Seasonal environment at birth may influence diabetes later.

Could the season and environment have an effect on infants being born? Study participants (9,737 youth with type 1 diabetes and 1,749 with type 2 diabetes) were identified by six collaborating U.S. centers.

Among the type 1 diabetic youths, percentage births decreased in October–February and increased in March–July. Similar patterns were observed when compared to race and gender. Geographic regions did seem to matter. There was a peak in study regions from the northern latitudes (Colorado, western Washington State, and southern Ohio) but no birth-month effect from more southern locations. Among type 2 diabetic youth, associations with birth month were inconclusive.

Conclusion
Spring births were associated with increased likelihood of type 1 diabetes but possibly not in all U.S. regions. Causal mechanisms may involve factors dependent on geographic latitude such as solar irradiance, but it is unknown whether they influence prenatal or early postnatal development.

Data suggests that environmental factors associated with birth in early winter in the U.S. may protect children and adolescents against type 1 diabetes. Factors related to spring birth, approximately during May in northern latitudes, may be associated with an increased diabetes incidence.

This mechanism may be enhanced when mothers and infants exercise less outdoors and wear more clothing that blocks sunlight. These mechanisms point to production of vitamin D. [Source: Diabetes Care]

An End To Finger-Stick Testing For Diabetes Patients?

The PositiveID Corporation (“PositiveID” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: PSID) announced in April that it planned to conduct laboratory-based comparisons of the non-invasive Easy Check breath glucose analysis system versus the current standard “finger stick” blood glucose testing method. The hope for diabetics is that this new breath analyzer will accurately gauge a patient’s blood glucose level, without the current painful process of finger-sticking. The Company acquired the Easy Check breath glucose development product and associated intellectual property in February 2010.

The current method of finger-testing remains to be a heavy burden on those patients that suffer from diabetes. New technologies look very promising.

From the PositiveID website:

The Easy Check breath glucose test, currently under development, is a non-invasive glucose detection system that measures the levels of acetone in a patient’s exhaled breath. The Easy Check breath glucose detection system combines a proprietary chemical mixture with exhaled breath, which creates a new molecular compound that can be measured with the Company’s patent-pending technology. The Company believes that its technology generates a chemical reaction that can be reliably measured and accurately depicts a patient’s blood glucose level. This could eliminate a patient’s need to prick his or her finger multiple times per day to get a blood sugar reading.

Scott R. Silverman, Chairman and CEO of PositiveID, said, “As we move to the next stage of development, we are eager to validate our belief that the science behind the Easy Check system and resulting non-invasive readings compare with current, more painful blood glucose testing methods, specifically the finger prick. We believe that successfully developing and commercializing a non-invasive, reliable test for blood sugar levels could transform diabetic compliance rates and patient care.”

DELRAY BEACH, Fla., July 21, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — PositiveID Corporation (“PositiveID” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq:PSID) announced today that it has completed the design of its prototype handheld Easy Check Breath Glucose Detection Device and plans to complete the development of the prototype unit by the end of 2010. The small unit, measuring approximately 5.5 inches by 4.5 inches, utilizes a single-use capsule containing a proprietary reagent that triggers a chemical reaction that can be immediately measured and correlated to blood glucose levels. The Company believes this device could eliminate a patient’s need to prick his or her finger multiple times per day in order to get a blood sugar reading. The Company plans to begin conducting side-by-side comparisons of the handheld device versus the standard “finger stick” earlier than originally anticipated. [Source: GlobeNewswire]

When Life Gives You Lemons You Make (Good) Lemonade

If you’ve never had kidney stones, chances are that you have either a relative or a business associate that has had this painful problem before. The pain is often compared to childbirth. What are the symptoms of kidney stones?

Usually, the first symptom of a kidney stone is extreme pain, which begins suddenly when a stone moves in the urinary tract and blocks the flow of urine. Typically, a person feels a sharp, cramping pain in the back and side in the area of the kidney or in the lower abdomen. Sometimes nausea and vomiting occur. Later, pain may spread to the groin.

If the stone is too large to pass easily, pain continues as the muscles in the wall of the narrow ureter try to squeeze the stone into the bladder. As the stone moves and the body tries to push it out, blood may appear in the urine, making the urine pink. As the stone moves down the ureter, closer to the bladder, a person may feel the need to urinate more often or feel a burning sensation during urination.

