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Friday 13 June 2014

NIH scientists take totally tubular journey through brain cells

Study may advance understanding of how brain cell tubes are modified under normal and disease conditions
Fantastic Voyage

NIH scientists watched the inside of brain cell tubes, called microtubules, get tagged by a protein called TAT. Tagging is a critical process in the health and development of nerve cells.Courtesy of the Roll-Mecak lab, NINDS, Bethesda, MD
In a new study, scientists at the National Institutes of Health took a molecular-level journey into microtubules, the hollow cylinders inside brain cells that act as skeletons and internal highways. They watched how a protein called tubulin acetyltransferase (TAT) labels the inside of microtubules. The results, published in Cell, answer long-standing questions about how TAT tagging works and offer clues as to why it is important for brain health.
Microtubules are constantly tagged by proteins in the cell to designate them for specialized functions, in the same way that roads are labeled for fast or slow traffic or for maintenance. TAT coats specific locations inside the microtubules with a chemical called an acetyl group. How the various labels are added to the cellular microtubule network remains a mystery. Recent findings suggested that problems with tagging microtubules may lead to some forms of cancer and nervous system disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease, and have been linked to a rare blinding disorder and Joubert Syndrome, an uncommon brain development disorder.
 
“This is the first time anyone has been able to peer inside microtubules and catch TAT in action,” said Antonina Roll-Mecak, Ph.D., an investigator at the NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), Bethesda, Maryland, and the leader of the study.
Microtubules are found in all of the body’s cells. They are assembled like building blocks, using a protein called tubulin. Microtubules are constructed first by aligning tubulin building blocks into long strings. Then the strings align themselves side by side to form a sheet.  Eventually the sheet grows wide enough that it closes up into a cylinder. TAT then bonds an acetyl group to alpha tubulin, a subunit of the tubulin protein.
Some microtubules are short-lived and can rapidly change lengths by adding or removing tubulin pieces along one end, whereas others remain unchanged for longer times. Recognizing the difference may help cells function properly. For example, cells may send cargo along stable microtubules and avoid ones that are being rebuilt. Cells appear to use a variety of chemical labels to describe the stability of microtubules.
“Our study uncovers how TAT may help cells distinguish between stable microtubules and ones that are under construction,” said Dr. Roll-Mecak. According to Dr. Roll-Mecak, high levels of microtubule tagging are unique to nerve cells and may be the reason that they have complex shapes allowing them to make elaborate connections in the brain.
For decades scientists knew that the insides of long-lived microtubules were often tagged with acetyl groups by TAT.  Changes in acetylation may influence the health of nerve cells.  Some studies have shown that blocking this form of microtubule tagging leads to nerve defects, brain abnormalities or degeneration of nerve fibers.  Since the discovery of microtubule acetylation, scientists have been puzzled about how TAT accesses the inside of the microtubules and how the tagging reaction happens.
To watch TAT at work, Dr. Roll-Mecak and her colleagues took high resolution movies of individual TAT molecules interacting with microtubules in real time.  They saw that TAT surfs through the inside of microtubules and although it can find acetylation sites quickly, the process of adding the tag occurs very slowly.
In general, tagging reactions work like keys fitting into locks: the better the key fits, the faster the lock can open.  Similarly, the rate of the reactions is determined by how well TAT molecules fit around tagging sites. 
Dr. Roll-Mecak’s team investigated this idea by using a technique called X-ray crystallography to look at how atoms on TAT molecules interact with acetylation sites on tubulin molecules. Their results suggested that TAT fit poorly around the sites. 
“It looks as though TAT can easily journey through microtubules spotting acetylation sites but may only label those that are stable for longer periods of time,” said Dr. Roll-Mecak.
This may help cells identify the microtubules they need to rapidly change shapes or send cargo to other places. Further studies may help researchers understand how microtubule tagging influences nerve cells in health and disease.
This work was supported by the NINDS Intramural Research Program, the NHLBI Division of Intramural Research, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
References:
Szyk et al. “Molecular basis for age-dependent microtubule acetylation by tubulin acetyltransferase,” Cell, June 5, 2014. DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2014.03.061
For more information on scientific research conducted at the NIH, please visit:

Young Men Using Cannabis can Risk Their Fertility

 Young Men Using Cannabis can Risk Their FertilityUse of cannabis by young men can be a risk to their fertility affecting the size and shape of their sperm, say researchers. 

In the world's largest study to investigate how common lifestyle factors influence the size and shape of sperm (referred to as sperm morphology), a research team from the Universities of Sheffield and Manchester also found that sperm size and shape was worse in samples ejaculated in the summer months but was better in men who had abstained from sexual activity for more than six days. 

For the study, scientists recruited 2,249 men from 14 fertility clinics around the UK1 and asked them to fill out detailed questionnaires about their medical history and their lifestyle. 

