Healthy Nation

Long-Term Study Looks at What Really Happens to the Face as We Age

Beau Herz — Mon, 13 May 2013 15:08:55 +0000

Despite the availability of many cosmetic surgeries and procedures to treat the aging face, there is still little understanding of how the face grows older. A special presentation at the Annual Meeting of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), being held April 11-16, 2013, in New York, NY, will review current results from a study that is documenting the facial aging of plastic surgeons in real-time. “Longitudinal Study of Facial Aging,”moderated by James M. Stuzin, MD, will feature Val S. Lambros, MD, who is conducting the study.

“Typically, facial aging has been understood by what we do to improve the look of the face. For example, when all we were doing was pulling on the face using the facelift, it was thought that the face largely aged by descent. Now t

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Special issue on neuroscience: The autism enigma

Alica Blakeley — Mon, 13 May 2013 04:56:15 +0000

Everything about autism spectrum disorder conspires to make it hard to understand. It takes diverse forms, from profound communication and behavioural problems to social difficulties coupled with normal language and even precocious talents. (Here, Nature will refer to them all as autism.) The prevalence of autism is rising — by some counts, steeply — but the reasons for that are unclear. Causes of the condition include a complicated mixture of genetic and environmental factors, most unknown (see page 5). Its roots lie in the development of the human brain, a process that, despite huge leaps in neuroscience, remains mysterious. So as awareness rises and parents clamour for answers, scientists can offer few certainties. Hearsay and unsubstantiated theories sometimes fill the void.

This week, Nature searches for some truths about autism. Som

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Low Melatonin Level Means High Risk for Diabetes?

Alica Blakeley — Sat, 11 May 2013 03:29:27 +0000

Researchers used data from the Nurses’ Health Study, a long-term, large-scale project investigating a broad array of women’s health issues. Since its inception in 1976, the Nurses’ Health Study has collected information from more than 200,000 female nurses. For this study, researchers used information from women who provided blood and urine samples in 2000. First, researchers selected the women without diabetes, and monitored their health for the next 12 years. During the period of 2000-2012, 370 of the women developed diabetes. Using this sub-group, researchers analyzed melatonin levels. In their analysis, they controlled for other risk factors for type 2 diabetes, including body mass index, family history, high blood pressure, and lifestyle habits. They

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Family meals best for children

Beau Herz — Wed, 08 May 2013 20:13:13 +0000

Eating at the table alongside parents can discourage food fads. Photo / Getty Images

Children who eat the same meals as their parents are far more likely to have healthy diets than those who do not, according to research.

Eating the same food had a greater impact on a young child’s health than any other factor, including social background and snacking between meals.

Dr Valeria Skafida, at the Centre for Population Health Sciences at Edinburgh University, also found that firstborn children had healthier diets than second or third born.

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Number of Bird Flu Cases in China Rises

Beau Herz — Sat, 04 May 2013 19:57:41 +0000

BEIJING, April 22 (UPI) – The number of H7N9 bird flu patients in China has risen to 102, with 20 dead from the virus, the World Health Organization said.

China officially confirmed the occurrence of humans infected with H7N9 late last month.

Study: Cannabinoid Agonists Mitigate HIV Infection

George Felan — Sat, 04 May 2013 11:55:53 +0000

The administration of synthetic cannabinoid agonists limits HIV infection in macrophages (white blood cells that aid in the bodys immune response), according to preclinical data published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology. Macrophages are one of the first type of cells infected by the HIV virus when it enters the body.

Investigators at Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia assessed the impact of three commercially available synthetic THC agonists on HIV-infected macrophage cells. Following administration, researchers sampled the cells periodically to measure the activity of an enzyme called reverse transcriptase (RT), which is essential for HIV replication.

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Sri Lanka posing a challenge to Indian ayurveda

Alica Blakeley — Sat, 04 May 2013 08:44:44 +0000

Its decades long ethnic conflict over, Sri Lanka is steadily emerging as a major competitor to Keralas ayurvedic system of medicine, a leading industry expert says.

But officials are quick to point out that as long as Kerala sticks to its pristine form of ayurveda school, no challenge from anywhere can upset what is clearly the biggest tourist draw to the southern state.

