Features

Touted to improve nighttime eyesight, yellow lens glasses don’t help drivers see better and may, in fact, worsen vision, a new study suggests. 

Researchers found that yellow-lens wearing volunteers operating a driving simulator were no better at spotting a pedestrian when confronting oncoming headlights than those who wore clear lenses, according to the study published in JAMA Ophthalmology. And there was a suggestion that the yellow tinted lenses might even be making the situation worse. 

Buyers of these products “have the concept that somehow these magic glasses can improve nighttime driving”, said the study’s lead author, Alex Hwang, an instructor in ophthalmology at the Harvard Medical School and an investigator at the Schepens Eye Research Institute at Massachusetts Eye and Ear. “Wearing [tinted] glasses, whether they are yellow, red or blue, cuts out a chunk of light. Which means this is the same as wearing sunglasses while driving at night.” 

Hwang’s advice: “Don’t waste your money on these kinds of glasses for night driving.” 

Despite there being no evidence of effectiveness, yellow-lens glasses are sold widely, Hwang noted. 

An ad for one brand of yellow-lens glasses sold on Amazon claims that “night vision glasses help reduce night driving glare and eye strain, yellow lenses help to enhance night vision, improve colour clarity and optical definition, enable to see better when driving at night or cloudy, rainy days, making night driving safer and easier”. 

To determine whether yellow-lens glasses could actually improve drivers’ night vision, Hwang and his colleagues set up an experiment using a specially designed driving simulator that included the option of bright oncoming headlights. 

The researchers recruited 22 volunteers who, wearing either one of three brands of yellow-lens glasses or clear glasses, completed a total of eight night driving scenarios, each of which lasted about 10 minutes. Of the 22, 18 were younger, with an average age between 27 and 28, while the other four, all men, had an average age of 70. 

During the experiment, volunteers were told to press the horn as soon as they saw a pedestrian. Pedestrians were clad in either a dark blue navy shirt or an orange shirt. In some runs, the volunteers were subjected to bright headlights and in others they were “driving” in the dark. 

While glare from headlights did seem to slow the speed with which the younger group spotted the pedestrian, wearing yellow-lenses did not improve things. In fact, the yellow lenses appeared to slow their response time, but that finding was not statistically significant. The findings were similar among the older volunteers, but their overall response time was slower than that of the younger volunteers both with and without the yellow lenses. 

Dr Douglas Frederick hopes drivers take note of the findings. “The biggest issue is that we don’t want people to have a false sense of security because they are using something that does not [improve vision],” said Frederick, deputy chair of education in the department of ophthalmology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai/New York Eye and Ear Infirmary. “Motor vehicle accidents involving pedestrians are a common problem.” 

An important secondary finding is that “older people are more sensitive to headlight glare compared to younger people”, said Robert Masoff, a professor of ophthalmology at the Johns Hopkins Eye Institute and author of an editorial that accompanied the new study. “This is a real problem that needs to be addressed.” 

The reason older people are more sensitive to bright headlights is that “changes occur in people’s lenses with aging”, Masoff said. Those changes lead to more glare, he explained. “Glare can cover up what you’re trying to see. It’s like having a dirty windshield. Cataract surgery may make things better for people, but that study hasn’t been done yet.” 

SYDNEY — Researchers in Australia have developed prototype software that studies the impact of fatigue on athletic performance.

Published in the journal Plos One, the study measured athletes’ metabolic and neuromuscular fatigue. The software algorithm developed by the researchers enables athletes’ energy levels to be calculated and predictions to be made about how their level of fatigue might affect their performance.

“Let’s say you have a game tomorrow and the model predicts you’re going to be very fatigued, that might change the coach’s strategy,” said Dr Paul Wu, a researcher at Australia’s Queensland University of Technology and the study’s lead author.

While metabolic fatigue requires only a few hours of recovery, the same is not true for neuromuscular fatigue, which can take up to 48 hours or more to recover from. “In the elite sports setting, athletes often train twice a day, five days or more a week. If you develop neuromuscular fatigue and have training or competition the next day, you’ll still be fatigued and have an elevated risk of injury,” said Dr Wu.

To design the software, Dr Wu’s team subjected a dozen non-professional athletes to a “countermovement jump” test, which involves standing on a force plate, squatting and jumping as high as possible.

