Stop PIP reassessments for patients with progressive diseases, campaigners say

MPs and patient groups have called for an end to the repeated assessments that people with progressive diseases must undergo in order to qualify for disability benefits.

Thousands of people with rheumatoid arthritis, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, motor neurone disease and other conditions will be retested this year to decide whether they are still eligible for personal independence payments (PIP) because of their disabilities.

But MPs and patient charities argue that repeated testing makes little sense for people with incurable diseases that are known to get progressively worse. According to the most recent figures from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), 3,500 people with progressive conditions were reassessed for PIP between April and October last year.

Carol Monaghan, the MP for Glasgow North West, said she was challenging four cases where patients with multiple sclerosis had been called in for reassessment despite their illness getting worse. “MS is a progressive condition. They’re never going to be any better than they are at the moment, so they should never be asked to go for a reassessment,” she said.

“Some of these people are still able to walk to a certain extent, so they get themselves in, just about, and then they’re being told, ‘You look fine,’” she added.

The number of people called in for reassessments was obtained by Madeleine Moon, the MP for Bridgend, in a written parliamentary question. The DWP figures reveal that the number of people reassessed for PIP rose sharply from 200 in 2014–15 to 2,400 in 2015–16.

The DWP say the reviews ensure that patients receive benefits in line with their disabilities. “PIP is an interactive benefit, designed to ensure any changes in a claimant’s functional ability can be identified and that they receive the right support at the right time,” a spokesperson said. More than a quarter of claimants are receiving the highest level of support, he added.

But Phil Reynolds at Parkinson’s UK said around a quarter of people living with Parkinson’s in Britain had lost some or all of their support following benefit reassessments, only to have the payments reinstated on appeal. “It’s absolutely crucial that the DWP looks again at the broken PIP assessment to ensure people with long-term conditions get the support they so desperately need, rather than rigging the system against them,” he said.

Nearly half of people with multiple sclerosis who claim PIP must be reassessed within two years, according to MS Society. “We’re concerned about the number of people with MS being inappropriately reassessed, especially when we know assessments can cause stress and anxiety, and in some cases exacerbate MS symptoms,” said Laura Wetherly from MS Society.

“With more than 100,000 people living with MS in the UK, the PIP system needs to accurately reflect the realities of living with a fluctuating and progressive condition. Having a disability like MS is hard enough. People should be able to rely on support without fear of having it taken away,” she added.

Stop PIP reassessments for patients with progressive diseases, campaigners say

Soon we"ll be able to spot diseases like cancer before we even feel sick

The sooner a disease is diagnosed, the more likely it is to be well managed or cured. The challenge to finding a disease early is that most of us don’t seek treatment until we have symptoms, which means the disease has already progressed.

But breakthroughs in nanobiotechnology techniques mean that in five years we will be able to examine and filter bodily fluids for tiny bioparticles that reveal signs of disease like cancer before we have any symptoms, letting us know immediately if we should consult a doctor.

Information about the state of our health can be extracted from tiny bioparticles in bodily fluids such as saliva, tears, blood, urine and sweat called exosomes. These particles were first discovered in the 1980s as vesicles secreted by immature red blood cells, but later they were found to be secreted in all cell types. Scientists discovered that exosomes carry information from the cell they originated from, including proteins, RNA (ribonucleic acid) and DNA. Because the state of the originating cell can be inferred from these exosomes, they have been considered as potential biomarkers of disease for more than a decade. Besides cancer, exosomes are being considered as insightful for central nervous system diseases (Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis and stroke), renal fibrosis and cardiovascular disease.

At the moment it’s difficult to capture and analyse these bioparticles as they are thousands of times smaller than the diameter of a strand of human hair. But at IBM Research we are developing lab-on-a-chip nanotechnology that can separate and isolate bioparticles down to 20 nanometres in diameter, a scale that gives access to DNA, viruses and exosomes. These particles could be analysed to potentially reveal signs of disease even before we have symptoms.

This technique is known as liquid biopsy, designed to be more accessible, comfortable and convenient than the traditional tissue biopsy or cancer screening techniques many of us are familiar with. The goal is to shrink down to a single silicon chip all of the processes necessary to analyse a disease that would normally be carried out in a full-scale biochemistry lab.

In the future, the lab-on-a-chip technology could be packaged in a convenient handheld device to allow people to measure the presence of biomarkers found in small amounts of bodily fluids, streaming this information into the cloud from the convenience of their home. There it could be combined with health data from other IoT-enabled devices, like sleep monitors and smartwatches, and analysed by artificial intelligence systems for insights. When taken together, this dataset will give us an in-depth view of our health and alert us to the first signs of trouble, helping to stop disease before it progresses.

Treating a disease like cancer is expensive. According to Cancer Research UK, there was a 10% annual increase in cancer drugs prices from 1995-2013. Photograph: KatarzynaBialasiewicz/Getty Images/iStockphoto

The next five years will see significant advances in the application and development of this technology. Practically speaking, it’s difficult to say confidently that it will be in widespread use in our homes by 2022, but based on current developments and advances in research, this innovation will likely be used by physicians in some capacity by that time.

The vision for this technology is that it could be used anywhere in the world, from remote rural locations to developed urban areas. To reach the people who need it most, the technology must be affordable. Putting these capabilities on a regular silicon chip means they can be manufactured inexpensively. The challenge will be to do so at a scale that can reach people worldwide while also educating users and physicians on its benefits.

As we all know, treating a disease like cancer is expensive, and rising. According to Cancer Research UK, there was a 10% annual increase in cancer drugs prices from 1995-2013 and many new immunotherapies have price tags of over £100,000 per patient per year. When your doctor can diagnose cancer in its early stages, your odds of financial hardship – and death – decrease significantly. By making it nearly as easy to detect early stage cancer as taking a home pregnancy test, you could argue that we will change the economics of cancer. If all goes well, we may greatly diminish the physical and emotional toll of this terrible disease for future generations.

Gustavo Stolovitzky is program director of Translational Systems Biology and Nanobiotechnology at IBM Research

Soon we"ll be able to spot diseases like cancer before we even feel sick

Inflammation Related Diseases

Some say that inflammation is “the real cause of all disease.” (1)

Others are annoyed by the generalization, and would much rather be “tagged” with a diagnosis. Those same people also get hopeful when watching the commercials where the arthritis sufferer can run up a hill now after taking inflammation suppressing drugs.

“Every day on TV you can see professional athletes and others acting as spokespeople for Methotrexate, Orencia, Enbrel, Humira, Remicade, and other drugs which largely are designed to mask inflammation or suppress the immune response. None of these drugs actually have the capacity to correct the underlying condition and yet the imagery the ads leave the viewer with is that you will have your life back.” (2)

Can all inflammatory related disease be treated as one?

I feel that all inflammatory diseases can be treated precisely the same in terms of the approach to healing. And I think a lot of that has to do with nutrition. I’m not suggesting that every food will have the same benefit or drawback for every individual, but I can comfortably put a “nutrition blanket” over inflammation as one of the main avenues of healing.

But that certainly isn’t conventional thinking.

A friend of mine’s doctor (Rheumatologist) attempted to prescribe him a drug based purely on symptoms, not as the result of any bloodwork. He asked why she didn’t suggest lifestyle changes as the first line of defense, and her response: Lifestyle changes DO NOT have a direct impact on this disease.

So he left and chose a different path.

Not certain what “disease” he actually has, he is convinced that it is inflammation related, and has decided to look at it from that standpoint.

In his research, though, he did uncover a lot of the potential names to describe what he might have… but still feels that the approach to healing (for himself at least) is the same regardless.

Let’s take a look now at some of the inflammation-related diseases.

