1. Avoid squeezing or popping your pimples and as much as possible prevent yourself from touching your outbreaks especially with unclean hands. The more you touch or squeeze the puss out of your acne, the more sebum your skin will produce. It will take more time before your pimples and blackheads clear up because of the inflammation and irritation that can possibly occur.

2. Wash your face thoroughly at least two times a day. Proper facial hygiene is the best to way on how to clear up acne as well as preventing acne to appear. Use facial soaps that does not contain oil or soaps that are not acidic.

3. Don’t forget to use moisturizer after washing your face with a sulfur-based soap that is designs specifically for acne prone people. Washing can strip of natural lipids and your skin, so put a moisturizer that suits the type of skin you have (sensitive, normal or dry) so that your body will not produce extra oil that may cause your skin to be more susceptible to breakouts.

4. Most people turn to over-the-counter products that are made to fight acne. This is the first solution they think of on how to clear up acne instantly. There are some topical creams that do not need any prescriptions from a doctor. However, make sure that the cream you will be using may not cause you allergies that can even worsen your current facial dilemma.

5. In case you are indulging yourself in some detoxification activities such as yoga or exercise, make sure that you wipe the sweat from your face immediately after the activity.

6. Use creams that have benzoyl peroxide as an active ingredient. But keep in mind that even these anti-acne products can still cause your skin to dry even though they help in healing your acne so you still need to use moisturizers. The stronger the medicine is, the higher percentage of benzoyl peroxide it contains. Some users testify that using creams with benzoyl peroxide is one of the best solutions on how to clear up acne.

When all things fail, consult your trusted dermatologist that would give you advice and medicines that on how to clear up acne.

Always keep in mind that even though these tips worked for some, it does not necessarily mean that it might work for you too. Whichever solution is best for you, keep it as a part of your daily routine. No matter what technique you choose on how to clear up acne, you need to remember that your acne problems will never be solved overnight.

Source: Top Web News

Research in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found those who ate a low-fat diet that contained lots of fruit and vegetables lowered their risk of dying over 10 years.

The study compared the diets of 2,500 US adults aged 70 to 79.

Those who ate a high fat diet rich in ice cream, cheese, and whole milk, had the highest risk of death.

The study showed that 12 extra people in every hundred survived over the ten years, if they ate healthily.

Participants were split into six different groups, according to how often they ate certain foods.

The groups were: healthy foods; high-fat diary products; meat, fried foods and alcohol; breakfast cereal; refined grains and sweets and desserts.

Those who had a “healthy foods” diet ate more low-fat dairy products, fruit, whole grains, poultry, fish, and vegetables.

People in this group had healthier lifestyles too; smoking less and being more active than other participants.

They also ate lower amounts of meat, fried foods, sweets, high-calorie drinks, and added fat.

The “high fat dairy products” cluster ate more ice cream, cheese and whole milk and yogurt. They ate less poultry, low fat dairy products, rice, and pasta.

Researchers found that those who followed a predominantly high fat, dairy products diet, had a higher death risk than those in the healthy food group.

No significant differences in death risk were seen between the “healthy foods” eaters and the “breakfast cereal” or “refined grains” eaters.

Lead researcher, Dr Amy Anderson, from the University of Maryland, said the results suggest “older adults who …consume relatively high amounts of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, poultry and fish, may have a lower risk of mortality”.

Saturated fat
 
British dietitian Lucy Jones, who is a spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association, said that saturated fat and trans fatty acids (a type of fat found in processed foods) were a common factor for those in the higher risk groups.

“The most harmful food groups appear to be the ‘sweets and desserts’ group and the ‘high fat dairy group’ in terms of risk of death,” she said.

“These groups are both high in saturated fat and trans fatty acids in addition to calories, contributing to obesity and high cholesterol.”

However, she noted that participants were not controlled for their weight and body mass index, which, she said, could mean that the increased risk of death was linked to being overweight.

What should older people eat?

-Foods rich in starch and fibre
-Iron-rich foods
-Vitamin-C rich foods
-Calcium-rich foods
-Foods rich in folic acid
-Plenty of fluids

Source: Food Standards Agency

 Learning more about the woman’s body while on the early stages of giving birth is essential for proper knowledge of the situation. Various parts of a woman’s body have specific roles when it comes to pregnancy. Certain disorders from both prospective parents should be discussed with the physician for  additional health background information. Anxiety and stress is also felt by the couple since this is a very critical stage for the woman. Preconception stress is normal in women about to give birth, considering factors such as scheduling, sexuality, and self esteem, among many others.

