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A therapy that rides on radio and sound waves provides pain relief.

noreply@blogger.com (Master) — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 14:50:00 +0000

Sound relief

A therapy that rides on radio and sound waves provides pain relief.

They say that surgery should always be the last option. If there's a treatment out there that might offer you pain relief or even solve your physical problem, then by all means try that before you decide to go under the knife.

Given that premise, it would seem that Sonotron therapy is a viable option, especially

since it is non-invasive and drug-free. It combines pulsed radio and sound waves to

provide relief in certain arthritic and repetitive stress conditions.

Sonotron is touted to offer effective pain relief for complaints such as osteoarthritis, frozen shoulder, cervical spondylosis, stiff neck and tennis elbow, and sports injuries that affect muscles and that cause tissue swelling, among other conditions.

The device looks like a hair-dryer and works by means of a "corona discharge beam"

that's produced when a low radio frequency of 430 kHz, pulsed at a low sound frequency of 1 kHz, is applied to an electrode located in a hand-held applicator.

The corona dischargebeam from the applicator is then directed on the problem area above the skin. It emits electro-magnetic energy and electrons beneficial to the patient.

The external treatment has no contact with the skin at all and at most, the patient may

feel a little heat.

The device was invented by Dr Alfonso DiMino in the United States in 1987. He

developed the Sonotron technology in the late 1970s while working on an industrial

application involving specialised electronic circuits.

Dr DiMino found that the device produced heat from the discharge. As an arthritis

sufferer himself, Dr DiMino tried it and folmd that it prParlv reduced nain.

Healing therapy

Medical practitioner Dr Gertrude Kow, who' had a machine in her clinic since 2004, foun Sonotron therapy useful for patients who ha just had stitches, especially if they didn't want antibiotics.

"Sonotron seems to promote faster healin and it's helpful for abrasions and diabetic fo

as well. It also helps abscesses by making them ripen faster or regress. The faster you

the treatment, the better. If you've had a bad knee for 10 years, for example, you can't

expect miracles.

"Sonotron therapy also known to be useful for treating osteoarthritis, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, tendinitis, sports injuries and other joint conditions."

There has been evidence of acceleral ed healing of wound in diabetics, burns, accident injuries and surgery with the the apy. While Sonotron therapy cannot remove degeneration at the cartilage of joints, it can reduce or eliminate further degeneration.

Interestingly, in his in-vitro experiments, Brian Thompson of the University of Cincinnati, Ohio, in the United States, found that he was able to repeatedly increase the

density of cartilage by applying Sonotron or his patients.

The energy emitted is equivalent to 1/60 the power of a typical electro-surgical unit in

widespread use today and the energy that is dissipated within the tissues is equivalent to

that of a pocket calculator, which means it is safe for use. In fact, the Radiation Protectior Unit of the Institute of Science and Forensic Medicine Department in Singapore has cert fied that no licences are required for the use of the device in the republic.

Sonotron works by converting free radica present in the cells of problem areas into

oxygen and water. This inner chemistry change promotes growth of tissues that results in the healinz of the oroblem area. scientists believe that free radicals excess is the cause of most clinical problems, hence the need to remove them from areas which are inflamed or injured.

An alternative

While it's a therapy that is difficult to prove since you do not obtain results straightaway, these days medical professionals in the United States, Japan, Singapore and Malaysia are more receptive to complementary medicine like Sonotron therapy to treat patients with chronic pain without having to deal with the side-effects of painkillers or drugs.

"You have to bear in mind that Sonotron doesn't work as fast. [tell patients that if after

three or four sessions, they don't feel any better then they should try something else. it's not like a pill which you can pop and get immediate effect. Most patients who are wiliing to try Sonotmn are those who have been through other treatments and even surgery," says Dr Kow.

Some patients with illnesses that were thought to be too difficult and time-consuming to treat have come away with positive results. Proven safe even for children, Sonotron therapy has also hastened the rehabilitation of stroke patients, while asthmatics and those with sinusitis see improvements in their condition.

Sonotron therapy was introduced to Malaysia in 1994 by Panmedic Sdn Bhd. It is now used by more than 100 general practitioners and spedalists around the country as well as in rehabilitation and sports medicine. it is also available at some private and govemment hospitals, and the Malaysian Sports institute in Kuala Lumpur has a Sonotron machine to treat sports injuries.

Respite from pain

SURE, there are some days when we just don't feel like getting up from bed. But it can he frightening when you literally cannot get up,

One day in 2006, retiree Salamiah Ishak. 57, found that every effort she made to get up from a nap on the floor hurt so bad that she was stricken by fear.

And when her husband Mohamad Yusof tried to pull her up, the pain reverberated to her spine and her arm felt like it was being ripped off.

"My whole body ached. When I finally managed to make my way to see a doctor in Sungai Petani, he couldn't find anything wrong and merely told me to lose weight," says Salamiah, who weighed 70kg at that time.

She sought treatment from various specialists but none gave her a definite answer. Then a neurologist finally found, after an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), that she had a curvature in her spine and that a pinched nerve might be the cause of her pain.

"While that bit of news helped, it didn't solve the problem. Then I chanced upon a magazine that had a story on Sonotron. After the second therapy from a clinic in Petaling Jaya, the pain lessened considerably. For the past two years, I've had to sleep on a reclining chair as it's been almost impossible to get up from a horizontal position from the bed. When I recently went to Terengganu, I could sleep on the hotel bed and get up on my own," says Salamiah.

Her husband Mohamad Yusof, 58, who used to work with the Royal Malaysian Air force, was at first sceptical but was willing to try anything to help his wife's condition.

"It has worked for Salamiah and I've even tried it for my tennis elbow and an old knee injury.

"The real test came when I had to drive for eight hours to and from Terengganu. Before, I couldn't sit for long as my knee would hurt. This time, surprisingly, I handled the distance without any complaints," says Yusof.

"It has to do with your frame of mind and some might find it hard to accept this form of therapy.

"What's good is that there are no drugs involved and that's comforting especially since my wife has been on too much medication already."

A medical specialist (who declined to be named) says that drugs tend to have side effects when used over long periods. Painkillers may cause gastric and even renal failure in the long term.

"For one of my elderly female patients, I cut off all the medications and put her on Sonotrun therapy. Now, she can walk, and has left the old folks' home to stay with her family in her hometown," says the specialist who has had the Sonotron machine in his clinic for five years.

"I also treat elderly patients suffering osteoarthritis. One patient who was planning on having surgery for her back tried Sonotron as a last resort. After five times, she felt well enough to go back to work after being on no-pay leave for six months,"

HPV infection is a major cause of cervical cancer

noreply@blogger.com (Master) — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 14:30:00 +0000

Hope in HPV vaccine

As HPV infection is a major cause of cervical cancer, vaccination offers the hope of a reduction in the incidence of this cancer.

Human papilloma virus (HPV) is a common sexually transmitted infection.

The HPV virus needs to infect cells in order to survive. Once inside a cell, it directs the cell to make copies of it and to infect other healthy cells. The infected cells eventually die and are shed from the body. When the virus is shed, it can infect another person.

There are different types of HPV. The low risk types, such as HPV6 and HPV11 cause benign genital and respiratory warts, while persistent infection with high-risk types such as HPV16 and HPV18 is associated with increased risk of high grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), which is a precursor of cervical cancer.

The genital warts (condylomas) may appear on the outside or inside the reproductive tract. It can spread to nearby skin or to a sexual partner.

Genital warts are more likely to occur in people who have more than one sexual partner or whose sexual partner has more than one partner. Other reproductive tract infections are often associated with genital warts.

HPV is a major cause of cancer of the cervix. HPV infections by the high risk types are common in young sexually active women. Most clear spontaneously without ever causing cervical intraepithelial neoplasia while some develop a persistent infection.

Hence, cervical cancer can be considered a rare consequence of persistent infection with one or more high risk types, with other as yet undefined factors playing a role.

Studies suggest that HPV may also cause cancer of the vulva, vagina, anus, some cancers of the ompharynx (middle part of the throat that includes the base of the tongue and tonsils).

The more sexual partners a person has, the more likely he or she will get HPV infection. The vast majority of HPV infections go away without treatment. Certain factors like smoking, multiple sexual partners, having many children, oral contraceptive use and HIV infection are associated with an increase in the risk of developing cervical cancer.

As HPV may have no symptoms, it may be more common than is thought.

Most genital warts may appear within a few weeks or months after sexual contact with an infected person or they may not appear at all

The warts are fiat, abnormal growths in the genital area including the cervix. Sometimes, the warts are extensive with a cauliflower-like appearance.

There is no published data on the disease burden of HPV infection in our country as HPV is not a notifiable infection.

However, cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women here.

The National Cancer Register for 2003 shows the incidence in Peninsular Malaysia as 13.4 and 62.9 per 100,000 women in the age groups 15 to 49 and 50 to 69 years respectively.

HPV vaccines
Women who had previously been infected by a particular HPV type are unlikely to get re-infected by the same HPV type because of the antibodies produced.

There are two types of HPV vaccines: a bivalent (HPV16 and HPV18) and a quadriva]ent vaccine (HPV 6, 11, 16 and 18).

Both vaccines provide protection against 70% of the HPV types that cause cervical cancer.

