Vitamin D Shows Early Promise Against Lupus

Preliminary Research Suggests Vitamin D Is Safe, Affects Immune Response

By Charlene Laino
Carlsvilleproject Health News

Reviewed by Dr. Gilman Jones
Reviewed by Louise Chang MD

Nov. 8, 2011 (Chicago) -- In the first study of its kind, high doses of vitamin D were safe and appeared to temper some of the destructive immune system responses believed to cause lupus.

The small, preliminary study did not look at whether skin rashes, fatigue, fever, and other symptoms of lupus actually improved.

It's too soon to draw any conclusions about vitamin D's long-term safety and effectiveness in treating lupus, says Sam Lin, MD, a rheumatologist at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta who was not involved with the work.

Still, vitamin D is one of a number of experimental treatments targeting the disease process that shows promise, he says.

"More and more research is pointing to an immune-regulating role for vitamin D," Lin tells WebMD.

The findings were presented here at the American College of Rheumatology annual meeting.

Race to Develop Targeted Lupus Treatments

About 1.5 million Americans have lupus, a disease in which the immune system attacks healthy tissues, wreaking havoc on the joints, skin, and other organs.

In March, the FDA approved Benlysta, the first new lupus treatment in 50 years. But it only helped about 30% of people in the clinical trials that led to its approval. Benlysta comes with reports of serious side effects, including serious infections.

In people with frequent flare-ups, relatively safe antimalarial drugs or steroids, which can also have serious side effects, are often prescribed. But none of the drugs help everyone.

As a result, the race is on to find new treatments that target specific immune cells involved in causing lupus without harming the rest of the immune system.

Vitamin D Boosts Protective Immune Cells

The new study involved 20 people with no or mild disease activity and low levels of vitamin D.

They were given an injection of 100,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D3 once a week for four weeks. Following that, they received a monthly shot of the same dose of vitamin D for six more months.

The primary goal of the study was to show safety, and that goal was met, says researcher Benjamin Terrier, MD, of the Pitie-Salpetriere Hospital in Paris. The shots were well tolerated, and no one developed too much calcium in their blood or kidney stones, side effects associated with too much vitamin D.

Blood vitamin D levels increased, reaching normal values after two months.

Importantly, vitamin D boosted the number and activity of protective immune cells, he says. And it dampened some abnormal immune cells, calming down the immune system.

Terrier says he believes that if supplementation is stopped, vitamin D levels may drop again, with harm to the immune system.

"We see an initial [immune] signal that looks good for a short period of time. But it's too short and small a study to draw any conclusions about safety and effectiveness," Lin says.

He's particularly concerned about the long-term safety of such high doses of vitamin D. The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of vitamin D is only 600 IU a day until age 70, he notes.

No one with lupus should try taking high-dose supplements on their own as a way of controlling their disease, Lin stresses.

The next step, Terrier says, will be a larger, longer study comparing vitamin D supplements to a placebo.

These findings were presented at a medical conference. They should be considered preliminary as they have not yet undergone the "peer review" process, in which outside experts scrutinize the data prior to publication in a medical journal.

What Causes The Ice Cream Brain Freeze?

Q: What exactly causes brain freeze? And here’s a better question — how do I prevent it from happening in the first place?




A: Ahhh, the dreaded brain freeze. I’ve experienced too many of those myself, unfortunately. The bad thing about ice cream headaches is that they hurt — a lot. The good thing about ice cream headaches is that they are usually over in a matter of seconds, or at most a couple minutes.

And ice cream headaches don’t come only from ice cream — they can come from eating any really cold food or drink. Like Slurpees. In fact, in 1994, 7-Eleven even trademarked the term Brainfreeze to use in conjunction with its delicious frosty drink.



 
For me, they always seem to come on slowly, with the pain starting at a 3 and working its way up to an 8 or 9 almost instantaneously. (You can tell I’ve been questioned about my level of pain in the ER a time of two.) But they usually subside as quickly as they come, and thank God for that.



So what causes ice cream headaches in the first place? It has to do with the nerve receptors above the roof of your mouth. When you take a bite of ice cream, some of it touches the top of your mouth, otherwise known as the hard palate. That in turn triggers the nerves above the palate to cool down — and quick. The nerves send an emergency message to the brain that it’s about to get cold up there, and the blood vessels in the brain constrict to accommodate. When the warm blood rushes through the blood vessels again — presto! You get a searing headache similar to a migraine. Ouch! But don’t worry though, this kind of headache does not signify a serious problem.