Reliable data about sperm morphology was only available for 1,970 men and so the researchers compared the information collected for 318 men who produced sperm of which less than four per cent was the correct size and shape and a control group of 1,652 men where this was above four per cent and therefore considered 'normal' by current medical definitions. 

Men who produced ejaculates with less than four percent normal sperm were nearly twice as likely to have produced a sample in the summer months (June to August), or if they were younger than 30 years old, to have used cannabis in the three month period prior to ejaculation. 

Source:The study has been published in the medical journal Human Reproduction.
 

Keeping Mobile Phones in Trouser Pockets may Damage Male Fertility

Researchers at University of Exeter revealed that keeping mobile phones in trouser pockets may damage the fertility of men, affecting their chances of becoming a father.
 


Previous research has suggested that Radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation (RF-EMR) emitted by the devices can have a detrimental effect on male fertility. Most of the global adult population own mobile phones, and around 14% of couples in high and middle income countries have difficulty conceiving. 

A team led by Dr Fiona Mathews, of Biosciences at the University of Exeter, conducted a systematic review of the findings from ten studies, including 1,492 samples, with the aim of clarifying the potential role of this environmental exposure. 

Participants in the studies were from fertility clinics and research centres, and sperm quality was measured in three different ways: motility (the ability of sperm to move properly towards an egg), viability (the proportion of sperm that were alive) and concentration (the number of sperm per unit of semen). 

In control groups, 50-85% of sperm have normal movement. The researchers found this proportion fell by an average of 8 percentage points when there was exposure to mobile phones. Similar effects were seen for sperm viability. The effects on sperm concentration were less clear. 

Dr Mathews said: "Given the enormous scale of mobile phone use around the world, the potential role of this environmental exposure needs to be clarified. This study strongly suggests that being exposed to radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation from carrying mobiles in trouser pockets negatively affects sperm quality. This could be particularly important for men already on the borderline of infertility, and further research is required to determine the full clinical implications for the general population." 

The results were consistent across in vitro studies conducted under controlled conditions and observational in vivo studies conducted on men in the general population. 

"Effect of mobile telephones on sperm quality: a systematic review and meta-analysis" by Fiona Mathews et al is published today in the journal Environment International
 Source:
University of Exeter

Study Reveals Men With Gout also Struggle With Erectile Dysfunction

 Most of the men who suffer from gout also struggle with erectile dysfunction (ED), which is frequently severe, a new study presented at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress (EULAR 2014) reveals.
 
In a survey of 201 men, 83 had gout, of whom a significantly greater proportion had ED (76%) compared with those patients without gout (52%) (p= 0.0007). Also, a significantly greater proportion of gout patients (43%) had severe ED compared with patients without gout (30%) (p=0.007).1 


According to lead author Dr. Naomi Schlesinger, Chief, Division of Rheumatology and Professor of Medicine, Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, US, "these results strongly support the proposal to screen all men with gout for the presence of ED. Increasing awareness of the presence of ED in gout patients should in turn lead to earlier medical attention and treatment for this distressing condition," she added. 

Gout is a condition characterised by recurrent attacks of acute inflammatory arthritis. Around 1- 4% of the Western population will develop gout at some point in their lifetime.2 The arthritis is caused by deposits of needle-like monosodium urate crystals in the joints and is associated with an abnormally high level of urate in the bloodstream. The crystals cause inflammation, swelling, and pain in the affected joint.2 

"Because gout is commonly associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and coronary artery disease (CAD) and patients who present with ED also have an increased rate of CVD risk factors and concomitant silent CAD, all these patients should also be evaluated for possible silent CAD," Dr. Schlesinger concluded.ED is a common problem in the general population, with the prevalence of moderate to severe ED estimated to between 5- 20%.2 The likelihood of ED increases progressively with age; however, it is not an inevitable consequence of aging.3 The importance of vascular disease as an underlying cause of ED is well established.2 

In this cross sectional study, men aged 18-89 presenting to a Rheumatology clinic between August 2010 and May 2013 were asked to participate. The presence of ED was determined by filling out a Sexual Health Inventory in Men (SHIM). The SHIM classifies ED into one of five categories: absent (26), mild (22), mild to moderate (17), moderate (11) and severe (1). The patient's history, physical examination and recent laboratory studies were reviewed as well. Descriptive statistics and subgroup analyses were used to summarise the data. Chi-square tests for independence were used to compare categorical variables. 

