Articles filed under 'MEDICAL DISCOVERIES'
If you are male and your partner is having trouble conceiving, you might not be familiar with the causes of infertility in men. Causes of infertility in men can be broken down into a few separate categories. Some of the problems can be treated through acupuncture for male infertility, but for other causes of male infertility, there may be no remedy. Your best advice is to go to your doctor to determine the cause of your male infertility.
Causes of male infertility can involve the sperm and problems with its delivery system. Acupuncture for male infertility can help by increasing the blood flow to the reproductive organs. This should lead to greater sperm production and mobility. Acupuncture for male infertility also provides relaxation that can help a man perform better. Environmental factors may also be a cause of male infertility..
What Causes Infertility in Men?: Sperm Issues
One cause of male infertility is the abnormal production of sperm. Sperm can be produced in a manner that is defective, or the sperm may be underdeveloped. Acupuncture for male infertility can help bring blood flow to the area. Another cause of infertility in men is not producing enough sperm. It may be the case that the sperm that are produced swim fine, but there are too few of them. Acupuncture for male infertility can help with sperm production.
Other problems with the sperm quality or sperm count can be caused by infections, such as sexually transmitted diseases, and can cause infertility in men. Certain genetic disorders may also be responsible for male infertility, in that they affect the way sperm function. In cases of genetics, acupuncture for male infertility is generally not helpful. Finally, undescended testes can be a cause of male infertility that affects sperm production.
What Causes Infertility in Men?: Delivery Issues
If the sperm are fine but they are somehow unable to reach the egg, this can be the cause of infertility in men. Some problems with sperm delivery can be as simple as a blocked sperm duct.. Another cause of male infertility, retrograde ejaculation, is a condition in which sperm flows backward into the bladder and are killed. Premature ejaculation can also be a cause of male infertility because the sperm cannot make their way into the uterus to fertilize the egg.
One of the biggest causes of male infertility that acupuncture for male infertility can help with is erectile dysfunction. Acupuncture for male infertility can help a man relieve his anxiety and stress and allow him to get a firm enough erection to have sex. Erectile dysfunction is a cause of male infertility because a man is unable to have an erection long enough to have sex and deliver the sperm. Acupuncture for male infertility can help bring blood flow to the penis to encourage strong erections.
What Causes Infertility in Men?: Environmental Factors
Acupuncture for male infertility cannot help with environmental factors that may cause male infertility. Smoking, alcohol, and recreational drugs are substances that can interfere with fertility in men. These habits can be stopped to increase fertility, and acupuncture for infertility may then be beneficial for you. Other environmental factors that are a cause of male infertility, but which you may not be able to avoid, are environmental pollutants and pesticides. Even too much heat can be a cause of male infertility, if you wear constricting undergarments or use a hot tub frequently.
If you are wondering what causes infertility in men or are looking for your cause of male infertility, Fifth Avenue Fertility Acupuncture can help you use acupuncture for male infertility to solve your problem and help you conceive. Visit their website at http://www.fifthavenueacupuncture.com for more information about their
March 12th, 2012
Due to so many different types of anabolic steroids available, one must keep in mind that the effects of each one are unique to that product. The casual user, who doesn’t really know a lot about steroids, might search for them through underground sources. Unfortunately, they don’t realize the dangers of the adverse effects they could experience. There are serious risks even if you know what you are doing. Anabolic steroids, in truth, are not meant to be used to improve an athlete’s performance. The internet prides itself on being the source of information on just about any topic – instantly – but this isn’t always a good thing. As a matter of fact, you can find places to buy steroids online when they’re not available from legal sources. Keep in mind, whether or not you are picking steroids or any product associated to best acne treatments , it is actually crucial that you simply concentrate on good quality.
Adequan is an injectable steroid that was developed very many years ago. Adequan’s main benefit is that it blocks destructive enzymes from causing more damage, encourages the repair of cartilage, and causes traumatic joint dysfunction to reverse. Although Adequan is popular with veterinarians for the treatment of animals, not many bodybuilders use it. Even though body builders didn’t find much use for Adequan, one mustn’t assume it didn’t gain popularity in sports where the athlete was more subject to a joint injury. The original purpose of Adequan was to prevent “use trauma” in the joints of horses caused by the day-in, day-out pounding of the their joints. It doesn’t come as a surprise, then, that many new steroid drugs have come into existence since the development of Adequan so many years ago. A more recent steroid that is available is called Aflutop. It seems to be taking over the market from Adequan.
