When you are overweight at that time you struggle with sex
It’s an uncommon look at intimacy between plus-sized partners, played mainly for laughs. But with obesity rates skyrocketing in this country, sex when one or both partners is heavy is becoming a very real issue.
Nearly 34% of American adults are obese, according to the CDC, and many more are overweight. It’s not surprising that people who are carrying extra pounds may find themselves grappling with the effects on their sex lives.
Being overweight or obese can put a damper on things in the bedroom, as my clients Tom and Laura discovered. Married for 12 years, they had always enjoyed a satisfying sex life - until Laura began to gain weight. At first Tom was understanding: He knew that Laura’s self-esteem had taken a hit and he didn’t want to add to that.
When they came to see me after many sexless months, however, Tom finally admitted that he was having trouble finding Laura as attractive as he once had.
Whether you’ve always been heavy or have just put on weight over the years, you may notice that your sex life is going downhill. A recent study of moderately to severely obese people, published in the “Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy,” found that these men and women reported being less satisfied than the general population.
Another study, by researchers at Duke University, found that up to 30% of obese people who sought help controlling their weight did so due to problems with their libido, sex drive, and/or sexual performance.
While self-esteem may play a role, it’s not the only factor involved. Conditions such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes often accompany obesity and can impair blood flow to the genitals, resulting in problems with erectile dysfunction in men and arousal in both men and women. Extra weight can also stress the knees and other joints, making some sexual positions uncomfortable.
Of course, not everyone who is overweight is in poor health or unfit. Some research even suggests that heavier people may enjoy a few extra benefits in the bedroom: A 2008 study in “Obstetrics & Gynecology” looked at more than 7,000 women and found that those who were overweight were actually slightly more likely to report having had sex with men than their slimmer counterparts.
Another study found men who are overweight are less likely to have premature ejaculation and tend to last longer in bed—7.3 minutes, compared to just 103 seconds for thinner men. This difference is possibly because heavy men typically have higher levels of the female sex hormone estradiol, which delays climax.
It’s absolutely possible to enjoy a satisfying sex life whether you weigh 130 pounds or 330 pounds. If you’re overweight and struggling to keep things steamy, though, it’s time to take action. That doesn’t have to mean going on a diet, although shedding just 10 pounds can stimulate sex hormones and improve health.
Try a new position. Experiment with positions that take the weight off your joints (and your partner): Try spooning side by side, rear entry, and modified missionary positions with pillows under the female partner’s hips.
Enjoy intimacy. Sex isn’t just about intercourse. Explore other forms of intimacy, including oral sex, manual stimulation, toys, and even just kissing and cuddling.
Think outside the box. It may sound silly, but my clients Tom and Laura reclaimed their sex lives with a simple flick of the switch. The next time they made love, they dimmed the lights and relied on the power of fantasy to carry them both over the edge. Now they’ve discovered a new found excitement in the bedroom that has nothing to do weight.
Read up. There are a growing number of resources for couples in which one or both partners are overweight. The book “Big Big Love: A Sourcebook on Sex for People of Size and Those Who Love Them” by Hanne Blank does a great job of dispelling myths, helping readers boost self-esteem, and offering detailed information about sexuality.
So remember, being overweight doesn’t mean your sex life is over. With a little creativity and a few adjustments, you can get - and stay - satisfied.
Seniors Sexual activity and study rate up
British Medical Journal shows that 80% of 50 to 90 years olds are sexually active. And with that, cases of sexually transmitted diseases have more than doubled in this age group over the past 10 years.
“You never have to retire from sex,” says clinical psychologist Judy Kuriansky. “But you should always behave as the 20-30 year-olds do. You need to be cautious about it.”
Numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that incidences of syphilis and chlamydia in adults aged 45 to 64 have nearly tripled over the past decade. Cases of Gonorrhea are up as well.
“In general, I would say that older people are really enjoying their sexuality,” says Ian Kerner, sex therapist, CNNHealth.com contributor and founder of GoodInBed.com. “People can be sexual throughout their lives, until the day they die.”
Researchers are quick to point out that there’s a huge lack of data on STDs in older populations. The authors of the BMJ editorial also note that older women are more vulnerable physiologically. “Post-menopausal changes to the vagina, such as thinning of the mucosa, narrowing and shortening of the vagina, and decreased lubrication leave women more vulnerable to minor genital injuries and microabrasions that facilitate the entry of pathogens,” they write.
With age, as parents teach their kids, comes responsibility. So why are parents exposing themselves to these avoidable risks?
“They just don’t think it can happen to them” says Kuriansky. “STIs (sexually transmitted infections) really started making news in the ’80s and ’90s. The fears and the warnings didn’t hit their generation.” They also didn’t expect to be sexual. “It’s the Jane Fondas of the world and men in their 80s like John Glenn, who divorced his wife and married a younger woman,” she says.
Kerner is quick to point out that the 50+ age group is one of the fastest-growing demographics for online dating. “They wouldn’t even necessarily classify themselves as older,” he says. “It’s often the second time around for them. They’ve been married, have adult children, and they don’t have the same concerns or the same stressors that other people might face.”
Interestingly, one study found that men aged 40+ who were taking drugs for erectile dysfunction were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with an STD in their first year of usage. However, that same study also found that those same men were significantly more likely to be diagnosed in the year prior to starting the medication. That suggests the drug doesn’t so much alter the risk-taking behavior, but rather facilitates it.
Older men can be wary of condom use because it can contribute to erectile dysfunction. Women assume since they’re above child-bearing years that condoms are unnecessary.
“Just as we spend a lot of time advising kids to practice safer sex, we need to do the same things for ourselves and our parents,” says Kerner.
And perhaps even our grandparents.
Experts purport more awareness from the media would go a long way. Kuriansky also suggests more questioning and counseling by physicians. “If you’re really going to do something about it,” she says, “you have to be tested for herpes and other viruses. Now, you have to request that. They’re not in routine blood tests. [They] should make it routine.”
The Surrogate” chronicles can be sexual healers
“The Surrogate” chronicles the true story of a relationship between a surrogate partner (played by Helen Hunt) and her client (John Hawkes), a poet who is stricken with polio and seeks to lose his virginity before he dies.
When we hear the term “surrogate,” most of us probably think of a surrogate mother, who carries and delivers a baby for another couple or person who cannot. Yet surrogate partners (sometimes called sexual surrogates) have been around for years, providing a potentially valuable, though oft-debated, service to clients who wish to increase their sexual, physical and emotional experiences.
Surrogate partners gained attention in the 1960s when William Masters and Virginia Johnson (also known as Masters and Johnson) began training surrogates at their research institute.
These days, surrogate partners are typically trained by the International Professional Surrogates Association in Los Angeles, the main surrogacy organization. Clients are referred to surrogate partners by their therapists or other mental health professionals.
So just who sees a surrogate partner? The short answer is: anyone who wants to improve his or her sexual intimacy skills or, more likely, overcome a daunting sexual problem.
Surrogates, who can be male or female, see a wide variety of clients. Some people may use a surrogate partner because they are sexually inexperienced and want to gain skills before sleeping with a romantic partner.
A man may seek a female surrogate to help him deal with issues such as erectile dysfunction or premature ejaculation. Likewise, a woman might seek a male surrogate for assistance working through issues such as painful sex or difficulty reaching orgasm with a partner.
Surrogates also work with people coping with the infirmities of multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, quadriplegia and other physically challenging conditions – as was the case with the real-life woman upon whom “The Surrogate” is based.
The work of a sex surrogate
But surrogate partners don’t just have sex with their clients. In fact, some never engage in intercourse at all, instead focusing on other intimate activities including kissing, touching, cuddling and answering the client’s questions about sex.