The mean SHIM score of all patients was 16.88 (SD±-0.83). Gout patients had an average SHIM score of 14.38 (SD±1.01) vs. 18.53 (SD± 0.964) in patients without gout (p < 0.0001). A significantly greater proportion of gout patients whose age was ≥ 65 had ED vs. patients without gout (p=0.0001) and it was significantly more likely to be severe ED vs. patients without gout (p=0.0002). A significantly greater proportion of patients with tophaceous gout* had ED vs. those without tophi (p=0.0001). In a multivariate analysis, the association between gout and ED remained statistically significant even after adjusting for age (p=0.0009), hypertension, LDL-cholesterol, glomerular filtration rate (a measure of renal function), obesity, depression (p=0.0154) and diabetes (p=0.0085). 
 Source:Rheumatology

Genotyping may Predict Disease Outcomes in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

 Genotyping may Predict Disease Outcomes in Rheumatoid Arthritis PatientsThe amino acid valine at the position 11 of HLA-DRB1 gene may be the strongest independent genetic determinant of radiological damage in rheumatoid arthritis, new cohort studies have found.1 In addition, positions 71 and 74 were found to represent independent predictors, with the three positions together: 11, 71 and 74 strongly associated with disease outcomes.1
 
According to lead author Dr Sebastien Viatte of the Arthritis Research UK Centre for Genetics and Genomics, Manchester, United Kingdom, "this major advance in genetics might allow stratification of RA patients at the onset of their disease to identify those at risk of joint damage and early death, and also those who are more likely to respond to anti-TNF biological therapy." 


RA is a common chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease characterised by inflammation of synovial joints leading to damage to the inside of the joint and surrounding soft tissues. The cause of RA is largely unknown, but both environmental factors and genetic susceptibility appear to be involved. 

Although the prevalence of RA is relatively constant in most countries at between 0.5-1.0 percent, the higher occurrence among native American-Indian populations and very low occurrence in China and Japan supports the strong influence of genotype on the epidemiology.2Previously, a group of alleles on the HLA DRB1 gene, known as the 'shared epitope' was thought to have the strongest effect on RA susceptibility. More recently, position 11 outside the classical shared epitope had been shown to be a stronger predictor of RA susceptibility.3 

"This new evidence from our multi-centre cohort studies has shown that positions 11, 71 and 74 on the HLA-DRB1 gene now supersede the classical shared epitope," Dr Viatte concluded.Three independent multi-centre prospective cohort studies: the Norfolk Arthritis Register-NOAR (1691 patients with 2811 X-rays); the Early Rheumatoid Arthritis Study-ERAS (421 patients with 3758 X-rays); and a cohort from 57 UK centres-BRAGGSS* (1846 patients with treatment response) were used to assess whether HLA-DRB1 positions 11, 71, 74 could predict radiological outcome, anti-TNF response and mortality in patients with RA. 

The finding that the amino acid valine at position 11 of HLA-DRB1 (Val11) was the strongest independent genetic determinant of radiological damage in RA was replicated in separate cohorts. Three positions 11, 71 and 74, which together define 16 haplotypes (combinations of gene segments), were strongly associated with disease outcome, superseding the shared epitope. The hierarchy, ranging from risk to protective effects, was perfectly correlated with that observed for disease susceptibility. 

HLA-DRB1 haplotypes associated with RA susceptibility and severe outcome were also predictors of good treatment response with anti-TNF therapy. For example, the Val11Lys71Ala74-haplotype, carried by 52% of patients, was associated with a good EULAR response†. On average, 17 patients needed to be treated with anti-TNF to see one more patient responding better, based solely on the carriage of this haplotype. Both all-cause and cardiovascular mortality was also predicted by the 16 haplotypes. 

HLA typing was determined using a reverse dot-blot method or dense genotyping of the HLA region by the ImmunoChip array, followed by imputation. Longitudinal modelling of the presence of erosions was performed with Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) models, whilst the Larsen score was modelled with Generalized Linear Latent and Mixed Modelling (GLLAMM). 
 Source:
Arthritis Research UK Centre for Genetics and Genomics, Manchester, United Kingdom


 

Thursday 12 June 2014

6,000 steps a day keeps knee OA limitations away

A new study shows that walking reduces risk of functional limitation associated with knee osteoarthritis (OA). In fact, the study funded in part by grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and published in the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) journal, Arthritis Care & Research, suggests that walking 6,000 or more steps per day may protect those with or at risk of knee of OA from developing mobility issues, such as difficulty getting up from a chair and climbing stairs.
Nearly 27 million Americans age 25 and older are diagnosed with OA according to a prevalence study by Lawrence et al. (Arthritis Rheum, 2008). Previous research reports that knee OA is the leading cause of functional limitation among older adults, making walking and climbing stairs difficult. Moreover, data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) state that 80% of OA patients have some limitation in movement, with 11% of adults with knee OA needing assistance with personal care assistance.
While walking is a common daily physical activity for older adults, medical evidence reports that two-thirds of U.S. adults with arthritis walk less than 90 minutes each week. "Our study examines if more walking equates with better functioning, and if so, how much daily walking is needed to minimize risk of developing problems with mobility in people with knee OA," said Daniel White, PT, ScD, from Sargent College at Boston University in Massachusetts.
For the present study, researchers measured daily steps taken by 1788 people with or at risk for knee OA, who were part of the Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study. Walking was measured with a monitor over seven days and functional limitation evaluated two years later, defined as a slow walking speed and a Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) physical function score greater than 28 out of 68.
Walking an additional 1,000 steps each was associated with between a 16% to 18% reduction in incident functional limitation two years later. Walking less than 6,000 steps daily was the best threshold for identifying those who developed functional limitation. Dr. White concludes, "Walking is an inexpensive activity and despite the common popular goal of walking 10,000 steps per day, our study finds only 6,000 steps are necessary to realize benefits. We encourage those with or at risk of knee OA to walk at least 3,000 or more steps each day, and ultimately progress to 6,000 steps daily to minimize the risk of developing difficulty with mobility."

