Top 10 small changes of lifestyle to get healthier and longer life

A slimmer body, more energy, even a longer life — they all start with small changes you can begin today.

To be successful at any big undertaking — starting a new career, salvaging a shaky marriage, mastering a foreign language — you have to "give it 110 percent," as the saying goes. But when it comes to what may be the most important change of all — revitalizing your health — you may be better off giving only 10 percent and not worrying too much about the other proverbial 100. "You're more likely to succeed by making small changes," says Catherine Champagne, Ph.D., professor of research at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University System. "If you totally overhaul your diet or start an ambitious exercise program, you're less likely to stick with it."

Micro-improvements do more than chip away at a larger objective — they accomplish plenty on their own. Some of these are cumulative; do several and you'll see an even bigger benefit. Here are (count 'em) 10 small shifts that can reward you with a big health payoff.

1. Smile at the Scale

The small change: Lose 10 percent of your body weight. If you're 5' 5" and weigh 160 pounds, shaving off just 10 percent (16 pounds) will take you from the "overweight" category to a normal body mass index (a measure of your height and weight in relation to each other). If you weigh 180, losing 18 pounds moves you below the dangerous threshold of clinical obesity. What's more, it's a manageable goal. "We find that people who lose just 1 percent of their body weight per week can lose 10 percent in two to three months without feeling they're making a sacrifice," says Maciej Buchowski, Ph.D., director of the Energy Balance Core Laboratory at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

The big gains: Dropping pounds — and 10 percent is the initial target touted by the National Institutes of Health — will do more than let you go down a size or more in your jeans. It can also lower blood pressure, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides, making you a less likely candidate for heart attack or stroke. You'll also cut your chances of becoming diabetic. In fact, in a recent multicenter study, people who lost just a little over two pounds lowered their diabetes risk by 16 percent. And in new research at the University of California, San Francisco, heavy women with incontinence who lost somewhat less than 10 percent of their body weight reduced leakage 47 percent after six months (compared with a control group who received only educational support and saw a 28 percent drop in symptoms).

2. Take Your Dog for a Walk

The small change: Up your exercise 10 percent. Even if you're completely sedentary, your body still burns at least 1,000 calories a day (depending on your weight and age). So boosting that by 10 percent translates to a mere 100 calories — an amount you could expend by taking Fido out for a 28-minute walk. No dog? Mow the lawn with a hand-powered mower for 14 minutes, or walk up and down stairs for 15 minutes.

The big gains: A burn of 100 extra calories a day could help you drop up to 10 pounds in a year, provided you don't eat more (though you don't have to eat less, either). Even if you're already active — that is, you meet current guidelines of at least two and a half hours of moderate activity a week — heart health improves progressively (more exercise is better), so you'll still benefit.

Moving more can also cut breast cancer risk — walking 75 minutes (a little over 10 minutes a day) to two and a half hours a week drops your odds 18 percent, the Women's Health Initiative found. And exercise calms nerves even better than various nondrug treatments for anxiety, such as therapy and meditation, a review of 49 studies found.

Next: Learn how to lose weight while watching TV

3. Rent Duck Soup from NetFlix

The small change: Laugh for 10 minutes. Watch your favorite sitcom or invite friends over to view a funny video, as Buchowski had people do in a study that measured calories burned during hearty laughter. Compared with another session, in which the group was stupefied by viewing films of sheep grazing in the countryside, watching comedies used up 10 to 20 percent more calories.

The big gains: Think of it as jogging on the sofa: Laughing tenses your abdominal muscles, makes your heart beat faster, and speeds your breathing so you take in more oxygen. "All those things burn energy," says Buchowski, who calculates that you could burn off between 10 and 40 calories for every 10 to 15 minutes of levity a day. That means in a year, you could become four pounds slimmer just by watching TV!

4. Snack on Six Strawberries

The small change: Eat 10 percent more fruits and veggies. Federal guidelines say we should be eating nine half-cup servings of produce a day. Snack on an additional six strawberries or half a large carrot, and you'll boost your intake about 10 percent above the recommendation.

The big gains: Each added daily portion of fruit (and it needn't be strawberries — you could munch on 15 grapes or half a peach) lowers stroke risk by 11 percent and heart disease odds by 7 percent, reviews of international studies have found. Pumping up produce (both fruit and veggies) also halves your chances of getting oral cancer, another review reported. Not already meeting your nine-a-day quota? The same small, easy-to-get portions take you there easily.

