You Are What You Eat

Dr. Esselstyn, a former internationally known surgeon, researcher and clinician at the Cleveland Clinic, explains in his book, Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, heart disease can indeed be prevented, reversed, and even abolished. Based on his 20-year nutritional study, the book explains how we can end the heart disease epidemic in this country forever by changing what we eat.

Dr. Esselstyn’s diet is simple but takes some discipline:
• Don’t eat anything with a face or a mother. This includes meat, poultry, fish, and eggs.

• No dairy products. This means no milk, ice cream, yogurt, butter, cheese—not even skim milk.

• No oils, including no olive oil or sunflower oil or canola oil. Coconut is off limits because of its oil content. (Some heart specialists like Dr. Ornish do recommend taking fish oil supplements.)

• No nuts because of the oil. If you do not already have heart disease can eat moderate amounts of walnuts because of their omega-3 fatty acids.

• No refined grains, which have been stripped of much of their fiber and nutrients.


What you can eat is everything else:
• All vegetables and all fruits, especially the green leafy vegetables and the colorful ones. Avocados are banned because of the oil, unless you don’t have heart disease.

• Legumes, such as beans, peas, and lentils.

• Whole grains, including whole wheat and rye, bulgur wheat, whole oats, barley, buckwheat, corn and cornmeal, wild and brown rice, popcorn, couscous, quinoa, amaranth, millet, spelt, etc. Grape-Nuts are good too, and provide a nice crunch.

• Sugar is allowed in moderation, but avoid fruit drinks which are high in sugar content.

Note: Dr. Esselstyn’s book (mentioned at the beginning of this article) contains 150 recipes that he and his wife use. Another book you may want to check out is The China Study: Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss, and Long-Term Health by T. Colin Campbell. He also makes the case for eating a plant-based diet.

Both these books, Preventing and Reversing Heart Disease and The China Study, were given to me by my brother and read after my first heart surgery in which 3 of my heart arteries were eventually cleaned and 5 stints were inserted, My 3 arteries were blocked 100%, 90%, and 90%, respectively. And, in a very short amount of time (strictly following this diet) and without any exercise other than the required therapy, I lost 30 pounds.

I have always found it amusing to tell people that I don't eat anything with a face or a mother because of the looks that I get, but that enthusiasm was not enough to keep me on the diet and I soon gained my 30 pounds back and then some.

When you think about it or compare it to a Vegan Diet, you will see that they are remarkably similar., and the term vegan was coined in 1944 by Donald Watson when he co-founded the Vegan Society in England, at first to mean "non-dairy vegetarian" and later to refer to "the doctrine that man should live without exploiting animals."

Whereas being a vegetarian abstains from the consumption of meat, such as red meat, poultry, seafood and the flesh of any other animal.

Neither vegans nor vegetarians eat meat. However, while vegetarians tend to consume dairy products and eggs, a vegan avoids all animal products, including eggs and dairy, and often inedible animal-based products, such as leather, wool, and silk. Vegetarianism is usually a diet, while veganism is a lifestyle. 

And, while I basically (to some degree) follow both these diets, I do eat chicken and fish but no salt and no sugar at all and try to stay away from artificial sweeteners as well but that is a whole lot easier than it sounds, especially since my heart condition keeps me from being as active as I once was and still want to be, but that is no longer in the cards for me.

Part of my problem is compounded by the fact that I am receiving chemo infusions once a month as a maintenance treatment for NHL and the steroids used make me hungry as well as retain weight; although, since I have been walking 20-30 minutes a day, my hunger has reduced substantially.

While this is not fun to eat like this at age 67, it is how I must eat if I want to live long and prosper as Spock might have said to Kirk or to another Vulcan or perhaps a colleague; nevertheless, it is a fact-of-life that we all will have to address sooner or later as we age, especially if we delay eating healthy.

Believe me, eating healthy is no fun at all. I love fully loaded pizza except for the little fish (whatever they are called), and I love a $6 cheeseburger from Hardees, and I love a Dutch or French Apple Pie but not necessarily with ice cream. I also missed sausage and hotdogs but I was never into biscuits and gravy.

