Therapist Unlimited Blog

 

 

Who says drinking too much coffee is bad for the health?
A recent medical study has shown that patients with chronic hepatitis C and advanced liver disease who drink three or more cups of coffee per day have a 53% lower risk of liver disease progression than non-coffee drinkers.
Based on the research made by Neal Freedman, Ph.D., MPH, from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) it was discovered that that patients with hepatitis C-related bridging fibrosis or cirrhosis who did not respond to standard disease treatment benefited from increased coffee intake.
Freedman explained an effect on liver disease was not observed in patients who drank black or green tea.
It is said that hepatitis C virus (HCV) infects approximately 2.2% of the world’s population with more than 3 million Americans infected. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cites HCV as the leading cause of liver transplantation in the U.S. and accounts for 8,000 to 10,000 deaths in the country annually. Globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates 3 to 4 million persons contract HCV each year with 70% becoming chronic cases that can lead to cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer.
This study included 766 participants enrolled in the Hepatitis C Antiviral Long-Term Treatment against Cirrhosis (HALT-C) trial who had hepatitis C-related bridging fibrosis or cirrhosis and failed to respond to standard treatment of the anti-viral drugs peginterferon and ribavirin.

 

 

 

It is time to drink coffee for chronic hepatitis C patients.

 

 

 

At the onset of the study, HALT-C patients were asked to report their typical frequency of coffee intake and portion size over the past year, using 9 frequency categories ranging from ‘never’ to ‘every day’ and 4 categories of portion size (1 cup, 2 cups, 3-4 cups, and 5+ cups). A similar question was asked for black and green tea intake. "This study is the first to address the association between liver disease progression related to hepatitis C and coffee intake," stated Freedman.
Participants were seen every 3 months during the 3.8-year study period to assess clinical outcomes which included: ascites (abnormal accumulation of fluid in the abdomen), prognosis of chronic liver disease, death related to liver disease, hepatic encephalopathy (brain and nervous system damage), hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer), spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, variceal hemorrhage, or increase in fibrosis. Liver biopsies were also taken at 1.5 and 3.5 five years to determine the progression of liver disease.
Results showed that participants who drank 3 or more cups of coffee per day had a relative risk of .47 for reaching one of the clinical outcomes. Researchers did not observe any association between tea intake and liver disease progression, though tea consumption was low in the study. "Given the large number of people affected by HCV it is important to identify modifiable risk factors associated with the progression of liver disease," said Freedman. "Although we cannot rule out a possible role for other factors that go along with drinking coffee, results from our study suggest that patients with high coffee intake had a lower risk of disease progression."

 

 

 

 

 

According to a recent study one of the best steps to have a good result on examination day is to eat the rights foods.
The experts explained having a balance diet promote better concentration for the one taking the examination.
The experts revealed eating energy bars, lollies and chocolates will only give short-term energy for students which is not that beneficial for them during examination day.
 

 

To have great result during examination students need to eat well for them to have a long lasting energy to answer all the questions correctly.
Here are other practical steps students could use to have a great result while taking their examination.

 

A. Breakfast that rocks
 

 

Eat traditional breakfast foods that has carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.
Try:
- A bowl of cereal with reduced-fat milk, topped with chopped fruit and a sprinkle of almonds
- Wholegrain or wholemeal toast with reduced-fat cheese and tomato, and a small fruit juice.
 

B. Eat regularly throughout the day - Eating energy-sustaining foods at meals and snacks will help to fuel the brain, maintain energy levels, and avoid dips in concentration.

Try:
- Sandwich, roll or wrap filled with salad vegetables, reduced-fat cheese, lean meat or tinned tuna
- Fruit smoothies made with reduced-fat milk and/or yoghurt
- Fruit (fresh, tinned or dried) or fruit and nut snack packs
- Crackers with tomato and reduced-fat cheese, toast and spreads, fruit bread, cereal with reduced-fat milk.

 

 

C. Drink plenty of water– This will hydrate your body, help reduce fatigue and help your brain work. If possible, take a water bottle in to the exam with you.

 

 

D. Limit excess caffeine— Limit coffee, caffeinated soft drinks or guarana-containing drinks. Caffeine can act as a mild stimulant, boosting alertness and staving off fatigue, but too much can make you feel nervous and restless, and may affect how well you sleep.

