Healthy World

Human body odor as biometric identifier

2009-03-13T00:32:00.000-07:00

The US Department of Homeland Security plans to study the possibility that human body odor could be used to tell when people are lying or to identify individuals in the same way that fingerprints can. In a federal procurement document posted Friday on the Web, the department’s Science and Technology Directorate said it would conduct an “outsourced, proof-of-principle study to determine if human odor signatures can serve as an indicator of deception. … As a secondary goal, this study will examine … human odor samples for evidence to support the theory that an individual can be identified by that individual’s odor signature.”

Officials said that the work was at a very early stage, but the announcement brought criticism from civil liberties advocates who said it showed the department’s priorities were misplaced.
The procurement notice said the department is already “conducting experiments in deceptive behavior and collecting human odor samples” and that the research it hopes to fund “will consist primarily of the analysis and study of the human odor samples collected to determine if a deception indicator can be found.”

“This research has the potential for enhancing our ability to detect individuals with harmful intent,” the notice said. “A positive result from this proof-of-principle study would provide evidence that human odor is a useful indicator for certain human behaviors and, in addition, that it may be used as a biometric identifier.”
DHS spokeswoman Amy Kudwa told United Press International that “proof of concept” work was the very earliest stage of technological development.
The directorate “is trying to determine what factors of human behavior and chemistry can provide clues to the intent to deceive,” she said, adding that the work would be carried out by the Federally Funded Research and Development Center run by the non-profit Mitre Corp., which conducts cutting-edge research for U.S. military, homeland security and intelligence agencies.
Barry Steinhardt, director of the ACLU’s technology and liberty project, told UPI that the plan showed the department had “misplaced priorities.”
“The history of DHS’ deployment of these technologies has been one colossal failure after another,” he said. “There is no lie detector. This research has been a long, meandering journey, which has taken us down one blind alley after another.”
Steinhardt added that even well-established biometric-identity technologies like fingerprinting have resulted in individuals being inaccurately identified, like Oregon lawyer Brandon Mayfield, who got an apology from the FBI after being wrongfully accused of having had a hand in the 2004 Madrid rail bombings.
“None of the biometrics for identity have worked very well, with the possible exception of DNA,” he said, adding that even fingerprint evidence was “increasingly being challenged in courts around the country.”
“This shows the misplaced priorities (of DHS),” he said. “The government doesn’t need to take us down another blind alley.”
Recent scientific research shows that so-called volatile organic compounds present in human sweat, saliva and urine can be analyzed using a technique known as gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
Research published by the Royal Society in London in 2006 found “a substantial number of marker compounds (in human sweat) that can potentially differentiate individuals or groups.”
Researchers took five samples each from 179 individuals over a 10-week period and analyzed them, finding hundreds of chemical markers that remained more or less constant for each individual over time.
An analysis of these compounds “found strong evidence for individual (odor) fingerprints,” the researchers concluded.
However, they warned that some individuals appear to have less distinctive odors than others, adding that “the reason for the variation in distinctiveness is unclear.” More importantly, some individuals’ odors changed during the course of the study. “Not all subjects had consistent marker compounds over time, which might be due to physiological, dietary or other changes,” the researchers concluded.
The researchers also cautioned that some of these marker compounds might be “exogenous chemical contaminants” from skin-care or perfume products or tobacco smoke and other substances present in an individual’s environment. About a quarter of the 44 apparently distinctive marker compounds they were able to analyze appeared to be artificial contaminants, the researchers said.
“Determining the origins of individual and sex-specific odors — and controlling exogenous chemical contaminants — may provide the most important challenge for future … studies,” the researchers said.
Those challenges are likely to be significant, and they will multiply if the techniques are deployed in the field.
“While some of these sensors perform well in the lab, the real world may be different,” technology consultant and author John Vacca said. “The technology is still in its infancy.”

http://www.gadgetted.com

Help Your Man Be Heart Healthy

2009-03-10T05:48:00.000-07:00

Have a Heart-to-Heart

by: Heather M. Graham

When it comes to encouraging your mate to be healthier, remember that he is not a child, says BeWell expert Dr. Marianne Legato, author of Why Men Never Remember and Women Never Forget and Why Men Die First: How to Lengthen Your Lifespan. Don’t nag, cajole or trick your guy into healthier behavior, Dr. Legato advises. Instead, give him clear reasons about why he should improve his heart health. “All of us, particularly men, hate long harangues and reproaches—keep it simple, short and convincing,” she says.

Schedule Regular Screenings

The simple fact is women usually outlive men. The reason? “Men are socialized to ignore their ailments, to portray themselves as invulnerable and to forge ahead no matter what their physical or emotional handicaps,” says Dr. Legato.

Men age 30 and older should be getting an annual physical and any recommended screenings. Since coronary artery disease (CAD) can start developing in a man's 30s, it’s important for guys to be proactive about monitoring their heart health.
iVillage member mrosie uses this trick to keep her man's health on track: “Since I am ‘unofficially’ in charge of our social calendar, I will make appointments for him. So far this year, we've both seen a new dentist and a new optometrist, and closer to summer we'll both be due for a physical.”

Stress Less – Together!

Stress can increase anxiety, exacerbate high blood pressure and even lead to overeating. And that can hurt your heart. Don’t let stressful situations at home get out of hand. Dr. Legato recommends that couples resolve problems as they arise, and once a fight is done, move on.

“Periodic changes of scenery, even modest weekend getaways are enormously helpful,” says Dr. Legato. “Leave the children with someone you trust and spend some time together.”

iVillage member misstrigg says, “Don't be a mother, he didn't marry you for that. He married you to have a spouse… start talking to him as an adult and equal.”

The Couple That Exercises Together…

The average adult should be exercising 30 to 60 minutes on most days of the week. It can lower blood pressure and cholesterol, improve mood and help manage weight. It may even help put the spark back into your sex life.

“My favorite is dancing,” says Dr. Legato. Try taking tango lessons or turning on the stereo in your living room. If you’ve got two left feet, put on sneakers instead of tap shoes and go walking or bicycling together.

iVillage member mrosie says, “We go for walks together and I've been leading by example by using the elliptical trainer in the morning before we leave for work.”

Make the Most of Mealtime

You’ve probably heard the news: Olive oil contains heart-healthy fats, portion size is key for managing your weight, the omega-3s in fish promote heart health and fat-free milk’s got the calcium and vitamin D your body needs with fewer calories than regular milk. If you are the primary cook at home, you are in charge of most of what your family eats.

“Most men and children will eat what they’re served,” says Dr. Legato. And they won’t snack on something if it isn’t in the pantry.

iVillage member cl-rubyshoes03 makes it a team effort. “We go to the grocery store together and I load him down with veggies and fruits for his lunches. We rarely eat out for lunch, which saves us money and calories.”

Get Him to Quit

Did you know that it’s easier for men to quit smoking because their addiction to nicotine is less powerful than women’s? Still, your man may need encouragement to contact his doctor about making a plan to quit, which may include nicotine replacement with patches or gum.

Remind him that his habit affects the whole family, says Dr. Legato. “Children’s asthma soars in a smoking household and lung cancer in a nonsmoking partner is often a consequence as well.”

iVillage member ivhhugs has some advice for quitters: “Try not to worry about tomorrow, take it one day at a time – even better is to take it 10 minutes at a time. Drink water, chew gum, have some Lifesavers. Most importantly, never quit quitting.”

http://slideshow.ivillage.com

Pancreas Disease

2009-03-06T09:33:00.000-08:00

The pancreas is called the "hidden organ" because it is located deep in the abdomen behind the stomach. About six to eight inches long in the adult, the organ contains thin tubes that come together like the veins of a leaf. These tubes join to form a single opening into the intestine that is located just beyond the stomach.

The pancreas produces juices and enzymes that flow through these tubes into the intestine, where they mix with food. The enzymes digest fat, protein, and carbohydrates so they can be absorbed by the intestine. Pancreatic juices, therefore, play an important role in maintaining good health. The pancreas also produces insulin, which is picked up by the blood flowing through the organ. Insulin is important in regulating the amount of sugar or glucose in the blood.

What Are the Diseases of the Pancreas?

* Diabetes mellitus
* Acute pancreatitis
* Chronic pancreatitis
* Pancreatic enzyme deficiency
* Pancreas tumor

Diabetes Mellitus

Many cases of diabetes are caused by a deficiency of insulin. Insulin is needed to help glucose, which is a major source of energy, enter the body's cells. It is not known why insulin-producing cells in the pancreas die off. When they cease to function, glucose accumulates in the blood and eventually spills into the urine. These patients require daily insulin injections. More importantly, high blood glucose levels, over time, result in significant changes in blood vessels in the eyes, kidneys, heart, legs, and nerves. Damage to these vital organs represents the major risk for patients with diabetes.

Other patients who develop diabetes later in life seem to have sufficient insulin in the pancreas, but for some unknown reason it is not available for the body's use. These patients typically are overweight and, therefore, weight loss is critical for them. In addition, oral medications can be taken that help release insulin from the pancreas. All diabetics need to maintain normal or near-normal blood glucose levels to prevent or delay the complications of this disease.

Acute Pancreatitis

This condition occurs when the pancreas becomes quickly and severely inflamed. The major causes are:

* Heavy alcohol ingestion
* Gallstones or gallbladder disease
* Trauma
* Drugs
* High blood fats (triglycerides)
* Heredity
* Unknown factors

Binge alcohol drinking is a common cause of acute pancreatitis. Gallbladder disease, especially where a gallstone becomes lodged in the main bile duct next to the pancreas, also causes this condition. Accidents, such as the upper abdomen hitting the steering wheel during a car accident, can cause pancreatitis. Certain drugs, such as diuretics, can produce the disorder as can extremely high blood fat levels (triglycerides). Heredity seems to play a role since in some families the condition develops in several members of the family. Finally, there are the occasional cases that occur for unknown reasons. In pancreatitis, the digestive enzymes of the pancreas break out into the tissues of the organ rather than staying within the tubes (ducts). Severe damage to the pancreas then results.

Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment

The main symptoms of pancreatitis are acute, severe pain in the upper abdomen, frequently accompanied by vomiting and fever. The abdomen is tender, and the patient feels and looks ill. The diagnosis is made by measuring the blood pancreas enzymes which are elevated. A sound wave test (ultrasound) or abdominal CT exam often shows an enlarged pancreas. The condition is treated by resting the pancreas while the tissues heal. This is accomplished through bowel rest, hospitalization, intravenous feeding and, pain medications.

When pancreatitis is caused by gallstones, it is necessary to remove the gallbladder. This is usually done after the acute pancreatitis has resolved. At times, an ERCP (Endoscopic Retrograde CholangioPancreatography) test is recommended. This involves passing a flexible tube through the mouth and down to the small intestine. A small catheter is then inserted into the bile duct to see if any stones are present. If so, they are then removed with the scope.

Course and Outcome

Most patients with this condition recover well, although a few, especially those who have alcohol-induced pancreatitis, may become desperately sick. When recovered, the patient needs to make life-style changes to prevent a recurrence. For example, avoiding alcohol and drugs, reducing blood triglycerides, or having gallbladder surgery.

Chronic Pancreatitis

This condition occurs mostly in alcoholics or people who repeatedly binge drink alcohol. The main symptoms are recurrent, dull, or moderate pain without the severe toxic features of acute pancreatitis. Treatment consists of rest, medication, and certain food restrictions. Alcohol consumption is absolutely prohibited. However, in cases where damage is extensive, chronic pancreatitis and pain can occur even when alcohol consumption has stopped.

Diagnosis of this condition is made by measuring blood enzymes and by performing abdominal CT, x-rays, and ultrasound exams. An ERCP endoscopic test is often performed. In this test, a flexible endoscope is passed through the mouth into the intestine while the patient is lightly sedated. A small plastic catheter is inserted into the pancreas ducts and an x-ray dye is injected. The internal anatomy of the pancreas can then be viewed by x-ray.

Occasionally a problem develops when the patient becomes dependent on, or even addicted to, narcotic pain medicines used to control symptoms. In some cases, surgery is recommended to provide relief of pain.

Pancreas Enzyme Insufficiency

Digestive enzymes from the pancreas are necessary to break down protein, fat, and carbohydrates in foods that are ingested. When there is a deficiency of these enzymes, nutrients are not broken down, resulting in malnutrition and weight loss. This condition is called malabsorption because the intestine is unable to absorb these vital nutrients.

The two major symptoms are diarrhea (frequently with fat droplets in the stool) and weight loss. This condition can result from any cause of pancreatitis, including trauma and infection. Pancreatic enzymes can be taken by mouth to replace those that are no longer made by the pancreas.

Pancreatic Tumors

The pancreas, like most organs of the body, can develop tumors. Some of these are benign and cause no problems. However, some benign tumors can secrete hormones which, when present in high levels, have a detrimental effect. For example, insulin can be secreted in excessive amounts and result in dangerously low blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia). Another hormone, gastrin, can stimulate the stomach to secrete its strong hydrochloric acid causing recurrent stomach and peptic ulcers, with many complications. Fortunately, there is much that can be done about these tumors.

Cancer of the pancreas is a serious malignancy which is difficult to treat. The disorder occurs in middle- or older-aged people, with the first symptom often being dull pain in the upper abdomen that may radiate into the back. At times, skin jaundice occurs when the bile duct, which carries yellow bile from the liver and through the pancreas, is blocked. Surgery is the only effective form of treatment for pancreas cancer.

