VIRGINIA: A new study argues that all children should get tested for cholesterol levels.
Some health experts worry that such testing could lead to inappropriate drug treatment for kids. While cholesterol-lowering medications have been proved safe and effective for adults, there are no significant studies with children. The concern is that since children would be taking these medications for the rest of their lives, long-term studies of both safety and effectiveness are needed.
In West Virginia, pediatric cardiologist Dr. William Neal wanted to see what would happen if all children over the age of 10 were tested for cholesterol.
He analyzed results of more than 20,000 fifth-graders who were tested, and his findings were somewhat surprising. Neal says if testing for cholesterol had stuck to current recommendations and only children with family histories were measured, they would have missed a lot of kids with problems.
Of the 548 children they would have missed who had abnormally high cholesterol, Neal says, 98 had cholesterol levels so high that treatment with medication would be worthwhile.
While studies have shown these cholesterol-lowering drugs are effective for adults and are mostly safe with relatively rare side effects there have been no studies showing the drugs' safety and effectiveness with children over the long term.
The upside to humidity? It can help keep your skin moisturized. The downside? It sends your carefully-applied makeup running south faster than a former Alaskan governor in search of fame and fortune. The heat is on, and summer is not going to let us leave the house sweat-free for quite a few more weeks. So what are some easy, quick tips on how to keep your makeup from melting – and other best beauty bits for surviving the warmth?
Use a primer. Primers are considered the basis of your makeup and should be applied under it all. It will help your foundation wear all day, fill in lines and pores, and generally make for a smooth canvas. Some can also absorb oil. Expert call primers the “essential.” I call them “neat-o” – especially Tarte’s ReCreate Primer. This product gives your skin a dry, tight feeling good for summer, though probably not best for dehydrated skin. Tarte’s product is free of parabens, silicone, phthalates, and petrolatum.
Skip the moisturizer for a hydrating toner. Sometimes, just sometimes, it is simply too hot and sticky to think about putting anything other than ice on your face. On those wettest of days, consider substituting your daily moisturizer with a hydrating toner. This can keep your skin feeling balanced, but it won’t necessarily add to the oil you’re already combating. The best toner in the entire universe? Check out our review of Thayer’s Rose Petal Alcohol-Free Witch Hazel.
Use a mattifying sunscreen. Yes, your sunscreen can make your skin feel oilier. So be sure to pick one that’s going to keep things feeling dry. Check out our review of Coola’s Mineral Matte Face Finish SPF 30. To quote myself, “Due to the matte finish, it offers up an almost powdery application that leaves your skin feeling like you just dusted with cover up, not slicked with sunscreen.” You have to love a sunscreen that makes your face feel drier upon application.
Wear a slip. Okay, I know Mad Men is days away from premiering its next season and a lot of us have our Joan Holloway hats ready. But a slip really can cut down on chafing when your skirts literally stick to you. Plus with the high noon rays of summer bearing down on us, it isn’t the worst thing not to be able to see through your skirts. Joan Holloway would agree on such lady-like modesty!
Keep a clean handkerchief. I know, we’re still in Mad Men territory. But when you’re pouring sweat, sometimes a tissue just ain’t gonna cut it. Consider stashing an organic cotton handkerchief in your purse for those moments when you need some extra absorption. They’re cute, utterly recyclable in the wash, and will make the act of dabbing your hairline seem much more vintage.
A court-ordered study has found that electromagnetic waves beamed by Vatican Radio leave residents living near the station's antennas at a higher risk of cancer.
Magnetic fields near the Vatican are six times more powerful than allowedPhoto: GETTY IMAGES
"There has been an important, coherent and meaningful correlation between exposure to Vatican Radio's structures and the risk of leukaemia and lymphoma in children," the report said, according to the daily La Stampa.
The report also warned of "important risks" of dying of cancer for people who had lived for at least 10 years within a 5.5-mile radius of the radio's giant antenna towers near Cesano, 12 miles north of Rome.
The radio's director, Federico Lombardi, disputed the report, saying: "Vatican Radio is astonished to hear the news on the results of the study."
Mr Lombardi, who is also the Vatican spokesman, added: "Vatican Radio has always observed international directives on electromagnetic emissions and since 2001 has observed more restrictive norms set by Italy to allay the concerns of the neighbouring populations."
Speaking on Vatican Radio, he said: "According to international scientific literature on the matter, the existence of a causal link like the one apparently hypothesised by the report had never been established."
A Rome judge ordered the report in 2005 as part of an investigation into a complaint filed in 2001 by Cesano residents who alleged health hazards posed by the electromagnetic waves.
