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Action plan to phase out consumption of HCFC is on track: Ramesh

September 17, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Sep 16 (ANI): Union Environment and Forest Minister Jairam Ramesh said on Wednesday that India has developed a comprehensive Road Map and Action Plan to phase-out of production and consumption of Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) in various sectors.

Addressing the gathering during the 15th International Ozone Day here Ramesh said: “The Government of India has taken a number of policy measures, fiscal and regulatory, to encourage the early adoption of alternative technologies in this area by existing and new enterprises.”

Ramesh hailed the Montreal Protocol as the most successful international treaty to ever achieve universal participation.

“At a time when the world is trying to solve the problem of climate change, the International Ozone Day provided a timely reminder of how international cooperation can help to solve major global environmental problems,” Ramesh added.

India is one of the first developing countries to join the Montreal Protocol and pledge its commitment to protect the Ozone Layer.

As a part of the accelerated phase-out of CFCs, India has completely phased out the production and consumption of CFCs as on 1 August 2008, 17 months prior to the agreed schedule.

Ramesh informed that over 97percent of controlled Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) have been phased out by the Montreal Protocol.

“The end of 2009 will mark another significant milestone in the history of its implementation, with the use of potent ODSs -CFCs, Carbon Tetra Chloride (CTC) and Halons, except pharmaceutical-grade CFCs used in the manufacture of Metered Dose Inhalers (MDIs) – being ceased completely,” he said

The CFCs required for manufacturing for MDIs used by Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients are still available in India, a national transition strategy to phase them out by 2013 is currently under implementation.

“The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), with support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the World Bank recently also launched the India: Chiller Energy Efficiency Project to accelerate the conversion of CFC-based chillers using new, more energy efficient technologies,” Ramesh said.

This year’s theme for the ozone day was ‘Universal participation – Ozone protection unifies the World.’ (ANI)

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Need to prevent periodontitis to cut head and neck cancer risk

September 8, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, Sep 8 (ANI): Researchers at the University of Buffalo have stressed on the need for increased efforts to prevent and treat chronic periodontitis, a form of gum disease, to reduce the risk for head and neck cancer.

Led by Dr. Mine Tezal at Buffalo, periodontitis is an independent risk factor for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

“Prevent periodontitis; if you have it already, get treatment and maintain good oral hygiene,” said Tezal.

Chronic periodontitis is characterized by progressive loss of the bone and soft tissue attachment that surround the teeth.

The researchers assessed the role of chronic periodontitis on head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, as well as the individual roles on three subsites: oral cavity, oropharyngeal and laryngeal.

They used radiographic measurement of bone loss to measure periodontitis among 463 patients, 207 of whom were controls.

The results of the study revealed that chronic periodontitis might represent a clinical high-risk profile for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

The strength of the association was greatest in the oral cavity, followed by the oropharynx and larynx, according to Tezal.

When they stratified the relationship by tobacco use, they found that the association persisted in those patients who never used tobacco.

The researchers did not expect the periodontitis-head and neck squamous cell carcinoma association to be weaker in current smokers compared to former and never smokers, according to Tezal.

However, this interaction, although statistically significant, was not very strong.

“Confirmatory studies with more comprehensive assessment of smoking, such as duration, quantity and patterns of use, as well as smokeless tobacco history are needed,” said Tezal.

“Our study also suggests that chronic periodontitis may be associated with poorly differentiated tumor status in the oral cavity. Continuous stimulation of cellular proliferation by chronic inflammation may be responsible for this histological type. However, grading is subjective and we only observed this association in the oral cavity. Therefore, this association may be due to chance and needs further exploration,” she added.

Andrew Olshan, Ph.D., said these results lend further support to the potential importance of poor oral health in this form of cancer.

Olshan said, “Although the study is comparatively small, the researchers were able to also see an association between bone loss and the risk of head and neck cancer.”

The results of the study have been published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. (ANI)

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Novel device to wash away bedsores, chronic ulcers

August 27, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, Aug 27 (ANI): Researchers at Tel Aviv University have developed a unique device, called Dermastream, which could heal bedsores and chronic ulcers in bedridden elderly and infirm.

When ill, such people are prone to painful and dangerous pressure ulcers, and diabetics are susceptible to wounds caused by a lack of blood flow to the extremities.

“The problem is chronic,” said Prof. Amihay Freeman of TAU’s Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology.

And thus, he developed Dermastream, that uses a solution to whisk away dead tissue, bathing the wound while keeping dangerous bacteria away.

The device provides an enzyme-based solution that flows continuously over the wound, offering an alternative treatment to combat a problem for which current treatments are costly and labour-intensive.

Freeman said that Dermastream has already passed clinical trials in Israeli hospitals and may be available in the U.S. within the next year.

Dermastream employs a special solution developed at Freeman’s TAU laboratory, thus offering a new approach to chronic wound care- a specialty known as “continuous streaming therapy.”

