Teens who use e-cigs exposed to toxic chemicals, study finds

E-cigarettes are not a harmless alternative, according to researchers who found cancer-causing chemicals in vape products

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/teens-who-use-e-cigarettes-exposed-to-toxic-chemicals-study-finds/

More kids landing in hospital after opioid overdoses

Between 2004 and 2015, the number of children and teens admitted to a pediatric intensive care unit for opioid ODs nearly doubled

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/opioid-overdoses-more-children-landing-in-the-hospital/

Tough Gun Laws Keep More Hands Off the Trigger

States with strong firearm laws have overall lower rates of gun-related murder and suicide, according to the county-by-county analysis.

From: https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/news/20180305/tough-gun-laws-keep-more-hands-off-the-trigger?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Kids Who Vape Face Toxin Dangers, Study Finds

States with strong firearm laws have overall lower rates of gun-related murder and suicide, according to the county-by-county analysis.

From: https://www.webmd.com/smoking-cessation/news/20180305/kids-who-vape-face-toxin-dangers-study-finds?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Mayo Clinic Minute: How to eat healthy while on the run

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7c7zEqib_yE

How Does Ketamine Work, and Who Does It Help?

Is it a club drug or an antidepressant? WebMD explains the uses, benefits, and side effects of ketamine.

From: https://www.webmd.com/depression/features/what-does-ketamine-do-your-brain?src=RSS_PUBLIC

What impact do state laws have on gun deaths?

New research suggests when a state has strong firearms laws, both that state and its neighbors could see protective benefits

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/gun-control-laws-state-impact-on-shooting-deaths-suicide-study/

Don't Count on Healthy Foods to Blunt Salt's Harm

About three-quarters of the salt Americans eat comes from processed, prepackaged and restaurant foods, the American Heart Association says.

From: https://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/news/20180305/dont-count-on-healthy-foods-to-blunt-salts-harm?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Coyote that bit 8 people tests positive for rabies

The coyote was shot and killed by police following several attacks in suburban Westchester County, New York

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/coyote-that-bit-8-people-in-new-york-tests-positive-for-rabies/

Emergency department referral models focus of webinar

Dental professionals can learn more about successful emergency department referral models at a no cost webinar presented by the ADA Council on Advocacy for Access and Prevention.

From: https://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2018-archive/march/emergency-department-referral-models-focus-of-webinar

Just the Facts — March 5, 2018

Dentists by practice type

From: https://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2018-archive/march/just-the-facts-march-5-2018

CGRP: A new era for migraine treatment

Migraine is a common medical condition, affecting as many as 37 million people in the US. It is considered a systemic illness, not just a headache. Recent research has demonstrated that changes may begin to occur in the brain as long as 24 hours before migraine symptoms begin. Many patients have a severe throbbing headache, often on only one side of the head. Some people are nauseated with vomiting. Many are light sensitive (photophobic) and sound sensitive (phonophobic), and these symptoms can persist after the pain goes away.

There are a variety of migraine subtypes with symptoms that include weakness, numbness, visual changes or loss, vertigo, and difficulty speaking (some patients may appear as if they are having a stroke). The disability resulting from this chronic condition is tremendous, causing missed days of work and loss of ability to join family activities.

It is sometimes possible for people to use an “abortive” medication, which, when taken early, can arrest the migraine process. For many patients, a preventive medication can decrease both the frequency and the severity of the migraines. But to date, many of the medications available for migraines have been developed primarily for other causes: seizures, depression, high blood pressure, and muscle spasms, for example. Researchers have been working for decades to develop a “targeted” preventive therapy specifically for migraine, and now we are finally close to having an exciting new treatment.

What does “targeted” therapy mean?

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is a molecule that is synthesized in neurons (nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord). It has been implicated in different pain processes, including migraine, and functions as a vasodilator — that is, it relaxes blood vessels. Once scientists identified this target molecule, they began trying to develop ways to stop it from being activated at the start of migraines, as a kind of abortive treatment. An agonist makes a molecule work more efficiently, and an antagonist blocks or reduces the molecule’s effect. The CGRP antagonist did work to decrease migraine pain based on certain measures, but there were some serious side effects including liver toxicity.