Vatican Radio's then-president Roberto Tucci and director Pasquale Borgomeo were among defendants in a case that was thrown out last year after the statute of limitations expired.
At the time, Mr Lombardi said he was not satisfied with the result since he had expected an acquittal.
The Vatican spokesman said the Holy See would soon publish its own experts' conclusion in the case.
A 2001 investigation by Italy's environment ministry showed that magnetic fields in the area were six times more powerful than allowed, while Rome's Lazio region estimated that the rate of deaths from leukaemia among children in the Cesano area was three times higher than in adjoining areas.
Richard Rudd and his father at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridgeshire. Photograph: BBC Wales/Rudd family
A man who was left paralysed and seemingly unable to communicate following a traffic accident was saved from having his life support machine turned off when he managed to blink three times to tell doctors that he did not want to die.
Richard Rudd's family had been agonising about turning off life support, his father said, after his son had said he would not want to live in a paralysed state.
But his son's remarkable response raises questions about when life should end and about how and when a family can decide if their loved one has suffered enough.
The story began in October last year, when 43-year-old Rudd, a father of two, was seriously injured after a collision led him to be thrown 20 feet from his motorbike.
The battle to save him led him to be treated at the Neurocritical care unit at Addenbrooke's hospital in Cambridgeshire.
His father, also called Richard Rudd, had given permission for doctors to withdraw treatment after his son failed to respond. "We said that knowing Richard, there was no way in a million years that he would want to live with his injuries, but doctors wanted to wait a little bit longer," he told the BBC in a programme about his son's case.
"[The doctor] held open his eyelids and asked him to move his eyes if he could hear and he moved his eyes around, so we knew he wasn't brain dead."
Intensive-care specialist Professor David Menon, 53, set up the unit 13 years ago and was in charge of Rudd's care.
He said: "He had severe injuries to his brain and we could not communicate with him. The outcome was thought to be very bleak indeed.
In fact, Richard was in a locked in state where people have relatively normal cognitive processes in the brain but are only able to allow you to know about that by movement of the eyes or eyelids.
"When, after a period of waiting, he showed voluntary movement of his eyes, everything changed. We could use these eye movements to document yes or no responses, and allow Richard to have a say in his own care."
Rudd's father added: "We're still not certain how much Richard understands … At times, it's like looking through frosted glass. But his speech therapist asked a series of questions to test him and it's definitely still Richard in there.
"He's in such a dire state that we wonder why he's smiling, but he seems to respond to the right cues.Making a living will could be detrimental to your own health.
"There must have been a time when Richard could hear what was going on but wasn't able to do anything about it.
"For my part, I'm glad he's alive and didn't make a living will."
Tom, 17, had hooked a large carp and was jostling with the heavy fish when the line snapped sending the slender plastic float "twanging" back at him like an arrow.
Incredibly, the 8in-long plastic dart pierced Tom's chest and embedded itself in his lung which collapsed.
The riverbank "missile" missed his main artery by just an inch. Had it been cut he would have bled to death.
But Tom was rushed to hospital where surgeons removed the float from his chest and drained the fluid on his lung.
Collapsed lung ... Tom in hospital
SWNS
Recovering from the nightmare ordeal at home today he said: "It was scary as hell. I felt like I'd been shot with a crossbow. At one point I thought I was going to die.
Read more: Recovering from the nightmare ordeal at home today he said: "It was scary as hell. I felt like I'd been shot with a crossbow. At one point I thought I was going to die.
"Doctors said if the float had hit me an inch to the right it would have pierced an artery and I'd have had it."
Tom was just 15 minutes into a pole fishing competition at Whitehall Angling Club in Rushwick, Worcs, when he struck into a large common carp.
He played the fish for a few moments before it 'broke' him — snapping the elastic connecting the float to the line.
The recoiling float shot 18ft out of the water straight back at Tom and pierced his football shirt before embedding itself in his right lung.
Tom, from Worcester, said: "I was hoping to land some big carp and the conditions were perfect when I felt a fish on the end.
"I started playing the fish to tire it out because it was a big one but it shot off to the other side of the pool.
"The hook pulled out and the float catapulted out and hit me straight in the chest. At first I didn't realise what had happened and started looking behind me for the float.
"It's only when I looked down and saw it sticking out of my chest and at the patch of blood spreading over my shirt that I knew the float had hit me.
"I tried to pull it out but the end snapped off and about three-and-a-half inches stayed in me.
"I began struggling for breath and could hear bubbling which was the air rushing out my lung where the float had pierced it."
