Children Die Because People Are Wrongly Afraid of Vaccines
Of all the threats to human life confronted by international health workers, few cause as heavy a toll as what is termed “vaccine hesitancy” — the delay or refusal by misinformed people to accept vaccination for themselves and their children. An estimated one in five children went without lifesaving vaccines globally last year, adding to the grim toll of 1.5 million children who die annually for lack of immunization, according to the World Health Organization.
This problem is only compounded by the challenge workers face in convincing skeptical publics to put aside what science shows are local myths and dangerous indifference. Citing the fight against Ebola, Dr. Philippe Duclos, senior adviser for the W.H.O.’s immunization programs, noted how “engaging with communities and persuading individuals to change their habits and behaviors is a linchpin of public health success.” Unfortunately, there is no easy prescription for how to change these habits.
The resistance to vaccines is worldwide, encompassing rural ethnic minorities opposed to needles to wealthy urbanites with suspicions about whether vaccines cause autism. At one extreme is the vicious use of force by Taliban gunmen who murder polio vaccination workers, thereby assuring that hundreds of children were crippled last year. No less insidiously, even greater numbers died globally from a wide range of diseases encouraged by the ignorance of adults who failed to accept immunization for their families.
Religious or philosophical objections play a role, according to experts who have found that not even a higher level of education is a guarantee against vaccine hesitancy. All of this only compounds the subtle challenges of enforcement and education that health care workers and governments have no choice but to pursue, since the lives of millions of children remain at risk.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/21/opini ... 05309&_r=0
Health and Healing
No, You Do Not Have to Drink 8 Glasses of Water a Day
If there is one health myth that will not die, it is this: You should drink eight glasses of water a day.
It’s just not true. There is no science behind it.
And yet every summer we are inundated with news media reports warning that dehydration is dangerous and also ubiquitous.
These reports work up a fear that otherwise healthy adults and children are walking around dehydrated, even that dehydration has reached epidemic proportions.
Let’s put these claims under scrutiny.
More....
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/25/upsho ... type=Blogs
If there is one health myth that will not die, it is this: You should drink eight glasses of water a day.
It’s just not true. There is no science behind it.
And yet every summer we are inundated with news media reports warning that dehydration is dangerous and also ubiquitous.
These reports work up a fear that otherwise healthy adults and children are walking around dehydrated, even that dehydration has reached epidemic proportions.
Let’s put these claims under scrutiny.
More....
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/25/upsho ... type=Blogs
Lower Blood Pressure Guidelines Could Be ‘Lifesaving,’ Federal Study Says
Declaring they had “potentially lifesaving information,” federal health officials said on Friday that they were ending a major study more than a year early because it has already conclusively answered a question cardiologists have puzzled over for decades: How low should blood pressure go?
The answer: way lower than the current guidelines.
For years doctors have been uncertain what the optimal goal should be for patients with high blood pressure. The aim of course is to bring it down, but how far and how aggressively remained a mystery. There are trade-offs — risks and side effects from drugs — and there were lingering questions about whether older patients needed somewhat higher blood pressure to push blood to the brain.
The study found that patients who were assigned to reach a systolic blood pressure goal below 120 — far lower than current guidelines of 140, or 150 for people over 60 — had their risk of heart attacks, heart failure and strokes reduced by a third and their risk of death reduced by nearly a quarter.
More....
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/12/healt ... pe=article
Declaring they had “potentially lifesaving information,” federal health officials said on Friday that they were ending a major study more than a year early because it has already conclusively answered a question cardiologists have puzzled over for decades: How low should blood pressure go?
The answer: way lower than the current guidelines.
For years doctors have been uncertain what the optimal goal should be for patients with high blood pressure. The aim of course is to bring it down, but how far and how aggressively remained a mystery. There are trade-offs — risks and side effects from drugs — and there were lingering questions about whether older patients needed somewhat higher blood pressure to push blood to the brain.
The study found that patients who were assigned to reach a systolic blood pressure goal below 120 — far lower than current guidelines of 140, or 150 for people over 60 — had their risk of heart attacks, heart failure and strokes reduced by a third and their risk of death reduced by nearly a quarter.
More....
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/12/healt ... pe=article
Blood seeping from the walls, killer doctors: ICU hallucinations haunt a staggering number of patients
Tens of thousands of Canadians who survive a life-threatening illness or injury every year are left with new and profound thinking, memory and psychological problems that can make them feel as if they are losing their minds, say Canadian researchers leading the largest study of its kind of ICU “survivors” and their caregivers.
......
The problems can linger for months, sometimes years. Some people never recover.
The phenomenon has been dubbed “post-intensive care syndrome.” It is a constellation of symptoms that can include devastating muscle weakness, cognitive dysfunction on the order of early Alzheimer’s disease or moderate traumatic brain injury, anxiety, depression and full-blown post-traumatic stress disorder.
One study published in April found 25 per cent of those who survive an ICU admission have symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) between one and six months after leaving hospital.
That’s as high as those seen in combat soldiers or victims of rape, says the study’s co-author Dr. Dale Needham, a Canadian-born and trained doctor, now a professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.
They become the “forgotten patients,” experts say, struggling to understand why they’re having such a hard time returning to “normal” after being pulled from death.
More....
http://news.nationalpost.com/health/blo ... f-patients
Tens of thousands of Canadians who survive a life-threatening illness or injury every year are left with new and profound thinking, memory and psychological problems that can make them feel as if they are losing their minds, say Canadian researchers leading the largest study of its kind of ICU “survivors” and their caregivers.
......
The problems can linger for months, sometimes years. Some people never recover.
The phenomenon has been dubbed “post-intensive care syndrome.” It is a constellation of symptoms that can include devastating muscle weakness, cognitive dysfunction on the order of early Alzheimer’s disease or moderate traumatic brain injury, anxiety, depression and full-blown post-traumatic stress disorder.
One study published in April found 25 per cent of those who survive an ICU admission have symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) between one and six months after leaving hospital.
That’s as high as those seen in combat soldiers or victims of rape, says the study’s co-author Dr. Dale Needham, a Canadian-born and trained doctor, now a professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.
They become the “forgotten patients,” experts say, struggling to understand why they’re having such a hard time returning to “normal” after being pulled from death.
More....
http://news.nationalpost.com/health/blo ... f-patients
Millions More Need H.I.V. Treatment, W.H.O. Says
The World Health Organization issued sweeping new guidelines on Wednesday that could put millions more people on H.I.V. drugs than are now getting them. The recommendations could go a long way toward halting the epidemic, health officials say, but would cost untold billions of dollars not yet committed.
H.I.V patients should be put on an antiretroviral therapy of three drugs immediately after diagnosis, the agency said, and everyone at risk of becoming infected should be offered protective doses of similar drugs.
Immediate treatment has become the standard of care in America and much of the developed world, but the agency’s new H.I.V. treatment and prevention guidelines increase by nine million the number of infected people who should get it worldwide.
The health agency did not estimate how many at-risk people would benefit from its new prevention guidelines, but Unaids, the United Nations AIDS fighting agency, made a back-of-the-envelope calculation that 10 million could be helped, including many women and girls in Africa not previously covered.
Numerous recent studies have shown that people taking so-called triple therapy every day not only live longer, but also have so little circulating virus that they are highly unlikely to infect others even through unprotected sex. Studies using Truvada, a two-drug combination taken preventively, have shown that those taking the drugs every day have near-total protection against infection.
The recommendations underscored the difference in options available to patients in industrialized countries and those in the developing world, and public health advocates acknowledged that it was unclear where the money would come from to turn the new guidelines into reality. Donor contributions for AIDS have been essentially flat since 2009. Although the W.H.O. issues guidelines, each country sets its own policy. Inevitably, when treatment starts depends on how many citizens the country’s health budget can afford to treat. Fifteen million people are on treatment now, fewer than half of the 37 million people infected worldwide.
More...