The oral form for taking anabolic steroids, usually with a pill is, for the most part, the most widely-used method. Without a doubt, for the novice steroid user, it will be simpler to obtain the pills, and they will prove more popular to the newcomers. People who prefer to take their anabolic steroid by swallowing a pill must keep in mind that taking an anabolic steroid orally presents a better chance of having much more debilitating after-effects. Another reason taking anabolic steroids by pill is so popular is the fact that they enter the body quickly. If a user prefers an anabolic steroid that will leave their system rapidly, then the best choice is an oral anabolic steroid as compared to an injectable steroid. Still, at high levels of sports very often both oral and injection will be used. The transdermal patch is as excellent as how to get rid of cellulite naturally, so you must see excellent outcomes.
Another older anabolic steroid, that has been around for several decades, is Dianabol. D Bol is what this anabolic steroid is commonly called. Quite a few popular bodybuilders have gotten better results by combining testosterone with D Bol. With D Bol, you have the choice of taking the pill or getting a shot (injection). The health of your liver is something you must take into consideration if you want to take D Bol. It can cause liver problems. Increased hypertension (high blood pressure)can also result from the use of D Bol. From time to time, the recommendation on how much D Bol to take has varied. Many people decide to take the same dosage used by successful weight-lifters from days gone by. Is there any dosage that is safe for someone who is using it to enhance their athletic abilities? That is not a simple question to answer.
The development of the different types of steroids and the history of anabolic steroids themselves can be traced back into the early part of the 20th Century. It seems incredible, but if you read their history, you will find that ancient Greece has recorded accounts of steroids. All the same, continued underground research, nonetheless, increases and refines the information we have gathered throughout the years. That helps to account for the many different types of steroids each with specific actions in the body. Sometimes, after subjecting a newly developed steroid to clinical tests and even field tests, the hopes of the developers were dashed at the poor results obtained. Just like you’d wish to develop your acne scar removal products reviews organization together with the very best resources, the steroids need to be the best to get constructive outcomes for the body.
June 12th, 2011
It’s worth finding out from your doctor what may be the reasons someone may experience symptoms of insomnia. Insomnia may be temporary or chronic in nature, depending on how long it lasts. Chronic insomnia is the type that can lead to major life disruptions and day to day problems. There may be several factors at play that are causing your insomnia, and you should consider talking with your doctor to help sort them out. It’s entirely possible that your insomnia is caused by an undiscovered medial reason. Some clues about the nature of the problem may be found through self examination. Insomnia is often related to the level of anxiety someone has concerning their work environment. In the following narrative we’ll cover in detail three effective insomnia treatments.
First examining your sleep setting is key to making positive changes in your sleeping patterns. By sleep environment we are of course discussing your bedroom. Blocking the light from entering your bedroom will help you enjoy a more restful slumber. Shift workers that are awake at night, but sleep during the day may experience problems with daylight. Getting too warm while sleeping is a common occurrence that may cause fitful sleep. You might find the sheets chilling when you first get into bed, but the effect is temporary.
It’s been shown that sleep disturbances may be related to certain prescription medications. Allergy medications or antidepressants often act like stimulants and can keep you from sleeping well. Having a candid discussion with a medical professional may prove effective in identifying medication related insomnia. Commonly sold drugs often contain stimulants like caffeine. You would be well served to educate yourself on what these products are comprised of. Each person experiences insomnia differently, and that must be taken into account. Your physician or pharmacist may be able to suggest some medications that do not contain stimulants.
If you are the type of person that finds it difficult to relax, you should make an effort to do so. People in modern civilizations no longer understand the importance of actively engaging in relaxation. United States citizens are among the most stressful populations in the world. Money is at the root of many people’s daily stress contributors. Stress can easily be lessened by engaging in moderate exercise. If your life is too hectic to set aside time for physical activity, then consider taking a short stroll after supper. You should actively try to seek out what may lie at the root of your sleep disturbances and work to remedy the cause.
It’s well known that a person’s daily routine can play a role in the cause of insomnia. Some of the more obvious contributing causes for insomnia may become readily apparent. Once you understand what may be the cause, you can better determine what treatment to engage in.
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June 12th, 2011
The existence of a link between certain viruses and cancer has been known to scientists for some time now. Among the most well-known virus-initiated cancers, cervical cancer can be triggered by high-risk oncogenic Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) that cause severe cell abnormalities. Such cancers are known to be caused by viruses because their genome can be found in the cancer cells.
