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HEALTH & SCIENCE New proof testosterone reason women outlive men WASHINGTON: Scientists said yesterday they have new evidence about why women live longer than men; from a study of historical data showing castrated Koreans far outlived their non-eunuch contemporaries. The study, published in the scientific journal “Current Biology,” used detailed genealogical records of the Imperial nobility during Korea’s Joseon dynasty, which spanned more than 500 years from the late 1300s to the early 1900s. According to the data, most men, including kings and royal family members, died in their late-40s or early-50s. But noble-class eunuchs-men who were castrated either by accident or because of social benefits- AKRON: Dr Mark Pozsgay, and Dr Adrian G Dan both, advanced laparoscopic surgeons, close up the incision through the belly button. AKRON: There’s a novel way to remove a gallbladder: Use a surgical robot to take it out through the navel. Rather than using just their hands to guide instruments through multiple incisions, some surgeons are performing remote-controlled procedures through the patient’s belly button. The single-port, robotic-assisted gallbladder removal is the latest step in the push to make minimally invasive procedures even less invasive. After placing robotic arms and a 3-D camera through a 1-centimeter incision in the belly button, trained surgeons can sit away from the patient at a control panel for the daVinci Surgery System and carefully navigate through an inflated abdominal cavity with tiny, precise movements. “We are heading toward minimizing minimally invasive surgery,” said Dr Jihad Kaouk, director of the Center for Robotic and Image Guided Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic. The first robotic single-port gallbladder removal using new instruments designed for the technique was performed about 1 years ago at the Cleveland Clinic as part of a trial, according to Kaouk. The surgical lived, on average, to the ripe, old age of 70. Study author Kyung-Jin Min of South Korea’s Inha University, told AFP the reason is probably that manly hormone, testosterone: “Testosterone is known to increase the incidence of coronary heart disease and reduce immune function in males,” he said. Castration “removes the source of male sex hormones,” the study notes, adding the practice has already been proven to help many male animals live longer. Castration also cuts off the possibility of reproduction, which Kyung-Jin noted could also be a factor. According to “one of the leading theories of aging, aging occurs at the expense of reproduction,” he said, because the body has limited energy that can be used either to keep up reproductive function, or else to keep up everything else. But although the eunuchs could not father children biologically, they married, adopted and raised children, and generally lived lives very similar to their non-castrated peers. “In order to eliminate socioeconomic factors that could have affected lifespan, the lifespan of the eunuchs was compared to the lifespan of men from other Yan-ban (noble class) families with a similar socioeconomic status,” Kyung-Jin said. And “to exclude genetic factors that could have affected the AKRON: Dr Mark Pozsgay, left, and Dr Adrian G Dan, center, both advanced laparoscopic surgeons, adjust the instruments on the daVinci Surgical System. Surgeons offer procedures through belly button Movements are smoother with robotic-assisted single-incision surgery system was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for gallbladder removal about nine months ago. Akron General and Summa health systems in Akron, Aultman Hospital and Mercy Medical Center in Canton and Wooster Community Hospital are offering the single-incision, robotic gallbladder surgery to patients who qualify for the procedure, according to the maker of the daVinci Surgical System. Performing surgery through the belly button can mean less scarring, reduced pain, lower blood loss and faster recovery than with the four incisions typically used for laparoscopic surgery, according to Dr Adrian G Dan, an advanced laparoscopic surgeon at Summa. AKRON: The view through the eye piece of a second control station shows what Dr Adrian G Dan sees as he uses the daVinci Surgical System for a gallbladder surgery on John Mohney, 46, of Stow, September 10, 2012, at Summa Akron City Hospital.— MCT photos French trial opens on cancer radiation scandal PARIS: Two doctors and a radio physicist were due to go on trial yesterday on manslaughter charges arising from radiation overdoses given to nearly 450 cancer patients in a French hospital. At least seven people died as a result of overdoses administered to patients at the Jean Monnet hospital in Epinal in northeastern France between 2001 and 2006. At least 24 people treated between May 2004 and August 2005 received 20 percent more radiation than they should have due to a calibration error. Another dysfunction led to 424 people being overdosed by between eight and 10 percent in the period spanning 2001 and 2006. Many of the victims were being treated for prostate cancer. Scores of victims are due to testify from yesterday until October 31, some of them by video-link because they are too ill to attend court. The two doctors, Jean-Francois Sztermer, 64, Michel Aubertel, 62, and radio physicist Joshua Anah, 54, are accused of involuntary homicide, not helping people in danger and destroying evidence. Three health executives are also in the dock on charges of not helping people in danger. The errors occurred when the radiation machines were being upgraded with new ones acquired in 2004 and also due to doses being miscalculated. Michel