What are anabolic steroids?

Anabolic steroids are drugs that are mostly synthesized from the male reproduction hormone - testosterone. They have been banned by most sports ruling bodies, including the International Olympic Committee, because of dangers linked to abuse and the potential for an unfair competitive advantage.

Their precise effect on the human body is still a matter of scientific debate and more long-term research studies are needed to determine the associated risks.  Anabolic steroids are controlled substances in the USA, UK, Canada and parts of Asia and can be taken in tablet form or injected via syringe.

One thing for sure is that they have made a huge splash as of late in the mainstream news and it is a real eye-opener for those in major sports.

Government regulators said Friday the connection between Pfizer’s anti-smoking drug Chantix and serious psychiatric problems is “increasingly likely.”

Government regulators said Friday the connection between Pfizer’s anti-smoking drug Chantix and serious psychiatric problems is “increasingly likely.” The Food and Drug Administration began in November investigating reports of depression, agitation and suicidal behavior in patients taking the popular twice-daily pill.

The agency’s announcement comes two weeks after Pfizer added stronger warnings to the drug. In doing so, the company stressed that a direct link between Chantix and the reported psychiatric problems has not been established, but could not be ruled out.  Since most anti-smoking drugs are typically used as anti-depressants this should come as no surpise to anyone.

Corruption and poor oversight have undermined South Africa’s fight against HIV/ Aids, a new report says .  The authors, the Institute of Security Studies and Transparency International, say there has been a “potentially lethal cocktail of mismanagement”.

They blame South Africa’s president for questioning the link between HIV and Aids and say his stance has had an impact on the whole health system.  South Africa has the highest incidence of Aids in the world.  The report, titled A Lethal Cocktail, says 30% of the population is infected.

Politicisation of the disease has created numerous channels for abuse and is undermining attempts to counter it, the report says.  The authors conclude that it has become difficult to disentangle corruption from mismanagement and system failure as the root causes of the poor response to Aids.

Much of the responsibility is laid at the door of President Thabo Mbeki, whose well-known questioning of the link between the HIV virus and Aids has resulted in activists labelling him an “Aids denialist”.  The report says that his stand has had an impact throughout the health system, creating numerous channels for abuse.

The authors cite an example of a doctor dismissed for allowing a rape charity to use a disused hospital, because they were distributing anti-retroviral drugs.  Over-all it is a bad report for all of South Africa and brings up some glaring problems.

One of the hottest technologies for people using cannabis for medical conditions is a vaporizer. Vaporization is a technique used to avoid the irritating respiratory toxins found in marijuana smoke. This is achieved by heating cannabis to a temperature so that the psychoactive ingredients evaporate without causing combustion.

There are many types of vaporizers on the market and doing some research on what the best one for you budget is a good idea. When I looked I found many types including cheap lightbulb vaporizers and the more expensive volcano type vaporizer. This is a great technology for those needing to take medicinal cannabis.

This past year has been a real rollercoaster for me and my goal of weight loss. I was going to the gym on a regular basis but was not able to lose any weight. The truth is that I know my diet was the culprit because I have two young kids and we tend to have fast food 2 or 3 times a week. There is also a lot of fatty snacks around the house and even though I buy them for the ‘kids’ I always break-down and find myself munching on them late at night.

Here is what I did to drop 10 pounds over the course of two months and have kept it off so far (6 months later):

I was going to the gym two and sometimes three times per week and riding the stationary bike for 35 minutes and working out for half an hour with weights once a week. Since that level of exercise combined with my current diet kept me stabilized but unable to lose weight I added 1 extra workout a week and made sure to stuff the fridge with a lot of tasty fruit and low fat yogurt and low-fat pretzels for snacking. In just two months I lost 10 pounds and probably also added a couple of pounds of muscle. Most importantly I feel great and now have the confidence that I can lose more weight and eventually get down to my targeted weight goal.

I guess the moral of my story is that sometimes small changes can have enormous effects over the long-term and losing weight does not always involve a strict weight loss diet but can be achieved by making common sense decisions combined with healthy eating and exercise choices.

According to a survey published on Nov. 1 in the journal Health Affairs, one-third of U.S. adults believe that the U.S. health-care system has to be rebuilt completely—double the percentage who want a dramatic overhaul in the six other nations whose residents took part in the survey. The U.S. ranked dead last on the question whether more than minor system changes were needed.