“In our study, we tested the athletes after low, moderate and high-intensity training sessions. We did many jumps over time, from just before training sessions, to right after, and then in regular intervals up to 48 hours later,” Dr Wu explained.

The scientists then used a statistical analysis tool to process the athletes’ physiological data. “By doing a few jump tests up to 30 minutes after training and then doing our analysis, we can predict the degree of neuromuscular fatigue,” said Dr Wu, who also sees it as an opportunity for athletes to compare their performance with others.

When it comes to upgrading and updating the technology we use, we are at a point where we have to do it immediately, without delay, without hesitation, without thinking twice. At least when the product is that of a known, reputable company.

Everyone agrees that not to upgrade the software and the hardware that you are using, is not a choice. There was a time, however, when you could afford to be a couple of versions behind. Actually some people would intentionally leave two versions between theirs and the very latest available on the market, thinking that it was safer this way, that not moving up to the newest meant they were better off using an older perhaps, but a well-tested, more reliable product. Indeed, we all know the bug-risk associated with rushing to install “the very latest release”.

The dynamics have changed now. Staying even just a little bit behind means exposing yourself to products that simply may not work with the rest of the world around you. Unless you are fine living on your island. 

From Google Maps, to MS-Windows, SSD drives in laptops, cloud hosting, Android 9, fibre optic connectivity and every single digital aspect of technology in between, they all work together, and they are forcing you to be perfectly in tune with the very latest. We have reached a point where information technology has zero tolerance to the “older version”.

Last week an article published on the website of the authoritative PC Magazine, and commenting on the software services available for managing HR (Human Resources) services in the cloud, illustrated the concept perfectly, boldly saying “If you don’t upgrade your HR Tech, your employees might leave. [ ] Failing to upgrade could cost you your people.”

Also this week Microsoft released version 1903 of the newest version of its reigning operating system MS-Windows 10. It did take about three hours for each of the laptops I use in my line of work, to download the update and then to install it, but I did not hesitate a second — I went for it immediately when I received the notification on my screen. Without the fibre optic Internet connection I have it would have taken me even longer, but I had this updated too last month… to run at 300 Mbps!

The excellent and globally used Media Centre audio-video player by J.River received a major facelift last May, becoming now version 25. However, for some unknown reason, the company has been releasing minor updates almost every week since. A bit annoying one must admit, but we still trust J.River and we believe they have good reasons for doing that. Already a leading multimedia player Media Centre has received increased attention recently following the announcement by Apple that they were phasing out iTunes, their own player.

The average useful lifetime of a laptop computer was about five years. Make it more like two or three years now. Not only disks in the new models are significantly faster and increase your work efficiency significantly, but also the WiFi adapters in the machines have received a good power boost. Not having the latest means you are not making the best out of your fibre optic connection. You may be happy having a 200 Mbps Internet subscription, but it would be of little use if your laptop can only operate at 50 Mbps. Besides, measuring the actual speed with utilities such as speedtest.net will tell you exactly what the wifi situation is with your laptop.

Are you using these incredible Chromecast adapters to watch Netflix and other streaming services on your TV set? Here too, having the new Chromecast Ultra means you can communicate flawlessly with all the networks, with your shining new smartphone, and enjoy 4K image definition. The previous Chromecast HD model just could not do that.

All this is not only exhausting but is expensive too. But what are the options?

Women who experience sexual dysfunction after menopause may feel more desire and pleasure when they use testosterone treatments, a recent study suggests. 

Researchers reviewed data from 36 trials with 8,480 participants, most of whom had already gone through menopause. The trials randomly assigned some women to use testosterone treatment and others to take a placebo or an alternative hormone treatment like oestrogen alone or in combination with progesterone. 

Women who used testosterone experienced significantly increased sexual function and had satisfying sex more often than their counterparts who didn’t get this therapy, the study found. Testosterone caused spikes in desire, arousal, orgasm and responsiveness, as well as a decrease in distress related to sexual function. 

“Testosterone acts directly in the brain and influences sexual functioning at a central level [sexual desire, fantasy, thoughts, etc.] and it also increases blood flow to the genitalia so women are more likely to feel sensation of arousal and orgasm,” said Susan Davis, senior author of the study and a researcher at Monash University in Australia. 