5. Make Your Own Marinara

The small change: Cut sodium 10 percent. Get the salt out: Stir up your own pasta sauce, choose low-sodium varieties of soup, or swap out canned vegetables for fresh or frozen (check labels). Any of these steps reduces your sodium intake by at least 400 milligrams a day — about 10 percent of the 3,600 to 4,800 mg Americans typically consume (which is already way above the recommended limit of 2,400 mg).

The big gains: Drop sodium 400 mg and you'll whittle your odds of having heart disease — indeed, the American Heart Association just calculated that if we all cut back sodium that small amount, there would be 250,000 fewer heart disease cases and 200,000-plus fewer deaths over the next 10 years. Stepping on the scale will also be less scary: "Sodium makes you retain water; when there's less in your body, you'll lose fluid," says Norman Kaplan, M.D., professor of internal medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

6. Cut the Salt and Run

The small change: Lower blood pressure 10 points. Here's where several small steps boost the total payoff. People who cut back on salt usually eat more fresh foods like fruits and vegetables, studies have reported. Toss in extra exercise, and you'll find yourself naturally losing weight. Together, these moves can lower blood pressure 10 points — enough to knock you out of a danger-zone prehypertension reading of 129 (the systolic, or upper number) down to a healthy 119. "You can expect blood pressure to fall one point for every pound you lose," says Dr. Kaplan. And sometimes more: "I lost 10 pounds and my pressure went down 15 points," he adds.

The big gains: If your blood pressure is elevated now — even just slightly — each 10-point drop in systolic pressure makes you one-third less likely to have a stroke, a recent review of more than 40 studies worldwide found. And by keeping pressure healthy, you'll be protecting yourself from heart and kidney disease.

7. Eat the Right Fats

The small change: Get 10 percent of your calories from omega-6s. You probably already take in some of these healthy fats from nuts, cooking oil, and salad dressing. But you may well need more — 5 to 10 percent of your daily calories should come from omega-6 fatty acids, advises the American Heart Association in a new recommendation. One easy way to ramp up: Replace saturated fats like butter with corn, sunflower, or safflower oil. But keep in mind that oil is high in calories; two tablespoons will do the trick.

The big gains: This daily quota of omega-6s lowers LDL cholesterol and cuts your chances of heart disease 24 percent, an AHA Science Advisory reported. These fats may also improve blood pressure and help the body process sugar, lowering diabetes risk. (Don't forget other heart-healthy fats, like olive oil.)

Next: Learn how to shave 10% off your calorie intake by eliminating one thing from your diet

8. Can the Cola

The small change: Cut calories 10 percent by cutting back on soda. Down one less sugary soft drink a day, and you'll knock off 240 calories (that's for a 20-ounce bottle). Assuming a typical 2,000-calorie daily intake, there's your 10 percent — plus a bit!

The big gains: Besides helping you lose weight, drinking fewer sodas may also make you less prone to diabetes. And if you have a heavy-duty soda habit, you may want to cut back more: Your vulnerability climbs as intake goes up, research has found.

9. TiVo Conan O'Brien

The small change: Sleep 10 percent more. If you normally log seven hours of shut-eye a night, turn in 40 minutes earlier to boost your sleep time by about 10 percent.

The big gains: Sleep isn't like pulling the car into the garage and turning off the engine, says James Walsh, Ph.D., executive director of the Sleep Medicine and Research Center at St. Luke's Hospital in Chesterfield, MO. "It actively restores the brain and body, including the immune system." People who snagged less than seven hours a night were nearly three times more likely to catch a cold after being exposed to viruses than well-rested souls who averaged eight hours or more, new multicenter research reported. Getting eight hours (seven if you have to) can also help protect you from high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes. Rest will also help you keep your weight down.

10. Say Si to a Siesta

The small change: Take a 10-minute nap. Find a quiet place to lie down during the day, especially if you don't get enough zzz's at night.

The big gains: Daytime snoozing is good for your heart: When Greek researchers measured deaths from heart disease, they found there were 37 percent fewer among people who napped regularly, compared with non-nappers. But to feel sharp when you wake up, limit dozing to 10 minutes: In an Australian study, people who napped for 20to 30 minutes were slower to get back in gear.

source: msn health

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Obesity as Dangerous to Health as Lifetime of Smoking

Severe obesity shortens a person's expected lifespan by 10 years, comparable to the effect of a lifetime spent smoking, according to a study conducted by researchers from Oxford University's Clinical Trial Service Unit and published in the journal The Lancet.

