Can patients with Stage 4 colorectal cancer be cured? - Dr. Pashtoon Kasi

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UPVr1OG520

#MeToo makes men's studies "more relevant than ever"

The field known as "masculinities studies" has gained new attention and relevance in era of #MeToo​ and #TimesUp

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/mens-studies-academic-efforts-to-understand-men-metoo-times-up/

Doctors solve mystery of "missing" part of man's brain

"I don’t think I will see another case like this again in my career:" Doctors discovered a surprising cause of one elderly man's balance problems

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/missing-part-of-mans-brain-turned-out-to-be-pocket-of-air/

How does diet affect my risk of colorectal cancer? - Dr. Lisa Boardman

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

Secretary Perdue Testifies on Rebuilding American Infrastructure

From: USDA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GTZzndH5fs

Q&A: What Should We Be Doing About the Opioid Crisis?

Kennedy has also tried to draw the connection between addiction and mental health. While in the U.S. House of Representatives, Kennedy sponsored legislation that requires insurance companies to treat mental illness, depression and addiction the same as they treat illnesses of the body. The bill, known as the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, was signed into law in 2008.

From: https://www.webmd.com/special-reports/opioids-pain/20180314/opioids-kennedy?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Q&A: What Are We Doing About the Opioid Crisis?

Scientists at the NIH, the nation’s chief medical research agency, are working on solutions for addressing the public health crisis by investigating new and better ways to prevent opioid abuse, to treat opioid use disorders and to manage pain.

From: https://www.webmd.com/special-reports/opioids-pain/20180314/opioid-collins?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Weight-Loss Surgery Beats Meds for Obese Teens

This is important information because more than 5,000 Americans under age 20 are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes every year.

From: https://teens.webmd.com/news/20180314/weight-loss-surgery-beats-meds-for-obese-teens?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Clinical Trials: What is in it for the Patient? - Living with Cancer Symposium 2018

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUlz-BI40Zw

Using Genomics to Outsmart Cancer - Living with Cancer Symposium 2018

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QW09XWMIEGU

Introducing Living with Cancer Symposium 2018

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Bpj6YdxWtU

Dispelling Cancer Myths Panel - Living with Cancer Symposium 2018

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJW77r4j1oI

Welcome and Cancer Overview - Living with Cancer Symposium 2018

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkngWAQ1UMA

Cutting Co-Pays Helps Heart Patients Take Meds

The finding comes from a study of 11,000 people treated for heart attack at 300 U.S. hospitals. All of the patients had health insurance: 64 percent had private insurance, 42 percent were covered by Medicare and 9 percent had Medicaid.

From: https://www.webmd.com/health-insurance/news/20180314/cutting-co-pays-helps-heart-patients-take-meds?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Study Confirms Lifesaving Value of Colonoscopy

The study looked at roughly 25,000 patients in the Veterans Affairs (VA) health system, where colonoscopy is widely used. The VA views it as the main screening test for patients aged 50 and older who have average odds for developing colon or rectal cancer.

From: https://www.webmd.com/colorectal-cancer/news/20180314/study-confirms-lifesaving-value-of-colonoscopy?src=RSS_PUBLIC

39 percent of U.S. dentists participate in Medicaid or CHIP for child dental services

According to the ADA Health Policy Institute, 39 percent of U.S. dentists participate in Medicaid or Children's Health Insurance Program for child dental services.

From: https://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2018-archive/march/more-than-a-third-of-all-us-dentists-participate-in-medicaid-or-chip-for-child-dental-services

Mayo Clinic Minute: Why early clinical trial results can result in false hopes

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWpo8n2aZNs

Physicist Stephen Hawking Dies

Stephen Hawking, a visionary physicist who overcame a debilitating disease, died Wednesday at the age of 76.

From: https://www.webmd.com/brain/news/20180314/physicist-stephen-hawking-dies?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Surgeons find hidden cancers with help from glowing dyes

In experimental procedures, dyes are being tested to make cancer cells light up so doctors can cut them out and give patients a better shot at survival

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/surgeons-find-hidden-cancers-with-glowing-dyes/

Opioids: A Crisis Decades In the Making

A simple letter to the editor in 1980 opened the way for America's opioid crisis.

From: https://www.webmd.com/special-reports/opioids-pain/20180314/opioids-pain?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Opioid Addiction: Getting Robbed While Getting Help

Trying to overcome drug addiction is difficult enough, but America's opioid epidemic has led to an explosion in treatment centers and clinics that might have dubious practices.

From: https://www.webmd.com/special-reports/opioids-pain/20180314/opioid-addiction?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Beyond Opioids: The Future of Pain Management

The federal government as well as the drug industry are pumping millions of dollars into research to find pain medication that works as well as opioids but aren't addictive.

From: https://www.webmd.com/special-reports/opioids-pain/20180314/opioid-alternatives?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Eating well to help manage anxiety: Your questions answered

Does diet affect anxiety? If so, what should I eat, and which foods should I try to avoid?

