Hair Loss News

Newswise — The number of cosmetic procedures performed in shopping malls, spas and walk-in clinics has risen dramatically in the past several years. Unfortunately, patients who choose to have these procedures performed in such locations may be forgoing safety for convenience of location and bargain prices. The American Academy of Dermatology (Academy) urges patients to select a board-certified physician for cosmetic surgery. The Academy recommends patients do their homework and consider a doctor’s training and credentials before they decide if a particular physician is the right choice for them.

Arielle N.B. Kauvar, MD, FAAD, clinical associate professor of dermatology at New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, knows the risks involved when a cosmetic procedure is not performed by a qualified physician.

“Today, many non-physicians are performing various cosmetic procedures outside their scope of training in spas, shopping malls and walk-in clinics,” explains Dr. Kauvar. “While these locations may offer convenience, the limited training and supervision of the person performing the procedure, and the equipment available to handle complications or medical emergencies, can jeopardize the health and appearance of the patient.”

Some people may have medical problems or take medications that may increase the risks of side effects. Non-physicians may not be knowledgeable about these conditions.

In a 2007 survey by the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS), 56 percent of dermatologic surgeons indicated that there had been an increase in the number of patients they had treated as the result of complications caused by a non-physician performing a cosmetic procedure. Burns, scarring and skin discoloration were some of the most common complications experienced by patients who had procedures performed by non-physicians.

“I have seen many cases of cosmetic procedures gone wrong. These procedures were performed by non-physicians without appropriate physician supervision,” said Dr. Kauvar. “In addition, staff members were not adequately trained in the procedure or knowledgeable about the risks and complications.”

• Read more: Questions to Ask for Safe and Succesful Cosmetic Surgery

Newswise — Why do some people experience a “placebo effect” that makes them feel better when they receive a sham treatment they believe to be real — while other people don’t respond at all to the same thing, or even feel worse?

A new study from the University of Michigan Health System may help explain why.

Using two different types of brain scans, U-M researchers have found that the extent to which a person responds to a placebo treatment is closely linked to how active a certain area of their brain becomes when they’re anticipating something beneficial.

Specifically, the research finds strong links between an individual’s response to a placebo “painkiller”, and the activity of the neurotransmitter known as dopamine in the area of the brain known as the nucleus accumbens. That’s a small region at the center of the brain that’s involved in our ability to experience pleasure and reward, and even to become addicted to the “high” caused by illicit drugs.

The new research, published in the July 19 issue of the journal Neuron, builds on research previously published by the same U-M team in 2005. That study was the first to show that just thinking a placebo “medicine” will relieve pain is enough to prompt the brain to release its own natural painkillers, called endorphins, and that this corresponds with a reduction in how much pain a person feels.

“Receptors for both endorphins and dopamine are clustered heavily in the nucleus accumbens. So, taken together, our studies delve directly into the mechanisms that underlie the placebo effect,” says senior author and U-M neuroscientist, psychiatrist and brain-imaging specialist Jon-Kar Zubieta, M.D., Ph.D. “This is a phenomenon that has great importance for how new therapies are studied, because many patients respond just as well to placebo as they do to an active treatment. Our results also suggest that placebo response may be part of a larger brain-resiliency mechanism.”

• Read more: Why Do Placebos Affect People Differently?

In response to a wide number of health problems caused by Chinese-made food products, China itself has now leveled charges of food contamination in US-made products.

On Monday, the official Xinhua news agency reported that Chinese inspectors found that a protein powder from a U.S. supplier contained too much selenium and was being sent back

Selenium is a trace mineral essential in small amounts, but too much of it can cause hair loss, stomach aches and other problems.

On the weekend China also suspended pork and poultry from some U.S. suppliers after finding salmonella-contaminated chicken and meat products with growth agents or other additives.

Chinese authorities have been very upset about the negative publicity in the overseas press about the health scares from Chinese-made goods.

The deaths of patients in Panama from toothpaste, deadly toxins in pet food ingredients and food laced with additives and antibiotics have increased public anxiety in the United States about the safety of China’s food exports.

In an editorial in the overseas edition of the People’s Daily, the ruling Communist Party’s official paper, said it was inevitable that the country’s rising exports would face tighter scrutiny from choosy foreign customers.

• Read more: China claims US-made protein powder can cause hair loss

A daily pint of milk or a helping of dairy foods protect against the clustering of abnormal body chemistry known as the metabolic syndrome, suggests a study in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. 

The syndrome has been linked to an increased risk of diabetes, coronary artery disease, and premature death.

The findings are based on a representative sample of 2,375 men aged between 45 and 59, all of whom were part of a long term study on health, known as the Caerphilly Prospective Study.

Two or more out of high blood glucose, insulin, blood fats, body fat, and blood pressure defined the presence of the metabolic syndrome in the men studied.

The men’s health was tracked over 20 years, during which time data from food questionnaires and weekly food diaries were used to assess how much milk and dairy foods the men consumed.

Around one in seven men (15%) had metabolic syndrome at entry into the study.

These men had almost double the risk of coronary artery heart disease and four times the risk of diabetes of those without the syndrome. They were also almost 50% more likely to die early.

