Beetroot for treating heart failure

Beetroot juice supplements may enhance exercise capacity in patients with heart failure, according to a new proof-of-concept study. The study examined the impact of dietary nitrate in the form of beetroot juice supplements on the exercise capacity of eight heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction, a condition in which the heart muscle doesn't contract effectively and can't get enough oxygenated blood to the body.

Researchers found that the beetroot supplement resulted in significant increases in exercise duration, peak power and peak oxygen uptake while exercising. The improvements were not accompanied by any changes in the breathing responses of the patients, and there was no change in their exercise efficiency, a measure of how much external work a person gets for a certain input of energy.

Abnormalities in aerobic exercise responses play a major role in the disability, loss of independence and reduced quality of life that accompany heart failure, elevations in ventilatory demand and decreases in peak oxygen uptake are highly predictive of mortality in patients with heart failure. Dietary supplementation may be a valuable addition to treatment for exercise intolerance among heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction.
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Gout drug for treating heart failure

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Medicine have shown that probenecid, a drug long used to treat gout, may be able to improve heart function in adult patients who experience heart failure. The drug improved the two main ways in how the heart functions. It improves how the heart contracts and how it relaxes.

Patients were offered probenecid as part of a randomized, double-blind, crossover and placebo-controlled single-center clinical trial. Patients, who averaged 57 years of age, were enrolled during four-week periods. They were required to undergo an echocardiogram, an electrocardiogram and six-minute endurance test along with other assessments, explains Rubinstein, a UC Health cardiologist and member of the UC Heart, Lung and Vascular Institute.

 Researchers examined probenecid in animal heart cells and found it improved how well the heart uses calcium, an important component in cardiac muscle contraction. Heart failure occurs when the heart pump is not strong enough to move blood throughout the body and meet the body's needs for oxygen.

Left ventricular assist devices, pacemakers, heart transplants and medications are available to treat heart failure patients, but outcomes for patients with heart failure are still worse than outcomes for the vast majority of cancer patients, probenecid drug may change this.
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Exercise prevents heart aging

Exercise can reverse damage to sedentary, aging hearts and prevent risk of future heart failure. To reap the most benefit, the exercise regimen should begin by late middle age (before age 65), when the heart apparently retains some plasticity and ability to remodel itself, according to the findings by researchers at the Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine (IEEM), which is a collaboration between UT Southwestern Medical Center and Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas.

The exercise needs to be performed four to five times a week. Two to three times a week was not enough, the researchers found in an earlier study. Based on a series of studies performed the team over the past 5 years.Sedentary aging can lead to a stiffening of the muscle in the heart's left ventricle, the chamber that pumps oxygen-rich blood back out to the body. When the muscle stiffens, you get high pressure and the heart chamber doesn't fill as well with blood. In its most severe form, blood can back up into the lungs. That's when heart failure develops.

Earlier research by UT Southwestern cardiologists showed that left ventricular stiffening often shows up in middle age in people who don't exercise and aren't fit, leaving them with small, stiff chambers that can't pump blood as well. However, the researchers also found that the heart chamber in competitive masters-level athletes remains large and elastic, and that even four to five days of committed exercise over decades is enough for noncompetitive athletes to reap most of the benefit.
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Are you tired of being tired? Eat these

Are you tired all the time? if yes your level of iron may be low, you can eat the following foods to regain your strength. Egg yolk is a great source of iron. It is needed for production of haemoglobin, the protein in the red blood cells that transports oxygen around the body to produce energy in the muscles, tissues and cells.

A deficiency in iron can lead to a type of anaemia that will leave you feeling drained and weak. This tends to be more common in women, especially if they experience heavy blood loss during menstruation. Eat more of venison than beef, as it contains twice as much iron. Eating Vitamin C-rich foods with plant sources of iron, such as red peppers with tofu or green salad with lentil bake can enhance absorption.

 Brown rice is a good source of fibre-rich complex carbohydrate, eat it regularly with five different fruits and vegetables. Leafy greens such as spinach are packed with magnesium, which makes this a glass of pure energy. If you're low in this mineral, as many people are, you'll feel absolutely drained. Magnesium activates the enzymes that starts energy-production process in the body.

