What's Cholesterol Got To Do With It?

clipped from www.nytimes.com THE idea that cholesterol plays a key role in heart disease is so tightly woven into modern medical thinking that it is no longer considered open to question. This is the message that emerged all too clearly from the recent news that the drug Vytorin had fared no better in clinical trials than the statin therapy it was meant to supplant. Heart disease specialists who were asked to comment on this turn of events insisted that the result implied nothing about their assumption that LDL cholesterol is dangerous, only about whether it is always medically effective to lower it. There is little doubt that certain of these lipoproteins pose dangers, but whether cholesterol itself is a critical factor is a question that the Vytorin trial has most definitely raised. It’s a question that needs to be acknowledged and addressed if we’re going to make any more headway in preventing heart disease

Cholesterol's Benefits. Huh???

In these days of drug mania, where pill popping cures anything from a limp male organ to hair loss. Big Pharma is pumping out the pretty colored gems as fast as the doctors can write out their illegible prescriptions. The money pours across the palms of the execs in media to brainwash the gullibles into believing they need at least 50 pills a day to stay alive and active. Case in point, a local doctor who resides in a rural town thinks nothing of threatening a patient with a "IF YOU DON'T TAKE THIS MEDICATION I AM PRESCRIBING, I WILL CALL YOUR INSURER AND TELL THEM THAT YOU ARE DELIBERATELY RISKING YOUR HEALTH AND THEY WILL DROP YOU!" Sounds a bit bizarre doesn't it? Well, it really happened. This particular health care provider, prescribes anti-cholesterol drugs like it's going out of style. No Joke! Now studies are proving that we need some cholesterol in our systems, it's enough to make you want to ban Big Pharma's drugs and all the sycophants who do their bidding.

clipped from articles.mercola.com Cholesterol Has Benefits, Too style="WORD-WRAP: break-word">alt="cholesterol, milk, eggs, cheese, butter" src="http://articles.mercola.com/ImageServer/public/2008/February/2.2cholesterol1.jpg" align=right>Cholesterol may not be all bad, and may in fact have some benefits, according to a new study from researchers at Texas A&M University. The study involved 55 men and women between the ages of 60 and 69 who exercised three days a week for 12 weeks. A significant association was found between dietary cholesterol and change in strength. It was found that lower cholesterol levels reduced muscle gain that occurred with exercise, while those with higher cholesterol intake also had the highest gains in muscle strength. “Our findings show that the restricting of cholesterol -- while in the process of exercising -- appears to affect building muscle mass in a negative manner,” the researchers said. They suggested that the effect may be due to cholesterol’s role in the inflammation process. More cholesterol in your blood may lead to a greater inflammatory response that is useful for building muscles. style="PADDING-LEFT: 0px; TEXT-ALIGN: left"> Sources: href="http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-01/tau-sc010908.php" target=_blank>Eurekalert January 9, 2008

Cholesterol drugs will devitalize muscles.

Here it is again folks. The drugs some doctors are pushing will do more harm than good.
For more information watch these videos.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNHqjLimnZ0
and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkAhXixCvbY

clipped from articles.mercola.com How Statin Drugs Wreck Your Muscles Statins, a popular set of drugs used to lower cholesterol, can result in muscle weakness and pain, and even debilitating and life-threatening muscle damage. A new study offers the first evidence that a gene known as atrogin-1 plays a key role in statin-related muscle toxicity.

Diabetic Cooking: Healthy Cooking Choices For Those With Diabetes

clipped from www.talkingcooking.com Almost all of us are aware of the fact that people with diabetes have to stick to a special diet in order to control the amount of blood sugar present in their bodies. Since diabetes is highly influenced by blood cholesterol levels and obesity, it is important that a healthy diabetes diet not just cuts down on the amount of sugar and sweet products, but also on fats and fat creating foods like proteins. While a diabetic diet is definitely a healthy diet, the popular thought that people with diabetes have to get along on bland, fatless and tasteless food is nothing but a misconception. Diabetics can nowadays eat almost all kinds of foods in amounts prescribed by the USDA in its Diabetes Food Pyramid. Given below are some healthy cooking choices for those with diabetes, and they are just as delicious as regular food.

