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Thursday, February 28, 2013

Five disorders from depression to autism share a genetic link, which could pave the way for new treatments

Autism, ADHD, bipolar disorder, depression and schizophrenia overlap at a genetic level

Two gene markers common to all of the disorders govern the balance of calcium in brain cells

New understanding could help develop treatments

The five most common mental health and developmental disorders share a common genetic root, a study has found.

Scientists found a link between autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder, depression and schizophrenia.

The findings, from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, could revolutionise how doctors think about the conditions.

Depression sufferers share certain gene mutations with those who have autism

'We have been able to discover specific genetic variants that seem to overlap among disorders that we think of as very clinically different,' study leader Dr Jordan Smoller told NBC News.

The team found four genetic variants were associated with all five conditions. These markers were more common in people with the one of the disorders compared to healthy people.

In particular, the research highlighted mutations in two genes that help govern the balance of calcium in brain cells. One of the roles calcium plays is in communication between cells.

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The discovery could lead scientists to reclassify the conditions and pave the way to new treatments, say the researchers writing in the The Lancet medical journal.

Scientists scanned the genome, or genetic code, of more than 33,000 patients with mental disorders as well as 27,888 healthy individuals.

The study was the largest investigation of genetic links to psychiatric illness ever conducted.

While the five conditions have always been thought of as separate they do share some symptoms.

For instance, mood and thinking problems can occur with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression. And children with ADHD often have symptoms of other developmental disorders, such as autism.

While the latest study doesn't prove every single case is related, it shows that they aren't totally separate at a genetic level.

Dr Smoller added: 'Significant progress has been made in understanding the genetic risk factors underlying psychiatric disorders.

'Our results provide new evidence that may inform a move beyond descriptive syndromes in psychiatry and towards classification based on underlying causes.'

However, he pointed out that the variants they found were just a tiny fraction of the thousands of genes involved in the disorders.

Carol Povey, Director of the Centre for Autism at The National Autistic Society, said: 'This research marks an important step in improving our understanding of autism and its complex causes.

'The study confirms that there is no single gene responsible for autism. It is thought to be the result of many different underlying physical and genetic factors.'

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Trim your inner thighs

Strengthen your thigh muscles in just minutes with this toning workout

1The Routine

Summer’s staples (shorts, swimsuits, and slim-cut pants) put the inner thighs on display. To target these tricky-to-hit muscles (and the surrounding ones), use this routine by Matthew Hurst, owner of Training Zone, a gym in Atlanta. Beginners should do each of the standing exercises 15 to 20 times; the intermediate and advanced can repeat them 25 to 30 times.
2Move 1: Wide-Stance Squat

Jason Lee for Real Simple
(A) Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and toes pointed out to 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock.
(B) Slowly lower for two counts into a squat position. Hold the squat for one count, then straighten your legs for two counts to go back to the starting position.
3Move 2: First-Position Plié Squat

Jason Lee for Real Simple
Begin with heels touching and toes slightly turned out. (A) Keeping heels together, rise up onto your toes. (Hold on to a wall if you feel wobbly, but maintain posture.)
(B) Bend your knees into a half squat for two counts, then come back up in two counts, keeping heels together.
6 Easy Resistance Band Exercises
4Move 3: Squat With Ball

Jason Lee for Real Simple
(A) Position your feet shoulder-width apart with toes pointed straight ahead. Place a medium rubber ball (or a knotted beach towel) between your legs just above the knees.
(B) Squeezing your inner thighs to keep the ball steady, lower into a squat for two counts. Hold for one, then return to standing for two counts.
Fun Hola-Hoop Exercise Routines
5Move 4: Wide-Stance Arm Swing

(A) Place your feet just wider than shoulder-width apart and point toes to 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock. Grasp a dumbbell (three to five pounds for beginners, 8 to 12 for more advanced) vertically in front of your stomach.
(B) With arms straight, lift the weight to shoulder height as you lower into a squat for two counts. Hold for one count, then slowly lower the weight and return to standing for two counts.
6Move 5: Inner-Thigh Press With Rubber Ball

Jason Lee for Real Simple
Lying on your back on a mat, bend your knees so that the soles of your feet are flat on the floor. Place a medium rubber ball (or a knotted beach towel) between your knees. Contract your inner thighs to squeeze the ball for 30 seconds. Relax for 10 seconds, then repeat the cycle four more times.
Tighten Your Glutes in 15 Minutes

