Even before the drug against the Gleevec cancer hit the US market in 01, it was hailed as a miracle drug, designed to target the molecular defect behind the cancer chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). But for a handful of cancer patients who also happened to have rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the drug had a surprising bonus effect: It eased their arthritis symptoms. Now a team of scientists has discovered that in arthritic mice, Gleevec control the proliferation of several types of immune cells that can trigger flares of autoimmune disease.

Gleevec was designed to block a CML causing protein called Bcr / Abl, one of a family of proteins known as the tyrosine kinase name. But shortly after it was approved, Glivec has been found to inhibit other tyrosine kinase called c-kit, which is defective in people with a rare gastrointestinal tumor. Immunologist and rheumatologist William Robinson of Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, and his colleagues wondered whether Gleevec might also have a tyrosine kinase that help impact the inflammatory cells proliferate in arthritic joints.

They started by injecting mice with a drug that triggers the autoimmune arthritis. One day before the scheduled start of arthritis, 29 mice either a high or low dose of Gleevec (comparable to patients taking doses of cancer) and 15 got a placebo. In the high dose group, about a quarter of the mice developed arthritis, compared to about half of the mice in the low dose group and almost all received a placebo. Both doses have virtually stopped growing arthritis in mice that had already developed symptoms, the researchers report online September 14 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation . Additional experiments with cultured cells have shown that tyrosine kinases Gleevec blocks that stimulate the proliferation of B cells and mast cells, immune system cells that can aggravate the symptoms of arthritis.

Blocking only inflammatory cells that were thought behind RA are promising candidate Gleevec treatment, said Kari Eklund, a rheumatologist at the Central Hospital of the University of Helsinki in Finland. There are three years old, he and his colleagues offered Gleevec three RA patients with a serious illness and has seen an improvement in two of them. But he and Robinson agree that more work is needed to determine whether the drug is effective in RA -. And perhaps many other autoimmune diseases

Related Sites

• the disadvantage of Gleevec
• Information on RA the Arthritis Foundation
• Information on Gleevec for the Food and Drug administration

good posture

Many of us have posture that is less desirable and, over time, its impact on our health . specific postures and positions, as well as the ways in which we move as we work and do other activities, can put undue stress on our bodies. Back pain, for example, is an issue that can be caused by common tasks, such as sitting on a chair for extended periods.

You can improve your well-being and productivity with simple ergonomics! Individuals should take the principles and ergonomics practices into account in the organization and the use of their work and living spaces. It is not enough to make your self more comfortable; proper ergonomics can prevent chronic diseases, such as :. carpal tunnel syndrome, excessive fatigue, eyestrain and irritation, blurred vision, headaches, stress, neck pain and back pain

First, pay attention to your posture. A good ergonomic configuration will help you maintain good posture while you engage in activities. Your body works best when you are in a relaxed atmosphere (no slouching!), Natural position. Try to limit activities that put you in awkward positions or make your tense muscles. Make a quick assessment of your space to make sure it's a good fit:

Talking on the phone. If you must talk on the phone often, use a headset or speaker. Resting the phone between your ear and shoulder may lead to neck and shoulder problems.

• Take short breaks from repetitive tasks. Even in the most ergonomic workstations background, people who sit for long periods of time must change their positions at least once every hour. Move your weight from side to side, get up and walk for a minute, or do stretching exercises.
• presidents. Seat height should be at a level so that your feet are flat on the floor and your thighs are almost parallel to the ground. If your feet can not be flat on the floor, use a footrest. The front edge of the seat cushion must form a slight decline curve, allowing two to within three inches on the back of the knees. The file must follow the natural curves of your spine to provide lumbar support.
• keyboard and mouse. Place your keyboard directly in front of your chair so that your arms hang naturally and your wrists are in a neutral position. An adjustable keyboard tray should have a space for your mouse that prevents too ambitious.
• The computer screens. The screen should be directly in front of your chair and keyboard. The top of the screen should be at eye level or one to two inches below eye level. In general, the screen should be 18 to 30 inches from your eyes. Remembering the 20/20 rule for tired eyes; look 20 feet away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes.
• Lift with good posture. By lifting with your big muscles, strong legs instead of the small muscles of the back, you can prevent back injuries and reduce back pain. If a load is too heavy to lift alone, seek help.

Make sure to stretch and relax the muscles and joints that have remained in the same position for long periods of time, especially your wrists, neck, shoulders, back and hamstrings. Exercise regularly - abnormal strengthen your core muscles and back for better support. Do not let your space dictate how you work; minor adjustments can increase your energy level and productivity

One of the largest trials ever planned US cancer prevention was killed after a lukewarm review. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) informed the leaders of the trial yesterday that the study, which would have tested two drugs to prevent breast cancer at a cost of more than $ 100 million over 10 years at least, is canceled because of scientific concerns.

proposed by the National Breast Surgical Adjuvant Bowel Project (NSABP) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on STELLAR (study to evaluate letrozole and Raloxifene) trial would have tested the drug letrozole against an old drug in 12,800 postmenopausal women at high risk for breast cancer. Both drugs prevent cancer by blunt estrogen effects, but blocks the synthesis of letrozole estrogen, while the blocks of old drugs estrogen to stimulate tumor growth. A comparison head-to-head drug would test whether letrozole works better and causes milder side effects than the drug more.

Although the trial was approved by several committees NCI, NCI director John Niederhuber last January blocked because of the scientific issues and budgetary problems of the NCI ( science NOW March 13). At a closed meeting to discuss the study in March, researchers and patient groups have raised several issues, including whether the long-term side effects such as an increased risk of osteoporosis and heart attacks ( estrogen protects against two terms), prevent the use of letrozole in clinical practice. Last week, a subcommittee of the NCI National Cancer Advisory Board said it could not "provide a strong approval" for funding the trial. (See the June 22 print issue Science for details.)

NCI has now acted on that advice. in a letter sent to NSABP and the University of Pittsburgh officials yesterday, NCI officials explained that "many scientific concerns ... are sufficiently formidable that the NCI will not commit to the funding of this particular trial. " The letter mentions the side effects and the need for better biomarkers that could help identify high-risk women who could benefit most from participating in such a trial.

D. Lawrence Wickerham, NSABP associate chairman, said Science that the decision was "a disappointment. Obviously, we believe that this trial is scientifically important and has the potential to . provide an option for a large number of women "He added:" Unfortunately, we were not able to convince [the NCI director] that prevention is a priority. "

Related Sites

• Information STELLAR
• Information on a previous test of letrozole

food connection Mood

Do you know why you eat what you do? According to the National Institutes of Health, we make over 0 decisions about food every day. If your mood, not just hunger, which influences your food choices, you can be emotionally eat.

Some people eat or overeat to satisfy an emotional need as to relieve the sadness or stress or maintain a happy mood. They often turn to traditional comfort foods, such as pizza, ice cream, chocolate or cookies. This behavior can lead to feelings of guilt, gain and changes in your mental and physical energy weight.

To help maintain a healthy diet and mind, start by practicing mindful eating. We often rush through the day without time to think. Pay more attention to the food you eat without trial. emotional eating habits can be learned in childhood, but can be changed if you have patience.

The goal of mindful eating is to increase your awareness of sensations, feelings and thoughts related to food and dining. . Keep a diary for three days to see if you can identify trends and emotional eating triggers

Other tips to help you stay on a more even keel include:

• eat regular meals. Skipping meals, especially breakfast, can cause sugar levels in the blood to drop and cause irritability and fatigue.
• Making choices in smart carbs. Low glycemic carbohydrates include whole grain bread, beans, whole grain crackers, apples, pears and other fruits.
• Keep foods low in calories stocked. Foods that can improve your immune system and help prevent stress include sweet potatoes, oranges, dried apricots, turkey, spinach and other green vegetables, almonds, pistachios, walnuts, salmon, and whole grains.
• Drink plenty of water. Even mild dehydration can reduce your ability to concentrate.
• Avoid caffeine. Caffeine can increase anxiety and interfere with proper sleep.
• Maintain a healthy weight. Excessive weight loss or gain, and poor nutrition can deprive your brain of important nutrients necessary for a positive mental attitude.
• Developing healthy coping skills. Instead of reaching for a bag of chips, go for a walk or take a good book. Increase your resilience with regular exercise, adequate rest and support of friends and family.
• Eat sweets in moderation. You do not have to give up everything. Treats are part of many celebrations and the occasional ice cream on a hot summer day is nice. The key is to avoid excess and balance unhealthy snacks with more nutritious foods.
• Reward yourself. Part of feeling in control of your food choices reduced the association between emotion and food. When you reach a goal, reward yourself with a treat inedible. This can also be applied to our children.