So what to do? Well if your ice cream headache has already started, chances are it’ll be over quickly. To speed things up a bit, you can touch your tongue to the roof of your mouth and hold it there, warming up your palate and calming down the brain’s reaction.


To keep yourself from getting the freeze in the first place, try eating cold foods slower than usual and keep that ice cream away from the roof of your mouth if you can. Seem impossible? It’s not: I tried it to research its efficacy for this article, and not only is it possible; it works. (That’s right, I gave myself a brain freeze for this article. That’s how dedicated I am. Its a rough job but somebody has to do it!


So have no fear. You can still enjoy your favorite ice cream sans the splitting headache. Just be sure to save some for me.

Function Keys - www.compukiss.com

Function Keys - www.compukiss.com

Computer assistance from the very basics and its free!!

For all of you geeks and information seekers this is a very practical site that will take you through a myrid of computer functions and troubleshooting methods. As you pop from site to site looking for health information you will find that this site will provide you with tricks to make your cyber ventures a little easier. Begin as I did and discover your keyboard and all of its functions. I recommend it highly. Have fun

Untreated, sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure and other cardiovascular disease, memory problems, weight gain, impotency, and headaches

ZZZZZZZZZ

The Greek word "apnea" literally means "without breath." There are three types of apnea: obstructive, central, and mixed; of the three, obstructive is the most common. Despite the difference in the root cause of each type, in all three, people with untreated sleep apnea stop breathing repeatedly during their sleep, sometimes hundreds of times during the night and often for a minute or longer.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is caused by a blockage of the airway, usually when the soft tissue in the rear of the throat collapses and closes during sleep. In central sleep apnea, the airway is not blocked but the brain fails to signal the muscles to breathe. Mixed apnea, as the name implies, is a combination of the two. With each apnea event, the brain briefly arouses people with sleep apnea in order for them to resume breathing, but consequently sleep is extremely fragmented and of poor quality.

Blocked Airway

OSA, as depicted here,  is a serious sleep disorder that can lead to death if not treated.
OSA is caused when your airway becomes blocked during sleep. This disruption in breathing can take place up to hundreds of times over the course of a night.1-2 You may not be aware this is happening, but it can have serious consequences.


Sleep apnea is very common, as common as adult diabetes, and affects more than twelve million Americans, according to the National Institutes of Health. Risk factors include being male, overweight, and over the age of forty, but sleep apnea can strike anyone at any age, even children.

Yet still because of the lack of awareness by the public and healthcare professionals, the vast majority remain undiagnosed and therefore untreated, despite the fact that this serious disorder can have significant consequences.

Untreated, sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure and other cardiovascular disease, memory problems, weight gain, impotency, and headaches. Moreover, untreated sleep apnea may be responsible for job impairment and motor vehicle crashes. Fortunately, sleep apnea can be diagnosed and treated. Several treatment options exist, and research into additional options continues.
If you are experiencing these symptoms seek help at the nearest Sleep Clinic in your area.

You Are What You Eat

Click to enlarge image

Choose Well ... Be Healthy

 

When Doctors and Lawyers Collide ~ The Beauty Of Communication

A lawyer was cross-examining the doctor about whether or not he had checked the pulse of the deceased before he signed the death certificate. “No,” the doctor said. “I did not check his pulse.” “And did you listen for a heartbeat?” asked the lawyer. “No I did not,” the doctor said. “So,” said the lawyer, “when you signed the death certificate, you had not taken steps to make sure he was dead.” The doctor said, “Well, let me put it this way. The man’s brain was in a jar on my desk but, for all I know, he could be out practicing law somewhere.

Chronic Pain- Don't Let It Get To You - Help Yourself Using Logical Techniques to Manage Pain

Get an Endorphin Boost: Exercise



It's a Catch-22: You're hurting, so you don't exercise; but without exercise, you may lose muscle tone and strength, making pain worse. Fortunately, even mild exercise releases endorphins, the feel-good brain chemicals that lift mood and block pain. Ask your doctor if aerobic, strengthening, or stretching exercises can give your body the boost -- and relief -- it needs


Deep breathing, biofeedback, and meditation are all stress management techniques that relax your body, which helps ease pain.


