Elixir

Spreading some holiday cheer can make the season bright for you, for you, for you and, yes, for you.

According to a study publishing in the British Medical Journal, happiness spreads through a social network, traveling from one person to another and even to people up to three degrees removed.

“Scientists have been interested in happiness for a long time,” says James Fowler, associate professor in political science at the University of California, San Diego. “They’ve studied the effect of everything from winning the lottery to losing your job to getting sick, but they never before considered the full effect of other people. We show that happiness can spread from person to person to person in a chain reaction through social networks.” His research partner Nicholas Christakis, M.D, a professor of medical sociology in the department of health care policy at Harvard Medical School, says, “One of the key determinants of human happiness is the happiness of others. An innovative feature of our work was exploring the idea that emotions are a collective phenomenon and not just an individual one.”

Fowler and Christakis used data from the Framingham Heart Study to recreate a social network of 4,739 people whose happiness was measured from 1983 to 2003. To assess the participants’ emotional wellbeing, they relied on answers to four items from the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale: “I felt hopeful about the future”; “I was happy”; “I enjoyed life”; and “I felt that I was just as good as other people.”

Their research shows that happiness loves company. Happy people tend to cluster together, and, on the surface, people with more social contacts seem generally happier. However, Fowler and Christakis observe that what matters there is not just the total number of connections but the number of happy ones.

According to Fowler and Christakis, happiness spreads in a social network up to three degrees of separation.

You are 15 percent more likely to be happy if directly connected to a happy person; 10 percent if it’s the friend of a friend who is happy; and 6 percent if it’s the friend of a friend of a friend.

To be happier, Fowler suggests to take greater responsibility for your own happiness because it affects dozens of others.

“The pursuit of happiness is not a solitary goal. We are connected, and so is our joy,” Fowler says.

The general rule of thumb that we’ve learned by now is that there are no easy fixes in life. The same rule applies to female sexual dysfunction, according to Dr. Domeena Renshaw, MD, director of the Loyola University Health System Sex Clinic, who does not recommend testosterone therapy for treatment until more research done.

“Female sexual dysfunction is being treated as a medical problem with a quick fix, when in fact women’s libido issues may be more complicated,” says Renshaw, also author of Seven Weeks to Better Sex and a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine.

According to Renshaw, female sexual dysfunction is a subjective diagnosis that might be caused by a number of things such as emotional issues, underlying health problems and medication like antidepressants.

The proper level of testosterone in women is between 40 - 75 ng, but Renshaw warns that there is no such thing as a small dose of testosterone and cautions women who are turning to it as a treatment option.

“I am not comfortable prescribing testosterone therapy to my female patients, because the long-term side effects have not been studied,” Renshaw says. “Testosterone therapy may increase the risk of heart disease as well as cause excess facial hair, acne and deepening of the voice.”

Today, there are no FDA-approved products to treat sexual dysfunction in women. Recommendations to improve female sexual function include counseling and increased communication with your partner. Other tips are experimentation or changes in sexual routine, regular exercise and a healthy lifestyle.

“The most important advice that I give couples is to turn off the television, unplug the phone and have a conversation to reconnect with one another,” Renshaw says. -Nina Yun

Your number one goal this winter? Don’t catch the flu. With the cold Chicago weather on the horizon, its no wonder you’re concerned.

But there is hope for your health this year. RealAge.com released a new study that examined animals whose immune systems were lowered due to physical stress. However, when the animals were given quercetin, a type of flavanoid, their immune systems were boosted back up to normal levels.

While the results are not yet confirmed in humans, researchers seem confident that by eating certain foods, we might all be able to keep our immune systems strong as the flu season approaches. Types of food that are high in quercetin are apples, broccoli and red onions. These foods also happen to have many other healthy nutrients such as fiber and vitamins A, B and C.

However, the researchers say not to skip out on getting the flu shot in lieu of eating more of these foods. It can’t hurt to be extra cautious!

All hair will experience normal wear and tear, but there are definitely ways you can be smarter about your hair behaviors and protect your coif from the elements. “It really just comes down to the knowledge of styling your hair,” Patrick Lewis says, director of stylist development at the Art + Science Salon in Lincoln Park, Chicago.

