Inflammation

Nova Pharmaceutical Corp. has developed new versions of its experimental anti-inflammation drugs that are 600 to 800 times more powerful than an earlier version of the same drugs, the company said yesterday.Company scientists say that the new compounds, called bradykinin antagonists because they block the actions of peptides called bradykinin that are released when tissue in the body is inflamed, will help give patients more lasting relief from inflammation-related pain.The earlier version of the drugs didn't work in clinical trials in which it was tested against the common cold because the compound wasn't strong enough and its effect didn't last long enough, Kira Bacon, a company spokeswoman, said.

Wilson Betemit will not need surgery on his right wrist, which he reinjured during batting practice Friday in Oakland, according to Showalter. Betemit saw a hand specialist in Sarasota on Monday, who determined from tests that Betemit, who was on the disabled list in August with a similar wrist injury, is just dealing with inflammation. “They didn't feel like he needed surgery. That was good news,” Showalter said. “So he is going to probably get [a cortisone] injection and wait for the inflammation to go down.” Betemit is likely out for the season, but Showalter was not ready to concede that yet, preferring to see how quickly the inflammation subsides.

After an automobile accident that fractured my sternum and ribs and resulted in a herniated disk, I searched diligently for pain relief. Conventional over-the-counter pain relievers all had side effects. Then I discovered that evening primrose oil provided the pain relief I needed, with no bad reactions. Additional benefits include stopping hair loss. Since then I have found that my two cats will stop eating to have their daily dose of evening primrose oil. Their fur is very beautiful, and they don't shed nearly as much as they did before.

Orioles left-hander Zach Britton , limited to a throwing progression program because of left-shoulder inflammation, will throw his first bullpen session Friday. Britton, who lead the team in wins last season as a rookie with an 11-11 record and 4.61 ERA in 28 starts, completed his fourth round of throwing a total of 120 pitches from 60, 90 and 120 feet from flat ground — a routine done to mainly raise his pitch count — and will now take two days off before throwing his first bullpen session from a full mound Friday, then another Monday.

George Sherrill, the Orioles' All-Star closer who was threatening to break the club's saves record, was placed on the disabled list yesterday afternoon with left shoulder inflammation. Sherrill, who has 31 saves in his first season as a closer, was not available for Monday night's loss to the Boston Red Sox after complaining that he couldn't get loose before the game. Manager Dave Trembley wouldn't speculate about the severity of the injury or who would take Sherrill's spot as closer.

The idea is as simple as it is radical: Chronic inflammation, spurred by an immune system run amok, appears to play a role in medical evils from arthritis to Alzheimer's, from diabetes to heart disease. There's no grand proof of this "theory of everything." But doctors say it's compelling enough that we should act as if it were true -- which means eating an "anti-inflammatory diet," doing lots of physical activity, and losing the dangerous, internal belly fat that pumps out the chemicals that drive inflammation (more on this nasty chemistry later)

Orioles closer Jorge Julio will return to Venezuela on Sunday after participating in a throwing and exercise program at Camden Yards to rid his shoulder of the inflammation that cut short his winter league season. Concerns within the organization are at a minimum. Only time will determine if they stay there. Julio, who recorded 36 saves last year, appeared in nine games for La Guaira Tiburones of the Venezuelan Winter League before complaining of a tired arm. The Orioles summoned him to Baltimore, where an examination by team physician Dr. Charles Silberstein, including a magnetic resonance imaging test, revealed tendinitis.

Stop 10 people on the street, and chances are many of them already know of the link between high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease. They may even know their own cholesterol level. But ask those same people whether their C-reactive protein level is normal, and you'll probably get lots of blank stares. Those stares notwithstanding, links between C-reactive protein (CRP) -- a substance produced by the body in response to inflammation -- and cardiovascular disease have increasingly been recognized in scientific circles.

I've heard that blueberries have a beneficial effect on the brain. Can you tell me more about this? Is the research recent and credible? James Joseph, Ph.D., at Tufts University is a leading neuroscientist and expert on the effects of berries on brain function. He has done a number of studies in both aging rodents and humans demonstrating cognitive benefits from blueberries. We see this research as highly credible (Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Feb. 13, 2008). Joseph recommends frozen berries as an economical way to get the antioxidant potential of this fruit.