If fever and chills accompany any of these symptoms, an infection may be present. In this case, a person should contact a doctor immediately. [Source:  NKUDIC, Kidney Stones in Adults]

The usual medicine prescribed to prevent kidney stones is potassium citrate; taken in pill or liquid form. But if you’re one of those people that prefers to take less medication, you might be interested in a tasty alternative – lemonade.

Here is the lemonade recipe: Mix 1 cup of concentrated lemon juice with 7 cups of water. Drink about 1 or 2 quarts of unsweetened or low-sugar lemonade per day. 

According to Roger L. Sur, MD, director of UC San Diego Comprehensive Kidney Stone Center, drinking four ounces of reconstituted lemon juice in two liters of water per day – was shown to decrease the rate of stone formation from 1.00 to 0.13 stones per patient. [Source: UC San Diego, April 22, 2010, Five Ways to Prevent Kidney Stones: From Lemonade to Surgery]

Another approach recommended by physicians – drink a shot glass of lemon juice right before bedtime. Be sure to rinse well and brush the teeth. This mixture is potent.

The Journal of Urology reached a conclusion: Due to its significant citraturic effect, lemonade therapy appears to be a reasonable alternative for patients with hypocitraturia who cannot tolerate first line therapy. Future study in the form of a prospective, randomized trial is needed to validate these findings. [Source: The Journal of Urology: Volume 177, Issue 4, Pages 1358-1362 April 2007]

It is also recommended to reduce salt intake, as well as protein. Eat less portions of meat and fish. As always eat less fast foods. Obviously, fast foods are high in salt and fat. Drink plenty of water.

If your heart so desires to make the “Perfect Lemonade” click here …  Great ideas from experts!

Let’s Get The Math Right

Americans are hammered with drug commercials daily. Diseases sometimes never heard of, with explicative narratives of side effects saturating the screen. But you never hear about profits from the drug that is being advertised. Why don’t anybody talk about drug pricing at all? Is it because the U.S. Supreme Court passed a bill stating that drug companies are not required to open their books? Seriously?

On Dec. 9, 2009, Senator John McCain referred to a New Times article (11/15/09), which reported on health care reform and major drug price increases prior to the reform. The title: Drug Makers Raise Prices in Face of Health Care Reform. Here’s the link.

The transcript as McCain is the speaker:

Here again is a New York Times article entitled “Drug Makers Raise Prices In Face Of Health Care Reform.” And here is a graphic demonstration of it.

So this little line right here, I would say to my colleagues, is inflation — is inflation in this country.

If you look at it, for the year 2009, inflation is actually -1.3%.

Now look at wholesale drug prices.

Annual change, 8.7%.

So while inflation has gone down 1.3%, actual cost of drugs have gone up 8.7%.

So, the article from The New York Times says, “Even as drug makers promise to support Washington’s health care overhaul by shaving $8 billion a year off the nation’s drug costs after the legislation takes effect, the industry has been raising its prices at the fastest rate in years.

The last year the industry has raised the wholesale prices of brand-name prescription drugs by about 9%.

This will add another $10 billion to the nation’s drug bill.”  So let’s get the math right here, my friends.

The drug companies have offered to save the American consumer $8 billion a year and, guess what?

They have increased their prices where it will add more than $10 billion to the drug bill of America’s citizens, including our seniors.

So the math is, they agreed to $8 billion reduction.

They actually will — have already this year seen an increase of more than $10 billion.

So they’re on track to make a $2 billion profit off of their deal.

No wonder they made a deal.

It’s — they add more than $10 billion to the nation’s drug bill which is on track to exceed $300 billion this year.

By at least one analysis, ” it is the highest annual rate of inflation for drug prices since 1992.” And this again — this is the Consumer Price Index right here, the Consumer Price Index.

Fallen by 1.3%.

Drug makers say they have valid business reasons for the price increases.

Critics say the industry is trying to establish a higher price base before Congress passes legislation that tries to curb drug spending in coming years.

So that’s what this is all about.

They increase the prices so that it reaches a certain level, and that’s what they will negotiate on.

And they already are in line to experience $2 billion more in profit than the $8 billion that they can say they intend to cut.

What a Ponzi scheme this is.

