Study of Twins Shows How Smoking Ages the Face

Siblings who smoked had more wrinkles, creases, droops and jowls

By Dennis Thompson

HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 30 (HealthDay News) -- A study comparing the faces of identical twins confirms what many smokers fear -- the habit does prematurely age a person's skin, taking a serious toll on looks even after just five years.

Researchers from Case Western Reserve University in Ohio used the annual Twins Day Festival in Twinsburg, Ohio, to identify 79 pairs of twins in which one sibling smoked and the other didn't.

The twins who were smokers showed many more signs of skin aging, the researchers found. Their faces featured more wrinkles, creases, droops and jowls.

"Smoking harms virtually every organ in the body, including your skin," said Danny McGoldrick, vice president for research at the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. "Whether you are doing it for vanity or your health, one of the most important health decisions of your life is not to start smoking, or to quit if you have."

The research team attended the Twins Day Festival every year between 2007 and 2010, eventually finding 79 pairs of twins to compare. The twins filled out questionnaires regarding their smoking and lifestyle, and professional photographers snapped individual pictures of them both.

A panel of three plastic surgeons then analyzed the twin's facial features, grading the amount of aging they saw in each person's face using a standardized assessment tool. The researchers used questionnaire results to control for other factors that might prematurely age skin, including sun damage, alcohol use and work stress.

Twins who smoke, when compared to their nonsmoking siblings, had worse scores for baggy eyes, baggy cheeks, smile lines and wrinkles along their upper and lower lips.

Researchers also compared the faces of twins who both smoke, but one of the pair had been smoking for at least five years longer than his or her sibling. They found more baggy eyes, baggy cheeks and lower-lip wrinkles in twins who had been smoking longer.

The judges identified the smoking twin as appearing older in photographs 57 percent of the time compared with the nonsmoking twin, and the twin who had smoked for a longer period of time was identified as older about 64 percent of the time.

The premature aging caused by smoking seemed to mainly affect the lower two-thirds of a person's face, the authors said. There were no apparent differences between smokers and nonsmokers when it came to forehead wrinkles or crow's feet, for example.

The study was published in the November issue of the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

Smoking can affect a person's skin tone by robbing cells of needed oxygen, said Dr. Cheryl Healton, president and CEO of the anti-tobacco advocacy group Legacy.

"It's widely known that tobacco causes cardiac problems and disrupts oxygenation," Healton said. "Getting good oxygenation really affects a person's complexion."

Smoking also might cause wrinkles, folds and droops by damaging connective fibers like collagen and elastin that help maintain skin elasticity, the researchers added.

"A less taut skin envelope cannot counteract the effects of gravity," they said.

Healton said people should heed the findings as yet another reason to quit smoking immediately. As the study found, even five years can make a difference, she said.

"It's really bad to smoke, and it definitely affects your appearance," she said. "Not smoking is good for your looks."

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Blood Test for Pancreatic Cancer Shows Promise in Early Trial

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New Drug Shows Early Promise in Treating Parkinson's Psychosis

Pimavanserin may have fewer side effects than current therapy, study suggests

By Steven Reinberg

HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Oct. 31 (HealthDay News) -- Many people living with Parkinson's disease suffer from hallucinations and delusions, but an experimental drug might offer some relief without debilitating side effects.

The drug -- pimavanserin -- appears to significantly relieve these troubling symptoms, according to the results of a phase 3 trial to test its effectiveness.

Such symptoms affect as many as half of the estimated 7 million to 10 million Parkinson's patients around the world, according to study background information.

Currently, patients are treated with antipsychotic drugs such as clozapine and quetiapine, which worsen Parkinson's motor symptoms, hasten mental decline, increase the risk of stroke and can be life-threatening, authors of the new study said.

Their study was published in the Nov. 1 online issue of The Lancet and funded by Acadia Pharmaceuticals, the makers of pimavanserin.

"There are no first-line approved treatments for psychosis in people with Parkinson's disease," said lead researcher Dr. Clive Ballard, a professor of age-related diseases at King's College, London.

"Existing antipsychotics are either ineffective or not tolerated. Pimavanserin is not yet licensed, but could potentially offer a change in the treatment of these distressing and impactful symptoms," he said.

An expert not involved with the study talked about the need for a medication alternative.

"The Parkinson's disease community has been waiting for a potentially new approach for the treatment of psychosis and hallucinations," said Dr. Michael Okun, national medical director of the National Parkinson Foundation.

