Daily Health and Medicine News

Diabetes News and Treatment

Diabetes Mortality High Despite Better Management

Since management of type 1 diabetes improved markedly in the 1980s, survival rates in those with the disease have improved as well, but mortality is still much higher than that in the general population, according to research published in the December issue of Diabetes Care.

TUESDAY, Nov. 30 (HealthDay News) — Since management of type 1 diabetes improved markedly in the 1980s, survival rates in those with the disease have improved as well, but mortality is still much higher than that in the general population, according to research published in the December issue of Diabetes Care.

Aaron M. Secrest, Ph.D., of the University of Pittsburgh, and colleagues studied data from an Allegheny County registry of childhood-onset type 1 diabetes.

The researchers found the death rate in people with type 1 diabetes to be seven-fold higher than their expectations, though standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) based on local mortality data showed an improving trend by diagnosis cohort at 30 years of diabetes duration (SMRs, 9.3 for 1965 to 1969, 7.5 for 1970 to 1974, and 5.6 for 1975 to 1979). Women with type 1 diabetes had a risk of dying 13 times that of age-matched women in the general population, and African-Americans had a significantly lower 30-year survival rate than Caucasians.

“Although survival has clearly improved, those with diabetes diagnosed most recently (1975 to 1979) still had a mortality rate 5.6 times higher than that seen in the general population, revealing a continuing need for improvements in treatment and care, particularly for women and African-Americans with type 1 diabetes,” the authors write.

Skyrocketing Diabetes Costs Point to Need for More Preventive Care, Largest Insurer Says

With the costs of diabetes care expected to skyrocket in the next 10 years, providers need to develop improved preventive care and early intervention strategies for the condition, according to a release by UnitedHealth Group, the nation’s largest insurer.

If nothing more is done, the annual cost of treatment for diabetes and pre-diabetes would grow from an estimated $194 billion this year to $500 billion in 2020 and the 10-year cost would reach $3.35 trillion, UnitedHealth’s Center for Health Reform & Modernization predicted.

The center said more programs to prevent and control diabetes could save up to $250 billion over the next 10 years. “What is now needed is concerted, national, multi-stakeholder action,” said Simon Stevens, executive vice president at UnitedHealth and chairman of the center. He cited the need to “engage consumers in new ways, while working to scale nationally some of the most promising preventive care models.”

Arthritis News and Treatment

Early treatment ‘best way to get arthritis under control’

Early treatment is the best way to get rheumatoid arthritis under control, it has been claimed.

According to Arthritis Research UK, aggressive early treatment is the best way to get the condition under control before any serious damage to the joints is sustained, however, many people don’t get diagnosed in time for early treatment to start.

The charity’s Jane Tadman said: “Unfortunately, in the real world, the average length of time that people with rheumatoid arthritis wait before going to their GP after developing symptoms is 12 weeks – and then there is a further wait before they are referred to see a specialist and start treatment.”

She added that more needs to be done to inform people about the symptoms of arthritis so they can get quick access to the help they need.

Ms Tadman’s comments follow research from the Netherlands which shows that patients who are diagnosed early with rheumatoid arthritis are less likely to experience joint damage.

Arthritis: New Treatment Rebuilds Damaged Cartilage

Secret Process Sparks Hope For Joint Pain Sufferers.

Breakthrough joint supplement has demonstrated re-growth in damaged cartilage.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common type of arthritis and it is not confined to the older generations, as many believe. Young people can also develop OA, often as a result of a sports injury or excessive exercise leading to wear and tear on joints.

OA is also surprisingly common among athletes, hardcore training regimes, pressure from peers and the drive to be the best can lead athletes to push themselves too hard and suffer the consequences of joint damage. In the UK alone there are 27,000 people under the age of 25 suffering from arthritis1. A subtle ache, a little pain after exercise or physical work – these could be the warning signs of things to come.

There is no known cure for osteoarthritis, however an innovative natural supplement has emerged as the only product with clinical evidence to indicate it can halt and even rebuild damaged cartilage, potentially improving the lives of millions of OA sufferers and getting injured athletes on the road to recovery much quicker.

Clinical trials have demonstrated that Flexeze Fortify, containing a secret formulation of Collagen Hydrolysate (Fortigel), actually appears to re-grow cartilage, relieving pain and greatly improving mobility.

Dr Andrew Carson, a GP who is Associate Dean, GP Education, Birmingham and Solihull and Medical Advisor to the NHS Executive in the West Midlands said;

“I am not aware of any other product that has been shown to regenerate articular cartilage. The best that other products have achieved in the past is a reduction in the speed of disease progression and a subjective improvement in pain sensation. I would recommend anyone taking glucosamine and Chondroitin to consider this option, which is a natural product with no known side effects.”

Many people don’t realise the importance of looking after your joints and just accept joint pain and stiffness as a part of the aging process. All types of exercise can put pressure on joints, from everyday walking to training for a triathlon. It is therefore essential to take care to protect them, and it’s never too early to start.

Whilst exercise is essential for strong healthy joints, sports injuries can leave you more prone to joint pain and osteoarthritis. There are a few tips to consider that can decease your likelihood of having an injury; never exercise when tired, keep yourself hydrated, always warm-up and down and never push yourself through joint pain, wear supportive shoes and exercise on forgiving surfaces.

Certain activities put your joints under more stress, for example running on concrete, varying these activates with other sports such as swimming, yoga or cycling will build the strength of your joints without putting them under unnecessary pressure.

Professor Alan Silman, medical director at Arthritis Research UK explains:

Despite the overriding benefits of participating in sport and exercise, there are hidden hazards related to sports injury. From the limited research carried out, we know some sport-related injuries will cause osteoarthritis, which is a painful and debilitating condition. 2

It is therefore essential to take preventative action to protect your joints from wear and tear, and keep them strong to prevent injuries. There are many supplements that can aid joint health, however up until now there have been none to actually support the regeneration of cartilage.

Glucosamine and Chondroitin, both popular supplements for sufferers of joint pain and Osteoarthritis, have recently received a lot of criticism. Sales of the two supplements have reached an estimated one billion dollars in just the USA3, despite little scientific evidence to prove they do any more than a placebo.

A study by world expert Professor Juni, from Berne University, Switzerland and published in the British Medical Journal into the effects of Glucosamine and Chondroitin came to the following conclusions;

“Compared with placebo, Glucosamine, Chondroitin, and their combination do not reduce joint pain or have an impact on narrowing of joint space. Health authorities and health insurers should not cover the costs of these preparations, and new prescriptions to patients who have not received treatment should be discouraged.” 4

In comparison Flexeze Fortify, a natural supplement taken once a day, has clinical evidence to suggest that it reduces the deterioration of cartilage, and actually helps to rebuild damaged cartilage. It contains the award-winning ingredient Fortigel, made up of the patented Collagen Hydrolysate – a specially processed form of collagen claimed to be more bioavailable – that is absorbed by our body more easily, than unprocessed collagen.

Clinical trials undertaken in America by Harvard Medical School and Tufts Medical Centre in Boston have shown that where other supplements may simply slow down the deterioration of cartilage, Flexeze Fortify appears to not only stop the deterioration but also reverses the process. When tested on 30 patients, all suffering with arthritis, 15 were given Flexeze Fortify and 15 were given a placebo. The results of the year-long trial demonstrated that patients taking Flexeze Fortify had experienced cartilage re-growth, decreased joint pain and improved mobility. In comparison the patients taking the placebo saw continued deterioration in their cartilage.

Osteoarthritis Treatment

According to a new study announced recently at the yearly meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, people who are susceptible to developing osteoarthritis may postpone its development or possibly arrest the development by becoming more physically active.

“According to the results of our study, participating in a high-impact activity, such as running, more than one hour per day at least three times a week appears associated with more degenerated cartilage and potentially a higher risk for development of osteoarthritis,” said the study’s senior author Thomas M. Link, M.D., professor of radiology and chief of musculoskeletal imaging at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). “On the other hand, engaging in light exercise and refraining from frequent knee-bending activities may protect against the onset of the disease.”

