US scientists have said that chronic social stress could worsen neuro-degenerative disorder — a condition where cells of the brain and spinal cord are destroyed. The brain and spinal cord are composed of neurons that do different functions such as controlling movements, processing sensory information, and making decisions.
In experiments on mice, researchers at Texas A&M University found that social stress increased the inflammation of the central nervous system (CNS) that consists of the brain and spinal cord, reported health portal Health Central. Stress appeared to elevate levels of protein cytokine called interleukin-6 (IL-6), which led to increased severity of multiple sclerosis-like illnesses in the mice.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a serious and incurable neurological disease that causes blindness and paralysis. Cytokines are pro-inflammatory proteins that regulate immunity and inflammatory functions.The researchers also found that giving the mice IL-6 neutralising antibody treatments during stressful events prevented the stress-related worsening of the MS-like diseases.
"People exposed to chronic social conflict experience high levels of stress and consequent dysregulation of the immune system, thereby increasing vulnerability to infectious and auto-immune diseases," lead researcher Mary Meagher said.
An Implantable Telescope (in Retina) to Reverse Vision Loss
Washington: A small telescope-like device developed by ophthalmologists in the US may be able to halt and even reverse vision loss caused by macular degeneration, an age-related eye disease.
--- Picture: An illustration of how the miniature telescope projects data back to the eye ---
According to a new study published in the Archives of Ophthalmology, the tiny optical prosthetics dramatically improved the vision of about 140 patients studied in a clinical trial over two years.
Macular degeneration is a medical condition found in elderly people. Due to the disease, the centre of the inner lining of the eye, known as the macula area of the retina, suffers thinning, atrophy and also bleeding in some cases. This can result in loss of central vision, which leads to inability in seeing fine details, reading or recognising faces. There is no known treatment to correct macular degeneration yet.
Now, the new Implantable Miniature Telescope (IMT), developed by US-based VisionCare Ophthalmic Technologies, could offer relief to those suffering from the disease.“This is a good device and it offers hope for people with no other options,” says Kathryn Colby, lead author of the study and an ophthalmologist. The IMT is a compound telescope system which consists of a glass cylinder that is 4.4mm in length and 3.6mm in diameter, and houses wide-angle micro-optics.
The prosthetic telescope is implanted by an ophthalmic surgeon in the eye that provides central vision. The device works with the eye’s cornea like a telephoto system, rendering an enlarged retinal image designed to reduce the area of diminished vision, reported the online edition of Scientific American. Doctors caution that this is not an easy fix, and they are developing special techniques to properly implant the device without damaging the eye. However, the regulatory body for medicine in the US has given the green signal to ophthalmologists for implanting the device.
High-Intensity Ultrasound could be the answer to combating Cancer
Researchers believe that using High-Intensity Ultrasound could be the answer to combating cancer using the body’s inbuilt immune system...
An intense form of ultrasound that shakes a tumour until its cells start to leak can trigger an “alarm” that enlists immune defences against the cancerous invasion, according to a study led by researchers at US’ Duke University’s Pratt School of Engineering. The new findings from animal experiments suggest that once activated by the ultrasound, the immune system might even seek and destroy cancer cells, including those that have spread through the bloodstream to lurk in other parts of the body.
--- Picture: Pei Zhong, a professor at Duke’s mechanical engineering and materials science department, poses besides an ultrasound machine. Zhong along with his team have found that doctors could possibly use High-Intensity Ultrasound to launch an attack on cancer, wherever it lurks ---
Creating a Toxic Spill
High-intensity focused ultrasound, or HIFU, is in use or testing in China, Europe and the United States to kill tumours by heating them. But Duke researchers now find that HIFU might work even better if it is first delivered in a manner that just shakes the cells. That shaking ruptures tumour cell membranes, causing them to spill their contents. The toxic spill then alerts the immune system to the cancer threat, leading to the production of tumour-fighting white blood cells.
If the effect seen in mice holds true in human patients, such a treatment could be an important advance in many cancer therapies because of its potential to tackle both primary tumours and metastatic cancers that have spread to other organs – all without the need for surgery, the research team reported in the Journal of Translational Medicine on August 3. The work, done by the engineers in collaboration with cancer immunologists and physicians at the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Centre, was supported by US’ National Institutes of Health.
“In most cancers, what actually ends up killing the patient is the spread of the cancer from its original site to other parts of the body,” said Pei Zhong, an associate professor in Duke’s mechanical engineering and materials science epartment. “If the patient has a tumour in the kidney or liver, several treatment options - Including surgery, radiation or HIFU – can be used to get rid of the cancerous tissues. However, if the cancer cells spread to other vital organs such as the lung or brain, the outcomes are often much worse.
“HIFU in the current form can only be used to treat the primary tumour,” he continued. “We now think that HIFU delivered in a different mode, with emphasis on using mechanical vibration to break apart the tumour cells, may have an even more significant impact in suppressing cancer metastasis by waking up the immune system.”
Road blocks ahead
For reasons that are still not completely understood, cancer cells often go largely undetected by the immune system, Zhong said. For an anti-tumour immune response to be effective, it may need to recognise not only the surface proteins of cancer cells, but some of the other proteins locked inside those cells, which Zhong called “danger signals.”
Preliminary tests show potential
The researchers found in mice with colon cancer that mechanical HIFU delivered to the animals’ tumours sparked an immune response twice as strong as did thermal HIFU, presumably by releasing a much more diverse range of danger signals.“Our results show that mechanical HIFU has the potential to induce a stronger anti-tumour immune response,” Zhong said. “These preliminary findings open up the possibility that we could use heat from HIFU to treat the primary tumour and HIFU-boosted immunotherapy for combating any residual and metastatic tumour cells.”
An intense form of ultrasound that shakes a tumour until its cells start to leak can trigger an “alarm” that enlists immune defences against the cancerous invasion, according to a study led by researchers at US’ Duke University’s Pratt School of Engineering. The new findings from animal experiments suggest that once activated by the ultrasound, the immune system might even seek and destroy cancer cells, including those that have spread through the bloodstream to lurk in other parts of the body.
--- Picture: Pei Zhong, a professor at Duke’s mechanical engineering and materials science department, poses besides an ultrasound machine. Zhong along with his team have found that doctors could possibly use High-Intensity Ultrasound to launch an attack on cancer, wherever it lurks ---
Creating a Toxic Spill
High-intensity focused ultrasound, or HIFU, is in use or testing in China, Europe and the United States to kill tumours by heating them. But Duke researchers now find that HIFU might work even better if it is first delivered in a manner that just shakes the cells. That shaking ruptures tumour cell membranes, causing them to spill their contents. The toxic spill then alerts the immune system to the cancer threat, leading to the production of tumour-fighting white blood cells.
If the effect seen in mice holds true in human patients, such a treatment could be an important advance in many cancer therapies because of its potential to tackle both primary tumours and metastatic cancers that have spread to other organs – all without the need for surgery, the research team reported in the Journal of Translational Medicine on August 3. The work, done by the engineers in collaboration with cancer immunologists and physicians at the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Centre, was supported by US’ National Institutes of Health.
“In most cancers, what actually ends up killing the patient is the spread of the cancer from its original site to other parts of the body,” said Pei Zhong, an associate professor in Duke’s mechanical engineering and materials science epartment. “If the patient has a tumour in the kidney or liver, several treatment options - Including surgery, radiation or HIFU – can be used to get rid of the cancerous tissues. However, if the cancer cells spread to other vital organs such as the lung or brain, the outcomes are often much worse.
“HIFU in the current form can only be used to treat the primary tumour,” he continued. “We now think that HIFU delivered in a different mode, with emphasis on using mechanical vibration to break apart the tumour cells, may have an even more significant impact in suppressing cancer metastasis by waking up the immune system.”
