January has been national blood-donor month since 1970. Why don’t you take the opportunity to help by donating? Read more…
A panel of US experts said yesterday that patients with high blood pressure should be regularly measuring it at home to help them and their doctors manage the disease.
The advice was published online yesterday in the journal Hypertension, will be printed in the June issue of the Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing and comprises a joint statement from three medical organizations: the American Heart Association, American Society of Hypertension and the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses’ Association.
The panel wrote that an increasing number of patients are measuring their blood pressure regularly at home, and although this practice has been endorsed by national and international guidelines, there are no detailed guidelines. Read more…
Toronto, ON – Dietitians of Canada is one of 12 organizations joining forces on World Hypertension Day (WHD), May 17, 2008 to shine the spotlight on the importance of a healthy blood pressure. High blood pressure is the number one risk factor for stroke and heart disease, but because there are no obvious symptoms, it is often called the “silent killer.” This year’s WHD Theme – Measure Your Blood Pressure at Home – is one of several positive actions Canadians can take to protect their health.
“There are many positive lifestyle steps that Canadians can take to help keep their blood pressure within a healthy range, including making healthy food choices, being active, limiting alcohol and maintaining a healthy weight,” says Debra Reid, PhD and registered dietitian. Some healthy eating actions include:
1. Plan a healthy eating pattern using Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide with emphasis on fruits, vegetables, lower fat milk products and fibre-rich foods.
2. Use the following strategies to reduce sodium intake to 2300 mg (100 mmol) or less per day [a teaspoon of salt contains approximately 2300 mg of sodium]:
• Buy fresh, unprocessed foods
• Read the Nutrition Facts panel on food labels for sodium content; choose those with the lowest % Daily Value (% DV)
• Eat fewer restaurant and fast food meals
• Limit use of condiments and salted, pickled, cured and “instant” foods
• Enjoy more home-cooked meals using menu plans and quick recipes.
3. Achieve and maintain a healthy weight
• A healthy body mass index (BMI) is 18-25. A BMI greater than or equal to 25 and/or waist circumference greater than or equal to 102 cm for men and 88 cm for women is considered high risk
4. Limit alcohol intake
• Maximum of 2 servings per day with a weekly limit of 9 servings for women and 14 servings for men.
Take advantage of the many tools and resources developed by registered dietitians to help you achieve and maintain a healthy blood pressure.
www.healthyeatingisinstore.ca is a one-stop website to learn how to read food labels, including fact sheets, FAQs and a virtual grocery store.
EATracker www.eatracker.ca provides personalized feedback to balance your intake of energy and essential nutrients with physical activity.
OTTAWA, ONTARIO–(Marketwire - March 20, 2008) - Health Canada is warning consumers not to use Libidus, an unauthorized product promoted on the web site of the manufacturer for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. The product may pose serious health risks, as it was found to contain the undeclared prescription drug sildenafil, which should only be used under the supervision of a health care professional. Patients with pre-existing medical conditions, including those with heart problems, those taking heart medications, or those at risk for strokes, may be at an increased risk of serious health effects associated with the use of this product.
Use of sildenafil by patients with heart disease can result in serious cardiovascular side-effects such as sudden cardiac death, heart attack, stroke, low blood pressure, chest pain and abnormal heartbeat. Additionally, use of sildenafil may be associated with other side-effects including vision loss, seizure, sudden decrease or loss of hearing, dizziness, prolonged erection, headache, flushing, nasal congestion, indigestion and abdominal pain. Sildenafil should not be used by individuals taking any type of nitrate drug (e.g., nitroglycerin) due to the risk of developing potentially life-threatening low blood pressure.
Libidus is labelled as manufactured by Yurtland Natural Health, and distributed by NorthRegentRX, of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Health Canada has requested and is monitoring the distributor’s recall of Libidus. The product may be available at retail outlets across Canada, and over the Internet. Health Canada issued a Warning (http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media/advisories-avis/_2006/2006_92_e.html) in 2006 for the product Libidus, which, at the time, was found to be adulterated with the prescription drug vardenafil, and was manufactured by a company in Malaysia.
