Control diabetes with diet and exercise

According to latest research, dieting and regular exercise can be more effective at controlling type 2 diabetes than medication. Patients who take part in weight loss programmes are less likely to need drugs and tend to have healthier blood sugar levels. Regular exercise and cognitive behavioural therapy helps people to lose weight.

A sensible diet can control diabetes more effectively than drugs, people who completed the weeks regime saw no increase in the diabetes pills they had to take. They were also half as likely to see their condition progress to the extent that they needed to take insulin.

A single workout could save your life, diabetes sufferers who lost at least 11lb also had a significant reduction in their blood sugar levels in the following three years. A real-life structured weight management intervention can reduce weight in the medium term, result in improved glycaemic control with fewer medications, and may be more effective than pharmacological alternatives.

The course involved 90-minute classes every fortnight for four months, in which patients were given exercise advice and told to follow a diet of 1,400 calories a day for women and 1,900 a day for men.
They also underwent cognitive behavioural therapy to help them lose weight. Study leader Dr Jennifer Logue, from the University of Glasgow, said: ‘This is the first real-world study to show that the lifestyle weight management programmes delivered in the NHS can have a long-lasting meaningful clinical effect.’
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How cancer spreads

A University of Hawai'i Cancer Center researcher has identified how some cancer cells are made to move during metastasis. The research provides a better understanding of how cancer spreads and may create new opportunities for cancer drug development. Metastasis causes the deaths of 90 percent of cancer patients.

The spread of cancer by metastasis is driven by a set of mutant proteins called oncogenes which cause cancer cells to multiply uncontrollably and promotes their ability to move. How oncogene activity specifically directs the increased movement and metastasis is highly complex and remains largely unknown.

 RSK2 protein forms a signaling hub that includes proteins called LARG and RhoA. They show that turning on this signaling hub activates the movement of the cancer cells. These results significantly advance understanding of how cancer cells are made to move during metastasis and may provide more precise targets for drugs to stop cancer metastasis in patients where there are oncogenic mutations.
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Juluca for treating virologically suppressed HIV-1 Infection

FDA Approves Juluca (dolutegravir and rilpivirine) for the maintenance and treatment of virologically suppressed HIV-1 Infection. This is the first complete treatment regimen containing only two drugs to treat certain adults with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) instead of three or more drugs included in standard HIV treatment.

Juluca is a fixed-dose tablet containing two previously approved drugs (dolutegravir and rilpivirine) to treat adults with HIV-1 infections whose virus is currently suppressed on a stable regimen for at least six months, with no history of treatment failure and no known substitutions associated with resistance to the individual components of Juluca.

Limiting the number of drugs in any HIV treatment regimen can reduce toxicity for patients, HIV weakens a person’s immune system by destroying important cells that fight disease and infection. Juluca’s safety and efficacy in adults were evaluated in two clinical trials of 1,024 participants whose virus was suppressed on their current anti-HIV drugs.

 Participants were randomly assigned to continue their current anti-HIV drugs or to switch to Juluca. Results showed Juluca was effective in keeping the virus suppressed and comparable to those who continued their current anti-HIV drugs. The most common side effects in patients taking Juluca were diarrhea and headache.

Serious side effects include skin rash and allergic reactions, liver problems and depression or mood changes. Juluca should not be given with other anti-HIV drugs and may have drug interactions with other commonly used medications.
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Vaping not better than smoking before surgery

Despite being perceived as a healthier alternative to tobacco cigarettes, vaping liquid contains nicotine, which may significantly increase the risk for complications related to surgery and anesthesia, according to the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists AANA. The AANA is supporting this effort by urging individuals not to vape or smoke before surgery.

Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which can cause addiction.The nicotine found in vapes and tobacco results in poor wound healing, increases anesthesia risk, and may lead to a host of other potential complications for surgery patients. Despite being perceived as a better alternative to tobacco cigarettes, vaping liquid contains nicotine, which significantly increases the risk for complications during and after surgery.

 It's common knowledge that patients should quit smoking cigarettes at least a few weeks before and after surgery, vaping is not good as well. Nicotine can lower the effectiveness of certain medications or interfere with the way the way drugs work; it can also impact healing and lead to infection and greater discomfort after surgery.
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Kidney transplant increases risk of melanoma

Kidney transplant patients are at greater risk of developing melanoma than the general population and risk factors are being older, male and white.

