Charles Eugster, a 91 year old bodybuilder

Charles Eugster
The Guardian, Saturday 2 April 2011:

My personal trainer and I are always getting into arguments about what part of my body needs the most work. I'm not happy with my abs – I have the remains of a small spare tyre – but she says my bottom is a catastrophe because it's so flat. What we both agree on is that bodies can be remodelled, no matter how old you are.

I was a very sickly child. From the age of six I had constant headaches and chronic tonsilitis. I became pale, sluggish and my growth was slow. I remember noticing one day that my best friend, who was a year younger than me, was slightly taller and that I was very upset about it.

At 13, I had my tonsils removed and as my health improved, everything changed. I shot up and suddenly I was full of energy. I thought back to myself as a frail, sickly boy, and vowed never to be like that again. I took up boxing, rowing and rugby. Staying fit and strong became my priority.

After school I trained to be a dentist, but sport remained an important hobby. I only once let myself go. As I crept into my 40s, I adopted my wife's sedentary lifestyle. We spent a lot of time doing nothing. Inevitably, my blood pressure plummeted and one day I felt a sharp pain in my legs – only to discover the dark, earthworm-like patterns of varicose veins across my calves. It was my first brush with old age, and I didn't like it. Immediately I resumed rowing to stay fit.

Life went on. My wife and I divorced. At 60, I discovered veteran's rowing and started competing internationally, eventually winning 36 gold medals. I'm not a particularly talented sportsman, but I've always been a great trier. At 75, many of my friends began to pass away. People were getting older around me, but I was only just ready to retire. I carried on rowing and publishing a dentistry newsletter until I was 82.

Then at 85 I had a crisis. Read more>>

DID you know that masturbation relieves the pain of restless leg syndrome?

Spotter: Yampster, POSTED: 1ST, APRIL 2011:

DID you know that masturbation relieves the pain of restless leg syndrome?

Well, it might.

Luis Marin and colleagues at the Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil writes in Sleep Science magazine that an orgasm-related dopamine release might alleviate the symptoms.

It might also be true that people without restless legs are chronic masturbators, but the science is ongoing and we cannot be certain.

Borrelia spirochetes, nurtured, cultured and optimized for aerosol delivery

by Elena Cook:

Introduction

Borrelia, the microbes which cause Lyme disease, are a sub-type of the wider biological classification of spirochetes. Now it has become apparent that the spirochetes were weaponized over 75 years ago.

That knowledge comes to us from a book published in 1944. The title of the book is "Japan's Secret Weapon", by Barclay Newman, a leading science writer of the time, as well as former US Navy malaria scientist.

For decades the public health agencies of the US and other NATO countries have denied the existence of virulent cell-wall deficient forms of spirochetes. The lack of a cell wall renders microbes resistant to penicillin and related antibiotics, as these work precisely by disrupting the formation of new cell walls during bacterial replication. The minute size and pleomorphic nature of these forms, in contrast to the striking spiral shape of a typical spirochete as featured in modern microbiology textbooks, made these microbes appear "invisible" - above all to those who did not wish, or did not wish others, to see them.

This WW2-era book helps to confirm what some investigating the history of Lyme disease have long suspected; that the official denial of the devastating pathogenic nature of the granule and other "L-forms"(1) of Lyme-causing Borrelia, is related to their biological warfare significance.

To put it bluntly, Newman's book provides cogent circumstantial evidence that many Cell-wall deficient forms of Borrelia are in fact weaponized spirochetes, nurtured, cultured and optimized for aerosol delivery.

The following essay is based on the information in Chapter IV of Newman's book. The title of the chapter is simply "Spirochete Warfare". Read more>>

Rapper Mike Skinner hopes to raise awareness of ME/CFS

Rapper Mike Skinner felt compelled to open up about his battle with chronic fatigue syndrome to raise awareness of the condition.

uk.news.yahoo.com:

The Streets star took time out of the spotlight in 2008 as he battled the symptoms of the condition, and wrote a track, Trying To Kill M.E., to document his fight with the debilitating disorder.

