How to Treat Sleep Walking

Treat Sleep Walking

Step1
Establish a strict routine when it comes to going to sleep. Disrupted sleep patterns, traveling between time zones and staying up too late are all common causes of sleep walking.

Step2
Try to relax as much as possible before bedtime, being careful not to over stimulate yourself with too much activity. Meditation and deep breathing exercises, done right before you go to sleep, can be especially helpful in reducing sleep walking incidents. Reading a book can also help.

Step3
Make sure you set up a safe environment in your bedroom by removing all sharp or potentially dangerous objects and eliminating any tripping obstacles that could cause an injury. If your sleep walking episodes are frequent, you should try to sleep in a room on the ground floor of your home.

Step4
Lock all of the doors and windows in your home, and cover all windows with heavy drapes. Placing a bell or trigger alarm on all the doors of your house is also an effective way to treat sleep walking.

Step5
Discuss your sleep walking episodes with your doctor to determine whether there is an underlying medical reason for your sleep disorder. Sometimes sleep walking can be caused by sleep apnea (obstruction of breathing while you are sleeping), restless leg syndrome or acid reflux. Your doctor should be able to effectively treat these conditions, potentially reducing sleep walking incidents.

Step6
Ask your doctor about medications for insomnia. There are some prescription medications available that, when taken for just a few weeks, have been shown to eliminate sleep walking.

Step7
Go to the Sleep Channel website for more ways to treat sleep walking.

Sleep disorder due to genetic mutation

Scientists in Japan have identified a genetic mutation linked to narcolepsy, a disease that can cause someone to doze off in mid-sentence or behind the wheel of a car, a latest study says.

Other symptoms of the condition, which shows up in late adolescence, include excessive daytime drowsiness, vivid hallucinations on the threshold of sleep, and the sudden, temporary loss of muscle control, often triggered by emotional shock. A team of researchers led by Katsushi Tokunaga at the University of Tokyo compared the genetic profiles of people with and without the sleep-inducing disease.

Across four different ethnic groups, patients with narcolepsy were far more likely to carry a specific mutation of
DNA located between two genes, one of which has been associated with sleep regulation and the other with the sleep-wake cycle.

The statistical link was strongest among Japanese, but remained significant among Europeans and persons of African descent as well.

The study also showed that the suspect genetic variant - known as rs57770917 - is common among Koreans.

The prevalence of the disease varies widely in different countries. In Europe and the US, narcolepsy is roughly as common as Parkinson's disease or multiple sclerosis, affecting on average one in every 2,500 people. But in Japan the frequency is four times higher, while in Israel only one in half-a-million people have the condition.

There is no known cure for narcolepsy, which is often treated with stimulants to combat daytime fatigue.

Previous studies had already pointed to genetic factors as playing a role. An immediate family member with narcolepsy increases one's chances of having the disease by 10 to 40 times.

It was found that all Japanese suffering from the disease carried another genetic variant. But 10% of the Japanese population shared that same mutation, so researchers suspected the existence of additional genetic drivers as well.

Walking on a treadmill significantly improves the health

Treadmill Exercise Are Benefic For Stroke Victims

mobility of the stroke victims, a new research from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine concluded.

The study's results showed that patients' brains may retain the capacity to rewire through a treadmill exercise program months or years after conventional physical therapy has ended.

"This is great news for stroke survivors because results clearly demonstrate that long-term stroke damage is not immutable and that with exercise it's never too late for the brain and body to recover," says Daniel Hanley, M.D., professor of neurology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

The researchers have recruited 71 patients who had a stroke at least six months earlier, with an average time lapse of nearly four years. At the study's onset, half of the subjects could walk without assistance, while the rest used a cane, a walker or a wheelchair.

All of the subjects, separated into two random groups regardless of disability, were tested for mobility and aerobic capacity (also known as VO2 peak), a measure of cardiac fitness. Thirty-two patients drawn equally from both groups underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to assess brain activity linked to moving their legs in a walking motion.

One group then participated in an exercise program that principally involved walking on a treadmill three times a week for up to 40 minutes, assisted by a supporting sling and tether if needed. With the second group of patients, therapists assisted the patients in performing stretching exercises for the same period of time.

Walking speed for the treadmill group increased 51 percent compared to about 11 percent faster for those in the stretching group. Ground walking speed among the treadmill exercisers increased 19 percent, compared to about 8 percent for the stretchers. The treadmill exercisers also were significantly more fit at study completion, with VO2 peak increasing by about 18 percent. VO2 peak decreased slightly in the stretching group.

"This suggests that the brain is responsible for the improvement we saw in patients' walking ability. It seems to be recruiting other regions to take on the job of areas damaged by stroke,"

Heart patients should be screened for depression

Heart patients should be regularly screened for signs of depression, the American Heart Association recommended Monday.

Depression is about three times more common in heart attack survivors and those hospitalized with heart problems than the general population, according to the recommendations published in the journal Circulation. The authors said only about half of heart doctors say they treat depression in their patients — and not all those diagnosed with depression are treated.

"I think we could reduce considerable suffering and improve outcomes," by screening, said Erika Froelicher, professor of nursing at the University of California, San Francisco. "I know we can do more."

While there's no direct evidence that heart patients who are screened fare better, depression can result in poorer outcomes and a poorer quality of life, the panel said. Depressed patients may skip their medications, not change their diet or exercise or take part in rehabilitation programs, they said.

Anyone from cardiologists to nurses to primary care doctors can and should be involved in determining whether a patient is depressed, said Froelicher, who was co-chair of the panel that wrote the recommendations.

The panel suggests that heart patients be screened by first asking two standard questions: In the past two weeks, have you had little interest or pleasure in doing things? Have you felt down, depressed or hopeless?

If the patient answers yes to one or both, a questionnaire is recommended to determine if the patient is depressed and the severity. If depression is indicated, the patient may need to see a professional qualified in treating depression, the panel said, adding that treatment options include antidepressants, seeing a psychotherapist and exercise.

"Some physicians are qualified to treat it — others may be more comfortable referring the problem to a qualified mental health professional," Froelicher said.

Psychiatrist Michelle Riba said the statement's emphasis on frequent screening is important.

"What you want to see in a particular patient is how they do over time," said Riba, past president of the American Psychiatric Association, which has endorsed the heart association's recommendations.

One doctor said screening isn't enough; patients need close monitoring to make sure they get help.

"A lot of patients with depression don't follow up on it," said Dr. Mary Whooley, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, who was not on the panel.

Barbara Forman, 62, struggled with depression after her double bypass about five years ago. She said she spent most of her time at her Englewood, Ohio, home sitting in her chair, frequently crying for no reason. When she did get out, she was often winded, even from a walk up a sidewalk to deliver cupcakes to her grandchild's classroom.

"I'm thinking, is this the way it's going to be for the rest of my life? Since I've had a heart event, is my life over?" she said. "It also made me afraid to do things. I didn't know how a heart attack felt. I would think, 'Is this a heart attack?'"

A couple of months after she got home she called Mended Hearts, a group affiliated with the heart association that provides support to heart patients, and talked to someone who let her know depression was common in heart patients.

Her family doctor sent her to a psychologist, and after some initial reluctance, she started taking an antidepressant. That, along with starting a walking routine and volunteering with Mended Hearts and the heart association, improved her outlook.

"You can't sit in your house and just vegetate," she said. "Over the last 18 months to two years — It's really gotten better."

Scientists pinpoint genetic driver of narcolepsy

A Japanese businessman takes a nap on backs of chairs during the preview of Tokyo Motor Show in Makuhari, Tokyo in 2003. Scientists in Japan have identified a genetic mutation linked to narcolepsy, a disease that can cause someone to doze off in mid-sentence or behind the wheel of a car, a study released Sunday reports.

Scientists in Japan have identified a genetic mutation linked to narcolepsy, a disease that can cause someone to doze off in mid-sentence or behind the wheel of a car, a study released Sunday reports.

Other symptoms of the condition, which shows up in late adolescence or early adulthood, include excessive daytime drowsiness, vivid hallucinations on the threshold of sleep, and the sudden, temporary loss of muscle control, often triggered by emotional shock.

A team of researchers led by Katsushi Tokunaga at the University of Tokyo compared the genetic profiles of persons with and without the sleep-inducing disease.

Across four different ethnic groups, patients with narcolepsy were far more likely to carry a specific mutation of DNA located between two genes, one of which has been associated with sleep regulation and the other with the sleep-wake cycle.

The statistical link was strongest among Japanese, but remained significant among Europeans and persons of African descent as well.

The study also showed that the suspect genetic variant -- known as rs57770917 -- is common among Koreans.

The prevalence of the disease varies widely in different countries. In Europe and the United States, narcolepsy is roughly as common as Parkinson's disease or multiple sclerosis, affecting on average one in every 2,500 people.

But in Japan the frequency is four times higher, while in Israel only one in half-a-million people have the condition.

There is no known cure for narcolepsy, which is often treated with stimulants to combat daytime fatigue.

Previous studies had already pointed to genetic factors as playing a role.

An immediate family member with narcolepsy increases one's chances of having the disease by 10 to 40 times.

It was found that all Japanese suffering from the disease carried another genetic variant. But fully ten percent of the Japanese population shared that same mutation, so researchers suspected the existence of additional genetic drivers as well.

The authors of the new study said their findings could point the way to "new therapeutic approaches" designed to target the neurochemical reactions patterned by the wayward genetic material.

The research was published in journal Nature Genetics, part of the British-based Nature Publishing Group.

Shorter, intense therapy better way to treat breast cancer

A Canadian study has found that if women with early-stage breast cancer get a shorter, more intense course of radiation, they have a lower risk of side effects and recurrence of the cancer more than a decade after the treatment.

Currently, women with early-stage breast cancer typically first undergo a lumpectomy to remove the cancer followed by a five-week standard course of radiation therapy to kill any remaining cancer cells.

But the Canadian study has found that the intense three-week course of radiation therapy - called accelerated hypo-fractionated whole-breast irradiation - is as effective as the standard five-week course of radiation after the surgery to remove the malignancy.

Timothy Whelan, a radiation oncologist and professor of oncology at McMaster University at Hamilton near Toronto, presented his study at the annual meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology in Boston early this week.

Whelan said there has been renewed interest in the shorter radiation therapy "due to the potential radiation advantages, patient convenience, quality of life and lower costs", though long-term effects about this treatment remained a potential concern.

However, he said, their study has allayed this concern.

"We were surprised that the risk of local recurrence and side effects for women treated with accelerated whole-breast irradiation was so low even at 12 years. Our study shows that this treatment should be offered to select women with early-stage breast cancer," said Whelan.

As part of their study, Whelan and his team randomly picked 1,234 women from Quebec and Ontario provinces in Canada to be treated with either accelerated whole-breast radiation or standard whole-breast radiation between 1993 and 1995.

After the treatment, the researchers monitored the women for 12 years to know whether the three-week accelerated whole-breast radiation was as effective as the standard five-week treatment.

The team found that a decade after treatment, breast cancer returned in 6.2 percent of women subjected to the three-week accelerated radiation therapy, compared to 6.7 percent for patients treated with standard five-week therapy.

Whelan said: "This shorter treatment may not be for everyone. However, I would encourage women whose breast cancer is caught early to talk to their oncologist to see if they are a good candidate for this shorter therapy."

source:mangalorean.com

Mobiles linked to brain tumours

The potential link between mobile phones and brain cancer could be similar to the link between lung cancer and smoking — something tobacco companies took 50 years to recognize, according to a warning by US scientists.

Researchers are currently split on the level of danger the biological effects of the magnetic field emitted by cellphones poses to humans.

However, society "must not repeat the situation we had with the relationship between smoking and lung cancer where we ... waited until every ‘i' was dotted and ‘t' was crossed before warnings were issued," said David Carpenter, director of the Institute of Health and Environment at the University of Albany, in testimony before a subcommittee of the US House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Reform.

"Precaution is warranted even in the absence of absolutely final evidence concerning the magnitude of the risk" — especially for children, said Carpenter.

Ronald Herberman, director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute — one of the top US cancer research centers — said that most studies "claiming that there is no link between cellphones and brain tumors are outdated, had methodological concerns and did not include sufficient numbers of long-term cellphone users."

