Health care providers often suggest a reduced calorie diet in order for patients to manage weight and prevent the onset of obesity related conditions like type 2 diabetes. A recent study performed by researchers at Newcastle University in England shows that weight loss through calorie restriction is beneficial for those already suffering from diabetes as well.

Participants in the study followed an extremely calorie restricted diet consisting primarily of meal replacement drinks and non starchy vegetables totaling about 600 calories per day. Researchers noted that the calorie restricted diet helped to lower fat levels in the liver and pancreas to normal levels and helped the participants’ bodies to produce insulin normally. After one week on the diet the participants experienced normal fasting blood sugar levels

As we’ve discussed, keeping your body in shape through physical exercise is very important, but it is also important to remember to maintain a routine of mental exercise as well. Studies have shown that brain healthy activities can slow mental aging, so in addition to regular physical activity and a heart healthy diet, be sure to incorporate some daily workouts to keep your brain active and healthy.

Getting a full night of sleep, reading, having conversations with others, playing trivia games or card games, completing puzzles, and maintaining a hobby such as gardening are some works we can all consider in order to ensure that our brain gets a workout.

The results of three new studies could give health care providers a completely safe and highly effective way to treat patients suffering from sleep apnea. According to researchers patients who followed an exercise program that included weight training and brisk walking saw improvements in their condition by as much as twenty five percent. The results of this study show that a properly prescribed exercise program may be as effective for treating sleep apnea as many of the common surgical procedures available.

Health care providers have long been prescribing healthier low fat diets to patients for a variety of health benefits from weight loss to improved cardiovascular health. A recent study, published in the Archives of Neurology shows that low fat and low GI diets may have more than just physical benefits.

Researchers evaluated a group of nearly fifty older adults with an average age of 69 who were divided into two groups. The first group ate a low fat diet rich in carbohydrates that ranked low in terms of glycemic index like beans, whole grains and fruits and vegetables. The second group ate a higher fat, higher glycemic diet that included foods like red meat, butter and soft drinks.

At the outset of the study researchers tested the spinal fluid of all participants for biological markers of Alzheimer’s disease

A new study may offer health care providers an additional and effective way for identifying risk of heart disease and stroke in patients. The study, performed by researchers in Canada shows that high levels of a protein (SP-D) that increases in association with lung inflammation is a strong indicator of serious heart health risks.

Health care providers have known that things like smoking and air pollution, which damage the lungs, can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. This is the first study to directly connect signs of lung inflammation to an increased risk of heart disease and stroke though.

A new report recently released by the World Health Organization shows that there are more than a billion individuals in the world today living with some form of disability. The report also shows that many of those suffering from disabilities don’t have access to the care of specially trained health care providers that could help improve their quality of life.

According to the World Health Organization people who suffer from disabilities are more than times as likely to not have access to health care providers who are specifically trained to meet their needs. Having access to the appropriate type of care and to professionals who are properly trained is critical for people with disabilities.

Many healthcare providers recommend regular exercise to their patients for improving overall health and reducing the risk of disease. A new study performed by researchers at Columbia University and the University of Miami has revealed that the intensity of the activities performed may play a big role in stroke risk though.

Researchers had 1200 hundred people with average ages in their mid-sixties who had no history of stroke complete a detailed survey regarding their exercise and activity habits. After a six year follow up researchers concluded that the participants who performed

Once the updated guidelines from the Endocrine Society get published in July many health care providers could change their recommendations to patients about supplementing with vitamin D. The new guidelines suggest that very few Americans are getting the amount of Vitamin D needed for optimal health.

According to the latest information from the Endocrine Society a huge cross section of the US population is at risk of a vitamin D deficiency. Pregnant women, people who are obese, people of African or Hispanic decent, anyone with osteoporosis, elderly people

A new study has revealed that health care providers may need to look beyond the scores of bone mineral density tests in order to truly predict the danger of fracture in older patients with diabetes. The study shows that older patients who suffer from this debilitating diseases are more likely to suffer fractures than patients without.

Researchers analyzed the medical data from more than 18,000 patients, nearly 2000 of who suffered from type 2 diabetes, for an average follow up period of around twelve years. Based upon their findings researchers were able to conclude

The association between stressful events or a stressful lifestyle and increased episodes of MS has led health care providers to believe that leading a stressful life may increase the risk of developing MS. A recent study performed by researchers at the University of Bergen in Norway has shown no discernable evidence of a link between stress and an increased risk of developing multiple sclerosis though.

The researchers who performed the study examined the health information of nearly two hundred and forty thousand women who participated