Summary

The pancreas -- the quiet, hidden gland -- is vital to good health. It is subject to a variety of problems, some of which result from the patient's own actions. There are now effective ways to diagnose pancreatic conditions and, in most cases, good treatment programs can be outlined by the physician.

http://www.gicare.com/Diseases/Pancreatic-Disease.aspx

Coffee: The New Health Food?

2009-03-04T04:42:00.000-08:00

Want a drug that could lower your risk of diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and colon cancer? That could lift your mood and treat headaches? That could lower your risk of cavities?

If it sounds too good to be true, think again.

Coffee, the much maligned but undoubtedly beloved beverage, just made headlines for possibly cutting the risk of the latest disease epidemic, type 2 diabetes. And the real news seems to be that the more you drink, the better.
Reducing Disease Risk

After analyzing data on 126,000 people for as long as 18 years, Harvard researchers calculate that compared with not partaking in America's favorite morning drink, downing one to three cups of caffeinated coffee daily can reduce diabetes risk by single digits. But having six cups or more each day slashed men's risk by 54% and women's by 30% over java avoiders.

Though the scientists give the customary "more research is needed" before they recommend you do overtime at Starbuck's to specifically prevent diabetes, their findings are very similar to those in a less-publicized Dutch study. And perhaps more importantly, it's the latest of hundreds of studies suggesting that coffee may be something of a health food -- especially in higher amounts.

In recent decades, some 19,000 studies have been done examining coffee's impact on health. And for the most part, their results are as pleasing as a gulp of freshly brewed Breakfast Blend for the 108 million Americans who routinely enjoy this traditionally morning -- and increasingly daylong -- ritual. In practical terms, regular coffee drinkers include the majority of U.S. adults and a growing number of children.

"Overall, the research shows that coffee is far more healthful than it is harmful," says Tomas DePaulis, PhD, research scientist at Vanderbilt University's Institute for Coffee Studies, which conducts its own medical research and tracks coffee studies from around the world. "For most people, very little bad comes from drinking it, but a lot of good."

Consider this: At least six studies indicate that people who drink coffee on a regular basis are up to 80% less likely to develop Parkinson's, with three showing the more they drink, the lower the risk. Other research shows that compared to not drinking coffee, at least two cups daily can translate to a 25% reduced risk of colon cancer, an 80% drop in liver cirrhosis risk, and nearly half the risk of gallstones.

Coffee even offsets some of the damage caused by other vices, some research indicates. "People who smoke and are heavy drinkers have less heart disease and liver damage when they regularly consume large amounts of coffee compared to those who don't," says DePaulis.

There's also some evidence that coffee may help manage asthma and even control attacks when medication is unavailable, stop a headache, boost mood, and even prevent cavities.

Is it the caffeine? The oodles of antioxidants in coffee beans, some of which become especially potent during the roasting process? Even other mysterious properties that warrant this intensive study?

Actually, yes.

Some of coffee's reported benefits are a direct result of its higher caffeine content: An eight ounce cup of drip-brewed coffee contains about 85 mg -- about three and a half times more than the same serving of tea or cola or one ounce of chocolate.

"The evidence is very strong that regular coffee consumption reduces risk of Parkinson's disease and for that, it's directly related to caffeine," DePaulis tells WebMD. "In fact, Parkinson's drugs are now being developed that contain a derivative of caffeine based on this evidence."

Caffeine is also what helps in treating asthma and headaches. Though not widely publicized, a single dose of pain reliever such as Anacin or Excedrin contains up to 120 milligrams -- what's in a hefty mug o' Joe.
Boost to Athleticism

It's also caffeine -- and not coffee, per se -- that makes java a powerful aid in enhancing athletic endurance and performance, says physiologist and longtime coffee researcher Terry Graham, PhD, of the University of Guelph in Canada. So powerful, in fact, that until recently, caffeine in coffee or other forms was deemed a "controlled" substance by the Olympic Games Committee, meaning that it could be consumed only in small, designated amounts by competing athletes.

"What caffeine likely does is stimulate the brain and nervous system to do things differently," he tells WebMD. "That may include signaling you to ignore fatigue or recruit extra units of muscle for intense athletic performance. Caffeine may even have a direct effect on muscles themselves, causing them to produce a stronger contraction. But what's amazing about it is that unlike some performance-enhancing manipulation some athletes do that are specific for strength or sprinting or endurance, studies show that caffeine positively enhances all of these things."

How does this brew affect growing minds and bodies? Very nicely, it seems, says DePaulis. Coffee, as you probably know, makes you more alert, which can boost concentration. But claims that it improves a child's academic performance can be exaggerated. Coffee-drinking kids may do better on school tests because they're more awake, but most task-to-task lab studies suggest that coffee doesn't really improve mental performance, says DePaulis.

But it helps kids' minds in another way. "There recently was a study from Brazil finding that children who drink coffee with milk each day are less likely to have depression than other children," he tells WebMD. "In fact, no studies show that coffee in reasonable amounts is in any way harmful to children."

On the flip side, it's clear that coffee isn't for everyone. Its legendary jolt in excess doses -- that is, more than whatever your individual body can tolerate -- can increase nervousness, hand trembling, and cause rapid heartbeat. Coffee may also raise cholesterol levels in some people and may contribute to artery clogging. But most recent large studies show no significant adverse effects on most healthy people, although pregnant women, heart patients, and those at risk for osteoporosis may still be advised to limit or avoid coffee.

The bottom line: "People who already drink a lot of coffee don't have to feel 'guilty' as long as coffee does not affect their daily life," says Hu. "They may actually benefit from coffee habits in the long run."

In other words, consume enough caffeine -- whether it's from coffee or another source -- and you will likely run faster, last longer and be stronger. What's enough? As little as one cup can offer some benefit, but the real impact comes from at least two mugs, says Graham. By comparison, it'd take at least eight glasses of cola to get the same effect, which isn't exactly conducive for running a marathon.

But the harder you exercise, the more benefit you may get from coffee. "Unfortunately, where you see the enhancing effects from caffeine is in hard-working athletes, who are able to work longer and somewhat harder," says Graham, who has studied the effects of caffeine and coffee for nearly two decades. "If you a recreational athlete who is working out to reduce weight or just feel better, you're not pushing yourself hard enough to get an athletic benefit from coffee or other caffeinated products."

But you can get other benefits from coffee that have nothing to do with caffeine. "Coffee is loaded with antioxidants, including a group of compounds called quinines that when administered to lab rats, increases their insulin sensitivity" he tells WebMD. This increased sensitivity improves the body's response to insulin.

That may explain why in that new Harvard study, those drinking decaf coffee but not tea beverages also showed a reduced diabetes risk, though it was half as much as those drinking caffeinated coffee.

"We don't know exactly why coffee is beneficial for diabetes," lead researcher Frank Hu, MD, tells WebMD. "It is possible that both caffeine and other compounds play important roles. Coffee has large amounts of antioxidants such as chlorogenic acid and tocopherols, and minerals such as magnesium. All these components have been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism."

Meanwhile, Italian researchers credit another compound called trigonelline, which gives coffee its aroma and bitter taste, for having both antibacterial and anti-adhesive properties to help prevent dental cavities from forming. There are other theories for other conditions.

http://men.webmd.com/features/coffee-new-health-food

Early Signs of Pregnancy

2009-03-04T04:16:00.000-08:00

There are several signs and symptoms of pregnancy that you may experience very early on in your pregnancy, before your period is ever missed. Unfortunately, these signs are not unlike the symptoms you experience before your period, making it hard to distinguish what is really going on. Determining you are pregnant before a missed period or before you take a pregnancy test is a bit like putting together the pieces of a puzzle. You may or may not experience all of the signs, but it is likely that you will experience at least one of them.

First, you may notice that your breasts are very tender. Many women experience tender breasts and associate it with PMS, but raging hormones also cause this when you first become pregnant. The breasts may not be tender, but they may be a bit swollen in the first hours and days after conception. From the moment you become pregnant your body is preparing itself for the development and birth of your child.

You may notice that you have a general lack of energy. Many women feel very tired early on in their pregnancy. They often attribute this tiredness to other things that are going on in their lives, but it is often owed to pregnancy. This fatigue is a result of changing hormones and body chemistry as well as the sheer amount of work that a woman’s body is doing when conception occurs. The best thing you can do if you experience this is to get to bed earlier and even sleep in later if you can!

Next, you may experience implantation bleeding. This is a very rare sign of pregnancy, but it does happen. A few days before your menstrual cycle should begin; you may experience a brown or slightly pink vaginal discharge. This discharge occurs when the fertilized egg implants in the uterus. If you don’t experience the implantation bleeding it’s not a sure sign that you are not pregnant, as it is only experienced in 1/3 of all pregnancies.

Perhaps the hallmark of early pregnancy signs is nausea. This is also a symptom that many women will blame on food poisoning or a bug that they must have caught at work. Because the nausea usually grows gradually, being very slight the first few days and then increasing, it’s often thought to be a stomach flu or something of the like. Nausea that doesn’t subside is often the first indication to a woman that she may be pregnant, especially if she hadn’t planned the pregnancy. Many women report that they feel achy along with the nausea; although many doctors believe that this is simply a psychological response to the mental preparation for one’s period.

A missed period is a sure sign that there is something going on, usually pregnancy. If you do not keep track of your periods or you do not have regular periods this one can take awhile to catch onto, but if the nausea doesn’t tip a woman off to the fact that she is pregnant, than the missed period usually will.

About the time that the missed period and nausea set in, other women report an increase in hunger. This is probably owed to the fact that the body is working hard to support the development of the embryo. Other women report that they have no appetite at all. This sign can swing either way and may vary from day to day depending on nausea and other pregnancy symptoms. You can read about some other less common pregnancy signs if you visit the www.pregnancysafe.com website.

Unfortunately there isn’t a checklist that one can be given to determine that she is pregnant. Every woman, in fact, every pregnancy has different symptoms. Some women report that they had no symptoms at all, while others realize they had all of the signs and symptoms listed here, and then some! Some times pregnancy signs are seen in hindsight, but if you are looking for them, there is a good chance you’ll catch onto what your body is telling you long before you use a pregnancy test!

http://ezinearticles.com/?Early-Signs-of-Pregnancy&id=191671

What is CPAP??

2009-02-23T07:10:00.000-08:00

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) refers to a medical device used primarily for the treatment of sleep apnea, although it may also be employed to transition patients in hospitals from breathing tubes, or intubation, to regular breathing. Those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder or other breathing disorders may also use a CPAP at night.

A CPAP machine has a small box connected to tubes through which air flows. The tubes are connected to a mask worn on the face. Straps around the mask fit it to the face over the mouth and nose. For those with sleep apnea, the CPAP is used at night during normal sleep.

Sleep apnea causes interruption of natural breathing during sleep. The CPAP uses compressed air to keep the air passage open so breathing continues normally. The appropriate pressure values are determined during a sleep study. Sleep laboratories observe patients overnight to gauge their degree of apnea and other sleep problems. After a person's sleep is observed, a recommendation is made as to what pressure value is likely to be most effective.

Since sleep apnea can have an overall effect on a person’s wakefulness during the day, a CPAP is a useful tool. One study originating from New Zealand suggests that untreated cases of sleep apnea create a state similar to intoxication. Drivers with sleep apnea are much more likely to be involved in car accidents than those without. Therefore, addressing sleep apnea through CPAP is sensible.

However, many patients find the equipment onerous, and the CPAP can actually cause wakefulness in some. Early CPAP machines were noisy, making it harder for users to fall asleep. The noise of air being pushed through the machine is also troubling to many users.

More expensive and newer versions of CPAPs are easily portable and far quieter. These new models can record the user’s breaths and deliver air only as needed. New masks that fit to the nose only and don’t require the use of straps can create a more comfortable environment for sleep.

These newer versions make travel fairly easy. In most cases, a CPAP can be carried onto a plane. International travel may require the purchase of plug adaptors.

Even though the CPAP and its parts have improved, many people are still reluctant to use this equipment. Patients may not only experience interrupted sleep because of the noise, but may also suffer from chronic nasal congestion, eye and skin irritations, and dry throat. Partners of people who use the CPAP often find the noise disruptive to sleep and may need to sleep in a different bedroom.

By working closely with the respiratory therapist who trains the user of the CPAP, some of these problems can be reduced. For example, a mask that is too tight or too loose can cause both eye and skin problems. A humidifier can address both nasal congestion and dry or sore throat.

Most insurance companies pay for all or a significant portion of a CPAP, but those who want the more modern model may have to make up the difference in price. Price ranges from around 300-1400 US dollars (USD). Additional equipment like masks, hoses, and humidifiers are sold separately, and range in price from about 40-200 US dollars (USD).

Though, at first, adjusting to the CPAP can be difficult, the benefits can ultimately outweigh initial discomfort. Those who have been affected by sleep apnea for much of their life will soon find themselves feeling rested and refreshed. Greater alertness during the day can increase memory, improve job performance, and enhance mood.

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-cpap.htm

Brain Tumor Symptoms

2009-02-20T03:24:00.000-08:00

The signs and symptoms of a brain tumor vary greatly and depend on the brain tumor's size, location and rate of growth.

General signs and symptoms caused by brain tumors may include:

* New onset or change in pattern of headaches
* Headaches that gradually become more frequent and more severe
* Unexplained nausea or vomiting
* Vision problems, such as blurred vision, double vision or loss of peripheral vision
* Gradual loss of sensation or movement in an arm or a leg
* Difficulty with balance
* Speech difficulties
* Confusion in everyday matters
* Personality or behavior changes
* Seizures, especially in someone who doesn't have a history of seizures
* Hearing problems
* Hormonal (endocrine) disorders

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/brain-tumor

Brain Cancer Treatment

2009-02-19T16:58:00.000-08:00

Treatment

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Treatment for brain cancer depends on the age of the patient, the stage of the disease, the type and location of the tumor, and whether the cancer is a primary tumor or brain metastases. The treatment plan is developed by the oncology team and the patient.