I stopped eating red meat over 20 years ago and never did like Ham but did like (very much) a North Carolina Political Style Pig Pickin' with Hush Puppies and Cole Slaw.

Because I am an adept student of Economics, I am fully aware of the concepts of:

• Opportunity Costs
• Trade Offs

and, I am wondering why a “grumpy old man” like myself cares about living a long time such that he would simply stop eating those foods that he loves for the sake of living a little longer...

I have a handicapped license plate because of my heart attack and because I can not walk 20 feet without getting tired and having to rest. I first discovered my heart attack in 2008 (or 7 years ago) and since then there has been very little improvement.

So, this is now my lifestyle and will be my lifestyle for the rest of my life... and it is because I did not do a very good job at managing my stress from work... along with not eating right. And, smoking cigarettes for 25 years may have contributed to this developing situation as well.

So, how does that saying go?

You can pay me now or you can pay me later but you will be paying me...

FEEDING THE WORLD

Genetically

Engineered

Crops

by Alex Hutchins

Genetically modified foods, also known as genetically engineered foods, are the latest contribution of genetic engineering technology. These foods are made by inserting genes of other species into their DNA. Though this kind of genetic modification is used both in plants and animals, it is found more commonly in the former than in the later. There are a variety of reasons for developing such foods. For instance, some foods are genetically modified to prevent the occurrence of allergies after consumption, while some are developed to improve their shelf life. It is also been said that experts are working on developing foods that have the ability to cure certain diseases.

 

Advantages

1. One of the major advantage is that they help in controlling the occurrence of certain diseases.
2. It is also said that these foods grow faster than the foods that are grown in the traditional manner.
3. At times, genetically engineered food crops can be grown at places with unfavorable climatic conditions too. A normal crop can grow only in specific season or under some favorable climatic conditions.
4. Though the seeds for such foods are quite expensive, their cost of production is said to be lesser than that of the traditional crops.
5. Genetically engineered foods are said to be high in nutrients, and contain more minerals and vitamins than those found in traditionally grown foods.

Disadvantages

1. The biggest threat caused by this food is that they can have harmful effects on the human body.
2. In many countries, manufacturers do not mention on the label that foods are genetically manufactured because they think that this would affect their business.
3. Many religious and cultural communities are against such foods because they see it as an unnatural way of producing foods.
4. Experts are of the opinion that with the increase of such foods, developing countries would start depending more on industrial countries because it is likely that the food production would be controlled by them in the time to come.

CAVEAT

A renowned cardiologist, Dr. William Davis explains how eliminating wheat from our diets can prevent fat storage, shrink unsightly bulges, and reverse myriad health problems. Every day, over 200 million Americans consume food products made of wheat. 

Wheat Facts    

1. Wheat is the primary grain used in U.S. grain products.  Approximately three-quarters of all U.S. grain products are made from wheat flour.
2. More food is made with wheat than any other cereal grain.
3. U.S. Farmers grow nearly 2.4 billion bushels of wheat on 63 million acres of land.
4. About half the wheat grown in the United States is used domestically.

As Dr. Davis tells it, the hybridization of wheat came about in an effort to improve yield, which is now about tenfold greater per acre than it was a century ago. Older strains of wheat were taller and more prone to damage from wind and rain. Dr. Davis writes that modern wheat is approximately 70 percent carbohydrate by weight.  The carbohydrate is in the form of a starch called amylopectin A.  Far worse, according is Dr. Davis, is the new protean enzyme that this genetically altered wheat created called, Gliadin.  Gliadin, Dr. Davis says, is an opiate that actually causes us to eat more.

Gliadin is a protein found within wheat gluten. It is, from a cold scientific viewpoint, a fascinating issue, a protean protein capable of incredibly varied biologic effects in humans.

Among the things we know about gliadin:

• Gliadin is the most abundant protein in wheat, contained within gluten polymers.

• Gliadin of 2012 is different from the gliadin of, say, 1960, by several amino acids, part of the genetic transformation of wheat introduced to increase yield-per-acre. 