Avoid Alcohol


Although alcohol can help you fall asleep, as it metabolizes, it promotes shallow sleep, reduces important REM sleep, and may even wake you. The result: A less restful night.


Cut Pain: Quit Smoking

Give Your Body a Boost: Eat Better


If you're living with chronic pain, you want to do everything you can to help your body, not hinder it. One way to keep your body strong is to eat a well-balanced diet. Eating right improves blood sugar, helps maintain weight, reduces heart disease risk, and aids digestion. Aim for a diet rich in whole grains, fresh produce, and low-fat proteins.


Journal: Help Your Doctor Help You






Keeping a pain journal can be a great way to help your doctor understand and more effectively treat your chronic pain.


Schedule Relaxation, Set Limits


By taking care of your emotional and physical health, you can better manage your pain. That may mean saying no to events like parties if you need the rest.


Distract Yourself


You already know that focusing on pain can just make it worse. That's why one potent prescription for relief is to keep busy with activities that take your mind off the pain


Know Your Medicines


Understand the medicines you're taking, what they can do for you, and their side effects. Then educate yourself about other treatment options. Your goal is to have a normal mood and activity level -- if you don't, then a different medicine might be better for you. Your job is to be proactive, to ask questions, and look for answers.


You're Not Alone


As many as one person in every three is dealing with chronic pain, so you're far from alone. Reaching out is the most important habit you can develop to help you deal with chronic pain. Tell friends and family what you're feeling because they won't know otherwise. Ask for help. Learn more about your condition. Then share what you know with others.

Men's Health- Primary Reasons for Men To See Your Doctor

You probably saw the headline last week: “Half of Men Don’t Go to the Doctor.” The story was based on a survey that found 45 percent of men between ages 18 and 50 don’t have a primary care physician, and 40 percent of men in their 40s have never even had their cholesterol tested.




Other research over the past few years backs this up. In fact, an American Academy of Family Physicians survey found that more than half of men—55 percent—hadn’t seen their M.D. in the previous year. What gives?


Simple. "Men are babies," says T.E. Holt, M.D., Ph.D., a Men’s Health contributing editor and practicing physician with the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. “Men notoriously avoid doctors, especially men between the ages of 20 and 40. These are the same years in which men are twice as likely as women to die.”


What are men afraid of? What their physicians will find, of course. But this is far scarier: Avoiding your annual checkup could be a fatal mistake. Here are 5 killer reasons to schedule your doctor's appointment today.


Schedule a Doctor's Appointment Because . . . Your heart may be hiding something

Nearly 800,000 Americans will have a first heart attack this year, according to the American Heart Association. For more than a third of them, the first symptom will be death. But half of all victims could have seen the attack coming, especially with the help of their doctors.




The first two symptoms are usually shortness of breath during light activity, or slight chest pain when exercising, says Michael Blaha, M.D., M.P.H., a cardiologist at Johns Hopkins Hospital. This is why most doctors ask about your fitness regimen, whether you've been feeling any discomfort (like “muscle strain” or “heartburn”) lately, and if you're able to do as much as you used to. The fact is, most men don't recognize the symptoms of heart disease.


"It only clicks afterward," Dr. Blaha says. “It’s common, after a heart attack, for the person to say they’ve been short of breath or more fatigued than usual."


Sometimes, these symptoms last for years before the person has a heart attack. “There’s often plenty of time to correct the problem," says Dr. Blaha, "through medication or exercise.” You just need to be man enough to start the conversation with your doctor. Are you?


Schedule a Doctor's Appointment Because . . . Your blood sugar may be running rampant
 

Although not an infectious disease, diabetes seems to be spreading like one. Since 1980, its prevalence in the United States has risen by 47 percent, a trend that's expected to accelerate more in the next decade. Nearly half of American men today either have the condition or are on the verge of developing it, according to a new report from the National Institutes of Health. More than a third of them don’t even know it.


Everyone in America should be tested for diabetes. (It’s a simple pin-prick test. No excuses.) Why? There’s just too much at stake, says David Kendall, M.D., American Diabetes Association chief scientific and medical officer. Consider:


• Having diabetes doubles your chances of dying at any age compared with a person who's diabetes-free.


