Smiling Health

Reduce Cellulite Through Herbal Remedies

2009-07-28T22:15:00.000-07:00

Do you often get scared at the sight of that lumpy, dimpled skin on hips, thighs and buttocks? Have you tried all the cellulite creams and ointments without getting any positive results? Are you thinking of going for cellulite reduction surgery? To all the women who say yes to these questions, my earnest advice is to first try ayurvedic treatment for cellular reduction. Ayurveda may be a very old therapeutic discipline but it is in no way a non-scientific or illogical system of medicine. It establishes the causes for cellulite formation which lies in the imbalance of three “doshas” or substances of the body. When “kapha dosha” aggravates, it results into cellulite formation. Ayurveda prescribes many herbs and even home remedies in form of certain recipes that are beneficial in treating cellulite problem. It also shows some 'yogas' or exercises for getting rid of cellulite.

Read about ayurvedic treatments for Cellulite Reduction

Ayurveda- Simple Remedies for All Diseases

2009-06-30T22:16:00.000-07:00

Ayurveda means “ayu” that is life and “Veda” that is science. Thus, Ayurveda is “the science of life”, which has always taken human body as a composition of five great elements or “Panchatatva”- earth, water, fire, air and space. As the human body is made of natural elements, Ayurveda always advocates its maintenance through natural ways. It advocates a lifestyle that is in sync with nature. It takes help of right diet to keep a person healthy. If, anyhow, there occur diseases, Ayurveda always depends upon herbs and herbal products for their cure. For example, it uses honey for curing simple diseases like cold and cough as well as more serious health problems like asthma and blood pressure. For maintaining strength and immunity, it administers various tonics made of such natural substance as walnuts, almonds, raisins, dates etc.

Ayurveda is not just for internal purification, it also helps one to look beautiful, the natural way. Not only this, it also helps to reduce weight by natural ways and suggests remedies for hair loss and balding. Whether it is about taking care of eyes or about first aid for common health problems like external bleeding, burns, cold, diarrhea etc. Ayurveda is always there to help out. Apart from all its herbal therapies and nutritional guidelines, Ayurveda represents massage as an easy way to stay healthy.

All these examples are meant to show how Ayurveda cleanses the internal system and beautifies the external look of a human body. If you want to know more about how all this is possible, read the Ayurvedic Tips

Menstrual Problems- Causes and Ayurvedic Treatment

2009-06-30T03:25:00.000-07:00

Women often experience menstrual problems due to various reasons. These include, stress, unhealthy lifestyle and incorrect food habits. Menstrual pain is sometimes referred to as Dysmenorrhoea /Amenorrhoea. This is again sub categorized into Primary dysmenorrhea and Secondary dysmenorrhea. Primary dysmenorrhea is the result of uterine contractions stimulated by increased production of the hormone prostaglandin. Other causes include anxiety and stress, and displaced uterus. The causes of secondary dysmenorrhea include pelvic inflammatory disease, uterine fibroids, abnormal pregnancy, infection, tumors, or polyps in the pelvic cavity.

Read more about symptoms and treatment of Dysmenorrhoea /Amenorrhoea

Reduce Weight- Organize Your Day Carefully!

2009-06-30T00:07:00.000-07:00

Do you feel that you are gradually gaining weight? Or you are already overweight and are trying hard to reduce weight? Does your motivation goes down often because of your not being able to achieve set targets? If your answer is yes then this article is for you. It will tell you how to reduce weight by natural ways. And you need not to worry about setting any targets- short term or long term. You just need to organize your day- your food habits and your work habits- in the correct way. And that's all! Know what is your ideal body weight. Now plan your day and calculate your body weight after 30 days (don't be tempted by the weighing machine every second day). Read the following tips to get an idea about how to plan your day so that your weight gets reduced gradually and permanently.

After getting up in the morning, have a glass full of plain water. Increase the number to three glasses gradually ( increase one-fourth or half a glass every day). After having water, don't take anything for half an hour. After half an hour, have some warm water mixed with some lemon juice and honey.
Cut your intake of caffeine (tea or coffee). Caffeine increases insulin in your body, which slows down the burning process of your stored fat. Take some alternative like green tea, herbal tea or lemon tea. If you can't have them, switch over to some fruit juice instead (no banana shake or mango juice!)
Do some light exercise in the morning- some simple “yoga asanas” or stretching exercises will do. Walking is the best and the simplest exercise to do. Walk for at least 30 minutes. If you don't find time in the morning, walk in the evening and even in the lunch hour- walk any time but do walk!
Take spicy foods (not fried food), particularly that which contains black pepper. It increases your metabolism by as much as 40%.
Eat lesser amount of food for at least five times a day instead of three big meals. Take fiber rich food so that you don't feel hungry soon.
Increase your fruit intake. Take them between breakfast and lunch and between lunch and dinner. This way you will also avoid eating more at meal times. And remember never to skip a meal!
Don't go for fried and high calorie snacks and packaged food. If going out for lunch and dinner, go for light menus (something baked or steamed instead of fried). Cut back on sweets- sugar and carbohydrates increase weight alarmingly. Keep some roasted snacks in your office drawer to munch on when you experience those hunger pangs ( don't just run to the canteen and grab that samosa, pastry or patties)
Pursue some active hobby in the evening- swimming, playing badminton, cycling, dance classes- anything that will burn your calories.
Drink lots of water during the day- at least 8 to 10 glasses.
Don't deprive yourself of your favorite food items ( chocolates, sweets etc.) for very long. Take them, in small quantities, after gap of some days (say 15 or 20 days) otherwise your body will not remain used to these foods. Eat less, eat right.

Don't get demoralized when after a month you don't reduce much weight. It takes some time to set the things off and reduction of fat gets faster as days go by. Just don't leave organizing your days in proper way- in healthy way.

Pharmaceutical Finished Formulations- An Overview

2009-06-10T22:43:00.000-07:00

Pharmacy deals with all the aspects of turning chemicals into medications that can be safely used by patients. Raw chemicals, although having medicinal properties are of no use to a patient. Thus, the chemical substances are combined to produce a final medicinal product. This process of combining different chemical substances along with the active drug is called pharmaceutical formulation. The final medicinal products are known as pharmaceutical finished formulations. Pharmaceutical finished formulations, simply called drugs or medicines, are prepared in many forms.

Oral Formulations

They are the drugs that are consumed by patients and can be in the form of tablets or capsules.

Tablets: Tablets are made by mixing active substances with excipients. An excipient is an inactive substance which is used as a carrier for the active ingredients of a medication. The mixture is normally in powder form which is pressed or compacted to give solid composition to the tablets. The excipients include binders, glidants (flow aids) and lubricants to ensure effective tableting.

Capsules: When medicines are enclosed in a stable shell, they are known as a capsules. They can be hard-shelled capsules, which are generally used for dry, powdered ingredients, or they can be soft-shelled capsules, which are used for oils and other active ingredients that are dissolved or suspended in oil.

Topical Formulations

These medicines are applied externally to a particular part of the body. They can be in the form of cream, gel, ointment or powder.

Creams: Creams are semi-solid liquid preparation, which are mixtures of oil and water. They can be of two types - oil-in-water (O/W) creams and water-in-oil (W/O) creams. Although Oil-in-water creams are more comfortable and acceptable, most of the drugs are Water-in-oil creams as they can be released more readily in such a form.

Ointments: Ointments are viscous semisolid preparation used locally on many body surfaces. They can be applied on skin and mucus membranes of the eye, vagina, anus, and nose.

Gels: Gels are solid, jelly-like material which can have properties that range from soft and weak to hard and tough. They are also locally applied on various parts of body.

Powders: Powders are also one of the pharmaceutical finished formulations that are applied either internally or externally. They consist of one or many crushed substances.

Injections

Injections, sometimes also called “shots” are medicinal liquids that are infused into the patient's body with the help of a hollow needle and a syringe. Injections are administered through parenteral route, which means that they are administered other than through the digestive tract.

How To Keep a Healthy Heart During Hardships?

2009-05-11T01:07:00.000-07:00

Bad time can strike any of us, any time. And when it does come by and continues for months then it can begin to harm are bodies and our heart isn't an exception. The continuing economic recession has been a stressor that's continued for a long time now and pained one and all, however, to prevent letting the circumstances affect our heart, we can thankfully take a number of effective steps.

Quality of food – Eating Healthy has a tremendous impact not only on our general health but heart in particular. The key to healthy heart eating entails avoid salty, fatty food, instead simple fresh foods need to be consumed. Eating healthy is also essential to maintaining a healthy weight, which too keeps our heart healthy.

Cutting Back on Health care isn't healthy – If you suffer from heart disease already, delaying medical consultation to save money when experiencing worsening symptoms will make things only worse. If treatment affordability is a concern, you could ask your doctor about the low cost prescription programs that many pharmaceutical drug companies run.

Engage in Exercise – Exercise is an excellent way to maintain health. Doctors recommend 30 to 60 minutes of daily exercise. Don't worry if you had to part with your gym membership, check out cheaper options such as simply walking in the neighborhood.

Stay away from Smoke – The habit of smoking significantly increases the risk of a heart attack. Consequently, it's best for you to quit smoking and be smokefree. Also, guard yourself from secondhand smoke.

Take measures to reduce stress – Don't let stress overburden you, find your own means such as spending more time with friends and family, try exercise, meditation, etc.

Get Yourself Medically Examined – Regular medical follow-ups can go a long way to tracking your heart's health. Get your cholesterol and blood pressure checked regularly as that will provide you and your doctor with the information to take further measures such as prescription of hypertensive drugs.

Recession and Cosmetic Surgery Trends

2009-05-08T23:48:00.000-07:00

This being the worst economic recession in decades hasn't left an industry unscathed. Elective spending in particular has been clearly curtailed, and with much of cosmetic surgery being elective, it has been scarred right in the face by the turbulent economy's clout.

Recent figures from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) unravel the magnitude of damage caused, with the year 2008 registering a drop of 9 percent to $11.8 billion in the number of cosmetic surgery procedures in the U.S.

Mars & Venus Differ

The quest of looking more beautiful or handsome has traditionally been a woman's forte, while men only recently realized that they too have the potential to look good and reap its benefits. However, recession seems to have put men back on the track of regression in terms of cosmetic surgery, while they continue to use skin care products. Statistics uncover that for the past couple of years men had been competing quite well with women in terms of cosmetic surgeries, but in 2008, the male surgery decreased by 2 percent, whereas 29% more women have consulted plastic surgeons. Popular cosmetic procedures during the past year were blepharoplasty, liposuction, breast augmentation, laser hair removal, Botox (R) injections, and injectable fillers.

Survival For The fittest

The changed economic scene with all the job cuts, failing businesses, and uncertainty about the future pretty much seems to have snatched away the coziness of livelihood that we became used to during the good times. Jobs are now hard to find, and only if you are lucky, and are among the best of the lot. Increasingly, cosmetic surgery is being seen to make job seekers and holders more competitive and confident. In a survey 756 women between the ages 18 and 64, about 13 percent said that they would consider a medical cosmetic procedure to make them more competent within the job market.

While plastic surgeons may be reaching out for their surgical boxes somewhat less in the current scenario, the longer term outlook is a lot brighter. It is estimated that in excess of 55 million cosmetic surgery procedures will be conducted in 2015.

Heavyweight Stretchers – Size Does Matter

2009-05-08T03:33:00.000-07:00

Today about two-thirds of adults in the U.S. are overweight or obese, and much of the dramatic increase in obesity figures has occurred during the last 20 years. Just as the obesity statistics have changed, so has the capacity of patient transport systems such as stretchers and wheelchairs.

Overweight individuals are perhaps as likely as lean people to find themselves in a situation that requires them to be put on a stretcher, and be transported to a hospital's emergency department. But transporting larger individuals isn't the same as carrying thin individuals, as patient transport systems such as the stretchers generally have a standard capacity of handling humans weighing between 350 and 500.

As a consequence it has raised an issue that's too serious to be ignored. Transporting overweight individual could cause an injury to the patient or the medics or both of them. Undesirable instances could include low capacity equipment simply cracking under pressure, or a large-sized individual falling off a stretcher, or the medics not being able to handle the load and/or injuring themselves.

These and other such concerns have been on the top of the minds of medical equipment manufacturers. And, for some time now, they have been bringing out patient transport systems such as stretchers with thicker aluminum frames, extra spine supports, bulkier connectors, to easily handle loads of upto 650 pounds.

While these extended capacity equipment do solve the problem at hand, they also add to the cost of acquiring these products. Nonetheless, it seems to be safer for an ambulance crew to have these products in their repertoire, than be sorry later. A botched up rescue operation will undoubtedly be a pain for everyone involved.

The society is changing, though undesirable, more people are becoming oversized. And the health care delivery equipment too should change, because size does matter.

Europe Medical Technology Industry Profile

2009-05-06T05:17:00.000-07:00

The medical technology and devices market of Europe is wide and varied, it accounted for a total sales of over US$ 84.66432 billion in 2006. The annual growth rate of the medical devices market in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK is close to 9 percent. Medical devices within Europe are regulated under three directives.

Read More at: TheMedica

How More Cardiac Arrest Sufferers can be Saved?

2009-05-05T04:41:00.000-07:00

Not one or two but 325,000 people die each year in the United States due to Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). However, when CPR - Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, is provided immediately after the attack it can double a sufferers chance of survival.

But administering CPR, unlike a pharma drug, is easier said than done, here's why? When in a study, thirty-eight doctors and nurses of both genders were evaluated for their ability to perform manual CPR, a considerable loss in their ability to provide sufficient compressions over a time period was found. And that men – supposedly endowed with more muscle power – fared no better than their fairer sex counterparts.

So what if there existed a medical device that was so portable that it didn't need to be transported using a hospital trolley, instead, could simply be strapped around a patient to aid immediate CPR, virtually anywhere and in any situation? Well it seems that the the wait could now be over, as scientists may have struck gold already.

A Life Saving Medical Device

Inventors of the device called, LifeBelt(R) CPR, may be on their way to make life safer with this appliance. This device is designed to overcome the limitation of "hands-only" CPR and is able to help the patient by producing chest compressions for about two minutes. Also, with the use of this device half as much force is needed to administer CPR, enabling the emergency response personnel or anyone providing the CPR to do it more effectively, and not lose steam out of fatigue, too soon. No wonder than this appliance also won a “Create the Future Design Contest” sponsored by NASA Tech Briefs magazine.

When Thomas Jefferson said “Where a new invention promises to be useful, it ought to be tried,” I'm positive he didn't refer to life support medical devices!

US Medical Equipment Industry Overview

2009-05-04T05:18:00.000-07:00

There were about 8,000 medical device companies in the United States around 2004. While the number of large and mid-sized medical device companies was less, over 80 percent of firms employed no more than 50 people. The world's medical equipment and supplies industry was worth $80 billion in 2005, with the United States being the the largest consumer country of medical and dental equipment.

Read More at: TheMedica

How Weight Loss Surgery Makes Life Better

2009-05-01T01:56:00.000-07:00

Being overweight can sometimes affect our self-esteem, however, thanks to advances in medicine that today a number of weight loss techniques available, including weight loss surgery.

Since its invention, weight loss surgery or bariatric surgery has been selectively recommended to those individuals who are morbidly obese, and don't respond to conventional weight loss measures. But recent findings suggest that it may benefit moderately obese individuals as well. Let's face it, that regaining healthy weight is beneficial not only for our health, but can have a positive effect on our appearance and self-esteem too.

Speaking of health benefits, there are several reasons compelling enough, for your to consider weight loss surgery, and allow the surgeon to put you on a hospital table to trim you down.

Type 2 diabetes - Obesity is considered as the the primary risk factor for Type 2 diabetes, and so weight loss surgery can have a role to play in its reversal. But this isn't theory any more, results of a study published in the American Journal of Medicine about 82 percent patients who underwent weight loss surgery experienced diabetes reversal within a two years duration.

Fertility – Obesity can sometimes prevent women from getting pregnant. However, achieving weight loss by bariatric surgery can help improve fertility in obese women. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine suggests that weight loss can improve ovulatory functions in previously obese women.

High Blood Pressure (hypertension) – Hypertension, treated with hypertensive drugs, affects millions of Americans, according to a 2006 survey, 35.7 million visits to office-based physicians resulted in hypertension as primary diagnosis. But the good news is that that weight loss surgery can help reduce or even eliminate hypertension. The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in 2004 reported that in a study 61.7 percent patients were relieved of hypertension, while the condition of 78.5 percent improved considerably.

In addition, weight loss surgery has also been associated with easing of joint pain because it spares the joints from the stress of extra weight that overweight people carry. In general having a healthy weight can improve your health and longevity.

So while the conventional ways to lose weight may be the ideal way to deal with the problem of excess weight, weight loss surgery definitely stands by as a good alternative.

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UK Alternative Medicine Market Overview

2009-04-30T02:37:00.000-07:00

Complementary and alternative medicine is increasingly becoming popular in many developed countries including the UK. The UK market value estimates for complementary therapies in 1996 stood at $106.4 million, while the sales of herbal remedies totaled $56 million. Homeopathy, chiropractic, acupuncture, medical herbalism, osteopathy, hypnotherapy, aromatherapy are some popular CAM therapies.

