(HealthDay News) -- Contrary to common medical thought, young children with autism do not have accelerated brain growth even though their brains appear enlarged, new research claims.
The finding, published in the Aug. 22 issue of Neurology, confirms some earlier reports and conflicts with others.
Dr. Stephen Dager, of the University of Washington School of Medicine, and his colleagues compared 60 autistic children to 16 children with developmental delay and 10 children with typical development. They used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to measure the transverse relaxation (T2) of gray and white matter in the children's cortexes. This measures how much water is moving around inside brain tissue, and it gives clinicians an indirect way to measure brain maturation.
The researchers found the autistic children had differences in the gray matter of their brains compared to the children with typical development. A number of studies has suggested the brains of younger children with autism are 10 percent larger, Dager explained. This new research honed in on tissue chemistry and found the abnormality wasn't due to lack of "pruning," which is how the normal developing brain rids itself of unnecessary neurons.
The abnormality is "clearly not accelerated brain growth. An alternative hypothesis could be inflammatory processes. Our data would be consistent with adult studies that found higher levels of cytokines, associated with inflammation, in postmortem studies," he explained.
A popular current theory is that autistic children have more rapid brain growth that plateaus at the age of 5 or 6. "We didn't find evidence for that, just the opposite, in fact," Dager said. "The processes that go along with brain maturation were slower in the autistic brains, particularly in gray matter."
The finding is "tantalizing," said Andrew Shih, director of research and programs at the National Alliance for Autism Research. "This is one of the first attempts to differentiate beyond volumetric difference to really look at what's behind those differences."
The field, he explained, has been "intrigued by reports last year that suggest a model of autism could be premature development or unchecked brain growth leading to disorganized circuitry. The thinking was, synaptic pruning didn't occur, so that noise became predominant over signal itself."
But Dager's study suggests gray matter development in autism involves the same volume as normal brains, but fewer neurons. "The convergence of evidence now seems to suggest a model in which gray matter abnormality could be inflammatory. T2 measures water molecules, and the findings here suggest there's more water in these kids' brains...," Shih explained.
The differences in gray matter were found only in the brains of autistic children, while both gray and white matter differences were found in the brains of children with learning delays. For children with learning delays, the findings suggest slowed neuronal development is to blame, while autistic children have a different kind of neuronal development abnormality, possibly induced by inflammation. Gray matter consists of the brain's neurons, while white matter is the brain's wiring system.
Another important finding, that gray matter seems to be affected differently in autism, supports earlier research. "There's evidence of connectivity problems at older ages; in younger ages, it seems gray matter is problematic. Autism is a developmental problem and evolves as people age," he noted.
Autism affects up to one in every 175 school-age children, according to a recent study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The government researchers also found that boys are nearly four times more likely to be diagnosed with autism than girls, and Hispanic parents were slightly less likely than non-Hispanic whites to report a child with autism, although this may be due to cultural or other factors, including access to medical care.
In the end, the findings only add another piece to the jigsaw puzzle that is autism, Dager said, adding, "We're no closer to a treatment."
Other new research is also starting to unravel common beliefs about this disorder. In addition to social interaction problems, a study in the current issue of Child Neuropsychology found autism prevents different parts of the brain from working together. That makes complex tasks, such as tying shoelaces, much more difficult. The children studied were 8 to 15 years old.
More information
For more information on autism, go to National Institute of Mental Health.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Genes Predict Liver Cancer's Spread
(HealthDay News) -- U.S. researchers say they've identified a pattern of gene activity that helps predict the spread of liver cancer.
"When we used the gene signature of immune cells in the liver, we could predict tumors that would metastasize in 92 percent of the samples we studied," study leader Xin Wei Wang, head of the Liver Carcinogenesis Unit at the U.S. National Cancer Institute's Center for Cancer Research, said in a prepared statement.
They detected this unique pattern of activity in 17 genes contained in immune cells found in normal tissue surrounding a liver tumor. This set includes genes that encode messages for cytokines -- immune cell proteins that send out cell-to-cell signals aimed at directing the immune response.
Increased levels of cytokines are associated with a poor prognosis in cancer patients.
"This is the first example where we can stratify HCC (heptocellular carcinoma) patients to identify those who would benefit from certain post-surgical treatments to prevent metastases and recurrence," Wang said.
The study included 115 HCC patients. The findings were published in the August issue of Cancer Cell.
More information
The American Cancer Society has more about liver cancer.
"When we used the gene signature of immune cells in the liver, we could predict tumors that would metastasize in 92 percent of the samples we studied," study leader Xin Wei Wang, head of the Liver Carcinogenesis Unit at the U.S. National Cancer Institute's Center for Cancer Research, said in a prepared statement.
They detected this unique pattern of activity in 17 genes contained in immune cells found in normal tissue surrounding a liver tumor. This set includes genes that encode messages for cytokines -- immune cell proteins that send out cell-to-cell signals aimed at directing the immune response.
Increased levels of cytokines are associated with a poor prognosis in cancer patients.
"This is the first example where we can stratify HCC (heptocellular carcinoma) patients to identify those who would benefit from certain post-surgical treatments to prevent metastases and recurrence," Wang said.
The study included 115 HCC patients. The findings were published in the August issue of Cancer Cell.
More information
The American Cancer Society has more about liver cancer.
Health Highlights: Aug. 21, 2006
Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:
New Chewing Gum Fights Cavities
Chewing gum that contains "friendly" lactobacillus bacteria that help prevent tooth decay has been developed by the German chemical company BASF and could be introduced to the market in 2007, The Herald in the U.K. reported.
The strain of lactobacillus in the gum fights streptococcus mutans bacteria that cause tooth decay by sticking the surface of teeth and producing a powerful acid that breaks down enamel.
The lactobacillus anti-caries in the gum forces streptococcus mutans to clump together. That prevents the bacteria from sticking to teeth and makes it easy to rinse them out of the mouth, The Herald reported.
Tests showed that the chewing gum could reduce the amount of harmful bacteria in the mouth by 50 times, according to an article in Chemistry & Industry magazine.
It's believed that BASF is also developing other related bacteria products, including toothpaste, mouthwashes, and deodorant, The Herald reported.
-----
British Man Killed by Rabbit Flu
A 29-year-old Suffolk farmer is believed to be Britain's first victim of rabbit flu and his mother is warning others about the potentially deadly disease, BBC News reported.
"People should just be aware that there is this dreadful thing around and potentially it's lethal," warned Joan Freeman.
The victim, John Freeman, became infected in early August after he picked up a rabbit on his farm. He became ill and died four days later.
Health officials said Freeman died from septicemia after becoming infected with Pasteurella multocida bacteria, which causes pasteurellosis (rabbit flu).
This bacteria is common among many domestic animals, including dogs and cats, a Health Protection Agency spokesman told BBC News. But he said he wasn't aware of any other cases of fatal rabbit-to-human transmission of the bacteria.
Each year a few people are infected with the bacteria, usually from dogs or cats, and deaths are rare, the spokesman said.
-----
HIV Flicks Switch to Disarm Immune Cells
When the body's immune system sends T cells to attack HIV -- the virus that causes AIDS -- the virus disarms the T cells by flicking a molecular switch on the cells, according to a U.S. study in the journal Nature.
In laboratory tests, the researchers found a way to jam this switch and restore T cell function. The findings may lead to more effective treatments for HIV/AIDS, BBC News reported.
There are already drugs available that can do this, but they may not be specific enough and could cause serious side effects, said the study authors. More research needs to be done, they said.
"One has to proceed with real caution because if you turn back on an immune system regulatory switch that the body has decided to turn off, you could trigger serious immunological problems," lead scientist Bruce Walker, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital, told BBC News.
For this study, the scientists analyzed blood samples from 71 people who'd recently been infected with HIV but had not yet started antiretroviral therapy. The researchers also studied blood samples taken from four HIV-positive patients before and after they started treatment.
-----
Discovery May Lead to Lyme Disease Vaccine
A newly-identified immune system trigger for fighting Lyme disease could help in the development of a new vaccine to prevent the tick-borne disorder, say researchers at California's La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology.
The international study found that Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, contains a glycolipid that triggers an immune response from the body's natural killer T cells.
This is one of the few glycolipids that naturally induces an immune response from T cells, the researchers said. Their findings were published Sunday in the online edition of the journal Nature Immunology.
Lyme disease, which is transmitted to people through the bite of an infected tick, can cause fever, headache, fatigue, and skin rashes. Left untreated, the infection can spread to the joints, heart, and nervous system, causing serious health problems.