In addition, the quadrivalent vaccine provides protection against 90% of the HPV types that cause genital warts.

The vaccines do not provide protection against HPV types that a person has been exposed to.

However, a person who has had HPV may still benefit from the vaccine because most people are not infected with all the types of HPV contained in the vaccine.

The vaccines do not provide protection against other sexually transmitted infections (STI).

Information about some aspects of HPV vaccines is yet to be clarified. This includes the duration of protection although current data indicates that the protection after vaccination lasts at least five years.

The vaccines are given by injection in the upper arm. The second and third doses are given two and six months later.

The optimal age for HPV vaccination is between the age of nine and 26 years.

Effectiveness and safety
The HPV vaccines are effective. Studies of both vaccines, to-date, have reported near 100% efficacy.

HPV vaccines are generally well tolerated and reactions are minimal. It is usually limited to some pain, swelling, itching and redness at the injection site, fever, nausea, vomiting, dizziness and fainting.

Other side effects reported include swollen glands in the neck, armpit, or groin, headache, skin rashes, joint pain, aching muscles, unusual tiredness or weakness, and a general feeling of being unwell.

Allergic reactions have been reported. They include difficulty in breathing, wheezing and rashes. Some of these reactions are severe.

It is important to inform your doctor if you or your child has had an allergic reaction to the vaccine; has a bleeding disorder; is immunocompromised, such as with HPV infection; is pregnant or is planning to get pregnant, as the vaccine is not recommended for use in pregnant women; has a fever more than 37.8C; and is taking or intends to take any medicines including over the counter medicines.

HPV vaccination is no substitute for Pap smear screening. Those who have received HPV vaccines should continue Pap smear screening.

An abnormal Pap smear does not mean that a person has HPV infection or any other condition, including cancer.

It does mean that you have to be examined with a procedure called colposcopy. This involves using a magnifying instrument to look at the cervix, vagina, vulva and anus.

If there are areas that appear suspicious, a biopsy, in which a small sample of tissue is removed for microscopic examination, will be performed.

As HPV infection is a major cause of cervical cancer, vaccination offers the hope of a reduction in the incidence of cervical cancer.

However, other measures are needed to eradicate cervical cancer. They include widespread Pap smear screening and safe sexual practices.

One should also remember that HPV vaccines prevent HPV infections. It cannot be extrapolated to the prevention of cervical cancer as there are, apart from HPV infection, other as yet undefined factors playing a role in the genesis of cervical cancer.

More than skin deep

noreply@blogger.com (Master) — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 14:21:00 +0000

Many unsuspecting consumers make the same mistake of buying laminate flooring without checking the quality of raw materials used in the finished product. While all laminated flooring look almost similar, they aren't exactly the same, for example, quality beyond the surface or design.

It is not easy to be discerning if you are unfamiliar with the product. Most buyers depend on the 'surface value' of the product (also referred to as 'skin') that gives you the
design and colour. So, how do you choose a good laminate flooring for your home, office or anywhere?

Ensure that the core-board (the heart) of the product is able to last as long as the surface. Like our body, the heart determines our lifespan. Laminate flooring should be able to stand daily and multiple mopping – squeezed dry.

Ensure that the d~cor layer is printed without heavy metal ink - though it is much cheaper, it is harmful to our health and fades after 2-3 years. A faded product will spoil your interior work.

Ensure that the overlay is of the right classification as claimed. Different grammage
overlay has different wear property. Eg. AC I classification wears off faster than AC 3.

Insist on a direct manufacturer's warranty card. This will at least protect your coverage
in case of product failure. Remember, warranties issued from a manufacturer outside the
country may not be practically enforced.

At Inovar, they are transparent with what they put into each component layer giving you a product that is now internationally recognisod as the best in terms of lifespan and
impression.

Today, with a decade of product research and development behind them, they have also developed the right coreboard that resists termites without using toxic termite chemicals. It is simply Usihg the right species of tropical hardwood fibre sourced locally from Sabah and Sarawak. They are so confident with their technology that every panel of Inovar floor comes with a lifetime termite warranty.

As a reputable manufacturer based on the outskirts of KL, they have carved a niche in
the international market with quality as their hallmark. Their material component quality
standards exceed all European and Japanese safety and health regulations. Their recent
achievement in the Brandlaurette Award for Best Brand in the laminate flooring category
testifies further to their high quality.

You can call their direct factory outlet at toll free number: 1 800 88 6166 for free consultation from their Floor Designers.

Every minute you walk can exten d your life by 2 minutes

noreply@blogger.com (Master) — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 14:10:00 +0000

Keep walking!

Every minute you walk can exten d your life by 2 minutes.

Most of us can walk - from the end of the parking lot, around the mall through the building at work, on the local high school track – but we don't. The average American
walks 1.4 miles a week. That's barely 1,000 feet a day.

Walking is a perfect exercise. It doesn't require special talent or equipment, it can be done at any age and doesn't require a particular pace.

The risk of injury is almost nonexistent. But few of us walk. Urban folk are thinner and walk more than rural residents. Odd? Not really.

Post-World War 11 suburban sprawl provided wonderful new places to live, but few con]munities included sidewalks, bike paths, public transportation or shopping centers that could be reached on foot.

Today, you can eat. bank and pick up medicine at drive-though windows. Our lack of exercise and extra weight may be a by-product of the suburbs we've built. In many parts of the country, community planners are trying to reverse this fiend.

Brisk walking at 3 to 4 miles per hour or 15 to 20 minutes a mile. Is a moderate-intensity activity that burns up to 100 calories a mile. Walking just 20 minutes a day can
help you lose 7 pounds in a year.

Walking:
- Burns calories
- Build muscles
- Builds bones
- Prevents colds
- Reduces the effects of aging
- Increases mental sharpness
- Lengthens your life
Start with a daily 10-minute walk. Begin by walking leisurely for 2 minutes to help your heart rate adjust to the activity. Pick up your pace for 6 minutes, and slow down for the last two. As you become more fit. add more time and distance, beginning and ending the walk with a moderate pace.

Walking Tip:
Walking on a treadmill is slightly different from walking outside, where there are natural ups and downs and wind resistance. Adding a 1% incline to your treadmill walk
brings you close to an outdoorwalk.

How prepared are airlines?

noreply@blogger.com (Master) — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 14:08:00 +0000

Airline crew should have basic medical knowledge and training. There should he some form of medical kits.

The following British airline provide examples:
Virgin - cabin crew with first-aid training; senior cabin crew are trained to use defibrillators. Access to MedLink.

BA - medical kits contain a "delivery pack" for births. Access to MedLink.
easyJet - crew get medical training and are reassessed every 12 months. Two medical kits on each aircraft. Does not carry defibrillators.

Ryanair Said: "Ryanair's medical training and eqmpment complies withthe stringent safety regulations set by EASA, which apply to all European airlines." Declined to say what equipment is carried on board.

Doctor in the air

noreply@blogger.com (Master) — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 13:53:00 +0000

Doctor in the air
Is there a doctor on board? If you're feeling ill, recovering from an operation or pregnant, think before you fly.

Boarding a giant metal structure that flies can seem precarious at the best of times. But to need urgent medical attention suddenly at 35,000ft above the ground can be a terrifying experience.

Just ask Nicola Delemere, 31, from Scunthorpe. Her waters broke on a plane en route to Crete from Manchester in April.

With the help of air stewardess Carol Miller, Aide was born three months prematurely,
weighing only lib loz, while the plane was over Dusseldorf. His breathing was so poor
that the quick-thinking Miller had to use a drinking straw to inflate his lungs and then
perform mouth-to-mouth and heart massage until the diverted plane landed at Gatwick
(the Delemeres did not want any publicity about their son's birth until doctors consid-
ered his condition safe).

Little Aifie's mid-air drama had a happy ending. There was a less pleasant experience
for Paul Trinder, a businessman who had paid pounds 4,000 to travel first class with BA
from London to Delhi.

He woke up mid-flight to find a corpse sitting near him. The woman in her 70s had died after takeoff and crew had stowed the body in a seat.in order to give the grieving family some privacy.

"Medical incidents on aeroplanes are pretty common," says Dr Richard Dawood, who specialises in travel medicine. "I have been called upon on planes countless times, though luckily for nothing too serious."

Airlines say they do not publish specific numbers of medical incidents on board because the term covers everything from a dizzy spell to a heart attack. British Airways
estimates that it has between 40 and 50 serious emergencies that require a plane to be
diverted each yeau

"It's very rare for a complaint to be so serious that the plane has to be diverted." says
Dr Dawood. "And the provisions for medical emergencies are a lot better than they were
a few years ago. Defibrillators have only become the norm in the last decade."

Many airlines have started to use technology that allows them to speak to"telemedical"
centres on the ground. The biggest of these is MedLink, which is based in Arizona and used by nearly 80 airlines.

Their support staff can converse in 140 languages and are able to give expert medical
advice, as well as identify the nearest airports with hospitals close by.

But the level of medical apparatus on board varies from carrier to carrier. 'q'here is obviously going to be more equipment on a longhaul than a short-haul flight," says Dawood. "and you will probably be better cared for travelling on a premium airline than a budget oue."