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/01/healt ... d=71987722
The World Health Organization issued sweeping new guidelines on Wednesday that could put millions more people on H.I.V. drugs than are now getting them. The recommendations could go a long way toward halting the epidemic, health officials say, but would cost untold billions of dollars not yet committed.
H.I.V patients should be put on an antiretroviral therapy of three drugs immediately after diagnosis, the agency said, and everyone at risk of becoming infected should be offered protective doses of similar drugs.
Immediate treatment has become the standard of care in America and much of the developed world, but the agency’s new H.I.V. treatment and prevention guidelines increase by nine million the number of infected people who should get it worldwide.
The health agency did not estimate how many at-risk people would benefit from its new prevention guidelines, but Unaids, the United Nations AIDS fighting agency, made a back-of-the-envelope calculation that 10 million could be helped, including many women and girls in Africa not previously covered.
Numerous recent studies have shown that people taking so-called triple therapy every day not only live longer, but also have so little circulating virus that they are highly unlikely to infect others even through unprotected sex. Studies using Truvada, a two-drug combination taken preventively, have shown that those taking the drugs every day have near-total protection against infection.
The recommendations underscored the difference in options available to patients in industrialized countries and those in the developing world, and public health advocates acknowledged that it was unclear where the money would come from to turn the new guidelines into reality. Donor contributions for AIDS have been essentially flat since 2009. Although the W.H.O. issues guidelines, each country sets its own policy. Inevitably, when treatment starts depends on how many citizens the country’s health budget can afford to treat. Fifteen million people are on treatment now, fewer than half of the 37 million people infected worldwide.
More...
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/01/healt ... d=71987722
IMPORTANT FARMAN ON HEALTH
MHI Farman::Health::regular checkups(Sep 27,2013)
My Beloved Spiritual Children,
As we move forwards, the Imam watches what is ahead, he thinks about what is ahead, and he seeks to guide his Jamat so that they position themselves properly for the future.There have been changes in the last decades in sickness among human beings.The nature of sickness fifty years ago is not what it is today.Sickness has moved from essentially being communicable disease-that is, a sickness that you can pass to other people-to non-communicable disease-which is disease which is yours, it cannot be communicated by you to other people.But non-communicable disease is becoming a significant problem in the Jamat and other communities around the world.
And what I am talking about cancer, I am talking about heart condition, and these are sicknesses which do not reveal themselves early; they are what we call in English "insidious". They are there but you do not know they are there,and,when they manifest themselves, it is often difficult to cure them. So I say to my spiritual children today; be wise, go for regular checkups,and the earlier that you know that you have a problem, the greater the chance of solving it.So be aware of the fact that ill-health is no longer what used to be fifty years ago,and be regular in your checkups.This is material advice, but it is my observation that my Jamats are exposed to the same issues as other communities around the world.
.....MHI Farman
.....Acceptance of Jamati Mehmanis
.....Mumbai, India
.....Sep 27,2013(Afternoon)
MHI Farman::Health::regular checkups(Sep 27,2013)
My Beloved Spiritual Children,
As we move forwards, the Imam watches what is ahead, he thinks about what is ahead, and he seeks to guide his Jamat so that they position themselves properly for the future.There have been changes in the last decades in sickness among human beings.The nature of sickness fifty years ago is not what it is today.Sickness has moved from essentially being communicable disease-that is, a sickness that you can pass to other people-to non-communicable disease-which is disease which is yours, it cannot be communicated by you to other people.But non-communicable disease is becoming a significant problem in the Jamat and other communities around the world.
And what I am talking about cancer, I am talking about heart condition, and these are sicknesses which do not reveal themselves early; they are what we call in English "insidious". They are there but you do not know they are there,and,when they manifest themselves, it is often difficult to cure them. So I say to my spiritual children today; be wise, go for regular checkups,and the earlier that you know that you have a problem, the greater the chance of solving it.So be aware of the fact that ill-health is no longer what used to be fifty years ago,and be regular in your checkups.This is material advice, but it is my observation that my Jamats are exposed to the same issues as other communities around the world.
.....MHI Farman
.....Acceptance of Jamati Mehmanis
.....Mumbai, India
.....Sep 27,2013(Afternoon)
The Breast Milk Elixir
LUCKNOW, India — What if there were a remedy that could save more children’s lives in the developing world than are claimed by malaria and AIDS combined?
A miracle substance that reduces ear infections while seeming to raise scores on I.Q. tests by several points? Available even in the most remote villages, requiring no electricity or refrigeration? Oh, and as long as we’re dreaming, let’s make it free.
This miracle substance already exists. It’s breast milk.
More.....
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/22/opini ... d=45305309
LUCKNOW, India — What if there were a remedy that could save more children’s lives in the developing world than are claimed by malaria and AIDS combined?
A miracle substance that reduces ear infections while seeming to raise scores on I.Q. tests by several points? Available even in the most remote villages, requiring no electricity or refrigeration? Oh, and as long as we’re dreaming, let’s make it free.
This miracle substance already exists. It’s breast milk.
More.....
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/22/opini ... d=45305309
How Doctors Helped Drive the Addiction Crisis
THERE has been an alarming and steady increase in the mortality rate of middle-aged white Americans since 1999, according to a study published last week. This increase — half a percent annually — contrasts starkly with decreasing death rates in all other age and ethnic groups and with middle-aged people in other developed countries.
So what is killing middle-aged white Americans? Much of the excess death is attributable to suicide and drug and alcohol poisonings. Opioid painkillers like OxyContin prescribed by physicians contribute significantly to these drug overdoses.
Thus, it seems that an opioid overdose epidemic is at the heart of this rise in white middle-age mortality. The rate of death from prescription opioids in the United States increased more than fourfold between 1999 and 2010, dwarfing the combined mortality from heroin and cocaine. In 2013 alone, opioids were involved in 37 percent of all fatal drug overdoses.
Driving this opioid epidemic, in large part, is a disturbing change in the attitude within the medical profession about the use of these drugs to treat pain. Traditionally, opioid analgesics were largely used to treat pain stemming from terminal diseases like cancer, or for short-term uses, such as recovering from surgery.
But starting in the 1990s, there has been a vast expansion in the long-term use of opioid painkillers to treat chronic nonmalignant medical conditions, like low-back pain, sciatica and various musculoskeletal problems. To no small degree, this change in clinical practice was encouraged through aggressive marketing by drug companies that made new and powerful opioids, like OxyContin, an extended-release form of oxycodone that was approved for use in 1995.
More...
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/08/opini ... d=71987722
THERE has been an alarming and steady increase in the mortality rate of middle-aged white Americans since 1999, according to a study published last week. This increase — half a percent annually — contrasts starkly with decreasing death rates in all other age and ethnic groups and with middle-aged people in other developed countries.
So what is killing middle-aged white Americans? Much of the excess death is attributable to suicide and drug and alcohol poisonings. Opioid painkillers like OxyContin prescribed by physicians contribute significantly to these drug overdoses.
Thus, it seems that an opioid overdose epidemic is at the heart of this rise in white middle-age mortality. The rate of death from prescription opioids in the United States increased more than fourfold between 1999 and 2010, dwarfing the combined mortality from heroin and cocaine. In 2013 alone, opioids were involved in 37 percent of all fatal drug overdoses.
Driving this opioid epidemic, in large part, is a disturbing change in the attitude within the medical profession about the use of these drugs to treat pain. Traditionally, opioid analgesics were largely used to treat pain stemming from terminal diseases like cancer, or for short-term uses, such as recovering from surgery.
But starting in the 1990s, there has been a vast expansion in the long-term use of opioid painkillers to treat chronic nonmalignant medical conditions, like low-back pain, sciatica and various musculoskeletal problems. To no small degree, this change in clinical practice was encouraged through aggressive marketing by drug companies that made new and powerful opioids, like OxyContin, an extended-release form of oxycodone that was approved for use in 1995.
More...
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/08/opini ... d=71987722
Why Tuberculosis Is Back
WASHINGTON — New data from the World Health Organization shows that we have allowed a preventable, curable disease to become the world’s biggest communicable killer. The millenniums-old lung disease tuberculosis now outranks even H.I.V./AIDS in the number of lives it claims. The fact is that we’ve been very successful at curing people of TB since the 1950s — so why is this illness still such a scourge?
