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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.”

Swine Flu Today

Diagnosis ‘could have saved girl’

A schoolgirl who died of an infection after being told she had swine flu may have survived if different diagnoses had been made, a coroner has ruled.

But the Coroner for Mid and North Shropshire, John Ellery, said the initial diagnoses given to 16-year-old Charlotte Hartey were “reasonable ones to have made” when she was first taken ill.

A two-day inquest at Shrewsbury Magistrates’ Court was told that Charlotte, from Bronygarth, near Oswestry, Shropshire, succumbed to an “incredibly rare” bacteria which caused tonsillitis and led to bronchial pneumonia.

The inquest heard that the teenager was first triaged over the telephone during last year’s swine flu pandemic and given anti-viral drugs.

A second doctor carried out a home visit two days later and agreed with the diagnosis of swine flu, but also prescribed antibiotics after noticing that Charlotte’s throat was inflamed.

Charlotte was admitted to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital on July 29 – seven days after being prescribed Tamiflu – when blood tests showed a high white blood cell count.

Mr Ellery, who heard that the hospital trust has since acted on twelve recommendations made by a report into the death, identified significant concerns in the care Charlotte received at the hospital prior to her death on July 31 last year.

Recording a narrative verdict, Mr Ellery said: “It is true that Charlotte died from natural causes, but that would not encapsulate the issues which this inquest has addressed.

“Charlotte was diagnosed with swine flu by telephone on July 22. This diagnosis was confirmed following a home visit by another doctor on July 24.

“The evidence indicated that such diagnoses were reasonable ones to have made at the time, but later investigations indicated that they were probably incorrect.”

Keeping the flu out of your office this season: 3 keys

Year-end is right around the corner for Finance, and the last thing you need is a big chunk of your staff to falling victim to the flu.

So here are some things you can do to make this year’s flu season as painless as possible:

1. Encourage them to get vaccinated … again. This year’s flu vaccine includes protection against three types of influenza – H1N1 (swine flu), H3N2 and a B strain. Many people falsely believe that if they received the H1N1 vaccine last year, they don’t have to get a shot this year. Let them know it’s still important to protect themselves against other strains of flu.

2. Make it easy. If your company offers flu shots onsite, it’s important to bombard workers with constant reminders so they don’t accidentally miss out or forget to get a shot. One way: Frequent e-mails with bold subject lines proclaiming: FRIENDLY REMINDER – FLU SHOT THIS WED.

For employers that offer free or discounted shots offsite, finding a location should be as painless as possible for employees. Best bet: Use a variety of tactics (e-mail, intranet, company bulletin board, etc.) to help people find a convenient spot to go. In addition, there are plenty of websites that will help employees find a location by simply typing in an address or zip code, like this one.

3. Give heroes incentives to stay home. The majority of employees know better than to come into the office when they’re not feeling well. But one flu-stricken worker who decides to tough it out can end up wreaking havoc on the entire office.

One way to prevent this: updating your attendance policy to allow for more sick time during flu season. Also, letting employees work from home until all symptoms subside helps ensure they don’t come back too soon – and get their co-workers sick.

Swine Flu: Are We Being Force-Fed Dangerous Vaccines?

The H1N1 vaccine is included in this years seasonal flu jab along with two other strains. Initially the government’s policy was to only offer the jab to high-risk groups, such as those with long-term illnesses. Of course, there is major concern in the public domain, and patients’ groups have expressed anger over this year’s seasonal flu jab programme because people are unable to opt out of having the swine flu vaccine. There should be a choice!

A recent newspaper article reports that the H1N1 virus killed 14 British healthy children, and caused 70 deaths in children under the age of 16.

Who did the research?

Sir Liam Donaldson, former chief medical officer in the UK, during the wake of the H1N1 scare…

When asked in September last year how dangerous he thought the Swine Flu virus was, Sir Liam answered: ‘It isn’t a killer, but it can kill people… I don’t think we need to fear it, because for many people it will be a mild illness…’

Now it seems his story has changed… The findings of his recent study were published in the journal The Lancet, and support the latest government initiative to have all children vaccinated against H1N1.

Force-feeding dangerous vaccines

The H1N1 vaccine is included in this years seasonal flu jab along with two other strains. Initially the government’s policy was to only offer the jab to high-risk groups, such as those with long-term illnesses.

However, Sir Liam’s research now seems to push the initiative in a new direction, by claiming that children are at greatest risk this winter and should be prioritised in receiving the H1N1 vaccine!

I am so passionate about this contentious topic, that last week, I took part in a radio interview on Talk Radio Europe, along with Prof John Oxford who is a world renowned virologist and very much in favour of this vaccination programme.

In the interview, Prof. Oxford said that the vaccine is perfectly safe and that none of the concerns about its safety, last year, transpired in any way!

Really?

What about the report by the National Coalition of Organized Women (NCOW), presented to the Vaccine Risk and Assessment Working Group (VRAW) in September 2010, stating that as many as 3,587 cases of either miscarriages or still births have been reported by women who received the vaccine when pregnant?

That’s not all, Australian officials were aware of children getting sick with fever, vomiting and convulsions, yet they still encouraged parents with infants, children, and teens to be vaccinated with the H1N1 vaccine.

Then there’s the fact that in August this year, the Finnish Institute of Health (THL) proposed to suspend vaccinations for H1N1 after six children were reported to suffer with neurological side effects after receiving the vaccine — nine more cases are in the process of being confirmed.

In the UK, the vaccine has also been linked to fevers in young children, temporary paralysis and narcolepsy.

In November 2009, in Canada, health authorities called for a withdrawal of 170,000 doses of the vaccine after concerns were expressed about adverse reactions such as immediate anaphylactic reactions, to the vaccine.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), in the UK, received nearly 8,600 suspected adverse reactions to the swine flu jab during the pandemic last winter.

Currently UK government health experts are examining a possible association between the H1N1 swine flu jab and the paralysing nerve disease Guillain-Barre Syndrome.

How then can they claim it’s safe?

Of course, there is major concern in the public domain, and patients’ groups have expressed anger over this year’s seasonal flu jab programme because people are unable to opt out of having the swine flu vaccine.

There should be a choice!

If there was one, the medical authorities would see (as they did last year) that the majority of people will use common sense and not have this fast-tracked, untested and potentially dangerous vaccine. So much so, last year, only 6 per cent of the population in France and Germany took the vaccine and in the UK hospital staff and medical personnel openly refused to take it, because of safety concerns! It doesn’t fill you with confidence when even your own doctor won’t take it!

