Psychologist Nova Cobban, 43, was surprised to find out she had a higher risk for developing cancer after undergoing genetic testing. The wife and mother was having stomach issues last year and decided to see what could be causing her discomfort. Initially worried about food allergies, she then discovered she had the BRCA2 gene mutation, which can be an early indicator of developing breast or ovarian cancer.

The process was simple I sent off a mouth swab and three months later, in July 2021, the results arrived. But when I opened the app, I noticed the cancer section had a warning flag, Nova said in an interview. I wasnt especially worried it could have been anything so I flicked through.

Even though Nova is well-equipped to handle such information considering what she does for a living, she still said it was hard to take in.

I was aware of Angelina Jolie s story but I didnt immediately equate this finding to needing preventative surgery like her, she said. Initially, I felt nonplussed not anxious.

Related: Angelina Jolie On Her Mastectomy Decision Im More Likely To Meet My Grandchildren And The Scars Are Positive Reminders

In 2013, Jolie bravely shared that she had had a preventative mastectomy and hysterectomy after finding out she carried the BRCA1 gene mutation, which put the mom-of-six at a higher risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. Jolies decision was also largely due to losing her own mother Marcheline to ovarian cancer at age 56.

The famous previvor raised awareness about genetic testing and paved the way for women around the world to follow suit to protect their health.

Related: Actress Angelina Jolie Lost Her Mom to Ovarian Cancer 14 Years Ago; How Jolie Becoming a Previvor Helped Others

While Jolie inherited her cancer risk from her mother, Nova determined that her risk was likely passed down from her fathers side.

I knew Dads mum had died quite young and was vaguely aware shed had breast cancer, she explained of her familys health history. However, Id had no idea the BRCA2 gene could be passed down the paternal line.

What is a BRCA Mutation?

Nova began her research, and found that she could remove her breasts, ovaries and fallopian tubes. She had a talk with her husband, Mark, about how these surgeries could potentially affect their relationship, physically and emotionally. Although the choice was hers alone, she valued his thoughts on the decision, and luckily had his full support.

Related: Sandra Lee Celebrates 56th In Italy With Fianc Ben Youcef, 43, On Sunset Boat Ride: Shes Thriving After Hysterectomy, Double Mastectomy

He said, Look, were married, weve got kids, the last thing we want is to lose you because you havent done this. Of course I wont hate you. Im not saying its not going to be tricky but the alternative is that you could die.

What Are the Options if You Have a High Risk of Developing Breast Cancer?

Nova aims to remove her breasts by the end of this year, but is more concerned of her ovarian cancer risk and getting the ball rolling in that direction as well. Overall, she is handling her health situation with grace under pressure.

Being a psychotherapist means I have the toolkit to cope with stress like this, and am used to dealing with patients going through similar situations, but I also want to show him this can be dealt with pragmatically.

More and more women are learning about the BRCA genes and preventative surgeries, but Nova especially wants people to know that this risk can also be inherited from their fathers side, which many are often surprised to find.

What is aBRCA mutation? BRCA (a breast cancer gene mutation) is actually two genes (BRCA1 and BRCA2), each proteins that work as tumor suppressors. They help repair damaged DNA, and are important for ensuring the stability of each cells genetic material.

When either of these genes is altered, that mutation can mean that its protein product does not function properly, or that damaged DNA may not be repaired correctly. Theseinherited mutationsin BRCA1 and BRCA2 can increase the risk of female breast and ovarian cancers, and have also been associated with increased risks for several other cancers.

Related: Arizona Womens Cancer Doctor Decides To Have Double Mastectomy Due to Family History, Even Though She DOESNT Have The BRCA Gene

Dr. Rebecca Arend, Associate Scientist at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, explains the mutation in terms of its ability to repair damaged DNA.

What a BRCA mutation is, is a defect in your ability to repair a double-strand break (in your DNA), Dr. Arend tells SurvivorNet. The BRCA mutation, which is passed on from a father or a mother, can cause a variety of cancers, including fallopian tube and peritoneal cancer, which are ovarian cancers.

Related: The New Information About Beyonces Dads Breast Cancer The SurvivorNet Guide to BRCA and Inherited Breast Cancer Risk

Dr. Arend says that while roughly 1.3 percent of women in the general population will develop ovarian cancer sometime during their lives, it is estimated that about 44 percent of women who inherit a harmful BRCA1 mutation, and about 17 percent of women who inherit a harmful BRCA2 mutation, will develop ovarian cancer.

Genetic Testing and Ovarian Cancer

Specific mutations inBRCA geneslead to an increased risk of developing breast cancer. People who have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer may want to consider being tested for mutations, particularly if the relative was diagnosed with cancer before age 50. If youve been diagnosed with a BRCA mutation, there are still steps you can take to lower your risk of developing a cancer.

Related: Major Advance: PARP Inhibitor Pill Extends Life For Women With High Risk Breast Cancer & BRCA Mutations

When I meet with women who are at an increased risk for breast cancer because of BRCA mutations, I like to talk about the three options that they have for managing their risk, says Dr. Freya Schnabel, Director of Breast Surgery at NYU Langone Medical Center. Those options are:

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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BRCA Gene Mutation Can Be Passed Down From Father's Side - SurvivorNet

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

A 4.2 million refurbishment scheme will refurbish or renew mechanical and electrical components in Dunball Sluice. This sluice controls flood flows in the Kings Sedgemoor Drain (KSD) and the River Sowy, which is also known as the River Parrett Flood Relief Channel.

Dunball Sluice is a critical structure in the defence of the Somerset Levels and Moors and became operational in 1971. It sits at the location where the Kings Sedgemoor Drain (KSD) meets the tidal River Parrett. 4 gated culverts control water levels by releasing water into the Parrett when the tide permits while preventing the tide from bringing saltwater into the KSD. This would impact nationally and internationally designated freshwater habitats.

The refurbishment will also make environmental improvements to encourage the migration of eels and improve access for otters between the KSD and the River Parrett. Health and safety improvements for Environment Agency staff and contractors who operate and maintain the sluice will also be completed as part of the scheme.

Rachel Burden of the Environment Agency said:

The project will extend the life of Dunball Sluice. Reducing the potential for failure and mitigate the risk of flooding to properties and internationally and nationally important freshwater habitats.

The scheme, funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) with 650,000 partnership funding provided by Somerset Rivers Authority. The scheme will begin at the end of July 2022 and is programmed to be completed by 2024.

Work begins on creating Dunball Sluice which opened in 1971

Cllr Mike Stanton, Chair of Somerset Rivers Authority (SRA), said:

Im delighted that the SRA is helping to make this work possible. Dunball Sluice is a crucial facility. Refurbishing it boosts the SRAs own major scheme to increase the floodwater-carrying capacity of the River Sowy and Kings Sedgemoor Drain.

Sowy-KSD works are being delivered for the SRA by the Environment Agency up until the end of October. As partners were working together to reduce flood risks across a large part of the Somerset Levels and Moors.

The work will not have an impact on the continuing operation of the sluice and all refurbishment works will be undertaken within the compound area.

If there is a need to move water out of the system into the Parrett but the tidal gates cant be used due to the state of the tide. Then temporary pumps can be set up at the sluice to pump water over the structure and into the river. This was last done in 2014 and upgrades have been made since to better accommodate temporary pumps deployed from the nearby Bradney depot.

View original post here:
Dunball Sluice to get 25 year life extension - GOV.UK

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Researchers report that when young and old mice were surgically joined such that they shared blood circulation for three months the old mice did not significantly benefit in terms of lifespan. In contrast, the young mice that were exposed to blood from old animals had significantly decreased lifespan compared to mice that shared blood with other young mice.

The study Three Month Heterochronic Parabiosis Has a Deleterious Effect on the Lifespan of Young Animals, Without a Positive Effect for Old Animals appears in Rejuvenation Research, published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

Our previous study showed that an exchange of blood between heterochronic parabionts for 3 months did not rejuvenate the immune system of the old partners. Moreover, the young immune system became more aged and began to function according to the old principle. Does this forced aging affect all systems of the organism in this model, write the investigators.

We checked the levels of corticosterone, testosterone, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), insulin, and thyroxine in the blood of heterochronic parabionts, but did not find significant changes compared with age-related controls. Since numerous data support the possibility of rejuvenation of the brain, muscles, and other tissues using the model of heterochronic parabiosis, as well as opposite data, we planned to assess the overall effect of this long-term blood exchange on the rate of organism aging.

We measured the life span of animals whose blood was exchanged for 3 months and then were disconnected. Median and maximum life expectancy decreased in young heterochronic parabionts compared with the isochronic control. Old heterochronic parabionts showed only a small trend toward an increase in the median life span, but it was not statistically significant, and the maximum life span did not change compared with the isochronic parabionts.

These data support our assumption that old blood contains factors capable of inducing aging in young animals. The mechanism of selective suppression of aging factor production in the organism could be a key research field for life extension.

Heterochronic parabiosis is a research tool used to assess the effect of organs and of blood-borne factors on young and old animals. Less controlled than direct blood exchange, parabiosis is a model of blood sharing between two surgically connected animals.

Iryna Pishel, from Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University and Bienta Ltd. in Kyiv, Ukraine, where she serves as head of laboratory applied pharmacology, and coauthors used heterochronic parabiosis between young and old mice and the isochronic controls for three months. They then disconnected the animals and studied the effects of being joined on the blood plasma and animal lifespan.

The most robust and interesting result of this study is the fact of a significant decrease in the lifespan of young mice from heterochronic parabiotic pairs, say the scientists. These data support our assumption that old blood contains factors capable of inducing aging in young animals. Finding and selective suppression of aging factor production in the organism could be the key research field for life extension.

This work clarifies the question whether the young blood or old blood controls longevity, which has been debated [for some time]. Are there lasting effects of heterochronic parabiosis and if so, is it a rejuvenation or aging? The work by the Pishel group established that thelifespanof the old mice does not increase after being parabiosed to young mice. In contrast, the young animals that were joined with the old mice suffer a shortened lifespan, even after being disconnected, noted Irina Conboy, PhD, professor, college of engineering, University of California, Berkeley, and editor-in-chief of Rejuvenation Research.

This discovery is important in establishing the accurate direction for clinical anti-aging approaches and in providing key scientific evidence against the potency of the young blood factors in an aged organism. This work neatly follows the previously published by this group report that infusions of young blood plasma into mice, does not increase their lifespan.

On an important note, Pishel conducted these seminal studies as the head of the department at Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University, yet composed the paper as a refugee, from data collected before the outbreak of war. Such important studies were interrupted by the war, and it is hoped that they will soon continue and yield more breakthroughs.

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Old Blood Found to Contain Factors That Induce Aging in Young Animals - Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

HOUSTON, Aug. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- RESA Power, LLC, a market leader in power systems electrical testing, transformer services and life extension solutions for power distribution equipment, has announced the acquisition of Advanced Electrical Services, Ltd.

Based in Alberta, Canada, Advanced Electrical Services (AES) is a NETA accredited company that has two locations in Calgary and Edmonton from which it has been providing electrical testing services since 2008 throughout Western Canada. AES specializes in providing medium and high voltage services and products into the renewable energy, mining, commercial, utility, and oil & gas market segments in Western Canada. RESA Power was acquired by Investcorp, a leading global alternative investment firm, in December 2021 and this marks the first add-on acquisition under their ownership.

Mark Angus, Chief Growth Officer at RESA Power, commented on the acquisition, "RESA Power has worked closely with the team at AES for several years and successfully collaborated on many projects, both in the USA and Canada. This long history of teamwork has deepened the relationship between RESA and AES to the point where this was the next logical step for both companies. Kevin Noonan, Zak Houk, Mark MacHattie, and the rest of the AES team have built a high-quality business that has earned the trust and respect of many customers who operate in the Western Canada marketplace. We view this alliance as providing a robust platform, along with our existing RESA business in Vancouver, to broaden our reach into the Canadian marketplace as well as adding an impressive roster of 30+ highly skilled technicians to the 200+ field technicians already in the RESA Power family."

Kevin Noonan, President, and co-owner of Advanced Electrical Services, added, "We are delighted to formally partner with RESA Power, and feel that our combined expertise and resources will enable us to provide our existing customers not only an enhanced portfolio of products and services, but also broaden our geographic reach, enabling us to meet our customers' requests to service more of their locations from a local base of operations. Additionally, we look forward to partnering with RESA Power on larger projects in both Canada and the USA."

