An often under-recognized health concern, incidences of skin cancer have been on the rise. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure has been associated with approximately 90% of nonmelanoma skin cancers. Most often addressed in terms of direct exposure, UV radiation also is experienced via indirect sources, such as reflected UVB.
Devices like tablets, smartphones and laptops can reflect ultraviolet light from the sun and may indirectly increase users’ exposure to the cancer-causing wavelengths, according to a new study.
Mary E. Logue, from the University of New Mexico (New Mexico, USA), and colleagues completed a small observational study to assess UV exposure via light reflected from various personal electronic devices. Setting up a mannequin head wearing a UVA/B light meter and facing it toward a standard musician’s sheet stand, the team recorded UV readings for an hour of exposure, from 11 AM to noon, using a magazine, an iPhone5, various iPad models, two MacBook laptops and a Kindle e-reader. In the first trial the devices were 16.5 inches from the UV sensor. For the second, they were secured 12.25 inches away. The devices and the UV sensor were angled to mimic an adult looking down at the handheld device. In the first trial, when the devices were further away from the mannequin, an open magazine increased UV dosage exposure by 46% compared to the sheet stand alone, an iPad2 increased exposure by about 85% and an 11-inch MacBook increased UV exposure by 75%.
Only the second trial, with devices held closer to the mannequin’s “face,” included the iPhone5, which increased UV exposure by 36%. The lead investigator warns that: ““These devices are generally used for communication or entertainment, so it can be easy to overlook their reflective properties unless you happen to catch the glare off a screen.”
The harmful effects of UVA and UVB rays have been well documented, and limiting exposure is the single most effective preventive measure an individual can take. Significant levels of UV exposure, such as those found in this study, increase cumulative lifetime UV dosage.
While the best course of action is to limit smart device usage to the indoors, this is obviously impractical for most people It is recommended to cover shoulders, wear sunglasses and sunscreen, especially on the exposed areas of the neck and face.
The devices themselves could be redesigned to be less reflective, or to include UV sensor technology so their users could track their exposure.
SOURCE: bit.ly/1PLZIEQ Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, September 2015.
A large long-term human health study in New Zealand and published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, finds people age at different rates. In addition, adults who look older than their years may be ageing at an accelerated pace. The international research group followed 954 people from the same town in New Zealand who were all born in 1972-73.
Scientists drew up a list of 18 biological markers that together reflect a person’s biological age. They included measures of kidney and liver function, cholesterol levels, cardiovascular fitness and the lengths of telomeres, which are protective caps that sit on the ends of chromosomes. The study also measured dental health and the condition of the tiny blood vessels at the back of the eyes, which are a proxy for the brain’s blood vessels.
The set of markers were measured when the volunteers were aged 26, then 32, and finally at the age of 38. The researchers then looked to see how much the markers changed over time, to determine a pace of ageing. It was found that for most young adults, biological age proceeds in sync with chronological age. However, the aging process isn’t all genetic; there’s a great deal of environmental influence as well.
The biologically older people also reported more difficulties with activities like walking up the stairs and/ or carrying groceries. Already, before midlife, individuals who were ageing more rapidly were less physically able, showed cognitive decline, brain ageing, self-reported worse health and looked older. A clear relationship between looking older on the outside and ageing faster on the inside.
Most people think of the aging process as something that happens late in life,, but signs of aging were already apparent in these tests over the 12 years of young adulthood: from 26 to 38. The researchers said it was unexpected to find such differences so early, but that the findings could help trial methods for slowing the pace of ageing and ultimately have implications for medicine.
The ultimate goal is to target ageing instead of the multiple separate diseases that people are increasingly likely to develop as they age.
Reference: Quantification of biological aging in young adults 10.1073/pnas.1506264112 PNAS July 6, 2015
For those wishing to lose weight and keep it off, here’s a simple strategy that works: step on a scale each day and track the results.
A two-year Cornell study, recently published in the Journal of Obesity, found that frequent self weighing and tracking results on a chart were effective for both losing weight and keeping it off, especially for men.
Subjects who lost weight the first year in the program were able to maintain that lost weight throughout the second year. This is important because studies show that about 40 percent of weight lost with any dietary treatment is regained in one year, and almost 100 percent of weight loss is regained at the end of five years.
By charting daily weights on an excel spreadsheet or even a piece of graph paper, it forces awareness of the connection between eating and weight.
There was no prescription for losing weight so everyone determined their own of method of losing the weight. Some people reduced portion size, stopped snacking or skipped a meal. Losing 1 percent of body weight requires most people to cut only about 150 calories a day for two weeks.
Once they maintained that weight loss for 10 days, the program then gave them a new target to lose another 1 percent, and so on. The goal was to lose a total of 10 percent of their starting body weight.