 

 

E. Exercise - Schedule in some physical activity before or in between exams. Exercise can help reduce stress, clear your mind and improve sleep patterns.

 

 

Mothers who are using microbicide-soaked vaginal and infant wipes to protect their babies from neonatal sepsis are in for a nightmare.
A recent medical study has shown that  microbicide-soaked vaginal and infant wipes to protect their babies from neonatal sepsis or transmission of disease-causing bacteria.
With this finding, medical experts suggested that other interventions are needed to target child mortality.
It is said that 900 000 sepsis-associated neonatal deaths per year arise in developing countries, mainly in the first week of life.
Early-onset sepsis poses unique opportunities for prevention because of intrapartum, vertical transmission of bacteria to newborn babies. For example, widespread use of targeted prophylaxis with intrapartum antibiotics in the USA coincided with a 70% reduction in early-onset group B streptococcal disease. Logistical and resource limitations, however, prevent use of intrapartum antibiotics in developing countries.In this randomised controlled trial, the authors (led by Dr Clare L Cutland, Vaccine Preventable Diseases and Respiratory and Meningeal Pathogens Research Unit, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa) assessed the efficacy of intrapartum and neonatal chlorhexidine coated-wipes in reducing early-onset neonatal sepsis and vertical transmission of group B streptococcus.

 

 

 

Mothers seeking to protect their babies from neonatal sepsis could not find relief from microbicide-soaked vaginal and infant wipes.

 

 

The trial took place in Soweto, South Africa, and 8,011 women (aged 12-51 years) were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to chlorhexidine vaginal wipes or external genitalia water wipes during active labour, and their 8,129 newborn babies were assigned to chlorhexidine full-body (intervention group) or foot (control group) washes with chlorhexidine at birth, respectively. In a subset of mothers (n=5144 lower vaginal swabs and neonatal skin swabs were gathered after delivery to assess colonisation with potentially pathogenic bacteria. Primary outcomes were neonatal sepsis in the first 3 days of life and vertical transmission of group B streptococcus.
The researchers found that rates of neonatal sepsis did not differ between the groups (chlorhexidine 3% vs 4%). Rates of colonisation with group B streptococcus in newborn babies born to mothers in the chlorhexidine (54%) and control groups (55%) did not differ.
The authors say: "Use of maternal and neonatal chlorhexidine wipes did not prevent the occurrence of early-onset sepsis. This absence of benefit was corroborated by the lack of effect on vertical transmission of the main sepsis-causing pathogens, and on serious maternal post-partum sepsis."
They conclude: "Although several trials have raised hopes that chlorhexidine vaginal and neonatal cleansing would be beneficial in saving the lives of newborn babies, the results from our trial suggest that use of chlorhexidine wipes is unlikely to reduce neonatal mortality from vertically acquired sepsis. Other neonatal interventions are needed to achieve the Millennium Developmental Goal of reduction in childhood mortality."

A recent medical study has shown that mangosteen juice has anti-inflammatory properties which could prove to be valuable in preventing the development of heart disease and diabetes in obese patients.
Based on the study, medical experts discovered that the juice of the exotic ’superfruit’ can lower levels of C-reactive protein.
To get the data,Dr. Jay Udani, M.D. from Medicus Research, California, worked with a team of researchers to carry out a randomized, double-blind placebo controlled trial.
He said, "For people drinking over half a liter of mangosteen juice a day, the degree of reduction in CRP levels was statistically significant a reduction of 1.33mg/L compared to an increase of 0.9mg/L in the placebo group".

 

 

 

Mangosteen Juice offers rewards to obese persons against heart disease and diabetes.

 

 

Inflammation, as measured here by CRP, is a predictor of cardiovascular disease and a precursor of metabolic syndrome.
Reducing inflammation in obese people is a treatment goal, and a natural treatment may be preferable to other treatments which may carry the risk of side effect. According to Udani, "Further studies with a larger population are required to confirm and further define the benefits of this juice, which was safe at all dosages tested".

