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Friday, December 31, 2010

Diabetes Facts: Impact Size and Financial Burden

Center for Diabetes Research

Diabetes and its complications affect some 20 million Americans with an annual cost to society in excess of $100 billion.

In the USA, obesity has reached epidemic proportions which further increases the incidence of diabetes.

Diabetes is a serious ailment linked to abnormalities in metabolism and nutritional regimen.

It is essential to increase the number of scientists doing basic research relevant to diabetes, and obesity.

Our goal is to promote the training of scientists whose research will develop new understandings of the basis of the disease and its complications, and to cultivate basic science research that can speed the discovery of more effective therapies.

http://biochemistry.iu.edu/resources/center-for-diabetes-research/

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Top 10 Mobile Health Stories of 2010 #2

2. Apple iPad: Healthcare industry weighs in – January 27, 2010: Shortly after Apple unveiled its iPad, we asked a number of healthcare industry thought leaders for their first impressions. These were comments made at first blush without any firsthand experience. There were some thoughtful analyses, however.

Round-up http://mobihealthnews.com/6265/apple-ipad-healthcare-industry-weighs-in/

http://mobihealthnews.com/9807/top-10-mobile-health-stories-of-2010/

http://www.depsyl.com/

http://back2basicnutrition.com/

http://bionutritionalresearch.olhblogspace.com/

Predicter: Obesity at 9 months of age

Obesity at 9 months of age could predict later health problems

A new analysis suggests babies who are obese at 9 months could have later health problems.

The new study showed infants with early obesity were among the heaviest by age 2, putting them at risk for later health issues that include heart disease, diabetes and emotional problems.
Lead author Brian G. Moss of Wayne State University and William H. Yeaton of the University of Michigan analyzed data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort to find 32% of children were either obese or overweight and at risk by 9 months of age.

Data for the study included height, weight, socioeconomic and demographics of 8,900 9-month-old babies and 7,500 toddlers age 2. By the time 9 month olds reached age 2, 34% were found to be either obese or teetering on the edge of obesity, defined as being in the 95th percentile for body-mass index in their age group.

Even though the 9 month olds were found to be at risk for obesity, no one suggests putting infants on a diet. The researchers wanted to understand what factors contribute to obesity in hopes of finding ways to intervene with parents and health advocates.

The researchers found Hispanics and low socioeconomic status children were at highest risk for obesity, while females and Asian/Pacific Islanders had the lowest risk.

There was no uniform risk for found in subgroups of infants, leading the authors to conclude obesity at age 9 months raises the chances of health problems and obesity later in life, "suggesting that health policy might focus on those children at greatest risk."
American Journal of Health Promotion

http://www.emaxhealth.com/1020/obesity-9-months-age-could-predict-later-health-problems

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2010: The year technology replaced talking












2010: The year technology replaced talking
Sharon Jayson, USA TODAY

When Gretchen Baxter gets home from work as a New York City book editor, she checks her BlackBerry at the door.

"I think we are attached to these devices in a way that is not always positive," says Baxter, who'd rather focus at home on her husband and 12-year-old daughter. "It's there and it beckons. That's human nature (but) ... we kind of get crazy sometimes and we don't know where it should stop."

Americans are connected at unprecedented levels — 93% now use cellphones or wireless devices; one-third of those are "smartphones" that allow users to browse the Web and check e-mail, among other things. The benefits are obvious: checking messages on the road, staying in touch with friends and family, efficiently using time once spent waiting around.

The downside: Often, we're effectively disconnecting from those in the same room.

That's why, despite all the technology that makes communicating easier than ever, 2010 was the Year We Stopped Talking to One Another. From texting at dinner to posting on Facebook from work or checking e-mail while on a date, the connectivity revolution is creating a lot of divided attention, not to mention social angst. Many analysts say it's time to step back and reassess.

"What we're going to see in the future is new opportunities for people to be plugged in and connected like never before," says Scott Campbell, assistant professor of communication studies at the University of Michigan, who studies the social implications of using mobile devices. "It can be a good thing. But I also see new ways the traditional social fabric is getting somewhat torn apart."

Our days are filled with beeps and pings — many of which pull us away from tasks at hand or face-to-face conversations. We may feel that the distractions are too much, but we can't seem to stop posting, texting or surfing.

"We're going through a period of adjustment and rebalancing," says Richard Harper, principal researcher in socio-digital systems at Microsoft Research in Cambridge, England, and author of the new book Texture: Human Expression in the Age of Communications Overload.

Sherry Turkle, director of the MIT Initiative on Technology and Self in Cambridge, Mass., wants to remind people that technology can be turned off.

"Our human purposes are to really have connections with people," she says. "We have to reclaim it. It's not going to happen naturally."

Her new book, Alone Together: Why We Expect More From Technology and Less From Each Other, suggests that the time is right for reassessment. "You have to have experiences with it before you can ask these questions. You can't ask in the first five years. You have to see how it plays out," Turkle says.

She's worried about what she sees today.

"We've come to confuse continual connectivity with making real connections," Turkle says. "We're 'always on' to everyone. When you actually look more closely, in some ways we've lost the time for the conversations that count."

Connected to your social circle

Sociologist Claude Fischer of the University of California-Berkeley is familiar with dire predictions associated with new technology: He outlined them in his 1992 book America Calling: A Social History of the Telephone to 1940.

"If you go back 100 years, people were writing things about the telephone not unlike people are writing about these technologies. There was a whole literature of alarm — how it's turning everything upside down," he says.

In a new book, Still Connected: Family and Friends in America Since 1970, he says the total contact time with friends and family has not changed much in 40 years; there has been a slight decline in face-to-face contact but a substantial increase in other ways of communicating, such as phone and e-mail.

The "major" change is "the idea that you are available to everybody in your social circle at every minute and they are available to you," he says. "What its consequences and implications are, we don't know."

Social psychologist Robert Kraut of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh is among those studying our relationship with technology. "At any moment, you're dividing your attention between the person in front of you and the person you're giving snippets of your attention to. We don't know the net consequence of reducing the quality of the relationship a little bit with the person you're with while improving or maintaining it with the person you're electronically tied to."

Harper says, "Some researchers do worry that connections to other people elsewhere are weakening the connections to people you're with."

Adds James Katz, director of the Center for Mobile Communication Studies at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J., and editor of Mobile Communication: Dimensions of Social Policy, out Jan. 31: "There's no question that these mobile gadgets are affecting our behavior. There is not a uniform declaration that everyone agrees to as to what this change means. Everybody sees merits and demerits, but whether the effect is good or bad is hotly contested."
Campbell says mobile phones provide opportunities to coordinate social activities more easily.

"The more people use mobile phones, the more likely they are to see friends and family because it strengthens those relationships," he says. "It doesn't take away from how much we see our friends, but it can take away from the quality of the time we spend with people when we're physically together and using the technology with others."

The statistics paint a clear picture of dramatic increases in mobile devices. According to a semi-annual wireless survey released in October by the industry trade group CTIA-The Wireless Association, 93% of Americans now use a wireless device or cellphone — and not just for voice calls.

From June 2009 to June 2010, subscribers sent 1.8 trillion text messages (up 33% from the previous year) and 56.3 billion multimedia messages (up 187% from the year before). In its latest monthly report, the Nielsen Co. found that almost 30% of mobile subscribers in the USA have a smartphone such as a BlackBerry or iPhone.

"Mobile telephony is becoming ubiquitous, with access to mobile networks now available to over 90% of the global population," says the International Telecommunication Union, a United Nations agency.

Campbell says Americans feel these changes so profoundly because we're just now "truly experiencing this kind of critical mass."

"It's not just about the adoption level being high, but this technology has really worked its way into our everyday lives," he says.

Less than full attention

As with much in technology, some differences may be generational.

