Improvement in HDL cholesterol in postmenopausal women supplemented with pumpkin seed oil: pilot study.

Pumpkin seed oil is rich in phytoestrogens and animal studies suggest that there is some benefit to supplementation in low estrogen conditions. This study is the first to evaluate the benefit of pumpkin seed oil in postmenopausal women.

METHODS: This pilot study was randomized, double-blinded and placebo-controlled. Study participants included 35 women who had undergone natural menopause or had iatrogenically entered the climacteric due to surgery for benign pathology. Wheat germ oil (placebo; n = 14) and pumpkin seed oil (n = 21) were administered to eligible participants over a 12-week period at a dose of 2 g per day. Serum lipids, fasting plasma glucose and blood pressure were measured and an 18-point questionnaire regarding menopausal symptoms was administered; the atherogenic index was also calculated. Differences between groups, as well as before and after the period of supplementation, were evaluated with Student's t-test, Wilcoxon matched-pair signed-ranked test and Mann-Whitney test, as appropriate (Stata version 10.1).

Women receiving pumpkin seed oil showed a significant increase in high density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations (0.92 ± 0.23 mmol/l vs. 1.07 ± 0.27 mmol/l; p = 0.029) and decrease in diastolic blood pressure (81.1 ± 7.94 mmHg vs. 75.67 ± 11.93 mmHg; p < 0.046). There was also a significant improvement in the menopausal symptom scores (18.1 ± 9.0 vs. 13.2 ± 6.7; p < 0.030), with a decrease in severity of hot flushes, less headaches and less joint pains being the main contributors. Women in the group receiving wheat germ oil reported being more depressed and having more unloved feeling.

CONCLUSION: This pilot study showed pumpkin seed oil had some benefits for postmenopausal women and provided strong evidence to support further studies.

Pumpkin seed oil is rich in phytoestrogens and animal studies suggest that there is some benefit to supplementation in low estrogen conditions. This study is the first to evaluate the benefit of pumpkin seed oil in postmenopausal women.

METHODS: This pilot study was randomized, double-blinded and placebo-controlled. Study participants included 35 women who had undergone natural menopause or had iatrogenically entered the climacteric due to surgery for benign pathology. Wheat germ oil (placebo; n = 14) and pumpkin seed oil (n = 21) were administered to eligible participants over a 12-week period at a dose of 2 g per day. Serum lipids, fasting plasma glucose and blood pressure were measured and an 18-point questionnaire regarding menopausal symptoms was administered; the atherogenic index was also calculated. Differences between groups, as well as before and after the period of supplementation, were evaluated with Student's t-test, Wilcoxon matched-pair signed-ranked test and Mann-Whitney test, as appropriate (Stata version 10.1).

Women receiving pumpkin seed oil showed a significant increase in high density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations (0.92 ± 0.23 mmol/l vs. 1.07 ± 0.27 mmol/l; p = 0.029) and decrease in diastolic blood pressure (81.1 ± 7.94 mmHg vs. 75.67 ± 11.93 mmHg; p < 0.046). There was also a significant improvement in the menopausal symptom scores (18.1 ± 9.0 vs. 13.2 ± 6.7; p < 0.030), with a decrease in severity of hot flushes, less headaches and less joint pains being the main contributors. Women in the group receiving wheat germ oil reported being more depressed and having more unloved feeling.

CONCLUSION: This pilot study showed pumpkin seed oil had some benefits for postmenopausal women and provided strong evidence to support further studies.

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Vitamin D in diet and depression

Think of a study of more than 81,000 women. How much time do you think such a study would take; how much effort from the scientists? Then say it was prospective, that is, it looked into the future from the past. Dr. Elizabeth Bertone-Johnson, from the University of Massachusetts, senior author JoAnn Manson, from Harvard, and 12 colleagues from the Women’s Health Initiative did just that in a paper published in October of 2011. They looked at vitamin D intake from foods and supplements and current and later symptoms of depression.

Bertone-Johnson ER, Powers SI, Spangler L, Brunner RL, Michael YL, Larson JC, Millen AE, Bueche MN, Salmoirago-Blotcher E, Liu S, Wassertheil-Smoller S, Ockene JK, Ockene I, Manson JE. Vitamin D intake from foods and supplements and depressive symptoms in a diverse population of older women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2011 Oct;94(4):1104-12

The authors begin,

“Vitamin D may affect the function of dopamine and norepinephrine, which are monoamine neurotransmitters that are likely involved in depression. Furthermore, vitamin D may modulate the relation between depression and inflammation.”

