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	<title><![CDATA[iAfrica :: Lifestyle : His Life]]></title>
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	<description><![CDATA[All the news that's fit to print.]]></description>
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<pubDate>2017-07-05 14:01:07</pubDate>
<content_id>1052476</content_id>
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<heading><![CDATA[Age of men affects IVF success]]></heading>
<title><![CDATA[Age of men affects IVF success]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[New research suggests that like women, a man's age also has an effect on the success of IVF treatment.]]></description>
<body_text><![CDATA[New research suggests that like women, a man's age also has an effect on the success of IVF treatment, despite the appearance of male fertility as never-ending.
Unlike women, men do not go through menopause or a predictable and detectable decline in fertility, however a few previous studies have found that a man's age can affect natural conception, particularly in the genetic health of sperm cells.
However, a woman's age is often thought to be the dominant factor in the success of both natural and assisted conception.
For the new research, carried out by Dr Laura Dodge from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA, a total of almost 19,000 IVF cycles performed in 7753 couples at a large IVF clinic in Boston were analyzed.
The female partners in these cycles were placed into four different age groups: under 30, 30-35 years, 35-40 years, and 40-42.
Men were also placed into these same groups, with an additional group of 42 and over.
The team found that as expected, the cumulative live birth rate -- measured from up to six cycles of treatment -- was lowest in couples where the female partner was in the 40-42 age group. In this group the age of the male partner had no impact, showing that the age of the woman was indeed more dominant.
However, when looking at other female age groups -- under 30, 30-35 years, 35-40 years -- the team found that the cumulative incidence of live birth was significantly affected by male partner age, with the live birth rate declining as the man grew older.
The results showed that couples with a female partner aged under 30 and a male partner aged 40-42 had a significantly lower cumulative birth rate (46%) than in couples with a male partner aged 30-35 (73%).
In couples with a female partner aged 35-40 live birth rates were also higher with a younger male partner -- a male partner under age 30 resulted in 70% incidence of live birth, compared to 54% for women the same age whose partner is 30-35.
Dr Dodge also noted that a man's age appears to play a role in natural conception, with increasing male age associated with decreased incidence of pregnancy, increased time to pregnancy, and increased risk of miscarriage. Although it is unsure why age has this effect, some possible explanations include increased DNA damage in sperm, and epigenetic alterations in sperm that affect fertilization, implantation, or embryo development.
&quot;However,&quot; said Dr Dodge also added that, &quot;both the results of this study and prior work show that female age has a larger effect on fertility than male age.&quot;
&quot;When we looked at the effect of female age alone, we saw a 46% relative decrease from ages under 30 to 40-42, but when we looked at male age alone, we saw a 20% relative decrease over the same age span.&quot;
Dr Dodge will present the study's results on Tuesday at the 33rd Annual Meeting of ESHRE in Geneva.]]></body_text>
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<source><![CDATA[AFP-Relaxnews]]></source></item>
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<pubDate>2017-07-04 16:50:46</pubDate>
<content_id>1052430</content_id>
<author><![CDATA[]]></author>
<heading><![CDATA[Japan men find true love with sex dolls]]></heading>
<title><![CDATA[Japan men find true love with sex dolls]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[An increasing number of Japanese men are turning to silocone sex dolls for romance and not their wives. Here's why...]]></description>
<body_text><![CDATA[When the spark went out of Masayuki Ozaki's marriage, he found an unusual outlet to plug the romantic void -- a silicone sex doll he swears is the love of his life.
The life-size dummy, called Mayu, shares his bed under the same roof as Ozaki's wife and teenage daughter in Tokyo, an arrangement that triggered angry rows before a delicate truce was finally declared.
&quot;After my wife gave birth we stopped having sex and I felt a deep sense of loneliness,&quot; the 45-year-old physiotherapist told AFP in an interview.
&quot;But the moment I saw Mayu in the showroom, it was love at first sight,&quot; blushed Ozaki, who takes his doll on dates in a wheelchair and dresses her in wigs, sexy clothes and jewellery.
&quot;My wife was furious when I first brought Mayu home. These days she puts up with it, reluctantly,&quot; he added.
&quot;When my daughter realised it wasn't a giant Barbie doll, she freaked out and said it was gross -- but now she's old enough to share Mayu's clothes.&quot;
Ozaki is one of an increasing number of Japanese men turning to rubber romance in a country that's lost its mojo.
