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New period pill approved 2007-07-25 13:29:00 Lybrel, a birth-control pill that does away with a woman's monthly period, was approved Tuesday by the US Food and Drug Administration.The oestrogen-progestin hormonal pill differs from traditional birth-control pills in that it does not include the "week off" of placebo pills that leads to a cessation of artificial hormones and bleeding.Lybrel is described as "continual contraception" but it "works the same way as the 21-days on, seven-days off [pill] cycle -- it stops the body's monthly preparation for pregnancy by lowering the production of hormones that make pregnancy possible," Dr Daniel Shames, deputy director of the FDA's Office of Drug Evaluation III, at the Centre for Drug Evaluation and Research, explained at a press conference late Tuesday.A majority of women who decide to take Lybrel will encounter unscheduled bleeding, or spotting, that in most cases tapers off over the first year of use, Shames said. In the primary clinical trial leading up to approval, 59 percent of
Incontinence ops weighed up 2007-07-25 13:24:00 The results of a new head-to-head trial could help women with stress urinary incontinence decide between two surgeries - called the Burch and the sling - that are commonly used to correct the condition. According to the study, "The sling was more effective in resolving urinary incontinence symptoms than the Burch, and it also showed significantly higher satisfaction rates," said study co-author Dr Michael E. Albo, an associate professor of surgery at the University of California, San Diego. "The trade-off was that there were higher rates of complications with the sling."The findings were presented at the American Urological Association's annual meeting in Anaheim, California. They will also be published in the May 24 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.Doctors already have good evidence as to the benefits and risks of both of these procedures, Albo said, since more than 100 000 operations for urinary incontinence are performed in the United States each year. Based on that hi
Baldness reversed in mice 2007-07-25 06:05:00 way to reversing hair loss, scientists say.While studying the healing of wounds in mice, a team at the University of Pennsylvania noticed that the animals developed new hair follicles after their skin was scraped.This is very unusual, because "the dogma was that when you're born, you're stuck with the number of hair follicles that you have," said study co-author Dr George Cotsarelis, director of the university's Hair and Scalp Clinic. And, if the follicles die - as occurs during ageing - they can't be revived. May not work in humansNo one knows if new follicle growth occurs in wounded humans or if researchers can find a way to harness the hair-growing effect without having to actually hurt people.But scientists are hopeful, especially considering that current treatments for baldness do not create new follicles to replace ones that have died."We're amazed that we're getting follicles to form," Cotsarelis said. He believes the findings could even "lead to a better understanding of
Is testosterone killing you? 2007-07-25 05:59:00 Men 50 and older with low levels of testosterone
may be at higher risk of dying within 20 years than men with higher levels of the male hormone, a new study suggests.But, the researchers stressed, more studies are needed to examine the potential link, and there's nothing to indicate that testosterone supplements would reduce the risk of death.For the study, Gail Laughlin, an assistant professor of family and preventative medicine at the University of California, San Diego, and colleagues followed almost 800 men, aged 50 to 91, for 18 years as part of the "Rancho Bernardo Study," looking at the relationship between serum testosterone levels and mortality. 33% higher riskThey found that men with low testosterone had a 33 percent higher risk of dying from any cause than men with either normal or elevated testosterone levels. This link stood up regardless of age, physical activity, or lifestyle - including smoking and drinking. But the link grew weaker when adjusted for metabolic syndrom
Men put health on back burner 2007-07-25 05:56:00 Men report skipping health screenings and avoiding doctor's visits in a new survey by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). The survey examined the health behaviour of 2,282 adults across the nation, including 1,111 men.Waiting as long as possibleThe surveyors found that more than half of the men had not seen their primary-care physician for a physical exam in the last year, and more than a quarter reported waiting "as long as possible" before seeking medical help for sickness, pain or health concerns.Furthermore, 18 percent of the men said their have never received the recommended screening for colon cancer.Despite this, most of the men -- 79 percent -- described their health as "excellent," "very good" or "good."While the men may think they are in good health, the results of the survey paint a different picture.Forty-two percent of the men surveyed have been diagnosed with at least one of the following chronic conditions: high blood pressure (28 percent), heart disease
Tattoos Can Be Troublesome to Remove 2007-07-23 09:47:00 People pondering a tattoo may want to consider the expense and discomfort of having one removed later on, experts say.Nearly one out of five people with tattoos do think about having them removed later in life, according to dermatologist Dr. Jeffrey Orringer of the University of Michigan Health System."The most common reason would be to remove a name of someone who is no longer involved in the patient's life," Orringer said in a prepared statement.According to the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, people who want to get a tattoo should choose a licensed facility and a tattoo design that is simple and therefore easy to remove. They also advise people to put tattoos on parts of the body that can be covered by clothing in the workplace. Unusual or sensitive locations are more prone to scarring and are also more difficult for tattoo removal.According to the Michigan experts, people considering tattoo removal should also be aware that:Laser technology can reduce the appearance of Read more:Tattoos
