leopolgoins: September 2012

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Association Between Diets High In Total Antioxidants And Lower Risk Of Myocardial Infarction In Women

Main Category: Heart Disease
Also Included In: Women's Health / Gynecology; Nutrition / Diet
Article Date: 25 Sep 2012 - 1:00 PDT

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Association Between Diets High In Total Antioxidants And Lower Risk Of Myocardial Infarction In Women

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Coronary heart disease is a major cause of death in women. A new study has found that a diet rich in antioxidants, mainly from fruits and vegetables, can significantly reduce the risk of myocardial infarction. The study is published in the October issue of The American Journal of Medicine.

"Our study was the first to look at the effect of all dietary antioxidants in relation to myocardial infarction," says lead investigator Alicja Wolk, DrMedSci, Division of Nutritional Epidemiology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. "Total antioxidant capacity measures in a single value all antioxidants present in diet and the synergistic effects between them."

The study followed 32,561 Swedish women aged 49-83 from September 1997 through December 2007. The women completed a food-frequency questionnaire in which they were asked how often, on average, they consumed each type of food or beverage during the last year. The investigators calculated estimates of total antioxidant capacity from a database that measures the oxygen radical absorption capacity (ORAC) of the most common foods in the United States (no equivalent database of Swedish foods exists). The women were categorized into five groups of total antioxidant capacity of diet.

During the study, 1,114 women suffered a myocardial infarction. Women in the group with the highest total antioxidant capacity had a 20% lower risk, and they consumed almost 7 servings per day of fruit and vegetables, which was nearly 3 times more than the women with the least antioxidant capacity, who on average consumed 2.4 servings.

Dr. Wolk notes that trials testing high doses of antioxidant supplements have failed to see any benefit on coronary heart disease and, in fact, in one study higher all-cause mortality was reported. "In contrast to supplements of single antioxidants, the dietary total antioxidant capacity reflects all present antioxidants, including thousands of compounds, all of them in doses present in our usual diet, and even takes into account their synergistic effects," she explains.

In a commentary accompanying the article, Pamela Powers Hannley, MPH, Managing Editor of The American Journal of Medicine, observes that with the industrialization of our food supply, Americans began to consume more total calories and more calories from processed food high in fat and sugar. As a result, obesity rates began to climb steadily. "Although weight-loss diets abound in the US, the few which emphasize increasing intake of fruits and vegetables actually may be on the right track," she says. "Yet only 14% of American adults and 9.5% of adolescents eat five or more servings of fruits or vegetables a day."

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our heart disease section for the latest news on this subject.

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n.p. "Association Between Diets High In Total Antioxidants And Lower Risk Of Myocardial Infarction In Women." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 25 Sep. 2012. Web.
28 Sep. 2012. <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/250604.php>

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Helping Seniors With Pain: New GSA Resources

Main Category: Pain / Anesthetics
Also Included In: Seniors / Aging; Body Aches
Article Date: 02 Feb 2012 - 1:00 PST

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The pain suffered by older adults is the shared focus of the two newest entries in The Gerontological Society of America's (GSA) From Publication to Practice* series. Together they address both pain management and new labeling changes for one of the most popular pain medications, acetaminophen. Both issues aim to provide readers with information on how new advances in pain prevention, treatment, and management may improve care and quality of life for older adults. The From Publication to Practice series was launched last year to promote the translation of research into meaningful health outcomes.

"Taken together, these two new resources will enable the gerontological community to identify opportunities to improve pain management services," said Cathy Alessi, MD, the 2011 chair of GSA's Health Sciences Section. "Research indicates that severe pain in older adults leads to a decreased quality of life, including both satisfaction with life and health-related quality of life."

One of the installments, "An Interdisciplinary Look at Advancing Pain Care, Education, and Research: Responding to the IOM's Call to Action To Improve Pain Management," was supported by an educational grant from Purdue Pharma, L.P. While addressing shortfalls in assessment and treatment for older adults with pain, this publication aims to inform health care providers, researchers, policy makers, educators, caregivers, and patients about a recent Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, "Relieving Pain in America: A Blueprint for Transforming Prevention, Care, Education, and Research."

