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."

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.

Who says it is better to find medical cure in the past than today?
A recent analysis has found that adolescents and young adults who were recently diagnosed with blood-related cancers have
better long-term survival rates than those who were diagnosed in the 1980s.
Based on the study it was uncovered that significant advances have been made in the treatment of 15 to 24 year-olds with leukemias and lymphomas; however, survival rates in this age group are
still lower than those seen in younger children.
It is said that few studies have looked at trends in the long-term survival of adolescents and young adults with blood-related cancers, which include Hodgkin’s lymphoma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, acute myeloblastic leukemia, and chronic myelocytic leukemia.
To get the data, Dianne Pulte, MD, of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, and her colleagues analyzed data from the Surveillance,
Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, which is a population-based cancer registry in the United States.
The team then compare survival rates of young patients diagnosed in recent years with those diagnosed two decades ago.

Those who are suffering from leukemia and lymphoma find better cure today than in the past.

Based on the information they gathered from SEER data from 1981-1985 with data from 2001-2005, they found that survival significantly improved in each of the five blood-related malignancies.
The researchers revealed the 10-year survival rates increased from 80.4 percent to 93.4 percent among adolescents and young adults with Hodgkin’s lymphoma; from 55.6 percent to 76.2 percent for non-Hodgkin’s
lymphoma; from 30.5 percent to 52.1 percent for acute lymphoblastic leukemia; from 15.2 percent to 45.1 percent for acute myeloblastic leukemia; and from 0 percent to 74.5 percent for chronic myelocytic leukemia.
Furthermore, the researchers also that survival improved steadily over the two decades for the lymphomas and chronic myelocytic leukemia, but survival was stable during the late 1990s and early 21st century for the
acute leukemias.
In addition, the exception of Hodgkin’s lymphoma, survival in adolescents and young adults still lags behind survival in children and, in the case of acute myeloblastic leukemia, even behind survival in older adults.
The researchers explained the persistent lower survival rates for adolescents and young adults with acute leukemias compared with children with these diseases remain a major challenge.
They said more research into how to treat these diseases and how to make sure that all patients have access to the best treatment is needed.
 

Pregnant women should eat nutritious foods during their pregnancy to ensure their baby will be healthy and have the right weight upon birth.
A recent study has shown that those babies who are born with low birth weight are at higher risk of suffering from kidney disease in the future.
According to the study, parents of newborns who tip the scales at less than 5 ½ pounds should put some heavy thought to a possible future consequence: kidney disease.
Based on the same study it was also discovered that low birth weight babies have a 70% greater risk of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD) in later life.
The latest statistics taken from the National Kidney Foundation have shown that 26 six million American adults have CKD and millions of others are at increased risk.
Dr. Kerry Willis, National Kidney Foundation Senior VP for Scientific Activities said High risk groups include those with diabetes, hypertension or a family history of kidney disease.
Lead researcher, Sarah L. White, MPH of the George Institute and the University of Sydney in Sydney, Australia for her part revealed experimental studies suggest that restricted growth of a fetus in the womb can interfere with normal kidney development
and result in fewer and smaller filtering units, or nephrons, at birth.
White added those with low birth weight may therefore be vulnerable to accelerated loss of kidney function later on as a result of any additional injuries to the kidney caused, for example, by accidents, infections or the presence of other risk factors such as diabetes.

Pregnant women should strive hard to keep their babies healthy upon birth to protect them from possible kidney disease in the future.

 

In their study, researchers also found a connection between low birth weight and subsequent development of end-stage kidney disease, or kidney failure.
Additionally, in comparing data from two large twin studies, investigators found significant differences in kidney function between members of the same set of twins where one twin was smaller, but not among different sets of twins.
The researchers said this suggests that the association between birth weight and kidney function is more closely connected with fetoplacental factors affecting intrauterine growth than with maternal or genetic factors.
White explained despite the association between low birth weight and risk of chronic kidney disease in later life, early detection and management of chronic kidney disease and its risk factors are highly effective in preventing adverse outcomes.
She added people who were very small at birth should avoid obesity that could lead to diabetes, maintain regular physical activity, avoid medications that could be toxic for the kidneys and see their doctors for simple assessment of chronic kidney disease including blood pressure measurement, a dipstick test for urinary protein and a blood test of serum creatinine level.

Those individuals who love to regularly check their body weight better consult a doctor now since such actions are strong signs they could be suffering from eating disorders.
A noted psychologist revealed those persons who weigh themselves at frequent intervals, sometimes many times a day could be suffering from a form of eating disorder.
Dena Cabrera, PsyD, a noted psychologist at the Remuda Programs for Eating and Anxiety Disorders revealed those people who regularly check their fatness, bones and any physical change in their body to subconsciously or consciously motivate their eating disorder behavior.
Cabrera explained those persons who frequently examined their weight and body become obsessed with the daily weight fluctuations that are a normal part of the body and would otherwise pass unnoticed.
Cabrera added the movements on the scale then determines their mood and eating patterns.

