The Village Square - Healthwise

The PSA Controversy...continues

Ayomide — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:12:26 GMT

Worth reading guys...

The PSA Controversy
By Cheryl McEvoy
Posted on: October 28, 2009

By Cheryl McEvoy

My dad worries. Mostly about his wife, two daughters and aging Labrador, but every now and then, thoughts turn to himself. His mother beat colon cancer, his brother died from pancreatic cancer, so he takes signs and symptoms seriously. That's why I was surprised when he casually mentioned his elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level.

The PSA test was part of a routine exam conducted at the firehouse, where he's volunteered for nearly 40 years. My dad's not keen on waiting in a doctor's office just to hear he should drop a few pounds, so the firehouse physical is an easy way to check in.

My dad's PSA had been high before; he got a biopsy 2 years ago, but--after much fretting--it came back negative. This time, his PSA was even higher, but he wasn't concerned. The test has a reputation for faulty results (both healthy and cancerous cells can produce the chemical), so my dad was confident he was cancer-free.

Then he got the call. The urologist apologized for having to tell my dad over the phone, but even he was surprised by the results. Turns out, my dad had early stage prostate cancer--about as early as you can catch it. There was no immediate danger, but my dad decided to undergo surgery.

Some would consider his actions smart; others, excessive. That's because PSA testing isn't fool-proof. Doctors often err on the side of caution, but research findings have patients questioning whether the test is worth it.

The PSA test has been criticized for inducing Henny Penny panic in men when results are abnormal. Even when a biopsy confirms the diagnosis, it's not always a death knell; some forms of prostate cancer never progress, or grow at such a slow pace they never become life-threatening, according to research. The European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC) found that PSA screening every 4 years reduced prostate cancer deaths by 20 percent; however, the test also led to overdiagnosis, with 48 additional cancers detected for every death prevented. Similarly, the National Cancer Institute's Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer (PLCO) Screening Trial identified "excess" cancer diagnoses--the screening group had 23 percent more diagnoses than the control group. But unlike the ERSPC, the PLCO trial did not find any reduction in deaths as a result of screening.

The results prompted some skeptics to slough off the test, but according to Mark Kawachi, MD, chair of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Guidelines for Prostate Early Detection and associate professor of surgery, urology and urologic oncology at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, early detection shouldn't be understated. "I don't think anybody would be willing at this point in time to simply turn their back on PSA, because it is in the single most powerful blood test for identifying the presence of prostate cancer at a time when the cancer is curable," he says

According to Dr. Kawachi, the problem isn't overdiagnosis; it's overtreatment. PSA testing and biopsies can confirm a man has cancer, but they can't distinguish between life-threatening and non-threatening cases. Large population studies, like the ERSPC and PLCO, indicate that more often than not, the cancer will be too slow-growing to prove fatal. But when you're the one on the exam table, numbers provide little comfort. "We know some men will die, we know some men won't die, but we can't apply the statistics to a particular patient and necessarily say it's cut-and-dry this is what you should do," Dr. Kawachi says.

Even when odds are in their favor, many men nip cancer in the bud, electing to get surgery or radiation therapy before it has a chance to get worse. But treatment carries its own set of risks. Surgery can lead to incontinence or impotence, and sufferers may regret their treatment decision. Bowel dysfunction, loose stools and other side effects get less press, mostly because they're difficult to discuss, Dr. Kawachi notes, but they're nonetheless unpleasant.

To reduce such risks, researchers are developing treatments and tools that are more effective and precise. Dr. Kawachi cites robotic surgery and image-guided radiation therapy as preferred treatment options, but says experience is often what makes the difference. "The key now is to make sure patients are being offered treatment not simply based on convenience but because of the experience and outcomes of those providers," he explains.

Recently, interest has been drumming around "active surveillance." The option is just as its title implies; patients get periodic PSA tests and may undergo re-biopsy to track the cancer's progression. If levels haven't changed, surveillance continues; if the tumor has grown, doctors can take action. Prostate cancer patients with characteristics of slow progression--meaning they have a Gleason grade (a measure related to the tumor's tissue pattern) of 3+3 or less, a PSA level of 10 or less and a normal prostate upon digital examination--are the most common candidates.

"Active surveillance" can help patients avoid the nasty side effects of unnecessary treatment, but it also means dealing with the constant "What ifs?" There's no way to tell when the cancer might spread, but once it crosses into the danger zone, survival odds plummet. For many, "wait and see" is too distressing, and they opt for treatment instead.

