ABC News: Kids Can Have Strokes Too, AHA Warns
Kids Can Have Strokes Too, AHA Warns
Condition More Common in Children Than Many May Realize
By JOSEPH BROWNSTEIN
ABC News Medical Unit
July 17, 2008 suffered a stroke that changed her life, weakening the right side of her body and, doctors thought at the time, potentially hurting her future ability to speak.
Childhood Stroke Survivor Michelle Ballasiotes, 10 (right) suffered a stroke while she was still in the womb. Michelle and Anna are wearing T-shirts from a support group founded by their mother, Mary Kay, for the families of children who have suffered strokes.
Future ability, because at that point Michelle had never spoken. Unlike many of the millions of Americans who suffer strokes, Michelle suffered hers in the womb; she had not yet even been born.
As the American Heart Association releases the first comprehensive guidelines for childhood stroke on Thursday, Michelle, now 10, is among those hoping it will bring increased awareness of the fact that strokes can occur in children who need immediate assistance from doctors.
"I don't really know why I had a stroke, and that bothers me a little bit because I want to know why, and if there's any possible way that we could have prevented it from happening," she told ABC News.
Michelle has, in many ways, overcome the devastating effects that can follow stroke. She can speak without any noticeable sign of the affliction.
"I try not to let it hold me back, and I don't think it does," she said.
But she was also lucky. Doctors found evidence that something had happened while she was still in the womb, and she was able to receive treatment almost immediately after birth, having been diagnosed with stroke when she was three days old.
"She was one of the fortunate ones to get diagnosed so early," said her mother, Mary Kay Ballasiotes.
Michelle started physical therapy at six months.
"I think that has given her the head start to be normal … It's amazing, because she's been going to therapy every week for 10 years," said Mary Kay. "She's never had a day of speech therapy."
But many children are not as fortunate as Michelle, and Dr. E. Steve Roach, who headed the committee for the AHA's stroke guidelines, hopes this new paper will increase doctors' awareness of childhood stroke and change all that.
"There's a lot of expertise about it, but that expertise is clustered in a few places," he said.
Roach, a pediatric neurologist at Nationwide Children's Hospital and the Ohio State University Medical Center, noted that childhood stroke receives little attention, even though it is more common than childhood brain tumors, affecting one out of every 3,000 to 4,000 children.
ABC News: Kids Can Have Strokes Too, AHA Warns">
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Thursday, July 17, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
Smoking can boost memory-Health/Sci-The Times of India
Smoking can boost memory-Health/Sci-The Times of India
Smoking can boost memory
14 Jul 2008, 1805 hrs IST,PTI
LONDON: Scientists attempting to create a nicotine pill to treat Alzheimer's disease have suggested that smoking can help boost memory and concentration.
Nicotine has long been known to have a stimulating effect on the brain. However, the deadly side effects of cancer, stroke and heart disease, mean its benefits have been largely set aside by medical research.
Now researchers, who hope to develop drugs which copy the active ingredients in tobacco without causing heart disease, cancer, stroke or addiction, discovered that nicotine can boost the intelligence and recall ability of animals in laboratory experiments.
The researchers, who plan to present their latest findings at the Forum of European Neuroscience in Geneva, hope that the new drugs, which will be available in five years, may have fewer side effects than existing medicines for dementia.
However, the scientists stressed the new treatment at best will only give patients a few extra months of independent life instead of fully freeing them of Alzheimer's disease.
"The substances that we call drugs have, in the majority of cases, do have a mixture of beneficial and harmful effects and nicotine no exception to this," Professor Ian Stoleman of Britain's King's College was quoted as saying by the Mail online.
Researchers led by Prof Stolerman studied how nicotine alters the brain's circuitry to boost concentration and memory. In his study, he showed that the concentration power in rats went up by 5 per cent when injected with nicotine, the report said.
