Diabetes mellitus or diabetes has become a global health problem. If not treated, complications of diabetes will lead to a variety of other diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, impotence.

Christian Dr. Bibbins-Domingo, researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, USA, recently published his research results on the incidence of heart disease with softdrink consumption.

He said the increasing consumption of soft drinks which generally contain high sugar, affects 130,000 new cases of diabetes, 14,000 new cases of heart disease, and 50,000 people with heart problems in the last decade.

“From the results of this study can be concluded, all policies that could reduce the softdrink consumption may have positive impact on public health,” said Dr. Bibbins-Domingo Christian.

By using computer simulation, heart disease associated with a variety of factors, such as obesity and consumption of food containing salt. “So far, we underestimated the incidence between heart disease and  softdrink because it is a popular drinks amongst teenagers. The focus of the disease research is adults over the age of 35,” said Domingo.

He added, the link between the incidence of cardiovascular disease and diabetes is very real. However, the increasing obesity factors may also be influential.

“Various studies show the impact of consumption of sugary drinks. For decades there have been an increase in sweet drinks consumption,” he said.

The experts warn, to prevent diabetes, we must reduce the intake of beverages with added sugar. If one has diabetes, then the blood sugar, weight, blood pressure and blood fat levels must be controlled. If doing sports could not control it, one should take medication.

Human longevity is not just affected by how well your genes are, but also how well you live your life. Researchers have found a way to eat, move and manage stress that determines how long people live.

A new study conducted on 20,000 people in the UK and has been published in the British Medical Journal, shows that one can reduce the risk of stroke by 50 percent. Just by doing four things, which is active for 30 minutes a day, eating fruits and vegetables, and avoiding excessive smoking and alcohol.

People can reach the age of 100 with a healthy lifestyle. However, Thomas Perls of Boston University School of Medicine, believes that with the assumption that puts genes aside, there’s nothing stopping you living up to the age of 90 years.

Here are 10 habits Perls used to calculate how long a person can survive, as reported by USNews, Tuesday (9/3/2010).

1. Do not retire.
Although already in the retirement age does not mean you can no longer work. “Evidence shows that in a society where people suddenly stopped working, the incidence of obesity and chronic disease increases after retirement,” says Luigi Ferrucci, director of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging.

2. Floss Teeth Every day
This can keep the arteries (blood vessels) remain healthy. Studies from New York University in 2008 showed that flossing every day can reduce the number of bacteria that cause gum disease in the mouth. These bacteria can enter the bloodstream and trigger inflammation in the arteries, and increases the risk of heart disease.

3. Always move
“Sports is the only way to stay young,” said Jay Olshansky, a professor of medicine and aging researcher at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Study after study has recommended that the benefits of exercise to improve mood, mental acuity, balance, muscle mass, and bone. No need to exercise at the gym, just by simply walking around the neighborhood for 30 minutes a day.

4. Eat high-fiber cereal for breakfast
Whole wheat benefited especially in the morning can help maintain stable blood sugar levels throughout the day. According to a study conducted recently by Ferrucci and colleagues, people who do this can prevent  diabetes, which could accelerate aging.

5. Sleep at least 6 hours a day
“Sleeping is one of the most important functions for our bodies, our body regulates and heal cells when we are asleep,” Ferrucci said.

6. Consumption of whole foods, not supplements
Evidence strongly indicates that people who have blood that is rich in nutrients, like selenium, beta-carotene, vitamins C and E, has a longer life. But there is nothing to prove that taking supplements can provide anti-aging benefits.

“There are more than 200 different carotenoids and the 200 different flavonoids contained in a tomato,” Ferrucci said. This chemical is beneficial to the body other than known nutrients such as lycopene or vitamin C. Avoid white foods (nutrient-lacking white food) such as bread, flour and sugar. And switch to fruits, vegetables, and whole wheat bread.

7. Reduce the neurotic (nerve pressure)
A better way to cope with stress is yoga, exercise, meditation, tai chi (take a deep breath in for a while). While in the other hand daydreaming, eating chips in front of the TV, partying and drinking to much alcoholic is bad for the body.

8. Live like Seventh Day Adventist
Americans who define themselves as the Seventh Day Adventists, have a life expectancy average of 89 years, about a decade longer than the average American.

