Chest Scans May Incidentally Help Spot Heart Disease Risk

Chest CT scans taken for routine diagnostic purposes -- even those not related to cardiovascular disease concerns -- can be used by radiologists to screen for signs of heart disease risk, new research suggests. "Radiologists can predict cardiovascular disease fairly well using incidental findings of calcifications of the aortic wall on CT

Laughing for the health of it

Contrary to popular belief, one does not need a sense of humor to laugh.That is the concept behind laughter yoga.Sari Huhtala, a certified laughter yoga instructor in the Greater Sudbury area, explained laughter yoga is a combination of breathing techniques, meditation, and unconditional laughter.“It’s really not about jokes,” she said. “It’s about encouraging people to laugh without any external

Increase in whooping cough cases

Many seventh-grade students throughout the Arkansas River Valley recently received a newly-required vaccine for a respiratory disease that isn’t new — whooping cough.Most Russellville parents weren’t concerned about the vaccine, said Jenny Barber, the Russellville School District’s wellness supervisor. Barber said only a few parents called with questions, adding the vaccine helps students from

Shaping Up: Tune the body and the lifestyle

People's opinions vary greatly on virtually each subject, and it's no different when it comes to fitness and health: some personal trainers hold the "no pain, no gain" attitude, others take a different approach. I've been speaking to certified personal trainers to understand their philosophies on health and fitness. These stories are not intended as endorsements, they are just an exercise (no pun

4 quick fitness fixes

If you are training as hard as you can and eating as well as you can but still aren't seeing the results you want, the answers to your frustration might be a few small fixes. Often these fixes are like the 500-pound gorilla in the room that no one sees. If you just adopt one, your training progress will receive a giant leap

5 Reasons to have Laser Eye Surgery

If you are one of those unlucky people, whose first task in the morning is to seek for the glasses. This is the most important thing you do and start your day. The problem of poor eyesight has indeed affected your daily life. Now the question comes…why people like you are inclined to the eye surgery? This is the only way to get rid of the slow monotonous life. General eye surgery has now become

10th California Baby Dies of Whooping Cough

California health officials say a tenth baby has died of whooping cough in the state's worst epidemic in 55 years.The 6-week-old baby died last week after being treated at Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego. More than 5,270 cases of the highly-contagious illness have been reported in California this year. The previous record was set in 1955 when there were 4,949 cases reported.All of the

LA City Attorney Sues HealthMarkets

The Los Angeles City Attorney's Office has filed a lawsuit against HealthMarkets, Mega Life & Health, Midwest National and has included Goldman Sachs and Blackstone Group.The lawsuit alleges, amongst other things, deceptive sales practices, inadequate insurance coverage and intentionally misleading marketing practices.Read the story here

Fasting 101: Its Health and Spiritual Benefits

Strict fast – In its strictest sense, fasting using this method means the abstention from taking anything into the body outside of pure water, which is sipped in small quantities throughout the day. Fasts of this type rarely exceed seven days unless under direct supervision by a medical practitioner or holistic healer with

Obesity and the Brain

Nature Genetics just published a paper that caught my interest (1). Investigators reviewed the studies that have attempted to determine associations between genetic variants and common obesity (as judged by body mass index or BMI). In other words, they looked for "genes" that are suspected to make people fat.

There are a number of gene variants that associate with an increased or decreased risk of obesity. These fall into two categories: rare single-gene mutations that cause dramatic obesity, and common variants that are estimated to have a very small impact on body fatness. The former category cannot account for common obesity because it is far too rare, and the latter probably cannot account for it either because it has too little impact*. Genetics can't explain the fact that there were half as many obese people in the US 40 years ago. Here's a wise quote from the obesity researcher Dr. David L. Katz, quoted from an interview about the study (2):

Let us by all means study our genes, and their associations with our various shapes and sizes... But let's not let it distract us from the fact that our genes have not changed to account for the modern advent of epidemic obesity -- our environments and lifestyles have.

Exactly. So I don't usually pay much attention to "obesity genes", although I do think genetics contributes to how a body reacts to an unnatural diet/lifestyle. However, the first part of his statement is important too. Studying these types of associations can give us insights into the biological mechanisms of obesity when we ask the question "what do these genes do?" The processes these genes participate in should be the same processes that are most important in regulating fat mass.

So, what do the genes do? Of those that have a known function, nearly all of them act in the brain, and most act in known body fat regulation circuits in the hypothalamus (a brain region). The brain is the master regulator of body fat mass. It's also the master regulator of nearly all large-scale homeostatic systems in the body, including the endocrine (hormone) system. Now you know why I study the neurobiology of obesity.


