Category Archives: Cancer

Heavy use of pain pills increases risk for erectile dysfunction

Men taking prescription pain pills in high doses and over long periods of time are more likely to experience erectile dysfunction (ED), according to new research.   In a new study published in the journal Spine, researchers examined the health records of 11,000 men taking prescription opioids, like oxycodone, to treat chronic back pain. Men who took high-doses of these prescription painkillers for longer than four months were 50 percent more likely to require medication to treat ED than men who were not taking painkillers. Patients considered to be taking ‘high doses’ of opioids were consuming the equivalent of 80 milligrams of OxyContin per day – or 120 milligrams of morphine. Overall, about 19 percent of the men taking opioids over long periods experienced ED – but researchers said the number might be even higher. “That could well be an underestimate, because many don’t bring it to their doctors attention, would be embarrassed or wouldn’t connect it to medication,” lead study author Dr. Richard Deyo, from the Kaiser Permanante Center for Health Research at Oregon Health & Science University, in Portland Oregon, told FoxNews.com. Researchers noted that opioids are known to cause changes in testosterone levels. “Opioids suppress testosterone levels,” Deyo said. “It’s clear that people taking long-term opioids have testosterone levels well below normal,” Deyo said. Additionally, factors like depression, a common condition among chronic pain patients, could also be contributing to patients’ ED. According to Deyo, the researchers’ findings add to a wealth of evidence indicating that long-term opioid treatment for chronic pain should be avoided when possible. Patients who take opioids for extended periods often develop a tolerance to the medicine and can even experience greater sensitivity to pain over time.   “Patients need to be aware that these medications may not be effective in the long-term for treating chronic pain – they are certainly effective for short-term pain, but not (in the) long run,” Deyo said. Instead of relying on medications, the researchers believe that doctors should encourage alternative treatments for pain relief. “There’s growing evidence that some of the more effective treatments for persistent pain are rigorously designed exercise programs along with cognitive behavioral therapy ,” Deyo said. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is intended to help patients overcome fears associated with their chronic pain. When it comes to exercise, patients often become afraid of doing anything that might worsen their pain, causing them to avoid physical activities.  “CBT seems to be valuable along with exercise interventions…It’s important to consider the full range of options,” Deyo said. Deyo and his colleagues hope their research will increase patients’ awareness about their treatment options.  He noted that the side effects of pain medications, like ED, are often not well understood. “I think it’s important for people to be aware of this,” Deyo said. “Some people would say, ‘Gosh it’s a problem, but the pain is more important to me now; I’m less concerned about the side-effect than treating the pain.’ Others might say, ‘It’s a high price to pay,’ and they’d rather not (take pain medication).”source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/15/heavy-use-pain-pills-increases-risk-for-erectile-dysfunction/

Skin cancer strikes men differently

Malignant skin cancers develop in different areas of the head and neck in men and women. The reason may simply be because men are often the drivers of a car, while women are more often the passengers, according to a study in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. Up to 20 percent of aggressive skin cancers called melanomas occur on the head and neck, which are exposed to greater amounts of ultraviolet radiation than other parts of the body. But few studies have compared gender differences in the distribution of these cancers, the researchers said. The study analyzed 279 head-and-neck melanomas diagnosed in 121 men and 158 women in their early 70s from the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, between 2004 and 2009. About half of the cancers were invasive, or had spread beyond the initial site. The data revealed two distinct patterns. In men, 57 percent of melanomas were located in the peripheral area of the head and neck, which included the scalp, forehead, temple, ears and neck, while 43 percent developed on the eyelids, nose, cheeks, chin and mouth, or the central area. In women, 79 percent of melanomas developed in the central area and 21 percent in the peripheral area. Peripheral cancers were more common on the left side in men and on the right side in women, and tended to be invasive, researchers said. Men spend more time driving than women and are often the principal driver, researchers said, which may explain the asymmetrical distribution of melanomas. The peripheral area is particularly exposed to UV radiation while traveling in a car, although longer hair on women appears to provide some protection, they said. Click for more from The Wall Street Journal.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/15/skin-cancer-strikes-men-differently/

