Meditation Method a Matter of Taste

HealthDay – Fri, Jul 6, 2012 FRIDAY, July 6 (HealthDay News) -- People who want to learn to meditate should select a method that makes them feel comfortable, rather than choose a technique just because it's popular, a new study indicates.

Researchers from San Francisco State University report that by finding a form of meditation that works for them, people are less likely to quit. As a result, they will enjoy the personal and medical benefits of the practice, including reduced stress, lower blood pressure and help with addiction.

"Because of the increase in both general and clinical use of meditation, you want to make sure you're finding the right method," study author Adam Burke, professor of health education at San Francisco State and director of its Institute for Holistic Health Studies, said in a university news release.

In conducting the study, the researchers compared nearly 250 user opinions on four popular meditation methods: Mantra, Mindfulness, Zen and Qigong Visualization. The participants were taught each method and asked to practice at home. At the end of the study, they were asked about their preferences for each technique.

The two simpler methods, Mantra and Mindfulness, were preferred by 31 percent of the participants. Twenty-two percent chose Zen and 15 percent said they preferred Qigong.

The study authors said their findings show that people new to meditation would benefit from a simpler and more accessible practice. They noted, however, that there is not one technique that is best for everyone.

"It was interesting that Mantra and Mindfulness were found to be equally compelling by participants despite the fact that they are fundamentally different techniques," Burke said.

Mindfulness recently gained widespread popularity, and is usually the only form of meditation someone new to meditation knows about, he added.

"If someone is exposed to a particular technique through the media or a health care provider, they might assume because it's popular it's the best for everyone," Burke said. "But that's like saying because a pink dress or a blue sport coat is popular this year, it's going to look good on everybody."

The study authors said more research is needed to determine if certain meditation methods are better at helping to treat specific health issues, such as addiction. They added that more studies also are needed to explore if there are ways to predict which method of meditation a person should practice.

The study was published online July 7 in EXPLORE: The Journal of Science and Healing.

More information

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine provides more information on meditation.

View the Original article

Can Fertility Treatments Influence Later Breast Cancer Risk?

background:url(http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/a/5b/a5ba32682eb601fb573b57542c19b9c1.png);width:115px;height:25px;margin-left:50px;margin-top:7px

View the Original article

Many Hospitalized Kids Struggle With Pain

HealthDay – Fri, Jul 6, 2012 FRIDAY, July 6 (HealthDay News) -- Many children who are hospitalized suffer from moderate to severe pain despite advances in medicine's understanding of how pain works and the best ways to treat it, a new study finds.

The research is based on medical records and, in some cases, surveys of 199 patients treated at Johns Hopkins Children's Center in 2007 and 2008. Almost nine out of every 10 children experienced pain, and it was moderate to severe for 40 percent of them. In some cases, children still had pain despite treatment.

"This study was designed as a pulse check to gauge our own progress," lead investigator Lori Kozlowksi, a pediatric pain specialist at Hopkins Children's Center, said in a Hopkins news release. "Our verdict is that while we've made tremendous strides, there's still work to be done."

According to the news release, previous research has found that people who are exposed to intense pain as children can become more sensitive to pain as adults. Pain can also lead to a variety of health problems, especially if it's not treated properly.

"Pain is the fifth vital sign which, together with blood pressure, heart rate, breathing and temperature, can provide important clues about a patient's well-being," senior investigator Dr. Constance Monitto, a pediatric anesthesiologist at Johns Hopkins Children's Center, said in the news release. "Treating a child in pain is a fundamental responsibility of every physician and nurse."

The researchers also found that kids who undergo surgery experience more pain than those who don't, and it's more challenging to relieve pain in cancer patients. Girls are more vulnerable than boys to pain, and many of those who were prescribed opioid painkillers "as needed" never actually got any.

The study was recently published online in the journal Pain Management Nursing.

More information

For more on pain management in children, go to Stanford School of Medicine.

View the Original article

Parkinson's Patients Experience Declines Years Before Diagnosis

background:url(http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/a/5b/a5ba32682eb601fb573b57542c19b9c1.png);width:115px;height:25px;margin-left:50px;margin-top:7px

View the Original article

Scientists Use Stem Cells to Mimic Huntington's Disease

'modId':'mediasocialchromefriends','isPreLoad':0,'enableMediaTabEvent':0,'pageSize':12,'numFriends':null,'notificationCount':0,'property':'News','learnMorePath':'/activity-learn-more/','friendbarNotification':'0','friendbarRollup':'0','moduleConf':YAHOO.Media.Facebook.ModuleConf,'friendIdList':

View the Original article

Protein May Keep Flu Away

View the Original article

New optimism about stemming spread of AIDS virus

"background-image:url('http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/UBBR9X6vIejZeNKM9boHHA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Y2g9MTIyMTtjcj0xO2N3PTE4MzE7ZHg9MDtkeT0wO2ZpPXVsY3JvcDtoPTEyNztxPTg1O3c9MTkw/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/6c8ee3e40565ad13140f6a70670075e3.jpg');" width

View the Original article

3 Dirty Chicken Facts Exposed

does wind up in the meat.