List of inflammatory diseases:

• Alzheimer’s – Chronic inflammation can destroy brain cells


• Asthma – Inflammatory cytokines may induce autoimmune reactions against airway lining


• Perhaps controversially…. Autism – Inflammatory cytokines may induce autoimmune reactions in the brain arresting right hemisphere development


• Arthritis – Inflammatory cytokines may destroy joint cartilage and synovial fluid


• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome – Chronic inflammation causes excessive muscle tension shortening tendons in the forearm and wrist compressing the nerves


• Celiac – Chronic immune-mediated inflammation damages intestinal lining


• Eczema – Chronic inflammation of the gut and liver with poor detoxification and often antibodies against Transglutaminase-3


• Fibromyalgia – Inflamed connective tissue often food allergy related and exacerbated by secondary nutritional and neurological imbalances


• Lupus – Inflammatory cytokines induce an autoimmune attack against connective tissue


• Multiple Sclerosis – Inflammatory cytokines induce autoimmune reactions against myelin


• … and lots more.

(2)

So, perhaps it’s time to consider inflammation, regardless of what’s going on?

Maybe it should be on the forefront of our minds for every single morsel of food that we consume, and serve (to our children especially!!)

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By: Raw Michelle

Raw Michelle is a natural health blogger and researcher, sharing her passions with others, using the Internet as her medium. She discusses topics in a straightforward way in hopes to help people from all walks of life achieve optimal health and well-being. She has authored and published hundreds of articles on topics such as the raw food diet and green living in general.

She recommends this book that explains inflammation very well, and educates the reader on how to reduce inflammation in the body, signs of inflammation, and the various types of inflammation. It’s also available in digital form that will work on any modern mobile or desktop device. The cost is $ 12.99 Canadian ($ 11.42 USD), and you can be reading it within minutes from now.

While it is a collaboration of knowledge from many experts in their respective fields, it is written by a nutritionist that is now on the other side of this common issue. Naturally, she addresses treatment from a nutritional standpoint, and shares recipes and diet tips. She does consider the emotional side of the equation, among other reasons behind inflammation, as well as different approaches for treatment. The link above is an Amazon affiliate link that generates a commission, on any purchases made.

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Sources for this article include:
(1) [BodyEcology] Inflammation: The Real Cause of All Disease and How to Reduce and Prevent It
(2) [Mercola] How Inflammation Affects Every Aspect of Your Health, by Dr. David M. Marquis, DC, DACBN

Inflammation Related Diseases

A Miracle Immune System Booster: Make This Juice to Combat Diabetes, Infections, Heart Diseases and Even Cancer!

The immune system plays a significant role in keeping you healthy and in fighting against illnesses and infections. As people today have to deal with many virus and toxins from the environment, all of us realize the importance of a healthy immune system, which protects and improves both physical and emotional health.

There are some lifestyle habits you should adopt to protect your immune system, the first line of defense for diseases.

1. Sleep enough for maintaining balanced hormones;


2. Limit the alcohol intake, as well as cigarette;


3. Include proper nutrition into your diet, and lower the amount of fats and sugar;


4. Exercise regularly;


5. Drink enough water.

A healthy diet is vital to boost a healthy immune system. Here is a natural homemade drink you can make with some common ingredients in your kitchen to stimulate your immune system in a great way.

An Amazing Juice to Make Your Immune System Work Properly

Ingredients:

• 1 kg fresh beets


• 1/2 kg carrots


• 1 medium lemon


• 1 kg raw honey


• 2-3 apples


• 2-3 oranges

Directions:

Wash the beets, carrots, and apples, cut them into small pieces.

Juice the oranges and squeeze the juice from the lemon.

Mix all ingredients in a blender and blend them to get a homogeneous drink.

Put the drink in a glass bottle and save in fridge.

How to use:

Drink 1 glass of this juice before breakfast every morning.

It’s especially good for people with a weaker immune system. You will feel more energetic after 10 days of keeping drinking it.

The main ingredients are beets and carrots of this drink, both of which are great foods that are loaded with nutrients.

Eat beets to own a healthy immune system to fight against chronic diseases.

Beets are rich in betalains, an antioxidant that has anti-inflammatory properties to help battle inflammation-related chronic health problems, including obesity and even cancer. This sweet vegetable also benefits to you in other ways:

Carrot – The health benefits of this super power food are countless

Carrot provides great amounts of vitamins and a host of other essential nutrients for a healthy immune system, it’s such a miracle plant that slows down aging, improves vision (Natural Foods &Home Remedies in Protecting and Improving Your Eyes), prevents cancer and other diseases.

It also assists the liver function to flush out the toxins out of the body, clean organs give you a healthy immune system to protect you from the illnesses. And carrot has been found to be able to reduce the risk of stroke, a study from Harvard University showed those who consumed 5 or more carrots every week had fewer chances to suffer from a stroke than people who consumed fewer carrots.

Make this juice and drink it when you feel a lack of energy. Natural solutions are always top-picks, a healthy and happy immune system to all!

Additional sources: healthguidance.org, care2.com

Related Reading:

9 Herbal Approaches to Cleanse Your Lungs and Respiratory System

10 Foods That Will Lower Your Cholesterol

5 Healthy Foods to Eat For Treating Chronic Health Issues

A Miracle Immune System Booster: Make This Juice to Combat Diabetes, Infections, Heart Diseases and Even Cancer!

Is Zika Virus Linked to Brain Diseases?

Zika virus isn’t showing signs of slowing down, and although it’s widespread, little is known about all its effects on human organism. At first; it was assumed that microcephaly was the most severe consequence of Zika, but new studies keep emerging, and they show that the virus has a multitude of implications. For example, there’s solid evidence that zika is also linked to some brain diseases. In order to find out more about this subject and consequences associated with the virus, keep reading this article.

Zika overview

Zika virus has been detected for the first time in 1947 in Africa. It is transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes which also carry yellow fever, chikungunya fever, and dengue fever. The cure hasn’t been found yet. The virus is not easy to diagnose. According to a report in the Clinical Microbiology Reviews symptoms of this disease can be very similar to other conditions so doctors may have trouble finding out the real cause. Zika affects our brain functions, and a lot of scientists believe that it might be connected to multiple brain disorders.

The main problem is that people can’t differentiate these mosquitoes from regular mosquitoes or they don’t protect themselves from mosquitos adequately. In zika-affected areas, people can catch the virus and spread it to someone else. The virus can also be spread through sex from an infected partner to another. Another shocking fact is that virus can also be transmitted from pregnant woman to her fetus. Zika virus has a great potential to spread in the major cities and highly populated areas, so we have to take the disease seriously.

Zika virus and brain disorders

The implications of Zika are far more serious than previously thought. A study published in the journal Cell Stem Cell found that zika affects adults as well. Researchers at the Rockefeller University carried out a study on mice and discovered that certain adult brain cells might be vulnerable to the virus. Among these cells are also the ones that serve to replace damaged or lost neurons throughout adulthood.

These particular cells play a significant role in learning and memory. The study is important because it is the very first research which showed that Zika has harmful consequences on adults and their brains too and effects of Zika aren’t only limited to pregnant women and their babies.

Furthermore, research that appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine revealed that Zika virus causes deadly paralysis known as Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). This rare disorder affects our brain, and it makes our body attack our nervous system. The real cause of this unusual disease is not yet determined, but scientists believe that it might be connected to Zika virus. Symptoms are similar, and they include weakness in arms and legs, pain in the whole body, heart rate increase, breathing difficulties and much more.

Scientists discovered that during the outbreak in French Polynesia, 42 patients with Zika had this syndrome which is a significant increase if we take into consideration that only five cases of GBS were detected annually during the previous four years.

