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Autism, a major national cause in 2011?
On the eve of World Autism Day which were held April 2, Members Fasquelle Daniel and Jean-François Chossy filed a bill aimed at making autism the great national cause in France in 2011. The objectives are to improve early detection of disease, develop work with children with autism and their integration and retention in schools.
Members recalled that 150 children, according to the High Authority for Health (HAS), is suffering from a disorder belonging to the autism spectrum (or pervasive developmental disorders). The screening is reached on average at the age of 6 years, “while the diagnosis is possible from two years”.
Making the great national cause autism would also “raise funds” to finance many activities such as educational programs so that children with autism have access to a school “ordinary”.
For 2010, the label great national cause was attributed to a group of 25 organizations fighting against violence against women. In 2009, the donation of organs, blood, platelets and bone marrow had been chosen.
Fibromyalgia: obesity and physical inactivity are risk factors
Women who are overweight or obese, especially those who do no physical activity or are less than an hour a week, have a higher risk of suffering from fibromyalgia, according to a study published in the journal Arthritis Care & Research.
Other suspected risk factors are stressful or traumatic events such as a car accident, family history and rheumatic diseases such as lupus.
Eric Matteson of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, and colleagues analyzed data on 15,990 women followed over 11 years. Of these, 380 have developed the disease during this time.
Women who had a BMI greater than or equal to 25 (see what he is overweight) had a risk of 60% to 70% more likely to develop fibromyalgia. Exercise tended to offset the risk associated with overweight. More women were doing the exercise, they showed less risk of developing the disease.
How overweight affects the risk of fibromyalgia is not well understood but studies have suggested that high levels of certain inflammatory proteins could be involved in fibromyalgia as well as obesity.
It is already known that people with the disease that makes exercise go much better than those who do not, said Matteson.
What to do in case of extreme cold?
The cold weather is a risk not to be overlooked, especially for the frail or suffering from certain illnesses.
Each year hundreds of people suffer from diseases caused by cold. At issue:
- Diseases directly related to cold such as frostbite or hypothermia;
- The aggravation of preexisting diseases (including cardiac and respiratory);
- Indirect effects such as increased risk of carbon monoxide poisoning caused by malfunctioning heaters (gas, oil or coal) or inappropriate use of a heating medium (auxiliary heating used continuous) or when the housing vents were blocked.
The French Ministry of Health and Sports information about the various risks of cold, especially for vulnerable and how to prevent these risks. It also indicates what to do in case of violation: superficial frostbite, severe frostbite, hypothermia, …
An important tip, when traveling by car through periods of severe cold, is to predict the risk of being blocked by bad weather or having to deal with traffic problems: in particular, provide warm clothes, have his medication with you and water to take, energy foods and drinks.
The anti-inflammatory drugs to treat depression?
The death of nerve cells caused by stress was blocked by anti-inflammatory molecule in a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. This suggests that one way to treat certain symptoms of depression and stress could reduce the activity of the immune system that causes inflammation.
The idea that some cases of depression could be caused by an inflammatory response has gained prominence over the last decade, from a clinical trial of an anti-inflammatory drug for psoriasis had an antidepressant side effects unexpected.
Previous research has suggested that cytokines block the birth of new neurons (nerve cells) in the hippocampi of stressed and depressed, an effect that may underlie some symptoms of depression such as memory problems.
Ronald Duman and his colleagues at Yale University studied the cytokine NF-kB is known to control several immune responses, to see if its release could reduce neurogenesis (the creation of new neurons) and whether these effects could be prevented .
After stress, whether acute or chronic, there were fewer neurons created in the brain of rodents. When they received an inhibitor of NF-kB before the stress, the birth of new neurons continued at a normal rate.
Duman hopes that a cytokine inhibitor can be developed as a treatment option for people with depression who do not respond to conventional treatment with antidepressants. “Depression is not a single disease,” he said. “A sub-group of depressed people may have an inflammatory condition, while other sub-groups could be better treated with existing antidepressant medications.”
While other anti-inflammatory drugs are in clinical trials for the treatment of depression, Tad Pace of Emory University, who studies the immune system function in people with major depression, said that NF -kB might be a better target for a drug because it is the first of a signaling cascade involving several other citokines.
Joe Herbert of Cambridge University, who studies the factors that affect neurogenesis, warns of possible complications with this type of treatment. “Developing drugs that interfere with the cytokine NF-kB can be problematic given its widespread function in the organization and its involvement in the development of cancer.
Pace remains optimistic, hoping to see the anti-inflammatory drugs, such as an inhibitor of NF-kB, regularly prescribed for the treatment of depression in the next 10 years.
Posted in Mental Health | 
Tags: depression, Mental Health, stress, Symptoms of depression | 
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Memory and mental functions: which aspects are declining at what age?
Some aspects of cognitive performance (mental) reach their peak at age 22 and begin to decline about 27 years, according to a study published in 2009 in the journal Neurobiology of Aging.
Timothy Salthouse of the University of Virginia and his colleagues conducted the study with 2,000 people aged 18 to 60 years for 7 years. The cognitive abilities were assessed using various tests: solving problems, memorizing words and details of stories, pattern recognition of letters and symbols.
Some aspects of cognitive abilities, such as the speed of thought, reasoning (ability to solve problems), and spatial visualization, were at their peak at age 22 and began to decline about 27 years. The memory remained stable (according to the tests used) until about 37 years and other capabilities that are based on the accumulated knowledge continued to improve up to 60 years.
A possible cause of sudden infant death
An insufficient production of the neurotransmitter serotonin may cause the syndrome of sudden infant death, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
During sleep, serotonin plays a role in regulation of respiration, body temperature and heart rate, the researchers said. An insufficient level of serotonin may reduce the ability of babies lying on their stomachs to react normally in the event of asphyxiation waking up and turning the head.
