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Egg white component lowers blood pressure

IANS / 11 April 2013

A study by American scientists presented on Wednesday supports the view that a substance in egg white has the ability to lower blood pressure without negative effects.Scientists reported that a component of egg whites, already popular as a substitute for whole eggs among health-conscious consumers concerned about cholesterol in the yolk may have another beneficial effect in reducing blood pressure, reports Science Daily.
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Their study was part of the 245[SUP]th[/SUP] National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world’s largest scientific society, which continues here through Thursday.
“Our research suggests that there may be another reason to call it ‘the incredible, edible egg,’” said study leader Zhipeng Yu, Ph.D., of Jilin University.
“We have evidence from the laboratory that a substance in egg white—it’s a peptide, one of the building blocks of proteins—reduces blood pressure about as much as a low dose of Captopril, a high-blood-pressure drug,” Zhipeng Yu said.
Yu and colleagues, who are with Clemson University, used a peptide called RVPSL. Scientists previously discovered that the substance, like the family of medications that includes Captopril, Vasotec and Monopril, was an angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitor.
It has a powerful ability to inhibit or block the action of ACE, a substance produced in the body that raises blood pressure.
The results of feeding the substance were positive, showing that RVPSL did not have apparent toxic effects and lowered blood pressure by amounts comparable to low doses of Captopril.
“Our results support and enhance previous findings on this topic,” Yu said. “They were promising enough to move ahead with further research on the effects of the egg white peptide on human health.”
 

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Raw fruit may not be linked to lower blood pressure

(Reuters) / 12 April 2013

People who eat more raw fruits or drink juice do not necessarily have lower blood pressure, according to a new study that goes against previous evidence.Larger, more rigorous studies have found that eating more fruits and vegetables does lower blood pressure over time, but the specific role of fruit remained unknown, lead author Dr. Linda Oude-Griep told Reuters Health in an email.


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Based on the new results, it is unclear if eating more fruit will influence blood pressure, said Oude-Griep, of the Imperial College London School of Public Health.

Oude-Griep and her coauthors analyzed data from a study of 4,680 middle aged men and women randomly selected from Japan, China, U.S. and U.K.
Participants recalled what they had eaten the previous day two days in a row, having blood pressure measurements taken as well, then repeated the process three weeks later. Their blood pressures averaged at or just below 120/80, the safe cutoff point according to the Centers for Disease Control, but people with higher measurements were included.
The researchers calculated each person’s fruit and fruit juice consumption as grams per 1000 calories of food eaten.
People in the U.S. ate the least raw fruit, averaging 52 grams, equivalent to half an apple, per 1000 calories, compared to 68 grams in China, the country with highest consumption. Fruit juice was not commonly consumed in the Asian countries; in the U.S., the average was 46 grams, or less than a cup.
For the group as a whole, there was no association between fruit and blood pressure. When the researchers considered Japan and China alone, blood pressure actually increased with more fruit, but the change was almost imperceptible.
But the study was small and only looked at one group of people at one point in time, so the results have limitations and the door is open for more research, Oude-Griep said.
“The main limitation of this study is that dietary intake was assessed on only a single day, and that is not a good representation of a person’s usual diet,” Dr. Walter Willett told Reuters Health by email.
Previous studies which found a decrease in blood pressure followed individual eating patterns over longer periods of time and were probably more reliable, said Willett, chair of the nutrition department at Harvard School of Public Health in Boston.
Other differences may have also played a role. In the new study, high fruit consumers were more often women, older, more educated, less likely to smoke or drink alcohol, and tended to have healthier diets overall. People who ate more fruit got more vitamin C, fiber, potassium and magnesium, according to the study.
Fruit juices contain lots of rapidly absorbed sugars that might offset some of the benefits of fruit itself, Willett said.
“My main concern is that this article should not dissuade people from eating fruit, which has increasingly been found to be part of a healthy diet (along with vegetables),” said Dr. Martha Grogan, a cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
Most doctors don’t expect eating more fruit to lower blood pressure by itself, but achieving a healthy weight does lower blood pressure, and eating more fruit and vegetables is a part of that process, Grogan told Reuters Health by email.
 

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Stomach CT scans may help find osteoporosis
heahm1_16apr13.jpg

