Health Related articles updated on daily Basis.

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Ramadan fasting lowers bad cholesterol, shows UAE study

Asma Ali Zain / 14 June 2012

Fasting in the holy month of Ramadan affects cholesterol levels positively while leading to changes in the body that may also impact health, according to a new study presented recently.A new medical study undertaken in the UAE by a team of cardiologists led by the chief interventional cardiologist at American Hospital Dubai, working with volunteers has shed new light on the subject by examining changes to cholesterol levels (a key indicator and risk factor for heart disease) during Ramadan. The findings of the study were presented at the recent World Cardiology Conference hosted in Dubai.
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Palestinian women stand in front of a window decoration of Islam's crescent moon and star on the eve of Islam's holy fasting month of Ramadan in the West Bank city of Jenin. - AFP/Getty Images[/TD]
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A Muslim fasting during Ramadan must abstain from food and drink from Fajer time (just before sunset) to Maghreb (sunset) for one lunar month. These changes in the eating schedule would be expected to affect the lipid profile (the measure of cholesterol in the blood) and there have been several small studies that showed some effects of Ramadan fasting on lipid profile but there was no consistent result. The objectives of the UAE study were to examine the effects of fasting during Ramadan on the lipid profile. Dr Omar K. Hallak, Consultant Interventional Cardiologist at American Hospital, and a member of the medical team leading the UAE study, commented: “This UAE study to examine the effects of Ramadan fasting on lipid profile provides the evidence that the change in habits and eating patterns during the Holy Month have a positive effect on cholesterol despite an increase in Body Mass Index amongst the sample.
“This is especially important in a region where there is a high incidence of obesity and diabetes.”
Dr Hallak added: “Cholesterol levels should be measured at least once every five years in adults over the age of 20 and more frequently for men over 35 and women over 45.” Thirty-seven adult volunteers were recruited to the study in the UAE, all of whom were willing and fit to fast during Ramadan.
Body Mass Index (BMI), blood pressure (BP) and lipid profile (blood test to measure cholesterol) were all measured two weeks before Ramadan. The same measurements were then repeated a second time during the fourth week of Ramadan, and then a third set of measurements were taken three weeks after the end of Ramadan. There are two forms of cholesterol — LDL (‘bad’ cholesterol) and HDL (‘good’ cholesterol). The LDL can build up on the walls of the arteries and increase the chance of getting heart disease. The lower the LDL cholesterol number, the lower the risk.
The study concluded that for the UAE group, during the fasting month of Ramadan, the average LDL decreased and the average HDL increased, resulting in a significant improvement of the HDL/LDL ratio in spite of the increased BMI.
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Mind and body rest tied to concussion healing: study

(Reuters) / 9 June 2012

Among people who have suffered a concussion, taking a week off from nearly all mental and physical activity—including television, talking on the phone and visiting with friends—was linked with improved mental performance and fewer symptoms in a new study.A week of total rest, even months after the injury occurred, still had benefits, according to the report in the Journal of Pediatrics.
“That’s really important because very often we see patients with post-concussion syndrome months after” their concussion, said Rosemarie Moser, director of the Sports Concussion Center of New Jersey and lead author of the study.
Post-concussion syndrome involves headaches, mental fogginess, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating or sleeping, among other symptoms.

Typically, rest is the main treatment that clinicians offer patients, “but it’s not systematic or comprehensive,” said Moser. “Currently, it really varies as to how practitioners define cognitive and physical rest.”
That’s because there isn’t a lot of evidence showing what types of rest are most helpful, she added.
To measure how well an intensive bout of rest can help athletes heal after a concussion, Moser’s group ordered 49 high school- and college-age patients to rest for a full week.
The prescription was strict: the study participants could not go to school or work, talk on the phone, exercise, watch TV, socialize or work at a computer.
Moser said that, based on the parents’ reports, most of the athletes were pretty good about sticking to the plan.
Fourteen of the patients started the rest within a week of their injuries. Another 22 patients began resting within a month of the concussion, and 13 patients began the week of rest between one and seven months after the concussion.
At the beginning of the study, all of the patients had symptoms related to the injury, such as headaches and trouble concentrating.
After the week of rest, all groups saw their symptoms improve.
Among the athletes who started the rest within a week of their concussion, their symptoms improved from a score of 22 on a 132-point scale down to seven.
Similarly, among those who began the week of rest more than a month out from their injury, symptoms dropped by 20 points, from 28 to 8.
“All of those symptoms improved dramatically. Qualitatively, you feel better,” Moser said.
Moser’s group also had the participants take mental tests—which measured memory, processing speed and reaction time—before and after the prescribed resting period.
The patients did better on all of the mental exams after they rested.
For instance, on a test of visual memory, people who started the rest within a week of the concussion or more than a month after the concussion had 10-percent better scores after their rest period, compared to before.
Such improvements are not immediately translatable to real life situations, Moser said, but better memory and mental speed might help someone during tasks like taking notes while listening to a teacher in school or remembering what a person just read.
Moser’s group did not compare the participants’ improvement to other people with concussions who got no special rest period, or who got some rest but less than the total cognitive and body rest imposed in the study.
So, at most, the report demonstrates that the rest did little harm and might have provided a benefit.
The study “provides some evidence to back up a recommendation that’s already out there,” said Dr. Willem Meeuwisse, a professor at the University of Calgary and a physician specializing in sports injuries who was not involved in the new work.
Meeuwisse said it’s not clear whether the rest needs to be as intensive as it was in the study to deliver benefits.
He said that in typical practice, “we back off physical and cognitive activity until your symptoms improve and avoid things that provoke and make your symptoms worse. That’s ideal because then you can individualize.”

 

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Lifestyle changes can prevent type-2 diabetes

(IANS) / 18 June 2012

Making lifestyle changes can prevent type-2 diabetes, simply, effectively and cheaply, a new study says.Diabetes is a chronic and complex disease marked by high levels of sugar in the blood that arise due to problems with the hormone insulin, which regulates blood sugar levels. It is usually caused by an inability to produce insulin (type 1) or an inability to respond correctly to insulin (type 2).