They appreciate the body by not smoking, consume alcohol or pamper your body with sweet foods. They are usually vegetarian and eat fruits, vegetables, nuts, and do many sports. They are also very focused on families and communities.

9. Being a creature that used to it
According to Olshansky, people tend to live the old days with a strict routine, eating the same food and doing the same types of activities throughout their lives. Sleep and wake at the same time each day is one good habit to keep the body in a stable equilibrium.

10. Stay socially connected
Have social relationships with friends or loved ones is key to avoiding depression, which can lead to early death, particularly common to a widow and an elderly widower.

Some psychologists even think that one of the greatest benefits to be obtained from the parents exercise a strong social interaction, a walk with friends or join a training class.

Many people are afraid to drink coffee because it is considered to be quite dangerous for the heart. But coffee turnes out to hearth friendly. Coffee only gives a small effect on hypertension patients and is still quite tolerable.

The discovery made by heart researchers can make coffee drinkers in love. The results of this study were presented at a conference this week the American Heart Association (AHA) in San Francisco.

Coffee drinkers have a lower risk for abnormal heart rhythm disease. There is no indication that drinking a cup of coffee a day will increase the risk of atherosclerosis or thickening of blood vessel walls that can cause heart attacks.

In addition, other ingredients in coffee other than caffeine may reduce the risk of diabetes for women who regularly drink.

But not all reports on the AHA’s annual conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention and Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism were really a good news for coffee lovers.

One report found a potential link between drinking coffee and high blood pressure. But do not worry, the effect is described as very simple or minimal.

A study of the heart’s rhythm by examining the 130,054 members of Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program who has been treated in the hospital because of heart rhythm disturbances. Approximately 2 percent of those hospitalized for the disorder and the most common is the problem of atrial fibrillation.

Dr Arthur Klatsky, a senior cardiac consultant who led the study, said those who reported drinking 4 cups of coffee per day has an 18 percent lower risk of heart disease than those who do not drink coffee.

“It may be a surprise, because some people are afraid to drink coffee. And I do not think we’ll be ready to tell the people that they should drink coffee to prevent heart rhythm problems,” Klatsky said, as reported by USNews, Friday (5 / 3 / 2010).

This study does not give a reason why coffee may reduce heart rhythm problems. According to Klatsky, it could be because the coffee drinkers are on a diet or exercises more. But we also can not say with certainty that the coffee was not associated with minor (mild) heart rhythm problems which does not require hospital treatment.

In essence, coffee lovers do not need to stop drinking coffee just because they have problems with heart rhythm.

Another study that followed more than 3 000 men and women aged 20 years also found no relationship between coffee consumption and atherosclerosis for men and women whether black or white, smokers or nonsmokers. Participants in this study are people who do not consume coffee more than 4 cups a day.

“Based on these data, it seems that there is no substantial relationship between drinking coffee with an increase or decrease in atherosclerosis,” said Jared Reis, an epidemiologist at the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

The third study, based on reports from the Women’s Health Study, explained that coffee drinkers experienced less diabetes type 2 (diabetes as a lifestyle).

Researchers compared 359 postmenopausal women newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes and 359 women without the disease. The results showed that women who drank 4 cups of caffeinated coffee a day are 56 percent lower risk of developing diabetes than those who do not drink coffee.

“What seems to reduce the risk from the effects of caffeine because a hormone binding protein,” said Dr. Liwei Chen, assistant professor of the University of California, Los Angeles. But according to Chen’s initial findings it still requires further study.

Other reports to ensure the consumption of 1-3 cups of coffee a day affects only slightly increased risk of high blood pressure comes from Dr. Liwei Chen, assistant professor of epidemiology at Louisiana State University School of Public Health. He uses data from six studies that included more than 172,000 participants.

“Based on our results, for the long-term coffee drinking may have a risk factor for hypertension, but the effect is not too big,” said Chen.

But Chen also suggested, that it is important for people to reduce consumption of coffee,  if you are worried about blood pressure.

SLEEP is not only a perfect rest for body and soul, but also makes you enjoy life more. Conversely, lack of sleep not only affects your chance to enjoy life, but also create a threat to health.

Lack of sleep at the age of approximately 20 did not show side effects that are too visible. In fact, when enough time to rest overnight, it will give a dramatic effect on your face.

