Swine Influenza aka H1N1

Swine Influenza (swine flu) is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza viruses. In the recent outbreak cases of human infection with swine influenza A (H1N1), viruses were first reported in Mexico. Ninety one (9!) cases of swine flu infection have now been reported in the United States and additional cases have been reported internationally.
The CDC has determined that the swine influenza virus is contagious and is spreading from human to human. However, at this time, it is not known how easily the virus spreads between people. In addition, it is unclear why the disease is mild in all locations except Mexico. To date, there have been no fatalities and few people requiring hospitalization outside of Mexico. The one current fatality is a Mexican citizen who was being treated in the U.S.
There is increasing concern that this virus will become easily transmissible from person to person, and that a pandemic will occur. The severity of such a pandemic depends upon the virulence of the virus, which is uncertain at this time. A pandemic is a global disease outbreak that affects an exceptionally high proportion of the population. The H1N1 virus is a likely candidate to cause the next pandemic, although no one can predict with certainty that a pandemic will occur.
Human vaccines for the virus that causes swine flu have not been developed. There is no evidence that the individuals who received the seasonal flu vaccine have immunity to swine flu. Two anti-viral medications, Tamiflu (oseltamivir) and Relenza (zanamivir), have been shown to be effective in treating swine flu.

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Rheumatoid Arthritis Definition

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, autoimmune disorder that causes the immune system to attack the joints, resulting in substantial loss of mobility and joint destruction. The disease is also systemic, meaning it often affects many extra-articular tissues throughout the body, such as the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs and muscles.


Signs and Symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis
One of the most common symptoms of RA is daily joint pain. Most patients also experience some degree of depression and anxiety, which can impact functional status and quality of life.

Other symptoms include:

* Morning stiffness in and around the joints
* 3 or more joint areas with simultaneous soft tissue swelling or fluid
* Swollen joint areas in the wrist, knuckle or middle joint of the finger
* Fatigue, which can be severe during a flare-up
* General sense of not feeling well (malaise)

Although RA is traditionally a chronic disease, it tends to vary in severity, alternating between flare-ups and remission.

Causes and Risk Factors of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Doctors do not know why people develop RA, but it is believed to be the body's immune system attacking the tissue that lines a person's joints. More than 2 million people in the U.S. have RA. It is two to three times more common in women than men and typically develops between the ages of 20 and 50.

While RA itself is not inherited, what can be inherited are the genes that may make someone more likely to develop the disease. Although scientists believe it is unlikely that genes alone bring about RA, research continues to study the role genes play in the development of the disease. In addition to genetics, recent research suggests that RA may also be caused by environmental and hormonal factors.

Other factors that increase the risk of RA include:

* Getting older, incidences of RA increase with age
* Being female
* Heredity, a predisposition to RA runs in some families
* Smoking cigarettes over a long period of time

Doctors also believe that certain infections or factors in the environment may cause the immune system to attack the body's own tissues, resulting in inflammation in various organs of the body such as the lungs or eyes.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis
While your family doctor may be able to diagnose your symptoms, only a qualified physician can diagnose you with RA. If you think you have RA, have your doctor refer you to a rheumatologist, a doctor specializing in managing conditions involving joints, muscles and bones. It is important to diagnose RA early, and patients should start aggressive treatment as soon as possible. However, proper treatment can greatly improve the quality of a person's life.

The cure for RA still remains unknown, but the main goal of treatment is to relieve symptoms, especially pain, as well as slow progression of the disease and prevent disability. Doctors may suggest a variety of treatment options to improve symptoms, such as medicines, therapies, procedures and lifestyle changes.

If you have been experiencing daily joint pain or any other symptoms of RA, it is best to schedule an appointment with your doctor for a proper diagnosis.

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Inhibiting TAK-1 Reverses Pancreatic cCncer Resistance to Chemotherapy

Inhibiting the action of an enzyme called TAK-1 reverses pancreatic cancer resistance to chemotherapy
, a finding that could lead to the development of a new way to treat the disease, researchers say.

Pancreatic cancer is resistant to every currently available anti-cancer treatment.

"During the past few years we have been studying the role played by a cytokine or regulatory protein called transforming growth factor-beta [TGFbeta] in the development of pancreatic cancer. Recently we focused our attention on a unique enzyme activated by TGFbeta, TAK-1, as a mediator for this extreme drug resistance" in pancreatic cancer, study author Dr. Davide Melisi said in a news release from the European Cancer Organization.

