Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada

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

EDMONTON, Oct. 27 /CNW Telbec/ - 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. If you or someone you know wants to quit smoking, you can order the Heart and Stroke Foundation's free Just Breathe: Becoming and Remaining Smoke-Free brochure by phoning 1-888-HSF-INFO.

Statements and conclusions of study authors are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect Foundation or CCS policy or position. The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society make no representation or warranty as to their accuracy or reliability. The Heart and Stroke Foundation (heartandstroke.ca), a volunteer-based health charity, leads in eliminating heart disease and stroke and reducing their impact through the advancement of research and its application, the promotion of healthy living, and advocacy.

Washington: 'No pain, no gain' adage applies to happiness too, according to new research
http://www.headlinesindia.com/lifestyle-news/lifestyle/no-pain-no-gain-applies-to-happiness
Friday, October 30, 2009
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People who work hard at improving a skill or ability, such as mastering a math problem or learning to drive, may experience stress in the moment, but experience greater happiness on a daily basis and longer term, a study suggests.

"No pain, no gain is the rule when it comes to gaining happiness from increasing our competence at something," said Ryan Howell, professor of psychology at San Francisco State University.

"People often give up their goals because they are stressful, but we found that there is benefit at the end of the day from learning to do something well. And what's striking is that you don't have to reach your goal to see the benefits to your happiness and well-being."

Contrary to previous research, the study found that people who engage in behaviours that increase competency, for example at work, school or the gym, experience decreased happiness in the moment, lower levels of enjoyment and higher levels of momentary stress, a website reported. Despite the negative effects felt on an hourly basis, participants reported that these same activities made them feel happy and satisfied when they looked back on their day as a whole. This surprising finding suggests that in the process of becoming proficient at something, individuals may need to endure temporary stress to reap the happiness benefits associated with increased competency.

The study examined whether people who spend time on activities that fulfill certain psychological needs, believed to be necessary for growth and well-being, experience greater happiness. In addition to the need to be competent, the study focused on the need to feel connected to others and to be autonomous or self-directed, and it examined how fulfilling these three needs affects a person's happiness moment by moment within a day. For two days, participants reported how they spent each hour, the enjoyment and stress experienced in that hour, and whether the activity met their need for competency, connectedness to others or autonomy. A second group of participants completed a similar survey, but reported on the day as a whole.

While behaviours that increase competency were associated with decreased happiness in the moment, people who spent time on activities that met the need for autonomy or feeling connected to others experienced increased happiness on both an hourly and daily basis. The greatest increase in momentary happiness was experienced by participants who engaged in something that met their need for autonomy -- any behaviour that a person feels they have chosen, rather than ought to do, and that helps them further their interests and goals.

The authors suggest that shifting the balance of needs met in a day could help people find ways to cope with short term stress in the workplace. "Our results suggest that you can decrease the momentary stress associated with improving your skill or ability by ensuring you are also meeting the need for autonomy and connectedness, for example performing the activity alongside other people or making sure it is something you have chosen to do and is true to who you are," Howell said.

The study was published online this week in the Journal of Happiness Studies. (IANS)

New vaccine offers hope in Africa's malaria battle
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jNHd8uxRpyuFjob
By JASON STRAZIUSO (AP)

SIAYA, Kenya - A mother watched with dread as a nurse inserted a tube in her baby's head. Blood streamed into the anemic 4-month-old who already has malaria, the mosquito-borne disease that kills a million African children every year.

"Malaria is one of the deadliest sicknesses for children," the nurse said - words that sent the young mother into a crumpled heap on the bed beside her wide-eyed baby boy, wrapped in a blue-and-yellow floral blanket.

There is new hope, however, in this verdant area where President Barack Obama's relatives live. A vaccine that appears to be able to prevent the disease in about 50 percent of children, is now undergoing the final stage of testing. If regulators determine the vaccine is safe, it could be on the market in three to five years - the first vaccine against a human parasite.

