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- Tofi: Thin on the Outside, Fat on the Inside
Not everyone who appears thin on the outside is also thin where it really matters -- on the inside. There is a word for this kind of people. The word is tofi and it stands for thin on the outside, fat on the inside. The Guardian reports that internal fat has been linked to serious health risks including diabetes and heart disease. Thanks to MRIs doctors are now able to determine whether or not people carry too much internal fat.Bell has spent years studying how human beings store and use their adipose tissue, or fat. He has carried out studies showing that people who would be considered slim can have large quantities of fat within them.
The findings about Tofis throughs out the useless BMI factor that has sidetracked many physicians. The study looked at Sumo wrestlers who have a very high BMI but very little internal fat.
'This is particularly true of men who have a slim build but who do little or no exercise,' he said. 'We know now that 40 per cent of people have fat infiltration of the liver, which is linked to so many other health problems.'
He said of Schwartz: 'He is slim, he's not overweight, but you can see there are some areas where there is a bit of a build-up of visceral fat. He doesn't have a lot of subcutaneous fat [the kind that lies just under the skin], but I can see there is quite a bit around the organs and some in the muscle.'
Thanks to this new technique, Bell and others are able to understand why appearances can be so deceptive. Someone like Schwartz, who is young, falls into the category of those who need to start changing their lifestyle. Unknowingly, he is on the way to becoming what is jokingly described as a 'Tofi' - Thin on the Outside, Fat on the Inside. Tofis probably need to worry more about their health than others, because the fat deposits they carry are hidden in the white fat that lies around their vital organs, streaked through their underused muscles, and wrapped around the heart. It is this fat that sends out the chemical signals which eventually lead to insulin resistance, diabetes and heart conditions, rather than the fat lying in dimples underneath the skin.What really counts, says Bell, is how and where the body's energy supply is stored. Fat cells are extremely intelligent - 'versatile players', as the American obesity specialist Roger Unger called them - which hang on stubbornly even through crash diets. For years, doctors saw fat tissue as a kind of passive storage compartment, but new research has shown that the fat cells, or adipocytes, are dynamic beings.
The bottom line is you need information about a person's internal and external fat before you can make any kind of judgement about how healthy they are.
In Japan, sumo wrestlers have been put through MRI scanners to look at their fat composition. Even though they have a BMI of 56 and are eating up to 5,000 calories a day, they have very little internal fat. 'They have low cholesterol, they have low insulin resistance and a low level of triglycerides [fatty acids],' said Bell. 'Their fat is all stored under the skin, on the outside.'
Fri, 15 Dec 2006 21:00:00 EST - Third Human U.S. Mad Cow Case Reported
Reuters reports that the third U.S. case of vCJD, the human form of mad cow disease, has been discovered by the CDC. The victim is a Saudi-born man currently living in Virginia. The CDC says that man has not donated any blood. A total of 200 of the always fatal uncurable disease have been reported worldwide.The man, whose case was reported to the CDC by the Virginia Department of Health, has variant Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease, or vCJD, the CDC said on its Web site.
The CDC report about the case says the man temporarily lived in the U.S. in Texas for periods of time from 2001 to 2005. However, they believe he was infected as a child in Saudi Arabia.
This is a carefully diagnosed, brain-destroying illness that scientists believe is caused by eating beef products from cattle infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy, also known as BSE, or mad cow disease.
"The current patient has no history of donating blood and the public health investigation has identified no risk of transmission to U.S. residents from this patient."The current case-patient has no history of receipt of blood, a past neurosurgical procedure, or residing in or visiting countries of Europe. Based on the patient's history, the occurrence of a previously reported Saudi case of vCJD attributed to likely consumption of BSE-contaminated cattle products in Saudi Arabia, and the expected greater than 7 year incubation period for food-related vCJD, this U.S. case-patient was most likely infected from contaminated cattle products consumed as a child when living in Saudi Arabia (1). The current patient has no history of donating blood and the public health investigation has identified no risk of transmission to U.S. residents from this patient.
The CDC also says the first two U.S. cases were believed to originate in the UK: "The two previously reported vCJD case-patients in U.S. residents were each born and raised in the United Kingdom (U.K.), where they were believed to have been infected by the agent responsible for their disease." If the facts are accurate it means that all of the U.S. human mad cow cases to date have originated outside the U.S.