My dad probably is a candidate for active surveillance, but like I said, he worries. As do I. Our family isn't great with odds, either, so I'm glad he elected for surgery. It'll be about 9 months since his diagnosis when they wheel him into the operating room, and even in that short time, he's gone for additional PSA tests to make sure his cancer hasn't progressed.

There will always be "What ifs?" What if the surgery goes wrong? What if he would have been fine without treatment? But, according to Dr. Kawachi, those questions are inevitable. "That's where the human piece of the puzzle, our expectations, enter in," he says. "If our expectations are met, we're happy, and if our expectations are not met, we're unfortunately dissatisfied."

Well, I'll be keeping my fingers crossed.

Cheryl McEvoy is an assistant editor with ADVANCE, the parent company that publishes this patient resource center.

http://healthy-aging.advanceweb.com/...y.aspx?RPID=51

Another interesting reason to enjoy your red wine this season� Bon app�tit!

Ayomide — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:06:12 GMT

Cold and Flu Season: Got Wine?
October 28, 2009 12:19 PM by Richard A. Baxter, MD

By all accounts, the coming flu season is going to be a doozy unless we all get our H1N1 vaccination soon. There's always the plain old cold too of course. I can never remember whether we are supposed to starve a cold and feed a fever or the other way around, but new findings suggest that regardless of the symptoms, respiratory viruses can be kept at bay by drinking wine.

It's not as far-fetched as it sounds. A few years ago, researchers in Spain looked into the question of how wine drinking habits relate to the risk of colds. Their subjects were 4000 faculty members of five universities across the country, who were tracked during cold & flu season for the number and severity of illnesses. When the data was cross-referenced to drinking patterns, they found that consumers of at least 2 glasses of wine a day were only half as likely to contract a viral illness as nondrinkers, and the correlation was stronger for red wine drinkers than for white. What's more, the duration of illness was shorter for those who did contract a cold or flu.

There are a couple of explanations for this. One of course is that wine drinkers may have other healthy habits that put them at less risk (researchers call these "confounding variables") but well designed studies such as the Spanish one take these into account. A more interesting possibility is that compounds in red wine have a direct effect on cold and influenza viruses, and there is good evidence to support that. One red wine compound called quercetin was tested against flu viruses and found to be more potent than oseltamivir (Tamiflu�), at least in the laboratory. It appears that the effect is quite specific, by interfering with viral replication. A more familiar wine extract, resveratrol, has also been fairly well tested against cold and flu viruses and found to be effective (again in a laboratory setting.)

What hasn't been demonstrated is whether these compounds have any effect in supplement form. Resveratrol in particular is better-absorbed from wine in the mouth than pill form in the stomach. So my advice is wash your hands frequently, stay home if you are ill, and by all means have a glass or two of red wine with dinner.

And look for my book Age Gets Better with Wine in bookstores soon.

http://community.advanceweb.com/blog...-got-wine.aspx

Hot Seats, Laptops, Cell Phones and Sperm...How heat, sitting, and electromagnetic waves impact fertility.

Ayomide — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:53:50 GMT

Hot Seats, Laptops, Cell Phones and Sperm
How heat, sitting, and electromagnetic waves impact fertility.
By Harvey B. Simon, M.D., Harvard Health Publications

Every man who has put on an athletic supporter must have wondered why his "family jewels" are suspended in such a vulnerable position. Why hasn't nature tucked the testicles into the protective confines of the pelvis like their female counterparts, the ovaries?

The simple reason is temperature. Low temperature is essential for sperm production. But modern conveniences may warm things up or have other unintended effects on testicular function. Here's some interesting research that gives global warming a new meaning:

Sperm and temperature

Early in embryonic life, the testicles are positioned deep in the rear of the abdomen. But at about 17 weeks of pregnancy, the testicles begin to gradually descend through the abdomen. They arrive at the groin five to 10 weeks later and then cross into the scrotum by the 30th week of pregnancy.

Whether a man is hot or cool, his scrotal temperature averages about 6 degrees Fahrenheit below his internal body temperature. When conditions are right, a young man's testicles can crank out up to 1,000 sperm a second. But at warmer scrotal temperatures, sperm production slows, sometimes impairing fertility.

