Forget that “it” handbag, those coveted shoes, or designer belt you’ve been eyeing, it seems the new accessory among the celebrity set these days is the glow of pregnancy. Everyone from Angelina Jolie to Jamie Lynn Spears, and most recently Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s teenage daughter are popping up pregnant and reveling in motherhood. With 2007s independent hit “Juno,” an endearing dramedy about a reluctant teenage pregnancy and the hardships involved facing adoption, there have been more Juno’s in recent years than hush-hush clinic appointments, a new study reports. The Guttmacher Institute, founded in 1968 as The Center for Family Planning Program Development, uses public education, social science research and policy analysis to teach and encourage sexual and reproductive health. Combined studies by the institute and collected data records from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that the abortion rate from 1974-2004 has dropped 33 percent from an average 29 per 1,000 women ages 15-44 to 20 per 1,000 women in recent years. Their new study finds that the abortion rate among teens has dropped 50 percent while the abortion rate among 20 and 30 year olds has increased. This change has taken place over the past 30 years since Roe vs. Wade legalized abortion in 1973, and the demographics have shifted substantially.
A senior researcher from the Guttmacher Institute, Rachel Jones comments about the US demographic having abortions nowadays, "They are older, they are more likely to be unmarried, more likely to be mothers, and they are more likely to be women of color." Jones continues that they are more likely to come from a low income household as well, "We know from other research that having lower income makes a woman more likely to get an abortion. Women of color tend to be lower-income, and so in turn when confronted with an unintended pregnancy are more likely to have an abortion," she said.
The good news is that teen abortions have steadily declined over the last three decades but when one number lowers another is sure to rise and the rate of abortions among older women in their 20s and 30s has increased. Even though rates of abortion have declined over all demographics, there is still a large discrepancy among certain ethnic groups. Researchers found that Hispanic and black women were three to five times more likely to have an abortion than white women.
Jones accredits these findings to furthering sexual education and promoting contraceptive use in schools. "We've made the most important progress in reducing teen pregnancy and abortion rate, [rather] than reducing unintended pregnancy in older women.”
While education in schools has been successful in raising awareness and lowering teen pregnancy and the teenage abortion rate, once girls hit their early-20s there isn’t much left to educate them with, but the numbers are still rising. The institute points the finger of blame at a financial burden for the rise of abortions among older women. If women don’t have access to proper insurance coverage, unplanned pregnancies are more than likely to result because of improper precautions. The study, although praising lower numbers and better educational support, ended with a new goal: to unearth a new investigation into the socioeconomic gap in health care.Planned Parenthood’s Laurie Rubiner, vice president of public policy says, "When you don't have access to affordable birth control, rates of unintended pregnancy are going to be higher. That's a sad and real-life consequence of the health insurance gap." I was under the impression that providing confidential health care and sexual and reproductive information to people regardless of insurance was the main goal and cause of Planned Parenthood’s success for the last 90 years. Planned Parenthood’s website recites its services as, “Planned Parenthood is America’s most trusted provider of reproductive health care. Our skilled health care professionals are dedicated to offering men, women, and teens the highest quality medical care and the most affordable products.” Whatever the reasons, we may never be able to close the gap completely between affordable health care and lower income families but we can encourage better information and educational references for older women and hope for lower numbers in the future. With celebrity’s babies making up most of today’s headlines, the negative stigma of pregnancy is gone and has been replaced with organic baby products, natural baby food recipes, and an influx of celebrities taking time off to be parents. It seems that pregnant teens nowadays have realized that the positive attention is put on those who have the privilege of being a parent, even in a world where marriages aren’t guaranteed and money isn’t always flowing—that pair of Louboutin’s can wait.
Showing posts with label health tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health tips. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Flu Shots During Pregnancy Can Protect Your Infant
Mothers are given many pointers when trying to have healthy babies, such as eat right, reduce stress, take your vitamins, exercise etc. Now, you may want to add getting a flu shot to the list. Currently, only 12 percent of American expectant mothers get a flu shot that could possibly help to not only ward off the dangerous virus for the mother, but also for the baby. Flu shots are not recommended for babies under six months old and antiviral drug treatments for the virus are not approved for children under a year old, which lends for the potential of babies contracting a possibly deadly virus. Recently a clinical trial conducted in Bangladesh, led by Mark C. Steinhoff, M.D., for Baltimore's Johns Hopkins University, has revealed that a mother who receives a flu shot while pregnant can potentially protect their babies from the flu virus up to 6 months after their birth. The study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, involved 340 expectant mothers who had not received a flu vaccine in at least three years. Through their study, researchers determined with the flu shot, infant’s risk of contracting the virus was reduced by at least 63 percent and 29 percent reduced risk for respiratory infections. For every 16 mothers vaccinated, one case of the confirmed flu was prevented. Mothers and babies risks of respiratory disease with a fever, was reduced by a third, and the vaccination prevented respiratory disease along with fever, for every 100 expecting mothers who were vaccinated, to only 14 infants and seven mothers.Even though the United States,Center for Disease Control recommends pregnant women receive flu shots, it seems either communication from doctors isn’t strong enough or maybe the information isn’t being communicated at all. Especially since so few pregnant women actually get a flu shot. The study recently released was conducted from 2004 to 2005 and during that time it was recommended that mothers receive the vaccine in their third trimester, but at least four weeks before delivery. It is now being recommended that expectant mothers get their flu shot a few weeks before flu season starts. To not only protect their baby, but also help to ward off the virus for the mom.Pregnant women get your flu shots! Dr. Steinhoff said in a news release, "Infants under six months have the highest rates of hospitalization from influenza among children in the U.S.” However, based on the new study, the odds of infants contracting the flu could be cut in more than half, with their mothers being vaccinated. Dr. Steinhoff stated, "Our study shows that a newborn's risk of infection can be greatly reduced by vaccinating Mom during pregnancy. It's a two-for-one benefit."
Offspring of Older Men at Greater Risk for Bipolar Disorder
Men over the age of 30 who father children increase the risk for their offspring to develop bipolar disorder, commonly called manic depression. In addition, the risk for the condition increases with the age of a father, up to 37 percent when a new father reaches the age of 55.
Bipolar disorder is a brain disorder that causes a fluctuation between intense depression and mania, including extreme shifts in mood, energy and ability to function with periods of relative calm in between. It is characterized by high periods of elation or irritability and low periods of sadness and hopelessness that can last as long as months. About 1 in every 100 people will develop bipolar disorder in their lifetime. The exact causes the condition are not known, but it seems to run in families.
The findings of the study support evidence that children of older fathers share an increased risk of psychological conditions including bipolar disorder, autism and schizophrenia. The theory behind this evidence is based on the genetics of aging sperm. As a man ages, spontaneous mutations can accumulate in the genes of his sperm cells. By some estimates, the cells can divide as many as 660 times by the time a man reaches age 40. With each division comes an increased risk of acquiring a harmful mutation from erroneous gene copying.
This risk does not include women. Unlike men, who make new sperm throughout their adult life, women are born with all their eggs. DNA copy errors don't increase in number with maternal age. However, women do have a higher risk of giving birth to a child with Down syndrome as they become older.
Emma Frans, an epidemiologist at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, led the Swedish research team. During the study, the group identified 13,428 men and women who had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder by using a national medical registry. For each one of these people, five control subjects of the same sex and age who did not have the condition were randomly selected. Once they factored in maternal age, the group found that children born to fathers older than 30 years of age had an 11 percent greater risk of developing bipolar disorder when compared to children of younger fathers and children with fathers older than 55 had a 37 percent greater risk. The researchers also accounted for education level, age of the mother, family history of psychotic disorders and the number of children the mother had.
In a telephone interview, Frans noted that the findings do not mean that older men should not become fathers, as the overall risk is still low. She said, "The study sheds light on the negative effect of older fathers but most older men will still have healthy children."
The findings of the study are published in the Archives of General Psychiatry.
Bipolar disorder is a brain disorder that causes a fluctuation between intense depression and mania, including extreme shifts in mood, energy and ability to function with periods of relative calm in between. It is characterized by high periods of elation or irritability and low periods of sadness and hopelessness that can last as long as months. About 1 in every 100 people will develop bipolar disorder in their lifetime. The exact causes the condition are not known, but it seems to run in families.
The findings of the study support evidence that children of older fathers share an increased risk of psychological conditions including bipolar disorder, autism and schizophrenia. The theory behind this evidence is based on the genetics of aging sperm. As a man ages, spontaneous mutations can accumulate in the genes of his sperm cells. By some estimates, the cells can divide as many as 660 times by the time a man reaches age 40. With each division comes an increased risk of acquiring a harmful mutation from erroneous gene copying.
This risk does not include women. Unlike men, who make new sperm throughout their adult life, women are born with all their eggs. DNA copy errors don't increase in number with maternal age. However, women do have a higher risk of giving birth to a child with Down syndrome as they become older.
Emma Frans, an epidemiologist at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, led the Swedish research team. During the study, the group identified 13,428 men and women who had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder by using a national medical registry. For each one of these people, five control subjects of the same sex and age who did not have the condition were randomly selected. Once they factored in maternal age, the group found that children born to fathers older than 30 years of age had an 11 percent greater risk of developing bipolar disorder when compared to children of younger fathers and children with fathers older than 55 had a 37 percent greater risk. The researchers also accounted for education level, age of the mother, family history of psychotic disorders and the number of children the mother had.
In a telephone interview, Frans noted that the findings do not mean that older men should not become fathers, as the overall risk is still low. She said, "The study sheds light on the negative effect of older fathers but most older men will still have healthy children."
The findings of the study are published in the Archives of General Psychiatry.
Childbirth and Postpartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM)
Pregnancy and the anticipation of new life is a time of excitement for most women. The gestation period is also tinged with some anxiety about the health of the child, and a safe delivery. Most pregnancies are relatively trouble-free, but there are those pregnancies which do not evolve as planned. Take a woman in her late thirties and pregnant for the third time. Previous pregnancies and deliveries were fairly routine and uncomplicated. Until today, this pregnancy was as normal as pregnancies ever are. Labor starts and after 30 some hours the doctor decides that a cesarean delivery is advisable. The operation proceeds normally and within the hour a new baby has arrived. The balance of the hospital stay meets the criteria established for release from the hospital and the new mother and baby go home. Within three days the mother is having problems breathing and relatives start to take her to the emergency room, but en route she cannot breathe at all and it is necessary to call for emergency transportation to complete the trip. The local hospital transfers the patient to a regional hospital that specializes in heart disorders.
The patient has been diagnosed with PPCM (peripartum cardiomyopathy). PPCM is a rare form of dilated cardiomyopathy in which a weakened heart is diagnosed in the final month of pregnancy or within a few months after delivery. Cardiomyopathy is considered peripartum when there is absence of heart disease prior to the pregnancy and no other cause can be found. As with all forms of heart problems the heart cannot effectively support the body and the condition affects the lungs, liver and other body systems. In this country, PPCM is a complication of 1 in every 2,000 - 4,000 deliveries. It can occur in any race, at any age during reproductive years, and during any pregnancy.
Symptoms can include difficulty breathing while lying flat, shortness of breath with exertion, edema, cough, frequent night-time urination, and heart palpitations. Patients as well as health care professionals frequently dismiss symptoms as part of normal pregnancy. Early detection and treatment are extremely important to the PPCM patient. Delays in treatment are associated with increased mortality.
PPCM has no known cause. Researchers are investigating viruses, auto immune system problems, nutrient or mineral deficiencies and genetics as possibilities that contribute to or cause PPCM.
The Internet Journal of Anesthesiology, 2007, Volume 12 Number 1 lists case histories of patients with PPCM and the treatments that were used for these patients. The underlying theme of this and other research is that both the patients and health care providers need to be more aware of the symptoms. Patients need to be persistent when seeking treatment if they exhibit any of the symptoms usually associated with PPCM.
In 2000 the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and Office of Rare Disease (National Institutes of Health) Workshop Recommendations and Review concluded: "Peripartum cardiomyopathy is a rare lethal disease about which little is known. Diagnosis is confined to a narrow period and requires echocardiograph evidence of left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Symptomatic patients should receive standard therapy for heart failure, managed by a multidisciplinary team. If subsequent pregnancies occur, they should be managed in collaboration with a high-risk perinatal center. Systematic data collection is required to answer important questions about incidence, treatment, and prognosis. "
A Mother's Heart is a non-profit online organization found at www.amothersheart.org dedicated to providing up-to-date medical information regarding the disease. It also provides the largest online support group for PPCM world-wide. Access to the support group is http://www.amothersheart.org/members/index.php
The patient has been diagnosed with PPCM (peripartum cardiomyopathy). PPCM is a rare form of dilated cardiomyopathy in which a weakened heart is diagnosed in the final month of pregnancy or within a few months after delivery. Cardiomyopathy is considered peripartum when there is absence of heart disease prior to the pregnancy and no other cause can be found. As with all forms of heart problems the heart cannot effectively support the body and the condition affects the lungs, liver and other body systems. In this country, PPCM is a complication of 1 in every 2,000 - 4,000 deliveries. It can occur in any race, at any age during reproductive years, and during any pregnancy.
Symptoms can include difficulty breathing while lying flat, shortness of breath with exertion, edema, cough, frequent night-time urination, and heart palpitations. Patients as well as health care professionals frequently dismiss symptoms as part of normal pregnancy. Early detection and treatment are extremely important to the PPCM patient. Delays in treatment are associated with increased mortality.