"Pimavanserin may offer a relatively safe and reasonably efficacious choice for many patients in the situation where the current therapies are not adequate," Okun added.

The new drug works differently from other antipsychotics, study author Ballard said.

Pimavanserin blocks certain receptors -- called serotonin 5-HT2A receptors -- in the neocortex of the brain. This part of the brain is responsible for sensory perceptions, conscious thought and language, and is associated with hallucinations and delusions, Ballard explained.

For the trial, Ballard's team randomly assigned 199 Parkinson's patients suffering from disease-associated psychosis to daily doses either of pimavanserin or an inactive placebo pill.

After 43 days, patients taking pimavanserin showed a significant improvement on a scale of psychotic symptoms compared to those given a placebo -- 37 percent versus 14 percent.

However, this early study only provided short-term results, another expert pointed out.

Frances Weaver, director of the Center for Management of Complex Chronic Care at Hines VA Hospital, in Illinois, said although the trial was promising, more needs to be known about the long-term picture for this drug.

"The follow-up was only 43 days," she said. "It will be important to examine the long-term effects of this medication as psychosis is an ongoing problem which will likely require the patient to remain on medications for the rest of his life. Questions about long-term tolerability and effectiveness still need to be answered."

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Thomas Hoey Shows Enthusiasm for Revolutionary Banana Technology

    PHILADELPHIA, PA, August 06, 2013 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Long Island Banana owner, Thomas Hoey, loves to provide great service to his customers. That is why his family has spent the last 100 years delivering fresh, ripe bananas across the eastern coast of the United States. But there are always ways to improve a business. Innovations are made every day in different industries and the banana market is no exception. The country of Ecuador is about to introduce a new strategy to advertise bananas.

According to an article in Fox News Latino, Ecuador is teaming up with a United States marketing firm to develop a new method of advertising. The country's tourism bureau is spearheading this movement to entice more travelers. They are also capitalizing on the fact that Ecuador is the world's top exporter on bananas, distributing over 24 million tons of the fruit each day.

All outgoing bananas will now have a QR code placed on them. QR (quick-response) codes are a revolutionary technology that partners with smartphone capabilities. A customer can scan a QR code with their phone and it will link them to a webpage. The page is linked to the code when it is first generated. Various companies have been using this technique to promote sales. Soon, banana sellers will be able to take advantage of this as well.

Customers will have the opportunity to scan the QR code sticker on the banana peel. This will take them to a video that explores scenic locations around Ecuador, encouraging tourism. The country has business partnerships with major banana distributors such as Dole, Del Monte, Noboa, and Chiquita. They hope that they can reach a wide market with their new advertising idea. They also hope to create their own marketing brand that is focused on generating revenue in tourism.

The idea of creating a brand to promote tourism is a trend that has been followed by several other countries. Peru and Puerto Rico both tried to establish countrywide brands over the past few years. These countries plan to seize many opportunities from this strategy. They hope that an increased amount of tourists will help with global positioning and economic development. Besides encouraging the tourism, this QR code tactic will present an image to the world. People purchasing the bananas and viewing the videos will see the lifestyle behind their food's origin.

"It's amazing what technology is capable of nowadays," says Thomas Hoey. "Almost everyone uses a smartphone so Ecuador's new strategy will be really effective. When people bite into an imported banana, they're getting a taste of another country. Now, they can go even further and take a little sightseeing trip through their phone. It really is impressive."

Thomas Hoey is eager to see more technological advances that incorporate produce in the future.

ABOUT:

Thomas Hoey operates Long Island Banana, located in Linbrook, New York. The business has been owned by the Hoey family for roughly 100 years. Long Island Banana employs approximately 60 people and distributes ripe bananas across the United States' east coast. Thomas Hoey also has experience working on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Agriculture Committee in Washington D.C. under George W. Bush. His contributions include working towards the inception of the Central American Free Trade Agreement. Thomas's family generously donates to multiple organizations such as the Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital and Knights of Pythias Diabetes Research Association.

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Facebook movie 'The Social Network' shows the folly of Ivy envy

This time of year, with high school seniors slogging through one college application after another and parents jittery about their children's futures, I often write columns explaining why it doesn't matter where they go to school.

The invariable reaction from many readers, and some of my friends, is that I went to Harvard, so what do I know about their problem?