Prolonged sitting

Both men and women have many good reasons to be up and around. But gents of reproductive age have extra motivation. Simply sitting in a car for two hours increases scrotal temperature by about 4 degrees Fahrenheit. The effect is temporary, but men who average more than three hours a day driving take longer to father children than their peers who spend less time sitting in a car.

Hot seats

A heated car seat feels mighty good on a wintry day, but can it add fuel to the fire of scrotal warming? To find out, doctors in Germany studied 30 healthy volunteers ages 20 to 53 who were dressed in boxer shorts, trousers and shirts during the experiment. Each man spent 90 minutes sitting on either a heated or unheated car seat while his scrotal temperature was recorded at one-minute intervals. Even sitting still on an unheated car seat boosted scrotal temperature, but the heated car seat added about 1 degree Fahrenheit without significantly increasing internal body temperature.

Laptop computers

Laptop computers are hot items�so hot, in fact, that their internal operating temperatures top 158 degrees Fahrenheit. Most men use their computers on a desk or table. But what if these marvelous devices are taken literally and used on a man's lap?

American scientists looked to answer the question by asking 29 healthy volunteers ages 21 to 35 to spend 60 minutes sitting with or without a working laptop perched on their thighs. The bottom surface of the laptop heated up to about 104 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the hour. Sure enough, scrotal temperatures rose by about 1 degree Fahrenheit more than with sitting alone.

These studies show that the heat generated by electrical devices that we take for granted can significantly increase scrotal temperatures. They also remind us that simply sitting still for an hour or longer can raise scrotal temperature, though to a lesser degree. These short-term experiments did not evaluate sperm counts, semen quality or fertility, but other investigations suggest that scrotal warming can have an adverse effect on fertility.

"Calling" all men

Another recent study suggests that "cool" devices like cell phones may also affect fertility.

Cell phones have revolutionized communication. Like many innovations, however, these devices have been greeted with concern as well as celebration. Because cell phones emit radiofrequency electromagnetic waves, they can interfere with some implanted cardiac pacemakers�but only if the user holds the phone directly over the pacemaker . Similarly, cell phones have the potential to disrupt sensitive electronic monitoring devices in hospital intensive care units. Only a minority of monitors are vulnerable, and even then, only very close proximity between phone and monitor poses a risk.

Electromagnetic waves can also have biological effects. That's why some people worry that cell phones may cause cancer. Fortunately, many studies have failed to link cell phones to cancers of the brain, eye, salivary gland and the acoustic nerve in the ear. However, a 2008 study reported an association between cell phone use and benign tumors of the parotid gland , which is located beneath the lower jaw.

It's easy to see why scientists have wondered if cell phones might have ill effects on tissues in the head and neck. But researchers in Cleveland have asked quite a different question. Based on animal studies that indicate electromagnetic waves may damage testicular function, they wondered if cell phones might affect human sperm.

The researchers studied 361 men with an average age of 32 who were attending an infertility clinic . Men with medical problems known to affect sperm function were excluded from the study. Each man recorded his average daily cell phone use and submitted a semen sample, which was evaluated by technicians who did not have any knowledge of the subjects' cell phone use.

Forty men reported no cell phone use; 107 used cell phones for less than two hours a day; 100 men used cell phones two to four hours a day and 114 reported more than four hours of daily use. When the scientists analyzed the results, they found a steady decline in sperm count with increasing cell phone use. In addition, sperm structure, motility and viability all declined with increasing cell phone use.

It's only one study, and it did not account for possible electromagnetic wave exposure at work or for Bluetooth devices, computers or cell phone standby time. In addition, all the men were undergoing infertility evaluation. Still, it raises the interesting�and worrisome�possibility that new communication techniques may interfere with the outcome of old-style communications between men and women. Further studies are underway. And while you're holding the phone for additional results, please remember that cell phones do have one proven health risk: car crashes.

The bottom line

Men who are having fertility problems might be wise to limit cell phone use and to avoid conditions that might boost their testicular temperatures.

http://health.msn.com/health-topics/...8062>1=31028

Alcohol protects men's hearts -Thank Allah for Denker!

denker — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:33:04 GMT

Alcohol 'protects men's hearts'

The type of drink did not appear to change the results

Drinking alcohol every day cuts the risk of heart disease in men by more than a third, a major study suggests.

The Spanish research involving more than 15,500 men and 26,000 women found large quantities of alcohol could be even more beneficial for men.