Teens are just fine with being together and texting others at the same time, Campbell says.
"There's no social disruption," he says. "But across generational lines, there is major disruption." Adults "are offended and don't understand why, when the family is trying to spend time together, teens have to be socially someplace else."

It's not just happening with parents and teens.

When someone starts texting at a party or a business meeting, it may be taken as in insult by those physically present. When a parent pulls out the BlackBerry to e-mail the office while at home with the kids, the unfortunate message they send to the children may be that "there is someone I'd rather be interacting with than you."

There are upsides: The increased use of mobile devices does help keep relationships alive, says Kraut, who says cellphones allow people to convert otherwise wasted time (such as that spent walking somewhere) to contact with others.

"It's multitasking in a way that's good," he says. "They need to get someplace, but can have a pleasurable conversation when they're doing it."

At the same time, Turkle says, we can no longer assume we have someone's full attention when we're physically with them. "We're saying to each other in one way or another that we can always put each other on pause."

Sharing space

Like Baxter, more tech lovers are setting limits.

No one had to tell Susan Maushart of Mattituck, N.Y., how consumed by technology her family was. They unplugged for six months, and she recounts the experience in The Winter of Our Disconnect: How Three Totally Wired Teenagers (and a Mother Who Slept With Her iPhone) Pulled the Plug on Their Technology and Lived to Tell the Tale, out Jan. 20.

"We're connected to everything but one another and it's completely normal for this time and place," she says.

Maushart was spurred to act when she looked around the living room and "all I could see were the backs of people's heads, because they were interacting with their screens."

At the time, her kids were 14, 15 and 18.

"It was the prime of their teenage years — that last moment when we were going to all be together under that one roof," Maushart says. "I felt sick at the pit of my stomach that this was going to all dwindle away."

She says it was liberating to be free of her devices, even though she loves technology.
Others have these mixed feelings, as well.

"There's no question cellphones somehow make you reachable 24/7, and I don't like it," says Prudence Bushnell Boyer of Silver Spring, Md., a lawyer and mother of two daughters, ages 12 and 7.

"Now, they expect you to answer the phone all the time," she says. "I think it's disruptive and disconcerting. But my 12-year-old thinks it's wonderful to be connected all the time."
Bushnell Boyer says times have changed.

"It used to be if someone was talking to themselves, they were usually not in their right state of mind. Nowadays, you realize they have an earpiece and are talking to someone and not really where they are. They're not connected to the time or place they're in," she says.

Despite her cellphone, BlackBerry, Kindle and the iPad she shares with colleagues at work, Gretchen Baxter says adults are having a more difficult adjustment to the world consumed by technology. She doesn't thinks kids will.

"They're so used to it and like everything, they'll get blasé about it," she says.

But, Baxter says she has her concerns: "I worry for the kids that they won't know what it's like to share a story, to look people in the eyes — to know that sharing a space with someone is all about connecting and not with the technological device."

http://www.usatoday.com/yourlife/parenting-family/2010-12-30-1AYEAR30_CV_N.htm

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Top 10 Mobile Health Stories of 2010?

Top 10 Mobile Health Stories of 2010

2. Apple iPad: Healthcare industry weighs in – January 27, 2010: Shortly after Apple unveiled its iPad, we asked a number of healthcare industry thought leaders for their first impressions. These were comments made at first blush without any firsthand experience. There were some thoughtful analyses, however. Round-up

http://mobihealthnews.com/9807/top-10-mobile-health-stories-of-2010

www.DEPSYL.com

http://back2basicnutrition.com

http://bionutritionalresearch.olhblogspace.com/

What's the 7% Solution? #2

A 7% Solution #2
by Eric Schoch

The Y factor

The YMCA was a good match because it’s everywhere. There are nearly 2,700 YMCAs across the country, with 57 percent of American households within three miles of a YMCA. The YMCA-United Health program is being implemented in seven cities in 2010, adding 25 more cities over the next two years.

“It’s in our DNA to be involved in healthy living,” said Jonathan Lever, national director of Activate America for the YMCA, during the diabetes conference in April. “We have the reach to make a difference.”

In Indianapolis, the diabetes prevention research reported in 2002 was conducted at the National Institute for Fitness and Sport, a highly respected, but not inexpensive, facility next to the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis campus. The study’s lifestyle coaches had master’s degree-level training. The one-on-one counseling was accompanied by incentives for the participants, such as free shoes, water bottles, and modest cash rewards for achieving certain goals.

Moving the program to a community-based organization meant changing some aspects of the program, Ackermann says. There were no more incentives, for example. Dropping them reduced participation of those referred to the program to about 65 percent, down from about 95 percent in the original study. More significantly, the program changed from one-on-one coaching to group sessions of about 10 people.

What didn’t change, Ackermann says, was the core curriculum of 16 sessions, 60 to 90 minutes each, focusing on detailed behavioral strategies to reach a 5 to 7 percent weight loss by carefully tracking and reducing fat consumption and exercising at least 150 minutes a week. These sessions are not simple lectures, but intensive intervention programs with regular assignments and feedback, designed to give people tools they need to change their eating and exercise lifestyles.

The DPP Lifestyle Change Program Manual of Operations, developed in 1996 at the University of Pittsburgh, runs more than 460 detailed pages of advice, facts, and strategies. (For example: Avoid tasting foods when cooking, and if you do it, immediately cleanse your mouth with water or a breath mint. Or: Do some role-playing to practice friendly but firm ways to ask for low-fat alternatives when ordering at restaurants.) So could an intensive, costly, one-on-one diabetes prevention program necessitating behavior change be successfully implemented at a community-based organization in group sessions?

In a word: Yes.

Continued tomorrow!

http://research.iu.edu/magazine/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=111:a-7-solution&catid=45:fall-2010-volume-xxxiii-number-1&Itemid=78

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12.31.10 Wisdom

Find out what the other team wants to do. Then take it away from them.

George Halas

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/g/george_halas.html

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Anxiety Solutions? Hops?

Therapeutic Uses, Benefits and Claims of Hops

Dried female strobiles of hops have historically been used for its sedative effects on the central nervous system due to its methylbutenol content as a treatment for stress, anxiety and insomnia. Hops have been studied for anti-viral properties and anti-micro bacterial properties. They also contain numerous various flavonoids, and they have been studied for containing estrogen precursors as well.

This herb also contains humulone and lupulone, noted for its anti-bacterial qualities which stimulate gastric juice production aiding in the digestion of food. Hops has been noted to help to prevent the formation of new blood vessels, useful as an herbal anti-cancer agent, preventing different cancer types from starting, growing, or spreading.

Hops contains phyto-estrogen which acts like the female hormone estrogen in the body and is now formulated with other herbs in products that are sold for herbal breast enlargement. As a tea, hop flowers have been used as a remedy for cramps, swellings and hardness of the uterus.
This plant has been used for menstrual difficulties for over 2500 years, with its earliest uses documented during early Roman and Greek history.

Extracts of hop flowers have been used in treating leprosy, pulmonary tuberculosis, and acute bacterial dysentery. A poultice of the leaf and fruit of the Hops plant has been used to remedy "cold" tumors.

A pomade made from lupulin, has been used to remedy cancerous ulcerations. Hops are reputed to decrease sexual desire, increase perspiration and are beneficial as a herbal pain reliever, diuretic, nervine and to expel intestinal parasites.

Hops contains the amino acid asparagin, along with poly-phenolic tannins, which make this herb effective in treating boils, bruises, stones in gallbladder, kidney and urinary tract, cystitis, debility, delirium, diarrhea, dyspepsia, fever, fits, hysteria, inflammation, jaundice, neuralgia, rheumatism, earache or toothache.

Dosage and Administration

In tablets and capsules form the ususal dosages of hops is 500mg. As an infusion, drink one cup in the evening to aid sleep. Tincture, take 20 drops in a glass of water 3 times daily for anxiety or 10 drops with water up to 5 times daily for digestion. Commercial preparations of hops can vary from product to product so the manufactures directions should be followed whenever available.