While pain affects approximately one-third of Americans - and exacts a huge toll from society in terms of morbidity, mortality, disability, demands on the health care system, and economic burden - it remains widely undertreated. GSA's new publication also provides an overview of needs for care, education, and research, and lays out a blueprint for transforming pain care.

The other new issue, "An Interdisciplinary Look at Labeling Changes for Acetaminophen and the Implications for Patient Care," was supported by McNeil Consumer Healthcare. It was produced in response to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's recent modifications to the recommended daily dosage of acetaminophen. The purpose of these changes is to make patients aware of the presence and amount of acetaminophen in single-ingredient and combination products - with the goal of preventing overdoses that can cause acute liver failure.

Acetaminophen is present in more than 600 over-the-counter and prescription products used by more than 50 million Americans each week. This commonly used medication is taken to treat conditions such as pain, fever, and the aches and pains associated with cold and flu. Acetaminophen - over-the-counter or prescription - is the most frequently prescribed agent for pain relief. This installment of From Publication to Practice provides essential information on the new labeling changes and describes the resulting implications for patient care, especially for older patients. It also presents important steps that clinicians and aging network professionals can take when educating patients.

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
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The Gerontological Society of America. "Helping Seniors With Pain: New GSA Resources." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 2 Feb. 2012. Web.
30 Sep. 2012. <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/241030.php>

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Gene Flaw Linked To Lower Back Pain

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Main Category: Back Pain
Also Included In: Genetics; MRI / PET / Ultrasound
Article Date: 23 Sep 2012 - 0:00 PDT

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Gene Flaw Linked To Lower Back Pain

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A new study published online first in the journal Annals of Rheumatic Diseases on 19 September, shows how for the first time researchers have identified a gene linked to a common cause of lower back pain: a condition known as lumbar disc degeneration (LDD).

While more research is needed to fully understand the link, the team, from King's College London, hopes the study will lead to new treatments for the condition.

LDD is a common age-related problem: for instance, over a third of women aged 30 to 50 will have at least one degenerate disc in their spine.

When the disc degenerates it becomes dehydrated, loses height, and the vertebrae on either side develop bony growths called osteophytes. As these changes take place, they cause or exacerbate lower back pain.

Back pain is not a well understood condition, despite the fact it "can have a serious impact on people's lives and is one of the most common causes of sickness leave, costing both the NHS and UK economy billions each year," first author, Frances Williams, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology at King's College London, says in a press statement.

In the case of LDD, scientists have for some time believed genes are involved, because up to 4 out of 5 people with LDD inherit the condition.

Williams and colleagues are the first to suggest there is a link between LDD and a gene called PARK2.

The Study

For their study, the researchers examined spinal MRI scans of 4,600 people whose genes had been mapped using genome-wide association (GWA) techniques.

They analyzed the MRI scans using a measuring technique they had developed, which they describe in their paper as "a continuous trait based on disc space narrowing and osteophytes growth which is measurable on all forms of imaging (plain radiograph, CT scan and MRI)".

The participant data came from "five cohorts of Northern European extraction each having GWA data imputed to HapMap V.2".

Using meta-analysis techniques (a statistical method that allows data from studies of similar design to be pooled and analyzed as if they came from one large study), the researchers compared the MRI measures with the genome data, and found a strong link between a variant of PARK2 and the presence of degenerate discs.

This led them to suggest the gene affects the rate at which the discs degenerate.

The Gene May Be Switched Off

"We have performed, using data collected from around the world, the biggest genome-wide association analysis of lumbar disc degeneration (LDD)," says Williams.

"We have identified a gene called PARK2 as associated with LDD. We have shown that the gene may be switched off in people with the condition," she adds.

Although they don't know exactly how this happens, the researchers suggest environmental factors are involved, for instance lifestyle and diet. These factors could trigger epigenetic changes that in turn switch off the gene.

The team hopes disc researchers will now take the findings further, and discover exactly what role PARK2 plays:

"It is feasible that if we can build on this finding and improve our knowledge of the condition, we may one day be able to develop new, more effective treatments for back pain caused by this common condition," says Williams.

Funds from the Wellcome Trust and Arthritis Research UK paid for the study.

