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What is The "Golden Hour" and What Does It Mean For "Strokes"....

See your Doctor..Stay Informed

In stroke care, the term "golden hour" is used to designate the hour immediately following the onset of stroke symptoms. (Trauma centers use the general term golden hour to indicate the first hour after a trauma has occurred.)

The reason it's "golden" is that stroke patients have a much greater chance of surviving and avoiding long-term brain damage if they arrive at the hospital and receive treatment within that first hour.

The value of Gold is $1,457.11 per oz

The value of your "Golden Hour" is Priceless

Even more specifically, treatment within the golden hour is more successful because patients are candidates for the powerful clot-busting drug known as tPA (short for tissue plasminogen activator), which must be given within the first few hours after a stroke.


For that reason, it's important to be aware of the symptoms that should send you to the emergency room to take advantage of the golden hour: A feeling of numbness, palsy, or paralysis on one side of your body; speech problems such as slurring or not being able to think of or form words; or blurred or blocked vision in one eye are the most common. Some people also have an extreme headache that starts suddenly.


The American Heart Association (AHA) this year announced the results of a large study showing that if you arrive at the hospital within the golden hour, you double your chances of receiving tPA. The study reviewed patients from hospitals participating in the AHA's Get With the Guidelines–Stroke program and found that 28 percent of patients who arrived within the first hour received tPA, while only 13 percent of those arriving between two and three hours after having a stroke received the drug.

Medical Breakthrough in BIOMEDICINE ~ A Genomic Blueprint for Cancer * THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2011

The largest cancer genome sequencing project yet highlights molecular pathways at the heart of an aggressive blood cancer.

By comparing the genome sequence of healthy and cancerous cells in 38 people diagnosed with multiple myeloma—an aggressive blood cancer—scientists have created a molecular map of what goes awry in this disease.


The findings, published today in Nature, point to new targets for drug development, and also suggest that some patients will respond to drugs currently being tested for other types of cancers.


The study is also the first published analysis of multiple whole genomes of the same cancer, reflecting continuing advances in sequencing technologies and the ability to analyze whole-genome data.


Thanks to a steady decline in the cost of genome sequencing, scientists have analyzed a growing number of tumors in recent years. Searching for differences between the DNA sequence of patients' healthy and cancerous cells can highlight genetic mutations that may underlie the cancer cells' ability to grow and survive. But most studies have analyzed a single cancer sample in great detail, and then sequenced relevant genes in other cancers to confirm the role of candidate mutations.


"Simply sequencing a tumor genome doesn't get you the information you need," says Todd Golub, director of the cancer program at the Broad Institute and senior author of the study. "We need the ability to look across many cancer genomes and to discover mutations that are recurring at low frequencies, so that we can see patterns emerging from the data that are biologically meaningful."


Scientists already suspected that a protein called NF-Kappa Beta, which regulates cell division and cell death, plays a role in myeloma. In the new study, researchers found mutations in 11 genes that are part of the NF-Kappa Beta pathway that were altered in at least one multiple myeloma sample. "Now we have a detailed blueprint for how those pathways were aberrantly activated in disease," says Golub. "You can only see those kinds of pattern when you look at multiple genomes."


Researchers also found that about 4 percent of patients have mutations in a gene known as BRAF. This finding could be used to help select effective drugs. BRAF mutations have previously been shown to play a major role in melanoma and other cancers, and several BRAF inhibitors are now being tested in melanoma patients, some with excellent results. "It was completely unexpected that myeloma patients might benefit from similar targeted therapies," says Kenneth Anderson, chief of the division of hematologic neoplasias at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. "Perhaps we can take a drug off the shelf and help patients in the short term." No trials of these drugs in this subset of myeloma patients have yet been launched, but Golub says discussions are underway. The researchers also discovered novel mutations that haven't previously been linked to cancer, pointing to new avenues for research. "No one studying myeloma had even heard of these genes," says Golub. "We don't know what these mutations do or how they cause cancer, or even whether they will make good drug targets, but it tells you this is where the field should be looking in greater detail."


The project was the brainchild of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, a patient advocacy group that funded the research and provided cancer samples. About 20,000 new cases of multiple myeloma are diagnosed in the U.S. each year. The disease has a five-year survival rate of less than 40 percent. Kathy Giusti, the organization's founder, says the findings are already being used to direct funding decisions. The study identified mutations in enzymes involved in the way DNA is packaged, so the foundation has invested $5 million in this area of research and funded two biotech companies working in the field.


Scientists are now sequencing additional myeloma genomes and expect to have a few hundred completed in the next two years. "The field is barreling forward such that we expect many thousands of genomes to be sequenced across different cancer types in next several years," says Golub.


