Archive for October, 2006
HIV testing may become routine for Americans between the ages of 13 to 64. Nearly half of HIV infections are found in patients who are unaware they have the virus.
About 250,000 Americans have AIDS but don’t know it. These individuals need prompt medical care in order to control the virus and to help prevent its spread to others. Life-extending therapies now available are most effective when treatment is begun early in the disease.
The Center for Disease Control is recommending that HIV testing become part of a routine physical. This recommendation is not binding legally, and all doctors and health insurers may not embrace this policy.
If implemented, more expense would be involved for testing, counseling, and revising consent procedures. Standard tests vary between $2.50 and $8 a test. The new rapid test costs about $15, but follow-up tests to confirm the diagnosis could cost another $50 or more. In this country, treatment for HIV can cost more than $10,000 a year.
It might be difficult to carry out recommended routine testing for these age groups. The most sensible strategy would be to test for the AIDS virus when doing blood work for other conditions or during Emergency visits. The CDC suggests that everyone be tested at least once, and that an annual test should be given to persons in high-risk groups.
If this policy is fully implemented, testing could be administered to between 100 to 200 million Americans. The American Medical Association endorses the proposal and urges doctors to comply.
Patients could decline the testing. Physicians are urged to offer their patients the opportunity to have anonymous testing and allow them to choose the site where they want to be tested.
If the recommendation becomes public policy, an added burden will be placed on public health programs that pay for this type of care. Additional funding would be needed. The benefits of getting early care for HIV or AIDS and helping to control its spread should justify the increased cost.
Source: CNN.com
Technorati Tags: AIDS, STD, HIV
October 27th, 2006
Some people, especially seniors, are taking a variety of medications. With the tightening of airport security regulations, you may have concerns about packing to avoid delays or hassles.
Carrying a list of all your medications and dosages can be useful, especially if you are traveling oversees. However, in an emergency situation, labels on original prescription bottles can help medical personnel determine what medications you are taking.
The usual advice has been to keep your prescription meds in their original containers. This strategy poses a problem because multiple containers take up a lot of space. You may not be allowed to take your medications in your carry-on luggage without a label that matches the name on your ticket.
In the U.S., passengers on flights are still restricted to carrying only three ounces of water or other liquids with them. These regulations can be waived in special circumstances if you have appropriate documentation. If you are carrying liquid or gel-cap medications on your flight, it’s important to have your prescription information handy.
Packing your medications in your checked luggage can be a solution. That is, unless your bag is misplaced or delayed in route to your destination or drugs are lost in the baggage search process.
To simplify your screening process, airlines have requested that passengers traveling with carry-on medication place them in one-quart, clear, plastic zip-lock bags. If you need to take medication during your flight, keep the pills you will need in a small pill box or compartmentalized, plastic pill container.
In order to stay on your drug schedule, notify your flight attendant when your board the plane if you will require water before they make their rounds down the aisle.
Some health plans allow vacation refills in small, labeled bottles, even if it isn’t time for your next refill. Ask the pharmacist to have your prescription split into two smaller bottles.
Hopefully, security restrictions at airports will soon be relaxed. Until that time, perhaps these suggestions might help you.
Sources:Â Johns Hopkins Medical Letter, November 2006; recent personal experience with travel by plane and getting through Customs
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Technorati Tags: Airline, Security, Perscription, Medication,Â
October 25th, 2006
Recent studies showed that children with flu (influenza) who received Tamiflu within one day after diagnosis were 53% less likely to develop pneumonia than other children who were not given the influenza pill. The medication developed by Roche can also reduce the severity of infection, as can its rival drug Relenza.
In scrutinizing health records of more than 15,000 children ages 1 to 12 who came down with flu, researchers found that about 2.6 percent developed pneumonia. Pneumonia, sometimes caused by a bacterial or secondary infection, is one of flu’s most serious complications.
A study of adults with serious cases of influenza also showed Tamiflu to reduce deaths from flu and its complications by 71%. Around the world, flu is responsible for the deaths of between 250,000 to 500,000 people each year, especially those who develop pneumonia.
Persons given the newer antiviral medications were much less likely to die. Tamiflu is now given to bird flu victims, and if given early enough, it appears to save lives. Older flu drugs are not as effective as Tamiflu and Relenza and are no longer recommended.
The Center for Disease Control recommends an annual vaccine as the best protection against influenza, although it is not 100% reliable for prevention. Older adults are the most at risk of dying from flu and its complications.