PPCM has no known cause. Researchers are investigating viruses, auto immune system problems, nutrient or mineral deficiencies and genetics as possibilities that contribute to or cause PPCM.
The Internet Journal of Anesthesiology, 2007, Volume 12 Number 1 lists case histories of patients with PPCM and the treatments that were used for these patients. The underlying theme of this and other research is that both the patients and health care providers need to be more aware of the symptoms. Patients need to be persistent when seeking treatment if they exhibit any of the symptoms usually associated with PPCM.
In 2000 the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and Office of Rare Disease (National Institutes of Health) Workshop Recommendations and Review concluded: "Peripartum cardiomyopathy is a rare lethal disease about which little is known. Diagnosis is confined to a narrow period and requires echocardiograph evidence of left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Symptomatic patients should receive standard therapy for heart failure, managed by a multidisciplinary team. If subsequent pregnancies occur, they should be managed in collaboration with a high-risk perinatal center. Systematic data collection is required to answer important questions about incidence, treatment, and prognosis. "
A Mother's Heart is a non-profit online organization found at www.amothersheart.org dedicated to providing up-to-date medical information regarding the disease. It also provides the largest online support group for PPCM world-wide. Access to the support group is http://www.amothersheart.org/members/index.php
Epsom Salt Reduces Risk of Cerebral Palsy in Premature Newborns
There is a simple treatment for women at risk of pre-term delivery that can reduce the risk of cerebral palsy in their babies by nearly half. It was recently found through a decades-long study that mothers given an infusion of Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) decreased the risk for cerebral palsy in their newborns by 45 percent. Healthcare providers consider the treatment a way of stabilizing an expectant mother's blood vessels that in turn keeps sufficient oxygen supplied to the brain of the baby.
Study lead author Dr. Dwight J. Rouse, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, said, "If deemed to be at high or immediate risk of delivery prior to 32 weeks, women and their doctors should consider using magnesium sulfate to prevent their child from having cerebral palsy."
Cerebral palsy is caused by injury to the part of the brain that controls muscle movements. Some children develop it after a head injury or brain infection, such as bacterial meningitis. Yet, the majority of cases occur just before birth, during delivery, or soon after. In fact, approximately one-third of all cerebral palsy cases are associated with pre-term birth.
Abnormal movement control and postures that cause limited activity are characteristic of cerebral palsy. This developmental brain disorder strikes 2 out of every 1,000 infants born in the United States. Experts are concerned that with a climbing premature infant survival rate there will also be a marked increase in the number of cases of cerebral palsy.
According to study co-author, Dr. Deborah Hirtz, a pediatric neurologist at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, "If we keep accelerating the rate at which we are able to save these very little babies, we are likely to see more cases of cerebral palsy, in which case we haven't saved them neurologically."
More than a decade of research involved over 2,200 women at hospitals across the United States who displayed signs of early labor and were at impending risk for pre-term delivery with fetus development being between 24 and 31 weeks. (According to the March of Dimes, babies born after 37 to 42 weeks of pregnancy are considered full term). These women were randomly given either intravenous magnesium sulfate or placebo in the hours before giving birth. Those receiving the magnesium sulfate cut the odds of their infants later developing cerebral palsy by almost half.
Researchers believe that these findings could potentially be one of largest breakthroughs for premature delivery in three decades. Yet, some experts advise caution and more study before routinely recommending the treatment to prevent cerebral palsy.
Rouse explained that in past studies, magnesium sulfate hasn't been proven as an effective treatment for delaying early labor, yet it has proven effective for treatment of maternal high blood pressure associated with pregnancy. He added, "Our findings are applicable only to early pre-term birth," defining high risk as threatening delivery prior to 32 weeks.
The findings are published in the Aug. 28 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Study lead author Dr. Dwight J. Rouse, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, said, "If deemed to be at high or immediate risk of delivery prior to 32 weeks, women and their doctors should consider using magnesium sulfate to prevent their child from having cerebral palsy."
Cerebral palsy is caused by injury to the part of the brain that controls muscle movements. Some children develop it after a head injury or brain infection, such as bacterial meningitis. Yet, the majority of cases occur just before birth, during delivery, or soon after. In fact, approximately one-third of all cerebral palsy cases are associated with pre-term birth.
Abnormal movement control and postures that cause limited activity are characteristic of cerebral palsy. This developmental brain disorder strikes 2 out of every 1,000 infants born in the United States. Experts are concerned that with a climbing premature infant survival rate there will also be a marked increase in the number of cases of cerebral palsy.
According to study co-author, Dr. Deborah Hirtz, a pediatric neurologist at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, "If we keep accelerating the rate at which we are able to save these very little babies, we are likely to see more cases of cerebral palsy, in which case we haven't saved them neurologically."
More than a decade of research involved over 2,200 women at hospitals across the United States who displayed signs of early labor and were at impending risk for pre-term delivery with fetus development being between 24 and 31 weeks. (According to the March of Dimes, babies born after 37 to 42 weeks of pregnancy are considered full term). These women were randomly given either intravenous magnesium sulfate or placebo in the hours before giving birth. Those receiving the magnesium sulfate cut the odds of their infants later developing cerebral palsy by almost half.
Researchers believe that these findings could potentially be one of largest breakthroughs for premature delivery in three decades. Yet, some experts advise caution and more study before routinely recommending the treatment to prevent cerebral palsy.
Rouse explained that in past studies, magnesium sulfate hasn't been proven as an effective treatment for delaying early labor, yet it has proven effective for treatment of maternal high blood pressure associated with pregnancy. He added, "Our findings are applicable only to early pre-term birth," defining high risk as threatening delivery prior to 32 weeks.
The findings are published in the Aug. 28 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Should Women Say NO to Caffeine During Pregnancy?
Caffeine is a morning ritual most people don't think twice about. In this age of Starbucks and $4 lattes, coffee seems to have become a regular part of the daily diet. Getting pregnant means having to change that habit, and the amount of caffeine intake, whether it is from coffee, tea, soda or other forms. Women who are pregnant and consume caffeine, even as little as one cup of coffee a day, are at a higher risk of delivering an underweight baby. In January 2008, researchers from the U.S. found that pregnant women that consumed two or more cups of coffee daily are at twice the risk of having a miscarriage as those women who avoid caffeine during their pregnancy. These findings are the most recent in mounting evidence indicating that the amount of caffeine a person consumes could directly impact their health, especially women who are pregnant.Babies that are born underweight are more likely to develop a wide range of health conditions when they grow older, including problems such as heart problems, diabetes, and high blood pressure. There are also more serious complications that can arise with caffeine such as the caffeine can cause the blood vessels to constrict, and it may reduce the blood flow to the placenta, and since it is so easily crosses the placenta and reaches your baby (who then very slowly metabolizes it), caffeine may directly affect his developing cells. It has also been show that pregnant women who drink eight or more cups of coffee a day double the risk of having a stillbirth or miscarriage.In the U.S. study, women who were pregnant that consumed one to two cups of coffee per day, or between 100-199 milligrams, had a 20 percent increased risk of having a baby with a low birth weight. This data was compared to the women how consumed less than 100 milligrams per day.Justin Konje and his colleagues from the University of Leicester in Britain wrote, “Caffeine consumption during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of fetal growth restriction and this association continued throughout pregnancy. Sensible advice would be to reduce caffeine intake before conception and throughout pregnancy.”Konje and his research team, which included some researchers from the University of Leeds, looked at approximately 2,645 women at an average age of 30 who were between 8 and 12 months into their pregnancy. The women studied reported an average caffeine intake during their pregnancy of 159 milligrams daily, which is lower than the new recommended limits of 200 milligrams in Britain.The likelihood of having a baby with a low birth weight rose to 50 percent for women that consumed between 200 milligrams and 299 milligrams daily, which is about two to three cups of coffee. Even small amount of caffeine may prove to be harmful, but Konje said that the best advice would be to limit caffeine consumption to below 100 milligrams daily. “We couldn’t say that there was a lower limit for which there is no effect,” he stated. “My advice is if possible to reduce caffeine intake to a minimum. You have to be realistic because you can’t ask people to stop taking caffeine.”It is never easy to just completely cut off caffeine when you are used to having it every day. If you are a devoted cola drinker or java junkie, you may experience caffeine withdrawal and it won’t be easy. To minimize the symptoms of caffeine withdrawal, which may include lethargy, irritability, and headaches, you may want to ease of gradually. You can start mixing decaf with you regular cup of caffeinated coffee. Or you can reduce the caffeine in homemade hot beverages by simply brewing them weaker or for a shorter time. If you happen to love a cup of soothing English Breakfast, steeping you tea bag for just one minute instead of five minutes reduces the caffeine by as much as half.Although herb teas often have no caffeine in them, be sure to read the ingredients list and speak with you healthcare provider before trying anything new, as certain herbs and additives are not safe during a pregnancy.Here is a chart of amounts of caffeine in common food and beverages to help you decide what to cut back on.For the Coffee Lovers generic brewed coffee 8 oz 102-200 mgStarbucks brewed coffee 16 oz (grande) 330 mgDunkin' Donuts brewed coffee 16 oz 206 mgStarbucks caffÉ latte or cappuccino 16 oz (grande) 150 mgStarbucks caffÉ latte or cappuccino 12 oz (tall) 75 mgStarbucks espresso 1 oz (1 shot ) 75 mgGeneric espresso 1 oz (1 shot) 30-90 mggeneric instant coffee 8 oz 27-173 mggeneric decaffeinated coffee 8 oz 3-26 mgFor the Tea Drinkers brewed black tea, 8 oz 40-120 mgBrewed green tea 8 oz 30-50 mgdecaffeinated black tea 8 oz 2 mgTazo Chai Tea latte Starbucks 16 oz (grande) 100 mgNestea 12 oz 26 mgSnapple 16 oz 42 mgLipton Brisk iced tea 12 oz 10 mgSoft drinks Coke 12 oz 35 mgPepsi 12 oz 38 mgJolt Cola 12 oz 72 mgMountain Dew 12 oz 54 mg7-Up 12 oz 0 mgSierra Mist 12 oz 0 mgSprite 12 oz 0 mgEnergy drinks Red Bull 8.3 oz 80 mgSoBe Essential Energy, orange or berry 8 oz 48 mgSoBe No Fear 8 oz 83 mgDesserts dark chocolate 1.45-oz bar 31 mgmilk chocolate 1.45-oz bar 11 mgfrozen yogurt or coffee ice cream 8 oz 50-60 mghot cocoa 8 oz 3-13 mg
Depression During Pregnancy Can Double Risk of Premature Birth
Mothers-to-be who suffer from depression have been shown to have twice the risk of delivering a premature infant than pregnant women that have no symptoms of depression. This risk for premature infants increases as the symptoms of depression become more severe.In a new study, which is among the first to study depression and premature births in a representative and diverse population in the U.S., looked at approximately 791 pregnant Kaiser Permanente members that were in San Francisco City and county from October of 1996 through October of 1998. According to the researchers, the findings provide preliminary evidence that reproductive and social risk factors, stressful events, and obesity may exacerbate the depression-premature delivery link. Because the majority of the mothers in this study did not take anti-depressants, the study provides a clear look at the link between the premature delivery and depression.The researchers interviewed the mothers around their tenth week of pregnancy and found that 41 percent reported significant or severe depression symptoms. The women that had symptoms that were less severe had a 60 percent higher risk of premature birth when compared with the women without significant symptoms of depression. However, the women that had severe symptoms of depression had more than twice the risk as the other for premature birth.The lead author of the study, Dr. De-Kun Li, who is a reproductive and perinatal epidemiologist at Kaiser Permanente’s Division of Research located in Oakland, said, “Preterm delivery is the leading cause of infant mortality, and yet we don’t know what causes it. What we do know is that a healthy pregnancy requires a healthy placenta, and that placental function is influenced by hormones, which are in turn influenced by the brain.”The study has also added emerging evidence that depression during the early stages of pregnancy can interfere with the neuroendocrine pathways and in turn, function of the placenta. The placenta and neuroendocrine functions play a key role in maintaining a healthy pregnancy and determining when labor will occur.Li also stated, “Postpartum depression has been extensively studied and discussed by the public, but depression during pregnancy is significantly under-recognized and under-diagnosed. Clinicians should pay close attention to depression during pregnancy to catch it early…. If prenatal depression is indeed as prevalent as reported in this and other studies and doubles the risk of preterm delivery, then brining depression to the forefront of prenatal care could lead to a significant reduction of preterm deliveries.”Premature birth is the leading medical expenditure for infants. It is estimated to cost the United States $26 billion dollars annually. Presently, other than previous history of premature births, and some complications during pregnancy, very little is known of the origins and risk factors contributing to premature delivery. The key strengths of this study are that it ascertained that symptoms of depression early in the pregnancy, long before the premature birth occurred, therefore avoiding recall bias. In addition, the study was not clouded by the women taking medication for depression because only 1.5 percent of the study population had been prescribed antidepressants and could be excluded from the study analyses.
