PubMedSearch

Smoking link to hearing loss risk

2008-06-10T01:54:00.000-07:00

Smoking and obesity could both cause permanent hearing damage, say scientists.

Either could threaten blood flow to the ear, they say, with damage levels clearly linked to the level of obesity or the length of a smoking habit.

However, the Antwerp University-led study found that high levels of work noise remained the biggest risk.

In a separate study, smoking in middle age was linked to worse memory, which could hasten the arrival of dementia.

A link between smoking and hearing problems has been suggested by others, but the conclusions of the latest research, involving more than 4,000 men and women aged between 53 and 67, offer the most convincing evidence to date.

All the study participants were given a hearing test, then asked about their lifestyle and where they worked.

Dr Erik Fransen, of the University of Antwerp in Belgium, one of the lead researchers, said that the ability to pick out high frequency sounds was damaged in smokers and the obese, although to not as great an extent as those exposed to very loud noise in the workplace.

He said: "The hearing loss is proportional to how much you smoke and your body mass index (BMI).

"It starts getting worse once you have smoked regularly for more than one year."
He said that, unlike some parts of the body, once damage had occurred, there was no prospect of recovery.

"Once the damage is done, it's done. It does not repair."

Blood flow
The theory behind the hearing damage is similar to the reason smoking and obesity can harm other organs.

Both can disrupt the flow of blood around the body, and Dr Fransen suggested that the resulting lack of oxygen, coupled with the failure to remove toxic waste from the ear, can be damaging.
Amanda Sandford, from the pressure group Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), said that the results, published in the Journal of the Association for Research into Otolaryngology, should serve as a warning particularly to younger smokers.

She said: "There are so many young people who think that they can give up in middle age and escape some of the other diseases associated with smoking.

"In this case, some of the damage may already have been done."

The study was part-funded by the Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID), and Dr Mark Downs, from the charity, said that, with an ageing population, age-related hearing loss could be a major problem.

"Losing your hearing in later life can make it harder to maintain contact with friends and families and lead to isolation and depression, so making small concessions now could have an enormous effect in the long term."

A separate research project involved more than 5,000 civil servants, who completed memory and reasoning tests and then repeated them five years later.

It found that smoking in middle age was linked to a decline in memory and verbal reasoning ability.

Memory problems at this age have been linked to a swifter onset of the symptoms of dementia.
This study was conducted jointly between the University of Paris and University College London.

Source BBC Health http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7443730.stm

Study Boosts Wine Chemical Hopes

2008-06-04T04:28:00.000-07:00

A chemical derived from red wine could one day help keep the heart "genetically young", claim researchers. University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers found that resveratrol appeared to halt age-related changes in the function of heart genes.

The effects, described in the PLOS One journal, appeared to mimic those produced by eating a very low calorie diet - known to prolong life. But an expert said drinking wine would not achieve the effect.

Resveratrol, a plant polyphenol found in red wine, grapes and pomegranates, has been suggested as one of the reasons for the so-called "French paradox" - the relative longevity of the French despite a diet rich in artery-clogging animal fats.

It has been suggested that the traditional glass of red wine taken at mealtimes was helping beat heart disease.

The Wisconsin researchers the chemical on "middle-aged" mice, looking at the effects on the workings of genes in the heart.

The natural ageing process in animals and humans is marked by changes in the function, or expression, of thousands of genes in the organ, and even though the precise consequences of all these changes in gene expression is not fully understood, they are thought to contribute to its gradual overall weakening.

The mice on resveratrol appeared to have fewer changes in gene expression over time compared with those who did not.

The researchers suggested that this brought studies of the chemical closer to the "consumption reality" of middle-aged humans.

They also noticed similarities between the gene expression changes linked to resveratrol and those noticed in mice given low calorie diets, prompting speculation that the chemical may have a similar effect.

Many animals who undergo "calorific restriction" live longer, and Dr Tomas Prolla, one of the lead authors, suggested a similar process might be at work.

"There must be a few master biochemical pathways activated in response to caloric restriction, which in turn activate many other pathways - and resveratrol seems to activate some of those master pathways as well."

Hard to take
However, none of this may be good news for lovers of red wine.

Dr Louise Connelly, from Imperial College, who has looked at the effects of resveratrol on lung disease, said that the chemical did not stay in the body long enough to have any effects.

"The resveratrol molecule is very quickly removed from the bloodstream metabolised by the liver.

"In order to have any effect, you would have to drink literally gallons of wine, and that is not recommended."

She said that the only way for humans to experience its effects would be the development of a form of the chemical which overcame

Source: BBC News (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7432957.stm)

Kennedy's brain surgery "successful

2008-06-03T01:06:00.000-07:00

Sen. Edward Kennedy successfully underwent surgery Monday in Durham, N.C., for a malignant brain tumor, his surgeon said.