Many studies denying a link defined regular cellphone use as "once a week", he said. "Recalling the 70 years that it took to remove lead from paint and gasoline and the 50 years that it took to convincingly establish the link between smoking and lung cancer, I argue that we must learn from our past to do a better job of interpreting evidence of potential risk," said Herberman.

A brain tumour can take dozens of years to develop, the scientists said.

Carpenter and Herberman both told the committee the brain cancer risk from cellphone use is far greater for children than for adults.

The committee were shown several European studies, particularly surveys from Scandinavia — where the cellphone was first developed — which show that the radiation emitted by cellphones have definite biological consequences.

For example, a 2008 study by Swedish cancer specialist Lennart Hardell found that frequent cellphone users are twice as likely to develop a benign tumor on the auditory nerves of the ear most used with the handset, compared to the other ear.

A separate study in Israel determined that heavy cellphone users had a 50% increased likelihood in developing a salivary gland tumour.

In addition, a paper published this month by the Royal Society in London found that adolescents who start using cellphones before the age of 20 were five times more likely to develop brain cancer at the age of 29 than those who didn't use a cellphone.

"It's only on the side of the head where you use the cellphone," Carpenter said.

Baby cereal latest problem in China milk scandal

The list of products caught in China's tainted milk scandal grew Friday to include baby cereal in Hong Kong and snack foods in Japan, while Taiwan reported three children and a mother with kidney stones in the island's first cases possibly linked to the crisis.

The Japanese government also said it had suspended imports of milk and milk products from China, where some 54,000 children have developed kidney stones or other illnesses after drinking baby formula contaminated with the industrial chemical melamine. Four deaths have been blamed on the tainted milk.

The latest problematic foods were Heinz baby cereal and Silang House steamed potato wasabi crackers. The Hong Kong government said in a statement Friday it found traces of melamine in the products, which were both made in mainland China.

Hong Kong urged the manufacturers to stop selling the products in the Chinese territory. Pittsburgh, Pa.-based Heinz ordered a recall of the baby cereal as a precautionary measure following the government's announcement, it said in a statement on its Web site.

Hundreds of international food companies have set up operations in China in recent years, exposing them to the country's notorious product safety problems. Melamine-tainted products have turned up in an increasing number of Chinese-made exports abroad — from candies to yogurt to rice balls.

In Japan, the Marudai Food Co. pulled its cream buns, meat buns and creamed corn crepes from supermarkets a week ago and tests have found traces of contamination in several products, Japanese Health and Welfare Ministry official Mina Kojima said Friday.

So far, there were no reports of health problems stemming from the contamination, she said. Marudai has sold more than 300,000 of the products, most of which are believed to have been consumed.

News of that contamination came after the Chinese territory of Macau said it detected melamine at 24 times the safety limit in products from another Japan-based company, Koala's March cookies made by Lotte China Foods Co. The company is a member of a Tokyo-based conglomerate, Lotte Group.

An official at Lotte (China) Investment Co. Ltd. in Shanghai said Friday previous inspections had not shown any problems.

"But now that it tested positive in Macau, we find it necessary to do the inspections all over again," said Guo Hongming, a legal assistant in Lotte Shanghai's corporate planning department.

Some Hong Kong supermarkets pulled the chocolate-filled cookies off shelves Friday after the announcement by Macau authorities late Thursday. Cookie packages list whole milk powder as an ingredient.

Only some types of milk powder and milk have been recalled in mainland China so far, but the maker of one of China's most popular candies said Friday it had halted sales because of suspected melamine contamination. White Rabbit candies have already been pulled from shelves around Asia and in Britain.

Ge Junjie, a vice president of Bright Foods (Group) Co. Ltd., was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua News Agency that the company was waiting for test results from the Shanghai Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau.

"We decided to halt all sales of White Rabbit candy, although the test results have not yet come out," Ge said. Bright Foods' subsidiary Guangshengyuan produces White Rabbit.

Meanwhile, Taiwanese authorities reported that three children who consumed Chinese milk formula had developed kidney stones, and doctors were checking whether their illnesses were linked to tainted products.

The two 3-year-old girls and a 1-year-old boy traveled frequently between Taiwan and China with their parents, said Liu Yi-lien, health chief of the Ilan county government in eastern Taiwan. One of the girls' mothers also has kidney stones, he said.

"They have all consumed Chinese milk, but more tests are needed to establish the link to their kidney stones," Liu said.

The cases are the first reports of illnesses on the island that could be related to tainted Chinese milk products. Six children have also become ill from melamine-tainted products in the Chinese territories of Hong Kong and Macau.

Still, the World Health Organization said it did not expect the number of victims to grow dramatically.

WHO China representative Hans Troedsson said public awareness of the issue meant many young children were getting health checks and avoiding tainted products.

"I think we will see some more cases, but not the high number like so far," he said. "I think the recall and more thorough investigation and testing are now starting to eliminate some of these contaminated products from coming out to the public."

On Thursday, the European Union banned imports of baby food containing Chinese milk. The move by the 27-nation EU adds to the growing list of countries that have banned or recalled Chinese dairy products because of the contamination.

Health experts say ingesting a small amount of melamine poses no danger, but in larger doses, the chemical — used to make plastics and fertilizer — can cause kidney stones and lead to kidney failure. Infants are particularly vulnerable.

Chinese suppliers trying to cut costs are believed to have diluted their milk while adding melamine because its nitrogen content can fool tests aimed at verifying protein levels.

Hospital tells grandfather, 71, that he's pregnant

A patient treated for agonizing abdominal pain received this surprising news in the hospital's paperwork: "Based on your visit today, we know you are pregnant." Surprising indeed for 71-year-old John Grady Pippen.

The staff at Curry General Hospital in Gold Beach gave the retired mechanic and logger the ridiculously happy news this month, along with some pain pills.

Hospital administrator William McMillan says an errant keystroke caused the hospital's computer to spit out the wrong discharge instructions for the grandfather.

Sen. Kennedy back home after brief hospital trip

Sen. Edward Kennedy, who has brain cancer, was taken by ambulance to a hospital Friday near his Cape Cod vacation home after complaining of feeling ill but returned home a few hours later.

A statement issued by the 76-year-old senator's office attributed the episode to a change in medications. Sen. John Kerry said his fellow Massachusetts Democrat was well and planned to watch the evening's presidential debate between John McCain and Barack Obama.

A 911 call from the Kennedy compound in Hyannis Port came around 5 p.m., said Barnstable police Sgt. Ben Baxter. Kennedy was taken to Cape Cod Hospital and was "alert and responsive" during the trip, Baxter said.

Kennedy's office confirmed he returned home about 8 p.m.

He had a seizure in May and underwent surgery in June for a malignant brain tumor. After undergoing six weeks of chemotherapy and radiation treatment, he has been steadily increasing his public activity.

Kennedy had told reporters visiting his Hyannis Port home on Tuesday that he was actively following the presidential race. "I'm going to be following it particularly next Friday," the senator said with a laugh.

Republican McCain, in his opening statement at Friday night's debate with Obama, whom Kennedy has endorsed, noted his colleague's hospitalization.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the lion of the Senate," he said.

Kennedy received a visit that day from Chilean President Michelle Bachelet at his home in his first public appearance since he gave a surprise speech in late August at the Democratic National Convention.

Bachelet presented the senator with her country's highest civilian award — the Order to the Merit of Chile — in recognition of his opposition to the country's 1973 government overthrow and his work to cut off military aid to dictator Augusto Pinochet.

At the meeting, the senator stumbled momentarily as he tried to walk on the thick grass, but he quickly regained his balance. While he didn't take questions from reporters, he departed from his prepared text to point out landmarks to Bachelet and tell a story about a friend in the crowd.

"There's a wonderful relationship between our family and the sea that goes back a long time," he said as he pointed to Nantucket Sound and the mooring where his schooner "Mya" rocked in the waves.

In early September, Kennedy announced he would not return to the Senate until January, but he has since held videoconferences with his staff and members of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, which he leads.

Kennedy surprised his colleagues in July when he made a surprise return to Capitol Hill to vote on a Medicare bill.

Legionnaires' Disease

Legionnaires Disease is a potentially fatal form of pneumonia which can affect anybody, but which principally affects those who are susceptible because of age, illness, immunosuppression, smoking etc.

It is caused by the bacterium Legionella pneumophila and related bacteria that can be found naturally in environmental water sources such as rivers, lakes and reservoirs, usually in low numbers. As they are commonly found in environmental sources they may also be found in purpose built water systems such as cooling towers, evaporative condensers and whirlpool spas.

If conditions are favourable the bacterium may grow creating conditions in which the risk from legionnaires' disease is increased.

2 die of Legionnaires' disease in NJ hospital

New Jersey health officials say two men have died after contracting Legionnaires' disease in a hospital.

Health Department spokeswoman Marilyn Riley said Wednesday that one died Sept. 12 and the other Monday at St. Peter's University Hospital in the city of New Brunswick.

Four other people at the hospital were found to have Legionnaires' over the past two weeks. All six were admitted with other serious illnesses.

The hospital is treating its water supply with chlorine to kill the bacteria and reviewing records to determine whether other patients might have contracted the disease.

Legionnaires' disease is a type of pneumonia that can be spread through plumbing and air conditioning systems

Inhaler lung drugs tied to heart problems, deaths

Inhaler drugs used by millions of people with emphysema and bronchitis may slightly raise the risk for heart attacks and even death, a study suggests.

The results aren't conclusive and inhalers provide significant relief for these patients struggling to breathe. But the study authors urged doctors to closely monitor patients who use the inhalers.

Most affected patients have both emphysema and chronic bronchitis. The condition's formal name, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD, is the nation's fourth leading cause of death.

The study's increased risks were small, and the drugs' marketer said both medicines are safe. Outside experts called the study compelling but said it has limitations that make it hard to know if the drugs or something else was at fault.

The drugs are tiotropium, sold as Spiriva Handihaler by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and ipratropium, available generically and also sold by Boehringer under the brand name Atrovent.

Spiriva, approved in 2004, and the decade-old Atrovent are used once or more daily to relax muscles and open lung airways. They've been used by 8 million patients worldwide.

A Veterans Affairs study published last week linked ipratropium with an increased risk for heart-related deaths in men.

The new study appears in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association.

The company told the Food and Drug Administration earlier this year that its own data had linked Spiriva with a possible increased risk for strokes. But Boehringer and Pfizer Inc., which jointly market Spiriva, said Tuesday that they had recently given the FDA a new analysis of that data plus new long-term data, which they said shows initial concerns about strokes were unfounded.

"We strongly disagree with the conclusion" in the new study, the companies said in a statement.

COPD affects as many as 24 million Americans and kills more than 100,000 each year. It involves thickened and narrowed lung airways and excess mucous. Symptoms include persistent coughing and severe shortness of breath; smoking is a leading cause.

Patients describe COPD breathing problems as feeling like they're "living the entire day under water, unable to come to the surface," said Dr. Aaron Milstone of Vanderbilt University medical school.

The new study pooled results from 17 randomized studies comparing mostly older patients on either of the drugs with those on different medicine or dummy drugs. Randomized studies are the most rigorous kind of medical research, but Milstone said drawing conclusions from a pooled analysis can be problematic because of differences in patients' characteristics.

It found that using either drug for more than one month appeared to increase chances for fatal and nonfatal heart problems including heart attacks by more than 50 percent.

Among about 7,400 patients on either inhaled drug, 1.8 percent or 135 people developed fatal or nonfatal heart problems over a period of several weeks to several years. By contrast, among about 7,300 patients on other drugs or dummy medicine, 1.2 percent or 86 had those problems.

In absolute terms, out of 40 patients using either drug for one year, there would be one extra drug-linked death, said study author Dr. Sonal Singh of Wake Forest University's medical school.

Other drugs are used for COPD, but they also can have serious side effects, Singh said. This puts patients in "a very tough spot," he acknowledged.

He said before starting drugs, patients should try to reduce heart risks by quitting smoking, keeping blood pressure and cholesterol under control, and using oxygen.

Dr. Mark Rosen, former president of the American College of Chest Physicians and a lung specialist on New York's Long Island, said the data "are very compelling but they're not conclusive."

He said it's unclear what caused the apparent increased risks since the drugs aren't known to affect the heart. The authors said that damaging proteins involved in inflammation are thought to play a role in both COPD and heart disease.

