Will giving coffee to babies keep them awake as adults?

A Canadian study on how giving caffeine to newborn rats has shown long-lasting and detrimental effects on sleep and breathing in adulthood, has just been published.

Breathing problems are the leading causes of hospitalisation and death in premature babies. These babies are therefore often given caffeine because of its qualities as a respiratory stimulant. Until recently, the long-term effects of this treatment in humans have not been examined.

However, Gaspard Montandon and colleagues showed in the Journal of Physiology that the use of caffeine in neonates can cause serious alterations in the sleeping patterns of adult rats as a result of its effect on the developing respiratory system. Sleep abnormality is a significant indicator for ill health and reduced life span.

When the caffeine-treated rats reached adulthood, their sleeping time was reduced, the length of time they took to reach the first stage of sleep was increased, and their non-REM sleep was fragmented. Breathing at rest was higher than in rats not treated with caffeine.

In his review of the study, F1000 Faculty Member James Duffin of the University of Toronto says the results "raise concerns about the long-term consequences of neonatal caffeine administration on brain development and behaviour."

Smoking gun: just one cigarette has harmful effect on the arteries of young healthy adults

Even one cigarette has serious adverse effects on young adults, according to research presented by Dr. Stella Daskalopoulou at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2009, co-hosted by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society.

Her study found that smoking one cigarette increases the stiffness of the arteries in 18 to 30 year olds by a whopping 25 per cent.

Arteries that are stiff or rigid increase resistance in the blood vessels, making the heart work harder. The stiffer the artery, the greater the risk for heart disease or stroke.

"Young adults aged 20-24 years have the highest smoking rate of all age groups in Canada," says Dr. Daskalopoulou, an internal medicine and vascular medicine specialist at McGill University Health Centre. "Our results are significant because they suggest that smoking just a few cigarettes a day impacts the health of the arteries. This was revealed very clearly when these young people were placed under physical stress, such as exercise."

The study compared the arterial stiffness of young smokers (five to six cigarettes a day) to non-smokers. The median age was 21 years. Arterial measurements were taken in the radial artery (in the wrist), the carotid artery (in the neck), and in the femoral artery (in the groin), at rest and after exercise.

Arterial stiffness in both smokers and non-smokers was measured using a new but well established method called applanation tonometry. Dr. Daskalopoulou introduced the 'arterial stress test' which measures the arteries' response to the stress of exercise. The test is comparable to a cardiac stress test, which measures the heart's response to the stress of exercise.

"In effect we were measuring the elasticity of arteries under challenge from tobacco," explains Dr. Daskalopoulou.

An initial arterial stress test was carried out to establish a baseline measurement for both the non-smokers and the smokers, who were asked not to smoke for 12 hours prior to the test. After the first meeting, smokers returned and smoked one cigarette each and then repeated the stress test. During the final meeting, smokers were asked to chew a piece of nicotine gum prior to the stress test.

Dr. Daskalopoulou found that after exercise the arterial stiffness levels in non-smokers dropped by 3.6 per cent. Smokers, however, showed the reverse: after exercise their arterial stiffness increased by 2.2 per cent. After nicotine gum, it increased by 12.6 per cent. After one cigarette, it increased by 24.5 per cent.

Interestingly, there was no difference in the arterial stiffness measurements between smokers and non-smokers at rest.

"In effect, this means that even light smoking in otherwise young healthy people can damage the arteries, compromising the ability of their bodies to cope with physical stress, such as climbing a set of stairs or running to catch a bus," says Dr. Daskalopoulou. "It seems that this compromise to respond to physical stress occurs first, before the damage of the arteries becomes evident at rest."

"More than 47,000 Canadians will die prematurely each year due to tobacco use, which often starts in the teen years," warns Heart and Stroke Foundation spokesperson Dr. Beth Abramson. "We know that over 90 per cent of teenagers who smoke as few as three to four cigarettes a day may be trapped into a lifelong habit of regular smoking, which typically lasts 35 to 40 years."

Smoking contributes to the build up of plaque in the arteries, increases the risk of blood clots, reduces the oxygen in the blood, increases blood pressure, and makes the heart work harder. Smoking also nearly doubles the risk of ischemic stroke.

Dr. Abramson says this study reinforces the importance of education, prevention programs, and legislation such as the recently passed Bill C-32, Cracking Down on Tobacco Marketing Aimed at Youth Act.