The study involved 230 people in poor, urban neighbourhoods in the San Francisco Bay Area cities. Contacted by phone about once a month, half of them received specific dietary guidance and other lifestyle counselling.
After six months, those who had received the counselling had on average lost more weight, were consuming less fat, were eating more fruits and vegetables and showed more improvements in lowering in their blood triglycerides, a key risk measure for type 2 diabetes, the American Journal of Public Health reported.
“Diabetes is not something you are necessarily going to get just because it runs in your family,” said Alka Kanaya, associate professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and senior study author. “It is very preventable, and lifestyle changes can really impact the onset of diabetes.”
“You can do something about it,” said Anita Stewart, professor at the UCSF Institute for Health & Aging and the Centre for Aging in Diverse Communities, senior study co-author, according to a university statement.
A major health concern in the US, diabetes of all types affect an estimated 8.3 percent of the US population—some 25.8 million Americans—and cost US taxpayers more than $200 billion annually.
Previous studies have shown that counselling and other lifestyle interventions are effective at preventing type 2 diabetes, but those interventions have generally been designed for clinical settings and include separate sessions with numerous health professionals.

 

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Home > Health

Loneliness, living alone tied to shorter lifespan (Reuters) / 19 June 2012 People with heart disease who live alone tend to die sooner than those sharing their home with others, a new study shows. Although the reasons for the gap are still murky, lead researcher Dr. Deepak Bhatt said access to regular medicine might be involved. "Patients living alone may have more difficulty getting their medications refilled and taking them regularly," Bhatt told Reuters Health. "They also don't have anyone at home to call the doctor's office or emergency room if they are not looking well." Earlier research has yielded mixed conclusions, but studies have linked social isolation to everything from heart attacks to weakened immune systems. Bhatt, of Harvard Medical School in Boston, and his colleagues focused specifically on people with known heart disease or at very high risk for it. They included more than 44,000 people, all of whom were 45 or older, from multiple countries across the globe. Over the four years the study lasted, 7.7 percent of participants younger than 65 who lived on their own died, compared to just 5.7 percent of those who didn't live alone. The gap was smaller for people age 66 to 80, but it remained statistically reliable even after accounting for age, sex, employment, ethnicity and country. The living situation of those over 80, however, wasn't tied to death rates. Writing in the Archives of Internal Medicine, the researchers speculate that in people under 80, living alone could signal psychological and social problems like job strain or loneliness. In contrast, very old people who live on their own may be healthier and more independent than those who don't. Whatever the explanation, Bhatt said cardiologists should routinely ask their patients if they live alone. "If the answer is yes, that might be a red flag and they should make sure the patients have a way to get their medicine regularly," he said. Meanwhile, patients living solo should think twice before ignoring changes that might be a sign of health problems. "Many times people just adapt to their circumstances," he said. "Perhaps just lower your threshold a little bit and realize it's better to call (the doctor) than not to call." But that might not be the whole story, he acknowledged. "Other mechanisms by which living alone could increase cardiac risk have to do with possible social isolation and loneliness, and these are more challenging to fix," Bhatt said. Indeed, another report published along with Bhatt's shows older people who felt lonely had more difficulty performing basic tasks of daily living and died younger than those who didn't feel alone.

 

[Night_Hawk]

Lifestyle changes key in diabetes care

Staff Reporter / 23 June 2012

Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes that occurs in adult population after 30-40 years of age, says Dr Shahid Alam, Specialist Internal Medicine, Zulekha Hospital, Dubai.Type 2 diabetes is an important contributor to premature vascular disease (like heart attack and strokes), kidney failure and lower limb amputation.

Approximately 19.2 per cent of the UAE population has been diagnosed with diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is frequently asymptomatic and remains undiagnosed for many years. Lifestyle issues such as lack of exercise and excessive calorie intake are often responsible for the early onset of diabetes.
Primary care lays stress on delay or prevention of onset of diabetes. “We need to address the causative factors like hereditary and environmental,” Dr Alam said.

A more likely approach to the prevention of type 2 diabetes could be through lifestyle changes that favourably influence insulin sensitivity and secretion capacity.
Type 2 diabetes can be prevented by avoidance of obesity, increasing physical activity, dietary modification and optimisation of the intrauterine (during pregnancy) environment.
Obesity is associated with increased risk of diabetes. Results of many prevention trials showed that regular exercise reduced the risk of developing diabetes especially for those who are overweight and have a family history of diabetes.
The quantity and composition of diet is also an important contributing factor. Stress should be laid on consumption of low fat food consisting of vegetables, cereals, whole wheat products and fruits.
Low birth weight also increases risk of future diabetes. Many studies suggest that adequate maternal nutrition and avoiding high blood sugar in mother during pregnancy have a preventive role in type 2 diabetes.
Hence, we should mainly focus on lifestyle changes like regular exercise, weight reduction and low calorie food for prevention of type 2 diabetes.
Secondary prevention deals with the management of diabetic complications by early diagnosis and adequate treatment of the disorder.
There is also need for treating and addressing associated risk factors like hypertension, high cholesterol and smoking.
Tertiary prevention means early detection, regular check-up and follow-up with health care providers.
[email protected]

 

[Night_Hawk]