Rosen noted that the analyzed studies weren't designed to look for heart problems, and said it's possible patients on the drugs had more heart problems to begin with.

Still, Rosen said the study "is an excellent reason to do more research to figure out why this is true, if it is true and not a statistical fluke."

'About 2,200 TB cases in Goa per year'

Nearly 100 more persons in Goa are detected with Tuberculosis or TB infection each year on an average, say health officials attributing the rise in pulmonary infections to increased cases of HIV positive persons and a high rate of migration into the state.

In 2005, 1,731 patients in Goa were put on the DOTS or Directly Observed Treatment Shortcourse programme by the state government’s TB cell. The number increased to 2,037 in 2006 and further to 2,105 in 2007. In 2008, 1,003 persons have already been put on the DOTS programme till date.

Studies have proven that patients if left unsupervised do not take medicines as prescribed. Therefore the DOTS was introduced wherein a volunteer ensures that doses are taken by the patient in his presence.

Dr Anand Sawant, state medical officer, TB cell said, “On an average, 2,200 TB cases are detected in Goa per year. There has been a marginal increase in the cases which can be attributed to migration into the state mainly from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka that test positive for TB after coming to Goa.”

He added, “Migrant labour is most likely to default in taking medication which leads to a rise in the cases.” While 10,449 individuals were referred for T B diagnosis in 2005, the number dropped marginally to 10,366 in 2006 only to rise to 11,531 in the following year. In the first six months of 2008, 5,957 persons have been examined for TB. Among these, while 1,045 individuals were detected with TB in 2005, another 1,069 persons were diagnosed with the infection in 2006.

The number of patients infected among those examined further rose to 1,132 in 2007. From January to June, 2008 already 552 persons have been detected with TB.

Haradatt Karande, consultant doctor for chest diseases said, “The actual TB case in Goa will be 40% to 50% higher than those recorded by government health centres. Because of the stigma attached to TB, patients prefer to go to private practitioners as the government health care set up requires them to go to medical centres where the doses are administered before a volunteer.”Other than infected migrants, Dr Haradatt and Dr B C Das, chief medical officer, TB Cell said that the rise in HIV positive persons has led to a rise in TB cases in Goa.

Dr Das said, “In an HIV positive person the immune system becomes weak which makes them prone to infections and TB infection is the most common in India.”

There are 20 Designated Microscopy Centres (DMCs) functional all over the state where sputum examinations are conducted and 300 DOT centres. Dr Sawant said that 90% of all detected TB cases are of pulmonary infection or those that infect the lung. The rest of the cases are extra pulmonary or those that infect other organs.”

Health officials inform that 216 persons per one lakh individuals are detected with TB each year in the western region of India. In 80 of these cases the TB bacteria is detectable and in 20 cases the sputum detected is negative or the bacteria is present but not detectable. Forty cases are that of relapse and 16 of extra pulmonary TB. Every sputum positive person can infect another 10 to 15 persons through droplet infection while coughing.

source:timesofindia

Floral scent leads to sweet dreams

Nothing is more pleasing and romantic as flowers in the bedroom. Now, a new study says that the floral scent can also lead to sweet dreams.

Researchers in Germany have carried out the study and found that sleeping with flowers in the bedroom may encourage sweet dreams, a major finding they claim could help nightmare sufferers to an extent.

They came to the conclusion after an analysis of the sleep patterns of 15 female volunteers for a period of nearly 30 nights, leading British newspaper the Daily Telegraph reported on Monday.

The researchers pumped scents of rotten eggs, roses or no scent under their noses for nearly ten seconds while the women were in the Rapid Eye Movement period of sleep when the dreaming occurs.

The subjects were then woken up and asked to record their dreams. The smells had an effect on the emotions of the dreams but did not become part of the dream in that the women exposed to roses did not dream about roses, the study found.

There was a correlation between the negative smell and negative emotional scores the sleepers reported from their dreams and vice versa.

More parents ponder cancer gene tests for kids

Women are going for breast cancer gene testing in record numbers, forcing more parents to face a tough question: Should we test the kids?

About 100,000 tests for breast cancer gene mutations were done last year, double the number in 2005. The trend may grow even more because of widening insurance coverage and a new law banning genetic discrimination.

Medical experts advise against such testing before age 25, saying that little can be done to prevent or screen for breast or ovarian cancer until then, so the knowledge would only cause needless worry.

However, new studies and interviews by The Associated Press show that many people who have BRCA gene mutations — and even more of their offspring — disagree. Cornell University freshman Jenna Stoller is one.

"I'm the kind of person that, like my mom, am more comfortable knowing something about myself than not knowing," said Stoller, who tested positive earlier this year, shortly after her 18th birthday. Her mother made her wait five years after revealing her own positive test result, even though Jenna wanted to be tested at age 13.

"I remember thinking on my 17th birthday that I had another year to wait till I could make the decision for myself," she said.

Research also shows there can be benefits to at least talking about testing and inherited cancer risks with teens. It led some to quit smoking, one study found. Others, like Stoller, were advised to limit alcohol and avoid birth control pills, which can raise the risk of breast cancer though they also lower the risk of ovarian cancer.

A decade after BRCA testing began, researchers are just starting to discover the many effects that someone's positive test can have on other family members. A big issue is whether it is ethical or good to test minors.

"I've seen a fair number of parents in clinic who have really struggled with this question," said Dr. Angela Bradbury, a breast cancer specialist at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia who has led several studies on the topic.

Myriad Genetics Inc., based in Salt Lake City, sells the only BRCA gene test, which costs up to $3,000.

Men can also carry a BRCA mutation, and if either parent does, a child has a 50-50 chance of inheriting it. The mutations are most common in people of eastern European Jewish descent.

Women with a faulty gene have a three to seven times greater risk of developing breast cancer and a higher risk of ovarian cancer. Men have more risk of prostate, pancreatic and other types of cancer.

To lower risk, women can consider anti-estrogen drugs or having their breasts or ovaries removed. But these drastic measures are not advised for very young women. Even mammograms are not advised till age 25, because cancer is rare before then.

So the American Society of Clinical Oncology and other groups say that when the risk of childhood cancer is low and nothing can be done to lower it, children should not be given gene tests.

"The rule is, do no harm — test only if you can offer something that will help," said Mary-Claire King, the University of Washington scientist who in 1990 discovered the first breast cancer predisposition gene, BRCA-1.

"The life of a young girl is complicated enough already. There is nothing about it that needs to change" if she carries one of these genes, King said.

But some parents are testing girls before they even have breasts, let alone cancer risk. One woman had her 4-year-old daughter tested, said Sue Friedman, executive director of FORCE: Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered, a Tampa-based support group for people with BRCA genes.

Another woman tested two very young children several years ago at Baptist Health South Florida in Miami.

"We wanted to know — it's as simple as that," she said. "Kids are born with all kinds of defects that parents have to make decisions about. I just think this is one of those things," said the woman, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of privacy concerns for her children.

Rae Wruble, a nurse and genetics adviser at Baptist Health, said this woman was the only one in more than 900 she has counseled who chose to test very young children. Wruble said she always tells patients that cancer groups recommend against testing minors and why. But she admitted: "If I had young children, I would have tested them because that's just the kind of person I am — I would want to know."

Most parents do not peek inside their child's gene toolbox, Friedman said. "It does deny the actual patient informed consent."

"I feel very strongly that people should not test their children, but children should make their own decision," said Jill Stoller, a New Jersey pediatrician who is the mother of Jenna, the Cornell student.

Jenna had hours of counseling before doctors agreed that for her, testing was the right choice. However, Jennifer Scalia Wilbur, a counselor at Women and Infants Hospital in Providence, R.I., told of a 19-year-old who had testing without counseling and now wants to remove her breasts and not have children.

"It was extremely distressing" to talk with her now and try to correct her overly dire outlook, she said.

At a meeting of the oncology society in June, Bradbury reported on a survey she did of 163 adult BRCA gene carriers in the Chicago area. About half supported testing minors in some or all circumstances. A previous survey she led of 53 gene carriers and 22 of their offspring (ages 18 to 25) found about the same degree of support. Most sons and daughters favored testing minors.

Another of her studies, recently published in the American Journal of Medical Genetics, explored how sons and daughters ages 18 to 25 were affected by learning that a parent had tested positive.

Some effects were good — five of the seven smokers said they were motivated to quit.

Most said the knowledge had no big negative effect, but six of the 22 said they felt frightened or disturbed.

"I was shocked, scared. I wondered if I was going to get the gene and realized I could pass it to my (future) kids. I would feel like it was my fault if they got cancer," one daughter said in the survey.

Two sons said the knowledge might change their plans to have children. Five daughters and two sons had already gone for gene testing, and nearly all of the rest said they planned to be tested.

Wanting to test minors can be a knee-jerk response that changes after counseling. Tammy LeVasseur of North Attleboro, Mass., at first thought she wanted all three of her daughters to be tested after she learned of her own positive result in July.

She later decided to encourage testing for her two oldest daughters, ages 26 and 28, who had already finished having children, but not for Jessica, who just turned 17.

"I want to wait until I'm in my 20s," Jessica LeVasseur said. "They wouldn't do anything about it. There's no reason to worry now. I'd rather just be able to finish my teenage years without worrying about that."

How can I get rid of Chest Pain?

Q. I am 27 years old male and recently had acidity problems. I quit smoking and drinking and got a chest pain that radiates down to my shoulder, arm and back. I have been to the doctors and they have done all the tests to rule out cardiac issues and my reports came negative. After all this, the doctors suggested that I have costochondritis. The pain in the chest gets severe at times. I have joined gym to keep myself fit but the other day I noticed that the pain increased after I did some weight training. I have stopped going to the gym as well. I take combiflam and apply voveron gel on the chest area. And also apply some heat to the affected area. I want to get rid of this pain. Are there any more tests required and can I go to the gym and do my normal cardio exercises? Please help.
A. You have non-cardiac chest pain, the commonest reason for which is oesophageal spasm secondary to acid reflux. The next commonest cause is oesophageal dysmotility, as a primary condition, without reflux.

In the first instance, I would recommend a trial of acid suppression with Pantoprazole 40 mg twice a day for one month. If your symptoms do not get better, you will need oesophageal pH monitoring (preferably an extended 48 hours monitoring using BRAVO capsule) and an oesophageal manometry.

I do not see any reason why you cannot do exercises, although I would advise against bending down exercises and those that require abdominal wall muscles to contract vigorously.

source:ndtv.com

Nearly 53,000 Chinese children sick from milk

Chinese families with their babies rush to a hospital for checkups in Chongqing. Nearly 53,000 children in China have been sickened by milk powder contaminated by an industrial chemical, the government said Monday, dramatically ramping up its previous figures.

The number of children in China sickened by dairy products tainted with the banned industrial chemical melamine has jumped to nearly 53,000, the government said Sunday as it vowed to crack down on those responsible for one of China's worst food safety scandals in years.

More than 80 percent of the 12,892 children hospitalized in recent weeks were 2 years old or younger, the Health Ministry said in a statement posted on its Web site late Sunday. Four children have died and 104 of the hospitalized children are in serious condition.

Another 39,965 children received outpatient treatment at hospitals and were considered "basically recovered," the ministry said.

The Health Ministry said that most of the hospitalized were sickened by powdered milk and baby formula. It said most of the sick children consumed baby formula from one company, the Shijiazhuang Sanlu Group Co. The dairy is at the center of the scandal.

"The hospitalized children basically consumed Sanlu brand infant milk powder. No cases have been found from ingesting liquid milk," said the ministry statement.

Over the weekend, the Chinese territory of Hong Kong reported the first known illness outside mainland China — a 3-year-old girl who developed kidney stones after drinking Chinese dairy products. She was discharged from the hospital, the Hong Kong government said.

Singapore said Sunday that it had found traces of melamine in another Chinese-made dairy product, milk-based White Rabbit brand candy.

"Retailers and importers have been instructed to recall these products and withhold them from sale," Singapore's Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority said in a statement.

In the two weeks since the government first acknowledged the contamination, it has issued recalls for dairy products from 22 companies after tests turned up traces of melamine.

Melamine is used in making plastics and is high in nitrogen, which registers as protein in tests of milk. Though health experts believe ingesting minute amounts poses no danger, melamine can cause kidney stones, which can lead to kidney failure. Infants are particularly vulnerable.

