Controversial drug company CEO once sued for harassment

Turing Pharmaceuticals CEO Martin Shkreli also sued by former company for $65 million for using firm "to enrich himself"

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/martin-shkreli-drug-company-ceo-once-sued-for-harassment/

Dizziness After Standing May Hint at Higher Risk of Early Death

But other conditions, such as dehydration and diabetes, can also make you woozy, experts say

From: http://www.webmd.com/brain/news/20150923/dizziness-after-standing-may-hint-at-higher-risk-of-early-death?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Mayo Clinic Minute: Running, Periodontitis, Smoking

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KISpS8B0e0A

William Chambers Appointed World Board Chair of Interagency

Washington, Sept. 23, 2015 - USDA Chief Economist Robert Johansson has announced William (Bill) Chambers has been appointed to USDA’s World Agricultural Outlook Board and will serve as chair of the Interagency Commodity Estimates Committee (ICEC) for wheat. Mr. Chambers has been a commodity analyst with the World Board for the past year and with USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) since 2004.

From: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=2015/09/0266.xml&contentidonly=true

Non-Antibiotic Medicine May Fight Drug-Resistant 'Superbug'

Mouse study found treatment was effective and safe; currently unknown if therapy will help in humans

From: http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/news/20150923/non-antibiotic-medicine-may-fight-drug-resistant-superbug?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Are all trans fats as bad as we think?

A new study from Germany suggests that not all trans fats are equal, and some might even be good for you

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/are-all-trans-fats-as-bad-as-we-think/

Fidgeting Might Be Good for Your Health

Having the jitters may undercut some of the negative effects of prolonged sitting, British study contends

From: http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/20150923/fidgeting-might-be-good-for-your-health?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Researchers Pinpoint Brain Region That Manages Multistep Tasks

Brain injury, diseases can easily disrupt this area that helps control behavior, study finds

From: http://www.webmd.com/brain/news/20150923/researchers-pinpoint-brain-region-that-manages-multistep-tasks?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Philly hospitals prepare for unusual illnesses before papal visit

Vatican-sponsored World Meeting of Families drawing not just Pope Francis to Philadelphia but thousands from more than 100 countries

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/pope-francis-visit-philadelphia-world-meeting-families-hospitals-prepare-unusual-diseases/

Drug combo may calm agitation in Alzheimer's patients

The drug is a combination of cough suppressant and heart medication, and experts don't yet know why it may work

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/drug-combo-may-calm-agitation-in-alzheimers-patients/

Vatican to host conference on stem cells, other regenerative medicine

The event, being held for the third time, brings together leading figures to discuss potential for adult stem cells to treat cancer and other diseases

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/vatican-announces-third-regenerative-medicine-conference/

Not All Trans Fats Harm the Heart, German Study Contends

Those found naturally in dairy, meat products may help, while low levels of artificial trans fats might not hurt

From: http://www.webmd.com/diet/20150922/not-all-trans-fats-harm-the-heart-german-study-contends?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Chagas Disease Parasite Prevalent in Texas 'Kissing Bugs'

Study finds almost two-thirds of these insects could transmit potentially deadly infection

From: http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/news/20150922/chagas-disease-parasite-prevalent-in-texas-kissing-bugs?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Antidepressants Top Treatment Choice for Severe PMS: Researchers

Other options include birth control pills, calcium, study says

From: http://www.webmd.com/women/pms/news/20150923/antidepressants-top-treatment-choice-for-severe-pms-researchers?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Selection of Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVAD) - Which Device is Appropriate for You?

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsQwPqoFNlc

Employers Shift More Health Costs To Workers, Survey Finds

Even as premiums for employer-based insurance increased only moderately this year, deductibles rose faster than total spending.

From: http://www.webmd.com/health-insurance/20150922/employers-shift-more-health-costs-to-workers-survey-finds?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Following low-risk prostate cancers before starting treatment becoming more common

Men who have slow growing, low-risk prostate cancer may not live long enough to die of their illness. And since there’s no conclusive evidence that treating low risk prostate cancer extends survival, doctors might recommend monitoring the cancer and treating it only when it begins to spread.

That’s called active surveillance. It’s generally reserved for men with small, slow-growing tumors and a normal life expectancy of less than 10 to 15 years after diagnosis. Older men in particular are far more likely to die of heart disease and other causes than low-risk prostate cancer. That’s fueled mounting concerns that low-risk cases are being overtreated, with too many men experiencing side effects without benefits.

Doctors monitor men on active surveillance in three ways:

• periodically measuring the amounts of prostate-specific antigen in blood
• checking for tumor growth with digital rectal exams
• giving repeat biopsies at varying intervals.

Active surveillance takes off

Though it has a long history, active surveillance has only recently broadened its reach from academic cancer centers into the wider community. Now a new study shows its adoption is accelerating. “The trend is real and it’s a step in the right direction,” said Matthew Cooperberg, an associate professor of urology, biostatistics, and epidemiology at the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center, and the study’s lead author.

Cooperberg and his co-author Peter Carroll, chair of the UCSF urology department, reviewed data from more than 10,000 men with low-risk prostate cancer treated at 45 urology practices throughout the United States. From 1990 to 2009, the rate of using active surveillance among men who were an average of 66 years old when diagnosed hovered at just under 15%. But between 2010 and 2013, the rates spiked suddenly, to more than 40%. A similar trend was observed for men 75 years or older at diagnosis — active surveillance rates increased from 54% to 76% over the same time period.

“Over-treatment of low-risk prostate cancer is a significant problem, and these results suggest that it’s abating,” Cooperberg said.

With studies from Sweden, Australia, Michigan, and elsewhere showing similar increases, active surveillance “appears to be gaining traction as a standard management practice,” said Stacy Loeb, a urologist and researcher at New York University School of Medicine in New York City.

The future of prostate cancer monitoring

Long-term data attest to the safety of active surveillance for low-risk disease. For instance, a Canadian study published this year showed that only 1.5% of 993 men enrolled in an active surveillance protocol in 1995 had died of prostate cancer two decades later. The men were 69 years old on average when diagnosed. “But active surveillance is not just for older men,” Cooperberg emphasized. “Our data show that it can be effective in younger men too.”

Scientists are also looking for less invasive ways to monitor tumor progression — for instance, with imaging tests or more accurate markers in blood and urine. These alternative approaches could make active surveillance far less burdensome in time.

“Active surveillance serves as a middle-ground option,” said Dr. Marc Garnick, the Gorman Brothers Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and Editor in Chief of HarvardProstateKnowledge.org. “For example, men who are uncertain about considering PSA testing in the first place and who are concerned about overtreatment if they are diagnosed with prostate cancer may find the option of active surveillance attractive. That’s especially true given the lack of evidence that treating early-stage prostate cancer extends lives. Hopefully research will one day provide ways to predict if a given treatment will work based on the genetic makeup of a man’s tumor.”

 

This post was originally posted on our Harvard Prostate Knowledge website. 

Related Posts:

• Prostate cancer lives as it is born: slow-growing and benign
• Healthy fats may fight early-stage prostate cancer
• Selenium, vitamin E supplements increase prostate cancer…
• Many seniors get unnecessary and potentially harmful cancer…
• Doctors often don’t reveal cancer test overtreatment…

The post Following low-risk prostate cancers before starting treatment becoming more common appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Charlie Schmidt http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/following-low-risk-prostate-cancers-before-starting-treatment-becoming-more-common-201509238345

Parents Talking Type 1: Stacey & Benny

We recently asked our Facebook and Twitter communities to send us their stories—specifically, what it’s like to be the parent of a child living with type 1 diabetes. Having received a lot of wonderful stories, we’re excited to present these favorites on the blog every week.

We hope you’re as inspired by these personal stories as we are, and that you’re willing to keep the conversation going. Tell us more in the comments!

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Name: Stacey & Benny (@staceysimms)
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina

Benny was diagnosed in December 2006, just before he turned 2. Now he’s 10 years old, and we’re about to mark nine years of living with type 1 diabetes. We didn’t know anyone with type 1 in our family, but a few years later, a cousin was diagnosed.

When your child is diagnosed and he’s too young to even pronounce “diabetes” properly, the motivation is clear. It’s completely up to you to keep your child safe and healthy. We wanted Benny to live as normal a life as possible and to grow up with the idea that diabetes would not keep him from anything he wanted to do.

It was also important to us that our management and teachings about diabetes come from knowledge and experience, not from fear. I sometimes have to work hard to not let fear and worry take over. I remind myself that my goal as a parent is to make my children independent, confident and responsible.

Over the years, we transitioned more and more care to Benny, to the point where now he can be very independent. However, we are mindful of the mental burden and the potential for burnout, so we still help out quite a bit. I recently gave him a “diabetes free” day where I did everything. I didn’t even tell him his blood glucose numbers or the carb counts in his food. He had just come back from sleepaway camp, so I think he really appreciated having a break from diabetes management. I’ve offered another “free” day whenever he wants.

I think there are always challenges for kids with chronic conditions like diabetes. We want them to stay healthy, to stay safe and to also get a good education, make friends and pay attention in class. Mostly, they just want to go to school and not draw a lot of extra, unwanted attention to themselves. That’s a tough balance! I’m thankful our school staff has always worked with us and respected our wants and needs. Benny was the only child with type 1 in the school for kindergarten and first grade, but now there are four students, all of whom manage with different devices and different styles.

My advice to other parents with newly diagnosed children is to first take a deep breath. Remember that your child is unique. Connect with other diabetes parents in your area. However, I’d also recommend you connect with adults with type 1. When Benny was diagnosed, meeting healthy, happy adults with diabetes (even online) helped me picture him all grown up and doing great. Their perspective is very valuable. Although there is a lot of help and advice available on social media, often only the most dramatic situations get attention. That means you’re seeing the best and the worst, not necessarily the everyday.

I wrote a blog post recently about the different between trying to stay positive and trying to be perfect. The parent sets the tone, and I don’t want my son walking around in a gloom-and-doom cloud of fear. But diabetes is hard. It’s always there and if you ignore it, it just makes things worse. It’s a giant pain and it’s important to acknowledge it. I also don’t want anyone feeling bad for my son.

If you deny the frustration and sadness that comes along with a chronic illness, you don’t do yourself any favors. But if you also deny the joy you still have, you’re missing out on so much more. Be joyful. Enjoy your child. Life with diabetes isn’t what any of us wanted.

But when I watch my son crush a baseball in the playoffs, or receive a funny letter telling me he’s having a great time at camp or watch him happily crash on the couch after a sleepover at a friend’s house (where no one really slept), I smile and remember life is so much more than diabetes. Life is good.

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The American Diabetes Association’s Safe at School campaign is dedicated to making sure that all children with diabetes are medically safe at school and have the same educational opportunities as their peers. To learn more, visit http://diabetes.org/sas.

From: American Diabetes Association http://diabetesstopshere.org/2015/09/23/ptt1-stacey-benny/

Grief: Coping with reminders after a loss

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/end-of-life/in-depth/grief/art-20045340

Treating hot flashes without hormones: What works?

A panel of experts analyzed the available evidence on non-hormonal treatments for hot flashes to see what really helps

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/media/non-hormonal-treatments-for-hot-flashes-what-works-what-doesnt/