Heart patients running the red light on traffic restrictions

Edmonton − More than half of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) don't get any counselling on their ability to drive after angioplasty – and this could be putting lives in danger, Dr. Ravi Bajaj told the 2009 Canadian Cardiovascular Congress, co-hosted by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society. "If a patient is discharged from hospital following a cardiac event there is always a risk of another serious cardiac event or complication within a short period of time," says Dr. Bajaj. "That is why patients are advised not to operate a motor vehicle during the time when risks of an event are high. Should they continue to drive, it poses a risk to the patient and others on the road.

"This has very important public health implications."

ACS is a constellation of cardiac symptoms, including angina or chest pain, and reduced blood flow to the heart. One treatment can be angioplasty, a non-surgical procedure to open up blood vessels in the heart that have been narrowed by plaque build-up. Over 45,000 angioplasties are performed in Canada every year.

In his study, Dr. Bajaj found that 57 per cent of patients who were released from hospital after having the procedure did not receive any counselling about driving before discharge. The remaining 43 per cent had varying advice from their doctors, which was mostly inconsistent with the 2003 guidelines released by the Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS).

"The CCS has published guidelines on driving restrictions following various cardiac events, but are they being followed by doctors?" asks Dr. Bajaj. "Depending on a patient's condition, driving restrictions after hospitalization range from 48 hours to a month. Yet we found that less than half of cardiac patients received any instructions about driving at all."

Of the 43 per cent of the patients who reported having a discussion with their doctor about driving after hospital discharge, driving restrictions were prescribed for 48 hours in 40 per cent of participants, one week for 15 per cent, and one month for 35 per cent.

"It's important for patients and doctors to discuss all aspects of their medical procedures, including any driving implications," says Heart and Stroke Foundation spokesperson Dr. Beth Abramson. "Patients need to know that we are not giving the red light to driving. It's a yellow light precaution; not only for the safety of the patient but for all Canadians on the road. The majority of patients are advised not to drive for a short two day period.'

Dr Bajaj says there is a deficit of studies looking at why patients get such differing advice. "Physicians may be concerned that if they do take away a patient's ability to drive, then the patient gets the idea that the doctor isn't acting in their best interest and later the patient may withhold information so their driving privileges won't be revoked. As well, withdrawing and reinstating a license can be a quite cumbersome administrative task for both doctor and patient."

He advises greater attention and focus to improve education about patient safety and physical well being after a heart disease diagnosis.

"The CCS has made great efforts to publish guidelines that are readily available to ensure patients and doctors take their respective duties seriously," he says. "The fears and doubts that patients may have need to be mitigated by physicians by explaining to patients that it is in their best interest not to drive because of health safety issues."

His next step is to expand the study to look at whether patients receive the right counselling and if they follow it or not.

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Things To Do To Overcome Binge Eating

What Is Binge Eating?

Binging is something which we do when we are not hungry but eat because we are presented food in front of us or around us. Binging is the root cause of unhealthy lifestyle. Binge eating consists of episodes of uncontrollable overeating.

Most people who have eating binges try to hide this behaviour from others, and often feel ashamed or depressed about their overeating. Eating binges can be followed by so-called compensatory behaviour, acts by which the person tries to compensate for the effects of overeating. Binge eating is often a symptom of an eating disorder

Things To Do To Overcome Binge Eating

Binge eating starts with emotional eating and leads up to lifestyle where even if you feel tiny bit of discomfort you end up reaching for food, which you think makes you feel good instead it makes you lethargic, lazy and obese with loads of health problems physically and mentally.

First thing to overcome emotional eating is to dig within yourself for the reasons which make you uncomfortable and try to solve the issues with an "I Can" Attitude and motivate yourself to overcome it. It make not be easy but it will be worth the effort to make your life easy and make you a confidant person.

1. Have a glass of water to check if you are really hungry or thirsty, as most of the time we mistake thirst for hunger.

2. Check yourself whether you are really hungry or just the food in front of you is delicious and you are grabbing it to taste it rather than too fuel your body.

3. Remember food is fuel to our body overdose of it just harms the body.

4. Keep yourself occupied with interesting things which you enjoy to overcome boredom and loneliness.

5. Take up your hobby as not only will you enjoy it but you can also brag about it later on. As idle mind is a devils workshop.

6. Take a hike.

7. Don't spend your spare time in front of the idiot box where major binging occurs unconsciously as it takes time for your mind to register that you are full.

8. Instead spend time with your family and friends.

9. Have regular meals with balanced diet which in turn energizes you from inside out. And remember the golden rule of breakfast like a King, Lunch like a Prince and supper as Pauper.

