The drug lamivudine, also known as 3TC, has been available for the treatment of hepatitis B since 1998, but the consequences of using it for years in those with serious liver disease or cirrhosis were unknown.

Researchers tested - http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/sitesearch.do?querystring=Researche... the drug for almost three years in 651 people, mostly Asians, and found it cut in half the risk of liver failure and the chances that the disease would develop into liver cancer.

About 8 percent of those who got lamivudine saw their liver disease get worse, compared with 18 percent of those who were given a dummy pill. The study was ended early because of the difference in the groups, and everyone was offered lamivudine.

The research is reported in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine.

"For years and years and years, we had absolutely nothing to offer patients who had advanced hepatitis B-related liver disease. So it's a significant study," said Dr. Jack R. Wands of the Liver Research Center and Brown Medical School in Providence, R.I.

Wands said other drugs are in development that could give doctors even more potent options for treating the incurable infection.

About 1.25 million Americans have chronic hepatitis B infections, and 15 percent to 25 percent will die of chronic liver disease, 영덕출장안마 - https://www.opanma.com/27-youngdeok according to government estimates. The hepatitis B virus is transmitted through blood, bodily fluids, and shared needles and from mother to child. Hepatitis B infections have been declining in the United States because of childhood vaccinations.

The study, led by Dr. Yun-Fan Liaw of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and University in Taipei Taiwan, was conducted in a number of countries in the Asia and Pacific region, where hepatitis B is an even bigger problem.

Liaw said doctors have been hesitant to use lamivudine long-term because some patients become resistant to the drug, which happened to about half of those in the study. If resistance develops, Liaw said, patients can now be switched to the newest hepatitis B drug, adefovir dipivoxil, or Hepsera. Hepsera was approved two years ago; its long-term effects are not yet known.

A third hepatitis B drug, interferon, has side effects and is generally used in patients with less advanced liver disease.

The study was paid for by GlaxoSmithKline, which sells lamivudine as Epivir-HBV, and company employees were involved in the research. Some of the study's researchers - http://www.msnbc.com/search/study%27s%20researchers have received speaking fees from GlaxoSmithKline or support from other drug makers. Wands has received a research grant from a drug company developing another hepatitis B drug.

By Stephanie Nano

Does a youth misspent lounging and lazing condemn middle-aged folks to a future of bad heart health?

Maybe not, a new, small study has found.

People in their 50s and early 60s can regain the heart health of someone decades younger through a regular and reasonable aerobic exercise program, no matter how long they've been inactive, the study authors said.

Middle-aged couch potatoes who worked out four or five days a week -- including a couple of days of high-intensity aerobics -- for two years experienced a notable decrease in the stiffness of their heart muscle, the researchers found.

A more flexible heart means less risk of heart failure as one ages, explained lead researcher Dr. Benjamin Levine, founder and director of the Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas.

"I was astounded at how well this seemed to improve the flexibility and compliance of the heart," Levine said. "The key to a healthier heart in middle age is the right dose of exercise at the right time in life."

A sedentary lifestyle in late middle age is known to increase the risk of heart failure by allowing the heart muscle to shrink and stiffen, the researchers said in background notes - http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/background%20notes .

What wasn't known is how late in life a person can act to reduce that risk, and how much effort this would require.

Earlier experiments showed that by the time men and women hit the 70s, intense exercise will do nothing to improve their heart health, Levine said. These studies also found that someone who only works out a couple times a week gains little when it comes to their heart.

"We found casual exercise, two or three days a week, was simply not enough to preserve the youthfulness of the structure of the heart," Levine said. "That doesn't mean it had no benefits, but it wasn't enough to preserve that youthful rubber-band-like compliance."

To see if a higher dose of exercise at a younger age would help, Levine and his colleagues recruited 61 people between the ages of 45 and 64 who were healthy but stuck in a low-energy sedentary lifestyle.

These volunteers were assigned to two different groups. One group engaged in two years of training that included four to five days of exercise each week, while the other group took part in regular yoga, balance training and weight-lifting workouts.

