A woman's risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) during her lifetime is doubled if she was obese at age 18, new research shows.
"This is the first study to link MS risk with obesity," study co-author Dr. Kassandra L. Munger of the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston told Reuters Health in a telephone interview.
MS is a disease of the central nervous system. Up to half a million Americans have MS, with about 10,000 new cases diagnosed every year. While it is not usually fatal, it's a chronic unpredictable disease with no known cure. The symptoms, including dizziness, blurred vision, slurred speech, sexual dysfunction, incontinence, shakiness, loss of coordination, and weakness, can be debilitating when flare-ups occur.
It's not a common disease. According to Munger, women, generally, have a 1 in 100 risk of developing MS during their lifetime compared to the 1 in 8 lifetime risk of breast cancer.
Munger and her colleagues studied women enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study and Nurses' Health Study II over a 40 year period. Participants answered questions throughout the study about weight, height, body size, smoking and exercise habits, and disease status.
Among the more than 200,000 participants in the two groups, there were 593 cases of MS.
The study found no association between MS risk and having a large body size at ages 5 and 10 or as an adult. However, obesity at age 18 was associated with a greater than twofold increased risk of MS and a large body size at age 20 was associated with a 96% increased risk of MS, the study team found.
The findings, reported in the medical journal Neurology, underscore the obesity threat, Munger said. "We have another disease which being obese is associated with."
The findings also provide another reason to encourage a healthy weight in young people.
"The prevention of adolescent obesity may contribute to reduced MS risk," they conclude in their report.
The investigators caution that the study has its limitations. The findings need to be validated with further research and only apply to white women.
source: news.yahoo
Monday, 23 November 2009
Monday, 12 October 2009
Have a Daily Dose of Omega-3s
"I like to call them the anti-aging fat," say Forberg. Getting the recommended amount can help lower cholesterol, keep cells functioning properly, and combat inflammation, which reduces your risk of cancer, stroke, and heart attack. Flaxseed, walnuts, and some leafy greens contain omega-3s, but seafood is the best source. Research published in the December 2008 Journal of Nutrition found that DHA, an omega-3 found in cold-water, fatty fish, helps keep aging brains healthy.
Add it: Have two 3-ounce servings of salmon, herring, lake trout, or other fatty fish a week; and a daily serving of ground flaxseed, walnuts, soybean oil, spinach, or kale.
2. Eat Antioxidants Every 4 Hours
These nutrients slow the aging process by protecting our cells from harmful free radicals. But some, such as vitamin C, are water soluble. "That means they only remain in our body for 4 to 6 hours, so you have to replenish regularly," explains Forberg. Vibrantly colored fruits and vegetables are loaded with these disease-fighting substances.
Add it: Have a fruit or veggie at every meal and snack--and aim for three to five different colors a day.
3. Double Your Fiber
It may help protect against cancer and can keep blood sugar levels steady and promote heart health. In fact, according to research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, every additional 10 g of dietary fiber consumed daily reduces the risk of death from coronary heart disease by 17%. The daily recommendation is 25 to 35 g per day; most Americans eat half or less.
Add it: Boost your intake with star sources: cooked lentils (8 g per 1/2 cup), cooked chickpeas (6 g per 1/2 cup), barley (16 g per 1/2 cup), apples (4 g in one medium), and raspberries (8 g per cup).
4. Stop Before You're Full
Centenarians in Okinawa, Japan, practice this eating ritual; they also consistently consume a lower-calorie diet--which researchers hypothesize is a key component to longevity. Eating slowly can automatically help control calories: A recent study found that women who ate at slower rates felt fuller and ate fewer calories than those who ate more quickly.
Fix it: The key is to stop when you're satisfied, not stuffed, says Forberg. A reminder: "You shouldn't have to unbutton or unzip anything."
5. Eat Enough Healthy Fats
The good-for-you variety--like monounsaturated fatty acids--can lower bad LDL cholesterol, raise cardio-protective HDL cholesterol, and decrease your risk of atherosclerosis. Plus, studies suggest that a higher intake of these fats may also contribute to longer life expectancy. Ideally, you should get about 25% of your daily calories (or 44 g based on a 1,600-calorie diet) from healthy fats.
Add it: Healthy fats include 1/4 cup of pistachios (7 g), 1/4 cup of almonds (11 g), 1 tablespoon of olive oil (10 g) or 1/4 cup of avocado (3.5 g).
source: prevention.com
Tuesday, 6 October 2009
Glazed Gammon Steaks with Nutty Apples
Yield: 4 servings
4 6 to 8 oz Gammon Steaks
2 tb Clear Honey
1 ts Ground Ginger
4 Apples, cored
1 oz Butter
1/2 oz Hazelnuts or almonds,
-Chopped
1 oz Wholemeal Breadcrumbs
1 Egg Yolk
Salt and Pepper
TO SERVE
Vegetables
Snip fat around edge of gammon. Place steaks on a grill rack. Warm
honey and stir in ginger. Baste steaks with honey glaze. Cook under a
medium grill for about 8 minutes each side, basting occasionally with
glaze.
Score apples around the centre. Melt butter, and saute seeds and
nuts. Stir in crumbs, yolk and seasoning, then pack into apples.
Microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes. Serve steaks with apples and
vegetables.
ABALONE STUFFED WITH CRABMEAT
Serving Size : 4
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
-----WHITE SAUCE-----
2 tb Butter or margarine
2 tb Flour
Salt, pepper
1 c Warm milk
-----ABALONE-----
Butter or margarine
2 Shallots -- minced
1 c Cooked crabmeat
Salt, white pepper
1 d Red pepper
1/2 ts Dry mustard
1/2 ts Worcestershire sauce
1/2 Lemon (juice only)
4 Large abalone steaks
2 Eggs -- beaten
Flour
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in skillet and stir in flour. Season to taste
with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, over medium heat about 1 minute but
do not allow flour to brown. Add milk and cook and stir 1 or 2 minutes
until mixture comes to boil and thickens. Set aside.