Hepatitis B vaccine protects for 25 years: study

(Reuters) / 21 June 2012

Vaccination against hepatitis B seems to protect against the virus for 25 years, suggesting that booster shots are unnecessary, according to a study from Taiwan that covered several thousand people.Taiwan began compulsory hepatitis B virus immunization for all infants in 1984, in response to extremely high rates of infection, and the study - which appeared in the Journal of Hepatology - suggests other countries might benefit from a similar move.
“Universal vaccination in infancy provides long-term protection,” wrote lead author Yen-Hsuan Ni, from the National Taiwan University in Taipei.
Hepatitis B is a viral infection that attacks the liver and is a prime cause of liver cancer. The virus is spread by contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person.
In 2009, participants in the study who were younger than age 25 were far less likely to be infected with Hepatitis B than those between the ages of 26 and 30, who were born before universal vaccination, the researchers found.
“Its efficacy in young adults is clear,” Ni told Reuters health, explaining that medical experts had questions about how long the vaccine’s protective effect would last. Booster shots, which are generally not recommended for Hepatitis B, were not given to subjects in the study.
For the study, which was funded by the National Taiwan University Hospital, Ni and his colleagues enrolled more than 3,300 participants under 30.
Of these, more than 2,900 - born after the mandate - received at least three doses of vaccine in their first year. Approximately 370 subject, born before 1984, were not universally vaccinated.
When they collected blood samples from January to December 2009, Ni’s team found that fewer than one percent of the universally vaccinated group carried the virus and were infectious to others, compared with 10 percent of those who weren’t universally vaccinated.
Fifty-six percent of those born after universal vaccination developed immunity to the disease, versus 24 percent in the group born before it began. Seven percent of the group that was universally vaccinated had an infection in their history but possibly had recovered, compared with 28 percent of the group that was not.
The World Health Organization recommends hepatitis B shots for all babies. The vaccine comes in a three-part series.

 

[Hazik]

nice articles...

 

[Night_Hawk]

Less-invasive weight loss surgery safer

(Reuters) / 24 June 2012

Minimally invasive weight loss surgery is safer than open surgery, with patients suffering fewer complications during those procedures, according to a US study of more than 150,000 people who underwent gastric bypass surgery.Patients left the hospital sooner, and with a slightly smaller medical bill, after undergoing so-called laparoscopic gastric bypass procedures, in which only a few small cuts in the stomach are made, said researchers at Stanford University in California.

During gastric bypass, the surgeon creates a pouch out of the top portion of the stomach, then connects it to the small intestine so fewer calories are absorbed during digestion, with one large cut being made. Laparoscopic surgery involves a small camera being inserted, and several small cuts.
“The consensus is now overwhelming to suggest a laparoscopic approach first,” said John Morton, who led the research, noting that close to 90 per cent of gastric bypass surgery patients now have it done laparoscopically.
“Pretty much across the board (it has) much better outcomes for patients.”
Morton and his colleagues analysed data on weight loss procedures done at about 1,000 US hospitals each year between 2005 and 2007, including 41,000 open gastric bypass surgeries and 115,000 laparoscopic surgeries.
Looking at safety records, the researchers found about 19 per cent of patients undergoing open surgery had at least one complication, such as developing pneumonia or needing a blood transfusion. Just over 12 per cent of those who had less-invasive surgery developed complications.
One in 500 obese patients in the open surgery group died during or shortly after the procedure, compared with one in 1,000 in the laparoscopic group, according to findings published in the Archives of Surgery.
Open surgery patients also had longer hospital stays, 3.5 days versus 2.4 days, on average.
According to data from the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, about 220,000 people in the United States had weight loss surgery, including gastric bypass, in 2009.
“From the surgeon’s perspective, the ability to see (during) the surgery is enhanced doing it laparoscopically,” said Anita Courcoulas, a professor and bariatric surgeon from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, who wasn’t involved in the study.
“From the patient’s perspective, there’s much less pain, so they can walk and move and return to normal activities sooner.”

 

[Night_Hawk]

[h=3]Papaya: The Fruit of Angels[/h]

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Christopher Columbus, who is given credit as being the first European to reach America, in 1492, called papaya the "fruit of the angels," and rightly so. Many of you may have tried and loved eating papaya's wonderful flesh, but few know that the seeds are also edible -- and delicious when used in salad dressings to spice up the flavor. The seeds have a peppery flavor that add a wonderful spank to the dressing.



The botanical name for papaya is Carica Papaya. Botanically speaking, papaya is a berry. There are two types of papaya, the Hawaiian and the Mexican varieties. The papaya fruit is sweet with musky undertones and as soft as butter. It earned the reputation for being the "fruit of the angels" because of that consistency. It is a tropical fruit, but due to refrigeration, papaya can be found all year round. The papaya is spherical in shape, almost like a pear, but can be as long as 50 cm. Papayas found in supermarkets are usually about 17 cm long. The flesh is orange in color with black round seeds in the cavity encased in a gelatin-like substance. Papain is an enzyme found in papaya that helps the body digest proteins, and it is extracted to make digestion-aiding dietary supplements. People with irritable bowl syndrome should consider eating papaya to relieve their symptoms.


The seeds are used for medicinal purposes. The seeds can be eaten with the fruit, or you can dry them and use them as you use black pepper. They look and taste like black pepper.


Most papaya fruit is used for commercial and medicinal reasons. Not many papaya fruits make it to the markets. The enzyme papain is used to tenderize meat, treat wool products to prevent shrinkage, remove stains from fine fabrics, and as an antidote for jellyfish stings and insect bites. It is also used to make toothpaste, cosmetic products, beer, and contact lens cleanser.


Papaya has been grown in tropical regions of Central America and Southern Mexico for centuries. In 1500, papaya seeds were brought to the Dominican Republic and Panama. Portuguese and Spanish sailors took the papaya seeds to subtropical countries, including the Philippines, India, and Malacca. Papaya became well distributed due to the abundance of the seeds and the fact that it can withstand cool, dry conditions for about 3 years. It grows well in tropical regions due to the heavy rainfall and fertile soil.


Papaya's health benefits are numerous, but I will just touch on the main benefits. One medium-sized papaya is only 118 calories, and is a rich source of antioxidants, such as carotenes, vitamin C, flavonoids, B vitamins, folate, and pantothenic acid. It is also a good source of vitamins E and K, as well as the minerals potassium and magnesium. Moreover, papaya is a good source of fiber, and there is evidence that it lowers cholesterol. All these nutrients promote a healthy cardiovascular system. They also help to prevent colon cancer. The fiber in papayas binds to toxins in the colon and removes them from the body before they can cause cancer.


Papaya has an antiinflammatory effect, because it contains the enzymes papain and chymopapain, which reduce inflammation and allow improved healing from burns. Even the immune system is improved by papaya, because it contains high levels of vitamins C and A. Eating a papaya every day can make a huge impact on your health.