Read More at: TheMedica

Is Robot Assisted Surgery Better?

2009-04-29T02:57:00.000-07:00

Slowly and gradually robots seem to be taking over many of the functions that humans perform. Though it may seem like machines rendering man redundant, in perhaps all cases these replacements are for the better, such as in robot assisted surgeries.

Surgical robots have today made remote, minimally invasive, and unmanned surgeries possible. In addition they have enabled better precision with surgical instruments e.g. scissors, miniaturization, smaller incisions, decreased blood loss, less pain, and quicker healing. As a result have led to better patient outcomes.

Aside from these advantages of robot-assisted surgeries, the following examples of their superiority are worth mentioning.

Better for Heavy Women – Uterine cancer is a medical condition with which about a 100 women are diagnosed each day in the USA. Once diagnosed with the disease, many patients are worried about how the treatment, which often includes surgery, would affect their lives and family. However, it seems that robotic surgery may be a better option than laparoscopic surgery for uterine cancer. Recently the journal Gynecologic Oncology showed that patients undergoing robot assisted surgery, lost 2-and-a-half times less blood, were 6 times less likely to need transfusions, and that the time of their stay in hospitals was halved.

Lower risk of a gastric bypass complication - Gastrointestinal leak is a rare but serious complication arising out of gastric by-pass – a weight loss surgical procedure. Scientists at the University of Texas Health Science Center, recently conducted a study comparing the conventional laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and a robot assisted operation, and found that while none of the robot assisted surgery group suffered a gastrointestinal leak, some patients from the conventional laparoscopy group did.

Additionally, robotic surgery has also been associated with improved survival rates for prostate cancer patients , with effective treatment of urothelial cancer of the kidney, and more.

All in all, robots with surgical instruments in their hands have a lot to offer to the field of surgery, and that robot-assisted surgery is indeed better in many cases.

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Alternative Medicines Industry Profile

2009-04-27T04:39:00.000-07:00

Alternative medicines are also known as complementary and alternative Medicine (CAM) or traditional medicines. In some African and Asian nations about 80 percent of the population gets its primary health care via Alternative medicines. About 12 percent children use CAM in the US such as homeopathic medicines, herbs and yoga for addressing a number ailments. However, CAM usage has decreased for head or chest colds from 2002 to 2007 in the US.

Read More at: TheMedica

Can Adjustable Chairs Diminish Neck Pain?

2009-04-23T02:29:00.000-07:00

Sitting in a chair for prolonged periods of time is a sure shot recipe for developing back and neck pain. However, if a chair such as your office chair is adjustable, then it may reduce neck and back pain that you could otherwise suffer from.

Back pain from sitting could result from several reasons. For instance, sitting in a chair or stools e.g. hospital stools, for long periods can lead to a buildup of stress on our shoulders, neck, back, arms, legs, and back muscles. In addition, most people tend to slouch while sitting, and a bad posture may make it more likely for pain to develop.

How adjustable chairs could remedy the situation.

Some time back a study published in the medical publication Spine, concluded that adjustable-height chairs that had ergonomically curved seats, had the potential to significantly reduce neck and shoulder pain in garment workplaces. (Spine, Apr 2007)

Garment workers seem to be an apt group for studying the back pain phenomenon because their work entails being seated in a position for seven to ten hours every single day. And not only do they have to work with cloth requiring fine-motor tasks while sewing, but they also have to lean forward and hold their arms and shoulders up.

Based on the results of the study the participants who were provided with an adjustable chairs had experienced a reduction in pain between 0.14 – 0.34 points on a 0-5 scale every month compared to a control group, over a four-month period.

So if adjustable chairs could work for garment workers, whose jobs are extremely physically demanding, then definitely, customizable chairs should benefit many of us who have to sit in our chairs for long hours.

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3 Burning Issues for Hospitals Today

2009-04-22T02:25:00.000-07:00

This recession has had quite an impact on hospitals, causing 45% of hospitals to postpone capital projects and 13% to cease any expansion in process, as an American Hospital Association report revealed. But despite the new challenges posed by financial crisis for the medical industry, hospitals have their own health care delivery issues to tackle.

Many hospitals have been purchasing refurbished hospital furniture such as hospital chairs or beds to cut costs. However, in addition, addressing the following issues can lead to long term cost-savings.

1. Hospital Deaths due to Medical Errors

Preventable medical errors caused an average of 195,000 individuals to lose their lives in the USA. This was the finding of a HealthGrades study that assessed 37 million patient records for the years 2000, 2001 and 2002. The associated health care cost of these medical errors is estimated to be over $6 billion per year. Following the study, analysts suggested that just by improving upon four key areas, namely, failure to rescue, bed sores, postoperative sepsis, and postoperative pulmonary embolism. And if their occurrence could be reduced by just 20 percent, 39,000 lives can be saved each year. Whether medical error rates have dropped since the study remains to be seen.

2. Hospitals' Efficiency

The hospitals in the US can significantly improve patient care and also save a minimum of about $4 billion annually, only if they became more efficient. These conclusions follow from an analysis by Thomson Reuters. Key suggestions from the company to save costs include reducing hospital-acquired infections and slashing hospital readmissions. While the minimum savings are to the tune of $4 billion, with some really effective measures in place hospitals could save up to $20 billion over a span of three years. That's about $7 billion a year in savings.

3. Electronic Health Records

The present state of affairs seems pretty dismal as only 1.5 percent of U.S. hospitals have implemented facility-wide comprehensive health care information technology systems. Further, just about 8 – 11 percent hospitals have at least a single unit with installed with basic health care IT systems. (New England Journal of Medicine, NEJM, Mar 2009).

While smaller budgets, maintenance costs, hesitation among health care professional are said to be the primary reasons preventing the widespread use of IT systems, the long-term effects of installing them need to be taken into account. At the same time, it's hardly any use having IT systems in place when their power isn't leveraged via effective use.

Medical Diagnostics Industry Overview

2009-04-21T22:28:00.000-07:00

The medical and clinical diagnostic industry comprises businesses and laboratories that offer analytic or diagnostic services including body fluid analysis and diagnostic imaging. The world market for diagnostics was valued at $22.47 billion in 2000 and was expected grew at an annual rate of about 6 percent to $28.63 billion by 2005. The IVD product, point-of-care instrument and the medical diagnostic kit (MDK) markets have emerged as growing segments of the diagnostic laboratory industry.

Read More at: Themedica

6 Striking Health Effects of Vitamin D

2009-04-16T00:10:00.000-07:00

According to Boston University researchers, between 30 to 50% of children and adults in the United States are at high risk for vitamin D deficiency. While this deficiency can lead to rickets in children, in adults, it is associated with cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and immune dysfunction.

Experts believe that sensible exposure to sun, an consumption of vitamin dietary supplements may be the best way to deal with this preventable medical condition.

The following are some newly discovered benefits of vitamin D

1. Reduced risk of Fracture - A study found that oral vitamin D supplements taken at a dose of at least 400 international units daily, were linked to a decreased risk of bone fractures in older adults. (Archives of Internal Medicine, Mar 2009)

2. Protection from Diabetes - If you consume the right quantities of vitamin D, it may protect you from diabetes or even delay its onset. Further, it may reduce complications in those who've already acquired the disease. (The Diabetes Educator, 2009)

3. Prevent Heart Attacks - If you are a man and you have low levels of vitamin D in your system, then you may be at a greater risk of a heart attack or myocardial infarction, suggests a study published in the journal, Archives of Internal Medicine, June 2008 issue. Consequently, ensuring adequate amounts of the sunshine vitamin in your system via supplements may offer protection against against heart attacks.

4. Increased Girl Power! - UK researchers recently found that teenage girls with higher vitamin D levels were able to jump higher and faster than those who didn't, indicating an improved muscle performance. Boys, Watch Out! (Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, JCEM Feb 2009)

5. Prevent Skin Infection - A study by San Diego School of Medicine researchers found that intake of oral Vitamin D supplements helps the body produce cathelicidin - a protective chemical present in the skin. As a result, offering protection from skin infections that result from atopic dermatitis – the commonest type of eczema. (Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology, Oct 2008)

6. Protection from Death! - Well, vitamin D won't quite infuse immortality into you, but could make you live longer. Here's why. Following a review of several studies, French researchers concluded that the sunshine vitamin does lower your risk of death from any cause. (Archives of Internal Medicine, Sept 2007)

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5 Ways by which Alcohol can Abuse You

2009-04-14T23:09:00.000-07:00

According to 2006 data, sixty one percent of American adults reported drinking alcohol during the past year. While moderate drinking is considered safe for many people, heavy drinking may be harmful to almost anyone.

Alcohol is a depressant and affects the brain much like a central nervous system drug would.

The following are some newly discovered harmful effects of alcohol

1. Cancer – Those individuals who experience facial flushing on alcohol consumption are at a greater risk of esophageal cancer. The flushing response includes nausea, facial flushing, and an increased heart rate. (PLoS Medicine, Mar 2009)

Also, alcohol consumption is the biggest risk factor for acetaldehyde-related cancer, the risk may be greater for heavy drinkers. (Addiction, Mar 2009)

Moreover, the risk of getting pancreatic cancer is upped by 22 percent by an intake of two or more alcoholic drinks per day. Advisably, men shouldn't take more than two drinks a day, while women shouldn't drink more than one. (Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, Mar 2009)

Further, a woman's chance of developing breast cancer or other cancers is increased by a margin of 13 percent, even by moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages. (Journal of the National Cancer Institute, JNCI, Mar 2009)

2. Depression - Depression is generally believed to be the cause, compelling individuals to self-medicate themselves by drinking alcohol. However, a new statistical modeling study suggests just the reverse, that in fact, excessive alcohol consumption may lead to a greater risk of depression. (Archives of General Psychiatry, Mar 2009)

Also, research shows that if you try to stop drinking, even if you're one who drinks only at moderate levels, it may lead to health problems that include depression. (Neuropsychopharmacology, Jul 2008)

3. Brain Volume – According to a new report, the more alcohol you drink lesser is your brain volume likely to be. Though, brain volume naturally decreases at a rate of 1.9 percent every decade, drinking alcohol may pronounce the effect. (Archives of Neurology, Oct 2008)

4. Pregnancy - While you're pregnant not drinking alcohol seems to be the safest option. Alcohol consumption during pregnancy has been linked to greater risks of miscarriage, stillbirth, pre-term birth, low birth-weight, etc. (The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Jun 2008)

5. Physical Injury – It's well-known that heavy drinking and driving don't mix, but new research shows that even with moderate consumption you could find yourself on a hospital bed. A study showed that much of alcohol linked damage is associated to moderate consumption. (A doctoral thesis, Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet, Mar 2009).

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5 Cases Where Diet Supplements May Harm

2009-04-13T23:46:00.000-07:00

Dietary supplements were being used by 17.7 percent of American adults in 2007. While scientists have found many benefits of dietary supplements e.g. folic acid prevents some birth defects, calcium and vitamin D can prevent and treat bone loss, etc, they have also found some harmful effects of different dietary and herbal supplements.

The following are their 5 harmful effects

1. Increased Risk Of Heart Attack - Calcium supplements could up the chances of a heart attack in healthy postmenopausal women, found a study. Calcium is often prescribed to women after menopause to keep bones healthy, and some doctors even believe that it prevents arteries from blockage, but new research highlights a risk. (British Medical Journal (BMJ), Jan 2008.)

2. Increased Risk of Prostrate Cancer - The risk of prostate cancer for men who consume a daily folic acid supplement of 1 mg may be double, when compared to men who don't. Folic acid or vitamin B9 is naturally found in many vegetables, beans, fruits and whole grains. The study was conducted by the University of Southern California scientists. (Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Mar 2009.)

3. Increased Risk of Lung Cancer – When beta carotene and other carotenoid-containing dietary supplements are consumed over a long period of time they may increase the risk of getting lung cancer. And the links are stronger when the consumers happen to be smokers. (American Journal of Epidemiology AJE, Feb 2009.)

4. Reduced Effect of Anti-Cancer Drugs - If you are on supplements and if it results in high amounts of vitamin C in your cells. Then it may reduce the effect of anti-cancer drugs you consume because the vitamin levels will cause the cancer cells to live longer (Cancer Research, Oct 2008).

5. Increased Risk For Diabetes - A large scale study concluded that people who consumed 200 microgram selenium supplement daily, for about eight years, their chances of developing type 2 diabetes were higher than those who took a placebo. (Annals of Internal Medicine, Aug 2007)

While useful in many cases, intake of supplements can sometimes be damaging.

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Medical Instruments Market Overview

2009-04-13T05:54:00.000-07:00

Being used since the seventeenth century, precision medical instruments today are an invaluable component of health care delivery. Used to in monitoring, diagnosis, therapy, treatment or alleviation of diseases, the market for medical instruments is forecast to reach $201.6 billion in 2010. In 2007, the USA accounted for 60% of the industry's world market at $8.3 billion for the minimally invasive medical devices industry.

Read More at: Themedica

Fast Ricin Detection – Is it Now Possible?

2009-04-09T03:36:00.000-07:00

Ricin, a poison found in Castor beans is so potent that even if a small quantity, the size of a grain of salt, gets into your system can kill you. Now, if new research is to be believed, then scientists may have developed a new assay system that detects ricin fast and easy.

Perhaps the most popular incident of ricin poisoning is the 1978 assassination of the Bulgarian dissident Georgi Markov in London. He was reportedly stabbed with an umbrella that lodged a small ricin-coated pellet into his leg that later killed him. With no known antidote available, ricin today, is also feared as a potential bio-terrorism agent.

Till now, scientists had a hard time detecting the toxin. Because it involved multi-step procedures that assessed whether certain compounds were stopping ricin from working or not. But now that may not be necessary.

The New Ricin Detection Assay System

The working of the assay is simple. To check the presence of ricin in suspect samples, they need to be put into a few drops of a mixture of reagents. If the mixture emits light, then ricin is present, else it isn't. Further, the brighter the light emitted or the greater is the luminescence, higher is the concentration of the toxin within the sample. This technique has been developed by researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University (AECOM).

It may appear that ricin being a poison only has nefarious applications, but no, just like nuclear energy, which can be used to generate electricity or A-bombs. Ricin too can either be used to kill humans or potentially save them. Because it has been used an cancer drug to kill and destroy cancer cells, however, this research is still in its early stages.

Nevertheless, the new ricin detection assay system should be able arm scientists with the tools that can detect ricin in a jiffy and save lives.

7 Foods That Affect Weight Loss

2009-04-08T21:26:00.000-07:00

According to NIH statistics about 133.6 million or two-third of Americans were overweight or obese in 2006. Being overweight is linked to several health maladies such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancers and high blood pressure to name a few.

Foods, while not the only reason contributing to excess weight gain do have a significant role to play. Other means used achieve weight change include whole food supplements, weight loss pills, physical exercise, dieting etc.

The following is a run-through of how some edibles affect weight loss or weight gain.

1. Calcium – Increasing the intake of calcium can set-off weight loss. This is the conclusion of a study that included a 15-week weight loss program, at the end of which the obese participants who consumed calcium tablets lost about 6 kg, while those who didn't lost just 1 kg. However, this worked only in people whose diets were deficient in calcium (British Journal of Nutrition, April 2009).

2. Chewing Gums – Sorbitol is the main ingredient in many sugar-free chewing gums, and it is also associated with dangerous weight loss. This was discovered after studying two patients who suffered chronic diarrhea, abdominal pain and too much weight loss, which was pinned down to eating too many chewing gums with sorbitol (British Medical Journal 'BMJ', January 2008).

But in another study, chewing gums reduced weight in a seemingly harmless way. Eating a chewing gum before an afternoon snack led to reduced food cravings via promoting fullness, and an overall reduced calorie intake, up to 25 calories. (A research presentation, 2007 Annual Scientific Meeting of The Obesity Society)

3. Grapefruit Diet – Simply supplementing your diet with grapefruit and grapefruit juice can lead to weight loss. The participants in the study who ate just half a grapefruit with a meal lost 3.6 pounds. Further, drinking grapefruit juice had a similar effect, with the participants losing 3.3 pounds ('Grapefruit Diet' study, Nutrition and Metabolic Research Center at Scripps Clinic, 2004).

4. Fructose – A reduced intake of fructose can aid weight loss. Fructose is a kind of sugar that can be quickly turned into body fat. Fruits are a good source of fructose, but so are many processed foods and the sweetener high-fructose corn syrup or HFCS, which is used in many processed foods. (Journal of Nutrition, July 2008).

5. Beverages – There's a stronger link between liquid calorie intake (e.g. beverages) and weight change than is between solid calorie intake (e.g. bread) and weight change. And that a reduction in liquid calorie intake is positively associated with weight loss (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 'AJCN', April, 2009).

6. Dairy Products - Dairy products don't help people lose weight. This was the conclusion of evidence collected from 49 clinical trials from 1966 to 2007 that tested whether milk, and dairy products had an effect on body weight and BMI (Nutrition Reviews, May 2008).

7. Eggs - When two eggs were consumed for breakfast, as part of a reduced-calorie diet, the weight loss in overweight adults more, compared to those who ate a bagel breakfast containing an equal number of calories (International Journal of Obesity, August 2008).