Do you love to regularly check your body weight? If your answer is yes, better seek medical help since you could be suffering from eating disorders.

She said body checking is influential in maintaining dissatisfaction with shape and appearance.
The noted psychologist identified other common behaviors associated with body checking such as looking in the mirror (or at reflective surfaces); measuring body parts with tape measures or hands; pinching or touching body parts; assessing the tightness of
particular items of clothing or accessories; looking down at one’s body and touching collar bones to check for boniness.
Furthermore, Cabrera said there is a need to assess the time spent on body/weight checking behavior as well as the consequences to determine if there needs to be a change in behavior.
Cabrera said most of the time body/weight checking needs to be stopped in an effort to uncover other influential factors that may trigger eating disorder behaviors, such as emotional regulation issues, trauma and maturity fears.
She hoped her study would serve as driving force to those persons who love to regularly check their weight to be more vigilant so that they would not suffer from eating disorders.

Pregnant women around the world better be careful since their babies would most likely suffer autism if they experience some complications during pregnancy.
Based on the study conducted by trusted researchers they discovered six pregnancy-related factors that could lead to autism on their children.
The researchers found that the factors most strongly associated with an increased autism risk are:
- Being born to an older mother or father.
- Having a mother who was born abroad.
- Having a mother who experienced bleeding during pregnancy.
- Having a mother who experienced gestational diabetes.
- Having a mother who used medication during pregnancy.
- Being the first born - or later born in families where there are three or more children.
The researchers explained increased maternal age might be associated with autism because of a higher risk of chromosomal abnormalities in eggs.
On the other hand, mothers who are born in another country may not have natural resistance to infections in the country where they give birth, which may increase the risk for autism.

Pregnant women should take precautions to avoid complications during pregnancy to avoid chances that their babies will suffer from autism.

Moving to another country may also put women under stress, which could increase their chances of having a child who develops autism.
Bleeding during pregnancy, gestational diabetes and medication use are also associated with increased autism risk. Bleeding can cause foetal hypoxia (lack of oxygen to the brain of an unborn child). Women who develop diabetes during pregnancy experience hormonal and metabolic changes, which may affect their baby’s health and development. Foetal development may also be affected by some medications, which can cross the placenta during pregnancy.
Furthermore, the researchers said the association between birth order and autism risk is unclear.
However, children with autism are more likely to be the first-born in families with only two children. In larger families with three or more children, they are more likely to be born later.
 It is possible that parents decide not to have more children after one has developed autism.
The researchers said there was "insufficient evidence" to point to any one prenatal factor as being particularly significant.
However, they said there is some evidence to suggest that exposure to pregnancy complications in general may increase the risk of autism.

According to a recent study, babies born to women suffering from depression are more likely to suffer sleeping problems.
Based on the research conducted by medical experts it was discovered that babies are more likely to have night walking at both 6 months and 12 months of age if they are born to women who suffered from anxiety or depression prior to the pregnancy.
The researchers said the result of the study indicate that preconceptional psychological distress - anxiety or depression - was a strong predictor of infant night waking, independent of the effects of postnatal depression, bedroom sharing and other confounding factors.
The team also found out that significant psychological distress prior to conception was associated with a 23-percent increased risk of infant night walking at 6 months of age and a  22-percent increased risk at 12 months of age.
The researchers revealed, frequent, disruptive night walking in the latter period of the first year of life are clinically relevant because they predict sleep problems at three years of age, which in turn are associated with behavioral problems.
They said during early childhood development, poor sleep quality also may affect learning abilities.
It was also discovered that infant night walking also disrupt a mother’s sleep, which predicts maternal mood, stress and fatigue.
The researchers gathered the data from 874 women between 20 and 34 years of age in the city of Southampton, U.K wherein before becoming pregnant the women completed the General Health Questionnaire, a 12-question screening instrument that detects depression and anxiety disorders.

Pregnant women need to avoid depression to avoid chances that their babies would suffer from sleeping problems.
 

Twenty-nine percent of the women were classified as having significant psychological distress.
When their baby was 6 months and 12 months of age, the women reported how often, their child had awakened on average between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m. each night during the last two weeks. The percentage of children who woke at least once each night was higher among women with psychological distress prior to the pregnancy, both at 6 months of age (52 percent vs. 43 percent) and 12 months of age (46 percent vs. 36 percent).
Furthermore, the researchers said untreated infant sleep problems could become chronic, with implications for the mental health and well-being of both the child and the mother.
The researchers added the difficulties of mothers who are already vulnerable to anxiety and depression will be exacerbated if they also are deprived of sleep.
The team believe recognizing and treating psychological distress before, during and after pregnancy may promote improved infant sleep.

