04/19/17

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Automated external defibrillators: Do you need an AED?

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-arrhythmia/in-depth/automated-external-defibrillators/art-20043909

South Beach Diet

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/south-beach-diet/art-20048491

Meditation: A simple, fast way to reduce stress

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/meditation/in-depth/meditation/art-20045858

Wounded vet frustrated with weeks-long delays in local VA

Life on prostethics was never going to be easy for Marine Sergeant Major Raymond Mackey. Making things more difficult are the delays he experiences when attempting to get treatment from the VA. He and his family have endured various rounds of frustration as they attempt to receive medical care. David Martin has a report on what's being done about it.

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/wounded-vet-frustrated-with-weeks-long-delays-in-local-va/

Living stronger: 107-year-old singer still has the moves

Joe Binder is a 107-year-old Navy veteran who's been entertaining people for most of his life. But he still exercises every day: dancing, push ups and more. He revealed his secret to living stronger to CBS News' Don Dahler.

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/living-stronger-107-year-old-singer-still-has-the-moves/

Centenarian a fixture in NYC neighborhood by caring about others

Joe Binder, 107, takes the mic every Saturday night at Pasquale's Rigoletto to the delight of the crowd

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/living-stronger-joe-binder-centenarian-a-fixture-in-bronx-neighborhood-by-caring-about-others/

U.S. cities with the worst air pollution

A look at the metro areas with the most health-damaging air pollution, according to a report from the American Lung Association

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/air-pollution-worst-us-cities/

Dad warns about electric shock drowning after teen's death

"People think 'Oh, this is a freak accident. It's not going to happen to me.' And here we are now -- 3 dead in a year"

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/parents-warn-about-electric-shock-drowning-after-15-year-old-girls-tragic-death/

Longevity Secrets of 'Super Agers'

WebMD looks at characteristics that healthy 90 and 100-year-olds have in common.

From: http://www.webmd.com/special-reports/anti-aging-science/20170404/super-ager-secrets?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Could a Pill Put the Breaks on Aging?

WebMD looks at efforts by researchers to find an anti-aging pill.

From: http://www.webmd.com/special-reports/anti-aging-science/20170329/anti-aging-pill?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Are Tiny Telomeres the Key to Aging?

WebMD looks at research on telomeres and their affect on aging.

From: http://www.webmd.com/special-reports/anti-aging-science/20170419/telomere-aging-link?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Three's company at New Dentist Conference

Not just one but three people will be the keynote speakers at the New Dentist Conference, held in conjunction with ADA 2017 – America's Dental Meeting at the Georgia World Congress Center in October.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/april/threes-company-at-new-dentist-conference

ADA exhibit: World War I and dentistry

The photograph is part of an exhibit in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the U.S. entry into World War I, which is on display at ADA Headquarters in Chicago.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/april/ada-exhibit-world-war-i-and-dentistry

Why Lady Gaga and Prince William Say 'It's Time to Talk' About Mental Health

These famous faces are joining forces to encourage others to open up about mental health issues.

From: http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/features/lady-gaga-prince-william-mental-health?src=RSS_PUBLIC

New book gives pointers for a satisfying retirement

As Alan Roadburg, Ph.D., was writing his latest book, he had some help — from no fewer than 575 dentists.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/april/new-book-gives-pointers-for-a-satisfying-retirement

ADA, others ask Congress to oppose proposed NIH cuts

The Friends of National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research Association is asking Congress to oppose the Trump Administration's budget proposal for fiscal year 2018, which recommends a 20 percent cut to the National Institutes of Health overall budget as well as $1.2 billion in cuts to FY 2017 in order to pay for an increase in defense and the wall along the Mexican border.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/april/ada-others-asks-congress-to-oppose-proposed-nih-cuts

Could this noninvasive technique crack the code to fighting obesity?

If you're obese and struggle to control your hunger pangs, research suggests that non-invasive brain stimulation might help

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/could-brain-stimulation-crack-the-code-on-fighting-obesity/

Why It Matters That Lady Gaga and The Royals Are Talking About Mental Health

These famous faces are joining forces to encourage others to open up about mental health issues.

From: http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/features/lady-gaga-the-royals-talking-about-mental-health?src=RSS_PUBLIC

George H.W. Bush Back in Hospital

Hospital Inspection Details May Soon be Public Iowa Abortion Bill Sent to Governor Progress Being Made Against Neglected Tropical Diseases: WHO

From: http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/news/20170419/george-h-w-bush-back-in-hospital?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Mayo Clinic Minute: How often do kids need to shampoo?

