Whether meditating before bed or sipping a kava kava nightcap, more than 1.6 million Americans use some form of alternative medicine when they have trouble sleeping.



In analyzing data from 31,000 Americans interviewed for the 2002 National Health Interview Survey, researchers found that nearly one-fifth of adults reported difficulty sleeping in the last 12 months, and of those, about 5 percent used complementary and alternative medicine to treat their sleeplessness. The majority of those who tried the therapies said they helped, with nearly half saying they helped "a great deal."

Nearly 65 percent of people using alternative methods to help them sleep used "biological therapies," such as herbs or supplements, and 39 percent used "mind-body therapies," such as self-hypnosis, guided imagery or other relaxation techniques.

The findings also shed some light on why people turn to complementary and alternative medicine to treat their sleep problems. Forty percent of those who tried alternative therapies said they had not found conventional treatments helpful. Thirty-five percent said their doctor had suggested the approach. One-quarter thought conventional medicine was too expensive, and two-thirds thought it would be "interesting to try."

The report, published last month in the Archives of Internal Medicine, was part of a larger look at U.S. sleep habits. Researchers also found a strong connection between reports of insomnia or sleep troubles and other health conditions, such as obesity, hypertension, congestive heart failure and anxiety or depression.

"This is giving us a nice snapshot of the characteristics of people who have insomnia in general, as well as those who use complementary and alternative medicine for insomnia and sleep problems," said Richard Nahin, senior adviser for scientific coordination and research at the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Although the report didn't rank the popularity of specific herbal or behavioral remedies, doctors who recommend complementary and alternative medicine said some alternative therapies — such as melatonin, kava kava and valerian — can be effective in treating sleep problems and are typically safer than sleep drugs.

"People are aware that a lot of conventional therapies do have side effects, and there is a potential for a dependency to develop," said Dr. Mary Hardy, director of integrative medicine at the Ted Mann Family Resource Center at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. "If they want to be able to take something on a regular basis, they look to natural therapies to help with that."

Dr. Jay Udani, who runs the Integrative Medicine Program at the Northridge Hospital Medical Center, said he would recommend anyone with sleep problems start with mind-body techniques such as self-hypnosis, meditation or guided imagery. If that were not sufficient, he might recommend mind-body techniques combined with an herbal remedy -- and melatonin would be his first choice. Even a low dose (1 to 5 milligrams) of melatonin can be effective, he says.

But doctors cautioned against mixing sleep-inducing herbs or supplements with sleep drugs. Consumers should talk with their physicians first, they said.

Dr. Soram Khalsa, an internist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center who has integrated natural and conventional medicine for the last 30 years, said he often recommends tryptophan and theanine, two amino acids that can be bought over the counter. He said peri-menopausal women who have a slight hormonal imbalance -- they are low in progesterone relative to estrogen -- might benefit from natural progesterone before bed. He also recommends meditating at night.

"If you meditate for even 15 minutes with some deep breathing, that will help induce the alpha rhythm brain wave which will help you sleep," he said.

Hardy said her recommendations depend on the sleep disorder. People who have trouble falling asleep because of anxiety should consider relaxation therapies, such as meditation, or calming yoga poses before bed, she says. Aromatherapy, such as lavender or geranium oils, can also help, she added, as can a pre-bedtime snack of foods that promote the release of seratonin, such as crackers, bread, tuna or a little milk.

Hops can be helpful, but valerian is the single best herbal medicine for sleep, Hardy said, because it doesn't excessively sedate, and over time it helps restore normal "sleep architecture." She said the herb is best for those who fall into a deep sleep, but wake up not feeling rested.

The new data will help generate more interest in complementary and alternative medicine and sleep disorders, Nahin said, particularly in the realm of mind-body therapies.

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October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and a good time to tell you how doctors are looking at the disease in a different light.

It used to be that every woman diagnosed with breast cancer received the same treatment. They now understand one diagnosis doesn't fit all.