Road blocks ahead
For reasons that are still not completely understood, cancer cells often go largely undetected by the immune system, Zhong said. For an anti-tumour immune response to be effective, it may need to recognise not only the surface proteins of cancer cells, but some of the other proteins locked inside those cells, which Zhong called “danger signals.”
Preliminary tests show potential
The researchers found in mice with colon cancer that mechanical HIFU delivered to the animals’ tumours sparked an immune response twice as strong as did thermal HIFU, presumably by releasing a much more diverse range of danger signals.“Our results show that mechanical HIFU has the potential to induce a stronger anti-tumour immune response,” Zhong said. “These preliminary findings open up the possibility that we could use heat from HIFU to treat the primary tumour and HIFU-boosted immunotherapy for combating any residual and metastatic tumour cells.”
Source: Various newspaper articles
Anti Ageing Injections Will Soon Be A Reality!
London: French researchers believe an injection to erase the health problems associated with ageing is near at hand.
The injection manipulates a body’s mitochondria - the sausage-shaped ‘powerhouses’ in every cell of the body (except red blood cells) - which turns the food we eat into energy that can be used by the heart, muscles, brain and other parts of the body. Past research has suggested that mitochondrial deterioration is an important cause of ageing. But attempts to introduce normal genes into mitochondria to replace defective ones have so far failed: Researchers have been unable to transport genes across the mitochondrial membrane into the mitochondria.
But now, Marisol Corral-Debrinski and colleagues at the Pierre and Marie Curie University in Paris have met with some success. The team selected two mitochondrial gene mutations - one that causes muscle weakness and another that causes blindness. They then successfully inserted the normal versions of these genes into diseased cells grown in a lab. Both mutations were reversed.The experiments will now be conducted on rats, and eventually humans may get the ‘elixir of life’.
“It is not a panacea but, if successful, it might potentially correct part of this age-associated damage to mitochondria which might be important in slowing down ageing,” said Professor Patrick Chinnery, a leading British expert on mitochondrial disorders.
The injection manipulates a body’s mitochondria - the sausage-shaped ‘powerhouses’ in every cell of the body (except red blood cells) - which turns the food we eat into energy that can be used by the heart, muscles, brain and other parts of the body. Past research has suggested that mitochondrial deterioration is an important cause of ageing. But attempts to introduce normal genes into mitochondria to replace defective ones have so far failed: Researchers have been unable to transport genes across the mitochondrial membrane into the mitochondria.
But now, Marisol Corral-Debrinski and colleagues at the Pierre and Marie Curie University in Paris have met with some success. The team selected two mitochondrial gene mutations - one that causes muscle weakness and another that causes blindness. They then successfully inserted the normal versions of these genes into diseased cells grown in a lab. Both mutations were reversed.The experiments will now be conducted on rats, and eventually humans may get the ‘elixir of life’.
“It is not a panacea but, if successful, it might potentially correct part of this age-associated damage to mitochondria which might be important in slowing down ageing,” said Professor Patrick Chinnery, a leading British expert on mitochondrial disorders.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
Software calculates heart attack risk
Pioneering computer software is helping doctors to decide how best to treat patients admitted to hospital with heart attacks. An international consortium of researchers, led by the University of Edinburgh, has developed a programme that enables doctors to swiftly assess the severity of a patient’s condition. The new ‘risk calculator’ is already being used in UK hospitals.
Doctors using the new system take key data from patients at their bedside, and input it into the specially-devised programme. Key facts—such as a patient’s age, medical history and blood pressure—are recorded by doctors, as well as information derived from on-the-spot blood samples and kidney tests.
The new patient’s statistical profile is then input into a computer and matched with data derived from thousands of other coronary cases. Using the outcomes of these previous cases as a guide, the computer will not only give an accurate assessment of the new patient’s conditions, but also recommend possible treatment. Significantly, it will be able to predict the likelihood the patient suffering a heart attack, and even their chances of dying in the next months.
Chest pain accounts for more than a quarter of all emergency medical admissions in the United Kingdom. Spotting high risk heart patients quickly can be difficult, but Professor Keith Fox, of the University of Edinburgh, says the new tool will help: “Identifying those with threatened heart attack from the very many patients with chest pain is a real clinical challenge, but critically important in guiding emergency and subsequent patient care. Higher risk patients need more intensive medical and interventional treatment.”
An international group of cardiologists and statisticians have spent several years producing the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) calculator. The complex statistical model has been developed using data derived from six-year study of more than 40,000 coronary patients worldwide.
Doctors using the new system take key data from patients at their bedside, and input it into the specially-devised programme. Key facts—such as a patient’s age, medical history and blood pressure—are recorded by doctors, as well as information derived from on-the-spot blood samples and kidney tests.
The new patient’s statistical profile is then input into a computer and matched with data derived from thousands of other coronary cases. Using the outcomes of these previous cases as a guide, the computer will not only give an accurate assessment of the new patient’s conditions, but also recommend possible treatment. Significantly, it will be able to predict the likelihood the patient suffering a heart attack, and even their chances of dying in the next months.
Chest pain accounts for more than a quarter of all emergency medical admissions in the United Kingdom. Spotting high risk heart patients quickly can be difficult, but Professor Keith Fox, of the University of Edinburgh, says the new tool will help: “Identifying those with threatened heart attack from the very many patients with chest pain is a real clinical challenge, but critically important in guiding emergency and subsequent patient care. Higher risk patients need more intensive medical and interventional treatment.”
An international group of cardiologists and statisticians have spent several years producing the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) calculator. The complex statistical model has been developed using data derived from six-year study of more than 40,000 coronary patients worldwide.
Scientists crack gene code of breast and colon cancers
US scientists have cracked the entire genetic code of breast and colon cancers, offering new treatment hopes, reports BBC News
The genetic map shows that nearly 200 mutated genes, most previously unknown, help tumours emerge, grow and spread. The discovery could also lead to better ways to diagnose cancer in its early, most treatable stages, and personalised treatments, Science reports. The Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center say the findings suggest cancer is more complex than experts had believed.
The mutated genes in breast and colon cancers were almost completely distinct, suggesting very different pathways for the development of each of these cancer types. Each individual tumour appeared to have a different genetic blueprint, which could explain why cancers can behave very differently from person to person, the scientists said.
“No two patients are identical,” co-author Victor Velculescu explained.
Now researchers will study how these mutations occur in breast and colon cancers. Previous cancer gene discoveries have already led to successful detection and treatment strategies. For example, the breast cancer drug Herceptin targets a breast cancer cell receptor made by the Her2-neu gene. Blood tests for hereditary bowel cancer are based on the APC gene. Anna Barker of the National Cancer Institute said: “Maximising the numbers of targets available for drug development in a specific cancer means that patients will ultimately receive more personalised, less toxic therapies.”
Ed Yong of Cancer Research UK, said: “This is potentially a very important piece of research. “Most of the cancer genes identified in this study have not been previously linked to cancer. “These newly identified genes could provide rich hunting grounds for scientists looking for new ways of treating or detecting cancers. “In the future, scientists hope to be able to tailor plans for preventing or treating cancer to each person’s individual genetic profile. Studies like this can help us to accomplish this goal.”
The genetic map shows that nearly 200 mutated genes, most previously unknown, help tumours emerge, grow and spread. The discovery could also lead to better ways to diagnose cancer in its early, most treatable stages, and personalised treatments, Science reports. The Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center say the findings suggest cancer is more complex than experts had believed.
The mutated genes in breast and colon cancers were almost completely distinct, suggesting very different pathways for the development of each of these cancer types. Each individual tumour appeared to have a different genetic blueprint, which could explain why cancers can behave very differently from person to person, the scientists said.
“No two patients are identical,” co-author Victor Velculescu explained.