Tom's dad Graham, 54, drove his son to Worcestershire Royal Hospital where he had three x-rays and a CT scan.
Surgeons spent an hour removing the float before they drained the fluid.
Graham, also a keen fisherman, said: "I have never known anything like it before. It's just a freak accident."
Pole fishing is a specialised form of float fishing, where a light, long pole is extended in sections instead of using a traditional fishing rod.
Tom, who hopes to join the RAF next year, stayed in hospital for four days before he was allowed back home.
The lad added: "It was a strange thing to happen but it hasn't put me off fishing.
"I'll be back out there on Sunday - my dad reckons I should wear body armour but I'll take my chances
SYDNEY: An Australian researcher has found that medicines made of garlic are ineffective to cure influenza and cold, insisting that all those experiences of people in this wake amid different climates were just ‘untrue’.
During research, a medical student Elizabeth Jasmine picked 146 patients to try garlic-made medicines to cure influenza and cold diseases, observing that pills remained entirely ineffective to cure them against cold and flu.
Her research continued till 12 weeks, in which, she claimed to have kept all the patients under constant observation, but pills met failure to provide any relief to flu and cold patients.
SYDNEY: An Australian researcher has found that medicines made of garlic are ineffective to cure influenza and cold, insisting that all those experiences of people in this wake amid different climates were just ‘untrue’.
During research, a medical student Elizabeth Jasmine picked 146 patients to try garlic-made medicines to cure influenza and cold diseases, observing that pills remained entirely ineffective to cure them against cold and flu.
Her research continued till 12 weeks, in which, she claimed to have kept all the patients under constant observation, but pills met failure to provide any relief to flu and cold patients.
LONDON: Consuming blueberries, a food source that contains high levels of antioxidants, may help prevent the development of liver disease, according to findings published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology.
Despite the development of many liver disease medications, researchers have yet to find a prescription that cause numerous side effects. In an effort to discover a natural alternative to lowering the risks of the illness, investigators tested blueberries, since little is known on how the fruit affects liver health.
During a recent study, investigators fed blueberries to rats that were genetically altered to suffer from liver fibrosis, a disorder that causes excess scar tissue to build up in the organ. The team then compared these animals to a control group that wasn’t fed the fruit.
The results of the study showed that eating blueberries lowered toxin levels in the liver, and improved some side effects caused by the condition. Also, the researchers found that certain nutrients in the fruit increased compound activity level in the organ, which better protected the liver against fibrosis.
In addition to preventing liver disease, other studies have found that consuming blueberries also lowers the risks of developing liver cancer. Researchers from the University of Georgia found that the antioxidants and other nutritional compounds in the fruit hindered the growth of cancer cells in the liver.
Don't drink coffee or smoke cigarettes 30 minutes before having your blood pressure measured. Before the test, sit for five minutes with your back supported and your feet flat on the ground. Rest your arm on a table at the level of your heart. Wear short sleeves so your arm is exposed. Go to the bathroom prior to the reading. A full bladder can change your blood pressure reading. Get two readings, taken at least two minutes apart, and average the results. Ask the doctor or nurse to tell you the blood pressure reading in numbers.
stethoscope and cuff High blood pressure often has no signs or symptoms. The only way to find out if you have high blood pressure is to be tested for it. Using the familiar blood pressure cuff, your doctor or nurse can easily tell if your blood pressure is high. How do I know if I have high blood pressure?
Beautiful skin is essential for making the most of your looks. Without it, all that carefully applied make-up will either go patchy and blotchy, slide into lines and wrinkles or disappear off your face in a shiny, oily mess. The simple truth is that most of us don't have beautiful skin. In fact, we don't even have so-called 'normal' skin, with its plump,shiny texture, radiant glow and minimal breakouts.
Instead we have dry bits, oily bits or irritated bits, and that means our skin doesn't always look or feel as good as it should. But the good news is that you don't have to put up with this. By knowing what kind of skin you have and how to treat it, you can solve your particular problems. Balance the levels of water and oil in your skin and you will create the state of harmony that is beautiful, perfect, 'normal' skin. What Type of Skin Do You Have?
To create perfect skin you have to treat each individual cell within. It perfectly You need to know if the cell needs more water,less oil or just leaving alone to calm down and stop getting hot and bothered. The only way you're going to do this is to know your skin type. Now, you may think you know this already, but many of us are wrong. For starters, skin types change with age, so oily skin in your teens doesn't mean oily skin in your twenties, thirties or forties. Skin types can also change with the seasons, as temperatures affect the levels of oil and water in the skin; they can change with your diet, and even according to the time of the month, So to truly know your skin type, you have to reassess it regularly. Doing so is easy - just answer the following questions and see which letter you choose most often.