The nonpartisan New York City-based Commonwealth Fund, which studies health-care issues, interviewed 12,000 adults in Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Britain, Australia, and the U.S. this spring to get a handle on actual patient experiences and perceptions. The results paint a damning picture of user satisfaction with the American health-care system and could provide fodder in a Presidential campaign where health care is expected to play a major role (BusinessWeek.com, 9/17/07). All the countries in the survey except the U.S. have universal health coverage, and the percentage of GDP the U.S. spends on medical care is about twice as high as the other six.

Despite their country’s higher spending, U.S. patients were the only ones to report serious problems paying bills (19%). Plus, 30% of patients paid $1,000 or more out-of-pocket over the past year, while the percentage of patients laying out that much in the other six ranged from 4% (Britain) to 19% (Australia). Nearly two out of five U.S. adults and 42% of those with chronic illnesses skipped medications or did not see a doctor when sick because of cost. Those rates are much higher in the U.S. than in any other country.

“The U.S. often stands out [in the survey] for negative care experiences,” says lead author Cathy Schoen, Commonwealth Fund senior vice-president. In a Commonwealth study released last year, the U.S. received low grades (BusinessWeek.com, 9/21/06) in outcomes, quality of care, access to care, and efficiency, compared with other industrialized nations.

According to Schoen, the more negative or costly the experience, the more negative the overall perception of the health-care system. Dissatisfaction with the U.S. system crosses socioeconomic lines, too. Both high- and low-income respondents had similarly negative views of the U.S. health-care system, Schoen notes.

Though they’re not happy with aspects of the system, U.S. residents are about as confident as those of other nations that they would get high-quality care and the best drugs and medical technology. The Netherlands consistently scored higher in all three categories. Still, U.S. patients can’t count on speedy access to care; 51% said they could not get an appointment (BusinessWeek.com, 6/22/07) the same or the next day when they were sick. Only Canada scored worse, with 64% saying they had to wait.

Once in the health-care system, 32% of U.S. patients suffered medical mistakes, the highest rate of the seven nations. That could be because the U.S. ranked last when it came to their doctors having access to their medical records at the time of an office visit.  I saw the movie Sicko so this survey comes as no suprise to me.  I am glad I am a Canadian.

Teenagers who feel relaxed after their first drags on a cigarette are most likely to become addicted to smoking, a sign that some people’s brains are more susceptible to nicotine, researchers have discovered.  This is bad news in the fight for teenage smokers.

While peer pressure and other factors may lead young people to try smoking, it is the brain’s response to that first dose of nicotine that likely most determines who gets addicted, according to DiFranza’s report published in Pediatrics, the journal of the American  Experiencing a feeling of relaxation in response to the first cigarette was the strongest predictor of addiction, the study found.

The study said one theory suggests nicotine suppresses pathways in the brain that generate the feeling of craving, which is experienced as relaxation. That in turn creates a craving for nicotine when the drug is absent.

Over the four years of the study between 2002 and 2006, 11 interviews were conducted with each of 1,000 teenagers attending public schools in six Massachusetts communities.  Of the 217 who tried smoking during the study, nearly one-third reported feeling relaxed after inhaling for the first time, and two-thirds of them became addicted to smoking.

Overall, 83 of the 217 participants who tried cigarettes became smokers.  Other risk factors for addiction among first-time smokers was a depressed mood, a novelty-seeking personality, and familiarity with “Joe Camel,” the animated character used to advertise Reynolds American Inc’s Camel brand, the study said.  “The Joe Camel campaign was discontinued in August of 1997 as our subjects entered 2nd grade (around age 7), suggesting that the deleterious effects of cigarette advertising persist long after the exposure,” the study said.

Among the traits that protected students from becoming addicted were being involved in extracurricular activities which is not surpising because they are probably more rounded individuals which inturn would help them make better life choices.

Heavy smokers with knee arthritis may be experiencing an early sign of a difficult-to-treat lung cancer, research shows.   Researchers at Prato Hospital in Italy reviewed the case files of 296 patients with inflammation in one knee between 2000 and 2005.

In just under 2 percent of these patients, the mild knee arthritis was accompanied by non-small cell lung cancer. All patients were middle-aged men who had been heavy smokers for most of their lives. Once the cancer tissue was surgically removed, the knee pain cleared up as well.

About 85 percent of all lung cancers are non-small cell lung cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. Unless it is caught early, non-small cell lung cancer is difficult to treat. It spreads to the bones in one in five cases and is well advanced by the time it is diagnosed in half of all cases.  Writing in the September issue of The Annals of Rheumatic Diseases, the researchers noted that early warning signs such as knee pain could lead to earlier diagnosis and more successful treatments.  My knees have been hurting but I haven’t had a cigarette for almost 20 years!