FDA approves drug for FDA approves drug for painful sex in women

Health regulators said on Tuesday they have approved a drug made by Japan's Shionogi & Co to treat women experiencing pain during sexual intercourse.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the drug, Osphena, for a type of pain known as dyspareunia, which is a symptom of vulvar and vaginal atrophy due to menopause.
Dyspareunia is associated with declining levels of estrogen hormones during menopause. Osphena, known chemically as ospemifene, is a pill that acts like estrogen on vaginal tissues to make them thicker and less fragile, resulting in a reduction in pain associated with intercourse.
The drug's label includes a boxed warning, the most severe available, alerting patients to an increased risk of strokes and deep vein thrombosis. Common side effects include hot flashes, vaginal discharge, muscle spasms and excessive sweating.

Late stage breast cancer on the rise in younger women

The incidence of metastatic breast cancer – the most advanced stage of the disease – is on the rise in younger women between the ages of 25 and 39, an analysis of breast cancer trends revealed.

However, the slight increase is unique to the younger demographic, as the rising trend does not correspond to the older female population.

Conducted by researchers at the University of Washington, Seattle and St. Charles Health System in Bend, Ore., the study reveals a bizarre anomaly in cancer rates, which could have serious implications for women in this age group.

“It’s a concern because of the poor survival of metastatic breast cancer compared to other stages,” lead author Dr. Rebecca Johnson, a pediatric oncologist at Seattle Children’s Hospital and University of Washington, told FoxNews.com. “…Between patients who were diagnosed with (metastatic) disease and patients diagnosed with either regional or localized disease, the difference in survival is around 55 percent.”

Metastatic breast cancer, also called stage IV or distant disease, refers to the stage of breast cancer in which the disease has spread to distant organs – most notably the bone, the brain and the liver. While prognosis estimates for metastatic breast cancer have improved greatly over the years, the five-year survival rate for this stage of breast cancer is still fairly low at 23.8 percent, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Breast cancer at 27

While working with the Livestrong Young Adult Alliance, Johnson and her research team began looking at common cancers among adolescents and adults, hoping to tease apart the reasons why the cancers in these age groups are unique. Her motivation for looking at breast cancer trends specifically was sparked by a personal experience in her own life.

“I had breast cancer when I was 27,” Johnson said. “After that I had friends who were diagnosed and friends of friends who were diagnosed, and it seemed like there was a surprisingly large number of young women who were getting breast cancer.”

Johnson and her colleagues obtained breast cancer trend records from three National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registries. The data ranges were from 1973 to 2009, 1992 to 2009, and 2000 to 2009, and information included incidence trends, survival rates as a function of age and the stage of the disease at diagnosis.

The researchers found the incidence of metastatic breast cancer has been rising steadily in women between the ages of 25 and 39 over the past 30 years, increasing from 1.53 per 100,000 in 1976 to 2.90 per 100,000 in 2009. The rise translates to a 2.07 percent increase over the 34-year period.

While the increase may seem small, Johnson said statistically the rate is larger than they imagined and shows no evidence for decelerating.

“It’s a concern because the rate is increasing so fast, and our data shows that the trend appears to be accelerating over time,” Johnson said. “And it’s increasing even faster in the most recent era.”

While the research doesn’t explain why the trend is occurring, Johnson believes there is likely an external cause – perhaps a lifestyle change in the population of younger women that is predisposing them to breast cancer.

“Perhaps there is some exposure to an environmental toxin that has changed over time,” Johnson said. “We tried to understand if there was one known risk factor that was changing at the same rate as the incidence change for metastatic cancer, and we didn’t find such a risk factor. So, we think it’s most likely that either the risk factor that’s behind this trend has not yet been described or is perhaps multi-factorial – meaning it takes several risk factors to explain the change.”

In the meantime, Johnson hopes the research will educate the population about the rising risks, since younger women typically do not believe themselves to be in danger of contracting breast cancer. According to the American Cancer Society Guidelines, yearly mammogram screenings are generally not recommended for women under the age of 40, and breast self-exams are often the preferred detection method for women in their 20s.

With the knowledge that such advanced breast cancer is on the rise in the younger population, both doctors and women themselves can hopefully be more aware of what is happening and potentially diagnose or start medical intervention earlier, Johnson said. She feels that such awareness could potentially save a number of lives.

“We don’t know actually for a fact that an increased awareness would change the rates,” Johnson said, “but for any given woman, it’s possible that presenting for medical care earlier might change her particular story.”