In the study, researchers tested feather meal, a by-product of chicken farming often used as fertilizer, because feathers accumulate important clues as to which drugs and chemicals chickens are exposed to during their short

View the Original article

Joseph Kirsner, pioneer physician, dies at age 102

Dr. Joseph Kirsner, a pioneer in the field of digestive system disorders, died from kidney failure at his home in Chicago on Saturday. He was 102 years old.

University of Chicago Medical Center spokesman John Easton said the well-known physician published more than 750 research papers and 18 books, and was the Louis Block Distinguished Service Professor of Medicine at the university.

Kirsner was among the first to show the increased risk of colon cancer in patients with ulcerative colitis. He broke new ground in the understanding and treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.

"Few if any physicians have had a broader and more positive impact than Joe Kirsner on thousands of patients, students and professional colleagues," Dr. Kenneth Polonsky of the university said in a statement. "His legacy at the University of Chicago will persist for generations. We are truly fortunate to have been able to call Joe a friend and colleague and a member of our faculty."

A Boston native, Kirsner arrived at the university in 1935 and helped change his field from an art

View the Original article

Meatball company recalls 300,000 pounds of meat over listeria risk

Reuters – Sat, Jul 7, 2012 (Reuters) - A New Jersey meatball manufacturer is recalling more than 300,000 pounds (136,000 kg) of meat products due to possible listeria contamination, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service said on Saturday.

Bridgeton, New Jersey-based Buona Vita Inc was recalling about 324,770 pounds of frozen, ready-to-eat meat and poultry products produced in May, including meatballs, chicken and beef patties, and loafs of chicken and beef, the agency said in a written statement.

The FSIS described the health risk related to the recall as "high," according to the statement.

Representatives for Buona Vita, which says on its website that it produces 200,000 pounds (90,000 kg) of meatballs a day, could not immediately be reached for comment.

The possible contamination was discovered through testing by FSIS and the Ohio Department of Agriculture, the FSIS statement said. There have been no reports of illness related to the company's products, it added.

In 2011, more than 30 people died from listeria-contaminated cantaloupe linked to Jensen Farms in Colorado.

Listeria bacteria thrive in low temperatures. Outbreaks are usually associated with deli meats, unpasteurized cheeses and smoked refrigerated seafood products.

Listeriosis has a long incubation period, with symptoms sometimes not showing up until two months after people consume tainted foods.

Symptoms include fever and muscle aches, sometimes preceded by diarrhea and other gastric problems.

(Editing by Dan Whitcomb and Peter Cooney)

View the Original article

Ovarian Transplants May Preserve Fertility in Young Cancer Survivors

background:url(http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/a/5b/a5ba32682eb601fb573b57542c19b9c1.png);width:115px;height:25px;margin-left:50px;margin-top:7px

View the Original article

Keep Infants Out of Sun and Heat, Experts Warn

HealthDay – 23 hrs ago SATURDAY, July 7 (HealthDay News) -- Because infants are so much smaller than adults and lack the ability to sweat, heat and sun exposure pose specific risks for babies, experts say.

Fortunately, there are steps parents and caregivers can take to protect infants this summer, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the American Academy of Pediatrics. But one of the usual summertime recommendations, sunscreen, is not advised for children under 6 months old, they pointed out.

Dr. Hari Cheryl Sachs, a pediatrician with the FDA, said parents should avoid putting sunscreen on their infants. Sachs explained that young babies' skin is much thinner than that of adults and can absorb the active, chemical ingredients found in sunscreens more easily. She noted that because they have a relatively high surface-area to body-weight ratio, they are at greater risk for allergic reactions or inflammation from exposure to sunscreen.

"The best approach is to keep infants under 6 months out of the sun, and to avoid exposure to the sun in the hours between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., when ultraviolet (UV) rays are most intense," Sachs said in an FDA news release.

If necessary, shade can be created by an umbrella or stroller canopy, Sachs pointed out. When there are no other options available, a small amount of sunscreen with a sun-protection factor of at least 15 can be applied to small areas of exposed skin, such as the cheeks and back of the hands. Applying a small amount of sunscreen to the baby's inner wrist first to test for sensitivity is a good idea, she noted.

Sachs and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) offered additional tips to ensure infants are protected from sun exposure, including:

To prevent sunburns, dress infants in lightweight pants and shirts with long sleeves, as well as hats with brims that shade the ears and neck, advised the AAP. Sheer fabrics should be avoided because they could still result in a sunburn. Ensure babies are well hydrated. Offer them their usual feeding of breast milk or formula, said Sachs. Use a cooler to store the liquids if they will be out in the sun for more than a few minutes. Monitor babies for signs of sunburn or dehydration, including fussiness, redness, excessive crying and lack of urination. If sunscreen is applied to babies, steer clear of products containing the insect repellant DEET. Babies who become sunburned should be taken out of the sun immediately, and cold compresses should be applied to the affected areas.

More information

The American Academy of Pediatrics has more sun safety tips.

View the Original article