British and Canadian scientists say they have identified a potential treatment for sleeping sickness with a drug could attack an enzyme the parasite causing the illness needs to survive.

They say the orally-administered drug could be ready for human clinical trials in about 18 months. Sleeping Sickness is spread by the bite of a tsetse fly, is caused by a parasite attacking the central nervous system.

Professor Paul Wyatt, director of the programme at the University of Dundee in Scotland, said: “This is one of the most significant findings made in recent years in terms of drug discovery and development for neglected diseases.

The World Health Organization estimates there are between 50,000 and 70,000 cases of the disease a year, with a further 60 million people at risk of infection.

The research in Dundee was backed by partners at the University of York in England and the Structural Genomics Consortium in Toronto, Cananda.

Recent research has shown that supplements including glucosamine do in fact protect and build cartilage tissue rather than purely acting as a pain killer designed specifically for joints.

Glucosamine is a compound that exists naturally within the body. Made up of glucose and glutamine the compound is needed within the body to aid the formation process of cartilage and other body tissues. As humans grow the production of glucosamine slows which weakens the cartilage that serves to protect our joints.

Glucosamine made from chitin, a chemical found within the shells of shrimp, crab, lobster etc, is extremely popular both in sulphate tablet form and in liquids such as sports drinks. Vegetarian glucosamine supplements are also available from many health stores, which may be suitable for individuals with allergies to shellfish. In recent years there have been many studies that questioned the potency of the supplement, which has become popular in many health stores across the world.

Doctors are now beginning to stand by glucosamine in supplement form after recent research has proven that easily accessible supplements do in fact protect and build cartilage rather than just combating pain symptoms. Rheumatologist Dr Rod Hughes, from St Peters Hospital, Surrey, explains that the recent breakthroughs in research conducted in Belgium have shown that previous studies concluding that Glucosamine is merely a placebo must indeed have been inaccurate.

‘The results showed a statistically significant difference which could be measured in thickening of the cartilage,’ said Dr Hughes. ‘Glucosamine is one of the chemicals of which cartilage is made, feeding the chondrocytes which produce the strong healthy cartilage which is the shock absorber of the joints and it’s that which wears out in osteoarthritis.

Successful athletes, particularly those playing high impact sports that place joints and cartilage under huge pressure have often proclaimed the benefits of such supplements.

“Sports men and woman can now feel reassured in their choice to use supplements to strengthen their cartilage and protect their joints. It is never too early to think about looking after your body.” explains Tom Kalton owner of popular health blog bestmultivitamins.co.uk.

It is always important to understand however that supplements are not an alternative but merely a supportive measure to a healthy lifestyle. The benefits of a well rounded and nutritional diet, as well as sensible workouts that include proper stretching, warm ups and cool downs, are all equally as important and must not be forgotten.

As with any medical problem it is always advisable to conduct your doctor if you are experiencing joint issues.

Bestmultivitamins.co.uk specialises in providing informative and insightful information related to supplements, vitamins, multivitamins and other new health products on the market. Established in 2009 the site has become a trusted and cited resource within the industry.

www.bestmultivitamins.co.uk

Members of the U.S. House and Senate, children in schools across the country, and employees of workplaces nationwide will wear purple to support epilepsy awareness on March 26. Thousands of Americans will also join the campaign by hosting Purple Day activities in their regions.

Purple Day was founded in 2008, by nine-year-old Cassidy Megan. Motivated by her own struggles with epilepsy, Cassidy created the day to tell other kids about the disorder and inform those with seizures that they are not alone. She named the day after the internationally recognized color for epilepsy, lavender.

“Purple Day tells the world that people with epilepsy are just like everybody else,” says Cassidy Megan.

Epilepsy affects 3 million people in the United States and over 50 million people worldwide. More people than multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy and Parkinson’s disease combined. Despite its prevalence, epilepsy is not well understood and many still face social stigma and discrimination due to a lack of awareness about the disorder.

“Purple Day reminds Americans that people with epilepsy deserve understanding and acceptance,” says Debra Josephs, Executive Director of The Anita Kaufmann Foundation. “When the public is given information about seizure types and seizure first aid training, their fear subsides and gives way to understanding.”

The Anita Kaufmann Foundation and Epilepsy Association of Nova Scotia are the global partners of Purple Day. Volunteer ambassadors and local epilepsy organizations are helping organize events in countries around the world, including the United States, Mexico, the Netherlands, Australia, Uganda and Kuwait.

To learn more about Purple Day and events taking place in your area, please visit www.purpleday.org.

Photos are available upon request.

The Anita Kaufmann Foundation (AKF) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to educate the public not to fear epilepsy and seizures. AKF provides free epilepsy education and seizure first aid programs and materials across the United States in an effort to eliminate stigma and increase awareness about the condition and its impact on families and entire communities. For more information, please visit www.akfus.org or call 201-655-0420.

Greenfield Naturals is here to help searching souls find natural products with the power to give life and announces its new Website dedicated to Natural Soft Water or Re-Structured Water, Active Mineral Water, Active Liquid Vitamins Minerals and Oregano Oil.

