Thursday, September 29, 2011

Treatment for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus Infection

Fogle JE, Tompkins WA, Campbell B et al: Fozivudine tidoxil as single-agent therapy decreases plasma and cell-associated viremia during acute feline immunodeficiency virus infection, J Vet Intern Med 25:413, 2011.

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is a natural lentivirus infection of domestic and wild cats. The course of the disease is similar to that of human immunodeficiency virus. One of two drugs, zidovudine (ZDV, also known as AZT), has demonstrated some benefit in controlled trials in naturally infected cats. ZDV has been shown to lower viral burden in both acute and chronic infection, to transiently improve CD4:CD8 ratios, and to improve clinical signs in chronically infected cats. Anemia is the most common and significant adverse side effect associated with ZDV that resolves on lowering the dosage or cessation of administration. Because there is a need for more effective drugs with fewer side effects for FIV treatment, the authors evaluated a compound related to ZDV, fozivudine (FZD), in a controlled experimental trial. Data from the study showed that FZD is effective at lowering viral load the first 2 weeks of FIV infection and may decrease early FIV- associated lympholysis. The adverse effects associated with ZDV administration, including anemia, were not evident in any of the cats treated with FZD at the dosage used during the study. Further investigation is needed to assess pharmacokinetics and optimal dosages for antiviral activity of the drug. [VT]

Related articles:
Hartmann K: Clinical aspects of feline immunodeficiency and feline leukemia virus infection, Vet Immunol Immunopathol 143:190, 2011.

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Scoliosis is known by the curvature of a person’s spine. Scoliosis can be discovered at birth, while in the womb the bones of the spine fail to form properly or the ribs fuse together leading to congenital scoliosis. The condition poses minimal risk to infants and young children of both genders.

Neuromuscular scoliosis refers to muscle problems such as poor muscle control, muscle weaknesses and muscle paralysis caused by certain diseases (spina bifida, muscular dystrophy and polio). Idiopathic scoliosis has no cause and is frequently observed in adolescents, the majority being young girls. The spinal curves worsen as adolescents grow. The braces are less helpful to overweight patients afflicted with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

Treatment varies according to the cause of the scoliosis, the size and location on the spine and the growth rate of the patient. For curves between 24 to 40 degrees in adolescents, body braces are one of the advised methods used by doctors to stop the advancement of spine curving. Boston Brace, Milwaukee Brace, Wilmington Brace and Charleston Brace are the different types of braces. Each brace has an individual function and the patients’ health care provider has to choose the most suitable one for the patient.

Medical reports say the scoliosis brace applies pressure at certain points to straighten the spine. The importance of the brace is that it is adjustable as the patient matures.

The standard treatment prescribed is a scoliosis brace that corrects moderate curves of 24 to 40 degrees in adolescents. This treatment is recommended despite the lack of evidence to validate its prescription. Though hard and elastic braces have been shown to correct spinal curvature, the research does not provide definite answers. More investigation is needed to determine conclusively if body bracing is good for scoliosis patients.

The preference for scoliosis bracing is in small part due to subpar research on the effects of scoliosis exercise in the 1960’s to1970’s. It is important to consider the supervision of these research studies. The participants were instructed to engage in scoliosis exercises which were not directed towards relieving scoliosis curvature or pain. The orthopedic scoliosis specialist community took the research as the basis to advocate scoliosis bracing over exercise.

Recent long-term studies published in research journals cast doubt on the usefulness of the scoliosis brace treatment, especially on its supposed ability to halt the scoliosis spine progression, preventing the patient from needing scoliosis surgery or significantly altering the condition.

At the 2010 SOSORT meeting in Montreal, a speaker presented findings that demonstrated the possible negative impact scoliosis braces may have on an individual. When scoliosis braces were used on rat tails, which are structurally similar to the human spine, the rate of disc deformity increased. Moreover, the curvature of the scoliosis spine had an elevated chance of worsening.

The futility of the brace is further illustrated in a graph designed by the creators of the Scoliscore genetic test. The results of the scoliosis brace treatment and the predicted progression of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis by studying pre-disposed genetic factors was plotted in two separate graphs. The two graphical lines matched almost perfectly, emphasizing that scoliosis brace is a poor treatment that doesn’t alter the course of the condition.

