WHO Says Cardiovascular Disease Tops Causes Of Death

.Washington (SmartAboutHealth) - According to a new report released by the World Health Organization (WHO), cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death around the world.

According to the latest report, it is believed that around 59 million people died of cardiovascular disease in the year 2004.

Cardiovascular disease is very dangerous as it can have a negative impact on the heart, leading to heart attacks, as well as stroke.

Researchers have stated that there are simple ways that you can avoid cardiovascular disease.

Soem of these ways include just eating a healthy diet, and getting regular exercise.

The increase in heart disease deaths have also been linked to an overall aging population.

The WHO report is a study on the health of the world’s population.

The top ten leading global causes of death include cardiovascular disease, lower respiratory infections, perinatal conditions, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diarrheal diseases, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, trachea, bronchus, lung cancer, road accidents.

Traditional Chinese Medicine and Endangered Animals

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the 30th anniversary of the Alma-Ata Declaration, which for the first time called upon governments and organizations to include traditional medicine in their primary health care systems. Following the Alma-Ata Declaration, WHO established its own Traditional Medicine Programme.

To commemorate these anniversaries and to support countries as they work toward the goals of Alma-Ata, WHO is cosponsoring (with the Ministry of Health of China and the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of China) a Summit Congress on Traditional Medicine in November in Beijing, China. Because animal products are a significant component of some traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Advocacy for Animals is rerunning our October 2007 article “Traditional Chinese Medicine and Endangered Animals” as the Congress approaches.

Longevity & Rejuvenation

With even the World Health Organization - WHO acknowledging the contributions of ethno-medicine in tackling several ailments, physicians too, are having a second look at alternative therapies all over the world. In this emerging scenario, the herbal food supplements are considered the most important tool of ortho-molecular medicine in the new millennium. The rejuvenator group of herbs traditionally termed as ' Rasayana ' have micronutrients which improve health, immunity, vigor, vitality and give longevity as well as protection against stress. All these actions of certain Rasayana herbs have now been scientifically proved through experimental as well as clinical studies.

The Rasayana or rejuvenation herb aims at keeping the enzymes in the tissue cells in their normal functioning condition. These cells are revitalized and their composition is changed. The tranquility of the mind is promoted and the nerves as well as bones are kept soft and smooth. This prevents the process of aging and keeps the individual free from disease even at an advanced age.

It is also well known that one can live a long life, free of disease and aging only when he has a strong general immunity against diseases. So Rasayana herbs also contain a general immunity promotive effect. The Ayurvedic concept of immunity or "Vyadhi-Kshamatva" involves both "Vyadhi Utpada Pratibandhakatva" i.e. the capability to prevent the onset of a disease and " Vyadhi Bal Virodhitva " which fights the developing disease. According to Ayurveda, "Oja" denotes the substance that imparts strength to various tissues in the body to resist disease. "Pratyanika Bala" is responsible for increasing immunity of the host to prevent disease before its onset. While every person has some "Sahaja Bala" or natural constitutional strength to fight disease, one could enhance this capacity or Pratyanika Bala and Oja by taking appropriate " Rasayana " herbs, which help in building optimum quality tissues which fight disease.

World Health Organization Warns Swine Flu Threatening to Become Pandemic

"Global health authorities warned Wednesday that swine flu was threatening to bloom into a pandemic, and the virus spread farther in Europe even as the outbreak appeared to stabilize at its epicenter. A toddler who succumbed in Texas became the first death outside Mexico. New cases and deaths finally seemed to be leveling off in Mexico, where 160 people have been killed, after an aggressive public health campaign. But the World Health Organization [WHO] said the global threat is nevertheless serious enough to ramp up efforts to produce a vaccine against the virus. 'It really is all of humanity that is under threat during a pandemic,' WHO Director General Margaret Chan said in Geneva. 'We do not have all the answers right now, but we will get them.' It was the first time the WHO had declared a Phase 5 outbreak, the second-highest on its threat scale, indicating a pandemic could be imminent. The first U.S. death from the outbreak was a Mexico City toddler who traveled to Texas with family and died Monday night at a Houston hospital. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius predicted the child would not be the last U.S. death from swine flu. The virus, a mix of pig, bird and human genes to which people have limited natural immunity.

Introduction to Anti-Aging Medicine

We've all read the recent cover stories in our favorite news magazines. From Time to Medical Economics chiming in, America is being summoned to a new call to arms. The gauntlet to deliver viable alternatives to nursing homes and health care that focuses on treatment of full-blown states of disease has been cast.

To this challenge, anti-aging medicine arrives as the new health care paradigm, offering a solution to alleviate some of the burden of this burgeoning older population. Anti-aging medicine, an extension of preventive health care, is the next great model of health care for the new millennium. This model is based on the early detection, prevention, and reversal of aging- related diseases.

All diseases fall into four categories; the first three-inherited genetic disease, infectious disease, and trauma-account for only 10% of the cost for treating all disease in America. Ninety percent of all health care dollars are spent on extraordinary care in the last two to three years of life. A grand total of fifty percent of the US health care budget is spent on the degenerative diseases of aging [Health Care & Finance Administration, 1996.] One hundred million Americans are currently being treated for one or another degenerative disease at a health care cost of more than $700 billion per year. If we really want to make an impact on health care in this country and in the world, we must focus on the degenerative diseases of aging.