1) Take A Look At Your Face In Bright Light, What Do You See ?
a) It's shiny with noticeable blackheads
b) It looks flaky and feels taut
c) My forehead, chin and nose are shiny, the rest is tight and flaky
d) It's very pale, and there are occasional red or flaky patches
e) The surface is dull. I'm low on colour and there are noticeable lines and wrinkles
2) Wash Your Skin With Some Plain Soap and Water, Wait For About 20 Minutes Now What do you notice?
a) It looks less shiny
b) It looks and feels tighter plus It's gone a grey colour
c) It's less shiny on my nose and forehead but now my cheeks feel dreadful
d) It's itchy, red and flaky thanks a lot
e) My lines and wrinkles are even more noticeable but I've got some colour back into my skin tone
3) Do you get spots ?
a) Yes, I'm prone to blackheads,whiteheads or big red ones that hurt
b) Not really only around my period or if i use thick moisturizer
c) Only on my nose, forehead and chin
d) Yes, but they're red rather than whiteheads or i get rashes
e) Very rarely
4) Look At Your Nose And The Area Around ItWhat Do You Notice Most?
a) Blackheads, whiteheads and oil
b) Flaky patches and redness around my nostrils
c) That my nose and cheeks look like they're from two different faces, my nose is shiny, my cheeks are dull
d) There are lots of little red veins and high colour on my cheeks
e) I've lots of open pores
5) Take Your Index finger and Lightly Press Your Cheek Upwards. What Do You See?
a) Nothing really
b) I get loads of tiny lines like crepe paper that vanish when i stop
c) Some lines appear but when i stop pressing they go away
d) The area goes white, then red or it feels hot
e) I get folds of skin forming and it takes a while to snap back to normal
6) Now Get A Magnifying Mirror Or At Least Stand In Some Really Bright Natural Light. Look At Your Pores - What Are They Like?
a) Big, black and shiny
b) Practically non-existent
c) Big on my nose, chin and forehead
d) Large but clear there's no oil there
7) Apply Your Make-Up As Normal In The Morning, Then At Lunchtime Take A Long Hard Look In The mirror. What's happened?
a) What's left of it is shiny but most of it has disappeared
b) It's gone blotchy and flaky
c) My cheeks aren't so bad, but my nose is shiny
d) My skin looks a bit red and irritated
e) It's settled on the lines of my face or looks dry
Beauty personifies excellence. Perfect beauty is an elusive utopian concept. However a thing of beauty is joy forever. If one can enhance one's looks by making small improvements in lifestyle and beauty care regime then a new beautiful person emerges from the sidewalks. Being beautiful gives personal satisfaction, is a moral booster and adds joy in life. Mortal human beings have been fascinated with the concept of beauty as can be seen through the efforts made by prominent figures like Cleopatra in ancient age to modern day beauty icons like Jennifer Lopez to have a stunning persona. Beauty lies deep in healthy hair, skin and overall appearance of body.
Healthy and well taken care of skin is something that is first noticed in a beautiful and groomed person. For healthy looking skin, it is important to have healthy diet as what you eat gets reflected on your skin. Another cardinal factor for maintaining supple skin is regular intake of water as it flushes out toxins from body. Personal hygiene is also very important for a soft skin. The face should be wiped of oil, dirt and excessive traces of cosmetics before sleeping with the help of natural or mild cleansers. Deficiency of important minerals and vitamins is reflected on skin in the form of whiteheads, blackheads, brown pigmentation and linear spots. For a healthy skin the intake of vitamin A and B and minerals like iron and iodine must be regularized.
The common problems associated with skin are acne, pigmentation, wrinkles and dark circles around eyes. Acne is result of hormonal imbalances and excessive oil production in skin. It can be regulated by a healthy diet and regular skin care regime that comprises of cleansing, moisturizing and toning. In severe cases, topical applications and oral prescriptions must be taken under the consultation of a dermatologist.
Pollution, excess exposure to sun and stress often results in wrinkles at a young age. These can be controlled by regular facial massages, which tightens facial skin and increases blood circulation. In the market there are easily available thermal and skin tightening masks, which can be applied once in fifteen days to have the desired effect. Care should be taken while buying skin care products. Those with harsh chemicals must be avoided and those with natural ingredients must be preferred.