Since, it's well-known that excess body weight is associated with many diseases, it appears profitable to invest time and money in weight loss, at least it's better than spending money on medical drugs used to treat excess weight related disorders.

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Herbal Supplements: 5 Promising Benefits

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Herbal Supplements: 5 Promising Benefits

2009-04-08T01:11:00.000-07:00

Results from a national survey in 2007 showed that, 17.7 percent of American adults had used "natural products" in the past 12 months. These natural or herbal supplements didn't include vitamins and minerals.

Of late there have been a slew of discussions, debates, and studies that have questioned the efficacy and safety of herbal supplements, e.g. herbal supplements viz. Echinacea, Glucosamine, Kava, etc. could lead to dangerous side effects during plastic surgery. And an NIH supported study found that the herbal supplement black cohosh used alone or with other herbal dietary supplements, wasn't effective in relieving hot flashes in postmenopausal women.

Nevertheless, the following are 5 promising health benefits of several herbal supplements.

1. Prostate Cancer Prevention - An increased consumption of dietary isoflavones is linked with reduced risk of prostate cancer. One source of the compound is Red clover (Trifolium pretense). However, there's little information about these supplements' safety. These results were reported in Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR).

2. Prostate Cancer Treatment - According to a report published in the October 2005 edition of Nutrition and Cancer, Zyflamend - a unique herbal extract preparation, suppresses the growth of prostate cancer cells and causes them to self-destruct.

3. Managing Cocaine Cravings - A study presented at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology's (ACNP) annual conference 2005, showed that the compound N-acetylcysteine (NAC) could modulate the effects of cocaine addiction. NAC is an herbal supplement known for its antioxidant properties and is sold over-the-counter.

4. Fertility Boost in women - Chasteberry was the herb that showed an improved ovulation and restoration of progesterone balance in women. These results published in the April 2004 issue of the Journal of Reproductive Medicine were an outcome of a small pilot study in by Stanford researchers. Btw, fertility is affected by a bad economy too, see: Does Bad Economy Equal Low Fertility Rate?

5. Combating Liver Cancer – The aqueous leaf extract (ALE) from the plant Acanthus ilicifolius – found across India, increased the survival of cancer ridden animals (mice) to a significant extent. Suggesting that the plant extract may be used to guard against liver cancer. The study appeared in the World Journal of Gastroenterology (volume 13, issue 48).

It's exciting to see that effective cures and treatments could very well lie outside the purview of conventional medicine. And that researches only help separate the wheat from chaff.

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The US Generic Drugs Market Overview

2009-04-06T03:31:00.000-07:00

The total US generic pharmaceutical manufacturer sales for the year 2007 was$58.5 billion, whereas the sales of branded pharmaceuticals during the same year amounted to $228 billion. In 2009, a number of blockbuster drugs are losing patent protections, some of them include Prevacid, Imigran, Arimidex, Keppra, Cellcept, Flomox, AmbienCR, Valtrex, and Topamax. According to IMS Health, the generic drugs industry is expanding at a growth rate of 7.8%, which faster than the world's market for pharmaceuticals.

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Top 6 Skin Care Tips

2009-04-03T04:25:00.000-07:00

Caring for the skin has a two-fold benefit, one, your skin looks young and beautiful and two, it keeps your skin healthy and protects you from many skin problems.

Even though your busy life may not afford you the luxury to pamper your skin, you can positively take some simple yet effective steps for good skin care.

The following are some general tips to care for you skin

1. Eat well for good skin: While topically applied skin care products provide protection and some supply nutrition, it's only part of the job done. For the overall well-being of your skin eat a balanced diet that's rich in vitamins and antioxidants, because it has the potential to make a real difference in your skin's appearance.

2. Clean your skin with care: The key to cleaning the skin is to do it gently. If you don't, you run the risk of taking away too much oil from the skin leaving it dry. You can be gentle to your skin by using warm water as against hot water, patting your skin dry rather than rubbing it with a towel, not spending too much time bathing, and preferring softer soaps.

3. Hair styling products and procedures may harm: Experts advise that overuse of either hair care products or unnecessarily subjecting hair to treatments such as straightening, coloring, perms, waving, etc can lead to hair damage & breakage, and make them look unhealthy in the longer duration of time.

4. Restoring moisture back to the skin: Moisturizers are skin care products, which work by many means to maintain the correct moisture levels for your skin. Since there are many skin types, many factors to consider, and many types of moisturizers, it makes sense to consult your skin doctor for more information.

5. Guarding the skin from sun: Because overexposure to sunlight can lead to skin damage, wrinkles, dry skin and possibly cancers its important to protect yourself form the sun. You can do that by minimizing staying outdoors between 10 am. to 4 pm, when the sun's at its best. Use clothing with sleeves, using hats, wearing ankle length pants etc. And using sunscreen - your dermatologist can help you choose an apt product.

6. Smoking is bad for skin too: Wrinkles are what cigarettes offer you in return for puffing them. They're pretty effective in ruining your skin and generously aid not only damage to the skin, but also in making you look older than you really are. And besides, by now I believe there's hardly anyone who is ignorant about the dangers of smoking. You may want to seek help in trying to quit smoking, it's tough, but not impossible if you really decide to help yourself.

Sometimes small investments can lead to bigger returns, perhaps simple skin care measures too can lead to a better looking healthy skin for you for a long time.

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Urinary Tract Infection – 4 Alternative Treatments

2009-04-02T02:56:00.000-07:00

According to a National Institute of Health publication, about 14.8 million women and men experienced a UTI in 1995, and with the infections' propensity to recur, especially in women, can some alternative medicine treatments be helpful too?

Urinary tract infections being the second most common type of infections affecting people, accompanies symptoms such as pain/burning while passing water, fever, tiredness/shakiness, urge to use the toilet often, etc. Doctors usually prescribe genitourinary drugs to kill the infection and a relief can be experienced, usually in a day or two.

Following are some natural remedies used on UTI sufferers.

1. Forskolin: This is an extract from the Indian coleus plant. And researchers at the Duke University Medical Center experimenting on mice found that it helps by flushing out hiding colonies of bacteria from the urinary tract. As a result make bacteria susceptible to antibiotic medications. The study appeared in the April 8, 2007 issue of the journal Nature Medicine.

2. Cranberry: According to a study from the Journal of Medicinal Food - a peer-reviewed journal, it's the chemicals present in cranberries rather than the acidity of cranberry juice that prevent infectious bacteria from attaching to urinary tract's cell lining. Further, a National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) article suggests that some studies testing the efficacy of cranberry products in forestalling UTIs have shown promise. At the same time the results can't be considered conclusive.

3. Echinacea Purpurea: Often known as the purple coneflower, this herb has been used on urinary tract infection sufferers, either based on tradition or scientific theories. However, a National Library of Medicine article informs that this use hasn't been thoroughly tested in humans. Also, the safety and effectiveness too hasn't been proven for such use, always.

4. Probiotics: Also known as "friendly bacteria" or "good bacteria," these refer to live microorganisms that don't generally harm people. According to a conference report released in November 2005, an assessment of the use of probiotics to prevent and treat infections of the urinary tract or the female genital tract had turned out promising evidence. The conference was cofunded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) and convened by the American Society for Microbiology.

With the UTI's burdening the healthcare system with over $2 billion in treatment costs (annual), if alternative medications can complement conventional treatments in fighting it, then they should be more than welcome.

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Does Bad Economy Equal Low Fertility Rate?

2009-04-01T02:05:00.000-07:00

The National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG), 1995, revealed that the number of women using infertility services in the U.S. was 9.3 million, and today if the forecast of some economists is to be believed, the economic crisis could cause the U.S. birth rate to decline.

Aside from the usual infertility problems treated with fertility drugs, the strained economy has its own way of affecting fertility.

Here are some hows and whys?

According to a story in the LA Times, historical data over the past 75 years suggests that the U.S. fertility rate has declined following economic recessions. Not surprisingly, it was the worst after the Great Depression. Though not as bad as the Great Depression, the recession this time is big enough to be compared head on with its grandpa.

Further, as a consequence of economic hardships, many couples might decide to either postpone or not have children at all. And it already appears to be happening, as reports from all across the country suggest that the number of men wanting to undergo vasectomy – a medical procedure leading to permanent sterilization, have doubled according to a Web MD article. This seems pretty extreme considering the availability of many other contraceptive methods such as the use of birth control pharma drugs.

At the same time, some sociologists opine that recession could even lead to more births than less. The reasoning is that job loss will present women with more time and an opportunity to have children and raise them.

A rather different kind of a baby boom also seems to be occurring and that is of many women opting to donate eggs to fertility clinics, to financially support themselves, an MSNBC report suggests that.

While it will take a couple of months before the actual effect on fertility rate can be assessed, it's seems unmistakable that state of the economy can have some significant repercussions on human fertility.

6 Alternative Medicines For Type 2 Diabetes

2009-03-31T02:39:00.000-07:00

With over 200 million people suffering from diabetes worldwide, and counting, it's fast becoming the #1 epidemic of modern times. A major cause of end-stage renal disease, preventable amputations and blindness, the efficacy of many alternative medicine treatments in managing diabetes has been explored.

While conventional medicine has prescriptions of endocrine disorder drugs for diabetes, alternative therapeutic approaches to its management include herbs, plant extracts and more.

The following are some naturals and alternative therapeutics that seem promising to scientists studying their effect on diabetes.

1. Fenugreek: This herb is commonly used for appetite loss, and to stimulate milk production in breastfeeding women. And a handful of studies have discovered that fenugreek may help in bringing down blood sugar levels in diabetes sufferers, that's according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicines (NCCAM).

Some time back, the Diabetes UK referred to several herbs being studied, including momordica cymbalaria, gymnema sylvestre and swertia chirayita.

2. Momordica Cymbalaria Roots: This a cucumber-like vegetable was assessed by scientists for its effect on Type 2 diabetes control and their tests on diabetic rats showed an improved glucose tolerance.

3. Gymnema Sylvestre Herb: Originating from the Indian tropical forests, this herb when tested for its effects on the body's ability to produce insulin, seemed to have a direct impact on the pancreatic insulin producing cells.

4. Swertia Chirayita Bark: Laboratory studies on the bark have found that some compounds separated from it appear to set off insulin production, in addition to enhancing its action.

5. Berberine: Chemically classified as a salt and found in the roots and barks of many plants, it has been documented in Chinese literature for having glucose lowering properties. According to Research Australia, the compound is indeed able to help lower blood sugar levels in animal models of diabetes.

6. Tai Chi Exercises: This isn't quite a herb, nonetheless, according to the April 2008 issue of the British Journal of Sports Medicine, Tai Chi exercises can improve the management of type 2 diabetes via improving blood glucose levels.

Despite appearing promising, experts believe that a lot more research is needed to definitively establish some of these alternative medicines' degree of efficacy.

The Links Between Vegetables, Fruits and Cancer

2009-03-30T22:24:00.000-07:00

With over a 100 types of cancers able to affect any part of the body, about 13% of all deaths worldwide were caused by the disease in 2004. Generally treated by surgery, radiation therapy and cancer drugs such as antineoplastic agents, a third of all cancers could be cured if they are detected early and treated well. And with about a one-third of all cancer cases being preventable, there's a realization to stress more on this cost-effective way of tackling cancer.

Some foods, such as fruits and vegetable are thought to aid prevention of cancer. And many studies have found such links as follows.

Vegetables, Fruits and Prostate Cancer

A review published in the "Molecular Nutrition and Food Research," Feb 2009 issue supports the claim that an intake of a high vegetable diet can reduce the risk of prostate cancer. The protective mechanism is believed to be include antioxidants that shield the DNA and healthy cell against damage.

In a related study published in the “International Journal of Cancer, March 2004,” those who consumed most fiber particularly from vegetable sources ran a moderately lower risk of being affected by the disease.

Vegetables, Fruits and Colon Cancer

An analysis published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 2007, suggested that while consumption of fruits and vegetables isn't strongly associated with the overall colon cancer risk, there's a possibility of a lower risk at the distal colon or the left-hand side of the colon.

Vegetables, Fruits and Cervical Cancer

An article appearing in the journal “Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention,2002,” showed that women whose diets were high in vegetables cut their rates of long-lasting HPV infections by half. Thus indirectly decreasing the risk of developing cervical cancer.

Vegetables, fruits and Cancer Drugs

A study released by the Pennsylvania State University (PSU), Mar 2009, found that compounds extracted from green vegetables like broccoli and cabbage could be used to make effective cancer drugs against melanoma – a type of a skin cancer. Trials conducted on mice showed that these compounds targeted tumors more safely and effectively than conventional treatments.

While many studies support the role of fruits and vegetables in preventing cancer, many don't. For instance, no link foun between eating fruits and vegetables and a decreased risk for breast cancer (JAMA, Jan 2005), or a high intake of fruit and vegetables isn't linked to a decreased risk of cancer (Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Nov 2004), and more.

All in all, the link between vegetables, fruits and cancer seems to be and as the American Cancer Society (ACS) suggests, is that eating more vegetables and fruits lowers the risk for some types of cancers.

The UK Diet Supplements Market Overview

2009-03-30T06:19:00.000-07:00

A general sentiment to maintain health, protect against illness, tackle specific health problems, up vitality levels and live healthier are driving up the demand for vitamins, minerals and supplements within the United Kingdom. By the year 2006, the UK VMS market was valued at $827 million. The six major players who held a major share (approx. 78 percent) within the vitamins, minerals, and supplements (VMS) market are Holland & Barrett, Bayer, Seven Seas, Boots Healthcare, SuperDrug, and Tesco. By 2011, the UK market for diet supplements is expected to be valued at $868 million.

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IBS Treatment - Therapies That Work

2009-03-25T06:13:00.000-07:00

Also known as spastic colon, Irritable Bowel Syndrome or IBS is a disorder of the bowel that affects about 30% people sometime during their lives. And about 10% are so much troubled by it that they seek medical help.

Some common IBS symptoms include abdominal pain, stomach cramps, constipation, diarrhea, bloated stomach, dizziness, nausea, and backaches, which cause many people to miss work, and restrict their social lives. While IBS treatments generally include a prescription of gastrointestinal drugs and changes in diet, some therapies other than conventional treatments have shown promise.

4 Treatments that work

1. Fiber, antispasmodics, and peppermint oil

A study published on bmj.com in November 2008, suggests that doctors' recommendations as first-line treatments for ibs should include fiber, antispasmodics, and peppermint oil. Because research found that patients treated with a combination of these there fared better than those who were treated with placebos or weren't treated at all. Also, no serious side effects were found. And treatment with peppermint oil appeared to be the most effective.
2. Probiotics

A set of studies presented at the American College of Gastroenterology's (ACG) 73rd Scientific Meeting indicated that probiotics were safe and effective for the treatment of constipation/diarrhea linked to Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). While probiotics were found to be effective, it couldn't be concluded whether just one probiotic was enough or a combination would work better. Nonetheless, it works.

3. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Hypnotherapy

A study is appearing in the July 2008 issue of the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology observes symptom relief in IBS sufferers following a self-administered, at-home cognitive behavioral program. The efficacy of the at-home program was similar to 10-week in-office program under a trained therapist's guidance. An earlier research published in the Digestive Disease Week 2006, showed cognitive behavioral therapy and hypnotherapy as effective IBS treatments that also helped in other chronic disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.

4. Traditional Chinese, Tibetan And Indian Herbal Medicines

Research appearing in the “The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2006,” suggests that traditional herbal medicines can improve abdominal pain, disturbed bowel movements, and/or bloating and distension associated with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). In the researchers' assessment spanning 75 different randomized trials, they concluded that there was evidence that some of the alternative medicines did help improve the global symptoms of IBS.

The University of Michigan advises on some dietary changes that many patients have found helpful, they include:

Avoid or limit the amount of gas-producing foods such as beans, onions, broccoli, cabbage or any other foods that will commonly aggravate IBS symptoms.
Try to slow down when you eat and avoid overeating.
Avoid carbonated drinks. These can introduce gas into the intestines and cause bloating or abdominal discomfort.
Intolerance to milk sugar, or lactose, is seen in up to 40 percent of patients with IBS. Avoiding dairy products may be helpful in reducing symptoms of IBS such as gas, bloating, cramping and diarrhea.
Avoid large quantities of other sugars such as fructose or sorbitol which can also worsen IBS symptoms
The addition of fiber in the form of psyllium can help with constipation related symptoms in IBS patients.

Industry Overview: US Home Healthcare Services

2009-03-23T01:08:00.000-07:00

About 20,000 home healthcare service organizations across the nation deliver healthcare to 8 million individuals with an acute illness, a long-term medical condition, a permanent disability, or a terminal illness. For the top performing companies, the average revenue in 2007 was $17,340,702. In the coming thirty years, the American population over 65 years of age will double to 70 million. Ageing population coupled with several other make the market for home healthcare service promising.

5 Quick Tips to Selecting Cleanroom Wipes

2009-03-17T04:17:00.000-07:00

Use of wipes in cleanrooms is so common and natural that often the need to carefully select cleanroom cleaning equipment and supplies may be overlooked. The following are some general guidelines to help you assess and choose the right products matching your needs.

1. Cleanliness: This refers to the extent to which wipes themselves contribute to contamination. Generally, cleanliness is inversely linked to absorbency. So you'd need to consider your priorities before you make the decision.

