Stem Cell Research Could Be Stalled By Lack Of Compensatio for human egg donors

Women donating their eggs for use in fertility clinics are typically financially compensated for the time and discomfort involved in the procedure. However, guidelines established by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in 2005 state that women who donate their eggs for use in stem cell research should not be compensated, although the procedures they undergo are the same. In the October 7th issue of Cell Stem Cell, researchers at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) and the Department of Bioethics at Case Western Reserve University argue that this lack of compensation could prove to be yet another hurdle for human stem cell research in the United States.
"...[W]omen typically are not willing to endure hormonal induction for research simply in exchange for validated parking tickets, reimbursed meals, and a pat on the back," writes Insoo Hyun, Associate Professor of Bioethics at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, in Cell Stem Cell. "...[W]e do not live in a world where our policy choice is between altruistic egg donation on the one hand and compensation on the other. In the actual world, our true alternatives are fair compensation or a dearth of eggs for research."
Due to the ethical and political issues related to embryonic stem cell research, scientists have searched for ways to produce stem cells that have similar potential but do not involve the use of embryos. One approach, called somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), is to take the DNA from the cell of an adult, a skin cell for instance, and inject it into an unfertilized egg. The technique has been known for decades, and was used in 1996 for Dolly the sheep, but interest has waned in recent years because the feasibility of making human cell lines was not clear. The approach was also mired in controversy, as a group from South Korea led by Woo Suk Hwang reported success in 2005 but the work was later retracted. This month, however, a research group at the New York Stem Cell Foundation Laboratory report in Nature that they have created the first human stem cell line using SCNT. The paper is a breakthrough that could lead to dramatic advances in our understanding of how stem cells function, but the work is still at an early stage and more donor eggs will be needed to build upon it; the experiences of the HSCI team suggest that acquiring those eggs could be a serious barrier to future research.
In a letter in the October 7th issue of Cell Stem Cell, the Harvard researchers explain that the existing guidelines restricting compensation for egg donors effectively stalled their research, first begun in 2006, due to the difficulty in finding women willing to donate without compensation, termed 'altruistic donation'. The recent successful study was made possible by private funding from the New York Stem Cell Foundation, which allowed for financial compensation of egg donors.
"We found that it is not practical to recruit altruistic egg donors and it is likely that investigators working in other states or countries that limit compensation for egg donation would encounter similar difficulties," says Dr. Kevin Eggan, from the Harvard Stem Cell Institute in Cambridge, MA "Our discussions with potential donors suggested that compensation for time and effort would increase the number of women willing to participate in egg donation for research."
In a separate article in the same issue of Cell Stem Cell, Hyun provides an historical explanation for the NAS guidelines, which were established at a time of great uncertainty about the future of embryonic stem cell research in the U.S., and were likely motivated by a desire to shield researchers from additional political backlash. Given the recent findings, however, Hyun argues that the field needs more flexible guidelines that are focused on moving this research forward in an ethical manner.
"Regulators and funders must face up to reality" Hyun writes, "and challenge themselves to figure out how to compensate women fairly for donating eggs for research."

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Daughters Of Women Given Diethylstilbestrol During Pregnancy At Greater Risk...

A large study of the daughters of women who had been given DES, the first synthetic form of estrogen, during pregnancy has found that exposure to the drug while in the womb (in utero) is associated with many reproductive problems and an increased risk of certain cancers and pre-cancerous conditions. The results of this analysis, conducted by researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, and collaborators across the country, were published Oct. 6, 2011, in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Beginning in 1940, diethylstilbestrol, known as DES, was used clinically to prevent certain complications of pregnancy. In the 1950s, clinical studies showed DES was ineffective for this purpose. In the late 1960s, an unusual occurrence of a rare cancer of the vagina among young women, called clear cell adenocarcinoma (CCA), was observed and subsequently linked to their exposure to DES while in the womb.
In 1971, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration notified physicians that DES should not be prescribed to pregnant women. However, between 5 million and 10 million pregnant women and babies had been exposed to the drug. It was manufactured under many different product names, and came in various forms, including pills, creams and vaginal suppositories.
"Our study carefully documents elevated risk for DES-exposed daughters for a host of medical problems - many of them also quite common in the general population," said study author Robert N. Hoover, M.D., director of the Epidemiology and Biostatistics Program in NCI's Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics. "Without the sentinel finding of a very rare cancer in young women, and without the sustained follow-up of those who were exposed, we would not know the full extent of harm caused by DES exposure in the womb."
In this study, which included over 6,500 women (4,600 exposed and 1,900 unexposed), the researchers found that the daughters with exposure to DES while in the womb had an increased risk of 12 medical conditions, including a twofold higher risk of infertility and a fivefold increased risk of having a preterm delivery.
This study is also the first to estimate the cumulative proportion of all DES-exposed women who developed these conditions because of their exposure. Of all DES-exposed women, 1 in 5 will experience some level of infertility because of their exposure. And of all those exposed women who are successful in having at least one birth, 1 in 3 will have a preterm delivery due to DES.
Although DES-exposed daughters have about 40 times the risk of developing CCA than unexposed women, CCA is still a rare disease, occurring in 1 in 1,000 DES-exposed daughters. While the first women diagnosed with this condition in the late 1960s were adolescents and young adults at the time of their diagnosis, the research now shows that the risk for DES-exposed daughters continues through at least age 40. In addition, these women are more than twice as likely to develop pre-cancerous cells in the cervix or vagina (called cervical intraepithelial neoplasia) and have an 80 percent higher chance of developing breast cancer after age 40. According to the results of this study, by age 55, 1 in 25 DES-exposed daughters will develop abnormal cellular changes in the cervix or vagina, and 1 in 50 will develop breast cancer due to their DES exposure.
This study was the first to assess risk based on the presence of vaginal epithelial changes as a biomarker of timing and dose of DES exposure. Exposed daughters with higher total dose of DES and younger age of the embryo at first exposure had evidence of these changes in the lining of the vagina. Women with these changes were at even greater risk for 9 of the 12 conditions compared to exposed women who did not have the biomarker.
This study did not evaluate sons with DES exposure in the womb, but previous reports have indicated an increased risk for certain testicular abnormalities, including undescended testicles or the development of cysts in the epididymis, tightly coiled tubes connected to the testicles. As DES-exposed sons grow older, more data will be available to assess their cancer risk. So far, research has shown no decreased fertility for these men, even with testicular abnormalities.
The women in this study were followed as part of the NCI's DES Follow-up Study, which began in 1992. NCI researchers will continue to study DES-exposed daughters as they move into menopausal years. The cancer risks for exposed daughters, as well as sons, are continually being studied to determine if they differ from an unexposed population. In addition, researchers are studying possible health effects on the grandchildren of mothers who took DES during pregnancy, because some of the genetic changes caused by DES exposure in the womb may be inherited.