No one in the medical mainstream has stepped forward with conclusive evidence, meaning comprehensive gold-standard medical trials, to prove the effectiveness and above all the safety of this vaccine.

Instead, we are being fobbed-off with a remark, stating that none of the concerns surrounding the safety of the vaccine transpired.

Does this mean we should risk having a second go this winter, to see if our concerns are realised?

Obesity News

Fruit Fly Links Obesity and Heart Disease

Everyone knows that obesity strikes the heart sooner or later, but a new study on fruit flies detailed the link between obesity and heart disease.

With over a third of Americans being obese, many of them have a high risk of developing cancer, diabetes and heart disease, but because for these conditions there are other causes as well, this new study carried out by Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham) was necessary.

A team of researchers led by Sean Oldham, PhD, and Rolf Bodmer, PhD, created a simple model that shows the connection between high-fat diet, obesity and heart dysfunction.

The team used fruit flies, and found that a protein called TOR, determines the fat accumulation in the heart, so manipulating it, actually protects the heart of fruit flies from high-fat damage-causing diets.

For the experiment, fruit flies were fed a high-fat diet of coconut oil; once they became obese, they presented the same symptoms as obese people, heart problems included.

In order to see the way that TOR works, Dr. Oldham and his team generated flies that had a lower activity of this protein.

TOR is normally restraining the enzyme that breaks down fat so by inhibiting it, the team boosted the fat-digesting enzyme, thus reducing fat accumulation in the heat, and improved the health of obese flies’ hearts.

The researchers got the same results when they blocked TOR in the whole fly, just in heart cells or just in fat tissue.

They chose the fruit fly for this study because, despite everything, most of its basic molecular mechanisms are very much like those of vertebrates.

Also, it is very easy to delete individual genes in the fly and find out the role that each one plays in heart development and function.

Dr. Oldham, which is also a co-senior author of the study, said that they “noticed previously that reducing TOR had a large number of beneficial effects on aging.

“We next wanted to look at TOR activity in obesity-related heart disease, but we didn’t have a good system.

“In this study, we establish the fruit fly as a model for obesity caused by a high-fat diet.”

“These results open the possibility that we can intervene with the effects of obesity by targeting TOR and other proteins it regulates – either directly in fat or in a specific organ like the heart,” explains Dr. Bodmer, co-senior author of the study and professor and director of the Development and Aging Program.

“One thing we’d like to know next is if fats themselves are toxic to the heart, or is it the byproducts of their metabolism that are harmful,” added Dr. Birse, post-doctoral researcher and lead author of the study.

“One good thing about using fruit flies is that, in theory, we could feed them whatever we want to screen – different fatty acids, molecules, drugs, etc. – to observe their effects on the heart or other systems.”

This should allow researchers to find answers to most questions about diet, heart and obesity.

The findings are published in the journal Cell Metabolism.

Preventing Obesity in Young Black Girls Proves Challenging

A variety of interventions, including hip-hop dancing, group counseling, home/family interventions, and health education, failed to prevent obesity or body mass index gain in young African-American girls in a pair of research studies published in the November issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 3 (HealthDay News) — A variety of interventions, including hip-hop dancing, group counseling, home/family interventions, and health education, failed to prevent obesity or body mass index (BMI) gain in young African-American girls in a pair of research studies published in the November issue of the Archives of Pediatrics

Thomas N. Robinson, M.D., of the Stanford University School of Medicine in California, and colleagues randomized a group of low-income 8- to 10-year-old African-American girls to either weight control interventions consisting of after-school hip-hop, African, and step dance classes and a home/family-based intervention to reduce television and computer use, or usual information-based health education. After two years, the dance and home/family interventions had not significantly reduced BMI gain compared to health education. However, it did result in possibly clinically important reductions in lipid levels, hyperinsulinemia, and depressive symptoms.

In a second study, Robert C. Klesges, Ph.D., of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, and colleagues randomized a group of overweight 8- to 10-year-old African-American girls who had a BMI at or above the 25th percentile for age or one parent with a BMI of at least 25 kg/m ² to behavioral counseling, the intent of which was to either encourage increased exercise and healthier eating or to improve self-esteem and social efficacy. At the end of the two-year program, BMI had increased in all of the girls, though a small reduction was seen in sweetened beverage consumption and small increases were seen in water and vegetable consumption.

“The lack of significant BMI change at two years indicates that this intervention alone is insufficient for obesity prevention. Effectiveness may require more explicit behavior change goals and a stronger physical activity component as well as supportive changes in environmental contexts,” Klesges and colleagues conclude.

Top 5 anti-obesity medical devices at Cleveland Clinic summit

A panel at Cleveland Clinic’s Medical Innovations Summit focused on five companies developing innovative obesity-fighting medical devices that have yet to hit the market. The companies that participated were “handpicked” by Philip Schauer, director of the Clinic’s Bariatric and Metabolic Institute, who moderated the discussion. Here’s a list of the companies and brief descriptions of their devices.
BaroSense — The Redwood City, California, company’s TERIS cup-like device “partitions” a patient’s stomach to create a feeling of satiety. It’s implanted with a trans-oral procedure, held in place by “proprietary anchoring technology” and can be removed if a patient no longer needs it, CEO Daniel Balbierz said.
IntraPace — The Mountain View, California, company’s “abiliti” device uses gastric stimulation to create a feeling of fullness in patients. The device employs a sensor in the patient’s stomach to detect eating or drinking, which then prompts the system to deliver electrical impulses to the stomach.
ReShape Medical — The company’s device consists of two balloons connected by a flexible tube. The balloons are placed in the stomach using an endoscope and are designed to create a feeling of fullness in patients. The device is intended to be removed after about 6 months. The balloons are filled with blue dye that’s designed to alert a patient of deflation by producing blue urine, according to the San Clemente, California-based company. Talk of blue urine drew the largest reaction out of the just-before-lunch crowd that attended the discussion.
Satiety — The company that’s furthest along in both the clinical and regulatory processes, Satiety has developed the “TOGA System,” which involves stapling the tissue at the top of the stomach to create a “sleeve” that restricts the stomach’s size. Palo Alto, California-based Satiety has raised about $90 million over the last 10 years and plans to seek commercialization approval by the end of the year from the Food and Drug Administration, CEO Eric Reuter said. If all goes well, the device could hit the market sometime next year.
ValenTx — The company’s device aims to mimic gastric bypass surgery without surgery, CEO James Wright said. The device uses a sleeve that’s implanted through the mouth and into the stomach to restrict the stomach’s volume.

