Depression & Obesity

Depression is a very serious problem that is present in a lot of individuals throughout the world. It is very important for the people throughout the world to understand that there are a lot of people around them who are going through these feelings and they should be the ones who get the support from their family and friends and peers so that they are able to live a better life and are able to get themselves out of the clouds of dark. In this article we are going to discuss the relationship of depression and obesity.

Since depression is such a disastrous problem where the individual is just cocooned inside them, but if this is coupled with the obesity then it can be said very easily that this lethal combination can just lower down the life expectancy to a decade or so. Obesity is a chronic disorder and it affects millions and millions of Americans and is caused by a variety of factors. Obesity poses serious health risks and causes a lot of health problems that include coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, cancer, sleep apnea, decreased mobility, joint problems, vascular problems, etc. Obesity alone accounts for about $100 billion in the health sector and the numbers are increasing at a very high speed.

It is not only the adults who are affected with obesity with depression, but there are also a lot of children who are victimized by this disease. The researchers who have been working on this subject have found that there are a lot of psychological factors that are involved in the relationship of this problem. They said that the families who are living in a very high stressed environment where the parents are in a constant fight with abusing each other verbally or physical abuse leads to the kids who are very depressed and this just have a very strong influence on the appetite of these children. In reaction to the abuse that they have to go through just leads them to be depressed and in order to combat the negative feelings, the kids just have then increased appetite to overcome those feelings that they are going through.

There was a study that was conducted on about 1000 children who were from the ages of 9 to 16 years.

The researchers said that there is a hormonal pathway that is a link between the obesity and the depression, which is known as the hypothalamus, pituitary and adrenal, which is also known as HPA axis. The researchers commented that there is a connection between these endocrine glands, which regulate the production of a lot of hormones through them, and the secretion of one hormone affects the secretion of another hormone and thus there is a process of check and balance between the different hormones. They also stated that this hormonal axis is also responsible for the release of the hormone called cortisol, which is the stress hormone, and this plays a very important role in the metabolism of energy along with many other functions. When an individual is under stress, there is a response being sent to the adrenal gland to secrete cortisol and this hormone causes the deposition of the fat around the abdomen, and this pattern of fat deposition is very damaging to health. It must also be noted here that the presence of the chronic stress also can emanate depression, which is only going to worsen the situation.
The researchers said that the presence of obesity, depression, as well as other behavioral disorders are also the cause of the abnormal functioning of the HPA axis and this is believe to cause obesity. This is a very complex problem and is thought to be a combination of both the social and biological factors. It is very difficult to asses that depression caused obesity or the obesity caused depression because both overlap with each other and it is really difficult to determine as to what started first, but in whatever the case both are very lethal problems and both need to be addressed as soon as possible because there is a lot of work that is needed to be done to get out of the depressed feelings as well as to control the major factors that are causing obesity. If this problem is being seen through the pathways, it is seen that when the individual is depressed, this just totally disrupts the pathway and causes the production of the stress hormones and thus causes obesity. On the other hand the obesity also disrupts the HPA axis and causes depression, therefore it is really important to combat one thing at a time, which will help to focus on the problem that is considered to be the primary factor by the physician or the psychologist who makes the diagnosis of the situation.

The researchers said that about 15% of the children who participated in the study were chronically obese and there were about 12% of the children who were obese at a point in time during their childhood or adolescence and they also added that in their perspective the situation of the children being obese and depressed was at very high rates as it was undertaken by the Disease Control Department.
The researchers also added that there are a lot of kids who are living an impaired quality of life and there is a high number of obese kids who belong in that category, this just not only put them at a health risk but also puts them at the risk of their lives. It was also added that the children who are obese, their quality of life is as bad as the kids who are suffering from cancer and that is something that needs to be taken that seriously and the researchers who were going through these researches were amazed to see the data that came up through studies that were being conducted. It is alarming for all of us and this is something that needs to be fixed as soon as possible because the future of a nation is with the future of the kids and their health is something that we need to care for.


Tags:  

Red Meat Causing Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreas is a very vital organ of our body and our body depends on this organ to transport the glucose into the cells and this is being done with a hormone known as insulin. If the cells of the pancreas are being burnt out by excess production of insulin then the body will lose a very major function of production of insulin into the blood that would cause the transportation of the glucose into the cells. In this article we will discuss on what pancreas is and what are the different functions of the pancreas and what happens if an individual goes through the cancer of the pancreas and a research that shows that pancreatic cancer can be caused by red meat.

The pancreas is about 6 inches long and it is pear in shape. Discussing the anatomical location of the pancreas, the pancreas is located behind the stomach and it has a collecting duct system that collects the secretions of the pancreas and then transports it to the second part of the duodenum, which is the first part of the small intestine. We can divide the pancreas into three different parts, the first part is the head of the pancreas, which is the broader part of the pancreas, the other part of the pancreas is known as the body and the third part of the pancreas is known as the tail.

Pancreas is a very important organ and it does a lot of major functions in our body. Pancreas produces enzymes that help us regulate the digestive tract with the enzymes such as lipase, protease, and amylase. There are also hormones that are being produced by the pancreas and they are known as the insulin and glucagons. The portion of the pancreas that produces the digestive juices is known as the exocrine area of the pancreas and about 95% of the cancers of the pancreas originate from the exocrine pancreas. On the other hand the other part of the pancreas that produces the hormones is known as the endocrine pancreas. It is that only about 5% of the cancers originate from the endocrine pancreas.
The cancer of the pancreas is a very lethal cancer because it just grows pretty aggressively and that it does not take much time to become a full blown metastatic cancer. Another very important thing that needs to be taken into account right now is that this cancer is just surrounded by a lot of different organs such as stomach, small intestine, bile duct, which is a tube that is originating from gallbladder and that joins along with the duct of the pancreas and then opens into the second part of the duodenum, another organ that makes the bed of the pancreas is spleen, which functions to store the red blood cells and stores the red cells and also causes filtration of the red cells.

