“It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”
“It’s harder than quitting drugs.”
“I’ve tried and tried and I just can’t stop.”
“I feel like a loser because I can’t quit.”
As a smoker, have you ever said anything like that? As someone who loves a smoker, have you ever heard someone say anything like that?
Quitting smoking is one of the most difficult things many people ever do. Sure, we all hear of people who quit cold turkey on Monday and by Wednesday, they know they’ll never touch another cigarette again, but that’s not the norm. The tobacco companies have the smokers so hooked that millions and millions of dollars are spent on quit-smoking materials and programs. Most is wasted at the moment though, since it’s often said that it takes about 7 tries before a smoker really, seriously stops smoking.
A new study out of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine says that using a nicotine replacement patch for 24 days instead of the usual 8 days increases the chances of success significantly. The patch not only helps smokes quit, but it often helps smokers who fall back into their habits.
The study, which was published in the most recent issue of Annals of Internal Medicine, looked at 568 adult smokers who smoked 10 or more cigarettes per day for at least the past year. The study subjects were randomly assigned to standard therapy with Nicoderm, 21 mg, for 8 weeks and placebo for 16 weeks or the extended therapy with Nicoderm CQ, 21 mg, for 24 weeks.
The researchers found that at the end of the 24-week study, the smokers who were in the extended Nicoderm group were about twice as likely to have been successful in their quitting smoking than those who received a placebo patch after the eighth week of the stud
The benefits also helped those who relapsed during the study and began smoking again. The smokers on extended therapy abstained from cigarettes for longer, and were more likely to stop smoking again even if they relapsed.
Unfortunately, this difference didn’t show up after one year. The researchers followed up with the study subjects after 52 weeks and there was no difference in those who continued to be non-smokers. Those who had the extended treatment showed a 14.5% non-smoking rate while the others a 14.3% rate.
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Image: MorgueFile.com
Post from: Blisstree
Statistics show that more than 15 million Americans reportedly use herbal remedies or high-dose vitamins. Of course, the number could be higher because not everyone reports what they take. Researchers from the Mayo Clinic decided to review the use of natural supplements and their interaction with heart disease medications to see what types of concerns, if any, doctors and patients should have. In the case of people with heart disease, natural supplements can affect the efficacy of the medications and cause heart irregularities, called arrhythmias.
According to a study published today in the 
Heart disease is a scary topic. It can hit anyone at any time, but there are people who are at higher risk of developing heart disease than are others. Some of the risk factrs include:
Yet another study has come out that has found that heavy backpacks compress the spinal discs and increase spinal curvature – even if the backpacks are worn properly. And when they’re worn only on one shoulder, as most kids tend to do, the damage is even worse.
The MRI images showed that as the backpack weights increased, there was more compression of the discs, which protect the vertebrae, particularly in the lower back area. The researchers also saw signficant curving of the spine, beginning with the 18 pound weight. By the time the 26 pound backpack was worn, the majority of the children had to adjust their posture to handle the weight.
According to a study published recently in the European Respiratory Journal, children who are exposed to large amounts of chlorine early in life may have a higher risk of developing asthma or respiratory problems – particularly if they have a family history of such problems.
Birth weights don’t predict how big a baby will become as he or she grows, but researchers are finding that birth weight plays a role in future health. Research is beginning to show that smaller babies face a higher risk of short-term complications, even requiring intensive care. As well, people born with low-birth weights may have a higher risk of developing certain types of chronic diseases.
down the progress of MS are taken by injection. Cladribine would only be taken for a few days each year, while fingolimod is taken every day. However, researchers are cautioning people about the serious side effects that may come with the drugs.
theory that sunlight – or lack of sunlight – plays a role in the development of the disease. Canada has the dubious distinction of having the highest rate of MS in the world.
Parkinson’s disease is a neurological disorder, meaning that it affects the nerves. In this case, the disorder affects the part of the brain that controls muscle movement. Dopamine is a chemical that helps your body coordinate movements, but in Parkinson’s, the neurons that make the dopamine die, making it difficult, if not impossible, to control movement.
Mild concussions aren’t being taken seriously enough, despite deaths, over the past couple of years, due to head injuries on the ski slope or similar circumstances, says a researcher from 
confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009, including at least 13,554 deaths.” The most active regions right now remain parts of North Africa, South Asia and the eastern and southeastern areas of Europe.
keep things straight.
water. And, if the area hit is as poorly off as Haiti was before the earthquake, then the living conditions are going to change from poor to unimaginable. Before the earthquake, more than half the population had access to clean drinking water and there was no public sewage.
In North America, rabies is sometimes transmitted by rabid bats, so countries, like Canada, have guidelines in place about prophylactic (preventative) treatment if someone comes in contact with an animal that could be rabid. 
Light, any type of light, is a migraineurs enemy once the pain has begun. With all the research that is going in to trying to find causes and cures for migraines, one angle has been to look at how light affects migraines as opposed to “regular” headaches, no matter how severe the headaches are.
Migraines, one of those mysterious ailments that affect so many people, is one of the long-lasting physical effects that may result from childhood abuse. Of course, that’s not to say that if you have migraines, you were abused – absolutely not. But, researchers have found that a significant number of people who do live with migraines were somehow abused or neglected when they were children.