There was a significant difference between men and women, with women losing weight on the program, but far less than the men. This method seemed to work better for men than women, for reasons the researchers were unable to determine. Overall, the researchers believe that stepping on a scale and tracking one’s weight acts as a reinforcement for some behaviors, such as eating less. This daily activity also strengthens other behaviors such as going for a walk in order to maintain body weight.
References: Carly R. Pacanowski, David A. Levitsky. Frequent Self-Weighing and Visual Feedback for Weight Loss in Overweight Adults. Journal of Obesity, 2015; 2015: 1 DOI:10.1155/2015/763680
Known best as the substance in turmeric that gives the curry spice its characteristic yellow color, curcumin has been found by previous studies to exert antioxidant, anti-inflammation, anticancer, and lipid-lowering effects. Gautam Sethi, from Curtin University, and colleagues completed a review of past clinical trials involving curcumin for cancer. Observing that the compound potentially promotes potent anti-inflammatory effects, the team reports that curcumin is especially effective for multiple myeloma patients and those suffering from pancreatic cancer. Noting that doses up to 12 grams appear to be nontoxic, the investigators point out that curcumin targets the key oncogenic proteins.
The study authors write that: “anti-cancer effects are predominantly mediated through [curcumin’s] negative regulation of various transcription factors, growth factors, inflammatory cytokines, protein kinases, and other oncogenic molecules. It also abrogates proliferation of cancer cells by arresting them at different phases of the cell cycle and/or by inducing their apoptosis.”
Source: Shanmugam MK, Rane G, Kanchi MM, Arfuso F, Chinnathambi A, Zayed ME, Alharbi SA, Tan BK, Kumar AP, Sethi G. “The multifaceted role of curcumin in cancer prevention and treatment.” Molecules. 2015 Feb 5;20(2):2728-69.
If you’re prone to heavy snoring or sleep apnea, you could also be prone to something a lot more serious: memory and mild cognitive decline, including Alzheimer’s, at a much earlier age. So say researchers out of New York University in the journal Neurology. They studied 2,470 people with an average age of 73 and found that those with breathing disorders during sleep experienced some form of cognitive decline more than a decade before those without the breathing problems (at age 77 instead of age 90).
But all is not lost: Those who treated their breathing disorders with a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine, however, were able to delay mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s by roughly 10 years. “The age of onset of (mild cognitive impairment) for people whose breathing problems were treated was almost identical to that of people who did not have any breathing problems at all.
Given that so many older adults have sleep breathing problems, these results are exciting. (Snoring and sleep apnea are linked to these health problems, too.)
The relationship between hormones and sleep is multifaceted; hormonal influences can play an important role in breathing during sleep cycles. Restoring, maximizing and balancing hormones using Bioidentical Hormones can help maintain optimum health and vitality, and has shown promise in alleviating sleep apnea.
Sources: Eureka Alert, Neurology, New York Times. The study was published online April 15 in Neurology.
Holistic Health Services in Los Angeles With Dr. Judi Goldstone
What Is Genetic Testing?
Gone are the days of waiting to develop a disease. Genomics (the study of DNA sequencing) is offering new possibilities for diagnosing, treating and even preventing diseases. With currently available genomic testing, it is possible to know what diseases you are at risk for. With this knowledge, lifestyle changes and even early treatment can be initiated to prevent diseases. A growing understanding of human genetics holds the promise to dramatically change health care through customized preventative care and treatments.
What is The Difference Between Genetic Testing & Genomic Testing
First, it is important to understand the difference between genetic testing and genomic testing. The word genetics refers to the study of individual genes and their role in disease or inheritance. Genomics refers to an individual’s entire genetic make-up. Genomic testing is used to the study of all of a person’s genes, including interactions of those genes with each other and with the environment. Genomics can provide a better understanding of how genes, lifestyle choices, and environmental factors can impact disease. Certain environmental or behavioral factors play a role in whether a disease develop; for instance, diet, exercise stress levels, and proximity to pollutants or toxins.
What Can Genomic Testing Be Used For?
Currently, genomic testing can be used to determine risk of developing cancer, heart disease, asthma, diabetes and certain inherited diseases. This type of testing can be used to improve or maintain health and wellness as well. Targeted nutrition and exercise, as well as drug response to specific medications, can be determined via genomics. Importantly, genomic testing can indicate treatments likely to cause adverse effects, and can also indicate what treatments may be most effective.
Genomic testing can also act as a catalyst for behavioral change. Clinical studies have shown that individuals who follow a genetically appropriate diet lose weight more easily. The genomic testing offered at SoCal BHRT tests a variety of genes that influence response to diet, metabolism, and exercise, as well as the propensity to develop certain health conditions and likely response to specific medications.
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