He also admits to being turned off by human relationships.
&quot;Japanese women are cold-hearted,&quot; he said while on a seaside stroll with his silicone squeeze.
&quot;They're very selfish. Men want someone to listen to them without grumbling when they get home from work,&quot; Ozaki added.
&quot;Whatever problems I have, Mayu is always there waiting for me. I love her to bits and want to be with her forever.
&quot;I can't imagine going back to a human being. I want to be buried with her and take her to heaven.&quot;
- Removable head -
Around 2,000 of the life-like dolls -- which cost from $6,000 and come with adjustable fingers, removable head and genitals -- are sold each year in Japan, according to industry insiders.
&quot;Technology has come a long way since those nasty inflatable dolls in the 1970s,&quot; noted Hideo Tsuchiya, managing director of doll maker Orient Industry.
&quot;They look incredibly real now and it feels like you're touching human skin. More men are buying them because they feel they can actually communicate with the dolls,&quot; he explained.
Popular with disabled customers and widowers, as well as mannequin fetishists, some men use dolls to avoid heartache.
&quot;Human beings are so demanding,&quot; insisted 62-year-old Senji Nakajima, who tenderly bathes his rubber girlfriend Saori, has framed photos of her on his wall and even takes her skiing and surfing.
&quot;People always want something from you -- like money or commitment,&quot; he complained.
&quot;My heart flutters when I come home to Saori,&quot; added the married father-of-two as he picnicked with his plastic partner.
&quot;She never betrays me, she makes my worries melt away.&quot;
Nakajima's relationship with Saori has divided his family, but the Tokyo-born businessman refuses to give her up.
&quot;My son accepts it, my daughter can't,&quot; said Nakajima, whose wife has banned Saori from the family home.
&quot;I'll never date a real woman again -- they're heartless,&quot; he insisted back at his cluttered Tokyo apartment, sandwiched between two dolls from previous dalliances and a headless rubber torso.
Reconciliation with his estranged wife is unlikely, admits Nakajima.
&quot;I wouldn't be able to take a bath with Saori, or snuggle up with her and watch TV,&quot; he said, slipping the doll into some racy purple lingerie.
&quot;I don't want to destroy what I have with her.&quot;
- 'To me, she's human' -
While the pillow talk is decidedly one-way, Nakajima believes he has discovered true love, saying: &quot;I'd never cheat on her, even with a prostitute, because to me she's human.&quot;
As Japan struggles with a plummeting birthrate, a growing number of men -- known as 'herbivores' -- are turning their backs on love and traditional masculine values for a quiet, uncompetitive life.
&quot;In the future I think more and more guys will choose relationships with dolls,&quot; said Yoshitaka Hyodo, whose home is an Aladdin's Cave of dolls, kitsch toys and Japanese erotica.
&quot;It's less stress and they complain a lot less than women,&quot; he added.
Hyodo, a military buff who lives alone but has an understanding girlfriend, owns more than 10 life-size dummies -- many of which he dresses in combat uniform to play out wartime fantasies.
But he claims to have cut down on doll sex.
&quot;It's more about connecting on an emotional level for me now,&quot; said the 43-year-old blogger, whose curiosity was piqued at a young age when he found a charred mannequin in the street.
&quot;People might think I'm weird, but it's no different than collecting sports cars. I don't know how much I've spent but it's cheaper than a Lamborghini,&quot; he said.
Future doll users can expect more bang for their buck as researchers work to develop next-generation sexbots able to talk, laugh and even simulate an orgasm.
But for now, Ozaki's long-suffering wife Riho tries hard to ignore the rubber temptress silently taunting her from her husband's bedroom.
&quot;I just get on with the housework,&quot; she sniffed.
&quot;I make the dinner, I clean, I do the washing. I choose sleep over sex.&quot;]]></body_text>
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<caption><![CDATA[Physiotherapist Masayuki Ozaki takes a bath with his silicone sex doll Mayu at a love hotel in Yachimata. Credit: Behrouz MEHRI / AFP
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<pubDate>2017-03-23 11:47:34</pubDate>
<content_id>1046802</content_id>
<author><![CDATA[]]></author>
<heading><![CDATA[Smartphone device can test sperm quality]]></heading>
<title><![CDATA[Smartphone device can test sperm quality]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[A new smartphone device can analyze a man's sperm quality and let him know in a matter of minutes whether he suffers from infertility.]]></description>
<body_text><![CDATA[A new smartphone device can analyze a man's sperm quality and let him know in a matter of minutes whether he suffers from infertility, US researchers said Wednesday.
