Testing It Up

Cleveland Browns Receiver Donte Stallworth has been suspended without pay during the 2009 season after a DUI that lead to the death of Mario Reyes in Miami, Florida. The decision to suspend the receiver came after a long deliberation by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell who felt that the player’s actions had left a stain on the whole NFL and it’s players. Stallworth has already served a 24 days sentence for the incident and is currently under house arrest.

Stallworth’s contract won’t allow the team to fire him without a hefty cost. He signed the 35 million, 7 year contract in 2008 as a free agent and if they broke that contract before February they’d be forced to pay him for the break, a move that could cost the NFL 7.5 million on their salary cap. There’s a strong chance that he’ll be fired when February comes around however as the incident is one of the most controversial cases since Michael Vick’s charges for dog fighting and animal endangerment.

Stallworth struck Reyes as he walked in Miami earlier this year; the player was driving under the influence of alcohol and stands to lose a great deal from the incident despite a minor sentence. The suspension is the latest in a series of such punishments meted out by the NFL in an attempt to reign in their players.

Miami Health Screening

A strong case has been made for Pat and Kevin Williams, players for the Minnesota Vikings who are going up against the National Football League in a case intended to prove that the NFL violated drug testing laws in the state of Minnesota. Both players tested positive for banned substances and were suspended as a result. According to Minnesota law this sort of action can’t be made without a second test being conducted to verify the results. The pair already won an initial case on September 11^th which gave them the right to sue in Hennepin County and play on the team this year.

The NFL isn’t taking the win lightly and hopes to regain their right to regulate drug testing in the manner laid out by their recent changes under the collective bargaining agreement. The NFL is a major force in the United States sports industry and litigates proficiently. Their main focus will be on finding a ambiguous element in the state laws that allowed the players’ win in the last trial. Suspension of the players is being upheld while the lawsuit is pending. Executives within the NFL are asking congress to pass laws that will close the law off from sports players who could exploit them to fight similar suspensions. The outcome of this case could help determine the fate of future drug testing cases and the way that drug testing is done both on a state and federal level.

The NFL’s drug testing program may no longer be enforceable; thanks to a federal court ruling and they might not be the only U.S. sport that will be facing the backlash. The NFL, MLB, NHL and NBA have all begun programs in an effort to discipline players who’ve been found to be using illegal steroids. Now thanks to the ruling these players will be able to use state courts to challenge suspensions made based on doping charges from their sports leagues.

The ruling made in the 8^th Circuit Court of Appeals of Minneapolis upheld the ruling of a lower court prohibiting the NFL from suspending two Minnesota Vikings who were being punished for violating the anti-doping policy. Stating that state level courts could be used to contest suspensions of this type, the court made the ruling on the basis of laws barring employers from suspending or firing an employee on the basis of an initial positive drug test.

The NFL like most sports leagues had been making suspension policies that penalized players for positive tests not considering these laws that exist in Minnesota and several other states. The ruling is viewed as a major change in the overall bargaining process for players, potentially opening new doors for players who hadn’t previously been able to lay claim to rights that regular employees experienced every day.

Drinking early has been found to have an effect on the genes related to alcoholism, increasing the likelihood of the subject developing a serious drinking problem later in life. Using twins, a researcher in Australia analyzed the affects of early drinking on heritable genes. When these subjects began drinking at an early age it increased the likelihood of their developing alcoholism by as much as 90% among the youngest drinkers. Those who drank at older ages were not affected in this way. While genetic changes occurred for the younger subjects for the older subjects factors like environment were much more likely to influence them in their drinking habits. The reason for this age difference having different effects isn’t clear but if a younger drinking age is responsible for changing genetic traits related to alcoholism as the study shows then it does become even more important to prevent such habits from developing at a young age.

The twins in the study were between the ages of 24 and 36 at the time of interview but some of the subjects reported drinking ages as young as 5 or 6. Those who were 15 or younger when they began drinking were more likely to develop drinking problems than those who were older. Twins offered the researchers an opportunity to study behavioral differences in two people with the exact same DNA. Differences in things like drinking between the pair are concluded to be caused by environmental factors for this reason.

Inflammation comes from a variety of different conditions such as arthritis and other joint diseases. One way that you can tell if you are suffering from an inflammatory disease is to use a home testing kit for inflammation. If you have an inflammation, you can discover this through your urine test. This can allow you to address the problem that you are having when it comes to inflammation.

There is an at home test that can help you discover whether or not you are experiencing inflammation. If you do find that you are suffering from inflammation from the tests, you can address the problem with your doctor. In some cases, diet and lifestyle changes can make a big difference when it comes to dealing with inflammatory diseases such as those that will cause an inflammation to reflect on an at home test.