Back to the drawing board.

Monoclonal antibodies: Cutting-edge translational science

You have likely seen ads for monoclonal antibody (mAb) cancer and autoimmune therapies. There are lots of different types of mAbs, and while some harness a person’s own immune system to block replication of cancer cells, others stop a reaction in the body by binding to a target molecule or receptor and inhibiting it, thus preventing the reaction from continuing. The CGRP mAbs have this effect, and because they have a long duration of action (called a half-life), they can be administered much less frequently than typical migraine medications that are taken daily (with the exception of botulinum toxin, which is injected every 90 days). These new migraine medications are injected under the skin monthly, and have thus far demonstrated a statistically significant decrease in days of migraine. Four different drug companies are developing these new molecules, with two versions already sent to the FDA for approval.

What’s next?

If you think you may be a candidate for this new type of migraine medication, talk with your doctor, and perhaps ask for a consult with a neurologist or headache specialist who can help you understand more about the medication. Monoclonal antibody therapy is expensive, and there will likely be regulations about for whom s the treatments are appropriate. Much more research needs to be done about who is the best candidate for this therapy. But for many migraine patients who have not responded to the standard treatments, or who have had intolerable side effects such as cognitive dysfunction, low blood pressure, weight loss or gain, or other issues, CGRP monoclonal antibodies are safe and well tolerated, and are an exciting new development for migraine therapies.

The post CGRP: A new era for migraine treatment appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Carolyn A. Bernstein, MD, FAHS https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/cgrp-new-era-migraine-treatment-2018030513315

Infectious Diseases A-Z: Bacterial sinusitis

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0kaszqQXPo

Mayo Clinic Minute: Tips to avoid traveler's diarrhea

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWNQS7npPZY

Can I prevent colorectal cancer? - Dr. John Kisiel

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5lf2zP3ovM

Doctors protest after wrong patient gets brain surgery

Trainee specialists say Kenyan hospital unfairly putting blame for botched surgery on colleague, rather than addressing systemic failings

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/kenya-kenyatta-national-hospital-wrong-patient-brain-surgery-doctors-on-strike/

More U.S. Kids Landing in ICU From Opioids

An estimated 2.4 million Americans have an opioid use disorder, according to federal estimates. That includes abuse of prescription painkillers such as Vicodin and OxyContin, as well as illegal drugs like heroin.

From: https://www.webmd.com/children/news/20180305/more-us-kids-landing-in-icu-from-opioids?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Monsanto's Roundup to face cancer claims in unusual court case

A federal judge could decide the fate of more than 300 lawsuits filed against Monsanto by cancer victims

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/monsantos-roundup-to-face-cancer-claims-in-unusual-court-case/

ADA CDHC program instrumental in success of Arizona nonprofit

Pima, Ariz. — In a crowded workshop during the Arizona Dental Hygiene Convention in 2015, MiQuel McRae couldn’t help but feel isolated when the group leader went over some facts.


From: By Michelle Manchir https://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2018-archive/february/ada-cdhc-program-instrumental-in-success-of-arizona-nonprofit

ADA Member Advantage-endorsed backup, recovery system unveils enhanced solution

DDS Safe from The Digital Dental Record, a managed online data backup and recovery solution endorsed by ADA Member Advantage, announced in January an enhanced version of its backup system that could help dentists restore their information even faster.


From: By Kimber Solana https://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2018-archive/february/ada-member-advantage-endorsed-backup-recovery-system-unveils-enhanced-solution

Nominations sought for prestigious ADA research award

The ADA is accepting nominations for the 2018 Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Dental Research.


From: https://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2018-archive/february/nominations-sought-for-prestigious-ada-research-award

Serve abroad with Health Volunteers Overseas

Port-au-Prince, Haiti — Dr. Richard L. Cohen’s international volunteerism with Health Volunteers Overseas has turned into a family affair.


From: By David Burger https://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2018-archive/march/serve-abroad-with-health-volunteers-overseas

Nasty Flu Season Shows More Signs of Slowing

For the third week in a row, there was a decrease in the number of doctor visits for flu-like illness, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Friday.

From: https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/news/20180302/nasty-flu-season-shows-more-signs-of-slowing?src=RSS_PUBLIC