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Can we manage chronic inflammation with psoriasis?

July 10, 2023 blogadmin Comments 0 Comment

Psoriasis is regarded by medical professionals as an immune-mediated inflammatory illness even though the actual origin is uncertain. This indicates that the underlying cause of the disease is inflammation.

Psoriasis affects up to 3% of people in the US. It can affect other bodily components, such as the joints and eyes, and manifest signs on the skin, such as elevated plaques and discoloration.

According to experts, inflammation may be the common culprit affecting these various locations.

Psoriasis: What is it?

Skin inflammation is brought on by the autoimmune disease psoriasis. Psoriasis symptoms include thick patches of scale-covered, discolored skin. Plaques are the name for these scaly, thick patches.

As a chronic skin disorder with no known cure, psoriasis can flare up at any time.

Psoriasis comes in a variety of forms, including:

Plaque psoriasis: The most prevalent form of psoriasis is plaque psoriasis. Plaque psoriasis affects between 80% and 90% of those with psoriasis.

Inverse psoriasis: This kind develops in the creases of your skin. It results in tiny, scale-free plaques.
Guttate psoriasis: A streptococcal infection-related sore throat may be followed by the development of guttate psoriasis. It frequently affects children and young adults and appears as tiny, red, drop-shaped scaly patches.
Pustular psoriasis: This form of the condition features tiny, pus-filled lumps on top of plaques.
Erythrodermic psoriasis: This form of psoriasis is severe and affects a significant portion (greater than 90%) of your skin. Skin shedding and extensive skin discolouration are the results.
Sebopsoriasis: This kind often manifests as lumps and plaques with a greasy, yellow scale on your face and scalp. This is a hybrid of seborrheic dermatitis and psoriasis.
Psoriasis of the nails: Psoriasis of the nails can change your fingernails and toenails as well as the skin of your hands and feet.

What results in psoriasis inflammation?

Immune system malfunction in psoriasis patients leads to an accumulation of inflammatory cells in the dermis, the middle layer of skin. Additionally, the disease accelerates the proliferation of skin cells in the epidermis, the top layer of the skin.

Skin cells typically develop and slough off over the course of a month. In those with psoriasis, this process accelerates to only a few days. Skin cells accumulate on the skin’s surface instead of being shed, causing painful symptoms such elevated plaques, scales, edoema, and redness or discolouration.

Even though psoriasis is a skin disorder, the inflammation it causes affects the entire body. It can raise the risk of cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, psoriatic arthritis, heart disease, and others.

Is inflammation curable in any way?

Although immune system dysregulation is the cause of the inflammation in psoriasis, research indicates that patients can lessen this inflammation by making dietary and lifestyle adjustments. This may aid in symptom reduction and quality-of-life enhancement.

Many psoriasis sufferers can sustain remission—a prolonged period without having psoriasis symptoms—using these techniques.

In addition, certain psoriasis treatments work by lowering inflammation. Topical corticosteroids, biologics for injection, and oral drugs are some of these.

Psoriasis affects people differently. Some patients will need longer-term care than others.

Managing inflammation

Although there is presently no cure for psoriasis, the following behaviors may lessen inflammation caused by psoriasis and raise a person’s chances of going into remission.

Consuming a wholesome diet

Diet and systemic inflammation are closely related. According to studies, some inflammatory food habits might worsen psoriasis symptoms and increase the likelihood of developing the condition.

Everybody’s definition of a healthy diet is unique. However, the actions listed below could assist someone in establishing one:

Avoiding pro-inflammatory foods: Some foods and drinks include ingredients that promote inflammation, which exacerbates psoriasis symptoms. Soda and highly processed foods like salty snacks, sweets, and animal items are two examples.

A diet high in fruits, vegetables, and other nutrient-dense foods has been shown to reliably reduce the symptoms of psoriasis. For instance, a 2018 study of 35,735 individuals, 3,557 of whom had psoriasis, found that those who consumed a diet similar to the Mediterranean diet had fewer severe cases of psoriasis than those who did not.

Being healthy in terms of weight

A risk factor for the onset of psoriasis is obesity. Overweight or obese psoriasis sufferers may also have more severe symptoms than those who are of moderate weight.

In individuals with excess body weight, weight loss may lower inflammatory indicators and assist in reducing psoriasis symptoms.

In a 2020 study, it was discovered that individuals with psoriasis and obesity or overweight who underwent a 10-week program to lose 12% of their body weight saw a 50–75% reduction in the severity of their psoriasis. An average of 23 pounds were lost by participants.

Introducing additional healthful practises

There are a number of behaviorist that might lessen inflammation and enhance psoriasis symptoms, including:

Avoiding or giving up smoking: Smoking hurts one’s health and aggravates inflammatory conditions like psoriasis.
Limiting alcohol consumption: Drinking too much might aggravate psoriasis symptoms and cause inflammation.
Staying active can assist with psoriasis symptoms by preventing extended periods of inactivity. According to one assessment of the literature, those with psoriasis who lead sedentary lifestyles experience more severe symptoms than those who engage in regular exercise.
Getting enough sleep: A lack of sleep can cause the body to become inflammatory. According to studies, getting little or no sleep might raise blood levels of inflammatory indicators. Adults should sleep for 7-9 hours every night, according to experts, to maintain good health.
Managing stress: Long-term stress causes the immune system to become overactive and promotes inflammation. Up to 88% of psoriasis sufferers cite stress as a symptom cause. Stress-relieving exercises like yoga and meditation may be beneficial.

When should I get medical help?

Anyone who is going through a psoriasis flare and is curious about how to lessen the symptoms and inflammation of the condition might want to think about consulting their healthcare team, which includes their dermatologist.

They can offer suggestions for diet and lifestyle modifications that may help lower inflammation and lessen psoriasis symptoms, as well as treatment options depend on the severity of the symptoms. Additionally, they could advise taking vitamins or supplements.

REFERENCES:

For Inflammatory disease medications that have been suggested by doctors worldwide are available here https://mygenericpharmacy.com/index.php?therapy=41

The importance of the stomach in Parkinson’s research.

July 10, 2023 blogadmin Comments 0 Comment

There is presently no cure for Parkinson’s disease, which affects millions of people worldwide. The specific etiology of this disorder is still unknown. Some academics are now focusing on the gut to comprehend the underlying mechanics. Why, and what might this study show? In this episode of our podcast In Conversation, we talk about how Parkinson’s disease may be influenced by gut health.

Parkinson’s disease is a neurological condition that affects mobility, balance, and muscle control in millions of people worldwide. However, it can also cause mood changes, digestive problems, a decline in memory and other cognitive abilities, and other symptoms.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that the prevalence of Parkinson’s disease has doubled globally over the past 25 years and that the condition has caused “5.8 million disability-adjusted life years” globally.

Some of the current treatments for Parkinson’s disease include dopaminergic medications, deep brain stimulation, speech, and occupational therapy, but researchers are always looking for new and improved therapies.

Researchers are working to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying Parkinson’s disease to pave the path for more effective treatments.

In the last 12 months, several research have concentrated on one specific element of Parkinson’s disease, particularly gut health. But why, and what insights may it provide into Parkinson’s, can gut health provide?

In the most recent episode of our In Conversation podcast, we welcomed two guests: Dr. Ayse Demirkan and Gary Shaughnessy, to learn more about the most recent research and how the disease can affect particular people.

Why trust your gut?

There has been a growing body of research over the past few years suggesting that the brain and the gut are capable of two-way communication. This is known as the gut-brain axis by researchers.