Osteoarthritis is a worsening disease of the joints causing severe pain and deficient mobility. The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases state that it is the most prevalent type of arthritis affecting in excess of 27 million people in the U.S. over 25 years of age.

Researchers examined 132 subjects showing no sign of the disease but at risk for developing osteoarthritis, as well as 33 control subjects. There were 99 female and 66 male study participants between 45 and 55 years of age. The group consisted of 3 sub-groups divided up according to their answers to the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly or PASE test. Degrees of exercise for each group were labelled sedentary, light, and moderate to strenuous exercise.

MRI tests showed that the light exercise group participants enjoyed the healthiest knee cartilage and those with little strength exercise had healthier cartilage overall than those with no strength exercise and those with frequent strength exercise.

“The results for this group indicate that moderate to strenuous exercise may accelerate cartilage degeneration, putting these women at even greater risk of developing osteoarthritis,” said study coauthor Keegan K. Hovis, B.S., R.N., research associate in the Department of Radiology at UCSF.

“People can reduce their risk for osteoarthritis by maintaining a healthy weight and avoiding risky activities and strenuous exercise,” he said. “Lower-impact sports, such as walking, swimming or using an elliptical trainer are likely more beneficial than high-impact sports, such as running or tennis.”

“Our findings indicate that light exercise, particularly frequent walking, is a safer choice in maintaining healthy cartilage,” Hovis added.

Sinusitis Treatment News

Your Opinions: Compelling link to sinusitis

Reflux of digestive contents occurs when the one-way safety valve at the bottom of the esophagus fails to close correctly. Heartburn is the usual response to the reversed flow of harsh, acidic, digestive juices. However, many GERD sufferers do not signal this problem with heartburn. Called atypical/silent GERD, patients have little or no heartburn. They have numerous manifestations, i.e., hoarseness, lump feeling in the throat, runny nose, post nasal drip, ear pain, fatigue, chest pain, short of breath, cough, etc. (atypical GERD has been called “The Great Masquerader”).

This compelling information, as novel as it may seem, clearly reinforces the minority position maintained for well over 15 years that GERD can cause a variety of recurring, often hard to treat, non-digestive problems. The vagus nerve links internal organs allowing for mutual communication. The “excited” response from the lower esophagus is mimicked by the sinuses via vagus communication; both organ tissues leak fluid, swell, make mucus and become inflamed. This is good for the esophagus but the unintended response causes sinus problems and more. Treat the cause (GERD) and these noxious, unhealthy symptoms vanish.

Atypical/silent GERD is exceptionally common and can be ongoing for years. Great relief results from the expanded understanding, acknowledgement and successful treatment for atypical/silent GERD. I encourage questions about this condition.

Sinusitis difficult to self-diagnose

It’s getting to be the time of year when everyone seems to have a runny nose. Sometimes it’s a cold or allergies. And sometimes it’s sinusitis, or inflamed linings in the sinus cavities. The cavities become blocked and infected. Dr. Alan Oshinsky, an otolaryngologist at Mercy Medical Center, says it’s not always easy to self-diagnose sinusitis, but there are treatments that can help.

Question: What is sinusitis, and who is likely to develop it?

Answer: Sinusitis means inflammation and infection in the paranasal sinuses. We are born with eight sinuses around our head and face. These are air-filled bony cavities. When the lining of the sinus gets inflamed (swollen) or infected, you have sinusitis. Sinusitis will likely affect everyone multiple times in their lifetime, from infancy through adulthood. The most common cause of sinusitis is the common cold. Other causes of sinusitis are bacterial infection, inhalant allergies, nasal polyps, exposure to smoke, various systemic diseases and use of illicit substances in the nose.

Q: Everyone’s nose runs in the colder months, so how do you tell if you have a sinus problem versus an allergy or cold?

A: The distinction between the symptoms of a cold, allergy and a bacterial sinusitis can be difficult. All of these conditions can cause the nose to run. Most colds have multiple symptoms, including sore throat, nasal congestion, runny nose and cough. These symptoms rarely last more than 10 to 14 days. If they persist, then the cold may have developed into an acute bacterial sinusitis. Allergy symptoms can present with similar symptoms to a cold but people rarely feel as sick and the symptoms usually recur in the same seasons each year. Facial pressure, facial pain and dental pain are among the most specific symptoms of bacterial sinusitis.

Q: How common is sinusitis, and are the number of sufferers increasing?

A: Bacterial sinusitis is relatively uncommon compared with the common cold. Every year approximately 30 million Americans will suffer from a viral cold. Only about 1 percent to 2 percent of these cases will fail to clear and result in an acute bacterial sinusitis. There are also people who suffer with recurrent episodes of bacterial sinusitis and they are diagnosed with chronic sinusitis. It is most important that the patient have an X-ray study to confirm the diagnosis of chronic sinusitis. The standard is to get a CT scan. Many people believe that they have “chronic sinus” only to find out that they just have some type of nasal problem.

Q: Will the problem go away on its own?

A: The common cold will resolve without the use of antibiotics over 98 percent of the time. Bacterial sinusitis may resolve on its own but will usually require antibiotics and other medications such as decongestants. When the natural openings that lead from the sinuses into the nose get blocked, mucus and bacteria may back up in the sinus and cause sinusitis.

Q: What are the best treatments?

A: The best treatment for bacterial sinusitis is an appropriate antibiotic. Decongestant tablets can be of some value but patients with high blood pressure usually need to avoid these medications. Patients will also do well with using saline sprays multiple times per day in both nostrils. No antibiotics should be used for the common cold.

Q: When might the new technique, sinuplasty, be necessary?

A: When patients have persistent symptoms and the X-rays show evidence of chronic sinusitis, additional treatment is usually necessary. Conservative therapy may include a more prolonged course of antibiotics. An allergy evaluation may be helpful if the history indicates the possibility of allergy. Topical nasal sprays containing steroids can also be very helpful and are very safe. If conservative medical therapy fails to resolve the symptoms, then surgery may be an appropriate alternative. We now have a much less-invasive procedure to handle chronic sinusitis called Balloon Sinuplasty. With this technique we use a specially designed balloon to open the natural openings that are blocked because of chronic infection. The operation is quick, practically painless and done as an outpatient. Most patients can return to work in one or two days.

Put a Stop To Sinusitis With Food Intolerance Testing

Do you suffer from chronic congestion of the sinuses, ears and / or the nose? Frustrating sinusitis problems that do not ever truly seem to go away? The primary age group for chronic sinus problems are working adults 20 to 65 years of age, their sinus problems are often co-workers problems since the pain and discomfort of sinus problems means 25 million missed workdays annually!

In terms of treatment your doctor may prescribe a nasal steroid spray to reduce congestion and swelling. If there is a bacterial infection, antibiotics may be given. Other drugs may be used to reduce the risk of attacks, and stop the pain and discomfort. Giving medicines to control symptoms is easy to do, however, along with their therapeutic effects, medicines can cause side effects, and often do not tackle the route cause. It is clear now that it isn’t only factors such as pollen or house dust that are the triggers, and it appears likely that a delayed form of food allergy or food intolerance may explain some of these cases.

However which foods are causing the problem? Unfortunately there is no one clear answer as people react differently to certain food groups than others. Therefore to find out if food is causing sinusitis, tests have to be run to determine whether you have intolerance to food. For years the way to do this is through an elimination diet whereby certain foods are restricted from your diet for a certain period of time and the effects were analysed. However elimination diets are a long process and it goes without saying that it’s rather impractical for the vast majority of the population. Also due to the combination of different foods it is virtually impossible to ever the effects of all foods on a given person making the elimination diet pretty ineffective.

Luckily over time there is a new method of testing for food intolerance and allergies and that is via a simple finger prick blood test. These tests measure food-specific IgG antibodies which can help to determine a reaction you may have to a particular food or food group. Compared to elimination diets the process is extremely quick and hassle free and means that you can easily make dietary changes to help yourself to feel better if food intolerance is detected.

Pain Management News

NewsWatch: Pain management firm settles for $16.3 million

A Baltimore pain management company that provides urine-testing services will pay $16.3 million to settle federal complaints that it paid kickbacks to physicians so they would steer Medicare business to it.