He and his colleagues developed a TAK-1 inhibitor and tested it on its own and in combination with the anti-cancer drugs gemcitabine, oxaliplatin and SN-38 (a metabolite of the anti-cancer drug irinotecan) in pancreatic cancer cell lines. They also tested the TAK-1 inhibitor combined with gemcitabine against pancreatic cancer
in mice.

"The use of this TAK-1 inhibitor increased the sensitivity of pancreatic cells to all three chemotherapeutic drugs," Melisi said.

"By combining it with classic anti-cancer drugs, we were able to use doses of drugs up to 70 times lower in comparison with the control to kill the same number of cancer cells. In mice, we were able to reduce significantly the tumor volume, to prolong the mice survival, and to reduce the toxicity by combining the TAK-1 inhibitor with very low doses of a classic chemotherapeutic drug, gemcitabine, that would have been ineffective otherwise," Melisi added.

The study was scheduled for presentation Sept. 24 at the joint meeting of the European Cancer Organization and the European Society for Medical Oncology in Berlin.

"This is the first time that TAK-1 has been indicated as a relevant target for the treatment of a solid tumor and that it is a valid approach to reverting the intrinsic drug resistance of pancreatic cancer," Melisi stated. "The TAK-1 inhibitor used in this study is an exciting drug that warrants further development for the treatment of pancreatic cancer."

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Face Masks and Hand-Washing May Stop Flu

Amy Norton

Face masks and clean hands may be key to preventing the influenza virus from spreading among family members, a study published Monday suggests.

The study, of 259 Hong Kong households, found that when family members wore face masks and minded their hand hygiene, the odds of catching the flu from an ill relative dropped by two-thirds.

The key was to start taking the two measures within 36 hours of the stricken family member's first symptoms. Flu symptoms typically include fever, sore throat, body aches and headache that arise suddenly.

The findings point to simple, inexpensive ways to curb flu transmission during both regular influenza season and during pandemics like the current swine flu (H1N1) outbreak, the researchers report in the online edition of the Annals of Internal Medicine.

"Some people may have the misconception that flu is so infectious that very little can be done to prevent household transmission," lead researcher Dr. Benjamin J. Cowling, an assistant professor at the University of Hong Kong School of Public Health, told Reuters Health in an email. "Our study demonstrates that this is not the case."

For the study, Cowling and his colleagues followed 259 households in which one family member had a confirmed case of influenza. The researchers randomly assigned each household into one of three groups: one that received education on a healthy diet and lifestyle; one that was instructed on good hand hygiene; and one that was instructed on both hand hygiene and face mask use.

In both hand-hygiene groups, family members were given liquid soap and told to wash their hands whenever they used the bathroom, sneezed or coughed. They were also given alcohol-based hand rub, to be used whenever they first arrived home and immediately after touching any potentially virus-contaminated surface.

Families in the face mask group were given disposable surgical masks to wear whenever they were not eating or sleeping.

Over the next week, family members in 19 percent of the study households developed a confirmed case of the flu. That risk was two- thirds lower in households where the hand-washing/face mask intervention was begun within 36 hours of a family member's first flu symptoms.

The risk was also somewhat lower in the hand-hygiene group.

The fact that hand-washing appeared effective, Cowling said, shows that the flu can spread via direct contact and, more indirectly, by touching virus-contaminated household objects like door handles, light switches and TV remotes.

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Brain Exercise Delays The Onset of Dementia

Anne Harding

A new study in Bronx seniors provides yet more evidence that keeping your brain active for fun can keep dementia at bay.

Dr. Charles B. Hall of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, New York, and his colleagues found that every day per week that a person engaged in one of six mentally stimulating leisure activities delayed the onset of dementia by about two months.

Hall and his colleagues had previously shown that people with more years of education who developed dementia did so later than less educated individuals. In the current study, he said, "it was the cognitive activity that mattered, not the education."

In the current study, published in Neurology, Hall and his team looked at 101 people who developed dementia. All were participating in the Bronx Aging Study, which has been following 488 people since the early 1980s.

