Celebrities with diseases

WHO spotlight on BP burden

Shalini — Thu, 17 May 2012 00:10:56 +0000

One in three adults worldwide has elevated blood pressure — a condition that causes half of all deaths from stroke and heart disease — and one in 10 adults has diabetes.

This, according to the World Health Statistics 2012 report, puts the spotlight on the growing burden of non-communicable diseases, suggesting that they now cause almost two-thirds of all deaths worldwide.

For the first time, the World Health Organisation’s annual statistics report, released on Wednesday, includes information from 194 countries on the percentage of men and women with raised blood pressure and blood glucose levels. In high-income countries, widespread diagnosis and treatment with low-cost medication have significantly reduced the mean blood pressure across populations — and this has contributed to a reduction in deaths from heart disease.

In Africa, however, more than 40 per cent (and up to 50 per cent) of adults in many countries are estimated to have high blood pressure. Most of these people remain undiagnosed, although many cases could be treated with low-cost medications, which would significantly reduce the risk of death and disability from heart disease and stroke.

Also included for the first time in the WHO report are data on people with raised blood glucose levels. While the global average prevalence is around 10 per cent, up to one-third of the populations in some Pacific Island countries has this condition. Left untreated, diabetes can lead to cardiovascular disease, blindness and kidney failure.

The highest obesity levels are in the WHO Region of the Americas (26 per cent of adults) and the lowest in the WHO South-East Asia Region (3 per cent obese). In all parts of the world, women are more likely than men to be obese and thus are at greater risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers.

The World Health Assembly, to be held in Geneva from 21-26 May 2012, will review progress since the last meeting and agree on the next steps.

Work is under way to develop a global monitoring framework and a set of voluntary targets for prevention and control of these diseases. Published annually by the WHO, the World Health Statistics is the most comprehensive publication of health-related global statistics available. It contains data from 194 countries on a range of mortality, disease and health system indicators, including life expectancy, illnesses and deaths from a range of diseases, health services and treatments, financial investment in health, as well as risk factors and behaviours that affect health.

The statistics suggest that maternal mortality has decreased by over 47 per cent over the last 20 years — from more than 5,40,000 deaths in 1990 to less than 2,90,000 in 2010. One-third of these maternal deaths occurred in just two countries — India with 20 per cent of the global total and Nigeria with 14 per cent.

Data for 2000-2010 show public health advancements have helped to save children’s lives in the past decade. The world has made significant progress, having reduced the number of deaths from almost 10 million children under 5 in 2000 to 7.6 million in 2010. The decline in the number of deaths from diarrhoeal disease and measles has been particularly striking.

On death registration, the report says only 34 countries (representing 15 per cent of the world’s population) produce high quality cause-of-death data. In low- and middle-income countries, less than 10 per cent of the deaths are registered.

Article source: http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3426090.ece

Celebrities can succeed at politics

Shalini — Thu, 17 May 2012 00:10:45 +0000

Rekha has been turning heads throughout her career – whether it’s with on-screen appearances or real life ones. So it doesn’t come as any great surprise that our journalists and legislators proved every bit as susceptible as the common man. But the danger here is that instead of treating the reaction to her first appearance in the Rajya Sabha as an amusing sideshow, it will be used to argue that the corridors of power are simply not the right place for celebrities. This is a short-sighted argument for various reasons.

The most obvious one, of course, is that to brand an entire group of people unfit for political duty because of their profession is discrimination pure and simple. As citizens of this country, they have as much right to take part in its political life as anyone else. If people were debarred from doing so because of their religion, caste or sex, it would be unconstitutional; this is no less so. Because film stars or cricketers are in glamorous professions, there’s no need to assume they lack the will or capacity to engage in the hurly-burly of politics.

We need only look at the various celebrities who have been active, enthusiastic participants in politics, many of them with a great deal of success. Shatrughan Sinha, Sunil Dutt, Shabana Azmi, Kirti Azad, Navjot Singh Sidhu – the list goes on. If one looks abroad Ronald Reagan, one of the greatest 20th century US presidents, started out as a Hollywood star. Of course, there are examples of celebs who have been failures in politics. What of it? It’s not as if legislators from other fields are unqualified successes. Far from it, going by the current state of governance in the country. So why pick on celebrities alone?

