Study: Lack of sleep can increase stroke risk
WASHINGTON: Habitually sleeping less than six hours a night significantly increases the risk of stroke symptoms among middle-age to older adults, according to a research presented at the SLEEP 2012 conference.
The study, which followed about 5,600 people for about three years, concluded that poor sleep can undermine all the other things we do, China's Xinhua news agency said.
The participants had no history of stroke, transient ischemic attack, stroke symptoms or high risk for obstructive sleep apnea at the start of the study.
Researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham recorded the first stroke symptoms, along with demographic information, stroke risk factors, depression symptoms and various health behaviours.
After adjusting for body-mass index, they found a strong association with daily sleep periods of less than six hours and a greater incidence of stroke symptoms for middle-age to older adults, even beyond other risk factors.
"We speculate that short sleep duration is a precursor to other traditional stroke risk factors, and once these traditional stroke risk factors are present, then perhaps they become stronger risk factors than sleep duration alone," lead author Megan Ruiter said in a statement.
Further research may support the results, providing a strong argument for increasing public awareness of the impact of sleep as a risk factor for stroke symptoms, especially among persons who appear to have few or no traditional risk factors for stroke, she said.
- Bernama
Leaner Malaysian Civil Servants?
An article published in theStar today that focuses on the notion that 1.4 million civil servants have been asked to watch their diet and food. Apparantly all foods will be labelled with the total number of calories.
For me, utlimately it comes down to the following: "knowing the calorie content of food is one thing but - do you know your calorie needs?"
knowing the calorie content of food is one thing but - do you know your calorie needs?
Yusri Weight Gain Success Story: How I Gained 18kg in 18 Month.
- Name: Muhammad Yusri bin Abdul Rahim
- Age: 26 Tahun
- Current Job: Aircraft Technician
- Goal: Weight Gain
- Pencapaian: Gained 18kg over 18 month.
- Facebook: Msebastians
- Twitter bonzaimy
Assalamualaikum brother Kevin. My name is Muhammad Yusri. I’m 26 years old this year. I want to share my success story with you.
I was always a skinny guy in school. As I remember it, after SPM, my weight was around 49 to 50 kg and it never changed. It didn’t matter whether I ate a lot or a little; my weight would still be the same. I never bothered about my weight because my mom always told me that it depended on her genetics, which included a high metabolism. I did try a few products in the market that would increase my weight but they were all useless. Just like how obese people hate the weighing scale, I shared this common interest.
... I did try a few products in the market that would increase my weight but they were all useless...
I always felt embarrassed knowing if people would realize how light I actually was. I always tried to avoid the weighing scale.
The wakeup call
Between 2009 and 2010, I was having a really hard time at my work place. The stress that built up everyday had a significant effect on my appetite and life. Due to that, I resorted to smoking. To make things even worse, I partied a lot and only managed to get 3-4 hours of sleep everyday. If I’m not mistaken, I think this routine continued for a year.
...when a friend took a picture of me and posted it on facebook, I was a little shocked looking at my picture...
One day, when a friend took a picture of me and posted it on facebook, I was a little shocked looking at my picture. I couldn’t believe that I was really that skinny. So, once again, I tried to look for a quick solution (as always) and bought a Herba Life product. The salesman weighed me and to my surprise, the gauge on the scale pointed to 42.5kg. I never dropped to this point after SPM. The last time I had weighed in at 42kg was when I was in Form 2. The bad lifestyle habits were really taking a toll on my weight.
I tried the product and as always, it didn’t work. I was under the impression that it was a magical drink that could instantly increase my weight. I knew I had to do something. I was browsing the Internet for a solution when I came across your website.
In the first 5 months, I had a hard time in following your instructions. I did not manage to gain 5kg in 10 weeks due to various factors such as work, study and lack of motivation. I also travelled a lot which made it difficult for me to get a proper meal. But I knew that I shouldn’t give up. I joined the gym in January. From 42kg in January 2011:
- I gained 3kg by June 2011 (still a slow progress due to my work schedule).
- By the end of December 2011, I gained another 6kg. I was quite impressed with myself.
- For my 2012 resolution, I told myself that I would reach 65kg by 2013. I work hard, train hard and follow everything that you have written in the book.
- Today my weight is 59.2kg. I now have my ideal B.M.I. I still have a few more months left before I am able to reach my goal.
Fitness routine
- Monday – Relax
- Tuesday – Biceps and leg
- Wednesday – Triceps and abs
- Thursday – relax
- Friday – Shoulder
- Saturday – Back
- Sunday – Chest and abs
Weight Gain Daily diet
- Morning – I will have a weight gainer supplement, 3 scrambled eggs, nasi lemak and roti canai. I try to have a lot of calories in the morning. People sometimes think I eat a lot but due to my nature of work (aircraft maintenance), I really need energy in the morning to get me through till I can have my lunch.
- Afternoon – I will have nasi campur, vegetables and meat (any kind of meat)
- Evening – around 3:30pm, I will have kuih-muih, bread or a chocolate.
- Night – For my dinner, I normally eat rice mixed with vegetables and meat.
- For supper, I would normally consume a weight gainer supplement or anything that is not too heavy.
What I learned from this experience
- Going to the gym is important
- Do less cardio, yoga and aerobic
- Eat a minimum of 6 times a day
- If you want to see the result, follow everything that brother Kevin has told you in the e-book
- Never ever skip your main meal (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
- STOP smoking if you want to gain weight!!!
I know it looks hard but trust me, when you get to the point where I am now; the hard work really pays off. I couldn’t believe myself at first until I tried. There is no such thing as magic pills that can make you gain weight instantly.
Once again, thank you to brother Kevin and I hope I inspire some of your readers.
Regards,
Yusri