Larger Than Average Baby Girls Have Increased Risk of Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers among women in the United States. While all women are at risk for developing breast cancer some time in their life, certain factors have been linked to an increased chance of having the disease. Lifestyle choices such as smoking, drinking, lack of exercise and poor diet can be changed. However, other factors like a person’s age, race, genetics, or family history can’t be changed—no more than we can control our size at birth, which has now also been linked to an increase in breast cancer risk.Researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine compared the risk of getting breast cancer with birth size by reanalyzing the results of 32 studies, published and unpublished, which included more than 22,000 cases of breast cancer among more than 600,000 women. For accuracy, the scientists used only birth measurement data from official birth records and parent recall. They found that women who weighed 8.8 pounds or more at birth had a 12 percent increase in breast cancer risk compared to women weighing 6.6 to 7.69 pounds. Head circumferences of 13.7 inches or more boosted the risk 11 percent, compared to those whose head circumference was 12.9 inches. But birth length appeared to be the strongest independent predictor. Women who were 20 inches in length at birth had a 17 percent increased risk compared to those who were 19.29 inches.One explanation for the connection could be high maternal levels of an estrogen hormone called estradiol may somehow change the programming of the breast, making it more vulnerable to cancer, says the study’s lead author Isabel dos Santos Silva, MD, PhD, professor of epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Other growth hormones or even overactive stem cells could play a role. “Little is known on how the prenatal environment may affect breast cancer risk later in life,” she said. “Further research is needed to unravel the biological mechanisms underlying the birth size-breast cancer association.”“We are facing now a new reality: that breast cancer has its origins several decades before its clinical appearance,” said Dr. Dimitrios Trichopoulos, the Vincent L. Gregory Professor of Cancer Prevention at Harvard University School of Public Health Department of Epidemiology and author of an accompanying journal editorial. “Recognition of early life influences are critical in the etiology of breast cancer and helps to explain why several adult life primary prevention practices—as distinct to secondary prevention ones focusing on early detection—have been of limited effectiveness.”Debbie Saslow, director of breast and gynecologic cancer at the American Cancer Society said women should not be concerned, no matter their birth size. “There is nothing that women should do differently to try to have smaller babies, or women who were born with a longer length or larger head circumference should do anything differently when they grow up or get screened differently, or consider themselves at high risk—it’s really just a research issue,” she said. “There’s good evidence for these findings, but there is really no clinical relevance for them,” she said. “It’s just one more piece of the puzzle that someday will help the research community better understand the multiple, interplaying causes of breast cancer.”According to the American Cancer Society, the chance of a women having invasive breast cancer at some point in her life is about 1 in 8. It is estimated that about 182,460 women in the United States will be found to have invasive breast cancer in 2008 and 40,480 will die from the disease. The study was published in the September 30 online edition of PLos Medicine.
What You Don’t Know About SIDS Could Hurt Everyone
I have heard that the joy of being a parent far surpasses any other life experience and that the feeling is hard to describe in words but is more than made up for with smiles and tears. Even though I can’t begin to contemplate the feeling of motherhood, the loss of motherhood is even more devastating to think about. Every day an average of seven babies die of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome—known as SIDS—and every day seven sets of parents go from the best feeling in the world to the worst feeling in the world. October is SIDS Awareness Month and because so much research is needed to figure out this confusing and traumatic event, we need all the awareness we can get. In October 2007, the Scripps Howard News Service started a reporting project called Saving Babies: Exposing Sudden Infant Death in America trying to understand the over 2,500 infant deaths per year in the United States alone and how SIDS may be the cause of most of them. SIDS can be the cause of an unexplained death of an infant from the age of one month to one year old. Called SIDS in America, North America also uses the term “crib death,” while the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand call it “cot death”. In most cases, the babies are usually found dead after having been put to bed and show no signs of struggling or suffering coinciding with a clean autopsy ruling out any possible medical reason for the cause of death. This program is aimed at instituting better regulations for investigating infant deaths, working under the assumption that some of the deaths could have been avoided but due to poorly funded and overseen research into these autopsies, parents are left more empty-handed than ever. First Candle, an organization specializing in infant health and safety, responded to the Saving Babies project, “We applaud the efforts of the Scripps Howard team in pulling together this in-depth study and opening the door for increased efforts in advocating for the mandatory use of standardized protocols for autopsies and death scene investigations, and consistency in the reporting of this data, for all sudden infant deaths,” said First Candle’s Executive Director Deb Boyd.
While there is not one main cause for SIDS, past research has narrowed the risk factors down to a prenatal and post-natal checklist formed by the pattern babies who have died of SIDS have shown. Prenatal risk factors for babies more susceptible to SIDS are: maternal nicotine use, inadequate prenatal care or nutrition, heroin or alcohol use, many births less than twelve months apart, carrying excess weight, pregnancy among teenagers, and the sex of the child with 61 percent of cases of SIDS being male. Post-natal risks include second-hand smoke exposure, not breastfeeding, high temperatures in the child’s room, lots of blankets or bedding in the crib, a low birth weight especially under 3 pounds, and putting babies to sleep on their stomachs.
Recently there has been a short relief in SIDS research because staph infections have been implicated in about 10 percent of SIDS deaths, a new study by The Women and Children’s Hospital in Adelaide, Australia was published in the September 2008 issue of the Archives of Disease in Childhood. Although this is a great advancement for the causes of SIDS and a break in the case that will most likely be followed up with better prevention for staph infections in the future, there are 90 percent of SIDS-related deaths that still need to be investigated. In order to save yourself or a loved one from the worst feeling in the world, get involved this October and become knowledgeable about SIDS so you can be prepared for the best part of pregnancy, parenthood.
While there is not one main cause for SIDS, past research has narrowed the risk factors down to a prenatal and post-natal checklist formed by the pattern babies who have died of SIDS have shown. Prenatal risk factors for babies more susceptible to SIDS are: maternal nicotine use, inadequate prenatal care or nutrition, heroin or alcohol use, many births less than twelve months apart, carrying excess weight, pregnancy among teenagers, and the sex of the child with 61 percent of cases of SIDS being male. Post-natal risks include second-hand smoke exposure, not breastfeeding, high temperatures in the child’s room, lots of blankets or bedding in the crib, a low birth weight especially under 3 pounds, and putting babies to sleep on their stomachs.
Recently there has been a short relief in SIDS research because staph infections have been implicated in about 10 percent of SIDS deaths, a new study by The Women and Children’s Hospital in Adelaide, Australia was published in the September 2008 issue of the Archives of Disease in Childhood. Although this is a great advancement for the causes of SIDS and a break in the case that will most likely be followed up with better prevention for staph infections in the future, there are 90 percent of SIDS-related deaths that still need to be investigated. In order to save yourself or a loved one from the worst feeling in the world, get involved this October and become knowledgeable about SIDS so you can be prepared for the best part of pregnancy, parenthood.
Blood Test Detects Down Syndrome (and More) with No Risk to Fetus
A newly developed blood DNA test given to expectant mothers can determine if an unborn baby has Down syndrome or other similar birth defects. Unlike invasive procedures such as the amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling (CVS), the test poses no risk to the fetus.Down syndrome occurs when a child has three, rather than two, copies of the 21st chromosome. The condition causes mild to moderate impairment of cognitive ability. Common physical traits of Down syndrome are low muscle tone, small stature, an upward slant to the eyes, and a single deep crease across the center of the palm. Down syndrome increases the risk for certain medical conditions such as congenital heart defects, respiratory and hearing problems, Alzheimer's disease, childhood leukemia, and thyroid conditions. One in every 733 babies is born with the condition and there are over 400,000 people living with Down syndrome in the United States.Stanford University bioengineer Stephen Quake, Ph.D., of Stanford University in California led the research team in creating a way to examine small amounts of fetal DNA that circulate in the mother's blood to look for extra chromosomes that trigger Down's syndrome and other similar birth defects. “We sequence millions of molecules from each blood sample and map the DNA back to the chromosome. And then we look to see if any chromosomes are over-represented,” Quake said.The test requires only a small blood sample from the mother, making it much safer than sticking a needle in the uterus as required by the amniocentesis, or using of CVS, which requires snipping off a small piece of the placenta for analysis. Both invasive procedures carry a risk of causing a miscarriage or birth defects.The blood test can also be done very early in a pregnancy, as early as five weeks after conception, with results available within a couple of days. With invasive procedures, which are typically done after the 15th week of pregnancy, results can take two to three weeks.Although Down syndrome is the most commonly occurring chromosomal condition, other dangerous chromosomal conditions exist that can also be detected by the new test. One such condition is Edward syndrome, a condition that is caused by the presence of three, as opposed to two, copies of chromosome 18 in a fetus or infant's cells. The syndrome occurs in about one in 3,000 pregnancies and approximately one in 6,000 live births and has a very low rate of survival due to heart abnormalities, kidney malformations, and other internal organ disorders.Another condition indicated by the new test is Patau syndrome, in which a patient has an additional chromosome 13. The condition causes numerous physical and mental abnormalities, with the most predominant being heart defects, and kills more than 80 percent of children in infancy. Patau syndrome affects approximately 1 in 12,000 live births.According to the researchers, the accuracy of the new test was demonstrated in a small study of 18 women and a single male donor where the nine women having a Down syndrome pregnancy were correctly identified. In addition, the test identified two of the women as carrying fetuses with Edward syndrome and one carrying a fetus with Patau syndrome. The test detected every genetic defect and was able to identify every normal pregnancy as well as the male donor.According to Quake in a telephone interview, “It's the first universal, noninvasive test for Down syndrome. So this should be the first step in putting an end to invasive testing procedures like amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling.”Although there are some other noninvasive prenatal tests available, such as the ultrasound, and blood tests like the alpha-fetoprotein test that can find potential signs of a chromosomal disorder such as Down syndrome, they cannot diagnose with certainty. Quake said that these tests are “indirect and weak predictors of what's going on.”Quake said the next step is to perform a much larger study and that the new test could be widely available in two or three years, possibly becoming a routine prenatal test of a baby's health. Currently, the test would cost about $700. But that cost would drop considerably if it were widely used. The study can be found in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
How is the back made up?
How is the back made up?
The major feature is the spine. This is a highly complex and delicate structure which is made up of 33 small bones called vertebrae.
In between each vertebra is a disc which acts as a shock absorber, and stops the bones rubbing together.
The discs are made up of a jelly like substance, which is protected by a tough, fibrous outer casing.
The spine is supported by specialised back muscles, and an array of ligaments, nerves and tendons.
What causes back pain?
As the spine is such a complex structure, it can often be difficult to pin down the exact cause of back pain.
Probably the most common cause is when the back muscles begin to spasm.
This can often occur after strenuous activity, or can be a reaction to repetitive strain.
The muscle is damaged, or irritated, and goes into spasm to protect the area from further injury.
This can be extremely painful, and can lead to muscle tears if undue stress is exerted.
Other causes of back pain include arthritis, fractures and infections.
In many cases experts believe back pain is a manifestation of emotional upset, rather than a physical problem.
More serious causes can include a prolapsed disc, or degenerative diseases of the spine - but these are relatively rare.
Are certain parts of the back more vulnerable?
Yes. The lower - or lumbar - region of the back is particularly prone to injury.
This because it bears the entire weight of the upper body, and is twisted and bent more than other parts.
As a result it inevitably suffers more wear and tear.
Why is back pain on the increase?
Experts believe that a major factor is the modern tendency to lead a sedentary lifestyle, both at work and home.
Spending long stretches of time sitting in one position - often with the back not properly supported - is not good for the spine.
The reliance on comfy soft furnishing may seem appealing - but often it encourages us to adopt a poor posture.
Back pain is much less common in places such as India, where many more people are used to sitting on the floor, which is thought to allow the back muscles to find their own natural position.
What is the treatment?
For most cases of back pain the only treatment is pain relief, often through the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin.
Physiotherapy, heat therapy, massage and hydrotherapy can help.
How can you minimise the risk?
The spine is naturally curved into an S shape. The best way to keep it healthy is to try to maintain this shape as much as possible.
This is particularly important when performing tasks, such as lifting, that carry an increased risk of injury.
Strengthening the back muscles, keeping fit by taking regular exercise, and maintaining a healthy weight can all help to minimise the risk of back pain.
It is also important to have a mattress that properly supports the body while you are asleep.
If you do have a bad back probably the worst thing you can do is take to your bed.
Experts believe that it is best to stay as active as you possibly can.
Could there be another explanation for back pain?
Some lumbar and lower spinal pain is caused by patients having one leg longer than the other.
This puts the pelvis out of alignment causing pain, which without correction leads to long term compensatory problems such as back pain.
In this case it might be wise to consult a podiatrist who will measure the patient's limbs and if required provide either an orthoses - an orthopedic appliance used to support, align, prevent, or correct deformities - or arrange to modify the patients shoe to correct the difference.
=========================================================================
How is the back made up?
The major feature is the spine. This is a highly complex and delicate structure which is made up of 33 small bones called vertebrae.
In between each vertebra is a disc which acts as a shock absorber, and stops the bones rubbing together.
The discs are made up of a jelly like substance, which is protected by a tough, fibrous outer casing.
The spine is supported by specialised back muscles, and an array of ligaments, nerves and tendons.
What causes back pain?
As the spine is such a complex structure, it can often be difficult to pin down the exact cause of back pain.
Probably the most common cause is when the back muscles begin to spasm.
This can often occur after strenuous activity, or can be a reaction to repetitive strain.
The muscle is damaged, or irritated, and goes into spasm to protect the area from further injury.
This can be extremely painful, and can lead to muscle tears if undue stress is exerted.
Other causes of back pain include arthritis, fractures and infections.