Cancer has always been defined by which organ is affects -- breast, prostate, lung -- but doctors are no longer looking at where cancer forms. They are paying closer attention to how the cancer forms, and they're realizing that breast cancer is more than just one disease.

Linda Craig, along with other women who she was surrounded by, have something in common. All have battled breast cancer, but the similarities end there.

"When you talk to a survivor, their story is always different than yours, their treatment is different," said Craig.

Their diseases may have been different, too. For generations, women like these fell under one broad diagnosis of breast cancer, but increasingly, cancer specialists have recognized there are several different types of breast cancer and at least five different subsets.

For example, experts said one type of breast cancer might be more genetic in nature, while another type of breast cancer may have more to do with hormones. The difference is critical -- so is the treatment.

While surgery remains the base upon which all other breast cancer treatment rests, chemotherapy is no longer automatic.

Doctors look first at what type of cancer cell a woman has, her genetics and her body type. Tests can now determine whether she will benefit from chemotherapy.

We all process medicine differently, and drugs are now made accordingly, drugs such as tamoxifen, reloxifene and herceptin.

"That can also help to prevent breast cancer both in the breast from coming back and also help that metastatic breast cancer," said Dr. Kathleen Erb. "The more we learn about breast cancer and its characteristics, the better we are at tailoring a given woman's treatment."

Just as personal workout routines keep us fit, personalized drugs will be used to target specific types of breast cancer and strengthen the numbers of survivors like Craig.

Breast cancer isn't the only one known to have several subtypes , colon cancer can be defined this way as well. The bottom line is: in the not too distant future, it won't make any difference what type of cancer you have -- the one-size treatment will be gone. In its place will be a specific silver bullet that can knock out your specific cancer and hopefully keep it out for good.

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Do you know that those extra pounds are bad for your health? Aren't you risking your health to future cardiovascular diseases and heart problems? Isn't it time to look after your health? Are you finding it difficult to socialise as you are becoming an object of mockery at every party because you are obese?

If you say 'yes' to any of the above questions then it is time to get rid of your obesity. Obesity is considered a disease by the medical community. It has serious health risks like heart problems, diabetes, stroke, paralysis, prostrate cancer plus a dozen of other kind of diseases. Though the definite cause of obesity is far from clear there are certain theories on it. Prominent amongst them are excess food intake, heredity, laziness and lack of physical activities.

The natural method of losing weight is physical exercises and a limited diet regimen. But the natural process takes time to get a considerable weight reduction. Other method like surgery and liposuction are good as a short term solutions, but are costly and requires re-operation. But the best available method to lose weight is a combination of exercises, diet program and diet pills.

But choosing a right diet pill is a difficult task considering the different types of diet pills one has in the market today. Importantly, one should stay away from pills which say of burning fats as the lost fats return when one discontinues it. The other diet pills require an individual to maintain a controlled diet and do physical exercises. These are the kind of diet pills one should opt for.

The diet pills suppress appetite by acting on central nervous. But there are certain side effects like nausea, stomach upset, irritability, diarrhea and oily spotting etc. These diet pills require one to maintain a restricted diet regimen and do exercises, without which the effects are not noticeable.

Pills like – Phentermine, Adipex, Bontril, Didrex, Diethylpropion, Ionamin, Meridia, Phendimetrazine, Tenuate and Xenical are some of the popular weight loss diet pills prescribed by the doctors. The latest diet pill of late is Acomplia which is approved for sale in the UK and EU but is awaiting approval from FDA for sale in the US.

Obesity is such a menace that it could kill all of us with a disease or the other. It can be termed as the root cause of all future diseases. So, it would be better for us to get rid of it in whatever possible way so that we lead a disease less healthy life.

Clarence Carter received training as a healthcare scientist. She has been working in the same field and writes informative articles, weight loss being her pet subject. To find Xenical, Weight Loss Drug, Acomplia, Cheap Diet Pills, Childhood obesity, Xenical Online

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High blood pressure, joint pains, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, heart ailments, palsy, liver ailments, menstrual abnormalities, breast cancer, female infertility, decline in libido, endometrial cancer, mental stress, blood circulation diseases like arteriosclerosis, cholelithiasis etc. These are some of the diseases which might come up with obesity. This list seems endless. But before knowing how to end obesity one must know "what is obesity?"