People who suffer with anxiety should remember a few simple rules:

• Low blood sugar, poor hydration, use of alcohol, caffeine, and smoking can also precipitate or mimic symptoms of anxiety.
• Eating regular meals and preventing hypoglycemic states are therefore important.
• Adequately hydrating with plain water is best, at least 6 to 8 glasses a day.
• While nicotine does not cause anxiety, withdrawal from nicotine can mimic anxiety, and people with anxiety may smoke to soothe themselves. It may become a problematic behavior, as nicotine can also raise blood pressure and heart rate, which are also symptoms of anxiety.
• People who feel anxiety may lean on alcohol to calm their nerves, but excessive drinking can lead to its own set of emotional and physical problems.
• Many sodas contain caffeine and have a high sugar content. Being aware of these factors and substituting plain water or sparking water for soda can be a healthier option.
• Working toward a well-balanced diet with adequate fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and healthy fats remains a good recommendation for those who struggle with anxiety. Avoiding processed foods and foods high in sugar means the body experiences fewer highs and lows of blood sugar, which helps to further reduce feelings of anxiety. Very simply put, a sugar rush can mimic a panic attack.

For example, eating a frozen dinner and ice cream will affect you differently than eating chicken and broccoli with a pasta made from whole grains or quinoa. The second meal includes whole, unprocessed foods, and you control the amount of sugar, if any, added to the meal. It takes longer for your body to metabolize these foods, which helps you feel fuller for longer and keeps blood sugar levels steady, rather than yo-yoing up and down.

Does sugar increase anxiety symptoms?

Yes! And there are many hidden sugars in the foods we eat, including savory foods. Many people don’t realize this. One example is a popular store-bought Tomato Basil Sauce. One half-cup serving (and very few people would eat just half a cup at a meal) contains 12 grams of sugar, which is 3 teaspoons (4 grams sugar = 1 teaspoon). Food labels in the US use grams, and many people do not really know how to interpret these. Recipes use ounces, pounds, teaspoons, and tablespoons, so this conversion becomes important for the consumer. So, if you used 1-1/2 cups of the pasta sauce, you would be consuming 36 grams or 9 teaspoons of sugar just from the sauce in your meal!

While your body needs a healthy balance of sugar, carbohydrates, fats, and proteins to function, it is also that very balance that helps keep us healthy. Consuming sugar through natural sources such as a piece of fruit, and not fruit juice or dried fruit, affects your body differently than candy or hidden sugars in your foods.

The FDA has a new nutrition label law coming into effect which will list the added sugars on the nutrition label for consumers and provide some other helpful data.

Do anxiety symptoms improve when you cut back on sugar and feed your body the right foods?

It’s a good idea to talk with your doctor before making dramatic changes in what you eat. Involve a nutritionist (your doctor can refer you to one) if you need some extra guidance.

As with any dietary change, your body will need some time to adjust. If you are otherwise healthy and cut back on processed sugar, you may feel your anxiety slowly improve thanks to fewer ups and downs caused by the excess sugar. If you are only using diet to combat anxiety, this change may not be obvious or immediate. You may also need to speak to a doctor about a medication. An integrated treatment approach including talk therapy, mindfulness techniques, stress relief, good sleep hygiene, and a balanced diet are all equally important parts of your care.

What else should I know about diet and anxiety?

Anxiety is linked with many physical illnesses. In addition to taking guidance from your doctor about options for treating anxiety, you should augment that treatment by paying attention to how and what you eat. A review of the literature examining the effects of diet on anxiety-related behavior highlighted that foods high in fat and/or sugar, or that are highly palatable, can affect behavior in animal models, and may do the same in humans. More human studies are needed.

Some of the following tips may be useful for you:

• eat a healthy and balanced diet along the lines of a Mediterranean diet
• cut back on sugar and processed foods
• cut back on caffeine, alcohol, and smoking cigarettes
• eat foods rich in zinc, like whole grains, oysters, kale, broccoli, legumes, and nuts
• eat foods rich in magnesium: fish, avocado, dark leafy greens
• eat foods rich in vitamin B, such as asparagus, leafy greens, meat, and avocado
• eat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, for example, wild caught salmon
• eat probiotic-rich foods like kefir, yogurt, and other fermented foods.

Of course, first and foremost, follow the medical advice of your doctor. Discuss diet, lifestyle, and medication changes, and keep track of your symptoms to see whether they improve.

The post Eating well to help manage anxiety: Your questions answered appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Uma Naidoo, MD https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/eating-well-to-help-manage-anxiety-your-questions-answered-2018031413460

Why Does America Spend More on Health Care?

The investigators found that the United States spends nearly twice as much of its wealth on health care -- 17.8 percent of its gross domestic product, compared with between 9.6 percent and 12.4 percent in other countries.

From: https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/news/20180313/why-does-america-spend-more-on-health-care?src=RSS_PUBLIC

USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue Tours Rural America

From: USDA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcN50j4CwkM

Seven years of Syria’s health tragedy

After seven years of conflict in Syria, WHO has renewed its call for the protection of health workers and for immediate access to besieged populations.

Attacks on the health sector have continued at an alarming level in the past year. The 67 verified attacks on health facilities, workers, and infrastructure recorded during the first two months of 2018 amount to more than 50% of verified attacks in all of 2017.

From: http://www.who.int/entity/mediacentre/news/releases/2018/seven-years-syria/en/index.html