Damn right I’m manly. How else would I get interviewed by The Art Of Manliness? Check it out: My Interview With ArtOfManliness.com.
What the hell is Forest Bathing? To check out what Mark Sisson has to say about it, click here.
You know you are on the right path when you can tell stories like this. . . Be …
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Toned, sculpted and muscular legs are every woman’s dream. Defined calves and the 6 pack abs are on millions of women’s birthday list all over the world, and what so many women don’t realise – it’s easier to get them that you think they are. If you are in the market for the sleekest, drop dead gorgeous legs on the planet, here are 7 moves that are guaranteed to help you shape the legs of your dreams.
1. Calf Raises…]]>
WebMD News from HealthDay
By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 27 (HealthDay News) -- When a brother or sister dies -- especially from a heart attack -- the risk of a surviving sibling also dying from a heart attack increases sharply in the following years, a large new study from Sweden suggests.
Chronic stress or lifestyle choices like drinking, smoking, unhealthy diet and lack of exercise may follow the loss of a sibling, increasing the risk of a heart attack over time, the researchers said.
"Health care providers should follow bereaved siblings to help recognize signs of acute or chronic psychosocial stress mechanisms that could lead to heart attack," said lead researcher Mikael Rostila, an associate professor at Stockholm University and the Karolinska Institute.
"We might be able to prevent heart attacks and other heart-related conditions by treating these siblings early on and recommending stress management," he added.
Reasons for the association between a sibling's death and the death of a brother or sister years later aren't clear, Rostila noted. And although the study showed an association between a sibling's heart attack death and heightened death risk, it did not establish a cause-and-effect relationship.
"More detailed information from medical records, shared childhood social environment and family characteristics, and data on personal and relational characteristics is needed to uncover the mechanisms causing the association between sibling death and heart attack," Rostila said.
The report was published in the Feb. 27 issue of the Journal of the American Heart Association.
To see the effect of a sibling's death on their other siblings, Rostila's team collected data on more than 1.6 million people in Sweden, aged 40 to 69.
They found the risk of dying from a heart attack increased 25 percent among surviving sisters and 15 percent among surviving brothers compared to people who had not lost a sibling. If their brother or sister died of a heart attack, risk of also dying from a heart attack in the following years increased by 62 percent among women and 98 percent among men, Rostila's team found.
Death from a heart attack was not likely to happen immediately after siblings died, the researchers said. Rather, the risk rose in the four to six years after a sibling's death among women and in the two to six years afterward among men, they found.
"This is a red flag for families," said Dr. Stephen Green, associate chairman of the department of cardiology at North Shore University Hospital, in Manhasset, N.Y. "We know that heart disease is genetic and environmental and typically siblings and family members share the same gene pool, but also share the same bad habits."
Many siblings whose brother or sister died from a heart attack have undiagnosed heart disease, Green said.
If you -- or someone you know -- has a family member with a history of heart disease or heart attack, or a family member who died from heart disease, it is important to talk with your primary care doctor or a cardiologist to make sure it doesn't happen to you, Green said.
More information
To learn more about heart attacks, visit the American Heart Association.
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If you learn a little bit about human biology and muscles, you will be better prepared to increase your muscle size and strength. Learn about the correct diet you should be following and how your muscles work, and you will find it easier to build your bicep and tricep muscles.
The bicep muscle (biceps brachii) is a two-headed muscle that sits on the upper arm in between your elbow and you shoulder. The heads of the muscle form one muscle …
]]>
While most people are looking how to shed the pounds, there are a tremendous amount of skinny people looking for advice on how to gain weight fast. This post is for all the people looking for practical advice on weight-gain, from the simple things you’re doing wrong to whether or not you need protein shakes.
