Posts
So I'm a SAHM of a very busy 9 month old boy. I don't have a vehicle during the day so most days I stay in my pj's since I don't go anywhere. I need halo staying motivated to track what I eat to keep from constantly snacking and over eating. I want to lose this baby weight!
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Some Types of Skin Cancer Linked to Lower Chances of Alzheimer's
A weak immune response might allow skin cancer but protect brain from inflammation, expert suggests
By Barbara Bronson Gray
HealthDay ReporterWEDNESDAY, May 15 (HealthDay News) -- There's some good news for people who have had certain kinds of skin cancer: A new study suggests that their odds of developing Alzheimer's disease may be significantly lower than it is for others.
People who had non-melanoma skin cancer were nearly 80 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than people who did not. The association was not found with other types of dementia.
To understand the possible association between skin cancer and Alzheimer's, it is important to know that people have a combination of cells that are multiplying and others that are dying, explained study author Dr. Richard Lipton, a professor of neurology, epidemiology and population health at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. The research was published online May 15 in the journal Neurology.
"When cell division gets out of control, we call that cancer. And when specific populations of brain cells die, we call that Alzheimer's," Lipton said. "So, there is a balance between cell division [growth] and cell death. If you have an individual with an increased risk of cell division over cell death, that may be linked to a decreased risk of Alzheimer's."
The finding was intriguing to one expert.
"It's fascinating that we can get clues about what's going on in the brain by looking at the periphery [skin]," said Terrence Town, a professor in the physiology and biophysics department at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California.
Non-melanoma skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States; there were more than 2 million new cases in 2012, according to the U.S. National Cancer Institute.
What could be causing the possible association between skin cancer and a reduced risk of Alzheimer's?
"Either developing skin cancer is a marker for some biological process that protects against Alzheimer's or environmental factors may play a role," Lipton said. Genetics could be a factor, as could lots of outdoor physical activity and exercise, although Lipton cautioned people to avoid too much sun exposure and wear sunscreen.
Others think the link may be directly related to how the lowered immune response of skin cells in skin cancer corresponds to a similar immune response in the brain.
"This research is another piece of evidence that tells us that peripheral inflammation [in the skin] is very important in Alzheimer's disease," Town said. He thinks that people who develop non-melanoma skin cancers don't have an immune response in their skin, and thus develop skin cancers, because an immune response may be critical to fighting skin cancer. But that benefits them when it comes to developing Alzheimer's disease.
"This reduced inflammatory response that was permissive to the skin cancer was perhaps beneficial in the brain," said Town.
Migraine Sufferers Face Significant Stigma, Study Finds
Equal to that for epilepsy, panic disorder, researchers say, with impact of the disability discounted
By Kathleen Doheny
HealthDay ReporterTHURSDAY, June 27 (HealthDay News) -- Those who get migraines have to deal not only with the pain, which can be disabling, but the stigma caused by others who tend to discount the impact of the debilitating headaches, a new study shows.
"We were able to validate that people who have migraine are not mistaken that they feel they are stigmatized," said lead researcher Dr. Robert Shapiro, a professor of neurological sciences at the University of Vermont College of Medicine. "We have found those perceptions are well-grounded, and that the stigma that people with migraine experience is of a similar magnitude to the stigma people with epilepsy and panic attack experience," he noted.
"The general attitude is that migraine is not a serious or valid condition," he said. In the study, those with asthma experienced the least amount of stigma of the four conditions studied. Epilepsy patients can experience unpredictable seizures and the condition is known to carry a stigma. Panic attacks, where sufferers experience bouts of intense fear, are also unpredictable.
Shapiro is due to present the findings Sunday at the International Headache Congress in Boston.
About 29.5 million Americans are affected by migraine pain and symptoms, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Symptoms can include severe headache, light sensitivity and nausea. Those who are affected may need bed rest and may be unable to work while they are experiencing a migraine.
Shapiro polled 765 people online. All were U.S. residents, with an average age of 28. When presented with vignettes that described people with asthma, migraine, panic attack and epilepsy, the survey participants answered questions on a well-known test used to assess stigma towards illness.
The questionnaire, Shapiro explained, "just provides insight into how someone wants to be associated with someone else." For instance, respondents told how likely they were to want to work with someone with one of the four conditions, and how comfortable they would be inviting them to a dinner party.
