A new study has shown that consuming an amino acid commonly found in vegetable protein is associated with lower blood pressure.
The study, conducted by Jeremiah Stamler, M.D., lead author of the study, and colleagues, showed that a 4.72% higher dietary intake of the amino acid glutamic acid as a per cent of total dietary protein correlated with lower group average systolic blood pressure, lower by 1.5 to 3.0 millimetres of mercury (mm Hg). Group average diastolic blood pressure was lower by 1.0 to 1.6 mm Hg.
In the study, researchers examined dietary amino acids, the building blocks of protein.
Stamler, professor emeritus of the Department of Preventive Medicine in the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago, Ill, said that glutamic acid is the most common amino acid and accounts for almost a quarter (23%) of the protein in vegetable protein and almost one fifth (18%) of animal protein.
In the study, researchers analyzed data from 4,680 middle-age people participating in an international population study on the effects of dietary nutrients on high blood pressure. Participants were from the U.S., U.K., China, and Japan.
The results showed that a nearly 5% higher intake of glutamic acid as a per cent of total protein in the diet was linked to lower average blood pressure. Systolic blood pressure was lower by an average of 1.5 to 3.0 points and diastolic blood pressure was lower by 1.0 to 1.6 points.
Stamler said that the study might help explain on a molecular level why the Dieatary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet lowers blood pressure. The DASH eating pattern, developed by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, is rich in fruits, vegetables and low-fat and non-fat dairy products as well as whole grains, lean poultry, nuts and beans.
The study has been published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
New diagnostic machines showcased at a global medical conference in Chicago are going to rewrite the future of medicine.
SOME IMAGING EQUIPMENT PRESENTED AT RSNA 2008: (From left) High-resolution MRI system; a 4-D imaging ultrasound system ; the 1000-slice CT scanner
If you ask any knowledgeable person to name an area of science or technology that is set to revolutionise medicine, you will probably get “genomics” as an answer. Not many would say that “medical imaging” is the future. But this seemingly mundane technology is rewriting medical diagnostics and treatment like never before.
In the public mind, medical imaging is synonymous with three technologies: x-ray, ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). While these three still remain the basis of most initial diagnostic investigations, medical imaging has gone far beyond these techniques.
Variations of these three basic technologies now provide images of unprecedented accuracy, while new methods like molecular imaging are taking imaging to uncharted territories. Imaging techniques can point out cancer cells early, map far-flung crevices of the brain and show blood vessels and the flow inside them.
“Genomics has got all the publicity, but imaging has really transformed medicine in the last decade or two,” stresses T.S. Sridhar, professor of molecular medicine at St John’s Hospital, Bangalore.
It is no accident that the largest medical conference in the world is in the field of imaging, and is organised by the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). The conference in Chicago, held between November 30 and December 6, presented some cutting edge research and imaging equipment that provided a glimpse into the future. One could see, among other things, computed tomography (CT) scanners that could take up to 1000 images of a body part in no time, MRI machines that could compensate for movement of the heart and provide clear images, and molecular imaging equipment that map tumours and their activity with great accuracy.
More and more clinical investigations are going to depend on imaging to provide clues to health problems. Traditionally, an image of the body is taken when you investigate symptoms of some disorder, but this practice is going to change soon. “Molecular imaging can tell you about risks for many diseases well before symptoms appear,” says Jean Luc Vanderheyden, molecular imaging leader at GE Healthcare.
Imaging is a technology that is already transforming medicine every day, as evidenced by the research presented at the conference. Here are a few samples. Scientists presented a new technique called magnetoencephalography (MEG) that maps small magnetic fields associated with brain activity. Among other things, it was used by scientists at the Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia to study abnormalities in the brain of autistic children.
Scientists from the University of California in San Francisco showed how CT scans could probe two diseases at once: colorectal cancer and osteoporosis (brittle bone disease). A new variant of mammography, called positron emission mammography (PEM), can point out those cancers in the breast that neither conventional mammography nor MRI can identify.