Potential Side Effects of Hops (Humulus lupulus)

Although hops has sedative effects it is not recommended for administration to infants and children. Individuals who suffer from major depression or who use medication for insomnia or anxiety such as: carbamazepine, phenytoin, phenobarbital, alprazolam, diazepam, Ambien, diphenhydramine, doxepin and nortriptyline are advised to avoid taking hops due to it sedative properties as well.

Because hops has diuretic properties which may affect certain enzymes in the liver, individuals using prescription drugs such as Allegra, Sporanox and Nizoral, etoposide, paclitaxel, vinblastine , lovastatin and oral contraceptives should contact their health care provider before start using Hops. Combining hops with other sedative herbs such as: catnip, St. John’s wort, valerian, or kava kava may result in excessive sedation.

http://www.herbal-supplement-resource.com/hops-humulus-lupulus.html

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What is Ayurvedic Herbalism?

Ayurvedic Herbalism

Herbs and herbal combinations make up a large part of ayurvedic medicine. Most ayurvedic herbal rememedies are combinations rather than single herbs. These herbal formulas are based on centuries of knowledge. Ayurveda focuses on internal, organ, health; as opposed to the external, muscle and physique, health common in the western view of health. The herbal formulas are designed to support organ health and balance internal function. This approach balances internal health with the external environment.

Herbs in ayurveda are used to prevent and treat most conditions. There are herbal remedies for asthma, bronchitis, fever, intestinal disorders, and cold/flu treatment. Treatments designed to control blood sugar, improve energy levels, reduce pain and inflammation, and improve digestion are also a part of ayurvedic medicine. Infertility, erectile dysfunction, menstrual health, and sexual function are also commonly treated with herbs.

Many herbal combinations are designed to strengthen or heal organs such as the pancreas, kidneys, liver, heart, and brain. Others are beneficial to complete organ systems like the circulatory, respiratory, adrenal, reproductive, or digestive systems. The herbs, and herbal formulas, developed by ayurvedic physicians throughout its history are being accepted by western medicine and science. Studies and research are showing that these herbs are beneficial in many ways. Herbal remedies are becoming popular in the mainstream due to their relative safety and their availability without a prescription.

http://www.herbal-supplement-resource.com/ayurvedic-herbal-medicine.html

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Thursday, December 30, 2010

Top 10 Movies on Twitter in 2010

What the Trend's Top 10 Movies (New Releases) on Twitter in 2010

1.Inception
2.Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
3.Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Pt. 1
4.Avatar
5.The Last Airbender
6.The Expendables
7.Sherlock Holmes
8.The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
9.The Karate Kid
10.Iron Man 2

http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=147940

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Top 10 Companies on Twitter in 2010

What the Trend's Top 10 Companies on Twitter in 2010

1.Apple
2.Google
3.Twitter
4.Uniqlo
5.Research in Motion
6.Microsoft
7.Facebook
8.Nintendo
9.Sony
10.BBC

http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=147904

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What the Trend's Top 10 Non-Tech Companies/Products on Twitter in 2010

What the Trend's Top 10 Non-Tech Companies/Products on Twitter in 2010

1.Uniqlo
2.BBC
3.Lanvin-H&M
4.Capricho Magazine
5.Nike
6.Four Loko
7.McDonald's
8.AirTran/Southwest
9.Cadbury-Kraft
10.Toms Shoes

http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=147912

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Spice Up Your Life and Stay Well

Spice Up Your Life and Stay Well

Click on the LINK below to READ:

http://bionutritionalresearch.olhblogspace.com/?p=1094

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Can Supplements fill the health gaps?

Supplements can fill health gaps, say dietitians

More than 80 percent of registered dietitians consider most Americans have gaps in their diets that can be filled with vitamins and other dietary supplements, according to new research from the Life...supplemented 2009 Healthcare Professionals (HCP) Impact Study.

Pledging a personal commitment to supplementation, 76 percent of those surveyed said that supplements can address their own diet gaps. In fact, 96 percent confirmed that they take supplements and 87 percent acknowledged recommending them to their clients.

The most popular supplement among dietitians is a multivitamin consumed by 84 percent of those surveyed.

Specialty supplements are also popular. 64 percent take at least one specialty supplement such as omega-3 fish oils, as confirmed by 47 percent of respondents.

Herbal or botanical supplements were taken by 46 percent of those surveyed and 22 percent said that they take a fiber supplement.

Health and wellness

Nearly 60 percent of registered dietitians take supplements for improved bone health while 58 percent take supplements for overall health and wellness.

72 percent of dietitians who recommend supplements to their clients do so to improve bone health and nearly 70 percent to fill nutrition gaps.

Leslie Bonci, director of sports medicine nutrition for the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and the Center for Sports Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center said: "Registered dietitians know people's eating habits, and we know that people don't always eat correctly. A healthy diet works in concert with exercise and responsible use of supplements for a wellness lifestyle. We're seeing RDs (registered dieticians) champion these three components to overall wellness."

Bonci acted as advisor to the "Life...supplemented" campaign which seeks to promote awareness of vitamins and other dietary supplements and their responsible use.

Education gap

The research highlights the need for education about supplement, say the researchers. Less than one-quarter (23 percent) of dietitians considered that at their clients have a good understanding of the recommended daily intake of dietary supplements. Bonci said:

“Registered dietitians can help fill the education gap for their clients.”

The research included three separate surveys of 300 nurse practitioners, 300 pharmacists and 300 registered dietitians.

74 percent of surveyed registered dieticians said they are members of the American Dietetic Association.

http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Industry/Supplements-can-fill-health-gaps-say-dietitians/?c=gCRmG%2FoAlV%2Bh%2BZxjfy7bPg%3D%3D&utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter%2BDaily

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Phytosterols for High Cholesterol

A recent review conducted by researchers at Wilkes University in Pennsylvania found that plant sterols, also known as phytosterols, may be a safe and effective short-term treatment for patients with high cholesterol.

Beta-sitosterol, which is found in avocados, peanuts, soybeans and other plant-based products, is one of the most common dietary plant sterols. Beta-sitosterol, classified as a non-cholesterol sterol, is the main sterol in the Western diet. Many products, such as margarine, are enriched with plant sterols and often marketed for their ability to help lower cholesterol.

In this review, the researchers found that the dietary integration of two grams of plant sterols per day over the course of one year was associated with a significant reduction in low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or the "bad" cholesterol). Plant sterols were incorporated into the daily diet through various products, including margarine, olive oil, orange juice, yogurt and others. The results were found in patients with type 2 diabetes, adults with elevated and normal cholesterol levels as well as in children.

Furthermore, the authors noted that several well-designed clinical trials found that plant sterols in addition to conventional statin therapy were associated with 7-20 percent reductions in LDL cholesterol.

The authors concluded that plant sterols may provide an average LDL cholesterol reduction of 10-11 percent; however, long-term safety and effectiveness are still unknown. Additional research is necessary.

For more information about phytosterols, please visit Natural Standard's Foods, Herbs & Supplements database.

References

Malinowski JM, Gehret MM. Phytosterols for dyslipidemia. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2010 Jul 15;67(14):1165-73. View Abstract
Natural Standard: The Authority on Integrative Medicine. http://www.naturalstandard.com/

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What's the 7% Solution?

A 7% Solution #1
by Eric Schoch

Standing at the podium at a national diabetes prevention conference in April 2010, Ann Albright of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention didn't mince words. "This is a game changer. This is a day in which we really are able to change the face of the prevention of Type 2 diabetes," said Albright, director of CDC's Division of Diabetes Translation. "We really are going to be able to deliver on something that is incredibly important.

Albright was announcing a new diabetes prevention initiative, spearheaded by the CDC and two partners, the YMCA and health insurer UnitedHealth Group, just eight years after the publication of a landmark study in the New England Journal of Medicine. That study demonstrated that with the right program and coaching, people at high risk for diabetes could successfully lose enough weight for a long enough time to significantly reduce their risk.