T.P. Lucas, a British doctor, discovered the medicinal value of papaya in 1875. He opened a hospital in Brisbane, Australia, to treat patients mostly with papaya. The value of papaya in treating sunburns, rashes, and age spots has been implicated in Papua New Guinea. I can site much research evidence as to the power and benefits of eating papaya, but due to limited space, I will only mention one study which confirms that papaya and other fruits in the same category protect against rheumatoid arthritis.


A study at the University of Manchester in England, as reported by the Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter, November 2005, Volume 23, states that there is a positive link between the intake of brightly colored fruits (such as papayas) and a lower chance of developing inflammatory polyarthritis. Papaya has high levels of beta-cryptoxanthin, an antioxidant thought to protect against inflammation. The study was originally reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, August 2005, volume 82, lead by Dorothy Pattison. Pattison stated that the average daily beta-cryptoxanthin intake of the 88 subjects who developed inflammatory polyarthritis was 40 percent lower than those who had not and the subject's intake of other carotenoids, zeaxanthin was 20 percent lower. The study concluded that there is evidence that modest increase in B-cryptoxanthin intake equal to a glass of juice, or a whole fruit, such as papaya, every day reduces the risk of developing inflammatory disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis.

 

[Night_Hawk]

Know what you eat

Six foods that aren’t as bad as you think

• By Katherine Tallmadge
• Published: 00:00 June 9, 2012

• 
  [*=right]Image Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto
• Still-life of fresh fruit

As a nutrition consultant, I’ve come to realise there is no shortage of surprises and superstitions in the world of nutrition. Here are reasons to enjoy some of your favourites.

Gluten and wheat

Decades of studies have found that gluten-containing foods, such as whole wheat, rye and barley, are not just vital for good health, they’ve shown to reduce risk of diabetes, heart disease, cancer and excess weight. Joanne Slavin, nutrition professor at the University of Minnesota, adds it’s a good source of fibre, vitamins and minerals. One reason wheat-free or gluten-free diets are popular is that people who don’t eat wheat often end up bypassing excess calories in sweets and snack foods. They lose weight and mistakenly attribute their success to gluten or wheat avoidance.

Eggs

Their high cholesterol content has been thought to increase LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and heart disease risk but no studies confirm this. Cholesterol in food is a minor factor contributing to high blood cholesterol for most people. “Elevations in LDL (bad) cholesterol of this small magnitude [184mg in the yolk] could easily be countered by other healthy aspects of eggs,” says Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard’s School of Public Health. Interestingly, some of the biggest egg eaters in the world, the Japanese, have low cholesterol and heart disease rates, partly because they eat a diet low in saturated fat.

Potatoes

Potatoes have been blamed for increasing blood glucose levels, insulin resistance, excess weight and Type 2 diabetes. One Harvard study linked potato eating with being overweight, due to the blood glucose rise. But foods, including whole-wheat bread and whole-grain cereals, cause similar spikes in blood glucose. The study lumped all potato products together, including potato chips and french fries – very fattening versions eaten with hamburgers, hot dogs and sodas. “Other epidemiological studies have not verified a connection between potatoes and weight gain or any diseases, and no clinical studies have shown a connection,” said David Baer, a research leader at the Agricultural Research Service of the Department of Agriculture. Potatoes are a great source of potassium, Vitamin C and fibre.
Fruits
People often ask me if fruit is too high in sugar, especially for diabetics. This fear of fruit, I believe, is from the Atkins craze, which discouraged eating some fruits because they are high in carbohydrates. Avoiding fruit could actually damage your health. Studies have shown eating fruit reduce the risk of some cancers, heart disease, blood pressure and diabetes. It is high in water and fibre, which help you feel full with fewer calories, one reason why eating it is linked to lower body weight. Even though they contain simple sugars, most fruits have a relatively low glycemic index.
Soy
Soy is sometimes seen as dangerous after studies found elevated rates of breast cancer among rats when they were fed a concentrated soy derivative. But studies looking at whole soy foods in humans have not found a connection. Soy, “when consumed in childhood or adolescence may make breast tissue less vulnerable to cancer development later in life and probably has no effect on breast cancer risk when consumption begins in adulthood,” said Karen Collins, registered dietitian and nutrition adviser with the American Institute for Cancer Research. Actually, Collins said, the evidence is so strong for protection against heart disease that the FDA allowed a health claim for labels on soy food products.
Fried Foods
While it’s true that frying food usually increases its caloric content, that doesn’t necessarily make it unhealthful. As long as food is not fried in butter, shortening, or trans fat, and is eaten in moderation, it isn’t less healthy. In fact, fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, and heart-healthy, cancer-preventive carotenoids such as beta-carotene (carrots, sweet potatoes), lycopene (tomatoes) and lutein/zeaxanthin (deep-green leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale), need fat in order to be absorbed by the body.
— Washington Post

 

[Night_Hawk]

Diseases spreading because people dont wash their hands

Hygiene expert warns simple act is the best defence against passing on an infection

• By Mahmood Saberi, Senior Reporter
• Published: 13:31 June 27, 2012
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Dubai: Every year two billion people around the world suffer from diarrhoea because they dont wash their hands, the Global Hygiene Council has warned.
We are living in an inter-connected world where the outbreak of cholera in Haiti, for example, will soon be felt in London, according to John Oxford, chairman of the Hygiene Council and professor of Virology at Queen Mary College, University of London.
Infectious diseases are spread through person-to-person transmission primarily due to a lack of personal hygiene, Oxford said, citing the recent incidents in Germany. Even in modern, educated societies people do not wash their hands because they claim there is no time, he said.
Oxford was speaking at the recent launch of the Arab Hygiene Council in Dubai that involves health care officials from across the region. Its objective is to develop hygiene standards across the Middle East and raise awareness about the risks of poor hygiene habits.
Poor hygiene has contributed to the global spread of pathogens such as norovirus and staphylococcus, Oxford said.
A study has shown that globally many people still do not wash their hands before cooking their food, eating or after using the toilet. In the Middle East younger people and extroverts are aware of the dangers of dirty hands, the study shows.
Related Links