Treatment involves any combination of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Some tumors require several different surgical procedures, and some can be treated with radiation alone.

Surgery

Surgery is the treatment of choice for accessible primary brain tumors, when the patient is in good health. The goal of surgery is to remove as much of the tumor as possible without damaging nearby normal brain tissue. The prognosis improves when more than 90% of a tumor can be removed.

Removal is often complicated by the nature of the tumor (e.g., invasive, highly vascularized) and by its location. Partial removal (debulking) of the tumor can improve quality of life by alleviating symptoms and sometimes improve the effectiveness of radiation therapy or chemotherapy.

Before surgery, some important tests are performed. Patients over the age of 40 usually undergo an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) and a chest x-ray. Other tests are used to detect the presence of uncontrolled hypertension, diabetes, active coronary ischemia, or the presence of circulating anticoagulant (substance that inhibits normal blood clotting) in the blood. If any of these conditions are present, it may not be advisable to undergo craniotomy.

Craniotomy

Craniotomy is the treatment of choice and the goal is to remove as much of the tumor as possible. The procedure is performed under general anesthesia and involves opening the skull (cranium).

The neurosurgeon makes an incision into the scalp and several holes (called burr holes) are made in the skull. A bone saw is used to join the holes together to create a flap of bone.

The bone flap is then removed to expose the brain and remove as much of the tumor as possible. After the tumor has been partially or completely resected, the bone flap is replaced and secured using fine wire. Recovery from the procedure may take as long as 8 weeks.

Complications of craniotomy include bleeding (hemorrhage), swelling (edema), increased intracranial pressure (IICP), infection, and brain tissue damage.

In laser microsurgery, MRI is used to pinpoint the location of the tumor and a laser is used to destroy the tumor. This procedure may be used after craniotomy to remove remaining tumor tissue.

Brain-mapping is performed under local anesthesia and sedation. Electrodes stimulate nerves in the brain, measure responses, and allow communication with the patient. The surgeon removes as much of the tumor as possible without damaging vital areas of the brain, such as those that control motor function and speech.

In some cases, a chemotherapeutic agent called BCNU is used following surgery. In this treatment, the neurosurgeon places a wafer soaked with BCNU (Gliadel®, BiCNU®) into the surgical cavity after the tumor has been removed. By applying it directly to the diseased area of the brain, side effects are limited and the drug has a more beneficial effect.

Postoperative care includes drug therapy with corticosteroids, histamine inhibitors (block stomach acid), and antiepileptics. Corticosteroids (dexamethasone and Decadron®) help reduce swelling and can relieve various postoperative neurological effects.

An MRI scan, with and without contrast, is often obtained to determine the extent of residual disease following surgery. Sometimes, a plan for rehabilitation is needed.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation is used when the entire primary tumor cannot be surgically removed. Most malignant brain tumors are treated with external-beam radiation even if the entire primary tumor is surgically removed, because hidden tumor cells often remain in brain tissue.

The survival rate for patients with malignant tumors (e.g., anaplastic astrocytoma, glioblastoma multiforme) more than doubles with radiation therapy, and it can prolong life for patients with low-grade gliomas as well.

Radiation therapists use several different approaches to treat primary brain tumors, but external-beam radiation is the most common. Local radiation therapy techniques, including external focal, brachytherapy, and stereotactic radiosurgery, may be administered to selected patients.

There are various other radiation techniques, some of which are being used on an experimental basis. An assortment of technologies, as well as the use of medications and other compounds, can make tumor cells more sensitive to radiation.

External-beam radiation
External-beam radiation, the traditional form of radiation therapy, delivers radiation from outside the body. Therapy usually begins a couple of weeks after surgery and is typically repeated at regular intervals for several weeks.

Hyperfractionation is a modified form of external-beam radiation that involves applying less intense but more frequent doses of radiation. Some benign tumors are treated with external-beam radiation to prevent recurrence, even if the entire primary tumor has been surgically removed. They also may be treated with radiation at the time of recurrence.

Stereotactic radiosurgery
Stereotactic radiosurgery delivers radiation to the tumor in a single dose and does not involve surgery, as the term may imply. In this procedure, a head frame supporting a CT or MRI scanner may be attached to the skull. With the aid of computer imaging, the radiologist is able to pinpoint the exact location of the tumor and aim the beam of radiation directly at it.

Some tumors, however, cannot be treated with the intense local radiation of radiosurgery. For example, tumors near the optic nerves are better treated with several small doses, because the optic nerves are especially sensitive to radiation. These tumors may be treated using stereotactic radiotherapy. Stereotactic radiotherapy involves applying many small doses of radiation, using the same imaging techniques used in stereotactic radiosurgery.

Newer stereotactic techniques usually do not involve the use of the head frame. Radiation often is delivered from several different directions, hitting the tumor at various angles. The advantage of using localized radiation is that the surrounding, healthy tissue is left undestroyed. This treatment may be used in addition to external-beam radiation, especially in cases of malignant gliomas and mestastases that are in deep or sensitive areas of the brain. Types of machines that are used to perform stereotactic radiosurgery include the Gamma knife® and modified linear accelerators (LINAC; e.g., CyberKnife®).

The Gamma knife uses ioninzing beams of radiation (called gamma rays) that are sent from different angles and come together at a single point on the tumor. Each beam is low dosage; however, when they converge, the intensity and destructive power is high. This treatment is used to treat small tumors.

Linear accelerators (e.g., CyberKnife®) involve using small doses of radiation over multiple sessions (called fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy). In this treatment, which allows larger tumors to be treated, the patient is positioned on a bed that can be moved, providing flexible positioning. Linear accelerators produce positively-charged atoms (called protons) in patterns that are matched to the size and shape of the tumor and used to destroy cancer cells.

Brachytherapy
Brachytherapy involves implanting capsules containing radioactive substances into the tumor to deliver localized radiation. It is frequently applied to treat recurrent disease in an area previously treated by external-beam radiation.

Advantages of this type of radiation therapy include sparing vital structures close to the tumor and a shorter length of treatment (i.e., hours to days instead of weeks).

Radiation follow-up

Because loss of pituitary function can be a long-term side effect of radiation therapy, an endocrine evaluation is an important part of follow-up care for patients who have received radiation. Neuropsychological testing may also be done to evaluate whether a patient has incurred diminished intellectual activity resulting from brain tumor radiation.

http://www.oncologychannel.com

Stem Cells for the Future Treatment of Parkinson's Disease

2009-02-18T08:25:00.000-08:00

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a very common neurodegenerative disorder that affects more than 2% of the population over 65 years of age. PD is caused by a progressive degeneration and loss of dopamine (DA)-producing neurons, which leads to tremor, rigidity, and hypokinesia (abnormally decreased mobility). It is thought that PD may be the first disease to be amenable to treatment using stem cell transplantation. Factors that support this notion include the knowledge of the specific cell type (DA neurons) needed to relieve the symptoms of the disease. In addition, several laboratories have been successful in developing methods to induce embryonic stem cells to differentiate into cells with many of the functions of DA neurons.

In a recent study, scientists directed mouse embryonic stem cells to differentiate into DA neurons by introducing the gene Nurr1. When transplanted into the brains of a rat model of PD, these stem cell-derived DA neurons reinnervated the brains of the rat Parkinson model, released dopamine and improved motor function.

Regarding human stem cell therapy, scientists are developing a number of strategies for producing dopamine neurons from human stem cells in the laboratory for transplantation into humans with Parkinson's disease. The successful generation of an unlimited supply of dopamine neurons could make neurotransplantation widely available for Parkinson's patients at some point in the future.

http://stemcells.nih.gov

Questions & Answers - Influenza Vaccine

2009-02-18T08:18:00.000-08:00

When did influenza vaccine first become available?
The first influenza vaccine in the United States became available in 1945.

What kind of vaccine is it?
There are two types of influenza vaccine. The most common influenza vaccine is made from inactivated (killed) viruses. In June 2003, a live influenza vaccine was licensed. It contains live viruses that have been weakened (attenuated).

How are the vaccines made?
Every year, researchers and manufacturers develop a vaccine that contains virus strains they believe will be circulating in the upcoming influenza season. Influenza vaccine contains three viruses—two type A and one type B. The viruses selected for the vaccine are grown in chicken eggs.

For inactivated vaccine, the viruses are killed with formaldehyde, purified, and packaged in vials or syringes. The live vaccine is packaged in a special sprayer. About six months are required to produce influenza vaccine each year.

How is the vaccine given?
The inactivated vaccine is given as an intramuscular injection. The live attenuated vaccine is sprayed into the nose.

Who should get influenza vaccine?
Many groups of people can benefit from being protected from influenza.

Annual vaccination with inactivated vaccine is recommended for the following groups:

* All persons age 6 months or older wanting to reduce the likelihood of becoming ill with influenza or of transmitting it to others
with influenza or of transmitting influenza to others
* Everyone age 50 years or older
* Children and teens age 6 months through 18 years
* Residents of long-term care facilities, nursing homes, and other chronic-care facilities
* Adults and children who have chronic pulmonary (including asthma), cardiovascular (except hypertension), renal, hepatic, hematological or metabolic disorders (including diabetes mellitus)
* Anyone who has a condition (e.g., spinal cord injury or seizure disorder) that can affect their ability to cough out their respiratory secretions or that can increase the risk for aspiration
* Anyone whose immune system is weakened because of the following: HIV/AIDS or other diseases that affect the immune system, long-term treatment with drugs such as steroids, or cancer treatment with x-rays or drugs
* Children and adolescents age 6 months-18 years on long-term aspirin treatment (who could develop Reye's syndrome if they catch influenza)
* Women who will be pregnant during the influenza season
* Healthcare personnel
* Healthy household contacts (including children) and caregivers of children younger than age 5 years and/or adults age 50 years and older
* Healthy household contacts (including children) and caregivers of persons with medical conditions that put them at higher risk for severe complications from influenza

The live nasal spray vaccine may only be used in healthy, nonpregnant persons age 2 through 49 years. Children younger than age two years, persons age 50 and older, and anyone with a chronic medical condition (listed above) should receive inactivated influenza vaccine (injectable), NOT live influenza vaccine.

What are the unique features of giving influenza vaccine to children compared with adults?
Children age 6 months through 8 years should receive two doses of influenza vaccine the first time they receive this vaccine, separated by at least 4 weeks. If a child age 6 months through 8 years only received one dose in their first year of vaccination, he/she should receive two doses the subsequent vaccination season.

Who recommends the influenza vaccine?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), the American College of Physicians (ACP), and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) all recommend this vaccine.

How often should this vaccine be given?
Influenza vaccine is given once a year because immunity decreases after a year and because each year's vaccine is formulated to prevent only that year's anticipated influenza viruses.

When should persons be vaccinated?
The time to get influenza vaccine is whenever influenza vaccine becomes available for use. Vaccination should continue into the winter and spring, even until April or May. Travelers should be aware that the influenza season typically occurs from April to September in the Southern Hemisphere and throughout the year in the tropics. If they missed vaccination in the previous season, they should still be vaccinated before they travel, even if it’s in the following spring or summer.

Are there recommendations for the prevention of influenza outbreaks in institutions?
The most important factor in preventing outbreaks is annual vaccination of all occupants of the facility and all persons working or volunteering in the facility who share the same air as the high-risk occupants. Groups that should be targeted include physicians, nurses, and all other personnel in hospitals, long-term care facilities, other care facilities, and outpatient settings who have contact with high-risk patients in all age groups.

Should siblings of a person with a chronic illness receive influenza vaccine even though the chronically ill person has been vaccinated?
Yes. All household contacts (who are age six months or older) of persons with "high-risk" conditions, of people age 50 years and older, or of children from birth through age 59 months, should receive annual influenza vaccination. Either inactivated or live vaccine may be used, except for household contacts and caregivers of people with severe immunosuppression in the care of a protective environment, who should receive only inactivated vaccine.

Should siblings of a healthy child who is younger than age 6 months be vaccinated?
Yes, all household contacts of children too young to be protected against influenza with vaccination should receive annual influenza vaccination to protect the younger child from serious infection. This is very important because these infants are too young to be vaccinated and are most vulnerable to complications from influenza.

Is it safe for pregnant women to get influenza vaccine?
Yes. In fact, vaccination with the inactivated vaccine is recommended for women who will be pregnant during the influenza season. Pregnant women are at increased risk for serious medical complications from influenza. One recent study found that the risk of influenza-related hospitalization was four times higher in healthy pregnant women in the fourteenth week of pregnancy or later than in nonpregnant women. In addition, vaccination of the mother will provide some protection for her newborn infant.

The live intranasal vaccine is not licensed for use in pregnant women. However, pregnant women do not need to avoid contact with persons recently vaccinated with this vaccine.

Vaccination is recommended for all persons, including breastfeeding mothers, who are contacts of infants or children from birth through age 59 months because infants and young children are at higher risk for influenza complications and are more likely to require medical care or hospitalization if infected. Women who are breastfeeding may receive either type of influenza vaccine unless the vaccine is not appropriate because of other medical conditions.

How safe is this vaccine?
Influenza vaccine is very safe. The most common side effects of the injectable (inactivated) influenza vaccine include soreness, redness, or swelling at the site of the injection. These reactions are temporary and occur in 15%–20% of recipients. Fewer than 1% of vaccine recipients develop such symptoms as fever, chills, and muscle aches. These symptoms are more likely to occur in a person who has never been exposed to the influenza virus or vaccine. Experiencing these non-specific side effects does not mean that you are getting influenza. These symptoms can persist for 1 to 2 days.