Botox helps cerebral palsy 2007-07-23 07:50:00 Botox is being used to treat everything from migraines to wrinkles, and researchers from the Walter Reed Army Medical Centre have now confirmed another safe and effective use for the toxin: helping children with cerebral palsy. Lead researcher Dr Marc DiFazio reports that botulinum toxin type A helps improve movement in youngsters who have the neurological disorder. "The most important part of the study was not so much that we were demonstrating improvement in the kids, but that we demonstrated that this medication is really safe," say DiFazio, who presented his findings April 2 at the American Academy of Neurology's annual meeting in Honolulu. Interprets the communication between nerves and spine As many as 500 000 Americans have cerebral palsy, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, and 4500 babies are diagnosed with the disorder every year.Symptoms vary from person to person, but cerebral palsy generally causes stiff, spastic muscles. Children w
New drug to treat type I & type II diabetes gets US FDA nod 2007-07-23 07:14:00 The US FDA has issued approval for Symlin, an injectable medicine to control blood sugar for adults with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, manufactured by Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Symlin is to be used in addition to insulin therapy in patients who cannot achieve adequate control of their blood sugars on intensive insulin therapy alone. Symlin will be the only therapy for the treat
ment of type 1 diabetes other than insulin. Patients with type 2 diabetes already have several other types of oral therapies available, an FDA release states.The safety and efficacy of Symlin were studied in approximately 5000 patients. Overall Symlin therapy was associated, in patients with both types of diabetes, with improvements in the control of blood glucose and with weight loss. So-called "tight" control of blood sugar is desirable in all patients with diabetes in order to reduce risks for long-term adverse consequences of the disease, including blindness, kidney disease, and vascular disease.According t
Herbal Supplements For Kids? 2007-07-23 07:03:00 Thinking of treating your child's illness with herbal supplements? You may want to do some fact-checking and talk it over with a doctor first. Herbal
supplements are popular, but some may work better in kids than others, a new study shows. Echinacea, evening primrose oil, Andrographis paniculata, ivy leaf, and valerian yielded some interesting results. But garlic and cranberry didn't seem helpful. Is It Safe? Does It Work? The researchers aren't recommending any herbal products, and they're not thrilled with results seen in the few studies of herbal medicine in kids. Still, they didn't want to look the other way. An estimated 20-40 percent of kids have been exposed to herbal products for everything from anxiety to insomnia to colds, they estimate. "As more and more children are exposed to botanical products, it is important that the safety and efficacy of these treatments be well established in controlled clinical trials," write the researchers. Does Your Doctor Know? The FDA d
Autism, mercury possibly linked 2007-07-23 06:56:00 Texas researchers have found a possible link between autism and mercury in the air and water. Studying individual school districts in Texas, the epidemiologists found that those districts with the highest levels of mercury in the environment also have the highest rates of special-education students and autism diagnoses. The study does not prove that mercury causes autism, cautioned the lead author, Raymond Palmer of the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, but it provides "provocative" clues that should be investigated. "Mercury is a known neurotoxin," said Dr. Isaac Pessah of the University of California, Davis' M.I.N.D. Institute, who was not involved in the study. "It's rather intriguing that the correlation is so positive. It makes one worry." California has the highest environmental burden of mercury of any state and it has what appears to be the highest rate of autism, although some critics attribute this perceived high rate to enhanced surveillance associ Read more:Autism
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Diet and Exercise 2007-07-23 06:44:00 People, if taking came down to an option between the torture and there, the drug of the weigh-loss to be available on Friday that begins opposite, would take the stuck burning pokers through my internal. Which is remarkable similar in order that there on me. , Nevertheless, there are lost 74 pounds without him. On that it advanced more more. There it is what was Orlistat call, and I have made two courses very horribly repugnant of Orlistat. And here it is what I must say to you: Not to leave to the taking of the big drum of the drug-company your money. Yes, it blocks the absorption of some fats there, but it is not no drug of the miracle. If outside, it would not need a campaign the public-relations. First, it is not a drug there that promises enormous loss of the weight, and they impel to you to follow a program of the put on a diet-and-exercise anyway. There to do that, and you do not need. Secondly, it is a drug that has indirect effect that - and I not to wish overshare here - ca Read more:Exercise