-----
Jury Selection Slated in First Prempro Trial
Jury selection is to begin Monday in the first trial of 4,500 lawsuits filed in the United States alleging that the hormone replacement therapy (HRT) drug Prempro causes breast cancer and other health problems.
This federal court case against drug maker Wyeth involves Linda Reeves, who says she developed breast cancer after taking Prempro for eight years, the Associated Press reported.
According to Reeves' lawyers, there's evidence that Wyeth willfully ignored known dangers of the drug, including an increased risk for breast cancer. The drugmaker says it didn't ignore the risks and that Prempro's label warned about the risk of breast cancer.
In 2002, a Women's Health Initiative study concluded that women who took Prempro -- a widely prescribed combination of estrogen-progestin -- had an increased risk of breast cancer, coronary heart disease, and stroke.
-----
Indonesia Downplays Likelihood of Bird Flu Cluster
Even though at least three Indonesians in the same area of West Java have been infected with the H5N1 bird flu virus, officials are downplaying the likelihood of a bird flu cluster case, Agence France Presse reported.
All three confirmed cases were from Cikelet, a group of villages in the Garut district. Two of the three patients died. While three other people from the area also died after exhibiting symptoms of bird flu, they were buried before they could be tested for H5N1.
A cluster case refers to human-to-human transmission of the bird flu virus, rather than infection through contact with sick birds. It's believed that cluster cases increase the risk of the H5N1 virus mutating into a form that's easily spread among people.
Despite the multiple cases in this one area, Indonesian officials say they don't yet have enough evidence to label it a cluster case.
"We cannot yet classify it as a cluster because the distance between one patient with the others was too far for them to have had contact," I Nyoman Kandun, director of the health ministry's communicable disease control center, told AFP.
Indonesia has reported 46 bird flu deaths, the most of any country in the world. Health experts have criticized Indonesia for failing to take prompt action to curb the spread of the bird flu virus by conducting mass slaughters of poultry.
New Chewing Gum Fights Cavities
Chewing gum that contains "friendly" lactobacillus bacteria that help prevent tooth decay has been developed by the German chemical company BASF and could be introduced to the market in 2007, The Herald in the U.K. reported.
The strain of lactobacillus in the gum fights streptococcus mutans bacteria that cause tooth decay by sticking the surface of teeth and producing a powerful acid that breaks down enamel.
The lactobacillus anti-caries in the gum forces streptococcus mutans to clump together. That prevents the bacteria from sticking to teeth and makes it easy to rinse them out of the mouth, The Herald reported.
Tests showed that the chewing gum could reduce the amount of harmful bacteria in the mouth by 50 times, according to an article in Chemistry & Industry magazine.
It's believed that BASF is also developing other related bacteria products, including toothpaste, mouthwashes, and deodorant, The Herald reported.
-----
British Man Killed by Rabbit Flu
A 29-year-old Suffolk farmer is believed to be Britain's first victim of rabbit flu and his mother is warning others about the potentially deadly disease, BBC News reported.
"People should just be aware that there is this dreadful thing around and potentially it's lethal," warned Joan Freeman.
The victim, John Freeman, became infected in early August after he picked up a rabbit on his farm. He became ill and died four days later.
Health officials said Freeman died from septicemia after becoming infected with Pasteurella multocida bacteria, which causes pasteurellosis (rabbit flu).
This bacteria is common among many domestic animals, including dogs and cats, a Health Protection Agency spokesman told BBC News. But he said he wasn't aware of any other cases of fatal rabbit-to-human transmission of the bacteria.
Each year a few people are infected with the bacteria, usually from dogs or cats, and deaths are rare, the spokesman said.
-----
HIV Flicks Switch to Disarm Immune Cells
When the body's immune system sends T cells to attack HIV -- the virus that causes AIDS -- the virus disarms the T cells by flicking a molecular switch on the cells, according to a U.S. study in the journal Nature.
In laboratory tests, the researchers found a way to jam this switch and restore T cell function. The findings may lead to more effective treatments for HIV/AIDS, BBC News reported.
There are already drugs available that can do this, but they may not be specific enough and could cause serious side effects, said the study authors. More research needs to be done, they said.
"One has to proceed with real caution because if you turn back on an immune system regulatory switch that the body has decided to turn off, you could trigger serious immunological problems," lead scientist Bruce Walker, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital, told BBC News.
For this study, the scientists analyzed blood samples from 71 people who'd recently been infected with HIV but had not yet started antiretroviral therapy. The researchers also studied blood samples taken from four HIV-positive patients before and after they started treatment.
-----
Discovery May Lead to Lyme Disease Vaccine
A newly-identified immune system trigger for fighting Lyme disease could help in the development of a new vaccine to prevent the tick-borne disorder, say researchers at California's La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology.
The international study found that Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, contains a glycolipid that triggers an immune response from the body's natural killer T cells.
This is one of the few glycolipids that naturally induces an immune response from T cells, the researchers said. Their findings were published Sunday in the online edition of the journal Nature Immunology.
Lyme disease, which is transmitted to people through the bite of an infected tick, can cause fever, headache, fatigue, and skin rashes. Left untreated, the infection can spread to the joints, heart, and nervous system, causing serious health problems.
-----
Jury Selection Slated in First Prempro Trial
Jury selection is to begin Monday in the first trial of 4,500 lawsuits filed in the United States alleging that the hormone replacement therapy (HRT) drug Prempro causes breast cancer and other health problems.
This federal court case against drug maker Wyeth involves Linda Reeves, who says she developed breast cancer after taking Prempro for eight years, the Associated Press reported.
According to Reeves' lawyers, there's evidence that Wyeth willfully ignored known dangers of the drug, including an increased risk for breast cancer. The drugmaker says it didn't ignore the risks and that Prempro's label warned about the risk of breast cancer.
In 2002, a Women's Health Initiative study concluded that women who took Prempro -- a widely prescribed combination of estrogen-progestin -- had an increased risk of breast cancer, coronary heart disease, and stroke.
-----
Indonesia Downplays Likelihood of Bird Flu Cluster
Even though at least three Indonesians in the same area of West Java have been infected with the H5N1 bird flu virus, officials are downplaying the likelihood of a bird flu cluster case, Agence France Presse reported.
All three confirmed cases were from Cikelet, a group of villages in the Garut district. Two of the three patients died. While three other people from the area also died after exhibiting symptoms of bird flu, they were buried before they could be tested for H5N1.
A cluster case refers to human-to-human transmission of the bird flu virus, rather than infection through contact with sick birds. It's believed that cluster cases increase the risk of the H5N1 virus mutating into a form that's easily spread among people.
Despite the multiple cases in this one area, Indonesian officials say they don't yet have enough evidence to label it a cluster case.
"We cannot yet classify it as a cluster because the distance between one patient with the others was too far for them to have had contact," I Nyoman Kandun, director of the health ministry's communicable disease control center, told AFP.
Indonesia has reported 46 bird flu deaths, the most of any country in the world. Health experts have criticized Indonesia for failing to take prompt action to curb the spread of the bird flu virus by conducting mass slaughters of poultry.
Statins Protect Heart After Heart Attack
(HealthDay News) -- Widely used cholesterol-lowering statin drugs may also help the heart recover after a heart attack, Chinese researchers report.
In experiments with pigs, the researchers found that pretreatment with the statin Zocor (simvastatin) was effective in increasing blood flow to the heart after an induced heart attack.
In addition, they found that this beneficial effect worked through potassium in the heart cells, the so-called KATP channel.
"Improving blood flow to the heart is really important to preserve function of the heart after a heart attack," explained David J. Lefer, from the Division of Cardiology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York City, and author of an accompanying journal commentary. "This paper gives more evidence that statins are good drugs, not just to lower cholesterol, but that during a heart attack they can be beneficial," he said.
The report was published in the Aug. 21 online edition of the British Journal of Pharmacology.
In an interview, lead researcher Dr. Yuejin Yang, from the Fuwai Heart Hospital, Beijing, said the main goal after a heart attack is to restore blood flow to damaged heart muscle.
However, studies have shown that despite complete restoration of epicardial ("around the heart") blood vessel flow, the flow of blood through heart tissue often remains incomplete, a condition known as the "no-reflow" phenomenon. No-reflow has been associated with poor prognosis, Yang said.
"Our study showed that the pretreatment with simvastatin decreased the area of no-reflow, reduced [heart attack] size and improved cardiac function," Yang said.
Yang's team believes these beneficial effects of statins are due, at least in part, to their ability to reduce no-reflow. "Patients taking statins to lower cholesterol may also attenuate myocardial no-reflow and, consequently, improve outcome when suffering a heart attack," Yang said.
