Category: Health

{Liver failure is usually taken as a sign that you are drinking too much alcohol but a new study published in the specialist journal Diabesity in Practice has found that starchy-heavy diets can cause liver damage.}

Dr David Unwin discovered this after he selected 69 patients who had very high levels of GGT and put them on a low-carb diet for 13 months.

Your liver health can be measured by a blood test for a protein called gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT). If your levels are high, it suggests your liver is under pressure.

According to a Daily Mail report, the patients ate mainly green veg, lower-sugar fruits such as blueberries, nuts, fish, eggs and meats. The essence of doing this was to cut out all added sugar and reduce starchy carbs such as bread and potatoes.

“The results were striking,” says Dr Unwin. “The first thing that happened was that their GGT readings dropped by an average 47 per cent. That makes sense because the liver is the first destination of new glucose supplies”.

The trial by Dr David Unwin was supported by the British Liver Trust which said the results from the trial held out the hope that low-carb diets could help cut premature deaths from liver disease.

SOURCE:ELCREMA:[BREAD AND POTATOES MAY CAUSE LIVER DAMAGE->http://www.elcrema.com/2015/12/01/bread-and-potatoes-may-cause-liver-damage/]

On this World AIDS Day 2015, imagine if we had everything we needed the tools, science, and shared goals — to reduce by 90 percent the number of women, men, and children newly infected by HIV. Imagine the creation of an AIDS-free generation that eliminates HIV as a public health threat and where no one is left behind. Such a future, once inconceivable, is now possible. But we must seize the opportunity to reach it.

This is the moment for us to focus and implement programs that enable control of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Today, we must stand together and demonstrate our collective resolve to meet the challenge we identified when we agreed to the new Global Goals: to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030.

The U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is the largest commitment by any nation to combat a single disease.Through PEPFAR, the U.S. Government has committed nearly $65 billion in order to support the HIV/AIDS response globally, including nearly $50 billion since the start of the Obama Administration.

In Rwanda, PEPFAR has invested more than $1 billion in more than ten years, beginning in 2004. The agencies of the U.S. Embassy in Kigali who work with the people of Rwanda on these PEPFAR investments are very proud of theimpressive results. In partnership with the Government of Rwanda, PEPFAR currently supports more than 88,000 people in Rwanda living with HIV with life-saving antiretroviral therapy care and treatment and, in 2015, supported more than 1.5 million HIV testing and counseling sessions in Rwanda.

Additionally, in 2015, more than 4,000 pregnant women living with HIV in Rwanda received treatment to prevent HIV from being passed from mother to child through PEPFAR funding. UNAIDS has recently recognized Rwanda’s achievement inthe integrated maternal, neonatal, and child health services to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV, which have resulted in an impressive 88% reduction of new HIV infections among children since 2009.

Earlier this year, President Obama set a bold course for PEPFAR by announcing new HIV prevention and treatment targets for 2016 and 2017. By the end of 2017, PEPFAR globally will support 12.9 million people with life-saving HIV treatment and provide 13 million male circumcisions.

Globally, it is estimated that 41% of all adults living with HIV are accessing antiretroviral treatment. In Rwanda, in 2015, it is estimated that 75% of adults living with HIV are accessing live-saving antiretroviral treatment as a result of Rwanda’s national HIV program. The results and the achievements of the HIV program in Rwanda have been remarkable; however, significant work remains. Achieving our goals will not be easy. We all know what we must do to achieve epidemic control. Working in partnership, we have come a very long way since the darkest days of the epidemic, but the work is far from done. Together, we can create an AIDS-free generation where no one is left behind. But we must continue working together to make it happen.

The Time to Act Is Now.
The author is the U.S. Ambassador to Rwanda

{The Ministry of Health plans to cover the gap that may arise from recent decision of donors who announced either reduction or suspension of support towards health sector services.
}

Global Fund Initiative has announced reduction of support to Rwanda citing world economic instability. Rwanda health care services are likely to lose 40% of the donations in case the decision comes to pass.

In a press briefing at the end of last week, Dr Muhayimpundu Ribakare, the head of HIV and STI’s care and treatment unit at the RBC, said that reduction or suspension of the aid will destabilize policies the country has crafted to promote and provide health services.

“It’s true that the aid may be reduced. However, we will not stop programs they have been supporting. We will generate few projects depending on available funds. For instance, in the anti HIV/AIDS program, we will concentrate efforts on preventing new infections,” said Muhayimpundu.

“If we have been spending money on signposts, the system will be changed to adopt easy measures to attain our objectives,” he added.