A new study, however, has found that not all viruses leave their ‘fingerprints’ in cancerous cells. The study, conducted by scientists at the University of Cambridge, provides evidence for the existence of ‘hit and run’ cancer viruses that can invade a cell, initiate cancer and then vanish without a trace.
The study, conducted in mice, found that a specific type of mouse herpesvirus was able to invade the host cell and cause oncogenic changes that triggered cancer yet; it left no signs of a viral infection in the cancerous cell.
“We are saying that herpes viruses could cause a lot more disease than you would guess if you limited your suspicion to just cancers that came out having the virus genome in them” said study researcher and author, Philip Stevenson, to LiveScience.
The findings further showed that vaccinating the mice against the herpesvirus tested, protected them from developing cancer. If this evidence holds true in humans, immunization against oncogenic herpesviruses can prove effective in the prevention of many more cancers.
Sources: Stevenson et al. (2010), Journal of General Virology; LiveScience.com; August 19, 2010; National Cancer Institute – HPV; ScienceDaily.com; August 19, 2010.
Author: Karla Robleto, Ph.D.
August 20th, 2010
Schizophrenia is a serious and disabling psychiatric disorder affecting approximately 1% of the population over the age of 18. Its social and economic impact is so detrimental that it is placed as one of the top ten causes of long term disability around the world.
Presently, pharmacological therapy is the basis of treatment for schizophrenia and although great progress has been achieved in this area, drug treatment is only partially effective. Besides of the often debilitating side effects, cognitive, functional and neurobiological deficits still persist. Given the highly heritable component of schizophrenia, genetic research can be extremely valuable in paving the way for the discovery of new molecular targets that can lead to major advances in both prevention and treatment of this disorder.
One of the most promising genes, dysbindin (dystrobrevin binding protein 1), has been frequently reported to be linked with a number of the cognitive impairments present in schizophrenia.Also known as DTNBP1, has been found to have a significant role in synaptic transmission.
The association between dysbindin and schizophrenia has been replicated in several populations around the world. Notably, altered dysbindin expression has been widely reported to be associated with many of the cognitive deficits prominent in schizophrenia such as deficits in working memory and attention. Post-mortem studies further show a significant reduction of dysbindin mRNA and protein expression levels in both the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus; two of the brain areas typically affected in the disorder.
More recently, it has been reported that dysbindin is an important player in both glutamatergic transmission and cell protection processes which are mechanisms typically observed to be altered in schizophrenia , further pointing to the relevance of dysbindin in the psychopathology of the disorder. How these alterations affect synaptic transmission and contribute to cognitive impairments is an important question that still remains poorly understood. This work can provide invaluable insight into specific molecular markers that contribute to some of the neural deficits observed in schizophrenia and can therefore provide more targeted treatments for the disorder.
Sources: Straub et al., 2002; Schwab et al., 2003, Funke et al., 2004; Benson, et al., 2001., Donohoe et al., 2007.
Author: Karla Robleto, Ph.D.
June 19th, 2010
Some tumors of the prostate do not respond to standard hormone therapy. Now there is a new drug on the horizon that appears to slow the growth of difficult-to-treat tumors. Two small studies have yielded promising results.
In the first of these studies, a drug called abiraterone shrank tumors by 30% in one-fourth of 31 men whose prostate cancer did not respond to standard therapies and continued to grow. In 35% of the patients taking the experimental drug, their tumors stopped growing.
Standard PSA (prostate-specific antigen) measurements were able to give accurate indications of each response to the new treatment. PSA levels after 12 weeks of treatment with abiraterone lowered PSA levels by 50% or more in 71% of the patients. In two men, the PSA fell so dramatically, it was undetectable.
A leading medical authority at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles Radiation Oncology Department called abiraterone currently the most promising prostate cancer drug on the horizon. He explained that the new hormone therapy appears to be active in men not responsive to other hormone treatments.
Abiraterone works differently from other hormone treatments in wide use today. The new drug targets an enzyme called CYP17 that is needed to produce male hormones throughout the body. Current hormonal treatments can only prevent production of male hormones in the testes. Other parts of the body are still able to produce testosterone and related hormones called androgens that fuel the growth of prostate cancer.
The first study involved men who were initially treated surgically or medically to prevent testosterone production in the testes. None had received chemotherapy, sometimes administered when the cancer does not respond well to hormone therapy. Men in the study took abiraterone orally once a day and generally tolerated the drug without serious side effects.