Ameritox, a portfolio company of Sterling Capital Partners of Baltimore and Chicago, agreed to the payment in a civil case prompted by a former employee and whistleblower, Debra Maul, who filed suit in 2007 in U.S. District Court in Tampa, Fla., according to federal prosecutors, who later joined as plaintiffs.

Maul, who was a senior sales representative at Ameritox and worked there from March 2005 until she was fired in May 2006, will receive $3.4 million of the settlement, according to a statement from prosecutors and the suit. Several states also sued Ameritox and will split $814,000 from the settlement.

Ameritox, which provides testing services to measure levels of prescribed narcotics in patients’ urine, also entered into a five-year agreement with federal authorities to engage an independent organization to monitor its contracts.

Company spokesman Symkai Scott was not immediately available for comment.

PharmAthene wins

longstanding suit

A breach-of-contract lawsuit filed four years ago by Annapolis biodefense company PharmAthene against Siga Technologies of New York will go to trial in January, PharmAthene announced Wednesday.

A Delaware Court of Chancery rejected Siga’s motion for partial summary judgment, clearing the way for a trial.

PharmAthene claims that it has development and marketing rights to Siga’s drug candidate, SIGA-246, which it is developing as a preventive and therapeutic product for smallpox, as per a merger agreement between the companies that was terminated in October 2006. PharmAthene also claims that Siga failed to negotiate those licensing terms in good faith.

Survey: Business activity

up sharply in Maryland

Business activity has risen significantly in Maryland this month, according to the Federal Reserve’s monthly survey.

The general business activity index increased to 24 from four in October, its highest reading since April. Sales and customer traffic grew, with labor conditions still weak. Expectations for future activity also increased, with two-thirds of the respondents anticipating more business activity six months from now.

“Somewhat unexpectedly, investment in new equipment and software rose for the month with the index reaching its highest level since the beginning of the survey in September 2007,” the Fed reported Wednesday.

WeatherBug is selected

for services in Spain

WeatherBug of Germantown was selected by Servicio de Salud de Castilla-La Mancha in Spain to provide its lightning detection technology to help the agency deploy its emergency medical helicopters more safely.

The WeatherBug system will help the agency “rapidly respond to calls made to our 112 emergency call centers in the safest and most effective manner possible,” said its general manager, Antonio Alvarez Rello, in a statement.

SunEdison completes

solar project in Italy

SunEdison, a solar energy services provider in Beltsville and subsidiary of MEMC Electronic Materials of St. Peters, Mo., reported that it has interconnected the largest single-operating solar power plant in Europe.

The 70-megawatt plant in northeast Italy, near Rovigo, was completed and interconnected in nine months, according to a company statement.

“With construction completion in less than one year, we believe this deployment signifies a new milestone for the industry and will become the standard for future mega projects,” said Carlos Domenech, SunEdison president.”

Prometric contracted for

radiology test conversion

Prometric of Baltimore has signed a long-term contract with the American College of Radiology in Reston, Va., to convert its paper-and-pencil diagnostic radiology training exam to a computerized format, according to a Prometric statement.

Starting in February, Prometric will manage the exam for the college and at the beginning of 2012 physicians in residency training programs at the college will be able to take their exam on a computer at any of Prometric’s secure test centers in North America and select non-U.S. locations.

“Computerizing the test allows us to better leverage technology to enhance security, widen the window of time during which it is available, and facilitate easy access for our residents and get the residency programs their scores more quickly,” Bill Murtagh senior vice president, sales and client services at Prometric, said in a statement.

According to company information, in addition to the accessibility of the exam, the computerized system will allow candidates to use online registration and their residency programs will receive their scores faster than from the paper-based version.

Edmonston nonprofit

to launch holiday event

Community Forklift, an Edmonston nonprofit that offers refurbished building materials from renovation leftovers, will host Green Friday this weekend.

Besides asking the public to bring in spare holiday decorations to help trim the warehouse for the season, the nonprofit is giving 25 percent off on selected renovation materials and hardware on Friday and 10 percent off selected antiques and architectural items in the salvage department.

The event also will include the Great Green Gift Extravaganza, which provides free space for local craftsmen, artisans and woodworkers to sell work made from recycled materials through Dec. 24.

Standard Solar

activates Rockville system

Standard Solar of Rockville, which installs and finances solar electric systems for commercial, government and residential customers, recently activated a 701-kilowatt solar energy system on the Rockville Ice Arena.

Tony Clifford, Standard Solar CEO, said in a statement that “having solar energy at the arena is literally a win-win for everyone.” He said the system, one of Rockville’s largest rooftop solar energy systems, will help control electricity costs, reduce carbon emissions and help guarantee the rink’s future as a training area for potential hockey stars.

The system is estimated to meet about 30 percent of the arena’s electricity needs and will help reduce carbon dioxide by about 757 tons each year, according to a news release. The installation also includes a large monitor where people can observe how much electricity the solar panel is generating.

Radio One regains

listing compliance

Radio One of Lanham reported that its class D shares have regained compliance for listing on the Nasdaq Stock Market.

The stock price had fallen below the exchange’s minimum bid listing requirement.

MedAssurant expands relationship

with Blue Cross and Blue Shield

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida has expanded its relationship with MedAssurant of Bowie by implementing MedAssurant’s program to help improve care coordination for its Medicare Advantage customers.

Eris to work on security center

at Virginia Tech campus

Eris Technologies of Annapolis has entered into a public-private partnership with Virginia Tech and L-3 Stratis, the information technology center for L-3 Communications in Reston, Va., to develop a security and incident management center at the school’s campus in Blacksburg, Va.

This center will allow Virginia Tech to display the partnership’s platform that incorporates applications for campus security, incident management and response, facility management, energy monitoring, and cybersecurity, according to a news release.

MdBio Foundation donates

$10,000 to Montgomery College

MdBio Foundation, an affiliate of the Tech Council of Maryland, has donated $10,000 to Montgomery College. The gift will support the MdBio Scholarship for students working toward their certificate or associate degree in biotechnology at the college’s Germantown campus.

The MdBio Foundation is a private charitable organization that provides and supports bioscience awareness, education and work-force development in the state. The foundation made an initial $20,000 commitment to establish the scholarship in 2007, and 21 Montgomery College students have received financial support over the past three years, according to college information. The college and the foundation also have partnered on educational projects to inspire interest in science among K-12 students.

The college program provides educational opportunities in applied biotechnology and bioscience, integrating laboratory and classroom instruction.

Freeman foundation awards

$43K to Montgomery nonprofits

The Carl M. Freeman Foundation of Selbyville, Del., announced the winners of its 2010 Faces grant cycle for Montgomery County nonprofits. A total of $42,500 was awarded to Montgomery nonprofits that were recommended by community leaders, residents and activists based on community needs and priorities.

Since the foundation started in 2000, it has awarded more than $500,000 to dozens of Montgomery nonprofits, according to a news release. Organizations receiving funds this year are Circle of Hope Therapeutic Riding, Shepherd’s Table, Dwelling Place and the Red Wiggler Community Farm.

FDA Approved Pain Management Techniques at HealthQuest

HealthQuest, a multi-specialty healthcare center based in the Brooklyn area of New York City offers several FDA approved techniques for pain management. This includes the recently FDA approved BOTOX treatment for chronic migraine. Dr. Sady Ribeiro, an experienced interventional pain and headache specialist holding multiple qualifications renders these treatments aided by sophisticated technology.

The HealthQuest pain management methodology is unique, combining three kinds of care namely relief, correction, and maintenance. The center has pain management modalities to treat different kinds of pain ranging from pain in the lower back to pain arising from fibromyalgia or spinal stenosis. In order to get the best results from BOTOX for chronic migraine, Dr. Ribeiro utilizes a modern ultrasound machine that enables the most favorable needle guided injections, paving the way for superior outcomes.

Yet another FDA-approved technique that the doctor adopts is sodium hyaluronate for multiple peripheral joints. According to the doctor, a number of patients presenting with pain have experienced a better quality of life with HealthQuest’s treatment protocols for pain management.

