health tips

Exercise Beneficial For Dementia

Exercise may benefit older people with dementia by improving their cognitive functioning and ability to carry out everyday activities, according to a new systematic review published in The Cochrane Library. However, the authors of the review did not see any clear effect of exercise on depression in older people with dementia and say that more evidence is needed to understand how exercise could reduce the burden on family caregivers and health systems.

Due to people living longer, rates of dementia are expected to rise sharply in the coming decades. Dementia affects the brain in different ways and is associated with effects on memory and personality. It is thought that exercise might be useful in treating dementia or slowing its progression, through improvements in the ability to carry out everyday tasks and positive effects on mental processes such as memory and attention, collectively described as cognitive functioning. Exercise may therefore indirectly benefit family caregivers and the healthcare system by reducing some of the burden of dementia.

The study updates a Cochrane review carried out in 2008, when only four trials on the effects of exercise in older people with dementia were available. In the updated review, data from eight trials involving 329 people showed that exercise could improve cognitive functioning. Data from six studies involving 289 people showed that exercise could improve the ability of older people with dementia to carry out daily activities, such as walking short distances or getting up from a chair.

“In our previous review, we were unable to draw any conclusions about the effectiveness of exercise in older people with dementia, due to a shortage of appropriate trials,” said researcher, Dorothy Forbes, an Associate Professor of Nursing who works at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta. “Following this new review, we are now able to conclude that there is promising evidence for exercise programs improving cognition and the ability to carry out daily activities. However, we do still need to be cautious about how we interpret these findings.”

The researchers remain cautious because there were substantial differences among the results of individual trials. In addition, they did not find enough evidence to determine whether exercise improved challenging behaviours or depression in older people with dementia. They were unable to come to any conclusions regarding quality of life, or benefits for family caregivers and health systems, because there was not enough evidence.

However, the researchers suggest that if more evidence becomes available in future, it may help to address the question of whether exercise can help people with dementia remain at home for longer. “Clearly, further research is needed to be able to develop best practice guidelines to enable healthcare providers to advise people with dementia living at home or in institutions,” said Forbes. “We also need to understand what level and intensity of exercise is beneficial for someone with dementia.”

Source: Red orbit

More teens visiting emergency room after using Ecstasy, Molly

The number of U.S. teens who wind up in the emergency room after taking the club drug Ecstasy has more than doubled in recent years, raising concerns that the hallucinogen is back in vogue, federal officials report.

Emergency room visits related to MDMA — known as Ecstasy in pill form and Molly in the newer powder form — increased 128 percent between 2005 and 2011 among people younger than 21. Visits rose from about roughly 4,500 to more than 10,000 during that time, according to a report released Tuesday by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

“This should be a wake-up call to everyone, but the problem is much bigger than what the data show,” said Steve Pasierb, president and CEO of The Partnership at Drugfree.org. “These are only the cases that roll into the emergency rooms. It’s just the tip of the iceberg.”

The SAMHSA study comes on the heels of a string of Ecstasy-related deaths. Organizers closed the Electric Zoo music festival in New York City one day early in August following two deaths and four hospitalizations caused by Ecstasy overdoses. The deaths came a week after another young man died from Ecstasy overdose at a rock show in Boston.

Ecstasy produces feelings of increased energy and euphoria, and can distort a person’s senses and perception of time. It works by altering the brain’s chemistry, but research has been inconclusive regarding the effects of long-term abuse on the brain, Pasierb said.

However, ecstasy abuse can cause potentially harmful physical reactions, Pasierb said. Users can become dangerously overheated and experience rapid heartbeat, increased blood pressure and dehydration, all of which can lead to kidney or heart failure.

Alcohol also appears to be a factor. One-third of the emergency room visits involving Ecstasy also involved alcohol, a combination that can cause a longer-lasting euphoria, according to SAMHSA. Teens can become less aware of how much alcohol they’ve consumed, and also can be more likely to make poor decisions that lead to bodily harm.

The newest form of MDMA, the powder Molly, appears to be driving the latest surge in Ecstasy use.

The study relied on data produced by the Drug Abuse Warning Network, a public health surveillance system that monitors drug-related hospital emergency department visits and drug-related deaths.

MDMA affects a person’s level of serotonin, a hormone that helps regulate sleep cycles and is responsible for feelings of happiness and well-being, said Peter Delany, director of SAMHSA’s Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. Overuse can cause depression, confusion, paranoia, anxiety and sleep disorders.

The Molly that currently is on the streets is usually a very pure crystalline form of MDMA, Delany said. Users can snort it, mix it in alcohol or some other liquid, or take it in a gel cap.