(Reuters) / 16 April 2013

Doctors can use a patient’s abdominal CT scans to also check for signs of the bone-weakening disease osteoporosis, according to a new study.The researchers, who published their findings in the Annals of Internal Medicine on Monday, compared patients’ CT scans to their dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), which is traditionally used to diagnose osteoporosis.
‘What we found is that there is pretty good correlation,’ said the study’s lead author Dr. Perry Pickhardt, professor of radiology at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison.
The idea, say the researchers, is doctors can use patients’ CT scans that are ordered for another reason - such as looking for tumors - to also check for signs of osteoporosis. That may spare the patients from additional testing and additional costs.
In an editorial accompanying the study, however, experts wrote that using CT scans to gauge bone density could lead to some people being incorrectly diagnosed, particularly if people at low risk are tested.
In this study, the average age was about 59 years old - six years younger than the age at which the US Preventive Services Task Force, a government-backed panel, recommends all women begin being screened for osteoporosis. The disease affects over 12 million Americans over 50.
The panel also suggests younger women at an increased risk for bone fractures should be screened, but there’s no recommendation for men of any age.
Despite DXA scans being safe and cost effective, Pickhardt and his colleagues say the test is underused. CT scans, however, are considered overused - with more than 80 million performed in the US during 2011.
[h=2]‘INCIDENTALOPOROSIS?’[/h] For the new study, the researchers analyzed test results from 1,867 patients, who had both types of scans performed within six months of each other over a 10-year period, to see if their CT scans showed osteoporosis as well as the DXAs.
Overall, about 23 percent of the people were diagnosed with osteoporosis, about 45 percent were diagnosed with some bone-weakening and about 32 percent were healthy based on their DXAs.
The researchers then found that their ability to accurately diagnose those same patients with osteoporosis from a CT scan depended on what threshold for bone density they used.
Dr. Sumit Majumdar, who wrote an editorial accompanying the new study, said a lower threshold for bone density would catch most cases of osteoporosis and limit ‘incidentaloporosis’ - incorrect osteoporosis diagnoses ‘discovered’ while doctors were looking for something else.
At the lower threshold, the researchers found 9 percent of those diagnosed with osteoporosis were misdiagnosed.
Pickhardt said the screenings would have to target the right groups of people to prevent overdiagnosis.
‘Obviously it’s something we need to worry about, but if you apply it to a population that’s suitable for diagnosis you wouldn’t run that risk,’ he said.
[h=3]CT v. DXA[/h] Majumdar, a professor of medicine at the University of Alberta in Canada, said CT scans are better tests, but stomach scans don’t include the hip - like a DXA would.
A DXA can cost a couple hundred dollars, while a CT scan can cost about $500. Both involve radiation.
Dr. Beatrice Hull, from the Center for Osteoporosis and Bone Health at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, told Reuters Health that she’d want her patients to have a DXA scan even with a diagnosis from a CT scan.
‘I don’t think at this point this one test is going to prevent further testing. I think it will identify patients who are at a higher risk and need more testing,’ said Hull, who wasn’t involved with the new research.
 