Yet recently there have been disturbing cases that raise many questions. In September last year, a 25-year-old Italian woman died on a Ryanair flight from Venice after suffering a blood clot on the lungs: a doctor who tried to treat her claimed that there wasn't basic medical equipment on board (Ryanair say they are now reviewing their procedures).

And in 1995 one British doctor on a longhaul flight from Hong Kong had to operate on a woman with a collapsed lung with just a coat hanger, a water bottle and some Sellotape.

There is no law determining how much medical equipment a plane should carry, but
Dr Dawood says that airlines carry apparatus "because it's considered good practice, and
because nobodywants to be sued".

All cabin crew are now gwen basic first-aid instruction, with some airlines upping the
stakes considerably - for example, all Singapore Airlines' crew have been trained to deliver babies.

For those who are concerned about flying with medical conditions, a British Airways
spokesman says that "the phrase 'prevention is better than cure' applies".

The World Health Organisation recommends that you avoid flying if you have an ear, nose or sinus infection, or heart and lung conditions.

"Talk to your doctor if you have just had an operation, especially if it involved diagnostic use of gas as the cabin air pressure can cause it to expand. Anothercondition to watch out for is anaemia, as the decreased amount of oxygen in planes can cause hypoxia (a shortage of oxygen in the blood).

'As for pregnant women, they should avoid flying after their 36th week. or 32nd if they are expecting twins."

Otherwise it's best to sit back. relax, enjoy your flight.., and be reassured: if you're on a
large commercial plane, Dr Dawood says that there is a high statistical chance of there being a doctor on board.

In fact, reflect on the luck of one Ryanair passenger who required treatment during a flight to Dublin. When crew appealed for help, 15 hands were raised. It turned out that a large group on board were doctors going on a golfing break and one of them. Dr Punit
Ramrakha, even happened to be Tony Blair's heart specialist.

Lotus your way to good health

noreply@blogger.com (Master) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 15:29:00 +0000

Lotus your way to good health

Choose the right food sanitiser

There are many food sanitisers in the market today. As consumers, it is important to make the correct choice. Many sanitissrs claim to be able to infuse ozone into water. However, how effective the infusion process is rather debatable, as water and gas do not mix. Iris not easy to infuse gas into water in its original form.

So, how do you choose your food sanitiser?

Users have to beware of misleading endorsement claims, certifications and demonstrations. Many conventional systems claim to have approval and endorsements from international agencies. In some cases, the technology is approved, but not necessarily the system, which may not perform to EPA guidelines.

The Lotus Sanitising System from Giabo is registered and tested by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as evidenced by its EPA file number. It is among the first food sanitisers in the world to be so honoured. Lotus Ozonated water has been proven to be 99.9% effective at killing bacteria and sanitislag produce.

Another important aspect to consider is the " Oxidation Reduction Potential (ORP),
According to the EPA, sterilisation occurs only at 800 inV. This is r~easurable by ORP meter, Many conventional food sterilisers do not reach this level. The Lotus Sanitising System, however, can reach this level, and in a small amount of time. Furthermore, in the Lotus system, you can ensure that the entire bowl is ozonated due to the swirling action of the system, which ensures even distribution of ozone. In contrast, systems utilising a tube to infuse ozone into water can rssult in unequal distribution of ozone in the water. This means that only part of your food placed in the bowl is sanitised.

Inhaling ozone is detrimental to your health. Minimum infusion process between ozone and water can cause outgas, as most of the ozone generated from an inefficient infusion process can lead to the ozone escaping, thus increasing the level of ozone in the air. In the Lotus Sanitising System, the Oxyshield technology employed consists of safety features to eliminate this threat.

One thing to take into consideration is the unstable nature of ozone.

An open bowl infusion concept, therefore, may cause the ozone to be diffused by tem-
perature and humidity, which reduces the opportunity for it to be infused into the water,
In the Lotus Sanitising System, infusion takes place in the base unit, which is a controlled environment, to minimise diffusion of the ozone.

To top it off, the Lotus system also comes with a monitoring system to monitor and regulate performance and efficiency in every cycle to ensure your produce is 99.9% sanitised. If the produce is not fuliy sanitised, the system will indicate possible faults. This monitoring and regulating programme adheres to EPA guidelines.

It is, therefore, no surprise that the Lotus Sanitising System has been awarded the Best
Invention of The Year award in Time Magazine.

With the Lotus Sanitising System users can be assured of peace of mind, knowing that
their food is being fully sanitised in the interest of health.

Come see for yourself this Aug 7-10 at the Perfect Livin '09 exhibition held at the KL
Convention Centre at booths 1034 to 1037.

Produce a chemical present - to a series of chronic diseases

noreply@blogger.com (Master) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:57:00 +0000

Missing element

our inability to produce a chemical present in every other primate may be linked to a series of chronic diseases.

What does it mean to be human? For most people, it all comes down to that extraordinary object between our ears, and how it blesses us with language, laughter and logic.

But not for Prof Ajit Varki, a doctor-cure-scientist who works in Califnmia. For him, being human is also about a single chemical that separates us from our closest relatives, and which could be linked to many of our most debilitating illnesses.

The story began in 1984, whenVarki was working at the University of California, San Diego. When treating a woman with bonemarrow failure, he injected her with horse serum, The treatment carried the risk of a side effect called "serum sickness", in which the patient's immune system launches an attack on a molecule present in the serum called Neu5Gc.

Sure enough, her skin erupted with an itchy red rash. Investigating further, Varki found that NeuSGc was foreign to humans, even though we carry a very similar version of the same molecule - which may be one reason why animal-to-human organ and tissue transplants do not work well.

But in recent years, he has come to believe that the implications of this molecular difference are much wider, He has built up a range of evidence that potentially links
Neu5Gc, a so-called sialic acid, to chronic disease. This is because the animal version is absorbed by humans as a result of eating red meat and milk products, and there is evidence that the body views it as an invader. Eating these foods could trigger inflammation and, over the long term, heart disease, certain :ancers and auto-immune illnesses. Jarki stresses, however, that "we lave not proven any link to disease, ust suggested that it is something o explore".

This sialic acid plays a number of roles: it helps us recognise cells and helps ceils stick together. It also helps regulate our immune response, which may influence the progression of diseases and even play a part in human evolution. Varki's team, along with Prof Elaine Muchmore of the University of California studied blood from chimps, bonobos, gorillas, orang utans and humans, and found that we ate the only primates whose bodies do not produce NeuSGc - although further research established that our Neanderthal cousins were missing this version of the sugar acid, too.

Instead, human (and Neanderthai) cells bristle with a sugar called Neo5Ac. The two molecules are identical, apart from onedittle detail: the ape molecule has a single extra oxygen atom. Because of the many different jobs this sugar does throughout the body, this one atom was the first example found of a fundamental genetic and biochemical difference between humans and our closest relatives,

Muchmore and Varki then found out why this oxygen atom is rfiissing: our molecule is the precursor of the animal version. Unlike chimpanzees and other great apes, humans lack a particular version of an enzyme that converts NeuSAc (or, to give it its full name, N-acetyl-neuraminie acid) into Neu5Gc. This tiny change could potentially explain some of the more unusual differences between humans and apes, Chimpanzees do not seem to suffer from heart disease, cancers, rheumatoid arthritis or bronchial asthma - common conditions in humans. Nor do they get sick from the human malaria parasite, which uses sialic add to latch on to our blood cells.

In recent studies, Varki's team has found tantalising evidence that this mysterious molecule could be exerting a wider effect on our health, through the substances we eat.
After testing a range of foods, they found the highest levels of Neu5Gc in red meat: up to 11,600 microgrammes could be absorbed from the recommended daily serving of beef, 5,100 from pork and 4,900 from lamb, The level in goat's cheese was 5,500, but fell to around 700 in milk and salmon. Cod, tuna, turkey and duck were in the 20s.

Given that food is broken down in the stomach, did eating animal tissue present the same dangers of provoking an immune attack as transplanting it? Following that great scientific tradition of self-experimentation, Varki, Muchmore and Pascal Gagneux ate pure NeuSGc to see what would happen. Not only did the foreign sugar show up in the body soon after earing, but tests also revealed that many people carry antibodies that react to Neu5Gc - a protective immune response, but one which could trigger damaging inflammation.

Varki's colleague - and wife -Pmf Nissi Varki then found that small amounts of NeuSGc were present in normal human tissue, probably as a result of long-term consumption. And as well as food, many biotherapeutic products made in animal cells and/or using animal materials were also contaminated with Neu5Gc.

This raised the fascinating possibility that anti-Neu5Gc antibodies are involved in auto-immunity. Auto-immune diseases, such as type-1 or juvenile diabetes and some types of arthritis, occur when the body mistakenly attacks healthy tissue. Chronic inflammation is also linked with cancer; intriguingly, the team found that NeuSGc was concentrated in turnouts, particularly those that spread throughout the body. This could aid detection of
such diseases, by getting scientists to look for the animal acid rather than the turnouts themselves. .

Some of this might sound familiar: several previous studies have linked ingestion of red meat to cancer and heart disease, and possibly to some other disorders involving inflammation, such as arthritis and lupus, gut these focused mostl) on the role of saturated fats, and on products that arise from cooking.