TB is an airborne infectious disease. If untreated, one person with TB can infect 10 to 15 others in the space of a year. The existing vaccine is largely ineffective, and there is no simple test where most people first get care. Drug-resistant strains of the disease continue to spread, far outpacing the development of new drugs. And the treatment for drug-resistant TB can be grueling, with sometimes devastating side effects.
These challenges are real, but the biggest problem we face with tuberculosis is not scientific. It’s political.
TB has climbed up the list of major killers worldwide, but it’s stuck at the bottom of the list of political priorities.
More....
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/11/opini ... d=71987722
WASHINGTON — New data from the World Health Organization shows that we have allowed a preventable, curable disease to become the world’s biggest communicable killer. The millenniums-old lung disease tuberculosis now outranks even H.I.V./AIDS in the number of lives it claims. The fact is that we’ve been very successful at curing people of TB since the 1950s — so why is this illness still such a scourge?
TB is an airborne infectious disease. If untreated, one person with TB can infect 10 to 15 others in the space of a year. The existing vaccine is largely ineffective, and there is no simple test where most people first get care. Drug-resistant strains of the disease continue to spread, far outpacing the development of new drugs. And the treatment for drug-resistant TB can be grueling, with sometimes devastating side effects.
These challenges are real, but the biggest problem we face with tuberculosis is not scientific. It’s political.
TB has climbed up the list of major killers worldwide, but it’s stuck at the bottom of the list of political priorities.
More....
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/11/opini ... d=71987722
Curing Hepatitis C, in an Experiment the Size of Egypt
A new approach tested in Egypt could become the blueprint for providing cutting-edge medicines to the poor.
Excerpt:
"Once demonized for withholding lifesaving AIDS drugs from poor countries in Africa, chastened pharmaceutical companies are testing an alternative strategy: a complicated deal to sell hepatitis drugs at a fraction of their usual cost while imposing tight restrictions intended to protect lucrative markets in the West."
More....
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/16/healt ... d=71987722
A new approach tested in Egypt could become the blueprint for providing cutting-edge medicines to the poor.
Excerpt:
"Once demonized for withholding lifesaving AIDS drugs from poor countries in Africa, chastened pharmaceutical companies are testing an alternative strategy: a complicated deal to sell hepatitis drugs at a fraction of their usual cost while imposing tight restrictions intended to protect lucrative markets in the West."
More....
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/16/healt ... d=71987722
Zika Virus Requires an Urgent Response
No sooner was the Ebola virus subdued in Africa than another virus, Zika, began sweeping through South and Central America. It has been linked to serious birth defects and is threatening to invade the United States. It is imperative that the World Health Organization not repeat its sluggish response to the Ebola crisis and act urgently this time to mobilize international action.
Until it reached the Western Hemisphere, the Zika virus — related to dengue, yellow fever and West Nile virus and named after the Ugandan forest where it was first identified almost 70 years ago — had caused little more than relatively mild, flulike infections. But in the nine months since it came to the Americas, it has moved swiftly through Brazil and two dozen other countries and territories, spread by mosquitoes of the Aedes species, which can breed in the tiniest pools of water and usually bite during the day, making them especially hard to control.
Though not particularly dangerous to the person infected, the spread of Zika has been accompanied by a huge spike in microcephaly, a congenital and irreversible deformation of the skull in newborn babies. The number of reported cases in Brazil jumped from 147 in 2014 to nearly 4,000 in 2015, leaving health officials with little doubt — although no firm scientific proof — that Zika was responsible. Scientists have also identified a possible link between the virus and the neurological disorder known as the Guillain-Barré syndrome.
At present there is no vaccine, no cure and no widely available test for Zika infection. In their absence, the obvious course is to avoid mosquito bites by wearing clothes that cover arms and legs, and using air-conditioning and screens and insect repellents containing DEET. Brazil, which is hosting the Olympic Games this summer, has begun an extensive campaign to eradicate mosquitoes, including the deployment of 220,000 soldiers to search for breeding sites, and has urged women to avoid getting pregnant until the outbreak is brought under control.
El Salvador has advised women to delay pregnancy until 2018. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a list of countries pregnant women would be wise to avoid and has urged pregnant women who have traveled to affected areas to see a doctor and determine whether a test is required. None of that is likely to quickly end the scourge, and no country can do that on its own. On the contrary, the virus could migrate to southern areas of the United States when winter ends.
Regrettably, despite these actions, the World Health Organization seems, once again, to be dozing and has yet to generate a broad and coordinated international response. By coincidence, the W.H.O. executive board is currently meeting in Geneva, so this is the perfect time for the agency to show leadership by convening an emergency committee of experts to take stock of the Zika pandemic and advise the W.H.O. director general, Dr. Margaret Chan, on how best to combat it.
Update: After publication, the World Health Organization announced Thursday it would convene an emergency meeting on Monday to decide whether to declare a public health emergency due to the spread of the Zika virus.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/28/opini ... 05309&_r=0
No sooner was the Ebola virus subdued in Africa than another virus, Zika, began sweeping through South and Central America. It has been linked to serious birth defects and is threatening to invade the United States. It is imperative that the World Health Organization not repeat its sluggish response to the Ebola crisis and act urgently this time to mobilize international action.
Until it reached the Western Hemisphere, the Zika virus — related to dengue, yellow fever and West Nile virus and named after the Ugandan forest where it was first identified almost 70 years ago — had caused little more than relatively mild, flulike infections. But in the nine months since it came to the Americas, it has moved swiftly through Brazil and two dozen other countries and territories, spread by mosquitoes of the Aedes species, which can breed in the tiniest pools of water and usually bite during the day, making them especially hard to control.
Though not particularly dangerous to the person infected, the spread of Zika has been accompanied by a huge spike in microcephaly, a congenital and irreversible deformation of the skull in newborn babies. The number of reported cases in Brazil jumped from 147 in 2014 to nearly 4,000 in 2015, leaving health officials with little doubt — although no firm scientific proof — that Zika was responsible. Scientists have also identified a possible link between the virus and the neurological disorder known as the Guillain-Barré syndrome.
At present there is no vaccine, no cure and no widely available test for Zika infection. In their absence, the obvious course is to avoid mosquito bites by wearing clothes that cover arms and legs, and using air-conditioning and screens and insect repellents containing DEET. Brazil, which is hosting the Olympic Games this summer, has begun an extensive campaign to eradicate mosquitoes, including the deployment of 220,000 soldiers to search for breeding sites, and has urged women to avoid getting pregnant until the outbreak is brought under control.
El Salvador has advised women to delay pregnancy until 2018. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a list of countries pregnant women would be wise to avoid and has urged pregnant women who have traveled to affected areas to see a doctor and determine whether a test is required. None of that is likely to quickly end the scourge, and no country can do that on its own. On the contrary, the virus could migrate to southern areas of the United States when winter ends.
Regrettably, despite these actions, the World Health Organization seems, once again, to be dozing and has yet to generate a broad and coordinated international response. By coincidence, the W.H.O. executive board is currently meeting in Geneva, so this is the perfect time for the agency to show leadership by convening an emergency committee of experts to take stock of the Zika pandemic and advise the W.H.O. director general, Dr. Margaret Chan, on how best to combat it.
Update: After publication, the World Health Organization announced Thursday it would convene an emergency meeting on Monday to decide whether to declare a public health emergency due to the spread of the Zika virus.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/28/opini ... 05309&_r=0
Poor memory? You might have an encoding problem
Q: My short-term memory has started to slip, and it feels pretty scary. When should I be worried?
I understand the feeling. I’ve looked for my phone while talking on it. We all do those kinds of things. But often, the root of the problem has more to do with attention and focus than an actual cognitive deficiency.
There are a lot of steps that go into making a memory. It’s a process. The first step is encoding. To do that properly, you have to take in all the relevant data about the concept you want to remember. This means focusing on the information you want to retain — like where you put your keys or parked your car. Once you have encoded something, you need to store it and be able to recall it.
