June 2011

Most Effective 10-minute Energy-Boosting Home Exercise

The biggest obstacle to the 10-minute workout lives in your mind. It’s the idea that if you do only 10 minutes, it doesn’t count. It does.

Although it’s true that you can get a lot of benefits out of longer workouts, it’s equally true that 10 minutes counts and that it all adds up at the end of the day. If you’ve only got 10 minutes or so on a given day, here are four effective examples of what you can do. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination.

The Low-Intensity (at Home, No Equipment Required)

1. March in place : 1 to 2 minutes.

2. Wall push-up : Stand about arm’s length way from a wall. Extend both arms out and place both hands on the wall, shoulder-width apart. Elbows are shoulder-width apart. Elbows are shoulder level. Now lean in toward the wall, bending the elbows as you come forward, and straightening the elbows as you push back to the starting position. Do 10 reps.

3. Squats to a chair : Stand 8 to 12 inches away from a chair, facing away from the seat. Now bend you legs, push you butt out, and bend forward until you are seated on the chair. Beginners can rest for a second, then put your hands on your thighs, push off using your legs, and stand. Repeat for 10 reps. For non-beginners, let your button touch the seat of the chair and come right back up, keeping tension on your muscles throughout the movement.

4. Wall push-up : Repeat one set of 10 reps.

5. Squats to a chair : Repeat one set of 10 reps.

6. Free dance : 3 to 4 minutes. This can be anything you want it to be. You can sway to soft music or you can pretend to be Britney Spears. Think Tom Cruise in Risky Business. No one’s watching. Have fun.

7. Cool down, lie down, stretch, and breathe : 1 to 2 minutes.

Heart Disease Is More Deadly for Blacks

A new study hints at one reason that black Americans are at a higher risk of death from heart disease than whites: Blacks appear to have higher levels of a certain type of plaque that builds up in arteries and is not detected in standard screening.

This so-called "non-calcified plaque" -- which consists of soft deposits that accumulate deep in the walls of arteries -- can rupture and send out blood clots that can lead to heart attacks.

The new study looks specifically at non-calcified plaque, not calcified plaque, which is commonly monitored in coronary screening tests. The study authors said ordinary calcium screening tests such as CT scans may not be as valid for blacks since they miss the non-calcified plaque.

"For a long time, physicians have searched for explanations as to why African Americans have higher rates of heart disease and higher cardiac death rates, but less coronary artery calcium than Caucasians," said study co-author Dr. U. Joseph Schoepf, professor of radiology and medicine and director of cardiovascular imaging at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, in a news release. "We show that one possible explanation for the discrepancy may be found in the higher rate of less stable, non-calcified plaque in the heart vessels of African Americans."

Federal statistics show that blacks are more likely than whites to be diagnosed with heart disease and die of it.

In the study, researchers screened 301 patients for both kinds of plaque using two kinds of technology: CT and contrast-enhanced coronary CT angiography technology. (The latter allows monitoring of different kinds of plaques.) Half the patients were black and half were white, and a third were male. The average age was 55.

Researchers found that non-calcified plaque was much more common in black patients: 64 percent of them had it, compared to 41 percent of whites. Blacks also had more of the plaque in their arteries.

Whites, on the other hand, were more likely to have higher levels of calcified plaque than blacks (45 percent vs. 26 percent).

Dr. Keith Ferdinand, chief science officer of the Association of Black Cardiologists, said it's important to remember that CT angiography is not a perfect test, especially in patients with diabetes and obesity, which are common among blacks.

Ferdinand added that it's difficult to pinpoint the specific effect that race has upon health -- as this study attempts to do -- considering how many differences that may exist between different racial groups.

The study appears in the journal Radiology.

Gums Infection Linked to Erectile Dysfunction

Bad Gums May Cause Erectile Dysfunction

Bad breath and bleeding gums are not sexy.

But periodontitis, an inflammation or infection of the gums, may hamper your sex life in another way: It may be a cause of erectile dysfunction, a new study suggests.

The results showed that periodontitis impaired erectile function in rats.

The findings agree with a previous study that showed periodontitis is more common in men with erectile dysfunction than men without erectile dysfunction.

Dentists and doctors should be made aware of the connection, said the researchers from Luzhou Medical College in China.

"Identifying and treating periodontitis in the patient presenting with or without [erectile dysfunction] may improve the patient’s sexual health," the researchers wrote.

However, others say the link is a bit of a stretch.

"I don’t think your gums are related to your penis in any reasonable way," said Dr. Andrew Kramer, a surgeon and erectile dysfunction expert at the University of Maryland Medical Center.

Instead, periodontitis may be an indicator of overall poor health, which increases the risk of erectile dysfunction, Kramer said. Conditions such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes have also been linked with erectile dysfunction.

More research is needed to understand whether inflammatory diseases, which include periodontitis, are a cause of erectile dysfunction, he said.

Gum disease and erectile dysfunction
Periodontitis has been linked with an increased risk of heart disease, and, heart disease has been linked with erectile dysfunction. The researchers wondered whether periodontitis might be directly tied to erectile dysfunction, and how the two might be connected.

They found periodontitis increased inflammation in the rats' bodies. Inflammation is an immune response and can be beneficial when your body is fighting off infection, but chronically high levels are known to be bad for overall health.

Rats with periodontitis also had less of an enzyme involved in achieving an erection, called eNOS. This enzyme produces nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels and increases blood flow to the penis.

The inflammation produced by periodontitis may decrease nitric oxide, which then interferes with erection, the researchers said.

Role of inflammation
The study is "one of the first indications that inflammation could have a negative impact on erectile function," said Dr. David Meldrum, an infertility expert and professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, who was not involved in the study.

Earlier studies have found the men with erectile dysfunction have higher levels of certain inflammatory markers, such as C-reactive protein, in their bodies, Meldrum said.

Another major cause of inflammation is abdominal fat, Meldrum said, which is also a known risk factor for erectile dysfunction.

Inflammation is also thought to play a role in heart disease, so it may be a common factor in periodontitis, heart disease and erectile dysfunction.

More research is needed to see whether treating periodontitis could also treat erectile dysfunction, the researchers said.

The study was published online June 23 in the Journal of Sexual Medicine.

Pass it on: Periodontitis impairs erectile function in animals, but it's not clear if the same thing happens in people.

This story was provided by MyHealthNewsDaily, sister site to LiveScience.

FDA warns of risk of anemia drugs Medications given to treat anemia in kidney and cancer patients greatly increase the risk of cardiovascular problems and need to be used more conservatively, the Food and Drug Administration has said.

The medicines, known as Erythropoiesis-Stimulating Agents (ESA) are approved to treat anemia resulting from Chronic Kidney Disease, chemotherapy and other conditions. But clinical trials have showed an increased risk of heart attacks, thrombosis and strokes when the drugs are given at high enough levels to get a normal blood hemoglobin level. Additionally, ESAs also do not improve quality of life, fatigue or patient well-being, the FDA stated Friday.

“Healthcare practitioners should carefully consider when to begin treatment with an ESA and actively monitor dosing in patients with chronic kidney disease, keeping in mind the increased risk for serious cardiovascular events, and should talk to their patients about these potential risks,” said John Jenkins, M.D., director of the Office of New Drugs in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “The goal is to individualize therapy and use the lowest ESA dose possible to reduce the need for red blood cell transfusions.”

In addition to the side effects, critics charge that these medicines were the single biggest drug expense in the federal Medicare program, costing the federal government more than $60 billion since they debuted in 1989, The New York Times reported. “Sixty billion dollars have gone out the window on these drugs, and what do we have to show for it?” Dennis Cotter, president of Medical Technology and Practice Patterns, a nonprofit health policy research institute in Bethesda, MD, asked rhetorically in The Times.

Belly Fat May Boost Risk of Eye Disease

Belly fat increases the risk of an age-related eye disease in men, but may have the opposite effect in women.

Excess abdominal fat increases the risk of age-related macular degeneration in middle-age men but may have the opposite effect in women, says a study in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

AMD is a leading cause of blindness in older people, and treatment options are limited. A study of 21,287 Australians, who were followed from their 40s to mid-80s, found that each 0.1 increase in the waist/hip ratio was associated with a 13% increased chance of developing early-stage AMD, and a 75% increased chance of the more severe late-stage AMD, but only in men. Abdominal obesity reduced early AMD risk in women by 7% to 11%. There were 2,694 early and 122 late cases of AMD in the study, which followed the incidences of AMD from 2003 to 2007.

Abdominal fat releases estrogen and other chemicals that may contribute to inflammation associated with AMD, researchers said. The inverse association in women could reflect a genetic resilience to disease seen in older people called the survivorship effect plus the protective effects of long-term estrogen exposure, they said.

Caveat: Information about the onset and duration of obesity wasn't considered. AMD was only measured at follow-up, so the progression of the disease wasn't tracked.