There is a clear correlation between the time sleeping with one’s appearance. A recent study found that poor sleep has hormonal effects that are similar to the aging process. In fact, increasing the possibility of disease associated with age, according to quotes from Legal Daily Mail, Tuesday (16/2/2010).

“We suspect that loss of sleep not only accelerate the aging, but also enhance the disease, such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and memory loss,” said Eve Van Cauter, a scientists who led the research path.

Furthermore, other studies found in the fact that lack of sleep could trigger the stress which would  react on the body, increase cortisol levels, the emergence of stress hormones, and glucose. Please note, the increased levels of glucose in the body indicated a greater risk of heart disease and stroke.

In addition, a more worrying again, the woman who has a habit of approximately five hours of sleep a night, was tantamount to raise herself to the risk of heart disease. Disrupted sleep also affect blood pressure (which usually falls at night) and make us susceptible to colds and flu.

A study which is done by Europe Sleep Research Society found that people who sleep less tend to be judged less attractive and has a paler color. Cause, during deep sleep, that’s when skin cells are newly produced.

The reason why so many of us feel and look 10 years younger after the holidays is because, when on vacation, we have enough time to sleep.

“One of the primary functions of sleep is to allow the brain to repair themselves,” says Professor Jim Horne, director of the Sleep Research Center at the University of Loughborough.

During sleep, the cortex [the largest part of the brain, which regulate the functions of higher, such as thoughts and actions] went into recovery mode. Without a break, you may wake up in the condition irritable, depressed, forgetful and unable to concentrate on the task.

Well, of course is not unreasonable if you have to spend a lot of money to become a member at the gym and buy expensive face cream to look young, but all you need is at least six hours of sleep each night.

People with high blood pressure (hypertension) should be smart in choosing their meal. The two main foods that can affect hypertension is salt or sodium intake and potassium intake.

But there are ways diet can be done for patients with hypertension which is the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension).

The diets was developed in the United States but has been successfully used in nations around the world such as  South Africa.

Just so you know, South Africa in general, and the African population in particular, are vulnerable to hypertension or high blood pressure.

An estimated 24.4 percent of adults in South Africa suffer from hypertension. Consequently, many of which had a stroke and brain damage in this population. Salt intake and high potassium is the main cause.

Whereas the WHO recommends a ratio of sodium to potassium in the diet is 1:1. But in Africa, the consumption of sodium are very high which could reach 8 grams / day (compared with the recommended maximum of 6 grams / day). While in the other hand the consumption of potassium are very low (50-60 mmol / day). This is what causes many people to suffer high blood pressure in South Africa.

Studies conducted by Professor Karen Charlton and his team in 2007 at the University of Cape Town and Medical Research Council in Cape Town, the DASH diet achieved promising results in 80 patients with a mild to moderate hypertension who received antihypertensive medication. Only by changing the six items of food in their diet for eight weeks.

DASH diet has provided scientific evidence that eating lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grains with a low-fat milk or fat-free, can increase potassium, magnesium and calcium intake. While reducing sodium intake to a level acceptable to reduce blood pressure.

Prof. harlton provided bread, margarine, broth, soup mix and a sense amplifier with less sodium or salt content and Maas 500 ml per day (not seasoned sour cream) for the 40 ‘candidates’ for a period of eight weeks.

Another 40 people classified as ‘control subjects’ are given the same diet with normal content of salt and 500 ml of cold sweet drinks for the same period.

After eight weeks, systolic blood pressure an average of 6.2 candidates mm Hg lower than control subjects. Whereas systolic blood pressure and diastolic BP control subjects as measured by ambulatory blood pressure monitoring 24-hour average above 4.5 mm Hg lower than testing participants.

In thegroup participants sodium intake test did not change, whereas participants in the control group increased by almost 1 gram per day.

Nutritional intake increased dramatically. Calcium intake increased almost double, potassium intake was almost 900 mg per day and magnesium intake increased by 84 mg per day in the test group.

Please note that the increased intake of potassium, calcium and magnesium is achieved without the use of mineral supplements.

Prof. Charlton and his team (2007) concluded that their research showed the public health response.

“You can achieve reduction in systolic blood pressure is clinically significant for the treatment of hypertension is low-income communities in South Africa through the manipulation of the seven dietary intake of processed foods,” he said.

This study not only indicates that the poor with few resources can make dietary changes that can increase blood pressure, but the eating habit can be changed by making some adjustments.