If you are worried about your diet, talk to a professional. Counselors can help you cope with your feelings. Nutritionists can help you evaluate your eating habits and get you on track with a better diet. Fitness experts can advise you on how to increase the chemicals wellness of your body by exercising

Sources :. National Institutes for Health, LifeWork Strategies EAP, Adventist Behavioral Health, and Washington and Shady Grove Adventist hospitals. For medical advice, consult your doctor.

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carbon dioxide may deserve blame for more than just the panic over global warming. New research involving healthy people inhaling the gas indicates that the brain's response to carbon dioxide helps explain the panic attacks and other feelings of anxiety, regardless of global temperatures rising. This new insight, reported Oct. 3 in PLoS One , could help doctors prevent the development of depression and other anxiety disorders.

It has long been known that the subject anxious individuals often experience panic attacks when they breathe in carbon dioxide. Psychiatrists have theorized that emotional distress reflects an integrated response to the suffocation. The "suffocation false alarm theory" suggests that the brain has a carbon dioxide sensor and is hypersensitive in some people, which mistakenly stimulates panic attacks. Such a sensor could have evolved to alert agencies oxygen breathing of imminent death.

Eric GRIEZ experimental psychiatrist at the University of Maastricht, the Netherlands, came up with a theory test for false alarm. If valid, he assumed the healthy individuals should show some sensitivity to carbon dioxide as well. so he and his colleagues recently asked 64 volunteers to inhale the two breaths of four compressed air mixtures containing 9%, 17.5 %, 35%, or no carbon dioxide. After inhaling each mixture, volunteers continuously assessed their level of fear and discomfort on a scale of 1 to 100 using a touch screen assessing their panic with a questionnaire that listed 13 common symptoms of panic attacks. At the dose of carbon dioxide has increased, it has fear and discomfort. "Panic seems to be a very special kind of anxiety that can truly be called a suffocation alarm" said GRIEZ. Volunteers also experienced a loss of contact with reality and fear of going crazy, describing their experiences as " scary "," panic "and" scare ". GRIEZ said the results show how closely the emotions of a person are related to physical well-being." panic, which is the most dramatic form of acute anxiety is the cry for life, "he said.

The results suggest a new way to experimentally induce panic in the laboratory, which can be used to test easily and quickly new anxiolytic drugs. However, Laszlo Papp, a psychiatrist at Columbia University, wonders if the reactions described by people in good health are real panic attacks. He said that the study shows that simply increasing the concentration of inhaled carbon dioxide results in a more physical discomfort, such as breathlessness and dizziness. Papp said he has conducted studies in which anxiety-prone individuals and healthy controls inhaled carbon dioxide, and only a small proportion of the latter panicked. "The discomfort rarely translated into panic attack described by panic patients," he said.

GRIEZ, however, believes the new finding will ultimately help physicians better treat patients with emphysema and asthma. When these patients can not get enough oxygen, carbon dioxide builds up in their bodies, making them feel as if they are suffocating. They also face a higher risk of anxiety the rest of the population.

Halloween Candy

Americans eat nearly a half-pound of candy each week for an average of 25 pounds a year. It is believed that much is consumed by children and on the days immediately following Halloween. Halloween bestseller candy is candy corn and the second best is Snickers. Halloween, Christmas, Easter and Valentine's Day are the biggest sales days of candy in this order. American adults (18 and over) consume 65% of the candy which is produced annually. According to a study, visibility and convenience of chocolates contributed greatly to how much was consumed. On an average day, participants with candy on their desk consumed 2.9 more than those who had the container in their office.
5 strategies to keep trim When Lurks candy ...

1. If you are going to give out candy to trick-or-treaters Halloween, buy it at the last minute to reduce the temptation and if you must buy candy before Halloween, buy a kind you do not like.
2. Make sure that getting to Halloween candy requires a special trip, so the candy retain a special status. It is a treat, not a regular part of the diet of everyone.
3. Out of sight, out of heart. Candy Store in an airtight container and put it in the closet. A bowl full of candy on the counter is an open invitation to have 'just one'.
4. Serve your children dinner or a healthy snack before trick-or-treating. If they are not hungry, your children will be less likely to abuse sweets when they return home.
5. Give your children a day or two to enjoy the Halloween candy. Then give the rest away or divide leftovers candy to be eaten a little at a time. Get involved in the process of dividing your children. Working with them by recycling the candy into small bags to control consumption.

A small chocolate bar or some hard candies per day is about 100 calories. Most children older than six years can make room for it in their daily diet, while maintaining good nutrition. It's easy to do too. It takes nine small fun candy bars size to put on a quarter of a pound of fat. A 1.5 oz chocolate bar has 235 calories, 8 g saturated fat, and takes 30 minutes to bike to burn. Three pieces of hard candy has 65 calories and takes 13 minutes to burn gardening. A cup of peanut butter has 0 calories and takes 30 minutes of walking to burn.

Exercise In The Winter

Staying active always seems easier in the warmer months; there are tons of activities to do outside to exercise and move around, and the weather is much more inviting. Exercise is very important to engage in the year; it can help manage your weight and stress, and can actually increase your energy. One advantage of winter training is a boost to your immune system. Studies show that people who exercise regularly get 20 to 30 percent fewer colds than those who did not exercise.

The preparation is key cold does not seem so cold if you are dressed properly! Some brands even have a full line of clothing specifically designed to keep you warm while participating in activities that take place at cooler temperatures. Dress warmly in cold weather to avoid the risk of injuries such as frost bite and hypothermia. Frost Bite can also occur if your body is dehydrated. Cold air has a drying effect, which can increase the risk of dehydration. Make sure to drink plenty of water before, during and after your activities!

In summer and winter, appropriate footwear is essential to stay comfortable during activity. Selecting a new running shoe, for example, depends on many factors: past experience, current problems, biomechanical needs, environmental factors and operational requirements all play a role in this type of shoe will be the best for your feet. Go to a shoe store that specializes in running and other sports shoes can help you find the right shoe. They are trained to analyze your feet and adapt with the shoes that will give you the most support and comfort. They will watch the arch of your foot, your foot flexibility and take measurements of your feet. It is recommended to replace your running shoes after running between 350 and 550 miles. Do not replace your shoes regularly can lead to a lack of support and stability that the shoe wears down and can cause injury. The right pair of shoes can make all the difference

When shopping for any type of shoe, the American Podiatric Medical Association recommends the three-step test :.

• The shoe should bend where your foot bends naturally at the ball of the foot.
• shoe should not turn from one side to the other.
• Press the back of the heel to ensure that it will firmly hold the heel.

choose a sock is just as important as choosing your shoe. socks sitting directly between your foot and the shoe and are supposed to remove sweat. On a 5 mile run, your feet can produce enough sweat to fill an 8 ounce glass. About half of that sweat is absorbed by your shoe and sock. Wearing clean socks can help protect your feet from blisters and irritation. A store of running shoes can also recommend the right type of sock for your

Consider trying a new activity this winter, perhaps even enjoy a walk on a snowy trail

Sources: .. American Academy of podiatric Medicine sports, American podiatric Medical Association, Washington and Shady Grove Adventist hospitals.