For abalone, melt 1 tablespoon butter in small saucepan, add shallots and
cook until tender but not browned. Add crabmeat and heat thoroughly. Add
enough white sauce to bind, about 1/2 cup. Season to taste with salt and
white pepper and add red pepper, mustard, Worcestershire and lemon juice.
Carefully pound abalone steaks between 2 sheets of waxed paper until very
thin (unless purchased already pounded). Dip abalone in eggs seasoned to
taste with salt and white pepper. Coat with flour and set aside. Melt 2
tablespoons butter in heavy skillet. Add abalone and brown quickly on one
side. Turn and brown other side. Do not overcook as abalone will toughen.
Place abalone steaks on platter and spoon crabmeat stuffing on each. Roll
and arrange on serving platter, seam down. If desired, serve with any
remaining sauce.
Mediterranean diet cuts depression risk
Eating plenty of fish, veggies and whole grains may brighten your outlook
People who follow a Mediterranean-style diet rich in vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains and fish are less likely to become depressed, scientists said on Monday, but the reasons are unclear.
Spanish researchers studied 11,000 people and found that those who followed the Mediterranean diet most closely had a more than 30 percent reduction in the risk of depression than those whose diet had few of the crucial Mediterranean elements.
"The specific mechanisms by which a better adherence to the Mediterranean dietary pattern could help to prevent the occurrence of depression are not well known," said Almudena Sanchez-Villegas and colleagues at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and the University of Navarra, Spain.
But the researchers suggested that elements of the diet may improve blood vessel function, fight inflammation and repair oxygen-related cell damage — all of which could reduce the chances of developing depression.
The study, published in the Archives of General Psychiatry journal, adds to an existing body of evidence showing the health benefits of a Mediterranean diet, including reduced risks of health disease, diabetes, asthma and cancer.
The study used data from Spanish people who reported their dietary intake on a food frequency questionnaire.
The researchers worked out how close their eating habits were to the Mediterranean diet based on nine components: A high ratio of monounsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids; moderate intake of alcohol and dairy foods; low intake of meat; and high intake of legumes, fruit and nuts, cereals, vegetables and fish.
"Individuals who followed the Mediterranean diet most closely had a greater than 30 percent reduction in the risk of depression than whose who had the lowest Mediterranean diet scores," they wrote.
source: msnbc.msn
People who follow a Mediterranean-style diet rich in vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains and fish are less likely to become depressed, scientists said on Monday, but the reasons are unclear.
Spanish researchers studied 11,000 people and found that those who followed the Mediterranean diet most closely had a more than 30 percent reduction in the risk of depression than those whose diet had few of the crucial Mediterranean elements.
"The specific mechanisms by which a better adherence to the Mediterranean dietary pattern could help to prevent the occurrence of depression are not well known," said Almudena Sanchez-Villegas and colleagues at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and the University of Navarra, Spain.
But the researchers suggested that elements of the diet may improve blood vessel function, fight inflammation and repair oxygen-related cell damage — all of which could reduce the chances of developing depression.
The study, published in the Archives of General Psychiatry journal, adds to an existing body of evidence showing the health benefits of a Mediterranean diet, including reduced risks of health disease, diabetes, asthma and cancer.
The study used data from Spanish people who reported their dietary intake on a food frequency questionnaire.
The researchers worked out how close their eating habits were to the Mediterranean diet based on nine components: A high ratio of monounsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids; moderate intake of alcohol and dairy foods; low intake of meat; and high intake of legumes, fruit and nuts, cereals, vegetables and fish.
"Individuals who followed the Mediterranean diet most closely had a greater than 30 percent reduction in the risk of depression than whose who had the lowest Mediterranean diet scores," they wrote.
source: msnbc.msn
Health news: How vodka could benefit your health and an iron implant to tackle anaemia
Health stories from around the world this week include a trial to test whether vodka can prevent heart disease, a new implant which may help anaemia sufferers and a drug which can boost the success of corneal transplants.
A shot of vodka may help heart disease
Could drinking vodka and orange tackle furred up arteries?
It is increasingly recognised that conditions such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease are linked to inflammation in the arteries. This can lead to a build-up of cholesterol, as well as high blood pressure.
Moderate amounts of alcohol have long been thought to have an anti-inflammatory effect - and, in the case of heart disease, boosting the levels of 'good' HDL cholesterol.
Now, in a new trial in Holland, healthy men aged between 20 and 40 are being given 100ml of vodka a day, mixed with orange juice, to test its benefits. Another group are being given a placebo.
At the end of the year-long trial, researchers will measure the amount of inflammation in the men's arteries.
Iron implant to tackle anaemia
An implant the size of a toothpick could help thousands who suffer with anaemia, or iron deficiency.
The condition is caused by a lack of red blood cells. Often this is because the kidneys are not producing a protein that kickstarts their production.
Mild sufferers take iron pills to address this. But some people, especially those with kidney disease, need regular jabs of the protein erythropoietin.
The new implant works by releasing erythropoietin around the clock. It is made from the patient's skin tissue, which has had the gene that controls the protein's production added to it.
Over a year into the trial, the implant, which was developed by Israeli firm Medgenics, is still working for some patients.
Without it, they would need protein injections at least three times a week.
Your new cornea now lasts longer
A new drug has been shown to help boost the success of corneal transplants.
The operation is performed on patients with fading eyesight.
Though the surgery itself is usually successful, the patient's eyesight may deteriorate as a result of neovascularisation, where tissues in the eye produce too many new blood vessels around the new cornea, leading to blurred vision.
Until now, there has been no treatment for this. But a Swiss company, Gene Signal, has developed a drug in the form of eye drops that can halt blood vessel growth.
The drug, GS-101, blocks the genetic signals that tell cells to produce new vessels.
Recent trial data showed the drug also partly reversed the condition in some patients.
The drug could be available in Britain within 18 months.
source: dailymail
Tuesday, 8 September 2009
Gluten-free diets rising in popularity
A gluten-free diet may not be the easiest to follow, but it can improve fitness and encourage weight loss in people who do not suffer from wheat intolerance.