Infertility affects more than 45 million couples worldwide. Over 40 percent of fertility problems are due to poor quality sperm.
The technology described in the journal Science Translational Medicine aims to make it easier and cheaper for men to test their sperm at home.
&quot;We wanted to come up with a solution to make male infertility testing as simple and affordable as home pregnancy tests,&quot; said co-author Hadi Shafiee, a doctor in the division of engineering in medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital.
&quot;Men have to provide semen samples in these rooms at a hospital, a situation in which they often experience stress, embarrassment, pessimism and disappointment.&quot;
The new test, however, &quot;can analyze a video of an undiluted, unwashed semen sample in less than five seconds.&quot;
It works by using a combination of an optical attachment that can connect to a smartphone and a disposable device for loading a semen sample, said the report.
Researchers tested the device using 350 semen specimens at the Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center.
The smartphone-based device detected abnormal semen samples -- based on World Health Organization thresholds on sperm concentration and motility -- with an accuracy of 98 percent.
The cost of the materials used to assemble it came to $4.45.
&quot;The ability to bring point-of-care sperm testing to the consumer, or health facilities with limited resources, is a true game changer,&quot; said co-author John Petrozza, and director of the MGH Fertility Center.
&quot;This development will provide faster and improved access to fertility care.&quot;
The device is not yet available to the public and is still in the prototype stage.
Researchers are planning additional tests before filing for US Food and Drug Administration approval.]]></body_text>
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<caption><![CDATA[A new smartphone device can analyze a man's sperm quality in minutes. Picture: AFP]]></caption>
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<pubDate>2017-03-10 11:56:10</pubDate>
<content_id>1046177</content_id>
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<heading><![CDATA[Short, white men more likely to go bald]]></heading>
<title><![CDATA[Short, white men more likely to go bald]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Earlier research has shown that men with so-called male pattern baldness are also statistically more likely to suffer from heart disease and prostate cancer, though the added risk is slight.]]></description>
<body_text><![CDATA[Add enhanced risk of premature balding to the list of illnesses and indignities faced by diminutive men of European descent, according to a new study.
&quot;It seems that men with a relatively shorter body height have a higher chance of losing their hair,&quot; University of Bonn professor Stefanie Heilmann-Heimbach, lead author of the study published Wednesday, told AFP.
&quot;Our data indicates that some of the genes involved in baldness are associated, on average, with shorter stature.&quot;
Earlier research has shown that men with so-called male pattern baldness are also statistically more likely to suffer from heart disease and prostate cancer, though the added risk is slight.
Reduced body size and early onset of puberty are also linked with loss of hair for men.
Some of the same genes that regulate human height, it seems, also play a role in the emergence of these conditions and diseases.
The study, published in Nature Communications, identified 63 genetic variations &quot;that increase the risk of premature hair loss,&quot; Heilmann-Heimbach said.
The researchers did not set out to find a link with height, she added.&nbsp;
Nor did they quantify the relative risk of baldness associated with different statures.&nbsp;
&quot;Future studies that assess both hair loss and body height may be able to answer that question,&quot; she said by email.
But the statistical link was clear.
In men of European origin, balding usually starts in one's 30s. Up to 80 percent of European men are affected to some extent.
Hair loss in Asians comes about a decade later, and the overall frequence is much lower, impacting 50 to 60 percent men.
There is relatively little data on baldness in Africa, but male hair loss there seems even less frequent.&nbsp;
Some of the gene variants uncovered in the study &quot;may constitute promising targets for therapeutic interventions,&quot; Heilmann-Heimbach said.
&nbsp;]]></body_text>
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<pubDate>2017-03-01 07:50:05</pubDate>
<content_id>1045631</content_id>
<author><![CDATA[AFP]]></author>
<heading><![CDATA[Colon cancer rates rise in millennials ]]></heading>
<title><![CDATA[Colon cancer rates rise in millennials ]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Generation X and millennials face anywhere from two to four times the risk of colon and rectal cancer as their baby boomer counterparts.]]></description>
<body_text><![CDATA[by Kerry SHERIDAN
Colon and rectal cancer rates are rising sharply among young and middle-aged adults in the United States but doctors have yet to pinpoint why, researchers said Tuesday.
