MaoBah - Interesting Health Topics, Celebrity News and Informational News

There is a link between compulsive tail-chasing in dogs and high cholesterol and this is according to a study by a team of veterinarians. High cholesterol may be a marker for behavioral problems such as panic attacks and OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) which could be expressed by frequent tail-chasing in dogs.

Bouts of tail-chasing can also occur after a dog experiences physical trauma, surgery or illness. Certain breeds, such as bull terriers and German shepherds, seem to chase their tails more often than others. According to researchers, female dogs were more likely to be obsessive tail-chasers, but the researchers aren’t sure why. Past studies have found that people with panic disorders and certain phobias often have higher cholesterol levels, possibly as a result of increased activity of hormones tied to the "fight or flight" response.

A scientist explained that since high cholesterol in dogs doesn’t always lead to the same health issues as it does in humans, such as clogged arteries, dogs aren’t tested for their serum lipid levels as part of their annual wellness exams. Blood pressure isn’t usually measured for dogs either, unless the dog is exhibiting extreme symptoms.

As for tail-chasing, this is usually just a puppy thing that happens when young pups discover they have a tail but when tail-chasing becomes compulsive, the behavior could be due to "nature or nurture," meaning genetic or environmental causes, including "a stressful incident trigger."

MGM and the Farrelly brothers are finally slapping together their high-profile cast for "The Three Stooges," a comedy project the filmmakers have been developing for years. Sean Penn is set to play Larry, and Jim Carrey is in negotiations to play Curly. Benicio del Toro is a rumored possibility for the brothers’ taciturn leader, Moe.

The studio is looking to start production in the fall for a 2010 release slot.

The project was originally set up at Columbia, which produced the 1930s Stooges shorts. C3 Entertainment Inc., which holds the licensing rights to the Stooges brand, then sold the feature rights to Warner Bros. in 2001 for the Farrellys to write and produce the movie. Eventually, Warner Bros. let the rights lapse and MGM’s Mary Parent scooped them up along with the Farrellys’ continuing participation.

Peter and Bobby Farrelly wrote the script, which Bobby has referenced as "Dumb, Dumber & Dumbest," and will produce with Bradley Thomas and Charlie Wessler. Earl and Robert Benjamin of C3 will executive produce.

The film is not a biopic but a fictional treatment that maintains the Stooges’ gleeful slap schtick updated for a modern milieu.

Originally constructed as four separate shorts, the feature screenplay has since been streamlined into a single narrative. Included in the story line is an opening that shows the Stooges as kids in an orphanage, a device that will require some "Benjamin Button"-style visual trickery to place the adult actors’ heads on child actors’ bodies.

The Stooges maintain remarkably global brand recognition, and their shorts, films and cartoons are still broadcast in 30 countries. The Farrelly brothers’ latest comedy "The Heartbreak Kid" grossed $124 million worldwide.

 Source: Independent Film Guide - Yahoo! Movies

Fish oil is known to play a role in preventing Alzheimer’s disease, and UCLA researchers have discovered why.

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid found in fish oil, increases the production of LR11, a protein that destroys a protein that forms the “plaques” associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

LR11 is also found in low levels in Alzheimer’s patients, and since this protein helps prevent the toxic plaques that are thought to harm neurons in your brain, it is believed to be a factor in causing the disease.

The researchers examined both fish oil in the diet and DHA administered directly to neurons grown in a laboratory.

Even low doses of DHA increased LR11 in rat neurons, and dietary fish oil increased LR11 in brains of rats or mice that had been genetically altered to develop Alzheimer’s disease, researchers said.

DHA also had a beneficial impact on human neuronal cells in culture.

The researchers concluded that high levels of DHA lead to abundant LR11, which seems to protect against Alzheimer’s. Conversely, low levels of LR11 lead to the formation of beta amyloid plaques that harm your brain.

What’s left to be determined, according to the researchers, is what dose is most effective. In areas where dietary DHA is high, a small dose may be beneficial, while in the United States, where there’s a deficiency of DHA, a larger dose may be necessary.

Antibiotics are commonly used to treat sinus infections, but a new study found that they work no better than a placebo. Further, prescribing antibiotics to sinus patients may cause harm by increasing their resistance to the medications.

In the study, researchers followed about 200 patients with sinusitis. Of the 100 who received an antibiotic, 29 percent had symptoms that lasted 10 days or more. Another 107 received a placebo, and 34 percent had similarly lasting symptoms. The difference was statistically insignificant.

The effectiveness of a nasal steroid spray for sinus infections was also tested in the study, and found to work the same as the placebo (except among a group of patients with milder symptoms, when it was slightly beneficial).

The researchers suggested that the antibiotic did not help the sinus infections because it couldn’t penetrate the pus-filled sinus cavities.

Unnecessary prescribing of antibiotics has led to enormous problems with drug resistance. Antibiotics were recently found to be ineffective against ear infections and bronchitis as well.

The researchers say the results should encourage more patients to forgo antibiotics for sinus infections.

"With a little bit of patience, the body will usually heal itself," said Dr. Ian Williamson, the study’s lead author.

Do you want to be healthy? Drinking soda is bad for your health in so many ways; science can’t even state all the consequences. Here’s what happens in your body when you assault it with a Coke:

Within the first 10 minutes, 10 teaspoons of sugar hit your system. This is 100 percent of your recommended daily intake, and the only reason you don’t vomit as a result of the overwhelming sweetness is because phosphoric acid cuts the flavor.

Within 20 minutes, your blood sugar spikes, and your liver responds to the resulting insulin burst by turning massive amounts of sugar into fat.

Within 40 minutes, caffeine absorption is complete; your pupils dilate, your blood pressure rises, and your livers dumps more sugar into your bloodstream.

Around 45 minutes, your body increases dopamine production, which stimulates the pleasure centers of your brain – a physically identical response to that of heroin, by the way.

After 60 minutes, you’ll start to have a sugar crash.