Although best known as a male hormone, testosterone is important for female sexual health, contributing to libido and orgasm as well as helping to maintain normal metabolic function, muscle strength, cognitive function and mood, researchers note in the Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. 

Testosterone levels decline naturally over a woman’s lifespan and can also drop sharply following surgically-induced menopause. Prior research has suggested that testosterone therapy can improve sexual function in women, but the available formulations have been designed for men and evidence for their safety or for adverse side-effects in women is scant. 

In the current study, side effects with creams and patches that apply testosterone through the skin included slight weight gain, mild acne, and increased hair growth. Oral testosterone appeared to increase low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, the “bad” kind that builds up in blood vessels and can lead to blood clots and heart attacks. 

The study also looked at some other common reasons why women take testosterone and found no beneficial effects on cognitive measures, bone mineral density, body composition or muscle strength. No benefits were seen for depressive mood irrespective of menopausal status or in psychological well-being. 

“This is the first study to refute the use of testosterone for anything other than low libido unless future studies show evidence of benefit,” Davis said by e-mail. “Unfortunately there are a lot of women in the USA and Australia being treated with testosterone for fatigue, depression and other invalid reasons.” 

There are no testosterone treatments approved specifically for use in postmenopausal women, Davis said. As a result, women use formulations made for men or use compounded, or custom-blended medicines, that may be unsafe or ineffective. 

Still, results from the study should reassure women that they may benefit from using testosterone to treat sexual dysfunction after menopause, said Rossella Nappi of the University of Pavia in Italy. 

 “Testosterone is not an easy fix for sexual dysfunction but it should be considered... for low sex drive, arousal, etc.,” Nappi, author of an editorial accompanying the study, said by e-mail. 

Treatments with the hormone oestrogen may also help women improve genital arousal and lubrication as well as vaginal dryness and pain during intercourse, Nappi said. 

SAN FRANCISCO — Google on Monday revealed that it is building gesture controls and face recognition into a next-generation Pixel smartphone as it looks to fuel early enthusiasm for its upcoming flagship handset.

The Pixel 4 is expected to make its debut in October, along with a new iPhone as competitors strive to win or keep fans in the competitive, cooling smartphone market.

The two new Pixel features teased by Google were billed as representing a “next step” in the Internet giant’s vision for a future in which computing power is available anywhere when people want without having to think about it.

Alphabet-owned Google said the key technology would centre around its motion-sensing radar called “Soli”.

“Pixel 4 will be the first device with Soli, powering our new motion sense features to allow you to skip songs, snooze alarms, and silence phone calls, just by waving your hand,” Pixel product manager Brandon Barbello said in an online post.

“These capabilities are just the start, and just as Pixels get better over time, motion sense will evolve as well.”

Google’s advanced technology and projects team has worked on Soli, a motion-sending radar, for the past five years, according to Barbello.

Along with recognising hand gestures, Soli will cue facial recognition sensors when a Pixel 4 is picked up to allow devices to automatically unlock for their owners.

“Face unlock uses facial recognition technology that is processed on your device, so that image data never leaves your phone,” Barbello said.

“The images used for face unlock are never saved or shared with other Google services.”

Soli sensor data is also kept on smartphones and not shared with other Google services, according to Barbello.

Google, Apple and other smartphone rivals typically launch new premium models ahead of the year-end holiday shopping season. A Samsung event in early August is expected to reveal its new Note handset.

The deadliest time for many surgery patients isn’t when they’re on the operating table, it’s while they’re recovering in the hospital and after they go home, a new study suggests. 

For the study, researchers examined outcomes for more than 40,000 patients 45 and older who underwent non-cardiac surgery at 28 hospitals in 14 countries. Researchers monitored patients for complications and deaths within 30 days of surgery. 

Overall, five people, or less than 1 per cent of patients, died in the operating table, and another 500 patients, or 70 per cent, died in the hospital. Another 210 deaths, or 29 per cent, didn’t happen until after patients were sent home. 

Nearly half of all the deaths were associated with three complications: major bleeding, heart damage and bloodstream infections. 

“Many families anxiously wait to hear from the surgeon whether their loved one survived the operation, but our research demonstrates that very few of the deaths occur in the operating room,” said Dr P.J. Devereaux, senior author of the study and director of the Division of Perioperative Care at McMaster University in Canada. 

“Our research now demonstrates that there is a need to focus on postoperative care and transitional care into the home setting to improve outcomes,” Devereaux said by e-mail. 