The gut-brain axis has been linked to a variety of brain-related illnesses, including depression and dementia. And while the relationship between the gut and the brain may be less obvious in other disorders, it is actually more evident in Parkinson’s disease, which is also sometimes accompanied by gastrointestinal symptoms like constipation.

The Braak hypothesis is one view on Parkinson’s disease. According to a reliable source, there are typically two ways for an unknown infection to enter the brain, one of which involves the gut.

The vagus nerve, the longest cranial nerve that connects the brain to, among other organs, the intestines, may be one route by which pathogens enter the body, travel through the gut, and then advance to the brain. Parkinson’s disease may then start to manifest as a result of this.

In our podcast, Dr. Demirkan recognized that it may initially seem strange to think about using your gut to learn more about Parkinson’s disease, but that the Braak hypothesis offers an intriguing lens through which to examine potential underlying mechanisms.

“Through the Braak hypothesis, there comes the idea that the disease actually starts in the intestines, and then through the vagus nerve, it spreads to the other tissues, and towards the brain,” she said.

She claims that for one straightforward reason alone, Parkinson’s disease is the neurological disorder that is most intriguing to examine regarding gut health because its gut microbiome stands out the most.

Parkinson’s disease has a distinct gut microbiota.

Dr. Demirkan and her colleagues recently discovered that people with Parkinson’s disease have unique gut microbiomes that were characterised by dysbiosis, the phenomenon of imbalance between so-called good and bad bacteria.

According to their research, those with Parkinson’s disease have gut flora that is different from those who do not have it by about 30%.

Dr. Demirkan stated in the podcast that “we found one-third of these microbes in the gut of people with Parkinson’s disease to be different.”

“As a result, this strongly suggests dysbiosis. Also different were the bacteria’s modes of operation and the types of genes they possessed. We observed a decrease in the number of short-chain fatty acid manufacturers, such as gut-friendly bacteria. Escherichia coli and other harmful bacteria were identified in greater numbers, and numerous bacterial pathways were disrupted, which may have an impact on the health of the neuronal tissues,” according to Dr. Ayse Demirkan.

In the guts of Parkinson’s disease patients, Dr. Demirkan and her colleagues discovered that levels of bacteria like Bifidobacterium dentium, which can result in infections like brain abscesses, were noticeably raised.

Desulfovibrio bacteria may be related to Parkinson’s disease, according to research from the University of Helsinki that was published in the May 2023 issue of Frontiers. These microorganisms release hydrogen sulfide, which can cause different types of inflammation.

Desulfovibrio was mentioned in another study from The Chinese University of Hong Kong that was published in Nature Communications in May 2023. This study found an “overabundance” of these bacteria in persons with REM sleep behavior disorder and early Parkinson’s disease indicators. The goal of the study was to find a way to diagnose Parkinson’s disease earlier.

What potential mechanisms exist?

The question that arises is: What mechanisms might mediate gut bacteria’s impact on neurological health, assuming that they do in fact contribute to Parkinson’s disease?

Given that some of the bacteria that are overabundant in this condition are pro-inflammatory, which means they can cause inflammation, one theory raised in the studies on the connection between the gut and the brain in Parkinson’s is that systemic inflammation may be one of the processes involved.

Research reveals that immunosuppressant medicine may reduce the chance of Parkinson’s disease, which raises the possibility that a medication of a similar kind may potentially assist manage the disease.

Parkinson’s disease is characterised by chronic brain inflammation, and some studies appear to suggest that systemic inflammation may exacerbate chronic brain inflammation and speed up the course of the disease.

In fact, some inflammatory disorders have been associated with an increased risk of Parkinson’s. For instance, a 2018 Danish study found that those with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) had a 22% higher chance of developing Parkinson’s disease than their non-inflammatory counterparts.

In the podcast, Dr. Demirkan concurred that “bad” bacteria in the stomach may be the source of inflammation associated with Parkinson’s disease. She emphasised that more investigation is required before drawing clear conclusions because this proposed mechanism is not yet established.

Could nutrition help Parkinson’s patients with dysbiosis?

It could be logical to assume that nutrition could aid in the fight against gut dysbiosis and perhaps offer a simple option for symptom treatment if gut bacteria may play a role in Parkinson’s disease.

While there are certain dietary suggestions and nutritional supplements that may help some people with symptom alleviation, it’s still not clear how much food can actually do to change how this condition develops.

According to one study from 2022, diets rich in flavonoids, which are natural pigments present in many fruits, may be associated with a lower risk of mortality from Parkinson’s disease.

Additionally, an earlier study from 2018 suggested that a protein called parvalbumin, which is present in many types of fish, may help prevent Parkinson’s disease by preventing alpha-synuclein from clumping together in the brain, which occurs in the brains of people with Parkinson’s and disrupts signals between brain cells.

Dr. Demirkan did, however, show some scepticism when asked about the ability of food and vitamins to control gut flora in Parkinson’s patients.

She emphasised that it is challenging to provide generic advice that would truly be useful because different persons have various risk factors for Parkinson’s as well as varied forms of the disease.

“I find it very challenging to offer advice to anyone because each of us has a unique gut microbiota. Therefore, I believe that preventing the condition is one thing and that long-term maintenance, along with the various consequences of the disease, is another. I can’t really offer any advice because of this, although research indicates that consuming more sugar is problematic.

Can exercising treat Parkinson’s disease?

Nevertheless, some evidence suggests that exercising can help people with Parkinson’s disease manage their symptoms.

According to a study from 2022 that was published in Neurology, those with early-stage Parkinson’s disease may benefit from regular, moderate-to-vigorous exercise since it can delay the disease’s progression.

According to research published in 2017, doing at least 2.5 hours of exercise each week can assist Parkinson’s patients become more mobile while also delaying the onset of the disease.

Dr. Demirkan concurred that using exercise as a management tool for Parkinson’s disease can be beneficial. Exercise by itself is a fantastic technique to mould our brain and body, she claimed.

“There are some significant physiological consequences that we can consider in terms of reversing [Parkinson’s] disease. Your body must endure a lot of stress when you run a marathon, for instance. For instance, you may notice that your body temperature rises steadily and in a feverish manner. One thing is that there is a long-term rise in core heat, and it should unquestionably have a significant impact on the stomach,” she said.

In fact, some study indicates that the heat stress experienced during exercise may decrease intestinal blood flow, which may ultimately have an impact on the gut microbiota by allowing for the expansion of some bacteria while suppressing others.

In terms of the optimum type of exercise for persons with Parkinson’s disease, a Cochrane study that was released in January 2023 came to the conclusion that pretty much all types of exercise can assist those with this illness to live better lives. The authors of the review state that the available evidence “probably has a large beneficial effect” on the quality of life of aqua-based training.

REFERENCES;

For Parkinson’s disease medications that have been suggested by doctors worldwide are available here https://mygenericpharmacy.com/index.php?therapy=64

Changes in Cholesterol & triglyceride may affect dementia.

July 8, 2023 blogadmin Comments 0 Comment

Researchers looked into the impact of varying triglyceride and cholesterol levels on dementia risk.

They discovered that varying amounts of triglycerides and cholesterol raise the incidence of dementia by 19% and 23%, respectively. To comprehend how these results might influence patient treatment, more investigation is required.

Globally, dementia affects around 55 million individuals. This number is anticipated to nearly quadruple to 152 million by 2050 as the world’s population ages.

Strategies for dementia prevention are essential for maintaining health. Finding techniques to mitigate potential risk factors that raise the likelihood of dementia is one way to develop these solutions.

