Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine may help fight cancer

Two antimalarial drugs, chloroquine and hydroxychloroquin, may help to fight cancer reports MedicalXpress. Researchers who are associated with the Repurposing Drugs in Oncology (ReDO) project have said there has been enough evidence to include these drugs in more clinical investigations. It appears these drugs make tumor cells more sensitive to treatment for cancer.

Ciska Verbaanderd of the Anticancer Fund and the University of Leuven, Belgium, says these drugs have multiple mechanisms of action. It seems that chloroquine and hydroxychloroquin act on both the level of cancer cells and at the level of the tumour microenvironment. Verbaanderd says these antimalarial drugs may offer significant clinical benefit for some cancer patients, particularly together with standard anticancer treatments. More clinical trials are needed to confirm this.

This study has been published in the journal ecancermedicalscience. Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine are both well-known antimalarial agents. Preclinical studies have supported the use of these drugs for anti-cancer therapy, particularly when used together with conventional anti-cancer treatments because they can sensitize tumor cells to many drugs. This results in potentiation of the therapeutic activity. Further clinical investigations of the use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine for cancer treatment are warranted.

Watching too much TV can be deadly

Watching too much TV could turn out to be deadly due to the consequences of spending too much time sitting around. The American Heart Association has reported there may be an increased risk for a blood clot in a vein with an increase in time spent watching TV.

In comparison with those who reported they seldom or never watch TV there was an increase in the risk for blood clots in the leg veins or in the lungs in those who reported they watch TV very often.  There is an increase in risk for blood clots with the amount of time which is spent watching TV, even when the people get the amount of physical activity which is recommended.

Mary Cushman, M.D., M.Sc., who is co-author of this study and a professor of medicine at the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont in Burlington, says that watching TV itself is not likely to be bad, however we generally remain still while snacking for prolonged periods of time while we are watching TV.

An association has been found between heart disease which involves blocked arteries and prolonged watching of TV. However this is the first study done in a western population to consider blood clots in veins of the arms, legs, pelvis and lungs which are known as venous thromboembolism or VTE. Aside from avoidance of prolonged watching of TV you can decrease your risk of thromboembolism by being active physically and by keeping your weight healthy.

It has also been reported by the American Heart Association that there may be an increased risk for death in people who watch TV excessively. There is a much greater risk of death from a blood clot in the lung, or what is known as a pulmonary embolism, in people who watch TV for five or more hours daily. It is recommended that whenever there is so much time being inactive that the leg muscles should be flexed and you should stand up and stretch occasionally to lower the risk of  pulmonary embolism.

Too much time watching TV with its associated sedentary behavior really can be deadly. It's a good idea to lead a more active and less sedentary life. But if you are hooked to the TV screen or other types of sedentary behavior for prolonged periods than certainly it's a good idea to find time to stretch your legs and move around. 
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Caution should be taken with candy imported to the USA

Nearly everyone enjoys some candy now and than. However, tooth decay, too many calories, and diabetes are not the only risk factors associated with eating candy. The University of California San Fransisco has reported that in California imported candy is at the top of the contaminated food list.

There have been more health alerts issued by the California Department of Public Health for lead found in candy than for E. coli, botulism and salmonella.  In recent years 42 percent of the food contamination alerts which have been issued by California state health officials were for lead in candy. Just about all of this candy was imported.

Lead is a toxic heavy metal which can cause delays in development, neurological damage, hearing loss, and other very serious health problems in young kids and adults. In California about 100,000 California kids below the age of six are poisoned with lead every year. About 1000 of these kids are exposed to extremely high levels of lead.

Most initiatives to lower exposure to lead have focused on the lead which is found in gasoline and industrially contaminated soil, and lead-based paint. Children often take in lead when they eat contaminated paint chips and when they breathe in dust.

