Archive for April, 2017

In Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich, author Norman Ohler reveals that the Nazis doped their soldiers with a stimulant they called Pervitina.k.a. methamphetamine. The drug helped the Germanswin key battles in the beginning of World War II.

But it wasnt just low-level soldiers who were using during the Second World War. Drug use went all the way up the Nazi leadership to Hitler himself. The dictators personal physician, Theodor Morell, regularly injected Patient A with hormone preparations and steroids he had created using animal glands and other dubious ingredientsand as Hitlers health worsened, Morell secretly began treating him with eukodal, otherwise known as oxycodone, in July 1943. Hitler received an injection every other daywhich is, Ohler notes, The typical rhythm of an addict and contradicts the idea of a purely medical application. The Fuhrer was hooked.

In July 1944, German senior military officials tried to kill Hitler with a bomb in the unsuccessful Operation Valkyrie. The explosion punctured both of Hitlers eardrums. Ear, nose, and throat doctor Erwin Giesing was called to Hitlers headquarters in Poland and began treating Hitler without consulting Morell, administering cocaine in the dictator's nasal passages with a cotton swab. Hitler quickly became addicted to cocaine, too.

Morell and Giesing hated and distrusted each other from the start. In fact, Giesing suspected Morell was poisoning Hitlerand he wasn't alone. In autumn 1944, the situation finally came to a head, as recounted in this excerpt from Blitzed.

You have all agreed that you want to turn me into a sick man. Adolf Hitler

The power of the personal physician was approaching a high point during that autumn of 1944. Since the attempt on his life Patient A needed him more than ever, and with each new injection Morell gained further influence. The dictator was closer to him than he was to anyone else; there was no one he liked to talk to as much, no one he trusted more. At major meetings with the generals an armed SS man stood behind every chair to prevent any further attacks. Anyone who wanted to see Hitler had to hand over his briefcase. This regulation did not apply to Morells doctors bag.

Many people envied the self-styled sole personal physician his privileged position. Suspicion about him was growing. Morell still stubbornly refused to talk to anyone else about his methods of treatment. Right until the end he maintained the discretion with which he had initially approached the post. But in the stuffy atmosphere of the haunted realm of the bunker system, where the poisonous plants of paranoia sent their creepers over the thick concrete walls, this was not without its dangers. Morell even left the assistant doctors Karl Brandt and Hanskarl von Hasselbach, with whom he could have discussed the treatment of Hitler, consistently in the dark. He had mutated from outsider to diva. He told no one anything, wrapping himself in an aura of mystery and uniqueness. Even the Fuhrers all-powerful secretary, Martin Bormann, who made it clear that he would have preferred a different kind of treatment for Hitler, one based more on biology, was banging his head against a wall when it came to the fat doctor.

As the war was being lost, guilty parties were sought. The forces hostile to Morell were assembling. For a long time Heinrich Himmler had been collecting information about the physician, to accuse him of having a morphine addiction and thus of being vulnerable to blackmail. Again and again the suspicion was voiced on the quiet: might he not be a foreign spy who was secretly poisoning the Fuhrer? As early as 1943 the foreign minister, Joachim von Ribbentrop, had invited Morell to lunch at his castle, Fuschl, near Salzburg, and launched an attack: while the conversation with von Ribbentrops wife initially revolved around trivial questions such as temporary marriages, state bonuses for children born out of wedlock, lining up for food and the concomitant waste of time, after the meal the minister stonily invited him upstairs, to discuss something.

Von Ribbentrop, arrogant, difficult, and blas as always, tapped the ash off his Egyptian cigarette with long, aristocratic fingers, looked grimly around the room, then fired off a cannonade of questions at the miracle doctor: Was it good for the Fuhrer to get so many injections? Was he given anything apart from glucose? Was it, generally speaking, not far too much? The doctor gave curt replies: he only injected what was necessary. But von Ribbentrop insisted that the Fuhrer required a complete transformation of his whole body, so that he became more resilient. That was water off a ducks back for Morell, and he left the castle rather unimpressed. Laymen are often so blithe and simple in their medical judgments, he wrote, concluding his record of the conversation.

But this was not the last assault Morell would bear. The first structured attack came from Bormann, who tried to guide Hitlers treatment onto regular, or at least manageable, lines. A letter reached the doctor: Secret Reich business! In eight points measures for the Fuhrers security in terms of his medical treatment were laid out, a sample examination of the medicines in the SS laboratories was scheduled, and, most importantly, Morell was ordered henceforth always to inform the medical supply officer which and how many medications he plans to use monthly for the named purpose.

In fact this remained a rather helpless approach from Bormann, who was not usually helpless. On the one hand his intervention turned Hitlers medication into an official procedure, but on the other he wanted as little correspondence as possible on the subject, since it was important to maintain the healthful aura of the leader of the master race. Heil Hitler literally means Health to Hitler, after all. For that reason the drugs, as detailed in Bormanns letter, were to be paid for in cash to leave no paper trail. Bormann added that the monthly packets should be stored ready for delivery at any time in an armored cupboard, and made as identifiable as possible down to the ampoule by consecutive numbering (for example, for the first consignment: 1/44), while at the same time the external wrapping of the package should bear an inscription to be precisely established with the personal signature of the medical supply officer.

Morells reaction to this bureaucratic attempt to make his activities transparent was as simple as it was startling. He ignored the instructions of the mighty security apparatus and simply didnt comply, instead continuing as before. In the eye of the hurricane he felt invulnerable, banking on the assumption that Patient A would always protect him.

In late September 1944, in the pale light of the bunker, the ear doctor, Giesing, noted an unusual coloration in Hitlers face and suspected jaundice. The same day, on the dinner table there was a plate holding apple compote with glucose and green grapes and a box of Dr. Koesters anti-gas pills, a rather obscure product. Giesing was perplexed when he discovered that its pharmacological components included atropine, derived from belladonna or other nightshade plants, and strychnine, a highly toxic alkaloid of nux vomica, which paralyzes the neurons of the spinal column and is also used as rat poison. Giesing indeed smelled a rat. The side-effects of these anti-gas pills at too high a dose seemed to correspond to Hitlers symptoms. Atropine initially has a stimulating effect on the central nervous system, then a paralyzing one, and a state of cheerfulness arises, with a lively flow of ideas, loquacity, and visual and auditory hallucinations, as well as delirium, which can mutate into violence and raving. Strychnine in turn is held responsible for increased light-sensitivity and even fear of light, as well as for states of flaccidity. For Giesing the case seemed clear: Hitler constantly demonstrated a state of euphoria that could not be explained by anything, and I am certain his heightened mood when making decisions after major political or military defeats can be largely explained in this way.

In the anti-gas pills Giesing thought he had discovered the causes of both Hitlers megalomania and his physical decline. He decided to treat himself as a guinea pig: for a few days Giesing took the little round pills himself, promptly identified that he had the same symptoms, and decided to go on the offensive. His intention was to disempower Morell by accusing him of deliberately poisoning the Fuhrer, so that Giesing could assume the position of personal physician himself. While the Allied troops were penetrating the borders of the Reich from all sides, the pharmacological lunacy in the claustrophobic Wolfs Lair was becoming a doctors war.

As his ally in his plot, Giesing chose Hitlers surgeon, who had been an adversary of Morells for a long time. Karl Brandt was in Berlin at the time, but when Giesing called he took the next plane to East Prussia without hesitation and immediately summoned the accused man. While the personal physician must have worried that he was being collared for Eukodal, he was practically relieved when his opponents tried to snare him with the anti-gas pills, which were available without prescription. Morell was also able to demonstrate that he had not even prescribed them, but that Hitler had organized the acquisition of the pills through his valet, Heinz Linge. Brandt, who had little knowledge of biochemistry and focused his attention on the side-effects of strychnine, was not satisfied with this defense. He threatened Morell: Do you think anyone would believe you if you claimed that you didnt issue this prescription? Do you think Himmler might treat you differently from anyone else? So many people are being executed at present that the matter would be dealt with quite coldly. Just a week later Brandt added: I have proof that this is a simple case of strychnine poisoning. I can tell you quite openly that over the last five days I have only stayed here because of the Fuhrers illness.

But what sort of illness was that exactly? Was it really icterusjaundice? Or might it be a typical kind of junkie hepatitis because Morell wasnt using properly sterile needles? Hitler, whose syringes were only ever disinfected with alcohol, wasnt looking well. His liver, under heavy attack from those many toxic substances over the past few months, was releasing the bile pigment bilirubin: a warning signal that turns skin and eyes yellow. Morell was being accused of poisoning his patient. There was an air of threat when Brandt addressed Hitler. Meanwhile, on the night of October 5, 1944, Morell suffered a brain edema from the agitation. Hitler was unsettled beyond measure by the accusations: Treachery? Poison? Might he have been mistaken for all those years? Was he being double-crossed by his personally chosen doctor, Morell, the truest of the true, the best of all his friends? Wouldnt dropping his personal physician, who had just given him a beneficial injection of Eukodal, amount to a kind of self-abandonment? Wouldnt it leave him high and dry, vulnerable? This was an attack that might prove fatal, as his power was based on charisma. After all, it was the drugs that helped him artificially maintain his previously natural aura, on which everything depended.

Since the start of the Fuhrers rapid physical decline these internecine struggles between the doctors turned into a proxy war for succession at the top of the Nazi state. The situation was becoming worse: Himmler told Brandt he could easily imagine that Morell had tried to kill Hitler. The Reichsfuhrer-SS called the physician to his office and coldly informed him that he had himself sent so many people to the gallows that he no longer cared about one more. At the same time, in Berlin, the head of the Gestapo, Ernst Kaltenbrunner, summoned Morells locum, Dr. Weber, from the Kurfurstendamm to a hearing at the Reich Security Main Office on Prinz-Albrecht-Strasse. Weber tried to exonerate his boss, and voiced his opinion that a plot was utterly out of the question. He claimed Morell was far too fearful for such a thing.

Finally the chemical analysis of the disputed medication was made available. The result: its atropine and strychnine content was far too small to poison anyone, even in the massive quantities that Hitler had been given. It was a comprehensive victory for Morell. I would like the matter involving the anti-gas pills to be forgotten once and for all, Hitler stated, ending the affair. You can say what you like against Morellhe is and remains my only personal physician, and I trust him completely. Giesing received a reprimand, and Hitler dismissed him with the words that all Germans were freely able to choose their doctors, including himself, the Fuhrer. Furthermore, it was well known that it was the patients faith in his doctors methods that contributed to his cure. Hitler would stay with the doctor he was familiar with, and brushed aside all references to Morells lax treatment of the syringe: I know that Morells new method is not yet internationally recognized, and that Morell is still in the research stage with certain matters, without having reached a firm conclusion about them. But that has been the case with all medical innovations. I have no worries that Morell will not make his own way, and I will immediately give him financial support for his work if he needs it.

