Heartburn - may be we do not need to be heartbroken anymore!

First Magnetic Fix For Heartburn

Chronic heartburn or gastric esophageal reflux disease—commonly called GERD can lead to serious health problems including cancer of the esophagus.

Traditionally GERD has been treated with medication and sometimes surgery.

Now, after five years of clinical trials, there’s a new treatment option called LINX Reflux Management System.

Torax Medical Inc., in Minnesota manufactures the device that was FDA approved in March.

Enlarge this image

Credit: UC San Diego Health System

Above: Santiago Horgan, MD., demonstrates how the LINX device closes off esophagus to prevent backward flow of stomach content.

Santiago Horgan,MD, of UC San Diego Health System implanted the LINX in a 29-year old man with GERD on Monday.

“The LINX is composed of a flexible string of titanium beads, each with a magnetic core. Once implanted, the circular band closes in on itself, squeezing shut the last few centimeters of the esophagus,” explained Horgan.

When the esophagus is closed it prevents the backward flow of acidic stomach contents.

The device is put into place during a 20-30 minute outpatient surgery while the patient is under anesthesia. Patients are able to go home the same day.

One major drawback is patients with the LINX implant are prohibited from getting MRI (or Magnetic Resonance Imaging) tests until the device has been surgically removed.

What is GERD?... see you soon!

Green Tea - Tips on how to make it?

In China, people serve tea methodically according to tradition. Gongfu cha is the skill of serving tea (gongfu or "kung fu" means "skill"). In general application in China, tea serving is part of several aspects of the culture.


These information is from: http://green-tea-information.org/

GREEN TEA SERVING TIPS

• Use pure, whole tea. 
• Some of the more serious tea companies provide test documentation to show it is free of pesticide residue. If you find a tea you like enough to drink daily, you may want to have it tested; metal toxins and fluoride have a cumulative, deleterious effect on the human body. 
• Powdered teabags should be avoided because they tend to be stale, low-quality teas. 
• With tea, the fresher the better.
• Use pure water. Never drink fluoridated water; there is no evidence that ingesting fluoride has any health benefits, but high levels are toxic and can even be immediately lethal.
• Avoid boiling hot water. Drinking scalding liquid isn't good for the body, and steeping tea too hot may cause it to lose its health properties. 

• Use whole tea. Do not use powdered tea bags.
•  Chinese steeping cups might be the easiest--a porcelain cup with a lid and a porcelain basket inside that you remove after steeping. 
• French coffee presses also work well, and many great teapots are available online.
• Use pure water. Tap water contains chlorine and minerals which can drastically affect the taste of the tea.
• Infuse the tea with warm water, not boiling. 
• Green and white tea should be in the 160-180 degree range. 
• To steep the tea: put the tea in the steeping basket; put the tea in the cup or pot and add water; remove the basket and enjoy. Repeat.

Brewing and serving

Steeping is the process of making a cup of tea; it is also referred to as brewing. In general, two grams of tea per 100ml of water, or about one teaspoon of green tea per five ounce cup, should be used. With very high-quality teas like gyokuro, more than this amount of leaf is used, and the leaf is steeped multiple times for short durations.

Green tea steeping time and temperature varies with different tea. The hottest steeping temperatures are 81°C to 87°C (180°F to 190°F) water and the longest steeping times two to three minutes. The coolest brewing temperatures are 61°C to 69°C (140°F to 160°F) and the shortest times about 30 seconds.

 In general, lower-quality green teas are steeped hotter and longer, while higher-quality teas are steeped cooler and shorter. 

Steeping green tea too hot or too long will result in a bitter, astringent brew, regardless of the initial quality. It is thought that excessively hot water results in tannin chemical release, which is especially problematic in green teas, as they have higher contents of these. High-quality green teas can be and usually are steeped multiple times; two or three steepings is typical. 

The steeping technique also plays a very important role in avoiding the tea developing an overcooked taste. The container in which the tea is steeped or teapot should also be warmed beforehand so that the tea does not immediately cool down. It is common practice for tea leaf to be left in the cup or pot and for hot water to be added as the tea is drunk until the flavor degrades.

Green Tea - An Asian Phenomenon or Exaggeration?

Green tea is made solely from the leaves of Camellia sinensis that have undergone minimal oxidation during processing. Green tea originates from China and has become associated with many cultures throughout Asia.