Aside from the limited probability of the braces actually working, there are other reasons for the immense aversion to wearing it. The brace is constructed to attach against the skin to firmly hold the spine in place. It has been known to cause great discomfort as well as skin problems since the plastic brace is fitted very tightly. The plastic fittings chaff the skin and are responsible for skin irritations and skin breakouts. The areas have to be given time to heal before the device can be worn again. The brace is also responsible for darkening of patches of the skin. Health care professionals advise patients to wear a cotton shirt underneath the brace, but that does very little to help.

Weather conditions further enhance the distress; given that hot or humid conditions can be very uncomfortable, patients have to take excessive measures to keep their skin cool and dry.

Scoliosis brace treatment has a rigid, demanding schedule. Patients have to wear the brace for a prescribed period of time, in the beginning it is a few hours per day. The hours will subsequently be increased to 23 hours per day. Most patients find it bothersome to remove the brace for certain activities and then to re-attach it again. The biggest issue adolescents have with the scoliosis brace, it is too noticeable. The brace is even obvious under clothing, undermining the patient’s confidence. Many patients reported feeling self-conscious and “weird” after a few weeks of wearing the brace. They began to resist the treatment, seeing it as an imposition and a very unwanted interference in their already difficult lives.

In light of these latest developments, patients should explore other options rather than expensive and invasive scoliosis braces. My book “Your Plan for Natural Scoliosis Prevention and Treatment - Health In Your Hands” tackles scoliosis at the cause by changing how the scoliosis gene is expressed. By changing a person’s diet the scoliosis sufferer can turn off the scoliosis gene and thereby halting the progression, while exercises demonstrated in the DVD “Scoliosis Exercises for Prevention and Correction” and special spinal devices detailed in the book re-train and mould the spine into its normal alignment.

About Dr Kevin Lau
Dr Kevin Lau DC is the founder of Health In Your Hands, a series of tools for Scoliosis prevention and treatment. The set includes his book Your Plan for Natural Scoliosis Prevention and Treatment, a companion Scoliosis Exercises for Prevention and Correction DVD and the innovative new iPhone application ScolioTrack. Dr Kevin Lau D.C. is a graduate in Doctor of Chiropractic from RMIT University in Melbourne Australia and Masters in Holistic Nutrition from Clayton College of Natural Health in USA. In 2006 I was awarded the "Best Health-care Provider Awards" by the largest Newspaper publication in Singapore on October 18 2006 as well as being interviewed on Primetime Channel News Asia as well as other TV and Radio. For more information on Dr Kevin Lau, watch his interviews or get a free sneak peek of his book, go to: http://www.hiyh.info.

Medical reports say the scoliosis brace applies pressure at certain points to straighten the spine. The importance of the brace is that it is adjustable as the patient matures.

Weather conditions further enhance the distress; given that hot or humid conditions can be very uncomfortable, patients have to take excessive measures to keep their skin cool and dry.

New Feline Virus Identified

Zhu CX, Shan TL, Cui L et al: Molecular detection and sequence analysis of feline Torque teno virus (TTV) in China, Virus research 156:13, 2011.

You just never know what’s out there until you look. An unusually small virus was found over a decade ago in a person in Japan suffering from hepatitis after a blood transfusion. It was named Torque Teno Virus (TTV), meaning “thin necklace”, reflecting the genetic structure. In addition to humans, it has been found in birds, cattle, swine, and sheep, as well as various wildlife species. Its importance and disease-causing ability remain unknown. These researchers in China identified a new TTV in Chinese cats. While it is still not clear whether or not this virus causes any problems in infected animals, it does show that one doesn’t know what exists until one looks for it! [MK]

Related articles:
Okamoto H, Takahashi M, Nishizawa T et al: Genomic characterization of TT viruses (TTVs) in pigs, cats and dogs and their relatedness with species-specific TTVs in primates and tupaias, The Journal of general virology 83:1291, 2002.

More on cat health: Winn Feline Foundation Library
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Can Inflammation in this Organ be at the Root of Your Depression?

By Dr. Mercola | September 20 2011

Recent studies have shown that inflammation may be involved in the pathogenesis of depression. In fact, some research has demonstrated that depression is frequently associated with gastrointestinal inflammations and autoimmune diseases as well as with other ailments in which chronic low-grade inflammation is a significant contributing factor.

It is possible that depression could be a neuropsychiatric manifestation of a chronic inflammatory syndrome. And the primary cause of inflammation may be the dysfunction of the "gut-brain axis".