Regular medical care includes tests for triglyceride and cholesterol levels. In order to create hormones and cells, the liver produces a form of fat called cholesterol. A form of fat used for energy is triglycerides.

Clinicians may be able to screen patients for dementia risk and maybe stop or delay the start of the disease by looking at the relationship between blood lipids and dementia risk.

Some evidence suggests a connection between cholesterol fluctuation and dementia. Despite conflicting findings in studies on whether high cholesterol levels increase dementia risk.

Future dementia screening methods and treatments may benefit from a deeper understanding of which lipid components raise dementia risk.

To evaluate whether there is a connection between cholesterol levels and the risk of dementia, researchers recently examined medical records.

“While not necessarily altering practice, this study highlights the need to pay close attention to people with fluctuating cholesterol levels. It will need more research to ascertain if this variance is a real factor in the onset of Alzheimer’s disease or only a side effect of dementia,” said Dr. Dmitriy Nevelev, associate director of cardiology at Staten Island University Hospital and a non-participant in the study.

High risk of dementia associated with fluctuating cholesterol

The average age of the 11, 571 participants the researchers gathered for the study was 71. 54% of the participants were female, and none had ever been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or another type of dementia.

All of the individuals had their blood lipid levels checked for several factors at least three times in the five years before to the study. These comprised:

cholesterol overall
triglycerides
LDL, short for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol
HDL stands for high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.

Following the participants lasted an average of 12.9 years. 2,473 people experienced the onset of dementia during this time.

Based on how much the individuals’ blood lipid measurements changed, the researchers divided the people into five groups.

In the end, they discovered that those with total cholesterol variability in the highest 20% band had a 19% increased risk of dementia compared to those in the lowest 20%.

Those with triglycerides in the top 20% of the range had a 23% higher risk of dementia than those in the bottom 20%.

The findings persisted after taking into account potential confounding variables like education, initial cholesterol levels, and adherence to lipid-lowering therapies, according to the researchers. They also discovered that changes in HDL and LDL did not correspond to a higher risk of dementia.

Why are changes in lipid levels important?

We discussed how varying triglyceride and cholesterol levels may raise the risk of dementia with Dr. James Giordano, Pellegrino Centre professor of neurology and biochemistry at Georgetown University Medical Centre who was not involved in the study.

He stated that it is unclear whether or how varying cholesterol levels affect the risk of dementia. Nevertheless, he talked about plausible mechanisms from his own study.

According to Dr. Giordano’s research, “a number of blood-borne factors may cause changes in inflammatory mediators that affect cerebral blood vessels, nerve, and glial cells of the brain cells that remove waste from the brain and deliver nutrients to neurons.”

“This shift to a pro-inflammatory phenotype might interact with existing genetic predispositions in certain individuals. This may increase the risk of several neurodegenerative diseases, including some types of dementia,” he said.

Dr. Nevelev concurred that there is currently no conclusive explanation for why cholesterol fluctuation may raise the risk of dementia.

The functioning of our blood vessel lining is impaired by endothelial dysfunction, which is caused by cholesterol variability. This impairment contributes to irregular blood flow. According to Dr. Nevelev, “Cholesterol variability is also associated with [the] instability of blood vessel plaque, which can likewise obstruct blood flow and harm brain tissue.

He continued, “This study seeks to account for another possibility, which is the effect of sporadic adherence with cholesterol-lowering medicine.

The study did not take into consideration every factor.

We requested an explanation of the study’s main shortcomings from Dr. Howard Pratt, a board-certified psychiatrist and medical director of Community Health of South Florida who was not engaged in the investigation.

“The study’s participants had higher levels of comorbidity than the non-study control group, which did not. Therefore, there can be confounding factors that are harder to identify. Another drawback of the study is that it only included participants from one area, so it’s still not clear whether the conclusions apply to the entire community, the author pointed out.

The apolipoprotein-E (Apo-E) gene, which may have impacted the results of the study, is one genetic risk factor for dementia that was not taken into consideration, according to Dr. Giordano.

Dr. Nevelev was questioned about the study’s constraints as well. He pointed out that it is vital to know whether triglyceride levels were evaluated in samples that were fasting or samples that were not, as triglyceride levels change while a person is fasting.

He continued by saying that variations in body weight are associated with poor health outcomes and that triglyceride and cholesterol levels are related to body weight.

The researcher said, “It is possible that the observation in this study is reversed perhaps those in the early stages of dementia have changes in behaviour or changes in body weight that lead to significant variation in triglyceride levels.”

What effects does this have on preventing dementia?

UTHealth Houston’s McGovern Medical School professor of neurology and director of the Neurocognitive Disorders Centre, Dr. Paul E. Schulz, who was not engaged in the study, said the following to us:

How to apply the findings of this study to the real world is one important question. There are numerous drugs available that lower triglycerides or cholesterol, but I am not aware of any that do the same for fluctuations. Conversely, nutrition has a huge role in managing diabetes. I also wonder if dietary adjustments could also assist lower triglyceride or cholesterol fluctuations, which would lower the risk of dementia.

But given the overwhelming evidence that lower cholesterol is linked to a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease, he added, “I would still advise people at risk for Alzheimer’s disease to think about taking their statin if their doctor prescribes it to lower their risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease.”

REFERENCES:

For Cholesterol medications that have been suggested by doctors worldwide are available here https://mygenericpharmacy.com/index.php?therapy=47

Brain’s unique “pain fingerprint” may help pain management

July 8, 2023 blogadmin Comments 0 Comment

When nerve cells notice damage, they experience pain and send signals to the brain for interpretation.

Because everyone experiences pain differently, it is difficult for doctors to identify and manage it.

Gamma oscillations and brain waves associated with pain perception have variable timing, frequencies, and locations in various individuals, according to a recent study that used brain scans to gather its data.

This discovery might result in pain management strategies based on these unique “pain fingerprints.”

When nociceptors, which are nerve endings in the skin, notice damage and send messages to the brain, people experience pain. The pain may be chronic, lasting for a considerably longer time and being more difficult to treat, or acute, abrupt onset, typically short-lived, and manageable by addressing the source of the pain.

However, not everyone experiences pain in the same way, making it challenging for medical professionals to gauge how much someone is hurting.

They frequently employ a number scale, with zero denoting no pain at all and ten denoting the most excruciating suffering possible. Other strategies include:

The doctor uses a verbal descriptor scale to specify the type of pain by asking several descriptive questions.
short pain inventory: a written questionnaire that aids medical professionals in determining the impact of a patient’s pain and tracking changes in pain to look for patterns.
Respondents to the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) select three main categories of word descriptors (sensory, affective, and evaluative) to describe their subjective pain experience.
Faces scale: This is mostly used for kids. The doctor displays a range of emotive faces, from sad to pleased, and the kids use them to convey how much pain they are in.

How does the brain register pain?

Senior lecturer at the University of Essex’s Centre for Brain Science and lead author Dr. Elia Valentini said the following to us:

The sense of pain may be mediated by these fast brain oscillations known as gamma, according to previous research. Our research shows that, despite the fact that we all experience pain to a similar degree, some of us will exhibit these gamma oscillations in response to painful stimuli while others won’t.

In essence, he said, “we propose that gamma oscillations are not necessary for pain, but that they constitute a stable and repeatable property of the individual when present.

What reactions does the brain have to pain?

Seventy volunteers underwent pain testing for the researchers. The average age of those who participated in the study was 24, and they were all in good health. Males made up the majority.

They kept track of the outcomes of two independent studies. In the first, there were 22, and there were 48 in the second.