India developing cheap vaccine against major cause of diarrhea deaths in kids

The Indian government announced Tuesday the development of a new low-cost vaccine proven effective against a diarrhea-causing virus that is one of the leading causes of childhood deaths across the developing world. The Indian manufacturer of the new rotavirus vaccine pledged to sell it for $1 a dose, a significant discount from the cost of the current vaccines on the market. That reduced price would make it far easier for poor countries to vaccinate their children against the deadly virus, health experts said. Rotavirus, spread through contaminated hands and surfaces, kills about half a million children across the world each year, 100,000 of them in India. At a conference Tuesday, the government announced that Phase III trials of Rotavac proved that it was safe as well as effective. The clinical trial of 6,799 infants at three sites in India showed the vaccine reduced severe cases of diarrhea caused by rotavirus by 56 percent during the first year of life. “The clinical results indicate that the vaccine, if licensed, could save the lives of thousands of children each year in India,” said Dr. K. Vijay Raghavan, the secretary of the Department of Biotechnology. The vaccine still needs to be licensed before it can be distributed in India and would require further approval by the World Health Organization before it could be distributed globally. Two other vaccines have proven effective against rotavirus, but they are significantly more expensive. The GAVI Alliance, which works to deliver vaccines to the world’s poor, negotiated a significant discount last year with GlaxoSmithKline and Merck, obtaining the rotavirus vaccines from those pharmaceutical companies for $2.50 a dose. The alliance has programs for delivering those vaccines in 14 countries and plans to expand them to 30 countries. Dr. Seth Berkley, the GAVI Alliance’s CEO, said the announcement Tuesday was “a big deal.” “The cheaper the price the more children you can immunize,” he said, adding that it will still take some time before the vaccine is approved for use. In addition, having a third manufacturer for the vaccines would ease supply shortages and could drive down the costs charged by the other manufacturers, he said. “That would make a big difference in terms of changing the marketplace,” he said. Diarrhea is the second leading cause of death among young children in the world after pneumonia. A study of 22,568 children at sites in seven African and south Asian countries that was published Monday in the medical journal The Lancet showed that rotavirus was the leading cause of moderate to severe diarrhea in children under the age of two. The new vaccine was developed from a weakened strain of the virus taken from a child hospitalized in New Delhi more than a quarter century ago. It was the result of a broad global partnership that included the government, the Indian company Bharat Biotech, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, among many others. Those involved said the broad cooperation reduced research costs for the manufacturer and helped keep the vaccine inexpensive. “This public-private partnership is an exemplary model of how to develop affordable technologies to save lives,” Bill Gates, co-chair of the Gates Foundation, said in a statement.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/15/india-developing-cheap-vaccine-against-major-cause-diarrhea-deaths-in-kids/