The contaminated candy in California has been mostly from Mexico (34 percent), China (24 percent), and India (20 percent). Lead contamination has also been found in candy from Taiwan, the United States, Pakistan, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, Germany, Indonesia, Thailand, Turkey, and Spain.

The California Department of Public Health, Food and Drug Branch (FDB) has been charged with the implementation of Assembly Bill 121, which has a goal of preventing the sale of adulterated candy to infants, young kids, and pregnant women.  The Lead in Candy Program collects and tests candy samples. When adulterated candies are identified there are appropriate notifications made to local environmental health directors and the public and there is enforcement action. 

The finding of a particularly high rate of lead contamination in imported candy in California should help to raise awareness of this serious problem. Lead intoxication of children and adults is a very serious problem. Aggressive efforts to inform the public about this problem and to get contaminated candy off the market are necessary. 

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Deaths from liver cancer are surging

Liver cancer has emerged as a growing problem across the USA.  It has been reported by the American Cancer Society that liver cancer has become the fastest growing cause of deaths from cancer in the United States. Death rates for this cancer have doubled in the USA ever since the mid 1980s.

Variations in major risk factors along with inequalities in access to treatment have led to racial variances in liver cancer mortality which are significant. It has been estimated by the American Cancer Society that liver cancer will account for approximately 41,000 new cancer cases and 29,000 deaths from cancer  alcohol, which increases liver cancer risk by about 10% per drink per day, and tobacco use, which increases liver cancer risk by approximately 50% in the United States in 2017.

Incidence of liver cancer has been on the rise in the USA since at least the mid 1970s. This trend is anticipated to continue through at least the year 2030. A higher rate of hepatitis C virus among baby boomers has been noted to be one primary contributing factors in this trend.

It is also likely that an increase in obesity and type 11 diabetes over the past few decades has contributed to this trend. Alcohol, which increases liver cancer risk by approximately 10 percent per drink per day, and tobacco use, which increases liver cancer risk by about 50 percent, are also likely to have been contributing to this trend.

It has been noted that there is significant disparity in liver cancer death rates by race/ethnicity. This disparity ranges from 5.5 per 100,000 in non-Hispanic whites to 11.9 per 100,000 among American Indians/Alaska Natives.

The authors have written that most liver cancers can be prevented. It has been suggested that there should be improvements in hepatitis B virus vaccination and better screening and treatment of HCV. It has also been advised to maintain a healthy body weight, get high quality care of diabetes, and avoid excessive alcohol drinking and smoking.

This study has been published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. There is a high fatality rate associated with liver cancer. Efforts for the aggressive prevention of liver cancer are suggested.

Mars astronauts will be at increased risk for cancer

The idea to actually send astronauts to Mars is fascinating. However, there are health risks involved with such a venture which must be taken seriously. 

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas reports there will be an increased risk for cancer in Mars astronauts due to collateral damage from cosmic rays.  Researchers at UNLV have predicted a dramatic increase in cancer for these astronauts. There is heavy damage to cells from cosmic rays such as iron and titanium atoms because they have high rates of ionization.   

UNLV scientist Francis Cucinotta, who is a leading scholar on radiation and space physics, says that 900 days or more will be needed for Mars missions. The extensive time in deep space makes exposures to all energies of galactic cosmic ray heavy ions unavoidable. Exposure risks would just be moderately lowered with present levels of radiation shielding.

Cucinotta has said that a cell's nucleus can be devastated by galactic cosmic ray exposure and can cause mutations which can lead to cancer. It has also been observed that signals are sent from the damaged cells to surrounding, unaffected cells and this likely modifies the tissues. It seems these signals lead to mutations of healthy cells which leads to more tumors or cancers.

This study has been published in Scientific Reports. It has become clear risk of cancer is a vital concern for galactic cosmic ray exposures. Cucinotta has been right to point out that increasing acceptable risk levels for long-term space missions outside of the protection of the Earth’s geomagnetic sphere raises serious ethical flags. The true nature of the risks are not yet completely understood and so further investigations of this matter are necessary.