The researchers eased the exercise group into its routine during the first couple of months to avoid injury, Levine said, 카지노사이트 - http://atared.cl/wordpress/ but eventually the participants adopted a regular set of workouts that included:

The regimen also included two recovery days that followed interval training, consisting of 20 to 30 minutes of walking or light aerobic activity.

"People generally like interval sessions because they don't last as long," Levine said. "You can work out hard and then recover, and it feels really good."

The participants were encouraged to use lots of different exercise equipment (stationary bikes, treadmills, elliptical trainers) and engage in outdoor exercises (running and cycling) to keep themselves motivated and interested, Levine said.

After a while, all in the aerobics group transitioned to what Levine calls their weekly "maintenance dose" -- one high-intensity interval session, one long session, a couple of regular base-training sessions and a recovery day, along with some strength training.

Two years later, the exercise group had notably more youthful hearts than the control group that went without regular aerobic exercise, the researchers found.

"We've got the dose, four to five days a week. We've got the 'sweet spot' in age -- late middle age," Levine said. "We apparently now can reverse the effects of sedentary aging."

This program is specifically designed to be agreeable for middle-aged people who don't have the time or inclination - http://www.lifebeyondtourism.org/?header_search=inclination to adhere to the same sort of workout program as elite athletes, Levine said.

"It's my prescription for life," Levine said. "Exercise training needs to be part of your personal hygiene, like brushing your teeth or taking a shower or changing your clothes. You need to work it into your daily life."

Heart health expert Dr. Nieca Goldberg agreed that the program tested in this study is "a reasonable goal for most people."

"They can't think they're going to achieve this right out of the chair, but it is definitely doable," said Goldberg, medical director of the Women's Heart Program at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City.

Combining this program with a healthy diet, she said, "can only help as part of an overall heart disease prevention program."

The study, funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, was published online Jan. 8 in the journal Circulation.

"There arrives a point in time when the procedure should simply be done. We submit that that time is now," the researchers wrote in an article scheduled for 안동출장마사지 - https://www.toptopanma.com/%ec%95%88%eb%8f%99%ec%98%a4%ed%94%bc%ea%b1%b8... publication Friday in The American Journal of Bioethics. The procedure attaches the face of a dead donor to someone with a severely disfigured face, such as a burn or accident victim.

The doctors said they don't have a prime candidate for the procedure, and they are not actively screening for candidates.

They have submitted an application to an institutional review board in the Netherlands and are nearly ready to submit one to an independent board in the United States.

The Louisville doctors said they would not perform the transplant without approval from one of the boards, which are designed to protect medical research subjects' rights.

"The people we're considering are people who have no other options," Dr. John H. Barker, director of plastic surgery research at the University of Louisville, told The Courier-Journal newspaper.

Nichola - http://www.caringbridge.org/search?q=Nichola Rumsey of the University of the West of England, an expert in psychosocial issues in medicine, said the ethical issues of the procedure have yet to be fully explored. She wrote one of 14 essays written in reaction to the article and published in the bioethics journal.

"Previous research and current understanding indicate that the psychological risks are more complex and extensive than the Louisville team suggest," she wrote. "I have no wish to minimize the distress experienced by many people with severe disfigurements, but to my mind, the current risk/benefit ratio ... is dubious at best."

Besides Louisville, such transplants are being considered by teams in Cleveland, England and France.

DONETSK, Ukraine -- Ukraine's parliament ratified an agreement to deepen economic and political ties with the European Union on Tuesday, and passed legislation to grant autonomy to the rebellious east as part of a peace deal.

The ratification vote draws a line under the issue that last year sparked Ukraine's crisis, which resulted in the ousting of the president, the annexation of Crimea by Russia and a war with the Russia-backed separatists that has killed more than 2,600 people.

Earlier in the day, the parliament in closed session approved two bills on granting greater autonomy to the rebellious regions in the east as well as amnesty for most of those involved in the fighting. The bills are part of a tenuous peace process that saw a cease-fire called on Sept. 5 but that has been repeatedly violated.

The city council in Donetsk says three people were killed in shelling overnight.