Advances in imaging technology are now promising to rewrite healthcare in at least one major way: by detecting diseases early, at a stage when treatment is very effective. Traditionally, early detection of disease was not under the purview of medical imaging, and doctors advised an ultrasound or an MRI only when there was some symptom. There were two reasons for this practice. First, random screening of patients was expensive and impractical. And second, imaging technology had not advanced enough to detect diseases before symptoms appeared.
Now advances in fields such as genomics are providing us with clues about risk factors. We know about many genes that could increase the risk factor for diseases like cancer, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. In developed countries, such high-risk people are already being screened regularly to check for the presence of the disease. And in recent years, imaging technology has advanced enough for radiologists to detect diseases in their early stages, sometimes well before other techniques can detect them. Which is why imaging companies like GE are campaigning to detect diseases early.
Take breast cancer. Regular screenings fail to detect all breast cancers, and sometimes there are false alarms. This is because the density of the breast needs to be high (with less fat than glandular and connective tissue) for MRIs. Hormonal changes that occur during a woman’s menstrual cycle also interfere with the technique. In addition to these gla-ring exceptions, mammogra phy routinely misses minute tumours.
PEM, on the other hand, can detect tumours even in less dense breasts and is also less dependent on hormonal cycles. Also, mammography is now advancing at such a rapid pace that it will soon be able to detect cancers that are barely visible to the naked eye. It seems medicine has finally mastered the art of detecting critical ailments early.
CHICAGO: For 5-year-old Sean Batson, even a grandmother’s kiss is to be feared.
“My mother was wearing lipstick, and when she kissed Sean’s cheek, it broke out in hives,” said his mother, Jennifer Batson.
At his first birthday party, Sean had a severe allergic reaction — hives, swollen eyes, vomiting and wheezing — to his first nibble of cake. And when a toddler with an ice cream cone touched Sean’s arm with sticky hands during a play date, the arm erupted in hives.
The daily struggle of living with Sean’s allergies to nearly unavoidable foods and food products — soy, eggs and milk, traces of which can turn up even in nonfoods like lipstick — prompted Jennifer and her husband, Tim, to participate in a project that scientists are calling the most comprehensive food allergy study to date.
The international study, led by Xiaobin Wang and Jacqueline Pongracic of Children’s Memorial Hospital here, is searching for causes of food allergy by looking at hundreds of families in Boston, Chicago and Anhui Province in China.
Wang says the study’s multicenter design allows researchers to look at startling variations in the prevalence and types of food allergies across diverse populations and regions.
In China, for example, skin-prick testing found that large percentages of one rural population were sensitive to shellfish (16.7%) and peanuts (12.3%). Yet actual food allergies in that population, as diagnosed by physicians, were all but unheard of: less than 1%.
In the US, by contrast, 12 million people (4%of the population) suffer from food allergies, according to the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network, a nonprofit information and advocacy group.
“We found something unexpected,” said Wang, director of the Smith Child Health Research Program at Children’s Memorial. “The apparent dissociation between high allergic sensitization and low allergic disease in this Chinese population is not seen in our two US study populations.
Although it is possible to be allergic to any food, eight foods account for 90% of all reactions — milk, eggs, peanuts, fish, shellfish, soy, wheat, and tree nuts like cashews and almonds. Up to 200 deaths each year are attributed to the most severe reaction, food-induced anaphylaxis.
Some experts suggest that children in a culture smitten with antibacterial detergents and hand sanitizers are exposed to fewer germs, depriving the immune system of its germ-fighting job and leading it to misidentify certain foods as foreign.
Anaphylaxis is a rapidly progressing, life-threatening allergic reaction.It is a type of allergic reaction, in which the immune system responds to otherwise harmless substances from the environment. Unlike other allergic reactions, however, anaphylaxis can kill. Reaction may begin within minutes or even seconds of exposure, and rapidly progress to cause airway constriction, skin and intestinal irritation, and altered heart rhythms. In severe cases, it can result in complete airway obstruction, shock, and death.
