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Depression In Women Linked To Stroke Risk

2013-05-17T08:50:32Z

Depressed middle-aged women have almost double the risk of suffering a stroke, according to research.

A 12-year Australian study of 10,547 women 47-52 years old found that depressed women had a 2.4 times increased risk of stroke compared to those who were not depressed.

Even after researchers eliminated several factors that increase stroke risks, depressed women were still 1.9 times more likely to have a stroke.

The findings are published in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.

Study author Caroline Jackson, an epidemiologist in the School of Population Health at the University of Queensland in Australia, said: "When treating women, doctors need to recognise the serious nature of poor mental health and what effects it can have in the long term. Current guidelines for stroke prevention tend to overlook the potential role of depression."

This is the first large-scale study in which researchers examined the association between depression and stroke in younger middle-aged women.

The closest comparison is with the US-based Nurses' Health Study, which found a 30% higher risk of stroke among depressed women. However, the average participant's age in the Nurses' study was 14 years older.

Dr Jackson and her colleagues analysed survey results from the nationally representative Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. Participants answered questions about their mental and physical health and other personal details every three years in 1998-2010.

Researchers eliminated various characteristics that can affect stroke risks, including age, socioeconomic status, lifestyle habits such as smoking, alcohol and physical activity, and physiological conditions including high blood pressure, heart disease, being overweight and diabetes.

Although the increased stroke risk associated with depression was large in the study, the absolute risk of stroke is still fairly low for this age group, Dr Jackson said.

About 2.1% of American women in their 40s and 50s suffer from stroke. In the study, only about 1.5% of all women had a stroke.

Dr Jackson said: "We may need more targeted approaches to prevent and treat depression among younger women, because it could have a much stronger impact on stroke for them now rather than later in life."

It is unclear why depression may be strongly linked to stroke in this age group. The body's inflammatory and immunological processes and their effects on the blood vessels may be part of the reasons, she said.

Five Yoga Classes You Should Try

2013-05-16T15:54:43Z

Hey yoga bunnies! Are you tired of doing the downward-facing dog in the same old gym? Well worry not, we've got just the thing to rejuvenate that inner yogi.

Armed with a yoga matt and our trusty Oyster card, HuffPost UK Lifestyle scoured the four corners of the ~~world~~ London Underground to bring you a selection of classes with a twist.

Scroll through our shortlist for everything from Bikram (that will have you sweating for 90 minutes at 40C) to Secret Yoga Club (a fusion of exercise, live music and tasty vegetarian food).

We'd love to know about the exciting yoga classes taking place near you. Tell us about them in the comments below or email uklifestyle@huffingtonpost.com

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Magazine Refuses To Run Plastic Surgery Ads That Are 'Too Real'

2013-05-16T14:41:11Z

A national chain of cosmetic enhancement clinics have come under fire from a series of online magazines for their adverts -- because the women featured weren’t perfect enough.

MYA Cosmetic Surgery, whose celebrity clientele includes Imogen Thomas and members of TOWIE, submitted adverts to a number of online publications featuring common problem areas of patients, only to be told to replace the images with something considered more aesthetically palatable.

The adverts were a response to the recently published Cosmetic Surgery Review and a conscious decision to move away from using celebrities.

One of the images that was rejected

The promotion included photographs of body areas of real women with real problems pinching at their 'muffin tops', 'jelly bellies', and 'bingo wings', which illustrate the most common problem areas, according to MYA.

Advertisers at several magazines rejected the images, requesting that the body area shots be replaced with the body of a slim, tanned model in a bikini.

Michael Tilley, MYA’s marketing manager said in a statement: "We are trying to respond to the Sir Bruce Keogh Review by using real women with real problems in our promotions rather than celebrity patients but it seems that the publishers cannot move away from the images of Victoria’s Secrets-esque bikini models. What the magazines objected to was posting pictures of models with real problem areas."

See more of the images here. And let us know what you think of them in the comments below

Petition To Reinstate Bikini Jelly Wrestling Reaches 1,000 Signatures

2013-05-16T12:47:25Z

A petition to bring back bikini jelly wrestling at Cambridge University, after it was banned following outcry from feminist students, has reached more than 1,000 signatures.