About RESA Power, LLC

RESA Power, a portfolio company of Investcorp, a global alternative investment firm, is a market leader in power systems services and life extension solutions for power distribution equipment used in mission critical environments. With locations across the United States and Canada, RESA Power is uniquely capable of ensuring our customers' critical power systems are safe, reliable, and operating at peak efficiency. The technicians and engineers at RESA Power are experts in testing and servicing transformers, relays, breakers and other key components of power distribution and control systems. RESA Power also provides quick turn-around custom manufactured or retrofit switchgear and breaker solutions and maintains an extensive inventory of obsolete and hard-to-find components. For more information about how to join the RESA Power group, visit http://www.resapower.com or follow us @RESAPower on LinkedIn

Media Contact:RESA PowerJulia BaranavaMarketing Manager832-900-8343342079@email4pr.com

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View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/resa-power-bolsters-its-presence-in-canada-with-the-acquisition-of-advanced-electrical-services-ltd-301601587.html

SOURCE RESA Power

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RESA Power Bolsters Its Presence in Canada With the Acquisition of Advanced Electrical Services, Ltd. - Yahoo Finance

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Much of the anti-aging focus isnt about radical life extension or ageless bodies, but rather about dodging the bad stuff until the final years of life

Publishing date:

Aging is getting so old.

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Paul McCartney, who turned 80 in June, likes to cap his workouts by balancing on his head, feet in the air, for five minutes and credits yoga ocular exercises (look up, centre, down, diagonally, and then around and around) for keeping his eyesight sharp.

Gloria Steinem, 88, is offering American women seeking abortions the guest room in her Manhattan home. Dont agonize. Organize, the feminist icon told pro-choice supporters after the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Harrison Ford, who turned 80 in July, has a fifth Indiana Jones film scheduled for release next year. Beloved British actor Patrick Stewart, 82, who shares a birthday with Ford, recently wrapped up shooting season three of his series Star Trek: Picard and was still rocking a toned midsection and biceps at 75. I dream of Jeannie star Barbara Eden (91 in August) does resistance training and eats like a carnivore. I like steak.

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In Canada, Jean Chrtien, 88, is funny and sharp as ever and recently scored as the most popular prime minister in modern Canadian history. Gordon Lightfoot, 83, who has a piece of steel and 10 pins in his right wrist after fracturing the joint last fall is among the scheduled headliners at this summers Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto. None of us is getting any younger, the legendary octogenarian singer-songwriter told the Toronto Sun last fall. Were all aware of that. And if we can be doing it, we might as well be doing it.

And, yeah, theyre doing it. Eighty is the new 60, or so the buzzy trope goes. The extension of life is one of the great medical and social miracles of the last century. Life expectancy in Canada in the year 1900 was 51. When parliament passed the Medical Care Act in 1966, men could expect to see their high 60s, women 75. Were now sitting at just under 80 for men, and 84 for women. Nearly one in five of us are 65 or older. Centenarians, the 100 and older, are the fastest-growing age demographic in the country.

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Its the triumph of aging, said Dr. Samir Sinha, director of geriatrics at Mount Sinai and the University Health Network hospitals in Toronto. Were seeing lots more people, an incredible number, who are living at much older ages and surviving to those ages in relatively good health.

Its true that people who make it to 100 and beyond dont necessarily make it there in perfect health; half will be living with some form of cognitive impairment, though they do manage problems like heart troubles or stroke remarkably well. And yes, people are living longer, but not universally or uniformly so.

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Its largely a benefit of the rich and the middle class, said bioethicist Arthur Caplan. In some countries, if you make it to 50 youre lucky. The poor do not live longer, said Caplan, head of medical ethics at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Almost eight million adults in Canada are obese. Moderate obesity takes, on average, three years off a persons life. Severe obesity, 10 years.

Women generally outlive men. Those kinds of demographics get lost in the 80 is the new 60 buzz, Caplan said. Are you getting first-rate health care? Do you have access to a good, varied, nutritious diet? Do you exercise? Are you in a situation where theres not a lot of stress and worry?

There are hints about whats going on diet, decent health care, more healthy habits, more years in school, it helps to be rich that dont involve any big mysteries.

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Fewer children dying from infant infections and diseases, more women surviving childbirth, sanitation, vaccines, antibiotics, surgeries, earlier and better management of high blood pressure and coronary artery disease and strides in cancer care also brought us here. In the 60s and 70s we started realizing smoking was really bad for you, said Dr. Thomas Perls, director of the large and long-running New England Centenarian Study. Make it to 65 in Canada today, and you can expect about 20 years of life expectancy ahead of you, Sinha said. The good news is fewer numbers of those extra years are going to be spent in poor health. Things that would have killed us decades ago like a heart attack or stroke now Ive had people whove had multiple heart attacks and strokes and are still ticking along and youre like, wow, because of the advent of medical science.

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Dementia is among the most dreaded diseases of the old. But because of efforts to identify and modify risk factors like high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol we actually have fewer people living with dementia today than we thought wed have 10 or 20 years ago, Sinha said.

Much of the anti-aging focus isnt about radical life extension or ageless bodies envisioned by immortalists, but rather about compressing morbidity, dodging the bad stuff until the final years of life and slowing the onset of age-related dysfunction, so that people live well, and then die suddenly. Youre here, and then youre not.

The oldest human on record is Jeanne Calment, a French woman who died at age 122 in 1997 and who was still riding a bike at 100 and chain-smoking until the age of 117. A Japanese woman, Kana Tanaka, died in April, aged 119. She was chatty, liked soft drinks and board games and worked until she was 103.

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In the aging and longevity spheres, many millions are being sunk into regenerative medicine using cell-based therapies to reprogram cells and wind them back to more youthful states to repair or replace damaged tissue, from battered joint cartilage to scarred heart muscle. Researchers are testing the potential of metformin, the most widely prescribed anti-diabetes drug in the world, and other senolytic drugs to clear out undead senescent cells, so-called zombie cells that are haggard and old and have stopped proliferating but that refuse to die off. Instead, they loiter, oozing inflammatory molecules that drive age-related damage to tissues throughout the body.

Another movement is to push out the lifespan through genetic enhancement, finding ways to manipulate or mimic survival genes that increase longevity. Forget the free radicals and lets all pop antioxidants theory, says Harvard molecular biologist David Sinclair. We have the technology, Im telling you today, to be able to go into our hundreds without worrying about getting cancer in your 70s, heart disease in your 80s, and Alzheimers in your 90s, Sinclair told a recent 2022 Life Itself conference. This is the world thats coming. Its not really a question of if. Its literally a question of when. And for most of us, its gonna happen in our lifetime.

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Why do we even age? Sinclair uses an analogy about a nicked compact disc to explain what he calls his information theory of aging. Were not so much losing the digital music in the cell, the genes, he said, but the epigenetic information, the systems in the body that read the DNA, and tell genes whether to switch on or off. A skin cell doesnt want to turn on the same genes as a brain cell. That would be a problem. Genes that arent needed are bundled up. But, like a scratched up CD, the epigenome get messed up over time from DNA damage, and those bundles start to unravel. Genes that should be switched on get turned off, and vice versa. Cells lose their identity and function, Sinclair told his audience. That is why we age, why we get sick and why most of us die. His team is working on a way to polish the CD to get cells working properly again and reverse age-related diseases like glaucoma. In one experiment, they made blind mice see again.

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Inflammaging, or inflamm-aging, a chronic, low-grade inflammation that accumulates over time through diet, infections and environmental exposures, has also been implicated. Still, theres no one, tidy biological mechanism to explain biological aging, said Parminder Raina, a professor at McMaster University and lead principal investigator of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. His team has a new paper, not yet published but under review, that found people with early childhood adversity sexual, physical, or emotional abuse, parental conflicts age faster. They have faster epigenetic clocks than kids who werent exposed to those traumas.

We need to understand what normal aging looks like. Once we understand that, it might give us some sense of what early interventions might help, said Raina who, at 62, is in better physical shape than he was in his 30s.

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In some countries, if you make it to 50 you're lucky

He jogs, runs, walks, swims, eats healthy, plays golf. Social engagement is important to him. But he doesnt like the 80 is the new fill in the blank. It implies a certain level of ageism. Theres a tremendous amount of heterogeneity in the way we age, he says. Some age well, despite challenges, others, free of disease, not so well. Having a sense of purpose is critical. Loss of purpose is a deadly phenomenon, Raina said. Above everything else if we can get people to think about how they live, how they engage, how they participate in their communities, what creates purpose, that will take us a longer way on the healthy lifespan path than any drug or medication or biological pathway discoveries will ever do.

The human body is like any machine. It has wear and tear with time, no matter what we do. And that is going to catch up.

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Our life expectancy isnt increasing as fast as it once did. There are more centenarians. But, on average, we arent becoming 90-year-olds as rapidly as we saw earlier in the last 20, 30 years, Raina said. COVID-19 already has cut the life expectancy in dozens of countries. In Canada, deaths due to COVID reduced life expectancy at birth by about half a year in 2020, dropping it to what it was six years earlier.

Without some form of physiological or genetic engineering, Caplan pegs the upper limit at about 110 to 115 years max. But one recent paper set the fundamental or absolute limit of the human lifespan at 120 to 150 years, at which point the body simply runs out of resilience. For now, how to live longer and healthier comes down to the basics. The biggest contributor to a rather aptly named molecule known as GrimAge acceleration thought to drive a range of age-related disease is smoking, while a healthy diet has an inverse effect.

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In a recent virtual chat, Perls appealed to his centenarians and their families to send his team samples of their feces. Perls thinks its a pretty sure bet that different populations of bacteria in the gut and the substances those bacteria produce are playing a role in slowing or accelerating aging.

Some of his centenarians are also being asked if they might be willing to donate their brains upon death. Perls explained that the brain is removed at the funeral home, then quickly transported to a brain pathology lab at UCLA where a huge amount of study is performed to try to understand, for example, why the person, when alive, had zero signs of cognitive impairment, but had evidence of Alzheimers disease at autopsy. We call those people resistant, and we want to find out how resistance happens. Understand those biological mechanisms, and it may be possible to develop a strategy or drug to slow down the progression of the big ones, like Alzheimers, stroke, heart disease, diabetes and even some cancers.

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With age the brain shrinks in volume by one to two per cent a year. Others are showing how exercise reduces inflammation in the brain and induces the birth of new neurons in the hippocampus, the area involved in memory. Resistance training seems to have the biggest impact on cognitive function for older adults.

Why isnt entirely clear, but it seems resistance training is more mentally taxing. It includes a cognitive component, said Lindsay Nagamatsu an assistant professor at Western University. Learning to use new machines and the proper form, keeping track of weight loads and reps. Its more of a mentally stimulating activity compared to aerobic training.

On average, we arent becoming 90-year-olds as rapidly as we saw earlier in the last 20, 30 years

What else is good for the brain? A Mediterranean style diet, Nagamatsu said, so a lot of fish and nuts. Alcohol in moderation. Anything that increases inflammation obesity, heart disease, diabetes will affect the brain and increase the risk of dementia. Humans have evolved to the point that, rather remarkably, most of us should be able to live to about age 90, provided we dont squander our bodies, Pearls said in an interview with National Post. Average life expectancies are less than 90 years, and I think thats because people are taking their bodies for granted and can do some pretty harmful things, whether that be smoking or being obese or not getting enough sleep.

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Pearls also thinks avoiding, or at least limiting, red meat is a good idea. Sinclairs tips for keeping body and mind in optimal shape include exercising between 10 to 30 minutes three times a week at an intensity that causes you to pant, a little fasting (he eats one main meal a day) and good sleep. Personality traits also seem to matter. Centenarians tend not to be neurotic they tend not to worry about things they cant change, which presumably translates to lower stress, Boston University centenarian researcher Stacy Andersen said on the virtual update with Perls and high in extroversion.

Most, about 90 per cent, are disability free up to their early to mid-90s. It doesnt mean no diseases, ever, along the way, he said. But they have a history of managing these problems much, much better. The goal is about how to age better, which is different from aging longer, Caplan said. For many, their worst nightmare would be living a lot longer but with a devastating brain disease like Alzheimers or Lewy body dementia.