If we can slow aging, we can eliminate more than 50% of all disease overnight. We can alter this dreadful course by preventing, delaying, or reversing the diseases associated with aging. Both the National Institute of Aging and the AARP have recently recognized the significance of anti-aging medicine as the leading frontier of health care in the twenty-first century, because of its potential to reduce the burden of the degenerative diseases of aging in a rapidly growing population of older citizens.

The science of anti-aging medicine is truly multi- disciplinary. Not only represented by advances in the fields of biochemistry, biology, and physiology, the field is enhanced by contributions from mind/body medicine, sports medicine, molecular genetics, and emerging medical technologies. Anti-aging medicine is evidence-based, clinically sound health care. Indeed, only those diagnostic and treatment elements which prove their validity through independent evaluations are embraced by the A4M.

Traditional medicine-2

Traditional medicine (TM) refers to the knowledge, skills and practices based on the theories, beliefs and experiences indigenous to different cultures, used in the maintenance of health and in the prevention, diagnosis, improvement or treatment of physical and mental illness. Traditional medicine covers a wide variety of therapies and practices which vary from country to country and region to region. In some countries, it is referred to as "alternative" or "complementary" medicine (CAM).

Traditional medicine has been used for thousands of years with great contributions made by practitioners to human health, particularly as primary health care providers at the community level. TM/CAM has maintained its popularity worldwide. Since the 1990s its use has surged in many developed and developing countries.

Traditional medicine

Key facts

• In some Asian and African countries, 80% of the population depend on traditional medicine for primary health care.
• Herbal medicines are the most lucrative form of traditional medicine, generating billions of dollars in revenue.
• Traditional medicine can treat various infectious and chronic conditions: new antimalarial drugs were developed from the discovery and isolation of artemisinin from Artemisia annua L., a plant used in China for almost 2000 years.
• Counterfeit, poor quality, or adulterated herbal products in international markets are serious patient safety threats.
• More than 100 countries have regulations for herbal medicines.

Traditional medicine is the sum total of knowledge, skills and practices based on the theories, beliefs and experiences indigenous to different cultures that are used to maintain health, as well as to prevent, diagnose, improve or treat physical and mental illnesses.

Traditional medicine that has been adopted by other populations (outside its indigenous culture) is often termed alternative or complementary medicine.

Herbal medicines include herbs, herbal materials, herbal preparations, and finished herbal products that contain parts of plants or other plant materials as active ingredients.

Who uses traditional medicine?

In some Asian and African countries, 80% of the population depend on traditional medicine for primary health care.

In many developed countries, 70% to 80% of the population has used some form of alternative or complementary medicine (e.g. acupuncture).

Herbal treatments are the most popular form of traditional medicine, and are highly lucrative in the international marketplace. Annual revenues in Western Europe reached US$ 5 billion in 2003-2004. In China sales of products totaled US$ 14 billion in 2005. Herbal medicine revenue in Brazil was US$ 160 million in 2007.

Challenges

Traditional medicine has been used in some communities for thousands of years. As traditional medicine practices are adopted by new populations there are challenges.

International diversity: Traditional medicine practices have been adopted in different cultures and regions without the parallel advance of international standards and methods for evaluation.

National policy and regulation: Not many countries have national policies for traditional medicine. Regulating traditional medicine products, practices and practitioners is difficult due to variations in definitions and categorizations of traditional medicine therapies. A single herbal product could be defined as either a food, a dietary supplement or an herbal medicine, depending on the country. This disparity in regulations at the national level has implications for international access and distribution of products.

Safety, effectiveness and quality: Scientific evidence from tests done to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of traditional medicine products and practices is limited. While evidence shows that acupuncture, some herbal medicines and some manual therapies (e.g. massage) are effective for specific conditions, further study of products and practices is needed. Requirements and methods for research and evaluation are complex. For example, it can be difficult to assess the quality of finished herbal products. The safety, effectiveness and quality of finished herbal medicine products depend on the quality of their source materials (which can include hundreds of natural constituents), and how elements are handled through production processes.

Knowledge and sustainability: Herbal materials for products are collected from wild plant populations and cultivated medicinal plants. The expanding herbal product market could drive over-harvesting of plants and threaten biodiversity. Poorly managed collection and cultivation practices could lead to the extinction of endangered plant species and the destruction of natural resources. Efforts to preserve both plant populations and knowledge on how to use them for medicinal purposes is needed to sustain traditional medicine.

Patient safety and use: Many people believe that because medicines are herbal (natural) or traditional they are safe (or carry no risk for harm). However, traditional medicines and practices can cause harmful, adverse reactions if the product or therapy is of poor quality, or it is taken inappropriately or in conjunction with other medicines. Increased patient awareness about safe usage is important, as well as more training, collaboration and communication among providers of traditional and other medicines.

WHO response

WHO and its Member States cooperate to promote the use of traditional medicine for health care. The collaboration aims to:

• support and integrate traditional medicine into national health systems in combination with national policy and regulation for products, practices and providers to ensure safety and quality;
• ensure the use of safe, effective and quality products and practices, based on available evidence;
• acknowledge traditional medicine as part of primary health care, to increase access to care and preserve knowledge and resources; and
• ensure patient safety by upgrading the skills and knowledge of traditional medicine providers.