While the drug has been recently connected to an increased survival rate in those with colorectal cancer its risks shouldn’t be any less regarded according to medical authorities.  Side effects such as stroke hemorrhaging, gastrointestinal bleeding and bleeding in the brain are still considered serious side effects of the drug. Experts warn against beginning an aspirin regimen without first discussing it with your doctor.  While there are benefits to using the drug the dangerous side effects should never be forgotten.

According the results of a study earlier this week patients suffering from colorectal cancer are nearly a third less likely to be killed by the condition and patients who began taking the drug shortly after being diagnosed cut the risk by almost half. While it had already been established that aspirin could reduce the occurrence of tumors in the colon, the effects of the drug on patients who already had the disease were unclear. It thought that aspirins anti-inflammatory qualities help reduce the ability of tumors to form in certain cancers.

The FDA has put out new warnings about using TNF blockers (Simponi, Humira, Enbrel, Cimzia, Rimicade) due to the risk of developing lymphoma and other cancers in teen and child patients with inflammatory disease. The drugs already have a black box that warns that the drug may cause cancer but the FDA wants the risk of lymphoma and other cancers for child and teen patients to be clear as well. Made to neutralize tumor necrosis factor alpha, a protein that is overproduced in a patient with inflammatory disease(such as psoriasis, Crohn’s Disease, and psoriatic arthritis), the drug does its job. Unfortunately TNF is a major factor in the prevention of developing cancers.

An investigation begun in June of 2008 led to these findings. During the investigation 48 cases of malignant cancers and 147 cases of leukemia were found in teens and children who were taking the TNF blockers.  11 of these who contracted lymphoma and 26 of those who contracted leukemia died as a result of the cancer or its treatment. The FDA warns doctors and patients to be aware of the symptoms of cancer and watch for them if they’re using the drug.

Random drug testing, a key part of the new anti-drug plan in Ireland is just one of the changes intended to reduce drug abuse in the country. Illegal drug use has gone up, from 5.6 % of the population between the ages of 15 and 64 in 2003 to 7.2 % in 2007 and cocaine has become a particular problem, although use of several drugs is even more common. Though men are still the  most common user the rate of female drug users has increased most significantly.

The move to approve random drug testing is intended to prevent the high rate of deaths in drug abuse related crashes and though it now includes alcohol abuse its main focus is on testing for narcotics use.

Low income and social welfare families are considered a particularly badly affected section of the community as it isn’t uncommon to find 8 year-olds running drugs for the local dealer and living in a home where abuse and dysfunction are common.

Through random drug testing on motorists the hope is to reduce the amount of drugs and drug abuse in the community to not only prevent drug related crashes but also better benefit families facing challenges that can only be made worse by the influence of drugs whether directly or indirectly.

Several children were sent to the hospital in separate incidents in Chicago and Portsmouth.

About 50 teenagers attending an event at a Boys and Girls Club in Chicago’s West Side on Monday afternoon were evacuated after a carbon monoxide leak was detected on the premises. They were in the club to listen to NFL players from the Chicago Bears and the Minnesota Vikings speak. The guests had already left before the club was evacuated.

The leak was said to have been caused by a faulty furnace. The club called in the fire department after three kids started showing signs of carbon monoxide intoxication. They conducted a test on the air, which confirmed high levels of carbon monoxide than normal. Eleven children were sent to the hospital as a precautionary measure, but no one was reported seriously injured.

The same afternoon, 14 people, which included 12 children between the ages of 2 and 14 and two adults, were taken to local hospitals for evaluation for carbon monoxide poisoning in Portsmouth. The children in the day care center of the Centenary United Methodist Church suddenly started throwing up inexplicably, which prompted the people responsible to call in the fire department.

Just as in Chicago, a test of the surrounding air resulted in high carbon monoxide levels. All of the children in the day care center were assessed, and some displayed minor symptoms of intoxication. The 14 people sent to the hospital were treated as a precaution. A boiler on the first floor of the building was determined as the source of carbon monoxide.

Carbon monoxide is a compound that is colorless, odorless and tasteless. As such, it is rather difficult to monitor its levels in the surrounding air. Since it is highly toxic, it is beneficial to install carbon monoxide detectors or to have carbon monoxide test kits available in enclosed areas, especially those with children.

Chicago Health Screening

If you haven’t heard of anti-aging drugs or tried desparately to find more about them, you’re probably too young to have had the experience of gazing in the bathroom mirror in the morning and saying, “damn!” One of the most dreaded moments for most young people is to wake up in the morning and find a shiny grey hair or dreadful dark circles threatening to alter their facial topography!

