StemCell Therapy

No doubt youve heard some version of this question before:

Will you have enough for all the fulfillment and fun you hope to enjoy through your fifties, sixties, seventies and beyond?

This time, though, the answer isnt about whether you have enough retirement savings, but instead focuses on what researchers find is equally crucial to well-being: Friends.

A host of research finds that when we have a strong social network, emotional and even physical health improves.

An AARP Public Policy Institute report, for instance, finds socially isolated Medicare holders cost roughly $130 per month in health spending. And a recent Michigan State University study finds that friends are a better predictor of health and happiness than family ties as we age.

How can others make such a wide impact? Well, explains William Rawlins, Stocker Professor of Interpersonal Communications, Ohio University: We are human beings, and were made to care about, enjoy and engage with other human beings.

But just as building retirement savings requires your time and attention, nurturing satisfying social connections does as well.

Stitching Together New Networks

When were younger, social interactions are plentiful: first in school and the neighborhood, then in the workplace, and for those who are parents connections through their children.

But those ready-made connections are vulnerable for those fifty-plus, since circumstances arise that can abruptly break social circles.

Retirement is the obvious disrupter, when dozens of work relationships can end when you close the office door for the last time.

Perhaps the greatest isolator, however, notes Jialu Streeter, researcher at the Stanford Center on Longevity, is a long stint of demanding caregiving.

I had very little social contact through the six years I spent caring for my father-in-law, relates Avis Brown, resident of Morgan Hill, California, who continually commuted to the East Coast for caregiving.

It is amazing when you are emersed in caregiving for that number of years, Brown explains, your brain shuts down in other areas. My friends were supportive but I wasnt reaching out to them.

In the years since her father-in-laws death, however, Brown has reactivated old friendships, and with her now retired husband, Dave, theyve forged new ones.

Indeed, the years re-shape social networks, but they are often more satisfying than ever.

Older people have a strong desire to seek meaning in life, Streeter explains, and thus they are more likely to move away or completely drop connections who are not important to them.

Here, a look at situations where connections can break, but which also provide an opportunity to keep and forge more meaningful ones:

1. Looking at retirement.

One of the key questions that Sara Zeff Geber, PhD, owner of LifeEncore, a retirement consulting service, asks her clients is: What percentage of your social connections are work related, and what percentage are based on other connections?

Answers, says Geber, vary from one end of the spectrum to the other.

For those who are still tied socially to work [colleagues], I suggest starting to shift that by reacquainting themselves with old friends who may have fallen off their radar, neighbors they never really met, and people from their place of worship.

Gyms are sometimes good places to form social connections, she adds. It just takes opening your mouth instead of keeping your head down and attending to business.

Brown, a former salesperson who readily admits, shy is not a term that applies to me, relates that she struck up conversation with a neighbor who she never had time to get to know previously.

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The Healthy Power of Friendship: Why social connection might be the key to longevity - Helena Independent Record

The Royal Museums of Fine Arts, Brussels.

A British study on the relation between arts engagement and mortality showed that such engagement could have a protective association with longevity in older adults.

People going to museums, art galleries, exhibitions, the theatre, concerts, or the opera once or twice a year had a 14% lower risk of dying during a follow-up period.

Those who engaged with arts activities on a more frequent basis (every few months or more) had a 31% lower risk of dying, independent of demographic, socioeconomic, health related, behavioural, and social factors.

The study was published on Christmas in The BMJ, formerly the British Medical Journal, by Daisy Fancourt and Andrew Steptoe, two professors in psychology and epidemiology at the department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, London. In their study they followed 6 710 people aged 50 years or above during a 14 years period.

The starting point in the study was previous health research where arts engagement could be linked to longevity by alleviating chronic stress and depression, and providing emotional, cognitive, and social coping resources.

The authors focused specifically on receptive arts activities, including going to the theatre, concerts, opera, museums, art galleries, and exhibitions (but not cinema). They were however unable to assess the potential overlap with active participation in arts activities and this remains to be explored.

After sensitivity analyses, the authors found that the associations between arts engagement and longevity were consistent when adjusted for any mobility problems and socioeconomic status.

When considering what could explain this remaining association, they write that research has suggested that arts engagement builds social capital, which improves peoples access to knowledge and resources, and could help with successful ageing.

Further possibilities are that arts engagement improves a sense of purpose in life, helps with the regulation of emotions and thereby enhances coping, supports the buffering of stress, and builds creativity, which improves peoples ability to adapt positively to changing life circumstances.

The study does not say whether arts engagement should start at an early age but that probably goes without saying.

The Brussels Times

More here:
New years promise: Visit a museum or concert and live longer - The Brussels Times

The 2010s was a period of transition for the English Premier League as the already diverse competition took an even more cosmopolitan transformation.

An informal look at a team of the decade from the noughties would roughly include as many as seven English players, but the succeeding decade has not been as kind to England, with only one player selected.

Like all hypothetical teams, this is a subjective and personal list of the players I believe best represented the excellence of what was a memorable decade. From Wayne Rooneys wonderstrike against Manchester City to Vincent Kompanys thunderbolt against Leicester City, there has been no shortage of drama, excitement and surprise in the best league in the world.

(Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The PFA team of the year always go with a 4-4-2 system as a default, but with the best interests of getting all the players fitting into a coherent and reasonable tactical shape, I have selected a formation in 3-5-2 that I think best makes use of fitting all the players in.

In goals there was no real outstanding competition besides the at times error-prone Hugo Lloris, as the likes of Petr Cech and Joe Hart either came to the end of their careers or dropped significantly in prominence after a period of excellence.

The decade was not particularly blessed with outstanding fullbacks in their prime, with Pablo Zabaleta being the only real notable exception, but his demise post-2016 has not helped his cause. Ashley Cole and Patrice Evra were in the twilight of their careers, while Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander Arnold have not quite played long enough in the decade. Branislav Ivanovic was a very difficult figure to leave out, but his longevity throughout the decade did not count for him given his collapse in form in 2015.

Gary Cahill was a multiple title winner and played the full decade but has to a degree waned in the last couple of seasons. John Terrys best decade was certainly the noughties even if he could have quite easily made this team as well given his excellence well into the decade.

Virgil van Dijk may possibly go down as the greatest centre back in Premier League history by the end of his time at Liverpool, but he has not had the longevity to be considered for this team.

Fernandinho can count himself quite unlucky to miss out given his continued excellence over several seasons, while Christian Eriksen was not quite world-class for the whole decade and thus could not break into the team. Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard were coming to the end of their careers this decade and are duly omitted.

Up front Robin van Persie and Jamie Vardy certainly made the decade memorable, but there can only be two players, and there can be very little argument if we look at the numbers.

Criteria for selection has been judged on longevity, achievement and impact.

Longevity: 9/10Achievement: 7/10Impact: 10/10

Despite enduring a difficult opening to his career at Old Trafford since arriving in 2011, the Spaniard has well and truly established as a Premier League legend this decade. His magnificent shot-stopping and outrageous reflexes have saved Manchester United on countless occasions, and with a 102 clean sheets its only a matter of time before he reels in Petr Cechs record of 161.

A Premier League title winner in 2012-13 and selected five times in the PFA team of year as well as a Golden Glove winner in 2017-18, his achievements and ability are all the more impressive given his outstanding durability has seen him play the most Premier League matches this decade, with 293 to date. He has been a shining light in the doldrums of Uniteds post-Alex Ferguson malaise and is deserving of the opportunity to win more honours.

(AP Photo/Rui Vieira)

Longevity: 8/10Achievement: 8/10Impact: 9/10

You have to be some player to have dislodged Ashley Cole from Chelseas defence, especially if left back is not your preferred position. The former Marseille man has been ever-present across the Chelsea defence since 2012, winning the Premier League as a right back in 2015 and as a centre back in 2017 to demonstrate phenomenal versatility. A player of immense heart, commitment and brilliant one-on-one defending despite not being the tallest nor quickest is testament to the Spaniards admirable battling qualities that have seen him be appointed captain for Chelsea in 2019-20.