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آشوب چشم اس باریک جھلی میں سوزش کا نام ہے جو آنکھ کے سفید حصے (سفیدہ چشم) کو ڈھانپتی ہے۔
اسی لیے اسے آنکھ کی جھلی کی سوزش بھی کہتے ہیں۔ اس جھلی کی سفید رنگت گلابی یا سرخ رنگ میں تبدیل ہو جاتی ہے۔ آشوب چشم زیادہ تر ایک وائرس کے باعث ہوتی ہے۔ تاہم یہ بیکٹیریا کے کسی انفیکشن یا الرجی کے رد عمل کے باعث بھی ہو سکتی ہے۔
آشوب چشم کی علامات
مندرجہ ذیل علامات ظاہر ہو سکتی ہیں :
٭آنکھ میں اور آنکھ کے پپوٹوں کے اندرونی جانب سرخی
٭پپوٹوں پر ہلکی سوجن
٭آنکھوں میں خارش
٭آنکھ سے شفاف یا پیلے سبز مواد کا اخراج
وائرس کے باعث ہونے والا آشوب چشم دونوں آنکھوں کو متاثر کرتا ہے۔ اس صورت میں نیند سے بیدار ہونے پر متاثر فرد کی پلکیں باہم چپکی ہوئی ہو سکتی ہیں۔ آنکھوں سے خارج ہونے والا مواد عام طور پر صاف شفاف ہوتا ہے۔ بیکٹیریا کے باعث ہونے والا آشوب چشم اکثر پہلے صرف ایک آنکھ کو متاثر کرتا ہے۔ آنکھ عموماً کافی سْرخ ہو جاتی ہے اور اس میں زیادہ زرد یا سبز مواد دیکھا جا سکتا ہے، جس سے اکثرو بیشتر آنکھ کے پیوٹوں پر پرت جم جاتی ہے۔
الرجی کے باعث ہونے والا آشوب چشم عموماً ماحول میں موجود الرجی پیدا کرنے والے عام عناصر کے باعث ہوتا ہے جیسے پودوں کی پولن، گھاس، درختوں کی پولن، یا جانور۔ یہ دونوں آنکھوں کو متاثر کرتا ہے اور اس میں کم یا پھر بالکل ہی کوئی مواد خارج نہیں ہوتا۔
آشوب چشم کا علاج کیسے کیا جائے
وائرل آشوب چشم ایک سے دو ہفتے تک رہ سکتا ہے اور اس کے لیے کسی طبی علاج کی ضرورت نہیں ہوتی۔ یہ ازخود ختم ہو جاتا ہے۔ بیکٹیریا کے باعث ہونے والے آشوب چشم کے لیے آنکھ میں جراثیم کش قطرے ڈالے جاتے ہیں۔ عام طور پر علاج شروع ہوجانے کے 24 سے 48 گھنٹوں میں بہتری کے آثار نمودار ہونے لگتے ہیں۔ بیکٹیریئل آشوب چشم کے علاج کا عرصہ عام طور پر5 سے7 دن ہوتا ہے۔
الرجک آشوب چشم منہ سے لی جانے والی ادویات جیسے اینٹی ہسٹامینز یا آنکھ میں ڈالے جانے والے قطروں ہی سے، جو کہ بالخصوص الرجی کی علامات کے لیے ہوتے ہیں، کافی بہتر ہو جاتا ہے۔ تاہم اس کے علاج کے حوالے سے پہلے ڈاکٹر سے بات کر لینی چاہیے۔
آشوب چشم وائرل ہو یا بیکٹیریئل دونوں ہی وبائی ہیں۔ یہ باآسانی مندرجہ ذیل طریقوں سے پھیل سکتے ہیں:
متاثرہ آنکھ کے ساتھ کسی بھی طرح اتصال
ایسے ہاتھوں کے ذریعے جن سے متاثرہ آنکھوں کو چھوا گیا ہو تکیے،تولیے، میک اپ یا چہرے سے متعلق دیگر اشیاء کے استعمال سے اگر کسی کو وائرل یا بیکٹریل آشوب چشم ہو، تو اْس کی اْن چیزوں کو استعمال کرنے سے پرہیز کریں جو چہرے یا آنکھوں کو چھوتی ہیں۔ ہاتھوں کو صابن اور پانی کے ساتھ اچھی طرح دھوئیں اور ا نفیکشن کی منتقلی کو روکنے کے لیے الکوحل سے بنے ہوئے، ہاتھ صاف کرنے والے محلول کا استعمال کریں۔ ہاتھ صاف کرنے والے محلول کو آنکھوں میں جانے سے بچائیں، کیوں کہ وہ آنکھوں میں سوزش کا باعث بنے گا۔
آنکھوں کی صفائی
اگر آنکھوں کی چپچپاہٹ یا آنکھوں سے نکلنے والے مواد کو کسی گرم کپڑے سے صاف کرلیا جائے تو آشوب چشم میں مبتلا فرد بہتر محسوس کرتا ہے۔ متاثرہ آنکھ کو صاف کرنے کے لیے، گرم، گیلا تولیہ یا کوئی صاف ستھرا کپڑا استعمال کریں اور بڑی نرمی سے آنکھ سے نکلے یا جمے ہوئے مواد کو صاف کریں۔ ہر بار آنکھ کی صفائی کے لیے صاف ستھرا کپڑا استعمال کریں۔ اس کے بعد اپنے ہاتھوں کو صاف کر لیں۔ سیلین (نمکین پانی) یا کوئی دوسرے سکون پہنچانے والے آنکھ کے قطرے آنکھ کو صاف کرنے اور خارش سے نجات پانے کے لیے استعمال کیے جا سکتے ہیں۔
آشوب چشم آنکھوں کے لیے سوزش کا باعث ہو سکتا ہے، لیکن یہ تکلیف دہ نہیں ہوتا۔ عام طور پر تکلیف سے نجات پانے والی ادویات کی ضرورت نہیں پڑتی۔
طبی معاونت کب حاصل کی جائےجب بصارت میں کوئی تبدیلی رونما ہو آنکھوں میں تکلیف محسوس ہوروشنی سے حساسیت ہو یا آنکھوں کے پیوٹوں کی سوجن بڑھتی جارہی ہوآشوب چشم کی وجہ سے بینائی میں وقتاً فوقتاً کچھ دھندلاہٹ آجاتی ہے جو کہ آنکھ جھپکنے یا مواد کے صاف کرنے سے ٹھیک ہو جاتی ہے، تاہم آشوب چشم کے باعث آنکھوں میں مستقل دھندلاہٹ نہیں آتی اور نہ ہی بینائی کم ہوتی ہے۔
 

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Conjunctivitis, also known as pinkeye, is an inflammation of the conjunctiva. The conjunctiva is the thin clear tissue that lies over the white part of the eye and lines the inside of the eyelid.
See What Pinkeye (Conjunctivitis) Looks Like


[h=3]What Causes Pinkeye?[/h]Pinkeye has a number of different causes, including:

  • Viruses
  • Bacteria (such as gonorrhea or chlamydia)
  • Irritants such as shampoos, dirt, smoke, and pool chlorine
  • Allergies, like dust, pollen, or a special type of allergy that affects some contact lens wearers
Pinkeye caused by some bacteria and viruses can spread easily from person to person, but is not a serious health risk if diagnosed promptly. Pinkeye in newborn babies, however, should be reported to a doctor immediately.
[h=3]What Are the Symptoms of Pinkeye?[/h]The symptoms of pinkeye differ based on the cause of the inflammation, but may include:

  • Redness in the white of the eye or inner eyelid
  • Increased amount of tears
  • Thick yellow discharge that crusts over the eyelashes, especially after sleep
  • Green or white discharge from the eye
  • Itchy eyes
  • Burning eyes
  • Blurred vision
  • Increased sensitivity to light
See your eye doctor if you have any of these symptoms of pinkeye. Your eye doctor will conduct an exam of your eyes and may use a cotton swab to take a sample of fluid from the eyelid to be analyzed in a lab. Bacteria or viruses that may have caused conjunctivitis, including those that can cause a sexually transmitted disease or STD, can then be identified and proper treatment prescribed.
[h=3]How Is Pinkeye Treated?[/h]The treatment for pinkeye depends on the cause.
conjunctivitis.jpg


