How Often to do PAP tests?

The American College of Physicians has released a set of best practices to reduce unnecessary use of cervical cancer screening in average-risk women — that is, those who have no history of precancerous lesions or cervical cancer, or at other increased risk.

Among the recommended best practices for screening average-risk women, based on systematic reviews and recent guidelines:
• Don't screen women under age 21, regardless of sexual history.
• At age 21, start screening every 3 years
• For women aged 30-65, a combination of PAP plus human papillomavirus (HPV) testing may be used every 5 years.
• HPV testing should not be performed before age 30.
• Women should not be screened beyond age 65 if they've had either three consecutive negative tests or two negative PAPs and HPV tests within 10 years (the most recent test must be within 5 years).
• Don't screen women who've had a hysterectomy with cervix removal.

The advice is endorsed by the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Society for Clinical Pathology and appears in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

A Stroke from Exercise Supplements

Previously I had written how many exercise and bodybuilding supplements contain dangerous substances.

In a recent report, a 53 year old women who took "Jacked Power", and exercise supplement, developed a stroke. It was determined that the product contains Beta-methylphenylethylamine (BMPEA), an undeclared stimulant that is related to amphetamines which was the cause.

Apparently this substance is present in many supplements, and not listed as an ingredient.

Do not use prepackaged "artificial" enhancers. Use natural protein and carbohydrates!

More Reasons for Measles Vaccine

Aside from protecting kids from possible fatal or severe neurological reactions from measles infections, vaccination also can prevent deaths from other illnesses.

Researchers wondered why, after the measles vaccine was used, there were less deaths from other infectious diseases.

Further research showed that natural measles causes a long lasting suppression of the immune system; for up to two years. The vaccine does not do that, while still protecting you.

All of medicine is about prolonging life and preventing illness. Anti-vaccine parents are harming their children.

Sodas, Sweeteners and Diabetes

I have had several posts concerning diet drinks as well as sugary drinks and their terrible effects on our health.

Another article has come out which not only confirms this, but actually quantifies it.

Researchers studied the diets of over 25,000 people in the UK. They found that each 5% increase in the amount of calories consumed from sweetened beverages was associated with an 18% increase in diabetes incidence.

Per serving, soft drinks, sweetened-milk beverages, and artificially sweetened beverages were all associated with a greater than 20% increase in diabetes!

Replacing soft drinks (even diet drinks) and sweetened-milk drinks with water or unsweetened tea or coffee would significantly cut the rate of diabetes. Try some unsweetened ice tea, water, or club soda next time!!

Sips of alcohol in Children has adverse effects!

Most people think it is harmless to allow your underage children to have a sip of alcohol.

But is a recent study, researchers found that, even after correcting for parental drinking habits, these children (average age 7.5)had, by 6th grade, over 5 times the risk of having a full drink or getting drunk, and almost three times the risk of trying a cigarette or marijuana. Drinking sips for religious purposes was excluded.

It seems we should be keeping alcohol out of the hands of our kids!

Do antibiotics cause obesity?

The trend lately has been not to treat children with antibiotics unless absolutely necessary. Although this seems obvious, in the past pediatricians and family doctors often prescribed medication at the first sign of a fever or ear infection. Now we wait and find a majority of kids do get better without antibiotics.

One of the reasons has been to prevent resistance. Recently there has been much research on the microbiotome or bacteria that naturally grow in our intestines. These may contribute to obesity as well as some auto-immune diseases when disturbed.

In a study of 12,000 children in Finland, where all medical records are available for these types of research, use of antibiotics was significantly related to obesity after the age of two. The worst antibiotic was macrolides (erythromycin and zithromax), and the association was higher if the child was given antibiotics before 6 months of age.

So listen to your doctor, and don't use antibiotics unless absolutely necessary!

Does Vitamin D help the skin?

Maybe. We know a form of Vitamin D cream is useful in psoriasis, and researchers were wondering if Vitamin D supplement would help psoriasis and atopic dermatitis (like eczema).

Using a group of children with eczema, they first looked at Vitamin D levels, which were "normal" in only about 15%. I say normal in quotes because when they looked at control children they also were "normal" in only 15%; this makes one question the concept of what is normal.

However, supplement of 1000 units of Vitamin D significantly decreased the eczema as compared to placebo; it also had some effect on psoriasis.

The dose for adults would be 2000U.

This study is very preliminary, but since there are virtually no side effects to 2000 units a day in adults it may be worth a try if you suffer from these skin disorders.