Doctor-Patient Talk May Help Blacks With Hypertension

(HealthDay News) -- Black patients with high blood pressure often seem to struggle to communicate with their doctors, potentially leading to worse disease outcomes, a North Carolina study suggests.

"It seems that in general, blacks talk less overall to their physicians than white patients," study author Dr. Crystal Wiley Cene, an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in Chapel Hill, said in a university news release. "As a result, communication about specific topics occurs less often."

Cene noted that there may be several reasons for the poor communication. Black patients might not trust their physicians or somehow feel disconnected from them. Physicians, perhaps reacting to their quiet patients, may feel less inclined to talk to them.

In the study, researchers analyzed data from 226 high blood pressure patients and 39 physicians at 15 primary-care practices in Baltimore. Specifically, they listened to audio recordings of patients' visits to their doctors. The study authors noted the length of the visits, the number of medically focused statements made and the overall banter between doctors and patients. Read more…

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Study Compares Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair Methods

(HealthDay News) -- A less-invasive method of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair reduces the short-term risk of death, according to a new U.S. study.

The interim findings are from a nine-year multicenter trial comparing patient outcomes after endovascular and open surgical repair of AAA. The report included postoperative outcomes of up to two years (average 1.8 years of follow-up) for 881 patients, aged 49 or older, who had endovascular repair (444) or open repair (437).

Endovascular repair is performed through a catheter inserted into an artery. Open repair involves an abdominal incision. Of the 45,000 patients in the United States who undergo elective repair of an unruptured AAA each year, more than 1,400 die in the perioperative period -- the first 30 days after surgery or inpatient status. There's limited data available about whether short-term survival is better after endovascular repair compared to open repair. Read more…

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Heavy Smoking Tied to Advanced Kidney Cancer

(HealthDay News) -- Smoking increases the risk of advanced kidney cancer, researchers report.

In a new study, a team from Duke University Medical Center reviewed the cases of 845 patients who had had surgery for kidney cancer -- or renal cell carcinoma -- between 2000 and 2009. They found that current and former smokers were 1.5 to 1.6 times more likely to have advanced cancer than nonsmokers.

Heavy smoking (smoking for a longer period of time and smoking more) was associated with advanced renal cell carcinoma. Kicking the habit reduced the risk of advanced disease by 9 percent for every 10 years that a former smoker was smoke-free, the investigators found.

The findings were slated for presentation Sunday at a special press conference at the American Urological Association's annual meeting, in Washington, D.C.

Another study scheduled for presentation at the same briefing found that rates of bladder cancer did not fall along with lower rates of smoking in the United States.

The researchers examined a national database and found that lung cancer rates declined along with decreasing per capita consumption of cigarettes between 1973 and 2007, but the same type of consistent decline was not seen in bladder cancer rates. Read more…

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Prominent heart doctor exposes the myths about cholesterol, statins and low fat diets

By Tony Isaacs

Renowned heart surgeon Dr. Dwight Lundell recently stepped forward to expose how embracing the high cholesterol myth has been wrong and the harm that has resulted, stating that the recommendations to lower cholesterol and severely restrict fat intake "are no longer scientifically or morally defensible."

Dr. Lundell explained that inflammation in our arterial walls is the real culprit for heart disease and stated that "the injury and inflammation in our blood vessels is caused by the low fat diet recommended for years by mainstream medicine."

"Simply stated," said Dr. Lundell, "without inflammation being present in the body, there is no way that cholesterol would accumulate in the wall of the blood vessel."

In addition, said Dr. Lundell, "The long-established dietary recommendations have created epidemics of obesity and diabetes, the consequences of which dwarf any historical plague in terms of mortality, human suffering and dire economic consequences."1

Studies reveal the truth about statins, high cholesterol and inflammation

For several decades, mainstream medicine has spent hundreds of millions of dollars in advertising and propaganda creating and perpetuating the high cholesterol myth. As a result, millions of Americans have followed the advice to severely restrict their intakes of fats and tens of millions have taken dangerous cholesterol-lowering statin drugs. Read more…

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Health blogger threatened with jail time for advocating Paleo diet that cured his diabetes

By Mike Adams

Internet free speech is under assault in America, and a dangerous new trend has surfaced that threatens to throw nutritional bloggers in jail for advocating healthy diets on their blogs or websites. As you read this, a blogger who wrote about using the Paleo diet to overcome diabetes is being threatened with jail time in North Carolina, where the state Board of Dietetics / Nutrition claims his nutritional advocacy is equivalent to the crime of "practicing nutrition without a license."