How he has not been selected into the PFA team of season throughout the decade is a travesty, but two league titles among several domestic and European trophies attest to the success he has helped build at Stamford Bridge. He continues to be a warrior to this day, having made the most appearances this decade among outfield players since his arrival.

Longevity: 8/10Achievement: 10/10Impact: 10/10

Joined Roy Keane has captained his team to four Premier League titles in 2019 to put himself behind only John Terry on five. Its no overstatement to say the Belgian colossus has been the heartbeat of the City revolution. Despite a horrid record with injuries, the former Manchester City skipper was unbeatable on his day and was by some distance the defender of the decade. Technically excellent, courageous and an outstanding leader, Kompanys immaculately timed challenges in his pomp have become a lasting memory of the defensive excellence that has brought balance to Citys attacking artistry. A three-time member of the PFA team of year, the City legend is an iconic figure of not only Manchester City but also the Premier League.

(AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

Longevity: 8/10Achievement: 6/10Impact: 9/10

Perhaps a surprising selection, there have been few central defenders who have been as consistently reliable as the Spurs man who has been one of the pillars of Mauricio Pochettinos revolution. A mobile and technically excellent footballer who has been a dogged and uncompromising figure of the Spurs defence alongside Toby Alderweireld for half a decade, their partnership is among the best seen the Premier League this decade.

Although the Belgian has not been able to win the Premier League, his two selections in the PFA team of year as well as his role in Tottenhams transformation into a contending team this decade makes him a more than worthy selection.

Longevity: 8/10Achievement: 8/10Impact: 10/10

Possibly the closest thing we will ever see to a Lionel Messi grace the Premier League, the former Chelsea superstar was also an incredibly durable player despite being the most fouled player during his time. His direct and menacing dribbling coupled with his vision and passing made him Chelseas talisman throughout his seven years.

A two-time title winner and four-time member of the PFA team of the year, his greatest individual recognition came in 2014-15, when he was the PFA player of the year as his scintillating form led Chelsea to the title. His legacy is cemented in the pantheon of Chelsea greats with the likes of John Terry, Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard.

(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, file)

Longevity: 6/10Achievement: 9/10Impact: 10/10

The player whose longevity is most debatable in this team, the Belgian makes up for it with a record of two league titles and a PFA team of year selection 2017-18. Those achievements may seem insignificant on paper, but its De Bruynes impact since his arrival from Wolfsburg in 2015 that is too great to ignore.

A prodigious technician of the football, the former Chelsea mans delivery and passing is up there with the very best the Premier League has seen. Additionally, his vision, thrust and courage on the ball in Pep Guardiolas blue machine has seen him become the talisman at City and a symbol of the managers philosophy. Hell go down as the iconic player of the Guardiola era at Manchester City.

(AP Photo/Rui Vieira)

Longevity: 6/10Achievement: 10/10Impact: 10/10

The PFA player of the season in 2016-17 and a two-time member of the PFA team of year, the Frenchman was instrumental in winning back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2017 for both Leicester City and Chelsea. A player of immense physical gifts with boundless energy and outstanding durability, Kantes ferocious pressing and patrolling of the middle of the park has been truly revolutionary when you compare it how the position was played previously.

The Chelsea man does not just put fires out reactively; he is a constant figure of disruption and dynamism as well as being a more technically capable player than is the perception. A measure of just how significant an impact he has had on the English game is the fact that many view the Frenchman as the main driving force behind Leicesters improbable title victory despite the contributions of Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez.

Longevity: 7/10Achievement: 9/10Impact: 10/10

Not since Patrick Vieira has a central midfielder graced the Premier League with the same aura and chest-thumping authority as Yaya Toure. A player of elegance and power in equal measure, the Ivorians deftness of touch and ability to take a game by the scruff of the neck with his barnstorming runs make him a unique figure in Premier League history.

With three EPL titles and two PFA team of the year selections, Toures excellence has been reflected with a multitude of team and individual honours. His time under Pep Guardiola may have seen him become a peripheral figure in his final seasons, but his legacy as a bona fide Manchester City legend remains intact.

Longevity: 10/10Achievement: 9/10Impact: 10/10

The magical Spaniard has been a significant part of the Manchester City spine that has brought unprecedented success to the Etihad Stadium. The creative inspiration for the most watchable and potent attacking force of the decade, Silvas elusiveness between defensive lines thanks to his acute sense of time and space as well as his masterful passing and vision has seen him become a City legend.

A four-time title winner and two-time PFA team of the year member, the greatest recognition that can be given to the former Valencia star is the fact his name is now considered among the very best midfield names of the Premier League era.

Longevity: 9/10Achievement: 9/10Impact: 10/10

Manchester Citys all-time top goalscorer with 244 goals, the diminutive Argentine striker is in all probability the player of the decade in the Premier League. His consistency has been remarkable despite not having the greatest run with injuries, while his ability as an all-round forward makes him more than just a goalscorer. A vital part of the City spine that has been such a force this decade, Agueros excellence under multiple managers and multiple systems in Roberto Mancini, Manuel Pellegrini and Pep Guardiola is testament to his greatness and adaptability.

It seems almost an absurd fact that Aguero has only been in the PFA team of the year twice, and its even more absurd he never won the Golden Boot. However, a record six-time Premier League player of the month does suggest the ruthless streak that has characterised his Premier League career.

(Nigel French EMPICS/PA Images via Getty Images)

Longevity: 7/10Achievement: 8/10Impact: 10/10

The only English selection in this team, the Tottenham forwards meteoric rise in 2014-15 seems a long time ago. He has since picked up two Golden Boot awards and been selected in the PFA team of the year four times and hes only 26 years old. An intelligent forward with a fine all-round game, Kanes outstanding technique when striking a ball makes him a threat every time he is in possession.

His cool, calm finishing is befitting of an excellent temperament that has seen Kane develop into a fine leader, which will surely see him become Tottenhams next captain. Already with 136 Premier League goals and several years ahead of his career, he is well on his way to becoming the all-time top scorer in the premier league.

See the article here:
My English Premier League team of the decade - The Roar

Here are the top stories covered byDocWire Newsthis week in the Homepage section. In this weeks edition of the round-up: the FDA approves a new migraine drug; e-cig use is linked to respiratory disease; gender-tailored methods could mitigate the effects of opioid abuse; and cell phone use may be connected to medical errors.

This week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)approvedUbrelvry (ubrogepant) tablets for the immediatetreatmentof migraine with or without aura in adults. According to the FDA, this marks the first drug in the class of oral calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor antagonists approved for the acute treatment of migraine. Migraine is an often disabling condition that affects an estimated 37 million people in the U.S., said Billy Dunn, M.D., acting director of the Office of Neuroscience in the FDAs Center for Drug Evaluation and Research in apress release. Ubrelvy represents an important new option for the acute treatment of migraine in adults, as it is the first drug in its class approved for this indication. The FDA is pleased to approve a novel treatment for patients suffering from migraine and will continue to work with stakeholders to promote the development of new safe and effective migraine therapies.

Electronic cigarette(e-cig) use is associated with an increased risk of respiratory disease, according to a study whichappeared intheAmerican Journal of Preventative Medicine. The authors wrote that: Although switching from combustible tobacco, including cigarettes, to e-cigarettes theoretically could reduce the risk of developing respiratory disease, current evidence indicates a high prevalence of dual use, which is associated with increased risk beyond combustible tobacco use. In addition, for most smokers, using an e-cigarette is associated with lower odds of successfully quitting smoking. cigarettes should not be recommended.