COUNTERVIEW

Substance needed, not glamour

Pyaralal Raghavan

Celebrities and Parliament not only do not go together but stand at opposite ends. A celebrity by definition means a hero, a luminary or a notable who personifies triumphant individualism. A Parliament on the other hand embodies the triumph of the collective, more specifically the will of ordinary people. To mix up the two serves no purpose.

This is not to deny the important role celebrities have played in influencing social and political movements. But it’s one thing to speak out for a political cause, another to transform into a full-blown legislator. Celebs live in a bubble, cut off from ordinary people. Their need to protect their popularity will dissuade them from taking up important issues that can dent their image. Their entry into Parliament merely helps improve their branding as public personalities, besides providing them with some official perks. That may serve their personal interest, but no public interest is served.

Examples of celebrities who failed to make any contribution despite nursing political ambition include the legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan, who failed to translate his on-screen charisma into any kind of worthwhile political career. Lata Mangeshkar, who made no effort at all to influence public discourse in any area, is another good example. Sachin Tendulkar and Rekha, who have shown scant interest in public issues, are headed in the same direction. Overall one can hardly identify any celebrity who has made a significant impact on parliamentary work in the last six decades. They only deny space to more deserving new entrants who get edged out. Why do we need to be celeb-obsessed in every sphere of life? Let’s keep them out of politics, at least.

Article source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/opinion/edit-page/Celebrities-can-succeed-at-politics/articleshow/13172374.cms

BEEF: Lean beef can be part of a healthy diet, weight

Karoline — Wed, 16 May 2012 18:10:49 +0000

May is “Beef Month” in South Dakota. This tradition began more than 40 years ago and recognizes beef production as one of South Dakota’s largest economic sectors.

Beef production is good for the state’s economy. From cattle producers to feed manufacturers, equipment dealers and food marketers, thousands of South Dakotans help bring beef from pasture to plate.

There is plenty of good news about lean beef. Thanks in part to the beef checkoff paid by South Dakota beef producers, we have emerging research that supports findings that protein, like that in lean beef, can help people maintain a healthy weight, build muscle and gain the energy they need for active lives.

It’s important to point out that May is also National Physical Fitness Month. Regular exercise is a critical part of staying healthy, and it also helps with maintaining a healthy weight. Health professionals recommend that adults get at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity at least five days per week.

The South Dakota Beef Industry Council realizes the importance of exercise and a healthy diet. To help demonstrate this, the beef council has developed the South Dakota Team Beef program.

S.D. Team Beef is a group of local runners and health enthusiasts who recognize the nutritional benefits of lean beef and the vital role this high-quality protein plays in their training.

Members understand that beef is a nutrient powerhouse that can help provide fuel for daily moderate exercise. For more information about S.D. Team Beef, go to www.sdbeef.org.

Did you know that a 3-ounce serving of lean beef gives you nearly half of your daily value for protein for about 150 calories on average? Or that you’d need to eat 3 cups of raw spinach, nearly nine 3-ounce servings of Atlantic farmed salmon or nearly three 3-ounce chicken breasts to get the same amount of iron found in one 3-ounce serving of beef?

Eating lean beef as part of a balanced diet and being physically active can be part of the solution to maintaining a healthy weight. Beef plays an important role in overall health, including a role in weight control.

This steak salad recipe is a great way to take advantage of seasonal fruits and vegetables and help you create a healthy and enjoyable meal.

Farmers Market Steak Salad

Total time: 30 to 35 minutes

Makes 4 servings

12 ounces grilled beef steak, sliced

3 cups cooked brown rice, prepared without salt or fat

2 cups grilled asparagus pieces

1 cup grilled yellow squash, cut lengthwise in half, then crosswise into 1/4-inch thick slices

1 cup diced, seeded tomatoes

1 cup canned drained cannellini or great Northern beans

1/4 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced

1/4 cup white wine or balsamic vinaigrette

Salt and pepper

Combine rice, asparagus, squash, tomatoes, beans and basil in large bowl. Drizzle with dressing and toss to combine.