Sardines, salmon, tuna,meat and egg are excellent sources of Vitamin B12. All B vitamins play a crucial part in the supporting our energy levels. B12 works in partnership with folate (Vitamin B9) to form red blood cells and to enhance the absorption of iron in the body. Avoid refined sugar, alcohol, and processed foods. Stay hydrated- water transport nutrients and oxygen around the body in order to support energy production. Dehydration can reduce your energy  and cause fatigue.
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Women are more fit than men

Women can process oxygen more quickly than men during exercise. Quick oxygen uptake places less strain on the body's cells and is considered an important measure of aerobic fitness.

The study compared oxygen uptake and muscle oxygen extraction between young men and women of similar age and weight during treadmill exercise. Women consistently outperformed men with around 30 per cent faster oxygen handling throughout the body.

Researchers discovered that women's muscles extract oxygen from the blood faster, which, scientifically speaking, indicates a superior aerobic system.
By processing oxygen faster, women are less likely to accumulate molecules linked with muscle fatigue, effort perception and poor athletic performance.
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Blood phosphate levels and heart attacks

Low phosphate in the blood is linked to the risk of heart attack and coronary artery disease, researchers have discovered that insufficient levels of phosphate in the blood may pose a particular danger to cardiovascular health.

The study, using data from the RCGP Research and Surveillance Centre, examined phosphate levels of more than 100,000 patients, over five and nine-year intervals, and the impact on their cardiac health.

The researchers found that those with low levels (below 0.75 mmol/L) of the mineral in their blood were at a similar risk of developing coronary problems as those with elevated levels (above 1.5 mmol/L).

Instances of both conditions were high among those with low and excessive levels of phosphate in the blood, however cardiac events in those with mid-range (1-1.25 mmol/L) levels were significantly less.

Phosphate is an important mineral in the body and helps to regulate blood biochemistry, which can impact on the working of the heart. It plays a crucial role in enabling red blood cells to deliver oxygen to the body's tissues, and can be found in protein rich foods such as meat, poultry and fish.
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How the skin controlled blood pressure

Skin plays a surprising role in regulating blood pressure and heart rate, Skin is the largest organ, covering two square metres in humans - helps regulate blood pressure and heart rate in response to changes in the amount of oxygen available in the environment.

High blood pressure is associated with cardiovascular disease, such as heart attack and stroke. For the vast majority of cases of high blood pressure, there is no known cause. It is often associated with reduced flow of blood through small blood vessels in the skin and other parts of the body, a symptom which can get progressively worse if the hypertension is not treated.

Previous research has shown that when a tissue is starved of oxygen - as can happen in areas of high altitude, or in response to pollution, smoking or obesity, for example - blood flow to that tissue will increase. In such situations, this increase in blood flow is controlled in part by the 'HIF' family of proteins.

To investigate what role the skin plays in the flow of blood through small vessels, a team of researchers exposed mice to low-oxygen conditions. These mice had been genetically modified so that they are unable to produce certain HIF proteins in the skin.

The study was set up to understand the feedback loop between the skin and the cardiovascular system. By working with mice. Researchers were able to manipulate key genes involved in this loop. They discovered that in mice lacking one of two proteins in the skin HIF-1α or HIF-2α, the response to low levels of oxygen changed compared to normal mice and that this affected their heart rate, blood pressure, skin temperature and general levels of activity.

Mice lacking specific proteins controlled by the HIFs also responded in a similar way.
In addition, the response of normal, healthy mice to oxygen starvation was more complex than expected. In the first ten minutes, blood pressure and heart rate rise, and this is followed by a period of 36 hours where blood pressure and heart rate decrease below normal levels. 48 hours after exposure to low levels of oxygen and blood pressure the heart rate levels had returned to normal.

Loss of the HIF proteins or other proteins involved in the response to oxygen starvation in the skin, was discovered to change when this process starts and how long it takes. Skin's response to low levels of oxygen may have substantial effects on how the heart pumps blood around the body.
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Improper chewing of foods can cause choking

Laughing or talking while eating is the primary cause of choking, throwing objects into the air to then catch in the mouth, and cutting food up into perfect circles for children can also contribute to choking.

Choking can prevent speaking, crying, coughing and breathing which can leads to unconsciousness and death.
In such an event the NHS guidance is to give the person five sharp blows on the back, followed by five abdominal thrusts - known as the Heimlich manoeuver .