Health Canada advises retailers to remove Libidus from their shelves, and consumers should return the product to the place of purchase. Health Canada is taking steps to confirm that the product has been removed from the Canadian market. Canadians who have used Libidus and are concerned about their health should consult with a health care professional.
Health Canada advises consumers not to use Libidus or any other unauthorized products promoted for the treatment of erectile dysfunction that are advertised as “all natural”, as such products may contain undeclared prescription ingredients that may pose serious risks to health. Consumers who are concerned about erectile dysfunction should consult with their health care professional to discuss appropriate and authorized treatments.
Drugs and natural health products that are authorized for sale in Canada have an eight-digit Drug Identification Number (DIN), a Natural Product Number (NPN) or a Drug Identification Number for Homeopathic Medicine (DIN-HM) on the label.
Consumers requiring more information about this advisory can contact Health Canada(s public enquiries line at (613) 957-2991, or toll free at 1-866-225-0709.
To report a suspected adverse reaction to this health product, please contact the Canada Vigilance Program of Health Canada by one of the following methods:
Telephone: 1-866-234-2345
Facsimile: 1-866-678-6789
Canada Vigilance Program
Marketed Health Products Directorate
Ottawa, Ontario, AL 0701C
K1A 0K9
E-mail: CanadaVigilance@hc-sc.gc.ca
LENOX, MA–(Marketwire - January 31, 2008) - Some newly discovered compounds have just been found to turn off all of the genes that cause type 2 diabetes, but they are not found in a pharmacy. Instead, you’ll find them on your dinner plate. Eating in a way that balances your blood sugar, reduces inflammation and oxidative stress, and improves your liver detoxification is the key to preventing and reversing insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes says Mark Hyman, M.D. of UltraWellness.
“Type 2 diabetes and its precursor, insulin resistance, are looming as the major threat to our health in the 21st century. This is a tragic consequence of our toxic food environment, our unmitigated exposure to stress, and our sedentary lifestyle,” said Dr. Hyman. “However, these problems are completely preventable and often reversible through my five-step plan of aggressive lifestyle changes, supplements, and exercise and stress management.”
Type 2 diabetes is the biggest health problem triggered by the universal obesity epidemic, but most medical treatments focus on medications and insulin. Insulin is the last resort after all other measures have failed, and often leads to weight gain, inflammation, increased cholesterol and blood pressure.
“If you follow my guidelines instead, you will see a dramatic change very quickly in your health, your weight, and your diabetes,” said Dr. Hyman. “Many patients have been able to come off insulin entirely if they are treated early and aggressively through my methods.”
“By eating a diet that is based on whole foods that are high in fiber, rich in colorful fruits and vegetables, and low in sugars and flours, with a low glycemic load; and including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and detoxifying foods, you can help prevent and reverse type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance without drugs or insulin,” said Dr. Hyman. “This is the way of eating than turns on all the right gene messages, promotes a healthy metabolism and blood sugar, and prevents aging and age-related diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart disease.”
For more information on Dr. Mark Hyman’s easy plan, which includes tips on meal timing and composition, and nutritional supplements effective for type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance, visit The UltraWellness Blog (www.ultrawellness.com/blog).
Thousand Oaks, CA (PRWEB) January 21, 2008 — Low blood levels of vitamin D have long been associated with disease, and the assumption has been made that vitamin D supplements may protect against disease. In the light of new knowledge that hundreds of genes are dependent on vitamin D, this assumption needs to be reconsidered.
In a report published in the current issue of the journal BioEssays(1), Trevor Marshall, Ph.D., professor at Australia’s Murdoch University School of Biological Medicine and Biotechnology, explains how increased vitamin D intake affects much more than just nutrition or bone health. The paper explains how the Vitamin D Nuclear Receptor (VDR) acts in the repression or transcription of hundreds of genes, including genes associated with diseases ranging from cancers to multiple sclerosis.