Female drinkers did not benefit to the same extent, the study in Heart found.
Experts are critical, warning heavy drinking can increase the risk of other diseases, with alcohol responsible for 1.8 million deaths globally per year.

The study was conducted in Spain, a country with relatively high rates of alcohol consumption and low rates of coronary heart disease.
The research involved men and women aged between 29 and 69, who were asked to document their lifetime drinking habits and followed for 10 years.

happy reading===>>>>here!

Bladder Control

Oluwato — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:12:18 GMT

That's what you tell them, it's an anatomy thing;).

http://www.lifescript.com/Health/Con...ntrol.aspx?p=1

>>>It�s an Anatomy Thing
Urine leaks occur when bladder pressure exceeds what the urethral sphincter can hold back, says Colleen Kennedy, M.D., assistant professor of obstetrics/gynecology at the University of Iowa.

Declining estrogen levels during menopause increase your SUI risk because the urethral tissue becomes thinner and less elastic, leading to reduced sphincter control, she says.

Women who have had multiple vaginal deliveries or difficult labors are particularly prone to leakage because pressure on the internal organs can permanently weaken the urethral sphincter.

Gail Stein can relate. After a breach delivery with her first-born, the stress incontinence - and frequent urge to go that started in her teens - worsened.
�I would be in the bathroom 20 or 30 times a night,� says Stein, co-author of Mind Over Bladder� I Never Met a Bathroom I Didn�t Like

Mind Over Bladder� I Never Met a Bathroom I Didn�t Like
. �My pants were down more than they were up.�

A public school teacher, Stein learned to �pee at the bell,� avoid fluids after 7 p.m. and always scope out the nearest bathroom.

"As women lose control over their body, daily activities and even sex life, depression can set in,� says Jill Maura Rabin, M.D., co-author of Mind Over Bladder and head of urogynecology at Long Island Jewish Medical Center. �Getting a diagnosis and treatment is so key.�<<<

'Female Viagra' boosts Sexual Desire In Women With Flagging Libido

POWERHOUSE — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:39:59 GMT

Ian Sample, science correspondent guardian.co.uk, Monday 16 November 2009 13.01 GMT

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/20...ido?CMP=AFCYAH

'Female Viagra' boosts sexual desire in women with flagging libidoWomen who took the drug during a trial reported more satisfying sexual encounters and a higher libido

Low libido or reduced sexual desire affects between 9% and 26% of women, depending on age and whether they have been through the menopause.

Ever since Viagra arrived a decade ago and became a global blockbuster worth billions, an equivalent that works wonders for women has been the Holy Grail for drug companies.

Yesterday, doctors announced that the search might finally be over. A major clinical trial of a drug some already describe as the "female Viagra" showed it can boost sexual desire in women whose libidos are flagging.

The drug, which was originally developed as an antidepressant but was later found to have libido-boosting side effects, could be approved for use in Britain within 18 months.

Women who took the drug during the six-month trial reported more satisfying sexual encounters and higher libidos than those who were given a placebo.

Doctors involved in the study said the drug may prove to be an effective treatment for low libido, a problem they estimate affects between 9% and 26% of women, depending on their age and whether they have been through the menopause.

The drug has proved controversial among sex researchers. Some argue pharmaceutical companies are exaggerating the number of women affected by low libido to expand their market, and are pushing a pill that will not deal with psychological issues that might put someone off sex, such as poor body image or stress.

Nearly 2,000 pre-menopausal women aged 18 and above took part in the study after being diagnosed with a condition called "hypoactive sexual desire disorder", characterised by a very low libido for long periods of time.

Women who took a daily 100mg dose of the drug, called flibanserin, reported having satisfying sex more often than those who took a placebo. Before the trial, subjects reported an average of 2.8 satsifying sexual events per month. Those who took daily flibanserin saw this rise to 4.5 times a month, compared with a rise to 3.7 times a month for those taking placebo. None of the women knew whether they were taking the drug or the sham pills.

"It's essentially a Viagra-like drug for women in that diminished desire or libido is the most common feminine sexual problem, like erectile dysfunction in men," said John Thorp, professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of North Carolina Medical School. The results were announced today at a meeting of the European Society for Sexual Medicine in Lyon.

Flibanserin was originally developed as an antidepressant by the German pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim. The drug performed badly in clinical trials and was never approved, but questionnaires given to the patients revealed that an unexpected side effect for women was a boost to their libido. According to some reports, some women were unwilling to give the pills back once the trial was over.

