The Malaysian Insider :: Features
The Malaysian Insider :: Features |
| Bald men may be at higher clogged artery risk, says study Posted: 04 Apr 2013 07:11 AM PDT  Bald men could be at a higher risk of coronary heart disease, says a study. — shutterstock.com picPARIS, April 4 — In a double blow, bald men may be at higher risk of coronary heart disease, said a study Wednesday, but only if the hair is lost at the crown. Men who bald from the front appear to carry no significant added risk for the clogged artery disease that can cause heart attacks, said a report in the online journal BMJ Open. Researchers from the University of Tokyo's Department of Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases analysed six studies on male pattern baldness and coronary heart disease conducted between 1993 and 2008 with nearly 40,000 participants in the United States and Europe. They showed that men who had lost most of their hair were more than a third more likely to develop coronary artery disease than those with hair. The severity of baldness influenced the degree of risk, but again, only if the balding was at the crown, or vertex. "These findings suggest that vertex baldness is more closely associated with systemic atherosclerosis (coronary heart disease) than with frontal baldness," said the study. "Thus, cardiovascular risk factors should be reviewed carefully in men with vertex baldness, especially younger men, and they probably should be encouraged to improve their cardiovascular risk profile." They also urged further studies to confirm the findings. The study said about 30 to 40 per cent of adult men suffer from male-pattern baldness — and up to 80 per cent by the age of 80. The reasons for the association were unclear, but the authors pointed to previous links drawn between baldness and insulin resistance, diabetes, chronic inflammation or sensitivity to testosterone — all of which may lead to cardiovascular disease. — AFP-Relaxnews |
| Earning cash to lose weight proves a mighty incentive, says study Posted: 04 Apr 2013 05:42 AM PDT  Competing against other people could help weight loss, says study. — shutterstock.com picNEW YORK, April 4 — A new US study finds that while paying people to lose weight works, even better is when they compete for it. Published April 1 in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, the study finds that cash and competition are ideal incentives for dropping excess weight in a short amount of time. However, it's still not clear whether participants will keep the weight off. Dr. Jeffrey Kullgren of the University of Michigan and his team separated 104 overweight subjects into one of three groups. One group had the prize of US$100 (RM308) for meeting individual weight-loss goals at four weeks, eight weeks, 12 weeks, 16 weeks, and 20 weeks. The second group's participants were divided into groups of five but not told the identity of their fellow group members. They were also offered the prize of US$100 every four weeks for meeting their weight-loss goals, in addition to the chance to earn more cash if other members in the group didn't have success. The control group, like the other groups, were simply given information on weight loss and scheduled for monthly weigh-ins. Findings showed that after 24 weeks, the competitive weight-loss group lost about seven pounds more than the individual group, and 10 pounds more than the control group. Last month, a separate study presented at the American College of Cardiology meeting in San Francisco revealed that getting paid US$20 a month for losing four pounds — with the risk of getting charged $20 for not losing weight — helped subjects reach their weight-loss goals. — Reuters |
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