Total Health Solution

YOUR HEALTH: A new treatment for children with inflammatory bowel disease PHILADELPHIA – At first glance, Gabriella looks like a happy, healthy child, teaching her sister math and taking care of the family pets. But she has had Inflammatory Bowel Disease since the age of four. "She, by that point, was very sick," said her mother, Lisa Didio.   "She had really bad diarrhea, loose stools, when she would go, the toilet was filled with blood." Lisa began searching for a treatment and doctors who could help her daughter. "This is a very complicated disease where everyone is different than everybody else," explained Dr. Andrew Grossman, pediatric gastroenterologist at Children's Hospital in Philadelphia. "You have to have a genetic predisposition and with some environmental trigger, which we usually can't figure out on an individual basis." IBD causes inflammation which then causes ulcers. Doctors at Children's Hospital of Phila...

With a mortality rate of up to 88 percent, Marburg virus can rip through a community in days. In 2005, an outbreak of Marburg virus struck a pediatric ward in the country of Angola. With no treatment available, doctors struggled to help as the virus killed 329 of 374 infected patients. Now, scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have discovered the workings of the first promising treatment for Marburg virus, a pathogen with the same pandemic potential as Ebola virus. The research builds on previous studies showing that an antibody called MR191 can neutralize Marburg—though no one knew exactly how it targeted the virus. For the new study, TSRI scientists created a map of the virus' structure and revealed through high-resolution imaging how MR191 targets and neutralizes the virus. This antibody—or a strategy to elicit this antibody in patients—could finally give doctors a way to successfully treat the disease. "This is the first antibody therapeutic found th...

Space travel: Here's what happens to the human body Space is a dangerous and unforgiving place, and spending time away from gravity takes its toll on the human body, as many astronauts have found out after returning to Earth. But what exactly are the risks? Japanese astronaut Norishige Kanai this week may have briefly grabbed news headlines by announcing he had stretched a staggering 9cm (3.5in) in just three weeks onboard the International Space Station (ISS). He later admitted he had miscalculated the figure and it was actually just 2cm (0.9in), but significant height changes are actually normal for astronauts spending time in space. Without the strong pull of Earth's gravity, spinal vertebrae can expand or "unload" leading to a slight change of height. But research shows that once back on Earth, astronaut's heights go back to normal. ADVERTISEMENT What happens during a year in space? Usually astronauts are sent to the ISS for about six months at the...

    Lung cancer cases rising in Abu Dhabi, warns doctor According to the Health Authority - Abu Dhabi, cancer is the third leading cause of death in the emirate. It is the second leading cause among nationals and the third among expatriates and accounts for 16 per cent of all total deaths. Precautionary measures should be taken to prevent the increasing cases of lung cancer, said an Al Ain-based doctor. Tobacco smoking is the main cause of the disease and residents must abstain from the habit, said Dr Khalid Balaraj Al Amoudi, head of the Oncology Department at Tawam Hospital in Al Ain. During a lecture, he noted a significant increase in the number of people diagnosed with lung cancer, being admitted to Tawam hospital. "Lung cancer is the most common type of cancer especially among males and it results from smoking shisha, cigarettes and medwakh, especially among the youth," he said. "It is very important for people to abstain from smoking or using tobacco in al...

Better cancer-care facilities and more awareness key reasons for surge in patients at hospitals The epidemiological and demographic transition in  Kerala  over the past two or more decades has left the State struggling with the issues of an ageing population and a steep increase in non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Today, the cancer management facilities have grown in Kerala and have extended to the private sector as well. There are 13 hospital-based cancer registries in both the private and public sector as well as the Population-based Cancer Registries (PBCRs) of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Malabar Cancer Centre. Better cancer care and management facilities and improved awareness of cancer as a treatable disease are seen as key reasons for the surge in patients in hospitals, but that can hardly hide the fact that cancer incidence in the State has gone up significantly in recent years. Data from the PBCR...