###
Funding for this study was provided by the following sources: NIH AG18820, AG 18832, AG 18947, AG 19069, AR007598, NIH AR47785, NIAMS R01AR062506, ACR/RRF Rheumatology Investigator Award, the Boston Rehabilitation Outcomes Center (Boston ROC) R24HD0065688, the Boston Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center 1P30AG031679 and the Foundation for Physical Therapy Geriatric Research Grant.
This study is published in Arthritis Care & Research. Media wishing to receive a PDF of this article may contact sciencenewsroom@wiley.com.

About the Journal
Arthritis Care & Research is an official journal of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), and the Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals (ARHP), a division of the College. Arthritis Care & Research is a peer-reviewed journal that publishes both original research and review articles that promote excellence in the clinical practice of rheumatology. Relevant to the care of individuals with arthritis and related disorders, major topics are evidence-based practice studies, clinical problems, practice guidelines, health care economics, health care policy, educational, social, and public health issues, and future trends in rheumatology practice. The journal is published by Wiley on behalf of the ACR. For more information, please visit the journal home page at http://wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/acr.

BMJ Asked to Adopt Even-Handed Approach to Transparency of Published Studies

 BMJ Asked to Adopt Even-Handed Approach to Transparency of Published StudiesThe British Medical Journal is being urged by health policy researchers from University of Otago's Dunedin and Christchurch campuses to adopt a more even handed approach in scrutinizing the transparency of what it publishes
 


Professor Robin Gauld, the Director of the Centre for Health Systems, has co-written a letter that has appeared in the BMJ on 31 May, expressing concern about a journal editorial reviewing a report into the performance of the Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) prepared by the King's Fund in England. 

The report, released in September 2013, talks about the 'impressive progress' of the CDHB since the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes, but Gauld says it turns out the board paid NZD $186,000 for the King's Fund to produce the document. 

"This funding was not revealed in the report and in its editorial the BMJ seems to have simply accepted the findings as independent, with no disclosure of the CDHB's involvement," he says. 

"The BMJ has always been a champion of transparency when it comes to funding and other conflicts of interest. If we were submitting such a report we would have to declare funding sources and potential conflicts of interest - right down to saying which conferences we had attended and who paid for them. 

"Those principles of transparency and independence have not been applied here." 

In the letter to the BMJ Professor Gauld and his colleagues Antony Raymont, Phil Bagshaw, Gary Nicholls and Chris Frampton, say the King's Fund may have reported some useful lessons for those interested in health system integration but, unfortunately, it did not acknowledge among other less positive indicators the level of ongoing unmet need for health care in Canterbury. 

"Rather, as in the case of the pharmaceutical industry, notorious for selective reporting of clinical trials, we believe public perception has been manipulated. A transparency protocol for reports such as the King's Fund's and Editorials on them would, in future, reduce this possibility." 

Professor Gauld says such a protocol could be developed and extended to other publications by way of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. 
Source:BMJ
 

Researchers Link Watching Porn With Decrease In Grey Matter In The Brain

A new study out of the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin has found an association between watching pornography and the volume of gray matter in a particular region of the brain.[1]
Scientists chose 64 healthy males between the ages of 21 and 45 to participate in the study. They begun by asking them to fill out a survey quantifying how much time they spent watching pornography each week. Researchers found the amount varied considerably between those involved in the study. On average, they found that the men did not watch more than about 4 hours of porn a week.

The Effects on The Brain

brainFollowing the survey, the brains of the men involved were scanned using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) while they were either watching pornographic images or non-sexual images. Researchers found that there existed a negative association between the time spent watching pornographic images and the volume of gray matter of the right caudate of the striatum. They found a negative association between time spent watching porn and gray matter volume of the right caudate of the striatum.[2] While watching pornographic images, the MRI revealed that there was a decrease in brain function in the area of the brain often associated with motivation. Finally, the research suggested there was a negative link between the functional connectivity between the right caudate and the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex which watching porn.[2]
“We found a significant negative association between reported pornography hours per week and gray matter volume in the right caudate (P  < .001, corrected for multiple comparisons) as well as with functional activity during a sexual cue–reactivity paradigm in the left putamen (P < .001). Functional connectivity of the right caudate to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was negatively associated with hours of pornography consumption.”