• Gliadin is degraded to a collection of polypeptides called exorphins in the gastrointestinal tract.

• Exorphins cross the blood-brain barrier and bind to opiate-receptors to induce appetite, as well as behavioral changes, such as behavioral outbursts and inattention in children with ADHD and autism, hearing voices and social detachment in schizophrenics, and the mania of bipolar illness. 

Living Well

Kayaking offers a lot more than just a relaxing way to spend a sunny afternoon; so what can kayakers teach the rest of us?

Strength pays off.
All of that hardcore paddling (and water resistance!) lends itself to a serious workout. Just one hour of kayaking can burn over 350 calories, depending on how hard you paddle. Kayaking builds muscle strength in more areas than just the arms.

We should all stress a little (or a lot) less.

As many physical benefits as there are to paddling, there are just as many mental ones. Exercise decreases stress by increasing endorphins, bringing athletes to the present moment and actually lifting moods. Time spent outdoors comes with many benefits too, the least of which is vitamin D intake.

Confidence is the key

Overcoming extreme challenges like whitewater rapids, or even paddling a longer distance than you did last time, is a way to build confidence and positive self-image, but bear in mind the beginner should take it slow.

tips for beginner kayakers:

• Pick the right vessel – wide is easier to get in and out of but narrow glides through the water better.  One with a skag or keel for stability.
• Short kayaks are typically used for white water rafting while longer kayaks are used for touring which is the one a beginner should invest in.
• Purchase a pair of water shoes and bicycle gloves (without fingers) as paddling creates blister.
• Make sure you wear sun screen and take an energy bar.
• Purchase a good, light weight paddle
• Wear a personal flotation device and a hat to protect against the sun
• Watch the weather -  it would not hurt to invest in a inexpensive weather alert device
• Purchase a dry bag

• Carry a compass or a GPS device
• Paddle with pals – it is always good to have walkie-talkies and 20-30 feet of nylon rope.
• Land markers are vital to even the most experienced kayakers
• Unless you have a pick-up truck you will also need to purchase a car rack which is easily installed but can be rather pricey.  Check to make sure your car roof can handle the extra weight.
• Store your kayak on its side and never flat

No More Bake Sales

A month or so after federal regulations for school cafeterias kicked in, states are already pushing back.

Specifically, they're fighting nutrition standards that would considerably alter one of the most sacred rituals of the American public school system: bake sales.

Twelve states have established their own policies to circumvent regulations in the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 that apply to "competitive snacks," or any foods and beverages sold to students on school grounds that are not part of the Agriculture Department's school meal programs, according to the National Association of State Boards of Education.

Georgia is the latest state to announce an exemption to the federal regulations, which became effective July 1 for thousands of public schools across the country. Its rule would allow 30 food-related fundraising days per school year that wouldn't meet the new healthy nutritional standards, which call for more healthy options and less junk food that could contribute to the nation's child-obesity problem.

The pushback is not about students' taste buds, but their wallets. Food fundraisers are a crucial source of revenue for schools, state education officials say. 

"Tough economic times have translated into fewer resources and these fundraisers allow our schools to raise a considerable amount of money for very worthwhile education programs," the Georgia Department of Education wrote in a recent press release.

 "While we are concerned about the obesity epidemic, limiting food-and-beverage fundraisers at schools and school-related events is not the solution to solving it."

The statement called the federal guidelines on fundraisers "an absolute overreach of the federal government."

Tennessee also plans to allow 30 food-fundraising days that don't comply with federal standards per school year. Idaho will allow 10, while Illinois is slowly weaning schools off their bake sales, hoping to shrink them from an annual 36 days to nine days in the next three years. Florida and Alabama are considering creating their own exemption policies.

State-level resistance to the healthy-eating regulations has support in Washington. This spring, Republicans tried to delay implementation of new school cafeteria requirements by one year through a proposed 2015 Agriculture Department spending bill.