I received a list of "helpful hints" in an e-mail recently stating that if you have arthritis or joint pain, you should spray WD-40 on it. Could this possibly be true? It seems that it might be more harmful than good. WD-40 is made of petroleum products and is designed to lubricate stiff or squeaky metal hinges or joints. People have tried putting it on their own stiff joints, but we cannot recommend this tactic. There have been reports of people developing chemical pneumonitis, an inflammation of the lungs, after accidentally inhaling WD-40.

Blepharitis, usually identified by a sufferer's red, irritated eyelids, is becoming more common. And while doctors aren't sure why, it can be controlled with vigilance, according to Dr. Laura K. Green, residency program director of cornea, cataract and refractive surgery at the Krieger Eye Institute at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore. She said there are some simple things sufferers can do at home, such as keeping the eyelids clean, that can help ease the irritation. What is blepharitis and what causes it?

Seattle went an impressive 5-4 on its just-completed road trip, on which it played three of baseball's best teams, the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. The Orioles and Mariners played six games in June with Seattle winning four. However, the Mariners will have a different look as starting infielders Adrian Beltre and Yuniesky Betancourt are on the disabled list and outfielder Endy Chavez is out for the season with a knee injury. Erik Bedard, the Orioles' former ace, will make his return to the Mariners' rotation Tuesday after not having pitched since June 7 because of left shoulder inflammation.

I've heard that blueberries have a beneficial effect on the brain. Can you tell me more about this? Is the research recent and credible? James Joseph, Ph.D., at Tufts University is a leading neuroscientist and expert on the effects of berries on brain function. He has done a number of studies in both aging rodents and humans demonstrating cognitive benefits from blueberries. We see this research as highly credible (Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Feb. 13, 2008). Joseph recommends frozen berries as an economical way to get the antioxidant potential of this fruit.

I received a list of "helpful hints" in an e-mail recently stating that if you have arthritis or joint pain, you should spray WD-40 on it. Could this possibly be true? It seems that it might be more harmful than good. WD-40 is made of petroleum products and is designed to lubricate stiff or squeaky metal hinges or joints. People have tried putting it on their own stiff joints, but we cannot recommend this tactic. There have been reports of people developing chemical pneumonitis, an inflammation of the lungs, after accidentally inhaling WD-40.

Attempting to cobble together a starting rotation for the last month of the season, Orioles manager Dave Trembley said yesterday that he's looking at several options, including a six-man rotation. "To be honest with you, we're getting into a situation now where we're taking it series by series," Trembley said. He said he's not sure whether last night's starter, Brian Burres, just recalled from Triple-A Norfolk, will continue to start for the remainder of the season. He also wasn't sure about the extended role of left-hander Chris Waters, who is 2-1 with a 4.71 ERA since being recalled earlier this month.

George Sherrill, the Orioles' All-Star closer who was threatening to break the club's saves record, was placed on the disabled list yesterday afternoon with left shoulder inflammation. Sherrill, who has 31 saves in his first season as a closer, was not available for Monday night's loss to the Boston Red Sox after complaining that he couldn't get loose before the game. Manager Dave Trembley wouldn't speculate about the severity of the injury or who would take Sherrill's spot as closer.

Poison ivy and poison oak contain a chemical called urushiol, which produces an itchy rash, redness, blisters and scaling. Scratching may spread the inflammation. -- National Library of Medicine

Sniffling. Headache. Fatigue. You know the feeling. The symptoms are common, but if they linger or are recurrent, their cause could be something other than the common cold, says Douglas Reh, assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins Sinus Center. Between 30 million and 35 million people in the United States may suffer from these symptoms as part of sinusitis. Sinusitis is the most commonly self-reported illness in the country -- and one that is the impetus for some 20 million to 25 million doctor visits each year.

Daniel Gray's stomach tells a story. The gnarled lines across his abdomen are the mementos of three surgeries on his digestive system. The slashes along each side are reminders of the time the stitches broke and the doctors put him into a drug-induced coma for seven weeks, keeping his abdomen open for repeated washes. The doctors made the slits so that they would have enough skin to stretch over the opening when they sewed him together. Gray, 46, was diagnosed 24 years ago with Crohn's disease, a chronic inflammation of the bowel and intestines that afflicts nearly 1 million people worldwide.