The best pregnancy foods

When a woman is pregnant, we’re often quick to laugh off her cravings for even the unhealthiest foods. However, pregnancy is a time to indulge in nutritionally dense sources of delicious food - and avoid unhealthy foods, as often as possible. Processed foods offer little nutrition and may contain chemicals. Check labels and avoid products containing the following items: MSG, chemical additives, trans-fats, artificial dyes and anything in a plastic container that may contain BPA. Instead, look for organic and fresh foods whenever possible. When choosing proteins, look for options that come from animals that have not been given hormones or antibiotics. Foods rich in probiotics, healthy fats and folate are also all important components of a pregnancy diet. Probiotics are the building blocks for digestive health. Consuming probiotic-rich foods during pregnancy could help strengthen the immune systems of both the mother and baby. Probiotics can be easily incorporated into your diet through fermented foods such as kefir, organic plain yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi and pickled vegetables. Healthy fats are vital to the baby’s brain, organ and tissue development, so embrace them. Butter from pastured cows and coconut oil both contain lauric acid, which has antiviral, antibacterial and immune supporting functions. Egg yolks contain choline which may enhance a baby’s brain development. Organic, full-fat dairy, avocado, nuts and healthy sources of meat all provide additional healthy fats. Wild-caught salmon, herring and sardines all contain healthy fats such as omega-3 and DHA. Wild, grass-fed animals like beef, wild boar, and longhorn are also great sources of omega-3’s. Folate is also critically important for the development of a healthy fetus. Dr. Luis Espaillat-Rijo, a voluntary assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Miami and clinical fellow at the Cleveland Clinic of Florida, stated that if he had to choose just one thing to recommend to pregnant women, it would be folate. Espaillat-Rijo explained that there is a direct link between folate supplementation and a decrease in incidence of neural tube defects. Folate also reduces the likelihood of anemia in the mother and can prevent early miscarriage and premature delivery. High quality, organic liver from a pastured animal is a great food to include in your diet once a week – it contains three times the amount of folate as a serving of raw spinach. Sunflower seeds, dark leafy greens and beans are also great sources of folate and make a wonderful addition to a pregnancy diet. This isn’t to say you can’t give in to your cravings. However, try to make your indulgences as healthy as possible.  If you’re craving a cheeseburger, choose grass-fed ground beef and organic cheese on a whole grain or sprouted bun. If all you want is a milkshake, seek out ice-cream made from hormone-free milk and top it with organic dark chocolate. Make the best choices you can, as often as you can. If you’re eating well the majority of the time, there’s no need to feel guilty about the occasional slip.Jacqueline Banks is a certified holistic health counselor and busy mother. & Her focus is on helping other busy moms in all stages of motherhood keep themselves and their little ones healthy and happy. & She uses natural and organic solutions to solve individual health problems and promote clean living. Check out her website at www.jbholistic.com.& & source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/14/best-pregnancy-foods/

Doctor with cerebral palsy offers hope

Dr. Jan Brunstrom-Hernandez gently but sternly admonishes a teenage cerebral palsy patient who clearly hasn't been doing his exercises, stressing the importance of keeping muscles loose and limber. “We know it's not fair, but that's the way it is,” Brunstrom-Hernandez tells 15-year-old patient Sam Ward. “Do you hear me? I know what I'm talking about.” Brunstrom-Hernandez, who founded the Cerebral Palsy Center at St. Louis Children's Hospital 15 years ago, has cerebral palsy, giving her a special empathy for the people she treats. Cerebral palsy is a broad diagnostic term referring to disorders that affect movement and posture. It is caused by injury or abnormal development of the brain, usually before birth. Many patients suffer from other afflictions, too, such as speech or hearing difficulties. Symptoms vary greatly. Brunstrom-Hernandez, 50, was surrounded by doctors from a young age as she coped with the disorder. She figures that's a big reason she knew as a small girl she wanted to be a doctor. Still, she initially balked at specializing in treating others with cerebral palsy. “I didn't want to be surrounded by more of me,” she said. “I didn't feel good about myself because of my disability.” A chat in 1997 with Dr. Mike Noetzel at St. Louis Children's Hospital changed all that. At the time, Brunstrom-Hernandez was doing research on cerebral palsy and was surprised to learn treatment hadn't progressed much beyond the treatment she received in the 1960s. He suggested she launch a cerebral palsy clinic. “All I said was, `You've got some good ideas. I think people would listen to you. Let's at least try to start something,'” he recalled. The clinic opened in May 1998. There are many clinics in the U.S. that treat cerebral palsy among many other neurological disorders, but the St. Louis center is unique in its singular focus, said Kaelan Richards of United Cerebral Palsy. Brunstrom-Hernandez and her team of doctors and therapists see patients of all ages - babies to adults - from across the world. The center has treated about 2,000 people since opening 15 years ago. Sam, at the clinic recently with his parents, is in many ways a typical teen. He wore a T-shirt, shorts and sported a sly grin as Brunstrom-Hernandez examined him - even through her motherly admonitions. “She helps me walk better,” he said. “Just be better.” Anna Marie Champion of Atlanta has been bringing her daughter, Morgan, on the 11-hour trip to the St. Louis clinic for 10 years, since Morgan was 3. Morgan uses a walker but is scholarly and motivated, a seventh-grader who already has earned a college scholarship. “We went to St. Louis and it was a whole different approach,” Champion said. “It has turned her life around completely.” Brunstrom-Hernandez stresses the need for exercise and communication. From childhood, movement was difficult for her. “If the wind was blowing hard enough, I'd fall down,” Brunstrom-Hernandez recalled. Her mother made her keep moving, even requiring her to stand in the kitchen to do dishes when it was the last thing the little girl wanted to do. “She insisted that I not be dependent,” Brunstrom-Hernandez said. “She insisted that I pull my weight. It's a good thing. It made me tough and it made me strong.” Strong, yes, but Brunstrom-Hernandez acknowledged she sometimes felt embarrassed by cerebral palsy. She recalled how she would recoil if she caught a glimpse of mirrored glass showing her struggling to walk. It wasn't until she started the clinic that she embraced who she was and what she could do to help others. “I have gotten as much or more out of taking care of these patients as they have ever gotten from me,” she said. “It changed my life. They saved my life. They taught me how to believe in myself. They taught me how to look at myself differently.” Moving around the clinic, only Brunstrom-Hernandez's gait shows any effects of her cerebral palsy, though rheumatoid arthritis causes her pain. She acknowledges it can be physically exhausting. “I have to work all the time to stay on my feet,” she said. It's a dedication that doesn't go unnoticed by her colleagues. “I think the empathy does come through,” Noetzel said. “Her line is kind of a tough one: If you really want to do best, this is what you need to do. I think there's a much greater acceptance coming from her.”source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/15/doctor-with-cerebral-palsy-offers-hope/