But those who regularly drank milk and ate dairy products, such as yogurt and cheese, were significantly less likely to have the syndrome.

They were 62% less likely to have it if they drank a pint or more of milk every day, and 56% less likely to have it if they regularly ate other dairy produce.

• Read more: Milk and dairy products protect against metabolic syndrome

Newswise — Folate, or its synthetic form, folic acid, is good for brain health. But there’s concern that this brain booster could mask deficiencies in vitamin B-12, which can result in mental decline and other nerve problems. The July issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter covers why it’s important to have enough of both.

Numerous studies have determined that high levels of folate intake, up to 800 micrograms (mcg) a day, may help ward off cognitive decline, possibly lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, and even improve mental sharpness in areas such as memory and mental processing speed.

Folate is also important during pregnancy for the developing fetus, which is why the Food and Drug Administration in 1998 mandated folic acid fortification of grain products sold in the United States.

Vitamin B-12 plays an essential role in red blood cell formation, cell metabolism and nerve function. Where there’s a deficiency, symptoms include persistent tingling in the hands and feet, confusion and forgetfulness.

An estimated 15 percent of older adults are deficient in vitamin B-12. This deficiency can be caused by age-related changes in the digestive tract, which blunt the body’s ability to digest and absorb vitamin B-12 from food. Vegetarians who avoid all animal products and people who have digestive diseases such as celiac disease or Crohn’s disease may also be at increased risk of vitamin B-12 deficiency.

While folic acid offers benefits, there are concerns about how it chemically reacts with vitamin B-12 within the body. It’s suspected that high folic acid intake can correct the anemia — but not the nerve and cognitive deterioration — that would normally occur with vitamin B-12 deficiency. Without the indication of anemia, vitamin B-12 deficiency may not be suspected and neurological deterioration may continue unabated.

• Read more: Folic Acid and Vitamin B-12 — Get Enough of Both

Newswise — Eating about 30 calories a day of dark chocolate was associated with a lowering of blood pressure, without weight gain or other adverse effects, according to a study in the July 4 issue of JAMA.

Previous research has indicated that consumption of high amounts of cocoa-containing foods can lower blood pressure (BP), believed to be due to the action of the cocoa polyphenols (a group of chemical substances found in plants, some of which, such as the flavanols, are believed to be beneficial to health). “A particular concern is that the potential BP reduction contributed by the flavanols could be offset by the high sugar, fat and calorie intake with the cocoa products,” the authors write. The effect of low cocoa intake on BP is unclear.

Dirk Taubert, M.D., Ph.D., of University Hospital of Cologne, Germany, and colleagues assessed the effects of low regular amounts of cocoa on BP. The trial, conducted between January 2005 and December 2006, included 44 adults (age 56 through 73 years; 24 women, 20 men) with untreated upper-range prehypertension (BP 130/85 – 139/89) or stage 1 hypertension (BP 140/90 – 160/100). Participants were randomly assigned to receive for 18 weeks either 6.3 g (30 calories) per day of dark chocolate containing 30 mg polyphenols or matching polyphenol-free white chocolate.

The researchers found that from baseline to 18 weeks, dark chocolate intake reduced average systolic BP by −2.9 (1.6) mm Hg and diastolic BP by −1.9 (1.0) mm Hg without changes in body weight, plasma levels of lipids or glucose. Hypertension prevalence declined from 86 percent to 68 percent. Systolic and diastolic BP remained unchanged throughout the treatment period among those in the white chocolate group. Dark chocolate consumption resulted in the short-term appearance of cocoa phenols in plasma and increased vasodilatory S-nitrosoglutathione. There was no change in plasma biomarkers in the white chocolate group.

• Read more: Some good news - Chocolate can be good for your health

Newswise — Up to 73% of men with prostate cancer take nonprescription supplements and smaller numbers use diet, exercise, or both in the hope of improving their outcome. Most of these men also receive conventional therapy, but a few depend on lifestyle alone. The appeal of lifestyle therapy is obvious—but does it work? Experts don’t know, though research raises hope that it may have a beneficial impact, reports the July 2007 issue of Harvard Men’s Health Watch.

All of the 93 men who signed up for the trial had newly diagnosed low- to moderate-grade cancers that were localized to the prostate gland. Half were randomly assigned to a lifestyle program, and half got no advice on lifestyle changes. The program that researchers created included four elements: An ultra-low-fat vegan diet; supplements, including soy, fish oil, vitamins E and C, and selenium; an exercise program of walking 30 minutes six days a week; and stress reduction that included yoga-based stretching, breathing, and meditation for an hour a day.

At the end of a year, a small but significant difference was evident. The average PSA in the intensive lifestyle group fell, whereas the average PSA in the untreated men rose. The participants in the lifestyle group also showed favorable cancer-fighting changes in their blood.

Much more research is needed before lifestyle therapy can be recommended clinically. But, the Harvard Men’s Health Watch notes, men with prostate cancer may choose not to wait until science catches up with their disease. And since the lifestyle program studied is good for general health, its elements will make a reasonable addition to any prostate cancer program.