Now researchers will study how these mutations occur in breast and colon cancers. Previous cancer gene discoveries have already led to successful detection and treatment strategies. For example, the breast cancer drug Herceptin targets a breast cancer cell receptor made by the Her2-neu gene. Blood tests for hereditary bowel cancer are based on the APC gene. Anna Barker of the National Cancer Institute said: “Maximising the numbers of targets available for drug development in a specific cancer means that patients will ultimately receive more personalised, less toxic therapies.”
Ed Yong of Cancer Research UK, said: “This is potentially a very important piece of research. “Most of the cancer genes identified in this study have not been previously linked to cancer. “These newly identified genes could provide rich hunting grounds for scientists looking for new ways of treating or detecting cancers. “In the future, scientists hope to be able to tailor plans for preventing or treating cancer to each person’s individual genetic profile. Studies like this can help us to accomplish this goal.”
So can sunshine beat heart disease?
This Easter, it's not over-indulging in chocolate you should be worrying about, but your lack of exposure to the sun over the past six months.
All through winter, your vitamin D stores will have been declining, and by now you will have a fraction of what you need — not just for strong bones but to fight off a range of diseases, including cancer, heart disease and infections.
Last month, a study of 7,500 men and women found that most don't have enough vitamin D in their bloodstream for at least six months of the year. Although our bodies absorb some vitamin D from the food we eat, it can't absorb enough— the body has to manufacture the rest through sunlight.
Fewer UVB rays reach the ground during the winter months, and less so the further north you go. The Scots, according to the new study, are twice as likely to suffer from dangerously low levels of vitamin D. Researchers have suggested that by ensuring we get adequate amounts, breast, prostate and colon cancer rates would be reduced by more than 50 per cent. Other research has found that improved intake would help to prevent osteoporosis.
Inadequate levels of the vitamin have also been linked to depression and weight gain.
What's so controversial about this research, conducted at some of the world's top scientific centres, is that it suggests the current recommended daily amount for vitamin D is way too low. The official advice is that we need between 200 and 400 iu (international units of concentration) a day, some of which we can get from food — notably fatty fish and cod liver oil, but also lard, butter and egg yolk — and the rest from sunlight.
It's long been known that people in some immigrant groups are more likely to be deficient, but it now appears that most white middle-aged people, the ones thought to be fine, are seriously lacking in vitamin. Over 2,000 iu, according to some sources, puts you at risk of absorbing too much calcium, leading to liver, kidney and heart damage. Other side-effects of overdosing includes increased thirst, nausea and vomiting.
However, one of the authors of the recent study linking vitamin D and flu, takes 5,000iu daily in the winter, and advises people to take 2,000 iu for each kilo of their body weight daily for three days at the first sign of infection.
There are other examples of people who have taken large doses with no ill-effect. For instance, an American study of wheelchair-bound patients with severe weakness and fatigue, who were given very high doses totalling 50,000 iu a week. They suffered no problems and were walking after six weeks. Another described how a group of adolescents with a severe deficiency were given single monthly doses of 100,000 iu with no ill effects.
As yet, it's too early to say who is right about all of this; the one thing everyone agrees on is that these new ideas about vitamin D need further testing. So it is probably too early to start going for mega-doses of 10,000 iu. But modern-day living does seem designed to reduce our vitamin D intake to a minimum.
We're Dracula-like when it comes to sunlight, terrified by the fear of skin cancer into spending our days indoors, and when we do venture out, we are urged to slap on the sun block.
As for our diet, the low-fat mantra discriminates against foods with vitamin D, most of which come with high doses of fat and cholesterol. Since our food is unlikely to be fortified any time soon, should you be taking a supplement? No one can tell you for certain, but it's certainly worth making sure you get enough sun. It's time to book that holiday.
Could a bird virus help defeat cancer?
Researchers believe that Newcastle Disease virus, which does not affect humans, reproduces much faster in cancer cells than healthy cells because they have fewer viral defences.
They believe the virus, which is being injected into patients in a new clinical trial, will kill cancer cells and may eventually destroy the whole tumour.
In a trial in Israel, Professor Shimon Slavin, cancer specialist at Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, is using the Newcastle virus on patients who have not responded to other therapies. Patients taking part in the trial include those with lung, gastric and skin cancers that have spread.
A number of other viruses are being looked at as potential cancer therapies.
At the Mayo Clinic in the US, a treatment based on the measles virus is being used to treat cancers such as ovarian and brain. Researchers at the University of Western Ontario in Canada have also shown that the myxoma virus, which causes myxomatosis in rabbits, can also destroy cancer cells.
They believe the virus, which is being injected into patients in a new clinical trial, will kill cancer cells and may eventually destroy the whole tumour.
In a trial in Israel, Professor Shimon Slavin, cancer specialist at Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, is using the Newcastle virus on patients who have not responded to other therapies. Patients taking part in the trial include those with lung, gastric and skin cancers that have spread.
A number of other viruses are being looked at as potential cancer therapies.
At the Mayo Clinic in the US, a treatment based on the measles virus is being used to treat cancers such as ovarian and brain. Researchers at the University of Western Ontario in Canada have also shown that the myxoma virus, which causes myxomatosis in rabbits, can also destroy cancer cells.
Two cuppas a day can slash skin cancer risk
Two cups of tea may slash the risk of skin cancer, according to new research. Scientists found tea-drinkers were at least 65 per cent less likely to get certain types of tumour. The biggest benefits were seen among long-term drinkers, especially those who downed several cups a day for more than 40 years.
The findings, published in the European Journal of Cancer Prevention, show tea's disease-fighting properties appear to protect the body against squamous cell carcinomas and basal cell carcinomas.They are usually caused by exposure to the sun's rays and grow slowly over a period of months or even years.
Basal cell carcinomas normally show up as a painless lump that gradually expands in size. Although they do not normally spread they need to be surgically removed.
Previous studies have found it can protect against heart disease, ovarian cancer and stress. In the latest study, carried out at Dartmouth Medical School in New Hampshire, US, scientists analysed over 1,400 patients aged between 25 and 74 with one of the two types of tumour. They compared their diet, drinking habits and lifestyle with a similar group who did not have cancer.
The results showed regular tea drinkers were 65 per cent less likely to have squamous cell carcinoma and almost 80 per less at risk.Dr Judy Rees, who led the research, said: "The constituents of tea have been investigated for their activity against a variety of diseases and cancers. But the most potent appear to be polyphenols."
These are antioxidants that block the damaging effects in the body of molecules known as free radicals. Dr Alison Ross, from Cancer Research UK said the results were interesting but "did not provide firm evidence" that tea protects against skin cancer. She said limiting exposure to the sun's rays was still the best way to reduce the risk.
The findings, published in the European Journal of Cancer Prevention, show tea's disease-fighting properties appear to protect the body against squamous cell carcinomas and basal cell carcinomas.They are usually caused by exposure to the sun's rays and grow slowly over a period of months or even years.
Basal cell carcinomas normally show up as a painless lump that gradually expands in size. Although they do not normally spread they need to be surgically removed.
Previous studies have found it can protect against heart disease, ovarian cancer and stress. In the latest study, carried out at Dartmouth Medical School in New Hampshire, US, scientists analysed over 1,400 patients aged between 25 and 74 with one of the two types of tumour. They compared their diet, drinking habits and lifestyle with a similar group who did not have cancer.
The results showed regular tea drinkers were 65 per cent less likely to have squamous cell carcinoma and almost 80 per less at risk.Dr Judy Rees, who led the research, said: "The constituents of tea have been investigated for their activity against a variety of diseases and cancers. But the most potent appear to be polyphenols."
These are antioxidants that block the damaging effects in the body of molecules known as free radicals. Dr Alison Ross, from Cancer Research UK said the results were interesting but "did not provide firm evidence" that tea protects against skin cancer. She said limiting exposure to the sun's rays was still the best way to reduce the risk.