Global Fund Initiative is a key partner which has been collaborating with the Rwandan Ministry of Health for ten years. Within this period of partnership it has provided Rwf 620 million support in health care services.

The reduction will also affect Performance-Based Financing, a motivational payment to high-fly performers in the ministry.

The decision will have a wide impact as donors’ aid has been funding 55% of the health sector. This is reflected in the 2014 MINISANTE budget of Rwf 673 billion of which 55% was derived from donor funding.

{The ministry of health has revealed a plan to seek and encourage 10, 044 children living with HIV to start administration of antiretroviral therapy, migrating away from giving much attention on adults only but bring the youngsters of between 2 and 15 year-olds in the therapy loop. }

According to the ministry, 18,000 children were supposed to get antiretroviral therapy but only 7,956 obtained it.

From 1st December 2015, MINISANTE will embark on new policies to fill the gaps in inadequate administration of antiretroviral therapy among teens.

Dr. Muhayimpundu Ribakare an official in MINISANTE in charge of AIDS prevention said that Rwanda is ready to launch a campaign to mobilize everyone on responsibilities to protect and bring health assistance to HIV positive children.

“Making HIV/AIDS tests are among the planned activities to prevent new contractions, encouraging parents to protect their children and get free HIV/AIDS tests. We will also look for already infected children and start them on antiretroviral therapy,” he said.

He added that parents seeking medical assistance at health centers will get tips on having their children tested for HIV/AIDS, noting that parents should come out of their shells and talk to their children about HIV/AIDS and reproductive health if the epidemic is to be squarely addressed.

Available statistics indicate that 3% of Rwandans live with HIV/AIDS; 7.1% in urban settings and 2.3 % in rural areas with 80% of infected adults accessing antiretroviral therapy.

Within health care institutions in Rwanda, 90% of them offer AIDS prevention services, AIDS testing, counseling on prevention, taking care of infected pregnant women and provide antiretroviral therapy.

Of the 200,000 Rwandans with HIV, 150,000 of them receive adequate healthcare treatment. Globally, at least 3.2 million children of less than 15 years live with HIV/AIDS, while almost 4 million people aged between 15 and 24 have the virus.

{Loneliness can increase the risk of premature death by 14 percent in older adults, according to a study published Monday that posits a physiological basis for the phenomenon.}

The dangers of social isolation have long been known but its effects on the body have not been well understood, the researchers said in the work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences/PNAS.

Led by University of Chicago psychologist John Cacioppo, the research team had previously identified a link between solitude and both a heightened expression of genes involved in inflammation and a diminution in the activity of other genes that play a role in the body’s antiviral responses.

The result is a weakened immune systems that makes a person who lives alone more vulnerable to illness.

In their latest research, the researchers looked at leukocytes, white blood cells that the immune system uses to protect against bacteria and viruses.

SAME SHIFT

They found the same shift in genetic expression in the white blood cells of people who lived alone and in social isolation.

They also found that loneliness predicted the gene behavior a year or more in advance — and conversely that gene expression predicted loneliness measured a year or more later.

“Leukocyte gene expression and loneliness appear to have a reciprocal relationship, suggesting that each can help propagate the other over time,” the researchers said.

“These results were specific to loneliness and could not be explained by depression, stress or social support,” they said.

The investigators then studied rhesus macaques, a highly social primate, and found a similar cellular process linked to their social experience.

“Lonely-like” monkeys had increased gene expression involved in inflammation and less gene expression in antiviral defenses.

They were also found to have higher levels of noreprinephrine, a “fight-or-flight” neurotransmitter that stimulates the production of immature monocytes, a white blood cell with high inflammation/low antiviral defense gene expression.

“Both lonely humans and ‘lonely like’ monkeys showed higher levels of monocytes in their blood,” the researchers said.

Other studies showed that the increased production of immature monocytes was amplifying the high inflammation/low antiviral effect in the pool of white blood cells.

“The ‘danger signals’ activated in the brain by loneliness ultimately affect the production of white blood cells,” they said.

“The resulting shift in monocyte output may both propagate loneliness and contribute to its associated health risks.”

SOURCE:AP:[Health risk of loneliness has physiological basis: study->http://www.nation.co.ke/lifestyle/health/Health-risk-of-loneliness-has-physiological-basis/-/1954202/2969128/-/cp4g6mz/-/index.html]

{So you’re mourning the loss of the weekend warrior you were in your 20s. Never fear. The decade of the 30s is also a good time for remarkably good health, especially if you took care of yourself in your 20s.
}

If you missed a few things — like blood pressure and cholesterol screenings — it’s never too late to start being healthier today. If you’re a man in your 30s, avoid these mistakes.

{{1. You think you don’t need to stretch}}

You absolutely need to stretch and that goes for anyone of any age. Just because you’re as buff now as you were a few years ago, it doesn’t mean changes aren’t happening. If you don’t watch it, that six-pack can easily turn into a no-pack. Plus, men’s bone mass begins to decline after age 30, and that can lead to fractures later in life, according to the University of Utah.

Since your career is taking off, you’re probably siting at your desk more, and that’s not good for your health, either. Many studies show sitting too much raises not only your risk for obesity, heart, and cancer, but also reduces flexibility, which could potentially mean disabilities later in life, says family medicine physician Dr. Rick Henriksen of University of Utah Health Care.

Unfortunately, many of the workout routines younger guys do, such as weight lifting, could hone muscles, but don’t help much with flexibility, which adds to the problem. “A lot of younger men wind up with bad backs and other musculoskeletal issues well before midlife, since they don’t mix up their workouts,” says Dr. Henriksen. Despite your robust health, by the time you reach your mid-to-late thirties, you will also lose some aerobic capacity, and that means loss of strength, he says.

If you haven’t established a regular exercise routine that includes a mix of aerobic, strength and flexibility training, start now. Although you’re in good shape (hopefully), remember that starting at about age 30, men burn about 12 fewer calories per day. Though it doesn’t sound like much, pounds can add up quickly if you don’t start eating smarter, too, according to the University of Utah.

Read more: The 4 biggest health mistakes men make in their 20s

{{2. You think men don’t get stressed out}}

The 30s bring on new stressors for both men and women. Careers are taking off and you need to work 40-plus hours a week just to be noticed. Maybe you got married and have a little one at home and just can’t seem to catch enough sleep.

But, in general, women talk about these kinds of issues and may be more adept at stress-busting behaviors. Men just suck it up. “Men withdraw and don’t talk about things, and if they’re really stressed it just gets worse,” says internist Dr. Steven Lamm, director of the Tisch Center for Men’s Health at NYU Langone Medical Center. “They don’t recognize that too much stress can lead to other mood disorders like depression.”

Men may also exhibit symptoms like binge drinking and anger, for example. All this angst can lead to a host of potential problems including heart disease, cancer, sleep disorders and erectile problems, among others. Men are also at higher risk of suicide than women.

The good news is that men benefit from the same “de-stressors” as women do, like exercise, sleep and good nutrition. The first step, though, is to get men to recognize there may be an issue, says Dr. Lamm, and if you’re having anger issues, can’t seem to get a good night’s rest, or having potentially stress-related problems in the bedroom, see a doctor.

{{3. You think you’re too young to need a doctor}}

You said the same thing in your twenties!

Aging — even in your thirties — brings some inevitable changes to your body. So, if you haven’t dragged yourself into the doctor yet, consider going to see someone just for a “once over,” says Dr. Henriksen, emphasizing that in most cases an exam will reassure you that you are fine, but will also help pinpoint areas that you may need to be aware of based on family history and lifestyle, for example.

Here’s the minimum you need to do: Get your blood pressure checked and get a cholesterol screening.

“A lot of times, guys will look great and feel great, but we find out they may be at risk for heart disease or diabetes down the road,” says Dr. Henriksen, assistant professor of family and preventive medicine at University of Utah School of Medicine.

Also, about half of all cases of testicular cancer are found in men ages 20 to 34, according to the American Cancer Society. Although the disease is relatively rare and there is no standard screening for testicular cancer, doctors may discover it during a physical exam — which is one more smart reason to see a doctor.

SOURCE:TODAY:[The 3 biggest health mistakes men make in their 30s->http://www.today.com/health/3-biggest-health-mistakes-men-make-their-30s-t57436]

{It’s wrong to think because you are young, you shouldn’t worry about wrinkles. Wrinkles are inevitable as you age but that is no reason why you should allow premature wrinkles. While wrinkling is a process that happens over time, you can slow the process and ensure you don’t have premature wrinkles.}

Here are 5 ways to fight premature wrinkles
{{
1. Know the spots most prone to wrinkles
}}

The skin around the eye is very sensitive and prone to wrinkles. The skin around the eye is one of the first places where you might show signs of aging. To avoid premature wrinkles around the eye, ensure you use sunscreen and an eye cream with peptides that promote collagen.

{{2. Take enough vitamin C}}

To help prevent premature aging, try eating foods high in vitamin C like oranges, lemons, strawberries, raspberries and grapefruits. Vitamin C is an important antioxidant for your skin.

{{3. Avoid habits that promote aging}}

There are certain habits that promote aging and if you are serious about fighting premature wrinkles then you should avoid these habits. Smoking promotes premature wrinkles. Drinking through straw and not wearing sunglasses when it’s sunny may also promote premature wrinkles.