In the first experiment, subjects were repeatedly exposed to touch and pain stimuli on the right hand’s back twice, two weeks apart. A Tm: YAG laser produced the pain stimuli. Participants graded both stimuli on a scale of 0 to 10.

In the second experiment, a Nd: YAG laser used to deliver high- and low-intensity pain stimuli to subjects. Each subject was exposed to 80 stimuli of high and 80 of low intensity. On a scale of zero for no discomfort to one hundred for the most manageable pain, they were asked to rate them.

In all studies, individuals wore an electrode cap while being exposed to the stimuli, which produced electroencephalogram (EEG) data from which the gamma responses were analysed.

How is pain quantified?

Dr. Vernon Williams, a sports neurologist and pain management expert who founded the Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute’s Centre for Sports Neurology and Pain Medicine who was not engaged in this study, provided the following explanation to us:

“An unpleasant sensory or emotional experience connected to, or similar to, actual or potential tissue injury is referred to as pain. It is a “experience,” not a “sensation.” As a result, it is always unique, subjective, and personal. The fact that gamma oscillations differ greatly from person to person is therefore not surprising.

In addition to the fact that the pattern of gamma oscillations varied between individuals, the researchers also discovered that it did not change for each person who underwent the repeat trial.

“Our work demonstrates that there is a remarkable stability: Participants with high/low gamma activity and high/low pain ratings in the previous recording had high/low gamma activity and high/low pain ratings two weeks later,” said Dr. Valentini.

This could be beneficial for pain management, according to Dr. Williams: “Interestingly, the findings are reproducible within an individual, and that may have future implications regarding objective measures of pain and objective measures to assess pain interventions/treatments, particularly in the short term.”

Dr. Valentini cautioned, nonetheless, that the significance of gamma oscillations for pain processing may be greatly exaggerated. It serves as a timely warning that, even when a large group-level association is replicated by multiple research, we might still be duped into interpreting the results as causative.

Do the results have any clinical application?

Dr. Valentini summarised the findings by saying, “In a nutshell, we suggest that gamma oscillations are not necessary for pain, but when present, they are a stable and repeatable feature of the individual.”

As Dr. Valentini said, “Our work resonates with the idea of personalized medicine whereby clinicians may focus on the specific individual’s biological patterns to achieve faster and better diagnosis or treatment.” Their findings may result in more personalized pain management.

Despite the fact that there are no obvious therapeutic implications of our findings, he explained that they “pave the way to a more precise assessment of neural responses mediating the experience of pain.”

Dr. Williams concurred that there was cause for hope. He explained to us that “reproducible” in the trials indicated that subjects’ results were consistent across tests conducted two weeks apart.

That might not be the case if tests are conducted two months or two years apart, or if social, psychological, or biological circumstances have changed in the interim. Dr. Williams continued, “If changes take place under various circumstances, that might imply that the person’s ‘fingerprint’ can change over time (or if circumstances change).”

“That gives us cause for hope because it implies that their experience—the pain they feel—can be diminished, enhanced, or completely erased with the proper mix of therapies. He said, “Chronic pain does not have to last ‘forever’.

Dr. Valentini intends to conduct additional research because, in his words, “my colleagues and I believe that gamma and other brain oscillations are an important area of investigation for pain neuroscience. Maybe some of us will be able to repeat similar studies in individuals with acute or chronic pain, better addressing the therapeutic applicability of our research.

REFERENCES:

For Pain relief medications that have been suggested by doctors worldwide are available here https://mygenericpharmacy.com/index.php?cPath=23

Boost skin cancer immunotherapy by targeting proteins.

July 7, 2023 blogadmin Comments 0 Comment

A protein that aids tumors in evading immune response and supports the growth of melanoma has been discovered by new research.

According to researchers, immunotherapy should be more effective with tailored medicines directed particularly at this protein.

One of the most prevalent malignancies, melanoma is typically brought on by exposure to UV light, while hereditary factors also play a part in its development.

Experts advise staying away from tanning beds and direct sunshine, as well as keeping an eye out for any moles that seem out of the ordinary.

The growth of melanoma has been the subject of recent research, which has also opened up new potential treatment options.

In a study that was published in the journal Science Advances, researchers showed how a protein called NR2F6 aids tumor growth by assisting tumours to elude the immune system.

The scientists discovered that in mice, eliminating the protein made the immune treatment work more effectively.

“This tells us that NR2F6 helps melanoma evade the immune system, and without it, the immune system can more readily suppress tumour growth,” said Dr. Hyungsoo Kim, a research assistant professor at Sanford Burnham Prebys, a research centre in La Jolla, California, and the study’s first author.

Treatments that prevent the protein’s action are thought to be twice as effective since it behaves the same way whether it is in a tumor or the tissues around it.

The scientists are currently searching for fresh medications that can particularly target NR2F6.

learning about melanoma

Melanoma develops when the DNA in skin cells is harmed, according to dermatologist Dr. Ahmad Chaudhry of the United Kingdom, who spoke to us.

According to Chaudhry, exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun or tanning booths is frequently to blame for this. “Due to this damage, the melanocytes (cells that produce melanin) proliferate out of control and aggregate into a mass of malignant cells. The development of melanoma in the eyes or internal organs does occur occasionally, but it is less frequent.”

While there are some hereditary risk factors that can potentially play a role, sunshine and tanning beds are linked to skin cancer for a reason.

We were informed by Dr. Sudarsan Kollimuttathuillam, a medical oncologist and haematologist at the City of Hope cancer research organization’s Huntington Beach and Irvine Sand Canyon locations, that 7% to 15% of people with melanoma also have a family member who has the condition.

According to him, having characteristics like pale skin, freckles, or blonde or red hair raises one’s overall risk of developing skin cancer. Atypical mole syndrome is another genetic disorder that dramatically raises the lifetime risk of melanoma and is characterized by a high number of moles with odd forms or color.

Risk can be reduced, but genetics cannot be changed. Doctors advise limiting exposure to the sun during peak hours, staying away from tanning beds in general, and wearing sun protection when outdoors to reduce your risk of acquiring skin cancer.

In the words of Kollimuttathuillam, “regular skin examinations by both you and a dermatologist will help detect melanoma at an early stage, when it is more treatable.”

Experiencing melanoma

One of the most prevalent types of cancer are skin malignancies like melanoma.

More than 97,000 Americans are expected to receive melanoma diagnoses in the US in 2023, according to the American Cancer Society.

As previously mentioned, melanoma can be detected early by a number of telling indications, including genetics and moles. The following procedure usually entails removing and then examining the mole if a doctor suspects it may be malignant. Melanoma presence or absence can be assessed by a range of tests.

It’s crucial to get an early diagnosis of melanoma because it spreads quickly.

According to Kollimuttathuillam, melanoma is the type of skin cancer that is most likely to spread to distant organs or bones. Because of this, imaging technologies may be utilized to spot cancer cells that have done so.

After receiving a melanoma diagnosis, a patient has a variety of treatment choices at their disposal, including radiation therapy, surgery, and immunotherapy.

In the earliest stages of melanoma, patients typically do not require imaging tests because, as Kollimuttathuillam noted, “we know that the best way to stop cancer is to prevent it.” “I cannot emphasize enough how crucial it is for patients to be advocates for their skin health to avoid advanced stages of this disease,” the doctor said.

Types of Immunotherapy

Medication is used in immunotherapy to boost your immune system. This might aid in its attack on cancer cells.

