Leukocytes and Neutropenia
July 1, 2008 by Tina Radcliffe
Filed under CANCER
Next to cancer itself, defending an immune system compromised by chemotherapeutic agents is one of the most significant battles a cancer patient faces.
White Blood Cell Basics:
Leukocyte is the term that covers all six types of white blood cells:
The life span of a leukocyte is approximately 1 to 3 days. White cells are more sensitive to chemo than red blood cells and platelets, possibly due to their rapid turnover.
Chemotherapy destroys not only cancer cells but red cells, white blood cells and platelets. When the level of leukocytes drops the risk for infection increases. Chemotherapy may be delayed and/or a lower dosage may have to be given.
One out of every three chemo patients will develop neutropenia.
What is neutropenia?
Neutropenia is measured by the Absolute Neutropenia Count or ANC, which is measured in cells per microliter of blood.
Mild Neutropenia: between 2,000 and 1,000
Moderate Neutropenia: between 1,000 and 500
Severe Neutropenia: less than 500
While each patient is evaluated on an individual basis, often chemo therapy will not be stopped until a patient reaches severe levels of neutropenia.
The lowest point that a patient’s blood count drops after chemotherapy is called the nadir. The nadir usually occurs about seven to ten days after treatment. At this point a patient is the most susceptible to infection.
Other Signs and Symptoms of Neutropenia:
- fever
- sore throat
- mouth sores
- signs of infection
- diarrhea
- burning with urination
- shortness of breath
Treatment:
If you are neutropenic your health care team will do everything possible to protect your compromised immune system including prescribing antibiotics, and granulocyte colony stimulating factor.
What is G-CSF?
White blood cells are not given via transfusion since these cells only live for twenty-four to forty-eight hours. The risk of reaction is highly likely.
Instead G-CSF is given. This injectable agent increases the production of neutrophils.
Types of G-CSF:
- Filgrastim (Neupogen): daily injections
- Lenograstim (Granocyte) daily injections
- Pegylated filgrastim (Neulasta) long lasting
A summary of G-CSF by the National Cancer Institute:
“Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) is a hormone produced by the body that stimulates the bone marrow to produce more white blood cells. G-CSF is also made as a drug. Studies have found that G-CSF injections reduce the severity and duration of neutropenia in patients with some types of cancer. It’s been unclear, however, whether G-CSF is helpful only in certain circumstances or whether many patients with cancer might benefit from it. Treatment with a G-CSF drug is a form of biological therapy.”
Personal Care:
- Good hand washing
- Keep the skin intact
- Avoid others who have infections
The American Cancer Society provides an excellent down loadable pdf document on cancer and neutropenia. Read it before you begin treatment.
Vitamin D Against Rheumatoid Arthritis?
January 12, 2008 by Gloria Gamat
Filed under ARTHRITIS
Vitamin D is already known as good for our bones but may also have good effects on our immune system.
Now, it has been found that women with highest levels of vitamin D intake are about one third less likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Such were the findings reported by senior author Dr. Kenneth G. Saag (from the University of Alabama at Birmingham) and colleagues in the medical journal Arthritis and Rheumatism.
To determine the effect of vitamin D intake on rheumatoid arthritis risk, Saag’s team analyzed data from nearly 30,000 women, between 55 and 69 years of age, who participated in the Iowa Women’s Health Study. All of the women were rheumatoid arthritis-free at study entry in 1986, and vitamin D intake was ascertained through food frequency questionnaires.
During the 11-year follow-up period, 152 confirmed cases of rheumatoid arthritis were identified, the investigators report.
Both dietary and supplemental vitamin D intake were inversely linked with rheumatoid arthritis risk, the authors found. High dietary (at least 290 IU/day) and supplemental (at least 400 IU/day) intake were associated with 28 percent and 34 percent reductions, respectively, in the risk of rheumatoid arthritis.
However, only the association between vitamin D supplement intake and rheumatoid arthritis risk was statistically significant.
No single food item high in vitamin D or calcium was strongly linked to rheumatoid arthritis risk, the researchers point out. However, there was a trend toward a lower rheumatoid arthritis risk with greater intake of milk products.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. Therefore, like this study suggests, if our immune system is improved by Vitamin C, our risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis is lessen. Besides, a direct effect is not yet known.
Let’s see…what are the sources of Vitamin D, aside from sunlight and the supplemental form?
Food sources of Vitamin D are milk products and some ready-to-eat cereal breakfast that are fortified with Vitamin D.
About 98% to 99% of the milk supply in the U.S. is fortified with 10 micrograms (ìg) (equal to 400 International Units or IU) of vitamin D per quart.