• The war on germs is a rinse away

According to Rowena Intrepido, infection control specialist at the Canadian Specialist Hospital in Dubai, more people in the UAE have become aware that you need to keep your hands clean since the H1N1 scare.
When soap and water are not available people rely on hand sanitisers, Intrepido said. She said there are 400 hand sanitising gel dispensers across the hospital.
Intrepido said hospital staff are required to wash or clean their hands before contact with a patient, after patient contact, after exposure to body and body fluids and after touching the patients surroundings.
She said some of the dirtiest things we touch every day are the shopping trolley handles and the door knobs of toilet doors and was happy to note many stores and organisations provide hand sanitising gel dispensers.
Asked whether it was an advertising gimmick, Rowena said it may seem the role of hand sanitisers is over-hyped by manufacturers. But she noted our hands are home to thousands of disease-carrying bacteria. It is important to maintain hand hygiene with soap and water and if you cant get soap and water then the hand sanitiser gel will work, she said.
According to Tareq Madani, professor of medicine and infectious diseases, there is no difference if you wash with soap and water or sanitising gel. In a hospital setting the gel and hand wipes are better than soap and water [as it saves time], he said.
The doctor noted that the way the hands are cleaned is also important.


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[Night_Hawk]

Menopause for men is real and treatable

Men over 50 like their female counterparts, are s prone to decrease of hormones

• By Samihah Zaman, Staff Reporter
• Published: 00:00 June 10, 2012
• 

• 
  [*=right]Image Credit: Supplied
• Testosterone levels in the human body naturally decrease as part of the aging process.

Abu Dhabi: If you think hormonal changes, hot flashes and mood swings are hallmarks of menopausal women, think again. Men over the age of 50, like women, are as prone to the gradual decrease of hormones, along with symptoms like depression, reduced muscle strength and declining cognitive function, an expert said.
These symptoms, which occur when the level of testosterone decreases in the body, are even more pronounced in men with diabetes or obesity, said Dr Manaf Al Hashimi, specialist urologist at Lifeline Hospital.

While low levels of testosterone occur in 20 per cent of men on average, according to studies conducted in the United States and Europe. However, because of the high levels of diabetes and obesity in the region, the condition may be even more prevalent here

Dr Al-Hashimi
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While low levels of testosterone occur in 20 per cent of men on average, according to studies conducted in the United States and Europe. However, because of the high levels of diabetes and obesity in the region, the condition may be even more prevalent here, Dr Al-Hashimi told Gulf News.
Unfortunately, men in the region are not aware that male menopause is a real, treatable condition. In fact, not treating greatly lowered levels of testosterone in the body also poses other risks, he added.
Testosterone levels in the human body naturally decrease as part of the aging process. An average 70-year-old male has half the level of testosterone as a 30-year-old.
In one of five men, these levels fall below 12 nanomoles per litre of blood, bringing about the onset of male menopause, also known as andropause or male climacteric. This is when risks such as increasing body mass index, decreased sexual performance, erectile dysfunction, poorer control of diabetes, recurring depression, impaired cognitive abilities, and worsening hypertension and cholesterol levels. Male menopause is also closely linked to cardiovascular diseases, as well as lowered bone density that is indicative of osteoporosis.
Related Links

• Workout-excess alert in middle age
• Age over attitude

Testosterone is normally considered to be associated with sexual functions, but the hormone has many other roles in the human body. In fact, many organs, including the brain, kidney, liver and skin, require enough testosterone for proper functioning, the doctor said.
Few patients seek treatment for male menopause, despite its prevalence. For example, only 3 per cent of those affected in Europe in 2006 were receiving treatment. And only 3 per cent of all the patients I have seen over the last five years had any awareness of the condition, Dr Al Hashimi said.
As in the case of female menopausal symptoms, there are many hormone replace treatments available for those with low testosterone, such as injections, gels and patches.
Men over the age of 40 years should regularly screen themselves when visiting their physicians, especially those afflicted with diabetes or obesity. If testosterone levels are lowered, a physician can prescribe some form of treatment, and then screen the patient against any possible side effects, he said.

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[Night_Hawk]

10,000 steps a day keep diabetes at bay

(Reuters) / 30 June 2012

Among people at high risk for diabetes who get very little exercise, those who manage to walk more throughout the day are less likely to actually develop the blood sugar disorder, according to a US study.Earlier studies have shown that walking more is tied to a lower risk of diabetes, but few studies have looked into precise measures of how many steps people take each day, said Amanda Fretts, lead author of the study and a researcher at the University of Washington in Seattle.
“Our finding wasn’t surprising given that other studies have shown that even light activity is associated with a lower risk of diabetes,” Fretts wrote in an email to Reuters Health.

To get a better sense of the potential benefits of walking, Fretts and her colleagues asked more than 1,800 people to wear a pedometer for a week to tally the number of steps they typically took each day.
All of them came from native American communities in Arizona, Oklahoma and North and South Dakota that are known to have low physical activity levels and high rates of diabetes.
About a quarter of the group were considered to have very low activity, taking fewer than 3,500 steps a day, while half took fewer than 7,800 steps a day. One mile is around 2,000 steps and daily walking recommendations typically point to a minimum of 10,000 steps a day.
At the beginning of the study, none of the participants had diabetes. But after five years of follow-up, 243 people had the condition.
About 17 per cent of the people in the lowest activity group developed diabetes, compared to 12 per cent of the people who took more than 3,500 steps a day.
After taking into account people’s age, whether they smoked and other diabetes risk factors, Fretts’s steam determined that people who walked the most were 29 per cent less likely to develop diabetes than those who walked the least.
The findings don’t prove that walking more is responsible for the lower diabetes risk, but Fretts offered some possible explanations for how walking might help.
“Increased physical activity may prevent weight gain and promote weight loss, a major determinant of diabetes risk,” she said.
Physical activity also has effects on inflammation, glucose and other molecules in the body that could help lower diabetes risk. But she added that the potential benefits of moderate levels of walking are “only for those who are really inactive to begin with.” — Reuters

 

[Night_Hawk]

Carpal tunnel syndrome: Is it worth the wait?