Written by Catharine Paddock PhD
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

Visit our back pain section for the latest news on this subject.

"Novel genetic variants associated with lumbar disc degeneration in northern Europeans: a meta-analysis of 4600 subjects"; Frances M K Williams, Aruna T Bansal, Joyce B van Meurs, Jordana T Bell, Ingrid Meulenbelt, Pradeep Suri, and others; Annals of Rheumatic Diseases, Published Online First, 19 September 2012; DOI:10.1136/annrheumdis-2012-201551; Link to Article. Additional source: King's College London.

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n.p. (2012, September 23). "Gene Flaw Linked To Lower Back Pain." Medical News Today. Retrieved from
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Visitor Opinions (latest shown first)

thank you! Re: Gene Flaw Linked To Lower Back Pain

posted by karen on 24 Sep 2012 at 7:58 pm

Thanks a lot for the info of lower back pain. It's always nice to know more about it.

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'Gene Flaw Linked To Lower Back Pain'

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Gene Identified For Back Pain

Main Category: Back Pain
Also Included In: Seniors / Aging; Genetics
Article Date: 26 Sep 2012 - 0:00 PDT

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Researchers at King's College London have for the first time identified a gene linked to age-related degeneration of the intervertebral discs in the spine, a common cause of lower back pain.

Costing the UK an estimated £7billion a year due to sickness leave and treatment costs, the causes of back pain are not yet fully understood. Until now, the genetic cause of lower back pain associated with lumbar disc degeneration (LDD) was unknown, but the largest study to date, published this week in the journal Annals of Rheumatic Diseases, has revealed an association with the PARK2 gene.

The researchers, funded by the Wellcome Trust and Arthritis Research UK, say more research into this surprising association needs to be carried out in order to fully understand how it is triggered, but this new finding could ultimately pave the way towards developing new treatments in the future.

LDD is a common age-related trait, with over a third of middle-aged women having at least one degenerate disc in the spine. Discs become dehydrated, lose height and the vertebrae next to the discs develop bony growths called osteophytes. These changes can cause or contribute to lower back pain. LDD is inherited in between 65 - 80 per cent of people with the condition, suggesting that genes play a key role.

Scientists compared MRI images of the spine in 4,600 individuals with genome-wide association data, which mapped the genes of all the volunteers. They identified that the gene PARK2 was implicated in people with degenerate discs and could affect the speed at which they deteriorate.

The researchers say the results show that the gene may be switched off in people with LDD. Although it is still unclear how this might happen, it is thought that environmental factors, such as lifestyle and diet, could trigger this switch by making changes known as epigenetic modifications to the gene.

Dr Frances Williams, Senior Lecturer from the Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology at King's College London, said: 'Back pain can have a serious impact on people's lives and is one of the most common causes of sickness leave, costing both the NHS and UK economy billions each year.

'We have performed, using data collected from around the world, the biggest genome-wide association analysis of lumbar disc degeneration (LDD). We know that people whose discs wear out are at increased risk of episodes of lower back pain, but normal human discs are hard to get hold of to study so until now our knowledge of normal human biology was incomplete.

'We have identified a gene called PARK2 as associated with LDD. We have shown that the gene may be switched off in people with the condition.

'Further work by disc researchers to define the role of this gene will, we hope, shed light on one of most important causes of lower back pain. It is feasible that if we can build on this finding and improve our knowledge of the condition, we may one day be able to develop new, more effective treatments for back pain caused by this common condition.'

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our back pain section for the latest news on this subject.

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Creating High-Tech Tools To Study Autism

Main Category: Autism
Also Included In: IT / Internet / E-mail; Medical Devices / Diagnostics
Article Date: 27 Sep 2012 - 1:00 PDT

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Researchers in Georgia Tech's Center for Behavior Imaging have developed two new technological tools that automatically measure relevant behaviors of children, and promise to have significant impact on the understanding of behavioral disorders such as autism.

One of the tools - a system that uses special gaze-tracking glasses and facial-analysis software to identify when a child makes eye contact with the glasses-wearer - was created by combining two existing technologies to develop a novel capability of automatic detection of eye contact. The other is a wearable system that uses accelerometers to monitor and categorize problem behaviors in children with behavioral disorders.