Dr. Allan Friedman, who performed the surgery at Duke University Medical Center, pronounced the operation a success and said it "accomplished our goals." Up next: chemotherapy and radiation, aimed at shrinking whatever is left of the tumor.

"The main goal is to remove as much of the tumor as possible to give any other therapy that we do a better chance of working," said Dr. John Sampson, associate deputy director of Duke's brain-tumor center.

Kennedy, 76, was given a diagnosis two weeks ago for a malignant glioma in the upper left brain after suffering a seizure at a family residence on Cape Cod, Mass. His surgery followed initial treatment at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

Kennedy told his wife, Victoria, immediately after the surgery, "I feel like a million bucks," a spokesman recounted.

Doctors who were not involved in Kennedy's care said it was a good sign that the tumor was considered operable.

Malignant glioma, the most common form of brain cancer, accounts for 9,000 cases that are diagnosed each year in the United States, according to the National Cancer Institute. About half the patients with the deadliest gliomas die within 15 months.

New drugs are extending survival, researchers say, and some patients live more than four years.
The decision to undergo surgery was apparently made last week. Massachusetts General, which has a top-flight neurosurgery team, did not mention surgery as an option after diagnosing the cancer May 20. Its report cited just "various forms of radiation and chemotherapy" as usual treatment.

By last Friday, the thinking had apparently changed, and Kennedy and his wife met a group of neurosurgeons from leading institutions, including the University of California, San Francisco and Duke.

Early Monday morning, Kennedy's office issued a statement saying that he expected to remain in the Duke hospital about a week and then return to Massachusetts, where he will undergo chemotherapy and radiation treatments at Massachusetts General.

It was not clear from either statement how long the chemotherapy and radiation would take or why doctors decided to move Kennedy to Duke.

Doctors who were not involved in Kennedy's care said the Brain Tumor Center at Duke had a reputation for aggressively attacking tumors while working to preserve the function of surrounding tissue, which in Kennedy's case is critical for language.

In tumor removal, the experts said, doctors at top institutions use sophisticated imaging technology to produce a precise three-dimensional image of the tumor. They put the patient under anesthesia and cut away a piece of the skull just above the tumor.

They then wake the patient, and probe the area around the tumor to see exactly which parts of the brain are crucial for normal functioning.

If the tumor is in the parietal lobe, as in Kennedy's case, doctors typically stimulate a series of points on the surface of the exposed region while having the patient speak or identify words.
That lets the surgical team map the precise areas that support language and that should be preserved. Each brain is slightly different, so each patient must be directly tested to mark the critical areas, which are often tagged with little paper markers.

The challenge for the surgeon in any such procedure is to remove as much of the tumor as possible, while avoiding sensitive areas.

"We call it debulking, and we like to get a very high percentage of the tumor, say 90 percent, which can help a lot" with overall treatment, said Dr. Robert Goodman, an associate professor of neurosurgery at Columbia University.

Source: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2004453698_kennedy03.html

Good Health Tips - Wear Sunglasses

2008-06-02T01:33:00.000-07:00

We all know that sunscreen is good for our skin, but we forget that our eyes need protection as well. You don't have to look directly at the sun to suffer from eye damage. The sun's ultraviolet or UV rays can be reflected off snow, sand, pavement, and water. These UV rays can increase your risk of developing cataracts and age-related macular degeneration, and can even cause sunburn of the cornea in a condition called photokeratitis. This condition can lead to temporary blindness.

Make wearing sunglasses when outdoors a habit, but don't assume that if your sunglasses are dark tinted, they're okay. Make sure that your sunglasses provide 100% protection from UV rays.

Study Suggests Chemotherapy Diminishes Fertility In Breast Cancer Patients

2008-06-01T02:37:00.000-07:00

Pre-menopausal breast cancer survivors who were treated with chemotherapy following surgery were more likely to have diminished ovarian reserve -- the capacity of the ovaries to provide eggs capable of being fertilized - compared to women who have never had breast cancer, according to a study led by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute investigators.

Their findings will be presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), May 30-June 3, in Chicago.

The researchers analyzed markers of ovarian reserve in 20 premenopausal breast cancer patients who had been treated with adjuvant chemotherapy, who were one or more years out from their diagnosis, and who had no evidence of recurrence. This group was compared with a "control" group of 20 like-aged women without a history of the disease.

The evaluation involved five tests conducted two, three or four days after a menstrual cycle to assess the ovaries' physical condition, hormone levels and a compound involved in the menstrual cycle. In four of the five tests, the breast cancer survivors had a worse ovarian reserve than did the control group. The other test showed no major difference between the two groups.

