June 18, 2006, 6:07 PM CT

Vegetables May Reduce Hardening Of Arteries

New research suggests one reason vegetables may be so good for us - a study in mice found that a mixture of five common vegetables reduced hardening of the arteries by 38 percent compared to animals eating a non-vegetable diet. Conducted by Wake Forest University School of Medicine, the research is reported in the current issue of the Journal of Nutrition.

"While everyone knows that eating more vegetables is supposed to be good for you, no one had shown before that it can actually inhibit the development of atherosclerosis," said Michael Adams, D.V.M., lead researcher. "This suggests how a diet high in vegetables may help prevent heart attacks and strokes".

The study used specially bred mice that rapidly develop atherosclerosis, the formation on blood vessel walls of fatty plaques that eventually protrude into the vessel's opening and can reduce blood flow. The mice have elevated low-density lipoprotein ( LDL), or "bad" cholesterol, which is also a risk factor for atherosclerosis in humans.

Half of the mice in the study were fed a vegetable-free diet and half got 30 percent of their calories from a mixture of freeze-dried broccoli, green beans, corn, peas and carrots. These five vegetables are among the top-10 vegetables in the United States based on frequency of consumption.........

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June 17, 2006, 10:56 PM CT

Allergy

An allergy can refer to several kinds of immune reactions including Type I hypersensitivity in which a person's body is hypersensitised and develops IgE type antibodies to typical proteins. When a person is hypersensitised, these substances are known as allergens. The word allergy derives from the Greek words allos meaning "other" and ergon meaning "work". Type I hypersensitivity is characterised by excessive activation of mast cells and basophils by immunoglobulin E resulting in a systemic inflammatory response that can result in symptoms as non-malignant as a runny nose, to life-threatening anaphylactic shock and death.

History

The term and concept of "allergy" was coined by a Viennese pediatrician named Clemens von Pirquet in 1906 [1]. He observed that the symptoms of some of his patients might have been a response to outside allergens such as dust, pollen, or certain foods. For a long time all hypersensitivities were thought to stem from the improper action of inflammatory immunoglobulin class IgE, however it soon became clear that several different mechanisms utilizing different effector molecules were responsible for the myriad of disorders previously classified as "allergies". A new four-class (now five) classification scheme was designed by P. G. H. Gell and R. R. A. Coombs. Allergy has since been kept as the name for Type I Hypersensitivity, characterised by classical IgE mediation of effects.........

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June 11, 2006, 10:13 AM CT

Sacred Cows and Sympathetic Squirrels

Sacred Cows and Sympathetic Squirrels: The Importance of Biological Diversity to Human Health.

Andy Dobson*, Isabella Cattadori, Robert D. Holt, Richard S. Ostfeld, Felicia Keesing, Kristle Krichbaum, Jason R. Rohr, Sarah E. Perkins, Peter J. Hudson.

Andy Dobson is in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America. Isabella Cattadori, Kristle Krichbaum, Jason R. Rohr, Sarah E. Perkins, Peter J. Hudson are at the Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America. Robert D. Holt is in the Department of Zoology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America. Richard S. Ostfeld is at the Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, New York, United States of America. Felicia Keesing is in the Department of Biology, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, United States of America.

Funding: The Pennsylvania State University, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics provided logistical and financial support for the meeting at which this paper was written. APD's research is supported by grants under the National Institutes of Health/ National Science Foundation Ecology of Infectious Disease Program.........

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June 10, 2006, 6:21 PM CT

Protect Americans From Counterfeit Drugs

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced new steps to strengthen existing protections against the growing problem of counterfeit drugs. The measures, which were recommended in a report released recently by the agency's Counterfeit Drug Task Force, emphasize certain regulatory actions and the use of new technologies for safeguarding the integrity of the U.S. drug supply.

"The adoption of the FDA Counterfeit Drug Task Force's recommendations will further reduce the risk that counterfeit products will enter the U.S. drug distribution system and reach patients," said Dr. Andrew C. von Eschenbach, the FDA's Acting Commissioner. "We must remain vigilant in our efforts to ensure our nation's drug supply is protected against an increasingly sophisticated criminal element engaging in a dangerous type of commerce."