Generation X and millennials face anywhere from two to four times the risk of colon and rectal cancer as their baby boomer counterparts, a report in the&nbsp;Journal of the National Cancer Institute found.
The study did not uncover a reason for the change. Experts say colon and rectal cancer can be inherited and also influenced by the high-fat, low fiber diets that are common in the Western world.
&quot;Our finding that colorectal cancer risk for millennials has escalated back to the level of those born in the late 1800s is very sobering,&quot; said lead author Rebecca Siegel, a researcher with the American Cancer Society.
&quot;Educational campaigns are needed to alert clinicians and the general public about this increase to help reduce delays in diagnosis, which are so prevalent in young people, but also to encourage healthier eating and more active lifestyles to try to reverse this trend.&quot;
- Rising incidence -
Colon cancer incidence rates increased by one to two percent per year from the mid-1980s through 2013 in adults ages 20 to 39, the study found.
For adults aged 40 to 54, rates increased by 0.5 to one percent annually from the mid-1990s through 2013.
The rise has been more pronounced for rectal cancer, climbing about three percent per year from the mid-1970s in people aged 20 to 39.
In adults between 40 and 54, rectal cancer rates increased by two percent per year from the 1990s to 2013.
In general, rectal cancer rates in adults age 55 and older have been declining for the past four decades.
Three in 10 rectal cancer diagnoses are now made in patients under 55.
Dean Pappas, co-chief of colon and rectal surgery at Winthrop-University Hospital in New York, called the study &quot;very alarming,&quot; saying its findings mirror the increasing numbers of younger patients he sees in his own practice.
&quot;Colorectal cancer takes many years to develop,&quot; he said. &quot;It is not a particularly fast-growing type of tumor.&quot;
That experts do not know why they are seeing more cases than before is also troubling, he added.
&quot;We don't really understand the biology of colorectal cancer,&quot; he said. &quot;So it is hard to predict who is going to get it or not.&quot;
- Screening changes? -
Screening for colorectal cancer with an invasive colonoscopy is generally not recommended for people under age 50 unless they have a family history of the disease.
The study stopped short of recommending any change to the recommended start of screening by age 50.
But Siegel suggested current practices may deserve a second look given that some 10,400 new cases of colorectal cancer in 2013 were diagnosed in people in their 40s.
&quot;These numbers are similar to the total number of cervical cancers diagnosed, for which we recommend screening for the 95 million women ages 21 to 65 years,&quot; she said.
Her study was based on patient data on more than 490,000 people from US cancer registries.
Patrick Okolo, chief of gastroenterology at&nbsp;Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, said that although the study shows a &quot;persisting and worrisome trend,&quot; the increased cancer rate is probably not enough to prompt a change in practice given the high cost of screenings.
&quot;The truth of the matter is despite this recent study, the numbers are still too small to warrant a change in screening policy,&quot; said Okolo, who was not involved in the research.
That may change if the cost of screening continues to drop as it has in recent years, and as less-invasive methods -- such stool-sample analysis -- become more widespread.
Although the rising colon cancer rate &quot;is clearly the kind of thing we are seeing in westernized countries,&quot; Okolo said, comparisons are difficult because less-developed nations often keep less-detailed health records.
Besides genetics, risk factors include consumption of processed meat, not exercising enough and rising body-mass index, he added.
&quot;Whatever is driving obesity is likely the same set of factors that may be driving this trend in colorectal cancer.&quot;]]></body_text>
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<pubDate>2017-02-23 08:34:32</pubDate>
<content_id>1045365</content_id>
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<heading><![CDATA[Testosterone treatment show mixed results]]></heading>
<title><![CDATA[Testosterone treatment show mixed results]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Five new clinical studies on testosterone treatments showed mixed results on whether the male hormone therapy carries cardiovascular risks.]]></description>
<body_text><![CDATA[Five new US clinical studies on testosterone treatments for older  men showed mixed results on whether the male hormone therapy carries  cardiovascular risks, according to research published Tuesday.