In a second study, men who were given chemotherapy after their hormone treatment no longer worked showed similar encouraging results after taking the experimental drug. Cougar Biosciences is the manufacturer of abiraterone, and they funded this study.
Researchers have begun enrolling men in a larger and longer study. Patients will be randomly assigned to abiraterone or a placebo (sugar pill). If results continue to be promising, the company will apply to the FDA for approval of the drug. Unfortunately, these studies and the approval process can take several years.
In the U.S., prostate cancer was diagnosed in over 180,000 men and 28,000 men died of the disease in 2008. It is the second most common cause of cancer death in the U.S.
Source: WebMD Health News; 3/1/09 written by Charlene Laino and reviewed by Louise Chang, M.D. blog article by Anna Dabney
March 2nd, 2009
The most recent of several studies involving women who had breast cancer and who also take drugs to strengthen bone shows encouraging results. The study of 1,800 women, published recently in the New England Journal of Medicine, involved those who took hormonal therapy to block estrogen production that fuels growth in certain breast cancers. Half of the group was also given zoledronic acid, or Zometa, intravenously twice a year for three years. Women given Zometa showed a 36 percent reduction in cancer recurrences and metastases, compared to half the group who didn’t get it.
 Four years later, 54 women receiving zoledronic acid and 83 who didn’t get the bone drug had a recurrence, a new cancer in the second breast, or a spreading of cancer to the bone. The question is, shouldn’t all women on hormonal therapy for breast cancer receive Zometa or a similar bone drug? Before prescribing these drugs as standard therapy, researchers plan to examine results from two other large studies now nearing completion. Women taking hormonal therapy are blocking estrogen production, which in turn can cause thinning of bones. Why not add the bone-building drugs to their anti-cancer therapies?
 Cancer cells are known to interact with a type of bone cell called osteoclasts, whose role is to break down bone. Breast cancer cells sometimes migrate to the bones and stimulate osteoclasts, which in turn stimulate cancer cells. It’s a vicious cycle. But what if the cycle can be interrupted?
 Drugs used to treat the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis have been shown to stop osteoclasts from releasing substances that cause bone loss. As osteoclasts stop working, they die. Other studies of bisphosphonates to prevent osteoporosis have shown in lab studies that they might have other anticancer effects. Bisphosphonates affected the ability of cancer cells to stick to surrounding tissue, to invade and grow in numbers. One of the new study’s lead researchers believes that bisphosphonates could squelch the cells that migrate to the bones and hide in marrow, thus affecting the ability of breast cancer to recur.
 Researchers are also investigating whether bisphosphonates could treat cancer that has already metastasized to bone. After determining that they could, zoledronic acid and other bisphosphonates were approved for women with bone metastasis. These therapies were shown in one study to prevent further spread of cancer in bones. Zometa is approved only for bone complications of cancer and is not an official drug for osteoporosis. There is a rare but quite serious side effect, osteonecrosis of the jaw, which has been seen with bisphosphonate use. No instances have been seen in study participants, however.
 Studies are still in progress to investigate whether these bone drugs used in high doses to treat cancer can prevent breast cancer from initially spreading. Results have been mixed. In research now ongoing, there is hope that zoledronic acid could add a benefit to existing breast cancer therapy to the same degree as the magnitude from chemo or hormonal therapy alone. Scientists and physicians are waiting for data from other studies. Clinical trials may have the answers in the near future.
 Source: Gina Kolata; New York Times; Feb. 11, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/12/health/research/12bone.html?th&emc=th
blog article by Anna Dabney
February 16th, 2009
A study at the University of Minnesota indicated that persons who gave one of their kidneys lived a normal life span and were as healthy as those in the general population. The four-decade study of 3,700 donors is the largest, longest study to examine long-term outcomes. Having one kidney did not raise the risk of kidney failure later in life. Rates of kidney failure were found to be even lower in donors than in the general population.
Findings were published in the January issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. A transplant surgeon from the University Maryland, not involved in the research, greeted the news with enthusiasm. He called this study “a confirmation that living donation is a safe thing.â€
Most former donors tested in this study showed good kidney function and enjoyed an excellent quality of life. Researchers attributed their good, long-term outcomes to the rigorous screening criteria originally used to pick donors. Those who elected to give a kidney were required to be healthy and have no kidney problems, high blood pressure or diabetes. The last two factors are main causes of kidney disease.