The story of zika and its impact on the body, particularly brain, doesn’t stop there. Scientists in Brazil have discovered a new brain disorder associated with Zika infection in adults. It is acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM), an autoimmune syndrome that attacks the brain and spinal cord. The research, presented at the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting in Vancouver, showed that 151 adults visited the hospital between December 2014 and June 2015 and were infected by arboviruses, the family of viruses that includes Zika. Six patients developed autoimmune disorders; four had GBS while two had ADEM. Scientists discovered that in both ADEM cases brain scans displayed damage to the white matter. This brain disorder is, in fact, brain swelling which lasts up to six months.

Brain nutrition

Our brain, like the rest of our body, needs quality food and nutrients to function properly; which is why it’s highly recommended to consume nutrient-dense diet. Foods that are rich in fatty acids are the best brain foods, like fish and nuts and they can be highly beneficial for our cognitive functions. A growing body of evidence showed that omega 3-fatty acids could improve our brain power and increase our brain abilities.

Folic acid can also be beneficial for our brain. Our liver produces folic acid after consumption of vitamin B. This is why we need to consume foods that offer us a lot of vitamin B like beef, salmon, chicken and many others that are considered to be best brain foods. Vitamin B12 is especially important since it protects our brain from diseases and different brain conditions.

Conclusion

Zika virus is something we still have to deal with. Scientists and researchers are still trying to find a connection between this virus and other brain disorders, but it is perfectly clear that zika is dangerous not only for pregnant women and babies but for other adults as well. It’s recommended to avoid traveling to locations known for zika outbreaks or take necessary measures to protect yourself from mosquitos. Remember, Aedes mosquitos are active throughout the day and night.

Is Zika Virus Linked to Brain Diseases?

Longer Telomeres May Help Deter Diseases And Increase Life Expectancy

Scientists and many alternative health advocates and practitioners have long been interested in factors influencing telomere length in the body, and how it affects health and life expectancy.

What are telomeres? 

Telomeres are caps that protect our chromosomes, consists of short segments of DNA at the  end of each strand of DNA. They affect gene expression and how our cells age.

Made of proteins, they have a vital role in keeping the end of the chromosome in stable condition and act as a buffer for wear and tear.

Each time cells divide, telomeres get shorter.  When their length becomes too short, the protection effects on chromosomes ceases, causing cells to malfunction and the body to age.

Short telomeres are implicated in the development of a broad range of age-related diseases, including many forms of cancer, obesity, stroke, osteoporosis, vascular dementia, diabetes type 2, and heart disease.

Telomeres are not only shortened by chronological aging, but also by obesity, stress, smoking, sedentary life, and poor diet. Telomere length is arguably the best marker of biological aging to date.

The followings are lifestyle changes proven to positively affect telomere length.

Lifestyle

A small pilot study carried by scientists of the University of California at San Francisco found that subjects of intervention group who adhered to a program of comprehensive lifestyle changes, which include diet, activity, stress management, and social support experienced a significant increase in relative telomere length.

The more they adhered to the recommended lifestyle program, the longer their telomeres had become. On the other hand, subjects in the controlled group who not asked to change their lifestyle experienced shorter telomeres by 3 percents over the course of 5 years.

The diet used in the study consisted of whole foods, plant- based proteins, fruits, vegetables, and low in refined carbohydrates and fat. Some plant-based diet advocates highlight this research as proof that the diet is the healthiest due to its overall ‘alkaline based’ and high in antioxidants.

Perhaps they are not aware that other studies such involving Mediterranean diet, which consists of meat, rich in vegetables and olive oil was also found to increase telomere length as well!

Stress 

A 2004 study found that telomeres of women exposed to the greatest stress by caring for chronically ill children were 10 years shorter compare to that of women experienced low stress. A recent study suggested that job-related stress is associated with the acceleration of the rate of  biological aging, which is determined as decreased length of telomeres.

A 2011 study demonstrated that women working part-time or were retired had longer telomeres. The result of the study suggests that telomeres may be able to recover from chronic stress.

Relaxation techniques have been shown to help. In a recent study of people who were highly stressed from caring for a loved one with dementia, calming yoga and meditation boosted telomerase activity by 43%

Exercise

A less strenuous exercise and short-lived, also known as acute exercise found to upregulate telomere-associated genes, which is responsible for telomere maintenance, and regulates several types of microRNA expression. Both are believed as an important mechanistic link between physical activity, telomeres, and improved health.

Antioxidants

A study showed a positive association between dietary antioxidants and longer telomeres.

Vegetable consumption

Vegetables are known to contain various types of antioxidants, including carotenoids, bioflavonoids, and phytosterols, all of which known to have many beneficial physiological effects. A study demonstrated that vegetable intake is associated with longer telomeres and reduced risk of hypertension.

Fats Intake

A study found small to medium chain saturated fatty acids (SMFAs), except lauric acid, to shorten telomere length. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats had no effect.

Shorter telomere length in participants taking SMFAs might due to their high alcohol consumption. In the result section of the article, authors stated ‘Participants with shorter TL tended to be white, older, and consumed more alcohol.’

In the body, ethanol from alcohol is converted to ethanal (acetyldehyde) in the body. Therefore, authors’ assumption of increased oxidative stress and inflammation could be one of the underlying causes linking SFA intake to TL is questionable. Saturated fat is inert, whereas ethanal is very reactive. So, it is ethanal that should be pointed out as the culprit!

Longer Telomeres May Help Deter Diseases And Increase Life Expectancy

Sesame And Honey – Miracle Pair That Can Treats More Than 10 Specific Diseases!

Sesame seeds have been cultivated for more than 5000 years. The ancient region of Mesopotamia was the first place where it was widely cultivated and then it spread to the rest of the world.

The mixture of sesame and honey is an excellent source of iron, manganese, magnesium, potassium, calcium, sodium and phosphate, omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. When it comes to vitamins, sesame contains those of the group E, A and B.

Why Honey & Sesame Seeds Are Healthy

-Consumed these two ingredients together relieve pain in the abdomen and most effective cure for menses pain. Sesame also contains iron which promotes a better period.

-Honey and sesame seeds have equal percentage of calcium which promotes bone health. Regular consumption of this food aids in protecting your bones as you age.

-Sesame seeds help in lower cholesterol in the body. These seeds can be strewn on salads and desserts or can be consumed raw.

-Honey-sesame combination also strengthens the bone marrow, stimulates mental activity, increases physical endurance, affect the beauty and shine of hair and skin.

Other Benefits of These Two Ingredients

-Diabetes
-Ulcers and acid reflux
-Allergies
-Osteoporosis
-Anxiety and depression
-Obesity
-Weakened immune system
-High cholesterol and hypertension

Pasteli-Greek Honey Sesame Bars Recipe

Pasteli was probably the first energy bar ever made and it was made with honey and sesame seeds. Many recipes incorporate the benefits of both sesame seeds and raw honey. Here is one that is easy and delicious.

Ingredients:

1 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup pistachios (optional), cut in halves
1/2 cup honey
1 inch lemon peel
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions:

-Add sesame seeds to pan and cook over low to medium heat until lightly golden brown.
-Once done, remove from heat, and empty seeds onto plate to stop them from getting too dark, set aside.
-Add honey, lemon peel and lemon juice to a pot.
-Heat over medium heat until simmering, stir continuously for 5 minutes.
-Turn of heat and immediately add sesame seeds and pistachios to honey and mix well.
-Empty onto a baking pan lined with parchment paper.
-Flatten with back of spatula brushed with olive oil to avoid sticking.
-Place in refrigerator and allow to cool for about 20 minutes.
-Cut into bars and enjoy- this recipe should make about 12 servings.

Sources:

–http://www.healthyfoodstar.com

–http://www.lemonandolives.com

–http://www.greenmedinfo.com

–http://familylifegoals.com

Also Read:

Sesame And Honey – Miracle Pair That Can Treats More Than 10 Specific Diseases!