The sudden death syndrome, which occurs in the first year of life, is the third leading cause of mortality among baby. Following a campaign initiated in 1994 to encourage parents to sleep babies on their backs, the death rate from SIDS has decreased by over 50% in the United States.
Dr. Hannah Kinney of Harvard University and colleagues analyzed tissue samples from brainstem of 41 infants died of sudden death, they were compared with samples from babies who died from other causes. The serotonin levels were lower by 26% among infants who died from sudden death and levels of an enzyme necessary for the synthesis of serotonin were also below 22%.
A study published in 2008, conducted with rodents, had indicated a possible role of serotonin in the syndrome of sudden death.
Posted in Healthy Tips | Tags: serotonin, sudden death syndrome, sudden infant death | No Comments »
Supplements of vitamin D could prevent Crohn’s disease
Supplements of vitamin D could help in the fight against Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory bowel disease, the authors consider a study published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
The results of this study indicate that vitamin D may contribute to disease, “said John White of McGill University said that people living in the northern hemisphere, less sunny, are particularly vulnerable to disease.
Dr. White and colleagues from McGill University and the University of Montreal found that vitamin D directly intervened on beta-defensin genes 2 and NOD2 play a role in the immune system and have been associated with disease Crohn.
People whose family members are suffering from the disease would be well advised to ensure they have adequate levels of vitamin D, says the researcher. It’s something easy to do since you have to get supplements in pharmacies, “he says.
Vitamin D is mainly produced by the body in response to exposure of skin to sunlight. Vitamin D deficiency is more common in various studies, mainly in winter. The power supply can hardly meet the daily requirement of vitamin D.
Indoor tanning: risk of cancer a few years later
The Canadian Dermatology Association (CDA) launched on 1 February a new campaign “Indoor Tanning is not cool” to inform young women that tanning salons are not as safe as they think.
Research shows that 70% of users of artificial tanning are women of 16-29 years. As well as causing premature aging of the skin, artificial tanning before the age of 30 years is associated with marked increase in the risk of melanoma.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organization (WHO) recently classified the UVR tanning beds in the highest category of carcinogenic risks to humans. Artificial tanning is particularly dangerous because the UV rays from sunbeds can be 10-15 times stronger than natural sunlight.
The campaign posters are real cases of young women in their twenties for the most part, having fought against melanoma, “a few years” after the artificial tanning. The DCO is posted on its website a model petition asking the government to enact legislation to prohibit the use of sunbeds for children under 18 years, as recommended by WHO in 2005.
A tan, says CDA does not protect from the sun during the holidays. It is at best equivalent of an SPF 2 to 4, which is not sufficient to protect from the sun.
Melanoma is now the third most common cancer among younger women and is easy to prevent.
How to getaway Over-consumption of sodium?
Over-consumption of sodium is much more common and can lead to hypertension, which in turn increases the risk of heart attacks and cerebral congestion. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of salt is 2.4 grams per day. However, health experts recommend that people with heart failure who suffer from hypertension to eat less than 1.5g of salt per day.
Since all life forms need sodium to exist, it is found in all foods and adding salt is rarely necessary. To eat less salt, you can do various things: avoiding canned foods, avoid foods marinated, choose low-fat cheese salt to replace salt with herbs and spices. Also be sure to limit consumption of foods rich in salt.
This is 4 foods richest in sodium :
1) Bouillon cubes, broths, soups and sauces in powder
Salt is widely used as an ingredient for dried and preserved foods, soups and bouillon powder not escape the rule. A typical stock cube contains 5 grams of sodium 1.2 g (50% of RDA).
2) Yeast extract spreads
The yeast extract spreads is a good vegetable source of vitamin B12 and protein. However, this spreads also contains lots of sodium, providing 0.22 g (9% RDA) per teaspoon.
3) Salami, bacon, meat country
Salt has long been used as a preservative for various meats, and is therefore not surprising to find a large amount of sodium in the meat. A slice of bacon (8 grams) contains 0.19 g of sodium (8% of RDA), while a slice of salami (10 g) contains 0.23 g (9% RDA), and a large piece of beef dried (20 g) contains 0.44 g of sodium (18% of RDA).
4) Sun Dried Tomatoes
The sundried tomatoes are delicious in a sandwich or as an ingredient in pasta sauce. 100 g sun-dried tomatoes provide 2.1 mg of sodium (87% RDA). A simple piece (2 g) contains 0.04 g (1.67% of NAV).
How to get your kids still healthy?
Make healthy foods available so your children get used to eating healthily
We must accustom your children to eat healthily by making healthy food attractive. For example, instead of emptying your house all the snacks, replace them with healthier choices like this. Replace the giant bag of chips with small packet of crisps or baked pretzels. Opt for fresh fruit dried fruit.
Cut apples and keep them in the fridge in plastic bags (remember to cover the apples with a little lemon juice to prevent browning). Arrange bananas and grapes within sight of your children when they are hungry. Dried fruits such as apricots, banana chips and coconut pieces, will satisfy many a child who loves sweets.
Cooking smarter for your kids to eat healthily
There are different strategies for hiding healthy foods in kids’ favorite dishes. There are many recipes that are both healthy and appreciated by children. Experts believe that the ingredient must be concealed healthy improve the overall taste of the dish is to have no taste.
Many foods, such as baby spinach, have virtually no taste, which makes them excellent to be hidden in the flat of your children. We also advise you not to change the appearance or texture of the final product. For example, using spinach in macaroni and cheese would be a bad idea because it would change the color of the food and give a different taste and texture. A better ingredient to be hidden in macaroni and cheese would rather mashed beans, for example