Your hair is no longer alive as it grows away from your scalp, so once the hair is damaged, it has no way of repairing itself. Dull, damaged hair is dry, porous, weak and hard to manage. Here are five common hair behaviors and how to make them safer for the long-term health of your hair, from Lewis and Keith Ayotte, regional creative director for Sassoon Salon USA, Minneapolis:

Hair behavior: Too much sun
What the experts say: Just like skin, the hair is very sensitive to sun exposure and long-term problems can result by not taking the necessary precautions. When going out in the sun, be sure to apply a hair product with UV protection (and re-apply throughout the day), and then deep condition hair post-exposure since the sun will dry hair out, causing breakage and discoloration.

Hair behavior: Too much washing
What the experts say: Washing your hair too much can dry out your scalp, cause flakes and strip the natural oils on your head that protect your hair’s roots - instead, shampoo and condition about twice a week. In addition, 30-minute conditioning treatments are terrific for rejuvenating the hair. There are fantastic, no-heat-required treatments available (sometimes called treatment cuts) that are sprayed onto the hair before the cut and penetrate/condition during the cut - two services in the amount of time it takes for one.

Hair behavior: Too much blow-drying
What the experts say: To achieve a beautiful blow out and maintain hair’s integrity, apply a heat resistant product and use a paddle brush to get a smooth, natural finish. A paddle brush works with the hairs’ texture and natural bend, to give your mane a healthy, shiny look. Lewis advises not to brush against the hair cuticle, or brushing up, since the cuticle can be ripped or damaged when brushed against the grain.

Hair behavior: Too much flat-ironing
What the experts say: When using a flat iron properly, you can achieve great results and maintain healthy hair by making sure hair is thoroughly dry before ironing, applying a product that will protect hair from the heat and using a ceramic flat iron. Then, glide the flat iron through the hair in fluid movements to prevent one spot from getting too much heat exposure. Lewis advises to treat hair with a protein spray once or twice a week to provide a buffer to absorb the environment and take the stress out of the hair. “It also puts moisture back into the hair,” Lewis says.

Hair behavior: Too-tight ponytail
What the experts say: When wearing a ponytail, use fabric hair ties not rubber bands to pull back hair - rubber bands, especially on wet hair, will stick to the hair and cause tearing. You also want to avoid ties that have metal on them or wearing the ponytail too tight, as these habits can weaken the hair and cause breakage.

After generations of denying cooties, the jig is up. An article in the Chicago Tribune reported that a new study conducted by the University of Colorado found that women have more bacteria on their hands than men.

After taking samples from the palms of 51 college students, 102 hands total, researchers used a new, highly detailed system for detecting bacteria DNA to test the samples.

While discovering that everybody has more types of bacteria than originally expected, researchers aren’t sure why women have a greater variety of bacteria than men. Researchers say it might be from the acidity of the skin, as men generally have more acidic skin than women. Other possibilities might be the use of moisturizers and cosmetics, and the difference in sweat and oil gland production between men and women.

However, this doesn’t mean obsessive hand washing ladies. Not only does it fail to eliminate bacteria, researchers say that the majority of bacteria are either harmless or beneficial, and that pathogens are a small minority.

According to the Loyola University Hospital in Maywood, Ill., nurses play a vital role in the care of patients and it’s not just administering medication or getting that favorite flavor of Jell-O, but they are also key players in introducing and implementing new technology.

Lynn Heicher, RN, nurse manager of the gastroenterology lab in the hospital, cites her team of nurses as part of the success of a new therapy called cyrospray ablation, which treats Barrett’s esophagus, a pre-cancerous condition largely caused by acid reflux disease. According the American Cancer Society, if Barrett’s esophagus goes untreated it could lead to esophageal cancer, the fastest-growing cancer in the United States.

“By the time the launch date came, we [the nurses] were extremely comfortable,” Nancy Forcier, RN, says. “There was no fear of the unknown. We knew how to solve any potential problems and how to properly operate the equipment.”

Heicher says the intensive training and preparation done by her and her team of nurses helped patients treated with cryospray ablation to have great results. As part of their training, the nurses acted the roles from patient to physician to ensure the treatment was done seamlessly.

“We were extremely well prepared,” Lady Umamos, BSN, RN, says. “We were able to get it up and running without a hitch from the very beginning.”

Conventional wisdom would lead one to believe that kids with milk allergies should be kept away from milk, but new research from Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, Baltimore, finds that the opposite could be true.

In a very small study of 19 children, researchers found that children with milk allergies who were given increasingly higher doses of milk over time were eased - and the relief could be make it possible for them to  completely overcome their allergic reactions.

“Our findings suggest that oral immunotherapy gradually retrains the immune system to completely disregard or to better tolerate the allergens in milk that previously caused allergic reactions,” says Robert Wood, M.D., senior investigator on the study and director of Allergy & Immunology at Hopkins Children’s. “Albeit preliminary and requiring further study, these results suggest that oral immunotherapy may be the closest thing yet to a ‘true’ treatment for food allergy.”