Hypochondriac - Ill at ease with disease & the treatment
When was the last time you saw a mosquito bite and assumed it to be skin cancer? Do you constantly find yourself imagining being afflicted with illnesses? If you do, you can be sure that you're suffering from hypochondria. You are one of those who are obsessed with bodily functions and interpret normal sensations (such as heart beats, sweating or bowel movements) or minor abnormalities (such as a runny nose, a sore or a swollen lymph node) as symptoms of serious medical conditions.
A case in point
A year ago, Rita Parikh, an event manager, experienced a burning sensation in her throat and created ghosts in her mind. She assumed that she had a major problem in her throat or stomach. She had a problem, of course: hypochondria. "A person suffering from this disease has a preoccupying fear of constant illness. It’s a state of mind," says clinical psychologist and psychotherapist Seema Hingorrany.
Risk factors
"It is a sort of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)," says Dr Minnu Bhonsle, Heart to Heart counselling centre. After being exposed to a sickness, some people often begin to suspect being stricken by illnesses at the drop of a hat. "Family history of hypochondria; psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety or personality disorders; physical, sexual or emotional abuse in childhood; a stressful past experience with your own or a loved one's illness — increase the risk factors of getting hypochondria," lists Hingorrany. Rita found the root of this psychological disorder in her childhood. She had lost her father when she was very young. Hence, she constantly feared death, which gave rise to other fears later on in life.
The growing agony
Rita was traumatised by the fear of a disease and her day-to-day activities were affected. "One's personality traits can suggest the onset of hypochondria," says Bhonsle. Hingorrany adds, "Lack of will power and low self-esteem aggravates it too.”Rita too suffered from low self-esteem which led to depression. She cut down on her daily intake of food. She was afraid she would aggravate her stomach ailment. She stopped having desserts; spice and oil were discarded from her diet. But her diet worsened her condition and she fell ill frequently.
As time passed, she became over-cautious. A boil on the face would be misconstrued for chicken pox. There were times when she would wake up in the middle of the night and worry for hours. "Hypochondriacs also tend to be over-protective of their children, because they fear that their children will end up with similar problems," says Hingorrany. Rita too would constantly advise her children on what to eat and what to avoid.
Know-how
Hypochiondriacs worsen their condition by referring to journals, websites and medicating themselves. "One becomes a hypochondriac when they take to what they read in medical magazines and see on television," says Bhonsle, who feels that information on disorders and diseases must be taken in the right spirit. Rita was no different. She would constantly look up the medical dictionary and try to compare her symptoms with those mentioned. "Such people find a friend in the Google search engine and they constantly surf the web for matching symptoms," says Hingorrany. "The more you read, the more cynical you become."
Self-treatment
The fear in a hypochondriac rises to such an extent that he/she refuses to consult a doctor. "They are afraid of being diagnosed by a deadly disease and hence resort to self-medication," confirms Hingorrany. Rita made a habit of self-medicating herself.
Silent Struggle
Hypochondriacs prefer to be silent sufferers. Rita found it tough to speak about her suffering to her family members who remained clueless about her close encounter with self-medication. She did not double check on these medications either. Rita also found it difficult to manage relationships peacefully and perform normal activities.
The way out
When her family learnt about her condition, they decided that she should seek help. That's when she came to Hingorrany who asked her to undergo a thorough check-up, to steer clear of all doubts. All the reports were normal. The only condition she was diagnosed with was hyperacidity, because of the stress she subjected herself to. She was advised to find a cure for her fear and not for her diseases. She underwent a test, which confirmed her to be a hypochondriac and she was told to alter her thoughts and undergo Rational Emotive Therapy (RET). "After hours of talk therapy, slowly, all that was discarded from Rita's diet was re-introduced and eventually she started leading a normal life," says Hingorrany.
The Treatment
Dr Minnu Bhonsle explains the treatment for hypochondria:
A case in point
A year ago, Rita Parikh, an event manager, experienced a burning sensation in her throat and created ghosts in her mind. She assumed that she had a major problem in her throat or stomach. She had a problem, of course: hypochondria. "A person suffering from this disease has a preoccupying fear of constant illness. It’s a state of mind," says clinical psychologist and psychotherapist Seema Hingorrany.
Risk factors
"It is a sort of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)," says Dr Minnu Bhonsle, Heart to Heart counselling centre. After being exposed to a sickness, some people often begin to suspect being stricken by illnesses at the drop of a hat. "Family history of hypochondria; psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety or personality disorders; physical, sexual or emotional abuse in childhood; a stressful past experience with your own or a loved one's illness — increase the risk factors of getting hypochondria," lists Hingorrany. Rita found the root of this psychological disorder in her childhood. She had lost her father when she was very young. Hence, she constantly feared death, which gave rise to other fears later on in life.
The growing agony
Rita was traumatised by the fear of a disease and her day-to-day activities were affected. "One's personality traits can suggest the onset of hypochondria," says Bhonsle. Hingorrany adds, "Lack of will power and low self-esteem aggravates it too.”Rita too suffered from low self-esteem which led to depression. She cut down on her daily intake of food. She was afraid she would aggravate her stomach ailment. She stopped having desserts; spice and oil were discarded from her diet. But her diet worsened her condition and she fell ill frequently.
As time passed, she became over-cautious. A boil on the face would be misconstrued for chicken pox. There were times when she would wake up in the middle of the night and worry for hours. "Hypochondriacs also tend to be over-protective of their children, because they fear that their children will end up with similar problems," says Hingorrany. Rita too would constantly advise her children on what to eat and what to avoid.
Know-how
Hypochiondriacs worsen their condition by referring to journals, websites and medicating themselves. "One becomes a hypochondriac when they take to what they read in medical magazines and see on television," says Bhonsle, who feels that information on disorders and diseases must be taken in the right spirit. Rita was no different. She would constantly look up the medical dictionary and try to compare her symptoms with those mentioned. "Such people find a friend in the Google search engine and they constantly surf the web for matching symptoms," says Hingorrany. "The more you read, the more cynical you become."
Self-treatment
The fear in a hypochondriac rises to such an extent that he/she refuses to consult a doctor. "They are afraid of being diagnosed by a deadly disease and hence resort to self-medication," confirms Hingorrany. Rita made a habit of self-medicating herself.
Silent Struggle
Hypochondriacs prefer to be silent sufferers. Rita found it tough to speak about her suffering to her family members who remained clueless about her close encounter with self-medication. She did not double check on these medications either. Rita also found it difficult to manage relationships peacefully and perform normal activities.
The way out
When her family learnt about her condition, they decided that she should seek help. That's when she came to Hingorrany who asked her to undergo a thorough check-up, to steer clear of all doubts. All the reports were normal. The only condition she was diagnosed with was hyperacidity, because of the stress she subjected herself to. She was advised to find a cure for her fear and not for her diseases. She underwent a test, which confirmed her to be a hypochondriac and she was told to alter her thoughts and undergo Rational Emotive Therapy (RET). "After hours of talk therapy, slowly, all that was discarded from Rita's diet was re-introduced and eventually she started leading a normal life," says Hingorrany.
The Treatment
Dr Minnu Bhonsle explains the treatment for hypochondria:
- It may be treated with sustained psychotherapies, like the Cognitive Behavioral therapy — i.e. talk therapy
- There is also the option of Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT). This psychotherapy helps to find the origin of the person's irrational behaviour.
- REBT is accompanied by anti-anxiety medication which helps to calm the individual and creates a predicament more conducive for treatment. The psychotherapy and medication together, attempt to rework the individual's genetic disposition which may have caused an organic disorder like hypochondria.
Myth Busted - Fruit and veggies five times a day...
It's out now - People do not need to eat five fruit and vegetables a day to be healthy
Catherine Collins, chief dietician at St George's Hospital in Tooting, says, people can spread their fruit and vegetable intake across a week instead. The advice flies in the face of the Government's Five A Day campaign which encourages people to eat five pieces of fruits and vegetables a day.