Dry eye disease: the patient journey Although some patients may experience some symptoms of dry eye only occasionally, dry eye disease is a chronic condition, so it is important for patients to understand the implications. It may take a few attempts with different products for patients to achieve relief from their symptoms. This may be because the treatment is ineffective or, alternatively, because of a phenomenon known as ‘tight shoes’ (i.e. where the patient feels only the worst symptom and, once this is treated, the symptom for the next worse condition surfaces in the patient’s awareness)[1]. • Advise patients that they may be able to only detect the most painful or irritating symptom. This means that it not uncommon to see a new symptom surface after one symptom has been treated because, once one symptom has improved, the patient may be able to detect another for the first time. This can be frustrating for patients, because it may feel like their symptoms will never be reliev...

What Your Resting Heart Rate Can Tell You About Your Fitness One of the often-highlighted features of the new iteration of the Apple Watch is its ability to track your resting heart rate (I mentioned it in my own review of the device). Fitbit, Garmin, Samsung, and other tech brands also offer fitness trackers that measure your heart rate during exercise and keep tabs on your resting heart rate throughout the day. We know that heart rate during exercise can show you how intensely you’re working—a higher heart rate means you’re putting greater demands on your cardiovascular system, and therefore, your heart is working really hard to pump blood quickly enough to meet those demands. The importance of resting heart rate is a little more vague, but this number can actually give you some insight into your fitness level and how it’s changing over time. In addition, it could give your doctor information that, combined with other factors, may signal a heart problem. Now, it’s important t...

Running ages you faster': seven fitness myths to ignore Worried about 'runner's face'? Don't be. With 60 per cent of us not getting enough physical activity, the last thing we need is more reasons not to exercise. Yet wrong-headed beliefs that imply exercise is too hard or harmful just create more barriers to getting fitter or put limits on what we do. 1. Running will age you faster This one surfaced in 2011 with some cosmetic surgeons in the US and UK  claiming that the pounding effect of running damages facial elasticity – and that this, together with fat loss, caused a gaunt, "runners' face".

What is Hallucinogen-persisting perception disorder?      Symptoms HPPD can affect the way a person perceives visual input. According to a  2016 review , there are two types of the condition: ·          Type 1 : This is where people experience HPPD in the form of random, brief flashbacks. ·          Type 2 : People with this kind of HPPD experience ongoing changes to their vision, which may come and go. The visual disturbances a person with HPPD may experience include: ·          seeing halos or auras around objects ·          seeing trails that follow moving objects ·          having trouble telling colours apart ·          the colour of an object seeming to change in hue ·      ...

What is Hallucinogen-persisting perception disorder? Hallucinogen-persisting perception disorder, or HPPD, causes a person to keep reliving the visual element of an experience caused by hallucinogenic drugs. But what do the flashbacks in HPPD feel like, what causes them, and how might they be treated? A person with HPPD has frequent visual disturbances. They do not relieve any other aspects of a drug trip, only the part that involved vision. The way the flashbacks in HPPD affect a person's vision can be frustrating and may cause  anxiety . This article explores the symptoms and causes of HPPD. It also discusses how a person experiencing HPPD can manage their condition. What is HPPD? Unlike the immersive flashbacks that some people have after taking drugs, HPPD flashbacks are purely visual. This means that a person with HPPD just has visual disturbances, such as seeing blurry patterns, size distortion, and bright circles. These individuals do not relieve any other aspe...

For people with Type 2 diabetes, there is an additional incentive for keeping the disease under management  Research shows a possible link between diabetes and cognitive decline, including increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. The scientific reason behind the link between diabetes and brain health is complex. Some scientists believe people with diabetes may also have insulin resistance or insulin deficiency that could damage brain cells enough to cause memory loss. Studies are underway to understand why 80 percent of people with Alzheimer’s disease also have some form of diabetes or disturbed glucose metabolism. However, so far, longitudinal research has not produced a consensus view regarding the link between blood glucose levels and cognitive impairment. Meanwhile, in South Florida, medical professionals are working with diabetic patients to minimize the risk of cognitive decline through a variety of methods that include lifestyle, medical and mental-...