More specifically, the intensive lifestyle intervention, which recommended 150 minutes of exercise per week and a weight loss goal of just 7 percent, reduced the incidence of diabetes by 58 percent. This was — and is — significant at a time when obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States, when some 24 million Americans have Type 2 diabetes, and when an estimated 60 million Americans are prediabetic, most of them without even knowing it.

It’s another epidemic in the making

Real-world research

It would seem to be a no-brainer to take the prescriptive techniques of the NEJM study and implement them broadly, except for one problem. In the study, the participants were provided with individual coaching and counseling, but it’s impossible to provide one-on-one lifestyle coaching to millions of prediabetic Americans.

Which brings us to Indiana University School of Medicine researchers David Marrero and Ronald Ackermann, the director and associate director, respectively, of the school’s Diabetes Translation Research Center. The center was created with a mission to “address the gap between developmental and clinical trial research and ‘real-world’ implementation relevant to diabetes.” The diabetes prevention study published in the NEJM in 2002 was conducted at 27 sites, including Indianapolis, where Marrero, the J. O. Ritchey Professor of medicine, was principal investigator. Ackermann, a physician and associate professor of medicine, joined the IUSM in 2003.

During the past decade, Ackermann, Marrero, and their colleagues have made the IU School of Medicine a leader in researching and designing real-world diabetes prevention programs that work. That effort has required addressing some significant problems. First, if you can’t give everyone their own lifestyle coach, how do you translate the program into a group setting, and where? And second, who pays for it?

The answer to the first question turned out to be an unconventional research partner — the YMCA.

Continued tomorrow!

http://research.iu.edu/magazine/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=111:a-7-solution&catid=45:fall-2010-volume-xxxiii-number-1&Itemid=78

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Top 10 Mobile Health Stories of 2010

When it comes to popular MobiHealthNews stories in 2010, medical-related news about tablet devices dominated. Apps-related news continues to be a popular topic of discussion, but tablet news overtook apps news overall in 2010.

Four of our Top 10 Mobile Health Stories of 2010 are focused on tablets, including Apple’s iPad, the BlackBerry Playbook and Cisco’s Cius. Two apps related stories also made the list — Epic Systems iPhone EHR app, Haiku and Mobile MIM, the iPhone app that was denied 510(k). The launch of Epic’s Haiku app was our most widely read story of 2010.

Remember, these are the stories that appealed to the largest number of our readers during the course of the past year, but they aren’t necessarily the most important. The MobiHealthNews team will begin reflecting on the past year come January. For now, revisit the most popular stories of 2010:

1. Epic Systems launches iPhone EHR app, Haiku – January 13, 2010: After months of rumors, news that Epic Systems, which develops electronic health records systems announced that a partnership with Apple had led to the creation of Haiku, an iPhone app for EHR access. Haiku was by no means the first EHR app to come to the market, but at the time it launched it generated a lot of buzz. The Wall Street Journal had been teasing the partnership between Apple and Epic in a series of articles leading up to the Haiku launch.

Article http://mobihealthnews.com/6030/epic-systems-launches-iphone-ehr-app-haiku/

http://mobihealthnews.com/9807/top-10-mobile-health-stories-of-2010/

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12.30.10 Wisdom

Don't do anything in practice that you wouldn't do in the game.

George Halas

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/g/george_halas.html

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Anxiety Solutions?


















Therapeutic Uses, Benefits and Claims of Valerian Root

Valerian is a strong sedative that is used commonly to treat insomnia, anxiety and nervousness.

It is also used to treat many stress symptoms; including irritability, depression, exhaustion, delusions, hysteria and nervous tension.

Valerian root has also been shown to relieve pain. This, combined with the sedative effect, makes it effective in relieving headaches (especially stress headaches,) migraines, arthritis and muscle pain.

This herb has also shown promise in treating several nerve disorders. Shingles, sciatica, neuralgia, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy and peripheral neuropathy are all conditions that respond to valerian use.

Valerian has also been used as an herbal remedy for ADHD in adults and children, along with other childhood nervous disorders.

This plant has a positive effect on heart health. It helps to slow the heart in tachycardia, helps regulate arrhythmias, and stabilize blood pressure. Its anti-thrombotic effect helps to prevent blood clots as well

Therapeutic Dosages

The common dosage for valerian for insomnia relief is 300 to 600 mg of the extract. This is equal to about 2 to 3 grams of the dried root infused in a tea. It is recommended that the herb be taken 30 minutes to two hours before bedtime. For other uses the herb may be taken in divided doses throughout the day or in a single dose in the evening.

Potential Side Effects of The Valerian Root

Valerian has been given a class 1 safety rating by the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA.)

Some people do have adverse effects from the use of this herb, experiencing nervousness, anxiety and tension instead of relaxation and sedation. There is evidence that long term use may lead to withdrawal symptoms upon cessation.

This herb should not be used while driving, operating heavy machinery or during other activities that require alertness and mental acuity, due to its tranquilizing effect. People with liver disease should not use this herb. Pregnant or breast-feeding women should not use this supplement either.

Valerian should not be taken with medications for anti-anxiety, anesthesia or sedatives without consulting a physician. Valerian should not be mixed with alcohol or recreational drugs that cause sedation.

http://www.herbal-supplement-resource.com/valerian-root.html

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What are Ayurvedic Principles?

Ayurvedic medicine physicians recognize three major physiological (body) types. The three types, or Doshas, are the Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. The body type is determined by heredity and is often referred to as Prakriti. Physicians will often interview, observe, and use a technique called pulse diagnoses to determine a patient’s body type, which is often a combination; such as Vata/Pitta. After determining body type, the physician will determine any imbalances and what approaches may be needed to bring balance. This is often done through herbal supplementation or dietary changes.

Other treatments may include hatha yoga, acupuncture, massage therapies, aromatherapy and music therapy. The use of natural remedies and herbal treatments produces little or no side effects, commonly seen with pharmaceutical interventions. The prevention approach also reduces the need for many different treatments to offset the effects of drugs used to combat a particular illness or disorder. The natural approach to health and wellness is becoming much more popular, in lieu of drug therapies and surgery.

http://www.herbal-supplement-resource.com/ayurvedic-herbal-medicine.html

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Wealth – Two Centuries of Increase

Wealth – Two Centuries of Increase

Click on Link below to view short VIDEO

http://bionutritionalresearch.olhblogspace.com/?p=995

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Religion and Depression

A recent study suggests that elderly depressed patients who are religious may improve over time.

From Taoism to Christianity, religion has been used for therapeutic purposes by various cultures and populations for centuries. Some cultures use prayer and others use meditation as methods for spiritual healing; however, clinical evidence regarding the effectiveness of religious and spiritual therapies is unclear for most conditions.

Researchers in Australia sought to understand whether inherent religiousness affects the prognosis of depression in the elderly and whether possible positive outcomes may be related to the social support religion provides.

The researchers evaluated 94 elderly patients admitted to a psychogeriatric unit with major depression throughout 24 months. Several scales, including the geriatric depression rating scale and the Duke University religion index, were used to evaluate each patient's severity of depression and level of religiousness. Social support was also evaluated through a questionnaire.

The researchers found that about one third of the patients were very religious, and after 24 months, these patients had significantly lower depression scores. Social questionnaires showed that the beneficial effects of religiousness were not correlated with social support or other treatments.

The authors concluded that elderly depressed patients who are religious may experience improvements in their depressive symptoms overtime. Additional research in a larger sample size is necessary.

For more information about prayer or spiritual healing, please visit Natural Standard's Health & Wellness database.