Anxiety Today

Voters carry anxiety, disappointment to the polls

The millions of Americans voting in midterm elections Tuesday were not always sure what they wanted, or even whom. But many knew they were unhappy — uneasy about the economy, frustrated with the direction of the country and dissatisfied with politics.

On an Election Day that seemed a long way from 2008, disappointment was the theme.

“I’d like to find somebody to blame,” said Kimberly Abrudan, a customer service manager who had voted at a Delaware charter school for Democrat Chris Coons for Senate. “It would make things a lot easier. But I’m not convinced that it’s any one man.”

Abrudan said she voted for Barack Obama and felt let down that he had not been able to bridge the partisan divide and bring Americans together. If she could speak to the president in private, she conceded, “I might shake him around a bit.”

The sentiment was not hard to find across the country in an election that took place against a backdrop of persistently high unemployment, no sign of real improvement in the economy and politics roiled by division.

Vicki Goode of Boyle County, Ky., had voted for Obama as well, and said she felt disappointed by his first two years in office and by what she characterized as a legislative logjam in Washington.

“I expected more sweeping change,” she said after voting for Jack Conway, the Democratic candidate for Senate, over tea party-backed Republican Rand Paul.

Goode owns a gift store called Magnolia Cottage. Fewer people are buying gifts than they did two years ago, and those who come in aren’t browsing as much — just finding what they want and buying that one thing. Her husband was out of work for 16 months.

Just about everywhere, this election felt far removed from the last. Two years ago, after all, there was no tea party. Now it’s a force in American politics. Two years ago, the nation was in financial shock. Now hard times are all too familiar.

“You still have a lot of people out of work,” said James Price, a lawyer in Indianapolis who voted a straight Republican ticket. “We’re losing a lot of jobs. We have massive amounts of debt.”

In Denver, there were those like Josie Hart-Genter, who said the administration had done exactly what it promised to — expand health care and pass an economic stimulus bill — and were proud. And those like Javier Flores, who wished Obama had been more aggressive on gay rights.

Just after sunrise, voters trickled into the elections office in downtown St. Petersburg, Fla., a city dotted with boarded-up storefronts and “For Sale” signs on empty homes.

Alan Satterwhite, a technology executive, said he was not worried about his own job but was concerned about the broader economy and blamed Congress for it. He voted for conservative candidates but said he was frustrated with both parties.

“No one is stepping forward with collaboration, and that needs to change,” he said.

Change from the change: It was another demand voiced by voters around the nation Tuesday, even some who had embraced Obama’s call for “Change We Can Believe In.”

In the intervening two years, American politics was buffeted by turmoil — town hall meetings that devolved into shouting matches, persistent questions about the motives of leaders on both sides. Enough to spawn an entire rally in the name of restoring sanity.

Charles Voirin, who lives in St. Petersburg and is close to retirement, had seen enough.

He was frustrated that the president had not been more assertive during his first two years. But then he was disappointed in the crop of candidates all around this year. He said he wants more moderates.

“There are more extremes on both sides,” he said. “We’re getting nothing done.”

Others were more blunt in assigning blame, pointing fingers at the top.

“He’s going to bankrupt this country,” said Paul Edwards, a retired naval engineer in Indianapolis. He was angry that his health care costs are rising and said he disliked Obama’s overhaul. The president says it will reduce costs in the long term, but Edwards is having none of it.

“I worked hard for 30 years, and all I see is my money being eaten up by somebody who thinks he knows how to spend it better than me,” Edwards said.

Obama had plenty of supporters.

“I think it took a long time for us to get into the situation that we are,” said LaVeeda Garlington, an attorney who voted a straight ticket in Silver Spring, Md., for Democrats, including Gov. Martin O’Malley. “It’s going to take a long time to get out.”

While she said she didn’t agree with all the decisions the White House had made in two years, “it was a pretty full plate that the current administration inherited, and I think they need time to try to work it through.”

Bill Gray, a registered Republican in San Francisco, put it in fewer words: “This poor guy. He just got stuck with it.”

And then there was Benzo Jones of Las Vegas, who called himself a case study for what’s wrong with the world right now: He is renegotiating his home loan, has neighbors struggling to keep jobs and is trying, so far without success, to get a small business loan for the Web design business he runs with his wife.

“But I don’t blame Obama for that,” said Jones, who was voting for Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid over his Republican challenger, Sharron Angle. “I blame the banks, and I blame their greedy nature in terms of not opening up their lines on small business.”

Jim Krostoski of New Britain, Conn., was ready to give someone else a try. He voted for Linda McMahon, the former professional wrestling executive running as a Republican for Senate, because he believed business people might have a better shot at getting it right than career politicians.

McMahon was never a darling of tea party voters — she beat their candidate in the Republican primary — but generally has their support. Krostoski said he thought the tea party had a chance to make a real difference in politics.

“They are angry voters and people who maybe want a change, so if they see someone different, let’s give them a shot,” he said. “I mean, these guys now can’t get it right. Maybe somebody can.”

Anxiety over Enahoro’s health

The state of health of Anthony Enahoro, the nation’s foremost nationalist, yesterday aroused concern as he was reported to be ill and taken to the hospital.

The 87-year-old First Republic lawmaker who moved the motion for Nigeria’s independence in 1957 was reported to have been rushed to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH)for medical care. The nature of the ailment was, however, not disclosed.

A source close to the family told NEXT yesterday that there is no problem with Mr. Enahoro’s health.

“Nothing is happening. No problem at all. Oga is okay”, the source said.

However, another source, an official at the Edo State Government House, who asked not to be named, said the elder statesman was taken to UBTH for medical attention.

The source added that although details of his health were sketchy, Mr. Enahoro’s situation worried the state’s governor, Adams Oshiomhole, who was planning to visit the statesman’s family as at press time.

Texting in Bed Can Cause Anxiety, Lost Sleep

When I was 12 and couldn’t sleep, I would sneak out of my room, tiptoe down the hall, and slip into the guest room, where the desktop computer my family shared sat. There I would scroll through Internet message boards and read fanfiction until I got tired. Now, it’s the reverse situation. The smaller technology gets, the easier it is to take into the bedroom–and those nighttime activities, hidden from parents, are messing up teens’ sleep patterns.

Doctors at New Jersey’s JFK Sleep Disorders Center surveyed 40 of their young patients and found that on average these kids sent 34 texts a night. In addition, many reported sleeping with their cell phones beside them, only to be woken up by a new text. It’s not difficult to link this to lost sleep and the subsequent irritability.