The US Food and Drug Administration in 2015 stepped up its warning  about testosterone products, saying they could increase the risk of  heart disease and heart attacks.
Four of the five studies, part of the Testosterone Trials or TTrials,  looked at the effects of testosterone in gel form compared with a  placebo on men 65 and older.
The TTrials involved 788 participants with low testosterone levels  seemingly due to age only. They were conducted in 12 US teaching medical  centers across the country for a year and were mainly funded by a grant  from the National Institutes of Health.
A fifth study, not part of the TTrials, looked at the link between  testosterone replacement therapy and cardiovascular effects. The  observational study focused on 8,808 men 40 and older over three years.
The results were published Tuesday in the Journal of the American  Medical Association (JAMA).The scientists in the TTrials studies found  that after one year of testosterone therapy, bone density and strength  of the men improved and anemia was reduced.But the therapy may worsen  plaque in coronary arteries, the researchers warned.
There was a 20 percent increase in the build-up of plaque within the walls of blood vessels in the heart during the year.
Taken together, the TTrials &quot;do not materially change the unfavorable  balance of safety and efficacy to initiate testosterone treatment&quot; in  older men, wrote David Handelsman, a doctor at the University of Sydney  in Australia, in an editorial published in JAMA. &quot;Low testosterone  levels due to obesity and other aging health problems are better  addressed by lifestyle measures&quot; directed at those problems, Handelsman  said, also warning of cardiovascular risks for women taking  testosterone.
In another JAMA editorial, Eric Orwoll, a professor of medicine at  Oregon Health &amp; Science University, noted that the TTrials did not  address the critical issues of whether there are important long-term  adverse effects.
&quot;At this point, clinicians and their patients should remain aware  that the cardiovascular risks and benefits of testosterone replacement  in older hypogonadal (low testosterone) men have not been adequately  resolved,&quot; Orwoll wrote.
Thomas Gill, a professor of medicine at the Humana Foundation and a  lead author of the research, said the latest studies demonstrate that if  a man with low testosterone is prescribed the hormone for diminished  sexual function, he may have some additional benefits on hemoglobin  levels and bone density.
&quot;Looking globally at testosterone therapy, the strongest evidence is for sexual function,&quot; Gill said.
While the outcome of the cardiovascular trial raised concern, he  said, a larger and longer study would be needed to determine the  clinical significance of the findings.]]></body_text>
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<pubDate>2017-01-20 08:42:45</pubDate>
<content_id>1043451</content_id>
<author><![CDATA[]]></author>
<heading><![CDATA[Prostate biopsies could be avoidable with MRIs]]></heading>
<title><![CDATA[Prostate biopsies could be avoidable with MRIs]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Potential prostate cancer sufferers could avoid invasive and potentially dangerous biopsies with the help of MRI scans.]]></description>
<body_text><![CDATA[A quarter of men suspected of having prostate cancer could avoid invasive and potentially dangerous biopsies with the help of MRI scans, researchers reported Friday.Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could also reduce the number of men over-diagnosed with the disease by five percent, they detailed in a study published in The Lancet.The new approach is potentially a game-changer, experts commenting on the study said.In the case of prostate cancer, &quot;over-diagnosed&quot; includes relatively benign cancers that do not cause any harm during a man's lifetime.&quot;Prostate cancer has aggressive and harmless forms,&quot; noted lead author Hashim Ahmed, a surgeon at University College London's faculty of medicine.Typically, men undergo a prostate biopsy if they experience certain symptoms or show high levels of a protein in their blood, as detected by a prostate specific antigen (PSA) test.Each year, over a million prostate biopsies are done in Europe alone.The procedure which can cause bleeding, pain and serious infections -- involves using a biopsy needle to draw a tissue sample through a small cut made between the anus and scrotum. The needle goes in &quot;blind,&quot; and can thus bypass a cancerous mass. &nbsp;&quot;Our current biopsy test can be inaccurate because the tissue samples are taken at random,&quot; Ahmed said in a statement. &quot;It can miss aggressive cancers that are actually there.