But Collins says, "The whole idea that you must meet some vitamin and mineral target every day of your life is a marketing myth.You can eat lots of fruits and veggies one day and not much the next, but over a week you will still get the right amount of nutrients." She also said in The Guardian that taking extra vitamin pills might not do people much good either. "There is very little scientific evidence of any benefit whatsoever in taking a daily multi-vitamin," she said. "You cannot exist on a poor diet and shore yourself up with a multi-vitamin."
Her comments come after a study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found men with prostate cancer who took more than seven multi-vitamins a week were 30 per cent more likely to get an advanced and fatal form of the disease. Dr Toni Steer, nutritionist with MRC Human Nutrition Research in Cambridge, said supplements cannot compensate good healthy food.
WHAT DOES AND DOESN'T WORK
Daily multi-vitamin
Antioxidants (beta carotene, vitamins A, E, C and selenium)
Evening Primrose oil
Vitamin C megadose
Echinacea
Vitamin D
Folic acid
Glucosamine sulphate
Catherine Collins, chief dietician at St George's Hospital in Tooting, says, people can spread their fruit and vegetable intake across a week instead. The advice flies in the face of the Government's Five A Day campaign which encourages people to eat five pieces of fruits and vegetables a day.
But Collins says, "The whole idea that you must meet some vitamin and mineral target every day of your life is a marketing myth.You can eat lots of fruits and veggies one day and not much the next, but over a week you will still get the right amount of nutrients." She also said in The Guardian that taking extra vitamin pills might not do people much good either. "There is very little scientific evidence of any benefit whatsoever in taking a daily multi-vitamin," she said. "You cannot exist on a poor diet and shore yourself up with a multi-vitamin."
Her comments come after a study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found men with prostate cancer who took more than seven multi-vitamins a week were 30 per cent more likely to get an advanced and fatal form of the disease. Dr Toni Steer, nutritionist with MRC Human Nutrition Research in Cambridge, said supplements cannot compensate good healthy food.
WHAT DOES AND DOESN'T WORK
Daily multi-vitamin
Common claim: Provides most of your recommended daily allowances of key vitamins. Reality Check: While they may plug gaps in diet, they cannot replace fruit and vegetable.
Antioxidants (beta carotene, vitamins A, E, C and selenium)
Common Claim: Daily intake will lower risk of cancer, heart disease and reduce the signs of ageing. Reality Check: Only true if consumed in fruit and vegetables.
Evening Primrose oil
Common claim: Can reduce symptoms of PMT, breast pain, hot flushes and eczema. Reality check: No current evidence to show it is effective in treating these conditions.
Vitamin C megadose
Common claim: 1g doses will ward off or even cure the common cold. Reality Check: The human body can absorb only 500mg of vitamin C and will excrete the excess. Vitamin C reduces the average length of a common cold from five days to four and a half.
Echinacea
Common claim: Will boost your immune system, warding off the common cold. Reality check: Studies show it has daily effect.
Vitamin D
Made by the body when it is exposed to sunlight, but many of us keep out of the sun and it may therefore be deficient. Vitamin D deficiency is linked to osteoporosis, cancers of the breast, colon and ovary, multiple sclerosis & insulin-dependent diabetes.
Folic acid
Pregnant women should take folic acid complements (400 micrograms a day) in first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Known to prevent neural tube defects such as spina bifida.
Glucosamine sulphate
There is evidence that it can relieve symptoms of osteoporosis in moderate sufferers.
Easy exercises will cure dyslexia
A set of simple exercises originally designed for astronauts could cure dyslexia, experts say. The revolutionary treatment transformed the reading and writing skills of children with the condition – even allowing them to beat classmates with no learning difficulties in literacy tests. The exercises are designed to stimulate co-ordination and include walking downstairs backwards with your eyes closed, throwing a bean bag from one hand to the other and standing on a ball.
The treatment also dramatically improved the behaviour of dyslexic children who suffered from attention problems and hyperactivity, according to the study. Many of them currently have their behaviour ‘controlled’ by drugs. But it appears that the exercises could be far more effective – without any chemical side-effects.
One of the teachers who took part in the study said they had such a massive impact on the children that it had ‘cured them of their learning and attention difficulties’. The findings will give hope to the two million British children and adults who suffer from dyslexia. Many of them are never properly diagnosed with the condition – which literally translates as ‘difficulty with words’ – and so struggle with reading and literacy problems all their lives.
A significant proportion of sufferers also have Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder so may be given drugs such as ritalin. Last year, a total of 359,100 prescriptions were written out for Ritalin-type drugs, at a cost to the NHS of £12.5million – with 90% of them going to under-18s. The revolutionary Dyslexia, Dyspraxia and Attention Disorder programme is based on the idea that dyslexia is caused by lack of co-ordination. Coventry businessman Wynford Dore discovered the technique in his search to find a cure for his daughter Susie, now 33, who suffered from dyslexia so severe she tried to commit suicide.
Technology that was originally designed for astronauts, who suffer from a form of temporary dyslexia, was used to develop the exercises. Dore’s methods work using individually prescribed eye, balance and sensory exercises designed to stimulate an area of the brain called the cerebellum.
The treatment also dramatically improved the behaviour of dyslexic children who suffered from attention problems and hyperactivity, according to the study. Many of them currently have their behaviour ‘controlled’ by drugs. But it appears that the exercises could be far more effective – without any chemical side-effects.
One of the teachers who took part in the study said they had such a massive impact on the children that it had ‘cured them of their learning and attention difficulties’. The findings will give hope to the two million British children and adults who suffer from dyslexia. Many of them are never properly diagnosed with the condition – which literally translates as ‘difficulty with words’ – and so struggle with reading and literacy problems all their lives.
A significant proportion of sufferers also have Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder so may be given drugs such as ritalin. Last year, a total of 359,100 prescriptions were written out for Ritalin-type drugs, at a cost to the NHS of £12.5million – with 90% of them going to under-18s. The revolutionary Dyslexia, Dyspraxia and Attention Disorder programme is based on the idea that dyslexia is caused by lack of co-ordination. Coventry businessman Wynford Dore discovered the technique in his search to find a cure for his daughter Susie, now 33, who suffered from dyslexia so severe she tried to commit suicide.
Technology that was originally designed for astronauts, who suffer from a form of temporary dyslexia, was used to develop the exercises. Dore’s methods work using individually prescribed eye, balance and sensory exercises designed to stimulate an area of the brain called the cerebellum.
A vaccine jab that destroys tumours
Using Body’s Own Immune System To Shrink Deadly Growth; Anti-Tumour Response Seen In 95% Patients
Arevolutionary cancer vaccine developed by UK scientists can destroy and shrink deadly tumours by using the body’s own immune system, it has emerged. In trials the jab has surpassed expectations, sparking hopes it could prove an effective treatment for cancers that strike thousands of Britons each year. One patient given the vaccine has seen his tumour disappear completely for more than six months. Another two have seen their tumours shrink, and in three people the cancer has been halted in its tracks.
The researchers said results were “exciting” and “very encouraging”. Oxford BioMedica, the British company behind the jab, is initially hoping it will provide a new treatment for kidney and bowel cancer. Between them these cause 40,000 new cases and 20,000 deaths each year in the UK. To date 150 patients have had the vaccine and 95% of those that can be evaluated have had an ‘anti-tumour response’. If further trials prove successful, the vaccine could be licensed for use against kidney cancer within just three years.
Experts last night said the data suggests the ‘gene therapy’ vaccine could prove an effective treatment for a whole range of cancers. The new jab called TroVax works in a totally different way to existing treatments by harnessing the patient’s own immune system to fight the disease. The patient is given a series of injections in the arm containing a harmless virus and a gene for a protein called 5T4.