Gender-tailored methods that address the adverse childhood experiences (ACE) could mitigate the effects ofopioid use disorder, according to the findings of a studypublished inthe journalAddictive Behaviors. In this study, researchers assessed 201213 nationally-representative data from 388 women and 390 men with opioid use disorder. The results of the study showed that women with opioid use disorder were more likely than men to have comorbid mood or anxiety disorders, and less likely to have conduct disorders.

Nurses in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) are susceptible to makingmedical errorswhen interrupted by incoming cell phone calls, according to a studypublished inJAMA Pediatrics. The researchers wrote of this study that: This studys findings suggest that, although communication-related interruptions cannot be eliminated, interventions to reduce the frequency and adverse consequences of interruptions should include consideration of time of day, nurse experience, nurse to patient ratio, and level of patient care required.

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Homepage Round-Up: FDA Approves New Migraine Therapy, E-Cigs Linked to Respiratory Disease; and More - DocWire News

Electronic cigarette (e-cig) use is associated with an increased risk of respiratory disease, according to a study which appeared in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine.

In this longitudinal analysis study, researchers evaluated adults aged 18 years and older from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Waves 1 (which took place between September 2013 to December 2014), 2 (October 2014 to October 2015), and 3 (October 2015 to October 2016). At wave 1, the researchers assessed lung or respiratory disease using the following yes or no question: Has a doctor or other health professional ever told you that you had any of the following lung or respiratory conditions? COPD, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma.

Lung or respiratory disease at Waves 2 and 3 was assessed with the question:In the past 12 months, has a doctor, nurse, or other health professional told you that you had any of the following lung or respiratory conditions? (yes or no): COPD, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma. Respondents who answeredyes to any of these questions were categorized as having lung or respiratory disease at Wave 2 or 3. All respondents were categorized as either categorized as current users, former users, or never users. The researches collated data between 2013 and 2016 and analyzed the data between 2018 and 2019.

According to the results of the study, the researchers observed a statistically significant association between former e-cig use (AOR=1.31, 95% CI=1.07, 1.60) and current e-cig use (AOR=1.29, 95% CI=1.03, 1.61) at Wave 1 and having incident respiratory disease at Waves 2 or 3, after controlling for combustible tobacco smoking, demographic, and clinical variables. The results also showed that combustible tobacco smoking (AOR=2.56, 95% CI=1.92 to 3.41) was notably linked with having respiratory disease at Waves 2 or 3. Moreover, the odds of developing respiratory disease for a current user of both e-cigs and all combustible tobacco were 3.30 juxtaposed with a never smoker who never used e-cigarettes.

Current use of e-cigarettes appears to be an independent risk factor for respiratory disease in addition to all combustible tobacco smoking, the study authors wrote in their conclusion.

Although switching from combustible tobacco, including cigarettes, to e-cigarettes theoretically could reduce the risk of developing respiratory disease, current evidence indicates a high prevalence of dual use, which is associated with increased risk beyond combustible tobacco use. In addition, for most smokers, using an e-cigarette is associated with lower odds of successfully quitting smoking. cigarettes should not be recommended.

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E-Cig Use Linked to Respiratory Disease - DocWire News

Elegant science are not two words you hear put together very often. But for Carmel Valley resident Dr. Pamila Brar the phrase sums up her lifes career goals. Brar sees elegant science as the promise of precision medicine and works as the chief medical officer and clinical phenotyping research lead at the J. Craig Venter Institute in La Jolla. Her clinical research focuses on genomics, electronic medical records and artificial intelligence to identify various markers of health and disease.

The promise of precision medicine is intoxicating to me, Brar explains, the ability to tailor care to each individual is so very compelling and feels right in such an intuitive way. I am passionate about helping to extend the healthy human lifespan, and to help us all understand what makes us who we are as individuals.

Brar was recently appointed to the board of directors of the Clearity Foundation, which strives to improve the survival and quality of life for women with ovarian cancer. Brar says she was interested in joining the foundation because it stands as a glowing example of an organization that provides the highest level of scientific knowledge to patients and their doctors, combined with truly helpful psychological support, and at no charge to patients.

Brar points out that, because ovarian cancer is such an elusive disease with no clear screening tools, it requires serious attention for us to outsmart it. It often contains multiple cell types even within a single tumor. So, in a way, it isnt just one disease. It is a valiant enemy. And to add insult to injury, it affects women in the prime of their lives.

Brar has personal experience in witnessing the devastating toll that ovarian cancer can take. During her internal-medicine residency, one of her interns was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at the age of 25. I recall her complaining of vague symptoms and all of us attributing it to the demands of medical training, she says. I remember the shock of learning she had ovarian cancer. After all, she was one of us -- a doctor. She wasnt supposed to be the patient. Tragically, she died within six months of diagnosis. Her situation hit very close to home for me, and her death left a big hole within our close-knit group.

Brar says she knew from around the age 7 or 8 that she wanted to be a doctor. She attended medical school at Louisiana State University at New Orleans and then trained at Scripps Clinic in La Jolla. She worked in general practice at Scripps Clinic from 1999 to 2009. Then as we would say in my home state of Louisiana, I got a wild hair and decided that I wanted to stretch my wings and open my own private concierge medicine practice in La Jolla in 2010, she explains. During that time, she became quite intrigued with the fertile science and biotech environment San Diego has to offer.

I learned of the opportunity to participate in a new preventative precision medicine clinic at Human Longevity, Inc. founded by Craig Venter. I decided to leave my practice to participate in this new movement of genomics and precision prevention, Brar says. She served as medical director at the Health Nucleus at Human Longevity from 2015 to 2019. In that role, she led a multidisciplinary team responsible for the integration of whole genome sequencing, microbiome, metabolome and whole-body imaging, as well as the delivery of results to the participants. And she started to dream big.

My dream is that during my lifetime (I am 47), we will eradicate cancer, both through radical prevention, advanced screening and targeted and precise therapies, she says emphatically. I believe through the use of artificial intelligence, we will be able to make exponential advancements in the understanding of disease and health. We are inundated with data, and to be able to apply machine learning to these complex data sets, we can make connections faster and more profound than those that our minds can.

One challenge that still exists, Brar admits, is gender bias in research. She says statistics back this up. Even in animal studies, she explains, we have seen gender bias reproduced with more male mice in studies than female mice. Its our job as doctors, researchers and patients to close that gap. She encourages more women to participate in clinical trials and points out that awareness is key.

Despite the statistics, significant progress has been made. Women are now evenly represented in conditions such as diabetes, mental health, cancer and respiratory disease. But they still remain underrepresented in cardiology, HIV, chronic kidney disease, hepatitis and digestive disorders. We still have a long way to go, says Brar, but we are making progress.

Brar says she is very enthusiastic about the notion of understanding and realizing human potential and considers herself fortunate to be at the forefront of some of the most meaningful and potentially powerful research in the world.

The team of incredible people that I have the honor to work with at the J Craig Venter Institute, at Human Longevity, Inc. and at the Clearity Foundation truly embody the best of the scientific community working for the good of the human race. Lucky me!

For more on the Clearity Foundation, visit http://www.clearityfoundation.org.

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Carmel Valley doctor joins Clearity Foundation board in the fight against Ovarian Cancer - Del Mar Times

What is the secret to physical and mental well-being? Since the beginning of time, people have searched for the answer. Every country has its own traditions and take on self-care. In Finland, it involves steamy saunas and icy dips; in Tibet, sound vibrations are believed to heal and harmonize the body; and in the United States, floating in darkened soundproof pods to chill out is enjoying a renaissance. This new year, try a new wellness ritual from around the globe.

While floating in a pitch-black soundproof pod filled with salt water might seem terrifying, this is one of the hottest wellness trends in the U.S. Devotees say the lack of stimuli creates a deep state of mental and physical relaxation that lasts long after emerging from the tank.