In many cases experts believe back pain is a manifestation of emotional upset, rather than a physical problem.
More serious causes can include a prolapsed disc, or degenerative diseases of the spine - but these are relatively rare.
Are certain parts of the back more vulnerable?
Yes. The lower - or lumbar - region of the back is particularly prone to injury.
This because it bears the entire weight of the upper body, and is twisted and bent more than other parts.
As a result it inevitably suffers more wear and tear.
Why is back pain on the increase?
Experts believe that a major factor is the modern tendency to lead a sedentary lifestyle, both at work and home.
Spending long stretches of time sitting in one position - often with the back not properly supported - is not good for the spine.
The reliance on comfy soft furnishing may seem appealing - but often it encourages us to adopt a poor posture.
Back pain is much less common in places such as India, where many more people are used to sitting on the floor, which is thought to allow the back muscles to find their own natural position.
What is the treatment?
For most cases of back pain the only treatment is pain relief, often through the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin.
Physiotherapy, heat therapy, massage and hydrotherapy can help.
How can you minimise the risk?
The spine is naturally curved into an S shape. The best way to keep it healthy is to try to maintain this shape as much as possible.
This is particularly important when performing tasks, such as lifting, that carry an increased risk of injury.
Strengthening the back muscles, keeping fit by taking regular exercise, and maintaining a healthy weight can all help to minimise the risk of back pain.
It is also important to have a mattress that properly supports the body while you are asleep.
If you do have a bad back probably the worst thing you can do is take to your bed.
Experts believe that it is best to stay as active as you possibly can.
Could there be another explanation for back pain?
Some lumbar and lower spinal pain is caused by patients having one leg longer than the other.
This puts the pelvis out of alignment causing pain, which without correction leads to long term compensatory problems such as back pain.
In this case it might be wise to consult a podiatrist who will measure the patient's limbs and if required provide either an orthoses - an orthopedic appliance used to support, align, prevent, or correct deformities - or arrange to modify the patients shoe to correct the difference.
The major feature is the spine. This is a highly complex and delicate structure which is made up of 33 small bones called vertebrae.
In between each vertebra is a disc which acts as a shock absorber, and stops the bones rubbing together.
The discs are made up of a jelly like substance, which is protected by a tough, fibrous outer casing.
The spine is supported by specialised back muscles, and an array of ligaments, nerves and tendons.
What causes back pain?
As the spine is such a complex structure, it can often be difficult to pin down the exact cause of back pain.
Probably the most common cause is when the back muscles begin to spasm.
This can often occur after strenuous activity, or can be a reaction to repetitive strain.
The muscle is damaged, or irritated, and goes into spasm to protect the area from further injury.
This can be extremely painful, and can lead to muscle tears if undue stress is exerted.
Other causes of back pain include arthritis, fractures and infections.
In many cases experts believe back pain is a manifestation of emotional upset, rather than a physical problem.
More serious causes can include a prolapsed disc, or degenerative diseases of the spine - but these are relatively rare.
Are certain parts of the back more vulnerable?
Yes. The lower - or lumbar - region of the back is particularly prone to injury.
This because it bears the entire weight of the upper body, and is twisted and bent more than other parts.
As a result it inevitably suffers more wear and tear.
Why is back pain on the increase?
Experts believe that a major factor is the modern tendency to lead a sedentary lifestyle, both at work and home.
Spending long stretches of time sitting in one position - often with the back not properly supported - is not good for the spine.
The reliance on comfy soft furnishing may seem appealing - but often it encourages us to adopt a poor posture.
Back pain is much less common in places such as India, where many more people are used to sitting on the floor, which is thought to allow the back muscles to find their own natural position.
What is the treatment?
For most cases of back pain the only treatment is pain relief, often through the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin.
Physiotherapy, heat therapy, massage and hydrotherapy can help.
How can you minimise the risk?
The spine is naturally curved into an S shape. The best way to keep it healthy is to try to maintain this shape as much as possible.
This is particularly important when performing tasks, such as lifting, that carry an increased risk of injury.
Strengthening the back muscles, keeping fit by taking regular exercise, and maintaining a healthy weight can all help to minimise the risk of back pain.
It is also important to have a mattress that properly supports the body while you are asleep.
If you do have a bad back probably the worst thing you can do is take to your bed.
Experts believe that it is best to stay as active as you possibly can.
Could there be another explanation for back pain?
Some lumbar and lower spinal pain is caused by patients having one leg longer than the other.
This puts the pelvis out of alignment causing pain, which without correction leads to long term compensatory problems such as back pain.
In this case it might be wise to consult a podiatrist who will measure the patient's limbs and if required provide either an orthoses - an orthopedic appliance used to support, align, prevent, or correct deformities - or arrange to modify the patients shoe to correct the difference.
=========================================================================
How is the back made up?
The major feature is the spine. This is a highly complex and delicate structure which is made up of 33 small bones called vertebrae.
In between each vertebra is a disc which acts as a shock absorber, and stops the bones rubbing together.
The discs are made up of a jelly like substance, which is protected by a tough, fibrous outer casing.
The spine is supported by specialised back muscles, and an array of ligaments, nerves and tendons.
What causes back pain?
As the spine is such a complex structure, it can often be difficult to pin down the exact cause of back pain.
Probably the most common cause is when the back muscles begin to spasm.
This can often occur after strenuous activity, or can be a reaction to repetitive strain.
The muscle is damaged, or irritated, and goes into spasm to protect the area from further injury.
This can be extremely painful, and can lead to muscle tears if undue stress is exerted.
Other causes of back pain include arthritis, fractures and infections.
In many cases experts believe back pain is a manifestation of emotional upset, rather than a physical problem.
More serious causes can include a prolapsed disc, or degenerative diseases of the spine - but these are relatively rare.
Are certain parts of the back more vulnerable?
Yes. The lower - or lumbar - region of the back is particularly prone to injury.
This because it bears the entire weight of the upper body, and is twisted and bent more than other parts.
As a result it inevitably suffers more wear and tear.
Why is back pain on the increase?
Experts believe that a major factor is the modern tendency to lead a sedentary lifestyle, both at work and home.
Spending long stretches of time sitting in one position - often with the back not properly supported - is not good for the spine.
The reliance on comfy soft furnishing may seem appealing - but often it encourages us to adopt a poor posture.
Back pain is much less common in places such as India, where many more people are used to sitting on the floor, which is thought to allow the back muscles to find their own natural position.
What is the treatment?
For most cases of back pain the only treatment is pain relief, often through the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin.
Physiotherapy, heat therapy, massage and hydrotherapy can help.
How can you minimise the risk?
The spine is naturally curved into an S shape. The best way to keep it healthy is to try to maintain this shape as much as possible.
This is particularly important when performing tasks, such as lifting, that carry an increased risk of injury.
Strengthening the back muscles, keeping fit by taking regular exercise, and maintaining a healthy weight can all help to minimise the risk of back pain.
It is also important to have a mattress that properly supports the body while you are asleep.
If you do have a bad back probably the worst thing you can do is take to your bed.
Experts believe that it is best to stay as active as you possibly can.
Could there be another explanation for back pain?
Some lumbar and lower spinal pain is caused by patients having one leg longer than the other.
This puts the pelvis out of alignment causing pain, which without correction leads to long term compensatory problems such as back pain.
In this case it might be wise to consult a podiatrist who will measure the patient's limbs and if required provide either an orthoses - an orthopedic appliance used to support, align, prevent, or correct deformities - or arrange to modify the patients shoe to correct the difference.
Home remedies for male impotency
Home remedies for male impotency
Sexual impotence in men is a common problem whose frequency tends to increase with age. So before you start losing your sexual power, understand that being impotent doesn't mean you have to suffer the problem forever.
Home remedies come in handy to help men achieve greater sexual potency. "Some of these remedies may help, but they may prove ineffective for others. Experimenting with different home remedies yields beneficial results for less advanced cases," cautions Dr. M.P. Mani, (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery).
Here are some of the most common home remedies for treating male sexual impotence.
Sexual Impotence treatment using Garlic
Garlic is one of the most common vegetables found at home that's beneficial in the treatment of sexual impotence. Dr. Mani says, "Garlic has often referred to as "the poor man's penicillin" because it serves as an effective antiseptic and immune booster. Being a sex rejuvenator, it can improve sexual activities that have been damaged due to an accident or a disease. Garlic is important for people who overindulge in sex to protect themselves from nervous exhaustion."
Do it at home: Chew two to three cloves of raw garlic daily. Regularly chewing two or three cloves of raw garlic helps treating sexual impotence. In addition, eating garlic bread prepared with whole grains helps in the production of healthy sperms.
Sexual impotence treatment using Onion
Onion is considered to be an effective aphrodisiac and one of the best libido enhancers, but its properties are not generally known.
Do it at home: Take a white onion, peel it off, crush and then fry in butter. This mixture can be taken daily with a spoon of honey, but make sure to consume this mixture when your stomach has been empty for at least two hours. This remedy helps to treat premature ejaculation, impotence and involuntary loss of semen during sleep or other times (known as spermatorrhea).
Also, dip thee powder of black gram in onion juice for seven days and then dry the mixture. This mixture is a strong aphrodisiac and can be taken daily for improving sexual performance.
Sexual Impotence treatment using Carrot
Carrots are considered valuable in curing impotence.
Do It At Home: Take 150 gm of carrots, finely chopped with a half-boiled egg and a tablespoon of honey. Take this mixture, once daily for a month or two. People who are usually tense and suffer from sexual disorders can find relief as this home remedy increases sexual stamina.
Sexual Impotence treatment using Lady's Fingers
Lady's finger are considered a remarkable tonic for improving sexual vigor.
Do It At Home: Take 5 to 10 grams of the root powder of this vegetable with a glass of milk and two teaspoons of ground mishri (candy sugar) daily. Regular use of this recipe helps in restoration of sexual vigour.
Sexual Impotence treatment using Asparagus
The dried roots of asparagus (or white musli ) are used in Unani medicine as an aphrodisiac.
Do It At Home: Take 15 grams of the dried roots of asparagus and boil it with one cup of milk. Take this mixture twice daily for satisfactory results. The regular use of this recipe is valuable to cure impotency and premature ejaculation.
Sexual Impotence treatment using Drumstick
Drumstick is very useful as a sexual tonic in the treatment of sexual debility and functional sterility in both males and females. The powder of the dry bark is also valuable in impotency, premature ejaculation, and thinness of semen.
Do It At Home: Boil 15 gm of drumstick flowers in 250 ml milk. This soup is an effective sexual tonic for both men and women. Alternately, boil 120 gm of powdered dry bark in ½ litre of water for 30 minutes and then mix 30 gm of this powder with 1 tablespoon of honey in it. Take this recipe 3 times daily for good results.
Sexual Impotence treatment using Ginger
The juice extracted from ginger is a valuable aphrodisiac and beneficial in the treatment of sexual weaknesses.
Do It At Home: Take half a teaspoon of ginger juice with a half-boiled egg and honey, once daily at night, for a month. This recipe is said to relieve impotency, premature ejaculation, and spermatorrhea.
Sexual Impotence treatment using Dried Dates
Dried dates are a highly-strengthening food and have the ability to restore sexual drive, increase endurance and improve overall vitality, while promoting a Zen state of mind.
Do It At Home: Pounded and mixed with almonds, pistachio nuts, and quince seeds in equal quantities, about 100 gm of dried dates should be taken daily foe excellent results.
Sxexual Impotence treatment using Raisins
Ayurveda recommends black raisins for the re-establishment of sexual vigour.
Do It At Home: Wash black raisins roughly in tepid water and then boil them with milk which makes them swollen and sweet. Eat these raisins with milk to get the desired results. You need to start with 30 gm of raisins, followed by 200 ml of milk three times a day and then the quantity of raisins can be gradually increased to 50 gm each time.
Sexual Impotence treatment using Saffron
In Ayurveda, saffron is used to treat infertility in couples as its fragrance is highly erotic. It can arouse sexual desire and can have a relaxing effect on the nerves.
Do It At Home: Use it as massage oil or consume it with food for improving sexual vigor.
Sexual impotence in men is a common problem whose frequency tends to increase with age. So before you start losing your sexual power, understand that being impotent doesn't mean you have to suffer the problem forever.
Home remedies come in handy to help men achieve greater sexual potency. "Some of these remedies may help, but they may prove ineffective for others. Experimenting with different home remedies yields beneficial results for less advanced cases," cautions Dr. M.P. Mani, (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery).
Here are some of the most common home remedies for treating male sexual impotence.
Sexual Impotence treatment using Garlic
Garlic is one of the most common vegetables found at home that's beneficial in the treatment of sexual impotence. Dr. Mani says, "Garlic has often referred to as "the poor man's penicillin" because it serves as an effective antiseptic and immune booster. Being a sex rejuvenator, it can improve sexual activities that have been damaged due to an accident or a disease. Garlic is important for people who overindulge in sex to protect themselves from nervous exhaustion."
Do it at home: Chew two to three cloves of raw garlic daily. Regularly chewing two or three cloves of raw garlic helps treating sexual impotence. In addition, eating garlic bread prepared with whole grains helps in the production of healthy sperms.
Sexual impotence treatment using Onion
Onion is considered to be an effective aphrodisiac and one of the best libido enhancers, but its properties are not generally known.