One cup of vitamin D fortified milk supplies one-half of the recommended daily intake for adults between the ages of 19 and 50, one-fourth of the recommended daily intake for adults between the ages of 51 and 70, and approximately 15% of the recommended daily intake for adults age 71 and over.
Read this fact sheet for the enumerated natural food sources of vitamin D and everything there is to know about this vitamin.
Find more details from Online News.
Exercise and the Immune System
September 6, 2007 by HART 1-800-HART
Filed under OBESITY
Few subjects in health or diet ever get put to a final rest. Present studies often contradict earlier ones, until no one knows what to think. One of the few areas that almost all serious studies seem to agree on is the relationship between exercise and the immune system.
No reputable researcher will claim that exercise will repair a weakened or diseased immune system. Nonetheless, a broad spectrum of studies confirm that moderate exercise can help sustain and strengthen it, even when the effects are indirect.
The role of exercise in helping to lower stress - and the subsequent beneficial effects on health - has been widely studied. Here the studies are less clear, contradicting one another in some details. But overall the conclusion is the same: moderate, regular exercise helps the immune system by moderating the effects of stress.
Most studies carried out over the last 30 years agree: a continual high level of stress has a number harmful effects on overall health. People who experience high stress get more colds, suffer more digestive tract problems and have more frequent bouts of fatigue. Part of the latter is indirect, since it tends to lead to lowered amounts of restful sleep.
Regular exercise helps relieve stress. It does so directly, by providing an outlet for, and consuming much of, the nervous energy produced by stress. It also helps indirectly by shifting one’s focus away from the external factors producing the stress.
Exercise can help the cardiovascular system, which in turn improves blood flow, carries away toxins from muscles and organs, and helps keep the kidneys and endocrine system working well. It helps remove germs and circulate antibodies.
All those promote a healthy immune system by lessening the body’s susceptibility to disease, while increasing the robustness of the immune system itself.
Exercising increases the body temperature slightly. This, as anyone who has suffered from a cold knows, is the body’s natural response to colds, flu and other diseases. The increased temperature helps kill the infecting organisms.
A study at the University of Colorado, Boulder suggests that moderate exercise helps prevent colds as well. It showed that individuals are less likely to get sick after stressful situations when they had engaged in a regular program of moderate exercise. Those that began exercise only on the same day as the stressor didn’t enjoy those benefits.
The study was carried out on rats, but one of the reasons those mammals are used is the similarity in some systems, and their responses, to humans.
Exercise programs, undertaken consistently and correctly, help improve body image - that’s one of most individuals primary goals in making the effort, after all. That improved body image often leads to higher levels of confidence and relaxation in social situations. That in turn helps reduce stress and enhance the immune system.
Whether the effects are direct or indirect, exercising can help you support and enhance your immune system. That leads directly to better overall health.
Stress and Your Immune System: 10 Ways to Relax and Rejuvenate
May 1, 2006 by HART 1-800-HART
Filed under STRESS
By Monique N. Gilbert
Stress seems to have become a constant factor in today’s fast-paced society. If left unchecked, it can wreak havoc upon our health. Learning how to effectively manage stress can mean the difference between being robust and full of life, or becoming susceptible to illness and disease. Stress can weaken the immune system and accelerate the aging process. The ability to relax and rejuvenate promotes wellness, vitality and longevity.
A healthy immune system regulates our body’s healing process and protects it against infections and diseases. When stress compromises our immune function, it can result in colds, flu, fatigue, cardiovascular disorders and premature aging. Stress increases heart rate, blood pressure, glucose levels, adrenaline, cortisol, free radicals and oxidative damage. This initiates the “fight or flight” response, places undue strain upon the heart, and can also increase the feelings of anxiety and depression.
Protecting the immune system is a vital part of living longer, feeling younger and being healthy. Here are ten natural healthy ways to reduce stress, boost your immune system and slow down the hands of time.
1. Walking and Physical Activity (dancing, gardening, cycling, swimming, etc.). Regular exercise and physical activity strengthens your immune system, cardiovascular system, heart, muscles and bones. It also stimulates the release of endorphins, improves mental functioning, concentration/attention and cognitive performance, and lowers cholesterol, blood pressure, cortisol and other stress hormones. Three 10-minute workout sessions during the day are just as effective as one 30-minute workout, and a lot easier to fit into a busy schedule.
2. Yoga and Stretching. The slow movements and controlled postures of yoga improves muscle strength, flexibility, range of motion, balance, breathing, blood circulation and promotes mental focus, clarity and calmness. Stretching also reduces mental and physical stress, tension and anxiety, promotes good sleep, lowers blood pressure and slows down your heart rate.
3. Hand Hygiene. The most effective measure in preventing the spread of microorganisms that cause infections is good hand hygiene. Washing your hands with soap and water as soon as you come home, and always before you eat, greatly reduces your exposure to bacterial and viral infections. In case you cannot wash with soap and water when you are away from home, carry some alcohol-based hand wipes with you to control microbial exposure and transmission.
