Health & WellnessS


Coffee

Cup Of Black Tea Could Defend Against Anthrax Threat, Research Suggests


sciencedaily.com
Sun, 16 Mar 2008 14:56 UTC
A cup of black tea could be the next line of defence in the threat of bio-terrorism according to new international research.A new study by an international team of researchers from Cardiff University and University of Maryland has revealed how the humble cup of tea could well be an antidote to Bacillus anthracis --more commonly know as anthrax.

As a nation, Brits currently drink 165 million cups of tea, and the healing benefits of the nation's favourite beverage have long been acknowledged.

cup of black tea
©iStockphoto/Daniel Chau
A cup of black tea could be the next line of defence in the threat of bio-terrorism according to new international research.

But now the team of scientists led by Professor Les Baillie from Welsh School of Pharmacy at Cardiff University and Doctor Theresa Gallagher, Biodefense Institute, part of the Medical Biotechnology Centre of the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute in Baltimore, has found that the widely-available English Breakfast tea has the potential to inhibit the activity of anthrax, as long as it is black tea.
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Health

Study Raises Caution On New Painkillers


sciencedaily.com
Sat, 15 Mar 2008 22:24 UTC
A new class of painkillers that block a receptor called TRPV1 may interfere with brain functions such as learning and memory, a new study suggests. The experiments with rat brain found that the TRPV1 receptor regulates a neural mechanism called long-term depression, which is believed to be central to establishing memory pathways in the brain.
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Attention

War Trauma Is an Admission of Weakness in 'Macho' Army Culture

Penny Coleman
AlterNet
Fri, 14 Mar 2008 19:55 UTC
Army studies say one in three soldiers will return from Iraq with significant mental health problems, but the system isn't there to help them.

The seven qualities of leadership itemized in Army Field Manual (FM) 22-100 are loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage. Nowhere in that list is there any reference to heartlessness, lack of compassion and a cavalier disregard for the wellbeing of one's troops. And there is certainly no reference to posturing, denial or dissembling. Leading by example trumps mindless stoicism every time.
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Question

Why Men Do Stupid Things: The Psychological Appeal of Prostitutes

Michael Bader
Alternet
Fri, 14 Mar 2008 16:27 UTC


Moulin Rouge
©Toulouse-Lautrec

There will no doubt be a lot written about Eliot Spitzer's ethics, his hypocrisy and the damage done to his family, as well as discussions of the degradation that most prostitutes experience. He will be tarred and feathered for seeing a prostitute. And perhaps he should be, having broken vows to his wife, supporters and the citizens of New York State. As Spitzer takes his place with other politicians who have been busted for seeing a hooker, questions invariably arise: What is up with politicians screwing up their careers by visiting prostitutes? How can smart men do such incredibly dumb things? Does the attraction have something to do with power? Escape? Self-sabotage? For the moment, I want to put on my psychotherapist hat and try to explain what goes on in the deeper recesses of the minds of men like Spitzer.
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Info

Zyprexa Diabetes & Hyperglycemia Lawsuit Information


Alexander Hawes, LLP
Fri, 14 Mar 2008 16:02 UTC
If you took Zyprexa* on or before March 2004, and you have developed diabetes, pancreatitis (inflammation of pancreas), ketoacidosis, hyperglycemia, seizures, diabetic coma, stroke, heart attack, amputation of a limb (due to diabetes), severe weight gain, or other medical conditions, you may be entitled to compensation.

Contact us now to speak to an attorney (your privacy is assured).

*(Zyprexa is also commonly misspelled as "Zyprixa, Zyprexia, Zyphrexa, Zypexa, and Ziprexa.")
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Health

Breast cancer more aggressive among obese women


American Association for Cancer Research
Fri, 14 Mar 2008 10:17 UTC
Women with breast cancer have more aggressive disease and lower survival rates if they are overweight or obese, according to findings published in the March 15 issue of Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

"The more obese a patient is, the more aggressive the disease," said Massimo Cristofanilli, MD, associate professor of medicine in the Department of Breast Medical Oncology at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. "We are learning that the fat tissue may increase inflammation that leads to more aggressive disease."

Cristofanilli and colleagues observed 606 women with locally advanced breast cancer. These women were classified by body mass index into the following three groups: normal/underweight (24.9 or below), overweight (at least 25 but less than 30) or obese (more than 30). Body mass index is calculated by dividing a person's weight by their height.
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Coffee

Adolescent girls with ADHD are at increased risk for eating disorders, study shows


University of Virginia
Fri, 14 Mar 2008 09:53 UTC
Girls with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder stand a substantially greater risk of developing eating disorders in adolescence than girls without ADHD, a new study has found.

"Adolescent girls with ADHD frequently develop body-image dissatisfaction and may go through repeating cycles of binge eating and purging behaviors that are common in bulimia nervosa," said University of Virginia psychologist Amori Yee Mikami, who led the study.
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Pratchett announces Alzheimer's donation after diagnosis

David Batty
The Guardian
Fri, 14 Mar 2008 09:21 UTC
The bestselling author Terry Pratchett today announced a donation of nearly £500,000 for research into Alzheimer's disease, three months after he was diagnosed with the condition.

Speaking at an Alzheimer's conference, the writer of the Discworld fantasy books condemned the "shameful" lack of funding for the disease.

Image
©David Levenson/Getty
Author Terry Pratchett
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Heart

US, Seattle: Starbucks barista donates kidney to one of her regulars

Cherie Black
SeattlePI
Fri, 14 Mar 2008 09:16 UTC
Annamarie Ausnes had been visiting her local Starbucks for coffee and small talk with the barista for three years. During their conversations, they talked about almost everything, but Ausnes never once mentioned her failing health.

Ausnes, 55, who works at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, has known about her polycystic kidney disease for nearly 20 years. The genetic disorder causes numerous cysts in the kidney and eventual kidney failure. When her health suddenly began to decline and her kidneys were functioning at only 15 percent, she knew she needed a transplant.

Image
©Paul Joseph Brown / P-I
Annamarie Ausnes, left, greets barista Sandie Andersen with a rose on Andersen's arrival at Virginia Mason Medical Center for the kidney transplant surgery Tuesday. All went fine. "If you can save somebody's life, it's special," said Jeffrey Andersen, Sandie's husband.
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Health

Fifteen genes link to long life discovered

Roger Highfield
Telegraph
Wed, 12 Mar 2008 07:59 UTC
The quest for an anti ageing pill is boosted today with the discovery of 15 genes linked with a long life. The find suggests that scientists may be able to target those genes to help slow down the aging process and treat age-related conditions.
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