Do it at home: Take a white onion, peel it off, crush and then fry in butter. This mixture can be taken daily with a spoon of honey, but make sure to consume this mixture when your stomach has been empty for at least two hours. This remedy helps to treat premature ejaculation, impotence and involuntary loss of semen during sleep or other times (known as spermatorrhea).
Also, dip thee powder of black gram in onion juice for seven days and then dry the mixture. This mixture is a strong aphrodisiac and can be taken daily for improving sexual performance.
Sexual Impotence treatment using Carrot
Carrots are considered valuable in curing impotence.
Do It At Home: Take 150 gm of carrots, finely chopped with a half-boiled egg and a tablespoon of honey. Take this mixture, once daily for a month or two. People who are usually tense and suffer from sexual disorders can find relief as this home remedy increases sexual stamina.
Sexual Impotence treatment using Lady's Fingers
Lady's finger are considered a remarkable tonic for improving sexual vigor.
Do It At Home: Take 5 to 10 grams of the root powder of this vegetable with a glass of milk and two teaspoons of ground mishri (candy sugar) daily. Regular use of this recipe helps in restoration of sexual vigour.
Sexual Impotence treatment using Asparagus
The dried roots of asparagus (or white musli ) are used in Unani medicine as an aphrodisiac.
Do It At Home: Take 15 grams of the dried roots of asparagus and boil it with one cup of milk. Take this mixture twice daily for satisfactory results. The regular use of this recipe is valuable to cure impotency and premature ejaculation.
Sexual Impotence treatment using Drumstick
Drumstick is very useful as a sexual tonic in the treatment of sexual debility and functional sterility in both males and females. The powder of the dry bark is also valuable in impotency, premature ejaculation, and thinness of semen.
Do It At Home: Boil 15 gm of drumstick flowers in 250 ml milk. This soup is an effective sexual tonic for both men and women. Alternately, boil 120 gm of powdered dry bark in ½ litre of water for 30 minutes and then mix 30 gm of this powder with 1 tablespoon of honey in it. Take this recipe 3 times daily for good results.
Sexual Impotence treatment using Ginger
The juice extracted from ginger is a valuable aphrodisiac and beneficial in the treatment of sexual weaknesses.
Do It At Home: Take half a teaspoon of ginger juice with a half-boiled egg and honey, once daily at night, for a month. This recipe is said to relieve impotency, premature ejaculation, and spermatorrhea.
Sexual Impotence treatment using Dried Dates
Dried dates are a highly-strengthening food and have the ability to restore sexual drive, increase endurance and improve overall vitality, while promoting a Zen state of mind.
Do It At Home: Pounded and mixed with almonds, pistachio nuts, and quince seeds in equal quantities, about 100 gm of dried dates should be taken daily foe excellent results.
Sxexual Impotence treatment using Raisins
Ayurveda recommends black raisins for the re-establishment of sexual vigour.
Do It At Home: Wash black raisins roughly in tepid water and then boil them with milk which makes them swollen and sweet. Eat these raisins with milk to get the desired results. You need to start with 30 gm of raisins, followed by 200 ml of milk three times a day and then the quantity of raisins can be gradually increased to 50 gm each time.
Sexual Impotence treatment using Saffron
In Ayurveda, saffron is used to treat infertility in couples as its fragrance is highly erotic. It can arouse sexual desire and can have a relaxing effect on the nerves.
Do It At Home: Use it as massage oil or consume it with food for improving sexual vigor.
“Health is wealth,” said a wise man an eon back.
“Health is wealth,” said a wise man an eon back.
‘Gullible’ as we are, we believed him. But soon when money came pouring in from all directions, we understood what wealth really was. And life was never ever the same.
We keep a bottle of water on our desk so that we don’t have to move when thirsty. The cookie jar under our table helps us when hunger strikes. The only exercise regime that we have is a walk to the parking zone and a weekly visit to the supermarket. “Who has the time for a morning walk, yoga, exercise and the likes? It’s what retired and old people do who really need it,” defends a generation who’s full of aggression to make money while the sun shines.
And so, cases of obesity, slip disc, migraine, high blood pressure and depression have increased by leaps and bounds. We realize the threat, but we don’t act unless we suffer. Consider yourself blessed if all work and no play have kept you hale and hearty.
As time passes, these cases will increase. And therefore, to make sure your health is not disturbed, start managing your time.
Simple changes in your lifestyle can work wonders to your well-being.
-It could be as small as taking the stair case instead of the lift or
-A good laugh in between grueling work hours.
-You can push your group of friends to join an evening gym – that could be your hang-out with pals!
-Instead of a pizza, go for a salad Subway sandwich when in a mall.
-Learn basic exercises and do them while on your chair. Walk while talking on your cell phone.
-Get a good massage on the weekend.
-When you go to a disc, make sure you take on the dance floor!
Start smiling a little more often…
These are just a few examples. List a few things you love doing and see how you can include them in your lifestyle to stay fit. Fitness is not about a regime; it’s about how well you understand your body and gives it what it asks for.
And remember, tomorrow never comes. Just go and find your fitness mantra today for health is actually the real wealth.
‘Gullible’ as we are, we believed him. But soon when money came pouring in from all directions, we understood what wealth really was. And life was never ever the same.
We keep a bottle of water on our desk so that we don’t have to move when thirsty. The cookie jar under our table helps us when hunger strikes. The only exercise regime that we have is a walk to the parking zone and a weekly visit to the supermarket. “Who has the time for a morning walk, yoga, exercise and the likes? It’s what retired and old people do who really need it,” defends a generation who’s full of aggression to make money while the sun shines.
And so, cases of obesity, slip disc, migraine, high blood pressure and depression have increased by leaps and bounds. We realize the threat, but we don’t act unless we suffer. Consider yourself blessed if all work and no play have kept you hale and hearty.
As time passes, these cases will increase. And therefore, to make sure your health is not disturbed, start managing your time.
Simple changes in your lifestyle can work wonders to your well-being.
-It could be as small as taking the stair case instead of the lift or
-A good laugh in between grueling work hours.
-You can push your group of friends to join an evening gym – that could be your hang-out with pals!
-Instead of a pizza, go for a salad Subway sandwich when in a mall.
-Learn basic exercises and do them while on your chair. Walk while talking on your cell phone.
-Get a good massage on the weekend.
-When you go to a disc, make sure you take on the dance floor!
Start smiling a little more often…
These are just a few examples. List a few things you love doing and see how you can include them in your lifestyle to stay fit. Fitness is not about a regime; it’s about how well you understand your body and gives it what it asks for.
And remember, tomorrow never comes. Just go and find your fitness mantra today for health is actually the real wealth.
All u need to know about breast cancer
All u need to know about breast cancer
Here is what i came acroos on the net, found it informative n sharing with u, hoping its not a repost:
The truth behind some of the most common misconceptions about breast cancer.
Images from this article Public awareness about breast cancer has increased dramatically over the past 20 years. Yet misleading ideas still persist. Here, we explain the truth behind common misconceptions.
Myth: The "one in eight chance of breast cancer" statistic means that if eight women are randomly selected, one of them must have or will get breast cancer.
Fact: In reality, the statistic -- which comes from the National Cancer Institute -- is an estimate of a woman's chance of developing breast cancer during her entire lifetime. So if a woman lives to be 85, she has a one in eight (12.5%) chance of getting breast cancer. But for younger women the odds are much better. For example, a 50-year-old woman has a 1 out of 54 chance. At age 40, a woman's odds of getting breast cancer are 1 in 235. Of course, these probabilities are based on population averages, so an individual woman's risk may be higher or lower, depending upon various factors, including family history, reproductive history and other factors that are not yet fully understood.
Myth: Only women can get breast cancer.
Fact: Men have breast tissue, so it is possible for them to develop breast cancer. Like all cells of the body, a man's breast duct cells can undergo cancerous changes. Because women have many more breast cells than men do, and perhaps because their breast cells are constantly exposed to the growth-promoting effects of female hormones, breast cancer is much more common in women. This year about 1500 men are expected to be diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States.
Myth: Using deodorant or antiperspirant causes breast cancer.
Fact: This urban legend has suggested that chemicals in antiperspirants are absorbed through the skin, interfere with lymph circulation and cause toxins to accumulate in the breast that eventually lead to breast cancer. There is absolutely no experimental or epidemiological evidence to support this. Chemicals in products such as antiperspirants are tested thoroughly to ensure their safety.
Myth: Mammograms are painful and unsafe.
Fact: Mammograms can be uncomfortable, but the compression of the breast during mammography takes only a few minutes. To lessen discomfort, schedule your mammogram when your breasts are least sensitive (not right before your period). Mammograms result in only minimal exposure to radiation, so they are safe.
Myth: Any mass that shows up on a mammogram is most likely cancerous.
Fact: Most abnormalities will turn out not to be cancer. A mass could be a cyst or another benign breast condition. Your physician can perform an ultrasound or biopsy to investigate further.
Myth: Breast-feeding increases your risk for breast cancer.
Truth: A woman who breast-feeds can get breast cancer, but no studies indicate that breast-feeding causes breast cancer. In fact, some studies indicate that breast-feeding can reduce a woman's risk of developing the disease.
Myth: If breast cancer doesn't run in your family, you won't get it.
Fact: About 80% of women who get breast cancer have no known family history of the disease. Increasing age is the biggest single risk factor for breast cancer. If you have a family history of breast cancer, your risk may be elevated a little, a lot, or not at all. If you are concerned, discuss your family history with your physician or a genetic counselor.
Myth: Birth-control pills cause breast cancer.
Fact: Today's birth-control pills contain a low dose of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. They have not been associated with an increased risk of breast cancer and, in fact, can provide some protection against ovarian cancer. The higher-dose contraceptive pills used in the past were associated with a small increased risk in only a few studies.
Myth: A monthly breast self-exam is the best way to find breast tumors.
Fact: High-quality mammography is the most reliable way to find breast cancer as early as possible -- when it is most curable. By the time a tumor can be felt, it is usually bigger than the average size of one first detected by mammogram. However, breast examination by you and your health care provider is still very important. About 25% of breast cancers are found only on breast examination (not on the mammogram), about 35% are found using mammography alone and 40% are found by both physical exam and mammography. So it's important that you take a three-step approach: yearly mammograms (for women 40 and older), yearly clinical breast exams, and monthly self-exams.
Sources: American Cancer Society, National Cancer Institute, National Breast Cancer Foundation
Here is what i came acroos on the net, found it informative n sharing with u, hoping its not a repost:
The truth behind some of the most common misconceptions about breast cancer.
Images from this article Public awareness about breast cancer has increased dramatically over the past 20 years. Yet misleading ideas still persist. Here, we explain the truth behind common misconceptions.
Myth: The "one in eight chance of breast cancer" statistic means that if eight women are randomly selected, one of them must have or will get breast cancer.
Fact: In reality, the statistic -- which comes from the National Cancer Institute -- is an estimate of a woman's chance of developing breast cancer during her entire lifetime. So if a woman lives to be 85, she has a one in eight (12.5%) chance of getting breast cancer. But for younger women the odds are much better. For example, a 50-year-old woman has a 1 out of 54 chance. At age 40, a woman's odds of getting breast cancer are 1 in 235. Of course, these probabilities are based on population averages, so an individual woman's risk may be higher or lower, depending upon various factors, including family history, reproductive history and other factors that are not yet fully understood.
Myth: Only women can get breast cancer.
Fact: Men have breast tissue, so it is possible for them to develop breast cancer. Like all cells of the body, a man's breast duct cells can undergo cancerous changes. Because women have many more breast cells than men do, and perhaps because their breast cells are constantly exposed to the growth-promoting effects of female hormones, breast cancer is much more common in women. This year about 1500 men are expected to be diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States.
Myth: Using deodorant or antiperspirant causes breast cancer.
Fact: This urban legend has suggested that chemicals in antiperspirants are absorbed through the skin, interfere with lymph circulation and cause toxins to accumulate in the breast that eventually lead to breast cancer. There is absolutely no experimental or epidemiological evidence to support this. Chemicals in products such as antiperspirants are tested thoroughly to ensure their safety.
Myth: Mammograms are painful and unsafe.
Fact: Mammograms can be uncomfortable, but the compression of the breast during mammography takes only a few minutes. To lessen discomfort, schedule your mammogram when your breasts are least sensitive (not right before your period). Mammograms result in only minimal exposure to radiation, so they are safe.
Myth: Any mass that shows up on a mammogram is most likely cancerous.
Fact: Most abnormalities will turn out not to be cancer. A mass could be a cyst or another benign breast condition. Your physician can perform an ultrasound or biopsy to investigate further.
Myth: Breast-feeding increases your risk for breast cancer.
Truth: A woman who breast-feeds can get breast cancer, but no studies indicate that breast-feeding causes breast cancer. In fact, some studies indicate that breast-feeding can reduce a woman's risk of developing the disease.
Myth: If breast cancer doesn't run in your family, you won't get it.
Fact: About 80% of women who get breast cancer have no known family history of the disease. Increasing age is the biggest single risk factor for breast cancer. If you have a family history of breast cancer, your risk may be elevated a little, a lot, or not at all. If you are concerned, discuss your family history with your physician or a genetic counselor.
Myth: Birth-control pills cause breast cancer.
Fact: Today's birth-control pills contain a low dose of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. They have not been associated with an increased risk of breast cancer and, in fact, can provide some protection against ovarian cancer. The higher-dose contraceptive pills used in the past were associated with a small increased risk in only a few studies.
