Cáncer rebasa en Cuba a afecciones cardiovasculares como 1ra. causa de muerte

martinoticias

El cáncer es hoy la primera causa de muerte en Cuba y tiene una alta incidencia en el país, anunció en La Habana un investigador del Instituto Nacional de Oncología y Radiobiología (INOR).

El Doctor en Ciencias Lorenzo Anasagasti, vicedirector de Investigaciones del INOR, reveló durante un Simposio Internacional de productos terapéuticos contra el cáncer que cada año se registran en el país más de 32 mil nuevos casos de tumores malignos y unos 20 mil fallecidos. El promedio anual de defunciones en general en el país es de 83.000.

Según la Oficina Nacional de Estadísticas de Cuba al menos hasta el año 2011 la primera causa de muerte en la isla eran las enfermedades cardiovasculares (22.178) , que tenían una tendencia a disminuir, mientras que las muertes por cáncer (21.740) tendían a aumentar.

Anasagasti, citado por la agencia oficial, precisó que el más frecuente es el de pulmón, en primer lugar para ambos sexos, seguido del de próstata en los varones y el mamario en las mujeres, y como tercera causa, el de colon.

El experto señaló la necesidad de que la población adquiera la percepción de riesgo necesaria para tratar de prevenir esta patología, cuya prevención requiere cambios en los estilos de vida y alimentación, eliminar el hábito de fumar y desarrollar la práctica de ejercicios físicos.

Acotó que  la salud pública debe reforzar las actividades dirigidas a una mejor educación sanitaria y a mayor cantidad de diagnósticos precoces.

Un perfil sobre el cáncer en Cuba correspondiente a 2013 y que está disponible en el portal de Internet de la Organización Panamericana de la Salud (OPS) incluye un gráfico con datos del 2010 que desglosa los porcentajes de muertes por cáncer: entre los hombres, el de pulmón representa el 26%, seguido por el de próstata (22%)  el colorrectal (7%) y el de la laringe (5%). En las mujeres también causa los peores estragos el cáncer de pulmón con 20%; le siguen el de seno con 16%, el colorrectal (14%) y el de útero (5%).

También revela cifras relativas a los factores de riesgo: un 23,7% de la población adulta y un 17,1% de la población joven fuma; 43,6% del total consume bebidas alcohólicas, mientras que la obesidad en los adultos alcanza el 20,5%. El indicador sobre consumo de frutas y vegetales está en blanco.

El perfil de la OPS señala en cuanto a las áreas libres de fumadores que existen de tres a cinco tipos de espacios públicos totalmente libres de humo de tabaco. La prohibición a la publicidad de productos tabacaleros no existe ─es uno de los principales rubros de exportación de bienes del país y una atracción turística─  y a las advertencias sobre los peligros del tabaco en las  cajetillas de cigarrillos y otros empaques les faltan uno o más elementos.

Una encuesta del Ministerio de Salud Pública de la isla publicada en 2012 arrojó que casi el 40% de los fumadores cubanos adquieren el hábito antes de los 17 años, y que cuatro de cada diez habitantes de la isla están expuestos en su hogar a humo de segunda mano.

Mice With Mohawks Yield Clues to Autism

NBC News.com

It's not every day you see a mouse with a mohawk. But that's what researchers saw while studying mice that had a genetic mutation linked to autism.

The mohawks that the mice were sporting actually resulted from their "over-grooming" behavior, repeatedly licking each other's hair in the same direction.

The behavior resembles the repetitive motions displayed by some people with autism, and the researchers say their experiments reveal a link between the genetic causes of autism and their effects on the brain, suggesting potential avenues for treating the disorder.

 

Nature via Live Science

Mice that have a genetic mutation linked to autism groom their hair into mohawk-like hairstyles.

"Our study tells us that to design better tools for treating a disease like autism, you have to get to the underlying genetic roots of its dysfunctional behaviors, whether it is over-grooming in mice or repetitive motor behaviors in humans," study researcher Gordon Fishell, a neuroscientist at NYU Langone Medical Center, said in a statement.

Autism is a spectrum of developmental disorders that involve social impairments and communication deficits. People with autism may also engage in repetitive behaviors, such as rocking or hand flapping. [ Beyond Vaccines: 5 Things That Might Really Cause Autism ]

In the study, detailed today (May 25) in the journal Nature, the researchers bred mice that lacked a gene for a protein called Cntnap4, which is found in brain cells called interneurons.

Having low levels of this protein leads to the abnormal release of two brain-signaling molecules, known as dopamine and GABA. Dopamine is involved in sensations of pleasure; GABA (which stands for gamma-aminobutyric acid) dampens neural activity and regulates muscle tone.

Mice that lacked the gene for this critical brain protein were found to obsessively groom their fellow animals' fur into mohawk-like styles, suggesting a link between genetics, brain function and autistic behaviors.

