XTEND-15sec-NEWSt
27th June 2006
Please click on the link of interest:
Breast cancer, osteoporosis and bone cancer treatment drugs may cause jaw bone to rot…n1
Breast cancer patients, individuals at risk for osteoporosis and individuals undergoing certain types of bone cancer therapies often take drugs that contain bisphosphonates. Bisphosphonates may place patients at risk for developing osteonecrosis of the jaws (a rotting of the jaw bones) according to a case report and literature review that appeared in the May/June 2006 issue of General Dentistry, the Academy of General Dentistry's (AGD) clinical peer-reviewed journal.
Bisphosphonates are a family of drugs used to prevent and treat osteoporosis, multiple myeloma, Paget's disease (bone cancers) and bone metastasis from other cancers. These drugs can bond to bone surfaces and prevent osteoclasts (cells that breakdown bone) from doing their job. More…
Warren Matthews comments: Not a very nice thought is it! I thought that we should bring it to your attention just in case you are using these drugs…
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Free flu vaccine fails to reduce cases…n2
Study: 'Rates haven't decreased and there's been lots of money spent'.
The researchers also found the Ontario flu rates did not change relative to other provinces and, though the number of laboratory tests conducted has gone up, it has not increased compared with the rest of Canada.
Dr. Michael Gardam, infection-control specialist at Toronto General Hospital, also stressed the limitations of the study, noting the vaccine in one of the years after the program started did not match the strains circulating in Ontario.
Still, he admitted that emergency rooms at his hospital are no less busy and that "Ontario still gets flu outbreaks like anybody else." More…
Warren Matthews comments: No great surprise there! Personally I would never get a flu shot. The risks outweigh the potential benefits. I know the subject of bird flu is quite different to that of the ‘ordinary flu’, but if you are interested in the subject of flu you may care to read the current issue of Xtend-Your-Life about bird flu.
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Epidemic of unneeded amputations…n3Physicians too quick to amputate despite medical advances.
Non-traumatic amputations - those caused by arterial blockages related to diabetes, smoking, obesity and vascular system complications - are occurring at an alarming rate. Yet physicians may be too quick to amputate as 85 percent of them may be preventable, according to the International Diabetes Foundation.
Amputations are not only disfiguring and life-threatening, but are more dangerous and more expensive than revascularization, which is the re-establishment of blood supply. Diabetics are especially at risk for non-traumatic amputations, accounting for 82,000 non-traumatic lower extremity amputations (LEAs) in the U.S. yearly, according to the American Diabetes Association. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports more than 60 percent of LEAs occur in diabetics.
These statistics are telling and have one of the country's leading clinical investigators and cardiologists astounded. "It is shocking that in this day and age, there is an epidemic of unnecessary amputations. More…
Warren Matthews comments: Pretty frightening stuff! Moral of the story…do everything to avoid becoming diabetic and if you are diabetic look at natural options to help fight it. In that regard we will soon be able to help! We hope to release a new natural diabetes formula within the next 2 – 3 months. We have had this under development for the last two years and are now preparing for the first production run.
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Breast cancer, osteoporosis and bone cancer treatment drugs may cause jaw bone to rotm1
Main Category: Bones / Orthopaedics News
Breast cancer patients, individuals at risk for osteoporosis, and individuals undergoing certain types of bone cancer therapies often take drugs that contain bisphosphonates. Bisphosphonates may place patients at risk for developing osteonecrosis of the jaws (a rotting of the jaw bones), according to a case report and literature review that appeared in the May/June 2006 issue of General Dentistry, the Academy of General Dentistry's (AGD) clinical, peer-reviewed journal.
Bisphosphonates are a family of drugs used to prevent and treat osteoporosis, multiple myeloma, Paget's disease (bone cancers), and bone metastasis from other cancers. These drugs can bond to bone surfaces and prevent osteoclasts (cells that breakdown bone) from doing their job.
"Healthy bones constantly rebuild themselves." explains co-author of the report Sally-Jo Placa, DMD, MPA. "However, since the jaw bones have rapid cell turnover they can fail to heal properly in patients taking any of the bisphosphonate drugs. Patients need to be aware of the possibility of complications from dental surgery or extractions." Since these drugs linger in the bone indefinitely they may upset the cell balance in how the jaws regenerate and remove unhealthy bone.
In their report the authors refer to the case of a woman who received bisphosphonate therapy intravenously to treat metastatic breast cancer. She then developed osteonecrosis in her upper and lower jaws following tooth removal.
"This type of osteonecrosis has been occurring since the advent of these drugs," explains co-author Wellington S. Tsai, DMD. "At this time osteonecrosis as a result of bisphosphonate therapy has no treatment."
Patients who are taking bisphosphonates should inform their dentist to prevent complications from dental surgical procedures. "By informing your dentist that you are taking a bisphosphonate different avenues for treatment can be explored," says the report's third co-author Kayvon Haghighi, DDS, MD.
"It is strongly recommended that patients scheduled to receive bisphosphonate therapy should visit a dentist or an oral surgeon so problematic teeth can be treated prior to the start of therapy", the authors state.
"Widespread use of bisphosphonates to prevent or treat early osteoporosis in relatively young women and the likelihood of long-term use is a cause for concern," says Dr. Placa. "How bisphosphonates interfere with healing after dental surgery is still unclear and further research will be needed. It is imperative that the public understands there is no present treatment or cure for this problem."
Tips to reduce the risk for osteonecrosis of the jaw and maintain a healthy mouth:
Inform your general dentist or specialist if you are taking bisphosphonates.
