Obesity and snuff cut life expectancy in the U.S.

U.S. is a nation that spends more money on health. Yet, paradoxically, the life expectancy of its citizens do not grow in line, being lower than those of other developed countries. This follows from a work signed by the National Research Council (National Research Council).

The main objective of the panel of experts who participated in this research was to understand "the divergent trends in longevity in countries with more resources." And, in particular, to analyze what is the status of U.S. compared with other developed nations.As a first result, found that during the last quarter century, although life expectancy of Americans themselves have grown, have followed a slower pace as compared to countries like Japan, Australia or Spain and the obesity in U.S.

 Obesity and snuff

One of the main causes of this slowdown could be smoking, according to the report stresses. Side effects of cigarettes takes several years to become evident, and it seems that is what has happened in the U.S.. Currently, there are fewer smokers but those who were addicts are now feeling the evils of this harmful habit.

"Two or three decades, smoking was much more widespread in the U.S. than in Europe or Japan, and the consequences still being felt in the rates of mortality," the report said.
Especially, this is the case of women, who are the most slow to sign up for the fashion of snuff and now sick and die for it. This situation is also happening in our country obesity in U.S..

Given this period of time between exposure to snuff and the onset of the disease, it is foreseeable that the United States in the years to note a marked reduction in mortality from this product. A decrease that was felt by the male population, were the first to light a cigarette but also the first to turn it off.In the case of Japan, it seems that the opposite will occur. Smoking was established later and still might not have felt all the burden it imposes on the deaths and, consequently, expectations of life obesity in U.S..

Obesity and other risk

On the other hand, the paper's authors emphasize that the second factor clearly related to the longevity of Americans is obesity.It is not known the real impact of excess weight but estimates could be behind one fifth or one-third of that decrease in the lifespan.In fact, current trends continue, obesity could wipe out improvements made by ex-smokers obesity in U.S..

The factors that were considered as a possible cause, not statistically significant in the U.S.. Not even the lack of universal access to healthcare, sedentary habits or the harmful effects of hormone therapy.However, the experts make it clear that the lack of clarity or strength of some of the results could be due to the limitations provided by the research in this field, since most of the studies are observational.

The 'good' cholesterol may protect against Alzheimer's

The relationship between blood cholesterol levels and Alzheimer's disease seems obvious. What is less clear is how these lipids affect their onset and development and at what stage of life are important. A new work developed at Columbia University (New York, USA) states that have high good cholesterol can reduce the risk of dementia.
Alzheimer's is the protagonist of one of the most prolific areas of research in recent years. This form of dementia, the most common one is present in 1% of people between 65 and 69 years and its prevalence increases to 60% in adults over 95 years. Despite its frequency and the numerous studies, many aspects of the disease remain unknown.

Protect against Alzheimer's

The influence of fats, especially cholesterol, on Alzheimer's has been demonstrated on numerous occasions. Christiane Reitz and colleagues at the Taub Institute at Columbia University have conducted several studies in this regard. The last one, in which 1,130 adults took part over 65 years, appears in the journal Archives of Neurology.

For 18 months, the authors did a follow up of participants, including 101 new cases were detected in Alzheimer (89 probable and 12 possible), and measured their levels of total cholesterol, 'good' (HDL) and 'bad' ( LDL). The results confirmed the researchers' hypothesis by showing a relationship between higher HDL levels (55 milligrams per deciliter or greater) and a lower risk of developing dementia and the Cure the Alzheimer's.

Cure the Alzheimer's

This conclusion is consistent with previous findings indicating that low levels of HDL are a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. Either by a stroke pathway or through other mechanisms (alteration of insulin, the degradation of the amyloid protein, etc.) Cholesterol 'good' seems to influence the onset of this disease.
Despite modest progress, Alzheimer's remains one of the most difficult to study for several reasons. First, only a few primates naturally suffer. In addition, beta-amyloid protein (which forms clumps or plaques typical of this condition) is not human like that of other animals. Finally, you can not study the process in vivo in humans, only in the body.