"This is the latest and most convincing demonstration of the close relationship between being overweight and poor heart health, and confirms that smoking is harmful regardless of your weight," said Peter Weissberg of the British Heart Foundation.

Researchers compared lifestyle and mortality data for nearly one million people worldwide, and found that every increase in body mass index (BMI) over 25 significantly decreased life expectancy.

BMI is a commonly used measure of obesity, calculated by dividing a person's weight in kilograms by the square of their height in meters. A range of 20-25 is considered normal, 25-30 is considered overweight, 30-40 is considered obese, and 40-50 is considered severely obese.

In the current study, moderate obesity reduced life expectancy by an average of three years, while severe obesity reduced it by 10.

"Excess weight shortens human lifespan," concluded lead researcher Gary Whitlock.

Health experts warn that it is easier to avoid gaining extra weight than it is to lose it later on.

"Being obese not only shortens life, it also leads to chronic ill-health -- diabetes, high blood pressure, gallstones, back and joint troubles," said Alan Maryon-Davis, president of the U.K. Faculty of Public Health. "My advice is don't let it creep up on you. Cut down the fat in your food and use every opportunity to be more physical."

The researchers estimated that excess weight is responsible for up to one in 16 cancer deaths and one in four deaths from heart attack or stroke among middle-aged residents of the United Kingdom. Approximately 2 percent of U.K. residents are categorized as severely obese.

source: naturalnews

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Handy 6 tips to keep your heart healthy

Heart disease is still the leading cause of death in America, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). However, since many of the risk factors for heart disease are controllable, you have the power to prevent this disease just by making some positive lifestyle changes.


If you smoke, stop. Quitting smoking will have a positive impact on your entire body. Within 20 minutes, your blood pressure and pulse will drop to normal. Within one day your chance of a heart attack begins to decrease. Over time as you remain a non-smoker you will continue to enjoy numerous health benefits such as an enhanced ability to smell and taste, improved circulation, increased lung function, improvements in energy level, and reduced risk of lung cancer, heart disease and stroke to name a few.

Handy Tips on How to Stop Smoking

Have your blood pressure checked regularly. High blood pressure (HBP), which usually doesn’t have outward symptoms, can increase your risk of a heart attack or stroke. Over time, HBP can lead to serious adverse health impacts, such as an enlarged heart, scarred and hardened arteries that trap blood clots and lead to stroke and heart attack, and bulges in blood vessels called aneurisms. The good news is that it can be controlled through lifestyle changes and medication, if necessary.

Maintain a healthy weight. Eating right and exercising regularly can help you achieve and maintain a health weight, which is key to helping your heart stay healthy. Obesity is a risk factor for heart disease since it increases the strain on your heart and raises blood pressure and cholesterol, both of which are also risk factors. Your health care provider can recommend steps to help you lose weight if you are currently not at a healthy weight for your height and body frame.

Eat a heart-healthy diet. Cut back on foods such as fatty meats, skin-on chicken, saturated fat, sugar and salt. Don’t fry foods, bake, broil or grill them instead. Eat more fruits, vegetables, whole-grain cereals, breads and pastas; dried peas and beans, fish and lean meats. According to WebMd, five of the heart-healthiest foods you can eat are blueberries, spinach, oatmeal, salmon, and soy protein.

Handy diet tips to keep your heart healthy

Stay active. Physical activity is proven to make your heart stronger and reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke. A sedentary lifestyle contributes to obesity. Experts recommend 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity most days of the week. Since you don’t have to do it all at once, this is an achievable goal. Even 10 minutes here, 15 minutes there will add up throughout the day.

Fitness articles to keep your heart and health in good condition.

Get checked. Regular medical checkups are an important part of maintaining heart health. Talk to your doctor or provider about what are considered your uncontrollable risk factors for HBP. These are your age, race, family history, and gender. Learn more about how to improve your heart health. You’ll be glad you did. Be well.

source: examiner

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FDA approves Amag kidney anemia drug

Lexington drug maker Amag Pharmaceuticals Inc. said yesterday it has won approval for an iron replacement therapy with the potential to be its first blockbuster drug.

The company said the Food and Drug Administration granted long-delayed approval to market its Feraheme injection for intravenous use in the treatment of iron deficiency anemia in adults with chronic kidney disease. The FDA has approved fewer than two dozen new drugs annually in recent years.