Severe melanoma is treated with a variety of immunotherapies, including:

Checkpoint blockers. The PD-1 blockers nivolumab (Opdivo) and pembrolizumab (Keytruda) as well as the CTL4-blocker ipilimumab (Yervoy) are among these drugs. These medications could aid T cells in your immune system in identifying and eliminating melanoma cancer cells.

Oncolytic virus therapy. In this procedure, melanoma tumors are injected with talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC, Imylgic), a modified virus. In addition to killing cancer cells, this virus may also cause your immune system to fight cancer cells.

Cytokine therapy. Immune cells can interact with one another with the aid of a class of proteins called cytokines. Interleukin-2 (aldesleukin, proleukin) therapy may enhance your immune system’s defense against cancer.

Your doctor may recommend a single immunotherapy treatment or a cocktail of immunotherapy medications. They might prescribe Yervoy and Opdivo combined, for instance.

Individuals with stage 4 melanoma now have better survival rates thanks to immunotherapy. However, there is a chance that this treatment will have negative side effects.

Contact your doctor straight away if you suspect any potential side effects.

REFERENCES:

For Skin cancer medications that have been suggested by doctors worldwide are available here https://mygenericpharmacy.com/index.php?therapy=10

Exercise & weight loss can improve obesity and prediabetes.

July 7, 2023 blogadmin Comments 0 Comment

According to new research, people who are overweight and have prediabetes may benefit significantly from regular exercise when accompanied with weight loss via diet.

The goal of the study was to ascertain whether exercise had benefits in addition to those provided by diet-only weight loss.

The study examined two groups, one of which followed a diet plan plus exercise training and the other of which followed a diet plan alone.

According to the findings, the group that combined diet and exercise improved their insulin sensitivity by twice as much as the diet-only group, which is essential for controlling prediabetes.

Researchers from the Centre for Human Nutrition at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, examined the results of regular exercise paired with a nutrition programme for people in a recent study.

The individuals’ bodies’ sensitivity to the hormone insulin, which regulates blood sugar levels, was tested by the researchers.

According to the findings, those who made changes to their eating and exercise routines saw a twofold increase in their insulin sensitivity compared to those who only made dietary changes.

This indicates that their bodies used insulin to regulate blood sugar levels more effectively.

The participants’ muscles were also examined by the researchers, and they discovered that the group that changed their diet and exercise regimens had higher expression (activity) of genes related to the production of new mitochondria, which are cells’ energy factories, energy metabolism, and the development of new blood vessels.

They discovered no discernible differences between the two groups in terms of the amounts of specific amino acids or particular inflammatory blood indicators.

The composition of their gut bacteria also changed similarly in both groups, which can have an impact on general health.

Exercise for managing and treating obesity

We spoke with Dr. Sergio P. Ramoa of Atrius Health, who was not a part of the study, and he stated that “despite the growing focus and treatment of obesity and diabetes, diabetes-related mortality increased in the first 20 years of the 21st century.”

“The approach to treating obesity has altered, with a focus on treating it like a chronic illness like hypertension or asthma. There have been considerable advancements in the treatment of weight reduction and weight maintenance, according to Dr. Sergio P. Ramoa, as a result of changes in social, educational, and therapeutic attitudes.

In his statement, Dr. Romoa said that “This article demonstrates why exercise continues to be a pillar of not only weight management treatment but the overall health of the community.”

“Exercise should always be used in conjunction with pharmaceutical treatment for persistent lifestyle changes,” he advised.

The National Coalition on Healthcare’s (NCHC) Kelsey Costa, a registered dietitian and health research specialist who was not involved in the study, concurred, saying that “the study findings imply that combining exercise training with a calorie-restricted diet can enhance insulin sensitivity and metabolic health beyond the benefits achieved solely through diet-induced weight loss.”

As Costa said, “It is essential to understand how effectively this combination of therapies can improve metabolic health given what we know about the barriers to exercise in people with obesity.”

For managing prediabetes, insulin sensitivity is essential.

Prediabetes is characterized by persistently elevated blood glucose levels that are not yet high enough to progress to type 2 diabetes.

Although it acts as a warning sign for an elevated risk of getting diabetes, it is frequently preventable or deferred with lifestyle adjustments.

Enhancing insulin sensitivity through exercise

According to Dr. Romoa, “GLUT4, the main insulin-driven glucose transporter, exercise improves insulin sensitivity.”

“GLUT4 is present in adipose and muscular tissue. The amount of these transporters varies depending on a person’s diabetes and obesity condition.

While they drop in adipose tissue, they hold steady in muscular tissue. As a result, exercise can keep enhancing glucose regulation. Due to insulin resistance, adipose tissue can no longer adequately regulate blood glucose. Additionally, exercise will increase the body’s GLUT4 levels. Walking can help lower blood sugar levels, according to Dr. Sergio P. Ramoa.

It was said by Costa that this study showed that “exercise enhances insulin-stimulated glucose uptake, likely due to changes in skeletal muscle biology induced by exercise.”

This includes an improvement in mitochondrial content and function as well as an increase of genes related to substrate oxidation and mitochondrial energy metabolism. The diet plus exercise group consequently saw a more significant rise in muscle insulin sensitivity,” Costa said.

Type 2 diabetes treatment through exercise

Exercise is strongly advised as a main treatment for type 2 diabetes, according to prior research.

Combining 150 minutes per week of moderate to strenuous exercise with dietary and behavioural adjustments can stop, delay, or even reverse the condition.

Exercise of all kinds, including resistance and aerobic training, can regulate blood sugar levels. Small bursts of exercise spread out throughout the day and high intensity interval training are both good.

Exercise in the afternoon or right after a meal, for example, may have additional benefits.

Exercise guidelines that are ideal Working with healthcare experts is crucial for personalised diabetes management because individual aspects are continuously being researched.

Costa stressed “the significance of integrating a calorie-restricted diet with exercise training to enhance metabolic health and physical function.”

Exercise caution

Be sure to consult your doctor before beginning a new workout routine. Make sure you drink enough water before, during, and after the activity.

To keep your blood sugar levels within the desired range, be sure to closely monitor them as well.

REFERENCES:

For Diabetes medications that have been suggested by doctors worldwide are available here https://mygenericpharmacy.com/index.php?therapy=13

When is a temperature too high for a human body?

July 7, 2023 blogadmin Comments 0 Comment

According to research, the safest temperature range for humans is probably between 40°C and 50°C, or 104°F and 122°F, respectively.

Your body has to exert more effort to function in hotter environments. Heat-related illnesses and even mortality can result from extreme temperatures. Those who are elderly or have a chronic ailment are at higher risk, for example.

When temperatures are high, it’s crucial to take precautions to stay cool.

The reduction of ice sheets and glaciers altered geographic ranges for animals and plants, and changing seasons are just a few of the severe repercussions that the Earth is now experiencing as a result of climate change.

And this past week, scientists reported that the Earth had the warmest day ever on July 4.

What is the highest temperature that people can safely accept as a result of climate change, which is causing temperatures to rise?

Professor Lewis Halsey and a group of scientists from the University of Roehampton in London claim to have discovered what this temperature range is now.

The upper critical temperature (UCT) is most likely to range between 40°C and 50°C (104°F and 122°F), according to research that Halsey will present at the SEB Centenary Conference in Edinburgh, Scotland, from July 4–7, 2023.

The authors of the study claim that this is crucial since it has broad ramifications for workers, athletes, travelers, and medical professionals to understand the temperatures that cause our metabolic rate to increase as well as how this temperature differs for various people.

