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American Health News and
Wellness Report Newsletter
Prevention is a Cure (c)
DECEMBER 2011 - Vol 12 Issue 41 |
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Greetings! |
Calendar of events
Monday, December 5th 2011 7:30 pm
ELF School
The Boca Raton Community Center
150 Crawford Blvd, Boca Raton
561 361 9091 Free
Saturday, December 3rd 2011 9:00 a.m.
The Senior Friendship Club: A senior discussion group
Heritage Park West Library
5859 Via Flora, Delray Beach
561 361 9091 $1 Donation
ELF School next Monday December 5th is the last rehearsal before going to visit the Hospitals and nursing homes where each and every resident gets a gift by our wonderful singing and dancing elves. Its the last opportunity to join the gang of elves for this worthwhile effort and endeavor. Call 561 361 9091 for details.
Congratulations to all the winners of this years Senior Achievement/Veterans Day Awards with 137 people in attendance.
President American Health Association
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| Senior Achievement Gala Report |
The Senior Achievement/Veterans Day Gala Luncheon was a monster success with awards going to the Non-Profit Corporate Leader, JARC House, as well as the Non-Profit Corporate Employee of the Year, Hospice by the Sea.
In addition, the military awards went to Veteran of the Year for the tri-County and the Military Volunteer of the Year for 2011.
Pictures are available to see here. |
| Vitamin D deficiency linked to pulmonary disease |
Vitamin D Deficiency Linked To Pulmonary Disease
(American Health Newswire) According to a recent study involving 973 North American patients, Vitamin D levels are not related to acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, AECOPD, in patients with sever COPD.
In the study, a secondary analysis of data from a randomzed controlled trial of the effects of azithromycin, an antibiotic used to treat certain bacterial infections, on the frequency of AECOPD. No relationship was found between Vitamin D levels and time time to first AECOPD or between Vitamin D levels and AECOPD exacerbation rates.
"Vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency are common in patients with COPD, and patients with severe COPD are at the highest risk for exacerbations, so we hypothesized that low vitamin D levels might increase the risk of AECOPDs," Ken M. Kunisaki, M.D., of the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, was quoted as saying. "Our negative results are in contrast with earlier studies in which lower vitamin D levels were associated with higher rates of respiratory infections in adults and more frequent asthma exacerbations in children."
Having severe Vitamin D defenciency was defined as a complex of respiratory symptoms, increased or new-onset, of at least one of the following: coughing, sputum, wheezing, dyspnea or chest tightness with a duration of at least three days and requiring treatment with an antibiotic or system iccorticosteroid.
In the primary analysis, vitamin D levels had no relationship to time to first AECOPD.
Patients with severe vitamin D deficiency had a higher mean rate of AECOPDs, but this difference was not statistically significant. Patients with severe vitamin D deficiency did not exhibit faster time to first AECOPD than other patients.
The study had some limitations. Vitamin D levels were only assessed at baseline, and so may have changed during the study period. Seasonal changes in vitamin D levels may also have occurred.
"Contrary to what we expected, baseline vitamin D levels were not related to the risk of subsequent AECOPDs in this large group of COPD patients at high risk of AECOPD," Kunisaki was quoted as saying. "Vitamin D supplementation is unlikely to have an effect on AECOPD risk in these patients."
SOURCE : American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, November 4, 2011 |
| New device for diabetics |
New Device for Diabetics
RICHMOND, VA ( American Health Newswire) -- Close to 26 million people in this country have diabetes including one in every 400 children. For years, the only choice those with insulin-dependent diabetes had was to wear an insulin pump with tubes. But, they can sometimes tangle up and embarrass the user or get in the way of enjoying activities. Now, the world's first tubeless insulin pump is changing that.
Whether it's practicing Tae-Kwon-Do or wrestling around with his younger brother, 9-year-old Parker Gregory doesn't let anything slow him down.
"When I go to the pool and stuff I always like to go off the high dive," Parker told American Health. While Parker is full of life, he was diagnosed at age six with a deadly disease, type 1 diabetes. As a nurse, Parker's dad knows the disease all too well.
