Work through Pain
Sometimes taking the load off of a sore back, neck, or legs is worse for you than if you work through the pain. Experts suggest that nursing your pain isn’t always the best course of action because resting can weaken your muscles and you may lose strength over time. If you haven’t pulled any muscles or slipped any discs, take an anti-inflammatory pain reliever and stay on your feet.

Snack like a Squirrel
You don’t have to hoard nuts for the winter, but grabbing a handful during the middle of the day can actually keep you healthier than eating a bag of chips or waiting until dinner to satisfy your food cravings. Full of omega-3 fatty acids, these are the type of proteins we look for in our diets from fish, also known as good fats.

Sweat is Your Friend
While walking to the office or public transit is eco-friendly and cost efficient, chances are you don’t get the full cardio effect until you do your time on the treadmill. Sweat away your toxins and reduce your blood pressure and risk of heart attack by switching up your routine; the wetter the better. Tacking on weight training makes your body work harder to bulk up and lose any extra pounds that may be damaging to your frame. Aside from looking better to your partner, you may feel better and be able to get more sleep, more on that later. For more stamina, find a workout buddy!

Be Friendly
When men get stressed, they often clam up and don’t tend to talk about their problems. Women, on the other hand, can usually tell a story until their lips bleed. With more stress in the world than ever, it’s no wonder your body may not be feeling up to par. Grab a beer—or your partner—and tell them what’s on your mind, sharing may just save your life or keep the stress away.

Save for a Rainy Day
Like the harmful stressors everyone puts upon themselves at any moment, a lot of these have to deal with financial woes. If you are able, sock away some of your paycheck every month to save for a rainy day or an emergency by investing some of that worth in a separate savings account you can run to if you need to, but put your own limits on how you are allowed to spend it. Down the road, merely thinking about how to spend that extra cushion you set aside can make even the gloomiest day perk up a bit.

Go Between
We have all been conditioned to learn that brushing your teeth two times a day is the normal but in order to keep your oral health at its best, go deeper with floss. Your best bet is to floss before bedtime to clean the bacteria from the hard to reach spots in your mouth so it doesn’t grow into a problem overnight.

Sleep like a Baby
If you are a parent, you understand the importance of getting a child to go to bed at a certain time every night in order to keep their mind and body stable and free from grouchiness. You should treat your sleeping patterns the same way. Set a bed time and keep it—at least during the work week—and get at least seven hours of sleep. Professionals advise that sleeping regularly can stave off calories and stress because being groggy can incur bad decisions like eating greasy food or sucking down your usual morning coffee in half the time.

Results from the Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study (DPPOS), which included 2,766 of the DPP participants, shows that the diet and exercise group not only cut their risk of developing diabetes by 34 percent over a 10-year period, but also sustained a moderate weight loss and had lower blood pressure and triglyceride levels. People over 60 got even more dramatic results, cutting their risk of diabetes during the study period by about half. The group initially assigned metformin and later added in the lifestyle program had an 18 percent lower risk of developing diabetes. “Interventions that result in weight loss lower the risk of diabetes, and that lower risk appears to persist for a long period of time,” said study author Dr. William C. Knowler of the U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

Knowler acknowledges that losing weight is a difficult task and can’t be accomplished simply by telling people to slim down. “To make things like this happen on a large scale, we have to do more than simply tell people to lose weight,” he said, adding that people need access to weight loss clinics that can teach them about diet and exercise.

“When you consider the devastating medical complications that go with type 2 diabetes, these are very significant findings,” said Dr. Ronald Goldberg, principal investigator of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine arm of the study. “It demonstrates that lifestyle changes can last as long as 10 years in preventing or slowing diabetes in people who are at risk.” Dr. Griffin Rodgers, director of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, agrees, saying that “millions of people could delay diabetes for years and possibly prevent the disease altogether if they lost a modest amount of weight through diet and increased physical activity.”