Depression can be Good for You

There is serious depression that needs help. There are poverty, abuse, bad circumstance that need addressing. But for most of us, a bit of depression, the article suggests, is a catalyst for refelction, change and growth

clipped from news.bbc.co.uk A leading psychiatrist says that depression is not a human defect at all, but a defence mechanism that in its mild and moderate forms can force a healthy reassessment of personal circumstances. Dr Paul Keedwell, an expert on mood disorders at the Institute of Psychiatry, argues all people are vulnerable to depression in the face of stress to varying degrees, and always have been. The fact it has survived so long - and not been eradicated by evolution - indicates it has helped the human race become stronger. "Psychological unease can generate creative work and the rebirth after depression brings a new love affair with life." Aristotle believed depression to be of great value because of the insights it could bring. There is also an increased empathy in people who have or have had depression, he says, because they become more attuned to other people's suffering.

Aussie researchers discover motor neurone disease gene

Great discovery!

clipped from www.abc.net.au Australian scientists have discovered a gene which causes motor neurone disease. Scientists at Sydney's ANZAC Research Institute have been studying patients with the disease for the last 10 years. They have found that patients with the debilitating illness have an abnormal gene that causes the fatal illness. Lead scientist Professor Garth Nicholson says the findings open the way for new treatments. "The proof of it is that we found patients who have this abnormality with the disease in families and people who didn't get the disease didn't have this abnormality," he said. Professor Nicholson says the gene causes a poison that destroys motor neurones. "Many people have thought for many years that motor neurone disease might be a poison of some sort, in the environment," he said. "But here we have been able to show that it seems to be a poison in the body itself - something is going wrong and leads to the death of the neurones." The findings have been published in the journal Science.

Seven steps to prevent cancer

CHOICES!

Two-thirds of cancer deaths can be prevented by healthy lifestyle choices. The American Cancer Society suggests seven choices:

Cut out tobacco
Hold the fat
Opt for high-fiber fruits, vegetables and grains.
Intake of alcohol: only in moderation.
Call your doctor for regular checkups
Exercise every day
Safeguard your skin from the sun.

SOURCE: American Cancer Society

clipped from www.cancer.org Seven Steps To Take To Prevent Cancer CUT OUT TOBACCO. Smoking is the No. 1 cause of preventable cancer death. HOLD THE FAT. Studies show a low-fat diet reduces your risk for cancer of the colon, breast and prostate. LIMIT ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION. There is mounting evidence that heavy alcohol use can increase your risk for cancer of the mouth, larynx, and esophagus. EAT MORE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. A recent study found that people who eat many fruits and vegetables every day have a lower cancer risk than those who eat just one serving, or none at all. CALL YOUR DOCTOR. Many cancers begin their deadly growth long before symptoms become obvious. EXERCISE REGULARLY. A strong, fit body has a better chance of warding off many forms of cancer. Obesity has been linked to cancer of the breast, ovaries, cervix, colon and prostate. PROTECT YOURSELF FROM THE SUN. The last choice is one of the easiest. About 90 percent of the skin cancers diagnosed each year could be prevented by proper use of sun protection.

Male yeast infection

Male yeast infection or penile yeast infection is not as common as vaginal yeast iffection, but still a potent health concern.

clipped from www.akanett.net This Article Male Yeast Infection Symptoms brought to you by Akanett Publishing Although male yeast infection isn’t at all common, it does nonetheless exsist. Male yeast infection symptoms are generally the same as vaginal yeast infection symptoms. There’ll be the same burning sensation when urinating, pain during sexual intercourse, itching of the infected area and in some cases a rash. This rash can either be along the shaft of the penis or on the tip of the penis. Male yeast infection symptoms also include a burning sensation of the infected area, a slight swelling, and maybe even slight discharge. If you suspect that you might have male yeast infection symptoms you should consult with your doctor. You could try to use the same over the counter medications which are available for vaginal yeast infections, but you might feel comfortable doing that.

The Light Side Of MS

-Other environmental factors that may also increase the risk of MS include infection with the Epstein-Barr virus and cigarette smoking.-

clipped from articles.mercola.com The Light Side of MS Although the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) is often blamed on genetics, there are significant geographic variations in MS frequency, which suggests strong environmental factors may be at play. One such factor is sunlight exposure and vitamin D. MS is rare in Asia, the tropics and the sub-tropics, and strong correlations exist between MS, location, and duration and intensity of sunlight. In short, sunlight exposure has been linked to a reduced risk of MS, and vitamin D deficiency (caused by a lack of sun exposure) has been suggested as a cause of MS. A review of epidemiological studies found a protective role of vitamin D for MS. Meanwhile, animal studies have found that an injection of vitamin D3 can prevent experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), which is an animal model of MS. Vitamin D deficiency accelerated the onset of EAE in animals. vitamin D supplementation, at levels higher than are currently recommended may help to reduce the risk of MS.

