Cosmetic surgery actually helps people quit smoking – Yahoo Health

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Its no secret that its hard to quit smoking, and many people who want to break the habit struggle to do so. But new research has found there might be one surprising method that actually works: plastic surgery.

The link seems random, but its not. Smokers who want to undergo plastic surgery are generally advised by their doctors to stop smoking for at least two weeks before their procedure. And, according to a long-term follow-up study published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery,many patients end up continuing not to smoke, or at least smoke less, in the years after their surgery.

The study included 85 patients who were smokers when they were evaluated for plastic surgery. Five years after the surgery, 47 of those patients (most of whom were women, with an average age of 40) responded to a follow-up survey. The most common procedures were a tummy tuck, breast lift, and face-lift. After excluding five social smokers, the surveyincluded 42 people who reported being daily smokers before cosmetic surgery.

In the follow-up, about 40 percent of those patients said they no longer smoked on a daily basis, and nearly 25 percent had not smoked at all since their surgery. Also worth noting: Most people said they had reduced their smoking habit by some amount, and 70 percent said that discussing their increased surgical risks with the plastic surgeon positively affected their ability to quit or reduce smoking.

But half of the patients said they kept on smoking before their surgery, even though they were advised not to, and nearly a quarter said they continued to smoke up to the day of their procedure. The complication rate was higher in those patients 24 percent of them had post-surgical issues, as opposed to14 percent of patients who stopped smoking. Serious wound-healing complications also occurred in two people, both of whom kept smoking before their procedure.

I think perhaps what we saw with our study is the power of targeted messaging when trying to promote healthy lifestyle behaviors in patients, the lead author of the study,Aaron C. Van Slyke, MD, of the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, tells Yahoo Beauty. We showed that specificallydiscussing the adverse effects of smoking on the patients surgical outcome was more influential in helping patients quit smoking than a discussion around the general negative effects of smoking on their health.

He continues: In addition to this, as plastic surgeons, patients often present to us withconcerns about quality of life and appearance. As such, these patients may therefore be more receptive to learning about smoking and other health issues that can impact their future. This might allow plastic surgeons to be more effective at promoting healthy lifestyle modificationsthat extend well beyond the surgeon-patient interactions during cosmetic surgery.

Plastic surgeons usually advise their patients to stop smoking before a procedure because the nicotine in cigarettes affects the small blood vessels of the skin, increasing the risk of complications, plastic surgeon Jacob D. Steiger, MD, of Steiger Facial Plastic Surgery, tells Yahoo Beauty. People who smoke thus have a higher risk of healing issues because the blood flow can be diminished, he explains.

Continuing to smoke when youve been advised not to before a procedure can give you a three-times-greater risk of healing issues after surgery, especially when it comes to cosmetic surgeries like face-lifts, Steiger says.

The phenomenon of plastic surgery prompting people to quit smoking isnt unique to this study. Steiger says hes seen it in his practice too. Most people stop smoking before surgery and continue to be smoke-free afterwards, he says. This is a huge benefit to both their health and appearance.

Obviously, you shouldnt have plastic surgery just so you can quit smoking. But if youre interested in plastic surgery and have been looking for a way to kick the habit, its good to know that there could be an added benefit to going under the knife.

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Cosmetic surgery actually helps people quit smoking - Yahoo Health

4 Health Indicators to Use Instead of Weight – LIVESTRONG.COM

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Curious whether you're on track to live a long, healthy life into your golden years? Most health professionals would tell you to hop on a scale, since numbers like weight and BMI (body mass index) are often used to predict your chances of developing certain diseases and your life expectancy overall. The problem? Neither weight nor BMI is truly an accurate or adequate measure of your health.

Your walking speed may be an even better health indicator than your weight, according to research.

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That's because "weight and BMI are not customized to sex or body type, nor do they take into account muscle mass, bone density, overall body composition and ethnic differences," says John P. Higgins, MD, a sports cardiologist and professor of cardiovascular medicine at The McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).

Take, for example, a bodybuilder with a dense muscle mass. He or she may erroneously fall into an overweight or obese classification for weight or BMI. Conversely, these metrics don't address the problem of normal-weight obese people, otherwise known as "skinny fat" (we hate the term, too), who appear thin with average BMIs but have a high percentage of body fat and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, per a May 2015 study in Cardiovascular Diabetology.

Wondering how to calculate your calories for weight loss? Download the MyPlate app to do the job and help you track your intake, so you can stay focused and achieve your goals!

Instead of putting too much weight on weight, a growing body of research is finding other measures that may be useful tools for evaluating your health and risk of disease. In fact, these four metrics walking speed, push-up ability, grip strength and waist circumference can reveal more about your state of health than any scale. The best part? You can track them yourself.

Note: Even though you can calculate these metrics on your own, they shouldn't substitute for visiting the doctor or getting regular checkups. Better yet, as you gather these measurements at home, share them with your medical provider who can best analyze the numbers for a fuller picture of your health.

How fast you stroll is linked to how long you live, according to a June 2019 study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Researchers found that brisk walkers enjoy longer life expectancies than those with a slower stride, regardless of their BMI. Perhaps this is because walking as opposed to weight is a functional measure of several important things: "Walking tests balance, coordination, lower limb and core strength, as well as cardiovascular health," says Dr. Higgins. Essentially, you need to be in good physical shape to keep up a swift pace.