He's hoping by going public with his health problems, he'll make his fans more aware of the common complaint.

Skinner tells The Sun, "People don't understand it and they don't even trust it. It's important to mention it so gradually we can all realise that it's not just depression. That's what people tend to think.

"I was incapacitated. It seems to have faded now. Read more>>

Many patients are seriously ill with this disease but left to rot by the medical establishment

CFS Patient Advocate:

In the meantime many patients are seriously sick with this illness (Notice that Dr. Mikovits referred to it as an "acquired immune deficiency".)

In 2005, along comes the WPI with a desire to cut through all this crap. Their first big strike, unexpected, occurred in October 2009 and touched an exposed nerve. For the last 18 months ... Read more>>

There is no serious search for etiology thanks to decades of Wesselian psychiatry

CFS Patient Advocate:

There is no serious search for etiology. There is no serious research into the infectious nature of this illness.

There is very little research into the immunological dysfunction.

The illness is presented as confusing, complex, and mysterious. (What infectious illness was not confusing, complex and mysterious prior to being understood?)

In the meantime many patients are seriously sick with this illness (Notice that Dr. Mikovits referred to it as an "acquired immune deficiency".)

In 2005, along comes the WPI with a desire to cut through all this crap. Their first big strike, unexpected, occurred in October 2009 and touched an exposed nerve. For the last 18 months ... Read more>>

Paralyzing tactics used by the CBT fanatics have nothing to do with science - this is pure shit

CFS Patient Advocate:

From October 2009, great efforts have been made to slow down the WPI. From early reports that the WPI was going to be "taken out", to ongoing tactics regarding various contamination theories, to cutting off funding, these "paralyzing" tactics have been very successful.

The WPI has spent a great deal of time - too much time - since October 2009 defending themselves.

This has nothing to do with "science" - this is shit.

These tactics have manifested themselves in a wide range of maneuvers, some of them predictable, others not.

The objective observer has to admire those who set up these obstacles. They are very clever, devilish and persistent in their designs.

The overall effect is that the WPI is frozen out of grant money, younger people wanting to do research in XMRV are being denied research money, older researchers are flinching under the pressure of being shut out for their interest in XMRV. The grant application process has become allergic to XMRV research. Someone somewhere does not want this to move forward. Read more>>

What is becoming more apparent is that ME/CFS is actually a transmissible disease

New whataboutme site:

In the UK the recommended treatment for ME is CBT or cognitive behavioral therapy which is recommended from the psychiatric lobby for the NICE (National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence) guidelines.

When examining private research findings, what is becoming more apparent is that CFS is actually a transmissible disease, which could affect thousands, if not millions more. Read more>>

See also: PACE trial results are out: ME is caused by an oncogenic virus or The putative agent of ME/CFS can be transferred to monkeys or Professor of Psychology, Rhona Johnston shows that ME/CFS is NOT a psychological condition (on a UK Government website !!!) … a MUST READ

The immune response to infection can enhance neuronal damage

Diane E. Griffin*, March 24, 2011:

W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America

Conclusions
Encephalomyelitis resulting from virus infection of neurons is a disease that can be fatal or result in permanent disability due to irreversible damage of infected neurons.

The immune response to infection can enhance neuronal damage or can control virus replication by noncytolytic mechanisms and thus determine outcome.

However, noncytolytic virus clearance results in persistence of viral nucleic acid in the CNS and thus establishes a need for long-term local immune responses to prevent reactivation of infection and progressive disease. Understanding these mechanisms is necessary for development of strategies for treating and preventing neurologic disease due to viral encephalomyelitis.

Breaking news: Professor CBT has taken out insurance on his middle fingers

London, Wednesday: MRC's psychiatrist Professor CBT has taken out insurance on his middle fingers, as part of a comprehensive life and accident insurance plan designed to safeguard his career as a denial psychiatrist.

