Unusual Bird Flu Virus Kills Two Men In China

Unusual Bird Flu Virus Kills Two Men In China31 Mar 2013-nbsp;-nbsp;-nbsp;

Two men have died in Shanghai after being infected with the H7N9 bird flu virus strain, one that has never affected humans before, Chinese health authorities reported.

The two patients were aged 87 and 27 years. The Xinhua News Agency reported that the younger man, surnamed Wu, became ill on February 19th, 2013 and died just over three weeks later on March 4th. The older man, surnamed Li, became sick on February 27th and died on March 10th.

The older patients' two sons became ill with flu and were hospitalized. The younger son, aged 55, developed severe pneumonia and died. The older son, aged 67, recovered and is no longer in hospital. Chinese health authorities say that neither son had the H7N9 virus.

A third patient, in Chuzhou in the eastern province of Anhui, also became infected with the H7N9 virus strain and became ill on March 10th. The woman, surnamed Han, aged 35, is reported to be in a critical condition in hospital in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu Province.
Little is known about how H7N9 spread among humans

Health experts in China say they do not know how the virus strain has spread. They are certain that the three infected people did not transmit H7N9 to each other. Tests on 88 close contacts of the three infected people found no abnormalities.

The National Health and Family Planning Commission (the Commission) in China says that the three patients started off with coughs and fever, which then developed to pneumonia with breathing difficulties.

Commission laboratories confirmed that all three were infected with H7N9, an avian influenza (bird flu) strain known to affect birds, but not humans.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says there is no vaccine to protect humans from H7N9 infection.

H7N9 does not appear to be highly human transmissible

The Commission emphasized that there is no evidence indicating that H7N9 is highly transmissible from human-to-human. However, it is not possible to draw any conclusions from just three cases.

The Chinese CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) says that it has a team of experts studying the toxicity and human-infection potential of the virus.

Shanghai Daily quotes Jiang Qingwu, dean of Public Health School of Fudan University, as saying "So far, it is still an animal virus not a human virus".

Timothy O'Leary, of the World Health Organization, said in an interview with the Associated Press:

"There is apparently no evidence of human-to-human transmission, and transmission of the virus appears to be inefficient, therefore the risk to public health would appear to be low."

Health departments throughout China have been urged to step up supervision and monitoring of all cases involving flu symptoms, respiratory problems, and pneumonia.

People with fever, coughing, and breathing problems have been told to visit their doctors immediately.

What is bird flu (avian influenza)?

Avian influenza, also known as avian flu or bird flu, is a flu caused by viruses that infect birds and make them sick. It is an infectious disease of birds caused by influenza virus strains type A. Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is the more aggressive one.

Avian influenza affects several types of birds, including farmed poultry. In December 2012, pigs in China were found to be infected with the bird flu virus.

Bird flu (avian flu) is the illness, which is caused by the avian influenza virus.
Avian influenza can be transmitted from wild birds to farmed livestock or pet birds, and the other way round. The infection spreads via the saliva, feces, nasal secretions and the feed of infected birds.

Since December 2003, there have been many bird flu outbreaks, which have directly killed or caused the culling of millions of farmed poultry and wild birds in Europe, Asia and Africa.

Scientists have identified over 16 different bird flu types. The one that causes the most concern is the H5N1 strain, because it can make humans very ill, and even kill them. Fortunately, H5N2 does not infect humans easily. However, some highly virulent strains have caused severe respiratory diseases in humans.

In the vast majority of human infections, the person was in contact with infected birds or surfaces/objects contaminated with their secretions or feces.

H5N1 kills 60% of humans who become ill after being infected. According to WHO, so far during this millennium H5N2 has killed 359 humans in twelve countries.

Experts worry that an avian influenza virus may one day mutate and become easily human-transmissible.

Scientists reported in the journal mBio last year that a new bird flu virus had infected harbor seals and could pose a threat to human health as well as wildlife.


Written by Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News TodayNot to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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Unusual Bird Flu Virus Kills Two Men In China

Unusual Bird Flu Virus Kills Two Men In China31 Mar 2013-nbsp;-nbsp;-nbsp;

Two men have died in Shanghai after being infected with the H7N9 bird flu virus strain, one that has never affected humans before, Chinese health authorities reported.

The two patients were aged 87 and 27 years. The Xinhua News Agency reported that the younger man, surnamed Wu, became ill on February 19th, 2013 and died just over three weeks later on March 4th. The older man, surnamed Li, became sick on February 27th and died on March 10th.

The older patients' two sons became ill with flu and were hospitalized. The younger son, aged 55, developed severe pneumonia and died. The older son, aged 67, recovered and is no longer in hospital. Chinese health authorities say that neither son had the H7N9 virus.

A third patient, in Chuzhou in the eastern province of Anhui, also became infected with the H7N9 virus strain and became ill on March 10th. The woman, surnamed Han, aged 35, is reported to be in a critical condition in hospital in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu Province.
Little is known about how H7N9 spread among humans

Health experts in China say they do not know how the virus strain has spread. They are certain that the three infected people did not transmit H7N9 to each other. Tests on 88 close contacts of the three infected people found no abnormalities.

The National Health and Family Planning Commission (the Commission) in China says that the three patients started off with coughs and fever, which then developed to pneumonia with breathing difficulties.

Commission laboratories confirmed that all three were infected with H7N9, an avian influenza (bird flu) strain known to affect birds, but not humans.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says there is no vaccine to protect humans from H7N9 infection.

H7N9 does not appear to be highly human transmissible

The Commission emphasized that there is no evidence indicating that H7N9 is highly transmissible from human-to-human. However, it is not possible to draw any conclusions from just three cases.

The Chinese CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) says that it has a team of experts studying the toxicity and human-infection potential of the virus.

Shanghai Daily quotes Jiang Qingwu, dean of Public Health School of Fudan University, as saying "So far, it is still an animal virus not a human virus".

Timothy O'Leary, of the World Health Organization, said in an interview with the Associated Press:

"There is apparently no evidence of human-to-human transmission, and transmission of the virus appears to be inefficient, therefore the risk to public health would appear to be low."

Health departments throughout China have been urged to step up supervision and monitoring of all cases involving flu symptoms, respiratory problems, and pneumonia.

People with fever, coughing, and breathing problems have been told to visit their doctors immediately.

What is bird flu (avian influenza)?

Avian influenza, also known as avian flu or bird flu, is a flu caused by viruses that infect birds and make them sick. It is an infectious disease of birds caused by influenza virus strains type A. Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is the more aggressive one.

Avian influenza affects several types of birds, including farmed poultry. In December 2012, pigs in China were found to be infected with the bird flu virus.

Bird flu (avian flu) is the illness, which is caused by the avian influenza virus.
Avian influenza can be transmitted from wild birds to farmed livestock or pet birds, and the other way round. The infection spreads via the saliva, feces, nasal secretions and the feed of infected birds.

Since December 2003, there have been many bird flu outbreaks, which have directly killed or caused the culling of millions of farmed poultry and wild birds in Europe, Asia and Africa.

Scientists have identified over 16 different bird flu types. The one that causes the most concern is the H5N1 strain, because it can make humans very ill, and even kill them. Fortunately, H5N2 does not infect humans easily. However, some highly virulent strains have caused severe respiratory diseases in humans.

In the vast majority of human infections, the person was in contact with infected birds or surfaces/objects contaminated with their secretions or feces.

H5N1 kills 60% of humans who become ill after being infected. According to WHO, so far during this millennium H5N2 has killed 359 humans in twelve countries.

Experts worry that an avian influenza virus may one day mutate and become easily human-transmissible.

Scientists reported in the journal mBio last year that a new bird flu virus had infected harbor seals and could pose a threat to human health as well as wildlife.


Written by Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News TodayNot to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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New Test Could Help Detect Pancreatic Cancer Early

New Test Could Help Detect Pancreatic Cancer Early30 Mar 2013-nbsp;-nbsp;-nbsp;

A new diagnostic test that uses a scientific method called metabolomic analysis could help detect pancreatic cancer early, and therefore, improve the prognosis of patients with the disease.


This new screening method is safe and easy, according to new research published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers, - Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

In the study, the investigators looked at the effectiveness of metabolomic analysis as a diagnostic method for pancreatic cancer. The novel technique was proven successful in the results.