"These findings may have important implications for women who are interested in having children after receiving chemotherapy," said Ann Partridge, MD, MPH, of Dana-Farber, who led the study. "Studies that track breast cancer survivors following treatment are needed to determine the predictive value of these tests for pregnancy."

The study's co-authors are Kathryn Ruddy, MD, Shari Gelber, Eric Winer, MD, and Meghan Meyer of Dana-Farber, Boston; Lidia Schapira, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; and Elizabeth Ginsburg, MD, senior author, and Mary Abusief, MD, of Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston.

Financial support for the study was provided by the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080530095450.htm

Importand Do's & Don'ts for Our Daily Life

2008-05-31T01:35:00.000-07:00

Health - Important Notice

Reduce the amount of TEA you consume
Do not eat bread which has only JUST been toasted
Keep your distance from hand phone CHARGERS
Drink more WATER in the morning, less at night
Do not drink coffee TWICE a day
Reduce the amount of OILY food you consume
Best sleeping time is from 10pm at night to 6am in the morning
Do not have HUGE meals after 5pm
Do not take ALCOHOL more than one glass/cup/serving a day
Do not take pills with COOL water
Do not lie down immediately after taking medicine before sleeping
Getting LESS than 8 hours of sleep affects your health.
People used to napping will not get old easily
When battery is down to the LAST grid/bar, do not answer the phone. The radiation is 1000 times .
Answer the phone by LEFT ear , It'll spoil your brain directly by using right ear
Do not use headphones/earphone for LONG period of time. Rest your ear awhile after 1 hour

May 31 is "World No Tobacco Day" - Tobacco Facts

2008-05-30T01:56:00.000-07:00

NO FORM OF TOBACCO IS SAFE!!! NOT CIGARETTES, NOT CIGARS, NOT CHEWING TOBACCO OR PIPES. THEY ARE ALL DANGEROUS BECAUSE THEY ALL CONTAIN CHEMICALS THAT KILL!!!!

Every eight seconds someone in the world dies from a tobacco related illness/disease.
Smoking is the #1 preventable cause of premature death.
On average, smokers die nearly seven years earlier than nonsmokers.
Smoking is responsible for one out of five American deaths.
In the U.S., smoking kills more people than cocaine, heoine, alcohol, fire automobile accidents, homicides, suicides, a and AIDS combined.
Reports of the Surgeon General conclude that smoking cigarettes causes heart disease, lung and esophageal cancer, and chronic lung disease. Cigarette smoking contributes to cancer of the bladder, pancreas, and kidney. Consequences of using smokeless tobacco include cancer of the gum, mouth, pharynx, larynx, and esophagus.
Men who smoke increase their risk of death from lung cancer by more than 22 times and from bronchitis and emphysema by nearly 10 times. Women who smoke increase their risk of dying from lung cancer by nearly 12 times and the risk of dying from bronchitis and emphysema by more than 10 times. Smoking triples the risk of dying from heart disease among middle-aged men and women.
90% of adult smokers are addicted to tobacco before they reach the age of 18; 50% before the age of 14; currently the average age of initiation to tobacco is age 11.
According to the CDC survey, there are 1,136,900 smokers in New Jersey (19.5% of the state population). 38% of youths in grades 9-12 smoke in New Jersey.

Time Management Skills - Tips to Reduce Stress and Improve Productivity

2008-05-29T01:22:00.000-07:00

Do you find yourself overwhelmed by the number of projects you have at work or the depth of these projects? Do you feel the day flies by without your devoting the necessary attention to each assignment because other tasks keep landing on your desk, or because you can't get it all organized?

You probably know that effective time management will help you get more done each day. It has important health benefits, too. By managing your time more wisely, you can minimize stress and improve your quality of life.

But how do you get back on track when organizational skills don't come naturally? To get started, choose one of these tips, try it for two to four weeks and see if it helps. If it does, consider adding another one. If not, try a different one.

Plan each day. Planning your day can help you feel more in control of you life. Write a to-do list, putting the most important tasks at the top. Keep a schedule of your daily activities to minimize conflicts and last-minute rushes.
Prioritize your tasks. Like many people, you may be spending the majority of your time on a small percentage of your tasks. Prioritizing will ensure you spend your time and energy on those that are truly important to you.
Say no to nonessential tasks. Consider your goals and schedule before agreeing to take on additional work.
Delegate. Take a look at your to-do list and consider what you can eliminate or pass on to someone else.
Take the time you need to do a quality job. Doing work right the first time may take more time upfront, but errors usually result in time spent making corrections, which takes more time overall.
Break large, time-consuming tasks into smaller tasks. Work on them a few minutes at a time until you get them all done.
Practice the 10-minute rule. Work on a dreaded task for 10 minutes each day. Once you get started, you may find you can finish it.
Evaluate how you're spending your time. Keep a diary of everything you do for three days to determine how you're spending your time. Look for time that can be used more wisely. For example, could you take a bus or train to work and use the commute to catch up on reading? If so, you could free up some time to exercise or spend with family or friends.
Get plenty of sleep and exercise. Improved focus and concentration will help improve your efficiency so that you can complete your work in less time.
Take a time management course. If your employer offers continuing education, take a time management class. If your workplace doesn't have one, find out if a local community college, university or community education program does.
Take a break when needed. Too much stress can derail your attempts at getting organized. When you need a break, take one. Take a walk. Do some quick stretches at your workstation. Take a day of vacation.

