01/25/16

Monday, January 25, 2016

Study Finds Stool Test Effective for Detecting Colon Cancer

Colonoscopy still preferred screening, but this offers less invasive option, researchers say

From: http://www.webmd.com/colorectal-cancer/news/20160125/study-finds-stool-test-effective-for-detecting-colon-cancer?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Women's Heart Attacks Are Different Than Men's, Experts Stress

American Heart Association points out critical differences in new scientific statement

From: http://www.webmd.com/women/news/20160125/womens-heart-attacks-are-different-than-mens-experts-stress?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Grand jury indicts activists behind Planned Parenthood attack videos

No charges brought against Planned Parenthood; activists' charges relate to setting up and recording undercover videos

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/grand-jury-indicts-activists-behind-planned-parenthood-videos/

Heart attacks can be different for women

The American Heart Association says underlying causes and symptoms of heart attacks are often different for women than men, and many women don't know what to look for

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/heart-attacks-can-be-different-for-women/

Heart attack wake-up call for women and their doctors

Heart attack symptoms can be different for women than men, and some groups of women face special risks

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/heart-attack-wake-up-call-for-women-and-their-doctors/

Don't make these dangerous mistakes with OTC pain meds

Over-the-counter pain medicines can cause harmful side effects if you don't follow this advice

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/aspirin-other-otc-pain-medicine-dangerous-mistakes/

Mayo Clinic Minute: Daily Sleep Needs

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjEE3Bv8lW8

Kombucha Tea/Alcohol: Is It Safe?

Some say kombucha tea is good for your health, but the government says some kombucha products have too much alcohol. WebMD explains the issue as well as what's in kombucha tea and any health claims.

From: http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/20160125/kombucha-tea-is-it-safe?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Are You Getting Enough Vitamin D and Calcium?

Vitamin D and calcium are essential for bone health. How to know if you're getting enough.

From: http://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/features/are-you-getting-enough-vitamin-d-calcium?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Mayo Clinic: John A. Stauffer - Pancreatic Cysts

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQoY3kTN2NM

Cystic Fibrosis Drug Seems OK for Preschoolers

Finds treatment works and is well-tolerated in 2- to 5-year-olds

From: http://www.webmd.com/children/news/20160125/cystic-fibrosis-drug-seems-ok-for-preschoolers-study?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Speeches on Ebola

From: http://www.who.int/entity/mediacentre/news/ebola/speeches/en/index.html

WHO news on Ebola

From: http://www.who.int/entity/mediacentre/news/ebola/archive/en/index.html

After blizzard, snow shoveling proves deadly

Digging out from the massive snow storm is linked to heart attacks; how to avoid becoming a victim

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/blizzard-2016-snow-shoveling-proves-deadly/

Zika Expected to Spread North Through U.S.: WHO

Common mosquito spreads infection; Americans have no immunity

From: http://www.webmd.com/news/20160125/zika-virus-expected-to-spread-north-through-us-who?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Free Mailed Nicotine Patches May Help Smokers Quit

Intervention helped boost success rates a bit, even when counseling wasn't included, study found

From: http://www.webmd.com/smoking-cessation/news/20160125/free-nicotine-patches-by-mail-may-help-smokers-quit?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Is Your Beard Packed With Germs?

It’s an age-old debate: Are beards clean or a magnet for germs and bacteria? WebMD takes a look.

From: http://www.webmd.com/men/news/20160125/is-your-beard-packed-with-germs?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Colon cancer rates rising in people under 50

Screening doesn't normally start until age 50, but "this study is really a wake-up call"

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/colon-cancer-rates-rising-in-people-under-50/

The empowering potential of end-of-life care

When we scan the medical journals for research to report, we often ask ourselves whether an article suggests something many of us can do to improve our health or well-being. It might come as a surprise, but the articles on end-of-life care in recent issues of the Journal of the American Medical Association and The New England Journal of Medicine actually fit that bill. And they delivered good news.

These articles’ collective message is that there is much that medical teams can do to ensure that people have the best days possible in their final months and weeks, and that they die without undue suffering. The takeaway: palliative care and good communication can make all the difference between a difficult death and a peaceful passing. Even if you’re young and healthy, it’s good information to have if a loved one is facing a terminal illness.

What palliative care can do

Palliative care isn’t designed to treat disease, but to improve the quality of life for people with life-threatening illnesses and their families. A palliative care team concentrates on relieving symptoms and stressors and helps the ill person articulate his or her preferences and set goals. The team may also help explain what to expect as the disease progresses. In one study, people with metastatic cancer who began palliative care early — while they were still undergoing chemotherapy — reported less pain, had lower rates of depression, and even lived longer than people who didn’t receive palliative care until their last few weeks.

Comfort care is a form of palliative care that focuses on easing a person’s suffering in his or her final days by relieving symptoms often associated with dying, including pain, anxiety, breathlessness, coughing, and dry mouth. While the care team does everything possible to reduce the person’s pain and stress, they also refrain from administering medications, monitoring vital signs, using feeding tubes, and doing other uncomfortable procedures that are unlikely to benefit the person. In effect, people can spend their last days without being tethered to IV lines and monitors.

Why communication with the health care team is so important

Dr. Jennifer Temel is an oncologist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital who treats people with advanced lung cancer. She emphasizes that the medical team will support each person’s decisions — whether to undergo aggressive treatment in the hope of a recovery along with palliative care, or to receive only palliative care — but that the person should make those decisions based on a realistic sense of the severity of their illness. “When people are diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, it’s important that they understand what their condition is, what the treatments are, the purpose of each treatment, and what they might expect to gain,” she says. If you or a loved one is facing a life-threatening illness, it’s important to let the care team know what’s important to you or your loved one so they can help you make decisions that are in line with the person’s preferences, she adds.

Whether you or a loved one is the person facing a serious illness, you may want to let the care team know the following:

Your own understanding of the illness and prognosis, so they can clear up any misconceptions you may have. In particular, ask the team to explain any medical terms that aren’t clear and have them describe the risks and potential benefits of any therapies they propose.
The kinds of information you want to have, and what (if anything) you would rather not know.
Who should be involved in discussions about care, and whether decisions will be made alone or collaboratively.
Your, and your family’s, main worries or fears about the situation.
Your values, goals, and preferences.
What you consider “unacceptable states” — for example, being fed through a tube or being on a ventilator indefinitely.

Have the conversation with your family early

It’s always a good idea to explore these questions before you or a loved one develops a serious illness. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than half of us haven’t let our family members know how we’d like to be cared for at the end of our lives. If you want help broaching the subject, The Conversation Project, a collaboration of columnist Ellen Goodman and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, offers a starter kit of suggestions.

The post The empowering potential of end-of-life care appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Beverly Merz http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-empowering-potential-of-end-of-life-care-201601259047

More People Under 50 Getting Colon Cancer

Though guidelines suggest screening starts at 50, researcher says it's premature to change them

From: http://www.webmd.com/colorectal-cancer/news/20160125/more-people-under-50-getting-colon-cancer-analysis-finds?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Death Reported in Dole Salad Listeria Outbreak

From: http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/food-poisoning/20160125/dole-bagged-salad-recall?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Your Rights, One Voice: Alicia and Darcie’s Story

Alicia Shantz of Dearborn, Michigan, was looking at a police officer job listing for the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office when she noticed something odd. The job application included the following:

“In order to be a police officer with the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department you must meet all qualifications and requirements. Persons unable to meet these standards should not complete this application. Requirements include …. pass a pre-employment medical examination and be in good physical condition, including…. be free from chronic diseases or functional conditions which may impair the efficient performance of duties or endanger the lives of others. This includes diseases such as diabetes.”

Because Alicia has type 1diabetes, she did not apply. But at the same time, she thought this policy was unfair. So she contacted the American Diabetes Association®.

A Legal Advocate at the Association gave Alicia information about the legal rights of people with diabetes. Diabetes is considered a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and there are employment and other protections for people with disabilities.

Under federal law, an employer cannot deny a person with a disability the opportunity to apply for a job, if he or she can perform the essential duties of the job. This applies whether or not the person needs a reasonable accommodation to do the job. An employer must also provide reasonable accommodations to its employees with disabilities. Examples of accommodations include adjusting a work schedule or providing time for necessary breaks for medical reasons.

To address this diabetes discrimination issue, the Legal Advocate put Alicia in touch with Darcie Brault, a partner with McKnight, Canzano, Smith, Radtke & Brault (a law firm in Royal Oak, Michigan), and a member of the Association’s Advocacy Attorney Network. Darcie sent the Sheriff’s Office a letter that outlined the laws that cover people with diabetes, stating that their policy was illegal—and requesting that the job application language be changed accordingly.

After some back and forth, the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office agreed to change the language in its job applications. They will allow people with diabetes (and other disabilities) to apply for police officer jobs in the future.

“It was gratifying to be involved in this process. I believe we educated the Sheriff’s Office, and the result will affect all future disabled applicants.” – Darcie Brault

The American Diabetes Association leads the effort to prevent and eliminate discrimination against people with diabetes at school, at work and in other parts of daily life. If you need help, call 1-800-DIABETES or visit http://diabetes.org/gethelp.

Give the gift of fairness — donate now to help people with diabetes facing discrimination, just like Alicia.

From: American Diabetes Association http://diabetesstopshere.org/2016/01/25/your-rights-one-voice-alicia-darcies-story/

Obama Administration to Partner with 27 Communities to Boost Neighborhood Revitalization through Local Food Enterprises

WASHINGTON, January 25, 2016 – Today, on behalf of the White House Rural Council, six federal agencies joined together to announce the selection of 27 communities in 22 states that will participate in Local Foods, Local Places, a federal initiative that helps communities increase economic opportunities for local farmers and related businesses, create vibrant places and promote childhood wellness by improving access to healthy local food.

From: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=2016/01/0024.xml&contentidonly=true

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