“Our basic idea is simple. We treat the wound by streaming a solution in a continuous manner. Traditional methods require wound scraping to remove necrotic tissue. That is expensive, painful and extremely uncomfortable to the patient.

And while active ingredients applied with bandages on a wound may work for a couple of hours, after that the wound fights back. The bacteria build up again, creating a tedious and long battle,” said Freeman.

Dermastream “flows” under a plastic cover that seals the wound, providing negative pressure that promotes faster healing.

The active biological ingredient, delivered in a hypertonic medium, works to heal hard-to-shake chronic wounds.

Freeman said that while traditional bandaging methods may take months to become fully effective, Dermastream can heal chronic wounds in weeks.

Dermastream is intended for use in hospitals, nursing homes, outpatient clinics and homecare.

Freeman has founded a company that is currently collaborating with a Veterans Association hospital in Tucson, AZ, to bring the technology to the U.S. market.

“My solution helps doctors regain control of the chronic wound, making management more efficient, and vastly improving the quality of their patients’ lives,” concluded Freeman. (ANI)

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Smell of freshly cut grass can relieve stress

August 27, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, Aug 27 (ANI): Mowing the lawn can help you beat stress, a new study has suggested.

Researchers have found that a chemical released by freshly mowed grass can help people relax and make them cheerful, thus slowing down the decline in mental ability with age.

Scientists claim the scent released from the grass works directly on the brain, specially affecting the emotional and memory parts called the amygdala and the hippocampus.

After seven years of rigorous research, scientists now claim to have made a perfume, the “eau de mow” which “smells like a freshly-cut lawn”, and helps relieve stress and enhance memory.

Dr Nick Lavidis, a neuroscientist at the University of Queensland, Brisbane, developed the idea of the perfume, named Serenascent, after he trekked a US forest twenty years ago.

The Telegraph quoted him as saying: “Three days in Yosemite National Park felt like a three-month holiday.

“I didn’t realise at the time that it was the actual combination of feel-good chemicals released by the pine trees, the lush vegetation and the cut grass that made me feel so relaxed.

“Years later my neighbour commented on the wonderful smell of cut grass after I had mowed the lawn and it all started to click into place.”

Dr Lavidis said the grass’ smell directly affected the brain’s emotional and memory parts.

He said: “These two areas are responsible for the flight or fight response and the endocrine system, which controls the releasing of stress hormones like corticosteroids.

“The new spray appears to regulate these areas.

“There are two types of stress. The first is when you are about to perform something or you know you are going to have to do something well. That’s acute stress and can be a good form of stress.

“Bad stress is chronic stress and is associated with an increase in blood pressure, forgetfulness and a weakening of the immune system.”

Chronic stress can actually damage the hippocampus in the brain, which can lead to memory loss.

Students of the Australian project found animals exposed to Serenascent had little or no damage to the hippocampus.

The scent is believed to have the “pleasant aroma of a freshly-cut lawn or a walk through a lush forest”.

Dr Lavidis, who worked with pharmacologist Professor Rosemary Einstein, said: “It can be used as a room spray or a personal spray on bed linen, a handkerchief or clothing. Down the track we will look at incorporating the feel good chemicals into other products.” (ANI)

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Chronic smoking interferes with alcohol-related brain damage recovery

May 12, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, May 12 (ANI): Chronic cigarette smoking can adversely affect alcohol-related brain damage recovery, according to a study.

Alcohol-use disorders (AUDs) can damage the brain, particularly the frontal and parietal cortices, although this damage is at least partially reversible with sustained abstinence from alcohol.

Anderson Mon, senior research fellow in the department of radiology at the University of California, San Francisco, has shown that chronic cigarette smoking is associated with poor recovery of brain blood flow during abstinence from long-term heavy drinking.

Using the longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of brain blood flow, the research team has found that smoking makes it harder for brain blood flow to recover from long-term heavy drinking.

“The brain’s frontal lobes are involved in higher-order cognitive function, such as learning, short-term memory, reasoning, planning, problem solving, and emotional control,” said Mon.

“The parietal lobes are involved in aspects of attentional regulation and visuospatial processing.

“Chronic and excessive drinking is associated with neurobiological abnormalities in these regions, which contribute to the cognitive dysfunction frequently observed in those with AUDs after detoxification,” he added.

Cerebral perfusion is a measure of the amount of blood flow to brain tissue per unit time. A normal, uninterrupted flow of blood through the brain is necessary to supply brain tissue with sufficient essential compounds and oxygen for normal metabolism.

“In general, AUDs are associated with reduced perfusion,” said Mon.

“With abstinence from alcohol, brain perfusion abnormalities may recover, but there are several factors that may influence recovery, such as age, diet, exercise, genetic predispositions and – the topic of our research -other substances such as tobacco products.”