Tens of millions of Africans are plagued by malaria every year, and more than a third of the hospital beds in this rural Kenyan region next to Lake Victoria are dedicated to its victims. More than 1 million children die of the disease in Africa annually, a crippling economic drain that prolongs a cycle of disease and poverty throughout the continent.

Malaria is also prevalent in parts of Asia, the Middle East and Central and South America. This vaccine was developed specifically for Africa and will only prevent the African strain of the disease. Experts say it would be a historic advancement.

"Some may say, '50 percent, that's not great.' And that's true. If you get a measles vaccine, you're not going to get measles again," said Dr. Dave Jones, a U.S. Army colonel and director of a clinic in nearby Kombewa operated by the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research and the Kenya Medical Research Institute.

"But at the same time, when you consider we lose 1 million kids a year, if you could cut that in half it would be a great step forward."

Experts from around the globe are meeting in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, this week as part of the fifth pan-African malaria conference, and a news conference on the vaccine trial is scheduled for Tuesday. More than $500 million has been spent on the combined efforts by drug maker GlaxoSmithKline and the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative, which is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The Phase III testing is being done at 11 sites in seven African countries on 16,000 children under the age of 18 months.

The goal is to immunize children against malaria during their youngest high-risk years, and then for them to develop their own natural immunities as they age. At the spartan, open-air clinic in Kombewa last week, Patrician Mrunde, a 34-year-old mother of six, sat in the hallway with her youngest, 6-month-old Linda, who was waiting to receive a shot as part of the trial.

Mrunde has seen her eldest child stricken with fever and lapse into convulsions from malaria, and a young relative die from it. "I decided to join the study to get help for the disease," she said.

Dr. Allen Otieno, a 38-year-old pediatrician, said "everybody is afraid" of malaria in the region. He called the new vaccine promising. "As scientists we have great hope that it will reduce the burden of malaria," he said.

Joe Cohen, a top researcher for GlaxoSmithKline, said all the data collected during testing have been encouraging.

The 66-year-old Cohen, who has been working on a malaria vaccine for two decades, said the trial results will be submitted to regulators in 2012, and that a vaccine could be on the market shortly afterward. No prices have been set for the vaccine, Cohen said, though families in Africa may not have to pay anything for it because the Gates Foundation, UNICEF, WHO and the GAVI Alliance would provide funds.

GlaxoSmithKline "is committed to making sure pricing will never be a barrier to access for this vaccine," Cohen said. The vaccine has been in development for more than 20 years through the combined efforts of GlaxoSmithKline, the Malaria Vaccine Initiative, the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research and others.

"No single person could have ever achieved this," Cohen said. "That's the lesson that should be taken out of the collaboration."

Malaria is caused by a parasite and spreads through a bite from an infected mosquito. The parasite travels quickly to the liver where it matures, enters the bloodstream and causes fever, chills, flu-like symptoms and anemia. The vaccine is designed to attack the parasite before it can infect the liver.

Until now, the main line of defense in preventing the disease has been distribution of bed nets and mosquito spraying. Jonathan Odro Anyumba, chairman of the board of the Kombewa district hospital, said malaria is a huge burden in this verdant area of Kenya, where many live in mud huts and collect water in plastic jugs from flowing streams. Families must sleep under nets to protect against the disease, though many don't have any. Even half the beds at his hospital don't have nets, Anyumba said.

"When you visit these areas you'll find that each and every child has malaria. Thirty to 50 percent of the deaths in this community are from malaria," he said. "I think this vaccine is going to be very, very useful."

BRAIN DAMAGING HABITS
Sent by: Roque Cardoso (roquecardoso@hotmail.com)

1. No Breakfast: People who do not take breakfast are going to have a lower blood sugar level. This leads to an insufficient supply of nutrients to the brain causing brain degeneration.

2. Overeating=2 0: It causes hardening of the brain arteries, leading to a decrease in mental power.

3. Smoking: It causes multiple brain shrinkage and may lead to Alzheimer disease.

4. High Sugar consumption: Too much sugar will interrupt the absorption of proteins and nutrients causing malnutrition and may interfere with brain development.