References

1. Natural Standard: The Authority on Integrative Medicine. www.naturalstandard.com

2. Payman V, Ryburn B. Religiousness and recovery from inpatient geriatric depression: Findings from the PEJAMA Study. Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2010 Jun;44(6):560-7. View Abstract

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Loaves of Bread in an Acre

Loaves of Bread in an Acre

An acre will produce enough wheat for about 2,500 loaves of wheat bread.

http://www.agweb.com/farmjournal/article/loaves_of_bread_in_an_acre/

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Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Is Good health a sound investment?

Good health is a sound investment

One investment you can always expect a good return on is good health. Tough economic times have taught us to pay more attention to our investments, and our health deserves the same scrutiny. Sound health is both a personal investment and an important business investment.

A recent study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine measured health-related loss of productivity. For every $1 spent on medical or pharmacy costs, $2.30 is lost on productivity costs. Results from the study revealed that health-related productivity decline affects executives and managers as much or more than front-line employees.

We recognize that when we feel good, tasks seem easier. Too often, however, taking care of ourselves takes a back seat to our business priorities. That’s a mistake. Good health is a business tool, and one that pays huge dividends.

Successful business professionals invest time and money developing their careers. From learning the latest technology to continuing their education to participating in industry-related activities, such actions constitute time and money well spent. Taking steps toward improving your health is investing in you.

While you don’t have to commit a lot of time to make a difference, you do have to make an ongoing commitment to take care of yourself. You wouldn’t ignore customer appointments, so make sure your health receives the priority that it deserves, too.

A fit body and a sharp mind support professional success. Begin by focusing on a few of the following key areas:

1. Insomnia costs more than sleep

Getting enough sleep is perhaps easier said than done but it’s a critical step in your journey to healthy living. Insufficient sleep diminishes the work efficiency of even the brightest business professional. A study published in the journal Sleep in 2009 produced some startling results. The study estimated that an individual with insomnia loses 27.6 days of productivity and 4.36 days of work per year.

Insomnia-related work absences and decreased productivity account for 76% of all insomnia-related expenses. Insomnia carries a high personal and professional cost. You owe it to yourself to seek help if insufficient sleep is more than an occasional complaint.

2. Eating away gains

We could probably circle the world a few times with the number of reports emphasizing the importance of eating balanced, nutritious meals. A recently published study from the New England Journal of Medicine illustrates its comparative significance.

The study revealed a decline in smoking but concluded that increasing Body Mass Index trends negated the positive effects of the smoking decline. Quitting smoking is a great feat, but the effects of healthy eating on chronic conditions, illness and overall health cannot be understated.

3. A lasting investment

To succeed in business, it’s essential to display quick, decisive thinking, stamina and a positive outlook. Good health is a business tool that helps you thrive in today’s challenging world. So be sure to make “you” a priority in your busy life; it really is the perfect business investment.

Harriet Diamond is Naturally Savvy’s Workplace Wellness Expert. She is a nutritionist and former Silicon Valley executive. NaturallySavvy.co is a website that educates people on the benefits of living a natural, organic and green lifestyle. For more information and to sign up for their newsletter, visit www.NaturallySavvy.com.

http://www.torontosun.com/life/healthandfitness/2010/12/21/16632941.html

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Fact for the Day

One cowhide can produce enough leather to make 20 footballs, 18 soccer balls, 18 volleyballs or 12 basketballs.

http://www.agweb.com/farmjournal/article/cowhides_in_the_sports_arena/

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What a Day! Have you had one of those days...where everything just goes wrong?
















What a Day! Have you had one of those days...where everything just goes wrong?

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MHealth: Mobile technology brings healthcare home












The unit above shows the patient how to do the exercises

MHealth: Mobile technology brings healthcare home

Click on Link below to view Video

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12068754

Touchy feely: The telemonitoring terminal is touch screen to make it more easily accessible

"I think the monitor was easy for me, because I don't have to go to the hospital every day to do my exercises, and at home I feel better, much much better."

Nativo Mira Esplugues is an active 85-year-old from Delta del Ebro, near Barcelona in Spain. He is recovering after having had a total knee replacement.

This is serious surgery, with a long recovery time. Nevertheless the wound is healing nicely, and he was discharged from hospital after just a week.

Normally Mr Esplugues would attend daily physiotherapy sessions. Instead, he is being monitored remotely through an interactive terminal at home.

He accesses the service through a touch screen interface, which shows him what to do.
"The application is no problem, you have only to touch the screen and that's all. The machine says to you what you have to do," he says.

It is connected to the internet by 3G, meaning the unit is not only portable, but accessible to people without broadband - which accounts for 85% of over-75s in Spain.

He straps on sensors containing accelerometers - devices which help ensure he is exercising correctly. They send data on his progress through the telemonitoring unit to his health care professionals.

Mr Esplugues is pleased with the system.

"Somebody has to take me to the hospital and back to my home. Here at home I feel better because I can choose my time, I can make my exercises at seven o'clock or eight o'clock or nine o'clock."

Challenging times

The technology has been developed by telecoms giant Telefonica.

An ageing - and expanding - population is presenting health care providers and governments with a budgetary crisis. In Europe about 7% of GDP is spent on healthcare, and in the US that figure rises to 15%.

Remote viewing: Chronic heart patients can talk to nurses from home using video conferencing
Telecoms companies are also facing challenging times, with traditional markets reaching saturation, forcing them to explore other revenue streams.

Vodafone, Orange, AT&T Wireless, Turkey's Avea, and Japan's NTT DoCoMo are all investing in mobile healthcare.

At the Institut Municipal d'Investigació Mèdica (IMIM), attached to Barcelona's Hospital del Mar, cardiologist Dr Josep Comín is talking to one of his chronic heart patients at home, using video conferencing.

The patient is being followed through the remote monitoring terminal. The device tracks weight and heart rate, with scales and a blood pressure cuff using bluetooth technology. If a test is missed, a nurse contacts the patient to find out why.

We've had patients without literacy at all who have been using these systems”

Dr Comín is leading a study evaluating the system.

He has worked with Telefonica since 2008, refining the software and hardware.

The patients come from an existing programme monitoring those with high-risk chronic heart failure through out-patient appointments.

This has seen mortality rates fall from 45% in the first year after admission to 8%, and Dr Comín hopes remote monitoring will continue this.

A third of patients are unable to attend appointments, due to infirmity or distance, he says.
"[Patients] can reach professionals very quickly and easily, so there's no need to transfer patients to other hospitals. At the same time the tool enhances self-care behaviour, because the patient takes care of his own condition.

"In terms of cost-effectiveness, most of the interventions are made by nurses who have back up from cardiologists, it saves time as one nurse can take care of many patients at the same time."
Close call: Dr Josep Comín (left) talks to one of his patients

"In the pilot study we've had patients without any literacy at all who have been using these systems."

Telefonica's investment in eHealth has been considerable, with a dedicated research and development facility in Granada.

Other innovations include a system to monitor elderly people, who are tracked through their mobile phone and a web interface. If they stray from a defined area, or have a fall, a text message is dispatched to two designated numbers. For doctors, a video conferencing application allows them to share video and images.

Director of the eHealth unit, Álvaro Fernández de Araoz, feels that Telefonica's position as an integrated telecoms provider - both landline and mobile - is vital.

"One of the opportunities we have seen in the market is that patients are starting to be more aware of their diseases, there's more information," he says.

"People are growing older. About 16% of the population of Europe is above 65 and people have more chronic diseases, which at the end of the day is about 75% of the cost of healthcare."
Breathe of life

It's not just telecoms companies that are finding innovative ways of using mobile technology in the sector.

Dr Victor Higgs is the managing director of UK-based Applied Nanodetectors, which has developed a way to use mobile phones to monitor the health of asthma patients.

The chip can be housed in a phone, or in a separate accessory and accessed via bluetooth
The condition affects one in 20 people worldwide and costs 40bn euros ($52.5bn; £34bn) a year to treat, says Dr Higgs.

"If you think about your street, one in four houses, there'll be a family that suffers from asthma."