Underweight People at Elevated Risk of Heart Diseases

Overview

Most people assume that heart diseases and blood vessel disease only threaten the overweight and obese people. However, the cardiovascular disease or a heart disease is influenced by a lot of factors other than excessive weight. A person is classified as underweight of his or her BMI value is less than 18.5. Lack of body weight could be caused due to malnutrition, genetics or infection.

Always remember that overweight and obesity are not the only conditions which causes the cardiovascular disease. Instead it is usually caused by an unhealthy lifestyle characterized by smoking, a high intake of fat and salt that give rise to the high blood pressure, a lack of physical activity and fat depositis around the veins and the heart.

Skinny people at risk

As per most recent studies, underweight people also suffer with heart diseases and they are at greater risk than those with a normal BMI. As per a study in Bali, underweight people are 3.6 times more likely to experience the heart diseases as compared to those people who have normal weight. If the coronary artery is affected, the underweight individuals are at higher risk of an early death than those who are either of the normal weight, overweight or obese.

The research fro 2013 shows that women with heart diseases or the coronary artery disease are twice as likely to die early as their healthy counterparts. It also shows that the risk of death related to the heart disease or the coronary artery for overweight individuals who are not in the process to gain weight drops by 64 percent. Meanwhile, underweight people who are still loosing weight are at greater risk of death due to heart disease or the coronary artery diseases.

Causes of cardiovascular disease in underweight people

The following are the major causes of cardiovascular disease or a heart disease in underweight people:

Low level of hemoglobin serum

One of the conditions which cause the heart disease or the cardiovascular disease or a heart disease is the lack of haemoglobin (Hb) serum. This condition is higher in people who are underweight. In the 2015 research in Ethiopia, the Hb level can significantly affect the heart failure and that a normal level of Hb serum will reduce the risk of heart failure by 23 percent.

Abdominal fat

A condition also known as the central obesity is not uncommon in individuals with low body weight. When compared to the evenly distributed fat, people having fat around the abdomen are at greater risk of a cardiovascular disease or a heart disease than those with regular obesity.

Low body fat with unhealthy eating habit

It is easier to have a low body fat and have unhealthy eating habits as well. The underweight people tend to not worry about consuming the fast foods and fail to strike a balance. Although this may not immediately be seen in their body, but they still have an elevated blood sugar level.

Lack of physical activity

There is a huge tendency for no physical activity in people who are underweight. Physical activity is one of the ways to reduce the risk of heart diseases or the cardiovascular diseases. A lack of physical activity among the underweight people can cause fat deposition in their blood which will eventually lead to the heart diseases or the cardiovascular diseases.

Congenital heart disease

A congenital heart disease is often indicated by a low heart functioning due to the disorder of the valve’s wall and or heart’s arteries. As per the research, people with congenital heart diseases and those having lower body weight are 12 times more likely to be at a higher risk for a cardiovascular disease or a heart disease.

Final Verdict

The body weight is not the only cause for the cardiovascular diseases or a heart disease. There are several other factors such as diet, physical activities and your overall body health which needs to be considered for maintaining a healthy heart and blood vessels, regardless of your body weight- whether you are underweight, normal weight or overweight. It is therefore necessary to talk with your doctor about the better lifestyle choices for keeping the heart diseases at bay.

 Source:

http://lerablog.org/ealth/4-risk-factors-of-heart-diseases-in-women/

Women are more prone to heart diseases

Underweight People at Elevated Risk of Heart Diseases

Cure all diseases? The Chan Zuckerberg plan is brilliantly bold | Ian Sample

There is ambition and there is Silicon Valley ambition. For where else on a map could a pin be placed when asked to guess where billionaire philanthropists had declared their intention to cure, prevent or manage all human disease before the end of the century?

It was clear from the start that the announcement from Priscilla Chan and her husband, Mark Zuckerberg, nudged at the boundaries of belief. Writing in praise in the US journal, Science, David Baltimore, a Nobel laureate at California Institute of Technology concedes the goal “may raise eyebrows”. Even Cori Bargmann, the renowned neurobiologist who will lead the charge, is aware how it might be perceived. It is “ambitious”, she says, “but not completely ridiculous”.

It is tempting to dismiss the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative as hubris. But the best part of a century is a long time in medicine. Most babies born in 1900 did not live to see the age of 50. Medicine has not been the only reason for the dramatic rise in life expectancy since, but it was a crucial factor. “By 2100 we’ll be shocked by how much we’ve achieved, and we’ll be more shocked with initiatives like this,” says Jim Smith, chief of strategy at the UK’s Medical Research Council.

If not hubris, then what about one-upmanship? Bill Gates wants to eradicate malaria in a generation. Elon Musk wants a Mars colony in a decade. Yuri Milner has set his sights on sending a spacecraft to a star at one-fifth the speed of light. How better to leave your mark higher on the wall than to make every human disease obsolete within your child’s lifetime? Or at least find a way to manage awful conditions, so they no longer mar people’s lives?

But audacious goals are precisely what are needed. “We have to be bold about the scale of the challenge we face in improving human health,” says Steve Craddick, professor of chemical biology at University College London and director of innovation at the Wellcome Trust, the world’s largest biomedical research charity. “What is truly important about this kind of approach is that it creates the hope you need to go from exploratory science to making the world a better place.” He goes on: “Aspiration is essential. This idea that if we put our minds to it, almost anything is possible – that is what can sustain people through the peaks and troughs of decades of research.”

Chan and Zuckerberg will stump up at least $ 3bn (£2.3bn) for the effort over the next 10 years. That is not a vast sum for the task ahead. The new Francis Crick Institute in London, now filling with 1,400 scientists, could be built and run for 10 years on that. The Wellcome Trust itself will spend £5bn on biomedical research in the next five years alone. But part of Chan and Zuckerberg’s hope is to grow a movement to fund science: where they have led, they want other wealthy individuals to follow. An audacious, long-term goal backed by world-class scientists is the way to make that happen.

As Chan and Zuckerberg state, four types of diseases cause most of the deaths in the world: heart disease, cancer, neurological diseases and infectious diseases. The research kicked off by the initiative will focus on the basic science underlying them. The rationale is sound: it takes fundamental breakthroughs to make a real difference in medicine.

The first step is a $ 600m “Biohub” that will draw scientists and engineers from the Bay Area’s leading institutions: Stanford, the University of California, San Francisco and the University of California, Berkeley. The hub has two major projects lined up already. The Human Cell Atlas will map out the internal workings of every cell type in the body, a mammoth task that is bound to open up new avenues in medicine. The Infectious Disease Initiative aims to bring fresh thinking to drug design, diagnostic tests and vaccines. According to Tom Solomon, a neurologist and director of the Institute of Infection and Global Health at Liverpool University, such radical new approaches could be as important as the money itself.

And yet in Silicon Valley, it seems the only solutions are hi-tech solutions. This is one area where Chan and Zuckerberg may fall short in their aim to leave the world a better place for children. Only 10% of health research funds are spent in developing countries, where 90% of preventable deaths occur. The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative will apparently direct three-quarters of its efforts towards heart disease, cancer and neurological disease, the chronic conditions of the west. That may leave too little emphasis on infectious diseases.

A recent report from the World Health Organisation made clear that unless developing countries have the means to gather and study their own medical data, public health is unlikely to improve. It is the old adage about teaching a man to fish. Childbirth still kills hundreds of thousands of mothers and babies in low-income countries. To prevent those deaths does not require a scientific breakthrough. It takes know-how and facilities.

“It is not as sexy as saying you are going to develop a drug or a vaccine, but what is needed is research capacity development,” says Trudie Lang, director of the global health network at Oxford University. “Nurses, midwives and community health workers need to be trained and supported. It’s hard to get funding for it, because you can’t show how many lives you have saved, but it is absolutely vital,” she says. “It’s a slow win, but it’s what they should be doing.”