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLObS8FuNno

Young Chose Cigarettes Over Pot With Drinking

Survey found smoking-plus-drinking was favored, and findings could point to better ways to quit both

From: http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/news/20170419/for-the-young-cigarettes-go-better-with-booze-than-pot?src=RSS_PUBLIC

A 'Brainwave' to Help Fight PTSD

Study is preliminary, but suggests an acoustic 'feedback' technology might help some patients

From: http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/news/20170419/a-brainwave-to-help-fight-ptsd?src=RSS_PUBLIC

New ADA Foundation award helps promising oral health researchers

The ADA Foundation and Procter & Gamble have launched a new award to promote and recognize excellence in oral health research that advances preventive dentistry.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/april/new-ada-foundation-award-helps-promising-oral-health-researchers

Sleep experts recommend new school start time for teens

From safer driving to better attendance, teens would fare better if schools changed morning hours, say sleep doctors

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/sleep-experts-recommend-new-school-start-time-for-teens-high-school/

Smoking cessation: Create a quit-smoking plan

From: http://www.mayoclinic.com/healthy-lifestyle/quit-smoking/in-depth/smoking-cessation/art-20045441

Relaxation techniques: Try these steps to reduce stress

From: http://www.mayoclinic.com/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/relaxation-technique/art-20045368

Meditation: A simple, fast way to reduce stress

From: http://www.mayoclinic.com/tests-procedures/meditation/in-depth/meditation/art-20045858

Automated external defibrillators: Do you need an AED?

From: http://www.mayoclinic.com/diseases-conditions/heart-arrhythmia/in-depth/automated-external-defibrillators/art-20043909

Single parent? Tips for raising a child alone

From: http://www.mayoclinic.com/healthy-lifestyle/childrens-health/in-depth/single-parent/art-20046774

South Beach Diet

From: http://www.mayoclinic.com/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/south-beach-diet/art-20048491

Nicole Barlanti - Brain Tumor Survivor Story

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfgm1oPBeog

When a loved one is addicted to opiates

We are in the midst of an unprecedented epidemic, with several million people currently addicted to opiates in the United States, including both prescription drugs and heroin. Much discussion has been devoted to the visible tragedy of overdoses, which are killing dozens of people every day. Less attention has been paid to a more subtle, but damaging and painful, component of this epidemic: how a person suffering from opiate addiction affects his or her family members.

The effects of substance use disorder on loved ones

Substance use disorders (SUDs) are brain diseases that can negatively affect a person’s behavior and fundamentally alter one’s personality. It is not uncommon for people suffering from SUDs to act in a way that is alienating and destructive to their friends and families. For example, a common scenario is theft of property or money to purchase drugs. Families can feel hurt and betrayed by this behavior, especially if they don’t understand that addiction is a disease. Family members can feel lied to, cheated, manipulated, and at times even threatened. With any signs of progress, with each stay in rehab, they become hopeful, only to have their hopes dashed again and again.

What can you do if you have a loved one addicted to opiates? This question has no easy answers, but does have several distinct schools of thought.

The “tough love” approach

A common belief is that a “tough love” approach will help family members avoid enabling the addiction. The thinking is that a family member can make an addiction worse by removing or cushioning the natural consequences of the addicted person’s actions, so that they do not have an incentive to recover. For example, if a person spends all his or her money on drugs, and you give them more money for food, you have “enabled” their addiction. Otherwise, presumably, they would go hungry, and would start to understand the connection between their drug use and their hunger.

In this example, the “tough love” approach suggests that the thieving offender be forced to “find their bottom,” or become miserable enough to understand the inescapable need to seek treatment. This response would also serve the purposes of protecting the family’s finances and property and setting up physical and psychological boundaries, so that the members of the family can move on with their lives.

Unfortunately, with our current opiate crisis, “finding your bottom” all too commonly can mean death from overdose, especially with our streets being flooded with fentanyl, a deadly opiate that people often mistakenly buy, looking for heroin.

Plain old love as an approach

Gradually, a more nurturing and supportive approach to substance users is supplanting the “tough love” approach. This is partly in response to the sheer number of overdose deaths. It is also due in part to the increasing awareness of addiction as a disease that needs to be met with empathy, rather than a moral failing that deserves scorn and punishment. Instead of tough love, people are simply using plain old love to try to coax their family member back into the fold, and hopefully encourage them to seek treatment. Each slip or relapse is met with support and patience, as families increasingly understand the chronic and relapsing nature of addiction. Many believe that this is a safer and more humane way to respond to addiction.

