Cholesterol-Lowering Drug Causes Sleep Disorders

by Mia Khanna

A recent study performed by the scientists at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2007 indicatesparajumpers Long Bear that a cholesterol-lowering drug is believed to cause sleep disorders among some patients. The research also discussed how disrupted CD0-001sleep patterns are linked with poor quality of life and various health conditions such as weight gain and insulin resistance. The research, which was funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Woolrich Neue Boulder Parka Blood Institute of 000-M67 the National Institutes of Health compared kinds of cholesterol-lowering drugs – simvastatin and pravastatin.

The research indicates that simvastatin is soluble in fat, hence it can easily enter the cell membranes and reach outparajumpers Windbreaker Desert brain. As a result, the nerve Woolrich Luxury Boulder cells of brain are covered with a fatty layer, which causes poor sleep.  A large group of peopleparajumpers Masterpiece Long Parka taking simvastain reported poor quality NS0-156
sleep as compared to the group taking pravastain.

The research was conducted on 1,016 healthy men and women above 18, for six months. But at the same time NS0-163 scientists ruled out the possibility that everyone taking simvastatinparajumpers Right Hand will have disturbed sleep.

Suicide Molecule To Prevent Rheumatoid Arthritis

by Mia Khanna

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a form of arthritis, which causes inflammation, pain, and stiffness920-161 in joints. Though the disease can affect any joint of your body, the wrist and fingers Parajumpers Damen Jacken remain the worst hit. A recent study conducted by the researcher from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine reveals how the effect of rheumatoid arthritis can be 70-294 reversed by using an imitation of a suicide molecule, which is responsible for causing this disease.

The study, which was performed on mice, is considered safe and effective as it doesn’t carry any health risk. Harris Perlman -the lead author and associate professor of medicine at Feinberg further reports that the therapy proved successful in 75 percent of the mice, and thus has a tremendous potential for treating rheumatoid arthritis in human beings.

In normal circumstances, the healthy immune cells are supposed to die if they are attacked by a foreign bacteria or virus. But, in case of rheumatoid arthritis, the immune cells don’t die, but they start multiplying in the blood, joints, and bones. Till today, there has been no safe and effective way to stop this proliferation. The study discovered that immune cells in rheumatoid arthritis there is a shortage Parajumpers Herren Jacken of Bim molecules, which ensure that cells destruct themselves. This shortage can be rectified by developing an imitation molecule, called BH3 mimetic.

The research was funded by the National Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease.

The Dangers of Polypharmacy in the Elderly

by Jennifer Bunn, RN

A new Canadian study sheds light on a growing trend: the prescribing of multiple medications to seniors.

The study showed that almost 2/3 of Canadian senior citizens are taking more than 5 prescription medications; 1/5 of seniors were taking more than 10 medications, and 1/20 of seniors were taking more than 20 medications to treat conditions such as heart disease, arthritis, high blood pressure and Alzheimer’s disease.

Polypharmacy in adults, especially seniors, can be cause for concern due to the fact that there can be significant interactions between drugs. Seeing more than one physician or having prescriptions filled at more than one pharmacy adds to this risk, as doctors and pharmacists may be unaware of other drugs a patient may be taking.

Part of the reason for the study was to examine which drugs were being prescribed the most often and which drugs have fallen out of favor. This is important to policy makers, who will have to determine where funding should be concentrated. What the study revealed was hardly surprising:

  • Statins are the most commonly prescribed (almost 40% of seniors over age 65)
  • Ace-inhibitors used to treat blood pressure are the second most popular (27% of seniors)
  • Proton-pump inhibitors used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease are third in line (21% of seniors)

The fastest-growing drug classes are those that treat arthritis, COPD and Alzheimer’s.

Drugs that have fallen out of the popularity contest include Cox-2 inhibitors such as Vioxx (which was linked to heart disease) and HRT drugs, which were also linked to heart disease and breast cancer.

Polypharmacy is more common and is therefore a growing danger to seniors. Physicians, pharmacists and caregivers should be certain that medications are prescribed only as needed and reviewed regularly to ascertain whether they are still required.

Source: Study warns about seniors’ prescriptions

Selenium Protects Men Against Diabetes

by Mia Khanna

Selenium is an important nutrient, which protects body cells from the harmful effect of free radicals. It promotes normal functioning of your immune system and thyroidC2090-419 gland. Plants remain one of the best dietary sources of Selenium, but this mineral is also present in seafoods and some meats.