  • Bacteria. Pinkeye caused by bacteria, including those related to STDs, is treated with antibiotics, in the form of eye drops, ointments, or pills. Eye drops or ointments may need to be applied to the inside of the eyelid three to four times a day for five to seven days. Pills may need to be taken for several days. The infection should improve within a week. Take or use the drugs as instructed by your doctor, even if the symptoms go away.
  • Viruses. This type of pinkeye often results from the viruses that cause a common cold. Just as a cold must run its course, so must this form of pinkeye, which usually lasts from four to seven days. Viral conjunctivitis can be highly contagious. Avoid contact with others and wash your hands frequently.
  • Irritants. For pinkeye caused by an irritating substance, use water to wash the substance from the eye for five minutes. Your eyes should begin to improve within four hours. If the conjunctivitis is caused by acid or alkaline material such as bleach, immediately rinse the eyes with lots of water and call your doctor immediately.
  • Allergies. Allergy-associated conjunctivitis should improve once the allergy is treated and the allergen removed. See your doctor if you have conjunctivitis that is linked to an allergy.
  • [h=3]What Can I Do to Relieve Symptoms of Pinkeye?[/h]To relieve the symptoms of pinkeye:
  • Protect your eyes from dirt and other irritating substances.
  • Avoid the use of makeup.
  • Remove contact lenses, if you wear them.
  • Non-prescription "artificial tears," a type of eye drops, may help relieve itching and burning from the irritating substances causing your pinkeye. However, other types of eye drops may irritate the eyes and should not be used, including those promoted to treat eye redness. Note: Do not use the same bottle of drops in an uninfected eye.

[h=3]How Can I Prevent Spreading Pinkeye?[/h]If you or your child has pinkeye:

  • Don't touch or rub the infected eye(s).
  • Wash your hands often with soap and warm water.
  • Wash any discharge from your eyes several times a day using a fresh cotton ball or paper towel. Afterwards, discard the cotton ball or paper towel and wash your hands with soap and warm water.
  • Wash your bed linens, pillowcases, and towels in hot water and detergent.
  • Avoid wearing eye makeup.
  • Don't share eye makeup with anyone.
  • Never wear another person's contact lenses.
  • Wear eyeglasses instead of contact lenses. Throw away disposable lenses or be sure to clean extended wear lenses and all eyewear cases.
  • Avoid sharing common articles such as unwashed towels and glasses.
  • Wash your hands after applying the eye drops or ointment to your eye or your child's eye.
  • Do not use eye drops that were used for an infected eye in a non-infected eye.
  • If your child has bacterial or viral pinkeye, keep your child home from school or day care until he or she is no longer contagious. It's usually safe to return to school when symptoms have been resolved, however, it's important to continue practicing good hygiene just to be sure.

[h=3]What Are the Complications of Pinkeye?[/h]Usually, pinkeye is a self-limited disease, either clearing up on its own or after a course of antibiotics. However, certain forms of conjunctivitis can become serious and sight-threatening. They include conjunctivitis caused by gonorrhea, chlamydia, or certain strains of the adeno virus.
[h=3]How Can I Avoid Getting Pinkeye?[/h]Viral pinkeye is highly contagious. However, maintaining proper hygiene such as frequent hand washing should minimize transmission. Avoid touching your face since the virus can enter the eyes, nose, and mouth.
With regards to allergic conjunctivitis, avoiding allergens and taking proper care of your contact lenses can help reduce your risk. If someone in your household has pinkeye, be sure to wash hands often and thoroughly. Avoid sharing washcloths, towels, pillowcases, mascara, or eyeliner with the person.
Eye drops are commonly given to treat conjunctivitis. Learn how to effectively insert eye drops.

http://www.webmd.com/eye-health/eye-health-conjunctivitis
 

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Tools & Resources







How to Insert Eye Drops

  1. Before using eye drops, wash your hands with soap and warm water. Dry them with a clean towel.
  2. If you are putting in your own eye drops, lie down or use a mirror. It may be helpful to ask someone to check that you are getting the eye drops in your eye.
  3. Look up to the ceiling with both eyes.
  4. While tilting your head back, pull the lower lid of your eye down with one hand. Hold the eye drops bottle or tube in your other hand (rest part of your hand on your forehead if necessary to keep it steady).
  5. Place one eye drop or a small amount of ointment inside your lower lid. The tip of the medicine bottle or tube should not touch your eye.
  6. Blink and dab away the excess eye drop fluid with a tissue.
  7. If you are prescribed both eye drops and eye ointment, use the eye drops first.
  8. If you have more than one type of eye drop to put in your eyes, wait about five minutes after the first medicine before putting in the second eye drop medicine.
  9. Keeping the eyes closed (without continued blinking) for a few minutes may allow better penetration and effectiveness of the medication.
  10. Immediately after using the eye drops, wash your hands to remove any medication that may be left on them.
If you have any questions, talk to your eye doctor.
 