"There have been many candidate genes implicated in contributing to autism, but animal and human studies to identify their action have so far not led to any therapies," Fishell said in the statement. "Our research suggests that reversing the disease's effects in signaling pathways like GABA and dopamine are potential treatment options," he said.

— Tanya Lewis, LiveScience

Gluten 'allergies' aren't real, docs say

today

Melissa Dahl

blogs.kqed.org

Two truths about allergies that may blow your mind: Bo Obama isn’t a hypoallergenic dog, and nobody is actually “allergic” to gluten.

These are just two examples of the myths allergists would very much like to bust, according to a presentation being given today at the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Dr. David Stukus put the presentation together after years of patients coming to him with fiercely held, but totally incorrect, beliefs about allergies — something that’s only gotten worse in this age of medical Googling.

“It was shocking to me, the amount of misinformation that is available to the general public,” says Stukus, who is an allergist at Nationwide Children's Hospital and assistant professor of pediatrics at Ohio State University.

Here, Stukus helps us separate allergy fact from allergy fiction.

Myth 1: If you’re allergic to cats or dogs, it’s best to stick with hypoallergenic breeds.

Actually, there is no such thing as a hypoallergenic pet, Stukus says, because “every single pet will secrete allergens.” And it doesn’t make much of a difference if the pet has short or long hair, because the dander that people are allergic to doesn’t come from the fur – it comes from the animal’s saliva, sweat glands and urine. Even expensive, genetically engineered pets still secrete minor allergens, Stukus said.

OK, but what if you’re an animal lover who also happens to be allergic to pet dander? Stukus often gets that question. “The best response to that is even people with pet allergies, they may be fine around certain breeds and not around others," Stukus says. The only way to figure that out, though, is to hang around different breeds and note how your body reacts. (Stukus tells his patients to "literally rub your face on the animal.")

Myth 2: No bread for me; I’m allergic to gluten!

Two words these days that make any allergist sigh: gluten allergy.

“Gluten has been blamed for all that ails humanity,” Stukus says. But there are only three disorders you can attribute to gluten on a scientific basis, he says: celiac disease, wheat allergies and non-celiac gluten sensitivity.

“Then there’s this claim about ‘gluten allergy,’ which really doesn’t exist,” Stukus says. “It’s not really a recognized allergy. Wheat is a recognized allergy — but a lot of people will misinterpret that as gluten.”

Myth 3: Black mold can cause some truly terrifying diseases.

Google “black mold” and you’ll find websites linking it to some frightening maladies – things like seizures, fibromyalgia, bipolar disorder, cancer.

“This has been attributed to cause all kinds of ailments,” Stukus says. “But there is absolutely no scientific link of a causal disorder to black mold to any of these disorders.”

But the most black mold can do to you is cause allergic rhinitis and asthma symptoms — if, that is, you're allergic to mold in the first place.

Myth 4: If you have an egg allergy, you should never get a flu shot.

This is a hot topic right now, Stukus says, as it is every flu season. Allergists understand the confusion: Egg embryos from chickens are indeed used to grow viruses in the production of several vaccines, like influenza, rabies, yellow fever and MMR. So these vaccines may indeed include tiny bits of egg protein, which sounds worrisome to someone with an egg allergy (or the parent of a kid with an egg allergy).

But unless people have a history of a severe reaction called anaphylaxis in response to eating eggs, flu shots are safe for people with egg allergies. Even in people who have severe allergic reactions to egg, the vaccine is still likely to be safe, but a referral to an allergist is recommended before getting a flu shot. (An egg-free vaccine, called Flublok, is also now available.)

As for the other major vaccinations — MMR is safe for anyone with a history of egg allergy, but rabies and yellow fever are not.

Myth 5: For little ones, the rules are these: No milk until age 1, no eggs until age 2, and no nuts until age 3.

Food allergies are a scary topic these days, especially for parents, says Dr. Stanley Fineman, who is an allergist at the Atlanta Allergy and Asthma Clinic and is past president of the ACAAI. But there is some old information that is still hanging around and causing confusion: In 2000, guidelines suggested restricting foods like milk, eggs and nuts in very early childhood.

Today, that recommendation has flipped around. There is no evidence to support avoidance of these highly allergenic foods past 4 to 6 months of age, Stukus writes in his presentation.

“In the allergy community, the stance has sort of reversed 180 degrees,” he says. “We used to think avoidance reduced allergies; now, we think early introduction leads to tolerance.” 

The takeaway from all of this: Don't believe everything you read on the Internet.

“Use the Internet for guidance, but don’t rely on it as your sole source of health information,” Stukus says. “It’s a great place to formulate questions that you can take to physicians.”

Pssst/ César Reynel Aguilera

"Hipólito, sí, tú mismo, antes que receses las transmisiones, permíteme pasar un comercial, ... Parece ciencia ficción, eh? ¿Y si le quitas el adjetivo? ¿Te imaginas?".