Feeling young at heart can help with a healthy sex life

            

University of Waterloo researchers say that the closer you are feeling to the age which you actually are the less likely you may be to be satisfied with your sex life. A healthy sex life is possible to maintain as you age. Leading a healthy lifestyle with good nutrition and a positive attitude can nurture a healthy sex life in your elderly years.

It has been reported by the University of Waterloo that your sex life may be only as old as you are feeling. The researchers say that it is not as likely you will be satisfied with your sex life if you feel very close to the age which you actually are. A better quality sex life was reported by those who did not feel as close to their chronological age.

Steven Mock, who is an associate professor in Recreation and Leisure Studies at University of Waterloo, said this research showed there was a large impact on how people felt about the quality of their sex life if they felt younger. This also influenced their interest in sex. It seems that for people who are middle aged and older feeling young at heart can actually make a significant difference in the bedroom.

This study has been published in The Journal of Sex Research. It has been observed that in older people the less positive their views of aging are, the less sexual activity was rated as enjoyable by them. Feelings of being older was also associated with less interest in sex. It seems that nurturing youthful feelings may actually pay off in a more satisfied sex life as you age.

Ending HIV is possible in the USA

New research from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Brigham and Women’s Hospital has revealed that within the next decade there may be dramatic steps towards ending the HIV epidemic in the USA. It has been said that with a good commitment, a path exists to end domestic HIV infection via the achievement of critical milestones, which specifically include decrease of annual new infections to 21,000 by 2020 and to 12,000 by 2025. Study co-author David Holtgrave, PhD, says these ambitious targets could be achieved with an intensified and sustained national commitment. Developments in antiretroviral therapy (ART), which are drugs that lower HIV transmission by decreasing the level of virus in the blood, means that HIV can now be a chronic disease which is manageable. 

This study has been published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. There is an ambitious, but significant, pathway to lower U.S. HIV incidence below 12,000 new infections by 2025. This would bring HIV incidence below mortality in 2025, which would mark a transition toward actually ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic. It certainly is worth the effort to help end the threat of HIV/AIDS in the USA.

Aggressive behavior is affected by media violence

It has been reported by Iowa State University that a cross-cultural study has found a link exists between aggressive behavior and media violence. There is compelling evidence that aggressive behavior is affected by media violence. This study was led by Craig Anderson, who is a Distinguished Professor of psychology at Iowa State University. In this study the researchers identified four primary findings as follows: 1) In all countries there was a positive and significant relationship between violent media and aggressive behavior. 2)There was increased aggressive thinking and decreased empathy with exposure. 3) Media violence remained significant even after other risk factors were accounted for. 4) There was a greater effect for media violence than all of the other risk factors, aside from peer delinquency. 

Anderson has commented the evidence is compelling that the primary psychological processes which cause repeated media violence exposure to lead to heightened aggressiveness are basically the same across different cultures, at least when considering normal times. It appears that local cultural and social conditions may have an influence on such processes when there are more extreme conditions. It has been explained by Anderson that in war-torn societies, media violence exposure may have increased effects due to the real violence which kids and teens experience everyday. It is the position of Anderson that the denialism which presently dominates news media stories dealing with media violence effects is very clearly contradicted by this study. 

This study has been published in the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. Across nations the effect of media violence on aggression was significant. The serious problem of aggression being influenced by media violence should clearly be addressed.

Increased veteran suicide risk is associated with drug and alcohol problems

The University of Michigan has reported there is an association between drug and alcohol problems and an increase in the risk for suicide in veterans. This is particularly true for veterans. It has been suggested that there should be greater suicide prevention efforts for veterans. Veterans who are dealing with drug or alcohol problems are greater than twice as likely to die via suicide than their comrades are. There is a five times higher rate of suicide among women veterans who suffer from substance abuse disorders. The most serious risks of suicide have been seen among those who abuse prescription sedative medicines, such as tranquilizers. 