The lowest stigma score was for those with asthma. "What we found was the score for migraine versus epilepsy versus panic attack were quite close together and quite similar," Shapiro said.
The study was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Peter Reiner, of the University of British Columbia, also conducted the research.
Some of Shapiro's findings echo those from another study, published earlier this year, in which researchers from Thomas Jefferson University Hospital's Headache Center found that chronic migraine patients experienced more stigma than did those with epilepsy, while those with episodic migraines experienced less stigma than those with chronic migraines.
The latest finding did not surprise Dr. Randall Berliner, a neurologist and psychiatrist specializing in headache disorders at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.
Simponi Approved for Ulcerative Colitis
WEDNESDAY, May 15 (HealthDay News) -- Simponi (golimumab) injection has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat adults with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis.
The drug is designed to block tumor necrosis factor, which has a key role in causing abnormal inflammation and immune system responses, the FDA said Wednesday in a news release.
The drug has already been approved to treat psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis, the agency said.
Ulcerative colitis, affecting some 620,000 Americans, causes chronic inflammation and ulcers in the inner lining of the large intestine. Common symptoms include abdominal discomfort, gastrointestinal bleeding and diarrhea.
Simponi was clinically evaluated in two studies involving more than 800 people. The most common side effects reported were upper respiratory infection and redness at the injection site. People treated with the drug are at greater-than-average risk of contracting several types of infection, lymphoma, heart failure, nervous system disorders and allergic reactions, the FDA said.
The drug is marketed by Janssen Ortho Biotech Inc., based in Horsham, Pa.
-- Scott Roberts 
Copyright © 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
National Bike to Work Day is Tomorrow, So Here Are Some Tips and Tools to Ride Like a Pro
Tomorrow is Bike to Work Day! Will you be strapping on your helmet and hitting the road with your fellow two-wheeled commuters? If you don't yet have a bike, we've got plenty of tips on helping you pick the right one. And if you just need some cool commuting swag to go with your already sweet ride, we've got that, too. Here are some great tips (and gear) for making your trip to and from the office safer, easier, and lots of fun.
Mount your phone. Want to listen to music while you ride? Earbuds are dangerous, and actually against the law in some cities. Need bike-friendly directions? Don't even try biking one-handed while you fiddle with your apps. Instead, use one of Biologic's water-resistant Bike Mounts ($40 - $50) to keep your iPhone or Android device securely on your handlebars while you ride. Blast tunes, follow turn-by-turn directions, or track your cycling stats with a bike computer app -- all hands-free.Wear street-smart shoes. We already told you about these flat-on-one-side bike pedals that you flip to clip into. Today, we've got a pair of kicks that do double duty, too. Chrome's unisex Truk Pro shoes ($90) are casual Friday-friendly, and they contain a hidden SPD clip that stays totally out of the way (aka no annoying scraping on the sidewalk) when you're not on your bike. One less pair of shoes to lug to work? Score.Protect your calves. I pretty much walk around all summer with greasy black chain marks all over my right leg. Then again, I work from home. For those of you who need to look presentable on a daily basis, a FreeDrive Chain Cover ($20) can protect your legs (or your dress pants) from chain grease on any single-speed or multi-speed internal hub gear bike. Totes worth the twenty spot.Stay bright at night. You know you need a headlight and tail light if you're going to be riding after dark. (This one will work for commuters, as well as serious cyclists.) But you can make nighttime riding even safer with Ryde Safe's reflective bike decals ($13 for a medium pack) in several colors and designs. I mean, they even have mustaches -- how hipster chic, right?!?! Stick 'em all over, or follow the site's tutorials for making cool customized designs that are visible from any angle, at any time of day.Bring your bike bag to work. Riding with a backpack works most of the time, but when you're riding in work clothes on a hot day, you don't really want to get all sweaty back there. That's why Electra makes the Slimline Tote Bag ($99), which attaches easily to a rear bike racks but also transition seamlessly to the office.What gear helps you handle a bike commute to work? Will you #BiketoWork tomorrow? Tweet us at @amandaemac and @SELFmagazine!
RELATED LINKS:
Image Credit: Thayer Allison Gowdy
what can eat so i wont get fat and loose my belly
Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.
