Health (General) – Newsletter for February 25, 2011

Mindfulness key to coping with pain, suffering

WASHINGTON – Mindfulness can help people cope with both pain and suffering, says a health expert. It is a consciousness focused on the here and now, rather than brooding over past failures or future longings.

This lesson in living, based on the teachings of the Buddha, is given by Karen Hilsberg, from the Los Angeles … Read more : Mindfulness key to coping with pain, suffering.

Steroids to treat asthmatic children: How safe are they?

WASHINGTON – A new University of Montreal study is evaluating the impact of steroid use on the immune system of kids.

The study has suggested that kids experiencing an asthma attack who are treated with a short burst of oral steroids may have a transient depression of immune response.

These findings have implications for asthmatic children …. Read the original article  : Steroids to treat asthmatic children: How safe are they?.

‘Wonderdrug’ keeps breast cancer away

LONDON – Experts have found that breast cancer drug Herceptin could keep new tumours away for more than four years.

They found that four years on, patients who received Herceptin -dubbed a ‘wonderdrug’ in 2005-are still 24 per cent less likely to have their tumours recur.

Women usually have surgery to remove the cancer and then receive … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : ‘Wonderdrug’ keeps breast cancer away.

Tripura, Mizoram on bird flu alert

AIZAWL/AGARTALA – Mizoram Friday sounded a bird flu alert following the outbreak of the avian influenza in neighbouring Tripura and also in Myanmar and Bangladesh, which border the state.

The authorities in Tripura, after the fresh cases of bird flu, have culled more than 6,000 ducks and poultry birds and are now busy with … Original article on : Tripura, Mizoram on bird flu alert.

Over 4,000 compounds detected in blood samples

TORONTO – Researchers have detected the presence of a mind boggling 4,229 compounds in human blood samples, up from the dozen or so listed medically, based on a three-year exhaustive analysis.

“Right now a medical doctor analysing the blood of an ailing patient looks at something like 10 to 20 chemicals,” said University of Alberta … Original article on : Over 4,000 compounds detected in blood samples.

Multiple childbirth linked to increased risk of ‘triple-negative’ breast cancer

WASHINGTON – A new study has found that the more times a woman gives birth, the higher her risk of ‘triple-negative’ breast cancer, a relatively uncommon but particularly aggressive subtype of the disease.

However, women who never give birth have a 40 percent lower risk of such breast cancer, which has a poorer prognosis than other … Read more »».

Rs.85,000 to woman who conceived after surgery

JODHPUR – A Lok Adalat (people’s court) here has ordered the Rajasthan government to pay maintenance of Rs.85,000 to a woman who conceived a child even after undergoing sterlisation surgery at a government organised camp.

Rukma Devi, 35, a resident of Bhopalgarh town in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur district, said she had mental depression and claimed maintenance … Read more »»».

Home temperature and sleep loss linked to obesity

LONDON – An Italian study has suggested that living in a cooler home and getting a decent night’s sleep could help rein in the obesity epidemic.

A research team, led by Simona Bo at the University of Turin in Italy, found the odds of a person becoming obese declined by 30 per cent for each hour …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Home temperature and sleep loss linked to obesity.

Antioxidants in pecans ‘good for your heart’

WASHINGTON – Naturally occurring antioxidants in pecans may help contribute to heart health and disease prevention, according to a new study from Loma Linda University (LLU).

Pecans contain different forms of the antioxidant vitamin E-known as tocopherols, plus numerous phenolic substances, many of them with antioxidant abilities.

The nuts are especially rich in one form …. Original source  : Antioxidants in pecans ‘good for your heart’.

Menopausal hot flashes ‘may protect women’s hearts’

WASHINGTON – A new study has found that women who suffer from hot flashes when they begin menopause may be at lower risk for cardiovascular disease, stroke and death.

For the study, researchers reviewed medical information from 60,000 women who were enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study and followed for ten years, to determine … Original article on : Menopausal hot flashes ‘may protect women’s hearts’.