Cholesterol often carries a negative connotation, but it plays an essential role in maintaining overall health, particularly heart health. Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in every body cell and is crucial for producing hormones, vitamin D, and bile acids that help digest fat. However, not all cholesterol is created equal. It is important to differentiate between "good" and "bad" cholesterol to understand its impact on heart health.

The Good vs. The Bad

- LDL Cholesterol: Often referred to as "bad" cholesterol, high levels of LDL can lead to plaque buildup in the arteries, increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes. According to a study published in the *Journal of the American College of Cardiology*, individuals with elevated LDL levels are at a significantly higher risk for coronary heart disease.

- HDL Cholesterol: In contrast, HDL is known as "good" cholesterol. It helps remove other forms of cholesterol from the bloodstream, transporting it to the liver for excretion. Higher levels of HDL cholesterol are associated with a lower risk of heart disease. A study conducted by the American Heart Association found that individuals with high HDL levels experienced a 25% reduction in heart disease risk compared to those with low levels.

Cholesterol's Role in Heart Health

Cholesterol is vital for several bodily functions, including:

1. Cell Membrane Structure: Cholesterol is a critical component of cell membranes, providing stability and fluidity, which are essential for cell function.

2. Hormone Production: It serves as a precursor for the synthesis of steroid hormones, including cortisol, estrogen, and testosterone, which regulate various bodily functions.

3. Vitamin D Synthesis: Cholesterol is necessary for the body to produce vitamin D, which is essential for bone health and immune function.

4. Bile Acid Production: Cholesterol is converted into bile acids in the liver, aiding in fat digestion and absorption.

Maintaining Healthy Cholesterol Levels

To maintain a healthy balance between LDL and HDL cholesterol, consider the following lifestyle changes:

- Eat a Heart-Healthy Diet: Incorporate fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats while reducing saturated fats and trans fats found in processed foods.

- Exercise Regularly: Physical activity can help raise HDL levels and lower LDL levels.

- Avoid Tobacco Smoke: Smoking lowers HDL cholesterol and increases the risk of heart disease.

- Regular Health Check-ups: Monitoring cholesterol levels through regular blood tests can help identify risks early.

In a recent study published in The Lancet, by the Global Burden of Disease Study, 2023 reveals that non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like heart disease, stroke, and diabetes now account for nearly two-thirds of global deaths, surpassing infectious diseases, according to an analysis of over 33 years.

The study covered 375 diseases and injuries, including 88 risk factors and healthy life expectancy across 204 countries and territories. It included 660 subnational locations, from 1990 to 2023.

The report also highlighted the sharp rise in mental health disorders with anxiety disorders, which were increased by 63%. The report also noted an increase in depressive disorders by 26%.

Environmental Factors That Impact Health

Furthermore, it added that environmental risks such as extreme heats and air pollution also bears an impact on health. There have been deaths due to climate-sensitive exposures rising by 6% annually between 2013 and 2023.

In fact, recently, a health conference of the Indian Rheumatology Association revealed that pollution also triggers rheumatoid arthritis. Heat waves also pose serious health risks, from heat cramps and exhaustion to the life-threatening heatstroke, by overwhelming the body's ability to cool itself.

An Increase In Life Expectancy Rate

As per the study, the global life expectancy rates have rebounded post COVID-19 pandemic. It has now reached 76.3 for women and 71.5 years for men in 2023. Earlier, in the pandemic, the age for women went down to 74.7 years, while for men, it was at 69.3 years, in 2021. Since 1950, the global life expectancy has increased by roughly 20 years.

In 2023, the total deaths globally reached 60.1 million, which included 4.67 million deaths of children under five. The population growth and aging however has driven a 35.2 per cent increase in global deaths since 1950, under-five mortality has steadily declined in this period.

The report also highlighted the difference in the health outcomes. The global life expectancy has improved, however, the geographic inequities still persisted. The mean age at death rose from 46.4 years in 1990 to 62.9 years in 2023.

Who Lived Longer, Where?

High-income countries reported the longest lifespans, women lived up to 80.5 years on average, while men reached 74.4 years. In stark contrast, sub-Saharan Africa recorded the lowest life expectancy, with women living an average of 37.1 years and men 34.8 years.

The report highlights that nearly half of all global deaths and disabilities could be prevented by tackling key risk factors such as high blood sugar, obesity, and social determinants like sexual abuse and intimate partner violence.

India recorded 9.85 million deaths in 2023, ranking second after China’s 10.7 million. The average life expectancy in India stood at 73 years for women and 70.2 years for men.

Encouragingly, India has made notable strides in reducing child mortality. The under-five mortality rate has dropped to 32.1 deaths per 1,000 live births. However, due to the country’s large population, the total number of deaths among children under five remained high, at around 6,92,000.

Many people have a one-dimensional view of their health, ‘if I eat healthy I don’t have to exercise as much’ or ‘since I exercise a lot, I can eat whatever I want’ but it doesn’t work like that. Everything we do and all the organs in our body are interdependent. So which body part does our heart depend on?