5. Air Pollution: The brain is the largest oxygen consumer in our body. Inhaling polluted air decreases the supply of oxygen to the brain, bringing about a decrease in brain efficiency.

6. Sleep Deprivation: Sleep allows our brain to rest.. Long term deprivation from sleep will accelerate the death of brain cells..

7. Head covered while sleeping: Sleeping with the head covered increases the concentration of carbon dioxide and decrease concentration of oxygen that may lead to brain damaging effects.

8. Working your brain during illness: Working hard or studying with sickness may lead to a decrease in effectiveness of the brain as well as damage the brain.

9. Lacking in stimulating thoughts: Thinking is the best way to train our brain, lacking in brain stimulation thoughts may cause brain shrinkage.

10. Talking Rarely: Intellectual conversations will promote the efficiency of the brain

Book Review
http://www.harpercollins.ca/books/9780060762063/Eternal_Life_A_New_Vision/index.aspx
Article in Toronto Star http://www.thestar.com/printarticle/709039
October 13, 2009 | Stuart Laidlaw

Eternal Life: A New Vision
Beyond Religion, Beyond Theism, Beyond Heaven and Hell
By John Shelby Spong
click here to see details

There is no God, there is no heaven and there is no afterlife. At least, not in the way we have traditionally thought of such things. These days, with atheist arguments topping bestseller lists, such statements might not seem all that contentious. But when a retired bishop says it, it's worth noting.

"My audience is not the people who go to church on Sunday morning," John Shelby Spong, the retired Episcopal bishop of Newark, N.J., said on a recent visit to Toronto.

"It's the people who have given up on going to church."

In Eternal Life: A New Vision, his 22nd and last book (though he's said that before), the 78-year-old Spong turns to a topic that has haunted him since childhood, drove him to study theology and, he concludes, both given rise to organized religion and thwarted its development: death, and what comes next.

What separates humans from the rest of living things, Spong writes, is that we know we are going to die - and that changes everything. While all plant and animals share an instinct to survive, he says, only humans are self-aware enough to realize that our lives are counting down toward some unknown end. And it scares us, so we invented religion to give us solace, says Spong, who retired as bishop nine years ago. Religion tells us that good deeds in this life will be rewarded with a place in heaven in the next - while bad people will be sentenced to hell.

"The institution of the church is more about seeking security than finding the truth," he says. "It's tough to be a human being. We seek security, and religion is a coping mechanism." But such notions, he says, cannot survive the insights of astronomer Galileo, physicist Isaac Newton and evolutionary biologist Charles Darwin. Through them, says Spong, we discovered that the Earth is not the centre of the universe and that there's space (not heaven) above us, that the workings of the world are due to basic physics (not Godly intervention) and that humans evolved from other creatures.

"We are related to the plankton, the cabbages and the great apes," says Spong.

Instead of the traditional concepts of heaven and hell, he takes a fresh reading of the Christian gospels – particularly John – and concludes our eventual demise makes it more important to think about this life than the next.

"The goal of religion is not to prepare us for the next life," he writes. "It is a call to live now, to love now, to be now and in a way to taste what it means to be part of a life that is eternal. ... It is the presence of death that actually makes my life precious." But in the rejection of traditional Christian teachings, Spong occasionally veers into territory normally reserved for the likes of Richard Dawkins, who has just published a new book defending evolution against creationist attacks, and who Spong counts among his friends.

"I would much rather be in a dialogue with Richard Dawkins than (televangelist) Jerry Falwell," Spong says. Spong was born and raised an evangelical in the American South, and to this day retains a slight southern lilt to his voice, despite living in New Jersey for three decades. The people he loved most, his mother and father, were strong in their creationist views, and raised him to be the same. But once at college, the doubts lingering at the back of his mind about the simple answers offered by the theology of his childhood took on new strength. He clung to as much of it as he could for as long as he could as he became a priest, and then a bishop, eventually taking his place as a leading liberal theologian.

It's a journey from Biblical literalism to a less-religious form of Christianity that Spong hopes to help all believers make.

"What we need to do in church is a lot more adult education and a lot less sermonizing."