How Successful Parents Raise Responsible Children

2008-05-28T01:09:00.000-07:00

As parents, we have the most important job in the world. There is nothing we do in our lifetimes that is more significant than how we raiseour children. It’s a challenging, full-time job that lasts throughout our lives, no matter how old our children get. While parenting presents us withstruggles and trials, it also offers us many rewards. Those rewards, too,can last through our lives.

Spending quality time with children is imperative because that is what creates the finest moments in a child's memory. With the modern family set up, it is hard to maintain a harmonious parent child relationship, but as a parent, you could always try and realize that it is not actually difficult doing so.

1. Love your children: Alright I know you love your children but how do you show that love? Do you tell them everyday that you love them? Do you kiss them often? Do you hug them? Always tell your children how special they are. Tell them how much they mean to you and give them lots of hugs and kisses.

2. Take a little joyride: Perhaps, you could spend one weekend day driving around. You do not need to get to a destination when you do so. Just taking your kids for a ride, perhaps around the neighborhood, sets a good opportunity for you to laugh along with each other, play jokes, talk or just enjoy sights.

3. Spend time with your children: Your Children need your attention and your time. Spend some time with them doing nice things like reading a book, taking a walk or playing a game. You can let your children help you clean the house or water the flowers. It is a fact that bad children behavior is a result of the lack of attention, so spend some time with them and make them feel responsible. Play a simple game when you get together. Perhaps, you could play a simple board game or a computer game. By doing so, you are setting the impression to your child that you are game and willing to have fun with him

4. Give individual attention to each child. If you have around three or more children, it is important to set quality time with all of them at the same time. But also be sure to plan or set quality time with each of these kids individually. To do so, you could just tag along a child when you go to the grocery, or simply help one in doing his school homework. Be careful not to get the other kids jealous, though.

5. Find a common interest with your child. Your interests may, of course, not be similar and jiving, but for once, be simple and stoop down to the level of the child. Perhaps interest in a cartoon series or a simple action figure toy may put you at the same spot and talk about a lot of things.

6. Act like a child for once. By doing so, you could set an example that you are willing to compromise and adjust to your child's needs. Doing so would also let your child know that you are fun to be with and that you could also be just a friend or a playmate to him in addition to being a dad or a mom.

7. Give safety to your children: Most children are often scared e.g. when a lightning strikes or when they have a bad dream etc. Other children are insecure by nature. The fact is that all of them need to feel safe. Depending on your children's nature, take the appropriate steps to comfort them and protect them. I know you protect your children but do you show or explain to them how you protect them and why?

8. Reward your children: All children need to feel they play a significant role inside the family. That's why they will always try to learn and advance. And they will need to know they're doing right. So, when they learn something new or when their behavior is appropriate, tell them how important that new thing was and how proud you are of them. But you also have to tell them that they should always keep trying to learn more.

9. Set Rules and Boundaries: All families have certain rules, especially when it comes to children. Your family rules don't need to be the same with the rules of other families but they need to be clear and straight. Rules should not change often and if that happens make sure your children understood everything that's new. Rules should apply to all cases and situations like when you hire a baby sitter or leave your children to your parents etc.

10. Keep a regular schedule for your children: Children need to follow a strict schedule most of the times. A schedule will help them become disciplined individuals. For example you can make sure the entire family eats at certain times every day, if that's possible. You can send them to bed same time every day except, let's say, Saturdays or Fridays. Do your children brush their teeth when they wake up and before they go to bed? These are just some examples of a regular schedule.

11. Listen to your children: Children always have something to say. They seem to have a strong opinion about everything and at the same time they keep asking all kinds of questions. Always listen to their words. Sometimes they will ask complex questions that will surprise you. Take some time to discuss with them and try to give simple and meaningful answers.

12. Don't criticize your children: All children make mistakes. As I said nobody is perfect, even grown individuals make tons of mistakes. When your children make mistakes don't criticize them. They need to know what they did wrong and why is that thing wrong, so take some time to explain to them all they need to know. Criticize the behavior, not the child.