Myth: A monthly breast self-exam is the best way to find breast tumors.
Fact: High-quality mammography is the most reliable way to find breast cancer as early as possible -- when it is most curable. By the time a tumor can be felt, it is usually bigger than the average size of one first detected by mammogram. However, breast examination by you and your health care provider is still very important. About 25% of breast cancers are found only on breast examination (not on the mammogram), about 35% are found using mammography alone and 40% are found by both physical exam and mammography. So it's important that you take a three-step approach: yearly mammograms (for women 40 and older), yearly clinical breast exams, and monthly self-exams.
Sources: American Cancer Society, National Cancer Institute, National Breast Cancer Foundation
Aspirin Only Benefits Diabetics With History Of Heart Disease Or Stroke
Aspirin Only Benefits Diabetics With History Of Heart Disease Or Stroke
A new study by researchers in Scotland suggests that while there is evidence of benefit to non-diabetics with no history of heart disease or stroke, people with diabetes should not take aspirin to prevent heart disease and stroke unless they already have a history of these complaints.
The study was the work of Jill Belch, professor of vascular medicine at the University of Dundee in Scotland, and colleagues, and is published online in the BMJ 16 October issue.
Only one in two persons with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes diagnosed with cardiovascular disease is likely to survive another 40 years, whereas this figure is nine in ten for non-diabetic cardiovascular disease patients.
Allthough numerous studies have shown diabetics without heart disease do not benefit from taking aspirin, the current guidelines followed by doctors are inconsistent and a lot of patients with diabetes and peripheral arterial disease are prescribed aspirin for protection against heart disease.
In this study the researchers found that taking aspirin and antioxidant supplements did not prevent heart attacks among people with diabetes and asymptomatic arterial disease, even those at high risk. They said aspirin should be only taken by diabetic patients who already have an established history of heart disease, stroke or limb arterial disease.
Belch and colleagues carried out a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled trial involving 16 hospital centres and 188 primary care groups in Scotland. The 1,276 participants were aged 40 and over and had either type 1 or type 2 diabetes, an ankle brachial pressure index of 0.99 or less, and no symptomatic cardiovascular disease.
Ankle brachial pressure index is the ratio of blood pressure in the ankle to that of the arm. Around 0.9 to 1.3 is considered acceptable to normal.
The researchers randomly allocated the participants to four treatment groups, each taking a daily dose of either (1) a 100 mg aspirin tablet plus an antioxidant capsule, (2) an aspirin tablet plus a placebo capsule, (3) a placebo tablet plus an antioxidant capsule, or (4) a placebo tablet plus a placebo capsule.
The primary outcome measures comprised different combinations of the following events: death from coronary heart disease or stroke, non-fatal heart attack or stroke, and amputation above the ankle for critical limb ischaemia (loss of blood supply to the limb).
Belch and colleagues screened the participants between November 1997 and July 2001 and conducted follow up evaluations every six months where they recorded outcome events, adverse events and any interventions. They also recorded the results of electrocardiograms taken at the start of the study and then every year.
The results showed that:
Overall, 1,074 participants had their final follow up in 2006.
6 moved away and did not take part any more, one withdrew after 4 years and 195 died during the trial.
There was no evidence of interaction between aspirin and antioxidant.
Overall, 116 (18.2 per cent) of 638 primary events occurred in the aspirin groups.
This compared with 117 (18.3 per cent) of 638 in the non-aspirin groups (hazard ratio was 0.9.
There were 43 deaths (6.7 per cent) from coronary heart disease or stroke in the aspirin group.
This compared with 35 deaths (5.5 per cent) from coronary heart disease or stroke in the non-aspirin group (hazard ratio 1.23).
In the groups where participants took antioxidant there were 117 of 640 (18.3 per cent) primary events.
This compared to 116 of 636 (18.2 per cent) in the non-antioxidant groups (hazard ratio 1.03).
42 (6.6 per cent) of the deaths from coronary heart disease or stroke occurred in the antioxidant groups.
This compared with 36 (5.7 per cent) in the non-antioxidant groups (hazard ratio 1.21).
Belch and colleagues concluded that:
"This trial does not provide evidence to support the use of aspirin or antioxidants in primary prevention of cardiovascular events and mortality in the population with diabetes studied."
In an accompanying editorial, William R Hiatt, professor of medicine at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, wrote that the evidence of this trial, when taken with that of six other well controlled trials, makes a strong case for revising the international prescribing guidelines followed by doctors so that aspirin is only prescribed for patients with an established history of heart and stroke disease.
Aspirin is one of the top 10 causes of adverse events reported to the Commission on Human Medicines, said the BMJ in a press statement. The drug causes gastrointestinal bleeding, the risk of which goes up with age and prolonged use.
"The prevention of progression of arterial disease and diabetes (POPADAD) trial: factorial randomised placebo controlled trial of aspirin and antioxidants in patients with diabetes and asymptomatic peripheral arterial disease."
Jill Belch, Angus MacCuish, Iain Campbell, Stuart Cobbe, Roy Taylor, Robin Prescott, Robert Lee, Jean Bancroft, Shirley MacEwan, James Shepherd, Peter Macfarlane, Andrew Morris, Roland Jung, Christopher Kelly, Alan Connacher, Norman Peden, Andrew Jamieson, David Matthews, Graeme Leese, John McKnight, Iain O'Brien, Colin Semple, John Petrie, Derek Gordon, Stuart Pringle, Ron MacWalter, Prevention of Progression of Arterial Disease and Diabetes Study Group, Diabetes Registry Group, and Royal College of Physicians Edinburgh.
A new study by researchers in Scotland suggests that while there is evidence of benefit to non-diabetics with no history of heart disease or stroke, people with diabetes should not take aspirin to prevent heart disease and stroke unless they already have a history of these complaints.
The study was the work of Jill Belch, professor of vascular medicine at the University of Dundee in Scotland, and colleagues, and is published online in the BMJ 16 October issue.
Only one in two persons with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes diagnosed with cardiovascular disease is likely to survive another 40 years, whereas this figure is nine in ten for non-diabetic cardiovascular disease patients.
Allthough numerous studies have shown diabetics without heart disease do not benefit from taking aspirin, the current guidelines followed by doctors are inconsistent and a lot of patients with diabetes and peripheral arterial disease are prescribed aspirin for protection against heart disease.
In this study the researchers found that taking aspirin and antioxidant supplements did not prevent heart attacks among people with diabetes and asymptomatic arterial disease, even those at high risk. They said aspirin should be only taken by diabetic patients who already have an established history of heart disease, stroke or limb arterial disease.
Belch and colleagues carried out a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled trial involving 16 hospital centres and 188 primary care groups in Scotland. The 1,276 participants were aged 40 and over and had either type 1 or type 2 diabetes, an ankle brachial pressure index of 0.99 or less, and no symptomatic cardiovascular disease.
Ankle brachial pressure index is the ratio of blood pressure in the ankle to that of the arm. Around 0.9 to 1.3 is considered acceptable to normal.
The researchers randomly allocated the participants to four treatment groups, each taking a daily dose of either (1) a 100 mg aspirin tablet plus an antioxidant capsule, (2) an aspirin tablet plus a placebo capsule, (3) a placebo tablet plus an antioxidant capsule, or (4) a placebo tablet plus a placebo capsule.
The primary outcome measures comprised different combinations of the following events: death from coronary heart disease or stroke, non-fatal heart attack or stroke, and amputation above the ankle for critical limb ischaemia (loss of blood supply to the limb).
Belch and colleagues screened the participants between November 1997 and July 2001 and conducted follow up evaluations every six months where they recorded outcome events, adverse events and any interventions. They also recorded the results of electrocardiograms taken at the start of the study and then every year.
The results showed that:
Overall, 1,074 participants had their final follow up in 2006.
6 moved away and did not take part any more, one withdrew after 4 years and 195 died during the trial.
There was no evidence of interaction between aspirin and antioxidant.
Overall, 116 (18.2 per cent) of 638 primary events occurred in the aspirin groups.
This compared with 117 (18.3 per cent) of 638 in the non-aspirin groups (hazard ratio was 0.9.
There were 43 deaths (6.7 per cent) from coronary heart disease or stroke in the aspirin group.
This compared with 35 deaths (5.5 per cent) from coronary heart disease or stroke in the non-aspirin group (hazard ratio 1.23).
In the groups where participants took antioxidant there were 117 of 640 (18.3 per cent) primary events.
This compared to 116 of 636 (18.2 per cent) in the non-antioxidant groups (hazard ratio 1.03).
42 (6.6 per cent) of the deaths from coronary heart disease or stroke occurred in the antioxidant groups.
This compared with 36 (5.7 per cent) in the non-antioxidant groups (hazard ratio 1.21).
Belch and colleagues concluded that:
"This trial does not provide evidence to support the use of aspirin or antioxidants in primary prevention of cardiovascular events and mortality in the population with diabetes studied."
In an accompanying editorial, William R Hiatt, professor of medicine at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, wrote that the evidence of this trial, when taken with that of six other well controlled trials, makes a strong case for revising the international prescribing guidelines followed by doctors so that aspirin is only prescribed for patients with an established history of heart and stroke disease.
Aspirin is one of the top 10 causes of adverse events reported to the Commission on Human Medicines, said the BMJ in a press statement. The drug causes gastrointestinal bleeding, the risk of which goes up with age and prolonged use.
"The prevention of progression of arterial disease and diabetes (POPADAD) trial: factorial randomised placebo controlled trial of aspirin and antioxidants in patients with diabetes and asymptomatic peripheral arterial disease."
Jill Belch, Angus MacCuish, Iain Campbell, Stuart Cobbe, Roy Taylor, Robin Prescott, Robert Lee, Jean Bancroft, Shirley MacEwan, James Shepherd, Peter Macfarlane, Andrew Morris, Roland Jung, Christopher Kelly, Alan Connacher, Norman Peden, Andrew Jamieson, David Matthews, Graeme Leese, John McKnight, Iain O'Brien, Colin Semple, John Petrie, Derek Gordon, Stuart Pringle, Ron MacWalter, Prevention of Progression of Arterial Disease and Diabetes Study Group, Diabetes Registry Group, and Royal College of Physicians Edinburgh.
Take note...don't always sleep late!!
Take note...don't always sleep late!!
Good rest and sound sleep is very
Important... if u don't sleep well,
The toxic in your body will accumulate..
Affecting your health and your mood...
The main causes of liver damage are:
1. Sleeping too late and waking up too late are the main cause.
2. Not urinating in the morning.
3. Too much eating.
4. Skipping breakfast.
5. Consuming too much medication.
6. Consuming too much preservatives, additives, food coloring, and artificial sweetener.
7. Consuming unhealthy cooking oil. As much as possible reduce cooking oil use when frying, which includes even the best cooking oils like olive oil. Do not consume fried foods when you are tired, except if the body is very fit.
8. Consuming overly done foods also add to the burden of liver. Veggies should be eaten raw or cooked 3-5 parts. Fried veggies should be finished in one sitting, do not store.
We just have to adopt a good daily lifestyle and eating habits. Maintaining good eating habits and time condition are very important for our body to absorb and get rid of unnecessary chemicals according to 'schedule.'
Because: Evening at 9 - 11pm : is the time for eliminating unnecessary/ toxic chemicals (de-toxification) from the antibody system (lymph nodes). This time duration should be spent by relaxing or listening to music. If during this time a housewife is still in an unrelaxed state such as washing the dishes or monitoring children doing their homework, this will have a negative impact on her health.
Evening at 11pm - 1am : The de-toxification process in the liver, and ideally should be done in a deep sleep state. Early morning 1 - 3am : de-toxification process in the gall, also ideally done in a deep sleep state.
Early morning 3 - 5am : de-toxification in the lungs. Therefore there will sometimes be a severe cough for cough sufferers during this time. Since the de-toxification process had reached the respiratory tract, there is no need to take cough medicine so as not to interfere with toxin removal process.
Morning 5 - 7am : de-toxification in the colon, you should empty your bowel.
Morning 7 - 9am : Absorption of nutrients in the small intestine, you should be having breakfast at this time. Breakfast should be earlier, before 6:30am, for those who are sick. Breakfast before 7:30am is very beneficial to those wanting to stay fit. Those who always skip breakfast, they should change their habits, and it is still better to eat breakfast late until 9 -10am rather than no meal at all. Sleeping so late and waking up too late will disrupt the process of removing unnecessary chemicals. Aside from that, midnight to 4am is the time when the bone marrow produces blood.
Therefore, have a good sleep and don't sleep late.
Good rest and sound sleep is very
Important... if u don't sleep well,
The toxic in your body will accumulate..
Affecting your health and your mood...
The main causes of liver damage are:
1. Sleeping too late and waking up too late are the main cause.
2. Not urinating in the morning.
3. Too much eating.
4. Skipping breakfast.
5. Consuming too much medication.
6. Consuming too much preservatives, additives, food coloring, and artificial sweetener.
7. Consuming unhealthy cooking oil. As much as possible reduce cooking oil use when frying, which includes even the best cooking oils like olive oil. Do not consume fried foods when you are tired, except if the body is very fit.
8. Consuming overly done foods also add to the burden of liver. Veggies should be eaten raw or cooked 3-5 parts. Fried veggies should be finished in one sitting, do not store.
We just have to adopt a good daily lifestyle and eating habits. Maintaining good eating habits and time condition are very important for our body to absorb and get rid of unnecessary chemicals according to 'schedule.'