Both technologies already are being deployed in the Center for Behavior Imaging's (CBI) ongoing work to apply computational methods to screening, measurement and understanding of autism and other behavioral disorders.

Children at risk for autism often display distinct behavioral markers from a very young age. One such marker is a reluctance to make frequent or prolonged eye contact with other people. Discovering an automated way to detect this and other telltale behavioral markers would be a significant step toward scaling autism screening up to much larger populations than are currently reached. This is one goal of the five-year, $10 million "Expeditions" project, funded in fall 2010 by the National Science Foundation under principal investigator and CBI Director Jim Rehg, also a professor in Georgia Tech's School of Interactive Computing.

The eye-contact tracking system begins with a commercially available pair of glasses that can record the focal point of their wearer's gaze. Researchers took video of a child captured by a front-facing camera on the glasses, worn by an adult who was interacting with the child. The video was then processed using facial recognition software available from a second manufacturer. Combine the glasses' hard-wired ability to detect wearer gaze with the facial-recognition software's ability to detect the child's gaze direction, and the result is a system able to detect eye contact in a test interaction with a 22-month-old with 80 percent accuracy. The study was conducted in Georgia Tech's Child Study Lab (CSL), a child-friendly experimental facility richly equipped with cameras, microphones and other sensors.

"Eye gaze has been a tricky thing to measure in laboratory settings, and typically it's very labor-intensive, involving hours and hours of looking at frames of video to pinpoint moments of eye contact," Rehg said. "The exciting thing about our method is that it can produce these measures automatically and could be used in the future to measure eye contact outside the laboratory setting. We call these results preliminary because they were obtained from a single subject, but all humans' eyes work pretty much the same way, so we're confident the successful results will be replicated with future subjects."

The other new system, developed in collaboration with the Marcus Autism Center in Atlanta and Dr. Thomas Ploetz of Newcastle University in the United Kingdom, is a package of sensors, worn via straps on the wrists and ankles, that uses accelerometers to detect movement by the wearer. Algorithms developed by the team analyze the sensor data to automatically detect episodes of problem behavior and classify them as aggressive, self-injurious or disruptive (e.g., throwing objects).

Researchers first developed the algorithms by putting the sensors on four Marcus clinic staff members who together performed some 1,200 different behavior instances, and the system detected "problem" behaviors with 95 percent accuracy and classified all behaviors with 80 percent accuracy. They then used the sensors with a child diagnosed along the autism spectrum, and the system detected the child's problem-behavior episodes with 81 percent accuracy and classified them with 70 percent accuracy.

"These results are very promising in leading the way toward more accurate and reliable measurement of problem behavior, which is important in determining whether treatments targeting these behaviors are working," said CSL Director Agata Rozga, a research scientist in the School of Interactive Computing and co-investigator on the Expeditions award. "Our ultimate goal with this wearable sensing system is to be able to gather data on the child's behavior beyond the clinic, in settings where the child spends most of their time, such as their home or school. In this way, parents, teachers and others who care for the child can be potentially alerted to times and situations when problem behaviors occur so that they can address them immediately."

"What these tools show is that computational methods and technologies have great promise and potential impact on the lives of many children and their parents and caregivers," said Gregory Abowd, Regents' Professor in the School of Interactive Computing and a prominent researcher in technology and autism. "These technologies we are developing, and others developed and explored elsewhere, aim to bring more effective early-childhood screening to millions of children nationwide, as well as enhance care for those children already diagnosed on the autism spectrum."

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our autism section for the latest news on this subject.

Both technologies were presented in early September at the 14th ACM International Conference on Ubiquitous Computing (Ubicomp 2012). Among the other devices under study at CSL are a camera/software system that can track children’s facial expressions and customized speech analysis software to detect vocalization patterns.
Georgia Institute of Technology

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Creating High-Tech Tools To Study Autism

Main Category: Autism
Also Included In: IT / Internet / E-mail; Medical Devices / Diagnostics
Article Date: 27 Sep 2012 - 1:00 PDT

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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our autism section for the latest news on this subject.