Masaru Yoshida, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor and chief of the Division of Metabolomics Research at Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine in Kobe, Japan, explained:

"Although surgical resection can be a curative treatment for pancreatic cancer, more than 80 percent of patients with pancreatic cancer have a locally advanced or metastatic tumor that is unresectable at the time of detection. Conventional examinations using blood, imaging and endoscopy are not appropriate for pancreatic cancer screening and early detection, so a novel screening and diagnostic method for pancreatic cancer is urgently required."

The study involved patients with pancreatic cancer, patients with chronic pancreatitis, and healthy participants. The experts measured the levels of metabolites in their blood by using gas chromatography mass spectrometry.

Forty-three patients with pancreatic cancer and 42 healthy subjects were randomly assigned to a training set and 42 pancreatic cancer patients and 41 healthy participants to a validation set. All 23 chronic pancreatitis patients were included in the validation set.

According to an examination of the metabolomic data that came from the training set, levels of 18 metabolites were notably different in the pancreatic cancer patients' blood as opposed to the healthy individuals.

Further analysis caused the scientists to create a technique to predict a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer using evaluation of the levels of only four metabolites.

In the training set, the method showed 86% sensitivity and 88.1% specificity. In the validation set, which consisted of patients with chronic pancreatitis, the approach showed 71.4% sensitivity and 78.1% specificity.

Yoshida concluded:
"Our diagnostic approach using serum metabolomics possessed higher accuracy than conventional tumor markers, especially at detecting the patients with pancreatic cancer in the cohort that included the patients with chronic pancreatitis.

This novel diagnostic approach, which is safe and easy to apply as a screening method, is expected to improve the prognosis of patients with pancreatic cancer by detecting their cancers early, when still in a resectable and curable state."

Research from earlier this year showed that a drug called Abraxane is effective at improving overall survival among patients with pancreatic cancer when combined with chemotherapy.

Written by Sarah Glynn
Copyright: Medical News TodayNot to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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New Test Could Help Detect Pancreatic Cancer Early

New Test Could Help Detect Pancreatic Cancer Early30 Mar 2013-nbsp;-nbsp;-nbsp;

A new diagnostic test that uses a scientific method called metabolomic analysis could help detect pancreatic cancer early, and therefore, improve the prognosis of patients with the disease.


This new screening method is safe and easy, according to new research published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers, - Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

In the study, the investigators looked at the effectiveness of metabolomic analysis as a diagnostic method for pancreatic cancer. The novel technique was proven successful in the results.

Masaru Yoshida, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor and chief of the Division of Metabolomics Research at Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine in Kobe, Japan, explained:

"Although surgical resection can be a curative treatment for pancreatic cancer, more than 80 percent of patients with pancreatic cancer have a locally advanced or metastatic tumor that is unresectable at the time of detection. Conventional examinations using blood, imaging and endoscopy are not appropriate for pancreatic cancer screening and early detection, so a novel screening and diagnostic method for pancreatic cancer is urgently required."

The study involved patients with pancreatic cancer, patients with chronic pancreatitis, and healthy participants. The experts measured the levels of metabolites in their blood by using gas chromatography mass spectrometry.

Forty-three patients with pancreatic cancer and 42 healthy subjects were randomly assigned to a training set and 42 pancreatic cancer patients and 41 healthy participants to a validation set. All 23 chronic pancreatitis patients were included in the validation set.

According to an examination of the metabolomic data that came from the training set, levels of 18 metabolites were notably different in the pancreatic cancer patients' blood as opposed to the healthy individuals.

Further analysis caused the scientists to create a technique to predict a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer using evaluation of the levels of only four metabolites.

In the training set, the method showed 86% sensitivity and 88.1% specificity. In the validation set, which consisted of patients with chronic pancreatitis, the approach showed 71.4% sensitivity and 78.1% specificity.

Yoshida concluded:
"Our diagnostic approach using serum metabolomics possessed higher accuracy than conventional tumor markers, especially at detecting the patients with pancreatic cancer in the cohort that included the patients with chronic pancreatitis.

This novel diagnostic approach, which is safe and easy to apply as a screening method, is expected to improve the prognosis of patients with pancreatic cancer by detecting their cancers early, when still in a resectable and curable state."

Research from earlier this year showed that a drug called Abraxane is effective at improving overall survival among patients with pancreatic cancer when combined with chemotherapy.

Written by Sarah Glynn
Copyright: Medical News TodayNot to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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New Test Could Help Detect Pancreatic Cancer Early

New Test Could Help Detect Pancreatic Cancer Early30 Mar 2013-nbsp;-nbsp;-nbsp;

A new diagnostic test that uses a scientific method called metabolomic analysis could help detect pancreatic cancer early, and therefore, improve the prognosis of patients with the disease.


This new screening method is safe and easy, according to new research published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers, - Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

In the study, the investigators looked at the effectiveness of metabolomic analysis as a diagnostic method for pancreatic cancer. The novel technique was proven successful in the results.

Masaru Yoshida, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor and chief of the Division of Metabolomics Research at Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine in Kobe, Japan, explained:

"Although surgical resection can be a curative treatment for pancreatic cancer, more than 80 percent of patients with pancreatic cancer have a locally advanced or metastatic tumor that is unresectable at the time of detection. Conventional examinations using blood, imaging and endoscopy are not appropriate for pancreatic cancer screening and early detection, so a novel screening and diagnostic method for pancreatic cancer is urgently required."

The study involved patients with pancreatic cancer, patients with chronic pancreatitis, and healthy participants. The experts measured the levels of metabolites in their blood by using gas chromatography mass spectrometry.

Forty-three patients with pancreatic cancer and 42 healthy subjects were randomly assigned to a training set and 42 pancreatic cancer patients and 41 healthy participants to a validation set. All 23 chronic pancreatitis patients were included in the validation set.

According to an examination of the metabolomic data that came from the training set, levels of 18 metabolites were notably different in the pancreatic cancer patients' blood as opposed to the healthy individuals.

Further analysis caused the scientists to create a technique to predict a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer using evaluation of the levels of only four metabolites.

In the training set, the method showed 86% sensitivity and 88.1% specificity. In the validation set, which consisted of patients with chronic pancreatitis, the approach showed 71.4% sensitivity and 78.1% specificity.

Yoshida concluded:
"Our diagnostic approach using serum metabolomics possessed higher accuracy than conventional tumor markers, especially at detecting the patients with pancreatic cancer in the cohort that included the patients with chronic pancreatitis.

This novel diagnostic approach, which is safe and easy to apply as a screening method, is expected to improve the prognosis of patients with pancreatic cancer by detecting their cancers early, when still in a resectable and curable state."

Research from earlier this year showed that a drug called Abraxane is effective at improving overall survival among patients with pancreatic cancer when combined with chemotherapy.

Written by Sarah Glynn
Copyright: Medical News TodayNot to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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New Test Could Help Detect Pancreatic Cancer Early

New Test Could Help Detect Pancreatic Cancer Early30 Mar 2013-nbsp;-nbsp;-nbsp;

A new diagnostic test that uses a scientific method called metabolomic analysis could help detect pancreatic cancer early, and therefore, improve the prognosis of patients with the disease.


This new screening method is safe and easy, according to new research published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers, - Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

In the study, the investigators looked at the effectiveness of metabolomic analysis as a diagnostic method for pancreatic cancer. The novel technique was proven successful in the results.

Masaru Yoshida, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor and chief of the Division of Metabolomics Research at Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine in Kobe, Japan, explained:

"Although surgical resection can be a curative treatment for pancreatic cancer, more than 80 percent of patients with pancreatic cancer have a locally advanced or metastatic tumor that is unresectable at the time of detection. Conventional examinations using blood, imaging and endoscopy are not appropriate for pancreatic cancer screening and early detection, so a novel screening and diagnostic method for pancreatic cancer is urgently required."

The study involved patients with pancreatic cancer, patients with chronic pancreatitis, and healthy participants. The experts measured the levels of metabolites in their blood by using gas chromatography mass spectrometry.

Forty-three patients with pancreatic cancer and 42 healthy subjects were randomly assigned to a training set and 42 pancreatic cancer patients and 41 healthy participants to a validation set. All 23 chronic pancreatitis patients were included in the validation set.