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Poorer Women More Likely to Die From Breast Cancer

 Less-affluent women now face a greater risk of dying from breast cancer than wealthier patients, a new American Cancer Society report finds.

The trend represents a reversal of a previous trend, in which women with greater means had been at a greater risk for dying from the disease.
"In general, progress in reducing breast cancer death rates is being seen across races/ethnicities, socioeconomic status and across the U.S.," said Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society, in a society news release. "However, not all women have benefited equally."
"Poor women," he noted, "are now at greater risk for breast cancer death because of less access to screening and better treatments. This continued disparity is impeding real progress against breast cancer, and will require renewed efforts to ensure that all women have access to high-quality prevention, detection and treatment services."
The report, "Breast Cancer Statistics, 2011" is in the current issue of CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.
More than 230,000 women will face a breast cancer diagnosis this year, and nearly 40,000 will die. The disease is the most common cancer among American women, after skin cancer, according to the report.
However, the overall U.S. breast cancer death rate has been on a steady decline for more than two decades. For women under 50, fatalities fell roughly 3% per year since 1990. For patients over 50, the drop was about 2% per year.
Death rates have gone down in 36 states and the District of Columbia between 1998 and 2007.
Yet the new report finds that death rates have not fallen at the same pace across all racial and socioeconomic lines, with the remaining 14 states experiencing little to no drop-off.
Until the early 1990s, women living in more-affluent areas had a higher death rate than those in poorer neighborhoods. But in the ensuing years, a relatively slow drop in death rates among poorer women has reversed the situation, so that today it is the less- affluent who are burdened with the highest death risk.
Dr. Rachel A. Freedman, a Boston-based medical oncologist with the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, said that less-affluent breast cancer patients face a "perfect storm" when it comes to mortality risk.
"Women from lower economic status have less access to resources, have suboptimal insurance coverage, may receive substandard care and often present with more advanced cancer at diagnosis," she noted. "So it's not surprising that they often face a substandard outcome."
"So it's a really complicated situation ... and that will mean that complicated interventions will be required to tackle this problem," she added. "But unfortunately, I don't see anything happening right now that's going to turn this around in the near term."
-- Alan Mozes

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The Brain, Women And Estrogen

It's no secret that women often gain weight as they get older. The sex hormone estrogen has an important, if underappreciated, role to play in those burgeoning waistlines.
Now, researchers reporting in the October Cell Metabolism, a Cell Press publication, have traced those hormonal effects on metabolism to different parts of the brain. The findings may lead to the development of highly selective hormone replacement therapies that could be used to combat obesity or infertility in women without the risks for heart disease and breast cancer, the researchers say.
"When women approach menopause, they gain weight in fat and their energy expenditure goes down," says Deborah Clegg of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Estrogen levels decline and women grow increasingly susceptible to obesity and metabolic syndrome.
Estrogen acts on receptors found throughout the body, in fat, on ovaries and in muscle. But when it comes to the hormone's influence on metabolism, Clegg suspected receptors in the brain.
Others had traced the effects of estrogen on energy balance specifically to estrogen receptor-α (ERα). When her team deleted those receptors from the entire brains of mice, "we got very, very fat mice," Clegg said. The animals consumed more calories and burned less.
The researchers showed female mice lacking ERα in one part of the brain (the hypothalamic steroidogenic factor-1 or SF1 neurons) gained weight without eating any more. Loss of ERα from another brain area (the hypothalamic pro-opiomelanocortin or POMC neurons) had the opposite effect: animals ate more without gaining weight. Loss of ERα receptors in those same neurons also led to various problems in ovulation and fertility.
The findings suggest that drugs developed to specifically target estrogen receptors in the brain might offer a useful alternative to hormone replacement therapies that hit receptors throughout the body. The researchers say they would like to continue to isolate other estrogen-related effects and symptoms, for instance, on hot flashes and cognition.
"The more we know about estrogen's sites of action, the more likely it is we could develop designer hormone replacement therapies targeting tissue X, Y or Z," Clegg said.