Establishing a Routine: A Necessary Element for Weight Gain Success

While planning is important for gaining weight and muscle, by itself it’s not enough to lead you to successful weight gain for the long term. Having a routine is also a necessity. You are going to be making some major changes to your lifestyle, and these types of changes don’t come naturally. Our bodies and minds resist change. If given the chance, we’ll resort back to old habits in a second. That’s why the key is to replace those old habits with new habits, so that these changes become the norm. Routine is the only way to make that happen to ensure you put on weight.

Dietitians have found that it takes 60 to 90 days for a routine to become a habit. That means if you are truly committed to gaining weight, then you need to be committed to a routine. Each time you break that routine, you are delaying the formation of a habit and making it harder on yourself.

Don’t get me wrong, routines aren’t easy to live with, especially if they require us to make major changes. However, if you are willing to make the commitment, then, in the end, you’ll realize that the sacrifice, effort, and energy were all worth it. After all, anything that is worth doing isn’t going to be easy.

For more gaining weight tips and articles, check out the GainingWeight.info blog.

Often forgotten about, your reproductive health is just as important as other aspects of your health. Gaining a better understanding of your reproductive system can help you gain a clearer picture of just how sensitive your reproductive organs are. How it Works will explain how your hormones and organs come together to produce your monthly cycle. And if you think that your diet doesn’t make much difference to your reproductive health, think again. Diet and the Reproductive System will explain just how the food you eat influences how your reproductive system works.

When your system is out of whack, not only can it affect your menstrual cycle, but it can also prevent you from getting pregnant. One way of making sure your system is in top shape is by getting regular pap smears. But what does it mean if you have an abnormal one? Read Abnormal Smear Test to find out. And if you have a retroverted uterus, don’t worry. This is normal and is unlikely to interfere with your ability to get pregnant.

While many women find it to be a bit of a pest, regular menstruation is actually a sign of positive reproductive health. However, different factors can throw your cycle off from time to time. Learn more about what can make your period late and if you’ve recently stopped taking the birth control pill, then check out No Pill, No Period to find out why your period may not return right away. Some women suffer from extremely painful periods, as is the case with dysmenorrhea. If you use tampons regularly, you’ll want to make sure you know all about toxic shock syndrome. Of course, eventually your period will stop coming altogether. Whether you’re looking forward to it or dreading it, menopause is a fact of life for all women. And if you’re wondering whehter herbs are effective for treating menopause symptoms, read our article on herbs and menopause.

A woman’s reproductive system can be affected by a variety of infections, such as yeast infections (or thrush) and bacterial vaginosis. While these can be unpleasant, they can be treated. Other infections include urinary tract infections (UTI) and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). While treatment is available for both of these discomforts, PID can lead to scarring and even infertility as well as increase your risk of an ectopic pregnancy if not looked after quickly.

Cancer can also damage your reproductive health. Aside from cervical cancer, women may also have to deal with uterine cancer or ovarian cancer. Other reproductive issues that are not uncommon for a woman to have to contend with include ovarian cysts, chronic pelvic pain and fibroids. In some cases, it may be necessary to have a hysterectomy in order to get rid of the cancer for good.

However, your reproductive health isn’t just centred around the pelvic region. Your breasts are also an important part of your reporductive system, allowing you to feed your children during their first few months or years. Developing breast cancer, though, can seriously impair your reproductive health, damaging your breasts and your fertility. Through breast cancer awareness and regular self-checks, you can keep your breasts healthy for a long time by ensuring early detection and treatment of breast cancer. There are various types of breast examinations that may be performed in order to detect the signs of breast cancer. Learn about some other conditions that are characterized by benign breast lumps.

Breast cancer research has attempted to address environmental factors that may be linked to the development of cancer. Read an article about recent studies that have attempted to address the possible link between breast cancer and anti-perspirant use. New genetic testing methods have also been developed that can help prevent breast cancer relapse.

Experiencing menopause or undergoing treatment such as a hysterectomy can result in changes to your reproductive system that can affect your sexual health. These changes can alter a woman’s sexual life and affect feelings of desire as well as a woman’s libido. Whether or not you have undergone these or other changes, you may want to read about recent studies attempting to solve female sexual dysfunction and issues surrounding women’s sexual health.

Women who have undergone a mastectomy can sometimes find it difficult to adjust to having one or no breasts. However, reconstructive surgery can make it possible to have breasts again. If your health insurance does not cover this procedure, it is possible to find cosmetic surgeon clinics cosmetic surgeon clinics that are affordable.

Your reproductive health and overall wellbeing may benefit from a natural health program. Get information on Migraine Prevention that may be related to other conditions affecting your health.