Mon, 11 Dec 2006 13:00:00 EST - Chemo Drugs Damage Brain Cells
The BBC reports that new studies have shown that healthy brain cells are very vulnerable to chemo drugs.Drug therapy for cancer can prompt a wide range of neurological side effects, even the onset of dementia.
It is very unfortunate that there are not better ways to kill tumors than by using harmful chemotherapy drugs. At least doctors won't think their parents are crazy anymore when they claim about memory loss and other brain-related problems. On the positive side maybe this will lead to less harmful drugs or some kind of method to protect the brain when the body is undergoing chemotherapy.
But they were thought not to be directly linked to the drug treatment itself.
Instead, some doctors have put them down to the patient's vulnerable psychological state.
The latest study found that dose levels typically used when treating patients killed 40% to 80% of cancer cells - but 70% to 100% of human brain cells grown in the lab, and caused serious damage to brain cells when given to mice.
Several types of healthy brain cell continued to die for at least six weeks after exposure.
Wed, 6 Dec 2006 18:00:00 EST - Santas Face Health Risks
Reuters reports on a study by Brand IQ for Auntie Anne's Inc. that found Santas face numerous health hazards while on the job. 339 Santas from the Amalgamated Order of Real Bearded Santas (AORBS) participated in the study.
Santas get sneezed upon up to ten times a day, fend off children pulling their beards and mop up after children who frequently wet their laps, according to the survey of hundreds of men who work as seasonal Santa Claus characters.
That's a lot of sneezing. It is the time of year for colds and allergies. Kids also go from a cold outdoor environment to an often overheated mall environment which can give anyone the sneezes or a runny nose. Despite any discomforts the nice Santas from AORBS must put on a happy face for the children and for those holiday photos. Hopefully, they don't put any of the kids that have wet their laps or pulled their beards on the naughty kid list.
A third of all Santas reported having been wet on by a child, the survey said.
More than 60 percent of Santas said they were sneezed or coughed upon up to 10 times each day, and three-quarters said they have up to 10 children cry while sitting on their laps every day, it said.
Nearly 90 percent of Santas said children pull their beard every day to see if it's real, and nearly half said children try to pull their glasses off every day as well, it said.
Santas can suffer back strain from lifting children, exposure to contagious illnesses and overheating in their heavy Santa suits, said Timothy Connaghan, head of the Santa association.
Mon, 4 Dec 2006 15:00:00 EST - Prototype Tweezers Shine a Light on Thorns
These new protype tweezers from Bayer Materialscience may make it easier for people to remove thorns in the future. The tips of the tweezer light up to spotlight the thorn trying to be removed from a finger or toe. A press release from Bayer Materialscience explains more about the new hi-tech tweezers.
Is it at all possible to improve a mundane everyday item such as a pair of tweezers? After all, it has the simplest of forms and has worked reliably for as long as anyone can remember. "Most definitely," is the reply from Ralph Schneider as he reaches for a streamlined item made of plastic with a black head and two transparent arms. As if by magic, the pincers light up, directing the light to the tips and illuminating a small point on the desk top. Perfect for shining the spotlight on a thorn that has to be removed...
Unfortunately, the press release did not say when the illuminating tweezers will be available for consumers.
"This little item has the capacity to provide the electronics market with new impetus," explains Ralph Schneider. The pair of tweezers, developed in a project he supervised, is a prototype that uses an innovative and completely invisible switching technology. Today, the former mechanical engineering student is right in the middle of things instead of just watching events unfold. What began a few months ago as a degree thesis at Bayer MaterialScience AG quickly resulted in a permanent appointment in the Creative Center at one of the biggest plastics manufacturers in the world.
Fri, 1 Dec 2006 18:00:00 EST - Holiday Toys Safety Tips
Family Education has an article that includes the following toy safety tips for gift givers from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). CPSC says that "120,000 children are treated in hospital emergency rooms for toy-related injuries each year."
More information about toy safety from the CPSC can be found here and here. There is also a useful article about electric toys.- Select toys to suit the age, abilities, skills, and interest level of the intended child. Toys too advanced may pose safety hazards to younger children.
- For infants, toddlers, and all children who still mouth objects, avoid toys with small parts which could pose a fatal choking hazard.
- For all children under age eight, avoid toys that have sharp edges and points.
- Do not purchase electric toys with heating elements for children under age eight.
- Be a label reader. Look for labels that give age recommendations and use that information as a guide.
- Look for sturdy construction, such as tightly secured eyes, noses, and other potential small parts.