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Reducing Iron May Lower Age-Related Brain Disease Risk

The human body has a love-hate relationship with iron. Just the right amount is needed for proper cell function, yet too much is associated with brain diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
Science knows that men have more iron in their bodies and brains than women. These higher levels may be part of the explanation for why men develop these age-related neurodegenerative diseases at a younger age.
But why do women have less iron in their systems than men? One possible explanation for the gender difference is that during menstruation, iron is eliminated through the loss of blood.
Now, a new study by UCLA researchers confirms this suspicion and suggests strategies to reduce excess iron levels in both men and women. Dr. George Bartzokis, a professor of psychiatry at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA, and colleagues compared iron levels in women who had undergone a hysterectomy before menopause - and thus, did not menstruate and lose iron - with levels in postmenopausal women who had not had a premenopausal hysterectomy. They found the women who had undergone a hysterectomy had higher levels of iron in their brains than the women who hadn't, and further, they had levels that were comparable to men.
The research is reported in the current online edition of the journal Neurobiology of Aging.
The researchers used an MRI technique that can measure the amount of ferritin iron in the brain (ferritin is a protein that stores iron). They examined 39 postmenopausal women, 15 of whom had undergone a premenopausal hysterectomy. They looked at several areas in the brain three white-matter regions and and five gray-matter regions. Fifty-four male subjects were also imaged for comparison.
The researchers found that among the women, the 15 who had undergone a hysterectomy had concentrations of iron in the white-matter regions of the brain's frontal lobe that did not differ from the men's levels. Further, both the women who had a hysterectomy and the men had significantly higher amounts of iron than the women who had not undergone a hysterectomy. (Gray matter areas showed slight increases that were not statistically significant.)
Hysterectomy is the most common non-obstetrical surgery among women in the United States, with one in three having had a hysterectomy by age 60, said Bartzokis, who is also a member of the UCLA Laboratory of Neuro Imaging and the UCLA Brain Research Institute.
The results of this study, he said, suggest that menstruation-associated blood loss may explain gender differences in brain iron. And of interest to both men and women, he said, is that it's possible that brain iron can be influenced by peripheral iron levels - that is, iron levels throughout the body - and may thus be a modifiable risk factor for age-related degenerative diseases.

"Iron accumulates in our bodies as we age," Bartzokis said, "and in the brain contributes to the development of abnormal deposits of proteins associated with several prevalent neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies. Higher brain iron levels in men may be part of the explanation for why men develop these age-related neurodegenerative diseases at a younger age, compared to women."

Bartzokis suggests it may be possible to reduce age-related brain iron accumulations by reducing the levels of iron throughout the body. This may have health benefits, especially in men, and may help counteract the negative effects of aging on the brain by reducing the iron available to catalyze, or speed up, damaging free-radical reactions.

There are a few ways body stores of iron can be reduced naturally, especially for premenopausal women. Menstruation leads to the elimination of iron through loss of blood. During pregnancy, iron is transferred from the woman to the fetus, and when women breast-feed, iron is transferred to the baby through the mother's milk.

"But there are things postmenopausal women and especially men can do to reduce their iron levels through relatively simple actions," Bartzokis said. "These include not overloading themselves with over-the-counter supplements that contain iron, unless recommended by their doctor; eating less red meat, which contains high levels of iron; donating blood; and possibly taking natural iron-chelating substances, molecules that bind to and remove iron, such as curcumin or green tea, that may have positive health consequences."

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7 Simple Suggestions For Dealing With Chronic Pain

Chronic pain affect most of the people some way or another. It cost a lot to cure it as well. Most common chronic pain is headaches and lower back pain. Chronic pain can be defined as persisting for more than six months. It can be caused by a specific injury or medical problem. The pain could occur with no apparent reason which puzzled prescribers and patients. It is important to bear in mind that chronic pain cannot be treated in one quick solution but needed an extensive personalized plan to manage.

It is important to be able to accept pain as part of your life that need to be addressed before combating it. These are what you can do to deal with chronic pain:

1. Keep yourself hydrated as dehydration can aggravate the symptoms of chronic conditions such as headaches and back pain.

2. Load your body with nutritious foods that can help combat pain and reduce fatigue. Examples are leafy greens, foods rich with omega3, asparagus, low sugar fruits and soy products.

3. Keep a positive outlook. Thinking positively will help to overcome blocks and lessen the pain you are feeling.

4. Distract yourself with activities that are not stressful such as yoga, listening to music, watching movies. It is good to engage in activities that make you feel good.

5. Maintain proper posture. Being in C-slump which is a bend back with head in front of spine can impair nerve and blood flow. Try to keep head in a parallel line with a straight spine. This can help prevent strain on back and neck muscles.

6. Discuss your pain. You may be able to find solutions to problems that cause you stress and any helpful coping skills.

7. Keep a diary that can help you keep track of your pain and record down medications that are able to help you and any adverse effects you experience while taking them. This can help you to be in more control of your pain.

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Learn While You Sleep: New Way to Multitask?