• Coffee and diabetes: Drinking seven or more cups of coffee a week reduced the risk of Type 2 diabetes by 63% in middle-aged Chinese coffee drinkers compared with nondrinkers, according to a study in the European Journal of Clinical Investigation.

The incidence of Type 2 diabetes has increased dramatically in the past decade, especially in developing countries that have adopted Western dietary habits. An estimated 92.4 million Chinese are reported to have the disease. This study examined coffee consumption and diabetes risk in 2,332 Taiwanese men and women age 40 and older in 2004.

Diabetes was present in 14% of men and 10.4% of women. Health, diet, physical activity, income and education were among the factors considered. Results showed fasting glucose levels decreased as coffee consumption rose. Drinking one cup a week cut diabetes risk by 33%; one to six cups reduced the risk by 54%.

Coffee may affect diabetes risk because it contains magnesium, which is known to improve glycemic control and insulin resistance, researchers said. Coffee also increases energy expenditure, contributing to weight loss, they said.

Caveat: Coffee consumption and Type 2 diabetes were self-reported, so misclassification is possible.

• Parkinson's and melanoma: Patients with Parkinson's disease generally have a lower incidence of cancer, especially smoking-related cancers. But a recent meta-analysis found they may be at higher risk for melanoma.

The research, published in Neurology, pooled the results of 12 studies conducted from 1965 to 2010 in North America and Europe. The analysis showed that men with Parkinson's disease were twice as likely to develop melanoma as those without Parkinson's. Melanoma risk was 1.5 times as high in women with Parkinson's as it was in women who didn't have the disease.

The association between Parkinson's and melanoma was found to be bidirectional, meaning melanoma was more common in patients before and after a Parkinson's diagnosis.

Researchers said that Parkinson's and melanoma may share environmental and genetic risk factors. Exposure to pesticides has been linked to a higher risk for both conditions, they said. And higher risk for Parkinson's is also associated with red hair, suggesting that a pigmentation gene may link melanoma and Parkinson's disease, they said. Further research is recommended.

Caveat: Most of the studies weren't designed to evaluate Parkinson's disease and melanoma; melanoma was assessed along with other cancers. Some scientists have suggested the association between Parkinson's and melanoma is due to increased medical surveillance of Parkinson's patients.

• Narrow leg arteries: Women who smoke 15 or more cigarettes a day are 10 times as likely as nonsmokers to develop peripheral artery disease (PAD), a narrowing or blockage of leg arteries due to a buildup of plaque, according to a study in Annals of Internal Medicine.

PAD affects an estimated eight million Americans, causing debilitating cramping and fatigue in the hips, thighs and calves. The condition is associated with an increased risk of heart attack or stroke. Researchers examined the association between smoking and PAD in 39,825 U.S. women health professionals age 45 and older.

The women were monitored annually for an average of 12.7 years starting in 1993. Smoking habits were categorized as never smoked, former smoker, smoked fewer than 15 cigarettes a day, and more than 15 cigarettes a day. There were 178 cases of PAD reported.

The analysis found the risk of PAD increased with the number of cigarettes smoked a day. Former smokers had a three-fold increased risk for PAD compared with never-smokers. The findings reinforce smoking-prevention messages, researchers said.

Caveat: The study only included women who reported symptoms of PAD or had been treated for PAD so it may have missed women with narrowed arteries but no symptoms, researchers said.

• Glasses for migraines: Migraines can be triggered by looking at certain stressful patterns, which have been shown to induce hyperactivity in a part of the brain associated with headaches.

New research, published in the journal Cephalalgia, found that Precision Ophthalmic Tints (POTs), special eyeglasses dyed in different hues for the comfort and perception of individual users, helped to normalize brain activity in migraine sufferers. POTs were compared with gray lenses and control-colored lenses in a U.S. study of 11 migraine patients and 11 headache-free controls.

Each subject was placed in an MRI machine, where brain activity was monitored while the subject looked at nonstressful and stressful patterns through POTs and the gray and control lenses. Nonstressful patterns had minimal effect on both groups; stressful patterns resulted in greater brain activation in migraine patients than controls. Migraine patients reported some relief from all three lenses, but viewing the patterns through POTs reduced discomfort by 70%.

Scans showed the POTs suppressed activity in several key areas of the brain. Researchers said these areas may be useful biomarkers in developing new treatments for migraine.

Caveat: The U.K. Medical Research Council owns the rights to the POTs and the Intuitive Colorimeter, the technology used to tint the POTs. One of the study's five researchers receives a portion of royalties on sales of the Colorimeter as a Council award to inventors.

• Cancer protection: Prospective mothers who supplement their diet with folic acid and other B vitamins before conceiving may be protecting their offspring against colorectal cancer in adulthood, research published in the journal Gut suggests. Maternal nutrition is increasingly recognized as a determinant of chronic disease in offspring. Studies have shown that high maternal folic acid (folate) intake protects against certain pediatric cancers.

In this U.S. study, female mice genetically predisposed to develop colon cancer were fed varying amounts of folate and vitamins B-2, B-6 and B-12 for four weeks before mating. One group received a mildly vitamin-deficient diet, a control group got a vitamin-replete diet and a third group received supplements.

The diets continued throughout pregnancy until weaning. At that point, all offspring were put on a vitamin-replete diet. At eight months, intestinal tumors were detected in 56% of offspring from mothers on the vitamin-deficient diet, and in 59% of offspring from the control group. Among offspring of mothers who received supplements, 21% had intestinal tumors. The strongest tumor-suppressing genes were found in offspring from supplemented mothers, a finding that could have potential public health significance, researchers said.

Caveat: It's not known if maternal consumption of folate and the three B vitamins before conception could prevent colon tumors from developing in humans.

• Androgen deficiency: Abnormally dilated testicular veins called varicocele, which affect 15% of men after puberty, were associated with significantly lower testosterone levels, or androgen deficiency. The research, published in BJU International, also found that surgical correction of varicocele significantly increased testosterone levels in 70% of patients.

Varicocele is present in one-third of men seeking treatment for infertility. Studies have shown larger varicocele causes more severe damage to testicular function.

In this study, testosterone was measured in 325 U.S. men with varicocele and 510 men without varicocele who had undergone a vasectomy reversal.

The average age of the varicocele and control groups was 35 and 43 respectively. Microsurgery boosted testosterone levels by up to 50% in 58 men, by 51% to 100% in 27 men and by more than 100% in 14 men. Testosterone was unchanged in 43 men.

Varicocele is a risk factor for premature androgen deficiency, and surgery to repair varicocele may reduce that risk, researchers said.

Caveat: Most subjects with varicocele had been evaluated for infertility so the population wasn't entirely homogeneous, researchers said. A random group of men without fertility issues might have made a better control group than men seeking vasectomy reversal, they said.

Blush These "Dementia Markers" Out of Your Blood Stream Daily supplementation using a natural pigment called astaxanthin -- the same coloring that gives flamingos their pink appearance -- can reduce the accumulation of phospholipid hydroperoxides.

These compounds accumulate in the red blood cells of people who suffer from dementia, and scientists now believe that astaxanthin could help prevent dementia, including Alzheimer's.

About 5.4 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's disease, and that number is only expected to go up in coming years.

According to a study in the British Journal of Nutrition:

"After 12 weeks of treatment, erythrocyte astaxanthin concentrations were higher in both the 6 and 12 mg astaxanthin groups than in the placebo group. In contrast, erythrocyte [phospholipid hydroperoxide] concentrations were lower in the astaxanthin groups than in the placebo group ...

These results suggest that astaxanthin supplementation results in improved erythrocyte antioxidant status and decreased [phospholipid hydroperoxide] levels, which may contribute to the prevention of dementia."

Sources: British Journal of Nutrition January 31, 2011

Disadvantages of babies wearing diapers

For many new parents it may seem that diapering is a never-ending chore but the reality is that diapering your baby is as much a part of parenting as feeding. While it may seem that there is nothing more to it than slapping a clean, dry diaper on your baby’s bottom it is important and helpful to understand what you are doing and what you need.

Here are some disadvantages of diapering:

* Toxic chemicals are usually present in most single-use diapers because nearly all single-use diapers use sodium polyacrylate to absorb the moisture.

* Many people notice clear beads of gel on their baby's genitals after a diaper change and this material is sodium polyacrylate.

* An additional serious concern is about dioxin which is a by-product of the paper-bleaching process and may exist in single-use diapers. Dioxin in various forms has been reported to cause cancer, birth defects, skin diseases and liver damage.

* Harsh perfumes and chemical emissions can induce asthma-like symptoms in children and adults and now, researchers have found out that disposable diapers might also be a trigger for asthma.

* Constant use of diapers can also lead to darkening of skin around the diaper area.