Delany noted that the number of emergency room visits caused by MDMA pales in comparison to the 1.5 million ER visits linked to drug use every year, but said both the rapid increase and the age of the victims are causes for concern.

The use of alcohol with MDMA can create a person who is drunk but hyper-aware, said Delany, comparing it to giving coffee to a drunk person. “You don’t want that, because then you have a wide-awake drunk,” he said.

For his part, Pasierb noted how Ecstasy’s popularity has fluctuated.

Ecstasy underwent a huge rise in use between 1999 and 2001, where it jumped from the club scene and into the mainstream, Pasierb said. Then news of deaths related to Ecstasy began to circulate, and use plummeted.

“We’ve had this six-year quiet lull, and now we’ve got a whole new generation of young people who are being marketed a new product under the name ‘Molly,'” he said.

Molly presents additional problems because it is a powder, and often contains a cocktail of chemicals in addition to MDMA, Pasierb said.

“When it was in a finished pill, it was difficult to tamper with,” he said. “But now that it comes in a powder form, you might have an unscrupulous dealer who cuts it with speed or some other substance.”
Source: Philly

Frito-lay releases Cheetos that taste like stew

Frito-Lay has just introduced “Cheetos! Cream stew” that is meant to taste like cream stew, a traditional Japanese meal that contains beef, vegetables and other stock ingredients, according to the website for Japan Frito-Lay Ltd..

Cream stew is just the latest in a string of new and unique Cheeto flavors. Just this summer, Frito-Lay released Pepsi-flavored Cheetos to decidedly mixed reviews. Unfortunately for adventurous American eaters, these special flavors are only sold in Japan.

It might sound wacky, but combining this savory stew with that oh-so-familiar crunchy Cheeto crisp might not be all that bad. Who knows? Maybe we’ll be seeing Chicken Noodle Soup Cheetos soon.

Cream Stew Cheetos hit stories in Japan Monday and will be available until March 2014.

Source: healcon

FDA warns that some Philips HeartStart defibrillators may not work

Federal health regulators are warning the public that certain cardiac defibrillators recalled by Philips Healthcare may fail to deliver a needed shock in an emergency.

Defibrillators are used by emergency responders and others to restore normal heart function in people suffering a heart attack. The FDA says an electrical problem with recalled Philips’ HeartStart devices could cause them to fail to deliver a life-saving shock.

Philips recalled three models of its HeartStart devices in September 2012 due to an internal electrical malfunction. The recall affects about 700,000 defibrillators sold between 2005 and 2012. The recalled HeartStart FRx and HS1 (OnSite and Home) devices include an electrical part called a resistor that could fail when high voltage is applied, and that could prevent the device from delivering the necessary shock. If the resistor fails, the device will emit an audible triple-chirp alert.

Customers who have received the affected devices should contact Philips at 1-800-263-3342 to receive a replacement. Until a replacement is received, the agency does recommend keeping the recalled defibrillators in service because it considers the benefits of attempting to use the device in a cardiac arrest emergency greater than the risk of not attempting to use the defibrillator, said Steve Silverman, director of the Office of Compliance in the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, in a statement Tuesday.

In March the FDA proposed new requirements for companies that manufacture external defibrillators, which are found everywhere from hospitals to schools to airports. The proposed rules would require an FDA review of devices before their launch and are intended to curb years of recalls caused by design and manufacturing flaws.

Philips said Tuesday that it has not received any reports of patient harm due to this recall and has been working closely with regulatory authorities and with customers to address this issue.

Source: Fox News

10 steps to a perfect do-it-yourself pedicure

Our feet are often the most neglected parts of the body when it comes to our beauty regime. A pedicure would not only improve the appearance of your feet and toenails it can help prevent nail diseases and disorders. You can get a pedicure at a beauty salon or simply learn the right steps to take care of your feet at home.

Step 1

Remove any existing nail polish with a mild remover.

Step 2

Put some bubble bath or Epsom salts in a tub filled with warm water and soak your feet for 10 to 15 minutes. You can also put marbles or smooth pebbles in the tub and run your feet over them for relaxation.

Step 3

Use a foot brush or a scrubber to remove the dirt lodged in between the ridges of your heels or the stains on your nails.

Step 4

Use a pumice stone or callus file and scrub the heels and bottoms of your feet to do away with dead skin cells.

Step 5

Massage and exfoliate with a foot scrub and wrap your feet in hot hand towels to seal in the moisture.

India.com
Step 6

Dry you feet with a towel and cut your nails.