The next step is to figure out what role these mutations play in cancer. "Do they activate or inactivate growth and survival, drug resistance, or signaling pathways?" says Anderson. To do this, scientists study the effect of the mutations in cancer cell lines and animal models of the disease. "That will open the potential for development of novel targeted therapeutics directed at fundamental genetic abnormalities that are hallmarks of this disease," says Anderson.
* SINGER

Toxic Cooking ~ Dangers Of heating or Cooking Food in Plastics~ Keep Your Family Safe~

Don't Inject Your Brain With Chemicals

Regardless of the type of container always error on the side of safety and use quality cookware, like these seen to the left. Use extreme caution when heating food in the microwave if the containers are plastics.. Containers that are quote” Microwave Approved” may not meet standards for you or your child if you were aware of the chemistry under heat. Always error on the side of safety.
An example of a typical material Melamine can be very toxic and unstable under heat. Here are some details about Melamine:

Melamine resin is known as a thermoset plastic, because the plastic is fixed after molding.

 If exposed to enough heat, melamine will decompose. For this reason, melamine dishware should not be exposed to high temperatures like those in the oven and microwave.

The plastic is able to withstand higher temperatures than other plastics, however. Because it is a thermoset plastic, melamine resin is difficult to recycle.

Melamine resin is manufactured by mixing melamine with formaldehyde, and sometimes urea, under heat and pressure. The substances begin to polymerize and are forced into a mold which will create the desired shape. Under pressure, melamine releases water, which could make the plastic unstable if it is not removed. The materials finish polymerizing and create a finished product, melamine resin.

Melamine can be made into a foam product. Melamine foam has a distinctive structure composed of stacked bubble shapes, which are extremely hard and therefore can easily clean a wide variety of substances. Melamine foam is marketed under a variety of commercial names including Magic Eraser, a cleaning tool well known for removing scuffs and dirt from a wide range of surfaces.

Melamine resin is used in Formica and similar construction products made from composite materials. Formica is made using melamine resin, which is used to coat the fibers in the upper layer of the construction product. The melamine resin makes the end result heat resistant, so that hot objects can be set on the counter without concern. The surface of the material is designed to be easily wiped and cleaned, creating a long lived household product.

A convenient  product but these chemicials should not be leached into your food or ingested in any way. This problem is not specific to Melamine but is an example of the chemicial composition of plastics and the danger it presents if we use these materials for cooking our food.

Yawning Is One Of The Best-Kept Secrets In Neuroscience- Reduce Anxiety and Hypertension

Go Ahead Yawn!

Go ahead: Laugh if you want (though you’ll benefit your brain more if you smile), but in my professional opinion, yawning is one of the best-kept secrets in neuroscience. Even my colleagues who are researching meditation, relaxation, and stress reduction at other universities have overlooked this powerful neural-enhancing tool. However, yawning has been used for many decades in voice therapy as an effective means for reducing performance anxiety and hypertension in the throat.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month..Early Dection Is The Answer..See Your Doctor..Get Your Mammogram

Early Detection Is The Answer

http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/About-Breast-Cancer/Breast-Self-Exam.aspx

You may have noticed a lot of pink around campus lately. West Virginia University has changed its website from Gold and Blue to pink. The football team will soon be sporting pink ribbons on their helmets.

The pink ribbon is used to signify National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an important, month-long reminder to raise awareness of the second-most common cancer among women in the U.S. and around the world.


The National Cancer Institute estimates 207,090 women will be diagnosed with the disease in 2010, claiming the lives of 39,840. I do not have these figures world wide. In any event such numbers are troubling, and are a disturbing reminder of this terrible condition.


To help raise awareness, the WVU community is playing its part. Already, free examinations have been given at the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center. The Cancer Center will hold a fashion show Oct. 25 with local designers and stores at Lakeview Resort.


Athletic teams will also contribute to the cause. The volleyball team will host a "Dig Pink" game against Georgetown, with the crowd encouraged to wear pink.

The Christ the Redeemer statue is lit up in pink at night for Breast Cancer awareness in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and the list of supporters goes on.

Breast cancer is a tumor that grows in one or both of the breasts, according to the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month website. The cancer typically develops in ducts, lobules or milk-producing areas of the breast.

The American Cancer Society recommends women 40 and older should have a mammogram every year, continuing to do so "as long as they are in good health."


Women in their 20s and 30s should have a breast exam administered by a health expert every three years.


Women in their early 20s, and throughout their lifetimes, should perform self-examinations.


Trouble signs include: lumps or swelling, skin irritations or dimpling, nipple pain or nipple turning inward, unusual redness or scaliness of nipple or breast skin or a discharge other than breast milk.


Medical experts agree early detection can save thousands of lives a year. By combining regular screening and self-examination, the number of those falling victim to the disease should drop.