* The authors estimated that "together, the 32 confirmed BMI loci explained 1.45% of the inter-individual variation in BMI." In other words, even if you were unlucky enough to inherit the 'fat' version of all 32 genes, which is exceedingly unlikely, you would only have a slightly higher risk of obesity than the general population.

Less Refined, More Whole Grains Linked To Lower Body Fat

US researchers found that people who every day eat several servings of whole grains and limit intake of refined grains have less visceral adipose tissue or VAT, a type of body fat believed to trigger cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.You can read about the study by lead author Dr Nicola M McKeown and colleagues in the November

Dental surgery may be linked to heart problems

"This is the initial sign of increased risk for heart attack or stroke after a dental procedure," co-author Dr. Francesco D'Aiuto, a dentist also researcher at University College London Eastman Dental Institute, told Reuters Health. "This is not to say that this will occur with every dental procedure, but we are saying we need to look more into it."It's hard to know exactly what's going on,

New sex ed funding ends decade of abstinence-only (AP)

For the first time in more than a decade, the federal government is funding sex education programs that aren't based solely on abstinence. But they're not just about handing out condoms, either. Beginning this school year, a five-year, $375 million grant is being divided among 28 programs that have been proven to lower the pregnancy rate among participants, no matter their focus. Many programs distribute condoms, but about half also aim to boost teens' academics, get them involved in extracurricular activities and even improve their parents' job status. Advocates believe this "above the waist" approach gives kids the tools to help them succeed in school and make better life decisions, especially about sex. "There's a growing realization that we have to talk to young people about relationships. It's not just body parts," said Bill Albert, the chief program officer for The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. "It's saying, 'What are your goals?' and helping young people understand what they need to do to get there." That theory, which has become popular in the safe-sex community in the past decade, will replace the abstinence-centered talks funded by a Republican Congress in the late 1990s and later under President George W. Bush to the tune of $1.5 billion. Critics contend there is little proof those programs lowered the teen pregnancy rate or that participants were less likely to have sex. In 2007, Mathematica Policy Research, an independent government contractor, released a study showing students in abstinence-only programs are no more likely to abstain from sex, delay having sex or have fewer partners than students who received no sex education at all. The teen birth rate rose from 2005 to 2007 after years of a steady decline, then dipped again in 2008, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Valerie Huber, executive director of the National Abstinence Education Association, worries the new sex education message focuses on reducing teen pregnancy, not avoiding the risks of unprotected sex altogether. Huber considers only one of the 28 approved Department of Health and Human Services programs to be abstinence-centered. Her agency estimates 169 abstinence programs serving 1 million teens nationwide will lose millions in funding. Those programs have received about $100 million a year in direct funds since 2005. Larry McAdoo, executive director of an abstinence program losing funding in Mississippi, said teens there "will be left without any resources to counter the sexual messages with which they are continually bombarded." Abstinence programs will still receive a $50 million annual federal grant that requires states to match $3 for every $4, and about 30 states have applied for that money. The $375 million HHS grant does not require states to provide matching funds. Almost all U.S. teens have had formal sex education, but only about two-thirds have been taught birth control methods, according to a CDC report released Sept. 15. Many parents mistakenly believe kids are getting comprehensive sex education at school. Curriculum varies among school districts, but students get a very limited amount of sex ed in school, Albert said. Communities seeking different or additional instruction for their kids will choose from the 28 programs that were approved for funding by HHS following evaluations by Mathematica Policy Research that deemed them effective. To qualify, programs had to be supported by at least one study showing a positive, statistically significant effect on at least one of the following categories: sexual activity, contraceptive use, sexually transmitted infections, pregnancy or births. Birth control is distributed as part of the Carrera Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program, one of the approaches that are getting HHS funding. But students also get art and music classes, science field trips, homework tutoring, mental health counseling and free medical and dental care. They're also required to get summer jobs, open a bank account, save 10 percent of their wages and learn how to balance a checkbook. Even parents — many who were teen mothers — get help through the program, including high school-equivalency classes, resume writing tips and mortgage advice. "You're illuminating pathways for them ... to link the (sex) education with all the other things that make a young person whole, it sticks better," said the program's founder, Michael Carrera, an adjunct professor at The Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York.He said that early in his career, "I didn't understand that when young people came into my workshops they brought all their issues, not just their sexuality."Carrera's methods are taught to 2,500 children in blighted neighborhoods in Washington, D.C.; New York; Flint, Mich.; and Toledo, Ohio. Thirty-five organizations around the country applied for the HHS grant to replicate Carrera's model, which could reach an additional 3,500 kids if all the applications are approved.Sixteen-year-old Leticia Vargas was reluctant to attend a Planned Parenthood program in Lake Worth, Fla., that replicates Carerra's model, but her mom insisted. Hearing about sex was awkward at first, she said, but the program has changed her thinking."I've seen a lot of girls get pregnant at an early age and I don't want to go through that," said Vargas, who wants to be a paramedic or cosmetologist so she can help her mom pay the bills. The program's tutors have helped her boost her grades from Cs and Ds to As and Bs.Experts say Carrera's program won't be the norm under the Obama administration. The five- to six-day-a-week, nearly year-round approach follows children from age 11 through high school graduation and costs $3,500 per student per year.But about half the HHS programs focus on more than just sex to attack teen pregnancy.The nine-month Teen Outreach Program spends less than 15 percent of its curriculum on sex education, even though that's its chief goal. Instead, it encourages teens in 30 states to identify a problem in the community and spend at least 20 hours trying to fix it.Those problem-solving skills and leadership roles give kids a sense of who they are and what they want, leading to better decision-making overall, the theory holds. Participants have a 53 percent lower risk of pregnancy and a 60 percent lower risk of school course failure, according to the program.Nearly 150 organizations, including several churches, applied to replicate Teen Outreach, which has been taught to 20,000 kids from St. Louis to Indian reservations in New Mexico.
[Via]