2. Absorbing power: Wipes differ in their degree of absorbency based on what they're made of. A good way to choose wipes is to consider the type of contamination they would wipe off. The 'like absorbs like' rule seems to work well here, e.g. natural fibers like cellulose perform well with water based contamination, while polyester works well with other petrol derived contaminants such as fuel oils, gasoline, etc.

3. Packing: From cheap and dirty cardboard to double-packaging and static-dissipative, the packing of these products is as varied as they themselves are. Consider your requirements to choose from a plethora of packaging choices. Also assess the process of packaging use, as in order to be worth their salt, wipes should themselves have been processed and assembled in cleanrooms.

4. Usage: Think about where you're going to be using the cleanroom wipers. While wipes for clinical use need to be sterile, those used in schools and the wood works setting generally make use of tackifiers, which cause dust particles to stick on to them. Also, consider whether any material used in making the wipes doesn't react with solvents and chemicals they are used to clean.

5. The Price Tag: Fabric wipes though generally costlier than paper wipes are sturdier and have more absorbing power. But they eventually might turn out to be cheaper, because they can be reused a couple of times. Paper wipes are more suited to electronics and medical applications, where re-contamination is undesirable.

How to Count Your Calories During Sleep?

2009-03-13T03:18:00.000-07:00

Counting your calories is important if your trying lose excess weight, but it's often a pain trying to keep a track of them. However, if scientists are to be believed then they might already have stumbled upon an automatic calorie counting method.

People try many ways to lose weight including dieting, exercise, or weight loss supplements or a combination, but physical exercise seems to be pretty popular. And most of us using treadmills to burn calories know how much we've burned in a session of exercise simply by glancing at the pedometer reading. At the same time it's important to know that we don't just burn calories while we're on the treadmill, but even when we walk, drive, cook, laugh, talk, and even while we sleep. So who'll count all those calories consumed?

The count your calories technology

Apparently, a strap-on device has been invented that allows individuals to continuously track the calories they burn.

Being worked on by a group of Georgia Institute of Technology students and called HappyHR, It's a small, rectangular-shaped instrument, which can be strapped to the wrist or ankle. Once onto the wrist, the instrument begins collecting data pertaining to heart rate and exercise. Next, the information collected is sent to a PC via Bluetooth, where the data is analyzed and calories counted by means of a web-based software.

A subtle device resembling a compact MP3 player more than with an embedded fitness monitoring technology is pretty encouraging. In fact the researchers want to move ahead further and even try to incorporate advanced health applications such as respiratory and glucose monitoring. Which might earn it a place as a valued medical and hospital equipment supply.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) about 133.6 million or 66 percent of Americans are either overweight or obese. And who may want to lose weight for better health. So if technologies such as these keep coming up, maintaining not just a healthy weight, but also fitness, might become a lot easier.

Can Heart Attacks be Predicted to Save Lives?

2009-03-12T01:50:00.000-07:00

About one of every five deaths in the United States are attributed to heart diseases. However, scientists may now well be on their way to make heart attack prediction possible so that many lives can be saved.

Heart disease is term used for a range of different diseases affecting the heart. They are often treated by surgery and cardiovascular drugs.

Even though from 1995 to 2005 the death rate from heart disease declined 34 percent, there still is a lot of potential for it to decrease further with the aid of technology. A device is being tested to monitor the heart and raise a red flag in time so that early help can be sought.

The Life Saving Technology

Called the AngelMed Guardian system, the device is about the size of a standard pacemaker is meant to be installed inside the skin close to the collarbone with a wire placed in the right chamber of the heart.

It comprises an external telemetry device and and a programmer meant to help the medics assess the heart signals. The job of the device will be to monitor a person's heart's activity for signs that may indicate an impending heart attack.

As soon as the implanted diagnostic equipment finds that something's gone amiss inside the heart, making use of Bluetooth technology and pagers, it will sound an alert to others so that quick medical attention can be provided to the patient. Also, the more disturbing or acute the symptoms of an upcoming heart attack, stronger the alert this device transmits.

According to experts, the maximum damage to the heart occurs during the first two hours after a coronary gets blocked during a heart attack. And most of the time patients take about three hours to recognize an oncoming heart attack, so help often reaches late to the sufferers. However, the unique ability of this device is that it can recognize the warning signs and sound an alert hours before the attack actually occurs thus helping doctors save lives.

Still undergoing Phase II clinical trials, if all goes well then it may actually be able to predict heart attacks and save lives.

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The Vaccine Market Overview

2009-03-09T02:39:00.000-07:00

Till now, vaccines were largely associated with inoculation of infants and kids, but now the market for adult vaccines is growing fast. The global vaccine market stood at US$ 11.42 billion in 2006, growing at a rate of 16.52%, it is said to touch US$ 21.05 billion by 2010, and up to $23.8 billion by 2012. As competition within the industry increases, the vaccine market will resemble the conventional market for pharmaceutical products. Amongst many trends seen within the are that vaccines aimed at anthrax, plague, and smallpox, are being designed to defend against bioterrorist attacks. Also, vaccines to stimulate innate immune responses as well as adaptive are being developed, and more.

Top 15 Tips to Manage Stress!

2009-03-04T22:19:00.000-08:00

In todays fast paced life, there are just too many reasons for us to get stressed and irritable. But whether its a social defeat, break ups, office deadlines, relationship conflicts, and targets, we shouldn't let them drive us crazy. And while some situations can be more challenging than others to deal with, it seems that often we can do quite a bit, and on our own to not let stress overpower us.

The following tips will help you with just that:

1. Talk your problem out. Simply, talking about your problems with someone can ease your mind, and while doing so a you may get insight into your problem, or you might even get some good ideas from your friend or a confidante.

2. Don't let work eat into your personal time. If work life encroaches into your personal life it is most likely to increase your stress. Because in doing so you're compromising on your leisure and relaxation time. Decide when to close your shop and call it a day – stick to the schedule to manage stress.

3. Try a mini workout. Stretch and loosen up the the muscles in your neck and upper back, shake your hands for 10 seconds, and take deep breaths for 30 seconds or so. You might also try professional calming massage therapies if you have the time and there are good pros within your reach.

4. Visit the Future. You can do this by planning for the weekend, going to a movie, concert, or a party. Looking into the future can be a calming experience. And visiting the future can be thought of as a natural antidepressant.

5. Listen to music. Play on the numbers that you like and that reach out to your soul, and are relaxing too.

6. Snack a bit. Munching on a light snack can release feel-good chemicals in the brain and may calm you down a bit. But beware that you don't eat too much, or make it a habit.

7. Watch yourself go crazy! How do you respond when you're stressed. Do you feel stiffness in the neck and shoulders, irritable, angry, with shallow breathing, feeble, or other stress symptoms? Learn to recognize when you're beginning to get stressed and acknowledge the fact to yourself. Experts opine that the buildup of anxiety gets retarded when you do that.

8. Take a walk. To manage stress, take a break and go for a short walk, it'll help to breathe deeply and relax your mind.

9. Give yourself a break. When things aren't turning out the way we want them to, often the temptation is follow the maxim “when the going gets tough, the tough get going.” But how about giving yourself a break! relaxing a bit, stretching your muscles and then getting back on to getting tough.

10. Reignite your sex life. If you've been avoiding getting cozy in bed because it's not a priority, try upping the priority. As sex has a relaxing effect on your body and mind. It's simple, go on a date with your mate, often.

11. Learn to let go. Sometimes, no matter how hard you try things won't turn out the way you want them to. But if you still cling on to a belief or a situation or a person, you'd only be making it worse. So at times the best thing to do might be to accept it and let go, and move on.

12. Don't be a perfectionist. Perfection is better associated with God than humans. Remember “let him who is without sin, throw the first stone,” said Jesus. So if you can't do some things “perfectly” don't brew it up in your head. Instead try to do things correctly than “perfectly,” that way you'll manage stress better

13. Learn to say No. When you try to please everyone you're inviting trouble. Know your limits and learn to say know, period.

14. The 'I can do it' attitude. Be a fighter. By taking on a positive approach and a belief that you can accomplish something, will increase the odds of you overcoming a problem.

15. Write it down. Journaling and putting down you worries on paper can have a calming effect. In addition it can even give you insight and perspective into the issue. So you'd be better equipped to deal with whatever is hurting you.

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The US Biotech Industry Snapshot

2009-03-02T03:25:00.000-08:00

The US biotechnology industry is a vibrant component of the country's economy. Since, the early 1990s the industry has registered a fast growth, with the revenues increasing from $8 billion in 1992 to $39.2 billion in 2003. Further, it is large and complex and is engaged in about 38 areas of sub‐sector elements, from plant and animal life sciences to drug discovery and information technology. The job market forecast of biological technicians, is expected to grow by 28.2 percent between 2004 and 2014.

Read More at: TheMedica

Now Magnets May Drive Reflux Disease Away

2009-02-26T02:20:00.000-08:00

An estimated 20 million Americans suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which causes a person to experience chronic heartburn. While medical drugs helps manage the condition in the short-term, longer term relief sometimes requires surgery. But could a long term solution to the problem be hidden in modest looking magnets?

A common cause of gastroesophageal reflux disease or (GERD) is a weak or nonfunctional valve at the lower end of the esophagus (the canal that connects the mouth to the stomach), as a result the acids inside the stomach make their way into the esophagus. Since the esophagus or the food pipe isn't designed to withstand acids, the patient experiences chronic heartburn. But medics are now testing a new device which could support the function of the malfunctioning valves to treat the disease.

The New Reflux Control Device

Called the LINX Reflux Management System and introduced by Torax Medical, this device comprises a series of magnetic beads, and is meant to be placed around the bottom of the esophagus through a minimally-invasive surgical procedure, using medical instruments.

Once positioned, the magnetic attraction between the beads work in tandem with the valve and help prevent the acids to reflux, or rush up the esophagus. At the same time, the system is designed to allow food to normally pass through the esophagus to the stomach. Which is exactly what a healthy valve's function is.

According to experts, when medical therapy alone is used to treat GERD, the acids in the stomach are simply suppressed, but the underlying problem of reflux isn't cured. As a result, the most appropriate and lasting treatment for GERD would be to restore the body's own ability to avoid reflux itself.

While the new magnetic device is still being clinically tried, its real success might eventually depend on how effective it will be in comparison to other surgical procedures viz. open and Nissen fundoplications that are sometimes indicated for treating GERD.

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Are Pharma Workers Feeling More Insecure Now?

2009-02-24T05:21:00.000-08:00

Pharma staffers, despite working long hours in the wake of the shaky economy are beginning to express insecurity about their careers as a recent survey by the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing magazine found.

The press release reports that of the 400 readers worldwide who participated in the survey, 64% feared job security. While in 2008 this figure was 55.8%, and 42.7% in 2007.

It's a progressive trend that with each passing year the percentage of those expressing insecurity within the pharma drug industry has increased. And that experts think that the dwindling economy isn't the sole reason. In fact, the expression of job insecurity by pharma staffers is a result of dwindling product pipelines, blockbuster drug patent expirations, and the buzz created by the recent culminated & speculated mergers and acquisitions.

Further, pharma companies aren't laying off more now than a few years ago. However, new hiring has certainly taken a hit, and as is the case for most industries, a “wait-and-see attitude” is being adapted by pharma companies too.

Despite the prevailing insecurity, industry employees still find “Improving patients’ lives” as something that motivates and find meaning in their jobs. But they are also turned off by uncertainties about the future, job cuts and the fact that they're maintaining more than they're innovating.

Decreasing salaries too appear to be a concern to the workers from this domain of the medical industry. Because the numbers reveal that in response to this year's study just 40.2% said they were drawing an annual pay package of $100,000 as against 47.3% in 2008. The biotech industry seems to be doing better, as biotech's turning out profits.

Nevertheless, Keeping up the spirits of the workforce has always been essential for running a company well, and it seem even truer during tough times. Perhaps the responsibility to keep staffers in good spirits lies on the shoulders of both the companies and the employees themselves – perhaps by maintaining a positive outlook, enhancing skills, or whatever works.

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The US Waste Management Industry Snapshot

2009-02-24T02:52:00.000-08:00

Put together, the industry and households in the US produce over 200 million tons of solid waste, that translates into generation of about 4.4 pounds of waste per person every single day. The waste management industry, traditionally engaged in the collection, transport, and disposal of wastes is now faced with meeting the raised expectations of the populace, owing to increasing environmental concerns. The three major players in the waste management business are Allied Waste Industries, Waste Management, and Republic Services, and together with 10,000 private sector firms in the business, generate annual revenues to the tune of $50 billion.

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Pharma Fighting Hard – But will it win?

2009-02-18T03:20:00.000-08:00

Hit by the tsunami of recessionary economy causing sales to dip and growth rates forecasted to fall below historic levels, pharma drug companies have hit the panic button and are trying out different ways in their quest to survive.

Mergers & Acquisitions

Pfizer's acquisition of Wyeth for US$68 Billion is a striking example. The company has acted to safeguard itself, owing to the plummeting revenues from it's popular drug “Lipitor” and several other products, which would soon be faced with expired patent protection.

But this is being seen as just the beginning of a whole wave of mergers to come by. Some other expected acquisitions are being speculated such as Roche buying out the remaining share of Genentech, Merck merging with Schering-Plough, a merger between Sanofi and Bristol-Myers Squibb, and more pharma industry mergers.

In fact the general expectation the big pharma companies are all set to taking over smaller player raised the hopes among small biotechnology companies worrying about their own survival soon a bigger firm would approach them with a buy out offer. However, recently panelists attending the BioPartnering North America conference, warned of harboring such an unrealistic expectation that all biotech companies in distress will be rescued. At present pharma firms have their eyes set on other pharma firms rather than biotech product companies.

Job Cuts

Pharma companies are fast reducing their workforce. The Pfizer-Wyeth deal itself if expected lead to a 15 percent reduction of staff for both the firms combined, which translates in to about 130,000 job cuts.

Other recent layoffs include King Pharmaceuticals (KG), (22%, or 760 jobs), KV Pharmaceutical Co (700 job cuts expected), GlaxoSmithKline (10,000 job cuts predicted), and more.

Skepticism

At the same time analysts are skeptical about some aspects of these deals. For example there's apparently no solution to declining sales outlook, as projections about Pfizer-Wyeth will have a combined 2013 total company sales below the 2008 figure of $70 billion. Some suggest that while large-scale mergers between will create cost savings and give these companies time, that won't be sufficient to reinvent pharma.

Medical Device Industry Overview

2009-02-16T06:02:00.000-08:00

The US industry with its high investments in Research and Development is regarded worldwide for making sophisticated and high quality devices incorporating advanced technologies. The country's market was valued at nearly $80 billion in 2005. In addition the U.S. medical technology companies are leaders in the world's medical device production. Further, to facilitate expansion, medical device companies are increasingly looking at developing economies as an opportunity to drive future growth.

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Survey: Biotechnology Industry will Bounce Back

2009-02-12T03:51:00.000-08:00

The biotechnology industry is expected to rebound and outperform healthcare industry and the rest of the market this year, according to findings from an investor perception study released by Thomson Reuters and the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) at the 11th Annual BIO CEO & Investor Conference in New York.

Findings

Investors have stated that a company’s cash position is now more important.

More than two-thirds in the study expect greater M&A volume in 2009, with major pharmaceutical companies buying biotech of all sizes, and large biotechs buying smaller biotech companies.

The study found that most investors are neutral to positive about the policies likely to be pursued by the Obama administration.

Investors are particularly hoping for greater consistency and predictability from the FDA where higher safety barriers and insufficient resources are cited as primary reasons for limited drug approvals.

Most investors pay little attention to activism in the biotech sector

Meeting with management is the most important factor when researching investments, followed by conferences and sell-side research, which is still considered important.

Investors are optimistic about biotech stock performance

70% expect biotech to outperform the rest of the market this year.

59% consider biotech undervalued, while only 4% say the sector is overvalued.

57% expect biotech to rebound during this year; another 30% expect a rebound in 2010.

Investors are less optimistic about research and development

60% state overall productivity in 2009-2011 will be the same as in 2006-2008.

Investors see the best opportunities in mid-cap companies with late-stage pipelines

37% of polled investors see opportunity in micro-and small-cap companies, but only 16% favor early stage pipelines over late stage pipelines.

67% of investors state the best investment opportunities lie in oncology while 37% see promise in immunology.

Source: Biotechnology Industry Organization

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Birth Control Pill Adverts - Is Bayer Ethically Challenged?

2009-02-12T03:21:00.000-08:00

Recently, the German drugmaker Bayer settled the incident over advertising of its blockbuster birth control pharma drug Yaz with a corrective $20 million national advertising. As the news made waves many opined that the episode only cements the reputation of the drugmaker as being the most ethically challenged pharma company around.

But is a single bad ad campaign enough to brand a manufacturer as ethically challenged?

The drug in question is in fact approved by the FDA as a birth control pill with a side benefit in treating premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and improving moderate acne. The problem lies not with the approved effects but with advertising, which has been considered in the FDAs warning letter as broadening the drugs indication, overstating its efficacy, while minimizing serious risks associated with the use of the drug.

