The relationship between cholesterol treatment and muscle aches

I know many people who take medications for lowering their cholesterol. Some of them complain of a non specific muscle aches. Now there seems to be a definite proof that these muscle pains may be caused by the interaction of Statins (a class of cholesterol lowering drugs) with other medications a person might be taking. Here is an article on that subject published in a New York Times' Well blog recently;

 People who use statin drugs to lower their cholesterol sometimes complain of muscle pain and soreness. But a new study suggests that in some cases these side effects may be a result of combining statins with other medications.
The research found that people taking statins had double the risk of muscle pain when they were prescribed various other drugs, and often these side effects were what prompted people to stop taking statins. People in the study who quit using statins because they could not tolerate them were, on average, taking as many as three other drugs that could increase the risk of side effects.
Statins are among the most widely prescribed drugs in the world and used by roughly 20 million Americans to reduce the risk of heart attacks and stroke. But the new research suggests that doctors and pharmacists may need to do a better job of managing the medications that are prescribed in combination with them. (Complete Article)

Exercise.....the way to so many good things!

We all know exercise is good for the body, the soul and the mind. But now there is clear proof that exercise can help improve our thinking ability and hence our mental capabilities.

Exercise 'is good dementia therapy'

"People with dementia who exercise improve their thinking abilities and everyday life, a body of medical research concludes.
The Cochrane Collaboration carried out a systematic review of eight exercise trials involving more than 300 patients living at home or in care.
Exercise did little for patients' moods, the research concluded.But it did help them carry out daily activities such as rising from a chair, and boosted their cognitive skills." (Full Article)

Men really are from Mars and women really are from Venus!!

Men and women's brains are 'wired differently'

Men and women's brains are connected in different ways which may explain why the sexes excel at certain tasks, say researchers.

A US team at the University of Pennsylvania scanned the brains of nearly 1,000 men, women, boys and girls and found striking differences.

 
The "connectome maps" reveal the differences between the male brain (seen in blue) and the female brain (orange)

Male brains appeared to be wired front to back, with few connections bridging the two hemispheres.
In females, the pathways criss-crossed between left and right.
These differences might explain why men, in general, tend to be better at learning and performing a single task, like cycling or navigating, whereas women are more equipped for multitasking, say the researchers in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

The same volunteers were asked to perform a series of cognitive tests, and the results appeared to support this notion. (Complete Article)

Remember those cute footprints of your newborn?

Each year, one in 10 babies around the world will be born prematurely and over a million of those will die. But could measuring the size of a baby's feet help save lives? The answer is ....

Finally FDA admits to the detrimental effects of Partially Hydrogenated Oils!!

About five years after I wrote about the dangers of using trans fats it was great to finally see this headline on BBC World News' home page;

US moves to ban trans fats in foods

US food safety officials have taken steps to ban the use of trans fats, saying they are a threat to health.
Partially hydrogenated oils, the source of most trans fat, are no longer "generally recognised as safe", said the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The regulator said a ban could prevent 7,000 deaths and 20,000 heart attacks in the US each year.
The FDA is opening a 60-day consultation period on the plan, which would gradually phase out trans fats.
 "While consumption of potentially harmful artificial trans fat has declined over the last two decades in the United States, current intake remains a significant public health concern," FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said in a statement. Read on....

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We must rid our food of trans fats!!!!

Click edit above to add content to this empty capsule.

What exactly are trans fats? These are basically highly processed vegetable oils like soy or sunflower oils. Processing is the heating of these oils to very high temperatures and then reacting them with hydrogen, leading to the formation of partially hydrogenated fats.
Why are they used? Firstly hydrogenated fats are easily solidified most common use of that property is in the manufacture of margerine. Secondly they have a much longer shelf life then natural unprocessed oils, that makes it most attractive to all companies producing processed foods, bakery goods and of course all fast food restaurants.
Why are they harmful? The list of their crimes is endless but I'll jot down some major ones! First of all as they are absorbed they interact with the normal fat metabolism interfering with its function in a damaging way. Thus leading to raised blood cholesterol and triglycerides. Both these can result in clogged arteries and increasing the risk of heart disease. Secondly Trans fats also disturb the balance between good and bad prostaglandins in our bodies. Which leads to increase in blood pressure, increased blood clotting, increased inflammatory activity in our bodies and also decrease in natural killer cells which normally help the body fight cnacerous cells.
How to stop their use? The answer to that is the easiest, refuse to buy anything that list hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats. If it's not profitable it won't be used!!! It is always driven by money! These huge corporations don't worry about our health but about their budgets, and they won't stop poisoning us and our kids unless we decide not to fill their pockets!
After all the recent hue and cry about Trans fats has forced some fast food companies to change the fats they use. If we refuse to poison ourselves while making them rich we will force them to stop this madness!!!