Most people only think about their main heart when they consider blood circulation, but there's a lesser-known helper: your calf muscles. These muscles, located in the back of your lower legs, act like a "second heart."

In a recent post, dietician Ms Manpreet Kalra, explained how important calf muscles are to our heart health.

She explained that when you walk, run, or simply move your ankles, your calf muscles squeeze. This squeezing action pushes the blood that has collected in your lower legs and feet back up towards your main heart and the rest of your body. It's a vital part of healthy circulation, preventing blood from just pooling in your legs due to gravity.

The Danger of Sitting Still

If you spend long hours sitting down—whether at a desk, on a plane, or watching TV—you essentially "shut down" your second heart. When your calf muscles aren't moving, they stop doing their job of pumping blood back up. This lack of movement leads to several problems:

Poor Circulation

When your calf muscles are inactive, they stop pumping, causing blood to start pooling in your lower legs and feet. Gravity takes over, meaning the blood has a hard time making the trip back up to your heart, slowing everything down.

Swelling and Fatigue

As blood and fluids linger in your legs, you might notice they feel heavy, tired, or appear visibly swollen. This feeling of dragging your feet is a direct result of your calves not properly assisting your body’s circulatory system.

Toxin Buildup

Normally, your blood removes waste, but when it slows down, toxins build up in your inactive muscles. These waste products are not cleaned out efficiently, which can contribute to muscle discomfort and general poor health over time.

Increased Risk of Blood Clots

The biggest danger is an increased risk of Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), which is when a blood clot forms in a deep vein, usually in the legs. These clots can be very dangerous if they break loose and travel to the lungs.

Simple Ways to Activate Your "Second Heart"

The good news is that keeping your calf muscles active is easy and requires only small changes to your daily routine. Movement is the key to keeping your circulation flowing and your heart safe. Here are simple actions you can take:

Move Regularly

Try to walk or stretch for a few minutes every 45 to 60 minutes if you have a desk job. Even standing up and sitting down a few times helps.

Do Calf Raises

While standing, rise up onto your toes and then lower your heels back down. Doing this simple exercise daily—even while brushing your teeth—is great for strengthening and activating your calves.

Change Positions

Avoid sitting with your legs crossed for long periods, as this can squeeze veins and restrict blood flow.

By taking care of your calves, you're not just taking care of your legs—you're helping your whole circulatory system and protecting your main heart!

Dementia is more common than you think. According to the Alzheimer’s Disease International, there were over 55 million people in the world living with dementia in 2020. According to the organization, this number is said to double every year for 20 years, and this number is said to reach 78 million in 2030.

There are many different types of dementia, one of which is Alzheimer’s disease. It is the most common form of dementia. While there is no cure for dementia, catching it early can help people manage the condition. But with the vague symptoms of Alzheimer’s, early diagnosis is difficult.

Researchers have found a possible new sign of Alzheimer's disease that could show up incredibly early, which is poor spatial navigation. Think of spatial navigation as your brain's ability to figure out where you are and how to get where you're going, your internal GPS.

This difficulty could appear up to 25 years before the more commonly known symptoms, like losing your memory. Finding a warning sign this early is a huge step because getting a diagnosis sooner is vital for beginning treatment and for scientists working to find ways to prevent the disease.

What Does Knowing Your Surrounding Mean?

A team of scientists from the University College London (UCL) conducted a study to look for these early signs. They worked with around 100 people between the ages of 43 and 66. These people were chosen because they had a higher risk of getting Alzheimer's later in life. This risk was due to things like having a family member with the disease, carrying a specific gene (called the APOE-ε4 allele) linked to higher risk, or having risk factors in their lifestyle.

An important point to note was that every single person in the study showed no signs of Alzheimer's, they were perfectly healthy and were about 25 years younger than the age doctors would typically expect dementia to start for them.

To test their navigation skills, the participants put on virtual reality (VR) headsets and were asked to find their way around a computer-generated environment. The results showed that the people who were at higher risk for Alzheimer's had a much harder time completing the VR navigation task. They essentially got lost or struggled more to find their way.

Early Sign Of Alzheimer’s Disease

Importantly, these same people did just fine on other types of tests, including those that check memory. This suggests that having trouble with spatial navigation could be one of the very first things to go wrong in the brain, years or even decades before you start forgetting things.

The experts said that this change might be the earliest possible signal that someone is starting to move from being healthy to showing the first signs of the disease. The researchers are now planning to turn this VR test into a tool that doctors could use to help diagnose the disease earlier.

explained that these findings are exciting for two main reasons. First, they allow doctors to spot the start of Alzheimer's much sooner, which is critical for making treatments work better. Second, the VR test is based on how special cells in the brain in an area called the temporal lobe handle space and location.

This means the test helps connect the dots between tiny changes in the brain's cells and the actual symptoms people experience. This connection is a huge barrier in current Alzheimer's research.

The study also noticed that men showed a bigger drop in their spatial navigation skills than women did. This suggests that more research is needed to understand why men and women might be affected differently by Alzheimer's.

The Alzheimer's Society agreed, emphasizing that early and accurate diagnosis is essential, and this study clearly shows that problems with navigation could be one of the very first signs to watch out for.