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Featured Article - New Angle on
HIV / AIDS |
New Angle on HIV / AIDS
Scientists are now
trying to work around direct attacks on AIDS that don't seem to be
working and focusing on a new method of inserting a gene into the
muscle that can cause it to produce protective antibodies against
HIV / AIDS. The new method has worked in ice and now has also proven
successful in monkeys. The Nature Medicine Journals online
edition has a story on this same possible breakthrough. There is a
team of researchers at a Children's Hospital in Philadelphia that
consider this a real possibility, although they agree that much
testing is still applicable before a product is ready for human use.
Every angle possible
should be utilized for eradicating this disease and this new
research may well be the light at the end of the tunnel for millions
waiting for and hoping for help. There are over 33 million
people living with HIV today, with 56,000 new cases reported
annually just in the United States.
Most efforts at
blocking AIDS have sought to stimulate the body's immune system to
produce antibodies that fight the disease. This approach has
worked for diseases like measles and smallpox, however it hasn't
done well with HIV / AIDS.
This team however took
a different approach. They used what they cal a leapfrog
strategy, bypassing the natural immune system response that was the
target of all previous HIV and SIV vaccine candidates. The
closely related Simian virus, or SIV, affects monkeys. The
researchers knew there wer proteins that could neutralize the HIV
virus, so they began thinking about whether they could use them to
fight the disease.
In a ten year long
effort the team developed immunoadhesins, antibody like proteins
designed to attach to SIV and block it from infecting cells.
Read more at
Johnson Research Laboratory...
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Featured Article -
Swine Flu update - Elderly Immunity? |
Elderly May Have Greater Swine Flu
Immunity
Older people may have some kind of immunity to swine flu, U.S.
health officials said Thursday, as the number of confirmed and
suspected cases of H1N1 virus rose again around the country.
More than 64 percent of U.S. infections have occurred among patients
between the ages of 5 and 24, with just 1 percent of flu victims 65
or older, according to a study at the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC).
One possible explanation is that older adults might have been in
contact a long time ago with a virus related to the one that we see
now.
Adults might have some degree of pre-existing . . . antibodies to
the H1N1 virus, especially older adults over 60 or 65.
The presence of pre-existing antibodies may be due to previous
exposure to (influenza) infection or vaccination.
Health authorities around the world have been surprised that, with
the number of cases of swine flu now topping 11,000, including 85
deaths, many of those infected have been younger people.
The CDC's study suggests that children and teens may be particularly
vulnerable to contracting the disease — a worrying prospect as
officials brace for the possible return in a few months' time of a
more virulent strain of the H1N1 virus.
The flu outbreak is far from over in the United States, where the
tally of confirmed or probable cases is now 5,764.
Flu-related visits to doctors and hospitals are dropping across the
United States if that bit of news helps.
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Current
Month's Story - Vitamin D and Seniors |
Vitamin D May Make Seniors
Smarter
Getting more of the "Sunshine
vitamin" may make you brighter
later in life, according to a
study that bolsters evidence
vitamin D may help older people
stay mentally fit.
The findings also raise the
prospect that people who do not
get enough of the vitamin could
use supplements to keep the
brain fully functioning as they
age, David Lee and colleagues at
the University of Manchester
reported in their study,
published Thursday in the
Journal of Neurology
Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.
"At the population level, we are
talking about large numbers of
people. If there is a link it
could potentially have a
significant effect," Lee said in
a phone interview. "It is so
easy to rectify with
supplementation."
Vitamin D, which the body
produces when skin is exposed to
sunlight, is also found in
certain foods such as oily fish.
It helps cells absorb calcium
and is important for bone
health.
Recent studies also have
indicated vitamin D may protect
against cancer, artery disease,
and tuberculosis.
While others have suggested a
link with mental ability, the
findings so far have been
inconsistent, Lee and colleagues
reported.
The researchers compared the
cognitive performance of more
than 3,000 European men ages 40
to 79 and found those with low
vitamin D levels did more poorly
on a task designed to test
mental agility.
