Month: January 2014

Vitamin E may slow spread of mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease

Researchers say vitamin E might slow the progression of mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease — the first time any treatment has been shown to alter the course of dementia at that stage.

In a study of more than 600 older veterans, high doses of the vitamin delayed the decline in daily living skills, such as making meals, getting dressed and holding a conversation, by about six months over a two-year period.

The benefit was equivalent to keeping one major skill that otherwise would have been lost, such as being able to bathe without help. For some people, that could mean living independently rather than needing a nursing home.

Vitamin E did not preserve thinking abilities, though, and it did no good for patients who took it with another Alzheimer’s medication. But those taking vitamin E alone required less help from caregivers — about two fewer hours each day than some others in the study.

“It’s not a miracle or, obviously, a cure,” said study leader Dr. Maurice Dysken of the Minneapolis VA Health Care System. “The best we can do at this point is slow down the rate of progression.”

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs sponsored the study, published Tuesday by the Journal of the American Medical Association.

No one should rush out and buy vitamin E, several doctors warned. It failed to prevent healthy people from developing dementia or to help those with mild impairment (“pre-Alzheimer’s”) in other studies, and one suggested it might even be harmful.

Still, many experts cheered the new results after so many recent flops of once-promising drugs.

“This is truly a breakthrough paper and constitutes what we have been working toward for nearly three decades: the first truly disease-modifying intervention for Alzheimer’s,” said Dr. Sam Gandy of Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. “I am very enthusiastic about the results.”

About 35 million people worldwide have dementia, and Alzheimer’s is the most common type. In the U.S., about 5 million have Alzheimer’s. There is no cure and current medicines just temporarily ease symptoms.

Researchers don’t know how vitamin E might help, but it is an antioxidant, like those found in red wine, grapes and some teas. Antioxidants help protect cells from damage that can contribute to other diseases, says the federal Office on Dietary Supplements. Many foods contain vitamin E, such as nuts, seeds, grains, leafy greens and vegetable oils. There are many forms, and the study tested a synthetic version of one — alpha-tocopherol — at a pharmaceutical grade and strength, 2,000 international units a day.

Years ago, another study found that the same form and dose helped people with more advanced Alzheimer’s, and many were prescribed it. But vitamin E fell out of favor after a 2005 analysis of many studies found that those taking more than 400 units a day were more likely to die of any cause.

The new study involved 613 veterans, nearly all male, 79 years old on average, with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s, at 14 VA centers. All were already taking Aricept, Razadyne or Exelon — widely used, similar dementia medicines.

Participants were placed in four groups and given either vitamin E, another dementia medicine called memantine (its brand name is Namenda), both pills or dummy pills.

After a little more than two years of follow-up, those on vitamin E alone had a 19 percent lower annual rate of decline in daily living skills compared to the placebo group. Memantine made no difference, and vitamin E did not affect several tests of thinking skills.

“It’s a subtle effect but it’s probably real,” Dr. Ron Petersen, the Mayo Clinic’s Alzheimer’s research chief, said of the benefit on daily living from vitamin E. “That has to be weighed against the potential risks” seen in earlier studies, he said.

Heather Snyder, director of medical and scientific operations for the Alzheimer’s Association, said the group’s position is that “no one should take vitamin E for Alzheimer’s disease or other memory issues except under the supervision of a physician,” because it can interfere with blood thinners, cholesterol drugs and other medicines.

The new results also need to be verified in a fresh study that includes more women and minorities, she said.

Source: fox news

4 reasons why pregnant women should consider the flu shot

With flu season in full swing, attention must be paid to pregnant women when it comes to this potentially dangerous virus.

Expectant mothers must be encouraged to get a flu shot – and if they notice flu-like symptoms, they need to seek medical help immediately.

The mortality and complications of the flu in pregnancy are enormous. And these complications are not only significant to the mother, but can also affect her baby by causing premature labor, premature delivery and even death.

There are four key issues that make the flu so problematic in pregnancy.

The first one is that pregnant women have more difficulty in fighting off infections – both viral and bacterial. The reason for this is that the immune system often is underperforming due to the hormonal changes in pregnancy, which can have effects similar to those seen in people on chronic steroid medications.

Once a severe infection develops, the chances the virus or bacteria can overrun the mother are proportionally higher.

The second point has to do with those pregnancy hormones themselves, in particular – progesterone. One of the effects of progesterone in pregnancy is that it creates capillary engorgement and swelling of the lining of the nose and oral pharynx. This predisposes a pregnant women to contract viruses and infuse them quickly into circulation.

Next, there are significant physical changes in the breathing system of a pregnant women. There’s an upward displacement of the diaphragm, which grows over time as the belly becomes bigger – and means the total lung capacity is decreased. What happens is the expiratory reserve volume and the residual volume of the lungs are decreased by 20 percent, so you have less air every time you take a breath.

Now, imagine having the flu and having your lungs full of mucous. With these changes, if the patient is lying down, the chest wall function makes it harder for her to breathe.

This brings me to my last point of significance. The need for oxygen is much greater in pregnant women than non-pregnant women. The reason there is an increased oxygen consumption is because you’re now breathing for two — literally.

Ultimately, the flu can infect a pregnant woman’s lungs, not only with the flu virus, but with a secondary infection – like bacterial pneumonia, making oxygen delivery to the mother and child more problematic – and could even lead to death.

If you are pregnant, and haven’t already gotten your flu shot, you should talk to your doctor about it right away.

Source: news.nom

Boy stabbed by syringe found in Wal-Mart sweatshirt he got for Christmas

A 16-year-old boy in south Washington is undergoing multiple blood tests after he was stabbed by a syringe hidden inside a sweatshirt he received for Christmas, The Daily News Online reported.

According to Nanette Snyder, her son was modeling the new hoodie – purchased from Wal-Mart – on Christmas day when he stuck his hand in the front pocket. He then felt a stab of pain and pulled his hand out – revealing a syringe stuck in his finger. Another syringe was also found in the sweater’s pocket, and both of the syringes appeared to be used.

Snyder immediately took her son to the emergency room, where he underwent testing for HIV and hepatitis. The family is still waiting for the test results, though the boy will need additional testing throughout the year even if all results are initially negative.

“I feel like crap,” Snyder told The Daily News Online. “It’s a horrible feeling.”

A corporate spokesperson for Wal-Mart said they are investigating the incident.

“We take this very, very seriously and we want to get to a better idea of what could have happened,” she said.

Source: Face Punch