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Mice Use Less Sunscreen – Substitute Coffee and Exercise Instead

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Who would have guessed that coffee and exercise induce the formation of cells that block sunrays? But they do–at least in mice.

As reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, hairless mice who were fed high doses of caffeine, and exercised on their running wheels, showed an increase in the cells which protect against sunburn.

There have been no human studies to date, so you may wish to continue your sunscreen, hats and shirts before switching to double espressos on the beach.

Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, "Voluntary exercise together with oral caffeine markedly stimulates UVB light-induced apoptosis and decreases tissue fat in SKH-1"

Eliminate Your Kid’s Backpack – Try a “Wheelie” Instead

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Even before they hit middle school, kids are cramming more and more pounds into their backpacks. What started out as a place to carry lunch, a few notepads and a mathematics text has turned into a portable library.

Unfortunately, your child’s back wasn’t designed to carry a day’s worth of textbooks, lunch and supplies.
Even with a backpack properly carried on both shoulders, more and more kids are complaining of back pain.

The solution? Talk to your child’s teachers about cutting the textbook load. And consider buying one of the newer backpacks that come with wheels. No longer the realm of "geeks," they’re the right fashion statement for the upwardly mobile student.

Increased Waist Circumference Flags Health Problems

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The consequences of growing a "spare tire" means more than having to wear an oversize Hawaiian shirt to the pool.

According to a recently published study by Dr. Steven Kaplan, professor of urology at Cornell University, increased waist circumference provides "powerful correlation" for predicting whether male patients have an increased incidence of erectile and ejaculatory problems, diabetes, hypertension increased blood pressure, a high lipid level and an enlarged prostate.

Cell Phone Tower Dangers Psychological?

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A study out of the United Kingdom points the finger at psychological causes, not electromagnetic waves as the cause of ill health in "electromagnetic" allergy sufferers.

While stating that the distress felt by individuals was "real," the UK study pointedly noted that many of those who blamed cellular towers for their problems/symptoms reported greater problems when they thought the towers were on–even when they weren’t.

According to Professor Elaine Fox who led the three year study, "belief is a very powerful thing…. If you really believe something is going to harm you," she said, " it will."

Critics contested the findings. One, Mast Sanity, protested that currently accepted physical conditions were "initially dismissed as psychological."

Source: BBC

Scabies – Treat First and Skip the Scrape?

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Writing in the Journal of Family Practice, Dr. Barbara Walker notes, "During my medical training and years in the military, I have seen patients who suffered prolonged itching because they had no microscopic confirmation of scabies, but who cleared quickly with treatment after a skin biopsy identified scabies."
"This," she said, "has given me a short fuse for treating empirically in my own clinics."

Bottom line—if you think you have scabies, it may be a good idea to ask your doctor to skip the scrape (to find the critters), and go right to treatment, which at the moment is permethrin.
Also, make sure you treat any sexual partners, as well as anyone else who lives in your household.

Smoking Hooks Kids Almost Immediately, New Study Shows

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According to a study published in the July issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 10% of 217 studied children who inhaled cigarettes "lost autonomy over their tobacco" use within two days of their first cigarette. Another quarter became addicted within thirty days, and a full half were addicted after smoking only seven cigarettes per month.

The conclusions contradict "conventional wisdom" which believed that it took multiple cigarettes (at least five to six) per day to become addicted to nicotine.

It isn’t long term use that causes addiction, a study author noted, but it is the addiction that causes the heavy use.

Source:
Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine 

Barbeque Grilled Food and Your Health

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You’ve been reading for years about the dangers lurking in grilled meats. But who doesn’t like to grill in the summer (or even the winter if the BBQ addiction is high enough).
So what do you do? How can you enjoy the simple pleasures of grilling without picturing yourself in a chemotherapy ward lamenting that last grilled steak?

The simplest solution (other than throwing the grill into the trash), is to not grill at high heats. High heats char the outside of the meat and increase the carcinogens. Cooking slower cuts down the exposure.

Additionally, cutting off the outside fat (particularly in lamb) cuts down the risk of flame-ups that burn the meat.
And it isn’t just meat. Anything with protein (fish, chicken, snake) can develop carcinogens on the grill.

Dieticians, such as Elizabeth Schaub at Baylor Medical Center point out that grilling vegetables and fruits is risk free.

Source: Baylor Health Care System

Genes Linked to Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

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Researchers have published their discovery linking two genes with multiple sclerosis (MS).
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disorder in which the immune cells infiltrate the brain and spinal cord.

Surrounding and protecting some brain and spinal cord cells is a fatty layer known as the myelin sheath. Myelin sheath is important for conducting electrical impulses along the nerves and maintaining the health of the nerves.
In multiple sclerosis, inflammation causes the myelin to degenerate and eventually disappear, causing the impulses that travel along the nerves to decelerate.

The researchers conducted a study using DNA technology that enabled them to screen the genetic blueprint of close to 3,000 people, 931 of whom had the disease.

The data revealed 174 nucleotide differences called single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that may be associated with the risk of multiple sclerosis. They then analyzed 110 out of the 174 SNPs in a second set of subjects which number close to 5,000 people. In their final combined analysis, the scientists cited several genes that showed significant association with the risk of multiple sclerosis, two of which are implicated in the regulation of the immune response–interleukin-2 receptor alpha gene (IL2RA) and interleukin-7 receptor alpha gene (IL7R).

Other associated genes include KIAA0350, RPL5, DBC1, CD58, ALK, FAM69A, ANKRD15, EVI5, KLRB1, CBLB and PDE4B.
The research was published in the August 2007 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Donepezil Shows Promise for Severe Alzheimer’s

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In a study released last week published in the Journal of the American Academy of Neurology, the drug donepezil has improved the cognitive functioning and memory of individuals with severe Alzheimer’s disease.

 
The study, funded by Eisai Inc. and Pfizer, makers of the drug, took place over six months and studied 343 individuals.Half of the group took donepezil and the other half received a placebo.

The results showed that over 63% of the individuals demonstrated memory stabilization or increased function, compared to 39% on the placebo.

Angry Men at Higher Risk for Heart Disease, Diabetes

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It’s not healthy to be hostile, according to a recent study from Duke University.

Steven Boyle, Ph.D., a researcher at Duke University Medical Center, says men who regularly exhibit strong feelings of anger or depression may face increased risk of coronary heart disease.

The study was conducted on 313 men who were given a standard psychological test that measures hostility, anger and depression.

Men whose psychological screening showed the highest level of hostility, depressive symptoms and anger had a 7.1 percent increase in levels of an immunity protein known as C3, while men with lower levels of hostility, depression and anger showed no during the decade-long study.

According to the study’s co-author, Edward Suarez, Ph.D., the lifestyle of individuals with a hostile attitude, "often leads to greater stress and possibly changes in the way the body functions that could lead to disease.”

The study appears in the August issue of the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.

Source: Health Behavior News Service