Among other new measures, FDA will fully implement regulations correlation to the Prescription Drug Marketing Act of 1987, which requires drug distributors to provide documentation of the chain of custody of drug products -- the so-called "pedigree" -- throughout the distribution system. FDA had placed on hold certain regulatory provisions because of concerns raised at the time about the impact on small wholesalers. Most recently, in early 2004, FDA delayed the effective date of certain regulatory provisions regarding pedigrees to allow the industry time to adopt electronic technology for tracking drugs through the supply chain. Based on information from drug supply stakeholders, the FDA had expected this technology to be in widespread use in the drug supply chain by 2007, but it now appears that these expectations will not be met. Further, FDA has not heard that the concerns raised in the past regarding the impact on small wholesalers remains, and in fact, FDA was encouraged by most drug stakeholders to allow the hold to expire. Doing so would also provide clarity in the drug supply chain regarding who is and is not mandatory to pass a pedigree. Continuing the hold would perpetuate the current confusion and further allow opportunities for counterfeit and diversionary practices. FDA has, therefore, determined that it can no longer justify not implementing these regulations.........

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June 1, 2006, 11:43 PM CT

Exposure to Violence Increases Asthma Risks?

Pollens, yes. Dust yes. Cigarette smoke, yes. Pets, perhaps. Just in the prior entry, I've noted how air pollutants correlation to street traffic can contribute to asthma risks. All these make sense. But violence? What's the connection of exposure to violence relate to asthma?.........

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May 30, 2006, 11:46 PM CT

Knowledge Of Infection May Prevent Spread Of Herpes Virus

A new study suggests that the risk of transmitting the virus that causes most cases of genital herpes could be cut in half by more testing and informing sexual partners of infection. The study is reported in the July 1 issue of The Journal of Infectious Diseases, now available online.

Until recently, there was little evidence to show that knowledge of infection would lead to decreased transmission of herpes simplex virus (HSV) to others. But Anna Wald, MD, MPH, and his colleagues at the University of Washington and the Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center in Seattle studied 199 patients with newly acquired genital HSV-2 infection and found that patients were about half as likely to transmit the virus when they knew they had genital herpes and informed their sexual partners.

As per Wald, "these findings suggest that testing persons with HSV type-specific serologic assays and encouraging disclosure may result in decreased risk of HSV-2 transmission to sexual partners."

The importance of this finding is described by editorialists Edward Hook III, MD, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Peter Leone, MD, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as one of three effective tools to prevent the spread of this sexually transmitted disease (STD). "Genital herpes is one of the few common STDs for which, at present, there is little coordinated emphasis on control efforts," say Hook and Leone. The two experts also support suppressive antiviral treatment and condom use as the other necessary elements to control the spread of genital herpes nationwide.........

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May 24, 2006, 7:52 PM CT

Gaucher's Disease

What is Gaucher's Disease?

Gaucher disease is an inherited metabolic disorder in which harmful quantities of a fatty substance called glucocerebroside accumulate in the spleen, liver, lungs, bone marrow, and sometimes in the brain. There are three types of Gaucher disease. The first category, called type 1, is by far the most common. Patients in this group commonly bruise easily and experience fatigue due to anemia and low blood platelets. They also have an enlarged liver and spleen, skeletal disorders, and, in some instances, lung and kidney impairment. There are no signs of brain involvement. Symptoms can appear at any age. In type 2 Gaucher disease, liver and spleen enlargement are apparent by 3 months of age. Patients have extensive and progressive brain damage and commonly die by 2 years of age. In the third category, called type 3, liver and spleen enlargement is variable, and signs of brain involvement such as seizures gradually become apparent. All Gaucher patients exhibit a deficiency of an enzyme called glucocerebrosidase that is involved in the breakdown and recycling of glucocerebroside. The buildup of this fatty material within cells prevents the cells and organs from functioning properly. Gaucher disease is one of several lipid storage diseases.