This protein is found on the surface of tumours but not on healthy cells. By injecting the gene into the body, it triggers an immune system reaction which kills the cancer cells but leaves healthy tissue unharmed. Data from an early trial involving 34 people with kidney cancer were revealed at a major American cancer conference earlier this year. Last week updated data was announced at a medical conference in Prague from the Phase II trial, in which people with renal cell carcinoma had the vaccine on its own or in combination with other standard treatments.
Among the 18 given the treatment along with a drug called interleukin-2, one patient saw his tumour totally disappear. Two have seen it reduce in size — one to the point where it can no longer be seen in his scan.
Sisters get stomach removed to avoid cancer in family
Two sisters have had their stomachs removed to protect themselves from an inherited disease which killed four close family members. Lisa and Ruth Bendle, who are just 23 and 20, took the decision because they carry a mutated gene that caused fatal stomach cancer in their father, aunt, cousin and grandmother.
They are the first people in Britain to have a vital organ removed to counter the risk of cancer. Lisa and Ruth started undergoing tests for the disease after their father David died two years ago. The first test last December was clear but the second in July showed that they both had cancerous cells. They decided to have their stomachs removed and had the surgery, on the same day, less than two months later. Just before the operation, tests proved correct the suspicion that the girls carried the same mutated gene as their father.
Arevolutionary cancer vaccine developed by UK scientists can destroy and shrink deadly tumours by using the body’s own immune system, it has emerged. In trials the jab has surpassed expectations, sparking hopes it could prove an effective treatment for cancers that strike thousands of Britons each year. One patient given the vaccine has seen his tumour disappear completely for more than six months. Another two have seen their tumours shrink, and in three people the cancer has been halted in its tracks.
The researchers said results were “exciting” and “very encouraging”. Oxford BioMedica, the British company behind the jab, is initially hoping it will provide a new treatment for kidney and bowel cancer. Between them these cause 40,000 new cases and 20,000 deaths each year in the UK. To date 150 patients have had the vaccine and 95% of those that can be evaluated have had an ‘anti-tumour response’. If further trials prove successful, the vaccine could be licensed for use against kidney cancer within just three years.
Experts last night said the data suggests the ‘gene therapy’ vaccine could prove an effective treatment for a whole range of cancers. The new jab called TroVax works in a totally different way to existing treatments by harnessing the patient’s own immune system to fight the disease. The patient is given a series of injections in the arm containing a harmless virus and a gene for a protein called 5T4.
This protein is found on the surface of tumours but not on healthy cells. By injecting the gene into the body, it triggers an immune system reaction which kills the cancer cells but leaves healthy tissue unharmed. Data from an early trial involving 34 people with kidney cancer were revealed at a major American cancer conference earlier this year. Last week updated data was announced at a medical conference in Prague from the Phase II trial, in which people with renal cell carcinoma had the vaccine on its own or in combination with other standard treatments.
Among the 18 given the treatment along with a drug called interleukin-2, one patient saw his tumour totally disappear. Two have seen it reduce in size — one to the point where it can no longer be seen in his scan.
Sisters get stomach removed to avoid cancer in family
Two sisters have had their stomachs removed to protect themselves from an inherited disease which killed four close family members. Lisa and Ruth Bendle, who are just 23 and 20, took the decision because they carry a mutated gene that caused fatal stomach cancer in their father, aunt, cousin and grandmother.
They are the first people in Britain to have a vital organ removed to counter the risk of cancer. Lisa and Ruth started undergoing tests for the disease after their father David died two years ago. The first test last December was clear but the second in July showed that they both had cancerous cells. They decided to have their stomachs removed and had the surgery, on the same day, less than two months later. Just before the operation, tests proved correct the suspicion that the girls carried the same mutated gene as their father.
Vitamins, fish oils help ease depression
Diet and nutrition may play a key role in helping people fight depression, Australian researchers report. A number of nutrients, including polyunsaturated fatty acids, St John’s Wort and several B vitamins, have the potential to influence mood by increasing the absorption of chemical messengers in the brain, Dianne Volker of the University of Sydney in Chippendale and Jade Ng of Goodman Fielder Commercian in New South Wales note.
There is a wealth of epidemiological, experimental and circumstantial evidence to suggest fish and the oils they contain, in particular omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, are protective against depression, Volker and Ng write. They point out that the balance between omega-3 and omega-6 may also be important, given that the latter can prevent the body from absorbing the former.
Another candidate for dietary prevention of depression is amino acid tryptophan, found in foods, including turkey, and is responsible for the drowsiness people feel after eating a hearty Thanksgiving dinner. The body converts tryptophan to the neurotransmitter serotonin, suggesting the amino acid may have modest effects on mood.
There is a wealth of epidemiological, experimental and circumstantial evidence to suggest fish and the oils they contain, in particular omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, are protective against depression, Volker and Ng write. They point out that the balance between omega-3 and omega-6 may also be important, given that the latter can prevent the body from absorbing the former.
Another candidate for dietary prevention of depression is amino acid tryptophan, found in foods, including turkey, and is responsible for the drowsiness people feel after eating a hearty Thanksgiving dinner. The body converts tryptophan to the neurotransmitter serotonin, suggesting the amino acid may have modest effects on mood.
Facts about CANCER From John Hopkins Hospital USA
A Few Caveats...
- Every person have cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion.When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.
- Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime.
- When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumours.
- When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors.
- To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and including supplements will strengthen the immune system.
- Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastro-intestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc.
- Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.
- Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction.
- When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds o f infections and complications.
- Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.
- An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.
- Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one importan t food supply to the cancer cells. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal,Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in colour - Better alternative is Bragg's aminos or sea salt.
- Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soy milk cancer cells are being starved.
- Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beef or pork. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.
- A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains,seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).
- Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine. Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer-fighting properties. Water-best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.
- Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines become putrified and leads to more toxic buildup.
- Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.
- Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Flor-ssence, Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the body's own killer cells to destroy cancer cells. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells.
- Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Anger, unforgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.
- Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.
CANCER CELLS FEED ON:
- No plastic containers in micro.
- No water bottles in freezer.
- No plastic wrap in microwave.
John Hopkins has recently sent this out in its newsletters. This information is being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as well. Dioxin chemicals causes cancer, especially breast cancer.Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies.
Don't freeze your plastic bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from the plastic. Recently, Dr. Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Program Manager at Castle Hospital, was on a TV program to explain this health hazard. He talked about dioxins and how bad they are for us. He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using plastic containers.
This especially applies to foods that contain fat. He said that the combination of fat, high heat, and plastics releases dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body. Instead, he recommends using glass, such as Corning Ware, Pyrex or ceramic containers for heating food. You get the same results, only without the dioxin. So such things as TV dinners, instant ramen and soups, etc., should be removed from the container and heated in something else.
Paper isn't bad but you don't know what is in the paper. It's just safer to use tempered glass, Corning Ware, etc. He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper. The dioxin problem is one of the reasons.
Also, he pointed out that plastic wrap, such as Saran, is just as dangerous when placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave. As the food is nuked, the high heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food. Cover food with a paper towel instead.
Wrist implant that keeps track of high blood pressure
A tiny device, not much bigger than a grain of rice, implanted in the wrist to keep a round-the-clock check on blood pressure could reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
The miniature sensor sits next to an artery in the wrist and constantly measures changes in blood pressure. It is programmed to transmit the findings to a doctor’s computer. Scientists behind the new implant say it has no batteries that need replacing and, once implanted, can stay in place for the rest of the patient’s life. Three volunteers in the US had the sensor fitted inside their wrists last month as part of a trial designed to test its accuracy.
Blood pressure is measured by checking two readings. Systolic is the pressure inside arteries when the heart is forcing blood through them, and diastolic is the pressure when the heart relaxes. But testing blood pressure when a patient visits their doctor is not always accurate. Some patients suffer a syndrome called ‘whitecoat hypertension’, where the stress of seeing a doctor forces their blood pressure up. In others, readings may vary widely throughout the day.