Check and adjust removable dentures.
Obtain routine dental cleanings.
Opt for root canal therapy over extractions when possible.
The Academy of General Dentistry is a non-profit organization of more than 35,000 general dentists dedicated to staying up-to-date in the profession through continuing education. A general dentist is the primary care provider for patients of all ages and is responsible for the diagnosis, treatment, management and overall coordination of services related to patient oral health needs. Learn more about AGD member dentists or find more information on dental health topics at http://www.agd.org/consumer.
Contact: Jaclyn Finneke
Academy of General Dentistry
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=45083
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Free flu vaccine fails to reduce casesm2
Tom Blackwell, National Post
Published: Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Study: 'Rates haven't decreased and there's been lots of money spent'.
The researchers also found the Ontario flu rates did not change relative to other provinces and, though the number of laboratory tests conducted has gone up, it has not increased compared with the rest of Canada.
Dr. Michael Gardam, infection-control specialist at Toronto General Hospital, also stressed the limitations of the study, noting the vaccine in one of the years after the program started did not match the strains circulating in Ontario.
Still, he admitted that emergency rooms at his hospital are no less busy and that "Ontario still gets flu outbreaks like anybody else."
"The most we can say from this study is that clearly this program is not a home-run success," he said. "If there is success, it's subtle. If the results are that subtle should the money be spent elsewhere? That is a very good question."
Dr. Groll noted the campaign was instituted in 2000 without any "baseline" data -- information on what sort of people were getting vaccinated before, how many of those got the flu and whether flu patients used hospital emergency wards.
"Nor has such information been gathered since, making it very difficult to effectively evaluate the global vaccination plan", she said.
"The program just lacks the baseline information you would need - that anybody would need - before anybody put this kind of multi-million-dollar proposal together," Dr. Groll said.
John Letherby, a spokesman for the Ontario Health Ministry, defended the flu program, though saying it does have many "ancillary benefits" apart from the impact on overall rates.
Those benefits include less emergency-room crowding and less absenteeism, but Mr. Letherby said the ministry does not itself collect such statistics.
tblackwell@nationalpost.com
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=a3febc68-8863-4a2c-802f-f414d0876e86&k=20268
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Epidemic of unneeded amputations - Physicians too quick to amputate despite medical advancesm3
Main Category: Diabetes News
Article Date: 31 May 2006 - 0:00am (PDT)
Non-traumatic amputations - those caused by arterial blockages related to diabetes, smoking, obesity and vascular system complications - are occurring at an alarming rate. Yet physicians may be too quick to amputate as 85 percent of them may be preventable, according to the International Diabetes Foundation.
Amputations are not only disfiguring and life-threatening, but are more dangerous and more expensive than revascularization, which is the re-establishment of blood supply. Diabetics are especially at risk for non-traumatic amputations, accounting for 82,000 non-traumatic lower extremity amputations (LEAs) in the U.S. yearly, according to the American Diabetes Association. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports more than 60 percent of LEAs occur in diabetics.
These statistics are telling and have one of the country's leading clinical investigators and cardiologists astounded. "It is shocking that in this day and age there is an epidemic of unnecessary amputations. Amputation is a drastic procedure that takes a great physical and emotional toll on patients and their families. But physicians often jump too quickly to amputation rather than exploring medical advances that can prevent limb loss", said Dr. Craig Walker of the Cardiovascular Institute of the South in Houma, La.
Walker is a pioneer in a medical procedure to combat these trends: Cool Laser Revascularization for Peripheral Artery Therapy, or "CLiRpath."
"In the U.S. alone there are approximately 1.8 million people living with limb loss", Walker said, citing National Limb Loss Amputation Center statistics. "A good portion of these individuals could have salvaged their limbs. This is tragic."
Of note:
The number of diabetes-related LEA hospital discharges increased by 240 percent between 1980 (33,000) to 2002 (82,000), according to the CDC.
The CDC says the five-year survival rate for all lower extremity amputees is less than 50 percent. For diabetic amputees the rate is less than 40 percent.
In a five-year study in medical journal Diabetes Care, 40 percent of diabetics and 29.8 percent of non-diabetics had a second amputation to the same or opposite limb at an average of 16.2 and 12.3 months, respectively, after the first amputation.
In advanced stages of peripheral vascular disease (PVD), common in diabetics, plaque blocks arteries resulting in rest pain, development of foot ulcers and onset of limb loss. The CLiRpath procedure, using a "cool" excimer laser and catheter system developed by Spectranetics Corp. (NASDAQ: SPNC), vaporizes arterial blockages, restores blood flow and this surgery promotes wound healing, often enabling patients to leave the hospital the next day. CLiRpath has been the subject of rigorous clinical trials, with limb salvage observed in 95 percent of patients surviving to six months. The procedure is now available in more than 300 hospitals across the U.S.
Amputation decisions greatly impact lives of many people, like Michael Sevante of Houma, La. In 2002 Sevante had recurring leg cramps and was diagnosed with PVD. He developed a non-healing infection and underwent an amputation below his left knee. As a result Sevante had to walk his daughter down the aisle on her wedding day with a walker and a prosthetic limb.
Six months after his first amputation he experienced similar symptoms in his right leg and decided to aggressively pursue amputation alternatives to avoid having to live in a wheelchair. He was referred to Dr. Walker, who was able to save Sevante's leg with CLiRpath. Today, Sevante is virtually pain free.
"After my first amputation I would have done anything to avoid a second", said Sevante. "Had I not asked for an alternative I fear I was on track for the loss of another limb. This would have meant the beginning of the end for me."
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=44304
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