  When preparing for pregnancy, the couple should be confident enough to know how to handle a child. Knowledge of early pregnancy symptoms are also important since these are signs that giving birth would happen in due time. When the couple feels that they are ready, then a visit to the Obstetrician/Gynecologist (OBGYN) would help in gleaning more information on pregnancy. At this point, the couple can make use of a pregnancy calendar in order to follow the due course of giving birth.
  Anxiety is often felt by women when they know that they are pregnant. Feelings of worry and tension are usual signs that shows her being anxious about giving birth. But by spending time with your husband, regular visits to the OBGYN, finding time to relax and unwind, with good exercise, anxiety should not be a problem at all. All you have to worry about is what to name the baby?

Source: Top News

“It is a marvelous victory for common sense and reason, a major step forward toward recognizing that condom use can play a vital role in reducing the future impact of the HIV pandemic, said Jon O’Brien, head of the U.S. group Catholics for Choice.

The pope spoke out in a new book to be published on Tuesday and called “Light of the World: The Pope, the Church, and the Sign of the Times”. His remarks, while limited in scope and not changing the Roman Catholic ban on contraception, were nonetheless greeted as a breakthrough.

“This is a significant and positive step forward taken by the Vatican,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe. “This move recognizes that responsible sexual behavior and the use of condoms have important roles in HIV prevention.”

In the 219-page book the pope also speaks frankly about the possibility that he could resign for health reasons and defends wartime pontiff Pius XII against Jewish accusations that he turned a blind eye to the Holocaust.

He says scandals of sexual abuse of minors by priests were “an unprecedented shock”, even though he had followed the issue for years, and says he can understand why people might quit the Church in protest.

But it is the section on condoms in the book — a long interview with German Catholic journalist Peter Seewald — that marked a crack in the once tightly shut door of Church policy.

He cites the example of the use of condoms by prostitutes as “a first step toward moralization”, even though condoms are “not really the way to deal with the evil of HIV infection”.

The original German text and the French and English versions of the book refer to a male prostitute but an excerpt in Italian in the Vatican newspaper cites a female prostitute.

PAPAL FIRST

While some Roman Catholic leaders and theologians have spoken about the limited use of condoms to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS as the lesser of two evils, this is the first time the pope has mentioned the possibility.

“We have never heard this so clearly from a pope’s mouth,” Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said, adding, however, that it would be wrong to call it revolutionary.

He said the pope had made a “courageous and original” contribution to the debate about responsible sexuality, while stressing that the use of condoms was not the moral high ground.

In the book, Benedict made clear he did not want to weaken the Church’s fundamental opposition to artificial birth control, a source of grievance to many ordinary Catholics.

Last year, the pope caused an international uproar when he told journalists accompanying him to Africa that condoms should not be used because they could worsen the spread of AIDS.

He says that the “sheer fixation on the condom implies a banalization of sexuality” where this is no longer an expression of love “but only a sort of drug that people administer to themselves”.

The Church had been saying for decades that condoms are not even part of the solution to fighting AIDS, even though no formal position on this existed in a Vatican document.

The late cardinal John O’Connor of New York famously branded the use of condoms to stop the spread of AIDS as “The Big Lie”.

After Benedict first mentions that the use of condoms could be justified in certain limited cases, such as by prostitutes, Seewald asks: “Are you saying, then, that the Catholic Church is actually not opposed in principle to the use of condoms?”

The pope answers: “It of course does not regard it as a real or moral solution, but, in this or that case, there can be nonetheless, in the intention of reducing the risk of infection, a first step in a movement toward a different way, a more human way, of living sexuality.”

REALITY CHECK

Act Up Paris, an AIDS support group, said: “After having said that condoms make the AIDS epidemic worse, after getting involved in questions he has no expertise on, the pope seems to finally be taking account of the principle of reality.”

The Vatican’s opposition to artificial birth control has been highly contested, even by many Catholics, since it was formalized in the late Pope Paul’s encyclical Humanae Vitae (On Human Life) in 1968.

