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hi there i am new today so check out my profike and wat i am eating etc and any support would be great xxx
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Menopause-Like Woes Hinder Breast Cancer Treatment: Study
FRIDAY, April 12 (HealthDay News) -- Hot flashes and other unpleasant side effects are a major reason one-quarter of breast cancer patients do not start or do not complete their recommended hormone-blocking therapy, a new study finds.
Five years of daily pills -- either tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors -- is recommended for many women whose breast cancer expresses the hormones estrogen or progesterone. The drugs have been shown to reduce the risk of cancer returning and to extend survival.
Despite such benefits, this study of more than 700 breast cancer patients in Detroit and Los Angeles who were eligible for hormone therapy found that about 11 percent never started treatment and 15 percent stopped it early.
Unpleasant, menopause-type side effects, such as vaginal dryness, hot flashes or joint pain, were the most common reasons women either stopped or never started the therapy.
"We need to develop better ways of supporting women through this therapy," lead study author Christopher Friese, an assistant professor at the University of Michigan School of Nursing, said in a university news release.
Those most likely to complete their hormone therapy were patients who were most worried about their cancer returning and those who already took medication regularly, according to the study, which was published online March 31 in the journal Breast Cancer Research and Treatment.
Patients least likely to begin hormone therapy included those who received less information about hormone therapy, which suggests that doctors need to properly educate patients before treatment begins, the researchers said.
Women who saw a breast cancer surgeon instead of a medical oncologist as their primary follow-up also were less likely to begin hormone therapy.
"It was particularly interesting that greater fear of recurrence was associated in our patient sample with greater adherence to endocrine therapy," study senior study author Dr. Jennifer Griggs, a professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School.
"We don't want our patients living under a cloud of fear, so we need to develop creative ways to both reassure and motivate them," said Griggs, a medical oncologist. "This means providing better education about the importance of staying on these medications and partnering with primary care and cancer doctors to help patients manage symptoms."
More than 234,000 Americans will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year and more than 40,000 will die from the disease, the American Cancer Society estimates.
-- Robert Preidt 
Copyright © 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved. SOURCE: University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, news release, April 9, 2013
Beyonce kicks off her Mrs Carter world tour in Serbia
Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.
To Stop Smoking, Teens Should Start Moving
FRIDAY, April 12 (HealthDay News) -- A small amount of daily exercise can help teen smokers cut down on or quit their harmful habit, according to a new study.
Researchers looked at 233 teens at 19 high schools in West Virginia, which has one of the highest smoking rates in the nation. Nearly 13 percent of people under age 18 in the state are smokers, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
All the teens in the study were daily smokers who smoked an average of half a pack a day on weekdays and a pack a day on weekends. They also had other unhealthy behaviors.
"It is not unusual for teenage smokers to engage in other unhealthy habits. Smoking and physical inactivity, for instance, often go hand in hand," study lead author Kimberly Horn, associate dean for research at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, in Washington, D.C., said in a university news release.
The teens in the study were divided into three groups: one group took part in a smoking cessation program combined with a fitness program, another group took part in the smoking cessation program only and the third group heard only a short antismoking lecture.
All of the teens increased their amount of daily physical activity just by being in the study. Those who increased the number of days in which they did at least 20 minutes of exercise -- equivalent to a short walk -- significantly reduced the number of cigarettes they smoked.
Teens were more likely to quit smoking if they took part in the combination smoking cessation and fitness program and increased the number of days in which they did at least 30 minutes of exercise, according to the study, which was published online April 9 in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
"This study adds to evidence suggesting that exercise can help teenagers who are trying to quit smoking," Horn said.
-- Robert Preidt
Copyright © 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved. SOURCE: George Washington University, news release, April 9, 2013
Lullabies Soothe Preemies, Parents Alike
By Maureen SalamonHealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, April 15 (HealthDay News) -- Lullabies have been used to soothe babies since time immemorial. Now, scientists say that premature infants in particular can benefit from combining this tactic with other forms of music therapy, such as simulated womb sounds synchronized to preemies' vital signs.
Studying 272 infants in 11 hospital neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), researchers from Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City found that live music matched to babies' breathing and heart rates enhanced feeding and sleeping patterns. Parent-selected lullabies also seemed to promote bonding between parents and babies, easing the stress of the chaotic NICU environment.
"Historically, premature infants were thought to be best off left alone in a quiet, closed incubator with no stimulation," said study author Joanne Loewy, director of Beth Israel's Louis Armstrong Center for Music & Medicine.
However, she added, "In more recent times, we're seeing that the right kind of stimulation -- particularly live, interactive music -- can enhance babies' neurological function and increase their quiet-alert state. It helps them through those tough moments . . . the more we can regulate the sound environment, the better they're going to fare."
The study was released online April 15 in advance of publication in the May print issue of the journal Pediatrics.
Loewy and her colleagues examined the effects of three different types of music therapy interventions on premature babies. The infants were born at least 32 weeks into gestation and were small for their gestational age or suffered from conditions including respiratory distress and sepsis.
Three times each week for two weeks, certified music therapists used devices called Remo ocean discs and gato boxes, which replicated "whoosh" and heartbeat womb sounds while synchronized with infants' breath and heart patterns. Parents or therapists also sung the lullabies preferred by the babies' parents (called "songs of kin"), or "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" when parents had no preference.
Compared to babies not receiving any music therapies, babies who did showed more positive health effects such as better sleeping and feeding patterns. Those exposed to the ocean disc sounds experienced improved blood-oxygen levels and quiet-alert states. Additionally, parents' perception of stress in the NICU environment significantly decreased with the interventions, the study said.
"Many NICUs are noisy, or people put on random lullabies that are recorded," Loewy said. "What we're saying is, it's not just any old lullaby that's recorded, it's the power of the parent's voice synchronized therapeutically . . . and the other two sounds that can have a therapeutic benefit."
Dr. Joseph Awadalla, a neonatologist at Redlands Community Hospital, in California, agreed that such therapy helps premature infants thrive. He noted that womb-like sounds have been used in some hospitals for at least the last 20 years to soothe and relax babies.
"I'm aware that not all the [NICUs] do this kind of therapy," Awadalla said. "There should be no obstacle to using it -- there just needs to be an understanding from the staff that choosing it will help."
The cost of such therapy is minimal, study author Loewy said, and depends on the region of the United States a hospital is located. In the mid-Atlantic region, for example, certified music therapists cost about $65 per hour, and a typical session with each infant would last for 10 to 15 minutes, she said.
"In terms of the cost, when you're able to better regulate [a preemie's] vital signs, that's going to lead to less days in the hospital and less expense for [medications]," she added.
Copyright © 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved. SOURCES: Joanne Loewy, D.A., director, Louis Armstrong Center for Music & Medicine, Beth Israel Medical Center, New York City; Joseph Awadalla, M.D., neonatologist, Redlands Community Hospital, Redlands, Calif.; May 2013 Pediatrics
Amazed, OMG! Wow! I did it! So thrilled!!!!
So just a little up-date from me....as I love this little forum and want to thank all the people that have supported me and given advice to me since my weight loss journey began.
Today I stepped on the scales, having being stuck at 147/148 for what seemed like months and actually weighed TODAY 140 lbs!
Yipee..I reached my goal.
I started out October 1st last year at 171 lbs - and for my height 163 and my age 48 was not a good look!
With diet and exercise and doing it properly I have reached my goal.
Now what do I do!!!! Maintain I s'pose....don't want to lose more, just want to be toned and fit.
Thank you all for so much support and good luck on your journey too!
Maisy x
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