/ 27 June 2012

Delaying treatment for minor health issues — like carpal tunnel syndrome — could cost more in the long run.Delaying treatment for minor health issues — like carpal tunnel syndrome — could cost more in the long run.
Many 
families go through a check and balance process when it comes to their health. They try to determine if avoiding the cost of medical bills as well as time off from work is worth the risk of delaying medical treatment for a problem — especially when they question how serious the problem is for their long-term health.
Many health experts agree that delaying needed and recommended treatments will end up costing individuals and the country far more in the long run. Some relatively minor problems, including high blood pressure, hearing loss, joint pain and carpal tunnel syndrome tend to escalate if left untreated, putting a patient at risk for more serious (and expensive) health consequences.

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a good example of an ailment you might think you can live with rather than pay the cost of treating it. It’s surprisingly common, with up to five per cent of the workforce affected, according to the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery journal. On average, affected workers lost 27 days of work to recuperate from CTS in 2010, according to the Bureau of Labour Statistics.
With people spending more time on their computer or online, more people are likely to be exposed to the repetitive motions that can lead to CTS.
While severe cases may require surgical treatment, studies have shown that early treatment with splinting and massage can help alleviate this painful condition. Appropriate splinting (or bracing) helps keep the affected wrist in a neutral position, minimising pressure on the irritated nerve, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Massage can also be effective, researchers have found. A report in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies indicates massage can reduce CTS symptoms. While only your doctor can make an actual diagnosis, once you know you have carpal tunnel syndrome there are simple, low-cost steps you can take to supplement your own treatment, including:

• Adjust your posture to minimise strain. Sit up straight and don’t rest your wrists on the edge of your keyboard tray while typing; try to maintain a straight wrist position.
• Stay hydrated. Proper hydration is essential to the healthy functioning of all our tissues.
• Ask your doctor to recommend appropriate exercises to keep the wrist flexible.
• Wear a wrist brace, even when you sleep. A special night brace is best.

It makes sense to save yourself long-term pain and money by addressing the problem early. Consult your doctor if you experience wrist pain that might be carpal tunnel syndrome.

 

[Khalid]

Cranberry products may prevent urinary tract infections

(Reuters) / 10 July 2012

People who regularly drink cranberry juice or take cranberry capsules are less likely to get urinary tract infections, a new review of past evidence suggests. Researchers found cranberry products seemed especially helpful for women who had trouble with recurrent UTIs.

Although cranberry juice and capsules are popular antidotes to the common bacterial infections, researchers haven’t always been sure whether or how they might work. Recent evidence suggests certain compounds in cranberries - and maybe other berries as well - might prevent bacteria from attaching to tissue in the urinary tract, thereby warding off infections.


“What this is doing is solidifying what has been folklore for quite some time,” said Dr. Deborah Wing, who has studied urinary tract infections at the University of California, Irvine.


“Finally, the science is catching up to what our mothers have been telling us for so many decades,” she told Reuters Health.


Still, Wing noted some women have trouble drinking a lot of cranberry juice or don’t like swallowing the large capsules. There’s also a lack of data about what form of cranberries - juice versus capsules, for example - is easier to take and better for reducing UTI risk, said Wing, who wasn’t involved in the study.


For the new analysis, researchers led by Dr. Chih-Hung Wang from National Taiwan University Hospital consulted 10 earlier studies of about 1,500 people, mostly women, who were randomly assigned to take daily cranberry products, cranberry-free placebo products or nothing.


The amount of cranberry compounds used in the studies varied greatly, from one-gram capsules to close to 200 grams of cranberry juice daily. Overall, participants assigned to cranberry products had 38 percent fewer UTIs, the research team reported Monday in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

For women with a history of multiple infections, in particular, the risk of UTI was reduced by 47 percent while on cranberry products. For example, in one study of Canadian women with recurrent infections, there were 19 UTIs among 100 women taking both cranberry capsules and juice over a year, compared to 16 infections in 50 women who were assigned to cranberry-free imitation juice.


Because of differences between the trials and questions of how well participants and doctors were “blinded” to who was getting what product, Wang and colleagues said the findings “should be interpreted with great caution.”


“Is (cranberry) the natural cure-all for urinary tract infections? Of course not,” said Bill Gurley, a pharmaceutical researcher who has studied dietary interventions at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock.


“For individuals that do have problems with recurrent UTIs, incorporating a little cranberry juice in your diet certainly can’t hurt,” added Gurley, who wasn’t part of the new research team. Still, he told Reuters Health, “We still don’t know exactly what the correct dose should be, or what the correct form should be.”


Wing said certain women are predisposed to UTIs. Those who are born with a malformed urinary tract or engage in anal sex, for example, are also at higher risk of recurrent infections.


Cranberry juices and capsules are an attractive option for preventing UTIs because unlike with antibiotics, taking the products for long periods of time doesn’t increase the risk that drugs used to treat infections will stop working when bacteria build up resistance.


Cranberry tablets are also relatively cheap, starting at about 25 cents per day. However, one recent study found antibiotics were still more effective at preventing infections in Dutch women with recurrent UTIs (see Reuters Health story of June 25, 2011).


High doses of cranberry products can also cause stomach aches - and the sugar in juice might be a problem for people with diabetes, the researchers noted.
Until the science catches up, Wing said, for women who want to try cranberry products the decision of juice versus capsules “is a matter of personal preference” - as long as they look carefully at product labels and know that not all over-the-counter juices and capsules are created equal.


http://khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-...xfile=data/health/2012/July/health_July11.xml

 

[Night_Hawk]

High-dose vitamin D prevents fractures in elderly

(Reuters) / 6 July 2012

A new analysis of nearly a dozen studies testing vitamin D in older individuals has concluded that it takes a daily dose of at least 800 international units (IU) to consistently prevent broken bones.A dose that high was found to reduce the risk of hip fracture by 30 percent and other breaks by 14 percent. Lower doses didn’t have any effect.
The report, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, also suggests that too much calcium—perhaps more than 1,000 milligrams (mg) per day—can weaken the benefit.
“These hip fractures cost a lot and are a really serious event. They are usually the end of independent life for a senior person; 50 percent do not regain their mobility. Reducing the risk by 30 percent with just a vitamin supplement would be an enormous public health opportunity,” study researcher Dr. Heike Bischoff-Ferrari of University Hospital Zurich in Switzerland told Reuters Health.
The Institute of Medicine recommends that most adults get 1,000 to 1,200 mg of calcium per day and 600 to 800 IU of vitamin D. It sets a recommended upper limit at 2,000 mg of calcium and 4,000 IU of vitamin D.