That is according to the Chicago Tribune, which reported that the diet, which was once followed only by those suffering from Coeliac disease, is now breaking into the mainstream.
It noted the case of a mother who went on the diet with her son after he was diagnosed with Coeliac disease and now feels much healthier for it.
"My head is clearer, and I'm lean and healthy," Julie Pech, of Colorado, told the publication. "For whatever reason, gluten makes me very heavy and tired."
Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disorder in which gluten, a protein present in wheat, barley and rye, cannot be properly processed by the body and instead causes inflammation in the small intestines.
Last month, news provider Advertising Talk suggested that the growing number of celebrities following gluten-free diets is encouraging more people to take it up.
However, the website warned that it is imperative people self-diagnosing gluten sensitivity and cutting out wheat-based products seek proper medical advice.
source: tescodiets
That is according to the Chicago Tribune, which reported that the diet, which was once followed only by those suffering from Coeliac disease, is now breaking into the mainstream.
It noted the case of a mother who went on the diet with her son after he was diagnosed with Coeliac disease and now feels much healthier for it.
"My head is clearer, and I'm lean and healthy," Julie Pech, of Colorado, told the publication. "For whatever reason, gluten makes me very heavy and tired."
Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disorder in which gluten, a protein present in wheat, barley and rye, cannot be properly processed by the body and instead causes inflammation in the small intestines.
Last month, news provider Advertising Talk suggested that the growing number of celebrities following gluten-free diets is encouraging more people to take it up.
However, the website warned that it is imperative people self-diagnosing gluten sensitivity and cutting out wheat-based products seek proper medical advice.
source: tescodiets
High cholesterol? Try a splash of rapeseed oil on your salad
Adding rapeseed oil to the diet may lower the cholesterol and blood fat levels of patients who have had high cholesterol from birth.
The metabolic condition, known as familial hypercholesterolemia, affects around 60,000 Britons. It can lead to an increased risk of developing atherosclerosis or furring up of the arteries, and heart disease.
The oil can cut levels of bad cholesterol and triglycerides - blood fat levels - by up to 29 per cent after just five months.
In an Austrian trial, children aged six to 18 with the condition ate a classic low-fat, lowcholesterol diet enriched with the oil. In the first two months they took an average of 15g a day, going up to 22g a day for the last three months.
Rapeseed oil contains half the saturated fat of oils such as olive oil.
It is also high in unsaturated fats, which helps reduce cholesterol levels.
• Drinking at least three cups of tea every day could improve the life expectancy of people with heart disease.
In a study at Harvard University, researchers found that drinking two or more cups of tea a day was linked to a 44 per cent lower risk of premature death in patients who'd suffered a heart attack.
It's thought that tea - specifically compounds called polyphenols - has a beneficial effect on the lining of the arteries. In a new trial, researchers will use MRI scans of tea drinkers and non-tea drinkers to assess any changes in the state of their arteries.
source: dailymail
The metabolic condition, known as familial hypercholesterolemia, affects around 60,000 Britons. It can lead to an increased risk of developing atherosclerosis or furring up of the arteries, and heart disease.
The oil can cut levels of bad cholesterol and triglycerides - blood fat levels - by up to 29 per cent after just five months.
In an Austrian trial, children aged six to 18 with the condition ate a classic low-fat, lowcholesterol diet enriched with the oil. In the first two months they took an average of 15g a day, going up to 22g a day for the last three months.
Rapeseed oil contains half the saturated fat of oils such as olive oil.
It is also high in unsaturated fats, which helps reduce cholesterol levels.
• Drinking at least three cups of tea every day could improve the life expectancy of people with heart disease.
In a study at Harvard University, researchers found that drinking two or more cups of tea a day was linked to a 44 per cent lower risk of premature death in patients who'd suffered a heart attack.
It's thought that tea - specifically compounds called polyphenols - has a beneficial effect on the lining of the arteries. In a new trial, researchers will use MRI scans of tea drinkers and non-tea drinkers to assess any changes in the state of their arteries.
source: dailymail
Thursday, 23 July 2009
NHS offers weight loss operations
The NHS in Cornwall is offering keyhole weight-loss surgery for the first time.
The service will enable patients who are severely obese and unable to lose weight to be referred for gastric band and stomach bypass surgery.
The procedures will be carried out the Royal Cornwall Hospital. Previously patients had to travel to Taunton in Somerset for operations.
The bariatric unit's leader, Ian Finlay, said it was expected to perform 100 operations in the first year.
Prospective patients will all be assessed at the hospital's Weight Management Clinic before being referred for surgery.
They will have to fulfil rigorous criteria, generally have body mass index of more than 40, or have complicating health issues, such as Type 2 diabetes.
Consultant surgeon Mr Finlay said: "This is not cosmetic surgery, this is surgery to actually make people fitter from a medical point of view and to get rid of care, mobility and other potential problems in the future.
"For example, Type 2 diabetics may find that their condition markedly improves or is cured by this operation, thereby preventing problems such as heart disease, etc, in later life."
source: bbc.co.uk
The service will enable patients who are severely obese and unable to lose weight to be referred for gastric band and stomach bypass surgery.
The procedures will be carried out the Royal Cornwall Hospital. Previously patients had to travel to Taunton in Somerset for operations.
The bariatric unit's leader, Ian Finlay, said it was expected to perform 100 operations in the first year.
Prospective patients will all be assessed at the hospital's Weight Management Clinic before being referred for surgery.
They will have to fulfil rigorous criteria, generally have body mass index of more than 40, or have complicating health issues, such as Type 2 diabetes.
Consultant surgeon Mr Finlay said: "This is not cosmetic surgery, this is surgery to actually make people fitter from a medical point of view and to get rid of care, mobility and other potential problems in the future.
"For example, Type 2 diabetics may find that their condition markedly improves or is cured by this operation, thereby preventing problems such as heart disease, etc, in later life."
source: bbc.co.uk
Contrave: New weight-loss hope?