Top rice mixture with beef slices. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

— “The Healthy Beef Cookbook”

Holly Swee is the director of nutrition and consumer information for the South Dakota Beef Industry Council.

Article source: http://rapidcityjournal.com/lifestyles/beef-lean-beef-can-be-part-of-a-healthy-diet/article_9243ee76-9e0c-11e1-93d9-0019bb2963f4.html

Healthy food no more costly than junk food, government finds

Karoline — Wed, 16 May 2012 18:10:39 +0000

In fact, carrots, onions, pinto beans, lettuce, mashed potatoes, bananas and orange juice are all less expensive per portion than soft drinks, ice cream, chocolate candy, French fries, sweet rolls and deep-fat fried chicken patties, the report says.

“We have all heard that eating a healthy diet is expensive, and people have used that as an excuse for not eating a healthy diet, … but healthy foods do not necessarily cost more than less healthy foods,” says Andrea Carlson, an economist and co-author of the report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service.

“The price of potato chips is nearly twice as expensive as the price of carrots by portion size,” she says.

Some of the least expensive foods and beverages by portion size:

Corn tortillas
Onions
Pinto beans
Coffee (brewed at home)
Lettuce
Peanut butter

Multigrain bread
Small chocolate chip cookie

Carrots
Orange juice
Popcorn
Eggs

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service

Carlson and and her colleague Elizabeth Frazão gathered national pricing data on more than 4,000 foods and then ranked the foods by price based on calories, weight and portion size.

They placed the foods into the five food groups — grains, dairy, protein, fruits and vegetables. They added a category for unhealthy foods, which included items that did not fit the other categories and were high in sugar, sodium and/or saturated fat such as cookies, candy, desserts, granola bars and many ready-to-eat cereals.

When using weight and portion size as the guide, many healthy foods were not any more costly than unhealthy ones, Carlson says. You can always find healthy foods that are cheap and healthy foods that are expensive. The same is true of less healthy foods, she says.

She says one of the best ways to think of food costs is to consider portion size: “How much do you have to pay to put something on your plate?”

Overall, the economists found:

•When considering portion size, the ranking from least to most expensive is: grains, dairy, vegetables, fruit, protein and less healthy foods. Protein and less healthy foods are very close in cost, Carlson says.

•Grains, such as bread, oatmeal, pasta and rice, are the cheapest foods no matter how you measure by portion, weight or calories, Carlson says.

•Protein, such as meat, chicken and fish, is the most expensive food by portion size, but there are low-cost proteins such as beans and eggs.

•When looking at price per portion, fruits and vegetables are lower in price overall than unhealthy foods. “Like every food group, there are cheap veggies and fruits, and pricey ones. Cheap unhealthy foods and more expensive ones.”

•When trying to eat a healthy diet based on the government’s dietary guidelines, protein and vegetables are the most expensive recommendations to meet, followed by fruit, she says. One of the reasons: The vegetable recommendation has high amounts, about 2½ cups for someone eating a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet, and so it takes a lot of food to meet that goal, Carlson says.

Previous research has just looked at price per calories and found that healthy foods are more expensive, but Carlson says price per calorie isn’t a fair measure. For example, non-fat milk has a higher price per calorie than 2% milk but most health experts recommend drinking non-fat or 1% milk, she says. “Whole milk and skim milk are about the same price per gallon at the grocery store.”

Another example: a half cup of broccoli has 27 calories while a one-ounce bag of potato chips has 154 calories. To consume 100 calories of broccoli, you’d have to eat almost two cups and that’s more than what most people normally eat in one sitting, she says.

If you eat a chocolate-glazed doughnut at 240 calories or a banana at 105 calories, you get more nutrients from the banana and probably spend less on it, she says.

Most people allocate only about of 20% to 25% of their food budget to fruits and vegetables, but the government recommends that it should be more like 40%, Carlson says.

Dawn Jackson Blatner, a registered dietitian in Chicago and author of The Flexitarian Diet, says that the report “is great information to help bust the myth that it costs too much to eat healthy.”

Cynthia Sass, a registered dietitian in New York City and author of S.A.S.S.! Yourself Slim, says, “Many of my clients are surprised to find that their grocery bills don’t go up when they swap processed goods for fresh foods, especially when they buy in-season produce and they’re eating ideal portions, meaning three ounces of cooked chicken, rather than six.”

Just giving up soda to drink fresh-brewed hot or iced tea, or water with a wedge of in-season citrus fruit can be a huge cost savings, she says. “And many of the healthiest superfoods in the market are inexpensive, such as beans and brown rice.”

Article source: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/story/2012-05-17/healthy-food-cost-USDA/55018070/1?csp=34news

Gene variants that speed progression of Parkinson’s disease identified

Shalini — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:10:56 +0000

Washington, May 16 (ANI): A new discovery may hold the key to determine which Parkinson’s disease patients will experience a more rapid decline in motor function, sparking hopes for the development of new therapies and helping identify those who could benefit most from early intervention.

In a study, UCLA researchers have found that Parkinson’s sufferers who possess two specific variants of a gene known to be a risk factor for the disease had a significantly speedier progression toward motor decline than patients without these variants.

“This is a relatively small study, with 233 patients, but the effects we’re seeing are actually quite large,” said Dr. Beate Ritz, vice chair of the department of epidemiology at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and the study’s primary investigator.

The SNCA gene is a well-known risk factor for Parkinson’s disease, and higher levels of the a-synuclein protein made from this gene are associated with greater disease severity in familial cases of Parkinson’s.

The researchers examined two risk variants, the REP1 263bp promoter and rs356165. They recruited Parkinson’s disease patients shortly after they were diagnosed from three Central California counties and followed 233 of those patients for an average of 5.1 years.

They found that carriers of the Rep1 263bp variant had a four-fold higher risk of faster motor decline. They observed an even stronger trend in progression toward motor decline when both the Rep1 263bp and rs356165 variants were present in patients.

When doctors currently see Parkinson’s disease patients, they can’t predict how rapidly their motor function will deteriorate – how quickly, for instance, they will reach a point when they need a wheelchair or other aids, said Dr. Jeff Bronstein, professor of neurology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

“But if our results are confirmed,” Bronstein said, “these gene variants can now identify patients who are likely to have faster progression.”

And because of these differences in the rate of disease progression, researchers can test potential therapies in individuals carrying the genetic variations, obtaining faster results on the efficacy of those drugs, said co-author Shannon Rhodes, a researcher in epidemiology at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. “Plus,” she said, “you’re helping the people who are the most affected.”

Ritz, who is also a professor of neurology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, said there are probably other markers that need to be identified, because not all patients with the variants in question become fast progressors. In addition, the results need to be replicated, so future studies with many more subjects are needed.

“Since motor symptom severity predicts increased mortality (in Parkinson’s disease) independent of age and disease duration, identifying genetic predictors of faster motor decline is critical to pinpointing biological mechanisms as targets for therapies and identifying patients who will most benefit from early interventions,” the researchers wrote.

“While replication of our results in similarly well-characterized population-based incidence PD cohorts that have been longitudinally followed is still needed, our findings strongly suggest that a-synuclein and related pathogenic pathways have great promise as potential disease modifying and therapeutic targets,” they added.

The study has been published in the peer-reviewed online journal PLoS ONE. (ANI)

Article source: http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/2012/05/16/211-Gene-variants-that-speed-progression-of-Parkinson-s-disease-identified.html

Pregnancy-related disease`s warning sign `identified`

Shalini — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:10:43 +0000

Melbourne: For the first time, scientists claim to have identified a sign which can indicate whether a mother-to-be would develop pre-eclampsia, the most common and severe pregnancy-related disease.

A team at the University of Sydney says its findings may allow the early detection of pre-eclampsia which develops without warning and can do long-term damage to a baby, the `Journal of Reproductive Immunology` reported.

“Pre-eclampsia develops in mothers out of the blue, usually in the last three months of pregnancy, causing high blood pressure, kidney and liver damage and severe blood changes. Delivering the baby as soon as possible is the only way to stop it,” said team leader Prof Ralph Nanan.