 

 

 

Those persons suffering from rhinosinusitis has a high tendency to also suffer from depression due to their medical condition.
This was the result of a new study conducted on 73 patients wherein some 9.6 percent of these people suffered depression due to their condition.
The research also showed that 20.5 percent scored in the range of a major depressive disorder using an objective screening instrument with high sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing depression, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9.
Additionally, the disease-specific and general health-related quality of life (QOL) in these patients was worse than those who did not exhibit signs of depression.

 

 

 

 

Patients inflicted with rhinosinusitis better be careful since their medical condition could also result in depression.

 

 

Patients with depression and CRS scored significantly worse in most QOL measures, including bodily pain, and physical and social functioning. The authors believe this casts particular light on the impact of depression on diseases of the head and neck, which is to this point little is understood.
They contend that if physicians are to optimize their patients’ health, screening for both CRS and depression is warranted.

 

 

 

Cellular phones had more uses aside from communication.
A recent medical study has uncovered that cellular phones could be use to help chain smokers kick their unhealthy habit.
A team of experts lead by Robyn Whittaker, a public health physician at the University of Auckland,  recently conducted four studies: two of text-message only programs and two that used the Internet along with mobile phones to keep up a stream of stop-smoking support.
"It makes a lot of sense," Whittaker said. "Mobiles are well-integrated in daily lives. The programs are using what’s in daily life rather than making people come into a clinic. They’re more proactive, delivering directly to people wherever they are."
Studies included about 2,600 smokers of all ages. After pooling study data, reviewers found that participants in text-message programs were about twice as likely not to smoke after six weeks as smokers in control groups.
People in mixed-media programs cell phone plus Web were significantly more likely to hang in there for at least six months after their chosen quit date.
"Say people are out with friends and feeling really strong cravings. They can text the word ‘crave’ directly into the program and they can get a message with suggestions for techniques to get through the cravings or other things to do to distract them such as listen to music or take a walk around the block," Whittaker said.

 

 

 

Smokers seeking to quit their habit can find solace and help from their own cellular phone.
 

 

 

Studies measured quitting success by self-report and in some cases by testing saliva samples for signs of nicotine. However, not enough people provided saliva samples to make meaningful conclusions based on those.
Two studies conducted in Norway combined e-mail contacts, a Web page and text messages. In the other studies, which took place in New Zealand and the United Kingdom, participants received a barrage of up to six messages daily for a month after their quit date and less frequent messages for up to six months.
""The text messages obviously have to be very brief, to the point; they use a lot of abbreviation but not a lot of texting lingo," Whittaker said. "Motivational messages remind people why they want to quit. Positive reinforcement message tell them they’re doing really well, that they got themselves through the day or week without a cigarette, and to keep up the good work."
Messages can be "personalized and tailored to a certain extent to include information about issues of particular concern to that person, like putting on weight when quitting," Whittaker said.
"However, a lot of information is applicable to most people."
"The problem is that it is not individualized. These are generic messages to help people not use tobacco," said Rebecca Schane, M.D., an internist and pulmonologist with the Center for Tobacco Control Research at the University of California at San Francisco. "
"It is mobile contact but not actual human contact."
"This type of intervention can’t stand alone or substitute for physician visits in any way, shape or form," said Schane, has no affiliation with the review but is familiar with the findings.
"Quitting affects other aspects of people’s health. If they have high blood pressure and they quit, their blood pressure decreases. You need to incorporate that in their treatment," Schane said.
People need a personal touch, she said: "It helps when a physician is in your corner. When you know the physician believes this is a worthwhile step in your life, you’re more likely to do better in quitting."
"For a certain proportion of the population, that’s probably right," Whittaker said, "but a certain proportion prefer not to do face-to-face interventions. Particularly, a lot of young adults preferred something confidential and anonymous."
Both Whittaker and Schane say that quitting is extremely difficult and most people will make several efforts before finding success.
"I’m glad the reviewers are trying to identify new ways to help people quit," Schane said. "What’s out there is relatively stagnant. The protocol hasn’t changed in years. But smokers are changing and our care needs to change. We’re in a bit of a rut; if this study brings to the forefront the idea that there are other ways we can treat smokers, that’s great."