The quest for a weight-loss drug that a) works and b) doesn't have nasty side effects is proving tricky, but new hopes rear up from time to time
Here's the latest medicine in the spotlight: Contrave, by Orexigen Therapeutics. This week, the company announced that it had completed Phase III trial data involving several thousand patients.
In one of the trials, 48% of the patients lost more than 5% of their body weight after 56 weeks, compared with 16.4% of those taking a placebo. In another trial, the numbers were 56.3% compared with 17.1% for controls.
The amount of weight loss, on average, was 6.1% and 6.4% in the two trials, compared with 1.3% and 1.2%.
A third trial, on obese people with Type 2 diabetes, showed similar weight losses. Side effects were few, primarily nausea, headache and constipation, though there were two cases of gall bladder inflammation and two of seizures.
The data build on an earlier trial of about 700 people with similar effects.
Now the company is seeking FDA approval.
So what is this drug? It's a combo of two things:
--Naltrexone, used to lower cravings in opioid addicts and alcoholics. It acts by blocking opioid receptors in the brain.
--Bupropion, the same drug that's in the antidepressant Wellbutrin and the anti-smoking aid Zyban.
Let's not get excited too soon. First off, a weight loss of 6% in someone who's obese is not miraculous -- though it may be all that we can ever expect from a drug, so stubbornly do our bodies resist the sensation of net calorie loss.
And though both these drugs are well-established, and the company reported no adverse psychological events in the Contrave trial, it's worth noting that black box warnings were recently slapped on Zybanto alert consumers that taking the drug might cause hostility, depression and other mood changes, and such warnings have been noted for Wellbutrin as well.
Just last year, two anti-obesity drugs bit the dust, both quite different in action than Contrave. The drugs, in this case, were designed to do the opposite of what THC, the main active ingredient of marijuana, does to the appetite.
Yes, people lost weight on them, presumably via a kind of "anti-munchies" effect. But as you can read here, and here, Acomplia and another drug, taranabant, also had unwelcome psychiatric effects.
--Rosie Mestel
source: latimesblogs.latimes
Here's the latest medicine in the spotlight: Contrave, by Orexigen Therapeutics. This week, the company announced that it had completed Phase III trial data involving several thousand patients.
In one of the trials, 48% of the patients lost more than 5% of their body weight after 56 weeks, compared with 16.4% of those taking a placebo. In another trial, the numbers were 56.3% compared with 17.1% for controls.
The amount of weight loss, on average, was 6.1% and 6.4% in the two trials, compared with 1.3% and 1.2%.
A third trial, on obese people with Type 2 diabetes, showed similar weight losses. Side effects were few, primarily nausea, headache and constipation, though there were two cases of gall bladder inflammation and two of seizures.
The data build on an earlier trial of about 700 people with similar effects.
Now the company is seeking FDA approval.
So what is this drug? It's a combo of two things:
--Naltrexone, used to lower cravings in opioid addicts and alcoholics. It acts by blocking opioid receptors in the brain.
--Bupropion, the same drug that's in the antidepressant Wellbutrin and the anti-smoking aid Zyban.
Let's not get excited too soon. First off, a weight loss of 6% in someone who's obese is not miraculous -- though it may be all that we can ever expect from a drug, so stubbornly do our bodies resist the sensation of net calorie loss.
And though both these drugs are well-established, and the company reported no adverse psychological events in the Contrave trial, it's worth noting that black box warnings were recently slapped on Zybanto alert consumers that taking the drug might cause hostility, depression and other mood changes, and such warnings have been noted for Wellbutrin as well.
Just last year, two anti-obesity drugs bit the dust, both quite different in action than Contrave. The drugs, in this case, were designed to do the opposite of what THC, the main active ingredient of marijuana, does to the appetite.
Yes, people lost weight on them, presumably via a kind of "anti-munchies" effect. But as you can read here, and here, Acomplia and another drug, taranabant, also had unwelcome psychiatric effects.
--Rosie Mestel
source: latimesblogs.latimes
Wednesday, 11 March 2009
Health news: Atkins combats epilepsy, handwriting reveals heart disease and plaque-busting dental treatment
In our pick of top health stories this week, how the Atkins Diet could be used to fight epilepsy, doctors can detect heart disease in your handwriting, and a plaque-seeking dental probe.
Can Atkins help fight epilepsy?
The Atkins Diet, used by millions to lose weight, is being tested as a way to reduce epileptic seizures.
In previous studies, some patients were able to reduce their medication after being put on the diet.
The low-carb, high-fat diet causes ketosis - where the body burns fat instead of sugar. It seems ketone fats, the waste products left after the fat is burned, build up and inhibit seizures, although exactly how is unknown.
In a new trial in India, 100 epileptic children will be restricted to a carbohydrate intake of 10g a day. Fats such as cream, butter and oils will be encouraged, and proteins such as cheese, fish, eggs, chicken and soya products unrestricted. Calcium and multivitamin supplements will be provided.
However, experts warn that until proper clinical trials establish that this approach is beneficial, patients with epilepsy should not try it for themselves.
Heart warning in your handwriting
Could your handwriting reveal your likelihood of having a heart attack?
New research suggests that the writing of people with heart disease is visibly different. It's thought that these differences could indicate stress leading to heart malfunctions, according to graphologist Christina Strang. She compared handwriting samples of 61 heart patients with those of 41 healthy people at Poole Hospital.
When writing, we all rest the pen for milliseconds in the course of a stroke. Strang's research showed twice as many 'resting dots' in the cardiac group. She says this is because every disease distorts the basic rhythm in the way our systems function - even in the way we write.
The discovery will be developed into a tool to help cardiologists spot potential dangers.
Magic wand to save your teeth
A new dental probe can identify plaque build-up in the mouth before it is visible to the human eye. The toothbrush-sized device, which has a blue light at its tip, shows any plaque as a red glow.
