Month: April 2014

Kidney health: Symptoms of Cyst on Kidney

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PKD describes kidney cyst grows and increases, causing kidney damage and declined kidney function. In addition, many other symptoms like anemia, swelling and high blood pressure can appear. Then, if cyst grows to 10 cm, what symptoms will occur?

1. High blood pressure
Due to increase and growth of cyst, kidney and other parts in body can be suppressed, especially blood vessels. In this way, pressure in blood vessels can be enhanced, leading to high blood pressure. The bigger and more kidney cyst is , the higher blood pressure is. As for 10 cm cyst, it is very large, causing high blood pressure for patients.

2. Pain in back
Due to big cyst in kidney area, tissues or organs surrounded by cyst can be affected and damaged, resulting in pain in back.

3. Blood in the urine
Just as balloon is very easy to break when it is big enough, 10 cm cyst can be very pone to rupture, too. If it happens, bleeding can appear. In this case, these blood can flow away through urine, forming blood in urine.

4. High creatinine level
As is known, creatinine level is an indicator of kidney function. The more serious kidney function is, the higher creatinine level is. As 10 cm cyst is very big to damage kidney, kidney function can be affected. In this way, kidney can’t remove much creatinine from body, leading to high creatinine level.

Patients with 10 cm cyst on kidney are very likely to have the above symptoms. If you are a patients with PKD with the above symptoms, it means that your cyst grows very largely, and it is very necessary for you to get timely and effective treatment. Any question, or want to know more information, contact us freely any time. We are very pleased that we can give you some effective suggestions.

Source: Kidney therapy

Forget Viagra, now there’s ice-cream that can turn you on!

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 A British ice cream maker has developed a flavour, ‘The Arousal’, which includes 25 mg of Viagra per scoop. Charlie Harry Francis, who created the concoction, wrote on his blog ‘Lick Me, I’m Delicious’ that that champagne is also a key ingredient in the flavour.

Francis told Latin Times that champagne-flavoured/Viagra ice cream was a custom order by an A-list celeb, and he spent a few days developing the recipe. He said incorporating the Viagra was easy but making it taste nicely of champagne was tough.

Source; The Health site

 

Acupuncture normalizes brain structure following heroin relapse

Researchers have found that the structure of the ventral tegmental area in heroin relapse patients gradually normalizes after acupuncture treatment.

A research team from Anhui University of Chinese Medicine in China conducted their study on rats to verify the relationship between acupuncture, neurotrophic factor expression and brain cell structural changes and found that the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor also increased in the ventral tegmental area following acupuncture.

The study, which suggested that acupuncture protects brain neurons against injury with heroin relapse by promoting brain-derived neurotrophic factor and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor expression, was published in the Neural Regeneration Research.

Source: Yahoo news

Why rice is good for your health?

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Researchers have shown that consumers can improve their diets simply by enjoying white or brown rice as part of their daily meals.

In a study, lead author Theresa Nicklas, DrPH, of Baylor College of Medicine, analyzed the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey datasets from 2005-2010 and evaluated the association of rice consumption with overall diet quality and key nutrient intakes in a nationally representative sample of 14,386 U.S. adults

Nicklas said their results show that adults who eat rice had diets more consistent with what is recommended in the U.S. Dietary Guidelines, and they showed higher amounts of potassium, magnesium, iron, folate and fiber while eating less saturated fat and added sugars. She said that eating rice is also associated with eating more servings of fruit, vegetables, meat and beans.

In addition to the positive results in cross-sectional studies linking rice consumption with healthier diets, a human clinical trial found that having white or brown rice at a meal increased satiety and feelings of fullness more than a calorically equivalent glucose solution control. Considering the cross-sectional and clinical findings, both enriched white rice and whole grain brown rice should be recommended as part of a healthy diet.

The study has been published online in the journal Food and Nutrition Sciences .

Source: Zee news

New laser scanner to detect arthritis before symptoms start

A new laser scanner has been developed to detect arthritis even before the symptoms start.

The revolutionary new scanner created by British scientists could help start arthritis treatment by spotting signs of the crippling disease before it has done painful and irreversible damage to cartilage in the joints, the Daily Express reported.

Professor Allen Goodship, of University College London said that the research is at an early stage but the results are promising and possibly in the future, the technique, called Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy, could be effective as a screening tool..

Source: Top news

 

Pregnant women with high BP risk preterm delivery and low birth weight

Researchers have said that pregnant women with chronic hypertension (high blood pressure) are highly likely to suffer from adverse pregnancy outcomes such as preterm delivery, low birth weight and neonatal death.

Chronic hypertension complicates between 1-5 per cent of pregnancies, and the problem may be increasing because of changes in the antenatal population.

Researchers from King’s College London carried out a study to assess the strength of evidence linking chronic hypertension with poor pregnancy outcomes. They combined data from studies from 55 studies done in 25 countries.

The researchers looked at the following outcomes: preterm delivery (delivery before 37 weeks’ gestation); low birth weight (below 2500g); perinatal death (fetal death after 20 weeks’ gestation including stillbirth and neonatal death up to one month) and admission to neonatal intensive care or special care baby units.

