Betty & Jeff

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And home decor:

Why Women Have More Migraines: The Role of Hormones

Your head is throbbing severely, probably only on one side. Any light or sound only makes it worse, and you may be feeling nauseated. The excruciating pain is almost unbearable. The slightest movement only intensifies the pain. Maybe you are having visual symptoms such as flashing lights or an aura, as well. You are having a migraine headache. Although you feel like it's the end of the world, and no one can understand what you are going through. You are not alone. Twenty-eight million Americans suffer from migraine headaches.

There is no cure for migraines. However, there is hope for effective relief and a significant reduction in the severity and number of migraine headaches you suffer. The first step is getting an accurate diagnosis from your physician. Unfortunately, only about half of migraine sufferers are diagnosed, and even less receive proper treatment according to the American Migraine Study II.

Who gets migraines? Boys experience more migraines than girls prior to puberty, however, after age 11 girls begin to experience the majority of migraine headaches.

The increase in the incidence of migraine in girls over boys continues to rise until adulthood when women experience migraine headaches 3 to 1 over men.

Why do so many more women than men suffer from migraine headaches? While it is improbable that sex hormones can completely explain the difference, there is significant evidence that there may be a connection between migraines and fluctuations in estrogen levels in women. The problem appears to be the response of the central nervous system to normal hormonal fluctuations. Women who suffer from migraines should understand that hormonal fluctuations are normal.

Women often experience their first migraine headache during their teen years, most occurring with the onset of menstruation. The highest incidence of migraine occurs in women around the age of forty. Fortunately, for most women, aging and menopause often reduces the frequency of migraines.

Although, headaches are common at the time of menstruation, not all of these headaches can be classified as migraine. Menstrual migraines occur, usually without aura, and are headaches that occur only during the period of 2 days before and 2 days after the onset of menstruation. They occur most frequently on the first day of your period, while premenstrual syndrome (PMS) related headaches usually end with the onset of menstruation.

Will oral contraceptives (OCs) help women with migraines? Or will migraines become worse? Most women who have had previous migraines will not see a significant change in their headache pattern after beginning oral contraceptives; however, they may see an increase in the severity of migraines during the pill-free week. Women who use oral contraceptives may be surprised to learn that OCs may actually be a trigger for migraine. Some women may find their migraines are alleviated after starting oral contraceptives, while others find their migraine attacks are getting worse premenstrually.

So, women who have migraines that are worsened by oral contraceptives should quit taking them? Unfortunately the answer is not that easy. While stopping OC use may provide relief eventually, it can sometimes take up to 12 months after discontinuing the pill before improvement is noted. On a personal note, the number of migraines I have experienced in the last 11 years since having my tubes tied and stopping OCs have dropped dramatically. I was a regular (severe, go to bed, turn off the lights, put a pillow over my head, and don't anyone make a sound) migraine sufferer from my teens until my early thirties. Although I still have occasional non-migraine headaches I can't remember the last time I had a severe migraine headache.

Are there any risks for women who use OCs and suffer from migraine headaches? This a subject of much discussion because of the increased risk of stroke in women who use oral contraceptives. The risk of stoke in migraine patients appears to be higher in women who use OCs, have high blood pressure, and/or smoke. This is particularly true with the older high-dose oral contraceptives. The best advice for women who have migraines and want to use oral contraceptives is to use the lowest effective dose of estrogen because the risk appears to be estrogen-related, rather than progestin-related.

next: http://womenshealth.about.com/cs/headaches/a/migranes1.htm  

Alternative Medicine

Alternative Medicine, Natural Holistic Medicine & Herbal Remedies

Natural alternatives to prescription medicines and their side effects. The alternative medicine field provides natural remedies and healthy solutions for your most pressing health concerns as well as practical strategies for self-care and prevention.

 

The Benefits of Alternative Medicine over Conventional Medicine

We recognize that you are reading this because you are searching for a solution. Perhaps you are struggling to find a natural alternative to prescription medicines and their side effects or a herbal remedy to complement them, or perhaps you just don't know what to take. I am a Lupus survivor-- and I personally use VERY MANY of the products listed below, daily.

I used to be like millions of Americans, thinking: "I'm too busy to research alternative health care. I don't even have time to slow down enough to think about it. I know I don't eat right; but there's not enough time to make healthy food. I'm not even sure what is healthy; the "experts" seem to come up with new findings that counter previous ones at least once a week. I rely on my doctor to keep me abreast of any problems; and when one does come up, he has a quick fix for me: antibiotics, anti- depressants, tension relievers, and pills to counter the side effects (like stomach upset, restlessness) caused by the others. I've heard of other "holistic" health care methods, but I'm skeptical of everything, and some of those "alternative" methods sound like "quack" treatments. Besides, I don't have the time or money to go out and learn about or try every one to see if any work. It's much easier to just go to my doctor and walk out with a pill; and I am quickly back in the rat race."

Today--that is NOT the case for me.

At Native Remedies, you will find the highest quality natural medicine for your health, professionally formulated in therapeutic dosages by leading clinical psychologist Michele Carelse--for her own patients over the last 12 years. Native Remedies have searched long and hard to find a range of specially formulated, complex natural remedies to bring you guaranteed relief. Manufactured according to the highest pharmaceutical standards, each complex and potent herbal remedy has been especially formulated in therapeutic dosages to safely and effectively treat a range of conditions, have been proven by thousands of satisfied clients - just read their Testimonials.