The most hazardous thing about the pancreatic cancer is that it just grows at a very fast pace and that it just invades the other organ structures around it and causes the spread of the cancer and that is something that is truly devastating for that individual. Like every disease, the cancer of the pancreas also shows its signs and symptoms that includes loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, loss of weight, pain in the upper abdomen, jaundice, as well as radiation of pain to the back. It must be noted here that these symptoms do not appear in the first phase of the cancer and becomes evident in the later stages and this makes it a very horrible disease, because since it spreads so fast in the body, it lessens the chances of survival of the individual.

If you are suffering from any symptoms that are being described as above, then it is recommended that you should get yourself examined by your doctor as soon as possible because these symptoms might represent pancreatic cancer. Your doctor will be sending you for the ultrasound examination and if there are any growths in the pancreas, then they can be seen through the ultrasound examination. Other investigations that can follow an ultrasound examination include a CT scan, as well as an MRI, which is also known as the magnetic resonance imaging. Another test that is done to check the status of the pancreas is the endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography through which a dye is being injected into the pancreas and the substance (tissue) of the pancreas can be seen and with the help of it, a biopsy can be performed, and then the tissue that is being drawn is stained and looked under a microscope to see if there are any signs of malignant cells in the specimen obtained. The test known as percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography is done to find out the cancer of the pancreas and along with that there can be seen as to what are the different ducts that are being blocked.

The cancer is being treated through different approaches depending upon the age of the individual, whether they are on any therapies or are undergoing through any other diseases. The first approach that can be adopted if the individual is healthy can be the excision and removal of the gland so that the tumor cells do not progress to any other organs that are close to the pancreas, another approach can be to treat the individual with the chemotherapy or the radiotherapy and these decisions can be taken by a physician or a board of the physicians to discuss and see as to what are the best approaches and the best medicines that can be started so that every thing is discussed in detail in the best possible interest of the individual.

There are other researchers that are being carried out to know as to what are the different things that can cause pancreatic cancer and it was found that the individuals who eat red meat are at high risk of developing pancreatic cancers. The researchers conducted a study in which there were about 61,000 women. These women were followed for over 17 years and it was being studied as to what effects they had with the use of fish, poultry and egg consumption. Along the passage of time it was being found that there were about 172 women who were being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The researchers went into studying the things as to what were the reasons that these women developed pancreatic cancer and it was found that these women were eating red meat over a long period of time whereas on the other hand the women who were using poultry were at a low risk of developing a pancreatic cancer. It was also found that there was no association of pancreatic cancer with the processed meat, fish or the eggs.

This study is going to help a lot in the better understanding of the development of the pancreatic cancer, as this is very important to understand the causes and to prevent that there is a large scale education that needs to be transferred to a lot of individuals so that they can understand that a healthy diet can prevent the development of pancreatic cancer and can save lots of people who can fall victim to this horrible disease.


Tags:  

Obesity Poses A Recurrent Risk For Prostate Cancer

Prostate is a male reproductive gland that functions to produce the fluid for the semen and that functions to transport the sperm during the male orgasm. If we study the structure of the prostate gland, it is being made of about 30% muscular tissue and the rest of it is glandular tissue. The prostate gland is present at the neck of the bladder and then it opens into the urethra to pass on the prostatic secretions along with the semen to add bulk to it. It is being reported that by the age of 70, almost all men have a little enlargement of the prostate. If that enlargement is not significant enough, then there are no symptoms that are evident, but if the enlargement becomes significant then it presents itself in the obstruction of the urethra, which in turn leads to the obstruction of the urine, which is a serious condition and that is something that is an acute condition and needs to be resolved immediately because the urine gets collected more and more in the urinary bladder and then the urinary bladder becomes distended and the urine needs to be taken out of the bladder or the bladder could get ruptured and the bladder distension itself is a pretty painful condition.

This prostate enlargement should not be considered as a cancer of the prostate because there is another condition of the prostate that exists known as the benign prostatic hyperplasia also known as the BPH or it could be prostatitis. Benign prostatic hyperplasia is not cancer but is a benign condition, however, the benign prostatic hyperplasia as well as the prostate cancer are the conditions that can coexist together. Benign prostatic hypertrophy beings in men over the age of 50 and the symptoms that are caused because of it includes a weak urinary stream, difficulty to initiate the urinary stream, frequent urination, frequent awakening at night to urinate, incomplete bladder emptying sensation or complete inability to urinate.

Until and unless the symptoms start to occur because of the benign prostatic hyperplasia, the doctors do not think that the treatment is necessary for the benign prostatic hyperplasia, but if the symptoms are occurring then the treatment is required. This condition can be treated with the medications, as well as nonsurgical procedures that are done to remove the excess tissue such as the heat procedure.
There have been researches that are done and it has been found that the men who are obese are at an increased risk of recurrence of the cancer even if they have undergone the radiotherapy and the chemotherapy for the prostate cancer. The researchers said that there are a lot of mechanisms in which the obesity can promote the development and the progression of the cancer. They added that this combination or link of obesity with different cancers is being established by studying the different populations, experimentations and doing clinical researches on humans.