Some of the farmers who sell milk to Chinese food companies are thought to have used melamine to disguise watered-down milk and fatten profit margins hurt by rising costs for feed, fuel and labor.

In Hong Kong, parents of the 3-year-old girl took her for a checkup because she had been drinking milk made by Chinese dairy Yili Industrial Group Co. every day for the past 15 months. Yili was among the 22 companies whose products were recalled for melamine contamination.

Yili said in a statement late Sunday that it will pay for the girl's medical expenses if it is confirmed her illness was caused by the company's contaminated milk.

The ministry did not say why the number of cases had suddenly doubled from 6,200 on Saturday, but it suggested that health officials were combing through hospital records from May through August to trace the origins of the contamination. The deaths of three infants linked to tainted infant formula occurred in those months.

The Chinese government has launched high-profile efforts to show it is on top of the crisis, with Premier Wen Jiabao appearing on state-run television Sunday to say diary companies had to show more "social responsibility."

Wen was shown visiting a Beijing hospital where children were having health checks. He also stopped at a supermarket to look at dairy products.

"The government will put more efforts into food security, taking the incident as a warning," Wen said.

"What we are trying to do is to ensure no such event happens in future, by punishing those responsible leaders as well as enterprises. None of those companies lacking professional ethics or social morals will be let off," Wen said, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.

Since the problem of tainted milk products became public knowledge less than two weeks ago, the crisis has spread to include almost all of China's biggest dairy companies. Their products have been pulled from stores around the country, and in other places such as the self-governing Chinese territories of Hong Kong and Macau. Starbucks stopped offering milk in its 300 outlets in China.

Hong Kong's two main supermarket chains said Sunday they were recalling milk powder made by Swiss manufacturer Nestle after a newspaper reported it contains melamine.

Spokeswomen for both companies said they acted as a precaution after Hong Kong's Apple Daily reported Sunday that tests it commissioned showed that Nestle milk powder made in China's northeastern Heilongjiang province contained melamine.

On Sunday, the Hong Kong government said its tests found small amounts of melamine in Nestle's Chinese-made Dairy Farm brand milk for catering use and ordered the product recalled.

Nestle said in a statement late Sunday that it is "confident" that none of its Chinese-made products are made with milk contaminated with melamine.

The Swiss manufacturer said it "has the same stringent quality control system in place in its factories in China as in any other part of the world."

Taiwanese company King Car Co. announced it has recalled packs of its Mr. Brown instant coffee and milk tea containing contaminated milk powder imported from China.

Japan and Singapore have recalled Chinese-made dairy products, and the governments of Malaysia and Brunei announced bans on milk products from China even though neither country currently imports Chinese dairy items.

The concern is because melamine has been found not only in powdered milk — used to make baby formula and other products — but also in liquid milk sold by China's biggest dairies.

Food and product safety scandals have been a feature of Chinese life. Only last year, the government promised to overhaul inspection procedures after exports of medicines, toys, pet food ingredients and other products killed and sickened people and pets in North and South America.

The chemical in the dangerous pet food was the same as in the milk scandal — melamine.

Meet Wilma, the Neanderthal woman

Artists, working along with scientists, have created the first model of a Neanderthal based in part on ancient DNA evidence, and have named her as 'Wilma', after the red headed character from the Flintstones cartoon.

The team created Wilma using analysis of DNA from 43,000-year-old bones that had been cannibalized. The findings suggest that at least some Neanderthals would have had red hair, pale skin, and possibly freckles.

Created for an October 2008 National Geographic magazine article, Wilma has a skeleton made from replicas of pelvis and skull bones from Neanderthal females. Copies of male Neanderthal bones, which were resized to female dimensions, filled in the gaps.

“For the first time, anthropologists can go beyond fossils and peer into the actual genes of an extinct species of human," said National Geographic's senior science editor, Jamie Shreeve, who oversaw the project.

“We saw an opportunity to literally embody this new science in a full-size Neanderthal female, reconstructed using the latest information from genetics, fossil evidence, and archaeology," he added.

Fla. Medicaid recipients want out of nursing homes

Charles Todd Lee is seen in his room at the Community Care Center in Plant City, Fla., Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2008. He's among the Medicaid recipients across Florida challenging the nightmare of the old and disabled: to be forced from comfort and familiarity into a nursing home. They say the state is illegally forcing them to live in nursing homes when they should be able to live where they choose.

Fla. - Charles Todd Lee spent a lifetime going backstage at concerts, following politicians on the campaign trail and capturing iconic shots of everyone from Martin Luther King Jr. to Mick Jagger to Mickey Mantle. Today, he enjoys such freedom only in his dreams.

The 67-year-old photographer has been confined to a nursing home for five years, the victim of a stroke that paralyzed his left side. And he's angry.

"Most of the people come here to die, so you want to die," he said. "It is a prison. I can't escape it."

Lee is among the Medicaid recipients across Florida challenging the nightmare of the old and disabled: to be forced from comfort and familiarity into a nursing home.

They say the state is illegally forcing them to live in nursing homes when they should be able to live where they choose. Advocates charge that nursing homes, afraid of losing money, have successfully pressured politicians to make qualifying for community care more difficult. They have filed a federal lawsuit seeking class-action status on behalf of nearly 8,500 institutionalized Floridians.

Whether the litigation gets Lee and others moved out of nursing homes remains to be seen. But at the very least, it has illuminated the frustration experienced by older people or those with disabilities who say they're shuttled into nursing homes when they are healthy enough to live at home, with relatives, or in other less institutional settings.

"There are very, very, very few people who cannot be cared for outside in the community," said Stephen Gold, a Philadelphia disability lawyer who, along with AARP attorneys and others, is representing the group. "Why should the state give a damn whether you put the money in the left pocket of the nursing home or the right pocket of the community?"

Americans who qualify for Medicaid and get sick or disabled enough to require substantial care typically have little problem gaining admission to a nursing home. But obtaining Medicaid-supported services at home, such as visits from an aide, is substantially harder and often involves a long waiting list, even though it may cost the government less.

Advocates for the elderly and disabled had hoped a 1999 Supreme Court case would change that. The Olmstead decision, as it is known, involved two Georgia women, both Medicaid beneficiaries with mental retardation who wanted community-based services, but were refused and were treated in institutions.

The high court ruled unjustified isolation of the disabled in institutions amounted to discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act. It said states must provide community services if patients want them, if they can be accommodated and if it's appropriate. Medicaid is the state-federal partnership that provides health coverage and nursing home care to the poor.

"There's a lot of concern that the nursing home industry is very powerful in many states and has made sure that a lot of Medicaid dollars go to institutional care as opposed to home and community-based care," said Toby Edelman, an attorney at the Center for Medicare Advocacy.

States have been putting more money into community services, but not nearly enough to meet the demand of people who would rather stay at home than go to a facility. Nationally, state Medicaid payments for long-term community care have skyrocketed since the Olmstead decision, from $17.4 billion in 1999 to $42.8 billion last year, though spending on nursing homes and other institutions is still substantially higher.

A total of $59.5 billion was spent last year on institutional care through Medicaid.

The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, the Florida Department of Elder Affairs and Gov. Charlie Crist's office — the three defendants — all declined to comment on the litigation. So did the attorney general's office, which is representing the defendants.

In court filings, the defendants have claimed the plaintiffs lack standing because they haven't proven that treatment professionals deemed community-based care appropriate for each patient.

"Plaintiffs are not alleging that Florida's Medicaid program has failed to cover their medically necessary services," the defendants wrote. "Instead, plaintiffs want this court to second-guess the manner by which Florida's elected officials and policymakers have chosen to make those services available in light of the state's available resources."

The American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging represents about 5,700 not-for-profit organizations from nursing homes to adult day care to in-home aides. A spokeswoman, Lauren Shaham, said there is "an institutional bias" in the Medicaid program that limits home and community care, but also noted nursing homes are needed for some of society's frailest or most disabled.

The American Health Care Association, which represents about 11,000 nursing homes and long-term care facilities, a majority of them for-profit, also said such institutions were often most appropriate for round-the-clock care. Spokeswoman Susan Feeney noted, "You don't want to be there but sometimes for health reasons beyond your control, you have to be."

John Boyd, 50, has been in a nursing home for the last nine years. He hates them. He became a quadriplegic 36 years ago when he fell off a wall and broke his neck.

"I can't choose what meal I want, I can't have a visitor after 8 o'clock — it's just like a prison without bars," he said. "People are making decisions for and about me that don't even know me or even care about me. All they care about is the money they're getting for me."

Apollo Plans Health Education

Apollo Hospitals chairman Prathap C Reddy (centre) and IGNOU vice chancellor C Rajasekar after signing the MoU, as Apollo executive dir


A pollo Hospitals chairman Prathap C Reddy (centre) and IGNOU vice chancellor C Rajasekar after signing the MoU, as Apollo executive dir
Express News Service

On its 25th anniversary, the Apollo Hospitals Group entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Indira Gandhi National Open University to provide paramedical, medical and nurses training courses at its upcoming Apollo Aragonda Health Knowledge City in Andhra Pradesh.

The facility would be located on 100 acres and attract an investment of Rs 1,000 crore over the next five years.

Founder chairman of the Apollo Hospitals Group, Dr Prathap C Reddy, told media persons here on Thursday 45 courses would be provided by IGNOU. Some of these courses would include dialysis courses for doctors, medical assistantship and technician’s courses. The courses would be developed and monitored by IGNOU through a combination of online, onsite and distance learning modules.

Reddy said they planned to train 10,000 people every year and equipment suppliers will be investing and providing training in the City. The courses will be provided at Apollo Hospitals at Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Ahmedabad also.

Talking about the facilities in the City, Reddy said, “It will also house a 150-bed hospital.

We will be applying for an SEZ status for the City within a year. We will be taking possession of the land soon.

It will be operational within 24 months.” The training and educational programmes in the City would be undertaken through the Apollo Knowledge Foundation.

The Group is also exploring giving a five per cent stake in its Super Health Hiway project for networking doctors and patients across the country, to an outsider.

Executive Director, Apollo Hospitals Group, Sangita Reddy said the electronic medical records repository for maintaining the patient’s and hospital's records electronically would start within three months and would be used in the Hiway project. The data network will link 2,00,000 doctors to each other to improve healthcare services.

Stressed Plants Produce an Aspirin-like Chemical

A spirin is among the most popular remedies used by people. Turns out some plants like it, too. Researchers at the National Center for Atmospheric Research were surprised to discover that stressed plants produce an aspirin-like chemical that can be detected in the air above the plants. The chemical may be a sort of immune response that helps protect the plants, the scientists speculated.

According to the researchers, the finding raises the possibility that farmers, forest managers and others may eventually be able to start monitoring plants for early signs of a disease, an insect infestation or other types of stress.

Currently they often do not know if an ecosystem is unhealthy until there are visible indicators, such as dead leaves.

"Unlike humans, who are advised to take aspirin as a fever suppressant, plants have the ability to produce their own mix of aspirin-like chemicals, triggering the formation of proteins that boost their biochemical defenses and reduce injury," NCAR scientist Thomas Karl, the lead researcher, said in a statement.

"Our measurements show that significant amounts of the chemical can be detected in the atmosphere as plants respond to drought, unseasonable temperatures or other stresses."

While researchers had known that plants in the laboratory produce a form of aspirin known as methyl salicylate, they had never looked for it in the forest.

But when they set up measuring devices in a walnut grove near Davis, Calif., to monitor plant emissions that can affect pollution, they discovered measurable amounts of methyl salicylate.

Previous studies have shown that plants being eaten by animals also produce chemicals that can be sensed by other plants nearby.

The new findings, announced Thursday by NCAR in Boulder, Colo., were published in the journal Biogeosciences. The research was funded by the National Science Foundation, NCAR's sponsor.

Measuring instruments 100 feet above the ground measured methyl salicylate from plants that were stressed by a local drought and unseasonably cool nighttime temperatures followed by large daytime temperature increases.

In addition to having an immune-like function, the chemical may be a means for plants to communicate to neighboring plants, warning them of the threat.