They assessed 81,000 women at baseline (1993 -1998) and 3 years later for depression, using a simple depression rating scale, and for total vitamin D intake from foods and supplements. Their finding:

“In cross-sectional analysis that used baseline data, women with the highest intake of vitamin D and vitamin D from food sources had a significantly lower prevalence of depressive symptoms. . . In women without depressive symptoms at baseline, a higher vitamin D intake from food as associated with a lower risk of depression at year 3.”

However, they added,

“We did not find supplemental vitamin D intakes to be consistently related to measures of depressive symptoms.”
Explaining that in their group of women, for surprising and unknown reasons, vitamin D levels were higher in women who did not use vitamin D supplements. Remember in 1998, vitamin D supplements were either cod liver oil or multivitamins, both of which contained little vitamin D and toxic amounts of preformed retinol in the 1990s.

They went on to quote studies indicating that not 90%, but only 30% of vitamin D currently comes from sunlight. “Recent evidence suggested that only ~30% of circulating 25(OH)D is the product of sunlight exposure.” The studies indicating 90% comes from sunlight expose were from the early 1980s, when 90% did come from sunlight. This change from 90% to 30% reflects just how much we have become sunless creatures. Nature must have been totally surprised, when one day in the late 1980s, we suddenly decided that the Nature’s gift of sunlight was evil.

The authors conclude,

“Our results support an inverse association of vitamin D intake from foods and the occurrence of depressive symptoms in older women.”

Think of a study of more than 81,000 women. How much time do you think such a study would take; how much effort from the scientists? Then say it was prospective, that is, it looked into the future from the past. Dr. Elizabeth Bertone-Johnson, from the University of Massachusetts, senior author JoAnn Manson, from Harvard, and 12 colleagues from the Women’s Health Initiative did just that in a paper published in October of 2011. They looked at vitamin D intake from foods and supplements and current and later symptoms of depression.

Bertone-Johnson ER, Powers SI, Spangler L, Brunner RL, Michael YL, Larson JC, Millen AE, Bueche MN, Salmoirago-Blotcher E, Liu S, Wassertheil-Smoller S, Ockene JK, Ockene I, Manson JE. Vitamin D intake from foods and supplements and depressive symptoms in a diverse population of older women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2011 Oct;94(4):1104-12

The authors begin,

“Vitamin D may affect the function of dopamine and norepinephrine, which are monoamine neurotransmitters that are likely involved in depression. Furthermore, vitamin D may modulate the relation between depression and inflammation.”

They assessed 81,000 women at baseline (1993 -1998) and 3 years later for depression, using a simple depression rating scale, and for total vitamin D intake from foods and supplements. Their finding:

“In cross-sectional analysis that used baseline data, women with the highest intake of vitamin D and vitamin D from food sources had a significantly lower prevalence of depressive symptoms. . . In women without depressive symptoms at baseline, a higher vitamin D intake from food as associated with a lower risk of depression at year 3.”

However, they added,

“We did not find supplemental vitamin D intakes to be consistently related to measures of depressive symptoms.”
Explaining that in their group of women, for surprising and unknown reasons, vitamin D levels were higher in women who did not use vitamin D supplements. Remember in 1998, vitamin D supplements were either cod liver oil or multivitamins, both of which contained little vitamin D and toxic amounts of preformed retinol in the 1990s.

They went on to quote studies indicating that not 90%, but only 30% of vitamin D currently comes from sunlight. “Recent evidence suggested that only ~30% of circulating 25(OH)D is the product of sunlight exposure.” The studies indicating 90% comes from sunlight expose were from the early 1980s, when 90% did come from sunlight. This change from 90% to 30% reflects just how much we have become sunless creatures. Nature must have been totally surprised, when one day in the late 1980s, we suddenly decided that the Nature’s gift of sunlight was evil.

The authors conclude,

“Our results support an inverse association of vitamin D intake from foods and the occurrence of depressive symptoms in older women.”

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PCR Testing for Feline Respiratory Viruses

Ruch-Gallie RA, Veir JK, Hawley JR et al: Results of molecular diagnostic assays targeting feline herpesvirus-1 and feline calicivirus in adult cats administered modified live vaccines, J Feline Med Surg 13:541, 2011.

