Five Simple Steps to Healthy You

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Here's something you probably intuitively know: preventing a disease or condition from developing is so much better than dealing with it after it hits. But here's the thing - there are FIVE simple steps, five simple preventive health care practices, that could prevent nearly 100,000 deaths each year, at least in urban areas. Here they are:

• Daily aspirin therapy to prevent heart disease. (But double-check with your doctor on whether this step is for you!)
• Smoking cessation: An additional 42,000 lives would be saved each year by increasing to 90% the portion of smokers who are advised by a health care professional to quit and are offered assistance. Currently, only a minimal per centage of smokers receive such services.
• Colorectal cancer screening: Another 14,000 additional lives would be saved each year by increasing to 90% the portion of adults aged 50 and older who are....
  
  
  Sunday , August 19, 2007

  What you need to know about gout

  
  

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  One in 10 Indians suffers from joint trouble, increasingly towards old age - and in about 20 per cent of cases, arthritis is to blame... I want to talk about a specific type of arthritis -- Gout. Gout is a form of arthritis marked by sudden attacks of painful, inflamed joints... It's characterised by pain, swelling, redness, and warmth or inflammation as well as stiffness in a joint or joints. These are most common in the fingers of the hand and feet. Without treatment, gout attacks tend to recur and may cause severe damage to joints, tendons, and other tissues. Gout is most common in men. And here's the thing - gout can INCREASE the risk of heart attacks...which makes it even more crucial to learn to recognise symptoms. So here's some medical advice you need to know... What causes gout? Gout is caused....

  
  
  Thursday , August 09, 2007

  Does your leg have a mind of its own?

  
  

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  More and more people are talking about it, even in India. So should you be worried? Well, it's estimated that 10 per cent of the population may be affected. We are talking about Restless Leg Syndrome. Are there times when you're sleeping, when it feels like your legs have a mind of their own, where they move of their own volition? Or occasions when your partner says your leg movements are disturbing his or her sleep? This can be irritating, but is it harmful? Well, it indicates a disorder of the nervous system, a disorder that is categorised as a sleep disorder - Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) - that may require medical attention. So what are the symptoms you need to look out for? Patients complain of a constant urge to move their legs and also mention "strange" feelings in their legs. These....