How to Stay Happy and Relaxed?

With everything going on in life things can get a bit taxing, but there's actually an easy way to keep stress at bay: Take time to connect with the mind, body and the needs of each. Pausing for a little bit each day and reconnecting with the inner self and physical requirements works wonders on the mind, spirit and body; it's also an excellent way to ward off too much stress. Chicago Healers Practitioner Dr. Helen Lee provides five easy ways to stay calm, relaxed and connected to the self throughout even the busiest days.

* Breathe. It may feel silly to remind oneself to breathe, but it is so important. There are two types of breathing: shallow and deep. Taking shallow chest breaths causes the body to operate in fight-or-flight mode, which is highly stressful. Less oxygen goes to the brain and the body continues to operate on high alert. It is important to take deep abdominal breaths, which stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system. This optimizes digestion, relaxation and detoxification while keeping hormones balanced.

* Gratitude. Remembering things to be grateful for throughout the day really does wonders for personal state of mind and for the body. Positive thinking releases chemicals that help with digestion, euphoria, relaxation and overall well-being.

* Laughter. Laughter is the best medicine as the saying goes, and this is often the case. Laughing for 10 minutes a day will do amazing things. It changes the physiology of the entire * body—increases circulation, releases different "happy" chemicals in the body, reduces stress, keeps everyone in a lighter frame of mind, helps the heart and can even burn calories. It's contagious, too! Sit in silence. Taking 10 to 30 minutes to quiet the mind and clear thoughts can be so beneficial. If meditating is not preferable, spend the time visualizing goals for the day. This will put focus on personal needs, which will be relaxing later when the day starts to get stressful.

* Take a 15 to 20-minute walk outside. Sometimes all that's needed is fresh air and sunlight. Taking a step away from the computer, the phone, the office, etc. can really help clear thoughts and be very calming.

Stress is almost unavoidable these days but there are many ways to keep it at bay. Practicing these five methods is a great start.

How Lyme disease is Caused? Lyme disease is a bacterial illness caused by a bacterium called a "spirochete." In the United States, the actual name of the bacterium is Borrelia burgdorferi. In Europe, another bacterium, Borrelia afzelii, also causes Lyme disease. Certain ticks found on deer harbor the bacterium in their stomachs.

Lyme disease is spread by these ticks when they bite the skin, which permits the bacterium to infect the body. Lyme disease is not contagious from an affected person to someone else. Lyme disease can cause abnormalities in the skin, joints, heart, and nervous system.

Key symptoms and signs of Lyme disease?

Lyme disease affects different areas of the body in varying degrees as it progresses. The site where the tick bites the body is where the bacteria enter through the skin. As the bacteria spread in the skin away from the initial tick bite, the infection causes an expanding reddish rash that is often associated with "flu-like" symptoms. Later, it can produce abnormalities in the joints, heart, and nervous system.

Lyme disease is medically described in three phases as: (1) early localized disease with skin inflammation; (2) early disseminated disease with heart and nervous system involvement, including palsies and meningitis; and (3) late disease featuring motor and sensory nerve damage and brain inflammation as well as arthritis.

In the early phase of the illness, within days to weeks of the tick bite, the skin around the bite develops an expanding ring of unraised redness. There may be an outer ring of brighter redness and a central area of clearing, leading to a "bull's-eye" appearance. This classic initial rash is called "erythema migrans" (formerly called erythema chronicum migrans).

Patients often can't recall the tick bite (the ticks can be as small as the periods in this paragraph). Also, they may not have the identifying rash to signal the doctor. More than one in four patients never even develop a rash. The redness of the skin is often accompanied by generalized fatigue, muscle and joint stiffness, swollen lymph nodes ("swollen glands"), and headache, resembling symptoms of a virus infection.

The redness resolves, without treatment, in about a month. Weeks to months after the initial redness of the skin the bacteria and their effects spread throughout the body. Subsequently, disease in the joints, heart, and nervous system can occur.

The later phases of Lyme disease can affect the heart, causing inflammation of the heart muscle. This can result in abnormal heart rhythms and heart failure. The nervous system can develop facial muscle paralysis (Bell's palsy), abnormal sensation due to disease of peripheral nerves (peripheral neuropathy), meningitis, and confusion. Arthritis, or inflammation in the joints, begins with swelling, stiffness, and pain. Usually, only one or a few joints become affected, most commonly the knees. The arthritis of Lyme disease can look like many other types of inflammatory arthritis and can become chronic.

Researchers have also found that anxiety and depression occur with an increased rate in people with Lyme disease. This is another important aspect of the evaluation and management of this condition.

iPhone app to monitor Parkinson's disease

GTRI research scientists Robert Delano (left) and Brian Parise developed iTrem as a tool that could potentially benefit people with Parkinson’s disease. It takes advantage of accelerometers built into the iPhone.

Researchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) have developed a novel iPhone application that may enable persons with Parkinson's disease and certain other neurological conditions to use the ubiquitous devices to collect data on hand and arm tremors and relay the results to medical personnel.

The researchers believe the application could replace subjective tests now used to assess the severity of tremors, while potentially allowing more frequent patient monitoring without costly visits to medical facilities.

The program—known as iTrem—could be offered later this year by the App Store, an Apple Inc. Website that sells iPhone applications. But iTrem will first undergo a clinical study at Emory Univ. and must receive any required approvals from the Food and Drug Administration.

"We expect iTrem to be a very useful tool for patients and their caregivers," said Brian Parise, a research scientist who is principal investigator for the project along with Robert Delano, another GTRI research scientist. "And as a downloadable application, it also promises to be convenient and cost-effective."

iTrem utilizes the iPhone's built-in accelerometer to collect data on a patient in his or her home or office. The application directly tracks tremor information currently, and in the future will use simple puzzle games to record tremor data, which will then be processed and transmitted.

The researchers expect the clinical trial to show that data gathered by the program would allow physicians to remotely monitor the degree of disability, progression and medication response among patients with tremor-related conditions. In addition, iTrem offers a social component that allows people to share stories, pictures and data.

iTrem's developers are working with the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) to form a startup company based on iTrem and future applications that might take advantage of iPhone capabilities. ATDC is a startup accelerator based at Georgia Tech that helps Georgia entrepreneurs launch and build successful technology companies.

The GTRI team plans ongoing development of iTrem's interface, based on responses from doctors and patients. They're also investigating other consumer technologies with diagnostic potential, including the tiny gyroscopes now available in some cellular phones.

Future developments will include the addition of several other Parkinson's related tests and investigation of gait analysis in a joint effort with the Univ. of South Florida and the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital in Tampa, Fla. Additional developments may utilize the phone for detecting and analyzing dyskinesia, a movement disorder.

More than 10 million people in the U.S. have tremor-related disease, including Parkinson's, essential tremor and multiple sclerosis, Delano said. Data collected by iTrem could enhance research on tremor disorders, in addition to supporting treatment for current patients, he added.

Most current measurement techniques used by doctors are subjective and are performed infrequently, Delano said. Complex diagnostic procedures such as electroencephalography and electromyography are objective and thorough, but are rarely performed because they're lengthy, expensive and require a clinical setting. The result is that little data about tremor has been available to track the effectiveness of medication and therapy over time.

By contrast, he said, the ease of gathering tremor data with iTrem could help lead to a significant expansion of research in this area, as a wealth of objective data is collected and analyzed.

"Even factoring in the cost of an iPhone, using iTrem is likely to be more convenient and less expensive for patients than office visits, and the data are accurate and abundant," Delano said.

A clinical study involving iTrem use is expected to start soon at Emory Univ.'s Movement Disorder Clinic. The study will be led by Dr. Stewart Factor, a researcher in the field of Parkinson's disease at the Emory School of Medicine.

The GTRI development team presented a paper on iTrem at the 2011 International Conference on Health Informatics.

Delano explained that the development of iTrem was linked to his own diagnosis with Parkinson's disease several years ago. He eventually became frustrated with the subjective approaches commonplace in the characterizing of patient tremor symptoms.

"Currently, doctors observe tremor during office visits and rate it on a subjective scale of zero to four. That approach seemed outdated to me, considering all the technology now available," Delano said. "My wife Heather, who's an engineer, remarked that maybe that we could try putting some accelerometers on my arm. That made me think of the accelerometer in the iPhone—and here we are."

source: rdmag

Tips to keep your ears in good shape

The ear is a complex organ and can be divided into three main regions

The health of our ears is something we should be diligent about because - apart from keeping us free of pain and infection - it could save our hearing.

Here are the questions I get asked by patients that should help keep them in good shape.

Q. Is there a safe way to clean wax from an ear?

Earwax, or cerumen, is an antibacterial substance produced by glands in the ear canal to prevent infection and help rid the ear of dead skin cells. It is easy and hygienic to clean the outer ear flap, or pinna, with soap and water.