High-Fat Foods That Drop Pounds, What Millennials Ask The Internet And More!
Think that cutting out fat is an easy way to trigger weight loss? Think again! These fatty foods are proven to help you slim down. [Refinery 29]
A few things Millennials are turning to the Web to ask: "How exactly do you use Pinterest?" And, uh, "What's twerking?" Here are the other top questions millennials are scratching their heads about. [Mashable]
The CDC has found E. coli in many pool water samples, because apparently folks have been using pools as toilets. So gross! [CNN]
Happy Friday! Celebrate the coming weekend with this representation of a typical Friday workday, GIF-style. [BuzzFeed]
Image Credit: Gourmet/Romulo Yanes
Jennifer Lopez performs at the American Idol Season 12 Finale in Los Angeles
Daft Punk day finally arrives… But does it live up to its astronomical hype? Plus, the latest from Maya Jane Coles, London Grammar, Laura Marling, Eddie Berman and a special Virgin Records announcement »
Read more »Think You're Stressed? Maybe You Should Have Your Heart Checked
Those who thought pressure was affecting their health twice as likely to suffer heart attack, study says
By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay ReporterTHURSDAY, June 27 (HealthDay News) -- People who think stress is affecting their health may be setting themselves up for a heart attack, a new study contends.
The researchers found that these people had double the risk of a heart attack compared with people who didn't think stress was harming their health.
"People's perceptions about the impact of stress on their health are likely to be correct," said study author Hermann Nabi, a senior research associate at the Centre for Research in Epidemiology and Population Health at INSERM in Villejuif, France.
"They may need to take actions when they feel that it is the case," he added.
These findings have both clinical and theoretical implications, Nabi said.
"From a clinical perspective, they suggest that complaints of adverse impact of stress on health should not be ignored in clinical settings as they may indicate increased risk of developing coronary heart disease," he said.
From a theoretical perspective, the findings imply that the perceived impact of stress on health is a valid concept that should be considered in future studies aimed at examining the association between stress and health outcomes, Nabi added.
The report was published June 27 in the online edition of the European Heart Journal.
Dr. Gregg Fonarow, a professor of cardiology at the University of California, Los Angeles, said that "stress and reactions to stressful situations have been associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease in many studies."
However, few studies have looked at whether an individual's perception of stress is associated with cardiovascular outcomes, he said.
And it's not clear if reducing stress would affect the risk for heart attack, Fonarow said.
"Further studies are needed to determine whether stress reduction or other risk reduction strategies can reduce cardiovascular events in men and women who perceive they are under stress that is adversely impacting their health," he said.
For the study, Nabi's team collected data on more than 7,000 men and women who took part in the Whitehall II study, which has followed London-based civil servants since 1985.
Participants were asked how much they felt that stress or pressure in their lives had affected their health. Based on their answers, they were placed into one of three groups: "not at all," "slightly or moderately," or "a lot or extremely."
Participants were also asked about their levels of stress and other lifestyle factors such as smoking, drinking, diet and physical activity.
The researchers also collected medical information, such as blood pressure, diabetes status and weight, and other data, including marital status, age, sex, ethnicity and socioeconomic status.
Over 18 years of follow-up, there were 352 heart attacks or deaths from heart attack.
After taking all of these factors into account, the investigators found those who said their health was a "lot or extremely" affected by stress had more than double the risk of a heart attack compared with those who said stress had no effect on their health.
Adam Lambert at the American Idol Season 12 Finale in Los Angeles
Daft Punk day finally arrives… But does it live up to its astronomical hype? Plus, the latest from Maya Jane Coles, London Grammar, Laura Marling, Eddie Berman and a special Virgin Records announcement »
Read more »C-Sections in U.S. Stable After 12-Year Rise: CDC
Guidelines discouraging early elective deliveries may have helped
By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay ReporterTHURSDAY, June 27 (HealthDay News) -- Cesarean deliveries in the United States have leveled off for the first time in 12 years, although they still account for almost one-third of live births, U.S. health officials report.
"It's about time," said Dr. Mitchell Maiman, chairman of obstetrics and gynecology at Staten Island University Hospital in New York City, who was not involved in the report.
The trend toward C-sections, which increased 60 percent between 1996 and 2009, was worrisome, he said. "It was bad for mothers and babies, and now finally it seems we have been able to halt it or maybe even reverse it a tiny bit," Maiman said.