Chronic Pain Hurts our Brains

clipped from psychcentral.com Chronic Pain Drains the Brain clipped from psychcentral.com The means by which persistent or chronic pain affects an individual’s ability to live a ‘normal’ life has been clarified by investigators at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. People with persistent pain live a life that often includes coping with a host of symptoms beyond the non-stop sensation of throbbing pain. They also have trouble sleeping, are often depressed, anxious and even have difficulty making simple decisions. Scientists found that in a healthy brain all the regions exist in a state of equilibrium. When one region is active, the others quiet down. But in people with chronic pain, a front region of the cortex mostly associated with emotion “never shuts up,” said Dante Chialvo, lead author and associate research professor of physiology at the Feinberg School. This is the first demonstration of brain disturbances in chronic pain patients not directly related to the sensation of pain.

Hidden data 'shows antidepressants hyped'

Antidepressants can be addictive, and the body can develop a tolerance. They can be prescribed with too little information. They can turn an acute problem chronic. People must rely on a medicine that is unnecessary. Once their system has become accustomed to it, they feel depressed without it. A lot of depression treated with drugs is psychological. There are emotional problems that must be dealt with, and an antidepressant can provide a dangerous mask. Often the best cure is close personal contact with someone they can trust. Betrayal can be depressing, as can working for a lifetime and being left with nothing. Or the feeling of failure when 'everyone else' seems to be so successful. A good cure can be people with common experiences sharing them. One of the most crippling aspects of depression is the feeling of isolation. Sometimes all an antidepressant does is provide temporary euphoria. Then it's back down again, often deeper because reality can seem even more cruel.

clipped from www.abc.net.au Best-selling antidepressants are barely more effective than placebos in treating most people with depression, a UK study finds. The research, which analysed 47 clinical trials, breaks new ground by including data not previously released by drug companies that researchers obtained under US freedom of information laws. The findings are prompting some academics and mental health campaigners to question whether people with mild and moderate depression should be prescribed drugs like Prozac, which has been taken by 40 million people worldwide. "The difference in improvement between patients taking placebos and patients taking antidepressants is not very great," says Professor Irving Kirsch of the University of Hull, "This means that depressed people can improve without chemical treatments. "Given these results, there seems little reason to prescribe antidepressant medication to any but the most severely depressed patients unless alternative treatments have failed to provide a benefit."

Weight Loss, Cure For Diabetes

Weight loss cures diabetes: Time to shed those extra pound and get rid of your diabetes at the same time.

clipped from www.ipowerblogs.com Cure Diabetes with Weight Loss, Not Drugs, Expert Says (PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance) According to leading weight loss expert, Dr. Kent Sasse, some of the most common and effective treatments for diabetes actually cause more weight gain. Insulin, the primary treatment for diabetes, is known to cause weight gain in diabetic patients, in part because insulin acts on the fat storage cells to block the breakdown and promote more storage of these fats.

Lasers detct Disease In Patient Breath

I hope the public get to use this technology and not just the dreaded insurance companies...

clipped from dsc.discovery.com Lasers Detect Disease in Patient Breath Feb. 22, 2008 -- Diagnosing life threatening diseases could soon be as easy as breathing. Researchers at the National Institute for Standards and Technology and the University of Colorado are now using lasers to detect specific chemical compounds in the breath of patients with cancer, asthma and diabetes. The technique, once perfected and commercialized, could save patients and insurance companies thousands of dollars and make disease diagnosis and monitoring faster and more efficient. "We hope that the technology will develop to be a very useful tool for preventive medicine," said Jun Ye, a study author and a physics professor at the University of Colorado-Boulder. "It can provide an early warning system to potential patients." In a much simplified version of the technique, the researchers simply look and see what colour the breath is after interacting with the comb and then diagnose a condition based on the colour.