 

Pregnant women around the world should avoid high fat diet during their pregnancy.
This developed after a recent medical study has shown a mother’s diet of high fat could result in a severe form of liver disease in her child.
Based on the study made by the University of Southampton it was discovered that a high fat diet during a woman’s pregnancy makes her offspring more likely to develop a severe form of fatty liver disease when they reach adulthood.
It is said that non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a condition associated with obesity and caused by the build up of fat in the liver.
The condition advances in some people and it is important to understand the factors that contribute to disease progression. Until recently, NAFLD was considered rare and relatively harmless but now it is one of the most common forms of liver disease that may progress to cirrhosis a serious life threatening chronic liver disease.

 

 

 

Pregnant women should avoid high fat diet since it could lead to a liver disease.

 

 

Professor Christopher Byrne, with colleagues Dr Felino Cagampang and Dr Kim Bruce, of the University’s School of Medicine and researchers at King’s College London, conducted the study, funded by the BBSRC. Prof Byrne explained: "This research shows that too much saturated fat in a mother’s diet can affect the developing liver of a fetus, making it more susceptible to developing fatty liver disease later in life.
An unhealthy saturated fat-enriched diet in the child and young adult compounds the problem further causing a severe form of the fatty liver disease later in adult life."
The next stage of this research, also funded by the BBSRC, will be to understand, more precisely, the reason why fatty liver disease develops and to intervene to prevent the fatty liver disease occurring.
The University’s School of Medicine has a worldwide reputation for its pioneering research into the relationship between mothers’ diets in pregnancy and future health problems in their offspring.

 

 

 

Patients suffering from diabetes had reasons to be happy these days.
A recent medical study has shown that grapes had some substance that could help prevent and cure diabetes.
According to the research, a naturally produced molecule called resveratrol, found in the skin of red grapes, has been shown to lower insulin levels in mice when injected directly into the brain, even when the animals ate a high-fat diet.
The study s from a new UT Southwestern Medical Center study suggest that when acting directly on certain proteins in the brain, resveratrol may offer some protection against diabetes. Prior research has shown that the compound exerts anti-diabetic actions when given orally to animals with type 2 diabetes (non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus), but it has been unclear which tissues in the body mediated these effects.
Dr. Roberto Coppari, assistant professor of internal medicine at UT Southwestern explained their research shows that the brain plays an important role in mediating resveratrol’s anti-diabetic actions, and it does so independent of changes in food intake and body weight.
Coppari added these animals were overrun with fat and many of their organs were inflamed.
He said  when we delivered resveratrol in the brain, it alleviated inflammation in the brain.
He revealed the main reason is that resveratrol does not cross the blood brain barrier efficiently.
"In order for the brain to accumulate the same dose of resveratrol delivered in our study, the amounts of red wine needed daily would surely cause deleterious effects,especially in the liver," Coppari said.
Coppari said their study points out that resveratrol’s analogs that selectively target the brain may help in the fight against diet-induced diabetes."

 

 

 

 

A latest medical study has shown that grapes could help prevent and cure diabetes.
 

 

 

For the study, the researchers investigated what happens when resveratrol acts only in the brain. Specifically, they wanted to know whether resveratrol injected in the brain activated a group of proteins called sirtuins, which are found throughout the body and thought to underlie many of the beneficial effects of calorie restriction. Previous animal research has shown that when these proteins are activated by resveratrol, diabetes is improved. In addition, drugs activating sirtuins currently are being tested as anti-diabetic medications in human trials, Coppari said.
In one group of animals, researchers injected resveratrol directly into the brain; another group received a saline-based placebo. All the surgically treated animals consumed a high-fat diet before and after the surgery.
Coppari said the insulin levels of the animals treated with the placebo solution rose increasingly higher post-surgery. "That’s a normal outcome because insulin sensitivity decreases the longer you keep an animal on a high-fat diet."
Insulin levels in the mice given resveratrol, however, actually started to drop and were halfway to normal by the end of the five-week study period, even though the animals remained on a high-fat diet.
In addition, the researchers found that resveratrol did indeed activate sirtuin proteins in the brain.
Coppari said the findings support his team’s theory that the brain plays a vital role in mediating the beneficial effects of resveratrol and that manipulation of brain sirtuins also may have other beneficial outcomes. "By knowing that the central nervous system is
involved, pharmaceutical companies can begin to focus on developing drugs that selectively target sirtuins in the brain," he said.
The next step, Coppari said, is to determine precisely which neurons in the brain are mediating the effects of the resveratrol.
Other UT Southwestern researchers involved in the study include Drs. Giorgio Ramadori, Laurent Gautron and Teppei Fujikawa, postdoctoral researchers in internal medicine; Dr. Claudia Vianna, instructor of internal medicine; and Dr. Joel Elmquist, professor of internal medicine and director of the Center for Hypothalamic Research at UT Southwestern.
The study was supported by the American Heart Association, National Institutes of Health and the American Diabetes Association.

