Vitamin D3 & articles from 2009 ASH Conference

[Guest guest]

I recently saw my endocrinologist who informed me that I was low on Vitamin D3,

so he wrote a script for me to take the vitamin. I am to take 1 per week for 4

weeks and then 1 every other week thereafter. It didn't surprise me since I am

no longer an outdoors person. Every time I go outside, I get bit by a mosquito

and then I have to worry if it has West Nile. Also walking on uneven ground is

a problem for me, so I have become a homebody. I thought you might be

interested in knowing how important this vitamin is to our health.

Light Relief for Vitamin D

Contributed by Clive Cookson - Published 04/11/2009

Tags: health, light, photochemical synthesis, Vitamin D

Doctors have long known that vitamin D promotes healthy bone growth and severe

deficiency causes rickets but researchers have only recently become aware of the

far-reaching health effects of inadequate vitamin D levels.

Studies published over the past six months have linked vitamin D deficiency to a

wide range of problems, including obesity, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer,

infections, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, inflammation and heart trouble. This

lack of Vitamin D provides a glaring illustration of the impact…

To read the full article, please register for GetInsideHealth.

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What is Atrial Fibrilition?

" Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia - problems with the speed or

rhythm of the heartbeat. Arrhythmias are caused by a disorder in the heart's

electrical system. The walls of the atria and ventricles are made of virtually

100% pure muscle. A heartbeat is caused by the tightening of these muscles. When

the muscles tighten the chambers squeeze closed. "

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/info/atrial-fibrillation/

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December 8, 2009

" More patients taking nilotinib or dasatinib are achieving complete responses

more quickly than they do on either of two daily doses of imatinib, " said

Cortes, M.D., professor in M. D. 's Leukemia Department and leader of

both studies.

" For example, 96 percent of those taking nilotinib and 94 percent of those on

dasatinib reached a complete cytogenetic response at six months, compared with

54 percent of those taking 400 mg a day of imatinib and 85 percent of those

taking 800 mg. Over the longer term up to 30 months, complete cytogenetic

response induced by the two drugs is comparable to that of the higher-dose

imatinib. " More at entire article below.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/173286.php

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Finding Key to Gleevec's Limitations - August 4, 2009

" University of Michigan researchers have developed an animal model that provides

strong evidence why imatinib, marketed as Gleevec, helps patients with chronic

myeloid leukemia survive longer, but does not keep the disease from returning if

treatment ends.

" Leukemia-initiating cells are able to live below the drug's radar and enable

the disease to recur in most cases after treatment stops, the researchers report

in the August issue of Cancer Cell. The researchers already are using their

findings to test combinations of imatinib and other drugs to find ways to

sensitize the leukemia-initiating cells to imatinib and enhance its power. "

Entire article can be viewed at:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/159815.php

FYI,

Lottie Duthu