Cases of 'untreatable gonorrhoea' soar by 25% in a YEAR

21,000 cases of gonorrhoea were diagnosed in 2011

Health Protection Agency has warned the STI is becoming more resistant to treatment

Gonorrhoea is spread during unprotected sex

Cases of 'untreatable gonorrhoea' have soared 25 per cent in a year, as experts warn the disease is becoming more resistant to treatment.

More than 20,000 new cases of the sexually-transmitted infection were diagnosed in 2011.

The spike has led to the launch of a new campaign to tackle the growing threat in England and Wales in a bid to reverse the trend.

Health experts are hoping the first Gonorrhoea Resistance Action Plan will increase awareness of the disease, which is the second most common bacterial STI in England.

The plan, established by the Health Protection Agency, will monitor the global problem of increasing resistance over the last 10 years.

It comes after the 2011 data revealed up to a third of reported cases were repeat gonorrhoea infections. Over a third of cases were in men who have sex with men, up from around a quarter in 2010.

Professor Cathy Ison, lead author of the Grasp campaign, said: 'Ensuring treatment resistant gonorrhoea strains do not persist and spread remains a major public health concern.

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'The Grasp action plan raises awareness of this important issue and sets out practical, measurable actions to extend the useful life of the current recommended therapies in England and Wales.'

Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the bacterium responsible for the sexually transmitted infection gonorrhoea

Gonorrhoea is treated with a single dose of antibiotics which are at least 95 per cent effective, according to the NHS. However, if left untreated it can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease or infertility.

In England and Wales, the risk of gonorrhoea resistance developing in current first-line therapies (ceftriaxone and azithromycin) fell slightly for the first time in five years in 2011.

However, cases of treatment failure have now been reported globally and, with no new antimicrobial agents in the pipeline, Professor Sally Davies, England's Chief Medical Officer, recently advised government to add the threat of infection resistance to frontline antibiotics to the civil emergencies risk register.

Prof Davies said: 'We have seen a worrying rise in cases of drug resistant gonorrhoea over the last decade.

'Antimicrobial resistance to common drugs will increasingly threaten our ability to tackle infections and the Health Protection Agency's work is vital to addressing this threat.'

Great abortion divide: Rates falling in over-40s but rising among career girls

WWW.HEALTHYBARN.COM

Fewer older women have abortions as more choose to become mothers

Office for National Statistics show abortions rising among younger women

Number of teen pregnancies fallen by 10 per cent in England and Wales

The number of older women having abortions is falling fast as more choose to be mothers

Abortions among older women are falling fast as growing numbers choose to become mothers.

But figures published yesterday showed that, at the same time, abortion rates have been going up among younger women as more pursue higher education and careers.

The findings from the Office for National Statistics suggest that women over 40 are increasingly unlikely to regard pregnancy as a mistake, while many are actively trying to start a family.

The abandonment of abortion by the great majority of women who conceive over the age of 40 was revealed by records of conceptions in 2011 in England and Wales.

Conception rates among women over 40 went up 3.7 per cent in a year and have now more than doubled in two decades.

In 1990, there were 12,032 women aged over 40 who became pregnant. By 2011 that had reached 28,747. But in 2011 just over a quarter of those women went for an abortion, while a decade ago the proportion was almost 35 per cent, and 20 years ago it was nearly 42 per cent.

The ONS report said: ‘Reasons for an increased number of women aged 40 and over conceiving include increased participation in higher education; delayed marriage and partnership formation; the desire to establish a career, get on the housing ladder and ensure financial stability before starting a family.’ It also noted ‘a shift in aspirations of young women towards education’.

At the peak age for motherhood, between 30 and 34, only 12.8 per cent of pregnant women had abortions in 2011.

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But abortion rates among under-30s have been rising as more pursue education and careers, and as women put off marrying or decide they cannot afford children.

Among women aged between 20 and 24, 27.7 per cent of pregnancies ended in abortion. Nearly half of all pregnancies to girls under 18 ended in abortions, and six out of ten pregnancies to girls under 16 are terminated.

Teen pregnancy rates fell sharply in the year after the Coalition Government abandoned Labour’s flagship Teenage Pregnancy Strategy, a £250million campaign to spread contraception and sex education that was meant to halve the rate at which girls under 18 in England become pregnant.