Worldwide, 100 million patients age 45 and older undergo inpatient surgery unrelated to cardiac issues every year, researchers note in CMAJ. 

A wide range of technological and medical advances have made surgery safer and less invasive in recent years, the study team notes. But at the same time, patients also are coming to the hospital sicker and being sent home with complex care needs that once would have meant a lengthy hospital stay. 

In the study, roughly half of the patients had high blood pressure, one in five had diabetes, and 13 per cent had coronary artery disease. 

More than one-third of them came in only for low-risk procedures that were not emergencies. Many of the rest had major general, orthopaedic, urological, gynaecological, vascular or neurological operations. 

Patients who experienced major bleeding after surgery were more than twice as likely to die within 30 days as people who didn’t have this complication. 

And patients who developed heart injuries even though they didn’t have heart surgery were also more than twice as likely to die. 

Patients who got sepsis, a serious bloodstream infection, were more than five times more likely to die within 30 days than people who didn’t get these infections. 

The study wasn’t a controlled experiment designed to identify which if any complications actually caused any deaths. 

Inflammation may be a common denominator in the complications that were most responsible for deaths, said Barnaby Charles Reeves of the University of Bristol in the UK, author of an editorial accompanying the study. 

“Surgery causes a body-wide inflammatory reaction,” Reeves said by e-mail. “This can lead to single or multi-organ failure [kidney, heart, lungs, sepsis etc.] which leads to death.” 

Patients may also not recognise that something is wrong when they’re coming off anaesthesia or taking narcotic painkillers after surgery, Devereaux said.

 “This makes patients after surgery vulnerable to delays in recognising complications and hence delays in treatment,” Devereaux said.

Surgery also activates patients’ inflammatory, stress, and coagulation systems. The activation of these systems can also predispose patients to major complications. Patients should advocate and support research into enhanced monitoring techniques after surgery, which can help sort out identifying ways to lower the risk of death after surgery.

By Jesus Jimenez

If you wait until you’re thirsty, it’s too late.

Thirst is just one symptom of dehydration, but you shouldn’t wait until you’re parched to drink water, according to Alison Harris, a nurse for on-demand healthcare provider DispatchHealth.

Although staying adequately hydrated is something to be mindful of all year long, it should be especially top of mind in the summer, Harris said.

From June 1 through July 15, MedStar Mobile Healthcare has treated 224 patients suffering from a heat-related illness in the Fort Worth area alone, said Matt Zavadsky, a spokesman for the ambulance service. Of those cases, 53 involved patients whose primary problem was dehydration.

Staying hydrated:

— There’s more to dehydration than you might think.

In addition to increased thirst, dehydration has other common symptoms including dark urine, dry skin, headaches and muscle cramps, Harris said.

Other times, however, the symptoms could be confused for something other than dehydration, according to Harris.

“Sometimes it’s a very vague symptom,” she said. These ambiguous symptoms include feeling sleepy, tired, irritable or confused.

In severe but rare cases, symptoms of dehydration can include convulsions and even delirium, according to Harris.

“Those are the ones that happen quickly.”

— It can take time for dehydration to settle in.

After spending time outside on a hot day, it might seem obvious to get a drink, but it might take longer for dehydration to settle in.

In some cases, dehydration can happen hours or even days later, Harris said.

“Your body is great at compensating until it can’t,” Harris said. This is why experts recommend hydrating days before strenuous activity, such as a marathon, and not waiting until the day of.

— It doesn’t need to be hot outside for someone to become dehydrated.

The summer heat plays a role in dehydration, but it doesn’t take triple-digit temperatures to reach a breaking point.

Other weather conditions — such as humidity levels and dew points also play a role in how much someone sweats.

When it’s muggy outside and humidity and dew points are high, someone might sweat more even if temperatures are relatively mild.

In March 2018, during the Rock ‘n’ Roll Dallas Half Marathon, two runners collapsed because of heat exhaustion. Temperatures that morning were only in the 20ºsC, but humidity levels were much higher.

Dew points — a measure of water vapour in the air — are also another weather condition to consider when being outdoors for several hours.

Once dew points reach 15ºC, conditions will feel slightly muggy. When dew points reach 21º to 24ºC, the air feels thick and oppressive, according to the National Weather Service.