In clinical trials, the most common side effects of the intranasal influenza vaccine among adults were runny nose or nasal congestion (28%–78%), headache (16%–44%), and sore throat (15%–25%). Among children, side effects included runny nose or nasal congestion (20%–75%), headache (2%–46%), and fever (0%–26%).

Serious adverse reactions to either vaccine are very rare. Such reactions are most likely the result of an allergy to a vaccine component, such as the egg protein left in the vaccine after growing the virus. A vaccine, like any medicine, is capable of causing serious allergic reactions.

The risk of an influenza vaccine causing serious harm, or even death, is very rare. In 1976, the swine flu (injectable) vaccine was associated with an illness called Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a nerve condition that can result in temporary paralysis. Injectable influenza vaccines since then have not been clearly linked with GBS, because the disease is so rare it is difficult to obtain a precise estimate of any increase in risk. However, if there is a risk of GBS from current influenza vaccines, it is estimated at one or two cases per million persons vaccinated—much less than the risk of severe influenza, which can be prevented by vaccination.

What can you tell me about the preservative thimerosal that is in injectable influenza vaccine and the claim that it might be associated with the development of autism?
Thimerosal is a very effective preservative that has been used to prevent bacterial contamination in vaccines for more than 50 years. It is comprised of a type of mercury known as ethylmercury. It is different from methylmercury, which is the form that is in fish and seafood. At very high levels, methylmercury can be toxic to people, especially to the neurological development of infants.

In recent years, several very large scientific studies have determined that thimerosal in vaccines does not lead to serious neurologic problems, including autism. Nonetheless, because we generally try to reduce people’s exposure to mercury if at all possible, the vaccine manufacturers have voluntarily changed their production methods to produce vaccines that are now free of thimerosal or have only trace amounts. They have done this because it is possible to do, not because there was any evidence that the thimerosal was harmful.

How effective is influenza vaccine?
Protection from influenza vaccine varies by the similarity of the vaccine strain(s) to the circulating strains, and the age and health of the recipient. Healthy persons younger than age 65 years are more likely to have protection from their influenza vaccination than are older, frail individuals. It is important to understand that although the vaccine is not as effective in preventing influenza disease among the elderly, it is effective in preventing complications and death. In general, the immunity following influenza vaccination rarely lasts longer than a year.

When the "match" between vaccine and circulating strains is close, the injectable (inactivated) vaccine prevents influenza in about 70%-90% of healthy persons younger than age 65 years. Among elderly persons living outside chronic-care facilities (such as nursing homes) and those persons with long-term (chronic) medical conditions, the influenza shot is 30%-70% effective in preventing hospitalization for pneumonia and influenza. Among elderly nursing home residents, the shot is most effective in preventing severe illness, secondary complications, and deaths related to influenza. In this population, the shot can be 50%-60% effective in preventing hospitalization or pneumonia and 80% effective in preventing death from influenza.

In one large study among children aged 15-85 months, the nasal-spray influenza vaccine (FluMist®) reduced the chance of influenza illness by 92% compared with placebo. In a study among adults, the participants were not specifically tested for influenza. However, the study found 19% fewer severe febrile respiratory tract illnesses, 24% fewer respiratory tract illnesses with fever, 23-27% fewer days of illness, 13-28% fewer lost work days, 15-41% fewer health care provider visits, and 43-47% less use of antibiotics compared with placebo.

Can the vaccine cause influenza?
No! This common misconception keeps many people from getting the influenza vaccine.

Neither the injectable vaccine nor the intranasal vaccine can cause influenza. The injectable influenza vaccine contains only killed viruses and cannot cause influenza disease. Fewer than 1% of people who are vaccinated develop influenza-like symptoms, such as mild fever and muscle aches, after vaccination. These side effects are not the same as having the actual disease.

The intranasal influenza vaccine does not cause influenza either. The intranasal influenza vaccine contains live attenuated viruses that can produce mild symptoms similar to a cold. While the viruses are able to replicate in the nose and throat tissue and produce protective immunity, they are attenuated and do not replicate effectively in the lung. Consequently, they cannot produce influenza disease.

Protective immunity develops 1 to 2 weeks after vaccination. Some people who get vaccinated later in the season (December or later) may get influenza shortly afterward, but the disease they develop is the result of being exposed to someone with the virus before the vaccine produced immunity, not the result of the vaccination.

Also, to many people "the flu" is any illness with fever and cold symptoms. If they get any viral illness, they may blame it on the influenza shot or think they got "the flu" despite being vaccinated. Influenza vaccine only protects against certain influenza viruses, not all viruses.

Who should NOT receive influenza vaccine?
In general, the inactivated (injectable) influenza vaccine can be given to most everyone except children younger than age 6 months, persons with a history of a serious allergic reaction to eggs or to a previous dose of influenza vaccine (see additional contraindications below). The live, attenuated (intranasal) influenza vaccine is licensed for use only in healthy, nonpregnant individuals age 2 through 49 years.

The following persons should not be vaccinated with live virus intranasal influenza vaccine:

* Persons younger than age two years
* Persons age 50 years or older
* Persons with asthma, reactive airway disease or other chronic disorders of the pulmonary or cardiovascular systems; persons with other underlying medical conditions, including metabolic diseases such as diabetes, renal dysfunction, and hemoglobinopathy; or persons with known or suspected immune deficiency diseases or who are receiving immunosuppressive therapies
* Children ages 2 through 4 years with a history of recurrent wheezing
* Children or adolescents receiving long-term aspirin therapy
* Pregnant women
* Healthcare workers, household members, and others who have close contact with severely immunocompromised individuals during the periods in which the immunosuppressed person requires care in a protective environment

Persons having had serious allergic reaction to eggs or to a previous dose of influenza vaccine should not receive either type of influenza vaccine (inactivated or live). Persons with a history of serious egg allergies who are at increased risk for influenza or its complications should consult with their healthcare provider regarding referral to an allergist to determine if the vaccine can be given following treatment for desensitization.

Persons with a history of Guillain-Barré syndrome should also consult with their physician before receiving this vaccine, so that the potential risks and benefits of influenza immunization can be weighed.

Persons who are moderately or severely ill at the time of their influenza vaccine appointment should usually wait until their symptoms are improved before getting the vaccine.

Some people believe they are allergic to thimerosal, the preservative used in some brands of influenza vaccine, because in the past they developed eye irritation after using eye drops containing thimerosal. Past eye irritation is no reason to avoid getting influenza vaccine. Only serious, life-threatening allergies to thimerosal are a reason not to be vaccinated. Most brands of influenza vaccine are packaged in vials or syringes that contain natural rubber or latex. Persons with a severe allergy to latex generally should not receive vaccine packaged in these vials or syringes.

http://www.vaccineinformation.org

Get Fab Abs: Eating Guidelines

2009-02-15T16:41:00.000-08:00

To get the number on the scale to go down, you have to chow down. (And work out -- but more on that here.) Between 10 and 30 percent of the calories you use each day get burned by the simple act of digesting your food. Now that's pretty cool -- satisfying your food cravings actually fries calories! But not all foods are created equal. Your body uses more calories to digest protein (about 25 burned for every 100 consumed) than it does to digest fats and carbohydrates (10 to 15 burned for every 100 consumed).

That's why the Abs Diet concentrates on adding lean, healthy proteins. Eat more of them, in a sensible way, and you'll torch more calories. Protein is also the nutrient that builds muscle -- and the more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism and the more calories you'll burn throughout the day. When you lift and lower weights, you create microscopic tears in your muscles. To mend the tears, your body parachutes in new protein to assess the damage and repair the muscle. Proteins fortify the original cell structure by building new muscle fibers.

This wonder child of the nutrition world also makes you feel fuller faster. But the good news doesn't stop there. Following an eating plan that emphasizes lean proteins will accelerate weight loss from your midsection first.

The Abs Diet plan is simple: Just stick to the six guidelines below and follow the Abs Diet Quickstart Workout. You can burn a serious hunk of fat -- from your belly first -- in just a few weeks.

Let the belly flattening begin!

1. Guideline - Eat six times a day.

Key concept: "energy balance"--that is, how many calories you're burning versus how many you're taking in. Researchers at Georgia State University found that if you keep your hourly surplus or deficit within 300 to 500 calories at all times, you will best be able to lose fat and add lean muscle mass. If you eat only three squares a day, you're creating energy imbalances: Between meals, you're burning more calories than you're taking in; at mealtimes, you're consuming more than you're burning. So alternate larger meals with smaller snacks and eat every 2 to 3 hours. It will keep you full and satisfied, which reduces the likelihood of a diet-destroying binge.

2. Guideline - Make these 12 Powerfoods your diet staples.

3. Guideline - Drink smoothies on a regular basis.

Smoothies--blended mixtures of milk, low-fat yogurt, whey protein powder, ice, and other good stuff from the Powerfoods list -- can act as meal substitutes and potent snacks. They require little time; berries, flavored whey powder, or peanut butter will satisfy your sweet tooth; and their thickness takes up space in your stomach. So get a blender and whip up an 8-ounce smoothie for breakfast or have one before or after your workout.

4. Guideline - Stop counting.

By eating the 12 Powerfoods and their many relatives, the foods themselves will, in a way, count your calories for you. They'll keep you healthy and satisfied. Plus, the most energy-?efficient foods are almost like bouncers at a nightclub: They're not going to let any of the riffraff in without your approval. That said, it's always wise -- especially in the beginning, when you're most vulnerable and adjusting to a new way of eating -- to focus on portion control by limiting the servings of some foods, particularly the ones with fat (like peanut butter) and carbohydrates (like rice or bread). A good rule: Stick to one or two servings per food group and confine the total contents of each meal to the diameter of your plate.

5. Guideline - Know what to drink -- and what not to.

There are many ways that alcohol can get you into trouble. It doesn't make you feel full or decrease the amount of food you consume. In fact, alcohol encourages your body to burn up to 36 percent less fat and makes you store more of the fat you eat. And it can inhibit your body's production of hormones that help burn fat and build muscle. If you can't pass up your pinot, limit yourself to two or three alcoholic drinks a week. Water may not be as exciting as 'Weiser, but drinking about eight glasses of the clear stuff a day has a lot of benefits. It helps keep you satiated (often what we interpret as hunger is ?really thirst). It flushes the waste products your body makes when it breaks down fat for energy or when it processes protein. And it transports nutrients to your muscles to keep your metabolism clicking. Otherwise, the best drinks you can have are low-fat milk and green tea (or, if you must, two glasses of diet soda a day).

6. Guideline - For one meal a week, forget the first five guidelines.

We would never advocate cheating on your spouse or your taxes. But we want you to cheat on this diet. Take one meal during the week and forget everything about good carbohydrates and good fats. Have half a pizza, a Kit Kat, Alfredo sauce, or whatever it is you miss the most. Think of this cheat meal as the carrot at the end of a good week of eating. Enjoy the gluttony -- and please, don't take "carrot" literally.

http://www.womenshealthmag.com

Healthy diets for women on the run

2009-02-15T16:34:00.000-08:00

Many of us have complicated and busy lifestyles, but that doesn’t mean our nutritional needs have to suffer. For a fast-paced lifestyle, here are ten easy “superfoods” women can incorporate into their snacks and meals.
Top ten fast and fabulous foods for female nutrition

Top ten fast and fabulous foods for female nutrition

1. O.J. with added calcium. Calcium-fortified orange juice helps ward off PMS, high blood pressure and osteoporosis. Down a glass a day to help you rise and shine!
2. High fiber cereal. When you're food shopping, select a cereal with at least 7 grams of fiber per serving. Fiber is a cancer fighter, and it helps cancel out calories.
3. "Youth" berries. Blueberries are antioxidant stars; they can slow down your aging clock. Toss them on your cereal for a power-packed breakfast. Dining out? Order your dessert first, and make it fresh berries. Most restaurants have them in season. While you’re eating your delicious appetizer of raspberries, strawberries, or blackberries you're also ingesting fiber, antioxidants, and ellagic acid, a compound being studied to fight colon cancer.
4. Apples and nuts. Take fruit and nuts with you to work—great protein and anti-oxidant protection that also gives you sustained energy release.
5. Water. Most of us are dehydrated and don't even know it. Fatigue, poor concentration and headaches are signs of mild dehydration. Keep bottled water in your office and filtered or bottled water at home; aim for eight glasses a day. Fizzy water is fine, too, and sure beats coffee or cola!
6. Whole grains. Choose whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, whole grain cereals. You'll boost fiber, reduce empty calories, and feel fuller from the nutrients.
7. Dipped carrots. Yes, some fat is good for you (see above for a discussion on good and bad fats). Eat your carrot sticks with a cube of cheese or dip, which will aid in absorption of those cancer-fighting carotenoids.
8. Lean protein. The more active you are, the more protein you will need. Fresh fish, hormone-free chicken (try removing the skin to reduce the fat content), eggs, and lean meats like turkey or pork tenderloin are all good sources. Soy products can also provide protein, although some people are sensitive to soy and cannot digest it properly. The more variety you can incorporate into your diet, the better – so try and find different sources of lean protein every day.
9. Beans. Beans may not be the most glamorous food, but they are nutritional powerhouses. With 5 grams of fiber in a half cup of beans, they can help fight colon cancer and also fill you up so you don’t overdo it on calories. Try tossing some beans into your salad at lunch, or enjoying a cup of veggie chili.
10. Cocoa. Love chocolate? Cocoa, which has much of the fat removed, has more antioxidant power than tea. The flavonoids in cocoa can keep blood platelets from clotting, which may prevent heart attacks. Plus, the milk in hot cocoa loves your bones! If you're lactose or caffeine sensitive, or don't like cocoa, be sure to take your calcium supplement instead.

http://www.helpguide.org

Is your diet making you fat?