How the body is impacted by temperature and humidity

The researchers enlisted 13 healthy participants between the ages of 23 and 58 for the study. There were seven female contestants.

Each subject spent an hour relaxing while being exposed to five different temperatures. The circumstances included:

50% relative air humidity (RAH) and 28°C (82.4F)
40% RAH and 104°C
50% RAH and 40°C (104F)
50 °C (122 °F), 25% RAH
50% RAH and 50°C (122F)

The researchers kept track of a number of measures during each condition and at baseline, including:

skin and internal temperatures
systolic pressure
perspiration rate
a heartbeat
respiration rate
the amount of air that is breathed in and out every minute
levels of movement

At 40°C (104F) and 25% RAH, the participants’ metabolic rate increased by 35%. However, at 40°C (104F) and 50% RAH, it climbed by 48%.

Although the metabolic rate was not greater in the 50°C and 25% RAH condition compared to the 40°C and 25% RAH condition, it was 56% higher than baseline in the 50°C (122F) and 50% RAH condition.

At the 40°C-25% RAH condition, the increase in metabolic rate was not followed by a rise in body temperature. Participants in the 50°C-50% RAH condition, however, noticed a 1°C (1.8 Fahrenheit) increase in core body temperature.

These results, according to the researchers, imply that the body can expel heat at 40 °C (104 °F), but not at 50 °C (122 °F).

Dr. Mark Guido, an endocrinologist of Novant Health Forsyth Endocrine Consultants in Winston Salem, North Carolina, who was not involved in the study, told us that “the findings do seem likely to vary by humidity.”

“The study found some indication that, even at the same temperature, the resting metabolic rate was higher at higher humidities. The metabolic rate appears to be significantly influenced by dampness as well, he continued.

How are metabolic rate and health impacted by climate?

Thermoneutral zone and metabolic rate may be impacted by living in various climates, according to Dr. John P. Higgins, a sports cardiologist at McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Centre at Houston (UTHealth), who was not involved in the study.

People who live in warm climates typically acclimatise and don’t raise their body temperature or metabolic rate as much. Similarly, Dr. Higgins noted that those who live in cool or frigid climates may react to heat exposure more strongly because they have less heat tolerance.

Dr. Ulm was also contacted, and he provided the following insight: “The body, in general, will find ways to activate the various feedback loops needed to achieve homeostasis, i.e., the painstaking regulation of physiological processes that allow for the complex biochemistry of organs and tissues to be carried out efficiently and properly.”

“Body temperature and metabolic rate are essential elements of this delicate dance, and it may be more likely for such opposing feedback loops to be active and functional in people who live in hotter areas year-round. This could be attributed to both heritable factors for populations that have endured these conditions over an extended period and, more generally, short-term adaptations.

It’s comparable to how people who live permanently in high-altitude locations will adjust through compensatory mechanisms, such as in their red blood cell physiology and other characteristics of oxygen-carrying ability, both acutely as through iron turnover rates and chronically.

What are the study’s constraints and key findings?

Dr. Ulm and I discussed its limits.

As is typically the case with these kinds of studies, the issue of how representative the cohort sample of participants is of both the general and the targeted populations is raised in relation to the physiological traits and reactions being assessed.

“The studies, in this case, were also particularly challenging given the ambient conditions, and there is also the perennial issues of the applicability of the experimental environment to real-world correlates,” he continued.

The main finding, according to Dr. Guido, is that greater heat stress does appear to increase the resting metabolic rate by increasing how hard the body must work to stay cool, especially by causing a significant increase in heart rate. It is difficult to draw practical conclusions from a small laboratory study, he added. This could very well result in an increase in cardiovascular disease by placing extra strain on the heart if it remains true under real-world circumstances, he said.

Further research is required, Dr. Higgins continued, “Also, might it be advantageous for weight management to perform exercise in warmer temperatures indoors or outdoors to boost metabolic rate and thus burn more calories.”

How to safeguard oneself?

According to Atkinson and Ali, some methods for avoiding excessive heat include the following:

Take in plenty of water to stay hydrated. Ali also advised against drinking alcohol and coffee because they can dehydrate you.
Wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothing in lighter colors. According to Ali, this enables sweat to dissipate and cool your body.
When it’s hot outside, try to stay inside. According to Atkinson, the hottest part of the day is often from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Keep the air in your house or office well-ventilated. Ali recommended using fans or air conditioners to stay cool.
To keep the sun out, close your curtains. For windows that face the sun, you should do this especially, according to Atkinson.

On warm days, stay away from strenuous exertion. This can quickly boost your core temperature, increasing your risk of heat exhaustion or heat stroke, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Observe heat advisories and local weather forecasts. When extreme weather events are expected, the National Weather Service issues heat alerts.

Ali said that it’s crucial to keep an eye on those who are most susceptible, such as the elderly and those who are suffering from chronic illnesses, to make sure they can maintain their composure.

“If necessary, seek medical attention for severe symptoms or [seek] shelter in designated cooling centers during heatwaves,” he advised.

REFERENCES:

For Fever treatments that have been suggested by doctors worldwide are available here https://mygenericpharmacy.com/index.php?therapy=77

Epilepsy risk is 2.5 times higher in hypertensive people.

July 6, 2023 blogadmin Comments 0 Comment

Researchers looked into the connection between epilepsy and high blood pressure. They discovered that taking antihypertensive drugs lowers the risk of epilepsy. This is increased by high blood pressure by about 2.5 times.

They come to the conclusion that while high blood pressure is a risk factor for epilepsy, further research is required to fully understand the mechanisms that underlie the association.

After stroke and dementia, epilepsy is the third most prevalent neurological illness that affects elderly individuals.

According to research, late-onset epilepsy has increased in prevalence over the past 20 years. As the population ages, the prevalence of the disorder will undoubtedly continue to climb. This makes epilepsy a substantial public health concern.

Despite this, 32-48% of cases of epilepsy have unknown underlying causes. According to several studies, vascular risk factors may raise the chance of developing late-onset epilepsy. According to another study, epilepsy may be caused by vascular risk factors starting in a person’s 30s.

Policymakers may be better able to develop public health initiatives and preventive actions to lower and manage rates of the condition if they have a better understanding of the involvement of vascular risk factors in late-onset epilepsy.

A recent investigation of the relationship between vascular risk factors and the start of epilepsy was conducted by researchers in the United States under the direction of the Boston University School of Medicine.

They discovered a connection between hypertension and a nearly 2-fold increased incidence of late-onset epilepsy. For those who did not use medication to control their blood pressure, this risk was significantly larger.

Data evaluation

Data from the Framingham Heart Study (FHS), an ongoing, community-based study that started in 1948, was used by the researchers. Through health exams every four years, the Offspring Cohort follows the health outcomes of 5,124 of the children of the original participants.

The researchers combined data from 2,986 individuals who underwent their fifth checkup between 1991 and 1995, were at least 45 years old at the time, and whose health records contained information on vascular risk factors.

Systolic and diastolic blood pressure were measured as vascular risk factors. The researchers defined high blood pressure as having a systolic pressure of at least 140 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) and a diastolic pressure of at least 90 mm Hg, as well as taking antihypertensive drugs.

Additionally, the researchers looked for:

diabetes
cholesterin amounts
smoking history
a cardiovascular condition
stroke
BMI, or body mass index

The ICD-9 codes associated with epilepsy or seizures, self-reported seizures, routine chart reviews for neurological diseases, and antiepileptic medication use were utilised by the researchers to screen participants for epilepsy or seizures.

To identify cases of epilepsy, the researchers also analysed electroencephalography (EEG), cardiac, and other pertinent data, as well as brain imaging.