13. Don't spank your children: Most parents feel so frustrated and confused at times that they lose their temper and spank their children. Spanking achieves nothing but fear. If you feel frustrated or angry take a break. Try to control yourself. If you can't control yourself how do you expect to teach your children discipline and self control?

You see, raising a child can be really tough but not difficult. We need to create an environment in which our children can develop habits of honesty, generosity, and a sense of justice. For most of us, the greatest opportunity we personally have to deepen our own character is through the daily blood, sweat and tears of struggling to be good parents.

A good, stable adult with love and tolerance in his heart is about the best therapy a child can have. By: L. Ron Hubbard

Good Health Tips - Metabolic Syndrome

2008-05-27T01:55:00.000-07:00

Carbonated soft drinks, even calorie-free soda, linked to increased metabolic risk: New research suggests that prevalence of metabolic syndrome is increased among middle-aged adults who regularly drink carbonated soft drinks, even soda that is calorie-free. Carbonated soft drinks, even calorie-free soda, linked to increased metabolic risk: New research suggests that prevalence of metabolic syndrome is increased among middle-aged adults who regularly drink carbonated soft drinks, even soda that is calorie-free.

The metabolic syndrome is a cluster of several cardiovascular risk factors, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and excess fat around the abdomen and glucose intolerance, a condition in which the body can no longer process sugar in the blood that often precedes diabetes. In the study, the subjects who consumed one or more soft drinks per day had a 48-percent higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome compared to whose who drank less. Drinking soft drinks also increased the incidence of each component of the metabolic syndrome .

Good Health Tips - Exercise

2008-05-26T03:24:00.000-07:00

Eye exercise will improve your vision ????-
Regular eye exercise will help to improve your vision defect is one of many widely held misconceptions about eyesight. In fact, we exercise our eyes whenever we look at something and additional eye exercise will do nothing to correct condition such as shortsightedness or longsightedness which are caused by optical error inside the eye.

Exercise reduces the risk for postmenopausal breast cancer is well known, but a new study shows that it can also protect against premenopausal breast cancer. The study conducted at National Cancer Institute , The most active women, who showed a 23% reduction in the risk for premenopausal breast cancer.

7 Dont's After a Meal

2008-05-24T03:39:00.000-07:00

Don't smoke- Experiment from experts proves that smoking a cigarette
after meal is comparable to smoking 10 cigarettes (chances of cancer is
higher).

Don't eat fruits immediately - Immediately eating fruits after meals
will cause stomach to be bloated with air. Therefore take fruit 1-2 hr
after meal or 1hr before meal.

Don't drink tea - Because tea leaves contain a high content of acid.
This substance will cause the Protein content in the food we consume to be
hardened thus difficult to digest.

Don't loosen your belt - Loosening the belt after a meal will
easily cause the intestine to be twisted & blocked.

Don't bathe - Bathing will cause the increase of blood flow to the
hands, legs & body thus the amount of blood around the stomach will
therefore decrease. This will weaken the digestive system in our stomach.

Don't walk about - People always say that after a meal walk a
hundred steps and you will live till 99. In actual fact this is not true.
Walking will cause the digestive system to be unable to absorb the
nutrition from the food we intake.

Don't sleep immediately - The food we intake will not be able to
digest properly. Thus will lead to gastric & infection in our intestine.

Healthy Food. - Myths And Realities

2008-05-23T02:19:00.000-07:00

There are many popular myths and misconceptions about the influence of different foods on our health and well being, most of them are however, contradictory. With all this conflicting information, it is not surprising to see how people are confused about which foods are good or bad. Learning about diet and nutrition will help you tell fact from fiction.

Here are few of the common myths about food. Many of these myths can be explained by our desire to discover miracle cures for common ailments, or by our need to justify eating certain foods because they are 'good for you'.

Myth - Skipping breakfast is good for health.

Fact- Breakfast is the only meal, which needs to be a bit heavier than the other meals. This is the time when your nutrient requirements are higher after a night's sleep and the time when you can really burn up calories with the resumed activity of the day. So the say that "Eat your breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar" fits perfectly right here.

Myth- End your meals by drinking tea for satiety value.

Fact- Tea has substances called tannins, which prevents the absorption of important minerals like Calcium, Iron and Magnesium. So there should be a gap of atleast an hour between the meals and the intake of tea.

Myth- Older people live longer with fewer meals.

Fact- Eating more often, that is 5-6 small meals at frequent intervals in a day results in spreading nutrient intake over the day more evenly and help in benefiting the lipid levels and nutritional status of our body. All this together helps one to live a healthy and long life.

Myth- Fat consumption is only what you see.