Anorexia Bulimia Contact 2007-07-21 15:44:00 Anorexia Bulimia
Contact - More amazing videos are a click awayHelp for people with eating disorders. Read more:Anorexia
Family Guy Doctor 2007-07-21 15:38:00 Family Guy Doctor
- More bloopers are a click awayThe doctor keeps beating around the bush... Read more:Family
, Family Guy
Push for Cancer Treatments Intensifies 2007-07-21 06:53:00 The war on cancer has some fortified soldiers. Some of the nation's biggest drug companies are investing an increasing amount of resources toward finding treatments for the disease. Cancer
research has been a hallmark of companies such as Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. and AstraZeneca PLC. But over the last few years, others including Wyeth, Schering-Plough Corp., GlaxoSmithKline PLC and most notably Merck & Co. have been intensifying their work on cancer medicines. They've purchased smaller, cancer-focused drug makers; formed licensing arrangements; added staff and created specialized research centers. The increasing commitment to cancer treatments grows out of a confluence of economic and scientific factors. Company executives say the odds of finding suitable drug candidates have risen significantly in the last few years with the mapping of the human genome and other technological advances. And new cancer treatments can command very high prices and generate substant
Hidden abdominal fat dangerous 2007-07-21 06:45:00 Unlike the fat beneath the abdominal wall, or love handles, internal fat around abdominal organs may actually be more damaging, says a U.S. study. Because metabolic abnormalities appear to be more closely associated with intra-abdominal fat tissue, it is critical to be able to reliably and accurately assess this fat tissue in order to identify children at risk, said lead researcher Dr. Marilyn J. Siegel of the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The study of 30 adolescents had fat tissue measurements taken using anthropometry -- DEXA and single-slice and whole-abdominal, multi-slice MRI. The study's 20 boys and 10 girls were between the ages of 10 and 18 and included nine overweight but non-diabetic individuals, 10 type-2 diabetic and overweight patients and 11 normal weight, non-diabetic adolescents. While all participants had similar fat distribution patterns with a Read more:Hidden
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Child Obesity Surges 2007-07-21 06:41:00 Most of people it thinks the battle against willpower of the takings of the obesity. But the city of Somerville knows that it takes the will from a whole community. Sparked by a desire to contain obesity of the childhood, this city of 78,000 has experienced yet dramatic a subtle transformation in the last five years. The restaurants have changed to milk with little fat and to smaller sizes of the portion. Districto of the school has doubled almost the amount of fresh fruit in the lunch. The city, right outer Boston, have repintado crosswalks to obtain to more people than it walked to work or to teach. The numbers suggest works. During scholastic year 2003-04, the students of Somerville gained less weight than young in two used next communities like control group, according to a report published today in the medical obesity of the newspaper. The difference was statistical significant and translates to come up around a pound of increase of excess of the wei Read more:Surges
New spray boosts women's libido, study find 2007-07-20 09:18:00 Young women with low libido had good sex more often after using a testosterone spray. The spray, designed by Australian group Acrux Ltd. and being developed by U.S.-based Vivus Inc., has previously worked on women who have passed menopause, who typically have low testosterone.However, investigators said the company may be able to win approval for its product more easily by targeting young women, where the spray would take testosterone back to normal levels. “This is a very different ball game. It’s a different market,” said head investigator Susan Davis, the chair of women’s health at Monash University.There is no treatment to help women with low sex drive, and analysts have estimated a successful therapy could snare sales of more than $1 billion a year. Amount of good sex doubledAcrux’s MDTS spray was tested over four months in three different doses on 261 young women with low libido and low testosterone levels, comparing the number of sat
How Often Should Women Get Mammograms? 2007-07-20 08:57:00 Researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston have devised a mathematical tool that predicts how the frequency of mammograms affects the number of lives saved by detecting breast cancers at an earlier stage. With screening guidelines and financial coverage varying among health systems and insurers – sometimes dramatically – the model provides quantitative predictions of the mortality benefits, on average, in populations of women over the course of 40 years.We're not advocating any particular interval for mammography screening," says Sandra Lee, ScD, a biostatistician at Dana-Farber who developed the model along with Marvin Zelen, PhD, of Dana-Farber and the Harvard School of Public Health. "This is a preliminary tool to show policymakers the kind of information they can draw on to help them make decisions. "Lee will describe the development of the mathematical model, which made use of data from several past clinical trials of mammography screening and Read more:Often