Hysterectomy not tied to heart risk factors, study shows

Despite evidence suggesting that women whose uterus has been removed may be more likely to experience heart troubles, a new study finds that the usual signs of heart disease risk are not more severe in middle-aged women after hysterectomy. After following more than 3,000 women for about 11 years, researchers found that heart risk factors like cholesterol, markers of inflammation and blood pressure were not significantly worse in women in the years following an elective hysterectomy, compared to women who did not have the procedure. “I think it's encouraging to women and clinicians that this is not something they have to worry about if they're considering hysterectomy (in) midlife,” said Karen Matthews, the study's lead author from the University of Pittsburgh. Hysterectomy, the surgical removal of the uterus, is the second most common surgery among U.S. women, after cesarean-section deliveries. Often the procedure is used to remove or prevent cancer, especially among younger women. But many women may elect to have the surgery for other reasons, including to treat painful benign growths in the uterine wall known as fibroids or to staunch heavy bleeding. Hysterectomies can involve removal of the uterus only, or the ovaries as well. Ovary removal in particular has been linked to increased cardiovascular risk because it takes away the main source of estrogen in a woman's body and plunges her abruptly into menopause. Even the gradual decline of estrogen following natural menopause has been linked to women's increased heart risks, so researchers have investigated whether hysterectomy raises those risks. But studies of the connection have produced mixed results. For the new study, Matthews and her colleagues used data from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation, which followed a large, multiethnic group for more than a decade to understand the experience of American women during and after menopause. The 1,952 women included in the study were between 42 and 52 years old and not yet in menopause when tracking began. They were followed from 1996 through 2008, receiving annual checkups that recorded information about their health, surgeries and whether or not they had started menopause. Specifically, the researchers looked at physical measurements that are markers for heart and cardiovascular disease. They included various components of cholesterol, blood pressure, blood clotting factors and molecules that are signals of inflammation. Overall, the researchers report in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology that none of those measurements in the 183 women who chose to have their uterus removed - with or without their ovaries - were significantly worse, compared to the 1,769 women who went through menopause naturally. Matthews said their findings apply to women who are finished having children, in their forties and are considering a hysterectomy to help with excessive bleeding or other factors that cause a quality of life problem. She said they couldn't make a conclusion for women who need to have their uterus and ovaries removed because of cancer. “Our study really couldn't examine that question because we had too few women who had gynecological cancers, and the equation changes when you have gynecological cancer,” said Matthews. But Dr. JoAnn Manson, who has researched women's health after hysterectomy but was not involved in the new study, suggested the results don't mean that women who have hysterectomies are in the clear, because past studies only saw a difference in heart risks after 10 to 15 years. Manson, who is chief of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, told Reuters Health that the abrupt transition to menopause after a hysterectomy may only reverberate years later because “atherosclerosis takes a while to develop… That seems to take up to 10 and 15 years for clear differences to emerge.” For that reason, “This isn't totally surprising that there wasn't a difference in risk factors during the follow up period,” Manson said. Matthews said that's one potential explanation for why their results differ from previous studies, but she said there could be other reasons, including that modern women are somehow different from women included in past research. “It may be that it's emerging much later, but I would be surprised,” Matthews said.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/15/hysterectomy-not-tied-to-heart-risk-factors-study-shows/