"Flibanserin was a poor antidepressant," said Thorp, who was involved in running the latest trial. "However, astute observers noted that it increased libido in laboratory animals and human subjects. So we conducted multiple clinical trials and the women in our studies who took it for hypoactive sexual desire disorder reported significant improvements in sexual desire and satisfactory sexual experiences."

Viagra was originally developed as a treatment for high blood pressure and the heart condition angina, but men who took part in early trials realised the drug had an interesting side effect. The drug arrived in 1998 and has since been prescribed to 25 million men creating a multibillion pound global market.

In the latest trial, doctors asked women to keep a record of how often they had satisfying sex and to rank their day-to-day sexual desire in an electronic diary. A variety of other tests were used to assess their libidos and levels of stress experienced during sex. These were compared with information taken before and after the trial.

Thorp said the results point to a possible treatment for "the sexual problem that plagues reproductive age women the most".

Petra Boynton, a healthcare researcher at University College London, said the pill was not a "magic bullet" and feared it could stop couples talking through underlying issues. "There are all kinds of physical, psychological and emotional reasons that could put someone off sex and a pill is not going to help resolve those. It's not going to make you feel better about your body image and it won't make your partner better in bed," she said.

A spokeswoman for Boehringer Ingelheim said the drug could be approved for treating women with a low libido within 18 months. The data from the latest trials will be sent to American and European drug regulators to review.

Health Care Research - Attitude on obtaining prescription drugs

Oluwato — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:59:20 GMT

This report http://www.opa.ca.gov/about/consumer...n-american.pdf reveals a "hidden trait" within an ethnic group. Many times, African immigrants and other non-African immigrants of African ancestry have different attitudes towards health care but since they are a minor group, compared to the population of African-Americans, their "attitudes" only show up when they are researched separately. Most Nigerians I know fill their prescriptions and try to avoid the ER, but reports like this, though data based, gives a "wrong" impression.

Other reports can be found on www.opa.ca.gov

Drinking From Beer Cans, Plastic Bottles And Beverage Containers Could Cause Sterility, Heart Disease, Diabetes, Prostate And Breast Cancer

POWERHOUSE — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 03:03:13 GMT

Drinking From Beer Cans, Plastic Bottles And Beverage Containers Could Cause Sterility, Heart Disease, Diabetes, Prostate And Breast Cancer

http://odili.net/news/source/2009/nov/13/504.html

From IKE NNAMDI, The Sun Correspondent, New York

Friday, November 13, 2009

Nigerian men who are unable to make babies could be paying the price for drinking from plastic bottles, beer cans and beverage containers. A new report links exposure to a chemical known as BPA to growing incidents of male sterility in the country and other parts of the world. The chemical is widely used in hard plastic bottles.

The U.S. government recently announced new funding for research into BPA’s effects. BPA is used in a wide variety of consumer products, including some hard plastic bottles and metal food or beverage cans. Several makers of baby bottles recently said they had stopped using the chemical. Some 90 percent of the U.S. population carries detectable levels in the urine and scientists are concerned that BPA exposure might harm the reproductive and nervous systems, and possibly promote prostate and breast cancers. Last year, a preliminary study linked BPA to possible risks for heart disease and diabetes.

The Food and Drug Administration concluded last year that trace amounts of BPA that leak out of bottles and food containers were not dangerous. But the FDA is now reviewing that stance after criticism from its scientific advisers. Researchers said compared to the other workers, men with high BPA exposure were about four times as likely to report trouble achieving erections, about seven times as likely to say they had difficulty ejaculating, and about four times as likely to report low sex drive or low satisfaction with their sex lives.

The effects are dramatic and “pretty clearly related to the exposure,” said Linda Birnbaum, director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. The finding fits in with animal studies and should be followed up by research in the general population, she said. Her Institute said last month it would spend more money on BPA-related research, bringing the total to $30 million over two years.

Steven Hentges, a BPA expert, and official with the American Chemistry Council, an industry group, said the work was “probably not very relevant for consumers. For one thing, the reported 50-fold difference in exposure seems to be an underestimate because of how it was calculated,” he said.

In addition, he said, the workers inhaled BPA or got it on their skin. Consumers get it through diet instead, which lets the body detoxify it, Hentges said.

http://odili.net/news/source/2009/nov/13/504.html

Weight loss tips

sherrylouz — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:32:16 GMT

If you are going to start a weight loss program, there are some points to consider.

