December 2018

www.theasianindependent.co.uk
LONDON : People who are
exposed to road traffic noise for
prolonged periods may be at
increased risk of obesity, a study
has found.
The study, published in the
journal Environment
International, was based on data
from 3,796 adults.
"Our analysis shows that people
exposed to the highest levels
of traffic noise are at greater risk
of being obese," said Maria
Foraster, from Barcelona
Institute for Global Health
(ISGlobal) in Spain.
"For example, we observed
that a 10 decibel increase in
mean noise level was associated
with a 17 per cent increase in
obesity," said Foraster.
Researchers also analysed
exposure to noise generated by
aircraft and railway traffic and
found no significant associations
except in the case of long-term
exposure to railway noise, which
was associated with a higher risk
of overweight but not of obesity.
The methodology and design
of the study were chosen to
allow the authors to look at the
data from two different perspectives.
Cross-sectional analysis
was used to study the participant
population at a specific time
point in the study and to examine
more objective measures.
The longitudinal design, on
the other hand, allowed the
authors to evaluate how the risk
of obesity evolved over the study
period. The associations with
traffic-related noise pollution
were consistent in both cases.
Overweight was only associated
with exposure to traffic-related
noise in the cross-sectional
analysis. Researchers found no
association between noise exposure
and body mass index measured
continuously throughout
the longitudinal analysis.
"Our study contributes additional
evidence to support the
hypothesis that traffic-related
noise affects obesity because the
results we obtained in a different
population were the same as
those reported by the authors of
earlier studies," said Foraster.
Sustained exposure to noise pollution
is a widespread public
health problem that is more serious
than previously thought,
researchers said. Noise generates
stress and affects our sleep. It
alters hormone levels and
increases blood pressure.
Moreover, among other effects,
sleep disturbance deregulates
HEALTH
Exposure to traffic noises
may up OBESITY RISK
glucose metabolism and alters
the appetite. "In the long term,
these effects could give rise to
chronic physiological alterations,
which would explain the
proven association between persistent
exposure to traffic-related
noise and cardiovascular disease
or the more recently discovered
associations with diabetes and
obesity," said Foraster. "Our
findings suggest that reducing
traffic-related noise could also
be a way of combating the obesity
epidemic," she said.
December 2018
13
Early risers are less likely
to develop breast cancer
Turns out that early to bed and early to rise can lower the risk of
developing the deadly disease of breast cancer as researchers have
lately found a link between the body clock and breast cancer.
New Delhi : Early risers are less likely to be diagnosed with
breast cancer than women who are night owls, according to
researchers have lately found a link between the body clock and
breast cancer.
According to a study presented by researchers from University
of Bristol, women who are in the habit of waking up at the crack of
the dawn reduced the risk of developing breast cancer by 40 to 48
per cent in comparison to late risers. Researchers also found that
women who slept for more than seven to eight hours had a 20 per
cent chance of developing the disease by
Dr Rebecca Richmond of the University of Bristol told BBC,
"We would like to do further work to investigate the mechanisms
underpinning these results, as the estimates obtained are based on
questions related to morning or evening preference rather than actually
whether people get up earlier or later in the day. In other words,
it may not be the case that changing your habits changes your risk
of breast cancer; it may be more complex than that."
She further said, "However, the findings of a protective effect of
morning preference on breast cancer risk in our study are consistent
with previous research highlighting a role for night shift work and
exposure to 'light-at-night' as risk factors for breast cancer."
"These findings have potential policy implications for influencing
sleep habits of the general population in order to improve health
and reduce the risk of breast cancer among women," she added.
TOOTH LOSS in
postmenopausal women
linked to hypertension
New York, Postmenopausal women
experiencing tooth loss could be at
higher risk of developing high blood
pressure — a key risk factor for heart
disease, warns a new study. The study
showed that
such women
had approximately
20 per
cent higher
risk of developing
hypertension
compared
to
o t h e r
women.
“These
findings suggest
tooth
loss may be
an important factor in the development
of hypertension,” said Jean Wactawski-
Wende, Professor at the University at
Buffalo in the US. “Further research
may help us to determine the underlying
mechanisms by which these two common
diseases are associated,”
Wactawski-Wende added.
The reason could be because people
may change their diets to softer and
more processed foods as they loose
teeth, which could be associated with
higher risk of hypertension, the
researchers noted.
In addition, multiple studies have
suggested an
association
between periodontal
disease
and
tooth loss
with hypertension.
However,
their relationship
remains
unclear. For
the study,
published in
the American
Journal of Hypertension, the team
included 36,692 postmenopausal
women.
Improved dental hygiene among
those at risk for tooth loss as well as
preventive measures such as closer
blood pressure monitoring, dietary
modification, physical activity, and
weight loss may reduce the risk of
hypertension, they suggested.
Hot bath may improve
inflammation, metabolism: Study
A two-week treatment period in which the men participated in daily hot-water baths showed a reduction
of fasting blood sugar and insulin levels as well as improved low-grade inflammation at rest.
London : If you are unable to exercise,
a hot water treatment may help
improve inflammation and blood sugar
(glucose) levels, particularly in overweight
men, suggests a new study.
Physical stress such as exercise can
increase the level of an inflammatory
chemical (IL-6), which activates the
release of anti-inflammatory substances
to combat unhealthily high levels
of inflammation, known as chronic
low-grade inflammation.
However, a hot-water immersion
may "improve aspects of the inflammatory
profile and enhance glucose
metabolism in sedentary, overweight
males and might have implications for
improving metabolic health in populations
unable to meet the current physical
activity recommendations", said
researchers including Christof Andreas
Leicht from the Loughborough
University in the UK.
For the study, published in the
Journal of Applied Physiology, the
team included a group of sedentary,
overweight men who participated in
both hot-water immersion and ambient
room temperature (control) trials separated
by at least three days. In the hot
water trial, the volunteers sat immersed
up to their necks in 102-degree
Fahrenheit water. The research team
measured the men's heart rate, blood
pressure and body temperature every
15 minutes throughout both the control
and immersion conditions. Blood samples
were taken again two hours after
each session.
The researchers found that a
single hot-water immersion
session causes
the elevation of
IL-6 levels in the
blood and
increased nitric
oxide production, but
did not change the expression of
heat shock protein 72 - another protein
suggested to be important for
health. However, a two-week treatment
period in which the men participated
in daily hot-water baths showed a
reduction of fasting blood sugar and
insulin levels as well as improved lowgrade
inflammation at rest.