According to the MRC, Professor CBT's middle fingers, now covered for "five million" pounds, are "an essential part of his Pinocchio repertoire," as they allow the psychiatrist to express his opinions of his beloved ME/CFS patients, without having to go through the tedious business of swearing in the BMJ and other medical journals.

"The narrow range of functions performed by Professor CBT's middle fingers mean that it is essential these assets are protected," a MRC spokesman stated earlier today. "Not only do they allow him to exercise in an efficient manner, but they are also extremely useful for signalling who is controlling the Science Media Centre in the UK."

The fad of psychiatrists insuring unusual body parts is set to catch on further, though so far no company has been willing to cover Professor CBT's tongue, due to its high risk of damage incurred by thinking himself sick.

Early-onset eating disorders affect about 3 in every 100,000 children under the age of 13

Source: British Journal of Psychiatry 2011: http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/press/pressreleases2011/earlyonseteatingdisorders.aspx

Early-onset eating disorders affect about 3 in every 100,000 children under the age of 13, according to a new study published in the April issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry.

Experts from the UCL (University College London) Institute of Child Health, who carried out the research, are calling for “urgent action” to improve both the detection of eating disorders in young children and availability of services.

The research team used the well-established British Paediatric Surveillance Unit of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and a new child and adolescent psychiatry surveillance system, to identify new cases of eating disorders in children aged between 5 and 13 years, and living in the UK and Republic of Ireland.

Over a 14 month period, 208 cases of early-onset eating disorders were confirmed. The researchers estimate that this gives an overall incidence rate of 3.01 cases in every 100,000 children. As expected, most of the 208 children with eating disorders were girls (82%), with boys accounting for 18%.

In total, 37% of the children were diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. 43% were classified as having an eating disorder not otherwise specified, because although they showed symptoms of anorexia they were not underweight.

Only 1% of the children were diagnosed with bulimia nervosa or binge eating – which the researchers believe is likely to be an underestimate. The remaining 19% had symptoms of disordered eating, such as food avoidance and being underweight, but did not have a preoccupation with their weight or shape.

104 (50%) of the children were admitted to hospital for treatment – mainly to paediatric wards. All the children were followed up after a year. At this time, 130 (73%) had improved, 11 (6%) were worse and 18 (10%) unchanged. Almost two-thirds (96) of the children were still receiving treatment, with a small number (7) in hospital for most of the year.

44% of the children had a close family member with a history of mental illness, most commonly anxiety or depression. In addition, 20% of the children had a history of early feeding problems, particularly fussy or picky eating. According to the researchers, this supports the idea that family history of mental illness and early feeding problems may be risk factors in the development of early-onset eating disorders.

Lead researcher Dr Dasha Nicholls, a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist, said: “Our study gives the first estimate of the incidence of early-onset eating disorders in UK and Irish children. It is too early to say if there has been a rise in the numbers of children with eating disorders in recent years, but we hope our research can be used as a baseline from which to monitor future trends.”

Dr Nicholls continued: “Unfortunately, many eating disorder services are aimed specifically at adolescents. Childhood eating disorders are not quick or easy to treat. For a minority of children it may be the start of a severe and enduring illness, with death rates comparable to some forms of leukaemia. Our study shows there is an urgent need to consider the needs of children with eating disorders separately – and not simply lower the age range of existing adolescent services.”

For further information, please contact Liz Fox or Deborah Hart in the Communications Department.

Telephone: 020 7235 2351 Extensions. 6298 or 6127
E-mail: efox@rcpsych.ac.uk or dhart@rcpsych.ac.uk

A neurological disorder with a funny-sounding name

By TARA PARKER-POPE, March 31, 2011:

People with the neurological disorder called Charcot-Marie-Tooth must contend not only with pain and muscle weakness but also the frustration of having a disease with a funny-sounding name that most people have never heard of.