Cuvier's beaked whale is a master of the ocean crushing depths. It can dive as deep as 2 km in search of prey, the deepest known for any mammal. Thus, scientists have been at a loss to explain why, in response to naval sonar tests, this champion cetacean sometimes succumbs to the same decompression sickness that afflicts divers. A new mathematical model suggests that, by reproducing the sounds of a predator, sonar strength whale to adopt a risky dive model.

Researchers have suspected a link between sonar tests and whales of death for nearly 20 years. In 00, the US Navy said its sonar exercises have led six beaked whales to beach fatally themselves in the Bahamas, and beached whales have died near the sonar-testing sites in at least five cases since . It was not clear how the sonar disorients animals and causes of these strandings, but some marine biologists suspect that the intense sound waves forcing the whales to get to the surface, and they have found evidence that tiny bubbles nitrogen develop in the whales' tissues and damage vital organs ( science NOW, October 9, 03). The same thing occurs when divers surface too quickly - a condition known as the bends. But a whale holds its breath during the dive, thus preventing the accumulation of nitrogen, so that theory does not seem to hold water. A group led by marine biologist Peter Tyack of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts suspected that whales alter their diving behavior in another way.

The whales are repeatedly trying to escape predators. The team wonders if such behavior could be risky, especially because the naval sonar - which is similar to the frequency of calls of the most feared opponent of the beaked whale, killer - could be forced whales to adopt a similar model dive. Thus, researchers analyzed mathematically diving behavior in Cuvier's beaked whales and dolphins to test whether nitrogen bubbles may develop in the tissues of whales during some repeated deep dives. The team consists of known physiological data in a model that maps how the bubble size could increase in the circulatory system, brain, muscle and fat tissue when a whale dives repeatedly at between 30 and 80 meters as long as 3 hours.

During normal diving behavior, scientists believe, the lungs collapse of marine mammals when they dive past 72 meters. This "intelligent mechanism," said Tyack prevents nitrogen to infiltrate the bloodstream. The team's model predicts that if the whale lungs do not collapse during a long series of shallow dives, pressure increased can cause nitrogen bubbles diffuse into the tissue, which increases the risk of bubble formation on the rise. the limitation of the duration of the sonar tests can prevent animals from diving in these harmful model, the team concludes in the current issue of Marine Mammal Science .

Noting that the diving behavior is extraordinarily difficult to study live animals, marine biologist Terrie Williams of the University of California , Santa Cruz, called the "extremely useful" model as new research supports gaps in model assumptions -. with actual observations to corroborate avoidance behavior, for example - scientists can try to home in length and the level of safe sonar exercises, clarifying the murky waters surrounding this debate. "Now it's a matter of how quickly [decompression sickness] happens," she said.

Related Sites

• The evidence of the bends in the
sperm
• medical explanation elbows
• looking Tyack on Cuvier's beaked whales

How to reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes

People with type 2 diabetes can be closer to home than you think. In Maryland, about 9 percent of adults have the disease. The good news is there are steps you can take to reduce your risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and the Center on Health Disparities at Adventist HealthCare is committed to helping our community are not only that!

Know your risk factors

risk factors for type 2 diabetes include:

• age (aged 45 and more are at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes)
• family history of diabetes
• obesity
• inactivity

the persons belonging to racial and ethnic minorities are at an increased risk of type 2 diabetes:

• American Indians / Alaska natives = 16%
• Afro- US = 12.6%
• Latinos = 11.8%
• Asian American = 8.4%
• White = 7.1%.

African immigrants in particular are more likely to develop diabetes compared with US-born citizens, and are more likely to suffer from diabetes complications such as heart or kidney disease and stroke.

reduce your risk

Watch your weight: moderate weight loss (5 to 7 percent of total body weight), can prevent or delay type 2. diabetes in adults who are at high risk of developing the condition

exercise Exercising for at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week is a great way to help with loss weight and reduce your risk of diabetes 2.

Eat healthy diet: Eat a healthy diet that is low in saturated fat and rich in fiber. Bake, roast or grill food is a good way to reduce saturated fats. For more fiber, focus on eating whole grains and soluble fiber such as fruits and beans.

More importantly, talk to your doctor about how to control your blood sugar through diet, exercise and prescription medications, if necessary.

How We Help

BEAT IT project! ( B ECOMING E mPowered A fricans T ith I mproved T reatment of diabetes, hepatitis B and HIV / AIDS) is a new initiative of the Center on health disparities that promotes cultural competency among health care providers and empowers African immigrants to take charge of their health. BEAT IT training for health care providers focuses on cultural awareness, effective communication, and patient-centered care when treating African immigrants. The program also offers courses in health education to increase knowledge and promote successful disease management among African immigrants living with type 2 diabetes

For more information on BEAT IT! watch this video or visit www.AdventistHealthCare.com/Disparities. See photos below from our last BEAT IT Class Education for health care providers

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Sources: CDC, American Academy of Family Physicians, the National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases, American Diabetes Association, and Washington and Shady GroveAdventistHospitals. For more information, consult your doctor.

researchers may have cracked the mystery of asbestos causes damage life and lung cancer risk. A new study shows that the material triggers the key immune system proteins that trigger the chronic inflammation. Therefore, a drug commonly used against arthritis may ward off lung problems induced by exposure.

Over the decades, the asbestos fibers inhaled into the lungs can cause cancer and scarring that interferes with breathing. Although these risks are known for over 100 years, researchers have been unable to discover how fibers that are found in building materials and other products, trigger damage. Gout, a disease seemingly unrelated caused by the buildup of uric acid, may have provided a vital clue. There are two years, a team led by Jürg Tschopp biologist from the University of Lausanne in Switzerland showed that uric acid causes gout by inflammasomes overactivating, immune proteins that stimulate inflammation to help remove germs . Asbestos could have a similar effect on the body?

Tschopp and colleagues exposed to asbestos immune cells that lurk in the human lung and mouse. They found that the material has stimulated inflammasome called NALP3 to release interleukin-1β (IL-1β), a chemical that induces inflammation. But the real proof came from mice that were bred to lack NALP3. When these mice were exposed to asbestos for 9 days they produced lower levels of IL-1β and less inflammation of the lung that due mice with NALP3, confirming that the Inflammasome is essential for trigger at least some of the negative effects of the fiber, the researchers report online today in science . Tschopp speculates that because the asbestos fibers become lodged in the body, prolonged exposure causes chronic inflammation which over time can cause lung damage and cancer. The details have yet to be developed, but the researchers note that IL-1β has been linked to other cancers.

The results suggest that the drug against rheumatoid arthritis anakinra which blocks IL-1ß and is being studied as a treatment for gout, could be used to prevent damage to asbestos triggered Tschopp said. In addition, tests for high levels of IL-1β could allow doctors to identify people who are at risk of developing lung exposure to asbestos problems, says Joseph Testa, a molecular geneticist at Fox Chase cancer Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

But David Kamp, a specialist in lung diseases at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois, warns that it is too early to say that we have discovered how the fibers cause Cancer. Research has not shown that this process has caused cancer in mice, scientists must demonstrate the connection before looking ahead to treatments, he said.

Related Sites

• learn more about asbestos
• Diseases caused by asbestos

How much Vitamin D do I need?

Wondering "How much vitamin D do I need?" Get adequate vitamin D, along with diet and exercise, is an important component of health and well-being of an individual. Did you know that vitamin D may help prevent high blood pressure, diabetes, certain cancers, multiple sclerosis, and other health conditions? Vitamin D is also essential for bone health because it aids in the absorption of calcium to prevent bone to become thin, brittle or misshapen. Research also shows that vitamin D supports the immune system and helps reduce inflammation.

Are you getting adequate vitamin D to protect your health? The Office of Dietary Supplements recommends that children and adults under 50 should get 0 international units (IU) per day, while adults over 50 should get 400-0IU. Recent studies suggest that many Americans do not get enough vitamin D due to lack of sun exposure and poor diet.

