Health News__
Lack Of Sleep May Spur Weight Gain

.....Middle-aged women may be able to sleep their way to a trimmer body, a recent study suggest. The study followed more than 68,000 U.S. women for 16 years and researchers found that those who slept more each night tended to put on less weight during middle-age.
.....What's more, women who typically clocked 5 hours of sleep were one third more likely than those who slept for 7 hours to have a substantial weight gain -- 33 pounds or more -- during the study period.
.....The findings, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology add to evidence that sleep habits affect a person's weight. Although the reasons aren't clear, some research suggests that sleep deprivation alters hormones involved in appetite control and metabolism.
.....It's also possible that people who sleep fewer hours either eat more or, because of fatigue, exercise less often. Whatever the reason, the new findings suggest that sleeping 7 hours or more each night could help prevent the middle-age spread.

Vitamin E Levels Linked To Mortality Risk

.....A large study suggests vitamin E may help prevent death from cancer and heart disease in middle-aged men who smoke, contradicting the findings of some previous studies on the subject.
.....In a study of 29,092 Finnish men in their 50s and 60s who were smokers, those with the highest concentrations of the vitamin E in their blood at the study's outset were the least likely to die during the follow-up period, which lasted up to 19 years.
.....Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant, while it also boosts immune system function and prevents tumor blood vessel growth.
.....The researchers found that men with the highest levels of vitamin E in their blood were 18 percent less likely to die than those with the lowest levels. The men also had a 21-percent lower risk of death from cancer, a 19-percent lower risk of dying from heart disease, and a 30-percent lower risk of death from other causes.

Hypertension

.....Hypertension is commonly known as high blood pressure. Blood pressure is the pressure of your blood against the inner walls of your arteries. Think of it as being similar to the water pressure in a pipe or hose.
.....According to Health Canada, hypertension is a disease affecting 20 to 25% of Canadians. As many as half the people over age 55 who suffer from hypertension are not even diagnosed or treated.
If the pressure in your arteries is too high, over time it can cause disease. Left untreated, high blood pressure can result in:
• heart attacks
• strokes
• kidney failure
• eye problems
• other diseases
Get your blood pressure checked at least once every two years, even if you rarely see a doctor and think you are healthy.
Use the following tips to help prevent hypertension:
• Achieve and maintain a healthy body weight.
• Eat low-fat foods, including at least 5–10 servings of fruit and vegetables a day.
• Limit your alcohol intake to two drinks a day or less.
• Eat potassium-rich foods such as nuts, vegetables and fruit.
• Eat calcium-rich foods such as low-fat dairy products, broccoli, kale, figs, canned salmon with bones, and tofu with calcium.
• Eat magnesium-rich foods such as dark green
vegetables, nuts, whole grains, soybeans, legumes, and seafood.
• Do not add salt to meals at the table per day. Salt raises blood pressure in 10–15% of people.
• Quit smoking.
• Reduce stress.
• Exercise at a moderate intensity
• Get enough rest and sleep. Lack of sleep can raise blood pressure in people who already have hypertension.