During the study, the researchers recruited three groups participants, of which 19 were non-smoking alcohol-dependent (ALC) patients, and 22 smoking ALC patients at one and five weeks of abstinence from alcohol. They also involved 28 age-matched non-smoking, light-drinking controls.

The results showed that even though cerebral perfusion among the ALC individuals, as a whole, improved with abstinence from alcohol, those ALC who were chronic smokers demonstrated significantly less perfusion recovery, particularly in the frontal lobes.

“At one week of abstinence, both smoking and non-smoking ALC patients had similar frontal and parietal gray matter perfusion; and both groups had lower perfusion than normal controls,” said Mon.

“However, after five weeks of abstinence, frontal and parietal gray matter perfusion of the non-smoking ALC patients recovered to normal control levels, whereas the smoking ALC group essentially showed no recovery,” he added.

“These results suggest that patients who want to stop drinking should be offered an option to stop smoking,” said Graeme Mason, associate professor of diagnostic radiology and psychiatry at Yale University.

“However, any combined cessation has to be designed carefully,” he added. he findings have been published in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. (ANI)

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Novel genetic risk factors for kidney disease identified

May 11, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, May 11 (ANI): Scientists have found three genes with common mutations that are associated with altered kidney disease risk.

One of the discovered genes, the UMOD gene, produces Tamm-Horsfall protein, the most common protein in the urine of healthy individuals, which was recently found to be linked with chronic kidney disease risk.

Chronic kidney disease is characterized by reduced kidney function or kidney damage. Its progression may lead to kidney failure, and the need for dialysis or transplantation.

It also increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, mortality and medication side effects.

For the study, the researchers conducted genome-wide association studies of more than 20,000 people enrolled in four large population-based studies of cardiovascular disease risk factors, and even replicated their findings in another 20,000 participants.

Out of more than 2,500,000 genetic variants that were evaluated for each study participant, only three genes, UMOD, SHROOM3, and STC1 were found to be novel risk genes for reduced kidney function and chronic kidney disease.

“Previous research showed that rare mutations in the UMOD gene cause hereditary forms of severe kidney disease. Our research indicates that a common genetic variant with a frequency of 18 percent in populations of European ancestry is associated with about 25 percent lower risk of chronic kidney disease,” Nature magazine quoted Dr. Anna Kottgen, a researcher at Johns Hopkins and lead author of the study, as saying.

“We have known for a long time that a higher level of proteins, such as albumin, which aren’t usually present in urine, is a risk factor for kidney disease and its progression. The UMOD finding suggests that Tamm-Horsfall protein, which is thought to be a normal part of the urine, deserves attention since its genetic variation relates to risk,” said Dr. Josef Coresh, professor at Johns Hopkins.

He added: “For all three genes the findings are novel and suggest brand new areas for investigation including the need for developing methods to measure levels in urine or blood.”

The findings have been published in the journal Nature Genetics. (ANI)

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Chronic ankle pain could be more than just a sprain

May 3, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, May 2 (ANI): An unfortunate fall, sudden twist or blow to the ankle often causes sprains leading to chronic ankle pain among many sufferers. But scientists have said that the underlying cause of the pain could be more than just a sprain.

Usually, almost 40 percent of those who suffer an ankle sprain experience chronic ankle pain, even after being treated for their initial injury.

Now, a new study has explained that tendon injuries to the ankle can be a possible cause for this chronic pain.

In some cases, the condition is untreated or overlooked which prolongs the pain and the problem.

“When patients injure their ankles, the injury may not seem serious at first. People may not seek medical attention and they can think it will just get better on its own. I think that is why this condition often goes undiagnosed,” explained Terrence Philbin, DO, lead author of the article.

The researchers explained how in some cases chronic ankle pain may actually be the result of injuries to the peroneal tendons.

The peroneal tendons are located behind the outside portion of the anklebone (called the fibula). The tendons help to stabilize the foot and ankle.

Tendon injuries can include tendonitis or swelling around the tendons. In more severe cases, the peroneal tendons can actually tear or there can be a swelling of the tendons behind the fibula bone. This can cause the ligament that holds the tendons together to stretch out and tear, or even rupture.

Peroneal tendon injuries can be characterised via ankle pain that is not responding to treatment, swelling and tenderness around the outside of the ankle, pain behind the anklebone or pain that transmits from the ankle down into the foot.

The use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or ultrasound can be helpful when identifying and diagnosing peroneal tendon injuries and disorders.

“These imaging techniques offer a more complete look at the peroneal tendons. One might consider getting an MRI or ultrasound especially if you have chronic ankle pain,” noted Philbin.

If the condition is caught early, non-operative treatment options can include, rest, ice and elevation, anti-inflammatory medication, immobilization in a cast or brace, or physical therapy.

More serious injuries of the peroneal tendons, including tears or ruptures, will very likely require surgery.

Peroneal tendon injuries can happen suddenly or can develop over time and is most common among athletes involved in sports that require repetitive ankle motion and in individuals who have high arches of the foot.