The event, hosted by Magdalene College's all-male drinking society the Wyverns to celebrate the end of exams, was pulled a week ago after concerns the pastime was misogynistic were aired. Nina de Paula Hanika, a student at Magdalene, started a petition to cancel the event, saying it was " clearly sexist, misogynistic and completely inappropriate as entertainment for 2013".

The Cambridge University society eventually bowed to public pressure and said the jelly wrestling would be cancelled at this year's garden party.

Now, a counter-petition has been started on Change.org to reinstate jelly wrestling, stating:

"Jelly wrestling at the Wyverns' Garden Party is a great bit of fun and should not be cancelled. The contestants participate of their own free will and are observed by both male and female spectators who enjoy the event for what it is; harmless fun.

"To cancel this just because of a bit of complaining from people, the majority of whom have probably never attended the event is ridiculous. Male or female show your support for this and support freedom of expression in all its forms. In the quest for sexual equality men's jelly wrestling should also take place."

As of Thursday, the petition had more than 1,000 signatures but the Wyvern society insisted it had no part to play in organising the online protest.

President of the Wyvern society told student newspaper the Cambridge Tab: "The Wyverns would like to make it clear that we have had no part in creating this petition or publicising it.

"However, we’d like to give a massive thank you to all of our loyal guests for your continued support during this bereavement period! We will not let you down!"

At the time of creating the first anti-jelly wrestling protest, Hanika told HuffPost UK: "As a first year, I was shocked to arrive at Magdalene and hear about this element of the garden party. I had envisioned Cambridge as an intelligent, progressive, institution which, in many parts of life, I have found it to be but this event stands as an outdated bastion of sexism that has no place in the 21st century.

"The general response I have received from the student body has been overwhelmingly positive. I think most of those who did know about it previously felt very uncomfortable with the idea, and those who didn't have been made aware through my campaign and have been shocked and disgusted by the knowledge that the concept of a female jelly-wrestling competition could exist as entertainment."

Cambridge Union's women's society has been contacted for comment but has yet to respond.

PICS: 30 Great Things About Growing Up In 1970s Britain

2013-05-16T12:25:27Z

The Seventies! It wasn't all bad. In fact, it wasn't that bad at all - especially if you were a kid.

Sure, we didn't have the internet, PlayStations or Justin Bieber. But we did have Play School, Dymo label makers and SO much more. At least 28 things more, in fact.

Take a trip down memory lane with the nostalgia fest that is our slideshow below - and tell us in the comments: what would you add to our list?

LOOK: Five-Year-Old Girl Recreates Iconic Women's Portraits

2013-05-16T10:23:47Z

At an age when most little girls are dressing up as their favourite Disney Princess, five-year-old Emma Moore is nurturing her inner feminist and aspiring to the likes of Coco Chanel and Amelia Earhart.

Together with her mother, photographer Jaime Moore, the pair have recreated the iconic portraits of five inspirational women from history. One for every year of little Emma's life.

Jaime says that she wanted to provide her daughter with real women to look up to, rather than characters from fairy tales.

"I wanted her to know the value of these amazing women who had gone against everything so she can now have everything," writes Jaime on her website.

Not only does the project include a powerful selection of women -- Coco Chanel (fashion designer), Amelia Earhart (pilot), Helen Keller (author), Susan R. Anthony (civil rights leader) and Dame Jane Goodall (primatologist) -- but Emma captures the characters with uncanny resemblance.

Which woman does Emma most resemble? Let us know in the comments below

See also: Boots Forced To Remove Girl And Boy Toy Signs
We Should Avoid Gender Segregation Of Toys

See more of Jaime's work on her website and on Facebook.

Are These Outfits Acceptable For Women At Work?

2013-05-16T10:01:49Z

When strike action is on the cards, the hot button issue is rarely female modesty.

But today the trade union row over new "skimpy" uniforms for Virgin Trains staff has escalated, with the RMT announcing it is preparing to ballot for industrial action.