The number of teenage pregnancies in England and Wales fell by 10 per cent but the target set by Tony Blair to halve teen pregnancy rates is still far from being met

Conceptions among women under 18 in England and Wales fell by 10 per cent to just over 31,000, and pregnancies among girls under 16 also fell by 10 per cent to under 6,000.

Despite the fall, the target of halving teen pregnancy rates that was set by Tony Blair in the early days of his premiership is still far from being met.

Earlier this month the ONS said that unemployment and worklessness are the key reasons influencing teenage pregnancy, and played down lack of free contraception or sex education as a cause.

Professor David Paton of Nottingham University Business School said yesterday: ‘Teenage pregnancy rates have only been going down since 2008, by which time the Teenage Pregnancy Strategy had already spent a lot of money.

‘The rate has still been going down since the TPA ended in 2010.

‘It confirms what we already know from the scientific literature – reducing teen pregnancy is not a matter of more contraception and sex education.’

He added: ‘One factor is that more girls want to stay on at school.’

Married straight couples are 'healthier than gay couples': Scientists back calls for same-sex marriage

Researchers believe allowing gay couples to marry could improve their health

Gay men in relationships are 61 per cent more likely to have poor or fair health than married men

Gay cohabiting women are 46 per cent more likely to have poor health or fair than married women

Married heterosexual couples are healthier than people in same-sex relationships, researchers have claimed.

The scientists, from Michigan State University, believe that this could be down to a number of factors, including a lack of resources, such as partner health insurance, that come with marriage.

Therefore, the team say that allowing gay couples to marry could improve their health.

Married heterosexual couples are healthier than people in same-sex relationships, a new study suggests

Dr Hui Liu wrote in the Journal of Health and Social Behaviour that previous research has already shown that married people are healthier than unmarried ones.

He said: ‘Although our study did not specifically test the health consequences of legalising same-sex marriage, it's very plausible that legalisation of gay marriage would reduce health disparities between same-sex cohabiters and married heterosexuals.’

The researchers studied the self-rated health of 1,659 same-sex men living together and 1,634 same-sex cohabiting women with that of their different-sex married, different-sex cohabiting, single, divorced and widowed counterparts.

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Dr Liu said: ‘The odds of reporting poor or fair health were about 61 per cent higher for same-sex cohabiting men than for men in heterosexual marriages and the odds of reporting poor or fair health were about 46 per cent higher for same-sex cohabiting women than for women in heterosexual marriages.’

Being married could increase the chance of surviving middle age and decrease the risk of heart attacks

Dr Liu said discrimination could play a part, explaining: ‘Research consistently suggests that “out” sexual minorities experience heightened levels of stress and higher levels of discrimination, and these experiences may adversely affect the health of this population.

‘It may also be that same-sex cohabitation does not provide the same psychosocial, socioeconomic, and institutional resources that come with legal marriage, factors that are theorised to be responsible for many of the health benefits of marriage.

‘Legalising same-sex marriage could also provide other advantages often associated with heterosexual marriage, such as partner health insurance benefits and the ability to file joint tax returns, that may directly and indirectly influence the health of individuals in same-sex unions.’

This is not the first time that it has been suggested that marriage is good for your health.

Earlier this month a study in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology suggested that being married cuts your risk of having a heart attack and makes you more likely to survive cardiac arrest if it does happen.

The study also revealed that single and divorced people have the highest risk of fatal attacks at any age, with a greater chance of dying before getting to hospital.

The study showed that there were 58-66 per cent more cardiac events, including heart attacks, among unmarried men and 60-65 per cent more among unmarried women.

Another survey published this year showed that married people are more likely to survive middle age.

Researchers at the Duke University Medical Centre, in North Carolina, found that people who never married were almost three times as likely to die early than those who had been in a stable marriage throughout their adult life.

Nearly half of new mothers wait just SIX weeks after giving birth before having sex again

WWW.HEALTHYBARN.COM

Most women say they start having sex again six to eight weeks after giving birth to their first child, according to a new study from Australia.

The study periodically surveyed 1,507 first-time mothers living in Melbourne, Australia about their sexual activity within the first year after childbirth

Overall, 41 percent said they had resumed vaginal sex within 6 weeks after delivering their baby, 65 percent by eight weeks, 78 percent by 12 weeks and 94 percent by 6 months.

Generally, the women said they had engaged in some type of sexual contact before resuming vaginal sex, with 53 percent saying they had engaged in some type of sexual activity by 6 weeks after childbirth.

