Confirmation of the {epsilon}4 allele of the apolipoprotein E gene as a risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease -- Brousseau et al. 44 (2): 342 -- Neurology

Confirmation of the {epsilon}4 allele of the apolipoprotein E gene as a risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease -- Brousseau et al. 44 (2): 342 -- Neurology: "Family studies indicate a possible linkage between the q13.2 region of chromosome 19 and Alzheimer's disease (AD). An isoform of apolipoprotein E, whose gene maps in this region, is more frequent in AD. In this study, we investigated the possible association of a genetic polymorphism of the apolipoprotein E gene with late-onset AD. We compared apolipoprotein E polymorphism distribution between patients with sporadic late-onset AD (n = 36) and controls of the same age (n = 38). Individuals carrying at least one e4 allele were present in 41.7% of the patients, compared with only 10.5% of the controls (p < 0.001). This result indicates an association between late-onset AD and the 19q13.2 region containing the apolipoprotein E gene locus"

The ε4 allele of the Apolipoprotein E gene as a potential protective factor for exudative age-related macular degeneration

The ε4 allele of the Apolipoprotein E gene as a potential protective factor for exudative age-related macular degeneration: ": Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) is a polymorphic protein that plays a central part in plasma metabolism of lipids and in central nervous system lipid homeostasis. Our purpose was to evaluate the potential role of ApoE polymorphism in the occurrence of exudative age-related macular degeneration associated with drusen, which contain lipids"


one can have an epsilon 4 allele for the Apolipoprotein E gene, which increases the risk for Alzheimer’s disease, or one can lack an allele.

Plastic Water Bottles Leach Carcinogens

Plastic Water Bottles Leach Carcinogens

One big health story in the news in recent months has focused on the dangers of BPA -- bisphenol A, an estrogen-like chemical used in manufacturing plastics, including those in reusable plastic bottles. This spring a report from the US National Toxicology Program revealed that even low exposures to BPA produced alterations in the brains and behavior of rats, along with precancerous changes in the prostate and breast, and early puberty. Retailers Toys-R-Us and Wal-Mart reacted quickly, announcing a voluntary phase-out on the sale of baby bottles and cups containing BPA, and the FDA committed to review the safety of baby-feeding products using the chemical. These are great first steps, since developing brains are the most vulnerable -- but BPA isn't exactly healthy for adolescents and adults either. And in fact, the report affirmed the possibility that BPA might be associated with similar effects in older humans, saying it "cannot be dismissed." With athletes, hikers and people all over our office carrying water bottles around all day, this is an issue that clearly needs to be addressed.

A NEARLY UBIQUITOUS CHEMICAL

The most common use of BPA is in "polycarbonate plastics" which are what make plastic products flexible, shatter-resistant and reusable. More than six billion pounds of this toxic chemical are produced annually in the US, for use in a wide range of products, including those ubiquitous water bottles, plus liners of food cans, eyeglasses, dental sealants, CDs and DVDs.

I was dismayed to hear from Scott M. Belcher, PhD, who has conducted research into the health effects of BPA at the University of Cincinnati, that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has detected trace amounts of BPA in more than 90% of Americans tested. In his research, Dr. Belcher found that developing brain cells in rats are extremely sensitive to the effects of estrogen stimulation from such chemicals. Over the long term, this is likely to lead to changes in behavior. There is reason to believe that there are also effects on reproduction that can lead to the development of reproductive cancers. Other potential dangers, including effects upon the nervous and immune systems, have also been identified.

SAFER ALTERNATIVES ARE AVAILABLE

Fortunately, there are safer alternatives to BPA -- and Dr. Belcher says it's good news that market forces are driving retailers to offer more of them, since he believes that capitalism creates change at a faster pace than government regulatory action. Don't wait for that to happen, though. There are proactive steps you can take to limit exposure to BPA in the meantime. As mentioned above, precautions are especially important for those at highest risk -- infants, young children and pregnant or nursing women. It's admittedly difficult to avoid BPA altogether, since it is used in so many products, but taking the following steps can minimize exposure going forward:

• Choose glass or stainless steel bottles instead of plastic -- or, if you need an unbreakable product, choose other plastics like polypropylene and the new BPA-free plastics now being used.

• Do not purchase plastics labeled with a number 7 recycling code because polycarbonate falls into this category.

• Buy products labeled as BPA-free. Examples of "safe" plastic water bottles, for instance, include CamelBak Better Bottle line (made from Eastman Tritan copolyester) and Nalgene HDPE and Everyday lines (made from high-density polyethylene or Tritan copolyester).

• Don't microwave or otherwise heat food in plastic containers. Instead, choose glass, ceramic or other microwave-safe dishes. Also avoid putting hot liquids into any plastic bottles and containers, as heat increases the rate at which BPA leaches or escapes into liquid.