Benedict says that “the basic lines of Humanae Vitae are still correct”, indicating that his comments about condoms are not intended to apply to birth control, only to AIDS prevention.

Gerard Guerin, secretary general of Christians and AIDS group in France, said the pope had not gone far enough.

“The pope’s statements are convoluted. It’s limited to cite only the case of male prostitutes. What are couples with one infected partner supposed to do?” he told Le Parisien newspaper.

Source: Reuters

Oxford University found it cut cases by a quarter and deaths by more than a third in a review of 14,000 patients.

Aspirins are already widely used to help protect people against strokes and heart problems, although many healthy middle-aged people do not take them because of the risk of side-effects.

But researchers said their findings – published by the Lancet – “tipped the balance” in favour of taking them.

They found it reduced the risk of the incidence of bowel cancer by 24% and of dying from the disease by 35%.

And even though regular aspirin use can have side-effects, the researchers said it was still worthwhile as on such low doses these tended to be relatively minor, such as bruising or nose bleeds.

One in 20 people in the UK develops bowel cancer over their lifetime, making it the third most common cancer. About 16,000 people die each year as a result of it.

The findings build on previous research on the issue, and come after the government announced earlier this month it was looking to start a new screening programme for bowel cancer for 55-year-olds.

Lead researcher Professor Peter Rothwell said the screening would provide the perfect opportunity for doctors to discuss with their patients about whether to take aspirin.

“To date, for healthy middle-aged people it has been a fine balance as to whether to take aspirins, but this tips it in my view.

“There is a small benefit for vascular disease and now we know a big benefit for this cancer. In the future, I am sure it will be shown that aspirin helps prevent other cancers too.”
‘Talk to GP’

He added those with a high risk of bowel cancer, including the obese and those with a family history of the disease, should give aspirin treatment a particular consideration.

Mark Flannagan, chief executive of Beating Bowel Cancer, said they were “very positive” findings and giving aspirin alongside the new screening programme should be looked at.

But he added: “Anyone considering starting a course of medication should first consult their GP.”

Source: BBC News

A US study concluded the mutated huntingtin protein, which causes the disease, could be stopped in its tracks by a subtle chemical modification.

It is hoped the work could lead to much-needed treatments for the inherited disorder.

The study, by the University of California, Los Angeles, is published in the journal Neuron.

It is thought between 6,000 and 8,500 people in the UK have Huntington’s disease – a neurological condition that starts to show in mid-life and slowly impairs a person’s ability to walk, talk and reason.

Children who have one parent with the condition have a 50% chance of developing it themselves and often it is passed on before people are aware that they have it.

There is no cure for the illness and treatment focuses on managing the symptoms.
“ This finding suggests an exciting new avenue to develop therapeutics for Huntington’s disease ”
Study leader Dr William Yang

Although it is known that a protein mutation underpins the disease, it is not exactly clear how that mutation causes the damage seen in those with the condition.

In the latest study, researchers found a small section of the mutated protein that can be modified by phosphorylation – a chemical process in the body that alters how proteins function.

In mice they found blocking this phosphorylation caused the animals to develop disease symptoms.

But when they tried to mimic the process the disorder did not develop.
“ This research offers an exciting avenue of exploration in the quest to prevent or slow down the disease process ”
Cath Stanley Huntington’s Disease Association

It follows previous work showing phosphorylation reduced the tendency of the mutant huntingtin protein to form clumps and another study showing it could help cells get rid of the toxic version of the protein.

Study leader Dr William Yang said together the studies suggested a new direction of research into the formation and clearance of the huntingtin protein in the disease process.

“We were surprised to find that subtle modification of only two amino acids in this very large protein can prevent the onset of disease.

“This finding suggests an exciting new avenue to develop therapeutics for Huntington’s disease.”

Huntington’s Disease Association head of care services Cath Stanley said: “Although in the very early stages, this research offers an exciting avenue of exploration in the quest to prevent or slow down the disease process.”

Source: BBC News

Not only will the cancer maps pave the way for blood tests to spot tumours far earlier, they will also yield new drug targets, says the Wellcome Trust team.

Scientists around the globe are now working to catalogue all the genes that go wrong in many types of human cancer.

