News & Lifestyle
Posted on 4 June 2008
The metabolic and endocrine hormonal changes resulting from sleep deprivation have a similar impact on the body to the ageing process and may increase the severity of age-related chronic disorders such as heart disease and diabetes, according to researchers at the US Department of Medicine in Chicago. Over the last hundred years, the average number of hours people spend asleep per night in the more developed countries has decreased from nine hours to seven-and-a-half hours. It is thought eight hours is the amount of sleep the average person requires for the body to be fully rested.
Posted on 4 June 2008
Walking is as effective as more vigorous exercise, for example running, in reducing the risk of heart attack and strokes for women. A study of 73,743 post-menopausal women from 50 to 79 years of age in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study, found that brisk walking for about two and a half hours a week reduced the risk of heart disease and stroke by about one-third, whilst prolonged sitting increased the risk. (N Engl J Med 2002; 347:716-725).