The skin of the ear canal is designed to help the wax move outwards, like a conveyor belt, taking the wax and any other debris with it.

Cotton buds are a similar width to the ear canal and actually push wax further inside, although if you wish to use one to clean the edge of the ear canal - the visible part - that is fine.

However, do this delicately as they can scrape the skin, leading to an infection, and even puncture the eardrum if pushed in too deeply.

Some people use olive oil to soften wax and speed its exit, but it can block the ear further. Hopi ear candles claim to suck wax out of the ear by producing a vacuum from a burning hollow candle. These have failed tests for safety and efficacy, and the Food and Drug Administration in the US has banned them for sale as a health remedy.

If you feel that your ear needs unblocking, visit a doctor. Using special instruments to look inside the ear, they can confirm whether there is a blockage and what is causing it.

Q. What should my earwax look like?

Some people have soft, orange wax while others have drier, brown wax. As long as there's no thick, green discharge - which is usually pus emanating from an ear infection - don't worry about any changes in colour or consistency.

Q. Why are my ears itchy and flaky?

This is usually a sign of eczema or psoriasis. Your doctor should be able to recommend a steroid ointment that will help control the condition and stop the itch, so you don't damage the ear canal by scratching.

Q. How do I treat an infection?

There are two main types of ear infection and both need treatment from a doctor. External ear infections usually occur after exposure to dirty water. They are more common in people who suffer from eczema in the ear canal and can recur if the skin doesn't have time to heal properly.

The ear becomes painful, swells and is blocked with pus. This is usually caused by bacteria but can also be down to a fungal infection. It is treated by mopping the pus and putting antibiotic ear drops into the canal.

Acute middle-ear infections often follow colds. The ear becomes blocked by fluid in the middle ear. This can sometimes make the eardrum rupture. Usually the infection is viral, but bacteria can also invade the middle ear. Bacterial infections may need oral antibiotics.

A spot or boil in the ear canal can also be painful and will normally need antibacterial drops.

Q. My doctor says I don't have an infection yet I am still in pain

Your GP should refer you to a specialist if there is any long-term problem with your ears.

In most cases, the cause of pain is not sinister - the ear shares the same nerves as nearby body parts so sometimes a throat infection or even a problem with the joints in the neck will manifest itself as ear pain.

Cancers of the throat, tongue and tonsils can cause ear pain too, but these are rare.

Q. Why has my hearing deteriorated?

If the hearing loss is sudden, it is a medical emergency. Visit your GP immediately and if he or she cannot see a problem, ask to be referred, as the deafness could be in the inner ear, with damage to the hair cells. It may be possible to rectify sudden inner-ear hearing loss caught within the first week or two.

A slow loss of hearing is usually associated with old age, but if only one ear is affected, or if there is a significant difference between the loss in the two ears, visit a specialist.

Some medications can cause deafness, although this is rare.

Q. Will loud music damage my ears in the long term?

Yes. Listening to loud music for a prolonged period overstimulates and can eventually kill the hair cells in the inner ear. The human ear is not designed to hear noises above 85dB (decibels), yet the average rock concert is 120dB.

The ringing in your ear after listening to loud music is called tinnitus and is a symptom of over-stimulation. Everyday sounds can cause irreversible damage too. If you are walking along a street undergoing roadworks, cross the road. While the men using a pneumatic drill will wear ear-protectors, you will have nothing. People who use earphones should buy special inserts that cut background noise and avoid the need to turn up the volume further.

Q. What else might damage the ears?

A slap on the ear can happen in contact sports and can trigger a perforated eardrum, which is very painful. In most cases the membrane will heal by itself in about six weeks, but the ear must be kept dry at all times, otherwise an infection can develop.

Being hit in the ear while swimming is more likely to cause damage as the water forced into the ear puts the eardrum under a lot of pressure and is more likely to burst it.

Skull trauma and fractures will often also damage the inner ear.

Q. Can I ease the pain when flying?

Yes. Cabins are pressurised but will not be able to mimic ground-level pressure perfectly, so the change in altitude causes the pressure in the outer ear to be higher than that of the middle ear, leading the eardrum to bulge inwards.

To compensate for this, the Eustachian tube should briefly open to allow a small amount of air into the middle ear and so normalise the ear pressure. This will eventually happen naturally but you can force it by holding your nose closed and blowing gently. Yawning helps too, but you can't make this happen.

To help your ears adjust naturally, I recommend using a couple of puffs of a decongestant nasal spray an hour before flying or landing.

source: dailymail

Pesky mosquitoes activates with summer's rains Without the familiar pitter-patter of summer rain, some of Tampa Bay's back yards have grown abuzz with another — and unlikely — killjoy: the mosquito.

Though the abnormally dry conditions of late have sapped many mosquitoes of their natural incubators, the peskiest and most opportunistic of the insect species have nonetheless taken advantage of Tampa Bay's moist coastal lowlands.

Since June 1, Pinellas County Mosquito Control has fielded 215 service requests, more than doubling the 78 requests it received during the same span last year, said its operations manager, Nancy Iannotti.

That steep uptick runs in contrast to a recent dip in the area's overall mosquito population, but parallels a boom in salt marsh mosquitoes, a breed known for its persistence — and its bite.

Meanwhile, Iannotti said the domestic mosquito — commonly known as the "ankle biter" — has weathered the dry conditions by relying on leftover water in clogged roof gutters and in unattended pools behind foreclosed homes, among other places.

Iannotti said the volume of requests has as much to do with the nature of the salt marsh mosquito as it does the population spike.

"They're horrible biters," Iannotti said. "There are a lot of people living near salt marsh areas. Coastlines are prime locations for homes. When they come off, they're in such huge numbers and they're such bad biters. And they can be out in any time of the day, while others generally will be out only at night."

From beaches in Fort De Soto to Honeymoon Island State Park, where their larvae usually lie just beyond water's reach, the vociferous salt marsh mosquitoes proliferated with the help of unusually high tides with high temperatures.

"The mosquito lays drought-resistant eggs, which don't hatch until the marsh is flooded," said Jonathan Day, a medical entomology professor at the University of Florida, who has observed a similar paradox across the state in Vero Beach. "Even though we have a real drought situation, marshes can get flooded by unusually high tides."

Tampa Bay is vulnerable to becoming a mosquito breeding ground as the wetter weather arrives, because the spring's heavy rains raised the water table to a point where it could swell and form pools of standing water for accumulated larvae to hatch.

A concerted "larvicide" effort has helped reduce service calls and the overall mosquito population in Pasco, said Dennis Moore, director of the county's mosquito control district. But with summer rains on the way, his office is bracing for busier days.

"As soon as these rains pick up, we'll have a big challenge in front of us," he said. "There are a lot of eggs out there ready to hatch."

Although salt marsh mosquitoes aren't responsible for spreading diseases, other mosquitoes can pose public health risks during dry-weather conditions, experts said. With fewer water holes to choose from, mosquitoes and their primary source of nourishment — birds — tend to congregate, creating a concentration that has proven to increase and accelerate the spread of West Nile Virus, Eastern equine encephalitis and other mosquito-borne diseases.

"The possibility for them to be at the same waterhole is much higher," said Dr. Carlos Fernandes, director of the Hillsborough County Mosquito Control. "Sometimes the population goes down but the level of disease, the level of contamination of mosquitoes, tends to go up.

"It's kind of a funny thing we observe."

From the beginning of February to the end of May, Fernandes said Hillsborough County's mosquito control collected a monthly average of about 60,000 mosquitoes — almost twice that of the same span last year. That average coincided with about 100 service requests per day, he said. But with the dry weather, the daily average for service requests has sunk to between 30 and 50 a day.

He said mosquitoes from the genus culex, a type similar to salt marsh and domestic breeds, have proven surprisingly prevalent this month. They've been known to carry West Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis and heart worm, he said.

In July 2005, a 27-year-old man became the first West Nile virus case in Pinellas County. The number of cases reached double-digits in an outbreak officials suspect was influenced by the dry weather. Later that summer, an 18-month-old Land O'Lakes girl died of Eastern equine encephalitis, a disease that reappeared this month in a chicken held at a Hernando testing facility.

From April 1 to June 15 of that year, total average rainfall for Pasco, Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties was 13.67 inches, according to the Southwest Florida Water Management District. In the same span this year, total average rainfall was 4.26 inches.

Trend to hire a personal trainer

There would appear to be a school of thought that certain individuals, through nothing more than sheer laziness, have decided to call upon the services of a personal trainer to help with their work out. Today one can find an increasing number of personal trainers in most UK towns and cities from London to Leeds, York and many gyms in Manchester but the question remains that is laziness really the answer as to why this is happening?

Motivation would certainly appear to be a main reason as to why one should turn to personal training as this is something so often lacking, especially during the winter months when motivation particularly tends to go out of the window!

