大和健康资讯 第128期（2014年4月）

This Month's Topics

■ Health Strategy Series from a Pathology Specialist – Part 2: Inflammation and Immunity

19) What is self? What is non-self? Mucosal immune system lymphoid tissues and diseases③

Yuuzo Endo, M.D., Hamamatsu University School of Medicine (Department of Pathology I)

◎ This time, we will introduce immune function, Peyer's patches, and the role of M cells, and explain mechanisms by which food allergy phenomena occur.

■ World Health Report

Choosing Healthy Foods for Weight Management – Latest U.S. Healthy Diet Information③

◎ This is the third installment on the U.S. News & World Report's annual ranking of healthy diets, "Best Diets." This time, we will introduce three new diets featured in the 2014 edition: the "Spark Solution Diet," the "Acid-Alkaline Diet," and the "Fast Diet," highlighting the characteristics of each.

■ Health Trivia – Revisiting the Past for Health

51) Coping with Alcohol Dependence

◎ Moderate alcohol consumption has health benefits, but excessive drinking can cause various diseases. We will introduce ways to enjoy alcohol in moderation while preventing alcohol dependence.

This Month's Menu

■ Latest Updates from Daiwa Pharmaceutical

◎ DHD USA Exhibited at NATURAL PRODUCT EXPO WEST 2014

■ Health Spotlight

◎ 49th Edition: Tuberculosis is Not Over Yet

■ Latest Updates from Daiwa Pharmaceutical

◎ DHD USA Exhibited at NATURAL PRODUCT EXPO WEST 2014

Daiwa Pharmaceutical's U.S. subsidiary, DHD USA, participated in NATURAL PRODUCT EXPO WEST 2014 held from March 7–9, 2014. This exhibition, held annually at the Anaheim Convention Center (Anaheim, California), is one of the largest natural product-related trade shows in the United States.

This year, more participants than usual came from outside the United States, including supplement manufacturers and retailers looking for new materials, making the exhibition very lively. Many visitors also visited the DHD USA booth, showing great interest in reports from recently published clinical trials. There were particularly many inquiries regarding specific products and business negotiations for BioBran, making the exhibition meaningful.

Daiwa Pharmaceutical plans to continue actively expanding globally.

■ Health Spotlight: Tuberculosis is Not Over Yet

What kind of image comes to mind when hearing "tuberculosis"? You might think of it as a "disease of the past" or recall a celebrity who contracted it.

Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It spreads from person to person, but infection does not necessarily lead to disease because it can be suppressed by the immune system.

In Japan, the tuberculosis incidence rate drastically decreased after World War II, but even today, there are 16.7 new cases per 100,000 people annually (2013). This is high compared to other developed countries (around 5 per 100,000). There are also 50–60 cluster outbreaks annually, which become media topics.

After infection, tuberculosis bacteria can remain dormant in the body and become active again after several years or even decades. Most cases of tuberculosis in modern Japan occur when elderly individuals, who were infected in their youth, develop weakened immunity for some reason, awakening dormant bacteria. Developing diseases that lower immunity or using immunosuppressive drugs can also trigger dormant tuberculosis bacteria to reactivate. Tuberculosis can be cured with appropriate treatment, but it is necessary to take multiple medications exactly as prescribed for the full treatment period (6–9 months). Regular health checkups and medical examinations when symptoms are suspected are desirable for early detection and infection control.

Thank you for reading this month’s "e-Health Newsletter" to the end.

We will continue to plan and deliver useful health information, and we look forward to your comments and feedback.

The next "e-Health Newsletter" is scheduled to be distributed around May 12.