The goal is to provide a safe, comfortable atmosphere for clients to explore sexual issues without judgment or fear, and with a professional who is able to go beyond talk therapy and into the hands-on realm of intimacy-interaction.
And like a therapist/patient relationship, the question of whether a surrogate partner is sexually attractive to the client is not part of the equation.
Many sex therapists would prefer that their clients work through their sexual issues themselves – using their romantic partners as they would a surrogate partner, if you will.
“I always tell my patients that I cannot really know how a person works to say whether they are physically healthy or psychologically appropriate and sensitive to a person's needs," says sex therapist Madeleine Castellanos, author of the "Good in Bed Guide to Male Sexual Issues."
"Because of this (and the legalities of surrogacy in New York and other states) I do not recommend or encourage my patients to do this. I always prefer that individuals work out their issues with their partner.”
One of the main issues with sexual surrogacy is that it remains highly unregulated. The International Professional Surrogates Association does have its own code of ethics, but that only matters if a surrogate partner is trained by and aligns him or herself with this organization. Better regulation could add more legitimacy to what is already an important, but often misunderstood, profession.
You're probably asking – how is this different from prostitution? A professional, empathetic surrogate partner is light-years away from a prostitute (the services of which, in addition to being illegal outside of Nevada, often amplify rather than mitigate a sexual issue). But while sexual surrogacy is not prostitution, the legality is somewhat fuzzy, and therefore polarizing in clinical and medical circles.
Sexual surrogacy is not a contract for sex. On its website, the International Professional Surrogates Association addresses the issue of legality thus: “The legal status of surrogate partners is undefined in most of the United States and most countries around the world. This means that there are generally no laws regulating the profession.”
Even if a person is interested in retaining the services of a surrogate partner, finding a surrogate may not be easy. While the profession hit the ground running during the sexual revolution of the 1970s, today locating a surrogate partner is nothing like locating, say, a dentist, or even a sex therapist. At its peak, the association had 200 to 300 members in the United States but now has about 50.
Even if you do reside in a community with access to a surrogate (or can travel to meet one), you may face challenges: Many traditional therapists aren’t comfortable discussing sexual issues with their clients in the first place, and may be further reluctant to recommend a surrogate.
Perhaps with the release of the movie, more people will become aware of the value these partners provide and the potential role they can play as sexual healers.
Who:Bird flu data sill on hold
WHO also said that it would extend the temporary moratorium on research with the laboratory-modified viruses, but research on the avian influenza found in nature must continue for public health protection.
The naturally occuring H5N1 bird flu virus has a high death rate associated with it; 60% of all humans who have been infected have died, said Dr. Keiji Fukuda, assistant director-general of health security and environment for the World Health Organization.
A research group in the Netherlands and a separate group at the University of Wisconsin have each created a mutated version of the H5N1 virus that can more easily transmit from mammal to mammal than the virus found in nature. They tested the mutated virus on ferrets, which closely mimic the human response to the flu.
The journal Science was going to publish the Dutch paper, and the journal Nature was going to publish the American paper. Both journals decided to refrain from publishing the studies so far.
Concerns about the research were first raised in December, the fear being that a highly transmittable virus could be used in a biological weapon.
The National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity said in January that the data could be used to help prepare for a possible outbreak in the future. However, the board recommended the studies be published without "methods or details" to prevent misuse by terrorists. Science and Nature jointly released a statement on the matter.
Friday, the World Health Organization said more public health benefit would come from publishing the entire manuscripts than "urgent" partial publishing. But the WHO is going to continue its assessment of the biosafety and biosecurity aspects first.
"If you just have scientists in the room and no security people, it’s not enough," Science Editor-in-Chief Bruce Alberts said Friday at the American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia. "The other side of the equation is, what do we know about the ease at which al Qaeda, for example, could actually produce this thing?"
Alberts said the original plan was to publish a redacted version of the papers in the middle of March, but that will not happen in light of the WHO decision.
"My reading is that both Nature and Science are to wait until we get some further information from WHO and other authorities about when we are to publish the full manuscripts," Alberts said.
Experts say it's important to get this information out about avian influenza to the people doing surveillance, especially in countries like Indonesia that have the biggest problems with this disease. But considering the risks for terrorism is important, Alberts said.
"Obviously this cannot go on for years," he said.
The best outcome would be the establishment of an international version of the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity, he said.
There also is talk of other ways to get information to people who need it besides publication of the papers, Alberts said.
For instance, there could be a list of 50 genetic mutations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that could be screened for; the technology for that exists. That could be done openly because all the mutations of H5N1 that are being kept secret have already been found individually in other viruses. It's only in combination that these mutations are dangerous. Alberts suggests a database of these mutations could be available to public health officials in developing countries, for example.
So where is this secret information? The Science paper is in a locked electronic file, and everyone who reviewed the papers was told to destroy their copies, Alberts said. The whereabouts of the Nature paper were not revealed at the American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting.
Michelle Obama's Let's move fitness challenge
First lady Michelle Obama is celebrating the 2nd birthday of her Let’s Move fitness campaign with events across the country. Now she has a special challenge for you.
Show us what your family is doing to get healthy and have fun at the same time. Have you found nutritious but kid-friendly snacks? Do you turn TV commercials into fitness breaks?
Whatever it is, big or small, we want to see what steps you and your children are taking to improve your health – and what the rest of the nation can do to be healthier.
Jillian Michaels secretes stronger
Jillian Michaels catapulted to fame as the punishing trainer who got results on "The Biggest Loser" and "Losing It with Jillian." But the 38-year-old has always been just as interested in building confidence as she has in sculpting rockhard abs.
It's no accident that her most recent book is "Unlimited: How to Build an Exceptional Life." Everything Jillian tackles -- including her recent gig as life adviser on "The Doctors," her DVDs (such as her latest, "Jillian Michaels Kickbox FastFix"), and her intimate podcast -- is meant to help the rest of us claim a healthier, happier life.
Sitting high in the hills of Southern California, the woman who calls everybody "buddy" is surprisingly funny and self-deprecating. And, as expected, she's incredibly open, talking about her tough tween years, how she stays motivated (and how you can, too), and the dream she's fighting to make a reality.
Do you see yourself as more of a life coach than a fitness trainer?
For years, I always thought it was hilarious that I was this fitness guru, because fitness was just a tool I utilized to help people improve their confidence. For me, it's never been about fitness. It's always been about helping to empower people.
Health.com: Get the body you crave with celeb-inspired workouts
What is the connection between physical fitness and self-confidence?
I've always believed fitness is an entry point to help you build that happier, healthier life. When your health is strong, you're capable of taking risks. You'll feel more confident to ask for the promotion. You'll have more energy to be a better mom. You'll feel more deserving of love.
What inspires you to take care of your own body?
That comes from me. You can look for external sources of motivation and that can catalyze a change, but it won't sustain one. It has to be from an internal desire.
You have to ask, "Why do I want this?" I want to be around for a family, and to feel good about my body. I want to set an example. My number-one piece of advice is: Look inside and find out what your "why" is. I don't care whose butt you've posted on the screen of your treadmill.
Did you ever post a butt on the treadmill?
I always thought Madonna was awesome, and I still do. I remember Linda Hamilton in "Terminator 2," and just thinking, Really? That scene opens up and she's just banging out pull-ups, and I remember thinking, That's awesome.
What other tips do you have for staying motivated?
When it comes to your "why," write it down and put it everywhere -- in your car, on your phone. Remind yourself constantly why you're doing what you're doing. Then remove any sort of temptation. Build a support system, whether it's a workout buddy or a mom from day care, so you have that person to call when you have a moment of weakness.
Jillian Michaels' tips for sticking with a workout
Can anyone get motivated? Are there impossible cases?
