Testing It Up

In a previous post, we shared that China was looking into two separate cases of two people who died after being administered with swine flu vaccine. At the global level, the World Health Organization monitored the efforts of various health officials towards investigating suspicious deaths of people who have received vaccination against H1N1 flu.

As of Thursday, 41 cases of death after inoculation have reportedly been proven to NOT being caused by the vaccine.

This further emphasizes what health authorities have been trying to say to assure people — the vaccine is safe, just as the seasonal flu vaccine is. Marie-Paule Kieny, top vaccine expert for the WHO, stated this fact in a telephone conference after saying that there has been “no new safety issue” based on the reports that have been issued.

There are, however, still investigations that are ongoing. For the time being, though, among the investigations that have been completed revealed that the causes of the deaths of these people are not related in any way to the fact that they were vaccinated and cannot be traced back to the vaccine itself.

The WHO pegs the number of vaccinations worldwide at about 65 million, spread over 16 countries; more should be added to this figure, though, as immunization is reportedly ongoing in at least 40 countries.

Eleven million of these vaccinations were done in China, the first country to start immunization programs against swine flu. As mentioned in an earlier post, two deaths have been reported, and these have been proven to be “coincidental” to the administration of the vaccine and caused by underlying medical conditions; the vaccine has already been ruled out as the cause of death. There are reportedly 15 cases of severe side effects.

The Christmas Tree being put up at the Rockefeller Center will be lit on December 2nd, signaling the start of the Christmas season, and department stores and malls all across America will definitely have a resident harbinger of joy: Santa and his happy helpers. And while they are handing out presents without expecting anything in return, they would nevertheless like to be protected from something that they might unknowingly receive – swine flu.

Jolly old Santa, his round belly and his snowy white beard, however, are not on the priority list of people who should receive swine flu shots. When we come to think of it, however, at this time of year, it does seem that Santas everywhere fit the description of someone who ought to be on the priority list — they will be exposed to and associate closely with potential swine flu carriers. This is especially true for Santas who will be volunteering to visit sick children in hospitals and health care facilities.

Also mentioned was their generous bellies, as obesity is considered as a major risk factor – except, of course, the Santa with the fake belly. Since we have not even gotten through immunizing all those who are in the priority list, we think there is no telling whether they will get their shots in time for their scheduled appearances at shopping halls.

Santas are already meeting and talking ways through which they can protect themselves, even sans vaccine. Organizations such as the Amalgamated Order of Bearded Santas and Santa America are reportedly organizing seminars and talking strategies and health guidelines, such as using hand sanitizers and ensuring that their immune systems are bolstered by taking vitamins.

Parents are also advised to be keen about the health condition of their children, and if their children are sniffling and coughing or having intermittent fevers, then it is more prudent to keep them at home. Santa could wait another day.

Those who suffer from nasal allergies and their symptoms are likely to also be experiencing a diminished sex life according to research. Why? The symptoms associated with these sort of allergies don’t exactly leave the sufferer feeling very sexy.  We know coughing, sneezing, runny nose and headaches leave us feeling terrible and out if sorts but what we may not be aware of is the fact that we’re also embarrassed by these things, causing us to avoid intimate contact even kissing.

More self-aware and self-conscious when we’re sick dealing with allergies can make us feel as if the allergies make us seem weak and unappealing or gross.  Exhaustion could also play a part in this decrease. The research was based on quality of life surveys conducted with 320 nasal allergy patients, 337 patients who suffered other nasal problems and 44 people who had no nasal health problems. Roughly 17% of those who suffered nasal allergies reported that their allergies always or almost always affect their sex lives, the largest of these three groups to report this problem.

There may be an answer to what is being experienced in the United States as far as supply of the swine flu vaccine is concerned, brought to us by the company Novartis.

Supply has been a rather sensitive topic since the United States officially started immunizing high priority groups, with delays being experienced in the delivery of vaccines and people – patients and health care providers alike – began to feel frustrated with the entire process.

Novartis recently announced, however, that based on the results that the company has gathered from ongoing trials, a 7.5 µg dose of Novartis’ A(H1N1) 2009 unadjuvanted vaccine was able to meet the immune response criteria set for protection of adults as well as the elderly. The dose is only half of the current 15 µg dose that is approved in the United States for adolescents, adults and the elderly.

Andrin Oswald, CEO of Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics, verbalized what this may potentially mean to the United States’ immunization efforts: we may just be able to double the current vaccine supply – at least the vaccines manufactured by Novartis, which was presumably the only vaccines that the company can accurately vouch for – and inoculate more people. We wonder whether the same possibility holds true for vaccines manufactured by other companies and facilities. If so, then it means that the entire supply of swine flu vaccine doses can indeed be doubled.