Feds Want Fat Kids to Walk

The federal government is spending more than $1.5 million to research how “bicycle trains” and “walking school buses” can help obese children lose weight.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is currently funding two studies to a researcher at Seattle Children’s Hospital, both of which aim to get more children to stop riding the school bus.

Dr. Jason Mendoza has received $405,835 for a pilot study on “bicycle trains,” or a group of kids who bike to school with adult chaperons. The project is billed as a “low-cost, practical program to reduce risk of obesity for at-risk children.”

The study, which just got underway in two Seattle elementary schools, is focusing on “low-income and ethnic minority children,” who are at the highest risk for obesity, according to the grant.

The project first received funding in February 2013, and will continue until next January. Mendoza, a pediatrician and associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine, is following 80 fourth and fifth graders for the “pilot cluster.”

The study’s premise is that there is a correlation between the decline in walking to school and the increase in childhood obesity in recent decades.

“U.S. children’s active commuting to school (ACS; walking or cycling to school), previously common (48% in 1969) is now uncommon (13% in 2009),” the grant said. “This decline coincided with the obesity epidemic, which disproportionately affects low-income and ethnic minority children.”

The grant said increasing children’s physical activity is “necessary,” and bicycle trains have not yet been tested as a way to achieve that goal.

“The bicycle train is an innovative program in which children cycle to and from school led by adults,” the grant said. “Bicycle trains provide another option for [active commuting to school] ACS, especially for children who live too far to walk to school.”

The project will look at “barriers/facilitators” to children’s participation in the program, and use GPS data to “identify and measure children’s physical activity intensity and duration while cycling.” Heart rate data will also be observed.

Mendoza said bicycle trains could help fight obesity and climate change.

“The bicycle train program could be widely used to help students get safely to and from school and provide them with a great opportunity for daily physical activity,” he told the Washington Free Beacon in an email. “It may also help cut down on school traffic and vehicle pollution.”

I Don't Remember...

RE1

Researchers have found that a protein active during fetal brain development, called REST, switches back on later in life to protect aging neurons from various stresses, including the toxic effects of abnormal proteins. But in those with Alzheimer's and mild cognitive impairment, the protein -- RE1-Silencing Transcription factor -- is absent from key brain regions.

"Our work raises the possibility that the abnormal protein aggregates associated with Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases may not be sufficient to cause dementia; you may also need a failure of the brain's stress response system," said Bruce Yankner, Harvard Medical School professor of genetics and leader of the study, in a release.

"If true, this opens up a new area in terms of treatment possibilities for the more than 5 million Americans currently living with Alzheimer's disease," said Yankner, who in the 1990s was the first to demonstrate the toxic effects of amyloid beta, the hallmark abnormal protein in Alzheimer's.

The research, published in the journal Nature, underscores a different way of looking at neurodegenerative diseases. Instead of focusing on the negative changes that cause disease, researchers examined trouble spots in the brain's ability to protect itself over time.

Yankner said the study suggests a person may be able to resist the toxic effects of Alzheimer's if REST levels remain high.

"If we could activate this stress-resistance gene network with drugs, it might be possible to intervene in the disease quite early," he added in a release. "Since Alzheimer's strikes late in life, delaying the onset of disease by just a few years could have a very substantial impact."

In separate, but related research, a new study out of Temple University's School of Medicine this week suggests chronic sleep disturbances could speed up the onset of dementia and Alzheimer's disease in older adults.

Yet another recent study found that a simple blood test could detect with 90 percent accuracy whether or not a healthy person will develop Alzheimer's.

Grow Your Brain

We know all about the upsides of fresh air and a bit of scenery – but according to a study, going for a walk could also make your brain grow.

Researchers found that an energetic stroll three times a week increased the size of the hippocampus, the brain’s memory hub, which is one of the first areas to be destroyed by Alzheimer’s disease.

They asked 120 men and women aged between 55 and 80 to go for a brisk 40-minute walk three times a week.

Normally, the brain shrinks with age. But scans done after a year showed participants’ key regions – including the hippocampus – had grown by up to 2 per cent, the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s annual conference heard.