According to an examination of the metabolomic data that came from the training set, levels of 18 metabolites were notably different in the pancreatic cancer patients' blood as opposed to the healthy individuals.

Further analysis caused the scientists to create a technique to predict a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer using evaluation of the levels of only four metabolites.

In the training set, the method showed 86% sensitivity and 88.1% specificity. In the validation set, which consisted of patients with chronic pancreatitis, the approach showed 71.4% sensitivity and 78.1% specificity.

Yoshida concluded:
"Our diagnostic approach using serum metabolomics possessed higher accuracy than conventional tumor markers, especially at detecting the patients with pancreatic cancer in the cohort that included the patients with chronic pancreatitis.

This novel diagnostic approach, which is safe and easy to apply as a screening method, is expected to improve the prognosis of patients with pancreatic cancer by detecting their cancers early, when still in a resectable and curable state."

Research from earlier this year showed that a drug called Abraxane is effective at improving overall survival among patients with pancreatic cancer when combined with chemotherapy.

Written by Sarah Glynn
Copyright: Medical News TodayNot to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

Lyme Disease Antibodies Attached To Nanotubes, Paving Way For Diagnostic Device

Delaying Gratification, Improving Self Control, And The Marshmallow Test

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New Test Could Help Detect Pancreatic Cancer Early

New Test Could Help Detect Pancreatic Cancer Early30 Mar 2013-nbsp;-nbsp;-nbsp;

A new diagnostic test that uses a scientific method called metabolomic analysis could help detect pancreatic cancer early, and therefore, improve the prognosis of patients with the disease.


This new screening method is safe and easy, according to new research published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers, - Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

In the study, the investigators looked at the effectiveness of metabolomic analysis as a diagnostic method for pancreatic cancer. The novel technique was proven successful in the results.

Masaru Yoshida, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor and chief of the Division of Metabolomics Research at Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine in Kobe, Japan, explained:

"Although surgical resection can be a curative treatment for pancreatic cancer, more than 80 percent of patients with pancreatic cancer have a locally advanced or metastatic tumor that is unresectable at the time of detection. Conventional examinations using blood, imaging and endoscopy are not appropriate for pancreatic cancer screening and early detection, so a novel screening and diagnostic method for pancreatic cancer is urgently required."

The study involved patients with pancreatic cancer, patients with chronic pancreatitis, and healthy participants. The experts measured the levels of metabolites in their blood by using gas chromatography mass spectrometry.

Forty-three patients with pancreatic cancer and 42 healthy subjects were randomly assigned to a training set and 42 pancreatic cancer patients and 41 healthy participants to a validation set. All 23 chronic pancreatitis patients were included in the validation set.

According to an examination of the metabolomic data that came from the training set, levels of 18 metabolites were notably different in the pancreatic cancer patients' blood as opposed to the healthy individuals.

Further analysis caused the scientists to create a technique to predict a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer using evaluation of the levels of only four metabolites.

In the training set, the method showed 86% sensitivity and 88.1% specificity. In the validation set, which consisted of patients with chronic pancreatitis, the approach showed 71.4% sensitivity and 78.1% specificity.

Yoshida concluded:
"Our diagnostic approach using serum metabolomics possessed higher accuracy than conventional tumor markers, especially at detecting the patients with pancreatic cancer in the cohort that included the patients with chronic pancreatitis.

This novel diagnostic approach, which is safe and easy to apply as a screening method, is expected to improve the prognosis of patients with pancreatic cancer by detecting their cancers early, when still in a resectable and curable state."

Research from earlier this year showed that a drug called Abraxane is effective at improving overall survival among patients with pancreatic cancer when combined with chemotherapy.

Written by Sarah Glynn
Copyright: Medical News TodayNot to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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Higher Rates Of Delayed Medical Care Likely Due To Restrictive Medicaid Eligibility Criteria Especially In Florida And Texas

Lyme Disease Antibodies Attached To Nanotubes, Paving Way For Diagnostic Device

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Multiple Vaccines Not Linked To Autism Risk, CDC

Multiple Vaccines Not Linked To Autism Risk, CDC29 Mar 2013-nbsp;-nbsp;-nbsp;

There is no casual link between certain vaccine types and autism, says a new study carried out by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and published in The Journal of Pediatrics.

Parental concerns that vaccines might be related to a higher risk of developing autism were initially related to the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine and thimerosal-containing immunizations.

In 2004, the Institute of Medicine (IoM) carried out a study which concluded that according to all evidence, there is no casual link between these vaccines and ASDs (autism spectrum disorders).

Nonetheless, parents continued (and continue) being worried about a possible link between vaccines and autism, particularly when their babies and young children have to receive many of them.

The authors of the report wrote that in a recent survey, it was revealed that parents' top vaccine-related concerns included:

The number of vaccines children are given during their first 24 months of life
The number of vaccines children are given in one doctor's visit
Worry about whether there might be an autism link


The three concerns listed above were reported by approximately one third of the survey respondents; more than half of them indicated that their kids would receive some but not all of the vaccines recommended for their immunization schedule.

The report mentions another survey which found that 1 in every 10 parents of young children delays vaccinations or flatly refuses them - most of them think that it is safer to delay the vaccines.

The new CDC study has evaluated parents' concerns regarding "too many vaccines too soon" and confirms the IoM 2004 conclusion that "there is not a causal relationship between certain vaccine types and autism."

The researchers of this latest study looked at:

The amount of antigens babies/toddlers received on one day of vaccination

The amount of antigens they receive in total during their first 24 months of life

(Antigen - a substance in vaccines that makes the person's immune system produce antibodies to destroy the bacterium/virus/parasite)


They found no link to autism spectrum disorder risk in children who received all their vaccines.

The researchers gathered and examined data from three MCOs (managed care organizations) and compared 256 children with ASD to 752 controls (children with no ASD).
They found:

No difference in antigen exposure - both groups of children, with an ASD and without any ASD, received the same total amount of antigens

Antigen exposure among those with ASD with regression - children with loss of developmental skills during their second year of life (ASD with regression) received the same number of vaccine antigens as those with no ASD regression

Children exposed to far fewer antigens today - a child aged 24 months in 2013 who conformed to the routine childhood vaccine immunization schedule has received 315 antigens, compared to several thousands in the late 1990s, even though there are more vaccines during the first 24 months today than in the 1990s. This is because vaccines today are different; they contain far fewer antigens.

For example - the old whole cell whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine makes the patient produce approximately 3,000 different antibodies. The newer acellular whooping cough vaccine makes the body only produce at the most 6 different antibodies.



A baby's immune system has the capacity to respond to a large amount of immunologic stimuli. From the day they are born, infants are exposed to hundreds of antigens that are not associated with vaccination, as well as several hundred viruses.

According to an online communiqué by the CDC:

"This study demonstrates that autism spectrum disorder is not associated with immunological stimulation from vaccines during the first 2 years of life."

MMR autism scare started in 1998

A study by Dr. Andrew Wakefield, which was published in The Lancet, a respectable UK medical journal, claimed that the MMR vaccine raised a baby's risk of developing autism.

A few years later The Lancet withdrew the article, saying that the study had been fraudulent.

An investigation by journalist Brian Deer published in the BMJ (British Medical Journal) revealed that not only was the study linking the MMR vaccine to autism a fraud, it was also motivated by financial greed.




Written by Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News TodayNot to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

High Fiber Diet Protects You From Stroke

High Fiber Diet Protects You From Stroke29 Mar 2013-nbsp;-nbsp;-nbsp;

If you eat more fiber you will probably have a lower risk of first time stroke, researchers from the University of Leeds' School of Food Science - Nutrition in Leeds, United Kingdom, reported in the journal Stroke.

Dietary fiber comes from plants, the part that our body does not absorb when digesting food. Fiber can be insoluble or soluble (dissolves in water). No fiber can be digested. However, soluble fiber as it goes through the digestive tract, changes its form when it is fermented by bacteria. Soluble fiber absorbs water and becomes gelatinous as it does so. However, the form of insoluble fiber remains unchanged as it goes through the gut.


According to prior studies, dietary fiber can help reduce some of the risk factors associated with stroke, including hypertension and high blood levels of LDL (low-density lipoprotein), also known as "bad cholesterol".