There is even more potential for increasing vaccine supply when using adjuvanted vaccine – these are vaccines to which a substance that will improve immune response, which means that less vaccine may be used to achieve the desired protection – is added. For adjuvanted vaccines, even less dose is reportedly needed, at least according to the trials: 3.75 µg. The company’s flu manufacturing facility based in Liverpool, the output of which is destined exclusively for the use of the United States, can quadruple its output if the vaccines are adjuvanted.

Lupus has proven as much of a challenge for pharmaceutical companies seeking a cure as it is for those who suffer from the disease itself. Setbacks and failures have killed many of the treatment drugs seeking to aid those with lupus and until now none have made much ground. Human Genome Sciences claims to have a new drug that’s succeeded in its second trial, if that’s true then it could be the first major step to having an effective drug for Lupus treatment in nearly 40 years.

Benlysta performed well in the second trial though not as well as it had in the first making some wary but Human Genome Sciences seems confident that the effectiveness of the drug will show itself in the coming months. If all goes well Benlysta should be seeking approval in the first half of 2010.

Lupus, an autoimmune disease, is a condition in which the body’s natural protective pathogens instead begin to attack the tissues of the body. The disease can cause arthritis, mouth sores, kidney damage, and rashes among other problems. The diseases is particularly affecting because it targets women of child-bearing age.  The varying times of activity and inactivity involved with Lupus and the case by case symptoms make the disease detection difficult.

An estimates 200,000 of those affected by the disease could be looking at being candidates for the drug. Belysta works by blocking a protein that stimulates B cells, a part of the immune system that plays a part in the effects of Lupus. If the drug us proven effective many sufferers could be seeing how the drug works for themselves by the end of next year.

An analysis that was recently published in the journal Pediatrics revealed that the occurrence of food allergies in children has increased over the years – and the reasons as to why this is happening is yet to be discovered. The knowledge, however, may become a driving force towards the conduct of studies to find out why this is so.

An analysis of data was conducted by researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As far as self-reported allergies are concerned, the number reportedly increased by 18% over a ten year period, the period in question being 1997 to 2007. Health care visits due to food allergies reportedly increased threefold between two time periods — from 1992 to 1997 and from 2003 to 2006. In the 2003 to 2006 period, the average number of healthcare visits for allergies was more than 300,000.

The data that was analyzed came from surveys of children’s parents as well as from medical records. According to estimates taken from medical records between 2005 and 2006, 9% of children tested positive for immunoglobulin E antibodies to peanuts, 7% to eggs, 12% to milk, and 5% to shrimp. While tests for immunoglobulin E are not exactly considered as reliable indicators for the presence of allergies, they do indicate either an increased risk for allergies or a history of suffering from allergies in the past.

While allergies are usually considered as more of an annoyance, this seemingly benign condition can prove to be fatal in some cases, which is why a study regarding its occurrence is beneficial. It is also unclear, however, whether the increase in numbers is due to an increase in factors that lead to the development of allergies or simply because more people are starting to recognize allergy symptoms.

If it seems to you like we have been very generous with the diet-related posts, it is because it is the season once again where a lot of people will be juggling the need to stay fit with the temptation of eating one’s fill at parties. It is also that season when people simply throw caution to the wind, at least for a month or so, then resolve to just go on a diet later on.

Diet fads come and go, and with all the types of diets that are out there and the easy access that a lot of people have to them, it can be easy to wind up dazed and confused. But why is there a need to diet to begin with? Diet is and always will be part and parcel of any weight loss program. And weight loss is intrinsic to most attempts at lowering the risk for developing diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.

Fad diets, while they may indeed initially produce favorable results, lack the ability to sustain lasting results. Sometimes, one might just end up gaining more weight in the long term.

So what should we watch out for? First, be wary of diets that focus only on certain foods or food groups – you have, for instance, the grapefruit diet or the no-carb diet. My aunt was once talked into going on a watermelon diet, and she wound up in the hospital a few days later.

A good diet will not likely ask you to eat certain foods exclusively; it will most likely be a well-rounded diet that will be anchored more on moderation than on deprivation. This is one aspect that will make that diet sustainable over an extended period of time, as it will cater not just to the body but to the senses as well.

Any “detox” diet is also reportedly highly questionable. These extreme regimens reportedly have no scientific basis and may be entirely unnecessary.