Scientists explained that the growth took up to two years off the brain’s age – a change they said marked an ‘enormous’ improvement. However another group who had been asked to do a series of simple stretching exercises over the year saw the same brain regions shrink by around 1.5 per cent.

Lead researcher Dr Kirk Erickson, from the University of Pittsburgh, said: ‘You don’t need highly vigorous physical activity to see these effects. This may sound like it is a modest amount but it’s like reversing the age clock by a couple of years.’

Dr Erickson explained that while exercise isn’t a magic bullet when it comes to fighting dementia, it seems to be one of the best ways of keeping the mind sharp.

He told the Chicago conference: ‘Most of the population is still very sedentary and it’s very difficult to get people up and moving.

‘We aren’t training older people to run marathons. We are getting them up and moving at a moderate exercise level several times a week and seeing enormous improvements over a period of several months.’

He added: ‘The brain remains modifiable well into late adulthood. Even though brain shrinkage and cognitive decline occurs, it doesn’t seem to be as inevitable as we once thought.

‘Physical activity seems to be one of the most positive approaches for affecting cognitive brain health and cognition in late adulthood and throughout lifespan.’

He went on to say that combining physical activity with mental exercise – such as solving puzzles – is also beneficial.

Elizabeth Stine-Morrow, professor of psychology from the University of Illinois, stressed that it is never too early to start doing mental or physical exercise.

She said: ‘The earlier you change your everyday habits, the better off you are. But by the same token, it’s never too late.’

Dr Erickson said different types of exercise boost the brain in slightly different ways – the key is to find one you like.

He said: ‘Most of the population is still very sedentary and it’s very difficult to get people up and moving but there are a few things that we have learned.

‘One thing is that you have to do something that you enjoy.

Drink Coffee Everyday!!!

According to a study done in 2005, "nothing else comes close" to providing as many antioxidants as coffee. While fruits and vegetables also have tons of antioxidants, the human body seems to absorb the most from coffee.

Researchers at the Seoul National University examined the brains of rats who were stressed with sleep deprivation and discovered that those who were exposed to coffee aromas experienced changes in brain proteins tied to that stress.

Science Daily reported in 2012 that drinking coffee may help people with Parkinson's disease control their movement. Ronald Postuma, MD, the study author, said, "Studies have shown that people who use caffeine are less likely to develop Parkinson's disease, but this is one of the first studies in humans to show that caffeine can help with movement symptoms for people who already have the disease."

A study published in 2006 that included 125,000 people over 22 years showed that those who drink at least one cup of coffee a day were 20 percent less to develop liver cirrhosis -- an autoimmune disease caused by excessive alcohol consumption that could lead to liver failure and cancer. 

Arthur L Klatsky, the lead author of the study, told The Guardian, "Consuming coffee seems to have some protective benefits against alcoholic cirrhosis, and the more coffee a person consumes the less risk they seem to have of being hospitalised or dying of alcoholic cirrhosis."

Studies have also shown that coffee can help prevent people from developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). An international team of researchers led by Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School revealed that drinking four or more cups of coffee or tea a day may be beneficial in preventing the progression of NAFLD.

 A study done by the National Institute of Health found that those who drink four or more cups of coffee were about 10 percent less likely to be depressed than those who had never touched the java. And apparently it's not because of the "caffeine high" -- Coke can also give you a caffeine high, but it's linked to depression.

A study done by the Harvard School of Public Health determined that drinking between two and four cups of coffee can reduce the risk of suicide in men and women by about 50 percent. The proposed reason is because coffee acts as a mild antidepressant by aiding in the production of neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline.

China Poisons Its Citizens

Nearly 20 million people in China could be exposed to water contaminated with arsenic, a study suggests.

Scientists used information about the geology of the country to predict the areas most likely to be affected by the poison.

The report is published in the journal Science.

Arsenic occurs naturally in the Earth's crust, but if it leaches into groundwater, long-term exposure can cause serious health risks.  These include skin problems and cancers of the skin, lungs, bladder and kidney.