Lazy doesn't exist. Lazy is a symptom of something else. The person who can't get up off their butt is just a person who's depressed. It's usually a pervasive lack of self-worth, or a feeling of helplessness. That's why fitness is so important. You have the ability to show somebody what she's capable of very quickly.
As we get older, is time working against us?
I really don't believe that. I've worked with people in their 50s and 60s, and I've had a very easy time taking weight off them. If you've been living in an unhealthy way, you might have been getting away with it for 10 or 15 years, but [you'll see] the cumulative effects of toxic living. It's not because you're old. If you leave a car out in the rain, it's going to rust eventually. It's a matter of, what are you eating?
How are you living?
There's no such thing as not being able to turn back the clock. It's never too late. You just have to change the way you live.
What else will keep our bodies young?
God, sleep! I really do prioritize my sleep -- I get seven to eight hours a night. Sleep, have sex (it's really good for your health), and eat organic whenever you possibly can.
Health benefits of sleep
Do you ever watch yourself on TV?
I find television to be a bit like a meat grinder. It's like, you have a cow, you put it through a meat grinder, and out comes a hot dog. It's almost unrecognizable. On "Loser," I was a cartoon character. And I actually feel like "The Doctors" made a real effort to tone me down.
So who is the real Jillian?
I'm part Bridget Jones, part Larry David. I'm shy; I'm prude.
You are?
I am so prude. We didn't talk about that when I grew up. But on my podcast you see the sense of humor, the vulnerability, the passion. We talk about weight loss, bullying -- because I was bullied.
When were you bullied?
It didn't get really bad until I was in junior high. I was an overweight kid, and I went through a period where, oh my God, they were making cow sounds at me when I walked down the hallway and just humiliating me. Kids can be mean.
My mom pulled me out of one school and put me in another, but when you wear that stigma, you start to believe it. When you wear that energy, other kids smell it like blood in the water.
That's when I got into martial arts. I had a second-degree-blue-belt test, and I broke two boards with my right foot, and the next day I walked into school and no one ever picked on me again. I suddenly believed in myself and respected myself. I had some inkling of my power, so the bullying stopped instantly.
Are depressed kids bully magnets?
You've spoken about your struggle to adopt a child. Is there any news?
Oh, God, nothing has been this hard in my entire life. It's very complicated and it's very time-consuming and I'm committed to the process, but two years later, no update. Theoretically, I've been matched with a child. Now I'm just trying to get her home.
How do you decompress?
Yoga. I've been doing a lot of it. It takes me out of my own mind; I have to be present and think about my form. I find it very calming and grounding; it makes me happy. Know what I mean, buddy?
Skin care drug reverses Alzheimers in mice
Scientists say they "serendipitously" discovered that a drug used to treat a type of cancer quickly reversed Alzheimer's disease in mice.
"It's really exciting," said Maria Carrillo, senior director for medical and scientific relations for the Alzheimer's Association. "They saw very positive and robust behavior effects in the mice."
In the study, researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine gave mice mega-doses of bexarotene, a drug used to treat a type of skin cancer called cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Within 72 hours, the mice showed dramatic improvements in memory and more than 50% of amyloid plaque -- a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease -- had been removed from the brain.
The study was published Thursday in the journal Science.
Gary Landreth, the lead researcher at Case Western, cautioned that even though his results were impressive in mice, it may turn out not to work in people.
"I want to say as loudly and clearly as possible that this was a study in mice, not in humans," he said. "We've fixed Alzheimer's in mice lots of times, so we need to move forward expeditiously but cautiously."
Mice -- and humans -- with Alzheimer's have high levels of a substance called amyloid beta in their brain. Pathology tests on the mice showed bexarotene lowered the levels of amyloid beta and raised the levels of apolipoprotein E, which helps keep amyloid beta levels low.
Landreth said he hopes to try the drug out in healthy humans within two months, to see if it has the same effect.
Those participating in the trial would be given the standard dose that cancer patients are usually given.
Researchers tested the memories of mice with Alzheimer's both before and after giving them bexarotene. For example, the Alzheimer's mice walked right into a cage where they'd previously been given a painful electrical shock, but after treatment with bexarotene, the mice remembered the shock and refused to enter the cage.
In another test, the scientists put tissue paper in a cage. Normal mice instinctively use tissues in their cage to make a nest, but mice with Alzheimer's can't figure out what to do with the tissues. After treatment with the drug, the Alzheimer's mice made a nest with the paper.
Carrillo said one of the major advantages of bexarotene is that it's already been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in humans, which means the researchers can move into human trials sooner than if it were a completely new drug.
The Alzheimer's Association is funding Case Western's next phase of research, which will involve using bexarotene at the levels used on cancer patients, Landreth said. Since the drug does have some side effects -- it can increase cholesterol, for example -- he hopes to use it in even lower levels as the study goes on.
Landreth said his lab had been working on other drugs for Alzheimer's for 10 years when a graduate student, Paige Cramer, decided to try bexarotene, which works on a receptor involved in amyloid beta clearance. Some other drugs that worked in mice were too toxic to use in humans.
"We're really lucky that bexarotene is a great drug with an acceptable safety profile," he said. "This doesn't happen very many times in life'"
The heart attack proof diet
Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn Jr. didn't become a doctor to change the way America eats. He was a general surgeon.
But researching cancer, he stumbled on a fact that changed his career: Certain cultures around the world do not suffer from heart disease, the No. 1 killer in the Western world.
Esselstyn's practice took a dramatic turn -- from performing surgery to promoting nutrition. For more than 20 years, the Cleveland Clinic doctor has tried to get Americans to eat like the Papua New Guinea highlanders, rural Chinese, central Africans and the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico.
Follow his dietary prescription, the 77-year-old Esselstyn says, and you will be "heart attack proof" -- regardless of your family history.
"It's a foodborne illness, and we're never going to end the epidemic with stents, with bypasses, with the drugs, because none of it is treating causation of the illness," Esselstyn says.
The Esselstyn diet is tough for most Americans to swallow: no meat, no eggs, no dairy, no added oils.
Bill clinton's new vegan diet
Esselstyn has written a book to spread the word, "Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease -- The Revolutionary, Scientifically Proven, Nutrition-Based Cure," and he has given talks around the world.
He is also a focus of the new documentary "Forks Over Knives." Esselstyn has won some high-profile allies -- such as Dr. T. Colin Campbell, co-author of "The China Study," and Dr. Terry Mason, chief medical officer at Cook County Hospitals in Chicago and the city's former health commissioner.
"We've eaten ourselves into a problem, and we can eat ourselves out of it," Mason says. But Esselstyn's prescription goes against conventional wisdom, which considers diet only one factor in preventing heart disease.
"Diet alone is not going to be the reason that heart attacks are eliminated," says Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association.
Ornish: Asking the right health care questions
Other key factors include physical activity, cholesterol, blood pressure and weight, she says. The meat, dairy and egg industries defend the benefits of their protein-rich foods, all of which remain on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's MyPlate dietary guidelines for healthy eating.
Esselstyn's plant-based prescription also runs up against a culture where meat is served at most meals.
"Most doctors eat meat because most Americans eat meat, and if they don't really see for themselves or for their family why it might be a good idea to cut down or even cut meat out of their diet altogether, they might not be so inclined to recommend it to their patients," says Michele Simon, author of "Appetite for Profit."
Tests predict heart attack risks
Even doctors who see the benefits of Esselstyn's diet may not prescribe it for their patients.
"Anyone who is able to do that diet can have dramatic success. The problem is that many people are unable or unwilling to make these changes so in my practice, I try to take baby steps -- one step at a time," says Dr. Erin Michos, a cardiologist at the Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease at Johns Hopkins University.
Esselstyn diet worked for me: One patient's story
To help heart patients and others make the leap to his diet, Esselstyn holds a monthly, five-hour seminar at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute to explain the science behind "plant-based" nutrition.