Camellia sinensis, the tea plant




WILL GREEN TEA REDUCE WEIGHT?
Although green tea does not raise the metabolic rate enough to produce immediate weight loss, a green tea extract containing polyphenols and caffeine has been shown to induce thermogenesis and stimulate fat oxidation, boosting the metabolic rate 4% without increasing the heart rate.




WHAT DOES THE FDA SAY?
On June 30, 2005, in response to "Green Tea and Reduced Risk of Cancer Health Claim", the FDA stated: "FDA concludes that there is no credible evidence to support qualified health claims for green tea consumption and a reduced risk of gastric, lung, colon/rectal, esophageal, pancreatic, ovarian, and combined cancers. Thus, the FDA is denying these claims. 


However, the FDA concludes that there is very limited credible evidence for qualified health claims specifically for green tea and breast cancer and for green tea and prostate cancer, provided that the qualified claims are appropriately worded so as to not mislead consumers."


On May 9, 2006, in response to "Green Tea and Reduced Risk of Cardiovascular Disease", the FDA concluded "there is no credible evidence to support qualified health claims for green tea or green tea extract and a reduction of a number of risk factors associated with CVD."


However in October 2006, the FDA approved an ointment based on green tea. New Drug Application (NDA) number N021902, for kunecatechins ointment 15% (proprietary name Veregen) was approved on October 31, 2006, and added to the "Prescription Drug Product List" in October 2006. Kunecatechins ointment is indicated for the topical treatment of external genital and perianal warts




THE STUDY I LIKE:


In May 2006, researchers at Yale University School of Medicine weighed in on the issue with a review article that looked at more than 100 on the health benefits of green tea. They pointed to what they called an "Asian paradox," which refers to lower rates of heart disease and cancer in Asia despite high rates of cigarette smoking. 
They theorized that the 1.2 liters of green tea that is consumed by many Asians each day provides high levels of polyphenols and other antioxidants. These compounds may work in several ways to improve cardiovascular health, including preventing blood platelets from sticking together (this anticoagulant effect is the reason doctors warn surgical patients to avoid green tea prior to procedures that rely on a patient's clotting ability) and improving cholesterol levels, said the researchers. 


To be specific, green tea may prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol (the "bad" type), which, in turn, can reduce the buildup of plaque in arteries, the researchers wrote




MYTH AND THE TRUTH....
Unless specifically decaffeinated, green tea contains caffeine.


TOMORROW WE WILL SEE GREEN TEA SERVING TIPS

Holt-Oram syndrome - Gene Mutation of limbs and heart

Affects 1 in 100,000 individuals.
Autosomal dominant inheritance

Most cases result from new mutations in the gene
Mutations in the TBX5 gene cause Holt-Oram syndrome. This gene provides instructions for making a protein that plays a role in the development of the heart and upper limbs before birth
In particular, this gene appears to be important for the process that divides the developing heart into four chambers (cardiac septation).


People with Holt-Oram syndrome have abnormally developed bones in their upper limbs. At least one abnormality in the bones of the wrist (carpal bones) is present in affected individuals. Often, these wrist bone abnormalities can be detected only by X-ray. Individuals with Holt-Oram syndrome may have additional bone abnormalities including a missing thumb, a long thumb that looks like a finger, partial or complete absence of bones in the forearm, an underdeveloped bone of the upper arm, and abnormalities of the collar bone or shoulder blades. These skeletal abnormalities may affect one or both of the upper limbs. 


About 75 percent of individuals with Holt-Oram syndrome have heart (cardiac) problems, which can be life-threatening. 
The most common problem is a defect in the muscular wall (septum) such as
Atrial septal defect
Ventricular septal defect
They also have cardiac conduction disease

Tips for Increasing Physical Activity

At home:

• Join a walking group in the neighborhood or at the local shopping mall. Recruit a partner for support and encouragement.
• Push the baby in a stroller.

• Get the whole family involved — enjoy an afternoon bike ride with your kids.
• Walk up and down the soccer or softball field sidelines while watching the kids play.
• Walk the dog — don't just watch the dog walk.
• Clean the house or wash the car.
• Walk, skate, or cycle more, and drive less.
• Do stretches, exercises, or pedal a stationary bike while watching television.
• Mow the lawn with a push mower.
• Plant and care for a vegetable or flower garden.
• Play with the kids — tumble in the leaves, build a snowman, splash in a puddle, or dance to favorite music.
• Exercise to a workout video.

At work:

• Get off the bus or subway one stop early and walk or skate the rest of the way.
• Replace a coffee break with a brisk 10-minute walk. Ask a friend to go with you.
•  Take part in an exercise program at work or a nearby gym.
• Join the office softball team or walking group.