A chip that contains a nanosenor 100 million times more sensitive than a breathalyser is housed in an ordinary handset.

Each day, the patient breathes on the chip, which reads the gases in their breath, and sends the data to a healthcare professional for analysis. It is looking for nitric oxide, which is produced when the lungs are inflamed.

Once the analysis is complete the patient receives the results by text message - although they can choose email, a voice call or even messages through social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook.

If there is a problem, the message may tell them to adjust their medication or visit their GP.
Close up: The chip contains a highly sensitive nano-sensor

Dr Higgs says both patients and healthcare providers benefit.

"The aim is to give the patient a tool to more effectively manage their chronic condition, so this will minimise the number of times they visit their GP, hopefully minimise the number of times they become quite ill, and also of course the direct benefit of this is reduced visits to the healthcare practitioners, reduced costs and fewer expensive drugs."

The chip is being trialled, and Dr Higgs is working with companies and hospitals to bring the product to scale, and possibly use it for other diseases including lung cancer.

Medical phone apps, are also booming. James Sherwin Smith is the chief executive officer of non-profit organisation d4, which recently partnered with medical app store Happtique.

"MHealth is a huge enabler for technology and healthcare. What's important is to make it portable and available, at point of care if you're a health care professional, or at home if you're a patient."

Developing mobile medicine

Sophie Powell, the editor of the Mobile Healthcare Summit, says that in 2010, the global healthcare market was worth $50bn to $60bn (38bn to 48bn euros; £39bn-£32.5bn).

"Mobile health care is really starting to take traction and if you consider the high penetration of mobiles globally then they really are the future."

Episurveyor gives health care workers the tools to track disease outbreaks and gather public health data

For the developing world, the implications of mobile healthcare are huge. In sub-Saharan Africa, 70% of people have a mobile phone.

Joel Selianko is a former Wall Street computer expert turned paediatrician and in 2004 he set up Datadyne with former Red Cross IT expert Rose Donna.

Their Episurveyor application enables public health data collection in developing world countries.
Initially the software worked on palm pilots, but Dr Selianko began to realise there was a more cost-effective option.

"I was thinking to myself how can we raise enough money to buy a palm pilot, and maybe a spare palm pilot, for every single health worker in sub-Saharan Africa.

We're able to raise money through text messaging, to spend saving lives through the application of text messaging. It's a fantastic virtuous circle.”

"What saved me from going down that wrong path was slowly realising that every one of the workers I was looking at buying one for was increasingly likely to be walking around with a mobile phone on their hip."

Rather than software that needs to be installed, the Episurveyor app is available online. There are about 3,000 users in 150 countries.

"We put it online so there was no installation. We made it free so there was no barrier to adoption. And we made it simple - and this is super important - we made is so simple that no one needs to hire any consultants or programmers to operate it."

The charity Unicef also has a data collection app called Rapid SMS.

In Rwanda it has cut the death rate among pregnant women and babies by 50%, by offering access to emergency care.

Erica Kochi is co-lead at Unicef's New York-based Innovations Unit. The NGO is keen to partner with telecommunications companies to develop their offering.

"I think the mobile platform is incredibly important for the work of NGOs and development in general. It allows us to expand the reach of the programmes we have and create efficiencies within them."

David Bull, executive director of Unicef UK, is equally enthusiastic.

"We're able to raise money through text messaging, to spend saving children's lives and mothers lives through the application of text messaging. It's a fantastic virtuous circle."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12068754

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Mobile Health Roundup






Mobile only households continue to rise: Surprise, surprise! Mobile only households continue to rise as use of landline phones declines. Preliminary results from the January-June 2010 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) indicate that more than one of every four American homes (26.6 percent) had only mobile phones. The survey includes data current as of the first half of 2010. It marks an increase of 2.1 percentage points since the second half of 2009. Even those homes with landlines don’t necessarily use them too often: Nearly one of every six American homes 15.9 percent received all or almost all calls on wireless telephones despite having a landline. NHIS

Another challenge for smartphones in clinical settings: Physicians and other healthcare providers using mobile phones are assumed to be “goofing off” even if they’re actually using them for medical apps. It’s been dubbed the “iPhone Attribution Error.” 33 Charts

Saudi Arabian mobile operator teams with Ericsson: Mobile operator Mobily has created a “proof of concept” mHealth service along with Ericsson and a “major” healthcare provider in Saudi Arabia. The service reportedly leverages sensors to remotely monitor vital signs and provides healthcare providers with relevant data and alerts. Details seem to be scant, but it’s also only a proof of concept. Arab News

AstraZeneca UK launched its first app for Apple devices: The app is an education resource for clinicians on epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene-testing in lung cancer. “There is a clear appetite amongst patients and healthcare professionals for more information and opportunities to communicate with providers… we will continue to explore the opportunities that mobile technologies could bring to AstraZeneca,” an AstraZeneca spokesperson told Chemist + Druggist

Mobile health hype in review: CNET put together a post on the mobile health-related news it covered throughout 2010, including much-hyped headlines on remote diagnostics, remote eye exams, mobile phone-powered microscopes and more. CNET

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Is SAMe Effective Depression Treatment?

SAMe for Depression

A recent study suggests that SAMe in conjunction with antidepressants may be an effective treatment for major depression.

SAMe, also known as S-adenosyl-L-methionine, is formed in the body and works as a methyl group donor in many reactions. SAMe has been studied for use in many psychiatric disorders; however, further research is necessary before conclusions can be made regarding its effectiveness.

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School evaluated the effects of SAMe on 73 major depressive disorder patients who were non-responsive to serotonin reuptake inhibitors (antidepressants) throughout this six-week-long study. The patients were randomized to receive 800 milligrams of SAMe or a placebo twice daily. All patients continued taking their antidepressant treatments. The researchers used the Hamilton depression rating scale to evaluate each patient.

The researchers found that patients who were treated with SAMe presented response rates of 36.1 percent and remission rates of 25.8 percent, while patients treated with the placebo presented response and remission rates of only 17.6 and 11.7 percent, respectively.
The researchers concluded that SAMe may be a safe and effective treatment in conjunction with serotonin reuptake inhibitors for patients who are not responsive to antidepressants alone. Additional research is necessary to further evaluate these potential benefits.

For more information about SAMe, please visit Natural Standard's Foods, Herbs & Supplements database.

References
1. Natural Standard: The Authority on Integrative Medicine. www.naturalstandard.com
2. Papakostas GI, Mischoulon D, Shyu I, et al. S-adenosyl methionine (SAMe) augmentation of serotonin reuptake inhibitors for antidepressant nonresponders with major depressive disorder: a double-blind, randomized clinical trial. Am J Psychiatry. 2010 Aug;167(8):942-8. Epub 2010 Jul 1. View Abstract

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What can Stimulate the Immune System?

Yeast Extract

Beta-glucans are naturally occurring polysaccharides (chains of sugar molecules) found in various plants and fungi. Polysaccharides are classified by how the individual sugar molecules are linked together. The beta-glucans found in fungi (such as yeasts and mushrooms) mostly have 1,3/1,6 linkages, whereas the beta-glucans from grains (such as oats and barley) are 1,3/1,4 linkages.

It is widely known that beta-glucans can stimulate immune responses. Because 1,3/1,6 beta-glucans are found in virtually all types of fungi, it is believed that the immune system recognizes these structures to fight off fungal infections.

Studies have shown that beta-glucans can activate certain types of immune responses when they are eaten. Therefore, scientists have been examining whether beta-glucan supplements can help strengthen immune function.

Researchers at The Dove Clinic for Integrated Medicine recently tested the effects Wellmune® WGP, a yeast-derived beta-glucan supplement, in a randomized controlled clinical trial. One hundred medical students were randomly assigned to take either a placebo or 250 milligrams of Wellmune® once daily for 90 days during flu season. The subjects then recorded how many days they experienced upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) symptoms. They also recorded how severe the symptoms were using a validated score.