Prescription painkiller deaths up 261 percent in NYC

New York City health officials say deaths from prescription painkillers such as Oxycontin and Vicodin increased 261% between 2005 and 2011. The city Health Department says there were 220 such deaths in 2011, up from 130 in 2005. The biggest increase was on Staten Island. There were 40 painkiller deaths there in 2011, or 11.2 per 100,000 people.  The Health Department plans to hold two conferences for doctors and dentists on Staten Island next month to address the problem. Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley said Tuesday that prescription opioid painkillers are chemically similar to heroin and can lead to addiction and fatal overdose. He said doctors and patients should know the dangers of using the drugs. Click here for more from My Fox New York. source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/15/prescription-painkiller-deaths-up-261-percent-in-nyc/

Ultra-low salt intake may not boost health, U.S. panel says

Americans at high risk for heart problems who have been told for years to sharply cut salt from their diet may not actually benefit from ultra-low sodium diets and could even face some harm, an independent panel of health experts said on Tuesday. The influential Institute of Medicine, in a report to U.S. health officials, reviewed the latest data on the link between salt intake and health. While blacks, diabetics and others more likely to have heart problems are urged to slash their salt intake, the IOM review showed there was limited evidence such a diet helped, and that too little salt might increase the risk of heart trouble. “The evidence on both the benefit and harm is not strong enough to indicate that these subgroups should be treated differently from the general U.S. population,” the panel wrote. That suggests higher-risk populations may not need such a drastic reduction of salt in their diets and that other steps to curb heart disease risk may be needed. Americans are still consuming far too much salt, the IOM experts said. On average, U.S. adults eat about 1.5 teaspoons of salt over the course of the day, or about 3,400 milligrams. Federal guidelines recommend that healthy people consume no more than 2,300 milligrams daily. But the latest data calls into question whether individuals with higher risk factors for heart disease or stroke should limit their daily intake to 1,500 milligrams, as the government recommends. Brian Strom, the panel's chairman and a public health professor at the University of Pennsylvania, said the newest studies back the known benefits of “reducing sodium from very high intake levels to moderate levels.” “But they also suggest that lowering sodium intake too much may actually increase a person's risk of some health problems,” he said, including heart ailments. Still, the studies are limited and in some cases flawed, so more research is needed, the IOM panel told the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which requested the report. Health advocates including the American Heart Association were quick to dismiss the findings, saying the recent studies reviewed by IOM focused on sick patients and not the majority of Americans, most of whom eat too much salt. “The bottom line for consumers is still: cut back on sodium,” said the Center for Science in the Public Interest's (CSPI) Bonnie Liebman. 'IT'S PRETTY TOUGH' The problem is not just food loaded with salt. It's also that Americans eat a lot of food that contains lower amounts of salt, such as bread and pasta, without realizing their sodium content. Health officials have called for Americans to take various steps to cut back, such as asking for no-salt dishes in restaurants and eating more naturally low-salt foods like fruits and vegetables. Health advocates said the IOM's review was beside the point given the high levels of sodium that still plague U.S. foods. It's almost impossible to ingest just 1,500 milligrams a day, said Liebman, director of nutrition for CSPI. “Virtually any meal at any restaurant would give you at least half-a-day's worth of sodium, maybe a whole day's worth, maybe more,” Liebman said. “You'd have to make everything from scratch. ... It's pretty tough.” Consumer groups and some lawmakers have for years called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to set federal salt levels for food, a recommendation that the IOM backed in 2010. In New York City, health officials have been working with restaurants and food companies to voluntarily remove salt from everyday foods. A trio of studies published on Monday found that smaller restaurants still load their food with salt even as national chains and food manufacturers have cut back.  The FDA, in a statement, said it was reviewing the IOM's report, calling it consistent with its “efforts to work toward achievable and reasonable voluntary reductions in the sodium content of the U.S. food supply.” IOM was not asked to review current federal salt intake guidelines, which were issued in 2010. U.S. health officials are expected to revise the guidelines on salt and other nutrients in 2015.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/15/ultra-low-salt-intake-may-not-boost-health-us-panel-says/