When someone is choking, no oxygen is reaching their brain. Hence, not chewing food properly can kill within ten minutes. Brain damage is possible after four minutes of choking, while it is expected if the airways have not been cleared after eight minutes.

People who start choking should perform the Heimlich manoeuver on themselves. Using a chair, adults can generate enough pressure to dislodge something stuck in their airways, giving yourself a Heimlich manoeuver could save your life.

If you find yourself choking, find yourself a chair to perform the Heimlich manoeuver, line your abdomen area up to the flat back of a chair for the best way of targeting the airways. Use both hands to grip the chair and then push against it to exert enough force to try and dislodge the obstruction. Chokers should put a bunched fist in the space just underneath their rib cage and tummy button.

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Breakfast is important for proper development

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, starting the morning with a meal is important for teenagers and children. Skipping breakfast could leads to low brain function. Children who did not eat breakfast each day lacked proper nutrients that are essential for healthy growth.

Skipping breakfast can leads to iron, folate, calcium and iodine deficiencies which can leads to development of different diseases. Iron circulates oxygen throughout the body, iron deficiency leads to less oxygen circulation which can affect red blood cells.

Inadequate oxygen leads to fatigues, children become tired easily with poor oxygen circulation. Not having enough oxygen can affect how well their brain functions as well as their immune system's ability to keep the body healthy.

Iron is essential in maintaining healthy cells, hair and skin. The amount of iron that children need depends on their age. Calcium is necessary for strong bones and teeth. Calcium deficiency can cause problems with a child's hormone release and their muscle contractions.

Iodine is important for good thyroid health. Children who do not get proper amounts of iodine can experience slow mental development. Skipping breakfast daily leads to low levels of folate. Folate is essential for proper nutrients absorption.
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Dietary fibre is good for the intestine

Gut microbes metabolize indigestible dietary fiber to produce short-chain fatty acids, which signal cells lining the large bowel to maximize oxygen consumption, thereby limiting the amount of oxygen diffusing into the gut lumen. We must feed the beneficial microbes in our intestines with dietary fiber to maintain healthy gut.

The beneficial gut bacteria that are able to breakdown fiber don't survive in an environment rich in oxygen, which means that our microbiota and intestinal cells work together to promote a virtuous cycle that maintains gut health.

The new research identified the host receptor peroxisome proliferator receptor gamma (PPARg) as the regulator responsible for maintaining this cycle of protection.

When this host signaling pathway malfunctions, it leads to increased oxygen levels in the gut lumen. These higher oxygen levels make us more susceptible to aerobic enteric pathogens such as Salmonella or Escherichia coli, which use oxygen to eliminate competing beneficial microbes.
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New drug for sickle cell disease

Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder in which the red blood cells are abnormally shaped. This restricts the flow in blood vessels and limits oxygen delivery to the body’s tissues, causing to severe pain and organ damage.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Endari (L- glutamine oral powder) for patients five years and above  with sickle cell disease to reduce severe complications associated with the blood disorder.

The average life expectancy for sickle cell patients is 40 to 60 years. Common side effects of Endari are constipation, nausea, headache, abdominal pain, cough and pain in the extremities
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Low blood flow in the brain may be a sign of dementia

High blood pressure and decreased blood flow in the brain may cause the build-up of dangerous amyloid plaque in the brain. Having problems with the blood vessels in the brain may affect thinking, cognition and memory.

Brain's blood vessels work like a plumbing system that distributes oxygen to every parts of brain cells and remove waste materials from the cells.

The brain relaxes its vessels to maintain constant blood flow as it adjusts for changes in blood pressure, but the brain vessels in Alzheimer's patients prevent blood flow and allow amyloid to get to the brain cells.

Alzheimer's patients have lower blood flow in their brains than the people without the disease. They experience cognitive decline and memory loss that leads to dementia.

Taking blood pressure lowering drugs can reduce the effects on memories of affected people because the drugs can cross the blood-brain barrier and prevents the toxins from getting to the brain.
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Thrombectomy can prevents stroke complications

Inadequate blood supply to the brain can cause stroke or when blood vessel within the brain ruptures, causing brain tissue to die.

 A stroke is a medical emergency, it requires immediate treatment. During a stroke, the brain does not receive enough oxygen and nutrients, which can leads to death of brain cells.

A thrombectomy is a surgical procedure used to remove a blood clot -thrombus from the brain. The thrombus obstructs blood flow and may cause tissue death.