Bischoff-Ferrari said the lack of benefit seen in other studies “may be explained by adherence to treatment and vitamin D supplements taken outside the study medication.”
Dr. Richard Bockman, a hormone expert at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, said the findings are an important counterbalance to last month’s widely-reported recommendation by the US Preventive Services Task Force.
The government-backed task force advised against taking doses of less than 400 IU of vitamin D with 1,000 mg of calcium and concluded the evidence was unclear for higher doses. It also said the supplements carry a risk of side effects such as kidney stones.
Bockman said the best trial is a 2003 study, known as the Trivedi trial, in which volunteers received an average of 800 IU per day as a single 100,000 IU dose every four months.
“It clearly showed a reduction in fracture risk in people who were getting vitamin D,” he said.
In an editorial, Dr. Robert Heaney of Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska, said the problem with the conflicting studies may be that most have failed to consider each person’s vitamin D levels to start with.
Giving it to people who already have enough, or not giving enough to people with very low levels, may show no benefit, he said.
“In this regard, as in several other respects, nutrients are unlike drugs. Once an adequate concentration has been achieved, additional intake has no effect,” said Heaney.

 

[Night_Hawk]

Vegetables, Fruits, and Cardiovascular Disease

There is compelling evidence that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can lower the risk of heart disease and stroke.
The largest and longest study to date, done as part of the Harvard-based Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study, included almost 110,000 men and women whose health and dietary habits were followed for 14 years. The higher the average daily intake of fruits and vegetables, the lower the chances of developing cardiovascular disease. Compared with those in the lowest category of fruit and vegetable intake (less than 1.5 servings a day), those who averaged 8 or more servings a day were 30 percent less likely to have had a heart attack or stroke. (2) Although all fruits and vegetables likely contribute to this benefit, green leafy vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, and mustard greens; cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, and kale; and citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit (and their juices) make important contributions. (2)
When researchers combined findings from the Harvard studies with several other long-term studies in the U.S. and Europe, and looked at coronary heart disease and stroke separately, they found a similar protective effect: Individuals who ate more than 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per had roughly a 20 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease (3) and stroke, (4) compared with individuals who ate less than 3 servings per day.
Vegetables, Fruits, and Blood Pressure

High Blood Pressure and Salt
Nine out of 10 U.S. men and women will develop hypertension at some point in their lives. Read more about ways to lower blood pressure by reducing salt and sodium.
Lower Salt and Sodium— A Key to Good Health: An in-depth article about the health hazards of too much salt, and how we can reduce salt and sodium intake
Salt and Heart Disease: A closer look at three key studies that show the harmful effects of sodium on the heart
Delicious Recipes that Spare the Salt: Fourteen lower-sodium recipes from The Culinary Institute of America that use herbs, spices, and culinary techniques to boost flavor

High blood pressure is a primary risk factor for heart disease and stroke. As such, it's a condition that is important to control. Diet can be a very effective tool for lowering blood pressure. One of the most convincing associations between diet and blood pressure was found in the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) study. (5)
This trial examined the effect on blood pressure of a diet that was rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products and that restricted the amount of saturated and total fat. The researchers found that people with high blood pressure who followed this diet reduced their systolic blood pressure (the upper number of a blood pressure reading) by about 11 mm Hg and their diastolic blood pressure (the lower number) by almost 6 mm Hg—as much as medications can achieve.
More recently, a randomized trial known as the Optimal Macronutrient Intake Trial for Heart Health (OmniHeart) showed that this fruit and vegetable-rich diet lowered blood pressure even more when some of the carbohydrate was replaced with healthy unsaturated fat or protein. (6)
Vegetables, Fruits, and Cancer

Numerous early studies revealed what appeared to be a strong link between eating fruits and vegetables and protection against cancer. But because many of these were case-control studies, where people who already have a certain health outcome (cases) are compared to people who do not have that outcome (controls), it is possible that the results may have been skewed by problems inherent in these types of studies; people with illnesses, for example, often recall past behaviors differently from those without illness, which can lead to potential inaccuracy in the information that they provide to study investigators.
Cohort studies, which follow large groups of initially healthy individuals for years, generally provide more reliable information than case-control studies because they don't rely on information from the past. And data from cohort studies have not consistently shown that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables prevents cancer in general. For example, in the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, over a 14-year period, men and women with the highest intake of fruits and vegetables (8+ servings a day) were just as likely to have developed cancer as those who ate the fewest daily servings (under 1.5). (2)
A more likely possibility is that some types of fruits and vegetables may protect against certain cancers. A massive report by the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research suggests that non-starchy vegetables—such as lettuce and other leafy greens, broccoli, bok choy, cabbage, as well as garlic, onions, and the like—and fruits "probably" protect against several types of cancers, including those of the mouth, throat, voice box, esophagus, and stomach; fruit probably also protects against lung cancer. (7)

Specific components of fruits and vegetables may also be protective against cancer. For example, a line of research stemming from a finding from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study suggests that tomatoes may help protect men against prostate cancer, especially aggressive forms of it. (8) One of the pigments that give tomatoes their red hue—lycopene—could be involved in this protective effect. Although several studies other than the Health Professionals study have also demonstrated a link between tomatoes or lycopene and prostate cancer, others have not or have found only a weak connection. (9) Taken as a whole, however, these studies suggest that increased consumption of tomato-based products (especially cooked tomato products) and other lycopene-containing foods may reduce the occurrence of prostate cancer. (7) Lycopene is one of several carotenoids (compounds that the body can turn into vitamin A) found in brightly colored fruits and vegetables, and research suggests that foods containing carotenoids may protect against lung, mouth, and throat cancer. (7) But more research is needed before we know the exact relationship between fruits and vegetables, carotenoids, and cancer.
Vegetables, Fruits, and Gastrointestinal Health