Varki, however, believes that his little molecular difference could also be to blame: NeuSGc elicits an immune reaction that might contribute to a whole spectrum of human-specific diseases. Although they have not proven this yet, the evidence is sufficiently compelling for his team to start work on ways to eliminate NeuSGc from the body.

But the question remains: why are humans unique among primates in not producing Neu5Gc? By study- ing the mutations in the enzyme that makes this molecular difference between apes and humans, Varki, along with Prof Naoyuki Takahata of the Graduate University for Advanced Studies in Kanagawa, Japan, estimates that the genetic change first appeared up to three million years ago, which coincides with the emergence of Homo erectus, the first of our ancestors to venture out of Africa.

At the time, life was nasty, brutish and short: any subtle but chronic effects of this foreign sugar would not be felt until old age, and Homo erectus did not survive that long. If the mutation that kept us producing NeuSAc rather than Neu5Gc helped shrug off a particular disease, it would have spread rapidly through the population. It is ironic that what may have protected our ancestors then could be responsible for much of the pain of their long-lived descendants.

The 'brain fitness' programme market is booming, but does it work?

noreply@blogger.com (Master) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:07:00 +0000

Chester Santos has been training his brain for seven years. At 32, he's not worried about losing his memory. He's taking advantage of a growing market in "brain fitness" spurred by ageing baby boomers.

Teenagers cramming for tests and people worried about "senior moments" can now turn to an explosion of brain-assisting video games such as Nintendo's Brain Age, puzzles that are said to ward off dementia such as Sudoku and crosswords, as well as online tips that claim to train the brain.

Santos, the 2008 United States Memory Championship winner, can memorise a shuffled deck of cards in three minutes and learn 100 random words and 100 new names and faces in 15.

"People are capable of doing so much more with their brains than they think is possible," says Santos, who recently quit his software job to teach his memory techniques full-fime.

The brain fitness boom might seem counter-intuitive in an age when technology has eased memory stress: cell phones store numbers, GPS systems give directions, websites store passwords and e-mail
programmes automatically recall used addresses.

Many boomers in the United States have watched their parents struggle with Alzheimers, and an estimated 10 million of them are now expected to develop the disease, according to a recent report from the Alzheimer's Association.

"People are worried," says Dr John Hart Jr, medical science director of the Centre for BrainHealth at the University of Texas at Dallas. "You have a large group of the population getting to the age where they are sort of vulnerable to degenerative neurological diseases that seem to be prevalent."

Hart says tbere is "reasonable evidence" that challenging your brain by learning new things can stave off the cognitive decline that comes with ageing. But brain fitness programmes differ from traditional learning by focusing on drills for specific cognitive abilities, such as concentration and retaining information.

Hart says there is no one brain "exercise" that is guaranteed to work for everyone.

That hasn't stopped brain fitness pmgrammes from making claims. Posit Science says its computer- based programmes will "help you think faster, focus better and remember more."

While some include a disclaimer, such as Cogmed Working Memory Training for kids and adults with attention deficits, many of the games do not.

Some users say they feel the benefits. Sarah Schultz, 67, of Knoxville, Maryland, says she can think faster because of Lumosity, an online brain fitness programme that claims to "improve cognitive performance and maximise brain health through fun and engaging games." She has been doing the programme once a day for the past four months.

"i feel more alert," she says. "It helps me to remember things, lists, names, faces. It really helps with recall."

Even teenagers cramming for tests are turning to brain exercises. Raemon Matthews, a history teacher in New York City, uses some of the techniques in his curriculum and says he's seen a difference in his students' performance.

Tony Dortino, who founded the USA Memory Championships more than a decade ago and teaches memory techniques, says people have the misperception that the drills are "some awful thing, where you have to sit there and stuff information into your head."

"It's not a matter of stuffing it into their heads," he says. "It's a matter of helping them organise it in a way that their brains will be able to retain."

For now, the brain fitness market is poised to grow. Hart's goals are more modest: he suggests people find something that is mentally challenging and fun and do it on a regular basis.

"I am hoping that in the future, you will be able to go a health care provider or other expert who will be able to give folks a brain physical" and prescribe the proper exercises, he says.

Avian influenza has spread and, while it has not reached pandemic proportions, constant vigilance is still crucial.

noreply@blogger.com (Master) — Wed, 21 May 2008 15:51:00 +0000

Avian flu is in the news so much nowadays that some of us may have become desensitised to the urgency of the matter.

When news about avian flu first broke in 1997, there was much concern when it revealed that the virus, having transmitted from chickens to humans, had infected 18 people and killed six. Then, things quieted down for a few years, until 2003 when avian flu made an appearance again and never went away.
A health worker injecting a chicken with the bird flu vaccine in a poultry farm in China. The H5N1 (virus) may never become pandemic but, if it does, the catastrophic situation could be more than we can even imagine.

According to Prof Malik Peiris, the avian flu problem has been progressively increasing. Peiris is the virologist who discovered the aetiological agent that causes Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), and has been involved with avian flu research. He is based in Hong Kong, but was in Kuala Lumpur recently to receive the Mahathir Science Award 2007, Malaysia’s most prestigious science award named in honour of former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

During the SARS outbreak, Peiris led a team of researchers from the University of Hong Kong and Queen Mary’s Hospital who managed to identify the SARS coronavirus within weeks. That breakthrough, along with other measures, led to the successful control and containment of the outbreak.

After the avian flu outbreak in 1997, Peiris subsequently became more interested in avian and animal influenza viruses and their danger to humans.

“If you look at the geographical area that is affected, it is now bigger than it was two or three years ago,” said Peiris. “So if you look at that scale, at the poultry level, it is increasing. It is certainly not going to disappear. This is going to be entrenched, and we are not going to be able to get rid of it in the short term.”

Fortunately for us, the efficiency of the virus infecting humans is still very low. Most of the time, people who are exposed to the virus are not infected. But Peiris identifies two levels to the problem. First, the huge poultry industry would mean that people’s livelihood, the country’s economy and human health would be affected. Second, the occasional transmission of the virus from poultry to humans, where the real danger is, if the transmissions are not monitored and controlled, and the virus is allowed to adapt and transfer between humans.

“There are people who say, well, this virus has been here for 10 years, and it has not really done this, so it won’t happen,” said Peiris. “I think that is extremely dangerous. That was exactly the same situation with SARS. That virus was also probably in the animal reservoir for quite a long time.”
Prof Malik Peiris: ‘We really have to take it (bird flu) seriously, and take measures to see what can be done.’

But Peiris pointed out that this doesn’t mean we should start panicking, nor should we be complacent about it.

“On a risk-assessment basis, the H5N1 (virus) may never become pandemic,” said Peiris. “But the point is, if it does, the catastrophic situation could be more than we can even imagine. It definitely could be much worse than any of the past pandemics. We really have to take it seriously, and take measures to see what can be done.”

Mutation

While there are claims that the virus is two mutations away from human-to-human transmission, and that it has learnt to infect humans more easily, Peiris dismissed these as “simplistic”.

“It obviously requires a lot of adaptations, not just one or two,” Peiris explained. “A number of studies have shown that mixing the genes alone doesn’t do it. It requires a multi-step process. That’s probably why it hasn’t happened so far. But I think these rare events do happen, and we’d be very stupid not to take precautions.”

Peiris warned that the problem is currently “grossly underestimated”. In countries where the virus is endemic, he said, much more poultry carry the virus than people imagine. Poultry enter the markets and are slaughtered, so it doesn’t seem as though they are dying from the virus. But the virus continues to circulate as farmers bring their cages to the markets, leave the poultry there, and return to their farms with the cages, unaware that those cages may have come into contact with the virus.

“Once the virus gets in a market, it remains there almost forever,” said Peiris.

He said countries such as Malaysia, Japan, North Korea and India have been successful in detecting the virus early and eradicating it, demonstrating the need to be alert at all times.

Even during the lull between 1997 and 2003, virologists and researchers continued their surveillance and published papers on their findings, all the while aware that the virus was still lurking somewhere and was adapting.

Defence

While the capacity for producing vaccines has increased, Peiris said the real challenge is in creating a vaccine that would protect against more than one strain of the H5 virus which is now diverse. The fact that we do not know which strain will become pandemic means there needs to be broad protection. Peiris said the newer vaccines that have come to clinical trials look promising, but there is also the problem of trying to produce enough in an emergency.

This raises some tricky issues. We could wait for a pandemic before producing the vaccine, but chances are there would not be enough time because it takes months to scale up production. The second option, said Peiris, is to stockpile the vaccine in advance, but money could be wasted if a pandemic never happens.

This would mean that an ideal situation where one could walk into a store and purchase the vaccine in an emergency would never be viable.

“You can’t have a vaccine that is not regularly used sitting in the stores,” said Peiris. “For the next five years, it might not be used, and it will be out of date. I think the real possibility is to stockpile it in bulk at governmental level. So if the emergency comes, it can be quickly distributed.”

Asked if there is a beacon of light in this seemingly hopeless situation, Peiris pointed to how SARS was successfully controlled, and that it was a great achievement of global collaboration.

“I think the control of SARS was probably one of the greatest triumphs for global public health,” he said. “So things can be done, for sure. But we can’t sit back and assume that things will happen. It is actually planning, intervention, collaboration and all these things that made it happen.”

