TheWellnessLiving Health Tips

Health Advice at your Fingertips

Herceptin produced in tobacco plants could lead to cheaper chemotherapy for certain types of breast cancer

August 15th, 2011 by admin

Herceptin Fab (antibody) - light and heavy chains

Image via Wikipedia

Herceptin, or Trastuzumab is employed to treat certain types of breast cancer with high efficiency. The drug consists of a monoclonal antibody raised against a protein called Her2, which is highly abundant in some tumours with high probability of migrating and becoming metastatic. Tumours found to have high levels of her2 are called “Her2 positive“.  When injected the drug binds to the surface of the tumour cells that have Her2 and make them an easy target for the immune system. Herceptin is used with increasing frequency but the costs associated to its use are very high. The high costs make it difficult to sustain long-term administration and thus the efficiency of the treatment may become compromised. Now, Canadian scientists have developed a method to produce Herceptin in tobacco plants. They inserted the genes encoding the antibody into special tobacco plants and let them grow. After a while, they crushed the leaves and purified active Herceptin in large amounts. They have tested their product and showed that is seems to work as well as the normal Herceptin.  This exciting study brings big hopes as it will help bring down the costs of the expensive Herceptin treatments.

Am I predisposed to breast cancer? Order a DNA test for genetic predisposition and find out

Read the original article

Read more on Her2

Read more on Herceptin/trastuzumab

Read more on monoclonal antibodies

Enhanced by Zemanta

Category: Biology, Cancer, Chemotherapy, Medicine, Oncology | No Comments »

The effect of obesity on chronic kidney disease

July 18th, 2011 by admin

Overweightness and obesity are associated with many hemodynamic, structural, and histopathologic alterations in the kidney and with metabolic and biochemical changes that predispose to these abnormalities. Consequent to these disorders, these individuals are more likely to develop chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal failure. Overweight and obese people are more prone to develop albuminuria and, for at least some types of kidney disease, a greater amount of albuminuria and more rapid progression of renal failure. These individuals are more likely to develop diabetes mellitus and hypertension. Diabetic nephropathy, hypertensive nephrosclerosis, focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis, renal cell carcinoma, and urate and calcium oxalate urolithiasis are the more common kidney and urological diseases reported in obese people. Preliminary data indicate that many of the clinical and nephropathologic manifestations associated with obesity can be reversed or ameliorated with reductions in body fat induced by dietary energy restriction or surgical procedures that reduce intake and gastrointestinal absorption of calories.

Do I have a genetic predisposition to obesity or kidney disease? Find out with a DNA test for genetic predisposition - Click here to learn more

Category: Cholesterol, Diabetes, Endocrinology, Gastric health, Hypertension, Nutrition, Obesity | No Comments »

How does cholesterol affect with age?

July 18th, 2011 by admin

Since most information we know from studies of middle aged people, researchers are working today to learn more about cholesterol and how cholesterol-lowering therapy works for women, young and old.

Cholesterol in women

Heart diseases are considered an appropriate killer as the main cause of death in the world for both sexes, although mainly aimed at older women. For a period of 10 days, scientists have conducted a study to examine effects during treatment for lowering cholesterol.

Assumption that occurred in women may be equally is untrue and dangerous. Thus, risk factors, e.g. diabetes, is often the case for coronary artery disease in women, and less frequently in men, also women respond differently to treatments, tests carried out on men may have unanticipated effects in women. According to studies, both women and men are healthy from the moment they decide to follow a cholesterol-lowering treatment.

Cholesterol in young

Durable diet habits and exercise are necessary for young. That means it is particularly important for children to eat healthy to practice a sport and not to smoke. Risk factors are family history, early heart disease or high cholesterol.  Children are not “miniature adults”, which is why their treatment differs from that of an adult. If high cholesterol levels, experts recommend a diet in two steps, which consists of a healthy diet and exercise. Only if these steps did not give favorable results, should followed drug treatment.

Children who have extremely high cholesterol levels, usually due to a genetic disorder, they need a treatment based on medicines to prevent stroke at a very early age. In this case, a study in 2004 showed that statin-based drugs are effective and do not present any risk to children from families with hypercholesterolemia.

Cholesterol in the elderly

Generally, severe heart problems occur in people who have turned 65. Many tests show that low level of HDL is, in particular a factor risk for this group. For example, according to a study by the National Institutes of Health, conducted on 2500 women and 1400 men, aged 70-90 for 6 years, participants who had HDL levels below 35mg/dL were about three times more likely to die from a heart disease than those who had high HDL levels.

Therefore, it is important that older people who have heart problems or diabetes, talking with their physicians about options they have to follow a cholesterol control treatment, according to their preferences.

