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Green
Tea Slashes Disease
Green Tea Slashes
Risk of Disease
Green tea may be the key to slashing the risk of dying from heart
disease. Researchers at Japan’s Okayama University found that senior
citizens who drank large amounts of green tea slashed their risk of
dying from heart disease by as much as 76 percent. In addition, their
risk of dying from colorectal cancer was reduced by 31 percent.
The researchers studied 12,000 Japanese men and women between the ages
of 65 and 84 for up to six years. At the end of the study, more than
1,200 had died, but researchers found that the more green tea they
drank, the less likely they were to die. Compared with those who drank
less than a cup of green tea each day, those who drank seven cups or
more lowered their risk of dying from cardiovascular disease by an
average of 76 percent. Men lowered their risk by 70 percent and women
lowered their risk by a whopping 82 percent.
Researchers believe the dips in mortality rates are due to large amounts
of polyphenols, a type of antioxidant, found in green tea. Green tea
contains contains between 30 and 40 percent of polyphenols while black
tea, the tea most commonly consumed in the Western world, contains
between 3 and 10 percent.
The researchers believe the large reductions in death risk in the
Japanese study may be due to consuming green tea over a lifetime.
The study added to other studies that have shown green tea to be
beneficial. A recent study found that tea drinkers may have younger
biological ages than non-tea drinkers that may add as much as five years
to the average lifespan. But the recent Japanese study is the first to
show a reduction in the risk of developing colorectal cancer.
“To our knowledge, this is the first study that shows the inverse
association between green tea and colorectal cancer mortality,” said the
researchers led by Etsuji Suzuki, adding that the new study could have
“significant implications for public health.”
Women and Stroke
Women and Stroke
Researchers identified the
following
gender differences for women versus men with atrial fibrillation:
Women have a higher incidence of stroke and mortality than do men.
Women are not prescribed blood thinners (anticoagulation therapy) as
often as are men, which results in a higher incidence of formation of
blood clots that break loose and block other vessels. Women have a greater risk of bleeding from anticoagulation therapy than
do men. Monitor anticoagulation therapy carefully to avoid bleeding. Women have a higher risk of life-threatening arrhythmias and slow heart
rates requiring permanent pacing when treated with antiarrhythmic
drugs.. Women have hormonal fluctuations. Women have a higher risk of low potassium levels in the blood,
increasing the risk of drug-related arrhythmias. Women have a higher sensitivity to supportive therapies such as statins
and vasodilators. Women are referred less often or later for non-drug management such as
pacemaker implantation or ablation. Women with atrial fibrillation have a lower quality of life.
“For women with atrial fibrillation, these gender differences should
always be kept in mind to help prevent strokes and heart failure and
improve their quality of life
Baking Soda for
Kidneys?
Baking Soda Could
Stop Kidney Disease
A daily dose of baking soda, the common kitchen staple used for cooking,
cleaning, and treating indigestion, could dramatically slow the
progression of disease in patients with chronic kidney disease. British
scientists say the white powder, also known as sodium bicarbonate, is so
effective that it could spare patients from having to undergo dialysis.
The Royal College of London found that during the first randomized
controlled study of its kind even though baking soda is not classed as a
drug the study showed at the end that only 9 percent of the group taking
baking soda showed a rapid progression of their disease, compared with
45 percent of those who did not.
In addition, those taking baking soda were much less likely to progress
to end-stage renal disease and require dialysis. In fact, the rate of
their decline in kidney function was similar to the normal decline seen
with aging.
A simple remedy like sodium bicarbonate, when used appropriately, can be
very effective and baking soda prevents inflammation in kidneys by
limiting the production of ammonia.
This study shows baking soda can be useful for people with kidney
failure, and it is a cheap and simple strategy to improve patients’
nutritional well-being and it has the potential to improve quality of
life and of course a clinical outcome that can remove the need for
dialysis.
Welcome to the newly redesigned XLPharmacy Health Blog and Health
Videos, a collection of up-to-date Monthly Health Articles, News, and
Health Videos. In each current months issue XLPharmacy Health
Blog / health news provides a wealth of up-to-date medical news and videos we hope
you find helpful and informational. At XLPharmacy we care about you
and your family and we believe that everyone should have fast and
reliable access to affordable high quality medications in order to
maintain a healthy lifestyle. Staying in touch with the latest in
health news is only part of what we do. Be sure to stay
up-to-date by reading and watching XLPharmacy's health blog, news,
and health videos so you don't miss a single issue, video or health news
story in today's ever-changing world of health care. XLPharmacy
Health Blog and Health Articles will discuss everything from
Medicare to Social Security, Weight loss, Cancer to New Cancer
tests, Erectile Dysfunction and Medications like Viagra for Sexual
Health, Herpes, HIV, AIDS, Smoking, Women's Health, Mental Health
and so much more...(check our coupon code to the left)
New
articles are added all month long....