Before I begin, I want to …]]>
With summer just around the corner, now is the time to start sculpting those killer abs. Waiting until your pedicured feet have hit the sidewalk in sandals when the weather is nice is too late, those slick and sculptured abs take time to pop out from under a layer of winter sins, so you are going to need at least 6 weeks to kick start those washboard abs. Here are 6 moves you are going to need to do …
]]>
Superfoods are foods that are particularly high in nutrients and phytochemicals, and help general health and well-being. Many superfoods have been shown to help with particular ailments, whereas others are beneficial of overall health. They are a great element to have in your diet. Here is a list of the 25 top superfoods that you can add to your diet.
1. Whole grainsWhole grains are basically grains that have not undergone the refining process. There are wholegrain varieties …
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WebMD News from HealthDay
By Serena Gordon
HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, Feb. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Millions of American women know the pain and emotional tumult of premenstrual syndrome, or PMS. But a new study finds that diets full of iron from plant-based sources might help ease the condition.
Women who ate in this way were about one-third less likely to develop PMS than women who consumed less iron, the researchers found. Non-meat sources of iron include dried beans and green leafy vegetables.
Another mineral makes a difference, the study found. Higher levels of zinc were also associated with less PMS over the 10-year study period. Zinc occurs in many fresh fruits and vegetables.
"It does look like a range of minerals are important for menstrual cycle health and for PMS. Women should consume a balanced diet, and if they're not getting enough nutrients from their diet, they should take a multivitamin," recommended senior study author Elizabeth Bertone-Johnson, an associate professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Bertone-Johnson said the researchers don't know exactly why iron might be associated with less PMS, because iron is involved in many processes in the body. They think higher levels of iron might reduce the pain and emotional symptoms of PMS by boosting levels of a brain chemical called serotonin. Low serotonin levels play a role in clinical depression, and Bertone-Johnson said that serotonin has been linked to PMS symptoms in other research.
As with iron, Bertone-Johnson said it wasn't clear how higher levels of zinc might protect against PMS.
Results of the study were published online Feb. 26 in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
PMS affects between 8 percent and 15 percent of women in their reproductive years, according to study background information. Symptoms can be physical or emotional, and may include breast tenderness, abdominal bloating, appetite changes, depression and anxiety.
The current research followed about 3,000 women enrolled in the U.S. Nurses' Health Study II. None of the women reported having PMS at the start of the study.
Over 10 years, the women completed three food-intake questionnaires. At the end of the study, 1,057 women reported PMS, and the remaining 1,968 women did not.
After adjusting the data for calcium intake and other factors, the researchers found that the women who consumed the most non-heme iron had up to a 40 percent lower PMS risk compared to the women who consumed the least non-heme iron. Non-heme iron is iron that comes from plant-based sources or supplements, rather than from meat.
The risk of developing PMS dropped significantly for women who consumed more than 20 milligrams (mg) of iron daily. The lowest risk was seen in women consuming nearly 50 mg of iron daily. However, the recommended daily intake for premenopausal women is 18 mg per day, according to Bertone-Johnson.
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WebMD News from HealthDay
By Kathleen Doheny
HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, Feb. 26 (HealthDay News) -- The number of younger women who have been diagnosed with advanced breast cancer has increased slowly, but steadily, since the 1970s, a new study indicates.
Over the past 30 years, the number of cases of metastatic breast cancer in women under the age of 40 has tripled, said Dr. Rebecca Johnson, medical director of the adolescent and young adult oncology program at Seattle Children's Hospital.
"The increase translates to about 250 cases per year in 1976, and 850 in 2009," said Johnson, who is also an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington, in Seattle.
However, she stressed, the absolute increase was smaller. In 1976, the rate of advanced breast cancer in this age group (25 to 39 years) was 1.5 for every 100,000 women; in 2009, it was just under 3 per 100,000 women.
While the number of cases tripled, the rate only doubled because the base population of women grew over the 30-year period studied, Johnson explained.
The findings are published in the Feb. 27 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
In contrast, Johnson said, no such trend has been found for diagnoses of earlier breast cancer in this younger age group or for diagnoses of all stages of breast cancer in older women.