Problems with these last two stages are associated with conditions like dementia. But for most younger people, the problem lies in the encoding. Doing too many things at once means we’re not able to give proper attention to any one task. For instance, if you come home and are thinking about dinner as you speak to your kids and sending a text at the same time, you likely won’t remember where you put your keys, because you weren’t focusing on the act of putting them down.
Young onset dementia (YOD) is rare and affects only about one person in every 1,000 — and most of these people are in their 50s and early 60s. (There are rare genetic forms of dementia that present in the 30s and 40s, but in these cases there is usually a strong family history.)
Related: Mike Byster’s tips to significantly improve your memory
When a patient expresses concern about memory, I always dig a little deeper. Poor memory may be a symptom of other physical or mental health issues, such as adult attention deficit disorder, sleep apnea, thyroid problems, vitamin B12 deficiency or difficulties related to perimenopause. And when associated with poor appetite, trouble sleeping and low mood, a concern about memory becomes a concern about depression.
There is cause for medical worry if you are consistently having trouble remembering things across several environments, or if difficulty with recall is impairing day-to-day life — if a patient tells me that she is consistently late for work, for instance, because she has to search her home from top to bottom to find things that she uses daily. But if you can remember things when you focus on them and are well rested, instances of forgetfulness should more likely be attributed to system overload.
Focusing on the task at hand will help with the encoding process. Routines, such as having a consistent place to put your keys, also help. And when you know you’re moving too quickly, stop and write down whatever it is you’ll need to recall later on.
http://www.msn.com/en-ca/health/wellnes ... lsignoutmd
Q: My short-term memory has started to slip, and it feels pretty scary. When should I be worried?
I understand the feeling. I’ve looked for my phone while talking on it. We all do those kinds of things. But often, the root of the problem has more to do with attention and focus than an actual cognitive deficiency.
There are a lot of steps that go into making a memory. It’s a process. The first step is encoding. To do that properly, you have to take in all the relevant data about the concept you want to remember. This means focusing on the information you want to retain — like where you put your keys or parked your car. Once you have encoded something, you need to store it and be able to recall it.
Problems with these last two stages are associated with conditions like dementia. But for most younger people, the problem lies in the encoding. Doing too many things at once means we’re not able to give proper attention to any one task. For instance, if you come home and are thinking about dinner as you speak to your kids and sending a text at the same time, you likely won’t remember where you put your keys, because you weren’t focusing on the act of putting them down.
Young onset dementia (YOD) is rare and affects only about one person in every 1,000 — and most of these people are in their 50s and early 60s. (There are rare genetic forms of dementia that present in the 30s and 40s, but in these cases there is usually a strong family history.)
Related: Mike Byster’s tips to significantly improve your memory
When a patient expresses concern about memory, I always dig a little deeper. Poor memory may be a symptom of other physical or mental health issues, such as adult attention deficit disorder, sleep apnea, thyroid problems, vitamin B12 deficiency or difficulties related to perimenopause. And when associated with poor appetite, trouble sleeping and low mood, a concern about memory becomes a concern about depression.
There is cause for medical worry if you are consistently having trouble remembering things across several environments, or if difficulty with recall is impairing day-to-day life — if a patient tells me that she is consistently late for work, for instance, because she has to search her home from top to bottom to find things that she uses daily. But if you can remember things when you focus on them and are well rested, instances of forgetfulness should more likely be attributed to system overload.
Focusing on the task at hand will help with the encoding process. Routines, such as having a consistent place to put your keys, also help. And when you know you’re moving too quickly, stop and write down whatever it is you’ll need to recall later on.
http://www.msn.com/en-ca/health/wellnes ... lsignoutmd
Helping Women in Africa Avoid H.I.V.
Every day, nearly 1,000 young women around the world become infected with H.I.V., the virus that causes AIDS. More than half of the 37 million people worldwide infected with H.I.V. are women, and most of them live in sub-Saharan Africa. These women too often lack the awareness, the financial means and the power over their own lives to protect themselves from the virus. Tragically, more women of reproductive age around the world die from AIDS than from any other cause.
Now, women in the developing world have new hope. The results of two major studies in Africa that were released Monday show that a new device could help protect women against H.I.V. It is a flexible ring a woman inserts into her vagina, where it slowly releases an antiretroviral drug. In earlier studies in Africa, pills and gels that can prevent H.I.V. infection had high failure rates because women tended not to use them consistently. But the new ring is inexpensive, easy to insert, effective for one month and, once in place, undetectable by the woman or her male partner. It also has a shelf life of five years and requires no refrigeration — important advantages in the developing world.
The new ring is far from fail-safe, but it did reduce H.I.V. infection by 27 percent in one study and 31 percent in the other; both examined women ages 18 to 45. Researchers found the device was more effective for women over 21 than for younger women, most likely because the older women used the rings more consistently. But more research needs to be done to determine if there may be a biological reason that women under 21 showed little or no benefit. This is a major concern, because young women and teenage girls account for one in four new H.I.V. infections in Africa.
Research now moves to a ring that would be effective for three months and to one that would also release contraceptive drugs — a potential incentive to get young women to use the device consistently. That research cannot proceed fast enough.
Of course, new drugs and devices can only help so much. Poverty, a lack of education — 80 percent of young women in sub-Saharan Africa have not completed secondary school and a third cannot read — and social and cultural customs that keep women subordinate to their male partners, with little control over their sex lives, all contribute to women’s high infection rates. Investing in educating and empowering women in Africa and elsewhere in the developing world must remain an important part of the fight against this disease.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/26/opini ... d=71987722
Every day, nearly 1,000 young women around the world become infected with H.I.V., the virus that causes AIDS. More than half of the 37 million people worldwide infected with H.I.V. are women, and most of them live in sub-Saharan Africa. These women too often lack the awareness, the financial means and the power over their own lives to protect themselves from the virus. Tragically, more women of reproductive age around the world die from AIDS than from any other cause.
Now, women in the developing world have new hope. The results of two major studies in Africa that were released Monday show that a new device could help protect women against H.I.V. It is a flexible ring a woman inserts into her vagina, where it slowly releases an antiretroviral drug. In earlier studies in Africa, pills and gels that can prevent H.I.V. infection had high failure rates because women tended not to use them consistently. But the new ring is inexpensive, easy to insert, effective for one month and, once in place, undetectable by the woman or her male partner. It also has a shelf life of five years and requires no refrigeration — important advantages in the developing world.
The new ring is far from fail-safe, but it did reduce H.I.V. infection by 27 percent in one study and 31 percent in the other; both examined women ages 18 to 45. Researchers found the device was more effective for women over 21 than for younger women, most likely because the older women used the rings more consistently. But more research needs to be done to determine if there may be a biological reason that women under 21 showed little or no benefit. This is a major concern, because young women and teenage girls account for one in four new H.I.V. infections in Africa.
Research now moves to a ring that would be effective for three months and to one that would also release contraceptive drugs — a potential incentive to get young women to use the device consistently. That research cannot proceed fast enough.
Of course, new drugs and devices can only help so much. Poverty, a lack of education — 80 percent of young women in sub-Saharan Africa have not completed secondary school and a third cannot read — and social and cultural customs that keep women subordinate to their male partners, with little control over their sex lives, all contribute to women’s high infection rates. Investing in educating and empowering women in Africa and elsewhere in the developing world must remain an important part of the fight against this disease.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/26/opini ... d=71987722
New Procedure Allows Kidney Transplants From Any Donor
In the anguishing wait for a new kidney, tens of thousands of patients on waiting lists may never find a match because their immune systems will reject almost any transplanted organ. Now, in a large national study that experts are calling revolutionary, researchers have found a way to get them the desperately needed procedure.
In the new study, published Wednesday in The New England Journal of Medicine, doctors successfully altered patients’ immune systems to allow them to accept kidneys from incompatible donors. Significantly more of those patients were still alive after eight years than patients who had remained on waiting lists or received a kidney transplanted from a deceased donor.