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[video]http://www.webmd.com/eye-health/eye-vision-tv/default.htm?vid=vd-3007-cntv-ed-4003[/video]

[h=5]Narrator
[/h]If you've ever seen web-like or squirmy shapes or shadows moving through your plane of vision when you look at something brightly lit, then you've probably experienced a floater.
[h=5]Jill Wells, MD[/h]OK, let's take a look.
[h=5]Narrator[/h]Floaters are a common complaint, and eye doctors are used to explaining what they are to their patients.
[h=5]Lana Srur, MD[/h]Behind the lens you have the vitreous cavity, which is filled with a vitreous, jelly-like material.And that vitreous is attached to the retina, which is the back wall of the eye, at several different locations.And if that vitreous separates away from the back of the eye, the area where it was connected is visible as a floater.
[h=5]Jill Wells, MD[/h]When patients see the floater they're seeing these little clumps or strands of vitreous.
I can see your floater.
[h=5]Jill Wells, MD[/h]For Miss DeWitt, this just happened a couple of months ago, so she's not quite used to the floater, but you generally, with time, patients do OK.About 50% of people by age 50 end up having floaters.
[h=5]Narrator[/h]But can the floaters be safely removed?
[h=5]Lana Srur, MD[/h]Not really. No.
[h=5]Jill Wells, MD[/h]Generally speaking, we don't treat these vitreous floaters.Vitreous surgery can be performed to remove all of the floaters and all of the gel of the eye, but there are risks to that surgery, including retinal detachment, cataract, infection ...
[h=5]Lana Srur, MD[/h]In general, floaters are typically observed and tolerated.
[h=5]Narrator[/h]So when should you be concerned about floaters? Experts warn if you should develop a sudden onset of floaters, get to the eye doctor.
[h=5]Jill Wells, MD[/h]About 15% of people who come in with a new vitreous detachment, they will also have a retinal tear.
[h=5]Lana Srur, MD[/h]The vitreous jelly can pull on the retina. And as it pulls, the brain perceives that as flashing lights. That's the signal that it sends.And so if that vitreous is pulling on the retina that could create a tear or a hole in the retina. So it's important to have that checked.
[h=5]Jill Wells, MD[/h]All right, look up and to your left.
We basically put laser marks in a circle around the tear and sort of barricade the tear, so that fluid can't get behind the tear to cause a retinal detachment.The people that are at a higher risk for developing vitreous floaters include people who are nearsighted, and people that have had cataract surgery, and people that have had cataract surgery and then have what we call a YAG laser following the cataract surgery.
[h=5]Narrator[/h]But for most people who see floaters, nothing more than a minor nuisance. For WebMD, I'm Damon Meharg.
 
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Brain work-outs may help preserve mental function

(Reuters) / 19 April 2013

A review of the best evidence for interventions to prevent declining brain power finds that only one - mental exercise - consistently makes a difference.The analysis of clinical trial results for assorted drugs, supplements and activities still can’t say, however, whether the brain training programs that do seem to sharpen mental function also improve people’s daily lives or lower their risk of developing dementia.
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“All we know is you will do better on certain (cognitive) tests. Whether that delays dementia...remains to be seen,” said Dr. Raza Naqvi, the study’s lead author and a researcher at the University of Toronto.

Mild cognitive impairment may affect as many as a quarter of people over age 70, according to Naqvi and his colleagues. And perhaps 10 percent of those seniors progress to more serious dementia each year, the researchers write in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
Numerous products and activity programs claim to be able to slow mental decline, but nothing has proven a surefire way to preserve brainpower.
“Most physicians have a feeling that there isn’t anything out there that has shown strong evidence, otherwise we would all be out there promoting it ourselves,” said Naqvi.
To see whether any approach fits that bill, or at least seems promising, Naqvi and his colleagues gathered results from all the randomized controlled trials - the gold standard for research - they could find comparing the mental functioning of adults given a particular treatment to others who received no intervention.
Participants in all the trials were 65 years or older and had no mental decline at the beginning of the experiment.
Drugs, hormone therapy (in both men and women), vitamins and supplements including gingko and omega 3s mostly showed no benefits. Indeed, most of the trials involving estrogen replacement therapy for women showed greater cognitive decline among women taking the hormones.
One study of the drug donepezil, which goes by the brand name Aricept and is approved for use to slow the progression of dementia, found improvements in users’ ability to recall facts, but experiments with other medications showed no benefits.
“At this time, none of the medications or pharmacologic therapies have any evidence to support their use,” Naqvi told Reuters Health. “I don’t want researchers to give up - I think it’s important to critically look at potential therapies - but I don’t think the evidence is there to recommend a lot of these.”
Studies that involved physical activity yielded mixed results; of the three that Naqvi’s group reviewed, one found no benefit to memory, but an improvement in mental processing known as “executive function.”
Another study found some memory benefits, but no other cognitive improvements, while a third saw no change in the performance on tests given to participants who went through an exercise program.
Only mental training - for which there were three studies - yielded positive results every time.
One large study that included more than 2,800 people offered one of three mental training programs focused on memory, reasoning or processing speed.
The participants randomly assigned to the memory group, for instance, went through 10 hour-long training sessions that taught methods for remembering written material, such as word lists.
Two years after the training programs, people who participated in a mental exercise performed better on related tasks than others who did not participate.
In other words, the memory group did better on memory tests than people who received no special training, while the reasoning group did better on reasoning tests.
The researchers also tested how well people performed on everyday tasks, such as finding a number in a phone book or preparing a meal, and found signs that people performed better if they had been through a mental training program.
“There was some evidence then that...specifically our speed and reasoning interventions had begun to transfer to everyday function,” said Michael Marsiske, an associate professor at the University of Florida who was involved in the mental exercise study.
But he added that although mental exercises help boost performance on cognitive tests, “it’s too early yet to say whether they actually prevent dementia or decline.”
Marsiske said that the new review might overstate the benefits of cognitive training as a result of Naqvi and his colleagues selecting only studies that used the most rigorous experimental methods to include in their analysis.
Naqvi said it’s difficult to compare the mental exercises used in the studies to those that are available to consumers, because each one is designed differently.
“Regardless, I still recommend to my patients to remain mentally and cognitively active as long as possible in whatever way is stimulating to them,” Naqvi said.
 