More Investigation Needed

Unbiasedly the researchers have admitted they cannot be certain at this point that the negative aspects of brain function and gray matter volume revealed in this study are caused by watching porn. They feel that although their research illustrates a link, more investigation will be needed to prove it further.
“Future studies should investigate the effects of pornography longitudinally or expose naïve participants to pornography and investigate causal effects over time.”
At this point the researchers have developed a few hypotheses as to why these results were found. They feel it could be that excessive stimulation of the reward system has resulted in alterations of neural plasticity. Or it could be simply that men with less gray matter in the striatum require more stimulation than other men and therefore watch more porn.
One again, the researchers acknowledge that more studies need to be done in order to to draw a more accurate conclusion, but the results are already quite intriguing.

Other Potential Downsides To Watching Porn

A popular topic as of late has been the effects of watching porn as it relates to how frequent viewers expect sex to be with with a partner. This is perhaps a conversation that has been made extra popular by the move Don Jon, where a male is addicted to porn to the point where he is unable to properly connect to a sexual partner and have a meaningful experience. In the movie, as in real life often times, his expectations of how sex should be as well as his ability to perform in certain situations is altered greatly by his addiction to porn.
One final though, often times we may not realize it, but what happens to our brains, expectations and physical reactions when we watch porn is partially training how we will perform come the real thing. We in a sense make sex entirely based on the orgasm and physical vs the varying layers of exchange and connection that exist in the act as well. Certainly some of us might only want the purely physical aspect at times in our lives, but to not experience the full experience due to a lack of connection to it can sometimes leave many feeling empty sexually.
“Pornography works in the most basic of ways on the brain: It is Pavlovian. An orgasm is one of the biggest reinforcers imaginable. If you associate orgasm with your wife, a kiss, a scent, a body, that is what, over time, will turn you on; if you open your focus to an endless stream of ever-more-transgressive images of cybersex slaves, that is what it will take to turn you on. The ubiquity of sexual images does not free eros, but dilutes it. Other cultures know this. I am not advocating a return to the days of hiding female sexuality, but I am noting that the power and charge of sex are maintained when there is some sacredness to it, when it is not on tap all the time.”
Sources:
1. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2014-05-porn-affect-brain-scientists-urge.html
2. http://archpsyc.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1874574
http://www.collective-evolution.com/2014/03/11/the-problem-with-porn-something-we-should-all-consider/

6 Effective & Natural Alternatives To Ibuprofen

IbuprofenThere are a number of reasons to avoid taking aspirin or ibuprofen often. You may be seeking alternatives because you experience pain but like to stay away from conventional medicines. Alternatively, you could be someone who just learned about the potential dangers that come with taking Aspirin and ibuprofen regularly and are ready for something different. Ibuprofen and Aspirin have been linked to anemia, DNA damage, heart disease, hearing loss, hypertension, miscarriage and even influenza mortality (these are just 7 of the over 24 adverse health effects its been connected with.)
“Long-term high-dose use of painkillers such as ibuprofen or diclofenac is ‘equally hazardous’ in terms of heart attack risk as use of the drug Vioxx, which was withdrawn due to its potential dangers.” – Reuters[1]
Pile of Ibuprofen tabletsAlthough there are a number of adverse health effects that go along with Ibuprofen, we continue to take it in vast amounts because we are often a society built off of quick fixes and short-term results. According to some previously recorded statistics, in 1998 alone over 500,000 pounds of acetyl-salicylic acid (the main component used in aspirin) was produced in the United States alone. That number is likely even greater now. Usage of such medicines can be linked back to cultural conditioning where we forget to value eating well, taking care of our mental and emotional states as well as our physical body. When this is out of balance so often, feeling pain in areas of the body can be a very common thing.