The findings are some of the
strongest evidence yet of such a
link because of the size of the
study and because the
researchers adjusted for a
number of lifestyle factors
believed to affect mental
ability when older, Lee said.
The researchers do not know
exactly how vitamin D and mental
agility may be connected but
said possible suggestions
include the vitamin's role in
increasing certain hormonal
activity or the protection of
neurons in the brain.
They also stressed their
findings should not spur people
to bask in the sun, which can
increase the risk of skin
cancer.
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Normal Penis
Anatomy - Erectile Dysfunction |
What is normal penis anatomy?
The penis contains two chambers, called the corpora cavernosa, which
run the length of the upper side of the penis (see figure 1 on right).
The urethra, which is the channel for urine and ejaculate, runs
along the underside of the corpora cavernosa.
Filling the corpora cavernosa is a spongy tissue consisting of
smooth muscles, fibrous tissues, spaces, veins, and arteries. A
membrane, called the tunica albuginea, surrounds the corpora
cavernosa. Veins located in the tunica albuginea drain blood out of
the penis.
When Can Erectile Dysfunction
Occur?
Erectile dysfunction can occur if one or more of these requirements
are not met. The causes of erectile dysfunction include:
Aging: There are two reasons why
older men are more likely to experience erectile dysfunction than
younger men. First, older men are more likely to develop diseases
(such as heart attacks, angina, strokes, diabetes mellitus, and high
blood pressure) that are associated with erectile dysfunction.
Second, the aging process alone can cause erectile dysfunction in
some men; primarily by decreasing the compliance of the tissues in
the corpora cavernosa, although it has been suggested, but not
proven, that there is also decreased production of nitric oxide in
the nerves that innervate the corporal smooth muscle within the
penis.
Diabetes mellitus: Erectile
dysfunction tends to develop 10-15 years earlier in diabetic men
than among nondiabetic men. In a population study of men with type I
diabetes for more than 10 years, erectile dysfunction was reported
by 55% of men between the ages of 50 to 60 years. The increased risk
of erectile dysfunction among men with diabetes mellitus may be due
to the earlier onset and greater severity of atherosclerosis that
narrows the arteries and thereby reduces the delivery of blood to
the penis. When insufficient blood is delivered to the penis, it is
not possible to achieve an erection.
Diabetes mellitus also causes erectile dysfunction by damaging both
sensory and autonomic nerves, a condition called diabetic
neuropathy. Smoking cigarettes, obesity, poor control of blood
glucose levels, and having diabetes mellitus for a long time further
increases the risk of erectile dysfunction in diabetes. In addition
to atherosclerosis and/or neuropathy causing ED in diabetes, many
diabetic men develop a myopathy (muscle disease) as their cause of
ED in which the compliance of the muscle in the corpora cavernosa is
decreased and clinically this presents as an inability to maintain
the erection. For additional information, please read the Diabetes
article.
Hypertension (high blood pressure):
Patients with essential hypertension or arteriosclerosis have an
increased risk of developing erectile dysfunction. Essential
hypertension is the most common form of hypertension; it is called
essential hypertension because it is not caused by another disease,
(for example, by kidney disease). It is not clearly known how
essential hypertension causes erectile dysfunction; however,
patients with essential hypertension have been found to have low
production of nitric oxide by the arteries of the body, including
the arteries in the penis. Scientists now suspect that the decreased
levels of nitric oxide in patients with essential hypertension may
contribute to erectile dysfunction. For more information, please
read the High Blood Pressure article.
Cardiovascular diseases: The
most common cause of cardiovascular diseases in the United States is
atherosclerosis, the narrowing and hardening of arteries that
reduces blood flow. Atherosclerosis typically affects arteries
throughout the body and is aggravated by hypertension, high blood
cholesterol levels, cigarette smoking, and diabetes mellitus. When
coronary arteries (arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle)
are narrowed by atherosclerosis, heart attacks and angina occur.
When cerebral arteries (arteries that supply blood to the brain) are
narrowed by atherosclerosis, strokes occur. Similarly, when arteries
to the penis and the pelvic organs are narrowed by atherosclerosis,
insufficient blood is delivered to the penis to achieve an erection.