For his part, Lefer said these types of heart-healthy effects may help explain the ability of statins -- which also include drugs such as Lipitor and Pravachol -- to protect against heart attack. "We think it's a combination of cholesterol-lowering and non-cholesterol-lowering effects," he said.
Another expert agreed.
"This study provides additional insights into the mechanisms for the remarkable cardiovascular protective effects of statin medications," said Dr. Gregg C. Fonarow, director of the Ahmanson-UCLA Cardiomyopathy Center and co-director of the UCLA Preventative Cardiology Program.
According to Fonarow, previous studies have shown that statin use in the first 24 hours after a heart attack minimizes injury to the heart and boosts patient survival. "As such, starting statin therapy as early in the course of acute coronary events as possible is highly recommended as part of routine clinical practice," Fonarow said.
More information
For more on statin medications, head to the U.S. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
In experiments with pigs, the researchers found that pretreatment with the statin Zocor (simvastatin) was effective in increasing blood flow to the heart after an induced heart attack.
In addition, they found that this beneficial effect worked through potassium in the heart cells, the so-called KATP channel.
"Improving blood flow to the heart is really important to preserve function of the heart after a heart attack," explained David J. Lefer, from the Division of Cardiology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York City, and author of an accompanying journal commentary. "This paper gives more evidence that statins are good drugs, not just to lower cholesterol, but that during a heart attack they can be beneficial," he said.
The report was published in the Aug. 21 online edition of the British Journal of Pharmacology.
In an interview, lead researcher Dr. Yuejin Yang, from the Fuwai Heart Hospital, Beijing, said the main goal after a heart attack is to restore blood flow to damaged heart muscle.
However, studies have shown that despite complete restoration of epicardial ("around the heart") blood vessel flow, the flow of blood through heart tissue often remains incomplete, a condition known as the "no-reflow" phenomenon. No-reflow has been associated with poor prognosis, Yang said.
"Our study showed that the pretreatment with simvastatin decreased the area of no-reflow, reduced [heart attack] size and improved cardiac function," Yang said.
Yang's team believes these beneficial effects of statins are due, at least in part, to their ability to reduce no-reflow. "Patients taking statins to lower cholesterol may also attenuate myocardial no-reflow and, consequently, improve outcome when suffering a heart attack," Yang said.
For his part, Lefer said these types of heart-healthy effects may help explain the ability of statins -- which also include drugs such as Lipitor and Pravachol -- to protect against heart attack. "We think it's a combination of cholesterol-lowering and non-cholesterol-lowering effects," he said.
Another expert agreed.
"This study provides additional insights into the mechanisms for the remarkable cardiovascular protective effects of statin medications," said Dr. Gregg C. Fonarow, director of the Ahmanson-UCLA Cardiomyopathy Center and co-director of the UCLA Preventative Cardiology Program.
According to Fonarow, previous studies have shown that statin use in the first 24 hours after a heart attack minimizes injury to the heart and boosts patient survival. "As such, starting statin therapy as early in the course of acute coronary events as possible is highly recommended as part of routine clinical practice," Fonarow said.
More information
For more on statin medications, head to the U.S. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Stress Can Shrink and Age Your Brain
FRIDAY, Aug. 11 (HealthDay News) -- New research is providing insight into how stress can shrink your brain cells and prematurely age your immune system.
Essentially, the researchers say, stress can addle your mind and make you older. But there's good news too: Exercise can make a huge difference. And, in the case of the brain at least, time might heal the wounds caused by stress.
"The brain is very resilient," said Bruce McEwen, head of the neuroendocrinology laboratory at Rockefeller University in New York City. "Give it a chance and it will make every effort to repair itself."
McEwen was scheduled to present his research Friday to the annual convention of the American Psychological Association, in New Orleans.
McEwen said his research has found even more signs that repeated stress actually causes neurons in the brain to shrink, at least in rats.
Earlier research showed that the neurons shrink in the hippocampus, and that seems to impair memory in response to stress, he said. More recent research suggests that the same thing happens in the brain region called the prefrontal cortex, which is crucial for decision-making and attention, he said.
When stressed, rats lose what McEwen calls "mental flexibility" -- "the ability of the animal to use a familiar set of cues in a different way when the location of a food reward is shifted."
What does this mean for humans? "Stress hormones act on the brain to remodel it and change it," McEwen said. "The brain of a stressed animal or human being is a different brain. It has different capacities, and it may be more anxious and have less ability to pay attention or learn or remember."
But there are potential fixes for those with mental stress, McEwen said. "A combination of psychotherapy, cognitive behavior therapy and pharmaceuticals could actually change the brain and restore it more or less to normal," he said.
Exercise is another potential booster, he said, adding, "there's growing evidence that exercise has very powerful effects."
Outside the brain, stress can wreak havoc on the immune system, according to another study to be presented at the meeting.
Research suggests that stress can shorten the chunks of DNA at the tips of chromosomes in cells, making it harder for them to work properly, according to the researcher, Elissa Epel, a psychologist at the University of California, San Francisco. The bits of DNA "are like the plastic caps on the ends of our shoelaces. They prevent the ends from fraying," she said.
What does this mean? "We examined healthy women and found that psychological stress was related to shortened" tips, she said. As a result, the immune system of the stressed-out women is apparently aging at a faster rate.
The treatments for this problem are what you might expect. "Everything we already know about fighting off chronic disease, like getting sufficient sleep, staying active throughout life, and having a healthy diet" may stave off premature aging of the immune system, too, Epel said.
More information
Learn more about stress from the U.S.
National Library of Medicine.
Essentially, the researchers say, stress can addle your mind and make you older. But there's good news too: Exercise can make a huge difference. And, in the case of the brain at least, time might heal the wounds caused by stress.
"The brain is very resilient," said Bruce McEwen, head of the neuroendocrinology laboratory at Rockefeller University in New York City. "Give it a chance and it will make every effort to repair itself."
McEwen was scheduled to present his research Friday to the annual convention of the American Psychological Association, in New Orleans.
McEwen said his research has found even more signs that repeated stress actually causes neurons in the brain to shrink, at least in rats.
Earlier research showed that the neurons shrink in the hippocampus, and that seems to impair memory in response to stress, he said. More recent research suggests that the same thing happens in the brain region called the prefrontal cortex, which is crucial for decision-making and attention, he said.
When stressed, rats lose what McEwen calls "mental flexibility" -- "the ability of the animal to use a familiar set of cues in a different way when the location of a food reward is shifted."
What does this mean for humans? "Stress hormones act on the brain to remodel it and change it," McEwen said. "The brain of a stressed animal or human being is a different brain. It has different capacities, and it may be more anxious and have less ability to pay attention or learn or remember."
But there are potential fixes for those with mental stress, McEwen said. "A combination of psychotherapy, cognitive behavior therapy and pharmaceuticals could actually change the brain and restore it more or less to normal," he said.
Exercise is another potential booster, he said, adding, "there's growing evidence that exercise has very powerful effects."
Outside the brain, stress can wreak havoc on the immune system, according to another study to be presented at the meeting.
Research suggests that stress can shorten the chunks of DNA at the tips of chromosomes in cells, making it harder for them to work properly, according to the researcher, Elissa Epel, a psychologist at the University of California, San Francisco. The bits of DNA "are like the plastic caps on the ends of our shoelaces. They prevent the ends from fraying," she said.
What does this mean? "We examined healthy women and found that psychological stress was related to shortened" tips, she said. As a result, the immune system of the stressed-out women is apparently aging at a faster rate.
The treatments for this problem are what you might expect. "Everything we already know about fighting off chronic disease, like getting sufficient sleep, staying active throughout life, and having a healthy diet" may stave off premature aging of the immune system, too, Epel said.
More information
Learn more about stress from the U.S.
National Library of Medicine.
Skin Test Could Detect Alzheimer's Disease Early
MONDAY, Aug. 14 (HealthDay News) -- A simple skin test that would allow detection of Alzheimer's disease in its earliest stages is working its way to reality.
The work "is based on the hypothesis that Alzheimer's disease doesn't just affect the brain but affects the body systemically," said Dr. Daniel L. Alkon, a lead author of a report on the test published online this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The test zeroes in on two forms of an enzyme involved in the degradation of amyloid, the protein that accumulates in the brain of someone with Alzheimer's, said Alkon, scientific director of the Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute at the West Virginia University Health Sciences Center.
The presence of Alzheimer's disease is indicated by a steep imbalance in the ratio of the two forms of the enzyme, MAP kinase Erk, in skin cells that are exposed to bradykinin, an inflammation-related molecule, Alkon said. That imbalance is not seen in cells of people without dementia or those with other forms of dementia, he said.