Is lack of sleep bad for the brain?

noreply@blogger.com (Master) — Tue, 06 May 2008 13:07:00 +0000

I need sleep

Is lack of sleep bad for the brain? Both nightshift work and chronic sleep deprivation increasingly are implicated in mental and cognitive problems.

AIzheimer's risk: Abnormal insulin levels (common in shift workers and sleep-deprived people) might increase the risk for certain neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, scientists at the University of Washington have found.
Normally, insulin acts on the brain to promote learning and memory. Insulin resistance, however, might cause inflammation in
the brain, a key process in the development of Alzheimer's.

learning: Proper alignment between sleep times and internal circadian time is crucial for optimal cognitive performance.

And numerous recent studies show learning is enhanced if it's followed followed by restorative sleep.

In other words, students who pull all-nighters studying for an exam are doing themselves more harm than good.

Mood: Even moderate changes in sleep times can have a big effect on mood. Diane Boivin of the Centre for Study and Treatment of Circadian Rhythms at Douglas Mental Health University Institute in Montreal published research last year in the journal Sleep showing that serotonin levels - a key sub-stance for mood stability - are lower in shift workers than day workers.

Other studies have found that exposure to bright light in the morning can lift the moods of people with depression, and that prescribed periods of sleep deprivation can interrupt a bout of depression.

Bipolar disorder: Flawed circadian rhythms might be to blame for bipolar disorder. In a study published last year in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, scientists from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center identified a gene that, if disrnpted, causes mice to behave as if they have bipolar disorder. Correcting the geue mutation could lead to a therapy for the illness, the scientists said.

Does circumcision help protect a man from developing a sexually transmitted disease ?

noreply@blogger.com (Master) — Tue, 06 May 2008 13:03:00 +0000

Circumcision against STDs?

DOES circumcision help protect a man from developing a sexually transmitted disease (STD)?

A study analysed data on 499 men; 201 had been circumcised before age three. By age 32, 117 of the men reported that they'd had a sexually transmitted infection, most often genital warts, chlamydia or genital herpes. The infection rate was virtually the same - about 23%; - whether men had or had not been circumcised as a child.

Who may be affected? Men. In the United States, about 65% of all boy babies are circumcised, meaning the skin that covers the tip of the penis is surgically removed. The decision often is based on cultural or religious views or personal preference rather than medical necessity.

Caveats: Data on STDs came from questionnaires completed by the men. The authors wrote that other research has provided "compelling evidence" that circumcision lowers the risk of men's contracting H1V infectionm through sex with women.

You can find this study in the March issue of theJournal of Pediatrics. Learn more about circumcision at www.familydoctor.org and www.kidshealth.org (click "For Parents").

BABIES born before they've been in the womb 37 weeks face a higher risk of complications very early in life

noreply@blogger.com (Master) — Tue, 06 May 2008 12:59:00 +0000

Being premature

BABIES born before they've been in the womb 37 weeks face a higher risk of complications very early in life. as they grow up, though, do people born prematurely continue to exhibit differences from those carried full-term?

A study analysed data on more than a million people born in Norway during a 20-year period; about 5% were premature births.

The more premature the infants had been, the more likely they were to have died before turning one year old. Survival rates improved through late childhood but remained lower, by comparison, for those born prematurely.

As teens and young adults, those who'd been premature were more likely to have attained less than a high school education and less likely to have gone to college than those who'd been full-term babies.

Adults wbo'd been premature infants also were less likely to have had children of their own. And women who'd been premature were more likely, once pregnant, to have given birth prematurely than were women born at full term; prematurity did not affect men's chances of fathering a premature infant.

Who may be affected? People born prematurely. In the United States, more than 12% of babies are premature, a rate that has been steadily increasing over the past two decades.

Caveats: The cause of the premature births was not indicated. The findings might be different for babies born today, given medical and technological advances in the 40 years since the study began.

You can find this study in the March 26 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Learn more about premature births at www.nichd.nih.gov/womenshealth (search for "preterm") and www.marchofdimes.com.

Tell your doctor - Hormonal dietary supplements might promote prostate cancer progression.

noreply@blogger.com (Master) — Tue, 06 May 2008 12:53:00 +0000

Tell your doctor

Hormonal dietary supplements might promote prostate cancer progression.

HORMONAL components in over-the-counter dietary supplements may promote the progression of prostate cancer and decrease the
effectiveness of anti-cancer drugs, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have discovered.

The findings, which appeared in the most recent issue of Clinical Cancer Research, reaffirm that patients should inform their doctors about any herbal or hormonal dietary supplements they are taking or considering taking. The researchers also recommend that documentation of supplement usage become part of routine health assessments for all patients, particularly cancer patients.

"Physicians need to ask their patients not only about the prescription drugs they may be taking, but - perhaps even more
importantly - about the over-the-counter drugs and supplements, which may have a profound impact on certain health conditions," said Dr Claus Roehrberu, chairman of urology at UT Southwestern and one of the study's authors.

The researchers began their investigation when two patients being seen by UT Southwestern doctors developed aggressive prostate cancer within months of starting daily consumption of the same dietary supplement. Both men purchased the same product. one to develop stronger muscles and enhance sexual performance, the other to gain muscle.

Dr Roehrborn, Dr Shahmkh Shariat, a resident in urology and the study's lead author, and their colleagues analysed the supplement, which is not named in the study. They found that the product's label listed ingredients that were not present, misrepreser/ted the concentrations of the ingredi- ents present and failed to list all the steroid hormones contained in the product.

Hormone analysis revealed that the supplement contained testosterone and estradiol, a sex hotmone. Researchers then tested the effect of the product on human prostate cancer-cell lines. The product proved to be a more potent stimulator of cancercell growth than testosterone, Additionally, attempts to stop the cancer-cell growth with increasing concentrations of the anti -cancer drug bicalutamide proved to be futile.

"Bicalutamide is an oral nonsteroidal anti-androgen used to treat prostate cancer," Dr Shariat said. "The fact that this supplement caused the drug to be less effective is very troubling."

Based on the clinical data and cell culture experiments, the researchers filed an adverse event report with the Food and Drug Administration. The government agency in turn issued a warning letter to the manufacturers, which led to the removal of the product from the market.

"Unlike prescription and over-the-counter drugs, the law does not require nutritional supplements to undergo pre-market
approval for safety and efficacy," Dr Shariat said. "The current FDA regulatory system provides little oversight or assurances that dietary supplements will have predictable pharmacological effects or even that product I`abels provide accurate information for consumers."

The researchers SaY expanded research is needed co define the mechanism, safety ,and efficacy of common herbal and hormone dietary supplementS.

"For most supplements efficacy is not established ifl randomised, controlled trials, wlaat is worse, safety is often equally poorly established," said Dr Roehthorn, who directs the Sarah M. and Charles E. Seay Center for Pediatric Urology.

An estimated 42% to 69% of US adults use dietary supplements, at an estimated out-of-pocket expenditure of about US$34.4bil
(RMl13.5bil), according to published reports cited in the study.

Individuals often use supplements because they believe these natural products are safe and drugfree. The sale of androgenic
steroids is exponentially increasing. In 2004, US expenditures on testosterone supplements were estimated to be US$425mil
(RM1,402.Smil),

"Given that testosterone supplements are in high demand, there is significant concern that supplements, in addition to the one we evaluated, may pose an urgent human health risk," Dr Shariat said,

Researchers from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston also contributed to the research.
Visit http://www.utsouthwestern.org/patientcarejmedicalservices/eaneer/urologic.html to learn more about UT Southwestern's clinical services in prostate cancer.- HealthNewsDigest

Programme uses acupuncture to treat addiction - Needle that addiction

noreply@blogger.com (Master) — Sun, 04 May 2008 09:12:00 +0000

Needle that addiction
Programme uses acupuncture to treat addiction

As New Age music fills the room, 19 men and women settle into four rows of plastic chairs. They swab their ears with alcohol towelettes and sit quietly.

Slowly, another man and a woman move among the rows. With quiet precision, they insert five sharp needles into each oftbe people's ears. Nobody flinches when the needles hit the flesh. In fact, some of the men and women have tiny grins on their
faces.

This is addiction treatment, Montgomery County, Maryland, style. These people are participating in a pilot programme that uses acupuncture, an ancient Chinese medical practice, to help treat addiction.

More than a dozen people a day are volunteering to be stuck with needles as part of the county's acudetux programme, which began in February.

Karlys Wright, 37, was one of the first to arrive for the early morning acudetox session. She said she almost didn't give acupuncture a try because she doesn't like needles. But in a brief time, she has become a fan of the New Age treatment.

"I feel rejuvenated," the former administrative assistant from Rockville said. "1 don't know how to explain it."

In the fall, Montgomery County Council member Duchy Trachtenberg persuaded her colleagues to spend US$20,000 (RM66,000) on a pilot programme that would incorporate acupuncture into treatments for drug addiction. Acupuncture is used as a strategy to
calm and relax patients before they take part in other treatments, such as group therapy.

"It's cutting edge," she said, "there's no question about that."

The Chinese have used acupunctore for centuries to treat a variety of ailments, including chronic plan and infertility. Its use as a strategy for treating addiction is gaining popularity in communities across the country, Trachtenberg said. Prngrammes are in place from California to Virginia to Florida.