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But neither should older people be considered dependent beings past their due dates. Older workers could be one solution to Canadas labour shortage. We are starting to realize, why are we pushing people out the door at 65? We can probably get another five, 10 good years out of people, Sinha said.

There are some grumblings about inter-generational tensions, that younger people will be denied jobs or advancements if they have to wait for older people to get out of the way. But countries with aging populations like Canada have low unemployment rates relative to younger populations, Raina said, because older people create wealth.

He and others said we need new ways of thinking about policies and social programs, like old age pensions. We assume everybody over 65 is declining. Thats not the case. It is a way more heterogeneous population than their kids.

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But how old is too old to keep working? U.S. President Joe Biden, who turns 80 in November, is showing signs of frailty and loss of energy, said Caplan, even though hes not cognitively limited, and people, I think, politically want a dynamic leader. Part of Donald Trumps magic was that he could come off as dynamic, energetic, and tireless, Caplan said, even though he was obese and taking a nap all the time.

Age is going to hurt Biden, Caplan said. My prediction is he wont run again. Trump may fall to the same problem.

Brain processes like attention, memory, executive function, decision making, planning and judgment are critical core functions in high-risk activities or jobs like flying a plane, or leading a country, Nagamatsu, of Western U, said.

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But its an individual, case-by-case thing. The degree and rate of decline varies widely and isnt just determined by age, she said. Theres no magical age that says time to stop. Im sure that you know some individuals who are much younger that would not be fit to lead a country.

The market is responding to aging consumers with devices to help them stay healthy and independent longer. Some of Sinhas patients refuse to wear the clunky pendants that come with some personal emergency response systems, or PERS. I dont want to wear that cowbell, one told him. But bundle a PERS in a sleek smart watch, and there you have it. We have to remember that older people, like younger people theyre vain, Sinha said.

Why wear something that makes you feel old?

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Why 80 is the new 60: 'It's the triumph of aging' but not for everyone - National Post

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

By Peter LoewiThe Nome Census Area returned to the CDCs high community transmission level last week after a small infection surge was detected in Nome and five surrounding villages.As of press time on Tuesday, there are 19 active cases in the region: Twelve in Nome, three in Elim, two in Wales, one in Golovin and one in Unalakleet.While statewide hospital capacity remains available, the case rates have been among the highest in the nation. Also last week, Alaska reached the unfortunate distinction of being the state with the highest per-capita rates of COVID-19 overall since the start of the pandemic.Current hospitalizations in Alaska are the highest they have been since mid-February.The City of Nome continues to provide masks and at-home tests free of charge. They can be picked up at the City Hall, the Nome Recreation Center and the Richard Foster Building at the Kegoayah Kozga Public Library.The original batches of at-home tests distributed by the City list an expiration date of June, but in July, the Food and Drug Administration granted a three-month shelf-life extension to both the iHealth Antigen Rapid Tests and the AccessBio Antigen Home Tests. As the tests are under Emergency Use Authorization, the actual efficacy over time is still being studied. According to a FDA factsheet, Once the test manufacturer has more stability testing results, such as 12 or 18 months, the test manufacturer can contact the FDA to request that the FDA authorize a longer shelf-life. When a longer shelf-life is authorized, the expiration dates will be extended and the test manufacturer may send a notice to customers to provide the new authorized expiration dates, so the customers know how long they can use the tests they already have.Of the 22 authorized at-home over-the-counter diagnostics tests listed on the FDA website, nine have had their original expiration dates extended by several months.On Saturday, President Joe Biden again tested positive for COVID-19, in what is being called a COVID rebound case. In late May, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health alert about people testing positive a second time shortly after receiving a course of Pfizers antiviral drug Paxlovid. Rebounds do not appear to lead to serious illness, and after mild symptoms the first time, the president is said to be asymptomatic.As cases rose across the country, the FDA had debated allowing younger adults to get a second booster, as the immunity granted by the shots wane. However, as even the single booster provides robust protection against hospitalization and death, the plan for summer boosters has been delayed until the fall, by which point an Omicron-specific booster is expected to be available.

The week in numbers:On Tuesday, July 26, Norton Sound Health Corporation identified 12 new cases of COVID-19 in the region. Seven cases were in Nome, two were in Elim. Brevig Mission, Shishmaref and Unalakleet each had one case.This meant that the number of active cases in the region reached 42. Twenty-four of the active cases were in Nome, seven were in Unalakleet, five in Elim, three in Brevig Mission, two in Wales and one in Shishmaref.On Wednesday, July 27, NSHC identified six new cases of COVID-19 in the region. Three of the new cases were in Nome. Brevig Mission, Shaktoolik and Shishmaref each had one.The number of active cases across the region dropped to 37. There were 24 in Nome, five in Unalakleet, three in Brevig Mission, and one in each of Shaktoolik, Shishmaref and Wales.On Thursday, July 28, NSHC identified eight new cases of COVID-19: Five in Unalakleet, two in Nome, and one in Brevig.On Friday, July 29, NSHC identified three new cases: One in each of Golovin, Nome and Wales.On Saturday, July 30, NSHC identified two new cases: One in each of Nome and Wales.On Sunday, July 31, NSHC identified four new cases all in Nome.The weekend releases brought the number of active cases in the region down to 16. There were nine active cases in Nome, four in Unalakleet, two in Wales, and one in Golovin.On Monday, August 1, NSHC identified seven new cases. Four of them were in Nome and three were in Elim. There are 19 active cases in the region: 12 in Nome, three in Elim, two in Wales, one in Golovin, and one in Unalakleet.Since the start of the pandemic the USA has had 91,485 officially reported cases of COVID-19 and 1,030,564 associated deaths.Alaska has had at least 271,101 cases of COVID-19, 3,826 hospitalizations and 1,275 deaths. There are currently 83 people hospitalized due to COVID-19.Nome, the Bering Strait and Norton Sound region has had at least 6,235 cases, 46 hospitalizations and six deaths.

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COVID infection numbers are slightly rising - The Nome Nugget

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The Role

Do you seek a tree change or an opportunity to earn a big city salary and live the country life? Our ideal candidate will be suited to working on a relatively small Defence site located in Scottsdale, Tasmania. A small rural community - where the air is cleaner, the grass is greener, the food is fresher and nature abounds with serenity and adventure. We will cover all reasonable relocation costs.

We provide opportunities for a long standing career where you can be supported to grow your expertise through on-going formal and informal learning and development activities.

We are seeking an enthusiastic and resourceful food scientist to join our niche team of food scientists, in partnering with academia, Government and industry, to conduct world-class collaborative research and development on shelf-stable foods. You will find creative solutions for complex technical problems across a range of food science and technology fieldsinvestigating, interpreting and transforming knowledge and technology into Defence capabilities. You will have the opportunity to understand challenges, analyse problems and deliver food and feeding solutions with immediate and enduring positive impact to Defence; as well as opportunity for further training and career development.

In this your role as a Food Science Researcher you will:

At times, the role may require significant hands-on effort at the laboratory bench and in the food research pilot plant, including preparation, experiment execution and clean-up activities. At times, the role may involve significant desk-based effort to review the literature, analyse data and write reports, and to perform other computer-based tasks. The role also includes experimentation and data collection in military environments, for example during field training exercises.

About The Food & Nutrition (F&N) Team

Our team consists of a diverse team of Defence scientists who come together to provide impartial food and nutrition-related advice and innovative solutions to the Australian Defence Force (ADF). Our mission is to ensure that the nutritional status of ADF personnel is optimal for the achievement of their military tasks across a range of challenging training and operational environments. Our work involves a broad range of F&N science activities, including food processing, food safety systems, new product development, specification writing, food chemistry, microbiology, packaging, supply chain/logistics, sensory and consumer science, nutrition and dietetics.

Our Ideal Candidate

Our ideal candidate will be an optimistic, proactive and highly motivated person who is comfortable working within an agile environment with continually evolving requirements. You will have relevant technical knowledge and/or experience in one or more food science capabilities, which may include food formulation, processing (e.g. retorting) and packaging, food safety, shelf life extension (of shelf-stable foods), nutrient stabilisation and fortification, test and evaluation of food safety and quality, and sensory and consumer science.

You will be able to work productively both as an individual and as a team member. You will be confident in investigating and addressing issues impacting achievement of outcomes. You value strong trust-based relationships and stakeholder engagement and are willing to share and receive learnings and support of/to others. You will be a proven communicator at a technical and non-technical level. To be successful you will require academic qualifications in one or more relevant areas of food science and/or equivalent demonstrated research skills and work experience appropriate to the duties of this position.

Application Closing Date: Thursday 18 August, 2022

For further information please review the job information pack, reference DSTG/03985/22 on https://defencecareers.nga.net.au/?jati=AE17B89F-7958-AA00-216C-C8BB62DAD497

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Food Science Researcher job with Department of Defence | 304261 - Times Higher Education

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

WALTHAM, Mass., Aug. 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Viridian Therapeutics, Inc. VRDN, a biotechnology company advancing new treatments for patients suffering from serious diseases underserved by current therapies, today announced it will report its financial results from the second quarter ended June 30, 2022, before the financial markets open onMonday, August 15, 2022.

The Company's management team is scheduled to host a conference call at8:00 a.m. ETonMonday, August 15, 2022. To access the call, please dial 1-877-407-0789 in theU.S.or 1-201-689-8562 outside theU.S.and ask for the Viridian call. To access the live webcast, please visit the "Events" page in the Investors section of the Viridian Therapeutics, Inc. website. Following the live webcast, an archived version of the call will be available on the website.

Monday,August 15@8:00 a.m. ET

About Viridian Therapeutics

Viridian Therapeuticsis a biotechnology company advancing new treatments for patients suffering from serious diseases but underserved by today's therapies. Viridian's most advanced program, VRDN-001, is a differentiated monoclonal antibody targeting insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R), a clinically and commercially validated target for the treatment of thyroid eye disease (TED). Viridian's second product candidate, VRDN-002, is a distinct anti-IGF-1R antibody that incorporates half-life extension technology and is designed to support administration as a convenient, low-volume, subcutaneous injection.TED is a debilitating autoimmune disease that causes inflammation and fibrosis within the orbit of the eye which can cause double vision, pain, and potential blindness. Patients with severe disease often require multiple remedial surgeries to the orbit, eye muscles and eyelids. Viridian is based inWaltham, Massachusetts.

Investor and Media Contact:John JordanViridian TherapeuticsVice President, Investor Relations& Corporate Communications617-272-4691IR@viridiantherapeutics.com

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Viridian Therapeutics to Report Second Quarter 2022 Financial Results and Host Conference Call on August - Benzinga

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

In 1990, internal medicine specialist Dr. Dean Ornish did what no other doctor had been able to do: He published results of a randomized clinical trial that used advanced imagery scans to show coronary artery disease could be reversed with nothing more than diet, exercise, stress reduction and social support.

I think our unique contribution has been to use these very high-tech, expensive, state-of-the-art scientific measures to prove how powerful these very low-tech and low-cost interventions can be, says Ornish, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.

Today, Ornish is trying to do for the brain what he did for the heart. At his nonprofit Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, hes using the same four lifestyle interventions to see if early-stage Alzheimers can be slowed, stopped or even reversed without the use of drugs, devices or surgeries.

Whats good for your heart is good for your brain and vice versa, Ornish says. Prior studies have shown moderate changes in lifestyle can slow the rate of progression of dementia and Alzheimers. So, my hypothesis is that more intense lifestyle changes could stop or even reverse the decline.

The original study on heart disease was small 28 people were in the experimental group Ornish then followed for five years. Some skeptics criticized the program for its small sample size and said there was no way people could remain on the programs stringent plant-based diet without supervision.

In the Ornish meal plan, no more than 10% of ones daily calories can come from fat. To accomplish that, all animal products besides egg whites and one cup of nonfat milk or yogurt each day are banned. (This doesnt apply to the Alzheimers study.) Whole grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes are the basis of the diet, along with a few nuts and seeds. Refined carbohydrates, oils and excessive caffeine are avoided, but up to two cups a day of green tea are allowed.

Its low-fat, but thats just a small part of the overall diet, Ornish says. Its essentially a vegan diet, low in fat and sugar, eating foods as close as possible to nature.