The test produced good results when run on 60 tissue samples: 30 from a tissue bank, 30 from autopsy samples of people diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, Alkon said.
"We have seen a correlation with the duration of the disease," he said. "The earlier it is done in the course of the disease, the larger is the abnormality."
An as-yet unpublished study of the test done on 100 people showed equally good results, Alkon said.
"We are ready to expand this to thousands," he added.
Such expanded testing is essential, said Dr. Samuel Gandy, director of Thomas Jefferson University's Farber Institute for Neurosciences and chief of the Alzheimer's Association medical and scientific advisory council.
The hypothesis behind the test "is, by no means, an accepted formulation, nor have they proved it," he said.
The presence of inflammation around the amyloid clumps that form in the brain of Alzheimer's patients is well known, Gandy said. "Whether there is inflammation elsewhere in the body hasn't been established. The idea that this might be a systemic process hasn't been thoroughly investigated," he added.
Gandy said the theory is "unconventional, but it certainly is something that can be investigated by others."
"Technically, it looks perfectly sound," Gandy said of the published paper. "But certainly nothing in science is accepted until it is replicated. The real test of the pudding will be if others do the same experiment and get the same results. It would have to be robustly reproducible before we change the way we think about Alzheimer's."
Having a test for early detection of Alzheimer's disease would be extremely valuable, both Alkon and Gandy said. "All the newest medications in clinical trials are aimed at the earliest stage of the disease," Gandy said.
"Drugs now are being tested on the basis of clinical diagnosis," Alkon said. "There is a major need for an early biomarker."
More information
A major source of information about Alzheimer's disease is the Alzheimer's Association.
The work "is based on the hypothesis that Alzheimer's disease doesn't just affect the brain but affects the body systemically," said Dr. Daniel L. Alkon, a lead author of a report on the test published online this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The test zeroes in on two forms of an enzyme involved in the degradation of amyloid, the protein that accumulates in the brain of someone with Alzheimer's, said Alkon, scientific director of the Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute at the West Virginia University Health Sciences Center.
The presence of Alzheimer's disease is indicated by a steep imbalance in the ratio of the two forms of the enzyme, MAP kinase Erk, in skin cells that are exposed to bradykinin, an inflammation-related molecule, Alkon said. That imbalance is not seen in cells of people without dementia or those with other forms of dementia, he said.
The test produced good results when run on 60 tissue samples: 30 from a tissue bank, 30 from autopsy samples of people diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, Alkon said.
"We have seen a correlation with the duration of the disease," he said. "The earlier it is done in the course of the disease, the larger is the abnormality."
An as-yet unpublished study of the test done on 100 people showed equally good results, Alkon said.
"We are ready to expand this to thousands," he added.
Such expanded testing is essential, said Dr. Samuel Gandy, director of Thomas Jefferson University's Farber Institute for Neurosciences and chief of the Alzheimer's Association medical and scientific advisory council.
The hypothesis behind the test "is, by no means, an accepted formulation, nor have they proved it," he said.
The presence of inflammation around the amyloid clumps that form in the brain of Alzheimer's patients is well known, Gandy said. "Whether there is inflammation elsewhere in the body hasn't been established. The idea that this might be a systemic process hasn't been thoroughly investigated," he added.
Gandy said the theory is "unconventional, but it certainly is something that can be investigated by others."
"Technically, it looks perfectly sound," Gandy said of the published paper. "But certainly nothing in science is accepted until it is replicated. The real test of the pudding will be if others do the same experiment and get the same results. It would have to be robustly reproducible before we change the way we think about Alzheimer's."
Having a test for early detection of Alzheimer's disease would be extremely valuable, both Alkon and Gandy said. "All the newest medications in clinical trials are aimed at the earliest stage of the disease," Gandy said.
"Drugs now are being tested on the basis of clinical diagnosis," Alkon said. "There is a major need for an early biomarker."
More information
A major source of information about Alzheimer's disease is the Alzheimer's Association.
Yellow Pigment in Veggies Protects Against Eye Disease
TUESDAY, Aug. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Yellow pigments found in some vegetables, including corn and squash, may help protect older women against age-related vision loss, a U.S. study suggests.
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin in Madison studied 1,787 women ages 50 to 79. The study found that those younger than 75 who ate a diet rich in the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin appeared to have a lower risk of intermediate age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
The findings were published in the August issue of the journal Archives of Opthalmology.
AMD is the leading cause of blindness among older Americans. There is no cure, and current treatments only slow the progression of the disease.
Carotenoids are found in corn, squash, egg yolks, broccoli, peas and leafy green vegetables. Previous studies have suggested that carotenoids may reduce risk of AMD.
"This exploratory observation is consistent with a broad body of evidence from observational and experimental studies that suggests that these carotenoids may protect against AMD," wrote the authors of this new study.
"Still, given the numerous analyses performed in this study, our results could be due to chance. More conclusive evidence from long-term prospective studies and clinical trials is needed to determine whether the intake of macular carotenoids themselves, or as markers or broader dietary patterns, can protect against intermediate AMD or delay progression in individuals who have early stages of the disease," they added.
More information
The U.S. National Eye Institute has more about AMD.
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin in Madison studied 1,787 women ages 50 to 79. The study found that those younger than 75 who ate a diet rich in the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin appeared to have a lower risk of intermediate age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
The findings were published in the August issue of the journal Archives of Opthalmology.
AMD is the leading cause of blindness among older Americans. There is no cure, and current treatments only slow the progression of the disease.
Carotenoids are found in corn, squash, egg yolks, broccoli, peas and leafy green vegetables. Previous studies have suggested that carotenoids may reduce risk of AMD.
"This exploratory observation is consistent with a broad body of evidence from observational and experimental studies that suggests that these carotenoids may protect against AMD," wrote the authors of this new study.
"Still, given the numerous analyses performed in this study, our results could be due to chance. More conclusive evidence from long-term prospective studies and clinical trials is needed to determine whether the intake of macular carotenoids themselves, or as markers or broader dietary patterns, can protect against intermediate AMD or delay progression in individuals who have early stages of the disease," they added.
More information
The U.S. National Eye Institute has more about AMD.
More Money Equals Less Disability: Study
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Even a little extra income can make a big difference in helping middle-class people ward off disability, a new study finds.
"The surprise was at the upper end," said Meredith Minkler, an author of a report on the study in the Aug. 17 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. "We always knew there was a major gap between the very poor and the very rich. To find that the middle class was at a substantial disadvantage to slightly wealthier folks was a surprise."
The study was sponsored by the U.S. National Institute on Aging (NIA), which requires the information to help it prepare for the health needs of aging baby boomers -- 8,000 of them per day -- who are now reaching the age of 60.
The study used data on 335,000 people 55 and older collected as part of the Census 2000 American Community Survey. In that survey, pollsters asked older Americans about disabilities that affected basic activities such as walking, reaching and lifting.
Respondents were classified into nine household income levels, starting with poverty ($8,259 for someone 65 or older living alone in 2000, $17,761 for a family of four) and going up to 700 percent of that figure -- $124,327 or over.
As expected, disability increased with age. While 16.2 percent of men aged 55 to 64 reported disability, the incidence for men 85 and older was 47.5 percent. Among women aged 55 to 64, the incidence of disability was 17.2 percent, compared to 57.9 percent for those aged 85 and older.
The difference between making a good income and making a very good income turned out to be important, the researchers said. For example, men aged 65 to 74 in the "600-699 percent" income group ($49,544 single-person income) had a 44 percent higher odds of disability than those in the "700 percent" group, where single-person income topped $57,813 per year. For women aged 55 to 64, that income difference translated to a 16 percent greater incidence of disability.
There are several possible explanations for the income-linked differences, said Dr. Jack Guralnik, chief of the NIA laboratory of epidemiology, demography and biometry, and a member of the research team.
"Health behaviors explain some of this," Guralnik said. "Also, people with lower incomes tend to have less access to medical care."
But, Guralnik said, "There's something going on here that is not easy to understand, something related to what is going on in life at lower income levels."
The NIA will continue to look at differences in disability, he said. "Better understanding of why income status has an impact on health can lead to better interventions," Guralnik noted.
"One of the things we can conjecture is that people who are upper class have slightly better medical care, a better environment in which to live and fewer hassles," said Minkler, a professor of health and social behavior at the University of California at Berkeley School of Public Health.
Money can also help reduce disability though improvements in the home, she said. "You can widen doorways and put in ramps," Minkler said. "Ultimately, that can make the difference between living at home and being in an institution."