Johnson couldn't say for sure what is driving the increase, as the study only looked at the number of women diagnosed with advanced disease over time. What is needed next, she said, is research to figure out what is fueling the trend.
"Young adults are the least likely to have medical insurance of all age groups," she noted, so that complicates the picture. Breast cancers in younger women also tend to be more aggressive than in older women.
Younger women often believe breast cancer can't happen to them, said Johnson, who had breast cancer in her 20s. When a younger woman does seek medical help for worrisome breast symptoms, she should expect the doctor to take the symptoms seriously and not suggest a prolonged period of watching and waiting. Typically, a doctor should schedule an ultrasound or mammogram screening, Johnson said.
The findings are not a reason to change current mammography screening guidelines, Johnson added. Many organizations recommend routine screenings beginning at age 40, although the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force now recommends routine mammogram screenings need not begin until age 50.
The finding does stress the importance of younger women being aware of breast changes and the importance of seeking medical attention when they find such changes, she said.
For the study, Johnson and her team looked at data from the U.S. National Cancer Institute Registry.
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WebMD News from HealthDay
By Kathleen Doheny
HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, Feb. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Children of women who are diagnosed with an alcohol disorder during pregnancy or within a year after giving birth have a three-fold higher risk of dying from SIDS -- sudden infant death syndrome -- compared to babies whose mothers do not have alcohol issues, according to a new Australian study.
In the study, a mother's problem drinking was implicated in about one out of every six SIDS deaths, according to the researchers. Alcohol abuse by the mothers was also linked with about 3 percent of the deaths caused by something other than SIDS, the researchers found.
"Maternal alcohol-use disorder is a significant risk factor for SIDS and infant mortality excluding SIDS," wrote researcher Colleen O'Leary, of Curtin University in Perth, and colleagues.
The study was published online Feb. 25 and in the March print issue of the journal Pediatrics
SIDS is defined as the sudden death of an infant less than 1 year old that can't be explained after thoroughly investigating, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Overall, SIDS deaths have dropped by more than half since 1990, the CDC noted. Even so, it is still the leading cause of death among U.S. babies aged 1 month to 1 year.
In 2009, about 2,200 U.S. children died from SIDS. The rate is still disproportionately high among some groups, including American Indians, Alaskan natives and blacks, the Australian researchers said.
Australia has a higher-than-average infant death rate, with more than four of every 1,000 live births affected, according to study background information.
Experts have known that certain risk factors increase the chances of SIDS, including bed sharing, maternal smoking and putting a baby to sleep on their stomach. Prevention guidelines recommend positioning babies on their backs.
More recently, researchers have focused on alcohol.
The new study findings did not surprise David P. Phillips, a professor of sociology at the University of California, San Diego, who also has reported a link between parental alcohol intake and SIDS deaths. As alcohol consumption rises -- such as on New Year's and weekends -- so do the number of SIDS deaths, he found.
"We know that when people are under the influence of alcohol, they perform tasks much more poorly, including parenting," he said.
For the new study, the Australian researchers evaluated nearly 78,000 live births from 1983 to 2005. They found nearly 22,000 of the mothers had an alcohol diagnosis such as acute alcohol intoxication or dependence. About 56,000 did not.
In all, more than 300 children died from SIDS and nearly 600 others died of other causes.
Although the study found an association between infant death and maternal drinking, it didn't establish a cause-and-effect relationship. The researchers can't explain exactly why alcohol abuse and SIDS are linked. They speculate that the alcohol has a bad effect on the development of the brainstem during pregnancy.
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Superfoods are foods that are particularly high in nutrients and phytochemicals, and help general health and well-being. Many superfoods have been shown to help with particular ailments, whereas others are beneficial of overall health. They are a great element to have in your diet. Here is a list of the 25 top superfoods that you can add to your diet.
1. Whole grainsWhole grains are basically grains that have not undergone the refining process. There are wholegrain varieties …
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WebMD News from HealthDay
By Kathleen Doheny
HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, Feb. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Score another heart-health win for the Mediterranean diet.
