Contributing Factor to Ulcerative Colitis May be Linoleic Acid

A contributing factor to ulcerative colitis may be linoleic acid according to a new study. In fact, it may be the cause of 30 percent of all ulcerative colitis cases.

Linoleic acid, a very common polyunsaturated fatty acid, can be found in red meat, some cooking oils and a variety of other sources.

The European study followed the diet habits of more than 200,000 people in five different countries.

The body converts linoleic acid to arachidonic acid which is a component of the cell membranes in the bowel. It can then turn into various chemicals that inflame tissue. People with ulcerative colitis have been found to have high levels of these chemicals in their bowel tissue.

The good news is the researchers also found that eating lots of omega 3 fatty acids can reduce the chance of developing ulcerative colitis by more than three quarters. Products rich in omega 3 include oily fish such as salmon and mackerel, flaxseed and some dairy products.

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic condition that affects hundreds of thousands in the United States. Symptoms vary from case to case but can include abdominal pain, diarrhea which is often times bloody and fever. 

If this contributing factor to ulcerative colitis proves to be linoleic acid, it would be a great step in helping people who suffer from this often times debilitating disease.

New Infusion Drug for Active Lupus May be Pricey

The new infusion drug for active lupus sufferers may be pricey.

Human Genome Sciences has reported success with an experimental drug call Benlysta which is great news for lupus patients. It may be the first new treatment discovered in decades for the complex disease of lupus.

Lupus is an autoimmune disease that afflicts around 1.5 million Americans and 5 million people worldwide. Most are women between the age of 15 and 45.

The disease is very difficult to diagnose because its symptoms often appear to be those of other diseases. It sometimes takes years to get an accurate diagnosis.

The company reported that patients receiving the drug showed significant improvement in an array of symptoms that indicate overall health and quality of life.

Benlysta injections, which take at least six months for the effects to take hold, is not useful for patients hospitalized with severe lupus. Nor is the drug to be used for people in the mild early stages of Lupus, said Dr. Daniel Wallace of UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine. It is primarily for people who have an active form of the disease with perhaps one organ involved. The hope is to stop the disease from getting worse and prevent other organs from being affected.

My sister suffers from Lupus and I am so hopeful this drug will be able to help her.

However, the new infusion drug for Lupus may be pricey. The drug is a monocional antibody which is a protein that must be produced under exacting conditions and has to be given by infusion once a month. Other monocional antibodies in use for other diseases cost thousands of dollars per dose.

Michael Jackson’s Sister LaToya Releases Song to Pay Homage to Late Brother

MJ’s older sister, LaToya, is re-releasing a song to pay homage to her late brother.

The song “Home” was originally recorded by LaToya to honor her family.

Ja-Tail Records company founder, Jeffre Phillips, says Latoya had already finished a CD and was about to release a different song as her first single. After Michael’s sudden death on June 25, the album release was delayed indefinitely.

Now the label has decided to release “Home” to pay homage to the late pop star. The proceeds, according to Phillips, will be donated to AIDS Project LA, a charity that was supported by Michael Jackson.

“Home” will be available on iTunes on July 28 by Ja-Tail Records and Bungalo Records. The publicity image for the single shows an all white clad Latoya Jackson with her arm extended upward, with an image of Michael Jackson, also dressed in white, to her right.

« Previous Page — Next Page »