While the United States has "the best-educated, best cared-for population in the history of the world," she said, an increase in disability is inevitable as the number of older people increases. "It's important to find out whether slight increments in income make a difference," Minkler said.
More information
A resource guide for people with disabilities is available from the University of Buffalo.
"The surprise was at the upper end," said Meredith Minkler, an author of a report on the study in the Aug. 17 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. "We always knew there was a major gap between the very poor and the very rich. To find that the middle class was at a substantial disadvantage to slightly wealthier folks was a surprise."
The study was sponsored by the U.S. National Institute on Aging (NIA), which requires the information to help it prepare for the health needs of aging baby boomers -- 8,000 of them per day -- who are now reaching the age of 60.
The study used data on 335,000 people 55 and older collected as part of the Census 2000 American Community Survey. In that survey, pollsters asked older Americans about disabilities that affected basic activities such as walking, reaching and lifting.
Respondents were classified into nine household income levels, starting with poverty ($8,259 for someone 65 or older living alone in 2000, $17,761 for a family of four) and going up to 700 percent of that figure -- $124,327 or over.
As expected, disability increased with age. While 16.2 percent of men aged 55 to 64 reported disability, the incidence for men 85 and older was 47.5 percent. Among women aged 55 to 64, the incidence of disability was 17.2 percent, compared to 57.9 percent for those aged 85 and older.
The difference between making a good income and making a very good income turned out to be important, the researchers said. For example, men aged 65 to 74 in the "600-699 percent" income group ($49,544 single-person income) had a 44 percent higher odds of disability than those in the "700 percent" group, where single-person income topped $57,813 per year. For women aged 55 to 64, that income difference translated to a 16 percent greater incidence of disability.
There are several possible explanations for the income-linked differences, said Dr. Jack Guralnik, chief of the NIA laboratory of epidemiology, demography and biometry, and a member of the research team.
"Health behaviors explain some of this," Guralnik said. "Also, people with lower incomes tend to have less access to medical care."
But, Guralnik said, "There's something going on here that is not easy to understand, something related to what is going on in life at lower income levels."
The NIA will continue to look at differences in disability, he said. "Better understanding of why income status has an impact on health can lead to better interventions," Guralnik noted.
"One of the things we can conjecture is that people who are upper class have slightly better medical care, a better environment in which to live and fewer hassles," said Minkler, a professor of health and social behavior at the University of California at Berkeley School of Public Health.
Money can also help reduce disability though improvements in the home, she said. "You can widen doorways and put in ramps," Minkler said. "Ultimately, that can make the difference between living at home and being in an institution."
While the United States has "the best-educated, best cared-for population in the history of the world," she said, an increase in disability is inevitable as the number of older people increases. "It's important to find out whether slight increments in income make a difference," Minkler said.
More information
A resource guide for people with disabilities is available from the University of Buffalo.
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Keeping Well When Monsoon Dwells
In this issue In this issue
:. Sharing Thoughts - Congratulations to Winner of Ayurveda Quiz & Question for this month
:. Health Tips - Keeping Well When Monsoon Dwells
:. Specially for you - Suggestions for Dry Skin
Exclusive Offer for Panchkarma Treatments @ lowest rates
This is an humanitarian service to the society
:. Health Tips : Keeping Well When Monsoon Dwells .... Cont.....
Walking in dirty water during rainy season leads to numerous fungal infections which affect toes and nails. Diabetic patients have to take a special care about their feet. Always keep your feet dry and clean. Avoid walking in dirty water. Keep your shoes, socks and raincoats dry and clean. Drying clothes with fumes of loban and dry neem leaves is recommended in ayurvedic texts.
Precautions have to be taken to prevent dampness and growth of fungus (mold) on and around the house where asthmatic patients live. Avoid fumigation in case of asthmatic patients.
Ayurvedic Tips to increase body immunity and preventing diseases of monsoon.
1. The digestive system gets weakened due to dehydration in summer. This leads to low digestive power. This is further weakened by vitiation of doshas and dhatus due to monsoon. Hence following diets which increase power of digestion and strengthen the digestive system would be beneficial in rainy season. Light foods prepared out of old barley, rice and wheat.
Sour and salted soups of vegetables. Drinking boiled and cooled water mixed with little honey. Consuming little quantity of wine prepared out of grapes. Adding ginger and green gram in daily diet. Eating warm food.
2. Avoid the following ; Sleeping in daytime. Over physical exertion. Over exposure to sun.
3. Always keep the surrounding dry and clean. Do not allow water to get accumulated around.
4. Keep your body warm as viruses attack immediately when body temperature goes down.
5. Do not enter air conditioned room with wet hair and damp cloths.
6. Dry your feet and webs with soft dry cloth whenever they are wet.
7. Wash vegetables with clean water and steam them well to kill germs.
8. Avoid eating uncooked foods and salads.
9. Drink plenty of water and keep your body well hydrated.
10. Do not allow kids to play in stagnant polluted water filled puddles.
(Cont…..)
Published with consent of author Dr. Savitha Suri, doctor@ayurhelp.com
This article is copy righted. The author Dr.SavithaSuri is an Ayurvedic Physician and web master of http://www.ayurhelp.com/
http://www.ayurhelp.com/articles/mansoon_care.htm
Exclusive Offer for Panchkarma Treatments for 4 weeks @ € 500*
* Conditions apply.
:: Thank you very much for overwhelming response to this unbelieving Genuine Panchkarma treatment package offer. Please no more inquiries for September and October. Registration is open for November, December 2006 and January 2007 only. For more details and conditions, pl email to info@ayulink.com
:: Health & Disease Treatment suggestions for Depression (Dr. Shah's views)
Hello Doctor
I am 24 years old. I suffered from dryness problem on my face. I want to clear my face. I have some red marks, open pores too. Please guide me to make my skin soft, lustrous and good quality. Thank you.
My suggestions for dry skin are; First and most important is Diet, some good habits and Meditation or Pranayam. Avoid Junk food, canned food and improper food to your body constitution. To much sour or vata aggravating food can make skin dry. Avoid constipation too. Than second is good habits, like wash your face with little warm water 2-3 times a day. Every day morning, do massage with Amlaki oil or sesame oil. If you can find out good quality saffron oil (Ayurvedic name is Kumkumadi oil) you can add few drops of that in massage on face. After massage have hot water steam on face. Meditation and Relaxation is also having positive effect on the skin. Individual diet and activity counseling needs further more details about body physiology.
THIS IS A HOUSE MAGAZINE FROM
Dr. Prerak Shah, "PRERAK – The Holistic Medical Center".
:: Disclaimer: All details, thoughts and opinions shared by the writers in this monthly, are their own and does not necessarily reflect the views of the editor or management of this monthly. This monthly is meant only for information purpose and it is not intended to replace the services of a health practitioner licensed in the diagnosis or treatment of illness or disease. Any application of the material in this text is at the reader's discretion and sole responsibility. For all health concerns you are advised to consult with a duly licensed health practitioner We do not claim for any authenticity of the matter :: For old issues of Ayulink, visit http://www.blogger.com/www.healthstores.com/ayurveda Courtesy : The Health stores Co., CA, USA. :: Please send your articles in simple English, and abstract (not more then 150 words). :: You have received this mail because you have registered with us or your friend or business associate has recommended your name.
:: To be removed from the mailing list, send blank mail to ayulink@hotmail.com with subject "remove".
:: FREE AYURVEDA COUNSELING Please ask your health problems or any other questions related to Ayurveda at prerakayu@hotmail.com
* This mail is not a spam. Our contact information. Dr. Prerak Shah, Silver Spring, Behind Xavier's Ladies Hostel, Navrangpura, Ahmedabad - 380009, Gujarat, INDIA. Phone / Fax : 91-79-26446025 E-mail : info@ayulink.com <mailto:ayulink@hotmail.com> Website : http://www.blogger.com/www.ayulink.com <http://www.healthstores.com/ayurveda> :: That's all for this month. Wish you happy days ahead ::
:. Sharing Thoughts - Congratulations to Winner of Ayurveda Quiz & Question for this month
:. Health Tips - Keeping Well When Monsoon Dwells
:. Specially for you - Suggestions for Dry Skin
Exclusive Offer for Panchkarma Treatments @ lowest rates
This is an humanitarian service to the society
:. Health Tips : Keeping Well When Monsoon Dwells .... Cont.....