Himmler, a dedicated sycophant, immediately changed tack: Yes, gentlemen, he explained to Hasselbach and Giesing, You are not diplomats. You know that the Fuhrer has implicit trust in Morell, and that should not be shaken. When Hasselbach protested that any medical or even civil court could at least accuse Morell of negligent bodily harm, Himmler turned abrasive: Professor, you are forgetting that as interior minister I am also head of the supreme health authority. And I dont want Morell to be brought to trial. The head of the SS dismissed Giesings objection that Hitler was the only head of state in the world who took between 120 and 150 tablets and received between 8 and 10 injections every week.

The tide had turned once and for all against Giesing, who was given a check from Bormann for ten thousand reichsmarks in compensation for his work. Both reichsmarks in compensation for his work. Both Hasselbach and the influential Brandt were out of luck as well, also damaging the latters confidant Speer, who had his eye on Hitlers succession. The three doctors had to leave headquarters. Morell was the only one who stayed behind. On October 8, 1944, he rejoiced in the happy news: The Fuhrer told me that Brandt had only to meet his obligations in Berlin. Patient A stood firmly by his supplier. Just as every addict adores his dealer, Hitler was unable to leave the generous doctor who provided him with everything he needed.

The dictator told his physician: These idiots didnt even think about what they were doing to me! I would suddenly have been standing there without a doctor, and these people should have known that during the eight years you have been with me you have saved my life several times. And how I was before! All doctors who were dragged in failed. Im not an ungrateful person, my dear doctor. If we are both lucky enough to make it through the war, then youll see how well I will reward you!

Morells confident reply can also be read as an attempt to justify himself to posterity, because the physician put it baldly on record: My Fuhrer, if a normal doctor had treated you during that time, then you would have been taken away from your work for so long that the Reich would have perished. According to Morells own account, Hitler peered at him with a long, grateful gaze and shook his hand: My dear doctor, I am glad and happy that I have you.

The war between the doctors was thus shelved. Patient A had put a stop to a premature dismissal. The price he paid was the continued destruction of his health by a personal physician who had been confirmed in his post. To calm his nerves the head of state received Eukodal, Eupaverin. Glucose i.v. plus Homoseran i.m.

Excerpt from BLITZED: Drugs in the Third Reich by Norman Ohler, translated by Shaun Whiteside. 2017 by Norman Ohler. English translation 2017 by Shaun Whiteside. Used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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The Doctor Who Got Hitler Hooked on DrugsAnd the Plot to Take Him Down - Mental Floss

Who isn't tired these days? We're constantly on call for work, family and friends, and often forget to take time for ourselves. Most of us recognize that chronic stress can take its toll on our health and well-being. But what if you're so fatigued that even getting more sleep doesn't seem to help?

Complementary and alternative medicine provide an explanation for stress-induced fatigue that offers hope to the chronically tired. According to naturopathic doctors, holistic nutritionists and others, adrenal fatigue is a condition where the adrenals, glands that sit above the kidneys, don't produce enough cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone that plays a role in managing stress and regulating metabolism, sleep, blood sugar and inflammation.

"Fatigue is probably the number one complaint among new patients in my practice," says Leila Kirdani, a family physician specializing in functional medicine. "Anyone with prolonged fatigue, with difficulty sleeping, who feels 'burned-out' or lack of enjoyment in life, may be suffering from adrenal fatigue."

Basically, the theory goes that too much stress wears out our adrenal glands - they get tired and don't produce enough cortisol for us to feel energized. So why aren't our family doctors telling us about this?

As a registered dietitian in private practice, I often get new clients who have been told by their naturopathic doctors that they have adrenal fatigue and need to follow a special diet and a regimen of supplements and herbs. Hours of searching the scientific literature has led to very little in terms of evidence-based dietary advice to help these individuals. Which raises the question . . .

- Is adrenal fatigue real?

The very existence of adrenal fatigue is a contentious issue. It isn't recognized by any endocrinology societies or endocrinologists, medical doctors who specialize in hormone-related health problems. A recent systematic review of the scientific literature found that there was no evidence for the existence of adrenal fatigue as a medical condition.

Theodore C. Friedman is an endocrinologist at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science who describes himself as being open to complementary medicine. Like many medical doctors, he says adrenal fatigue doesn't exist: "It's something made up by naturopathic doctors; endocrinologists don't recognize it as a real condition."

Saul Marcus is a naturopathic doctor in Connecticut. "When it comes to adrenal fatigue, conventional medicine insists it doesn't exist. However, adrenal fatigue is essentially a stress reaction, and stress is very well understood as a cause of illness."

And so we see the bipolar worlds of conventional medicine and complementary and alternative medicine are firmly divided into two camps: adrenal fatigue doesn't exist vs. adrenal fatigue is an important medical issue.

Somewhere in the middle is the idea that adrenal fatigue is a term that encompasses a wide range of general symptoms rather than a discrete medical problem. Does the label matter?

- What's really going on with your adrenal glands?

According to Kirdani, "There is a distinct bias in the medical community when it comes to adrenal fatigue. For some reason, doctors think that either your adrenal glands are perfectly fine, or else they have ceased to function."

"Naturopaths have it wrong," Friedman explains. "They describe adrenal fatigue as a stress-induced condition where your adrenal glands don't produce enough cortisol. In fact, when you're stressed out, your adrenal glands make more cortisol."

What endocrinologists and other medical doctors do recognize is adrenal insufficiency, a disorder where the adrenals don't produce enough hormones. The adrenal glands make two hormones: cortisol and aldosterone. According to Friedman, "Aldosterone is often underappreciated or unrecognized by naturopaths." He also says that adrenal insufficiency is on a gradient: "You can have varying levels of cortisol deficiency, aldosterone deficiency or both."

Having low aldosterone causes salt to be lost in the urine, which leads to symptoms such as brain fog, feeling worse after exercise or feeling dizzy when you stand up. Friedman says that people with low aldosterone can be diagnosed by an endocrinologist and then can be treated with synthetic aldosterone, extra salt or licorice root. Because the role of aldosterone is often ignored by alternative medicine, this is one adrenal issue that your naturopath may not test for. (Marcus, the naturopathic doctor, says one reason naturopaths may not test for aldosterone is because it requires a blood test, and in some states they are not licensed to order bloodwork.)

Where cortisol is concerned, people can have low cortisol as a result of their pituitary gland not producing enough of a hormone that stimulates the release of cortisol from the adrenals. A smaller portion of people have Addison's disease, where the adrenal glands are attacked by antibodies. As a result, the adrenals won't produce enough cortisol. Friedman says that these patients need to see an endocrinologist and get on cortisol right away.

As Friedman puts it, people with adrenal insufficiency do have fatigue, so it makes sense to examine their adrenal glands. "It's the concept of the adrenals burning out that doesn't make sense."

- How do you get tested for adrenal fatigue or adrenal insufficiency?

Marcus says adrenal fatigue can be diagnosed in several ways. Many practitioners test cortisol levels in saliva, but these also can be diagnosed based on symptoms. "If someone is feeling tired and under some sort of stress, their adrenal function is probably not optimal, and it may be okay to try taking some supplements for the adrenals."

Friedman calls the saliva test used by natural-health practitioners unreliable and says a blood test is a far better way to measure cortisol levels.

The blood test measures levels of electrolytes (including sodium) as well as several hormones. This gives a picture of which hormones are out of the normal range and what could be causing issues.

- Taking care of your adrenals

Google "adrenal fatigue diet" and you'll find websites recommending everything from eliminating dairy to following a paleo diet that also vetoes grains and beans. At this point, there isn't any evidence to show that any of this will help you manage stress or feel more energized.

When my clients are dealing with stress and fatigue, I recommend eating whole foods, plenty of vegetables, heart-healthy fats and lean protein, limiting highly processed foods and added sugars, as well as cutting down on caffeine and alcohol, which can negatively affect sleep.

Choosing foods that stabilize your blood sugar and are lower on the glycemic index is also important, as your energy levels and mood are closely related to blood sugar. Go for slow-burning carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes, barley, quinoa and rolled oats, and always combine them with a protein such as beans or lentils, chicken, fish or lean meat. Get healthy fats from oily fish, olive oil, avocado, nuts or seeds at each meal and snack, and chances are you'll feel more energized.

Marcus, Kirdani and Friedman all say that whether you're dealing with stress or adrenal fatigue, taking care of your overall health helps.

Friedman feels that the naturopathic approach can be valuable, as talking to someone about stress and ways to cope can help. He also doesn't have a problem with people taking certain supplements that boost their immune system and energy levels, as long as those don't interact with other medications or supplements.

Marcus and Kirdani recommend supplementing with sea salt, B vitamins and herbs such as rhodiola or lemon balm. (Please see a medical professional before taking supplements or herbs to make sure they're safe for you.) Patients also may use an adrenal glandular, essentially ground-up adrenal glands (usually from pigs or cows), other tissues or extracts.

Friedman warns: "The naturopathic approach can be dangerous if cortisol or ground-up adrenals are prescribed. People often feel better on cortisol, but side effects include osteoporosis, weight gain and diabetes. As such, it shouldn't be prescribed lightly."

- Does it matter what we call it?

While the worlds of conventional and alternative medicine are divided on adrenal fatigue as a condition, everyone seems to agree that managing stress makes sense. So does eating well and treating any vitamin or mineral deficiencies, as well as getting regular physical activity and enough sleep. Working on all of these areas will help you boost energy, reduce fatigue and make you healthier. Whether these positive lifestyle changes are improving stress levels or healing adrenal fatigue is irrelevant.

What does matter is if treating so-called adrenal fatigue ends up preventing the diagnosis of a serious medical problem.

Friedman's take-home message is clear. "If you're experiencing fatigue, you need to see an endocrinologist to make sure you're getting at the real issue and not masking fatigue that's being caused by another health problem," he said. "If you do have an adrenal issue, it needs to be treated as soon as possible."

Brissette is a dietitian, foodie and president of 80TwentyNutrition.com. Follow her on Twitter @80twentyrule.

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Is adrenal fatigue real? Forget the label and treat the stress. - Napa Valley Register

Newswise ORLANDOIndividuals with obesity who enrolled in a structured weight loss program report fewer hours missed from work after six months in the program, according to a study being presented Sunday at the Endocrine Societys 99th annual meeting in Orlando, Fla.

A concern shared by both employers and employees is that time spent in the program attending the physician and dietitian visits, and the vigilance required to maintain lifestyle modifications, might diminish time and productivity on the job, said Jennifer Iyengar, M.D., the studys lead author and an endocrinology fellow at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich. However, we found that participation in our program was highly valued and had a positive impact at work.

The total economic cost of obesity in the U.S. includes indirect costs, such as missed time from work, lost productivity at work and premature death due to obesity-related health problems, research shows. Iyengar said little is known, though, about whether weight loss interventions can improve the job performance and attendance of employees with obesity. She and her co-workers studied this question in participants in the University of Michigan Weight Management Program.