Featured Article - The Latest on Swine
Flu
Many
Swine Flu Deaths Linked to Second Infection
Many people who have died of H1N1 or the swine flu in the United
States also have had bacterial infections, health officials reported
on Wednesday.
A study was done on 77 patients who died of the new pandemic H1N1
virus showed that 29 percent of them had so-called bacterial
co-infections, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) reported.
About half of these had Streptococcus pneumonia, which can be
prevented with a vaccine. Doctors may be missing these infections in
people severely ill with flu.
The findings in this report indicate that, as during previous
influenza pandemics, bacterial pneumonia is contributing to deaths
associated with pandemic H1N1.
The CDC team who did the research noted that at first it did not
appear that people who were seriously ill with swine flu or who died
of it had secondary infections but doctors may have missed them.
The CDC stated that routine clinical tests used to identify
bacterial infections among patients with pneumonia do not detect
many of these infections.
Featured Article -
Skin Cancer Drug Shrinks Tumors
Skin Cancer Drug Shrinks Tumors
A new drug has been found to significantly reduce the size of skin
cancer tumors in initial tests, U.S. researchers say.
Some melanoma patients in the trial saw a dramatic improvement in
their condition, said the researchers, who hailed the findings "a
huge step forward."
The trial results, presented Thursday at a major cancer conference
in Berlin, showed that tumors had shrunk in some patients treated
with the PLX4032 drug twice a day.
Thirty-one advanced melanoma patients with a cancer-causing gene
mutation were involved in the trial. Tumors in 20 of the 22 patients
evaluated so far had shrunk.
Melanoma is not the most common skin cancer but is one of the most
difficult to treat once it has started to spread.
The drug in the trial works by blocking the activity of a mutation
of the BRAF gene, which is thought to play a role in half of
melanoma cancers.
The study was impressive because most of the patients — all of whom
had the BRAF mutation — had failed to respond to several previous
treatment. A lot of the patients in this study were pretty sick but many of
them had a significant and rapid improvement in the way they
function. The research showed that some patients came off oxygen and
several patients who were on narcotic pain medication soon after
starting treatment were able to come off that narcotic treatment.
The new treatment differs from standard chemotherapy, which aims to
block rapid cancer cell division by attacking the machinery that
causes this division.
In contrast, the PLX4032 drug directly attacks the genetic program
that causes the cells to divide uncontrollably.
The tests are at an early stage, and scientists do not know how long
the initial positive responses of the patients would last.
It's a huge step forward.
Current Month Story -
Beer for Brain Injury?
Beer for Brain Injury?
People who sustain a traumatic brain injury from a car crash or
other mishap are more apt to survive if they had been drinking at
the time of the injury, according to a study published Monday.
The finding "raises the intriguing possibility" that giving alcohol
to brain injured patients may improve outcome, the study team
suggests in the Archives of Surgery.
Alcohol and driving "is and will always continue to be bad — it
contributes to over 40 percent of traffic-related fatalities," first
author Dr. Ali Salim of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles,
emphasized in an e-mail to Reuters Health.
"However, of those patients with moderate to severe traumatic brain
injury who survive their initial insult, those with alcohol in their
system seem to have a slight survival advantage compared to those
without alcohol in their system," Salim noted.
Among a little more than 38,000 people who sustained moderate to
severe brain trauma between 2000 and 2005, 38 percent had alcohol in
their systems when they arrived at the hospital.
Compared with people who hadn't been drinking before the accident,
those who had been drinking were younger (average age 37 vs. 44),
and they had less-severe injuries. The traumatic brain-injured
drinkers also spent less time on a ventilator and less time in the
intensive care unit.
And fewer of the drinkers than the nondrinkers died in the hospital
(7.7 percent compared with 9.7 percent), the study found.
However, the lower death rate among the drinkers was "tempered" by
an apparent increase in complications for patients who had been
drinking before the accident, the investigators noted.