Fact- The visible fat like butter, oil, ghee etc, which is normally added while cooking contributes to just a small percentage of your total fat intake. The truth is even the legumes, meat, milk and its product, nuts, and oil seeds contain substantial amount of fat in invisible form. So invisible also makes a dent in our total calories for the day.

Myth- Margarine is less fattening than butter.
Fact- Both margarine and butter contain 85% fat and equal number of calories. Margarine is rich in saturated fatty acids as well as trans fatty acids, which raise blood cholesterol.

Myth- Adding water can reduce.

Fact- If water is added to milk all other nutrients beside fat gets diluted. Skimming is the best way to remove fat from milk. As other nutrients are retained in skimmed milk.

Myth- Refined oils are 90% fat free.
Fact- Whatever may be the kind of fat, one gram of any oil would give 9 Kcal. What might vary is the type of fatty acids they have.

Myth- Cholesterol free label means a healthy food.

Fact- The food might be cholesterol free but at the same time could be rich in saturated fatty acids or trans fatty acids which again raises the blood cholesterol. Cholesterol free label is nothing but a marketing strategy.

Myth- Refined oils alone are good for heart.

Fact- Every oil has its own particular composition for example Kardi and sunflower oil are rich in PUFA (poly unsaturated fatty acids). Desi ghee, butter, groundnut and mustard oil are rich in SFA (saturated fatty acids) and MUFA (mono unsaturated fatty acids). Consumption of PUFA, MUFA and SFA in the ratio of 1:1:1 is desirable for good health. So all the three that is desi ghee (1/2 tsp.), mustard/ groundnut oil (1 tsp.) and safflower/sunflower oil (1/2 tsp.) must be consumed in a desirable ratio for a healthy heart.

Myth- Milk is better than curd.

Fact- Some people cannot tolerate milk as they get diarrhoea or a feeling of heaviness. For them best substitute is curd. Yogurt or curd contains all the nutrients of milk in addition to lactobacillus, friendly bacteria in the intestines of humans, which help in digesting the food.

Myth- To lose weight dieting is a must.

Fact- This is an absolute fallacy. As when we eat less, there is decrease in the metabolic rate and at the same time result in deficiencies of vitamins and minerals in the body. Hair loss and gastritis may also result. Therefore if you are serious about losing weight make sure that there is enough to eat in the course of the day but of the right kind. Choose fiber rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grain cereals and pulses and proteins in the form of toned milk and its product, lean meat, fish and poultry, but avoid fats and simple sugars.

Myth- Fat free diet is good for losing weight.

Fact- Fat free diets can lead to the deficiency of essential fatty acids and fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. satiety value of fat free diets is low thus making one feel hungry all the time. Atleast 10 gms that is 2 tsp. of fat is must in the day.

Myth- Mono diets are good for fat loss.

Fact- Mono diets leads to more pronounced loss of lean body mass, boredom and many may suppress appetite leading to altered blood chemistry.

Myth- Sugar cubes go well with health.

Fact- Sugar is a simple carbohydrate prepared from sugar cane juice. Sugar cubes are refined forms of sugar with 100% sucrose and with no minerals and vitamins, which are lost during the process of refining. Jaggery and brown sugar too are prepared from cane sugar but they are not refined to the same degree as white sugar and thus contains some amount of minerals particularly calcium and iron.

Myth- Honey is good for weight loss.

Fact- Honey consists of 75% sugar-glucose and fructose and about 25% water. They increase the blood sugar level, by providing 3 Kcal for every gm of honey taken.

Myth- Vegetables should be washed after cutting.

Fact- Washing of vegetables after cutting leads to the loss of water-soluble vitamins like vitamin C, thiamine, riboflavin and niacin. Scrubbing the vegetables well before cutting will help to clean them and also remove any pesticides, which are sprayed on the vegetables.

Myth- De-husked pulses and rice should be washed before cooking till the water is absolutely clean.

Fact- Repeated washing of de-husked pulses and rice before cooking leads to loss of important nutrients like riboflavin and niacin in the water. So de-husked pulses and rice should be rinsed slightly and the water in which these are soaked should be used for cooking to prevent these losses.

Myth- Fruit juices are low in calories and are beneficial for weight loss.

Fact- Fruit juice is concentrated source of energy and may have added sugar. Consuming whole fruits rather than fruit juice is beneficial for weight loss, as they are rich in fiber and also has a high satiety value.

Myth-Juices help reduce weight and cut calorie intake.

Fact- Juices are concentrated sources of energy and have added sugar content. Eating whole fruit would be more beneficial for your health.

Myth-Refined oils are 99% fat free.

Fact-All refined oils are 99% fat, irrespective of their composition and trade name. 1 teaspoon of refined oil gives 45 Cal.

Myth-Toasted bread has less calories than the normal bread.