Diagnostic testing to identify the cause of a respiratory infection in a cat today often involves molecular testing of swabs collected from the nasal and pharyngeal areas. These assays detect the genetic material of the virus of interest. These molecular assays, known as real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), are very sensitive, able to detect very small amounts virus. Vaccines given to cats, including cats entering shelters, are usually live virus vaccines. When respiratory disease occurs in these cats soon after vaccination, the concern is that the molecular assays may detect the vaccine virus, confusing the diagnosis. These researchers investigated the likelihood of detecting virus in the days immediately following vaccination. They tested multiple samples collected from six cats given an intranasal vaccine and six given a subcutaneous vaccine. Overall, the detection of virus within days after vaccination was uncommon. The risk was slightly higher with intranasal vaccines versus the subcutaneous vaccines. But the percentage of samples collected that gave positive results was quite small. Thus, the risk of false positive results from vaccination appears to be low. [MK]

Related articles:
Maggs D, Clarke H: Relative sensitivity of polymerase chain reaction assays used for detection of feline herpesvirus type 1 DNA in clinical samples and commercial vaccines, Am J Vet Res 66:1550, 2005.

More on cat health: Winn Feline Foundation Library
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Ruch-Gallie RA, Veir JK, Hawley JR et al: Results of molecular diagnostic assays targeting feline herpesvirus-1 and feline calicivirus in adult cats administered modified live vaccines, J Feline Med Surg 13:541, 2011.

Diagnostic testing to identify the cause of a respiratory infection in a cat today often involves molecular testing of swabs collected from the nasal and pharyngeal areas. These assays detect the genetic material of the virus of interest. These molecular assays, known as real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), are very sensitive, able to detect very small amounts virus. Vaccines given to cats, including cats entering shelters, are usually live virus vaccines. When respiratory disease occurs in these cats soon after vaccination, the concern is that the molecular assays may detect the vaccine virus, confusing the diagnosis. These researchers investigated the likelihood of detecting virus in the days immediately following vaccination. They tested multiple samples collected from six cats given an intranasal vaccine and six given a subcutaneous vaccine. Overall, the detection of virus within days after vaccination was uncommon. The risk was slightly higher with intranasal vaccines versus the subcutaneous vaccines. But the percentage of samples collected that gave positive results was quite small. Thus, the risk of false positive results from vaccination appears to be low. [MK]

Related articles:
Maggs D, Clarke H: Relative sensitivity of polymerase chain reaction assays used for detection of feline herpesvirus type 1 DNA in clinical samples and commercial vaccines, Am J Vet Res 66:1550, 2005.

More on cat health: Winn Feline Foundation Library
Join us on Facebook
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Study finds good diet overcomes bad genes

Tuesday, October 18, 2011. In an article published online on October 11, 2011 in the journal PLoS Medicine, Dr Jamie Engert at McGill University in Montreal and his associates report that the risk conferred by a gene variant known to be a strong marker for cardiovascular disease is minimized by consuming a diet rich in fruit and vegetables. "We know that 9p21 genetic variants increase the risk of heart disease for those that carry it," explained Dr Engert, of the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre. "But it was a surprise to find that a healthy diet could significantly weaken its effect."

The researchers genotyped four variants in the 9p21 chromosome region of 8,114 participants in the INTERHEART study, a case-control study of men and women of varying ethnic backgrounds that compared those who had had an acute non-fatal heart attack to similar subjects without heart disease. Additionally, 9p21 variants were analyzed in 19,129 participants in the FINRISK study, of whom 1,014 had cardiovascular disease. Dietary questionnaires ascertained the frequency of intake of vegetables, fruits and other foods.

Subjects whose intake of vegetables and fruit was low had the greatest risk of cardiovascular disease in association with a 9p21 variant compared to those whose intake was high. Among INTERHEART participants who consumed a diet rich in fruit and raw vegetables, the risk of heart attack was similar between carriers and non-carriers of a specific single nucleotide polymorphism in the 9p21 region. In the FINRISK study, having a high risk genotype was associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease among those with low or average intake of fruit, vegetables and berries, yet among those whose intake of these foods was high, the variant appeared to have no effect.

"We observed that the effect of a high-risk genotype can be mitigated by consuming a diet high in fruits and vegetables," commented coauthor Sonia Anand, who is a professor of medicine and epidemiology at the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster University. "Our results support the public health recommendation to consume more than five servings of fruits or vegetables as a way to promote good health."

"Our research suggests there may be an important interplay between genes and diet in cardiovascular disease," stated lead author Dr Ron Do, who is currently affiliated with Massachusetts General Hospital. "Future research is necessary to understand the mechanism of this interaction, which will shed light on the underlying metabolic processes that the 9p21 gene is involved in."

