Archive for September, 2011
Coffee can reduce the risk of Depression
According to a recent study, women that consume 4 cups of coffee every day are twenty percent less likely to suffer from depression when compared to women that don’t consume coffee.
Caffeine is one of the most regularly used central nervous system stimulant and coffee intake accounts for nearly 75 percent of caffeine use.
Researcher Alberto Ascherio said that when people drink coffee, it improves their energy and improves their well-being. To arrive at the conclusion, the team of researchers studied more than 50, 000 women who joined the health study of nurses program. The average age of women who enrolled in the program was 63 and all women who joined the program were not depressed.
The researchers classified women based on their coffee consumption since 1976. After the initial classification was complete, the women were further classified based on the coffee they drank in next 10 years.
Ascherio said that women who drank at least 4 cups of coffee in day had 20 percent less risk of developing depression when compared to women who did not drink coffee.
Even though the main focus of the team was to find the affects of coffee on people, the team also looked at the affects of other caffeinated products like chocolate and soft drinks on people. The researchers found that women who drank coffee were at 20 percent lower risk of developing depression when compared to women who did not consume any caffeinated products.
To make the study more authentic, the team had a two-year gap between the assessment of depression and their coffee consumption. This latency period was to ensure that they were not studying women who drink coffee because they were too depressed.
According to Ascherio, there were only a few studies that looked at positive long-term effects of coffee. Earlier a study was done to show that men who drank coffee were less likely to commit suicide.
Ascherio team also conducted a study that showed that drinking coffee can protect people against Parkinson’s disease.
However, the researchers were not able to tell how coffee can protect people from depression. According to researchers, the receptors that respond to caffeine are found in basal ganglia and it is an important area for both Parkinson’s disease and depression.
Ascherio stressed that intake of caffeine may not necessarily lower depression risk but can protect people from depression. He also added that more studies should be conducted to study the effects of coffee.
Types of insulin pumps available in the market
Insulin helps in regulating the glucose level in the body and deficiency of glucose can lead to diabetes. At times, people may require external supply of insulin because their body may not be able to produce the required insulin. To fulfil this gap people use injections or advanced insulin pumps.
There are several types of insulin pumps available in the market depending on the requirement of the use. These pumps are battery operated devices that contain a reservoir that contains insulin and a microprocessor that helps you adjust the amount that needs to be delivered. It also contains an infusion like that is attached to a tube called cannula which must be replaced in a few weeks. These infusion pumps are different from implantable pumps because they need not be implanted in the body. People can use these pumps with going through a surgical procedure.
The type of insulin pump that you buy will usually depend on the way you plan to attach it to the body. There are three types of insulin pumps namely implantable pumps, insulin pumps that are attached to tubes and tubeless insulin pumps that you can choose from.
Implantable Insulin Pump
These pumps are implanted under the skin using a surgical procedure. Even though these pumps are implanted under the skin, they must be refilled in about 45 days. These implantable pumps are a boom to people who hate pricking themselves or avoid using a bulk monitoring system.
These pumps work by delivering the required dose at regular intervals. There are many scientists who are working on implantable devices that can be attached to pancreas. These pumps will automatically release insulin to ensure the normal working of the pancreas.
Once these pumps are implanted, you don’t require regular treatment to control your blood glucose level. Also, this device does not contain any electronic device which makes it more durable when compared to normal pumps.
Insulin Pump Attached by a Tube
These pumps are one of the most commonly used pumps. These pumps are small devices that you can put in your pocket or attach to the waist band. The insulin in the pump enters the skin with the help of strong but flexible tubes.
These pumps are just like any other pumps and you don’t have to prick yourself every time you use the pump. The length of the tube various depends on the height of the person. When using the pump, it is important that you decide the disconnection of infusion set. It is a good idea to buy a pump that allows disconnect of infusion set from cannula as people with weak eyesight may not be able to disconnect easily it the place of disconnection is changed.
Tubeless Insulin Pump
This pump works by injecting insulin directly on the skin and does not use tubes to inject insulin. The insulin comes in two parts – Personal Diabetes Manager and the Pod. The power supply mechanism, infusion set, reservoir and the pumping mechanism all help in injecting the right supply of insulin on the skin.
It is a highly durable device as it is waterproof and you can carry out any activity without any difficulty. Also since this pump does not have tubes, they can be easily installed. They are lightweight and you can carry them without any difficulty.
