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Posts Tagged ‘Health’
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Posted on Jun 21, 2010
A recent study has shown that about one in eight returning soldiers suffers from symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, other reports have shown that soldiers who were deployed in warzones were the most affected with alcohol abuse than PTSD. Post-traumatic stress disorder was less of a problem than alcohol related cases among both service men and women.
Alcohol abuse more of a problem for American Troops
Researchers from King’s College London said that, alcohol abuse levels are 22 percent more likely in the troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan than the troops having stationed at peace areas. Researchers also found that more than 13 percent of the soldiers consume alcohol in quantities much above the safe level for human health. The study, conducted on the British soldiers found British troops both men and women with more stable mental health conditions than their American counterparts where rates of post-traumatic stress disorder were found to be much higher.
Mental health problems increased in American servicemen and women
The findings, published in The Lancet medical journal, show that rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health problems have remained stable since 2003. This contrasts with American troops returning home from warzones, where a tidal wave of mental health problems has been reported in recent years.
Overall, approximately 13 percent of the respondents said that they were drinking alcohol in excessive quantities as defined by researchers as hazardous, according to the World Health Organization’s Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (Audit).
Shorter tours of duty for British troops compared to American troops
The researchers noted that Britain’s Army, Navy and RAF personnel however, served shorter tours of duty than their American counterparts, which “by luck or design” may have a protective effect on their mental health. The researchers noted that British troops served 6 months less compared with 15 months tour of duty for American troops.
No rise in post-traumatic stress
Nicola Fear, an author of the study from the college’s Academic Centre for Defence Mental Health, said that troops deployed to war zones, such as those from the Territorial Army, were more vulnerable to mental health problems than regular servicemen and women, while alcohol abuse were more amongst the frontline troops. She also found that rates of PTSD remained low among both groups, however, and that overall the mental and physical health of the Armed Forces was generally better than that of the general population.
“We are not seeing this tidal wave of mental health problems as was predicted and has been seen in the US,” she said.
Alcohol Abuse1 Comment »Alcohol Abuse Health
Posted on Sep 10, 2009
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More than 16 million people in the US suffer from Type 2 diabetes. Even worse, this figure is increasing with every passing day. If experts are to be believed, diabetes is basically a group of diseases with pivotal factor behind all this being insulin. In this scenario, your body will not be able to make any insulin and therefore there is no proper usage of it.
Insulin
With regard to insulin, it is a hormone secreted by your pancreas. Insulin plays a significant part in deciding how your body processes the food that you consume. In other words, the main function of insulin is to maintain the proper sugar level in your blood. Similar to petrol which acts as your car fuel, glucose acts as your body fuel. Cells take the assistance of glucose in order to produce energy. Diabetes can cause serious issues such as loss of limbs, blindness and impotence. Recent study has come to the conclusion that cases of diabetes is increasing very quickly in the US.
Alcohol Consumption and Diabetes Risk
By drinking alcohol in a moderated form, you can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. According to recent research, light to moderate alcoholic drinkers have a 25 % to 30% lower diabetic risk in comparison to abstainers. When you consume alcohol directly, you will find that there is going to be significant improvement in the insulin action in patients suffering from type 2 diabetes.
According to The American Diabetes Association, people taking light to moderate amounts of alcohol do not need to worry about any heart disease. On the other hand, if you happen to be non-diabetic postmenopausal women, you can minimize insulin concentrations by drinking alcohol in moderation. By doing this, you can also improve insulin sensitivity.
Alcohol Abuse in Women and Diabetes
By drinking alcohol in moderation, women that are over the age of 40 can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The American Diabetes Association believe that men should not take more than two drinks a day while one drink a day is more than enough for women health. In medical terms, alcohol tends to reducer blood sugar and therefore can lead to hypoglycemia. Make sure that you stay away from drinking when your blood glucose level is low. Before consuming alcohol, it is always better that you interact with your health care provider.
Drinking Alcohol and Human Body
As alcohol is a toxin, you need to be extra careful because human body does not react positively to it. The liver does not enjoy the presence of alcohol and therefore it makes every attempt to clear it from the blood. Your liver will not put out glucose again until and unless alcohol is removed from the body.
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Alcohol, Drinking Facts7 Comments »Alcohol Alcohol and Diabetes Alcoholic Drinkers Diabetes Drinking Facts Health The American Diabetes Association
Posted on Jul 29, 2009
Recent study has come to the conclusion that moderate drinkers tend to live longer in comparison to heavy drinkers. Moderate drinkers normally experience less heart attacks, Alzheimer’s disease and hypertension. When you drink sensibly, you will find that you can get rid of diabetes, kidney stones, stress, hepatitis, erectile dysfunction, gallstones, and bone fractures.
Use of Alcohol
You may not believe at first but it is true that alcohol has some medicinal properties and therefore there is not much of a surprise that it is used by the health care providers in various treatment routines. According to latest research, there is a strong connection between decrease in cardiovascular disease and moderate alcohol consumption. If the report of National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism are to be believed, moderate drinking is advantageous to heart health. This is significant as cardiovascular disease is the main cause of death in the US. According to one estimate, heart disease kills over one million Americans on a yearly basis.
Connection between alcohol and lifestyle
At this juncture, you may ask why drink to minimize the heart disease risk? After all, eating a healthy balanced diet with regular exercise is a much better option. But in reality this is not the case. Most of the experts are of the opinion that the moderate consumption of alcohol can be more effective in comparison to making modification in lifestyle with regard to reducing the risk of heart diseases. For individuals looking to reduce cholesterol by more than 30 points, it is of paramount importance that they follow a strict low-fat diet, get rid of salt from their diet and exercise on a daily basis.
Heart attack survivability
Apart from minimizing the risk of heart attacks, alcohol abuse also enhances the survivability. According to recent research, drinking moderate alcohol for a period of ten to twelve months before an acute myocardial infarction plays a significant part in minimizing the risk of dying afterward. It was found during the study that people who drink moderately had the lowest mortality rate.
When you drink moderately, there is a strong possibility that your tissue is not going to be damaged. Alcohol not only improves lipid profile but more importantly increases HDL. If experts are to be believed, alcohol also plays a pivotal role in minimizing platelet aggregation and fibrinogen. In some cases, it also increases fibrinolysis. Regarding fibrinolysis, it is a routine through which clots dissolve. |
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Alcohol4 Comments »Alcohol Drinking Facts Health
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