Last week, transport union TSSA expressed concerns at the new uniforms amid claims that the blouses for women were see-through.

Stock image of flight attendant

The RMT said it had received complaints from Virgin staff that the uniforms were skimpy, revealing and ill-fitting.

The union said it was also unhappy that staff had been told by Virgin management that if they did like the blouses they would get £20 to buy under garments.

At this point, HuffPost UK Lifestyle decided to share its own tale of women's work clothing, as our team has (sadly) become fairly inured to overly sexualised depictions of certain female-dominated professions in past months.

When it comes to finding pictures of professional women for our stories, we've found our stock image library teeming with saucy shots, whether we search for nurses, business women or even -- heaven forbid -- secretaries.

We thought we'd demonstrate that the Virgin train debacle highlights some beliefs that are widely shared (by photographers at least).

Are these the images you would associate with these professions?

A Virgin Trains spokesman said: "The reaction to the new uniform has generally been very positive.

"However, at this stage it is still very much a trial and one that was always intended to generate feedback.

"We are aware of the concerns expressed and are working closely with our staff to resolve them."

WATCH: Quads Find Their Dad Hilarious

2013-05-16T09:30:25Z

And who can blame them? He is hilarious!

Quadruplets are in the news at the moment thanks to the Clark babies of Rotherham - who have made history by being the first four children of the same sex to be born from a single embryo in Britain.

So here's a top tip for Mr and Mrs Clark: if you want to amuse your newborns, simply do what the dad in the video above is doing. We reckon this will keep them entertained for hours.

(Via Tastefully Offensive)

Angelina Jolie Plans Further Surgery To Reduce Cancer Risk

2013-05-16T06:03:14Z

Just days after Angelina Jolie revealed she has undergone a double mastectomy to reduce her risk of breast cancer, reports suggest that the movie star is planning more surgery.

In an op-ed for The New York Times, the 37-year-old actress revealed that a "faulty" BRCA1 gene put her at an 87% risk of contracting breast cancer.

"I made a decision to have a preventive double mastectomy. I started with the breasts, as my risk of breast cancer is higher than my risk of ovarian cancer, and the surgery is more complex. On April 27, I finished the three months of medical procedures that the mastectomies involved."

According to People magazine, the mother-of-six is now planning to finish what she started, and undergo surgery to remove her ovaries, as the gene means she has a 50% chance of developing ovarian cancer.

The procedure, technically known as an oophorectomy, is commonly performed as part of a hysterectomy, during which the uterus is removed. However, women may opt to have their ovaries removed if there are other health concerns.

Did you know these high-profile individuals have also been affected?

An oophorectomy can also reduce the risk of breast cancer for women, as the surgery reduces the body's supply of oestrogen.

However, the surgery does not come without risk factors. Side effects of the procedure can include premature menopause, potentially premature aging, greater risk for cardiovascular disease, and a chance of developing osteoporosis, according to wisegeek.com.

As a result, post-op patients may be given medications to help keep their bones from growing more fragile, as well as hormone replacement therapy.

Great British Bake Off Host: 'US Bakers Are Worse'

2013-05-15T16:28:41Z

Paul Hollywood has said the standard of bakers in his new US show is lower than here in the UK.

Baking expert and judge of BBC's The Great British Bake Off Paul doesn't rate American bakers in comparison to British ones but believes they will improve, says Digital Spy.

Paul, who has been working on CBS series The American Baking Competition, said: "The standard was lower in America, but that's because it's their first season. It equated to the first series of the British one, but it will get better."

Paul also admitted to being slightly shocked by some of the flavour combinations the US bakers went for.

He said: "I was surprised at some of the flavours they put in. One did a chocolate and bacon quiche and actually I liked it, and that really wound me up!"

The Paul Hollywood's Bread star said he would like to see UK and US bakers pitted against each other in an International Bake Off.

He said: "We could do an international one - that'd be fun."

The American Baking Competition starts on CBS on May 29.

A new series of The Great British Bake Off is currently filming for BBC Two, to be shown later this year.