Cure all diseases? The Chan Zuckerberg plan is brilliantly bold | Ian Sample

River pollution puts 323m at risk from life-threatening diseases, says UN

A week before Russia’s Daldykan river was turned red by a leak from a metals plant, the UN issued a warning as chilling as it was overlooked: 323 million people are at risk from life-threatening diseases caused by the pollution of rivers and lakes.

Cholera, typhoid and other deadly pathogens are increasing in more than half of the rivers in Africa, Asia and Latin America, according to a UN environment programme (Unep) report. Salinity levels have also risen in nearly a third of waterways.

Asia has been worst hit, with up to 50% of all rivers now affected by severe pathogen pollution caused by a cocktail of untreated waste water disposal, agricultural pesticides run-off and industrial pollution.

In a telling footnote to the Russian Norilsk disaster, Nasa released satellite images on 15 September showing that far from being a one-off, the Daldykan river had turned red on multiple occasions in the past 20 years.

The Daldykan river in Krasnoyarsk region, Russia. Photograph: Yelizaveta Udilova/Courtesy of Greenpeace Russia/Reuters

“There is often no incentive for companies and players high up in a river basin not to pollute,” says Paul Reig, an associate for the World Resources Institute. “The impacts are often not noticed until they are carried to water users downstream, especially when there are no regulatory requirements and no implementation or monitoring of water quality downstream to track it back.”

Global water demand from the manufacturing industry is projected to increase 400% by 2050, adding to pressure on river networks.

Reig argues that increased regulatory action is vital to tackle the 80% of waste water worldwide that is returned to rivers untreated. Incentives to recycle waste water are also needed to stimulate market demand for clean water technologies, he says.

But farming and raw sewage discharges also share responsibility for the 2m tonnes of untreated waste water that gushes into the world’s water supplies daily.

While industry, particularly in the developed world, is constrained by laws such as the EU’s water framework waste directive, pesticides and fertilisers can easily slide into water bodies unnoticed.

“The regulation of pollutants in agriculture is much less stringent, compared to industry and municipal waste water,” says Dietrich Borchardt, the lead author of the latest Unep report.

Borchardt points to the clean up of the river Rhine, which was one of the most heavily polluted rivers in the world, as well as effective waste water strategies by companies such as BASF and Bayer as examples of what can be done.

Regulation is pushing businesses across sectors to reduce their water footprint and environmental impact. The Japanese car company Toyota produces cars in China to a higher environmental standard than at home, he argues. And “no mining company is killing thousands of people in accidents. They would lose their licence and existence if they did. It is in their very basic interest not to,” Borchardt says.

There is also a strong public interest involved. An estimated 3.4 million people die each year from diseases associated with water-borne pathogens, nearly half of them children under five.

In the scheme of things, that awful statistic belies another: around 1.2 billion of the world’s people face water scarcity.

With water sources dwindling – Unesco predicts a 40% shortfall in supplies by 2030 – the global population spiralling towards 9 billion and water demand projected to increase exponentially, water management is becoming a vital issue for the 21st century.

Novel nature-based solutions that are cheaper and more effective than hi-tech approaches are gaining interest.

“These can involve leaving rivers intact from channelling, construction work or irrigation that disturbs their natural attenuation capacities,” Borchardt said. “A natural environment can degrade pollutants. Other solutions, especially in agriculture, can involve the preservation and construction of wetlands which are particularly efficient at removing nutrients from water.”

Paludiculture – which can be as simple as as planting water reeds to absorb excess nutrients from water bodies – is a win-win for environmentalists, maintaining a robust carbon sink and threatened peatlands in countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia.

Tackling waste water discharges at source is seen as a crucial first step, to avoid the devastating environmental damage that spillages can cause and the sky-rocketing costs of clean-up operations.

Reig said the “best interventions” to prevent water contamination were legal tools: “The drivers of untreated waste water discharges are poor governance of resources and water quality standards that are often non-existent (in the developing world) and not enforced, if they are there.”

Unep, though, puts greater emphasis on increased monitoring of water balances – knowing how much water there is, where is comes from and where pollutants travel from and to – to counter the scarcity of basic information about the inputs and outputs for waste water discharges into vulnerable water resources.

Borchardt said industry should be seen as a potential ally in the prevention of river pollution. “Business is a part of the solution and must be, because their products will find it more and more difficult to be sold on a huge global scale when there is a huge environmental bill attached,” he said.

River pollution puts 323m at risk from life-threatening diseases, says UN

Exercise can cut risk from alcohol-related diseases, study suggests

Drinkers who do the recommended amount of exercise can reduce their risk of dying from alcohol-related cancer, according to new medical research.

Undertaking two and a half hours a week of physical activity can also reduce, but not banish, someone’s chances of dying from any cause, according to the study of 36,370 British patients.

The findings, published on Wednesday in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, found that: “Stratified analysis showed that the association between alcohol intake and mortality risk was attenuated (all-cause) or nearly nullified (cancer) among individuals who met the physical activity recommendations.”

The authors added: “Meeting the current physical activity public health recommendations offsets some of the cancer and all-cause mortality risk associated with alcohol drinking.”

The study, by academics in London, Canada, Norway and Australia, examined the health of men and women over the age of 40 who had provided data for six editions of the Health Survey for England up to 2006, and the 1998 and 2003 editions of the Scottish Health Survey.

“In this large British general population cohort we found that the association between alcohol intake and mortality risk was moderated by physical activity,” says the study.

The researchers found that risk of death from either cause increased more slowly among Britons who followed the government-backed advice and did five lots of moderate-intensity exercise a week than those who undertook less physical activity, although the effect was more noticeable for cancer.

Kevin McConway, emeritus professor of statistics at the Open University, said: “Does this mean that I don’t have to worry about the effect of drinking on my health, as long as I get enough exercise? Well, no, it doesn’t, for a long list of reasons.”

McConway advised caution. “It’s possible the changes in risk patterns in people who exercised were not because of the exercise, but because of something else that just happened to be different.”

Matt Field, professor of psychology at Liverpool University, said the “rigorous piece of research” showed that “it appears that physical activity may partially offset some of the harmful effects of drinking, particularly alcohol-attributable cancers”.

The findings have prompted calls for fitness trainers to work in pubs to encourage drinkers to be more active.

“From our Let’s Get Moving physical activity initiative, we’ve seen the benefits of linking exercise professionals to GP surgeries to improve the health of at-risk patients. This research suggests we should look at similar measures in pubs to help engage harder-to-reach sections of society in physical activity,” said Steven Ward, executive director of ukactive, which represents the exercise industry.

“This research might sound like great news for Sunday league footballers everywhere, but as the recently updated chief medical officer’s guidelines show, excessive drinking remains a major health risk,” Field added.

However, the researchers found that 27.5% of the patients studied took no exercise at all and almost 61% did not achieve the target of 150 minutes a week.

Nonetheless, the authors believe their findings show that physical activity can promote good health and reduce at least some of the associated harmful effects of drinking, even among those who do no more than the minimum 150 minutes. “Our results provide an additional argument for the role of [physical activity] as a means to promote the health of the population even in the presence of other less healthy behaviours,” they say.

Exercise can cut risk from alcohol-related diseases, study suggests

Dr. Sebi – a Man Who Naturally Cured The Most Serious Diseases

Dr. Sebi – a man who has naturally cured the most serious diseases. The last 28 years Dr. Sebi has successfully treat diseases that Western medicine is considered incurable. The real name Alfred Bowman, Dr. Himself a self-taught African doctor and herbalist who his natural methods helped people who are ill.

He has healed many people with AIDS, lupus, epilepsy, diabetes, bipolar disorders, various forms of cancer, drug addiction and other diseases. He also had the courage to stand before the court at the American Medical Association to defend themselves, their work and their treatment methods that have helped many people.