The study found 55 cases of epilepsy in the group, of which 26 were confirmed, 15 were likely, and 14 were suspected. The average age of the subjects at the time of a possible diagnosis was 73.8 years old.

The study’s findings revealed a nearly 2-fold increased risk of epilepsy in people with hypertension. The other risk variables, however, were unrelated to epilepsy.

They also discovered that the probability of having epilepsy increased by 17% for every 10 mm Hg change in systolic blood pressure.

Underlying processes

The connection between epilepsy and hypertension is explained by several theories. The renin-angiotensin system (RAS), which controls blood pressure, may be one mechanism.

According to research, rats who have had repeated seizures had 2.6–8.2 times the RAS components of seizure-free mice. Antihypertensive medications that decreased RAS component levels postponed the start of seizures and decreased their frequency.

More investigation is required, though, as other studies indicate the system may only have a modest impact on the relationship between epilepsy and hypertension.

Small vascular disease (SVD), a disorder in which the walls of small arteries and capillaries are damaged and do not adequately convey oxygen-rich blood to numerous organs, is another potential underlying mechanism, claim the researchers. According to a recent study, the duration of high blood pressure is a reliable indicator of developing SVD in later life.

The researchers also mention that temporal lobe epilepsy and SVD are related. Cortical microinfarcts, tiny lesions in the cortical tissue, and the disruption of U fibers are a few potential explanations. These conditions may cause excessive excitability and hence seizures. U fibers link adjacent regions of the cerebral cortex.

The researchers draw the conclusion that hypertension is a standalone predictor of late-onset epilepsy and carries a 2-fold chance of getting seizures after 45 years.

They do acknowledge that their study has some limitations. It might not accurately represent all races and ethnicities because it was mostly made up of white people. The study’s observational design, according to the researchers, precludes the ability to establish causality.

Dr. Jason Hauptman, a neurosurgeon at Seattle Children’s Hospital, told us that these findings were particularly intriguing because there has been debate over whether elevated blood pressure (hypertension) is a standalone risk factor for stroke.

living with high blood pressure and epilepsy

A healthy blood pressure reading is less than 120/80 mmHg; if you are unsure of your current blood pressure, ask your doctor. High blood pressure is closely linked to a variety of health risks, including cardiac arrest, so it is important to try and maintain this level. The good news is that there are lots of easy lifestyle adjustments you can make to lower your blood pressure, like:

healthy eating
not a smoker
controlling stress
lowering the consumption of alcohol
Exercising
consuming less salt

Speak to your doctor if you have concerns about your epilepsy and high blood pressure. They can assist you in creating a management strategy to lower your blood pressure through dietary and activity modifications. while also making sure that you are controlling your seizures.

REFERENCES:

For Epilepsy disease treatments that have been suggested by doctors worldwide are available here https://mygenericpharmacy.com/index.php?therapy=49

New brain imaging techniques for the treatment of epilepsy.

July 6, 2023 blogadmin Comments 0 Comment

In a recent study, researchers identified a brain circuit that can be targeted with brain stimulation by mapping abnormalities in the brain linked to epilepsy.

They stated that they hoped their discoveries could lessen the symptoms that come along with seizures.

They stated that the brain mapping method might also aid in predicting whether stroke survivors will experience seizures.

According to a recent study published in the journal JAMA Neurology, deep brain circuit stimulation may be able to identify whether people who have had a stroke may eventually acquire the disease and assist treat epilepsy.

Scientists from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Massachusetts examined five datasets that had more than 1,500 individuals with brain injuries for their study.

The lesions have several diverse causes, such as tumors, trauma, and stroke.

The ability to explore across many brain regions and forms of brain injury for common network connections associated with epilepsy as a result allowed researchers to do so.

Brain mapping: What is it?

There are specific functions for each region of the brain. The surgeon wants to comprehend how the brain regions close to the seizure onset operate before doing any type of brain surgery, including epilepsy surgery. This enables your team to determine how much of the seizure focus can be safely removed.

The process of brain mapping can be used to pinpoint the functions of various brain areas.

Different people have different locations for different bodily processes (such as movement, voice, vision, and more). Tumours, seizures, or other brain abnormalities may alter which regions of the brain are in charge of a certain function. Sometimes general laws don’t apply.

By activating particular brain regions, one can create a “map” of each person’s brain. The map reveals to medical professionals which regions of the brain are in charge of vital processes like speech, sensation, or movement.

Brain mapping for epilepsy

The sites of brain damage in epilepsy patients and those without the condition were compared by the researchers.

According to the researchers, the brain was filled with lesions connected to epilepsy. They did, however, have a common network.

The researchers pointed out that epilepsy may be brought on by disruption of brain connections rather than the site of the damage. The basal ganglia and cerebellum, two deep-brain regions, were the locations of the linkages.

According to the researchers, identifying lesions in a brain network may aid in determining whether or not a person may experience epilepsy following a stroke. They claimed that common brain pathways could connect various damages and result in epilepsy.

The researchers point out that earlier studies have linked deep brain regions to modifying and regulating seizures in epilepsy-prone animals. They might have a braking effect on the brain.

How have scientists used deep brain stimulation?

The researchers examined the deep brain stimulation results in 30 patients with drug-resistant epilepsy.

If the stimulation was linked to the same brain network they discovered when mapping brain lesions, they claimed that the benefit would be greater.

Dr. Frederic Schaper, an assistant scientist at the Centre for Brain Circuit Therapeutics at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and an instructor of neurology at Harvard Medical School in Massachusetts, said, “In our study, we analysed existing data from patients that received deep brain stimulation for drug-resistant focal epilepsy.”

Although all patients had electrodes for deep brain stimulation implanted in the anterior thalamus, Schaper informed us that each patient’s precise electrode placement and stimulation sites varied slightly. “We found that patients with deeper brain stimulation sites that were more connected to deep brain regions in the cerebellum and basal ganglia had better seizure control than patients who were less connected to these regions.”

“This finding suggests an important role for brain networks distant from the anterior thalamic deep brain stimulation site in the mechanism of action of deep brain stimulation for epilepsy and seizure control,” he continued.

Deep brain stimulation principles

The American Association of Neurological Surgeons defines deep brain stimulation as a surgical procedure in which electrodes are placed in particular parts of the brain. Then, in order to assist manage aberrant brain activity, these electrodes transmit electrical impulses.

The amount of stimulation is managed via an implanted programmable device that resembles a pacemaker. The device is connected to the brain’s electrodes by a wire.

The full mechanism through which deep brain stimulation reduces seizure frequency is unknown, according to Schaper. “Previous research in people and animal models indicates that deep brain stimulation disturbs the brain networks responsible for seizures. It is uncertain, nevertheless, whose brain networks are in charge of [deep brain stimulation]-induced seizure control.”

Schaper mentioned that deep brain stimulation is a safe and efficient treatment for drug-resistant focal epilepsy and has received approval from federal regulators.

Improving epilepsy symptoms

In this investigation, brain networks were sought after. They claimed that deep brain stimulation can lessen epilepsy symptoms if it activates just one node in the network.

“This study is quite exciting,” said Dr. Jean-Philippe Langevin, a neurosurgeon and the director of the Restorative Neurosurgery and Deep Brain Stimulation Programme at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute at Providence Saint John’s Health Centre in California. He was not involved in the research.

“The scientists discovered that networks were more associated with epilepsy than brain lesions. “They could influence epilepsy symptoms if they could concentrate stimulation within the networks,” Langevin told us.