Esselstyn's wife, Ann, offers practical advice on how to prepare kale, bok choy, collard greens and other foods that may not be on the typical family's shopping list.
Esselstyn began recruiting patients in 1985 and says his diet has worked even on people deemed too sick for surgery. Esselstyn has published results from a small group of patients showing how his diet either halted the progression of heart disease or reduced the blockages in the blood vessels leading to the heart.
"We know if people are eating this way they are not going to have a heart attack," says Esselstyn, whose father had a heart attack at 43.
Anthony Yen, an entrepreneur who emigrated from China and came to love the fried foods, meat and desserts of the American diet, adopted the Esselstyn program in 1987 after undergoing bypass surgery.
"I'm still alive because of this diet," Yen says, now 78.
Esselstyn says people shouldn't hold off on starting his diet until after they develop symptoms of heart disease because most heart attacks strike with no warning.
"The reason you don't wait until you have heart disease to eat this way is often, sadly, the first symptom of your heart disease may be your sudden death," he says.
Esselstyn says his diet works because it keeps the lining of the blood vessels free of the dangerous blisters or bubbles or cholesterol-laden plaque that causes heart attacks.
Two decades after Esselstyn started trying to spread the gospel of his plant-based diet, the American Heart Association says 83 million Americans have some form of cardiovascular disease and many of the traditional risk factors for heart disease, such as obesity, are at all time highs. The association says the cost of treating heart disease tops $270 billion and is expected to more than double by 2025.
Esselstyn, a member of the U.S. gold medal rowing team at the 1956 Olympics, is not someone who gives up easily.
What’s the connection between a lack of shut-eye and a higher number on the scale? Sleep deprivation spikes the hormone ghrelin, which stimulates your appetite. This can cause you to eat up to 300 more calories a day than you would if you got a good night’s sleep, according to Dr. Oz. That adds up to a whopping 30 pounds a year.
Case in point: Research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that people who are sleep deprived (sleeping about 5.5 hours per night) take in significantly more calories from snacking throughout the day than those who are well-rested (8.5 hours per night). And they aren’t jonesing for veggies: The sleepy snackers craved carbs and ate fewer proteins and fats, which help you feel full.
THE STUDY, EXPLAINED: Lack of Sleep Leads to Snacking
Try these tips for making sleep a priority and getting your beauty rest:
Aim to up your snooze time. Try wrapping up nighttime tasks, such as emailing friends or straightening up the living room, earlier to give yourself more time to sleep. Need an incentive? If you increase the amount you sleep by one hour a night—say, from 6 to 7 hours a night—you could lose about 14 pounds a year on average, according to Dr. Oz.
Remind yourself it’s bedtime. You can’t always control when you wake up (darn that 7:30am alarm!), but you can ensure that you go to a bed at a decent hour and get the good night’s sleep your mind and body need by setting your alarm clock to remind you to go to bed—not just to wake up in the a.m.
Depending on what time you have to get up, subtract 7.5 hours from that time and set your alarm accordingly. So if you have to be up by 7:30am, set your alarm for midnight (or better yet, an hour earlier than that so you have time to get ready for bed and wind down) to signal it’s time to hit the sack.
Air pollution may increase stroke, heart attack risk
An analysis of 10 years of data from a major Boston stroke center has found that strokes are more likely to occur immediately following 24-hour periods in which air quality drops into the range the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers "moderate."
"At levels that the EPA considers to be generally safe, we found an important effect of ambient air particles, which is one of many pollutants in the air, but an important one," says study coauthor Gregory A. Wallenius, Sc.D., an assistant professor of community health at Brown University Medical School, in Providence, Rhode Island. Wallenius collaborated with researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the Harvard School of Public Health, both in Boston.
In their report, published Monday in the Archives of Internal Medicine, Wallenius and his colleagues compared 1,705 stroke cases in the Boston area with detailed data on the day-to-day levels of various airborne pollutants, including vehicle emissions such as particulate matter, black carbon, and nitrogen dioxide.
Bad air day? Here's how to survive
After taking into account each patient's medical history, the researchers concluded the odds of having a stroke were 34% higher following a day of "moderate" air quality than following a "good" air day.
Based on this finding, they estimate that a 20% reduction of levels of fine particulate matter would have prevented 6,100 of the 184,000 stroke hospitalizations that occurred in the northeastern United States in 2007.
The study doesn't show that air pollution directly triggers strokes, although the researchers say that is biologically plausible. And because this is just one study in one location, Wallenius says, the findings don't necessarily argue for tighter restrictions on U.S. air quality standards.
Still, he says, "if this was replicated in other parts of the country and in other populations, and similar findings came out, it would be a good idea to review the health warnings that come with certain particle levels."
U.S. cities with the worst air pollution
A second study, appearing this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association, provides additional evidence that air pollution may increase cardiovascular risk. In that study, a team of French researchers reanalyzed data from 34 previous studies conducted around the world. Most of the studies used methods similar to those of Wallenius and his team.
Higher levels of airborne pollutants -- including particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide -- were associated with a slight increase in the short-term risk of heart attack, the study found. As with Wallenius' study, the researchers observed an uptick in heart risk even at pollution levels classified as safe by the World Health Organization.
The increase in heart attack risk was small on the individual level, but it can have a substantial impact at the population level, says Dr. Hazrije Mustafic, the lead author of the analysis and a researcher at the University Paris Descartes.
"We must keep in mind that the entire population is exposed to air pollution in industrial countries, so the effect on public health is not negligible," Mustafic says.
Heart attack risks
For instance, she says, although an increase in carbon monoxide levels of 10 micrograms per cubic meter raises an individual's short-term heart attack risk by just 5% or so, a change in air quality of that magnitude could be expected to account for 4.5% of all heart attacks in the exposed population.
The top sources of air pollution are the burning of fossil fuels (such as gas, oil, and coal) and industrial emissions. The pollutant Wallenius and his team focused on, fine particulate matter, consists of microscopic particles of metal, carbon, sulfates, and other materials. These specks of dust are about 30 times smaller than the thickness of a human hair, so they can be inhaled deep into the lungs.
Breathing fine particulate matter may harm the cardiovascular system in two ways, Wallenius says. If particles find their way into the bloodstream they can make blood vessels less elastic, and they may also boost activity of the sympathetic nervous system, which tends to increase heart rate and blood pressure and trigger the release of stress hormones.
The worst habits for your heart
"That would change how the blood flows through the body," Wallenius says. "That could then take somebody [who's] susceptible to stroke and push them over the edge to actually having a stroke."
In addition to affecting blood flow, air pollution appears to increase inflammation, an immune system response that is believed to contribute to both heart disease and strokes.
If inhaled pollutants reach the alveoli -- the tiny sacs in the lungs where oxygen and carbon dioxide pass into and out of the bloodstream, respectively -- they trigger an inflammatory reaction, Mustafic says. "These pollutants can also spread through the blood stream and reach the heart," she adds.
The cholesterol-inflammation connection
Wallenius and Mustafic agree that people who are already at high risk of stroke or heart attack should consider taking steps to cut their exposure to very high levels of pollution.
But healthy people shouldn't view the findings as a call to go out and buy face masks, says Dr. Robert D. Brook, a cardiologist at the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor, who coauthored an editorial accompanying Wallenius' study.
"The wrong thing to do is to get alarmed...that every time you're in traffic or every time you're exposed to a little bit of smog, you are going to get a heart attack or die," Brook says. The best way to prevent a heart attack or stroke, he says, is to control personal factors such as blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking, and exercise.
It’s an uncommon look at intimacy between plus-sized partners, played mainly for laughs. But with obesity rates skyrocketing in this country, sex when one or both partners is heavy is becoming a very real issue.