It is hoped the probe, which can be used at home, will help people tackle plaque and prevent the need for dental work.
A number of different plaque-revealing tablets are available from High Street pharmacies. These contain a colour dye that stains any plaque left on the teeth after cleaning. However, these often stain the mouth and taste unpleasant.
The new device, developed by Liverpool University and produced in collaboration with healthcare developer Inspektor Research Systems, based in the Netherlands, has none of these side-effects.
Users must wear special red filter glasses, so they can spot the affected areas as they shine the probe in the mouth before brushing. It is not yet known when the probe will be available.
dailymail.co.uk
Can Atkins help fight epilepsy?
The Atkins Diet, used by millions to lose weight, is being tested as a way to reduce epileptic seizures.
In previous studies, some patients were able to reduce their medication after being put on the diet.
The low-carb, high-fat diet causes ketosis - where the body burns fat instead of sugar. It seems ketone fats, the waste products left after the fat is burned, build up and inhibit seizures, although exactly how is unknown.
In a new trial in India, 100 epileptic children will be restricted to a carbohydrate intake of 10g a day. Fats such as cream, butter and oils will be encouraged, and proteins such as cheese, fish, eggs, chicken and soya products unrestricted. Calcium and multivitamin supplements will be provided.
However, experts warn that until proper clinical trials establish that this approach is beneficial, patients with epilepsy should not try it for themselves.
Heart warning in your handwriting
Could your handwriting reveal your likelihood of having a heart attack?
New research suggests that the writing of people with heart disease is visibly different. It's thought that these differences could indicate stress leading to heart malfunctions, according to graphologist Christina Strang. She compared handwriting samples of 61 heart patients with those of 41 healthy people at Poole Hospital.
When writing, we all rest the pen for milliseconds in the course of a stroke. Strang's research showed twice as many 'resting dots' in the cardiac group. She says this is because every disease distorts the basic rhythm in the way our systems function - even in the way we write.
The discovery will be developed into a tool to help cardiologists spot potential dangers.
Magic wand to save your teeth
A new dental probe can identify plaque build-up in the mouth before it is visible to the human eye. The toothbrush-sized device, which has a blue light at its tip, shows any plaque as a red glow.
It is hoped the probe, which can be used at home, will help people tackle plaque and prevent the need for dental work.
A number of different plaque-revealing tablets are available from High Street pharmacies. These contain a colour dye that stains any plaque left on the teeth after cleaning. However, these often stain the mouth and taste unpleasant.
The new device, developed by Liverpool University and produced in collaboration with healthcare developer Inspektor Research Systems, based in the Netherlands, has none of these side-effects.
Users must wear special red filter glasses, so they can spot the affected areas as they shine the probe in the mouth before brushing. It is not yet known when the probe will be available.
dailymail.co.uk
Friday, 20 February 2009
Your diet may worsen seasonal allergies
By Coeli Carrmsnbc.com contributor
The road to health usually means eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. But that might not be the case if you suffer from seasonal allergies.
People with seasonal allergic rhinitis — which affects one in five Americans — know that when the pollen count rises in the spring and fall they’ll be tormented by chronic sneezing, a stuffy or runny nose, watery eyes and sleep problems. But what many people may not realize is that the same chemicals that cause hay fever may also trigger a reaction to certain raw foods.
“As many as one-third of the people with seasonal allergies experience oral allergy syndrome,” says allergist Dr. Clifford W. Bassett, medical director of Allergy and Asthma Care of New York, and vice chairman of public education at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.
This type of cross-reactivity — which occurs when a pollen allergy also causes a reaction to food that contains a similar protein chemical — is not widely understood beyond allergy specialists, says immunologist Dr. Hannelore Brucker, who treats many seasonal allergy patients patients with food-related issues in her practice at the Southdale Allergy and Asthma Clinic in Minneapolis. Patients who see a regular doctor for their hay fever symptoms and especially those who self-medicate with over-the-counter remedies are less likely to be aware of it.
Immune system in overdrive
During an allergic attack caused by inhaling pollen in grass, weeds or trees, the immune system goes into overdrive by overproducing histamines and other chemicals. Vegetables and fruits that contain the very same proteins, called profilins, found in various pollen culprits can also cause a similar, localized reaction. That is, when a child or adult eats an offending food, the body's immune system responds as if it were actually ingesting pollen.
Typical symptoms of oral allergy syndrome include a sudden tingling or swelling in the lips, mouth or throat. Other symptoms may be gum, eye or nose irritation. Some rare reactions may be more serious, including shock.
Fortunately, not all allergy patients are sensitive to all the foods that contain pollen-related proteins. Some people react to just one or two foods. But, unlike nasal allergies which are usually limited to high pollen seasons — from April to June and mid-August to the first frost — the food reactions can happen all year.
“Once your body is allergic to pollen, the allergy to the corresponding food continues, even if there is no pollen present,” Brucker says. “The mechanism is the same. Either way, you’re allergic to the same protein.”
The protein in ragweed pollen is also related to the chemicals in cantaloupe, banana, sunflower seeds, zucchini and cucumber. Grass pollen is related to peaches, celery, melons, tomatoes and oranges.
Birch pollen is related to a large number of vegetables, fruits and nuts, including potatoes, celery, walnuts, apples, pears, peaches and cherries and other pitted fruit.
Some highly sensitive people can experience swelling of the hands simply by peeling raw potatoes, says Brucker.
Not the same as food allergy
If you don't want to give up your favorite vegetable or fruits, thoroughly cooking them changes the food’s protein structure, thereby rendering the offending foods harmless, says Brucker. Although you might get a reaction to raw cherries, the fruit may not affect you baked in a pie. But she advises allergy sufferers to check with a doctor before continuing to eat foods, even cooked, linked to their allergy.
Peeling the fruit or vegetable may not help, either. “The proteins may be found throughout the fruit and vegetable, not just near the skin,” says Brucker.