{{4. Protect yourself when out in the Sun}}

Sun promotes premature wrinkles so it’s very important you protect yourself adequately when out in the sun by using a hat, sunglasses and also using sunscreen on your face, neck and commonly exposed skin.

{{5. Exfoliate your skin}}

Mildly exfoliating your skin will help to remove the dead and dull skin, allowing oxygen to permeate through all the layers of your skin.

Don’t also forget that a healthy diet is also important too.

Source:ELCREMA:[5 WAYS TO FIGHT PREMATURE WRINKLES->http://www.elcrema.com/2015/11/21/5-ways-to-fight-premature-wrinkles/]

{US scientists say they have bred a genetically modified (GM) mosquito that can resist malaria infection.}

If the lab technique works in the field, it could offer a new way of stopping the biting insects from spreading malaria to humans, they say.

The scientists put a new “resistance” gene into the mosquito’s own DNA, using a gene editing method called Crispr.

And when the GM mosquitoes mated – their offspring inherited the same resistance, PNAS journal reports.

In theory, if these mosquitoes bite people, they should not be able to pass on the parasite that causes malaria.

About 3.2bn people – almost half of the world’s population – are at risk of malaria.
Bed nets, insecticides and repellents can help stop the insects biting and drugs can be given to anyone who catches the infection, but the disease still kills around 580,000 people a year.

{{‘Pivotal role’}}

Scientists have been searching for new ways to fight malaria.

The University of California team believe their GM mosquito could play a pivotal role – breeding resistant offspring to replace endemic, malaria-carrying mosquitoes.

They took a type of mosquito found in India – Anopheles stephensi – on which to experiment.

Dr Anthony James and his team showed that they could give the insect new DNA code to make it a poor host for the malaria parasite.

The DNA, which codes for antibodies that combat the parasite, was inherited by almost 100% of the mosquito offspring and across three generations.

The researchers say the findings offer hope that the same method could also work in other mosquito species.

Although it would not be a sole solution to the malaria problem, it would be a useful additional weapon, they say.

Prof David Conway, UK expert from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said: “It’s not the finished product yet but it certainly looks promising. It does look like the genetic editing works.”

Other scientists have been looking at genetically modifying mosquitoes to render them infertile, so that they die out. But some experts fear that eliminating mosquitoes entirely may have unforeseen and unwanted consequences. Replacing disease-carrying mosquitoes with harmless breeds is a potential alternative.

BBC

{Residents of Nyabihu served by Nyakiriba Health Center in Rugera sector, have called upon government to rehabilitate access roads to the center saying the current dilapidated, slippery and pot-holed ones are a hurdle to accessing and consumption of medical services in the locale, with the area ambulance finding it difficult to take or collect critically ill patients from the facility to Shyira Hospital. }

Residents who talked to IGIHE, noted that the government has done much to improve welfare of residents through the provision of such facilities as electricity and health facilities, but lack of roads takes them way back in time since, quite often, they have to carry patients on traditionally made stretchers, endangering their .

Musabeyezu Josephine, in charge of maternal and child health says the situation becomes more complicated when it comes to transferring pregnant women Shyira Hospital, some of who might have developed complications. “It requires calling people to carry the patient in a litter which also delays medical administration from the referred hospital,” explains Musebeyezu.

Ndazigaruye Boniface, also a resident of the area, says it’s difficult to summon nurses in times of emergencies or when the number of patients is overwhelming because of the poor state of roads in the sector. “Our homes and facilities have been connected with electricity, but what we need now are good roads to allow us easy access to health services and market our farm produce without much ado,” emphasizes Ndazigaruye.

Nyiramahirwe Claudine, the deputy director of Nyakiriba Health Center argues that lack of the good roads linking the center to Shyira Hospital present big hurdles to the residents and stalls efficiency in service delivery. “Drugs are sometimes brought to the facility in sacks rendering them susceptible to sun rays and going bad, while milk meant to be served to children suffering from malnutrition sometimes goes sour thus aggravating bad situations further,” laments Nyiramahirwe adding that building good accessible roads can reduce maternal and child mortality in the locality.

Deputy Mayor finance and economic development Nyabihu district, Mukaminani Angella says she recognizes the complexities of the issue and construction of a new 28km— Rwankeri-Gatovu-Nyakiriba-Nyakinama has started. The road under construction is expected to be carried out in three phases and, on completion, will connect Nyakiriba Health Center to Musanze hospital.

The health center receives roughly 40 patients from Rugera, Rurembo and Kintobo sectors