Personal trainers tend to provide their clients with regular updates as to their progress and performance, which can motivate one even more to pursue their goals once provided with this information.

Guidance and help with techniques is another deciding factor as less experienced individuals may lack in confidence when working out on their own and may doubt that they are exercising in an appropriate way so as to gain the maximum benefit from their work out.

Safety is of utmost importance to most gym bunnies and keep fit enthusiasts alike and one is bound to feel "safer" when being guided by someone who really knows what they are doing. Using a good Manchester gym as our example, it can be said with a degree of certainty that any Personal Trainer Manchester has to offer worth his or her salt would certainly put safety first before anything else, which is a reflection of high standards of training. One will not find such a trainer simply in a Manchester gym, however, as well trained personnel in keep fit coaching can now be found all over the UK.

Another deciding factor is that under the guidance of a professional keep fit coach one is more inclined to work hard and may therefore reach their personal goals faster and after all, who doesn't want to do that?

Other aspects of health and fitness such as stress reduction, nutrition and posture issues may be dealt with by personal trainers and if one was to ask a Personal Manchester Trainer by means of example, what advice they would give to their clients in order to not just shape them up but to get them healthier too, one can safely assume that guidance to a healthy lifestyle would certainly be discussed prior to commencement of any keep fit regime.

In conclusion then, should one be looking for the type of excellent Personal Trainer Manchester has to offer, or one further north, east, west or south, they won't be hard to find, neither should one feel guilty for employing one as their services may well be worth it!

Best medicine for brain boosting?

What are the best medicine/drugs for brain boosting?

These are just a few of the drugs for brain boosting. But before taking such, it’s best to consult first your physician.

* Ritalin or Adderall – these are prescription drugs to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder - on black markets to boost memory and concentration.

* Modafinil – a stimulant, has also been touted as a mind enhancer.

* Psychedelics- psychedelic substance is a psychoactive drug whose primary action is to alter the cognition and perception of the mind. Hence, psychedelics are part of a wider class of psychoactive drugs known as hallucinogens, which also includes related substances such as dissociatives and deliriants.

Not like other drugs such as stimulants and opioids which induce familiar states of consciousness, psychedelics tend to bend and twist the mind in ways that result in the experience being qualitatively different from those of ordinary consciousness. Also, the psychedelic experience is often compared to non-ordinary forms of consciousness such as trance, meditation, yoga, and dreaming.

More Brain Boosting Tips

source: mdinfo

'Diet' Foods That Really Make You Fat

Eating right to lose weight isn't easy, especially when we have so many options at our fingertips. I know, system overload, right? Getting the "cocktail" just right -- the plan, the food, the exercise -- for successful weight-loss can be mind-boggling.

But one thing that drives me nuts is that there are so many "diet" foods on our supermarket shelves. Light this, non-fat that, fat-free, carb-light, yadayada. Now gluten-free is in. Thinking lower-calorie, minimal fat is probably the best way to stay fit or shave off weight, tons of us buy into these labels while doing our shopping. Too bad many of those foods are actually fat traps in disguise!

Here, five "diet foods" that will actually hinder your weight-loss efforts ...

1. Fat-free chips - Several years ago, I'd look at a bag of these and say to myself, "1 gram of fat per serving??? You have to be kidding me!" Because -- that's a dream come true for any Cool Ranch or Sour Cream & Onion fan. But, hold it right there! Any "guilt-free" crunch made with the faux fat Olean packs a heavy punch. Purdue researchers just concluded that not only does Olean trigger GI side effects in some people, but it can also make you gain weight. Rats who were fed Olean-containing potato chips as part of a high-fat diet ate more overall and gained more weight than those who were fed a high fat diet and regular, full-fat potato chips. Why? Fake fats screw with our body's ability to digest and metabolize food, making us more likely to retain weight from what we eat. Next time I'm at a BBQ, I will be reaching for the real thing, thank you very much.

2. Artificial sweetener - You hear it all the time. Someone in line at Starbucks or Dunkin' ordering their iced Americano with two Splendas or three Equals. They think they're doing themselves a favor. Sigh. Studies have proven that artificial sweeteners make you eat more and gain more weight. They confuse your brain and your metabolism, and as a result, they disrupt the body's ability to regulate incoming calories.

3. Granola bars - Oh, look, it's all hippie-crunchy, protein-packed, and filled with "all-natural" dried fruit and oatmeal -- it must be good for you and help you stay slim, right? Nope. Sadly, most snacks that fall into this category are sugar and fat bombs in disguise. Even if it's 100 calories or fiber-filled, "coated" or "drizzled" tends to be code for partially hydrogenated palm kernel oil, which contains saturated and trans fats.

4. Diet soda - This one is such a biggie. And we even know it's bad for us, but so many of us still tout our "soda addiction." But please, no, stop the insanity! Researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio even concluded that people who drink artificially sweetened drinks gained more weight than those who didn't, and blame it on the fact that those drinks often make you crave the real thing. I'll be the first to testify: I was addicted to diet soda, and it did not help me lose weight. It made me want chocolate. And there you have it.

5. "Mediterranean" foods - We're told over and over that foods like wine and olive oil are good for us! They may even be slimming! Yay! But, just because there are antioxidants in red wine and healthy fats in EVOO doesn't mean we get a free pass to go to town with this stuff. You could unknowingly consume 478 calories and 54 grams of fat (7 grams saturated) in JUST olive oil, if you mindlessly dip bread into a plate of it at an Italian restaurant. And depending on how much you consume, drinking wine could cost ya 400 calories over the course of a meal.

And this, my friends, is why it pays to be savvy about false claims and fake labels. I swear, I think they're all trying to secretly keep us dieting so we keep coming back for more. It's a vicious cycle, I tell you!

source: thestir.cafemom

New radiation technique promising for breast cancer Researchers in California say a new form of radiation therapy is showing promise for offering women with early-stage breast cancer an easier, less toxic alternative.

A study involving 50 women who had been diagnosed with early invasive breast cancer and had undergone a lumpectomy to remove the tumor was aimed at evaluating a type of radiation therapy known as “proton beam” radiation.

Instead of undergoing standard radiation treatment that radiates the entire breast, proton beam radiation is targeted much more precisely, enabling doctors to deliver much higher doses with each treatment. That reduces the treatment time from about seven weeks to only two weeks and minimizes side effects.

In the study, which was presented last fall at a meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology and will be published in the journal Clinical Breast Cancer this summer, researchers at the Loma Linda University Medical Center said Tuesday that disease-free survival rates at five years among the women receiving the therapy was over 90 percent and that the overall survival rate was close to 100 percent. Patients reported virtually no side effects.

“The study results show that we are able to offer early stage breast cancer patients a treatment program that is less risky and can be completed in less time,” said David Bush, vice chairman of the hospital’s department of radiation, in a statement. “The size of the radiation area is reduced significantly, lessening radiation exposure to the heart, lungs and other parts of the body.”

Researchers have begun testing proton beam radiation, originally developed to treat brain cancer, for other forms of cancer. Some experts have expressed concern, however, that some hospitals are starting to use the approach before sufficient research has been done to show that it is at least as effective as standard radiation. Some have also expressed concern that the costly equipment to deliver the treatment is encouraging doctors to steer patients to the therapy before it has been proven.

In their paper, the researchers acknowledge that the findings “would need to be confirmed in comparative trials.”

source: washingtonpost

Lupin Enriched Food Boosts Heart Health

PERTH, Australia—Individuals who consume lupin-enriched foods may significantly reduce their risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, according to a study published in the International Journal of Obesity.

Researchers at the University of Western Australia suggest consuming breads, biscuits and pasta made with flour containing 40% lupin beans instead of conventional wholemeal flour lowers blood pressure and increases insulin sensitivity. They said lupin, which is traditionally used for livestock feed, has a high-protein, high-fiber, low-carbohydrate composition and can easily be incorporated easily into typical food products.

The researchers followed 130 overweight but healthy people from Western Australians who were divided into two groups. One group was fed products made with lupin flour for 12 months; the second group was fed wholemeal goods. Participants were monitored for heart disease risk factors, including blood pressure and the level of fat, sugar and insulin in their blood. Both the groups lost similar amounts of weight; however, the lupin group exhibited larger improvements in several heart disease risk factors.

The researchers also noted lupin flour may benefit diabetics because non-diabetic individuals' sensitivity to insulin improved during the study.

source: foodproductdesign

Heart disease more lethal than breast cancer With breast cancer survival chances improved owing to treatment advances, women with the disease stand a greater chance of dying from other causes, like cardiovascular disease, a new study involving an Indian-origin researcher has found.

Scientists at the University of Colorado have found that two thirds of women with breast cancer died from other causes, with cardiovascular disease being the leading cause of death.