Jolie's Dad Was Unaware Of Op

2013-05-15T10:01:16Z

Angelina Jolie's dad Jon Voight has told how he only found out that his daughter had undergone a double mastectomy when he read the news - despite having just seen the actress.

The actor told the New York Daily News that he "absolutely" respected his daughter's decision not to tell him about the operation.

Jon Voight and his daughter Angelina Jolie

He said: "My love and admiration for my daughter can't be explained in words. I saw her two days ago with my son Jamie. We all got together for his birthday, with her and Brad (Pitt). But I didn't know. It wasn't obvious at all. I found out (Tuesday) morning.

"I was as surprised as anyone and deeply moved by the way she's handled this. She's a very extraordinary person, the way she examined it and what she shared."

The actor, who reconciled with his daughter after the pair fell out in 2001, said of Angelina keeping him in the dark: "I completely understand. I want the focus to be on the inspiration."

He said he spoke to his daughter after learning about the procedure, saying: "She just explained to me and educated me on this stuff."

Angelina praised her 'loving and supporting' partner, Brad Pitt

Brad Pitt's mother Jane Pitt also gave a statement, telling People: "We're so very proud of Angie. This means so much to our family, especially our grandchildren. We love her dearly."

The 37-year-old Hollywood star took the decision to have the procedure because she carries the ''faulty'' gene BRCA1, which sharply increases her risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

She revealed the news in an article for The New York Times.

Brad called her decision "absolutely heroic"... adding: "This is a happy day for our family."

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Why Is The Government Opposing 'Humanist' Weddings?

2013-05-15T10:01:12Z

The government is refusing to back plans for couples to be able to hold "non-religious" wedding ceremonies, despite previously pledging support, according to the British Humanist Association.

Outdoor ceremonies in parks and beaches could become an option for non-religious British couples, who otherwise must register with civic officials.

Currently, wedding ceremonies can be held outside, but legal documents must be signed in registered venues, which can cost couples dearly.

A British couple after their wedding on the beach in Eastbourne

The new amendment to allow legally-binding "humanist" weddings, has been proposed by a cross-party group of MPs to the Marriage Bill. In Scotland, 2,500 such weddings are held every year.

The BHA told HuffPost UK that from their perspective, until yesterday, it seemed likely that the amendment would be supported by ministers, but claimed they had now been told that the government would object.

Justice and Equalities Minister Helen Grant told HuffPost UK: "The Government has always been clear that this Bill is about enabling same sex couples to marry - not about changing fundamental marriage law in any other way.

"We have always said that a humanist couple must have a civil ceremony in order to be legally married. The ceremony can include personal elements including their own vows, non-religious readings and contributions from fellow Humanists."

The proposed change has prompted some concern that it would allow groups including Jedis and pagans to conduct legally binding wedding ceremonies.

Isabel Russo, head of Ceremonies at the BHA, called it "baffling and very sad that the government has taken this decision.

"All they are doing is standing in the way of the many thousands of couples who want their legal marriage to be a ceremony built on their love for each other and their deepest beliefs, conducted by a celebrant who shares those beliefs, which gives the occasion a significance that many couples feel they cannot gain elsewhere.

"All the marriages I have conducted have been for couples whose commitment was made all the stronger by the fact that they could make it is a ceremony that reflected their deepest values. I would have hoped this was something which government would support."

The pressure group's chief executive Andrew Copson called the alleged turnaround "a complete surprise", saying the amendment would have a "negative effect on absolutely no one in society. We are still hopeful that it will be supported by MPs in spite of this government scare-mongering."

The amendment to the Marriage Bill, which is currently going through Parliament, is supported by Labour MPs Kate Green, Chris Bryant, and Kelvin Hopkins, the Liberal Democrat MPs Stephen Gilbert, Dr Julian Huppert, and Stephen Williams, and the Conservative MP Mike Weatherley. It will be discussed at the Report stage of the Bill, which is scheduled for 20 and 21 May.

Scotland is one of only six countries in the world where Humanist wedding ceremonies are legal, the others are
Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway and some parts of the USA.