The method, known as desensitization, “has the potential to save many lives,” said Dr. Jeffery Berns, a kidney specialist at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine and the president of the National Kidney Foundation.
More....
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/10/healt ... 87722&_r=0
In the anguishing wait for a new kidney, tens of thousands of patients on waiting lists may never find a match because their immune systems will reject almost any transplanted organ. Now, in a large national study that experts are calling revolutionary, researchers have found a way to get them the desperately needed procedure.
In the new study, published Wednesday in The New England Journal of Medicine, doctors successfully altered patients’ immune systems to allow them to accept kidneys from incompatible donors. Significantly more of those patients were still alive after eight years than patients who had remained on waiting lists or received a kidney transplanted from a deceased donor.
The method, known as desensitization, “has the potential to save many lives,” said Dr. Jeffery Berns, a kidney specialist at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine and the president of the National Kidney Foundation.
More....
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/10/healt ... 87722&_r=0
When Gene Tests for Breast Cancer Reveal Grim Data but No Guidance
At a time when genetic testing and genetically personalized treatments for cancer are proliferating, buoyed by new resources like President Obama’s $215 million personalized medicine initiative, women with breast cancer are facing a frustrating reality: The genetic data is there, but in many cases, doctors do not know what to do with it.
More...
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/12/healt ... 05309&_r=0
At a time when genetic testing and genetically personalized treatments for cancer are proliferating, buoyed by new resources like President Obama’s $215 million personalized medicine initiative, women with breast cancer are facing a frustrating reality: The genetic data is there, but in many cases, doctors do not know what to do with it.
More...
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/12/healt ... 05309&_r=0
The Opioid Epidemic We Failed to Foresee
BEGINNING in the late 1990s, pharmaceutical companies selling high-dose opioids seized upon a notion, based on flimsy scientific evidence, that regardless of the length of treatment, patients would not become addicted to opioids.
It has proved to be one of the biggest mistakes in modern medicine.
An epidemic of prescription drug abuse has swept across the country as a result, and one of the latest victims, according to The New York Times, may have been Prince.
The paper reported that he had developed a problem with prescription painkillers, and that just before his death, friends sought urgent medical help from a California doctor who specializes in treating people addicted to pain medication. Whether pain pills played a role in his death won’t be known until the results of an autopsy are released.
How did we get this so wrong?
More...
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/07/opini ... d=71987722
BEGINNING in the late 1990s, pharmaceutical companies selling high-dose opioids seized upon a notion, based on flimsy scientific evidence, that regardless of the length of treatment, patients would not become addicted to opioids.
It has proved to be one of the biggest mistakes in modern medicine.
An epidemic of prescription drug abuse has swept across the country as a result, and one of the latest victims, according to The New York Times, may have been Prince.
The paper reported that he had developed a problem with prescription painkillers, and that just before his death, friends sought urgent medical help from a California doctor who specializes in treating people addicted to pain medication. Whether pain pills played a role in his death won’t be known until the results of an autopsy are released.
How did we get this so wrong?
More...
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/07/opini ... d=71987722
Man Receives First Penis Transplant in the United States
A man whose penis was removed because of cancer has received the first penis transplant in the United States, at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
Thomas Manning, 64, a bank courier from Halifax, Mass., underwent the 15-hour transplant operation on May 8 and 9. The organ came from a deceased donor.
“I want to go back to being who I was,” Mr. Manning said on Friday in an interview in his hospital room. Sitting up in a chair, happy to be out of bed for the first time since the operation, he said he felt well and had experienced hardly any pain.
“We’re cautiously optimistic,” said Dr. Curtis L. Cetrulo, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon and a leader of the surgical team. “It’s uncharted waters for us.”
The surgery is experimental, part of a research program with the ultimate goal of helping combat veterans with severe pelvic injuries, as well as cancer patients and accident victims.
If all goes as planned, normal urination should be possible for Mr. Manning within a few weeks, and sexual function in weeks to months, Dr. Cetrulo said.
Mr. Manning welcomed questions and said he wanted to speak out publicly to help dispel the shame and stigma associated with genital cancers and injuries, and to let other men know there was hope of having normal anatomy restored.
More...
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/17/healt ... ctionfront
A man whose penis was removed because of cancer has received the first penis transplant in the United States, at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
Thomas Manning, 64, a bank courier from Halifax, Mass., underwent the 15-hour transplant operation on May 8 and 9. The organ came from a deceased donor.
“I want to go back to being who I was,” Mr. Manning said on Friday in an interview in his hospital room. Sitting up in a chair, happy to be out of bed for the first time since the operation, he said he felt well and had experienced hardly any pain.
“We’re cautiously optimistic,” said Dr. Curtis L. Cetrulo, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon and a leader of the surgical team. “It’s uncharted waters for us.”
The surgery is experimental, part of a research program with the ultimate goal of helping combat veterans with severe pelvic injuries, as well as cancer patients and accident victims.
If all goes as planned, normal urination should be possible for Mr. Manning within a few weeks, and sexual function in weeks to months, Dr. Cetrulo said.
Mr. Manning welcomed questions and said he wanted to speak out publicly to help dispel the shame and stigma associated with genital cancers and injuries, and to let other men know there was hope of having normal anatomy restored.
More...
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/17/healt ... ctionfront
Among the Healers
Therapy, medication and yoga couldn’t
cure my anxiety. Maybe Rafael could.
Traditional healing in secularized societies...
Extract:
"We live in a world where people cite Jesus as their inspiration for denigrating the poor, for hating immigrants and gays and women, for rejecting refugees and accumulating wealth, but in a corner of this world, down a cobblestone street in the middle of Mexico, lives a man who spends his days emulating Jesus: He takes in the sick, the haunted, the marginalized, the wicked (cartel members, corrupt priests and politicians, murderers). He offers hope to those who can’t afford the health care they need. He faces those who have so little and listens to their stories of hardship. He touches them and lets them know that their lives can get better, that good can overcome evil. And maybe most important, he tells them, you’re going to be O.K."
More...
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/22/opini ... 87722&_r=0
Therapy, medication and yoga couldn’t
cure my anxiety. Maybe Rafael could.
Traditional healing in secularized societies...
Extract:
"We live in a world where people cite Jesus as their inspiration for denigrating the poor, for hating immigrants and gays and women, for rejecting refugees and accumulating wealth, but in a corner of this world, down a cobblestone street in the middle of Mexico, lives a man who spends his days emulating Jesus: He takes in the sick, the haunted, the marginalized, the wicked (cartel members, corrupt priests and politicians, murderers). He offers hope to those who can’t afford the health care they need. He faces those who have so little and listens to their stories of hardship. He touches them and lets them know that their lives can get better, that good can overcome evil. And maybe most important, he tells them, you’re going to be O.K."
More...
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/22/opini ... 87722&_r=0
16 warning signs of Parkinson’s disease
This disorder of the central nervous system is one of the world’s most visible afflictions, and not just because it affects famous folks like Michael J. Fox and the late Muhammad Ali. For one thing, symptoms hinder both fine and gross motor skills, and are therefore very pronounced (as this list clearly shows). For another, people diagnosed with PD often live with it for years or even decades as it becomes steadily more debilitating. Last but certainly not least, millions of people around the world suffer from it. No age group or race is immune from its effects, which are often detectable decades before diagnosis. For that reason, the early warning signs listed here should prompt a visit to the doctor.
Slide show:
http://www.msn.com/en-ca/health/medical ... ut#image=1
This disorder of the central nervous system is one of the world’s most visible afflictions, and not just because it affects famous folks like Michael J. Fox and the late Muhammad Ali. For one thing, symptoms hinder both fine and gross motor skills, and are therefore very pronounced (as this list clearly shows). For another, people diagnosed with PD often live with it for years or even decades as it becomes steadily more debilitating. Last but certainly not least, millions of people around the world suffer from it. No age group or race is immune from its effects, which are often detectable decades before diagnosis. For that reason, the early warning signs listed here should prompt a visit to the doctor.