&quot;And if the biopsy does finds cancer cells, it cannot reliably determine whether they are malignant. As a result, some men are given a false diagnosis and prescribed treatments with nasty side effects. Ahmed and his team wanted to find out if a MRI scan could be used as a &quot;triage&quot; test to determine which men with elevated protein counts might safely avoid a biopsy.A multi-parametric MRI (MP-MRI) can provide information about a cancer's size, density, and proximity to the bloodstream.Second trial under wayAll of these elements help distinguish between aggressive and benign forms of the disease.In the study, 576 men spread across 11 public hospitals in Britain and suspected of having prostate cancer were given a MP-MRI scan, followed by two types of biopsy.One was the type commonly used to detect cancer, and the other was designed to compare the standard biopsy's accuracy in detecting malignancy against the MRI scans.Forty percent of the men turned out to have had aggressive cancer.The scan correctly diagnosed almost all of them (93 percent), whereas the standard biopsy identified only half. &quot;Our results show that MP-MRI should be used before biopsy&quot; to identify men who have harmless cancers and do not need a biopsy immediately, Ahmed said.This group however should continue to be monitored by their doctors.Only those whose scan results point to an aggressive cancer should have a biopsy, to confirm.Using the two tests in this fashion &quot;could reduce over-diagnosis of harmless cancers by five percent... and improve the detection of aggressive cancers from 48 to 93 percent,&quot; Ahmed concluded.Reaction from other experts was positive.&quot;This has the potential to change clinical practice,&quot; said Arnauld Villers, head of the urology department at the Regional University Hospital in Lille, France.&quot;These results represent a solid basis for a new pathway of diagnosis for prostate cancer detection, leading to fewer biopsies.&quot;A second clinical trial overseen by Cancer Research UK, currently recruiting volunteers, will seek to validate the study results.]]></body_text>
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<pubDate>2016-12-19 08:33:40</pubDate>
<content_id>1041799</content_id>
<author><![CDATA[]]></author>
<heading><![CDATA[Sauna bathing linked to lower risk of dementia]]></heading>
<title><![CDATA[Sauna bathing linked to lower risk of dementia]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[A new study has found that frequent sauna bathing may be linked with a reduction in the risk of dementia in men. ]]></description>
<body_text><![CDATA[A new study from the University of Eastern Finland has found that  frequent sauna bathing may be linked with a reduction in the risk of  dementia in men.
The study looked at of 2 315 apparently healthy men aged 42-60  years who were participating in the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk  Factor Study (KIHD).
The men were divided into three different groups based on their  sauna-bathing habits: one group for those taking a sauna once a week,  one group for 2-3 times a week, and another for those taking a sauna 4-7  times a week.
After adjusting for factors that could affect the results such as  age, alcohol consumption, body mass index, blood pressure, and smoking  status, the team found in their 20-year follow-up that the more  frequently saunas were taken, the lower was the risk of dementia.
Those who took a sauna 4-7 times a week were 66% less likely to be  diagnosed with any form of dementia and 65% less likely to be diagnosed  with Alzheimer's disease than those taking a sauna once a week.
The association between sauna bathing and dementia risk has not been  previously investigated, although previous results from the KIHD study  have shown that frequent sauna bathing also significantly reduces the  risk of other conditions, including sudden cardiac death, the risk of  death due to coronary artery disease and other cardiac events, and  overall mortality.
Lead author Professor Jari Laukkanen commented that sauna bathing may  have a protective effect on both the heart and memory via similar  mechanisms, although in what way is not yet known. &quot;However, it is known  that cardiovascular health affects the brain as well. The sense of  well-being and relaxation experienced during sauna bathing may also play  a role,&quot; he added.
The team now believe further studies are needed to look further into the association between sauna bathing and memory diseases.
The results can be found published online in the journal&nbsp;Age and Ageing.]]></body_text>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.iafrica.com/articles/1041799.html]]></link><external_link><![CDATA[]]></external_link><image_list>
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<source><![CDATA[AFP]]></source></item>
<item>
<pubDate>2016-11-02 10:42:59</pubDate>
<content_id>1039169</content_id>
<author><![CDATA[]]></author>
<heading><![CDATA[Energy drink linked to man's liver inflammation]]></heading>
<title><![CDATA[Energy drink linked to man's liver inflammation]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[A man who drank four to five energy drinks every day for three weeks, was hospitalised with severe liver problems.]]></description>
<body_text><![CDATA[A construction worker who drank four to five energy drinks every day  for three weeks, was hospitalised with severe liver problems &quot;likely&quot;  caused by excessively imbibing the seemingly harmless substance,  researchers said.