The Natural Approach

Many of us might be surprised to learn that most conventional medicines are inspired by natural sources. Pharmaceutical companies will run tests and studies on the efficacy of a natural substance for any given ailment. Once they learn whether the results are good, they will create a synthetic version of that same substance and patent it so that it can be sold. At times, the synthetic version may work faster, and depending on if you have a very low quality version of the natural substance, the synthetic one may even work better. But the health costs that come with using the synthetic versions are often not worth any small trade-off that may or may not exist. Since nature already provides us with what we need to deal with ailments we might have, why not try them as they would be best fitting in the body versus synthetic options.
1. White willow bark: This herb was the original aspirin. It contains a substance called salicin which converts to salicylic acid when in the stomach. Salicylic acid is the main component of Aspirin and when used synthetically it has irritating effects on the stomach. White willow bark is effective in relieving pain, inflammation and fever. A suggested dose is 1 to 2 dropperfuls of white willow bark tincture daily.[7]
2. Capsaicin: This remedy is mainly used topically and is effective in relieving nerve, muscle and joint pain by interfering with a chemical in the body known as substance P which transmits pain signals to the brain. It is often found in gel or cream form and comes in a variety of potentcies. This remedy can be used three to four times daily. Since Capsaicin comes from chili peppers some first time users have reported a light stinging pain once initially applied. This does subside and often disappears with further use.[3]
3. Boswellia: This is also known as “Indian frankincense” and is available as a supplement and a topical cream. It contains anti-inflammatory properties which come from the boswellic acids extracted from the tree. They help improve blood flow to joints and prevent inflammatory white blood cells from entering damaged tissue. The suggested dose for pain is 450 – 750 mg daily for 3 to 4 weeks. [2]
4. Cat’s claw: Also known as Uncaria tomentosa, or una de gato, cats claw grows in South America and is known for containing an anti-inflammatory agent that aids in blocking the production of the hormone prostaglandin which contributes to inflammation and pain within the body. The suggested doses for cats claw are 250 to 1,000 mg capsules one to three times daily. If one were to take too much in a single day, they may experience diarrhea.[4]
5. Omega-3 fatty acidsThe omega-3 fatty acids are known to have anti-inflammatory properties proven to be beneficial for people who suffer with arthritis, other inflammatory joint conditions and inflammatory bowel diseases. Along with their pain and anti inflammatory properties, they are also known to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Not only is this helpful for people with rheumatoid arthritis, which carries an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, but it also helps to stop the number one killer in the world which is heart disease. A suggested dose of omega-3 fatty acids such as fish oil is 1,000 mg daily.[6]
For vegans looking for dietary Omega 3, you can try hemp seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, various berries, seaweed, leafy greens and more.
6. Curcumin: Also referred to as turmeric at times given curcumin is a component of the herb turmeric, and is known as a potent painkiller. Like Capsaicin, it helps to block pain signals running to the brain. Studies have shown that curcumin is effective in receiving pain, even chronic pain and is effective when it comes to treating rheumatoid arthritis. One suggested dose is 400 to 600 mg of curcumin taken three times daily for pain and inflammation.[5]
Curcumin has also been found to be as effective as Prozac in treating depression, but comes with no nasty side effects.

Why Pain?

I feel it’s important to remember that sometimes when we are having the experience of physical pain there can be a number of reasons why it is there. In our society we feel pain and immediately want to get rid of it yet we don’t think to find out why we may have the pain. Pain can exist in the body for a number of reasons from simple physical ailments to emotional tensions. Next time you are feeling pain, remember to take a moment and relax. Get in touch with your body and feel out what is going on. The more we get in touch with our body’s own consciousness, the more we learn about it and what may be causing us these ailments. Pain is like mother natures way of saying something might need to transform, whether it be strictly physical or even something emotional. There is a lot we can learn from our experiences when we pay attention.
Sources
1. http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/29/us-painkillers-risks-idUSBRE94S1FV20130529?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews
2. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12622457?ordinalpos=9&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
3. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17041452?ordinalpos=18&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
4. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11950006?ordinalpos=5&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
5. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17671742?ordinalpos=14&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
6.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18638687?ordinalpos=7&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
7. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11406860?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&link

All men with gout should be routinely screened for erectile dysfunction

Gout diagnosis is important opportunity to detect possible silent coronary artery disease