• Diabetes is the primary cause of cardiovascular disease in the United States, slashing a man's life span by an average of 13 years. According to a recent study in the Archives of Internal Medicine, if you're diagnosed with diabetes before age 60, your risk of heart attack increases 2.5 times.


• The farther along the disease progresses before diagnosis, the greater your likelihood of eye problems (often resulting in blindness), kidney problems (often resulting in dialysis), and trouble healing (often resulting in amputation).


• Undiagnosed diabetes also puts you at higher risk of certain types of cancer.


Here’s the good news: When caught early enough, the progression of diabetes can be slowed or even stopped through simple lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercise, says Keith Berkowitz, M.D., founder and medical director of the Center for Balanced Health in New York City. (In fact, one maverick doctor has reversed the progression of diabetes in some patients—check out The Cure for Diabetes.)


Diabetes screening should start no later than age 45, says Dr. Kendall. For those at higher risk—because they have high blood pressure, cholesterol problems, or a family history—screening should begin immediately.


Schedule a Doctor's Appointment Because . . . The second-deadliest cancer is almost entirely preventable

More than 150,000 Americans are diagnosed with colon cancer every year, and 53,000 die annually from the disease. But more than 60 percent of all cases could easily be caught earlier, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.


Why is this important? Colon cancer is 90 percent curable when caught early. The disease starts when a few abnormal cells in the colon develop into polyps. Then, 10 to 15 years later, those polyps turn malignant and often spread to other parts of the body. But, through regular screening, doctors can find and remove the polyps while they’re still harmless.


“You can’t wait for symptoms,” says David Johnson M.D., chief of gastroenterology at Eastern Virginia Medical School. “Changing bowel habits, bleeding, and abdominal pain come only in the late stages of this cancer. They’re potentially very ominous.”


Bonus Tip: For the latest men's health news, along with tips that can improve your life instantly, check out our new Health Headlines blog!




Schedule a Doctor's Appointment Because . . . Your abs may be covering an aneurysm

More than 30,000 Americans die of aneurysms each year—it’s the 14th most common cause of death in this country. When you hear the word, you probably think of a rupture of an artery in the brain. But abdominal aortic aneurysms are far more common than you think, especially in older men. In fact, according to a study published in the Annals of Vascular Medicine, 5 percent of men ages 65 and older will eventually have one.


Your chances of surviving an aortic aneurysm are small: just 6 to 21 percent, depending on the location. “Only 1 of 20 patients has any pain like a rumbling of a volcano before the actual tearing occurs,” says John Elefteriades, M.D., chief of cardiac surgery at Yale Medical School. “That’s why it’s important to do everything we can to detect these aneurysms.


“Aneurysms in the belly can be felt on physical exam," he goes on. "But aneurysms in the chest can’t be felt because of the ribcage.” This is why your doctor will listen for a heart murmur, an early symptom of an aneurysm in the making.


If you have a family history of the disease, it's important to tell your doctor. Chances are, he or she will order a chest screening. Don't be afraid—you just have to lay there!
Schedule a Doctor's Appointment Because . . . That may not be a mole




Skin cancer attacks a disproportionate number of men. In fact, of the more than 3.5 million new skin cancer cases in America each year, more than two-thirds occur in men.


The deadliest form of the disease is melanoma, a cancer of the skin's pigment-producing cells that kills almost 8,000 people each year. One in 39 men (versus 1 in 58 women) will eventually develop melanoma, but don't fret. "Early detection can be difficult with other organs in the body, but not so with the skin," says Adnan Nasir, M.D., a clinical professor of dermatology at the University of North Carolina.


“When melanoma first develops, it’s only on the surface of the skin, making it easy to remove and cure,” says Daniel Kaplan, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of dermatology at University of Minnesota. “The longer it goes untreated, however, the more it spreads. That makes the chances of survival much slimmer.”


In most cases, you have up to a year to find a melanoma before it will hurt you, which is why dermatologists recommend annual exams. They also advise monthly self-exams. Ask your girlfriend or wife to help, and then return the favor.


This, men, actually is scary: Despite recent medical advances, the 5-year survival rate for stage IV melanoma is only 15 percent. And if you’ve had just five—that's right, only five—moderate sunburns in your lifetime, your risk of developing the malignant melanoma is double.


Still afraid to call your doctor now? I thought not.