Lifelong immunosuppressive therapy is among the complex lifestyle changes faced by renal transplant patients. The type, intensity and duration of immunosuppressive therapy contribute to the risk of developing skin cancer, such as melanoma

Immunosuppressant drugs used to suppress and reduce the strength of the body's immune system and to make the body accept the transplanted organ.

Most of the patients with melanoma were men. Almost all of the patients with melanoma were white and they were more likely to be taking the common immunosuppressants cyclosporine or sirolimus than those without melanoma.

The group of patients who developed melanoma also had a greater proportion of living donors.
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ARV injection as effective as ART pills

Monthly AIDS injection may be as effective as daily pill for controlling the AIDS virus. Presently, there is no cure for AIDS, HIV patients must take daily doses of anti-retroviral therapy ART that keeps the HIV virus under control.

Failure to take ART daily may leads to the virus developing resistance to drugs which is very dangerous for the patient and increase the chance of spreading the deadly virus.

HIV patients always start their treatment with an initial course of daily pills to bring the virus under control when they discovered that they have the virus.

After that, some continued with the oral treatment as maintenance to subdued the virus while the rest are shifted onto the prototype, injectable ARV, every four weeks.

Viruses can become resistant to drugs when people take incorrect doses of their prescribed medication at the wrong time or forget to take the drug.
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Causes of contraceptive failure

Contraceptive is the use of drugs or devices to prevent pregnancy, there are different types of contraceptives that prevent pregnancy.

The common methods are: sterilization, pill, condoms, the diaphragm, the contraceptive pill, implants, natural method, and intrauterine devices IUDs.

There are different conditions and human errors that can cause failure of a contraceptive method, some of the conditions are:

Inconsistent and incorrect use of a contraceptive pill or method.
Inflammatory bowel disease or digestive disorders.

Taking antibiotics or antiretroviral drugs may cause drugs interactions with contraceptive pills.
Wrong calculation of safe period for natural method.
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Secrets of longevity

Healthy lifestyle is the secret of long life. Seven hours of sleep per night, regular exercise, eating healthy foods and avoiding stressful activities can increase your longevity.

Food is medicine, healthy diet is better than drugs, processed foods contributes to diseases like cancer, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and many other terminal diseases.

 You can adopt longevity lifestyle by eating more of plant based healthy diet everyday; start with fruits, vegetables, seeds, whole grains, nuts, legumes and drink enough water. Water is better than any other liquid you know.

Moderate consumption of protein, sugar and refined carbohydrates. Cook with extra virgin olive oil and remember to fast after you feast. Fasting makes insulin sensitive and improves metabolic functions. Eat small portion of food; the less you eat the longer you will live.

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How to prevent premature labour

The bitter taste receptors that was found on uterine muscle could be use to examined the onset of labor, both at term and preterm.

Researchers attached strips of human and mouse uterine myometrium tissue to a machine that measured their contraction efforts.

The researchers first exposed the tissue to native hormones such as oxytocin and chemical compounds to make it contract, mimicking normal or premature labor.

They then exposed the tissue to bitter substances. Activating bitter taste receptors in the uterus relaxed the contracted uterine muscle tissue totally than the use of drugs.

The researchers also discovered that giving mice bitter substances before they showed any premature contractions prevented them from having early deliveries. This can also prevents preterm labour in human.



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Snake venom may replace aspiring for heart disease treatment

Snake venom may replace aspirin as a protein found in the poison of a species native to south-east Asia thins the blood without side effects.

The protein in snake venom slowed the rate of blood clot formation in mice. It
did not cause excessive bleeding, which is a common side effect of existing treatments.

Blood-thinning medications, also known as anti-platelet drugs, prevent specific blood cells from clumping together and forming clots.

Venom of the Tropidolaemus waglerix snake contains a protein, known as trowaglerix, that latches on to the receptor, called GPVI, to block its blood-clotting actions.

The protein was mixed with blood and given to mice. The result shows that the treated mice had slower blood clot formation than animals that did not receive the therapy.

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How cancer spreads

A research study led by University of Minnesota engineers gives new method of how cancer cells move based on their ability to sense their environment.

The researchers discovered that cells have the ability to sense the stiffness of their environment and their ability to move is depend on their environment ranging from bone tissue to fatty tissue and muscle tissue.

Researchers compared cells from human brain cancer to mobile but normal cells from embryonic chick brains. They did five different experiments that included environments with six different stiffnesses.