"The majority of women diagnosed with breast cancer live a long life," Dr. Jame Abraham, chief of hematology and oncology at the WVU School of Medicine and medical director of the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center, told WVU Today. "Early detection and effective treatment offers great help and will enhance their chances for survival."


Awareness is the key to eliminating breast cancer once and for all. Simple techniques at home, coupled with money raised, can help rid the world of a senseless killer.

Turtles Could Hold the Secret to Great Health and even Human Immortality

225 Years Young

All animals eventually grow old and die. It’s an inevitable fact of life — except when it isn’t. Some animals, like tortoises and lobsters, never grow old, and learning their secrets could let humans live as long as they want.



For most animals, there are three basic ways they can die: disease, injury, or old age, which is also called senescence. But a select few species are seemingly immune from aging itself, a phenomenon known as negligible senescence. The gradual accumulation of cellular damage and degradation that will eventually kill other animals (including us) slows to a virtual standstill, prolonging the life — and, in fact, the youth — of any animal lucky enough to be negligibly senescent.


Tortoises are the most famous negligibly senescent animals. An Aldabra giant tortoise named Adwaita was thought to be 255 years old when he died in 2006, and carbon dating of his shell confirmed that he really had been born around 1750. And it wasn’t old age that did him in — he died of liver failure complicated by a wound brought on by a crack in his shell. If his handlers at the Alipore Zoological Gardens in Kolkata, India had had the resources and inclination to arrange for a liver transplant and surgery to rebuild his shell, it’s possible he might still be crawling around today

Natural protection for Summer Ailments

When enjoying the outdoors this season, be prepared to protect yourself against common summer ailments. I have found the following to be naturally effective in preventing and treating a variety of summer culprits:


1. Ginger: This may prevent motion sickness or other nausea.

2. Stinging Nettles: By far the best remedy I know for hay fever.
3. Arnica: The tincture of this plant can help relieve the pain and tenderness of sprains and sore muscles.
4. Bromelain: Promotes the healing of soft-tissue injuries, such as sprains and bruises.
5. Geraniol: Products made with this oil are an effective way to protect yourself from mosquitoes.
6. Tecnu: Helps prevent rashes from poison oak, ivy, and sumac.
7. Aloe Vera: For sunburn, thermal burns and any areas of skin irritation or inflammation.

Today's Top 20 Health Facts and Trivia ~from Hemorrhoids & indigestion to Bones, Babies and Viruses ~ Carlsvilleproject Style ~ ”Believe it .. Or Not”

Today's Top 20 Health Facts and Trivia ~from Hemorrhoids & indigestion to Bones, Babies and Viruses ”Believe it .. Or Not”

1. 2 out of 3 adults in the United States have hemorrhoids.


2. 25% of your bones are located in your feet.


3. 35,000 people in the U.S. will die from the flu annually.


4. 40% of all indigestion remedies sold in the world are bought by Americans.


5. A fetus develops fingerprints at eighteen weeks!


6. A hard working adult sweats up to 4 gallons per day. Most of the sweat evaporates before a person realizes it's there, though!


7. A man once sued his doctor because he survived his cancer longer than the doctor predicted.


8. A person infected with the SARS virus, has a 95-98% chance of recovery.


9. A person will burn 7 percent more calories if they walk on hard dirt compared to pavement.


10. A sneeze can travel as fast as 100 miles per hour.


11. A toothbrush within 6 feet of a toilet can get airborne bacteria from flushing.


12. A woman's sense of smell is most sensitive during ovulation.


13. About 400 different kinds of microbes live on and in the human body.


14. About half of all Americans are on a diet on any given day.


15. An average adult produces about half a liter of flatulent gas per day, resulting in an average of about fourteen occurrences of flatulence a day.


16. At age 70, more than 70 percent of men are still potent!


17. Banging your head against a wall uses 150 calories an hour.


18. By the age of 60, most people have lost 50% of their taste buds.


19. Children are more allergic to cockroaches than they are to cats!


20. Children are poisoned most frequently by eating harmful plants.

Women's Health...."Uterine Fibroids", ..What are they? What are the symptoms? What is the risk? What can be done? From Milton M. Hershey Medical Center

Uterine Fibroids

Also known as: Myomas or Leiomyoms

What is it?

Uterine fibroids are tumors made of connective tissue and smooth muscle. They grow slowly within the wall of the uterus or attach to the uterine wall. Most fibroids are noncancerous, but in some rare cases they may become cancerous.


A uterine fibroid may be as small as a pea or as large as a grapefruit. As the fibroid grows, the uterus may become deformed or pushed aside. When the uterus is deformed or blocked by a growth, the resulting pressure may cause symptoms in the bladder or intestine, such as increased urination, constipation or pain.

Who gets it and what are its causes?

Fibroids rarely occur in women younger than 20. They occur most frequently in women in their childbearing years. As a woman approaches menopause, these tumors usually shrink.