Walking in dirty water during rainy season leads to numerous fungal infections which affect toes and nails. Diabetic patients have to take a special care about their feet. Always keep your feet dry and clean. Avoid walking in dirty water. Keep your shoes, socks and raincoats dry and clean. Drying clothes with fumes of loban and dry neem leaves is recommended in ayurvedic texts.
Precautions have to be taken to prevent dampness and growth of fungus (mold) on and around the house where asthmatic patients live. Avoid fumigation in case of asthmatic patients.
Ayurvedic Tips to increase body immunity and preventing diseases of monsoon.
1. The digestive system gets weakened due to dehydration in summer. This leads to low digestive power. This is further weakened by vitiation of doshas and dhatus due to monsoon. Hence following diets which increase power of digestion and strengthen the digestive system would be beneficial in rainy season. Light foods prepared out of old barley, rice and wheat.
Sour and salted soups of vegetables. Drinking boiled and cooled water mixed with little honey. Consuming little quantity of wine prepared out of grapes. Adding ginger and green gram in daily diet. Eating warm food.
2. Avoid the following ; Sleeping in daytime. Over physical exertion. Over exposure to sun.
3. Always keep the surrounding dry and clean. Do not allow water to get accumulated around.
4. Keep your body warm as viruses attack immediately when body temperature goes down.
5. Do not enter air conditioned room with wet hair and damp cloths.
6. Dry your feet and webs with soft dry cloth whenever they are wet.
7. Wash vegetables with clean water and steam them well to kill germs.
8. Avoid eating uncooked foods and salads.
9. Drink plenty of water and keep your body well hydrated.
10. Do not allow kids to play in stagnant polluted water filled puddles.
(Cont…..)
Published with consent of author Dr. Savitha Suri, doctor@ayurhelp.com
This article is copy righted. The author Dr.SavithaSuri is an Ayurvedic Physician and web master of http://www.ayurhelp.com/
http://www.ayurhelp.com/articles/mansoon_care.htm
Exclusive Offer for Panchkarma Treatments for 4 weeks @ € 500*
* Conditions apply.
:: Thank you very much for overwhelming response to this unbelieving Genuine Panchkarma treatment package offer. Please no more inquiries for September and October. Registration is open for November, December 2006 and January 2007 only. For more details and conditions, pl email to info@ayulink.com
:: Health & Disease Treatment suggestions for Depression (Dr. Shah's views)
Hello Doctor
I am 24 years old. I suffered from dryness problem on my face. I want to clear my face. I have some red marks, open pores too. Please guide me to make my skin soft, lustrous and good quality. Thank you.
My suggestions for dry skin are; First and most important is Diet, some good habits and Meditation or Pranayam. Avoid Junk food, canned food and improper food to your body constitution. To much sour or vata aggravating food can make skin dry. Avoid constipation too. Than second is good habits, like wash your face with little warm water 2-3 times a day. Every day morning, do massage with Amlaki oil or sesame oil. If you can find out good quality saffron oil (Ayurvedic name is Kumkumadi oil) you can add few drops of that in massage on face. After massage have hot water steam on face. Meditation and Relaxation is also having positive effect on the skin. Individual diet and activity counseling needs further more details about body physiology.
THIS IS A HOUSE MAGAZINE FROM
Dr. Prerak Shah, "PRERAK – The Holistic Medical Center".
:: Disclaimer: All details, thoughts and opinions shared by the writers in this monthly, are their own and does not necessarily reflect the views of the editor or management of this monthly. This monthly is meant only for information purpose and it is not intended to replace the services of a health practitioner licensed in the diagnosis or treatment of illness or disease. Any application of the material in this text is at the reader's discretion and sole responsibility. For all health concerns you are advised to consult with a duly licensed health practitioner We do not claim for any authenticity of the matter :: For old issues of Ayulink, visit http://www.blogger.com/www.healthstores.com/ayurveda Courtesy : The Health stores Co., CA, USA. :: Please send your articles in simple English, and abstract (not more then 150 words). :: You have received this mail because you have registered with us or your friend or business associate has recommended your name.
:: To be removed from the mailing list, send blank mail to ayulink@hotmail.com with subject "remove".
:: FREE AYURVEDA COUNSELING Please ask your health problems or any other questions related to Ayurveda at prerakayu@hotmail.com
* This mail is not a spam. Our contact information. Dr. Prerak Shah, Silver Spring, Behind Xavier's Ladies Hostel, Navrangpura, Ahmedabad - 380009, Gujarat, INDIA. Phone / Fax : 91-79-26446025 E-mail : info@ayulink.com <mailto:ayulink@hotmail.com> Website : http://www.blogger.com/www.ayulink.com <http://www.healthstores.com/ayurveda> :: That's all for this month. Wish you happy days ahead ::
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Health Highlights: Aug. 7, 2006
Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:
Indonesia Reports 43rd Bird-Flu Death
Indonesian officials announced Monday that a 16-year-old boy had died of bird flu. If it's confirmed by the World Health Organization (WHO), it would bring that country's death toll to 43, the highest in the world.
The boy was admitted to a hospital on Saturday and died late Monday. Tests at a laboratory in Jakarta showed he had the H5N1 virus, said Dr. Santoso Suroso, director of the city's infectious diseases hospital.
Health officials said the boy had contact with sick chickens at his home, just east of Jakarta, the Associated Press reported.
If a WHO-accredited laboratory confirms this as a bird-flu death, it would be the 43rd in Indonesia since July 2005. A third of those deaths have occurred this year. Vietnam has recorded 42 bird-flu deaths, but has not had any this year.
Experts have criticized Indonesian officials for not doing enough to halt the spread of bird flu among the millions of backyard poultry in that country.
In related news, officials in Thailand have started visiting every home in 29 provinces to provide people with information about how to protect themselves from bird flu if they discover dead poultry, Agence France Presse reported.
Thailand reported its 16th bird-flu death on the weekend.
The virus has killed at least 135 people worldwide since it first appeared in Asia in late 2003. Most cases have been traced to contact with infected birds. But experts worry that the virus could mutate into a form that's easily transmitted between people.
-----
Sexually Explicit Music Linked to Sex at Younger Age
Teens who listen to music spiced with raunchy, sexual lyrics start to have sex at a younger age than those who prefer more sedate tunes, says a U.S. study in the August issue of the journal Pediatrics.
The study included 1,461 youngsters, aged 12 to 17, who were first interviewed in 2001 and again in 2002 and 2004. Most of the participants were virgins at the time of the initial interview.
Those who listened to a lot of music with degrading sexual messages -- depicting men as "sex-driven studs" and women as sex objects -- and explicit references to sex acts were more likely (51 percent) to start having sexual intercourse or other sexual activities within two years than teens who listened to little or no sexually charged music (29 percent), the Associated Press reported.
Study leader author and Rand Corp. researcher Steven Martino said heavy exposure to sexually degrading music gives teens "a specific message about sex." Boys learn they should relentlessly pursue women, and girls learn they're sex objects, he said.
"We think that really lowers kids' inhibitions and makes them less thoughtful," about sexual decisions and may lead them to make choices they regret, Martino noted.
But one expert said parents and others shouldn't be too quick to pull the plug on this kind of music.
-----
Elderly Should Take Probiotics: Experts
Elderly people should take probiotic supplements -- including drinks, capsules or yogurt -- to protect themselves against bowel conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), according to experts.
People over age 60 have about 1,000-fold less "friendly" bacteria and more disease-causing bacteria in their guts compared with younger adults, scientists said at a briefing in London, England, BBC News reported.
Probiotic products, which contain live strains of bacteria, can help boost the amount of friendly bacteria in the guts of older people and help protect them against acute and chronic bowel diseases.
"The (scientific) literature has reported about 80 human studies with positive results against bowel conditions like traveler's diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome and antibiotic-associated diarrhea," said Glenn Gibson, professor of food microbiology at Reading University.
He said that while probiotic products are useful for healthy adults -- for example, helping to fight bacteria that cause food poisoning -- they are even more beneficial for older people, the BBC reported.
However, Gibson and his colleagues said consumers need to carefully check products to determine whether they contain the correct strain of live bacteria -- such as bifidobacteria or lactobacilli -- and that there are at least 10 million bacterium in the product.
-----
Castro Said to Be Recovering Quickly From Intestinal Surgery
Cuban President Fidel Castro, 79, is recovering quickly from intestinal surgery and may be back to work within a few weeks, according to Vice President Carlos Lage.
"In a few weeks he'll be recovered and he'll return to his duties," Lage told reporters Sunday, the Associated Press reported.
Lage said Castro's return as leader of Cuba would expose a U.S. policy of "lies" behind speculation that Castro wouldn't recover. He also dismissed reports that Castro had stomach cancer.