A proper diagnosis is essential in order to treat peroneal tendon injuries correctly and to help alleviate chronic pain.

“If you have ankle pain and it is not getting better, do not ignore it. Get it evaluated by a physician who has experience treating foot and ankle injuries,’ recommended Philbin.

The study is published in the latest issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (JAAOS). (ANI)

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Novel nasal device highly effective in chronic rhinosinusitis treatment

April 18, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, Apr 18 (ANI): A new nasal delivery technology with fluticasone, developed by OptiNose, has been found effective in treating chronic rhinosinusitis in a Phase II trial.

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a common disease that severely reduces a patient’s quality of life, and has few effective treatments currently available.

OptiNose’s breath-actuated, bi-directional nasal delivery technology significantly improves delivery to the target sites deep into the nose where the openings to the sinuses are located, which is considered essential to achieving clinical effects in CRS with topical treatments.

The study was conducted at the AMC in Amsterdam, Holland with Professor Wytske Fokkens as the principal investigator.

The researchers found that patients in the active treatment group experienced significant improvements in nasal symptoms, nasal discomfort and sense of smell.

The patients also reported a highly significant and progressive reduction in nasal swelling.

By using the OptiNose delivery device, patients self-administered fluticasone propionate 400 ug or placebo twice-daily at home over a 12-week period.

After the endoscopic assessment of the nasal mucosa, the researchers found a highly significant and progressive improvement to a normal state in the actively treated group.

At the post-study examination, 30 percent had a normal ENT-examination and peak nasal inspiratory flow and rhinosinusitis outcome measures were also significantly improved.

MR imaging before and after treatment showed significant improvement compared to baseline.

“We are extremely pleased with the effectiveness of our treatment for chronic rhinosinusitis”, said ENT-specialist Dr. Per Djupesland, the study’s co-author.

The study was presented at the Rhinology World conference in Philadelphia. (ANI)

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Barriers to effective diabetes care revealed

March 20, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, Mar 20 (ANI): Eating out in restaurants, laid back attitude towards exercise, and leading high-risk lifestyles are some of the barriers that stop patients with type 2 diabetes from controlling their condition, say researchers.

In the study involving 8,900 patients, the researchers from Hong Kong and Northern Ireland listed some of the psychosocial, socio-economic, physical, environmental and cultural factors that prove to be major barriers to effective diabetes care.

“Diabetes is a chronic condition and patients need to modify their lifestyle on a long-term basis to cope with it,” said Sandra Pun from the School of Nursing at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

“According to the World Health Organization, up to 380 million people worldwide will suffer from diabetes by 2025 so it is important to identify and tackle any barriers that prevent people from making those changes,” she added.

Eating out in restaurants was a frequently mentioned problem and being offered inappropriate food when visiting others stops diabetics from controlling their condition.

Attitudes toward exercise, physical limitations and discomfort prevented people from taking regular exercise. It is important to take these factors into account when devising exercise programmes.

Behavioural and psychiatric disorders and cultural and language barriers, among both patients and family members, also acts as a barriers to effective diabetes treatment.

Finance was another significant barrier in keeping a check on blood sugar levels. Even if healthcare was free or funded by insurance, patients still had to spend more money on healthy food, home glucose monitoring kits and transport to and from healthcare appointments.

With a lack of proper knowledge, patients fail to understand the relevance of diet and care plans.

Moreover, being unable to maintain good glucose control can cause helplessness and frustration, as can the progression of the disease.

However, patients who received support from family, friends and diabetes clinics appeared to handle self-care better than those who did not.

“Our review found that there are various barriers to achieving optimal self-care in type 2 diabetes” said co-author Professor Vivien Coates, from the Institute of Nursing Research at the University of Ulster, UK.

“Better healthcare delivery systems and reforms that improve affordability, accessibility and efficiency of care are also essential to help both providers and patients to meet desirable standards of diabetes care,” Coates added.

The study appears in the Journal of Nursing and Healthcare of Chronic Illness. (ANI)

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Recession blues ‘may damage testosterone levels in men’

February 16, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, Feb 16 (ANI): Worries about the recession could lower testosterone levels among men, a doctor has warned.

Dr Richard Petty said, who works at a private clinic for men, said that chronic stress caused by financial worries, redundancy or working longer hours may cause levels of the hormone to drop.

Testosterone is associated with sexual function, circulation and muscle mass, as well as mood, memory and concentration.

“When a man becomes grumpy or irritable, it’s easy to blame work or simply the effects of ageing,” the Telegraph quoted Petty, as saying.

“In the short-term, stress can increase levels of testosterone and this is useful to help people respond quickly to pressures and new situations.

“But chronic stress, which is ongoing, is a major factor in the decline of testosterone.

“Chronic stress occurs all too frequently due to our modern lifestyles, when everything from high-pressured jobs to unemployment keeps the body in a state of perceived threat,” he added.