Yoga: a useful tool for fighting cancer

In current years, I have found yoga to be a source of health, inspiration and peace. I began practicing, not to get in better shape, but because my doctor told me meditation might be helpful to my health. Even though I am unable to sit still for longer than a few minutes at a time, the practice of yoga is part physical and part meditative. As a result, it provided me with the perfect grouping of

Yoga May Combat Fibromyalgia Symptoms

Yoga that includes gentle stretches and meditation may help alleviate the symptoms of fibromyalgia, a small study finds. Twenty-five women diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a chronic pain syndrome, were enrolled in a two-hour yoga class that met once a week for eight weeks. Another group of 28 women diagnosed with the condition were put on a waiting list and told to continue their normal routine for

Walking Can Protect Your Brain

A study of 300 volunteers over a 13 year period has found that those who walk most often could actually be defending themselves against a host of memory problems, including dementia and Alzheimer‘s.Walking may actually protect the brain from shrinking and preserve memory in elderly people, said neurologists who were involved in the research.The US study performed neurological tests on

Vacation

I'll be out of town until the beginning of November, so I won't be responding to comments or e-mails for a while. I'm going to set up a post or two to publish while I'm gone.

As an administrative note, I get a number of e-mails from blog readers each day. I apologize that I can't respond to all of them, as it would require more time than I currently have to spare. The more concise your message, the more likely I'll read it and respond. Thanks for your understanding.

Landmark clinical trial for stem cell therapy

The world's first clinical trial for stem cell therapy began on Monday. The trial is still in its very early stages - only 10 people who have suffered recent spinal cord injuries will be enrolled - but it's still a landmark event.The world will be watching the results of those trials at as many as seven centers around the country.In at least

Hormone replacement increases kidney stone risk

"It doesn't mean that women should stop taking hormone therapy based on this fact, but it does need to be taken into account when deciding to take the hormones or not," Dr. Naim M. Maalouf of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, one of the study's authors, told Reuters Health.From 5 to 7 percent of postmenopausal

Sleep Post Correction

An astute commenter pointed out that I misread the numbers in the paper on sleep and fat loss. I wrote that out of the total 3.0 kg lost, the high-sleep group lost 2.4 kg as fat, and the low-sleep group lost 1.4 kg of fat out of 2.9 kg total.

In fact, the high-sleep group lost 1.4 out of 2.9 kg as fat, and the low-sleep group lost 0.6 out of 3.0 kg as fat. So I got the numbers all mixed up. Sorry for the mistake. The main point of the post still stands though: sleep deprivation negatively influences body composition.

The correct numbers are even more interesting than the ones I made up. Even in the high-sleep group, nearly half the body weight lost by simple calorie restriction was lean mass. That doesn't make calorie restriction look very good!

In the sleep-deprived group, 80% of the weight lost by calorie restriction came out of lean mass. Ouch!

