Exercise Prevents Aging of Cells

November 30, 2009

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Exercise is known to have a bounty of health benefits that can ward off age-related diseases, but a new study shows that regular physical activity has an anti-aging effect at the cellular level.

The research found that intensive exercise prevents the shortening of telomeres — the DNA that bookends chromosomes and protects the ends from damage — much like the cap on the end of a shoelace.

The shortening of telomeres limits cells to a fixed number of divisions and can be regarded as a “biological clock.” Gradual shortening of telomeres through cell divisions leads to aging on the cellular level and may limit lifetimes. When the telomeres become critically short, the cell dies. >>>READ MORE<<<

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Veteran finds relief with acupuncture

November 28, 2009

Image by Megan Cole via Flickr

PAUL SLOTH – www.journaltimes.com
CALEDONIA – Mike Hobbs couldn’t sleep. For years, it was one of the things that plagued him after returning from a stint in Vietnam.

Drug addition did, too; barbiturates were his drug of choice, he said.

His family was the first to notice he was changed, he said. That was more than 40 years ago. The women in his life noticed, too.

As Hobbs headed for the brink, a group of friends realized he needed help. That was 25 years ago. Hobbs eventually spent 18 months in a stress unit at the North Chicago Veterans Administration hospital where he was treated for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

He’s been on the road to recovery ever since, he said. It’s been a long road for Hobbs, who now lives at the VA Center in Dover, where he is trying to get his life back on track.

After years of therapy, a tiny needle has proven a boon to getting healthier, said Hobbs, who turned to acupuncture after seeing a flier at the veterans center. >>>READ MORE<<<

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“tai chi” OR taiji OR qigong OR “qi gong” OR “chi gung” OR “chi kung” OR acupuncture OR meditation OR “mind-body”; +17 new citations

November 28, 2009

17 new pubmed citations were retrieved for your search.
Click on the search hyperlink below to display the complete search results:

“tai chi” OR taiji OR qigong OR “qi gong” OR “chi gung” OR “chi kung” OR acupuncture OR meditation OR “mind-body”

These pubmed results were generated on 2009/11/28

PubMed, a service of the National Library of Medicine, includes over 15 million
citations for biomedical articles back to the 1950’s.
These citations are from MEDLINE and additional life science journals.
PubMed includes links to many sites providing full text articles and other related resources.

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Revised Guidelines For Ready-To-Eat Foods, UK

November 28, 2009

Revised guidelines for assessing the microbiological safety of ready-to-eat foods placed on the market are being launched by the Health Protection Agency today. This latest revision has a different emphasis than previous versions. They are risk based focusing on public health, consumer protection, and provide advice on actions and investigations which should be considered.

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The Astronaut’s Cookbook

November 28, 2009

Most people are intimately familiar with the awe-inspiring photos of space shuttle launches or images of the Earth from the International Space Station. But how many people have paused for even a second to think about what those astronauts eat when they’re on a two-week space shuttle mission or are living for months on the International Space Station? Now, a truly unique book – The Astronaut’s Cookbook – Tales, Recipes, and More – written by NASA veterans Charles T.

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Mindfulness meditation helps cancer patients and caregivers

November 27, 2009

Susan Bauer-Wu, PhD, RN, is an associate professor at Emory University’s Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing and a faculty member of Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University. She also is a Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Cancer Scholar.

The words, “You have cancer,” forever change one’s life. Even when the chances of cure or long-term remission are high, there is often questioning that takes place. Why me? What caused the cancer? What could I have done to prevent it? Will it come back? Is this new ache the cancer coming back or getting worse? Will the tests come back normal? Will I live long enough to see my children or grandchildren graduate from school or get married?

Family members of cancer patients may also wonder and worry: Will my loved one be okay and live a long time? Will we be able to handle challenges that we may face? This kind of wondering and questioning, for both cancer patients and family members, is normal. However it may be overwhelming and escalate to an unremitting sense of unease and anxiety.

Chronic psychological stress, the kind that goes on for many months or years, can certainly take its toll on a person’s wellbeing and overall health. Worrying interferes with our ability to fully enjoy life and also puts us at risk for illness. When we are stressed, our bodies produce chemical substances called stress hormones that are helpful and protective in the short run. Over time, though, chemical imbalances in our body develop and can lead to inflammation, suppressed or abnormal immune function, impaired metabolism, and cardiovascular problems. >>>READ MORE<<<

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Seriously ill patients’ discussions of preparation and life completion: An intervention to assist with transition at the end of life.

November 27, 2009

Seriously ill patients’ discussions of preparation and life completion: An intervention to assist with transition at the end of life.

Palliat Support Care. 2009 Dec;7(4):393-404

Authors: Steinhauser KE, Alexander SC, Byock IR, George LK, Tulsky JA

Objective:Patients approaching the end of life not only face challenges to physical well-being but also threats to emotional and spiritual integrity. Yet, identifying appropriate, effective, and brief interventions to address those concerns has proven elusive. We developed an intervention based on life review and emotional disclosure literatures and conducted a pilot study to determine feasibility and acceptability. This article presents qualitative intervention responses.Method:We conducted a three-armed randomized control trial to evaluate the effects of preparation and life completion discussion on health outcomes in patients with advanced serious illness. Hospice-eligible subjects were randomly assigned to one of three groups: (1) intervention (life completion discussion intervention), (2) attention control (relaxation meditation), and control (no intervention). Subjects in the intervention arm met with a facilitator three times. Session 1 focused on life story, Session 2 on forgiveness, and Session 3, on heritage and legacy.Results:Eighteen subjects participated in the pilot intervention interviews. Subjects from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds completed the intervention with equal facility. Results from Session 1 demonstrate narrative responses participants gave as they reconnected with previous life roles, values, and accomplishments. The second session illustrated reflections of choices one might have made differently and exploration of forgiveness offered and sought. Content from the first and second sessions laid the foundation for discussing Session 3’s lessons learned and heritage and legacy. Responses are summarized to assist clinicians in anticipating life review content that may improve overall quality of life at the end of life.Significance of results:Discussions of life completion may improve important health outcomes for patients at the end of life. This intervention may provide a brief, standardized, and transportable means for improving the quality of life of patients with advanced serious illness.

PMID: 19939302 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Study Highlights Potential Of New Technique To Determine The Gender Of Very Young Birds

November 27, 2009

A novel approach to classify the gender of six-week-old turkey poults could save millions of male chicks from being killed shortly after birth, according to Dr. Gerald Steiner from the Dresden University of Technology in Germany and his team. Their use of infrared spectroscopy to determine the gender of young birds shows that it is a fast and accurate method with the potential to be used by the breeding industry to identify and select female eggs for breeding.

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Consumers Choose Locally Grown And Environmentally Friendly Apples

November 27, 2009

When asked to compare apples to apples, consumers said they would pay more for locally grown apples than genetically modified (GMO) apples. But in a second questionnaire consumers preferred GMO apples – that is, when they were described, not as GMO, but as having a Reduced Environmental Impact.

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