They analysed data from the SEER-Medicare database and followed over 60,000 women in the United States, who were at least 66 years old, from breast cancer diagnosis for up to 12 years.

Balanced diet for healthy hair, nails and skin

Eating a balanced diet provides the building blocks for healthy-looking hair, nails and skin. Here are some nutrients that will help you look and feel your best.

Protein: Protein promotes growth of hair, nails and skin. Good choices include poultry without the skin, fish, eggs and lean cuts of other meats. Beans and legumes are good plant sources for protein.

Omega-3 fats: A deficiency in omega-3 fats can lead to dry skin, inflammation, acne and a dry scalp, causing dull-looking hair. Alpha-linolenic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid) also can help condition your hair. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in oils, walnuts, fatty fish and flax.

Vitamins C and E: These vitamins are antioxidants that help reduce damage to the skin. Vitamin C is needed to make collagen, which supports skin growth. Good sources of Vitamin C include oranges, broccoli, bell peppers, strawberries, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, watermelon, grapefruit, kiwi, mango, Brussels sprouts and pineapples. Vitamin E can be found in vegetable oils, seeds, nuts, leafy green vegetables, wheat germ, whole grains, liver and egg yolks.

Vitamin A: Vitamin A is needed to maintain and heal tissue and might prevent sun damage. This vitamin regulates how skin regenerates. Deficiencies can result in dry skin or a dry, flaky scalp. Vitamin A can be found in liver, fish, dairy products, eggs, dark leafy green vegetables, and deep orange or yellow fruits and vegetables.

Zinc: Zinc acts as an antioxidant. It also is important for the production of collagen and elastin, which work to prevent sagging skin. A deficiency in zinc can lead to excess shedding of the hair and dull-appearing skin. Good sources of zinc include oysters, meat, poultry, legumes, liver, whole grains and vegetables.

Biotin: Biotin is known for strengthening hair and nails. Biotin deficiency is very rare but can cause the hair to become brittle or dermatitis of the skin. Good sources of biotin include beans and legumes, egg yolks, organ meats, soybeans, fish and whole grains.

Selenium: Selenium works as an antioxidant along with Vitamin E to prevent damage from free radicals, and it might help reduce the risk of skin cancer and sunburn. Selenium can be found in seafood, meat, whole grains and vegetables.

Energize your home with Feng Shui

Ever walk into a room and feel like the energy just isn’t right? You might not be able to put your finger on it, but something about the space leaves you feeling a little unsettled. Maybe it’s too dark or too stuffy or the colors don’t work, or maybe it’s the placement of the furniture.

It cold be you’ve stepped into a room with bad feng shui.

Here’s my personal experience with feng shui and energy. Years ago, when I was living in Manhattan, I read about a local “guru” who was reported to be able to organize and rearrange your living space so that you could have maximum energy. She practiced some obscure Asian art form whose name I couldn’t pronounce at the time, and it was said that when you organized your space according to the principles of this practice, you could not only maximize your own energy, but also attract precisely the things you wanted into your life – love, prosperity, you name it. Donald Trump was said to have had the lobbies of his building designed according to this practice.

The guru in question was a charming woman named Caroel Meltzer I hired her, I found her to be quite a character – a combination of Long Island designer and spiritual guru, and, as I later learned, the first American woman to be trained in China as a Master in this interesting energetic art form, which, of course, was known as feng shui (pronounced fung shway).

Well, it worked. From the moment she applied her magic touch – telling me where the “energy was blocked” in my apartment, creating ‘flows”, changing colours, putting symbolic materials in key places in order to attract love, romance, and prosperity – things noticeably changed. I’m not kidding. It was during this time that I began a new relationship, my income went way up, and the general “feel” of my Manhattan apartment become more airy and open. I swear, I could literally feel my energy rise, and the energy of the apartment was noticeably different, something commented on by virtually everyone who came to visit.

So what the heck is feng shui anyway? And how can it help you with your energy.

Glad you asked.

WELCOME NATURE FOR ENERGY AND HARMONY
Feng shui is the ancient Chinese art of bringing harmony to an environment, based, in part, on tenets found in nature. Through design, the purposeful placement of furnishings and objects, and the use of color, a feng shui Master balances yin and yang, allowing positive energy, or qi, to flow freely throughout the space. It’s a system built on five elements – fire, water earth, metal, and wood – and the colour that symbolize each. How those elements interact can impact the energy of the environment in either a positive or a negative way.

Every area of your life is also represented by an area of your home called a gua (a feng shui map of a space is called a bagua). There are nine guas: prosperity, fame and reputation, relationships and love, creativity and children, helpful people and travel, career and life path, skills and knowledge, family, and health and all other life situations not mentioned. Each gua also has corresponding symbols, body parts, colors, and shapes.

When a space has bad feng sui, it gives off negative energy. The result could be mental or physical fatigue, stagnation in your career or love life, or a host of other unpleasant consequences. Although I’m hardly a feng shui Master – heck, I could barely pronounce it a few years ago – I do know a few basic principles more conducive to positive energy, both yours and that of the universe.

TIPS FOR ENERGIZING YOUR SPACE
Start with the room you feel most affects your energy level. The first step is to remove all clutter, which hols stale, negative energy (see page 224). In feng shuil, out of sight is not out of mind (a principle you’ve heard me state many times in this book). No matter where clutter accumulates – you attic, a hall closet, or that drawer you’d just as soon never open – it affects the energy of your home. If it affects your energy as well. In spades. Even if your’e not consciously aware of it.
No matter where clutter accumulates – your attic, a hall closet, or that drawer you’d just as soon never open – it affects the energy of your home.

Net, evaluate the lighting. In feng shui, light represents the sun, as a well-lit room promotes vitality and the smooth movement of positive qi. If there’s a lot of available natural light, then for goodness sake, let it shine in! If not, use lamps and candles to brighten dark spaces.

Another essential for energy is good air quality. Open windows often to keep air circulating, and use an air purifier or air-purifying plants to help filter out toxins.

If it’s the kitchen you’re focusing on, you’ll be relieved to know that the oven-sink-refrigerator triangle design of most kitchens actually balances water and fire, so it’s good feng shui. (By the same token, if you introduce too much of the water element, found in the colours blue or black, you might extinguish the symbolic fire of energy, so use those colors sparingly). As with everything else in feng shui, striking the right balance with color is important. For instance, red represents fire, so introducing it into a room can bring energy, excitement, and passion. But too much red may lead to anger or overstimulation. Although you want a calming bedroom, a bit of red – says, a decorative pillow or candle – might spark passion (which, for most of us, is a good things!).

For the most part, though, your bedroom should be a sanctuary filled with calming yin energy. The best colors for the bedroom are skin tones, anything from white to rich brown – it’s no accident that those gorgeous designer bedrooms, you see in catalogues are brimming with these warm, inviting colour! Everything in your bedroom should represent love and relaxation.

There should be symmetry in the bedroom, just as there should be in a good relationship. Place your bed in the middle of a solid wall (if possible) with nightstands on either side. Flowers and fresh energy and life to a bedroom. Note to people who use their bedroom as a combination office or exercise room: Anything that takes your mind away from sleep or sex should be banished from the room. Sorry. But trust me, you’ll thank me for it later.

Although feng shui is an art that can take a lifetime to master, you can use some of its basic principles now to increase you energy and you overall well-being. By becoming more aware of how furniture placement, colors, and décor affect your mood, you’ll be able to make your home more comfortable.

Even if you don’t meet your future wife, husband, boyfriend, or girlfriend, I promise that you will have a lot more positive energy in your life.

Testing your child's genes to predict their future health? When I look at my two daughters, it seems fairly obvious who takes after me — and who takes after my husband, Anthony.

My older child, Lily, nine, has the same chestnut hair, taller build, profile and bone structure as her father.

But Clio, six, looks more like my side of the family — she’s slighter, shorter for her age, with a rounder face and fuller mouth. Their personalities also seem to fall along similar lines.

Family likeness: Tanith Carey with Clio and husband Anthony with Lily, who all underwent the £64 test from a U.S. genetic testing company

Clio is, dare I say it, a bit more type-A like me, while Lily opts for a more easy-going approach to life, like her father.

As we’ve watched their characteristics and looks emerge, Anthony and I have wondered how much of the children is down to the genes they’ve inherited from us — and how much is down to fate and the environment.

The undisputed fact is that children inherit 50 per cent of their genes from each parent, but these genes include millions of variations which accounts for the differences between all human beings.

So I was intrigued when I came across a U.S. genetic testing company, 23andMe, which could tell us whether Lily really is more of ‘a Harwood’ (my husband) and Clio ‘a Carey’.

But it wasn’t a step I took lightly. Beyond just satisfying our curiosity, I was also aware that we could be delving into some frightening territory.

Every week scientists are discovering more genetic variants pinpointing risks of serious illnesses, such as heart disease, Alzheimer’s and cancer.