"I see amputations. I see people losing their eyesight. Kidney failure, heart disease," James Gregory, Parker's dad, said.
As a father, it was tough to explain.
"I said 'I'm sorry' and had to tell him all those needles and pricks and things that hurt would have to continue for the rest of his life," James said.
"It's not fun at all," Parker said, but Parker is a fighter and thanks to the world's first tubeless insulin pump, Parker gets to act like any other kid his age.
"Oh I feel great just like a normal person. Except I have a pump on. It sticks to my body," Parker said.
With a traditional pump, tubing carries life-saving insulin to the body. The Omnipod, which is waterproof, delivers insulin without tubes or shots for up to three days.
"You're not pulling out syringes. You're not freaking people out with you know medical supplies," Dr. Deidre Mcsweeney - Tyson, a director of Pediatric Endocrinology, at Bon Secours Medical Group, told American Health.
And it's all controlled wirelessly through a hand-held device giving kids, like Parker, the freedom to be themselves.
The symptoms of type 1 diabetes include weight loss, increased thirst and frequent urination. Incredibly, Parker's family found out he had diabetes when ants began congregating in the bathroom. They were attracted to the high levels of sugar in parker's urine and prompted his parents to test his glucose levels. |
| Tricking high blood pressure |
Tricking High Blood Pressure
RICHMOND, VA ( American Health Newswire) -- In the U.S., 80 million people suffer with high blood pressure. One in three of those can't get it under control. That can lead to heart disease, stroke or kidney failure. Now a new implant is literally changing the minds of those who can't get relief from drugs alone.
Going for a walk isn't a problem for Sunni and Dayli anymore, now that their owner's blood pressure is under control. But it wasn't always the case. Robert is one of 27 million Americans with resistant hypertension.
"My blood pressure was out of control and it would have led to my death," Robert Breece told American Health..
Doctors diagnose resistant hypertension when blood pressure stays high despite taking at least three drugs. Robert was taking seven.
"I've taken many drugs over the years, trying to find combinations that work," Robert said.
But nothing did. So when doctor Dominic Sica told Robert about an investigational implant
that could help him control his blood pressure, he decided to give it a try, even if it was a mind trick of sorts.
"It is trickery at its finest physiological point of view," Domenic Sica, M.D., a professor of medicine and pharmacology, and director of the Blood Pressure Disorders Unit at Virginia Commonwealth University Health System, explained.
Here's how it works, the hypertension device is implanted into the chest and attaches two electrodes to the carotid arteries. It then sends a signal to the brain, fooling it into thinking the blood pressure is higher than it is. "The brain then says 'let me turn off various pathways' by which then brain controls blood pressure and when that happens those mechanisms are down regulated and the blood pressure tends to come down," Dr. Sica said.
Patients may still need to take some medications. Robert went from seven to four and his blood pressure dropped from 225 over 125 to 128 over 68.
"It's made a huge difference. I don't worry about my blood pressure," Robert said.
Now he can focus his attention on what matters, his two best friends.
The device is not for everyone. It is designed for people who have severe cases of high blood pressure that can't be controlled with medication. Patients must also be committed to having the battery surgically replaced every few years. |
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100% of every dollar goes to service the charities programs and services here in Palm Beach County and around the globe Not one cent in 8 years has ever gone to salaries, of any kind, to anyone. We are, from top to bottom all volunteers in service to the community. |
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MISSION STATEMENT
The American Health Society is a distinguished 11 year old multi-award winning preventative public health & wellness 501(c)(3) charity whose mission is in preventative healthcare, mental wellness, health education, literacy and advocacy aimed at preventing lifestyle based illnesses, diseases and the frailties of aging.
We have a strong "Social Green Philosophy" of Humanitarian Service through our American Volunteer Corps which has a global outreach in 46 countries with members in 37 US States.
J. Robert Gordon - CEO and Founder American Health Association
561-361-9091 |
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