The settlement aside, the question is whether the drugmaker is the only entity to run into problems because of advertising. Many advertisements day in and day out are questioned for making misleading claims for all sorts of products and services.

Also, just because an advertisement has been caught violating laws doesn't mean that those others who've violated but haven't been caught are angels. And this may be quite true within the medical industry, because critics suggest that the F.D.A. division that oversees drug promotion has a staff of only 52 people, who can't be expected to keep a tab on thousands of ad campaigns run by drug makers the year over.

While not being an advocate for any particular drug maker, I'd like to point out a just a few of the “ethical initiatives” by the so termed “ethically challenged” company.

Science and Education

Set up "BayLabs" as they're called at various sites in Germany. These laboratories allow schoolchildren to learn about chemistry and biology with carefully prepared experiments and learning programs.

Environment and Nature

In 2004 Bayer became the first private-sector company start a partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for involving the youth in caring for the environment. It's run over a dozen projects around the globe since then.

Health and Social Needs

As an aid to Asian tsunami victims the company provided both money and donations in kind with a total value of EUR 13 million (approx US$ 16.8 million).

You can find out more about the company from the Sustainability & Commitment section on their website.

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5 Reasons Why FDA's Furious Over Narcotics Misuse

2009-02-10T04:28:00.000-08:00

The US Food and Drug Administration recently announced that it was beefing up efforts to curb unsafe use of 24 narcotics products used as pharmaceutical drugs. In its first such measure the regulator sent 16 companies making these products letters, asking them to have a "Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS)," in place.

Narcotic products have a chemical composition that simulates the effects of naturally occurring opiates like the opium poppy, and are often prescribed to cancer patients for managing sudden and severe bouts of pain. Though these products have been in use for years now, the question is, why the FDA has come out railing against these prescription drugs?

At least five reasons are the triggers behind the FDA getting tough.

1. Widespread Use: The drugs targeted by the FDA are the most extensively prescribed and used medications. Going by the 2007 figures, pharmacies in the United States doled out about 21 million prescriptions for these 24 narcotic products, and were consumed by approximately 3.7 million Americans.

2. Ineffective Earlier Measures: The FDA was aware of the havoc these chemicals were causing and it did try to reign in on them by means of mandatory label warnings and by working together with other federal agencies. However, the problems seem to have had no effect, and instances of drug misuse, abuse and accidental overdoses have increased over the past decade.

3. Increasing Non-medical Use: The Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) data shows that non-medical use of prescription pain relief drugs in Americans 18-25 has increased from 4.1% in 2002 to 4.6% in 2007. And for those aged 26 & Over, the increase has been from 1.6% from 1.3% over the same period.

4. The Products' Addictive Power: The products included in FDA's present hit list are those, which are based on extended-release formulas for long-lasting effects. But despite their efficacy in damping severe pain they carry the risk of being highly addictive. And this makes them perfect candidates for abuse, and they often are abused for their euphoric effects.

5. The FDA is now Empowered to Act!: This isn't quite a reason inherent in unsafe use of drugs, but it still is the necessary condition for the FDA action. It was only in 2007, that the USFDA got the power to require risk-management plans. Otherwise it would still have been negotiating changes to drug labeling and promotion with the drug making companies from the medical industry.

Hopefully, the new measures will harness the beast of prescription drug abuse.

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Tips To Promote Yourself at Trade Shows

2009-02-09T02:36:00.000-08:00

Participating in medical trade shows can produce immediate results in the form of “at-the-show” sales, or generate low-cost, high-quality sales inquiries. In addition, businesses get the opportunity to showcase and demonstrate their latest products, assess the activities of rivals and examine recent trends and opportunities. However, successfully participating at a trade show and deriving all the benefits requires a well-planned approach, or else the participant's cost might turn out to be higher than any benefits. Read on to know the essential tips for make your participation at trade shows a success.

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How To Dip Your Canine in A Bathtub!

2009-02-07T04:16:00.000-08:00

“There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face,” said Ben Williams. If you own a canine, you simply know how invaluable mates and companions dogs are. In order to keep your pet healthy; you not only have to invest money on it but also quality time, just like you would with your kids. Caring well for a dog entails taking care of all the aspects of dog care, from feed supplements, to collars, leads, drugs for veterinary care and more.

Giving your dog a good bath is quite a learnable skill and it not only ensures your dog’s hygiene but also keeps the dog smelling good so that you can candidly cuddle your cutie canine. Once, you’ve bathed your dog all of your ‘smell good’ wishes for your dog would be granted.

Dog Bath Preliminaries:

Well, bathing is fine but how often or when should you bathe your dog? The simple answer is when your dog needs it! You surely need to bathe the dog when he’s gotten greasy and dirty or perhaps when there’s going to be company. At the same time you need to remember that washing up your pet can sometimes harm his skin by removing essential oils, so it shouldn’t be done too often. Though, you might wash him up earlier than usual if he gets smelly. For the most part you don’t need to worry about the mud on your dog as most of it would by itself fall off when it dries up and he wiggles about. Alternatively, you might give your dog a mud rub outside the house.

Above all, it’s best to consult your veterinarian about your dog. This is so as different dog breeds and behaviors would determine the need about your dog’s bathing requirements, and the veterinary products that are appropriate for you pet. Further, your vet would also advise you on which shampoos you should be using.

The Preparation

It’s always a good idea to collect and assimilate all the pet accessories you’d need for the bath. The basic supplies will include: A veterinarian-approved dog shampoo and/or conditioner; Mineral oil and/or cotton balls; Washcloth or sponge; Towels; A bathing tether; Brush and comb; A soft brush for in between his toes and on his nails; A rubber tub mat; Lay out a blanket on the den or floor; A trash bag on the blanket.

Choosing the place to bathe

Just like humans, not all the dogs are the same. While some are happy go lucky during bath, others fear the bathtub. If you try to force such a dog to stay put in the tub they’d resist it and would begin to jump around, slip, shake, and it will become pretty messy to deal with them. Not only is it difficult to handle such dogs but you might find, that instead of the dog, you’ve gotten wetter! An effective solution to overcome this problem is to use a hand-held shower, this would keep the dog pacified during the routine and you’d also be spared from becoming wet.

Moreover, it would also consume less time of yours. If however, you’re more comfortable bathing him in the tub, don’t forget to use a rubber bath mat in the tub as it would prevent the pet from slipping and would also keep him pacified during the activity. Furthermore, while using a tub, fill the water to his knees. The temperature of the tub should match that of the dog, approximately 102 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Process

The basic dog bath regimen entails that you bring your dog to the bathtub. Then use a lead or bathing tether with its one end attached to the collar and the other end to the bathtub’s suction cup. Follow it up by ladling warm water over him, in case of a hand-held shower keep it low. The idea is not to scare him but gently bathe him. Once he’s all wet, apply the shampoo, keep it there for about 10 minuets or as prescribed on the bottle, rinse and dry up.

The Face: Dogs mostly don’t prefer to be splashed with a deluge of water on the head and face. Hence, wash his face with a washcloth instead. It’s also better as it prevents too much water from getting into his ears. Try to bring water to the face with your hand rather than directly splashing or sprinkling it on the face. Some people use cotton balls to stuff the ears with. Always ensure that they are of the right size for your dog's ears. A bit too small and they can get into his inner ears.

Dog Shampoo: You need to use a good quality shampoo (the best is to have it prescribed by a vet), it could either be medically formulated or a natural one, whichever you prefer. In case you don’t have dog shampoo you may even use a baby shampoo. Gently but thoroughly apply the shampoo and bring it to lather. Ensure that none of it gets into his eyes or ears and sometimes tear-free shampoos are a good option.

The Hair: If you have a dog with long hair you might want to make use of a conditioner meant for dogs.

The Rinse: Once the dog has been brushed and lathered well enough all that you need to give him is a thorough rinse. Make sure the rinsing operation is ‘thorough,’ because if there’s any shampoo residue on his skin it would make him itch and uneasy. Needless to mention that keeping shampoo out of his eyes is important too.

Dry Up: You can use one towel to soak him, while have the other one rest on his head as it would also prevent him form shaking off the water by himself. Once you’ve dried him up, lift him up with the still dry towel. Also important is to dry him up thoroughly with the towel or else he might want to rub himself on the bedspread of a cushion by himself, wrinkling it in doing so. When you dry him up lay him on the blanket and put some of your weight on him so that he might not run away to do the drying up by himself.

Some people use a blow-drier to dry up the dog. If you’d prefer to use one make sure that it’s on a low-temperature setting (warm or cool) in order to prevent burning your dog's skin.

Lastly, brush your dog after bath so that his hair doesn't get matted. If your dog’s new to bathing a great idea always is to praise your dog and give a treat as a reward for good behavior. This would train him to let you smoothly bathe him in future.

Exercise Caution:

The following are the key points of caring while bathing:

Don’t allow water and soap in the dog's nose, ears, and eyes. Smaller dogs can even choke on them.

Don’t bathe too frequently, it removes the dog of natural oils, thus harming the skin to

Don’t bathe the dog with soap or a shampoo used by humans as it can damage the dog's skin by making it dry, scaly, and chemically reacting with it.

Don’t too hot or too cold water on your dog his skin.

Don’t leave the dog half wet after the bath, dry up thoroughly.

Contact your veterinarian immediately, if your dog gets a rash, or any other sign of an allergic reaction.

A dog bath is necessary for your dog’s hygiene and health, however to bathe a dog is a technique as well as an art. While the basics remain the same, how you actually bathe the dog depends on the chemistry and the relationship between the two of you.

Helpful Links:

The Humane Society of United States

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

The Stem Cell Debate - Is It Settled?

2009-02-04T03:56:00.000-08:00

The wait for those in support of embryonic-stem-cell research funding seems to be over, as the President Obama is expected to sign an executive order overriding the federal funding limits put on by the former administration. And leading to the rebirth of stem cell research.

Those against stem cell research contend that stem cells research amounts to abortion, because it moves forward at the expense of destroying human embryos, which are fertilized eggs and in early stages of becoming a baby. And abortion is murder, so stem cells research amounts to killing. So when the Bush administration put a cap on funding it was believed that religious convictions had won over science.

But was it really a victory, especially if you consider that stem cells have the potential to be grown into any type of cell the human body has, and thus making them an excellent resource to treat and manage debilitating diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, paralysis, diabetes and more.

Who gets to win or lose?

It seems that despite the convincing power of immorality aspect ascribed to stem cell research, many opinion polls have indicated that a majority of Americans think that stem cell research holds a lot of promise to eventually bring down human suffering than cause it. Perhaps, there would have been some breakthroughs in treatments already, if the big biotechnology product companies hadn't shied away from stem-cell research due to the politics involved.

What's more unpleasant is that a political football match is being played with something as noble as scientific research and which has the potential to save so many lives.

The debate probably isn't settled in the minds of those with the opposing views, and it may never be. But if biotechnology isn't given the respect it deserves, it would choose to grow in a place where it gets the freedom to. For instance, The Shandong Stem Cell Engineering Research Center in China reports, via UPI, that they've successfully cloned five human embryos for medical research!

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Economic Recession - Hospitals aren't Spared

2009-02-03T01:26:00.000-08:00

In its most recent update published on January 28, the IMF announced that world growth is forecast to fall to its lowest level since World War II. And with the US being one of the worst hit, the hospital business, an integral part of the medical marketplace, and often regarded as recession proof is beginning to feel the heat.

Despite the fact that hospitals aren't hit the way the way the automotive sector or the retail has been, and that people will continue to fall sick irrespective of the economy, it seems that the number of people seeking medical care and the profitability of hospitals don’t walk hand-in-hand.

Growth stunted & patients decreasing

A recent report by the American Hospital Association (AHA) finds that the sputtering economy has already led to 45% of hospitals to postpone forthcoming capital projects, with about 13% being forced to completely stall any expansion projects already underway. The AHA report included 639 hospitals in the study.

Further, experts believe that even though people continue to fall sick they're postponing, most treatments if not all, which can be classified as elective. The credit for the prevailing scenario goes to all the layoffs and the slowing economy. As per the Bureau of Labor Statistics the month of December saw some of the worst layoff figures, as there were 2,275 mass layoff actions, involving 226,117 workers.

What seems worse is that aside from foregoing elective treatments, patients seem to be avoiding essential drugs, with many actually abusing prescription drugs, such as narcotic painkillers , sedatives and tranquilizers and stimulants.

As a consequence, hospitals are reeling under delayed hospital equipment and supply purchases, declining patient visits, reduced staff with no fresh hiring, unpaid medical bills, in addition to ceasing any construction projects. The AHA survey, released in November last year found that patient visits were static or had decreased during the third quarter of 2008, and the cases of unpaid medical bills for hospitals registered a hike of 8%.

The government's role in uplifting the spirit of hospitals is being thought to be instrumental as Medicare and Medicaid account for about half of the hospital business industry.

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Essential Tips to Import Medical Supplies

2009-02-02T02:31:00.000-08:00

Importing medical supplies can quickly make your business more profitable as you discover new opportunities to save costs, compete better and grow fast. But to make your dreams a reality, you'd need to take precautions before you place an import order because a bad supplier can really affect your business within the medical marketplace. The good thing is that it's not all that hard to take effective measures for ensuring your business safety. A basic understanding and some essential tips can go a long way to accomplish a successful import. Read on to know what it takes to import medical supplies safely an effectively.

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How Simply Writing Can Help Cancer Patients

2009-01-30T21:39:00.000-08:00

A study published in the journal ‘The Oncologist’ in the February issue of last year supports the notion that expressive writing is effective in easing the stress of cancer. Cancers are by far one of the most dreaded medical conditions and coping with the disease can be quite stressful. Aside from the physical stress the body endures from the malady and from the various treatments viz. chemotherapy (treatment with pharma drugs), radiotherapy, etc, an individual has to cope with myriad lifestyle adjustments that induce a lot of stress.

This study indeed raises hopes that an activity as simple as expressive writing aids the individuals suffering by alleviating psychological stress arising out of the condition. Cancer is a disease that affects young and old, rich and poor and every one around the world. For example, In the year 2005 alone, the world witnessed about 7.6 million individuals becoming terminally ill with the disease. However the brighter aspect is that about 40% of all cancers are preventable and many are treatable and curable if caught early enough.

The Study

The study engaged patients in writing sessions of 20 minuets and it was found that is aided them to alter the way they thought and felt about their condition. Furthermore, this changed perception actually helped them in enhancing their quality of life.

Though, writing studies have been carried out on cancer patients before, the difference with this study was that it was conducted in a normal clinic environment as against in lab settings. Further, many writing studies involved healthy college students as subjects.

Expressive writing in the study entailed patients with leukemia and lymphoma writing about their innermost thoughts and feelings about how the disease has had and effect on them. When they were surveyed after the exercise most of them (about 50%) reported thinking and feeling differently about their condition. Further, when the exercise was repeated after three weeks an even greater number reported thinking that way (approx. 54%). On the other hand simply writing about the facts didn’t seem to have an effect on thinking patterns, the researchers found.

The following is an example of writing from the Arts and Humanities Program’s clinical weekly writing program:

The most promising finding however was that all the patient who had reported a change in their thought patterns about the disease also fared better on a quality of life measurement scale after they underwent the writing exercises.

Additionally, there were positive changes expressed in the patients’ writings as well. Many of the changes included feelings about their family, spirituality, work and the future. One patient wrote "Don't get me wrong, cancer isn't a gift, it just showed me what the gifts in my life are."

Some of the words indicative of a transformation were:

A theory explaining the finding suggests that expressing their thoughts about their chronic medical condition causes psychological as well as physiological changes to occur. However, researchers also believe that that there's a whole array of reasons why expressive writing benefits.

Benefits go beyond cancer

The benefits of expressive writing are not confined to cancer patients only. Several other researches on the topic have revealed that it helps in numerous medical conditions such as asthma, arthritis and pelvic pain. Other studies indicate the benefits to be an improved immune system, pain relief - what a way to relieve pain without a pain relief drug.

While writing research isn’t new and it has been conducted for the past 20 years or so, it’s now time to bring the benefits out to the patients. Not only has writing been found to be effective, it’s perhaps the most cost-effective means of coping.

Another question that arises is, whether the benefits of writing are confined only to those suffering from chronic and challenging medical conditions? Given the evidence of research carried out, it appears that simply writing about intensely positive experiences helps too. A study published by the Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri found that writing about IPEs or intensely positive experiences was associated with enhanced positive mood, and it was also linked to fewer health center visits for illness. Health benefits of writing have also been echoed by in the Journal of Clinical Psychology, by University of Texas researchers James Pennebaker, and Janet Seagal.

In order to reap the benefits of writing you don’t have to wait, you can begin writing right away. You might begin with short sessions of 15 – 20 minuets and increasing the time you spend writing, as you become comfortable with the activity. If you’re attempting to journal for the first time you could have some doubts in your mind but all you have to do is to express yourself and leave aside any fears and inhibitions. With a little practice, fluidity would come to your writing by itself. The only instruments you need for it are a pen and a journal or you might even choose to blog your way to expressing yourself.

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Study: Stem Cell Transplant Reverses Multiple Sclerosis

2009-01-30T01:20:00.000-08:00

Researchers from Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine appear to have reversed the neurological dysfunction of early-stage multiple sclerosis patients by transplanting their own immune stem cells into their bodies and thereby "resetting" their immune systems.