His name is Steve Cooksey, and his website is http://www.diabetes-warrior.net

He's being targeted by state "dieticians" (which is another word for "nutritional moron" as you'll see below) who say that Chapter 90, Article 25 of the North Carolina General Statutes makes it a misdemeanor to "practice dietetics or nutrition." His website's advocating of the Paleo diet for individuals who have health challenges is, they claim, a violation of law.

So they've threatened him with arrest if he does not take down his website... or at the very least stop advocating the Paleo diet to readers. Read more…

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The 5 best springtime detox diets

By Aurora Geib

The road to wellness is a journey. And like all undertakings, it is subject to the demands of time and place. Not very long ago, spring announced its arrival. Nature has since then been in a frenzy of change. Flowers started blooming again, trees turned a new leaf, babies were born, and the animals that have been asleep all winter have woken up and are enjoying the abundant food and temperate weather the season has to offer. The heaviness of winter gone, it's a perfect time to rejuvenate the body by flushing toxins acquired through the food and habits of the previous season. Read more…

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Cold Weather May Raise Blood Pressure in Elderly

(HealthDay News) -- When the temperature drops outside, blood pressure appears to rise in older adults, a new study shows.

The systolic (top number) and diastolic (bottom number) blood pressures both rose and fell with the change of seasons in the 8,801 people, aged 65 or older, looked at in the study by the Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale of Paris. The average systolic blood pressure, for example, was five points higher in winter than in summer for the participants. Instances of high blood pressure (systolic blood pressure higher than 159, or diastolic higher than 94 millimeters of mercury or higher) were found in 33.4 percent of participants during winter but just 23.8 percent during summer.

The findings were published in the Jan. 12 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

The reasons for the correlation, though, were not known. The authors said it could be related to the baroreflex, a mechanism of blood pressure regulation that is modified in elderly subjects or a function of the sympathetic nervous system, which helps control involuntary actions such as stress response. Readmore…

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Study review shows vitamin D, cod liver oil very effective at preventing and treating tuberculosis

by: Jonathan Benson

Sometimes the old fashioned ways of treating disease are still the safest and most effective. A recent review of an 1848 study conducted at the former Hospital for Consumption in Chelsea, UK, now known as the Royal Brompton Hospital (RBH), has found that cod liver oil, which is rich in vitamin D, is still an effective treatment for tuberculosis.

Professor Sir Malcolm Green, who used to work at RBH but has since retired, unearthed the old study which involved over 1,000 patients with tuberculosis, a contagious bacterial infection that can lead to death. One group composed of 542 patients was given standard treatment along with cod liver oil, while another group of 535 patients was given only the standard treatment.

At the conclusion of the study, doctors saw stabilization of the disease in 18 percent of the patients given cod liver oil, while only six percent of those in the control group saw improvement. Thirty-three percent of patients in the control group also ended up dying, compared to only 19 percent of those in the cod liver oil group.. Read more…

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Complex cancer industry trial literature is too confusing for patients to understand

By J. D. Heyes

Have you ever read something so complex and confusing that it frustrated you to the point of distraction? Well, a new study has found that cancer trial literature causes that kind of frustration - and may be misleading to patients as well.

According to Prof. Mary Dixon-Woods, professor of Medical Sociology at the University of Leicester Department of Health Sciences in Great Britain, a number of cancer patients found information leaflets describing cancer trials too long, too incomprehensible and too intimidating.

"These information sheets are poorly aligned with patients' information needs and how they really make decisions about whether to join a cancer trial," said Dixon-Woods, lead author of the research http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-03/uol-cti032612.php, which was published in the international journal Sociology of Health and Illness.

"Some patients did find them very useful, but many others paid them little attention. They preferred to rely on discussions they had with their doctor to make up their minds," she said.

Creating confusion among patients

Her research, conducted as a collaboration with the Departments of Health Sciences and Cancer Studies at the University of Leicester, sought to find out why cancer trial sheets are so difficult to get right. Tracing 13 cancer trials, Dixon-Woods and her team examined information sheets from when they were first prepared by researchers leading the trials through the review and approval process by ethics panels. Read more...