- Check instructions for clarity. They should be clear to you, and when appropriate, to the child.
- Discard plastic wrappings on toys immediately, which can cause suffocation, before they become deadly playthings.
Mon, 20 Nov 2006 18:00:00 EST - Freeze Yourself Well With Cryotherapy
The Daily Mail article describes an unusual procedure called cryotherapy that involves freezing yourself in extemely cold temperatures for just a few minutes. Cryotherapy has made believers out of same patients who believe it helped the. reduce pain and inflammation.This rather bizarre sounding treatment involves exposing yourself to extremely cold, dry air in a sealed room for up to three minutes at a time.
The article is worth reading as journalist Barney Calman describes his own first-time experience in the cryo-chamber where the air is -120C. He did describe some health benefits.
In Poland cryotherapy has become a popular treatment for rejuvenating and revitalising the body. It is also widely used by eastern European athletes as an alternative to the "ice bath" to aid post-training recovery.
But it seems there could be also serious medical uses for the treatment. Some experts claim it can alleviate the painful symptoms of everything from rheumatism and osteoporosis to multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue syndrome and depression, and even suggest it as an anti-cellulite and skin-firming treatment.
Cryotherapy apparently shrinks the molecules in the body and then, when you emerge from the cold, the molecules then expand, increasing the blood flow which then helps ease pain and swelling, as well as fighting inflammation.I have suffered from eczema around my eyes for four years; I use a medicated cream daily to stop flare ups, but remarkably, since having cryotherapy it's been itch and pain free.
There is debate among health experts as to whether this treatment really works but there are some happy patients. The procedure is not recommended for people with heart and circulaton problems. People with epilepsy or claustrophobia should also avoid it according to one of the doctors Barney Calman spoke to.
I've not needed to use my medication for the first time in a year and a half. As bizarre as whole body cryotherapy sounds it's worth remembering that commonplace alternative treatments such as reflexology, acupuncture, massage and osteopathy, now available on the NHS, were once considered "loony" and ineffectual.
Thu, 16 Nov 2006 18:00:00 EST - Study Tests Google as a Diagnostic Tool
A research study has found that using Google can be a useful diagnostic tool. The study found Google searches revealed the correct diagnosis in 15 out of 26 cases (58%).Setting One year's (2005) diagnostic cases published in the case records of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Search does seem like a valuable tool for doctors trying to determine a possible diagnose based on a variety of symptoms. The Internet has definitely helped a lot of patients communicate with people suffering from similar diseases and conditions. (via WebProNews.com)
Cases 26 cases from the New England Journal of Medicine; management cases were excluded.
Main outcome measure Percentage of correct diagnoses from Google searches (compared with the diagnoses as published in the New England Journal of Medicine).
Results Google searches revealed the correct diagnosis in 15 (58%, 95% confidence interval 38% to 77%) cases.
Conclusion As internet access becomes more readily available in outpatient clinics and hospital wards, the web is rapidly becoming an important clinical tool for doctors. The use of web based searching may help doctors to diagnose difficult cases.
Mon, 13 Nov 2006 18:00:00 EST - Men and Women Tend to Overestimate the Dating Competition
The Economist, which seems an unlikely source for such an article, reports that a behavior study has found that men and women tend to overestimate how attractive the competition is.IF YOU have ever sat alone in a bar, depressed by how good-looking everybody else seems to be, take comfort-it may be evolution playing a trick on you. A study just published in Evolution and Human Behavior by Sarah Hill, a psychologist at the University of Texas, Austin, shows that people of both sexes reckon the sexual competition they face is stronger than it really is. She thinks that is useful: it makes people try harder to attract or keep a mate.
Maybe this study will make a few people feel better but if it is a natural thing to do that confidence boost may be short-lived. It may be impossible to completely override this impulse to give your competition a higher rank than they deserve once you are out in the real world. There is also an exception to this study -- those arrogant persons who seem to think they are hottest guy or girl at the party no matter what reality shows.
Dr Hill showed heterosexual men and women photographs of people. She asked them to rate both how attractive those of their own sex would be to the opposite sex, and how attractive the members of the opposite sex were. She then compared the scores for the former with the scores for the latter, seen from the other side. Men thought that the men they were shown were more attractive to women than they really were, and women thought the same of the women.
Dr Hill had predicted this outcome, thanks to error-management theory-the idea that when people (or, indeed, other animals) make errors of judgment, they tend to make the error that is least costly. The notion was first proposed by Martie Haselton and David Buss, two of Dr Hill's colleagues, to explain a puzzling quirk in male psychology.