Is there any therapy?........

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May 22, 2006, 1:39 PM CT

Beating Bad Breath

If you're bothered by bad breath, simple measures often can help. Bad breath often stems from food particles in the mouth, from dry mouth, or from a health problem.

The recent issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter offers tips to beat bad breath:.

Brush your teeth or use a mouthwash after you eat. Brushing is best. If you use a mouthwash, swish it around for 30 seconds before spitting it out.

Floss your teeth at least once a day. Flossing removes decaying food.

Brush your tongue. Brush the back of your tongue while brushing your teeth. Or, scrape it with a tongue scraper, which can be purchased at a pharmacy.

Drink water to keep your mouth moist. When your mouth is dry, there's insufficient saliva to wash away dead cells. Chewing sugarless gum or sucking on sugarless hard candy can help stimulate saliva production.

Avoid foods that may cause bad breath. This often includes onions and garlic. Oils from these foods are transferred to the lungs and exhaled.

Clean your dentures daily. They can harbor bacteria and food particles.

See your dentist or doctor. Bad breath that doesn't respond to simple measures may be correlation to periodontal disease, an abscessed tooth, an infection, chronic sinusitis, chronic bronchitis, postnasal drip, certain esophageal problems, or other conditions.........

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May 13, 2006, 3:14 PM CT

A Way to Prevent Fetal Alcohol Syndrome?

The most common cause of nongenetic mental retardation in the Western world is fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). About one in 1,000 United States children is born with FAS, which is caused by prenatal exposure to alcohol. Children with FAS typically have abnormal facial features and reduced growth. They also have central nervous system abnormalities that lead to impaired learning and memory skills, hyperactivity, and other behavioral problems. These neurological disabilities arise because ethanol disrupts the formation and survival of neurons in the developing brain, especially in the last trimester of pregnancy and in the first few years of postnatal life when brain development is especially active.

There is no cure for FAS, but it is 100% preventable. Public health officials recommend that women planning pregnancy and sexually active women who do not use effective birth control avoid alcohol-there is no safe dose of alcohol or safe time to drink it during pregnancy. Sadly, this advice is often ignored. In the US, one in 12 pregnant women admits to drinking alcohol, and one in 30 reports binge drinking (five or more drinks at one time). Given such figures, ways to prevent or attenuate the effects of alcohol on the developing brain are badly needed. Alessandro Ieraci and Daniel Herrera now report that nicotinamide (the amide form of vitamin B3) can prevent some of the deleterious effects of ethanol on developing mice brains, and suggest that nicotinamide might be suitable as a preventative treatment for FAS.........

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May 13, 2006, 10:21 AM CT

Protecting Children from Environmental Toxins

Epidemics of overt toxicity following widespread environmental contamination from commercial toxins heralded the discovery of children's enhanced vulnerability to lead, methyl mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and tobacco [1,2,3,4,5] (Box 1). Over the past three decades, scientists have found that remarkably low-level exposures to these toxins are linked with less overt symptoms of toxicity-intellectual impairments, behavioral problems, spontaneous abortions, or preterm births [6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14, 15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27, 28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40]. Moreover, there is emerging evidence that decrements in intellectual abilities and low birth weight linked with lead or tobacco are, for a given increment of exposure, greater at lower levels than those found at higher levels [10,41,42,43].

The consequences of exposure to a number of other chemicals or mixtures of chemicals, such as insecticides-chemicals oftentimes specifically designed to be toxic-are largely unknown [33,34,35,44]. A number of of these chemicals or their metabolites are routinely found in the blood and body fluids of pregnant women and children [45].

Children's Vulnerability to Environmental Toxins

The developing fetus and young child is especially vulnerable to certain environmental toxins [46,47,48,49,50]. Critical neurodevelopmental processes occur in the human central nervous system during fetal development and in the first three years of life. These processes include cortical functional differentiation, synaptogenesis, myelination, and programmed apoptosis [46].........

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