The cause of uterine fibroids is not known, but it may be related to changes in estrogen levels. For example, pregnancy, use of birth control pills and estrogen replacement therapy may speed the growth of fibroids.

What are the symptoms?

Often there are no symptoms. When there are symptoms, they may be:

• Painful menstrual periods

• Heavy menstrual bleeding

• More frequent or uncomfortable urination

• Backache

• Constipation

• Pelvic pain or pressure

• Infertility

• Miscarriage

Diagnosis

Fibroids are usually found during routine pelvic exams. If you have severe menstrual symptoms or other pelvic problems, your health care provider may recommend an ultrasound scan or D&C (dilatation and curettage) to determine the cause of the problems.

Treatment

Most fibroids do not need treatment. Your health care provider will evaluate your condition and make a recommendation based on the amount of blood loss and pain during menstrual periods, the rate of growth of the fibroid, the absence or presence of cancer, your age, physical condition and your desire for more children.


Small fibroids that don’t grow usually have no lasting effects. If you have symptoms caused by growing or enlarged fibroids, the symptoms will probably continue until the growths are removed surgically, or until they begin to shrink and disappear after menopause.

Surgical Treatment

For fibroids that require treatment, your doctor may suggest a myomectomy, hysterectomy or a minimally invasive procedure called uterine fibroid embolization.


A myomectomy is a type of surgery used to remove the fibroids without harming the uterus. This type of surgery is preferred for patients who wish to maintain their childbearing potential or simply wish to retain their uterus. Myomectomy is considered by many to be more conservative treatment than hysterectomy because the uterus is preserved. Sometimes, however, the sheer number of tumors makes preservation a questionable goal. A myomectomy can be technically more difficult than a hysterectomy and can lead to greater blood loss.


In a hysterectomy, the surgeon removes the uterus. This surgery can be performed vaginally, abdominally or assisted by laparoscopy. It is usually simpler and may be less time-consuming than multiple myomectomy and entail fewer complications. Hysterectomy is often the procedure of choice when surgery for uterine fibroids is needed and childbearing years are complete.


Medication may be given two to three months before surgery to shrink the fibroid. This will make the operation easier to perform. Myomectomy and hysterectomy are performed by gynecologists.


In Fibroid Embolization, an interventional radiologist makes a small nick in the groin and inserts a catheter into an artery. The catheter is guided through the artery to the uterus while the interventional radiologist watches the progress of the procedure using a moving X-ray. Then tiny plastic particles the size of grains of sand are injected into the artery that is supplying blood to the fibroid tumor. This cuts off the blood flow and causes the tumor (or tumors) to shrink. The procedure takes approximately one hour and is performed while the patient is conscious but sedated – drowsy and feeling no pain. Studies are have not yet been confirmed about fertility. A recent study shows similar numbers of successful pregnancies comparing myomectomy and fibroid embolization.

Foods That Look Like Body Parts That They're Good For! Put a Little Fun Into Teaching good Nutrition. Here are some Teaching Tips that you will love! Wine & Blood? Ginger & Stomach? Sweet Potato & Pancreas?

Red wine, which is rich in antioxidants and polyphenols, including powerful resveratrol, looks like blood. "When you drink it, you're really loading up on the healthy stuff that protects against destructive things in the blood, like LDL cholesterol, which can cause heart disease," says Somer. "There's also a blood-thinning compound in red wine, so it reduces blood clots, which are associated with stroke and heart disease." Photos by iStockphoto

Anyone who's ever reached for a glass of ginger ale when they’ve had a stomachache knows about the antinausea effects of ginger. So it's fitting that the herb somewhat resembles the digestive organ. According to Dr. Moulavi, "gingerol, which is the ingredient responsible for ginger's pungent scent and taste, is listed in the USDA database of phytochemicals as having the ability to prevent nausea and vomiting." Photos by iStockphoto

The oblong sweet potato bears a strong resemblance to the pancreas, and also promotes healthy function in the organ. "Sweet potatoes are high in beta-carotene, which is a potent antioxidant that protects all tissues of the body, including the pancreas, from damage associated with cancer or aging," says Somer. Photos by iStockphoto

Top Ten Health Related Triva Facts ~ Did You Know......?

1- Over 2500 left handed people a year are killed from using products made for right handed people!

2- A sneeze travels out your mouth at over 100 m.p.h.!
3- Your ribs move about 5 million times a year, every time you breathe!
4- Fingernails grow nearly 4 times faster than toenails
5- The fear of vegetables is called Lachanophobia!..
6- you're born with 300 bones, but when you get to be an adult, you only have 206!
7- Your heart beats over 100,000 times a day
8- Human teeth are almost as hard as rocks!
9- Human thigh bones are stronger than concrete!
10- Apples are more efficient than caffeine in keeping people awake in the mornings!