“Make sure you’re listening to your body,” Harris said. “Make sure you’re not afraid to get help.”

— There’s no magic number on the amount of water to drink.

When it comes to how much water someone should drink per day, experts often cite the rule: eight 250-ml glasses per day. That’s a good general rule to follow, Harris said, but everybody is different, so some people might need more and others less.

Other experts recommend measuring daily water intake based on weight. That’s another solid rule, but Harris said it doesn’t account for other factors, such as how many minutes someone exercises per day, what climate that person lives in and how much caffeine or alcohol that person consumes in a day.

Caffeine and alcohol are diuretics, which cause people to lose fluids, Harris said.

“Even if you’re drinking a lot, it comes right back out,” she said.

— It takes more than just water to stay hydrated.

Water is great for staying hydrated, but that’s not all the body needs, Harris said. To stay optimally hydrated, the body needs a mix of water and electrolytes.

“It’s all about balance,” she said.

If they’re not doing so already, anyone who exercises regularly in the heat or spends several hours outdoors should consider drinking sports drinks to replace electrolytes lost through sweat, Harris said.

Prevent heat-related illness:

— Hydrate: Drink plenty of water during the day, especially if you are engaged in any strenuous activity. Sports drinks are a good choice if you’re exercising or working in hot conditions, but water is a good way to hydrate as well.

— Ventilate: Stay in a place where there is plenty of air circulating to keep your body cool. If you are indoors and don’t have access to air conditioning, open windows and use a fan.

— Cover up: Wear light-coloured and loose-fitting clothing to avoid absorbing the sun’s light and trapping heat. Wear a hat to shield yourself from the sun, but once you feel yourself getting warm, remove any items covering your head that can trap heat close to your body.

— Limit activity: Heatstroke can occur in less than an hour when you are participating in strenuous activity during a hot day. If you feel yourself getting hot or lightheaded, stop your activity and rest in a cool place out of the sun. Be sure to drink water or a sports drink before, during and after any strenuous activity.

— Check on loved ones: The elderly are especially vulnerable to heat-related emergencies. Many elderly residents are not aware of how hot it may get in their residence. Call on older friends and family members regularly to assure they are doing OK.

A reasonably priced, economic and compact hatchback that nonetheless looks and feels contemporary, the Suzuki Baleno is the sort of car Jordanian drivers ought to consider in the face of economic squeeze, high fuel prices and ever worse traffic congestion.

Built by the Japanese automaker’s Indian operation, the Baleno is slightly bigger, yet, lower priced than the brand’s much acclaimed Swift model. Designed and engineered with good value in mind, the Baleno is, however, not an austere car, like Suzuki’s much smaller and very affordable entry-level Alto.

Contemporary character

A step up from the Suzuki’s Alto and slightly bigger Celerio models where design clearly follows function, the Baleno places greater emphasis on contemporary aesthetic, and is pitched to closer to and as a somewhat of a more attainable alternative to small European hatchbacks like the excellent Peugeot 208 and outgoing Ford Fiesta.

Modern in appearance, the Baleno has a higher waistline, smaller glasshouse, somewhat sloping roofline and more pronounced body bulges, ridges and character lines to reflect more current trends than the upright Alto and Celerio. 

With smooth and curvy surfacing, athletic stance and diamond-like headlights set far apart and framing a V-like grille that trails off into bonnet ridges towards the A-pillar base, the Baleno’s design has hints of the stylish Alfa Romeo MiTo about it.

Behind its sharp grille-mounted “S” emblem, the driven Baleno GLX is powered by and transverse 16-valve 1.4-litre 4-cylinder engine driving the front wheels through a 4-speed automatic gearbox. Featuring intake side variable valve timing, the Baleno develops 91BHP at 6,000rpm and 96lb/ft torque at 4,000rpm.

Eager and efficient

A responsive and progressive naturally-aspirated engine, the Baleno’s 1.4 is eager to be wrung hard to its rev limit and signals its willing approval as its not unpleasant thrum hardens to an ever softly distant yet raspy snarl.

With a favourable power-to-weight ratio given its low 935kg mass, the Baleno feels light on its feet and picks up speed at a good pace in town driving, with 0-100km/h dispatched in a respectable 11.6-seconds, and can attain 170km/h. Meanwhile, fuel efficiency is frugal at an estimated 5l/100km, combined.