That illustrates one of the reasons why I'm skeptical of simple calorie restriction as a means of fat loss. When the body "wants" to be fat, it will sacrifice lean mass to preserve fat tissue. For example, the genetically obese Zucker rat cannot be starved thin. If you try to put it on a severe calorie-restricted diet, it will literally die fat because it will cannibalize its own lean mass (muscle, heart, brain, etc.) to spare the fat. That's an extreme example, but it illustrates the point.

The key is not only to balance energy intake with expenditure (which the brain does automatically when it's working correctly), but to allocate energy appropriately to lean and fat mass.

Can fitness devices help one achieve his health goal?

IF YOU’RE thinking of buying fitnessdevices which promise to burn calories and give a toned body, read first the following information.Slender bottom tonerThe claim: The machine can tone and strengthen one’s muscles even without exercising. Just attach the electrodes to your triceps, biceps, buttocks and thighs and the electrodes will help your muscles to contract without moving the body and

Yoga Exercise For Computer Users: Frees Lower Back Pain

Twenty percent of all those who go through surgical treatment for lower back ache may get no relief. The rest of the 80 % will have problems ranging from mild to severe. Almost all will have trouble with spinal flexion.Yoga does not provide cures. It promises that when you faithfully train these asanas every day, gone will be the discomfort and you’ll build up a powerful and flexible backbone,

Using Diet and Exercise to Control Body Fat

The food we eat provides the building blocks required for cellular construction as well as all metabolic and chemical reactions which our body performs to function in good health. In the same fashion, our diet and level of physical activity directly influence our hormones that determine if fat is stored or burned as fuel. Medical researchers now understand that where fat is stored in the body can

5 Spices That Can Help You Lose Weight

Although we’re inclined to scour the Web in search of the best diets and meal plans, the truth is, some of the tools to weight-loss success are already on your spice rack! Here are five ingredients that not only add flavor to your favorite dishes but can help in your battle against the bulge.

1. Cinnamon
A 2003 study published in Diabetes Care showed that as little as one teaspoon of cinnamon per day can boost the body’s weight-loss ability by reducing blood sugar and promoting healthier processing of carbohydrates. It also lowers LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) by seven to 27% and total cholesterol by 12 to 26%. Plus, cinnamon has been shown to prevent the metabolic syndrome commonly seen in pre-diabetics. But before you go on piling the spice by spoonful, note that cinnamon contains a chemical called coumarin, which can lead to liver damage if consumed in very large amounts.

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2. Cayenne
The main ingredient in spicy cayenne—capsaicin, which is also found in other hot peppers—has long been studied for its fat-burning abilities and thermogenic properties (the stimulating of the central nervous system to produce heat in the body, leading to an increase in calorie burning). In fact, Nicholas Perricone, M.D., cites several of these studies in his wildly popular The Perricone Weight-Loss Diet and concludes that capsaicin acts as an appetite suppressant. Many think that cayenne pepper promotes weight loss because it’s simply difficult to overindulge in spicy food. However, later studies performed by the Journal of Obesity also found that the spice increases fat oxidation, “ramps up energy expenditure, and stimulates activity by the sympathetic nervous system”—all which help the body to shed excess weight. Not a fan of fiery cuisine? Not to worry! Research has found that cayenne’s ability to reduce appetite is equally effective whether ingested as food or in capsule form.

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3. Black Pepper
Among the dozens of health benefits of this common household ingredient is its ability to improve digestion and promote the absorption of nutrients in tissues all over the body. Plus, its main component—piperine(which gives pepper its pungent taste)—boosts fat metabolism by as much as 8% for several hours after ingesting it. If you want your pepper to pack the most punch, use freshly ground pepper, which has the most concentrated amounts of piperine.

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4. Mustard Seed
Like the other hot ingredients on this list, spicy mustard helps boost metabolism and allows you to burn fat more quickly, thanks in part to its thermogenic properties. Scientists at England’s Oxford Polytechnic Institute recently found that eating just one teaspoon of hot mustard can “boost metabolism 20 to 25% for several hours after eating, resulting in an additional burn of about 45 calories if a 700-calorie meal is consumed.”

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5. Ginger
Long used for its medicinal properties, ginger is also an effective diuretic (a substance that increases the elimination of urine). It improves gastric mobility (i.e. it pushes food and waste through the digestive system) and hinders the absorption of cholesterol. Although according to the Mayo Clinic, more study is needed, preliminary evidence suggests that this versatile spice helps to increase metabolism.

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