| |
Posts Tagged ‘research.’
Sat, September 20, 2008 10:50 am By James Coolridge  Printer friendly version
 Email to a friend
 Do Asians have a higher chance of getting effected to breast cancer? Are the tests or check ups done to identify breast cancer underestimating the Asian women? Yes, says the oncologists at the Stanford University School. The recent studies conducted by them shows that the risk of breast cancer mutations among Asian women is highly underestimated.
Allison Kurian, MD, and her colleagues at the Stanford University School of Medicine who conducted the study are of the opinion that the Asian women have a high chance of getting affected by the breast cancer in comparison to the white women. Computer models designed to identify women who might have dangerous genetic mutations that increase their risk of breast and ovarian cancer worked well for white women. But the same found to be not friendly with the Asian ethnics.
Allison Kurian, MD, took the support of computer models designed to identify women who might have dangerous genetic mutations that increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer.
They say that they were really surprised to find that in a head-to-head comparison between whites and Asians, two of the most commonly used computer models failed in predicting the presence of mutations in almost more than the half of the Asian women.
Kurian cant hide out the surprise; “We’ve been repeatedly surprised when Asian women who the models predicted would probably not have the mutations do in fact have them,” says her.
“Doctors and patients should have a higher level of suspicion when using these prediction models in Asian women, as they under-predicted the true number of clinically important mutations. We may have to consider more subtle patterns of family cancer history when considering genetic testing in this ethnic group,” says Kurian.
It is generally believed that mutations exist in two genes - BRCA1 and BRCA2 and they are linked to the development of breast or ovarian cancer in carriers. But the study finds out that, not every woman with a family history of cancer or who develops these cancers do have these mutations.
Kurian and her doctor colleagues used two of the most widely used computer models, named BRCAPRO and Myriad II, in the study to predict the presence of the mutations in 200 white women and 200 Asian-American women at four different cancer genetics clinics situated at Stanford, the University of California-San Francisco, Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu and the British Columbia Cancer Center in Vancouver.
They sequenced the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes of all of the study subjects and compared them to the models’ predictions.It was found that these models were highly accurate in predicting the presence of mutations in white women; one program identified 24 of the 25 women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations and the other identified all 25.
But the same programs failed in predicting the 49 Asian women in the study sample with mutations. One program found that only 25 of the 49 women would carry mutations, while the other recommended testing of 26 women.
The research point out the need for further studies into the genetic variability of different ethnic groups. Kurian agrees to the fact that hese studies are not enough to reach a conclusion , but do point to the need of further researches in this field.
Tags: research., whites, ovary, breast cancer, Asians, Stanford University School of Medicine, Allison Kurian, mutation
Fri, June 20, 2008 10:28 am By James Coolridge
 US researchers in their study figured out that people who are often stressed out or depressed are prone to memory loss. This can even lead to Alzheimer’s disease at an early age.
The researchers analyzed data from two major studies involving nearly 1250 elderly people who had no memory problems when the study was started. Nearly 480 people started developing mild cognitive impairment after up to 12 years of follow up. The participants were rated on the basis of how often they are prone to tensions and depression.
“What we’re measuring is a personality trait that we all have to greater or lesser degree. We all experience anxiety and periodic depression. This trait helps identify people for whom that are more characteristic than others,” said Wilson, whose study has appeared in journal Neurology.
Tags: Depression, Stress, research., anxiety, Alzheimer’s
Mon, June 9, 2008 10:32 am By James Coolridge
 Are you sleeping with stress? Do you have the habit of waking up in the middle of night? If yes, then no doubt, you are suffering from Parasomnia.
What is Parasomnia?
“Parasomnia is any sleep disorder such as sleep walking, teeth grinding, night terrors, rhythmic movement disorder, restless leg syndrome which are characterized by partial arousals during sleep or during transitions between wakefulness and sleep. Parasomnias are often associated with stress and depression. Biological factors may also be involved.”
A 2005 National Sleep Foundation poll found that 75 percent of adults frequently have symptoms of a sleep problem, including waking during the night.
“People think that because they’re able to fall asleep they’ll stay asleep, even if they’ve had too much caffeine,” says Rubin Naiman, Ph.D., a sleep and dream specialist at Andrew Weil’s Program in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona.
If you find yourself awake in pre-dawn hours, Dr. Naiman advises first assessing your physical state. Check whether you have an ache, a cramp or you need to go to bathroom.
“The root of most sleep problems is stress,” says Jeffrey Thompson, director of the Center for Neuroacoustic Research and creator of an audio sleeping aid called the Delta Sleep System.
Everything is over here- you get overloaded with work, over-stimulated and overwhelm your body’s ability to relax. However, you can keep this under control. Few positive alterations in your lifestyle can help render healthy sleeping patterns.