Find out more below about practical treatments for common health concerns, the latest research on herbs and supplements, important information about drug interactions and depletions and how treatment modalities can augment your current health regime.

Kenzo Kids

Health

In recent years the number of diet developers and holistic healers hawking products to purge your body of harmful chemicals and foreign substances has exploded. But do your liver and lymph nodes really need cleaning? Some detox regimen -- like herbal supplements, spa treatments, and special diets that are designed to mop up pollutants, dietary waste, and even unwanted pounds --can actually do you some good. But how to know whether you should be trying any of them?

Health checked with traditional and alternative medicine experts to find out which regimens might be worthwhile -- and which ones just aren't.

Detox? Maybe for a day

Pop music icon Beyoncé reportedly chugged a maple syrup mix to cleanse her famous curves and shed some weight for her role in "Dreamgirls." No doubt, she skipped the pancakes, and that's the point.

Detox diets -- whether syrup (which goes by the name Lemon Detox or Master Cleanse), juice (Martha's Vineyard Diet Detox), or protein shakes (Fruit Flush Three-Day Detox) -- often revolve around a fast that's heavy on liquids. Almost all pack a wallop of vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber that nutritionists agree delivers full-body benefits. But if you're tempted, think short-term. Victoria Maizes, M.D., executive director of the Program in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona in Tucson, suggests a one-day fast of fresh-pressed juices. (Not juiced about DIY elixirs? Many health-food stores and juice bars press their own for $3 to $7.) Health.com: "New" diet pills

Definitely consult a nutritionist if you want to live la vida liquid for longer. Extended detoxing (more than three days) can actually rob your body of vitamins and nutrients.

Another option: Skip liquid diets altogether, and try a gradual approach to detoxing. Cindy Moore, M.S., R.D., director of nutrition therapy at the Cleveland Clinic, recommends adding one fruit and one vegetable a day until you reach the recommended daily allowance. You'll reduce the gassiness and discomfort that can accompany a sudden rush of roughage from liquid diets. Plus, by avoiding a quick fix, you'll up your chances of sticking with a healthy diet over time. After all, it's common sense: If you put lots of good things into your body, you won't need to worry about clearing bad things out. Health.com:The lowdown on more than 40 hot diets

Show your liver some love

It sounds gross, but every day your liver, with the help of your kidneys, filters toxins to be excreted through your urine and bowels. So it seems logical that detoxing this hard-working organ might keep it in tip-top shape. The herb milk thistle -- an ingredient common to detox teas and supplements -- is one popular option. But the liver doesn't need that kind of help, thank you very much. Health.com: 7 fad diets to forget

"A normally-functioning liver does quite well on its own," says Michael Picco, M.D., assistant professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Jacksonville, Florida. The real way to detox the liver, experts say, is to limit your exposure to toxins or skip them altogether.

Gregory Gores, M.D., president-elect of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, says to avoid excessive alcohol (no more than a drink a day for women or two for men) and to watch how much acetaminophen you take (generally, no more than 2,000 mg per day -- that's four extra-strength Tylenol pills). Why? Alcohol and acetaminophen can cause liver damage.

Leave lymphs alone

Many spas offer massages designed to detox lymph nodes, glands under the arms and other places. The goal: to relieve blockages that supposedly weaken the immune system. But doctors say it's impossible to perform lymphatic drainage on a healthy person, because there's nothing to drain.

"It's a medical massage for sick people that requires special training," says Ki Y. Shin, M.D., who uses the technique to relieve lymph-related swelling in patients at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Still, go ahead and book that 90-minute deep-tissue session if you need a relaxation Rx; you may not liberate your lymphs, but you'll decompress your stress -- which, if left unchecked, can definitely be toxic. Health.com: Former "fat girls" share their secrets

Be careful with your colon

It's the mother of all detox regimens: A tube inserted into the rectum flushes out the contents of the colon with warm or cool water. The stories of what emerges during a colonic (10 pounds of poop! Black liquid! Years of constipation!) are always dramatic -- but not necessarily truthful. What we do know: Colonics can lead to infection if nonsterile equipment is used, your colon or anal area is injured, or the billions of "good" bacteria that keep your immune system strong are washed away. And at $100 a session, you may want to consider a $3.59 box of All-Bran first.

A high-fiber diet (20 to 35 grams, according to the American Dietetic Association) will get you regular without resorting to anything radical.

CNN

Researchers develop mouse model of autism spectrum disorders

Howard Hughes Medical Institute researchers have genetically engineered mice that harbor the same genetic mutation found in some people with autism and Asperger syndrome. Mice with this mutation show a similar type of social impairment and cognitive enhancement as the type seen in some people with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). ASDs are enigmatic cognitive disorders that impair a patient's social interactions, but do not necessarily limit their intelligence.

The scientists said the mice they developed may represent an important advance in modeling autism spectrum disorders in mice and offer researchers a new tool for understanding how specific defects in neural development may lead to autism.

The researchers engineered mice that have a single mutation in the gene for a protein called neuroligin-3. This protein functions as a cell adhesion molecule in synapses, the junctions that connect neurons in the brain and allow them to communicate with each other. Synapses are essential to all brain activities, such as perception, behavior, memory, and thinking. Südhof said that the neuroligin-3 mutation that his team recapitulated in the mice has been identified in some people with genetic conditions known as autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Mutations in proteins that interact with neuroligin-3 have also been detected in some people with ASDs.