"These findings show tangible proof that plant-to-plant communication occurs on the ecosystem level," says NCAR scientist Alex Guenther, a co-author of the study. "It appears that plants have the ability to communicate through the atmosphere."

Karl added: "If you have a sensitive warning signal that you can measure in the air, you can take action much sooner, such as applying pesticides. The earlier you detect that something's going on, the more you can benefit in terms of using fewer pesticides and managing crops better."

Regular paracetamol use ups asthma risk

People who regularly use paracetamol are at three fold risk of having asthma, a new research has found.

During the study, researchers questioned over 500 adults with asthma and over 500 people without asthma about the use of painkillers.

It was suggested that the link between asthma and paracetamol may be due to the action of the drug as it reduces levels of 'glutathione' in the lungs and this is needed to defend the delicate airways against damage from pollution and smoke.

"Epidemiological evidence is growing that shows a link between paracetamol and asthma. Since 2000, several publications have reported this association for instance in the UK and the USA. We have also shown that asthma prevalence is higher in children and adults in countries with higher paracetamol sales,” Telegraph quoted study author Dr Seif Shaheen from Imperial College London, as saying.

"Considering asthma is a common disease and paracetamol use is frequent, it is now important to find out whether this association is really a causal one. A clinical trial may be the only way to answer this question conclusively,” the researcher said.

Happy 113th birthday for world's oldest man

Tomoji Tanabe is pictured in his home in Miyakonojo, southern Japan September 12, 2008. The world's oldest man celebrated his 113th birthday on September 18, 2008, telling reporters at his home about his joyful life and healthy appetite.

The world's oldest man celebrated his 113th birthday on Thursday, telling reporters at his home in southern Japan about his joyful life and healthy appetite.

"I'm happy," said Tomoji Tanabe as the local mayor presented him with flowers and a giant tea cup glazed with his name and date of birth. "I'm well. I eat a lot," he added.

Tanabe, recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest living male last year, eats mostly vegetables and believes the key to longevity is not drinking alcohol.

The former civil servant lives with his son, drinks milk every day and has no major illnesses, although he now writes in his diary only once or twice a month. He used to write on a daily basis.

"His favorite food is fried shrimp, but we've heard that he's cut back on oily food," said an official at his hometown of Miyakonojo, about 900 km (560 miles) southwest of Tokyo.

"He's said he wants to live for another 10 years, that he doesn't want to die." The Japanese are among the world's longest-lived people, with the number of those aged 100 or older at a record 36,276, a government report last week showed.

Japanese women have topped the world's longevity ranks for 23 years, while men rank third after Iceland and Hong Kong.

How beer, wine, coffee and nuts can ALL 'lower a man's fertility

Beer, wine, coffee and nuts all contain high levels of chemicals linked to male infertility, a study has found.

The bar-room drinks and snacks are loaded with phytoestrogens - naturally-occurring plant compounds implicated in falling sperm counts.

Instant coffee powder, Brazil nuts, peanuts, brown ale and red wine scored particularly highly for the chemicals, the analysis, carried out at by the Medical Research Council in Cambridge, found.

Researcher Dr Gunter Kuhnle said the study showed the compounds are found in more foods and drinks then previously thought.

'The data we have collected has enabled us to put together an accurate table of which foods contain the highest levels of phytoestrogens,' he added.

Phytoestrogens, which also occur in high amounts in soya, have been linked to fertility problems in livestock.

And a study published earlier this summer linked soya to dwindling sperm counts in men.

Men who regularly ate small amounts of tofu or soya meat or dairy substitutes had lower sperm concentrations than those who didn't.

Low sperm count is known to make it harder for a man to conceive.

It is thought that phytoestrogens called isoflavones, which mimic the female sex hormone oestrogen, are behind the effect.

The latest study measured levels of isoflavones and a second type of oestrogen-like chemicals called lignans.

But it did not speculate on whether the levels found could affect health or fertility.

Dr Kuhnle, of the MRC Dunn Human Nutrition Unit in Cambridge, said: 'The data we have collected has enabled us to put together an accurate table of which foods contain the highest levels of phytoestrogens, so we can look at the effect of long-term exposure, and work out what the safe levels are likely to be for humans.'

However, the effects of phytoestrogens are not all bad, with some studies suggesting they can ease the symptoms of the menopause, as well as protect against cancer and heart disease.

Reporting the Cambridge results, New Scientist says: 'Studies on the health effects of phytoestrogens have painted a mixed and muddled picture.

'Some have hinted that the compounds protect against cancer, heart disease and the side-effects of the menopause, while others have linked high levels to an increased risk of breast cancer and male infertility.

'Still others have documented no link between phytoestrogens and those same ailments.

'So snack at your own risk - or reward.'

Colon X-ray seen as effective at spotting cancer

ATLANTA - A long-awaited federal study of an X-ray alternative to the dreaded colonoscopy confirms its effectiveness at spotting most cancers, although it was far from perfect.

Medicare is already considering paying for this cheaper, less intrusive option that could persuade more people to get screened for colon cancer. And some experts believe the new method may boost the 50 percent screening rate for a cancer that is the country's second biggest killer.

"We're talking about for the first time really screening the population," said Dr. Carl Jaffe, an imaging expert at the National Cancer Institute who was not involved in the research.

In the new study, the largest of its kind, the so-called "virtual colonoscopy" identified nine out of 10 people who had cancers and large growths seen by regular colonoscopies.

But there were flaws, too. Among them: The radiologists sometimes misread the X-ray, leading them to spot polyps that weren't there. That led to unnecessary follow-up testing.

The X-ray test's real value may be in showing who really needs a regular colonoscopy — it was better at ruling cancer out than it was at detecting it, suggests the report in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine.

Colorectal cancer will claim about 50,000 lives this year. The point of screening, widely recommended at age 50, is to find growths before they turn cancerous.

The gold standard is colonoscopy, in which a long, thin tube equipped with a small video camera is snaked through the large intestine to view the lining. Any growth can be removed during the procedure.

It involves sedation and a missed day of work, not to mention preparation that uses pills or liquids to clean out the bowel.

The study focused on CT colonography, also known as virtual colonoscopy. It's a super X-ray of the colon that is quicker, cheaper and easier on the patient than traditional colonoscopies.

It too requires the bowel clean-out and has a potentially serious drawback — radiation.

Colonoscopies cost up to $3,000. The X-ray test costs $300 to $800; most insurers don't cover it so far, but Medicare is considering it.

Insurers likely will weigh the new study heavily in their coverage decisions, said Dr. Durado Brooks, who oversees colorectal and prostate cancer programs at the American Cancer Society.

Preliminary, unpublished data from the new study already helped persuade the cancer society and others to put out guidelines in March that added virtual colonoscopy and a stool DNA test to the recommended arsenal of screenings for colon cancer, Brooks said.

In the new study, both the standard colonoscopy and the X-ray test were given to 2,531 people at 15 U.S. medical centers.

The scans showed large growths in about one in six people, although some were false alarms not confirmed by colonoscopy.

Of the patients with growths verified by colonoscopy, 90 percent were flagged through the X-ray scans.

"That's very good news," said Dr. C. Daniel Johnson, the lead author of the study. He is a researcher at the Mayo Clinic campus in Scottsdale, Ariz., with financial ties to one virtual colonoscopy company, GE Healthcare.

Back to the false alarms — only one in four of those patients diagnosed with a growth actually had one, noted Dr. Robert Fletcher, a retired Harvard Medical School professor who wrote an editorial accompanying the study. He is a paid consultant for a company that makes a DNA screening test for colon cancer.

Some additional drawbacks to virtual colonoscopy:

_In about one in six of the patients, the X-ray found abnormalities outside the colon that led doctors to recommend additional testing or care. Some of those discoveries may be life-threatening, but others are not and investigation of them may prove expensive and hard on the patient, Fletcher wrote.

_The X-ray tests are not as good at colonoscopy at detecting flat growths on the colon wall that are more likely to be cancerous than the more familiar knobby polyps, according to other researchers.

_Virtual colonoscopies, currently recommended every five years, expose people to repeated doses of radiation. It's half the dose of a standard CT exam, but the cumulative effects are not yet known. Colonoscopy is only recommended every 10 years.

"These concerns do not rule out CT colonography as a screening test but they need to be considered," Fletcher wrote.

The study was not designed to look at whether the screenings prevented deaths.

Tainted milk sickens 6,000 babies in China

China said Wednesday more than 6,000 babies had fallen ill and three died after drinking milk powder contaminated with a toxic chemical, as it vowed massive efforts to contain a widening food scandal.
In the latest debacle to tarnish the "Made in China" label, authorities admitted two of 22 companies found to have melamine in their milk powder were exporting abroad, and that tainted yogurt had been found in Hong Kong.

Melamine, a chemical normally used to make plastics and glues, appeared to have been added to make the products seem richer in protein, and China's two biggest dairy companies were among those found to have contaminated products.

"Everyone in our family is very worried," said Qi Yunzhong, a teacher at a primary school in northwest China's Gansu province whose son got kidney stones after drinking tainted milk powder.

"Every day there is a long line out in front of the hospital. The families are worried and everyone has stopped using milk powder," he told AFP by phone.

In Beijing, Health Minister Chen Zhu said 6,244 infants across the country had fallen ill and three died after consuming the milk powder over a period of many months.

The number of sick was up fivefold from official numbers given Tuesday.

While many had now recovered, 1,327 remained in hospital, of whom 158 were suffering or recovering from acute kidney failure, Chen said as he gave the government's first detailed account of the scandal.

China's Cabinet, in a meeting headed by Premier Wen Jiabao, criticised "flaws" in dairy market supervision, state TV said, in an admission of official failures.

"(The scandal) has shown us that the dairy market is chaotic, flaws exist in supervision mechanisms, and supervision work is weak," state-run CCTV said in summarising the conclusions of the Cabinet meeting.

Speaking at the same briefing Chen, the head of the nation's product quality watchdog, Li Changjiang, said every dairy producer in China would be tested to ensure the safety of their products.

Meanwhile, authorities waited to see if tainted products turned up overseas after officials said two of the companies had exports to Bangladesh, Burundi, Gabon, Myanmar and Yemen.

Li of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, gave no indication if the exports were contaminated but said the companies involved were recalling their products.


Bangladesh said Wednesday that food and commerce officials would meet this weekend to determine whether tainted products had entered the South Asian nation.

Li also confirmed melamine was found in a yogurt ice-bar made by Yili, one of China's two biggest dairy producers, which was sold in the southern territory of Hong Kong.

Hong Kong supermarket chain Wellcome has recalled the product, and Li said authorities would investigate how melamine got into it.

State-run Xinhua news agency reported late Wednesday that 22 people were being questioned in connection with the contaminated milk and that six had been arrested.

The arrested included two villagers charged with selling melamine and adding it to milk sold to the Sanlu Group, an owner of a private food additive shop who sold the chemical to milk dealers and two milk sellers who admitted to selling the tainted product.

Xinhua did not provide information on the sixth person, and it was unclear if their number of six arrests included the sacked chairwoman of Sanlu Group, who has been detained.

The scandal is the latest to rock China's food industry, which has been tarnished in recent years by a series of health scares over dangerous products, some of which have been exported.

In one of them, melamine was also found in Chinese pet food exported to the United States last year that killed dogs and cats.

Amid last year's scandals, which also extended to products such as toys containing lead-based paint, Chinese authorities vowed to improve the safety of its food and manufacturing industries.

However, the scandal has given rise to questions over whether authorities had initially tried to cover up the crisis.

New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark said this week her country "blew the whistle" on the continued sale of the milk powder after Chinese authorities refused to act.

The first of the baby deaths occurred May 1, more than four months before the scandal became public.

How To Live Long Life

How to Add Years to Your Life

Everyone wants to live as long as they can. Here are some tips to add years to your life span.

Step1
SLEEP: The magic number for hours of sleep is 7. It has been shown that people who sleep at least that long most nights have been proven to have a longer life span.

Step2
SOCIALIZING: Talk and gossip with people that you like and trust. This can improve your immune system, helping you live longer.

Step3
PLAY: All work and no play will make you wither away. Doing something that you enjoy for at least 30 minutes a day can help you live longer.