 People may be learning while they sleep, dramatically improving their memory in some cases, a new study suggests.Although the effects on memory vary greatly and are not well understood, Michigan State University researchers said their findings reinforce the need for a good night's sleep -- something 63% of Americans are not getting, according to the U.S. National Sleep Foundation.
"We speculate that we may be investigating a separate form of memory, distinct from traditional memory systems," lead researcher Kimberly Fenn, an assistant professor of psychology, said in a university news release. "There is substantial evidence that during sleep, your brain is processing information without your awareness and this ability may contribute to memory in a waking state."
Researchers studied more than 250 people and found that some had significant enhancement in their memory, while others had no change at all. They found, however, that most participants showed improvement.
More research is needed to explore whether or not this potential memory ability could boost academic performance, the study authors said in the news release.
"Simply improving your sleep could potentially improve your performance in the classroom," concluded Fenn.
The study was published recently in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General.
-- Mary Elizabeth Dallas

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Natural Remedies For Reducing Pain

There are different types of pain. There are pains caused by inflammation such as arthritis, sprains and so on. Arthritis is associated with inflammation of joints. These inflammatory pains can be reduced by changing diets.

It is known that antioxidants are known to reduce inflammation. Antioxidants can be found in deep coloured fruits and vegetables such as Acai berry, blueberries, prunes, pomegranates, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, kale, spinach, Brussels sprouts, red beans and kidney beans. Besides that, another good source of antioxidants is spices and herbs such as cinnamon, oregano, turmeric, cumin, parsley, basil and curry powder. Diet compromising salmons, olive oil and flax seed oil is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids which are good for cholesterol levels and reducing inflammation. By incorporating foods rich in antioxidants into everyday diet, it can help reduce pain without counting on painkillers. Another pointer to help with pain associated with inflammation, putting ice or frozen peas for 10 minutes a few times a day can help reduce pain.

However pain associated with menstrual cramp cannot be cured through putting ice on the stomach. In fact, it would make matter worst. The solution can be done by putting a hot water bottle on the lower part of the stomach to ease the pain. If hot water bottle is not available, use a hot towel instead. Drinking hot liquids such as hot herbal teas with peppermint or wintergreen does help as well. Chinese used ginger to expel wind from stomach and restore heat to the body. This helps also in menstrual pain by pounding a piece of ginger and boil in a cup of water for 2 minutes. It is a warm drink and taken with honey or sugar, it is a good way to end meals.

Exercising is good for the body and improves limb function. Muscles work as shock absorbers. By doing yoga and strengthening exercises, it helps the body to combat pain. However, exercise regime must be done regularly to get positive results. This applies to inflammatory pain and menstrual pain as well.

So painkillers are not the only way to tackle pain. By doing lifestyle changes, it does help with the symptoms in the long run.

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Using Acupuncture To Reduce Pain In Your Life

Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medication technique that has been around for centuries. Acupuncture practitioners insert thin needles through skin to stimulate specific points on the body called acupuncture points. The theory involved is to regulate the flow of Qi (life force) along the pathways know as meridians.

Acupuncture is used as a treatment for various diseases by acupuncture practitioners. In modern times, acupuncture has been shown to alleviate pain that was not able to be treated with pain killers. It is also said to be able to cure the pain that exist in the body by treating the root cause.

There are no side effects associated with acupuncture when performed correctly. This is important for patients who experienced side effects caused by over-the-counter medications such as acetaminophen or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen) and narcotics. The growing reliance on pain killers may be one of the factors that patients are seeking alternative treatments such as acupuncture.

Although there are several researches showing the benefits of acupuncture, it is important to discuss with your family doctor before attempting any alternative treatment. Different people respond differently to acupuncture. If acupuncture has not help in resolving your pain for several weeks, acupuncture might not be the right treatment.

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Stress: How Does It Affect Your Health

Stress is the body's response to situations that requires an immediate reaction. It's the fight or flight response where the body undergoes mental, emotional and physical changes in stressful conditions. It is common to have sudden burst of energy and high levels of endurance during times of stress. There would be increase in heart rate, muscle tension and fast breathing, rush of the blood to the brain and muscles, and release of stress hormones. Digestion and other unnecessary activities are stopped because energy is needed for stressful situations.

So it is common that stress can cause fatigue, headache and digestion problems. Due to fatigue, the immune system in our bodies will be low, so our bodies' ability to resist opportunistic infections will be hampered. Stress can also cause insomnia which leads to fatigue. Moreover, the release of stress hormones can impair our cognition and increase the unnecessary negative thoughts which will lead to more stress.

Being frequently exposed to stress may increase the risk of a stroke. It can also aggravate asthma symptoms and increased the risk of heart attack. Stress is also known to temporary raise blood pressure levels and blood sugar level. In bedroom matters, stress may also cause loss of sex drive or the ability to orgasm which can interfere with your sex life.

Besides that, stress can contribute to bad habits such as smoking, alcoholism and drug abuse which is use as a temporary mean to escape from stress. All of these can cause problems associated with wealth, health and may also contributed to early death.

In conclusion, it is important to manage stress because it is not possible to avoid stress and be stress-free in your whole life. So, it is important to be able to identify stress and how to relieve stress the best.

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Eating to Lower Cholesterol

If your cholesterol is on the high side, you may be able to help bring it down with a diet that includes nuts, whole soy foods and high fiber foods. The latter includes vegetables, and breads and cereals containing whole grains like oats and barley. A study published in the August 24/31 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that this "portfolio" diet yielded better cholesterol-lowering effects than the low fat diet that has been traditionally recommended to bring down high levels of LDL ("bad" cholesterol). Study participants on the portfolio diet lowered their LDL by more than 13 percent, compared to only a three percent reduction among participants who followed a low-fat diet. Essentially, on the "portfolio" diet, participants replaced sources of saturated fat such as red meat and dairy products with foods that provide healthy fats, namely nuts and soy products. The diet also calls for substituting plant sterol enriched margarine for butter.
My take? I've long recommended including nuts and whole soy based protein (instead of animal protein) in your diet if you're trying to lower your cholesterol. I also think it's a good idea to reduce the amount of sugar and flour in your diet when you're trying to bring down your cholesterol. Recent evidence indicates that added sugar - in the form of table sugar (sucrose) or high-fructose corn syrup - is probably a greater contributor to heart disease than is saturated fat. I disagree with the inclusion of margarine in the "portfolio" diet and discourage its use in general because the highly processed fats it contains promote inflammation, cancer and damage to the immune system. The monounsaturated fat found in olive oil and nuts is the healthiest fat of all and the type I recommend that you rely on the most, whether or not you're trying to lower your cholesterol.