"This is the first time we have turned the tide on this disease," said principal investigator Richard Burt, M.D. chief of immunotherapy for autoimmune diseases at the Feinberg School. The clinical trial was performed at Northwestern Memorial Hospital where Burt holds the same title.

The patients in the small phase I/II trial continued to improve for up to 24 months after the transplantation procedure and then stabilized. They experienced improvements in areas in which they had been affected by multiple sclerosis including walking, ataxia, limb strength, vision and incontinence. The study will be published online January 30 and in the March issue of The Lancet Neurology.

"We focus on destroying only the immune component of the bone marrow and then regenerate the immune component, which makes the procedure much safer and less toxic than traditional chemotherapy with cancer drugs," Burt said. After the transplantation, the patient's new lymphocytes or immune cells are self-tolerant and do not attack the immune system.

"In MS the immune system is attacking your brain," Burt said. "After the procedure, it doesn't do that anymore."

In previous studies, Burt had transplanted immune stem cells into late-stage MS patients. "It didn't help in the late stages, but when we treat them in the early stage, they get better and continue to get better," he said.

Source: EurekAlert!

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Are Best Hospital Lists Worth their Salt?

2009-01-29T00:51:00.000-08:00

Recently, a study found that the top-rated U.S. hospitals had a 27 percent lower death rate than other hospitals. So are the best ranked hospitals within the healthcare market really the best places for patients to seek treatment from.

They probably are to quite an extent and the ratings more credible if it's also known that the health care ratings organization is an independent one, such as is the case with HealthGrades.

So many top-rank lists

But consulting a single organization's ranking lists might not serve to be the final answer in your search for the best place to get medical care from. Perhaps, including the results of other agencies such as the Leapfrog Group, which surveys over 1,300 hospitals nationally, or The Joint Commission, which tracks different kinds of medical care rendered, or even the U.S. News' analysis of more than 5,453 medical centers to produce an Honor Roll based on 16 specialty rankings may also come in handy.

However, referring to several such reports, might at times, turn out to be confusing, because they might not appear to agree on who the best hospitals after all are. And some of the very best on one list simply might not figure on another. For instance, if one study analyzes just high volume and low risk procedures, while the other takes account of difficult and highly specialized treatments, the results would naturally be quite different. Or if one just assessed the hospitals' equipment & supplies, the outcomes would be radically different.

Cheeky Critics

Also, despite these lists being reliable in assessing the factors they rate the health care facilities on, are not without critics. The much debated Federal nursing home rating system is a glaring example, as some think that the assessment doesn't consider a broader view of all that takes place inside nursing homes. Nevertheless, it does consider something, which is better than nothing.

It seems in the end that many of these lists do provide reliable assessments, but search for a perfect hospital should always take into account the patient and her family's needs and limitation. As a result the top rank lists would be truly meaningful when they are used while considering the proximity, the abnormal medical condition, the medical procedure advised, affordability, and a host of such factors for which the patient and her family are perhaps the best judges.

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How to choose the right gloves for cleanroom gloveboxes?

2009-01-27T04:12:00.000-08:00

Glove box gloves come in a wide variety incorporating different materials and designs. The importance of using the right kind of gloves can't be ignored because it can have negative repercussions on operational effectiveness, safety, cost and dexterity for the cleanroom staff as well as the object handled. Consequently, a forethought before the final purchase decision based on some information about the types of options available and other considerations, will help you make the right purchase.

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Personal Care Products - Dark Horse During Recession

2009-01-23T22:26:00.000-08:00

At a time when sales of products across industries are struggling to keep up with their past records, some industries such as personal care products appear to have shown resilience despite hostile economic trends.

A look at the U.S. Department of Commerce stats show that most industries are up against some really rough weather. The whole of the industry recorded a decline of 3.1% in sales when compared to the numbers from last year. And if you consider the retail sales figures alone then December of 2008 has been pretty bad with the sales falling by 2.7% to US $343.2 billion. These numbers are pretty scary because they are worst ever since the early 1990s.

Despite the falling retail sales figures the personal care products registered a rise in sales of 5.65% to US $20.92 billion for December 2008, when compared with the December 2007 data.

Some reasons behind the rise

At the same time experts attribute the increase in sales activity for personal care products to several factors.

The first is of course the holiday season and festivities, when people spend on gifts, decorations, partying, etc. Experts think that this Christmas many people bought skin and personal care products as cheaper alternatives for more expensive gift items. Further, many retailers came up with huge and attractive discounts, which almost forced consumers to spend on personal care items. Whatever the reasons, in the end all of it did boost the sales.

World over, the performance of different retail sectors has been pretty dismal. For instance, according to the British Retail Consortium statistics the month of December 2008 has been the worst in the past 14 years, with the sales declining by 3.3 percent when compared to the activities of the previous year.

All in all the personal care industry sales in the US fared better than most other industries and also it's own kind, when pitted against the sales data from other parts of the world such as the UK.

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FDA: Skin Numbing Products Can Be Life Threatening

2009-01-19T05:14:00.000-08:00

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today issued a Public Health Advisory to alert consumers, patients, health care professionals, and caregivers about potentially serious and life-threatening side effects from the improper use of skin numbing products. The products, also known as topical anesthetics, are available in over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription forms.

Skin numbing products are used to desensitize nerve endings that lie near the surface of the skin, causing a numbness of the skin. These topical anesthetics contain anesthetic pharmaceutical drugs such as lidocaine, tetracaine, benzocaine, and prilocaine in a cream, ointment, or gel. When applied to the skin surface, they can be absorbed into the blood stream and, if used improperly, may cause life-threatening side effects, such as irregular heartbeat, seizures, breathing difficulties, coma, or even death. FDA has received reports of adverse events and deaths of two women who used topical anesthetics before laser hair removal. In February 2007, the FDA issued a Public Health Advisory - “Life-Threatening Side Effects with the Use of Skin Products containing Numbing Ingredients for Cosmetic Procedures,” to warn consumers about these products.

The FDA strongly advises consumers not to:

make heavy application of topical anesthetic products over large areas of skin;
use formulations that are stronger or more concentrated than necessary;
apply these products to irritated or broken skin;
wrap the treated skin with plastic wrap or other dressings; and
apply heat from a heating pad to skin treated with these products.

and

The following summarizes advice for patients if a topical anesthetic is recommended for their use:

use a topical anesthetic that contains the lowest strength, and amount, of medication that will relieve the pain;
apply the topical anesthetic sparingly and only to the area where pain exists or is expected to occur;
do not apply the topical anesthetic to broken or irritated skin;
ask their healthcare professional what side effects are possible and how to lower their chance of having life-threatening side effects from anesthetic drugs; and
be aware that wrapping or covering the skin treated with topical anesthetics with any type of material or dressing can increase the chance of serious side effects, as can applying heat to the treated area while the medication is still present.

Go to the FDA release

Top 13 Tips To Prevent Common Cold!

2009-01-15T04:07:00.000-08:00

There's no cure for common cold till date, not even vaccines to prevent it. While a majority of common cold infections aren't life-threatening, its symptoms including sneezing, fever, runny nose, etc, are enough for you wish for an effective pharmaceutical drug cure. Perhaps in the absence of a vaccine or a cure, prevention seems to be the best bet.

Tips to Prevent Common Cold

1. Frequently washing your hand is critical, especially after a visit to a public place, gym, or contact with a person with cold. Washing hands will wipe off the virus from your hands.

2. If you send kids to a child care or a day care center then choose those which have a policy of keeping sick kids at home.

3. Stay clear from cigarette smoke as it can irritate your airways making you more vulnerable to catching a cold.

4. Disposing off used tissues is important because they can easily contaminate surfaces they come in contact with.

5. If you've been in the proximity of people with cold ensure that you don't touch your face, nose, mouth, or eyes.

6. Keep your stress levels well managed. Studies have shown that stressed out individuals become more vulnerable to catching a cold.

7. If someone in the family is infected then try to use disposable items such as cups and glasses so as to minimize exposure to a utensil laden with a cold virus after being used by an infected person.

8. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle keeps your immune system intact and may make it better equipped to prevent a virus from establishing a cold infection. Your healthy lifestyle may include diet, exercise, rest and sleep, etc.

9. Often cold viruses can thrive for hours at a stretch on door knobs, drawer pulls, keyboards, light switches, telephones, remote controls, etc. As a result, it makes sense to keep these surfaces clean after use by an infected person.

10. Avoid persons afflicted with common cold from sneezing or coughing in your direction. Encourage them to use tissues, which need to be discarded ASAP after use.

11. When someone in the family has cold don't share cloth towels. While generally using separate towels is a healthy practice doing so during colds becomes all the more important. If possible replace cloth towels with disposable paper towels.

12. Avoid close and prolonged contact with a cold sufferer.

13. If any kids in the family have cold, make sure that you clean their toys after use.

Try you best, but if you catch cold don't worry consult your doctor who may advise you or may prescribe medication for alleviating the symptoms of cold and/or you may try alternative medication to make you feel better till your body is able to knock out the virus by itself.

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Atypical Antipsychotic Drugs Increase Risk Of Sudden Cardiac Death In Adults

2009-01-15T02:10:00.000-08:00

Patients ages 30 to 74 who took atypical antipsychotic pharmaceutical drugs such as risperidone (sold as Risperdal), quetiapine (Seroquel), olanzapine (Zyprexa) and clozapine (Clozaril) had a significantly higher risk of sudden death from cardiac arrhythmias and other cardiac causes than patients who did not take these medications, according to a new study funded by HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The risk of death increased with higher doses of the drugs taken.

The study, titled "Atypical Antipsychotic Drugs and the Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death," is published in the January 15 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Atypical antipsychotics are commonly used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorders. They are also prescribed "off label" for symptoms such as agitation, anxiety, psychotic episodes and obsessive behaviors. Atypical antipsychotics are less likely to cause tremors and other serious movement disorders that affect users of typical antipsychotics.

"This study provides critical information about the safety of atypical antipsychotics that can be used to make important treatment decisions for patients," said AHRQ Director Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D. "These findings will help clinicians and patients weigh the risks versus the benefits of these drugs before prescribing them for treatment of depression or other off label uses for other conditions."

Lead researcher Wayne A. Ray, Ph.D., and his colleagues at AHRQ's Center for Education and Research on Therapeutics at Vanderbilt University in Nashville found that current users of atypical antipsychotic drugs had a rate of sudden cardiac death twice that of people who didn't use the drugs and similar to the death rate for patients taking typical antipsychotics, including haloperidol (Haldol) and thioridazine (Mellaril).

Researchers reviewed medical records from the Tennessee Medicaid program and identified data on patients prescribed atypical antipsychotics, including the number of prescriptions they received, the dose and the number of days supplied. Researchers conclude that atypical antipsychotics are not a safer alternative to typical antipsychotics in preventing death from sudden cardiac causes.

The CERTs program, established in 1999, is a research program administered by AHRQ in consultation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The overarching goal is to serve as a trusted national resource for people seeking to improve health through the best use of medical therapies. The CERTs program includes partnerships of public and private organizations, a national steering committee involving multiple sectors and the CERTs investigators, a coordinating center and 14 research centers.

Source: AHRQ

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Pee on Paper to Treat TB – Here's How?

2009-01-14T02:42:00.000-08:00

Effective treatment of tuberculosis entails adhering to lengthy TB pharma drugs regimen. To ensure that people follow through the duration of treatment scientists have found a clever way in which simply peeing on paper can lead you to comply with treatment.

Tuberculosis or TB is an airborne infectious disease that's curable. However it requires strict compliance with TB drugs for months. And many people, especially in poor countries drop out in the middle because the drugs can trigger nausea and other side effects. This in turn is leads to a relapse with drug resistant strains of bacteria, making treatment difficult. The consequences are evident from TB statistics. According to the WHO, TB afflicts millions worldwide – of the 9.2 million cases newly diagnosed in 2006, 1.7 million people succumbed to the disease.

The Pee based approach to TB treatment

Staff from the Innovations in International Health (IIH) project at MIT, recently devised a program which uses paper-based diagnostics called “XoutTB” with text-messaging technology and service to improve tuberculosis (TB) treatment compliance in poor countries.

At the heart of the program lies a rewards schedule, whereby patients complying with to the TB drug regimens consistently for 30 days are rewarded with cell-phone minutes, encouraging them further.

To track compliance, the participants are required to pee on a paper-based diagnostic equipment, which is dispensed once each day. The device is able to detect the metabolites of the TB drug in urine – accurately assessing whether the drugs were consumed or not. Also the reaction between the drug molecules in urine and the chemicals embedded in the paper devices uncover a code that the participants need to text-message to a central database. A consistent record of compliance for 30 days is rewarded with free minuets.

It's simple and hopefully will turn out to be quite effective, as the trials are still on. While the real work is still accomplished by the good old TB drugs, the pee based diagnostics are central to making that happen. Now, that's what I'd call real waste management!

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Vicks VapoRub Misuse May Harm Toddlers

2009-01-13T04:24:00.000-08:00

Vicks® VapoRub®, the popular salve used to relieve symptoms of cough and congestion, may be harmful for infants and toddlers. New research appearing in the January issue of CHEST, the peer-reviewed medical industry journal of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), shows that Vicks® VapoRub® (VVR) may stimulate mucus production and airway inflammation, which can have severe effects on breathing in an infant or toddler. Research findings are consistent with current VVR labeling which indicates the product should not be used on children under 2 years of age.

VVR is not indicated for patients under age 2. However, Dr. Rubin realizes that some parents are still choosing to use VVR to relieve their sick young child's symptoms, usually rubbing the salve on the feet or chest.

"I recommend never putting Vicks in, or under, the nose of anybody—adult or child. I also would follow the directions and never use it at all in children under age 2," said Dr. Rubin.

Dr. Rubin also feels that although the study only tested Vick's VapoRub, similar products, including generic brands, could cause the same adverse reaction in infants and toddlers.

"The best treatments for congestion are a bit of saline (salt water) and gentle rubber bulb suction, warm drinks or chicken soup, and, often, just letting the passage of time heal the child." Dr. Rubin also notes that if a child is struggling to breathe, it is a medical emergency and would require the child to be seen by a doctor as quickly as possible.

"Parents should consult with a physician before administering any over-the-counter medicine to infants and young children," said James A. L. Mathers, Jr., MD, FCCP, President of the American College of Chest Physicians. "Furthermore, the American College of Chest Physicians and several other health-care organizations have concluded that over-the-counter cough and cold medicines can be harmful for infants and young children and are, therefore, not recommended."

Source: EurekAlert!

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2009-01-12T02:08:00.000-08:00

Patients and families are today demanding more and more effective and better pharmaceutical drugs. At the same time the pharmaceutical companies are finding it exceedingly hard to match up to the expectations, the increasing rates of patent expiry, and the emergence new diseases such as SARS. Aside from the discovery of a new drug compound, the long process of clinical trials further delays novel drugs from reaching the market quickly. However, vaccines unlike other forms of medicines, establish or improve immunity to a particular disease, thus forestalling its onset. Have we somewhere along the way overlooked the true potential of vaccines.

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California's Autism Cases Rising!

2009-01-09T05:29:00.000-08:00

A study by researchers at the UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute has found that the seven- to eight-fold increase in the number children born in California with autism since 1990 cannot be explained by either changes in how the condition is diagnosed or counted — and the trend shows no sign of abating.

Published in the January 2009 issue of the journal Epidemiology, results from the study also suggest that research should shift from genetics to the host of chemicals and infectious microbes in the environment that are likely at the root of changes in the neurodevelopment of California's children.

"It's time to start looking for the environmental culprits responsible for the remarkable increase in the rate of autism in California," said UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute researcher Irva Hertz-Picciotto, a professor of environmental and occupational health and epidemiology and an internationally respected autism researcher.

Hertz-Picciotto said that many researchers, state officials and advocacy organizations from the medical industry have viewed the rise in autism's incidence in California with skepticism.

The incidence of autism by age six in California has increased from fewer than nine in 10,000 for children born in 1990 to more than 44 in 10,000 for children born in 2000. Some have argued that this change could have been due to migration into California of families with autistic children, inclusion of children with milder forms of autism in the counting and earlier ages of diagnosis as consequences of improved surveillance or greater awareness.

Hertz-Picciotto said that the study is a clarion call to researchers and policy makers who have focused attention and money on understanding the genetic components of autism. She said that the rise in cases of autism in California cannot be attributed to the state's increasingly diverse population because the disorder affects ethnic groups at fairly similar rates.

"We're looking at the possible effects of metals, pesticides and infectious agents on neurodevelopment," Hertz-Picciotto said. "If we're going to stop the rise in autism in California, we need to keep these studies going and expand them to the extent possible."

UC Davis Health System News

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Will Physician Gifting Practices Guidelines Work?

2009-01-08T05:18:00.000-08:00

Pens and prescription pads flashing branded pharmaceutical drug names and logos could become less visible in doctor's offices as a result of PhRMA's “Code on Interactions with Healthcare Professionals.” But will it make the practice of medicine any better?