Because: Evening at 9 - 11pm : is the time for eliminating unnecessary/ toxic chemicals (de-toxification) from the antibody system (lymph nodes). This time duration should be spent by relaxing or listening to music. If during this time a housewife is still in an unrelaxed state such as washing the dishes or monitoring children doing their homework, this will have a negative impact on her health.
Evening at 11pm - 1am : The de-toxification process in the liver, and ideally should be done in a deep sleep state. Early morning 1 - 3am : de-toxification process in the gall, also ideally done in a deep sleep state.
Early morning 3 - 5am : de-toxification in the lungs. Therefore there will sometimes be a severe cough for cough sufferers during this time. Since the de-toxification process had reached the respiratory tract, there is no need to take cough medicine so as not to interfere with toxin removal process.
Morning 5 - 7am : de-toxification in the colon, you should empty your bowel.
Morning 7 - 9am : Absorption of nutrients in the small intestine, you should be having breakfast at this time. Breakfast should be earlier, before 6:30am, for those who are sick. Breakfast before 7:30am is very beneficial to those wanting to stay fit. Those who always skip breakfast, they should change their habits, and it is still better to eat breakfast late until 9 -10am rather than no meal at all. Sleeping so late and waking up too late will disrupt the process of removing unnecessary chemicals. Aside from that, midnight to 4am is the time when the bone marrow produces blood.
Therefore, have a good sleep and don't sleep late.
Calories of Various Foods based on......
Calories of Various Foods based on......
Calories of Various Foods
Some foods have significantly more Calories than others but what does the difference actually look like. Each of the photographs below represents 200 Calories of the particular type of food; the images are sorted from low to high calorie density. When you consider that an entire plate of broccoli contains the same number of Calories as a small spoonful of peanut butter, you might think twice the next time you decide what to eat. According to the U.S.
Department of Agriculture, the average adult needs to consume about 2000 - 2500 Calories to maintain their weight. In other words, you have a fixed amount of Calories to "spend" each day; based on the following pictures, which would you eat?
Celery
1425 grams = 200 Calories
Mini Peppers
740 grams = 200 Calories
Broccoli
588 grams = 200 Calories
Baby Carrots
570 grams = 200 Calories
Honeydew Melon
553 grams = 200 Calories
Coca Cola
496 ml = 200 Calories
Red Onions
475 grams = 200 Calories
Apples
385 grams = 200 Calories
Canned Green Peas
357 grams = 200 Calories
Whole Milk
333 ml = 200 Calories
Kiwi Fruit
328 grams = 200 Calories
Canned Sweet Corn
308 grams = 200 Calories
Grapes
226 grams = 200 Calories
Ketchup
226 grams = 200 Calories
Sliced Smoked Turkey
204 grams = 200 Calories
Balsamic Vinegar
200 ml = 200 Calories
Lowfat Strawberry Yogurt
196 grams = 200 Calories
Canned Chili con Carne
189 grams = 200 Calories
Canned Black Beans
186 grams = 200 Calories
Canned Pork and Beans
186 grams = 200 Calories
Eggs
150 grams = 200 Calories
Cooked Pasta
145 grams = 200 Calories
Avocado
125 grams = 200 Calories
Canned Tuna Packed in Oil
102 grams = 200 Calories
Fiber One Cereal
100 grams = 200 Calories
Flax Bread
90 grams = 200 Calories
Dried Apricots
83 grams = 200 Calories
Jack in the Box Cheeseburger
75 grams = 200 Calories
Jack in the Box French Fries
73 grams = 200 Calories
Jack in the Box Chicken Sandwich
72 grams = 200 Calories
French Sandwich Roll
72 grams = 200 Calories
Blueberry Muffin
72 grams = 200 Calories
Sesame Seed Bagel
70 grams = 200 Calories
Tootsie Pops
68 grams = 200 Calories
Hot Dogs
66 grams = 200 Calories
Wheat Dinner Rolls
66 grams = 200 Calories
Corn Bran Cereal
60 grams = 200 Calories
Bailey's Irish Cream
60 ml = 200 Calories
Smarties Candy
57 grams = 200 Calories
Uncooked Pasta
56 grams = 200 Calories
Blackberry Pie
56 grams = 200 Calories
Cranberry Vanilla Crunch Cereal
55 grams = 200 Calories
Cornmeal
55 grams = 200 Calories
Wheat Flour
55 grams = 200 Calories
Peanut Butter Power Bar
54 grams = 200 Calories
Puffed Rice Cereal
54 grams = 200 Calories
Jelly Belly Jelly Beans
54 grams = 200 Calories
Puffed Wheat Cereal
53 grams = 200 Calories
Brown Sugar
53 grams = 200 Calories
Glazed Doughnut
52 grams = 200 Calories
Salted Pretzels
52 grams = 200 Calories
Medium Cheddar Cheese
51 grams = 200 Calories
Fruit Loops Cereal
51 grams = 200 Calories
Gummy Bears
51 grams = 200 Calories
Splenda Artifical Sweetener
50 grams = 200 Calories
Salted Saltines Crackers
50 grams = 200 Calories
Werther's Originals Candy
50 grams = 200 Calories
Snickers Chocolate Bar
41 grams = 200 Calories
Take note...don't always sleep late!!
Good rest and sound sleep is very
Important... if u don't sleep well,
The toxic in your body will accumulate..
Affecting your health and your mood...
The main causes of liver damage are:
1. Sleeping too late and waking up too late are the main cause.
2. Not urinating in the morning.
3. Too much eating.
4. Skipping breakfast.
5. Consuming too much medication.
6. Consuming too much preservatives, additives, food coloring, and artificial sweetener.
7. Consuming unhealthy cooking oil. As much as possible reduce cooking oil use when frying, which includes even the best cooking oils like olive oil. Do not consume fried foods when you are tired, except if the body is very fit.
8. Consuming overly done foods also add to the burden of liver. Veggies should be eaten raw or cooked 3-5 parts. Fried veggies should be finished in one sitting, do not store.
We just have to adopt a good daily lifestyle and eating habits. Maintaining good eating habits and time condition are very important for our body to absorb and get rid of unnecessary chemicals according to 'schedule.'
Because: Evening at 9 - 11pm : is the time for eliminating unnecessary/ toxic chemicals (de-toxification) from the antibody system (lymph nodes). This time duration should be spent by relaxing or listening to music. If during this time a housewife is still in an unrelaxed state such as washing the dishes or monitoring children doing their homework, this will have a negative impact on her health.
Evening at 11pm - 1am : The de-toxification process in the liver, and ideally should be done in a deep sleep state. Early morning 1 - 3am : de-toxification process in the gall, also ideally done in a deep sleep state.
Early morning 3 - 5am : de-toxification in the lungs. Therefore there will sometimes be a severe cough for cough sufferers during this time. Since the de-toxification process had reached the respiratory tract, there is no need to take cough medicine so as not to interfere with toxin removal process.
Morning 5 - 7am : de-toxification in the colon, you should empty your bowel.
Morning 7 - 9am : Absorption of nutrients in the small intestine, you should be having breakfast at this time. Breakfast should be earlier, before 6:30am, for those who are sick. Breakfast before 7:30am is very beneficial to those wanting to stay fit. Those who always skip breakfast, they should change their habits, and it is still better to eat breakfast late until 9 -10am rather than no meal at all. Sleeping so late and waking up too late will disrupt the process of removing unnecessary chemicals. Aside from that, midnight to 4am is the time when the bone marrow produces blood.
Therefore, have a good sleep and don't sleep late.
Calories of Various Foods
Some foods have significantly more Calories than others but what does the difference actually look like. Each of the photographs below represents 200 Calories of the particular type of food; the images are sorted from low to high calorie density. When you consider that an entire plate of broccoli contains the same number of Calories as a small spoonful of peanut butter, you might think twice the next time you decide what to eat. According to the U.S.
Department of Agriculture, the average adult needs to consume about 2000 - 2500 Calories to maintain their weight. In other words, you have a fixed amount of Calories to "spend" each day; based on the following pictures, which would you eat?
Celery
1425 grams = 200 Calories
Mini Peppers
740 grams = 200 Calories
Broccoli
588 grams = 200 Calories
Baby Carrots
570 grams = 200 Calories
Honeydew Melon
553 grams = 200 Calories
Coca Cola
496 ml = 200 Calories
Red Onions
475 grams = 200 Calories
Apples
385 grams = 200 Calories
Canned Green Peas
357 grams = 200 Calories
Whole Milk
333 ml = 200 Calories
Kiwi Fruit
328 grams = 200 Calories
Canned Sweet Corn
308 grams = 200 Calories
Grapes
226 grams = 200 Calories
Ketchup
226 grams = 200 Calories
Sliced Smoked Turkey
204 grams = 200 Calories
Balsamic Vinegar
200 ml = 200 Calories
Lowfat Strawberry Yogurt
196 grams = 200 Calories
Canned Chili con Carne
189 grams = 200 Calories
Canned Black Beans
186 grams = 200 Calories
Canned Pork and Beans
186 grams = 200 Calories
Eggs
150 grams = 200 Calories
Cooked Pasta
145 grams = 200 Calories
Avocado
125 grams = 200 Calories
Canned Tuna Packed in Oil
102 grams = 200 Calories
Fiber One Cereal
100 grams = 200 Calories
Flax Bread
90 grams = 200 Calories
Dried Apricots
83 grams = 200 Calories
Jack in the Box Cheeseburger
75 grams = 200 Calories
Jack in the Box French Fries
73 grams = 200 Calories
Jack in the Box Chicken Sandwich
72 grams = 200 Calories
French Sandwich Roll
72 grams = 200 Calories
Blueberry Muffin
72 grams = 200 Calories
Sesame Seed Bagel
70 grams = 200 Calories
Tootsie Pops
68 grams = 200 Calories
Hot Dogs
66 grams = 200 Calories
Wheat Dinner Rolls
66 grams = 200 Calories
Corn Bran Cereal
60 grams = 200 Calories
Bailey's Irish Cream
60 ml = 200 Calories
Smarties Candy
57 grams = 200 Calories
Uncooked Pasta
56 grams = 200 Calories
Blackberry Pie
56 grams = 200 Calories
Cranberry Vanilla Crunch Cereal
55 grams = 200 Calories
Cornmeal
55 grams = 200 Calories
Wheat Flour
55 grams = 200 Calories
Peanut Butter Power Bar
54 grams = 200 Calories
Puffed Rice Cereal
54 grams = 200 Calories
Jelly Belly Jelly Beans
54 grams = 200 Calories
Puffed Wheat Cereal
53 grams = 200 Calories
Brown Sugar
53 grams = 200 Calories
Glazed Doughnut
52 grams = 200 Calories
Salted Pretzels
52 grams = 200 Calories
Medium Cheddar Cheese
51 grams = 200 Calories
Fruit Loops Cereal
51 grams = 200 Calories
Gummy Bears
51 grams = 200 Calories
Splenda Artifical Sweetener
50 grams = 200 Calories
Salted Saltines Crackers
50 grams = 200 Calories
Werther's Originals Candy
50 grams = 200 Calories
Snickers Chocolate Bar
41 grams = 200 Calories
Take note...don't always sleep late!!
Good rest and sound sleep is very
Important... if u don't sleep well,
The toxic in your body will accumulate..
Affecting your health and your mood...
The main causes of liver damage are:
1. Sleeping too late and waking up too late are the main cause.
2. Not urinating in the morning.
3. Too much eating.
4. Skipping breakfast.
5. Consuming too much medication.
6. Consuming too much preservatives, additives, food coloring, and artificial sweetener.
7. Consuming unhealthy cooking oil. As much as possible reduce cooking oil use when frying, which includes even the best cooking oils like olive oil. Do not consume fried foods when you are tired, except if the body is very fit.
8. Consuming overly done foods also add to the burden of liver. Veggies should be eaten raw or cooked 3-5 parts. Fried veggies should be finished in one sitting, do not store.
We just have to adopt a good daily lifestyle and eating habits. Maintaining good eating habits and time condition are very important for our body to absorb and get rid of unnecessary chemicals according to 'schedule.'
Because: Evening at 9 - 11pm : is the time for eliminating unnecessary/ toxic chemicals (de-toxification) from the antibody system (lymph nodes). This time duration should be spent by relaxing or listening to music. If during this time a housewife is still in an unrelaxed state such as washing the dishes or monitoring children doing their homework, this will have a negative impact on her health.
Evening at 11pm - 1am : The de-toxification process in the liver, and ideally should be done in a deep sleep state. Early morning 1 - 3am : de-toxification process in the gall, also ideally done in a deep sleep state.
Early morning 3 - 5am : de-toxification in the lungs. Therefore there will sometimes be a severe cough for cough sufferers during this time. Since the de-toxification process had reached the respiratory tract, there is no need to take cough medicine so as not to interfere with toxin removal process.
Morning 5 - 7am : de-toxification in the colon, you should empty your bowel.
Morning 7 - 9am : Absorption of nutrients in the small intestine, you should be having breakfast at this time. Breakfast should be earlier, before 6:30am, for those who are sick. Breakfast before 7:30am is very beneficial to those wanting to stay fit. Those who always skip breakfast, they should change their habits, and it is still better to eat breakfast late until 9 -10am rather than no meal at all. Sleeping so late and waking up too late will disrupt the process of removing unnecessary chemicals. Aside from that, midnight to 4am is the time when the bone marrow produces blood.