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HIV Infection And Transmission Rates Double With Hormonal Contraceptive Usage

Women who use a hormonal contraceptive have double the risk of becoming infected with HIV-1, and are also twice as likely to pass the infection on to their sexual partner, researchers from the University of Washington, Seattle, reported in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. The raised risk is especially notable among those using injectables. The authors informed that over 140 million adult females around the world use hormonal contraception, including long-acting injectables or oral pills.

Co-author, Jared Baeten said:

"These findings have important implications for family planning and HIV-1 prevention programmes, especially in settings with high HIV-1 prevalence."

Lead author, Renee Heffron said:

"Recommendations regarding contraceptive use, particularly emphasising the importance of dual protection with condoms and the use of non-hormonal and low-dose hormonal methods for women with or at risk for HIV-1, are urgently needed."

A significant number of females in sub-Saharan Africa who are HIV positive use hormonal contraception. HIV susceptibility linked to hormonal contraction had been studied before, but with inconsistent and inconclusive results, the authors wrote.
The aim of this study was to determine whether using hormonal contraception raises a woman's risk of HIV infection and transmitting it to male sexual partners. It involved 3,790 couples, with one partner infected with HIV-1 and the other not (serodiscordant couples); they were all heterosexual. The individuals came from Zimbabwe, Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, Rwanda, Kenya and Botswana.
The study found that:

• A woman's risk of becoming infected with HIV-1 doubled if she was on hormonal contraception
• There was a more significant risk for those taking an injectable hormone contraceptive (DMPA)
• Those on injectable contraceptives were twice as likely to transmit their HIV-1 infection to their male sexual partners, compared to women not on hormonal contraception

The authors wrote:

"To our knowledge, ours is the first prospective study to show increased HIV-1 risk in male partners of HIV-1 infected women using hormonal contraception.
(conclusion)Data on HIV-1 risk associated with...other hormonal contraceptives, such as implants, patches, or combined injectables . . . and non-hormonal contraceptive methods such as intrauterine devices, are urgently needed, and strategies to improve accessibility and uptake of these lower-dose and non-hormonal methods should be prioritised. Contraceptive counseling should be combined with HIV-1 counseling and testing."

Charles S Morrison from Clinical Sciences, Durham, USA, wrote in an Accompanying Comment in the same journal:

"Active promotion of DMPA in areas with high HIV incidence could be contributing to the HIV epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa, which would be tragic. Conversely, limiting one of the most highly used effective methods of contraception in sub-Saharan Africa would probably contribute to increased maternal mortality and morbidity and more low birthweight babies and orphans - an equally tragic result.

The time to provide a more definitive answer to this critical public health question is now; the donor community should support a randomised trial of hormonal contraception and HIV acquisition."

Hormonal contraception

There are two main types of hormonal contraceptives:

• Combined contraceptives - these contain both an estrogen (ethinyl estradiol) and a progestin. The most popular medication is the combined oral contraceptive pill (COCP), also known as the pill. It is typically taken once daily for 21 consecutive days, followed by nothing for seven days - there are alternatives to this cycle. For those not on ongoing hormonal contraception, COCPs can be administered after sexual intercourse as emergency contraception. COCPs are presented in a variety of formulations.
• Progestogen-only contraceptive - these contain progesterone or progestin (a synthetic analogue of progesterone). POP (progestogen only pill) is taken every day, within the same three-hour window each day. There are several different POP formulations. POPs are taken every day with no breaks. For those not on continuous POPs, POPs can be taken after sexual intercourse as emergency medication. POPs come in a variety of formulations.

Ormeloxifene, while not a hormone, acts on the hormonal system to prevent pregnancy.
Written by Christian Nordqvist

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Does Your Sunscreen Really Work?

