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What Time Do You Have on Your Biological Clock?

August 25, 2011 / Staff

Science may soon be able to predict more accurately how long a woman will remain fertile.

A survey of healthy women carried out at the University of St. Andrews and by experts from both the University of Edinburgh and University of Glasgow, all in the U.K., has revealed the normal range of levels of a hormone considered vital to a woman’s fertility.

The survey showed the normal range of levels of the anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) in relation to age. This hormone reflects the activity of the ovaries during a woman’s lifetime and gives an estimate of her remaining egg supply.
The study looked at 3,200 samples from healthy girls and women to find out the average levels of AMH. The findings will now allow fertility experts to tell how a women’s AMH level compares with the average for her age.

Research, Wellness

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Conflict of Interest Guidelines Revised at the National Institute of Health

August 24, 2011 / Staff

The amount of money considered to constitute a conflict of interest has been lowered at the National Institute of Health.

The 16 year old conflict of interest rules for medical researchers has been revised, expanding the required disclosures.

Concern about the integrity of research in the United States has grown since 2008, when Iowa Republican Sen. Charles Grassley criticized prominent Harvard University psychiatrist Dr. Joseph Biederman and others for failing to fully disclose payments from drug companies.
In a more recent example, medical device maker Medtronic Inc came under fire over accusations that doctors paid by the company had failed to disclose major side effects from a bone growth drug in clinical trials.

Private sector funds have no place in policy governing the health of the nation.

Quality Control

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Green Tea Lowers Cholesterol

August 24, 2011 / Staff

The good news is that drinking green tea can lower cholesterol.

Good because we can all do it.

Green tea is accessible and affordable. It also, makes a great replacement for sugary caffeinated drinks because it offers a lift with just a hint of caffeine along with cancer fighting, fat busting polyphenols and flavonoids

Advocates say green tea’s heart-healthy benefits are due in part to a large concentration of polyphenols, which block the absorption of cholesterol in the gut. But skeptics argue that any beneficial effect would be small, and the side effects from a few too many cups a day not worth it.

As part of a healthy diet and lifestyle, the benefits of green tea are hard to ignore.

Nutrition, Research, Wellness

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HPV Test Better Than Pap Smear for Cervical Cancer Screening

August 24, 2011 / Staff

The HPV test for cervical cancer seems to be a better predictor of pre-cancerous lesions than a pap test alone.

Under cervical cancer screening guidelines issued by the American Cancer Society in 2002 and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in 2003, women aged 30 or older should have both a Pap test, also known as a Pap smear, as well as an HPV test, also called an HPV co-test. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection, and certain strains of the virus can cause cervical cancer.
Under current guidelines, if the results of both tests are normal, a woman can wait three years for her next Pap test, which looks for signs of cancer in cells from a woman’s cervix.

For this slow growing cancer, early detection is key.

Research, Wellness

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