March 28th, 2008
March 27, 2008
NIH-sponsored researchers have discovered that women who have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are less likely to ovulate in response to a promising new drug treatment for the condition if they have a variation in a particular gene.
The gene, known as STK (serine-threonine kinase) 11 is involved in controlling blood sugar levels. Along with infertility and cyst-like structures in the ovaries, women with PCOS often have insulin resistance, a pre-diabetic condition in which higher-than-normal amounts of insulin are required to reduce blood sugar levels.
Because the drug metformin lowers blood sugar levels, researchers have studied it as a treatment for the infertility associated with the condition. However, the results of these studies were conflicting.
“The current study offers a possible explanation for the conflicting results seen by the numerous research teams who studied metformin as a treatment for polycystic ovary syndrome,” said Duane Alexander, M.D., director of the NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, which provided much of the funding for the study. “This finding is the first step in the development of a test that can distinguish women who are likely to benefit from the treatment from those who are not.”
Additional funding for the study was provided by NIH’s National Center for Research Resources.
The study was published on line in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
The study was conducted by a team of researchers from the NICHD Reproductive Medicine Network, who were led by Richard S. Legro, M.D., Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Penn State University College of Medicine.
PCOS is the leading cause of infertility in women, affecting 8 to 15 percent of American women of reproductive age, said Dr. Legro.
In addition to infertility, PCOS can also cause pelvic pain, excess hair growth and acne. Women who are obese are more likely to develop the syndrome. Women with PCOS are also at higher risk of other conditions like diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.
To conduct the study, Dr. Legro and his coworkers analyzed DNA from 312 women who participated in a larger study. That study compared the effectiveness of metformin to the drug clomiphene at helping women with PCOS achieve pregnancy. The release describing the earlier study is available at http://www.nichd.nih.gov/news/releases/pcos_treatments.cfm.
In the current study, the researchers found that women were less likely to ovulate after receiving metformin if they had a particular variation of the gene for STK11. As with most genes, individuals have two copies of the STK11 gene. The women’s response to metformin was dependent on how many copies of the variant gene they possessed. Of the possible combinations, women had either one variant together with one typical copy of the gene, two copies of the variant, or two typical copies of the gene.
Of the women with one copy of the variant STK11 gene, 67 percent ovulated in response to the treatment (32 women out of 48). For women with two copies of the variant gene, only 48 percent ovulated in response to the treatment (10 of 21). Of the women who did not have the variant gene, 79 percent (15 of 19) ovulated in response to metformin.
The researchers also found that women were less likely to ovulate if they had a higher body mass index (BMI). BMI, which takes into account a person’s weight and height, is used to gauge whether an individual is overweight or obese.
Dr. Legro explained that the next step is to conduct a genetic analysis on a large sample of women, to try to find out how frequently the gene variant occurs in the population. Once the researchers find the prevalence of the gene, the next step would be to begin work on a test to distinguish women who would be unlikely to ovulate in response to metformin from those likely to ovulate.
The NICHD sponsors research on development, before and after birth; maternal, child, and family health; reproductive biology and population issues; and medical rehabilitation. For more information, visit the Institute’s Web site at http://www.nichd.nih.gov/.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nation’s Medical Research Agency — includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
March 27th, 2008
By Steve Mitchell
MSNBC contributor
March 26, 2008
msnbc.msn.com
Carrying a spare tire in your 40s may raise your risk of Alzheimer’s
People with a bulging waistline in mid-life could face a higher risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s in the senior years, a new study shows.
Previous research has shown that having an apple-shaped body increases the risk of diabetes, stroke and heart disease, but this is the first time it has been linked to dementia and Alzheimer’s.
In the study, which was published Wednesday by the journal Neurology, people who were both obese and had a large belly were three times more likely to be diagnosed with dementia in later years than those of normal weight and belly size. The risk of dementia nearly doubled in those who were a healthy weight but still had a bulging waist, suggesting that fat accumulated around the midline is particularly unhealthy for the brain.
“The take-home message from this study is that one should not only be concerned about their weight but where they carry their fat,” said Rachel Whitmer, the lead author of the study and a research scientist with Kaiser Permanente’s division of research in Oakland, Calif.