Briefly the new code of interactions instructs pharmaceutical companies not to distribute clothes, office supplies, and other gifts bearing company logos or product brand names to physicians and clinics. In addition, it also asks these companies to refrain from paying for physicians' meals, even during medical education events.

Many feel that these may only have a superficial effect. Why because compliance with the guidelines is purely voluntary. In fact, the guidelines are not even supposed to be a confession that gifts to doctors from the pharma industry influence a doctor's prescription writing skills. So when there's no problem to begin with, what problem will the guidelines solve. Perhaps they will solve just the problem of a perception that free gifts influence prescriptions.

Many from the pharmaceutical industry and doctors, though have shown respect to the guidelines, they scoff at the notion that pens and mugs are meant to influence a medic's practice.

Why Freebies may not be a bane?

Consider free samples of drugs, many physicians look up to these freebies for treating poor and and underinsured patients. Further, the samples also enable both doctors and patients to assess their tolerance of a novel drug before they purchase it. Thus, saving them from undue expenditure.

Often medical models and charts gifted to doctors help them to educate patients better, does it then really matter whether they carry a logo and a brand name? Free pens, flash drives, staplers, calculators paperweights, etc, may simply serve to support doctor's practice. But that a “viagra pen” will influence a prescription for “strep throat” is pretty hard to believe.

Further, some even contend that the guidelines don't at all help to put a stop to give aways other than freebies meant to influence physicians. And some even see it as a clever realization by the industry that rather than spending on freebies, the money could be spent in ways to ensure a better return on investment for them.

Whether or not the freebies influence a doctor's prescription drug advice may not be crystal clear, but what is, is that each practicing doctor has a conscience of her own, and as long as that is intact, no amount of supposed influence should be a cause for worry.

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Economic Crisis – Seniors Badly Hit

2009-01-07T02:04:00.000-08:00

The ongoing recession is forcing many senior Americans to cut down spending on their retirement accounts and other areas such as entertainment and restaurant meals.

The finding were made known through an AARP survey released on Tuesday. The study found that those over 45 years of age faced savings and investment losses, were finding it exceedingly hard to pay for necessities such as pharmaceutical drugs, food, gas in addition to making plans to postpone retirement.

According to the survey:

83% say the government should help people who have lost their jobs keep their health insurance or purchase affordable health insurance.

Nearly 7 in 10 said that the government should help people who are facing foreclosure so that they can stay in their homes.

Of those adults ages 45+ who lost money in their investments over the past year and are currently working or looking for work, more than half (57%) expect to delay retirement and work longer as a result of their investment losses.

One in four (25%) retirees who are not currently working or looking for work say that, within the past 12 months, they have either looked for a job because they needed more income but have been unable to find one (8%) or thought about returning to work because they needed more income (17%).

Following are a few of the key initiatives that AARP is working toward in the 111th Congress:

Reducing Health Care Costs & Improving Quality: Advance health information technology, evidence-based practices, chronic care coordination, and disease management and prevention; and provide greater consumer access to information on health care quality and costs.

Expanding Health Care Coverage: Extend quality, affordable, health care coverage through Medicaid, private insurance reform, new incentives to expand coverage to the 50-64 age group and expansion of children's coverage through the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).

Training for 21st Century Jobs: Provide training and job search resources so that workers age 50+ who are losing their jobs can re-enter the workforce.

Making Saving Simple: Promote a universal payroll deduction mechanism that allows employees to automatically contribute a portion of their wages to retirement savings accounts, such as through automatic IRAs.
Helping Homeowners: Enact legislation that would allow bankruptcy judges the discretion to modify primary mortgage debt so more Americans facing foreclosure can stay in their homes.

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Bad Drug Combo Risk - Seniors Are Not Alone

2009-01-05T03:46:00.000-08:00

Dangerous mixing of pharmaceutical drugs is common among older people, a new study found. And that for the most part non-prescription (e.g. dietary supplements) drugs are responsible. So are seniors the only people who could be at risk.

The study published in recent issue of JAMA is based on the interviews of 2,976 people ages 57 through 85, between June 2005 and March 2006 about the medications they routinely used. It reported that about 15 million people within the age-group consumed about five drugs and/or supplements at the same time, increasing their risk of major drug-drug interactions.

It's true that of the 50 million people or so under consideration 1 in 25 individuals are at a risk of a major drug reaction. However, is it only the older adults who're at risk?

To some quite an extent this is true, because older adults (age 65 or over) are two and one-half times more likely to visit an emergency and are seven times more likely to be hospitalized for an adverse drug event than than younger individuals.

But they're not alone. This is so because average Americans in general are ten times more likely to be hospitalized from an adverse drug reaction than from a motor vehicle accident, according to Thomas Moore - the author of "Prescription for Disaster: the Hidden Dangers in Your Medicine Cabinet"

Note that it's still the average American than a senior who is at risk. The average American could be just about anyone, young and old.

The risk of adverse drug reactions is often increased by a bad mix of chemicals and because seniors are likely to take more medications the odds for them to suffer an adverse drug reaction are greater. But so is anyone who takes many drugs including those from a younger age group. In fact, according experts, those at risk include anyone who is very young, pregnant, and breastfeeding, or is hereditarily susceptible. And suffering from some diseases itself makes these individuals vulnerable.

I don't think all these conditions are exclusive to seniors. Also, if you consider drug interaction alone, I think only popping in a single medication can cause a reaction due to a bad mix of drugs. For example, simply consume alcohol when it doesn't mix well with a drug. The crux is a bad mix – just two incompatible drugs are sufficient to send a person to an emergency. And that only seniors would pop in such a combination isn't 100% guaranteed! Let alone diet supplements being the devil.

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Financial Crisis – Survival Tips for Small Medical Businesses

2009-01-05T01:28:00.000-08:00

With the economic crisis around the world looming large, many businesses within the medical industry are shell-shocked trying to come to terms with the changing economic environments. While the worry is all the more justified, perhaps maintaining the composure and focusing energies on fighting the fire will eventually help businesses ride the storm with grace.

The following tips should come in handy to help small businesses fight their way to survival.

While remaining calm, review your cash position and the expected cash needs. Check whether you will be able to meet your business’ short-term needs, goals and risk tolerance?

Check up with your lenders about the status of your lines of credit. Make sure you comply with their terms? See if your banks can renew their commitments at similar rates, amounts, and conditions?

Reduce the use of paper for routine communication, switch to email or instant messaging.

More at: Themedica

Wish You A Very Happy 2009

2008-12-31T01:36:00.000-08:00

I Wish All of You a Happy, Prosperous and a Smiling New Year!

Gold Particles Could Deliver Pharma Drugs in Future!

2008-12-31T00:59:00.000-08:00

Using tiny gold particles and infrared light, MIT researchers have developed a drug-delivery system that allows multiple pharmaceutical drugs to be released in a controlled fashion.

Such a system could one day be used to provide more control when battling diseases commonly treated with more than one drug, according to the researchers.

"With a lot of diseases, especially cancer and AIDS, you get a synergistic effect with more than one drug," said Kimberly Hamad-Schifferli, assistant professor of biological and mechanical engineering and senior author of a paper on the work that recently appeared in the journal ACS Nano.

Delivery devices already exist that can release two drugs, but the timing of the release must be built into the device -- it cannot be controlled from outside the body. The new system is controlled externally and theoretically could deliver up to three or four drugs.

The new technique takes advantage of the fact that when gold nanoparticles are exposed to infrared light, they melt and release drug payloads attached to their surfaces.

In the ACS Nano study, the researchers tested the particles with a payload of DNA. Each nanoparticle can carry hundreds of strands of DNA, and could also be engineered to transport other types of drugs.

In theory, up to four different-shaped particles could be developed, each releasing its payload at different wavelengths.

MIT news

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Recession and Prescription Drug Abuse

Recession and Prescription Drug Abuse

2008-12-30T03:28:00.000-08:00

These are perhaps the worst times for the economy since the Great Depression of 1929. With many stressors looming large, coping with the down turn may be causing many people to abuse prescription drugs.

A major effect of recession is that of unemployment and as per the latest statistics by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, both the number of unemployed persons (10.3 million) and the unemployment rate (6.7 percent) has continued to increase in November. After the recession started in December 2007, the number of unemployed persons increased by 2.7 million, and the unemployment rate rose by 1.7 percentage points.

Prescription Drug Abuse

While most people consume medicines only for the reasons their doctors prescribe them. However, an estimated 20 percent of people in the United States at some point in time have taken pharmaceutical drugs for non-medical reasons. And the problem of prescription drug abuse is a serious and growing.

In the context of recession, experts believe that quite a few stressors have surfaced including job loss, health problems caused by stress, gloomy weather, bounced checks, a declining job market, increased heating bills, etc. The American Psychological Association (APA) recently reported that people report financial issues related to money (82 percent), the economy (82 percent) and work (69 percent) as sources of stress. The households with children are more likely to report money (88 percent v. 80 percent without children) and work (74 percent v. 67 percent without) as significant stressors this holiday season.

While some abusers, especially the poor depend on street narcotics and alcohol, others choose narcotic painkillers , sedatives and tranquilizers and stimulants. Also, the declining pharmaceutical industry sales figures might be a consequence of people postponing expensive medications for illnesses such as heart disease. However, this foregoing of treatment shows up as increases in sales of pain killers and mood elevators.

Experts don't exactly know why the problem of drug abuse is increasing, in general. Some point to the increased availability of drugs. And that doctors today, prescribe more drugs for more health problems than ever before. Part of the reason is also the existence of online pharmacies that make it easy to get prescription drugs without a prescription – a tactic that works even for youngsters.

Even more surprising is the fact that how some school students who've used amphetamines, tranquilizers, or narcotics other than heroin are able to get hold of these pharmaceutical drugs. An investigation by the University of Michigan in 2007 found that the most common source was getting them free from a friend or relative, followed by being sold the drugs by a friend or relative! And lastly by purchasing them from a dealer or stranger.

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Caution: High-Fat Diet Can Disrupt Your Biological Clock!

2008-12-29T23:01:00.000-08:00

Indulgence in a high-fat diet can not only lead to overweight because of excessive calorie intake, but also can affect the balance of circadian rhythms – everyone's 24-hour biological clock, Hebrew University of Jerusalem researchers have shown.

The biological clock regulates the expression and/or activity of enzymes and hormones involved in metabolism, and disturbance of the clock can lead to such phenomena as hormone imbalance, obesity, psychological and sleep disorders and cancer.

While light is the strongest factor affecting the circadian clock, there is a cause-and-effect relation between diet and biological clock imbalance.

In an article soon to be published by the medical industry journal Endocrinology, the researchers suggest that this high-fat diet could contribute to obesity, not only through its high caloric content, but also by disrupting the phases and daily rhythm of clock genes. They contend also that high fat-induced changes in the clock and the adiponectin signaling pathway may help explain the disruption of other clock-controlled systems associated with metabolic disorders, such as blood pressure levels and the sleep/wake cycle.

EurekaAlert!

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Is Greater use of Imaging Technology Justified?

2008-12-29T02:15:00.000-08:00

During the past several years, the availability of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning has grown rapidly. An estimated number of CT diagnostic equipment units grew more than 50 percent between 1995 and 2004, while the estimated number of MRI units more than doubled. Apparently, the use of imaging technologies has associated costs and benefits, the question is whether the benefits are more than costs or not? An insightful study conducted by Stanford University researchers recently published brought the issue into the limelight.

Top 10 Cosmetic Surgery Trends for 2009

2008-12-27T03:11:00.000-08:00

The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), offers its predictions for cosmetic surgery in 2009. Predictions are based on interviews with leading plastic surgeons around the country.

1. Aesthetic Medicine has seen a dramatic increase in the diversity of the patients treated over the past decade and this trend is expected to continue to grow stronger than ever, with applications that cater to all people. The appeal of both aesthetic surgery and cosmetic medicine will continue to spread across the spectrum of our population, as plastic surgeons from the medical industry further tailor treatments to meet the sometimes unique needs of that expanding population.

2. The growth and popularity of cosmetic fillers (Evolence, Juvederm, Restylane, etc.) will continue to increase as products continue to evolve and new players enter the market.

3. As our population increasingly realizes the dangers and health consequences of obesity, the number of patients seeking plastic surgery procedures for body contouring after dramatic weight loss (abdominoplasty, lower body lift, upper arm lift, etc.) will rise in 2009.

4. Reloxin (an injectable form of Botulinum Toxin Type A) will gain FDA approval and compete with Botox (the most popular cosmetic procedure for the past 5 years) and other similar products may begin to enter pre-market clinical trials.

5. Consumers looking for a bargain on cosmetic procedures will unfortunately lead to an increase in horror stories about “discount injectables” bought offshore and cosmetic medicine and cosmetic surgical procedures performed by untrained or poorly trained practitioners.

6. Experimental techniques for non-invasive fat removal (SonoScultpt, UltraShape) as a future alternative or adjunct to liposuction (lipoplasty) surgery, will continue be tested in clinical trials.

7. Men will represent a growing segment of the aesthetic surgery market. (According to a February 2008 consumer survey commissioned by ASAPS, 57 percent of men approve of cosmetic surgery, and 20 percent would consider having cosmetic surgery. Seventy-nine percent (79%) of American men surveyed said they would not be embarrassed if people in addition to their family and close friends knew they had undergone cosmetic surgery.)

8. As the popularity of non surgical and minimally invasive procedures continues to grow; surgeons and manufacturers will develop new techniques and products that advance the science, produce even better results and lessen recovery time.

9. Cosmetic surgery “vacations” will become less popular as educated consumers understand the safety and risk issues associated with surgical procedures and travel. Surgery performed by board-certified aesthetic plastic surgeons, in accredited facilities where follow-up care is available will continue to be the safest option and the best value.

10. Following the trend in increased consumer sophistication regarding healthcare choices, board certification of practitioners, and accreditation of surgical facilities will play an even more important role in choosing a cosmetic surgeon.

American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

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How Harmful Bacteria Can Fight off Cancer?

2008-12-26T21:23:00.000-08:00

Back in 2004, an experimental cancer vaccine using modified listeria bacteria showed great promise in animal studies by successfully treating new cancers in mice. At present human clinical trials - a pharmaceutical service, are underway.

Listeria monocytogenes is a deadly bacterium commonly found in soil, stream water, sewage, plants, and food and is responsible for causing listeriosis – a lethal food-borne infection with a fatality rate of 25%. On the other hand, the Salmonella bacterium, which, some time back, made headlines by tainting tomatoes nationwide, has a less than 1% mortality rate. Further, the deadliness of listerosis is to some extent attributed to the infection's ability to spread to the nervous system causing meningitis.

Nevertheless, a genetically altered version of the scary pathogen raises hopes that an engineered listeria vaccine can target cancers such as pancreatic and ovarian cancer, and perhaps leukemia as well.

The Bacteria Therapy's Modus Operandi

The bacteria rev up our immune system's engines to act fiercely against cancer cells. First they incite an “inherent” response from the immune system, and second, cause the cancer antigens to seep into the cells, which stimulate a potent "acquired" immune response. Thus causing the immune system to step on the gas real hard.

This immune response so generated induce both inflammation and an immune response to specific tumor antigens thereby attacking the tumor with generalized antitumor chemicals including interferon and tumor necrosis factor, coupled with activated T-cells that attack and kill the tumor. And experts believe that Listeria is by far the best bug to induce that kind of a response, i.e. activating both the innate and acquired immunity to work in tandem.

Phase I/II clinical trials pharmaceutical service results have shown that the live Listeria cancer vaccine “Lovaxin” by Advaxis is safe for humans. The trials though meant to assess safety also found that six of the 15 treated patients were still alive 2 years compared to their their life expectancy at the beginning of the trial that was six months or less.

As research continues, the deadly bacteria may eventually turnout to be a helpful buddy.

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How Some Vegetables Fight Cancer

2008-12-24T04:57:00.000-08:00

Women should go for the broccoli when the relish tray comes around during holiday celebrations this season.

While it has been known for some time that eating cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage, can help prevent breast cancer, the mechanism by which the active substances in these vegetables inhibit cell proliferation was unknown — until now.

Scientists in the UC Santa Barbara laboratories of Leslie Wilson, professor of biochemistry and pharmacology, and Mary Ann Jordan, adjunct professor in the Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, have shown how the healing power of these vegetables works at the cellular level. Their research is published in this month's medical industry journal Carcinogenesis.

"Breast cancer, the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women, can be protected against by eating cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage and near relatives of cabbage such as broccoli and cauliflower," said first author Olga Azarenko, who is a graduate student at UCSB. "These vegetables contain compounds called isothiocyanates which we believe to be responsible for the cancer-preventive and anti-carcinogenic activities in these vegetables. Broccoli and broccoli sprouts have the highest amount of the isothiocyanates.

Sulforaphane or SFN,.. has already been shown to reduce the incidence and rate of chemically induced mammary tumors in animals. It inhibits the growth of cultured human breast cancer cells, leading to cell death.

SFN like the more powerful anticancer agents,..[works] in a similar manner to the more powerful anticancer drugs. However SFN is much weaker than these other plant-based drugs, and thus much less toxic.

"SFN may be an effective cancer preventive agent because it inhibits the proliferation and kills precancerous cells," said Wilson. It is also possible that it could be used as an addition to taxol and other similar drugs to increase effective killing of tumor cells without increased toxicity.