A new study presented today at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress (EULAR 2014) showed that erectile dysfunction (ED) is present in most men with gout and is frequently severe.1
In a survey of 201 men, 83 had gout, of whom a significantly greater proportion had ED (76%) compared with those patients without gout (52%) (p= 0.0007). Also, a significantly greater proportion of gout patients (43%) had severe ED compared with patients without gout (30%) (p=0.007).1
According to lead author Dr. Naomi Schlesinger, Chief, Division of Rheumatology and Professor of Medicine, Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, US, "these results strongly support the proposal to screen all men with gout for the presence of ED. Increasing awareness of the presence of ED in gout patients should in turn lead to earlier medical attention and treatment for this distressing condition," she added.
Gout is a condition characterised by recurrent attacks of acute inflammatory arthritis. Around 1– 4% of the Western population will develop gout at some point in their lifetime.2 The arthritis is caused by deposits of needle-like monosodium urate crystals in the joints and is associated with an abnormally high level of urate in the bloodstream. The crystals cause inflammation, swelling, and pain in the affected joint.2
"Because gout is commonly associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and coronary artery disease (CAD) and patients who present with ED also have an increased rate of CVD risk factors and concomitant silent CAD, all these patients should also be evaluated for possible silent CAD," Dr. Schlesinger concluded.
ED is a common problem in the general population, with the prevalence of moderate to severe ED estimated to between 5– 20%.2 The likelihood of ED increases progressively with age; however, it is not an inevitable consequence of aging.3 The importance of vascular disease as an underlying cause of ED is well established.2
In this cross sectional study, men aged 18-89 presenting to a Rheumatology clinic between August 2010 and May 2013 were asked to participate. The presence of ED was determined by filling out a Sexual Health Inventory in Men (SHIM). The SHIM classifies ED into one of five categories: absent (26), mild (22), mild to moderate (17), moderate (11) and severe (1). The patient's history, physical examination and recent laboratory studies were reviewed as well. Descriptive statistics and subgroup analyses were used to summarise the data. Chi-square tests for independence were used to compare categorical variables.
The mean SHIM score of all patients was 16.88 (SD±-0.83). Gout patients had an average SHIM score of 14.38 (SD±1.01) vs. 18.53 (SD± 0.964) in patients without gout (p < 0.0001). A significantly greater proportion of gout patients whose age was ≥ 65 had ED vs. patients without gout (p=0.0001) and it was significantly more likely to be severe ED vs. patients without gout (p=0.0002). A significantly greater proportion of patients with tophaceous gout* had ED vs. those without tophi (p=0.0001). In a multivariate analysis, the association between gout and ED remained statistically significant even after adjusting for age (p=0.0009), hypertension, LDL-cholesterol, glomerular filtration rate (a measure of renal function), obesity, depression (p=0.0154) and diabetes (p=0.0085).
Source:European League Against Rheumatism Congress

Panel asks ICMR to create 'Harvest Group' to identify leads from extramural research to benefit public health system

The Union health ministry's high power committee (HPC) headed by Prof P N Tandon, constituted to evaluate the ongoing activities of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), has recommended to the ICMR for the creation of “Harvest Group” to identify leads from extramural research towards making products, processes and other deliverable for the benefit of the Indian public health system.

The committee further recommended for strengthening the BSL-IV lab of the NIV, Pune through adequate staff and infrastructure development to make it fully functional. It also recommended that strategies should be explored to improve the use of mass-media for better projection of ICMR’s scientific activities to enhance public awareness. 

The committee in its recent report further notes that the periodicity of publication of Indian Journal of Medical Research (IJMR) should be increased to fortnightly in view of the highest impact factor of IJMR among all biomedical journals in India. It further recommended that the ICMR institutes should have MOU with medical colleges, universities, research institutes, in the region for promoting collaborative biomedical research and human resource development. 

The panel also recommended for strengthening of various programmes towards creation of more short and long term fellowships for young scientists from SAARC and other developing countries with specific focus on South Asian and African countries. It further noted in its report that the mechanisms to identify and avoid duplication of funding of research projects should be strengthened through involving sister agencies like DBT, CSIR, DST, etc through DHR mechanism. 

The union health ministry had constituted the high power committee in December, 2012 to evaluate the ongoing activities of the ICMR with the mandate of whether the ongoing schemes of the XI Plan need to be continued in XII Plan or dissolved forthwith; in case if they are to be continued then the need for improvement; phasing expenditure in XII Plan for each component of the scheme; and setting of physical and financial milestones/targets for the XII Plan for each component.
Source:Pharmabiz

The Sixth Taste of Tongue - The Carbs!

So far, it was believed that the human tongue is capable of perceiving only 5 tastes, namely saltiness, sweetness, sourness, savouriness and bitterness. But, scientists have now found that the tongue has the capacity to recognize yet another taste, that is, the taste of carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates are molecules that contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. They are key nutrients that form the main source of energy for the body. Carbohydrates break down into sugar, and this sugar is used by the body to energize cells, tissues and organs. 

The findings of the new study may explain both why diet products are not as pleasurable as their real counterparts and why athletes get instantly pepped up by consuming carbohydrate-loaded drinks - even before the conversion of carbs into energy takes place in their bodies. 

Sport drinks are packed with sugary carbohydrates that give enormous energy, and tongues are found to have a special taste for them. 

In a clinical trial, participants were asked to squeeze a sensor that was held between their right index fingers and thumbs when a visual cue was shown. 

Simultaneously, the participants were made to rinse their mouths with two artificially sweetened fluids of which only one contained carbohydrates. The participants' brains were able to distinguish between the two, though both seemed to have a similar taste. 

The trial also revealed that there was a 30 percent spike in brain activity after carb fluid consumption, especially in those portions of the brain that regulate movement and vision. 

The increased activity of the brain was supposed to be due to the tongue signaling the brain beforehand that the carb energy was about to arrive. 

"Carbohydrates are extremely powerful stimuli that have profound and immediate effects on the brain and the systems it controls," explained Dr. Nicholas Gant, whose team undertook the research at the University of Auckland's Centre for Brain Research. 