Until now, estimating the scale of arsenic contamination in large countries has been difficult.

China is thought to have more than 10 million drinking wells, and each needs to be screened to establish whether any toxic compounds are present. This process could take decades.

click to enlarge

Instead, researchers from Switzerland and China looked at geological maps of the country.

“What it is very important to do is to go to the areas that are hotspots and screen those first, ” said  Dr. Annette Johnson, EAWAG

Dr Annette Johnson, from the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (EAWAG) and a co-author of the study, explained: "In the last few years the amount of geospatial information - electronic maps - that's become available is large. You have information such as climate data, land use, and distance to the river or elevation."

Using this information, and by looking at the types of rocks present in the country, and in particular their age, the researchers pinpointed the regions where the toxic element is most likely to be found.

Their findings suggest that 19.6 million people in China could be exposed to unsafe levels in their drinking water, including some living in areas not previously thought to be at risk.  Read more:  

Life is Short. Live it Now.

By Laura Heffner    

How many times do you hear about someone retiring after working many years and then their health declines and with it, all their well-laid plans of "when I retire" go out the window?  It's a cruel irony is it not?  My mother retired in late 2010.  March 2011 diagnosed with lung cancer and this is after being diagnosed with colon cancer in 2006 before she retired.  Goes through chemo, surgery and just this past week has two new tumors and possibly bone cancer.  

I think of all the years she worked.  Starting in 1981 as a receptionist with no real college education at her place of employment, she worked her way up into a corporate director.  Many years of long hours, weekends, travel and a vacation here and there (though she was dogged with a Blackberry in later years) and time with her family.  She planned all these things she wanted to do in her yard for when she retired.  Not that she seemed to have grandiose plans.  She was forced to retire during the economic downturn.  I think it took her by surprise.  

This past week I thought about how hard she worked.  Hours lost with her family.  And for what really?  To be forced out before she was ready.  Granted she was given a good severance package etc. but it was not on her terms.  Her life revolved heavily around her job and her grandkids.  She is in her early 70's, which seems young to have to deal with all of this cancer but it can really strike us at any time.  You really never know how much time you have.

So why wait until you retire?  Why kill yourself at that job and sacrifice all that time with your family if it means in the end, they toss you on your ass or you get sick the moment you retire or worse, you never make it to retirement age at all.  Granted we have to continue being responsible but what could you enjoy today that you might not be able to when you are older?  Why take the chance?

Each day is a gift.  How many have I squandered away?  Hundreds, thousands? I'm sure.  I am trying to be more mindful about my day to day existence.  I have been thinking about my job, my life in general, what I could do today that I have been putting off until later?  How can I be a better daughter? Parent? Wife? Friend?  How can I serve those around me rather than being afraid to give?  What do I have on my bucket list that maybe I shouldn't put off until years down the road?  

All we have is today.  There are no guarantees.  

Time to Roll One

Selling Weed

Businesses are ramping up production, and trade associations are cleaning up their image, anticipating what could be a billion-dollar industry - selling marijuana for recreational use.

But the entrepreneurs who are hoping to cash in on the “green rush” starting next year are struggling with the unique challenges of conducting a business that the federal government considers a crime.

The state’s pot producers and retailers are having trouble securing business financing because banks won’t give them loans — and most of the time, not even an account.

State lawmakers are about to shake up the marketplace in unpredictable ways with regulations covering everything from the shape of containers to the labeling required for pot-laced brownies and other “infused products.”

And business owners say they’re anxious about the intentions of the federal government, which could seize millions of dollars they have invested or even send them to prison.

At a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this month, Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said that he would soon announce a response to the initiatives in Colorado and Washington last year legalizing pot for recreational use. The federal government, which deems marijuana a controlled substance, could upend the plans of Colorado entrepreneurs at any moment.

Last year, the state’s voters approved a constitutional amendment to “regulate marijuana like alcohol” for adults to buy in small amounts, building on the state’s 13-year-old law allowing the sale of marijuana to medical patients. Under the new measure, marijuana stores, or dispensaries, must register with the state, but many of the other regulations governing pot sales are still being finalized.