The increasing cases of skin cancer among Americans led the Environmental Working Group (EWG) to conduct a survey. The report is shocking.
It is a well-known fact that the harmful rays of the sun cause skin cancer and this is why a sunscreen needs to be used. However, it was found that despite the use of sunscreen, a large number of people suffered from skin cancer.
The EWG looked into this matter and investigated approximately 952 sunscreens. Shockingly, fewer than 150 sunscreens passed the test and were declared to be safe. Even the big well known brands like Banana Boat, Neutrogena ad even Coopertone, the most popular and largest sunscreen selling company in US, were found to be unsafe.
Cooperstone manufactures about 40 types of sunscreens. None of them have passed the safety test and only 1% of the sunscreens manufactured by Neutrogena, The Body Shop, and Banana Boat were found to be providing complete protection.
It was found that either the sunscreens provided insufficient protection or they contained harmful ingredients that affected skin negatively. Though the Food and Drug Administration of United States has laid down a number of laws, they are not stringent. This is the reason why sunscreens are not as effective as they should be. And with this problem having continued for a long time, nearly 30 years, it is expected that some changes will be made soon. Though there are laws and the FDA has suggestions, the major change will come about when the sunscreen industry is regulated.
Meanwhile, you have to protect yourself from the sun. You can either buy brands such as Keys Soap Soar Rx Therapeutic Sunblock with SPF 30 or Lavera Sunscreen Neutral with SPF 40 or check the ingredients of the sunscreen for more protection. These two brands have been recommended by EWG. As to checking the sunscreens, you cannot do more than read the bottle. If what is printed on the bottle not true, then you can only follow EWG's recommendations and buy the two recommended brands.
Read the EWG report that had been uploaded at cosmeticdatabase.com to know which sunscreen companies have passed the test and which have to be avoided. You will also know what a good sunscreen should contain. Though you cannot get the ingredients of the sunscreen tested yourself, you can buy the recommended products and protect your skin.
With cases of skin cancer on the rise, you cannot do enough to protect yourself.
Brenda Lyttle is a beauty expert who began writing for publications in her community in 2005 and now commands an authority in writing on health, wrinkle cream, and anti-aging related topics.

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Exercise for 15 Minutes: Live Longer

Here's more evidence that even a little bit of exercise can make a big difference to your health. Researchers in Taiwan followed more than 400,000 people for an average of eight years and found that 15 minutes of exercise daily can boost life expectancy by three years. Compared to inactive individuals, participants who exercised for just under 15 minutes per day were 14 percent less likely to die from any cause during the eight years of the study, and 10 percent less likely to die of cancer. Beyond that, each additional 15 minutes of daily exercise lowered the risk of death - from any cause - by four percent, and the extra physical activity cut the risk of death from cancer by one percent. Earlier this month, a review published online in Circulation showed that people who get 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week reduce their risk of heart disease by 14 percent compared to inactive people and that exercising five hours per week can lower heart disease risk by as much as 20 percent. The new study from Taiwan was published online on August 15 by The Lancet.

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Conscious or unconscious fear of diseases

`In modern age of life every person has assumed that our health is in our own hands, the way we take care of ourselves is important for our health and fitness tips concern. Healthy living is all about taking care of your own self and adopting preventive measures so as to avoid physical and mental injuries. It all starts from your home, but for most men and women, who live most of their day in the office; it is just as important to implement safety procedures even in the workplace. Most employees in Western countries are under some accident prevention plan under insurance or federal agencies, feel protected. Let us have a glance at some of the most common accident- prone situations in a workplace environment.
Nowadays, with the help of the internet you can research and get info on any health related subjects. However, it is advisable to get relevant information from trustworthy websites. Online sources are almost innumerable, and you have to decide on the reliability of the facts given therein. Then there are numerous health print magazines, which can be bought from quality bookstores in your area. In this way you will be aware of nutrients and vitamins for health tips point of view. The names carbohydrates, proteins and calories won't be alien to you. Most employees in Western countries are under some accident prevention plan under insurance or federal agencies, feel protected. Let us have a glance at some of the most common accident- prone situations in a workplace environment. Some of the best ways to keep ourselves fit and mentally alert is to do yoga asana, eating nutritious diet, doing fitness exercises, avoiding mental stress and tensions. Most people have this conscious or unconscious fear of diseases and are always on the look-out for preventive measures to avoid such illnesses. And we all know that prevention is anytime better than cure! Being on a healthy and wholesome diet is very necessary if you want to keep diseases at bay.
Machine Injury- Getting caught in a big machinery can be really disastrous and the consequences fatal. Normal Everyday Injuries- They can include hitting the tables or doors during a rush period. Even blindly running smack into other people can also be hurting to both the parties. The employer should provide good safety and accidental insurance cover to the employees. All working staff should be given equal treatment, irrespective of the individual status. Usually factory workers working in dangerous environment are given more cover by the company.

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More Protein for Dieting Postmenopausal Women

If you're past menopause and want to lose weight by cutting calories, you'll likely lose muscle as well as fat, but adding protein to your diet can help offset the muscle loss. Another bonus to added protein: it helps cut down on hunger, according to University of Illinois researchers who followed two groups of healthy postmenopausal women for six months. All the women were following a 1,400 calorie a day weight-loss diet. One group of women received a powdered whey protein supplement twice a day; the other group received a placebo containing carbohydrates. Before and after the study, all the women were evaluated for strength, balance, the ability to walk 50 feet, stand up five times from a chair and lift a book 12 inches above shoulder height. After the study, the researchers found that all the participants' strength decreased as their weight fell, but that those whose diets included the supplemental protein lost 3.9 percent more weight and had a relative gain of 5.8 percent more thigh-muscle volume than those in the other group. The investigators noted that age and weight-related loss of muscle mass can affect strength, balance, and the ability to perform such everyday activities as climbing stairs and getting up from a chair.