In fact, in 1988 he was arrested for “false” advertising and treatment without a license. In court, he testified for 77 people, and after it was shown that these people were really healed, Dr. Sebi was acquitted of all charges.

Michael Jackson, Eddie Murphy and John Travolta are just some of the celebrities that Dr. Sebi cured of chronic diseases and other health problems.

Starch and Animal Products – The Enemy of Your Body

The Western medicine causes diseases found in viruses, bacteria, and other microorganisms. In contrast, Dr. Sebi believes that the main cause and trigger the appearance of a variety of disorders and diseases – mucus, and its excess in the body.

According to his interpretation, the disease is actually the result of the accumulation of toxins that accumulate in the body rather than excreted out.

Causes and Consequences

1. Excess mucus in the bronchi – Bronchitis


2. Excess mucus in the lungs – Pneumonia


3. Excess mucus in the eye iris – Blindness


4. Excess mucus around thyroid – Thyroid Cancer


5. Excess mucus in the joints of – Arthritis

Dr. Sebi believed that the major problem of modern society based diet of starch and animal products, which is acidifying the body.
In the acidic body, toxic slime is created .
It slows down and clogs the body’s systems, leading to inflammation.
Dr. Sebi has also claimed that the disease can develop only in the body with an acidic pH-value. If the condition of the body alkaline, not inflammatory processes and people’s healthy and vital.
Therefore, the first step that leads to a healthy diet with alkaline foods, but Dr. Sebi in their works advising a step further, and that is the post.
As an example, he cites Jesus, who fasted for 40 days.
The mode of treatment Dr. Sebija, post combined with natural herbs, which he called a cell or cell food.
This herb nourishes the cells at the deepest level, cleanses them of toxins and supplies the most important minerals.
Dr. Sebi introduced detox bio-mineral therapy which removes deposited clusters toxins  from the body.
At the same time, this treatment regenerates cells and tissues that are damaged due to the long-term acidic condition of the body.

Alkaline Foods Recommended by Dr. Sebija

• Vegetables :  Kale, Cucumbers, Salad (all except iceberg), Mushrooms (all except shiitake), Olives, Onion, Okra (okra), Seaweed Tomatillo (Mexican tomatoes), Tomatoes (only cherry), Purslane


•  Fruit : Avocado, Apple, Bananas, Berries, Cherry, Dates, Figs, Grapes (with seeds), Mango, Pears, Papaya, Watermelon (with seeds)  Tamarind, Lime, Orange, Peach, Plums


• Tea: Anise, Chamomile, Elder, Fennel, Ginger


• Grains : Amaranth, Quinoa, Wild Rice, Fonio, Kamut.

When it comes to herbs, Dr. Sebi recommended basil, parsley, oregano, dill, sage, cayenne pepper, coriander (cilantro).

Of salt recommended clean sea or Himalayan salt, and of sweetener – agave syrup and sugar from dates.

The healthiest oils are, in his view, coconut, olive, hemp oil, grape seed oil, sesame and pumpkin seed oil.

Dr. Sebi has several, seemingly ordinary, but very important tips for staying healthy.

• All of these foods is best to eat them raw.


• Consume organic foods because it is conventional often full of toxins.


• To flush out and eliminate toxins, drink plenty of purified, filtered water.


• Never use a microwave!Dr. Sebi has helped mankind until a few days ago.In addition to Los Angeles, and worked as part of the USHA Research Institute and Healing Village in Honduras, a tropical haven with beautiful wild vegetation and healing sulfur thermal baths.He died just in Honduras, August 6, 2016, due to health complications that occurred when the authorities there arrested for possession of small amounts of money in cash.While details of the death of the benefactor who devoted his life to the treatment of other not yet known, the whole world through social networks regrets.

Source and Reference: wakeup-world.com  soulspottv.com

Read More About Natural Remedies at  Healthy Food Leader

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Plant-based diet prevents and fights chronic diseases such as cancer, type 2 diabetes, and coronary heart disease

In 2016, an estimated 1,685,21o new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S. and 595,690 people will die from this devastating diagnosis. (1)  On February 13, 2015, the American Cancer Society recommended that cancer survivors should follow “prudent diets.”  Specifically, they recommend a plant-based diet that is high in fruits, vegetables, unrefined grains and low in red and processed meats, refined grains and sugars.  (2)

American Cancer Society recommends that cancer survivors follow a plant-based diet

Harvard Medical School has furthered these recommendations with their Harvard Healthy Eating plan.  They report that the latest scientific evidence shows that a plant-based diet lowers the risk of weight gain and chronic diseases.  Experts believe that these diets increase the nutrient intake for both children and adult and limit “empty calorie” intake.  Studies show that a plant-based diet offers protection against coronary heart disease, metabolic syndrome risk factors, cancer, obesity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular mortality. (3)

Not all plant-based diet require complete elimination of animal products

Plant-based diets are high in complex carbohydrates, omega-6 fatty acids, dietary fiber, vitamin C, vitamin E, magnesium, and antioxidants such as carotenoids and folic acid.  Diets such as the Ornish Diet, The 80-10-10 Diet, vegan diet, vegetarian diet, the DASH Diet and Mediterranean Diet are all considered to be plant-based diets.  While some of these diets allow some meat, fish and animal products, these can also be eliminated for a completely plant-based diet.  (3)

When considering a plant-based diet, consider the following health benefits associated with a diet low in meat, animal products, refined grains and sugars.  (3)

Five benefits of adopting a plant-based diet

1. Anti-Inflammatory:  Inflammation is connected to most chronic diseases from leaky gut syndrome to arthritis, cancer, and heart disease.  Eating foods that fight oxidative stress and reduce free radical damage can help stop the progress of the inflammation.  Anti-inflammatory foods promote longevity, regulate immune systems, help foster improved gut health, boost immune functioning, and reduce autoimmune reactions. (3)


2. High Fiber:  Plants, seeds, grains, and legumes are high in fiber and capable of reducing the risk of constipation, digestive problems, high cholesterol, heart disease and diabetes.  A high fiber diet can reduce cravings and overeating and help reduce plaque buildup in arteries. (3)


3. Healthy Weight:  Plant-based diets are cost effect and have low-risk interventions that help reverse obesity.  A 2013 study found that an 18-week dietary intervention of a low-fat plant-based diet resulted in improved body weight, plasma lipids, and glycemic control. (3)


4. Reduce Risk of Chronic Disease:  Populations around that world that enjoy a plant-based diet have far less chronic diseases than those who consume the Western diet.  The Lyon Diet Heart Study found that the Mediterranean diet could cut the risk of heart attacks and death rates by 70 percent when compared with the American Heart Association Diet. (3)


5. Environment:  The plant-based diet not only helps our bodies but also helps the planet.  Eating more sustainable foods can lower the carbon footprint, spare the lives of animals and reduce global food scarcity.  (3)

Sources Included:

(1) http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/statistics

(2) http://www.forksoverknives.com/science-says-about-diet-and-cancer/

(3) https://draxe.com/plant-based-diet/

Plant-based diet prevents and fights chronic diseases such as cancer, type 2 diabetes, and coronary heart disease

Making use of Water As Medicine – Consuming Water On Empty Stomach To Deal with Certain Diseases

Consuming water on empty stomach as the 1st factor in the morning, this is a new trend which advised by Japanese health care authorities. And study has been proven that you would get plenty of wellness benefits by insisting performing this.

Firstly, You Have To Know What To Do

Drink 4 six oz. glasses of water when you wake up in the morning.

Consume or drink something after at least 45 minutes.

And when a meal you are done consuming that original meal, really don’t consume anything at all for two hours.

