Men are 22 % less 'manly' than 20 yrs ago

A study from Massachusetts in the United States has revealed that the average man's testosterone (not just older men) has dropped 22 per cent in the last 20 years. Researchers said in the study one out of every four men has below-average testosterone, and men as young as 22 were being affected. It revealed that the cause could be environmental. Low T levels equates to low sex drive. The researchers said low T levels can cause infertility, and also make it difficult to lose body fat and gain muscle. Other adverse effects of low T include early death. There are numerous ways to boost your testosterone, including sprinting; weight training; getting adequate sleep; performing de-stressing exercises like yoga and meditation; increasing your intake of vitamin D, zinc, magnesium and calcium; and avoid foods that spike blood- sugar levels.

Vaccination Week seeks to protect 44 million in 44 countries

Forty-four countries and territories are participating in this year's 11th annual Vaccination Week in the Americas, aiming to protect more than 44 million children and adults against dangerous diseases. The initiative, which began last Saturday and ends this weekend, is being held under the slogan 'Vaccination: a shared responsibility', highlighting the importance of everyone doing their part in supporting immunisation, one of public health's most important and cost-effective interventions.

Vaccination Week is the largest international health effort in the Americas. Since 2003, it has taken the benefits of vaccines to more than 411 million people of all ages, including more than 140 million children under age five and nearly 139 million senior citizens. Activities carried out during Vaccination Week in the Americas vary from country to country, reflecting national priorities. Participating countries this year are deploying vaccines against diseases, including polio, measles, rubella and congenital rubella syndrome, diphtheria, mumps, whooping cough, neonatal tetanus, influenza, yellow fever, rotavirus, bacterial pneumonia, and human papillomavirus, among others. In addition, 18 countries and territories are planning to carry out supplemental activities such as deworming, vitamin A supplementation, growth monitoring, cancer screening, distribution of water filters, body mass index-screening, and foot-care demonstrations for people with diabetes.

Yoga helps to keep lungs in shape

According to a new study published in the Journal of Alternative and Comple-mentary Medicine in the United States, practising yoga regularly may help boost lung function and capacity. Researchers from Texas State University at San Marcos gathered 57 studies from four databases, looking for ones that included the keywords 'yoga', 'respiration', and 'pulmonary function'. Of those 57, researchers found nine studies that focused on pulmonary function in 609 individuals with healthy lungs. All but one experiment indicated yoga was associated with better overall lung function. Lungs are like muscles in that they need to be exercised. Otherwise, they'll become rigid, which forces you to take shorter breaths and can increase your risk of lung disease. Yoga requires you to breathe deeply to fully expand your lungs, which makes them more flexible and increases their ability to take in more air. For improved pulmonary functions, researchers suggest practising yoga for a minimum of two days a week, one hour each day. You should experience improved lung function in about 10 weeks. "It's important that we inhale and exhale so that we keep our lungs functioning properly," says lead study author Allison Abel, assistant director of total wellness from Texas State University at San Marcos. This will help prevent problems such as asthma, emphysema and bronchitis. Other benefits from yoga include weight loss, easing aches and pains and improving your overall balance.

Sleep hormone could ease tension headaches

Melatonin (the sleep hormone) could ease tension headaches, stated new research in the Journal of Neurological Sciences. Taking a three-milligram melatonin supplement once a day for three months decreased the number of painful days, severity of symptoms and anxiety in patients with chronic tension headaches. Researchers say the relief comes from melatonin's antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which play a role in blocking inflammatory enzymes that can lead to headaches. The body secretes the hormone naturally around 7 or 8 p.m., signalling time for bed. If you take a supplement earlier in the day, "it tells your brain that the sun's going down," says W. Christopher Winter, MD, medical director of the sleep medicine centre at Martha Jefferson Hospital in the United Stated. However, you could feel sleepier earlier or have a little insomnia throughout the night.

Colic may be linked to migraine

Crying babies with colic could be linked with migraine headaches, a study revealed. Children and teens treated for migraine headaches at three hospitals in Italy and France were much more likely than other kids to have had colic in infancy. The link has been suggested in other research, and if it can be proven, it could offer new hope for treating colic, the researchers said. The study, which appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association last week, noted that among about 200 children and teens who got emergency treatment for migraines in the study, 73 per cent had colic as infants, versus 27 per cent of children in a control group. That group - 471 kids - got emergency treatment for minor trauma and had no history of recurrent headaches. More research is needed to prove any link between colic and migraines, said study co-author Dr Luigi Titomanlio, chief of a paediatric migraine clinic at Robert Debre Hospital in Paris, France. He said studies would need to be done before anyone would recommend using migraine treatments for babies' colic.

- AP