Noel, 63, said he wanted justice. “My state of mind before the start of the trial is not good,” said Noel, who underwent treatment at the general hospital for prostate cancer at the end of 2005. “All that I hope for is that the officials accept their errors and are sentenced,” he told AFP. “I live with a pouch (that collects urine) and I cannot have sex,” he said. “It’s very difficult.” — AFP And by operating with a robot through the single port, he said, surgeons can get a better view with less clashing of instruments than what occurs when they try to manually move surgical tools through one opening. With robotic-assisted single-incision surgery, “the movements are much smoother,” agreed Dr Charu Paranjape, director of acute-care surgery service at Akron TEXAS: This photo provided by Kim Chapin shows a 41-pound fat cat named Skinny at the Richardson, Texas, Animal Services shelter. - AP General. “It has 3-D vision, so it’s much clearer.” Because the robotic approach is newer, the procedures can take longer and cost more, Paranjape said. The single incision also needs to be slightly larger compared to the cuts used for a multiport, minimally invasive approach. But, he said, “the important part is it’s evolving. It’s very exciting.” When John Mohney, 46, of Stow, Ohio, had his malfunctioning gallbladder removed at Summa Akron City Hospital last week, he opted for Dan to perform the procedure through one incision in the belly button. “It seemed like a good choice-one incision instead of four,” he said. Mohney was a good candidate for single-port robotic surgery because he’s not overweight and doesn’t have scarring from previous abdominal surgery-factors that can be contraindications, Dan said. Mohney left the hospital several hours after his surgery. Two days later, he was able to go watch his son’s middle school football game. “It’s a lot better than I thought it would be,” he said. “I’m glad I did it this way.”Not everyone, however, is convinced less is more. Dr Raymond P Onders, director of the adult minimally invasive surgery program at University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, said he stopped doing any procedures through a single incision after discovering an increased risk for postsurgical hernias. The results of a multisite, long-term study presented last year by Onders at an American College of Surgeons meeting showed 8.4 percent of patients suffered postsurgical hernias at the incision site within one year of single-incision laparoscopic gallbladder removal. Patients who had gallbladders removed through the four-port laparoscopic procedure had a 1.2 percent postsurgical hernia rate. “We feel the data did not support single-port gallbladder surgery,” he said. “It’s not worth having a second surgical procedure.” Instead, Onders said, he opts for minimally invasive surgery with fewer incisions-three instead of four. Summa’s Dan said the risk for hernia can increase whenever larger incisions are used. However, he said, the risk can be minimized if “a very meticulous, good closure” is performed by the surgeon. Kaouk pointed to another multisite study involving Cleveland Clinic surgeons that showed no increased hernia risk with single-port laparoscopic procedures. Kaouk said he expects more robotic procedures to be done through a single incision as the technology improves. “We think that the future of single-port surgery would be in robotics,” he said, “and we are just witnessing the early attempts of it.”— MCT RICHARDSON: Don’t be fooled by the name: Skinny the cat is one hefty feline. And all 41 pounds of her needs a home. A Dallas-area animal shelter has cared for the 5-year-old orange tabby since getting a call about a stray in a yard about a week ago. Kim Chapin with Richardson Animal Services said Friday that Skinny’s “very sweet” - and the largest cat she’s seen in 21 years TOKYO: Japanese police yesterday arrested a man who posed as a doctor to earn cash, examining 2,300 people with little more than a few hours of self-study to back it up, police and media said. Miyabi Kuroki, 43, had no experience of medical school and passed himself off as a qualified doctor after finding the identity of a legitimate physician on the Internet, Jiji Press reported. He was dispatched by an employment agency to a Tokyo hospital where he conducted medical interviews, examined electrocardiograms and explained check-up results to lifespan, we compared the lifespan of eunuchs with multiple Yan-ban families.” Modern men looking to extend their lifespan could consider “testosterone reduction therapy,” but Kyung-Jin said it’s probably premature. For one thing, it is not clear if it would have an effect if the therapy were started at an older age-the eunuchs were all castrated as children. And for another, the therapy could have side effects that some men may feel make that longer life less worth living. “We may need to consider the side effects of it,” Kyung-Jin said, “mainly, reduction of sex drive in males.”