Sri Lanka has slowly come up as a threat to our market, said Sanjeev Kurup V., Secretary of the influential Kerala Travel Mart Society who also runs the Paithrukam Hospitality Group.

I was in Sri Lanka only last week, and I estimate they have taken away 30-40 percent of our business, Kurup told IANS at the Perumbayil Ayurveda Mana, an idyllic centre located near the famed Guruvayoor temple.

Ayurveda plays a key role in attracting close to one million foreign and over one crore domestic tourists every year to Kerala.

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Mike Tyson Hopes Obamacare Will Save Him Money

Beau Herz — Thu, 02 May 2013 16:39:07 +0000

Former boxer turned Broadway star Mike Tyson – who owes millions in back taxes – said Monday that he hopes that Obamacare will help him save money.

“I look forward to paying my taxes… I know that they say that’s legal extortion, but I’m living in this country and if I have to pay taxes — that’s the money I paid for my life on earth. My wife, my family — I got one of the biggest liberal families in the world, but I had more money when Bush and Reagan was president,” Tyson said laughing on Fox News’ “Fox and Friends.”

HIV/AIDS: Disappointment in HIV prevention trial

Beau Herz — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 16:14:54 +0000

A three-year clinical trial involving over 5,000 women in East and Southern Africa has found that pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) – whether a vaginal gel or an oral tablet – is not effective at preventing HIV infection in young, unmarried women.

The Vaginal and Oral Interventions to Control the Epidemic (VOICE) study – involving HIV-negative women in South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe – aimed to test the safety, effectiveness and acceptability of three HIV-prevention methods: daily use of a vaginal gel containing the antiretroviral (ARV) drug tenofovir; daily use of oral tablets containing tenofovir, and daily use of oral Truvada, a combination of tenofovir and another ARV, emtricitabine. In 2011, VOICE stopped testing oral tenofovir and tenofovir gel after reviews found that it was not effective, leaving only the Truvada arm of the trial to continue. Read full post…

Natural Products Expo West Part Three

George Felan — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 21:48:54 +0000

In my final column about Natural Products Expo West 2013, Im going to focus on three unconventional items that may improve the quality of many lives But, you might be surprised to learn that the products in question consist of a butter substitute, coffee for those with digestive issues and lavender oil thats taken orally On the surface, health conscious consumers understand that many buttery spreads contain unhealthy ingredients such as hydrogenated oils Coffee is frequently regarded as a no no for anyone living with GERD or irritable bowel syndrome And, while lavender oil is perhaps the most popular aromatherapy ingredient, its typically not intended for internal use

According to the scientific literature, increasing your intake of omega-3 fats and lowering consumption of omega-6 fats can benefit everything from bone density to cognitive functioning throughout life A delicious and simple way to improve your omega-6/omega-3 ratio is to substitute regular butter or market brand butter substitutes with a product called Melt This organic, 100% natural spread boasts an impressive ingredient list that features organic coconut oil, flaxseed oil and a small amount of grass-fed butter Melt has twice the amount of omega-3s as omega-6 fatty acids and is free of gluten, hydrogenated fats, lactose and soy

While I am admittedly a big coffee proponent, Im well aware that some people simply cannot tolerate it In particular, those that experience frequent heartburn may need of avoid or limit coffee altogether However, Puroast, a specially roasted coffee, may offer a viable option for those who have issues with the natural acidity present in conventional coffee Testing conducted at the University of California, Davis determined that Puroast contains between 3 to 5 times less acid than competing brands of coffee such as Folgers, Nescafe and Starbucks Whats more, Puroast is much lower in specific gut irritating compounds known as dichlorogenic acids This is welcome news because the latest research on coffee continues to report very positive and, sometimes, unexpected outcomes such as improved cardiovascular function and reduced stroke risk

If youre living with chronic anxiety, but want to avoid powerful anxiolytic medications, Silexan may be right for you This lavender oil soft gel has been shown to safely improve anxiousness, depressed mood and sleeplessness in patients with generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress and somatization disorder A recent study, appearing in the journal Phytomedicine, reveals that Silexan is as effective as a prescription anti-anxiety medication lorazepam The authors of the trial concluded that this natural alternative showed no sedative effects … has no potential for drug abuse and appears to be an effective and well tolerated alternative to benzodiazepines for amelioration of generalized anxiety Another positive attribute of this affordable supplement is that there is ongoing research being conducted on it This is welcome news for open-minded patients and skeptical physicians who are interested in a more holistic, integrative means of attaining psychological health