The subjects who took Wellmune® experienced significantly fewer days of URTI symptoms compared to the control group. Those who took Wellmune® also reported reduced symptom severity, although this trend was not statistically significant.

These results suggested that beta-glucan may help reduce the risk or duration of respiratory tract infections. The authors reported these study results at the 1st UK International Functional Food Conference in Oxford, UK in November 2010, and called for further research to confirm these early findings.

For more information about beta-glucan, please visit Natural Standard's Foods, Herbs & Supplements database.

References
1. Brown GD, Gordon S. Fungal beta-glucans and mammalian immunity. Immunity. 2003 Sep;19(3):311-5. View Abstract
2. Chen J, Seviour R. Medicinal importance of fungal beta-(1-->3), (1-->6)-glucans. Mycol Res. 2007 Jun;111(Pt 6):635-52. View Abstract
3. Fuller R, Yam T, Butt H, Calder P, Kenyon J, Noakes P. A Randomised Controlled Trial to Assess the Ability of Yeast-Derived 1,3/1,6 Glucopolysaccharide to Reduce Upper Respiratory Tract Infection Symptoms [abstract]. In: Programme and Abstracts of the 1st UK International Functional Food Conference; Nov 25-26; Oxford, UK. Oxford: Oxford Brookes University 2010; p. 103.
4. Natural Standard: The Authority on Integrative Medicine. www.naturalstandard.com

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What is Oleuropein?

Greek Table Olives Source of Oleuropein

A study suggests that common Greek table olives called Throuba Thassos may be a richer source of oleuropein than other olive varieties.

Oleuropein is a compound found in the fruit, leaves and bark of olive trees. Some research suggests oleuropein may have antioxidant effects; however, additional studies are necessary to evaluate its potential benefits in humans.

Researchers at the Agricultural University of Athens in Greece evaluated nine common Greek olive varieties for their oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol content. Hydroxytyrosol is another compound found in olives that may have antioxidant effects. The researchers conducted several types of analyses, including an extraction procedure, to evaluate each olive's oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol content.

The researchers found that hydroxytyrosol was in all of the olives, noting that Kalamata and green olives had the highest concentration at 1.8-2.0 milligrams per fruit. Oleuropein was found in smaller quantities in two varieties; however, it was found in high concentration in the Throuba Thassos olives at 1.2 milligrams per fruit.

The authors concluded that in addition to the high concentration of oleuropein in Throuba Thassos olives, an average consumption of this variety at 20 olives per day is common. Furthermore, this average olive consumption would amount to 25 milligrams of oleuropein per day, and therefore, this quantity may be considered safe for human consumption. Additional research is necessary to evaluate the potential effects of oleuropein.

For more information about oleuropein, please visit Natural Standard's Foods, Herbs & Supplements database.

References

1. Natural Standard: The Authority on Integrative Medicine. http://www.naturalstandard.com/
2. Zoidou E, Melliou E, Gikas E, et al. Identification of Throuba Thassos, a traditional Greek table olive variety, as a nutritional rich source of oleuropein. J Agric Food Chem. 2010 Jan 13;58(1):46-50. View Abstract

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Top 10 Uses for Wi-Fi (That Aren’t Just Connecting to the Internet)

Click on the Link Below to access WiFi Article

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What is the Philosophy of Ayurvedic Medicine?

The Ayurvedic philosophy of medicine is truly a holistic approach. Ayurveda is based on the philosophy that health is dependent upon a person living in harmony with their internal and external world. Traditionally, mental health was as important as physical health. It was taught that in order to live a healthy, productive life one had to balance their mental, physical, and spiritual well-being.

Ayurvedic medicine is the grandfather of modern preventative medicine. Ayurvedic physicians taught the importance of disease prevention for thousands of years. It was believed that the best medicine was to build up the immune system for a natural defense against disease and illness. The goal of Ayurveda has always been to maintain optimal health throughout life so that the individual can develop the necessary awareness of his or her connection with the life principle.

This goal is achieved through the balance of nutrition, herbal remedies, and mental and spiritual development. Traditional ayurvedic principles, including herbal supplementation, were started in childhood and continued for life. This helped promote a lifelong development of well-being.

http://www.herbal-supplement-resource.com/ayurvedic-herbal-medicine.html

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Robots in the pharmacy and barcodes on the patients







Hospital tech: robots in the pharmacy and barcodes on the patients

After more than a year in the works, NYU Langone Medical Center launched last month a new, robot-assisted pharmacy. One of about two dozen in the nation, the pharmacy provides a glimpse into the hospital of the future.

I spoke recently with Dr. Thomas O’Brien, senior director of pharmacy, about the inner workings of the pharmacy — and about what further advances are in the works.

What does the robot equipment in the pharmacy look like? How does it work?

It looks like a big behemoth in the middle of the main pharmacy area. It has advantages over the earlier robots, primarily in the ability to do its own packaging. With [a previous generation robot], we had to have two technicians manually preparing these medications everyday. Here, that’s entirely eliminated. The device does it by itself. It holds about 54,000 doses, which represents about a four to five day supply here.
Is the robot’s work checked by a human?

Yes. The checks are up front. There are a series of steps the staff have to go through before the medication actually reaches the robot. It involves three major checks, the majority of which utilize bar code technology. When a bulk container comes in, it’s scanned. It then goes through a series of checks. It’s placed into a sealed container that can be opened with a special device to hopefully prevent any accidents. It then is placed on a turntable device and the robot literally goes in the canister, takes out the tablet or capsule and packages it and affixes three barcodes onto it.

When I came here, the vision that our senior leadership had was: We’re not using this to reduce workforce. We’re using this to re-deploy our staff, to get our pharmacists more intimately involved with our patients, with our physicians and with our nurses. [When you're a patient being discharged from the hospital] you’re usually in a state of confusion and someone hands you six prescriptions. We want to make sure that we actually monitor patients’ medications from the day they’re admitted to the day they’re discharged and follow up. It’s really meant to make better use of the pharmacists’ clinical abilities rather than their skills with the pill count.

Do patients notice any change?

Hopefully they’ll notice a difference when they start seeing more of a pharmacist, when they’re able to contact a pharmacist with a question regarding their medication. Probably the greatest impact occurs within the pharmacy.

What this technology really enables us to do — our next step at NYU — is to go toward barcoded bedside medication. We’re going to barcode our patients. Their wristbands at some point will have their identification and all the information relevant to that individual patient. About 85 to 90 percent of all the medication that will come out of the pharmacy [will be barcoded]. When a nurse goes to administer a drug to a patient, he or she will scan the patient wristband, then they will scan the medication. Not only will the two scans tell the nurse whether he or she has the right patient and the right drug, but it will also develop a real-time medication administration record. We’ll know exactly when that medication was administered to the patient. It’s also far safer for our patients. Even though we do use three points of identification, this will help a great deal in terms of ensuring accuracy.

In what other ways are you using robotics in the pharmacy?
We have an automated stock room. It’s a device that runs along a lengthy track and it goes to containers that are holding bulk medication. This is the largest one in the country here at NYU. It holds some 1,200 of these containers. The device is predicated on using barcode technology. It will select the correct container and bring it to one of three stations so the pharmacist can withdraw the bulk medication from the device and then scan it. We expect this will allow us to turn over our drug inventory. We’ll be able to keep less medication on hand and be able to do a better job of doing just-in-time ordering. It uses barcode technology, so once data is entered into this robotic device, a label will be generated specifically for that patient.

[That's] another project NYU is undertaking. The Board of Pharmacy about six months ago gave hospitals permission to send patients home on chronic medications they’re on during their hospital stay, like an inhaler or an insulin medication. Instead of [having to] discard these medications, which added to the pollution factor, we’re now able to tell the patient: You have six more doses of your inhaler and we’re giving it to you with instructions. You don’t have to rush out to the local pharmacy to get a prescription filled. The device assists us with that.