All of the study participants, who ranged in age from 75 to 85, had reported their years of formal education at the study's outset, as well as how often each week they read, wrote, did crossword puzzles, played board or card games, participated in group discussions, or played music. A person scored 1 for each day that they did each activity. The study participants, all of whom were dementia free at the beginning of the study, underwent cognitive testing every 12 to 18 months.

The higher a person's score on the activity scale, the later the onset of accelerated mental decline, Hall and his colleagues found. For example, a person in the top 25 percent based on their activity scale, who engaged in 11 "activity days" a week, started their accelerated decline 1.29 years later, on average, than a person in the bottom 25 percent, with four activity days a week.

But once that decline began, it happened faster in people with higher activity scores.

The findings back up the idea of "cognitive reserve," Hall noted, which is the theory that education and brain exercise build extra capacity into the brain so it can better handle the damage to neurons caused by Alzheimer's disease. But once that damage reaches a certain point, a person will develop dementia.

Being more mentally active "might keep you out of a nursing home for a year or two," Hall said. "But it's not going to prevent Alzheimer's disease unfortunately, at least that's the theory, and this is evidence toward that theory." Eventually, he said, the disease "would overwhelm whatever reserve you had."

Hall and his colleagues are now investigating which of the six activities in the current study might give the most brain-preserving "bang for the buck." Studies will need to tease out whether education and later-life mental activities have effects that are independent of one another.

With what we know now, he added, engaging in these activities could help-and it certainly won't hurt. "You might get depressed from not being able to do a crossword puzzle, but there's really very little of a downside here."

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Michael Jackson's Health Problem History

Pop icon Michael Jackson, 50, who died Thursday afternoon after being rushed to a Los Angeles hospital in cardiac arrest, had a long history of confirmed health problems, in addition to rumored conditions.

In 1984, Jackson was burned while singing for a Pepsi-Cola commercial in Los Angeles, when the special effects smoke bomb misfired. He had to have major surgery on his scalp, and said that because of the intense pain he developed an addiction to painkillers.

He also was reported to have a form of lupus in the 1980s, but it was later said to have gone into remission.

He has had numerous plastic surgeries, including rhinoplasty and a chin implant.

In 1993, Jackson's dermatologist, Dr. Arnold Klein, released a statement saying that Jackson had a rare skin disease called vitiligo. Vitiligo causes a person to lose melanin, the pigment that determines the color of skin, hair and eyes, in patches or all over the body. The condition affects 1 percent to 2 percent of the population, and no one knows what causes it.

He was also hospitalized with chest pains in 1990 and postponed a concert because of dehydration in August 1993. A concert tour was cut short in November 1993 because of an addiction to prescription painkillers amid allegations of child molestation.

During a rehearsal at the Beacon Theater in New York in December 1995, the entertainer collapsed onstage from apparent dehydration and low blood pressure and was hospitalized.

While jurors deliberated in a case in which he was accused of child molestation in June 2005, Jackson went to a hospital for treatment of what his spokeswoman said was recurring back pain. He had complained of back problems before.

Rumors circulated in December that Jackson was ill and in need of a lung transplant because of Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, a rare genetic condition.

More rumors emerged in May that Jackson had skin cancer. But Randy Phillips, president and CEO of AEG Live, told CNN at the time, "He's as healthy as he can be -- no health problems whatsoever."

Jackson apparently collapsed in his home in Los Angeles on Thursday and was taken by ambulance to UCLA Medical Center.

Brian Oxman, Jackson family attorney, told CNN Thursday that Jackson's use of medications had gotten in the way of doing rehearsals.

"His injuries, which he had sustained performing, where he had broken a vertebra and he had broken his leg from a fall on the stage, were getting in the way. I do not know the extent of the medications that he was taking," he said.

The results of toxicology tests on the body of Michael Jackson may not be available for six to eight weeks, the Los Angeles coroner's office said Friday.

Ed Winter, assistant chief coroner, said the autopsy exam will be conducted Friday, but few results are expected Friday because of the extensive tests being performed.

"The likelihood is very slim that we will have any results to release today because of the extensive [tests] that we're going to be performing," he said.

The office will likely not determine a cause of death "until we get results of all the tests," he said.

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Are you at risk for diabetes?