Proper function of the brain’s neuronal networks depends on a delicate balance between excitatory and inhibitory electrophysiological signaling among neurons. Südhof and his colleagues found that this balance was disrupted in the mutant mice, which also showed an increase in the signaling of inhibitory neurotransmitters. In contrast, they found that knocking out the neurologin-3 gene entirely produced no such imbalance.

The most striking behavioral abnormality they observed in the mutant mice was an impaired ability to interact socially with other mice. However, the animals showed enhanced spatial learning and memory—and were more able than normal mice to learn and to remember the location of a platform submerged in murky water.

“This combination of electrophysiological and behavioral effects is quite remarkable,” said Südhof. “It was also significant that these mice did not exhibit any other impairment of nervous system function – there was no abnormal locomotor activity or motor coordination, for example. This was a selective change, with social impairment on the one hand, yet cognitive enhancement on the other.”

Südhof said the mutant mice he and his colleagues developed potentially offer major advantages over other mouse models of ASDs. “In mouse models of autism that I am aware of, the autistic symptoms are only one minor part of the overall disease,” he said. “For example, autistic symptoms are only one component of mouse models of Fragile X syndrome.

“What sets this mouse model apart is that the mouse shows highly selective social deficits and memory enhancement, but as far as we can tell, no other pathologies. This makes it a potentially useful model for a subset of people with ASDs with just such characteristics,” he said.

Südhof his colleagues will use the mouse model to ask additional questions about the role that neuroligin proteins play in neural function and in ASDs. “We can also use these mice to study how these autistic symptoms—loss of social ability and enhanced memory—arise from the increase in inhibitory neurotransmission,” he said. “The key to understanding this mechanism will be in finding out what parts of the brain are responsible for these characteristics. And with this mouse model, we can identify precisely where the mutation acts in the brain.”

Source: Howard Hughes Medical Institute

San Francisco Hotels

    

San Francisco, CA: Luxury Hotel Getaway
From the days of the gold rush to the advent of the Internet boom, San Francisco has earned its reputation as a stylish, high-livin' town.

Whether you prefer to hob-nob on Nob Hill or rub elbows with Internet gurus in the Mission, this posh peninsula offers infinite opportunities to spend a weekend in style.

Take a seat under the Golden Gate Bridge, gazing at the Marin headlands with a sourdough bread-bowl of cioppino and a bottle of wine--and feel like you've just inherited the earth. Or, explore all of San Francisco's exciting spots, from the mansions of Pacific Heights to the taqueria-dotted flatlands of the Mission and experience what it is to be rich in options.

California's famously chic cuisine was born in this foodie city. Try the Fifth Floor's "lobster cappuccino," and be sure to stop at Zuni Cafe for their trademark brick oven-roasted chicken and vast selection of local oysters. Sample the region's artisan breads, wines, and produce at the new Ferry Building Plaza, where the regional fave, Cowgirl Creamery sells its delectable cheeses, and an outstanding farmers' market sets up on Saturdays.

Fillmore Street's tony boutiques offer plenty of ways to break in your credit card, or head to the more fiscally friendly Palace of the Legion of Honor--perched majestically above the ocean. As if the views aren't enough, this museum boasts the original cast of Rodin's The Thinker, and 20 galleries of ancient Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and European art.

Disposable absorbent wound...

Disposable absorbent wound dressings with skin health treatment additives

 

The present invention relates to disposable absorbent wound dressings comprising skin health treatment additives for the treatment and prevention of Stage I-IV partial and full thickness pressure wounds. The disposable dressings conform to the anatomical shape of the body of a human and are capable of absorbing large quantities of wound drainage or exudates. Such disposable dressings are low-adherent and facilitate painless removal without disturbing a healing tissue bed. Such disposable wound dressings of the present invention are especially advantageous for the treatment of Stage I-IV pressure ulcers located in the sacral/coccyx area of the spine.

Visit Carnival

Rio Carnival

Carnival 2008 : 2 - 5 February
Carnival 2009 : 21 - 24 February

Carnival falls on the last 4 days (and nights!) prior to Ash Wednesday. In England, we celebrate it on Shrove Tuesday, quietly at home with pancakes. In Brazil they celebrate it with drums, dancing and singing in the streets in an explosion of colour and costumes. Schools and businesses close as the whole country shuts down for wild celebrations. There are carnival parades in almost every town and city but the biggest by far is in Rio.

Here Carnival has evolved into two distinct creatures:- the street carnival and the "Parade of Schools" in the Sambadrome. The latter is what has come to be known as one of the world’s biggest festivals. The best Samba Schools parade on the last Sunday and Monday of Lent in the Sambadrome – a long, linear purpose-built stadium used but once a year. The parades start around 8.00pm and finish in the small hours; tickets are as hard to come by as Cup Final tickets.

Running parallel to the main event are numerous parties and themed Balls, the best of which is held at the Copacabana Palace. This is the Ball of the season where Rio’s finest can be seen and, if you can afford the ticket - from £200 (entrance only) and from £600 for a place at a table – this is an event to be at.

Tickets to the various areas of the Sambadrome come on sale in November or December and are very hard to come by, however we usually have access to an allocation in at least one of the stands. Prices start from around £295 for a standard seat to about £500 for an area of special chairs which allows more movement and comfort and is level with the parades. Costs are slightly less for tickets to the Champions' Parade on the final Saturday, about £195 for standard and £295 for special chairs.