10. Take some alone time and reflect the causes of emotional eating.

11. Write down what you eat in a journal and Don't cheat. This will point where you are going wrong and you will able to easily rectify it.

Know that Alcohol kills faster than ecstasy

A new drug list was revised by Britain's drug experts to reveal that alcohol and tobacco put your health at greater risk than such dangerous drugs as LSD, cannabis and ecstasy.
Experts conducted a new all-compassing research with the government top advisory committee involved to make a shocking conclusion on the harm of regular tobacco and alcohol.
A modern classification of drugs doesn't reflect the real situation on harmful substances. Thus more than 20 drugs were tested on their social and individual impact and results lead to revision of ABC system.
A team of 29 psychiatrists took part in the the study to classify all drugs into nine groups that were analyzed on the physical harm, addiction and social danger. Another group consisted of 16 experts did the research in several fields including chemistry, pharmacology, psychiatry and legal field to say a final word on drug ranking.
According to this new drug list, alcohol is named A drug. It slightly outruns heroin and cocaine. Tobacco was placed ninth and fell within a category B drug, after amphetamine. Such dangerous drugs as cannabis, LSD, ecstasy were left far near the end of the drug list.
This latest study raised the question that government's drug policy was not paying enough attention to modern state of affairs and didn't take notice of the scientific findings.
There should be no surprise that ecstasy drug was placed almost at the end of the list. One person a day dies from acute alcohol poisoning in comparison to 10 people a year who die from ecstasy overdose.
A new classification brings to light many issues concerning drug policy with a more thoughtful approach and corresponding legal response.
Drug and alchohol abuse is more common than we think. Learn more about alchool or opiate addiction by visiting a trusted detox site. A drug addiction is usually a very difficult segment of one's life, but with the proper care, it can be beat.

Do you know about drug?

HISTORY
Drugs were originally derived from plant sources and used for medicinal purposes. The Chinese scholar-emperor Shen Nung compiled the first book on herbs and their healing properties around 2735 B.C. Sheng Nung was the first, for example, to note the stimulating effect of the herb Ma Huang, now known as ephedra. It wasn't until 1887, however, that the actual active compound, ephedrine, was isolated by a Japanese chemist.

FUNCTION

Drugs have served many functions throughout history, from recreational and medicinal to religious and spiritual uses. A common function of drugs is to heal the physical body. Simple drugs such as aspirin can thin the blood and alleviate headaches, and complex drugs such as Viagra can help erectile dysfunction.Drugs for psychological disorders are a more recent development in modern medicine, with various chemicals used to control such conditions as depression, bipolar disorder and anxiety.

SIGNIFICANTS
The United States government has tried to restrict recreational drug use since the 1930s, when an anti-marijuana media campaign marked the beginning of the infamous "War on Drugs" that continues to this day, often expending enormous amounts of money on what some believe are fruitless efforts at controlling illegal drugs.Medicinal uses for drugs, however, have gotten a lot of support from government and industry, leading to a substantial growth in the development of new drugs. Today, the pharmaceutical lobby in Washington, D.C., is one of the most powerful and influential lobbies in government and often successfully initiates and supports legislation that is favorable to the pharmaceutical industry, such as extension of drug patents.

THEORIES/SPECULATION

There has been a lot of speculation about what to do with the recreational usage of drugs. The United States has a schedule of illegal drugs that includes a long list of prohibited substances (see Resources below). There are substantial penalties for those who break drug laws. Some countries, such as the Netherlands, have effectively stopped enforcing drug laws, and there is some evidence that this approach de-glamorizes drugs, leading to a substantial reduction of recreational usage.In addition to legal issues, science continues to develop better and more powerful drugs to treat a variety of diseases. There are some promising signs that in the next few decades, new drugs will increase human life span, eradicate cancer and AIDS, eliminate psychological disorders and maybe even reduce our need for sleep.

WARNING
Drugs are by nature poisonous, and there is no such thing as a safe drug. In fact, in many cases it is the toxic nature of drugs that give them their healing properties (many drugs, for example, are derived from animal venom). The best defense against poisoning or overdosing on drugs is to know as much as you can about the substance--a variation of the "Just Say No" drug war campaign of the 1980s: "Just Say Know." It is a little known fact that more people in the United States die every year from legally prescribed as well as freely available over-the-counter drugs than from all illegal drugs combined. Even seemingly safe drugs such as aspirin can lead to serious health complications and even death if not used properly.