In pre-eclampsia the mother`s immune system appears to attack the fetus.

“Our study looked at the thymus of the fetus, a structure which sits behind the baby`s breastbone and is known as the `cradle` of an important set of white blood cells called thymus-derived lymphocytes or T cells,” Prof Nanan said.

No previous study has looked at the effect of the disease on the fetal organ systems, say the scientists.

“Surprisingly we found the thymus of babies whose mother developed pre-eclampsia was significantly smaller than in babies of healthy pregnant women,” he said, adding these changes were obvious in mid-pregnancy, long before the mother developed any signs of pre-eclampsia.

“This is a very interesting finding as the thymus plays a central role in shaping the child`s immune system and protecting it against the development of allergies, autoimmune disease and cancers later in life,” Nanan said in a release.

The team is now conducting a prospective study with over 1200 pregnant women to confirm the findings with the long-term prospect of developing a test for pre-eclampsia.

Article source: http://zeenews.india.com/news/health/diseases/pregnancy-related-disease-s-warning-sign-identified_16992.html

Acupuncture may help some people with COPD: study

Shalini — Wed, 16 May 2012 00:11:05 +0000

By Genevra Pittman

NEW YORK |
Wed May 16, 2012 2:58am IST

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Three months of acupuncture improved breathing problems in people with chronic lung disease, in a new study from Japan.

According to one researcher, the benefits seen with the alternative treatment were on par with, or better than, what’s been shown for conventional drugs and exercises used to treat the disease. But the study was small, he added, and more research will be needed to convince doctors and policymakers of acupuncture’s usefulness.

“We don’t know if this is going to extend life, but the study suggests it improves quality of life,” said Dr. George Lewith, from the University of Southampton in England.

“If I had enough money and I was the patient, I would give acupuncture a try.”

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, is irreversible impairment of lung function, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis, often caused by smoking. One large national health survey suggested 24 million Americans have the condition, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Shortness of breath is one of the main symptoms of COPD. Typical treatment includes steroids and bronchodilators, as well as breathing exercises.

Because of that, it’s not totally surprising that an alternative therapy known to promote relaxation would help patients with breathing problems, according to Lewith.

“What acupuncture does is it seems to relax all the muscles around the chest wall,” said Lewith, who wrote a commentary published with the new study in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

“It’s absolutely consistent with what we’re trying to do conventionally, which is help with their breathing exercises and their relaxation techniques.”

STUDY INCLUDED ‘FAKE’ ACUPUNCTURE

The new findings are based on 68 patients treated with real or fake acupuncture. More robust studies will be needed before health insurance companies and programs like Medicare, for example, start funding acupuncture for this group, Lewith said.

For this study, researchers led by Masao Suzuki from Kyoto University in Japan randomly spilt patients with COPD and trouble breathing into two groups.

Half of them had weekly acupuncture sessions, with needles placed at points on the arms, stomach, back, chest and legs that have been tied to asthma and other lung problems. Participants in the comparison group went through similar sessions but with sham acupuncture treatment — when practitioners use needles that don’t actually pierce the skin.

All patients were allowed to stay on whatever medications they were already taking.

Before starting treatment and at the end of the 12 weeks, patients did a standard six-minute walking test when researchers measured how far they got in that time and how much breathing trouble they had doing it.

Breathlessness was assessed on a standard 10-point scale, with 10 representing the most difficulty breathing.

In the real acupuncture group, shortness of breath was initially rated at 5.5 out of 10 after walking. After 12 weeks of treatment, that fell to 1.9. The average distance those patients were able to walk in six minutes also improved, from about 370 meters to 440 meters.

In the comparison group, breathlessness scores held steady — at 4.2 before treatment and 4.6 after — and there was no improvement in patients’ walk distance.

“In a disease like COPD, we need to expand our thinking and come up with varying strategies to improve quality of life and relieve breathlessness,” said Dr. Ravi Kalhan, head of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine’s asthma and COPD program in Chicago.

