Children treated with Botox died

LAURAN NEERGAARD of AP Medical Writer reported from Washington about The popular anti-wrinkle drug Botox and a competitor Myobloc have been linked to some deaths and other severe side effects suggestive of botulism, the government warned doctors Friday.

The drugs use botulinum toxin, which blocks nerve impulses to muscles, causing them to relax.

But in rare cases, the toxin may have spread beyond the injection site to other parts of the body, resulting in such problems as paralysis of respiratory muscles and difficulty swallowing, the Food and Drug Administration said.

Immune Boosting strategies for Cold and Flu

Today i’ve read some tips about cold and flu. Those tip for how to boost your imune body. those tips from dr. Maoshing Ni. He give some strategies to help people whose got common cold.

Prepare for Cold Season!
The best natural protection from cold and flu is to keep your immune system going strong and to practice preventative measures. Wash your hands frequently with soap, and wash your face at least twice a day. Also, protect your upper back and neck area, because this is where most of the colds will attack the body. The activities listed below will help you build your immunity.

6 Simple Ways to Boost Your Immunity

1. Rest up.
Studies show that your immune system function drops by an average of 60% after just three nights of poor sleep, so be sure you are getting plenty of quality rest, at least eight hours each night.

2. Lessen your stress.
Keep your stress level low with meditation, tai chi or yoga.

3. Eat sweet potatoes and mushrooms.
These foods help optimize your body’s immunity function. Sweet potatoes contain higher amounts of vitamin C (a famous immune support) and beta-carotene than carrots, as well as being rich in DHEA, a potent immunity booster. Certain types of mushrooms, like shitake, maitake and reishi, contain polysaccharides, sterols, coumarin, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that increase your immune function.

4. Pick potent herbs.
Eat lots of potent herbs and spices, especially garlic, ginger, cilantro, and oregano.

5. Astralagus: the immunity super herb.
Astralagus has been used in Asia to prevent cold and flu for more than 2,000 years. This herb stimulates the body’s production of interferon, which is a potent immune protein that boosts your ability to fight infections and diseases.

6. Keep your middle warm.
In Chinese medicine, the abdomen is considered the storehouse of the body’s energy. Keeping your abdomen warm and protected from weather extremes has immense immune benefits. A good way to replenish your energy bank is to regularly place a hot water bottle on your abdomen. Also beneficial is applying abdominal wraps soaked in rejuvenating herbal solutions, or pouches containing similar herbs.

Natural Remedies and Relief for Cold and Flu
If it’s too late to prepare, and you are already suffering from the runny nose, headache and fever of cold and flu, these recommendations can help you get you back on your feet in no time!

• At the first sign of a cold attack, drink scallion and ginger tea, and lots of liquids.

• Fasting or light eating is sometimes recommended when you have a cold, so as not to detract from the body’s healing by having to digest heavy foods. In general, eat as little solid food as possible to avoid burdening the immune system, but drink plenty of warm fluids such as soups, porridges and tea.

• Get plenty of rest and don’t engage in exercise. When you have a cold, exercise depletes the body of qi, the vital energy needed to fight pathogens.

• Taking up to 50 milligrams of zinc a day may help reduce the symptoms of the common cold.

• It is helpful to inhale eucalyptus, oregano, and lavender, which are antibacterial, antiviral, and decongesting.

• He often recommend to my patients our Cold and Flu Formula that contains natural herbs like honeysuckle flower, burdock root, apricot seed, mulberry root and others that support healthy immune function, and comfort cold and flu symptoms. This formula is available online at askdrmao.com.

I hope you could use these tips for against common cold. Keep Healthy

Consideration of Arthritis drug for dementia

I’ve read some news of health about arthtritis drugs. The point is Arthritis drug may ease dementia. According of a new report in study case, U.S. researchers describe the improvement in brain function that occurred in a patient with Alzheimer’s disease just minutes after receiving an injection in the spine of the arthritis drug Enbrel (also known as etanercept).

This case was describe by Dr. Edward L. Tobinick, from the University of California at Los Angeles, and Dr. Hyman Gross, from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles in the Journal of Neuroinflammation.

Their studies approved that a protein involved in inflammation known as TNF-alpha is involved in the development of Alzheimer’s disease, the investigators note. Etanercept blocks this protein. Further studies looking at the effects of TNF-alpha blockers on symptoms of dementia are warranted, the researchers conclude.

So with consistention of the earlier observations, etanercept injection suggested rapidly improved cognition.

Cholesterol Drugs

I just have read about “Do Cholesterol Drugs Do Any Good?” at businessweek.com artcle by John Carey. He said “Martin Winn’s cholesterol level was inching up. Cycling up hills, he felt chest pain that might have been angina. So he and his doctor decided he should be on a cholesterol-lowering medication called a statin. He was in good company. Such drugs are the best-selling medicines in history, used by more than 13 million Americans and an additional 12 million patients around the world, producing $27.8 billion in sales in 2006. Half of that went to Pfizer (PFE) for its leading statin, Lipitor. Statins certainly performed as they should for Winn, dropping his cholesterol level by 20%. “

Some of research suggest that except among high-risk heart patients, the benefits of statins such as Lipitor are overstated

The drugs are thought to be so essential that, according to the official government guidelines from the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP), 40 million Americans should be taking them. Some researchers have even suggested—half-jokingly—that the medications should be put in the water supply, like fluoride for teeth. Statins are sold by Merck (MRK) (Mevacor and Zocor), AstraZeneca (AZN) (Crestor), and Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY) (Pravachol) in addition to Pfizer. And it’s almost impossible to avoid reminders from the industry that the drugs are vital. A current TV and newspaper campaign by Pfizer, for instance, stars artificial heart inventor and Lipitor user Dr. Robert Jarvik. The printed ad proclaims that “Lipitor reduces the risk of heart attack by 36%…in patients with multiple risk factors for heart disease.”