Definition of Diabetes

Diabetes is a disorder of metabolism, the process by which the body uses digested food for energy and growth. Most of the foods we eat are broken down into glucose, a form of sugar in the bloodstream that is used as the body's main fuel source. Insulin, the hormone produced by the pancreas, works together with glucose to help it enter the body's cells to be burned for energy. When people have diabetes, the pancreas either produces too little insulin, or the insulin produced cannot be used by the body. This prevents glucose from entering the cells, which ultimately denies the body of its main source of fuel.
Two Main Types of Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes occurs because the pancreas produces little or no insulin, which prevents glucose from entering the cells and causes high blood sugar levels. Type 1 diabetes can develop at any age, but is most common among people younger than 20 years old and must be managed by taking daily injections of insulin.

Type 2 diabetes is caused by insulin resistance, a condition in which the body cannot use the insulin produced by the pancreas. Type 2 diabetes is most common in people over age 45 and is usually associated with obesity (approximately 80% of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight), a family history of diabetes, previous history of gestational diabetes, physical inactivity and ethnicity.


Signs and Symptoms

When the body isn't processing enough glucose, the buildup is secreted into the urine, which passes out of the body. As a result, a person with diabetes will experience the following symptoms:

* Excessive thirst and appetite
* Increased urination
* Dry mouth
* Unusual weight loss or gain
* Weak, tired feeling
* Frequent yeast infections
* Blurred vision
* Numbness or tingling of the hands or feet
* Irritability
* Nausea, perhaps vomiting
* Itchiness, especially around the groin
* Slow-healing sores or cuts

People with type 1 diabetes usually develop symptoms within days or weeks, while people with type 2 diabetes often don't experience symptoms for years. Signs of diabetes may seem harmless and are often overlooked, but studies show early detection and treatment can greatly reduce the chance of complications.
Risk Factors of Diabetes

Doctors do not know why people develop RA, but it is believed to be the body's immune system attacking the tissue that lines a person's joints. More than 2 million people in the U.S. have RA. It is two to three times more common in women than men and typically develops between the ages of 20 and 50.

The following factors increase a person's chance of developing diabetes:

* Family history of diabetes
* Smoking
* Age (older than 45)
* Race or ethnic background
* Poor diet
* Diabetes during a previous pregnancy
* Being overweight, especially around the waist
* Years of heavy alcohol abuse
* History of hypertension (high blood pressure)
* Low activity level
* Abnormal blood cholesterol or triglyceride levels
* Certain drugs (these might increase blood sugar)
* History of gestational diabetes
* Delivery of a baby weighing more than 9 pounds

Managing Diabetes

While the cure for diabetes is still unknown, the goal of treatment is to keep blood sugars at a relatively even level. The main treatment for people with type 1 diabetes is exercise, a diabetic diet and daily injections of insulin. Insulin injections need to be balanced with meals and exercise, and blood sugar levels must be frequently tested.

When treating type 2 diabetes, doctors will first suggest lifestyle changes such as losing weight, following a diabetic diet and getting regular exercise. Once these measures become less effective in controlling glucose levels, oral medications are often prescribed. If oral medications are still unsuccessful, doctors may recommend insulin treatments.

Glucose levels that are excessively high or low can be extremely dangerous, even life-threatening. When blood sugar levels drop too low, a condition called hypoglycemia can occur, which causes a person to become nervous, shaky and confused. In severe cases the person may eventually lose consciousness. However, this condition can be reversed by eating or drinking something sugary, like a candy bar or glass of orange juice.

If you or someone you know has diabetes, making healthy lifestyle choices about diet, exercise and other health-related habits can improve glycemic (blood sugar) control and help prevent or minimize complications of diabetes.

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Induced Labor by means of Relaxation, Breathing, Orgasm ...

The Lamaze Technique is a natural childbirth technique developed in the 1940s by French obstetrician Dr. Ferdinand Lamaze as an alternative to the use of general anesthesia during labor. Dr. Lamaze was influenced by Soviet childbirth practices, which involved breathing and relaxation techniques under the supervision of a "monitrice" or midwife. The Lamaze method gained popularity in the United States after Marjorie Karmel wrote about her experiences in her 1959 book Thank You, Dr. Lamaze.

Modern Lamaze childbirth classes teach expectant mothers breathing techniques and often other ways to work with the labor process to reduce the pain often associated with childbirth, such as hot and cold packs, changing positions, the use of a "birthing ball" to remain in a supposedly more natural upright position, and even orgasm to induce or hasten labor. When you see laboring women on TV or in movies huffing and puffing through clenched teeth, they're practicing the Lamaze technique of childbirth.