Smoking can boost memory
14 Jul 2008, 1805 hrs IST,PTI
LONDON: Scientists attempting to create a nicotine pill to treat Alzheimer's disease have suggested that smoking can help boost memory and concentration.
Nicotine has long been known to have a stimulating effect on the brain. However, the deadly side effects of cancer, stroke and heart disease, mean its benefits have been largely set aside by medical research.
Now researchers, who hope to develop drugs which copy the active ingredients in tobacco without causing heart disease, cancer, stroke or addiction, discovered that nicotine can boost the intelligence and recall ability of animals in laboratory experiments.
The researchers, who plan to present their latest findings at the Forum of European Neuroscience in Geneva, hope that the new drugs, which will be available in five years, may have fewer side effects than existing medicines for dementia.
However, the scientists stressed the new treatment at best will only give patients a few extra months of independent life instead of fully freeing them of Alzheimer's disease.
"The substances that we call drugs have, in the majority of cases, do have a mixture of beneficial and harmful effects and nicotine no exception to this," Professor Ian Stoleman of Britain's King's College was quoted as saying by the Mail online.
Researchers led by Prof Stolerman studied how nicotine alters the brain's circuitry to boost concentration and memory. In his study, he showed that the concentration power in rats went up by 5 per cent when injected with nicotine, the report said.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Malayala Manorama Indian Newspaper of Malayalam Language from eight places in Kerela
tag: health
Malayala Manorama Indian Newspaper of Malayalam Language from eight places in Kerela
Wednesday,9 July 2008 17:35 hrs IST
Prefer paranthas over bread for breakfast
-
Ludhiana: Paranthas are more nutritious than bread and consumption of a nutritious breakfast is associated with better physical and mental performance as it quickens reactive time, decreases muscular fatigue, increases pulse rate, influences mood and improves cognitive performance.
''Breakfast is the foundation of healthful diet as it provides an individual with energy and other nutrients for the day'', research study conducted by Dr J S Sidhu and Dr S Verma, nutritional scientists of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has observed.
As per the study a dietary survey was carried out on 80 families to find out their pattern of breakfast. Commonly consumed breakfast preparations were selected for analysis.
Eleven preparations like stuffed paranthas, plain paranthas/chapati with seasonable vegetable and sandwiches were prepared in the laboratory, based on the recipes followed commonly in the Punjabi families. The whole wheat flour used for each parantha was 40 grams and the amount of stuffing varied with the stuffing material.
Seasonal vegetables like potato, cauliflower, raddish and fenugreek leaves were used. In 'missa' parantha, 10 g of wheat flour was replaced with gram flour. Refined groundnut oil was used for shallow frying of the paranthas and for vegetable preparation.
Boiled, mashed potatoes with addition to spices were used for potato sandwich, whereas tomato and cucumber slices with a pinch of salt and black pepper powder were used for vegetable sandwich. The developed products were analysed for their proximate composition.
According to the study the results revealed that the parantha had 4.2 to 5.0 g of protein and 209 to 258 kcal of energy per 100 g.
The protein content of both the combinations of chapati and vegetable and parantha and vegetable preparation was same (5.3 g per 100 g) but the energy value of the latter was higher because of the fat content which goes into the preparation of paranthas.
Plain bread had lowest values for both protein (2.28 per 100 g) as well as energy (69 kcal per 100 g) on fresh basis.
Malayala Manorama Indian Newspaper of Malayalam Language from eight places in Kerela
Wednesday,9 July 2008 17:35 hrs IST
Prefer paranthas over bread for breakfast
-
Ludhiana: Paranthas are more nutritious than bread and consumption of a nutritious breakfast is associated with better physical and mental performance as it quickens reactive time, decreases muscular fatigue, increases pulse rate, influences mood and improves cognitive performance.
''Breakfast is the foundation of healthful diet as it provides an individual with energy and other nutrients for the day'', research study conducted by Dr J S Sidhu and Dr S Verma, nutritional scientists of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has observed.
