Marriage makes you fat: Study
A research involving more than 160 newly-wed couples found that the more content they were in their relationship, the more weight they gained. Over four years, couples were regularly asked to rate their satisfaction with their marriage on a scale, while their weight and height were measured. The study found that for each unit rise in satisfaction, on average, men and women gained one tenth of a BMI unit every six months — the equivalent of a pound a year for a woman who is 5ft 4 inch tall and weighs 8½ stone. Researchers suggested that those who were happy with their partners might be less likely to worry about their figures, because they were not motivated to look elsewhere for love.
Bald men at risk of heart disease
Men with severe male-pattern baldness are a third more likely to develop coronary artery disease than those who retain a full head of hair, Japanese researchers found.
But this only applied to men whose hair loss occurred on top of the head, while those with a receding hairline around their temples were at no greater risk. Men who lost their hair earlier in life were at especially high risk, and the likelihood of developing heart disease was greater in those with more extensive hair loss. Although it remains unclear or unexplained what causes the connection between baldness and the life-threatening condition, researchers said baldness could be a symptom of an underlying condition which causes heart disease such as insulin resistance, chronic inflammation or heightened sensitivity to testosterone.
Eating fish in old age extends life
Omega 3 fatty acids, which are found in oily fish and seafood, are good for the heart and reduce the risk of dying from heart disease by up to 35 per cent. This contributes to an overall decrease in the risk of early death by 27 per cent in older adults and extends life by an average of two years and ten weeks, researchers found. The link between Omega 3 and heart health is well established, but the new study by experts from the Harvard School of Public Health was the first to examine the direct link between levels of the fatty acids in the blood and death rates. Researchers studied 16 years’ worth of health records for 2,700 healthy American adults, all of whom were aged 65 or over and in good health.