At play:

• Walk, jog, skate, or cycle.
• Swim or do water aerobics.
• Take a class in martial arts, dance, or yoga.
• Golf (pull cart or carry clubs).
• Canoe, row, or kayak.
• Play racket ball, tennis, or squash.
• Ski cross-country or downhill.
  
• Play basketball, softball, or soccer.
• Hand cycle or play wheelchair sports.
• Take a nature walk.
• Most important — have fun while being active!
   

Source: www.choosemyplate.gov

BLOOD GLUCOSE TEST STRIPS - Problems and fixes!! PART III

Methods of electrochemical analysis

All EBGTS (Electrochemical blood glucose test strips) produce a time varying current  which must be analyzed to deduce a glucose concentration. 
However, the method of analysis varies substantially, depending upon the strip design. 
In the broadest sense, the analysis can be either 
1. amperometric, in which the instantaneous current at a particular time is proportional to glucose, or 
2. coulometric, in which the integrated charge underneath the entire curve is proportional to glucose.


Amperometric strips predominate among electrochemical test strips. Typically the current is measured 5-15 seconds after the strip is filled with blood, and that current level is directly proportional to the glucose concentration. There are, however, many variations on this theme. For example:

1. Current can be measured and averaged over a short (a few seconds) interval.
2. Peak current can be measured.
3. A mathematical analysis of the declining portion of the current-time curve (termed a Cottrell analysis) can be performed.

In general, strips designed for amperometric analysis share some features:

1. The surface area and surface roughness of the working electrode must be highly reproducible to insure that current-time curves are reproducible from strip to strip.
2. The electrode surface-area/sample-volume ratio is low, so that glucose is not substantially depleted in the strip during the analysis.

 Enzymes used in the strips

Table I. Commonly used enzymes for EBGTS
Enzyme	Reacts with O2?	Reacts with maltose?
Glucose Oxidase	Yes	No
PQQ-Glucose Dehydrogenase	No	Yes
NAD-Glucose Dehydrogenase	No	No
FAD-Glucose Dehydrogenase	No	No

Four enzymes are commonly used in these strips






Glucose oxidase was first employed in EBGTS, and is still used in a few commercially available test strips, although its use is declining, since it reacts rapidly with oxygen. EBGTS made with glucose oxidase produce currents that are dependent on the amount of dissolved oxygen in the blood sample, which is heavily dependent on the hematocrit (% red blood cells) in the sample.
Glucose oxidase has been largely supplanted by the dehydrogenases, which do not react appreciably with oxygen. (In the table above: PQQ, NAD, and FAD refer to the electron transferring cofactors, which differ between each of the distinct enzymes.) However PQQ-GDH does react with many non-glucose sugars, particularly maltose, which can be elevated in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis. For this reason, use of PQQ-GDH is decreasing, and the FDA has recently restricted its use in new commercial products.
Both NAD-GDH and FAD-GDH combine oxygen rejection with high specificity for glucose. Their use in EBGTS is increasing. Enzymes typically are deposited on at least the working electrode, and sometimes on one entire side of the sample chamber, and are codeposited with buffers and stabilizing agents, such as bovine serum albumin.

Copied by permission from the "Electrochemistry Dictionary" (http://electrochem.cwru.edu/ed/dict.htm) on "04/09/12." The original material is subject to periodical changes and updates.

BLOOD GLUCOSE TEST STRIPS - PART II - The EBGTS story!

Electrochemical blood glucose test strips (EBGTS)

The electrochemical blood glucose test strip (EBGTS) is a very small volume (often about one µl or less) disposable electrochemical cell, which is contacted with whole blood. It then produces, in conjunction with a test meter, an electrical current which is proportional to the blood glucose concentration. Typical currents are a few µA.

This electrical current is produced by the very selective oxidation of glucose in the blood sample, which is catalyzed by two reagents which are precoated inside the test strip: 

(i) an enzyme, which reacts directly with the glucose molecule to remove its two available electrons, and 

(ii) a mediator molecule, which takes (either singly or as a pair) the two electrons from the enzyme, and transports them to the working electrode, where they can be measured. 

This process is illustrated in Figure below.

Electrons flow from glucose to an enzyme to a redox mediator to the working electrode.