Anaphylaxis is an acute systemic (multi-system) and severe Type I Hypersensitivity allergic reaction in humans and other mammals. The term comes from the Greek words ana (against) and phylaxis (protection). Minute amounts of allergens may cause a life-threatening anaphylactic reaction. Anaphylaxis may occur after ingestion, skin contact, injection of an allergen or, in rare cases, inhalation….CLICK & SEE
Anaphylactic shock, the most severe type of anaphylaxis, occurs when an allergic response triggers a quick release from mast cells of large quantities of immunological mediators (histamines, prostaglandins, leukotrienes) leading to systemic vasodilation (associated with a sudden drop in blood pressure) and edema of bronchial mucosa (resulting in bronchoconstriction and difficulty breathing). Anaphylactic shock can lead to death in a matter of minutes if left untreated.
An estimated 1.24% to 16.8% of the population of the United States is considered “at risk” for having an anaphylactic reaction if they are exposed to one or more allergens, especially penicillin and insect stings. Most of these people successfully avoid their allergens and will never experience anaphylaxis. Of those people who actually experience anaphylaxis, up to 1% may die as a result. Anaphylaxis results in approximately 18 deaths per year in the U.S. (compared to 2.4 million deaths from all causes each year in the U.S.). The most common presentation includes sudden cardiovascular collapse (88% of reported cases of severe anaphylaxis).
Researchers typically distinguish between “true anaphylaxis” and “pseudo-anaphylaxis or an “anaphylactoid reaction.” The symptoms, treatment, and risk of death are identical, but “true” anaphylaxis is always caused directly by degranulation of mast cells or basophils that is mediated by immunoglobulin E (IgE), and pseudo-anaphylaxis occurs due to all other causes. The distinction is primarily made by those studying mechanisms of allergic reactions.
Causes:-
Anaphylaxis is a severe, whole-body allergic reaction. After an initial exposure (“sensitizing dose”) to a substance like bee sting toxin, the person’s immune system becomes sensitized to that allergen. On a subsequent exposure (“shocking dose”), an allergic reaction occurs. This reaction is sudden, severe, and involves the whole body.
Hives and angioedema (hives on the lips, eyelids, throat, and/or tongue) often occur. Angioedema may be severe enough to block the airway. Prolonged anaphylaxis can cause heart arrhythmias.
Some drugs (polymyxin, morphine, x-ray dye, and others) may cause an “anaphylactoid” reaction (anaphylactic-like reaction) on the first exposure. This is usually due to a toxic reaction, rather than the immune system mechanism that occurs with “true” anaphylaxis. The symptoms, risk for complications without treatment, and treatment are the same, however, for both types of reactions. Some vaccinations are also known to cause “anaphylactoid” reactions. Antitoxins and antivenins may cause similar reactions.
Anaphylaxis can occur in response to any allergen. Common causes include insect bites/stings, food allergies (peanuts and tree nuts are the most common, though not the only), and drug allergies. Pollens and other inhaled allergens rarely cause anaphylaxis. In opthamology, the dye fluorescein used in some eye exams is a well known trigger. Some people have an anaphylactic reaction with no identifiable cause. Symptoms:-
Symptoms of anaphylaxis are related to the action of Immunoglobulin E (IgE) and other anaphylatoxins, which act to release histamine and other mediator substances from mast cells (degranulation). In addition to other effects, histamine induces vasodilation of arterioles and constriction of bronchioles in the lungs, also known as bronchospasm (constriction of the airways).
Tissues in different parts of the body release histamine and other substances. This causes constriction of the airways, resulting in wheezing, difficulty breathing, and gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain, cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea. Histamine causes the blood vessels to dilate (which lowers blood pressure) and fluid to leak from the bloodstream into the tissues (which lowers the blood volume). These effects result in shock. Fluid can leak into the alveoli (air sacs) of the lungs, causing pulmonary edema.