Lower levels of the hormone can cause irritability, lethargy, low sex drive and a lack of concentration.

Petty has suggested that men should reduce their stress levels as much as possible by getting enough rest, eating healthily and exercising. (ANI)

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Long-term use of popular inhalers ‘ups pneumonia risk for COPD patients’

February 10, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, Feb 10 (ANI): A popular class of anti-inflammatory inhalers, if used for a long time, could significantly increases the risk of pneumonia in patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), according to a new study.

COPD is a progressive disease that makes it hard to breathe and is characterised by coughing that produces large amounts of mucus, wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness and other symptoms.

The research by Wake Forest University School of Medicine scientists mainly deals with the incidence of pneumonia in COPD patients, who were exposed to inhaled corticosteroid drugs, either alone or in combination with other drugs.

While inhaled corticosteroids, used alone or in combination with other drugs for the treatment of asthma, have not been approved for use in patients with COPD, it has been suggested in combination with beta-antagonists, which dilate the lungs.

The available inhaled steroid combinations are fluticasone/salmeterol, marketed byGlaxoSmithKline as AdvairTM, and budesonide/formoterol, marketed by AstraZeneca as SymbicortTM.

Although, the inhalers can successfully relieve many of the symptoms of COPD, they have been linked with an increased risk of pneumonia in recent studies.

In the current study, researchers reviewed 18 randomized clinical trials, several of which were unpublished, involving nearly 17,000 patients in total.

They compared the incidence of pneumonia in patients who had taken inhaled corticosteroids for at least 24 weeks versus patients who had taken a placebo, or patients who had taken combination inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting beta-antagonists versus patients who took only the long-acting bronchodilator.

After the analysis it was found that inhaled corticosteroid use, alone or in combination with bronchodilators, for at least 24 weeks was associated with a significantly increased risk of pneumonia and serious pneumonia (60 to 70 percent increase).

However, it was not associated with an increased risk of death.

Thus, one can say that one in every 47 patients with COPD using a corticosteroid inhaler for one year is likely to develop pneumonia linked to use of the drug.

“Our robust meta-analysis … clarifies that the risk of pneumonia reported as a serious adverse event, can be specifically attributed to the long-term use of the inhaled steroid component,” the researchers wrote in their report.

Researchers advised that these results pertain specifically to COPD patients rather than asthma patients, and recommend that “clinicians should remain vigilant for the development of pneumonia with inhaled corticosteroids, as the signs and symptoms of pneumonia may closely mimic that of COPD exacerbations.”
The study appears in this month’s issue of Archives of Internal Medicine. (ANI)

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ADB to provide 300-million-dollar loan to Pakistan

February 8, 2009 By Dinesh 1 Comment

Islamabad – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide Pakistan with a loan of 300 million dollars to improve water and sanitation services in six cities of country’s southern province of Sindh, a Pakistani official said on Friday.

“This program is aimed at bringing improvement in water, sanitation and solid waste management areas of these cities,” Farrakh Qayyum, Pakistan’s Secretary of the Economic Affairs Division told reporters after signing an agreement with ADB’s country director, Rune Stroem.

Sindh, Pakistan’s second most populous province, is faced with rising population growth, a severe deficit of basic urban infrastructure and services and growing urban poverty.

Limited access to and poor quality of water supply, together with poor sanitation, is causing a spread of diseases and chronic illnesses such as diarrhea, especially among children.

The first tranche of 38 million million dollars of ADB’s multi-tranche financing, planned for the 2009-2012 period will focus on institutional change and priority infrastructure for the cities of Sukkur, New Sukkur, Rohri, Khairpur, Shikarpur and Larkana.

“The investment will help the provincial government of Sindh cope with mounting challenges in providing basic urban services to an estimated four million residents over the next several years,” Stroem said. (dpa)

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Genetic markers associated with ulcerative colitis risk identified

January 9, 2009 By Rajiv Gupta 1 Comment

London, Jan 9 (ANI): A team of International researchers has identified genetic markers associated with risk for ulcerative colitis.

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic, relapsing disorder that causes inflammation and ulceration in the inner lining of the rectum and large intestine.

The most common symptoms are diarrhea (oftentimes bloody) and abdominal pain. Ulcerative colitis and Crohn”s disease, another chronic gastrointestinal inflammatory disorder, are the two major forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

The new findings bring researchers closer to understanding the biological pathways involved in the disease and may lead to the development of new treatments that specifically target them.

“Our identification of some of the genes that lead to ulcerative colitis are giving us a first look into the causes of this debilitating disease and provides strong leads as to improved diagnosis and treatment,” Nature quoted lead author Dr. John D. Rioux, a professor of medicine at the Université de Montréal and the Montreal Heart Institute, as saying.

Since IBD tends to run in families, researchers have long thought that genetic factors play a role.

The researchers performed a genome-wide association study of hundreds of thousands of genetic markers using DNA samples from 1,052 individuals with ulcerative colitis and pre-existing data from 2,571 controls, all of European ancestry and residing in North America.