Dr. Sady Ribeiro is fellowship trained in both headache medicine and pain management. The doctor has also finished an additional interventional pain fellowship through the World Institute of Pain. He is fluent in English, Spanish and Portuguese. Further information about pain management at HealthQuest or about Dr.Sady Ribeiro is available at 718-769-2521. Queries may be mailed to info@hqbk.com .

Back Pain News and Treatment

Painful Knees Often Tied to Pain in Other Joints

MONDAY, Nov. 22 (HealthDay News) — The pain of knee osteoarthritis is more severe in people who also have foot, elbow and lower back pain, a new study has found.

In the study, researchers asked almost 1,400 knee osteoarthritis (OA) patients, aged 45 to 79, about pain in the lower back, neck, shoulder, elbow, wrist, hand, hip, knee, ankle or foot.

Low back pain was significantly associated with higher knee pain scores. Foot and elbow pain were also significantly associated with a higher knee pain score, the investigators found.

In addition, pain in multiple joints, regardless of location, was associated with greater knee pain, the study authors reported.

The findings were released online in advance of publication in an upcoming print issue of the journal Arthritis Care & Research.

“Our findings show that pain in the low back, foot and elbow may be associated with greater knee pain, confirming that symptomatic knee OA rarely occurs in isolation. Future studies are needed to determine whether treatment of pain occurring elsewhere in the body will improve therapy outcomes for knee OA,” Dr. Pradeep Suri, of Harvard Medical School, New England Baptist Hospital and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston, stated in a news release from the journal’s publisher.

Physician prescribes work as relief for low back pain

Low back pain is the most common cause of job-related injuries and accounts for the majority of workers’ comp claims and costs. But the vast majority of cases are benign and will get better regardless of the treatment provided.

By approaching low back pain as a condition rather than an injury, the workers’ comp system could save unnecessary aggravation for workers and employers, as well as untold thousands of dollars. An approach using evidence-based medicine, proactive measures from employers and an active recovery role by employees may be the answer.

“We follow a biopsychosocial model,” said Dr. John Anderson, senior vice president of medical operations for Concentra Health Services. “The approach is a combination of sports medicine as well as taking into consideration the psychosocial influences that might affect the outcome.”

Sports medicine approach. Traditional medicine typically suggests aggressive, invasive and costly treatment with only marginal outcomes. “The patient will be evaluated and told to go home, rest and follow up with his doctor,” Anderson said “They go home, lie down on the couch, take meds, and watch TV — further deconditioning themselves and detaching themselves from their social support structures.”

Sports medicine takes a completely different approach. “The intervention is timely, the advice is encouraging and supportive — to return to normal activities as soon as possible,” Anderson said. “We try to get them to stay at work in some capacity that will be manageable for them.”

Influencing factors. Part of that process involves identifying and addressing the psychosocial factors. “As a physician we need to be aware of those issues influencing a patient’s willingness and ability to return to work,” Anderson said. “The doctor must be astute enough to pick up on cues, sometimes from the patient or his supervisor. It’s a team of people that have to get these patients back on the road to recovery.”

Work site assessments should be included with questions about the employee’s satisfaction with his job, supervisor, type of work, shift, and potential downsizing. There may also be personal issues.

“It doesn’t have to be negative,” he said. “It can be good things causing them to reevaluate their ability to go to work. A multitude of factors — some that have nothing to do with the workplace and many that do — could influence their mind-set.”

Armed with the psychosocial information and using the sports medicine approach, Anderson said the next step is setting up the injured worker with appropriate treatment that often includes physical therapy.

“We make every effort to get patients into programs designed specifically for them to retain their level of conditioning and retain and improve their mobility and range of motion with appropriate exercises to reduce the spasms or irritability they have,” he said. “Therapists spend a great deal of time educating these patients and reinforcing that the condition is benign; they may have some discomfort, but they’re not worsening their progress.”

It’s important for patients with low back pain to understand that while their pain is real, it is not life threatening or a harbinger of long-term disability or chronic pain. The therapists progressively increase the physical capacity of the injured worker with the goal of getting them back to preinjury status.

The concept is based on a team approach. In addition to the injured worker, the therapists work with physicians and employers.

“They ask, ‘What are their functional demands? How far do they have to walk? How many pounds must they lift?'” he said. “When we know that it’s easier to get them back to that level and they can get back to the job without the risk of reinjuring themselves.”

NP Back Pain Assessment Shortens Wait Time

Nurse practitioners may help reduce wait times without impairing quality of care. Ninety-six percent of patients with back problems were satisfied with the assessment carried out by a specially trained nurse practitioner, according to a study in the December issue of the Journal of Advanced Nursing.

Moreover, the NP came up with exactly the same clinical diagnosis as two orthopedic spine surgeons in all 177 patients she assessed. She also suggested the same management plan as the two surgeons in 95% of cases.

“Nurse practitioners can play an effective and efficient role in delivering care to patients requiring specific disease management in a specialty setting. Although the required skill set in assessing these patients may vary from NP to NP, collaboration and support from the physician can help to develop expertise in a specialty area,” the paper concludes.

The aim of the year-long pilot study, conducted Toronto Western Hospital in Ontario, was to determine whether a clinic led by a nurse practitioner could speed up the diagnosis and management of patients with certain spinal conditions. (Most patients seen by spine surgeons are not surgical candidates, the researchers note; their treatment plan usually consists of education, and non-invasive therapies to help manage their conditions.)

The 96 male and 81 female patients with suspected disc herniation, spinal stenosis, or degenerative disc disease had been referred by their family doctors.

Just under 10% were correctly identified as surgical candidates by the nurse practitioner. In addition, 66 were referred for specific nerve root block, 14 for facet block, and 26 for further radiological imaging.

Overallsatisfaction was very high (96%), and 91% of patients reported that they understood their condition better after seeing the nurse practitioner.

Patients waited10 to 21 weeks to see the NP, with an average wait of 12 weeks. This compared with 10 to 52 weeks to be seen by the surgeons in a conventional clinic, with average waiting times ranging from three to four months for disc herniations to eight to 12 months for spinal stenosis.

Cancer Treatment News

Management of NHS cancer services ‘in need of reform’

Hospital admissions of cancer patients arriving at Accident and Emergency departments have doubled in the past decade, according to a report from the National Audit Office (NAO).

Although emergency admissions are supposed to be the exception, the report also shows that between 2000 and 2008 the number of emergency admissions for cancer patients (admitted as an emergency by a healthcare professional) increased from 231,000 to 300,000.
Mexico online pharmacy
Around 80% of these patients had already been diagnosed with cancer, raising concerns about the support available to them during and after treatment. Cancer patients may be admitted as an emergency case for a variety of reasons, including the side effects of treatment such as chemotherapy. The number of patients being given chemotherapy has tripled in the past decade.

The remaining 20% of those admitted as an emergency are diagnosed as a result of their admission. Survival rates are worse for this group, as highlighted by another report published this week.

Variation

The NAO’s report highlights significant variation in the amount spent on cancer across the country. This varies from £55 per person in some parts of England to £154 in other parts. Less than half of the extent of this variation can be explained.

In another illustration of variation, the rate of cancer patients referred for diagnosis as an urgent case by their GP varies almost fourfold across different parts of the country and by more than eightfold between GP practises. The findings may indicate significant variation in the extent to which GPs are following national guidance on which symptoms should prompt an urgent referral to a cancer specialist. Nationally, the volume of patients referred urgently has increased by 44% from 627,000 in 2006 to 904,000 in 2009.

GPs

The role of GPs in managing cancer services is set to grow in the next four years and the report raises concerns about whether they will have sufficient information to support them in the decisions they will have to make, warning that there are “key gaps and limitations” in the data collected.

Currently, cancer services are purchased by local NHS commissioners working in primary care trusts (PCTs). However from 2013 GPs will take over this job, with PCTs abolished. By this time the Government may have introduced a new national cancer strategy following a review of the existing strategy being conducted by the national cancer director. The NAO report warns that without better information about cancer care in England, including costs and activity, delivery of the strategy will falter.

