Hot flashes are a common experience for menopausal women, with an 85-percent incidence in the West. With the increased knowledge of side effects attributable to conventional treatment options, more women are exploring natural alternatives. Although more definitive research is necessary, several natural therapies show promise in treating hot flashes without the risks associated with conventional...

Scleroderma is an autoimmune disease of the connective tissue characterized by fibrosis and thickening of various tissues. It can be limited to the skin or affect multiple organs, and its course ranges from slowly to rapidly progressive. Penicillamine, glucocorticoids, and other drugs are used to treat scleroderma, but none of these treatments has a high degree of efficacy. This article reviews...

Rice starch added to bath water was studied for its possible beneficial effects on impaired barrier function as evaluated by transepidermal water loss measurements. The forearm skin of healthy volunteers was irritated by sodium lauryl sulphate. Exposure to rice-starch-containing bath water--twice daily for 15 min--led to a 20% improvement on the healing capacity of damaged skin. The beneficial ...

Introduction Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) is an important conditionally essential fatty acid (EFA). GLA is an omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA). The fatty acid molecule is comprised of 18 carbon atoms with three double bonds. It is also known as 18:3n-6; 6,9,12-octadecatrienoic acid; cis-6, cis-9, cis-12octadecatrienoic acid; and gamolenic acid. GLA is found naturally in the fatty acid fr...

Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) production by Spirulina platensis under different stress-inducing conditions was studied. Submerged culture studies showed that low temperature (25°C), strong light intensity (6 klux) and primrose oil supplement (0.8%w/v) induced 13.2 mg/g, 14.6 mg/g and 13.5 mg linolenic acid per gram dry cell weight respectively. A careful observation of fatty acid profile of the cy...

IMPORTANCE People with severe mental illness (SMI), including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, have excess rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Risk prediction models validated for the general population may not accurately estimate cardiovascular risk in this group. OBJECTIVE To develop and validate a risk model exclusive to predicting CVD events in people with SMI incorporating establis...