According to a study reprinted on the website Green Med InfoL

“... [A]n increasing number of clinical studies have shown that treating gastrointestinal inflammations with probiotics, vitamin B, D and omega 3 fatty acids, through attenuating proinflammatory stimuli to brain, may also improve depression symptoms and quality of life. All these findings justify an assumption that treating gastrointestinal inflammations may improve the efficacy of the currently used treatment modalities of depression and related diseases.”

Orvosi hetilap September 8, 2011; 152(37): 1477-1485

By Dr. Mercola | September 20 2011

It is possible that depression could be a neuropsychiatric manifestation of a chronic inflammatory syndrome. And the primary cause of inflammation may be the dysfunction of the "gut-brain axis".

According to a study reprinted on the website Green Med InfoL

Orvosi hetilap September 8, 2011; 152(37): 1477-1485

Stress and aggressive breast cancer go together, study finds

By Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times/For the Booster Shots blog

September 19, 2011, 1:47 p.m.

Could stress play a role in the development of breast cancer?

Researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicagowondered about this. After all, the components of what experts call “psychosocial stress” – including fear, anxietyand isolation – could take a toll on the autonomic nervous system, which helps regulate heart rate, respiration and other important bodily functions.

So they found 989 women who had been diagnosed with breast cancer in the previous three months and asked them a lot of questions to assess their level of stress. It turned out that there was an association between stress and the disease – the women who scored highest for stress were more likely to have a more aggressive form of breast cancer.

More specifically, the researchers found that stressed women were 38% more likely to have cancers that were estrogen receptor-negative. These tumors do not respond to therapies aimed at cutting off estrogen, which means that drugs likeTamoxifen, raloxifene (Evista), Arimidex and others will not help. After taking into account things like the women’s age and the stage of their cancer when it was diagnosed, the women who were more stressed were still 22% more likely to have cancers that were estrogen receptor-negative.

The researchers also found that women with the most stress were 18% more likely to be diagnosed with high-grade tumors, which are more aggressive than low-grade tumors. However, when the study team accounted for age and cancer stage, the link disappeared.

In addition, breast cancer patients who were black or Latina had higher stress scores (on average) than patients who were white.

Of course, these results beg the question of whether the women with more aggressive cancers were already more stressed out before they were told they had breast cancer. It’s certainly plausible that getting a breast cancer diagnosis – especially if the tumor is aggressive – would make a previously calm woman feel more than a bit agitated.

In a presentation made Monday at the American Assn. for Cancer Research’s conference about health disparities and cancer, the research team acknowledged this problem. But for the sake of the study, they felt it was safe to assume that patients who were stressed when they were interviewed would also have been more stressed before they knew they were sick.

“It’s not clear what’s driving this association,” lead researcher Garth Rauscher said in a statement. “It may be that the level of stress in these patients’ lives influenced tumor aggressiveness. It may be that being diagnosed with a more aggressive tumor, with a more worrisome diagnosis and more stressful treatments, influenced reports of stress. It may be that both of these are playing a role in the association. We don’t know the answer to that question.”

By Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times/For the Booster Shots blog

September 19, 2011, 1:47 p.m.

By Frederik Joelving

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Children who drink raw milk are less likely to develop asthma and allergies than those who stick to the safer pasteurized version, according to a large European study.

Although the study isn't ironclad proof that the effects can be chalked up to raw milk itself, researchers believe certain milk proteins that are destroyed by heat could be helpful to children's developing immune systems.

They warn, however, that parents shouldn't start giving their kids raw milk.

"The consumption of raw milk is a double-edged sword," Georg Loss, a researcher with the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute in Basel who worked on the study, told Reuters Health by email.

"On the one side it is protective for the development of asthma and allergies but on the other side it may imply serious health risks due to harmful microorganisms."

Raw milk proponents claim the drink has several health benefits -- among them reducing asthma symptoms -- that aren't found in the pasteurized milk sold in most grocery stores.

But there is little evidence for their claims, according to U.S. government researchers who say consumption of unpasteurized milk, cheese and yogurt can be dangerous.

Last year, for example, scientists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention linked raw milk to a 2008 outbreak of E. coli in Connecticut that landed four people in the hospital with life-threatening illnesses.

The agency repeated its warning after learning of the current new study, which is published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

"From CDC's perspective, raw milk can carry harmful bacteria and other germs that can cause severe illness and even death," researcher Hannah Gould said in an email to Reuters Health. "While it is possible to get foodborne illnesses from many different foods, raw milk is one of the riskiest of all."