Fact-Toasting bread only converts starch into dextrins. The caloric count however remains the same, i.e., 1 slice of bread = 70 Cal.

Myth-Healthy food means bland food.

Fact-This is not true. Traditional spices provide the necessary taste and flavour to the food. At the same time, they are rich in micronutrients, anti-oxidants and fibre. There is no reason to avoid spices, unless they are not tolerated. The only restrictive feature of a healthy diet is its low salt and fat content.

Myth-Fat content of milk may be reduced by adding water.

Fact-If water is added, all other nutrients in milk also get diluted. Skimming is the best way to remove fat from the milk. Other nutrients are retained in skimmed milk.

Myth-Low calorie foods can be eaten in unlimited amounts.
Fact-Even low calorie foods have calories, which add up and must be burned off regardless of what kind of food we eat. Balance is the key success.

Eating too much sugar causes diabetes? - No

2008-05-22T01:57:00.000-07:00

Eating too much sugar causes diabetes?

This is probably the biggest misconception that people have. There is absolutely no link between eating a lot of sugary foods and diabetes. There is however a link between being obese and having diabetes. Most obese people have a tendency to enjoy sugary or sweet foods, which is probably where this misconception has originated from. Being overweight is a big risk factor in developing Type II diabetes

Chemotherapy Does Not Improve Treatment For Mesothelioma

2008-05-22T01:19:00.000-07:00

Mesothelioma is a malignant tumor in the lining of the chest and abdominal cavities. It is a rare form of cancer, with about 3,500 cases diagnosed in the United States each year. Most people who develop this cancer have a history of exposure to the widely found carcinogen asbestos.

Adding chemotherapy to other treatments being giving to patients with mesothelioma, a lung cancer usually linked to asbestos exposure, does not appear to improve either survival or quality of life. aaccording to an article released on May 16, 2008 in The Lancet.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is cancer of the mesothelium, the protective layer that covers the lungs. Generally associated with exposure to asbestos, it is almost always fatal.

In the study, published in this week's issue of The Lancet, groups of mesothelioma patients received one of two chemotherapy regimes (four cycles of mitomycin, vinblastine and cisplatin every three weeks or one injection of vinorelbine every week for 12 weeks) in addition to active symptom control (ACS) treatments. ACS can include steroids, painkillers, bronchodilators and palliative radiotherapy to control the cancer's symptoms. Another group only received the symptom control treatments.

At the time of the analysis, roughly 96 percent of patients in all three groups had died. Only a slight but statistically insignificant improvement in survival rates after one year was found when comparing the two chemotherapy groups combined to those receiving only treatment for symptoms (32 percent vs. 29 percent).
Patients in the chemotherapy group that received vinorelbine, though, did have a slightly better survival rate (37 percent) than the other two groups but, again, researchers said this was not statistically significant.

Quality-of-life scores (physical functioning, pain, shortness of breath, overall health status) were similar in the three groups.

The authors conclude: “The addition of chemotherapy to ASC offers no significant benefits in terms of overall survival or quality of life. However, exploratory analyses suggested that vinorelbine merits further investigation.”

How to Survive a Heart Attack When Alone Hoax

2008-05-21T01:33:00.000-07:00

Since many people are alone when they suffer a heart attack, without help, the person whose heart is beating improperly and who begins to feel faint, has only about 10 seconds left before losing conscious.

HOW TO SURVIVE A HEART ATTACK WHEN ALONE?

Let's Say It's 6.15pm And You're Driving Home (Alone Of Course) After An Unusually Hard Day On The Job.You're Really Tired, And Frustrated……

YOU ARE REALLY STRESSED AND UPSET ….
Suddenly you start experiencing severe pain in your chest that starts to radiate out into your arm and up into your jaw. You are only five miles from the hospital nearest your home. Unfortunately you don't know if you'll be able to make it that far.

NOW WHAT TO DO ??
Do not panic, but start coughing repeatedly and very vigorously

A deep breath should be taken before each cough, the cough must be deep and prolonged, as when producing sputum from deep inside the chest.

A breath and a cough must be repeated about every two seconds without let-up until help arrives, or until the heart is felt to be beating normally again.

Deep breaths get oxygeninto the lungs and coughing movements squeeze the heart and keep the blood circulating. The squeezing pressure on the heart also helps it regain normal rhythm. In this way, heart attack victims can get to a hospital.

How to Release Stress Chemicals

2008-05-20T07:32:00.000-07:00

The release of stress-related chemicals, known as adrenaline and cortisol, can stimulate two responses from our bodies. The release of adrenaline is called the "acute alarm" response, which gives us strength to "fight" the problem at hand. The release of cortisol is called the "chronic vigilance" response and provides endurance to "flee" the problem or problems creating the stress.