It is true that I am a Harvard grad. I wrote a book titled "Harvard Schmarvard" that argues that the Ivy League and other top-ranked colleges add no discernible value to the lives of their graduates. They are good at attracting students with character strengths, such as persistence and humor, that lead to success. But applicants with such qualities who decide instead to attend places such as Boise State do as well in life as those who attend colleges older than the country.

There is research on this by economist Alan B. Krueger (Cornell grad) and Stacy Berg Dale (Michigan). The problem is that it requires higher-level math to understand completely and is boring. I am happy to report I don't need it anymore to fend off the teasing I get each autumn. There is now a Hollywood movie, a box office smash, making my point in dramatic terms that cannot be ignored.

The film is "The Social Network." It was written by Aaron Sorkin. He is a Syracuse grad, but he grew up in Scarsdale, N.Y., so he knows many Ivy Leaguers. The first part of the film, in which undergraduate Mark Zuckerberg creates Facebook, is supposed to take place at Harvard. The buildings did not look familiar to me. Wikipedia says the scenes were actually shot at Wheelock College, Johns Hopkins, Cal State-Dominguez Hills and two prep schools, Andover and Milton.

The ambiance may be wrong, but they got the lifestyle right.

Have you seen the movie? Did you notice that none of the student characters ever study, or even talk about their courses? The conversations are mostly about sex and parties and becoming wealthy and important, not summa cum laudes. Zuckerberg and his peers live on the Web. They want to use the Internet to change the world. That Gov 10 paper due Friday is ignored.

That is an exaggeration of what goes on in selective schools, but not by much. The atmosphere is similar to what you find at most universities. In our culture, the four college years are for trying out new stuff. Undergrads know they are supposed to be studying, but most of the ones I have known, and interviewed, devote little time to absorbing their school's academic riches.

That was the way it was for me and my friends. We spent most of our days and nights at the student newspaper. I have a D in Chinese to show for it.

Zac Bissonnette, a senior at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, recently published a book, "Debt-Free U," that argues convincingly that nearly every state university can provide as deep an academic and extracurricular experience as Harvard if students seek out the best professors and activities and apply their energies there. Most undergrads don't, whether at a famous school or not.

What about those great Ivy alumni contacts? The truth is every college has influential alums, if you bother to call them. The Zuckerberg character in the movie, who may or may not be like the real Facebook founder, becomes a billionaire not because he went to Harvard but because he was a computer genius, a talent he developed before he got to college.

Zuckerberg seems to have figured out that Harvard wasn't doing much for him. He dropped out, like his fellow billionaire Bill Gates, and neither of them has re-enrolled. This year's crop of applicants will find that if they embrace all their college has to offer, no matter where it ranks on the U.S. News list, they will get far more out of it than they ever expected.

For more Jay, go to washingtonpost.com/class-struggle.

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Jay Mathews: Md. teachers' support shows value of civics exam

I don't necessarily accept the view that people who say they speak for teachers actually do. But they often have a good sense of faculty room opinion, including the fact that many teachers don't like the state tests that have been imposed on them and their students.

So what should I make of the e-mails that have been coming in from teachers all over Maryland begging that the state not carry out its plan to cancel the annual High School Assessment test in government?

The government test, which costs $1.9 million a year to administer, is being cut because federal rules don't require it, and Maryland needs to avoid a deficit. Some teachers see less innocent motives.

"It says to me that there are powerful political and bureaucratic forces that do not want our citizens educated enough to threaten their personal power," said S. Jacob Spiese III, a social studies teacher in Washington County.

Sandra Dawes, a parent and teacher in Calvert County, said "civic education . . . offers a base from which our children will learn the elements of democracy." Teacher and lawyer Margaret Land said her children went into public service because of a great 11th-grade government course.

"Rarely do I come across a school mission statement that does not contain the goal to educate students to become informed and productive citizens," she said. Without the requirement that students pass the test, there will less studying of our government.

We cringe when Jay Leno asks who ran for president in the last election and gets blank looks from otherwise intelligent young adults. I am not sure that American-in-the-street ignorance of public affairs is curable. Some say we learned more in the old days, but surveys dating back to the 19th century suggest otherwise. It appears that even if we pass tests in school, we don't retain material that doesn't interest us.

Still, a significant minority of Americans, certainly a larger portion of the population than in most countries, take seriously a citizen's duty to understand our democracy. Downgrading the importance of civics in Maryland seems wrong to me. Education Week ranks its education system No. 1. It is the home of many of the federal government employees who populate this region. Maryland school officials say they are confident that government teachers and students will still do well without the test, but I am not so sure.

