Clipmarks | pokkets's 'medicine' clips

Aloe Vera and Garlic top herbal charts

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 07:07:53 GMT

clipped by: pokkets

Aloe vera, garlic and green tea are the most popular herbal medicines used by Australians, according to a new study.

Professor Charlie Xue of RMIT University and colleagues report on the first study of its kind in the current issue of the journal Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety.

Previous studies have shown a sharp increase in the use of herbal medicines by Australians, says Xue, who set out to understand more about how people were using them.

The study found that 22.6% of participants had used at least one of the herbs in the past 12 months, with the highest use among 35 to 54 year-olds who were university-trained, and those who earned between A$60,000 and A$80,000 per year.

Aloe vera, garlic and green tea were the most popular herbs, each used by about 10% of participants.

The study found that more than 90% of people felt their herbal medicine had been helpful in enhancing their general health and wellbeing, or providing relief from specific medical conditions.

Alzheimer's memory loss faster among well-educated

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 07:40:30 GMT

clipped by: mugofcoffee
clipper's remarks: strange...I just thought that the more your read, think & write, the more you shall be excercising your brains!...wasted a lot of time in getting qualified!!!

Clip Source: www.reuters.com

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Having more years of formal education delays the memory loss linked to Alzheimer's disease, but once the condition begins to take hold, better-educated people decline more rapidly, researchers said on Monday.

Their study, published in the journal Neurology, tracked memory loss in a group of elderly people from New York City's Bronx borough before they were diagnosed with Alzheimer's or another form of old-age dementia.

Every year of education delayed the accelerated memory decline that precedes dementia by about 2-1/2 months, according to the researchers at Yeshiva University's Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York.

But once this memory loss began, the rate of decline unfolded 4 percent more quickly for each additional year of education, the researchers said.

Someone with 16 years of schooling might experience memory decline 50 percent more quickly than another person with just four years education, based on the findings.

Tags: alzheimer, memory loss, education, research, neurology.

Medical students fail drug tests

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 03:18:24 GMT

clipped by: pokkets
clipper's remarks: They were generally unaware of street names of common recreational drugs, a knowledge that can be critical in diagnosis, and the prescribing an antidote or remedy. Very often the information given is from people who are delirious, feel threatened, concerned about being responsible for an overdose, or hysterical because of the fear someone they know well may not survive. They can find it hard to trust a doctor without a clue.

Clip Source: www.abc.net.au

Dani Cooper

A team of British and Australian researchers have found that medical students have little in the way of street smarts when it comes to recreational drugs.

Quarterly Journal of Medicine, the team reports that the majority of final-year medical students in the UK are unable to identify common recreational drugs such as cocaine by their street names - Nose Candy, Blow and Snow.

Based on a survey of 135 students at an inner-city UK medical school, the authors say the findings have implications for the teaching of pharmacology in university medical degrees.

Co-author Alison Jones, professor of medicine and toxicology at the University of Newcastle in Australia, says the students were asked first to identify the proper names of recreational drugs from a list that contained the names of legitimate licensed drugs and words sounding similar to recreational drugs

Jones says the results are of concern because the students managed to get only an average of 11 out of 24 street names correct

Noseless seats a less pressing option

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:28:14 GMT

clipped by: pokkets
clipper's remarks: It should be a great alternative for recreational use, and some professions where bike riding is part of the job description, but it isn't really an option for sports racing, where time is more important than comfort. Some bike racers would prefer to have a groin injury, than lose a second. Another remedy suggested by Dr Barnes, apart from seat adjustment, is a good quality chamois in the shorts. - However you may want to be careful not to use it to dry the car.
Another thing. Police may know how to ride a bike, but what fraction have ever adjusted the seat?

Clip Source: www.abc.net.au

Claudine Ryan

A long day on the bike leaves most of us uncomfortable, but US scientists have good news for those men who find themselves with more than a numb backside

Research published in the latest issue of The Journal of Sexual Medicine reveals that bicycle seats without the protruding nose extension can help to ease discomfort some male bike riders experience

past researchers have found men riding their bikes for extended periods are more likely to experience erectile dysfunction, as well as genital numbness.

Researchers evaluated 90 bike police officers in five metropolitan areas in the United States. After six months of using no-nose bike seats the number of officers who reported no genital numbness rose from 27% to 82%.

Sports Medicine Australia's

Dr Peter Barnes says there are easier ways for men to alleviate groin discomfort bike riding can cause.

It's a common problem, but it's not a major problem that can't be overcome with pretty simple adjustments to the set up of their bike

Scientists stop the aging process.

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 06:12:01 GMT

clipped by: pokkets
clipper's remarks: Perhaps suspend. In a mouse liver. The findings linked aging to the ability of cells to expel toxins,which when not removed cause a buildup which results in degeneration. The degeneration then reducing the ability to remove toxins. The toxins that are removed are generally natural, but I don't know how the results would extend to artificial toxins which are leeching through our environments.