Nearly 34% of American adults are obese, according to the CDC, and many more are overweight. It’s not surprising that people who are carrying extra pounds may find themselves grappling with the effects on their sex lives.
Being overweight or obese can put a damper on things in the bedroom, as my clients Tom and Laura discovered. Married for 12 years, they had always enjoyed a satisfying sex life - until Laura began to gain weight. At first Tom was understanding: He knew that Laura’s self-esteem had taken a hit and he didn’t want to add to that.
When they came to see me after many sexless months, however, Tom finally admitted that he was having trouble finding Laura as attractive as he once had.
Whether you’ve always been heavy or have just put on weight over the years, you may notice that your sex life is going downhill. A recent study of moderately to severely obese people, published in the “Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy,” found that these men and women reported being less satisfied than the general population.
Another study, by researchers at Duke University, found that up to 30% of obese people who sought help controlling their weight did so due to problems with their libido, sex drive, and/or sexual performance.
While self-esteem may play a role, it’s not the only factor involved. Conditions such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes often accompany obesity and can impair blood flow to the genitals, resulting in problems with erectile dysfunction in men and arousal in both men and women. Extra weight can also stress the knees and other joints, making some sexual positions uncomfortable.
Of course, not everyone who is overweight is in poor health or unfit. Some research even suggests that heavier people may enjoy a few extra benefits in the bedroom: A 2008 study in “Obstetrics & Gynecology” looked at more than 7,000 women and found that those who were overweight were actually slightly more likely to report having had sex with men than their slimmer counterparts.
Another study found men who are overweight are less likely to have premature ejaculation and tend to last longer in bed—7.3 minutes, compared to just 103 seconds for thinner men. This difference is possibly because heavy men typically have higher levels of the female sex hormone estradiol, which delays climax.
It’s absolutely possible to enjoy a satisfying sex life whether you weigh 130 pounds or 330 pounds. If you’re overweight and struggling to keep things steamy, though, it’s time to take action. That doesn’t have to mean going on a diet, although shedding just 10 pounds can stimulate sex hormones and improve health.
Try a new position. Experiment with positions that take the weight off your joints (and your partner): Try spooning side by side, rear entry, and modified missionary positions with pillows under the female partner’s hips.
Enjoy intimacy. Sex isn’t just about intercourse. Explore other forms of intimacy, including oral sex, manual stimulation, toys, and even just kissing and cuddling.
Think outside the box. It may sound silly, but my clients Tom and Laura reclaimed their sex lives with a simple flick of the switch. The next time they made love, they dimmed the lights and relied on the power of fantasy to carry them both over the edge. Now they’ve discovered a new found excitement in the bedroom that has nothing to do weight.
Read up. There are a growing number of resources for couples in which one or both partners are overweight. The book “Big Big Love: A Sourcebook on Sex for People of Size and Those Who Love Them” by Hanne Blank does a great job of dispelling myths, helping readers boost self-esteem, and offering detailed information about sexuality.
So remember, being overweight doesn’t mean your sex life is over. With a little creativity and a few adjustments, you can get - and stay - satisfied.
Seniors Sexual activity and study rate up
British Medical Journal shows that 80% of 50 to 90 years olds are sexually active. And with that, cases of sexually transmitted diseases have more than doubled in this age group over the past 10 years.
“You never have to retire from sex,” says clinical psychologist Judy Kuriansky. “But you should always behave as the 20-30 year-olds do. You need to be cautious about it.”
Numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that incidences of syphilis and chlamydia in adults aged 45 to 64 have nearly tripled over the past decade. Cases of Gonorrhea are up as well.
“In general, I would say that older people are really enjoying their sexuality,” says Ian Kerner, sex therapist, CNNHealth.com contributor and founder of GoodInBed.com. “People can be sexual throughout their lives, until the day they die.”
Researchers are quick to point out that there’s a huge lack of data on STDs in older populations. The authors of the BMJ editorial also note that older women are more vulnerable physiologically. “Post-menopausal changes to the vagina, such as thinning of the mucosa, narrowing and shortening of the vagina, and decreased lubrication leave women more vulnerable to minor genital injuries and microabrasions that facilitate the entry of pathogens,” they write.
With age, as parents teach their kids, comes responsibility. So why are parents exposing themselves to these avoidable risks?
“They just don’t think it can happen to them” says Kuriansky. “STIs (sexually transmitted infections) really started making news in the ’80s and ’90s. The fears and the warnings didn’t hit their generation.” They also didn’t expect to be sexual. “It’s the Jane Fondas of the world and men in their 80s like John Glenn, who divorced his wife and married a younger woman,” she says.
Kerner is quick to point out that the 50+ age group is one of the fastest-growing demographics for online dating. “They wouldn’t even necessarily classify themselves as older,” he says. “It’s often the second time around for them. They’ve been married, have adult children, and they don’t have the same concerns or the same stressors that other people might face.”
Interestingly, one study found that men aged 40+ who were taking drugs for erectile dysfunction were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with an STD in their first year of usage. However, that same study also found that those same men were significantly more likely to be diagnosed in the year prior to starting the medication. That suggests the drug doesn’t so much alter the risk-taking behavior, but rather facilitates it.
Older men can be wary of condom use because it can contribute to erectile dysfunction. Women assume since they’re above child-bearing years that condoms are unnecessary.
“Just as we spend a lot of time advising kids to practice safer sex, we need to do the same things for ourselves and our parents,” says Kerner.
And perhaps even our grandparents.
Experts purport more awareness from the media would go a long way. Kuriansky also suggests more questioning and counseling by physicians. “If you’re really going to do something about it,” she says, “you have to be tested for herpes and other viruses. Now, you have to request that. They’re not in routine blood tests. [They] should make it routine.”
The Surrogate” chronicles can be sexual healers
“The Surrogate” chronicles the true story of a relationship between a surrogate partner (played by Helen Hunt) and her client (John Hawkes), a poet who is stricken with polio and seeks to lose his virginity before he dies.
When we hear the term “surrogate,” most of us probably think of a surrogate mother, who carries and delivers a baby for another couple or person who cannot. Yet surrogate partners (sometimes called sexual surrogates) have been around for years, providing a potentially valuable, though oft-debated, service to clients who wish to increase their sexual, physical and emotional experiences.
Surrogate partners gained attention in the 1960s when William Masters and Virginia Johnson (also known as Masters and Johnson) began training surrogates at their research institute.
These days, surrogate partners are typically trained by the International Professional Surrogates Association in Los Angeles, the main surrogacy organization. Clients are referred to surrogate partners by their therapists or other mental health professionals.
So just who sees a surrogate partner? The short answer is: anyone who wants to improve his or her sexual intimacy skills or, more likely, overcome a daunting sexual problem.
Surrogates, who can be male or female, see a wide variety of clients. Some people may use a surrogate partner because they are sexually inexperienced and want to gain skills before sleeping with a romantic partner.
A man may seek a female surrogate to help him deal with issues such as erectile dysfunction or premature ejaculation. Likewise, a woman might seek a male surrogate for assistance working through issues such as painful sex or difficulty reaching orgasm with a partner.
Surrogates also work with people coping with the infirmities of multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, quadriplegia and other physically challenging conditions – as was the case with the real-life woman upon whom “The Surrogate” is based.
The work of a sex surrogate
But surrogate partners don’t just have sex with their clients. In fact, some never engage in intercourse at all, instead focusing on other intimate activities including kissing, touching, cuddling and answering the client’s questions about sex.
The goal is to provide a safe, comfortable atmosphere for clients to explore sexual issues without judgment or fear, and with a professional who is able to go beyond talk therapy and into the hands-on realm of intimacy-interaction.
And like a therapist/patient relationship, the question of whether a surrogate partner is sexually attractive to the client is not part of the equation.