One should always keep in mind that weight loss takes time and is not going to happen overnight. It requires a change in eating habits. It doesn't mean that weight loss requires eating less. It means you have to keep an eye on the calories you are taking and how much your physical activity and other works help them to burn.

Weight Loss Tips

[1.] Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. In provides hydration to your body and help you feel full.

[2.] Eat fruits and vegetables rich in fibers, vitamins and antioxidants. They fill up your stomach fast and are also low in calories and help to keep your calorie count low.

[3.] Taking small frequent meals help to balance calorie intake throughout the day, instead of eating 3 big meals, try to eat 5 - 6 smaller meals throughout the day.

[4.] Walk 20-30 minutes daily after your last meal. These will help you to speed your metabolism up before the food has a chance to get settled in and lower your body fat storage.

[5.] Whenever you feel laziness, take several deep breaths and try to do something creative to keep yourself busy.

[6.] When you slip up on your diet or weight loss program, pick yourself back up immediately and make a renewed commitment to your weight loss goals.

[7.] Cardio exercises are the real secret to lose body fat. Cardio Exercises are the only ones proven to burn calories at a sustained rate and hence qualify to be the best Weight Loss Exercises ever.

"Designer Vagina" Surgery May Be Unsafe

Count1 — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:32:33 GMT

�Designer vagina� surgery may be unsafe, say experts
David Rose, Health Correspondent

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle6911418.ece

Increasing numbers of women are having cosmetic surgery to achieve a �designer vagina� but doctors warn that the operation may be unsafe.
No studies have looked at the long-term safety of labiaplasty, an operation to make the labia smaller, experts said. The irreversible operation, which can cost �3,000 privately, is often carried out for cosmetic reasons.
Once considered the special domain of glamour models, female genital cosmetic surgery is becoming more common in wealthy nations and is being advertised to healthy women, according to researchers from University College London (UCL).
Writing in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, they say that surgery can damage the nerve supply to a woman�s genitals and called for more research on the effects of surgery on long-term sexual function.

The team searched electronic databases for relevant articles and studies carried out between 1950 and April 2009. They found 40 articles, 18 of which included patient data. Details of how the study was designed were unavailable for 15 of the 18 papers and the remaining three related to past surgery. No properly designed studies were found among the literature.
The authors said �all reports claimed high levels of patient satisfaction and contained anecdotes pertaining to success�. However, they said more research was needed on whether women were actually suffering physical symptoms � such as discomfort or lack of sensation � or if their desire for surgery was purely cosmetic. The number of NHS operations for labia surgery has also risen in recent years, to 1,118 procedures in 2008-09, compared with 669 in 2007-08 and 404 in 2006-07.

Lih-Mei Liao, a consultant psychologist at UCL, said that healthy women were being commercially targeted for �invasive and irrevocable surgery�.

�Advertisements promote labial surgery as easy answers to women�s insecurities about their genital appearances � insecurities that are fuelled by the very advertisements that prescribe a homogenised, prepubescent genital appearance standard for all women,� she said.

Sarah Creighton, consultant gynaecologist at University College Hospital and one of the report�s authors, added that there was a �shocking lack of solid evidence� about the procedure.

�Labial surgery needs to be rigorously evaluated in future,� she said.
Professor Philip Steer, editor-in-chief of BJOG, said: �Commercial images and social pressures often serve to distort public perceptions about what is physically normal. Healthy messaging about the normal variation in female genitalia, as well as body shape and size more generally, is needed and important.�

'Transient' amnesia can occur after sex

Namio — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:34:50 GMT

'Transient' amnesia can occur after sex
November 10, 2009

Cathal Kelly
Staff Reporter

His wife was in long-term care, so he decided to go on a cruise.

On the cruise, he met someone. They began an affair.

Back on land, the pair found themselves entwined in the backseat of a car. Out of nowhere, the man turned to his new partner and asked, "Who are you? What are we doing here?"

Baffled, the woman drove him to a nearby hospital. Eventually, he was diagnosed with a rare disorder called TGA � Transient Global Amnesia.

The unnamed cruise ship traveller's misadventures were first noted by the pair of neurologists who coined the term, TGA.