Some Particular Ailments That Can Be Cured Or Relieved By Drinking Water On Empty Abdomen

• High blood pressure


• Diabetes


• Arthritis


• Constipation


• Tuberculosis


• Heart condition


• Headaches


• Kidney stone


• Throat infections


• Body aches and pains


• Gastritis

Adhere to this simple method will improve your total wellness and without having any side results, as water aids keep your entire body hydrated, which is vital to keep all the functions correctly in the body:

• The water transports oxygen into cells


• Boosts the metabolism


• Moisturizes the air in lungs


• Promotes the nutrients absorbed


• Detoxifies the entire body


• Protects the joints

And Asia folks like hot tea much more than cold water, as tea is far better than cold water for digestion soon after meals.

How To Use Tea As Medicine

Green tea:

With robust anti-viral, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cavity properties, green tea is 1 of the most valued and widely consumed teas all more than the globe. It has been established by research that great for oral overall health, bone health, fat management, skin overall health and even prevents cancers.

Pu’er tea:

A lot more and a lot more folks drink pu’er tea as they believe it has ability to:

• Minimize cholesterol degree,


• Avert diabetes,


• Aid to avert heart condition,


• Boost circulation,


• Help in excess weight reduction,


• Battle against cancer,


• Support digestion,


• Improve rest top quality, and


• Assist prevent pressure and nervousness.

Oolong tea:

This tea aids in weight reduction and promotes healthy bones, healthful skin, controls diabetes and also with anti-cancer properties. Drink some cups of oolong tea each and every day, it will be very good for enhancing your all round wellness and is also a delicious and calming treat.

Peppermint tea:

Overall health professionals recommends consuming peppermint tea to alleviate stomach fuel and bloating. It also functions to cure the indigestion and heartburn problems.

Ginger tea:

Ginger tea is properly identified for its capacity to support digestion, it can also be used to deal with an upset stomach and nausea.

Chamomile tea:

When you have a cold or flu, remember to drink chamomile tea, as it can alleviate the signs and symptoms of cough and bronchitis. As a calming herbal tea, chamomile tea can be also beneficial for insomnia also.
Lemon balm tea:

Rooibos tea:

Rooibos tea has powerful anti-oxidant properties, collectively with loaded with vitamin C, it may possibly aid battle towards numerous diseases and slow the indicators of aging.

Up coming time when you want a well being increase, consider a cup of scorching tea to relieve the frequent ailments without any side results.

Sources: besthealthmag.ca, motherearthliving.com,healthfreedoms.org
Read More By Writer Alex Jordon.

Making use of Water As Medicine – Consuming Water On Empty Stomach To Deal with Certain Diseases

Antibiotic resistance: six diseases that could come back to haunt us | Mike Turner

Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the bacteria that brings about the sexually transmitted disease gonorrhoea. Photograph: Dr. David M. Phillips/Getty Pictures/Visuals Unlimited

Diseases we considered were lengthy gone, absolutely nothing to worry about, or simple to treat could come back with a vengeance, in accordance to the current World Wellness Organisation report on worldwide antibiotic resistance. Concern at this serious threat to public well being has been expanding complacency could outcome in a crisis with the possible to have an effect on every person, not just individuals in bad nations or with out entry to advanced healthcare. Presently conditions that had been treatable in the previous, such as tuberculosis, are typically fatal now, and other people are moving in the exact same course. And the genuinely terrifying issue is that the difficulty is previously with us: this is not science fiction, but contemporary actuality. So what are some of the infections that could come back to haunt us?

Tuberculosis

TB ought to be treatable within six months after men and women are prescribed a program of medication like the after potent antibiotics isoniazid and rifampicin. But today, resistance has emerged not only to these medicines, but to the wider range of pharmaceuticals used to treat the condition. This has led to the emergence of multi-drug-resistant TB, the still less treatable extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB), and even to complete drug-resistant TB, which has only officially been confirmed in India. Countries such as South Africa have run out of treatment method alternatives for many of their individuals and are obtaining to discharge them from hospital. Resistance to TB has reached a worldwide scale with XDR-TB now reported in 92 nations.

Gonorrhoea

The sexually transmitted nature of this infection makes it some thing a lot of are reluctant to talk about or admit to getting. However, it’s long been thought of as easily treatable and nothing at all a lot to dread. After fixable with penicillin and tetracycline, the bacteria behind the illness have produced such high levels of resistance that there is only one particular drug left that can treat it. Even this antibiotic, ceftriaxone, is turning into less effective. With last-resort medication shedding their effect, this sexually transmitted infection (STI) could spread all through the population.

Klebsiella

It is probably that you’ve by no means heard of this common bacterium, which can result in a wide assortment of problems which includes pneumonia, urinary tract infections, septicaemia, meningitis and diarrhoea. It fits into a wider group of bacteria with the apt acronym of Eskape owing to their capacity to avoid the effects of the antibiotics utilized against them. The acronym stands for the names of the bacterial group members: Enterococcus faecium Staphylococcus aureus Klebsiella pneumoniae Acinetobacter baumannii Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacter. Klebsiella and the rest of this group are increasingly becoming acquired in hospitals. Although we worry MRSA, it is in truth a declining risk in hospitals at the very same time Eskape pathogens are causing much more and a lot more difficulties. As the WHO report highlighted, routine hospital visits or therapies could result in these previously treatable bacteria having fatal consequences.

Typhoid

Routine vaccination towards typhoid signifies it’s not a disease that is frequently on our radar, and when it is it truly is rarely some thing we dread. Even so, the condition still influences 21.five million folks every 12 months in the building planet, and globalisation signifies travel to potential sources of infection is more typical. As a consequence, a lot more than 5,000 individuals in the US are contaminated annually following consuming contaminated food and drink. Typhoid fever, which is caused by the bacterium salmonella typhi, is handled with antibiotics, but resistance to numerous antibiotics is growing. Decreased susceptibility to the fluoroquinolone class of drugs and the emergence of multi-drug-resistance has complicated the treatment of infections, specially individuals acquired in south Asia. Since a vaccination exists, the key is to obtain this just before you get on to a plane. Otherwise, consuming that innocent-hunting vegetable on a trip to Thailand could depart you with a potentially fatal fever topping 100F.

Syphillis and Diphtheria

Although resistance to these ailments is nevertheless to emerge, public awareness of them has diminished as a consequence of powerful remedies. But in an era of resistance there is constantly the likely for them to return as a significant public overall health threat. Despite the fact that charges of syphilis are reduced, they have been rising in the Uk considering that 1997. This STI is currently treated by a single injection with penicillin, but resistance to this antibiotic has developed in other diseases. Imagine the effect if it took place once more. The fever and chills of diphtheria are mainly prevalent in the developing world, but with travellers contracting typhoid even though a vaccine is accessible, the exact same could occur with diphtheria.

So what can be done?

Antibiotic resistance is a difficulty we can all aid to reduce. Very good hand hygiene when visiting men and women in hospital assists. Only taking antibiotics when prescribed by a medical doctor is critical as is usually completing a complete program if you do have to get them. In addition, medical professionals themselves need to only be prescribing these medicines when sufferers really need them. These may be modest factors, but if we all do them it will have an affect and possibly avoid a long term the place treatable diseases grow to be fatal as soon as a lot more.

Antibiotic resistance: six diseases that could come back to haunt us | Mike Turner

Youthful mice blood may hold crucial to age-associated diseases in humans - video

Supply: AAAS

Sunday four May possibly 2014 13.00 EDT

New scientific studies propose blood from young mice has rejuvenating results on older mice, and might lead to new therapeutic approaches to age-associated conditions in people. This distinct development element identified in younger mice’s blood, known as GDF11, helps to regulate the aging process in brain and muscle tissue. The research were primarily based on procedures in which one youthful and outdated mouse are joined together by a single circulatory technique

Youthful mice blood may hold crucial to age-associated diseases in humans - video

Spatial Repellency Prevents Diseases

The efficiency of spatial repellency is under review.  The Bill &amp Melinda Gates Foundation awarded the University of Notre Dame $ 23 million to carry out research on spatial repellency utilization to avoid malaria and dengue fever.  Spatial repellency protects individuals from insect-borne diseases like malaria and dengue fever.  There is quite minor knowing and appreciation of how insecticides operate nevertheless, public well being insecticides for vector handle have a substantial influence in stopping conditions.