But it’s not just something that teens do. I know plenty of adults (myself included) who use their phones as alarms, and so then get woken up by a late-night text. The same goes for laptops and iPads; keeping them too close at hand will give you a case of sore eyes from staring at that bright, pulsing screen. Also, texting in your sleep is almost as hilarious (for the recipients) as drunk texting.

Do you think that there’s a time and place for turning off computers and phones, or is it simply a matter of self-control?

Diabetes Treatment News

Diabetes treatment claims are false: FTC

Claims by a California company that its dietary supplements can treat diabetes and insulin resistance are false and misleading, according to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.

The FTC has filed suit against Wellness Support Network and its principals, Robert and Robyn Held, calling on a judge to halt the claims and force the company to refund consumers and give up all ill-gotten gains.
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WSN products are promoted on a number of websites including its own realfoodnutrients.com. It continues to claim Nobel Prize-winning technology and more than 60 independent American University studies backing its Diabetes Support Pack.

The Diabetes Support Pack contains three products, which consist primarily of vitamins, minerals and plant extracts. The Insulin Resistance Pack consists of the same three products. They each sell for $76.70 for a 30-day supply.

Among the claims the FTC says are false or not supported by evidence:

The Diabetes Support Pack is proven as an effective treatment for diabetes, reduces or eliminates the need for insulin or other diabetes medications, and is proven to cause an average 31.9 per cent drop in blood glucose levels.

The Insulin Resistance Pack reverses and manages insulin resistance, is proven to be an effective treatment for insulin resistance, prevents diabetes, and is proven to cause an average 31.0 per cent drop in glucose levels.

This is not the first time WSN has run afoul of regulators.

Four years ago the company was sent a warning letter by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration stating its website violated the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act by making therapeutic claims.

The warning letter also stated: “Your products are not generally recognized as safe and effective for the above referenced conditions.”
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As of Friday afternoon, it appeared the company had not taken action on either complaint.

Study on insulin-creating cell may lead to better diabetes treatment

A new study has revealed that beta cells-responsible for making insulin in the human body-do not replicate after the age of 30, indicating that scientists are closer to advancements in diabetes treatment.

Type 1 diabetes is caused by a loss of beta cells by auto-immunity while type 2 is due to a relative insufficiency of beta cells.

By using radioactive carbon-14 produced by above ground nuclear testing in the 1950s and ’60s, researchers have determined that the number of beta cells remains static after age 30.

Bruce Buchholz of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory scientist and collaborators from the National Institutes of Health used two methods to examine adult human beta cell turnover and longevity.

Using LLNL’s Center for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry, Buchholz measured the amount of carbon 14 in DNA in beta cells and discovered that after age 30, the body does not create any new beta cells, thus decreasing the capacity to produce insulin as a person ages.

Because DNA is stable after a cell has gone through its last cell division, the concentration of carbon 14 in DNA serves as a date mark for when a cell was born and can be used to date cells in humans.

“We found that beta cells turnover up to about age 30, and there they remain throughout life. The findings have implications for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes,” said Buchholz.

Type 1 diabetes is an auto-immune disease in which the body attacks beta cells. Both genetic predisposition and environmental triggers that are poorly understood have been implicated in the disease development.

However, in Type 2 diabetes (often called adult onset diabetes) is common in older people whose ability to secrete sufficient insulin to regulate blood sugar deteriorates as they age and is often due to increased demand in obese people.

“It could be due to loss of beta cells with age. The body doesn’t make new ones in adulthood and there might not be enough cells to control blood sugar,” he said.

Buchholz said there is active research in stem cell therapies to replace lost beta cells for both types of diabetes.

“But with these new findings, it isn’t clear how easy it will be to get the body to make more beta cells in adulthood, when it is not a natural process,” he said.

The findings appeared in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. (ANI)

Insulin jabs could banish unsightly scars

Giving injections of the hormone insulin is the latest treatment for reducing unsightly scars.

Insulin is best known for its role in controlling blood-sugar levels. However, insulin injections similar to those used for treating diabetes are now being given to stop or reduce the formation of excessive scar tissue after surgery.

It’s thought the hormone can also speed up healing and even repair old scars.

More than six million people have surgery every year in Britain, and many are left with unsightly scarring; some patients suffer from depression as a result.

The scars themselves can remain ­permanently tender and painful.

When the skin is damaged, the healing process creates scar tissue to seal the opening as quickly as possible to reduce blood and tissue loss and prevent infection.

However, this fibrous scar tissue is inferior to normal skin because quality is sacrificed for speed of creating a barrier.

It is less elastic, less resistant to ultra-violet light and has no sweat glands or hair.

It is also red because of increased blood flow; in some cases it might stay that way for many years.

Preventing or reducing scar tissue has been the focus of much research, and one of the latest approaches is to use insulin.

The hormone is produced by the pancreas and works to mop up sugar from the blood. However, some studies have shown that in small quantities it can also reduce scarring.

In one study, women having breast reduction surgery had insulin injected into the wound on one side and a placebo injected into the other. The results showed that breasts treated with insulin had significantly less scarring.

Another series of tests at the University of California showed that cuts treated with insulin healed faster. Those on arms healed 2.4 days faster than the wounds treated with saline (a salt water solution).

There have also been suggestions that insulin might have a beneficial effect on old scars.

In one study, a woman who had a deep scar on her arm was given insulin jabs into the area. Researchers say after 82 days of daily insulin injections, the there was no evidence of the scar.

It’s thought insulin reduces the amount of fibroblasts, the scar tissue-producing cells, that collect just after the wound has healed, and improves the quality of collagen they produce.

As a result, the wound is closed, but thanks to the insulin, the building up of scar tissue then stops or slows. This also encourages the growth of more normal tissue. In effect, insulin switches off the wound-healing process before it can form a scar.

It might work in other ways, too. In the treatment of old scars, for example, it is thought to trigger the production of fats and proteins which regenerate the scar tissue.

Now in a new clinical trial starting this month at the Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Trust, East Grinstead, up to 75 women will have injections of insulin after surgery.

The women, undergoing breast reduction surgery, will have a single injection of insulin or placebo along the edge of a 1in section of a scar. The effects will then be compared over the following 12 months.

‘This looks like a new and exciting application for a well-established hormone,’ says Andrew McCombe, consultant ear, nose and throat surgeon at Frimley Park Hospital. ‘The potential could be immense. Poor quality wounds are a serious issue for both patients and surgeons.’

Cashews could hold the key to tackling diabetes, according to new research.

The seed of the plant contains a powerful extract that might help the body use insulin more efficiently.

Diabetes affects more than three million Britons, most of whom have type 2 diabetes, caused by poor diet and obesity (type 1 is related to immune system problems).

