Our Town 50
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Alzheimer's Association, Inc. 800-272-3900
American Cancer Society 800-ACS-2345
American Heart Association
American Liver Foundation 800-223-0179
American Paralysis Association 800-225-0292
American Social Health 800-227-8922
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Association 800-782-4747
Anxiety Disorders of America Association
American Diabetes Association 800-232-3472
American Lung Association 800-LUNG-USA
Arthritis Foundation 800-283-7800
American Tinnitus Association
Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America 800-7-ASTHMA
Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America 800-932-2423
Children & Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder 800-233-4050
Epilepsy Foundation of America 800-EFA-1000
The Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health
Hospice Foundation of America
Huntington's Disease Society of America 800-345-HOSA
Glaucoma Research Foundation
Interstitial Cystitis Association
Juvenile Diabetes Foundation International 800-223-1138
Lupus Foundation of America 301-670-9292
Leukemia Society of America
March of Dimes 914-428-7100
Myasthenia Gravis Foundation
National Osteoporosis Foundation Association 800-223-9994
National Down Syndrome Society 800-221-4602
National Easter Seal Society 312-726-6200
National Family Caregivers Association
National Hemophilia Foundation 800-42-HANDI
National Hospice Organization 800-658-8898
National Kidney Cancer Association
National Osteoporosis Foundation 800-223-9994
National Neurofibromatosis Foundation
National Multiple Sclerosis Society
National Psoriasis Foundation
National Sleep Foundation
National Tuberous Sclerosis 800-225-6872
Orton Dyslexia Society 800-222-3123
The Paget Foundation 800-23-PAGET
Prevent Blindness America 800-331-2020
Spina Bifida Association of America 800-621-3141
Tourette Syndrome Association 800-237-0717
United Ostomy Association 800-826-0826
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Odor testing helps diagnosis of Parkinson's disease A test of olfactory functioning can be used to
distinguish Parkinson's disease from similar conditions, researchers
say. In this study, 18 patients with Parkinson's disease, 14 with vascular parkinsonism and 27 controls were given a smell identification test that involves sampling 40 different odors on paper strips. Those who had Parkinson's had lower test scores than either of the other groups. The olfactory test is easy to carry out, so it's to be hoped it might be adopted for a more accurate diagnosis of Parkinson's disease. Other research has suggested that many with vascular parkinsonism are sometimes wrongly diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Source
Computer over-use may lead to glaucoma People who are short-sighted and also use computers a lot may be at increased use of glaucoma. Glaucoma is an eye condition in which there is a build-up of pressure within the eyeball. This leads to damage of the optic nerve and visual impairment - even blindness. Japanese researchers looked at around 10,000 workers in four different companies and found that around five per cent had some visual abnormalities. Of these people, around a third had suspected glaucoma. The participants had been asked about computer use - how many years they'd used a computer and how long they spent at the screen at any one time. Heavy computer use - many years and several hours at one time - were risk factors for glaucoma, especially if the person was already short-sighted. The study suggests that those at risk might monitor their computer use to protect their eyesight. Source Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health November 2004 Volume 58 pages 1021-1027 Fatty acid does not Treatment with vitamin A and the fatty acid DHA did not
retard the progression of retinitis pigmentosa. They studied 221 patients with retinitis pigmentosa already on vitamin A. They were given either 1,200 milligrams a day of DHA or a placebo. There were no significant differences between the two groups after four years. Further analysis showed that DHA did benefit a sub-group of patients - those not taking vitamin A therapy at the start of the trial - for the first two years of the trial. The researchers conclude that vitamin A is certainly required for all with retinitis pigmentosa but the addition of DHA will only benefit a few. Source Corneal thickness can affect glaucoma management Thickness of the cornea may be important in making
treatment decisions in glaucoma. Researchers at the Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute, Columbia University, New York, looked at how CCT measurements might affect treatment decisions in a group of 188 patients with glaucoma or suspected glaucoma. They found that 56 per cent of the group had a measurement of CCT that led to the need for an adjustment in intraocular pressure reading. This, in turn lead to changes in therapy - for eye drop medication, laser therapy or even glaucoma surgery. Clearly CCT should be an important factor in determining how glaucoma should best be managed. Source
Obese women run higher colorectal cancer risk A new study reveals that a high body mass index among
women increases their risk of colorectal cancer. The link, however, was only significant for women. Those with a BMI over 40 had a 5.2 times greater risk of colon cancer compared to those with a BMI of 25 or less. The difference between men and women might be explained by women having more body fat, the researchers say. More work is needed to clarify this. In the meantime, doctors should take this risk into account when advising overweight or obese women about attending for colonoscopy. Source Osteoporosis drugs useful A new study of older women shows that drugs taken for
osteoporosis can also help with knee arthritis. They looked at a group of 818 women, average age 75, of whom around a quarter were taking the bone antiresorptive drugs estrogen or alendronate. Those on these osteoporosis treatments had fewer bone abnormalities as revealed by magnetic resonance imaging of the knee than those not on these drugs. They also had less knee pain. However, there was no benefit to cartilage, which is usually worn away in arthritis. The study suggests that estrogen and alendronate may be of some value in slowing down the progress of arthritis. Source
Drug reduces prostate cancer risk A drug which reduces an enlarged prostate gland also
reduces the risk of prostate cancer, a study finds. Researchers at the University of Texas have now found that finasteride also reduces the risk of prostate cancer. They report from the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial, a seven year study involving nearly 10,000 men showed that finasteride can reduce the risk of prostate cancer by 25 per cent. However, the drug can also have some significant sexual side effects, which should be taken into account when balancing the benefit risk equation. It may also increase the risk of high-grade prostate cancer in some patients. Source
Simpler procedure for
detecting breast cancer spread
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Breaking News: A promising new cancer treatment that may one day replace radiation and chemotherapy is edging closer to human trials. Kanzius RF therapy attaches microscopic nanoparticles to cancer cells and then "cooks" tumors inside the body with harmless radio waves. Based on technology developed by Pennsylvania inventor John Kanzius, a retired radio and TV engineer, the treatment has proven 100 percent effective at killing cancer cells while leaving neighboring healthy cells unharmed. It is currently being tested at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
* Bradenton homeless coalition hopes to have new shelter open for families with children.
Overweight increases kidney stone risk A new report from two long-running
studies shows that obesity and weight gain increase the risk of
developing a kidney stone. The data come from the long-running Health Professionals Follow-Up study, involving over 45,000 men, and the Nurses' Health Study which covers nearly 94,000 women. Men weighing more than 220 pounds had a 44 per cent greater chance of kidney stones than those weighing less than 150 pounds. For women in these weight categories, the increased risk was about 90 per cent - the exact figure dependent on age. When it came to weight gain, those who had put on more than 35 pounds since age 21 had a 39 per cent increased risk, compared to those who had stayed the same weight. For women, the equivalent risk was 70 per cent for older women and 82 per cent for younger women. It looks as if there is no specific dietary component that promotes - or protects from - kidney stones. Rather, it is overweight itself that is the risk factor. Source
Anticoagulant gives moderate but useful benefit after heart attack The new anticoagulant, reviparin, reduces
the rate of death, heart attack or stroke after a heart attack. A group of over 15,000 patients received either reviparin or placebo after a heart attack and the combined outcome of a further heart attack, stroke or death was measured. At seven days, those on reviparin had a 13 per cent reduced risk of one of these events compared to placebo. The benefit persisted up to 30 days. Further analysis revealed that the results were best when reviparin was given early - two hours after symptom onset. The benefit may be modest but there are other advantages to this new drug. It can be given subcutaneously rather than as an infusion and it is rather less expensive than some other drugs in its class. The researchers believe it could be used to help people in both developed and less developed countries. Source
New drug treats pulmonary hypertension How marriage affects men's health In some ways, men stop taking care of their health when
they re-marry, although they improve in other ways. On the other hand, those who re-married also had a better diet, with a higher vegetable intake, compared to widowed or divorced/separated men. Men whose wives died tended to both increase alcohol intake and increase alcohol consumption. The conclusion is that marriage break-up - whether through death or divorce - can have a negative impact on a man's health, because it can trigger an unhealthy lifestyle. Source Sunshine may protect against lymphoma Oral antiseptic as effective as dental floss A study shows that rinsing with an oral antiseptic
removes at least as much plaque as using dental floss. A survey shows that Americans do not, on the whole, have time or energy for flossing. Only a quarter thought their dentist would give them an 'A' grade for oral hygiene. But there may be another way. A comparison of rinsing twice a day with Listerine mouthwash and using floss showed that both remove plaque - and antiseptic might remove a bit more. However, the dentist is not about to suggest antiseptic as an alternative to floss - it is best to use both to ensure you get rid of the maximum amount of plaque. Source
Hardening of leg arteries is a danger sign People with blocked arteries in their legs probably have
a similar problem in other vessels, which could lead to heart disease or
stroke. PAD may lead to some pain in their legs and problems with walking. The trouble is that many people assume this is a normal sign of aging and don't do anything about it. And, quite often, PAD doesn't give rise to any symptoms at all. But it's possible to screen those at risk using a painless procedure called the ankle brachial index (ABI) test. This involves measuring the blood pressure in the legs and comparing it with the blood pressure in the arms. If PAD is found, it can be managed by many of the same measures we use to protect against heart disease - smoking cessation, dietary changes, physical activity and maybe certain medications. Source
Get the Facts on Surgery for Obesity About two-thirds of people in the USA are overweight,
and of these, almost half are obese. And the groups showing the most
rapid increase in numbers are the very obese (those with a BMI over 35)
and the morbidly obese Morbid obesity is accompanied by an increased likelihood of type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and several other serious conditions. Morbidly obese men and women aged 22 have a reduced life span of 12 and 8 years, respectively. Diet and medication are unsuccessful in morbid obesity. However, over the last 10 years bariatric surgery2 has offered new hope for the management of this condition. A report in the Journal of the American Medical Association has analyzed the results of over 22,000 individual surgeries to assess the benefits and risks of this approach. Here's a summary of the main findings. The analyzed patients The data from 136 published studies were pooled for analysis (i.e. this was a meta-analysis). About 4 out of 5 of the patients were women; their average age was 39, and their average BMI was 47. There were 4 kinds of bariatric surgery: gastric banding, gastric bypass, stomach stapling (gastroplasty), and other procedures involving diversion of the bile duct, etc. The results of the meta-analysis are given in this
table:
Other beneficial results of bariatric surgery included improvement of high blood cholesterol in 70% of patients, normalization of high blood pressure in 62%, and resolution of sleep apnea in 84% of patients. There is no doubt that such improvements in these and other related conditions will result in longer lives for these patients. What this analysis means It's clear that bariatric surgery in morbidly obese patients results in effective weight loss, coupled with improvements or resolution of diabetes as well as a number of serious conditions. And it seems to be relatively safe, with postoperative mortality ranging from 0.1% for the simpler procedures (gastric banding and stapling), with 0.5% for gastric bypass, to as high as 1.1% for the more complicated procedures. Obviously it would be best if nobody developed morbid obesity in the first place. Correct nutrition and plenty of physical activity should begin in childhood, hopefully becoming habitual. But obesity in adolescents and young adults can be reversed in a proportion of cases, given sufficient support and resources. For those who have progressed to morbid obesity, with all the complications that follow, bariatric surgery offers real hope of a longer and more comfortable life. Source
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