A Harvard health economist — excuse me — when we have major legislation anticipated, we see a run-up in increases, said Steven W.Shandelmeyer, from the University of Minnesota.

He has analyzed drug pricing, et cetera.

A health care economist, Joseph Newhouse said he found a similar pattern of unusual price increases after Congress added drug benefits to Medicare a few years ago.

Giving tens of millions of older Americans federally subsidized drug insurance.

Just as the program was taking effect in 2006, the drug company raised prices by the widest margin in a half a dozen years.  So we’ve seen this scam before.

We have seen it before.

And so what is the administration going to do?

The administration sends a letter, I believe last night, not to the sponsor of this legislation, Senator Dorgan, but to another member basically saying they would have to examine the health and safety.

Since when is a prescription drug imported from Canada a threat to American’s health since they obviously have the same standards that we do?

More  of the Senate  Session>> here

Carol Plato Speaks About Hospital Costs For Illegal Patient Care

Testimony of illegal alien care from 1 Florida hospital

While the economy is the issue still front and center in most American homes, illegal immigration is steadily rising to the top of the boiling kettle for many Americans. The high cost of  illegal immigrant health care has become the focus of America after watching this testimony from a Florida hospital.

The same thing is happening in Washington, D.C. (ABC 7 News)

What also has sparked national controversy and has become volcanic in nature – Arizona’s illegal immigration bill, SB 1070.

Governor Jan Brewer signed the bill back in April of 2010 and the enacted legislation has initiated protests around the United States. Surprisingly, more Americans favor than oppose Arizona immigration law. Out of those that were polled and understood the subject, 51% favored it, and 39% opposed it.

GALLUP BOTTOM LINE:
Most Americans have heard about Arizona’s tough new immigration law, and they generally support it. The law was passed partly in response to a lack of federal action on the issue. Since the Arizona bill became law, congressional Democrats have considered taking up the issue in the coming weeks, though this initial read on public opinion toward the Arizona law suggests Americans may not necessarily back an attempt to supersede or otherwise undermine it.

Recently, the state of Florida has began drafting legislation modeled after Arizona immigration law. Illegal aliens cost Florida hospitals $100 million (First Coast News).

Pickle Juice Relieves Muscle Cramps

Have you ever stayed up half of the night after a hard day’s work because of those awful leg cramps? Maybe you had a bout with Mr. Charlie Horse in the middle of the night? Painful isn’t it? Ouch!

So many suggest that we eat the potassium-cure-all – which is bananas of course. And by all means bananas are very good for you. Don’t stop eating them. They are good for many reasons.

But for leg cramps, what on earth would help?

Reflex inhibition of electrically induced muscle cramps in hypohydrated humans -
Kevin C. Miller (Ph.D. Brigham Young University) Area of Expertise: Causes, treatments, and prevention strategies for exercise-associated muscle cramps.

A recent publication reveals some very interesting research. Intriguing.

INTRODUCTION

Anecdotal evidence suggests that ingesting small volumes of pickle juice relieves muscle cramps within 35 s of ingestion.

CONCLUSIONS

Pickle juice, and not deionized water, inhibits electrically induced muscle cramps in hypohydrated humans. This effect could not be explained by rapid restoration of body fluids or electrolytes. We suspect that the rapid inhibition of the electrically induced cramps reflects a neurally mediated reflex that originates in the oropharyngeal region and acts to inhibit the firing of alpha motor neurons of the cramping muscle.

SUMMARY – DRINK PICKLE JUICE
There you have it. Good old pickle juice will relieve muscle cramps within seconds! It has been suggested that a diet of potatoes at least once a week is useful. While others recommend ingesting about a teaspoon of mustard.

Face Blindness Is The Inability To Recognize Faces

A recent search on Google Trends brought me to a very troubling concept. Prosopagnasia. This is a disorder where the ability to recognize a face is impaired, and can also be accompanied by other recognition impairments, such as places, cars, or facial expressions.

While the thought of not clearly visualizing someone’s face seems utterly incomprehensible to most us, this is an everyday struggle to those challenged with Face Blindness. Face perception is something that we often take for granted.

And what is truly amazing, even contradictory in nature, is a person with this problem being able to be a photographer. For example, a person can photograph their own mother and not be able to recognize her in a photo. That means for some that any face is unrecognizable, even one’s own self.  Here’s a short clip of a woman with Prosopagnasia.