Kristi Kelly, 35, began selling medical marijuana three years ago and plans to grow the business when recreational sales become legal in 2014. Her Good Meds company includes three stores and two industrial indoor gardens.

Wearing a blue blazer and knee-high leather boots on a recent tour of her operation, Kelly was more dressed up than most of her customers and employees. Some sat on couches in hooded sweatshirts and dreadlocks trimming dried marijuana plants. Jimi Hendrix played in the background.

She led the way through one of her “grow facilities,” a 65,000-square-foot garden where plants at different stages were segregated into different rooms by maturity.

“We have about 10 rooms that look exactly like this,” Kelly said over the hum of a humidifier. A chain of 1,000-watt fixtures showered bright light on dozens of plants so heavily laden with large flowers that they were supported by a net. A valve on the wall periodically spurted carbon dioxide.

A Washington, D.C. native, Kelly has a high-energy demeanor that seems more at home on the East Coast than in laid-back Denver. A former ad agency executive who once managed accounts for government agencies such as the U.S. Mint, she said she deals with the uncertainty of operating in a legal gray area by keeping a close watch on risks she can control, such as security and compliance with state rules.

 

HOW IS YOUR MEMORY/

As Reported in Futurist Magazine

Brain Pacemakers To Stop Memory Loss?

Can a cybernetic brain implant help the elderly keep their memories? In December, a team of researchers from Johns Hopkins University implanted a pacemaker-like device in a patient in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. The device sends electrical pulses to areas inside the brain, a treatment that’s referred to as deep brain stimulation.

Deep brain stimulation has proven effective in treating types of Parkinson’s disease, as well as severe depression. Early results from a previous Toronto study suggest that the technique could be useful in slowing or even reversing the effects of Alzheimer’s, as well. Early-stage sufferers who received the device saw an increase in their levels of glucose metabolism over the course of 13 months--a positive sign, since glucose metabolism is a good indicator of increased neuronal activity. Without such stimulation, most Alzheimer’s patients show decreased glucose metabolism in that time.

The United States spends more than $172 billion a year treating the more than 5.3 million Americans who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Within the next 40 years, the number of people diagnosed with the disease is expected to triple as the U.S. baby-boomer population ages. Despite decades of expensive research, scientists have never discovered a drug to reverse the effects of Alzheimer’s disease.

"This is a very different approach, whereby we are trying to enhance the function of the brain mechanically. It's a whole new avenue for potential treatment for a disease becoming all the more common with the aging of the population,"  said Johns Hopkins researcher Paul B. Rosenberg.
Some 40 people are expected to receive the implant in 2013 at Johns Hopkins and four other institutions in the United States and Canada.  Source: Johns Hopkins University.
 

Click to enlarge

However, Brain Pacemakers are also being studied in other places of the world as well, like Germany at the University of Bonn.

In 2009, the Bonn scientists were able to establish that brain pacemakers also demonstrate an effect in the most severely depressed patients. Ten subjects who underwent implantation of electrodes in the nucleus accumbens all experienced relief of symptoms. Half of the subjects had a particularly noticeable response to the stimulation by the electrodes.

“In the current study, we investigated whether these effects last over the long term or whether the effects of the deep brain stimulation gradually weaken in patients,” says Prof. Schläpfer. There are always relapses in the case of psychotherapy or drug treatment. Many patients had already undergone up to 60 treatments with psychotherapy, medications and electroconvulsive therapy, to no avail. “By contrast, in the case of deep brain stimulation, the clinical improvement continues steadily for many years.”

The scientists observed a total of eleven patients over a period of two to five years. “Those who initially responded to the deep brain stimulation are still responding to it even today,” says the Bonn psychiatrist, summarizing the results. During the study, one patient committed suicide. “That is very unfortunate,” says Prof. Schläpfer.

“However, this cannot always be prevented in the case of patients with very severe depression.“

And, like everything else in the world of data, extremes (or outliers) only serve the prove the rule; yet, this is still encouraging.