The EU association agreement - http://www.ehow.com/search.html?s=association%20agreement was long sought by Ukrainians who want their country to turn westward and out of Russia's sphere of influence. After then-President Viktor Yanukovych shelved the deal last year, protests broke out that eventually spiraled into violence and led to Yanukovych fleeing the country.

In the wake of that, Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea peninsula and a pro-Russia rebellion broke out in eastern Ukraine.

Ukrainian forces in April launched a military operation to put down the rebellion, which it claims gets substantial support including troops and equipment from Russia.

Just before the ratification vote, President Petro Poroshenko - http://www.buzzfeed.com/search?q=Poroshenko told the parliament that Ukrainians who died in the protests and 카지노사이트 - http://publisys.ro/trrally/ in the eastern fighting "have died not only for their motherland. They gave up their lives for us to take a dignified place among the European family."

"There arrives a point in time when the procedure should simply be done. We submit that that time is now," the researchers wrote in an article scheduled for publication Friday in The American Journal of Bioethics. The procedure attaches the face of a dead donor to someone with a severely disfigured face, such as a burn or accident victim.

The doctors said they don't have a prime candidate for 창원출장마사지 - https://www.anmaweb.com/%ec%b0%bd%ec%9b%90%ec%98%a4%ed%94%bc%ea%b1%b8%e2... the procedure, and they are not actively screening for candidates.

They have submitted an application to an institutional review board in the Netherlands and are nearly ready to submit one to an independent board in the United States.

The Louisville doctors said they would not perform the transplant without approval from one of the boards, which are designed to protect medical research subjects' - http://www.broowaha.com/search/subjects%27 rights.

"The people we're considering are people who have no other options," Dr. John H. Barker, director of plastic surgery research at the University of Louisville, told The Courier-Journal newspaper.

Nichola Rumsey of the University of the West of England, an expert in psychosocial issues in medicine, said the ethical issues of the procedure have yet to be fully explored - http://www.ajaxtime.com/?s=explored . She wrote one of 14 essays written in reaction to the article and published in the bioethics journal.

"Previous research and current understanding indicate that the psychological risks are more complex and extensive than the Louisville team suggest," she wrote. "I have no wish to minimize the distress experienced by many people with severe disfigurements, but to my mind, the current risk/benefit ratio ... is dubious at best."

Besides Louisville, such transplants are being considered by teams in Cleveland, England and France.

The date is set, the venue is booked. Now, what to wear down the aisle?

Shopping for a bridal gown can be exciting for any bride-to-be, but with so many choices out there -- silhouettes, necklines, fabrics, colors -- it's easy to see how it could also become overwhelming.

So, how (and where?) to find that perfect one? Jennie Ma, fashion editor at TheKnot.com, gave us a few tips to help guarantee you'll say "yes" to the right dress.

When to start shopping:

Brides should start looking for gowns eight months before they say "I do," Ma advised. That allows for time to find the right dress, as well as the fittings and alterations - http://www.ourmidland.com/search/?q=alterations you'll need to ensure it looks perfect on the big day.

"It takes time to find the right dress. Some girls are lucky and they find it right away, but it does take longer for a lot of other brides. Definitely give yourself time -- you don't want to feel rushed," she added.

Where to look:

There are a number of different places where brides can look for a bridal gown, all offering different kinds of dresses and experiences.

High-end salons will carry all the top designers and give brides an intimate shopping experience, but it's not the place for a bride-to-be on a budget, Ma said.

Brides can also look for their dress at department stories, which can be a one-stop shop for the entire bridal party -- bridesmaids' dresses can also be found there, and the groom can find everything he needs as well. Some department stores also have partnerships with high-end designers - http://www.houzz.com/?search=high-end%20designers (like Roses by Reem Acra at Nordstrom), offering dresses at more affordable prices.

Brides can also go the retail route, 군포출장마사지 - https://www.startopanma.com/%ea%b5%b0%ed%8f%ac%ec%98%a4%ed%94%bc%ea%b1%b... looking at lines offered by companies like J. Crew and Ann Taylor. "They're really great because they have amazing price points and it's another place where you can fully service your entire bridal party and get all the outfits in one place," said Ma.