When the brains are fed in the form of artificial sweeteners and diet foods and deprived of carbs, they are quick to grasp that they are being fooled. 

"It's becoming evident that the brain knows far more about the foods we ingest that just our perception of taste," said Gant. 

The new study is set to be published in the journal Appetite. 
Source:  journal Appetite.

Indians Swallow Live Fish to Treat Asthma, But Does It Work?

Indians Swallow Live Fish to Treat Asthma, But Does It Work?Many Indians believe that a traditional medicine of swallowing live fish can cure asthma. 

With pinched noses and watery eyes, thousands of Indians line up to swallow live fish in the traditional treatment for asthma administered annually in the country's south.
 


Asthma sufferers gather every June in the southern city of Hyderabad to gulp down the fish stuffed with a yellow herbal paste, in hopes it will help them breathe more easily. 

The wriggling five-centimetre (two-inch) fish are slipped into the throats of patients in a bizarre treatment that leaves them gagging. 

The Bathini Goud family, which administers the treatment, says the fish clear the throat on their way down and permanently cure asthma and other respiratory problems. 

But the family has declined to reveal the secret formula which they say they got from a Hindu saint in 1845. 

Parents are often forced to pry open the mouths of reluctant children who cry at the site of squirming fish, while others pinch their noses, tip their heads back and close their eyes. 

Thousands of people travel from across India for the free medicine during a two-day period, the specific dates of which are determined by the onset of the monsoon every June. 

Rights groups and doctors have complained that the medicine is "unscientific", a violation of human rights and unhygienic, claims rejected by the family. 

The Indian government arranges special trains for the "fish medicine" festival every year and extra police are on duty to control crowds. 

After digesting the treatment, patients are told to go on a strict diet for 45 days.
 Source:Medindia

New Light on Best Medication for Children With Seizures

The debate over which is better, drug Lorazepam and diazepam, has long puzzled ER pediatricians, but has been answered in a recently published clinical study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The drug diazepam has been the U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved medication as first line therapy most often used by emergency room doctors to control major epileptic seizures in children?

 


The answer to that question - based on a double-blind, randomized clinical trial that compared outcomes in 273 seizure patients, about half of whom were given lorazepam - is a clear-cut "no," said Prashant V. Mahajan, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A, one of the authors of the study. 

"The results of our clinical trial were very convincing, and they showed clearly that the two medications are just about equally effective and equally safe when it comes to treating status epilepticus [major epileptic brain seizures in children]," Dr. Mahajan said. "This is an important step forward for all of us who frequently treat kids in the ER for [epilepsy-related] seizures, since it answers the question about the best medication to use in ending the convulsions and getting these patients back to normal brain functioning." 

 New Light on Best Medication for Children With SeizuresDescribing the brain convulsions that were targeted by the study, its authors pointed out that status epilepticus occurs when an epilepsy-related seizure lasts more than 30 minutes. Such seizures - which occur in more than 10,000 U.S. pediatric epilepsy patients every year - can cause permanent brain damage or even death, if allowed to persist. 

Published in JAMA, the jama.jamanetwork.com, "Lorazepam vs Diazepam for Pediatric Status Epilepticus: A Randomized Clinical Trial," was designed to test earlier assertions by many clinicians that lorazepam was more effective at controlling pediatric seizures. The study-authors wrote, "Potential advantages proposed in some studies of lorazepam include improved effectiveness in terminating convulsions, longer duration of action compared with diazepam, and lower incidence of respiratory depression. Specific pediatric data comparing diazepam with lorazepam suggest that lorazepam might be superior, but they are limited to reports from single institutions or retrospective studies with small sample sizes, thus limiting generalizability." 

Based on data collected over four years at 11 different U.S. pediatric emergency departments, the new study found that "treatment with lorazepam [among pediatric patients with convulsive status epilepticus] did not result in improved efficacy or safety, compared with diazepam." 

That determination led the study authors to conclude: "These findings do not support the preferential use of lorazepam for this condition." 

Dr. Mahajan, a nationally recognized researcher in pediatric emergency medicine and a Wayne State University School of Medicine pediatrics professor recently appointed chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Executive Committee of the Section on Emergency Medicine, said the JAMA study provides "a compelling example of how effective research in pediatric medicine, based on treatment of patients right in the clinical setting, can play a major role in improving outcomes." 

Children's Hospital of Michigan Chief of Pediatrics Steven E. Lipshultz, M.D., said this recent breakthrough will "undoubtedly result in better care for pediatric patients who present in the emergency room with seizures related to epilepsy. 

"There's no doubt that combining excellent research with excellent treatment is the key to achieving the highest-quality outcomes for patients - and Dr. Mahajan's cutting-edge study is a terrific example of how kids are benefiting from the research that goes on here at Children's every single day," said Dr. Lipshultz. 
 Source:Journal of the American Medical Association

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