Dr. Anoop Misra, director of the department of diabetes and metabolic diseases at Fortis Hospitals in New Delhi, India, and author of an accompanying journal editorial, says the study shows that lifestyle intervention is “the best bet” for effectively preventing diabetes. “Diet and exercise remain the most important modalities to prevent diabetes, and any drugs are less important.”

Misra says all nations should take steps to help curb the diabetes epidemic, such as regulating the advertisement and sale of “energy-dense junk food to children” and encouraging regular physical activity starting at an early age. “Spreading awareness about proper lifestyle and adverse consequences of obesity and diabetes should be at the top of health agenda of all nations.”

The results of the DPPOS study are published in the October 29 online edition of The Lancet.

Over the two study periods, the men’s cardiovascular risk factors improved or remained stable, whereas the only risk factor that improved in women was high-density lipoprotein levels. Lead author Dr. Amytis Towfighi, assistant professor of clinical neurology at the University of Southern California and chairwoman of the neurology department at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, says this suggests that precursors to heart disease, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, are not assessed or treated as aggressively in women. “There have been several studies that have found women have their risk factors checked less frequently than men,” she said. “When they are checked, women are less likely to receive medication than men. And when they receive medication, their symptoms are not as controlled as much as men.”

Towfighi says societal changes may also play a role. With more women in the work force, job demands may be attributing to their rising rates of obesity and diabetes and limiting their ability to exercise and follow a healthful diet. “People didn’t think that women in that age group were at high risk for heart disease and stroke,” she said. “But I suspect that with growing rates of obesity, women aren’t as protected as much as they have been in the past.”

In the second study published in the same journal, researchers examined trends in the risk of death after heart attack among 916,380 men and women who had a heart attack between 1994 and 2006. They found that survival rates following a heart attack improved in both men and women during that time, with the biggest improvements seen in women. “We found that the number of younger women who die in the hospital after a heart attack, compared with men in the same age group, has narrowed over the last few years,” said researcher Dr. Viola Vaccarino, director of the Emory Program in Cardiovascular Outcomes Research and Epidemiology.

Women under the age of 55 had a 52.9 percent reduction in the risk of death over the time period, whereas men of the same age had a 33.3 percent reduction. However, the gender difference became progressively smaller in older men and women. The researchers theorized that the decrease might be the result of better diagnosis and management of heart problems among women compared with men. “Such improvement may be due to better recognition and management of coronary heart disease and its risk factors in women before the acute MI event, as suggested by the narrowing in the sex difference in previous revascularization,” they wrote.

In an accompanying editorial, Dr’s Sabine Oertelt-Prigione and Vera Regitz-Zagrosek, of Charité Universitatsmedizin in Berlin, say that while the improvements described in both studies “indicate that we are on the right track,” they also support the use of more aggressive risk assessment for the prevention of heart attack, especially for women. “Much needs to be done,” they wrote.

For the latest study, researchers analyzed data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted between the years of 2001 and 2006, which included blood tests that measured vitamin D levels of nearly 5,000 children. By applying the healthy vitamin D level cutoff level of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the researchers found that 6.4 million of the children (about 20 percent) of children in the targeted age group are lacking in vitamin D. By applying a higher cutoff, results revealed that approximately two-thirds of children (24 million) in the age group are deficient in vitamin D. This includes 92 percent of black children, 80 percent of Hispanic children, and 59 percent of white children. The researchers pointed out that children who were taking multivitamins that included vitamin D had higher levels overall. However, less than half of the children were taking a multivitamin.

According to researcher and lead author Dr. Jonathan Mansbach of the Harvard Medical School and Children’s Hospital in Boston, these are “astounding numbers.” He also stated, “If our associations are correct, this is a big problem.” Mansbach says his study supports expert recommendations of children getting a healthy amount of 400 daily units of vitamin D for the prevention of rickets. A child could consume the daily, recommended amount of vitamin D by drinking four cups of fortified milk, or eating large amounts of fish, however, many children do neither. Another great source of vitamin D is natural sunlight. When the skin is exposed to sunlight, the body makes vitamin D. Many children don’t spend enough time outdoors to absorb the sunlight necessary for the body to produce the vitamin. This is especially true for children who live in colder climates. In addition, the bodies of children with darker skin often do not produce enough vitamin D as their skin absorbs less sunlight.