Slide show:
http://www.msn.com/en-ca/health/medical ... ut#image=1
Is Your Lipstick Bad for You?
Extract:
Scientists and consumers have raised numerous concerns about personal care products. Experts are particularly concerned about the use of chemicals that may not cause immediate problems, but could over time increase the risk of cancer, reproductive disorders and other ailments.
More...
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/18/opini ... tml?src=me
Extract:
Scientists and consumers have raised numerous concerns about personal care products. Experts are particularly concerned about the use of chemicals that may not cause immediate problems, but could over time increase the risk of cancer, reproductive disorders and other ailments.
More...
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/18/opini ... tml?src=me
6 Facts Women Probably Didn’t Know About Fertility
There are a myriad of fertility myths that exist today, and chances are, you’ve heard — or even told — a few of these yourself. These tall tales about conception have been perpetuated through the years and have been passed down through generations. Have you heard the one about specific sexual positions that are supposed to help influence gender? What about how eating particular foods that can spur the conception of twins?
While these superstitious and sometimes humorous “tips” around conception will likely always be a part of the colloquial conversation, here are a few surprising — yet true — fertility facts to help you better understand your body when it comes to reproductive health.
1.Underweight or Overweight: Your weight affects your ability to conceive
Twelve percent of all infertility cases are due to weight issues. Malnourishment or extreme exercise can affect your body’s ability to ovulate if you don’t have at least 22% body fat.1 On the other hand, being overweight can interfere with your hormones and prevent ovulation. Talk to your doctor about your body type, weight, and overall health. If needed, ask your clinic for resources to help you create a nutrition or exercise plan.636x320_CONTENT_v02_1
.
2.Birth Control Matters: Certain birth control methods can negatively affect fertility
Women who have used injectable or hormonal IUD birth control versus the pill have experienced delays or issues when trying to conceive.2 Unlike the pill, the hormones within injectable birth control and IUDs can linger in the body for up to a year, potentially hindering conception. Every woman is different, so the rule of thumb is to wait until you’ve had at least three normal menstrual cycles, and it’s always good to consult your doctor.
3.Age: Your age on the outside isn’t always your age on the inside
Just because we only blew out 20-something candles on our last birthday doesn’t necessarily mean that our body is celebrating the same youthful perks. As we grow older, the overall health of our egg cells has been shown to decline. Experts say, if you are under 35 and have been trying for a year, or if you are over 35 and having been trying for over six months, it’s time to see a fertility specialist (Reproductive Endocrinologist). Women over 40 experiencing these issues should schedule an appointment within three months if you do not conceive.3
4.Common chemicals can increase infertility
Some studies have shown that Bisphenol A, BPA and PFCs, negatively affect the menstrual cycle and may affect fertility and fetal health.4,5 There are a lot of different views on this topic, so if you’re worried about something specific, talk to your doctor.
5.NO SMOKING: Smoking decreases the ability to conceive
Up to 13% of female fertility issues are caused by cigarette smoking. Every cigarette causes over 7,000 chemicals to spread throughout the body & organs.1 The risk of miscarriage is higher for women who smoke due to these toxins. The good news is that studies show female smokers can increase their chance of conceiving by quitting at least two months prior to trying to get pregnant.
6. Stress: We know! Staying calm is easier said than done
You’ve heard it before: “Just relax, it’ll happen.” This probably grinds your gears. However, while these intended words of comfort may strike a nerve, they can also be very truthful. Stress affects the body’s adrenal system, which can translate into poor sleep quality and bad eating habits. Elevated levels of stress can also affect your ovulation cycle. Inconsistent ovulation greatly decreases your chances of conception and can cause hormonal imbalances. So make time to slow down and take care of yourself. Meditation sessions and moderate exercise can help burn off feelings of anxiousness and prep your body for the journey ahead.
http://egghealth.com/blog/fertility-fac ... +fertility
There are a myriad of fertility myths that exist today, and chances are, you’ve heard — or even told — a few of these yourself. These tall tales about conception have been perpetuated through the years and have been passed down through generations. Have you heard the one about specific sexual positions that are supposed to help influence gender? What about how eating particular foods that can spur the conception of twins?
While these superstitious and sometimes humorous “tips” around conception will likely always be a part of the colloquial conversation, here are a few surprising — yet true — fertility facts to help you better understand your body when it comes to reproductive health.
1.Underweight or Overweight: Your weight affects your ability to conceive
Twelve percent of all infertility cases are due to weight issues. Malnourishment or extreme exercise can affect your body’s ability to ovulate if you don’t have at least 22% body fat.1 On the other hand, being overweight can interfere with your hormones and prevent ovulation. Talk to your doctor about your body type, weight, and overall health. If needed, ask your clinic for resources to help you create a nutrition or exercise plan.636x320_CONTENT_v02_1
.
2.Birth Control Matters: Certain birth control methods can negatively affect fertility
Women who have used injectable or hormonal IUD birth control versus the pill have experienced delays or issues when trying to conceive.2 Unlike the pill, the hormones within injectable birth control and IUDs can linger in the body for up to a year, potentially hindering conception. Every woman is different, so the rule of thumb is to wait until you’ve had at least three normal menstrual cycles, and it’s always good to consult your doctor.
3.Age: Your age on the outside isn’t always your age on the inside
Just because we only blew out 20-something candles on our last birthday doesn’t necessarily mean that our body is celebrating the same youthful perks. As we grow older, the overall health of our egg cells has been shown to decline. Experts say, if you are under 35 and have been trying for a year, or if you are over 35 and having been trying for over six months, it’s time to see a fertility specialist (Reproductive Endocrinologist). Women over 40 experiencing these issues should schedule an appointment within three months if you do not conceive.3
4.Common chemicals can increase infertility
Some studies have shown that Bisphenol A, BPA and PFCs, negatively affect the menstrual cycle and may affect fertility and fetal health.4,5 There are a lot of different views on this topic, so if you’re worried about something specific, talk to your doctor.
5.NO SMOKING: Smoking decreases the ability to conceive
Up to 13% of female fertility issues are caused by cigarette smoking. Every cigarette causes over 7,000 chemicals to spread throughout the body & organs.1 The risk of miscarriage is higher for women who smoke due to these toxins. The good news is that studies show female smokers can increase their chance of conceiving by quitting at least two months prior to trying to get pregnant.
6. Stress: We know! Staying calm is easier said than done
You’ve heard it before: “Just relax, it’ll happen.” This probably grinds your gears. However, while these intended words of comfort may strike a nerve, they can also be very truthful. Stress affects the body’s adrenal system, which can translate into poor sleep quality and bad eating habits. Elevated levels of stress can also affect your ovulation cycle. Inconsistent ovulation greatly decreases your chances of conception and can cause hormonal imbalances. So make time to slow down and take care of yourself. Meditation sessions and moderate exercise can help burn off feelings of anxiousness and prep your body for the journey ahead.
http://egghealth.com/blog/fertility-fac ... +fertility
15 songs that brought people out of comas
Do your friends and family know your favorite tunes? It's more than just a quiz to see who knows you best—someday, it could save your life. Doctors often recommend that people visiting coma victims play music that has special meaning to them. This is known as a "salient stimulus," something that is familiar and emotionally important. Stimuli like these are so powerful they can even rouse coma victims from their deep slumbers. Here are 15 songs that have done the trick.
Slide show:
http://www.msn.com/en-ca/health/wellnes ... out#page=1
Do your friends and family know your favorite tunes? It's more than just a quiz to see who knows you best—someday, it could save your life. Doctors often recommend that people visiting coma victims play music that has special meaning to them. This is known as a "salient stimulus," something that is familiar and emotionally important. Stimuli like these are so powerful they can even rouse coma victims from their deep slumbers. Here are 15 songs that have done the trick.
Slide show:
http://www.msn.com/en-ca/health/wellnes ... out#page=1
Doctors Really, Really Want You to Stop Googling Your Symptoms
Step away from the WebMD.