The new ‘chip-in-a-wrist’ could be the solution. Doctors apply a local anaesthetic and insert the device just underneath the skin next to the radial artery.
A tiny pressure sensor in the device monitors changes in the forces being applied by blood as it flows through the artery. It transmits the findings to a handheld receiver, which stores the information so it can be downloaded to a doctor’s computer later.The US firm which developed the implant, Atlanta-based CardioMEMS, said it is a world first.
“We believe this is the first instance of a wireless sensor being used to monitor blood pressure,” said company chairman Dr Jay Yadav.
The miniature sensor sits next to an artery in the wrist and constantly measures changes in blood pressure. It is programmed to transmit the findings to a doctor’s computer. Scientists behind the new implant say it has no batteries that need replacing and, once implanted, can stay in place for the rest of the patient’s life. Three volunteers in the US had the sensor fitted inside their wrists last month as part of a trial designed to test its accuracy.
Blood pressure is measured by checking two readings. Systolic is the pressure inside arteries when the heart is forcing blood through them, and diastolic is the pressure when the heart relaxes. But testing blood pressure when a patient visits their doctor is not always accurate. Some patients suffer a syndrome called ‘whitecoat hypertension’, where the stress of seeing a doctor forces their blood pressure up. In others, readings may vary widely throughout the day.
The new ‘chip-in-a-wrist’ could be the solution. Doctors apply a local anaesthetic and insert the device just underneath the skin next to the radial artery.
A tiny pressure sensor in the device monitors changes in the forces being applied by blood as it flows through the artery. It transmits the findings to a handheld receiver, which stores the information so it can be downloaded to a doctor’s computer later.The US firm which developed the implant, Atlanta-based CardioMEMS, said it is a world first.
“We believe this is the first instance of a wireless sensor being used to monitor blood pressure,” said company chairman Dr Jay Yadav.
Facing The Future - Stem cell cream is future of face care
London: Controversial Stem Cell Lotion, Being Touted As The Holy Grail Of Skincare, Could Be Available In Weeks
Just imagine being able to clone your own skin, creating brandnew cells that are undamaged by age, sun or pollution. It would be the Holy Grail of skincare, the answer that every woman over the age of 30 has been looking for. And the technology, which centres on stem cells, could be available in Britain in a matter of weeks.
In embryos, stem cells form the basis of every cell in the human body; in adults, they regenerate damaged tissue. It might sound like science fiction, but the controversial new frontier in antiageing uses creams containing laboratory synthesised ingredients to stimulate dormant stem cells in the skin and transform them into new tissue. This process would usually occur only when the skin has been severely damaged.
So, rather than going under the knife in the pursuit of a firm, youthful, glowing face, you may be able to grow your own new, wrinkle-free, baby-soft skin simply by applying a face cream. First to the market in Britain will be ReVive’s Peau Magnifique, which will be priced at a staggering £1,050. It is already available in the U.S. and launches exclusively in Space NK in April.
Manufacturers claim it uses an enzyme called telomerase to “convert resting adult stem cells to newly-minted skin cells” and “resets your skin’s ageing clock by a minimum of five years’. The product claims long-term use “will result in generation of new cells, firmer skin with a 45% reduction in wrinkles and increased long-term skin clarity’.
Peau Magnifique is the latest in a line of products developed by Gregory Bays Brown, a former plastic surgeon, who realised that surgery had its limitations. ‘You can get rid of a turkey neck and take out bags, but surgery cannot give you the succulent soft skin you had in your 20s,’ he says.
In the course of his research into healing burns victims, Brown discovered a substance called Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) released in the body when there is an injury, and, when applied to burns or wounds, dramatically accelerates the healing process. He believed the molecule could be used to regenerate ageing skin and went on to develop ReVive, a range based on it.
One aspect of Peau Magnifique that is guaranteed to raise eyebrows when it hits shelves is the price tag (£1,050 for a four-week course twice a year). ‘Yes it is expensive,’ says Brown. ‘But the telomerase protein costs $4 million a gram and is the most expensive of all the molecules we use in any of our products.’ ReVive refuses to say how much telomerase goes into Peau Magnifique.
To be fair, if, as Brown says, telomerase creates the same effect as laser skin rejuvenation but without the trauma, effectively, you’re treating your skin to one session of laser skin rejuvenation every day for 28 days. Obviously, this would be impossible, but were you able to do it without your entire face melting, it would set you back in the region of £250 a session—that’s £7,000 in total.
Just imagine being able to clone your own skin, creating brandnew cells that are undamaged by age, sun or pollution. It would be the Holy Grail of skincare, the answer that every woman over the age of 30 has been looking for. And the technology, which centres on stem cells, could be available in Britain in a matter of weeks.
In embryos, stem cells form the basis of every cell in the human body; in adults, they regenerate damaged tissue. It might sound like science fiction, but the controversial new frontier in antiageing uses creams containing laboratory synthesised ingredients to stimulate dormant stem cells in the skin and transform them into new tissue. This process would usually occur only when the skin has been severely damaged.
So, rather than going under the knife in the pursuit of a firm, youthful, glowing face, you may be able to grow your own new, wrinkle-free, baby-soft skin simply by applying a face cream. First to the market in Britain will be ReVive’s Peau Magnifique, which will be priced at a staggering £1,050. It is already available in the U.S. and launches exclusively in Space NK in April.
Manufacturers claim it uses an enzyme called telomerase to “convert resting adult stem cells to newly-minted skin cells” and “resets your skin’s ageing clock by a minimum of five years’. The product claims long-term use “will result in generation of new cells, firmer skin with a 45% reduction in wrinkles and increased long-term skin clarity’.
Peau Magnifique is the latest in a line of products developed by Gregory Bays Brown, a former plastic surgeon, who realised that surgery had its limitations. ‘You can get rid of a turkey neck and take out bags, but surgery cannot give you the succulent soft skin you had in your 20s,’ he says.
In the course of his research into healing burns victims, Brown discovered a substance called Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) released in the body when there is an injury, and, when applied to burns or wounds, dramatically accelerates the healing process. He believed the molecule could be used to regenerate ageing skin and went on to develop ReVive, a range based on it.
One aspect of Peau Magnifique that is guaranteed to raise eyebrows when it hits shelves is the price tag (£1,050 for a four-week course twice a year). ‘Yes it is expensive,’ says Brown. ‘But the telomerase protein costs $4 million a gram and is the most expensive of all the molecules we use in any of our products.’ ReVive refuses to say how much telomerase goes into Peau Magnifique.
To be fair, if, as Brown says, telomerase creates the same effect as laser skin rejuvenation but without the trauma, effectively, you’re treating your skin to one session of laser skin rejuvenation every day for 28 days. Obviously, this would be impossible, but were you able to do it without your entire face melting, it would set you back in the region of £250 a session—that’s £7,000 in total.
Viagra saves infant’s life
Child’s Lung Had Collapsed When He Was Just A Day Old
This is the first picture of miracle baby Lewis Goodfellow, who was treated with Viagra to save his life. The six-month-old from Newcastle nearly died after being born 16 weeks premature in August.
This is the first picture of miracle baby Lewis Goodfellow, who was treated with Viagra to save his life. The six-month-old from Newcastle nearly died after being born 16 weeks premature in August.
His lung collapsed when he was just a day old and doctors had to stitch up a duct in his heart which had not closed properly. When the youngster’s lungs failed to work properly doctors tried Viagra in a last ditch attempt to save his life.
The drug worked by opening up some of the small blood vessels in the lungs, helping them to carry oxygen around the body properly. The operation at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary was a success and little Lewis has been allowed home. His parents Jade Goodfellow and John Barclay, from Walker in Newcastle, credited the wonder drug for saving their baby’s life.