According to the report only 22% of PCTs attempt to assess the value for money they get from cancer services. This is particularly worrying given the fact that the NHS is expected to make savings of £15 – £20bn by 2014. The report found that only 26% of NHS PCTs had carried out a cost benefit analysis comparing different ways of delivering cancer services. Private medical insurers use a variety of ways to control spend on cancer, including delivering more care such as chemotherapy in patients’ homes. However, the rising cost of cancer treatment remains a challenge for the private sector. Bupa has reported that over the last five years the cost of cancer treatment for its members has increased by 40%.

The NHS spent around £6.3bn on cancer services in 2008-09 and the report argues that “there are opportunities to deliver better outcomes for patients whilst saving money and freeing up resources to meet the increasing demand for services.”

It concludes: “Any improvements in cancer services will need to be delivered in the face of much tougher finances and an increase in the number of new cases each year from 255,000 to 300,000 by 2020.”

Breast Cancer Treatment Efficient If Risk Categories GetMammograms Under 50

Family risk of developing breast cancer even at a moderate rate should be a noteworthy sign to get a mammogram per year, according to a recent study.

Even though all U.S. women having the above stated family background undertake this diagnosing procedure as per national healthcare programs, Europe is not so rigorous in this sense, as no screening in order to identify breast cancer is a standard procedure across the old continent. A recent study ran by a group of British researchers have developed a supervision program for 6,710 female participants under 50 whose risk of developing breast cancer as per family history and personal medical record.

The researchers have established several selection criteria in order to establish the moderate risk category. Having a close relative who suffered from breast cancer or being diagnosed with breast cancer could be a relevant criterion for study participation.
The monitoring program lasted close to five years and every single year, each women got a mammogram per year. Based on results of previous studies where patients shared the same eligibility criteria but did not get a yearly mammogram, the British scientists estimated that a mammogram per year was very likely to reduce death risk caused by breast cancer by 20 percent.
The annual screening procedure allowed doctors to identify at a very early stage small size tumors. This advantage has implicitly made the breast cancer treatment more efficient, in contrast to cases when the tumor remained unidentified and expanded and put the patient’s life at risk.

Doctor defends radical cancer treatment

An Austrian doctor has defended his radical cancer treatment before a Perth coronial inquest into the deaths of five people who were prescribed chemical cocktails to fight the disease.

Dr Hellfried Sartori blamed poor treatment in hospitals and the lack of ongoing nutritional support for the 2005 deaths.

“If those people had been treated properly they would be here today,” he told reporters outside the inquest on Thursday.
Advertisement: Story continues below

He said cancers were largely caused by acute shock experiences but could be eradicated through the controlled administration of certain vitamins and minerals.

Dr Sartori’s treatment involves administering cesium chloride and other chemicals, some of which are banned for medical use in Australia.

In May 2005, Sandra McCarty, 53, from Victoria, Pia Bosso, 68, from NSW, Perth woman Sandra Kokalis, 52, and Deborah Gruber, 42, from New York, underwent Dr Sartori’s treatment at the Perth home of local practitioner Dr Alexandra Boyd.

All four women, who had severe forms of cancer, died about two weeks after being rushed to hospital with various symptoms, including gastrointestinal bleeding and seizures.

A fifth patient, 29-year-old Perth man Carmelo Vinciullo, underwent Dr Sartori’s treatment in May 2005, but stopped after he felt unbearable pain and was told to “control the pain with his mind”.

Mr Vinciullo died on July 1 following respiratory failure.

The coronial inquest is examining whether the treatment given to the five contributed to their deaths.

Dr Sartori, who has spent three years in jail in the US for practising medicine without a licence, lived in Thailand when the five were being treated and liaised with a nurse in Perth about their courses of treatment.

Under questioning from counsel assisting the coroner, Dr Celia Kemp, Dr Sartori said Dr Boyd was a local doctor who was there only to ensure conventional treatment was available if there were complications.

He said the patients died after being rushed to hospitals and taken off his treatment.

“It would have been so much better if I had been there and my very sad lesson from that … is in future I would not allow this to happen,” Dr Sartori told the inquest.

He later told reporters that in two cases, blood transfusions were not given when they were needed.

“The problem had nothing to do with my treatment. There was mismanagement in the hospitals.”

Dr Sartori said his treatment required continuing nutritional support and none of the patients received it.

He said the majority of cancers were caused by “acute shock experiences” and when doctors told patients they had cancer, the shock of the news could cause the body to develop secondary cancers.

Under questioning, Dr Sartori confirmed he believed anti-cancer drugs were the major cause of death in cancer patients and he totally opposed chemotherapy.

“Nature wants to heal itself and you have to provide the proper conditions. This is the art here,” he said.

Acne News

Acne drug may boost suicide risk by lowering serum vitamin

Editor’s note: In a nutshell, the following report provides evidence suggesting that isotretinoin used to treat acne may decrease serum levels of calcitriol – the active form of vitamin D – and lowering of serum vitamin D boosts the risk of depression and suicide.

It has been observed that taking Accutane canada pharmacy or isotretinoin, made by Hoffmann-La Roche Inc and indicated to treat severe acne, has been positively associated with suicides or suicidal attempts.

Accutane has been used by more than 13 million people to treat severe acne since its introduction in the early 1980s, according to Webmd.com.

Last June, the company said it was withdrawing the drug from the market, citing increased competition from its generic counterpart.

A new study published in the journal BMJ Online First suggested that acne itself may boost the risk of depression and suicide and accutane may actually reduce the likelihood that a person who had previously tried to kill himself once would actually try it again.

For the study, researcher Anders Sundstrom, MD and colleagues followed 5,700 patients with severe acne and found the risk of suicide in the patients with severe acne was increased, even several years before treatment; that risk elevated for several months after treatment.

However, the highest risk was found during the six months after treatment ended. For this, the researchers explained, the patients may feel desperate when after observing that the treatment did not improve their skin condition as much as desired.

Sundstrom was cited as saying doctors need to recognize that patients with severe acne may be at higher risk for depression and suicidal behaviors.

The researchers suggested that patients need to be monitored during treatment with accutane and for one year after the treatment ends.

No one knows why acne was linked to higher risk of depression and suicidal thoughts or attempts or whether acne or acne drug boosts the risk.

A health observer told foodconsumer.org that the missing link between severe acne and elevated risk of depression and suicidal thoughts could be vitamin D deficiency.

First, vitamin d deficiency, which is more likely to occur in residents of states like Oregon and Washington, possibly because of the grey weather, has been associated with elevated risk of depression and suicide, according in part to VitaminDcouncil.org.

On the other hand, treatment of acne with accutane or isotretinoin can significantly reduce serum levels of 1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D or Calcitriol or the active form of vitamin D, according to a study in a 1992 issue of Acta dermato-venereologica.

Rødland O and colleagues of the University of Bergen in Norway tested serum levels of vitamin D metabolites in 11 patients treated for cystic acne with a four-month course of isotretinoin or Roaccutane. The levels were measured before and after two months of treatment.

The researchers found serum levels of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D dropped significantly in acne patients treated with isotrenitoin.

This evidence explains perfectly why acne patients are at their highest risk of suicide six months after treatment with Accutane.

Dr. John Cannell, a vitamin D expert and director of Vitamin D Council said in the organization’s newsletter dated Oct 2008 that a reader reported her teenage son with type 2 diabetes had taken 5000 IU of vitamin D a day for about 6 months and then he started losing weight, improving blood sugar and eventually eliminating his acne.

According to Dr. Cannell, a paper published in 1938 already mentioned the therapeutic effect of vitamin D against severe acne. The dose used ranged from 5,000 to 14,000 IU per day.

Coconut Oil Treats Acne

If you had a choice of remedies for acne, would you choose lauric-acid-filled nanobombs delivered by gold nanoparticles straight to the membrane of the offending acne bacteria? Or would you choose to apply coconut oil to your face and let nature take its course?

One would wonder why anyone would choose a medication using nanoparticles to deliver part of a natural substance (coconut oil) that contains even more ingredients with skin-healing properties: capric acid and vitamin E. Although nanoparticles are now being used to deliver medications to certain bodily sites, their long-term side effects are little-known.