"The operation that he underwent was successful and he is recovering favorably. Fidel's going to be around for another 80 years," Lage said.
There's been no sign of Castro since July 31, when it was announced that he'd undergone surgery and had temporarily ceded power to his younger brother, Defense Minister Raul Castro.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a Castro ally, said the Cuban leader was out of bed and talking after his surgery, the AP reported.
-----
British Drug Trial Victim Says He Has Cancer
One of six men who became seriously ill earlier this year after volunteering for a drug trial in London, England, says he has early signs of cancer.
David Oakley told the Mail on Sunday newspaper that he's seeking compensation from Parexel, a clinical research organization that carried out the drug trial on behalf of German pharmaceutical company TeGenero, BBC News reported.
There's no evidence to confirm that Oakley's cancer was caused by the experimental drug, the newspaper said.
About two months ago, blood tests detected "cells that shouldn't be there," which indicates early signs of cancer, according to Oakley.
The drug in the trial, TGN 1412, has been under development for treatment of diseases such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and certain cancers.
British authorities investigated the incident involving the six men and concluded that Parexel failed to follow proper procedures, BBC News reported. Parexel has previously said that all guidelines were followed during the trial.
Indonesia Reports 43rd Bird-Flu Death
Indonesian officials announced Monday that a 16-year-old boy had died of bird flu. If it's confirmed by the World Health Organization (WHO), it would bring that country's death toll to 43, the highest in the world.
The boy was admitted to a hospital on Saturday and died late Monday. Tests at a laboratory in Jakarta showed he had the H5N1 virus, said Dr. Santoso Suroso, director of the city's infectious diseases hospital.
Health officials said the boy had contact with sick chickens at his home, just east of Jakarta, the Associated Press reported.
If a WHO-accredited laboratory confirms this as a bird-flu death, it would be the 43rd in Indonesia since July 2005. A third of those deaths have occurred this year. Vietnam has recorded 42 bird-flu deaths, but has not had any this year.
Experts have criticized Indonesian officials for not doing enough to halt the spread of bird flu among the millions of backyard poultry in that country.
In related news, officials in Thailand have started visiting every home in 29 provinces to provide people with information about how to protect themselves from bird flu if they discover dead poultry, Agence France Presse reported.
Thailand reported its 16th bird-flu death on the weekend.
The virus has killed at least 135 people worldwide since it first appeared in Asia in late 2003. Most cases have been traced to contact with infected birds. But experts worry that the virus could mutate into a form that's easily transmitted between people.
-----
Sexually Explicit Music Linked to Sex at Younger Age
Teens who listen to music spiced with raunchy, sexual lyrics start to have sex at a younger age than those who prefer more sedate tunes, says a U.S. study in the August issue of the journal Pediatrics.
The study included 1,461 youngsters, aged 12 to 17, who were first interviewed in 2001 and again in 2002 and 2004. Most of the participants were virgins at the time of the initial interview.
Those who listened to a lot of music with degrading sexual messages -- depicting men as "sex-driven studs" and women as sex objects -- and explicit references to sex acts were more likely (51 percent) to start having sexual intercourse or other sexual activities within two years than teens who listened to little or no sexually charged music (29 percent), the Associated Press reported.
Study leader author and Rand Corp. researcher Steven Martino said heavy exposure to sexually degrading music gives teens "a specific message about sex." Boys learn they should relentlessly pursue women, and girls learn they're sex objects, he said.
"We think that really lowers kids' inhibitions and makes them less thoughtful," about sexual decisions and may lead them to make choices they regret, Martino noted.
But one expert said parents and others shouldn't be too quick to pull the plug on this kind of music.
-----
Elderly Should Take Probiotics: Experts
Elderly people should take probiotic supplements -- including drinks, capsules or yogurt -- to protect themselves against bowel conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), according to experts.
People over age 60 have about 1,000-fold less "friendly" bacteria and more disease-causing bacteria in their guts compared with younger adults, scientists said at a briefing in London, England, BBC News reported.
Probiotic products, which contain live strains of bacteria, can help boost the amount of friendly bacteria in the guts of older people and help protect them against acute and chronic bowel diseases.
"The (scientific) literature has reported about 80 human studies with positive results against bowel conditions like traveler's diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome and antibiotic-associated diarrhea," said Glenn Gibson, professor of food microbiology at Reading University.
He said that while probiotic products are useful for healthy adults -- for example, helping to fight bacteria that cause food poisoning -- they are even more beneficial for older people, the BBC reported.
However, Gibson and his colleagues said consumers need to carefully check products to determine whether they contain the correct strain of live bacteria -- such as bifidobacteria or lactobacilli -- and that there are at least 10 million bacterium in the product.
-----
Castro Said to Be Recovering Quickly From Intestinal Surgery
Cuban President Fidel Castro, 79, is recovering quickly from intestinal surgery and may be back to work within a few weeks, according to Vice President Carlos Lage.
"In a few weeks he'll be recovered and he'll return to his duties," Lage told reporters Sunday, the Associated Press reported.
Lage said Castro's return as leader of Cuba would expose a U.S. policy of "lies" behind speculation that Castro wouldn't recover. He also dismissed reports that Castro had stomach cancer.
"The operation that he underwent was successful and he is recovering favorably. Fidel's going to be around for another 80 years," Lage said.
There's been no sign of Castro since July 31, when it was announced that he'd undergone surgery and had temporarily ceded power to his younger brother, Defense Minister Raul Castro.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a Castro ally, said the Cuban leader was out of bed and talking after his surgery, the AP reported.
-----
British Drug Trial Victim Says He Has Cancer
One of six men who became seriously ill earlier this year after volunteering for a drug trial in London, England, says he has early signs of cancer.
David Oakley told the Mail on Sunday newspaper that he's seeking compensation from Parexel, a clinical research organization that carried out the drug trial on behalf of German pharmaceutical company TeGenero, BBC News reported.
There's no evidence to confirm that Oakley's cancer was caused by the experimental drug, the newspaper said.
About two months ago, blood tests detected "cells that shouldn't be there," which indicates early signs of cancer, according to Oakley.
The drug in the trial, TGN 1412, has been under development for treatment of diseases such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and certain cancers.
British authorities investigated the incident involving the six men and concluded that Parexel failed to follow proper procedures, BBC News reported. Parexel has previously said that all guidelines were followed during the trial.
Clinical Trials Update: Aug. 7, 2006
(HealthDay News) -- Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesy of Thomson CenterWatch:
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
Patients with active B-CLL and with an indication for treatment are asked to participate in this international, phase III clinical research study of an investigational agent.
Candidates 18 or older with tumor cell phenotype consistent with B-CLL who have failed at least one fludarabine-containing or alemtuzumab-containing treatment regimen may be eligible. Volunteers cannot have had previous treatment with alemtuzumab within six weeks of study participation or autologous stem cell transplantation within six months of the first study visit.
Research sites are worldwide.
More information
Please see
http://www.centerwatch.com/patient/studies/cat745.html.
-----
Asthma
This research study will evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a study drug in combination with high doses of inhaled steroids and long-acting bronchodilators for asthmatics who still have symptoms despite treatment with standard asthma drugs such as Advair. Asthmatics 18-75 who are currently using high doses of inhaled steroids and long-acting bronchodilators may qualify. This study involves up to 17 visits over one year.
The research site is in Denver, Colo.
More information
Please see
http://www.centerwatch.com/patient/studies/cat16.html.
-----
Osteoporosis
Postmenopausal women with diagnosed osteoporosis may qualify for this research study. Candidates must not have taken Fosamax, Actonel, or Bonlva for osteoporosis. Participants receive at no cost study medications, physical exam and blood work, and reimbursement for time and travel.
The research site is in Philadelphia, Penn.
More information
Please see
http://www.centerwatch.com/patient/studies/cat111.html.
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Copyright 2006 Thomson CenterWatch. All rights reserved.
Last reviewed: 08/07/2006 Last updated: 08/07/2006
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
Patients with active B-CLL and with an indication for treatment are asked to participate in this international, phase III clinical research study of an investigational agent.
Candidates 18 or older with tumor cell phenotype consistent with B-CLL who have failed at least one fludarabine-containing or alemtuzumab-containing treatment regimen may be eligible. Volunteers cannot have had previous treatment with alemtuzumab within six weeks of study participation or autologous stem cell transplantation within six months of the first study visit.
Research sites are worldwide.
More information
Please see
http://www.centerwatch.com/patient/studies/cat745.html.