As per the study a dietary survey was carried out on 80 families to find out their pattern of breakfast. Commonly consumed breakfast preparations were selected for analysis.
Eleven preparations like stuffed paranthas, plain paranthas/chapati with seasonable vegetable and sandwiches were prepared in the laboratory, based on the recipes followed commonly in the Punjabi families. The whole wheat flour used for each parantha was 40 grams and the amount of stuffing varied with the stuffing material.
Seasonal vegetables like potato, cauliflower, raddish and fenugreek leaves were used. In 'missa' parantha, 10 g of wheat flour was replaced with gram flour. Refined groundnut oil was used for shallow frying of the paranthas and for vegetable preparation.
Boiled, mashed potatoes with addition to spices were used for potato sandwich, whereas tomato and cucumber slices with a pinch of salt and black pepper powder were used for vegetable sandwich. The developed products were analysed for their proximate composition.
According to the study the results revealed that the parantha had 4.2 to 5.0 g of protein and 209 to 258 kcal of energy per 100 g.
The protein content of both the combinations of chapati and vegetable and parantha and vegetable preparation was same (5.3 g per 100 g) but the energy value of the latter was higher because of the fat content which goes into the preparation of paranthas.
Plain bread had lowest values for both protein (2.28 per 100 g) as well as energy (69 kcal per 100 g) on fresh basis.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
ABC News: 70-Year-Olds Having Best Sex Ever
ABC News: 70-Year-Olds Having Best Sex Ever
Study Shows Sexual Satisfaction at 70 Improving
The Over-65-Set Reports Higher Levels of Sexual Satisfaction
By JOSEPH BROWNSTEIN
ABC News Medical Unit
July 10, 2008
As media attention focuses on issues like teenage pregnancy and rates of sexual activity among the young, a new Swedish study reinforces what many professionals in the area have long suspected -- sexual activity and satisfaction are on the rise among the elderly.
Senior Citizens and Sex
In a new study, researchers found that today's 70-year-olds are having more sex -- and enjoying more satisfying sex -- than ever before.
(Getty Images)
The study, from Gothenburg University in Sweden, showed that self-reported levels of sexual satisfaction among 70-year-olds in Gothenburg has been on the rise, from 58 percent of 70-year-old men reporting satisfaction in 1976-77 to 71 percent reporting sexual satisfaction in 2000-01. Among women, the increase was from 41 percent to 62 percent during the same period.
"I think it's very important for older people to know that it's quite normal to have sexual feelings, and it's important for health professionals to know that they are sexually active or would like to be, and they should take that into consideration," said Nils Beckman, a doctoral student at Gothenburg and the lead author of the study.
Related
'The Last Taboo': Sex and the Elderly
Brinkley's Soon-to-Be Ex Addicted to Sex?
Finally, a Reason Why Nice Guys Finish Last
The findings are published in the most recent issue of the British Medical Journal.
Although the study was done exclusively in Sweden, researchers here seem to believe the findings are applicable to the United States as well, even if the rate is not quite as high.
"There is no question that people in their 70s today are like people in their 60s from the last decade," said Judith Kuriansky, a clinical psychologist, sex therapist and faculty member at Columbia University Teachers College.
"People are staying younger older, as they work out, look better, feel better and therefore are physically as well as psychologically more interested -- as well as more capable -- of being sexual."
The findings may support a trend; a study published last August in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that 53 percent of people between the ages of 65 and 74 had recently engaged in sexual activity.
Shifting Norms
Researchers have proposed a number of reasons for the rise.
"One reason might be that today 70-year-olds are healthier than they were 30 years ago, but other studies have shown that people who have a good sex life in earlier years usually have a good sex life in old age," said Beckman.
Study Shows Sexual Satisfaction at 70 Improving
The Over-65-Set Reports Higher Levels of Sexual Satisfaction
By JOSEPH BROWNSTEIN
ABC News Medical Unit
July 10, 2008
As media attention focuses on issues like teenage pregnancy and rates of sexual activity among the young, a new Swedish study reinforces what many professionals in the area have long suspected -- sexual activity and satisfaction are on the rise among the elderly.