Brian J.G. Pereira, president and chief executive of Amag, said in an interview that the approval represents the biggest milestone in the company’s 28-year history. It has produced and stockpiled the therapy in anticipation of the FDA’s decision.

“This has the potential to be a billion dollar drug that offers a treatment for iron deficiency anemia, which is one of the most common medical conditions worldwide,’’ said Pereira, a nephrologist by training who worked with kidney disease patients at Tufts Medical Center before joining Amag 3 1/2 years ago.

Amag made the announcement after the stock markets closed, but in after-hours trading, the company’s shares advanced $2.21 to $56.80, a gain of more than 4 percent, on the Nasdaq exchange.

Eric Varma, biotechnology analyst for Leerink Swann LLC, a healthcare investment bank in Boston, projected Feraheme will reach annual sales of $300 million by 2013. Whether sales can grow further to reach the company’s goal of $1 billion a year will partly depend on whether it gains “off-label’’ approval to treat other classes of patients with chemotherapy-induced anemia and postpartum anemia, Varma said.

The company is limited to marketing Feraheme to treat patients with chronic kidney disease, both those on dialysis and those not on dialysis. It was the first intravenous iron therapy approved in nearly a decade. While doctors will be allowed to prescribe it for other anemia patients, the company won’t be able to market the drug for other types of anemia without further approvals.

“We believe Feraheme will be priced at a premium to other drugs like Venofer,’’ said Varma, referring to a rival iron deficiency treatment made by Luitpold Pharmaceuticals Inc. of Shirley, N.Y., that sells for $350 to $400 per dose. “Feraheme could potentially replace Venofer in the short term because it allows dialysis centers to give patients fewer doses and faster doses,’’ he said.

Amag said in a statement that it expects Feraheme to be commercially available in the United States later this month. An 80-person sales force will market the drug to nephrologists, wholesalers, and specialty distributors.

Pereira said he has built up staff in recent months in anticipation of the drug going to market. The company, formerly called Advanced Magnetics Inc., now has about 260 employees, including 150 in Massachusetts. It moved its headquarters from Cambridge to Lexington last year, but still has a manufacturing site in Cambridge.

In addition to its iron replenishment drug, Amag makes imaging agents used to aid in the diagnosis of cancer and cardiovascular disease.

source: boston

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Health Benefits Of Molecule Linked With Male Sexual Arousal Examined

Medical scientists at the University of Leicester are investigating how signalling molecules known to control blood pressure and penile erection act to regulate brain function and which have potential for treatments of migraine, chronic pain, epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease.

The team is interested in the action of the molecule Nitric Oxide - made famous when it was discovered that its action could be exploited in the treatment of erectile dysfunction, notably by pharmaceutical drugs such as Viagra or Cialis.

The Leicester research is exploring how brain cells communicate by examining the junctions between brain cells – termed the “synapse”. The group, ‘Neurotoxicity at the Synapse’, led by Professor Ian Forsythe in the MRC Toxicology Unit, is interested in the action of Nitric Oxide at these synapses.

Researcher Adam Tozer said: “The brain is a communication station and understanding how the cells ‘talk’ to each other will help in the treatment of neurodegenerative disease.

“Nitric oxide synthesising enzymes are widely expressed in brain cells - prompting the question, why is a molecule that can produce penile erections necessary in the brain?”

Ian Forsythe said “Understanding how brain cells communicate is fundamental to how we think and helps explain the basis of brain diseases”. The research conducted by Dr Joern Steinert and Adam Tozer examines how nitric oxide produced by a cell ‘listening’ to its synapses can change the message received from the incoming ‘talking’ cell.

Adam said it was important to understand how brain cells communicate- and the role of nitric oxide in this process: “In instances where brain cell communication goes wrong, destructive and painful syndromes can occur, such as migraine, chronic pain and epilepsy. Added to this too much nitric oxide can be toxic, and this toxicity has been implicated in the pathology of several neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease”.

He said: “The diseases and syndromes cited are quite varied which reflects the nature of my research. Nitric oxide is obviously a fundamental signalling molecule - from causing erections to facilitating brain function - and understanding its action at a synapse will help us in the treatment of these various conditions. However, the bones of our research will help to shed light on communication in the healthy brain and this will enable a greater understanding of how we think! This is just as important as curing disease and opens up the possibilities of wider benefits.

“It is hoped that this research will go some way to solving the complexity of communication between brain cells, and therefore provide openings for therapeutic strategies against the debilitating conditions mentioned.”