2009-02-15T05:42:00.001-08:00

Why some slimming strategies backfire — and fixes to help reach your goal

Prevention Magazine
updated 1:49 p.m. ET Feb. 8, 2009

If you're trying to slim down, you've probably amassed a menu full of calorie-cutting tips and tricks. So it may come as a shock to learn that many of the ones you've sworn by are actually keeping you fat. "In their quest to lose weight, many women unknowingly sabotage themselves," says Elisa Zied, RD, an American Dietetic Association spokesperson and author of "Feed Your Family Right!" Here, six well-intentioned approaches to weight loss that can go awry, and the expert and research-proven ways to drop pounds for good.

You save your calories for a big dinner
Yes, cutting total calories leads to weight loss. But bank most of those calories for the end of the day and your hunger hormones will go haywire, making you eat more. Middle-aged men and women who ate their daily number of calories in one supersize supper produced more ghrelin, a hormone that causes hunger, than when they ate the same number of calories in three square meals, found researchers at the National Institute on Aging.

Smarter move: Front-load your calories. Overeating at night keeps you from being hungry in the morning, setting off a vicious cycle in which you're never interested in breakfast but always starving by dinner. The key is to rebalance your day so you don't set yourself up for an evening binge. To get your appetite back in the morning, cut your evening meal in half. Then eat a breakfast of about 450 calories, such as a scrambled egg with low-fat cheese on a whole wheat English muffin with an 8-ounce glass of juice — an amount that should keep you satisfied until lunch, says George L. Blackburn, MD, PhD, associate director of the division of nutrition at Harvard Medical School and author of "Break Through Your Set Point." Once your appetite adjusts, don't go more than 5 hours without another meal of roughly the same size.

You graze instead of eating regularly scheduled meals
Trouble is, eating in this manner may contribute to weight gain, according to a 2005 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study. When researchers asked women to eat at regular, fixed times or to break their usual amount of food into unscheduled meals throughout the day, they made a startling discovery: The women actually burned more calories in the 3 hours after eating the regular meals than they did after the unplanned meals. They produced less insulin, too, potentially lowering their odds of insulin resistance, which is linked to weight gain and obesity. What's more, grazing instead of planning ahead can set you up to eat mindlessly, says Zied. In the end, we rarely realize how many calories all those little nibbles and noshes really add up to.

Smarter move: Figure out how many times a day you need to eat — everybody is different — and then stick to a schedule. "It's not great to feel starved, but it is okay to feel slightly hungry," says Zied. You can home in on your body's internal cues with a food diary. It's so effective that earlier this year, researchers at Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research found that dieters who kept a food journal lost twice as much weight as those who didn't record what they ate.

You assume calories from healthy, natural foods are low
People consistently underestimate the calories in nutritious items such as yogurt, fish, and baked chicken, found researchers at Bowling Green State University who quizzed students on calorie counts. "Just because a food is healthy doesn't mean you can eat big portions," says D. Milton Stokes, MPH, RD, owner of One Source Nutrition in Stamford, CT. "A handful of nuts can be 200 calories or more. And if you add that without cutting back elsewhere, it could be the reason you're not losing weight."

Smarter move: Count all calories. Once you learn that 1/2 cup of cereal can have as much as 200 calories or that there are about 220 calories in that "single-serving" bottle of OJ, you'll be more prudent about how much you use.

You eat like a bird for the month leading up to a big event such as a class reunion
Slashing significant calories might sound like the fast track to weight loss, but it's likely to backfire. In fact, nutrition experts recommend you don't dip below 1,200 to 1,500 calories a day. "If you crash diet for more than 2 weeks or so, your metabolism will temporarily slow down," says Blackburn. "So the same exact dieting effort results in less and less weight loss." The reason: Your body is conserving energy to keep you from losing weight too quickly. And that's not all. When you drastically cut calories, you lose muscle along with fat — especially if you haven't been exercising. Because muscle is your body's calorie-burning furnace, this can slow down your metabolism, even long after your crash diet is done.

Smarter move: Aim to shed about a pound a week — the slow, steady weight loss ensures you lose fat, not muscle. "If you want to drop 10 pounds, get started 10 weeks before your goal, not 4," says Blackburn. "You'll have a better chance of actually taking off the weight permanently." To drop a pound a week, shave 250 calories from your diet and burn an extra 250 calories through exercise each day. Visit prevention.com/myhealthtrackers to log your progress.

You set short-term weight-loss goals
The National Weight Control Registry estimates that only 20 percent of dieters successfully keep off lost weight for more than a year. That's because after we reach our goal, we let old eating habits creep back in. But people who win at weight loss consistently eat the same way even after they've slimmed down. In fact, the NWCR found that dieters who maintain their healthy eating habits every single day are 1 1/2 times more likely to maintain their weight loss in the long run than those who relax their diets on the weekends.

Smarter move: Think of healthy eating as a work in progress, not as a "diet" with a beginning and an end. The key: making small changes you can maintain so they become long-term habits. Start by creating a list of problem areas in your diet, then tackle them one at a time. For example, if you snack on a heaping handful of Oreos every night before bed, set a goal of having two instead of six, and cut back by one a day. Once you've made that a habit, pat yourself on the back and move on to your next goal.

More stories from Prevention
Losing weight after 40
Top 10 belly-flattening foods
Health food impostors

Your splurge foods are 'low-fat' and 'sugar-free'
Research suggests that when a food is described as a diet food, we're subconsciously primed to eat more — even if it's actually as caloric as regular food. When Cornell University researchers offered the same M&M's candies labeled either regular or low-fat to visitors at a university open house, visitors ate 28 percent more of the "low-fat" snacks. While less fat does not mean fewer calories, people make the assumption that it does, setting them up to overeat, say scientists.

Smarter move: First, check food labels. So-called diet foods frequently don't save you calories. Take low-fat chocolate chip cookies — because they've been infused with extra carbs to add flavor, you save only 3 calories per cookie. Once you have that reality check, follow the golden rule for any food: Keep close tabs on portions. Limit yourself to two small cookies, for example, or trade in a bowl of frozen yogurt for a kid's-size scoop; measure out condiments such as low-fat sour cream or low-fat ranch dressing. And remember — if you prefer the flavor of full-fat foods, you'll still lose weight if you watch your portion sizes.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28619575/

About Your Heart

2009-02-13T21:04:00.000-08:00

The heart is the organ responsible for pumping blood through the lungs and body, and is located in the chest cavity behind the breast bone, known as the sternum. The heart is divided into the right and the left side, with each side composed of an atrium and a ventricle. The right atrium receives the blood from the body after the body’s organs have extracted the needed oxygen. The blood in the right atrium is pumped into the right ventricle, which then pumps the blood to the lungs.

In the lung, the CO2 that is in the blood is removed and new oxygen is added. The blood then flows into the left atrium. The left atrium then pumps the newly oxygenated blood to the left ventricle, which then pumps this newly oxygenated blood back out to the body’s organs.

The heart is controlled by the autonomic nervous system of the brain that tells the heart to speed up or slow down depending on the body’s needs. The left heart is responsible for the blood pressure measurement you hear at the doctors office. The heart is a tireless pump. If you consider a resting heart rate of 70 beats per minute x 60 minutes per hour x 24 hours a day x 365 days per year, your heart, if you stayed at a resting heart rate of 70 would contract or "pump" over 36 million times per year!

http://www.cts.usc.edu/hpg-aboutyourheart.html

How to Keep Your Heart Healthy

2009-02-12T23:18:00.000-08:00

To help keep your heart healthy, make some lifestyle changes. Exercise and healthy eating are two ways to help keep your heart and body healthy. Before you start making these changes, talk with your health care provider. He or she can help you plan how to make exercise and healthy eating a safe part of your daily life.

Exercise Regularly

Like any muscle, your heart works best with routine exercise. Being active also reduces stress, lowers your cholesterol, and helps you lose weight. Before you start exercising, talk with your health care provider. He or she may suggest a cardiac rehabilitation program at a local hospital or community center.

Choose an Aerobic Activity

Exercise that works your lungs and heart can improve the way they use oxygen. Choose an activity you enjoy. Make it fun. You may even want to ask a friend to join you. Here are some ideas:

* Walking
* Swimming
* Climbing stairs
* Bicycling
* Dancing
* Jogging

Start Slowly and Keep at It

Plan to start slowly. Here are some tips:

* Begin exercising daily for 5 to 10 minutes.
* Slowly build up to at least 30 minutes on all or most days of the week. You don't have to do all your exercise in one session. You can reach this goal by being active for 10 minutes 3 times a day.
* Plan exercise sessions in advance. Write them down on your calendar.
* If you have chest pain while exercising, stop and call your doctor right away.

Eat Heart-Healthy Food

Changing the way you eat can lower your cholesterol, blood pressure, and weight. Food doesn't have to be bland and boring to be healthy. Start by working some healthy changes into your present diet. Try some of the tips below. Also, ask your health care provider for other tips. Better eating habits can help your whole body.

Less Fat

* Eat fewer fatty cuts of meat and more fish. Use less butter, margarine, and lard.
* Avoid foods containing palm and coconut oil or hydrogenated (check the label) oils.
* Eat fewer high-fat dairy products like cheese, ice cream, and whole milk.
* Get a heart-healthy cookbook and try some new, low-fat dishes.

Less Salt

* Don't add salt to food when cooking, and keep the salt shaker off the table.
* Don't use sauces or cooking aids that are high in salt such as soy sauce, MSG, baking soda, and baking powder.
* Instead of salt, season your food with herbs and flavorings such as lemon, garlic, or onion.

More Fiber

* Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables.
* Add oats, whole-grain rice, and bran to your diet.
* Eat more beans and potatoes. They are great sources of fiber.
* When you eat more fiber, be sure to drink more water to prevent constipation.

Stop Smoking

If you smoke, quit. It's one of the best things you can do for your heart. If you smoke, your heart gets less oxygen. Plaque builds up faster in your vessels. And your risk for a heart attack is increased. Quitting reverses these risks. Even if you've tried to quit before and haven't, don't give up. Many smokers try quitting 4 or 5 times before they succeed.

First, Plan to Quit

* Start by firmly deciding to quit.
* Ask your doctor about stop-smoking programs, aids such as nicotine patches and gum, or prescription medications that can help you quit.
* Contact the American Heart or Lung Associations about programs that can help you quit.
* Pick a quitting program and a quit date that feels right for you. Then quit.

Next, Get Support

* Find someone to quit with you.
* Tell your friends and family that you've quit smoking. Let them know how they can help.
* Visit a stop-smoking clinic or join a support group.
* Spend more time with friends who don't smoke.
* Write down all the reasons why you've quit. Read them whenever you feel the urge to smoke.

Don't Give Up

* Be persistent. Quitting takes time and willpower.
* Avoid places where people are smoking.
* Stock up on sugar-free gum, vegetable sticks, or hard candy for when you feel like smoking.
* Think of daily activities or routines that give you the urge to smoke. Then change those routines, if you can.

http://www.cts.usc.edu/hpg-howtokeepyourhearthealthy.html

Symptoms of Coronary Artery Disease

2009-02-12T22:39:00.000-08:00

A person with one or more blocked arteries may feel pain and periodic discomfort in the chest, radiating to the neck and/or arms (usually on the left side). Symptoms can be triggered by physical exertion, eating, changes in temperature, extreme emotion or may be present even at rest. The symptoms may last 3 to 5 minutes until the cause is relieved; otherwise symptoms may last longer. If this continues, it can starve the heart muscle cells of oxygen and eventually lead to a heart attack.

What are the risk factors that contribute to CAD?

Several factors are known to contribute to the buildup of plaque in the coronary arteries. It is often the combination of several of these risk factors, rather than a single factor that contributes to the development of CAD. Some of the risk factors such as gender, age, and heredity can only be noted--they cannot be changed. Other factors, however, can be controlled, including:

* High blood pressure
* Smoking
* High cholesterol levels
* Lack of proper exercise
* Body weight
* Diabetes
* Stress
* Poor Diet

How prevalent is CAD?

Coronary artery disease is a huge health problem in the United States. According to the most recent figures from the American Heart Association, coronary heart disease is the single leading cause of death in America today.

More than 12 million people alive today have a history of heart attack, angina pectoris (chest pain) or both. An estimated 1.1 million Americans will have a new or recurrent coronary attack this year--one third of these patients will die.

CAD patients are usually men over age 65. Historically, coronary artery disease has been considered a man's disease, but it is also the leading cause of death among women in the U.S. According to the National Institute of Health, African-American women in particular are 24% more likely to die of coronary artery disease than their Caucasian-American counterparts.

Older women also have significantly higher rates of coronary artery disease than younger women. On average, women develop coronary artery disease fifteen years later than men and 39% of women die from the disease as compared to 31% of men.

http://www.cts.usc.edu/hpg-symptomsofcoronaryarterydisease.html

Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG)

2009-02-12T20:25:00.000-08:00

Conventional Heart Bypass Surgery

Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG)

Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG), or bypass surgery, is a surgical operation in which the surgeon uses a section of vein, usually from the patient's leg, or an artery from inside the patient's chest, to create a new route for oxygen-rich blood to reach the heart muscle.