Although both food allergies and oral allergy syndrome pose problems for those who are affected by them, there's a difference in the severity of the response. People with oral allergy syndrome have reactions that are mainly in the mouth or lips. But with a serious food allergy, the whole body reacts. Itchy eyes and flushed warm skin can quickly progress to a swelling of the throat and bronchial tubes, says Brucker.
"This, in turn, can shut down the airways, leading to a life-threatening situation," she says.
Oral allergy syndrome symptoms are rarely seriously dangerous. But it's important to be aware of a possible reaction to the food triggers.
“In some cases, the oral allergy syndrome experienced by people with seasonal allergies can progress into a food allergy,” Bassett says.
msnbc.msn.com
Thursday, 22 January 2009
Lifestyle changes benefit overweight kids
Efforts to fight obesity among children and teens should include strategies to help them think differently about their eating and exercise habits, researchers conclude based on a review of 64 studies of lifestyle "therapy" and drug interventions.
And it's important for parents to get involved, especially for pre-adolescent children, Dr. Hiltje Oude Luttikhuis, of the Beatrix Children's Hospital in Groningen, The Netherlands, and her colleagues say.
The review is published in the Cochrane Library, which is put out by The Cochrane Collaboration, an international group that produces systematic reviews of health care interventions.
The current review is an update of the first one, done in 2003. No direct conclusions could be drawn from the earlier review, Luttikhuis and her team note, because of the small size of many of the studies as well as quality concerns. The new review incorporates randomized, controlled trials published as recently as May 2008, including 12 targeting increased activity; 6 focused on diet; 36 of behavioral treatment; and 10 of drug therapy. The studies included 5,230 children in all.
Participants in many of these studies did lose significant amounts of weight, Luttikhuis and her colleagues report, but differences in the ways the studies were designed and their quality made it difficult to analyze the studies in combination.
While their review couldn't show that one method was better than the others, the researchers add, it does confirm that behavioral lifestyle interventions can help kids lose weight.
One-third of the lifestyle intervention studies included measures of potential adverse effects including disordered eating behavior, growth stunting, and worsening of psychological well-being. None of these potential adverse effects were seen in any of the studies.
The researchers were able to analyze the trials that included treatment with orlistat, a drug that blocks fat absorption, and those that included treatment with sibutramine, an appetite suppressant. Both sets of drug trials showed significant weight loss benefits from these two agents -- along with a number of adverse drug effects. They were unable to discern whether one medication was more effective than another.
"Evidence from this review shows that family-based, lifestyle interventions with a behavioral program aimed at changing diet and physical activity thinking patterns provide significant and clinically meaningful decrease in overweight in both children and adolescents compared to standard care or self-help in the short- and the long-term," the researchers write.
While orlistat and sibutramine should be considered as part of a lifestyle treatment program for obese adolescents, they add, "such therapy needs to be carefully weighed up against the potential for adverse events."
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)
And it's important for parents to get involved, especially for pre-adolescent children, Dr. Hiltje Oude Luttikhuis, of the Beatrix Children's Hospital in Groningen, The Netherlands, and her colleagues say.
The review is published in the Cochrane Library, which is put out by The Cochrane Collaboration, an international group that produces systematic reviews of health care interventions.
The current review is an update of the first one, done in 2003. No direct conclusions could be drawn from the earlier review, Luttikhuis and her team note, because of the small size of many of the studies as well as quality concerns. The new review incorporates randomized, controlled trials published as recently as May 2008, including 12 targeting increased activity; 6 focused on diet; 36 of behavioral treatment; and 10 of drug therapy. The studies included 5,230 children in all.
Participants in many of these studies did lose significant amounts of weight, Luttikhuis and her colleagues report, but differences in the ways the studies were designed and their quality made it difficult to analyze the studies in combination.
While their review couldn't show that one method was better than the others, the researchers add, it does confirm that behavioral lifestyle interventions can help kids lose weight.
One-third of the lifestyle intervention studies included measures of potential adverse effects including disordered eating behavior, growth stunting, and worsening of psychological well-being. None of these potential adverse effects were seen in any of the studies.
The researchers were able to analyze the trials that included treatment with orlistat, a drug that blocks fat absorption, and those that included treatment with sibutramine, an appetite suppressant. Both sets of drug trials showed significant weight loss benefits from these two agents -- along with a number of adverse drug effects. They were unable to discern whether one medication was more effective than another.
"Evidence from this review shows that family-based, lifestyle interventions with a behavioral program aimed at changing diet and physical activity thinking patterns provide significant and clinically meaningful decrease in overweight in both children and adolescents compared to standard care or self-help in the short- and the long-term," the researchers write.
While orlistat and sibutramine should be considered as part of a lifestyle treatment program for obese adolescents, they add, "such therapy needs to be carefully weighed up against the potential for adverse events."
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)
Obesity epidemic shows perils to health reform
For years, Bob Clegg's insurance company paid out some $3,000 a month for doctor visits, drugs and medical devices to treat the health problems caused by his obesity.
In September 2007, when his weight peaked at 380 pounds (172 kg), he had gastric bypass surgery, and now his health issues -- joint pain, sleep apnea and esophageal problems -- have vanished, and so have the medical bills.
But even though the surgery -- in which the stomach is made smaller and part of the intestine is bypassed -- has saved his insurance company money, Clegg, who now weighs 240 pounds (108 kg), had to pay the $20,000 cost out of his own pocket.
"It wasn't until the doctor said my sleep apnea was at a point where we seriously had to consider a tracheotomy that we talked about gastric bypass," said Clegg, 54. "The irony is that insurance would pay for the tracheotomy, but not the surgery."
Clegg's experience highlights the difficulties facing the United States as it confronts an epidemic of obesity, and the problems for President Barack Obama as he sets about extending health insurance to more Americans at a time of runaway costs.
While his experience is typical, unlike most other people, Clegg was in a position to make some changes.
As a member of New Hampshire's senate, he took what he knew about obesity and the cost of treating related chronic illnesses to the state capitol, where he introduced a bill in January 2008 requiring insurers to offer surgery as a treatment option, just as the state's Medicaid program for the poor does.