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35,000 Mothers With Postnatal Depression Suffer In Silence Each Year In The UK

Widespread lack of awareness of postnatal depression signs and symptoms results in 35,000 untreated mothers suffering in silence each year in the United Kingdom, national charity 4Children revealed in a new report. The authors wrote that the consequences for the mothers and their families can be devastating.
Half of all women across the country with postnatal depression do not see a healthcare professional about their problem, the charity revealed. Serious faults in the National Health Services mean thousands more are not being treated properly or promptly - shortcomings in the system listed by the authors include an over-reliance on antidepressant usage, and inadequate screening and referral. In a significant number of cases, the stigma surrounding mental illness discourages women from being forthcoming about their symptoms.
This report is the first of three that explores how family crises can be prevented, and forms part of 4Children's "Give Me Strength" campaign. It explains how postnatal depression can burden families with enormous relationship problems and breakdowns, placing pressure on older brothers and sisters to take over the care of babies and children. Postnatal depression can undermine early bonding between mother and child, which can have long-term consequences.
The authors add that GPs (general practitioners, primary care physicians) and other health care professionals need to do more to diagnose the condition early on so that mothers may be treated properly and promptly.
The report found that among the mothers with postnatal depression who were not treated (49% of all cases):

• 29% did not know they had postnatal depression
• 60% did not believe their symptoms were severe enough to merit treatment
• 33% kept quiet about their condition for fear of what might happen to them or their child

There is a serious lack of data and hunger for knowledge among postnatal depression sufferers, the report explained. Dissatisfaction with treatment is common.
The authors wrote that:

• 65% of the women interviewed said they wanted more information about available support groups
• 52% want information on counseling and other talking therapies
• 46% found the information they were given on postnatal depression symptoms unsatisfactory

Even though the guidelines issued by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) include "the effective and timely treatment of postnatal depression . . . . which stipulates that talking therapies should be offered to patients with a mild or moderate diagnosis", what really happens to a considerable number of women is very different, the report shows.

Postnatal depression can interfere with the bonding between mother and baby

Only 41% of diagnosed women were referred to talking therapies and 70% were prescribed antidepressants by their GPs. Talking therapies form an important part of effective and long-lasting treatment.
The report highlighted some disturbing facts regarding postnatal depression surveillance in the UK:

• Most Primary Care Trusts do not gather data on postnatal depression rates, or on severity or treatments at local levels.
• Two trusts reported just one diagnosis of postnatal depression during the whole year
• The Department of Health, by its own admission, has no national data on postnatal depression rates or treatment
• Inpatient care for mothers with severe symptoms is described as a "postcode lottery" - with a lack of provision of Mother and Baby Units in Cornwall, Devon, East Anglia, and Cumbria, as well as vast pasts of Scotland and Wales. There are no Mother and Baby Units in Northern Ireland.

Chief Executive of 4Children, Anne Longfield OBE, said:

"Postnatal depression is a problem that with the right help, early on, can be treated successfully avoiding long-term impact on the rest of the family. However, many families are suffering the consequences of postnatal depression in silence, and even when they do seek help they all too often encounter a wall of indifference and a lack of empathy from medical professionals with an over reliance on antidepressants for treatment.

The best ways to treat maternal depression are set out clearly in the NICE guidelines, but all too often there is a shocking lack of awareness. So many women have to rely on luck to come across a sympathetic GP or health visitor who will lead them to the right course of treatment. This report calls for an end to the neglect of this destructive and prevalent illness to ensure that every mother is guaranteed the practical and emotional support she needs to avoid her unnecessary suffering and that of her family."

Postnatal depression

Postnatal depression (PND), also called postpartum depression (PPD) is a type of depression that a mother can develop after childbirth, and requires treatment. Onset of symptoms may develop from a few days to several months after giving birth. PND should not be confused with baby blues which lasts for a short time after childbirth. Postnatal depression has more severe symptoms and can seriously undermine the woman's ability to go about her daily duties. If the mother is not treated, there is a serious risk that her condition becomes long-lasting with worsening symptoms. Experts say that treatment today is effective, especially if the patient is diagnosed early on.

The signs and symptoms of PND may be different from patient to patient, and usually include some of those listed below:

• A low mood that prevails for long periods
• A constant feeling of irritation
• Tearfulness
• A feeling of being trapped
• Panic attacks
• Concentration problems
• Lack of motivation
• Lack of interest in the baby
• Lack of interest in herself
• A feeling of loneliness
• Feeling inadequate
• Feeling guilty
• Feeling rejected
• Feeling overwhelmed
• A feeling that it is impossible to cope
• Insomnia
• Constant fatigue
• Headaches
• Stomachaches
• Loss of libido
• Loss of appetite

Some mothers with postnatal depression may have frightening thoughts, some of them about harming their baby - experts say that approximately half of all women with PND have such thoughts. Some may have thoughts about harming themselves. It is rare for a mother with these symptoms to harm either her baby or herself.

Some mothers may not be aware that they have postnatal depression, while others might not talk to friends and family about how they feel. It is helpful if partners, family members and friends recognize PND signs, especially at an early stage, and to seek professional advice.

Written by Christian Nordqvist

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Too Much TV May Shorten Life

In June of this year, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association demonstrated that watching two or more hours of television daily raises the risk of heart disease and diabetes, and now a report from Australia has calculated how many years a daily TV viewing habit can shave off life expectancy. Investigators from the University of Queensland suggest that every hour spent watching TV lowers life expectancy by nearly 22 minutes. The study team reviewed data on more than 11,000 individuals age 25 and older and found that sitting in front of the TV for an average of six hours a day may mean a loss of nearly five years of life and that watching six hours of television daily may shorten life even more than smoking and obesity. The researchers looked at data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle study and calculated their results based on the 9.8 billion hours of TV that participants watched in 2008, which would add up to the loss of 286,000 life years. The findings were published online August 15 by the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
My take? This report echoes earlier evidence that a TV habit can be unhealthy. In the past, my objections to watching a lot of television have focused on associated unhealthy behaviors: eating too much junk food or using television for stress management instead of utilizing more effective approaches, such as breath work and other relaxation techniques. Clearly, time spent watching television can eat into available time for daily exercise, which we all need for optimum health. The Australian researchers noted that the effects of watching television elsewhere in the world are likely to be comparable which they claim represents a public health problem on par with smoking, obesity and an inactive lifestyle.