Sufferers of TGA � generally people over 50 with a history of migraine � suffer a constriction of blood in the hippocampus. Scientists now believe that such spasms in the back of the brain can hamper memory. There are a long list of activities that can trigger TGA � sudden immersion in hot or cold water, physical exertion, emotional shock and, yes, sex. Typically, the event occurs shortly after orgasm. It is usually preceded by a headache.

It is a rare disorder. According to a 1987 study, it occurs to 23.5 people out of 100,000 in the United States. All of those included in that measure were older than 50.

But the light it sheds on the operation of memory is of immense interest to neurologists, like Dr. Louis Caplan of Harvard Medical School.

"(Sufferers) behave normally during the episode even though they're not recalling it. It's a little bit like having a tape recorder on," said Caplan. "(During an episode) the tape recorder's not on, you're not recording anything, but you can still function normally."

Patients of Caplan's have variously taught a physics class, given an interview and performed in a chamber orchestra while in the midst of a TGA episode.

Caplan recalled another of his patients walked out of a bathroom at work, ran into his personal assistant of nine years, and wondered aloud who the person was.

While that particular patient had temporarily lost the ability to form new memories, he'd also lost the last 10 years. His wife figured that out by asking him how old their children were.

"As time went on, that period of retrograde amnesia shrunk. Eventually, it only stretched back to a couple of hours before the incident occurred. That's the typical thing," said Caplan.

Essentially, neurologists regard TGA as a benign affliction, something curious, though Caplan concedes it's jarring to the sufferer while they're in the midst of it. Those struck by TGA rarely feel its effects twice. And even a single incidence is so unusual that Caplan advises those in middle- and late-life to put it out of mind.

"It's rare enough that you don't want to worry people," said Caplan.

http://www.healthzone.ca/health/articlePrint/723728

The best get-happy Foods

Oluwato — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 03:48:30 GMT

That explains why I'm hooked on citrus...I'm an orange-lemonade lady...:lol:.

*************************************

Food: Oranges, lemons and other citrus fruits
Mood-Boosting Ingredient: Vitamin C
This vitamin helps you cope better in stressful times by lowering your levels of stress hormones. If you get a lot regularly, you'll feel calmer during tough situations. For more check http://health.yahoo.com/featured/57/...t-happy-foods/

Juicing

MrsChocT — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:22:46 GMT

What's the hype about? Every time I turn on the tv, I see one informercial or another for a juicing machine. Today it's juice master, tomorrow it's healthmaster.

To the docs and health professionals in the village, are there any benefits to juicing? I see dem Oyinbos blending fruits and vegetables together and raving about how they felt afterwards...

So pls add your 2 cents..

Green Tea prevents cancer

Oluwato — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:33:35 GMT

Hmmmm, green tea eh...we'll try that....:biggrin:.

http://www.healthprofessor.com/newsl...rticles/632580

THURSDAY, Nov. 5 (HealthDay News) -- A new study appears to add to growing evidence that green tea might help protect against cancer.
U.S. researchers gave 41 volunteers with pre-malignant mouth lesions green tea extract for three months at doses of 500 milligrams per meter squared (mg/m2), 750 mg/m2 or 1,000 mg/m2. The extract was taken by mouth. Other participants took a placebo.

The study found that about 59 percent of people taking the highest dose of the green tea extract showed a clinical response, compared with 18 percent of those who took a placebo. The researchers also noted a trend toward improvement in certain biomarkers that could predict cancer development.

During the study period of about 28 months, 15 people developed oral cancer. People who took the green tea extract and those who didn't were equally likely to develop the cancer. However, people who had mild to moderate dysplasia, or abnormal cell growth, at the start of the study took longer to develop oral cancer if they took the green tea extract.

Milk and Health

Oluwato — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:24:48 GMT

I got to where I normally buy my raw milk yesterday and found out that they no longer carried raw milk. Why? Well, their insurance carrier was going to drop them if they did so they had to opt out. As a health professional, I am familiar with the war that goes on between professionals of conventional and alternative medicine... it's like when two elephants fight, the grass is really the one that suffers. So I had to get online, do a search and place calls to finally get a place where I could buy raw milk (thank God, I found a place about 7 miles from where I live).

Raw milk was one of the things God used to heal me from fatigue (or whatever was wrong with me) a little while back so I will always recommend it, even if it is one glass per week, it's like a booster shot, I have not fallen sick in years, and by God's grace, I won't.

The following site helped me and is a good resource for those willing to try raw milk, natural is always better...!

http://realmilk.com/