Source: http://www.lef.org/newsletter/2011/1018_Study-Finds-Good-Diet-Overcomes-Bad-Genes.htm?utm_source=2011Wk42-1&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Article&utm_content=Header&utm_campaign=eNewsletter&l=0#article

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.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011. In an article published online on October 11, 2011 in the journal PLoS Medicine, Dr Jamie Engert at McGill University in Montreal and his associates report that the risk conferred by a gene variant known to be a strong marker for cardiovascular disease is minimized by consuming a diet rich in fruit and vegetables. "We know that 9p21 genetic variants increase the risk of heart disease for those that carry it," explained Dr Engert, of the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre. "But it was a surprise to find that a healthy diet could significantly weaken its effect."

The researchers genotyped four variants in the 9p21 chromosome region of 8,114 participants in the INTERHEART study, a case-control study of men and women of varying ethnic backgrounds that compared those who had had an acute non-fatal heart attack to similar subjects without heart disease. Additionally, 9p21 variants were analyzed in 19,129 participants in the FINRISK study, of whom 1,014 had cardiovascular disease. Dietary questionnaires ascertained the frequency of intake of vegetables, fruits and other foods.

Subjects whose intake of vegetables and fruit was low had the greatest risk of cardiovascular disease in association with a 9p21 variant compared to those whose intake was high. Among INTERHEART participants who consumed a diet rich in fruit and raw vegetables, the risk of heart attack was similar between carriers and non-carriers of a specific single nucleotide polymorphism in the 9p21 region. In the FINRISK study, having a high risk genotype was associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease among those with low or average intake of fruit, vegetables and berries, yet among those whose intake of these foods was high, the variant appeared to have no effect.

"We observed that the effect of a high-risk genotype can be mitigated by consuming a diet high in fruits and vegetables," commented coauthor Sonia Anand, who is a professor of medicine and epidemiology at the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster University. "Our results support the public health recommendation to consume more than five servings of fruits or vegetables as a way to promote good health."

"Our research suggests there may be an important interplay between genes and diet in cardiovascular disease," stated lead author Dr Ron Do, who is currently affiliated with Massachusetts General Hospital. "Future research is necessary to understand the mechanism of this interaction, which will shed light on the underlying metabolic processes that the 9p21 gene is involved in."

Source: http://www.lef.org/newsletter/2011/1018_Study-Finds-Good-Diet-Overcomes-Bad-Genes.htm?utm_source=2011Wk42-1&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Article&utm_content=Header&utm_campaign=eNewsletter&l=0#article

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.

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Federal agents arrest prominent 'quackbuster' skeptic; anti-health crowd exposed as fraud

Certain websites whose primary purpose is to vilify nutritional medicine and alternative health practices are apparently owned and operated by a cabal of deranged, and just plain evil "pseudo-skeptics," suggests consumer advocate Tim Bolen in his recentBolen Report. And "Jose Luis Alvarez" (authorities do not know his real name), a man who has allegedly been living with skeptic ringleader James Randi, was recently arrested by federal agents on charges of identity theft.

First of all, it is important to stress that the overall impact of this anti-health crowd has diminished greatly over the years, as many of the so-called "quackbusters" running it have silently disappeared or (ironically) died of diseases that could have been prevented by the same treatments for which they lived to destroy. And thanks to the massive swell of truthful information about health that has swept the world via the internet and other methods, the "debunkers" have become increasingly obscure and irrelevant in such misinformation campaigns.

But some of the key players, of course, are still alive and very active in their efforts to malign any and all health protocols that deviate from the accepted scam of conventional drugs and surgery. And two individuals, Randi and his housemate Alvarez, have allegedly also been involved in identity theft, pedophilia, and a slew of other deviant activities and behaviors, according to Bolen.

"James Randi organized, I believe, and run[s] today, the worldwide Skeptic organization," writes Bolen in his report. "[Randi and several others] organized to control health care articles on the Wikipedia website, and created a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) network designed to catapult their anti-good-health-care articles to the first page of Google and other Search Engines. Viciousness is their game."

And the Alvarez scandal, as reported recently in South Florida'sSun Sentinel, is just the tip of the iceberg, alleges Bolen. According to Bolen's archive of information, including audio and video recordings, Randi was allegedly involved in soliciting sex from young boys, as well as promoting pedophilia (Randi, however, has denied such claims with several variant and conflicting explanations, says Bolen).