However, much debate remains as to just how much daily vitamin D one should get for the amount to be deemed healthy. While 400 daily units may be enough to prevent rickets, it may not be a large enough quantity to promote general good health and prevent illness. Some experts suggest that newborns should start out getting 400 units of vitamin D a day, and up to 1,000 units per day after the age of 1 year. For teens, the amount suggested is 2,000 units per day, while for adults the various amounts deemed healthy by experts are up to 10,000 units daily. Working to establish standards needs to be a priority.

Few foods contain natural vitamin D. They include fatty fish, egg yolks, certain cheeses and a few meats, such as liver. However, milk and even some cereals are fortified with vitamin D. Mansbach recommends vitamin D supplements, especially for those living in areas where the sun is scarce in the winter. In addition he said, “summer sunlight exposure is the major source of vitamin D for most people, but [too much] sun exposure can cause sunburns and eventually skin cancer. Until more research is performed, we think the safest bet is to take vitamin D supplements.

So how do you know if you or your children have H1N1 flu or if your symptoms are severe enough to require medical treatment? The latest way is a free interactive website from The American Medical Association (AMA), built with partners Microsoft and personal health record provider Healthy Circles. The website offers information about seasonal and H1N1 flu and gives advice on when to seek professional help. The site asks a series of questions about a patient’s symptoms and history, and then lets the patient know if they need to see a doctor. But unlike other self-assessment flu sites, this website also allows doctors to communicate with patients and will eventually permit doctors to prescribe routine medications online.

Using information based on the latest CDC flu guidelines, the site helps patients determine the severity of their flu symptoms and, if they choose, share that information with a physician on a forum similar to that of Facebook. Physicians are then able to use tools on the site to monitor their patients’ symptoms, and manage patient flow within their respective practices.

“It’s basically Facebook for health care,” said Dr. James Mault, Chief Executive Officer of Healthy Circles, which developed the Web site. “I think that may help in a small way in reducing the worried well and the worried not-so-sick who are overwhelming our system right now.” And the site complies with medical privacy laws, he said.

Dr. Mary Anne McCaffree, a pediatrician from Oklahoma City and member of the AMA board, says that with both the seasonal flu and the H1N1 virus circulating, doctor’s offices are already seeing much more traffic than normal. “This resource allows patients to access their symptoms and determine when to seek care for themselves or their loved ones,” she said. “To prevent the spread of influenza, this site also helps determine when it is safe for those who have been sick to return to work or school.”

Colorado is the first state to adopt the technology, which will link government health sites in Colorado directly to the AMA site. “As part of Colorado’s dedication to healthcare technology, we are proud to be the first state in the nation to support this new online tool for Colorado families and healthcare professionals,” said Governor Bill Ritter. “This new tool will play a critical role in helping to reduce demands on our healthcare system.”

McCaffree said the site is the first step in a larger AMA initiative that will provide additional online tools for patients and doctors. As those tools are developed, new conditions outside of the flu will be added to a larger “umbrella portal.”

According to the president’s declaration of a national emergency, cases of the swine flu do continue to grow across the country, and “the potential exists for the pandemic to overburden health care resources in some localities.” The waiver could remove the chances of a hospital being overwhelmed by cases of the swine flu and allow hospitals to set up off-site locations where anyone with symptoms of the swine flu would go for treatment. Public health experts said the move by the president is a relief, even though health services are not strained yet, the cases have continued to increase significantly during the month of October.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention between August 30th and October 17th there have been 2,416 deaths attributed to the swine flu, and the virus has already led to at least 21,823 Americans being hospitalized. Prior to that time, from April through August, there were 593 deaths and 9,079 hospitalizations. The virus is now considered active and spreading in 46 states,

While the more seasonal flu virus mostly affects the elderly, the swine flu tends to affect children. The number of children the U.S. has already lost to the swine flu is more than usually die during the entire flu season. Pregnant women, young adults and children seem to be more at risk.