Eating a diet rich in olive oil, nuts, fresh fruits and vegetables, along with red wine, helped those at high risk for cardiovascular problems avoid heart trouble better than those eating a low-fat diet, a new Spanish study has found.
During a follow-up period of about five years, study participants on a Mediterranean diet that emphasized either olive oil or nuts had a 30 percent greater reduction in relative risk of a heart attack, stroke or death from cardiovascular disease, said study lead author Dr. Miguel Angel Martinez-Gonzalez. He is chairman of preventive medicine and public health at the Universidad de Navarra in Spain.
"This is a moderate-to-high benefit," he said. "The low-fat diet also helped, but to a lesser degree."
The new findings are published online Feb. 25 in the New England Journal of Medicine. They will also be presented Monday at the International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition in Loma Linda, Calif.
The findings echo those from previous research.
Martinez-Gonzalez's team evaluated nearly 7,500 men and women. They ranged in age from 55 to 80 when they enrolled in the study, which began in Spain in 2003. Fifty-seven percent of the participants were women.
While the men and women had no history of heart attack or stroke or other cardiovascular problems at enrollment, they did have risk factors such as type 2 diabetes, smoking, high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
The researchers assigned the men and women to one of three groups -- a low-fat diet, a Mediterranean diet that focused on nuts or a Mediterranean diet that focused on olive oil.
On average, the men and women were overweight or obese. In all three groups, the average body-mass index was 30 or close to it, which is defined as obese.
The olive oil group consumed about a liter -- roughly 34 ounces -- of olive oil a week. The nuts group ate about one ounce of nuts a day, including walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds. Members of both groups also ate plenty of fruits and vegetables, as well as fish, and drank wine with meals. They could have white meat but were told to avoid red and processed meats.
The low-fat group ate low-fat dairy, breads, potatoes, fruits and vegetables and lean fish. They were told to avoid oils, baked goods, nuts, red and processed meat and fatty fish.
At the end of the study, 288 cardiovascular events had occurred. While 109 of those events occurred in the low-fat group, 96 were in the group that ate a Mediterranean diet with olive oil, and 83 were in the Mediterranean diet-with-nuts group.
When the researchers looked separately at stroke, heart attack and death, only the link between the Mediterranean diet and stroke was statistically significant. The researchers found a link between the diets and heart protection, but it did not prove cause and effect, they said.
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WebMD News from HealthDay
By Barbara Bronson Gray
HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, Feb. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Healthy older women should not take calcium and vitamin D supplements to prevent fractures, according to a final recommendation issued Monday by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
In healthy adults, lower doses of calcium and vitamin D seem to be ineffective. As for higher doses, it's still up in the air, the government group said.
The new recommendations do not apply to people who are known to be vitamin D-deficient or who already have osteoporosis, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) noted.
Every year about 1.5 million fractures in the United States are attributed to osteoporosis, which is caused by a decrease in bone mass and density that makes bones fragile and more susceptible to a break. Almost half of all women older than 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in their lifetime, according to the USPSTF.
Calcium is one of the main building blocks of bone growth, and vitamin D (sourced via sunlight's action on the skin, or through diet) helps bones absorb calcium. But at issue is whether people receive enough of these nutrients in their daily diet, or if supplements would help protect them.
Dr. Virginia Moyer, chair of the USPSTF, and a professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine, said experts know that a "medium dose" of supplements -- less than 400 international units (IU) of vitamin D and less than 1,000 milligrams (mg) of calcium -- does not work.
As for higher doses? "We simply don't know. There are reasons to think they could work, but unfortunately, even though there are a bunch of studies, there are problems with them," Moyer said.
"We know these recommendations will be very frustrating to both physicians and patients, but it's a call to action to the research community," she added.
The USPSTF analyzed a wide range of studies on the effects of supplementation of vitamin D and calcium levels for bone health and the adverse effects of supplementation. The report, published online Feb. 26 in the Annals of Internal Medicine, makes these points about preventing fractures:
The report notes a downside to low-dose supplementation: Taking 400 IU or less of vitamin D and 1,000 mg or less of calcium increases the risk of kidney stones, which can be painful and may require hospitalization.