Operations such as a Caesarean section

, or the use of forceps during delivery tended to delay the resumption of sex. At 6 weeks, 45 percent of women who had a undergone a C-section and 32 percent who had had n assisted birth said they had resumed vaginal sex.

An incision or tear in the perineum, the region between the vagina and the anus, reduced the likelihood of having sex at 6 weeks: just 32 percent of women who had had an incision and 35 percent who had sustained a tear had resumed sex at this time.

Because just 10 percent of women will give birth to their first child without suffering a trauma to the perineum, it is reasonable for most couples to anticipate a delay to the start of vaginal sex after childbirth, the researchers said.

"This is useful information for couples to know before their baby is born, and may help reduce feelings of anxiety and guilt about not resuming sexual activity sooner," said study researcher Ellie McDonald, of the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute in Melbourne.

Because the study was conducted in Australia, it's not clear if the results apply elsewhere.

Many factors influence when a couple engages in sex again after childbirth, and the decision will be different for each couple. Many doctors recommend delaying sex for four to six weeks after childbirth to allow the cervix to close, bleeding to stop and tears to heal, according to the Mayo Clinic.

When couples do start having sex again, proper use of birth control is important if the couple does not want another child right away. Some studies show that a short time period between pregnancies

is linked to an increased risk of complications such as preterm birth and a low birth-weight baby.

The study will be published Feb. 27 in the BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

41 per cent of women try sex within six weeks of birth

By 12 weeks, this had risen to 78 per cent and 94 per cent after six months, claim Australian researchers

Older mothers and those who have Caesareans take longer to resume sexual relations

Most of us assume that sex is the last thing on the minds of sleep-deprived new mothers.

But new research suggests that nearly half wait just six weeks after giving birth to rekindle the romance.

Australian researchers found that 41 per cent tried sex within six weeks of giving birth. By 12 weeks, this had risen to 78 per cent and 94 pent by the six-month mark.

Nearly half of first-time mothers wait just six weeks after giving birth to have sex again

Older mothers and those who had undergone Caesarean sections took longer to get their sex lives back on track.

Those who had sex within six weeks of birth were less likely to have undergone surgery or a forceps delivery or suffered an injury such as a cut or a tear during birth.

Forty five per cent of women who had a Caesarean section, and 32 per cent of women who had a forceps-assisted birth resumed sex within six week, compared with 60 per cent who had a normal vaginal delivery.

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However, the paper also states that only about 10 per cent of women having a first baby will achieve a vaginal birth without intervention, tear or cut.

The proportion of women having sex within six weeks of childbirth is also lower among older mothers; 40 per cent of 30 to 34-year-olds resumed sex within six weeks, compared to 63 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds.

The research, which was carried out by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, in Victoria, Australia, also found that sexual activity was resumed earlier than vaginal sex – 53 per cent of new mothers resumed some sexual activity within six weeks of giving birth.

Those who had sex within six weeks of birth were less likely to have undergone surgery or a forceps delivery

The study was published in the leading journal BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

The NHS does not give a recommended waiting time after birth – it suggests that new parents take their time and wait until they feel comfortable resuming penetrative sex.

Lead study author, Associate Professor Stephanie Brown, said: ‘The most important finding from the study is the wide time interval over which couples resume sex after childbirth.

‘Most couples do not resume sex until after 6 to 8 weeks postpartum, and many delay much longer than this.

‘This is useful information for couples to know before their baby is born, and may help reduce feelings of anxiety and guilt about not resuming sexual activity sooner.’

John Thorp, BJOG Deputy Editor in Chief said: ‘It is very common for women and their partners to want information about when sexual activity may be safely and comfortably resumed, and what to expect in relation to the impact of childbirth on their relationship.

‘Having reliable information to guide clinical practice can dispel common myths about what is normal during the postnatal period as well as enabling clinicians to tailor information to a woman’s individual circumstances.

‘This study provides important new evidence to guide information given to women and their partners about what to expect after childbirth. However, it is important to remember that these decisions are down to the individual couple and when it feels right for them.'

However, the National Childbirth Trust recommends that new mothers do not have sex until their post-birth bleeding stops because they otherwise risk infection.

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Thursday, February 28, 2013

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Wednesday, February 27, 2013

1The Routine

2Move 1: Wide-Stance Squat

3Move 2: First-Position Plié Squat

4Move 3: Squat With Ball

5Move 4: Wide-Stance Arm Swing

6Move 5: Inner-Thigh Press With Rubber Ball

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