Whom would you consider a person to be obese? A person who has BMI (Body Mass Index) of over 30 is considered to be an obese individual. But how does one become obese? In theory causes of obesity are gene, intake of fatty foods, lacking of physical activity, food habits, laziness and endocrine problems.

What are the available remedies for getting out of obesity?

Liposuction: It is a surgical process where the fat is removed by sucking out the fat from the body by inserting a needle.

Surgery: Commonly this procedure involves surgery of stomach and intestine to lower the intake of food.

Diet Pills: Majority of the diet pills are for short-term use only. These diet pills are effective only if they are used in combination with exercises and a controlled diet.

Fat burning pills: These are short-term quick fat burning pills. But the main problem with this medication is that the results are short lived. Once the medication is stopped the fats again show up.

Exercises: It is an age old technique of obesity reduction. It is a natural process so side effects are not there.

Controlled diet program: Like exercises this too is a natural process. Here a limited amount of food is taken which controls the formation of fat in the body.

Acupressure and acupuncture: Age old technique but nothing concrete has been proved yet.

Whatever be the method of getting over obesity there is no better method than natural methods like exercises and controlled diet program. And if a diet pill like Phentermine, Adipex, Acomplia is introduced the effects would be visible within a short time period.

Apart from physical aspects obesity may also let you feel dejected, out of the world and may make an individual abstain from social gatherings. If you are obese it is time to act. Whatever remedy you choose you should always consult your doctor for his view on that remedy.

Obesity is a health risk. It may lead to a multiple of diseases in future. It is better to get out of obesity to remain away from the future diseases. Change in food habits and doing physical exercises are the cost effective and natural way of treating it.



Clarence Carter received training as a healthcare scientist. She has been working in the same field and writes informative articles, weight loss being her pet subject. To find Xenical, Weight Loss Drug, Acomplia, Cheap Diet Pills, Childhood obesity, Xenical Online

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The number of cases of fake drugs increased by 388 percent this year compared to same time last year, according to a lawmaker yesterday.

Rep. Pahk Jae-wan of the main opposition Grand National Party (GNP) said yesterday that the number of cases of unauthorized drugs such as fake Viagra, Cialis and unapproved vitamins went up to 99 in the first half of the year from last year's 51.

The number of smuggled medicines and unapproved vitamins has increased by 32 percent to mark 382 cases, which means 8.3 billion won worth of illegal drugs could have been put on the market, the Korea Customs Service said.

"There is no certain expiration date marked on fake or smuggled drugs and no compensation could be given if there were any side effects," Park said.

He urged the Korea Food & Drug Administration, police and prosecutors to crack down on illegal medicine supply routes.