The other day, myself and my collegues were discussing various molecular basis of aging as it is one of the most interesting and hot themes of current research. Aging is not a mere phenotypic expression of any genetic program but is a gradually progressive multi-factorial state associated with genetic and non-genetic factors. The rate at which every individual ages is an intricately tuned interplay of various aging and anti-aging forces based on inherent genetic program and various intracellular metabolic effects due to presence of free radicals, Unhealthy diet, lifestyle, smoking, environmental pollution, emotional stability, happiness quotient, physical and mental stress etc. Although many evolutionary theories tend to believe that aging is not likely to be programmed genetically however, various studies demonstrate that aging is genetically modulated. It is pretty logical too. Say, Jack eats a lot of French fries, salty-potato chips and gulp them down with that refreshing cola on almost daily basis. He is bound to have a disproportionate percentage of damaging intracellular free radicals, not to mention the physiological damage high salt and cholesterol rich diet shall do at macroscopic levels. These free radicals are known to damage DNA, particularly mitochondrial DNA which lies in immediate vicinity of respiratory machinary in cellular mitochondrial organelles. So, its up to various DNA Repair genes to maintain DNA integrity and stability thus playing a role in modulating the metabolic processes which are involved in the eventual degradation of DNA and cellular structures. Various genic mutations that significantly decrease mortality have been identified in many model organisms. Indeed, several hundred genes, for instance, Sir2, have been reported to influence longevity in yeast, worms (c.elegans) and drosophila flies. Why just DNA damage, these free radicals or Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) have also been proposed to interact with Reactive Nitrogen Species (RNS) such as nitric oxide thus disrupting protein S-nitrosylation effecting functionality of various proteins involved in many metabolic signaling pathways. As aging is characterized by the progressive loss of function and a diverse array of physical changes over the lifetime of an organism, there has been an ancient universal desire to look good, feel good, and live as long as possible and these are the major areas of focus of current Anti-aging medicine. Some of the major forms of anti-aging medicine are:

1. Hormone therapies: These therapies make use of hormones like Human Grwoth Hormone (HGH), DHEA, testosterone, estrogen, progesterone etc. and claim to enhance the immune system, improve memory & cognitive function, increase sexual energy, improve skin tone & texture, increase muscle mass while reducing body fat and extend life. However, categorical scientific evidence may not be sufficient to support all these claims. Rather, there have been large scale studies that indicated that such therapies may do more harm than good and were making some of the test groups more susceptible to breast cancers. More research is required to investigate precise dose and time dependent effects of such therapies.
2. Supplements: Various antioxidants such as vitamins, glutathione, co-enzyme Q10 etc. are administered under various anti-aging programs. However, there is a strong section of physicians that has a firm conviction in using natural sources of anti-oxidents like lemon, oranges etc. over purified chemicals.
3. Skin resurfacing: There are a lot of ways of doing that. One of them is Botox treatment. Botox is the trade name of botulinum toxin A, a neurotoxin that is used clinically in small quantities to treat strabismus (abnormal alignment of one or both eyes) and facial spasms and other neurological disorders characterized by abnormal muscle contractions. It is also used by cosmetic surgeons to smooth frown lines temporarily. As a milder alternative to Botox treatment, Argireline based creams and lotions are also used quite frequently. Argireline is a synthetic short chain polypeptide (Acetyl Hexapeptide-3) that has been experimentally proved to decrease the visible effects of aging by reducing the deep wrinkles and lines that occur around the forehead and eyes. Plastic surgery also remains an option and although expensive, it has been quite in vogue for sometime now.

Another method that is gaining fast recognition and approval for increasing life span amongst scientific community is Calorie Restriction and Fasting. There has been a substantial amount of significant scientific evidence that supports anti-aging effects of calorie restriction and fasting. Having been born and brought up in a moderately traditional Hindu family, I have been a witness to hundreds of weekly fasts promoted by Hindu mythology so far. Fair maidens go fasting for consecutive 11 mondays believing that this will get them a handsome groom! Wives fasting on a traditional festival called ‘Karva-chauth’ believing that this will add some years to the lives of their husbands. Various Hindu texts are filled up with stories of Yogis (who practise yoga – in a traditional sense) who lived for hundreds of years by eating just fruits and vegetables, that too for just 2-3 days a week! Why just Hindu mythology, in almost every religion there are prescribed fasting-days. Until recently, I was one of those who thought that these are just mythological stories and nothing more but recent high impact scientific publications in reputed journals have put a substantial weigths behind these stories and myths and changed the way I look at them! Some recent data from yeast, worms, flies, and mammals support the idea that calorie restriction is a highly conserved stress response that evolved early in life’s history to increase an organism’s chance of surviving adversity in terms of food scarcity. A 2005 paper in the Journal of Cardiovascular Research analyzes gene expression data and suggests that calorie restriction retards the aging process by reducing endogenous damage and by inducing metabolic shifts associated with specific transcriptional profiles! There are also a number of reports that indicate reduction in oxidative stress upon calorie restriction.

At the end, it appear logical to say that exercising, reducing exposure to cigarette and environmental smoke, eating a balanced, calorie restricted diet, periodic fasting along with a stable work and family enviornment is the best way to add youthful years to your life and no chemical suppliments can match this!