Clip Source: www.abc.net.au

Scientists have stopped the ageing process in an entire organ for the first time, a study released today says.

Clean bill of health: Scientists have shown that clearing damaged protein from the liver helps stop age decline in the organ

Published in today's online edition of Nature Medicine, researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University in New York City also say the older organs function as well as they did when the host animal was younger.

The researchers, led by Associate Professor Ana Maria Cuervo, blocked the ageing process in mice livers by stopping the build-up of harmful proteins inside the organ's cells.

As people age their cells become less efficient at getting rid of damaged protein resulting in a build-up of toxic material that is especially pronounced in Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative disorders.

The benefits of restoring the cleaning mechanisms found inside all cells could extend far beyond a single organ, says Cuervo.

Joggers outpace an early grave

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 13:18:46 GMT

clipped by: pokkets
clipper's remarks: As they say "Use it or lose it" The study finds that regular exercise is the key. There doesn't seem to be any 'magic formula' (despite what they say on late night TV...or spam) except that the exercise be vigorous. That can be relative -walking is more vigorous than sitting down, but what can be described as vigorous escalates as fitness improves.
Not just a matter of deciding to do 20 sit ups for example (it helps to start with an anchor)
which can be an aim, but seem impossible. Start with what CAN be done, no matter the amount, and set targets. It also helps to monitor heart rate, as this can be a critical fitness measure. Everyone has their individual optimum heart rate, depending on fitness, age, and health.

Clip Source: www.abc.net.au

Maggie Fox

People who want to live a long and healthy life might want to take up running

The study, published in the latest Archives of Internal Medicine, tracked older runners from a US-wide running group for more than 20 years.

Elderly runners have fewer disabilities, a longer span of active life and are half as likely as ageing non-runners to die early deaths, researchers at Stanford University in California say.

research shows running reduces the risk not only of heart disease, but of cancer and neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's,

"At 19 years [into the study], 15% of runners had died compared with 34% of [non-runners]," Dr Eliza Chakravarty, assistant professor at Stanford's School of Medicine, says.

Any type of vigorous exercise will likely do the trick, says senior author and medical school colleague Dr James Fries.

"It is the regular physical vigorous activity that is important."

The team surveyed 538 members of a running club and 423 non-runners

that were aged over 50 in 1984

Older men told to 'use it or lose it'

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 12:31:23 GMT

clipped by: pokkets
clipper's remarks: Other factors that contribute to erectile dysfunction that were taken into account include include age diabetes, and heart disease. Blood is retained by a muscle that stops blood from being returned to the body during arousal. Perhaps without regular exercise it is more inclined to lose its grip on the blood vessels.
How being caught by surprise affected function, was not mentioned

Clip Source: www.abc.net.au

There's new advice for older men who want to preserve their sexual function: have sex, and have it often,

The study, published in the American Journal of Medicine, followed nearly 1000 older Finnish men for five years, and reports that those who were regularly having sex at the start of the study were at lower risk of developing erectile dysfunction (ED)

Dr Juha Koskimaki and colleagues at the University of Tampere in Finland studied 989 men who were between the ages of 55 and 75

8% of men who had reported having sexual intercourse less than once per week had ED

3.2% of men who had intercourse once per week

ED among men

having sexual intercourse three or more times per week was 1.6%.

ED occurs when there are problems with blood flow to the penis. Regular sexual activity

may help maintain healthy blood vessel function in the erectile tissue.

A number of factors contribute to ED development

after taking account of those factors, sexual activity itself remained linked to ED risk

Study blows whistle on ref's fitness.

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 10:39:24 GMT

clipped by: pokkets
clipper's remarks: The referee must keep up with the fastest player, for the whole match. The players take turns to score points, and spread the load between the team. The referee not only has to keep up, but never take their eye off the ball. Not only that, if a team loses, they can get the blame.
If you can't play become a referee? More like the other way around.

Clip Source: www.abc.net.au

Dani Cooper

Referees give the sports people they preside over a run for their money quite literally, an Australian sports science expert says.

But when age catches up with them, some will "cheat" to help them keep control over the game, Dr Anthony Leicht, of the Institute of Sport and Exercise Science at James Cook University

Leicht says his study of elite basketball referees, published in a recent Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, shows they are working just as hard as the players.

"In basketball it is a small enclosed court and the general feeling was that referees stand around a lot," Leicht says.

For the study, Leicht monitored heart rates of seven elite-level basketball referees during a pre-Olympics tournament in the lead-up to the 2004 Athens Games.

He found the referees worked at an average heart rate of 150 beats per minute (plus or minus 18bpm) for each quarter of the match.

The referees on average ran between five and seven kilometres per game.

Good vibrations may help reduce falls

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 07:18:17 GMT

clipped by: pokkets
clipper's remarks: Older people can have difficulty exercising, or be 'chairbound', and this can affect their balance. It keeps getting harder to exercise, affecting balance, and muscle strength. The vibrating platform, was tested by checking the improvement by recording the time they could stand on one leg, they generally showed improved balance.
They tested for balance, but osteoporosis , and deep vein thrombosis, are thought to become more likely as activity decreases. This platform, and the vibrations could also provide the muscle movement that can alleviate these conditions as well.

Clip Source: www.abc.net.au

Anna Salleh

Less than ten minutes standing on a vibrating platform several times a week could help reduce older people's risk of falls,

PhD student Sven Rees of the University of Technology, Sydney and colleagues report their findings in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport.

"We're trying to look at interventions to assist with physical function in old age," says Rees.

As people age, they are more likely to lose balance and muscle strength, which makes them more likely to fall over.

Rees says previous research has suggested that vibration of muscles can cause reflex contractions, which in turn strengthens the muscles.

Then they got some of the participants to do light resistance training on a vibrating platform.

The exercise sessions lasted for less than 10 minutes and took place three times a week for eight weeks.

Rees emphasises the platform would not be a "silver bullet" to reduce the risk of falls, but could be one tool for older people who can't make it to the gym.

New source of heart stem cells discovered

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 01:39:40 GMT

clipped by: Silkweaver
clipper's remarks: This could eventually heal some broken hearts...

Clip Source: www.physorg.com

Researchers at Children's Hospital Boston are continuing to document the heart's earliest origins.

Now, they have pinpointed a new, previously unrecognized group of stem cells that give rise to cardiomyocytes, or heart muscle cells.

These stem cells, located in the surface of the heart, or epicardium, advance the hope of being able to regenerate injured heart tissue.

This finding, published online by the journal Nature on June 22, comes on the heels of parallel cardiac stem cell discoveries in 2006, at both Children's and Massachusetts General Hospital.

"If you're going to regenerate a tissue, you need to regenerate the whole tissue, not just the cardiomyocytes," said Pu. "This progenitor population contains all the potential to regenerate multiple tissue types within the heart."

whether this newly-discovered progenitor is truly multipotent

how multipotency is controlled, and whether this can be used therapeutically to benefit adults with heart failure.

Tags: medicine, stem cell therapy

Female hormone blocks HIV in men

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 09:53:09 GMT

clipped by: pokkets

Clip Source: www.abc.net.au

Darren Osborne

The cream has been used by millions of women for the last 30 years

Australian researchers have discovered that an off-the-shelf cream could be used to block the transmission of HIV in men.

The University of Melbourne study, published today in PLoS One, has found that a cream containing the female hormone oestriol helps block HIV penetrating the inner foreskin of the penis.

"It gets through the inner foreskin where you have all these Langerhans cells, [which] are like octopuses lying in the epithelium with tentacles reaching up to the epithelial surface, which have receptors for HIV."

"If an HIV virion comes along, it binds to one of these tentacles and the octopus pulls it in and migrates into the lymphatics."

According to Professor Roger Short, from the university's Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, the finding is significant, because the inner foreskin of the penis is where HIV enters the male body.

Green tea may help snorers sleep easy

Tue, 20 May 2008 12:06:58 GMT

clipped by: pokkets
clipper's remarks: One of my biggest problems is that my dog Lani snores. She doesn't like tea. I like green tea with Jasmine. I'm going to make a cup when I've posted this. It's that time of day. The chemicals in green tea may protect the snorers from damage caused by free radicals that are in excess as a result of sleep apnoea, but they still can't help anyone who is listening. These catechin polyphenols help sufferers, and no doubt victims of oxygen deprivation. A compound using them as an active ingredient may also be used as part of the first aid kits that assist CPR, in drowning and heart attack victims. I don't know if that's on the agenda, but the quicker an overload of free radicals can be neutralized, the better. It may in many cases reduce some of the serious brain damage in survivors. (You'd have to check that with a pharmacologist)

Clip Source: www.abc.net.au

Amy Norton

Compounds found in green tea may help ward off the neurological damage that can come with the breathing disorder sleep apnoea, an animal study suggests.

Researchers found when they added green tea antioxidants to rats' drinking water, it appeared to protect the animals' brains during bouts of oxygen deprivation designed to mimic the effects of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA).

The findings suggest that green tea compounds should be further studied as a potential OSA therapy, the researchers say in a recent edition of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

OSA is a common disorder

causing repeated stops and starts in breathing throughout the night

Dr David Gozal and colleagues at the University of Louisville

looked at

green tea compounds called catechin polyphenols

Catechin polyphenols act as antioxidants

they help neutralise cell-damaging particles called oxygen free radicals.

Free radicals are normal

but in excess they lead to a state known as oxidative stress.