There are different degrees of severity and different types of  varying conditions. More information can be found  here.

For instance, take Capgras Syndrome – the delusional belief that familiar acquaintances have been replaced by imposters. Or another example may be Fregoli Syndrome – the belief that different people are in fact the same person changing appearances.

If you’d like to assess your abilities, you can take the test here at faceblind.org.

Amyloidosis Awareness Intervention

What is Amyloidosis? Amyloidosis is a debilitating disease that occurs when amyloid proteins build in your organs.

Amyloid is an abnormal protein usually produced by cells in your bone marrow that can be deposited in any tissue or organ. Amyloidosis can affect different organs in different people, and there are many types of amyloid. Amyloidosis frequently affects the heart, kidneys, liver, spleen, nervous system and gastrointestinal tract. (Source: Mayo Clinic).

Unhealthy proteins are deposited in the organs and tissues, creating irreversible damage. The walls of the heart and the tissues of the lungs are often attacked first.

Amyloidosis affects the body’s organs. Amyloidosis sufferers have trouble breathing, walking short distances, experience chest pain, and have all around poor health.

Because there is no cure, chemotherapy and stem cell transplant are often used to treat the disease. These leave permanent side effects such as drug dependency, nerve damage, and heart failure. For more information about amyloidosis visit one of the few medical centers studying amyloidosis in the United States (Source: Who is amy?).

The Amyloidosis Foundation estimates that approximately 3,000 people are diagnosed with amyloidosis each year in North America and that blood cancers overall have increased more than 40% in the last decade.

Make a donation today to the Amyloidosis Foundation. If you can help, please help this vital organization. Make a difference.

Concerns About BPA And Reducing The Risks

Bisphenol A, also known as BPA, is a chemical used to manufacture hard plastic containers, such as baby bottles, reusable plastic cups, and the lining of metal food and beverage cans, including canned liquid infant formula.

Consumer tips to avoid BPA exposure can be found at the website of the Environmental Working Group.

Bisphenol A is made by the condensation of acetone, with two parts of phenol – (CH3)2CO + 2 C6H5OH → (CH3)2C(C6H4OH)2 + H2O. The plastic monomer and plasticizer Bisphenol A (BPA) is one of the highest volume chemicals produced worldwide.

Bisphenol A  has been used to make plastic for more than 50 years. Its most common form is used in polycarbonate plastics, which include: baby and water bottles, sports equipment, medical and dental devices, dental fillings and sealants, eyeglass lenses, CDs and DVDs, and household electronics.

Epoxy resins containing Bisphenol A are used as coatings on the inside of almost all food and beverage cans. Unfortunately, high levels have been discovered in soup cans and canned green beans; even brand names like Campbell Soup and Progresso. Soup is healthy? More from Consumer Reports.

And if carcinogens in your soup wasn’t enough, think about that municipal, plastic water storage tank in your friendly community. That beautiful water tank on the hill may be leaching BPA. It’s hard to reduce your exposure – Enviroblog.

However, now in Japan, biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate, or PET film is used instead of BPA. And yes, urine samples have indicated that lower levels of BPA has been a direct result of the change. Americans should take notice. More here from U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, to reduce the risks from BPA.

When observing recyclable plastic containers, the numbers 7 and 3 are the ones that may contain BPA, and are considered the most harmful. The number 7 appears to be the worst one. The other numbers more than likely do not contain any BPA.

Frederick vom Saal, professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Missouri, has studied the topic, and he says that even low doses of BPA are very harmful to humans.

In an interview with Frontline, vom Saal suggested that manmade chemicals, including plastics, have caused damage in humans.

There is a comprehensive document containing all BPA references at the author’s website: Frederick vom Saal

THE Association of Plastics Manufacturer’s (APM) attempt to discredit scientific findings that threaten corporate products by invoking the concept of ‘sound science’ has failed in the past. The ‘sound science’ programme was a central part of the now discredited campaign by the tobacco industry to convince the public
that secondhand smoke was safe. And research by independent scientists showing that secondhand smoke was a human health hazard was attacked as not being ‘sound science’ to block attempts to ban smoking in public places. Analysis of tobacco industry documents made public through litigation reveals that individuals and groups involved in the tobacco industry disinformation campaign are now involved in the campaign to promote chemicals such as Bisphenol A (BPA) as safe.