Several genetic markers on chromosomes 1p36 and 12q15 showed highly significant associations with ulcerative colitis, and the association evidence was replicated in independent European ancestry samples from North America and southern Italy.

Nearby genes implicated as possibly playing a role in ulcerative colitis include the ring finger protein 186 (RNF186), OTU domain containing 3 (OTUD3), and phospholipase A2, group IIE (PLA2G2E) – genes on chromosome 1p36, and the interferon, gamma (IFNG), interleukin 26 (IL26), and interleukin 22 (IL22) genes on chromosome 12q15 that play an important role in inflammation.

RNF186 and OTUD3 are members of gene families involved in protein turnover and diverse cellular processes. PLA2G2E, IFNG, IL26 and IL22 are known to play a role in inflammation and the immune response.

The researchers also found highly suggestive associations between ulcerative colitis and genetic markers on chromosome 7q31 within or near the laminin, beta 1 (LAMB1) gene, which is a member of a gene family known to play a role in intestinal health and disease, and confirmed previously identified associations between ulcerative colitis and genetic variants in the interleukin 23 receptor (IL23R) gene on chromosome 1p31 and the major histocompatibility complex on chromosome 6p21.

The study is published in the advance online journal Nature Genetics. (ANI)

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Blame career women for untimely death of the sexy hourglass figure

January 9, 2009 By Rajiv Gupta Leave a Comment

London, Jan 9 (ANI): The classic hourglass figure made famous by Sophia Loren and Marilyn Monroe is dying out, and the people responsible for it are the high-powered career women, say experts.

According to experts, working women are less likely to have the classic curvy shape of a tiny waist, wide hips and big boobs.

Ladies today are choosing to be more straight up and down, like actress Keira Knightley, 23, and singer Cheryl Cole, 25, with weight around the middle rather than the hips.

And it is hard work and stress levels that are putting an end to curvy girls like singer Beyoncé Knowles, 27, and model Lucy Pinder, 25, reports the Daily Star.

Researchers have found that women with a waist-to-hip ratio of 0.7 – where the waist circumference is 70 percent of the hips – or lower, have higher fertility rates and less chance of chronic disease.

According to Elizabeth Cashdan, women who work release more hormones that help them become physically stronger, so they can deal with the stress of high-powered jobs.

But as a result, women develop a figure more like Kate Moss, 34, and Madonna, 50, with fewer curves, small boobs and no hips.

Cashdan reached the conclusion after measuring waist-to-hip ratio in 37 countries.

She said: “Waist-to-hip ratio may be a useful signal to men… but whether men prefer it should depend on the degree to which they want their mates to be strong, tough, economically successful and politically competitive.”

She added: “And from a woman”s perspective, men”s preferences are not the only thing that matters. This is about trade-offs. The human body is a compromise.” (ANI)

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Spirituality can help teens cope with chronic illness

January 9, 2009 By Rajiv Gupta 2 Comments

Washington, Jan 9 (ANI): A new study has shown that spirituality can help teenagers cope with chronic illness.

Chronic illness can lead to poorer quality of life in adolescents. The research led by Michael Yi, MD, associate professor of medicine, and Sian Cotton, PhD, research assistant professor in the department of family medicine investigated how adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may use spirituality to cope with their illness.

Adolescents with IBD are at risk for numerous psychosocial difficulties, including increased mental health problems and social stigma.

In the study involving 67 patients with IBD and 88 healthy adolescents between the ages of 11 and 19, the researchers collected data on socio-demographics, functional health status and psychosocial characteristics as well as spiritual well-being.

“Personal characteristics like self esteem, family functioning and social characteristics, like level of peer support, were similar between adolescents with IBD when compared to healthy peers, indicating that adolescents with IBD appear resilient,” said Yi.

“However, health-related quality of life was significantly poorer in general. On average, when compared to their healthy peers, patients with IBD were willing to trade more years of their life expectancy or risk a greater chance of death in order to achieve a better state of health,” he added.

The researchers also found that levels of spiritual well-being were similar between adolescents with IBD and healthy peers.

Moreover, higher levels of spiritual well-being were associated with fewer depressive symptoms and better emotional well-being.

“However, even though both healthy adolescents and those with IBD had relatively high levels of spiritual well-being, the positive association between spiritual well-being and mental health outcomes was stronger in the adolescents with IBD as compared to their healthy peers,” said Cotton,

He said this indicates spiritual well-being may play a different role for teens with a chronic illness in terms of impacting their health or helping them cope.

The results were published in online versions of the Journal of Pediatrics and the Journal of Adolescent Health. (ANI)

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Childhood trauma may lead to chronic fatigue syndrome in adulthood

January 6, 2009 By Rajiv Gupta 1 Comment

Washington, Jan 6 (ANI): People who undergo trauma during childhood are more likely to develop chronic fatigue syndrome as adults, according to a new study.