Tissue-bank shortage: Brain child

Alica Blakeley — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 19:51:29 +0000

David Amaral wanted to watch the young brain take shape. He thought that studying post-mortem brains under the microscope would help him to work out why children with autism often have abnormalities in the key structures that drive emotion and behaviour. But he soon found that existing brain banks couldn’t give him what he needed. “It’s just too hard to get high-quality tissue,” he says. The banks may contain hundreds or even thousands of brains — but not from children, and not necessarily in the best condition.

Amaral, who is director of research at the MIND (Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders) Institute at the University of California, Davis, is not the only scientist eager for access to brains from children. T

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New Survey Finds Social Media is a Major Influence on Elective Surgery

Beau Herz — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 03:30:41 +0000

Social media is leading consumers to have a more self-critical eye, according to a new survey by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS). The annual poll of 752 of the organizations board-certified facial plastic surgeons found that there was a 31% increase in requests for surgery as a result of social media photo sharing.

The study shows that a growing number of procedures are cosmetic versus reconstructive in nature, accounting for 73% of all procedures in 2012, up from 62% in 2011. Of the procedures requested as a result of social media influence, rhinoplasty, BOTOX, and facelifts topped the list.

While social media continues to play an increasingly large role in how consumers view themselves, its influence as a trusted informational resource for plastic surgery is diminishing.

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NHL Wakes up to Sleep Problems

Alica Blakeley — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 10:35:04 +0000

The issue of sports-related drug use—particularly the performance-enhancing kind—is of course widespread in professional sports these days, and has been for some time. For many years, rightly or wrongly, hockey has been thought of as s sport less riddled with performance-enhancing drugs. But steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs are only part of the drug problem in sports. Prescription drug use—including excessive or inadvisable use of sleep medications—is also a problem in the world of competitive athletics.

And the NHL is no exception. The death of NHL player Derek Boogaard is a sad and sobering example: the 27-year-old died of a drug and alcohol overdose in 2011. Investig

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The bra is a ‘false necessity’ – research

Beau Herz — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 07:31:49 +0000

Research suggests ladies don’t need to wear a bra.Photo / Thinkstock

Women don’t need to wear a bra, a new French study suggests, saying the under-garment is a “false necessity.”

According to the results of a 15 year study bras do nothing to help support a woman’s breasts and could even be doing damage.

“Medically, physiologically, anatomically, the breast does not benefit from being deprived of gravity,” Jean-Denis Rouillon, a professor at the University of Franche-Comté in Besançon, told France Info.

Conducting the study at the university’s hospital, Rouillon measured and examined the breasts of more than 300 women, aged 18 and 35, taking note of how the additional support provided by bras affects the body over time. (

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CDC Rolling Out New Anti-Smoking Ads

Beau Herz — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 15:22:52 +0000

The Centers for Disease Control and prevention is rolling out the second part of an ad campaign to help smokers kick the habit.

The government is hoping the second round of graphic anti-smoking ads will encourage more smokers to quit.

The 48 million dollar ad campaign uses several different types of media to get its message across, from television, online, and radio spots to print and billboard ads.

White House Drug Control Budget: Failed Drug War Tactics Prioritized Over Prevention and Treatment

George Felan — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 05:18:24 +0000

The Obama Administration has released its National Drug Control Budget for the FY 2014 and despite their claims that the war on drugs is over and that they have bigger fish to fry the Office National Drug Control Policy is still prioritizing failed drug war tactics over prevention and treatment.

The new budget calls for 9.6 billion dollars to be spent on domestic law enforcement, 3.7 billion for interdiction, and 1.4 billion for international drug control efforts.

Prevention, in the form of education and outreach efforts, receives a paltry $1.4 billion dollars. While this is a 5% increase over the previous years budget, it is still a minuscule sum when you consider we are spending nine times more on arresting people than we are to educate them on risks of drug use and stop them from ending up in the criminal justice system in the first place.

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