As there’s a history of autoimmune diseases on my father’s side (he died of a rare muscle-wasting disease at 57) and of depression on my mother’s side, I knew we might have to face up to some difficult truths about conditions which could affect the health of our daughters long after we’re both gone.

Read Full Story

Irritable Bowel Disease: Crucial Info

People usually interchange the use of Irritable Bowel Disease and Irritable Bowel Syndrome—however; these diseases are not actually one and the same. These diseases are two separate conditions distinct from one another. Irritable Bowel Disease is a term used to describe two inflammatory diseases of the colon, namely: ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s Disease. These two conditions, although they are considered under an umbrella of colon inflammations, these also have unique characteristics which one need to be aware of.

It is recorded that at least one million people in the US suffer from Irritable Bowel Disease. IBD commonly affects people in their adolescents and early adulthood (i.e. people aging 15 to 30 years old). However, it can also occur in younger people and the elder group. In terms of geographical statistics, most of the recorded cases are found in the US and European countries.

Getting relief from IBD is important because prolonged and unmanaged Irritable Bowel Disease can lead to complications like dehydration, malnutrition, hormonal problems and other conditions with a systematic effect on health. Maintaining good hydration status, eating nutritious foods as well as knowing and avoiding foods which trigger IBD attacks is very important in steering away from the exacerbation of such condition.

Signs of Irritable Bowel Disease

Most common signs of Irritable Bowel Disease are abdominal cramps and pain, urgency and frequency of bowel movement, and sometimes diarrhea can contain traces of blood. Loss of appetite and subsequent weight loss may also occur. Also, with blood loss through the stool, anemia can occur when it becomes chronic and unmanaged.

anti-inflammatory medications since the main problem is inflammation. Drug treatment will start with the mildest form of drug and if it fails to provide relief, the next more potent drugs will be prescribed. Aminosalicylate drugs and antibiotics may be given first. Next set of drugs that may be given are corticosteroids to provide rapid relief from the inflammation symptoms significantly.

If in case corticosteroids still won’t manage the disease, immune modifying drugs may be required. These immune modifying drugs will lessen the sensitivity of the immune response to triggers since many cases of IBD can be traced into auto-immune causes, i.e. the body targets its own healthy cells.

Complications of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Intestinal Obstructions and Strictures are common complications of IBD. Since IBD can damage the intestinal walls, scarring of the intestines may occur. When the intestines scar, it may lead to fibrosis of the surface leading to obstruction in the intima of the intestinal walls. Surgical interventions may be required to fix these occurrences.

Anal fistula can also take place at any point. Fistulas are abnormal passages of the intestines opening into another organ like the bladder, perineum, etc. Malignancy is also a high risk for a person with IBD. When a person suffers from ulcerative colitis, the risk for developing colon cancer significantly increases after 8-10 years.

IBD can lead to many other complications… as such, getting treated the earliest moment possible is important.

source: healblog.net

How to prevent injury to your toddler?

Aspiration – can easily occur in toddlers because they’re still exploring their environments with their mouths. Toddlers may ingest small objects, while the small size of their oral cavities increases the risk of aspiration while eating. Preventive measures include:

Learning the Heimlich maneuver ( making sure the maneuvers age appropriate)

Avoiding large, round chunks of meat such as hotdogs ( slicing them into short, lengthwise pieces is a safer option )

Avoiding fruit with pits, with bones, hard candy, chewing gum, nuts, popcorn, whole grapes and marshmallows

Keeping easily aspirated objects out of a toddler’s environment

Being especially cautions about what toys the child plays with ( choosing sturdy toys without small, removable parts )

Burns - can easily occur in toddlers and preschoolers because they’re tall enough to reach the stovetop and can walk to fire place or a woodstove to touch.

Preventive measures include:

• Setting the hot water heater thermostat at a temperature less than 120 degree F

• Checking bath water temperature before a child enters the tub

• Keeping pot handles turned inward and using the back burners on stovetop

• Keeping electric appliances toward the backs of counters

• Placing burning candles, incense, hot foods, and cigarettes out of reach

• Avoiding the use of tablecloths so the curious toddlers doesn’t pull it to see what’s on the table (possibly spilling hot foods or liquids on himself)

• Teaching the child what “hot” means and stressing the danger of open flames

• Storing matches and cigarette lighters in locked cabinets, out of reach

• Burning fires in fireplaces or wood stoves with close supervision and using a fire screen when doing so

• Securing safety plugs in all unused electrical outlets and keeping electrical cord tucked out of reach

• Teaching preschoolers who can understand the hazards of fire to “stop, drop, and roll” if his clothes are o fire

• Practicing escapes from home and school with preschoolers

• Visiting a fire station to reinforce learning

• Teaching preschoolers how to call 911 (for emergency use only)

How likely is it that my breast cancer will return? A new gene test offers sufferers a chance to avoid chemotherapy – and its side effects, says Cherrill Hicks.

A new gene test that is being hailed by specialists in the UK as a breakthrough in breast cancer diagnosis can help women and their doctors decide if they need chemotherapy after breast cancer surgery.

Like many women, Charlotte Dew dreaded the prospect of chemotherapy after having surgery to remove a cancerous lump in her breast, especially since her doctors were uncertain if these powerful drugs were actually needed to prevent the disease from spreading.

Dew’s cancer, diagnosed last summer, was found to be small and slow-growing, although a biopsy showed that some cells had spread to one of the nearby lymph nodes, under the arm, indicating a risk that the cancer could come back.

“The doctors couldn’t tell me if I would benefit from chemotherapy or not,” the 49-year-old gynaecologist recalls. “It was hard to make a decision. Chemotherapy is horrible, and I wanted to avoid the side effects such as nausea and hair loss if I could, but at the same time I was worried – supposing I didn’t have chemotherapy and the cancer recurred?”

It was then that Dew learnt from her surgeon about a new gene test that is being hailed by specialists in the UK as a breakthrough in breast cancer diagnosis. Developed by a California-based company and called Oncotype DX, it can help women and their doctors decide if they need chemotherapy after breast cancer surgery. Already used extensively in the US, it is now available privately in the UK, at a cost of about £2,500.

Known as a genomic assay, Oncotype DX involves extracting RNA (part of the genomic make-up of cells) from a sample of the breast tumour and analysing the activity of 21 genes controlling the behaviour of cancer cells. It gives a recurrence score, which indicates how likely the cancer is to return within 10 years of the initial diagnosis, with the risk being graded as low, intermediate or high. It also calculates how likely an individual woman is to benefit from chemotherapy.

According to Simon Cawthorn, a breast surgeon at the Breast Care Centre at Southmead Hospital, Bristol, the test is an “exciting breakthrough” which could benefit about half of all women with breast cancer. It is suitable, he says, for women with early-stage cancer that is fuelled by oestrogen – known as oestrogen receptor positive – in which the tumour is small and classified as slow-growing, and where no more than three nearby lymph nodes are affected.

It has been previously difficult to establish which women with this type and grade of cancer would benefit from chemotherapy – and which women do not need it, because there is little risk of the cancer spreading. Doctors generally try to calculate the risk by looking at the size and grade of the tumour and whether there is cancer in the lymph nodes; but in practice, says Mr Cawthorn, most women in this position have chemotherapy, with all the side effects it entails.

“This test can give us a far more accurate prediction about the risk of a cancer returning,” he says. “There is also good solid evidence that it is accurate.”

Oncotype DX has been validated by 13 studies in more than 4,000 patients and, according to the company, has been used with more than 200,000 patients in over 60 countries. In the US, it is recommended in breast cancer treatment guidelines and is used by 60 per cent of women with the type of breast cancer considered suitable. In the UK, along with other gene predictive tests, it is now being considered for use in the NHS by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, which is expected to reach a decision late next year.

In about a quarter of cases in the US in which the test is used, doctors and women decide against having chemotherapy. In a further 10 per cent of women, doctors realise chemotherapy is needed when they previously thought hormone therapy alone (another treatment used to prevent recurrence in this type of breast cancer) would be sufficient.

In Dew’s case, the gene test showed that the risk of the cancer recurring was low.

“Had the result been medium or high risk I would have had the chemo, but now I have only had to have radiotherapy (given to breast tissue to kill of any remaining cancer cells) and hormone treatment,” says Dew, who works at the Aneurin Bevan Health Board in Gwent.

“I feel good about the decision. Because my mother had breast cancer at an early age, without the information the test gave me, I’d probably have gone for the chemotherapy. It was a massive relief to know I didn’t have to. I was back at work three months after the surgery.”

So why don’t more women in the UK know about Oncotype DX? “With the NHS, the difficulty is always – how do you introduce new technology which could improve women’s quality of life and save money [in the long term] – but which costs money to introduce in the first place?” says Mr Cawthorn, who is involved in a study of the test’s cost effectiveness in Avon and Somerset.