Exactly how alcohol may protect the brain after trauma is unknown.
One thought is that alcohol may lessen the body's inflammatory
response to the injury.
"There still needs to be further investigation as to the mechanisms
of this association we found before we can consider this as a
treatment option," Salim said.
SOURCE: Archives of Surgery, September 2009.
Featured Story -
AIDS Study Flushes
Out Hidden Virus, Pointing to Possible Cure
AIDS Study Flushes Out Hidden
Virus, Pointing to Possible Cure
Scientists, moving closer to a cure for AIDS, identified a way to
find medicines that would help rid patients of the hardest-to-treat
pockets of HIV.
Current anti-HIV drugs reduce the virus to undetectable levels
without eradicating it. The virus survives by lying dormant in
immune-system cells, where the medicines don’t reach them.
Scientists from Johns Hopkins University and the Howard Hughes
Medical Institute reported yesterday that they developed a way of
luring out these cells in laboratory experiments, an achievement
they said may lead to a cure if repeated in humans.
In 2007, about 2.7 million people were newly infected with HIV, the
virus that causes AIDS, and 2 million died of the disease, making it
the world’s deadliest infectious malady, according to the
Geneva-based World Health Organization, an arm of the United
Nations. Scientists looking to stop HIV have turned to attacking
so-called latent reservoirs of the virus after efforts to prevent
infection, such as vaccines and gels, largely failed.
“This is a way in which you could envision finding a drug that
would, in conjunction with existing treatment, allow us to cure
patients,” said Robert Siliciano, the professor who led the study at
Johns Hopkins’s medical school in Baltimore. More research is
needed, he said.
For about 12 years, doctors have known that HIV, or human
immunodeficiency virus, can lie dormant in immune-system cells
called resting CD4s found in the lymph nodes, spleen and blood.
There the virus stops replicating, avoiding the drugs designed to
kill it.
Roaring Back
Studies have shown latent HIV comes roaring back when treatment is
interrupted, condemning patients to a lifetime on drugs such as
Abbott Laboratories’ Kaletra that can cause side effects including
nausea, liver damage and fat buildup. Eliminating the last vestiges
of the virus could cure patients of the disease, allowing them to
stop treatment.
Siliciano’s team mimicked HIV latency in a lab dish using a gene
called Bcl-2 to turn normal CD4s into resting cells capable of
hosting the dormant form of HIV.
The researchers used the model to test 2,400 chemicals, finding 17
that coaxed the virus out of hiding, kick-starting its normal
process of replication. In a human, that would make the virus
susceptible to drugs. The best performer was a compound called 5HN
found in the leaves, bark and roots of the black walnut tree.
‘Key Thing’
“They’ve found a way to find drugs -- that’s the key thing,” said
Stephen Kent, a professor of immunology at the University of
Melbourne, in a telephone interview yesterday. “We’ve really just
been guessing up to this point about ways to get at this. Having a
system for screening drugs is a big advance over what we’ve had so
far.”
The result was achieved without rousing non-infected CD4 cells,
avoiding a potentially fatal scenario called a cytokine storm in
which the body’s immune system overreacts.
The study has limitations, Siliciano said. First, 5HN may be too
toxic for use in humans, he said by phone.
“It’s going to require additional research to find something that
does the same thing but doesn’t have lots of other effects,”
Siliciano said. “We’re pretty confident that we’ll find lots of
compounds that work, but whether any of those will be sufficiently
free of other effects -- that’s not clear,” he said.
Second, recent studies have pointed to another reservoir of latent
HIV that has yet to be identified, Siliciano said.
No Test
“We may have to find another drug to target that reservoir,” he
said. “First we have to identify what it is.”
There’s no test for identifying whether a patient has latent HIV,
meaning the only way to be sure a drug has polished off the virus is
to cease treatment and see if it returns, the University of
Melbourne’s Kent said.
The findings are an advance that may allow researchers to come up
with a drug they could start testing in humans, Kent said.
“To get something like that into clinical trials is only a few short
years -- it’s not decades,” he said. “Then it’s got to work.”
The study was published yesterday in the Journal of Clinical
Investigation, a peer-reviewed journal published by the American
Society for Clinical Investigation, of Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Current Month Story -
Erectile Problems
What are erection problems?
Erection problems can be a
difficult topic to discuss, but
if you have problems getting or
keeping an erection, you have
good reasons to talk with a
doctor. Erection problems not
only interfere with your sex
life, they can be a sign of
other health problems.