Although earlier studies have found less asthma and allergies among kids who drink raw milk, the new work is the first to point to the exact components in the milk that might be protective.

Loss and his colleagues tapped into a large survey in which parents answered questions about their children's milk consumption. The researchers also collected 800 milk samples from the participants' households.

Compared with kids who only drank store-bought milk, those who drank raw milk had a 41-percent reduction in their odds of developing asthma. They were also only about half as likely to develop hay fever -- even after accounting for other factors that might be relevant.

On the other hand, those who drank boiled farm milk had no less asthma than those who drank store milk.

The protective effect was linked to so-called whey proteins in the milk, such as BSA and alpha-lactalbumin.

"Pasteurization remains an effective tool to inactivate harmful microorganisms but may simultaneously destroy whey proteins," said Loss. "The results may give rise to technological developments aiming to destroy harmful microorganisms but preserving beneficial components of milk. The ultimate aim is to use a safe and protective milk for prevention of asthma."

In the U.S., more than seven percent of adults and even more kids have asthma, causing millions of visits to emergency rooms and doctors' offices every year.

SOURCE: bit.ly/rrHjuE Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, online August 29, 2011.
About Dr Kevin Lau
Dr Kevin Lau DC is the founder of Health In Your Hands, a series of tools for Scoliosis prevention and treatment. The set includes his book Your Plan for Natural Scoliosis Prevention and Treatment, a companion Scoliosis Exercises for Prevention and Correction DVD and the innovative new iPhone application ScolioTrack. Dr Kevin Lau D.C. is a graduate in Doctor of Chiropractic from RMIT University in Melbourne Australia and Masters in Holistic Nutrition from Clayton College of Natural Health in USA. In 2006 I was awarded the "Best Health-care Provider Awards" by the largest Newspaper publication in Singapore on October 18 2006 as well as being interviewed on Primetime Channel News Asia as well as other TV and Radio. For more information on Dr Kevin Lau, watch his interviews or get a free sneak peek of his book, go to: http://www.hiyh.info.

By Frederik Joelving

SEPTEMBER 21, 2011 | BY ALARIC DEARMENT

LOS ANGELES — Researchers at the University of California Los Angeles said they have found a possible link between two newer drugs for Type 2 diabetes and cancers of the pancreas and thyroid, according to a new study published in the journalGastroenterology.

The researchers, at UCLA's Larry L. Hillblom Islet Research Center, examined incidents reported in the Food and Drug Administration's adverse event database between 2004 and 2009 among patients using Byetta (exenatide), made by Eli Lilly and Amylin Pharmaceuticals, and Merck's Januvia (sitagliptin).

"We undertook these studies because several studies in animal models by several investigators had suggested that this form of therapy may have unintended actions to promote growth of the ducts in the pancreatic gland that convey digestive juices from the pancreas to the gut," study co-author and Hillblom Center director Peter Butler said. "This is a concern if it happens in humans since it might be expected to increase the risk for pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer. While the FDA database has limitations, it does have advantages in being very large, openly accessible and independent from companies that market the drugs."

Both drugs work by stimulating the hormone glucagon-like peptide 1, or GLP-1. Previous research in rats has shown that enhancing the actions of GLP-1 may increase the rate of formation of cells that line the pancreatic ducts, which could lead to pancreatitis.

Comparing Januvia and Byetta with four others that constituted a control group, the researchers found a six-fold increase in the odds ratio for reported cases of pancreatitis, as well as a nearly threefold increase in the risk of pancreatic cancer. In addition, they found a statistically significant increase in the risk of thyroid cancer among patients taking Byetta, but not among those taking Januvia.

http://drugstorenews.com/article/ucla-researchers-find-possible-link-between-diabetes-drugs-pancreatic-cancer

SEPTEMBER 21, 2011 | BY ALARIC DEARMENT

http://drugstorenews.com/article/ucla-researchers-find-possible-link-between-diabetes-drugs-pancreatic-cancer

Health News

Pages

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Treatment for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus Infection

New Genetic Testing Shows Scoliosis Bracing Is Not Effective

Monday, September 26, 2011

New Feline Virus Identified

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Can Inflammation in this Organ be at the Root of Your Depression?

By Dr. Mercola | September 20 2011

By Dr. Mercola | September 20 2011

Friday, September 23, 2011

Stress and aggressive breast cancer go together, study finds

Kids who drink raw milk have less asthma, allergies

Do Drugs for Diabetes Actually Cause Pancreatic Cancer?