Getting married outdoors is not an option in the UK, nor is it possible in a tent or marquee, or any other movable structure, such as a boat or hot-air balloon. Couples wishing to hold ceremonies in these settings have to first sign legal documents in a civic ceremony.

Bald Brothers Have Make History With Double Hair Transplant

2013-05-15T08:23:42Z

Two balding brothers have made hair transplant history by undergoing the procedure at the same time.

Barry and Brian Cowan, from Wishaw in North Lanarkshire, had the surgery to finally put their male pattern baldness to bed.

They both had the procedure, known as follicular unit extraction (FUE), at The Glasgow Clinic.

Surgeon Dr Emorane Lupanzula transplanted thousands of grafts on the brothers who say they have battled with baldness for the last five years.

The Cowan brothers

Guitarist Barry, 29, said he always considered having a hair transplant.

"The fact that my brother and I are doing it together is a real bonus. We've always been really close growing up and making decisions like this together is nothing new to us," he said.

"We'll be able to see each other's results first-hand and that should keep us amused for a while.

"I think losing your hair has an emotional effect on some people. It did with me. I admit, I'm self-conscious about it but I'm not really bothered what others think when it comes to the actual hair transplant. It's just something that I want to do."

Story continues below...

Thirty-year-old Brian, a model and property developer, said a hair transplant would help his career.

"I started noticing my hair disappearing gradually a few years ago," he said. "In my profession it's not something that goes unnoticed. I'll quite happily admit that it started to make me feel less confident.

"I'm a 30-year-old single guy and I started losing my hair. Now I want to do something about it.

"Hopefully being upfront about our procedures will encourage others to go ahead. I think in a few years' time, hair transplants will just become the norm. At the end of the day it's your own hair, you're just having it moved to another part of your head."

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Dr Lupanzula said: "We'll be implanting around 5,000 grafts over the next two days and have the brothers looking their best soon enough. It will take at least a year before they can reap the real benefits from the transplanted hair, but they will start to notice a difference after four to six months.

"FUE surgery is a revolutionary technique that is so advanced it has taken hair transplantation to a completely new level."

Last year the clinic performed the first FUE procedure in Scotland.

During the operation the hairs are taken from the scalp using a punch to remove the complete follicular units. They are then re-implanted one by one using thin blades or needles to create new incisions.

Lose 20 Pounds With Six Weeks To OMG Recipe Suggestions

2013-05-15T08:20:29Z

As it was one of the biggest diet crazes of 2012, Huffpost UK Lifestyle thought it was only fair to remind readers of Venice A. Fulton's tops ideas for weight loss, just in time for summer.

Admittedly, there were a few critics of the diet book Six Weeks To OMG: Get Skinnier Than All Your Friends, which reportedly encouraged competitive weight-loss and extreme diet behaviour such as skipping breakfast, drinking coffee and taking cold baths.

But, after we spoke to Fulton, we couldn't help thinking that the man might have a few good points.

The sports scientists and personal trainer believes all women can lose 20 pounds in six weeks. Here are some of his core beliefs..

Skipping breakfast can be healthy

Certain fruits instantly block fat loss

Small frequent meals are damaging

Juices and smoothies cause overeating

Exercise is more than just how much and how hard

Broccoli carbs can be worse than those from Coke

Below we've suggested some recipes that tap into his top ideas for weight loss. But if you want to find out more, you'll need to read his special priced eBook, which is £1.99 until end of May.

Do you think these recipes and ideas for meals could help you lose 20 pounds in six weeks?

Why Lindsay Lohan Will Never Escape From Rehab

2013-05-15T04:26:11Z

When Lindsay Lohan entered the Betty Ford Center, as part of a court ordered rehabilitation programme, it was her second time as a visitor, and her sixth stint in rehab.

Yet, it is still not clear whether her 90-day course of support will go any way to solving her addiction problems.

The revolving door to high-profile rehab clinics would suggest that these residential support systems, which regularly treat celebrities individuals with drug and alcohol addiction problems, appear to fail as often as they succeed.