Be aware that even at room temperature BPA can be a danger. Dr. Belcher says the best way to limit exposure is to avoid using these plastics altogether.

Source(s):

Scott M. Belcher, PhD, associate professor, pharmacology and cell biophysics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Fw: Predict How Long You Will Live

You're Only As Old As You Think You Are
Yale School of Public Health

ome people lose strength and vitality when they get older, while others remain robust. The same disparity exists when it comes to eyesight, hearing and mental faculties.

Genetics and lifestyle can play a part, but to a surprising extent, what you think about aging does as well. To learn more, Bottom Line/Health recently spoke to Yale psychologist Becca Levy, PhD, a renowned expert in stereotypes related to aging...

How do stereotypes affect how we age? There are numerous ways, but let's look at hearing loss as an example. Most people consider it an inevitable fact of growing older, but there's more to it than biology.

In a study conducted at Yale, we measured the hearing of more than 500 adults age 70 and older and asked them what five words or phrases first came to mind when they thought of an old person.

Three years later, the people who associated aging with stereotypes like "feeble" and "senile" had suffered significantly more hearing loss than those who had answered with positive words like "wise" and "active." In other studies, negative thoughts or beliefs about aging were linked to poorer memory as the years passed.

Can one's recovery from serious physical ailments, such as heart disease, also be affected? Apparently so. In one study, we interviewed 62 heart attack patients (ages 50 to 96) about their stereotypes of aging within two weeks after their heart attacks.

Seven months later, patients who expressed more positive stereotypes had experienced better physical recoveries -- as measured by tests involving balance and timed walking -- than those who expressed more negative stereotypes.

Could a person's views on aging even affect his/her life span? One of our studies showed just that. It involved 660 people, ages 50 to 94, who were asked questions that explored the ways they perceived their own aging.

For example, the study participants, all of whom lived in Oxford, Ohio, were asked how much they agreed with statements, such as "Things keep getting worse as I get older" and "I am as happy now as I was when I was younger."

Nearly 25 years later, researchers tracked those participants who were still alive and how long the others had lived. Those who had expressed a more positive view when surveyed lived a median of seven years longer, even after differences in their ages and health at that time were taken into account. It held true for both men and women who were over age 60 as well as those who were younger.

How do researchers explain this phenomenon? There is no definitive explanation, but we think that several mechanisms are involved. Some are physiological and might well involve the harmful effects of stress on bodily systems.

Another piece is likely to be behavioral -- people who believe that aging means unavoidable memory decline, for example, quite possibly won't try as hard or as long to remember, and won't bother to apply strategies that could help. Similarly, people who think there's nothing that can be done about hearing loss probably aren't as quick to seek medical attention if they develop hearing trouble.

In the longevity study, we found that views on aging can affect an older person's will to live -- this explained, at least in part, the difference in survival. When you don't believe that the benefits of a long life will outweigh the hardships, you're less likely to follow a healthful lifestyle and seek treatments that prolong life.

What's the source of these stereotypes? Negative depictions of aging can be found everywhere -- from greeting cards to best-selling books to the media. We think television, in particular, has a major effect. We surveyed a group of people ages 60 to 92, who watched an average of 21 hours of television per week, and found that the more TV they watched, the more negative their beliefs were about aging.

The negative stereotyping most likely starts early -- for example, wicked witches in fairy tales are gnarled and wrinkled -- and sinks in deeply. Then, as aging occurs, some individuals start applying these negative beliefs to themselves.

Is it possible to change these beliefs? We've been able to show in the lab that they change quite readily in the short term. In one recent study, we tested how fast elderly people could walk -- a key measurement of frailty (a condition that includes exhaustion and weight loss as well as loss of muscle mass and strength).

Participants were randomly assigned to either a positive or negative age-stereotype group. We subliminally flashed words with positive connotations about aging, such as "wise," "alert" and "mature," to one group, and showed negative words, such as "senile" and "decrepit," to the other group.

Participants in the positive stereotype group walked significantly faster and demonstrated better balance than those in the negative stereotype group.

To a great extent, we don't question these stereotypes because we've absorbed them so completely that we're not even conscious of them. Becoming aware of their presence in everyday life is a first step toward questioning their validity.

What, specifically, can people do to fight these stereotypes? In the TV study, we asked participants to keep a journal describing the way that older people were represented. The participants were shocked to discover how often they were made the target of jokes, and that they were frequently omitted from programming. "It's like we're nonexistent," wrote one study participant.

In your own life, make a point to pay attention to more positive images of aging -- active, effective people in politics, the arts and the community, for example. I don't mean "superstars" who are jumping out of planes at age 80. It's too easy to write them off as exceptions that have nothing to do with you. Also, spend time with older role models, such as relatives and residents of your community, and learn about their strengths and contributions.