As flexible necessary in mid-range delivery, the Baleno does its best work at high revs, which is just as well, given that with only four speeds, one does tend to rev hard to keep it spinning in its top-end sweet spot.

As smooth and quick shifting as a small city car needs, the fact of the matter is that a small, light and nimble hatchback like this would be much better served with a 5-speed manual gearbox to better exploit its buzzy and eager engine.

Mature manners

With a manual, the Baleno would be lighter, faster, more economical, cheaper and even more fun to drive. That said, the auto version proved to be an agile, responsive and entertaining car with quick, light, eager, tidy and grippy turn-in, and nimble and well controlled through corners and sudden direction changes.

With all the fun hallmarks of a sweet driving light car that is a Suzuki signature, the Baleno rode with more grounded and more refined manner than its light weight and small size would suggest.

With a low seating position, high waistline and a more refined and modern feel, the Baleno felt like a distinctly more mature car than its Celerio sister during back-to-back test drives.

Hunkered ambiance

Comfortable, well-insulated, forgiving and settled for its class, the Baleno rides somewhat like a larger car and features generous front headroom and minimum 355-litre luggage volume, which expands to 1,085-litres. Rear legroom is good for its size but rear headroom isn’t as generous as the boxier Celerio.

Hunkered rather than airy inside, the Baleno’s stylishly modern cabin styling, dark tones, black fabric upholstery and metallic trim meanwhile have a classier, if slightly conservative, ambiance than expected, while plus points include a chunky tilt and reach adjustable steering. 

Driven in GLX trim level, the Baleno comes well-equipped for its JD15,000 price point and includes 3-point seatbelts and headrest for all five passengers, good rear door swing angle, and split-folding rear seats and two child seat latch points, but no rear armrest.

Equipped with front, side and curtain airbags, the Baleno GLX’ safety suite includes ABS brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution. Additionally, it features electric windows, mirrors and remote central locking, automatic A/C and a 4-speaker MP3, Bluetooth and CD sound system.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: 1.4-litre, transverse 4-cylinders

Bore x stroke: 73 x 82mm

Compression ratio: 11:1

Valve-train: 16-valve, DOHC, multi-point injection

Gearbox: 4-speed automatic, front-wheel-drive

Gear ratios: 1st 2.875; 2nd 1.568; 3rd 1.0; 4th 0.697

Reverse/final drive: 2.3/4.375

Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 91 (92) [68] @6,000rpm

Specific power: 66.3BHP/litre

Power-to-weight: 97.3BHP/tonne

Torque, lb/ft (Nm): 96 (130) @4,000rpm

Specific torque: 94.7Nm/litre

Torque-to-weight: 139Nm/tonne

0-100km/h: 11.6-seconds

Top speed: 170km/h

Fuel consumption, combined: 5-litres/100km (estimate)

Fuel capacity: 37-litres

Length: 3,995mm

Width: 1,745mm

Height: 1,470mm

Wheelbase: 2,520mm

Tread, F/R: 1,420/1,410mm

Tread: 1,520mm

Ground clearance: 120mm

Kerb weight: 935kg

Gross vehicle weight: 1,405kg

Doors/seats: 4/5

Luggage volume, min/max: 355-/1,085-litres

Steering: Power-assisted rack & pinion

Turning circle: 9.8-metres

Suspension: MacPherson struts/torsion beam

Brakes, F/R: Ventilated discs/drums

Tyres: 185/55R16

Price, JD15,000 (on the road, excluding insurance)

Women who develop preeclampsia, a form of dangerously high blood pressure during pregnancy, may face a wide variety of heart problems long after they give birth, a research review concludes. 

Preeclampsia has long been linked to an increased risk of events like heart attacks and strokes years later, but women often don’t experience symptoms until they have a life-threatening problem. For the current analysis, researchers examined results from 13 previously published studies that assessed women’s hearts with echocardiography to look for early warning signals. 

“Previous studies had demonstrated cardiac dysfunction in women with a history of pre-eclampsia but this paper brings together the results of those studies to try and better understand the extent of the problem and the patterns of dysfunction,” said lead author Archana Thayaparan, a researcher at Western Health in Victoria, Australia. 

“This is important for patients as no large studies have been done to investigate this, and most women with pre-eclampsia are unaware of the potential long-term consequences and increased risk of heart disease and stroke,” Thayaparan said by e-mail. 