FDA Defends Plastic Linked With Health Risks

A nurse prepares a bottle of donated milk for a baby at Son Dureta's Hospital in Palma de Mallorca, Spain March 10, 2006

With scientists at odds about the risks of a chemical found in plastic baby bottles, metal cans and other food packaging, the government on Tuesday gave consumers some tips on how to reduce their exposure to BPA even as it said the substance is safe.

A Food and Drug Administration advisory committee met as a major study linked bisphenol A to possible risks of heart disease and diabetes. The scientific debate could drag on for years.

"Right now, our tentative conclusion is that it's safe, so we're not recommending any change in habits," said Laura Tarantino, head of the FDA's office of food additive safety. But she acknowledged, "there are a number of things people can do to lower their exposure."

For example, consumers can avoid plastic containers imprinted with the recycling number '7,' as many of those contain BPA. Or, Tarantino said, they can avoid warming food in such containers, as heat helps to release the chemical.

More than 90 percent of Americans have traces of BPA in their bodies, but the FDA says the levels of exposure are too low to pose a health risk, even for infants and children. Other scientists, however, say BPA has been shown to affect the human body even at very low levels.

And Tuesday a study released by the Journal of the American Medical Association suggested a new concern about BPA. Using a health survey of nearly 1,500 adults, the study found that those exposed to higher amounts of BPA were more likely to report having heart disease and diabetes. Because of the possible public health implications, the results "deserve scientific follow-up," its authors said.

The study is preliminary, far from proof that the chemical caused the health problems. Two Dartmouth College analysts of medical research said it raises questions but provides no answers about whether the ubiquitous chemical is harmful.

FDA officials said they are not dismissing such findings. "We recognize the need to resolve the concerning questions that have been raised," said Tarantino, acknowledging that more research is needed. But the FDA is also arguing that the studies with rats and mice it relied on for its assessment are more thorough than some of the human research that has raised doubts.

The agency has asked an outside scientific panel for a second opinion on BPA's safety, and the medical journal article was released to coincide with the advisers' hearing. The FDA has the power to ban or limit use of BPA in food containers and medical devices.

Past animal studies have suggested reproductive and hormone-related problems from BPA. The JAMA study is the largest to examine possible BPA effects in people and the first suggesting a direct link to heart disease, said scientists Frederick vom Saal and John Peterson Myers, both longtime critics of the chemical.

Still, they said more rigorous studies are needed to confirm the results.

Vom Saal is a biological sciences professor at University of Missouri who has served as an expert witness and consultant on BPA litigation. Myers is chief scientist at Environmental Health Sciences, a Charlottesville, Va., nonprofit group. They wrote an editorial accompanying the JAMA study.

BPA is used in hardened plastics and in a wide range of consumer goods, including the lining of metal cans, eyeglass lenses and compact discs. Many scientists believe it can act like the hormone estrogen, and animal studies have linked it with breast, prostate and reproductive system problems and some cancers.

Researchers from Britain and the University of Iowa examined a U.S. government health survey of 1,455 American adults who gave urine samples in 2003-04 and reported whether they had any of several common diseases.

Participants were divided into four groups based on BPA urine amounts; more than 90 percent had detectable BPA in their urine.

A total of 79 had heart attacks, chest pain or other types of cardiovascular disease and 136 had diabetes. There were more than twice as many people with heart disease or diabetes in the highest BPA group than in the lowest BPA group. The study showed no connection between BPA and other ailments, including cancer.

No one in the study had BPA urine amounts showing higher than recommended exposure levels, said co-author Dr. David Melzer, a University of Exeter researcher.

Drs. Lisa Schwartz and Steven Woloshin of the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice said the study presents no clear information about what might have caused participants' heart disease and diabetes.

"Measuring who has disease and high BPA levels at a single point in time cannot tell you which comes first," Schwartz said.

The study authors acknowledge that it's impossible to rule out that people who already have heart disease or diabetes are somehow more vulnerable to having BPA show up in their urine.

The American Chemistry Council, an industry trade group, said the study is flawed, has substantial limitations and proves nothing.

But Dr. Ana Soto of Tufts University said the study raises enough concerns to warrant government action to limit BPA exposure.

"We shouldn't wait until further studies are done in order to act in protecting humans," said Soto, who has called for more restrictions in the past.

An earlier lab experiment with human fat tissue found that BPA can interfere with a hormone involved in protecting against diabetes, heart disease and obesity. That study appeared online last month in Environmental Health Perspectives, a monthly journal published by the National Institutes of Health.

One of the FDA's outside advisers was skeptical of the JAMA study. "For diabetes, I really don't see it," said Dr. Garret FitzGerald of the University of Pennsylvania.

Toxicology experts from another government agency have studied BPA and recently completed their own report. They found no strong evidence of health hazards from BPA, but unlike the FDA, said there was "some concern" about possible effects on the brain in fetuses, infants and children.

Several states are considering restricting BPA use, some manufacturers have begun promoting BPA-free baby bottles, and some stores are phasing out baby products containing the chemical. The European Union has said BPA-containing products are safe, but Canada's government has proposed banning the sale of baby bottles with BPA as a precaution.

Vaccine For Cancer

source:The Hindu

What Is Dandruff?

What is dandruff?

Dandruff is an overproduction and build-up of dead skin cells. It occurs as snowy dust-like flakes. Dandruff can also be defined as the shedding of dead skin cells from the scalp at an excessive rate. This is the result of normal growing process of the skin cells of the scalp. Our scalp and the rest of the body are covered with skin cells. As the skin renews itself, the top layer of old cells die and scales off. Normally the entire renewal process takes 2–3 weeks. In some cases, there is an increased production of cells, causing the dead ones to pack together and build up as dandruff on the scalp.

Dandruff may occur in any age group and at any time. In cases of chronic dandruff, the condition may affect the skin around the nose, eyes, ears and chest area.

What are the causes?

Dandruff is a minor problem but it can be very embarrassing. Dandruff is seasonal. It is more severe during the winter and mildest during summer. The causes of dandruff include:

* Oily scalp
* Infection caused by an organism Pityrosporum ovale.
* Excessive use of shampoos, hairsprays, hair curlers and gels.
* Improper use of hair colouring products.
* Infrequent shampooing or cleaning of the hair.
* Stress, anxiety and tension.

What is the treatment?

Since dandruff is a natural process it cannot be eliminated, it can only be controlled. The simplest treatment is frequent and effective shampooing of the hair and the scalp. Mild dandruff can be treated by regularly shampooing the scalp with a mild, non-medicated shampoo. If this does not help, a medicated dandruff shampoo can be used. Shampoos containing cytostatic agent, such as selenium sulphide or zinc pyrithione can be used. These agents reduce the growth and multiplication of horny cells (top layer of skin on the scalp). Shampoos containing selenium sulphide should not be used if there is a cut or abrasion on the scalp. Other ingredients in the shampoos that treat dandruff are coal tar preparations, salicylic acid, sulfur and a combination of salicylic acid and sulphur. Nizoral AD, is a shampoo that specifically targets P.ovale and treats flaking and itching.

How to Prevent Brain Cancer

Brain cancer includes many different types of conditions defined by tumors, or abnormal cell growth, in the brain. You may decide to make preventing brain cancer a priority because you are a member of a high-risk group or perhaps because you have had a brain tumor removed and want to avoid another occurrence of the disease. Understanding which are higher-risk categories and speaking to your doctor about modern testing methods are ways to prevent the spread of brain cancer.

Instructions

Step1
Know that those who have a family history of cancer, those with auto-immune diseases and those who have been exposed to radiation may be at increased risk of brain tumors.

Step2
Know that patients who have had melanoma, lung, breast, colon or kidney cancer are at risk for metastasized, or secondary, brain cancer.

Be Proactive about Preventing Cancer
Step1
Take proactive steps toward preventing brain cancer and other types of cancer by making a commitment to eat healthier, quit smoking, exercise more often and stay informed about your cancer risk. The American Cancer Society (see "Resources" below) stresses the importance of a healthy lifestyle for everyone with or without cancer.

Step2
Volunteer in your community to educate people about cancer and how to prevent it. Raising awareness benefits everyone and emphasizes the importance of continuing scientific research.

Step3
Stay on top of medical developments. The more you know, the better prepared you will be if you develop the illness.

* If you have had a tumor removed, ask your doctor what you can do to prevent future growth of abnormal cells. She may recommend healthier lifestyle choices, such as increased exercise and a more balanced diet.
* It's your right to understand your treatments, to know of possible complications and side effects and to be made aware of viable alternatives. Don't let yourself feel forced into a therapy with which you don't feel comfortable or you don't understand.
* If you are at high risk of developing cancer, consider locating a support group, even if you are free of the disease. No one should have to struggle with undue anxiety. Illness counselors can help.

source:ehow.com

Got a fat gene? Get active for 3-4 hours a day

Maybe you CAN blame being fat on your genes. But there's a way to overcome that family history — just get three to four hours of moderate activity a day. Sound pretty daunting? Not for the Amish of Lancaster County, Pa., who were the focus of a new study on a common genetic variation that makes people more likely to gain weight. It turns out the variant's effects can be blocked with physical activity — lots of it

Scientists believe about 30 percent of white people of European ancestry have this variant, including the Amish, and that may partly explain why so many people are overweight.

But fighting that fat factor may be easier in the Amish community's 19th century rural lifestyle. They don't use cars or modern appliances. Many of the men are farmers and carpenters, and the women, who are homemakers, often care for several children.

The researchers found that Amish people with the genetic variant were no more likely to be overweight than those who had the regular version of the gene — as long as they got three to four hours of moderate activity every day. That included things like brisk walking, housecleaning and gardening.

And while physical activity is recommended for just about everyone, the study suggests that people with the gene variation need to be especially vigilant about getting exercise.

"These findings emphasize the important role of physical activity in public health efforts to combat obesity, particularly in genetically susceptible people," the authors wrote in Monday's Archives of Internal Medicine.

Study co-author Dr. Soren Snitker of the University of Maryland acknowledged that it's unrealistic to expect most people to shun modern conveniences and return to a 19th century lifestyle for the sake of staying trim.

But he said every little bit helps, and that adding an extra few hours of activity daily might not be as hard as it seems.

Instead of watching TV for a few hours at night, take a brisk walk, he suggested. Or use stairs instead of elevators, walk instead of driving, or take up a structured exercise such as swimming.

Previous research based on self-reporting of physical activity has produced similar results. The new study used a more reliable measure — battery-operated monitoring devices worn round-the-clock for a week, said lead author Evadnie Rampersaud of the University of Miami.

More research is needed to see if similar results would be found in other racial and ethnic groups, said Amy Zlot, a genetics researcher with Oregon's Department of Human Services, who was not involved in the study.

The Amish study involved 704 people; blood samples determined which of those had a variation in the FTO gene linked to obesity. Among those with the variant, those who got about three or four hours of moderate physical activity a day weighed up to about 15 pounds less on average than the least active people.

The least active group would be comparable to Americans who get little exercise beyond normal activities of daily living, Snitker said.

The authors said it is not clear how the FTO gene influences excess weight, but it is believed to be involved in the function of a protein that may affect how the body regulates food intake.

"It's only if you're not active that the gene hurts," Snitker said. "If you are active, then either way, it doesn't matter whether you have the gene or not."

So far, blood tests identifying the gene variant are only available for research. Experts say there are likely many other genetic differences that also influence obesity, so it is too soon to recommend routine testing for the general public.

Dr. Joel Hirschhorn, a genetics and obesity researcher at Children's Hospital Boston, said people should not interpret the study to mean, "I don't have this gene variant so I don't need to be physically active."

He noted that other obesity gene variants might also be affected by physical activity, which has benefits beyond helping people stay trim.

What Is The Very Best Fat Belly Diet?

Everyone is always looking for a great way to lose belly fat. But is there such a thing as a fat belly diet? There are several different fad diets that will promise that they are the one that will work for you. In reality those fad diets might work, but only for a short time. If you are looking for a fat belly diet that will actually help you lose belly fat and keep it off, then you need to follow these quick and easy fat belly diet tips to set you on the road to a slimmer and healthier you.

Fat Belly Diet Tip 1: Cut your calorie intake slightly everyday
By simply cutting out even 100 calories a day, you will see the pounds and belly fat slowly melt away. To cut those calories you need to be more aware of what you eat. Instead of reaching for the sugary snacks grab a piece of fruit. Fruits have natural sugars that will help curb your sugar craving, while being much more healthy for you. Cut back on other things such as the butter on your popcorn or instead of having two scoops of ice cream, opt for just one.