4. Laughter and Humor. There is truth to the saying that laughter is the best medicine. Laughing reduces stress hormones like adrenaline (epinephrine) and cortisol. It also benefits your immune system by increasing the number and activity of Natural Killer T-cells. These cells act as the first line of defense against viral attacks and damaged cells. Find the humor in things and engage in activities that make you laugh to increase your immune function and disease resistance.
5. High Nutrient Diet. Eat foods rich in antioxidants (like vitamins A, C, E and lycopene), omega-3 fatty acids, and folate. Antioxidants fight and neutralize free radicals, which are molecules that damage cells and cause heart disease, cancer and premature aging. Omega-3 fatty acids (a polyunsaturated fat) have anti-inflammatory, cardiovascular-enhancing and immune-regulating properties. It is helpful in preventing and controlling high cholesterol, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, depression, inflammatory and auto-immune disorders. Folate prevents age-related cognitive decline, damage to blood vessels and brain cells by lowering homocysteine levels. It also ensures DNA integrity (important as we age and when pregnant) and promotes healthy red blood cells. Excellent food sources for these nutrients are as follows.
• Antioxidants - pumpkin, sweet potatoes, carrots, kale, grapefruit (red and pink), blueberries, strawberries, watermelon, cantaloupe, oranges, peppers (red and green), tomatoes, broccoli, sunflower seeds, almonds and olive oil.
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids - ground flax seeds, walnuts, salmon, soybeans and pumpkin seeds.
• Folate - dark green leafy vegetables (turnip greens, mustard greens, spinach, romaine lettuce, collard greens, etc.), beans, legumes, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, beets and okra.
6. Music. Listening to your favorite music is a great method of reducing stress and relieving anxiety. Your individual preference in music determines which types of soothing sounds will best reduce your tension, blood pressure, and promote feelings of tranquility. Pay attention to how you feel when you hear a particular song or genre of music, and keep listening to the ones that produce a relaxing effect.
7. Sleep. Getting enough sound sleep has a profound impact on your stress levels, immune function and disease resistance. A chronic lack of sleep can leave you feeling sluggish, irritable, forgetful, accident-prone, and have difficulty concentrating or coping with life’s daily aggravations. Long-term sleep loss can also result in heart disease, stroke, hypertension, depression, and anxiety. Sleep time is when your body and immune system do most of its repairs and rejuvenation. Strive to get 7-8 hours of sleep each night. Remember rest and relaxation go hand in hand.
8. Positive Thinking. Optimism can counteract the negative impact stress, tension and anxiety has on your immune system and well-being. Often it is how you perceive things that determine if you get overwhelmed, both mentally and physically. Having a positive attitude, finding the good in what life throws your way and looking at the bright side of things enhances your ability to effectively manage stress.
9. Tea. Regularly drinking tea throughout the day can help strengthen your immune system and your body’s ability to fight off germs and infections. Both green and black teas contain a beneficial amino acid called L-theanine, which can increase the infection fighting capacity of gamma delta T cells. L-theanine also promotes a sense of relaxation, calmness and well-being by influencing the release and concentration of neurotransmitters (like dopamine, serotonin and GABA) in the brain.
10. Hydrotherapy. Relaxing in a hot bath relieves sore muscles and joints, reduces stress and tension, and promotes a good night’s sleep. Add some soothing music, soft lighting and naturally scented bath salts or bubble bath/bath foam to create an inexpensive and convenient spa experience in the privacy of your own home.
To get you started, try this delicious and nutritious recipe by Monique N. Gilbert. It’s high in antioxidants and Omega-3 fatty acids.
Banana Strawberry Power Smoothie
1 frozen ripe banana
1 cup strawberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup soymilk
2 tablespoons canned pumpkin
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
1 tablespoon honey
Blend in a food processor or blender for 1-2 minutes, until smooth and creamy. Makes about 2-3/4 cups (2 servings)
Copyright © 2005 Monique N. Gilbert. All rights reserved.
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Monique N. Gilbert, B.Sc., is a Health, Nutrition, Weight-Loss and Lifestyle Coach; Certified Personal Trainer/Fitness Counselor; Recipe Developer; Freelance Writer and Author of Virtues of Soy: A Practical Health Guide and Cookbook. http://www.MoniqueNGilbert.com/
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Author Bio. . .
Monique N. Gilbert has offered guidance in natural health, nutrition, fitness, weight-loss and stress management since 1989. Through her coaching program and writings, Monique motivates and teaches how to improve your well-being and vitality with balanced nutrition, physical activity and healthy living. For more information, visit her website - http://www.MoniqueNGilbert.com/
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