This makes their body less responsive to the hormone insulin, needed to mop up excess blood-sugar.

When researchers fed the cashew seed extract to rats, it boosted the cells’ ability to take up insulin, reported the Journal Of Molecular Nutrition and Food research.

Extracts of other plant parts had no such effect, the researchers from Canada and Cameroon said.

Natural Remedies News

Relief From Headache In Natural Ways

Headache is a common problem, specially among the working crowd. Headache is caused due to several factors, but we can put it under three broad categories –

1.Tension – This is the most common cause of headache. Tension creates a spasm of the muscles at the back of the neck. The muscle spasm gets the tissues over the surface of the cranium and thus, the pain is felt not only on in the neck but also on the forehead.

2.Migraine – Migraine is the abnormality of the nervous system. This strain on the nervous system is caused due to eye strain, shock, stomach disorders etc. Migraine is a chronic disease which needs medical attention.

3.Cluster Headache – Cluster headaches are repetitive and gets back several times in a month. These are generally caused due to constant pressure on the nerves like alcohol consumption, chain smoking etc.

Headaches are very disturbing and restricts your attention to the pain alone. At this moment pain killer seems to be the only solution to get relief form headache. Pain killers, however, have side effects. Here are few home remedies to get relief from headache –

1.For chronic headache, eat sliced apple with salt everyday in the morning for a week.

2.Crush lemon crust into a fine powder and make it into a paste with the use of water. Apply this on the forehead. This is quick relief form headache caused due to tension.

3.Apply a small amount of Eucalyptus oil on the center of the head and cover it with a towel dipped in warm water. This is one of the most effective ways of curing pain.

4.Put 3 drops of ghee in your nostrils for a week to get rid of headache from cold.

5.Drink a glass of water with a teaspoon of honey every morning to treat chronic headache.

6.Grind watermelon seeds with poppy seeds and consume three grams of it everyday if you are suffering constant pain.

7.Application of sandalwood paste on the forehead is one of the tradition ways of curing headache.

These seven tips will surely give you quick relief from headache and does not have any side effects. They not only get you relief from headache but also treats it, so that you don’t suffer the symptoms again.

Seven natural home remedies to avoid hair loss

Despite the fact that hair loss (baldness) occurs more frequently with men, all of us lose hair every day. Hair loss in women occurs, even if only rarely, after the age of fifty. However, this should not be a reason why one (whether men or women) should slack of when it comes to hair care.

Since, more and more people are looking for natural remedies that will prevent the condition of “hair loss”; here are seven natural tips (home remedies) that will ensure that you have great hair no matter what your age is.

1. Make it a practice to eat yoghurt every day.

2. If you feel that your hair is thinning or you are losing hair, apply almond oil gently to your scalp at least two to three times a day. Another option is to apply a mixture of warm some castor oil and almond oil that you can apply to your scalp at least once a week.

3. Eating white sesame seeds every morning will ensure that large amounts of magnesium present in these seeds will nourish your scalp, and prevent hair loss.

4. Another interesting home remedy is applying a mixture of coconut milk and Aloe Vera gel to your scalp and hair three times a week. Remember to leave this mixture on your scalp and hair for at least half an hour before washing it off with warm water.

5. Another effective remedy is applying a mixture of honey and egg yolk to your scalp and hair which has to left for at least half an hour before washing it off with warm water.

6. Applying a mixture of lime seeds and black pepper (in equal amounts) in water at regular intervals can stop hair loss as well.

7. Apply and massage your hair with two drops of an essential or good vegetable oil ensuring that the oil settles into your hair well. Use a plastic wrap to cover your hair after this is done, and wrap towel around it. Leave it for two to three hours (or overnight) and then wash it off with some shampoo in the morning. Doing this regularly will rejuvenate your hair pores.

Clean Teeth For A Beautiful Smile

Do you think brushing teeth every day would be enough for a good clean teeth? Well, that’s not all. If you would like to bright and clean teeth but cannot afford expensive dental treatments, your goal is not out of reach. A few home remedies and a bit of will power will have your teeth sparkling in no time. If you lust for white, spotless, clean teeth, then you should know these natural home remedies that can give you a smile of a star in just few weeks:

1.Strawberries: Mashed strawberries or sage leaf can be applied and massaged on teeth surface.

2.Mustard oil and salt: Great whitening results can be seen if washing your teeth with a combination of mustard oil and salt.

3.Water: Food particles left in between tooth can be rinsed by gargling water.

4.Baking soda and white vinegar and salt: Cotton soaked in baking soda , vinegar & salt can be wiped to the teeth.

5.Baking soda mixed with hydrogen peroxide: Baking soda and hydrogen peroxide mixture works as a good whitening agent. It not only removes stains but also kills plaque-causing bacteria reducing acids which harm tooth enamel.

Also, some vegetables act as natural abrasives and eating them clean your teeth in a natural and harmless way, resulting in spotless clean teeth. Vegetables like Carrots, Celery and Cucumbers act like Toothbrushes.

Apart from these home remedies, quitting smoking and avoiding drinking tea and coffee will help in a long way. No matter which of these methods you want to try, remember that results can’t become visible over night and that patience is must.

Mental Health News

Email about Williams’s mental health questioned

The Newfoundland and Labrador government is questioning the judgment of the new communications director of the Opposition Liberal Party.

On Wednesday the government released an email that Craig Westcott wrote to the premier’s office in 2009 asking whether Danny Williams had any illness that was affecting behaviour.

Westcott, a journalist at that time, questioned if Williams was either mentally ill or in the later stages of syphilis.

“A growing number of intelligent and observant people were growing concerned [about the premier’s actions],” wrote Westcott.

The email was written in February 2009 when Westcott was editor of Business Post magazine.

“Please excuse the nature of this question … but it may be germane given the premier’s behaviour,” wrote Westcott. “It has been suggested to me that Mr. Williams is bipolar. Another person has suggested to me that he acts as if he is suffering in the later stages of syphilis.

“Is the premier being treated for a mental illness, or any illness that might influence his behaviour and the handling of his office? I realize that normally this would be a private matter. However, he is the premier of the province, and if his behaviour is the result of an illness, the subject is relevant to the public welfare.”

Westcott became the provincial Liberal Party’s communications director last week.

The premier’s office never responded to the email, but government sources said Wednesday that now that Westcott is in politics, it was fair game to release the email.

In an interview with CBC News Wednesday, the acting leader of the provincial Liberals said the email was meant to be a joke.

“[The government] obviously must feel threatened that we’ve hired someone who doesn’t always agree with the premier,” said Kelvin Parsons. “It was a joke. It was a lark by Mr. Westcott.”