The program also includes an hour a day of yoga-based stress management using stretching, breathing, meditation and relaxation techniques. Strength training and walking or other aerobic exercise are required for 30 minutes a day or an hour three times a week. Smoking is not allowed.

There are also support groups, Ornish told CNN, not just helping people stay on the diet but creating a safe environment where people can let down their emotional defenses and talk openly and authentically about whats really going on in their lives, warts and all.

That was the part that surprised me the most these support groups are really intimate, he adds. Sharing things like I may look like the perfect father, but my kids are on heroin, or whatever. Even by Zoom, theyre getting to the same level of intimacy within one or two sessions because theres such a hunger for that.

Ornish calls that part of his program Love More. He answers skeptics who wonder why intimacy is such an integral part of a plan to reverse disease by pointing to studies on people who are lonely, depressed or isolated.

RODNAE Productions/Pexels

Those people are three to 10 times more likely to get sick and die prematurely from pretty much everything when compared with people who say they have a sense of love, connection and community, Ornish maintains.

Why? In part because youre more likely to smoke, overeat, stop exercising and other unhealthy things when youre feeling lonely and depressed, Ornish said.

By 1993, insurance giant Mutual of Omaha began reimbursing policyholders for the cost of Ornishs program, making it the first alternative therapy besides chiropractic to win insurance reimbursement. Medicare began covering lifestyle interventions for heart disease in 2006.

And in October 2021 Medicare agreed to cover my reversing heart disease program when its done via Zoom, which is really a game changer, Ornish says. Now we can reach people at home, in rural areas and food deserts wherever they live, which will help reduce health inequities and health disparities.

In the last two decades, Ornishs research has shown the same four-part program can lower blood sugars and heart disease risk for patients with diabetes, reduce prostate cancer cell growth, improve depression within 12 weeks, reduce bad cholesterol by an average of 40%, and more.

With all this interest in personalized medicine, just how is it that these same lifestyle changes stop, and often reverse, the progression of such a wide spectrum of the most common and costly chronic diseases? Ornish asks.

Because they all share the same underlying biological mechanisms: chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, changes in the microbiome, changes in gene expression, overstimulation of the sympathetic nervous system, changes in immune function and so on, he says.

And in turn, each one of these is directly influenced by what we eat, how we respond to stress, how much exercise we get and how much love and support we have, Ornish says.

Those lifestyle improvements likely change the body at a cellular level, he said. A 2008 study found the Ornish program affected some 500 genes in the body via epigenetics, chemical reactions that can activate or dismantle how a gene is expressed.

After just three months on the Ornish lifestyle program, the research found a number of genes that regulate or prevent disease are turned on, and genes that cause many of the mechanisms that cause all these different conditions are turned off, Ornish says.

Youre not technically changing your genes, but youre changing the expression of those genes with chemical switches, turning them on or off, he said. So, that means its no longer all in our genes, making us victims of our genetic fate. Were not victims. Theres a lot we can do.

Lengthening telomeres

Ornish lifestyle interventions have also been shown to lengthen telomeres, the tips of chromosomes that control longevity and shorten as we age. Ornish did a 2013 pilot study with UC San Francisco biochemist Elizabeth Blackburn, who won the 2009 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for her work on telomeres.

We found that telomerase, the enzyme that repairs and lengthens telomeres, increased by 30% after just three months on the program, Ornish says. Then we found that people who had been on the program for five years had telomeres that were about 10% longer, a sign that aging is being reversed on the cellular level.

Will these same lifestyle interventions be enough to slow or even reverse cognitive decline in Alzheimers and other dementias? Time will tell. Ornishs study is still underway and all the data must be gathered, analyzed and peer-reviewed before an outcome can be reported.

But I believe that its not one diet and lifestyle intervention for heart disease, another for diabetes or prostate cancer, and yet a different one for Alzheimers. Its really the same for all these different conditions, Ornish told CNN.

To reverse the disease, you need to follow the interventions nearly 100%. If youre just trying to prevent disease, then the more you change, the more you improve. But what matters most is your overall way of eating, living and loving so that we can all die young as old as possible.

Read more from the original source:
This Sausalito doctor reversed heart disease. Can he do it for Alzheimers? - Marin Independent Journal

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

cutting-edge technologies such as big Data Or artificial intelligence applied to medicine has the potential to revolutionize how we take care of our health. Proof of this is the exponential growth of companies dedicated to innovation deep technology In the health sector: in 2021 alone, start-up Digital Medicine received approximately $31,000 million in venture capital worldwide (approximately 30,100 million euros), an increase of 68% over the previous year.

In this scenario of glut, investment funds provide a significant boost to the ecosystem. Daniel Oliver, director of Capital Cell, a crowdfunding platform specializing in biomedicine, and a partner at Nara Capital, a new investment firm focused on biotech and medical technology that is preparing to launch a fund that does well knows. With their hands on, and listening to the testimony of entrepreneur Esther Rodriguez Villegas, we explore the past and future of entrepreneurship in healthcare technology deep in the podcast. future constantfeatured by MIT Technology Review In Spanish in collaboration with MAPFRE. You can listen to his interview starting at 23 minutes.

The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.

In your opinion, what can professional investors bring? start upBeyond financing, what else would you like to contribute with Nara Capital?

An investment fund, unlike a bank, is always someone who either has a lot of contacts or has very specific knowledge in the very specific areas they want to contribute to the companies. The mission of an investment fund is to make money, but through an activity with a certain impact. In our case, we want to see how companies develop healthcare disruptive technologies that can change the way we go to the doctor, heal the sick, or prevent diseases.

Our mission is to identify technologies and tools that can do this and support them in any way they can. With money, of course, financial resources hinge on the rest; But we can also help them strategically. We have seen the trajectories of many companies and we know how to plan various investment rounds, personnel recruitment, development We are particularly good at clinical development issues, and we do a necessary process. These technologies can be of great help in planning: being able to demonstrate with data that it is indeed capable of improving patients lives, simplifying the process, and saving money.

We want to see how companies develop with disruptive technologies that could change how we go to the doctor or prevent diseases

Nara Capital has so far invested in three projects. Which company profile are you looking for and what market opportunities do you see as most interesting?

We want to focus above all on companies that are at least a few steps ahead of executing projects that are ahead in the market. We want to invest in biotechnology, but also in the next generation of biotechnology: gene therapy, synthetic biology, immunotherapy, etc. Digital drugs are also happening: FDA [Administracin de Alimentos y Medicamentos, la agencia gubernamental de EE. UU. responsable de la regulacin de dispositivos y otros productos mdicos] not long ago have started approving the first digital medical science [terapias digitales],

Lots of start-up that are part of your platform, from the capital sale, are By-product of universities. Based on your experience, what are the challenges you face while entering the market?

to some! They are a special kind of company, an excellent group to start working with. Speaking of the downside, what you usually find is a lack of professional experience, especially if they are in the stage of leaving the research centers. Spain probably still needs to improve a lot in terms of technology transfer, team building and By-product,

Spain probably still needs to improve a lot in terms of technology transfer, team building and spin-offs

You founded Capital Cell in 2015 because you saw its potential start-up Biomedical in Spain. How have you experienced the development of the innovation ecosystem in health in Spain, especially in the region deep technology And how would you rate its current state?

there is a big difference between start-up in higher health technology in 2020 than in 2010. Spain is a country that is far ahead in science: it was the 11th world producer of scientific articles in major publications, and some stood out Hotspot Like Catalonia, which will be the third producer of biomedical sciences per capita in the world. We are one of the worlds mainstays in science, and I hope to remain so for some time, despite one very worrying thing: public investment in R&D has been in free fall for a few years now. .

We have great science. In recent years he has been supplementing himself with two things he lacked: entrepreneurial ability and money. There are already quite a few specialized funds in biomedicine and funds have begun to focus on deep technology more broadly. amount of venture capital available to Biotechnology It has grown manifold in the last 5 years.

At the entrepreneurial level, entrepreneurship is an ecosystem: once the first company is formed, it is like a pollination cycle. There are about five or six people in that company, who succeed or fail, but in any case they accumulate experience. If all went well, he left and found five or six companies, or entered as directors, or devoted himself to investing the wheel of talent and entrepreneurship in high technology in Spain. is holding.

In recent years, Spanish science has been complemented by a lack of two things: entrepreneurial potential and money

As an expert, what technological trends or innovations do you think will mark the health sector in the coming years and what key challenges will be addressed?

They pass through two categories: those that will come from technological progress and those that come from socioeconomic needs. In the second case, they are clear: We are approaching a saturation point in the health system. We have an aging population and have difficulties supporting it financially. From there will trends such as the development of personalized and preventive medicine; In other words: as the system has to take care of many more people who live with chronic diseases for more years, the need will arise to prevent problems from appearing and thus maintain treatment for 30 or 40 years. will not be required.

It will focus a lot on early diagnosis, so the projects were looking at to detect tumors 10 or 12 years before they occur, detect genetic predisposition to diabetes, respiratory diseases all technologies Those who are able to avoid it a disease appears is a future trend.

All technologies that are able to prevent a disease from appearing are a trend for the future

There are also trends derived from the fact that there are clearly emerging amazing technologies, such as quantum computing, that could help computers more efficiently design drugs, among other things. This would take an already very obvious trend to a new level, the use of artificial intelligence, particularly applied to medical imaging.

At the biological level, there are many applications that stem from genomics. The fact that we are now able to sequence the entire genome of any individual is also one of the great changes in medicine. There is one trend that particularly fascinates me, which is synthetic biology, that is, creating or modifying living things. This has great ethical implications, but also a lot of opportunities, not only in medicine: the design of organisms that are capable of absorbing oil for oil fragments, bacteria that are more effective at reforestation although we can probably use 10 Or are 20 years away from being able to do anything with living things.

Go here to read the rest:
"Technologies That Prevent A Disease From Appearing Will Be A Trend" - Nation World News

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

The endocrine system isn't talked about often and many people have never heard of it, but we rely on it for several vital functions that affect our mood, growth, metabolism, development and sexual health. The endocrine system includes eight major glands and when hormone levels are too high or low, your overall well-being can be greatly affected. Eat This, Not That! Health spoke with Kanchana Viswanathan, M.D, FACE with Dignity Health St. Mary who shares what to know about the endocrine system and symptoms to pay attention to that indicate you could have a disorder. As always, please consult your physician for medical advice. Read onand to ensure your health and the health of others, don't miss these Sure Signs You've Already Had COVID.

Dr. Viswanathan tells us, "Endocrine System comprises multiple hormone producing glands secreting a variety of hormones -like Insulin (yes -insulin is a hormone ) secreted from pancreas, thyroid hormone from thyroid gland , steroid hormones like cortisol from adrenal gland sex hormones -estrogen, testosterone from ovaries and testicles. There are also major hormone producing glands like the pituitary and parathyroid glands. These hormones have effects on multiple cells throughout the body. Hence any dysfunction of the endocrine system causes symptoms affecting the entire body."

Dr. Viswanathan says, "Common signs of endocrine imbalance include: "Fatigue, unintentional weight loss or weight gain,blood pressure changes , changes in heart rhythm, irregular periods in women, infertility, erectile dysfunction and infertility in men."

According to Dr. Viswanathan, "Endocrine hormones like insulin and thyroid hormone affect multiple levels of metabolism. Insulin is an essential hormone to metabolize carbohydrates and provide the energy for cellular activities and storage of food for later use. Insulin secretion abnormalities lead to diabetes and signs of diabetes can be fatigue, weight loss, excessive thirst and urination."

Dr. Viswanathan explains, "Thyroid hormone deficiency (Hypothyroidism) can slow down metabolism and cause weight gain. Thyroid hormone also affects heart rhythm and heart muscle function."

Dr. Viswanathan shares, "Excess thyroid hormone (Hyperthyroidism) can increase heart rate. A hyperthyroid state can cause arrythmias (abnormal heart rhythm) including atrial fibrillation."6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

Dr. Viswanathan says, "Adrenal gland makes steroids like cortisol which is a stress hormone and a deficiency of cortisol (Adrenal Insufficiency) will lead to excessive fatigue , weight loss and low blood pressure. Excess cortisol (Cushing's) causes fatigue along with weight gain, high blood pressure and high blood sugar (diabetes).