The relative risk of pre-eclampsia (a condition in pregnancy characterised by high blood pressure) in women with chronic hypertension was on average nearly eight times higher than pre-eclampsia in non-hypertensive women. All adverse neonatal outcomes were at least twice as likely to occur, compared with the general population.

The researchers conclude that “chronic hypertension is associated with a high incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes compared with a general population”.

The study has been published in the British Medical journal

Source: The siasat daily

Infant hair reveals life inside the womb

Hairs can reveal a lot, from your personality to even drug abuse or hormonal changes. Now, add foetus growth in the womb to the hair list.

In a thrilling discovery, a team of researchers including an Indian-origin scientist have found that hair can also reveal the womb environment in which an infant was formed.

They used infant hair to examine the hormonal environment to which the foetus was exposed during development – promising to unleash a wealth of new information in the fields of neonatology, psychology social science to neurology.

“We had this ‘Aha!’ realisation that we could use hair in newborns, because it starts growing one to two months before birth,” said Christopher Coe, director of the Harlow centre for biological psychology at University of Wisconsin-Madison.

“The findings raise questions about everything from the significance of birth order to stereotypical ‘boy’ and ‘girl’ behaviours in children,” Amita Kapoor, an assistant researcher at the Wisconsin National Primate Research Centre, noted.

Additionally, what happens to a developing foetus while in the womb may impact its risk for chronic disease later in life, Kapoor added.

According to researchers, hair closest to the scalp reveals the most recent information but moving down the shaft effectively transits an individual’s hormonal timeline.

For the study, researchers took small samples of hair from mother rhesus monkeys and their infants using common hair clippers. The hair was cleaned and pulverised into a fine powder using a high-speed grinder.

The hormonal signature was then read using a new mass spectrometry method. They found that cortisone, an inactive form of stress hormone cortisol, was higher in young mothers and in their babies than in hair of the older mothers and their infants.

Babies born to young mothers also had higher levels of estrone (a form of estrogen) and testosterone in their hair than did babies born to older mothers.

“Type 2 diabetes, metabolic disease, coronary artery disease and psychiatric disorders – there may be a whole host of long-term
repercussions of stress in utero,” Kapoor emphasised.  The study appeared in the journal Pediatric Research.
Source: business standard

 

Cheaper blood test to diagnose asthma

Researchers have developed a faster, cheaper and more accurate tool for diagnosing even mild cases of asthma using just a single drop of blood.

The researchers used neutrophil cell function in a clinical study to show accurate asthma diagnosis.

To directly diagnose asthma, David Beebe, a UW-Madison professor of biomedical engineering and co-author on the paper, and his team focused on the cell function of neutrophils. Neutrophils are the most abundant white blood cell in the body and generally are the first cells to migrate toward inflammation.

“Neutrophils are sort of like a dog tracking something. They sense a chemical gradient, like an odor, in the body,” Beebe says.

In other words, the human body emits chemical signals in response to inflammation or wounds and the neutrophils detect those chemical signals and migrate to the site of the wound to aid in the healing process. Researchers can track the velocity at which the neutrophil cells migrate — the chemotaxis velocity — to differentiate nonasthmatic samples from the significantly reduced chemotaxis velocity of asthmatic patients.

UW-Madison students have developed the kit-on-a-lid-assay (KOALA) microfluidic technology, which allows them to detect neutrophils using just a single drop of blood.

The KOALA diagnostic procedure uses simple lids and bases (each being a small, cheap piece of plastic), diagnosticians place a KOALA lid containing a chemical mixture onto the base containing the blood sample. That chemical mixture triggers neutrophil migration — and researchers can automatically track and analyze the neutrophil chemotaxis velocity using custom software.

The team has published online in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Source: Times of India

 

5 Steps to Avoid Getting Hangry

Your energy is zapped, your stomach is rumbling, and your personality has transformed from level-headed and sweet to short-tempered and snippy. Your hunger has led to anger: You’re officially hangry. We’ve all been there, and it’s not pretty, but fortunately—for the sake of your relationships and social life—it can be avoided. Here are five rules for thwarting hunger-induced crankiness, and the binge that often follows.

Eat more often

Many of my clients tell me they get so caught up with work, family responsibilities, or errands that they lose track of time, wait way too long to eat, and wind up (regrettably) biting someone’s head off. When you’re distracted, you may lose touch with your body’s signals and tune out hunger…and end up going more than 4 to 5 hours without eating. Or, if you eat at erratic times your hunger signals may get thrown off kilter. In either case, your body still needs a steady supply of fuel to perform both mentally and physically: When your blood sugar dips too low, the side effects generally include headache, anxiety, and agitation.

What’s more, you’re probably dipping into your reserves to create the fuel you need, and while it would be great if that just meant breaking down body fat, that’s not the way it works. Under-eating also triggers a breakdown of lean muscle, the metabolism-revving tissue you don’t want to sacrifice. To keep your both mind and body stable, set your cell phone alarm to go off to remind yourself to stop and eat lunch and have snacks. If you don’t have time for a real meal, stash healthy, ready-to-eat options in your bag or desk, so you’ll have them at the ready. My go-to snack is a combo of nuts or seeds and preservative-free unsweetened dried fruit. I mix a golf-ball sized portion each of almonds and cherries, or walnuts and figs.