Acne, well-known to almost every teenager, is an inflammation of the oil glands, especially on the face. It seems counterintuitive to put oil on skin already oily, and many people hesitated using coconut oil for that reason. But after trying it, they were pleasantly surprised to see their skin become more normal.

Not all of them had acne—some had dry skin or eczema—but most of them were benefited even though there were several individual methods of application. Some would wash their face, apply a little oil, either steam their face or just wait a few minutes, and then wipe it off. Others left it on overnight.

There was a wide variation in sensitivity to the oil. Four people found coconut oil made their acne worse, but most found the oil brought noticeable improvement.

The benefits they reported, along with clearing up acne, were healing scars, making pores smaller, and causing wrinkles to disappear. Generally, the total health of the skin is enhanced by coconut oil.

Although acne was greatly improved or cured in 21 cases, some broke out in whiteheads and stopped putting the oil on their faces. One waited two weeks before stopping. Others felt this was a detoxifying event and allowed the whiteheads to clear up.

Several people felt the oil was unsuitable to put on the face, at least at first, and used it on legs, arms, hands, and feet. For those who can put coconut oil on their faces, it does not cause the eyes to smart as many creams and oils do. Some chose to eat it—from 2 to 6 tablespoons a day, in smoothies, on ice cream, in soups, or just plain

Coconut oil has not been widely recommended by the media. One person had had acne for 25 years before discovering this use of the oil. For others, it was 12 and 7 years.

Coconut oil is very greasy and shiny when first applied, which almost everyone listed as a con. This did not prevent some from rubbing it all over their bodies after a shower, putting on flannel sleepwear, going to bed, and waking up with silky skin in the morning.

The oil is a solid up to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Warmer than that, it becomes liquid. Most people found a little bit goes a long way. Since it is nontoxic, it can be applied daily, even several times a day.

Vitamins May Help Treat Acne

Acne is a common skin condition that can occur throughout adolescence, but it may also appear in one’s twenties as well. The Daily Mail reports that one solution that may be overlooked is getting a steady supply of certain vitamins.

Whether one attains these nutrients from supplements or food, there are several ingredients should consume in order to fight unwanted blemishes.

One such nutrient is Omega-3, which is found in fish, nuts, eggs and chicken. This can help promote healing after acne begins to fade and also stop the spread of any infection. Vitamin A can also be very effective when fighting the condition, as it can maintain skin health and is often found in prescription creams.

Using zinc as a topical agent may also be helpful because it has anti-inflammatory properties. However, vitamin E is touted as the best ingredient to ward off acne, as it can be used on the face to prevent scarring.

Diabetes Treatment Today

Y course helps those at risk for diabetes

It’s hard to admit life’s taken an unhealthy turn.

But that’s the reality for many frantically busy adults who sacrifice good food choices and fitness. Nearly 23 million Americans today live with Type 2 diabetes, a preventable but increasingly common chronic health condition.

Tampa resident Mary Shorter watched as diabetes nearly killed her older sister, and she vowed a year ago to avoid a similar fate. It started by acknowledging that her sedentary habits and what she ate were keeping her body from producing sufficient insulin.

“I refuse to be a diabetic,” says Shorter, who already has lost more than 45 pounds. “I’m doing everything within my powers.”

She knew a diabetes-fighting strategy involved more than just weight loss. She wanted to learn more about nutrition and exercise, and recently enrolled in a 16-week diabetes-prevention class just launched at five Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA branches.

Four weeks into a class at Valrico’s Campo Y, Shorter and three other women are filling out food journals, reading food labels and learning the differences between carbs, fats and sugars. Instructor Mae Allen doles out lifestyle changes in small bites, offering tips for navigating restaurants and stressful situations.

“You may have ups, you may have downs, but you can get back on it,” says Allen, one of 12 Y lifestyle coaches trained to teach the course at the Y or for community groups.

The 16-week commitment keeps the topic from becoming overwhelming, and a weekly weigh-in holds students accountable, participant Jeannette Hirschkowtiz says.

What affected her most was hearing how classmates have seen fathers, sisters and friends affected by diabetes, the Valrico resident says.

“I have a 6-year-old. Oh, my gosh, I didn’t want to be in a wheelchair. … It began sinking in that (the risk for diabetes) is real,” says Hirschkowitz, who was diagnosed as pre-diabetic and reluctantly signed up for the class.

The Y classes are part of a national partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which estimates 1 in 10 Americans has Type 2 diabetes. A recent report issued a more dire prediction: 1 in 3 Americans will be diagnosed with the condition by 2050 if drastic changes aren’t made.

The 16-week Y diabetes prevention course and year-long maintenance follow-up are based on CDC studies that show a 7 percent loss in body weight can reduce the risk of developing diabetes by 58 percent. For a 200-pound man or woman, that translates to just 14 pounds, says Maureen Chiodini, the Tampa Y’s associate vice president of membership and programs.

“It’s not overwhelming,” Chiodini says of the plan that encourages weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds a week and promotes physical activity of at least 150 minutes a week.

Enrollment for the class is ongoing; it costs $100, or $50 for Y members. Participants must be overweight or obese and at high risk for developing Type 2 diabetes. Those already diagnosed as pre-diabetic also qualify.

Martha Gutierrez of Valrico signed up to set a better example for her 11-year-old daughter. She is now working out before the weekly class and has changed when and what she eats, switching, for example, from granola bars to high-fiber bars.

Shorter, whose sister spent three months in a diabetic coma, now takes her sibling along for a daily walk. She spends 30 minutes walking a day; her sister is working up to walking five.

“If there was any way I could … influence other kids in my family, I would,” Shorter says. “I want to wake up every morning saying I’m healthy.”

Dietary intervention may lower risk of type 1 diabetes

It is generally thought that genetic predispositions determine whether or not a child will develop type 1 diabetes. While genetics play a large role, a new study from European researchers has found that nutrition in the early stages of life may also factor into the equation.

For the study, which was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers examined 230 newborns who had at least one family member affected by type 1 diabetes and tested positive for genetic predisposition to the disease.

Half of the newborns were weaned onto regular cow’s milk while the remainder were weaned onto a hydrolyzed casein-based formula. Researchers found that 8 percent of children in the cow’s milk group developed type 1 diabetes by age 10 while only 4 percent of children in the formula group developed the condition.

“The study showed that the safe and simple dietary intervention applied in this pilot trial was capable of reducing the emergence of diabetes-predictive autoantibodies by about 50 percent by age 10 in the participants carrying increased disease risk,” said Mikael Knip, the University of Helsinki researcher who led the investigation.

Symptoms and causes of juvenile diabetes explained

Juvenile diabetes or juvenile diabetes mellitus is now more commonly called Type 1 diabetes. It’s a syndrome with disordered metabolism and inappropriately high blood glucose levels due to a deficiency of insulin secretion in the pancreas. Juvenile Diabetes is believed to be an autoimmune disorder and there is also a strong hereditary component. Researchers believe an environmental trigger or virus causes the body to attack the beta cells in the pancreas, and once these cells are destroyed the body can no longer produce insulin.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) – Rapid weight loss is one of the first symptoms of diabetes, especially if the child also has increased hunger and especially after eating. Other Symptoms include frequent urination, dry mouth, fatigue, blurred vision and numbness or tingling of the hands or feet.

There are many myths and misinformation about diabetes. There is also confusion between type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. The symptoms for both are for the most part the same, however, the cause and treatment is very different.

Juvenile diabetes can affect anyone of any age, but is more common in people under 30 years and tends to develop in childhood.

The risk of juvenile diabetes is higher than virtually all other severe chronic diseases of childhood. Juvenile diabetes tends to run in families. Brothers and sisters of a child with juvenile diabetes have at least 100 times the risk of developing juvenile diabetes as a child in an unaffected family.

The symptoms of Type 1 diabetes and Type 2 diabetes are extremely similar, but the two are caused by very different bodily malfunctions. It is important to know which type the individual is afflicted with in order to provide the right treatment, which also varies between types.

It’s not always apparent that a child has type 1 or juvenile diabetes. Some of the symptoms seem like average childhood problems that occur. Nausea and/or vomiting can be misconstrued as the flu. Irritability, being tired and listless may be attributed to behaviors all children exhibit at one time or another. The discovery of juvenile diabetes may happen during a visit to a physician for another ailment such as a vaginal yeast infection for girls or even a routine examination.