The most commonly used vessels are the internal mammary arteries, which are inside the chest wall, or the greater saphenous veins, which are in the leg. These vessels are "spares." Blood flow is usually not affected by removing them. Less often, the radial artery in the arm may be used for a graft. Grafts usually last for 10 to 12 years.

Procedure

One end of the vein or artery is connected to the coronary artery that is blocked or narrowed beyond the blockage or narrowed area. The other end of the vein is connected to the aorta. Usually the other end of the artery is left connected to the main artery from which it branches. By creating this new conduit for blood flow to the heart muscle, the graft is said to "bypass" the narrowed or blocked section of the coronary artery in question. Depending on the number and location of blockages, between one and seven bypasses are performed.

A heart-lung machine is used to circulate and oxygenate the blood while the surgeon works on the stopped heart. The heart is accessed by dividing the patient's sternum with a 10-12" long incision on the patient's chest. After the bypasses are complete, the heart is restarted until it is beating normally, and the patient is removed from the heart-lung machine. A wire sternotomy suture is used to close up the sternum, and sutures or clips are used to close up the chest and leg wounds.

Patient Stay
A patient who undergoes CABG surgery usually stays in the ICU for approximately 2 days, with a total hospital stay of 7-10 days.

http://www.cts.usc.edu/hpg-cabg.html

NANOMEDICINE GLOSSARY

2009-02-12T04:15:00.000-08:00

This set of Nanomedicine terms are provided with permission from and courtesy of: Robert A. Freitas Jr.
And are from his technical book "Nanomedicine, Volume I", published in late 1999. (The entire text of which is online, including the entire Glossary). Words that he did NOT coin are marked with a double asterisk. Words he probably did not coin are marked with a single asterisk. Words that appeared for the first time in his book are unasterisked.

Nanite names:

Respirocytes "Artificial Mechanical Red Cell"

Clottocytes "Artificial Mechanical Platelets" (artificial platelets)

Microbivores "Artificial Mechanical Phagocytes" (artificial white cells) Summary article

*Aerobots (aerobotics) -- aerial (flying) robots.

Autogenous control -- in medical nanorobotics, the conscious control of in vivo nanorobotic systems by the human user or patient; in biochemistry, the action of a gene product that either inhibits (negative autogenous control) or activates (positive autogenous control) expression of the gene coding for it.

Baronatation -- in medical nanorobotics, locomotion through a frozen fluid by applying mechanical pressure along the path travelled to induce melting ahead, followed by regelation (refreezing) behind.

**Cell engineering -- deliberate artificial modifications to biological cellular systems on a cell-by-cell basis.

**Cell surgery -- in medical nanorobotics, modifying cellular structures using medical nanomachines.

Chemotactic nanosensor -- in medical nanorobotics, a nanosensor used to determine the chemical characteristics of surfaces, possibly configured as a pad coated with an array of reversible, perhaps reconfigurable, artificial molecular receptors.

Chronocyte -- in medical nanorobotics, a theorized mobile, mass-storage (nanorobotic) device, similar to a communicyte, that may be used as a mobile source of precisely synchronized universal time inside the human body.

Communicyte -- in medical nanorobotics, a theorized mobile, mass-storage (nanorobotic) device that can be used for information transport throughout the human body.

Conjugation -- in medical nanorobotics, the docking of two or more nanorobots for the purpose of exchanging information, energy or materials, or to establish a larger multirobotic structure; in biology, the union of two unicellular organisms accompanied by an interchange of nuclear material, as in Paramecium.

Crystallescence -- in medical nanorobotics, the crystallization of solid solute that is offloaded by nanorobot sorting rotors at a concentration that exceeds the solvation capacity of the surrounding solvent.

Cytocarriage -- in medical nanorobotics, the commandeering of a natural motile cell, by a medical nanorobot, for the purposes of in vivo transport (of the nanorobot), or to perform a herding function (of the affected cell), or for other purposes.

*Cytocide -- the killing of living cells.

*Cytography -- a physical description (and mapping) of the living cell.

Cytoidentification -- identification of cell type.

*Cytometrics -- the quantitative measurement of cell sizes, shapes, structures, and numbers.

Cytonatation -- in medical nanorobotics, swimming around inside a living cell.

Cytonavigation -- in medical nanorobotics, navigation inside the cell; cellular navigation.

Cytopenetration -- in medical nanorobotics, entry into cells by penetrating the plasma membrane.

Cytoskeletolysis -- in medical nanorobotics, purposeful destruction of the cellular cytoskeleton by a nanorobot, for cytocidal purposes.

*Cytotomography -- tomographic imaging of an individual cell.

Cytovehicle -- in medical nanorobotics, a living cell that has been commandeered by a medical nanorobot for use during cytocarriage.

Demarcation -- in medical nanorobotics, a crude form of functional navigation in which artificial conditions detectable by in vivo medical nanorobots are created at or near the target treatment site, such as warm or cold spots, pressure spots, or injected chemical plumes.

Dermal Zippers -- see zippocytes.

**Diamondoid -- structures that resemble diamond in a broad sense; strong, stiff structures containing dense, three-dimensional networks of covalent bonds, formed chiefly from first and second row atoms with a valence of three or more. Many of the most useful diamondoid structures will be rich in tetrahedrally coordinated carbon.

Diamondophagy -- eating diamond.

**Disassembler -- in molecular nanotechnology, a nanomachine or system of nanomachines able to take an object apart while at each step recording the structure and composition of that object at the molecular level.

Disequilibration -- in medical nanorobotics, maintenance or inducement of a state of perpetual ionic, chemical, or energetic disequilibrium in a living cell by a medical nanorobot, usually for the purpose of inducing cytocide.

Effervescence -- in medical nanorobotics, bubble formation by a gaseous solute that is offloaded by nanorobot sorting rotors at a concentration that exceeds the solvation capacity of the surrounding solvent.

Engulf formation -- in medical nanorobotics, a configuration that may be adopted by a metamorphic nanorobot, in which the nanorobot reshapes itself to create an interior cavity capable of trapping a living cell, virion, or other biological particle.

**Exploratory engineering -- design and analysis of systems that are theoretically possible but cannot be built yet, owing to the limitations of currently available tools.

Functional navigation -- in medical nanorobotics, a form of nanorobotic navigation in which nanodevices seek to detect subtle variations in their environment, comparing sensor readings with target tissue/cell profiles and then congregating wherever a precisely defined set of preconditions exists.

Histonatation -- in medical nanorobotics, locomotion (swimming) through tissues by a nanorobot.

Histonavigation -- in medical nanorobotics, navigation through tissues by a nanorobot.

*Hypsithermal limit -- the maximum amount of energy that may be released at Earth's surface, as a result of human technological activities, without significantly altering the natural global energy balance; estimated as 10^13-10^15 watts.

In cyto -- within a biological cell.

Inmessaging -- in medical nanorobotics, conveyance of information from a source external to the human body, or external to working nanodevices, to a receiver located inside the human body.

In nucleo -- within the nucleus of a cell.

In sanguo -- within the bloodstream.

Macrosensing -- in medical nanorobotics, the detection of global somatic states (inside the human body) and extrasomatic states (sensory data originating outside of the human body) by in vivo nanorobots.

Massometer -- in medical nanorobotics, a nanosensor device for measuring the mass of individual molecules or small physical objects to single-proton resolution.

*Messenger molecule -- a chemically recognizable molecule which can convey information after it is received and decoded by an appropriate chemical sensor.

Metamorphic -- in medical nanorobotics, capable of adopting multiple physical configurations via smooth changes from one configuration to another.

Microbiotagraphics -- mapping the microbiotic populations present in the human body.

**Molecular assembler -- a general-purpose device for molecular manufacturing, able to guide chemical reactions by positioning individual molecules to atomic accuracy (e.g. mechanosynthesis) and to construct a wide range of useful and stable molecular structures according to precise specifications.

**Molecular manufacturing -- manufacturing using molecular machinery, giving molecule-by-molecule control of products via positional chemical synthesis, to produce complex molecular structures manufactured to precise specifications.

**Molecular medicine -- a variety of pharmaceutical techniques and gene therapies that address specific molecular diseases or molecular defects in biological systems.

**Molecular nanotechnology -- thorough, inexpensive control of the structure of matter based on molecule-by-molecule control of products and byproducts; the products and processes of molecular manufacturing, including molecular machinery; a technology based on the ability to build structures to complex, atomic specifications by mechanosynthesis or other means; most broadly, the engineering of all complex mechanical systems constructed from the molecular level.

**Molecular sorting rotor -- a class of nanomechanical device capable of selectively binding (or releasing) molecules from (or to) solution, and of transporting these bound molecules against significant concentration gradients.

**Molecular surgery (molecular repair) -- in medical nanorobotics, the analysis and physical correction of molecular structures in the body using medical nanomachines.

Monkeywrenching -- in medical nanorobotics, the mechanical or chemical jamming of cellular equilibrium processes, with a cytocidal objective. See also disequilibration.

Nanapheresis -- in medical nanorobotics, the removal of bloodborne medical nanorobots from the body using aphersis-like processes.

Nanocentrifuge -- in medical nanorobotics, a proposed nanodevice that can spin materials at very high speed, imparting rotational accelerations of up to one trillion gravities (g's), thus permitting rapid sortation.

Nanochronometer -- in medical nanorobotics, a proposed clock or timing mechanism constructed of nanoscale components.

Nanocrit (Nct) -- in medical nanorobotics, volume-fraction or bloodstream concentration of medical nanorobots, expressed as a percentage.

*Nanomedicine -- (1) the comprehensive monitoring, control, construction, repair, defense, and improvement of all human biological systems, working from the molecular level, using engineered nanodevices and nanostructures; (2) the science and technology of diagnosing, treating, and preventing disease and traumatic injury, of relieving pain, and of preserving and improving human health, using molecular tools and molecular knowledge of the human body; (3) the employment of molecular machine systems to address medical problems, using molecular knowledge to maintain and improve human health at the molecular scale.

*Nanorobot -- a computer-controlled robotic device constructed of nanometer-scale components to molecular precision, usually microscopic in size (often abbreviated as "nanobot").

*Nanosensor -- a chemical or physical sensor constructed using nanoscale components, usually microscopic or submicroscopic in size.

Nanosieving -- in medical nanorobotics, a nanodevice that can sort molecules or other nanoscale objects by physical sieving.

Naturophilia -- an exclusive love of Nature, disdaining everything that is artificial or technological.

Navicyte -- in medical nanorobotics, a mobile, mass-storage (nanorobotic) device, similar to a communicyte, that may be used to establish a navigational network inside the human body.

Outmessaging -- in medical nanorobotics, conveyance of information from a transmitter located inside the human body, especially from working nanodevices, to the patient or to a recipient external to the human body.

Pharmacyte -- in medical nanorobotics, a theorized (nanorobotic) device capable of delivering precise doses of biologically active chemicals to individually-addressed human body tissue cells (e.g. cell-by-cell drug delivery).

Positional navigation -- in medical nanorobotics, a form of nanorobotic navigation in which nanodevices know their exact location inside the human body to ~micron accuracy continuously at all times.

Presentation semaphore -- in medical nanorobotics, a mechanical device used to display specific antigens, chemical ligands, or other molecular objects to the external environment, with the purpose of selectively modifying the chemical or other surface characteristics of a nanorobot exterior.

**Replicator -- any system that can build copies of itself when provided with the appropriate raw materials and energy.

Respirocrit -- in medical nanorobotics, the volume-fraction or bloodstream concentration of respirocyte nanorobots, expressed as a percentage. /2/

Respirocyte -- in medical nanorobotics, a theorized bloodborne spherical 1-micron (nanorobotic) device having a 1000-atm pressure vessel with active pumping powered by endogenous serum glucose, that serves as a mechanical artificial red blood cell. /2/

Sanguinatation -- in medical nanorobotics, locomotion (especially swimming by a nanorobot) through the bloodstream.

Sapphirophagy -- eating sapphire (corundum).

Thermogenic limit -- in medical nanorobotics, the maximum amount of waste heat that may safely be released by a population of in vivo medical nanorobots that are operating within a given tissue volume.

*Transtegumental -- crossing or passing through the skin or covering of a body.

Vasculocyte -- in medical nanorobotics, a theorized (nanorobotic) device capable of performing repairs of an injured vascular luminal surface. /1/

Vasculoid: is a single, complex, multisegmented nanotechnological medical robotic system capable of duplicating all essential thermal and biochemical transport functions of the blood, including circulation of respiratory gases, glucose, hormones, cytokines, waste products, and cellular components. See Vasculoid: A Personal Nanomedical Appliance to Replace Human Blood Robert A. Freitas Jr. & Christopher J. Phoenix. April 2002

Vasculography -- a physical description (and mapping) of the human vascular system.

*Vitamins (engineering) -- in machine replication theory, vitamin parts are components of a self-replicating machine which the machine is incapable of producing itself, therefore these vital parts must be supplied from an external source. /3/

Volitional normative model of disease -- in medical nanorobotics, disease is said to be present in a human being upon either (1) the failure of optimal physical (e.g. biological) functioning, or (2) the failure of desired (by the patient) functioning.

Zippocytes -- in medical nanorobotics, a theorized medical nanorobot that can rapidly perform incision-wound repairs to the dermis and epidermis; dermal zippers.

http://www.nanotech-now.com/nanotechnology-medicine-glossary.htm

Red Cross volunteer saves man’s life on Valentine’s Day

2009-02-10T09:16:00.000-08:00

Monday, February 09, 2009 — It was Valentine’s Day and six friends departed Bismarck, North Dakota for a week of relaxation in Mexico. Among them was Mary Tello-Pool, a volunteer with the American Red Cross for almost 13 years.