Also, the study found that neuroendocrine dysfunction is linked to childhood trauma in those with chronic fatigue syndrome, pointing towards a biological pathway by which early experiences influence adult vulnerability to illness.

Neuroendocrine dysfunction are abnormalities in the interaction between the nervous system and endocrine system.

“Stress in interaction with other risk factors likely triggers chronic fatigue syndrome symptoms through its effects on central nervous, neuroendocrine and immune systems, resulting in functional changes that lead to fatigue and associated symptoms such as sleep disruption, cognitive impairment and pain. However, obviously not every individual exposed to a stressor goes on to develop chronic fatigue syndrome, and it is therefore of critical importance to understand sources of individual differences in vulnerability to the pathogenic effects of stress,” wrote the authors.

Led by Christine Heim, Ph.D., of Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, the researchers studied 113 patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and 124 healthy individuals who served as controls. All the participants were drawn from a general sample of 19,381 adults residents of Georgia

The participants reported whether they had experienced childhood trauma, including sexual, physical and emotional abuse or emotional and physical neglect.

They also underwent screening for depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder and were tested for levels of the hormone cortisol in their saliva. Low levels may indicate decreased function of the body””s main neuroendocrine stress response system, the authors note.

It was found that those with chronic fatigue syndrome reported higher levels of childhood trauma—exposure to trauma was associated with a six-fold increase in the risk of having the condition.

Sexual abuse, emotional abuse and emotional neglect were most closely associated with chronic fatigue syndrome. Patients suffering from the syndrome were also more likely than controls to have depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Also, the researchers discovered that cortisol levels were decreased in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome who experienced childhood trauma, but not in those with chronic fatigue syndrome who had not been subjected to trauma.

Thus, the authors noted that early life stress may lead to biological susceptibility to chronic fatigue syndrome.

“Our results confirm childhood trauma as an important risk factor of chronic fatigue syndrome. In addition, neuroendocrine dysfunction, a hallmark feature of chronic fatigue syndrome, appears to be associated with childhood trauma. This possibly reflects a biological correlate of vulnerability due to early developmental insults. Our findings are critical to inform pathophysiological research and to devise targets for the prevention of chronic fatigue syndrome,” they wrote.

The study is published in the latest issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. (ANI)

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Viagra can prevent heart from high blood pressure damage

January 6, 2009 By Rajiv Gupta Leave a Comment

Washington, January 6 (ANI): Experiments on animals conducted by Johns Hopkins and other researchers have confirmed that the erectile dysfunction drug called Viagra amplifies the effects of a heart-protective protein.

Reporting their findings in the online edition of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, the researchers have said that their study helps explain why Viagra, scientifically known as sildenafil, has already been shown to improve heart function.

They said that their findings also went to suggest that one day Viagra might have value in either treating or preventing heart damage due to chronic high blood pressure.

The researchers revealed that the key is Viagra’s effects on a single protein called RGS2, which is an essential link in the chain reactions that initially protect the body”s main blood-pumping organ from spiralling into heart failure.

While experimenting with mice, the researchers first observed that after a week of induced high blood pressure, the hearts of animals engineered to lack RGS2, or regulator of G-protein signaling 2, quickly expanded in weight by 90 percent.

The researchers revealed that about 50 percent of the mice died of heart failure.

In mice with RGS2, by contrast, the dangerous muscle expansion called hypertrophy was delayed, growing only 30 percent, and no mice died.

When hypertensive mice with RGS2 were treated with Viagra in subsequent tests, they showed enhanced buffering, with less hypertrophy, stronger heart muscle contraction and relaxation, and as much as 10 times lower stress-related enzyme activity compared to their untreated counterparts.

In mice lacking RGS2, Viagra had no effect.

“Sildenafil clearly prolongs the protective effects of RGS2 in mouse hearts,” says study senior investigator and cardiologist Dr. David Kass, a professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and its Heart and Vascular Institute.

According to Kass, RGS2 is stimulated by an enzyme, protein kinase G, whose action is, in turn, raised by countering the activity of another enzyme, phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5A).

He and his team has already shown in 2005 that Viagra’s ability to block PDE5A is responsible for blunting hypertrophy due to high blood pressure in mice and offsetting similar, adrenaline-stimulated heart stress in people.

Kass says that RGS2 “acts like a short-term reset mechanism in the heart,” recoupling G proteins that if left alone stimulate the heart”s response to high blood pressure. And without the “reset,” a cascade of reactions known as Gq signalling leads to scar tissue formation, hypertrophy and heart failure.