To those people who are easily get depressed it is time to cheer up and avoid sadness and sorrow.
This developed after a recent study by researchers revealed that those people suffering from depression have strong tendencies to also be inflicted with the deadly Alzheimer’s disease.
Alzheimer’s disease, which is named after the German physician Alois Alzheimer who first described it in 1906, is the most common form of dementia, accounting for 50 to 70 per cent of cases.
It is a progressive and fatal brain disease with no cure and the 7th leading cause of death in the US.
Alzheimer’s destroys brain cells, causing problems with memory, thinking and behavior that impair ability to work, relate to others, enjoy hobbies and get on with every day life.
The National Institute on Aging reports that according to recent estimates, as many as 2.4 to 4.5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s.
The astounding medical discovery was made possible through the study conducted by Dr. Po H Lu, assistant professor of neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), and colleagues.

It is time to cheer up for depressed persons to avoid strong chances of suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

In order to gather the data, Lu and his team closely monitored 756 people between 55 and 91 years of age who had Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), a form of depression for three years.
According to the information gathered by the researchers it was discovered that participant’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s went up by 3 per cent for each point increase on the depression test.
With the result of their research, Lu and his team came to the conclusion that the results suggest that depression is predictive of progression from amnesic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) to Alzheimer disease (AD).


 

According to a recent study, those people who are depressed have higher tendencies of suffering from chronic pain.
Based on the study conducted by the Wayne State University they found out that the incidence of chronic pain, defined as pain persisting for six months, was 22 percent.
The researchers revealed approximately 35 percent of those with chronic pain had depression, but mood problems were not associated with a particular pain condition or pain site.
The researchers gathered their data on 1,100 Michican residents who volunteered to take part of the study.
The team studied several demographic factors and found that older age was generally related to chronic pain but with comorbid depression.
They noted that depression tends to decrease with age while pain tends to increase.
Evaluating the data they gathered, the researchers concluded that in middle-age women chronic pain might not be the cause of depression but pre-existing mood problems could be associated with development of chronic pain. They further concluded that depression could increase vulnerability to experiencing persistent pain.

People should avoid depression since such a condition could lead to chronic pain.

Moreover, the researchers believe the study also showed that African Americans were more likely to have chronic pain with depression than Caucasians.
The group revealed further analysis showed that racial differences were not attributable to possible socioeconomic factors but might be associated with differences in the use of pain coping strategies.
They believe though income was not a significant risk factor for the study, the authors indicated that occupational factors, such as physically demanding work and poor or no health insurance coverage, may account for the link between lower socioeconomic status and pain, and that financial strain and stress are closely linked with depression.
From the data they discovered, the authors recommend that clinicians screen pain patients for depression and pay close attention to middle-age women and African Americans for whom risk for comorbid depression is the highest.

A recent study has revealed that patients who suffer severe stress and anxiety linked with having and undergoing treatment for coronary heart disease could find relief in music.
Yes, you heart it right music, researcher were able to found out in its research that listening to music could decrease blood pressure, heart rate, and levels of anxiety in heart patients.
Joke Bradt, one of the researchers who works at the Arts and Quality of Life Research Center at Temple University in Philadelphia said their findings suggest music listening may be beneficial for heart disease patients
Bradt said living with heart disease is extremely stressful since the uncertainties and anxieties surrounding diagnosis and the various medical procedures involved in treatment can significantly worsen the condition.
He said despite this situation, there is still hope since their study yielded results that music listening may help to alleviate stress and therefore reduce this risk.

Based on a recent study listening to music could be an affective cure against heart disease.

The researcher revealed he and his team reviewed data from 23 studies, which together included 1,461 patients.
He said two studies focused on patients treated by trained music therapists, but most did not, using instead interventions where patients listened to pre-recorded music on CDs offered by healthcare professionals.
He added listening to music provided some relief for coronary heart disease patients suffering from anxiety, by reducing heart rate and blood pressure.
Furthermore, Bradt said there was also some indication that music listening improved mood, although no improvement was seen for patients suffering from depression due to the disease.
Bradt explained music can impact on our emotions, our physiological responses, as well as our outlook on life, and this early research shows that it is well worth finding out more about how it could help heart disease patients.
He said it would be interesting to learn more about the potential benefits of music offered by trained music therapists, which may be differ substantially from those associated with pre-recorded music.
Heart patients seeking cheap but effective cure in their ailment could start listening to music now.