Erection problems can be a sign
of blocked blood vessels or
nerve damage from diabetes. If
you don’t see your doctor, these
problems will go untreated and
can harm your body.
Erection problems used to be
called impotence. Now the term
erectile dysfunction is more
common. Sometimes people just
use the initials ED.
Your doctor can offer several ED
treatments. For many men, the
answer is as simple as taking a
pill. Other men have to try two
or three options before they
find a treatment that works for
them. Don’t give up if the first
treatment doesn’t work. Finding
the right treatment can take
time.
What causes erectile
dysfunction?
Many different conditions can
lead to ED. Many of the causes
are health problems that affect
the heart and blood vessels and
need to be treated to help
prevent more serious problems.
high blood pressure
high cholesterol diabetes
Unhealthy lifestyle habits can
also contribute to ED. Anything
that’s bad for your heart is
also bad for your sexual health.
alcohol and drug abuse
smoking overeating
lack of exercise
Nerve damage from many causes
can interfere with the signals
that start an erection.
spinal cord injury
treatments for prostate cancer,
including radiation and prostate
removal multiple sclerosis and other
nerve diseases
Some prescription drugs such as
some antidepressants or high
blood pressure medicines can
cause ED. Your doctor may be
able to change your drug
treatment. Never stop taking a
prescribed drug without talking
with your doctor.
A small number of ED cases
result from a reduced level of
the male hormone testosterone.
Doctors used to believe that
most cases of ED resulted from
mental or emotional problems. We
now know that most ED has a
physical cause. But depression
and worry or anxiety can still
cause ED. And ED from physical
causes can lead to depression
and worry, making ED worse.
A person should not assume ED is
part of the normal process of
aging. Another cause most likely
exists.
Okay...so if I go to the doctor
what can I expect?
Talking about ED can be
difficult. When you meet with
your doctor, you might use a
phrase like “I’ve been having
problems in the bedroom” or
“I’ve been having erection
problems.” Remember that a
healthy sex life is part of a
healthy life. Don’t feel
embarrassed about seeking help.
ED is a medical problem, and
your doctor treats medical
problems every day.
If talking with your doctor
doesn’t put you at ease, ask for
a referral to another doctor.
Your doctor may send you to a
urologist—a doctor who
specializes in sexual and
urologic problems.
Your partner may want to come
with you to see the doctor. Many
doctors say ED is easier to
treat when both partners are
involved.
To find the cause of your ED,
your doctor will take a complete
medical history and do a
physical exam.
Medical
History
Your doctor will ask general
questions about your health, as
well as specific questions about
your erection problems and your
relationship with your partner.
Bring a list of all the
medicines you take, or bring
them with you to show to your
doctor. Tell your doctor about
any surgery you have had.
Your doctor will ask about
habits like alcohol use,
smoking, and exercise.
Your
doctor might ask you questions
like
How do you rate your confidence
that you can get and keep an
erection? When you have erections with
sexual stimulation, how often
are your erections hard enough
for penetration? During sexual intercourse, how
often are you able to maintain
your erection after penetration?
When you attempt sexual
intercourse, how often is it
satisfactory for you? How would you rate your level of
sexual desire? How often are you able to reach
climax and ejaculate? Do you have an erection when you
wake up in the morning?
The answers to these questions
will help your doctor understand
the problem.
Physical Exam
A physical exam can help your
doctor find the cause of your
ED. As part of the exam, the
doctor will examine your testes
and penis, take your blood
pressure, and check your
reflexes. A blood sample will be
taken to test for diabetes,
cholesterol level, and other
conditions that may be
associated with ED.
How is erectile dysfunction
treated?
Your doctor can offer a number
of treatments for ED. You may
want to talk with your partner
about which treatment fits you
best as a couple. Most people
want the simplest treatment
possible. You may need to try a
number of treatments before you
find the one that works best for
you.
Lifestyle Changes
For some men, getting more
exercise, quitting smoking,
losing weight, and cutting back
on alcohol may solve erection
problems.
Counseling
Even though most cases of ED
have a physical cause,
counseling can help couples deal
with the emotional effects. Some
couples find that counseling
adds to the medical treatment by
making their relationship
stronger.
Oral
Medicines
Since 1998, doctors have been
able to prescribe a pill to
treat ED. Current brands include
Viagra, Levitra, and Cialis.