While other states -- some of which don't cover any obesity treatment -- are studying New Hampshire's approach, experts say economics will increasingly drive policy at a time of burgeoning budget deficits.
EPIDEMIC COSTS
About two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese, putting them at an increased risk for diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, osteoarthritis, stroke, gallbladder disease, sleep apnea and respiratory problems and even some cancers.
The direct and indirect costs of obesity is $117 billion each year, according to a 2000 report by the U.S. Surgeon General.
Christine Ferguson, associate professor at George Washington University School of Public Health and the director of STOP Obesity Alliance, said the stigma surrounding obesity and belief that it is not a disease are keeping the government from addressing the crisis.
"At the root of this is that people still have a real problem thinking about obesity as anything other than a willpower issue," said Ferguson. "It is still perfectly acceptable to think about excluding treatment."
Ferguson, who has held high level healthcare posts in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, acknowledged the difficulty in changing the way government thinks about spending on obesity.
"If I have to balance my budget at the end of each year, I have a choice between investing money in children who have mental retardation, or children with developmental disabilities ... or investing in people who have obesity, choosing obesity is a very hard case to make," she said.
This is even though insurers would recover the costs of bariatric surgery within two to four years, according to Pierre-Yves Cremieux, a researcher with the economic consulting firm Analysis Group.
Cremieux led a study that showed the operation helps patients' health and ultimately leads to cost savings. The study was paid for by Johnson & Johnson, which makes bariatric surgery instruments.
OBESITY BIAS
Ronald Williams, the chairman and chief executive of health insurer Aetna, said most large employers that it sells policies to have at least one plan that covers bariatric surgery.
But, he said, he's more focused on prevention.
"The bigger end of the story is, How do we help people not become obese to begin with?" he said. "If they are suffering the complications from being overweight or obese, how can we help them manage those conditions?"
Clegg blamed difficultly in pushing his bill through partly on society's bias against the obese. The bill finally passed in June, six months before he left the senate in December.
Other states have had similar difficulties, including Utah, where Jeff Haaga has lobbied the state to require insurers to provide greater coverage there.
"If we could only get our lawmakers to understand, like they did in New Hampshire," said Haaga, who at 360 pounds is classified as morbidly obese.
"Insurers are covering people who are morbidly obese one way or the other, whether it's surgery or just keeping us alive with medication."
In Mississippi, rated the nation's fattest state for the third consecutive year, a bill that would have banned restaurants from serving obese customers died almost immediately after it was introduced in February.
The Trust for America's Health, a nonprofit group that focuses on disease prevention, reported that adult obesity rates rose in 37 states in the past year, while no state saw a decrease.
In its 2008 report: 'F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies are Failing in America', the Trust said Mississippi has per capita medical costs that are among the highest in the nation. It also has a Medicaid policy that specifically excludes coverage for bariatric surgery.
For Clegg, the former New Hampshire lawmaker, Mississippi's obesity problems are clearly linked to its refusal to pay for bariatric surgery under its Medicaid program.
"If Mississippi is that ignorant and would rather pay for diabetic medicine every month and watch people have heart attacks at a cost of $40,000 ... but wont spend $10,000 or $20,000 (for the surgery), well maybe that's why Mississippi has a problem," he said.
(Reporting by Debra Sherman; Editing by Eddie Evans)
CHICAGO (Reuters)
In September 2007, when his weight peaked at 380 pounds (172 kg), he had gastric bypass surgery, and now his health issues -- joint pain, sleep apnea and esophageal problems -- have vanished, and so have the medical bills.
But even though the surgery -- in which the stomach is made smaller and part of the intestine is bypassed -- has saved his insurance company money, Clegg, who now weighs 240 pounds (108 kg), had to pay the $20,000 cost out of his own pocket.
"It wasn't until the doctor said my sleep apnea was at a point where we seriously had to consider a tracheotomy that we talked about gastric bypass," said Clegg, 54. "The irony is that insurance would pay for the tracheotomy, but not the surgery."
Clegg's experience highlights the difficulties facing the United States as it confronts an epidemic of obesity, and the problems for President Barack Obama as he sets about extending health insurance to more Americans at a time of runaway costs.
While his experience is typical, unlike most other people, Clegg was in a position to make some changes.
As a member of New Hampshire's senate, he took what he knew about obesity and the cost of treating related chronic illnesses to the state capitol, where he introduced a bill in January 2008 requiring insurers to offer surgery as a treatment option, just as the state's Medicaid program for the poor does.
While other states -- some of which don't cover any obesity treatment -- are studying New Hampshire's approach, experts say economics will increasingly drive policy at a time of burgeoning budget deficits.
EPIDEMIC COSTS
About two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese, putting them at an increased risk for diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, osteoarthritis, stroke, gallbladder disease, sleep apnea and respiratory problems and even some cancers.
The direct and indirect costs of obesity is $117 billion each year, according to a 2000 report by the U.S. Surgeon General.
Christine Ferguson, associate professor at George Washington University School of Public Health and the director of STOP Obesity Alliance, said the stigma surrounding obesity and belief that it is not a disease are keeping the government from addressing the crisis.
"At the root of this is that people still have a real problem thinking about obesity as anything other than a willpower issue," said Ferguson. "It is still perfectly acceptable to think about excluding treatment."
Ferguson, who has held high level healthcare posts in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, acknowledged the difficulty in changing the way government thinks about spending on obesity.
"If I have to balance my budget at the end of each year, I have a choice between investing money in children who have mental retardation, or children with developmental disabilities ... or investing in people who have obesity, choosing obesity is a very hard case to make," she said.
This is even though insurers would recover the costs of bariatric surgery within two to four years, according to Pierre-Yves Cremieux, a researcher with the economic consulting firm Analysis Group.
Cremieux led a study that showed the operation helps patients' health and ultimately leads to cost savings. The study was paid for by Johnson & Johnson, which makes bariatric surgery instruments.