Excess exposure to sun and pollution causes pigmentation of skin which on becoming permanent can be removed only under the expert advice of a dermatologist. For overall care of skin, face packs made from natural ingredients available must also be tried depending upon the skin time. Curd mixed with lemon juice is good face pack for normal to oily skin. Curd mixed with lemon juice and honey nourishes dry skin. In market, there are easily available mudpacks. They help in reducing the effect of sunburns and tanning and must be used once in a week.
Dark circles around eyes are other common skin problems. Their onset starts in early thirties and they are caused by fatigue, loss of sleep, prolonged illness, anemia, migraine, hereditary factors, dietary deficiency, stress or kidney disease. These days the onset of dark circles starts early in mid twenties due to hereditary factors, modern chaotic lifestyle and excess exposure to sun. Since the skin around eyes is very thin and delicate, it becomes very noticeable.
Moisturizers are cosmetic products which to some extent provide a practical answer to problems of water loss from the skin. Though water is the missing ingredient, in dry skins, application of water alone is not the solution as this has only a temporary effect. Though oil is equally essential (it serves to hold water on to the skin surface), it alone also can't moisturize the skin.
Facial Moisturizers, therefore, combine both water and oil. This not only replaces some of the water lost from the skin, but more importantly prevents its loss to the surroundings. There are several moisturizing products available in the market. They all fall, basically, into 2 main types: oil-in-water emulsions and water-in-oil emulsions.
The oil-in-water moisturizers sometimes also contain substances called humectants which attract water from the surroundings, but this may have its own disadvantage because humectants may sometimes absorb too much water from the skin itself thereby increasing its dryness. A commonly used humectant is glycerine. Newer ingredients have been added to increase the effectiveness of this group of moisturizers, but still their effect remains temporary.
The second category of skin moisturizers comprise the newer water-in-oil emulsions. They are marketed generally as creams or lotions. Being oil-based products, these trap moisture in the skin by forming an absorbing film on the skin surface. This forms a barrier retarding water loss. Many of these products are also called antidehydrating creams. How to choose your Moisturizer?
Choosing the moisturizer to suit your skin type is very very important The proportion of oil varies according to the type of skin for which the product is formulated. The label on the product generally states this - so do read the instructions carefully!
Generally speaking, products meant for well balanced normal skins are water-based, containing a little oil. Those designed for dry skins make up for the lack of oil on the skin, by adding oil to the skin. Humectants like glycerine and lactic acid, are also added to retain moisture. Sensitive skins also need moisturizers having a high oil content.
Moisturizers are, generally, not to be used on oily skins, because they can cause spots. But today safe synthetic chemicals are available these oil-free moisturizers do not contain any mineral oils, vegetable oils or animal fat, but contain either modified oils or other synthetic ingredients. So now you can enjoy the luxury of using such products, even if you have an oily skin. Use them on patches of dryness caused by excessive use of anti-pimple remedies, yet don 't use them too often or too liberally.
Now, newer light non-greasy creams and lotions are also available - these are as effective as the heavy, thick and greasy creams and are competitively priced. They are the best type to be worn under makeup, as they give a superb finish to the make-up. Is it worth using a moisturizer regularly?
Yes, regular use of a suitable moisturizer does benefit your skin. By guarding against the excessive loss of water, these agents protect the skin against the drying influences of the environment - the effects of sun, cold and heat. A moisturizer is particularly helpful for naturally dry skins, but whatever be your skin type a moisturizer does compensate for the deficiencies in the natural oil-film and keeps your skin lubricated making it soft, smooth and looking more youthful.
Further, moisturizers give a smooth finish to makeup. Putting on a light moisturizing cream will make makeup much easier to apply and reduce the risk of dragging the skin.
Most dermatologists agree that moisturizers effectively combat skin dryness and make the skin soft and supple. But the role of special ingredients, like vitamins, proteins, collagen and hormones, in many of the expensive creams is quite doubtful. In fact, it is only the simple lubricating action of the ingredients in the creams that do any good. So using exotic oils (such as deer oil) instead of ordinary oils, will not make the moisturizer any more effective, though it will add enormously to the cost. However, certain natural and synthetic substances, humectants - like urea, lactic acid, and phospholipids, might improve the effectiveness of moisturizers as they increase the hydration of the skin.
VIRGINIA: A new study argues that all children should get tested for cholesterol levels.
SYDNEY: An Australian researcher has found that medicines made of garlic are ineffective to cure influenza and cold, insisting that all those experiences of people in this wake amid different climates were just ‘untrue’.
LONDON: Consuming blueberries, a food source that contains high levels of antioxidants, may help prevent the development of liver disease, according to findings published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology.