Monthly Archives: October 2015

Are Exercise Recommendations Really Enough to Protect the Heart?

Posted on by MaryO

When it comes to preventing heart failure, even the recommended amounts may not be enough, finds a new study

Being inactive is solidly linked to heart problems like heart attack and stroke, and exercise can help lower risk factors—such as high blood pressure and narrowed blood vessels—that are connected to those heart events.

But when it comes to another type of heart condition, heart failure, the effect of physical activity isn’t as clear. If coronary heart disease can be traced to more physical issues, such as blocked arteries or excessive pressure from blood pumping around the body, heart failure is more of a body-wide problem affecting not just the heart but almost every tissue.

In heart failure, the heart gradually loses its ability to effectively pump oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body, and it can’t keep up with supplying muscles and cells with what they need to function properly. 5.1 million people in U.S. have heart failure.

Source: Are Exercise Recommendations Really Enough to Protect the Heart? | TIME

Latex Allergy Awareness Week: Understanding the Dangers of Latex Overexposure

Posted on by MaryO

Latex Allergy Awareness Week 2015By Carrie Soares on October 6th, 2015

Living with a Latex allergy is extremely dangerous; primarily because many people are unaware of its hovering existence. Most don’t realize that an overexposure to latex can cause critical, life-threatening symptoms and reactions.

Did you know that latex is actually found all around us? Chances are, you are eating it when dining at your favorite restaurants, and are handling it at work each day without even realizing…

What is a Latex Allergy?

Latex allergy reactions occur as a result from overexposure to natural Latex rubber proteins. Thousands of people throughout the country are continuing to get sick on a regular basis with no idea as to why.

Those who have been diagnosed with sensitivity or an allergy to latex, often struggle with how to live with the illness, and can spend most of their life suffering through violent reactions.

The tricky and dangerous reality of having an allergy to latex is that people are exposed to Latex in many places without even realizing it. Most reactions are found to occur in restaurants due to using Latex gloves during food prep or while in doctor’s offices and hospitals (both latex-rich environments).

Symptoms to watch out for with Latex Allergies

Latex allergies range from mild to severe, depending on your sensitivity and the degree of latex allergen exposure. Your reaction can worsen with repeated latex exposure. Mayo Clinic describes the mild, more-severe, and anaphylactic shock symptoms of exposure to latex when living with this allergen.

Mild Symptoms:

  • Itching
  • Skin redness
  • Hives or rash

More-Severe Symptoms:

  • Runny nose
  • Itchy, watery eyes
  • Scratchy throat
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Wheezing
  • Cough
  • Sneezing
  • Anaphylactic Shock:  This is the most serious allergic reaction to latex, and can be deadly. Anaphylactic  reactions occur immediately after latex exposure in highly sensitive people, but rarely happens the first time you are exposed.

    Signs & Symptoms of anaphylaxis include:

    • Difficulty breathing
    • Hives or swelling
    • Nausea and vomiting
    • Wheezing
    • Drop in blood pressure
    • DizzinessLoss of consciousness
    • Confusion
    • Rapid or weak pulse

    Source: Latex Allergy Awareness Week: Understanding the Dangers of Latex Overexposure | MedicAlert Foundation

Miniature Portable Dialysis Machine on Fast Track for FDA Approval

Posted on by MaryO

I sure hope I never need this but…

 

An Alternative to Conventional DialysisThe US Food & Drug Administration’s (FDA) fasttrack program, Innovation Pathway, streamlines the approval process for breakthrough technologies.

In 2012, the “Wearable Artificial Kidney” (WAK), promoted by the Wearable Artificial Kidney Foundation, Inc., was awarded fast-track status, along with two other renal projects.

Since then, WAK has made progress with its wearable dialysis machine and is currently involved in animal trials; human trials scheduled for 2017.

The current prototype weighs just 10 pounds and can be carried about the waist of the patient. Another company, AWAK Technologies, has developed a WAK for Peritoneal Dialysis called “ViWAK PD” that weighs just two pounds.

Source: Miniature Portable Dialysis Machine on Fast Track for FDA Approval | Health Cure Center

New drug improves outcome in treatment resistant kidney cancer – ONA

Posted on by MaryO

 

A new drug is proven more effective than standard therapies for advanced kidney cancer in patients with demonstrated drug resistance.A study trial, led by researchers from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, compared the effectiveness of a new drug, cabozantinib, with the accepted second-line treatment, everolimus (Affinitor).

The trial enrolled 658 patients with clear cell renal carcinoma; all participants had advanced or metastatic renal cell carcinoma and their disease had worsened following first-line therapy.

Initial therapy for these patients had targeted the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR). Cabozantinib proved to be more effective than everolimus in slowing the growth of cancer in these patients and there were early indications that it may have improved their overall survival as well (progression-free survival was a median of 7.4 months vs 3.8 for those using everolimus).

Toni K. Choueiri, MD, clinical director of the Genitourinary Cancer Treatment Center at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and first author of the report, feels that cabozantinib may also have potential as a first-line treatment for kidney cancer.Cabozantinib has received breakthrough therapy designation from the Food and Drug Administration. Report data were published online in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Source: New drug improves outcome in treatment resistant kidney cancer – ONA