The study in the MRC Toxicology Unit at the University of Leicester is being funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC). Mr Tozer presented his research at the Festival of Postgraduate Research on June 25th at the University of Leicester.

source: sciencedaily

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Universal embryo test: Could boost the chance of a successful pregnancy

A gene mapping test that can test embryos for almost any inherited disease could be available in the UK within a year, say researchers.

Unlike current tests doctors do not need to know the specific gene mutation involved.

At the same time embryos can be tested to check they are generally in good genetic shape.
Experts say there will have to be strict limits on what the test can be used for.

The test - which will cost around £2,500 - uses a technique called karyomapping which looks for the inheritance of sections of DNA or chromosomes.

Rather than knowing the exact gene mutation which is passed down the generations in an family affected by a condition such as cystic fibrosis, doctors can just look for the block of DNA containing a faulty gene.

At the moment genetic testing of embryos is generally limited to a few conditions.

But karyomapping could in theory be used to test for any one of the 15,000 genetic defects known about.

Using the same test doctors could also look at whether any chromosomes are missing or duplicated which suggests the embryo will not be viable.

It would also be far quicker than current tests, taking only three days instead of weeks or months.

Professor Alan Handyside, from London's Bridge Centre, who developed the test said in the handful of families they had looked at, it had been 100% successful in picking up affected embryos.

US researchers have also run the test in embryos at risk of cystic fibrosis.

In five cases where families had donated embryos to research, they proved the test can pick up cystic fibrosis mutations.

At the same time they found serious chromosome abnormalities suggesting those embryos would not have resulted in successful pregnancy, delegates at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology conference heard.

That could boost the chance of a couple having a successful pregnancy through IVF as well as a baby free from the condition in question.

Ethical issues

The UK team has applied to the Human Fertility and Embryology Authority (HFEA) for a licence.

Clinical trials of the test are due to start by the end of the year.

Regulators will be assessing whether it works and whether it is safe.

But there are also ethical issues to consider.

Ultimately, the test could be used to test for conditions which are not serious or life-threatening - leading to concerns about designer babies.

The HFEA will be able to set conditions on what the test can be used for.

Professor Handyside said one use for the test could be looking for genetic causes of autism which occurs in 5% of cases.

Other likely candidates are Huntington's disease and spinal muscular atrophy - a condition that can cause death in infancy.

"What we're mapping is inheritance from the father and the mother across the entire genome.

"The potential criticism of this work is we could find all kinds of changes in the embryo.

"But we wouldn't get a licence to do this for all conditions.

He added: "We are limited in the number of embryos we can test so something has to be very likely to turn up."

Professor Tony Rutherford, chair of the British Fertility Society said the test would be more reliable although admitted such technology was opening a "Pandora's box".

"The issue here is we may find out a lot of genetic information and how is that going to be used or stored."

But he said the regulations in the UK on what could be tested for were very strict and would remain so.

"We're not mad Frankensteins working away in our laboratories to create designer babies.

"We are only allowed to look for major diseases which cause handicaps."

source: bbc news

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Recurrent mouth ulcers suggest celiac disease

NEW YORK - A minority of patients with recurrent mouth sores (aphthous stomatitis) have gluten-sensitive enteropathy, making evaluation for celiac disease appropriate in this population, according to a new study in BMC Gastroenterology.

Gluten-sensitive enteropathy, or celiac disease, is an inherited, autoimmune disorder in which the lining of the small intestine is damaged from eating gluten and other proteins found in wheat, barley, rye, and possibly oats.

"It has been reported that in 5 percent of celiac disease patients, aphthous stomatitis may be the sole manifestation of the disease," write Dr. Farhad Shahram, of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran, and colleagues.

Aphthous stomatitis is a painful open ulcer, such as a canker sore, in the mouth that is white or yellow and surrounded by a bright red area. They tend to reappear in times of stress and are associated with viral infections, food allergies and other conditions.

The researchers studied 247 aphthous stomatitis patients (average age 33 years) who had at least three aphthous attacks during the year. The team measured antibodies and other immune factors associated with celiac disease, and patients with negative results were excluded.

Those with positive results underwent biopsies of the lining of the small intestine. Gluten-sensitive enteropathy was defined as a positive blood test for immune factors and abnormal biopsy results. A gluten-free diet was recommended for patients with gluten-sensitive enteropathy.

Of the 247 patients, seven patients with positive blood tests underwent upper GI endoscopy and duodenal biopsies. Endoscopic findings were compatible with gluten-sensitive enteropathy in two patients and were normal in five patients. However, biopsy findings were compatible with gluten-sensitive enteropathy in all seven patients.