Kidneys filter waste and excess fluid from blood. Patients with kidney failure have only two options:Â dialysis or a kidney transplant. The national waiting list is long, with more than 78,000 waiting for a donor with the right matching characteristics. Today, with the rising incidence of obesity and diabetes, the need for donor kidneys has climbed dramatically.
Researchers recognize the sacrifice made by kidney donors. Their generosity of spirit will not go unrewarded if at some time in the future the kidney donor needs a transplant. Those individuals would be given priority on the waiting list.
Study donors were primarily white and younger than the donors of decades later. Results found in this group may not apply to populations donating a kidney today. The main value of this reassuring study is its large size and duration. Living donation has increased in recent years as more people have become willing donors and newer surgical techniques have shortened recovery time. In 2007, nearly 17,000 kidneys transplanted in the U.S. came from living donors.
Source:Â original article by Stephanie Nano, Associated Press; San Francisco Chronicle and Oakland Tribune on January 29, 2009. (blog article by Anna Dabney)
January 29th, 2009
For those who have experienced chemotherapy, or watched their loved ones go through it, the idea of an effective cancer treatment with NO side effects seems like a dream come true. Dreams can be a long time in coming, however. The brain child of American inventor John Kanzius may one day be the answer to the prayers of cancer patients. First, his Kanzius Machine must be rigorously tested in laboratory animals before clinical trials are approved for cancer patients. Preliminary lab testing has shown great promise.
The potential new treatment that Kanzius envisioned was featured on CBS’ “Sixty Minutes†(April 13, 2008). In theory, it involves gold or carbon nanoparticles injected into the bloodstream or into a cancerous tumor. These metallic-laced nanoparticles, already FDA-approved, attract radio waves. Once the diseased cells are properly targeted, radio waves would heat them to an optimal temperature to eradicate them. The idea is to destroy cancer cells, leaving healthy cells undamaged. Nanoparticles are so tiny that trillions of them can be contained in a test tube. The chief problem is finding a delivery system in which the nanoparticles would bind only to cancer cells.
How did a man without a medical degree or credentials as a lab scientist come up with a revolutionary idea to treat cancer? Diagnosed with liver cancer six years ago, John Kanzius had endured thirty-six rounds of chemotherapy. During his treatments at a renowned cancer center, he was touched by the faces of young cancer patients, children with teddy bears, fighting for their lives. It was then that he vowed to try to find a better way to fight cancer.
One sleepless night, the retired radio and TV executive envisioned using radio waves to treat cancer. In his childhood, he had built radio sets. He understood that radio waves could harmlessly pass through a living organism but were attracted by metal. Once his primitive tests showed promise, the senior citizen built radio-wave equipment and conducted experiments in his garage. He invested $200,000 of his own money to build prototypes of his radio frequency (RF) equipment. Support and funding for his efforts have since materialized from many sources. His Kanzius RF Machines are now selectively placed in laboratories at the University of Pittsburgh and at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.
At MD Anderson, Dr. Steven Curley, a surgical oncologist, began to work closely with Kanzius on his invention. Dr. Curley believes the potential treatment to be the most exciting new development he has seen in twenty years of working in oncology. Like an “ultimate weed killer†able to kill weeds without harming grass, the treatment is designed to destroy only the cancer cells. The ability to eliminate solid tumors injected with gold nanoparticles has already been demonstrated in rats and rabbits. The ultimate goal is to be able to target microscopic cancer cells that have circulated throughout the body. Curing metastatic cancers would not be possible without such a selective delivery system. If a way is found to precisely target and destroy only cancer cells, then the potential to cure many types of cancers is tremendous – and with no pain and distress.
John Kanzius is working with the Lee Memorial Health System in southwest Florida to coordinate tentative clinical trials after approval is granted. He hopes to live to see his dream realized some three or four years down the road.
Sources:Â Â
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanzius machine; http://60minutes.yahoo.com/segment/159/the_kanzius_machine Â
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April 17th, 2008
Over the past six months, I took a breather from writing blog articles for Healthcareupdates.com. During that period, I put more effort into my personal writing which includes poetry and my autobiography in progress. I also served as chief copy editor for my daughter, who just completed her doctoral dissertation.Â
For relaxation, I took three special trips. I attended my high school reunion out of state, celebrated my birthday with my grown children, and took a cruise to Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. I’m now back and looking forward to again summarizing the latest trends in healthcare, as I see them. I encourage comments or questions from my readers.
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April 8th, 2008
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