The weight management program, according to its director and study senior investigator Amy Rothberg, M.D., Ph.D., is a two-year, multicomponent, multidisciplinary program for people with moderate to severe obesity that involves frequent visits with physicians and dietitians. It uses a very-low-calorie diet (800 calories per day) by total meal replacement for the first three months to promote 15 percent weight loss, followed by gradual transition to a low-calorie, food-based diet and interventions to support lifelong behavior changes and promote regular physical activity.

For this study, the researchers evaluated 92 participants with obesity (average weight of 253 pounds and average BMI of 40 kg/m2) who had completed six months in the program and were employed full time in a variety of different occupations. At the first visit and again at six months, participants completed a self-administered, scientifically validated questionnaire regarding their work absenteeism (working fewer hours than their employers expected) and their presenteeism, defined as the participants rating of their own work performance.

At the six-month point, participants lost an average of 41 pounds, the research team reported.

Before the program, participants reported that they worked, on average, 5.2 fewer hours per month than what their employers expected. After six months in the program, they described working 6.4 hours more than expected.

There was reportedly no significant change in how they rated their overall work performance (presenteeism) on a 10-point scale, with an average of 7.8 at the beginning and 7.9 at six months. It is possible that presenteeism will improve with longer participation in the program, Iyengar said.

Improved absenteeism did not correlate with the amount of weight loss, Iyengar reported. One possible explanation, she said, is that the change in absenteeism rates may reflect improvements in co-existing medical illnesses or depression.

She concluded, Our findings suggest that, through favorable effects on work attendance, participation in a weight management program may be mutually beneficial for workers and their employers. # # #

Endocrinologists are at the core of solving the most pressing health problems of our time, from diabetes and obesity to infertility, bone health, and hormone-related cancers. The Endocrine Society is the worlds oldest and largest organization of scientists devoted to hormone research and physicians who care for people with hormone-related conditions.

The Society has more than 18,000 members, including scientists, physicians, educators, nurses and students in 122 countries. To learn more about the Society and the field of endocrinology, visit our site at http://www.endocrine.org. Follow us on Twitter at @TheEndoSociety and @EndoMedia.

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Participation in a Weight Management Program Reduces Job ... - Newswise (press release)

Poor stress management and chronic depression can lead to a number of health problems for seniors, including cognitive decline. Poor stress management and chronic depression can lead to a number of health problems for seniors, including cognitive decline.

Published: Tuesday, March 21, 2017 byInterim HealthCare

Depressionand poor stress management can be serious issues for seniors. Though it's not uncommon for adults to develop depression as they grow older, this is not part of a normal aging process. Thiscan negatively impact a number of health conditions, and leaving it untreated can lead to cognitive decline, according to new research.

The negative effects depression has on health Complications of depressive disorders are not limited to emotional and mental strife - they can also cause physical ailments and exacerbate certainhealth conditions. Everyday Health reported that people with depression may experiencemigraines, joint pain, digestive difficulties and muscle aches. Studies have also linked depression to heart disease.

Patients may also gain weight or struggle with insomnia, which can negatively impact a wide range of health problems.

"Poor stress responses may worsen seniors' depression."

How stress and depression impair cognition According to a study from the University of Connecticut Health Center, poor stress responses mayworsen seniors' depression. The researchers found that these conditions can lead to future cognitive decline.

"There's something about vulnerability to stress, or neuroticism in general, and depression that is associated with a worse outcome," saidKevin Manning,assistant professor of psychiatry at UConnand the study's lead author.

Seniors who typically respond to stress with anxiety or irritability were more likely to experience these negative effects. Helping seniors develop more positive stress responses and treating their depression early on may help prevent cognitive problems from developing.

Treating stress and depression Therapeutic intervention is often necessary for seniors to overcome these type of conditions. Some patients will also benefit from taking prescribed medications that can ease depression and anxiety. A good therapist or counselor can help seniors develop better methods for handling stress and can get to the root cause of their depression, as well as supplying at-home treatments so seniors can better cope with their condition.

A healthy diet and exercise can also improve depressive symptoms. Light to moderate exercise can boost endorphins and other feel-good chemicals in the brain. The vitamins and nutrients of healthy foods can also assist in regulating hormones and neurotransmissions.

In fact, a new study from the University of Sydney found that people who ate three to four servings of vegetables every day were12 percent less likely to develop depressionthan those who ate zero to one servings a day. Vegetable consumption was especially beneficial for women in preventing depression.

Causes of depression for the elderly Persistentdepressive disorder can be brought on in a number of ways. Defective mood regulators, hormone orchemical imbalancesand traumatic life events can all cause depression todevelop, according to the Mayo Clinic.

For seniors, there are a number of common contributors that can lead to chronic depression. Older adults may be more socially isolated and lonely than they were in their youth. Limited mobility, friends moving away for retirement or the death of loved ones can limit seniors' social circles. For seniors who may already have other factors that predispose depression development, this boredom and loneliness can exacerbate the condition.

The passing of friends, spouses and family members in the first place can be traumatic events that trigger depression.Living with a chronic diseaseor other age-relatedmedical ailment can also be traumatic for seniors, and complications of those conditions can lower their qualities of life to the point that a depressive disorder develops, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Recognizing the signs While most people think of depression as just a feeling of sadness, there are many different symptoms. The signs may be subtle for some seniors, and the condition doesn't always manifest the same way for all patients. As a result, many people with depression are unaware they have it.

For some,the conditionis marked by pervasive lethargy, no matter how much rest they get or what they try to do to boost their energy. Symptoms may also include difficulty concentrating, irritability, changes in appetite and feelings of guilt or helplessness. People with depression often find a hard time enjoying hobbies and activities they once loved as well.

Seniors who think they are experiencing signs of depression, or care givers who believe their old loved one is, should consult their physician. Their doctor can provide referrals to reputable counselors and psychiatrists who can develop the right treatment plan to get seniors back to better mental and physical well being.

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Treating stress and depression to improve seniors' cognition - KRDO

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While Trump's win initially presented a serious threat to women's reproductive rights, we seem to be catching a few breaks lately first with the new administration's inability to repeal Obamacare so far, and now, with a new study whose findings point to the possibility of women having even more direct access to abortion, rather than less.

Recent research found that ordering abortion pills over the phone and taking them in the comfort of your home is safe and effective. According to Vice, the studys findings were presented at the World Congress on Public Health after it analyzed 1,000 women who received the pills. Eight-two percent of the women who took the pills confirmed terminated pregnancy without any health complications. (Important to note: 15 percent of the women could not be reached to confirm results.)

But don't get too excited yet. While this new study is certainly a step in the right direction, were still leaps and bounds away from having this pill actually available over the counter. It took a full 20 years for the FDA to approve doctors to administer the abortion pill to patients in person.

How it works right now: You go into a clinic or doctors office to confirm that you want to terminate your pregnancy within the legal time frame, and a nurse gives you the first pill, which contains mifepristone (a synthetic steroid with anti-progestational effects, meaning it makes your uterus unfriendly to fertilized eggs). Youre then sent home with the second pill (misoprostol, a hormone used to instigate labor, abortions and treat stomach ulcers) which you take 24 hours later. Ultimately, the two pills work in conjunction to terminate pregnancy, and currently cost between $0 and $800, depending on your insurance.

More: What Moms and Daughters Want to Tell Each Other About Reproductive Health

Since its legalization in 2000, over 500,000 women have ended unplanned pregnancies this way. While abortion using this pill is still uncomfortable and painful and often involves severe cramping and bleeding, it's said to be far less invasive and emotionally distressing than surgical abortion.

For women in the early stages of an unplanned pregnancy (up to 10 weeks), a pill is a superior option. If it were available over the phone, it would make termination that much easier and cheaper for women. Going to the clinic for surgical abortions, during which women are often subjected to harassment, invasive examinations and in some cases, ultrasounds of the fetus, can be traumatic. Plus, through telemedicine and companies like the Talbott Foundation, women would be able to get these pills by making a phone call. The service costs $250 also far cheaper than going to a clinic, especially for the uninsured.

In a press release, Suzanne Belton, associate professor at Charles Darwin University, who presented the findings, said, Telehealth abortions with tablets are a safe and effective way for Australian women to seek a termination of pregnancy. It is a low-risk procedure. Very few women needed extra support at a hospital for assistance with bleeding or additional pain relief."

Being able to avoid that kind of discomfort would be a much-needed step in the right direction for womens health care and agency over our own bodies. Again, we've still got a ways to go, but in the face of open threats by the U.S. government to remove our ability to make our own reproductive choices, it's heartening to know that research like this continues to turn up positive results and hopefully, in the future, more tangible options for women.

More: 6 Myths to Stop Believing About Sex and Conception

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Women Might Be Able to Order Abortion Pills Over the Phone Sooner Than Expected - SheKnows.com

Adequate, quality rest each night is essential for good health. Sleep provides the foundation for all our daily habits and decisions. A lack of quality sleep can negatively impact our mood as well as our ability to focus on daily tasks. To maximize your sleep health, here are some tips you can follow:

Even moderate exercise, such as walking, can help you sleep better. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise three times a week or more. Just make sure you dont work out within three hours of bedtime.

Alcohol and caffeine (found in coffee, tea, chocolate and some pain relievers) can interfere with sleep. If you have trouble sleeping, avoid caffeine eight hours before bedtime. Smokers should also avoid tobacco too close to bedtime.

Melatonin is a hormone that helps regulate your bodys internal circadian clock. It increases in the evening as it becomes dark, which helps induce sleep, and shuts down when its light outside, which can then increase wakefulness and alertness. Dimming the lights in your bedroom and turning off all electronics about 30 minutes to an hour before bedtime can be very helpful to increase the release of melatonin.

Indigestion from spicy or fatty food or having too much food in your stomach can cause insomnia. For a better nights sleep, eat light, simple foods at least three hours before bed.

Stress and overstimulation can make it hard to fall asleep. Try to avoid intense television programs or movies before bed. Relax with a soothing, warm bath and curl up with a book instead.

Create a comfortable sleep environment: try sleep shades, earplugs, a white-noise machine or all three. Also, make sure the room is not too warm; temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees are considered the most comfortable. Evaluate your mattress and pillows for proper comfort and support.

If you cant fall asleep or you wake up and cant get your mind to shut down, avoid watching the clock, which can create more anxiety. If you have been awake more than 20 minutes, get up, go to another room and do something relaxing to help you get drowsy. Keep the lights low, have some warm milk, read a book or write about whatever may be on your mind until your eyelids get heavy.

Snoring, especially when accompanied by daytime fatigue, can be a sign of sleep apnea, a common disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts as you sleep due to obstruction of your airway. Sleep apnea can leave you feeling exhausted during the day, can affect your mood and can even be dangerous to your health. If you are worried about sleep apnea, ask your primary care provider to refer you to a sleep specialist.

By making sleep health a priority, you will begin seeing positive effects almost right away.

Martha Yanci Torres is a neurologist and sleep specialist at Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato.