Some patients respond better to conventional medications than others, he said — and it’s promising that people in the new study seemed to benefit from acupuncture over and above the effect of those drugs.

Costs of acupuncture vary widely by location and practitioner, but a single session can run for about $100 and is often not covered by insurance. That may not be feasible for typical COPD patients, according to Lewith, who are often older and working class.

But for people who can spare the cost, the researchers agreed there’s nothing stopping them from trying out the alternative therapy.

“For me, as long as the therapy is safe and someone wants to try it and it might help and won’t hurt, I absolutely encourage it,” Kalhan, who wasn’t involved in the new study, told Reuters Health.

“I don’t think we have enough of a data base to recommend it and say: ‘This is going to help you,’” he said. “I would always prioritize traditional medicine over this right now.”

SOURCE: bit.ly/JXQbsX Archives of Internal Medicine, online May 14, 2012.

Article source: http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/05/15/us-acupuncture-copd-idINBRE84E13M20120515

Roche Alzheimer’s drug picked for major test

Shalini — Wed, 16 May 2012 00:10:54 +0000

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO |
Wed May 16, 2012 3:16am IST

CHICAGO (Reuters) – Roche Holding AG’s Genentech unit has won the right to try its experimental Alzheimer’s drug crenezumab on people with no signs of dementia – the first such trial to gauge whether early intervention can help prevent or slow the disease.

The drug will be tested among members of an extended family of about 5,000 people from the Antioquia region of Colombia. They carry a gene that causes them to develop Alzheimer’s early, with some experiencing symptoms of memory loss in their mid-30s, scientists say.

The U.S. Department of Health Human Services is backing the trial with a $16 million grant as part of the government’s National Alzheimer’s Plan announced on Tuesday, which includes a target to find an effective treatment or prevention by 2025.

Another $15 million in trial funding comes from Banner Health, a non-profit organization based in Phoenix, Arizona, that runs a chain of hospitals and which is leading the study. The rest of an estimated $100 million in total costs will be paid by Genentech, the U.S.-based biotechnology unit of Switzerland’s Roche.

Trial researchers said they picked the Genentech drug from among 25 rivals, largely because it does not cause vasogenic edema, a brain swelling side effect seen in similar drugs. They include bapineuzumab, being tested by Pfizer Inc and Johnson Johnson; and Eli Lilly and Co’s solanezumab.

Both closely watched drugs are in late-stage clinical trials, with results expected later this year.

The trial in Colombia could offer the most definitive test yet of the amyloid theory of Alzheimer’s, which holds that the disease is caused by a steady buildup of a protein known as beta amyloid.

Scientists and drugmakers have been targeting deposits of beta amyloid in Alzheimer’s patients for decades, and some have succeeded in removing the sticky plaques that are a hallmark of the disease. But so far, none of the drugs has succeeded in improving patients’ thinking and memory capabilities.

Researchers say the reason is likely to be that most of the anti-amyloid drugs in past trials and ongoing studies were tested on people whose brains were already wrecked by Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia that affects 35.6 million people worldwide.

This trial should be different because it will be tested on people before the disease has done much damage to brain cells.

“This will be the first test of an anti-amyloid treatment in a preclinical stage, where it has the best chance to have the most profound benefit,” said Dr. Eric Reiman, executive director of Banner Alzheimer’s Institute and chief executive of Banner Research in Phoenix, which is leading the trial.

BEFORE SYMPTOMS APPEAR

Richard Scheller, executive vice president for Genentech Research and Early Development, said the problem with other Alzheimer’s disease trials, including one run by Genentech, was that beta amyloid takes many years to build up in the brain.

“Once symptoms are apparent, it may be very difficult or too late to reverse the course of the disease. By treating early, we’re hoping to prevent the beta amyloid build-up in the first place.”

Reiman said Genentech’s drug was developed to minimize the chance of causing vasogenic edema and microhemorrhages — tiny leaks of blood in the brain.

“The studies in animals were very encouraging and the studies so far have also been encouraging in patients,” he said.

Having fewer side effects means the drug can be used at higher doses, increasing the chances of getting more of the antibody into the brain, said Dr. Pierre Tariot of the Banner Alzheimer’s Institute.