In this week’s Patient Voices series, the Times Web producer Karen Barrow focuses on Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, one of the most common inherited neurological disorders.

People with Charcot-Marie-Tooth may slowly develop problems walking as the nerves in their feet and legs degenerate. As the disease progresses, they may also lose motor function in their hands. Charcot-Marie-Tooth runs in families, and many patients with the disease have parents, siblings and children who also have the condition.

The odd name of the disease comes from the last names of the three doctors who discovered it in 1886 — Jean-Martin Charcot, Pierre Marie and Howard Henry Tooth.

Although patients with this condition face many challenges and limited mobility, the disease is not considered to be fatal, and most people have a normal life span. Read more>>

Professor, I didn't know that Yesterday was National Cleavage Day, did you?

The Sun: IT could become one of the biggest dates in the calendar. Yesterday was National Cleavage Day and to mark the occasion The Sun hit the streets in search of Britain's best busts. Sun readers also sent us snaps of their breast assets. Sponsored by underwear firm La Senza, National Cleavage Day aims to celebrate the nation's natural curves. SACHA LYS, a 22-year-old promotions manager from Bournemouth, said: "Having a good cleavage helps in all areas of life." Read more>>

HIV-2 strain might have reduced susceptibility to HIV-1 integrase inhibitors

Author: Antonio PirallaStefania PaolucciRoberto GulminettiGiuditta ComolliFausto Baldanti, Virology Journal 2011, 8:149:

HIV-1 integrase (IN) variability in treatment naive patients with different HIV-1 subtypes is a major issue. In fact, the effect of previous exposure to antiretrovirals other than IN inhibitors (INI) on IN variability has not been satisfactorily defined.

In addition, the genetic barrier for specific INI resistance mutations remains to be calculated.

Methods: IN variability was analyzed and compared with reverse transcriptase (RT) and protease (PR) variability in 41 treatment naive and 54 RT inhibitor (RTI) and protease inhibitor (PRI) experienced patients from subjects infected with subtype B and non-B strains. In addition, four HIV-2 strains were analyzed in parallel.

Frequency and distribution of IN mutations were compared between HAART-naive and RTI/PI-experienced patients; the genetic barrier for 27 amino acid positions related to INI susceptibility was calculated as well.

Results: Primary mutations associated with resistance to INI were not detected in patients not previously treated with this class of drug. However, some secondary mutations which have been shown to contribute to INI resistance were found.

Only limited differences in codon usage distribution between patient groups were found. HIV-2 strains from INI naive patients showed the presence of both primary and secondary resistance mutations.

Conclusion: Exposure to antivirals other than INI does not seem to significantly influence the emergence of mutations implicated in INI resistance.

HIV-2 strain might have reduced susceptibility to INI.

New scientific review shows that autism is the result of genetic defects and/or inflammation of the brain

by CBS News investigative correspondent Sharyl Attkisson, March 31, 2011:

Vaccines and autism: a new scientific review

For all those who've declared the autism-vaccine debate over - a new scientific review begs to differ. It considers a host of peer-reviewed, published theories that show possible connections between vaccines and autism.

The article in the Journal of Immunotoxicology is entitled "Theoretical aspects of autism: Causes--A review." The author is Helen Ratajczak, surprisingly herself a former senior scientist at a pharmaceutical firm. Ratajczak did what nobody else apparently has bothered to do: she reviewed the body of published science since autism was first described in 1943. Not just one theory suggested by research such as the role of MMR shots, or the mercury preservative thimerosal; but all of them.

Ratajczak's article states, in part, that "Documented causes of autism include genetic mutations and/or deletions, viral infections, and encephalitis [brain damage] following vaccination [emphasis added]. Therefore, autism is the result of genetic defects and/or inflammation of the brain."

The article goes on to discuss many potential vaccine-related culprits, including the increasing number of vaccines given in a short period of time. "What I have published is highly concentrated on hypersensitivity, Ratajczak told us in an interview, "the body's immune system being thrown out of balance." Read more>>