Enhanced by Zemanta

Category: Cardio, Cholesterol, Fitness, General health, Hypertension, Hypotension, Nutrition, Obesity, Seniors | No Comments »

Hypotension: treatment and prevention

May 15th, 2011 by admin

Syncope and fainting syncope is a clinical syndrome characterized by sudden loss of consciousness and vital functions due to transient and reversible cessation of cerebral circulation.

Lipotimia or fainting is a slight loss of knowledge, appears to emotional person with mental lability, emotional highs after having favored pathogenic background: aortic stenosis, hypotension, myocardial infarction, the rapid pace, congenital heart disease.

Syncope symptoms – patient is inert, immobile, pale, not react to excitation, no breathing, no pulse, hear no heartbeat, blood pressure is low, pupils are mydriatic. Patient is in a state of clinical death, which ends either by returning consciousness, either by biological death.

The first step in treatment is to put the patient with feet slightly elevated location. Production mechanism is controlled – hypotension, decreased rate, standing. Do not give fluids by mouth. Treatment consists of applying resuscitation of violent punches, cardiac massage, breath “mouth to mouth.”

Treatment of hypothension consists of the following means:

  • Psychotherapy
  • Gymnastics to improve neuro-vegetative disorders and insignificant increases voltage.
  • Pressor drugs

Patient needs to know the point: how to take medicines, drug overdose preliminary signs, medical examination.

Prevention of hypotension aims primarily to educate the patient, knowledge of symptoms related to hypotension and strategies to prevent complications. For example, those with orthostatic hypotension should know and observe techniques of high calorie diet, oxygenation and avoiding toxic substances.

Hypotension can be treated successfully, and many people who suffer from this disease lead a normal and healthy life. If you are one of the people with hypotension is important in preventing and minimizing the symptoms.

Home care tips to prevent hypotension

  • Get up and sit down slowly in case of orthostatic hypotension
  • Not stand very long if you suffer from symptomatic hypotension;
  • Eat slowly and consume low amounts of carbohydrates if you suffer from postoprandial hypotension (is triggered only after eating);
  • Alcohol consumption should be reduced or eliminated
  • Increase consumption of salt;
  • Exercise.

Do I have genetic predisposition to heart disease? Find out with a DNA test for genetic predisposition – Click here to learn more

Enhanced by Zemanta

Category: Cardio, Education, Fitness, General health, Homecare, Hypotension, Medicine, Seniors | No Comments »

How to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (enlarged prostate)

April 20th, 2011 by admin

Tamsulosin_Structural_Formulae

Image via Wikipedia

Benign prostatic hyperplasia, or more commonly, emnlarged prostate, is a frequent affection in males older than 50, although earlier manifestation (at 40) is also frequent.The most prevalent symptom of benign prostatic hyperplasia is difficult urination: the flow of urine is not continuous, it takes longer to start, need to urinate appears more frequently and sometimes causes pain.

Tamsulosin is a popular choice to relieve the symptoms of prostatic hyperplasia. This drug is an alpha-adrenergic blocker that functions by relaxing the muscles that surround the prostate and the area of the bladder neck. This reduces the pressure on the urethra, making it urination easier.

Tamsulosin was originally developed by the Japanese company Yamanouchi Pharmaceuticals and distributed and sold by other companies under licence, including Boehringer-Ingelheim. The extended-release capsules of tamsulosin are marketed under the commercial names Flomax, Flomaxtra and Urimax, but since the expiration of the U.S. patent in 2009 generic capsules were approved and marketed in many countries, such as Canada. In the U.S., the FDA approved generic Flomax in March 2010. Generic Flomax is a safe and affordable alternative to branded Flomax and is readily available at online stores for less than one dollar each pill (click here for more details and buy generic Flomax)

Do not use Flomax if you are allergic to tamsulosin. Avoid Flomax if you are taking similar drugs such as alfuzosin (Uroxatral), doxazosin (Cardura), prazosin (Minipress), silodosin (Rapaflo), or terazosin (Hytrin). Side effects may include dizziness or fainting, especially when you first start taking it or when you start taking it again. Caution must be taken when driving or operating machines. Standing for long periods of time and heat exposure should also be avoided when taking Flomax. Avoid getting up too fast from a sitting or lying position. Call your doctor if you discontinued the treatment before you start taking it again. A dose adjustment may be indicated. If you need cataract surgery inform your eye doctor  ahead of time that you are using Flomax. Ask your doctor about othermedications that can interact with Flomax.You may need a different dose if you had a history of prostate cancer.  Flomax is not for use in children.

Enhanced by Zemanta

Category: Medicine, Men's health, Prostate, Seniors, Sexuality | No Comments »