More evidence suggests a link to Lyme disease

Some cases of autism spectrum disorders are induced by Lyme Disease.

clipped from www.wddty.com Autism: More evidence suggests a link to Lyme disease 14 February 2008 Up to a third of all cases of autism may be the result of Lyme disease and other chronic infections, new research suggests. Researcher Robert Bransfield believes that tick-borne infections, such as Lyme disease, can weaken the immune system during infancy and make the sufferer more vulnerable to autistic-spectrum diseases. He estimates that between 20% and 30% of all autistic children may be infected by Lyme disease or other similar infections. If so, it means that 140,000 autistic children in the USA alone have the problem as a direct result of an infection. If they were treated with high-dose antibiotics – considered to be the most effective therapy, especially in the early stages of infection – the savings in healthcare and education costs would amount to around $358bn, he estimates. (Source: Medical Hypotheses, published online: November 5, 2007. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2007.09.006).

Scary Things I Didn't Know About Lyme Disease

Lyme Disease can often mimic ALS.

clipped from blogs.knoxnews.com Through it all, Michael maintained to numerous doctors that he had been bitten by a tick shortly before becoming ill, and believed that he had an infection resulting from the bite. He was told by these doctors that he was in denial about ALS diagnosis and sent on his merry way to get on with the business of dying. Those of you who know Michael also know that bit of advice didn't sit too well with him. So we continued to search for answers, and we finally found them with the help of a doctor in Philadelphia who diagnosed and treated Michael for Lyme Disease. Within a year of intensive IV antibiotic therapy he was breathing normally and having no trouble feeding himself. Within a year and a half he was walking with a cane. Within 2 years he was walking normally and to all outside observers appears completely normal (though he was left with a great deal of chronic pain as a souvenir).

Antidepressant Drug Treatment For Preventing Recurrence In Depression

clipped from www.sciencedaily.com Does It Help To Continue Antidepressant Drug Treatment For Preventing Recurrence In Depression? Apparently it doesn't help much, according to a study by Dutch investigators. Maintenance antidepressant (AD) medication is the most commonly used preventive strategy in a highly recurrent disease, i.e. depression. Little is known about the discontinuation of maintenance AD use and the association with recurrence in daily clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to examine the discontinuation rate of maintenance AD in daily clinical practice in recurrently depressed patients and the associated risk of recurrence. Prospectively AD maintenance medication and recurrence were examined in 172 euthymic patients with recurrent depression. AD user profiles before recurrence (nonusers, intermittent users, continuous users) were examined and related to recurrence over a 2-year follow-up period.

Hemorrhoids Treatment

HaemorrhoidsTreatment works to:
HaemorrhoidsTreatmentCalm inflamed tissue immediately upon contact
HaemorrhoidsTreatmentRepair and accelerate healing of torn or damaged tissue
HaemorrhoidsTreatmentAct as a natural anesthetic to make bowel movements more comfortable
Hemorrhoids TreatmentLubricate the sensitive passage ways
Hemorrhoids TreatmentRestores normal blood flow to the rectal area

clipped from starsecret.co.uk Venapro is a long-term, non-surgical approach to haemorrhoids treatment. Bring fast effective relief with this anti-inflammatory formula. Herbal extracts work quickly to relieve the pain and discomfort of hemorrhoids while simultaneously improving venous circulation. Restore serenity and ease to your life with our powerful, long lasting Venapro Hemorrhoids Treatment. Venapro Hemorrhoids Treatment works to: Calm inflamed tissue immediately upon contact Repair and accelerate healing of torn or damaged tissue Act as a natural anesthetic to make bowel movements more comfortable Lubricate the sensitive passage ways Restores normal blood flow to the rectal area Each Bottle contains a full month supply! Hemorrhoids Treatment

Keyword being; unplanned., so planned naps are a-ok.

clipped from www.reuters.com Daytime dozing may be warning sign of stroke CHICAGO (Reuters) - Older people who have significant trouble staying awake during the day have more than four times the normal risk of having a stroke, U.S. researchers said on Thursday. They also found a higher risk of heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems in seniors who regularly nod off during the day without planning to. "Even when we controlled for things like hypertension, diabetes, physical activity, obesity and socioeconomic status, we found that people who had significant daytime dozing were much more likely to end up with stroke," the risk of stroke was 2.6 times greater for those classified as doing "some dozing" during the day compared to those with "no dozing." Those in the "significant dozing" group had a 4.5 times greater risk. people with sleep apnea who briefly stop breathing throughout the night are at high risk of stroke. This can cause daytime sleepiness.