Fill up on fiber

Fiber is, well, fibrous. It takes longer to chew, takes up space in your digestive system, fills you up, and helps regulate blood sugar and insulin response, all of which results in steady energy over a longer period of time. In other words, bulking up your meals with fiber is a good hanger-prevention strategy. The average fiber intake is about 15 grams per day, but the goal is at least 25 grams.

To hit the mark, aim for at least two daily servings of fruit (one at breakfast and one in a snack), include a few servings of veggies in each lunch and dinner meal, trade refined grains like white rice for whole grains (including brown or wild rice or quinoa), choose beans or lentils more often as your protein source, and incorporate nuts and seeds into meals and snacks. Some of the top sources of fiber include: raspberries (8 grams per cup), pears and apples (about 5 grams per medium piece), broccoli (5 grams per cup cooked), beans and lentils (7-8 grams per half cup), almonds (4 grams per ounce), and chia seeds (5 g per tablespoon).

Be strategic about protein and healthy fat

Both protein and fat delay stomach emptying and boost satiety. That means they help you feel fuller longer and delay the return of hunger, so incorporating them into meals is a smart way to avoid blood sugar swings and to steady your mood. If you’ve ever eaten something that was low in fiber, protein, and fat (think sugary candy, a bagel with jam, or a bowl of pasta with tomato sauce), you probably noticed how quickly your hunger returned, even if you consumed a large portion. In fact, two meals with identical calorie counts can result in drastically different effects on fullness, energy, metabolism, and mood.

Unless you’re about to work out, I recommend including some lean protein or heart healthy fat (ideally both) in every meal. Beans and lentils are staple protein sources for my vegan clients, while vegetarians add organic eggs and organic nonfat Greek yogurt, and my omnivore clients eat all of the above plus seafood and poultry. The healthy fats I recommend to everyone include avocados, nuts, seeds, nut/seed butters, and extra virgin olive and coconut oils. Pair them with produce and whole grains by choosing things like hummus made with olive oil plus veggies and quinoa; black bean chili made with veggies and brown rice topped with avocado; yogurt layered with berries, toasted oats, and slivered almonds; and veggies stir fried in coconut oil over wild rice topped with shrimp or salmon.

Munch mood-leveling foods

More and more research is exploring how certain foods and nutrients impact mood, so if you want to remain productive and chipper, your choices are key. For example, cinnamon has been shown to enhance concentration, walnuts are tied to better reasoning, and for positivity, produce is tops. In one study, scientists asked nearly 300 young adults to complete daily food diaries for three weeks, which included psychological and mood-related ratings. Researchers found that a higher consumption of fruits and veggies resulted in more energy, calmness, and greater feelings of happiness.

To reap the benefits, pick your produce first when planning your meals. One of my clients never ate veggies at lunch, because her usual meal was a turkey sandwich. Once she started thinking veggies first, her options widened to include lots of salads, stuffed peppers, veggie soups, and stews. Soon she went from eating one serving of veggies each day to easily fitting in three to four.

Sip yourself calm

One of the best ways to regulate your mood is to avoid sugary drinks and artificial sweeteners and instead reach for water and unsweetened hot or chilled green tea to stay hydrated. In a British food and mood study, more than 70% of the participants reported that upping their water intake improved their mood. And a Japanese study involving more than 40,000 people found that psychological stress levels were 20% lower in those who drank at least 5 cups of green tea per day, compared to those who drank less than one daily cup.

Source: health

Salt-reduction campaign led to decrease stroke, heart disease deaths

A nationwide campaign to reduce salt intake among people in the United Kingdom resulted in a drastic reduction in heart disease and stroke deaths among the population.

In 2003, the government in the U.K. launched a widespread effort to encourage companies to gradually reduce sodium levels in processed foods. Now, a new study in the British Medical Journal is showing the impact of this public health initiative.

Researchers analyzed data from more than 31,500 people participating in the Health Survey for England between 2003 to 2011. During the study period, levels of salt intake among the population decreased by about 15 percent. Over the same period, deaths from stroke decreased by 42 percent and deaths from coronary heart disease dropped by 40 percent.

Rates of smoking and overall cholesterol levels in the population declined over the same period, while produce intake and body mass index both increased. The researchers, from Queen Mary University of London, noted that the single largest factor contributing to the decline in deaths was decreased blood pressure among the population.

Some physicians noted that the U.K. has been far more proactive and successful at enforcing the reduction of sodium in foods, compared to the U.S.

“In the U.K., the political action group ‘Action on Salt’ worked with the government and the food industry to slowly wean the British populace off salt, with excellent results. Yet, our food industry has fought a similar action tooth and nail,” Dr. Robert Lustig, a pediatric endocrinologist at UC San Francisco
Source: Fox news