The efficiency of spatial repellency

The Globe Health Organization (WHO) reports there has been a 50 percent decline of malaria cases in between 2000 and 2010.  In addition, malaria-specific deaths have declined by 26 percent.  They also announced that there have been close to 207 million situations of malaria in 2012.  In addition, 50 to a hundred million infections of the dengue fever happen each and every 12 months.

The reduction of situations and deaths caused by malaria are predominately due to vector manage, indoor residual spraying (IRS), and insecticide taken care of bednets.  Bites from infected mosquitoes transmit the dengue virus and malaria parasite to their victims.  In buy to avoid infections, candles and coils (kinds of spatial repellents) are employed to release substances to deter and impel mosquitoes away from enclosed places.

Lately, the University of Notre Dame reported their biologists are leading analysis on avoiding malaria and dengue fever the Bill &amp Melinda Gates Basis awarded the university $ 23 million to perform a 5-year task.  The university biologists are trying to present the efficiency of spatial repellency (new technique of mosquito management) in repressing malaria and dengue fever.

Spatial repellents are not new

The use of spatial repellency has been all around for very some time.  DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane) is a spatial repellent at first utilised in the 1940s for malaria manage.  In reality, DDT is presently the most successful chemical in preventing malaria transmission in homes.  However, DDT is below intense scrutiny.  In 1972, the Environmental Safety Agency (EPA) banned the use of this pesticide claiming it is a probable human carcinogen, capable of triggering a amount of illnesses, such as liver cancer and damage to the nervous and productive techniques of people.

Nevertheless, due to immense malaria overall health issues, the World Well being Organization declared its support for spatial repellency for indoor use in African countries.  Whether the new spatial repellent in the University of Notre Dame five-12 months task will contain DDT is uncertain.  Nevertheless, there are a lot of who anticipate long term reports from the university pertaining to this scientific investigation on the efficacy of spatial repellency for the prevention of malaria and dengue fever.

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Study a lot more of George Zapo’s articles about public, worldwide, and environmental health at his website: Wholesome Habits.

Spatial Repellency Prevents Diseases

Comedian Seth Rogen"s touching Senate committee hearing on Alzheimer"s diseases

US actor Seth Rogen, 31, was appearing prior to the Senate Appropriation Subcommittee on Labor, Health, and Human Services to convey how he and his household has been impacted by Alzheimer’s ailment.

“I began dating my wife Lauren 9 many years in the past when her mother was nearly 54 many years old. It was during this journey, the first time I met my now mother-in-law, that Lauren 1st admitted to herself and then to me that one thing was off with her mom,” he said.

“After forgetting who she and her loved one were, she forgot how to communicate, feed herself, dress herself, all by age of 60.”

The actor went on to describe how he, his wife and some buddies set up a charity to increase funds for households impacted and analysis into the ailment, Hilarity for Charity.

Rogen completed: “I came right here these days for number of motives. 1 I’m a massive “House of Cards” fan. … Two, individuals need to have far more aid. I have personally witnessed the huge volume of fiscal strain this ailment triggers. …Three, to display men and women they are not alone, so number of men and women share their personal stories.”

Video courtesy C-Span

Comedian Seth Rogen"s touching Senate committee hearing on Alzheimer"s diseases

1000"s of patients denied NHS medication for key diseases

The research examined 10 widespread groups of treatment method which have been backed by Good – meaning they must be routinely provided to all patients who demand them.

But it located that in 3 of the groups, there was a gulf between the amount of sufferers who should have been provided the medication, and the numbers who were in fact prescribed them.

The worst findings were for kidney cancer, which has an effect on a lot more than 8,000 individuals a yr, and for individuals with a kind of motor neurone condition which impacts practically three,000 folks.

1 in three sufferers who could have benefited from the lifestyle-extending medicines sunitnib (Sutent) and pazopanib (Votrient) for kidney cancer, or from riluzole (Rilutek) – the only treatment for motor neurone disease, did not acquire them.

A lot more than 12,000 sufferers were denied injections for wet age-relevant macular degeneration (AMD), the most widespread result in of vision reduction and blindness, the examine identified.

Great can make national rulings on whether or not medication are efficient and great worth, but has been often criticised for refusing to assistance medication in the face of proof that they can extend lives by months or even years, and for delaying selections.

But the findings suggest that even when it says NHS bodies need to fund the medication, 1000′s of patients still finish up going with no.

Charities said too a lot of terminally-sick individuals ended up battling bureaucratic procedures in an attempt to secure NHS funding for treatment.

In other circumstances, they had been never informed about medicines such as Sutent. for kidney cancer, which can double existence expectancy to 28 months, and was accredited by Nice more than 4 years ago, right after a lengthy battle.

Andrew Wilson, Chief Executive of the Rarer Cancers Basis explained patients across the country were suffering from “an endemic postcode lottery in entry to Nice-accepted medicines”.

“It is extremely worrying that the NHS does not seem to be to be creating accessible cancer treatments to all sufferers who could benefit, even when the drug is accepted by Good,” he mentioned.

Nick Turkentine, Chief Working Officer for the James Whale Fund for Kidney Cancer stated the failure to stick to national guidance was “a disaster” for a sufferers struggling from the aggressive cancers, who have been usually left battling bureaucracy in their dying months.

He stated: “Sutent was a single of the very first drugs to be accredited by Wonderful for kidney cancer – it is truly disastrous that individuals are nonetheless possessing to battle for a drug which we know can give several further years of existence.”

Duleep Allirajah, Head of Policy at Macmillan Cancer Support, stated: “It is alarming that there continues to be such huge variations in accessing Nice-appraised cancer medicines in England. For far too extended individuals with rarer cancers, this kind of as kidney cancer, have lost out on the daily life-extending medicines and remedies they require on the NHS.

“Cancer sufferers do not pick which cancer they get. Each and every patient deserves equal access to remedy – no matter who they are, in which they are from, or which cancer they have.”

The information published yesterday shows wide variation in the possibility of getting presented with remedy for some of the most common conditions, this kind of as wet AMD, an eye disease which is widespread following the age of 50, affecting much more than 270,000 men and women a yr.

Patients residing in North Yorkshire and the Humber had been the most most likely to get therapy, followed by these in North East London and Birmingham and the Black Country.

But just half of people who ought to have obtained therapy in Hertfordshire and the South Midlands, Leicestershire and Lincolnshire had been offered the injections of ranibizumab (Lucentis) – even however Good has ruled that it is the most successful treatment method to avert blindness.

Clara Eaglen, Eye Well being Campaigns Manager at the Royal Nationwide Institute of Blind Folks, explained individuals had been missing out on treatment because also a lot of had been getting forced to endure long waits at eye clinics.

She said: “RNIB is conscious that moist AMD therapy intervals are expanding in many centres. What ought to be a monthly check out and possible treatment method is now becoming extended out to six or eight weeks and in a couple of cases longer. This is detrimental to individuals, who can get rid of sight if they are not treated in clinically acceptable timeframes.”

A spokesman for Wonderful said the organisation hoped the report would help make certain that its advice was much more extensively followed, and mentioned local NHS organisations necessary to be able to justify variations from it.

He said: “We share the Government’s ambition to ensure that all Nice-approved medicines are offered to individuals patients who can benefit from them.”

1000"s of patients denied NHS medication for key diseases