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WebMD News from HealthDay
By Amanda Gardner
HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, Feb. 25 (HealthDay News) -- In one case documented in a new study, an elderly patient was misdiagnosed with bronchitis but actually had full-blown pneumonia and ended up being admitted to the hospital.
Although that patient recovered, other symptoms that aren't properly diagnosed could be even more serious: numbness, tingling and dizziness that aren't recognized as the first signs of a stroke, for instance.
According to the new study, published online Feb. 25 in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, primary care physicians can make diagnostic errors across a wide range of conditions, many of them common conditions such as urinary tract infections and anemia.
"There's a great heterogeneity of conditions [that are missed]," said study author Dr. Hardeep Singh.
Although much is known about medication errors and mistakes that occur in hospitals and other inpatient settings, less is known about mistakes that happen in doctors' offices or clinics, said Singh, chief of the Health Policy, Quality and Informatics Program at the Houston VA Health Services Research and Development Center of Excellence.
Similarly, while "high-profile" diagnostic mistakes -- missed cancer that ends in unnecessary death, for example -- often make the news, more mundane diagnostic errors can fly under the radar, he added.
In the study, Singh and his colleagues used electronic medical records to identify 190 cases of diagnostic errors that took place in a primary-care physician's office, either at a VA facility or in a private health care system. Sixty-eight of those were missed diagnoses, according to the study.
Diagnostic errors occurred across many common conditions, including pneumonia (6.7 percent of the cases), congestive heart failure (5.7 percent), kidney failure (5.3 percent) and urinary tract or kidney infection (4.8 percent). Cancer made up 5.3 percent of missed diagnoses, on a par with kidney failure.
Eighty percent of the errors were due to communication breakdowns between the patient and practitioner. This could have been failing to take a proper medical history or not performing a comprehensive physical exam. There also were problems with ordering and interpreting tests and follow-up care.
More than 40 percent of the cases studied involved more than one of these factors.
Although all the cases reviewed in this study involved patients coming back for -- and receiving -- follow-up care, the cases did have the potential for "moderate to severe harm," the authors said.
It's not clear if these findings would extrapolate into other primary care settings, especially ones that aren't part of a larger health care network, the authors said. (Even in this study, the authors found different patterns in the VA network versus the private system.)
The authors did not say what proportion of total diagnoses were in error, said Dr. Doug Campos-Outcalt, chairman of family medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, in Phoenix.
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1. Foundational for other training methods. In my opinion, becoming proficient with bodyweight exercises is mandatory before adding external resistance. If you can’t perform a full range of motion squat with just your bodyweight while maintaining good postural alignment, stepping into the power rack and throwing a barbell …
]]>To listen to …
]]>Damn right I’m manly. How else would I get interviewed by The Art Of Manliness? Check it out: My Interview With ArtOfManliness.com.
What the hell is Forest Bathing? To check out what Mark Sisson has to say about it, click here.
You know you are on the right path when you can tell stories like this. . . Be …
]]>While most people are looking how to shed the pounds, there are a tremendous amount of skinny people looking for advice on how to gain weight fast. This post is for all the people looking for practical advice on weight-gain, from the simple things you’re doing wrong to whether or not you need protein shakes.
Before I begin, I want to …]]>The amount of fat that we carry around our middles has been slowly increasing over the years as national body shapes have changed from hourglass to apple-like. Belly fat is not exactly attractive so it’s not surprising that so many people are tempted to try weird and wonderful methods to try and lose it. Here are some genuine tips that will help you lose that muffin top and gain a slimmer silhouette.
1. Say no to sit-upsIsn’t that what …
]]>If you learn a little bit about human biology and muscles, you will be better prepared to increase your muscle size and strength. Learn about the correct diet you should be following and how your muscles work, and you will find it easier to build your bicep and tricep muscles.