If your health is generally
good, your doctor may prescribe
one of these drugs. You should
not take any of these pills to
treat ED if you take any
nitrates, a type of heart
medicine. All ED pills work by
increasing blood flow to the
penis. They do not cause
automatic erections. Talk with
your doctor about when to take
the pill. You may need to
experiment to find out how soon
the pill takes effect.
Even if taking a pill solves
your erection problem, you
should still take care of the
other health issues that may
have caused your ED.
Injections
Taking a pill doesn’t work for
everybody. Many men use
medicines that go directly into
the penis. Caverject and Edex
are injected into the shaft of
the penis with a needle. MUSE is
a tiny pill inserted into the
urethra at the tip of the penis.
These medicines usually cause an
erection within minutes. These
medicines can be very
successful, even if other
treatments fail. Vacuum
Device
Another way to create an
erection is to use a specially
designed vacuum tube. The penis
is inserted into the tube, which
is connected to a pump. As air
is pumped out of the tube, blood
flows into the penis and makes
it larger. A specially designed
elastic ring is moved from the
end of the tube to the base of
the penis to keep the blood from
flowing out.
When air is pumped out of the
tube, blood flows into the penis
and causes an erection.
Penile
Implant
If the other options fail, some
men need surgery to treat ED. A
surgeon can implant a device
that inflates or unbends to
create an erection. Implanted
devices do not interfere with
the way sex feels.
Penile implant operations cannot
be reversed. Once a man has a
penile implant, he must use the
device to have an erection. Talk
with your doctor about the pros
and cons of having a penile
implant.
A pump implanted under the skin
fills two rods with fluid to
cause an erection.
Points to Remember
Erection problems may be a sign
of health problems. A doctor can help you overcome
erection problems. Smoking, being overweight,
drinking too much alcohol, and
avoiding exercise can contribute
to erection problems. Most cases of erectile
dysfunction (ED) have a physical
cause, but counseling can help
couples build a stronger
relationship. Many men can take a pill to
treat ED. These men should still
treat the health conditions that
caused ED. Taking a pill doesn’t work for
all men. Men who take medicines called
nitrates should not take a pill
to treat ED. Additional treatment options for
ED include injections, urethral
inserts, a vacuum device, and a
surgical implant.
Bring a large
pot of water to
a boil. Add
pasta and cook
until just
tender, 4 to 6
minutes or
according to
package
directions.
Drain and rinse.
Meanwhile, whisk
5 teaspoons
flour and broth
in a small bowl
until smooth.
Place the
remaining flour
in a shallow
dish. Season
chicken with 1/4
teaspoon salt
and pepper and
dredge both
sides in the
flour. Heat 2
teaspoons oil in
a large nonstick
skillet over
medium heat. Add
the chicken and
cook until
browned and no
longer pink in
the middle, 2 to
3 minutes per
side. Transfer
to a plate; keep
warm.
Heat the
remaining 1
teaspoon oil in
the pan over
medium-high
heat. Add
mushrooms and
cook, stirring,
until they
release their
juices and begin
to brown, about
5 minutes.
Transfer to a
plate. Add
garlic and wine
to the pan and
cook until
reduced by half,
1 to 2 minutes.
Stir in the
reserved
broth-flour
mixture, lemon
juice and the
remaining 1/4
teaspoon salt.
Bring to a
simmer and cook,
stirring, until
the sauce is
thickened, about
5 minutes.
Stir in parsley,
capers, butter
and the reserved
mushrooms.
Measure out 1/2
cup of the
mushroom sauce.
Toss the pasta
in the pan with
the remaining
sauce. Serve the
pasta topped
with the chicken
and the reserved
sauce.
Be sure to visit
Dating
Positive Singles - A place where people with STD's will never feel
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70 million are afflicted with STDs in the U.S. alone and an
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When you have Herpes, HPV, HIV/AIDS, or any other STD, it can
feel like you are all alone in the world. Do you wish there was a
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Positive Singles is a warm-hearted and exclusive community for
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and meet new friends, partners or potential spouses, or learn about
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Feedback & Partner Request
I
like the addition of your monthly recipe. Not only are they
healthy, but also easy to prepare. Julie S., NJ
Thank you for listing the Herpes Help and Support Numbers.
I also think you are doing a good thing by helping us stay
current with the latest in AIDS information. Keep it up XL.
Bart H., OK
gender differences for women versus men with atrial fibrillation: 
