Coenzyme Q10 May Help Patients Fight Heart Failure

Coenzyme Q10 May Help Patients Fight Heart Failure

Credit: img2.timeinc.net

This energy-boosting supplement could HALVE the number of deaths from heart failure

Regular doses of the dietary supplement Coenzyme Q10 cut in half the death rate of patients suffering from advanced heart failure, in a randomized double-blind trial presented recently at the annual meeting of the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology, in Lisbon, Portugal.

Researchers also reported a significant decrease in the number of hospitalizations for heart failure patients being treated with Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10).

About 14% of patients taking 100 milligrams of CoQ10 three times a day suffered from a major cardiovascular event that required hospital treatment, compared with 25% of patients receiving placebos.

In heart failure, the heart becomes weak and can no longer pump enough oxygen- and nutrient-rich blood throughout the body. Patients often experience fatigue and breathing problems as the heart enlarges and pumps faster in an effort to meet the body's needs.

Coenzyme Q10 occurs naturally in the body. It functions as an electron carrier in cellular mitochondria (the cell's "powerhouse") to help convert food to energy. It also is a powerful antioxidant, and has become a popular over-the-counter dietary supplement.

“CoQ10 levels are decreased in the heart muscle of patients with heart failure, with the deficiency becoming more pronounced as the severity of their condition worsens,” said lead researcher Svend Aage Mortensen, a professor with the Heart Center at Copenhagen University Hospital, in Denmark.

"CoQ10 is the first medication to improve survival in chronic heart failure since ACE inhibitors and beta blockers more than a decade ago and should be added to standard heart failure therapy," Professor Mortensen added.

###

The above story is based on the May 25, 2013 news release by European Society ofCardiology. 

While randomized clinical trails are considered the "gold standard" of studies, because this new study was presented at a medical meeting, the data and conclusions should be viewed as preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

More information

Visit the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to learn more about heart failure.

Fish Oil May Help the Heart Beat Mental Stress

The omega 3 fatty acids in fish oil have long been thought to protect against cardiovascular disease -- so much so that the American Heart Association currently recommends eating at least two servings of fish a week, particularly fatty varieties rich in omega 3s.

However, the mechanism behind this protective effect still remains a mystery.

In a new study on 67 adult volunteers, scientists led by Jason R. Carter of Michigan Technological University shed light on this phenomenon by providing evidence that fish oil might specifically counteract the detrimental effects of mental stress on the heart.

Their findings show that volunteers who took fish oil supplements for several weeks had a blunted response to mental stress in several measurements of cardiovascular health, including heart rate and muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA), part of the "fight or flight" response, compared to volunteers who took olive oil instead.

The results may explain why taking fish oil could be beneficial to the heart and might eventually help doctors prevent heart disease in select populations.

###

The above story is based on the May 22, 2013  news release by American Physiological Society (APS).

The paper has been published in AJP-- Regulatory, Integrative, and Comparative Physiology, published by the American Physiological Society:

Carter JR, Schwartz CE, Yang H, Joyner MJ. Fish oil and neurovascular reactivity to mental stress in humans. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2013; 304 (7): R523 DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00031.2013

FULL TEXT 

Chronic Heartburn May Raise Odds for Throat Cancer

Credit: i.cdn.turner.com

78 percent increase in the risk for cancer in people who experience heavy heartburn

People who suffer from frequent gastric reflux may be at increased risk for cancers of the throat and vocal cords even if they don't smoke or drink alcohol, a new study says.

Stomach acid can reach into the upper airway, inducing cellular damage in the epithelial lining. This condition is believed to be a risk factor for development of laryngopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LPSCC).

But simple antacids appear to lower the risk

Interestingly, common over-the-counter antacids seemed to protect against these cancers while prescription medications such as Prilosec, Nexium and Prevacid didn't, the researchers said.

The researchers led by Scott Langevin of the Brown University in Providence found that the protective effect of antacids was independent of smoking, drinking or infection with HPV*.

While it uncovered an association between heartburn and cancer of the throat and vocal cords, the study did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship.

Further studies are needed to clarify this possible chemopreventive role of antacid.

###

The report was published online May 23, 2013 in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention:

Langevin SM et al. Gastric Reflux Is an Independent Risk Factor for Laryngopharyngeal Carcinoma. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 22(6); 1–8. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-13-0183

* Since some head and neck cancers are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), the researchers tested all the participants for antigens to the virus.

###

For more information on throat cancer by the American Cancer Society.

The University of Maryland Medical Center offers tips for the prevention of heartburn

Body Fat Hardens Arteries after Middle Age

Having too much body fat makes arteries become stiff after middle age, a new study has revealed.

In young people, blood vessels appear to be able to compensate for the effects of obesity. But after middle age, this adaptability is lost, and arteries become progressively stiffer as body fat rises - potentially increasing the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.

The researchers suggest that the harmful effects of body fat may be related to the total number of years that a person is overweight in adulthood. Further research is needed to find out when the effects of obesity lead to irreversible damage to the heart and arteries, they said.

Obesity is known to be a major risk factor for heart disease, but the reasons for this are not fully understood.

Researchers at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Clinical Sciences Centre at Imperial College London scanned 200 volunteers to measure the speed of blood flow in the aorta, the biggest artery in the body. Blood travels more quickly in stiff vessels than in healthy elastic vessels, so this allowed them to work out how stiff the walls of the aorta were using an MRI scanner.