Their new site is dedicated to helping people improve their overall wellness. Here is some information on the core products carried on this exciting new website.

Re-Structured Water is the most Natural Soft Water- The innovative Active Water Re-Structuring Units work without chemicals, filters, salts, electricity, or magnets. Best of all, there are no moving parts or complex metal alloys and it is completely maintenance free.

Active Mineral Water- Glen Chancy of Orthodoxbiz.com said, ” I love, love, love, love, love the water. We just got it set up yesterday and I am sucking it down like crazy. Once you taste the water you will never want to be without it and your body will feel incredibly energized.” Alkalinity is also a very important nutrition for our immune system, enzymatic system, repair mechanisms, biochemical functioning, bone health, etc. When your body is acidic, it cannot assimilate vitamins and minerals, it’s susceptible to sickness, and it is difficult to lose weight. By increasing your body pH to be more alkaline, you increase the oxygen to your body, increase your energy, and enhance your immune system to better heal itself.

Active Liquid Vitamins and Minerals- The modern diet severely lacks the minerals and vitamins required by the body to function properly, maintain good health and sustain vitality and without minerals to act as catalysts many vitamins cannot perform their necessary functions. Gary Greenfield, founder of Greenfield Naturals says, “The Re-Structured water along with the Liquid Wellness products we carry, provide the primary building blocks of our health wellness formula.”

Oregano World.com – This is a site within the Greenfield Natural site. Oregano oil has been popularly labeled by Greenfield as the “King of the Herbs” and “A First Aid Kit In A Bottle.” It is one of the world’s most powerful and versatile natural occurring substances that can deal with a host of over 56 different body aliments. Greenfield also states, “No home should be without this amazingly versatile and intelligent essential oil. Be forewarned though, that you must thoroughly research and investigate proper use of this product before use.”

Greenfield Naturals is not your typical American business as which is reflected in their motto: “Down to Earth, but Not of this World.” Down to Earth acknowledges that all of us are material beings connected to the soil. Not of This World proclaims that we are spiritual creatures whose life is given to us by the Creator of the heavens and the earth, relates Paul Neustrom, Director of Marketing. He also states, “We at Greenfield Naturals are dedicated to helping people attaining vibrant health through a reconnection of both your visible and invisible origins.”

Greenfield Naturals, only offers products that reflect the awesome power and wonder of nature’s healing and transforming energies in a way people may have never discovered before, Neustrom also stated. Find a new way of life at: GreenfieldNaturals.com

Good Life Tampa Bay, Tampa Bay’s premier lifestyle show that reports on local flavor from the fast-growing Tampa Bay market was there as more than 500 community members and elected officials attended the Mayor’s 12th Annual Latinos Unidos Conference and Luncheon at the Hyatt Hotel in Tampa. The event is hosted annually by the Mayor’s Hispanic Advisory Council.

The conference and luncheon brings together business and community leaders and others to promote and showcase the cultural and financial influence Latinos have in the community and also to provide funds for college scholarships.
“Our goal is to raise funds for higher education,” said chair of the Mayor’s Hispanic Advisory Council Maritza Rovira-Forino. “Proceeds from this event are going to students attending the University of Tampa.”
Mayor Pam Iorio declared May 20 as Latinos Unidos Day in Tampa and recognized former Florida Governor and former Tampa Mayor Bob Martinez for his role in creating the Hispanic Advisory Council.
“Each year the Latinos Unidos luncheon is a highlight because it really showcases the economic impact of the Latinos in the Tampa Bay community,” said Mayor Iorio. “We can’t lose sight of the fact that our community is a diverse one and this luncheon highlights that.”
Keynote speaker, Vince Roig, from the Helios Organization, reminded the audience that as a community they all owe a debt to the generation behind them to ensure that that generation is prepared to lead. He also spoke about the importance of ethics in everyday life and the fact that education is truly a renewable resource. Following his address, Mayor Iorio presented Vince with a City of Tampa ceremonial plate.
The Good Life Tampa Bay fully supports the mission to improve education and quality of life for all in the Tampa Bay area, which is after all what the good life truly depends on.
About Good Life Tampa Bay:
Good Life Tampa Bay is Tampa Bay’s premier lifestyle show that brings you the people, places and events that are setting the lifestyle trends in the fast-growing Tampa Bay area. Produced and hosted by InTheZoneTV’s “H” John Mejia, “H”’s TV production experience started back in 1992 as an on-air sports reporter for the TV show “Cincinnati on The Go”. “H” also created, produced and hosted the “Playboy Golf” show on Fox Sports Net and “Living the Good Life” on CN8 Comcast, which won three Accolade Awards in 2008. During his career “H” has reported from the red carpet, at celebrity events, on travel shows and high profile corporate events. He has had the privilege to interview and feature many well-known celebrities and professional athletes, such as:
• Hollywood Stars Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore, Mark Wahlberg
• American Idol Winner, Jordin Sparks
• NFL Hall of Fame players Marcus Allen, Lawrence Taylor, Warren Moon and Eric Dickerson
• John O’Hurley from Seinfeld
• Emmy winner Jeremy Piven and Emmy nominated Kevin Dillon from Entourage
• N Sync member and TV Host, Joey Fatone
• Pop culture icon, Hugh Hefner
• The Girls Next Door: Kendra Wilkinson, Holly Madison and Bridget Marquardt
• Music Producer/Artist & Entrepreneur, Sean “P” Diddy Combs
• Real Estate Developer & Billionaire, Donald Trump
• Former Governor Jeb Bush
• Former General Norman Schwarzkopf
Check out the Tampa Bay show that is tracking down the hottest tips and coolest finds at www.GoodLifeTampaBay.com or see it on TV on Brighthouse Channel 17 (the ION –TV station) in the Tampa Bay area.