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Asthma
This research study will evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a study drug in combination with high doses of inhaled steroids and long-acting bronchodilators for asthmatics who still have symptoms despite treatment with standard asthma drugs such as Advair. Asthmatics 18-75 who are currently using high doses of inhaled steroids and long-acting bronchodilators may qualify. This study involves up to 17 visits over one year.
The research site is in Denver, Colo.
More information
Please see
http://www.centerwatch.com/patient/studies/cat16.html.
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Osteoporosis
Postmenopausal women with diagnosed osteoporosis may qualify for this research study. Candidates must not have taken Fosamax, Actonel, or Bonlva for osteoporosis. Participants receive at no cost study medications, physical exam and blood work, and reimbursement for time and travel.
The research site is in Philadelphia, Penn.
More information
Please see
http://www.centerwatch.com/patient/studies/cat111.html.
-----
Copyright 2006 Thomson CenterWatch. All rights reserved.
Last reviewed: 08/07/2006 Last updated: 08/07/2006
Spotting Kidney Disease Helps Heart Patients
MONDAY, Aug. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Adults who have, or are at risk for, cardiovascular disease (CVD) should have blood and urine tests to check for chronic kidney disease, a new science advisory released Monday by the American Heart Association says.
"Screening for kidney disease is important for patients with CVD because kidney disease is serous major risk factor for CVD. The simple, easy-to-do tests are great resources for doctors of CVD patients and can be done along with other tests," Dr. Frank C. Brosius III, chair of the statement writing group, said in a prepared statement.
The advisory encourages the use of the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) equation to estimate kidney function in CVD patients. The MDRD uses age and gender and other patient information to predict the presence of kidney disease. It also uses laboratory reports of blood levels of creatinine, a byproduct of muscle deterioration and an internal indicator of kidney filtration.
The MDRD formula can be applied to a single blood sample to accurately detect chronic kidney disease in patients with heart disease, said Brosius, professor of internal medicine and physiology and division chief of nephrology at the University of Michigan Hospital Medical System.
The advisory also recommended that urine samples be screened for high levels of the protein albumin. This condition, called albuminuria, is another sign of kidney damage and is also associated with increased risk for CVD.
"Doctors should look for patients' kidney function using both the MDRD equation and albuminuria tests. If one or both tests indicate kidney disease, then patients are at high risk for progressive CVD," Brosius said.
This screening should be done in CVD patients and in people with CVD risk factors such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
More information
The American Heart Association has more about cardiovascular disease.
Last reviewed: 08/07/2006 Last updated: 08/07/2006
"Screening for kidney disease is important for patients with CVD because kidney disease is serous major risk factor for CVD. The simple, easy-to-do tests are great resources for doctors of CVD patients and can be done along with other tests," Dr. Frank C. Brosius III, chair of the statement writing group, said in a prepared statement.
The advisory encourages the use of the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) equation to estimate kidney function in CVD patients. The MDRD uses age and gender and other patient information to predict the presence of kidney disease. It also uses laboratory reports of blood levels of creatinine, a byproduct of muscle deterioration and an internal indicator of kidney filtration.
The MDRD formula can be applied to a single blood sample to accurately detect chronic kidney disease in patients with heart disease, said Brosius, professor of internal medicine and physiology and division chief of nephrology at the University of Michigan Hospital Medical System.
The advisory also recommended that urine samples be screened for high levels of the protein albumin. This condition, called albuminuria, is another sign of kidney damage and is also associated with increased risk for CVD.
"Doctors should look for patients' kidney function using both the MDRD equation and albuminuria tests. If one or both tests indicate kidney disease, then patients are at high risk for progressive CVD," Brosius said.
This screening should be done in CVD patients and in people with CVD risk factors such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
More information
The American Heart Association has more about cardiovascular disease.
Last reviewed: 08/07/2006 Last updated: 08/07/2006
Postpartum Depression Hits Dads, Too
MONDAY, Aug. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Almost as many new fathers as mothers suffer depression after the birth of a child, a new study shows.
About 14 percent of mothers and 10 percent of fathers showed signs of moderate or severe postpartum depression, according to the study, which followed more than 5,000 members of two-parent families.
"There have been a few small studies in the last two years showing this, but nothing has been known on a national basis," said study leader James F. Paulson, an assistant professor of pediatrics and psychology and behavioral sciences at the Eastern Virginia Medical School Center for Pediatric Research.
The findings are published in the August issue of Pediatrics.
New parents who participated in the study filled out questionnaires and were interviewed to determine whether they showed symptoms of depression. Their relationships with their children were determined by questioning such practices as breast-feeding, putting the child to bed on his or her back, and whether the parents read to, played peek-a-boo with or sang to the child.
"What we found in this study is that basic day-to-day interactions were impaired in fathers, just as they were in mothers," Paulson said. "Also, basic activities were impaired."
Pediatricians should make a greater effort to identify postpartum depression in both mothers and fathers, Paulson said. "Pediatricians, in general, may be in the best position to catch depression, but they don't often do it," he said, adding he's now doing a study to look at patterns of screening for postpartum depression.
Dr. William Coleman is a professor of pediatrics at the University of North Carolina and chairman of the American Academy of Pediatrics committee on the psychosocial aspects of child and family health. "Physicians do a very poor job asking about or detecting postpartum blues in the mother, and they may not even see the father," he said. "They might detect the mother's feelings, but may not even ask the father."
Fathers usually feel elation after a birth, Coleman said, but that feeling of "engrossment" can fade away, depending on family circumstances.
That can happen "if the mother is very, very controlling and wants the baby all to herself," Coleman said. "Also, fathers can experience frustration, sexual and emotional, if they forget to remember that the wife is not interested in sex at that time. If the wife is very motherly and maternal, he might feel kind of useless, on the periphery."
Depression in a father leads to a well-known pattern of behavior, Coleman said. "He tends to work longer, to watch sports more, to drink more and be solitary," he said.
One problem in detecting postpartum depression in fathers is that "pediatricians are not told to inquire about adult issues," Coleman said. "It is a silent game."
Yet, it's important to detect postpartum depression in a father for the sake of the child's long-term outlook, Paulson said. "Based on what we know of mothers' postpartum depression, it is associated with health problems later on, not only emotional problems and difficulties adjusting to school but also basic health problems," he said.
More information
For more on postpartum depression, visit the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
About 14 percent of mothers and 10 percent of fathers showed signs of moderate or severe postpartum depression, according to the study, which followed more than 5,000 members of two-parent families.
"There have been a few small studies in the last two years showing this, but nothing has been known on a national basis," said study leader James F. Paulson, an assistant professor of pediatrics and psychology and behavioral sciences at the Eastern Virginia Medical School Center for Pediatric Research.
The findings are published in the August issue of Pediatrics.
New parents who participated in the study filled out questionnaires and were interviewed to determine whether they showed symptoms of depression. Their relationships with their children were determined by questioning such practices as breast-feeding, putting the child to bed on his or her back, and whether the parents read to, played peek-a-boo with or sang to the child.
"What we found in this study is that basic day-to-day interactions were impaired in fathers, just as they were in mothers," Paulson said. "Also, basic activities were impaired."
Pediatricians should make a greater effort to identify postpartum depression in both mothers and fathers, Paulson said. "Pediatricians, in general, may be in the best position to catch depression, but they don't often do it," he said, adding he's now doing a study to look at patterns of screening for postpartum depression.
Dr. William Coleman is a professor of pediatrics at the University of North Carolina and chairman of the American Academy of Pediatrics committee on the psychosocial aspects of child and family health. "Physicians do a very poor job asking about or detecting postpartum blues in the mother, and they may not even see the father," he said. "They might detect the mother's feelings, but may not even ask the father."
Fathers usually feel elation after a birth, Coleman said, but that feeling of "engrossment" can fade away, depending on family circumstances.
That can happen "if the mother is very, very controlling and wants the baby all to herself," Coleman said. "Also, fathers can experience frustration, sexual and emotional, if they forget to remember that the wife is not interested in sex at that time. If the wife is very motherly and maternal, he might feel kind of useless, on the periphery."
Depression in a father leads to a well-known pattern of behavior, Coleman said. "He tends to work longer, to watch sports more, to drink more and be solitary," he said.
One problem in detecting postpartum depression in fathers is that "pediatricians are not told to inquire about adult issues," Coleman said. "It is a silent game."
Yet, it's important to detect postpartum depression in a father for the sake of the child's long-term outlook, Paulson said. "Based on what we know of mothers' postpartum depression, it is associated with health problems later on, not only emotional problems and difficulties adjusting to school but also basic health problems," he said.
More information
For more on postpartum depression, visit the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
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