Dr. Viswanathan states, "Sex steroids (Estrogen) disorder in women can lead to irregular cycles, infertility. A common ovarian hormonal disorder is PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome).

"Low testosterone in men (Hypogonadism ) causes fatigue, erectile dysfunction and decrease in muscle mass," Dr. Viswanathan says.

Dr. Viswanathan advises, "If one experiences any of the symptoms -best option is to see your primary care physician for the appropriate lab work. Many of the hormone disorders like diabetes and thyroid can be confirmed with simple lab tests. Based on the physical exam and labs the physician can initiate treatment and if needed refer to an endocrinologist."

Heather Newgen

View original post here:
Sure Signs Your Endocrine System Isn't as Strong as it Should Be Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Aaron Rodgers revealed last week that during a trip to South America he consumed the plant-based psychedelic drug ayahuasca, and that it helped him to improve his performances for the Green Bay Packers.

A number of figures associated with the NFL expected the league to punish Rodgers, but that will not happen.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that finding any trace of the substance in Rodgers system would not have meant a positive result under the NFLs drug abuse policies.

The NFL and the NFL Players Association established a list of prohibited substances in the last collective bargaining agreement, but ayahuasca is not on it, so the Packers quarterback did not break any rules.

On the list of 191 prohibited substances agreed upon by the players union and the league, synthetic cannabinoids are prohibited by the league, but not ayahuasca. Drugs on the banned list are separated into anabolic agents, masking agents and stimulants. Among the best known prohibited substances are growth hormones, clenbuterol, methyltestosterone, nandrolone and stimulants such as Adderall and Ritalin.

Players may receive a therapeutic use exemption from the league through an independent administrator, to treat hypertension, hypogonadism, hypopituitarism, baldness and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Read more:
What has the NFL said about Packers QB Rodgers consuming ayahuasca? - AS USA

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

The debateabout treatments for transgender young people has been reignited by the closure of a controversial NHS clinic that prescribedpuberty blockers to children.

TheTavistock clinic, in north London, has beenaccused of rushing teenagers into life-altering treatment on hormone-blocking drugs, The Timesreported. An independent review led by senior paediatrician Dr Hilary Cass was also highly critical of the Tavistocks Gender Identity Development Service, which is to be wound down by next spring.

The closure means the UK will no longer have a dedicated gender identity clinic for under-18s, but new regional centres will be set up to ensure the holistic needsof vulnerable young patients are fully met, according to the NHS England.

The clinic is being shut down after review chief Cass, a former president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health,concluded in a recently published report that the Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) wasnot a safe or viable long-term option.

NHS England commissioned the reviewin September 2020 in response to a complex and diverse range of issues including a significant and sharp rise in referrals. In the decade from 2011, referrals to the Tavistock rose from 250 to 5,000.

Other issues included scarce and inconclusive evidence to support clinical decision; concerns about a significant number of childrenpresenting with neurodiversity and other mental health needs and risky behaviours;long waiting times for assessments; and significant external scrutiny of the service, said NHS England.

Cassfoundthat the current model of care was leaving young peopleat considerable risk of poor mental health and distress.According to her review, therewere critically important unanswered questions over the clinics use of puberty blockers, which have been prescribed to children as young as ten, anduncertainties about the long-term outcome of medical intervention.

The damning extent of the Tavistocks failingshad already beenmade clear inthe Interim Cass reportin February, said Nikki Da Costa in The Telegraph.

These failings included lack of open discussion among clinicians; pressure to adopt an unquestioning approach; failure to consider whether medical transition really is the best option; overlooking childrens complex needs; limited mental health assessments; failure to identify children who may be vulnerable and at risk; and failure to follow up after treatment, Da Costa continued. This would matter if it affected only a handful of children let alone thousands. It is horrific.

Legal experts are now warning that the Tavistock and Portman NHSTrust could besued by patients who felt they did not receive the right treatment.

The Tavistock clinic led the way in prescribing puberty-blocking drugs to children and young people, said The Times. In 2011, the clinic began a trial of puberty blockers including Lupron, a drug used off label to reducethe production of sex hormones.

According to the paper, there has been barely any research into the drugs, including long-term side effects such as infertility.

In her review, Cass said there was a lack of clarity over whether the drugssimply pause puberty or act as an initial part of a transition pathway. She also warned that brain development may be temporarily or permanently disrupted by puberty-blockers.

The closure of the clinic representsa victory for those who say self-proclaimed gender identity should not trump biological sex, saidThe Economist.

The tide in Britain appears to be turning against groups who espouse the belief that gender identity trumps all else, and towards maintaining support for sex-based rights and evidence-based medicine, the paper continued. Critics argue that the next step is tounderstand why so many children with mental health problems are identifying as trans.

With the Cass review,the tide turned on an ideology that has ruined lives, saidThe TelegraphsDa Costa, who served as director of legislative affairs for both Boris Johnson and Theresa May. Coupled with warnings about the use of puberty blockers, it should slow the rush to medicalise young people.

However, tthe BBCs social affairs editor Alison Holtwarned that the Tavistock closure would be a source of worry for other young people wanting support with gender dysphoria.

The hope is the services that replace it will be more helpful, useful and efficient, said Holt.

NHS England has acceptedrecommendations by Cassto establish two new clinics for children with gender dysphoria by spring of next year. One of these clinics will be at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, and the other will be a partnership between Alder Hey Childrens NHS Foundation Trust in Liverpool and the Royal Manchester Childrens Hospital.

Children being considered for hormone treatment will enter into formal clinical trials and followed until adulthood to assess long-term outcomes, The Times reported. And afurther six or seven similar services could be opened in other parts of the country.

But that may come as little comfort to thethousands of young people and their families currentlyawaiting treatment, saidThe Guardian.Many report having to go private in order to access timely treatment, according to the paper.

And with waiting lists remaining painfully long, it is unlikely the impact of the new hubs will be felt for some time.

Continued here:
What the Tavistock clinics closure means for the trans debate - The Week UK

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

The aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is working on a poliy for transgender pilots, according to a report.

The Indian Express on Monday reported that the policy the DGCA is working on would be in line with norms and regulations laid down by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The report comes after DGCA declined Adam Harry, a transgender pilot, his flying licence on grounds of gender dysphoria and hormone replacement therapy. Harry, enrolled in a flying school, would have been the first Indian trans pilot.

Here we explain Harry's case, what the DGCA and Civil Aviation Ministry said on the subject, and what we know about the policy DGCA is working on.

Adam Harry was certified female at birth. He underwent surgery in 2021 and began his hormonal therapy in 2018.

The Economic Times reported that he underwent extensive medical examination and was also asked "several uncomfortable transphobic questions". Eventually, as stated above, he was declared unfit to fly because of gender dysphoria and hormone replacement therapy.

Gender dysphoria is the feeling of discomfort or distress that might occur in people whose gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth or sex-related physical characteristics, according to Mayo Clinic. The DGCA declared Haryy unfit citing this condition as such a condition "could lead to depression and anxiety that can further disrupt the persons life and have negative impact on their daily life", reported The Economic Times.

Moreover, the paper cited DGCA telling Harry to undergo tests once the therapy is complete. But that's not possible as trans people need hormone therapy throughout their life.

Harry told The New Indian Express that he would be certified to fly anywhere outside India.

He further said, "The only difference is that I take additional supplements for testosterone which a male body produces naturally by birth. The DGCA must study the guidelines in other foreign countries which offer flying licences to the third gender and revise the criteria to certify pilots in India."

Harry has filed a writ petition in the Kerala High Court against DGCA.

Members of Parliament Priyanka Chaturvedi and AA Rahim raised the case of trans pilots in Rajya Sabha.

In a question to Ministry of Civil Aviation, available on Rajya Sabha website, Chaturvedi and Rahim asked:

Whether the DGCA as a policy does not provide pilot license to transpersons;

(b) if so, the reasons for the same;(c) whether the medical tests for issuing license do not recognise transpersons;(d) if so, the reasons for the same;(e) whether transpersons undergoing hormone therapy are denied medicalclearance; and(f) if so, the scientific and medical basis on which this is done?

In the answer their questions, MoS Aviation General (Retired) VK Singh replied that "there are no restrictions for a transpersons to obtain a pilot license from DGCA". The answer further stated that hormone therapy is not criteria to disallow anyone from flying.

Singh's reply stated, "Use of hormonal replacement therapy is not a disqualifying criteria if the applicant has no adverse symptoms or reactions."

However, there is one condition. The minister's reply stated, "However, flying duties are not permitted while the dose of hormonal treatment is being stabilized or until an adequate physiological response has been achieved and the dose no longer needs to be changed."

It added that the norms stated in the reply are in line with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

The policy that the DGCA is working on is in very early stage at the moment.

The Indian Express quoted a senior government official as saying, "Currently, there are no restrictions for any trans person to get a pilot licence as long as they comply with the various provisions that include age, medical fitness, knowledge, experience, etc. However, there is no stated policy and that is something the DGCA is working on."

As stated above, the DGCA policy in the making is based on US FAA's norms and regulations. The FAA amended its rules in 2016, allowing a smoother certification process of trans pilots.

The US-based National LGBTQ Task Force highlighted the difference between pre-2016 and post-2016 rules in the United States.

"Transgender pilots were previously required to take an extraordinary battery of psychological tests including memory, personality, projective and intelligence tests among others. Transgender pilots were frequently grounded or lost their jobs due to the burdensome process," noted the Task Force.

It explained the changes: "Trans pilots must still receive medical certification like other pilots but will only be required to submit current clinical records with an evaluation from a psychiatrist or psychologist and reports on any surgery."

See the original post:
India's First Trans Trainee Pilot Adam Harry's Case That Led DGCA To Work On Policy For Trans Pilots - Outlook India

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Most of the time, weight gain is the result of diet and lifestyle. However, there are medical condition that can cause you to gain weight.

When youre struggling to lose weight, the reasons are usually clear: youre eating too much, choosing the wrong foods, and/or not exercising enough. But what if you feel like youre doing everything right and the pounds still wont budge? What if, in fact, youre continuing to gain weight?

It may be time to look beyond diet and exercise for the root cause of your problem. Many medical conditions can make weight loss nearly impossible, some of them quite serious. If youre experiencing unexplained weight gain, make an appointment with your doctor to take a closer look at whats going on.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, leptin is an appetite-suppressing hormone that helps regulate hunger and weight. Its directly related to how much body fat you have; the more fat youre storing, the more leptin is in your bloodstream, sending signals to modify your appetite so your caloric expenditure and intake match up. People who have leptin resistance arent getting those helpful signals and thus still feel the need to overeat even as the pounds creep up.

Medical News Today reports that problems with your kidneys can also cause you to gain weight, even though they also cause loss of appetite. Kidneys that arent functioning properly arent able to rid your body of fluid and waste, which then build up in the bodys tissues. If this is happening to you, youll notice swelling primarily in your legs, ankles, and feet. You may also be urinating less frequently and when you do, your urine might appear frothy.

People suffering from polycystic ovarian syndrome may notice unexplained weight gain around their middle region. This condition is believed to be caused by an excess of the male hormone androgen and low-grade inflammation, according to the Mayo Clinic, and can also result in acne, unusual hair growth on the back, chest, and face, male pattern baldness, and cysts on the ovaries. Although there isnt a cure for this condition, it can be managed with lifestyle changes and hormone therapy.

Depression can cause a cascade of symptoms that directly impact your weight. Depression is linked with the stress hormone cortisol, says WebMD, which can make excess weight gather around your stomach. People with depression frequently suffer from sleep problems and low energy and may turn to food or substances for relief, all of which can cause weight gain. Even medication to alleviate depression can cause weight gain, although some options dont have that side effect.

The thyroid is an endocrine gland in the neck that regulates many of the bodys automatic functions, including metabolism, body temperature, and heart rhythm. Hypothyroidism occurs when the activities of the thyroid slow down, causing weight gain, fatigue, dry skin, and the sensation of being cold. According to the American Thyroid Association (thyroid.org), hypothyroidism can be diagnosed with blood tests and, if detected, successfully managed through medication.

