Melody Jacob

Menstrual periods that are irregular and long are connected to a shortened lifespan.

This is an ongoing research

Is it possible to predict your longevity based on your current or previous menstrual cycle? A study published in The BMJ on Oct. 3, 2020, linked irregular or menstrual periods that are long (defined as 40 days or more) both in adolescence and adulthood to a higher risk of early death (before age 70) than those with normal or short menstrual cycles. The researchers discovered that the link was stronger for fatalities from heart and blood vessel disease and among women who smoked, based on data from roughly 80,000 women who took part in the Nurses' Health Study II.

HEALTH/FITNESS

Why are women more likely to suffer from pain conditions?

Why do women have a higher risk of developing pain problems than men?

It's impossible not to observe a pattern when it comes to many prevalent chronic pain illnesses, such as fibromyalgia, migraine headaches, arthritis, or lupus. The majority of patients diagnosed with these diseases are women. Women are not only disproportionately impacted by diseases that cause chronic pain, but they also have a harder time acquiring a precise diagnosis and receiving adequate therapy.

Pain mystery.

It is unclear why women tend to be more likely to have pain problems that last longer than a short time. It may be due to genetics. A biological explanation for these discrepancies may exist. Tho, the onset of menstruation often causes migraines to worsen in females.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may also be triggered by trauma, including sexual assault, which might lead to additional symptoms such as chronic pain. Women are more likely to have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than males. Only ten per cent of women will be diagnosed with PTSD over their lives, whereas only four per cent of males will be diagnosed with the disorder.

What causes pain problems to be more prevalent in women?

Women tend to suffer more from pain problems than men, but far too many have to endure for longer than they should due to delayed diagnosis. One of the findings reported in a 2011 study done by the World Endometriosis Research Foundation showed that on average, a woman had to wait seven years from the time she first had symptoms to when she was diagnosed with endometriosis. Like the lining of the uterus, the tissue that causes endometriosis develops elsewhere in the body, resulting in inflammation and scarring.

Also often found in people with fibromyalgia is the delay in diagnosis. The condition is thought to originate in the brain's pain response region.

HEALTH/FITNESS

Why are women more likely to suffer from pain conditions?

Adjusting gut bacteria could help improve response to cancer treatment.

This is ongoing research.

Cancer treatment may be aided by gut microorganisms. This research is still ongoing and being watched.

Researchers at the National Cancer Institute's Center for Cancer Research discovered that changing the type of microbes in the gut helped people with metastatic melanoma (a type of skin cancer that is aggressive) react to immunotherapy treatments that had previously failed them.

HEALTH/FITNESS

Is getting more sleep going to help me avoid dementia?

Will sleeping for extended periods protect you from dementia? Is this a true statement?

According to several published research, persons who sleep fewer than seven hours or more than nine hours a night are more prone to acquire different chronic illnesses, including dementia, than those who sleep seven to nine hours. These studies, on the other hand, have flaws. Some did not have a large number of patients. Others focused on how long people slept when they were 65 years old, rather than how long they slept when they were younger. Other trials lasted just around ten years, making it difficult to make any conclusions regarding long-term health impacts. Finally, the majority of research just accepted the individuals' claims regarding how long they slept. We also tend to lie a little when we report on our healthy living routines.

So, while I was inclined to believe that getting enough sleep was crucial for one's health and may even guard against dementia, I wasn't persuaded. However, recent research published in the journal Nature Communications on April 20, 2021, has gone a long way toward persuading me. 8,000 50-year-olds were chosen and tracked for 25 years by researchers. Participants in the research kept track of how long they slept each night, and some even wore gadgets that tracked their body movement, ensuring that their sleep reports were reliable. To put it another way, the study overcomes many of the flaws of previous research.

The study's findings were shocking. When people aged 50 slept an average of seven hours per night compared to those who slept just six hours per night, it was shown that those who slept less were 22 per cent more likely to acquire dementia. When adults aged 60 were compared, those who slept less were found to be 37% more likely to acquire dementia. The odds of acquiring dementia were considerably higher for those who slept less than six hours every night – people like you.

HEALTH/FITNESS

Is getting more sleep going to help me avoid dementia?

Pelvic Organ Prolapse: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment.

This prevalent issue is frequently overlooked or misinterpreted. Pelvic organ prolapse, a disease in which the uterus, bladder, small intestine, or rectum bulges into the vaginal wall or drops down through the vagina, affects around half of the women over 50. However, unlike other prevalent health issues, many women are reluctant to discuss it, even with their doctors. Some people do it out of embarrassment, while others do it because they believe it's simply something they'll have to cope with as they get older.