How to figure out what you want:

Brides can find inspiration on websites like TheKnot.com, with galleries showing all the latest gowns from top designers. Magazines and Pinterest are other places where brides can look through pictures and see what they like -- and, perhaps more importantly, what they don't like.

But other factors from your wedding will also play into the decision-making process.

"I would say the first thing is to figure out your venue and what style you're going for, and that naturally will really help you narrow down what dress you're looking for," Ma said. "If you're getting married in this gorgeous ballroom, you know you need a really dramatic gown. You're not going to want something really simple. So that will inform the decision."

When you go -- be open-minded:

Personal style preferences, budget and the type of wedding a bride is having will all influence what kind of dress she wants. But, brides should still go into the shopping process with an open mind, Ma said.

"It's good to go in knowing what you want. It's good to be prepared and have an idea -- it will help your search process. But at the same time, be open minded," she advised.

So if a friend, family member or bridal consultant suggests you try on a dress, go for it! The worst thing that could happen is you reaffirm that ball gowns aren't your thing. But maybe, just maybe, that mermaid-style gown you didn't think would work will wow you.

Meanwhile, pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline is in talks with the Food and Drug Administration about selling its Fluarix influenza vaccine in the United States to help cope with an expected flu-vaccine shortage this season.

Glaxo is looking at ways to supply doses and increase production at its main flu-vaccine plant in Dresden, Germany, said Danielle Halstrom, a spokeswoman for the London-based company, which has U.S. headquarters in Philadelphia and Research Triangle Park, N.C.

The company said its current production capability "does not come close" to the 46 million to 48 million doses that were lost when Chiron Corp. had to shutter its vaccine plant in England last week because of concerns over contamination.

The targeted shipments by Aventis come as health officials struggle to ensure the people who most need flu shots get them, now that the nation's supply of influenza vaccine has been slashed in half.

Under the plan announced Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Aventis will direct shipments of its remaining 22.4 million doses to health workers who care for patients that the CDC deems at highest risk of death or hospitalization from influenza.

The first of the shipments, about 14.2 million doses, begins immediately but will take six to eight weeks to finish distributing to pediatricians' offices, hospitals, nursing homes and 여수출장마사지 - https://www.toptopanma.com/%ec%97%ac%ec%88%98%ec%98%a4%ed%94%bc%ea%b1%b8... long-term care facilities that thus far haven't received much, if any, vaccine.

Also, the CDC is mapping county-by-county the number of flu vaccine doses shipped and matching that with each county's number of high-risk residents — to direct Aventis' next shipments even more tightly - http://thesaurus.com/browse/tightly .

Glaxo currently only has about 500,000 doses of Fluarix available.

"If the FDA says 'Yes,' we will supply any unallocated doses we may have," Halstrom said, adding that the discussions began in the past week. "What the last two years have shown us: There is a need for GSK to be in the flu-manufacturing business in the United States."

FDA spokeswoman Lenore Gelb declined comment, saying the agency wouldn't comment on any talks with manufacturers.

Glaxo was examining a number of options that could help increase vaccine production in Dresden, as well as possibly expanding production outside Germany, Halstrom said.

When Glaxo introduced Fluarix in 1992, it didn't sell it in the United States because the U.S. market already was "well-served" by five to 10 other manufacturers, Halstrom said.

Now that number has dwindled to two makers of injectible vaccines: Chiron, based in Emeryville, Ca., and Aventis Pasteur, a unit of France's Sanofi-Aventis S.A., which has a plant in Swiftwater.

"It has become clear to us that this is a market we should serve," Halstrom - http://www.google.com/search?q=Halstrom&btnI=lucky said.

The CDC last week urged healthy adults to forego getting flu shots, after British regulators unexpectedly shut down Chiron.

That left Aventis as this year's sole supplier of injectable flu vaccine, with a total 55.4 million doses. By last week, it had shipped over half that amount, mostly to private distributors — and the CDC asked doctors, grocery stores and other flu-shot venues to enforce the voluntary rationing and stretch the supply.