The dispute shows that teachers do not necessarily resist state tests in general but don't like being forced to prepare for those that don't make sense to them. Maryland's social studies teachers have many complaints about the HSA government exam, but those who wrote to me said it is better than not having a test. It helps them motivate students to focus on the Constitution, political parties and community values at a time when American teenagers have other interests. For a while they have to think about this stuff. For some, it sinks in.

Social studies was my favorite subject in high school. I majored in government in college. My newspaper focuses on politics. I cover public schools. But it is not just me and my journalist friends and relatives who are into this. I sense a yearning in the country to know more about how government decisions are made. How do you otherwise explain the big cable TV ratings for political shows and the passion with which all kinds of Americans argue about health care, taxes and immigration?

Maybe those of us Marylanders who believe we must give teachers every chance to implant democratic values should pass the hat to keep the exam alive. Let's ask Glenn Beck and Jon Stewart to address a joint fundraiser. The University of Maryland's Byrd Stadium would be a good venue. Beck, Stewart and other famous talking heads say they abhor ignorance of our politics. This would help that cause.

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Too much 'Glee,' not enough studying, in TV shows about high school

The snowstorm knocked out our electricity last week. It was hard to write the column without access to the Internet. My cellphone wasn't working well, either. This seemed a perfect opportunity to discard any pretense of research and instead vent on a subject too insubstantial for a serious education writer, but engrossing all the same.

Why can't television give us a good show about high school?

Yeah, yeah, I know. We've got "Glee." Everybody loves "Glee." It is winning awards. I watch it myself with pleasure. I am telling everybody I know that Idina Menzel, the Broadway star who plays Lea Michele's mother on the show, showed up with her 17-month-old son at the toddler music class my wife and I attended last week while babysitting our grandson in Los Angeles.

Still, I have a problem with "Glee." Have you ever seen any of those amazingly talented characters on that show doing their homework? Or discussing an upcoming exam? Or opening a textbook? The glee club adviser, played by Matthew Morrison, is supposed to be a Spanish teacher, but I haven't seen him ask anybody to conjugate a single verb.

I love the music on "Glee." Some of the faculty dialogue seems true to life. The battles over funding are familiar. But you never see what happens in a classroom, other than a music room with enough extra sets and musicians to stage a dozen Broadway productions simultaneously.

A little reality is in order, if only to remind America's teenagers, who have on average shown no significant gains in reading and math in the past 30 years, that what they see on TV is not the way high school ought to be.

We need some model programs to guide TV executives toward some pedagogically valid plots and away from their standard formula of love, pranks, sports and music. Why not an episode in which history students reenact the 1787 Constitutional Convention? The dramatic possibilities are enormous. Or the writers could examine the comic possibilities of rival nerd gangs, like some of my high school friends, competing for supremacy in SAT scores. Or one sensitive biology student could sue for the right to opt out of frog dissection. Or maybe the entire "Glee" cast could be held back a year for never doing any schoolwork. That would be one solution to the high school series problem of being limited to a four-year run.

In a future column I will reveal the top five high school-oriented TV series of all time. E-mail me at mathewsj@washpost.com, or comment at washingtonpost.com/class-struggle. Tell me which shows should be on the list.

I never saw "Freaks and Geeks," but it sounded promising. "Friday Night Lights" has some scholastically significant moments, a bit tarnished by the panting of women in my household when beefy heartthrob Taylor Kitsch sheds his football jersey.

I loved the too-quickly canceled "My So-Called Life." Its creator, Winnie Holzman, never got the respect she deserved for her true-to-life dialogue - until she wrote the book for the musical "Wicked," also starring Menzel. I liked "Room 222," a show only my age cohort will recall. I watched a lot of "Dawson's Creek" because my middle school-age daughter was keen on it. I didn't see much studying there, either. I could not adjust to teens in a rural public school talking like grad students at the Sundance film festival.

I know which high school show I enjoy watching the most. It has tension, pathos, triumph and tragedy, and some low comedy, all based on suitably academic topics. It comes on every Saturday morning.

No, I don't mean "Saved by the Bell." That show we will reserve for the five worst list. I am talking about "It's Academic."

That's not what you had in mind? Well, then, give me something better, or I may make it number one.

mathewsj@washpost.com

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