Ancient Amazonian tribes used this psychedelic brew made from tea leaves for spiritual and religious purposes. Now, however, it has become popular worldwide as an alternative healing treatment to reach an altered state of consciousness and to heal past traumas, depression, cancer and more. During a retreat, a shaman prepares the drink and guides the participant through the ceremony, which can result in the body purging in all forms, which is believed to be part of the cleansing process.

Hammam, or traditional Moroccan bath houses, aren't for the shy, as they are typically experienced in the nude and separated by gender. These public baths are places to socialize, relax and get squeaky cleanyou'll be rigorously scrubbed and exfoliated down to a new layer of skin with black soap and a hand mitt.

Finland ranks as the happiest country in the world for the second year in a row by the United Nations. Could one of their secrets to being so content lie in their national pastime of sweating out the blues in a sauna? Or maybe it is the adrenaline rush of ice swimming, another popular activity Finns do for a jolt of joy on a cold winter's day.

Volunteering to be whacked with a bunch of oak leaves might not sound relaxing, but it's a traditional type of massage in Russian banyas, or bath houses. The beating of water-dipped branches takes place in a sauna, and it is believed to boost circulation and prevent premature skin aging.

Traditional yoga poses involving headstands or backbends might be intimidating to some, but Laughter Yoga is something everyone can do. In Mumbai in 1995, Dr. Madan Kataria created this hilarious meditative practice that involves cracking up for no reason in order to lower levels of stress hormones. Now it's contagious, and Laughter Yoga clubs can be found all over the world.

For centuries, Buddhist monks have used "singing bowls" for meditation and healing purposes. The vibrations created by these bowls are believed to balance, heal and restore out-of-harmony parts of the mind and body by reducing stress, focusing the mind and even relieving pain.

Shinrin-yoku or forest bathing is the Japanese practice of immersing oneself in nature through the five senses as a form of preventative medicine and therapy. In fact, trees give off organic compounds that support cancer-fighting cells by boosting the immune system. A simple stroll in the woods also lowers blood pressure and accelerates recovery from surgery or illness.

Originally posted here:
Global Wellness Rituals to Try This Year - Newsweek

The sun is setting on another exhilarating yet tumultuous decade for the American health care industry. There was, of course, the signing into law, implementation and evolution of the Affordable Care Act. We also saw the beginning stages ofartificial intelligenceand machine learning, major advocacy for the removal ofdata silos, thewearable crazeand, more recently, a major challenge in addressing theopioid and behavioral health crises.

As an investor, the past 10 years have been invigorating. Digital health is here to stay. Technology has opened so many doors and created an enormous opportunity for innovation across the health care industry. This positive momentum has encouraged new investors, some supporting health care for the very first time, to enter the market, while existing investors like myself remain quite active.

But the excitement isnt just spreading from promises and visions. Many digital health startups have established tangible outcomes and validation in return on investment to their customers. This is a positive sign an indication that there is real value being created in our sector.

I dont see this momentum slowing anytime soon. As we move into the 20s, here are some of the catalysts and evolutions that Ill be paying the most attention to and collaborating on with our current and future portfolio companies to help improve our health care system:

Consumer Expectations Strengthen

First, consumers will expect health providers and payors to offer holistic, personalized health services as the new standard of care. More than ever before, consumers are becoming empowered by access to information and a plethora of digital health platforms. They will want (and then expect) solutions that factor in biology and genomics, lifestyle and socioeconomic characteristics, and environmental influences to produce better health outcomes. By providing health consumers with the right tools and insights, we can effectively empower them to manage their health outside of the traditional health care system, a relatively new and powerful phenomenon driven by technology. (More on that later.)

Seamless Integrations Improve Care

Concurrent with this,consumers are increasingly demanding a seamless, integrated digital front door, or a conduit that provides convenient access to appointment scheduling, care records and insurance information. Those on the services side will use this to directly engage with consumers, drive better adherence rates, behavior change and service utilization, particularly when it comes to chronic condition management.

Personal Data Further Empowers Consumers

One key positive result ofrising consumer awarenessis that people will become the hub for their own health information and, even more importantly, become active participants in managing their health. We are going to see more and more individuals be better informed of their health profile and predispositions for certain conditions, as well as see their willingness to harness preventative medicine. To encourage consumers to be active participants in their health, by putting them in control of their data and determining how its used, we can build trust, increase utilization and protect privacy.

Technology Serves As Backbone

While I mentioned this current decade produced the early momentum we are seeing behind AI in health care, this technology will eventually become the foundation of first-line digital interactions between consumers and health institutions. AI is a core piece of the backbone behind the digital front door assisting with triaging, guidance, scheduling and administration, care coordination and even delivering low acuity therapeutics. Im confident that AI will better enable many more doctors, specialists and providers to practice at the top of their license.

As part of the maturing AI landscape, I believe voice technologies and natural language processing will become more advanced and make pivotal contributions to health care, such as overhauling caregiver workflows, lessening the growing administrative burden thats leading to burnout and facilitating more quality time between providers and patients.

Although technology is a great tool, it is important to use technology in a way that is useful to health consumers. Simply using the latest and greatest innovation does not make the solution effective and, in fact, if implemented poorly, it can detract from the overall experience. Technology must fit into the lives of consumers and their workflow. For example, our portfolio company uses connected devices and voice through a HIPAA-compliant Amazon Alexa skills program to allow its members to access health care information using their existing Alexa devices; its technology we know many of our members use today.

What The Next Decade Will Look Like

Its impossible to look ahead and not wonder what role major tech companies are going to play in the evolving health care ecosystem. Yes, some large companies have dabbled in health care services before, but the past 12 months are unlike anything I have seen with highly-publicized activity from organizations such as Apple, Amazon and Google.

I believe the pace at which big tech and retailers wade into health care is going to accelerate. Why? Based on my observations of the space, its due to promising results that have been evidenced and forward-thinking health systems and payor executives who are now willing to opportunistically partner with strategic innovators to meet the new health care consumer where they are. What lays ahead in terms of innovative consumer health devices, more user-friendly platforms to access information and other technological advances will be one to watch.

Finally, what will this new climate look like for self-insured employers (who cover tens of millions of lives)? These employers will remain focused on reducing their health cost trend and improving the health and productivity of their teams by leveraging innovation.

Forward-thinking employers should continue to build a suite of digitally-powered health benefits in order to better compete for talent. Areas including behavioral health and addressing musculoskeletal injuries/pain are poised for growth and, hopefully, more widespread availability.

I am energized by the promise of the coming decade, the opportunities to improve the lives of those who are faced with health challenges and the democratization of these advances to the wider global community.

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The Digital Health Landscape In 2020 And Beyond - Forbes

The expansion of health coverage is certainly something to celebrate this holiday season. As 49,000 Idahoans and counting will have health coverage due to Medicaid expansion, we can all be grateful for the peace of mind, economic security and improved health that these families will enjoy. And we must continue to work together to help Idahoans get and keep the health coverage they need. As a physician practicing in rural Idaho, Im looking forward to more members of our community being able to receive preventative care and address chronic conditions that have gone untreated for far too long.

Medicaid makes it possible for low-income Idahoans to be healthy making sure they can work and take care of their families. It allows them to see a doctor when they are sick, get check-ups, buy medications and go to the hospital without fear of choosing between their health and groceries or paying their rent/mortgage. Medicaid offers financial protection for families so they dont have to go bankrupt when they face an unexpected illness or need to go to the hospital.

Medicaid expansion was achieved in Idaho through a bipartisan effort that included the support of former Gov. Butch Otter and several Republican lawmakers with deep knowledge and experience with Idahos health system. While a small group of Idaho legislators want to play Grinch and spread fear about people being kicked off private health coverage, the truth is that these Idahoans will still have health coverage without the burden of extra out-of-pocket costs that make their private plans difficult to afford.

Medicaid is more cost-effective and offers better health coverage for the vast majority of Idahoans who will qualify for Medicaid expansion. Efforts to keep some Idahoans who are newly eligible for Medicaid expansion on the state exchange would have cost taxpayers more money and added to the federal deficit, which is why the Trump administration rejected Idaho lawmakers request to do so.