Fat Belly Diet Tip 2: Exercise several times a week and make changes daily
Many people lead busy lives so it isn't always possible to get in a 30-minute workout every day. If you can't work out every day, make sure you set aside at least 30 minutes a day three times a week for a good workout. On the other days you can do a few simple things that will help you get more exercise while not having to invest a lot of time. Instead of circling the parking lot a dozen times trying to find a closer parking space, opt for the one in the back that is available. Walking a little bit more daily will help trim your weight and help you to lose your belly fat. You can also opt for the stairs instead of the elevator or take a walk on your break at work instead of sitting still. Small changes will make a big difference over time.

Just a few simple life changes will get you well on your way to a healthier you, without having to go on a crash fad fat belly diet that really will not work anyways.

How to Lower Your Insulin Needs (for Diabetics)

Stable blood sugar levels with less insulin means better health and lower prescription drug costs. Type 2 diabetics can often completely eliminate their need for insulin and other diabetes-related drugs. While Type 1 diabetics always need some amount of insulin to live, they can also lower their total insulin dosages while improving their blood glucose control. (I'm a Type 1 diabetic and personally followed these steps to half my insulin basal rates and raise my correcti

Instructions

Step1
Lose weight. The less you weigh, the less insulin you'll need.

Step2
Exercise at least 30 minutes a day. The more intense the exercise the better, but if you don't exercise regularly, start with a brisk walk.

Step3
Switch to an insulin pump. Tighter control of your blood sugar means you can use less insulin and get better control.

Step4
Test your blood sugar at least six times a day or, even better, use a Continuous Glucose Monitoring System. Knowing what your blood sugar is throughout the day and night will let you know exactly where you need more insulin, and exactly where you don't.

Step5
Eat less food overall. Aim for more filling food -- high in fiber, high in protein. Drink lots of water -- at least 100oz a day.

Step6
Eat less carbohydrates. Replace carbohydrate-rich food with low-carbohydrate foods like vegetables.

Step7
Eat less than 20 grams of fat a day. This includes ALL fats, even good fats like Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. (This step alone will have a big impact in a short period of time, so be careful!)

Step8
Eliminate animal products -- meat *and* dairy -- from your diet for 30 days. If it doesn't make a difference, go back to your previous eating habits -- but you might be pleasantly surprised.

* You may experience low blood sugars until your insulin levels are re-adjusted. Be sure to consult your doctor__

One Injection A Week For Diabetics

A single injection is likely to replace the existing 14-shot dosage required weekly by type 2 diabetics, according to a Toronto based researcher.

"Over two million Canadians have diabetes," said Daniel Drucker, clinician-scientist and senior investigator at the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute of Mount Sinai Hospital. "There is currently no available therapy for type 2 diabetes that patients can receive once a week," he said.

The new treatment, Exenatide, once weekly is the first in a new class of long-acting medications that mimic the action of GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide), a naturally occurring hormone that is produced in the gut after eating.

The report compared outcomes for patients self-injecting Exenatide once weekly against results from the conventional 14 injections a week, as in the currently available version of the drug known as Exenatide (Byetta). The study appeared in the Lancet Monday.

In an international multicentre six-month clinical trial involving 300 eligible patients, 75 percent of them who received the once-weekly Exenatide got their diabetes under control as defined by reaching target glucose levels.

Patients treated with Exenatide once weekly also experienced fewer side effects, had no increased risk of hypoglycemia (decrease in blood sugars) and saw reductions in body weight.

Drucker has studied the gut hormone GLP-1 for over 20 years. Multiple drugs based on GLP-1 action are under active clinical development, and the new once-weekly treatment is expected to undergo Canadian regulatory review as early as 2009.

"Biomedical research reaches patients and improves lives," said Jim Woodgett, director of research at the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute. "Dr. Drucker is a world-expert in the development of peptide hormone-based therapies for the treatment of human disease and this is an excellent example of moving discovery through to therapeutic application."

'Unclean' blood may save life

Many refer to it as ‘nature’s curse on women’. It’s commonly thought of as unclean. In some cultures, women are not even allowed to cook during those days of month. But, path-breaking new research could change the way people view the menstrual cycle. And it’s here in India, for the first time ever. The blood that uselessly leaks away from a woman’s body every month until she hits menopause is a good source of stem cells, which are still at an early stage of development and retain the potential to turn into many different types of cell.

Stem cell research classifies them as a super “repair kit” for the body because they can be used to grow new fat, cartilage, bone, skin, heart and brain cells. Japan and American researchers say menstrual blood could actually be banked and used to save lives. It is supposed to contain adult stem cells that can develop into any of nine different types of cells, including heart, lung, nerve and muscle.

Ajit Kumar is chief scientific officer of LifeCell International, India’s biggest stem cell banking facility and the first in the country to launch a menstrual stem cell banking facility. He says, “The menstrual stem cell comes from the uterine lining (endometrium) that is shed as part of a woman's menstrual period.”

Research is ongoing but if established as a success, it would be a huge advance for stem cell research. Stem cell therapy has become controversial in some parts of the world beca-use scientists believe the most useful ones come from embryos. Adult stem cells are rare in mature tissue. But if they are sourced from hitherto-useless, “unclean” menstrual blood, it would redefine the woman’s role as life-giver.

The master stem cell is the zygote and all of human life really begins here. A zygote is created when an egg is fertilised. Thereafter, this master stem cell multiplies as the embryo develops into millions of cells, including a large number of other stem cells. Less specialised stem cells become ever more so with the process continuing throughout pregnancy to create different cells — skin, muscle, nerve or bone. Throughout the life, the body continues to produce stem cells. Kumar says menstrual stem cells are similar to those from bone marrow and embryos, with the added bonus of even faster replication and higher compatibility.

It is an amazing bit of news for stem cell therapy, which is gaining ground across the world as a wonder cure for Parkinson's, Alz-heimer’s, heart disease, diabetes, spinal cord damage and much more. Till now, umbilical cord stem cells have been used in 8,000 transplant operations worldwide, says Cryo-Cell a leading global stem cell banking company.

During lab tests, scientists created different types of cells from menstrual stem cells or endometrial regenerative cells (ERCs) as they are known. Within five days, fledgling heart cells had been generated. Kumar says this showed ERCs may be a source of patient-specific stem cells.

It is not hard to bank menstrual blood. The procedure is almost the same as giving a urine sample. Kumar says it may be easier to harvest stem cells from menstrual blood than bone marrow or skin because it is a painless and non-invasive procedure. “Unlike cord blood stem cells, where the cells are frozen directly after extraction, here the blood is expanded before being stored,'' he explains.

Preliminary research suggests that menst-rual stem cells could be used to cure a woman's genetic family, such as parents, sibling or child.

How to Eat Healthy

There are many popular diets on the market today. This article will explain how to eat healthy for life and avoid the fad diets.

Steps

1. Determine how many calories your body needs to function each day.
This number can vary wildly, depending upon your metabolism and how physically active you are. If you're the kind of person who puts on 10 pounds just smelling a slice of pizza,then your daily caloric intake should stay around 2000 calories for men, and 1500 calories for women. Your body mass also plays a part in this: More calories are suitable for naturally bigger people, and fewer calories for smaller people. If you're the kind of person who can eat anything he or she wants without putting on a pound, or you're physically active, you may want to increase your daily caloric intake to 1000-2000 calories, a little less for women. Also consider that the more muscle mass you have, the more calories you need to function. The bad fats are saturated and trans fat, which you do not need any of in moderation. Someone on a 2000 calorie diet should consume less than 20 grams of saturated fat a day, and trans fat can and should be avoided all together. The good fats are plain fat, which you should eat about 30% of your calories in, and poly- and monounsaturated fats.

2. Don't fear fatty foods.
You need to consume fat from foods for your body to function correctly. However, it's important to choose the right kinds of fats: Most animal fats and some vegetable oils are high in calories and are high in the kind of fats that raise your LDL cholesterol levels; the bad cholesterol. Contrary to popular belief, eating cholesterol doesn't necessarily raise the amount of cholesterol in your body. If you give your body the right tools, it will flush excess cholesterol from your body. Those tools are monounsaturated fatty acids, which you should try to consume regularly. These are the good fats, and they help lower the bad cholesterol in your body by raising the good cholesterol. Foods that are high in monounsaturated fatty acids are olive oil, nuts, fish oil, and various seed oils. Adding these "good" fats to your weekly diet can lower your cholesterol and reduce your risk of heart disease. Consider sautéing vegetables in small amounts of olive oil, and grabbing a hand full of mixed nuts for a snack instead of a candy bar. There are also various supplements that contain these good fats that you can take daily.

3. Carbohydrates are important.
You need to eat foods high in carbs since they are your body's main source of energy. The trick is to choose the right carbs. Simple carbs like sugar and processed flour are quickly absorbed by the body's digestive system. This causes a kind of carb overload, and your body releases huge amounts of insulin to combat the overload. Not only is the excess insulin bad on your heart, but it encourages weight gain. Insulin is the main hormone in your body responsible for fat storage. Eat plenty of carbs, but eat carbs that are slowly digested by the body like whole grain flour, hearty vegetables, oats, and unprocessed grains like brown rice. These kinds of food not only contain complex carbs that are slowly digested by the body, but are usually higher in vitamins and other nutrients that are beneficial to the body and they are higher in fiber which keeps your digestive system running smoothly.

4. Eat larger meals early in the day.
Your metabolism slows down towards the end of the evening and is less efficient at digesting foods. That means more of the energy stored in the food will be stored as fat and your body won't absorb as many nutrients from the meal. Many American families tend to have their big meal at dinner time. The problem with this is your day is basically over, and your body's need for energy isn't as great as it is early in the day. This large meal, late in the day, can also make you feel tired, and who wants to feel too tired to have fun now that the workday is over? Try eating a medium-sized meal for breakfast, a large meal for lunch, and a small meal for dinner. Better yet, try eating 4-6 small meals over the course of your day. That keeps your body fueled for the whole day without dumping a large amount of food into your stomach, which your body might have a hard time digesting.

5. Don't skip breakfast!
Many people do because they don't feel they need to eat breakfast, or they just don't feel hungry first thing in the morning. Research shows that people who skip breakfast are usually fatter than those who eat a well balanced breakfast. Although you might not feel hungry first thing in the morning, if you skip breakfast you will feel extra hungry come lunch time, making you more prone to overeating for your afternoon meal. In addition, skipping breakfast makes your body think that you are starving. After all, by lunch time, you may not have eaten in almost eighteen hours. For the rest of the day after you skip breakfast, your body will store up most of the energy you get from food, instead of allowing you to burn it, in anticipation of food scarcity. Not only will this cause you to be tired during the day when your body isn't using the food that you ate, but the extra energy stored up will result in weight gain.

6. Make eating fun.
Avoiding simple carbs and fatty foods doesn't need to be boring. Have fun not only with the food, but with the meal. Eating with family and friends makes the meal more satisfying than eating in front of the TV or in the car on the way home from work. You will also eat more slowly when enjoying your meal, which gives your body time to feel full before you burst a button. There are more creative cooking resources available to us than ever before. You can find great tasting recipes in magazines, books, and right here on the Internet. Eating baked fish three or four times a week can get boring, so do a little recipe hunting to find more exciting ways to prepare your meals.

7. Buy non-fat or reduced fat foods.
This is done not to avoid getting fat, because eating fat will not make you fat. And it's not about eating fewer calories. It's about control. Control over what kinds of fats you put in your body. For instance, olive oil has many health benefits, so buy non-fat or reduced fat salad dressing and add a table spoon of olive oil to the jar. You'll have a salad dressing that tastes great, and is also better for your health. So buy the non-fat foods so you can replace the missing fat with "good" fats. Remember, you do need to eat a moderate amount of fat each day. Fat is something that can be very deceiving. For example, if your trying to lose weight, you're going to look for food with low fat content. However,there are some foods that have good fats, these fats are like monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat. These fats add calories from fat, and so does trans fat and saturated fat, so they combine, which can be confusing. It's important to look at the saturated and trans fat content. If you see 20 calories from fat on the label, but 0g of trans fat and saturated fat, that means that there is polyunsaturated fat and/or monounsaturated fat. Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat are good for you. They protect your heart and increase 'good' cholesterol. It's good to have enough good fats, but all good things have to come to an end.