Excerpt from:
Sleep is the foundation for healthy habits - Southernminn.com

Science Daily

How cells react to injury from open-heart surgery: Research ... Science Daily Investigators have learned how cardiac muscle cells react to a certain type of injury that can be caused by open-heart surgery. The findings point to a new ... and more »

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How cells react to injury from open-heart surgery: Research ... - Science Daily

BROOKLINE Fighting for her life, a retired Brookline teacher who has been struggling with cancer for more than four years is hoping to find a donor for a stem cell transplant.

This week, Kathi Bond of Temple has undergone 96 hours of around-the-clock chemotherapy, but next week provides a new and unique opportunity for the 66-year-old woman battling a bone marrow cancer known as multiple myeloma.

A marrow donor registry drive will take place on Tuesday in an effort to find a match for Bond, who has undergone numerous, unsuccessful therapies throughout the past several years.

She is not the type that wants to be lying in a bed staring at a blank wall she would rather be climbing mountains, said Bonds husband, David Bond. She is a very vibrant woman, but on paper she is very ill.

Kathi Bond, who retired in 2013 from her environmental science teaching position in the Brookline School District because of the cancer, has already undergone an autologous stem cell transplant where her own cells were used for the procedure.

While this effort placed her in remission for more than a year, her body eventually began to reject the treatment and she fell ill again in the fall of 2016, and is now at stage 3 multiple myeloma.

I think emotionally, for any cancer patient, it is a roller coaster, said David Bond. You have good days and bad days glimmers of light and then news that things arent working.

Multiple myeloma is a plasma cell disorder that attacks cells in a persons bone marrow. Since traditional treatments are not working for Kathi Bond, doctors are now looking for radical ways to preserve her life, and a donor transplant is the next alternative.

Unfortunately, at this point, they have not found a match for Kathi, said her husband. But we have always felt that optimism is stronger than adversity. There will be a match out there somewhere.

A marrow donor registry drive will take place from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Richard Maghakian Memorial School, 22 Milford St. in Brookline. Participants must be ages 18 to 44, and will have their cheek swabbed to determine compatibility.

Kathi Bond, who is currently hospitalized, is attempting to reduce the number of myeloma cancer cells in an effort to make the future transplant more successful. She is working with an oncologist in Nashua, and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to determine the best course of action for an incurable illness.

She is fairly strong right now, but a transplant is desperately needed, said David Bond.

Cancer is no longer a private struggle, he said, adding it affects so many families. In 1984, Kathi Bond lost her older sister to lymphoma.

At the time, he said there were no donor drives, walks for cancer or fundraisers to research cancer treatments.

Today, we save lives because we share our story, and compassionate people step forward and join the fight, he said.

The Bonds are hopeful to find a match from next weeks marrow donor registry drive, but said even if they dont, the data may be useful in helping to find a match for someone else in desperate need.

Kathleen Milewski, a second-grade teacher at RMMS in Brookline, along with the Bonds two daughters, have been instrumental in helping to organize Tuesdays drive, according to David Bond.

Joining the registry is as simple as a cheek swab, and the donation process, should you be a match, is similar to giving blood in over 70 percent of the cases, said Milewski. Kathi needs a match in order to continue to live with multiple myeloma.

David Bond said a donor transplant is his wifes greatest hope for a life of near-normalcy. A donors stem cells will result in a total reboot of the patients marrow, and as new donor stem cells develop and mature, they will over-populate the bad cells.

khoughton@newstote.com

Original post:
Stem cell donor registry drive seeks to help retired Brookline teacher - NewHampshire.com

The global stem cells market is expected to grow at an incredible CAGR of 25.5% from 2015 to 2022 and reach a market value of US$297 billion by 2022.

Florida, April 06: Market Research Engine adds a new research study on the report, titled Global Stem Cells Market Analysis by Therapy, Application and Geography Trends and Forecast, 2015 2022.

The global stem cells market is expected to grow at an incredible CAGR of 25.5% from 2015 to 2022 and reach a market value of US$297 billion by 2022.

Browse Full Report from here: http://www.marketresearchengine.com/reportdetails/global-stem-ce

The emergence of Induced Pluripotent Stem (iPS) cells as an alternative to ESCs (embryonic stem cells), growth of developing markets, and evolution of new stem cell therapies represent promising growth opportunities for leading players in this sector.

Due to the increased funding from Government and Private sector and rising global awareness about stem cell therapies and research are the main factors which are driving this market. A surge in therapeutic research activities funded by governments across the world has immensely propelled the global stem cells market. However, the high cost of stem cell treatment and stringent government regulations against the harvesting of stem cells are expected to restrain the growth of the global stem cells market.

This report will definitely help you make well informed decisions related to the stem cell market.

The stem cell therapy market includes large number of players that are involved in development of stem cell therapies of the treatment of various diseases. Mesoblast Ltd. (Australia), Aastrom Biosciences, Inc. (U.S.), Celgene Corporation (U.S.), and StemCells, Inc. (U.S.) are the key players involved in the development of stem cell therapies across the globe.

Download Free Sample Report: http://www.marketresearchengine.com/requestsample/global-stem-ce

Scope of the Report

This market research report categorizes the stem cell therapy market into the following segments and sub-segments:

By Mode of Therapy

Allogeneic Stem Cell Therapy Market o CVS Diseases o CNS Diseases o GIT diseases o Eye Diseases o Musculoskeletal Disorders o Metabolic Diseases o Immune System Diseases o Wounds and Injuries o Others

Autologous Stem Cell Therapy Market o GIT Diseases o Musculoskeletal Disorders o CVS Diseases o CNS Diseases o Wounds and Injuries o Others

By Therapeutic Applications

Musculoskeletal Disorders Metabolic Diseases Immune System Diseases GIT Diseases Eye Diseases CVS Diseases CNS Diseases Wounds and Injuries Others

By Geography

North America Europe Asia-Pacific RoW (Rest of the World)

About MarketResearchEngine.com

Market Research Engine is a global market research and consulting organization. We provide market intelligence in emerging, niche technologies and markets. Our market analysis powered by rigorous methodology and quality metrics provide information and forecasts across emerging markets, emerging technologies and emerging business models. Our deep focus on industry verticals and country reports help our clients to identify opportunities and develop business strategies.

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Stem Cells Market is Expected to Cross US$ 297 Billion by 2022 - MilTech

The International Association of HealthCare Professionals is pleased to welcome Dr. Jodie A. Dashore OTD, MS (Neurology), HHP, to their prestigious organization with her upcoming publication in The Leading Physicians of the World. She is a highly trained and qualified Naturopathic Clinician, Doctor of Occupational Therapy, Neuro-Sensory Integration, and Holistic health practitioner with an extensive expertise in all facets of her work, especially in Holistic all natural Management for Tick Borne Diseases, Complex Autism, Biotoxin Illness, and Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome. Dr. Dashore is currently serving patients as Clinical Director within her own practice, Integrative NeuroSensory Associates LLC, a functional therapeutic, biomedical and integrative therapy practice in Marlboro, New Jersey. Furthermore, she also serves as Clinical Director within Specialized Pediatrics Therapy Center LLC in New Jersey.

Dr. Dashore graduated Magna Cum Laude specializing in MS -Neurology from the University of Bombay in 1992. Subsequently, she relocated to the United States and earned her Advanced Clinical Doctorate in OT-Neurology and Evidence Based Medicine. Dr. Dashore then attended the University of Southern California, gaining her post-doctoral specialization in Neuro Sensory Integration.

Dr. Dashore is fully certified in Holistic and Energy therapeutic approaches, German Biological remedies, Homotoxicology, and Clinical Herbalism, having trained in the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and Germany. She is an internationally recognized AWARD Winning holistic clinician, author, and speaker. She works with children and adults from across the country and abroad who suffer from Autism, Sensory Integration Disorders, Lyme Disease, PANDAS, IBS, Chronic Fatigue, Autoimmune Disease, Mold and Biotoxin Illness, Endocrine and Hormone Imbalances, Methylation concerns, Cancer and Chronic Disease. Dr. Dashore utilizes the principles of homeopathy, herbology, homotoxicology, bioenergetic and European biological remedies in her practice for natural health and wellness.

She maintains professional memberships with the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society, the American College for Advancement in Medicine (ACAM), American Holistic Medicine Association, The North American Society of Homeopaths, the American Association of Drugless Practitioners, and the American Occupational Therapy Association, among others. Dr. Dashore attributes her success to her one and only childs personal struggles and triumphs with chronic infection and illness. She also attributes her success to the various opportunities she has had to mentor with numerous world renowned pioneering physicians. In her free time, she enjoys nature walks, yoga, Meditation, spirituality, research, and spending time with her son.

View Dr. Jodie A. Dashores Profile Here: https://www.findatopdoc.com/doctor/8138151-Jodie-Dashore-Naturopathic-Physician-Marlboro-New-Jersey-07746

Learn more about Dr. Dashore here: http://dashoreintegrativerx.com/ and be sure to read her upcoming publication in The Leading Physicians of the World.

About FindaTopDoc.com

FindaTopDoc.com is a hub for all things medicine, featuring detailed descriptions of medical professionals across all areas of expertise, and information on thousands of healthcare topics. Each month, millions of patients use FindaTopDoc to find a doctor nearby and instantly book an appointment online or create a review. FindaTopDoc.com features each doctors full professional biography highlighting their achievements, experience, patient reviews and areas of expertise. A leading provider of valuable health information that helps empower patient and doctor alike, FindaTopDoc enables readers to live a happier and healthier life. For more information about FindaTopDoc, visit http://www.findatopdoc.com

Originally posted here:
Highly Respected Naturopathic Physician, Dr. Jodie A. Dashore, OTD, MS (Neurology), HHP, will be Displayed in The ... - PR NewsChannel (press release)

By Christy Brissette By Christy Brissette April 5

Who isnt tired these days? Were constantly on call for work, family and friends, and often forget to take time for ourselves. Most of us recognize that chronic stress can take its toll on our health and well-being. But what if youre so fatigued that even getting more sleep doesnt seem to help?

Complementary and alternative medicine provide an explanation for stress-induced fatigue that offers hope to the chronically tired. According to naturopathic doctors, holistic nutritionists and others, adrenal fatigue is a condition where the adrenals, glands that sit above the kidneys, dont produce enough cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone that plays a role in managing stress and regulating metabolism, sleep, blood sugar and inflammation.

Fatigue is probably the number one complaint among new patients in my practice, says Leila Kirdani, a family physician specializing in functional medicine. Anyone with prolonged fatigue, with difficulty sleeping, who feels burned-out or lack of enjoyment in life, may be suffering from adrenal fatigue.

Basically, the theory goes that too much stress wears out our adrenal glands they get tired and dont produce enough cortisol for us to feel energized. So why arent our family doctors telling us about this?

As a registered dietitian in private practice, I often get new clients who have been told by their naturopathic doctors that they have adrenal fatigue and need to follow a special diet and a regimen of supplements and herbs. Hours of searching the scientific literature has led to very little in terms of evidence-based dietary advice to help these individuals. Which raises the question ...

[The DASH diet is proven to work. Why hasnt it caught on?]

Is adrenal fatigue real?