The roadways in the brain are called brain networks. The roadside stops are called lesions. The researchers discovered that the entire network was influenced when electrical currents were applied anywhere along a network of streets.

According to Langevin, “Deep brain stimulation works for other diseases.” These include essential tremors, Parkinson’s condition, dystonia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and dystonia. For certain conditions, “working within a single network would also hold true.”

“This is exciting because, in the future, when patients come to us with seizures, a scan can look at how the network is connected, making it easier to use [deep brain stimulation],” continued Langevin. “The scans do exist, but we don’t typically use them in the study.”

Symptoms of a seizure

Different people experience different pre-seizure warning symptoms.

But there are a few widespread indications:

a sense of impending disaster
For every seizures, the same tone or sound is produced.
trouble generating ideas
having trouble finding the right words
Having underwater-like audio perception
experiencing déjà vu or believing that nothing is familiar
feeling queasy in the stomach
having the impression that everything is deformed, either larger or smaller than it should be.

It is suggested that you lay on your side if you are experiencing a seizure. Someone else should roll a seizure victim over if they are unable to move.

Additionally, a person experiencing a seizure ought to be relocated to a location where they won’t damage themselves. For instance, a space free of any furnishings.

Ensure that they are not wearing anything tight around their neck, such as a necktie, scarf, or button-up shirt. If so, you ought to take these things off.

Never abandon a person experiencing a seizure. Until the seizure is finished, be at their side.

REFERENCES:

For Epilepsy medications that have been suggested by doctors worldwide are available here https://mygenericpharmacy.com/index.php?therapy=49

Is high BMI linked with an increased risk of death?

July 6, 2023 blogadmin Comments 0 Comment

The validity of body mass index (BMI) as the only predictor of all-cause mortality is further questioned by a recent study.

The majority of earlier research, according to the study’s authors, rely on more dated data that isn’t sufficiently diverse, so they’re hoping the current study may remedy that.

A BMI that indicates overweight or obesity can increase the chance of developing several chronic, fatal diseases, but it may not be a reliable predictor of mortality as a whole.

According to a recent study, it is advisable to take into account a person’s body mass index, or BMI, together with other risk variables when forecasting all-cause death. As an independent variable, BMI might not be a reliable predictor of premature death.

There was no variation in the risk of death from all causes among persons in the healthy and overweight BMI categories, from a BMI of 22.5 to 27.4, according to the research.

However, the study found that in persons with a BMI greater than 30, the risk of all-cause death rose by 21% to 108%.

No appreciable increase in mortality was observed in older persons between BMIs of 22.5 to 34.9, the higher range indicating obesity.

Older statistics on BMI and early death are displaced by new data.

Data from the 1970s that concentrated on non-Hispanic white adults formed the basis of the majority of research on BMI and mortality.

The new study examined more recent, comprehensive data while keeping in mind the changes in lifestyles since that time, including the rise in overweight and obesity, and sought a more varied study population sample.

Self-reported BMI data from 554,332 American individuals who took part in the National Health Interview Survey from 1999 to 2018 and data from the 2019 US National Death Index were used in the analysis.

The average age was 46, there were equal numbers of males and women, and 69% of the population identified as non-Hispanic white, while 12% identified as non-Hispanic Black.

Among the individuals, 35 percent had a BMI between 25 and 30, which is normally regarded as overweight, and 27.2 percent had a BMI of 30 or more, which is categorised as obesity.

A total of 75,807 fatalities were reported throughout the average follow-up period of 9 years and the maximum follow-up period of 20 years.

Why BMI is a poor indicator of health?

We spoke with Dr. Pedro J. Caraballo, medical director of the Mayo Clinic Clinical Decision Support Programme, who was not engaged in this investigation.

“It is extremely debatable whether or not BMI alone should be used to define obesity or health. Different types of obesity that may have an impact on health have clearer definitions. BMI may be easily calculated and found in any medical records, though.

A person’s BMI is calculated by dividing their weight in kilogrammes by the square of their height in metres.

However, BMI ignores other aspects of the body, such as the ratio of fat to muscle, how fat is distributed throughout the body, and metabolic health. For instance, having excess fat around the waist raises your risk of getting sick.

“[BMI] does not distinguish between muscle mass and fat mass, and some individuals, like bodybuilders, may have a high BMI because of more muscle mass,” said Dr. Dagfinn Aune, a research associate in the Faculty of Medicine, the School of Public Health at Imperial College London in the United Kingdom, who was not involved in this study.

Despite these drawbacks, according to Dr. Aune, BMI performs a good job of capturing the elevated risk of chronic disease and mortality that is connected to obesity at the population level.

BMI as a measure of obesity is “not a suitable tool”

Dr. Aune provided a lengthy list of chronic diseases linked to an oversized BMI. These included kidney stones, gallstones, diverticular disease, coronary heart disease, stroke, heart failure, sudden cardiac death, atrial fibrillation, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and a dozen distinct cancers.

Additionally, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, gestational hypertension, stillbirth, and infant death are just a few of the pregnancy issues that are linked to being overweight or obese while pregnant, according to Dr. Aune.

The results of this study are outdated in Dr. Caraballo’s eyes. He referenced his own research, which “showed that BMI is an independent risk factor only in extreme values, very low (20) or very high (>40), with risk stratification based on comorbidities.”

Multiple studies, according to Dr. Caraballo, have found that mild to moderate obesity “may help survival when considering a specific subpopulation that is under stress.”

He noted various papers on this subject for “heart disease, kidney disease, cancer, stroke, and rheumatoid arthritis, etc.” and concluded that maintaining energy reserves may be beneficial for people.

According to Dr. Visaria, “the United States has undergone a significant transformation since the 20th century in terms of racial/ethnic makeup, age distribution, healthcare access and treatments, and sociocultural behaviours.”

It is crucial to comprehend the relationship in a more modern population since all of these can affect the association between BMI and all-cause mortality, he said.

Dr. Visaria further emphasized the importance of utilizing the most rigorous techniques to eliminate bias and ensure that observational data is as nationally representative as feasible.

Lower risk of older adults having greater BMI

Dr. Visaria proposed theories as to why this would be the case, given that older adults did not exhibit an increased mortality risk up to a BMI of 35.

We believe that the decline in bone mineral density and sarcopenia that occurs as people age have a role in this. Despite having large quantities of fat, losing these two types of weight can cause you to have excessively normal BMIs, he warned us.

Because of their maintained bone and muscle mass, those with higher BMIs may actually be in better health.

What factors predict total mortality more accurately?

According to Dr. Caraballo, the link between fat and mortality is extremely convoluted.

“Obesity by itself, in the range of mild to moderate, may not be an independent risk factor,” he said. “However, obesity is a significant risk factor for the emergence of numerous metabolic disorders that, over time, raise the mortality risk (diabetes, heart disease, etc.). People may also put on weight when they have a chronic illness because they do less exercise and eat poorly.

In his recommendation, Dr. Visaria said that “physicians should consider supplementing BMI with other measures such as waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio, and waist-to-hip ratio.”

According to Dr. Visaria’s study, “We show that waist circumference significantly modifies the association between BMI and all-cause mortality.”

Dr. Visaria stated, “Bioimpedance scales are another alternative to determine total body fat percent, but they still need to be verified and are known to have some mistakes. Additionally, doctors should consider patients’ cardio-metabolic health factors like blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels when interpreting adiposity measurements.

REFERENCES:

For Obesity medications that have been suggested by doctors worldwide are available here https://mygenericpharmacy.com/index.php?therapy=20