Bolen suggests that such disturbing behavior is common throughout the "pseudo-skeptic" network, and he supplies a wealth of compelling evidence to his readers that backs his case. You can read more from Bolen about this issue here:http://www.bolenreport.com/feature_...

Learn more:http://www.naturalnews.com/033823_quackbusters_James_Randi.html#ixzz1aWh4Ejl2

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.

Certain websites whose primary purpose is to vilify nutritional medicine and alternative health practices are apparently owned and operated by a cabal of deranged, and just plain evil "pseudo-skeptics," suggests consumer advocate Tim Bolen in his recentBolen Report. And "Jose Luis Alvarez" (authorities do not know his real name), a man who has allegedly been living with skeptic ringleader James Randi, was recently arrested by federal agents on charges of identity theft.

First of all, it is important to stress that the overall impact of this anti-health crowd has diminished greatly over the years, as many of the so-called "quackbusters" running it have silently disappeared or (ironically) died of diseases that could have been prevented by the same treatments for which they lived to destroy. And thanks to the massive swell of truthful information about health that has swept the world via the internet and other methods, the "debunkers" have become increasingly obscure and irrelevant in such misinformation campaigns.

But some of the key players, of course, are still alive and very active in their efforts to malign any and all health protocols that deviate from the accepted scam of conventional drugs and surgery. And two individuals, Randi and his housemate Alvarez, have allegedly also been involved in identity theft, pedophilia, and a slew of other deviant activities and behaviors, according to Bolen.

"James Randi organized, I believe, and run[s] today, the worldwide Skeptic organization," writes Bolen in his report. "[Randi and several others] organized to control health care articles on the Wikipedia website, and created a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) network designed to catapult their anti-good-health-care articles to the first page of Google and other Search Engines. Viciousness is their game."

And the Alvarez scandal, as reported recently in South Florida'sSun Sentinel, is just the tip of the iceberg, alleges Bolen. According to Bolen's archive of information, including audio and video recordings, Randi was allegedly involved in soliciting sex from young boys, as well as promoting pedophilia (Randi, however, has denied such claims with several variant and conflicting explanations, says Bolen).

Bolen suggests that such disturbing behavior is common throughout the "pseudo-skeptic" network, and he supplies a wealth of compelling evidence to his readers that backs his case. You can read more from Bolen about this issue here:http://www.bolenreport.com/feature_...

Learn more:http://www.naturalnews.com/033823_quackbusters_James_Randi.html#ixzz1aWh4Ejl2

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.

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Treatment of Feline Stomatitis

Hennet PR, Camy GAL, McGahie DM et al: Comparative efficacy of a recombinant feline interferon omega in refractory cases of calicivirus-positive cats with caudal stomatitis: a randomised, multi-centre, controlled, double-blind study in 39 cats, J Feline Med Surg 13:577, 2011.

Feline chronic gingivostomatitis (FCGS) is a significant disease of cats causing ulcerative, painful lesions in the mouth. The cause of this condition is not always clear, but feline calicivirus has been speculated to play a part in some cases. Medical treatment of this condition has been, for the most part, unrewarding. Interferon is a protein produced by animals to fight virus infections. These investigators examined the potential of this substance, which can be produced artificially and given orally, to treat FCGS. Only cats with known active FCV were included in the study. Comparison to cats treated with anti-inflammatory drugs was done. Clinical signs, including pain, were assessed for 90 days. The investigators found that treatment with topically applied (oral) interferon daily led to improvement in both the clinical appearance of the lesions as well as pain scores, comparable to anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive drugs. Interferon may be an appropriate treatment for FCGS related to feline calicivirus infection. While virus replication/levels were not evaluated, interferon may have therapeutic value in FCV infections. [MK]

Related articles:
Lewis JR, Tsugawa AJ, Reiter AM: Use of CO2 laser as an adjunctive treatment for caudal stomatitis in a cat, J Vet Dent 24:240, 2007.

More on cat health: Winn Feline Foundation Library
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Hennet PR, Camy GAL, McGahie DM et al: Comparative efficacy of a recombinant feline interferon omega in refractory cases of calicivirus-positive cats with caudal stomatitis: a randomised, multi-centre, controlled, double-blind study in 39 cats, J Feline Med Surg 13:577, 2011.