Myths about Lamaze

Myth #1: Lamaze is all about breathing.

Reality: The goal of Lamaze classes is to increase women's confidence in their ability to give birth. Lamaze classes help women discover the inner wisdom they already have for giving birth. Women learn simple coping strategies for labor, including focused breathing. But breathing techniques are just one of many things that help women in labor. Movement and positioning, labor support, massage, relaxation, hydrotherapy, and the use of heat and cold are some others.

Myth #2: Lamaze promises painless childbirth.

Reality: Many women are afraid of the pain that is a normal part of childbirth. The pain of labor and birth, like other pain, protects us. Responding to the pain of contractions - by changing positions and moving, by massaging, by moaning - actually strengthens the contractions, helps the baby settle into the pelvis and move through the birth canal, and reduces pain perception. Some women find that experiencing and coping with the pain of labor and birth is similar to the hard work demanded by dancers and athletes. Lamaze classes help women understand the value of pain and learn how to respond to pain in ways that both facilitate labor and increase comfort.

Myth #3: Lamaze childbirth means you can't have an epidural.

Reality: Lamaze classes provide information about natural pain relief options as well as epidural anesthesia. Eliminating pain completely makes it difficult to respond to contractions in ways that facilitate labor and birth. Women who have epidural anesthesia are required to have IV fluids and continuous electronic fetal monitoring. They may be encouraged to stay in bed and may need medications to increase the strength of her contractions. The ability to use many of the comfort techniques learned in Lamaze classes, such as changing positions, walking, and hydrotherapy may be limited. Lamaze education will assist women in making personal decisions that are right for them.

Myth #4: Lamaze doesn't work.

Reality: Lamaze that "works" has nothing to do with feeling pain, taking or avoiding medication, or developing complications that necessitate medical interventions. Lamaze teaches women that nature has designed birth simply and close to perfectly and that women already know how to give birth. Lamaze is working if women trust the natural process of birth, have confidence in their ability to give birth, have the freedom to work with their bodies as labor progresses, and are supported by health care providers, family and friends who wait patiently for nature to do its incredible work. Lamaze "works" if birth is allowed to work.

Myth #5: Lamaze is not for everyone.

Reality: Women have always prepared for the birth of their babies. Until recent times, women learned about birth from their own mothers and sisters. Birth took place at home with family rituals and traditions to help them feel confident in their ability to give birth. Women were surrounded by family and wise women who provided comfort and encouragement through labor and in the days and weeks after birth. Today, Lamaze childbirth classes provide the knowledge, skills, and support that help women give birth with confidence and joy as they have done for centuries. Lamaze preparation is for everyone!

Lamaze Philosophy of Birth

1) Birth is normal, natural, and healthy.

2) The experience of birth profoundly affects women and their families.

3) Women's inner wisdom guides them through birth.

4) Women's confidence and ability to give birth is either enhanced or diminished by the care provider and place of birth.

5) Women have the right to give birth free from routine medical interventions.

6) Birth can safely take place in birth centers and homes.

7) Childbirth education empowers women to make informed choices in health care, to assume responsibility for their health and to trust their inner wisdom.

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What To Ask Your Doctor During Your Visit

Your relationship with your doctor greatly influences your ability to make wise health decisions. It can also affect the outcome of your care. Partner with your doctor in making decisions about your health care. Common goals, shared effort, and good communication are the basis of successful doctor-patient partnerships.

Questions to ask your doctor
Even if you don't have a plan for treating your condition, your doctor does! These important questions will help you and your doctor create a treatment plan that is right for you.
How should I treat my condition?

What problems could occur from my condition?

What will happen if I don't treat my condition?

What lifestyle changes can help me deal with my condition?

How will this condition affect my life in the long-term?

When should I set my next appointment?

Questions if you receive a prescription
Some conditions can be managed with diet, exercise or other lifestyle changes; but it may be necessary to take a prescription medication as well. If you receive a prescription from your health professional, here are some specific questions you should be asking:
What is the benefit of this medication over another?

How does my medication work?

How do I take my medication?

Is my medication available in generic?

What are the possible side effects of my medication and what should I do if I
experience any?

What should I do if I miss a dose?

What are the risks of not taking my medication as prescribed?

How long will I have to take my medication?

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