Since the government passed Title IX in 1972 the number of girls participating in high school sports has increased 10 fold.  While there are many positives to this statistic, there is also a concerning trend: women/girls have statisically been more prone to injury that their male counterparts.  One major concern is that  girls/women are at much higher risk than men for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears which are serious injuries to the knee that can have life long consequences. The Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma (reference http://www.nismat.org/ptcor/female_knee) says: “The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has gathered statistics over a three year period in the early 90s showing that women suffered anterior cruciate ligament injuries more often than men, nearly 4 times as often in basketball, 3 times as often in gymnastics, and nearly 2 and a half times as often in soccer. Orthopedic doctors, physical therapists and athletic trainers are concerned and have suggested many reasons so many more women tear their ACL.”

Why are woman/girls more prone to injury?

Read the rest of this entry »

New Findings on Why Cravings for Cocaine Intensifies after Stopping Drug Use

Scientists have puzzled over the fact that cravings can intensify the longer a drug user has stopped taking cocaine.  A new finding has new hope in developing treatments for cocaine addiction that can reduce the risk of relapse.

The study published in the May 25 issue of the journal Nature, “reveals a novel mechanism for why cocaine craving intensifies after cessation of drug use and suggests a new target for the development of medications to decrease the risk of relapse in abstinent cocaine abusers,” says National Institute on Drug Abuse Director Dr. Nora Volkow.

Marina E. Wolf, Ph.D., Professor and Chair of Neuroscience at the Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in North Chicago was the lead investigator in the study.  She found ” “that medications could be developed to block …. receptors in the nucleus accumbens,(without harmful effects) thus reducing drug craving and the risk for relapse ….”

If you know anyone who has trouble with abuse, you can find a treatment center at http://www.resistaddiction.com/

Read the rest of this entry »

Amyloid plaques found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients have been a subject of scientific discussion for years.   Scientists have thought that either  (1) the plaques have caused Alzheimer’s disease or (2) these plaques were generated as the disease progresses. Ganesh M. Shankar, Ph.D., and Dennis J. Selkoe, M.D., of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, in collaboration with several universities and hospitals have shown beta-amyloid protein fragments may damage brain cells.  This finding would suggest that beta-amyloid protein fragments play a key role in the start of this irreversible disorder. This studing is published online in Nature Medicine, June 22,2008.

Read the rest of this entry »

In an effort to reduce the population of overweight people in Japan, the Japanese governement has set limits for male and female waistlines at 33.5 inches and 35.4 inches respectively (for people between 40 and 74 years of age). 

How does one enforce such a measure?

Read the rest of this entry »

Drug Abuse continues to be a major issue in the United States and with roughly 16 million Americans using drugs in the last month (see below for where this came from). If you are a drug abuser or know someone who is, here are some of common questions concerning drug use and health risks.

 Where can I get help? 

These days there are many options to get help for a drug addict.  A search on the web will get you quickly to many options. One site you can visit to find help local to you is: 

www.resistaddiction.com

How many people use drugs?  Read the rest of this entry »