In this latest study, the team found that for every seven-grams more fiber we consume daily, our risk of first time stroke goes down 7%. Seven grams of pasta may be found in one serving of whole wheat pasta plus two servings of vegetables or fruit.

Co-author, Diane Threapleton, M.Sc., and Ph.D. candidate, said:

"Greater intake of fiber-rich foods - such as whole-grains, fruits, vegetables and nuts - are important for everyone, and especially for those with stroke risk factors like being overweight, smoking and having high blood pressure."

The researchers gathered and analyzed data from eight studies published between 1990 and 2012. Four of the studies focused on ischemic stroke, which occurs when a blood clot blocks the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the brain. Three focused on hemorrhagic stroke, when a blood vessel leaks blood into the brain or on its surface.

The authors combined the findings from the eight studies and factored in variables that may influence stroke risk, such as smoking and age.

The American Heart Association and UK health authorities recommend that adults consume 25+ grams of dietary fiber each day. Americans eat much less than this. The average British adult only consumes 14 grams of fiber per day.

In order to get your twenty-five plus grams, you need to consume 6 to 8 servings of grains and 8 to 10 servings of vegetables and fruits daily.

Threapleton said:

"Most people do not get the recommended level of fiber, and increasing fiber may contribute to lower risk for strokes. We must educate consumers on the continued importance of increasing fiber intake and help them learn how to increase fiber in their diet."

Stroke in the USA - stroke is directly connected to 137,000 deaths each year in the USA. It is the fourth leading cause of death in the country. Stroke is also a leading cause of disability among those who survive strokes.

Stroke in the UK - approximately 150,000 people in the UK have a stroke each year. It is the third most common cause of death. And as in the USA, it is a leading cause of disability among survivors.

Apart from consuming an adequate amount of dietary fiber each day, the American Heart Association recommends that people get plenty of exercise and not smoke if they want to minimize their risk of stroke and other heart and vascular diseases.

Study leader, Dr. Victoria Burley, from the School of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Leeds, said "Increasing your fiber intake doesn't necessarily mean wholesale change to your diet. It might just mean switching from white bread to wholemeal (whole grain), or from corn flakes to bran flakes. It's a simple measure with a lot of benefits."

The study was funded by The Department of Health (England) and Kellogg Marketing and Sales (UK) Limited.



Fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains are important for adequate dietary fiber intake

In an Abstract in the journal, the authors concluded:

"Greater dietary fiber intake is significantly associated with lower risk of first stroke. Overall, findings support dietary recommendations to increase intake of total dietary fiber. However, a paucity of data on fiber from different foods precludes conclusions regarding the association between fiber type and stroke. There is a need for future studies to focus on fiber type and to examine risk for ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes separately."


Plant sources of fiber

Some edible plant products are high in both soluble and insoluble fiber. For example, the skins of plums and prunes are a good source of insoluble fiber, while their pulps are rich in soluble fiber.

The following are good sources of soluble fiber:

Legumes, including beans, lupins, peas, etc.

Oats, barley, rye and chia

Some fruits, such as the pulp of apples and pears, plums, berries, bananas (ripe), prunes (and prune juice)

Some vegetables, including carrots, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts

Root vegetables and tubers, including onions and sweet potatoes

Some seeds, such as psyllium seed husk and flax seeds

Nuts, e.g. almonds are very high in soluble fiber



The following are good sources of insoluble fiber:

Whole grains

Wheat and corn bran

Legumes, including peas and beans

Seeds and nuts

Potato skins

Some vegetables, including celery, nopal (a Mexican cactus), zucchini (courgettes), cauliflower, and green beans

Some fruits, such as bananas (unripe)

The skin of some fruits, such as tomatoes (they are fruits) and kiwifruits



Other benefits of a high-fiber diet

Studies over the last couple of decades have demonstrated a range of health benefits associated with high-fiber diets. Below are some examples:

Eating a high-fiber diet, especially whole grans and cereal, is associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer, researchers from Denmark and Great Britain reported in the BMJ.

The authors gathered and examined data from 25 prospective studies involving nearly two million participants. Their findings showed a clear gradient in risk associated with the amount of dietary fiber intake.

Women can lower their risk of breast cancer if they increase their dietary fiber intake, scientists from the Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Radiation Medicine and Public Health, Soochow University, Suzhou, China, reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

They found that women who ate the most dietary fiber had an 11% lower risk of breast cancer compared to their counterparts who at the least. They added that it appears that a high fiber diet is linked to better overall health, and it is the better health that reduces the cancer risk, rather than just the fiber itself.

Your risk of dying for any reason is reduced if you follow a high-fiber diet, researchers from the National cancer Institute explained in Archives of Internal Medicine.

They added that a high fiber diet helps reduce the risk of death from respiratory, infectious and cardiovascular diseases.


A team of scientists from the University of Scranton, Pennsylvania found that popcorn is rich in antioxidants and fiber. It is unusual that snack foods get the health vote, but it appears that popcorn contains significant amounts of fiber and polyphenol, a type of antioxidant known to lower the risk of heart disease, cancer and other diseases.

A team from Northwestern Medicine demonstrated that a high-fiber diet could be a vital heart-healthy lifestyle change for young and middle-aged adults to make. The researchers, who presented their findings at the American Heart Association's Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism/Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention Scientific Sessions 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia, in March 2011, found that people aged from 20 to 59 years with the highest fiber consumption had a considerably lower estimated lifetime risk of cardiovascular disease compared to individuals who ate the least fiber.

Dietary fiber boosts the immune system - investigators from the University of Illinois found that a diet high in fiber reduces inflammation linked to obesity-related diseases and strengthens the immune system.

Professor Gregory Freund said "Soluble fiber changes the personality of immune cells - they go from being pro-inflammatory, angry cells to anti-inflammatory, healing cells that help us recover faster from infection."


Written by Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News TodayNot to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

Hunger-Spiking Neurons May Control Multiple Sclerosis And Other Autoimmune Diseases

Hunger-Spiking Neurons May Control Multiple Sclerosis And Other Autoimmune Diseases29 Mar 2013-nbsp;-nbsp;-nbsp;

If appetite-promoting AgRP neurons are chronically suppressed, resulting in less appetite and a lighter body weight, T-cells tend to promote inflammation-like processes resulting in autoimmune responses that may lead to multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases, scientists at Yale School of Medicine discovered.

In the peer-reviewed journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the authors explained that neurons that regulate hunger in the CNS (central nervous system) also control the functions of immune cells, suggesting that eating behavior is a defense mechanism against infections and the development of autoimmune disease.

Over the last few years, there has been a steady increase in the number of Americans with autoimmune diseases. These illnesses occur when the person's own immune system attacks healthy tissue and cells is if they were harmful pathogens.

How different types of T-cells interact are at the heart of fighting off infections as well as the development of autoimmune disorders.

Lead author Tamas Horvath, the Jean and David W. Wallace Professor of Biomedical Research and chair of comparative medicine at Yale School of Medicine, said:


"We've found that if appetite-promoting AgRP neurons are chronically suppressed, leading to decreased appetite and a leaner body weight, T cells are more likely to promote inflammation-like processes enabling autoimmune responses that could lead to diseases like multiple sclerosis.

If we can control this mechanism by adjusting eating behavior and the kinds of food consumed, it could lead to new avenues for treating autoimmune diseases."



Horvath and team carried out an animal experiment in which mice had Sirt1 - a signaling molecule that controls the hunger-promoting neuron AgRP in the hypothalamus - knocked out. These mice, referred to as "Sirt1-deficient mice", had reduced regulatory T-cell function and greater effector T-cell activity, making them more vulnerable to developing an animal-equivalent of multiple sclerosis.

Horvath said:

"This study highlights the important regulatory role of the neurons that control appetite in peripheral immune functions. AgRP neurons represent an important site of action for the body's immune responses."

The authors believe that losing weight after using medications that give the patient a sensation of fullness may have unexpected effects on the spread of autoimmune disorders.

Can high salt diets increase autoimmune risk?

There is a fine balance between to little and too much activity in our immune system. Too little and we become susceptible to infections and cancer, too much and our risk of developing autoimmune diseases and allergies increase.

The journal Nature published three studies online in March 2013 which suggest that how much salt we consume may influence this balance by indirectly encouraging the overproduction of immune cells.

The three studies focused on T cells.

The researchers said further studies need to be carried out to determine what the link is between high salt intake and autoimmune diseases.


Written by Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News TodayNot to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

Student Develops Software To Support Treatment Decisions For Prostate Cancer Patients

Parkinson's Book Geared Toward Helping Families Across The Globe

UCLA Scientists Identify Genetic Link To Post-Treatment Fatigue In Breast Cancer Patients

Multiple Vaccines Not Linked To Autism Risk, CDC

Multiple Vaccines Not Linked To Autism Risk, CDC29 Mar 2013-nbsp;-nbsp;-nbsp;

There is no casual link between certain vaccine types and autism, says a new study carried out by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and published in The Journal of Pediatrics.

Parental concerns that vaccines might be related to a higher risk of developing autism were initially related to the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine and thimerosal-containing immunizations.

In 2004, the Institute of Medicine (IoM) carried out a study which concluded that according to all evidence, there is no casual link between these vaccines and ASDs (autism spectrum disorders).

Nonetheless, parents continued (and continue) being worried about a possible link between vaccines and autism, particularly when their babies and young children have to receive many of them.

The authors of the report wrote that in a recent survey, it was revealed that parents' top vaccine-related concerns included:

The number of vaccines children are given during their first 24 months of life
The number of vaccines children are given in one doctor's visit
Worry about whether there might be an autism link


The three concerns listed above were reported by approximately one third of the survey respondents; more than half of them indicated that their kids would receive some but not all of the vaccines recommended for their immunization schedule.

The report mentions another survey which found that 1 in every 10 parents of young children delays vaccinations or flatly refuses them - most of them think that it is safer to delay the vaccines.

The new CDC study has evaluated parents' concerns regarding "too many vaccines too soon" and confirms the IoM 2004 conclusion that "there is not a causal relationship between certain vaccine types and autism."

The researchers of this latest study looked at:

The amount of antigens babies/toddlers received on one day of vaccination

The amount of antigens they receive in total during their first 24 months of life

(Antigen - a substance in vaccines that makes the person's immune system produce antibodies to destroy the bacterium/virus/parasite)


They found no link to autism spectrum disorder risk in children who received all their vaccines.

The researchers gathered and examined data from three MCOs (managed care organizations) and compared 256 children with ASD to 752 controls (children with no ASD).
They found:

No difference in antigen exposure - both groups of children, with an ASD and without any ASD, received the same total amount of antigens

Antigen exposure among those with ASD with regression - children with loss of developmental skills during their second year of life (ASD with regression) received the same number of vaccine antigens as those with no ASD regression

Children exposed to far fewer antigens today - a child aged 24 months in 2013 who conformed to the routine childhood vaccine immunization schedule has received 315 antigens, compared to several thousands in the late 1990s, even though there are more vaccines during the first 24 months today than in the 1990s. This is because vaccines today are different; they contain far fewer antigens.

For example - the old whole cell whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine makes the patient produce approximately 3,000 different antibodies. The newer acellular whooping cough vaccine makes the body only produce at the most 6 different antibodies.



A baby's immune system has the capacity to respond to a large amount of immunologic stimuli. From the day they are born, infants are exposed to hundreds of antigens that are not associated with vaccination, as well as several hundred viruses.

According to an online communiqué by the CDC:

"This study demonstrates that autism spectrum disorder is not associated with immunological stimulation from vaccines during the first 2 years of life."

MMR autism scare started in 1998

A study by Dr. Andrew Wakefield, which was published in The Lancet, a respectable UK medical journal, claimed that the MMR vaccine raised a baby's risk of developing autism.

A few years later The Lancet withdrew the article, saying that the study had been fraudulent.

An investigation by journalist Brian Deer published in the BMJ (British Medical Journal) revealed that not only was the study linking the MMR vaccine to autism a fraud, it was also motivated by financial greed.




Written by Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News TodayNot to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

High Fiber Diet Protects You From Stroke

High Fiber Diet Protects You From Stroke29 Mar 2013-nbsp;-nbsp;-nbsp;

If you eat more fiber you will probably have a lower risk of first time stroke, researchers from the University of Leeds' School of Food Science - Nutrition in Leeds, United Kingdom, reported in the journal Stroke.

Dietary fiber comes from plants, the part that our body does not absorb when digesting food. Fiber can be insoluble or soluble (dissolves in water). No fiber can be digested. However, soluble fiber as it goes through the digestive tract, changes its form when it is fermented by bacteria. Soluble fiber absorbs water and becomes gelatinous as it does so. However, the form of insoluble fiber remains unchanged as it goes through the gut.


According to prior studies, dietary fiber can help reduce some of the risk factors associated with stroke, including hypertension and high blood levels of LDL (low-density lipoprotein), also known as "bad cholesterol".

In this latest study, the team found that for every seven-grams more fiber we consume daily, our risk of first time stroke goes down 7%. Seven grams of pasta may be found in one serving of whole wheat pasta plus two servings of vegetables or fruit.

Co-author, Diane Threapleton, M.Sc., and Ph.D. candidate, said:

"Greater intake of fiber-rich foods - such as whole-grains, fruits, vegetables and nuts - are important for everyone, and especially for those with stroke risk factors like being overweight, smoking and having high blood pressure."

The researchers gathered and analyzed data from eight studies published between 1990 and 2012. Four of the studies focused on ischemic stroke, which occurs when a blood clot blocks the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the brain. Three focused on hemorrhagic stroke, when a blood vessel leaks blood into the brain or on its surface.

The authors combined the findings from the eight studies and factored in variables that may influence stroke risk, such as smoking and age.

The American Heart Association and UK health authorities recommend that adults consume 25+ grams of dietary fiber each day. Americans eat much less than this. The average British adult only consumes 14 grams of fiber per day.

In order to get your twenty-five plus grams, you need to consume 6 to 8 servings of grains and 8 to 10 servings of vegetables and fruits daily.

Threapleton said:

"Most people do not get the recommended level of fiber, and increasing fiber may contribute to lower risk for strokes. We must educate consumers on the continued importance of increasing fiber intake and help them learn how to increase fiber in their diet."

Stroke in the USA - stroke is directly connected to 137,000 deaths each year in the USA. It is the fourth leading cause of death in the country. Stroke is also a leading cause of disability among those who survive strokes.

Stroke in the UK - approximately 150,000 people in the UK have a stroke each year. It is the third most common cause of death. And as in the USA, it is a leading cause of disability among survivors.

Apart from consuming an adequate amount of dietary fiber each day, the American Heart Association recommends that people get plenty of exercise and not smoke if they want to minimize their risk of stroke and other heart and vascular diseases.

Study leader, Dr. Victoria Burley, from the School of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Leeds, said "Increasing your fiber intake doesn't necessarily mean wholesale change to your diet. It might just mean switching from white bread to wholemeal (whole grain), or from corn flakes to bran flakes. It's a simple measure with a lot of benefits."

The study was funded by The Department of Health (England) and Kellogg Marketing and Sales (UK) Limited.



Fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains are important for adequate dietary fiber intake

In an Abstract in the journal, the authors concluded:

"Greater dietary fiber intake is significantly associated with lower risk of first stroke. Overall, findings support dietary recommendations to increase intake of total dietary fiber. However, a paucity of data on fiber from different foods precludes conclusions regarding the association between fiber type and stroke. There is a need for future studies to focus on fiber type and to examine risk for ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes separately."


Plant sources of fiber

Some edible plant products are high in both soluble and insoluble fiber. For example, the skins of plums and prunes are a good source of insoluble fiber, while their pulps are rich in soluble fiber.

The following are good sources of soluble fiber:

Legumes, including beans, lupins, peas, etc.

Oats, barley, rye and chia

Some fruits, such as the pulp of apples and pears, plums, berries, bananas (ripe), prunes (and prune juice)

Some vegetables, including carrots, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts

Root vegetables and tubers, including onions and sweet potatoes

Some seeds, such as psyllium seed husk and flax seeds

Nuts, e.g. almonds are very high in soluble fiber



The following are good sources of insoluble fiber:

Whole grains

Wheat and corn bran

Legumes, including peas and beans

Seeds and nuts

Potato skins

Some vegetables, including celery, nopal (a Mexican cactus), zucchini (courgettes), cauliflower, and green beans

Some fruits, such as bananas (unripe)

The skin of some fruits, such as tomatoes (they are fruits) and kiwifruits



Other benefits of a high-fiber diet

Studies over the last couple of decades have demonstrated a range of health benefits associated with high-fiber diets. Below are some examples:

Eating a high-fiber diet, especially whole grans and cereal, is associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer, researchers from Denmark and Great Britain reported in the BMJ.

The authors gathered and examined data from 25 prospective studies involving nearly two million participants. Their findings showed a clear gradient in risk associated with the amount of dietary fiber intake.

Women can lower their risk of breast cancer if they increase their dietary fiber intake, scientists from the Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Radiation Medicine and Public Health, Soochow University, Suzhou, China, reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

They found that women who ate the most dietary fiber had an 11% lower risk of breast cancer compared to their counterparts who at the least. They added that it appears that a high fiber diet is linked to better overall health, and it is the better health that reduces the cancer risk, rather than just the fiber itself.

Your risk of dying for any reason is reduced if you follow a high-fiber diet, researchers from the National cancer Institute explained in Archives of Internal Medicine.

They added that a high fiber diet helps reduce the risk of death from respiratory, infectious and cardiovascular diseases.


A team of scientists from the University of Scranton, Pennsylvania found that popcorn is rich in antioxidants and fiber. It is unusual that snack foods get the health vote, but it appears that popcorn contains significant amounts of fiber and polyphenol, a type of antioxidant known to lower the risk of heart disease, cancer and other diseases.

A team from Northwestern Medicine demonstrated that a high-fiber diet could be a vital heart-healthy lifestyle change for young and middle-aged adults to make. The researchers, who presented their findings at the American Heart Association's Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism/Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention Scientific Sessions 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia, in March 2011, found that people aged from 20 to 59 years with the highest fiber consumption had a considerably lower estimated lifetime risk of cardiovascular disease compared to individuals who ate the least fiber.

Dietary fiber boosts the immune system - investigators from the University of Illinois found that a diet high in fiber reduces inflammation linked to obesity-related diseases and strengthens the immune system.

Professor Gregory Freund said "Soluble fiber changes the personality of immune cells - they go from being pro-inflammatory, angry cells to anti-inflammatory, healing cells that help us recover faster from infection."


Written by Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News TodayNot to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

Hunger-Spiking Neurons May Control Multiple Sclerosis And Other Autoimmune Diseases

Hunger-Spiking Neurons May Control Multiple Sclerosis And Other Autoimmune Diseases29 Mar 2013-nbsp;-nbsp;-nbsp;

If appetite-promoting AgRP neurons are chronically suppressed, resulting in less appetite and a lighter body weight, T-cells tend to promote inflammation-like processes resulting in autoimmune responses that may lead to multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases, scientists at Yale School of Medicine discovered.

In the peer-reviewed journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the authors explained that neurons that regulate hunger in the CNS (central nervous system) also control the functions of immune cells, suggesting that eating behavior is a defense mechanism against infections and the development of autoimmune disease.

Over the last few years, there has been a steady increase in the number of Americans with autoimmune diseases. These illnesses occur when the person's own immune system attacks healthy tissue and cells is if they were harmful pathogens.

How different types of T-cells interact are at the heart of fighting off infections as well as the development of autoimmune disorders.

Lead author Tamas Horvath, the Jean and David W. Wallace Professor of Biomedical Research and chair of comparative medicine at Yale School of Medicine, said:


"We've found that if appetite-promoting AgRP neurons are chronically suppressed, leading to decreased appetite and a leaner body weight, T cells are more likely to promote inflammation-like processes enabling autoimmune responses that could lead to diseases like multiple sclerosis.

If we can control this mechanism by adjusting eating behavior and the kinds of food consumed, it could lead to new avenues for treating autoimmune diseases."



Horvath and team carried out an animal experiment in which mice had Sirt1 - a signaling molecule that controls the hunger-promoting neuron AgRP in the hypothalamus - knocked out. These mice, referred to as "Sirt1-deficient mice", had reduced regulatory T-cell function and greater effector T-cell activity, making them more vulnerable to developing an animal-equivalent of multiple sclerosis.

Horvath said:

"This study highlights the important regulatory role of the neurons that control appetite in peripheral immune functions. AgRP neurons represent an important site of action for the body's immune responses."

The authors believe that losing weight after using medications that give the patient a sensation of fullness may have unexpected effects on the spread of autoimmune disorders.

Can high salt diets increase autoimmune risk?

There is a fine balance between to little and too much activity in our immune system. Too little and we become susceptible to infections and cancer, too much and our risk of developing autoimmune diseases and allergies increase.

The journal Nature published three studies online in March 2013 which suggest that how much salt we consume may influence this balance by indirectly encouraging the overproduction of immune cells.

The three studies focused on T cells.

The researchers said further studies need to be carried out to determine what the link is between high salt intake and autoimmune diseases.


Written by Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News TodayNot to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

Student Develops Software To Support Treatment Decisions For Prostate Cancer Patients

Parkinson's Book Geared Toward Helping Families Across The Globe

UCLA Scientists Identify Genetic Link To Post-Treatment Fatigue In Breast Cancer Patients

Multiple Vaccines Not Linked To Autism Risk, CDC

Multiple Vaccines Not Linked To Autism Risk, CDC29 Mar 2013-nbsp;-nbsp;-nbsp;

There is no casual link between certain vaccine types and autism, says a new study carried out by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and published in The Journal of Pediatrics.

Parental concerns that vaccines might be related to a higher risk of developing autism were initially related to the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine and thimerosal-containing immunizations.

In 2004, the Institute of Medicine (IoM) carried out a study which concluded that according to all evidence, there is no casual link between these vaccines and ASDs (autism spectrum disorders).

Nonetheless, parents continued (and continue) being worried about a possible link between vaccines and autism, particularly when their babies and young children have to receive many of them.

The authors of the report wrote that in a recent survey, it was revealed that parents' top vaccine-related concerns included:

The number of vaccines children are given during their first 24 months of life
The number of vaccines children are given in one doctor's visit
Worry about whether there might be an autism link


The three concerns listed above were reported by approximately one third of the survey respondents; more than half of them indicated that their kids would receive some but not all of the vaccines recommended for their immunization schedule.

The report mentions another survey which found that 1 in every 10 parents of young children delays vaccinations or flatly refuses them - most of them think that it is safer to delay the vaccines.

The new CDC study has evaluated parents' concerns regarding "too many vaccines too soon" and confirms the IoM 2004 conclusion that "there is not a causal relationship between certain vaccine types and autism."

The researchers of this latest study looked at:

The amount of antigens babies/toddlers received on one day of vaccination

The amount of antigens they receive in total during their first 24 months of life

(Antigen - a substance in vaccines that makes the person's immune system produce antibodies to destroy the bacterium/virus/parasite)


They found no link to autism spectrum disorder risk in children who received all their vaccines.

The researchers gathered and examined data from three MCOs (managed care organizations) and compared 256 children with ASD to 752 controls (children with no ASD).
They found:

No difference in antigen exposure - both groups of children, with an ASD and without any ASD, received the same total amount of antigens

Antigen exposure among those with ASD with regression - children with loss of developmental skills during their second year of life (ASD with regression) received the same number of vaccine antigens as those with no ASD regression

Children exposed to far fewer antigens today - a child aged 24 months in 2013 who conformed to the routine childhood vaccine immunization schedule has received 315 antigens, compared to several thousands in the late 1990s, even though there are more vaccines during the first 24 months today than in the 1990s. This is because vaccines today are different; they contain far fewer antigens.

For example - the old whole cell whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine makes the patient produce approximately 3,000 different antibodies. The newer acellular whooping cough vaccine makes the body only produce at the most 6 different antibodies.



A baby's immune system has the capacity to respond to a large amount of immunologic stimuli. From the day they are born, infants are exposed to hundreds of antigens that are not associated with vaccination, as well as several hundred viruses.

According to an online communiqué by the CDC:

"This study demonstrates that autism spectrum disorder is not associated with immunological stimulation from vaccines during the first 2 years of life."