How to deal with bad behavior at the gym

The etiquette of dealing with space invaders, circuit breakers and other gym scourges. Space Invaders Problem: You finally make it to yoga class, but just as it begins, a latecomer places his mat inches from yours. Now you can’t salute the sun without smacking your neighbor’s back. Solution: Confront, but in a nice way. “Always begin your approach with the thought that most people aren’t rude on purpose,” Liz Neporent, exercise physiologist and a coauthor of “The Fat-Free Truth,” said. “They’re simply wrapped up in their own little worlds.”  You could say something like, “Excuse me, but I’m going to need a little extra room here,” suggested Dee Poquette, a personal trainer in Danbury, Connecticut. If politeness fails, move to another spot or take the matter to a higher authority. Chances are the gym or studio may be overselling classes. Loud Talkers Problem: You’re thoroughly engrossed in a magazine, cycling toward your eight-mile goal, when a woman on the machine behind you answers her cell phone and proceeds to discuss her dinner plans at full volume. Solution: Say something, but keep your tone pleasant and nonaccusatory. You can say, “Excuse me, but your conversation is distracting―would you mind talking off the gym floor?” If you don’t want to get directly involved, ask an employee to intervene.  “The proble mis that many clubs don’t ban cell phones,” John McCarthy, a former executive director of the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association, said.  If yours doesn’t, try moving to another part of the gym or wearing headphones. Smelly Patrons Problem: As you work yourself into an elliptical frenzy, a strong whiff of your most hated perfume (or, worse, body odor) wafts your way, and you feel as if you’re going to suffocate or faint. Solution: Move away, if possible. But if you’re stuck in close quarters, there’s little you can do beyond discreetly taking your complaint to a manager.  “When the issue is personal grooming, we prefer members to come to us,” Steven L. Schwartz, chief executive officer of Midtown Athletic Clubs in Chicago, said. “It’s uncomfortable for someone to tell another person that he smells bad.”      Sometimes the issue is ignorance or, in the case of body odor, inattention. Poquette recalled when one client’s odor lingered long after he had left the room, bothering other clients.  “It turns out he would work out and put his clothes in the locker, then put the same clothes back on two days later,” she said. “As soon as someone pointed out the issue, the problem was straightened out. You’d think he could tell, but he was oblivious.” Circuit Breakers Problem: As you’re zooming around the machines, which are clearly labeled 1 through 9 for circuit training, you see someone position herself on the shoulder press―your intended next stop. Solution: “A certain amount of jumping in on a circuit is acceptable, provided the person doesn’t block someone who’s going through in order,” Neporent said. “If someone is about to block you, you can say, ‘I’m following the circuit, and I’m about to use that machine.’ ”      If she blocks you anyway, keep going around and come back to the machine later to maintain the flow of your workout. Circuit etiquette is a bit different from general weight-room etiquette in that you’re expected to let another person use your machine―that is, “work in”―while you rest or do cardio between sets. Should a response to your “May I work in with you?” be less than friendly, simply back off or take the matter to the trainer on duty. You’re not tattling.      “Things like that have a way of boiling over in gyms,” Denis Barry, a co-owner of Edge, a gym in New York City, said. Click for more tips on gym etiquette from Real Simple. source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/14/coping-with-bad-behavior-at-gym/

Study IDs key protein for cell death

When cells suffer too much DNA damage, they are usually forced to undergo programmed cell death, or apoptosis. However, cancer cells often ignore these signals, flourishing even after chemotherapy drugs have ravaged their DNA. A new finding from MIT researchers may offer a way to overcome that resistance: The team has identified a key protein involved in an alternative death pathway known as programmed necrosis. …