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Western diet linked to lower chances of ideal ageing

(IANS) / 17 April 2013

Following a Western style diet based on fried, sweet, processed and high-fat food products can reduce a person’s chances of achieving older ages in good health and with higher functionality, says a new study.
‘The impact of diet on specific age-related diseases has been studied extensively, but few investigations have adopted a more holistic approach to determine the association of diet with overall health at older ages,’ said lead author Tasnime Akbaraly, researcher at Inserm, Montpellier, France.

The study was conducted on British adults and its findings were published in the May issue of The American Journal of Medicine.

Those who followed a ‘Western-type diet’ consisting of fried and sweet food, processed food and red meat, refined grains, and high-fat dairy products lowered their chances for ideal aging, reports Science Daily.

‘We examined whether diet, assessed in midlife, using dietary patterns and adherence to the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), is associated with aging phenotypes, identified after a mean 16-year follow-up,’ Akbaraly added.

The study found that participants with low adherence to the AHEI increased their risk of cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular death.

 

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Drink more water to keep kidney stones at bay
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20 April 2013

Renal stones are one of the common afflictions of the kidney, especially in hot and dry conditions, according to Dr. Saurabh Singh, Specialist Urologist, Zulekha Hospital, Sharjah.A kidney stone is a solid piece of material that forms in a kidney when substances that are normally found in the urine become highly concentrated. With summer approaching, this is right time to be more aware of the problem.
How to know that you have stones in your kidney
A kidney stone may not cause symptoms until it moves around within your kidney or passes into your ureter — (the tube connecting the kidney and bladder). At that point, these signs and symptoms may occur: Severe pain in the side and back, below the ribs, pain that comes in waves and fluctuates in intensity, pain on urination, pink, red or brown urine, cloudy or foul smelling urine. Nausea and vomiting fever.
To diagnose kidney stones, the doctor will perform a physical exam and take a medical history.
They may perform urine, blood, and imaging tests, such as an X-ray or computerised tomography (CT) scan to complete the diagnosis.

  • Urine tests can show whether the person has an infection or the urine contains substances that form stones.
  • Blood test can show biochemical problems that can lead to kidney stones. It includes renal function test.
  • X ray can show the location of stones in the kidney or urinary tract.
  • CT scans use a combination of X-rays and computer technology to create three-dimensional (3-D) image. CT scans can show stone locations and conditions that may have caused the stone to form.
Rather than having to undergo treatment, it is best to avoid kidney stones in the first place when possible.
It can be especially helpful to drink more water since low fluid intake and dehydration are major risk factors for kidney stone formation.
You may reduce your risk of kidney stones if you:

  • Drink water throughout the day. For people with a history of kidney stones, doctors usually recommend passing about 2.5 liters of urine a day.
If you live in a hot, dry climate or you exercise frequently, you may need to drink even more water to produce enough urine. If your urine is light and clear, you’re likely drinking enough water.

  • Eat fewer oxalate-rich foods. If you tend to form calcium oxalate stones, your doctor may recommend restricting foods rich in oxalates. These include rhubarb, beets, okra, spinach, sweet potatoes, nuts, tea, chocolate and soy products.
  • Choose a diet low in salt and animal protein. Reduce the amount of salt you eat and choose non-animal protein sources, such as legumes. Don’t add salt to salads and dressings
  • Continue eating calcium-rich foods, but use caution with calcium supplements. Calcium in food doesn’t have an effect on your risk of kidney stones. Continue eating calcium-rich foods unless your doctor advises otherwise.
 

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Interrupting protein can help boost immunity
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(IANS) / 14 April 2013

Interrupting for a short period a protein responsible for immune functions can help boost the bodys immunity against viral infections like HIV and hepatitis C, says a new study.The study conducted by scientists at the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) shows that temporarily blocking type-1 interferons (IFN-1), a protein critical to immune response, helps the body clear itself of chronic infections.

Published in the April 12 edition of Science, the finding suggests new approaches to treating persistent viral infections like HIV and hepatitis C, reports Science Daily.

We suspect that halting IFN-1 activity is like pushing the refresh button, said lead author Elizabeth Wilson, a UCLA postdoctoral researcher.

It gives the immune system time to reprogram itself and control the infection.

IFN-1 is released by cells in response to disease-causing organisms. It enables cells to communicate with each other and orchestrate an immune response against infections.