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WASHINGTON It is an Achilles' heel of HIV therapy: The AIDS virus can sneak into the brain to cause dementia, despite today's best medicines.
 Now scientists are beginning to test drugs that may protect against the memory loss and other symptoms of so-called neuroAIDS, which afflicts at least one in five people with HIV and is becoming more common as patients live longer.
 With almost 1 million Americans, and almost 40 million people worldwide, living with HIV, that is a a large and underrecognized toll.
 "That means HIV is the commonest cause of cognitive dysfunction in young people worldwide," says Dr. Justin McArthur, vice chairman of neurology at Baltimore's Johns Hopkins University, who treats neuroAIDS. "There's no question it's a major public health issue."
 While today's most powerful anti-HIV drugs do help by suppressing levels of the virus in blood — so that there is less to continually bathe the brain — they cannot cure neuroAIDS. Why? HIV seeps into the brain very soon after someone is infected, and few anti-HIV drugs can penetrate the brain to chase it down.
 "Despite the best efforts of (anti-HIV) therapy, brain is failing," says Dr. Harris Gelbard, a neurologist at the University of Rochester Medical Center. He is part of a major new effort funded by the National Institutes of Health to find the first brain-protecting treatments.
 What is now called neuroAIDS is much different from the AIDS dementia of the epidemic's early years, when patients often had horrific brain symptoms similar to end-stage Alzheimer's, unable to move or talk. They would die within six months.
 Today, anti-HIV medication has resulted in a more subtle dementia that strikes four years or more before death: At first, patients forget phone numbers and their movements slow. They become less able to juggle multiple tasks.
 Some worsen until they cannot hold a job or perform other activities, but not everyone worsens — and doctors can't predict who will. In a vicious cycle, the memory loss makes many forget their anti-HIV pills, so the virus rebounds.
 Gelbard estimates that neuroAIDS reduces patients' mental function by 25 percent.
 If HIV patients live long enough, many specialists worry, nearly all of them may suffer at least some brain symptoms.
 "They're living longer with HIV in the brain," explains Kathy Kopnisky of the NIH's National Institute of Mental Health, which is spending about $60 million (€47.3 million) investigating neuroAIDS. "And they're aging, so they're going through the normal brain aging-related processes" that can make people vulnerable to Alzheimer's and other brain diseases.
 Biologically, this is a different type of dementia from any caused by Alzheimer's or Parkinson's, and drugs for those brain-degenerating diseases so far are proving disappointing against neuroAIDS.
 So the government-funded attack has two fronts:
 _First, figure out which of the powerful anti-HIV cocktails are the best bet for HIV patients with memory problems.
 A few of today's HIV-suppressing drugs, such as nevirapine, abacavir, AZT and indinavir, can penetrate the blood-brain barrier, says Dr. Ron Ellis of the University of California, San Diego.
 But no one knows if using those drugs instead of others will slow the brain damage once neuroAIDS symptoms begin. Early next year, Ellis will begin a study of 120 such patients — at UCSD, Hopkins and Washington University in St. Louis — to try to tell, by randomly assigning them to either a brain-penetrating cocktail or different drugs.
 _Second, find drugs that protect nerve cells from the inflammation-triggered toxic chain reaction that seems to be how HIV wreaks its damage.
 Topping the candidates are the epilepsy drug valproic acid and lithium, a drug long used in manic-depression. Both inhibit an enzyme, called GSK-3b. The body normally makes the enzyme, but too much is poisonous. In the brain, HIV knocks that careful balancing act out of whack, leading to death of connections key to memory and other neuronal functions.
 In a recent pilot study, Gelbard found tantalizing signs that valproic acid might increase brain connections in a few neuroAIDS patients, and improve their symptoms. He is about to begin a second-stage study to try to tell if the effect is real; a similar pilot trial with lithium is under way.
 Seeking a one-two punch, Gelbard also hopes to soon begin a human study of an experimental drug that targets a second inflammatory protein that HIV uses, this one to trigger brain cells to kill themselves. 
 

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Roche Holding AG said Monday it will produce enough doses of the drug Tamiflu to cover this year's influenza season. The Basel-based pharmaceutical giant will ramp up production to 400 million packages by the end of the year, allowing it to deliver enough Tamiflu to governments intending to stockpile the drug for influenza outbreaks. Roche increased production after the spread of bird flu led to a surge in demand for its anti-flu drug, considered the most effective treatment against the virus. Shares in Roche closed down 0.6 percent at 215.00 Swiss francs (US$173.01; €136.66) on the Zurich exchange Monday.

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The role of community pharmacist in managing minor conditions is expanding rapidly – the public are currently being encouraged to "self care" and more prescription only medicines are being deregulated to pharmacy medicines status (POM to P).

There is therefore a clear need for up-to-date, accessible reference sources to support community pharmacists in a field with an expanding product range.

This new edition includes updated material in all areas and also reflects the amendments in legal category status of many products (POM to P). Primary references are also now included to support advice being given.
- Third edition of successful book
- New primary references included to support
- advice given
- Online resources: updates available

"Non-prescription Medicines - 3rd Edition" is available from Piribo. For more information go to: http://www.piribo.com/publications/otc/nonprescription_medicines.html

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