Decide for yourself – Bisphenol A, Food Containers, Effects on Humans, Gov’t Regs (video).

Examining The Disease And The Diagnosis

What is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)? Does ADHD exist (PBS)?

National Institute of Mental Health:
NIH Publication No. 08-3572 Revised 2008 – (Link)

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common childhood disorders and can continue through adolescence and adulthood. Symptoms include difficulty staying focused and paying attention, difficulty controlling behavior, and hyperactivity (over-activity).

Symptoms of Inattention
1. Be easily distracted, miss details, forget things, and frequently switch from one activity to another.
2. Have difficulty focusing on one thing. Become bored with a task after only a few minutes, unless they are doing something enjoyable.
3. Have difficulty focusing attention on organizing and completing a task or learning something new.
4. Have trouble completing or turning in homework assignments, often losing things (e.g., pencils, toys, assignments) needed to complete tasks or activities.
5. Not seem to listen when spoken to.
6. Daydream, become easily confused, and move slowly.
7. Have difficulty processing information as quickly and accurately as others.
8. Struggle to follow instructions.

Symptoms of Hyperactivity
1. Fidget and squirm in their seats.
2. Talk nonstop.
3. Dash around, touching or playing with anything and everything in sight.
4. Have trouble sitting still during dinner, school, and story time.
5. Be constantly in motion.
6. Have difficulty doing quiet tasks or activities.

Symptoms of Impulsivity
1. Be very impatient.
2. Blurt out inappropriate comments, show their emotions without restraint, and act without regard for consequences.
3. Have difficulty waiting for things they want or waiting their turns in games.
4. Often interrupt conversations or others’ activities.

The British Journal of Psychiatry (Jan. 1, 2004), 184: 8-9 (Link):
ADHD is best understood as a cultural construct - Dr. Sami Timimi / Professor Eric Taylor

There are no specific cognitive, metabolic or neurological markers and no medical tests for ADHD. Because of uncertainty about definition, epidemiological studies produce hugely differing prevalence rates: from 0.5% to 26% of children.

More than 30 neuroimaging studies have been published. Researchers have yet to compare unmedicated children diagnosed with ADHD with an age-matched control group.

There is no established prognosis, and association and cause frequently are confused in the literature. ADHD has generated huge profits for the pharmaceutical industry against a background of poor-quality research, publication bias and payments to some of the top academics in this field. Thus, the mainstream dogma on ADHD is contaminated and misleading (Timimi, 2002).

In modern Western culture, many factors affect mental health which include: loss of extended family support, mother blame (mothers are usually the ones who shoulder responsibility for their children), pressure on schools, a breakdown in the moral authority of adults, parents being put in a double bind on the question of discipline,  family life being busy and ‘hyperactive’, and a market economy value system that emphasises individuality, competitiveness and independence (Prout & James, 1997).

Throw in the profit-dependent pharmaceutical industry and a high-status
profession looking for new roles and we have the ideal cultural preconditions
for the birth and propagation of the ADHD construct.

Is a medical model of ADHD therapeutically helpful? Quite the opposite; it offers a decontextualised and simplistic idea that leads to all of us – parents, teachers and doctors – disengaging from our social responsibility to raise well-behaved children.

We thus become a symptom of the cultural disease we purport to cure. It supports the profit motive of the pharmaceutical industry, which has been accused of helping to create and propagate the notion of ADHD in order to expand its own markets.

By acting as agents of social control and stifling diversity in children, we are victimising millions of children and their families by putting children on highly addictive drugs that have no proven long-term benefit (Timimi, 2002) and have been shown in animal studies to have brain-disabling effects (Moll et al, 2001; Sproson et al, 2001; Breggin, 2002).

By conceptualising problems as medically caused we end up offering interventions (drug and behavioural) that teach ADHD-type behaviour to the child.

ADHD scripts a potentially life-long story of disability and deficit, resulting in an attitude of a ‘pill for life’s problems’.

We create unnecessary dependence on doctors, discouraging children and their families from engaging their own abilities to solve problems. ADHD is de-skilling for us as a profession as there is minimal skill involved in ticking off a checklist of symptoms and reaching for the prescription pad.