Learning God's Healthy way to a better Life!
They said the risk is serious enough to merit research into better ways to keep travelers healthy, although not severe enough to justify giving airline passengers anti-clotting drugs.
Dr. Divay Chandra and colleagues at Harvard University in Boston looked specifically at venous thromboembolism -- the development of a blood clot in a vein, usually in the legs.
A protein known as a key indicator of inflammation in the body and thought to cause heart disease is not linked to development of the fatal ailment, according to a British study published Tuesday.
C-reactive protein (CRP), a target for studies of treatment for coronary heart disease, is not in fact directly involved in causing it, as once thought, said the research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
"Some researchers thought C-reactive protein would be a good molecule to target, as raised levels of this protein in the blood are associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease," noted lead author Paul Elliott, a professor at Imperial College, London. MORE>>>>>>>>>>>
Physiological changes associated with the metabolic syndrome may play a role in the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer, according to study results published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
The metabolic syndrome, or insulin resistance syndrome, consists of a constellation of factors including abdominal obesity, high blood glucose levels, impaired glucose tolerance, abnormal lipid levels and high blood pressure.
Affecting roughly 47 million Americans, the metabolic syndrome is also associated with poor diet and lack of physical activity. It can also increase the risk for diabetes and heart disease.
The iconic photo of Farrah Fawcett smiling in a red swimsuit marked her as the face of sexy, natural beauty in the 1970s.
Now, after her death Thursday at age 62 from anal cancer, her fight against the illness may help give a face to a potentially stigmatizing condition that can be the result of infection with the human papilloma virus (HPV), a sexually transmitted infection.
"This does not mean that she was promiscuous," noted Dr. Jay Brooks, chairman of the department of hematology and oncology at Ochsner Clinic Foundation and Hospital in Baton Rouge, La. "It simply means that she, at some point in her life, was probably exposed to the human papilloma virus."
Indeed, estimates for the percentage of anal cancers as a result of infection with HPV ranges from 45 to 90 percent. Although the exact cause of anal cancer is not known, the American Cancer Society reports that most anal cancers seem to be linked to HPV infection.
In 2008, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration published strong warnings that the type 2 diabetes drug exenatide (trade name Byetta) might increase risk of acute pancreatitis, a painful inflammation of the pancreas. The FDA's action came in the wake of reports that 30 exenatide users had come down with pancreatitis and that six of them had died from the condition.
Now, however, a study published by researchers from Medco Health Solutions, Inc., says that exenatide users run no greater risk of developing pancreatitis than type 2s who take neither drug.
The study results, presented at the recent 69th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association (ADA), showed that only 0.44 percent of exenatide users experienced an episode of acute pancreatitis. Among sitagliptin users, only 0.28 percent had such episodes. Among the control group of type 2s, however, who had never taken either drug, the rate of incidence was 0.39 percent.
The study results were based on tracking the pharmacy and medical claims of 123,621 non-insulin-using type 2s for 540 days and observing which ones came down with pancreatitis:
The Medco study is the first to lend scientific support to Eli Lilly and Co., Byetta's maker. Lilly has questioned the FDA's statistical reasoning, citing the extremely low percentage of pancreatitis cases associated with the drug.
For more information on the study, visit Medco
There may be a payoff for all of those years of teenage angst caused by acne. The same high levels of male hormones that can trigger acne during adolescence may protect sufferers from heart disease as adults.
Researchers in the United Kingdom investigated the link between male hormones, called androgens, and acne. Almost 10,000 men participated in health checks between the years of 1948 and 1968 when they were students, and any history of acne was noted. The scientists found that 18 percent of the men reported having acne.
Years later, the men were traced through the United Kingdom’s National Health Service Registry. Researchers found that the men who had a history of acne as adolescents had a 33 percent reduced risk of dying from heart disease than the men who didn’t have acne. MORE>>>>>>>>>
Active compounds in green tea may slow the progression of prostate cancer, according to a new study published in Cancer Prevention Research.
The study, which was conducted at Louisiana State University, also showed that green tea might lower the incidence of prostate cancer in the first place.
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AUGUSTA, Maine—Even as state lawmakers produced a leaner budget this year, they are still looking to trim some fat -- this time from Maine's waistlines.
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It started Wednesday when lawmakers and Gov. John Baldacci marked the passage of three bills, all aimed at promoting health and combatting obesity.
The most significant new law replicates efforts nationwide that require chain restaurants to post calorie information on menus, menu boards and drive-thrus.
Baldacci hosted a signing ceremony for the measures, which also call for schools to record the heights and weights of Maine school children and encourage elementary schools to promote physical activity and physical education.
Participation in the body mass indexing project will be voluntary and data, which is to be kept confidential, will be transmitted to the Maine Center for Disease Control.
"We used to think that it was a good thing to see a child with chubby cheeks," Rep. Helen Rankin, a longtime school nutritionist, said in a statement. "But now we're talking about kindergartners who already are at risk of type II diabetes and a shortened lifespan because they are carrying too much weight."
The governor said an estimated 30 percent of youth in Maine are overweight or obese.
Baldacci, seconded by House Speaker Hannah Pingree, hailed the newly enacted pieces of legislation as important advances in public health.
According to Pingree's office, the rate of obese and overweight Maine adults has doubled and the rate among Maine children has tripled in the last 20 years.
At Wednesday's ceremony in Baldacci's office, Pingree noted that calorie posting has come up for discussion in the context of federal health care reform.
"Overweight and obesity are now overtaking tobacco as the number one threat to public health," Denise Whitley, Maine advocacy director of the American Heart Association, said in prepared remarks.
The Legislature gave final approval to the statewide menu labeling law sponsored by Pingree a week ago as this year's regular session drew toward a close.
The legislation mandates that chain restaurants with 20 or more establishments and at least one in Maine must post calorie data, effective Feb. 1, 2011.
Supporters cited similar ordinances in New York City, Seattle and Portland, Ore. They pointed to California and Massachusetts policies to begin next year. Lawmakers in Connecticut and Oregon have enacted similar legislation this year.
Maine's new law makes exceptions for salad bars and buffets, exempts movie theaters, grocery stores and hotels and does not apply to menu items that are offered for less than 90 days.