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Oral Sex & Health 2007-07-20 08:49:00 Oral sex can obtain the attention of most of the men. The subject gets to be considerably more excellent, nevertheless, when it is joined with a new study that more often binds papillomavirus human (HPV) to an increasing risk of a considered class of oral cancer in men. The study, which appears in this week's New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), shows that men and women who reported having six or more oral-sex partners during their lifetime had a nearly ninefold increased risk of developing cancer of the tonsils or at the base of the tongue. Of the 300 study participants, those infected with HPV were also 32 times more likely to develop this type of oral cancer than those who did not have the virus. These findings dwarf the increased risk of developing this so-called oropharyngeal cancer associated with the two major risk factors: smoking (3 times greater) or drinking (2.5 times greater). HPV infection drives cancerous growth, as it is widely understood to do in Read more:Health
Heart Attack 2007-07-20 08:42:00 On any given day, you can hear an ambulance, with sirens blaring, on the way to an emergency. But in some emergencies, action should be taken before paramedics arrive. One of those is a heart attack. Bob McKenzie is the public information officer for the Nevada Department of Transportation. He clearly remembers the day he suffered a heart attack, the day after his 56th birthday. McKenzie says, "We were in a strategic planning meeting. And it felt like a spear had gone through my body. You feel pain on both sides, both the front and back." As with many heart attack victims, Bob tried to shrug off the symptom. But after a while, he asked someone to drive him to the hospital -- a decision that probably saved his life. "I really had no idea that I was having a heart attack until the doctor at Nellis, in looking at the EKG, says, do you realize at this moment you're having a massive heart attack?" Looking back, Bob now believes the signs should have been obv Read more:Heart
Smoking in Pregnancy Damages Baby's Chromosomes 2007-07-20 08:08:00 Mothers who smoke when they're pregnant may cause genetic damage in their babies, findings from a new study suggest. In fact, one common type of chromosome damage linked to maternal smoking is known to increase the risk of blood cancers. While smoking is known to have a number of adverse effects on pregnancy, there has been limited information about on any possible genetic damage to the fetus, according to the report in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association To investigate, Dr. Josep Egozcue, from Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona and colleagues analyzed fetal cells obtained during routine amniocentesis from 25 women who smoked and 25 controls. The rate of structural chromosomal abnormalities in the smoking group was 12.1 percent, much higher than the rate seen in controls -- 3.5 percent -- the researchers report. Analysis of the 689 breakpoints identified revealed that one at a specific location of chromosome 11, which is often tied to blood cancers like leukemia, Read more:Smoking
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Pregnant? Don't Forget to Exercise 2007-07-20 08:02:00 It wasn't all that long ago that the moment a woman learned she was pregnant, exercise was out and pampering and rest were in.It was imperative, the thinking went, that the mom-to-be do nothing to risk her baby's development. Today, doctors say not only is it OK to exercise, but women should stay active as a way to ensure a smoother, healthier pregnancy and delivery, while possibly reducing the risk of gestational diabetes.Dr. Mary Jo O'Sullivan, a gynecologist and professor emeritus at the University of Miami in Florida, said that in the past, "women were catered to when they became pregnant," because it was assumed physical activity would harm the fetus. But recent research has found that fetal heart rate and birth weight don't suffer when a healthy woman exercises moderately. Nor does exercise harm the placenta, the organ that grows on the wall of the uterus and supplies blood and nutrients to the baby, O'Sullivan said. "In a basically healthy woman, a moderate exercise progra Read more:Exercise
Genes of female X chromosome catalog 2007-07-20 07:31:00 An international team of re-searchers said yesterday that they have catalog
ed all the genes on the female X chromosome, a feat expected to enable fresh insights into women's health and add a genetic component to the debate over differences between the sexes. Described by the head of the Human Genome Project as "a monumental achievement for biology and medicine," the genetic map should help scientists better understand more than 300 X-linked diseases — such as hemophilia and Duchenne muscular dystrophy — that mothers pass on to their sons. "From studying such genes, we can get remarkable insight into disease processes," said Mark Ross, project leader at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Hinxton, England. The accomplishment was reported in the British journal Nature. In humans and other mammals, sexual identity is governed by a pair of chromosomes known as X and Y. Every female has two X chromosomes, inherited from both parents, while all males have one X from their mother and Read more:Genes
How Female Bodies Work 2007-07-19 02:00:00 The Reproductive and Sexual Organs The Female
Reproductive SystemThe Internal OrgansThe largest organ in the female reproductive system is the uterus. Most of the time it is relatively small, about the size of your fist. In a normal pregnancy, the fetus develops within the uterus, stretching it to many times its normal size. Visit the pregnancy virtual health centre to learn more about this topic. On both sides of the uterus are pouches called ovaries. The ovaries contain unfertilized eggs or ova. When one of these ova (called an ovum) unites with a man's sperm, it is fertilized and may eventually produce a child. A girl's ovaries begin releasing ova at puberty prompting the start of her menstrual cycles.When the ovaries stop producing ova, a woman has reached menopause. Tubes attached to the ovaries called Fallopian tubes allowing the ovum to travel to the uterus.The vagina connects the uterus to the outside of the body. This passage has several important functions for women:a man'