The findings are particularly concerning in light of the rise in obesity rates in the United States, Whitmer said. More than one-third of U.S. adults are obese and about half have abdominal obesity.
On the upside
“But the good news,” Whitmer added, “is that you can do something about it.” The type of fat that collects around the abdominal region is easy to accumulate but also easy to get rid of, she said.
To continue reading:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23800703/from/ET/
March 26th, 2008
By Meava Bambuck, LONDON
March 26, 2008
ABCNEWS.com
Miss England’s First Plus-Size Finalist Is Confident About Winning the Crown
You don’t have to be catwalk-skinny to be a beauty queen, at least not in the English county of Surrey.
Last week, Surrey residents elected teenager Chloe Marshall (a statuesque 5-feet-10-inches tall and 176 pounds) as Miss Surrey, proving that beauty does come in all shapes and sizes.
Curvy Chloe Marshall will be the first plus-size model in British history to compete in the Miss England final on July 18. And the outspoken 16-year-old beautician trainee is in it to win it.
“I know I will stand out from them but in a good way,” she tells ABC News. “I want to bring plus sizes back and I want to show teenagers that you can be beautiful whatever size you are.”
Chloe’s success is unheard of. The biggest model the pageant final has seen so far was a size L, nothing compared to Chloe’s Extra Large 176 pounds.
According to her agent, Model Plus’s Stevie Walters, Chloe’s success has less to do with her size than with her personality. “She is extremely confident,” says Walters. “What’s great is that Chloe’s a very good ambassador for teenagers who otherwise feel that fashion is dictating to them.”
Maybe because of her 5-foot 10-inch height and her DD cup, the young model is not afraid of taking a stand. She held her own in TV appearances this week, and was argumentative in a British televised debate on body image.
“I think this is happening now because people are sick and tired of skinny models,” says Walters. “Women aren’t that size. So bigger, plus-size girls are coming into the spotlight.”
To continue reading:
http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=4520389&page=1
March 25th, 2008
By Martha Beck
March 21, 2008
OPRAH.com
CNN.com/Living
Think of 20 things for which you are grateful, and name them out loud
Everyone experiences mood variations — while you may feel cheerful and optimistic most of the time, you might occasionally feel grumpy, anxious, or dejected.
Such fluctuating mood states are both inevitable and, to some degree, controllable*.
One thing that won’t rescue your mood is simply putting on a happy face, trying to will yourself into constant cheerfulness. In fact, you may drive your darker feelings underground, reemerging later as temper tantrums, depression, or stress-related illness.
Changing your own mood requires methods that gently refocus your attention in ways that genuinely improve your inner life, not just slap behavioral Band-Aids over your pain or frustration. Try being fully present in every moment of experience. Look around you right now at all the things that are supporting your well-being: the chair you’re sitting in, the sunlight, the electric lines that help make your life more manageable, the clothes you’re wearing.
Once you’ve anchored yourself in the present, try one or more of the following practices to nudge your brain activity into the zone where your mood is cheerful, calm, and appreciative.
Lift your spirits with these 10 mood menders!
Visualize the inside of your head as a round room lined with many large toy chests. In each box, you store memories of different things. Imagine a shiny new empty box, and picture yourself writing the word “Favorites” on it. Now, search your memory for the most beautiful memories you possess — a celebration with friends, your daughter’s birth, falling in love. Picture each situation vividly, and then imagine yourself putting it in the “Favorites” box. Go to a new memory and repeat the process.
Spend time each day going to the box, “opening” it, recalling the times you’ve stored there, and adding new favorites.
List five things you love with each of your senses. Start by writing five endings to the sentence, “I love the smell of_” Then go on to “I love the sound of__. ” “I love the sight of__. ” “I love the feel of __. ” “I love the taste of __ ” and “I love the sight of__.” See how your mood improves as you simply list these 25 things.
To continue reading:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/personal/03/18/o.emergency.mood/index.html
*If you experience severe or bad moods, you may have a biochemical imbalance that can and should be treated medically. Since mood disorders are both serious and very treatable, you should do whatever it takes to get good medical care.