Health care providers across Idaho, from hospitals, to physicians, to community clinics, have embraced Medicaid expansion and are working hard to enroll Idahoans and care for these individuals. As a physician, I know that Im looking forward to treating patients earlier before they have costly, more serious health conditions.

Medicaid expansion is a gift for Idaho. Idahoans who are struggling to make ends meet will now have access to health coverage and can receive preventative care to keep them healthy, or finally treat chronic conditions that have damaged their quality of life and ability to work. By 2022, Medicaid expansion will result in savings or offsets to the state totaling over $31 million, with a net savings of $3.5 million annually. Starting on Jan. 1, Idahoans across the state will have health coverage, reducing uncompensated care costs for rural hospitals, helping fund more Idaho physicians, saving local communities money and creating over $16 million in new economic activity. Its time to put politics aside and come together to fully support Medicaid expansion in Idaho.

Dr. Keith Davis is a family medicine doctor in Shoshone, Idaho and is affiliated with two hospitals in the Magic Valley. He is the owner, CEO and medical director of Shoshone Family Medical Center, where he has practiced for over 30 years. He received his medical degree from George Washington University School of Medicine.

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Medicaid expansion is a gift - Post Register

Migraines, a particularly severe type of headache that can cause pain and visual disturbances, often last for hours or days, disrupting ones life. Pain killers and other acute treatments often fail to provide relief from these migraines; instead, most treatments are for preventing chronic migraines. That has changed with the FDAs approval of a new drug that offers immediate, rather than preventative, relief.

Migraines are often difficult to treat. Though some people will only experience migraines rarely, others suffer from chronic migraines, which means they happen regularly. Migraines can be triggered by a variety of factors, including everything from excessively bright light exposure to allowing ones blood sugar to drop too low before eating a carb-rich meal.

In an announcement on Monday, the FDA revealed that it has approved ubrogepant (brand Ubrelvy) tablets for the treatment of migraines, but only in adults. The drug can be used to treat migraines that occur with or without auras, meaning things like rainbow shimmers in ones vision. The agency says Ubrelvy is the first oral calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor antagonist to get its approval for immediate migraine treatment.

In a statement, FDA Office of Neuroscience acting director Billy Dunn, MD, said:

Migraine is an often disabling condition that affects an estimated 37 million people in the US. Ubrelvy represents an important new option for the acute treatment of migraine in adults, as it is the first drug in its class approved for this indication.

A pair of double-blind, randomized, and placebo-controlled trials were used to test Ubrelvys effectiveness. More than 1,400 adults participated in the studies, all of them with a history of migraines. Compared to the placebo group, the FDA says many sufferers who took this drug during a migraine experienced a reduction in symptoms or, in some cases, complete relief within two hours.

Link:
FDA approves new drug that immediately treats migraines - SlashGear

More than 30 million Americans have diabetes. The vast majority suffer from Type 2 diabetes, which arises when the body doesnt process insulin properly. This causes blood sugar levels to rise and potentially triggers a host of other health problems, like heart disease, kidney disease and loss of vision. The disease has long been characterized as a chronic condition, requiring people to receive regular insulin injections, test their blood sugar levels and take medications.

However, a growing body of evidence suggests that reversing the condition essentially, bringing blood sugar back to a non-diabetic level without meds may be possible through diet and weight loss. In a 2016 study in Barbados, more than half of participants given a low-calorie, low-carb diet, in addition to fibrous fruits and vegetables, were able to reduce their blood sugar to non-diabetic levels. Weight-loss surgery has also been used as a technique to keep diabetes at bay.

But not everybody can control their blood sugar levels without medication, particularly in the diseases later stages. And experts caution that major lifestyle changes involving diet can be difficult for many people to maintain.

Often times, people will go on these very restrictive, low-calorie diets, says Ann Albright, director of the Division of Diabetes Translation at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The evidence is clear that, for a majority of people, those are not sustainable.

Read more:

When Dieting, Should We Be Fasting or Grazing?

The Biggest Factor Behind Obesity May Be One We Don't Want to Hear

Breakfast Might Not Be So Essential After All

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Can You Reverse Type 2 Diabetes with Diet and Weight Loss? - Discover Magazine

Lawton First Christian Church and the Oklahoma Healthy Aging Initiative (OHAI) Southwest Center of Healthy Aging are collaborating to provide the Powerful Tools for Caregivers and Diabetes and Beyond programs.

Both classes will be held at First Christian Church, 701 SW D, beginning the first week of January.

Powerful Tools for Caregivers is a class series designed to help family caregivers take better care of themselves while caring for a family member or friend. In the six weekly classes, caregivers will develop self-care tools to reduce stressors, change negative self-talk, communicate their needs to family members and healthcare or service providers, effectively communicate in challenging situations, deal with difficult feelings, and make tough caregiving decisions. Class participants will have access to a copy of The Caregiver Help Book, developed specifically for the training.

This class will begin at 2 p.m. Jan. 6 and will continue once a week through Feb. 17.

The Diabetes and Beyond Program is a six-week program designed to teach self-management tools to older adults and their caregivers who want to learn how to manage diabetes to improve their overall quality of life. This program is interactive and will teach through small groups, games, activities and support conversations. Lessons include learning about management through meal planning, how diabetes affects the body, how to monitor changes, tips on physical activity and encouraging family involvement.

The diabetes class will begin at 2 p.m. Jan. 8 and will continue once a week through Feb. 12.

Instructors are provided by OHAI, a program of the Donald W. Reynolds Department of Geriatric Medicine at the University of Oklahoma. OHAI serves all individuals who are eligible for its programs without regard to race, national origin, ancestry, color, religion, sex, age or disability, under program guidelines.

To receive additional information or to reserve a spot in the classes, call OHAIs Southwest Center of Healthy Aging at (580) 699-3976.

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Powerful tools for caregivers, diabetes classes on the way - The Lawton Constitution

The significant findings of the DAPA-HF data have been well received in both the scientific and payer communities, but we also need to ensure that patients with diabetes are educated on the signs, symptoms, and risk factors linked with heart failure, said Kiersten Combs, BS, US vice president of Cardiovascular Metabolism at AstraZeneca.

The significant findings of the DAPA-HF data have been well received in both the scientific and payer communities, but we also need to ensure that patients with diabetes are educated on the signs, symptoms, and risk factors linked with heart failure, said Kiersten Combs, BS, US vice president of Cardiovascular Metabolism at AstraZeneca.

Transcript

Can you discuss the importance of the patient-reported outcomes data that was presented at AHA 2019? How do these data contribute to value-based agreements?

Especially in the heart failure patients where these patients are highly symptomatic, the data that we're reporting out, specifically using the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire [KCCQ] score, demonstrates that when patients take FARXIGA, they will actually feel better. So, not only is there an important clinical benefit, but there's also important patient benefit. I believe that will translate into the discussions in the impact that it will have with payers because they're ultimately looking to not only provide better health solutions for their patients, but also lower the cost to serve those patients.

Were hearing more about value-based agreements in the diabetes and cardiovascular area, including agreements directly between manufacturers and large employers or purchasing groups that represent employers. Can you discuss any novel solutions that AstraZeneca is pursuing in this area?

We are extremely proud that we have been thought leaders in this space, not only with the number of value-based agreements we have with payers today, but also that we have these agreements across the breadth of our portfolioso within the cardiovascular metabolic portfolio, but really also across our respiratory and oncology portfolio too. So, when we look at the data, such as what's being presented here, as well as everything else in our portfolio, we are engaging payers across the portfolio seeing what is possible; but I would just add that while the DAPA-HF data has been significant, and well received in the scientific community and in the payer community, I would also say that's not enough. We also need to make sure that we're educating patients on the signs, symptoms, and risk factors associated with heart failure. So, we're also quite proud that we've made an investment in just launching here at AHA 2019, a public service campaign called Diabetes Can Break Your Heart that will do exactly that.