Dysregulation of vitamin D has been observed in many chronic diseases, including many thought to be autoimmune
“The VDR is at the heart of innate immunity, being responsible for expression of most of the antimicrobial peptides, which are the body’s ultimate response to infection,” Marshall said. “Molecular biology is now forcing us to re-think the idea that a low measured value of vitamin D means we simply must add more to our diet. Supplemental vitamin D has been used for decades, and yet the epidemics of chronic disease, such as heart disease and obesity, are just getting worse.”
“Our disease model has shown us why low levels of vitamin D are observed in association with major and chronic illness,” Marshall added. “Vitamin D is a secosteroid hormone, and the body regulates the production of all it needs. In fact, the use of supplements can be harmful, because they suppress the immune system so that the body cannot fight disease and infection effectively.”
Marshall’s research has demonstrated how ingested vitamin D can actually block VDR activation, the opposite effect to that of Sunshine. Instead of a positive effect on gene expression, Marshall reported that his own work, as well as the work of others, shows that quite nominal doses of ingested vitamin D can suppress the proper operation of the immune system. It is a different metabolite, a secosteroid hormone called 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, which activates the VDR to regulate the expression of the genes. Under conditions that exist in infection or inflammation, the body automatically regulates its production of all the vitamin D metabolites, including 25-hydroxyvitamin D, the metabolite which is usually measured to indicate vitamin D status.
Vitamin D deficiency, long interpreted as a cause of disease, is more likely the result of the disease process, and increasing intake of vitamin D often makes the disease worse. “Dysregulation of vitamin D has been observed in many chronic diseases, including many thought to be autoimmune,” said J.C. Waterhouse, Ph.D., lead author of a book chapter on vitamin D and chronic disease (2). “We have found that vitamin D supplementation, even at levels many consider desirable, interferes with recovery in these patients.”
“We need to discard the notion that vitamin D affects a disease state in a simple way,” Marshall said. “Vitamin D affects the expression of over 1,000 genes, so we should not expect a simplistic cause and effect between vitamin D supplementation and disease. The comprehensive studies are just not showing that supplementary vitamin D makes people healthier.”
Trevor Marshall is currently executive director of Autoimmunity Research, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization chartered in California. Its mission is to conduct scientific research into the cause and cure of disease, and to educate physicians and the public on science related to disease. More information can be obtained from http://AutoimmunityResearch.org
A drug used to treat people infected with the AIDS virus has shown promise as a possible future weapon against cancer, U.S. researchers said on Friday.
Scientists at the U.S. National Cancer Institute examined how drugs called protease inhibitors, usually given in combination with other drugs to fight the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, performed against several types of cancer including non-small cell lung cancer.
In a study published in the journal Clinical Cancer Research, the scientists tested whether protease inhibitors would slow cancer cell growth in the laboratory and in mice. Three of six drugs they tried inhibited cancer cell growth.
The most effective of the drugs was nelfinavir, sold by Roche Holding AG as Viracept, the researchers said. The drug also slowed the growth of both drug-sensitive and drug-resistant breast cancer cells, they added.
The researchers have started an initial clinical trial to test nelfinavir in cancer patients.
Read more.
Although researchers in the medical field are raving about the uncovery of the beneficial effects on blood pressure with the use of oxidation, they are openly discussing the harmful effects it can have on the cells.
“UK scientists say they have discovered a new way to regulate blood pressure, offering hopes of new drugs to combat strokes and heart attacks.
One in four adults has high blood pressure and although powerful drugs are already available, few manage to achieve target blood pressure levels.
The pathway found in a study by King’s College London involves a process called oxidation, reports Science.
Until now, oxidation has largely been linked with harm rather than good.”
Read the full article for details about oxidation and blood pressure.
The Mediterranean diet consistently gets great reviews, part of that comes from the use of virgin oil in many of its dishes. A recent report echoes that, finding that virgin olive oil may help keep blood clot-free.
Read more.
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