Human Hormones

The secret to a long and healthy life has haunted mankind for centuries. From the mythical Fountain of Youth to the modern day obsession with plastic surgery, mankind has tried to find ways to prolong our lives, and cheat death.

Of course, all human beings die at some point. This is inescapable, and the classic dilemma that human beings experience. However, new research has shown that a hormone, and whether or not it is present in the human body, can be an indicator of whether or not one will live a long and happy life, or a shorter one, relatively speaking, than the rest of the human race. All of the research has centred on the thyroid.

The thyroid is found in the neck. The research has shown that those with lower levels of the hormones that are released by the thyroid are more likely to live longer than those who have higher levels. This is interesting because there are many people who, on a daily basis, go to their doctors for medical help as regards their thyroid gland. Seen as a master gland, that does a lot of work to promote the healthy regulation of the human metabolism, an underactive or overactive thyroid is commonly thought to be the cause of many of the human race’s most common ailments.

Thyroid stimulating hormone is what is released by the thyroid, and it is through the checking of this that scientists can measure the activity of the thyroid on a long-term basis. This means of course that scientists can also see when someone has a thyroid that is underperforming or indeed one that is doing so well that it needs to be put in check.

Levels of thyroid stimulating hormone can be checked and if the thyroid is seen to be over stimulated, then this is called hyperthyroidism. A high level of thyroid stimulating hormone leads to a diagnosis of hypothyroidism. This means that the thyroid is underactive.

Anyone with hypothyroidism can suffer from weight gain, hair loss and a general sluggishness and tiredness. This can be very distressing for them. So they go to the doctor and get a diagnosis of their condition.

Hyperthyroidism, on the other hand, leads to considerable weight loss. This can be as distressing as weight gain of course. They can also suffer from racing of the heart, which in older people can be very alarming. This is accompanied by a sever shaking of the hands.

The research showed that a high proportion of people over 100 years of age had thyroid levels that were relatively low compared to other people. This lead to the speculation that low levels as regards the thyroid meant that life could be prolonged.

All that is required now is some thyroid replacement therapy to be used for this reason (prolonging life) and the research will be effective. This, of course, remains to be seen…

Men have a raw deal when it comes to finger length

Ever since medical science has encountered some of the more worrying conditions in human beings, doctors have been trying to find reasons for people suffering from problems such as Alzheimer’s and cancer. The human race needs to explain things to make them less frightening. The one thing all humans are sacred of is the unknown. This makes us uncomfortable and unsure about our future.

If someone is told in a doctor’s office that they have cancer there is every chance that they will feel an incredible amount of shock. The condition is linked to suffering and death. There are many people out there who survive after being diagnosed for a number of years, but there are also many who do not make it past the first few weeks after the diagnosis.

Whenever medical science comes up with some new information or data about conditions that affect us, the media are quick to jump on it. What has recently come to light about our fingers is especially intriguing. Because now there is some research evidence that suggests that the length of our fingers dictates what our health can be like.

A range of disorders has now been linked to the length of our fingers. The main relationship for us to understand has been that between our index fingers and our ring fingers. There is some research to suggest that certain medical conditions are linked to the length of these particular fingers.

All of this is supposed to have happened while we are in the womb being created by our mothers. Whatever happens during our early growth period, we will end up with fingers that are almost uniquely linked to our own bodies when it comes to length. Almost, but not quite. However, the length of our fingers, especially these two in particular, can be linked directly to a couple of conditions.

A relatively long ring finger is linked to a relatively high amount of the male hormone testosterone. This is the androgen hormone that helps regulate a lot of what happens in the male body. It is also linked to male pattern baldness, and the male reproductive system.

When a man has a long ring finger when it is compared to the index finger, this is linked to conditions such as ADHD or Autism. Men are actually more likely than women to develop ADHD and Autism. Men also tend to have a longer ring finger than their index finger.

So that is why there is so much interest around at the moment when it comes to Autism and ADHD. Where men are concerned, the interest focuses specifically upon the length of their fingers.

Exposure to certain other hormones, none of which have been identified yet, incidentally, may lead to the incidence of the conditions reducing.