 

 

 

MEDICAL experts called on the people around the world to always use soap while doing some hand wash to get rid of bacteria and germs.
The experts said washing with the aid of soap will not at all help since it does not get rid of microbes.
They revealed to kills germs and bacteria the best thing to do is to rinse the hands after using soap.
According to their study, the experts also discovered that touching the sink faucet, which is one of the dirtiest things in a restroom people could be adding even more germs to their hands.
A poll conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of LifeBridge Health reveals that when in a public restroom without soap or towels, 74 percent of American adults who use public restrooms would rinse their hands with water and let them air dry.
"They might as well not even bother," says John Cmar, M.D., an internist at LifeBridge Health’s Sinai Hospital of Baltimore and expert on infectious diseases. "Washing with water alone does not get rid of microbes the action of working up a lather with soap, and then rinsing it off, is what washes them away. Plus, by touching the sink faucet one of the dirtiest things in a restroom these people could be adding even more germs to their hands."
The survey examined 2,257 U.S. adults aged 18+, of whom 2,208 use public restrooms.

 

 

 

To ensure germs and bacteria could not harm your body always use soap regularly.

 

 

The poll also revealed that only 12 percent of public restroom users would immediately go find another place to wash their hands in that situation, though that number increases to 17 percent among those aged 18 to 44 and 19 percent among females in that same age range.
Six percent of males aged 18 to 34 who use public restrooms said if there were no soap or paper towels in a public restroom then they would
give themselves a "free pass" and not wash their hands at all. This self-reported number is much lower than what past observational studies have revealed; an August 2007 study (1) conducted in four U.S. cities observed 34 percent of men (presumed to be aged 18+) neglecting to wash their hands at all in public restrooms, despite the availability of soap, towels and running water.
"To avoid getting sick, it is critical that people know how to wash their hands the right way," says Jackie Daley, director of Infection Prevention and Control at Sinai Hospital. "Many people think the water temperature kills the germs on their hands, but water from a faucet could never get hot enough to do that," she says. "The keys are the soap, the length of scrubbing time and drying your hands thoroughly with towels afterwards." Daley stresses that people need to scrub their hands with soap and water for at least 15 to 20 seconds about the time it takes to sing "Happy Birthday" through twice. If soap and water are not available, then an alcohol-based hand rub will work to destroy germs.

 

 

A latest medical study have shown that air pollution could lead to appendicitis.
The research, made by researchers at the University of Calgary, University of Toronto and Health Canada, looked at 5191 adults admitted to hospital in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Fifty-two per cent of admissions occurred between April and September, the warmest months of the year in Canada during which people are more likely to be outside.
The dominant theory of the cause of appendicitis has been obstruction of the appendix opening, but this theory does not explain the trends of appendicitis in developed and developing countries. Appendicitis cases increased dramatically in industrialized countries in the 19th and early 20th centuries, then decreased in the middle and late 20th century, coinciding with legislation to improve air quality. The incidence of appendicitis has been growing in developing countries as they become more industrialized.
Using Environment Canada’s air pollution data for Calgary, the researchers determined the levels of ozone, nitrogen dioxide and other air-borne pollutants along with temperature.

 

 

 

The public needs to be careful since new pieces of evidence have shown that air pollution could lead to appendicitis.

 

They found correlations between high levels of ozone and nitrogen dioxide and the incidence of appendicitis between age groups and genders. More men than women were found to have the condition.
"For unexplained reasons, men are more likely than women to have appendicitis," write Dr. Gilaad Kaplan of the University of Calgary and coauthors. "Men may be more susceptible to the effects of outdoor air pollution because they are more likely to be employed in outdoor occupations," although they note that misclassifications of data could explain some of the difference.
While it is not known how air pollution may increase the risk of appendicitis, the authors suggest pollutants may trigger inflammatory responses. They recommend further studies to determine the link.