Accommodation at Carnival is a predictable nightmare. Hotels charge upto 3 times the normal rate for a 4 or 5 night mandatory package. Payment is 50% on confirmation and 50% two months before the event. Hotels begin to publish their rates around August but if you are booking in advance please call us. We have around 30 hotels of varying categories on our lists as well as some Apartment-hotels.

Please note that prices mentioned above are a guideline only as 2008 costs have yet to be confirmed.

Women And Cholesterol Controlled

 

Women And Cholesterol Controlled Women are significantly less likely than men to have their LDL cholesterol controlled to recommended levels, as per a new study by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). The study, would be reported in the May/June edition of Womens Health Issues, investigated gender differences in cardiovascular disease prevention, therapy and risk factors based on national health care quality data from commercial and Medicare managed care plans.

Elevated LDL cholesterol is an important modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease, the leading single cause of death for both women and men.

The study, "Improving the Quality of Care for Cardiovascular Disease: Using National Managed Care Performance Data to Investigate Gender Differences in HEDIS Measures Correlation to Heart Disease," analyzed data from a national sample of 46 commercial managed care plans and 148 Medicare plans across 11 HEDIS measures of care for cardiovascular conditions and diabetes. The results, controlled for other factors such as age, income and ethnicity, showed equal or better outcomes for women on most dimensions of carewith the notable exception of cholesterol control, where significant disparities existed between men and women.

"This study highlights the importance of not just knowing your health, but also taking an active role in your care," said NCQA President Margaret E. OKane. "The data show that weve got our work cut out for us in terms of raising awareness among both physicians and patients".........

In women, caffeine may protect memory

Caffeine may help older women protect their thinking skills, according to a study published in the August 7, 2007, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

The study found that women age 65 and older who drank more than three cups of coffee (or the equivalent in tea) per day had less decline over time on tests of memory than women who drank one cup or less of coffee or tea per day. The results held up even after researchers adjusted for other factors that could affect memory abilities, such as age, education, disability, depression, high blood pressure, medications, cardiovascular disease, and other chronic illnesses.

“Caffeine is a psychostimulant which appears to reduce cognitive decline in women,” said study author Karen Ritchie, PhD, of INSERM, the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research, in Montpellier, France. “While we have some ideas as to how this works biologically, we need to have a better understanding of how caffeine affects the brain before we can start promoting caffeine intake as a way to reduce cognitive decline. But the results are interesting – caffeine use is already widespread and it has fewer side effects than other treatments for cognitive decline, and it requires a relatively small amount for a beneficial effect.”

The study involved 7,000 people whose cognitive abilities and caffeine consumption were evaluated over four years. Compared to women who drank one cup or less of coffee per day, those who drank over three cups were less likely to show as much decline in memory. Moreover, the benefits increased with age – coffee drinkers being 30 percent less likely to have memory decline at age 65 and rising to 70 percent less likely over age 80.

Caffeine consumers did not seem to have lower rates of dementia. “We really need a longer study to look at whether caffeine prevents dementia; it might be that caffeine could slow the dementia process rather than preventing it,” said Ritchie.

Ritchie said researchers aren’t sure why caffeine didn’t show the same result in men. “Women may be more sensitive to the effects of caffeine,” she said. “Their bodies may react differently to the stimulant, or they may metabolize caffeine differently.”

Source: American Academy of Neurology

Hello Kity

En HIZLI Diyet

48 saatlik jet diyet!

Birazdan okuyacağınız diyet programıyla sadece 2 haftada 5-6 kilo verebileceksiniz.

The Sun Gazetesi sağlık servisi tarafından hazırlanan diet programı 2 gün içerisinde etkisini göstermeye başlıyor. Bu diyet programı sağlıklı bir yemek programını bol egzersizle birleştiriyor. Fakat diyetin etkili olabilmesi için düzgün bir uyku şart ! Programa uyarak 2 haftada 5-6 kilo kadar verebilmek mümkün.
     
      1. gün

      7.30 Uykudan uyandıktan sonra ilk iş olarak bir bardak, içine limon ve bir parça zencefil karıştırılmış sıcak su. Bunun amacı metabolizmayı güçlü tutmak.
      8.00 Yürüyüşe çıkmak için iyi bir zaman ! Egzersiz yapmak için en ideal zaman kahvaltı öncesidir çünkü vücut zaten uykudan yeni kalktığı için yağları yakmak için müsait durumdadır.
      9.15 Bol bol su için. Vücuttaki kafeini suyla atarak vücudunuzu tazeleyebilirsiniz, bu da selülit oluşumunu engeller.
      9.30 Kahvaltı için aşağıdaki muz karışımını için:
      150ml az yağlı süt, 200 gram diet yoğurt ve bir orta boy muz.
      Sütü, yoğurdu ve muzu blenderda karıştırarak uzun bir bardakta için. Muzun içindeki doğal şeker size yarım saat içersinde gün boyu yetecek bir enerji sağlayacaktır.
      11.00 Çıkın ve bir kez daha yürüyüşün tadını çıkarın ! Günde 10.000 adım yürümek size tam 500 kalori kaybettirebilir.
      13.00 Öğle yemeği için bir sandviç yeterli. Ama sadece sandviç deyip geçmeyin çünkü oldukça doyurucu!
      Ton balığı, domates, biraz soğan ve karabiber, büyük bir parça göbek salata ve salatalık.
      15.00 Yine egzersiz zamanı ! yarım saat ile 1 saat arası bisiklete binebilirsiniz ve ya kısa zamanlı bir koşu da işinizi görür. Bu sıcaklarda dışarı çıkmak istemiyorsanız 1-1.30 saatlik bir öğle uykusunun kimseye zararı olmaz.
      16.15 Eğer diyet programınıza uyduysanız bu saate kadar acıkmamış olmanız gerekir. Ama oldu da acıktınız.. O zaman bu saatte içilecek bir bardak limonata ya da yenecek bir elma sizi tok tutabilir. Portakal, limon, üzüm gibi meyveler kan kolestrolünü düşürdüğü için tercih sebebi olabilir.
      18.30 Akşam yemeği zamanı ! Hafif bir akşam yemeği sizi bekliyor ama yine oldukça doyurucu olacak.
     