Tags: Lifestyle, research., Parasomnia, scientists, sleeping patterns
Fri, June 6, 2008 7:37 am By James Coolridge
T he debate is heated up. The recent question in the minds of many is – do antidepressants actually work?
According to recent estimates, approximately seven million Americans take antidepressant drugs for depression and various other anxiety disorders.
For the past couple of decades, antidepressant drugs have been credited with fixing the problems of depression of millions of people. The market is flooded with newer antidepressants being prescribed for eating disorders, anxiety disorders and other disorders related to depression.
However, recent research put into light the fact that these antidepressants may not be more effective for relieving depression than a dummy pill.
Psychologists Irving Kirsch, PhD, of the University of Connecticut and Thomas Moore, PhD, of George Washington University analyzed the results of 47 studies on antidepressant drugs.
Tags: research., Antidepressants
Sun, April 27, 2008 1:26 pm By Will Bland
 Prostate Cancer is becoming the cause of concern among millions of men all over the world. The deadly disease grows very slowly and some times it grows quickly and spreads rapidly.
Numerous researches are still going on to find the best way to combat this deadly disease. Here is info about a couple of researches on Prostate Cancer:
Recently, researchers from Canada have found that having a diet of red meat, organ meats, soft drink and bottled water increased the risk of getting prostate cancer. They compared the diets of 80 men with prostate cancer, and 334 healthy men, and the diet just described more than doubled the risk of developing prostate cancer.
Meanwhile, another set of Swedish researchers examined the diet of 1499 men with prostate cancer and 1130 men who were healthy, and they published their findings in the Cancer Causes and Control journal. They found that eating foods rich in phytoestrogens decreased the risk of prostate cancer.
What are phytoestrogens?
“Phytoestrogens are plant molecules that have a weak estrogenic effect. They are made converted in the intestines from plant precursors by bacteria as they digest food. They are taken up by the same parts of the body that process the hormone estrogen. “
One of the most frequently used treatments by doctors involves using estrogens to reduce the level of testosterone in men with advanced prostate cancer. According to doctors, high doses of estrogens for men can lead to cardiovascular complications. However, phytoestrogens obtained from diet, in fewer quantities than a drug, and with a milder effect to start with, should not pose a problem.
You may now ask what should be the diet containing this phytoestrogens. These include soy, nuts especially peanuts, sunflower seeds and berries. Zinc is another essential mineral used by men’s bodies to make some of the male hormones and for general prostate health. Foods that are great sources of zinc include seeds like pumpkin, sesame, and sunflower; nuts like almonds, cashews and walnuts; and foods like lettuce, oats and onions.
So, consult a doctor, ask the amount of the foods to be included in your Prostate Cancer and help yourself fight this deadly disease.
Tags: Diet, research., Prostate cancer
Sat, April 5, 2008 10:20 am By James Coolridge
 Remember the first cigarette which you tried in your teenage? Well, the first cig has made you hooked up to it. The reason why you tried smoking may be many- it may be because of stress, or just for the sake of tasting it- it is your brain’s response to the very first dose of nicotine which has got you addicted to it. Want strong evidence? Read on.
DiFranza’s report published in Pediatrics, an American journal, found that the first cigarette was the strongest predictor of addiction.
The study was conducted over four years, between 2002 and 2006. Eleven interviews were conducted with each of 1,000 teenagers attending public schools in six Massachusetts communities. Of the 217 who tried smoking during the study, nearly one-third reported feeling relaxed after inhaling for the first time, and two-thirds of them became addicted to smoking.
The study said one theory suggests nicotine suppresses pathways in the brain that generate the feeling of craving, which is experienced as relaxation. That in turn creates a craving for nicotine when the drug is absent.
Tags: research., cigarette, first puff, teenagers
Wed, April 2, 2008 12:24 pm By James Coolridge
 Shaking hands is the most common way of greeting people. Kisses become secondary. But, how many of you know that by shaking someone’s hands, you are more likely to pass on an infection?
In a study by a team of international researchers, it has been found that people who greet each other with handshakes are more likely to pass on germs than those who exchange kisses.
According to co-researcher Carol O’Boyle of the School of Nursing, University of Minnesota, “Hand hygiene is just as important when we are outside the home — on public transport, in the office, in the supermarket, or in a restaurant.”
According to media reports, the researchers came to the conclusion after analyzing the effects of handshakes and kisses on a group of people.
So, next time you greet a person, make sure that you avoid shaking hands. Instead, give a kiss in their cheeks- it is healthier for you.
Tags: kisses, handshakes, research.
|  |
|
|
Posts RSS
Comments 
RSS