Mental Health Units Providing ‘Poor’ Care

Patients treated in some mental health units are being failed by ‘poor and unacceptable’ practices, according to a new report.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) found many patients who entered units voluntarily were being locked in wards.

It says it also uncovered cases where patients’ human rights were at risk of being breached.

CQC chief executive, Cynthia Bower, said: “More hospitals are keeping psychiatric wards locked at all times, even though they often accommodate voluntary as well as detained patients.

“In some places there are blanket bans on mobile phones and internet access.

“These sorts of measures could compromise patients’ privacy or dignity, hold back their progress and even breach their human rights.”

The CQC’s report, which covers the private sector and NHS services in England, also raises concerns that many severely-ill patients are being sent home or refused re-admission into a ward because of a shortage of beds.

It found 29% of wards visited in 2009/2010 had occupancy rates of over 100%.

Other issues raised by the report included keeping children and adolescents in mixed-sex units, which it said was “putting young people’s dignity and sexual safety at risk”.

Commissioners also found some patients had been recorded as giving consent for certain treatments when in fact they lacked the ability to do so or had refused them.

Report chairwoman Jo Williams said: “Detention must be a justified, therapeutic experience that promotes the recovery of the men, women and children involved.

“Too often, we came across patients whose experience fell short of this.”

The CQC which took over the responsibilities of the former Mental Health Act Commission in April 2009 spoke to more than 5,000 detained patients in 1,700 hospitals about their experiences.

Care services minister, Paul Burstow told Sky News: “This report demonstrates that the Coalition Government has inherited some serious challenges in mental health.

“Anyone with a mental health problem should receive care and treatment that minimises their distress and ensures a faster recovery.”

Mental Health Issues Differ for U.S. Male, Female Vets

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 27 (HealthDay News) –Mental health issues confronted by U.S. veterans returning from the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan differ by gender, new research suggests.

Female veterans are more likely to have a diagnosis of depression than are their male counterparts, according to a study of nearly 330,000 veterans who received health care from the Veterans Administration from 2002 to 2008. They are also generally younger than their male counterparts and more likely to be black.

In contrast, male veterans were found to be more prone than their female peers to post-traumatic stress disorder and/or alcohol abuse.

The analysis was led by study author Shira Maguen of the San Francisco VA Medical Center. She and her colleagues reviewed data on more than 329,000 veterans of “Operation Enduring Freedom” and “Operation Iraqi Freedom” obtained from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

“In an era in which a greater proportion of women have served in the U.S. military in a much wider variety of military occupational specialties than ever before, our results contribute to a better understanding of the characteristics of women seeking VA health care,” the study team noted in a news release.

The authors also said it was important to understand how differences between men and women might affect mental health outcomes. “Gender differences are important to consider as the Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense continue to expand and strengthen programs to evaluate and provide care for a new generation of returning veterans,” they added.

Maguen and her colleagues report their observations in the Oct. 21 online issue of the American Journal of Public Health.

Insomnia Treatment News

Treatment available for insomnia sufferers

Another sleepless night followed by a day where are you are too tired to get anything done.

This is the characteristic of insomnia, which hinders your ability to fall sleep or to stay asleep, which in turn affects your ability to function the next day.

Raed Hawa is a physician at Toronto Western Hospital who specializes in psychiatry and sleep medicine. He said what’s interesting about insomnia is it’s more a symptom of something else – sleep apnea or anxiety – rather than a standalone diagnosis.

Hawa said 90 per cent of people have this type of insomnia. However, the other 10 per cent of people have the pure form of insomnia called primary insomnia, which Hawa said is a true sleep disorder. Primary insomnia means all the other reasons you could be suffering from insomnia don’t exist.

“For example, if you’re not anxious or you’re not depressed and you don’t have apnea, leg restlessness or you’re not on medication or drugs, but you still have insomnia,” he said.

This means insomnia is bi-directional because it can cause symptoms such as apnea or anxiety or could occur as a result of those symptoms.

While there is no agreed upon definition of what insomnia is, Hawa said he defines it as a problem falling asleep, waking up frequently during the night and not being able to stay asleep (sleep fragmentation), waking up too early in the morning and an inability to fall back asleep or a combination of these symptoms.

“By the time people come to see me, they’ve had one, two or all three of these things throughout their life,” he said.

Besides sleep fragmentation, another consequence of insomnia is fatigue because people don’t get enough sleep or they have disruptive sleep. Hawa said this causes people to feel tired during the day and have low energy, which can be both detrimental and dangerous.

“People are falling asleep while driving, during a meeting or on the TTC. They are tired, feel depressed or sad, more irritable or cranky, anxiety, even physical symptoms like their stomach hurts. All this could be because of insomnia,” Hawa said.

Hawa explained there are three types of doctors who can look into sleep issues: a psychiatrist, to help with those thinking patterns and stressors that keep us awake; a respirologist or lung doctor, who deals with sleep apnea, a disorder that is brought on by breathing disruption; and a neurologist, as some sleep disorders are an indication of undiagnosed neurological issues.

Hawa said he sees people with all types of sleep issues because usually people who have one symptom or disorder also have another.

For example, people who have sleep apnea often also have insomnia and those with insomnia also have daytime sleepiness.

It’s a good idea to get treatment for insomnia, however, people must get the correct diagnosis in order to get the appropriate treatment.

The problem, Hawa said, is people rarely get treatment when they should and this could be because many people think insomnia is not harmful or that it’s just a part of getting older, because the older you get the more likely you are to suffer from insomnia, he said.

However, insomnia is classified in three ways: transient or temporary; short-term; and acute or chronic. If insomnia is chronic or persists more than a month, Hawa said it’s time to see your doctor.

“If there is no precipitant to it, stress, bad news, illness in the family, something happened that is stressful, you may not have a good sleep, but if the stress goes and the insomnia is still there this is a sign you need to get help,” he said.

Treatment options

Everyone’s insomnia is different so that means treatment also varies.

However, there are distinct approaches to treating insomnia – medication or cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). The latter includes altering thoughts, sleep patterns and environments, and often times a combination of the two therapies are used.

When insomnia is due to anxiety or a particularly stressful time, Hawa said the mind has trouble shutting off and is constantly thinking about things that replace sleep.

“Cognitive therapy will help to attack these thoughts and make the person deal with these thoughts and cognitions,” Hawa said, adding CBT for insomnia has three main components:

1. Talking about and dealing with the thoughts that make the patient more aroused and unable to sleep. Hawa suggested having a diary or planner to document what thoughts you have before bed. They are then discussed with the patient to try to change their thinking patterns surrounding sleep or the lack of it.