Officials initially had hoped to have at least 120 million doses of swine flu vaccines available by mid-October, but there have been some production problems and only 16 million doses have been made available.

The government is taking some rather large measures to help when treating H1N1, including the now-established emergency. Do not panic, because the declaration was not because of a huge surge in cases of the flu. The move was a proactive step to help hospitals if they are inundated with a large number of flu cases due the virus continuing to grow across the U.S. While the number of H1N1 flu vaccines available is less than what had been expected, there are some available and more are due for arrival. Call your doctor or health department to schedule a vaccine today.

The study, published online in Lancet, was conducted over a 20-week period and included 564 volunteers from around Europe. The study participants ranged in age from 18 to 65 and had a body mass index (BMI) between 30 and 40. They were divided into several different groups. Some groups were given four varying dosages of Liraglutide, and others were given either a placebo or Orlistat, the weight-loss drug. The study participants also reduced their calorie intake by 500 from their norm and increased their physical activity.

According to Arne Astrup, who led the study and is head of the department of Human Nutrition at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, “The reason why we think this drug is so intriguing is that it mimics a gut hormone called GLP-1 which is released in the small intestine after eating.” He added, “It tells the body to produce more insulin and the brain to stop eating. It is a naturally occurring satiety hormone. The problem is that it is eliminated from the blood stream within minutes. The company [Novo Nordisk] has added a molecule to make it more resistant to elimination, so it lasts for a full day.”

Based on the study results, those patients taking Liraglutide lost more weight than those on the placebo. Those taking the highest dosage of Liraglutide lost 15 pounds over 20 weeks. Participants that took the highest two dosages of Liraglutide lost at least five percent of their body weight. Those on the placebo lost six pounds and the participants that took the weight loss drug Orlistat lost nine pounds. There were no serious side effects noticed during the study but some nausea and vomiting were reported and participants did not seem to mind administering the injection of the diabetic medication.

While more research is needed regarding the benefits and side effects of administering a diabetic medication to patients that have not been diagnosed with the disease, the new study proves promising in the search for a better way to cure obesity. However, obesity is not cured with medication alone. Obesity requires a lifestyle change in order to keep weight off and improve a person’s health.

Since first being approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2006 for use in females, the issue of whether or not to use Gardasil for males has been strongly debated. Advocates for use of Gardasil as a routine immunization among males believe that widespread use of the vaccine may reduce cervical cancer rates, since males commonly transmit HPV to females.

Although in early October the FDA approved the Gardasil vaccine for use among males aged 9 through 26, results of a study conducted in the same month revealed that immunization among males was not cost effective, as costs would outweigh the health benefit of the vaccine. Now, the results of the final vote by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices reported to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has apparently put this issue to rest. The vaccine will not be approved for boys as part of the childhood immunization schedule.

The pivotal study published in the British Medical Journal made a comparison between a female-only vaccination program and a co-ed vaccination program. Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health performed the analysis. According to lead researcher Jane Kim, an assistant professor of health decision science, “This study found that while vaccine coverage and efficacy are high in girls, including boys in an HPV vaccination program generally exceeds what the U.S. typically considers good value for money.”

The basis of a good value was deemed as having cost-effectiveness ratios ranging from $50,000 to $100,000 per quality-adjusted life year, or the cost of the vaccine versus the number of added years someone would gain by getting the vaccine. By assuming lifelong protection among 75 percent coverage, the routine vaccination of girls who were 12 years of age was found to be a good value at less than $50,000 per quality adjusted life year. However, by adding boys of the same age, the cost-effectiveness ratio was increased to over $100,000 per quality adjusted life year.

