vazhai thandu in Malayalam) too are eaten in various kinds of recipes in South-Asian regions.

Sopa de plátano is a popular Caribbean soup preparation that used green platanos, garlic, cilantro, and cheese. Mashed plantain served with fried onions is a national breakfast dish of Dominican Republic. Mashed platanos are served with rice, eggs, beans, poultry, fish, etc., in these regions. In some African communities, plantain is pounded into a form in which it is eaten with stews or soups such as egusi soup or okro soup.

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Children Of Smokers Risk Low Sperm Counts

Scientists in Sweden said men whose fathers smoked at the time of pregnancy had 50 per cent lower count of sperms than those with non-smoking fathers. 

The findings of a new study published in the journal ‘PLOS ONE,’ showed that, independently of nicotine exposure from the mother, socioeconomic factors, and their own smoking, men with fathers who smoked had a 41 per cent lower sperm concentration and 51 per cent fewer sperm count than those with nonsmoking fathers. The study was conducted on 104 Swedish men aged between 17 and 20 years.

A semen analysis usually evaluates certain characteristics of a male’s semen and the sperm contained therein and it is done to help evaluate male fertility, whether for those seeking pregnancy or verifying the success of vasectomy. 

Normal sperm densities range from 15 million to greater than 200 million sperm per milliliter of semen. One is considered to have a low sperm count if he has fewer than 15 million sperm per milliliter or less than 39 million sperm total per ejaculate. 

A Specialist Physician at Lund University in Sweden Jonatan Axelsson said, “I was very surprised that regardless of the mother’s level of exposure to nicotine, the sperm count of men whose fathers smoked was so much lower. “We know there is a link between sperm count and chances of pregnancy, so that could affect the possibility for these men to have children in future.

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Study Links Shampoos and Make-ups To Early Puberty

Exposure to chemicals found in a wide array of personal care products including shampoo and beauty makeup products have been linked to early puberty among girls.

These are the findings of a new study published in the December 4 issue of the journal ‘Human Reproduction’. Puberty is the time in life when a boy or girl becomes sexually mature. It is a process that usually happens between ages 10 and 14 for girls and ages 12 and 16 for boys. It causes physical changes, and affects boys and girls differently.

The study which centers on specific chemicals, include phthalates, parabens and phenols, which are found in an array of products, including perfumes, soaps, shampoos, nail polish, cosmetics, toothpaste, lipstick, hairsprays, skin lotions, among others.

According to the study author Kim Harley who is Associate Director of the Center for Environmental Research and Children’s Health at the University of California, Berkeley in the United States (US), these chemicals “get into our bodies either by absorption through the skin, by being inhaled, or being ingested [like lipstick].” “Once they are in the body, they are quite quickly metabolised and [then] excreted in urine.”

 

As to how routine exposure to the chemicals might affect puberty, she said they’ve “been shown to mimic estrogen in certain laboratory conditions.” The team found that “the higher the levels of the chemicals in mothers’ or daughters’ bodies, the earlier the puberty” among girls. No such link was found for the timing of male puberty, however. Harley said, “We were a little surprised that the associations were only with girls and we didn’t see much with boys. “But since these tend to be estrogenic chemicals, it makes sense that they might impact girls.”

The researchers’ analyzed data collected in a study that enrolled pregnant women between 1999 and 2000. The women had blood tests twice throughout their pregnancy, and interviews were also conducted to gauge exposure to the chemicals in question.

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Energy Drinks could Damage Blood Vessels - New Findings

Researchers say caffeine - laden energy drinks may make the blood vessels of its consumers less efficient. Findings of a new study presented at a meeting of the American Heart Association (AHA) in Chicago on November 12, showed that energy drinks reduced the diameter of blood vessels and in effect, restricted blood flow and oxygen delivery to various parts of the body.

Therefore, people under 18 years, women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, caffeine-sensitive individuals and those taking stimulants or caffeine-based drugs or those with heart disease should stay away from energy drinks, warned the lead researcher of the study, Dr. John Higgins, who is a professor of medicine at McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. Previous studies have showed that energy drinks have been linked to heart, nerve and stomach problems.

This negative effect on blood vessels may be related to ingredients in the energy drink, such as caffeine, taurine, sugar and other herbals, the researchers suggested.

Taurine is an amino acid touted as increasing energy and was originally extracted from bull semen — hence the name Red Bull, the researchers said.

Reacting to the development, lead researcher Dr. John Higgins who is a professor of medicine at McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Centre in Houston, lamented that a lot of young kids use energy drinks when they exercise, a time when arterial function is at its top. On the contrary, he said, “Exercise and sports require maximum blood flow so oxygen can get to cells quickly.

“It’s more work for the heart and less oxygen supply for the heart. This could explain why there have been cases where kids have had a cardiac arrest after an energy drink.” Plus, people often chug energy drinks so they get the full effect in one shot, and that might be dangerous, Higgins said.

Speaking further, Higgins warned, “These drinks are not intended for children. The study included 44 healthy, non-smoking medical students in their 20s.

The researchers tested the effect of a 24-ounce energy drink on cells lining blood vessels, called endothelial cells. The function of these cells was tested before and after the participants consumed the energy drink, and again 90 minutes later. The researchers looked at artery flow-mediated dilation — an ultrasound measurement that is an indicator of overall blood vessel health.

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