There is a close correlation between the severity of atherosclerosis
in the coronary arteries and erectile dysfunction. For example, men
with more severe coronary artery atherosclerosis also tend to have
more erectile dysfunction than men with mild or no coronary artery
atherosclerosis. Some doctors suggest that men with new onset
erectile dysfunction should be evaluated for silent coronary artery
diseases (advanced coronary artery atherosclerosis that has not yet
caused angina or heart attacks). For more information, please read
the Heart Attack Prevention article.
Cigarette smoking: Cigarette
smoking aggravates atherosclerosis and thereby increases the risk
for erectile dysfunction. For more information, please read the
Smoking and Quitting Smoking article.
Nerve or spinal cord damage: Damage to the spinal cord and nerves in
the pelvis can cause erectile dysfunction. Nerve damage can be due
to disease, trauma, or surgical procedures. Examples include injury
to the spinal cord from automobile accidents, injury to the pelvic
nerves from prostate surgery, multiple sclerosis (a neurological
disease with the potential to cause widespread damage to nerves),
and long-term diabetes mellitus.
Substance abuse: Marijuana,
heroin, cocaine, and alcohol abuse contribute to erectile
dysfunction. Alcoholism, in addition to causing nerve damage, can
lead to atrophy of the testicles and lower testosterone levels. For
more information, please visit the Drug Abuse Center.
Low testosterone levels:
Testosterone (the primary sex hormone in men) is not only necessary
for sex drive (libido) but also is necessary to maintain nitric
oxide levels in the penis. Therefore, men with hypogonadism
(diminished function of the testes resulting in low testosterone
production) can have low sex drive and erectile dysfunction.
Medications: Many common
medicines produce erectile dysfunction as a side effect. Medicines
that can cause erectile dysfunction include many used to treat high
blood pressure, antihistamines, antidepressants, tranquilizers, and
appetite suppressants. Examples of common medicines that can cause
erectile dysfunction include beta-blockers such as propranolol (Inderal),
hydrochlorothiazide, digoxin (Lanoxin), amitriptyline (Elavil),
famotidine (Pepcid), cimetidine (Tagamet), metoclopramide (Reglan),
indomethacin (Indocin), lithium (Eskalith; Lithobid), verapamil (Calan,
Verelan, Isoptin), phenytoin (Dilantin), and gemfibrozil (Lopid).
Depression and anxiety:
Psychological factors may be responsible for erectile dysfunction.
These factors include stress, anxiety, guilt, depression, low
self-esteem, and fear of sexual failure. For more information,
please visit the Depression Center.
What are the treatments for
erectile dysfunction?
Treatments for erectile dysfunction in 2004
include:
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Working with doctors
to select medications that do not impair erectile function,
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Making life style
improvements (for example; quitting smoking, and exercising
more),
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Drugs such as
sildenafil (Viagra), vardenafil (Levitra) or tadalafil (Cialis),
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Inserting medications
into the urethra (intraurethral suppositories),
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Injecting medications
into the corpora cavernosae (intracavernosal injections),
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Vacuum constrictive
devices for the penis,
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Penile prostheses,
and
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Psychotherapy.
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Healthy Recipe of the
Month -
Morning Muffins |
Morning Muffins
| PREP TIME |
15 Min |
| COOK TIME |
20 Min |
| READY IN |
35 Min |
| Original recipe
yield 18 muffins |
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups grated carrots
1 apple - peeled, cored, and chopped
1 cup raisins
1 egg
2 egg whites
1/2 cup apple butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons toasted wheat germ
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly oil 18 muffin
cups, or coat with nonstick cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, egg whites, apple butter, oil
and vanilla.
In a large bowl, stir together flours, sugar, cinnamon, baking
powder, baking soda and salt. Stir in carrots, apples and raisins.
Stir in apple butter mixture until just moistened. Spoon the batter
into the prepared muffin cups, filling them about 3/4 full.
In a small bowl, combine walnuts and wheat germ; sprinkle over
the muffin tops.
Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 15 to 20 minutes, or until
the tops are golden and spring back when lightly pressed.
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