The studies have been carried out in which they have mentioned that the prostate cancers are present in the countries and the socioeconomic groups where the diet is rich in sugar, fat, red meat and is pretty less in the fiber, fruits, as well as the vegetables. Since it has been found out that the cancer is linked to obesity, there have also been studies that have proved along with time that the individuals who have been going through cancer and have been able to fight well against the cancer and are able to have been cured from that are at an increased risk of developing the cancer again if they are following a trend of gaining weight and are getting obese at a very high rate. Controlling the weight not only improves the chances of not having a recurrent cancer, but it also improves the quality of life of the individuals who are suffering from diabetes or other cardiovascular diseases.

There are many cancers that are known to occur because of the excess of fatty tissue inside the body. There are a lot of hormones that are involved in obesity and they play a role in the initiation and the promotion of the cancer at almost all levels. There are about four mechanisms that are being known in which the increased hormone secretion can cause promotion of cancer development. In the first mechanism, obesity leads to the production of the growth promoting steroid hormones and these can bind to the nuclear receptors in the hormone dependent tumor cells. The second mechanism is that the free hormone levels are affected by hormone-hormone interactions as in the case where the upper body obesity is associated with the reduced sex hormone binding globulin levels that leads to the increased free levels of circulating estrogen and testosterone. The third mechanism is that the steroid hormone action can trigger increased oxidant stress promoting cell proliferation and DNA damage. It has been known that the androgens have shown to increase the oxidant stress in the cancer cells of the prostate and that the defensive process to combat the oxidant effects that are shown to be impaired during the early phase of the cancer.

Therefore it is being shown that the paracrine factors and the hormones that stimulate the production of the steroid hormones in the cancer tissue is increased in obesity. It is also being noted that a lot of the paracrine factors that are the cytokines are being produced by the fat cells and the white blood cells. The increased levels of the cytokines are linked with obesity and these levels go down with weight loss. At earlier times, there were a lot of people who lost their lives to the infections, but these days the trend has changed and a lot of people are losing their lives to the diseases such as cancer and heart diseases.

The fact on which it is determined that the individual is overweight or underweight is the body mass index also known as the BMI, which is a ratio of height to weight. It was also found that the individuals who were obese were likely the ones who were diagnosed with prostate cancer at a younger age and these were mostly African Americans.

With this research, the scientists are hoping that they will be able to devise strategies with which they will be educating the masses between the link of obesity and the prostate cancer and what are the different possible ways with which they can take control of their increasing weight so that there is a lesser chance for them to develop the prostate cancer.


Tags:  

Antioxidants Help Adults Breathe Easier

There are a lot of people throughout the world who are suffering from the lung problems such as asthma, COPD etc. and there have been a severe decline in the normal respiratory capacity when these individuals are exposed to an allergenic environment. There have been a lot of researches that have been conducted and there have been a lot of new medicines that have been brought out in the market that have helped millions of people throughout the world. There have been researches that have been still carried out to find as to what are the different ways that the people who are suffering from lung problems can benefit from those researches.

According to a latest research, the scientists have found that the beta-carotene that is present in the different foods can really help the individuals who are suffering from the lung function capacity either through the different lung problems or either through the declining lung capacity because of the age factor. In the study that was being carried out for well over ten years it was found by analyzing and comparing the breath tests of the different subjects that the individuals who have levels of beta carotene in their blood, which is an antioxidant have about 20% more lung function capacity than the individuals who had very low levels of the beta-carotene in their blood. It was also stated that increase in the levels of the beta-carotene counteracts the effect of one year of aging, which is a remarkable discovery in terms of benefiting millions of people throughout the world.

Another factor that really impairs the lung function capacity is the habit of smoking that is being done by millions and millions of people throughout the world. Smoking not only impairs the lung function capacity of the individuals, but also is a leading cause of cancer in these individuals. Thus in this study it was found that if the beta-carotene is combined with vitamin E, which is also an antioxidant, it was found that it prevented the decline of the lung function capacity due to smoking. There are a lot of smokers throughout the world and the smoking habits of these individuals vary, like there are people who smoke one pack per day, there are some who smoke two packs per day and there are some who smoke half a pack a day or even less. So, the effect of smoking in each of these individuals is different. Obviously the individuals who are smoking more are the ones who are at greater risk of smoking hazards in terms of decreased lung function capacity as well as developing cancer. According to the study it was found that the smokers who are smoking greater than a pack a day and they do not have good levels of beta-carotene as well as vitamin E levels in their blood are the ones who develop and show twice the decline in the lung function capacity. There are also physicians who stated that the smokers who want their lung function capacity to improve, must quit smoking because the right vitamins to improve the lung function cannot help them much.

The research that was conducted on finding that the antioxidants help improve the lung function capacity was conducted on about 1,194 individuals who were all adults and they were of the ages from about 22 to 44, were enrolled in the study. Out of these individuals there were about 40% of the individuals who were lifelong smokers. The data had been documented for all of the individuals throughout the study so that a proper comparison can be made and the conclusions can be derived from them so that it can be seen clearly as to what are the effects of these vitamins on the lung function capacity. When the lung function of these individuals was measured, it was done by doing a forced expiratory volume test, which is also denoted as FEV1, whereas 1 represents the forced expiratory volume in one minute time. The results that were derived from these tests showed that the beta-carotene truly protected the lung function capacity of the individuals over the span of eight years in the general population and it was also found that the individuals who were getting beta-carotene and vitamin E protected a lot of the lung function capacity of the individuals, which in general terms is pretty worse if seen in the general population who are heavy smokers and do not have enough beta-carotene and vitamin E in their blood.