      Somon Salatası

      2 parça kızarmış somon balığı, 1 orta boy rezene, ufak bir limon, bir miktar zeytinyağı, 1 baş sarımsak, 1 küçük yeşil biber, 300 gram taze patates, 3 dilim taze soğan ve karabiber
      20.00 Dans edin. İster evde arkadaşlarınızla ister dışarıda bir diskoda 1 saat dans etmekle tam 200 kaloriye kadar yakabilirsiniz.
      22.30 Uyku vakti geldi. Araştırmalar gösteriyor kiher gece 6 saatten az uyuyan insanların iştahı %15 daha fazla oluyor !
     
      2. gün

      8.00 Kulaklıklarınızı takın ve sabah yürüyüşünüze başlayın. 1 saatlik yürüyüş size 400 kalori kaybettirir.
      9.00 Kahvaltı zamanı. Güne başlarken yenen güzel bir meyve salatası her zaman iyi bir seçimdir.
      10.15 Aerobic zamanı. Belki de liseden beri yapmadığınız esneme hareketlerini hatırlama zamanı !. Omuzlarınızı, bacaklarınızı ve göğsünüzü çalıştırın
      11.00 Yine çabuk bir kalori yakma yöntemi ! Başınızın üzerinde sizi yukarı doğru çeken bir balon olduğunu farzedin. Kollarınızı kaldırabildiğiniz kadar kaldırın ve vücudunuzu gerin.
      12.30 Beyaz peynir ve siyah zeytinlerle donatılmış, yeşil biber, karabiber, bir miktar patates ve zeytinyağıyla süslenmiş lezzetli salatanızı yemenin zamanıdır.
      14.30 Küçük ev işleri yaparak zayıflayın ! Mesela yerleri paspaslayın, elektrikli süpürgeyle temizlik yapın ve kendinizi giysileri ütülemeye verin ! 50 dakikalık ütü yapmak size 100 kalori kaybettirebiliyor !
      16.15 Bir bardak yeşil çay için.
      19.30 Programın son safhasına geldiniz ! Şimdi yapmanız gereken sadece kendinize güzel bir spagetti pişirmek. Fakat onun da bir açıklaması var tabi… Acılı yemekler ağzınızdaki sinir uçlarını uyararak metabolizmanızı hızlandırıyor.

Diabetes drugs double risk of heart failure

Millions of diabetics worldwide face an increased threat of cardiac problems after two drugs commonly prescribed to treat type 2 diabetes were found to double the risk of heart failure, according to researchers in the US and Britain.

One in every 50 patients taking either Avandia or Actos over a 26-month period would suffer heart failure and need admission to hospital, says the research by experts at the University of East Anglia and in America.

The researchers said the drugs could be responsible for additional thousands of cases of heart failure each year, Reuters reported.

Dr Yoon Loke, the author of the analysis, which looked at more than 200 cases of heart failure while on the drugs, said that diabetics are at a two per cent per year greater risk of heart failure and the drugs add another two per cent.

 

 

According to GlaxoSmithKline, hundreds of thousands of people are on its drug Avandia (rosiglitazone). Actos (pioglitazone), which is made by Takeda, is also used by a similar number of diabetics.

Alert issued

Rosiglitazone was linked to heart attacks by research published earlier this year and the UAE Ministry of Health issued a drug alert to all hospitals, clinics and pharmacies in the country conveying the warning.

According to GlaxoSmithKline, the drug is among its best-sellers here. Humaid Al Shamsi, assistant under-secretary at the ministry, earlier told Gulf News that doctors had been advised to discuss Avandia's safety with patients prescribed the drug.

The UAE has an estimated 820,000 diabetics or 20 per cent of the population, which works out to be the second-highest number of diabetes worldwide. According to experts, 65 per cent of the population will be diabetic in three years.

The Daily Telegraph quoted Dr Yoon Loke, the author of the analysis which looked at more than 200 cases of heart failure while on the drugs, as saying that diabetics are at a two per cent per year greater risk of heart failure and the drugs add another two per cent.

The researchers suggested that fluid retention caused by the drugs may be to blame, BBC Online reported. Writing in Diabetes Care, they called for a rethink on the drugs by respective regulatory authorities.

The manufacturers' information leaflets, though, say the drugs should not be used in patients known to have heart failure.

Uzum cekirdegi

Üzüm çekirdeğinin faydaları

Ziraat Mühendisi Kader Bayhan, üzüm çekirdeğinin Avrupa'da ilaç niyetine satıldığını belirterek, manav ve marketlerde alınırken en çok çekirdeksiz üzümün rağbet gördüğünü oysa üzüm çekirdeğinin tek başına bir 'doktor' olduğunu söyledi.