Fri, 10 Nov 2006 18:00:00 EST - Kleine-Levin Syndrome
A news story from Local6.com discusses a rare and complex neurological disorder that affects people in during adolescence. People with the disorder can stay asleep for as long as two weeks or more and only awake to use the bathroom or eat. During these brief periods of being awake people with KLS do not even know they are awake. The article talks about 20-year-old Spencer Spearin who suffers from the Kleine Levin Syndrome. He is hit with the sleeping syndrome about once every four months."I might not be with you for a couple weeks," Spearin said. "I missed my birthday. I missed my graduation. I can't remember what I ate yesterday. I can't remember what I did yesterday."
That's a very frightening disease. The news story also says the brains patterns of people suffering from the disease are very active during the sleeping episodes. You can read more about Kleine Levin Syndrome (KLS) on the Kleine-Levin Syndrome Foundation Inc. website.
Many times, the disorder appears after a flu-like illness.
Dr. Emanuel Mignot said patients suffer from periodic episodes of extreme sleepiness and abnormal, child-like behavior.
"They feel like they are in a fog," Mignot said. "They don't know exactly the reality around them. If you try to wake them up they are very irritable."
Thu, 9 Nov 2006 16:40:00 EST - Is the BlackBerry a Crackberry?
An ABC News article says some experts think that an addiction to the communication tools like the BlackBerry is similar to alcohol, drug and gambling addictions. The addiction has even been dubbed as crackberry and it is much worse than BlackBerry thumb.
"There's an adrenaline high that people who use technology constantly get from trying to balance the BlackBerry, the cell phone ? trying to keep all these balls in the air at the same time," author Bryan Robertson said.
For some people the addiction to the devices really has caused problem. The Workers Comp Insider has an article that includes this warning.
To make time for the gadgets, some users will "give up time with family," Rutgers University School of Business Gayle Porter said. "They'll give up getting together with friends. They'll give up taking care of themselves, getting enough sleep - things like that."
She's researching a paper that will argue that businesses could be sued by employees who feel they were encouraged or even forced to stay connected 24 hours a day and then developed an addiction to their gadget.The trends are clear, the dangers incontrovertible. Uncontrolled use of Blackberry-type devices can lead to physical, mental and social debilitation. Someone is bound to announce the development of a new 12 step program for Crackberry addicts. The road to recovery will begin with the assertion that "I am an addict." Meanwhile, employers should develop comprehensive written warnings to accompany the provision of any PDAs. These guidelines should set clear parameters for appropriate Blackberry use. With half the marriages in this country already ending in divorce, employers need to avoid any possible inference that work - and work-provided equipment - is a significant cause of marital discord. In the ever-expanding definition of risk management, this is one area where increased vigilance - and a few disclaimers - are definitely in order.
It hard to know what workers or employers should do about a device that many find crucial for keeping up with email and news. For those that feel addicted to a communication gadget simply trying to use the gadget less sounds like an obvious remedy. People do get addicted to technologies like video games so the fact that another technology causes addiction should not be a major surprise.
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Tue, 7 Nov 2006 18:00:00 EST - Skin Patches May Replace Shots
MNSBC.com reports that skin-patch vaccines are being tested that could replace shots. If effective this could be an excellent method for distributing a vaccine to a large number of people in an emergency -- the skin-patches could be delivered in the U.S. mail.Early tests of skin-patch vaccines are beginning in hundreds of volunteers, one version designed to protect against the flu and another to prevent travelers' diarrhea.
If it works -- and the skin-patch method is as powerful and effective as a shot -- it would certainly make allergy and flu prevention a lot easier. It would also make a lot of little shot-fearing kids much happier.
The idea isn't just pain-free vaccination. The National Institutes of Health is helping fund patch research in hopes of strengthening today's imperfect flu shots, and gaining extra help if bird flu or some other super-flu ever triggers a pandemic.
Indeed, patch developer Iomai Corp. proposes that the mailman, not a doctor, deliver flu vaccine during a pandemic. Once a vaccine is brewed, simply ship patches to people's homes with instructions to slap one on.
Doctors might not like the go-it-alone method. But the technology's main promise may be in developing countries. Unlike syringe-based vaccines, patches wouldn't need refrigeration ? nor pose the infection risk of reused needles, a continuing problem.