8. Give yourself a cheat day.
Cheating doesn't mean pigging all day on all the wrong foods once a week, it means enjoying a food you really love once a week. Have a couple slices of greasy pizza on Sundays, or a big slice of double chocolate cake on Saturdays. This cheat day will help you stick to the change in diet, and in some ways it's actually good for your body. Special occasions, such as birthdays in the family, count as cheat days.
9. Avoid excess amounts of alcohol.
You know that heavy drinking is bad for your body, but it's also bad for your will power. A heavy night of drinking could send you to the fridge pigging out on all the wrong foods. However, many studies show that a beer or glass of wine a day is actually good for the body. Wine contains anti-oxidants which help fight illness and that moderate amount of alcohol can help you relax. Excess caffeine can also be bad for the body since caffeine stimulates your body into producing insulin in the same way that carbs do.

Tips

* Eating healthy will give you some health benefits, but you won't achieve the full benefits possible unless you exercise. Exercising doesn't have to be hard, and you don't even have to break a sweat. Just going for a short 30 minute walk four times a week will greatly improve your health.
* If you consume more calories than your body needs each day, your body will store the excess energy as fat. In today's society, that excess body fat is unnecessary. We are no longer hunter/gatherers. Your next meal is as close as your local grocery store and we don't need extra energy stores to hold us over till the next meal.
* Use extra virgin olive oil when cooking. It's purer, and is better for your heart than other kinds of olive oil. The darker the better. Furthermore, "light" olive oil has as many Calories as extra virgin olive oil -- the "light" refers to the color and flavor intensity. Unfortunately, though, using extra virgin olive oil when cooking at higher temperatures ruins the flavors that make it "extra virgin". But olive oil isn't necessarily the most healthy oil, canola oil may be better.
* This takes patience. You won't see a drastic drop in your cholesterol level or weight or increase in your energy level immediately. You need to give the changes in diet some time to kick in.
* Have a positive and upbeat attitude. If you start your new diet thinking "This is something I have to do," instead of "This is something I want to do," then you've already failed before you started.
* Adding whole, unrefined grains to the diet can add valuable vitamins and minerals that would otherwise be lost, however it can completely upset our digestion as well. Many animals that eat grains have 4 stomachs they use to digest them adequately, and ferment them so they can uptake nutrients. Humans have only one stomach, and if you introduce grains without first fermenting or sprouting them you may experience digestive upsets. There are various anti nutrients in grains (like phytic acid) and enzyme inhibitors that will prevent mineral absorption and lead to deficiencies and digestive problems. To remedy this, take oatmeal and soak it the night before in a little bit of yogurt. This will make it taste slightly sour, but make it more digestible. Sourdough bread is also another good example.

* Lettuce is a great choice of natural fiber, and can taste great with the proper healthy dressings. You can make a great salad with nuts, raisins, and whole wheat croutons. Mix it in a bowl so it's evenly distributed and place it on top of a salad. Use a sugar free and low carb balsamic dressing; it has less than 1 gram of carbohydrates and 0 Calories. The head of lettuce is 21 Calories, plus the nuts and raisins and whole wheat croutons which could range depending on size but for this example we will estimate 100 Calories, bringing you a very low calorie and filling meal for only ~120 Calories.
* Choose wheat (brown) bread instead of white bread. Processed carbohydrates such as those found in white bread are harder to draw nutrients from, and therefore are seen as empty Calories.
* Smoothies are great for breakfast. Combine the following:
o banana
o 4 medium-size strawberries
o 1/2 cup of skim milk or soy milk
* For protein, try substituting beans for higher calorie foods like boneless skinless chicken breasts, or tuna. Not only will you be getting additional phytochemicals from the plant based protein, it will not have the harmful saturated fat content. Remember that even an orange has more than 5% of its calories from protein!
* Non-fat yogurt can make a great snack, and its healthy bacteria can help with various stomach problems.
* Carry water with you at all times. Try to drink water in place of soft drinks and other flavored beverages. A good rule of thumb is to drink half your body weight in ounces per day.
* Consider eating organic. Organic food isn't made with the use of a lot of harmful chemicals, or other harmful processes. Not only is organic food good for you, but it is sustainable and good for the environment too! Other foods can be extremely harmful to the environment.
* Read the labels on everything you eat. Don't just buy something because it is marketed as being "healthy." Lots of companies trying to sell their food off as healthy when really it is full of high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, trans fats, and hidden sugars. This is also the best way to learn about a product. It gives you almost all the information about that product you'll ever need. If you're trying to lose weight, try to choose foods with low calories. If you want to gain weight for a football team or some such reason, you are going to choose food with lots of calories. However, too many calories, not enough exercise, and eating too much at one time, can make you fat.

Warnings

* There is a vibrant debate in health circles about whether organic food is healthier. Some believe that the chemicals in conventional foods are just as safe and healthy as the expensive organic alternatives. Organic food advocates would argue the opposite. Everyone agrees that organic options have just as many calories as non-organic options. So even if it is organic, make sure you pay attention to your calorie intake.
* You should always consult your doctor before making drastic changes to your diet and your lifestyle.
* Excess body fat is hard on your body. It's hard on your heart because it needs to work extra hard to push blood through your larger body. Your body builds extra veins that run through the extra body fat and has to work harder to push blood through those veins.
* Excess body weight is also hard on your muscles and joints. Carrying around extra weight puts more pressure on your knees, hips, and back. While this might not have a huge effect in your youth, you will feel it as you get older.
* Any drastic change in your diet can cause constipation, so make sure you eat a lot of dark green leafy vegetables, and other naturally high fiber foods. Your digestive system will typically adjust after a week or two, but you should consult your doctor if it continues. (Other good sources of fiber include: flax seed, psyllium, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and beans!-- Remember, you can always look at the nutrition facts to see the daily percentage of fiber given in different foods. For fresh, unpackaged foods, you can look up nutrition facts online; although, it usually won't ever hurt you to eat fresh, unpackaged fruits and veggies!)
* Make sure there isn't a lot of unhealthy food in your house that can tempt you. Give or throw away the foods you shouldn't eat. You can't eat what you don't buy!
* Please do not underfeed yourself. Even if you have extra body fat, do not let yourself go hungry. That is worse than being fat. Eating the right food and exercising daily is a much better way to lose weight!
* Sugar resembles fat in many ways. There, again, is good sugar and bad sugar. We all like sugar, it's natural. And that doesn't mean if your trying to loose weight, you can't have sugar at all. The bad sugar, sucrose, makes you fat, because its high in calories, and it's sweet. The good sugar, glucose, is a natural sugar that comes from fruits and other natural plant sources. Glucose, the good sugar, goes into your blood, not your belly. It 'enriches' your blood, in a way. Sucrose, the bad sugar, doesn't go into your blood like glucose does. To put it simply, its raw energy turned into a sweetener, and when energy isn't used (exercise), it's stored (fat). That's why, on the label, sugars are below carbohydrates and indented, indicating that it is related to carbohydrates. So eat fruits, avoid candy and sweets if you're trying to lose weight.

source:.wikihow.com

‘Virus is passed from parent to child in DNA’

A virus that causes a universal childhood infection is often passed from parent to child at birth, not in the blood but in the DNA, US researchers said on Tuesday.

They found that most babies infected with the HHV-6 virus, which causes roseola, had the virus integrated into their chromosomes. Not only that, but either the father or mother also had the virus in the chromosomes, suggesting it was a so-called germline transmission -- passed on in egg or sperm.

"This is really a unique mechanism for congenital infections," said Dr Caroline Breese Hall, a pediatrician at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York who led the study published in the journal Pediatrics.

Her team is now investigating what this means for the children.

"If you have a chromosome that has got a virus integrated into it, what does it mean? What does it do? Can it activate again? Can it start spewing out virus and cause problems? Can you get an immune response to it?" she said in a telephone interview.

The questions are critical because nearly everybody is infected with HHV-6. It is a herpes virus that causes roseola -- an infection marked by high fever and the usual vague virus symptoms that may include respiratory or stomach problems.

About 20 percent of children also have a characteristic sudden rash that appears just as the fever breaks.

Hall's team studied 250 infants, 85 with HHV-6. Of them, 43 were born with the virus and 42 were infected later.

Most of the babies born with the virus -- a congenital infection -- had the virus in the chromosome. Hall said the assumption had been that the virus somehow crossed the placenta from mother to child, but in 86 percent of cases, it was inherited directly in the genetic material.

Just 14 percent were infected across the placenta.

Tests showed either the mother or the father -- but not both -- also had HHV-6 in the chromosomes.

"Because we know a parent already had the virus in the chromosome, we know that it didn't spontaneously wiggle its way in once the baby got it," Hall said.

There were several spots where the virus integrated into the DNA, but usually right at the end of the chromosome, where a key structure called the telomere is found. Telomeres protect the chromosome and are involved in aging and immune response.

The virus is everywhere in people who inherit it, Hall said. "In your hair, your nails, your skin, your blood, and at very high titers (levels)," she said.

The babies infected this way did not appear ill but Hall wants to follow them as they grow up to see if they develop normally. They all had antibodies to HHV-6, which is evidence of an immune reaction of some sort.

There is no drug licensed to treat HHV-6 infection.

Other viruses are known to integrate into the DNA and pass on from parent to child, but these so-called human endogenous retroviruses have never been known to cause symptoms or activate an immune response.

source:zeenews.com

Is Sex Safe During Pregnancy?

Can pregnancy and sex go hand in hand? Yes they can, because great sex requires a flexibility of thought, and a willingness to discover the unknown.

Pregnancy is the most beautiful phase of a woman's life, but that doesn't mean putting a lid on one's sexual desires. Yet, sex during pregnancy remains a big taboo. A study at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill suggests that sex may actually be beneficial in encouraging pregnancies to go full-term.

"During the first trimester we avoided having intercourse as it was a strict no no from my gynecologist. But yes, intimate the sensations seemed heightened, despite the initial, 'Oh my gosh, are we going to hurt the baby?' Now in the second trimester, it's becoming a little more awkward, especially now that I'm showing. We've had to adjust a little bit, position-wise, but the intimacy hasn't changed," says Renuka Roy (name changed), a marketing executive with a MNC.

Change is quite evident, both physically and emotionally during pregnancy. There is also a change in one's innate beliefs. Women may feel large and uncomfortable, whereas men generally find the pregnant body very erotic and desirable. Dr. Rajan B Bhonsle, Hon. Prof & HOD Dept of Sexual Medicine KEM Hospital explains, "The first three months are very delicate and we advise no sex. Intercourse and intimacy are two very different things. Getting intimate is advised, but definitely not intercourse. Moreover, one should try and understand the emotional changes a woman undergoes. The desire to be a mother is very high in her. At this stage, there is also an increase in vaginal lubrication."

"Due to some medical problem, my doctor advised me to abstain from intercourse. Even having an orgasm was banned at week 15. Now I am in my second trimester and I think the lack of sex has created a distance between me and my husband. I am afraid we won't get the magic back when there's a newborn baby in the house" affirms Nishta Chopra, a teacher.

"The hormonal fluctuations in a woman during pregnancy also play an important part in her reactions to making love, as do the trimesters. Many women are too fatigued and nauseated to be interested in sex during the first trimester, while the second trimester brings on a new sense of delight as her abdomen grows, and again later in the third trimester the desire may wane," explains Dr. Bhonsle

One should clearly understand that sex and sexuality are very different entities and a woman can express her sexuality even without having actual sexual intercourse. A couple may choose to give each other sexual and sensual pleasures like kissing, cuddling and caressing to bring each other closer.

Sex positions

Woman on top
Spooning (Man behind woman, rear entry)
Hands and Knees
Sexual practices during pregnancy will depend on:

Your previous beliefs about sex
Physical aspects of your pregnancy
Emotional aspects of your pregnancy
Or more bluntly put, whatever works!
When not to have sex and/or orgasms during pregnancy:

Your practitioner has advised against it
You have a history of premature birth or labor
Placenta previa (where part of the placenta is covering the cervix)
Your water has broken
You are currently experiencing bleeding
You or your partner is affected by STD

source:timesofindia