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Investigation of dangerous medical device implants reveals most have never been tested for safety

by: Jonathan Benson Did you know that the vast majority of medical devices on the market today have received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) without ever having been properly safety tested? A thorough investigation by Consumer Reports has revealed that the medical device approval process is a pay-for-play sham that is putting millions of people at risk of serious injury or death. Confirming two earlier studies that were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and the American Journal of Therapeutics (AJT) back in 2010 (http://www.naturalnews.com/028276_FDA_medical_devices.html), the Consumer Reports findings expose the FDA's complete lack of oversight of the medical device industry. Rather than require that medical device manufacturers prove the safety of medical devices prior to their approval, the FDA instead extorts user fees in exchange for the agency's seal of approval. Read more... 

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The hidden (sick) agenda behind chemtrails

by: Jonathan Landsman

We, the people, are under attack by a small group of mad scientists, out-of-control government agencies and profit-seeking billionaires pretending to "save the earth" from global warming. These "global control-freaks" want to manipulate weather patterns - in order to dominate the Earth's resources. In reality, military programs like HAARP and chemtrails which over-heat the atmosphere and poison the sky (and farmland) seriously threaten all life on this planet. (keep reading -with an open mind)

What if global warming was just a hoax or worse? Are these toxic substances in chemtrails, GMO's and vaccines being (deliberately) created to reduce the world population? Discover the real threats to humanity on the next NaturalNews Talk Hour - visit: http://www.naturalhealth365.com and enter your email address for free show details. Read more...

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Diabetes Overview

Diabetes occurs when the body does not produce or properly use insulin, a hormone necessary to convert sugar, starches and other food into the energy we need for daily life.

There are two major types of diabetes:

Type I. Also called juvenile diabetes, type I diabetes is an autoimmune disorder that accounts for 5 to 10 percent of all cases of diabetes. In type I diabetics, the body does not produce any insulin; people with this form of diabetes must take daily insulin injections to stay alive. This type is initially diagnosed most often in children and young adults.
Type II. Also called adult-onset diabetes, type II diabetes is a metabolic disorder resulting from the body's inability to properly use or ultimately make enough insulin. It is the most common form of the disease, accounting for 90 to 95 percent of diabetes. Type II diabetes is nearing epidemic proportions, a result of a greater prevalence of obesity and sedentary lifestyles (two reasons more children are being diagnosed with type II diabetes) and an increasing number of older Americans in the population.
Causes and Symptoms Read more...

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Soda industry desperate to avoid cancer classification

Soda industry desperate to avoid cancer classification of toxic chemicals used to make caramel color
by: Ethan A. Huff

The processed beverage industry is fighting tooth and nail to stop federal regulators from publicly identifying a toxic ingredient in many popular cola brands as being a cancer-causing chemical. 4-methylimidazole (4-MI), a chemical used to make the "caramel color" agent added to Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola, Snapple Group Inc.'s Dr. Pepper, and Whole Foods' 365 cola, among others, has been found to cause cancer in mammals, and yet the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) refuses, thus far, to ban it from use in food.

Last year, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a public advocacy group, filed a regulatory petition with the FDA to have caramel color that contains 4-MI banned from food. Not only does 4-MI-laden caramel color serve "a non-essential, cosmetic purpose" in food, but caramel color also does not have to be produced using 4-MI in the first place, which means banning the chemicalized form of caramel color is really a no-brainer when it comes to protecting public health (http://www.naturalnews.com/031383_caramel_coloring_cola.html).Read more...

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Rapid Weight Loss in Seniors Signals Higher Dementia Risk

(HealthDay News) -- Losing weight rapidly late in life seems to signal a greater risk of experiencing some form of dementia, new research suggests.

For older adults, "basically, we saw that if you are thinner or are losing weight at a faster rate, then you are at a higher risk of developing dementia," said study author Tiffany F. Hughes, a postdoctoral fellow in the department of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

"This is in contrast to other studies that have shown higher BMI in middle age to increase risk of dementia," she acknowledged. "What is likely going on is that higher BMI in middle age is a true risk factor for dementia, while being thinner or losing weight more quickly in old age is a result of dementia that has not been detected yet."

Hughes, who conducted her research while a doctoral student at University of South Florida, published the findings in the May 19 issue of Neurology.

To assess the association, the study authors focused on a group of just over 1,800 Japanese Americans living in Washington state. Read more...