The researchers slowed the cancer cells down in a petri dish in the lab by following the predictions of their computer models, which were based on an understanding the mechanics of the cancer cell movement.

Cells are like cars, they have motors that generate force, and a clutch to transfer that force to structures that grip the tissue along which they move. When the environment is good like a paved road, they can move into higher gear, with the engine spinning faster and the clutch transferring more force to the parts that, like wheels, get more grip.

They discovered that the combination of the two drugs they tested inhibit the motor and clutch functions of cancer cells and therefore hindered their movement.

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Relationship between height and blood pressure

High blood pressure is when blood flows through blood vessels at higher pressure than normal, it is also known as hypertension.

Experts at Finland said people that are short in stature are at the risk of high blood pressure.

Researchers took blood pressure measurement of 534 participants including men and women  that are not taking blood pressure drugs.

They discovered that blood pressure showed strong connection with height because, height determined pulse pressure irrespective of age, body fat and physical activity of the participants.

Connshing syndrome caused high blood pressure

Scientists at University of Birmingham has discovered new cause of high blood pressure. Patients with Conn syndrome produce excess aldosterone and cortisol.

According to Professor Wiebke Arlt of Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research, University of Birmingham adrenal glands of patients with Conn syndrome produce too much cortisol.

Patients need more medical assessment to confirm if they have Connshing syndrome for correct diagnosis.

Researchers need to do proper medical test before treating Connshing patients, using drugs that counteracts cortisol excess will improve their health.

Komodo dragon blood may become an antibiotics

Harmful microbes are developing resistance to drugs that used to kill them, scientists are looking for powerful antibiotics that can destroy bacteria.

The bacterium Clostridium difficile is responsible for about 250,000 infections and 14,000 death, this makes it a threat to human.

Komodo dragon may be the new source of antibiotics because of its special qualities according to Van Hoek and colleagues.

Reptiles are strong animals, Komodo dragon can eat decayed food without any effect, peptide VK25 in its blood contains antimicrobial properties that can prevent biofilms.

The researchers rearrange two amino acids in its blood-VK25 to make it more effective and discovered new synthetic version of the peptide called DRGN-1

The team tested DRGN-1 on mice wounds that had Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Stephlococcus aureus, the synthetic peptide destroyed the biofilm of the wounds and the two bacterial strains.

This positive result will make it effective in healing wounds and an effective antibiotics for human.

Patients immune system and cancer Immunotherapy

Researchers discovered that higher levels of tumor-associate immune cells TAICs expressing programmed death-ligand 1 PD-L1 were linked with longer complete survival and response to drugs.

Patients with higher levels of circulating CD8 and lower level of regulatory T cells were associated with better response to the treatments based on the blood samples before Immunotherapy.

This shows that immune cells in the microenvironments close to the tumor could determine how cancer patients will respond to treatment.

According to Dr Robert Ferris, determining the nature of cells and how treatment affects them will improve the effectiveness of therapies.

Contraceptive pills may prevent some cancers

Contraceptive pills are drugs that contain hormones (estrogen and progesterone) used to prevent pregnancy.

Latest research from the University of Aberdeen shows that women who had used oral contraceptive pills may not have ovarian, endometrial and colorectal cancer.

The study found no connection between the use of contraceptive pills and risk of having cancer later in life.

Central for Disease and Control and Prevention says 16 percent of women in the United States are using oral contraceptive pills.

The protective benefits of using contraceptive pills during reproductive age can last for 30 years.

Vitamin C can kill cancer stem cells

Abnormal cells division in an uncontrollable way is cancer, it can occur in any parts of the body.

Cancer can be treated by surgery, Chemotherapy, radiation therapies, hormonal therapy and synthetic lethality.

Some of these treatments are not effective and are associated with variety of side effects. In some cases, the cancer does not respond to treatment, it is believed that cancer steam-like cells are the reason  for reoccurrence and metastasizes.

Vitamin C disrupt the growth of cancer stem cells; in a recent study by Dr Gloria Bonuccelli, Vitamin C proves effective in killing cancer steam-like cells. It is more effective than experimental drugs.

Vitamin C has been proved to be a potent anticancerous agent, it neutralizes cancer steam cells.

Sources of vitamin C are:
Acerola Cherry, Strawberries, Citrus fruits, Papaya, Kiwi, Bell Peppers, Guava, Brussels sprouts, Melon, Dark leafy greens, Tomatoes and Vitamin C tablet.