How to Measure Your Walking Speed:

Walk 1 mile. Then divide the number 60 by how minutes it took you to walk the mile. For example, if you spent 30 minutes strolling, your speed would clock in at 2 miles per hour.

Alternatively, time yourself as you walk 6 meters. Divide the number six by how many seconds it took you to complete the 6-meter walk. So, if you walk six meters in three seconds, your pace is 2 meters per second.

Ideally, you should aim for a walking speed that's at least 2.4 miles per hour (that's a 25-minute mile) or 1 meter per second.

Since push-ups work your entire body and require strength and endurance the number you can complete is another predictor of your overall health status. "Push-ups are a good measure of both upper body and core strength, as well as cardiovascular health," Dr. Higgins says. "In short, the more push-ups you can do, the stronger and better cardiovascular system you have."

As a matter of fact, a longitudinal cohort study of 1,100 adult men found that those who could perform more than 40 push-ups had a significantly lower risk of developing heart disease compared with participants who could complete fewer than 10 push-ups, per research published in the February 2019 issue of JAMA Network Open.

How to Measure Your Push-Ups:

Try to perform as many push-ups as possible with perfect technique before tiring. Aim to work your way up to 50 to 100 push-ups per day, Dr. Higgins says.

Your grip strength is a surprisingly good health indicator.

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Oddly enough, your ability to squeeze a grip meter can forecast whether you'll live to a ripe old age. But why? Well, grip strength may help to identify muscle and cardiovascular weaknesses. That's because how tight you can grip something relates to both your upper body strength as well as your heart's ability to handle pumping against a higher pressure (because your blood pressure rises with the act of gripping), says Dr. Higgins.

Not convinced? A study of a half million middle-aged people found that weaker grip strength was strongly linked with the occurrence of negative health outcomes, such as lung cancer and heart disease, according to research published in the May 2018 issue of BMJ. What's more, grip strength was an even better predictor of death than blood pressure or overall physical activity.

How to Measure Your Grip Strength:

To calculate grip strength, simply squeeze a handgrip dynamometer at a gym or your doctor's office. If you don't have access to a grip meter, you can use a bathroom scale, says Dr. Higgins. Simply squeeze the scale with both your hands (thumb on plate and fingers behind scale), then divide the number of pounds by two. The optimal measurement is about 110 pounds for men and 70 for women.

To improve your grip strength, you need to build muscle. Commit to resistance training two or three times per week. Dr. Higgins also suggests investing in a pair of handgrip squeezers. Do a set of 10 squeezes with each hand twice a day.

A large waist circumference can be a warning sign for future health problems. That's because waist circumference is an indicator of abdominal fat. In other words, your waist size increases as your internal fat deposits do. And excessive belly fat is associated with health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, high blood pressure and coronary artery disease, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Indeed, a study that looked at data from 650,000 white adults found that a higher waist circumference was connected to a greater incidence of mortality at all levels of BMI, per findings published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

How to Measure Waist Circumference:

On your bare stomach, loop a tape measure around your waist, just above the upper hip bone. Take the measure while you exhale (but don't suck in your tummy!). An ideal waist circumference is less than 35 inches for women and less than 40 for men, according to Dr. Higgins.

When it comes to assessing your heart health, you might also want to keep an eye on your blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

"Blood pressure is a big barometer of cardiovascular health," Dr. Higgins says. "When your blood pressure is chronically high, your cardiovascular system and/or sympathetic nervous system (responsible for your fight or flight response) is overstressed."

Whether the root cause of your increased blood pressure relates to something physical, mental or even lack of sleep, the strain on your body isn't healthy. If your blood pressure is greater than 130/80 on a regular basis, you should see your medical professional, who can help assess your situation and assist you in making healthy lifestyle changes to lower your numbers.

Cholesterol is also a good measure of cardiovascular risk, says Dr. Higgins: "The higher the bad cholesterol (LDL cholesterol), the higher the chance of heart attack and stroke."

While your cholesterol is often strongly tied to genetics, there are still actionable steps you can take to reduce your levels, according to Dr. Higgins, who suggests limiting your saturated fat intake, following a Mediterranean diet with more
plant-based foods and exercising regularly to increase your good HDL cholesterol.

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4 Health Indicators to Use Instead of Weight - LIVESTRONG.COM

Kids Soccer | Longevity Sports Center Las Vegas pt. 13 – Video

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Kids Soccer | Longevity Sports Center Las Vegas pt. 13
Longevity Sports Center #39;s Lil #39; Kickers is great way for kids to maintain an active healthy lifestyle! http://longevitysportscenter.com/ Subscribe to see more Events: http://www.youtube.com/longevi...

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Kids Soccer | Longevity Sports Center Las Vegas pt. 13 - Video

Pea Sprouts DIY: How to grow pea sprouts in pots (for use in salads) – Video

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Pea Sprouts DIY: How to grow pea sprouts in pots (for use in salads)
Pea sprouts DIY: How to grow pea sprouts in pots. Add pea sprouts to your salads or dip them in hummus. I love pea sprouts! Thanks for watching! Scarlett A tinny clarification: Just like cats...

By: The Sexy Healthy Lifestyle Diet with Scarlett (Grow food, Eat Raw Be Vegan)

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Pea Sprouts DIY: How to grow pea sprouts in pots (for use in salads) - Video