Many sex therapists would prefer that their clients work through their sexual issues themselves – using their romantic partners as they would a surrogate partner, if you will.
“I always tell my patients that I cannot really know how a person works to say whether they are physically healthy or psychologically appropriate and sensitive to a person's needs," says sex therapist Madeleine Castellanos, author of the "Good in Bed Guide to Male Sexual Issues."
"Because of this (and the legalities of surrogacy in New York and other states) I do not recommend or encourage my patients to do this. I always prefer that individuals work out their issues with their partner.”
One of the main issues with sexual surrogacy is that it remains highly unregulated. The International Professional Surrogates Association does have its own code of ethics, but that only matters if a surrogate partner is trained by and aligns him or herself with this organization. Better regulation could add more legitimacy to what is already an important, but often misunderstood, profession.
You're probably asking – how is this different from prostitution? A professional, empathetic surrogate partner is light-years away from a prostitute (the services of which, in addition to being illegal outside of Nevada, often amplify rather than mitigate a sexual issue). But while sexual surrogacy is not prostitution, the legality is somewhat fuzzy, and therefore polarizing in clinical and medical circles.
Sexual surrogacy is not a contract for sex. On its website, the International Professional Surrogates Association addresses the issue of legality thus: “The legal status of surrogate partners is undefined in most of the United States and most countries around the world. This means that there are generally no laws regulating the profession.”
Even if a person is interested in retaining the services of a surrogate partner, finding a surrogate may not be easy. While the profession hit the ground running during the sexual revolution of the 1970s, today locating a surrogate partner is nothing like locating, say, a dentist, or even a sex therapist. At its peak, the association had 200 to 300 members in the United States but now has about 50.
Even if you do reside in a community with access to a surrogate (or can travel to meet one), you may face challenges: Many traditional therapists aren’t comfortable discussing sexual issues with their clients in the first place, and may be further reluctant to recommend a surrogate.
Perhaps with the release of the movie, more people will become aware of the value these partners provide and the potential role they can play as sexual healers.
Who:Bird flu data sill on hold
Two studies about a genetically altered strain of H5N1 influenza, a deadly avian flu, should be published in their full form, but not yet, experts at a meeting organized by the World Health Organization concluded Friday.
There has been concern the research on bird flu could be used for terroristic purposes. WHO said in a statement that "understanding of this research through communications and the review of biosafety and biosecurity" issues that the research raises is crucial, but did not say specifically how or when this review will happen.WHO also said that it would extend the temporary moratorium on research with the laboratory-modified viruses, but research on the avian influenza found in nature must continue for public health protection.
The naturally occuring H5N1 bird flu virus has a high death rate associated with it; 60% of all humans who have been infected have died, said Dr. Keiji Fukuda, assistant director-general of health security and environment for the World Health Organization.
A research group in the Netherlands and a separate group at the University of Wisconsin have each created a mutated version of the H5N1 virus that can more easily transmit from mammal to mammal than the virus found in nature. They tested the mutated virus on ferrets, which closely mimic the human response to the flu.
The journal Science was going to publish the Dutch paper, and the journal Nature was going to publish the American paper. Both journals decided to refrain from publishing the studies so far.
Concerns about the research were first raised in December, the fear being that a highly transmittable virus could be used in a biological weapon.
The National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity said in January that the data could be used to help prepare for a possible outbreak in the future. However, the board recommended the studies be published without "methods or details" to prevent misuse by terrorists. Science and Nature jointly released a statement on the matter.
Friday, the World Health Organization said more public health benefit would come from publishing the entire manuscripts than "urgent" partial publishing. But the WHO is going to continue its assessment of the biosafety and biosecurity aspects first.
"If you just have scientists in the room and no security people, it’s not enough," Science Editor-in-Chief Bruce Alberts said Friday at the American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia. "The other side of the equation is, what do we know about the ease at which al Qaeda, for example, could actually produce this thing?"
Alberts said the original plan was to publish a redacted version of the papers in the middle of March, but that will not happen in light of the WHO decision.
"My reading is that both Nature and Science are to wait until we get some further information from WHO and other authorities about when we are to publish the full manuscripts," Alberts said.
Experts say it's important to get this information out about avian influenza to the people doing surveillance, especially in countries like Indonesia that have the biggest problems with this disease. But considering the risks for terrorism is important, Alberts said.
"Obviously this cannot go on for years," he said.
The best outcome would be the establishment of an international version of the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity, he said.
There also is talk of other ways to get information to people who need it besides publication of the papers, Alberts said.
For instance, there could be a list of 50 genetic mutations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that could be screened for; the technology for that exists. That could be done openly because all the mutations of H5N1 that are being kept secret have already been found individually in other viruses. It's only in combination that these mutations are dangerous. Alberts suggests a database of these mutations could be available to public health officials in developing countries, for example.
So where is this secret information? The Science paper is in a locked electronic file, and everyone who reviewed the papers was told to destroy their copies, Alberts said. The whereabouts of the Nature paper were not revealed at the American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting.
Michelle Obama's Let's move fitness challenge
First lady Michelle Obama is celebrating the 2nd birthday of her Let’s Move fitness campaign with events across the country. Now she has a special challenge for you.
Show us what your family is doing to get healthy and have fun at the same time. Have you found nutritious but kid-friendly snacks? Do you turn TV commercials into fitness breaks?
Whatever it is, big or small, we want to see what steps you and your children are taking to improve your health – and what the rest of the nation can do to be healthier.
Jillian Michaels secretes stronger
Jillian Michaels catapulted to fame as the punishing trainer who got results on "The Biggest Loser" and "Losing It with Jillian." But the 38-year-old has always been just as interested in building confidence as she has in sculpting rockhard abs.
It's no accident that her most recent book is "Unlimited: How to Build an Exceptional Life." Everything Jillian tackles -- including her recent gig as life adviser on "The Doctors," her DVDs (such as her latest, "Jillian Michaels Kickbox FastFix"), and her intimate podcast -- is meant to help the rest of us claim a healthier, happier life.
Sitting high in the hills of Southern California, the woman who calls everybody "buddy" is surprisingly funny and self-deprecating. And, as expected, she's incredibly open, talking about her tough tween years, how she stays motivated (and how you can, too), and the dream she's fighting to make a reality.
Do you see yourself as more of a life coach than a fitness trainer?
For years, I always thought it was hilarious that I was this fitness guru, because fitness was just a tool I utilized to help people improve their confidence. For me, it's never been about fitness. It's always been about helping to empower people.
Health.com: Get the body you crave with celeb-inspired workouts
What is the connection between physical fitness and self-confidence?
I've always believed fitness is an entry point to help you build that happier, healthier life. When your health is strong, you're capable of taking risks. You'll feel more confident to ask for the promotion. You'll have more energy to be a better mom. You'll feel more deserving of love.
What inspires you to take care of your own body?
That comes from me. You can look for external sources of motivation and that can catalyze a change, but it won't sustain one. It has to be from an internal desire.
You have to ask, "Why do I want this?" I want to be around for a family, and to feel good about my body. I want to set an example. My number-one piece of advice is: Look inside and find out what your "why" is. I don't care whose butt you've posted on the screen of your treadmill.
Did you ever post a butt on the treadmill?
I always thought Madonna was awesome, and I still do. I remember Linda Hamilton in "Terminator 2," and just thinking, Really? That scene opens up and she's just banging out pull-ups, and I remember thinking, That's awesome.
What other tips do you have for staying motivated?
When it comes to your "why," write it down and put it everywhere -- in your car, on your phone. Remind yourself constantly why you're doing what you're doing. Then remove any sort of temptation. Build a support system, whether it's a workout buddy or a mom from day care, so you have that person to call when you have a moment of weakness.