—AFP TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2012 Breathing Europe air shortens lives BRUSSELS: Air pollution is shortening lives by almost two years in parts of the European Union, the European Environmental Agency (EEA) said, strengthening the case for a tightening of emissions restrictions in the bloc. Legislation had managed to cut the amount of some toxins belched out by exhaust fumes and chimneys across Europe, an EEA report published yesterday said. But there were still dangerous levels of microscopic particles, known as particulate matter and linked to diseases such as lung cancer and cardiovascular problems, it added. On average, air pollution was reducing human lives across the region by roughly eight months, the report said. It also quoted separate European Commission-funded research showing that a reduction in particulates levels could extend life expectancy by 22 months in some areas. The report did not spell out where those areas were, but it said that Poland and other industrial regions of eastern Europe had particularly high levels or particulate pollution. Alone among British cities, London also exceeded daily EU limits for particulate matter. Speaking after the launch of the report, EU Environment Commissioner Janez Potocnik said that a review of EU air quality laws next year needed to bring EU limits on pollution levels closer to the stricter World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations on safe levels of pollutants. “This (the report) is a really serious warning about the importance to our quality of life and health,” Potocnik told Reuters. Apart from the impact on health, EEA Executive Director Jacqueline McGlade said that the pollution cost the bloc 1 trillion euros ($1.3 trillion) a year in healthcare and dealing with the wider impact on ecosystems. “European Union policy has reduced emissions of many pollutants over the last decade, but we can go further,” she said. Particulate matter is considered to be the most serious air pollution risk in Europe. Using the most recent data from 2010, the report said that 21 percent of the bloc’s urban population was exposed to larger particulate matter at concentrations above a daily EU limit. Up to 30 percent of city dwellers faced exposure to finer particles above the yearly EU target level. These finer particles are small enough to pass from the lungs into the bloodstream, making them particularly hazardous to health. Another major air pollutant is ozone, which can cause respiratory problems. Again, exposure levels were high, with sunny Mediterranean nations particularly affected because sunlight is needed to form ozone. In 2010, 97 percent of EU inhabitants were exposed to ozone above the WHO reference levels - and 17 percent above the much lower EU target level. The pollutants come from fumes from cars, industry and household fuel burning. After going through complex chemical reactions in the air, the pollutants get into water and agricultural land, thereby posing a threat to agricultural production. - Reuters 41-pound cat named Skinny up for adoption in Texas with the shelter. Not surprising. US government growth charts show Skinny weighs about as much as the average 4-year-old child. Chapin says Skinny appears healthy except for being overweight and likely having diabetes. Blood tests have been ordered. Chapin says somebody apparently had been caring for the cat but officials aren’t sure who owned the huge kitty. — AP Self-study ‘fake’ Japan doc examined 2,300 more than 2,300 people, local media said. He was undone when a medical exam study school where he had “taught” became suspicious and contacted the hospital. Police in Tokyo said yesterday they had arrested Kuroki on suspicion of forging a medical license in 2009 and earning 2.62 million yen ($34,000) by illegally working part time as a doctor at a hospital in Tokyo in 2010 and 2011. The suspect reportedly admitted the wrongdoing, telling investigators: “I wanted money to pay child care and living expenses.”—AFP
HEALTH & SCIENCE Week-old panda cub dies in US zoo WASHINGTON: Mei Xiang, a Giant Panda is seen in the Giant Panda Habitat and Asia Trail 11 October, 2006 at the National Zoo. — AFP WASHINGTON: A week-old giant panda cub died Sunday at the National Zoo in the US capital, just days after it was seen squealing and squirming, officials said. Keepers and volunteers realized something was wrong when they heard sounds of distress from the cub’s mother, Mei Xiang, in the morning, the zoo said in a statement. After retrieving the as yet unnamed offspring, “veterinarians immediately performed CPR and other life-saving measures but the cub did not respond,” it said. “The National Zoo community mourns the loss of the giant panda cub,” the statement noted, adding that its mother “is under close observation.” Initial observations revealed no outward sign of trauma or infection, with veterinarians noting that the cub was “in good body condition” at just under100 grams. Following the sad discovery, zoo officials immediately turned off the “panda cam,” an Internet-accessible, 24hour camera trained on the animals. On Tuesday, two days after the cub was born, zoo staff said they had sneaked a few brief video peeks at the newborn, which at the time appeared to be developing well. One black-and-white webcam clip posted on the “panda cam” website showed mamma bear tenderly picking up baby bear with her mouth as she shifted position. “The cub actively squirms and vocalizes loudly in responsetwo good signs that the cub is healthy,” the zoo said at the time, adding there were even indications that the newborn was nursing successfully. The cause and time of the cub’s death remains unclear, with officials saying a necropsy was under way. More details are expected in the coming days. Zookeepers had chosen to keep a physical distance from Mei Xiang, on loan from China, in order to let her raise the cub naturally. Giant pandas are rare and endangered, with as few of 1,600 surviving in the mountain forests of central China. More than 300 others live in zoos and breeding centers, mostly in China. Mei Xiang and partner Tian Tian took up residence in Washington under a giant panda research and breeding agreement signed in January 2011 between the National Zoo and the China Wildlife Conservation Association. — AFP TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2012
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