Medicine & Hygiene

By: Amir Yashar Tashakor, Vancouver

In many cases, the faces of Multiple Sclerosis tell the concurrent stories of tragedy, brought about by the incidence of the disease, and of survival, thanks to the patients and their families’ efforts to combat the symptoms and remain optimistic. Canada, having the highest rates of diagnosed MS in the world, is especially active in leading the research for a cure and homes multiple support facilities for the diagnosed and their families.

Over the course of a lifetime, a woman’s body undergoes continuous and pre-programmed changes. The symptoms coupled with menopause are likely among the most drastic of such changes. This natural process is usually expected to begin in females of age 45 to 55, and women experiencing these changes after or before this age range experience a ‘late’ or ‘early’ menopause respectively.

The most significant physiological change is the termination of the female’s menstrual cycle and the cessation of her fertility. With the shutting down of the ovaries, a women’s delicate hormonal balance is disturbed and almost all of her regulatory systems are affected.

Among the most interesting researches undertaken within the past decade are a series of studies aimed to determine the correlation between the infection of humans by a common parasite, with their reproductive behavior and life style. These parasitic micro-organisms are called “Toxoplasma gondii” and are among the most common human parasites with infection levels reported as high as 40-60% of the population worldwide.

Various mammals and birds function as intermediate hosts, responsible for transferring this parasite to its final hosting organisms, namely cats. Here on, the cats’ intestines serve as an essential nurturing environment, required for T. gondii to reproduce sexually and complete their life cycle.

It is common for cosmetic surgeries to place a considerable financial burden on patients, yet in the case of a Limb Lengthening procedure, the patients must sacrifice much more than the contents of their bank accounts. Envision undergoing an expensive and significantly dangerous operation, followed by a long and gruelling recovery, just so you can become a few inches taller. The logics behind a decision to voluntarily undergo such an operation are hard to comprehend; yet statistics show that cosmetic Limb Lengthening procedures are becoming increasingly popular.

The procedure’s success to correct small differences between limbs has been disputed over the recent years as thousands of surgeries have lengthened and straightened deformed bone segments, and replaced missing bone on both children and adults. Yet, ambiguity among the medical community remains regarding its effectiveness and suitability for sole cosmetic purposes. Many doctors believe that people’s concerns with their heights need to be addressed and treated psychologically and the controversial operation is simply unproductive as a treatment option.   

By: Amir Yashar Tashakor

The increasingly importance of the Mammography in early detection of Breast cancer can be inferred by The Canadian Cancer Society’s new advertisement campaigns, aimed at educating Canadians, especially middle aged women, of the crucial role Mammograms and similar procedures play in early tumour detection. In fact no other imaging technique has been nearly as successful in providing physicians with X-ray imagery of the breast, containing suspiciously overactive cell division or spots of calcium granulation, both of which may be characteristics of a malignant tumour. Although the procedure has been used for over thirty years, its recent standardization has added to its convenience and popularity. Patients’ entering a Mammography should not expect any surprises. A machine holds the breast in place [while the patient is seated] in order to prevent blurs in the image produced.

John Hopkins Hospital issued a "Cancer Update" detailing how cancer spreads and recommending methods for treating the disease. 

Heart Disease & Women:How High Is Your Risk?

Excerpted from The Planned Parenthood Women's Health Letter, May 1995, Vol. 2, No. 3

Although more scientific research is necessary, the World Health Organization said Tuesday in Geneva that water-pipe smoking may pose the same health risks as cigarettes.

"Using a water pipe to smoke tobacco is not a safe alternative to cigarette smoking," the U.N. health agency said in a seven-page document on the practice. "Contrary to ancient lore and popular belief, the smoke that emerges from a water pipe contains numerous toxicants known to cause lung cancer, heart disease and other diseases."

The WHO "advisory note" warned using water pipes to consume the tobacco usually exposes a person to more smoke over a longer period of time than do cigarettes. Preliminary research suggests hookah smoking poses many of the same dangers as cigarettes and may involve "some unique health risks," the agency said.

WASHINGTON -- New tuberculosis (TB) vaccines in development have the potential to provide protection against all strains of the disease, including multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) TB strains.

The finding was announced here on Wednesday by Dr. Jerald Sadoff, president of the Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation, at the International Conference on Global Health.

Aeras, the non-profit organization dedicated to creating new TB vaccines, is working to develop at least one new TB vaccine regime for infants and one for adolescents within seven to nine years.

The agency and its partners have the largest TB vaccine pipeline in the world with six vaccine candidates in or expected to be in the Phase I-II trials in 2007.

Dr. Sadoff's announcement comes as the new, deadlier strains of TB -- including MDR and XDR -- are spreading around the world.

A change in bird flu virus strain H5N1 has diminished the effectiveness of vaccines against the disease among poultry, local newspaper Pioneer Thursday quoted a local official as saying.

Bird flu vaccines are produced according to the gene type Z found in bird flu virus strain H5N1 in 2003 when Vietnam was first hit by the disease, but another gene type called G was detected in 2005, said Nguyen Tien Dung, head of the Ultra-Virus Department of the Veterinary Institute under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The gene type Z and type G are not very similar, so the vaccines are more effective to the type Z, and less effective to the type G, he said, noting that first infected poultry with the type G in Vietnam were mainly smuggled.

Vietnam is strengthening bird flu vaccinations among fowls nationwide, using the vaccines imported mainly from China and the Netherlands, according to the ministry's Department of Animal Health.