Üzüm çekirdeğinin yaşlanmayı geciktirdiğini vurgulayan Bayhan “Cildindeki kırışıklıklar günden güne fazlalaşanlar, cildi cansız, solgun görünenler, üzüm çekirdeği tüketmeli" dedi.

BİN DERDE DEVA

Bayhan, üzüm çekirdeğinin faydalarını da açıkladı:

Damar duvarlarını onarır.

Kalp ritmini düzenler, kalp krizi riskini azaltır.

Düzenli kullanımda varis oluşmuş damarların tedavisinde kullanılır.

Beyin damarlarını güçlendirir, beyine giden oksijen miktarını artırır.

Kanser, AIDS, Hepatit B ve Hepatit C gibi hastalıklara karşı korur.

Kolesterolü düşürür, şeker hastalığına karşı vücudu korur. Deri kırışıklıklarını azaltır.

Saçı güzelleştirir.

Saman nezlesi ve astım gibi alerjileri önler.

Selülitlerin tedavilerinde, göz kamaşması, gece körlüğü gibi sorunlarda etkilidir.

Health Costs Loom

Retirees’ Health Costs Loom Over U.A.W. Talks

That shift has the greatest impact on medical costs. Detroit automakers cover the health care expenses of both current and former union members — more than 1.1 million of them combined — and their dependents. That adds up to an annual bill of about $12 billion.

So even as the struggling car companies try to restructure, announcing plans in the last two years to shed more than 80,000 workers, their health care bill continues to rise as those people age.

The car companies’ ability, or willingness, to continue paying those generous benefits, including negligible co-payments for drugs and doctor visits, will be a crucial sticking point when pivotal negotiations begin Friday between the U.A.W. and the auto companies.

It may also be a touchy issue for active U.A.W. members and retirees, who must grapple with whether one group should bear the brunt of any cuts more than the other.

The stakes are enormous for both sides in talks that General Motors calls “the most important in a generation.”

The union is trying to protect a signature feature of the middle-class lifestyle that its blue-collar members have enjoyed. The retirees, roughly 600,000 of them, risk seeing an erosion of benefits that they had assumed would be secure when their working days ended.

“This is what we were promised,” said Jim Ziomek, who retired in 2002 from a Ford Motor parts distribution center in Livonia, Mich., after working for the company for 34 years. “You’re going to have a pension, you’re going to have health care. Well, now all of a sudden things have changed and they want to take it away.” G.M., Ford Motor and the Chrysler Group say these so-called legacy costs have hampered their fight against surging foreign competitors. Health care and pension benefits cost them $1,000 for each vehicle they sell, they say, compared with a few hundred dollars for companies like Toyota, Honda and Nissan.

The carmakers have long sought to lower these costs, but the status quo has remained largely in place after previous contracts, the most recent being signed in 2003. At that time, the companies were relatively healthy; they also feared a strike if they challenged the union.

The U.A.W.’s president, Ron Gettelfinger, has insisted publicly that neither the change in demographics nor the auto companies’ decline alters the union’s philosophy of fighting to keep previous contract gains. In fact, he recently said, workers have compromised enough on health care. The union has declined to say what will be discussed in negotiations.

But the union’s stance has changed since the current labor agreement was signed.

Mr. Gettelfinger, for example, put up little resistance to plant closings at G.M., Ford and Chrysler; he cut deals for lower wages with bankrupt parts suppliers like Delphi and Dana; and most important, he agreed to arrangements at G.M. and Ford that eroded the fully paid health care coverage that was one of the union’s most cherished achievements.

David Cole, chairman of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich., said the two sides have no choice but to find a health care solution.

“You probably have to do this now; there is no delaying,” Mr. Cole said. “If you put it off, the companies are going to be weaker, and the bargaining position may be less favorable” for the union.

In the last two years, G.M., Ford and Chrysler have collectively lost more than $30 billion, prompting them to announce plans to shut more than two dozen plants, and put a variety of operations up for sale, including Chrysler itself, which has been bought from DaimlerChrysler by a private equity group.

Talks begin Friday at Chrysler, and move to Ford and G.M. on Monday. The current contract expires Sept. 14.

In recent months, one unusual solution has come up in pre-negotiations between auto executives and the union, according to people with knowledge of the deliberations.

The automakers and the U.A.W. could create a health care trust, called a Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association, that could take over the responsibility for worker and retiree benefits.

That would allow the three companies to get their combined long-term health care liability, about $100 billion, off their books, and would give the U.A.W. a more direct say in the benefits that its workers would receive.

But the solution carries an enormous price tag: the trust, known as a V.E.B.A., must be funded with cash upfront, with most of the liability accounted for.

The U.A.W. recently agreed to such an arrangement at Dana. It called for the company to pay upfront about 71 cents on the dollar for workers’ estimated health care expenses, or about $800 million.

In the U.A.W.’s case, the car companies would need to come up with far more money, probably in the range of $60 billion to $65 billion, experts say. The more money that is put in the trust, the less risk exists for the union.

But that presents a quandary for the automakers, who would have to fund it. The car companies have tens of billions of dollars in cash on hand, but need that money to run their operations, given that their debt ratings are in junk status, making it expensive for them to borrow money.

And Ford’s assets are already mortgaged to fund its turnaround plan, although it could use whatever it gets from selling its European luxury brands for its part of a trust.