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Treating Fragile X Syndrome Symptoms By Boosting Natural Marijuana-Like Brain Chemicals

Main Category: Autism
Also Included In: Anxiety / Stress; Psychology / Psychiatry
Article Date: 27 Sep 2012 - 0:00 PDT

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American and European scientists have found that increasing natural marijuana-like chemicals in the brain can help correct behavioral issues related to fragile X syndrome, the most common known genetic cause of autism.

The work indicates potential treatments for anxiety and cognitive defects in people with this condition. Results appear online in Nature Communications.

Daniele Piomelli of UC Irvine and Olivier Manzoni of INSERM, the French national research agency, led the study, which identified compounds that inhibit enzymes blocking endocannabinoid transmitters called 2-AG in the striatum and cortex regions of the brain.

These transmitters allow for the efficient transport of electrical signals at synapses, structures through which information passes between neurons. In fragile X syndrome, regional synapse communication is severely limited, giving rise to certain cognitive and behavioral problems.

Fragile X syndrome is caused by a mutation of the FMR1 gene on the X chromosome. People born with it are mentally disabled; generally experience crawling, walking and language delays; tend to avoid eye contact; may be hyperactive or impulsive; and have such notable physical characteristics as an elongated face, flat feet and large ears.

The researchers stress that their findings, while promising, do not point to a cure for the condition.

"What we hope is to one day increase the ability of people with fragile X syndrome to socialize and engage in normal cognitive functions," said Piomelli, a UCI professor of anatomy & neurobiology and the Louise Turner Arnold Chair in the Neurosciences.

The study involved mice genetically altered with FMR1 mutations that exhibited symptoms of fragile X syndrome. Treated with novel compounds that correct 2-AG protein signaling in brain cells, these mice showed dramatic behavioral improvements in maze tests measuring anxiety and open-space acceptance.

While other work has focused on pharmacological treatments for behavioral issues associated with fragile X syndrome, Piomelli noted that this is the first to identify the role endocannabinoids play in the neurobiology of the condition.

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our autism section for the latest news on this subject.

Kwang-Mook Jung and Nicholas DiPatrizio of UCI; Marja Sepers, Olivier Lassalle, Daniela Neuhofer, Henry Martin, Melanie Ginger and Andreas Frick of INSERM; and Christopher Henstridge and Istvan Katona of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences contributed to the study, which received support from INSERM and the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse (grant number DA-012447).
University of California - Irvine

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Breakthrough For IVF

Main Category: Fertility
Also Included In: Women's Health / Gynecology
Article Date: 26 Sep 2012 - 0:00 PDT

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Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have discovered that a chemical can trigger the maturation of small eggs to healthy, mature eggs, a process that could give more women the chance of successful IVF treatment in the future. The results have been published in the journal PloS ONE.

Women and girls treated for cancer with radiotherapy and chemotherapy are often unable to have children as their eggs die as a result of the treatment.

Although it is now possible to freeze eggs and even embryos, this is not an option for girls who have yet to reach puberty. A better way of preserving their fertility is to freeze slices of ovarian tissue that contain small immature eggs, and subsequently mature these eggs so that they can be used in IVF treatment. Unfortunately there is, at present, no way of maturing small eggs in an artificial environment outside the body.

A research group led by professor Kui Liu at the University of Gothenburg has recently discovered that a chemical which inhibits the PTEN molecule can trigger the maturation of small eggs to form healthy, mature eggs.

Carrying out a study on mice, the researchers managed to produce five live young mice from eggs matured using this PTEN inhibitor to help the growth and maturation process.

The results have been published in PloS ONE and build on previous results published in Science, where the group showed that PTEN is a molecule that inhibits an egg's development.

"This discovery demonstrates that there is a realistic chance of being able to use PTEN inhibitors to activate small eggs in a test tube," says Kui Liu, professor at the University of Gothenburg's Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology.

Professor Kui Liu has led the study and is optimistic about the new method. "This technique is extremely valuable for those women who have only small eggs in their ovaries and cannot be helped by IVF as things stand," says Kui Liu.

Kui Liu's group demonstrated in the study that a short treatment with the PTEN inhibitor can trigger the growth of small eggs, and that this treatment makes it possible to produce plenty of mature eggs.