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Kiersten Combs: Educating Patients With Diabetes on Heart Failure Risk Is Key to Effective Care - AJMC.com Managed Markets Network

Abbas Ebadi,1,2 Davide Ausili,3 Ahmed N Albatineh,4 Shahin Salarvand,5 Reza Ghanei Ghashlagh6

1Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Life Style Institute, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; 2Nursing Faculty, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; 3Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milan-Bicocca, Monza, Italy; 4Department of Community Medicine and Behavioral Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Kuwait City, Kuwait; 5Social Determinant of Health Research Center, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran; 6Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran

Correspondence: Reza Ghanei GhashlaghSocial Determinants of Health Research Center, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Pasdaran Ave, Sanandaj 6618634683, IranTel +98 9144050284Fax +98 36237511Email Rezaghanei30@yahoo.com

Background: Lifelong self-care is important in particular for patients with diabetes, because preventing diabetes complications can help maintain the quality of life and independence of diabetic patients. Currently, there are 16 self-care tools, the majority of which focus on one part of self-care. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Farsi Self-Care of Diabetes Inventory (F-SCODI) in Iran.Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed on 400 diabetic patients who were selected by convenience sampling to complete the F-SCODI. In this regard, construct validity was assessed using exploratory factor analysis. Additionally, the internal consistency of the F-SCODI was evaluated by McDonalds omega coefficient and Cronbachs alpha; whereas its stability was assessed by a test re-test approach.Results: In total, four factors were extracted (activity-nutritional behavior, smoking avoidance behavior, illness-related behaviors, and health-promoting behaviors) in the dimension of self-care maintenance, three factors (symptom monitoring, symptom assessment, and symptom recognition) in the dimension of self-care monitoring, two factors (autonomous self-care and consultative self-care) in the self-care management dimension, and two factors (task-specific self-care confidence and persistence self-care) in the dimension of confidence. In this regard, the overall consistencies of the four dimensions were 0.809, 0.767, 0.590, and 0.886, respectively.Conclusion: This study indicated that the Farsi version of SCODI had acceptable internal consistency and reliability as well as content and construct validity. Given the acceptable psychometric properties, this tool can be used in future studies in Iranian patients with diabetes.

Keywords: diabetes, self-care, Self-Care of Diabetes Inventory, factor analysis, Iran

This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution - Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License.By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms.

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Psychometric Evaluation of the Farsi Version of the Self-Care of Diabe | DMSO - Dove Medical Press

Mon, Dec 30, 2019 - 5:50 AM

Singapore

DIABETES is one of the fastest growing health challenges of the 21st century. In Singapore, the prevalence of diabetes in adults aged 18 and above has nearly doubled in just 15 years - from 7 per cent in 2004 to 13.7 per cent today (about 606,000 people).

What is perhaps of most concern about the diabetes trend is how unaware people remain of it.

"Diabetes is a silent disease," explained Pedro Goncalves, head of Roche Diabetes Care Region International (APAC, Middle-East, Africa, Russia & LATAM). "You can have it and not know it until it's quite late."

The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) estimates that half of adults with diabetes - about 232 million people worldwide - are undiagnosed, which puts them at high risk of developing serious diabetes-related complications such as blindness, nerve damage, heart disease and limb amputation. Singapore, for example, has the world's highest rate of diabetic kidney failure, despite its proclaimed war on diabetes.

Therefore, companies such as Roche Diabetes Care have begun investing in digital alternatives to help people track their health information.

"It's very important to have information on glucose levels and other markers immediately accessible by doctors and healthcare professionals," said Mr Goncalves. Digital technology that can facilitate quicker, easier consolidation of such information will help diabetes patients get better at staying within healthy ranges, he added.

The advent of digital technology is timely as the cost of diabetes treatment is increasing at double-digit rates throughout Asia. In Singapore alone, over S$1 billion is spent each year on managing diabetes.

Rising trends skew disproportionately towards Type 2 diabetes, driven by growing urbanisation and changing lifestyle habits (higher calorie intake, increasing consumption of processed foods, sedentary lifestyles), said Mr Goncalves. This makes diabetes difficult to detect and manage without regular visits to the doctor.

"It's not about providing only clinical decisions like prescribing, it's really about helping them understand what they do, what they eat, how to balance their lifestyle so they can control the disease better," he said.

Compared to traditional methods, digital technology is able to facilitate not only reactive treatment but also proactive prevention, which many healthcare professionals agree is both more effective and less costly for disease management.

"It's about preventive action and the need to work on the early stage of diabetes, so we avoid this epidemic that is taking place in Asia more than anywhere else in the world," said Mr Goncalves.

One such digital solution is mySugr, a free mobile app for managing diabetes that collects and consolidates relevant therapy data in one place through external devices, integrations, and manual entry. Since its June launch in Singapore, the app has garnered nearly 9,000 users.

"The data allows us to zero in on the areas we can improve on, be it adjusting medicine dosage or food intake, so that I can live as normally as I can," said mySugr user Shane Sim, 31. "It is definitely better than the old school way of using a pen and paper logbook, which is very inconvenient to carry around."

Making diabetes "suck less", as the app's tagline claims, is a helpful motivator for diabetes patients who struggle daily with having to keep track of meals, medications, blood sugar levels and other important data. Said Heng Pei Yan, 33: "I appreciate the constant improvements and modifications made to the app to make blood sugar monitoring fun for users."

"It's a very user-friendly interface," said Eileen Lee, head of communications at Roche Diabetes Care. "It's very gamified, it's very easy to enter your data, so it's not complicated, even for older users."

With the burden of disease management lightened and streamlined by digital solutions, better outcomes can be expected, said Mr Goncalves.

"Patients only see a doctor once per year or twice. It's impossible to manage a disease that is influenced by behaviour if you don't have permanent support," he explained. "We need to find other ways of providing support to people, and that's exactly where digital solutions come in."

For S$210, mySugr also offers a three-month subscription plan for mySugr Coaching, an in-app add-on bundle of special features that includes access to direct communication with diabetes educators for personalised advice between clinic visits.

The growing capabilities of healthcare technology aside, the responsibility to take action remains key to health and disease management.

"Technology is just the bridge to help you do things right," said Mr Goncalves. "But it takes a while for humans to change their behaviour ... and that's always a challenge."

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The war on diabetes goes digital - The Business Times

Poxel and its new diabetes tablet are heading to regulators. Well, in Japan at least.

The French pharma and its Japanese partner Sumitomo Dainippon announced the third straight Phase III success for its new kind of diabetes tablet. In the year-long, open-label TIMES 2 trial, Imeglimin decreased blood sugar levels (HbA1c) as a monotherapy or in combination with one of any of 8 common diabetes drugs. That included a .92% decline when given with DDP-4 inhibitors, one of the most common diabetes meds in Japan.

The results keep Poxelon track for the same 2020 Japanese regulatory submission and 2021 approval they laid out after positive double-blind TIMES 1 results were announced in April. Top-line TIMES 3 results, also positive, were unveiled in November.

The results sent Poxels stock on the European exchange up 9.92% to 9.75 per share.

The TIMES 2 results represent a significant milestone for Imeglimin, with the completion of our robust Phase 3 program in Japan, Poxel CEO Thomas Kuhn said in a statement referring to all three trials. Taken together, these results feature Imeglimins potential to treat type 2 diabetes at multiple stages of the disease.

Poxels path to the rest of the world remains less clear. Nearly two years ago, the French group sold US and European rights to Vivek Ramaswamys Roivant in a deal worth $50 million upfront and up to $600 million in milestones. The deal had been long-sought; although Poxel had a positive Phase IIb in 2014 and dosing levels to go to Phase III, they needed a deeper-pocketed partner willing to take on the heavy financial burden of a global diabetes trial.

