LIVING WITH CHRONIC DISEASE
• Huffpost Investigates Exploitative Hospice Care: “Nearly half of all Medicare patients who die now do
so as a hospice patient — twice as many as in 2000, government data shows. But
mounting evidence indicates that many providers are imperiling the health of
patients in a drive to boost revenues and enroll more people, an investigation
by The Huffington Post found.” The article includes a map providing information
about the 866 hospices that have not been inspected in the last six years.
• Under
Obamacare’s “Closed Formularies” Patients with Chronic Disease Like MD Do Not
Get Access to Vital Medicines: Americans who sign up for insurance under
Obamacare are finding many of these plans offer very narrow options when it
comes to their choice of doctors and drugs. To get a sense of how restrictive
the formularies are, and its impact on patients, Forbes looked at drugs used to
treat two different chronic diseases, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple
sclerosis. “We examined the drug coverage offered by lower cost silver health
plans offered in the most populated counties in ten different states, and focused
on ten disease-modifying drugs that are widely prescribed for these patients.
We found that none of the plans provided coverage for all of the drugs, or
covered any of them without significant cost sharing that would tap out most
peoples’ annual deductibles and out-of-pocket limits on spending.” Forbes
• Long-Term Care in America: Expectations and Reality: A sample of 1,419 adults over 40
years of age found that many rely on their families for long term care;
caregivers experiences are mostly positive; those with experience as a caregiver
are more concerned with planning for long term care and less likely to think
they can rely on family as they age; and only 3 in 10 say they feel prepared to
be a caregiver.
• Cancer
Survivors Face Mounting Costs of Continuing Care:According to the researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, male and female cancer survivors incur annual medical costs that
are almost two times greater than those of people who haven't had cancer.
"Throughout their lifetime, they will still be going through treatments
and checkups and long-term side effects and late effects that can come as a
result of survival." June 13, MMWR
• Sleeping Pill Use Tied to Poorer Survival for Heart Failure: A new
study suggests that the use of sleeping pills greatly increases the risk of
serious heart problems and death in people with heart failure. European Society
of Cardiology
• What to Know About Sunscreen Before Buying
It: Consumer Reports tested
20 sunscreens and found that only two provided the SPF protection promised on
their packages after water immersion. Consumer Reports. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has a Sun Safety Campaign website that
provides information about the safety of sunscreens
CHRONIC PAIN
• Multiple 60 Minute Massage Per Week Offer Relief for Chronic Neck Pain Results of an NCCAM-funded study found that
multiple 60-minute massages per week were more effective than fewer or shorter
sessions for people with chronic neck pain, suggesting that several hour-long
massages per week may be the best “dose” for people with this condition.
Researchers from Group Health Research Institute, University of Washington, The
University of Vermont College of Medicine, and Oregon Health and Science University
published their findings in the Annals of Family Medicine.
• Pain pilot explores hand shiatsu treatment as sleep aid: Researchers at the
University of Alberta are exploring the traditional Japanese massage practice
called shiatsu as a potential treatment to help pain patients find slumber—and
stay asleep. A small pilot study followed nine people living with chronic pain
as they self-administered shiatsu pressure techniques on their hands at
bedtime. Participants, who reported falling asleep faster—sometimes even while
administering treatment—and slept longer after two weeks and eight weeks of
treatment, compared with a baseline measurement. Journal of Integrative
Medicine June 17, 2014
FOOD & DRUG
ADMINISTRATION WARNINGS
• Novel Home Cleaning Method to Reduce Asthma: Researchers received two
patents for a new method to rid carpets, mattresses and other furniture of
harmful allergens and pests that cause asthma. The method uses carbon dioxide
to "freeze clean" home fabrics. The process deactivates proteins
found in pet dander and can remove smoke residue and other allergy-causing
substances. Science Daily, 27 May 2014.
• E-Cigarette
Use for Quitting Smoking is Associated with Improved Success Rates: People attempting to
quit smoking without professional help are approximately 60% more likely to
report succeeding if they use e-cigarettes than if they use willpower alone or
over-the-counter nicotine replacement therapies such as patches or gum, finds a
large UCL (University College London) survey of smokers in England. Addiction
• Healthy Aging into Your 80s and Beyond: 5 Keys to a Long, Healthful Life: From
Consumer Reports.
• Maintaining Mobility in Older Adults Can be
as Easy as a Walk in the Park:
With
just a daily 20-minute walk, older adults can help stave off major disability
and enhance the quality of their later years, according to results of the
Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders (LIFE) Study, conducted by
researchers at Yale School of Medicine in collaboration with seven other
institutions around the country. The study is published in the May 27 issue of
the Journal of the American Medical Association.
•Stress hormone linked to short-term memory loss as we age: A new study at the
University of Iowa reports a potential link between stress hormones and
short-term memory loss in older adults. The study, published in the Journal of
Neuroscience, reveals that having high levels of cortisol -- a natural hormone
in our body whose levels surge when we are stressed -- can lead to memory
lapses as we age.
• Can TaiChi Slow the Aging Process: Tai Chi, a traditional Chinese martial art and
sport, has been found to be beneficial in raising the numbers of an important
type of cell when three groups of young people were tested to discover the
benefits of Tai Chi, brisk walking or no exercise. The group performing Tai Chi
saw a rise in their cluster of differentiation 34 expressing (CD34+) cells, a
stem cell important to a number of the body's functions and structures. Cell
Transplantation
• 6,000 Steps a Day Keeps Knee Arthritis at Bay: Walking the equivalent of an hour
a day may help improve knee arthritis and prevent disability, new research
suggests. Every step taken throughout the day counts toward the total. The key
is to wear a pedometer. Arthritis Care and Research June 12
• Regular Exercise Beneficial in Suppressing
Inflammation in Rheumatic Disease: Research shows that exercise
transiently suppresses local and systemic inflammation, reinforcing the
beneficial effects of exercise and the need for this to be regular in order to
achieve clinical efficacy in rheumatic disease. European League Against
Rheumatism Annual Congress (EULAR 2014)
• The
Earlier the Cigarette, the More Likely to Develop Lung Cancer: A
research team, led by Dr. Fangyi Gu of the U.S. National Cancer Institute,
interviewed more than 3,200 current and former smokers in the United States and
Italy. People who started smoking within an hour of waking up had a significantly
higher risk of developing lung cancer than those who lit up more than an hour
after waking up. Journal of the National Cancer Institute June 19
SUPPLEMENTATION/NUTRITION/VITAMINS
• Multivitamin/Mineral
Supplements Lower Chronic Disease Risk: A review of randomized controlled trials and
observation studies reveals multivitamin/mineral supplementation moderately yet
significantly reduces total and epithelial cancer in male physicians
(Physicians’ Health Study II). Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition
• Vitamin D: A key to a longer life? Higher
levels of vitamin D may protect people from an earlier death, particularly from
cancer and heart disease, suggests a new analysis of existing research. And,
the opposite may also be true -- low levels of vitamin D may be linked to a
higher risk of premature death. But the researchers acknowledge that the
review's findings aren't definitive. Still, the research published online June
17 in BMJ does hint at the possibility that vitamin D may benefit people across
genders, ages and Western countries, including the United States. The findings
are "compellingly consistent."
• Eating These 41
“Powerhouse” Fruits and Vegetables Can Prevent Chronic Disease: The study appears in
the CDC’s Preventing Chronic Disease. For the list check out the list from
Consumerist.
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