Two hundred miles away, John and Carol Huhner left Fargo, North Dakota, also headed for a vacation in Mexico. The Huhners had never met the group of Bismarck travelers.Fate stepped in and brought all eight to the Minneapolis-St. Paul National Airport, where a memorable event took place; one that will forever change their thoughts about what a heart really means on Valentine’s Day...

After the eight vacationers reached Minneapolis, they all went to the gate to get their flight to Mexico. As the six friends from Bismarck neared the gate, John Huhner collapsed to the floor. The Bismarck group included four doctors and Mary. Luckily for John, Mary is a nurse/first responder and a Red Cross instructor in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), and familiar with the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED).

This Red Cross volunteer stayed calm and asked her husband to notify airport security to call 911 as she assessed John’s condition, instructing the others in her party to control the crowd. Mary began rescue breathing. After about a minute, John’s heart stopped. Mary began CPR and asked the others to locate an AED. All airports are required to have AEDs available, but it took eight minutes to locate one and bring it to the area. She continued CPR and use of the AED for about another eight minutes until she detected a heart beat and John began breathing on his own. Because he was still unconscious, Mary kept his airway open and monitored his vital signs until paramedics could get there.

As the paramedics prepared to transport Mr. Huhner to the hospital, the Red Cross volunteer consoled his wife and explained the process of early treatment for a heart attack. Then it was back to her group of travelers to make the connecting flight to Mexico. Mary remembers offering up a small prayer as paramedics wheeled John away on a guerney.

The story doesn’t end there.

About a week later, Mary called the airport in Minneapolis to find out the name of the hospital where John had been taken. Mary called the hospital and spoke to many different departments, but no one would release any information on Mr. Huhner’s condition, due to privacy laws. Mary finally reached the office of the chief executive officer and described what had happened and how she wanted to locate the man she had helped. The Patient Relations representative took her name and telephone number and passed it to the Huhner family.

Carol Huhner called Mary and was happy to report her husband had just been discharged to return home to Fargo. She expressed her thanks, adding that John’s doctor had relayed how lucky her husband was to fall ill where he did, with people around who knew how to respond to cardiac emergencies. She asked if the group from Bismarck could come to Fargo for a belated Valentine’s Day dinner, a “celebration of life”.

The eight have been friends ever since. Eight people will forever be friends after being in the right place at the right time. And when they see Valentine’s Day hearts, they all think of the gift of life – a great Valentine’s Day gift.

Mary Tello-Pool currently serves on the West Dakota Chapter Board of Directors. She is a member of the Red Cross Disaster Action Team (DAT) and Disaster Services Human Resources (DSHR), and also an instructor in First Aid, Pet First Aid, Babysitting, and various disaster courses. Mary said since this incident, AEDs are more visible in airports, and Carol Huhner is a busy advocate of AED training, telling their story whenever she can.

http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.1a019a978f421296e81ec89e43181aa0/?vgnextoid=53cb27a741c5f110VgnVCM10000089f0870aRCRD

CHICKEN POX SYMPTOMS, CAUSES & TREATMENT

2009-02-08T02:14:00.000-08:00

Chicken Pox Symptoms
Low grade fever, a mild headache and weakness
Chicken pox usually begins with a low grade fever, a mild headache and a feeling of weakness.

Rash appears on the upper chest or back
A rash appears on the skin on the first day of the disease. This is in the form of tiny red spots on the skin, mostly on the upper back or chest. In more severe cases, a rash may appear on the face and lower extremities. The papules turn into blisters and finally become pustules and form scabs, which fall off. They come in successive crops, so that while some are drying, others are beginning to form. The skin clears after a few days and the child feels well again. The duration of this disease ranges from ten to twenty-one days but is usually between fourteen and seventeen days.

Causes of Chicken Pox
Chicken Pox Symptoms, Causes, Remedy and Diet
Virus

Chicken pox is caused by a virus.
serious condition such as Shingles or herpes zoster

Many researchers believe that the disease is closely related to a much more serious condition known as shingles or herpes zoster that affects adults.

Persistent wrong feeding of children
The basic cause of the disease, as in most cases of childhood fevers, is however, persistent wrong feeding of children, which results in diminished defence mechanisms of the body.

Home Remedies for Chicken Pox
Chicken Pox home remedies and natural cures, Questions and answers

Chicken Pox treatment using Brown Vinegar
The use of brown vinegar is one of the most important among the several home remedies found beneficial in the treatment of chicken pox. Half a cup of this vinegar should be added to a bath of warm water. This will relieve the irritation of the skin.

Chicken Pox treatment using Oatmeal
A bath of oatmeal is considered a natural remedy for relieving the itch due to chicken pox. This bath is prepared by cooking two cups of oatmeal in two liters of water for fifteen minutes. This mixture is then put into a cloth bag, preferably cotton, and a string is tied tightly around the top. This bag is allowed to float in a tub of warm water, and swished around until the water becomes turbid. Precaution should be taken to ensure that the bag is not torn. The child with chicken pox can splash and play in the water, making sure that water goes over all the scalds, while the pouch of oatmeal can remain in the tub .

Chicken Pox treatment using Pea Water
Green pea water is another effective remedy for relieving irritation of the skin. The water in which fresh peas have been cooked can be used for this purpose.

Chicken Pox treatment using Baking Soda
Baking soda is a popular remedy to control the itching in chicken pox. Some baking soda should be put in a glass of water. The child should be sponged with this water, so that the soda dries on the skin. This will keep the child away from scratching the eruptions.

Chicken Pox treatment using Vitamin E Oil
The use of vitamin E oil is valuable in chicken pox. This oil should be rubbed on the skin. It will have a healing effect. The marks left by chicken pox will fade away by this application.

Chicken Pox treatment using Honey
The use of honey as an external application has also proved valuable in chicken pox. The skin should be smeared with honey. It will help in the healing of the disease within three days.

Chicken Pox treatment using Carrot and Coriander
A soup prepared from carrots and coriander has been found beneficial in the treatment of chicken pox. About 100 gm of carrots and 60 gm of fresh coriander should be cut into small pieces and boiled for a while. The residue should be discarded. This soup should be taken once a day

Chicken Pox treatment using Herbal Tea
A mild sedative herbal tea can also prove beneficial in the treatment of chicken pox. This tea can be prepared from any of the herbs like chamomile (babunah), basil (holy basil), marigold (zergul) and lemon balm (billilotan). A little cinnamon (cinnamon), honey, and lemon may be added to this tea. 1t should be sipped slowly several times a day.

Dietaries for Chicken Pox
Chicken Pox : Home Remedies suggested by users

Raw fruit and vegetable juices and lemon juice
To begin with, the patient should be put on a juice diet for a few days. He should be given plenty of raw fruit and vegetable juices. Lemon juice is considered to be especially beneficial.

All-fruit diet and well-balanced diet
As the condition improves, the patient can be placed on an all-fruit diet for the next few days. Thereafter, he may be allowed to gradually adopt a well-balanced diet, with emphasis on fresh fruits and raw vegetables.

Other Chicken Pox treatments

Warm-water enema
A small warm-water enema should be administered daily during the initial juice fast to cleanse the bowels.

Well-ventilated room is a must
The patient should be kept in a well-ventilated room. As light has a detrimental effect upon the eyes during an attack of chicken pox because of the weakened condition of the external eye tissues, the patient should shade his eyes from the direct light or the room should have subdued light.

Mud pack application on abdomen
Application of mud packs on the abdomen twice a day, in the morning and evening, and repeated applications of chest packs will be beneficial.

Lukewarm water baths with neem included in it
Lukewarm water baths can be given every day to relieve itching. For better results, margosa leaves can be added to this water. The nails of the child should be kept clipped to prevent him from scratching, otherwise, germs on the skin may be scratched into the blisters, causing more severe infection.
http://www.home-remedies-for-you.com/remedy/Chicken-Pox.html

Haemophilus Influenzae Infections

2009-02-07T00:32:00.000-08:00

Introduction
Background

Haemophilus influenzae is a small (1 µm X 0.3 µm), pleomorphic, gram-negative coccobacillus. It is a nonmotile, non–spore-forming, fastidious, facultative anaerobe. Some strains of H influenzae possess a polysaccharide capsule. These strains are serotyped into 6 different types (a-f) based on their biochemically different capsules. Some strains have no capsule and are termed nonencapsulated H influenzae or nontypeable H influenzae (NTHi). The different strains can be identified with slide agglutination for serotyping or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for capsular typing.

The most virulent strain is H influenzae type b (Hib), with its polyribosyl ribitol phosphate (PRP) capsule. It accounts for more than 95% of H influenzae invasive diseases in children and half of invasive diseases in adults, including bacteremia, meningitis, cellulitis, epiglottitis, septic arthritis, pneumonia, and empyema. Less-common invasive Hib infections include endophthalmitis, urinary tract infection, abscesses, cervical adenitis, glossitis, osteomyelitis, and endocarditis.

The other encapsulated strains H influenzae occasionally cause invasive disease similar to that of Hib. H influenzae type A (Hia) has been known to cause invasive disease (eg, meningitis) clinically indistinguishable from that caused by Hib. The nonencapsulated, or NTHi, strains cause mucosal infections, including otitis media, conjunctivitis, sinusitis, bronchitis, and pneumonia. Less commonly, these strains cause invasive disease in children but account for half of the invasive infections in adults.

Hib conjugate vaccine has led to dramatic declines in incidence and prevalence of these diseases. The Hib carriage rate is 2-4% in children aged 2-5 years, the age when children usually become colonized. Hib carriage rates are lowest in adults and infants and highest in preschoolers. Since the advent of conjugate Hib vaccine, the nasopharyngeal carrier rate has decreased (<1%>39°C) with no obvious focus of infection. About 30-50% of patients have focal infections.
* Nonencapsulated H influenzae infections can manifest in various mucosal infections (eg, otitis media, conjunctivitis, sinusitis, bronchitis). An otitis media diagnosis is confirmed with pneumatic otoscopy. Conjunctivitis is usually bilateral and characterized by conjunctival hyperemia and purulent eye discharge.
* NTHi strains can cause postpartum sepsis with endometritis, tuboovarian abscess, and chronic salpingitis.
* Signs of invasive disease in neonates include sepsis, pneumonia, conjunctivitis, respiratory distress syndrome, scalp abscess, cellulitis, meningitis, congenital vesicular eruption, mastoiditis, and septic arthritis.

Causes

* Bacteremia precedes Hib meningitis and other invasive Hib diseases.
o Direct extension of infection from the sinuses or ears is rare.
o The magnitude and duration of bacteremia are the primary determinants of CNS invasion, which occurs via the choroid plexus.
o The magnitude of the CSF bacterial density correlates with the severity of the disease.
o Morbidity and mortality associated with meningitis result from inflammation, edema, and increased CSF pressure.
o Brain parenchymal invasion is rare.
* In epiglottitis, Hib invades the epiglottis and supraglottic tissues, causing cellulitis and swelling that causes the epiglottis to curl posteriorly and inferiorly over the airway, thus obstructing airflow during inspiration but allowing normal expiration. An acute airway obstruction follows.
* Invasive H influenzae disease in neonates is rare and is caused most often by NTHi strains.
o This condition is associated with premature birth, premature rupture of membranes, low birth weight, and maternal chorioamnionitis.
o Transmission occurs through the maternal genital tract.
o NTHi biotype 4 can colonize the genital tract and is a major cause of invasive disease.

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/218271-overview

What's the treatment for dizziness?

2009-02-03T06:39:00.000-08:00

The treatment will depend on the cause of dizziness. The doctor
will want to treat the underlying cause. For example, if the patient have Meniere's disease, the doctor may recommend a low-salt diet. The doctor may prescribe antibiotics
if he or she suspects the patient have an infection. Treatment of dizziness is determined by the underlying cause. If an individual
has a cold or influenza, a few days of bed rest is usually adequate to resolve dizziness. Other causes of dizziness, such as mild vestibular system damage, may resolve without medical treatment.

If dizziness continues, drug therapy may prove helpful. Because circulatory problems often cause dizziness, medication may be prescribed to control blood pressure or to treat arteriosclerosis. Sedatives may be useful to relieve the tension that can trigger or aggravate dizziness. Low blood sugar associated with diabetes sometimes causes dizziness and is treated by controlling blood sugar levels. An individual may be asked to avoid caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, and any substances that cause allergic reactions. A low-salt diet may also help some people.

If dizziness persists despite treatment, people can learn how to avoid movements that tend to trigger dizziness. Examples are looking up, reaching up, or bending down. One way to avoid these movements is to store household items between waist and eye level. Getting up slowly after sitting or lying down for a while can help. Clenching the hands and flexing the feet sometimes helps, especially if the dizziness feels like light-headedness.

When other measures have failed, surgery may be suggested to relieve pressure on the inner ear. If the dizziness is not treatable by drugs, surgery, or other means, physical therapy may be used and the patient may be taught coping mechanisms for the problem.

Because dizziness may arise from serious conditions, it is advisable to seek medical treatment. Alternative treatments can often be used alongside conventional medicine without conflict. Relaxation techniques, such as yoga and massage therapy that focus on relieving tension, are popularly recommended methods for reducing stress. Aromatherapists recommend a warm bath scented with essential oils of lavender, geranium, and sandalwood.