“But if studies here also show that 25 per cent of women who have the test do not go ahead with chemotherapy, it could be a big saving for the NHS.”

He stresses that the test can only predict risk – it cannot tell a woman with certainty if her cancer will recur.

“Research has shown that chemotherapy – and its side effects – is one of the worst parts of having cancer for women,” he adds. “Chemotherapy is such a blunderbuss. If it was my wife I would want her to have this test.”

Dr Lesley Walker, director of cancer information at Cancer Research UK, adds: “We look forward to seeing if this test, or others like it, will become available soon.”

source: telegraph

Positive energy sweels from acknowledgment

Why You Should Acknowledge Someone Daily?

Now I’m going to give you a tip that’s easy to do and that will not only make you feel better and more energized, but will also make the people around you feel better. You’ll be giving a gift that doesn’t cost anything, and it’s something that every single person on the planet wants.

You’re intrigued? Great. Here it is:

Acknowledge someone. Every single day. After year of working with thousand of people, I really believe that underneath it all – the defense mechanisms, the rudeness, the unproductive or self-destructive behavior – the vast majority of people just want to make a difference in life. And they want to be recognized, appreciated, and acknowledged.

When you tell people that you appreciate them – whether it’s because of their kindness, sense of humor, or problem – solving ability – I’d be willing to bet that every cell in their body experiences a different energy, and you can clearly read the effect of your words on their faces.

POSITIVE ENERGY SWEELS FROM ACKNOWLEDGMENT

An acknowledgment is a simple statement of someone’s value. It’s a way of telling someone how he or she has made a difference to you. It doesn’t have to be anything major, such as, ‘Thanks for pulling me out of that burning building. I really appreciate that you saved my life”.

It might be as simple as “Thanks for being so patient with me. I know you were under a lot of stress, and I rally appreciate that you took the time to help me out”, or, “I really admire how kind you are, even to strangers, including that new waitress we had last night”.

Now you might think that the only beneficiary of your words I the person you acknowledge, but you’d be wrong. That person’s definitely going to get something out of it, no doubt about it, but the other person who benefits is you. Believe me, every time you put out a kind, generous, or gracious word or deed, it reverberates throughout you body, sending positive energy into every cell.

So every single day acknowledge someone for something. The positive energy you give will be energizing, both to the person who receives it and – guaranteed – to you.

Six conditions that men should ask their doctors about

Doctors hear it all the time: “My wife made me come in.” That’s often an opening line from men who find themselves in one of their least favorite places to be — the doctor’s office.

“The wife is usually the watch dog for health in the family and the motivation behind a lot of men going to see their doctor,” said Dr. Scott Owens of Urology of Central Pa. in Camp Hill.

Sometimes men are embarrassed about the issue, which explains their hesitancy to see a doctor, and other times, they just don’t see the need unless they are really sick. However, doctors say that men should get regular physical exams and pay attention to issues that could become future health concerns if not addressed early.

“There are screening tests that I would recommend for every man and these are important to good health,” said Dr. William Nasuti of PinnacleHealth FamilyCare Silver Spring. “Between age 20 and 30, every man should be screened for a complete blood count, or CBC; chemistry profile, which checks for diabetes, liver abnormalities and electrolyte disorders; lipid profile for high cholesterol, which is the leading cause of coronary artery disease and strokes, and a thyroid screen to see if you have overactive or underactive thyroid disease.”

Nasuti also recommends that men have an annual hernia and testicular exam and, after age 50, an annual rectal exam. A colonoscopy should be scheduled at age 50 and if normal, again in another 10 years, he said. Smokers should try to quit and men should drink no more than one or two drinks daily, he said. “Excess alcohol will catch up to you in problems with your liver, hypertension or diabetes,” he said.

Other common conditions that men should seek out a doctor for include:

Pneumonia

Pneumococcal disease, caused by streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria, is a leading cause of vaccine-preventable illness and death in the United States.

Pneumococcal disease can lead to serious infections of the lungs, blood and covering of the brain, Nasuti said.

Pneumococcal pneumonia kills about one out of 20 people who get it. The vaccine protects against 23 types of pneumococcal bacteria, including those most likely to cause serious disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Men (and women) should get the vaccine starting at age 65 and repeated every 10 years thereafter, Nasuti said. Men who have certain conditions such as premature heart disease, diabetes or emphysema should get the vaccine on diagnosis, he said.
Only about 60 percent of men aged 65 and older get the vaccine, although pneumonia is a common cause of hospitalization in men, according to the CDC.

“A quick immunization can prevent some life-threatening illnesses,” Nasuti said.

Erectile dysfunction

Difficulty getting or sustaining an erection, especially after age 50, is more common than men think it is.

“Many men wouldn’t bring this up to a doctor. It’s an ego issue. Men somehow think to admit erectile dysfunction is to admit you’re losing your manhood, which is not true,” Owens said. “Their quality of life is affected, but they’re not willing to admit it and so they don’t know treatment is easy.”

The causes are varied. In younger men, if there’s no physical reason, the cause could be psycho social stressors or performance anxiety, Owens said. People with diabetes could have problems with blood flow. Men over age 50 could have vascular disease, performance anxiety or — and here’s s big one — alcohol can affect erection, Owens said.

“The treatment is medication that works by dilating the blood vessels to the penis to help achieve or sustain erection,” he said. Men take Viagra to get an erection within a half hour while the daily pill Cialis lasts up to 48 hours and offers more spontaneity, he said.

Low testosterone levels can also decrease sex drive and ability to get an erection, Owens said. This happens when the testicles aren’t producing enough testosterone anymore, a condition that can be detected with a blood test.

All men after age 50 experience some decrease in testosterone level, Owens said. Whereas a healthy man in his 30s might have total testosterone levels of 500 to 700 nanograms per deciliter, a 70-year-old man might have a level of less than 300.

“This is treatable with testosterone replacement therapy in the form of a monthly injection or creams applied to the back or shoulder that are absorbed into the skin,” Owens said.

Depression

Depression is a very common yet under-diagnosed problem in men, according to Nasuti.

“Men may see it as a sign of weakness and so it goes under-treated,” he said. “Change of mood, sleep disturbance, irritability, lack of interest, anxiety — all of these can be tied back to depression.”

A combination of an antidepressant such as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor and counseling can be very effective at combating depression, Nasuti said.

Enlarged prostate

For men over age 50, a common problem is an enlarged prostate, which is the male reproductive gland that produces fluid that carries the sperm during ejaculation.

“A slow stream of urine or dribbling, getting up at night more to urinate or urgency or frequency — these are all symptoms of an enlarged prostate,” Owens said. “Nobody knows the cause.”

Urinary symptoms can be eased by medications such as Tamsulosin (brand name Flomax) that work by relaxing the muscles in the prostate and bladder so that urine can flow easily, Owens said.

In some cases, surgery may be necessary, he said. A scope is inserted through the penis and a small incision is made in the prostate tissue to enlarge the opening of the urethra and bladder outlet.

To screen for prostate cancer, Owens recommends a baseline prostate specific antigen (PSA) test after age 40 and every three to five years thereafter.

Testicular swelling

Testicular swelling merits immediate attention, Owens said.

“Testicular cancer is the most common solid malignancy in men ages 20 to 40 and presents with a painless mass in the testicle,” he said. “If you ignore it for even three months, it can have spread. If you have painless scrotal swelling, have it checked.”

A painless, swollen testicle is also a symptom of a hydrocele, a fluid-filled sac within the scrotum, he said. If pain accompanies the swelling, it’s more likely caused by an infection, Owens said.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm

The aorta is the main blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body. An abdominal aortic aneurysm occurs when the lower part of the aorta — the part that goes through the abdominal area — begins to dilate and the walls weaken.

“If there is a rupture, this is a surgical emergency, and the outcomes are not good,” Nasuti said.

Symptoms include back or abdominal pain or a pulsating mass in the abdomen on physical examination, he said. The doctor will watch it until it becomes greater than 5 centimeters, in which case surgery can be done to repair it.

Because symptoms may not show up until there is a life-threatening emergency, a screening by ultrasound of the aorta is recommended after age 65 to 70, Nasuti said. This may or may not be covered by insurance.

Medicare offers a one-time, free abdominal ultrasound screening to men who have smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime or have a family history of abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Causes include smoking, years of uncontrolled high blood pressure and a genetic predisposition, Nasuti said.

Men’s health by the numbers

* 12 — Percentage of men 18 years and older in fair or poor health
* 23 — Percentage of men 18 years and older who currently smoke
* 31 — Percentage of men 20 years and older with hypertension
* 33 — Percentage of men 20 years and older who are obese
* 37 — Percentage of men 18 years and older who engaged in regular leisure-time physical activity

SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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