Acne is perhaps the cruelest thing that can happen to teenagers. It attacks their face which is the most visible part of the body at an age when they are the subject of gaze for many around them. That is the reason why many teenagers who suffer from acne also suffer from serious mental stress and depression.

Because of this, an international team of researchers that included scientists from the Harvard Medical School, Boston and University Medical College, Tibet, decided that the relation between acne and depression needs to be further investigated. The intriguing new paper of the team, published recently in the BMC Public Health, an open-access journal, confirms that the acne is directly related to anxiety and depression and also that the mental distress in the teenagers may also contribute to worsen their skin’s condition.

A dermatologist at University of Oslo, Norway, Jon Halvorsen, led the study which was launched by the researchers in the year 2004. This study invited all the 18 and 19 year old teenagers in Oslo. They were asked for answering some questions regarding zits and other things. The participants completed the questionnaires about severity of their acne condition along with how much depression and anxiety they experience. They also record what they normally eat and whether they drink and smoke. Apart from that, the researchers also collected the socio-economic data on the teenagers from the nation’s central information gathering agency.

The results of the study show that the mental stress levels that the teenagers reported were strongly related to how much acne they had according to them, independent of some of the other factors such as lifestyle and diet. About 19% of the teenagers who said that they suffer from symptoms of depression and anxiety also said that they are suffering from acne compare to only 12% with no mental stress. Boys with anxiety and depression were 68% more apt to report acne than their peers who had no such symptoms. Girls who have mental stress were twice as apt as those who did not have acne.

For the first time, a linear relationship has been found between pimples and mood. It is possible that the relationship simply means that the teenagers who have feelings of depression are more apt to report that they are suffering from bad acne, even if they are not. But some previous studies have shown that dermatologists also agree with the self-reports of the teenagers’ acne condition. Some anxious and depressed teenagers in the study of Norway may have exaggerated their condition of acne, but it is not likely that most of them did.

There is a theory which suggests that people who have mental distress tend to eat more junk food. One of the teen lore mentions that if a person over-indulges in potato chips and chocolate, pimples will be exacerbated. According to the study, this is only a myth although they have supported the notion that diet also plays a key role. The study also found that the girls who ate few vegetables tend to have worse acne than those who eat lots of green vegetables. But as far as the boys are concerned, diet is entirely an irrelevant factor.

The authors of the study have offered a few hypotheses. For example, mental stress may lead to stimulation in the growth of the nerve fibers that are present near the sebaceous glands. This contributes to an increase in the production of sebum, the fatty substance which combines with the cell debris and the dead skin cells to from pustules and black heads. This is an unproven theory but previous research upon the effects of acne drugs suggested that the theory might be true. For example, it is a known fact that anti-depressants are able to improve acne conditions. We are also aware that Accutane (isotretinoin), a drug widely used for treating acne, is also associated with increase in the depression, although no casual links have been established so far.

There are some obvious shortcomings in this new study, especially that it is entirely dependent on self-reports from self-selected group of respondents. More researches have to be done to understand the relation between pimples and mental illness, and also the main cause of bad cases of acne.

Olympic champion rower Pete Reed underwent LASIK surgery by the world’s best provider of laser eye surgery, The Optical Express. Pete Reed is a two time champion in men’s coxless fours. He also won gold medal in 2008 Beijing Olympics. After winning the gold medal in Beijing he returned to his naval duties being a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy. He was the British navy’s ‘Sportsman of the Year’ in 2005.  In 2009 he was appointed Member of the British Empire. The champion looks forward to competing in the 2012 London Olympic Games and is undergoing training.

The surgery was done by Rodney Blumenfield, an experienced ophthalmologist who has done over 22,000 surgeries. He used Wave front and Intralase technologies for the LASIK surgery. Reed was impressed by the results of the surgery. He was enthralled with his new perfect vision from Optical Express. He said it allowed him not only to see better than 20/20 but also to get rid of contact lens and glasses for training and racing. He was greatly satisfied about the quality of care and customer service offered by Optical Express. He applauded the swift procedure straight from booking to verification of clarity of vision, the short recovery time taken and the aftercare provided by Optical Express.

Being an athlete whose excellence depends on his ability of clear vision, Reed wants to encourage others to take laser eye surgery for better eye vision and that there is no risks and is perfectly safe. He also wished he had under it a bit earlier.

The Optical Express Group was founded in 1991. It is now world’s leading health service provider and specialized in optician services. The Optical Express group includes optical stores, refractive laser eye surgery, spectacles, contact lenses, dental clinics, state-of-the-art medical hospitals and cosmetic treatment centers. It employs trained specialists for detection of eye problem, uniquely solving the problem using advanced eye surgery treatments and catering to specific needs of the patient. It performs most advanced eye surgery treatments such as Advanced CustomVue Wavefront and Intralase as well as LASIK. Optical Express optometrists are members of the General Optical Council. Hence patients can be assured that only best quality lenses are supplied through the group. The Optical Express also allows online shopping with local aftercare and advice through Optical Express network of UK stores.

We are looking forward to new tests and treatment procedures for prostate cancer after the generic code variants have been discovered which triple the chances of the development of this disease. DNA of a huge number of men was screened by the scientists for identifying the nine risk areas that were known previously. It was found in the research that at least 2 genes can be targeted for new forms of treatment for the disease.

One is known as the NKX3.1 which helps in controlling how the cells die and may be a key contributor in the development of the cancer. Clinical trials are already going on the drugs that can be helpful for men who have defective NKX3.1 gene. Another gene is known as ITGA6 which is vital for the growth of the cells, their survival and movement. This gene can also be an important target for the drugs to treat prostate cancer. When it becomes over active, it can be related to some prostate cancers.

The most common type of cancer in men is prostate cancer that accounts for one quarter of all the new cases. Four scientific papers on the topic of genetic discoveries from various international teams got published in Nature Genetics, the journal.

Dr Ros Eeles led a group from Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, Surrey, which examined DNA of 38,000 men and found 7 regions of the genetic code which increased the risks of developing prostate cancer.

The scientists observed the differences in over 43,000 single letter variations in the code known as SNPs or Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms. According to Dr Eeles, their study adds evidence to the notion that the genetic factors influence man’s risk to develop prostate cancer. The results will be helpful in calculating the risks of developing prostate cancer more accurately so that more targeted screening can be carried out. After understanding more about the genes, new treatment procedures can also be developed.

The research has taken the total number of areas of human genome, or genetic code blue print, related to higher risks of prostate cancer to over 20. Other findings of the research are focused upon an area on chromosome eight which is previously also linked with the prostate cancer. Chromosome eight is a package of DNA which houses the genes. Two new SNPs were found in these areas which independently raise the probability of development of the disease.
According to the estimates made by the scientists, 100 men who carry most genetic variants have 20% lifetime risks of developing prostate cancer. Compared to that, the average chances of a man to develop prostate cancer are on 10% in his life.

Professor Doug Easton from Cancer Research UK’s Generic Epidemiology Unit, Cambridge, says that there are greatest numbers of independent genes that affect risks of developing any cancer in prostate cancer but only a little is understood about how the disease is developed. New clue are provided in this study about the involved processes, which can be used to help in development of new treatment procedures in the near future.

Harpal Kumar, the chief of Cancer Research UK said that the research has increases our knowledge about how specific genes may affect a man’s risks to develop prostate cancer. More avenues are likely to be opened up because of the study so that the disease can be diagnosed, prevented and treated in a better way.