The bicep muscle (biceps brachii) is a two-headed muscle that sits on the upper arm in between your elbow and you shoulder. The heads of the muscle form one muscle …
]]>Toned, sculpted and muscular legs are every woman’s dream. Defined calves and the 6 pack abs are on millions of women’s birthday list all over the world, and what so many women don’t realise – it’s easier to get them that you think they are. If you are in the market for the sleekest, drop dead gorgeous legs on the planet, here are 7 moves that are guaranteed to help you shape the legs of your dreams.
1. Calf Raises…]]>With summer just around the corner, now is the time to start sculpting those killer abs. Waiting until your pedicured feet have hit the sidewalk in sandals when the weather is nice is too late, those slick and sculptured abs take time to pop out from under a layer of winter sins, so you are going to need at least 6 weeks to kick start those washboard abs. Here are 6 moves you are going to need to do …
]]>Body Weight exercises are some of the most powerful and rewarding fitness moves on the planet and the best part is they are completely free of charge as you don’t need any equipment; you can do it in the comfort of your very own home. Here are the top 8 body weight exercises you will need for a full body toning regime.
1. Push UpsThese are great and within a few weeks you will begin to see a difference …
]]>Get off your mother’s couch!! Summer is almost here and if you are like the most of us we’d like to be able to hit the beach and show off our beach bods. If you are looking for ways to get the ball rolling here are 8 ways to get yourself motivated and in the healthy lifestyle zone.
1. Set Realistic GoalsTelling yourself you are going to be gracing the cover of that fitness mag in 6 weeks after …
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WebMD News from HealthDay
By Serena Gordon
HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, Feb. 22 (HealthDay News) -- The picture isn't necessarily pretty when it comes to Alzheimer's disease.
More than 5 million Americans currently have the degenerative brain condition, there's no sure way to prevent it and current treatment options don't work for everyone. Even more millions are tasked with the sometimes difficult and frustrating daily care of those stricken with the memory-robbing disease, often with little experience or training.
But as the number of Americans with Alzheimer's has risen in the past few decades and continues to spiral upward, anecdotal and research evidence has accumulated on ways to make everyday life more bearable for those with the disease and to help those caring for them. It includes expanded knowledge of what works and what doesn't in areas of medication, living situations, everyday contact and more, and ranges from complex to simple solutions.
"There are times that it can be difficult to handle someone with Alzheimer's, but you have to have patience, and you have to put yourself in their shoes," said Teresa Dinau, a caregiver for Home Care Assistance, based in Palo Alto, Calif. "It's important to try to understand what they're going through."
Dr. Jacobo Mintzer, chairman of the Medical and Scientific Advisory Board for the Alzheimer's Foundation of America, said that the biggest initial problem for caregivers is often that "they're trying to preserve the person they knew as long as possible."
"That's usually where they get themselves into trouble," he said. "Because of this desperate need to try to preserve the person, caregivers will put themselves in dangerous situations, like letting the person with Alzheimer's drive because it has always been important to them."
Not pushing someone with Alzheimer's to be who they used to be makes some caregivers feel like they've given up on their loved one, added Mintzer, who's also a physician at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center in Charleston, S.C.
But he said that's not the case and that there are plenty of safe ways to keep a connection. If someone with Alzheimer's used to like to swing dance, for instance, and you put on music and swing dance with them, it will often be calming, he said. Or, people with Alzheimer's usually enjoy looking at photos from the past, according to the Alzheimer's Association.
Mintzer said there are no treatments currently available to alter the course of the disease. However, two types of medications have been approved in the United States to help with memory loss: a group of drugs called cholinesterase inhibitors (brand names include Aricept, Exelon, Razadyne and Cognex) and memantine (brand name Namenda). However, the Alzheimer's Association reports that these medications don't work for everyone and, on average, delay worsening of symptoms only by about six to 12 months.
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WebMD News from HealthDay
By Kathleen Doheny
HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, Feb. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Feeling insecure and frequently anxious about your romantic relationship can actually harm your health, new research contends.