Get a flu shot in the fall if you are:
 · 50 or older
 · With a chronic health condition
 · Pregnant during flu season
 · A health care worker
 · All children 6 months to 5 years
 · A person living with or caring for someone in these categories or with a child under 6 months oldÂ
Source:Â CNN Health
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October 24th, 2006
Often, a person with symptoms of early Alzheimer’s disease is reluctant to get medical care, for fear of being labeled “crazy†or incompetent. A recent survey found that 57% delayed seeking a formal diagnosis for 2 to 3 1/2 years after onset of their symptoms.
Delay in seeking help is counterproductive and unnecessary, as the disease becomes harder to treat in more advanced stages. In addition, not knowing for certain can cause heightened anxiety and depression in patients and their caregivers.
Alzheimer’s progresses at different rates in individuals, but the patient may live with the condition for 8 to 20 years. Early diagnosis and treatment is believed to slow its progression and alleviate much of the stress of the patient and family members. In addition, early recognition gives time to put one’s affairs in order. Wills, durable powers of attorney, financial matters, and treatment preferences are better dealt with early in the disease.
Structured activities such as participation in psychotherapy groups, painting classes or musical activities can help patients live more fully after diagnosis. Despite cognitive decline, some Alzheimer’s patients show amazing ability to express themselves in art or musical performance. Support through group therapy also helps many patients bolster their self-image and accept their disease with grace.
As for medical treatments, three cholinesterase inhibitors are FDA-approved and available to treat Alzheimer’s. Razadyne and Aricept are thought to delay mental decline and symptoms in those with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s. Namenda is approved for treatment of later stages of the disease.
Facing the diagnosis early helps patients and caregivers to challenge the stigma of Alzheimer’s by seeking proper care in timely fashion.
Source:Â Johns Hopkins Health After 50 Medical Newsletter, August 2006
October 21st, 2006
An experiment on lab mice might one day give you a new product to help you tan while also protecting you from skin cancer — even the deadliest form of skin cancer, melanoma. Researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston recently began testing a cream to darken skin without incurring the risks of sun damage. In about two years, they expect to be prepared to test the tanning/cancer prevention cream on people in clinical trials.
Melanoma is one of the fastest growing cancers in the U.S. Each year about 62,000 new cases are diagnosed, and nearly 8,000 die from it. Fair-skinned blondes and redheads are especially susceptible. Their melanin-producing cells (melanocytes) are unable to produce enough protective melanin to tan or protect them from UV sunlight damage. Even dark skinned people can develop melanoma, but they are less likely to do so.
To test the cream, researchers bred a strain of mice incapable of tanning when exposed to UV light. The mice MC1R receptors on their melanocytes were malfunctioning, preventing the production of skin-darkening pigment. When researchers rubbed cream derived from Forskolin, a plant from India, the mice were able to tan. The more cream applied, the darker their skin became.
Tests performed on the mice showed that melanin produced by use of Forskolin cream was a normal response and also could protect cells from DNA damage, reducing their risk of skin cancer.
None of the self-tanning products on the market now are able to protect skin from the damaging effects of UV light. These “tanners†act as dyes on the skin’s surface, but they do not provide any protection. The Forskolin cream activates the tanning pathway at the cellular level.
Researchers estimate that it may take three years or longer to test the product, get FDA approval and place it on the market. If successful, the tanning cream could be a boon for those who want a healthy-looking tan without the risks of developing skin cancer. Time will tell whether this team of researchers can produce the ultimate self-tanner.
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Source:Â Reporter Rob Stein, The Washington Post, October 10, 2006
October 20th, 2006
Until recently it was thought that Alzheimer’s patients could not feel pain. Now it is understood that they feel pain as powerfully as others, maybe more so, but are unable to verbalize their feelings. This may be so especially for those in the later stages of the mind-robbing disease. Because they have lost communication skills, their pain may be under-treated by physicians and caregivers.
An Australian study using MRI real-time brain scans to check the brain’s major pain channels gave clear evidence that pain may still be intensely felt in the Alzheimer’s patient. The study compared Alzheimer’s patients who could still describe their pain to other study participants who were volunteers without the disease.
In this study appearing in an online edition of the journal Brain, study authors concluded that dealing with pain became problematic because diseased patients were unable to divert their attention from it, as healthy volunteers were able to do. If patients in the study who could still communicate found pain to be bewildering, it might be even more so for those with Alzheimer’s.
When words can no longer adequately express pain, doctors and other caregivers can look for facial expressions and body movements that show discomfort. Often, the Alzheimer’s patient’s caregiver has a greater capacity to understand these signals of pain than even their physicians. They look for signs of agitation, altered eye contact, grimacing, or other indications.
It is generally impossible to totally eliminate pain in Alzheimer’s patients or in other persons with chronic pain. The goal for those with Alzheimer’s Disease or other dementias should be to find greater levels of comfort and pain management.
Source:Â Web MD
October 1st, 2006