Let’s see if any of this feels like a familiar process: Say you have a stomachache. You plug “stomachache” into Google and scroll through all of the information on gas and indigestion and other run-of-the-mill causes. And then you keep going, and find yourself reading about ulcers and gallstones and appendicitis, comparing your symptoms to what you see onscreen. Come to think of it, your stomach does feel tender to the touch, and maybe you are feeling a little dehydrated. Never mind that you had week-old leftovers for dinner — you don’t want to be messing around if this turns out to be cancer. And look, there’s a news article about a woman who thought her pregnancy was a months-long stomachache until she had the baby; suddenly, you’re doing frantic period math.
There’s a term for this: cyberchondria, first coined in a 2001 BBC article and later adopted by researchers studying how the internet fuels health anxieties. And there’s plenty of it going around — a 2013 Pew survey found that just over a third of U.S. adults have turned to the internet to help them figure out a health issue, while Google noted in a blog post earlier this summer than around one percent of its searches are on medical topics. But as psychologist Mary Aiken wrote in Quartz yesterday, all of that Googling has consequences beyond your own stressed-out psyche: On a broader level, it’s overburdening the health-care system, diverting doctors’ time and resources to investigating all of the minor bruises and colds that don’t actually need medical attention.
More...
http://www.msn.com/en-ca/health/wellnes ... li=AAggFp5
Step away from the WebMD.
Let’s see if any of this feels like a familiar process: Say you have a stomachache. You plug “stomachache” into Google and scroll through all of the information on gas and indigestion and other run-of-the-mill causes. And then you keep going, and find yourself reading about ulcers and gallstones and appendicitis, comparing your symptoms to what you see onscreen. Come to think of it, your stomach does feel tender to the touch, and maybe you are feeling a little dehydrated. Never mind that you had week-old leftovers for dinner — you don’t want to be messing around if this turns out to be cancer. And look, there’s a news article about a woman who thought her pregnancy was a months-long stomachache until she had the baby; suddenly, you’re doing frantic period math.
There’s a term for this: cyberchondria, first coined in a 2001 BBC article and later adopted by researchers studying how the internet fuels health anxieties. And there’s plenty of it going around — a 2013 Pew survey found that just over a third of U.S. adults have turned to the internet to help them figure out a health issue, while Google noted in a blog post earlier this summer than around one percent of its searches are on medical topics. But as psychologist Mary Aiken wrote in Quartz yesterday, all of that Googling has consequences beyond your own stressed-out psyche: On a broader level, it’s overburdening the health-care system, diverting doctors’ time and resources to investigating all of the minor bruises and colds that don’t actually need medical attention.
More...
http://www.msn.com/en-ca/health/wellnes ... li=AAggFp5
32 things that can cause cancer besides processed meat
Slide show:
http://www.msn.com/en-ca/health/wellnes ... li=AAggFp5
******
Prostate Cancer Study Details Value of Treatments
A new study offers important information to men who are facing difficult decisions about how to treat prostate cancer in its early stages, or whether to treat it at all.
Researchers followed patients for 10 years and found no difference in death rates between men who were picked at random to have surgery or radiation, or to rely on “active monitoring” of the cancer, with treatment only if it progressed.
Death rates from the cancer were low over all: only about 1 percent of patients 10 years after diagnosis.
More...
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/15/healt ... 05309&_r=0
Slide show:
http://www.msn.com/en-ca/health/wellnes ... li=AAggFp5
******
Prostate Cancer Study Details Value of Treatments
A new study offers important information to men who are facing difficult decisions about how to treat prostate cancer in its early stages, or whether to treat it at all.
Researchers followed patients for 10 years and found no difference in death rates between men who were picked at random to have surgery or radiation, or to rely on “active monitoring” of the cancer, with treatment only if it progressed.
Death rates from the cancer were low over all: only about 1 percent of patients 10 years after diagnosis.
More...
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/15/healt ... 05309&_r=0
The Link Between Processed Meat and Cancer: What You Need to Know [Infographic]
Eating processed meat products, such as hot dogs and bacon, can increase a person’s risk for colorectal cancer, according to research from an international cancer agency.
More...
http://blog.dana-farber.org/insight/201 ... d-to-know/
Eating processed meat products, such as hot dogs and bacon, can increase a person’s risk for colorectal cancer, according to research from an international cancer agency.
More...
http://blog.dana-farber.org/insight/201 ... d-to-know/
Diabetes and physical activity – breaking barriers!
Shahzadi Devje RD CDE MSc
14 November 2016
To mark World Diabetes Day, Shahzadi Devje, Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator, discusses the importance of physical activity, explores some common barriers and ways to overcome them.
Being physically active is crucial in managing diabetes and improving overall health. Regular exercise can prevent or delay the development of type 2 diabetes. For those with diabetes, regular activity offers considerable benefits like improving the body’s ability to use insulin and helps manage blood glucose (sugar) levels.
Physical activity can be a daily struggle for many of us. With the growth of technology and the nine-to-five office lifestyle that we lead, it’s no surprise that a pandemic of physical inactivity is apparent. Almost everything is accessed instantaneously at the touch of a button. We have the ability to work, learn, shop and entertain ourselves from the comfort of our own homes. The “modern” lifestyle has removed many of the conventional modes of physical activity.
Despite this shift, it’s important for those with diabetes to be more active so as to be healthy.
More...
https://www.theismaili.org/nutrition/ea ... g-barriers
Shahzadi Devje RD CDE MSc
14 November 2016
To mark World Diabetes Day, Shahzadi Devje, Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator, discusses the importance of physical activity, explores some common barriers and ways to overcome them.
Being physically active is crucial in managing diabetes and improving overall health. Regular exercise can prevent or delay the development of type 2 diabetes. For those with diabetes, regular activity offers considerable benefits like improving the body’s ability to use insulin and helps manage blood glucose (sugar) levels.
Physical activity can be a daily struggle for many of us. With the growth of technology and the nine-to-five office lifestyle that we lead, it’s no surprise that a pandemic of physical inactivity is apparent. Almost everything is accessed instantaneously at the touch of a button. We have the ability to work, learn, shop and entertain ourselves from the comfort of our own homes. The “modern” lifestyle has removed many of the conventional modes of physical activity.
Despite this shift, it’s important for those with diabetes to be more active so as to be healthy.
More...
https://www.theismaili.org/nutrition/ea ... g-barriers
Five tips to avoid cancer from a doc who's devoted his life to preventing the disease
Slide show:
http://www.msn.com/en-ca/health/medical ... li=AAggNb9
People who have suffered and beaten cancer are willing to do anything they can to prevent the disease from returning. And that's probably a mindset everyone should adopt, whether they've had cancer or not.
The good news: "Almost all the measures you could take to stay cancer-free after treatment hold true for those who have not had cancer," says Dwight McKee, MD, who is board certified in internal medicine, medical oncology, nutrition, and integrative and holistic medicine.
Start with McKee's simple lifestyle strategies that follow. Don't just read them; commit to doing them for the long haul. As a physician who has made fighting cancer his life's work, McKee says these tips are powerful, and not only advises them to his patients, but anyone else who will listen.
And for a complete guide to living a cancer-free life—even if you've never had the disease—check out Dr. McKee's new book, After Cancer Care: The Definitive Self-Care Guide to Getting and Staying Well for Patients after Cancer.
After all, why not attack cancer before it attacks you?
Slide show:
http://www.msn.com/en-ca/health/medical ... li=AAggNb9
People who have suffered and beaten cancer are willing to do anything they can to prevent the disease from returning. And that's probably a mindset everyone should adopt, whether they've had cancer or not.
The good news: "Almost all the measures you could take to stay cancer-free after treatment hold true for those who have not had cancer," says Dwight McKee, MD, who is board certified in internal medicine, medical oncology, nutrition, and integrative and holistic medicine.
Start with McKee's simple lifestyle strategies that follow. Don't just read them; commit to doing them for the long haul. As a physician who has made fighting cancer his life's work, McKee says these tips are powerful, and not only advises them to his patients, but anyone else who will listen.