A fact that is known regarding the lung function capacity is that the forced expiratory volume in one minute, (FEV1) decline gradually every year to about 29.8 milliliters. It is also a fact that is being brought into documentation, which shows that the individuals who have low beta-carotene and vitamin E in their blood levels are the ones who get a decline of about 36.5 milliliters after a year. It was also brought into light that the individuals who are obese are the ones who suffer the most in terms of rapid lung function capacity every year and that the beta-carotene can really help these individuals to overcome the hazards of decreased lung function capacity so that these individuals live their life at the fullest and prevent themselves from gradually deteriorating health.

This research was conducted on the theoretical basis in which the researchers believed that the oxidative stress might contribute to the obstruction of the airway over time and that is why they started looking at the blood levels to see as to how much of the level of the antioxidants is present in the blood of the individuals and what is the current lung function capacity of these individuals so that they can see whether their theory is correct. They mentioned that the beta-carotene and the vitamin E were the only antioxidants that have showed the benefit of preventing the decline of the lung capacity. It was also added that vitamin E was helpful only in the heavy smokers.

Along with the antioxidants that help the lungs, the researchers said that the importance of a healthy diet has its own ground, as these supplements alone cannot help to keep the lungs strong and healthy to perform their function at the same status over the long run. So the importance of a healthy diet has its own place and that the people who are suffering from the lung problems must take a healthy diet along with the antioxidants in a combination so that the best results can be achieved.

An important note that needs to be made here is that the individuals who want to start taking beta-carotene must consult their physicians first because the individuals who are high smokers and are taking high amounts of beta-carotene are the ones who are at twice the risk of developing the tobacco related cancers. The women who are non-smoking and take high doses of beta-carotene show a reduced risk of cancer.

This research is going to help millions of people throughout the world and they will be able to live a much better life than what they had been living for quite some time.


Tags:  

New Insight Into Parkinson

Parkinson’s disease is a neurological disorder in which the motor neurons are affected. In this disease the various muscle groups of the body are affected that ultimately causes the stiffness of the muscles, as well as slowness, there is increased difficulty in standing and there are tremors of the limbs. As this disease progresses, the situation and the quality of life of an individual worsens along with it and it becomes most difficult in terms of walking, talking, doing activities of daily living and this just gets worse and worse over time.

All the movement in our body is controlled through our brain. For us it is so simple that when we want to move one part of our body and we are able to move it, but this is really a very complex mechanism that involves so many neurochemicals, nerves, synapses and they all work as a team to perform one single movement. It is really important for us to understand as to how our brain controls the movement so that we are able to understand things in a better context. Our brain makes very complex decisions in terms of what muscles need to be used, what is the specific power that needs to be exerted, how to position the body while applying the power of the muscles, how to maintain that position, how to balance etc. and all these decisions are being taken by the brain thus making even the single movement quite complex.

This information is then relayed to the area of the brain, which is known as striatum, which is responsible to control the movement of the body. This area of the brain, which is striatum also works with another part of the brain known as the substantia nigra to control the body for balance and coordination. From these areas in the brain, the signals are then passed onto the spinal cord through the nerves and then are relayed onto the muscles, which will cause the movement to occur.

In order to understand as to how these nerves communicate with each other, we need to understand that the nervous system is composed of a large network of cells known as the nerve cells and these nerve cells then communicate with each other through the chemicals, which are known as the neurotransmitters and these neurotransmitters then carry the signals from one nerve to another through the synapses that is present between the nerve cells. Through these neurotransmitters the nervous system then communicates with the body muscles and then communicates the message of the brain to move with how much power and in what direction and what body position to maintain while applying the power of the muscle.

Another very important factor that needs to be mentioned here is that the most important messenger that is being produced in the brain is the dopamine that is being made in the substantia nigra. The dopamine is a very important neurotransmitter in terms of maintaining the human movement and helps to transmit the messages to the striatum to initiate and control the movement as well as the balance of the body. The main function of the dopamine neurotransmitter is that it causes the muscles to work smoothly and give the precise control that is needed to perform the precise function of the specific muscles.

The process with which the dopamine message is relayed is that the nerve cell produces the dopamine that is collected at the end of the nerve and then the dopamine is then secreted into the synapses and then these dopamine particles flow into the synapse to the other top end of the nerve fiber into the pockets that are present on the head of the nerve cell and stimulate that nerve cell, which then initiates the same process in the other cell and this information then passes on and on till it reaches the last nerve cells from where the action is carried out.

A very important factor that really needs to be taken into account is that the dopamine that was in the pocket of the adjacent nerve cell after being released into the synapse, then is being ejected out of the pocket so that there is not a continuous effect that stays there that causes a constant release of the dopamine from the successive nerve cells, therefore the dopamine is then ejected out and then it is being broken down by the chemical known as MAO-B. The breakdown of the dopamine is essential in order to produce the precise movement that is needed.

Along with the dopamine, another transmitter that works in conjunction is the acetylcholine. Both these neurotransmitters work in conjunction. The balance is being maintained when the acetylcholine and the dopamine are present in the equal amounts, because acetylcholine and dopamine work together and if the balance is being disturbed then the movement process is all messed up because acetylcholine causes the contraction of the muscles where as the dopamine works to antagonize that effect and that is how a balanced movement takes place to perform the exact movement that is needed at that point in time.