The UK is looking at breast cancer, Japan at liver and India at mouth.

China is studying stomach cancer, and the US is looking at cancers of the brain, ovary and pancreas.

“ These catalogues are going to change the way we think about individual cancers ”
Wellcome Trust scientist Professor Michael Stratton
The International Cancer Genome Consortium scientists from the 10 countries involved say it will take them at least five years and many hundreds of thousands of dollars to complete this mammoth task.

But once they have done this, patients will reap the benefits.

Professor Michael Stratton, who is the UK lead, said: “These catalogues are going to change the way we think about individual cancers.

“By identifying all the cancer genes we will be able to develop new drugs that target the specific mutated genes and work out which patients will benefit from these novel treatments.

“We can envisage a time when following the removal of a cancer cataloguing it will become routine.”

It could even be possible to develop MoT-style blood tests for healthy adults that can check for tell-tale DNA patterns suggestive of cancer.

Russian roulette

The scientists found the DNA code for a skin cancer called melanoma contained more than 30,000 errors almost entirely caused by too much sun exposure.

“ Most of the time the mutations will land in innocent parts of the genome, but some will hit the right targets for cancer ”
Wellcome Trust researcher Dr Peter Campbell
The lung cancer DNA code had more than 23,000 errors largely triggered by cigarette smoke exposure.

From this, the experts estimate a typical smoker acquires one new mutation for every 15 cigarettes they smoke.

Although many of these mutations will be harmless, some will trigger cancer.

Wellcome Trust researcher Dr Peter Campbell, who conducted this research, published in the journal Nature, said: “It’s like playing Russian roulette.

“Most of the time the mutations will land in innocent parts of the genome, but some will hit the right targets for cancer.”

By quitting smoking, people could reduce their cancer risk back down to “normal” with time, he said.

The suspicion is lung cells containing mutations are eventually replaced with new ones free of genetic errors.

By studying the cancer catalogues in detail, the scientists say it should be possible to find exactly which lifestyle and environmental factors trigger different tumours.

Treatment and prevention

Tom Haswell, who was successfully treated 15 years ago for lung cancer, believes the research will benefit the next generation:

“For future patients I think it’s tremendous news because hopefully treatments can be targeted to their particular genome mutations, hopefully… reducing some of the side effects we get”.

Cancer experts have applauded the work.

The Institute of Cancer Research said: “This is the first time that a complete cancer genome has been sequenced and similar insights into other cancer genomes are likely to follow.

“As more cancer genomes are revealed by this technique, we will gain a greater understanding of how cancer is caused and develops, improving our ability to prevent, treat and cure cancer.”

Professor Carlos Caldas, from Cancer Research UK’s Cambridge Research Institute called the research “groundbreaking”.

“Like molecular archaeologists, these researchers have dug through layers of genetic information to uncover the history of these patients’ disease.

“What is so new in this study is the researchers have been able to link particular mutations to their cause.

“The hope and excitement for the future is that we will eventually have detailed picture of how different cancers develop, and ultimately how better to treat and prevent them.”

Source: BBC News

Post menopausal women who take anti-depressants face a small – but statistically significant – increased risk of a stroke, research suggests.

The US study was based on 136,293 women aged 50 to 79, who were followed for an average of six years.

Anti-depressant users were 45% more likely to have a stroke than women not taking the drugs.

The data, published in Archives of Internal Medicine, is taken from the Women’s Health Initiative Study.

UK cities should have more 20mph speed zones, as they have cut road injuries by over 40% in London, a study claims.

In particular the number of children killed or seriously injured has been halved over the past 15 years, the British Medical Journal reported.

The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine study estimates 20mph zones have the potential to prevent up to 700 casualties in London alone.

At 20mph, it is estimated only one in 40 pedestrians is killed in a crash.

This compares with a one in five chance for someone hit at 30mph.

“ This evidence supports the rationale for 20mph zones not just in major cities in Britain, but also in similar metropolitan areas elsewhere ”
Study leader, Chris Grundy

The researchers compared data on road collisions, injuries and deaths in London between 1986 and 2006, with speed limits on roads.

After adjusting for a general reduction in road injuries in recent years, they found that the introduction of 20mph zones were associated with a 41.9% drop in casualties.