Asiatic cholera in Haiti

Although Haitians have no doubts, and many experts already secured so far, irrefutable scientific evidence was lacking. And this week the magazine features 'The New England Journal of Medicine': the strain of cholera that has claimed more than 2,000 dead in Haiti comes from Southeast Asia and probably introduced in the Caribbean island for some kind of human activity and the Cholera in Haiti..
The report presents a group of researchers from the Massachusetts Hospital and the Howard Hughes Institute refined enough to point to the Nepalese UN soldiers as the source of the cholera epidemic, and those Haitians already adjudged 'guilty' for weeks. However, it states that the bacterium Vibrio cholerae 'has its origin in the outbreaks that have hit the Southeast Asia since the nineteenth century and the Cholera in Haiti.

Cholera in Haiti

Says Dr. Matthew Waldor, the strain that has sickened and more than 80,000 Haitians are not the same that has circulated in recent years in Latin America, but is similar to samples taken in countries like India or Pakistan. "Our data suggest that the introduction in Haiti as a geographically distant strain stems from human activity," he says.
Until this outbreak, the researchers remind, Haiti had no recorded cases of cholera since a hundred years, although other weather phenomena like El Niño or La Niña, a phenomenon attributed more than likely, "the country's geographic isolation in The Spanish island, which it shares with the Dominican Republic and the Cholera in Haiti.. "
Indeed, reading the internal key situation, the authors of this paper recommend the U.S. to stockpile vaccines do to be prepared in case the country had faced a similar situation, or even to help nearby countries where new outbreaks.

Asiatic cholera in Haiti

Cholera is caused by consuming food or water contaminated by fecal bacteria by 'V. cholerae. " It is characterized by severe diarrhea can cause dehydration of the patient in a few hours if it is rehydrated in time with clean water. It is estimated that worldwide are diagnosed each year between three and five million cases, causing between 100,000 and 120,000 deaths annually.
"While clean water and adequate hygiene and sanitation and antibiotics may be sufficient to tackle the disease, this is not always feasible in high-risk, natural disasters and overpopulation," recognized. "Clearly it is time to consider additional preventive measures to complement the existing channels and the Cholera in Haiti.."

And in that sense remember that there are at least three licensed oral vaccines, safe and effective (and very cheap, less than two dollars of the dose), against cholera. "Even though there is no imminent threat of cholera in the U.S.. We believe that our country should take stock of reserves to mobilize quickly in case of need," they conclude. "And although so far the Caribbean and Latin America were considered low risk areas, what happened in Haiti forces us to reconsider this belief and the Cholera in Haiti.."
In his view, to have those strategic reserves would help accelerate the recovery of countries like Haiti after natural tragedies, we help restore political stability (as tense now because of the recently held elections), and would save thousands of lives in time and the Cholera in Haiti..

Twenty approve the ban on the European Union mefedrona

The Twenty-seven today approved the ban on mefedrona, a legal drug similar to ecstasy was not so far pursued in twelve EU countries, including Spain.
The Ministers of Justice of the European Union have decided to ban the manufacture, distribution and import of this substance, which could be purchased in Spain, both on the street or online.
The mefedrona is a synthetic drug whose effects are similar to those of ecstasy or cocaine, and how are you substance, it takes both powder and tablet.A study by the European reference center on Drugs (EMCDDA) which echoes the European Commission, the mefedrona "cause dependence and its consumption can lead to serious health problems."

Mefedrona

Only in the United Kingdom and Ireland mefedrona consumption has been linked directly to the deaths of 37 people.The countries that had already taken steps to pursue their sales are Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Romania, Sweden and the UK.
Today's decision of the Ministers of Justice contains the proposal on 20 October the European Commission.

Mefedrona is banned in UE

"This is good news to see how the EU governments take quick decision on the banning of dangerous drugs," said in a statement the European justice commissioner, Viviane Reding.The commissioner has warned that the drug "is on the Internet, often in seemingly innocent products as 'fertilizer and bath salts', for example."