MMR autism scare started in 1998

A study by Dr. Andrew Wakefield, which was published in The Lancet, a respectable UK medical journal, claimed that the MMR vaccine raised a baby's risk of developing autism.

A few years later The Lancet withdrew the article, saying that the study had been fraudulent.

An investigation by journalist Brian Deer published in the BMJ (British Medical Journal) revealed that not only was the study linking the MMR vaccine to autism a fraud, it was also motivated by financial greed.




Written by Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News TodayNot to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

High Fiber Diet Protects You From Stroke

High Fiber Diet Protects You From Stroke29 Mar 2013-nbsp;-nbsp;-nbsp;

If you eat more fiber you will probably have a lower risk of first time stroke, researchers from the University of Leeds' School of Food Science - Nutrition in Leeds, United Kingdom, reported in the journal Stroke.

Dietary fiber comes from plants, the part that our body does not absorb when digesting food. Fiber can be insoluble or soluble (dissolves in water). No fiber can be digested. However, soluble fiber as it goes through the digestive tract, changes its form when it is fermented by bacteria. Soluble fiber absorbs water and becomes gelatinous as it does so. However, the form of insoluble fiber remains unchanged as it goes through the gut.


According to prior studies, dietary fiber can help reduce some of the risk factors associated with stroke, including hypertension and high blood levels of LDL (low-density lipoprotein), also known as "bad cholesterol".

In this latest study, the team found that for every seven-grams more fiber we consume daily, our risk of first time stroke goes down 7%. Seven grams of pasta may be found in one serving of whole wheat pasta plus two servings of vegetables or fruit.

Co-author, Diane Threapleton, M.Sc., and Ph.D. candidate, said:

"Greater intake of fiber-rich foods - such as whole-grains, fruits, vegetables and nuts - are important for everyone, and especially for those with stroke risk factors like being overweight, smoking and having high blood pressure."

The researchers gathered and analyzed data from eight studies published between 1990 and 2012. Four of the studies focused on ischemic stroke, which occurs when a blood clot blocks the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the brain. Three focused on hemorrhagic stroke, when a blood vessel leaks blood into the brain or on its surface.

The authors combined the findings from the eight studies and factored in variables that may influence stroke risk, such as smoking and age.

The American Heart Association and UK health authorities recommend that adults consume 25+ grams of dietary fiber each day. Americans eat much less than this. The average British adult only consumes 14 grams of fiber per day.

In order to get your twenty-five plus grams, you need to consume 6 to 8 servings of grains and 8 to 10 servings of vegetables and fruits daily.

Threapleton said:

"Most people do not get the recommended level of fiber, and increasing fiber may contribute to lower risk for strokes. We must educate consumers on the continued importance of increasing fiber intake and help them learn how to increase fiber in their diet."

Stroke in the USA - stroke is directly connected to 137,000 deaths each year in the USA. It is the fourth leading cause of death in the country. Stroke is also a leading cause of disability among those who survive strokes.

Stroke in the UK - approximately 150,000 people in the UK have a stroke each year. It is the third most common cause of death. And as in the USA, it is a leading cause of disability among survivors.

Apart from consuming an adequate amount of dietary fiber each day, the American Heart Association recommends that people get plenty of exercise and not smoke if they want to minimize their risk of stroke and other heart and vascular diseases.

Study leader, Dr. Victoria Burley, from the School of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Leeds, said "Increasing your fiber intake doesn't necessarily mean wholesale change to your diet. It might just mean switching from white bread to wholemeal (whole grain), or from corn flakes to bran flakes. It's a simple measure with a lot of benefits."

The study was funded by The Department of Health (England) and Kellogg Marketing and Sales (UK) Limited.



Fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains are important for adequate dietary fiber intake

In an Abstract in the journal, the authors concluded:

"Greater dietary fiber intake is significantly associated with lower risk of first stroke. Overall, findings support dietary recommendations to increase intake of total dietary fiber. However, a paucity of data on fiber from different foods precludes conclusions regarding the association between fiber type and stroke. There is a need for future studies to focus on fiber type and to examine risk for ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes separately."


Plant sources of fiber

Some edible plant products are high in both soluble and insoluble fiber. For example, the skins of plums and prunes are a good source of insoluble fiber, while their pulps are rich in soluble fiber.

The following are good sources of soluble fiber:

Legumes, including beans, lupins, peas, etc.

Oats, barley, rye and chia

Some fruits, such as the pulp of apples and pears, plums, berries, bananas (ripe), prunes (and prune juice)

Some vegetables, including carrots, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts

Root vegetables and tubers, including onions and sweet potatoes

Some seeds, such as psyllium seed husk and flax seeds

Nuts, e.g. almonds are very high in soluble fiber



The following are good sources of insoluble fiber:

Whole grains

Wheat and corn bran

Legumes, including peas and beans

Seeds and nuts

Potato skins

Some vegetables, including celery, nopal (a Mexican cactus), zucchini (courgettes), cauliflower, and green beans

Some fruits, such as bananas (unripe)

The skin of some fruits, such as tomatoes (they are fruits) and kiwifruits



Other benefits of a high-fiber diet

Studies over the last couple of decades have demonstrated a range of health benefits associated with high-fiber diets. Below are some examples:

Eating a high-fiber diet, especially whole grans and cereal, is associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer, researchers from Denmark and Great Britain reported in the BMJ.

The authors gathered and examined data from 25 prospective studies involving nearly two million participants. Their findings showed a clear gradient in risk associated with the amount of dietary fiber intake.

Women can lower their risk of breast cancer if they increase their dietary fiber intake, scientists from the Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Radiation Medicine and Public Health, Soochow University, Suzhou, China, reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

They found that women who ate the most dietary fiber had an 11% lower risk of breast cancer compared to their counterparts who at the least. They added that it appears that a high fiber diet is linked to better overall health, and it is the better health that reduces the cancer risk, rather than just the fiber itself.

Your risk of dying for any reason is reduced if you follow a high-fiber diet, researchers from the National cancer Institute explained in Archives of Internal Medicine.

They added that a high fiber diet helps reduce the risk of death from respiratory, infectious and cardiovascular diseases.


A team of scientists from the University of Scranton, Pennsylvania found that popcorn is rich in antioxidants and fiber. It is unusual that snack foods get the health vote, but it appears that popcorn contains significant amounts of fiber and polyphenol, a type of antioxidant known to lower the risk of heart disease, cancer and other diseases.

A team from Northwestern Medicine demonstrated that a high-fiber diet could be a vital heart-healthy lifestyle change for young and middle-aged adults to make. The researchers, who presented their findings at the American Heart Association's Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism/Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention Scientific Sessions 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia, in March 2011, found that people aged from 20 to 59 years with the highest fiber consumption had a considerably lower estimated lifetime risk of cardiovascular disease compared to individuals who ate the least fiber.

Dietary fiber boosts the immune system - investigators from the University of Illinois found that a diet high in fiber reduces inflammation linked to obesity-related diseases and strengthens the immune system.

Professor Gregory Freund said "Soluble fiber changes the personality of immune cells - they go from being pro-inflammatory, angry cells to anti-inflammatory, healing cells that help us recover faster from infection."


Written by Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News TodayNot to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

Hunger-Spiking Neurons May Control Multiple Sclerosis And Other Autoimmune Diseases

Hunger-Spiking Neurons May Control Multiple Sclerosis And Other Autoimmune Diseases29 Mar 2013-nbsp;-nbsp;-nbsp;

If appetite-promoting AgRP neurons are chronically suppressed, resulting in less appetite and a lighter body weight, T-cells tend to promote inflammation-like processes resulting in autoimmune responses that may lead to multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases, scientists at Yale School of Medicine discovered.

In the peer-reviewed journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the authors explained that neurons that regulate hunger in the CNS (central nervous system) also control the functions of immune cells, suggesting that eating behavior is a defense mechanism against infections and the development of autoimmune disease.

Over the last few years, there has been a steady increase in the number of Americans with autoimmune diseases. These illnesses occur when the person's own immune system attacks healthy tissue and cells is if they were harmful pathogens.

How different types of T-cells interact are at the heart of fighting off infections as well as the development of autoimmune disorders.