The very existence of adrenal fatigue is a contentious issue. It isnt recognized by any endocrinology societies or endocrinologists, medical doctors who specialize in hormone-related health problems. A recent systematic review of the scientific literature found that there was no evidence for the existence of adrenal fatigue as a medical condition.

Theodore C. Friedman is an endocrinologist at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science who describes himself as being open to complementary medicine. Like many medical doctors, he says adrenal fatigue doesnt exist: Its something made up by naturopathic doctors; endocrinologists dont recognize it as a real condition.

Saul Marcus is a naturopathic doctor in Connecticut. When it comes to adrenal fatigue, conventional medicine insists it doesnt exist. However, adrenal fatigue is essentially a stress reaction, and stress is very well understood as a cause of illness.

And so we see the bipolar worlds of conventional medicine and complementary and alternative medicine are firmly divided into two camps: adrenal fatigue doesnt exist vs. adrenal fatigue is an important medical issue.

Somewhere in the middle is the idea that adrenal fatigue is a term that encompasses a wide range of general symptoms rather than a discrete medical problem. Does the label matter?

Whats really going on with your adrenal glands?

According to Kirdani, There is a distinct bias in the medical community when it comes to adrenal fatigue. For some reason, doctors think that either your adrenal glands are perfectly fine, or else they have ceased to function.

Naturopaths have it wrong, Friedman explains. They describe adrenal fatigue as a stress-induced condition where your adrenal glands dont produce enough cortisol. In fact, when youre stressed out, your adrenal glands make more cortisol.

What endocrinologists and other medical doctors do recognize is adrenal insufficiency, a disorder where the adrenals dont produce enough hormones. The adrenal glands make two hormones: cortisol and aldosterone. According to Friedman, Aldosterone is often underappreciated or unrecognized by naturopaths. He also says that adrenal insufficiency is on a gradient: You can have varying levels of cortisol deficiency, aldosterone deficiency or both.

[Why phosphate additives will be the next taboo ingredient]

Having low aldosterone causes salt to be lost in the urine, which leads to symptoms such as brain fog, feeling worse after exercise or feeling dizzy when you stand up. Friedman says that people with low aldosterone can be diagnosed by an endocrinologist and then can be treated with synthetic aldosterone, extra salt or licorice root. Because the role of aldosterone is often ignored by alternative medicine, this is one adrenal issue that your naturopath may not test for. (Marcus, the naturopathic doctor, says one reason naturopaths may not test for aldosterone is because it requires a blood test, and in some states they are not licensed to order bloodwork.)

Where cortisol is concerned, people can have low cortisol as a result of their pituitary gland not producing enough of a hormone that stimulates the release of cortisol from the adrenals. A smaller portion of people have Addisons disease, where the adrenal glands are attacked by antibodies. As a result, the adrenals wont produce enough cortisol. Friedman says that these patients need to see an endocrinologist and get on cortisol right away.

As Friedman puts it, people with adrenal insufficiency do have fatigue, so it makes sense to examine their adrenal glands. Its the concept of the adrenals burning out that doesnt make sense.

How do you get tested for adrenal fatigue or adrenal insufficiency?

Marcus says adrenal fatigue can be diagnosed in several ways. Many practitioners test cortisol levels in saliva, but these also can be diagnosed based on symptoms. If someone is feeling tired and under some sort of stress, their adrenal function is probably not optimal, and it may be okay to try taking some supplements for the adrenals.

Friedman calls the saliva test used by natural-health practitioners unreliable and says a blood test is a far better way to measure cortisol levels.

The blood test measures levels of electrolytes (including sodium) as well as several hormones. This gives a picture of which hormones are out of the normal range and what could be causing issues.

Taking care of your adrenals

Google adrenal fatigue diet and youll find websites recommending everything from eliminating dairy to following a paleo diet that also vetoes grains and beans. At this point, there isnt any evidence to show that any of this will help you manage stress or feel more energized.

When my clients are dealing with stress and fatigue, I recommend eating whole foods, plenty of vegetables, heart-healthy fats and lean protein, limiting highly processed foods and added sugars, as well as cutting down on caffeine and alcohol, which can negatively affect sleep.

[10 nutrition mistakes even really healthy people make]

Choosing foods that stabilize your blood sugar and are lower on the glycemic index is also important, as your energy levels and mood are closely related to blood sugar. Go for slow-burning carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes, barley, quinoa and rolled oats, and always combine them with a protein such as beans or lentils, chicken, fish or lean meat. Get healthy fats from oily fish, olive oil, avocado, nuts or seeds at each meal and snack, and chances are youll feel more energized.

Marcus, Kirdani and Friedman all say that whether youre dealing with stress or adrenal fatigue, taking care of your overall health helps.

Friedman feels that the naturopathic approach can be valuable, as talking to someone about stress and ways to cope can help. He also doesnt have a problem with people taking certain supplements that boost their immune system and energy levels, as long as those dont interact with other medications or supplements.

Marcus and Kirdani recommend supplementing with sea salt, B vitamins and herbs such as rhodiola or lemon balm. (Please see a medical professional before taking supplements or herbs to make sure theyre safe for you.) Patients also may use an adrenal glandular, essentially ground-up adrenal glands (usually from pigs or cows), other tissues or extracts.

Friedman warns: The naturopathic approach can be dangerous if cortisol or ground-up adrenals are prescribed. People often feel better on cortisol, but side effects include osteoporosis, weight gain and diabetes. As such, it shouldnt be prescribed lightly.

Does it matter what we call it?

While the worlds of conventional and alternative medicine are divided on adrenal fatigue as a condition, everyone seems to agree that managing stress makes sense. So does eating well and treating any vitamin or mineral deficiencies, as well as getting regular physical activity and enough sleep. Working on all of these areas will help you boost energy, reduce fatigue and make you healthier. Whether these positive lifestyle changes are improving stress levels or healing adrenal fatigue is irrelevant.

What does matter is if treating so-called adrenal fatigue ends up preventing the diagnosis of a serious medical problem.

Friedmans take-home message is clear. If youre experiencing fatigue, you need to see an endocrinologist to make sure youre getting at the real issue and not masking fatigue thats being caused by another health problem, he said. If you do have an adrenal issue, it needs to be treated as soon as possible.

Christy Brissette is a dietitian, foodie and president of 80TwentyNutrition.com. Follow her on Twitter @80twentyrule.

See the original post here:
Is adrenal fatigue real? Forget the label and treat the stress. - Washington Post

By Robert Ashley, M.D. Published: April 4, 2017 12:00 AM CDT Updated: April 4, 2017 12:00 AM CDT

Hair loss could have many causes, including stress. [Thinkstock image]

Dear Doctor: I've been taking thyroid medication for several years, and my doctor says my blood tests are where they should be, but my face feels like sandpaper, my nails are brittle, and I'm losing so much hair that I can see my scalp. Could there be some underlying problem my physician is missing?

Dear Reader: Hair loss can be a distressing symptom, made all the more so when its cause is a mystery.

Your thyroid hormone levels are an obvious place to start, because both low and high thyroid levels can lead to hair and nail changes. Symptoms of high thyroid levels include hair loss, skin that is unusually smooth and warm, and nails that soften and loosen from the nail bed. The remaining hair becomes thinner, softer and does not hold a wave. Symptoms of low thyroid levels also include hair loss, including in the armpits and genital area, but the hair in this scenario is dull, coarse and fragile. As for the nails, they tend to be delicate, thin and have multiple grooves. That said, if your physician has done a complete panel of thyroid tests and the results have been normal, then most likely the function of your thyroid gland is not the cause of the brittle nails nor the hair loss.

That doesn't mean the thyroid isn't a factor. Autoimmune thyroid disease can lead to hair loss, both patchy and more diffuse, as well as inflammatory conditions of the skin. Such disease isn't always reflected in thyroid hormone levels. Checking anti-thyroid antibodies in the blood can identify autoimmune thyroid disease, and point you and your doctor in a clearer direction.

Hair loss also can be caused by androgenic alopecia, linked to an excess of androgens, a type of male hormone. These hormones are present in both men and women, but they're higher than normal in some women, such as those with congenital adrenal hyperplasia or polycystic ovarian disease, which is relatively common. Simply checking levels of testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) can either rule out androgenic alopecia or suggest that it be explored further.

Another potential cause is medication. Some medications can lead to hair loss, so if your symptoms seem coincidental to starting a new medication, there might be an association.

Biotin deficiency, which is rare, can also cause hair loss and inflammation of the facial skin. But if you have a normal diet and eat eggs, you have a low likelihood of this condition. Nonetheless, it's something to rule out.

Iron deficiency also can lead to both brittle nails and hair loss. This doesn't explain the skin manifestations that you have, but if you are looking at other possibilities, checking the iron level of the blood should be part of the work-up.

Any major illness can lead to hair loss and nail changes, and psychological stress can lead to hair loss. So, if there have been major stressors in your life, either physical or psychological, consider that a potential culprit.

In summary, if your thyroid levels are normal, it would be wise to check your thyroid antibodies, androgens and iron levels and your level of stress.

Robert Ashley, M.D., is an internist and assistant professor of medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles. Send your questions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla.edu, or write: Ask the Doctors, c/o Media Relations, UCLA Health, 924 Westwood Blvd., Suite 350, Los Angeles, CA, 90095. Owing to the volume of mail, personal replies cannot be provided.

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Hair loss could be caused by multitude of issues - NewsOK.com

Image Source: Jess Dixon

In 2012, shortly after their wedding day, Jake Anderson and Deborah Bialis hoped to start a family. Because Deborah had a history of ovarian cysts, the couple decided to pursue in vitro fertilization (IVF).

We pursued IVF because if one of my cysts ruptured, it could damage my chances of becoming a biological mother, says Bialis.

Like many couples facing fertility challenges, Jake and Deborah sought the advice of a fertility doctor and were told that they were excellent candidates for IVF and embryo freezing. But when the first cycle was cancelled due to a medical oversight, the couple became understandably discouraged.

We decided to go to another clinic and our new doctor reassured us that we had an excellent chance of having a baby via IVF, Bialisexplains.We felt hopeful, again.

But, Deborah and Jake were shocked when their second round of IVF didnt produce any embryos.

We were in a crisis,Anderson tells Babble.

As young and healthy adults, they never imagined that getting pregnant would be so difficult. But after two rounds of unsuccessful IVF, they were heartbroken and, like so many couples who struggle with infertility, worried that their dreams of parenthood might never come to fruition. After months of treatment, the couple wasnt any closer to having a baby.

Our fertility was crashing before our eyes and it was devastating,says Anderson.

In the meantime, the cost of medical tests, hormone injections, blood draws, and fertility treatments were mounting, and before they knew it, the couple had $75,000 of medical bills to pay.

Deborah and Jake were filled with grief, because they never imagined they would face infertility. They were also confused because their doctors had given them so many mixed messages.

We realized that theres a broad range of opinions and different types of medical care when it comes to treating infertility, says Anderson. Much of the information that clinics provide, such as IVF success rates are reported by the doctors, but we saw a need for information thats patient-driven.