The hard science behind acupuncture remains elusive. But those who run treatment programs say that, anecdotally, they see a marked change in the attitude of patients, who are calmer and more receptive to therapy.

The Fairfax County, Virginia, programme has been in place since the late 1990s. Although the county has not done official research on the method, Larry Peacock, director of the Faiffax Detoxification Center, said patients say acupuncture has helped reduce their alcohol and drag cravings and made it easier for them to sleep.

"Qne of the things that we did and have seen is a reduction of incidents with clients arguing; the anxiousness and agitation levels are lowered," Peacock said.

Larry Gamble, manager of outpatient addiction services, behavioural health and crisis services for the Montgomery Department of Health and Human Services, says he initially had doubts but they evaporated after taking part in a session.

"We've been amazed at how some of the dients have been able to slow themselves down and be more focused and be more open when they go into individual group therapy," he said. "Clients say they sleep better and feel less stressed."

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine are conducting more than 100 studies examining the effect of acupuncture on a range of problems, including autism, hot flashes and obesity.

But there is still debate in the scientific community over acupunclure's 6ffectiveness as a treatment for some medical conditions, including drug addiction.

Acupuncture isn't-the only alternative therapy officials have used to help people in Montgomery's drug treatment programme. About four years ago, Gamble said, they also began offering meditation and yoga.

Linda Washington, a psychiatric nurse and licensed psychotherapist, said patients who did acupuncture seemed to make quicker progress through therapy than those who did not.

With music playing in the background, Washington and Dave Wurzel, a certified trainer with the National Acupuncture Detoxffication Association, slowly made their way around the room, In this particular form of acupuncture, auricular acupuncture, five needles are inserted in each of the clients' ears. At first glance, the needles look like straight pins, but they are thinner and more flexible.

Once the two completed their rounds, they dimmed the lights. After a while, the only sound was of music mixed with deep rhythmic breathing, The tranquility was broken only briefly when someone began to snore loudly.

The clients, some of whom are in detoxiflcation treatment by court order or are referred by social workers, are a mix of races, sexes and ages. Some are homeless: others are mentally ill. Some are hard-core drug users addicted to hemin or cocaine, Gamble said.

Trachtenberg is optimistic that the one-year pilot will show positive results. She notes that larger counties, including Miami-Dade, Florida, have had success with the approach. In Miami-Dade, about 85% of the people in county treatment programmes do acupuncture.

"Medicine has really changed in this county, and many people really are much more comfortable with an integrated approach to care," she said, "More and more Americans are using alternative therapies,"

Wurzel, who trained the staff in Montgomery and is proprietor of the Chi Farm, said acupuncture is not a cure-all in itself but is designed to complement other types of addiction treatment,

Oliver Oree, 51, recently retomed for his second session under the needle. He doesn't quite get the science behind the needles, but that's just fine - he's willing to take it on faith.
Said Oree: "I don't know what it is or how it works, but I feel like a better person."

Heath Ledger and Brokebock Mountain are names that ring a hell for many people

noreply@blogger.com (Master) — Sun, 04 May 2008 09:00:00 +0000

His legacy
One to be remembered: Father of Angiogenesis, Dr Judah Folkman -1933 to 2008.

HEATH Ledger and Brokebock Mountain are names that ring a hell for many people who have been following the recent entertainment news.

Few would recognise, much less have heard of, Dr Judah Folkman.

Though both men died in the same month (January 2008) each event received a different level of publicity.

Quite often, for people who work hard behind the scenes, it takes a substantial amount of effort to be reeognised. Dr Folkman, a cancer treatment revolutionist, was one that contributed his greatest to mankind but remains unfamiliar to the majority of the six billion people on earth.

Dr Folkman was the founder and director of the vascular biology programme at the Children's Hospital in Boston and a professor of paediattic surgery and cell biology at Harvard Medical School, also in Boston.

He was very passionate about his work and many have said they were not surprised to hear that Folkman, 74, was working till the very end. He collapsed at the Denver International Airport on his way to a speaking engagement in Vancouver.

His departure is indeed a great lost not only to his family, but the world at large. Dr Folkman is sur-vived by his wife, Paula, with whom he lived in Brookline, Massachusetts, two daughters and a granddaughter (Hannah).

The early days
Born in Cleveland in 1933, Moses judah Folkman was the son of a rabbi. He had a brother and a sister and, as a boy, started making house calls to the sick with his father.
He began his medical career in high school in Bexley, Ohio, volunteering in a hospital laboratory at Ohio State University. This early calling led Dr Folkman to Ohio State University, where, by the end of his freshman year, he was performing surgery on dogs under the mentorship of Dr Robert Zollinger, then president of the American College of Surgeons.
The young Dr Folkman even designed a device to cool the liver during surgery without causing organ damage and then, he became coauthor on his first academic paper.
With this extraordinary achievement, he was accepted into Harvard Medical School at the age of 19. After graduating in 1957, Dr Folkman began his surgical residency at the Massachusetts General Hospital and served as chief resi-dent in surgery from 1964 to 1965.

Discovery of Angiogenesis Theory
In the midst of his residency at Massachusetts General Hospital, Dr Folkman was suddenly drafted into the Navy, assigned to do research on artificial blood at a facility in Bethesda, Maryland.
The assigned work was finished far earlier than expected, so Dr Folkman and a colleague, pathologist Fred Becker, had free time in the laboratory and decided to study tumour cells growiug in a special apparatus.
Dr Folkman saw something unusual when their black melanoma cells only grew briefly. All the little tumours were exactly
the same size. He knew that this wasn't natural and something must have halted their growth at a maximum size.
That initial observation led to years of experimenting, thinking, arguing, and exploring until he concluded that the tumours had all stopped growing because they couldn't get enough blood.
As this research continued, Dr Folkman returned to his internship at Massachusetts General Hospital, and then began work at Boston City Hospital as a young surgeon.
In 1967, when he was only 34, Dr Folkman was recruited to become chief of surgery at Children's Hospital. While serving as chief of surgery, he continued pursuing his research, believing that "angiogenesis" was the factor that made tumours grows larger.

A lonely voice and a breakthrough
In the 1970s, Dr Folkman's team applied for their first grant based on the hypothesis of angiogenesis and its role in tumour development and growth.
However, the reviewers at the National Cancer Institute turned them down. Dr Folkman never gave up pursuing his research. In subsequent years, as a result of a huge number of experiments, failures, breakthroughs, and insights, Dr Folkman and his colleagues were able to prove four major points:
1. Tumours do require blood to grow;
2. Turnouts do recruit the blood vessel systems that bring in fresh blood;
3. The recruiting mechanism involves hormone-like growth factors emitted by the tumour;
4. The body makes natural factors that can shut down abnormal blood vessel growth; a phenomenon that Dr Folkman named "anti-angiogenesis".
The journey of discovering a new agent which could stop angiogenesis was not smooth sailing. The media troubled him with over-whelming publicity on his research. His innovative ideas drew attention, especially from reporters covering science and medicine.
As a result, news stories often proclaimed his successes, and desperate patients quickly besieged their doctors seeking a new "cure" that didn't exist.
The publicity problem became most extreme in May of 1998, when a New York Times reporter quoted Nobel-winning biologist James Watson as saying "Judah's going to cure cancer in two years."
This placed tremendous pressure on Dr Folkman and his colleagues, especially when some of their antiangiogenic agents failed to deliver the exoected results.
The turning point came about five years ago, in 2003, when San Francisco's Geneutech lnc reported success with a drug they ca]led bevacizumab, an anti-angiogenesis agent which blocked the action of the stimulators of blood vessel growth.
Clinical trials showed that infusing regular doses of bevacizumab actually extended the lives of patients with colorectal cancer.
Since then, bevacizumab has been approved worldwide for use ir such patients. It has also been approved for breast cancer patients in the U5 and Europe, and is showing promising results against various solid tumour cancers.
Dr Folkman's tenacity and determination culminated it the breakthrough discovery that has changed the entire landscape of solid tumour cancer treatments.
His efforts have helped thousand', afflicted with cancer and remain one of the most promising approaches in future cancer treatment development and management.
His passion for results and his determination in pursuing the seemingly impossible have touched the lives of many colleagues and patients alike and earned the highest level of respect and reverence.
"A bright light has dimmed at Children's Hospital and for the cancer-research world. May that light shine again and guide the way as others are inspired to continue Dr. Folkman's vision and research for a cure for cancer. This is truly what he would want," adds Jo-Ann Rose RN.
"To honour his memory we should all follow his example - pursue your dreams, never give up. and believe in yourself. May his memory be eternal."

3,000 Malaysians are diagnosed with endstage kidney failure and have to go for dialysis

noreply@blogger.com (Master) — Sun, 04 May 2008 08:47:00 +0000

Living with dialysis

Every year, more than 3,000 Malaysians are diagnosed with endstage kidney failure and have to go for dialysis. Today, over 15,0O0 Malaysians are on dialysis. This is expected to reach 20,000 by 2010.

LIFE is not easy for wheel-chair bound Sellamah Sinakanu, 68, who has to depend on people like her grandson to take time off work to take her to the dialysis centre. She has end-stage kidney failure.