According to the American Heart Association, rapid weight gain is one of the leading signs of heart failure. While everyone experiences mild weight fluctuations on a daily basis, a sudden weight gain of over 2 pounds in a day or 5 pounds in a week could be a sign that your heart is in trouble. Heart failure occurs when your heart cant pump blood efficiently. Other symptoms include dizziness, chest pains, irregular heartbeat, difficulty breathing, and swelling in your ankles, legs, and feet. Get medical help immediately if youre experiencing these symptoms.

Getting your weight under control is a good goal. But when you arent seeing any progress, its time to talk to your doctor to rule out underlying causes.

Read this article:
6 Medical Conditions That Can Cause You to Gain Weight - SciTechDaily

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Robyn Edie/Stuff

Dr David Sar Shalom, of the Invercargill Medical Centre, says new guidelines for accessing gender-affirming healthcare will remove the demeaning barrier for transgender patients to see a psychologist before starting hormones. [file photo]

Gender diverse people will no longer have to see a psychologist before being able to access hormone treatment in Southland.

Invercargill Medical Centre Dr David Sar Shalom said the first southern-specific pathway to accessing gender-affirming hormones went live in April.

Prior to the introduction of the pathway, Sar Shalom said patients were facing waits of up to two years to access gender-affirming hormone treatment.

The delay was because adults seeking access to hormone therapy in the Southern DHB were required to be assessed by a psychiatrist or psychologist before being seen by an endocrinologist, despite the fact being gender diverse is not a recognised mental illness.

READ MORE:* Pop-up Wellington vaccination clinic takes steps to not misgender or deadname rainbow patients* Call for more research into use of puberty blockers* Coronavirus: Trans New Zealanders unable to get gender-affirming healthcare* Kiwi transgender and non-binary people at higher risk of suicide - survey* Rainbow Youth welcome Government funding for gender affirming surgery

This meant there was often a six to eight month wait to see a psychologist to provide a referral, and then a further six to eight months wait for endocrinology, he said.

Gender-affirming hormone treatment is the process of using hormones to alter a persons physical appearance to more closely align with their gender identity, and includes the prescription of estrogens, testosterone blockers and testosterone.

In its study of gender-affirming healthcare in Aotearoa New Zealand last year, the Professional Association for Transgender Health Aeotoroa (PATHA) found marked differences between each DHBs pathway to accessing hormones.

In some DHBs, including Southern, there were requirements for psychologist referrals to access endocrinologists whereas in other areas, such as Canterbury, gender-affirming hormone treatment was led by GPs, with studies showed this reduced stress amongst patients.

It was this Canterbury model which had been loosely adapted for Southland, Sar Shalom said.

The change in requirements for psychological assessment only impacts adults looking to receive gender-affirming hormones, and does not cover gender-affirming surgery or children looking to access hormones.

He pointed out that psychological assessment before hormone prescription was not common in other areas, such as when the contraceptive pill is prescribed, with the change reducing stigma for the gender diverse community.

Now we have these very clear guidelines that you dont need to have a psychologist assessment to access these gender-affirming hormones ... being gender diverse is not a mental illness, so to require psychological assessment is quite demeaning.

Kavinda Herath/Stuff

Number 10 director Jude Crump says her North Island colleagues were shocked to hear of the wait times required in the Southern DHB to access gender-affirming hormones. [File photo]

Number 10 director Jude Crump said wait times to see psychologists in order to access gender-affirming hormone therapy had been one of the biggest issues being seen by the centre.

According to the New Zealand College of Clinical Psychologists website, there are three psychologists specialising in transgender, sex and gender diverse services in Dunedin, and none in Invercargill.

As a result, patients had been spending long periods on wait lists, with many younger patients struggling with fuel costs and time spent travelling to Dunedin.

I dont know how much longer it is but colleagues in the North Island that hear how long our wait times are, were shocked, she said.

There had been an increase in the amount of gender diverse people seeking to access to hormones, she said, which was likely due to more information and acceptance around the rainbow community.

Sar Shalom encouraged patients to be aware of the guideline changes in order to advocate for their rights.

Its a work in progress ... but theres a clear pathway now, for any GP practise to follow.

See the article here:
Guideline change removes 'demeaning' barrier to hormone therapy - Stuff

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

MONTREAL Long-acting, injectable cabotegravir (CAB LA) continues to show superiority over oral daily tenofovir diphosphate plus emtricitabine (TDF-FTC) as preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV, according to new data from two HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) studies reported here at the International AIDS Society (IAS) Conference 2022.

Follow-up data from the HPTN 084 trial, which compared the two regimens in 3224 sub-Saharan persons who were assigned female sex at birth, show that three new HIV infections occurred in the CAB LA group in the 12 months since the study was unblinded, vs 20 new infections among the TDF-FTC group. That translates to an 89% lower risk of infection in the CAB LA arm across both the blinded and unblinded phases of the trial, said lead investigator Sinead Delany-Moretlwe, MD, PhD, director of research, Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute, the University of the Witwatersrand, in Johannesburg, South Africa, during a press conference.

"The trial was designed with the assumption that both drugs were highly effective in preventing HIV infection but that, given the challenges with taking a pill a day, that injectable cabotegravir may offer an adherence advantage," she told Medscape Medical News. "Our data appear to confirm this, as most of the participants in the TDF-FTC arm who became infected with HIV had evidence of poor or inconsistent use of PrEP."

The study also found that pregnancy incidence increased "two- to threefold" between the blinded and the unblinded period, "and this emphasizes to us the desire of women to conceive safely, without the threat of HIV, and the importance of us continuing to evaluate the safety and pharmacology of cabotegravir in pregnant and breastfeeding women during open-label extension phase of HPTN 084, so that [they] are not excluded from access to this highly effective PrEP agent," she said. To date, no congenital anomalies have been reported in babies born during the study.

In an update report from HPTN 083, which also showed superiority of CAB LA over TDF-FTC in cisgender men and transgender women (TGW), researchers reported the safety and efficacy of CAB LA use in TGW using gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT).

Among the 4566 participants in HPTN 083, 570 were TGW, and of those, 58% used GAHT at baseline, reported Beatriz Grinsztejn, MD, PhD, head of the STD/AIDS Clinical Research Laboratory at the Instituto Nacional de Infectologicia/Fundao Oswaldo Cruz.

CAB LA drug concentrations measured in a subset of 53 TGW who received on-time CAB injections were comparable between those taking (n = 30) and those not taking GAHT (n = 23), "suggesting the lack of a gender-affirming hormone effect on CAB pharmacokinetics," she said. "These are very promising results, as we all know that the use of gender-affirming hormone therapy is a major priority for our transgender women community, and so the lack of drug-drug interaction is really a very important result."

"Cabotegravir long-acting PrEP is now approved for all at-risk populations, including men who have sex with men, transgender women, and cisgender women, after the results of HPTN 083 and 084," commented Monica Gandhi, MD, MPH, an infectious disease doctor, professor of medicine, and associate chief in the Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases, and Global Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).

Gandhi, who was not involved in either study, is also director of the UCSF Center for AIDS Research and medical director of the HIV Clinic ("Ward 86") at San Francisco General Hospital. "The incredible efficacy of long-acting PrEP for cisgender women shown by HPTN 084 is game-changing for our practice, and we have already instituted CAB LA across a range of populations at Ward 86," she told Medscape. "The durability of the 89% additional efficacy of CAB LA over oral TDF/FTC is thrilling and will lead to a greater use of long-acting options."

She acknowledged that information on potential interactions of GAHT was needed from the HPTN 083 trial. "That cabotegravir levels did not change with the use of estradiol or spironolactone for gender-affirming therapy is important news for our practice and to reassure our TGW that they can safely and effectively use CAB LA for HIV prevention."

The HPTN 084 and 083 trials were funded by the National Institutes for Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Delany-Moretlwe, Grinsztejn, and Gandhi have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

International AIDS Society (IAS) Conference 2022: Abstracts 13063 and 12707. Presented July 28, 2022 (to the press).

Kate Johnson is a Montreal-based freelance medical journalist who has been writing for more than 30 years about all areas of medicine.

For more news, follow Medscape on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

More:
Injectable HIV Prevention Better Than Pills in Two Trials - Medscape

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Have you ever had a moment that made you think, hmm... maybe my body is trying to tell me something? Maybe it was a headache telling you to drink more water, or maybe it was your low energy level after a workout telling you to grab a carb-heavy snack. For me, it was when my normally mild periods suddenly became unbearably painful.

What was my body trying to tell me? At the time, I had no idea. It was a few months into the pandemic, and despite the onslaught of bad news making headlines, I felt like I was handling everything surprisingly well (spoiler: I actually wasn't).

I knew my period symptoms meant something was probably off with my hormones, so I decided to take a hormone test to give me a better idea of what was going on in my body. All that stress I thought I was taking in stride? I was actually internalizing it, and it was skyrocketing my cortisol and DHEA levels, two of the body's major stress hormones.

"Having both cortisol and DHEA high is the perfect storm to throw both progesterone and estrogen out of whack," says Amanda Frick, ND, executive director of medical affairs at Thorne. "Your body needs progesterone to create cortisol. If your cortisol level is high, then...essentially your body is 'stealing' progesterone to keep up with the high cortisol output. A low level of progesterone...can cause common premenstrual mood fluctuations, breast tenderness, and irritability, as well as making your periods heavier, longer, and more painful."

Mystery, solved. But here's where the story gets interesting: The dietitian I was working with recommended I start taking a lineup of supplements to support my stress levels (in addition to a few lifestyle changes to help me decompress), and it all actually worked. Among her recs were Thorne's Basic Prenatal as my baseline multivitamin, plus vitamin B6, magnesium, ashwagandha, and several other nutrients.

How did I know it worked? Because less than a year after starting my supplement regimen, I checked in on my levels with Thorne's at-home Stress Test, and both my DHEA and cortisol were back in normal range. And those period cramps that had left me curled up in bed? Reduced to mild discomfort, only for the first few hours of my period.

I've always been a huge proponent of listening to your body and advocating for yourself (and your health) until you find solutions that make you feel more like you. And after my experience with using home testing to find the answers I was searching for, I love that Thorne is making that process more accessible to more people with its lineup of 13 different health testsall of them designed to provide a personalized, science-backed approach to health and wellness.

Want to try one out yourself, or just curious how it works? Keep reading for all the details on how an at-home health test might be able to help you achieve your wellness goals.

Depending on which test you take (Thorne has options ranging from gut health to sleep to fertility), you'll collect your samples in a variety of ways. For the stress test, all I had to do was spit into the provided collection tubes four times throughout the day, package them up in the pre-addressed mailer, and drop them off at the post office.

In about a week, my results were posted to my account. They came with easy-to-understand explanations of the science-y stuff, and an extensive list of recommendations (which is part of what makes Thorne unique from other at-home health test options) for managing my stress through my diet, daily activities, and of course, supplements. "You get the information you want about your health status without being left saying, now what?" Dr. Frick says.

Although the main benefit of testing is collecting data and finding answers to your health questions, Thorne's method offers some major benefits. First, Thorne provides tests that might not be offered at a traditional doctor's office, and many of them allow you to skip the physical trip to the doc altogether with convenient at-home health test options.

Second, while $150+ is certainly an investment, it's much more affordable than many other testing options. (For me, it was a worthwhile exchange when I considered how much I'd be willing to spend to put an end to the intensity of my period cramps.)

Finally, the supplement recs are legit. Thorne has staked its reputation on quality (supplements are tested four times for purity and potency), and Thorne is the only supplement manufacturer that collaborates with Mayo Clinic on wellness research. And when you get individualized recommendations for supplements that really work based on your actual health data, as Dr. Frick says, "that can make a huge difference in your path forward." A path with more self empowerment and less period problems, in my case? That's one worth following.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Excerpt from:
I Tested My Stress and It Was Through the RoofHeres the Expert-Backed Plan Thats Getting Me Through It - Well+Good

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Crows feet, also known as wrinkles and fine lines, are a part of the gradual changes that your skin experiences as you become older. Being carefree about skincare becomes a thing of the past, and learning how to get rid of wrinkles and get our glow back can become important.

The lack of antioxidants and elasticity is the main reason why crows feet appear on the face. The good news is that you can get these nutrients with several home remedies.

Health Shots got in touch with Dr Nivedita Dadu, renowned dermatologist, founder, and chairman of Dr Nivedita Dadus Dermatology Clinic, who listed some of the best home remedies that can help you treat wrinkles and fine lines.