So-called gestational hypertension, when women who normally don’t have high blood pressure develop it during pregnancy, is fairly common, affecting 6 per cent to 8 per cent of pregnant women. This condition can progress to a more serious and potentially life-threatening version of high blood pressure known as preeclampsia later in pregnancy. 

Women with preeclampsia are more likely to develop “diastolic dysfunction”, which happens when the heart doesn’t fill with blood properly and is a precursor to a form of heart failure. 

In the study, about 19 per cent of women with a history of preeclampsia developed diastolic dysfunction, compared with 5.4 per cent of women with uncomplicated pregnancies. 

With a history of preeclampsia, about 25 per cent of women went on to develop heart failure within 4 to 10 years of giving birth, compared with 7 per cent of women with uncomplicated pregnancies, researchers note in the Australasian Journal of Ultrasound Medicine. 

This suggests that women with a history of preeclampsia should get regular echocardiograms to monitor their hearts for changes that might not yet be causing any symptoms, the study authors conclude. 

The study wasn’t designed to determine whether preeclampsia directly causes later heart problems, or if it might be an early sign of existing problems that emerge under the pressure of pregnancy on a woman’s body. 

“Previous research has shown that traditional cardiovascular risk factors such as BMI and blood pressure play a central role in the development of cardiovascular disease in women who experienced preeclampsia,” said Eirin Haug, a public health researcher at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, who wasn’t involved in the study. 

Doctors currently advise women with a history of preeclampsia to make lifestyle changes like losing weight, exercising, and eating a heart-healthy diet and to get regular blood pressure checks, Haug said by e-mail. 

“We still lack evidence for the effect of screening and lifestyle modifications on reducing cardiovascular risk in these women,” Haug said. “More research is needed to tailor effective strategies to prevent cardiovascular disease in this group of women.” 

By Ibrahim Mango

Life Coach and Positive Psychologist

Does adopting an optimistic attitude lead to increased success and improved health? Ancient wisdom teaches us the value of optimism and today’s top psychologists, doctors and executives agree.

Omar and Fahed who work in different departments at the same company get laid off from their jobs due to downsizing.

Omar takes the news personally even though the company has always regarded him as a conscientious, productive employee. The layoffs are part of the company’s restructuring plan to reduce costs; they are not related to his performance. 

Omar spends his days replaying in his mind how bad this situation is while watching television and eating crisps. He wrongly assumes that he has been laid off because of his poor performance on the job, that he will be out of a job for a long time and that all aspects of his life will be negatively affected.

Fahed, on the other hand, understands that the layoffs are not related to his performance and that there is a possibility that the company might take him back soon, which is what usually happens during downsizing. Even so, he applies for new jobs, spends quality time with his family and goes back to his exercise routine which he could not always maintain during the busy days he was working for the company. He sees this setback as belonging to only one aspect of his life.

Are humans hard wired to a certain fixed degree of optimism?

Traditional psychologists say yes and that the degree of optimism cannot be changed in adulthood. However, Positive Psychologist Dr Martin Seligman, author of Learned Optimism, explains that what differentiates optimists from pessimists is their explanatory style – the way they explain the events in their lives. By changing the way they explain these events, they can become more optimistic.

Everyone experiences setbacks and failures but optimists:

1. Don’t take failures and setbacks personally (they are not caused by them)

2. See them as temporary (they will last for a short time)

3. Regard them as non-pervasive (they affect only one specific area in their lives)

Pessimists, on the other hand, see setbacks as personal, permanent and pervasive.

Omar and Fahed experienced the same setback, but their explanatory style was different; Omar’s was that of a pessimist and Fahed’s was that of an optimist. This makes a world of difference!

Optimists are healthier

Optimistic people tend to take better care of their health, are often more resilient when it comes to dealing with stress and are likely to suffer less from cardiovascular disease than pessimistic people. Optimists generally have better physical and psychological wellbeing, live longer and are happier than their pessimistic’ counterparts. They expect a better future so they try harder in the face of setbacks because they expect that if they try again, they are likely to get ahead, which is why they are more successful.

Thus, the research suggests that the Islamic proverb is indeed correct: “Be optimistic and you will find goodness.”

Reprinted with permission from Family Flavours magazine