FutureVigil (r) » Health

STUDY: NUTS LOWER CHOLESTEROL

Jeffrey Newman — Mon, 17 May 2010 21:17:21 +0000

Eating about two and a half handfuls of nuts every day helps lower total cholesterol and “bad” LDL cholesterol, and improves the ratio of total cholesterol to “good” HDL cholesterol, a study reports.
Researchers pooled the results of 25 clinical trials that involved 583 participants over all. The study reported that eating just 2.4 ounces of nuts of any kind was associated with declines of 10.2 milligrams per deciliter in bad cholesterol, a drop of about 7.4 percent, and 10.9 milligrams in total cholesterol, or 5.1 percent.
The study, appeared in the May 10 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.
But the authors noted that some of the trials they analyzed had no corporate financing, yet came to similar conclusions.
Nuts are rich in unsaturated fats.The effect was most pronounced among people with higher LDL cholesterol to begin with and among those who were not obese. The more nuts they ate, the greater the effects.

BRAN LINKED TO LOWER TYPE 2 DIABETES RISK IN WOMEN

Jeffrey Newman — Mon, 17 May 2010 17:36:48 +0000

A new Harvard study conducted on women has revealed that a diet rich in whole grains, particularly bran, may be a way to cut the risk of developing cardiovascular disease or dying prematurely. Researchers from Harvard and The Brigham & Women’s Hospital followed more than 7,822 women who had type 2 diabetes. Based on earlier findings that whole grain, cereal fiber and bran might reduce inflammation and protect the lining of blood vessels, the researchers divided subjects into groups based on how much of those foods they ate. After 36 years, adjusting for factors such as smoking, exercise and weight, the study found that women in the top bran-consuming group had a 35% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease and 28% lower risk of death from other causes compared to the women who ate the least bran.

THE CHECKLIST MANIFESTO by Atul Gawande MD

Jeffrey Newman — Sun, 02 May 2010 09:17:56 +0000

Prolific Brigham & Women’s Hospital surgeon Atul Gawande has written an interesting book extolling the benefits of utilizing checklists in order the reduce errors, increase quality assurance and systematize everything from medical procedures to daily endeavors of everyday life. Gawande sprinkles his thesis with excellent examples of how basic procedures sometimes result in sickness and death because of time limitations resulting in shortcuts and memory lapses. Gawande makes some excellent points. Many physicians reject checklists ascribing to the belief that medicine is much an art as a science. In addition, they point up the limitations of checklists, which Gawande does not fully explore. Checklists are excellent tools for non-complex matters but could serve to limit analysis in circumtances which are more problematic as it relates to difficult diagnoses and prognoses. Notwithstanding, Gawande makes some excellent points and checklists, just as is in flying large airliners or NASA spacecrafts, are excellent starting points to reduce errors and eliminate the need for reliance on memory when time constraints and external pressures may result in lapses. The book is a worthwhile read for anyone interested in systems approaches.

HOW MUCH EXERCISE TO PREVENT OR HALT HEART DISEASE

Jeffrey Newman — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 01:12:43 +0000

Experts say exercise flushes cholesterol from your arteries and NEW STUDIES show that the more vigorous the workout, the more value to your heart—though short, 15-minute spurts of exercise may be as beneficial as one marathon session, according to researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

Exercise keeps you ticking .

Things to do to raise your good cholesterol

Jeffrey Newman — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 21:18:24 +0000

Many studies have been done on increasing a person’s good cholesterol, which serves to remove bad lipids from your arteries. 1) Increase soluble fibers such as fruits, vegetables and oatmeal; 2) drink low fat cranberry juice; 3) lose weight; 4) exercise aerobically; 5) eat flaxseed; 6) drink alcohol in moderation; 7) eat one half of a raw onion daily.

What happens if political gridlock kills healthcare

Jeffrey Newman — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 01:13:12 +0000

Few have projected the details of what will occur if the current healthcare initiatives are stalemated in Washington. There has been some general talk of costly overruns for Medicare and a significant increase in interest rates as well as a depressed stock market but these hallmarks really don’t mean much. I would like someone to run an extrapolation as to when the costly healthcare system will begin to depress the economy and the details of what specifically will happen with Medicare. This shouldn’t that hard to do for the Office of The General Budget or the Auditor. If The American Public could see the numbers in black and white and if they were presented with a realistic healthcare proposal with the specifics on how it will be paid for–all set forth in understandable detail, I don’t think there would be as much opposition to a plan as here is now. Of course, I could be wrong.

Top Potential Medical Breakthrough Gamechangers for 2010

Jeffrey Newman — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 01:53:06 +0000

1. HIV Vaccine: Researchers have deciphered two antibodies produced by some HIV patients which have neutralized many HIV strains. These are far more potents than the four previously discovered and may be specific to the developing world where 95% of the new cases happen. The current focus is on creating a vaccine active ingredient to produce antibodies. 2. Cancer Prevention and Treatment: Oncologists are now prescribing exercise for their patients as it boosts survival and lowers recurrence rates. Brisk walking 3 hours a week lowered breast and colon cancer mortality by 50%. 3. Alzheimer’s treatment: Researchers at West Virginia have developed a test and treatment for Alzheimer’s disease relating to a defectuve ezyme involved in memory function. Low doses of the chemo drug bryostatin reactivated these defective enzymes restoring memory. Human clinical trials are starting this year. 4. Heart Attack Prevention: A prescription drug Lovaza is FDA approved to treat high triglycerides and has 3-4 more EPA and DHA forms of Omega 3 as usually found in fish oils.

Millions at risk as AIDS focus fades

Jeffrey Newman — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 01:28:56 +0000

Global attention appears to be turning away from the AIDS epidemic and this comes just at the wrong time as a fresh wave of the disease is expected to infect millions of people in high risk countries a leading expert said Friday. “There seems to be a perception now that AIDS has been dealt with and we can turn our attention to other issues,” said Alan Whiteside, Director of Health Economic and HIV/AIDS research at Kwazulu Natal University. He explained that many African countries where the diseases poses the worst threat were failing to implement long-term prevention measures needed to stem the disease. “Climate change and he environment are the big issues now and politicians may abandon the battle against AIDS,” he said. The disease is developing into a “hyper-epidemic” in African countries like Malawai and Swaziland where half the women 25-29 have HIV or AIDS.

Man Diagnosed Comatose for 23 years actually conscious

Jeffrey Newman — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 23:47:31 +0000

A Belgian man thought diagnosed as comatose for 23 years after a near-fatal crash was actually conscious and paralyzed the whole time. The false diagnosis case raises serious questions about those diagnosed as vegetative and for those removed from life support. Rom Houben could hear every word his doctors spoke but could not speak to them or move his body in any way. Three years ago doctors used a state of the art PET scanning device and discovered his brain was functioning normally. Belgian neurologist Steven Laureys published a paper on Houben’s ordeal suggesting his case is not isolated. According to the study as many as 40 percent of the cases diagnosed as vegetative may possess the ability to communicate and can progress with the right treatment.

My daughter’s photos from Haiti

Jeffrey Newman — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 20:18:13 +0000

These were taken by my daughter Haley