Dr Dadu says, Crows feet are known as laugh lines, which are a common sign of ageing. As we age, our skin loses elasticity, resulting in crows feet, lines, and wrinkles. To prevent crows feet, you need to take proper care of your skin and make sure its getting the essential vitamins and nutrients to stay healthy, hydrated, and firm.

Milk can be used to reduce the appearance of wrinkles around the eyes. It contains glycolic acid that helps exfoliate dead skin cells while promoting the production of collagen in the skin. But always make sure to use organic, hormone-free milk.

This healing plant hydrates skin, which will soften the appearance of fine lines around the eyes. It is loaded with antioxidants and increases collagen production when taken in dietary form. Aloe vera helps in the improvement of facial wrinkles. It has a photo-protective effect on the skin. It can help to reduce the appearance of crows feet and wrinkles.

Also, read: Troubled by fine lines and wrinkles on your face? Try these 5 Ayurveda tips for a youthful glow

When the skin ages, it loses its elasticity and thus becomes saggy. Applying egg whites on the face helps in tightening the skin. It also helps to treat crows feet over time. The protein present in egg whites aids skin cells and tissue repair. It also stimulates new skin cell growth to enhance beauty. It helps in tightening the skin pores and reduces the appearance of wrinkles and crows feet. Its antioxidant activity also helps to fight free radical damage.

The topical application of coconut oil helps to boost collagen production in the skin. It can also keep the skin moisturized. It delays the appearance of wrinkles and crows feet. This moisturizes the skin and can also aid crows feet.

Avocados are rich in monounsaturated fatty acids that help to revitalize dry skin. The high vitamin D and E content in avocados also stimulate the production of collagen, which reduces the appearance of crows feet. It contains healthy fats that allow skin revitalization. Avocados make the skin look youthful and flawless.

Also, read: Combat lines and wrinkles in your 30s with this 6-step nighttime skincare routine

Lemon juice is rich in citric acid, which helps get rid of the crows feet by acting as an exfoliant. The natural astringent properties of lemon juice can also help reduce blemishes and make skin softer. Lemon is a powerhouse of vitamin C and antioxidants. If you have sensitive skin, avoid applying lemon juice directly to the skin. Instead, mix it with papaya or avocado and mask the face.

Cucumbers contain thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin, along with vitamins B5 and B6, which help nourish the skin. The soothing properties of cucumbers can also help reduce the appearance of wrinkles around the eyes. This comes to the rescue in cases of heat waves and rashes, cooling down the skin.

1. Eat and drink right: Try to include healthy foods and fruit into your daily diet such as vitamin C rich foods, and green vegetables. Try to avoid foods rich in fat and carbohydrates.

2. Oil massage: Contrary to popular belief, massaging your face with oil is actually beneficial. On a regular basis, try to give a face massage for 5 to 10 minutes with almond or castor oil.

3. Dont forget to exfoliate: Exfoliation is essential for your skin. So, exfoliate twice a week with a mild scrub.

4. Wear sunscreen: Not applying sunscreen can increase wrinkles and fine lines on your face. So, apply sunscreen with SPF 30 on a daily basis.

5. Stay hydrated: It is important that you stay hydrated if you want to prevent premature ageing. So, drink 7-8 glasses of water every day.

View original post here:
7 home remedies for crows feet to keep wrinkles and fine lines at bay - Health shots

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

The World Health Organization recommends two regimens for medication abortion: misoprostol alone or combined with another medication, mifepristone. (Robyn Beck / AFP via Getty Images)

The Supreme Courts overturning of Roe v. Wade has paved the way for more than half of U.S. states to outlaw abortion. As we look to the future of abortion in the U.S., we can learn from the experiences of people in countries with restrictive abortion laws who have managed to find safe, effective ways to have abortions by using the original abortion pill: misoprostol.

In the 1980s, Brazilians discovered that an ulcer medication, misoprostol, could induce a miscarriage by causing contractions of the uterus to expel a pregnancy. Across Latin America, women and other people who can become pregnant began to use misoprostol to manage their own abortions. Infection, hemorrhaging and death from unsafe abortion declined precipitously.

The World Health Organization recommends two regimens for medication abortion: misoprostol alone or combined with another medication, mifepristone, which blocks the hormone progesterone to end a pregnancy. Today, in countries where abortion is legally available, misoprostol is most commonly used together with mifepristone. But where abortion is legally restricted, misoprostol is often used alone for self-managed abortion because it is inexpensive and widely available, often over the counter (unlike mifepristone).

Around the globe, grassroots feminists have organized abortion support such as safe-abortion hotlines for those who are self-managing abortions, often with misoprostol alone. Study after study has found that self-managed abortion with misoprostol is more than 90 percent effective.

Why, then, are most clinic-based abortions performed using misoprostol in combination with mifepristone? For one, early clinical trials showed that misoprostol was less effective alone than in combination with mifepristonebut recent evidence on self-managed use of misoprostol alone suggests otherwise.

Differences in patients experiences using the two regimens may also be a contributing factor. The side effects from misoprostol can include nausea, fever, chills, vomiting and diarrhea. Because the misoprostol-alone regimen calls for multiple doses of misoprostol (as opposed to one if combined with mifepristone), those who use this regimen may experience these side effects more frequently and/or with more severity.

Women and other people who can become pregnant should have access to the method of abortion care that works best for them, but in many settings, including here in the U.S., barriers to abortion may mean that clinic-based medication abortion with mifepristone is not accessible or even preferable. Studies have shown that regardless of the regimen, patients can have positive abortion experiences when they have access to the information they need, feel prepared for what they will experience and are supported through the process.

So what does this mean for the future of abortion in the U.S.? While mifepristone is expensive and unnecessarily restricted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, misoprostol is inexpensive and widely available by prescription for different indications in pharmacies across the country.

Plan C, SASS (Self-Managed Abortion; Safe and Supported) and Reprocare provide information about where and how to get abortion pills in the U.S. The Miscarriage and Abortion Hotline offers free, compassionate and confidential medical support for anyone who would like to speak to a trained medical professional when self-managing an abortion. Organizations such as Las Libres, which has supported self-managed abortion in Mexico, are now providing misoprostol pills, information and support to those in the U.S.

Under abortion bans and restrictions, police and prosecutors are most likely to target people who are already criminalized and surveilled, including those who are low income, Black/Indigenous/of color, immigrant and undocumented. For information and support with legal questions about self-managed abortion, contact the Repro Legal Helpline, or access bail and legal counsel through the Repro Legal Defense Fund. The Digital Defense Fund offers detailed information about how to protect ones identity when searching for abortion pill information and purchasing medications online.

For decades, women living in countries where abortion is restricted have self-managed their abortions in a safe, affordable way using misoprostol alone. In light of Dobbs, many in the U.S. will no doubt follow their lead. And feminists will be there to support them when they do.

This article originally appears in the Summer 2022 issue ofMs.Become a member today to read more reporting like this in print and through our app.

Up next:

See the original post here:
Lets Talk About Misoprostolthe Original Abortion Pill - Ms. Magazine

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Pets are good for your heart metaphorically and literally. When feeling stressed, people with pets have lower blood pressure than those without them. According to data collected from astudy(via Psychosomatic Medicine), not only did pet people have a lower blood pressure, but they also had a decreased base heart rate, in addition to a faster recovery time after a stressful situation. In fact, a different study found that people with hypertension had remarkably lower blood pressure within just five months of adopting a dog (via HelpGuide).

Chronically high blood pressure can lead to blood vessel damage, which results in clogged arteries, making your circulatory system work harder and become less effective. Over time, this leaves you more vulnerable to life-altering and life-threatening health concerns (especially if left untreated), including heart attacks, stroke, heart failure, kidney disease, vision loss, sexual dysfunction, angina, and peripheral artery disease (PAD). According to the American Heart Association, "your best protection is knowledge, management, and prevention" and getting a pet could help, too.

The rest is here:
The Real Effects Owning A Pet Has On Your Body - Health Digest

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

For more information about your reproductive health rights and related federal resources, you can visit the US government's Reproductive Rights site.

In response to the US Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, many people have taken to social media to encourage users to delete their period-tracking apps, citingdigital privacy risks.

Period-tracking apps are a helpful way for people who menstruate to track their cycles. And they might do that for a number of reasons. Folks monitor their cycle in order to get pregnant, to avoid getting pregnant, to keep tabs on symptoms of medical conditions like polycystic ovarian syndrome or endometriosis, or just to be able to tell their doctor the first day of their last period when asked.

The downside of these apps is that they hold on to a lot of personal health information that could be used against the folks using the software. Data privacy concerns about period-tracking apps aren't anything new, but now the consequences of a leak of your private period data are higher, in an already highly surveilled post-Roe world.

If you still want to track your period but want to avoid apps, what are your options? If you don't want to ditch apps altogether, there are more privacy-friendly period tracking apps, like Euki. The sexual health app says it doesn't collect or store any of your data in a cloud.

The other option is to track your menstrual cycle with pen and paper. It might feel old-fashioned, but it's the most secure method. Here's how to monitor your cycle by hand:

Any type of calendar will do. You can even buy a blank notebook and draw out your own calendar. I prefer a full-size notebook planner that's blank, so I can manually fill in the days and months. A larger planner also gives you more space to write extra notes like symptoms and birth control information.

Once you have a calendar, you can log your current cycle or add previous cycle information for a more detailed record.

If you want to use your phone, your device's default calendar app offers the most privacy versus a third-party calendar app. On the other hand, depending on how much you use your phone's calendar app, adding cycle tracking information might make things a bit cluttered.

Before I deleted my period-tracking app, I took screenshots of as much past data as I could, like cycle trend overviews and past months I'd logged. This gave me a more stable place to start when I began tracking by hand.

If you don't have that information available, don't worry, you can simply start logging when your upcoming period begins.

You can keep your calendar as basic or as detailed as you like, but more information can be helpful to learn more about your personal health, as well as provide talking points for you and your doctor at wellness checkups.

Here are a few things that are useful to note:

BleedingOf course, you'll want to mark the first day of your period, but you'll also want to mark each day that you bleed. In addition, try to note how heavy your flow is each day, what color the blood is and if you notice any clots.

According to the Mayo Clinic, average menstrual bleeding lasts between two to seven days, so tracking how many days you typically bleed is important. This extra detail can help you understand what to expect every month, as well as detect abnormalities that you can share with your physician. From the first day of one period to the first day of your next period is one menstrual cycle. Cycles can vary from person to person, but on averagea cycle can last between 21 and 40 days.

Emotional symptomsA lot happens to your hormones every cycle, which can have an impact on your moods. According to the UNC School of Medicine, a person can experience irritability, depression, anxiety and mood swings. These emotional shifts can also happen before your period, which can be used as an indicator that the new cycle is about to begin. This is most commonly referred to as Premenstrual Syndrome, or PMS. Some people experience more severe emotional disturbances known as Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, or PMDD.

It can be helpful to rank your feelings on a scale of 1-10 to more easily spot patterns, as well as inconsistencies.

If you experience premenstrual syndrome, or PMS, make a note of what you feel and the severity in your calendar.

Physical symptomsYour cycle also affects your physical well-being in addition to your mood. These happenings are also important to write down. According to WebMD, hormone changes can cause physical symptoms like cramping, breast tenderness, acne breakouts, bloating, lower back pain, constipation or diarrhea, and more.

Again, keeping track of your physical symptoms and ranking the severity on a scale can help you better understand what's normal for you and what's not.

MedicationWhether it's prescribed, over-the-counter or birth control, it's useful to note in your log any medication you take. Medication (or missing a dose of medication) can impact your cycle, as well as your physical and emotional state.

If you take a birth control regimen designed to prevent your period for a time, it's still important to watch for bleeding and spotting. If you miss a dose of birth control, it's also worth writing down. In addition, using medications like Plan B or the abortion pill would also be important to include in your log.

Whether you're trying to get pregnant or not, keeping track of when you ovulate can make a big difference. Most drug stores sell ovulation tests to help you find out.

OvulationIn a menstrual cycle, ovulation is when an egg is released from the ovary, travels down the fallopian tube and remains for up to 24 hours for potential fertilization. According to the Mayo Clinic, in an average 28-day cycle, ovulation can occur 14 days before your next period, or six to seven days after your current period ends. This can vary, however.

