Walking for a healthier life


Some people think that joining the gym is necessary for getting into shape. And they spend lots of money just for this purpose. But research ot the Stanford University shows that $10 is all that is required for staying fit. $10 gets you a simple device known as the pedometer. It basially measures the number of steps you take. It is useful in calculating the amount of distance you covered during jogging. So why wait? Get yourself a pair of good shoes and a pedometer and start jogging. You will start to see all that fat melt away and you will stay fit too.


Stem cells could hold the key to the repair of damaged hearts!



Stem cells are a type of cells found in the human embryo. They have the capacity to convert themselves into any type of cell in the human body. A lot of research has done in the field of setem cell therapy. Stem cell therapy is basically using the stem cells to cure diseases in adults. 

Researches from California found out that injecting stem cells to diseased hearts could help to restore the heart function. This discovery could help increase the survival rate of people with heart disease. But this technology is still in the nascent stages and must undergo a lot of development before it can be adopted in a large scale

Birth control pills may clog your blood vessels


Long term use of oral contraceptives can increase your risk for heart disease. A study conducted at the Ghent University in Belgium suggests that birth control pill use can lead to the formation of potentially dangerous plaques in the key blood vessels. These can further lead to formation of blood clots and can compromise the blood flow to important organs such as heart or brain, causing a heart attack or stroke.
The research conducted on 1301 women aged 35 to 55 found that for every decade of pill use, the plaque increases at the rate of 20-30%. The scientists suggest that there is no need to abruptly stop the use of the pill, as more research needs to be done on this.
The bottom line is that if you intend to take birth control pills, you have to take care of your other risk factors for heart disease such as blood pressure, cholesterol and smoking.

Energy drinks can give your heart a hard time!


Love that kick you get when you drink those energy drinks? Well, research indicates that the boost may pose a health risk to those who have high blood pressure or other cardiovascular diseases. These drinks contain lots of caffeine and also an amino acid taurine which is found to increase heart rate. Youngsters often take a lot of these to enable them to party and stay awake all night. When taken with alcohol, it increases the risk for arrhythmia (disordered rhythm for heart beat) which can be fatal.

Read