Diets that have “miracle” food or ingredients are always a come-on, using the same principle of attractiveness as “get-rich-quick” schemes. And they more often than not do not work. Just remember, there is no easy way towards losing weight and keeping it off, and no miracle food or pill will ever be able to make that happen.

Lastly, never equate going on a diet with extreme fasting. Trying to lose weight does not mean one has to stop eating. This is actually counterproductive, as starving one’s self causes the body to adjust one’s metabolism.

Have you ever heard of a swine flu party? Reading about these sorties caught me by surprise; we do not mean to offend anyone’s beliefs, but we certainly do not agree to the point behind such a gathering. Apparently, there are parties where the “guest of honor” is someone who is sick with swine flu. The guests then hope against hope that they catch the virus, get sick with a mild illness, and gain immunity.

This is not such a good idea, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and it is only one of a few things that anyone should not do when it comes to preventing swine flu.

Another one is to think that if you already have the seasonal flu vaccine, then you should be all set. The reason behind why there are efforts towards developing a specific vaccine for swine flu is precisely because the seasonal flu vaccine is not going to cut it. While those of us who do not fall under the priority demographic for swine flu vaccine will have to wait for our turn, there is a need to get both vaccines if we would like to be protected.

Donning a face mask also does not mean guaranteed protection. It will work, though, in conjunction with other prevention steps such as washing your hands often and avoiding touching one’s eyes, nose and mouth. The CDC does recommend that sick people wear a face mask in order to avoid infecting others. Also, face masks are meant to be worn once and then discarded; don’t wear one, stick it in a drawer somewhere, and keep it for use another day.

Do not forget to clean up – whether it is at home or at your tiny cubicle in the office. Flu viruses have a tendency to stick around on doorknobs, tables, linens – basically anything and everything that you touch or that touches you. If someone in your household has the flu and you have to wash the linens, don’t hug the laundry on your way to the washer and set your dryer to hot. After handling dirty laundry, do not forget to wash your hands with soap and water, or use an alcohol-based hand gel.

You have been sniffing for quite some time, and it seems like you have had that cold forever. And yet here you are, jogging your way through the crowd from the nearest subway stop on your way to work.

There are pretty good reasons why your cold is clinging to you like glue, and the reasons are all rather easy to succumb to. Even this writer admits to being guilty of this “crime” against one’s own health. Sometimes, though, we just could not help it.

First is the temptation to not slow down. “It’s just a cold, anyway,” is what a lot of people tend to think; which means that it will be perfectly alright to still go through the day like you would normally do, working 10 to 12 hours and then going out for a night cap with friends.

When you have a cold, it is true that you do not have to stay in bed all day, but you have to make sure that you get an adequate amount of rest. If you can get by with four to five hours of sleep on a normal work day, revert back to the classic 8-hour sleep pattern, as sleep is very important to one’s immune system; then you may just possibly feel a whole lot better after a couple of days.

Another classic reason for a lingering cold is our tendency to play doctor. Some people who have a cold usually go ahead and load up on the decongestants. This is okay as drying medicine can indeed help with that stuffy and runny nose so that one can at least sleep through the night, but overdoing it is not good either. Drying medicines work by sucking water out of mucus, helping one breathe easier. However, the absence of fluid can make the mucus stick to the sinuses even more.

This brings us to an important thing to remember when having a bout with the cold — hydrate. Drink lots of fluid. Water, Gatorade and juice are great, and your intake should be more than what you usually take in when you do not have a cold.

Many women believe that menopause is the time when their menstruation halts. The truth is that a transitional phase goes with it. In this phase, women may experience not having menses for a few months. After which, they again have their menses. Besides halting of the menstruation cycle however, there are other symptoms for post-menopause.

Accompanying symptoms to menopause include hot flashes, mood swings, weight gain, memory loss and fatigue. Since some women under their 50’s experience these very same symptoms, it was found out that it is possible for these younger women to experience post-menopause. With this, several tests are made on that individual.

One test includes the testing of the follicle-stimulating hormone or FSH while another test measures estradiol hormones. These two hormones have indirect relationship with each other. If a person has decreased estradiol hormone then her FSH is on high levels. This diagnosis projects that the woman is undergoing her post-menopausal stage.

To treat post-menopause, one is recommended to undergo hormone replacement therapy or HRT. HRT is capable of bringing back a person’s estrogen levels to normal. Women may also go for herbal remedies.

For full version of this article, please visit “Post-Menopause: Diagnosis, Symptoms and Treatment“.