Symptoms can include the following:
*polyuria
*respiratory distress
*hypotension (low blood pressure)
*encephalitis
*fainting
*unconsciousness
*urticaria (hives)
*flushed appearance
*angioedema (swelling of the lips, face, neck and throat): this can be life threatening
*tears (due to angioedema and stress)
*vomiting
*itching
*diarrhoea
*abdominal pain
*anxiety
The time between ingestion of the allergen and anaphylaxis symptoms can vary for some patients depending on the amount of allergen consumed and their reaction time. Symptoms can appear immediately, or can be delayed by half an hour to several hours after ingestion. However, symptoms of anaphylaxis usually appear very quickly once they do begin.
Diagnosis:-
Anaphylaxis is diagnosed based on the rapid development of symptoms in response to a suspect allergen. Identification of the culprit may be done with RAST testing, a blood test that identifies IgE reactions to specific allergens. Skin testing may be done for less severe anaphylactic reactions.
The time between ingestion of the allergen and anaphylaxis symptoms can vary for some patients depending on the amount of allergen consumed and their reaction time. Symptoms can appear immediately, or can be delayed by half an hour to several hours after ingestion. However, symptoms of anaphylaxis usually appear very quickly once they do begin.
Apart from its clinical features, blood tests for tryptase (released from mast cells) might be useful in diagnosing anaphylaxis.
In some cases, it is unclear from the patient interview what triggered the anaphylaxis. In this setting, skin allergy testing (with or without patch testing) or RAST blood tests can sometimes identify the cause.
Emergency Treatment
Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening medical emergency because of rapid constriction of the airway, often within minutes of onset, which can lead to respiratory failure and respiratory arrest. Brain and organ damage rapidly occurs if the patient cannot breathe. Due to the severe nature of the emergency, patients experiencing or about to experience anaphylaxis require the help of advanced medical personnel. First aid measures for anaphylaxis include rescue breathing (part of CPR). Rescue breathing may be hindered by the constricted airways, but if the patient stops breathing on his or her own, it is the only way to get oxygen to him or her until professional help is available.
.A woman being treated in an emergency department after going into anaphylactic shock
.The primary treatment for anaphylaxis is administration of epinephrine (adrenaline). Epinephrine prevents worsening of the airway constriction, stimulates the heart to continue beating, and may be life-saving. Epinephrine acts on Beta-2 adrenergic receptors in the lung as a powerful bronchodilator (i.e. it opens the airways), relieving allergic or histamine-induced acute asthmatic attack or anaphylaxis. If the patient has previously been diagnosed with anaphylaxis, he or she may be carrying an EpiPen or Twinject for immediate administration of epinephrine. However, use of an EpiPen or similar device only provides temporary and limited relief of symptoms.
Tachycardia (rapid heartbeat) results from stimulation of Beta-1 adrenergic receptors of the heart increasing contractility (positive inotropic effect) and frequency (chronotropic effect) and thus cardiac output.[10] Repetitive administration of epinephrine can cause tachycardia and occasionally ventricular tachycardia with heart rates potentially reaching 240 beats per minute, which itself can be fatal. Extra doses of epinephrine can sometimes cause cardiac arrest. This is why some protocols advise intramuscular injection of only 0.3–0.5mL of a 1:1,000 dilution.
Some patients with severe allergies routinely carry preloaded syringes containing epinephrine, diphenhydramine (Benadryl), and dexamethasone (Decadron) whenever they go to an unknown or uncontrolled environment.
You may click to see:->First Aid for Anaphylaxis Clinical care
Paramedic treatment in the field includes administration of epinephrine IM; antihistamines IM (such as chlorphenamine or diphenhydramine); steroids, such as hydrocortisone or dexamethasone; IV Fluid administration and in severe cases, pressor agents (which cause the heart to increase its contraction strength) such as dopamine for hypotension, administration of oxygen, and intubation during transport to advanced medical care.
In severe situations with profuse laryngeal edema (swelling of the airway), cricothyrotomy or tracheotomy may be required to maintain oxygenation. In these procedures, an incision is made through the anterior portion of the neck, over the cricoid membrane, and an endotracheal tube is inserted to allow mechanical ventilation of the patient.