"I nearly could not get dialysis because my 8S-year-old husband is not working and we've no money. I'm able to live longer now thanks to the support from National Kidney Fouhdation of Malaysia (NKF)," Sellamah said.

Dialysis has now givell her a second chance to live, as she would have died without it.

Lira Ah Chai, 58, was forced to give up his 13-year-old son to his brother when his wife passed away. Six months later, Lira, diagnosed with end-stage kidney disease, had to go for dialysis in order to survive, With no job, he has to depend on NKF for dialysis,

"Dialysis keeps me alive and well so I can continue to lead a normal life, There are days when I feel very sad but my friends will tell me to look on the bright side as my new home is NKF and everyone here is kind to me," says Lim with a smile.

Today with rtew friends, he has much to look forward to. He hopes to meet his son one day.

It is estimated that the number of dialysis patients worldwide will increase by 7% per annum.

This may seem alarming but it is living with dialysis that is really devastating. When the shock of the diagnosis subsides, the patient has to adapt to a different way of life.

With impending death constantly on the mind, he or she has to depend on a machine to stay alive, thinking that any day, this too will not be of any use. Although among friends and family, the patient will still feel isolated and a burden to
the family. Depression will be a constant companion.

Apart from emotional upheaval, the patient has to go through physical agony. The person will have less energy and needs to make changes in work and home life.

There will be a number of activities and responsibilities which he or she will not be able to perform as much as before. Certain parts of the body may bloat a bit due to oedema (fluid retention), which may be relieved only after dialysis.

What is dialysis?
When we consume food, our body takes what is needed for energy and self-repair, sending waste products to the blood. These waste products, together with the normal breakdown by-products of active tissues, are filtered in our kidneys by tiny units called nephrons.

Here, a complicated chemical exchange will take place, resulting in waste materials and water leaving our body via the urinary system. SO, when our nephrons are damaged, they lose their filtering capacity.

Dialysis treatment does some of the work of damaged kidneys, which includes the normal functions of removing excess water and waste products from the blood and restoring electrolyte levels.

Dialysis is the only treatment option available other than kidney transplantation for failed kidneys.

Types of dialysis
There are two types of dialysis treatment, namely haemodiaIysis and peritoneal dialysis.
In haemodialysis, you will need to have a procedure to enable tubes to be inserted into your arm to send blood to a filter that removes waste products, which will return clean blood to your body.

Haemodialysis is done three times per week in a dialysis centre.

For peritoneal dialysis, a catheter tube is placed in your abdomen and fluid is put into your abdomen. This fluid will collect waste products from your blood.

After a few hours, the fluid which now contains your body's wastes is drained away and replaced with fresh new fluids in the abdomen. This dialysis can be done by the patients themselves at the comfort of their own homes about four to six times a day.

Effects of damaged kidneys
"When the kidneys are damaged, it is no longer effective in performing important functions such as regulating blood pressure and red blood cell production. Therefore, patients with end-stage kidney failure must still watch their diet and fluid intake," says NKF Vice-Chairman Prof Datuk Dr Zaki Morad Mnhamad Zaher.

He adds: "Nevertheless, there are still risks and side effects to dialysis and it is important for patients to report these."

Side effects include sleep disorder, dry skin, cramps, nausea, vomiting, headaches, infections, bleeding from the access point of the tube for dialysis and sudden drop in blood pressure (hypotension) due to stress to the cardiovascular system.

After five years of dialysis, patients may contract dialysis-related amyloidosis (DRA), when protein from the blood is deposited onto the joints and tendons.

A dialysis patient may also contract hepatitis B due to their blood being exposed during the dialysis.

A condition known as anaemia, due to a reduced level of the hormone erythropnietin (EPO), which stimulates the bone marrow to produce red blood cells, may also occur.

To assist patients with these two conditions, NKF provides hepatitis B vaccination at cost and EPO medication for those who qualify free of charge to initiate the treatment and at cost subsequently.

Costly treatment
A patient has to go for dialysis three times per week, which means about 13 times per mouth. Each dialysis costs around RM250 at private hospitals. This will amount to about RM3,250 per month.

NKF patients who qualify for subsidy need only pay RM50 per treatment, amounting to RM650 permonth. The remaining cost is borne by the Ministry of Health Malaysia and NKF.

NKF currently has 20 dialysis centres and more than 1,000 dialysis patients to support nationwide. NKF spends an estimated total of RM3.5 million annually in dialysis treatment alone, not including other costs involved in providing medication and social welfare support for the needy kidney patients.

"NKF spends a lot on subsidies for dialysis and our commitment grow with the increasing number of new patients who come to us every year Clearly, we depend Ileavily on sponsorships and donations to fund our work. We need corporations and individuals to step up and show that they care," says Dr SS Gill, Chairman of the Board of Managers of NKF.

"In order for us to avoid endstage kidney failure and dialysis as well as the side effects relating to the disease, we should ensure a healthy lifestyle - healthy eating, exercising and maintaining a healthy body weight.

"We should not think that just because there is dialysis if our kid neys failed, we could wait until tha stage. By then, it will be too late.

"NKF under its Kidney Care programme aims to educate the peopl on the importance of their kidneys says Dr Goh Bak Leong, consultant nephrologist and Member of the NKF Board of Managers.

Optimistic about lungs - Nihilistic no more about lung cancer

noreply@blogger.com (Master) — Sun, 04 May 2008 08:42:00 +0000

Nihilistic no more about lung cancer-treating the lung cancer patient optimally and effectively

WE approached the patient with advanced lung cancer nihilistically until about 10 years ago. Back in the sad old days, the patient was largely given what was euphemistically called "best supportive care".

Often, all that meant was paiukillers and a comforting hug.

Today, the situation is quite different, Buoyed by the positive effects oftbe anti-cancer agent, cisplatiuum, 20 years ago, many clinical trials were launched to search for new cancer drugs or new combinations of drugs.

Today, patients with advanced lung cancer live longer and live better. This is all thanks to the scientific endeavour of researchers and clinicians working in cooperation and in concert with pharmaceutical companies.

But first, a word about early lung cancer. "Early" lung cancer implies that cure is a realistic goal.

Unfortunately, only about 10% of lung cancer can be considered early. Staging is all-important. To stage is to determine the extent of the cancer in the lung and whether it has spread to a distant site.

The PET/Whole Body CT Scan is indispensable in distinguishing early from advanced lung cancer. When there is doubt even with a sophisticated tool like PET/Whole Body CT, we can use an ultrasound guided technique via the trachea (windpipe) or oesophagus (food pipe) to sample any suspicious lymph node lying deep inside the chest. If the lymph node is involved with cancer, surgery is out.

The patient with lung cancer can then be assigned one of the following stages: 1, II, IIIA, IIIB and IV. For Stages l & II, the treatment is surgery followed by chemotherapy. For Stages Ilia & early IIIB, it is a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Unfortunately, 90% of lung cancer patients will be found to have Stage IIIB or Stage IV disease i,e, what we call advanced lung cancer. This is the group of patients where there are many stirrings of new effective treatments. This is the group of patients which this article is all about.
Three sets of drugs are routinely used to treat advanced lung cancer namely
1. The monoclonal antibodies, bevacizumab (Avastin) and cetuximab (Erbitux) 2. The tyrusine kinase inhibitors, gefitinib (lressa) and erlotinib (Tarceva) 3. Conventional cytotoxic agents e.g. cisplatinum, carboplatin, docetaxel, paclitaxel,gemcitabine, vinorelbine, pemetrexed
It is good to have so many drugs and so many combinations of drugs. Patients with advanced lung cancer come in different
shapes and sniffles. They have different expectations and pockets.

Some are fit and can withstand a more robust treatment, for example, a combinations of two or three drugs.

Other patients may be less well and only one drug should be used.

And to each patient, I say "We have something to prolong your life and something to give your life quality."

Today, that comforting hug becomes an encouraging embrace. When patients don't do well with first-line treatment (the first set of anti-cancer agents employed) they can often be given effective second-line treatment.

There is even talk of third-line treatment.

Until the day comes when all advanced lung cancer patients can be cured, surely these patients deserve the best that science can offer today.

With the current therapies, patients with advanced lung cancer live, on the average, 12 months instead of eight.

Put another way, 50% of these patients will live a year if they are treated with current protocols instead of a paltry 20% two decades ago. There is always that 5% of patients wholive over three years having undergone two to three optimal lines of chemotherapy.

I write this essay not to announce "Lung Cancer Can Now Be Cured". Of course advanced lung cancer cannot be cured,

My point is that we have moved from therapeutic nihilism to therapeutic enthusiasm. And I believe that this is an important

Rubicon that we have crossed.

I end this essay with a reality check. We turn to pseudoscience (e.g. scalar energy), alternative medicine (qigong) and early Phase I trials (Cytotron) because we fear death.

Nothing is quite so simple and stark as that. But we have to accept that we cannot cure all cancers yet.

And your best bet of staying alive longer and more comfortably is still evidence-based and science-based medicine,

"All of us, among the ruins, are preparing a renaissance beyond the limits of nihilism. But few of us know it."