Constant IFN-1 signalling is also a trademark of chronic viral infection and disease progression, particularly in HIV.
 

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Extra fiber tied to lower risk of stroke

(Reuters) / 21 April 2013

People who get more fiber in their diet are less likely to have a stroke than those who skimp on the nutrient, according to a new review of existing research.“A few people in the past have looked at the relationship between fiber and cardiovascular disease, which includes coronary heart disease and stroke,” senior author Victoria Burley told Reuters Health.
But this is the first time all the available results from long-term studies have been pulled together into one analysis, said Burley, a senior lecturer in nutritional epidemiology at the University of Leeds in the UK.
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Burley and her coauthors pooled the results of eight studies conducted since 1990 that included close to 500,000 participants. Those people reported on their dietary fiber consumption and were followed for anywhere from eight to 19 years.

The researchers found the risk of suffering a first stroke fell by 7 percent for every 7-gram increase in dietary fiber people reported each day - so that those who ate the most fiber had the lowest chance of stroke, according to findings published in the journal Stroke.
The average US woman gets 13 grams of fiber per day, and the average man gets 17 grams - well below the Institute of Medicine recommendation of 24 and 35 grams, respectively.
An extra 7 grams could come from two slices of whole wheat bread and a serving of fruit, for example, Burley said. But even less than that - just 2 or 3 extra grams per day - might affect stroke risk.
Americans suffer almost 800,000 strokes annually, and strokes cause one out of every 18 U.S. deaths, or 130,000 per year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most happen when a clot blocks blood flow in a brain vessel.
“Stroke is a very common and chronic disease in our society because the risk factors are growing,” Dr. Dean Sherzai, a neurologist at Loma Linda University in California, told Reuters Health.
The new results are important because at the moment there are limited treatments and preventive measures available for stroke, but diet changes such as adding more fiber are relatively easy, said Sherzai, who was not involved in the study.
The report didn’t look at the effects of different types of fiber on people of specific ages - so it’s possible some may glean more benefit from eating extra fiber than others, he added.
The findings don’t prove fiber directly prevents strokes. Researchers also don’t know why fiber would be linked to a lower risk, although they have some ideas.
“There could be all sorts of things going on,” Burley said.
Foods high in fiber tend to be low-calorie and help people maintain a healthy weight, which reduces stroke risk, she said. Fibrous foods also have vitamins, minerals and antioxidants including polyphenols and flavonoids, which make blood vessels more elastic.
The findings should serve as more encouragement for people to get their daily recommended fiber, Burley said. She’d like to see fiber back on the agenda - since it sometimes falls to the wayside in low-carbohydrate or gluten-free diets.
“Sometimes things like this just aren’t deemed sexy enough,” Sherzai said.
 

Mehrushka

Prime Minister (20k+ posts)
INFUSED WATER!

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Here are their benefits to help with detoxification energy and hydration. put as much fruit in water as you like and let the water sit for at least 30 minutes before drinking (1) Green tea, mint, lime-fat burning, digestion, headaches, congestion and breath freshener. (2) Strawberry,kiwi-cardiovascular health, immune system protection, blood sugar regulation, digestion (3) Cucumber, lime, lemon- water weight management, bloating, appetite control, hydration, digestion (4) Lemon, lime, orange- digestion vitamin C, immune defense, heartburn, (drink this one at room temperature)

Do not keep longer than 48 hours you can put more water using the same fruit, but discard after 48 hours.
 

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Natural compounds in dark chocolate found to increase calmness

By Eric W. Dolan
Monday, April 22, 2013 19:58 EDT
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Topics: Dark chocolate
Research to be published in the May issue of the Journal of Psychopharmacology has found cocoa polyphenols have a positive impact on mood in healthy individuals.
“To our knowledge, this is the first randomized, controlled trial to substantiate the effects of cocoa polyphenols on positive mood states in a non-clinical sample,” Matthew P. Pase of Swinburne University in Australia and his colleagues wrote in their study.
“Future research is needed to investigate whether cocoa polyphenols can ameliorate the symptoms associated with clinical anxiety or depression.”
The group of compounds are found naturally in the cocoa bean, the main constituent of dark chocolate. Many people believe consuming dark chocolate reduces anxiety and some research has even found that dark chocolate could improve mental functioning.
In the study of 72 healthy men and women aged 40–65 years, those who consumed a large amount of cocoa polyphenols in the form of a dark chocolate drink mix reported greater calmness and contentedness than those who consumed a chocolate drink mix that lacked polyphenols. The participants in the study maintained a relatively strict diet for 30 days to avoid consuming additional polyphenols.
The researchers failed to find any evidence that cocoa polyphenols significantly improved cognitive performance. Additionally, only those who consumed the highest amount of polyphenols (500 mg per day) reported any significant positive effects. Participants who consumed a moderate amount (250 mg per day) reported no significant effects.
Previous research suggests that cocoa polyphenols produce anti-anxiety effects by interacting with GABA receptors in the brain, Pase and his colleagues explained.
“Given the known actions of polyphenols on GABAa receptors, further human clinical trials are needed to substantiate the effects of cocoa polyphenols on anxiety and calmness.”
Originally published on PsyPost
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[Woman with chocolate bar via Shutterstock]