Nanotubes give pre-cancer symptoms in mice

Wed, 21 May 2008 03:36:39 GMT

clipped by: pokkets
clipper's remarks: Every silver lining has a cloud behind it. There are perhaps thousands of prospective uses for nanotubes, from medicine to engineering. We may have to work out exactly where the line is. Asbestos was once considered an essential fire retardant. After the dangers that have been discovered recently, we've found that there are very few places it can be used safely. Asbestos is inorganic, and will not break down, however Carbon is the basis for organic chemicals, with which we are more likely to be compatible. There will be places that nanotubes will not break down quickly. Perhaps not until long after we are dead. Maybe there is a microorganism natural, or designed, that will clean them up. Meanwhile it's good the alarm bells have started to ring early, so, now wary of the dangers, we can do more specific investigation and learn exactly where they are safe to use. If there are any doubts they should be resolved first

Clip Source: www.abc.net.au

Scientists delivered a warning this week about nanotechnology after tests on lab rodents found that needle-like carbon nanotube fibres, already in commercial use, led to lesions similar to those caused by asbestos.

A rally in support of workers affected by asbestos: scientists now wonder whether carbon nanotubes could have similar health effects

Their research, published online in the journal Nature Nanotechnology exposed the mesothelium lining that swathes the lungs, the abdomen and the heart to nanotube fibres measuring billionths of a metre.

The fibres resulted in the same kind of inflammation and scarring, called granulomas, that are caused by exposure to asbestos, say the research team, led by Professor Ken Donaldson of the University of Edinburgh in the UK.

"The granulomas and the inflammation are extremely strong indicators of mesothelioma," the cancer that attacks the body cavity's lining, says team-member Dr Andrew Maynard of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

Modern lifestyle compounds global warming

Fri, 16 May 2008 07:17:40 GMT

clipped by: pokkets
clipper's remarks: We have to start changing the way that we live. This isn't a problem that is specific to any country in particular, but seems to be a 'side effect' of an 'improvement in living standards' across the world. Another case of where while it may be easy to point out a problem, but how this problem can be solved is completely beyond us. Where the intervention of the authorities is pointless, because it involves a change in lifestyle as a personal decision. There is also a general failure to recognize that the problems such as overconsumption of power, energy, and fuel, with obesity, and overeating, and over cultivating, so we will have trouble providing for ourselves, have a character that can be compared to many addictions. Beside the denial that there is a problem. The allusion that it is something beyond our control, yet somehow it will all work out in the end.

Clip Source: www.abc.net.au

Michael Kahn

Obese and overweight people require more fuel to transport them and the food they eat, and a literally swelling global population will make this source of greenhouse emissions worse, say UK researchers.

Dr Phil Edwards and Dr Ian Roberts from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine argue their point in this week's issue of The Lancet.

"We are all becoming heavier and it is a global responsibility," Edwards says. "Obesity is a key part of the big picture."

At least 400 million adults worldwide are obese. The World Health Organization (WHO) projects 2.3 billion adults will be overweight and more than 700 million will be obese by 2015.

Because thinner people eat less and are more likely to walk than rely on cars, a slimmer population would lower demand for fuel for transportation and for agriculture,

This would take the pressure off food and energy supplies and reduce greenhouse gases from agriculture and transport, he says

Incubator fields affect baby's heart rate.

Fri, 02 May 2008 04:25:07 GMT

clipped by: pokkets
clipper's remarks: The heart ? No doubt it is going to be affected, but the brain seems like it is more at risk.
The brain runs at a very low frequency - between 0, and 25 Hz in a natural state -compared to MHz, and kHz for radio, and GHz for a cpu, but as with the chords in music, a frequency higher up the scale can, amplify a note it harmonizes with somewhere else on the scale. Maybe there is a link between incubator EMR. and ADHD.
A kid may not need Ritlin, they might need a tune up.
If you want to know more about brain frequencies, wikki has a good summary in electroencephalograpy.
Below is the url : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electroencephalography#Wave_patterns

Clip Source: www.abc.net.au

Electromagnetic fields generated by hospital incubators influence the heart rates of newborns, say Italian researchers, who call for more research on the impact of such fields on premature babies.

Premature newborns may spend months in an incubator

Dr Carlo Bellieni, from the Department of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Reproductive Medicine of the University of Siena, and colleagues studied the impact of fields from an incubator's electric motor on the autonomic nervous system of newborns.

"EMFs [electromagnetic fields] produced by incubators influence newborns heart rate variability showing an influence on their autonomous nervous system," report the researchers, in the Archives of Disease in Childhood Fetal and Neonatal Edition.

"More research is needed to assess possible long-term consequences, since premature newborns may be exposed to these high EMFs for months."

The autonomic nervous system helps the body adapt to changes in the environment by adjusting or regulating stress responses.