Their personal experience inspired them to create FertilityIQ, a website where infertile couples, families, and women can find comprehensive information about fertility doctors, IVF clinics, and medical procedures such as genetic testing and egg-freezing. Similar to Consumer Reports, patients provide reviews of their doctors and fertility clinics as a way to share information with others.

FertilityIQ launched a little over a year ago. And this month, in honor of Infertility Awareness Month (and to celebrate their sons first birthday), Jake and Deborah are giving away a free cycle of IVF to another couple in need.

After years of infertility, we were finally blessed with a baby, and we want to help make someone elses dreams come true, too, says Bialis. We hope that our gift will lighten the financial burden that IVF brings.

It is more expensive to be infertile in America than in any other developed nation.

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Many women who struggle with infertility believe that biology and science are the two most important puzzle pieces that lead to successful IVF conceptions. But Anderson says that insurance coverage plays a significant role, too.

It is more expensive to be infertile in America than in any other developed nation, he says.

Research shows that the average cost of an IVF cycle is $23,000, and that most women will need more than one cycle to become pregnant. Unfortunately, very few insurance plans cover the cost of these treatments, and only 15states mandate that insurance companies offer fertility benefits to their subscribers.

In fact, new research released just last week and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) states that the cost of IVF often prevents women from pursuing a second round of treatment. Because of this, women with IVF insurance coverage are almost 10 percent more likely to conceive than women without these health benefits.

Who knew there was such a hefty price tag attached to an infertile womans chances of becoming a mother?

These stressors can really wreck a family, says Anderson. Not only is infertility a financial burden, but its also emotionally taxing.

By offering their IVF grant, Deborah and Jake hope to help at least one family bring new life into the world.

The couple will offer one family (grantee) $10,000 to use towards an IVF cycle at a clinic of their choice. The grantee can also give the cycle to another friend or family member in need. To be considered for the grant, the potential winner needs to leave a review of their fertility doctor on the FertilityIQ website by April 27. All reviews are anonymous, and patients who have already written reviews are automatically entered into the drawing.

Were asking for more doctor reviews because this information really helps the fertility patients who use our site,explains Anderson, who notes that this past year, FertilityIQ helped over 100,000 patients find the right fertility doctor. The couple hopes that this number only continues to grow, so that more families can benefit from this information in the future.

Even in the depths of a familys struggles to have a baby, members of the FertilityIQ community go out of their way to help each other, Anderson adds.This simple act of kindness is priceless.

It certainly is.

This New York Clinic Is Helping Moms with Postpartum Depression in a Whole New Way

Article Posted 2 days Ago

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Why This Couple Is Giving Away a Free IVF Cycle to Two Hopeful Parents - Babble (blog)

Infertility can be caused bymany different things. For 25% of couples, a cause can't be identified.

This page covers the possible causes of infertility in men and women.

In women,causes include:

Scarring from surgery

Cervical mucus problems

Fibroids

Endometriosis

Pelvic inflammatory disease

Sterilisation

Medicines and drugs

In men, causes include:

Semen and sperm

Testicles

Sterilisation

Ejaculation disorders

Hypogonadism

Medicines and drugs

This page also has information about:

Unexplained infertility

Infertility is most commonly caused by problems with ovulation, the monthly release of an egg. Some problems stop an egg being released at all, while others prevent an egg being released during some cycles but not others.

Ovulation problems can be a result of:

Pelvic surgery can damage and scar the fallopian tubes, which link the ovaries to the womb.

Cervical surgery can also sometimes cause scarring or shorten the neck of the womb (the cervix).

When you're ovulating, mucus in your cervix becomes thinner so sperm can swim through it more easily. If there's a problem with the mucus, it can make it harder to conceive.

Non-cancerous growths called fibroidsin or around the womb can affect fertility. In some cases, they may prevent a fertilised egg attaching itself to the womb, or they may block a fallopian tube.

Endometriosisis a condition where small pieces of the womb lining (the endometrium) start growing in other places, such as the ovaries. This can damage the ovaries or fallopian tubes andcause fertility problems.

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is an infection of the upper female genital tract, which includes the womb, fallopian tubes and ovaries.

It's often caused by asexually transmitted infection (STI). PID can damage and scar the fallopian tubes, making it virtually impossible for an egg to travel down into the womb.

Some women choose to besterilised if they don't want to have any more children.

Sterilisationinvolves blocking the fallopian tubes to make it impossible for an egg to travel to the womb. It's rarely reversibleif you do have a sterilisation reversed, you won't necessarily become fertile again.

The side effects of some types of medicines and drugs can affect your fertility.

These include:

Illegal drugs, such as marijuana and cocaine, can seriously affect fertility and make ovulation more difficult.

The most common cause of infertility in men ispoor quality semen,the fluid containing sperm that's ejaculated during sex.

Possible reasons for abnormal semen include:

Many cases of abnormal semen are unexplained.

There's a link between increased temperature of the scrotum and reduced semen quality, but it's uncertain whether wearing loose-fitting underwear improves fertility.

The testicles produce and store sperm. If they're damaged, it can seriously affect the quality of your semen.

This can happen asa result of:

Some men choose to have avasectomyif they don't want children or any more children.

It involves cutting and sealing off thetubes that carry sperm out of your testicles (thevas deferens) so your semen will no longer contain any sperm.

A vasectomy can be reversed, but reversals aren't usually successful.

Some men experienceejaculation problems that can make it difficult for them to release semen during sex (ejaculate).

Hypogonadism is an abnormally low level of testosterone, the male sex hormone involved in making sperm.

It could be caused by a tumour, taking illegal drugs, orKlinefelter syndrome, a rare syndrome where a man is born with an extra female chromosome.

Certain types of medicines can sometimes cause infertility problems.

These medicines are listed below:

Illegal drugs, such as marijuana and cocaine, can also affect semen quality.

In the UK, unexplained infertility accounts for around 25% of cases of infertility. This is where no cause can be identified in either the woman or man.

If a cause for your fertility problems hasn't been identified, talk to your doctor about the next steps.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends that women with unexplained infertility who haven't conceived after two years of having regular unprotected sex should be offered IVF treatment.

The NICE guidance has more about unexplained infertility.

Find out more about fertility tests and how problems are diagnosed.

Page last reviewed: 14/02/2017

Next review due: 14/02/2020

The rest is here:
Infertility - Causes - NHS Choices

Scientists report another step in the use of stem cells to help treat people with debilitating heart failure.

In an early study of 27 patients, Japanese researchers used patients' own muscle stem cells to create a "patch" that was placed on the heart.

Over the next year, the patients generally showed small improvements in their symptoms -- including the ability to walk without becoming breathless and fatigued.

However, experts cautioned that while the results are encouraging, there's a lot of work left ahead before stem cells can be used to treat heart failure.

"They've shown that this approach is feasible," said Dr. Eiran Gorodeski, a heart failure specialist at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.

But it's not clear whether the stem-cell tactic was actually effective, said Gorodeski, who was not involved in the study.

RELATED: Antidepressant No Help to Heart Failure Patients

That's because the study didn't include a comparison group that did not receive stem cells.

So it's possible, Gorodeski explained, that the "modest" symptom improvements would have happened anyway. All of the patients were on standard medications, and some had heart devices implanted.

Stem cells are primitive cells that mature into the various cells that make up the body's tissues. In the past 15 years or so, scientists have tried to use the cells to help repair some of the damage seen in heart failure.

Heart failure is a progressive disease where the heart muscle is too damaged to efficiently pump blood throughout the body. It often arises after a heart attack.

Symptoms of heart failure include fatigue, breathlessness and swelling in the limbs. The condition cannot be cured, although medications and implantable devices can treat the symptoms.

In the new study, the researchers used stem cells from the patients' own thigh muscle to create a patch they placed on the heart.

That's in contrast to many past studies, where researchers have injected stem cells -- often from patients' bone marrow -- into the heart.

The patch tactic could have some advantages, said senior researcher Dr. Yoshiki Sawa, of Osaka University.

He said animal research suggests that cells in sheet form survive for a longer period, compared to injections.

To test the safety of the approach, Sawa's team recruited 27 patients who had debilitating symptoms despite standard heart failure therapies. The scientists extracted stem cells from each patient's thigh muscle, then cultured the cells so that they formed a sheet.

The sheet was placed on each patient's heart.

The tactic appeared safe, the researchers said, and there were signs of symptom improvements over the next six months to a year.

Why would stem cells from the thigh muscle affect the heart? It's not clear, Sawa acknowledged.

The stem cells don't grow into new heart muscle cells. Instead, Sawa explained, they seem to produce chemicals called cytokines that can promote new blood vessel growth in damaged areas of the heart. The theory, he said, is that "hibernating" cells in the heart muscle can then function better.

Still, it's too soon to know what the new findings mean, said Gorodeski.

This type of trial, called phase 1, is designed to look at the safety and feasibility of a therapy, Gorodeski said. It takes later-phase trials -- where some patients receive the treatment, and others do not -- to prove that a therapy actually works.

Those trials are underway, Sawa said.

Other studies are further along. Last year, researchers reported on a trial testing infusions of stem cells taken from the bone marrow of patients with severe heart failure.

Patients who received the therapy were less likely to die or be hospitalized over the next year, versus those given standard treatment only. But the study was small, and the stem cells had only a minor impact on patients' heart function.

So it's not clear why the stem-cell patients fared better, Gorodeski said.

For now, he stressed, all stem-cell therapies for heart failure remain experimental.

"There's no cell therapy that we can offer patients right now," Gorodeski said.

The message for patients, he added, is that heart failure can be treated, and researchers are looking for "innovative" ways to improve that treatment.

The study was published April 5 in theJournal of the American Heart Association.

More:
Can Stem Cell 'Patch' Help Heart Failure? - Everyday Health (blog)

April 6, 2017 7:01 PM

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) Theres potentially exciting news for the two and a half million people around the world struggling with multiple sclerosis.

There is no known cure, but now an experimental treatment in Israel may be able to reverse the symptoms, CBS2s Dr. Max Gomez reports.

MS is a progressive degenerative disease where the insulation around nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord starts to break down. Its the immune system attacking the insulation.

Medications can slow the disease but dont stop it. Stem cells may be much better.

As Dr. Max reports, walking on a treadmill is a big step for Malia Litman. She had been a top trial attorney in Dallas until she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 18 years ago. Slowly, the disease robbed her of her balance, her mobility and her energy.

You can imagine how contracted my world had become, she says.

After she fell and broke her leg, she was in a wheelchair for weeks. Her MS medicines werent really working anymore.

Her search for alternative treatments led toDr. Dimitrios Karussis.

Answers for our diseases and our medical problems are hidden inside our body, hesays.

Karussis heads the experimental stem cell research atHadassah Medical Organization in Israel. He harvests an MS patients own adult stem cells from their bone marrow, then injects them back into their spinal fluid.

As neurologists, we have never seen or even believed that it is possible to reverse any disability, he says.

Litman says within 24 hours of her first treatment, I picked up my leg and went, Oh my god, and I just started crying.