Updates, though, have been sparse since they signed that deal in February 2018. The Poxel website still lays out the 2018 plans under the Imeglimin US/EU tab, and the Roivant website refers back to the Poxel one. Clinicaltrials.gov lists only one active trial for the drug a Phase I in Munich for hepatic impaired subjects.

The compound, though, will enter the Japanese regulatory process with a bevy of evidence behind it. Part of a new class of oral chemical agents called glimins, the drug is designed to target all three key organs affected in Type II diabetes: Increasing insulin in the pancreas in a glucose-dependent manner, decreasing excess glucose production in the liver and enhancing insulin sensitivity in muscles.

Collectively, the three trials enrolled 1,100 patients. TIMES 2 was open-label but TIMES 1 and 3 were double-blind. All met primary endpoints.

Poxel should find a ready market, too. An aging population and rising obesity have swelled the number of suspected diabetics in Japan past 10 million as of 2016, according to past estimates from Nikkei.

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Poxel passes 3rd straight Phase III diabetes trial in Japan, but what's going on with US/EU partner Roivant? - Endpoints News

New Delhi [India], Dec 29 (ANI): Nearly 400 people with known diabetes (type-1) below the age of 30 years underwent the comprehensive annual screening for their complication due to their health condition at the annual medical camp- 'Diabetes Onset on Youth' organised with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on Saturday.

The participants included children, teenagers, and young adults till 30 years of age from Delhi-NCR for the annual screening process which is a mandatory part of their clinical practices.

Patients were from AIIMS endocrinology department, paediatrics (AIIMS) and Safdarjung Hospital.

"The idea for these camp is that all people with diabetes need to undergo a periodic evaluation and annual evaluation which is more detailed and also includes screening for complications associated with diabetes," (Prof) Dr Nikhil Tandon, head of endocrinology and metabolism department at AIIMS told ANI.

In 2006, ICMR constituted a Registry of People with Diabetes with Young Age at Onset (YDR), to maintain a data- Youth Onset of Diabetes.

"The effort is to try and make it easier for these individuals who already have diabetes. This medical camp at AIIMS is a single-window, single day system and all that patients require for investigation was taken care," Dr Tandon said.

Experts say that Type -1 diabetes occurs usually in the first two decades of life when body's immune system destroys the cell in the pancreas which generates insulin, as a result, these young people do not have insulin production inside their body. So they are compelled to take insulin from outside and dependent on insulin for most of their survival.

On the other hand, Type 2 diabetes occurs mostly in the older age group population. Under this health complication, the initial part of the disease is associated with a condition called- insulin resistance diabetes, though the body produces insulin the body's tissue remains insensitive towards action. Therefore, doctors need to give more & more insulin and hence a lot of time, we need to give medications by mouth is also enough to take care of the process.

In 2014, AIIMS started the annual evaluation of people with known diabetes wherein 200 participants got registered and underwent annual health check for the complications associated with the disease. The project is funded by ICMR.

Investigations like haemoglobin A1c, proteinuria or microalbuminuria in urine, cholesterol, and fats in the blood (lipid profile) and kidney function test were performed on participants.

Citing the latest data published in the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), Dr Tandan said that currently, India has a burden of 100,000 people suffering from known diabetes.

Patients and attendants were sensitised through nukkad nataks, poster making, and quiz competitions. (ANI)

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AIIMS conducts annual screening of about 400 people with Type-1 diabetes - Yahoo India News

Wow, you survived cancer? What's your secret to health care?

As absurd as that sounds, its a question many Americans who get sick are still asking as we ring in the year 2020. Getting health care in this country is still so circuitous it often does feel like a secret a maze deciphered in private that's never quite mastered. The reward for solving it? Perhaps your life; perhaps the loss of your life savings. And thats if youre lucky.

Even with the Affordable Care Act, almost 30 million are without health insurance in the U.S. And if youve perused plans on the ACA marketplace, youll know why. Theyre pricey, and a new year brings fears that insurance premiums are once again rising. (Who knew the inflation rates on a pap smear were that high?!) Meanwhile, 14 Republican-led states are still refusing to expand Medicaid as stipulated in the ACA, even though the federal government would pay for 90 percent of the cost. Why? Something about repeal and replace or socialism. Its hard to keep track.

Even with the Affordable Care Act, almost 30 million are without health insurance in the U.S. And if youve perused plans on the ACA marketplace, youll know why.

I traveled to three states, each with their own unique health care access challenges, for my new MSNBC special "Red, White, and Who? Between Texas, New York and Utah there are major differences in how easy it is to see a doctor without going bankrupt. But every single person I spoke with regardless of job, socioeconomic status or even political affiliation had one identical anxiety: healthcare in one of the most advanced countries in the world is ridiculously, hopelessly complicated.

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Im retired, but I feel like a have a job, Larry Chiuppi told me sitting outside at an RV park in Houston, blocks from one of the top cancer treatment hospitals in the country. Larry has been caring for his wife Nancy Raimondi, who has blood cancer, for over a year. During that time, he himself was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Even with her Medicare and his private health plan under the ACA, navigating the billing systems for the endless hospital visits, specialists and tests each with their own separate charges requires a huge amount of time and vigilance. He tells me they once got a $14,000 bill for a stem cell transplant because someone forgot to link Nancys Medicare. Larry imagined many people wouldve just tried to pay it. And most Americans dont have a retirees free time and Larrys persistence to help them through the bureaucracy, an added burden of getting well.

We also dont all have a mother like Sandra Stein. She and her family live in New York, a state where the uninsured population is less than five percent, and 6.5 million are on Medicaid. I met Sandra on a street corner in upper Manhattan, where activists were flyering for the New York Health Act, a bill that would give every New Yorker state-funded care. Sandra believes in single-payer healthcare because she has experienced the mind-numbing labyrinth that is the private insurance system firsthand.

When her son was nearly three, he developed a rare neurological disease that left him unable to walk or speak. At the time, she and her husband had private insurance, which was relatively good insurance, according to Sandra. But that didnt make things easier. When they first went to the hospital in an ambulance, the doctors there didnt take their insurance even though the hospital did. Her son ultimately stayed in three different hospitals over the course of 15 months.

When we got home it was my job to figure out the pile of bills and the collections threats, she told me. Its been eight years, but Sandras voice cracked like the memory happened yesterday. I couldnt imagine how hard it mustve been to be afraid for your childs life while collections agents breathed down your neck. Sandra says the billing department sought her out even while her son was in the ICU, and that there were so many billing errors that she ultimately asked for an audit.

And yet, Sandra, Larry and Nancy are the lucky ones. They have health insurance, and they have the time and resources to be able to make their way through the bureaucratic hall of mirrors and toward a fighting chance at getting well.

Its this cruel opacity of the private insurance system, on top of the rising monthly costs of just having a plan, that can be the difference between life and death. And it keeps a surprising number of Americans away from the system altogether. Like a rodeo cowboy I met in Texas, whose story youll just have to watch (Im not spoiling it all!). Its also led Americans like Sandra to believe that a massive simplification of our health care system is far overdue.

For many, that simplification comes in the form of cutting out the profit motive and moving toward government-funded insurance, like Medicare for All, which Big Pharmas enemy number one Sen. Bernie Sanders and I hashed out over bagels in a New York City deli.

Ultimately what became clear through my travels is that healthcare in America is often overpriced and even dysfunctional, but its the lack of transparency that can be the most insidious. You pretty much have to be a health care policy expert, or have a loved one who can quit their job to become one, in order to ensure proper help.

Its also strange that in a country that loves the free market as much as we do, we the consumer have no idea how much anything costs when we walk into a hospital. Why would we? Our health is priceless, so we are simply at the mercy of an ineffective system. That is, unless we fight for something different.

Red, White, and Who premieres on MSNBC on Dec. 29 at 9 p.m. E.T.