What happens in Parkinson’s disease is not yet fully understood but the research has revealed that the part of the brain that produces the dopamine just starts to decrease. The dopamine is being made in the substantia nigra. Due to the low amount of dopamine being produced as well as the phenomena with which the dopamine is being continuously broken down just keeps on depleting the dopamine and this results in a great loss of this neurotransmitter and the balance between the dopamine and the acetylcholine just gets disturbed in which the dopamine is depleting where as the acetylcholine is in the normal amounts. Since there is high quantity of acetylcholine present now, which is actually the normal amount, but has become quite high because of the low amount of the dopamine present, this just results in prolonged contractions of the muscles, which was before being balanced by dopamine by cutting down the effect of acetylcholine. High amount of acetylcholine results in the uncoordinated movements, tremors, stiff muscles and joints and difficulty ambulating.

The team of biologists that has been working on finding the right drug for the Parkinson’s disease have said that they have found a new insight into the development of a drug that would clearly help in providing a better life to a lot of individuals who are suffering from the Parkinson’s disease.

In the Parkinson’s disease, there is presence of proteins, known as Lewy bodies, which is a pathological finding that is being found under the microscope. It is these bodies that are known to be really toxic to the neurons. The scientists are not sure as to why these proteins clump in the nerve cells. This mysterious protein is known asn the alpha synuclein. The scientists have said that they think that the presence of these clumps of proteins might be due to the breakdown of the neurotransmitters in large amounts in the synapses and due to congestion of the traffic of these neurotransmitters, it is possible that these neurotransmitters just get clumped in the nerve cell. The scientists have been able to make reverse the damage in the laboratory organisms by inserting the genes that cancels out the synuclein.

They said that since they are able to achieve to degrade the clumps down, this is a major breakthrough that they have achieved and they believe that after subsequent researches they will be able to make the breakthrough that will help to degrade the clumps in the nerve cells and that would be able to help millions and millions of people throughout the world.


Tags:  

Link Between Parkinson’s And Pesticides

Parkinson’s is growing in a lot number cases that are emerging at a very high pace and it has been found that if this number grows the way it is increasing then it will very soon touch the figure of about 2 million in the coming years only in the US. These numbers are pretty alarming and there are a lot of scientists who are researching on the different things that can stop this disease and the serious effects of this illness, which cause an individual to be crippled totally. Parkinson’s is a neurological disorder and thus is eating out a lot of people each year. The quality of life of these people who are suffering from the Parkinson’s disease is just very poor where they are unable to do the activities of the daily living and thus are totally dependent on their loved ones to take their care. Parkinson’s slowly eat out the individual and therefore leads to a miserable end of an individual, which is very painful for the ones who are near that person. If we see around, we will find families here and there where there are individuals who are suffering from the Parkinson’s disease and if we meet those people, we can clearly see that they are going through a misery to see their loved one in the pain and suffering that he or she is going through, but they or the modern science cannot do anything for them and they are just waiting for that day where they would hear that there is a cure for this disease and they have a good chance of surviving as well as having a very good quality of life.

Parkinson’s disease is cause by the clumps of proteins that aggregate in the synapses of the nerves and these are caused by the degradation of the areas of the brain that make the neurotransmitter known as dopamine. Dopamine just balances out the motor function in the body along with the acetylcholine and its decreasing amount just leads to serious effects on the body, which includes the tremors, gait instability, slurring of speech, muscular stiffness and this is something that just worsens day by day. There are medicines that are being given that contains the dopamine and that slows down the disease process to some degree but the problem just slowly and gradually goes on till it impairs the functional capacity of an individual and leads them to live a terrible life.

The scientists are unable to understand as to what is the actual cause of the Parkinson’s disease that causes the damage of the areas of the brain that produces the dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain. There was a study that was conducted recently on rats in which it was found that if the rats are exposed to the pesticide for a long term, it kills the brain cells that have are producing the neurotransmitter, dopamine and thus it leads to the development of a problem known as Parkinson’s disease. This is a very important research that has shown us as to what is the thing that causes Parkinson’s in rats and they are yet to perform experiments on the humans to find whether that the pesticides have the same effect as they have on humans. The scientists are believing of what they have long thought of that the pesticides have toxins in them and that might be the cause of Parkinson’s in humans.

There was another account in which it was said that the pesticide that was used in the study, known as rotenone, is the pesticide that causes the Parkinson’s in the humans. The scientists believe that this study that was being conducted on the rats have suggested that it caused Parkinson’s and that these environmental toxins can contribute to the Parkinson’s and that just strengthens their belief in doing more researches to find that what are the specific toxins that can truly cause Parkinson’s in the individuals, which is the most common neurological disorder after the Alzheimer’s.

As far as now, there has been no cure for the Parkinson’s disease that has been found. There are new therapies that are being worked on and there are hopes that there would be a time, which should be soon when there would be a treatment that would be found for the Parkinson’s disease and there would be millions of people throughout the world who would be finding the benefit from that. The government has not been funding the experiments that have been using the embryonic tissues in their researches. It is a fact that in about 10 percent of patients, the disease Parkinson’s attacks before the age of 50.

It is being thought that the people in their 50s or 60s are more prone to develop Parkinson’s and this might be due to the chronic exposure of the toxins and among those chemicals include the pesticides, industrial chemicals, as well as tobacco. The experiment that the scientists conducted, they put in tiny pumps inside the rats and this just constantly gave out low doses of rotenone through the jugular veins for the period of about five weeks, whereas rotenone is an agricultural pesticide and is also used as an agent to kill the unwanted fish in the reservoirs. They added that this chemical is ingested frequently through food and can also be ingested by handling the compounds. The scientists added that they gave the rotenone through the jugular veins because the rats might not eat that and that would have been jeopardized the entire research project. They said that the rats gradually started to show the Parkinson’s symptoms because of the administration of that chemical.