Mon, 6 Nov 2006 14:50:00 EST - Scientists Working on Male Contraceptive Drug
WebMD reports that scientists have made some progress in rats with Adjudin, a drug that has the potential to act as a male contraceptive. WebMD's article says recent lab test on rats showed no signs of side effects and that the effects of the drug wore off in 20 weeks.Basically, Adjudin nips wannabe sperm cells in the bud. Those cells, called germ cells, ordinarily develop into sperm. But they need the help of other cells, called Sertoli cells, to reach that destiny.
A male contraceptive pill that had no side effects and could last for months would be a major breakthrough. There will have to be considerable testing of this drug to make sure there will be no side effects -- like the liver inflammation and muscle shrinkage mentioned above.
Adjudin interferes with the process.
Cheng's team previously reported from other animal tests that Adjudin, given orally by itself, was too toxic to be a suitable contraceptive because it caused liver inflammation and muscle shrinkage (atrophy).
So the scientists bundled Adjudin with a synthetic version of the sex hormone FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) and injected it into the bellies of four male rats.
Fri, 3 Nov 2006 18:00:00 EST - Halloween Safety For Kids With Allergies
Kids love to go trick-or-treating but eating the candy they have collected can be scary and even dangerous for children with allergies, especially kids with severe peanut allergies. Montreal pediatrician Paul Roumeliotis provided a few safety tips for handling allergic children on Halloween in this Canada.com article. His advice includes inspecting the kids candy before they can eat it and making sure they are trick-or-treating on a full stomach so they don't snack on any of the candy before they get home.
The candy you suspect is allergen free may not always be safe. NBC reports that child last year was rushed to the hospital after eating a gummy worm.- Parents of food-allergic children must be diligent in checking their kids' loot before giving them access to it. Instruct children not to eat anything until they get home. Then read labels carefully, looking for allergens. Be aware that the ingredient Mandalona is a nut substitute derived from peanut meal.
- Make sure your kids have a good meal before they go out trick-or-treating, the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network recommends, so they're not hungry.
- Talk with neighbours in advance about having safe treats for your kids; consider supplying them. Some companies, including Nestle and Mars, for instance, produce peanut-free candy bars. Consider such non-food treats for trick-or-treaters as colouring books or pens and pencils.
- If your child is old enough to go out without an adult, have him go with at least two buddies who know about his food allergies. Make sure he carries his medicine. Epinephrine, used to treat severe allergic reactions, is most effective when used as soon as possible after a severe allergic reaction. It is available by prescription, most commonly as the Epi-Pen auto-injector.
Denise Bunning of Chicago has two children with severe food allergies. Her son Bryan was rushed to the hospital one year after eating a single gummy worm, reported WMAQ-TV in Chicago.
You can read more tips and suggestions on About.com's Halloween Allergies page.
"The bulk container had previously contained a chocolate nut, so just the residue on the gummy worm was enough to cause my child to have an anaphylactic reaction," Bunning said.
Experts say eight foods are the most common food-allergy culprits: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy and wheat.
Parents of food-allergic children must read every candy label in their child's Halloween bag to ensure their child's safety.
Mon, 30 Oct 2006 08:00:00 EST - Study Links Cell Phone Use to Male Infertility
The Daily Mail reports that a recent study of cell phone users could mean that men who use cell phones are at an increased risk of infertility. The study found that men who use cell phones for over four hours a day had a 25% lower sperm count.US researchers in Cleveland and New Orleans, and doctors in Mumbai, India, looked at more than 360 men undergoing checks at a fertility clinic who were classified into three groups according to their sperm count.
The findings are alarming but a much broader and larger study will be need to verify the results. Four hours of cell phone use per day is also a considerable amount of cell phone use but apparently not uncommon since 114 of the 360 men in the study use their cell phones for four hours or more daily.
Men who used a mobile for more than four hours a day had a 25 per cent lower sperm count than men who never used a mobile.
The men with highest usage also had greater problems with sperm quality, with the swimming ability of sperm - a crucial factor in conception - down by a third.
They had a 50 per cent drop in the number of properly formed sperm, with just one-fifth looking normal under a microscope.
Professor Ashok Agarwal, director of the Reproductive Research Centre at the Cleveland Clinic, Ohio, who led the study, said "Almost a billion people are using cell phones around the world and the number is growing in many countries at 20 to 30 per cent a year.
Wed, 25 Oct 2006 08:00:00 EST