The CDC hopes the new plan for allocating the rest of Aventis' supply can better target the shots to the highest-priority patients: babies and toddlers ages 6 months to 23 months; anyone 65 or older; anyone with chronic medical conditions such as heart or lung disease; pregnant women; residents of long-term care facilities; children on chronic aspirin therapy; health workers who care for high-risk patients; and caregivers and household contacts of babies under age 6 months.

Flu shots are made of killed influenza virus. The healthy do have a limited other option: the nasal spray vaccine FluMist, made of live but weakened virus. Maker MedImmune Inc. said last week it would double supplies to 2 million doses. It is to be used only by healthy 5- to 49-year-olds.

As long as people don't increase - http://www.bbc.co.uk/search/?q=increase the number of calories they consume daily, the FDA found "limited but not conclusive evidence" suggesting reduced risk of coronary heart disease when people replace foods high in saturated fat with the monounsaturated fat in olive oil.

According to the American Heart Association, coronary heart disease accounted for 502,189 deaths - or one in five deaths - in 2001, the most current statistic available. Another 13.2 million Americans that year survived the heart attacks, chest pains and other ailments caused by coronary heart disease.

Along with lowering cholesterol, cutting out cigarettes and exercising, the group says Americans can boost heart health by eating foods low in saturated fat, 의왕출장마사지 - https://www.anmaop.com/%e2%8c%a0%ec%9d%98%ec%99%95%ec%b6%9c%ec%9e%a5%ec%... cholesterol and sodium. An American Heart Association spokeswoman declined comment on the FDA's action until it reviews the health claim.

"Since CHD is the No. 1 killer of both men and women in the United States, it is a public health priority to make sure that consumers have accurate and useful information on reducing their risk," Lester M. Crawford, acting FDA commissioner said in a prepared statement.

It's the third time the FDA granted a qualified health claim for conventional food.

Olive oil and certain food containing olive oil can now indicate that "limited and not conclusive scientific evidence suggests that eating about two tablespoons (23 grams) of olive oil daily may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease due to the monounsaturated fat in olive oil," the agency said.

Two days before Scotland considers a referendum to leave the U.K., polling remains too close to call, according to analysts. Three of four polls published over the weekend show most Scots oppose secession, while one pointed to a slight edge for those favoring independence.

"There is now a very real possibility that Scotland might vote for independence from the U.K. this week," said SG Global analyst Albert Edwards in a research note.

The outcome of Thursday's vote has huge political, economic and social implications not only for Scotland, but also for Britain, with talk that Scottish independence could even spur the U.K.'s exit from the European Union. For now, however, investors are still betting that Scotland will reject full autonomy. Here are three reasons why financial markets think Scots will vote "no" to independence.

In the short-term, Scots would suffer. In time, Scotland could well flourish - https://knoji.com/search/?query=flourish after gaining independence. In the near-term -- and that could extend for a period of several years -- exiting the U.K. would almost certainly damage the Scottish economy because of concerns of the country's prospects among consumers, businesses and investors.

"Undoubtedly money would flow out of the country (there is already evidence of this ahead of the vote), while businesses would likely immediately hold fire on investment and employment plans as they waited for a clear picture of exactly what form an independent Scotland would take," Howard Archer, chief U.K. and European economist with research firm IHS, said in a client note.

That picture could take a long time to take shape. For Scotland, winning its independence would entail a host of major decisions, ranging from what currency to use, to issues of national defense and NATO membership, 카지노사이트 - http://euwinecn.com/ to questions over foreign, energy, immigration and other policies.

Gaining admission to the European Union wouldn't be easy. Scottish leaders favoring independence have vowed to re-enter the trading bloc, which the U.K. already belongs to, by 2016. That pledge looks unrealistically optimistic. Analysts with political risk consultancy Eurasia Group note that other European countries with independence movements -- notably Spain, France, Italy and Cyprus -- would be wary of encouraging secessionists by signaling that breakaway regions could quickly re-join the EU.

Scots themselves could be an ever harder sell. Entering the EU might mean adopting the euro as Scotland's currency, linking the country's fiscal and monetary fate to that of the ailing currency union. Meanwhile, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has made it clear she wants tighter national integration in the EU and opposes any widening of regional cracks. EU membership requires a unanimous vote of support by all 28 countries in the union, and as its largest economy Germany holds a powerful trump card.