The enzyme and mediator act as a sort of electron bucket brigade to transport electrons from glucose to the working electrode. Each enzyme and mediator molecule can repeat this transfer again and again, if necessary. There are a wide variety of different enzymes and mediators which are suitable for use in an EBGTS. Although there are many differences between the various commercially available test strips, they all rely on the fundamental mechanism 


Copied by permission from the "Electrochemistry Dictionary" (http://electrochem.cwru.edu/ed/dict.htm) on "04/09/12." The original material is subject to periodical changes and updates.

BLOOD GLUCOSE TEST STRIPS - How do they work? PART I

1. Insert a disposable test strip into the meter, automatically turning the meter on.
2. Lance the skin with a fine sharp to produce a small blood droplet, about one mm in diameter (volume = 0.3 to 5 µl)
3. Sample the blood with the test strip, attached to the meter.
4. The meter interrogates the strip in order to measure the blood glucose concentration, typically requiring about 5-10 seconds.

The test strips described in the above procedure can be either optical, in which glucose-derived electrons effect a change in the color of an indicating dye molecule, or electrochemical, in which case the glucose-derived electrons are routed directly through the external meter, and counted. For various reasons, including accuracy and the ability to measure extremely small blood volumes, electrochemical strips have gained the advantage in recent years, and now comprise a growing majority of the test strip market.

Components of a test strip

Automatic coding

Generally, calibration codes, corresponding to a particular batch of strips, are entered into the meter by the user, either manually or through insertion of a calibration “chip,” that accompanies the strip vial. However, it is desirable to entirely bypass this process, since user error is always a possibility. Therefore, some EBGTS do not require calibration of any sort. This is generally accomplished by:

1. Precise manufacturing control of the sensitivity of the produced strips, such that their performance is highly reproducible from batch to batch. In this process, strips are rejected, and disposed of, if their performance does not meet very stringent performance criteria.
2. Adding an indicating mark to the strip that the meter can use to assign a calibration code.

Both systems are currently in use, and automatically coded strips make up an increasing share of EBGTS

Copied by permission from the "Electrochemistry Dictionary" (http://electrochem.cwru.edu/ed/dict.htm) on "04/09/12." The original material is subject to periodical changes and updates.


Tomorrow we will discuss about the Electrochemical blood glucose test strips (EBGTS) - The newest and commonest type of strips used today

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) - the basics

An MRI machine uses a powerful magnetic field to align the magnetization of some atomic nuclei in the body, and radio frequency fields to systematically alter the alignment of this magnetization. This causes the nuclei to produce a rotating magnetic field detectable by the scanner—and this information is recorded to construct an image of the scanned area of the body. 

Image Courtesy: http://www.magnet.fsu.edu

Magnetic field gradients cause nuclei at different locations to rotate at different speeds. By using gradients in different directions 2D images or 3D volumes can be obtained in any arbitrary orientation.

MRI provides good contrast between the different soft tissues of the body, which makes it especially useful in imaging the brain, muscles, the heart, and cancers compared with other medical imaging techniques such as computed tomography (CT) or X-rays. 

Unlike CT scans or traditional X-rays, MRI does not use ionizing radiation.

White rice vs. Brown Rice

Check this article in Medscape: 

White Rice Intake May Promote Higher Risk for Type 2 Diabetes 

THIS PROMPTED ME TO WRITE ABOUT BROWN AND WHITE RICE!




Brown rice (or "hulled rice") unmilled or partly milled rice, is a kind of whole, natural grain. It has a mild nutty flavor, is chewier and more nutritious than white rice, but goes rancid more quickly because the germ—which is removed to make white rice—contains fats that can spoil. Any rice, including long-grain, short-grain, or sticky rice, may be eaten as brown rice.

Brown rice and white rice have similar number of calories and carbohydrates. The main differences between the two forms of rice lie in processing and nutritional content.

When only the outermost layer of a grain of rice (the husk) is removed, brown rice is produced. To produce white rice, the next layers underneath the husk (the bran layer and the germ) are removed, leaving mostly the starchy endosperm.

Several vitamins and dietary minerals are lost in this removal and the subsequent polishing process. A part of these missing nutrients, such as vitamin B₁, vitamin B₃, and iron are sometimes added back into the white rice making it "enriched", as food suppliers in the US are required.

One mineral not added back into white rice is magnesium; one cup (195 g) of cooked long grain brown rice contains 84 mg of magnesium while one cup of white rice contains 19 mg.

When the bran layer is removed to make white rice, the oil in the bran is also removed. Rice bran oil may help lower LDL cholesterol.