Genentech’s drug targets solid bits of beta amyloid that make up plaques in the brain, and free-floating, soluble forms of the protein, which some researchers think may be the real toxic culprit behind the disease.

Scheller said the Colombian family offers a unique opportunity to test drugs because they are virtually certain to develop Alzheimer’s disease.

“We know with almost certainty that by the time people with the mutation are 50 years old, everyone will have severe symptoms of the disease. Treating them before they show any symptoms, we will be able to see if we can slow down or prevent the disease from occurring,” Scheller said.

The team is working on the study with Dr. Francisco Lopera of the University of Antioquia in Colombia, who first identified the family’s illness nearly three decades ago and helped to discover its cause – a mutation on a gene called presenillin.

Lopera’s studies of this family have produced many interim biomarkers that will be used by the team to help determine if the disease is progressing.

NATIONAL ALZHEIMER’S GOAL

If all goes well, Genentech hopes to enroll the first patients in early 2013, and have the first interim analysis in early 2017.

Study participants will be 30 or older and within 15 years of the age when their parents’ symptoms began. Typically, cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer’s begins in these Colombian families at around age 45.

Scheller said the study is the best test yet of the amyloid hypothesis because it will clearly show whether removing amyloid from the brain interferes with the progression of Alzheimer’s.

That answer may come earlier if researchers get a positive result from the studies of the Pfizer and JJ trial of bapineuzumab, or the Lilly trial of solanezumab.

But if the trials fail, it will not be clear if it was because the amyloid hypothesis failed, or because the drug was tested too late in the disease process, Scheller said.

Reiman said the three-way partnership with the U.S. government is aimed at advancing research, and some of the findings of the study, including samples of blood and tissue, will be made available widely to the research community.

The clock is ticking for the United States to find a cure.

Experts predict that without an effective treatment, the number of Americans with Alzheimer’s will double by 2050 to more than 10 million, and related healthcare costs could soar to over $1 trillion a year.

The Obama administration plans to invest $50 million in new Alzheimer’s research funding in fiscal 2012 and another $80 million in fiscal 2013.

Meanwhile, Reiman said his team is trying to manage expectations within the Colombian family, making clear the drug is experimental, and the risks and benefits are uncertain.

“It is awfully moving to see families who for generations have been living with what they view is a curse to think about ways that would empower them to engage in this fight against Alzheimer’s disease, both for their families, and, as they say, for the world,” Reiman said.

(Editing by Michele Gershberg, David Brunnstrom and Jeffrey Benkoe)

Article source: http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/05/15/us-alzheimers-genentech-idINBRE84E0UJ20120515

Jays’ Morrow, singer Canyon promoting diabetes awareness

Lee — Wed, 16 May 2012 00:10:46 +0000

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — When Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Brandon Morrow threw a brilliant three-hit complete game against the Los Angeles Angels on May 3, earning his second career shutout, he couldn’t just focus on searing fastballs and wipeout sliders.

The 27-year-old right-hander is a Type I diabetic who has risen to play with the best in the game despite a constant need to balance and monitor his blood sugar levels. Letting diabetic kids know that their dreams are possible is one of Morrow’s personal missions.

His Twitter social media account describes him as a diabetic first and a major league pitcher second.

“In my life, that’s what I need to take care of because if I don’t take care of the diabetes first, I’m not going to be pitching for very long,” Morrow said from Oakland last week a day before beating the Athletics to win his fourth straight start.

He wears a small beeper-sized pump when he’s not on the mound that releases insulin into a port on his abdomen so his body can process food. Type I diabetes is an autoimmune disease that mysteriously stops the pancreas from producing insulin, the hormone that draws energy from foods. It affects more than 300,000 people in Canada and is a leading cause of kidney failure, adult blindness, stroke, amputations, heart disease and nerve damage.

Morrow says baseball’s meticulous, almost Groundhog Day-like routines help him keep his health in check as he pricks fingers on his left hand several times a day to test his blood sugars.