The pound may not be an option. Pro-independence supporters less enamored of the euro insist they can continue using the pound sterling even after leaving the U.K. But that would leave Scotland as a "very junior partner" to the British government, Edwards of SG Global said in a research note, shackling the newly independent state to the U.K.'s fiscal and monetary policy. That would also likely cause Scotland's deficit to rise, which would require painful spending - http://www.google.com/search?q=spending&btnI=lucky cuts. Scotland could peg its currency to the pound, as some countries do with the U.S. dollar. But that, too, would require Edinburgh to couple its economic policies to London, weakening the rationale for independence.

Of course, the wild-card is that for Scots the debate over independence isn't only, or even chiefly, about the country's economic future. It may not even hinge on the long historical and cultural divide between Scotland and England. Rather, as economist Joseph Stiglitz notes, the current battle is animated as much by basic differences over what kind of nation each wants to be, especially as long as Britain's Conservative Party controls government.

"It is clear that there is, within Scotland, more of a shared vision and values -- a vision of the country, the society, politics, the role of the state; values like fairness, ­equity and opportunity," he wrote in The Scotsman. "Of course, not everyone in the country agrees on the precise policies, on the delicate balancing of complicated trade-offs. But the Scottish vision and values are ­different from those that have become dominant south of the Border."

The FDA also instructed employees to block imports of the supplements, calling them "dangerous ... and even life-threatening." The agency said the supplement bears the name Yilishen when it is imported from China and is sold as Actra-Rx within the United States.

Laura Alvey, an FDA spokeswoman, declined further comment saying the matter is under investigation that may lead to criminal or civil enforcement actions.

Actra-Rx and Yilishen are promoted on Web sites as erectile dysfunction treatments that enhance men's sexual performance, the FDA said.

Despite an all-natural label, Actra-Rx capsules contain prescription strength levels of sildenafil, the active drug ingredient in Viagra, according to a letter published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Viagra, produced by Pfizer, was approved by the FDA to treat erectile dysfunction. The recommended dose is 50 milligrams. Some men take as little as 25 mg. or as much as 100 mg.

According to "Sex, Lies and Niagra," published in the Feb. 4, 2004 issue of JAMA, chemical analyses found an average of 55 milligrams of sildenafil per capsule - https://www.change.org/search?q=capsule of Actra-Rx and 상주출장마사지 - https://www.toptopanma.com/%ec%83%81%ec%a3%bc%ec%98%a4%ed%94%bc%ea%b1%b8... Niagra Actra-Rx, another name under which the product has been sold.

"The use of such nonprescription substances may present health risks for individuals with contraindications to the use of sildenafil," wrote the authors.

Follow up testing by the FDA confirmed Actra-Rx contained prescription-strength levels of sildenafil.

A spokesman for Los Angeles-based Body Basics declined comment. The company's voicemail identifies them as manufacturer of Actra-Rx. The company's Web site continues to advertise Actra-Rx as a "natural sexual enhancer" available in starter kits of 10 pills for $78.99.

In June 2003, Pfizer filed a trademark infringement suit against Body Basics, which had been using the name Niagra to sell the supplement. The federal court, in a consent judgment, barred the company from using that name, said Bryant Haskins, director of corporate media relations at Pfizer.

When the FDA in March 27, 1998 approved Viagra, the first pill to treat impotence, it warned consumers not to use the drug in combination with products containing nitrates to avoid worrisome lowering of blood pressure.

According to the FDA, the sildenafil in Actra-Rx also can interact with certain prescription drugs that contain nitrates or nitrates in illicit substances, significantly lowering blood pressure to unsafe levels.

Men at risk include those with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or heart disease. Those individuals use medications that contain nitrates and often suffer erectile dysfunction.

The FDA advised people who have taken Actra-Rx or Yilishen to stop using it and to consult - http://www.bbc.co.uk/search/?q=consult a doctor regarding an alternate erectile dysfunction treatment.