As Harry Shapiro, director of communications for Drugscope, explains: "In truth, there isn’t much clinical ‘gold standard’ evidence to demonstrate the effectiveness of rehab when contrasted to other interventions."

While the idea of a rehab conveyor belt that can clean up 'dirty' addicts, and return them to the community good as new, is very attractive -- in reality, the effectiveness of residential rehab depends on a wealth of factors.

Meet former stars who have sought help at The Betty Ford Center

"If somebody does better in rehab than on other methods, there may be a host of reasons for this, which have little to do with the intervention itself. It could have more to do with the individual, their history and circumstances, which is impossible to account for in a research study."

A recent report by the National Treatment Agency (now part of Public Health England), completed in July 2012, points out that the popular notion of a spell in rehab, beloved of the tabloids, is not representative of mainstream treatment and recovery services provided in England.

“The best performers see more than 60% of their residents go on to overcome dependence, while the poorest struggle to enable 20% or fewer to overcome addiction," states the report.

"For every 10 people who go to rehab each year, three successfully overcome their dependency, one drops out, and six go on to further structured support in the community. Of those six, two overcome dependency with the help of a community provider, at least two are still in the system, and at least one drops out."

After rehab, Lohan will undergo 18 months of psychological therapy, according to NY Daily News.

Elspeth Henderson, head of communications (drugs and alcohol) for Public Health England, agrees that residential rehabilitation works best when it’s used in conjunction with treatment in the community.

“It needs to be part of package of support available to people everywhere in the county, depending on their individual needs.”

At present, there is a high relapse rate from rehab, but dropping out or returning to treatment should not necesarily be regarded as failure, suggests Shapiro.

"Addicts often have several goes at treatment generally (not just rehab). The evidence is that each time round they are likely to do better than the previous time. And the longer they stay, the better chance they have."

"Many people in this situation are trying not only to shrug off an addiction of many years standing, but also trying to deal with all the reasons why they became addicted in the first place. To imagine this can all be sorted by a few weeks in rehab is by and large unrealistic. "

Will Lindsay Lohan ever leave her rehab cycle?

In England, there’s no such thing as a mandatory requirement to undergo rehabilitation, according to Henderson. Yet courts may encourage individuals to voluntary take part in treatment, as part of their sentencing.

However, according to HuffPost UK blogger and founder of Charter Day Care, a residential and counselling treatment facility Mandy Saligari, about a third of those entering state funded treatment services in the UK are motivated by the legal system.

"This could be a drug rehabilitation requirement of their sentence, or similar," explains the addiction therapist.

"As so many people enter rehab involuntarily with their backs up against a wall, it is not unusual for someone not to be there ‘for the right reasons’."

Unless treatment is holistic, lengthy and fully tackles the context that prompts addictive behaviour -- rather than focusing on abstinence -- a relapse mentality can become easier to adopt, suggests Saligari.

"The more you relapse the more you think you can live in relapse; you will seek out a relationship or community to enable you and this is how you will live.

"It is a feature of addiction that the addict doesn’t finish. Provide a standard and the addict will do just enough to get by.

If you set the bar that relapse or ‘controlled using’ is acceptable, then that is what they will do. Sad as most drug addicts seeking help want abstinence."

Are you familiar with these famous stories of excess?

Rehab England Facts
There are around 100 rehabs in England that are regularly commissioned by public authorities, and over 4,000 users who were in treatment during 2010-11 accessed them as part of their treatment pathway. Yet this is only a fraction of the overall picture of drug treatment in England.

The average time spent in residential rehab is 13 weeks.

Residential rehab currently accounts for 2% of people in adult drug treatment but 10% of central funding. On average a period in rehab costs £600 a week, making it much more expensive than non-residential treatment services.

In 2010-11, commissioners planned to spend about £42m on residential rehab.

Rehabs are more successful at retaining and treating residents with severe alcohol dependency than drug addicts – possibly because dependent drinkers have more personal and social capital to invest in recovery.

For more information about help with drug addiction, please contact the Frank helpline and for advice on alcohol dependence, visit Drink Aware.