2. Sleep hygiene means the person does things such as avoid smoking, caffeine, alcohol and bright lights in the hours before bed. Essentially, they are preparing themselves and their surrounding, including make sure a room is neither to warm nor too cold.

3. Stimulus control involves things like having the same wake and go-to-sleep schedule every day and only using the bed for sleeping. This means you should wake up, be still awake in 15 minutes and get up. “You want to train your brain that the bed is equal to sleep,” he said.

Also people should avoid napping and only go to bed when they are sleepy.

Hawa said there is no sleep treatment that shouldn’t involve sleep hygiene.

Many of his patients have suffered from insomnia for years and have tried these methods with no success.

In this case, Hawa suggests trying medicine.

Technically, there is only one type of sleeping pill called zopiclone. So many doctors prescribe things such as antidepressants for the sedative quality, which is particularly good for those also suffering from anxiety and depression as a result of insomnia.

“If it’s (insomnia) so severe and you’re so dysfunctional you might need medication because any behavioural or cognitive methods take months to work (but offer more long-term benefits), whereas a medication can have an immediate effect,” Hawa said.

Hawa said there isn’t one treatment approach that fits everyone and ultimately it’s about curing their insomnia.

Insomnia is one of those things that once someone is prone to it there is the possibility of it reoccurring. There isn’t really a cure, Hawa said, but it is manageable though the right treatment.

How to stop headache pain

More than 50 percent of all people experience some form of headache in their lifetimes, as the head is the only part of the body that can experience frequent and recurrent pain unrelated to tissue pathology, said AUB’s Dr. Samir Atweh, speaking at the meeting of the Lebanese Society for the Study of Pain’s (LSSP) Update on Treatment of Headaches, held at the Rafic Hariri School of Nursing’s (HSON) Hisham Jaroudi Auditorium on October 15, 2010.

All kinds of headaches, from migraines to tension to cluster to short-lasting unilateral headaches were discussed, as well as clinical and surgical treatments for pain. Many common causes can trigger different types of headaches that vary considerably in their clinical presentation and treatment. Most common headache triggers were identified: fatigue, insomnia, anxiety and depression, stress, irregular meals, high intake or withdrawal of caffeine intake, dehydration, and reduced physical exercise.

St. Joseph University’s Dr. Joseph Maarrawi illustrated the latest surgical procedures applied to eliminate severe cases of chronic headaches such as trigeminal and occipital neuralgia.

In his paper, “Tension Type Headaches,” Lebanese University’s Dr. Jose Chidiac pointed out that alternative methods of relieving pain such as acupuncture and yoga can supplement the standard medical treatment of headaches, but he also stressed the importance of the individual patient’s belief system.

According to the World Health Organization, “Health is not only the absence of infirmity and disease, but also a state of physical, mental, and social well-being.”

HSON Director Huda Abu-Saad Huijer, also the president elect of LSSP, said similar discussions on various types of pain will be held every three months.

LSSP, an associate chapter of the International Association for the Study of Pain, plans to launch a website to make the association’s plans and expertise more accessible to the public.

Autism News

Autism Prevalence Rising Rapidly in Some Schools

In Wisconsin, the number of children with autism is increasing in school districts with low baseline prevalence, while other school districts are seeing a leveling off in their numbers, according to research published online Oct. 25 in Pediatrics.

MONDAY, Oct. 25 (HealthDay News) — In Wisconsin, the number of children with autism is increasing in school districts with low baseline prevalence, while other school districts are seeing a leveling off in their numbers, according to research published online Oct. 25 in Pediatrics.

Matthew J. Maenner, and Maureen S. Durkin, Ph.D., of the University of Wisconsin in Madison, looked at special education enrollment counts in all elementary school districts in Wisconsin from 2002 through 2008 to calculate the prevalence of children with autism. Districts were grouped into eight categories (octiles) according to their baseline prevalence.

The researchers found that, during the study period, the overall prevalence of autism increased from 4.9 to 9.0 cases per 1,000 children. Districts in the lowest octile of autism prevalence in 2002 tended to have rapid increases in prevalence over the study period, while the districts in the highest octile of autism prevalence in 2002 did not see significant increases. The highest octile/lowest octile ratio fell from 24.6 in 2002 to 1.8 in 2008.

“The prevalence of autism is expressed popularly as single point estimates for relatively large regions, such as countries or states. The findings presented here demonstrate that variability of trends within smaller areas offers additional insights into the increasing prevalence of autism in special education, and they reveal heterogeneous trends within a population,” the authors write.

Family of autistic boy searches for stolen van, wheelchair

ST. PAUL, Minn. — A St. Paul mother is hoping someone will return the family van she uses to bring her autistic son to doctors appointments.

On Sunday morning, Sue Klingenberg planned to take her son for a drive to see fall colors.

“One of the joys of his life is riding in the car,” says Sue.

The plan changed when Sue walked outside and noticed the family van was missing. It was stolen, Sue says, from where it was parked right next to the house.

“I went into shock and my main concern was how do I transport Mike. How do I get him anywhere,” says Sue.

Now for most of us, our cars get us from point a to point b.

But for Sue and Michael their 1983 Chevy Vandura was a lifeline.

18-year-old Michael has severe autism and a lot of difficulty getting around. Sue needed the van to get him to doctor’s appointments. But it was also a way to experience the world for a kid who’s had a tough ride.

“There is not a lot that he can do so the few things that he can do we want to keep in place for him,” says Sue.

Police say someone stole the van between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m. Sunday morning from Tatum and Minnehaha in St. Paul’s Midway neighborhood.

“We’re asking the public to pay special attention to be on the lookout for this van. It has some unique features that would stand out,” says Officer John Keating with the St. Paul Police Department.

Michael’s wheelchair was also in the van. It’s gone too, along with several other personal items.

“That car was everything to us. I have done a lot of things to the car to make it perfect for Michael and with autism it’s important to keep things the same.”

“They took something away from a disabled child who already has enough difficulty in his life and we simply would like someone to return the car.”

Sue tells KARE 11 that children with autism often are creatures of habit so it will be very difficult she says for Michael to understand that the van is gone and why.

And his family is also very concerned as winter approaches about how they will get around.

Michael recently started having seizures and has many upcoming doctors’ appointments.

The van is a 1983 Chevy Vandura – Minnesota license plate M-H-U-8-7-6 it’s blue and white.

Anyone with information should call 911.