By examination of the brain of the rats, it was found that the substantia nigra that is responsible to produce the dopamine was getting damaged and that the rats were not producing as much nicotine as they were before and their nerve cells were showing the protein deposits, which were like the Lewy body deposits, which are found in the cells of Parkinson’s patients.

The scientists added that they do not know as to how the rotenone caused the trigger of Parkinson’s in these rats but it was sure now that these toxic chemicals that are being used as pesticide can cause the development of a very dangerous neurological disorder among a lot of individuals and that can totally change their lives forever and that is the worst part of their lives and it was also said that it needs to seen as to what can be done in later years when it is sure that these pesticides cause Parkinson’s in the individuals because something needs to be done to replace them so that a large population can be prevented to suffer from this debilitating illness.

There was another study conducted in humans where the individuals who took part in the research were about 143,000 men and women and they had no disease at the time when they filled out the questionnaires until 2001. These individuals were asked about their jobs and the potential exposure to the hazardous chemicals. It was found that there were about 413 individuals who developed the Parkinson’s disease as these were the individuals who spent a lot of time near the pesticides. It was found that these individuals who did not have any exposure to the pesticides did not develop the Parkinson’s disease and then it was being suggested that we all should be very careful in our using the pesticides cause there is a relation that it causes Parkinson’s disease when it comes in contact in long term exposures.


Tags:  

Hyperactivity Treated With Fish Oil

The topic that we are going to discuss in today’s article is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and that it can be treated with fish oil. But before we share the study as to what was being found as to how the fish oil helped the people who were suffering from attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, we would like to focus on what attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is, so that you would have a general know how on this subject. Attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder is a condition in which the individual who is suffering from it just does not pay attention to their surroundings as to what is being said to them and they are hyperactive, as well as have emotional instability and poor coordination and impulsiveness and learning disorders.

The researchers added that this condition is very common in the children who are of school going ages and the incidence of this problem is between four and twenty percent. It is also being stated that this is not only present in children, but the adults are also affected by this disorder. It is being estimated that there are about two million children only in the US who are suffering from the attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, which is a very high figure. We can also understand that there is one child in a class of 25 students who is suffering from this disorder. Raising a child who is suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a challenge. It requires a lot of patience on part of parents who must know that their child is suffering from this disorder because he or she will not be listening to what their parents are saying and their parents should understand that they are actually suffering from a problem and it is because of that they will not listen to what they are talking about because he just does not have the proper attention to them. There is a large network of parents that a couple can connect to, to understand as to how the different parents are coping up and raising their kid who is suffering from this disorder. There are also guidance counselors, as well as the public education systems through which the parents can take their guidance from.

The children who are suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are hyperactive and impulsive as is being said earlier. They are always on a go, always moving around. They are just living in their own world and do what comes in their mind without giving a thought for a moment as to what would be the results of that. They are seen in a constant fidgety motion or one can find them talking to themselves on a continuous basis. They are always restless and just do not feel like interacting with their parents, they only do that when they want to.

The thing that we should remember is that we cannot label every kid who is showing the hyperimpulsivity as a child who is suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, but there is a set criteria that must be met before we can really label the kid as the one who is suffering from this illness. The main areas that are seen to see as to how the kid is performing in that area includes that this behavior must appear before the age of 7 and must continue for at least about 6 months. The child must be handicap in at least two of the situations in his or her life that includes the behavior in the school room, in the play ground, at home, in the community, as well as social settings. So if a child who is not keeping up with the homework, but is someone who has a network of friends cannot be labeled as the child who is suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. There has to be at least two of the criteria that must be met before the child is being labeled as having the disorder.

Before the parents think that their child is suffering from attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, it is really important that they consult a physician first because there are a lot of aspects that need to be seen before labeling the child as the one going through that disorder. The parents when feel that the child is going through that disorder, they can contact their pediatrician, which can then further direct the parents to the psychologist or the psychiatrist so that the diagnosis can be established in a proper time and the proper course of action can be taken.

It must be noted that the specialists such as psychologists can diagnose a child but they cannot prescribe them the medication, where as the psychiatrists can diagnose a child and they can also prescribe the medication as well. The specialist who makes the diagnosis, interviews the parents, teachers and the individuals who are associated with the child to assess as to when the problem started to arise and for how long this child has been suffering from the problems and what were the different behaviors that the child has been showing so as to clearly understand as to what are the different conditions and what are the different times in which the child is showing these attitudes before the psychologist or the psychiatrist can make their diagnosis that the child is suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

The major cause that is being described that leads to the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is that it is a genetic disorder and is being inherited, there is also evidence that the exposure to the tobacco smoke, as well as alcohol also poses a high risk of development of the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in the children during pregnancy. It is the boys who are more affected than the girls and the reason for that is established that the baby boys need three times more the essential fatty acids than the baby girls in order to achieve the normal neonatal and infant development.
According to the latest research it was found that the fish oil supplements can be a whole lot effective in managing the hyperactivity disorder in the children than taking the drugs of the stimulant category such as the Ritalin.

The research was conducted on about 132 children who were the ages of 7 to 12 years and were suffering from the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The children who were given a mix of omega 3 fatty acids and omega 6 fatty acids, primrose oil, about half of them were seen to have significant reduction in the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and this is a major breakthrough in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.