Feline chronic gingivostomatitis (FCGS) is a significant disease of cats causing ulcerative, painful lesions in the mouth. The cause of this condition is not always clear, but feline calicivirus has been speculated to play a part in some cases. Medical treatment of this condition has been, for the most part, unrewarding. Interferon is a protein produced by animals to fight virus infections. These investigators examined the potential of this substance, which can be produced artificially and given orally, to treat FCGS. Only cats with known active FCV were included in the study. Comparison to cats treated with anti-inflammatory drugs was done. Clinical signs, including pain, were assessed for 90 days. The investigators found that treatment with topically applied (oral) interferon daily led to improvement in both the clinical appearance of the lesions as well as pain scores, comparable to anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive drugs. Interferon may be an appropriate treatment for FCGS related to feline calicivirus infection. While virus replication/levels were not evaluated, interferon may have therapeutic value in FCV infections. [MK]

Related articles:
Lewis JR, Tsugawa AJ, Reiter AM: Use of CO2 laser as an adjunctive treatment for caudal stomatitis in a cat, J Vet Dent 24:240, 2007.

More on cat health: Winn Feline Foundation Library
Join us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter

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Body Condition Scoring for Cats

Bjornvad CR, Nielsen DH, Armstrong PJ et al: Evaluation of a nine-point body condition scoring system in physically inactive pet cats, Am J Vet Res 72:433, 2011.

About 35% to 40% of the adult pet cat population is overweight or obese. Obesity in cats predisposes them to diseases such as lower urinary tract disease, lameness, hepatic lipidosis, non-allergic skin disease, and diabetes mellitus. Body weight (BW) is an objective measurement and is useful for follow-up in weight loss programs, but it does not provide any indication of body composition or lean-to-fat body mass. The most widely used system for body composition is the 9-point semi-quantitative system for body condition score (BCS) that is based on visual and palpatory findings (BCS: 1 = emaciated, 5 = ideal, and 9 = grossly obese). The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether a 9-point BCS system and the % body fat (BF) assigned to each BCS based on data from colony cats is valid for privately owned, indoor-confined, adult neutered DSH cats. The study determined that the 9-point BCS system reflected actual body composition well in pet DSH cats. Nevertheless, the percentage of BF associated with each BCS was higher in this study than was reported for colony cats. This was particularly noted for male cats. For relevancy to veterinary practice, it was recommended that to detect subtle weight change in individual cats, the BCS system should be combined with regular BW measurements at all veterinary visits. Study findings could indicate a need for redefining the ideal BCS for inactive neutered cats to include a BCS of 4. [VT]

Related articles:
Baez JL, Michel KE, Sorenmo K et al: A prospective investigation of the prevalence and prognostic significance of weight loss and changes in body condition in feline cancer patients, J Feline Med Surg 9:411, 2007.

More on cat health: Winn Feline Foundation Library
Join us on Facebook
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Bjornvad CR, Nielsen DH, Armstrong PJ et al: Evaluation of a nine-point body condition scoring system in physically inactive pet cats, Am J Vet Res 72:433, 2011.

About 35% to 40% of the adult pet cat population is overweight or obese. Obesity in cats predisposes them to diseases such as lower urinary tract disease, lameness, hepatic lipidosis, non-allergic skin disease, and diabetes mellitus. Body weight (BW) is an objective measurement and is useful for follow-up in weight loss programs, but it does not provide any indication of body composition or lean-to-fat body mass. The most widely used system for body composition is the 9-point semi-quantitative system for body condition score (BCS) that is based on visual and palpatory findings (BCS: 1 = emaciated, 5 = ideal, and 9 = grossly obese). The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether a 9-point BCS system and the % body fat (BF) assigned to each BCS based on data from colony cats is valid for privately owned, indoor-confined, adult neutered DSH cats. The study determined that the 9-point BCS system reflected actual body composition well in pet DSH cats. Nevertheless, the percentage of BF associated with each BCS was higher in this study than was reported for colony cats. This was particularly noted for male cats. For relevancy to veterinary practice, it was recommended that to detect subtle weight change in individual cats, the BCS system should be combined with regular BW measurements at all veterinary visits. Study findings could indicate a need for redefining the ideal BCS for inactive neutered cats to include a BCS of 4. [VT]

Related articles:
Baez JL, Michel KE, Sorenmo K et al: A prospective investigation of the prevalence and prognostic significance of weight loss and changes in body condition in feline cancer patients, J Feline Med Surg 9:411, 2007.

More on cat health: Winn Feline Foundation Library
Join us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter

Read More