Body fat percentage, which can be estimated by passing a small electric current through the body, was more closely linked with artery stiffness than body mass index, which is based just on weight and height. Men are on average about 21% fat and women 31% fat.

Dr Declan O'Regan, who led the study, said: "The effects of having more fat seem to be different depending on your age. It looks like young people may be able to adapt to excess body fat, but by middle age the cumulative exposure to years of obesity may start to cause permanent damage to the arteries. One implication is that the potential beneficial effects of weight loss may depend on your age and how long you have been overweight. This is something we plan to study further.

Certain metabolic products in the blood may progressively damage the elastic fibres in our blood vessels. Understanding these processes might help us to prevent the harmful effects of obesity.

###

The above story is based on the Wednesday 15 May 2013 news release by Imperial College London.

The research has been published online in Hypertension, the scientific journal of the American Heart Association:

Corden B, Keenan NG, de Marvao ASM, Dawes TJW, DeCesare A, Diamond T, Durighel G, Hughes AD, Cook SA, O'Regan DP. Body Fat Is Associated With Reduced Aortic Stiffness Until Middle Age. Hypertension, 2013; DOI: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.113.01177

The Omron HBF-306C measures body fat with a micro electrical current.

Muscles, blood vessels and bones are body tissues having a high water content that conduct electricity easily. Body fat is tissue that has little electric conductivity. The Body Fat Analyzer sends an extremely weak electrical current of 50 kHz and 500 µA through your body to determine the amount of fat tissue. This weak electrical current is not felt while operating the Body Fat Analyzer. The Bioelectrical Impedance Method safely combines the electric resistance with the distance of the electricity conducted. Correct posture and consistent measuring conditions need to be maintained for the best results.

The Omron HBF-306C retails at RM380.00 per unit

If sex with 3 people is called a threesome.....

.......and sex with 2 people is a twosome, 

now I understand why they call you handsome! 

Here's some more corny jokes to lighten up your weekend:

CONDOM

Condoms don’t guarantee safe sex anymore …..                                                                                    A friend of mine was wearing one when he was shot by the woman’s husband.

NEW BOOK

A religious police walks into Borders at Berjaya Times Square, Kuala Lumpur and asks the young lady assistant, 

"Do you have the new book out for men with short penises?"

She replies, "I'm not sure if it's in yet."

"That's the one; I'll take a copy…"

PREGNANT PROSTITUTE

Doctor asks pregnant prostitute, "do you know who the father is?"

"For goodness’ sake, if you ate a tin of beans would you know which one made you fart?

The Scientific 7-minute Workout - Skim Cepat Kerus?

Maximum Results With Minimal Investment in Time and Money

This is a workout video based on the workout published in the American College of Sports Medicine.

The program by Brett Klika and Chris Jordan features twelve 30-second exercises that alternates from ones that emphasizes the large muscles in the upper body with those in the lower body with 10 second breaks between exercises.

This aerobic and resistance routine takes only 7 minutes and all you need is your body, a wall, and a chair.

The 7-minute workout offers many of the fitness benefits of prolonged endurance training but in much less time.

###

The research has been published in ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal, an official publication from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM):

Klika BK, Jordan C. High-Intensity Circuit Training Using Body Weight: Maximum results with minimal investment.ACSMS Health Fit J. May/June 2013; 17(3): 8–13.doi: 10.1249/FIT.0b013e31828cb1e8

Need further convincing? Click HERE for the full text.

You can exercise along with this video guide:

Uploaded to youtube by Rick Desi

Click HERE if the video does not appear on your screen

Go On, Suck On Your Baby’s Pacifier!

Credit: www.legacy-cdn.smosh.com

Parents Who Suck On Their Infants' Pacifiers May Protect Their Children Against Developing Allergy

Allergies are very common in industrialized countries. It has been suggested that exposure to harmless bacteria during infancy may be protective against the development of allergy.

However, it has been difficult to pinpoint which bacteria a baby should be exposed to, and at what time and by which route this exposure should ideally occur.

Swedish researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, found that children whose parents habitually sucked the pacifier were three times less likely to suffer from eczema at 1.5 years of age, as compared with the children of parents who did not do this.

Saliva is a very rich source of bacteria and viruses, and the researchers believe that oral commensal microbes are transferred from parent to infant when they suck on the same pacifier. When the composition of the bacterial flora in the mouth was compared between infants whose parents sucked on their pacifiers and those whose parent did not, it was found to differ, supporting this hypothesis.

According to "the hygiene hypothesis," the development of allergy can be attributed in part to a paucity of microbial stimulation during early infancy.

"Early establishment of a complex oral microflora might promote healthy maturation of the immune system, thereby counteracting allergy development," says professor Agnes Wold who led the study.

###

The above story is based on the May 6, 2013 news release by University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

The research has been published online May 6, 2013 in Pediatrics, the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics:

Hesselmar B, Sjoberg F, Saalman R, Aberg N, Adlerberth I,  Wold AE. Pacifier Cleaning Practices and Risk of Allergy Development. PEDIATRICS, 2013; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2012-3345

Click HERE for the Full Text to fully convince yourself ;-)