National Autism Association Applauds Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee’s Formation of Safety Subcommittee

WASHINGTON, Oct. 25 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The National Autism Association (NAA) is applauding the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) today following the Committee’s decision late Friday to instate a subcommittee dedicated to safety issues within the autism community. Members voted unanimously to establish the subcommittee that will work to address the rising number of fatalities and injuries associated with autism-related wandering. Other safety issues that may be addressed include restraint and seclusion in schools, bullying, victimization and domestic crises.

The Committee’s decision came following a presentation by NAA Board Chair Lori McIlwain and President Wendy Fournier, who provided information to the IACC about a spate of recent fatalities associated with autism-related wandering. Their request for the formation of a safety subcommittee was combined with recommendations outlining the need for medical coding specific to autism-related wandering, data collection, greater access to tracking technology, first-responder training, and federally-backed safety information for families.

The absence of an emergency broadcast alert system for minors with cognitive impairments was also addressed by NAA. Federal guidelines established for AMBER Alert criteria currently do not include at-risk minors prone to wandering as a result of brain injury, disability or other cognitive impairment. States that have adopted the “Silver Alert” Emergency Broadcast Alert System for at-risk seniors with dementia oftentimes do not allow minors with cognitive impairments into its criteria.

The Committee’s vote to form a safety subcommittee had parents and advocates applauding in the background as IACC members spoke about the urgent need for action, preventative measures and emergency response that would work to reduce and prevent fatalities and injuries among those with autism spectrum disorders.

“We are extremely grateful for the IACC’s decision to take immediate action in addressing these critical safety issues within the autism community,” stated Wendy Fournier. “We also extend our thanks to Sheila Medlam, who bravely spoke during the public comment period about the recent loss of her 5-year-old son Mason in a tragic wandering incident.”

NAA was most encouraged by the possibility of getting a medical diagnosis code established for autism-related wandering. According to Board Chair Lori McIlwain, “Children and adults within the autism community need for wandering to be recognized as a medical condition. Diagnostic coding for autism elopement will be useful in prompting critical discussions between physicians and caregivers – it will also raise the seriousness level of the condition among first responders and school administrators, and possibly provide greater caregiver access to tracking technology.”

Weight Loss Today

Weight-loss tips: Am I hungry?

Dr. Amy Zacharias, of Advocate Medical Group’s Integrative Health for Women, is a mother of four children who also teaches the Am I Hungry? non-diet approach to weight management. Here are some tips from Zacharias for people who want to lose weight:

Am I Hungry?

When you feel like eating, ask yourself, “Am I Hungry?” Consider drinking a glass of water first because you may be dehydrated.

Eat in moderation

If you’re truly hungry, eat something you enjoy but in moderation. Eat slowly and mindfully. Enjoy your food. About halfway through the meal, ask yourself “Am I Hungry?” If you are, eat until you’re full. If you’re no longer hungry, stop eating and get away from the table.

Respond to eating triggers

If you feel like eating but realize you’re not hungry, consider why you want to eat so you can respond to that trigger without food. If you’re upset, try to address the reason for your worry. If you’re stressed, breathe slowly and deeply, get up and walk around, exercise, phone a friend or pray. If you’re bored, get out of the house and do something, or stay home and clean house. If you’re fatigued, go to sleep. If you respond to triggers such as the candy tray on a colleague’s desk, avoid the trigger.

Fit in exercise

Look at your schedule and determine when you can fit exercise into your day. Consider that your health matters because you want to be there for your family for many years. On busy days when you can’t fit in 30 minutes of exercise, move for 10 minutes at a time three times during the day.

Weight loss tips from Weight Watchers ‘role models’

What was your weight loss wake up call?

When Aurora’s Sarah Vonhoff went through a divorce in 2008, she tried to eat and drink her way through the pain and the loss.

She wasn’t that big, she told herself. But her increasingly tight size 16 pants said otherwise.

Vonhoff, who was wary of diets, ultimately joined Weight Watchers on the advice of her mother, a lifetime member.

She dropped 75 pounds and was recently named the Weight Watchers Role Model of the Year for her efforts.

Today Vonhoff, the cover model in this month’s Weight Watchers Magazine, tells others who want to shed pounds to commit to a new way of life, make yourself a priority and then start by implementing small, manageable changes.

“I really took the time to adjust to the program into my lifestyle, so it didn’t feel like a diet,” said Vonhoff, a human resources executive. “Today I’ve been able to find a balance that works for me so I can enjoy things (such as wine and beer) you can’t normally have on a diet.”

For Catherine Parkinson, one of the finalists in the contest, the weight loss wakeup call came while she was watching the 2007 NFL draft on television. Parkinson, 29, realized she weighed more than all but a handful of football players.

“Celebrate the successes every step of the way,” advised Parkinson, who enlisted a team of friends to help her lose weight. “(My friends and I) told ourselves that no matter how long it took to lose the weight, we were going to do it.”

Obesity wake up calls come in many forms. Some women seek help when they realize they may not be able to have children at their current weight. Others are shocked into action by a number on the scale.

But perhaps the most powerful motivator is a picture. “It’s amazing how you really don’t think of yourself as “that big” until you see a picture and barely recognize yourself,” said Vonhoff, 30. “I still keep a few to remind me of how far I’ve come 75 pounds later.”

To kick off its third annual Lose for Good campaign in Chicago, Weight Watchers donated a garden to the Victor Herbert Elementary School in Chicago. The garden will be used for educational and nutritional purposes, though most school produce is forbidden fruit in Chicago Public Schools cafeteria.

Weight Loss Tips Do Not Have To Be Complicated

Weight loss tips that suggest limiting your intake of unhealthy fats, cholesterol and excess carbs can be beneficial for losing weight and maintaining an overall healthy body. A low cholesterol diets , can provide healthy weight loss and natural weight loss .

Weight loss tips for women do not have to be complicated. One of the major reasons why women remain at a heavier weight is because they do not want to starve or to deprive themselves of their coveted foods.

Weight loss tips are designed to help people get started with weight loss, but they are not something you should rely on. The information provided may not always be information that will work with your needs, so do not feel that the tips you receive are your only options for losing weight.

Exercise addiction are characterized by their compulsive exercise behaviors, an overinvolvement in exercise, and the presence of an activity disorder. Exercise addicts may be driven to work out despite exhaustion or injury.

Exercise is probably the most important key to increasing your metabolism and burning off excess fat. Research shows that you burn more stored fat for energy when you do aerobic exercises on an empty stomach than on a full stomach. Exercising, however, builds muscle mass, which is a good thing.

Muscle tissue is more metabolically active than other body tissue, so the more you have, the more calories your body burns at rest.