Picture Story Eight: Snack Attack 2007-07-19 01:41:00 Health literacy issues:Childhood obesity epidemic in the United StatesHalth risks crated by childhood obesityHealth education and modeling by parents for their children on nutrition and exerciseThe basic story:In summer, the boy in the story is active and healthy. He plays soccer, basketball, and baseball, and goes swimming, so he has a lot of exercise. In September he does not exercise much. He eats snacks of chips and soda after school while he sits in front of the T.V. In October, he eats ice cream while he sits at the computer. In November, he eats cookies while he watches T.V. He weighs a little more. In December, he eats French fries while he sits at the computer again. He has gained a lot of weight. He is not healthy anymore like in the summer.Background information:Childhood obesity is considered to be a major health problem in the United States today. The rate of childhood obesity in this country is believed to have tripled in the past 15 years. There is debate over the cause Read more:Picture
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How To Give Yourself A Facial Massage 2007-07-27 07:23:00 Beauty therapist Sarah Chapman shows you to give yourself a relaxing facial massage, which will improve the circulation to your skin and rejuvenate your face. Read more:Yourself
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Female foetus remains found 2007-07-27 07:14:00 Police in India’s eastern state of Orissa have recovered skeletal remains of 23 female foetuses from an abandoned well, news reports said Monday.The skeletal remains were found in Nayagarh district of Orissa on Sunday, very near the area where seven female foetuses were found in a cave on July 14, IANS news agency reported.AdvertisementThe police raided several private clinics in the district, about 100km south-west of state capital Bhubaneshwar.The foetuses were six to eight months old and were packed in plastic bags, the report said. They were found in an abandoned well on the premises of a nursing home.The manager and an employee of the nursing home have been arrested.A group of social workers who had visited the area recently, were quoted as saying that there were many unregistered clinics offering tests to determine the sex of foetuses along with abortions if requested.Prenatal sex selection and selective abortion are banned in India and punishable by a hefty fine and up to fiv Read more:Female
Diet tied to asthma risk 2007-07-27 07:03:00 Teens who don't eat enough fruit and vegetables may be putting their respiratory health at risk, US and Canadian researchers report. They found, in a study of more than 2 000 high school students, that those with the lowest intake of fruit, vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids had the poorest lung function, and were also more likely to suffer from bronchitis, wheezing and asthma
. "Diet does appear to affect teens' respiratory health," Dr Jane S. Burns of the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, the study's lead author, told Reuters Health. Past studies have linked nutrition to pulmonary function in adults and children, but the current study is unique in that it focuses on older teens only, and includes boys and girls in 13 communities across the US and Canada, Burns noted. Adolescents are growing rapidly, but often have bad eating habits, Burns and her team point out in the July issue of the medical journal Chest. Intake of antioxidants is thought to help keep the lungs healthy
Alzheimer’s patch approved 2007-07-27 06:51:00 Swiss drug maker Novartis AG says its Exelon skin patch for treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer
's disease has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, AFX News reported Monday. The drug itself received FDA approval last yearThe once-daily patch offers continuous drug delivery for 24 hours and provides a novel approach to Alzheimer's treatment, according to Novartis.The company said the efficacy of the Exelon patch is similar to that of the highest doses of Exelon capsules and provides significant improvements in patients' memory and ability to perform everyday activities, compared to a placebo.Novartis also said the patch minimises gastrointestinal side effects caused by the oral form of the drug, AFX News reported. – (HealthDayNews)
Allergy molecule identified 2007-07-27 06:17:00 A vital molecule
for resistance to food allergy has been identified and offers a potential target for therapy.There is currently no way to treat food allergy and the only way for sufferers to manage the problem is to avoid certain foods and make sure they have injectable adrenaline at hand.AdvertisementScientists led by Dr Claudio Nicoletti at the Institute of Food Research in Norwich have found that a molecule called Interleukin-12 (IL-12) is absent during allergic responses. Dr Nicoletti suggests that by delivering an allergen in the presence of IL-12, allergic reactions could be brought back under control.Missing molecule identified“A food protein can be perfectly harmless to one person and lethal to another, said Dr Nicoletti. “We have identified the missing molecule that normally keeps immune responses under control and appropriate.”Having a food allergy means that the immune system responds to a food protein as if it were harmful. The immune system produces immunoglobulin Read more:Allergy
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