EurekaAlert

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Least Heart Failure Risk for the Lean and Active

2008-12-22T23:01:00.000-08:00

According to research conducted by doctors of the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and their colleagues assessing heart failure risk, found that the lean and active groups had the least risk, while the inactive group had the highest risk.

Also, even engaging in vigorous physical activity just about 1 to 3 times a month can make a difference by reducing risk of heart failure by a good 18 percent.

The results will be published in the Jan. 6 issue of the medical publication - Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

Find the news at medpage

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Do Vitamin Supplements Prevent Cancer?

2008-12-22T04:39:00.000-08:00

During the last decade, vitamin supplements appeared to be quite encouraging as potential remedies against cancer, heart disease, stroke and several other maladies. Recently, long-term studies carried out to determine their efficacy against cancer showed that vitamin dietary supplements weren't effective. So now do we have definitive evidence against the use of vitamin supplements in preventing cancer, some experts disagree.

More at: Themedica

Cough Drug Ingredient May Treat Prostate Cancer

2008-12-18T23:49:00.000-08:00

A study published today in the December issue of the European medical journal Anticancer Research demonstrates that an ingredient used in a common cough suppressant may be useful in treating advanced prostate cancer. Researchers found that noscapine, which has been used in cough medication for nearly 50 years, reduced tumor growth in mice by 60% and limited the spread of tumors by 65% without causing harmful side effects.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in the United States. The American Cancer Society estimates that 186,320 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2008 and 28,660 will die from it. One man in 6 will get prostate cancer during his lifetime. Although slow-growing in most men, the cancer is considered advanced when it spreads beyond the prostate. There is no known cure. And low income men are at an increased risk of advanced prostate cancer

Noscapine is a naturally-occurring substance, a non-addictive derivative of opium found in cough medicines. As a natural substance, noscapine cannot be patented, which has limited the potential for clinical trials.

Hormone therapy and chemotherapy, along with radiation and surgery, are currently used to slow the progression of advanced prostate cancer. Side effects resulting from these treatments include impotence, incontinence, fatigue, anemia, brittle bones, hair loss, reduced appetite, nausea and diarrhea. No toxic side effects were observed in the laboratory study of noscapine.

Find the story at EurekaAlert!

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Robotic Pharmacists – Drug Dispensing Made Easy

2008-12-18T04:24:00.000-08:00

Pharmacists have a tough job, aside from reading illegible prescriptions, and ensuring that only the right pharmaceutical drugs are dispensed, they have to constantly run around stockrooms looking for drugs. However, some pharmacies may have already found a solution in the form of robotic pharmacists.

Recently, a new set of robotic dispensers, christened as “robodispensers,” were introduced at Leicester's hospitals' pharmacies. These robots are big machines, about eight meters in size, and are costly too, with each piece costing about US$ 463,530.

The New Age Dispensers

The new age pharmacists seem to be clever and efficient machines, as they can tirelessly work round the clock and not need even a cat's nap. They can accurately locate and dispense 700 medicines a day - 60 per hour, in addition to storing 25,000 packs of medicines.

When a pharmacy technician asks the robots to fetch a pack of a particular pharmaceutical – patent or a generic drug, the on-board computer swings into action, calculating where the medicines are stocked. Next, the picking head gets to right spot, and using a suction arm pulls the pack from the shelf. After which the pack find its way onto a conveyor belt and the drugs are delivered to the technician.

Bulky and pricey they may be, however they have a number of advantages over human pharmacists. For instance, they can save many pharmacists the pain of rushing about stockrooms in search of medicines, and they can better focus on ensuring that the right medicines are dispensed. Also, these robotic dispensers are highly accurate because rely on the barcodes on the prescription drugs packs to identify medicines, thus reducing errors. And, a reduced turnaround time is yet another benefit.

Perhaps, reduced costs and widespread installations of such machines will take care of the woes of pharmacy technicians around the world.

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Study: Lower Death Rates Linked to Drug Eluting Stents

2008-12-18T01:57:00.000-08:00

Patients receiving drug eluting stents (DES) — stents coated with medication to prevent narrowing of the artery — as part of an angioplasty had better outcomes one year later than patients with bare metal stents, according to a new study to be published in CMAJ http://www.cmaj.ca/press/080050.pdf.

(A stent is a device placed in the artery to keep the inner wall of the artery open.)

Mortality in the first 30 days for people with pharmaceutical drug eluting stents was significantly lower than for those with bare metal stents. However, in this prospective cohort study of 6440 patients, there was an increased risk of repeat revascularization procedures or death in the DES group after 3 years.

Patients with drug eluting stents were more likely to be female, with higher rates of kidney disease, diabetes, high cholesterol and hypertension.

"Our study findings suggest that drug eluting stents, despite recent concerns surrounding drug eluting stent safety, the long-term survival (to 3 years) of patients receiving drug eluting stents remains globally favourable, and certainly not measurably worse than that of patients treated with bare metal stents," state Dr. William Ghali, coauthors from the University of Calgary and Dr. Andrew Philpott. "However, we did observe a concerning risk trend toward accelerating adverse events in the DES group late in the follow-up period — a finding that underlines the need for ongoing surveillance of longer-term outcomes," write the authors.

Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) , via, EurekaAlert!

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Smoking May Up Colorectal Cancer Risk & Death

2008-12-17T04:10:00.000-08:00

An analysis of previous studies indicates that smoking is significantly associated with an increased risk for colorectal cancer and death, according to an article in the December 17 issue of JAMA.

Colorectal cancer, often treated with cancer drugs, includes cancerous growths in the colon, rectum and appendix.

Although tobacco was responsible for approximately 5.4 million deaths in 2005, there are still an estimated 1.3 billion smokers in the world. While a number of cancers are attributable to smoking, the link between cigarette smoking and colorectal cancer (CRC) has been inconsistent among studies. "Because smoking can potentially be controlled by individual and population-related measures, detecting a link between CRC and smoking could help reduce the burden of the world's third most common tumor, which currently causes more than 500,000 annual deaths worldwide. In the United States alone, an estimate of approximately 50,000 deaths from CRC would have occurred in 2008," the authors write.

Edoardo Botteri, M.Sc., of the European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy, and colleagues conducted a meta-analysis to review and summarize published data examining the link between smoking and CRC incidence and death.

The researchers identified 106 observational studies, and the meta-analysis was based on a total of nearly 40,000 new cases of CRC. For the analysis on incidence, smoking was associated with an 18 percent increased risk of CRC. The researchers also found a statistically significant dose-relationship with an increasing number of pack-years (number of packs of cigarettes smoked/day, multiplied by years of consumption) and cigarettes per day. However, the association was statistically significant only after 30 years of smoking.

Source: JAMA & Archives

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Acupuncture without Puncture – Is it Better?

2008-12-17T02:42:00.000-08:00

Alternative medicines are becoming increasingly popular by the day, a recent NCCAM survey showed that approximately 38 percent of adults in the United States aged 18 years and over and nearly 12 percent of U.S. children aged 17 years and under use some form of complementary and alternative medicines. However, there are also concerns about effectiveness, and the safety of some treatments.

Acupuncture is an age-old traditional Chinese therapy that's helped millions of people over centuries, see for instance, see how acupuncture can help women. And now even animals benefit from acupuncture. But it seems that scientists have begun exploring newer renditions of this traditional complementary medicine – “Acupuncture without needle penetration.”

Acupuncture Sans “Puncture”

Recently, studies involving cancer patients suffering from nausea during radiotherapy were conducted to see if the patients were relieved by “acupuncture without insertion” just as they were with “acupuncture with penetration.”

All of the four studies conducted at the Department of Medicine and Health Sciences at Linköping University and the Vårdal Institute in Sweden. One of the studies involved 215 patients who were undergoing radiation treatment to undergo one of these two acupuncture types.

While, 109 received traditional acupuncture, with needles penetrating the skin in particular points, the other 106 patients got only a simulated acupuncture with telescopic, blunt placebo needles barely touching the skin.

The results were startling, about 95 percent of the patients in both groups felt that the acupuncture treatment had helped relieve nausea.

Unlike many other forms of alternative medication, acupuncture scores better on proven efficacy in relieving several maladies. However, it's also well-known that when it's not administered properly, it can cause serious adverse effects, including infections and punctured organs.

But with this new study showing acupuncture without penetration being just as effective as it's traditional counterpart, there's hope that some of the risks such as that of infections, can almost be eliminated at source.

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Low-income men more likely to be diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer

2008-12-16T04:14:00.000-08:00

Low-income men are more likely to present with advanced prostate cancers, most likely because they don't receive screening services shown to reduce the diagnosis of later-stage cancers, a UCLA study found.

Treated with cancer drugs, prostate cancer is a disease in which abnormal tumor cells develop in the prostate gland of men.

Researchers found that of the 570 men studied, 19 percent had metastatic cancer at diagnosis, compared to 4 percent of men from the general population who were followed in other studies.

The study also found that the diagnosis rates for lower-risk, less advanced cancers in the IMPACT (Improving Access, Counseling and Treatment for Californians with Prostate Cancer) patients did not increase over time, while the diagnosis rates of lower-risk, less advanced cancers did go up for men in more affluent populations.

The study will be Published in the February 2009 issue of The Journal of Urology.

Dr. William Aronson, the senior author of the study, a clinical professor in the UCLA Department of Urology and a researcher at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center said, "...the persistent preponderance of metastatic and higher risk localized cancers in these men suggests that more comprehensive strategies are needed to eliminate the disparities in prostate cancer morbidity and mortality."

...these findings "serve as a reminder that for disadvantaged men, under-detection and under-treatment of prostate cancer remains a significant concern," the study states.

"Improving access to the preventive and treatment aspects of health care will go a long way toward reducing the disparities in disease morbidity and mortality suffered by poor and minority communities," writes Dr. M. Norman Oliver, director of the University of Virginia Center of Health Disparities.

Source: University of California - Los Angeles

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2008-12-16T02:24:00.000-08:00

On May 20, 1999 Rofecoxib, better known as “Vioxx,” was approved as safe and effective by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), on September 30, 2004, the manufacturer voluntarily recalled the drug from the market because of concerns of increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

Clinical trials or drug testing, a pharmaceutical service, is complex. And while the criticism of the US FDA over monitoring of product safety continues, there may already exist solutions that may help the federal agency to better prevent similar debacles from recurring.

The Virtual Patient Platform

One such predictive computer model of human physiology is known as the Cardiovascular PhysioLab(R). Developed by Entelos, this platform can aid in drug discovery and development by offering a comprehensive large-scale computer simulation of cholesterol regulation, atherogenesis, and cardiovascular risk.

In fact, it may also help evaluate combination therapies, identify and interpret biomarker patterns, and predict a drug's long-term clinical efficacy in managing cholesterol, atherosclerosis, and heart disease.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both women and men in the United States. For instance, in 2002, 696,947 people died of heart disease, about half of them women. This is a big number because it made up for 29% of all U.S. deaths.

Now, while these man-made patients might serve as a powerful and innovative means towards diagnosis, treatment, monitoring and prevention of complex, chronic diseases, modern controlled clinical trials are still the best way for evaluating safety and efficacy of drugs, according to pharmaceutical service industry experts.

Nevertheless, technology such as this which enables a broad range of "virtual patients" to be tried for different drugs, does seem to make the job of drug development easy and safe. Perhaps with time as the technology advances, it may include many more functions, reducing dependence on human subjects. Making it even safer.

And to the FDA, it might provide an invaluable tool to better monitor ongoing cardiovascular trials before their submission for approval, and also help it to determine possible adverse events in advance. Possibly preventing another drug debacle like the one from the past.

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2009: Top 9 Issues for Health Industries

2008-12-12T23:09:00.000-08:00

The coming year is being considered as a watershed for healthcare industry in the United States. Affecting hospitals, insurers, employers and patients alike, it is hoped that the convergence of market and political forces will lead to changes that will benefit patients and make the health system sturdier. In the wake of the pressing financial crisis of 2009, PricewaterhouseCoopers has identified top nine issues for health industries.

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Low-carb diets Can Lead to Poor Thinking

2008-12-11T22:00:00.000-08:00

A new study from the psychology department at Tufts University shows that when dieters eliminate carbohydrates from their meals, they performed more poorly on memory-based tasks than when they reduce calories, but maintain carbohydrates. When carbohydrates were reintroduced, cognition skills returned to normal.

"This study demonstrates that the food you eat can have an immediate impact on cognitive behavior," explains Holly A. Taylor, professor of psychology at Tufts and corresponding author of the study. "The popular low-carb, no-carb diets have the strongest potential for negative impact on thinking and cognition."

Taylor collaborated with Professor Robin Kanarek, former undergraduate Kara Watts and research associate Kristen D'Anci. The study, "Low-carbohydrate weight-loss diets. Effects on cognition and mood," appears in the February 2009 edition of the medical industry journal "Appetite."

While the brain uses glucose as its primary fuel, it has no way of storing it. Rather, the body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose, which is carried to the brain through the blood stream and used immediately by nerve cells for energy. Reduced carbohydrate intake should thus reduce the brain’s source of energy. Therefore, researchers hypothesized that diets low in carbohydrates would affect cognitive skills.

"Although the study had a modest sample size, the results showed a clear difference in cognitive performance as a function of diet," says Taylor.

"The data suggest that after a week of severe carbohydrate restriction, memory performance, particularly on difficult tasks, is impaired," Taylor explains..

While the study "only tracked dieting participants for three weeks, the data suggest that diets can affect more than just weight," says Taylor. "The brain needs glucose for energy and diets low in carbohydrates can be detrimental to learning, memory, and thinking."

Source: Tufts University News

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Chemical War Agents – A New Way of Decontamination

2008-12-11T05:06:00.000-08:00

On March 20, 1995, 7:00-8:10 am – during the rush hour at the Tokyo subway, in five well planned acts of terror, members of the Aum Shinrikyo in Japan released sarin gas on several lines of the Tokyo Metro, killing about a dozen people, severely injuring fifty and causing vision problems for nearly a thousand other victims. The incident remains, the most serious attack to occur in Japan since the end of the Second World War.

The incident involving a poisonous laboratory chemical starkly revealed how annihilating an attack by chemical warfare agents can be, and given the frequency of the terror attacks these days, the possibility of a terrorist attack by means of toxic laboratory chemical supplies can't be ruled out.

With research by their side, the scientists in Texas, California, and Maryland, via the American Chemical Society, recently claimed to have developed sophisticated "wipes" that could be used to clear up people and equipment exposed to a range of harmful military and industrial and laboratory chemicals.

The Next Generation Wipes

The high-tech wipes are being considered a big leap toward a universal personal decontamination system for nearly that could clear up just about any toxic or hazardous chemical, and save countless lives. For instance, "mustard" is one of the deadliest blister agents around. It is known to cause severe, delayed burns to the eyes, skin, and respiratory tract, damages cells within minutes of contact and large exposures to the chemical may be fatal. However, the new wipes are effective against it as well.

Another distinction about the new wipe is that unlike the earlier generation of decontaminating agents were either powders or liquids, this one is fabric-based. And hence it doesn't carry the disadvantages of its predecessors. For example the powders, like activated carbon, can pollute the air and cause lungs damage, the liquids on the other hand are effective against only a handful of harmful agents as many laboratory chemical manufacturers would vouch for , and that they can also damage electronic equipment.

Comprising a layer of activated carbon pressed between layers of absorbent fibers, they've been shown to work better than particulate carbon and a just as good as the military decontamination kit.

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Study: How Poverty Affects the Brain

2008-12-08T03:42:00.000-08:00

University of California, Berkeley, researchers have shown for the first time that the brains of low-income children function differently from the brains of high-income kids.

In a study recently accepted for publication by the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, which seems to have surprised many including those from the medical industry, scientists at UC Berkeley's Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute and the School of Public Health report that normal 9- and 10-year-olds differing only in socioeconomic status have detectable differences in the response of their prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that is critical for problem solving and creativity.

Brain function was measured by means of an electroencephalograph (EEG) - basically, a cap fitted with electrodes to measure electrical activity in the brain - like that used to assess epilepsy, sleep disorders and brain tumors.

"Kids from lower socioeconomic levels show brain physiology patterns similar to someone who actually had damage in the frontal lobe as an adult," said Robert Knight, director of the institute and a UC Berkeley professor of psychology. "We found that kids are more likely to have a low response if they have low socioeconomic status, though not everyone who is poor has low frontal lobe response."

UC Berkeley News

Should Mental Health be Integrated into Primary Care?

2008-12-08T02:26:00.000-08:00

Mental disorders affect millions around the world, which are often fundamentally linked to a number of physical ailments such as cancer, heart disease and AIDS.

According to NIMH estimates, about 26.2 percent of Americans ages 18 and older that's about one in four adults suffering from a mental disorder in a given year. And these figures translate into 57.7 million people afflicted with mental disorders, considering the 2004 U.S. Census. Despite the widespread prevalence of mental illness across the word, there's a huge gap between the number of people affected and those who get treatment, which often requires prescription of pharmaceutical drugs. This is true for all countries. A recent report by the WHO titled “Integrating mental health into primary health care: a global perspective,” suggests integrating mental health into primary care, citing many benefits and justifications.

More at: Themedica