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Carnosine and lifestyle changes inhibit telomere shortening

by: John Phillip

Scientists have understood the basic mechanism of telomeres, the small zipper-like capsules that bind our DNA genetic material and enable precise cellular reproduction, for more than a decade now. As each cell replicates, the telomere shortens and the potential life-cycle of the cell diminishes slightly until there is no more telomere and cell death ensues. Researchers publishing in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology have found that telomere shortening accurately predicts the risk of developing heart disease, suffering a heart attack and early death from all causes. Read more...

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Six steps to create your own organic permaculture garden

by: Tara Green

Organic gardening avoids the use of chemicals to make plants grow or protect them from insects, relying instead on natural gardening principles used for thousands of years. Permaculture organic gardening goes a step further and also emphasizes growing plants sustainably, working with rather than against the grain of the natural environment. Permaculture organic gardening is growing in popularity as more people realize that it offers an inexpensive and relatively low-maintenance way to grow their own fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers.


Choosing a location

Observe your property at different times of day. Consider which areas receive the most sun, which are in shade for much of the day. Depending on where you live, if sunshine is a scarce commodity, you will want to expose plants to receive as much as possible. On the other hand, in desert regions, you will not want your plants to be in the area most likely to be parched by sun exposure. Also think protecting your garden from the paths where strong winds tend to blow through your property. Even a small property will have microclimates -- notice these and plant accordingly to give different plants either more sun or more shade according to their preference. Read more...

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Antioxidants in chickweed may help with eczema, hemorrhoids, and cancer

by: Donna Earnest Pravel

There is probably not one gardener in North America or Europe who would have difficulty identifying chickweed and thus, have pulled it out of their lawn or garden. While scorned by gardeners, chickweed's straggly green stems with tiny white star-shaped flowers are favored by both chefs and herbalists. Chickweed (Stelleria media) contains a succulent flavor that enhances raw vegetable salads. Herbalists have found that chickweed is effective in treating hemorrhoids, eczema, and other irritating skin conditions.

Chickweed may be useful in the treatment of eczema, though scientific data is lacking

One report published by the University of Maryland Medical Center suggests using chickweed as an herbal supplement in the treatment of eczema. In this report, chamomile was seen to have the most medical literature backing up the herb for the relief of eczema and itching. However, the university did mention that though scientific data is lacking, there is some support for the use of chickweed as either a salve or in an ointment for eczema as well. Read more...

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Ingredient in Botanicals Tied to Urinary Cancer

(HealthDay News) -- New research links a carcinogen known as aristolochic acid, which is found in some Chinese herbal products, including guan mu-tong, to a higher risk of urinary tract cancer.

The findings were reported online Dec. 21 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

The study involved 4,594 people in Taiwan who had just been diagnosed with urinary tract cancer, as well as a random sample of 174,701 people from the country.

The cancer rate was higher among those who had been prescribed more than 60 grams of mu-tong (which the researchers said might have had guan mu-tong in it) and among people who had consumed an estimated 150 milligrams or more of aristolochic acid. Read more...

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Bipolar Kids May Focus on Different Facial Features

(HealthDay News) -- Children with bipolar disorder and a similar condition called severe mood dysregulation spend less time looking at the eyes when trying to identify facial features, compared to children without the psychiatric disorders, researchers say.

This new study finding may help explain why children with bipolar disorder and severe mood dysregulation have difficulty determining other people's emotional expressions, said the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health investigators.

The researchers tracked the eye movements of children with and without psychiatric disorders as they viewed faces with different emotional expressions, such as happy, sad, fearful and angry. In general, the children spent more time looking at the eyes, the facial feature that conveys the most information about emotion.

However, children with bipolar disorder and severe mood dysregulation paid less attention to the eyes and more attention to the noses and mouths of the faces.

The study was presented this week at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in San Diego. Read more...

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Scientists prove the healing effects of wheat grass juice and wheat grass extract

by: Donna Earnest Pravel

Wheat grass is composed of the young shoots of wheat before stalks form a head with grain. It contains no wheat gluten, and is considered by many natural health professionals to possess healing properties. Wheat grass is, by composition, a superfood. This is due to wheat grass's heavy concentration of chlorophyll, vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. Wheat grass is usually consumed either as wheat grass powder or juice. It can be taken orally, or as an effective enema implant for detoxification. Clinical studies have confirmed that wheat grass juice and wheat grass extract do have healing properties. Wheat grass juice has been used clinically to treat ulcerative colitis, aid breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, and act as a potent antioxidant. Read more...

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