Short course: Smokers may have more sleep problems

Smokers may have more sleep problems

NEW york: Smokers may get fewer hours of sleep and have less restful slumber than non-smokers,according to a German study that looked at more than two thousand people. Researchers whose work appeared in the journal Addiction Biology found that of nearly 1,100 smokers surveyed,17 per cent got fewer than six hours of sleep each night and 28 per cent reported disturbed sleep quality. That compared with rates of seven per cent and 19 per cent respectively among more than 1,200 non-smokers who were also surveyed,said lead researcher Stefan Cohrs,of Charite Berlin medical school in Germany. This study demonstrates for the first time an elevated prevalence of sleep disturbance in smokers compared with non-smokers in a population without lifetime history of psychiatric disorders even after controlling for potentially relevant risk factors, Cohrs and his colleagues wrote. The findings cannot prove that smoking directly impairs sleep,since smokers may have other habits that could affect their shut-eye such as staying up late to watch TV or getting little exercise,Cohrs told Reuters in an email.

Red wine beneficial without alcohol

NEW YORK: Drinking red wine may help lower blood pressure,but a new study from Spain suggests that alcohol is not the reason. In a small randomised clinical trial,67 men ages 55 to 75 who were at high risk for cardiovascular disease were assigned to daily drinks: four weeks drinking one ounce of gin,10 ounces of red wine or 10 ounces of non-alcoholic red wine. All the men tried the three programs in succession. When the men drank gin,they experienced no change in blood pressure. With red wine,there was a slight but statistically insignificant lowering. But with non-alcoholic red wine,the men saw a significant decrease in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The study,published last week in Circulation Research,concludes that the blood-pressure-lowering effects of red wine are attributable not to its alcohol content,but to the beneficial chemicals called polyphenols that it contains,even in its nonalcoholic form. In fact,they suggested alcohol may limit the beneficial effect of the polyphenols.

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Men who opened fire outside actor Disha Patani’s home killed in encounter in Ghaziabad

Cities3 hr ago

Two men belonging to the Rohit Godara-Goldy Brar Gang were killed in an encounter in Ghaziabad, suspected to be involved in the firing outside Disha Patani's residence. The duo, identified as Ravindra and Arun, were wanted in multiple cases and were spotted by the police through CCTV footage. UP CM Yogi Adityanath had directed for a speedy investigation and strict action against the perpetrators.

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