In a new British study, middle-aged adults and seniors who had homes close to gyms and other exercise facilities tended to be trimmer than those who didn't.
The World Health Organization said the marijuana derivative should not be classified as a dangerous drug.
But new research shows that the threat may also extend to women who simply have high blood sugar levels -- not just full-blown diabetes.
Dec. 15 is the last enrollment day for people living in 39 states served by the HealthCare.gov website.
The preliminary trial of a drug called ulixertinib was conducted with 135 patients who had already failed treatments for one of a variety of advanced, solid tumors.
Their large new study found that the risk for rosacea increases among women as weight rises.
Among women 18 to 29 years old, 60 percent said they or a female family member had been sexually harassed.
The study of U.S. adults found that people who drank hot tea on a daily basis were 74 percent less likely to have glaucoma, compared to those who were not tea fans.
Their findings come from a study of 19 Zika-infected children in Brazil, the epicenter of a Zika outbreak that began in 2015.
If you are like me, when you get the flu you head straight to the pharmacy and grab the most powerful over-the-counter medicine you can find. But is that really the best approach? After all, your condition, symptoms, and reaction to the virus may be quite different from someone else’s, so why use the same medicine? Instead, you may benefit more from a treatment specifically designed just for you and your ailment.
That’s the philosophy behind precision medicine (sometimes referred to as personalized medicine), an approach to cancer prevention and treatment that takes into account a person’s genes, environment, and lifestyle and eliminates the one-size-fits-all concept.
“As you get older, you are more likely to battle diseases and ailments, like cancer, and you do not want to waste your time with trial-and-error treatments that may not work and could expose you to various side effects,” says Dr. Paul Avillach, assistant professor of biomedical informatics at Harvard Medical School. “Precision medicine can help take out the guesswork.”
It works like this: doctors rely on family history, lifestyle habits (like diet, exercise, and smoking), and environmental factors (such as where you grew up and where you now live) to determine if you’re more likely to get certain forms of cancer. This can help create preventive strategies like adopting a healthier diet and increasing screenings.
If you have a family history of cancer, a genetic test can help clarify whether you inherited a specific genetic mutation. This involves taking a sample of either blood or saliva to look for mutations in several genes related to certain cancers.
If you are diagnosed with cancer, doctors can use genetic testing on tumors in order to find the best possible drug treatment. Tumors have genetic changes that cause cancer to grow and spread, and researchers have learned that the changes that occur in one person’s cancer may not happen in other people with the same type of cancer.
For genetic testing of tumors, doctors remove a sample of the tumor tissue and a machine called a DNA sequencer looks for genetic changes that may cause the cancer to grow. With this information in hand, doctors then try to match the cancer with existing drugs.
“With a tumor’s genetic profile, we can screen 1,000 different drugs to see which ones might work best,” says Dr. Avillach.
This way, a person is less likely to receive a drug that may not work or causes severe side effects, like blood clotting. That, in turn, cuts down on the odds of having to start treatment over again with a new drug.
Despite its name, precision medicine is not yet as precise as it should be. A study published Oct. 19, 2017, in BMC Medical Genomics suggested that genetic targeting for cancer therapy is more accurate for people of European decent and less so for those whose ancestry is Latin American, African, or Asian. Another downside: genetic testing for cancer treatment is practiced mostly at larger research hospitals and cancer centers and thus is not available everywhere.
Still, for some, it can offer a better way to prevent and treat possible cancer.
“Precision medicine is only one added element in an ongoing equation,” adds Dr. Avillach. “It’s not the solution to everything, and it won’t replace the testing and treatments currently in place, but it can help to get a more targeted answer for some.”
The post A more precise approach to fighting cancer appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.
The winter holidays are almost universally experienced as a time of joy, and of familial togetherness. For many they are the highlight of the year, a time of relaxation, gift-giving, spiritual renewal, and reflection on a year of skirmishes fought on behalf of one’s family.
But for people in recovery from substance use disorders, such as from opiates or alcohol, the holidays can be a time of unique and profound stress. Part of this stress is related to the freely flowing alcohol that can be found at many holiday events, and another aspect is often related to complex interactions with family members who can be “triggers” for dark and uncomfortable feelings that can even threaten one’s hard-won sobriety.
If you are in recovery from a substance use disorder, be it drugs or alcohol, and the holidays do cause you emotional distress, it is critical to have plans and strategies in place for dealing with the realities of the holiday season, to minimize any risks to your sobriety. As it is commonly said in recovery parlance, “The first thing you put ahead of your sobriety will be the second thing you lose.” Even if you have to be, for lack of a better word, ruthless, and step on a few toes, it is essential that you guard your recovery as the most precious gift you have, because it is.
It is critical to have a plan in place, in advance of the holidays, to minimize stress and dangerous exposures. While one certainly can’t foresee or predict all contingencies, many can be anticipated and planned for. What are your triggers and flash points? What are the scenarios that have proven dangerous in the past? What kinds of interactions knock you off center? Who can you call if/when you start feeling like you are losing your grip? How are you planning to re-center yourself? Can you envision yourself just walking away from stressful situations?
The first obstacle that often comes up is the holiday office party. I’ve worked with many people in recovery who tell me that coworkers can look at them as if they have a third eye, or as if they have just sprouted wings, if they decline an alcoholic beverage. Many have trouble just being around alcohol, not to mention the unchecked inebriation that can occur at these parties. Some skip these events altogether, if the office politics allow this; others show up briefly, and those who are more comfortable with their sobriety simply say, “I don’t drink.” That usually ends the conversation, unless the person they are conversing with is clueless enough to ask why.
An even more complex scenario can be a holiday family gathering. In addition to the issue of freely available alcohol, many find resentments, conflicts, hostility, guilt, and triggers lurking just below the superficial holiday cheer. I’ve heard it said that your family can push your buttons better than anyone else because they are the ones that put them there.
Some families are considerate enough to hide the alcohol or, better, to go alcohol-free, but often, sadly, there are many people who just can’t enjoy themselves without some type of intoxicant. As addictions can run in families, many in recovery complain about their addicted or alcoholic family members who refuse to get diagnosed or admit their problems, but who drink like fish at all family gatherings.
To deal with stress, some try to limit time at family events. Some bring sober friends. Some skip them altogether. Some plan extra therapy sessions before the holidays to try to smooth things over in advance. Others spend time with their “recovery families” instead, and go to sober events. For example, most cities have holiday recovery-a-thons (24-hour recovery meeting events) for the exact reason that this is such a difficult time for people in recovery. I’ve heard that they can be really fun.
Recovery, if about anything, is about connecting with other people. It is about far more than just the absence of drugs or alcohol. Addiction slowly robs you of your relationships, as you become emotionally obsessed with your drug of choice. With recovery comes a blossoming of human connection, interaction, meaning, and hope. In order to recover, we learn tools to keep ourselves centered, such as humility, compassion, listening skills, and mindfulness. We learn to ask for help, and not try to internalize and fix all of our problems on our own. The holidays present a perfect opportunity to reach into your recovery toolbox and use any and all of these tools. In line with this, don’t forget to check in on your brothers and sisters in recovery during the holiday season. It’s easy enough to pick up the phone, and you will find yourself feeling better as well.
And if you are not in recovery, but you are at an office party and someone declines an offer of an alcoholic beverage, please accept that as the most reasonable choice in the world and move on. If it makes you uncomfortable that they aren’t drinking, you may wish to reflect upon your own relationship to alcohol.
The post Navigating the holidays in recovery appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.