In a report released Oct. 22, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, estimates that food allergies are on the rise with three million children in the United States now having at least one food allergy, an 18 percent jump from 10 years ago. Milk allergy is the most prevalent type of food allergy.

“Given that the quality of life of a child with a food allergy is comparable to the quality of life of a child with diabetes, we urgently need therapies that go beyond strict food avoidance or waiting for the child to outgrow the allergy,” Wood says. -Matthew M. F. Miller

As the temperature drops, sniffles, coughs and sneezes are sure to follow.  However, you don’t have to be a victim.  By getting the influenza vaccine you can protect yourself from catching the virus that plagues anywhere between five and 20 percent of the U.S. population.

“The time is now to get a flu shot,” says Dr. Michael Koller, associate professor, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine in Maywood, Ill.
In the past, experts have said that October and November are the months to get the vaccine.  Now, they are advising getting a flu shot at any time through February.  It takes about two weeks for the antibodies to develop after vaccination.

In addition, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has extended the age for children getting flu shots from five years to 18 years old, to babies six months old through 18-years-old.  In addition, Koller says that any child under age nine getting the flu shot for the first time needs a second, or “booster” shot, four weeks later.

Parents who worry about the vaccine containing thimerosal, a preservative that contains mercury, should rest assured this year because some brands of the flu shots do not contain thimerosal.

“The product that Loyola has doesn’t have any thimerosal at all,” Koller says.
In addition to children, people 50 and older and anyone with chronic illnesses such as asthma or diabetes should be vaccinated.
“People who have cancer, people who are immuno-suppresed or people who are infected with HIV (the virus that causes AIDS), should also get the flu shot,” says Koller.
In past years, there has been a shortage of the flu vaccine.  This year, it should not be a problem as six different companies are licensed to produce the vaccine this year, making 145 million doses of the vaccine available nationwide.

About 36,000 Americans die and 200,000 are hospitalized from the flu each year.  To get a flu shot, make an appointment with your physician or call your local pharmacy - many of which offer the shot. -Carley Ribet

If a self-breast examination is a part of your monthly routine, according to researchers at the Nordic Cochrane Centre, Denmark, you may be doing more harm than good.

In a review of recent studies, Jan Peter Kosters, Ph.D. and Peter Gotzsche, Ph.D. found that the practice of self-exams led to almost twice as many biopsies that turned up no cancer in women who performed them, compared to women who did not.  Further, there was no significant difference in breast cancer deaths between the two groups.

“We are advising that women should be aware of what is normal for how their breasts looked and felt, and to promptly report any changes to their health care provider,” said Debbie Saslow, Ph.D., director of breast and gynecologic cancers for the American Cancer Society.

In light of earlier evidence that supports the current findings, the association stopped recommending self-exams five years ago, instead describing the monthly evaluations as “an option.” “Women who want to should keep doing breast self-exam, and women who don’t want to, don’t need to,” Saslow says.

The review’s authors recognize that some women will want to continue with breast self-exams and women should always “seek medical advice if they detect any change in their breasts that might be breast cancer,” Kosters says. “We suggest that the lack of supporting evidence…should be discussed with these women to enable them to make an informed decision.” –Jessica Abels

Get ready, aim and fire at the newest key target in the battle against breast cancer – blood vessel formation.

In a study done at the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, researchers discovered that by targeting the step of blood vessel formation, called angiogenesis, they blocked the tumor progression.

Angiogenesis, which occurs in wound healing, female reproduction and fetal development, can enable tumors to grow out of control and spread cancer throughout the body. By using drugs like Avastin, a bevacizumab, the researchers inhibited a key protein in the process – the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). While the process is less toxic than traditional chemotherapy, there is more research to be done.

“VEGF is not responsible for all of angiogenesis,” says Dr. Nancy Klauber-DeMore, associate professor of surgery in the UNC School of Medicine and senior author of the study. “The most exciting aspect of this study is that we have a very large list of potential targets that we will continue to work on for the next decade.”

Since the study only looked at seven of the 55 potential targets that are “overexpressed” (produced in excess) on tumor blood vessels, it’s still necessary to determine whether the other proteins induce angiogenesis and then to design new compounds to inhibit tumor growth.

“This work points us in the direction we need to go to develop the next generation of angiogenesis inhibitors,” Klauber-DeMore says. –Melanie Wanzek