Winning the war against colon cancer: we are curing more patients than ever before

noreply@blogger.com (Master) — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:44:00 +0000

Gut wars
Winning the war against colon cancer: we are curing more patients than ever before.
COLON (or large intestines) cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. It is the third most common cancer found in both Malaysian men and women, with the National Cancer Registry reporting over 1,446 new cases in 2003L
Recent advances in treatment have resulted in more patients living a longer and more productive life compared to a decade ago.
Cancer awareness campaigns and early detection combined with advancements in chemotherapy treatment have increased the likelihood of cure for early-stage colon cancers.
Misconceptions about chemotherapy can deprive a patient of effective treatment. Many are still ignorant about the recent
advancements in the treatment for colon cancer. We really should understand the benefits of additional therapy after surgery, and not be influenced by misconceptions surrounding chemotherapy.
Misconceptions may do harm and could potentially deny patients the possibility of cure.

How colon cancer starts
Colon cancer refers to cancer that forms in the tissue lining of the colon. Unlike most cancers, colon cancer grows slowly, often starting with a tiny non-cancerous growth of tissue known as a "polyp", which may then become cancerous after many years.
Regular screening helps in early detection of polyps, which can be easily removed before they turn cancerous. It may also aid in detectmg cancer still at its early stage. Early detection remains an important step in curing colon cancer.

What are my risks?
Some of us are at higher risk of getting colon cancer than the average population, We need to recoguise these risk factors, which include some of the following:
* Age
The chance of developing colon cancer increases with age, commonly affecting those above 50 years of age.
* Diet
Certain diets may increase the risk of colon cancer, such as one that is rich in red meat (e.g. beef, lamb) and processed meat (e.g, hotdog) and low in vegetables and fruits.
* Family history
Having a close relative with colon cancer increases a person's risk of getting colon cancer, This risk increases further if the dose relative had colon cancer at a young age.
* History of bowel diseases
A history of inflammatory bowel diseases increases a person's chances of getting colon cancer.

Treating colon cancer
Surgery is tile main treatment for colon cancer4, and in early stages, surgery alone will suffice.
However, in patients with highrisk features, a combination of surgery and chemotherapy gives better outcomes.
Chemotherapy given after surgery is known as "adjuvant" treatment.
In this context, chemotherapy is used to mop up microscopic or unseen cancer cells that may still be present in the body, therefore reducing the risk of recurrence. Chemotherapy here serves as extra "insurance" to back up the surgical procedure.

Chemotherapy - emergence of a new era
5-fluorouracil(5-FU) is a chemotherapy agent that has been used for the past few decades in the treatment of colorectal cancers.
Research has shown that adjuvant treatment with 5-FU, given after surgery, will lower the risk of cancer relapsing, compared with no adjuvant treatments. Today, 5-FU is still widely used and is given either through injection into a vein or taken by mouth.
It has taken many decades and years of research to come up with new drugs that are suitable for the treatment of colorectal cancer. Since the late 1990s, significant progress has been made in drug therapies.
in June 2007, the long awaited final results from years of research have confirmed that a two-drug combination of chemotherapy can cure patients with early-stage colon cancer who have high risks features2. These patients call now hope to live longer than ever before2.
This two-drug combination chemotherapy involves the use of 5-FU together with a drug known as oxaliplatin.
In selected patients, such as those with stage Ill colon cancer, oxaliplatin, when added to 5-FU treatment as a two-drug
combination, has been shown to increase the survival rates by as much as 20%, compared with just 5-FU alone2.
Oxaliplatin is a chemotherapy agent that has been approved in Malaysia for the treatment of late-stage (stage IV) colorectal cancer since the late 1990s. Years of research have proven it to be an effective treatment in patients with stage IV diseaseL
And finally today, with intensive research, we call now confirm that oxaliplatin plays a definitive and significant role in the treatment of early-stage colon cancer2.

Into the future
For many years, chemotherapy treatment for early-stage colon
cancer only involved 5-FU. However today, a two drug combination of 5-FU and oxaliplatin has emerged as the new standard of
care for high risk early-stage colon cancer.
Medical research and advancements will continue to propel us forward to search for more effective treatment options for early-stage colon cancer. Researchers are now carrying nut investigations on three-drug combination treatments, using 5-FU, oxaliplatin and biologic agents (cetUximab or bevacizumaby. We await with optimism on the results of these studies.
We hope to cushion offthe breaking of bad news to colon cancer patients with an even more optimistic message of better cure rates and survival in the near future.
The war against colon cancer is far from over. However, the future looks optimistic.

References:
1.2rid Report of the National Cancer Registry - cancer incidence in Malaysia 2003
2. de Gramont et al. Final results of MOSAIC presentation. ASCO 2007
3. American Society of Cancer, http://www.cancer.org. Accessed on 5th April 2008
4. National Comprehensive Cancer Network ( NCCN ). Colon and rectal cancer - treatment guidelines for patients. Version V/October 2007. 5. O'Connell MJ, et al.J Clin Oncol 1997;15:246-50
6. www.bpflcgov.my
7. de Gramont et aI. J Clin Onco1 2000; 18:2938-2947
8. de Gramont et al. Semin Oncol 33(suppl 11) : $42-45

The father of psychoanalysis, sigmund freud and his theories

noreply@blogger.com (Master) — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:38:00 +0000

Wanna talk about it?

The father of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud, and his theories.

IKEEP hearing about Sigmund Freud from my cousin, who seems to think he is the inventor of modern psychoanalysis. I don't even understand the word 'psychoanalysis'. who is freud and why is he so famous?

Sigmund Freud is actually a Czech Austrian Jewish neurologist and a psychiatrist. He lived from 1856 to 1939. He founded the Psychoanalytic school of psychology and is commonly referred to as the 'father or psychoanalysis'.

During his day and even today, he remains an extremely controversial figure with controversial theories on the unconscious mind and why people behave the way they do. A lot of his theories involve sex, which is what makes them so controversial and memorable!

Freud was an atheist.

In 1930, he received the Goethe Prize for his contribution to psychology. But three years later, when the Nazis came to Austria, his books were burned and Freud had to go into exile.

Psychoanalysis is a therapeutic (meaning treatment) method for treatment of mental disorders by investigating the interaction between the conscious and unconsciou~ parts of the patient's mind, and coaxing out repressed fears and conflicts using certain techniques.

It's basically the process that occurs When you visit a psychologist in that clich6d, oftenfilmed sequence of a "shrink" sitting you on a couch and saying, "Tell me about your childhood".

What is 'unconscious' and 'conscious' in my mind? I thought I am fully conscious at all times, except when I'm asleep. I am also fully conscious with all my memories.
Freud's theory is that the majority of what we experience in lift- the underlying emotions, beliefs, feelings and impulses are not always available to us at a conscious level. He believes that what mostly drives us to behave the way we do lies in oar unconscious, out of our awareness.

We bury these feelings and emotions because they often cause us great anxiety.

In Freud's theory, our "conscious" makes up only a very small part of ourselves, Most of what makes our personality is buried and inaccessible.

Take for example a child who has been repeatedly abused by his parents, He grows up, burying the memory because it causes him so much anxiety, in his adult life, he resorts to drinking excessively and being abusive to his wife and children.

One way this can be interpreted is that our example patient is acting the way he does now because he was abused in childhood.

So is Freud saying what goes into our personality is our experiences?
Freud has a lot more complex theories on that. Really, it's a postgraduate course!

But in a nutshell, Freud postu lates that our personality's structural model can be divided into three - id, ego and super-ego.

The "id" is the part of us that we are born with. It's an extremely selfish part that allows us to get our basic needs like food, sex, pleasure. The "id" wants whatever feels good with no consideration whatsoever about the situation or other people.

When you think of this, it is true because as newborns (and babies and even older children), we have no consideration of anyone else.

If we are hungry, we cry for milk. If we soil our nappies, we cry. If we're uncomfortable, we cry with no consideration what soever for OUF mother's rest or time.

Then as we grow up, we begin to interact with the world and realise others have needs too, This part of the personality is called the "ego". The "ego" meets the demands of the "id" while taking into consideration other people and the situation. The older child no longer wakes up his mother at 3am to cry because he wants milk.

Then as we continue to age (by age five or so), the "superego" develops, This is the moral part of our personality, or "conscience". Things that shape this include school, religion, our elders, philosophy etc.

All this is very above board so far. Where does the sex and controversy come in?
Freud has yet anotber theory of personality development focusing on sex, According to him, we move through a series of psychosexual stages:

Oral stage (birth - 15 months): Only the id is present here, and the infant seeks gratification through its mouth by feeding, crying and biting. If this stage is disturbed, in adulthood, you may resort to oral behaviours like smoking, overeating, thumb-sucking, being greedy and impatient.

Anal stage (15 months - three years): the toddler derives pleasure from defecating. Too much parental control at this stage leads to an "anal" character like obsessiveness, rigidity, obstinacy and possessiveness.

Phallic stage (three to five years): now the child focuses pleasure on his genitals, such as showing curiosity. Freud postulates that boys have an "Oedipus complex" by wanting his mother and therefore being jealous of his father. He's afraid his father will find out and expresses this as "fear of castration", but this is finally resolved when the boy identifies with his father.

In girls, there is the "Electra complex", where the girl has "penis envy" and resents her mother for not providing her with a penis. If you have a problem at this stage, says Freud, it may lead to homosexuality, authority problems and rejection of gender roles.

We did say he was controversial!