Step 7

File your nails gently and push back the cuticles with orange sticks. You could also use a mild nail buffer to polish the surface of your toenails.

Step 8

Wash your feet and dry them.

Step 9

Massage each foot with a moisturising lotion for 5 minutes.

Step 10

When your feet are dry, remove any oil residue on your toe nails with remover and apply a base coat.

You’ll need: A tub or foot bath, nail polish remover, bubble bath, Epsom salts and/or scented oil, cuticle oil, exfoliating foot scrub, towels, pumice stone, callus file, nail clipper, nail file, nail buffer, moisturizing lotion, base coat and/or nail polish.

Source: inagist

Nigeria Spends N150bn Yearly on Medical Tourism

The National President of the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientist of Nigeria, AMLSN, Dr Godswill Okara has disclosed that Nigeria spends N 150 billion annually on medical tourism due to the fact that the larger proportion of Nigerians have lost confidence on the health sector in the country.
Speaking at the annual National Executive Council meeting of AMLSN convened in Yola, Adamawa state capital, the President of the association blamed the decline in the health sector on mismanagement of both human and economic resources.
Okara explained that according to reports at their disposal, Nigeria was ranked 4th among countries of the common wealth in 1960s to 70s stressing that some African countries were coming to Nigeria for health services because it had a vibrant health sector at that time. But he said the case today is the opposite due to the fact that since1985, the health sector was left in the hands of unprofessionals to manage .
Source: This day live

 

UAB Medicine introduces Web-based learning and continuing medical education for physicians

UAB Medicine, in collaboration with BroadcastMed, Inc. has launched MD Learning Channel, an online resource that enables medical professionals worldwide to tap into the knowledge and expertise of University of Alabama at Birmingham physicians.

The website at learnmd.uabmedicine.org offers free Web-based learning and continuing medical education for physicians and other medical professionals. It includes video presentations from UAB physicians discussing new research findings, new procedures and changes and developments in diagnosis or treatment of disease. The site primarily focuses on cancer, neurosciences, pulmonary medicine, women and infants services and cardiovascular medicine and will expand to include additional medical specialties in the future.

“UAB physicians and scientists are at the forefront of medicine, scientific research and discovery and advancement of treatments and patient-focused care,” said Physician Marketing Manager Whitney McDonald. “This site provides an easy, convenient way for UAB to help disseminate its incredible wealth of expertise to medical professionals around the world.”

McDonald says the site’s on-demand service enables physicians and medical professionals to learn as their schedule permits.

“By making the information readily available, we hope to further the mission, vision and successes of the UAB Medicine team, while sharing techniques, procedures and evidence-based care in use here to help others care for their patients,” said McDonald. “We hope that the MD Learning Channel will serve as a platform to foster many growth and development opportunities for health-care providers.”

Source: News Medical

8 Tips for Losing Weight After Pregnancy

Load Up on ‘Super Foods’, Find Time to Exercise, Consider Breastfeeding to Help Shed Excess Pounds

Now that your new baby is here, you have a lot to think about: when to feed her, what to do if she cries — and how to get rid of those extra pounds you packed on during your pregnancy.

If you started out at a normal weight and gained the 25-35 pounds your doctor probably recommended, it shouldn’t take you more than a couple of months to get back to your pre-pregnancy weight if you watch what you eat and exercise.
If, on the other hand, you were overweight before your pregnancy or you put on more weight than your doctor advised, it could take much longer — up to a year — to get the weight off. Any baby weight you don’t take off could stick with you for a long time.

“It’s very critical that you do get the weight off, because if you don’t it has been associated with overweight and obesity 15 to 20 years later in life,” says Debra Krummel, PhD, RD, endowed professor in the University of Cincinnati department of nutrition.
And although every new mom is eager to look like her old self again, one of the most important things to remember is to be patient with yourself. Your favorite celebrity might have gone straight from the delivery room into her size 0 jeans, but she may not have done it in a way that was good for her body.

“All the magazines ask, ‘How did she do it?’ The more important question is, ‘Why did she do it?'” says Melinda Johnson, MS, RD, registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association (ADA). “They do this with very, very strict diets, and a lot of them do it by getting back into activity before their body is really ready for it.”

Johnson advocates a more gradual approach to weight loss. “The number one thing new mothers have to have is a certain amount of patience with their body,” she says. “It took nine months to get there. It should take at least that long to get back to their fighting weight.”

With that in mind, here are some tips to help you lose weight after pregnancy and fit back into your old jeans — whatever their size.

Don’t diet.

It may sound strange, but going on an official “diet” could derail your post-pregnancy weight loss goals. Feeling deprived of your favorite foods while you’re already stressed out by your new role as mom could actually cause you to gain weight, Johnson says.