These two responses are nature's way of protecting us from harm, but when we overreact to stress chronic levels of stress chemicals in our system can create a number of problems to our cardiovascular system.

Current Treatment Options of Peritoneal Mesothelioma: Summary of 1st NIH Peritoneal Mesothelioma Conference

2008-05-20T07:09:00.000-07:00

Peritoneal mesothelioma is a rare cancer of the peritoneum with about 250 new cases diagnosed each year in the United States. It is the second most common site for mesothelioma development and accounts for 10-20% of all mesotheliomas diagnosed in the United States. A meeting sponsored by the NIH Office of Rare Diseases was held in Bethesda, Maryland on September 13 and 14, 2004. The objective of this meeting was to review the epidemiology, biology and current surgical and medical management of peritoneal mesothelioma. In addition, the meeting also discussed clinical and pre-clinical evaluation of novel treatments for mesothelioma as well as ongoing laboratory research to better understand this disease. This report summarizes the proceedings of the meeting as well as directions for future clinical and basic research.

PERITONEAL MESOTHELIOMA

2008-04-10T04:59:00.000-07:00

PERITONEAL MESOTHELIOMA

Peritoneal mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the abdominal cavity, is less common than the pleural form, comprising approximately one-fifth to one-third of the total number of mesothelioma cases diagnosed. According to the SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) database, these diagnoses are approximately 54.7 per cent male versus 45.3 per cent female, with the median age being 65-69. The latency period appears to be shorter for asbestos-exposed individuals with symptoms appearing 20-30 years after exposure rather than the 30-40 year latency more commonly associated with pleural mesothelioma.

Symptoms
Clinical symptoms at the time of presentation may include abdominal pain, abdominal mass, increased abdominal girth, distention of the abdomen, ascites (fluid in the abdomen), fever, weight loss, fatigue, anemia and digestive disturbances. Some patients complain of more non-specific symptoms for a number of months prior to a confirmed diagnosis. In a percentage of cases, peritoneal mesothelioma is found incidentally when the patient has sought help for another health problem such as gallbladder, hernia or pelvic mass.

Diagnosis
As with all mesotheliomas, the diagnosis of peritoneal mesothelioma can be challenging. CT findings may help differentiate between the two clinical types of peritoneal mesothelioma, termed “dry” or “wet”, since their appearances are very different upon imaging. In the “dry” type, CT may reveal multiple small masses or a single dominant localized mass. There is normally little or no ascites. In the “wet” type, CT may reveal widespread small nodules, but no dominant mass. Ascites is usually present.

If fluid is present, it may be removed in a procedure called paracentesis. Unfortunately, as is the case with pleural mesothelioma, fluid analysis offers limited diagnostic value. It is normally a tissue biopsy obtained in a laproscopic exploratory that will yield a definitive diagnosis.

Staging
There is currently no established staging system for peritoneal mesothelioma, and if the disease is staged, it is normally done in accordance with the TNM system, the most common general cancer staging system. This system refers to the status of the tumor (T), lymph nodes (N) and metastases (M). There are general categories which may also be somewhat helpful in determining stage.

The first category shows a localized lesion able to be completely resected (entirely removed). In the second category, the disease is contained within the abdominal cavity on peritoneal and organ surfaces where debulking (the removal of as much, but not all of the tumor) is possible. Category three shows disease contained within the abdominal cavity with invasion of organs such as the colon or liver. Category four shows disease extending outside the abdominal cavity.

Treatment
In recent years, multimodality treatment of peritoneal mesothelioma has become more common for a select patient population, since surgery alone and/or intraperitoneal chemotherapy alone have proven to be similarly ineffective. Cytoreductive (debulking) surgery involves the removal of all or nearly all visible tumor, and, depending on the physician’s choice, may be combined with Intra-Peritoneal Hyperthermic Chemotherapy (IPHC), intraperitoneal chemotherapy and/or radiation. Since it is not always possible to remove all tumors, the prognosis for long-term survival may be based on the completeness of cytoreduction as established by the following criteria:

Complete cytoreduction:
CC-0 No peritoneal seeding is visualized within the operative fields.
CC-1 Nodules of less than 2.5 cm persist after cytoreduction. Nodules of this size are thought to be penetrable by intracavitary chemotherapy, therefore cytoreduction is termed complete.
Imcomplete cytoreduction:
CC-2 Nodules of between 2.5 and 5 cm persist after cytoreduction.
CC-3 Nodules of greater than 5 cm or a merging of unresectable tumor nodules at any site within the abdomen or pelvis.
For patients found to have widespread disease, where surgery is not looked at as “potentially curative”, palliation of symptoms may be accomplished by debulking. Since peritoneal mesothelioma is a rare malignancy, specialized treatments should be conducted by doctors familiar with the disease.