Juvenile diabetes is the idea that it can be caught from another person. Juvenile diabetes, along with the other types of the disease, is absolutely not a contagious disease. Another misconception about the disease is the traditional belief that eating sweets can directly cause diabetes. In a way, eating too much sweet may eventually cause diabetes because doing so can lead to obesity. But eating sweets does not cause diabetes. Stress is never a cause of juvenile diabetes or any type of diabetes.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation announces $100 million diabetes initiative

The Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation has announced the launch of a five-year, $100 million initiative that will draw on the organization’s experience with community-based, non-medical support services to help people living with type 2 diabetes better manage the disease.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes in the world, affecting one in 12 Americans. People with the disease either do not produce enough insulin, an enzyme that allows glucose to bring energy to cells, or their cells do not respond to the insulin they do produce – a disorder called “insulin resistance.” When glucose cannot be metabolized, cells can starve, the affected person can become severely dehydrated or even comatose and excess glucose in the bloodstream can damage the eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart and other organs.

The initiative, called Together on Diabetes: Communities Uniting to Meet America’s Diabetes Challenge, will work to further develop effective self-management for those affected by the disease and help engage people and communities in the fight against type 2 diabetes. The program will also include an “innovation fund,” which will support efforts to encourage and test new ideas for controlling type 2 diabetes.

“Type 2 diabetes is one of the United States’ greatest health challenges and disproportionately affects the poor, minorities, and the elderly, many of whom are not receiving the care and support they need to improve their glycemic control,” said Bristol-Myers Squibb CEO Lamberto Andreotti. “Together on Diabetes will draw on the strengths of communities and support public and private sector partners coming together to identify and implement disease management approaches that work for large segments of the population.”

Herbal Remedies News

Herbal remedies researched

FRENCH biopharmaceutical group Pharnext is studying the potential for the construction of a herbal medicine factory in Cambodia, as part of a joint venture with local firm Mede Khmer.

Herbal remedies to counter high blood pressure, diabetes and skin conditions are on the cards, according to Moung Sothy, general manager of Mede Khmer.

The companies are now studying the varieties of local plants available and theirsustainability.

“The first step is to select the herbs … maybe one year later we can set up a factory in Cambodia. I believe that it is not long everything will take shape,” he said.

Investment, he said, could reach from US$40 million to $60 million, he added.

“In the past Khmer traditional doctors used physalis subglabrata to cure high blood pressure – but they were not experienced in the terms of science to make sure that whether those kinds of herbs are successfully used.

“We will test scientifically to make sure that those kinds of herbs are effective. We have big labs in China, France and the United States,” Moung Sothy said.

Mom Bun Heng, Minister of Health, said he did not know about the investment plans but welcomed the move.

“Despite the advanced technology, we cannot give up traditional herbs. In the developed countries traditional herbs are still used. Those kinds of traditional herbs are the root of scientific medicines,” he said.

“I don’t know whether this investment will be successful, but the research conducted every day is a useful job for Cambodia,” added Ung Sok Lean, who is deputy director of National Centre for Khmer traditional medicines, an organisation which has been researching herbs with Pharnext Group.

“If they can set up a pharmaceutical factory in Cambodia, the company will distribute those medicines to impoverished people.”

Herbal remedies for glowing skin

While most women choose to resort to expensive cosmetic products in order to get that glowing skin that will turn heads amongst men as well as cause envy amongst the “fairer sex”, the thing is that one does not have to go that far in order to look radiant.

Actually, this can be achieved without having to burn a big hole in your pockets (considering the current conservative scenario that most of us find ourselves in) and what makes this even better is that you don’t have to go very far in finding these items. Yes, you can find almost all of them in your very own kitchen.
So, here is a list of herbal home remedies that one can prepare (if you have the time!) using items that you normally use to prepare your food with:

Herbal Remedy #1: Applying olive oil to your skin can work wonders especially if you are ailing with sunburned skin.

Herbal Remedy #2: Instead of purchasing those costly deodorants that you run out of regularly, mixing vinegar with water in equal amounts can be effective against smelly feet and armpits.

Herbal Remedy #3: If you struggle with dry skin, one can mash avocados and apply them on your face. Wait for 20 minutes and then rinse it off after 20 minutes.

Herbal Remedy #4: Another effective home remedy which works as an excellent face mask is egg yolk mixed with honey. After you make this paste, apply it on your skin and then leave it on for about 20 minutes after which you can rinse it off. This works very well for those who have sensitive skin as well.
Herbal Remedy

#5: Dark circles are another common problem that can be resolved by using herbal remedies as well. And for this, all one has to do is dip cotton pads into a chilled mixture of potato juice and cucumber. Keep this on your eyelids for about 15 to 20 minutes and then gently wash it off.

Homeopaths fury over EU ban on generic “herbal medicines”

Homeopaths across the EU are banding together in a last ditch effort to prevent the EU from enforcing strict regulatory laws governing the sale of herbal medicines across the EU.

The Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive, 2004/24/EC, was established to provide a regulatory approval process for herbal medicines in the European Union (EU), and came into force on 30 April 2004. Previously, there was no formal EU wide authorisation procedure, so each EU member regulated these products as they wished.

Under the new regulations, herbal medicinal products must now obtain prior authorisation before being sold within the EU. Products on the market before this legislation came into force can continue to sell their products until 30 April 2011. As from the 1st of May, all herbal medicinal products must have regulatory authorisation before being sold in any EU state.

Dounne Alexander MBE, founder of a campaign to overturn this ban, said that this ruling: “if left unchallenged, poses the greatest threat imaginable to our health, (including our children & future generations), animal welfare and the environment – but also the survival of many cultural foods, holistic practices, therapists and ‘small’ health businesses. In addition, centuries of ancient wisdom and spiritual beliefs will be written out of the history books and lost forever. With the European Union and UK Government claiming that these Legislations were created to provide greater consumer protection, however, overwhelming evidence shows their true purpose is to assist global population control, power & wealth.”

Ms Alexander is currently promoting an EU wide campaign to obtain 35 million signatures to hand in a petition to the EU parliament to overturn the ban (http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/joininghandsinhealth/).

However, the EU regulatory commission denies that the new legislation is aiming at a blanket ban on herbal products.

The Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC), responsible for the authorisation of these types of medicines, said that “The HMPC’s activities aim at assisting the harmonisation of procedures and provisions concerning herbal medicinal products laid down in EU Member States, and further integrating herbal medicinal products in the European regulatory framework.”

“As part of these objectives, the HMPC provides EU Member States and European institutions its scientific opinion on questions relating to herbal medicinal products. The HMPC is composed of scientific experts in the field of herbal medicinal products. It has one member and one alternate member nominated by each of the 27 EU Member States and by each of the EEA-EFTA states Iceland and Norway. The Chair is elected by serving HMPC members.”

“Herbal medicines must be now manufactured under Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) to ensure the quality of the finished product and also demonstrate safety.” added the HMPC.

Currently, the only herbal medicines that are exempted from the provisions of the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive are those unlicensed remedies that are created for a patient following a consultation with a herbalist.

Under the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive, a company needs to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of the herbal medicine through traditional use within the EU for at least 30 years or 15 years within the EU and 30 years outside the EU. There is concern that some herbal remedies of 30 years ago, which are no longer in widespread use, could still be sold but that valid new herbs which cannot meet the 30 year rule may require to be withdrawn from sale. The rule could also mean that it may not be possible to license some traditional herbal medicines which were in common use more than 30 years ago, but have since fallen into disuse.

How herbal remedies can help fight gum disease

Q I regularly suffer from infected gums, and I’m very conscious that when my gums are infected, my breath is bad. Do you have any suggestions?

A Gum infections, or gingivitis, begin when bacteria in the mouth stick to the teeth, forming plaques.

These deposits then cause the gums to become inflamed. Symptoms of this include bad breath and can also be seen when cleaning the teeth – often you will see blood on your toothbrush after brushing.