The results also show that healthy, live young can be born from treated eggs used in IVF. Not only were the young mice born fertile, they also showed no signs or symptoms of chronic disease at the age of 15 months, which equates to 70 human years.

Kui Liu is a professor of molecular biology and his group specialises in the study of molecular mechanisms that affect the development of female reproductive cells. His aim is to be able to use this method to help women.

"We hope to see this method being used clinically within five to ten years," says Kui Liu.

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
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Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/250649.php

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Migraines Hurt Your Head But Not Your Brain

Main Category: Headache / Migraine
Also Included In: Women's Health / Gynecology
Article Date: 14 Aug 2012 - 0:00 PDT

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Migraines Hurt Your Head But Not Your Brain

Patient / Public:		4.5 (2 votes)
Healthcare Prof:		3 (1 votes)
Article opinions:	3 posts

Migraines currently affect about 20 percent of the female population, and while these headaches are common, there are many unanswered questions surrounding this complex disease. Previous studies have linked this disorder to an increased risk of stroke and structural brain lesions, but it has remained unclear whether migraines had other negative consequences such as dementia or cognitive decline. According to new research from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), migraines are not associated with cognitive decline.

This study is published online by the British Medical Journal (BMJ). "Previous studies on migraines and cognitive decline were small and unable to identify a link between the two. Our study was large enough to draw the conclusion that migraines, while painful, are not strongly linked to cognitive decline," explained Pamela Rist ScD, a research fellow in the Division of Preventive Medicine at BWH, and lead author on this study.

The research team analyzed data from the Women's Health Study, a cohort of nearly 40,000 women, 45 years and older. In this study, researchers analyzed data from 6,349 women who provided information about migraine status at baseline and then participated in cognitive testing during follow-up. Participants were classified into four groups: no history of migraine, migraine with aura (transient neurology symptoms mostly of the visual field), migraine without aura, and past history of migraine. Cognitive testing was carried out in two year intervals up to three times.

"Compared with women with no history of migraine, those who experienced migraine with or without aura did not have significantly different rates of cognitive decline," explained Rist. "This is an important finding for both physicians and patients. Patients with migraine and their treating doctors should be reassured that migraine may not have long term consequences on cognitive function."

There is still a lot that is unknown about migraines. However this study offers promising evidence for patients and their treating physicians. More research needs to be done to understand the consequences of migraine on the brain and to establish strategies to influence the course of the disease in order to optimize treatment strategies.

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our headache / migraine section for the latest news on this subject.

This research was supported by The Women's Health Study is supported by grants from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (HL-043851, HL-080467, HL-099355) and the National Cancer Institute (CA-47988). The cognitive substudy of the Women's Health Study was supported by a grant from the National Institute of Aging (AG-15933). PMR was supported by a training grant from the National Institute of Aging (AG-00158). TK is supported in part by a Chair of Excellence grant of the French National Research Agency (Agence Nationale de la Recherche, R09177DD).
Brigham and Women's Hospital

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25 Sep. 2012. <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/248926.php>

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Visitor Opinions (latest shown first)

migraine and smell of smoke

posted by polly on 8 Sep 2012 at 9:43 am

i only get migrain if i smell smoke, strong deodorant too bright light or drink red wine

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Useless Info

posted by AnnieKat on 29 Aug 2012 at 12:16 pm

This is the most useless study I have yet come across. How is this supposed to help migraines? I can tell you that indeed there is memory loss, but I believe it's associated with taking triptans more than the migraine itself. There is NO cognitive decline whatsoever!!! What else you need to know? Now please work on something that will provide me with something useful...

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Good to know! Re: Reassuring after a lifetime of recurrent migraine

posted by Kit Wilson on 14 Aug 2012 at 8:22 pm

Reassuring after a lifetime of recurrent migraine. A lengthy hallucinatory bout this past week has had me worried, as I did experience a few days of reduced memory function and outright dizziness. However, recovery is now nearly complete!