Jillian Michaels' tips for sticking with a workout
Can anyone get motivated? Are there impossible cases?
Lazy doesn't exist. Lazy is a symptom of something else. The person who can't get up off their butt is just a person who's depressed. It's usually a pervasive lack of self-worth, or a feeling of helplessness. That's why fitness is so important. You have the ability to show somebody what she's capable of very quickly.
As we get older, is time working against us?
I really don't believe that. I've worked with people in their 50s and 60s, and I've had a very easy time taking weight off them. If you've been living in an unhealthy way, you might have been getting away with it for 10 or 15 years, but [you'll see] the cumulative effects of toxic living. It's not because you're old. If you leave a car out in the rain, it's going to rust eventually. It's a matter of, what are you eating?
How are you living?
There's no such thing as not being able to turn back the clock. It's never too late. You just have to change the way you live.
What else will keep our bodies young?
God, sleep! I really do prioritize my sleep -- I get seven to eight hours a night. Sleep, have sex (it's really good for your health), and eat organic whenever you possibly can.
Health benefits of sleep
Do you ever watch yourself on TV?
I find television to be a bit like a meat grinder. It's like, you have a cow, you put it through a meat grinder, and out comes a hot dog. It's almost unrecognizable. On "Loser," I was a cartoon character. And I actually feel like "The Doctors" made a real effort to tone me down.
So who is the real Jillian?
I'm part Bridget Jones, part Larry David. I'm shy; I'm prude.
You are?
I am so prude. We didn't talk about that when I grew up. But on my podcast you see the sense of humor, the vulnerability, the passion. We talk about weight loss, bullying -- because I was bullied.
When were you bullied?
It didn't get really bad until I was in junior high. I was an overweight kid, and I went through a period where, oh my God, they were making cow sounds at me when I walked down the hallway and just humiliating me. Kids can be mean.
My mom pulled me out of one school and put me in another, but when you wear that stigma, you start to believe it. When you wear that energy, other kids smell it like blood in the water.
That's when I got into martial arts. I had a second-degree-blue-belt test, and I broke two boards with my right foot, and the next day I walked into school and no one ever picked on me again. I suddenly believed in myself and respected myself. I had some inkling of my power, so the bullying stopped instantly.
Are depressed kids bully magnets?
You've spoken about your struggle to adopt a child. Is there any news?
Oh, God, nothing has been this hard in my entire life. It's very complicated and it's very time-consuming and I'm committed to the process, but two years later, no update. Theoretically, I've been matched with a child. Now I'm just trying to get her home.
How do you decompress?
Yoga. I've been doing a lot of it. It takes me out of my own mind; I have to be present and think about my form. I find it very calming and grounding; it makes me happy. Know what I mean, buddy?
Skin care drug reverses Alzheimers in mice
Scientists say they "serendipitously" discovered that a drug used to treat a type of cancer quickly reversed Alzheimer's disease in mice.
"It's really exciting," said Maria Carrillo, senior director for medical and scientific relations for the Alzheimer's Association. "They saw very positive and robust behavior effects in the mice."
In the study, researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine gave mice mega-doses of bexarotene, a drug used to treat a type of skin cancer called cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Within 72 hours, the mice showed dramatic improvements in memory and more than 50% of amyloid plaque -- a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease -- had been removed from the brain.
The study was published Thursday in the journal Science.
Gary Landreth, the lead researcher at Case Western, cautioned that even though his results were impressive in mice, it may turn out not to work in people.
"I want to say as loudly and clearly as possible that this was a study in mice, not in humans," he said. "We've fixed Alzheimer's in mice lots of times, so we need to move forward expeditiously but cautiously."
Mice -- and humans -- with Alzheimer's have high levels of a substance called amyloid beta in their brain. Pathology tests on the mice showed bexarotene lowered the levels of amyloid beta and raised the levels of apolipoprotein E, which helps keep amyloid beta levels low.
Landreth said he hopes to try the drug out in healthy humans within two months, to see if it has the same effect.
Those participating in the trial would be given the standard dose that cancer patients are usually given.
Researchers tested the memories of mice with Alzheimer's both before and after giving them bexarotene. For example, the Alzheimer's mice walked right into a cage where they'd previously been given a painful electrical shock, but after treatment with bexarotene, the mice remembered the shock and refused to enter the cage.
In another test, the scientists put tissue paper in a cage. Normal mice instinctively use tissues in their cage to make a nest, but mice with Alzheimer's can't figure out what to do with the tissues. After treatment with the drug, the Alzheimer's mice made a nest with the paper.
Carrillo said one of the major advantages of bexarotene is that it's already been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in humans, which means the researchers can move into human trials sooner than if it were a completely new drug.
The Alzheimer's Association is funding Case Western's next phase of research, which will involve using bexarotene at the levels used on cancer patients, Landreth said. Since the drug does have some side effects -- it can increase cholesterol, for example -- he hopes to use it in even lower levels as the study goes on.
Landreth said his lab had been working on other drugs for Alzheimer's for 10 years when a graduate student, Paige Cramer, decided to try bexarotene, which works on a receptor involved in amyloid beta clearance. Some other drugs that worked in mice were too toxic to use in humans.
"We're really lucky that bexarotene is a great drug with an acceptable safety profile," he said. "This doesn't happen very many times in life'"
The heart attack proof diet
Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn Jr. didn't become a doctor to change the way America eats. He was a general surgeon.
But researching cancer, he stumbled on a fact that changed his career: Certain cultures around the world do not suffer from heart disease, the No. 1 killer in the Western world.
Esselstyn's practice took a dramatic turn -- from performing surgery to promoting nutrition. For more than 20 years, the Cleveland Clinic doctor has tried to get Americans to eat like the Papua New Guinea highlanders, rural Chinese, central Africans and the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico.
Follow his dietary prescription, the 77-year-old Esselstyn says, and you will be "heart attack proof" -- regardless of your family history.
"It's a foodborne illness, and we're never going to end the epidemic with stents, with bypasses, with the drugs, because none of it is treating causation of the illness," Esselstyn says.
The Esselstyn diet is tough for most Americans to swallow: no meat, no eggs, no dairy, no added oils.
Bill clinton's new vegan diet
Esselstyn has written a book to spread the word, "Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease -- The Revolutionary, Scientifically Proven, Nutrition-Based Cure," and he has given talks around the world.
He is also a focus of the new documentary "Forks Over Knives." Esselstyn has won some high-profile allies -- such as Dr. T. Colin Campbell, co-author of "The China Study," and Dr. Terry Mason, chief medical officer at Cook County Hospitals in Chicago and the city's former health commissioner.
"We've eaten ourselves into a problem, and we can eat ourselves out of it," Mason says. But Esselstyn's prescription goes against conventional wisdom, which considers diet only one factor in preventing heart disease.
"Diet alone is not going to be the reason that heart attacks are eliminated," says Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association.
Ornish: Asking the right health care questions
Other key factors include physical activity, cholesterol, blood pressure and weight, she says. The meat, dairy and egg industries defend the benefits of their protein-rich foods, all of which remain on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's MyPlate dietary guidelines for healthy eating.
Esselstyn's plant-based prescription also runs up against a culture where meat is served at most meals.
"Most doctors eat meat because most Americans eat meat, and if they don't really see for themselves or for their family why it might be a good idea to cut down or even cut meat out of their diet altogether, they might not be so inclined to recommend it to their patients," says Michele Simon, author of "Appetite for Profit."
Tests predict heart attack risks
Even doctors who see the benefits of Esselstyn's diet may not prescribe it for their patients.
"Anyone who is able to do that diet can have dramatic success. The problem is that many people are unable or unwilling to make these changes so in my practice, I try to take baby steps -- one step at a time," says Dr. Erin Michos, a cardiologist at the Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease at Johns Hopkins University.