Doesn't this promote a falsely optimistic view? Not necessarily. It's more a matter of accepting that aging will involve a range of changes -- some are positive, some are negative... some are inevitable and some are malleable. It is important to recognize the many places where a realistic attitude and positive action can make a real difference.

Editor's note: More and more organizations are now promoting the accomplishments of older adults. One such program is the Purpose Prize, which provides $10,000 and $100,000 awards to people over age 60 who make significant contributions to society.

To learn more, contact Civic Ventures, a nonprofit think tank that promotes the achievements of older adults, 415-222-7486, www.leadwithexperience.org.

Bottom Line/Health interviewed Becca Levy, PhD, associate professor of epidemiology and psychology at Yale School of Public Health in New Haven, Connecticut. She was the lead author of a recent study on stereotypes and aging, published in Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Science.

Fw: [now4u2] Myspace.com Blogs - Ways to Use Intuition to Feel Your Soul - Lightw...

To choose to be your soul, you must be able to experience the difference between the soul and the egomind, and clearly know which state you prefer. *1. Bring your awareness fully into the present moment. The soul enters the world, for you, through every particle of your body. These particles of soul force, or points of light, exist only in the present moment. If your mind projects into the past or future, you lose touch with the radiance and cannot experience your soul. *2. Put your attention on and inside your body. Since the soul enters the world through every particle of your body, to know the soul you must merge your conscious mind and your body. Do that by placing attention on the body, then sink in. Let the body come alive with tingling and vibration, and experience how conscious it is. That awareness you encounter in the body is the first level of soul wisdom. *3. Contemplate your core motives. Feel what you want deeply as though you're experiencing it. Then drop down through that by asking "Why do I want this?" Then, "Why does my soul want these things? What experiences do these things bring that my soul wants?" When you find the handful of core motives at the heart of what you do, you will feel what you're all about, and you'll respect and love yourself. *4. Intentionally remember and reexperience times when your heart has been open. When you feel trapped by the egomind, ask yourself to recall times when you have felt grateful, amazed, or moved by heroism or egoless action. Picture wiggly puppies, smiling babies, or the shiny eyes of a lover. As you focus attention into these things, you will return to the state of awareness you were in then. When your heart is open, the resulting experiences are indicative of the soul. *5. Intentionally shift into a state of cheerfulness, pleasure, enthusiasm, innocence, sincerity. Intentionally recall times when you felt generous toward life, were in a good mood, were open-minded and willing to learn, or were willing to be entertained or surprised. That open-minded neutrality and positive expectancy is a quality of the soul. -- Posted By stars2man to now4u2 at 7/05/2008 05:40:00 PM

How To Change Measurement Units in Microsoft Word | eHow.com

How To Change Measurement Units in Microsoft Word eHow.com: "Microsoft Word 2003
Step1Open Microsoft Word and start a new blank document, or open an existing document from your files. When you change the measurement units, they will be applied to your current document, as well as any other documents that you use in the future.
Step2Choose the 'Tools' menu and click on 'Options…' to open the 'Options' dialog box. The options dialog box contains several tabs that all allow you to change settings within Microsoft Word.
Step3Click on the 'General' tab in the 'Options' dialog box to view the general option settings in Microsoft Word.
Step4Locate the 'Measurement Units' drop-down menu toward the bottom of the 'Options' dialog box.
Step5Use the 'Measurement Units' drop-down menu to choose what type of measurement units you would like to use in Word. You can choose from 'Inches,' 'Centimeters,' 'Millimeters,' 'Points' or 'Picas.'
Step6Select the 'OK' button to close the 'Options' dialog box and change the measurement units within Microsoft Word.
Step7Notice that your rulers, as well as dialog boxes, will now use your newly selected measurement units."