Tags:  

Protection against Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is mostly found in workers who work in the asbestos factory. Those living under the roof made up of asbestos are also liable to get this problem. Mesothelioma is a fatal disease that causes the mesothelium cells to multiply in an uncontrolled manner in the body. This is caused when a person is made to stay in an environment polluted with the asbestos fibrous particles. Most workers in the asbestos factory are prone to get this problem.

There are a few preventive measures that must be taken by every worker working in an asbestos grinding company. One should properly cover the body with cloth so that the asbestos particles do not stick to the body. The hairs and the eyes should also be covered. There should not be excessive asbestos pollution which might cause this problem. The clothes that are worn by those working in an asbestos grinding company should be nicely washed each time. The body parts and the hands should be thoroughly cleaned before eating so that any asbestos particle sticking to the hands are washed out. You can find more mesothelioma information on the Internet.

If you are working with such a company and are facing this disease you can sue the company and claim the reimbursement for the damage done to the body parts. Those who are suffering from this problem of mesothelioma can and must definitely file a petition to the government and claim the reimbursements and support for the cure of this deadly disease. You can take the help of the mesothelioma law firms to help you with preparing the case and presenting it in front of the court. The production of asbestos and its industrial usage should also be banned by the government to stop this problem from affecting others. The lawyers can help you get more information on the same.


Tags:  

A New Wonder For Migraine Sufferers

There are about more than 28 million Americans who are suffering from the migraine headaches and the women represent about three quarters of the above number whereas the men constitute only the one third. Migraine headache is very severe and leaves the individual totally crippled who is suffering from it. The migraine headaches are mostly preceded by an aura and the aura consists of tingling in the arms or legs, ringing in the ears, flashes of light etc., and there are certain signs and symptoms that are present during the episode of migraine that includes nausea, vomiting and high levels of sensitivity to the light and sound. The pain of migraine is so severe that it really incapacitates the individual for hours and can even prolong for days as well.

There have been a lot of medications that have been introduced for the treatment of migraine and they work effectively as well, but the people who are suffering from migraine headaches must get in touch with their doctors as soon as possible and if there is no help from the medications that they are getting, then they should make an appointment with the neurologist so that they are able to find as to what would be the right medication for them and in this article we are going to discuss a big breakthrough that is being made for the people who are suffering from the migraine attacks on and off and in lives of some people it is a constant thing that hurts them on a consistent basis.

Before we move on to tell you the new breakthrough regarding the treatment of migraine, we will explain on the different aspects of the migraines as to what are the different causes of the migraines that include a lot of different factors but the actual reason that causes the migraine headache is still not understood clearly. It is being thought by some researchers that the migraines are being caused by the changes in the trigeminal nervous system, which is a major pain pathway in our body, as well as the chemical imbalances in the brain such as serotonin, as the serotonin regulates the pain messages that are relayed through this pathway. The mechanism suggested that causes the headache is caused by the drop in the serotonin levels and when this happens, the trigeminal nerve releases chemical substances known as neuropeptides, which then travel to the brain and thus causes the blood vessels in the brain to dilate and cause inflammation, which result in the causation of headache.

Another theory that is being suggested is the drop in the levels of magnesium, which is a key ingredient in the normal functioning of a nerve cell and if the levels of the magnesium are dropped, then it causes the migraine headache, but the exact cause of the migraine headache is still a mystery and is still in the research phase so as to understand as to what is the exact mechanism that causes the migraine headache. Whatever the mechanism may be, there are a lot of factors that causes the trigger of migraine headaches that include hormonal changes in which when the balance of the estrogen and progesterone is changed, this leads to the triggering of the migraine headaches in a lot of women, therefore the development of migraines is closely linked to the start or end of their menstrual cycles. Other women report of migraine headaches when they are going through pregnancy or menopause.

There are also foods that cause the triggering of the headaches that include alcohol, chocolate, the foods that either pickled or marinated, aspartame, caffeine etc. It is also being said that the people who are in a habit of skipping their meals are the ones who are mostly suffering from the headaches. Along with the foods, another big cause for the development of migraine headaches is the stress, because migraine headaches are present in people who are working in either high stressed environment at work or at home or are suffering through any high level of stress in their life. Another factor that triggers migraine is the bright lights, unpleasant scents that can trigger migraines include perfumes or scent of flowers etc. There are physical factors that can trigger the migraine headaches and that include change in sleep patterns, sexual activity and changes in sleep patterns, as well as changes in the weather and medications can also trigger the migraine headaches.

Since migraine has been hurting the lives of a lot of people and preventing them to be able to live their life to the full, the researchers have been working on to find a way so that people are not suffering through the misery of the migraines. The researchers are currently working on a device that is handheld, which is about the size of a dryer, which transmits magnetic pulses and the mechanism with which it works is by short circuiting the path of the migraine by interrupting the activity inside the brain that is causing it.

The researchers conducted a study on a little number of patients and they added that the patients who were suffering from migraine headaches were given about two magnetic pulses to the back of their head and they said that the patients reported no pain or just a slight pain as compared to the individuals who took the placebo. These results are very encouraging and can literally change the lives of the people who are suffering from this problem. This device can be used by 28 millions American who are currently a victim to this dreaded headache.

It was found that the individuals who were suffering from the migraines when used this device, this greatly reduced the light sensitivity and the aura. They reported that the individuals who used the device had positive effects in the 84% of the patients who reported that they were not suffering through noise sensitivity about two hours later and only about 17% of the individuals who used placebo had reported that they do not have any noise sensitivity. About 70% of the individuals had no light sensitivity two hours later and only about 22% of people who used placebo had no light sensitivity issues.