For humans, the main source of vitamin D is exposure to sunlight. Sunlight stimulates the skin to trigger the synthesis of vitamin D. Sunlight is important because it can be hard to meet our needs through diet alone. Vitamin D is not present in many foods. For this reason, some foods are fortified with vitamin D, and it is also available as a dietary supplement. There are several forms of vitamin D; the most important for us are D2 (made by plants) and D3 (made by humans). A vitamin D supplement may contain D2 and / or D3; However, research has shown that D3 is about 3 times more effective.

food sources of vitamin D include fortified milk, orange juice and breakfast cereals.

Tips to get your daily dose of vitamin D

• The flesh of fish such as salmon (360 IU), tuna (0 IU) and mackerel ( 345 IU) are some of the best sources of vitamin D food sources of vitamin D. fortified foods include milk (98 IU), orange juice (45 IU) and breakfast cereals (40 IU).
• Vitamin D is fat soluble take with healthy fats, such as avocado, oil, or fish, so it absorbs into your system to be used effectively.
• Try to get 15 to 20 minutes of sun exposure daily over a part of your body such as your arms before you cover or apply sunscreen. Keep in mind that UV rays produce vitamin D may be blocked by the covering and / or cloud smog.
• People with dark skin have a higher amount of melanin reduces the skin's ability to produce vitamin D from sun exposure. In addition, over 50 adults can be at risk of developing vitamin D deficiency As people age their skin are not able to synthesize vitamin as efficiently. In such cases, a supplement may be recommended.
• When buying a vitamin D supplement, look at the nutrition label to make sure it contains D3.
• breast-fed infants may need a vitamin D supplement because the requirements can not be met by breast milk alone. Please consult your healthcare professional.
• Be aware that too much vitamin D can lead to calcium absorption in excess can have negative effects on serious health on an individual. Studies show that excessive intake of vitamin D is caused by supplements rather than excessive sun exposure.
• If you are at increased risk of vitamin D deficiency, consult your doctor whether a vitamin D test would be beneficial for you.

Sources :. Office dietary supplements, and Washington and Shady Grove Adventist Hospital

Call the debate of the chicken and the egg of the world of drug addiction: Cocaine addicts are known to be frantic, but came first , behavior or habit? New research indicates that, at least in rats, it is the behavior that is addictive. In addition, the study demonstrated the character trait - impulsivity - which is responsible for developing an addiction to drugs. Experts believe that the findings could lead to new approaches for the treatment of addiction

Scientists studying addiction have a common problem :. The people they deal with are already addicted, so it's hard to say what, if any, behaviors led to the initial variation. What they do know is that two traits - impulsivity and thrill - tend to define most addicts. Although behaviors are similar, the scientists were able to analyze in the laboratory: highly impulsive rats jumping the gun on simple tasks - pushing a button, for example, before they are reported to do so; thrills rats, meanwhile, will quickly discover new environment - immediately sniff various objects in a new cage, for example - while normal rats would wait until they feel comfortable in their environment

hoping to. find out if one of these two traits can be a catalyst for addiction, psychologists David Belin and Barry Everitt, both from the University of Cambridge in the UK, hanging rats sensation and impulsive rats with a device which distributed cocaine directly into the brains of rats. The rats could control the machine, so they can make cocaine when they wanted. As reports of the team in today's edition of Science , the thrill seekers have tried cocaine immediately, taking exorbitant doses. Impulsive rats are not as quick to turn to drugs, however, and when they did, they took it in smaller quantities.

After 40 days of free access to cocaine, but impulsive rats were those who have become drug addicts. They were unable to stop taking cocaine, even if it meant getting an electric shock, the team reports. The thrill seekers, meanwhile, had lost interest in drugs; Apparently, the thrill was gone.

"This study shows that ... there is a biological bridge, at least in rats," between impulsive behavior and drug abuse, said David Nutt, a psychopharmacologist at Bristol University in the UK -um Marc Potenza, a psychiatrist at Yale University, believes the research has important implications for the treatment of drug dependence. "We might be able to identify individuals in the early moments of their lives that may be prone to developing addictions," he said. Everitt agrees, noting that anti-impulsive drugs, as some antidepressants, may be the key to helping people to stay off cocaine for good. "This has opened a surprising therapeutic window," he said.

build positive relationships

In a reflection on the relationships you seek and maintain in life, consider making your interactions healthy, productive, and sometimes difficult. Build positive relationships, including at home, at work and in the community, may justify a renewed effort and focus

difficult interactions can increase our stress and zap our creative energy. Then, healthy relationships are at the heart of achieving the objectives. To promote a positive interaction with your co-workers, and create an environment of respect, take heart the following guidelines for good communication :.

Sharpen your listening skills

• Focus on what the person is saying without interrupting. Most of us tend to think that we will then say and finish half of what the other person says missing.
• When the person you are listening finished what he or she says, confirm that you have received the message referred to a brief paraphrase what you heard.
• Be aware of your body language. Keep a relaxed posture without open cross your arms or legs. Lean slightly forward, without invading the personal space of the other person, and to maintain a comfortable eye contact.

Convey your thoughts clearly and effectively.

• Be honest with yourself about what you want to accomplish, then clearly state that intention. Ask yourself, "What do I ultimately hope to accomplish with this conversation?"
• Avoid sarcasm. Sarcasm by definition precisely the opposite of what we really mean. While sarcasm can be a part of an occasional humorous dialogue, it does not promote clear communication and can put people on the defensive.
• Be aware of your tone of voice and what it can be transmitted to another person.
• Email can be an effective method of communication, but it is not suitable for all messages. Take the conversation offline and in person, especially when it feels like you do not connect, or if the correspondence became emotional.

Be a team player.

• If you see a colleague needs help, if possible, height and help. Share your strengths with your colleagues and ask for help on the tasks that you are less skilled at.
• Be courteous. Be aware of the volume of your conversations, be on time, and keep them clean and usable public areas.

Sometimes disagreements or tension situations arise. Address conflict as soon as possible to prevent small misunderstandings from becoming major problems. If you are worried or unclear about something, ask for clarification.

See the flexibility and openness to the views of others. Consider the relative importance of the subject or the prior decision to take the conversation to the next level. Even if you argue with someone's position, actively appreciate the person

Sources :. Washington and Shady GroveAdventistHospitals. For more information, consult your doctor.

The long sleep debate on the usefulness of vitamin C to treat cancer perhaps about to revive. The researchers found that mice injected with high doses of vitamin prevented tumor growth. The findings could overturn the vision established that vitamin C is useless as a cancer treatment.

The idea that high doses of vitamin C or ascorbic acid, could help cancer patients first appeared in the late 1970s sparked a heated debate within the research community up that studies in 1979 and 1985 by researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, seemed to show no benefit. But Mark Levine, a physician and cell biologist at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases in Bethesda, Maryland, decided to reopen the investigation as soon as he found that patients in the study had the Mayo ingested vitamin. The intestine absorbs only a limited amount of ascorbic acid, so these patients do not receive a full dose, he said.

high doses Levine and his colleagues tested vitamin C delivered directly to tumors. They increased by 43 types of cancer cells and normal cells of the five strains on a medium with vitamin C. For 75% of tumor types, less than 10 millimoles of vitamin killed about half of the cells, while sparing normal cells. Next, the researchers implanted mice with cells of the pancreas, breast and brain cancer. They injected half rodents with enough vitamin C, so that the concentration in the fluid around their cells is at least 10 millimoles. The tumors in the mice that received the shots increased 41% to 50% less than the growth in mice that did not receive the treatment.

In humans, the concentration of ascorbic acid in the extracellular fluid normally does not climb higher than 0.2 millimoles. But in other studies, researchers injected humans with the same solution, they gave mice and increased vitamin C in the blood to over 10 millimoles. These recipients have shown few side effects, notes the team.

The results show that high doses of injected vitamin C could be another weapon against cancer, researchers conclude in this week's issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences . Levine hypothesizes a massive dose of ascorbic acid triggers a chemical reaction which produces high levels of hydrogen peroxide. Normal cells have enzymes and other mechanisms that prevent the hydrogen peroxide from damage. But some cancer cells seem to lack the checks and die when hydrogen peroxide concentrations are too high. Levine said potential to help treat cancer with minimal side effects makes vitamin C worth pursuing, despite the historical controversy surrounding the treatment.

Other researchers are encouraged by the results. Chi Dang, a cancer biologist who has done similar work with vitamin C at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, says the data are strong and deserve further exploration. "I hope people will look at it more objectively without the baggage of history," he said. But Stephen Barrett, who runs the fight against fraud Quackwatch website and has long opposed the use of high doses vitamin C, is skeptical that this will lead to practical applications in humans: "I hope it will not trigger a rash of people eccentric practitioners to get vitamin C intravenously"

How Do I need iron?

Wondering "How much iron do I need?" Iron is a mineral required by the body; like vitamins, minerals help your body grow, develop and stay healthy.

Without iron, the body can not make enough hemoglobin, the part that carries oxygen in red blood cell. Although iron is widely available in foods, most people do not get enough in their diet. The World Health Organization considers iron deficiency the number one nutritional disorder in the world. Up to 80 percent of the world population may be iron deficient, while 30 percent may have iron deficiency anemia.

Having too little iron in your system can impair the functions of the body, but most of the physical signs and symptoms do not show unless iron deficiency anemia occurs. Signs and symptoms of iron deficiency anemia include feeling tired or weak, difficulty regulating body temperature, and decreased immune function. The most common causes of iron deficiency anemia include blood loss, pregnancy, inability to absorb iron, and the lack of iron in your diet.

While your body is very good at adapting to lower or higher levels of iron more or less absorbent, respectively, dietary recommendations are defined to meet the needs of the majority of the population . Here is the current recommended daily allowance (RDA) for iron consumption

• Males- 14-18 years: 11mg per day; 19+: 8 mg daily
• Females- 14-18 years: 15 mg per day; 19-50 years: 18 mg per day; 52 years and more: 8 mg daily

iron in foods exist as two types: heme and non-heme. Animal foods such as red meat, fish and poultry provide the heme iron. Non-heme iron is found in plant foods such as spinach, whole grains, beans and fortified cereals, but are not as easily absorbed by the body as heme iron. Vitamin C helps the absorption of non-heme iron.

Foods that contain both iron and vitamin C include strawberries, potatoes, watermelon, broccoli, asparagus, tomatoes and green vegetables dark leafy like kale and bok choy

Consider the following tips to improve your iron intake by combining sources of non-heme iron with vitamin C rich foods :.

• Foods that contain both iron and vitamin C include strawberries, potatoes, watermelon, broccoli, asparagus, tomatoes and green vegetables to dark green leaves like kale and bok choy.
• Eat a bowl of chili. You will have your iron from beans and vitamin C. Tomatoes and peppers.
• Make a spinach salad with oranges and papayas. Spinach is rich in iron; while oranges and papayas are excellent sources of vitamin C.
• Top your cereal with strawberries. You get iron from cereal and vitamin C from strawberries and a cup of orange juice.
• Try a healthy spin on your traditional jumped. Substitute quinoa for rice for a great source of iron and add broccoli, asparagus, bok choy and other vegetables full of vitamin C.

It may be useful to consult a nutritionist about your specific dietary needs related to iron. Ask your doctor or health care professional if and when you should be screened for iron deficiency, especially if you experience signs or symptoms of iron deficiency anemia

Sources :. American Dietetic Association, the Mayo Clinic, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Washington and Shady GroveAdventistHospitals. For more information, consult your doctor.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has suspended a grant of $ 9 million for a study of depression conducted by a psychiatrist at the Emory University in Atlanta. The punishment imposed in August but only made public today, is apparently the most severe reaction by the NIH to present at a Senate investigation of the NIH-funded researchers who may have failed to report all of their income companies pharmaceuticals.

Since last spring, Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) registered at least nine academic psychiatrists not to follow the federal rules that require recipients of NIH to report industry consulting income their institutions. A researcher at Stanford University was removed from a NIH grant. The most recent revelations involve Charles Nemeroff Emory, who reportedly only 1.2 million $ 2.4 million less than the pharmaceutical companies and device Grassley said they paid between 00 and 07. $

Nemeroff is "voluntarily stepping aside" all grants from NIH on which he was the leader or co-investigator, said in a statement Emory, after leaving his post as chairman of the psychiatry department. NIH recently called Nemeroff be removed from three research grants and training awards "until there's resolution" concerns, said David Wynes, vice president for research administration at Emory, which launched . besides its own investigation, the NIH stopped the funding for a grant - a study of $ 9.3 million (the suspended grant was announced today by Atlanta Journal-Constitution .) 5-year clinical depression that began in 06.

the study of depression is to enroll 0 patients in a 12-week study testing two psychotropic medication and cognitive behavioral therapy. Co-researchers use genetic testing, personality assessments and brain imaging to learn which of these treatments work best. Wynes said less than a dozen patients were enrolled, although those still in treatment continue to receive. NIH suspended payment in mid-August

It is not known exactly why NIH suspended this particular grant. Nemeroff consulted for Eli Lilly, which is one of the tested drug, duloxetine, but his recent income fell below an annual reporting threshold of $ 10,000. The other drug, escitalopram, is manufactured by Forest Laboratories; this company does not appear on the countdown Grassley 2.4 million at least $ payments to Nemeroff.

Emory faculty also informed last week that NIH is imposing "special award conditions" on all grants. The university says it must check that all new grant researchers have filed disclosures and describe the conflict as well as Emory took action to manage. Normally, universities should not give these details NIH.

A spokesman declined to comment NIH suspended the grant. The agency is expected to issue an opinion soon ask for feedback on ways to strengthen the regulation of conflicts of interest applicable to the recipients of the NIH.

NIH had resisted the pressure Grassley to suspend subsidies for violations conflicts. NIH Director Elias Zerhouni told reporters last month that "you have to be careful" because stopping a clinical trial can affect the treatment of patients with serious diseases. "This is not a decision to light," said Zerhouni, who is retiring this month.

Super Bowl cardiovascular health

Planning to watch the big game this weekend? If you're rooting for the Baltimore Ravens (or the San Francisco 49ers), be careful if your heart starts pumping during a crucial play. There may be a link between the Super Bowl and your heart health. Doctors say the warning signs of a heart attack - dizziness, chest pain, labored breathing, nausea - are similar to symptoms of an adrenaline rush or overeating

Several studies sports around the world have found exciting look. sporting events such as the Olympics and the World Cup, can stress the heart temporarily and aggravate heart problems.

Another concern is for the fan who does not want to miss a minute of the game. Some hospitals have reported that people who have heart problems often wait until the game is over before seeking medical care ... and emergency doctors see a surge in visits right after the Super Bowl. If you or someone you love has symptoms of a heart attack, do not delay. Call 911 immediately. Every minute a cardiac damage of the heart muscle events.

Keep an eye on the Super Bowl snacks, too. Cardiovascular health can be improved with diet. We do not say skip the chips and dip, but consider adding a fruit and veggie platter and go easy on salty and fatty foods. Try placing unhealthy snacks later so you have to put more effort to get to them. Sodium (salt) can cause your body to retain too much fluid, which makes it harder for your heart to pump. Trans fats in your nachos with cheese or dessert could affect the artery walls, contributing to high cholesterol and increase the risk of heart disease.

There are risk factors that we are born with that increase the risk of developing heart disease, such as:

• family history of heart disease
• the age and menopause
• Inherited blood pressure
• type I diabetes
• Race / ethnicity (African-American, Latina and American women are more likely to indigenous have risk factors for heart disease.)

This is why it is important to control the risk factors that we can change. These include:

• smoking
• Overweight
• Being physically inactive
• Acquired hypertension
• high cholesterol acquired
• diabetes type II

It is important to have a conversation with your doctor about your heart health. During the Super Bowl - and every day, really - make sure you take your regularly prescribed medications, eating sparingly, and pay attention to what could be the warning signs of a heart attack or stroke. Do not delay medical care. Emergency services to Shady Grove Adventist Hospital, Washington Adventist Hospital and the Adventist Shady Grove Emergency Center in Germantown are there for you 24 hours a day. Ravens and go! Or Niners.

What does cancer come back? Nobody really knows, but for a long time researchers have thought that some modifications of the DNA in cancer cells can protect from chemotherapy and allow them to stage a resurgence. Examine one of the most studied cancers, childhood leukemia, a team in Tennessee has now cataloged exactly what happens to these leukemia cells in children who relapse. What they found, but not necessarily true for other cancers, could be a major step toward new ways to prevent relapse and to identify children at risk.

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis has one of the best fabrics libraries in the country for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common childhood cancer. Although the cure rate for all jumped single digits to over 80% today, some children still relapse. For them, the chance of survival decreases dramatically, to about 30%, says James Downing, scientific director of St. Jude. These children remain one of the biggest challenges for all specialists.

Wondering what changes in DNA could be responsible for these relapses, Downing, hematologist and pathologist Charles Mullighan, and their colleagues at St. Jude focused on a particular type of pattern of DNA, called copy number. Increasingly, researchers are finding that additional sections of DNA, or DNA that is deleted in some people - so-called changes in copy number (CNA) - appear to play a role in the disease, in particular neuropsychiatric condition such as autism or mental retardation ( science NOW, November 14).

their tissue bank, the team eliminated the 61 samples of all patients who had relapsed and compared samples at diagnosis with those taken when the cancer returned. Tomorrow Science Downing and colleagues report that 92% of leukemia cells in relapsed patients harbored changes CNAs; most often, they found a loss of DNA that caused some genes off. A total of 15 genes had lost DNA relapse, and two genes had gained DNA. Many genes control cell division or development of immune cells, which goes awry in certain leukemias. To the surprise of Downing, CNAs does not seem to be hitting genes involved in drug resistance. Some doctors have assumed that the resistance was important because patients with ALL who relapse often respond poorly to chemotherapy.

Where did the CNAs come from? In many cases, CNAs present at diagnosis appeared in much of the relapse cells, suggesting that they managed to escape treatment and proliferate while others leukemic cells died. Another possibility is that the DNA changes appeared after chemotherapy. Several experts dismissed this theory, however, because the changes occurred in genes associated with leukemia, not at random in the genome.

In terms of treatment, hematologist-oncologist Matthew Walter, of Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, suggests focusing on CNAs who can score an "ancestor" preleukemia cell in the bone marrow ; Downing found the group sets of CNAs in samples of relapse and diagnosis from the same child that overlapped, but not the same. Some CNAs were lost to relapse and others have won. What happened, they deduced, because all CNAs were probably ancestors of the cells that helped spawn leukemia and later relapse. "Maybe these are the changes that our therapies should be addressing," he said.

The work "is fascinating to many viewpoints" and "perhaps raises more questions than answers," says Bert Vogelstein oncologist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. Although known for years that ALL and other cancers that relapse usually acquire new genetic changes, "we were expecting not there so many" as seen here, said Vogelstein .

Puzzles remain. Not all results involved CNAs, for example. Seven children actually lost all CNAs present to relapse, and five children had no change in CNAs between diagnosis and relapse. Furthermore, much less CNAs in childhood leukemia appear more aggressive and lethal, acute myeloid leukemia. Downing is studying whether the results can all be used at diagnosis to identify patients who have a high or low risk of relapse.

Kaiser Permanente health care provider has finally landed the money she needed to complete plans for a massive biobank of DNA. There has announced the receipt of a $ 8.6 million grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which should allow the company collect 500,000 DNA samples, as well as health and the donors of their environment. The goal is to uncover the causes and develop personalized treatments for common conditions such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

The extended biobank will be among the largest and will join several in Europe and Canada. It beats to the punch of the National Children's Study, which suffered delay after delay in the registration of 100,000 American children.

The biobank will be led by Catherine Schaefer, director of the Kaiser Permanente Research Program on Genes, Environment and Health, and Neil Risch, professor of human genetics at the University of California, San Francisco . The deposit already contains 0,000 DNA samples and hope to meet the 500,000 mark by 2012, now that financing is in place.

too much noise bad for your health?

138 million people are regularly exposed to noise levels labeled as excessive by the Environmental Protection Agency. The reports of the Office of the US Census Americans cite more noise than the crime, litter or traffic as the biggest problem affecting their neighborhoods.

• According to an audiologist at the National Institute for Safety and Health at Work, included in the noise problems are hypertension, peptic ulcers, cardiovascular death, stroke, suicide, degradation of the immune system and learning disorders. In addition, the noise is associated with an increase in aggressiveness and decreased cooperation.
• Bad mood, poor concentration, fatigue and poor performance at work can result from continued exposure to unpleasant noise. psychiatric hospitalizations are higher in noisy communities.
• According to one study, children in the noisiest neighborhoods experienced higher levels during the night cortisol (the stress hormone), slightly higher resting blood pressure systolic and greater responsiveness of the heart rate to a stress test any signs of modestly elevated physiological stress.
• Compared with children of the quietest areas, children living near airports or busy highways tend to have lower reading scores and develop language skills more slowly.
• A study at Texas A & M University found that women may be more sensitive to noise than men. Also found was that when children have no control over Prolonged exposure to noise, it can lead to learned helplessness syndrome, a condition linked to forms of depression and poverty.
  

Toxic noise is the most common occupational diseases and the second most self-reported occupational injury. Ten million people have hearing loss because of the toxic noise in the workplace. The Deafness Research Foundation defines toxic noise as any sound that can damage or destroy hearing. It is present in the workplace about 30 million Americans.

Not only loud or sudden noises cause a stress response. Low Level Noise is a subtle but insidious effect on our health and wellbeing. Chronic low level noise negatively affects the brain and behavior. low noise level rises psychophysiological factors and causes more symptoms of anxiety and nervousness.

• environmental psychologists at Cornell found that the low-level noise in open office performance style in higher levels of stress and lower motivation task. In addition, it could contribute significantly to health problems such as heart disease and musculoskeletal problems.
• British investigators found that more neighborhood problems, including noise, has been associated with residents being three times more likely to say that their physical function was altered and twice as likely to report poor health.
  

a few minutes of quiet dedicated every day reduces stress and provides a way to appreciate the things that are masked by noise. It was found that some people go weeks without even using five minutes for quiet contemplation or reflection. The Los Angeles Times reported on a teenager who spends 10,000 minutes per month on his cell phone

• Recently, communication devices monitoring network BlackBerry wireless is down for 14 hours . many users claimed their lives were thrown into turmoil.
• The results of an experiment by students from the University of Seattle found that on a typical day, a student checked her e-mail five times, turned on its three TV once, checked phone messages twice, browsed websites, and listening to his Ipod
  

Sources :. NIH, US Library of Medicine, the Franklin Institute, Seattle Times, Natural Health, In Touch Magazine, and Washington and Shady Grove Adventist hospitals. For more information, consult your doctor.

A screening method commonly used drug based on the enzyme that gives fireflies their glow may be defective. Researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that certain compounds - one in clinical trials for cystic fibrosis and other conditions -. Luminescence is just an artifact

For decades, researchers used firefly luciferase - the protein that makes insect light - as a so-called reporter enzyme. Take the example of cystic fibrosis: Some forms of the disease result when a "stop sign" gene prevents the body's cells to a full version of the protein cystic fibrosis An effective drug should allow. cells to ignore this stop signal such that the full length protein can be produced. to screen for such drugs, scientists bind DNA firefly luciferase at the end of the gene for cystic fibrosis. If a drug works, the complete protein cystic fibrosis will be made -. And scientists see a glimmer

But Douglas Auld, an expert on screening high drug flow to the Chemical Genomics Center NIH, found a problem with this approach. His team examined an experimental drug called PTC124, the firefly luciferase assay was identified as a promising candidate for the treatment of forms of cystic fibrosis and is currently being tested in clinical trials stop-sign. The researchers found that PTC124, and many compounds related to it, bind to the protein luciferase firefly, causing it to brighter than normal. And that makes the drug appears more effective than it really is, said Auld. When the researchers tested PTC124 using another luminescent enzyme with a different structure, they saw no light at all.

Co-author James Inglese, deputy director of the Chemical Genomics Center, said the work emphasizes the importance of using more than one test for drug research. Most of the compounds identified in the screen of the firefly luciferase do not interact in this way with luciferase, he said, but it is important to make sure.

John Babiak, vice president of drug discovery technologies at PTC Therapeutics in South Plainfield, New Jersey, which is developing and testing PTC124, shrugs NIH work. "You get positive and artifacts false" in any dosage, he said. Babiak says his company found that PTC124 appears promising in a number of other tests that do not use the firefly luciferase and in the animal testing and clinical trials. the fact that PTC124 binds to luciferase, he said, "has nothing to do with the fact that it is a good drug." (NIH researchers do not call not question the clinical and animal PTC124 results.)

Keith Wood, research director at Promega Corp. Madison, Wisconsin, and an expert in bioluminescent assays, agrees that work should not undermine NIH PTC124. But the new study, he said, provides an important caveat for researchers using any enzyme not only firefly luciferase, to report on the biological activity. "no tools for screening is perfect ' he said.

How to eat more fiber

Most people think of the fiber in terms of its role in the function healthy gut. Fiber is an integral part of good digestion, and much more! Many studies have shown that fiber helps improve heart health and reduce blood cholesterol. Fiber also helps to reduce the risk of diabetes and aids weight loss. Yet the average adult receives only 10 to 15 grams of fiber per day, which is only half of the recommended daily value.

Foods that are good sources of soluble fiber include beans, fruits and nuts.

The fiber is either soluble (dissolved in water) or insoluble (does not dissolve in water); both forms are essential to a healthy diet. Soluble fiber can help lower blood cholesterol and glucose levels. Foods that are good sources of soluble fiber include beans, fruits and nuts.

Insoluble fiber moves waste through the digestive system to help relieve constipation. The high in insoluble fiber include whole wheat flour, brown rice, beans, carrots, cucumbers, zucchini, celery and tomatoes.

• Women should consume at least 21-25 grams of fiber per day from a variety of food sources.
• men should aim for 30-38 grams per day.
• a reasonable minimum recommendation for children over 3 years old is the child more 5 grams.

It may be easier than you think to fit more fiber into your day:

• a cup of raspberries has 8 grams of fiber, and apple size average, with skin has about 4.5 grams.
• One ounce of almonds (23 nuts) has 3.5 grams of fiber, and even the air blown popcorn has 1 or more grams per cup. In general, try to avoid refined and processed foods that are low in fiber and high in calories.
• Eat whole grain cereal for breakfast. Some of the local grocery store cereal boxes have 3-7 grams of fiber per serving.
• Choose whole wheat bread on white. Pay attention to labels when selecting bread. Look for a brand with at least 2 grams of dietary fiber per serving.
• In salads, use spinach, adding 4 grams of fiber to the antenna. • Switch to brown rice or whole wheat pasta, add 7 to 15 grams of fiber.
• Eat whole fruits instead of drinking fruit juice and you get 3 to over 10 grams of fiber. Some high fiber fruits include figs (10 grams), blueberries and pears (4 grams).
• Add beans, lentils and peas as a side dish to any meal. Half a cup of beans or peas produces up to 10 grams of fiber.
• Experiment with different types of grains, such as spelled, millet, barley and quinoa. These grains can add up to 6 grams of fiber.
• Try to eat fruits, raw vegetables or nuts for a snack. On average, the vegetables have 2-4 grams of fiber per serving. Peanuts, cashews and walnuts are also good sources of fiber.
  

If you add fiber too quickly to your diet, it can upset your stomach, so ease into it. Increase your fiber intake over a period of weeks to allow the natural bacteria in your digestive system to adjust to the change. Drink lots of water to help absorption.

Some people may benefit from fiber supplements if dietary changes are not sufficient, or if you have medical conditions such as constipation or irritable bowel syndrome. Consult your doctor before making sudden changes to your diet

Sources :. National Institutes of Health, the American Heart Association, the National Cancer Institute, the Mayo Clinic, United States Department of Agriculture, LifeWork Strategies EAP, and Washington Adventist Hospital and Shady Grove. For more information, consult your doctor.

Thanks to a barroom conversation researchers may have stumbled on a combination of powerful drugs to combat drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB), a threat increasing throughout the world. New research suggests that meropenem and clavulanate, both of which are approved by the Food and Drug Administration of the United States to fight against bacterial infections, tame some of the most virulent strains of tuberculosis.

An increasing number of people have multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis , which causes tuberculosis. Last year, the World Health Organization has reported the largest number of cases ever - about half a million - and highlighted the countries of the former Soviet Union and China as the hardest hit. Currently the MDR-TB patients have to take expensive treatments highly toxic for as long as 2 years to cure their infections. And since 06, the researchers found that nearly 10% of these people have actually (XDR) strains "extensively drug-resistant" that can Outsmart almost all known treatments. MDR-TB has a rate of more than 50% mortality, and XDR-TB is lethal yet -. Especially when combined with HIV infection, a serious problem in several countries in southern Africa

But in today's issue of science , a group headed by biochemist John Blanchard of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York reported the test tube evidence that, when used in tandem, meropenem and clavulanate worked against the 13 XDR-TB strains they tested. Although some researchers have expressed surprise that Science accepted an in vitro study of drug without animal or human data, Blanchard stressed that the urgency of the problem and the availability of these drugs raises important their results.

Blanchard said the idea goes back to a meeting he had in a Paris bar 3 years ago with a French student graduate, Jean-Emmanel Hugonnet, who wanted to work in his laboratory on issues fundamental to enzyme kinetics. "It was not designed as a drug discovery program," says Blanchard. Hugonnet had worked in a laboratory in Paris with the β-lactamase enzyme, which is made by M. tuberculosis and other bacteria and has a function disorder, and they decided to make that the center of his studies the enzyme is important because it paralyzes a class of antibiotics called beta-lactams, including penicillin and called meropenem. newer drug that is commonly used to treat pneumonia and meningitis.

But if there was a way to inhibit β-lactamase so that drugs like meropenem could work their magic? Blanchard knew a former drug called clavulanate, which stops the enzyme was used just this way to help amoxicillin β-lactam antibiotics treat all ear pain urinary tract infections. (Indeed, an earlier study in patients with this combo of tuberculosis showed that it had some activity against the virus.) So he and his colleagues decided to combine clavulanate with various beta-lactam antibiotics and tested against various M. tuberculosis strains. "Once you hit on β-lactamase chemically, bam, these other compounds have effects," says Blanchard. The combination of clavulanate and meropenem made the best team reports, with tiny concentrations of β-lactam killing all M. tuberculosis culture of the team tested.

"I'm very excited about it," said microbiologist Willem Sturm of the Nelson Mandela School of medicine at Durban, South Africa, which recently faced a major outbreak of XDR-TB there. "But we really need to see if they do that in vitro experiments promise." to that end, Sturm hopes to launch a clinical study in South Africa later this year with Brian Currie, an infectious disease doctor at Albert Einstein. the study will test the drug in people who are co-infected with HIV and MDR or XDR strains Mr. TB . infectious National Institute researchers allergies and diseases of the United States also have plans for a second test with colleagues in South Korea to test antibiotics for tuberculosis patients resistant drugs that are not infected by HIV.

Some other compounds to fight against XDR-TB are in clinical trials, but they have yet to pass security barriers - let alone evidence of efficacy - that meropenem and clavulanate have already cleared. According to the Global Alliance for TB Drug Development, none of these studies is likely to be completed until at least 2012.

Lung Cancer - The Basics

Lung cancer is the most deadly form of cancer men and women. Lung cancer kills more people than colon, prostate, lymph and breast cancer combined. Smoking accounts for nearly 0 percent of cases of lung cancer.

The lungs contain many types of cells. Most of them are epithelial cells lining the airways and produce mucus that lubricates and protects the lungs. Nerve cells, hormone-producing cells, blood cells and structural or support cells are also present in the lungs.

• Researchers found that it takes a series of genetic changes to create a lung cancer cell. Lung cancer begins when cells in the lung grow out of control and form a ball.
• The general types of lung cancer include lung cancer, small cell cancer and non-small cell lung. Small cell lung cancer occurs almost exclusively in heavy smokers. Non-small lung cancer is an umbrella term for several types of lung cancers that behave in a similar way.
• Once a cancerous lung tumor begins to grow, it may or may not eliminate cancer cells. Shed cells can be washed away in the blood or how to float in the natural fluid called lymph tissue that surrounds the lungs. Lymph circulates through the tubes (lymph vessels) that drain into the lymph nodes in the lung, the center of the chest and other body parts.
• commonplace for lung cancer to spread include :. Bone, brain, liver, lymph nodes and adrenal glands
  

Lung cancer can take years to develop and it causes no signs or symptoms in its early stages. The average age of a person with lung cancer is 69

The signs and symptoms may include shortness of breath, wheezing, hoarseness, chest pain, a new cough that does not go away, the coughing up blood, swelling of the neck / face, fatigue, loss of appetite, repeated problems with pneumonia or bronchitis, and weight loss.

Smoking remains the biggest risk factor for lung cancer. Quitting at any age can significantly reduce the risk of developing lung cancer.

• Exposure to secondhand smoke, radon gas, asbestos, industrial chemicals (arsenic, chromium, nickel, tar soot) radiation and air pollution increases the risk. Test your home for radon.
• People with a parent, sibling or other first-degree relative with lung cancer have an increased risk. .
• Excessive alcohol consumption can increase the risk
  

Sources: CDC, National Cancer Institute, US Department of Health and social Services, Mayo Clinic US National Library of Medicine, American Cancer Society, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and Washington and Shady Grove Adventist hospitals. For more information, consult your doctor.

Obama administration has chosen a new leader to head the Food and Drug administration of the United States, according to media reports. She is Margaret Hamburg, 53, the New York commissioner of health in the 190s and later an official from the Ministry of Health and Social Services, where she specializes in bioterrorism and planning a response to a potential flu epidemic. Hamburg's deputy will be Joshua Sharfstein, the health commissioner Baltimore City, who himself was often cited as a contender for the top job of the FDA, according to reports.

The name of Hamburg had not topped the unofficial list for FDA chief was outstanding for several months, in addition to Sharfstein, other candidates bandied about Steven Nissen cardiologist included the Cleveland clinic, a longtime critic of the FDA and its links with industry, and Robert Califf, a Duke cardiologist and clinical trialist.

The choice of commissioner was difficult for the new administration. FDA has been heavily criticized for years for not acting decisively deal with threats to public health, peanuts contaminated with risky drugs, it has achieved the market. In addition, the pharmaceutical industry provides tens of millions of dollars to the organization as a use-fee significant portion of FDA funding. Obama has made no secret of his interest in reforming the FDA, told Matt Lauer on NBC last month that "we will do a complete review of FDA operations." Hamburg, however, may be less divisive and less alienating the industry some of the other candidates, such as Nissen

the agency faces many challenges. Its budget, about $ 2.2 billion, is often derided as inadequate and was accused of conflicts of interest to neglect to address the drug problem, it approved security; its division of the unit was under fire for failing to consider medical devices before they are approved;. and its resources are too limited to adequately inspect imported food and pharmaceutical FDA has also been criticized for politicizing scientific decisions, such as those around the plane of the emergency contraception B.

budget FDA needs to change, said Frank Torti, Acting Commissioner of the agency since 20 January. (Torti took the relay Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach FDA, who headed the agency in the last years of the Bush administration.) In an interview with Science last month, noted that Torti FDA does not fund almost all of the science it should. He described wandering up a poster discuss salmonella by researchers from the FDA, "and I say:" I presume the agency that funded food, 'and they say,' Oh, we would never have money to finance this he was the Department of Homeland Security who felt sorry for us and gave us money. "(Ironically, the organization of false news, the Onion has published an article on the FDA and salmonella yesterday.)

How lever Hamburg and Sharfstein will change the culture of the FDA and the budget will depend on the whims of Congress and the generosity and commitment of the administration . Obama for not-return to mention the support of those within the agency Hamburg is from a public health illustrious family; in addition to its own impressive resume, his parents, Beatrix and David Hamburg, published pioneering work on stress and violence. (David Hamburg also served as chairman of the board of the American Association for the advancement of Science, which publishes Science .)

Photo Courtesy of US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of health

7 Skin Care for healthy skin

The skin is the largest organ our body; it consists of a complex system of cell layers, nerves and glands. The skin keeps the body together, protects the body against bacteria and viruses that can cause infections, allows us to have a sense of touch, regulates body temperature, and may reflect the healthy way, we are in inside.

Conditions that irritate, clog or inflame your skin can cause symptoms such as redness, swelling, burning and itching. Allergies, irritants, genetic makeup and certain immune system diseases and disorders can cause dermatitis (skin inflammation), hives and other skin conditions. Many skin problems, like acne and eczema, also affect our appearance. The effects of skin disorders may also be psychological as they are physical.

Good skin care and healthy lifestyle choices can help delay the natural aging process and prevent many skin problems. Here are some tips to keep your skin healthy:

• Know your skin self skin examinations should be a regular part of a healthy lifestyle .. Check changes shape or color taupe and report them to your doctor. Screen those you love to skin problems. Recent research shows that the participation of a partner in the skin self-examination process can improve the early detection of skin cancer. From 20 years and every 3 years to 40 years (per year after age 40) have an examination by a physician to screen for skin cancer.
• Protect yourself from the sun. long exposure to long-term sun can cause wrinkles, freckles, age spots, rough skin, hair and skin cancers. Seek shade 10:00 to 4:00 p.m., when the sun's rays are strongest. Wear protective clothing and sunscreen. Stay out of tanning beds. Exposure to tanning beds significantly increases the risk of a person developing melanoma.
  

  Protect yourself from the sun. Wear protective clothing and sunscreen.

• Use skin care products that are right for you . If a skin care product sounds too good to be true, it probably is. expensive products are not always better. Look for products with a proven active ingredient. marketing terms such as "clinically proven", "no preservatives" and "all natural" can be misleading. Ask for a recommendation from your dermatologist.
• I do not smoke. Smoking contributes to wrinkles and premature aging of the skin. The smoke you inhale constricts blood vessels in the outer layers of the skin, which decreases blood flow. This depletes the skin of oxygen and nutrients, such as vitamin A, which are important for the health of the skin.
• Be gentle to your skin . daily washing and shaving can be hard on your skin. Take short, warm showers. Hot water is dry and can remove the natural oils from your skin. Choose soft, always apply shaving cream before shaving cleaners. Gently pat your skin dry after a bath to keep some moisture on the skin and apply a moisturizing lotion.
• Eat a healthy diet and drink plenty of water. iron, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D and vitamin E are all important nutrients to keep your skin healthy. Water is essential to keep the skin hydrated. Dehydrated skin can accelerate the aging process, as it inhibits its elasticity.
• Manage stress. the Uncontrolled stress can make your skin more sensitive and trigger acne breakouts. To encourage healthy skin and a healthy state of mind, take action every day to manage your stress levels. Set reasonable limits, prioritize your list and take the time to do the things you like
  

Sources :. American Academy of Dermatology, Medline Plus, the American Cancer Society, Mayo Clinic Skin Cancer Foundation, and Washington and Shady Grove Adventist hospitals. For more information, consult your doctor.