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'Migraines Hurt Your Head But Not Your Brain'

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Helping Seniors With Pain: New GSA Resources

Main Category: Pain / Anesthetics
Also Included In: Seniors / Aging; Body Aches
Article Date: 02 Feb 2012 - 1:00 PST

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Helping Seniors With Pain: New GSA Resources

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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our pain / anesthetics section for the latest news on this subject.

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The Gerontological Society of America. "Helping Seniors With Pain: New GSA Resources." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 2 Feb. 2012. Web.
25 Sep. 2012. <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/241030.php>

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The Gerontological Society of America. (2012, February 2). "Helping Seniors With Pain: New GSA Resources." Medical News Today. Retrieved from
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Nutrition Bars Fortified With Fish Oil Don't Taste Fishy

Main Category: Nutrition / Diet
Also Included In: Arthritis / Rheumatology
Article Date: 27 Sep 2012 - 1:00 PDT

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In today's fast-paced society, consumers often reach for nutrition bars when looking for a healthy on-the-go snack. A new study in the September issue of the Journal of Food Science published by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) found that partially replacing canola oil with fish oil in nutrition bars can provide the health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids without affecting the taste.

Producers have been hesitant to incorporate fish oil into foods because it tends to give off a fishy taste or smell, therefore requiring additional processing steps to eliminate these unwanted qualities. In the study, four levels of fish oil were evaluated to determine consumer acceptance of fish-oil fortified nutrition bars. The results showed that oat and soy-based nutrition bars fortified with the lowest replacement level (20 percent) of fish oil did not affect consumer acceptance or purchase intent.

Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil are known to lower triglyceride levels and may help with rheumatoid arthritis.

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Serious Foodborne Illness May One Day Be Prevented By A Pill

Main Category: GastroIntestinal / Gastroenterology
Also Included In: Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses; Body Aches
Article Date: 11 Jan 2012 - 2:00 PST

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Modified probiotics, the beneficial bacteria touted for their role in digestive health, could one day decrease the risk of Listeria infection in people with susceptible immune systems, according to Purdue University research.

Arun Bhunia, a professor of food science; Mary Anne Amalaradjou, a Purdue postdoctoral researcher; and Ok Kyung Koo, a former Purdue doctoral student, found that the same Listeria protein that allows the bacteria to pass through intestinal cells and into bloodstreams can help block those same paths when added to a probiotic.

"Based on the research, it looks very promising that we would get a significant reduction in Listeria infections," said Bhunia, whose findings were published this month in the journal PLoS One.

Bhunia's earlier work showed that Listeria triggers intestinal cells to express heat shock protein 60 on their surfaces. That allows Listeria to bind to the intestinal cells using an adhesion protein and pass into them, acting as a sort of gateway to the bloodstream.

Once in the bloodstream, even small doses of Listeria can cause fever, muscle aches, nausea and diarrhea, as well as headaches, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions if it spreads to the nervous system. It can also cause abortion and stillbirth in pregnant women.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it sickens about 1,500 and kills 255 people each year in the United States and primarily affects pregnant women, newborns, older adults and those with weakened immune systems.

"We're seeing fewer Listeria infections, but the severity of those infections is still high," Amalaradjou said.

The researchers found that probiotics alone were ineffective in combatting Listeria, so they stole a trick from the bacteria's own playbook. By adding the Listeria adhesion protein to the probiotic Lactobacillus paracasei, they were able to decrease the number of Listeria cells that passed through intestinal cells by 46 percent, a significant decrease in the amount of the bacteria that could infect a susceptible person.

With the adhesion protein, Lactobacillus paracasei interacts with heat shock protein on the surface of intestinal cells just as Listeria would. The probiotic then attached to the intestinal cells, crowding out Listeria.

"It's creating a competition," Bhunia said. "If Listeria comes in, it doesn't find a place to attach or invade."

Bhunia said he could one day foresee the development of a pill or probiotic drink that could be given to at-risk patients to minimize the risk of Listeria infection.

The results came from tests on human intestinal cells. The next step would be animal testing. Bhunia said that would allow him to see whether different doses would have a greater effect.

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our gastrointestinal / gastroenterology section for the latest news on this subject.

Bhunia used funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture in previous work on Listeria, but the current study was internally funded.
Writer: Brian Wallheimer
Purdue University

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