The greatest reduction was seen in children under the age of 11 years and in the numbers of all ages killed or seriously injured.

Cyclist injuries fell by 17% once 20mph zones came in, and injuries in pedestrians have been cut by almost a third.

There was also no evidence of a higher rate of casualties in areas bordering the 20mph zones, as in areas adjacent to 20mph zones casualties fell by an average of 8%.

Expansion

Study leader Dr Chris Grundy, a lecturer at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said: “This evidence supports the rationale for 20mph zones, not just in major cities in Britain, but also in similar metropolitan areas elsewhere.

“Indeed, even within London, there is a case for extending the currently limited provision of such zones to other high casualty roads.”

HAVE YOUR SAY The drivers who disobeyed the 30mph limit will still disobey the 20mph limit Asim, Bradford

He estimated that 20mph zones in London save 200 lives a year, but this could increase to 700 if plans to extend the zones were implemented.

A spokesman for the Department of Transport said the study backed their own research showing that 20mph zones help to reduce accidents and casualties.

“Our road safety strategy consultation recommends that local authorities introduce, over time, 20mph zones or limits into streets around schools, and which are primarily residential in nature, to protect pedestrians and cyclists.

“This will save lives and make people feel more secure in walking and cycling on those streets.”

Kevin Clinton, head of road safety at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, said: “This research confirms that one of the most effective ways of protecting vulnerable road users, especially children, is the introduction of 20mph zones.

“It lends weight to calls for an expansion of 20mph zones, which RoSPA strongly supports and which we hope will become a crucial part of the new road safety strategy for the next 10 years.”

Source: BBC News

The disease – a cancer of developing nervous system tissue – is most often found in under-fives and accounts for about a sixth of child cancer deaths.

The European trial builds on early promising results from a US study which found immunotherapy improved the chances of survival from the disease.

Cancer Research UK is funding the trial for 160 UK children over four years.

The cancer develops in specialised nerve cells, called neural crest cells.

These primitive cells are involved in the development of the nervous system and other tissues.
CASE STUDY
Sophie McGuire developed symptoms soon after her second birthday in January this year. Initially doctors thought she had a virus affecting her hips, but her condition deteriorated – she was constantly tired and lost a lot of weight. After extensive tests she was diagnosed with advanced neuroblastoma in April. Scans showed she had cancerous tissue wrapped around the arteries leading to her kidneys, and secondary cancer in her arms, legs and pelvis.

She has had regular chemotherapy and blood transfusions at London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital.

At one point she required intensive care after her lungs became dangerously inflamed, and she was unable to eat anything by mouth for several months.

Her father James said: “We are obviously pleased that this new part of the trial has been launched and Sophie will be part of it.”

Tumours often develop in one of the adrenal glands but may also form in nerve tissues in the neck, chest, abdomen, or pelvis.

Overall, six out of 10 children are successfully treated through treatment such as surgery and chemotherapy – but the prognosis is not as good for children with advanced forms of the disease.

Doctors estimate about 40 children per year in the UK would be eligible for – and potentially benefit from – the new treatment.

It works by hunting down neuroblastoma cells that have survived conventional treatment and attaching antibodies to specific molecules on their surface.

These antibodies then mobilise the body’s immune defences to attack and destroy the cells.

The UK arm of the trial – part of a larger European one, and funded by the charity Cancer Research UK – will run in all 20 childhood cancer clinical trial centres across the UK, recruiting 160 children over the next four years.

Lead researcher Dr Penelope Brock, a consultant paediatric oncologist at Great Ormond Street Hospital, said: “Early results from the US trial found that children who received the immunotherapy treatment had less chance of the disease coming back two years later, compared with the patients who did not receive the immunotherapy.

“We need to build on these results and devise better immunotherapy approaches that improve survival further.”

The UK trial – in which all eligible children will receive immunotherapy – will attempt to reduce the severe side effects seen in the US study.

James McGuire from Harrow Weald in North London, has a two-year-old daughter, Sophie, who will take part in the trial.

He said: “Based on the positive outcomes from the earlier trial, I am hopeful that this treatment will play a critical role in saving Sophie’s life.”

This trial will be open to high-risk neuroblastoma patients who are nine months from diagnosis and within four months of the last round of aggressive treatment to control the tumour.

Source: BBC News