Study Shows High Fiber Diet Not More Helpful Fighting Breast Cancer

Study Shows High Fiber Diet Not More Helpful Fighting Breast Cancer

We are going to find out about two studies on breast cancer. One studied whether a diet very high in fiber and low in fat could reduce the risk of recurring breast cancer.  Another study focused on women with a high risk of developing breast cancer to see if their chances of dying from the disease were greater than those with a lower risk of developing breast cancer.  VOA's Carol Pearson has more on the results of both studies.

Eating five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, and getting no more than 30 percent of total calories from fat may help breast cancer survivors avoid getting this cancer again.

"What we've got here is a good example of the bold colors and the strong flavors that we've emphasized in the study," explains John Pierce with the University of California Cancer Center in San Diego. He led an international study involving more than 3,000 breast cancer survivors.

"The study dramatically increased vegetables up to about eight vegetable servings.  Part of that was done with vegetable juice.  We got three fruit servings and we took energy from fat down to about 24 percent," says Pierce, with the Moores Cancer Center.

Over a period of six years, half the women in the study ate five servings of fruits and vegetables a day and limited their fat intake to 30 percent of total calories.  The other half ate a diet higher in fiber and lower in fat.  The findings?  There was no difference between the two groups in recurring breast cancer or living longer.

"You don't need to go ten a day in vegetables and fruits.  Five a day is enough," Pierce says. The study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Another study, this one published in the New England Journal of Medicine looked at women who have a high risk for inherited breast cancer.

All of us have genes known as BRCA, but women with a genetic mutation of this gene have a 70 to 90 percent chance of developing breast cancer. 

Researchers studied nearly 1800 women with breast cancer.  About 10 percent had the high-risk genetic mutations.  In both groups more than half the women were still alive 10 years after being diagnosed.  What is more, the women with the BRCA mutation responded equally as well to chemotherapy as the women without this genetic risk.

The only thing that can prolong the lives of women with this genetic mutation is to be monitored closely to catch the early signs of cancer and then to be treated appropriately.

Could nerve-snip spur weight loss

WASHINGTON (AP) -- An old ulcer operation is getting new attention as a possible alternative obesity surgery: a quick snip of a nerve that helps control hunger.

It's far from clear whether cutting the vagus nerve really helps -- initial pilot studies in a few dozen patients have just begun. Skeptics abound, and even proponents say it wouldn't lead to nearly as much weight loss as more traumatic operations that shrink the stomach and reroute intestines.
It's part of a hunt for middle-ground options for people scared of today's surgery, or those not quite fat enough to qualify for it.
"By no means do I think this is a panacea," cautions Dr. Robert Lustig of the University of California, San Francisco, who, along with University of Rochester surgeons, is studying the method.
"But I think this will be a rational alternative for a cadre of patients that are sort of in the middle there. With as much obesity as we have in this country, that's a big middle."
More than 177,000 people underwent obesity surgery last year, according to the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. The most popular method is gastric bypass, stapling the stomach to create a tiny pouch. Options include placing an adjustable band around the stomach, or cutting off the stomach's side and rerouting the intestines.
Surgery can produce life-altering weight loss, if recipients adhere to diet and exercise advice, but each method comes with varying degrees of pain and risk, including a rare chance of death. So doctors are searching for alternatives.
Enter the vagus nerve, which snakes from the brain to the abdomen, with fibers reaching into multiple organs with different effects. Among them: The nerve spurs gastric acid production, and in the 1970s, surgery to cut where it attaches to the front and back of the stomach brought ulcer sufferers great relief -- after they recovered from open-abdominal surgery. Once better acid-reducing medications came along, this arduous operation was abandoned.

Yet surgeons at the time noticed, and subsequent animal studies confirmed, that these vagotomies could trigger weight loss. In addition to a less acidic stomach's slower digestion, the vagus helps control appetite-stimulating brain hormones and signals our bodies to store more fat, Lustig explains.
Since doctors today can snip the nerve far less invasively, through just five pencil-sized cuts in the abdomen, it was time to test in the obese.
Thirty patients had a vagus snip at UCSF or the University of Rochester. The study isn't complete. But of the 11 who are a year past surgery, all but one are shedding pounds, losing an average of 18 percent of excess weight so far, Lustig and Rochester's Dr. Thad Boss reported at last month's bariatric society meeting.
They suffered no serious side effects, and went home hours later with little pain.
"Every patient who had the vagus nerve cut says they're not hungry," adds Lustig -- although the one who didn't respond got hungry again six weeks after surgery, perhaps because the nerve healed.
That's less than half the weight loss of standard surgeries, warns Dr. Neil Hutcher of Bon Secour St. Mary's Hospital in Richmond, Virginia, and a past president of the bariatric society.
"I have my doubts that vagotomy alone is going to be a significant weapon," says Hutcher, who often cuts the nerve during standard gastric bypasses for a different reason -- to help those patients avoid the side effect of heartburn-causing acid buildup.
But, when Greensboro, North Carolina, surgeons added a vagotomy to 25 patients getting bands on their stomachs, the nerve-snip seemed to make that usually more modest operation about as effective as a gastric bypass -- with 43 percent loss of excess weight at six months, and counting.
Other doctors are testing whether implants that treat epilepsy by stimulating the vagus nerve also might trigger weight loss, with mixed results so far.
For now, Boss stresses that vagus nerve-snipping remains highly experimental. He and Lustig will track their 30 patients for 18 months to check if ultimate weight loss is enough to warrant further study, and who responds best.
The goal is to help people like Garth Michaels of Walnut Creek, California, who twice backed out of standard obesity surgery, fearful of side effects and a long recovery. Thirteen months after he volunteered for the vagotomy experiment, he has dropped 66 pounds, to 246.
That's a much more gradual loss than with regular surgery, but Michaels says having his hunger curbed help him finally learn to exercise. He spends a half-hour on an exercise bike most days. And he learned to avoid former diet saboteurs -- french fries, sweets -- that caused foul burping after his vagotomy, in favor of fruits and vegetables.
"I will lose more, there's no doubt about it," says Michaels, 56, whose goal is 175 pounds. "It has given me such hope. >>>Cnn