Among other key sources of nutrition lost are small amounts of fatty acids and fiber

A: Rice with chaff
B: Brown rice
C:Rice with germ
D: White rice with bran residue
E: Musenmai (Japanese:無洗米), "Polished and ready to boil rice", literally, non-wash rice
(1):Chaff
(2):Bran
(3):Bran residue
(4):Cereal germ
(5):Endosperm

Running away from Runny Nose - Rhinorrhea

Rhinorrhea or rhinorrhoea is a condition where the nasal cavity is filled with a significant amount of mucous fluid. The condition, commonly known as "runny nose", occurs relatively frequently and is not usually considered dangerous. 

Rhinorrhea is a common symptom of allergies or certain diseases, such as the common cold or hay fever. It can be a side effect of crying, exposure to cold temperatures, or withdrawal, such as from opioids like methadone.

Treatment for rhinorrhea is not usually necessary, but there are a number of medical treatments and preventative techniques available.

The term was coined in 1866 and is a combination of the Greek terms "rhin-" meaning "of the nose" and "-rhoia" meaning "discharge or flow".

In most cases treatment for rhinorrhea is not necessary and will clear up on its own - especially if it is the symptom of an infection. For general cases, one may simply blow his or her nose to get rid of the mucus buildup. Alternatively, salinenasal sprays and Vasoconstrictor nasal sprays may also be used, but may become counterproductive after several days of use, causing Rhinitis medicamentosa.

In recurring cases, such as those due to allergies, there are medicinal treatments available. For cases caused by histamine buildup, several types of antihistamines can be obtained relatively cheaply from drugstores.

People who prefer to keep clear nasal passages, such as singers, who need a clear nasal passage to perform, may use a technique called "nasal irrigation" to prevent rhinorrhea. Nasal irrigation involves rinsing the nasal cavity regularly with salty water or store bought saline solutions

We will talk about nasal irrigation soon

AB-Yogurt helps!! ....Treatment Options - H.Pylori eradication

Helicobacter pylori eradication protocols is a standard name for all treatment protocols for peptic ulcers and gastritis; the primary goal is not only temporary relief of symptoms, but total elimination of Helicobacter pylori infection.

Definition

A good, clinically useful H. pylori eradication protocol is a treatment protocol, which ensures at least 80% H. pylori eradication rate, is not longer than 14 days (preferably 7 or 10 days) and is not too toxic (side effects should occur in not more than 10–15% patients receiving treatment by this protocol, and should not be so severe to warrant treatment discontinuation).

The treatment regimen should also be easy to follow by the patient, both human and canine, to improve or maintain high rate of treatment compliance.

During last decades, several new eradication protocols have been developed. This allowed clinicians to target several goals:

• improved treatment compliance;
• sharpened dietary component
• no need to strictly follow a diet, due to new proton pump inhibitor efficacy;
• decreased duration of therapy: from 14 to 7–10 days;
• decreased number of different tablets to ingest, due to combined standard preparations;
• decreased number of daily tablets from 4 times a day to twice-daily schemes;
• lessened toxicity and probability of side effects;
• improved clinical efficacy in terms of H. pylori eradication ratios;
• overcoming the problem of antibiotic resistance;
• satisfied the need for alternative protocols for those patients who are allergic to one of the standard antibiotics used in standard protocols.

Molecular model of H. pylori urease enzyme 

The standard first-line therapy is a one week "triple therapy" consisting of proton pump inhibitors such as omeprazole,lansoprazole and the antibiotics clarithromycin and amoxicillin. 

Variations of the triple therapy have been developed over the years, such as using a different proton pump inhibitor, as with pantoprazole or rabeprazole, or replacing amoxicillin with metronidazole for people who are allergic to penicillin. 

Such a therapy has revolutionized the treatment of peptic ulcers, and has made a cure to the disease possible; previously, the only option was symptom control using antacids, H₂-antagonists or proton pump inhibitors alone.

An increasing number of infected individuals are found to harbour antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This results in initial treatment failure and requires additional rounds of antibiotic therapy or alternative strategies, such as a quadruple therapy, which adds a bismuth colloid, such as bismuth subsalicylate.

 For the treatment of clarithromycin-resistant strains of H. pylori, the use of levofloxacin as part of the therapy has been suggested

An article in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found evidence that "ingesting lactic acid bacteria exerts a suppressive effect on Helicobacter pylori infection in both animals and humans," noting that "supplementing with Lactobacillus- and Bifidobacterium-containing yogurt (AB-yogurt) was shown to improve the rates of eradication of H. pylori in humans