Esselstyn diet worked for me: One patient's story
To help heart patients and others make the leap to his diet, Esselstyn holds a monthly, five-hour seminar at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute to explain the science behind "plant-based" nutrition.
Esselstyn's wife, Ann, offers practical advice on how to prepare kale, bok choy, collard greens and other foods that may not be on the typical family's shopping list.
Esselstyn began recruiting patients in 1985 and says his diet has worked even on people deemed too sick for surgery. Esselstyn has published results from a small group of patients showing how his diet either halted the progression of heart disease or reduced the blockages in the blood vessels leading to the heart.
"We know if people are eating this way they are not going to have a heart attack," says Esselstyn, whose father had a heart attack at 43.
Anthony Yen, an entrepreneur who emigrated from China and came to love the fried foods, meat and desserts of the American diet, adopted the Esselstyn program in 1987 after undergoing bypass surgery.
"I'm still alive because of this diet," Yen says, now 78.
Esselstyn says people shouldn't hold off on starting his diet until after they develop symptoms of heart disease because most heart attacks strike with no warning.
"The reason you don't wait until you have heart disease to eat this way is often, sadly, the first symptom of your heart disease may be your sudden death," he says.
Esselstyn says his diet works because it keeps the lining of the blood vessels free of the dangerous blisters or bubbles or cholesterol-laden plaque that causes heart attacks.
Two decades after Esselstyn started trying to spread the gospel of his plant-based diet, the American Heart Association says 83 million Americans have some form of cardiovascular disease and many of the traditional risk factors for heart disease, such as obesity, are at all time highs. The association says the cost of treating heart disease tops $270 billion and is expected to more than double by 2025.
Esselstyn, a member of the U.S. gold medal rowing team at the 1956 Olympics, is not someone who gives up easily.
"We are on the cusp of what could be an absolute revolution in health -- not dependent on pills, procedures or operations, but on lifestyle," Esselstyn says.
while you sleep you will loss weight
What’s the connection between a lack of shut-eye and a higher number on the scale? Sleep deprivation spikes the hormone ghrelin, which stimulates your appetite. This can cause you to eat up to 300 more calories a day than you would if you got a good night’s sleep, according to Dr. Oz. That adds up to a whopping 30 pounds a year.
Case in point: Research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that people who are sleep deprived (sleeping about 5.5 hours per night) take in significantly more calories from snacking throughout the day than those who are well-rested (8.5 hours per night). And they aren’t jonesing for veggies: The sleepy snackers craved carbs and ate fewer proteins and fats, which help you feel full.
THE STUDY, EXPLAINED: Lack of Sleep Leads to Snacking
Try these tips for making sleep a priority and getting your beauty rest:
Aim to up your snooze time. Try wrapping up nighttime tasks, such as emailing friends or straightening up the living room, earlier to give yourself more time to sleep. Need an incentive? If you increase the amount you sleep by one hour a night—say, from 6 to 7 hours a night—you could lose about 14 pounds a year on average, according to Dr. Oz.
Remind yourself it’s bedtime. You can’t always control when you wake up (darn that 7:30am alarm!), but you can ensure that you go to a bed at a decent hour and get the good night’s sleep your mind and body need by setting your alarm clock to remind you to go to bed—not just to wake up in the a.m.
Depending on what time you have to get up, subtract 7.5 hours from that time and set your alarm accordingly. So if you have to be up by 7:30am, set your alarm for midnight (or better yet, an hour earlier than that so you have time to get ready for bed and wind down) to signal it’s time to hit the sack.
Air pollution may increase stroke, heart attack risk
An analysis of 10 years of data from a major Boston stroke center has found that strokes are more likely to occur immediately following 24-hour periods in which air quality drops into the range the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers "moderate."
"At levels that the EPA considers to be generally safe, we found an important effect of ambient air particles, which is one of many pollutants in the air, but an important one," says study coauthor Gregory A. Wallenius, Sc.D., an assistant professor of community health at Brown University Medical School, in Providence, Rhode Island. Wallenius collaborated with researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the Harvard School of Public Health, both in Boston.
In their report, published Monday in the Archives of Internal Medicine, Wallenius and his colleagues compared 1,705 stroke cases in the Boston area with detailed data on the day-to-day levels of various airborne pollutants, including vehicle emissions such as particulate matter, black carbon, and nitrogen dioxide.
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After taking into account each patient's medical history, the researchers concluded the odds of having a stroke were 34% higher following a day of "moderate" air quality than following a "good" air day.
Based on this finding, they estimate that a 20% reduction of levels of fine particulate matter would have prevented 6,100 of the 184,000 stroke hospitalizations that occurred in the northeastern United States in 2007.
The study doesn't show that air pollution directly triggers strokes, although the researchers say that is biologically plausible. And because this is just one study in one location, Wallenius says, the findings don't necessarily argue for tighter restrictions on U.S. air quality standards.
Still, he says, "if this was replicated in other parts of the country and in other populations, and similar findings came out, it would be a good idea to review the health warnings that come with certain particle levels."
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A second study, appearing this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association, provides additional evidence that air pollution may increase cardiovascular risk. In that study, a team of French researchers reanalyzed data from 34 previous studies conducted around the world. Most of the studies used methods similar to those of Wallenius and his team.
Higher levels of airborne pollutants -- including particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide -- were associated with a slight increase in the short-term risk of heart attack, the study found. As with Wallenius' study, the researchers observed an uptick in heart risk even at pollution levels classified as safe by the World Health Organization.
The increase in heart attack risk was small on the individual level, but it can have a substantial impact at the population level, says Dr. Hazrije Mustafic, the lead author of the analysis and a researcher at the University Paris Descartes.
"We must keep in mind that the entire population is exposed to air pollution in industrial countries, so the effect on public health is not negligible," Mustafic says.
Heart attack risks
For instance, she says, although an increase in carbon monoxide levels of 10 micrograms per cubic meter raises an individual's short-term heart attack risk by just 5% or so, a change in air quality of that magnitude could be expected to account for 4.5% of all heart attacks in the exposed population.
The top sources of air pollution are the burning of fossil fuels (such as gas, oil, and coal) and industrial emissions. The pollutant Wallenius and his team focused on, fine particulate matter, consists of microscopic particles of metal, carbon, sulfates, and other materials. These specks of dust are about 30 times smaller than the thickness of a human hair, so they can be inhaled deep into the lungs.
Breathing fine particulate matter may harm the cardiovascular system in two ways, Wallenius says. If particles find their way into the bloodstream they can make blood vessels less elastic, and they may also boost activity of the sympathetic nervous system, which tends to increase heart rate and blood pressure and trigger the release of stress hormones.
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"That would change how the blood flows through the body," Wallenius says. "That could then take somebody [who's] susceptible to stroke and push them over the edge to actually having a stroke."
In addition to affecting blood flow, air pollution appears to increase inflammation, an immune system response that is believed to contribute to both heart disease and strokes.
If inhaled pollutants reach the alveoli -- the tiny sacs in the lungs where oxygen and carbon dioxide pass into and out of the bloodstream, respectively -- they trigger an inflammatory reaction, Mustafic says. "These pollutants can also spread through the blood stream and reach the heart," she adds.
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Wallenius and Mustafic agree that people who are already at high risk of stroke or heart attack should consider taking steps to cut their exposure to very high levels of pollution.
But healthy people shouldn't view the findings as a call to go out and buy face masks, says Dr. Robert D. Brook, a cardiologist at the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor, who coauthored an editorial accompanying Wallenius' study.
"The wrong thing to do is to get alarmed...that every time you're in traffic or every time you're exposed to a little bit of smog, you are going to get a heart attack or die," Brook says. The best way to prevent a heart attack or stroke, he says, is to control personal factors such as blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking, and exercise.
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