A woman who has used the device said that her life has been turned upside down. Before using this device she was having migraine for about 14 to 16 days in a month with the migraine headache, but after using this device, her life started to function normally and she said that within about two hours time the sensitivity of the light went away as well as the sensitivity to sound and nausea also went away. She said that she is living her life in a more complete way now and things have been more bright and wonderful and she is not incapacitated with the migraine headaches any more.


Tags:  

Reduction Of Risk Of Cataracts Through Statins

There is a new breakthrough that is being brought up with the latest research that the statin medications reduce the risk of cataracts. This is an amazing breakthrough where a lot of people who are using the statin medications can now have a hope of reducing the risk of the cataracts. In this article we are going to discuss in detail about the different facts regarding the cataract, as well as the statin medications, as well as what did the researchers commented on the statin medications lowering the cataracts.

Cataracts are commonly considered by the people as a membrane that comes over the eye that reduces the vision of the individuals that causes them to see the images that are either double or blur. The cataract is not formed over the eye but is formed within the eye. In the cataract, there is clouding of the lens that is located behind the iris and is attached to it and is present in front of the vitreous humor. The lens is responsible to converge the image on the retina and that is how we are able to see the things in their right dimensions, but if the lens is being clouded then we are not able to see the objects, near of far. The lens is present in a capsule and as the old cells die, they are trapped within the capsule and with the passage of time these cells causes the lens to cloud and causes the vision to become poor. We can also say that the cataracts occur due to the result of aging in a lot of individuals. It is also best to mention here that the cataracts are a cause of loss of vision in about the individuals who are 55 years or older. The other factors that are known to cause cataracts are the eye injuries, medications as well as diabetes and alcoholism. There are millions of people throughout the world who are suffering from cataracts.

Now we will focus on the statins; the statins are drugs that are used to decrease the level of cholesterol in the blood. The statin medications that are used are known as simvastatin, whose brand name is Zocor and pravastatin, also known ans Lipostat. Now the question that arises is that why the different individuals need these drugs, the answer is very simple and that there are millions of people throughout the world who are suffering from cardiovascular diseases and millions die throughout the world because of heart attacks or strokes. The statin medications can reduce the risk of having heart attacks or strokes in many individuals and thus it increases the life expectancy in people who are suffering from heart diseases.

Now if we look into things a little further, we know that there are two types of cholesterol in the body, one is known as LDL, which is also known as the low density lipoproteins and the other is known as the HDL, which is also known as the high density lipoprotein. Now the low density lipoprotein is a bad cholesterol whereas the high density lipoprotein is known as the good cholesterol. The LDL cholesterol causes the arteries to block and thus results in impaired circulation to the heart as well as the brain and also to the different organ systems and due to the decreased blood flow to the heart, it causes the development of the cardiovascular diseases. If we think for a moment, the arteries that are supplying blood to the heart are blocked, then this can result in a heart attack. On the other hand if we look at the role of the high density lipoprotein or the HDL, we will see that it clears up the bad cholesterol and transports it to the liver where it is being broken down. Therefore when the blood is being checked for cholesterol, it is checked for LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, as well as the ratio of the HDL to the total cholesterol.
Now it is really important for us to understand that what kind of the diets are we eating every day, is our diet healthy or our diet is something that has a lot of bad fats in it, if we are eating the bad fats, we must know that this can be really harmful to our bodies and we can be one of the individuals who can be really affected from the bad cholesterol and this can be really damaging to our health in the longer run. Therefore we need to be wise in selecting our diets so that we make the right decisions and choices as to what we are eating.

The way the statin medications work is that they work by blocking an enzyme that works in the production of the LDL cholesterol, especially in the liver and this enzyme that works in the formation of the LDL cholesterol is known as the HMG CoA reductase and hence statins are the most effective medicines to stop the formation of the LDL cholesterol and thus lowers the levels of the LDL cholesterol in our body to a great degree. Thus the statin medications are for those people who are unable to control their high levels of LDL cholesterol through changes in their diet.

As there are benefits of the statin medications, there are also risks or side effects that are present as well, which includes headaches, insomnia, diarrhea, feeling of sickness, muscular pain, tenderness and weakness. There is also a word of advice that the doctors give that if the individual who is taking the statin medication experiences any muscle pain or weakness, then they should immediately contact their physicians. It is also being said that the individuals who are taking the statin medications they should take care if they have a history of liver problems or they have a history of high alcohol consumption. Those individuals who have liver problems, are pregnant, breast feeding or have severe kidney disease must avoid the statin medications.

Now since we now have a basic information of the cataracts and statin drugs, we will see as to how the statin medications reduce the risk of the cataracts. It was found in a study that the adults who were taking the statin medications were 45 percent less likely to develop the age related cataracts. This study was based on about 1299 individuals who were being followed for a span of about five years. It was found that the nuclear cataracts that affects the nucleus of the lens was diagnosed in about 12 percent of the statin users as compared to the 17 percent of people who were not using the statin drugs and thus the researchers concluded that the statin drugs result in the prevention of the nuclear cataracts in individuals who are taking it.

It was also revealed that the statin drugs have an antioxidant effect that reduces the inflammation and thus helps prevent the development of cataracts because oxygen damage to the body and inflammation are considered to be factors contributing to the cataracts. Right now, there are about 20 million Americans who are suffering from cataracts, which is a major culprit of causing blindness in such large numbers of people and in them the people with old age are pretty prominent ones.


Tags: