Tag Archives: Health

Health Care: Researchers Have Developed “Fast-Acting” Skin Patch To Attack Melanoma Cells

From a ScienceDaily.com online article:

American Chemical Society Skin Patch to attack Melanoma cellsNow, researchers have developed a fast-acting skin patch that efficiently delivers medication to attack melanoma cells. The device, tested in mice and human skin samples, is an advance toward developing a vaccine to treat melanoma and has widespread applications for other vaccines.

Nearly 100,000 new cases of melanoma are diagnosed annually, and 20 Americans die every day from it. Now, researchers have developed a skin patch that efficiently delivers medication within one minute to attack melanoma cells. The device, tested in mice and human skin samples, also could be adapted to deliver other vaccines.

“Our patch has a unique chemical coating and mode of action that allows it to be applied and removed from the skin in just a minute while still delivering a therapeutic dose of drugs,” says Yanpu He, a graduate student who helped develop the device. “Our patches elicit a robust antibody response in living mice and show promise in eliciting a strong immune response in human skin.”

To read more click on the following link: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190825075926.htm

Health Issues: Middle-Aged Man With Rapid Heart Beat Diagnosed With Sarcoidosis

From a New York Times article by Lisa Sanders, M.D.:

Diagnosis from New York Times by Lisa Sanders, MD Photo Illustration by Ina JangIn sarcoidosis, abnormal collections of cells called granulomas invade the organ, interfering with its normal activity and often destroying the surrounding tissue. What is left is a scar, known as fibrosis, dotted with these abnormal granulomas.

When caught early, sarcoidosis can be treated and the destruction slowed or even stopped. But it was too late for that in this man’s case. He was started on immune-suppressing medications to prevent additional damage, but he needed a new heart.

The man had been active and healthy, until five years earlier when he started to feel tired. His doctor sent him to a cardiologist, who took one look at his EKG and said he needed a pacemaker, right away. He got one the next day. He was fine for a year, and then, on a business trip to Atlanta, he suddenly felt lightheaded, and his heart fluttered wildly in his chest. In the E.R. they told him his heart was beating 220 beats a minute. You should be dead, one doctor said.

To read more click on the following link: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/22/magazine/why-was-the-middle-aged-mans-heart-beating-so-dangerously-fast.html

Drug Studies: Polypill Strategy (Including Aspirin) Proves “Effective In Preventing Major Cardiovascular Events”

From The Lancet issue August 24, 2019:

Polypill illustration from Harvard HealthUse of polypill was effective in preventing major cardiovascular events. Medication adherence was high and adverse event numbers were low. The polypill strategy could be considered as an additional effective component in controlling cardiovascular diseases, especially in LMICs.

When restricted to participants in the polypill group with high adherence, the reduction in the risk of major cardiovascular events was even greater compared with the minimal care group…

A fixed-dose combination therapy (polypill strategy) has been proposed as an approach to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease, especially in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). The PolyIran study aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of a four-component polypill including aspirin, atorvastatin, hydrochlorothiazide, and either enalapril or valsartan for primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease.

To read more click on the following link: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(19)31791-X/fulltext

Health Studies: Physician Prescribed Omega-3 Fatty Acids Safely Reduce High Triglyceride Levels

From the journal Circulation on August 19, 2019:

Circulation JournalThe use of n-3 FA (4 g/d) for improving atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk in patients with hypertriglyceridemia is supported by a 25% reduction in major adverse cardiovascular events in REDUCE-IT (Reduction of Cardiovascular Events With EPA Intervention Trial), a randomized placebo-controlled trial of EPA-only in high-risk patients treated with a statin.

The results of a trial of 4 g/d prescription EPA+DHA in hypertriglyceridemia are anticipated in 2020. We conclude that prescription n-3 FAs (EPA+DHA or EPA-only) at a dose of 4 g/d (>3 g/d total EPA+DHA) are an effective and safe option for reducing triglycerides as monotherapy or as an adjunct to other lipid-lowering agents.

Hypertriglyceridemia (triglycerides 200–499 mg/dL) is relatively common in the United States, whereas more severe triglyceride elevations (very high triglycerides, ≥500 mg/dL) are far less frequently observed. Both are becoming increasingly prevalent in the United States and elsewhere, likely driven in large part by growing rates of obesity and diabetes mellitus.

To read more click on the following link: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000709

Obesity Studies: Visceral (Abdominal) Fat Is Major Risk Factor For Type 2 Diabetes, Atherosclerosis & Cardiovascular Disease

From The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology:

The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology Sept 2019This joint position statement from the International Atherosclerosis Society and the International Chair on Cardiometabolic Risk Working Group on Visceral Obesity summarises the evidence for visceral adiposity and ectopic fat as emerging risk factors for type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, and cardiovascular disease, with a focus on practical recommendations for health professionals and future directions for research and clinical practice.

Findings from epidemiological studies over the past 30 years have shown that visceral adipose tissue, accurately measured by CT or MRI, is an independent risk marker of cardiovascular and metabolic morbidity and mortality. Emerging evidence also suggests that ectopic fat deposition, including hepatic and epicardial fat, might contribute to increased atherosclerosis and cardiometabolic risk.  We discuss the measurement of visceral and ectopic fat, pathophysiology and contribution to adverse health outcomes, response to treatment, and lessons from a public health programme targeting visceral and ectopic fat. We identify knowledge gaps and note the need to develop simple, clinically applicable tools to be able to monitor changes in visceral and ectopic fat over time. Finally, we recognise the need for public health messaging to focus on visceral and ectopic fat in addition to excess bodyweight to better combat the growing epidemic of obesity worldwide.

To read more click on the following link: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landia/article/PIIS2213-8587(19)30084-1/fulltext?dgcid=raven_jbs_etoc_email

New Cancer Studies: “Oldest Old” (85+ Years) Are 2% Of Population, 8% Of New Cancer Diagnoses

CA - A Cancer Journal for Clinicians American Cancer Society

Adults aged 85 years and older, the “oldest old,” are the fastest-growing age group in the United States, yet relatively little is known about their cancer burden. Combining data from the National Cancer Institute, the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, and the National Center for Health Statistics, the authors provide comprehensive information on cancer occurrence in adults aged 85 years and older. In 2019, there will be approximately 140,690 cancer cases diag-nosed and 103,250 cancer deaths among the oldest old in the United States. The most common cancers in these individuals (lung, breast, prostate, and colorectum) are the same as those in the general population. Overall cancer incidence rates peaked in the oldest men and women around 1990 and have subsequently declined, with the pace accelerating during the past decade. These trends largely reflect declines in cancers of the prostate and colorectum and, more recently, cancers of the lung among men and the breast among women.

Leading Sites of New Cancer Cases and Deaths Age 85 years and older

To read entire study click on following link: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.3322/caac.21577

Boomers Health: Fasting Before Blood Tests For Cholesterol Is Not Necessary Study Finds

From a Harvard Heart Health online article:

Non Fasting Blood Testing for ChloresterolFor the study, nearly 8,300 people at risk for heart disease had fasting and nonfasting lipid profile tests done at least four weeks apart. (Fasting means they had nothing to eat or drink except water for at least eight hours before the test.) The differences in their total, LDL, and HDL cholesterol values were negligible. Triglyceride levels were modestly higher in the nonfasting samples.

Don’t want to skip breakfast before your cholesterol test? You probably don’t need to. A study published online May 28 by JAMA Internal Medicine adds to the evidence that fasting isn’t necessary before this common blood test, often referred to as a lipid profile.

To read more click on following link: https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/farewell-to-fasting-before-a-cholesterol-test

Health Care Technology: Human Voice Sound Wave Analysis Detects Disease Onset, Checks Depression

From a Wall Street Journal online article by Sarah Krouse:

In medicine, measuring slight changes in voice is starting to help doctors detect the onset of diseases like Parkinson’s or more quickly measure the efficacy of treatments for illnesses like depression, researchers say.

Human voice technology Photo by Ellen Winstein for the Wall Street JournalSlower speech, for example, could indicate fatigue or sorrow at one point in time, but over longer periods could signal something more severe, co-founder Jim Harper said.

That voice-based data isn’t yet robust enough to base medical decisions on alone, but is being used alongside clinical trials for drugs to treat depression, Mr. Harper said.

The sound of your voice is becoming a new type of fingerprint.

Increasingly sophisticated technology that detects nuances in sound inaudible to humans is capturing clues about people’s likely locations, medical conditions and even physical features.

To read more click on the following link: https://www.wsj.com/articles/what-your-voice-reveals-about-you-11565716426

Chronic Pain Treatment: Medical Discussion On What Does And Doesn’t Work (UCTV Video)

     Chronic Pain: Observations as Patient and Provider About What Works          (…And What Doesn’t)

Chronic Pain ManagementDr. Grace Dammann, medical director of the Pain Clinic at Laguna Honda Hospital, and seven of her colleagues talk about what does and does not work in the treatment of chronic pain. She talks as both a patient and a provider. There is also a discussion of various non-pharmacologic and complementary medicine modalities to treat pain.

UCTV

Drug Studies: Ibuprofen & Anti-Inflammatories “Enhance Spread Of Antibiotic Resistance

From a BioRxiv.com online news release:

Antiobiotic Resistance IllustrationAntibiotic resistance is a global threat for public health. It is widely acknowledged that antibiotics at sub-inhibitory concentrations are important in disseminating antibiotic resistance via horizontal gene transfer. While there is high use of non-antibiotic human-targeted pharmaceuticals in our societies, the potential contribution of these on the spread of antibiotic resistance has been overlooked so far. Here, we report that commonly consumed non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac), a lipid-lowering drug (gemfibrozil), and a β-blocker (propanolol), at clinically and environmentally relevant concentrations, significantly accelerated the conjugation of plasmid-borne antibiotic resistance genes.

To read more click on following link: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/724500v1.full