Therefore, have a good sleep and don't sleep late.
TB Treatment For Co-Infections
TB Treatment For Co-Infections
A South African treatment study conducted by researchers in the Department of Epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health shows that mortality among TB-HIV co-infected patients can be reduced by a remarkable 55%, if antiretroviral therapy (ART) is provided with TB treatment at the same time. The randomized, known as the SAPIT (Starting Antiretrovirals at three Points in Tuberculosis) trial, randomly assigned TB-HIV co-infected patients to receive ART. Patients who received ART together with their TB treatment (integrated treatment arm) were compared with patients assigned to receive ART upon completion of TB treatment (sequential treatment arm).
"The study shows that integrating TB and HIV treatment and care saves lives," says Salim S. Abdool Karim, MD, PhD, professor of clinical Epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health and director of the Centre for the AIDS Program of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), who led the SAPIT trial. The trial was conducted at the CAPRISA eThekwini TB-HIV Clinic which is attached to the largest TB clinic in Durban, South Africa. The study was initiated in June 2005 and completed enrollment of 645 patients with TB and HIV co-infection in July 2008. It is estimated that about 70% of all TB patients in South Africa are infected with HIV, or about 250,000 of the 353,879 TB patients diagnosed in 2007.
As a result of the higher mortality rate in patients in the sequential treatment arm versus the mortality rate for those patients in the integrated treatment arm, the study's independent Safety Monitoring Committee recommended in their review of the trial in September 2008 that the sequential arm of the trial be stopped and that ART be initiated in this group as soon as possible. The Committee further recommended that the two sub-groups within the integrated treatment arm (early TB-HIV treatment and post-intensive phase TB-HIV treatment) should continue as per protocol.
Dr. Peter Piot, executive director of UNAIDS, commented: "These important results show that a ''two diseases, one patient, one response" integrated approach to TB/HIV treatment avoids unnecessary deaths from TB, the leading cause of death in people living with HIV in Africa". TB is the most common disease occurring in the late stages of HIV infection in southern Africa. As a result, many people throughout southern Africa are first identified as HIV infected when they develop TB. The findings of the SAPIT study call for the accelerated implementation of routine HIV testing in TB treatment services.
The SAPIT trial results provide compelling evidence to support the World Health Organization's call for the greater collaboration between TB and HIV treatment services and provide empiric evidence of the benefits from the initiation of antiretroviral therapy in TB-HIV co-infected patients. Dr Paul Nunn, of the Stop TB Department at the World Health Organization commented, "The results to date clearly show the urgent necessity to make ART available to HIV infected patients with TB worldwide." In South Africa alone, it would result in an additional 100,000 to 150,000 TB patients being initiated on ART resulting in about 10,000 deaths being averted each year.
Ambassador Mark Dybul, Coordinator of the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) said: "Scaling up collaborative TB/HIV activities is a priority for PEPFAR. We remain committed to increasing screening for both HIV and TB, which will allow greater numbers of patients to benefit from these study results."
A South African treatment study conducted by researchers in the Department of Epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health shows that mortality among TB-HIV co-infected patients can be reduced by a remarkable 55%, if antiretroviral therapy (ART) is provided with TB treatment at the same time. The randomized, known as the SAPIT (Starting Antiretrovirals at three Points in Tuberculosis) trial, randomly assigned TB-HIV co-infected patients to receive ART. Patients who received ART together with their TB treatment (integrated treatment arm) were compared with patients assigned to receive ART upon completion of TB treatment (sequential treatment arm).
"The study shows that integrating TB and HIV treatment and care saves lives," says Salim S. Abdool Karim, MD, PhD, professor of clinical Epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health and director of the Centre for the AIDS Program of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), who led the SAPIT trial. The trial was conducted at the CAPRISA eThekwini TB-HIV Clinic which is attached to the largest TB clinic in Durban, South Africa. The study was initiated in June 2005 and completed enrollment of 645 patients with TB and HIV co-infection in July 2008. It is estimated that about 70% of all TB patients in South Africa are infected with HIV, or about 250,000 of the 353,879 TB patients diagnosed in 2007.
As a result of the higher mortality rate in patients in the sequential treatment arm versus the mortality rate for those patients in the integrated treatment arm, the study's independent Safety Monitoring Committee recommended in their review of the trial in September 2008 that the sequential arm of the trial be stopped and that ART be initiated in this group as soon as possible. The Committee further recommended that the two sub-groups within the integrated treatment arm (early TB-HIV treatment and post-intensive phase TB-HIV treatment) should continue as per protocol.
Dr. Peter Piot, executive director of UNAIDS, commented: "These important results show that a ''two diseases, one patient, one response" integrated approach to TB/HIV treatment avoids unnecessary deaths from TB, the leading cause of death in people living with HIV in Africa". TB is the most common disease occurring in the late stages of HIV infection in southern Africa. As a result, many people throughout southern Africa are first identified as HIV infected when they develop TB. The findings of the SAPIT study call for the accelerated implementation of routine HIV testing in TB treatment services.
The SAPIT trial results provide compelling evidence to support the World Health Organization's call for the greater collaboration between TB and HIV treatment services and provide empiric evidence of the benefits from the initiation of antiretroviral therapy in TB-HIV co-infected patients. Dr Paul Nunn, of the Stop TB Department at the World Health Organization commented, "The results to date clearly show the urgent necessity to make ART available to HIV infected patients with TB worldwide." In South Africa alone, it would result in an additional 100,000 to 150,000 TB patients being initiated on ART resulting in about 10,000 deaths being averted each year.
Ambassador Mark Dybul, Coordinator of the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) said: "Scaling up collaborative TB/HIV activities is a priority for PEPFAR. We remain committed to increasing screening for both HIV and TB, which will allow greater numbers of patients to benefit from these study results."
Health Risk Created By Early Exposure To Drugs
Health Risk Created By Early Exposure To Drugs
People who began drinking and using marijuana regularly prior to their 15th birthday face a higher risk of early pregnancy, as well as a pattern of school failure, substance dependence, sexually-transmitted disease and criminal convictions that lasts into their 30s.
A study published online by the journal Psychological Science has been able to sort out for the first time the difficult question of whether it's bad kids who do drugs, or doing drugs that makes kids bad.
The answer is both, said Duke University psychologist Avshalom Caspi, who co-authored the report with his wife and colleague Terrie Moffitt. They are part of a team of researchers from the U.S., Britain and New Zealand that analyzed data tracking the health of nearly 1,000 New Zealand residents from birth through age 32.
Half of the study subjects who were using alcohol and marijuana regularly before age 15 were indeed the so-called "bad kids" who came from an abusive, criminal or substance-abusing household and had behavior problems as children.
But the other half were the "good kids" from more stable backgrounds, and they also ended up in poorer health in their 30s.
Caspi said it is clear from these data that adolescent exposure to drugs and alcohol can make a good kid veer off on a bad trajectory. "The good kids who do drugs end up looking like the bad kids who didn't do drugs," Caspi said.
The "good kids," who were without behavior problems as children and didn't have any of the family risk factors, but who began using drugs and alcohol before 15, ended up being 3.6 times more likely to be dependent on substances at age 32. They were also more likely than the other good kids to wind up with a criminal conviction and a herpes infection.
Good and bad, the adolescents who regularly used drugs and alcohol "all had poorer health as adults," Caspi said. "This is consistent with a growing body of evidence that early adolescence may be a sensitive time for exposure to alcohol and other drugs."
He noted however, that the study is not concerned with a kid who tries alcohol a couple of times or who takes a toke at a party. "These are kids who, by the age of 15, are invested in it, purchasing drugs and alcohol and using regularly."
A third of the girls from the "good kids" group were pregnant before age 21 if they had been using drugs and alcohol regularly. That's the same number of pregnancies as the "bad kids" who didn't use drugs. Two-thirds of the "bad kids" who used before 15 were pregnant before age 21. By comparison, only 12 percent of "good" girls who were non-users had early pregnancies.
"Even adolescents with no prior history of behavioral problems or family history of substance use problems were at risk for poor health outcomes if they used substances prior to age 15," said first author Candice Odgers of the University of California-Irvine, who did a post-doctoral fellowship with Caspi and Moffitt. "Universal interventions are required to ensure that all children -- not just those entering early adolescence on an at-risk trajectory -- receive an adequate dose of prevention."
Because the study has tracked these people from birth, "we know pretty much everything about them and we can sort out these things," Caspi said. "We have rich data on these kids' lives and their family situation before they started to do drugs."
People who began drinking and using marijuana regularly prior to their 15th birthday face a higher risk of early pregnancy, as well as a pattern of school failure, substance dependence, sexually-transmitted disease and criminal convictions that lasts into their 30s.
A study published online by the journal Psychological Science has been able to sort out for the first time the difficult question of whether it's bad kids who do drugs, or doing drugs that makes kids bad.
The answer is both, said Duke University psychologist Avshalom Caspi, who co-authored the report with his wife and colleague Terrie Moffitt. They are part of a team of researchers from the U.S., Britain and New Zealand that analyzed data tracking the health of nearly 1,000 New Zealand residents from birth through age 32.
Half of the study subjects who were using alcohol and marijuana regularly before age 15 were indeed the so-called "bad kids" who came from an abusive, criminal or substance-abusing household and had behavior problems as children.
But the other half were the "good kids" from more stable backgrounds, and they also ended up in poorer health in their 30s.
Caspi said it is clear from these data that adolescent exposure to drugs and alcohol can make a good kid veer off on a bad trajectory. "The good kids who do drugs end up looking like the bad kids who didn't do drugs," Caspi said.
The "good kids," who were without behavior problems as children and didn't have any of the family risk factors, but who began using drugs and alcohol before 15, ended up being 3.6 times more likely to be dependent on substances at age 32. They were also more likely than the other good kids to wind up with a criminal conviction and a herpes infection.
Good and bad, the adolescents who regularly used drugs and alcohol "all had poorer health as adults," Caspi said. "This is consistent with a growing body of evidence that early adolescence may be a sensitive time for exposure to alcohol and other drugs."
He noted however, that the study is not concerned with a kid who tries alcohol a couple of times or who takes a toke at a party. "These are kids who, by the age of 15, are invested in it, purchasing drugs and alcohol and using regularly."
A third of the girls from the "good kids" group were pregnant before age 21 if they had been using drugs and alcohol regularly. That's the same number of pregnancies as the "bad kids" who didn't use drugs. Two-thirds of the "bad kids" who used before 15 were pregnant before age 21. By comparison, only 12 percent of "good" girls who were non-users had early pregnancies.
"Even adolescents with no prior history of behavioral problems or family history of substance use problems were at risk for poor health outcomes if they used substances prior to age 15," said first author Candice Odgers of the University of California-Irvine, who did a post-doctoral fellowship with Caspi and Moffitt. "Universal interventions are required to ensure that all children -- not just those entering early adolescence on an at-risk trajectory -- receive an adequate dose of prevention."
Because the study has tracked these people from birth, "we know pretty much everything about them and we can sort out these things," Caspi said. "We have rich data on these kids' lives and their family situation before they started to do drugs."
Ten foods for happy mood
Ten Foods for Happy Mood
Eating for a better mood boils down to this; control your blood sugars by eating every 4 to 5 hours throughout the day, eat a diet rich in soluble fiber, and incorporate foods rich in omega 3 fats, folic acid, B12 and Vitamin D - four nutrients that researchers have found to be mood lifting.
The following are Top Ten Happy Foods -
1. Wild salmon (rich in omega 3 fats and vitamin D)
2. Spinach - (rich in folic acid and soluble fiber)
3. Skim milk - (rich in Vitamin D and B12)
4. Ground flaxseeds (rich soluble fiber, omega 3 fats and folic acid)
5. Blackberries (rich in soluble fiber and folic acid)
6. Omega 3 fortified eggs - (rich in omega 3 fats, Vitamin D and B12)
7. Sardines ( rich in omega 3 fats and Vitamin D)
8. Soybeans - (rich in soluble fiber, folic acid and omega 3 fats)
9. Beans (rich in soluble fiber and folic acid)
10. Brussels sprouts (soluble fiber and folic acid)
Plus an extra for good luck!
11. Sunflower seeds - (rich in soluble fiber and folic acid)
Eating for a better mood boils down to this; control your blood sugars by eating every 4 to 5 hours throughout the day, eat a diet rich in soluble fiber, and incorporate foods rich in omega 3 fats, folic acid, B12 and Vitamin D - four nutrients that researchers have found to be mood lifting.
The following are Top Ten Happy Foods -
1. Wild salmon (rich in omega 3 fats and vitamin D)
2. Spinach - (rich in folic acid and soluble fiber)
3. Skim milk - (rich in Vitamin D and B12)
4. Ground flaxseeds (rich soluble fiber, omega 3 fats and folic acid)
5. Blackberries (rich in soluble fiber and folic acid)
6. Omega 3 fortified eggs - (rich in omega 3 fats, Vitamin D and B12)
7. Sardines ( rich in omega 3 fats and Vitamin D)
8. Soybeans - (rich in soluble fiber, folic acid and omega 3 fats)
9. Beans (rich in soluble fiber and folic acid)
10. Brussels sprouts (soluble fiber and folic acid)
Plus an extra for good luck!
11. Sunflower seeds - (rich in soluble fiber and folic acid)
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