OBESITY BIAS
Ronald Williams, the chairman and chief executive of health insurer Aetna, said most large employers that it sells policies to have at least one plan that covers bariatric surgery.
But, he said, he's more focused on prevention.
"The bigger end of the story is, How do we help people not become obese to begin with?" he said. "If they are suffering the complications from being overweight or obese, how can we help them manage those conditions?"
Clegg blamed difficultly in pushing his bill through partly on society's bias against the obese. The bill finally passed in June, six months before he left the senate in December.
Other states have had similar difficulties, including Utah, where Jeff Haaga has lobbied the state to require insurers to provide greater coverage there.
"If we could only get our lawmakers to understand, like they did in New Hampshire," said Haaga, who at 360 pounds is classified as morbidly obese.
"Insurers are covering people who are morbidly obese one way or the other, whether it's surgery or just keeping us alive with medication."
In Mississippi, rated the nation's fattest state for the third consecutive year, a bill that would have banned restaurants from serving obese customers died almost immediately after it was introduced in February.
The Trust for America's Health, a nonprofit group that focuses on disease prevention, reported that adult obesity rates rose in 37 states in the past year, while no state saw a decrease.
In its 2008 report: 'F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies are Failing in America', the Trust said Mississippi has per capita medical costs that are among the highest in the nation. It also has a Medicaid policy that specifically excludes coverage for bariatric surgery.
For Clegg, the former New Hampshire lawmaker, Mississippi's obesity problems are clearly linked to its refusal to pay for bariatric surgery under its Medicaid program.
"If Mississippi is that ignorant and would rather pay for diabetic medicine every month and watch people have heart attacks at a cost of $40,000 ... but wont spend $10,000 or $20,000 (for the surgery), well maybe that's why Mississippi has a problem," he said.
(Reporting by Debra Sherman; Editing by Eddie Evans)
CHICAGO (Reuters)
Most successful dieters lose weight on their own
To shed excess pounds, forget expensive commercial diets or diet pills; most successful dieters lose weight on their own, largely by eating right and exercising regularly, according to a survey by Consumer Reports.
Their specific successful do-it-yourself weight loss tactics are unveiled at www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org.
A total of 21,632 subscribers to Consumer Reports were asked recently about their lifetime weight history and their eating, dieting and exercise habits.
The "always thin" group - those who had never been overweight -- made up 16 percent of the sample, while "successful losers" made up an additional 15 percent. Successful losers were defined as people who, at the time of the survey, weighed at least 10 percent less than they did at their heaviest, and had been at that lower weight for at least 3 years.
"Failed dieters" - those would said they'd like to slim down yet still weighed at or near their lifetime high -- made up the largest group at 42 percent. The remaining 27 percent of respondents, such as people who had lost weight more recently, didn't fit into any of the categories.
Among the "always thin" group, only 3 percent said that they never exercised and that they ate whatever they wanted. In fact, the eating and exercise habits of the vast majority of the "always thin" group mirrored the eating and exercise habits of the "successful losers," a finding that downplays the idea that people who are able to stay fit and trim have a genetic edge.
Both the "always thin" and the "successful losers" say they regularly eat healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and stay away from excessive dietary fat. They also practice portion control and engage in regular vigorous exercise.
The only advantage the "always thin" have over the "successful dieters" is that those habits seem to come a bit more naturally to them, according to Consumer Reports.
"When we've compared people maintaining a weight loss with (those) who've always had a normal weight, we've found that both groups are working hard at it; the maintainers are just working a little harder," Dr. Suzanne Phelan of the California Polytechnic State University and co-investigator of the National Weight Control Registry, which tracks people who have successfully maintained a weight loss over time, noted in a Consumer Reports press statement.
According to the magazine, more than half of "successful losers" reported shedding the weight themselves, without the help of commercial diet program, a medical treatment, a book, or diet pills. This finding confirms a prior diet survey by Consumer Reports, in which 83 percent of "super losers" -- people who'd lost at least 10 percent of their starting weight and kept it off for 5 years or longer -- had done it entirely on their own.
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)
Their specific successful do-it-yourself weight loss tactics are unveiled at www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org.
A total of 21,632 subscribers to Consumer Reports were asked recently about their lifetime weight history and their eating, dieting and exercise habits.
The "always thin" group - those who had never been overweight -- made up 16 percent of the sample, while "successful losers" made up an additional 15 percent. Successful losers were defined as people who, at the time of the survey, weighed at least 10 percent less than they did at their heaviest, and had been at that lower weight for at least 3 years.
"Failed dieters" - those would said they'd like to slim down yet still weighed at or near their lifetime high -- made up the largest group at 42 percent. The remaining 27 percent of respondents, such as people who had lost weight more recently, didn't fit into any of the categories.
Among the "always thin" group, only 3 percent said that they never exercised and that they ate whatever they wanted. In fact, the eating and exercise habits of the vast majority of the "always thin" group mirrored the eating and exercise habits of the "successful losers," a finding that downplays the idea that people who are able to stay fit and trim have a genetic edge.
Both the "always thin" and the "successful losers" say they regularly eat healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and stay away from excessive dietary fat. They also practice portion control and engage in regular vigorous exercise.
The only advantage the "always thin" have over the "successful dieters" is that those habits seem to come a bit more naturally to them, according to Consumer Reports.
"When we've compared people maintaining a weight loss with (those) who've always had a normal weight, we've found that both groups are working hard at it; the maintainers are just working a little harder," Dr. Suzanne Phelan of the California Polytechnic State University and co-investigator of the National Weight Control Registry, which tracks people who have successfully maintained a weight loss over time, noted in a Consumer Reports press statement.
According to the magazine, more than half of "successful losers" reported shedding the weight themselves, without the help of commercial diet program, a medical treatment, a book, or diet pills. This finding confirms a prior diet survey by Consumer Reports, in which 83 percent of "super losers" -- people who'd lost at least 10 percent of their starting weight and kept it off for 5 years or longer -- had done it entirely on their own.
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)
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