The feelings may boost levels of a stress hormone and lower your immune system, according to Ohio State researchers.
In their study, married couples who were often anxious about their relationship -- wondering if their partner truly loved them, for example -- had higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol, and lower levels of T-cells, which are important in the immune system to fight off infections, lead author Lisa Jaremka said.
"These concerns about rejection and whether or not you are truly cared for do have physiological consequences that could, in the long-term, negatively affect health," said Jaremka, a postdoctoral fellow at Ohio State University's Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research.
The study was recently published online and will appear in an upcoming print issue of Psychological Science.
Jaremka said she was not describing the normal now-and-then concerns about a relationship. "Everybody has these thoughts and feelings sometimes," she said. "They are a natural part of being in a relationship."
But for the highly anxious, she added, "it's a chronic thing."
Jaremka studied 85 couples, all married for an average of more than 12 years. Most were white. Their average age was 39. All the partners reported their general anxiety levels and symptoms, and answered questions about their marriage and about their sleep quality.
The couples were generally healthy. Those with wives who were expecting a baby, or who drank excess alcohol or caffeine or had health problems affecting the immune system were all excluded.
The couples provided saliva samples over three days and blood samples twice. From these, the research team measured levels of cortisol and T-cells.
Participants with higher levels of anxiety about the marriage produced about 11 percent more cortisol than those with lower anxiety levels. Spouses with higher anxiety levels had between 11 percent and 22 percent lower levels of T cells than those with less anxiety.
Jaremka said the two findings are likely linked, because cortisol can hamper production of T-cells.
The study found a link or association between relationship anxiety and the body's stress and immune response, but cannot prove cause and effect.
While the study did not track whether the highly anxious partners got sick more often, the link is reasonable, Jaremka said, based on other research about the ill effects of chronically high stress hormone levels.
"A lot of the negative consequences of high cortisol are beyond the common flu," she said. Rather, she added, high level have been linked to heart problems, sleep problems, depression and other conditions.
Another expert who also studies attachment styles said the link between attachment anxiety and stress is not new, but the link to immune system function is newer. And it is "not that surprising," said Jeni Burnette, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Richmond, in Virginia.
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WebMD News from HealthDay
By Robert Preidt
HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, Feb. 22 (HealthDay News) -- A few simple and inexpensive changes to school cafeterias can help encourage children to eat healthier foods at lunch, a new study finds.
The changes included improving the convenience and attractiveness of fruits and vegetables (such as placing fresh fruit in nice bowls or tiered stands next to the cash register) and having cafeteria staff prompt children to choose fruits and vegetables by asking them questions such as, "Would you like to try an apple?"
The "smarter lunchroom" makeover took no more than three hours in one afternoon and cost less than $50, according to the researchers at the Cornell Center for Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition Programs, in Ithaca, N.Y.
The program was tested in the cafeterias of two junior-senior high schools (grades 7 to 12) in western New York. After the makeover, students were 13 percent more likely to select fruits and 23 percent more likely to take vegetables, according to the study, which was published Feb. 22 in the Journal of Pediatrics.
When researchers recorded what was left on trays after lunch, they found fruit consumption had increased 18 percent and vegetable consumption rose 25 percent. The likelihood that students would eat whole servings of fruits or vegetables increased 16 percent and 10 percent, respectively, they said.
This low-cost, effective approach could help combat rising rates of childhood obesity in the United States, said study author Andrew Hanks. Last year, the U.S. government introduced regulations to make school lunches more nutritious. But children can't be forced to eat these healthier lunches.
The "smart lunchroom" makeover "not only preserves choice, but has the potential to lead children to develop lifelong habits of selecting and consuming healthier foods even when confronted with less healthy options," Hanks noted.
These changes could also prove effective in the cafeterias of hospitals, retirement homes, businesses and other organizations, he suggested.
More information
The Nemours Foundation has more about children and healthy eating.
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