"But we have a long way to go because the C-section rate is way higher than it should be," he added.
After rising from 21 percent of births in 1996 to about 33 percent in 2009, the 2011 rate held steady at about 31 percent, according to figures released Thursday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and other medical groups have helped to curb elective surgical deliveries, Maiman said. Those guidelines discourage cesarean delivery before 39 weeks without a medical indication.
Staten Island University Hospital has followed such guidelines for more than 15 years, Maiman said. The C-section rate there is about 22 percent, well below the national average.
Some obstetricians welcomed the new findings. "It's great that the overall C-section rate has remained flat," said Dr. Jeffrey Ecker, director of obstetrical clinical research at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
"It has been difficult to demonstrate that the rise of the C-section rate over the past decade has been associated with any meaningful improvement in babies' or mothers' health," said Ecker, who is also chair of ACOG's committee on obstetric practice.
Ecker would prefer to see even fewer cesarean deliveries, but "there is no perfect rate," he said. However, "there are opportunities to move the rate down safely," he added.
The report, based on information from the Natality Data File from the National Vital Statistics System, found that the decline wasn't uniform.
At 38 weeks' gestation, the cesarean delivery rate decreased 5 percent -- a trend seen in 30 states. However, at 39 weeks -- full term -- it rose 4 percent. Thirty-eight weeks is considered early term.
Lead author Michelle Osterman, a health statistician at CDC's National Center for Health Statistics, said it's not possible to pin down the reason for the increase at 39 weeks, which was noted in 23 states. Nor could she predict whether the numbers will continue to hold.
"You never know what's going to happen, and we don't make projections," she said. "But it's significant that [the rate of C-sections] hasn't increased in the past three years."
Understanding Calcium: Supplements, Calcium Carbonate, Calcium Citrate, and More
Experts share their advice about what to consider when choosing a calcium supplement.
Are you getting enough calcium in your diet? Maybe not, especially if you're a woman or a teenage girl. Although Americans have improved at this in recent years, we're still not getting enough calcium to maintain our bone health.
How much is that? It depends on your age. According to the Institute of Medicine, the recommended daily amount of calcium to get is:
1-3 years: 700 milligrams daily4-8 years: 1,000 milligrams daily9-18 years: 1,300 milligrams daily19-50 years: 1,000 milligrams daily51-70 years: 1,200 milligrams daily for women; 1,000 milligrams daily for men71 and older: 1,200 milligrams dailyThe Institute of Medicine says that most in the U.S. get enough calcium, except for girls 9 to 18 years old. Although women’s recommended calcium needs to increase with menopause, postmenopausal woman taking supplements may also be at greater risk of getting too much calcium.
"We know that peak bone mass occurs around age 30, so it's very important in childhood and adolescence to have a healthy intake of calcium early on," says Marcy B. Bolster, MD. She is a professor of medicine in the division of rheumatology and immunology at the Medical University of South Carolina and director of the MUSC Center for Osteoporosis and Bone Health.
"After age 30, we start to gradually lose bone, and that loss accelerates for women at the time of menopause. So it's very important to stave off bone loss with adequate calcium intake."
Your health care provider may recommend calcium supplements. But with so many choices of calcium supplements, where should you start? Here's what you need to know.
"I tell my patients to take the kind that they tolerate best and is least expensive," Bolster says. She says she recommends calcium carbonate because "it's inexpensive, won't cause discomfort, and is a good source of calcium."
Some people's bodies may have problems making enough stomach acid, or may be taking medications that suppress acid production. For them, says J. Edward Puzas, MD, a calcium citrate supplement might be better because it "dissolves a little better than calcium carbonate for these people." Puzas is a professor of orthopedics and director of orthopedic research at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York.
What about other types of supplements, like calcium plus magnesium, coral calcium, and so on? Not necessary, the experts tell WebMD. But they note that supplements that combine calcium with vitamin D -- which is essential for the body to appropriately absorb calcium -- provide an added benefit.
The body can absorb only about 500 milligrams of a calcium supplement at any one time, says Puzas, so you can't just down a 1000-mg supplement first thing in the morning and call it a day.