This study has been published in the journal Addiction. It has been highlighted that substance use disorders may be significant markers for suicide risk. There are about twenty suicides a day by veterans, which is much higher than in the general population. In view of the finding that about 75 percent of veteran suicides in this study were associated with firearms, the researchers have also noted that firearm safety is vital in initiatives to lower veteran suicides. It seems these findings may also have implications for the civilian population.

Head injuries in sports players can cause tragic consequences years later

There has been a great deal of controversy about the ethics of risky sports participation, particularly for children. Michigan Technological University reports it has become clear that that longterm effects from repeated head injuries may takes years after the injury to surface. L. Syd Johnson, who studies sport associated concussion, and the ethical implications of engaging in risky sports participation for kids, says sports players should be respected as people, not simply as replaceable beings which are used to entertain us. One of the causes of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is believed to be sub-concussive impacts, which is the type of ordinary hits that athletes routinely take during the course of play.  

Brain Injury Research Institute reports CTE is a progressive degenerative disease of the brain of people who have suffered from repeated concussions along with traumatic brain injuries. This is a condition of brain damage which lasts over many years or decades and which is due to traumatic impacts to the cranium. Symptoms of CTE may be debilitating and include loss of memory, impaired judgment, problems controlling impulsive or erratic behavior, behavioral disturbances which include aggression and depression, and a gradual development of dementia. Clearly there should be aggressive efforts made to protect sports players from head injuries.

A toxic boss can ruin you

It is important to have a good support system at work to do well. Toxic bosses can ruin your health and everything you have worked hard to achieve. The medical profession is well known for having highly toxic bosses in internship and residency training programs with scores of the brightest young men and women in the world being catastrophically ruined and even driven into suicide by doctor bosses who abuse them instead of helping them to progress in their hard earned careers. This problem is of course also seen with bad bosses in other walks of life.  

The British Psychological Society reports that toxic bosses are bad for both your health and your reputation. It has been observed that toxic bosses who display psychopathic and narcissistic traits make workers feel depressed. The bullying behavior of toxic bosses also leads workers to engage in behaviors which are not desirable at work. These findings come from research from the University of Manchester's Business School. It was found workers who had bosses with negative traits shared lower levels of job satisfaction and manifested higher levels of depression. Counterproductive behavior at work was also seen more often in workers with toxic bosses. Bosses displaying psychopathy and narcissism have a lust for power and generally lack empathy. This results in workers being taken advantage of.  

Daily Mail reports your career can be ruined by a toxic boss. Such bad bosses can also make you physically and mentally ill reports The Washington Post. The anxiety associated with having a bad boss can lead to high blood pressure, sleep problems, anxiety and depression. We lose a lot of good doctors and good people in other walks of life to toxic bosses all of the time. Psychiatrists claim they try to help with this problem but due to the unusually toxic personalities of the psychiatrists themselves they consistently exacerbate the problem of dealing with toxic bosses.

The future generation of toys will be controlled by the mind

People have often been looked upon as if they may be insane when they discuss the possibility of the mind controlling outside things. These people have generally simply been highly insightful with reports now surfacing many new toys on the market will be able to be controlled by the mind. 

The University of Warwick reports the next generation of Christmas presents will be made up of mind-controlled toys. It will actually be possible for kids to control toys with the power of their thoughts. With this technology brain waves are received by sensors in headsets which are than fed into electrical circuits. Professor Christopher James, Director of Warwick Engineering in Biomedicine at the School of Engineering, and his associates have developed technology which allows electrical impulses from brain waves to activate electronic devices. This can be done via connecting thoughts to computerized systems. 

iTechPost reports kids will soon have toys which can be controlled via brain waves. This technology will clearly not be limited to toys. This is all very exciting and could lead the way to technology which makes it possible to unlock the front door or answer the phone via brain-computer interfaces. And who knows for certain in what ways this technology may help people with their work.