With my coffee in hand this morning I sat down to start checking out the latest health news. I found a report on ARDS - adult respiratory distress syndrome. Simply put, when a body suffers insults, ie: injury, trauma, disease, a series of problems sometimes cascades and the lungs begin to shut down with deadly consequences.
Back in 1981 my mom was battling back from surgery and ARDS developed. At that time 3 out of 4 people who developed ARDS, died. Now the figures are a bit better, 30-60%. What caught my eye this morning is a new study showing, that by testing urine for certain markers, researchers are better able to diagnose ARDS early and may, one day, be better able to treat this.
Some 200,000 people will develope ARDS this year. Why should we care? Well, perhaps with this new research, lifesaving treatment will be developed. But, actually, I write this because so many of us think, just because something IS today, it will be tomorrow. This past week I reported on a new hip replacement surgery - the full story is on our website - It allows athletic, middle aged people, to resume their full life ie: running, biking, hiking, tennis. The take home from all this is, when you or a loved one is diagnosed with a condition, don't take the 'same old' for an answer.
Press your physician for the latest in treatment, search it out, be a partner in your care. It's okay to ask. You make come back to 'the same old' but at least you'll know you've turned over every stone.
Saturday, February 10
Friday, February 9
HPV Vaccine Debate
Schoolgirls in New York State could soon be required to get the cervical cancer vaccine.
Westchester County Assemblywoman Amy Paulin plans to introduce legislation next week. Under it girls would have to receive the three-shot series against HPV.
HPV is a sexually transmitted disease that causes 70 percent of cervical cancers.
Some groups have opposed similar legislation in other states, saying it would encourage pre-marital sex and interfere with how parents raise their children.
Kicking the Cigarette Habit
Willie Nelson sings " mother's don't let your children grow up to be cowboys" --- well, cowboys ( or cowgirls) is better than letting your kids grow up to be smokers. The latest research shows 85 to 90 % of all lung cancers are linked to cigarette smoke. Because there is no reliable, simple and widespread early screening, too often lung cancer is detected when it's progressed beyond treatment. If you are a smoker and trying to kick the habit consider calling the NYS Quitline at 1-866-NY QUITS (1-866-697-8487) from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on weekends.
http://www.health.state.ny.us/healthaz/
http://www.health.state.ny.us/healthaz/
Drug Overdosing
The untimely death of Anna Nicole Smith has raised suspicion a drug overdose was to blame.Interestingly, on the day of her death, a new report by the Centers for Disease Control is out on drug overdosing. It finds: unintentional drug poisoning death rates increased substantially in the United States during 1999--2004 and the trend can be attributed primarily to increasing numbers of deaths associated with prescription opioid analgesics (e.g., oxycodone) and secondarily to increasing numbers of overdoses of cocaine and prescription psychotherapeutic drugs (e.g., sedatives), and cannot be attributed to heroin, methamphetamines, or other illegal drugs (3,5).
The mortality increases might be the result of greater use and abuse of potentially lethal prescription drugs in recent years, behaviors that are more common among whites than nonwhites (6,7). The substantial increase in deaths among persons aged 15--24 years is consistent with substantial recent increases in recreational prescription drug and cocaine use among adolescents and young adults (8).
Thursday, February 8
Diet Drug
The Food and Drug Administration has approved sales of a lower-dose version of Xenical.
That's a diet drug that works by preventing the body from absorbing up to 25% of fat from the food you eat. The non-prescription version of the drug is called "Alli."
Officials stress that it needs to be used in combination with a diet and exercise program -- and that using the pill alone isn't likely to do any good.
Alli is expected to hit store shelves this summer. It is about half the strength of the prescription version.
There is some controversy. Opponents say it may cause a condition that's a precurser to colon cancer.
That's a diet drug that works by preventing the body from absorbing up to 25% of fat from the food you eat. The non-prescription version of the drug is called "Alli."
Officials stress that it needs to be used in combination with a diet and exercise program -- and that using the pill alone isn't likely to do any good.
Alli is expected to hit store shelves this summer. It is about half the strength of the prescription version.
There is some controversy. Opponents say it may cause a condition that's a precurser to colon cancer.
Spiritual Support for Cancer Patients
People with advanced cancer felt they received little or no spiritual support from religious communities and the medical system, according to a new survey. However, those who did receive such support reported a better quality of life.
The study, led by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School and published in the Feb. 10 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, drew on data from the Coping With Cancer study, a multi-institutional investigation of advanced cancer patients and their main caregivers. Of 230 patients surveyed, the vast majority – 88 percent – considered religion to be at least somewhat important. But nearly half said their spiritual needs were largely or entirely unmet by a religious community, and 72 percent felt those needs were similarly unaddressed by the medical system.
The findings also indicated that greater spiritual support from religious organizations and medical service providers was strongly linked to better quality of life for patients, even after other factors were taken into account. Intriguingly, patients who considered themselves religious were more likely to want all possible measures taken to extend their lives.
"This study examined how much spiritual support advanced cancer patients received from religious organizations, as well as hospital-based doctors, nurses, and chaplains," said the study's lead author, Tracy Balboni, MD, a senior resident in the Harvard Radiation Oncology Program. "Our findings suggest that such support can help improve patients’ quality of life at the end of life."