Lead author Tamas Horvath, the Jean and David W. Wallace Professor of Biomedical Research and chair of comparative medicine at Yale School of Medicine, said:


"We've found that if appetite-promoting AgRP neurons are chronically suppressed, leading to decreased appetite and a leaner body weight, T cells are more likely to promote inflammation-like processes enabling autoimmune responses that could lead to diseases like multiple sclerosis.

If we can control this mechanism by adjusting eating behavior and the kinds of food consumed, it could lead to new avenues for treating autoimmune diseases."



Horvath and team carried out an animal experiment in which mice had Sirt1 - a signaling molecule that controls the hunger-promoting neuron AgRP in the hypothalamus - knocked out. These mice, referred to as "Sirt1-deficient mice", had reduced regulatory T-cell function and greater effector T-cell activity, making them more vulnerable to developing an animal-equivalent of multiple sclerosis.

Horvath said:

"This study highlights the important regulatory role of the neurons that control appetite in peripheral immune functions. AgRP neurons represent an important site of action for the body's immune responses."

The authors believe that losing weight after using medications that give the patient a sensation of fullness may have unexpected effects on the spread of autoimmune disorders.

Can high salt diets increase autoimmune risk?

There is a fine balance between to little and too much activity in our immune system. Too little and we become susceptible to infections and cancer, too much and our risk of developing autoimmune diseases and allergies increase.

The journal Nature published three studies online in March 2013 which suggest that how much salt we consume may influence this balance by indirectly encouraging the overproduction of immune cells.

The three studies focused on T cells.

The researchers said further studies need to be carried out to determine what the link is between high salt intake and autoimmune diseases.


Written by Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News TodayNot to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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High Fiber Diets Protect From First Time Stroke

High Fiber Diets Protect From First Time Stroke29 Mar 2013-nbsp;-nbsp;-nbsp;

If you eat more fiber you will probably have a lower risk of first time stroke, researchers from the University of Leeds' School of Food Science - Nutrition in Leeds, United Kingdom, reported in the journal Stroke.

Dietary fiber comes from plants, the part that our body does not absorb when digesting food. Fiber can be insoluble or soluble (dissolves in water). No fiber can be digested. However, soluble fiber as it goes through the digestive tract, changes its form when it is fermented by bacteria. Soluble fiber absorbs water and becomes gelatinous as it does so. However, the form of insoluble fiber remains unchanged as it goes through the gut.


According to prior studies, dietary fiber can help reduce some of the risk factors associated with stroke, including hypertension and high blood levels of LDL (low-density lipoprotein), also known as "bad cholesterol".

In this latest study, the team found that for every seven-grams more fiber we consume daily, our risk of first time stroke goes down 7%. Seven grams of pasta may be found in one serving of whole wheat pasta plus two servings of vegetables or fruit.

Co-author, Diane Threapleton, M.Sc., and Ph.D. candidate, said:

"Greater intake of fiber-rich foods - such as whole-grains, fruits, vegetables and nuts - are important for everyone, and especially for those with stroke risk factors like being overweight, smoking and having high blood pressure."

The researchers gathered and analyzed data from eight studies published between 1990 and 2012. Four of the studies focused on ischemic stroke, which occurs when a blood clot blocks the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the brain. Three focused on hemorrhagic stroke, when a blood vessel leaks blood into the brain or on its surface.

The authors combined the findings from the eight studies and factored in variables that may influence stroke risk, such as smoking and age.

The American Heart Association and UK health authorities recommend that adults consume 25+ grams of dietary fiber each day. Americans eat much less than this. The average British adult only consumes 14 grams of fiber per day.

In order to get your twenty-five plus grams, you need to consume 6 to 8 servings of grains and 8 to 10 servings of vegetables and fruits daily.

Threapleton said:

"Most people do not get the recommended level of fiber, and increasing fiber may contribute to lower risk for strokes. We must educate consumers on the continued importance of increasing fiber intake and help them learn how to increase fiber in their diet."

Stroke in the USA - stroke is directly connected to 137,000 deaths each year in the USA. It is the fourth leading cause of death in the country. Stroke is also a leading cause of disability among those who survive strokes.

Stroke in the UK - approximately 150,000 people in the UK have a stroke each year. It is the third most common cause of death. And as in the USA, it is a leading cause of disability among survivors.

Apart from consuming an adequate amount of dietary fiber each day, the American Heart Association recommends that people get plenty of exercise and not smoke if they want to minimize their risk of stroke and other heart and vascular diseases.

Study leader, Dr. Victoria Burley, from the School of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Leeds, said "Increasing your fiber intake doesn't necessarily mean wholesale change to your diet. It might just mean switching from white bread to wholemeal (whole grain), or from corn flakes to bran flakes. It's a simple measure with a lot of benefits."

The study was funded by The Department of Health (England) and Kellogg Marketing and Sales (UK) Limited.



Fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains are important for adequate dietary fiber intake

In an Abstract in the journal, the authors concluded:

"Greater dietary fiber intake is significantly associated with lower risk of first stroke. Overall, findings support dietary recommendations to increase intake of total dietary fiber. However, a paucity of data on fiber from different foods precludes conclusions regarding the association between fiber type and stroke. There is a need for future studies to focus on fiber type and to examine risk for ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes separately."


Plant sources of fiber

Some edible plant products are high in both soluble and insoluble fiber. For example, the skins of plums and prunes are a good source of insoluble fiber, while their pulps are rich in soluble fiber.

The following are good sources of soluble fiber:

Legumes, including beans, lupins, peas, etc.

Oats, barley, rye and chia

Some fruits, such as the pulp of apples and pears, plums, berries, bananas (ripe), prunes (and prune juice)

Some vegetables, including carrots, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts

Root vegetables and tubers, including onions and sweet potatoes

Some seeds, such as psyllium seed husk and flax seeds

Nuts, e.g. almonds are very high in soluble fiber



The following are good sources of insoluble fiber:

Whole grains

Wheat and corn bran

Legumes, including peas and beans

Seeds and nuts

Potato skins

Some vegetables, including celery, nopal (a Mexican cactus), zucchini (courgettes), cauliflower, and green beans

Some fruits, such as bananas (unripe)

The skin of some fruits, such as tomatoes (they are fruits) and kiwifruits



Other benefits of a high-fiber diet

Studies over the last couple of decades have demonstrated a range of health benefits associated with high-fiber diets. Below are some examples:

Eating a high-fiber diet, especially whole grans and cereal, is associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer, researchers from Denmark and Great Britain reported in the BMJ.

The authors gathered and examined data from 25 prospective studies involving nearly two million participants. Their findings showed a clear gradient in risk associated with the amount of dietary fiber intake.

Women can lower their risk of breast cancer if they increase their dietary fiber intake, scientists from the Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Radiation Medicine and Public Health, Soochow University, Suzhou, China, reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

They found that women who ate the most dietary fiber had an 11% lower risk of breast cancer compared to their counterparts who at the least. They added that it appears that a high fiber diet is linked to better overall health, and it is the better health that reduces the cancer risk, rather than just the fiber itself.

Your risk of dying for any reason is reduced if you follow a high-fiber diet, researchers from the National cancer Institute explained in Archives of Internal Medicine.

They added that a high fiber diet helps reduce the risk of death from respiratory, infectious and cardiovascular diseases.


A team of scientists from the University of Scranton, Pennsylvania found that popcorn is rich in antioxidants and fiber. It is unusual that snack foods get the health vote, but it appears that popcorn contains significant amounts of fiber and polyphenol, a type of antioxidant known to lower the risk of heart disease, cancer and other diseases.

A team from Northwestern Medicine demonstrated that a high-fiber diet could be a vital heart-healthy lifestyle change for young and middle-aged adults to make. The researchers, who presented their findings at the American Heart Association's Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism/Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention Scientific Sessions 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia, in March 2011, found that people aged from 20 to 59 years with the highest fiber consumption had a considerably lower estimated lifetime risk of cardiovascular disease compared to individuals who ate the least fiber.

Dietary fiber boosts the immune system - investigators from the University of Illinois found that a diet high in fiber reduces inflammation linked to obesity-related diseases and strengthens the immune system.

Professor Gregory Freund said "Soluble fiber changes the personality of immune cells - they go from being pro-inflammatory, angry cells to anti-inflammatory, healing cells that help us recover faster from infection."


Written by Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News TodayNot to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today