The man, 50, was admitted to a hospital in Florida after feeling  unwell for two weeks, with abdominal pain quickly progressing to nausea  and vomiting.
He thought his symptoms were flu-like, but became alarmed when his  urine became dark and his skin and the whites of his eyes turned yellow.
The man had recently started taking four to five daily servings of &quot;a  common energy drink&quot; to help him get through long days at work -- the  only change in his diet or habits, said a report in the journal BMJ Case  Reports.
An examination revealed the man had severe hepatitis, a type of liver inflammation, and possible liver damage.
The symptoms were &quot;likely&quot; caused by excessive energy drink consumption, the team wrote.
It is the second known case of its kind, they added.
The man's daily intake of vitamin B3, or niacin, was about 160-200  milligrammes for the three-week period, &quot;below the threshold expected to  cause toxicity&quot;, the authors said, but similar to the previous known  case.
&quot;Toxicity is likely worsened by accumulative effect. Each bottle of  his energy drink contained 40 mg of niacin or 200 percent of the  recommended daily value,&quot; said a BMJ statement summarising the findings.
The man's symptoms disappeared on day three of hospitalisation and he  was discharged on day six with instructions to avoid any  niacin-containing products.
The observed link may have been a mere coincidence, and does not  constitute proof that the drink caused the man's illness, the team  underlined.
But it could be a red flag, they said.
&quot;Based on this case and the previous report, we suggest that patients  with pre-existing hepatic disorders should use caution when consuming  energy drinks containing niacin,&quot; said the study.
Doctors should also be aware of the potential &quot;adverse effects&quot; and  consider excessive energy drink consumption as a diagnostic option when  otherwise healthy adults suddenly develop acute hepatitis.
The patient had previously contracted the Hepatitis C virus, but the  team dismissed this as the cause of his illness, saying it had been too  long ago.]]></body_text>
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<source><![CDATA[AFP]]></source></item>
<item>
<pubDate>2016-11-01 09:22:26</pubDate>
<content_id>1039090</content_id>
<author><![CDATA[]]></author>
<heading><![CDATA[Movember: what you need to know]]></heading>
<title><![CDATA[Movember: what you need to know]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Movember is a movement that uses facial hair as a fundraising tool to help tackle prostate cancer and testicular cancer globally.]]></description>
<body_text><![CDATA[If photos of facial hair gradually begin to infiltrate your social  media feeds over the next month, don't panic -- Movember is back.
The month formerly known as November has become the biggest global  men's beauty event in the calendar -- but though it may sound  frivolous, it has a serious cause. As the tagline 'Grow a Mo, save a  Bro' sums up, the movement uses facial hair as a fundraising tool to  help tackle prostate cancer, testicular cancer and suicide globally.
The rules for Movember are simple -- all participants need to do is  begin the month clean-shaven, sit back, and watch their moustaches  sprout (while being sponsored by family and friends for their efforts).  Beards and goatees are banned, and the Movember website asks only that  each 'Mo Bro' conduct himself &quot;like a true gentleman&quot;. Alternatively,  both male and female participants can take on a physical challenge or  host a social event -- as the charity states, they welcome &quot;anything to  attract attention and raise funds.&quot;
The Movember movement was first established in 2003 in Australia, as a  means of raising awareness about men's health issues, and was turned  into an official charity in 2004, with funds donated to the Prostate  Cancer Foundation of Australia. By 2007 the charity had spread to New  Zealand, Canada, Spain, the US and the UK, partnering up with prostate  cancer organizations in each nation.
Last year's global campaign also listed Austria, Belgium, Czech  Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Hong Kong, Germany, Ireland,  Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden and Switzerland as  participating countries, and the movement has raised &pound;443 million  (approximately $538 million) and funded 1,200 men's health projects  funded since its inception.
&quot;By engaging with men where they are, and understanding what works  best, the Foundation is helping make change happen sooner, before it's  too late,&quot; says Owen Sharp, Movember Foundation CEO.
For more information, or to take part in this year's campaign, join Movember.com.]]></body_text>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.iafrica.com/articles/1039090.html]]></link><external_link><![CDATA[]]></external_link><image_list>
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<source><![CDATA[AFP-Relaxnews]]></source></item>
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