She says her speech is more clear and she has more energy, and shes adamant its not a placebo effect, pointing to a number of tests before and after treatment that show improvement.

Karussis says one patient was even able to walk again.

Researchers are now collaborating with teams at the Mayo Clinic and Harvard, finishing a double-blind study to prove its effectiveness.

Look what I can do now! Its amazing, Litman says.

She still uses her walker but can now get on her rowing machine. After four treatments, shes reactivated her law license and is taking on a case.

I feel like I have my life back. I dont care if I walk with a walker the rest of my life. Although I think I may actually be able to walk again with a couple more treatments, she says.

As Dr. Max reports, the theory is that the stem cells are somehow spurringthe regeneration of the insulating nerve sheaths that are deteriorating in MS.

However, the course of the disease is so variable that Litmans improvement may not be due to the stem cell treatment. Thats why the double-blind studyis so important.

Hadassah Medical Organizations researchers are also looking at the treatments effect on ALS patients.

Visit link:
Stem Cell Treatment Might Reverse Symptoms Of Multiple Sclerosis ... - CBS New York

The only practical way to scale-up volumes of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is by using microcarriers in single-use bioreactors, say scientists from A*STAR and Instituto Superior Tcnico.

MSCs are multipotent stromal cells that can differentiate into a variety of cell types which are being investigated for tissue engineering and cellular therapies.

Such cells come from bone marrow, adipose tissue and umbilical cord blood but are very rare, according to Ana Fernandes-Platzgummer, a research scientist for the Stem Cell Engineering Research Group at the Instituto Superior Tcnico in Lisbon, Portugal.

Totipotent cells can form all the cell types in a body, plus the extraembryonic, or placental, cells. The only totipotent cells are embryonic cells within the first couple of cell divisions after fertilisation.

Pluripotent cells can give rise to all of the cell types that make up the body. While embryonic stem cells are considered pluripotent, this class includes induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) derived from skin or blood cells that have been reprogrammed back into an embryonic-like pluripotent state.

Multipotent cells are more limited than pluripotent cells but can develop into more than one cell type. This class includes mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from bone marrow, adipose tissue and umbilical cord blood, and hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) derived from mesoderm and located in the red bone marrow.

There are only about 100,000 stem cells in an umbilical cord, she told delegates at the 1st Stem Cell Community day in Germany this week. For cellular therapies we need doses of more than one million cells per kg [ideal (IBW) or actual (ABW) body weight] so we need to expand these cells.

Scale-up challenges

Stem cells can be successfully cultivated using flasks and labscale-volume bioreactors but there are many problems in monitoring and controlling growth, and issues with productivity and cell harvest. Therefore scale-up is a problem, hindered further due to a lack of technologies and processes available to cell therapy makers.

The event in Hamburg organised by bioprocessing tech firm Eppendorf looked to address these challenges in stem cell cultivation and scale-up by bringing together industry and academia.

And Fernandes-Platzgummer said that research by the Instituto Superior Tcnico together with Thermo Fisher-owned Life Technologies showed positive results in the expansion of human MSCs from different sources using a fully-controlled stirred-tank bioreactor combined with microcarrier technology.

The advantage of this is its easy scalability, the high surface area [of the microcarrier], the ability to monitor and control cultivation, and the reduced labour costs and risks of contamination, she said.

After five days cultivation the team produced clinically-relevant cell numbers, she added, using an 800ml spinner flask bioreactor, Thermo Fishers serum-free medium StemPro and reagent TrypLE Select CTS, and plastic microcarriers coated with the xeno-free substrate CELLstart (also made by Thermo Fisher).

'10,000 doses per year, each of a billion cells'

In a separate presentation, Steve Oh principal scientist and associate director at the Bioprocessing Technology Institute (BTI), part of Singapores Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) said a similar set-up had shown promise in moving MSC cultivation into scalable technologies and his team is trying to move to a 15L scale.

However, the goal for MSC-based therapies would be producing commercial volumes of 10,000 doses per year, each of a billion cells from the onset, he added.

We looked at all the approaches and really the only practical experience I have of a technology that will succeed is microcarrier technology using single-use bioreactors, he said.

Oh added microcarriers produce higher cell densities with the same amount of media while allowing greater control of the process by providing another metric to configure.

Furthermore, having only thin layers of cells between each carrier offers benefits in the harvesting of stem cells which he said is as problematic as cultivation due to the large aggregates of cell clusters formed which are difficult to break up.

See more here:
Stem cells: Single-use bioreactors and microcarriers can overcome scale-up issues, experts - BioPharma-Reporter.com

The search continues.

Gabi Ornelas was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in February 2015.

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Read the original:
Girl still in need of bone marrow match - Temple Daily Telegram

April 5, 2017 Stem cells (red) on polycaprolactone-based microcarriers. Credit: Elsevier

Bone tissue engineering is theoretically now possible at a large scale. A*STAR researchers have developed small biodegradable and biocompatible supports that aid stem cell differentiation and multiplication as well as bone formation in living animal models.

Mesenchymal stem cells self-renew and differentiate into fat, muscle, bone, and cartilage cells, which makes them attractive for organ repair and regeneration. These stem cells can be isolated from different sources, such as the human placenta and fatty tissue. Human early mesenchymal stem cells (heMSCs), which are derived from fetal bone marrow, were thought to be best suited for bone healing, but were not readily accessible for therapeutic use.

Existing approaches to expand stem cells for industrial applications tend to use two-dimensional materials as culture media, but their production yields are too low for clinical demand. Furthermore, stem cells typically need to be harvested with enzymes and attached to a scaffold before they can be implanted.

To bring commercially viable cell therapies to market, Asha Shekaran and Steve Oh, from the A*STAR Bioprocessing Technology Institute, have created directly implantable microscopic spheres in collaboration with the A*STAR Institute of Materials Research and Engineering. These spheres, which acted as heMSC microcarriers, consist of a biodegradable and biocompatible polymer called polycaprolactone.

According to Shekaran, their initial aim was to expand stem cells on microcarriers in bioreactors to scale up production. However, this strategy threw up difficulties, especially when attempting to effectively dissociate the cells from the microcarriers and transfer them to biodegradable scaffolds for implantation.

"A biodegradable microcarrier would have a dual purpose," Shekaran says, noting that it could potentially provide a substrate for cell attachment during scalable expansion in bioreactors, and a porous scaffold for cell delivery during implantation.

The researchers generated their microcarriers by synthesizing polycaprolactone spheres and coating them with two proteins polylysine and fibronectin. These proteins are found in the extracellular matrix that assists cell adhesion, growth, proliferation, and differentiation in the body.

Microcarriers that most induced cell attachment also promoted cell differentiation into bone-like matrix more strongly than conventional two-dimensional supports. In addition, implanted stem cells grown on these microcarriers produced an equivalent amount of bone to their conventionally-derived analogs.

"This is encouraging because microcarrier-based expansion and delivery are more scalable than two-dimensional culture methods," says Shekaran.

The team now plans to further investigate the therapeutic potential of these microcarrierstem cell assemblies in actual bone healing models.

Explore further: Study shows adipose stem cells may be the cell of choice for therapeutic applications

More information: Asha Shekaran et al. Biodegradable ECM-coated PCL microcarriers support scalable human early MSC expansion and in vivo bone formation, Cytotherapy (2016). DOI: 10.1016/j.jcyt.2016.06.016

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Read the original:
Spherical biodegradable carriers support scalable and cost-effective stem cell expansion and bone formation - Medical Xpress

Bone marrow transplantation, also referred as hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is the process of replacing diseased or damaged bone marrow or bone marrow stem cells with healthy tissue. Bone marrow is a soft vascular tissue present in the interior of long bones, which is primarily responsible for hematopoiesis (formation of blood cells), production of lymphocytes, and storage of a fat. Bone marrow transplantation procedure is recommended to treat severe stages of leukemia, Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphomas, multiple myeloma, aplastic and sickle cell anemia, thalassemia etc. In 2015, more than 75,000 bone marrow transplants were performed globally and the count is expected to increase by approximately 25% by the end of 2020. Depending on the source of bone marrow or stem cells, bone marrow transplant procedures are classified as peripheral stem cell transplant (PSCT) or conventional bone marrow transplant. The high potential of the bone marrow transplants and the ongoing researches in the field to reduce the risks and side effects of the procedure will take the market to a new high and provide better healthcare to millions of people in the world.

Request Report Sample@http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1354

Bone Marrow Transplant Market: Drivers and Restraints

Increasing worldwide prevalence of cancers and anemia is the major driver for the growth of global bone marrow transplant market. Moreover, advances in technology, improving healthcare infrastructure, emerging indications of bone marrow transplant for heart and neuronal disorders, growing investment in logistic services, increasing per capita healthcare expenditure are some other factors expected to flourish the global bone marrow transplantation market. However, tremendous cost of the treatment, scarcity of bone marrow donors and uncertainty of reimbursement in several countries are some major restraints for the growth of global bone marrow transplantation market,

Bone Marrow Transplant Market: Overview

Autologous bone marrow transplant segment of transplant type is expected to hold the major share in the global bone marrow transplant market owing to low treatment cost and high success rate. Leukemia being the most potential disease eligible for bone marrow transplant, is anticipated to contribute highest share in the global bone marrow transplant market. Hospital end user segment contributes major market share in global bone marrow transplant market owing to the requirement for advanced healthcare infrastructure for the procedure. Commercialization of stem cell therapies and expansion of them for clinical use is anticipated to cause surge in global bone marrow transplant market over the forecast period of 2016-2026.

Request For TOC@http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1354

Bone Marrow Transplant Market: Region wise Overview

Geographically, global bone marrow transplant market is classified into regions namely, North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific, Japan, Middle East and Africa.Europe will continue to lead the global bone marrow transplant market due to high density of bone marrow transplant centers and expanding bone marrow registries. Latin America is anticipated to witness rapid increase in volume of bone marrow transplant market owing to high number of potential candidates for the procedure. Increasing number of bone marrow transplant teams in North America is foreseen to boost the bone marrow transplant market in the region.

Bone Marrow Transplant Market: Key Players

Some of the key players in global bone marrow transplant market are Lonza Group Ltd., Merck Millipore Corporation, Sanofi-Aventis LLC., AllCells LLC., STEMCELL Technologies, ATCC Inc., Hemacare Corporation, Cellular Dynamics International, ReachBio LLC., Conversant Bio, abm Inc., PromoCell GmbH, Cruline Human biospecime PRO, Lifeline Cell Technology, Mesoblast Ltd. and others.

See the article here:
Bone Marrow Transplant Market Size, Analysis, and Forecast Report ... - MilTech

(Picture: Steec/Reddit)

This is Stephan and his 18-month-old daughter Hannah.

Hes a designer from Dublin who likes to put his kid in various precarious situations, from crawling up ladders to chilling with a set of knives.

Or at least, he does on Photoshop.

Stephan is superimposing Hannah into marginally dangerous situations to raise awareness of Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) the very rare immune disorder that shes been battling with.