Image, top: Individual medication requests will be done at NYU Langone by machine / Courtesy of NYU Langone, photo by Joshua Bright

Anxiety Solutions?














Therapeutic Uses, Benefits and Claims of Passion Flower

Traditionally, passion flower has been used for its sedative effect. Due to this effect it has been used as a herbal sleep aid and is considered a good herb to relieve anxiety.

The Herb Passion Flower

(Passiflora incarnata )Historically, it was also used to treat gastrointestinal spasms.
Passion flower has a hypotensive effect (lowers blood pressure) and also relieves tachycardia (fast heart rate.)

The anti-spasmodic effect makes this herb useful in treating the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, seizures, and hysteria.

This herb has also been used to treat nerve pain and shingles.

Asthma, especially with a high level of spasmodic activity, responds well to passion flower use.

It can be combined with valerian, hops, and Jamaican dogwood for an effective herbal insomnia treatment.

Passion flower may also have a mild aphrodisiac effect.

Research is being done on the effect of passion flower as a treatment in opiate withdrawal.

Passion flower has been used to treat some of the symptoms accociated with ADHD (ADD).

Dosage and Administration

Passion flower is available as a dry herb, tea, tincture,in extracts or in capsule/tablet form. Four to eight grams of the dried herb can be taken daily in divided doses. The tincture can be taken in 3-4 doses of 5-10 ml per day. The capsules usually come in 200-400 mg doses taken two to three times a day. This herb is often combined with other herbs in formulas designed for specific conditions.

Side Effects and Possible Interactions of Passion Flower

There have been no major side effects noted with passion flower use. Caution should be taken when first taking this herb while driving or operating machinery. Use of this herb with prescription sedatives is not advised due to the cumulative effect. This herb may also interact with MAO-inhibitors.

http://www.herbal-supplement-resource.com/passion-flower.html

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12.29.10 Wisdom

All men profess honesty as long as they can. To believe all men honest would be folly. To believe none so is something worse.

John Quincy Adams

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/j/john_quincy_adams.html

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What about liquid Humic Acid?

What's the value of Humic Acid? #17

RESEARCH SCIENTIST on HUMIC ACID FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION

Peter Dudek interviewed Dr. Richard Laub on 14 October 2004

What about liquid Humic Acid?

CLICK on LINK Below to see short interview video


http://www.humichealth.info/dudek-laub-17.html

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Tuesday, December 28, 2010

What is Ayurvedic Medicine?

Ayurvedic medicine began over 5000 years ago in the Himalayan Mountains of India. Legend holds that a great meeting of the wisest healers took place in a Himalayan cave, where they shared their healing secrets. Some of these men traveled thousands of miles, bringing their knowledge of medicinal herbs from their tribes. These healers combined their knowledge and called this new body of medicine Ayurveda. This name came from two Sanskrit words; “Ayus” meaning “life” and “Veda” which means “knowledge.” The translation is “knowledge of life” or “science of life.”

These traditions were passed orally from generation to generation. Each physician added to them as they developed new ideas. This continued until the first century A.D. when Charaka, an Ayurvedic physician, finally wrote them down. At that time Ayurvedic medicine had specialists in the areas of psychiatry, pediatrics, gynecology, ear/nose and throat, ophthalmology, surgery, virility and fertility.

Ayurvedic herbal medicine is probably the earliest organized medical system, pre-dating even traditional Chinese medicine. The Arabs had traded for Indian herbs before the birth of Islam.

The ancient tombs of Egyptian pharaohs contained seeds from plants native to India. Eastern traders brought the knowledge of Indian herbs down through Tibet and into China. The Queen of Sheba, during the time of King Solomon, traded herbs and spices from India to the Israelites.

Ayurveda was practiced by many Arab physicians during the rise of the Greek and Roman empires. This knowledge was passed to the Greeks and Romans who helped spread it throughout Europe. Even after the fall of the Roman empire, Europeans continued to value Indian spices. They traded with Arab countries for them. This trade led to the discovery of America. Christopher Columbus was searching for a shorter route to India to trade spices when he landed in the New World.

Western science and medicine has been slow to accept the philosophy and ideas of Ayurvedic medicine, but many individuals in the West have recognized its value. More and more physicians are finding value in these ancient principles and their herbal formulas.

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Do you need a laugh?

Late-Night Laughs

Enjoy some good one-liners and bits from your favorite late-night comedians.

Jay Looks at the Census and Approval Ratings

Jay Leno: "A new survey finds that although his approval ratings are low, President Obama is still ahead of the most prominent Republicans. Have you seen his tax plan? He is the most prominent Republican."

Jay Leno: "President Obama read his new children's book to a classroom of second-graders in Virginia. It did not go well. Fifty-nine percent of the kids disapproved, and 83 percent of the children felt the story was headed in the wrong direction."

Jay Leno: "The census shows there are more than 308 million people living in America. The amazing part is: More than half of those people are Americans."

Jay Leno: "On a flight from Cuba to Canada, a man threatened to shoot flight attendants after they stopped serving him drinks. He has been charged with making death threats and if convicted, he could lose his pilot's license."

http://www.agweb.com/blog/late-night_laughs/jay_looks_at_the_census_and_approval_ratings/

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What was Pure Genius in 2010?

Top 10 favorite Pure Genius posts of 2010

This year on Pure Genius, we’ve dished about everything from astronaut food to environmental criminals and talked with such smart people as Chris Anderson and Pauline Frommer. Here, in no particular order, are our top 10 favorite posts of 2010:

The man who collects seeds to save mankind - and promote justice
http://www.smartplanet.com/people/blog/pure-genius/the-man-who-collects-seeds-to-save-mankind-and-promote-justice/3096/?tag=content;col1

James Dyson: Why we need to re-focus on the old economy
http://www.smartplanet.com/people/blog/pure-genius/james-dyson-why-we-need-to-re-focus-on-the-old-economy/4836/?tag=content;col1

Becoming minimalist: when having fewer possessions means living a better life
http://www.smartplanet.com/people/blog/pure-genius/becoming-minimalist-when-having-fewer-possessions-means-living-a-better-life/4331/?tag=content;col1

Why Americans aren’t prepared for the next mega-disaster
http://www.smartplanet.com/people/blog/pure-genius/a-disaster-is-coming-youre-not-prepared/4178/?tag=content;col1

• Grant Imahara from MythBusters on busting myths and building robots
http://www.smartplanet.com/people/blog/pure-genius/grant-imahara-from-mythbusters-on-busting-myths-and-building-robots/2857/?tag=content;col1

Why teaching toddlers Mandarin Chinese is a smart investment
http://www.smartplanet.com/people/blog/pure-genius/why-teaching-toddlers-mandarin-chinese-is-a-smart-investment/4737/?tag=content;col1

A new way to kill cancer cells
http://www.smartplanet.com/people/blog/pure-genius/a-new-way-to-kill-cancer-cells/4222/?tag=content;col1

Rolling Stones’ keyboardist gets his satisfaction on the farm
http://www.smartplanet.com/people/blog/pure-genius/rolling-stones-keyboardist-gets-his-satisfaction-on-the-farm/3194/?tag=content;col1

Battery expert, and woman with most U.S. patents, on her next innovation
http://www.smartplanet.com/people/blog/pure-genius/battery-expert-and-woman-with-most-us-patents-on-her-next-innovation/3996/?tag=content;col1

• Jack Hanna on the one word in global warming that everyone’s avoiding
http://www.smartplanet.com/people/blog/pure-genius/jack-hanna-on-the-one-word-in-global-warming-that-everyones-avoiding/3629/?tag=content;col1

We’ll see you in 2011 for more interviews and innovations!

http://www.smartplanet.com/people/blog/pure-genius/top-10-favorite-pure-genius-posts-of-2010/5140/?tag=content;col1

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