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/04/...in-dark-chocolate-found-to-increase-calmness/
 
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[h=1]Playing Tetris video game 'fixes lazy eye', doctors say[/h] By Michelle Roberts Health editor, BBC News online
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The aim of the game is to align the blocks to make a good fit



Canadian doctors say they have found an inventive way to treat lazy eye - playing the Tetris video game.
The McGill University team discovered the popular tile-matching puzzle could train both eyes to work together.
In a small study, in Current Biology with 18 adults, it worked better than conventional patching of the good eye to make the weak one work harder.
The researchers now want to test if it would be a good way to treat children with the same condition.
UK studies are already under way.
An estimated one in 50 children has lazy eye, known medically as amblyopia.
Continue reading the main story [h=2]“Start QuoteIt's much better than patching, much more enjoyable, it's faster and it seems to work better”[/h] Dr Hess Lead researcher

It happens when the vision in one eye does not develop properly, and is often accompanied by a squint - where the eyes do not look in the same direction.
Without treatment it can lead to a permanent loss of vision in the weak eye, which is why doctors try to intervene early.
Normally, the treatment is to cover the strong eye with a patch so that the child is forced to use their lazy eye.
The child must wear the patch for much of the day over many months, which can be frustrating and unpleasant.
Learning through play Dr Robert Hess and colleagues in Montreal set out to investigate whether a different approach might work.
Armed with a special pair of video goggles they set up an experiment that would make both eyes work as a team.
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The usual treatment is to patch the stronger eye to make the weaker one work harder

Nine volunteers with amblyopia were asked to wear the goggles for an hour a day over the next two weeks while playing Tetris, the falling building block video game.
The goggles allowed one eye to see only the falling objects, while the other eye could see only the blocks that accumulate on the ground in the game.
For comparison, another group of nine volunteers with amblyopia wore similar goggles but had their good eye covered, and watched the whole game through only their lazy eye.
At the end of the two weeks, the group who used both eyes had more improvement in their vision than the patched group.
The researchers then let the patched group have a go at using the goggles with both eyes uncovered. Their vision then improved significantly.
Patching 'may be hindrance' Dr Hess said the treatment could be a good alternative to patching, particularly for adults because they tend not to benefit from this anyway.
And any number of computer games could work - not just Tetris.
He said: "When we get the two eyes working together, we find the vision improves.
"It's much better than patching, much more enjoyable, it's faster and it seems to work better."
He said his research and other studies suggest amblyopia is actually a two-eye problem and that patching the good eye may hinder rather than help the weak one.
Forcing both eyes to co-operate increases the level of plasticity or adaptability in the brain and allows the weak eye to relearn how to see, he said.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-22245620
 

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Heart bypass surgery or stents? Depends on patient
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(Reuters) / 23 April 2013

The average person with multiple diseased arteries in the heart does slightly better following coronary artery bypass surgery than after having stents inserted, a new study suggests, but the optimal procedure varies by patient.Researchers found slightly more heart patients survived at least five years after bypass surgery - 74 percent, versus 72 percent of those who had a stenting procedure, known as angioplasty.
However, people who had no diabetes or heart failure and were non-smokers tended to have better outcomes with angioplasty than with more invasive surgery, the study team reported Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
‘It’s good to say, ‘On average people do better with this drug or this procedure,’‘ said Dr. Mark Hlatky, a healthy policy and cardiovascular medicine researcher at Stanford University in California.
‘But if we could only target the people who would get the most benefit, we’d probably make better decisions and maybe save money,’ he told Reuters Health.
For their study, Hlatky and his colleagues tracked the records of 105,156 people on Medicare, the government health insurance program for the elderly, who had bypass surgery or received stents between 1992 and 2008. Patients from each treatment group were matched by age and the year they had their procedure.
The researchers calculated the average patient lived 19 days longer after bypass surgery than stenting. People with diabetes, heart failure and peripheral artery disease, as well as those who smoked, were especially likely to benefit from bypass surgery.
But the rest of heart patients - as many as 41 percent - were predicted to do better after angioplasty, they found.
Bypass surgery involves grafting a healthy blood vessel around a blocked one, so blood ‘bypasses’ the unhealthy vessel. For a stent procedure, a small mesh tube is inserted into the blood vessel after it’s opened with a balloon-tipped catheter.
The results are consistent with other recent research suggesting people with diabetes and multiple clogged arteries fare better after undergoing bypass surgery than after receiving drug-coated stents.
‘The first question is whether you need something done at all, (or) whether drugs alone are enough,’ Hlatky said. ‘The second questions is, once you think you do need to go ahead and drug therapy is not enough - either because symptoms are too bad or the patient is high-risk - then you can decide between bypass surgery and angioplasty.’
For people who have only one clogged vessel, angioplasty is typically fine, Hlatky said.
‘On the other end if there’s very, very severe coronary disease in lots of places, most of the time patients go straight to surgery,’ he added.
It’s in the middle where patients and doctors can use studies like this one to make more informed decisions about what treatment might be best for them, Hlatky said.
According to the Healthcare Blue Book, bypass surgery runs for about $64,000, including the hospital stay. Because angioplasty requires fewer days in the hospital, it typically costs less than half that.