“If you go back to eating healthy and eating for your hunger, most women find that the weight comes off pretty naturally,” she says.

Instead of dieting, she recommends eating a well-balanced variety of foods. Keep different snacks in the house to keep you from feeling hungry and give you energy throughout the day. Apple slices, carrot sticks, and wheat crackers are all good for noshing.
Source: Web md

 

Four California students sickened with meningitis bacteria

An outbreak of disease linked to bacteria that cause meningitis has sickened four students at a major California university, prompting discussions with federal regulators about hastening approval of a new vaccine.

The students, at the University of California at Santa Barbara, were all sickened within a three-week period last month with meningococcal disease, a sometimes fatal illness that can affect the brain or the blood, according to a spokeswoman for the Santa Barbara County Department of Public Health.

The students were stricken by a form of the bacteria that does not respond to the meningitis vaccine currently approved for use in the United States, said the spokeswoman, Susan Klein-Rothschild.

A vaccine known to be effective against this form of meningitis is approved for use in Europe, and Santa Barbara public health officials were in discussions with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about using it to protect students at the California university.

The discussions come after federal officials agreed to allow Princeton University in New Jersey to administer the European vaccine, Bexsero, after eight students there were diagnosed with similar infections since March.

Meningitis, which causes the brain and spinal cord to swell, is spread through coughing and exchanges of saliva, and people living in dormitories or other crowded living quarters are especially at risk.

The most severe cases can result in death, hearing loss, brain damage, kidney disease or amputation of limbs.

In the Santa Barbara cases, one student has been permanently disabled, Klein-Rothschild said, declining to provide further details on the case, citing privacy issues.

To prevent additional cases, Santa Barbara public health officials will provide the antibiotic Cipro to students and others who may have been exposed to the bacteria. Students will also be taught to recognize and respond quickly to signs of infection, which include fever and headache.

In addition, the university is suspending social events by fraternities and sororities, saying the parties put too many students in close quarters and could cause the outbreak to spread further.

Students and faculty can also protect themselves by maintaining good hygiene and nutrition, and getting plenty of sleep during the highly stressful exam period, which begins this month, Klein-Rothschild said.

Bexsero, a new vaccine made by Swiss drugmaker Novartis, is designed to protect against serogroup B, a strain of meningitis that is not as common in the United States as it is in other parts of the world, Reynolds said.

source: Yahoo News

New data backs promise of long-acting Sanofi insulin

An improved version of Sanofi’s diabetes drug Lantus is better than the old one at controlling blood sugar levels and comes with fewer hypoglycemic events, new late-stage trial data showed on Tuesday.

The treatment is one of several drugs Sanofi is betting on to defend its No.2 spot on the world’s $42 billion diabetes market as its superstar product Lantus, the world’s most prescribed insulin, will lose patent protection by 2015.

The long-acting insulin, known as U300, requires less frequent or lower dosing than Lantus and offers a more consistent insulin release. It is similar to Novo Nordisk’s Tresiba (degludec), also in development.

Analysts expect Sanofi to seek regulatory approval for U300 in the United States and Europe next year and for the drug to reach global sales of $872 million by 2017, according to forecasts compiled by Thomson Reuters Cortellis.

The detailed Phase III results unveiled at the World Diabetes Congress in Melbourne showed U300 was better than Lantus at controlling blood sugar lows at night, a common side effect in diabetics treated with insulin.

The drug also lowered the incidence of hypoglycemic events at any time of the day across the six-month study period.

U300 met its goal in three other Phase III clinical trials, showing similar blood sugar level control as Lantus in patients with type 2 diabetes not previously treated with insulin and uncontrolled on oral medication, as well as in patients with type 1 diabetes already treated with insulin.

Lantus, also known as insulin glargine, was developed in the 1990s and is currently Sanofi’s top-selling drug. It reaped around 5 billion euros ($6.78 billion) in revenue last year.

Sanofi needs a successor for the drug and is also developing a pen-shaped device, known as LixiLan, that combines Lantus with Lyxumia, another diabetes treatment belonging to a class of drugs known as GLP-1 analogues.

The successful launch of both U300 and LixiLan could strengthen Sanofi against rival drugs such as Novo Nordisk’s Tresiba (degludec) and IDegLira, a combination of Tresiba and Victoza.

Novo Nordisk, the global leader in diabetes, faced a setback earlier this year when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration asked for further clinical studies for Tresiba, delaying its potential launch on the world’s largest pharmaceutical market until 2017 at the earliest.

Source: Reuters