Senior Citizens and Sex
In a new study, researchers found that today's 70-year-olds are having more sex -- and enjoying more satisfying sex -- than ever before.
(Getty Images)
The study, from Gothenburg University in Sweden, showed that self-reported levels of sexual satisfaction among 70-year-olds in Gothenburg has been on the rise, from 58 percent of 70-year-old men reporting satisfaction in 1976-77 to 71 percent reporting sexual satisfaction in 2000-01. Among women, the increase was from 41 percent to 62 percent during the same period.
"I think it's very important for older people to know that it's quite normal to have sexual feelings, and it's important for health professionals to know that they are sexually active or would like to be, and they should take that into consideration," said Nils Beckman, a doctoral student at Gothenburg and the lead author of the study.
Related
'The Last Taboo': Sex and the Elderly
Brinkley's Soon-to-Be Ex Addicted to Sex?
Finally, a Reason Why Nice Guys Finish Last
The findings are published in the most recent issue of the British Medical Journal.
Although the study was done exclusively in Sweden, researchers here seem to believe the findings are applicable to the United States as well, even if the rate is not quite as high.
"There is no question that people in their 70s today are like people in their 60s from the last decade," said Judith Kuriansky, a clinical psychologist, sex therapist and faculty member at Columbia University Teachers College.
"People are staying younger older, as they work out, look better, feel better and therefore are physically as well as psychologically more interested -- as well as more capable -- of being sexual."
The findings may support a trend; a study published last August in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that 53 percent of people between the ages of 65 and 74 had recently engaged in sexual activity.
Shifting Norms
Researchers have proposed a number of reasons for the rise.
"One reason might be that today 70-year-olds are healthier than they were 30 years ago, but other studies have shown that people who have a good sex life in earlier years usually have a good sex life in old age," said Beckman.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Slow eating reduces weight
The Telegraph - Indian Newspapers in English Language from Kolkatta (Calcutta) India.
Mothers right about slow eating, say scientists
New York, July 8 (Reuters): Your mother was right when she told you to take the time to chew your food. Eating slowly, research suggests, can encourage people to eat less, and enjoy the meal more.
Researchers found that when they had 30 young women eat a lunch of pasta, tomatoes and cheese, the diners consumed an average of 70 fewer calories when they ate the meal slowly.
The findings give scientific support to a long recommended weight-control tactic, the researchers report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The theory has been that a leisurely dining pace allows time for the body’s natural fullness signals to kick in, explains Ana M. Andrade. Stomach distension and changes in several appetite-related hormones, for example, alert the body that it's time to stop eating. But these processes take time.
Mothers right about slow eating, say scientists
New York, July 8 (Reuters): Your mother was right when she told you to take the time to chew your food. Eating slowly, research suggests, can encourage people to eat less, and enjoy the meal more.
Researchers found that when they had 30 young women eat a lunch of pasta, tomatoes and cheese, the diners consumed an average of 70 fewer calories when they ate the meal slowly.
The findings give scientific support to a long recommended weight-control tactic, the researchers report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The theory has been that a leisurely dining pace allows time for the body’s natural fullness signals to kick in, explains Ana M. Andrade. Stomach distension and changes in several appetite-related hormones, for example, alert the body that it's time to stop eating. But these processes take time.
Monday, July 7, 2008
ABC News: Cholesterol Tests for One-Year-Olds?
ABC News: Cholesterol Tests for One-Year-Olds?
Cholesterol Drugs Recommended for Some 8-Year-Olds
Pediatrics academy urges cholesterol drugs for some 8-year-olds to fight heart disease
By LINDSEY TANNER AP Medical Writer
CHICAGO July 7, 2008 (AP)
The Associated Press
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For the first time, an influential doctors group is recommending that some children as young as 8 be given cholesterol-fighting drugs to ward off future heart problems.
kids
For the first time ever, a doctors group is recommending that some children as young as 8 take cholesterol-lowering statin drugs.