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Hormonal Contraceptives Double HIV Risk

Women using hormonal contraception - such as a birth control pill or a shot like Depo-Provera - are at double the risk of acquiring HIV, and HIV-infected women who use hormonal contraception have twice the risk of transmitting the virus to their HIV-uninfected male partners, according to a University of Washington-led study in Africa of nearly 3,800 couples. The study was published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

The research, first presented in July in Rome at the meeting of the International AIDS Society, emphasizes the need for couples to use condoms in addition to other forms of contraception in order to prevent pregnancy and HIV, said lead study author Renee Heffron, an epidemiology doctoral student working with the International Clinical Research Center at UW.

"Women should be counseled about potentially increased risk of HIV acquisition and transmission with hormonal contraception, particularly injectable methods, and about the importance of dual protection with condoms to decrease HIV risk," said Heffron.

Jared Baeten, an associate professor of global health with the International Clinical Research Center, said to his knowledge this is the first prospective study to show increased HIV risk to male partners of HIV-infected women using hormonal contraception.
More than 140 million women worldwide use hormonal contraception, including daily oral pills and long-acting injectables, like Depo-Provera.

"The benefits of effective hormonal contraception are unequivocal and must be balanced with the risk for HIV infection," said Baeten.

This study was designed to establish whether hormonal contraception increases the risk of women acquiring HIV and transmitting the virus to their male partners. The study included 3,790 heterosexual HIV serodiscordant couples (i.e. one partner with HIV infection and the other without) who were participating in two long-term studies of HIV in couples in seven African countries (Botswana, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe).

Findings showed that using hormonal contraceptives doubled an HIV uninfected woman's chances of becoming infected with HIV. The risk was increased for both injectable (mainly depot medroxprogeterone acetate: DMPA) and oral contraceptives, although it was not statistically significant for oral contraceptives.

Additionally, women who were HIV-positive at the beginning of the study and using hormonal contraception were twice as likely to transmit the virus to their male partner compared to women who did not use hormonal contraception.

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How Neighborhood Poverty Influences Maternal Fear Of Children's Outdoor Play

Neighborhood poverty is likely to make a mother more fearful about letting her children play outdoors, according to a new study by sociologists at Rice University and Stanford University.

"It's no secret that children play outdoors less now than in recent decades, and research shows maternal fear as one reason why," said Rachel Tolbert Kimbro, Rice assistant professor of sociology. She co-authored a paper in the October issue of the journal Family Relations with Ariela Schachter, a Ph.D. student in sociology at Stanford.

"This study addresses reasons why mothers do or do not let their children play outside," Kimbro said.

Kimbro and Schachter theorize that a mother's fear of her child playing outside is a major component of her decisions regarding the child's free playtime. They tested maternal, household and neighborhood characteristics that may be related to maternal fear and discovered the following:

• A mother's household economic status, education, employment and physical/mental health all influence maternal fear.
• Perception of a neighborhood's collective efficacy (shared values and goals, social support) is associated with maternal fear. Mothers who believe they live in neighborhoods with shared values and goals are less likely to be fearful of their child playing outdoors, and vice versa.
• Poverty and the percentage of blacks in a neighborhood are associated with increased maternal fear.

"It's not entirely surprising that poverty aligns with greater maternal fear," Kimbro said. "When considering the characteristics associated with many impoverished neighborhoods - lack of playgrounds, poor sidewalks and the potential for crime - it makes sense that mothers might be more fearful."

Kimbro said that contrary to what one might expect, mothers are more concerned with issues of social support than crime rates.

"The fear of children playing outside is not completely rational," she said. "You might think that a logical response is to keep your child inside when crime rates are higher, but our research shows that factors closer to the mother, such as how she feels about her neighbors, are more likely to influence her feelings of fear.

"Children's outdoor play is an important indicator of overall healthy development," Kimbro said. Although neighborhood poverty strongly influences maternal fear, mothers of sound mental health living in impoverished areas are less likely to be fearful of their children playing outside.

"Our results suggest that efforts to minimize depression among mothers living in poverty could have significant, positive impacts on parenting behaviors and particularly in the promotion of children's outdoor play," Kimbro said.

The study, "Neighborhood Poverty and Maternal Fears of Children's Outdoor Play," is the third paper to come from Kimbro's broader research project exploring the links between neighborhoods and children's outdoor play using data from the Fragile Families and Child Well-Being Study.

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Obesity May Not Be So Dangerous

New research from Canada suggests that being obese, by itself, may not be so bad - as long as you don't have weight-related medical problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea and heart disease. Investigators at the University of Alberta looked at data from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and were able to identify obese individuals based on lifestyle factors and medical history. They devised a five stage system for classifying obese men and women assigning scores (on a scale of 0 to 4) based on the number of health problems an individual had, with higher scores indicating individuals that had developed more of these associated problems. Bottom line: those with scores of 2 or above were 1.5 times as likely to die during the nearly two decades of the study's follow-up as those with lower scores. Scores of 3 raised the risk to 2.5 times as likely to die as low-score patients. The system may give doctors a new way to identify obese patients who would benefit most from weight loss or medical treatment.

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