She had a very rare immune disorder called HLH and spent six months of her first year in hospital, receiving chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant, which is the only possible cure.

Of 27 million worldwide donors, three were deemed suitable, and an anonymous German lady donated.

Because we missed out on so much normal stuff of the first year, we take tonnes of photos now that were able to do normal things out of isolation.

She is doing much better now (although shes in and out of hospital), but shes lots of fun, always smiling, and has a great sense of humour given what shes been through so far.

Stephan says that he thought it would be funny to worry his family by putting Hannah in precarious situations.

Most of the reactions have been positive, with the odd person not getting the joke and commenting that I should be shot.

Hes hoping that as well as making people laugh, his photos will help raise awareness of bone marrow donation.

And 75% of those in need wont find a matching donor in their families so they need to be found donors from outside.

Once you register to become a donor, its by no means a done deal that youll be parting ways with your marrow. Youve got a 1 in 790 chance of being chosen.

If you want to find out more about how to donate, just click here.

MORE: Families meet adopted rescue dogs for the first time

MORE: 20 ways kids annoy the heck out of their parents

Originally posted here:
A dad has been photoshopping his kid into marginally dangerous situations - Metro

April 5, 2017

Stem cell differentiation can now be seen thanks to a combination of machine learning and microfabrication techniques developed by scientists at the RIKEN Quantitative Biology Center in Japan. The results, published in PLOS One, followed the differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) which are easily obtained from adult bone marrow.

MSCs have proven to be important for regenerative medicine and stem cell therapy because they can potentially repair many different types of organ damage, as they have the ability to differentiate into various cell types including bone, muscle and fat. Depending on the way the cells are grown the results can be quite different and so controlling differentiation is an important goal.

Observing MSC differentiation under different conditions is an essential step in understanding how to control the process. However, this has proved challenging on two fronts. First, the physical space in which the cells are grown has a dramatic impact on the results, causing significant variation in the types of cells into which they differentiate. Studying this effect requires consistent and long lasting spatial confinement. Second, classifying the cell types which have developed through manual observation is time consuming.

Previous studies have confined cell growth with fibronectin on a glass slide. The cells can only adhere and differentiate where the fibronectin is present and are thus chemically confined. However, this procedure requires high technical skill to maintain the confinement for an extended period of time. To overcome this, the first author of the study, Nobuyuki Tanaka, decided to look for a new way to confine them. Using a simple agarose gel physical confinement system, he found that he could maintain them for up to 15 days. Tanaka says, "It was wonderful to be able to do this, because agarose gel is a commonly used material in biology laboratories and can be easily formed into a micro-cast in a PDMS silicone mold."

He continues, "The advantage of this system is that once the PDMS molds are obtained the user only needs agarose gel and a vacuum desiccator to create highly reproducible micro-casts." The vacuum pump pulls the agarose gel into the mold. He explains, "We provided the protocol to our coauthors at ETH Zurich and they performed the agarose micro-casting and conducted the stem cell differentiation study. Stem cells were captured in the micro-structures and their differentiation was controlled under the captured condition."

Tanaka's paper also describes an automated cell type classification system, using machine learning, which reduces the time and labor needed to analyze cells. "Combined together, these tools give us a powerful way to understand how stem cells differentiate in given conditions."

According to Yo Tanaka, leader of the Laboratory for Integrated Biodevice, where the research was conducted, "We hope this will break down the barriers that have hindered research in this area so far and help to establish harmony between biologists and engineers. The focus of engineers has traditionally been to develop new technologies, but scientists prefer to use well established technologies. However, if our newly developed technology is simple enough it can spread rapidly, this is our goal."

Explore further: Stem cells seem speedier in space

More information: PLOS One (2017). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0173647

Journal reference: PLoS ONE

Provided by: RIKEN

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This is really great! Getting stem cells to differentiate in to desired adult cells is what is holding back stem cell therapies. This is a MAJOR step in that direction!

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New technique helps researchers determine how stem cells ... - Phys.Org

Scientists at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) have found that a class of heart failure drugs might decrease low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels in patients who do not respond to statins. In a study appearing in the April 6, 2017 issue ofCell Stem Cell, cardiac glycosides reduced levels of a precursor of LDL in liver-like cells, and patients taking cardiac glycosides for heart failure had low LDL.

Not everyone with high LDL cholesterol responds to statins. Statins increase levels of a cell surface receptor that removes LDL cholesterol from the bloodstream. However, statins do not work in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), who have a rare mutation in that receptor. FH patients have very high cholesterol and die of cardiovascular disease by their forties. The existing drugs for FH can cause fatty liver disease, and the best treatment is a liver transplant.

Stephen A. Duncan, D. Phil., SmartStateTMChair of Regenerative Medicine at MUSC, and his colleagues, including Max A. Cayo, Ph.D., an MSTP student at the Medical College of Wisconsin, developed a drug screen to identify an alternative to statins. They focused on apolipoprotein B (ApoB), a molecule that liver cells use to make LDL and which is normal in patients with FH. Drugs that decrease ApoB could potentially lower cholesterol independently of the LDL receptor in FH patients and also in patients with other forms of high cholesterol.

FH was a perfect model for testing alternatives to statins. Yet the rarity of FH meant these liver cells were scarce. Duncan's group obtained skin cells from a patient with the rare disorder from the Next Generation Genetic Association Studies consortium of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, which studies genetic mutations linked to cardiovascular diseases. Next, they generated induced pluripotent stem cells from these skin cells. Stem cells continually double their numbers while in culture. This meant that a sample of converted skin cells from a single patient with FH provided a renewable source of liver-like cells that retained the mutation.

The team treated their liver-like cells with the SPECTRUM drug library, a collection of 2300 pharmaceuticals, many of which have reached clinical trials. In a surprising finding, all nine cardiac glycosides in the library, some once widely prescribed for heart failure, reduced ApoB levels in liver-like cells from the patient with FH, ranging from 29 percent (ouabain) to 38 percent (digoxin) to 73 percent (gitoxin). In further tests, they also lowered ApoB levels in human hepatocytes and reduced them by 30 percent in mice engineered to grow normal human livers without the FH mutation at doses eight times below their toxicity thresholds. Molecular tests revealed that glycosides shorten the lifetime of the ApoB molecule, in part by increasing how quickly it is degraded.

As everyone needs ApoB to make LDL cholesterol, this was proof that cardiac glycosides could potentially also work in patients with other forms of high cholesterol. To find out, the team combed through more than five thousand records of patients prescribed cardiac glycosides for heart failure who also had LDL cholesterol records. On average, LDL cholesterol levels were lower in those taking a cardiac glycoside (reduction of 9 mg/dL) or a statin (reduction of 14 mg/dL) than in those not taking any drug. No difference in LDL cholesterol levels was noted between those taking an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, another heart failure drug with no known role in cholesterol production, and those not taking any drug. Duncan's team also found patients who had LDL measurements recorded both before and after being prescribed a cardiac glycoside. LDL cholesterol dropped in 16 out of 21 patients and by an average of nearly 26 points, which was similar to the 32-point drop seen in a matching group of patients prescribed statins.

This study contains the first evidence to date that cardiac glycosides could potentially reduce LDL cholesterol independently of the LDL receptor, where statins act, by promoting ApoB degradation.

It is not clear from this study whether cardiac glycosides decrease LDL cholesterol in patients who do not have heart failure or at what dose they should be used. The cardiac glycosides have narrow ranges of efficacy for the treatment of heart failure, above which they can be toxic. However, they could offer inexpensive, life-saving options for patients with FH. Digoxin, the cardiac glycoside most commonly prescribed for heart failure, costs less than one dollar per day. Additionally, a cardiac glycoside in a low dose could conceivably provide an added benefit to patients already taking a statin. Finally, using stem cell-based screens of drugs that are already on the market is an innovative way to investigate treatments for rare liver diseases.

"There are so few livers available for transplant," says Duncan. "Having the stem cell model where we make liver cells in the culture dish opens up a possibility of using this not only to investigate a disease, but also as a way to discover drugs that could fix a disease."

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Stem Cell Drug Screen Yields Potential Alternative to Statins - R & D Magazine

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When Philip Rhoades' parents died he put their brains on ice. Journalist SHERELE MOODY finds out what he plans to do with his own body after death.

IN an ideal world, Philip Rhoades will die peacefully and pain-free, his body will be put on ice and he will be brought back to life in a time when illness does not exist and people live forever.

And when he does come back, the cryonics expert will have his deceased mum and dad for company.

After Gerald and Dorothy Rhoades died in May of 2016, Philip placed their brains in a commercial cryogenic facility - the kind that stores animal semen for artificial insemination and human eggs for IVF.

Philip froze his parents' brains because it only costs about $35,000 to keep each organ for perpetuity compared to $200,000 each to have their bodies frozen, transported and stored in cryonics facilities overseas.

"The key thing is being able to download the information in the brain," Philip said of keeping his mum and dad's neurological remains on ice.

"In the case of a neural archive, we're not concerned about reviving the body's cells, we're concerned with the neural architecture that has the information in it.

"It's likely that we will be able to in the next 10 or 20 years be able to extract that information with high-resolution brain scans.

"We'd then dump the information into a super computer."

When a cryonics candidate dies, a team of medical experts prepares them for transport to a storage facility by stabilising their body, packing it with ice, lacing the blood with an anti-coagulant and feeding oxygen to the brain.

When the body arrives at its final destination the blood is drained and the water in the cells is replaced by a liquid "anti-freeze" that ensures the organs and tissues do not shatter when ice crystals form during the freezing process.

The body is then cooled by dry ice to minus 130 degrees before being placed in a protective body bag and lowered, head first, into a metal tank filled with liquid nitrogen that is kept at minus 196 degrees.

Bodies are stored upside down to ensure the brains are the last thing to thaw if the tank leaks.

While Philip could only afford to freeze his parents' brains, he hopes to have his entire body put on ice for re-animation "as soon as possible" but he acknowledged he could be waiting around for quite a while.

"Trying to revive a whole human being is a difficult operation," he said of the process that some scientists say won't work because of the damage extreme temperatures cause to human cells.

"If you're getting a cryonic suspension then the intention is that modern scientific technology will allow the body to be thawed out, completely revived and rejuvenated so you look like you're 25 and you feel like you're 25 again.

"Life is too short - it shouldn't be three score and 10 years, it should be thousands of years."

Philip hopes he does not get Alzheimer's disease like his father had in the years before he died.

If he does end up with the same illness, Philip is considering what he calls "pre-mortal suspension" before the dementia renders him unable to make his own decisions.

His plan is to end his own life while connected to machinery that will prepare his body for the cryonics process.

Philip is currently working on a way to remove the need for human intervention when he dies and the process of initiating the cryonic state because of the potential legal implications for anyone seen to be assisting in his death.

"It will involve technology that will drain my blood, undertake the automatic perfusion and all of that," Philip said.

- ARM NEWSDESK

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Brains on ice: The Aussie man planning to live forever - Mackay Daily Mercury