The patients with gluten-sensitive enteropathy were an average of 27 years old and the average duration of the disease was 4.5 years. The seven celiac disease patients had not responded to conventional mouth ulcer medications, including topical corticosteroids, tetracycline, and colchicine.

Of the seven celiac disease patients, four started a strict gluten-free diet. All showed a significant improvement within 2 to 6 months.

"Gluten-sensitive enteropathy should be considered in aphthous stomatitis patients," the authors conclude. A lack of response to conventional treatment for could be another indicator of celiac disease risk.

SOURCE: BMC Gastroenterology 2009.

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Swine Flu Can Kill Even the Previously Healthy

LITTLE FALLS, N.J., June 29 -- The new H1N1 flu virus has the ability to cause serious illness and death among young individuals with no preexisting medical conditions, Mexican researchers confirmed.

Of 18 patients hospitalized with pneumonia and laboratory-confirmed infection with the pandemic virus, seven died -- all with multi-organ failure, according to Rogelio Perez-Padilla, MD, of the National Institute of Respiratory Diseases (INER) in Mexico City, and colleagues.

Four of the seven patients who died did not have any comorbidities, they reported online in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The researchers performed a retrospective chart review of patients hospitalized at INER with pneumonia and confirmed infection with the new H1N1 virus.

The median age of the patients was 38 (range 9 months to 61 years).

Only eight of the 18 had preexisting medical conditions, including arterial hypertension, diabetes, asthma, and obstructive sleep apnea.

All had fever, cough, dyspnea or respiratory distress, increased serum lactate dehydrogenase levels, and bilateral patchy pneumonia.

Most had an increased creatine kinase level (62%) and lymphopenia (61%).

Twelve required mechanical ventilation at some point during their hospitalization.

The patients who died were more likely to have had hypotension that did not respond to fluid administration (P=0.02) and to have had renal failure (P=0.01).

"Risk factors for severe . . . illness are still unknown," the researchers said, "but most of our patients were young to middle-aged and had previously been healthy."

In another paper published online in NEJM, Stefano Bertozzi, MD, PhD, of the National Institute of Public Health in Cuernavaca, Mexico, and colleagues explored the epidemiology of the severe cases of flu-like illness in the country around the time the new H1N1 virus emerged.

Of 2,155 severe pneumonia cases recorded from March 24 to April 29, 821 were hospitalized and 100 died.

At the same time, 2,582 of 8,817 samples submitted to the Mexican Ministry of Health were confirmed as the new virus.

Overall, 87% of deaths and 71% of cases of severe pneumonia involved patients ages 5 to 59; during reference periods the rates were 17% and 32%, respectively in these age groups, with the burden carried by older or very young individuals.

"Features of this epidemic were similar to those of past influenza pandemics in that circulation of the new influenza virus was associated with an off-season wave of disease affecting a younger population," the researchers said.

The findings suggest "relative protection for persons who were exposed to H1N1 strains during childhood before the 1957 pandemic," they said.

H1N1 influenza viruses have been circulating in humans since the 1918 pandemic that killed 40 to 50 million people worldwide, according to a perspective by David Morens, MD, of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in Bethesda, Md., and colleagues that will be published in the July 16 issue of NEJM.

The current pandemic strain is derived from two unrelated swine viruses, one of which is a derivative of the 1918 virus, the researchers said.

The 1918 outbreak initiated an ongoing era of pandemic influenza that does not appear to be ending any time soon, they said, although the severity of the pandemics appears to be decreasing.

"This diminution is surely due in part to advances in medicine and public health, but it may also reflect viral evolutionary 'choices' that favor optimal transmissibility with minimal pathogenicity," they said.

In a review article also slated to be published in the July 16 issue, Shanta Zimmer, MD, and Donald Burke, MD, of the University of Pittsburgh, tracked the viral evolution of the new H1N1 virus from the 1918 pandemic.

They said "it remains uncertain how forcefully [the new virus] will emerge and compete against the currently circulating 1918-derived seasonal H1N1 viruses."

But, they added, "the emergence of yet another serious global health threat from an animal source highlights the critical need for deeper understanding of zoonotic viruses, including in vivo studies of pathogenesis in animals, field epidemiologic studies, and surveillance in animal populations, along with the development of computational models."

Must Read - Swine Flu: Key facts, signs and symptoms and important cdc advices

source: medpagetoday

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