“The evidence is piling up that unbridled Gq signaling is driving a central biological chain reaction in heart failure, and that by extending the protective effects of RGS2 or by developing a test for its presence, researchers can develop new therapies or improve existing ones, including ACE inhibitors and possibly sildenafil, for people with heart failure who will benefit most,” says Kass. (ANI)

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Rosario Dawson fears dying woman’s role in new flick may disturb her mom

January 5, 2009 By Rajiv Gupta Leave a Comment

Washington, Jan 5 (ANI): American actress Rosario Dawson has revealed that she fears that her role as a dying woman in her new movie ‘Seven Pounds’ might upset her mother.

Dawson, 29, plays the part of an ill woman on the verge of death in Will Smith’s new movie, and she fears that the portrayal will resemble the condition her mother is in.

The actress’ mother has been suffering from chronic asthma and diabetes for years.

“My mom”s health is something that I”m concerned with all the time and that makes me worry because I have zero control in that,” Contactmusic quoted her as saying.

“I know this is going to be a very difficult movie for her to see and I was really thoughtful thinking of her while I was doing this,” she said.

But the film has also made Dawson thankful that she has been blessed with good health.

“I”ve always been aware of my health. At the moment I”m very healthy and it”s not something I think about as strongly. I don”t really have any terrible habits; I”m not a smoker or anything like that. It would be a shock to find out my health is any dire straits,” she told WENN. (ANI)

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Scientists identify new genetic markers for ulcerative colitis

January 5, 2009 By Rajiv Gupta 2 Comments

London, January 5 (ANI): An international team of researchers has announced the discovery of genetic markers linked with ulcerative colitis risk.

The team led by scientists at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine say that their findings may be helpful in understanding the biological pathways involved in the disease, and thus may lead to the development of new treatments that specifically target them.

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic, relapsing disorder that causes inflammation and ulceration in the inner lining of the rectum and large intestine. Its most common symptoms are diarrhoea (oftentimes bloody) and abdominal pain.

Just like Crohn”s disease, another chronic gastrointestinal inflammatory disorder, ulcerative colitis is also known as a major form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

“Ulcerative colitis and Crohn”s disease are chronic conditions that impact the day-to-day lives of patients,” Nature magazine quoted senior author of the study Richard H.

Duerr, M.D., associate professor of medicine and human genetics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Graduate School of Public Health, as saying.

“IBD is most often diagnosed in the teenage years or early adulthood. While patients usually don”t die from IBD, affected individuals live with its debilitating symptoms during the most productive years of their lives,” the researcher added.

With a view to finding factors specific for ulcerative colitis, the researchers performed a genome-wide association study of hundreds of thousands of genetic markers using DNA samples from 1,052 individuals with ulcerative colitis and pre-exisiting data from 2,571 controls, all of European ancestry and residing in North America.

The team said that several genetic markers on chromosomes 1p36 and 12q15 showed highly significant associations with ulcerative colitis, and the association evidence was replicated in independent European ancestry samples from North America and southern Italy.

According to them, nearby genes implicated as possibly playing a role in ulcerative colitis include the ring finger protein 186 (RNF186), OTU domain containing 3 (OTUD3), and phospholipase A2, group IIE (PLA2G2E) – genes on chromosome 1p36, and the interferon, gamma (IFNG), interleukin 26 (IL26), and interleukin 22 (IL22) genes on chromosome 12q15. RNF186 and OTUD3 are members of gene families involved in protein turnover and diverse cellular processes. PLA2G2E, IFNG, IL26 and IL22 are known to play a role in inflammation and the immune response.

“My laboratory is focused on studying the genetic basis for IBD. Through genetic mapping, we and our collaborators are successfully identifying regions of the genome that contain IBD genes. The next steps are to understand the functional significance of IBD-associated genetic variants, and then to develop new treatments that specifically target biological pathways implicated by the genetic discoveries. The overall goal of this work is to improve the lives of the millions of patients worldwide that suffer from IBD,” said Dr. Duerr.

The study has been reported in the journal Nature Genetics. (ANI)

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Restrained eating helps fend off middle-age weight gain in women

January 4, 2009 By Rajiv Gupta Leave a Comment

Washington : Trying to eat less can be beneficial to stave off middle-age weight gain in women, according to a new study.

Researchers have found that those women who did not practice more restraint on their eating, over the time, had more than twice the risk of substantial weight gain.

“Some suggest that restrained eating is not a good practice,” said Brigham Young University professor Larry Tucker, the study’s lead author.

In the study involving 192 middle-aged women, the researchers have found that women who did not become more restrained with eating were 138 percent more likely to put on 6.6 pounds or more.

Columbia University researcher Lance Davidson, who was not involved with the analysis, said the findings highlight an important principle of weight management.

“Because the body”s energy requirements progressively decline with age, energy intake must mirror that decrease or weight gain occurs,” he said.

“Dr. Tucker”s observation that women who practice eating restraint avoid the significant weight gain commonly observed in middle age is an important health message,” he added.

“Weight gain and obesity bring a greater risk of diabetes and a number of other chronic diseases. Eating properly is a skill that needs to be practiced,” said Tucker.

The study appears in American Journal of Health Promotion.

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