Instead, split your dose into two or three servings a day. "The best way to take it is with a meal; calcium is absorbed better that way," Puzas says. If your daily diet includes calcium-containing foods and drinks, you may not need multiple doses.
Public Funding Spurs Couples to Seek Fertility Treatment
By Kathleen DohenyHealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, May 15 (HealthDay News) -- Public funding of assisted reproductive technology, including in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments, broadens the range of couples who seek treatment for infertility by attracting a more diverse population, according to new research from Canada.
When the province of Quebec began to fund up to three cycles of IVF in August 2010, researchers compared patients who sought that treatment before and after the mandate.
Afterward, "we found larger numbers of lower income, less well-educated, unemployed people seeking fertility treatment," said Phyllis Zelkowitz, director of research in the department of psychiatry and senior investigator at the Lady Davis Institute of the Jewish General Hospital, in Montreal.
The study is published in the May 16 New England Journal of Medicine.
For the study, Zelkowitz and her colleagues compared data on nearly 3,600 couples. Of those, 436 sought treatment before the policy change, 821 immediately after and 2,316 eight months after the policy change.
The investigators found the proportion of treated couples with college degrees declined from 68 percent to 63 percent eight months later. Unemployed couples seeking treatment rose from 3.6 percent to 11.6 percent. And the proportion of patients with household incomes of $65,000 a year or less increased from about 37 percent to more than 47 percent.
For white couples, the proportion dropped from about 67 percent to 63 percent in the eight-month period, after rising immediately after the policy change.
Zelkowitz also found the rate of couples seeking treatment for secondary infertility doubled from 14 percent to 29 percent. Secondary infertility means being unable to get pregnant or carry a pregnancy to term after having one or more biological children.
The mandated policy change came with stipulations, Zelkowitz said. It approved coverage for up to three treatment cycles of IVF. It mandated the transfer of only one embryo per treatment cycle, with a goal of reducing preterm births, she noted.
Preterm births are more common with multiple pregnancies and are riskier to the babies, experts agree.
"One of the goals of the funding was to reduce preterm births, and they have already done that," Zelkowitz said.
The study findings are in conflict with earlier U.S. studies, which have shown that even when patients have access to public funding for assisted reproductive technology, barriers continue to exist, including social, economic and ethnic obstacles. As a result, these earlier studies suggested, the typical patients remain older, wealthier, more-educated white couples.
In the United States, infertility affects about one of eight women of reproductive age and their partners, according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.
Currently, 15 states have passed laws that mandate insurers to cover or offer coverage for infertility diagnosis and treatment, but some states exclude coverage for IVF.
Assisted reproductive technology is typically defined as fertility treatments in which both eggs and sperm are handled, such as IVF, but not procedures such as taking medicine to stimulate egg production, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Only about 5 percent of infertile couples need assisted reproductive technology, the society estimates.
For others, egg stimulation or lifestyle changes such as losing weight or stopping smoking can help them achieve a pregnancy.
However, for those who do need IVF, the cost can be prohibitive. A cycle of IVF costs about $12,400, the society estimates.
The study findings about patient demographics changing after public funding became available do not surprise Dr. Wendy Schillings, a fertility specialist in Allentown, Pa. When she meets patients who have only diagnosis covered, she said, they often delay treatment if they need IVF, hoping to save up the money needed.
Couples who don't have IVF coverage often ask for more embryos to be transferred, she said, and she then counsels them on the risks of multiple births.
"Absolutely lower-income couples can do it [seek treatment] and will do it," Schillings said. However, for those with higher incomes, the decision may involve fewer sacrifices, she added.
Copyright © 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved. SOURCES: Phyllis Zelkowitz, Ed.D., director of research, department of psychiatry, and senior investigator, Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada; Wendy Schillings, M.D., fertility specialist, Allentown, Pa.; May 16, 2013, New England Journal of Medicine
There's a book on how to get a Thigh Gap - be mad
Was going through pinterest and came across a new book jumping on the thigh gap wagon - the thigh gap hack
Supposedly it compiles a bunch of "hacks" for women to lose stubborn lower body fat and has a separate protocol for losing fat and overdeveloped muscle.
I can only imagine the vitriol that is about to hit the internet, but clearly there's a market! Maybe now all the thigh gap posts that seem to to devolve into snide/snarky and judgmental remarks can come to an end
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)