SUSAM TOHUMU VE FAYDALARI

SUSAM TOHUMU VE FAYDALARI

a . Susam Ekini
Bir metre boyunda, yağ veren bir yıllık otsu bir bitkidir. HİNDİSTAN, SUDAN, ÇİN ve NİJERYA dünya rekoltesinde ilk sıraları almaktadır. Lezzet ve yağ oranı açısından Türkiye'de yetişen susam daha üstündür. Bitkilerin alt yaprakları karşılıklı ve loblu üst yaprakları tam ve mızrak şeklindedir. Çiçekleri beyaz veya pembe olup yaprakların koltugunda salkım durumunda toplanmışlardır

Meyve başakları 2-3 cm. boyunda, uzun, prizmatik ve çok tohumlu bir kapsüldür. Susam , sıcağı çok sever. Isı miktarı fazla olan yerlerde tohum verimi ve yağ oranı artar. Orta derecede ağır ve humuslu topraklarda iyi yetişir. Hasat zamanı EKİM ayında ekimi ise NİSAN-MAYIS aylarındadır. Dekar başına 1-1,5 Kg. Tohum atılır. 

b. Susamın Tarihçesi kullanımı ve Temel Özellikleri
Susam küspesinin de insan gıdası ve hayvan yemi olarak değeri büyüktür. Susam ilk defa kültüre alınan yağ bitkilerinden birisidir. Langham and Rodri (1947) , susamın İsa'dan 450 sene evvel Hindistan'da ve Çin' de besin maddesi olarak kullanıldığını bildirmişlerdir. (Elçi et al.,1994).

Susam tohumu insanoğlunun bildiği en eski tohumlardan biridir. Susam tohumlarının kökeni tam olarak bilinmesede, Eski Mısırlıların bu tohumdan un elde ettikleri ve bu undan ekmek yaptıkları gerçeğini kabul etmektedirler.Ayrıca susam tohumlarının Güney Hindistan'da M.Ö.3.000 yıllarında kullanılmaya başlandıgı yani 5.000 yıllık bir bitki oldugu'da kabul edilir.Susam tohumlarının, ilk defa yemeklere bir çeşni, tat vermek için katıldığına ve yağı çıkarılabilen ilk bitki olduğuna inanılır

Tropik ve subtropik iklim kuşağı susamın en iyi yetişme koşullarıdır. Vegetasyon devresinde aylık sıcaklık ortalaması 20 C 'den aşağı olmamalıdır. Gece ile gündüz arasındaki sıcaklık farkı az olursa susamın verimi artar. Orta derecede ağır, humuslu topraklarda iyi yetişir. pH nötr olmalıdır. Her kültür bitkisi ile ekim nöbetine girebilir. Pamuk, ayçiçeği, mısır, darı ile karışık tarım yapıldığı gibi yurdumuzda Güney Anadolu ve Ege bölgesin de ikinci ürün olarak ekilir (Elçi et al. 1994)

Dünyada susam daha çok Afrika, Orta ve Güney Amerika ile Arap ve Asya ülkelerinde yetiştirilmektedir. En fazla ekimi Sudan, Venezuella, Hindistan, Nijerya, Çin, Meksika ve Burma'da yapılmaktadır. Bu ülkelerin birçoğu aynı zamanda ihracatçı durumundadır. FAO kaynaklarına göre 1982 yılı için Hindistan, Çin ve Sudan ağırlıklı olmak üzere yıllık üretimin 1,870,000 ton olduğu tahmin edilmektedir. (Anonymous, 1982).

Türkiye'de üretilen susam genellikle iç pazarda tüketilir. Üretimin ancak % 2 - 3 'ü ihraç edilmektedir. 1950 yılından bu tarafa memleketimizde susamdan yağ çıkarılmamaktadır. Yurdumuzda Güney, Güneybatı, Batı ve Marmara ile trakya bölgesinde birinci ve ikinci ürün olarak tek bitki, ara tarımı veya bazı bitkilerle karışık olarak ekilmektedir. İllere göre en fazla ekiliş Adana, Antalya, Çanakkale, Muğla, Edirne, İçel, Balıkesir, Manisa, İzmir ve Aydın'da yapılmaktadır. Türkiye susamlarının başlıca özellikleri yağ oranları oldukça yüksek fusarium hastalığına karşı mukavim dallanmaları kaba genellikle koyu renkli susamlardır. (Elçi et al. 1994)

Susamın Sistematikteki Yeri:
Takım: Tubifloralcs
Familya: Pedaliaccac
Cins: Sesamun
Tür: Sesamun indicum L.(n=13)

Dış görünüşü daha doğrusu kabuk rengi bakımından beyaz ve kahverengi olmak üzere iki çeşit susam vardır.

Opps