According to a research published in the journal Nutrition and Metabolism indicates that men having high plasma selenium concentrations face lesser risk of developing dysglycemia. Scientists haveMB2-876 been debating the role of selenium in diabetes for long. While some studies find it protective, others suggest that it elevates the risk of developing diabetes.

A recent study indicates the protective effect of selenium in men. The research team was led by Tasnime Akbaraly, from parajumpers Materpiece Owner the University of Montpellier. The team followed 1162 healthy French men and women for a period of nine years and succeeded in establishing a link between plasma selenium concentrations and occurrence of dysglycemia.

The study indicates that the French males with high plasma parajumpers New Denali selenium concentration face a lower risk of developing dysglycemia.

Doctors Support New Bill

by Jennifer Bunn, RN

The new health care legislation reform bill which will be put to a vote March 21, 2010 has gained the support of American doctors and the AMA- perhaps not their unqualified support, but support nevertheless.

Doctors have expressed concern that further debate will only make a bad situation worse, and although the new bill is not exactly as they wish it could be, it is better than the current state of affairs. They expressed their concern that delaying health reform longer will only mean that more patients will lose access to medical care. These patients are often forced to use the emergency room for their medical needs. Primary care is not within their grasp, and prevention is a concept they do not have the luxury of debating. These patients who lack insurance come to the hospital sicker and do not enjoy good health, often dying younger than their counterparts with insurance.

The AMA has taken exception to several proposals in the legislation, such as:

  • Medicare’s proposed 21.2% pay cut that could take place later this year (which may force some doctors to stop accepting Medicare patients in their practices)
  • No support for tort reform, such as placing a cap on damages awarded in malpractice cases
  • Regulations which could ban the ownership of hospitals by doctors (doctors argue that it shouldn’t matter who owns the hospital)

These are just a few of the concerns that the AMA is hoping will be addressed eventually, but for now everyone agrees that some sort of change is needed. The rest can be argued over at a later time (and undoubtedly will be).

Statin Comes With New Warning

by Jennifer Bunn, RN

The FDA is warning that Zocor, a statin used to lower cholesterol, may cause muscle damage when taken at higher doses. People of Asian descent may be more at risk if they take niacin in combination with Zocor. The generic name for Zocor is simvistatin.

All statins carry a certain risk of muscle damage, but this risk seems to be higher in people taking 80 mg of Zocor. In the Search study, 1% of people taking 80 mg of Zocor experienced muscle damage, as opposed to 0.02% of people taking lower doses of the drug. Rhabdomyolysis occurred in a very small number of patients taking Zocor at the higher dose. Rhabdomyolysis is the sometimes fatal destruction of muscle tissue, often resulting in kidney damage.

Symptoms of muscle damage may include:

  • Weakness
  • Muscle pain
  • Elevated creatinine kinase enzyme, as determined by blood sampling
  • Fatigue
  • Dark or red urine

All statins carry the risk of muscle damage, and patients taking these drugs should be aware of the above symptoms. Should these symptoms occur, notify your physician immediately.

PreLipid is an all-natural, twice-daily botanical formulation proven to lower cholesterol naturally.

Source: FDA Warns of Zocor Risk to Muscles

Are You Getting Enough Vitamin D?

by Jennifer Bunn, RN

Vitamin D is often referred to as the “sunshine vitamin”. It is also well known for increasing the absorption of calcium. Beyond these facts, most people are not aware of what important functions vitamin D plays in the body.

What does vitamin D do?

  • aids the body to use vitamin A and to absorb calcium and phosphorus
  • can be helpful in treating eye infections, such as conjunctivitis
  • can help in preventing colds, especially when taken with vitamins A and C
  • essential for maintaining normal levels of calcium and phosphorus in the body
  • helps build healthy bones and teeth
  • necessary for growth
  • aids in the ability of blood to clot
  • helps to regulate the heartbeat
  • helps to prevent osteoporosis

How do I get it?

There are two main ways to obtain vitamin D: diet and sunlight. Dietary forms of vitamin D are vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) and D2 (ergocalciferol). These two forms of vitamin D are inactive. Absorbed vitamin D must be transformed by the kidneys and liver to the active form of vitamin D. Foods that are high in vitamin D are cod liver oil, oily fish, milk, eggs and cereals.