And for a complete guide to living a cancer-free life—even if you've never had the disease—check out Dr. McKee's new book, After Cancer Care: The Definitive Self-Care Guide to Getting and Staying Well for Patients after Cancer.
After all, why not attack cancer before it attacks you?
Feed Your Kids Peanuts, Early and Often, New Guidelines Urge
Peanuts are back on the menu. In a significant reversal from past advice, new national health guidelines call for parents to give their children foods containing peanuts early and often, starting when they’re infants, as a way to help avoid life-threatening peanut allergies.
The new guidelines, issued by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases on Thursday, recommend giving babies puréed food or finger food containing peanut powder or extract before they are 6 months old, and even earlier if a child is prone to allergies and doctors say it is safe to do so. One should never give a baby whole peanuts or peanut bits, experts say, because they can be a choking hazard.
If broadly implemented, the new guidelines have the potential to dramatically lower the number of children who develop one of the most common and lethal food allergies, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the institute’s director, who called the new approach “game changing.”
Could the new guidelines mark the end of the peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich bans so common in school lunchrooms? “If we can put this into practice over a period of several years, I would be surprised if we would not see a dramatic decrease in the incidence of peanut allergies,” Dr. Fauci said.
More...
http://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/05/well/ ... d=71987722
Peanuts are back on the menu. In a significant reversal from past advice, new national health guidelines call for parents to give their children foods containing peanuts early and often, starting when they’re infants, as a way to help avoid life-threatening peanut allergies.
The new guidelines, issued by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases on Thursday, recommend giving babies puréed food or finger food containing peanut powder or extract before they are 6 months old, and even earlier if a child is prone to allergies and doctors say it is safe to do so. One should never give a baby whole peanuts or peanut bits, experts say, because they can be a choking hazard.
If broadly implemented, the new guidelines have the potential to dramatically lower the number of children who develop one of the most common and lethal food allergies, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the institute’s director, who called the new approach “game changing.”
Could the new guidelines mark the end of the peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich bans so common in school lunchrooms? “If we can put this into practice over a period of several years, I would be surprised if we would not see a dramatic decrease in the incidence of peanut allergies,” Dr. Fauci said.
More...
http://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/05/well/ ... d=71987722
From yucky to yummy - eating during cancer
Munira Premji
3 February 2017
To mark World Cancer Day on 4 February, Munira Premji shares what she has learned from her relationship with food while battling the ravages of three cancers over the past five years.
Five years ago today, my world was shattered. Within a two-week period, I was diagnosed with two advanced blood cancers: stage 3 multiple myeloma and stage 4 non-hodgkin lymphoma. I had enjoyed good health until receiving my diagnoses, so it was a very difficult time for me and my family.
As my body went through chemotherapy and other aggressive treatments to combat the cancers, I experienced many side effects: from painful mouth sores to extreme fatigue; from constipation to diarrhoea; from not being able to eat food for days to eating a whole tub of ice cream in one sitting. My weight fluctuated — I lost and gained anywhere from 15 to 20 pounds, depending on where I was in my treatment cycle.
When I first started to lose weight, I was elated! I looked better, I shopped for clothes that were two sizes smaller and I smiled every time the numbers on the scale dropped. But soon I realised that this came at a price. Not eating meant I was becoming progressively weaker and more fatigued.
I was forced to re-define my relationship with food — to start seeing it as a source of energy that would help my body fight the illnesses I was going through.
I learned to love meal replacement beverages because they quickly gave me the nutrients I needed in a glass. I would drink my high-protein meal supplement in style, pouring it into a fancy tall blue glass filled with crushed ice for added crunch, taste and experience. I also learned to eat smaller meals throughout the day.
On days when all food tasted like sawdust — a side effect of the chemotherapy — I had to patiently seek something with flavour. Sometimes it was yoghurt and banana, for a period I had a love affair with oranges, and then the only food I could tolerate was hot and sour soup! The key was to continue to experiment with food that I could eat, because it was so easy to simply not make the effort.
In the past year, I have battled yet another adversary — Stage 3 breast cancer. In order to give my body the energy it needs to fight this new illness, I am slowly discovering through trial and error how to balance between eating food with high nutritional value and maintaining a healthy weight. My biggest food lesson when dealing with the ravages of cancer is to be kind to yourself and to eat nutritionally when you can.
My son, Shayne Aman, has been a huge influence in how we eat at home. We have replaced corn oil with olive oil and coconut oil. Snacks now comprise carrots and celery with hummus, apples, nuts, Greek yogurt and Shayne-approved protein bars.
Salsa is now a mainstay as a condiment. White bread has given way to rye and wholegrain breads. Grilling has replaced frying. Refined sugar is frowned upon, and processed foods are simply not encouraged.
It is incredible how a few changes over time have made a positive difference to how we feel. Shayne has also taught me about portion control — eating small meals throughout the day and taking the time to savour what we eat.
The challenge of eating well with cancer continues to be a work in progress, but it has whet my appetite for learning more about food and how it impacts my body.
Munira Premji resides with her family in Toronto, where she continues to live her life fully and fearlessly.
http://www.theismaili.org/nutrition/eat ... ing-cancer
Munira Premji
3 February 2017
To mark World Cancer Day on 4 February, Munira Premji shares what she has learned from her relationship with food while battling the ravages of three cancers over the past five years.
Five years ago today, my world was shattered. Within a two-week period, I was diagnosed with two advanced blood cancers: stage 3 multiple myeloma and stage 4 non-hodgkin lymphoma. I had enjoyed good health until receiving my diagnoses, so it was a very difficult time for me and my family.
As my body went through chemotherapy and other aggressive treatments to combat the cancers, I experienced many side effects: from painful mouth sores to extreme fatigue; from constipation to diarrhoea; from not being able to eat food for days to eating a whole tub of ice cream in one sitting. My weight fluctuated — I lost and gained anywhere from 15 to 20 pounds, depending on where I was in my treatment cycle.
When I first started to lose weight, I was elated! I looked better, I shopped for clothes that were two sizes smaller and I smiled every time the numbers on the scale dropped. But soon I realised that this came at a price. Not eating meant I was becoming progressively weaker and more fatigued.
I was forced to re-define my relationship with food — to start seeing it as a source of energy that would help my body fight the illnesses I was going through.
I learned to love meal replacement beverages because they quickly gave me the nutrients I needed in a glass. I would drink my high-protein meal supplement in style, pouring it into a fancy tall blue glass filled with crushed ice for added crunch, taste and experience. I also learned to eat smaller meals throughout the day.
On days when all food tasted like sawdust — a side effect of the chemotherapy — I had to patiently seek something with flavour. Sometimes it was yoghurt and banana, for a period I had a love affair with oranges, and then the only food I could tolerate was hot and sour soup! The key was to continue to experiment with food that I could eat, because it was so easy to simply not make the effort.
In the past year, I have battled yet another adversary — Stage 3 breast cancer. In order to give my body the energy it needs to fight this new illness, I am slowly discovering through trial and error how to balance between eating food with high nutritional value and maintaining a healthy weight. My biggest food lesson when dealing with the ravages of cancer is to be kind to yourself and to eat nutritionally when you can.
My son, Shayne Aman, has been a huge influence in how we eat at home. We have replaced corn oil with olive oil and coconut oil. Snacks now comprise carrots and celery with hummus, apples, nuts, Greek yogurt and Shayne-approved protein bars.
Salsa is now a mainstay as a condiment. White bread has given way to rye and wholegrain breads. Grilling has replaced frying. Refined sugar is frowned upon, and processed foods are simply not encouraged.
It is incredible how a few changes over time have made a positive difference to how we feel. Shayne has also taught me about portion control — eating small meals throughout the day and taking the time to savour what we eat.
The challenge of eating well with cancer continues to be a work in progress, but it has whet my appetite for learning more about food and how it impacts my body.
Munira Premji resides with her family in Toronto, where she continues to live her life fully and fearlessly.
http://www.theismaili.org/nutrition/eat ... ing-cancer
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Kateeeeeeeeee
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