Currently, the CDC recommends Gardasil for girls ages 11 and 12, and for women ages 13 to 26, who have not been vaccinated for the prevention cervical cancer. The disease claims 4,000 female lives annually in the United State alone.

The researchers theorize that the high protein diet may leave neurons more vulnerable to AD plaque. “High protein diets are used for weight control, and those diets sometimes combine high fat and high protein, which may be doubly damaging, if the high fat increases the accumulation of plaques and the high protein sensitizes nerve cells to the poison released by plaques,” said lead author Sam Gandy, a professor at The Mount Sinai School of Medicine and a neurologist at the James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center in New York. “Given the previously reported association of high-protein diet with aging-related neurotoxicity, one wonders whether particular diets, if ingested at particular ages, might increase susceptibility to incidence or progression of Alzheimer’s disease.”

Gandy believes the only way to know for sure if these findings have implications for the human brain is to perform prospective randomized double blind clinical diet trials. “This would be a challenging undertaking but potentially worthwhile. If there is a real chance that the ravages of Alzheimer’s disease might be slowed or avoided through healthy eating,” he said. “Such trials will be required if scientists are ever to make specific recommendations about dietary risks for Alzheimer’s disease.” Previous research has shown a Mediterranean-style low-calorie, low-fat diet rich in vegetables, fruits, and fish might delay the onset or slow the progression of AD.

AD is the most common type of dementia, affecting as many as 5.3 million Americans. Brain lesions, called amyloid plaques and tangles, accumulate, destroying brain cells, causing memory loss and problems with thinking and behavior severe enough to affect work, social life and even the ability to cope with everyday life. Over time, AD gets worse and is fatal. Currently, there is no cure for AD, but researchers around the world continue to search for better ways to treat the disease, delay its onset, or prevent it from developing.

The study is published in the journal Molecular Neurodegeneration.

Source: HealthNews

The research findings, which were published online in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, comes at a time when advocates, including the parents of autistic children, argue that the mercury found in fish, vaccines, dental fillings and industrial emissions are responsible for autism. This debate became more vehement this month after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that autism was more common than they previously thought, affecting approximately one in 91 children, including approximately one in 58 boys.

Irva Hertz-Picciotto, the researcher who led the study, said, “It’s time to abandon the idea that a single smoking gun will emerge to explain why so many children are developing autism. Just as autism is complex, with great variation in severity and presentation, it is highly likely that its causes will be found to be equally complex.”

Autism refers to a broad spectrum of diseases, from severe and profound inability to communicate and mental retardation to symptoms that are relatively mild. The research area of autism is due a large infusion of money from President Barack Obama’s $5 billion plan to boost U.S. scientific and medical research.

The activists also noted that the University of California study did not seem to find out whether the mercury levels might cause autism because the children’s blood levels were measured after the children had been diagnosed with the disorder. Sallie Bernard, who is the executive director of the advocacy group SafeMinds, said, “The results of this study are limited in terms of ruling in or out a link between mercury exposure and autism causation or severity.”

The vaccines with the mercury-containing preservative called thimerosol have also been blamed, by some of the parents, as a potential cause of autism, although many studies and several reports from the Institute of Medicine have still not found a link.

The researchers from the University of California Davis looked at approximately 452 children, including 249 that suffered from autism, 60 who had other developmental problems, which included Down’s syndrome, and 143 children that did not have a disorder. The researchers also examined a wide variety of mercury sources including earwax removal products, fish, vaccinations, nasal sprays, and dental fillings that were made from a mercury-based amalgam.

The autism researchers are still looking at a broad range of environmental factors including diet, household products, food supplements, medical treatments and infections. Other recent studies have also found strong evidence of several genetic causes that are linked with autism.

Hertz-Picciotto stated, “The evidence to date suggests that, without taking account of both genetic susceptibility and environmental factors, the story will remain incomplete. Few studies, however, are taking this kind of multifaceted approach.”