Thrombectomy is effective in patients with blood clots up to 24 hours after a stroke. Stroke can occur when brain blood vessel bursts.

Thrombectomy is safer than clot-busting drugs because it has no side effects.

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Bigger twins versus smaller twins

 Slower diffusion of oxygen from mother to baby across the placenta may dictates slower fetal growth.

 Identical twins shared a placenta that is divided into two sections, oxygen may diffuse easily to one of the two and the fetus will be healthier and bigger than the other.

MRI showed that dysfunctional placentas have large regions with delayed diffusion of oxygen to the fetus.

Reserchers followed different sets of identical twins from conception to birth, monitoring pregnancies in which one twin was smaller than the other.

Reserchers measured how long it took oxygen to diffuse into the placenta, and duration it takes to pass through the umbilical cord into the fetus and pass through the brain and liver.

They discovered that the longer time it takes for the oxygen to reach the placenta; the smaller the liver, brain and newborn birth weights.

If the oxygen gets to the placenta sections at the same time, the twins will have the same birth weight.

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How to make artificial blood for transfusions

According to U.S. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Red blood cells are common components in blood transfusion.

The cells contain haemoglobin that delivers oxygen to the body tissues, scientists have tried to develop chemically modified haemoglobin.

Blood transmissions can save lives of patients that suffered blood loss in an accident. Hospital may not have the right type of blood, scientists have discovered a new method of producing substitute blood to save lives.

Researchers wrapped haemoglobin in polydopamine and test it in the laboratory, it shows polydopamine haemoglobin carrying oxygen effectively and it also prevents methaemoglobin and hydrogen peroxide.

The blood formed-polidopamine haemoglobin, caused minimum cell damage and served as an effective antioxidant. It removes damaging free radicals and reactive oxygen species.

Where does blood come from?

Sweden scientists have discovered how the first blood cells form during human development as they change from endothelial cells to hematopoietic.

A laboratory model of human stem cell was developed, observing the expression of blood cell and endothelial cell genes in each individual cell, a progression from an endothelial state was found.

 Niel-Bjarne Woods, was in charge of the study, he said understanding how the first human blood cells develop will provide more information on how to generate blood stem cells for treatment of blood disorder.

Human blood is composed of several specialized cells for different purposes like providing oxygen and immune response against viruses and bacteria.

During embryonic development, the first stem cells form and leads to production of all the blood cells you will produce in your lifetime.

The cells changing to blood in the embryo begin as endothelial cells that make up the walls of the developing arteries. After sometime, it developed into tightly packed spindle shaped endothelial cells and later detach to form round cells of the blood and released into circulation.

Protein in Liver may cause exercise resistance

Physical activity involves movement of the body like walking, running, swimming and jumping. Regular physical activity controls weight, reduces risk of cardiovascular disease and risk of diabetes.

Researchers discovered that high deposit of selenoprotein secreted in the liver was responsible for low participation in exercise.

Current guidelines started that adults should engage in 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise.

Researchers engaged 31 healthy women in regular exercise for 8weeks and monitored their oxygen intake.

They discovered that women with high level of selenoprotein in their blood before the exercise displayed lower oxygen intake than women with lower level of selenoprotein.

Spider venom may prevent brain damage

A peptide from spider venom may prevent brain damage caused by stroke, accordingly to stroke association

Stroke occurs when the blood supply to brain is reduced or stops. During stroke, the brain does not receive enough oxygen and nutrients and this destroy brain cells.

Science tested spider venom protein - Hi1a on rat, the protein blocked acid-sensing ion channels in the brain, this can cure nervous system disorder in human and it has potential to reduce damaged caused by stroke.

Sickle Cell Trait increase rate of Kidney Failure for Blacks

Sickle cell disease occurs when a person inherits two abnormal copies of the haemoglobin gene from each parent.

The most common type is sickle cell anemia, it results in an abnormality in the oxygen-carrying protein haemoglobin found in red blood cells and this leads to a rigid sickle-like shape of cell.

Someone who has one gene from one parent have a trait for sickle cell, sickle cell trait are common among black people

Sickle - cell crisis are acute conditions occurring in patients with sickle-cell disease.

Studies have shown that sickle cell trait is found in eight percent of black people. Black people with sickle cell trait are at the risk of kidney disease.