A tenet of 12-step ideology is that addiction is a “disease of isolation,” with its hallmarks being secrecy and disconnection. Therefore it makes sense that human connection would be an important component of treating addiction, and that a strategy of loving engagement might be more effective than one that shuns the sufferer or blames the victim. Through engagement and connection, a lifeline to treatment can be offered.

And about the suffering of family and friends…

It is essential to pay attention to the well-being of the family members themselves during all of this, as having a loved one with a substance use disorder can be profoundly stressful and disruptive, even traumatic. Every situation is different, but certain general principles apply. Psychologically, it is critical to be as open with your social community as you feel comfortable being, and to rely on the support of others. Many people find getting involved in a recovery group such as Al-Anon or Nar-Anon to be invaluable. Sometimes suffering alone can be the worst type of suffering. Family therapists and addiction specialists may also be helpful.

On a practical level, one must protect one’s finances, and you may need to change passwords or secure valuables if theft is an issue. If living with your addicted loved one is just too stressful, alternative living arrangements may be necessary. Some families may need to change their locks. Families must decide whether they truly wish to go deeply into debt to fund a second or third stint at rehab.

One of the most difficult situations that families can face is coping with a loved one who is actively abusing opiates. With our current epidemic, it is becoming distressingly common. This situation is always replete with guilt, shame, and stigma for everyone. A frequently used metaphor (borrowed from airline safety videos, yet commonly employed in recovery centers) is that it is critical that you put on your own oxygen mask before trying to help others do the same, so that you are able to remain functional in order to help. This fully pertains to addiction. We suffer alone, but we recover together.

The post When a loved one is addicted to opiates appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Peter Grinspoon, M.D. http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/loved-one-addicted-opiates-2017041911375

#ThisIsDiabetes on Capitol Hill

We brought more than 180 advocates from 34 states to Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, March 29 through Friday, March 31 for our 2017 Call to Congress. The group included adults and children living with diabetes, family members and caregivers of people with diabetes, researchers, physicians and diabetes care providers. We were also joined by more than 30 members of Team Tackle, an initiative that brings together current and former professional football players and the Association to focus on raising awareness of diabetes and prediabetes.

Diabetes Advocates gathered in front of the U.S. Capitol Building.

During a press conference at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill, we outlined the state of the diabetes epidemic and called on Congress to protect access to adequate health insurance for people living with diabetes, to increase federal funding to support and drive diabetes research and programs and to ensure that lifesaving insulin is accessible for all who need it. U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Susan Collins (R-ME), co-chairs of the Senate Diabetes Caucus, spoke at the press conference, in addition to:

· George King, MD, Chief Scientific Officer, Joslin Diabetes Center at Harvard Medical School shared the impact of his more than 35 years in diabetes research,

· Kyle Love, defensive end for Carolina’s professional football team, spoke about his diabetes diagnosis, his family history of diabetes and his goals as a member of Team Tackle;

· Patient advocate and mother Kathy Sego shared her family’s diabetes journey with their now-college sophomore son who has type 1 diabetes; and

· Certified Diabetes Nurse Educator and President of the Granite State Diabetes Educators Liz Kennett from New Hampshire.

LaShawn McIver, MD, MPH, Senior Vice President, Advocacy, American Diabetes Association delivers the Association’s Make Insulin Affordable petition to Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Susan M. Collins (R-ME).

At the press conference, we also delivered our “Make Insulin Affordable” petition, signed by more than 235,000 people since November 2016, to Sens. Shaheen and Collins. The high cost of insulin has impacted many Americans. The affordability issue is a complex one, and the insulin supply chain includes many entities. We asked for Congress’ help to work with all of the stakeholders in the supply chain to identify the catalysts for the cost increases and to create viable solutions for all Americans who depend on this life-saving medicine.

Team Tackle member Frostee Rucker, defensive end for the Arizona professional football team, William T. Cefalu, MD, Chief Scientific, Medical & Mission Officer for the American Diabetes Association, and other advocates preparing to meet with Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.)

Following the press conference, advocates went on to hold 189 meetings with members of Congress and their staff. The three-day event also consisted of key advocacy training, where all attendees received critical insight into the Association’s legislative priorities, tips for making their Congressional meetings most effective and instructions on how to continue their advocacy efforts in their hometowns.

By sharing their personal stories on Capitol Hill and putting a face to this epidemic that affects nearly 116 million Americans, our diabetes advocates illustrated precisely why our leaders in Congress must take action now to stop diabetes. It’s not too late to join the fight against diabetes. Sign up today to become an advocate and help us improve the lives of all people affected by this disease!

From: American Diabetes Association http://diabetesstopshere.org/2017/04/19/thisisdiabetes-on-capitol-hill/