(Getty/ABC News)
It is the strongest guidance ever given on the issue by the American Academy of Pediatrics, which released its new guidelines Monday. The academy also recommends low-fat milk for 1-year-olds and wider cholesterol testing.
Dr. Stephen Daniels, of the academy's nutrition committee, says the new advice is based on mounting evidence showing that damage leading to heart disease, the nation's leading killer, begins early in life.
It also stems from recent research showing that cholesterol-fighting drugs are generally safe for children, Daniels said.
Several of these drugs are approved for use in children and data show that increasing numbers are using them.
Related
Doctors: Public Not Ready for OTC Statins
Statin Users Shouldn't Fear the 'Big C'
Chinese Supplement May Cut Heart Risk
"If we are more aggressive about this in childhood, I think we can have an impact on what happens later in life ... and avoid some of these heart attacks and strokes in adulthood," Daniels said. He has worked as a consultant to Abbott Laboratories and Merck & Co., but not on matters involving their cholesterol drugs.
Drug treatment would generally be targeted for kids at least 8 years old who have too much LDL, the "bad" cholesterol, along with other risky conditions, including obesity and high blood pressure.
For overweight children with too little HDL, the "good" cholesterol, the first course of action should be weight loss, more physical activity and nutritional counseling, the academy says.
Pediatricians should routinely check the cholesterol of children with a family history of inherited cholesterol disease or with parents or grandparents who developed heart disease at an early age, the recommendations say. Screening also is advised for kids whose family history isn't known and those who are overweight, obese or have other heart disease risk factors.
Screening is recommended sometime after age 2 but no later than age 10, at routine checkups.
Cholesterol Drugs Recommended for Some 8-Year-Olds
Pediatrics academy urges cholesterol drugs for some 8-year-olds to fight heart disease
By LINDSEY TANNER AP Medical Writer
CHICAGO July 7, 2008 (AP)
The Associated Press
52 comments
FONT SIZE
SHARE
RSS
For the first time, an influential doctors group is recommending that some children as young as 8 be given cholesterol-fighting drugs to ward off future heart problems.
kids
For the first time ever, a doctors group is recommending that some children as young as 8 take cholesterol-lowering statin drugs.
(Getty/ABC News)
It is the strongest guidance ever given on the issue by the American Academy of Pediatrics, which released its new guidelines Monday. The academy also recommends low-fat milk for 1-year-olds and wider cholesterol testing.
Dr. Stephen Daniels, of the academy's nutrition committee, says the new advice is based on mounting evidence showing that damage leading to heart disease, the nation's leading killer, begins early in life.
It also stems from recent research showing that cholesterol-fighting drugs are generally safe for children, Daniels said.
Several of these drugs are approved for use in children and data show that increasing numbers are using them.
Related
Doctors: Public Not Ready for OTC Statins
Statin Users Shouldn't Fear the 'Big C'
Chinese Supplement May Cut Heart Risk
"If we are more aggressive about this in childhood, I think we can have an impact on what happens later in life ... and avoid some of these heart attacks and strokes in adulthood," Daniels said. He has worked as a consultant to Abbott Laboratories and Merck & Co., but not on matters involving their cholesterol drugs.
Drug treatment would generally be targeted for kids at least 8 years old who have too much LDL, the "bad" cholesterol, along with other risky conditions, including obesity and high blood pressure.
For overweight children with too little HDL, the "good" cholesterol, the first course of action should be weight loss, more physical activity and nutritional counseling, the academy says.
Pediatricians should routinely check the cholesterol of children with a family history of inherited cholesterol disease or with parents or grandparents who developed heart disease at an early age, the recommendations say. Screening also is advised for kids whose family history isn't known and those who are overweight, obese or have other heart disease risk factors.
Screening is recommended sometime after age 2 but no later than age 10, at routine checkups.
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