Jade, 17, said: “He really is a miracle baby and we decided we would never give up hope until he had taken his last breath. At one point we were told we might have to make a decision about stopping. When they tried Viagra it was very much a last resort but it worked.”
Consultant neonatologist Alan Fenton said: “Using Sildenafil (Viagra) is relatively unusual. It is a fairly new form of treatment which we’ve been using on the unit for around a year.”
New hope for breast cancer patients
Women affected by breast cancer have new hope in the form of a nanotechnology-based drug that promises early identification and effective treatment of the disease. “Researchers have been working on finding new ways that could help patients fight breast cancer. Nanotechnology is the latest, which could bring a revolution,” said Harsh Dua, senior consultant in the Oncology Department at the Apollo Hospital. He said researchers in India are now able to develop a drug that is “more effective and comparatively more safer.”
The drug, a “nanoparticle formulation” of the anti-cancer drug Paclitaxel, promises new hope to thousands of breast cancer patients. In India, at 1.4 lakh, cervical cancer is the most widely reported. This is followed by cancers of the breast (80,000) and mouth (70,000). The drug would be injected into the patient during treatment, Dua said. “The nanoparticles in the drug shows preference for the tumour cell and chalks its own course. This helps because the other good cells are not affected and thus there are no side-effects,” he said.
The oncologist, who has been actively involved in the work, claimed the drug could be used to target any kind of cancer, but could prove more effective to combat breast cancer. “The drugs that are in the market currently have lot of side-effects like affecting the heart, damaging the nerve and depressing the blood count. But this drug has no such side-effects,” Dua said.
Describing breast cancer as a lifestyle disease, Dua believes that research activities in the country are the only way to bring the cost of the drugs down. “Cancer treatment is costly,” he said “The early advance in technology counts a lot. If it could cure one to two per cent of the cancer population. It will be wonderful.”
The drug, a “nanoparticle formulation” of the anti-cancer drug Paclitaxel, promises new hope to thousands of breast cancer patients. In India, at 1.4 lakh, cervical cancer is the most widely reported. This is followed by cancers of the breast (80,000) and mouth (70,000). The drug would be injected into the patient during treatment, Dua said. “The nanoparticles in the drug shows preference for the tumour cell and chalks its own course. This helps because the other good cells are not affected and thus there are no side-effects,” he said.
The oncologist, who has been actively involved in the work, claimed the drug could be used to target any kind of cancer, but could prove more effective to combat breast cancer. “The drugs that are in the market currently have lot of side-effects like affecting the heart, damaging the nerve and depressing the blood count. But this drug has no such side-effects,” Dua said.
Describing breast cancer as a lifestyle disease, Dua believes that research activities in the country are the only way to bring the cost of the drugs down. “Cancer treatment is costly,” he said “The early advance in technology counts a lot. If it could cure one to two per cent of the cancer population. It will be wonderful.”
New gene linked to Alzheimer's identified...
Scientists said on Sunday they have pinpointed a new gene linked to Alzheimer's disease, the incurable brain disorder that is the top cause of dementia in the elderly. Abnormalities in a gene called SORL1 increased the risk for the disease, and this finding could help scientists develop new treatments, the researchers reported in the journal Nature Genetics.
The researchers looked at DNA samples from 6,000 people from four ethnic groups: Caribbean-Hispanics, North Europeans, black Americans and Israeli-Arabs. They found certain variations of SORL1 more often in people with late-onset Alzheimer's disease than in healthy people.
The late-onset form, affecting people age 65 and up, represents about 90 percent of Alzheimer's cases. The rarer early-onset form affects people from about age 30 to 65. Only one other gene, called ApoE4, has been identified as a risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's. It was identified in 1993.
Several genes are linked with early Alzheimer's, and study of both types might lead to better understanding of how the disease begins and how to tackle it. Many scientists think Alzheimer's begins with the buildup in the brain of a gooey material called amyloid that clumps together to form plaques. That material stems from a protein called amyloid precursor protein, or APP.
SORL1 controls the distribution of APP inside nerve cells of the brain. When working normally, the gene prevents APP from being degraded into a toxic byproduct called amyloid beta peptide. When SORL1 is deficient, it allows more of the bad amyloid beta peptide to accumulate, fostering amyloid plaques. Alzheimer's is a complex disease that gradually destroys a person's memory and ability to learn, reason, make judgments, communicate and carry out daily activities. Scientists have struggled to understand the biology of the disease and its genetic and environmental causes.
PIECE OF THE PUZZLE
"It's another clue to the way in which this disease comes about, another piece of the puzzle," Dr. Peter St. George-Hyslop, director of the Center for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases at the University of Toronto and one of the key researchers, said in a telephone interview. "Every time you get a piece of the puzzle and you can relate it to something else in the puzzle, you're that much closer to knowing what the picture on the puzzle is," he added.
St. George-Hyslop said it is premature to say what percentage of cases of late-onset Alzheimer's disease can be attributed to SORL1. ApoE4, which also may be involved in the production of amyloid plaques, has been linked to about 20 percent of late-onset Alzheimer's cases. "This appears to be the fifth Alzheimer's disease gene, and there are likely to be other important genetic variants that need to be identified before the entire picture is complete," Dr. Richard Mayeux of Columbia University Medical Center in New York, also involved in the research, said in a statement.
The disease first affects parts of the brain controlling memory and thinking, but as it advances it kills cells elsewhere in the brain. Eventually, if the patient has no other serious illness, the loss of brain function will prove fatal. Researchers from Boston University and the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Jacksonville, Florida, also took part in the five-year study.
The researchers looked at DNA samples from 6,000 people from four ethnic groups: Caribbean-Hispanics, North Europeans, black Americans and Israeli-Arabs. They found certain variations of SORL1 more often in people with late-onset Alzheimer's disease than in healthy people.
The late-onset form, affecting people age 65 and up, represents about 90 percent of Alzheimer's cases. The rarer early-onset form affects people from about age 30 to 65. Only one other gene, called ApoE4, has been identified as a risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's. It was identified in 1993.
Several genes are linked with early Alzheimer's, and study of both types might lead to better understanding of how the disease begins and how to tackle it. Many scientists think Alzheimer's begins with the buildup in the brain of a gooey material called amyloid that clumps together to form plaques. That material stems from a protein called amyloid precursor protein, or APP.
SORL1 controls the distribution of APP inside nerve cells of the brain. When working normally, the gene prevents APP from being degraded into a toxic byproduct called amyloid beta peptide. When SORL1 is deficient, it allows more of the bad amyloid beta peptide to accumulate, fostering amyloid plaques. Alzheimer's is a complex disease that gradually destroys a person's memory and ability to learn, reason, make judgments, communicate and carry out daily activities. Scientists have struggled to understand the biology of the disease and its genetic and environmental causes.
PIECE OF THE PUZZLE
"It's another clue to the way in which this disease comes about, another piece of the puzzle," Dr. Peter St. George-Hyslop, director of the Center for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases at the University of Toronto and one of the key researchers, said in a telephone interview. "Every time you get a piece of the puzzle and you can relate it to something else in the puzzle, you're that much closer to knowing what the picture on the puzzle is," he added.
St. George-Hyslop said it is premature to say what percentage of cases of late-onset Alzheimer's disease can be attributed to SORL1. ApoE4, which also may be involved in the production of amyloid plaques, has been linked to about 20 percent of late-onset Alzheimer's cases. "This appears to be the fifth Alzheimer's disease gene, and there are likely to be other important genetic variants that need to be identified before the entire picture is complete," Dr. Richard Mayeux of Columbia University Medical Center in New York, also involved in the research, said in a statement.
The disease first affects parts of the brain controlling memory and thinking, but as it advances it kills cells elsewhere in the brain. Eventually, if the patient has no other serious illness, the loss of brain function will prove fatal. Researchers from Boston University and the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Jacksonville, Florida, also took part in the five-year study.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)