Most of our vitamin D comes from ultraviolet irradiation (sunlight exposure) of the skin. Sunlight is absorbed through natural oils present on the skin, and is then absorbed into the body. Dietary intakes of vitamin D are only critical when there is little or no skin exposure to ultraviolet light or when the body’s requirements are particularly high, such as in young, growing children or during pregnancy.

Vitamin D has been implicated in the prevention of many disorders, including multiple sclerosis, premature birth, osteoporosis, heart disease, breast cancer and colorectal cancer.

Source: Vitamin D

Is Irritability a Natural Outcome of Menopause?

by Jennifer Bunn, RN

Many women report feeling irritated more easily and more often during perimenopause and menopause. In fact, it is so common that it has become the brunt of many jokes. However, feeling irritable all the time is not funny to the women experiencing this symptom and may often lead to its evil twin, depression.

There are differing schools of thought about what causes irritability in perimenopause and menopause. Hormone fluctuations are thought to play a large role in irritability, much the same as they do during the time before menstruation begins for some women (as in pre-menstrual syndrome). Others believe that concomitant changes in the body during menopause that result in unwanted symptoms (i.e. hot flashes, night sweats, and sleep disturbances) are to blame for a women’s moodiness.

There may be other reasons as well. Perimenopause marks a drastic change in a woman’s body and may lead to lower self-esteem and body issues. Perimenopause may be seen as synonymous with aging. Women who have not accomplished all that they have hoped for may feel as if time is running out, and women who had hoped to have children (or more children) may be faced with the likelihood that they may not accomplish their goal. All of these factors, combined with physical changes, may lead to irritation and feelings of depression for some women.

Women who experience these symptoms should know that they are not alone. Although some women sail through perimenopause and menopause with nary a scrape, others experience all the symptoms in the book (and some that they didn’t know about). The most important thing to remember about menopause is that it doesn’t last forever, and negative feelings will eventually fade away. If feelings of irritability or depression linger and affect a woman’s life negatively, help should be sought.

PreMenora is a twice-daily all natural botanical formulation designed to ease the symptoms of perimenopause.

Juvenile Arthritis: When it Hurts to be a Kid

by Jennifer Bunn, RN

Juvenile arthritis can be defined as a form of arthritis that affects children. Juvenile arthritis is not an uncommon disease of childhood; in fact, almost 290,000 children are affected by juvenile arthritis or other rhematologic conditions.

Symptoms of juvenile arthritis are similar to those experienced by adults:

  • Pain in one or more joints
  • Swelling
  • Redness
  • Limited movement in a joint
  • Damage to a joint or bone, resulting in deformity
  • Diminished growth of a joint or bone, resulting in a  shortened stature
  • Eye inflammation (uveitis)
  • Fever
  • Rash

As in adults, the cause of JA is often unknown. Blood tests are often helpful in making the diagnosis. Children with JA should be seen by a specialist in rheumatology, especially due to the fact that their growth can be disrupted. Managing pain and preventing deformity, as well as maximizing functional capacity, are the goals of treatment. Different medications can be used to suppress symptoms but may also have important side effects, such as stunting of growth, which is why medical management by a specialist is recommended.

Source: Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis

Magnesium- The Forgotten Mineral

by Jennifer Bunn, RN

Many people are aware of magnesium and realize that it should be included in a healthy diet, but few can identify what role magnesium plays in the body or what foods are good sources of this mineral.

Why is magnesium important?

Almost half of the body’s total magnesium comes from bone, while the other half is found mostly in the cells of various tissues and organs. Only 1% of magnesium is found in the bloodstream. The body tries to maintain the serum level of magnesium within a narrow range. Magnesium:

  • can help prevent colon cancer, especially in men
  • regulates cell growth and division
  • monitors and repairs DNA
  • is important in normal muscle and nerve function
  • supports a healthy immune system
  • assists in maintenance of normal blood pressure
  • assists in maintaining a steady rhythm of the heart
  • helps to regulate blood sugar
  • is involved in protein synthesis

Foods that are good sources of magnesium include:

  • legumes
  • seeds
  • nuts
  • unrefined grains
  • halibut
  • peanut butter
  • yogurt

Magnesium can help prevent colon cancer, arrhythmia, hypertension and diabetes, and can also help prevent postmenopausal osteoporosis. The RDA (recommended daily allowance) is 310 to 420 mg/day. Remember magnesium during March, which is colorectal cancer awareness month. Magnesium can help to prevent this disease, as well as many others.

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