The infrequent recognition of the spiritual components of illness on the part of many hospitals may reflect a debate over the medical system's proper role in this area, the authors stated. Numerous barriers deter physicians from helping procure spiritual support services for patients at the end of life. Among these is a separation of the realms of medical science and religion that exists within many hospital cultures. Another is concern that physicians might try to impose a specific set of religious beliefs on patients.
Given religious faith's ability to help people cope with illness, physicians’ reluctance to inquire about spiritual issues may deprive patients of an important force for healing and wholeness, the authors asserted. This does not mean that physicians should be spiritual counselors, "but they can participate appropriately in spiritual care … by recognizing spiritual needs and advocating for attention to them," the authors wrote.
They advocate making a "spiritual history" – an account of a patient’s religious upbringing and evolution – a routine part of patient care. "It's a way of saying to patients that we acknowledge their illness may have a spiritual dimension for them," Balboni stated. "It may make it easier for patients to bring up spiritual issues later in the course of their illness and may cue doctors and nurses into special concerns that may arise."
The study also tracked how patients' religious observances changed as a result of disease. In general, there was a shift from public to more private forms of spirituality, possibly because people with advanced illness are less able to attend services in a house of worship.
The finding that highly religious patients were the most likely to desire life-extending measures came as something of a surprise, said Balboni. Such individuals might be expected to submit to the natural unfolding of a divine plan, rather than want heroic measures. But, the authors suggested, "Religious individuals may feel that because their illness is in divine hands, there is always hope for a miraculous intervention. Religious individuals also may place a value on life that supersedes potential harms of aggressive attempts to sustain life."
In addition to recommending that spiritual histories be a routine part of care for patients with advanced illness, the authors offered other ways that caregivers can demonstrate concern for patients' spiritual well-being. These include training of non-pastoral medical staff to identify spiritual needs and improve patients' awareness of resources in this area. Integrating pastoral staff into the medical team is another suggestion, as is improving connections between the medical system and outside religious communities.
The study, led by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School and published in the Feb. 10 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, drew on data from the Coping With Cancer study, a multi-institutional investigation of advanced cancer patients and their main caregivers. Of 230 patients surveyed, the vast majority – 88 percent – considered religion to be at least somewhat important. But nearly half said their spiritual needs were largely or entirely unmet by a religious community, and 72 percent felt those needs were similarly unaddressed by the medical system.
The findings also indicated that greater spiritual support from religious organizations and medical service providers was strongly linked to better quality of life for patients, even after other factors were taken into account. Intriguingly, patients who considered themselves religious were more likely to want all possible measures taken to extend their lives.
"This study examined how much spiritual support advanced cancer patients received from religious organizations, as well as hospital-based doctors, nurses, and chaplains," said the study's lead author, Tracy Balboni, MD, a senior resident in the Harvard Radiation Oncology Program. "Our findings suggest that such support can help improve patients’ quality of life at the end of life."
The infrequent recognition of the spiritual components of illness on the part of many hospitals may reflect a debate over the medical system's proper role in this area, the authors stated. Numerous barriers deter physicians from helping procure spiritual support services for patients at the end of life. Among these is a separation of the realms of medical science and religion that exists within many hospital cultures. Another is concern that physicians might try to impose a specific set of religious beliefs on patients.
Given religious faith's ability to help people cope with illness, physicians’ reluctance to inquire about spiritual issues may deprive patients of an important force for healing and wholeness, the authors asserted. This does not mean that physicians should be spiritual counselors, "but they can participate appropriately in spiritual care … by recognizing spiritual needs and advocating for attention to them," the authors wrote.
They advocate making a "spiritual history" – an account of a patient’s religious upbringing and evolution – a routine part of patient care. "It's a way of saying to patients that we acknowledge their illness may have a spiritual dimension for them," Balboni stated. "It may make it easier for patients to bring up spiritual issues later in the course of their illness and may cue doctors and nurses into special concerns that may arise."
The study also tracked how patients' religious observances changed as a result of disease. In general, there was a shift from public to more private forms of spirituality, possibly because people with advanced illness are less able to attend services in a house of worship.
The finding that highly religious patients were the most likely to desire life-extending measures came as something of a surprise, said Balboni. Such individuals might be expected to submit to the natural unfolding of a divine plan, rather than want heroic measures. But, the authors suggested, "Religious individuals may feel that because their illness is in divine hands, there is always hope for a miraculous intervention. Religious individuals also may place a value on life that supersedes potential harms of aggressive attempts to sustain life."
In addition to recommending that spiritual histories be a routine part of care for patients with advanced illness, the authors offered other ways that caregivers can demonstrate concern for patients' spiritual well-being. These include training of non-pastoral medical staff to identify spiritual needs and improve patients' awareness of resources in this area. Integrating pastoral staff into the medical team is another suggestion, as is improving connections between the medical system and outside religious communities.
Wednesday, February 7
Neck Pain Treatment
If you suffer from neck pain, findings from a new study might be the ticket to a good night's sleep. The research says sleeping with a neck pillow and doing specific neck exercises can help relieve the pain and help you get a good night of zzz's.
Cold Weather Survival Tips
On these frigid days it's a good idea to protect all exposed skin. That can be done simply by applying a layer of moisturizer before heading out of doors. Remember, the suns rays can still damage your skin in the winter, so be sure to grab a moisturizer with an SPF of 15. And don't forget to protect your lips. Constant licking of dry lips only further dries them out. When it comes to shower time, despite the inclination to turn the water temperature to hot, keep it warm, it's less drying. Before you fully dry off, moisturize your skin.
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