athenahealth, Inc., a leading provider of internet-based business services to physician practices, and DaVita Inc., a leading provider of kidney care services for those diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD), announced a partnership to deliver an integrated, web-based electronic health record (EHR) and revenue cycle management service to nephrologists across the country.

The new service will be available to nephrologists interested in making the investment in a streamlined alternative to the multiple services and software programs they currently use to manage their clinical and business operations.

“The seamless integration of Falcon EHR(TM) and athenaCollector(SM) offers a dynamic turnkey solution that enables nephrologists to focus their time, expense, and resources on the most important matters – delivering superior patient care and clinical outcomes,” said Anthony Gabriel, Chief Information Officer of DaVita.

“We are excited to join with DaVita and Falcon as we feel this new integrated solution will enable nephrologists to have access to a completely web-based platform that is unique in its ability to address the needs of the nephrology physician market,” said Derek Hedges, athenahealth Senior Vice President of Product Development.

Unique to the athenaCollector service is a patented knowledge-base of payer reimbursement process rules known as athenaRules–which acts as a proactive utility that is continually updated based on the interactions and experiences of the more than 22,000 medical providers using the system. When new claim denial trends are encountered, the rules are refreshed and the intelligence made available to all clients on the network. This enables the system to produce cleaner and more accurate claims with every instance of use. For providers who elect to take advantage of this partnership offering, athenaCollector will help reduce billing inefficiencies that impact operational performance and the overall patient experience.

Falcon EHR provides nephrologists with a one-stop destination for the information and capabilities needed to seamlessly follow kidney patients across the spectrum of kidney care. It promotes efficiency in nephrology practices by streamlining the workflow of the entire office staff, helping to prevent gaps in communication and response times, and supporting individual physician preferences for documentation.

About DaVita

DaVita Inc., a Fortune 500(R) company, is a leading provider of kidney care in the United States, delivering dialysis services and education to patients with chronic kidney failure and end stage renal disease. As of December 31, 2009, DaVita operated or provided administrative services at 1,530 outpatient dialysis facilities and acute units in approximately 720 hospitals located in 43 states and the District of Columbia, serving approximately 118,000 patients. DaVita develops, participates in and donates to numerous programs dedicated to transforming communities and creating positive, sustainable change for children, families and our environment. The company’s leadership development initiatives and corporate social responsibility efforts have been recognized by Fortune, Modern Healthcare, Newsweek and WorldBlu, among others. For more information, please visit www.davita.com.

About Falcon, LLC

The Falcon(TM) suite manages kidney patients’ health records from CKD through ESRD and can be accessed wherever there is Internet access. Developed, tested and endorsed by kidney professionals in the doctor’s office and the dialysis center, Falcon(TM) is powered by DaVita(R) and supported by a dedicated Falcon team. For more information, visit www.falconehr.com or call (877) 99-FALCON.

About athenahealth

athenahealth, Inc. is a leading provider of Internet-based business services for physician practices. athenahealth’s service offerings are based on proprietary web-native practice management and electronic health record software, a continuously updated payer knowledge-base, integrated back-office service operations, and automated and live patient communication services. For more information, please visit www.athenahealth.com or call (888) 652-8200.

The Caffeine Awareness Association, a non-profit organization, has created a new website that addresses the concerns and issues regarding caffeine addiction.

The website is where visitors can share their experience, hope, courage, and strength with each other to solve their common problem and help others to recover from caffeinism. The only requirement for participation is a desire to stop consuming caffeine. There are no registration fees or dues.

“We received many thanks from individuals who are grateful to finally have an outlet to voice their opinion about this ubiquitous drug” said Marina Kushner, founder of the Caffeine Awareness Association. “Since National Caffeine Awareness Month began March 1 the site has attracted much attention from the media which is helping our cause. Caffeine has been linked to heart disease, mood disorders, central nervous system disorders, gastro-intestinal disorders, insomnia, and even death” said Kushner.

This year’s event so far is recognized in 4 states and 5 cities across America and more are expected to join. Marina Kushner is also the author of the award-nominated book “The Truth About Caffeine”. For more information or to schedule an interview with Ms. Kushner, call 815-572-8007 or visit online at www.CaffeineAnonymous.com