On game days, Morrow is careful to check his blood sugars after throwing the first and second innings, and may have to adjust with some Gatorade, a bit of an energy bar or some insulin the deeper he pitches into a game. Losing the right balance can lead to a woozy, almost out of body experience or worse.

It’s a hopeful, no-limits message that is also the focus of a five-day national music tour starting Monday in St. John’s with headliner George Canyon, the country music singer, actor and Type I diabetic who hails from Nova Scotia.

The free event is a first come, first served blend of music and inspiring words for families and kids living with the disease. Other stops over the next week are in Barrie, Ont., Winnipeg, Edmonton and Prince George, B.C.

Canyon, who has appeared in CBC-TV’s “Heartland” and Showcase’s “Trailer Park Boys,” is now 41 and has been living with diabetes since he was 14.

The married father of two had no one to look up to as a diabetic role model when he was a teen, he recalled. He vowed to offer that guidance and encouragement to others, he said from his ranch outside Calgary.

Article source: http://thechronicleherald.ca/sports/96353-jays-morrow-singer-canyon-promoting-diabetes-awareness

Lifestyle to blame for rise in gestational diabetes

Lee — Wed, 16 May 2012 00:10:36 +0000

KOLKATA: Shock was written all over Ridhima Agarwal’s face. “How can I have diabetes? No one in my family ever had it. I hope my baby will be fine?” asked the young woman. The 35-year old has just entered into the fourth month of her pregnancy and her weight increased by 7kg. Her gynaecologist suggested her to get a blood sugar test. Ridhima, pregnant with her second child, was diagnosed with “gestational diabetes”.

Gestational diabetes is a phenomenon that occurs only during pregnancy and goes away after the delivery. The risk of diabetes has increased in women with gestational diabetes that leads to complications during delivery and might affect the child’s health in the future. Ridhima was asked to undergo a Caesarean during her second deliver. Her rising blood sugar levels posed threat to her newborn.

This is not an isolated case. The cases of gestational diabetes have been increasing by the day among mothers-to-be in the city. Gynaecologists say hereditary factors, coupled with obesity and a sedentary lifestyle, are leading to gestational diabetes in the city.

Thirty-eight-year-old Baishakhi Sengupta is pregnant with her first child. She is in her second trimester. Apart from the complications that come with a late pregnancy, she is suffering from hypertension. Baishakhi has been warned by her doctor to eat right because this stage is extremely crucial as there is fear of putting on weight. Since a woman undergoes tremendous hormonal changes during pregnancy, it affects the balance of glucose levels in the body. A high level of blood sugar during the gestation period can lead to metabolic abnormalities in the foetus.

“The baby born to a diabetic mother is usually a macrosomic one weighing around 4 kg. But one must not think he/she’s a healthy baby. The new-born usually cannot survive under normal conditions. The baby suffers from hypoxia, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and also from a water and electrolyte imbalance,” said gynaecologist Gauri Kumra.

She also adds, “Gestational diabetes is harmful for both mother and the child. Being overweight and having high sugar levels can lead to complications during delivery. At times the new-born might have deformed lungs or spinal cord due to being born prematurely. Besides, the baby also has a high chance of contracting diabetes later in life.” Apart from this, the infant, born to a diabetic mother, can face complications like low sugar levels, low calcium, respiratory disorders to severe jaundice too.

“Gestational diabetes, also known as Type 3 diabetes, is becoming very common these days. I have noticed a sharp rise in patients who suffer from high blood sugar level during pregnancy. Gestational diabetes mainly affects woman over 30 years with a family history of diabetes,” said gynaecologist Arunangshu Chakraborty.

This condition can extremely be very scary for mothers-to-be, coupled with the anxiety of complications. But with a few precautions, it need not cause harm to the mother or child. If diagnosed with gestational diabetes, it is most important to follow a healthy lifestyle and have a nutritional diet with plenty of fibre, vegetables and fruits.

“I had to alter my diet and lifestyle during my pregnancy period. My daughter weighed 3.5 kg when she was born. Born prematurely, she suffered respiratory distress syndrome,” said Vasundhara Khosla, another patient.

Article source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Lifestyle-to-blame-for-rise-in-gestational-diabetes/articleshow/13159175.cms