Ovulation can be marked by a slight rise in the basal body temperature, changes to cervical mucus or vaginal discharge, as well as breast tenderness, bloating, light cramping and more. If you're unsure, you can also purchase at-home ovulation kits from the store. These kits are designed to detect hormone surges. If you get a positive test, ovulation should occur about 36 hours after. Your ovulation window is generally your highest chance of conception.

Sexual activityIn addition to monitoring your ovulation, tracking your sexual activity can help you plan for a pregnancy, or better avoid one. In addition, you can note whether sex was protected, as well as your last screening results for sexually transmitted diseases. Knowing when you're ovulating can also help with planning sexual activity.

Your calendar or log will be unique to you -- your lifestyle, eating habits, stress levels, cycle length, medication and more. Remember, it's about what works best for you.

Here's an example calendar based on an average 28-day cycle:

This is an example of cycling tracking based on a 28-day cycle.

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.

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This Period-Tracking Method Will Protect Your Privacy Better Than an App - CNET

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This exploratory, cross-sectional, analytical casecontrol study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Cancer Institute of the State of So Paulo (project number 1035/2016) and by the Ethics Committee for Analysis of Research Projects at the Hospital das Clnicas of the USP Medical School (CAPPesq). Potential subjects were informed about the study at the time of a scheduled appointment, and if they agreed to participate and satisfied the inclusion and exclusion criteria, they provided written informed consent. All methods were performed in accordance with the relevant guidelines and regulations and were consistent with the Declaration of Helsinki.

Patient selection occurred between September 2017 and December 2018. During this period, all patients diagnosed with breast cancer who were seen at the First Consultation Clinic of the Cancer Institute of the State of So Paulo and who satisfied the inclusion criteria were invited to participate. Patients initially referred to the General Didactic Outpatient Clinic at the Mastology section at the Hospital das Clnicas of the USP Medical School because of abnormalities observed on a mammogram performed elsewhere, and who subsequently underwent a second mammogram with negative results at our center, and who met the inclusion criteria, were recruited for the control group.

The inclusion criteria of the breast cancer group were a histological diagnosis of breast cancer, no previous treatment for breast cancer, age between 25 and 75years, the absence of signs or symptoms of other neoplasias and no previous history of other neoplasms. The exclusion criteria of the breast cancer group were the presence of noncarcinoma breast neoplasia, such as sarcoma or phyllodes tumor, and the presence of other comorbidities, such as nephropathies, liver disease, heart disease, hematopathologies, immunological diseases or other neoplasms. The inclusion criteria for the control group were women between 25 and 75years of age, the absence of current signs or symptoms of other neoplasms and no previous history of neoplasms. The exclusion criteria for the control group were the presence of any neoplasia and the presence of other comorbidities, such as kidney disease, liver disease, heart disease, hematopathologies, immunological diseases or other neoplasms. Race was self-identified by each subject.

During the initial consultation, 10ml of blood was collected in nonheparinized tubes and transported to the Structural and Molecular Research Laboratory in Gynecology at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of So Paulo within 30min of collection. After clot formation, the serum fraction was collected by centrifugation and stored in aliquots at 80C. Thawed serum was diluted 1:200 in phosphate-buffered saline-Tween 20 and tested for the concentration of HSPA1A using a commercial ELISA kit validated for human sera and specific for HSPA1A (R&D Systems, Minneapolis, MN). Each sample was tested in duplicate, and the average values were obtained. Values were converted to pg/ml by reference to a standard curve that was generated for each assay. The lower limit of sensitivity was 156pg/ml. The demographic and clinical data of the patients participating in the study were obtained through consultation of electronic medical records.

Based on histopathological characteristics according to the WHO criteria20, breast cancer was classified as ductal carcinoma in situ, invasive carcinoma of no special type (invasive ductal carcinoma), invasive lobular carcinoma, and invasive mucinous carcinoma. The tumors were also classified into subtypes according to standard immunohistochemistry (IHC) findings. IHC was used to determine the expression of estrogen and progesterone receptors, HER2 expression and the level of Ki6721,22. Ki67 is a marker of cell proliferation and is expressed exclusively during active phases of the cell cycle. Therefore, higher Ki67 values indicate an elevated rate of cell proliferation. Additional characteristics were used to classify the tumors based on histological grade and nuclear grade according to the 8th edition of the TNM classification system23.

In all patients the HSPA1A levels are described using the median value and interquartile range. Values between categories were compared using the MannWhitney test for variables with 2 categories or the Kruskal-Walli tests for variables with more than 2 categories. The Spearman rank correlation test was used to evaluate associations between the HSPA1A level and clinical and demographic characteristics. The generalized linear model (MLG) was used for the variables that presented descriptive levels below 0.2 in the unadjusted analyses (p<0.2) and that had biological plausibility to influence the marker24,25. The present study was designated as exploratory due to the limited number of participants and, thus, was underpowered to assess differences in HSPA1A among subtypes of breast cancer lesions. The analyses were performed using IBM-SPSS for Windows version 22.0 software and tabulated using Microsoft-Excel 2010 software, and all tests were performed with a 5% significance level.

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The circulating 70 kDa heat shock protein (HSPA1A) level is a potential biomarker for breast carcinoma and its progression | Scientific Reports -...

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While many organisms fall into one of two sexes, others are co-sexual, a version of hermaphroditism that involves having both male and female reproductive organs. Multiple species of brown algae (class Phaeophyceae), for example, have evolved over time from a male/female binary into co-sexual hermaphrodites. Susana Coelho, a biologist at the Max Planck Research Institute for Biology Tbingen in Germany, says that while the ability to auto-fertilize results in reduced genetic diversity compared to other mating systems, it can also lessen the pressure to find partners in the vast ocean.

To understand how brown algae switched to hermaphroditism, Coelho and her team studied eight algal species: four that are co-sexual and four closely related species that have retained two sexes. The researchers used RNA-seq to compare gene expression in each species, finding that hermaphrodites shared more sex-biased genesgenes that are typically expressed differently between the sexeswith females than with males, indicating that females most likely made the transition to co-sexuality. It was quite cool . . . to see that it was always the female [that] acquired the male function, Coelho says. The team also found that, as species transitioned, each appeared to experience similar shifts in gene expression. Sixty-one percent of orthologous genes shared across all eight speciessex-biased or notshowed similar changes in patterns of expression in the co-sexual species compared with the binary species.

This was the most interesting result, says Hisayoshi Nozaki, a biologist at the University of Tokyo who was not involved in the study, noting that this research is the first to examine the genetics of the transition to hermaphroditism in these algae. He adds that a further, fruitful step would be to do whole-genome sequencing to learn more about how the seaweeds sex chromosomes have changed.

G.G. Cossard et al., Selection drives convergent gene expression changes during transitions to co-sexuality in haploid sexual systems,Nat Ecol Evol, 6:57989, 2022.

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Meet the Algae That Went from Male/Female to Hermaphroditic - The Scientist

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For females of many species, choosing a mate is a weighty decision. You want your offspring to inherit the best possible genes. But how do you judge the genetic quality of a potential mate?

Around 50 years ago, an idea emerged that the extent of deviation from perfect bilateral symmetrythat is, the difference between an animals right and left sidescould indicate genetic quality. Researchers hypothesized that individuals with high-quality genes would be better buffered against stress and instability during development, and thus more likely to turn out symmetric. In order to maximize fitness, then, females should opt for more-symmetric partners.

In the 1980s and 90s, numerous studies across different species tested whether females consider symmetry when choosing a mate. However, these studies produced mixed results, according to Roshan Kumar Vijendravarma, a biologist at the Institut Jacques Monod in Paris. He says that efforts to experimentally induce asymmetry (which included clipping feathers, adding colored rings to the feet, and increasing stresses like temperature during development) often had confounding effects on survival, growth, and behavior. In other words, these studies were unable to separate asymmetry from other factors affecting fitness.

If both wings are equally shaped, each should generate similar sounds.

Eventually, with questions still unanswered, the research buzz around the symmetry-based hypothesis of sexual selection died down. Until, that is, Vijendravarma recently decided to revisit the issue as a postdoc in the lab of Pierre Leopold at the Institut Curie in Paris. Their paper, published in March in PNAS, is clearly an improvement on most or all previous studies in this area, says Laurent Keller, a biologist at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland who was not involved in the study.

Vijendravarma was able to overcome the challenges that had plagued previous attempts with a novel method of inducing asymmetry, which he deployed in Drosophila melanogaster. After unsuccessful attempts at producing wonky fly larvae with the usual ecological stressors, he discovered that altering the direction of gravity with a vertically rotating apparatus reliably disrupted symmetric development. In particular, it influenced the wing area in adults, producing a pool of research subjects whose wings ranged from near-perfect mirror images to very asymmetric but who were otherwise indistinguishablethe treatment had no obvious detrimental effects. The males were all viable and they all reproduced. We were able to uncouple asymmetry from bad quality, he says.

A male fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) follows around and sings to a female, using one wing at a time.

COURTESY OF ROSHAM KUMAR VIJENDRAVARMA

Vijendravarma and his colleagues then randomly selected pairs of males raised in altered gravity to compete for a female. Most females opted for males that were more symmetric, the team found. The researchers also performed genetic and surgical manipulations on flies to alter their wing symmetry. While these experiments would not be definitive on their own due to the confounding factors that also plagued earlier studies, they could provide supporting evidence to the results from the gravity experiments, Vijendravarma says. Sure enough, no matter how the wings got to be uneven, females preferred more symmetric males.

The methodology is beautiful, says Marla Sokolowski, a biologist at the University of Toronto who was not involved in the study. I think its a rigorous study, right down to the way the flies were reared, housed, and handled. . . . They came up with almost everything one could think of to induce this asymmetry.

Vijendravarmas second innovation was to look beyond the sense of sight. It struck him that although the literature was full of studies where females were expected to assess the symmetry of males visually, the courtship of most animals is multimodal. Female fruit flies, for instance, use olfactory and auditory cues in addition to visual ones during courtship. Through which of these senses do they perceive asymmetry?

Conducting mate choice experiments under red light, so the females couldnt see, did not make a difference to their behavior, nor did removing their scent-sensitive antennae. However, making the females deaf by removing their antennal sound receptors, or aristae, caused them to lose their preference for symmetric males.

Vijendravarma consequently turned his attention to the Drosophila courtship songs, which males produce by extending and vibrating one wing at a time. If both wings are equally shaped, each should generate similar sounds. But if they are asymmetric, the difference would be reflected in the song, Vijendravarma reasoned. Sure enough, analysis of left wing and right winggenerated sounds revealed that rejected males with asymmetric wings sang songs that varied in amplitude and frequency.

On the face of it, the data are quite convincing, says Michael Ritchie, a biologist at the University of St Andrews who was not involved in the study. However, he says some might be skeptical of whether the study really demonstrates that females evaluate symmetry as a measure of male quality. Theres nothing in the paper about variation in genetic quality. Its an artificially constructed developmental aberration, he says. The question is, does natural variation in genetic quality influence male asymmetry, and would females discriminate against males based on that level of asymmetry?

Keller also wonders about how females may benefit from choosing a symmetric mate. It would be interesting to allow females to choose males based on symmetry and then compare the fitness of the offspring, he says.

In future work, Vijendravarma plans to investigate the link between asymmetry and genetic quality, as well as how altered gravity leads to asymmetry. But he and Leopold also hope to inspire other researchers to think more broadly about asymmetry and sexual selection. In a recent review paper, the pair attempts to address sciences bias toward visual cues by highlighting the many ways that females of different species may assess symmetry nonvisually. The idea is that we need to think more about the ecology of the animal before setting up these types of experiments, rather than impose our own biases onto them, says Vijendravarma.

The authors list auditory, chemosensory, and mechanosensory cues evaluated by females and speculate about how these signals could be affected by asymmetry in physical features such as pheromone glands or legs. They further propose that the structures built for courtship by males of some species, such as the bowers of bowerbirds and nests of certain fish, could amplify minute levels of asymmetry in the builder.

The review is full of useful, fascinating ideas, says Ritchie. I think this deserves to stimulate more work, and it probably will.

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The Sex Appeal of Symmetric Songs | TS Digest | The Scientist - The Scientist

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