Fw: Safety Alert on Generic Drugs

--- On Sun, 6/29/08, Bottom Line Secrets <BottomLineSecrets@bls.bottomlinesecrets.com> wrote: Generic Drug Dangers Joe Graedon Teresa Graedon, PhD eneric drugs cost 30% to 80% less than their brand-name counterparts and most people feel safe taking them because the FDA requires that both types of medications provide the same active ingredients and level of effectiveness. Recent development: A 2006 survey found that about 25% of 300 doctors throughout the US don't believe that generics are chemically identical to brand-name drugs... nearly one in five believe that generics are less safe... and more than one in four believe that generics cause more side effects. So what's the truth about generic drugs? WHAT PATIENTS SAY Since 1976, when our book The People's Pharmacy was originally published as a consumer guide to drug and health information, thousands of patients have contacted us about their experiences with medications. In the last few years, we've received hundreds of letters and E-mails -- most of them complaints -- about generic drugs, including pain relievers, antidepressants and blood pressure medicines. The number of such complaints has increased dramatically in that time. What we've learned: Some patients who switch from a brand-name to a generic drug report a decline in effectiveness -- for example, blood pressure that isn't controlled as well or a worsening of depression. Others report having a rash or other types of allergic reactions, probably due to one of the inactive "filler" ingredients in generic drugs. There also seem to be problems with the timed-release mechanism of some generics. Example: We've heard more than 100 complaints about a generic version of the long-acting anti-depressant Wellbutrin XL. At least one manufacturer's timed-release generic formulation appears to be different from the brand name -- and may be releasing too much of the drug too quickly (known as "dose dumping"). This would explain many of the side effects, such as headaches and anxiety, that some people tell us they experience when they take the generic drug, but not the brand-name version. We've contacted the FDA about the complaints regarding this generic drug, and we're also working with an independent laboratory to analyze this formulation. IS THE FDA DOING ENOUGH? Drug companies must apply to the FDA to sell generic versions of drugs. To gain FDA approval, a generic drug must contain the same active ingredients as brand-name medications and meet the same criteria for such factors as quality, strength and purity. Possible problems with generic drugs... Periodic checks for impurities. The FDA monitors generic drugs, testing for such things as proper dosing and active ingredients. But the agency only checks about 300 "dosage forms," such as tablets and capsules, among brand-name and generic products a year -- out of a total of more than three billion prescriptions. Infrequent inspections. The FDA is supposed to inspect each US drug manufacturing plant every two years -- but lacks the resources to meet that requirement. Overseas manufacturing. An enormous percentage of drug ingredients and raw materials for drugs (primarily generic and over-the-counter) come from India, China and other countries where quality assurance is not as rigorous as in the US -- and where drug counterfeiting has been a problem. Trap: Overseas plants are inspected much less frequently than those in the US. Without testing, there's no way to tell whether drugs and drug ingredients derived from these plants have impurities -- or come in "subtherapeutic" doses (for example, a drug labeled as 10 mg may be only 6 mg). STAYING SAFE Most of the evidence for problems with generic drugs is based on anecdotal reports. However, research published in Neurology in 2004 reported that people with epilepsy who switched from the brand-name form of the antiseizure drug phenytoin (Dilantin) to the generic form of the drug began to have higher-than-expected rates of seizures. Investigators found that in many patients, blood levels of the active ingredient had dropped by 30%. Even so, patients should not give up on generic drugs. The cost savings can be considerable... and there's no evidence so far that the majority of generic drugs will cause problems for most patients. Patients using generic drugs should simply take extra precautions... Stick with one manufacturer. This is particularly important if you're taking a drug with a narrow therapeutic index (NTI), such as the anticoagulant warfarin, the antipsychotic lithium or the anticonvulsant carbamazepine. NTI drugs, which typically require periodic blood tests to measure blood levels of the medications, have a very thin margin between an effective dose and a toxic dose. If you're taking a generic form, ask your pharmacist for the name of the manufacturer -- and request that the pharmacy stick with that company, if possible, to avoid variations between products. Track your numbers. Many conditions, such as hypertension or high cholesterol, don't cause obvious symptoms. The best way to tell whether a drug is working is to monitor your numbers -- by taking daily blood pressure readings, tracking blood-sugar levels and keeping track of cholesterol levels with frequent blood tests at your doctor's office. Important: Ask your doctor to give you copies of your test results. Check them periodically to make sure that you're maintaining adequate control -- particularly if you've recently switched from a brand name to a generic, or the reverse. Trust your instincts. Some medications affect the body in subtle ways. A patient taking a thyroid drug, for example, might feel slightly run-down if it isn't working exactly the way it should, even if test results appear to be normal. Pay attention. If you've switched to a generic and notice a difference -- either in effectiveness or side effects -- tell your doctor. Do a "challenge, rechallenge" test. If you suspect that a generic drug isn't working the way it should, write down changes in how long the drug works and side effects. Then, ask your doctor to switch you to the brand-name equivalent, and see if there's improvement -- in most cases, it will be apparent in about two weeks. Under the close supervision of your doctor, repeat the test, going back and forth until you have a clear idea which drug is more effective for you. Report problems to the FDA.* The FDA can analyze generic drugs to determine if they contain the stated amount of active ingredient. When reporting a drug to the FDA, ask your pharmacist to provide the name of the manufacturer, the lot number and exactly when the drug was dispensed to you. If you'd also like to report problems with generic drugs to us, go to The People's Pharmacy Web site, www.peoplespharmacy.org. *Go to the FDA Web site, www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 888-463-6332. Bottom Line/Health interviewed Joe Graedon, a pharmacologist, and Teresa Graedon, PhD, consumer advocates who specialize in health issues related to drugs, herbs and vitamins. Their syndicated newspaper column "The People's Pharmacy" is widely distributed in the US and abroad, and they cohost an award-winning radio talk show. They are coauthors of 12 books, including the recently published Best Choices from The People's Pharmacy (Rodale