Soy and the sphingadienes in it fight colon cancer
Posted on 28. Nov, 2009 by Turbo in Health
US scientists say that soy could well prevent and/or treat colon cancer.
They have found new phytochemicals in soy that could well be cancer preventing and/or cancer treating. These agents were found to be sphindadienes which are lipids and according to the lead scientist from California Children Hospital, Oakland Research Institute, Dr. Julie Saba, these lipids in soy could well be the cancer preventing and cancer treating agents.
Their study was published in Cancer Research and the case study was done in fruitfly, and these sphingadienes induced cell death in mutant cells and since cancer cells are mutant cells, they can be used to get rid off the cancer.
Saba et al., study calls for further research on sphingadienes in soy, and it could well lead to development of newer drugs from soy and treatment modalities in the field of cancer.
New guidelines for Pap smear test
Posted on 20. Nov, 2009 by Turbo in Health
There are new guidelines issued by American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists for Pap smear test that screen cervical cancer.
It’s now recommended that Pap test is not needed as often as people were going. As per new guidelines, Pap smear screen can be done less frequently regardless a woman’s age .
According to Los Angelese Times, these new guidelines recommend that women can forgo Pap smear screening until age 21.
The new guidelines have been published in the journal Obstetrics
& Gynecology. So the initial Pap test could be at age 21 or three years after a girl becomes sexually active; whichever is first.
However, Pap test is recommended once in every 2 years for all those in the age group of 21-29 and once in every 3 years above 30 or older should they have obtained 3 successive normal Paps.
New biologic drug Abatacept effective against rheumatoid arthritis
Posted on 15. Nov, 2009 by Turbo in Health
According to Canadian researchers new biologic drug Abatacept works well for rheumatoid arthritis.
The researchers have made a detailed study involving a sample of 2,908 patients and conducted 7 trials of a Cochrane Systematic Review. They have found that in patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis patients and administered Abatacept had twice the likelihood to achieve about 50% improvement in their symtoms that include pain as well as number of tender and the swollen joints.
However, they found that the drug should be used singly and not in combination with any other biologic drugs.
According to study leader, Lara Maxwell from Insitute of Population Health, Univeristy of Ottawa, Ontario, Abatacept although costs high it is effective and can be recommended to those rheumatoid arthritis patients who failed on other treatment modalities.
Lara Maxwell further recommends followup studies on long-term usage and effectiveness of Abatacept. The findings of Lara Maxwell et al., study are published in Cochrane Library.
Pupil reaction time to flash light can help screen austism early?
Posted on 13. Nov, 2009 by Turbo in Health
Researchers from University of Missouri, Columbia say that response of eyes to light help in the diagnosis of autism much earlier.
The pupil response to light is the parameter that the researchers at the University of Missouri, Columbia studied and they came out with interesting numbers. An autistic child will have the pupil response to light change by about 92.5 % faster as compared to 100% by a normal child.
The study was published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.Researchers have taken a binocular infrared device which is used for vision testing by eye doctors. And then they measured the pupil reaction time or pupil response time to flash light for say 100 milliseconds. They found that the pupil of autistic child reacted slower to the light as compared to the normal or the control group.
The results will need further validation from a larger sample before developing into biomarker to diagnose and screen autism much early. Early diagnosis of autism will have great impact on the child’s prognosis and developmental results.
Physical education to check obesity in adolescents from low-income families
Posted on 12. Nov, 2009 by Turbo in Health
According to researchers at the University of California, San Francisco and UC Berkeley, physical education can help in checking obesity in adolescent groups coming from low-income families.
Their findings published in Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, shows link between participation of a teen in physical education class regularly to increase in cardiovascular fitness and low BMI.
In fact, the study says that school-based physical education so far may not have been exploited and it could be a great tool to address childhood obesity.
Many fitness experts remark that the importance of physical education be rised in schools all over and if tougher standards are set up it will do good to curb childhood obesity.
The study showed that students exercising 20 minutes during the school-based physical education class had had significantly improved cardiovascular fitness and low BMI (body mass index).
Increased carotid artery stenting result in poor clinical outcomes
Posted on 10. Nov, 2009 by Turbo in Health
American researchers found correlation between increased carotid artery stenting to heart attack and stroke.
According to a finding published in Journal of Vascular Surgery, increased carotid artery stenting increase risk of death due to heart attack and stroke.
Carotid arterial stenting is usually done to treat carotid artery stenosis and restore normal blood flow to parts of the head.
Researchers attribute severe clinical outcome to increased carotid arterial stenting (as much as 266 a month to 1,015 procedures after being covered by Medicare), because the stenting becomes option in those who aren’t healthy enough to withstand a surgical procedure. This may eventually result in adverse clinical outcomes including but not limited to heart attack and stroke.
According to the lead author Dr. Peter Groeneveld from the School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, stenting procedure still should be considered as an effective treatment modality which should be considered judiciously.
Breast cancer risk reduced in those who take hormone therapy in moderation
Posted on 09. Nov, 2009 by Turbo in Health
According to researchers, if hormone therapy (post-menopausal) is taken in moderation there is a reduced risk of atypical ductal hyperplasia which could be a risk factor for malignancy of breasts.
According to Dr. Tehillah Menes, Dept of Surgery, Elmhurst Hospital Center, NY, post-menopausal treatment with hormones has found correlation with with benign breast hyperplasias, early as well as late stages of breast cancer.
She further adds that atypical ductal hyperplasia and post-menopausal hormonal therapy are associated and the risk rates have dropped when there is a reduction in use of hormonal therapy.
The findings will assist in clarifying the various pathways that lead to development of breast cancer, and also how post-menopausal hormone therapy will affect in increasing the risk rates of the cancer.
Diet filled with colored fruits and vegetables helps rise body immunity
Posted on 07. Nov, 2009 by Turbo in Health
According to a wellness and health expert the most convenient way to boost a person’s immunity is to provide him with fruits and vegetables especially the colored ones.
A study published in Phytonutrient Report reports 80% of Americans to miss out on many of the health benefits from those colored fruits and vegetables. This kind of results in what is called phytonutrient gap.
Fruits and vegetable especially in the green, red, white, blue/purple and yellow/orange are especially very beneficial to boost body immunity.
Wellness experts recommend taking at least 2 foods from the 5 color categories of fruits and vegetables; i.e., to eat 2 foods from each of the 5 for 10 servings every day.
The red colored foods include pomegranate, tomatoes, red cabbage, cranberry, pink colored grapefruit and strawberry boost immunity.
The yellow/orange colored foods include carrots, yellow capsicum, pineapple etc to maintain skin hydration and bolster immunity.
Obesity results in 100,500 cancer cases a year in US
Posted on 06. Nov, 2009 by Turbo in Health
An estimate says that obesity causes cancer in 100,500 people every year in US.
According to the American Institute for Cancer Research Analysis only 50% of the population realize the cancer carrying risk in obese people.
Among the various cancers linked to obesity, breast cancer forms the foremost serious with over 33,000 cases every year caused by obesity, then comes endometrial cancer having 20,700 cases every year, then with 13,900 cases kidney cancer, with 13,200 cases a year colon cancer, followed by pancreas, esophagus and gallbladder.
While obesity also increases risk of diabetes and heart related diseases they all add to a whopping $147 billion to US’ healthcare bill. Sadly, about a third of adult population in US fall under obese category.
Stair running can lift fitness levels and build strength, flexibility and balance
Posted on 06. Nov, 2009 by Turbo in Health
Fitness is today’s mantra and experts keep giving us tips on how we could boost our fitness levels on a day-to-day basis. Now some US fitness experts share that stair runnind could have manifold benefits including rising fitness level and building strength, flexibility and balance and strength.
Exercise equipment makers in Illinois say the same. The company makes treadmills and other fitness equipment, and their representatives urge people to somehow include stair running as part of fitness regime, as running up and down will use muscles standard floor exercises don’t. Studies, they say, show not only improved balance and strength and improved cholesterol levels in the blood, but longer life. People who climb more than 55 flights of stairs every week live longer, they say.
Among their recommendations for those contemplating adding stair-climbing to their fitness regime, Life Fitness experts suggest:
Taking the stairs.
Walking down the stairs good to improve blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
Stair climbing puts added pressure on to knees, hips and ankles. So do not ignore when you experience any pain in the joints. Also make sure that you use handrails to give the added balance.