Diabetes may lead to a greater risk for Alzheimer’s, dementia and memory loss  For people with Type 2 diabetes, there is an additional incentive for keeping the disease under management. Research shows a possible link between diabetes and cognitive decline, including increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. The scientific reason behind the link between diabetes and brain health is complex. Some scientists believe people with diabetes may also have insulin resistance or insulin deficiency that could damage brain cells enough to cause memory loss. Studies are underway to understand why 80 percent of people with Alzheimer’s disease also have some form of diabetes or disturbed glucose metabolism. However, so far, longitudinal research has not produced a consensus view regarding the link between blood glucose levels and cognitive impairment. Meanwhile, in South Florida, medical professionals are working with diabetic patients to minimize the risk of cognitive...

New diabetes research takes a page from the past with a drug from the 1950s Prior to Daniel Dyner having open-heart surgery four years ago, he appeared to be in great health. He had just moved to Key Biscayne from Venezuela, where he spent his time sailing around the world on solo trips to places like Trinidad, the Mediterranean and the coast of Africa. He swam nearly a mile every day and kept a strict diet. The 69-year-old Dyner was on the first lap of his daily swim in May 2013 when he “suddenly felt funny. He immediately went to see Dr. Gervasio Lamas, his cardiologist at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach. “I remember this so distinctly,” said Dyner, now 73. “The guy said ‘stop’ and he ran over with two doctors. They said I had 24 hours to live.”  The next morning, Dyner underwent open-heart surgery. After that, his sugar levels went “completely crazy.” Now, Dyner is part of Lamas’ clinical trial at Mount Sinai, where Type 2 diabetics with a history of cardia...

Don’t wait until you have diabetes to make lifestyle changes Many patients who come into my office have no idea they are prediabetic. Prediabetes is when your blood sugar is elevated, but not high enough to be classified as diabetic. There are 86 million people in the U.S. with prediabetes, but nine out of 10 don’t know they have it. This is alarming because 15-30 percent of people with prediabetes will develop Type 2 diabetes within five years without intervention. So what can you do? First, pay attention to the symptoms of diabetes, which include frequent urination, excessive hunger, increased thirst, weight loss, and blurred vision. Make an appointment with your primary care doctor right away if you have these symptoms. There are a number of risk factors that make patients more prone to becoming diabetic. Being overweight, sedentary, family history, having poor eating habits and smoking are factors that prompt me to test for diabetes. This is a simple blood test that can be d...

Less than one-tenth of Americans eat enough vegetables, study says An overwhelming majority of Americans are skimping on their vegetables, according to a studyconducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).The US dietary guidelines recommend eating one and a half to two cups of vegetables per day. A dismal 9 percent of Americans are even claiming to meet that mark. That means at least 290 million residents are completely missing the mark. They aren't doing much better with fruit either, with only 12 percent of Americans eating one and a half to two servings per day. Come on, America. All it takes is some blueberry pancakes and a banana! Even a delicious, fruity baked good would count. But even that's asking too much. This isn't the first time this concern has been raised. Professor of nutrition and food studies Marion Nestle told the Guardianthat this study simply confirms "years of data" and is nothing new. "This report highl...

U.S. man with rare disease is first to undergo gene editing in the body 23     OAKLAND, Calif. — Scientists for the first time have tried editing a gene inside the body in a bold attempt to permanently change a person's DNA to cure a disease. The experiment was done Monday in California on 44-year-old Brian Madeux. Through an IV, he received billions of copies of a corrective gene and a genetic tool to cut his DNA in a precise spot. "It's kind of humbling" to be the first to test this," said Madeux, who has a metabolic disease called Hunter syndrome. "I'm willing to take that risk. Hopefully it will help me and other people." Signs of whether it's working may come in a month; tests will show for sure in three months. If it's successful, it could give a major boost to the fledgling field of gene therapy. Scientists have edited people's genes before, altering cells in the lab that are then returned to patients. There also ...