Homeopathic therapies can work very effectively for dizziness, and are especially applicable when no organic cause can be identified. An osteopath or chiropractor may suggest adjustments of the head, jaw, neck, and lower back to relieve pressure on the inner ear. Acupuncturists also offer some treatment options for acute and chronic cases of dizziness. Nutritionists may be able to offer advice and guidance in choosing dietary supplements, identifying foods to avoid, and balancing nutritional needs.

http://neurology.health-cares.net/dizziness-treatment.php

US Nanotechnology Health Care Product Demand to Reach $6.5 Billion in 2009

2009-01-27T09:51:00.000-08:00

CLEVELAND, May 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Demand for nanotechnology health care products in the US is projected to increase nearly 50 percent per year to $6.5 billion in 2009. Gains will be led by the introduction of new, improved cancer and central nervous system therapies based on solubilization technologies. Diagnostic tests based on nanoarrays and quantum dots, and imaging agents based on superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles will also see strong growth. In spite of progress in introducing new products, the vast potential of nanotechnology in the health care field will not be fully realized for at least a decade as stringent regulatory barriers and technical complexities delay the commercialization of targeted drug delivery systems, tissue regenerators and other breakthrough products. However, by 2020, demand for nanotechnology health care products is projected to exceed $100 billion. These and other trends are presented in Nanotechnology in Health Care, a new study from The Freedonia Group, Inc., a Cleveland-based market research firm.

The need for new or improved medicines in several therapeutic areas will lead to the increasing use of nanotechnology in pharmaceutical applications. Protein- and peptide-based compounds for cancer, diabetes, infectious diseases and organ transplant acceptance will account for most growth. Over the long term, pharmaceutical applications for nanotechnology will extend into most therapeutic classes and encompass all types of formulations and delivery systems.

Advances in nanotechnology are also creating a wealth of opportunities for the development of new, improved medical diagnostic products and techniques. Nanoparticle formulations of superparamagnetic iron oxide, gadolinium, perfluorocarbon and specialty polymers will broaden in vivo imaging capabilities by enabling the detection of tumors, plaque, genetic defects and other disease states at much earlier stages and with lower, safer concentrations of contrast agents. Several medical supplies and devices will emerge as key applications for nanotechnology.

Nanomaterials are already gaining significant demand as active ingredients of burn and wound dressings. In the long term, advances in nanotechnology are expected to lead to the introduction of new, improved medical supply and device coatings as well as a new, diverse group of medical implants. The greatest short-term impact of nanotechnology in health care will be in therapies and diagnostics for cancer and central nervous system disorders.

http://www10.nanotechcafe.com

Nanotechnology kills cancer cells

2009-01-27T09:40:00.000-08:00

Nanotechnology has been harnessed to kill cancer cells without harming healthy tissue.

The technique works by inserting microscopic synthetic rods called carbon nanotubules into cancer cells.

When the rods are exposed to near-infra red light from a laser they heat up, killing the cell, while cells without rods are left unscathed.

Details of the Stanford University work are published by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

It's actually quite simple and amazing
Dr Hongjie Dai

Researcher Dr Hongjie Dai said: "One of the longstanding problems in medicine is how to cure cancer without harming normal body tissue.

"Standard chemotherapy destroys cancer cells and normal cells alike.

"That's why patients often lose their hair and suffer numerous other side effects.

"For us, the Holy Grail would be finding a way to selectively kill cancer cells and not damage healthy ones."

Many in cell

The carbon nanotubules used by the Stanford team are only half the width of a DNA molecule, and thousands can easily fit inside a typical cell.

Under normal circumstances near-infra red light passes through the body harmlessly.

But the Stanford team found that if they placed a solution of carbon nanotubules under a near-infra red laser beam, the solution heated up to about 70C in two minutes.

They then placed the tubules inside cells, and found they were quickly destroyed by the heat generated by the laser beam.

Dr Dai said: "It's actually quite simple and amazing. We're using an intrinsic property of nanotubes to develop a weapon that kills cancer."

The next step was to find a way to introduce the nantubules into cancer cells, but not healthy cells.

The researchers did this by taking advantage of the fact that, unlike normal cells, the surface of cancer cells is covered with receptors for a vitamin known as folate.

They coated the nanotubules with folate molecules, making it easy for them to pass into cancer cells, but unable to bind with their healthy cousins.

Exposure to the laser duly killed off the diseased cells, but left the healthy ones untouched.

Refined technique

The researchers believe it should be possible to refine the technique still further, for instance by attaching an antibody to a nanotubule to target a particular kind of cancer cell.

They have already started work on tailoring the technique to target lymphoma in mice.

Dr Emma Knight, of the charity Cancer Research UK, said: "Nanotechnology has a lot to offer biomedical science, and the results of this paper suggest yet another way in which it may help in the fight against cancer.

"However, this work is still at a very early stage. The researchers have shown that near-infra red light can cause nanotubes to produce heat that can kill cancer cells.

"But their work so far has focused on cells that have been grown in culture in the laboratory.

"Further research will be crucial to see whether these effects can be reproduced in the more complex environment of a tumour and, ultimately, the human body."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4734507.stm

The Treatment and Cause of INFLUENZA

2009-01-27T07:36:00.000-08:00

Influenza, often called the flu, is an acute, highly contagious infection of the respiratory tract which commonly occurs in the winter.

Description of Influenza
Influenza usually appears in epidemic form and affects many people at once. Although it affects all age groups, the highest incidence occurs in school children. The greatest severity is in young children, elderly people, immunosuppressed people, and those with chronic diseases.

The most common complication of influenza is pneumonia, which can be primary influenza viral pneumonia or secondary to bacterial infection.

Influenza also may cause myositis, exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Reye's syndrome, myocarditis, pericarditis, transverse myelitis and encephalitis.

Causes and Risk Factors of Influenza
Influenza results from different strains of the influenza virus. This virus has the ability to mutate into different forms. That is why although you were exposed to similar strains in the past, you might not be able to defend yourself against a new one. The infection is transmitted by inhaling a respiratory droplet from an infected person or by indirect contact, such as drinking from a contaminated glass.

Symptoms of Influenza
The most characteristic symptoms of influenza are weakness, fatigue, muscle aches, headaches, fever (101 to 102 degrees), sneezing, and maybe a runny nose. Although a person with influenza feels very sick, it rarely leads to more serious complications, except for those at greater risk.

Treatment of Influenza
Typically, there is little that is done to treat the flu in otherwise healthy people.

Home Treatment

* Bed rest

* Drink extra fluids – at least one full glass of water or juice every hour.

* Acetaminophen (Tylenol), or Ibuprofen can relieve head and muscle aches. Aspirin should be avoided for children.

When To Call A Health Professional

* After three days of fever over 102 F.

* If cough brings up heavy mucus.

* If there is increasing difficulty in breathing.

* When a patient seemingly gets better, then gets worse again.

* If flu-like symptoms occur 10 days to three weeks after a possible tick bite because of the possiblity of Lyme's disease.

Finally, sometimes an anti-flu medication is necessary. Amantadine and rimantadine are effective anti-influenza drugs that can decrease the length of influenza-A infection by one-third if given within 48 hours of symptoms onset. They can also be used to prevent influenza-A infections. The most common side effects of these drugs are insomnia, nausea and dizziness.

Two newer medications, Relenza and Tamiflu work on influenza subtypes A and B. Relenza is an inhaled powder, while Tamiflu is an oral medication. Both drugs must be started within 48 hours of symptoms to be effective in shortening the flu. Relenza should not be used in patients with lung problems.

Prevention of Influenza
Immunization against influenza provides fair protection, or may lessen symptoms if the disease is contracted. Every year, scientists develop a vaccine against the most recently circulating strain of the virus. The immunization is given by injection each fall in anticipation of the coming flu season.

You must be immunized within one week to four months prior to exposure for the shots to be effective. The vaccine is composed of inactivated organisms from several virus strains which scientists attempt to include the most recent mutation. Vaccines are typically 67 to 92 percent effective.

The vaccination is injected into the muscle. Some people have reactions to the influenza vaccine. These reactions range from inflammation at the injection site to mild flu symptoms.

On very rare occasions, nervous system disorders result. These vaccines are commonly prepared using eggs. Therefore, individuals with a known allergy to eggs should inform their physician before having the influenza vaccine.

Recently, a new mist vaccine, FluMist, was approved for patients between the age of 5 and 65. The vaccine is sprayed into the nose and works in a manner similar to the injectible. One major difference is that this vaccine includes live virus, so it cannot be given to persons with weak immune systems or pregnant women.

If your resistance is down, you should avoid markets, shopping centers, theaters, or crowded places during an epidemic. Keep your distance from people who are sneezing or coughing. Prolonged exposure to wet and cold weather lowers your resistance and increases your risk of infection. Avoid becoming overly tired or rundown. Smoking and alcohol can impair your resistance too.

Questions To Ask Your Doctor About Influenza
Are there risks in getting the vaccination?

Are there any symptoms that a doctor should be notified about?

What are the chances of developing a secondary infection?

Should I take amantadine or rimanadine?

http://www.healthscout.com/ency/68/251/main.html#cont

Headache - Some Causes Explained

2009-01-26T20:47:00.000-08:00

A headache is experienced when various structures of the head and neck are irritated. The sensation of pain can be ‘referred’, which means the irritation in one area can transmit the feeling of pain via associated nerves to another area. A good example is neck pain leading to headache. It is likely that nearly all of us will experience headache during our lifetimes. This is because headache is one of the most common illnesses in Australia, with around 15 per cent of us taking painkillers for a headache at any given time. There are different types of headache and many different causes, which explains why the condition is so common. Recurring headache can caused by different factors working together.

Stress and muscular tension
Stress is thought to trigger the body’s ‘fight or flight’ response, which is characterised by shallow breathing, elevated heart rate and blood pressure, and increased amounts of ‘stress chemicals’ like adrenaline. Stress can cause or worsen a headache in a number of ways, including:

* Tightening the muscles, particularly of the upper back, shoulders, neck and head.
* Lowering a person’s tolerance to pain.
* Nullifying the effects of medications like painkillers.
* Reducing the levels of endorphins, which are the body’s natural painkilling chemicals.

Diet and food sensitivities
According to some studies, what we eat and when we eat it plays a significant role in headache and migraine. Different causes of headache include:

* Fluctuations in blood sugar levels, which can lead to spasm of the arteries in the head.
* Caffeine withdrawal, commonly caused by regular and excessive consumption of coffee and tea.
* Food additives, such as MSG (monosodium glutamate).
* Naturally occurring chemicals in foods, such as amines.

Jaw problems
Dental abscesses, post-extraction infection and difficulties with the joint of the jaw can cause pain in the local area, as well as referred pain to the face and head. Misaligned teeth can also increase muscular tension in the jaw and contribute to recurring headache.

Hormonal influences
Migraines affect more women than men, and some researchers believe that sex hormones play a key role. For around half of these women, migraine occurs in the few days prior to or following their menstrual period. Some studies suggest that reduced levels of the sex hormone oestrogen around the time of menstruation may be to blame.

Eye problems
If a person has difficulties with their vision, such as long-sightedness, they tend to squint and strain the eye muscles in order to better focus their vision. Eye diseases like glaucoma can cause headache by referring pain into the structures of the head.

Ear, nose and throat disorders
There are many disorders of the ear, nose and throat that can cause recurring headache. Some of the more common include:

* Sinus problems - caused by infection, cold, flu or allergic reactions such as hayfever.
* Labyrinthitis - the general term for any type of inflammation of the inner ear.
* Infection - of the ear, nose or throat, caused by either bacteria or viruses.
* Trauma - such as blows to the ear, or perforation of the ear drum.
* Hayfever - when the immune system overreacts to such irritants as pollen.
* Tonsillitis - an infection most often caused by the bacterium streptococcus.
* Tumours - brain tumour is a relatively rare cause of recurrent headache.

The nervous system
Irritated, inflamed or damaged nerves can bring on headache. Some causes include:

* Haemorrhages - some health conditions, such as hypertension (high blood pressure) and diabetes, can cause the blood vessels to become damaged.
* Infection - such as meningitis, which is inflammation of the membranes lining the brain and spinal cord.
* Nerve damage - can be caused by, for example, vitamin deficiencies or trauma to the head or neck. A tumors may also be to blame.

Medications and ‘rebound headache’
Some medications can aggravate headache in susceptible people, including:

* Birth control pills - such as the combined pill, which includes synthesised versions of the sex hormones oestrogen and progesterone.
* Painkillers - some over-the-counter medications can contribute to recurring headache if misused or overused.
* Drugs for diabetes - some classes of these medications can aggravate headaches.

Other causes
Headache and migraine can be caused or aggravated by a number of other factors, including:

* Poor posture - which puts unnecessary strain on the muscles of the back and neck.
* Hangover - caused by abuse of alcohol or drugs.
* Temperature - extremes of heat and cold.
* Dehydration - which affects blood pressure.
* Noise - especially loud noises.
* Temporal arteritis - inflammation of the artery at the temple, most common in elderly people.

Seek medical advice
Headache and migraine can be caused by many contributing factors working together. That’s why professional advice is needed to investigate and properly diagnose the specific factors behind an individual’s recurring headache. In some cases, headaches and migraines may be a warning about more serious underlying problems.

Where to get help

* Your doctor
* Neurologist
* An accredited practising dietitian, contact the Dietitians Association of Australia
* Chiropractor, osteopath or physiotherapist
* Complementary medicine professional
* Dentist.

Things to remember

* Headache is one of the most common illnesses in Australia.
* The different causes of headache include stress, diet, jaw problems, and illnesses of the eye, ear, nose and throat.
* Since recurring headache can be caused by many different factors working together, it is important to seek diagnosis from a qualified health professional.

http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au