Left untreated, gingivitis can turn into periodontal disease, whereby the bacteria cause the gums to pull away from the teeth, bone beneath the gums erodes and the teeth become loose. Eventually the teeth will be lost.

This is the commonest cause of tooth loss in adults.

Herbs can be used to treat the infection, but if you have not already done so, go and see your dentist as well.

They can show you how to clean and floss your teeth correctly. It is important not only to clean your teeth thoroughly and regularly, but also to floss your teeth daily too.

In addition to this, try taking 50mg a day of Co-enzyme Q10 – studies have shown it to be helpful in controlling gum disease.

To speed up the healing of gums and to reduce inflammation, rinse the mouth thoroughly with tea made from herbs such as sage or chamomile.

Sage contains antiseptic compounds, so try a mouthwash made by adding two teaspoons of dried sage to a cup of boiling water, leave to stand for 10 minutes, strain and when cool use it to rinse your teeth.

You can make up enough to last a couple of days in one go. Just remember to store the excess tea in your fridge.

Chamomile also contains antiseptic and anti-inflammatory compounds. Again make up a strong tea as before and use it as a mouthwash.

Peppermint, which is normally used as flavouring for toothpaste, is also antibacterial. Again you can make an effective mouthwash in the same way as previously described.

You can make all these teas even more effective by adding a teaspoon of Echinacea tincture to each cup. Echinacea is another effective antibacterial herb.

An easy way to help your gums is to drink green tea, it contains several antibacterial substances.

One final thing to mention, smoking can encourage the development of gum disease, so if you smoke, try to give it up.

Back Pain Treatment News

CIGNA HealthCare launches new approach to back pain

CIGNA UK HealthCare Benefits is changing the way it deals with members suffering from lower back pain, in line with best practice guidelines developed for use in the NHS.

Employers and employees will be given access to free online tools offering support and advice on how to manage the condition. These tools are based on the best practice guidelines issued to the NHS by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).

The NICE guidelines – which cover persistent or recurrent non-specific low back pain that has lasted for between six weeks and a year – focus on self-management through the provision of advice and information. They promote exercise and advise people with low back pain to carry on with normal activities as far as possible as well as a maximum of nine sessions of “manual therapy”.

Simple lower back pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders. It is estimated to affect around one-third of the UK adult population each year. It poses a challenge for insurers and employers because although there is often not an identifiable cause of the pain it can cause significant levels of workplace absence. Although it is now widely recognised that people suffering from the condition are best advised to continue their normal activities, the belief that bed rest is necessary remains strong. A study published last year showed that over a quarter of GPs and physiotherapists continue to recommend that patients with low back pain stay off work, despite national guidelines to the contrary.

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) has also been shown to be an effective treatment for back pain and CIGNA HealthCare Medical Manager Stephanie Macdonald confirmed that the insurer’s nurse case managers are able to refer members for this treatment where appropriate.

Aviva has offered its Back Up service for over two years to members of its corporate, SME and individual plans. The case management service, designed to ensure that members with back and neck pain receive early intervention and tailored support, has been found to reduce physiotherapy sessions by 37.5%.

CIGNA’s head of product management, Kirsty Jagielko said: “The issue of back pain in the UK is a high cost to employers and should not be ignored. By offering practical advice and information we can not only help the individual suffering from the condition but also help the employer understand and tackle the wider issue.”

New era for back pain treatment

It’s the most common reason for people to visit their GP and costs the UK an estimated £12.3bn a year, yet some Welsh professionals believe back pain could be diagnosed and treated at home. Clare Hutchinson reports

IF YOU are one of the eight-out-of-10 people in the UK to have suffered a bad back, you will know how painful it is – and how difficult it is to treat.

It is estimated that on any one day, there are 2.5 million people in the UK experiencing back pain, setting the NHS back £481m a year, while 119 million working days a year are lost through employees taking back pain-related sick days.

The Department of Work and Pensions shells out around £1.4bn a year on incapacity benefit for chronic back problems, and accompanying lost productionto UK businesses costs the economy £3.8bn.

But according to some of Wales’ most influential back care professionals, most back pain is something that is entirely treatable and should be kept out of the NHS altogether.

Those professionals have put together a map of medicine pathway for back pain, which is due to be rolled out to GPs and other health care professionals over the next few months.

Based on a number of guidelines, the pathway has been developed to provide an evidence-based resource for patients and health professionals managing back pain.

Along with the Assembly Government’s Welsh Backs campaign, the NHS Delivery and Support Unit are developing this pathway with clinical input from a range of health professionals and the Welsh Pain Advisory Board.

Ann Taylor, a reader at Cardiff University’s school of medicine, said: “It is medicalising back pain that makes it problematic.

“People are getting mixed messages and hearing unhelpful terms from doctors like ‘crumbling spine’ or ‘a touch of arthritis’.

“If anyone over the age of 30 went to the doctor and had a scan they would probably be found to have something wrong with their spine.

“Some 40% of us are wandering around every day with a prolapsed disc and it doesn’t cause us any problem whatsoever.

“What we see a lot of are people who have had a scan which has been bad and out of a fear of making it worse they stop moving, which is the worst thing you can do.

“The less you move, the worse your back will get and that is when you start seeing people going on incapacity benefit.

“It is scary when you look at the statistics: 20% of people who have been off work with back pain for a month will still be off a year later; while 50% of those who have been off work for six months will still be off a year later.

“Lower back pain is estimated to effect 60-80% of the population and a major part of the £500m cost to the NHS of back pain comes from people with lower back pain whose symptoms become chronic.

“Back pain is more costly to the NHS and the British economy than respiratory disease and cardiac disease, but it is not well-managed by the health profession and it is certainly not treated like a priority in the way it should be.”

She added: “Unlike in some other countries, we are not active participants in our care – we will just sit there and expect the doctor to give us lots of drugs and the pain will go away.

“Unfortunately, back pain isn’t like that and the message we want to get out is one of education and self-diagnosis.

“We want people to know what they can do if they get a bad back and to recognise that there are other factors, like obesity or smoking, that can contribute.

“The first time your back goes, it can be a scary thing. The pain can make people panic and think they have something very serious wrong with them, but the majority of the time it is not actually that serious.

“The main message we have is to keep active and to take painkillers if you need them. It is not helpful if doctors start sending people for scans when they don’t need them.”

Louise Cooke owns Wellfield Osteopathic Clinic in Roath with her business partner Brian McKenna.

The 47-year-old, from Penarth, has suffered from lower back pain for 20 years.

She said: “Like a lot of people, I have got a bit of wear and tear and had intermittent back pain over the years. I was in my late 20s the first time my back went. I had never had any trouble with it at all and it was completelyout of the blue.

“I was working as a video editor at the time and I’d put my feet up on the desk and was hit with instant agonising pain. I thought something dreadful had happened.

“My back was stiff, it was locked up and I couldn’t move and then the less I moved, the worse it got.”

Eventually, Louise’s work colleagues called an ambulance and she was taken to hospital, where she was told to go home and rest.

“It was the early 1990s and the standard advice was to rest in bed, which is of course the last thing you should do if you have back pain,” she said. “I spent about a week in bed, which I know now is really bad, and it did recover eventually.”

A couple of years later, with her back not getting better, Louise booked herself in to see an osteopath.

She said: “It provided me with some answers – and I must’ve been impressed, because I then trained to become an osteopath myself.

“I find it is about explaining what is wrong in the first place because many people don’t know how their bodies work. The main approach is to mobilise the joints and get the whole upper back working and moving better.”

Louise now exercises regularly at the gym to keep her back active and has not suffered serious back spasms in 18 months.

She added: “Staying active makes a big difference. It is really, really good for your core muscles and I’ve impressed myself with what a difference it has made.

“Seemingly, small things like the chair you sit on also make a big difference.

“My friends know now that if we go for coffee I will not sit on the sofas, but make sure I have a proper chair.

“I think it makes my job easier when I’m dealing with people who also have bad backs because, while everyone is different, I have a good idea of what works and what doesn’t.

“I think the more people know about back pain and the best way to deal with it the better, because when it first happens it can be very scary and it would be helpful to know the best way of dealing with it without having to run straight to the doctor.”