The clinical treatment of anaphylaxis by a doctor and in the hospital setting aims to treat the cellular hypersensitivity reaction as well as the symptoms. Antihistamine drugs such as diphenhydramine or chlorphenamine (which inhibit the effects of histamine at histamine receptors) are continued but are usually not sufficient in anaphylaxis, and high doses of intravenous corticosteroids such as dexamethasone or hydrocortisone are often required. Hypotension is treated with intravenous fluids and sometimes vasopressor drugs. For bronchospasm, bronchodilator drugs (e.g. salbutamol, known as Albuterol in the United States) are used. In severe cases, immediate treatment with epinephrine can be lifesaving. Supportive care with mechanical ventilation may be required.
It is also possible to undergo a second reaction prior to medical attention or using an Epipen. It is suggested to seek one to two days of medical care.
The possibility of biphasic reactions (recurrence of anaphylaxis) requires that patients be monitored for four hours after being transported to medical care for anaphylaxis.
Many anaphylactic patients will be sent home or released after the initial reaction is declared over. Yet, rebound reactions are almost always bound to happen. Most people with anaphylaxis have a rebound a few hours after the initial reaction, yet there are cases where a rebound would occur after as much time as a week. Planning for emergency treatment:-
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America advises patients prone to anaphylaxis to have an “allergy action plan” on file at school, home, or in their office to aid others in case of an anaphylactic emergency, and provides a free “plan” form. Action plans are considered essential to quality emergency care. Many authorities advocate immunotherapy to prevent future episodes of anaphylaxis.
Beta-blockers may aggravate anaphylactic reactions and interfere with treatment.
Prognosis:
The rapidity of symptom development is an indication of the likely severity of reaction: the faster symptoms develop, the more severe the ultimate reaction. Prompt emergency medical attention and close monitoring reduces the likelihood of death. Nonetheless, death is possible from severe anaphylaxis. For most people who receive rapid treatment, recovery is complete.
Prevention:-
Immunotherapy with Hymenoptera venoms is especially effective and widely used throughout the world and is accepted as an effective treatment for most patients with allergy to bees, wasps, hornets, yellow jackets, white faced hornets, and fire ants.
Avoidance of the allergic trigger is the only reliable method of preventing anaphylaxis. For insect allergies, this requires recognizing likely nest sites. Preventing food allergies requires knowledge of the prepared foods or dishes in which the allergen is likely to occur, and careful questioning about ingredients when dining out. Use of a Medic-Alert tag detailing drug allergies is vital to prevent inadvertent administration during a medical emergency.
People prone to anaphylaxis should carry an “Epipen” or “Ana-kit,” which contain an adrenaline dose ready for injection.
The greatest success with prevention of anaphylaxis has been the use of allergy injections to prevent recurrence of sting allergy. The risk to an individual from a particular species of insect depends on complex interactions between likelihood of human contact, insect aggression, efficiency of the venom delivery apparatus, and venom allergenicity. According to most authorities, venom immunotherapy has been demonstrated to reduce the risk of systemic reactions below 1% to 3%. One simple method of venom extraction has been electrical stimulation to obtain venom, instead of dissecting the venom sac. An allergist will then provide venom immunotherapy which is highly efficacious in preventing future episodes of anaphylaxis.
A vaccine has been in the works to prevent anaphylaxis from peanuts and tree nuts. Despite showing significant promise to prevent individuals with the allergy from developing anaphylaxis if eating a small amount of the food, the FDA has not yet approved the vaccine.
Disclaimer: This information is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advise or help. It is always best to consult with a Physician about serious health concerns. This information is in no way intended to diagnose or prescribe remedies.This is purely for educational purpose.
A diet rich in omega-3 fats may explain why middle-aged men in Japan have fewer problems with clogged arteries than similar men in the United States.s.
The research found that Japanese men living in Japan had twice the blood levels of omega-3 fats, and also lower levels of atherosclerosis, compared to middle-aged white men or Japanese-American men living in the United States.
Atherosclerosis is the buildup of plaque inside your arteries. Over time, they can lead to serious problems like heart attacks and stroke.
Nutritional studies show that intake of omega-3 fats averages 1.3 grams per day in Japan, compared to 0.2 grams per day in the United States.
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