One of the wonderful components of fruits and vegetables is their indigestible fiber. As fiber passes through the digestive system, it sops up water like a sponge and expands. This can calm the irritable bowel and, by triggering regular bowel movements, can relieve or prevent constipation. (10) The bulking and softening action of insoluble fiber also decreases pressure inside the intestinal tract and so may help prevent diverticulosis (the development of tiny, easily irritated pouches inside the colon) and diverticulitis (the often painful inflammation of these pouches). (11)
Vegetables, Fruits, and Vision

Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables also keeps your eyes in good shape. You may have learned that the vitamin A in carrots aids night vision. Other fruits and vegetables help prevent two common aging-related eye diseases—cataract and macular degeneration—which afflict millions of Americans over age 65. Cataract is the gradual clouding of the eye's lens, a disk of protein that focuses light on the light-sensitive retina. Macular degeneration is caused by cumulative damage to the macula, the center of the retina. It starts as a blurred spot in the center of what you see. As the degeneration spreads, vision shrinks.
Free radicals generated by sunlight, cigarette smoke, air pollution, infection, and metabolism cause much of this damage. Dark green leafy vegetables—such as spinach and kale—contain two pigments, lutein and zeaxanthin, that accumulate in the eye; these pigments are found in other brightly colored fruits and vegetables as well, including corn, squash, kiwi, and grapes. (12) These two pigments appear to be able to snuff out free radicals before they can harm the eye's sensitive tissues. (13)
In general, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables appears to reduce the chances of developing cataract or macular degeneration. (14–17) Lutein and zeaxanthin, in particular, seem protective against cataract. (18)
The Bottom Line: Recommendations for Vegetable and Fruit Intake

Vegetables and fruits are clearly an important part of a good diet. Almost everyone can benefit from eating more of them, but variety is as important as quantity. No single fruit or vegetable provides all of the nutrients you need to be healthy. The key lies in the variety of different vegetables and fruits that you eat.

Get your leafy greens today—try Mollie Katzen's delicious spring recipe for ruby chard.

Try these tips to fit more fruits and vegetables into your day:

• Keep fruit out where you can see it. That way you'll be more likely to eat it. Keep it out on the counter or in the front of the fridge.
• Get some every meal, every day. Try filling half your plate with vegetables or fruit at each meal. Serving up salads, stir fry, or other fruit and vegetable-rich fare makes it easier to reach this goal. Bonus points if you can get some fruits and vegetables at snack time, too.
• Explore the produce aisle and choose something new. Variety is the key to a healthy diet. Get out of a rut and try some new fruits and vegetables—include dark green leafy vegetables; yellow, orange, and red fruits and vegetables; cooked tomatoes; and citrus fruits.
• Bag the potatoes. Choose other vegetables that are packed with more nutrients and more slowly digested carbs.

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutriti...getables-full-story/index.html#blood_pressure

 

[Night_Hawk]

New evidence about calcium pills and heart attacks

Dr. Toni Brayer

Published 06:49 p.m., Wednesday, July 11, 2012


Doctors and health professionals have told women for years that they should supplement their diets with extra calcium to prevent bone loss (osteoporosis) and fractures, and many women have taken their advice. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 61 percent of women over age 60 take calcium supplements regularly.

Now these same patients have been thrown for a loop by a study in the journal Heart that linked calcium supplements to heart attacks.
Researchers studied 24,000 German and European patients ages 35-64 that participated in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition study. Using questionnaires, they quizzed them about their vitamin and mineral supplements. They also tracked their health for 11 years, looking at heart attacks, strokes and death.
Here is what the researchers found:
-- Participants who took calcium and other supplements regularly were 86 percent more likely to experience a heart attack than those who did not take any supplements.
-- Individuals who used calcium supplements as the only supplement were more than twice as likely to have a heart attack as those who did not take calcium.
-- The authors found no evidence that any amount of calcium helped protect against, nor did it increase the risk of, stroke.
Calcium is an important ion that has many effects on the heart and vascular system. It affects electrical conduction and contractility of the heart muscle but it can also contribute to calcification of the blood vessels, which is a precursor for heart attack.
What should we make of this study? Dietary calcium is a good thing and calcium from food actually lowers the risk of heart attack. So eating foods with calcium is just fine. But we have relied too much on supplements that are increasingly being found to be of minimal value in preventing disease and even harmful when taken in large doses. Because supplements are considered "natural" and harmless, we forget that they can have powerful effects on the body that are not fully understood until we have studies such as these.
None of these studies is perfect and when we analyze them we must ask if there could be other factors that led to the results. The researchers in this study took into account age, diet, alcohol and cigarette use as well as physical activity and body mass index while they were analyzing the data. They did not specify the brands of supplements.
The average person should not take calcium supplements. Calcium taken in supplement form can cause the blood levels to rise too fast and be harmful compared to food containing calcium that is digested over time. High levels of calcium can increase the risk of kidney stones, cause gastrointestinal problems and, as it turns out, even heart attacks.
It is now becoming clear that recommending certain vitamin supplements can be harmful and they do not replace good, balanced diets. The foods with calcium include low-fat dairy, yogurt, cheese, collards, spinach, potatoes, soybeans, broccoli, Chinese cabbage, kale and turnips. Some grains are fortified with calcium.
The bottom line is calcium in the diet is fine and it's important to get enough. Authorities recommend about 1,100 milligrams a day and a little more for the elderly. Taking routine calcium from pills is not a good idea unless it is prescribed for a specific medical condition.
Dr. Toni Brayer has practiced internal medicine at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco for 25 years. She is currently the chief medical officer for Sutter Health West Bay Region.

 

[famamdani]

If you have throat infection Try this & Do dua-e-khair

 

[ranaji]

Re: Realy Amazing.......................Try and Do dua-e-khair...................Thanks

kia aik inch cubic hi ya aik inch squire aur chilkey ke saath khain ya chilka uttar karr agar length aik inch ho to width kinti ho aur thickens kitney ho ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????