Francesca Fiorentini is journalist and comedian. She is the host of "Red, White and Who?" on MSNBC and Newsbroke on AJ+. Follow her @franifio.

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Health care in America is dysfunctional but its lack of transparency is downright dangerous - NBC News

No matter how packed with all that makes the game greata golf year might be and Id contend that theres never been a year that wasnt it wont stand out in history unless it has one extra special moment. And 2019 had that.

Golfs broad strokes rarely cut as wide a swath through culture as the Big 3 team sports, but Tiger Woods victory at the Masters was voted The Associated Presss top sports story of the year. Its importance may come to be considered greater than his 1997 Masters victory, or his U.S. Open wins at Pebble Beach in 2000 and Torrey Pines in 2008. And as a comeback from adversity, Woods first major victory in 11 years at least rivals and arguably surpasses not only Ben Hogans 1950 U.S. Open, but ANY sports comeback ever. It was extra special.

But so much else happened in 2019. What to make of the rest?

Well, lets start with Woods. Its easy to forget that a lot of things had to go just right on Sunday for Tiger to win at Augusta. And that as much as the place is considered his sweet spot, he hadnt won there since 2005. For me, the singular moment that meant more going forward was the Zozo Championship in November. Not because it became Woods record-tying 82nd career. And despite the tournament being a limited field, off-season event over a short golf course in a faraway land.

Was there any doubt? For our No. 1 Storyline of the Year, we look back on Tiger Woods' 15th major title at the Masters Tournament.

It was the WAY that Tiger played with a return to an ease and smoothness in his action that not only recalled much earlier days, but which promises repeatability and consistency. As well as on the right occasions dominance.

Next on the hit parade the education of Rory McIlroy. The four-time major winner added important elements to his game namely better putting and overall ball control to set the foundation for another sustained run of greatness in his 30s.

But it was also a year of searching. McIlroy came into 2019 reflective and open to new ideas. He said meditation, juggling and several self-help books had led him to decide that he would no longer allow my score to define who I am as a person. His consistency improved and he impressively won The Players in March. But McIlroy also had several flattish Sundays with chances to win, and the Masters where he continues to chase the career Grand Slam didnt go so well.

Prior to the U.S. Open, McIlroy roared to a seven-shot win in Canada. But he tied for ninth at Pebble Beach. Expectations were again high at Portrush, a short car ride from his boyhood home and where he had shot the course record of 61 at age 16. He opened The Open with a nervous 79 and missed the cut. The next week he got boat-raced by winner Brooks Koepka in a final Sunday pairing at the WGC-FedEx in Memphis.

It was again time to reassess.

After winning the FedExCup at East Lake, this time outplaying Koepka in the last group in what he would later call the highlight of his year, McIlroy revealed having committed to a harder and more self-aware competitive edge.

I think one of the biggest things is sometimes Ive tried to treat Sundays the same as a Thursday or Friday, and theyre not, said McIlroy, who would go on to win WGC-HSBC in Shanghai in November for his fourth victory of the year. Ive gone into them maybe a little too relaxed, but its not the same, and its about trying to get yourself in the right mindset. I guess thats the ultimate compliment I can give Brooks is that I wanted to be a little bit more like him.

McIlroy on Koepka rivalry: Feels good to take down No. 1

Speaking of Big Game Brooks, his ruthless march through the major championships since 2017 has been undervalued. In the last 30 years, only Woods, McIlroy and Nick Faldo have had such prolonged periods of excellence in the biggest events.

This year, Koepka showed true dominance in building a seven-stroke lead through three rounds in his victory at the PGA at Bethpage. That he bookended that performance with seconds at the Masters and at the U.S. Open got short shrift. And after he finished fourth at Portrush, when his putter uncharacteristically failed him (and he was being bothered by a torn patella tendon in his left knee that required stem cell treatment and from which he is still recovering), too many acted as though his reign had ended.

That impression was strengthened when McIlroy was chosen as PGA Tour Player of the Year by a vote of his peers. In the last couple of years, Koepka has used relatively small slights for fuel. But going into 2020 and turning 30 in May, he will be on a mission to strengthen his hold on world No. 1 and outdo McIlroy in the process. Koepka betrayed some saltiness in October by pointing out that, Ive been out here for what, five years. Rory hasnt won a major since Ive been on the PGA Tour. So I dont view it as a rivalry.

Sounds like a rivalry.

Although Jon Rahm, who enters 2020 at No. 3 in the world, is expected to intrude.

The 25-year-old Spaniard earns the description beast in the same way as team sport athletes who appear physically overwhelming. Along with his nine combined victories on the PGA and European tours, Rahm has also validated his combination of power and touch with a relentless consistency in his first 89 official worldwide professional starts, Rahm has 44 top-10s, only one less than Woods in his first 89. As he continues to mature and he got married just this month expect a calmer, more controlled Rahm to be even more dangerous.

In the womens game, Jin Young Ko was by far the best player of the year, winning two majors and two other events in only her second season on the LPGA tour. In a gracious acceptance speech for year-end honors at the tours awards banquet, the 24-year-old South Koreans accented, but precise English reflected the same discipline and exactitude that is so evident in her game. The current Rolex No. 1 knows thats been a precarious perch over the last decade in womens golf, and she seems determined to change the cycle. This is not the end, she told the gathering, but only the beginning.

Ok, thats the highest profile stuff. But there was also a pervasive theme that permeated 2019. In so many ways, it was an extraordinarily feel-good year.

Usually in these end-of-the-year assessments, what sticks with me most and reinforces my generally tragic sense of competitive golf are the deeply wounding, self-induced losses brought on by late implosions. You know, Phil Mickelson at Winged Foot, Adam Scott at Royal Lytham & St. Annes, and Jordan Spieth at the 2016 Masters with plenty of other examples to stuff into the hurt locker. But as I remember 2019, only two players caused such sadness, Francesco Molinari at the Masters and Lizette Salas at the Womens British Open. Molinari, the seemingly unflappable ball-striking machine led by two strokes on the 12th tee Sunday at the Masters before mishitting an 8-iron into Raes Creek, opening the door for Woods. Salas, who played the best golf of her life with a closing 65 at Woburn, missed a 5-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole, and then watched Hinako Shibuno win it with a 20-footer.

Instead of a bevy of heartbreak, we got a full complement of Capra-esque moments.

Winning putt: Pettersen clinches the Solheim Cup for Europe

Suzann Pettersen, after making an 8-footer on the final green in the last match that spelled the difference between winning and losing the Solheim Cup, announced her retirement at age 38. One of the great walk-offs ever in professional sports. Pettersen said she reached the decision spontaneously with the thought, This is it. This is the peak.

Shane Lowry, as an underachiever scarred by a Sunday failure at the 2016 U.S. Open, shouldering the immense mental load before thousands of home fans in a land that hadnt held the Open Championship since 1951, and winning by six. The panorama on Portrushs 72nd hole, with fansrunning up the fairway behind Lowry, some waving Irish flags in the rain amid a constant roar, was one of pure cathartic release.

Shibuno winning the Womens British Open at Woburn in her first professional tournament outside Japan. A babe in the woods at 20, she was bolstered by innocence and a constant, infectious smile, even as she four-putted early in the final round. Shibunocaught fire and closed with a 31 on the final nine, her final putt rammed in with a blissful freedom, to become the second Japanese player to win a major championship.

The scene at the inaugural Augusta National Womans Amateur, where the image of women striding the hallowed grounds was a transformative moment for the game. The impressive brand of head-to-head power golf played by winner Jennifer Kupcho and runner-up Maria Fassi was the icing on the cake.

The effervescent Helen Alfreddson winning the second U.S. Senior Womens Open at Pine Needles, the most joyous, about time and appreciated championship in golf. Love of the game is never more palpable than among too-long-ignored 50-and-over LPGA veterans, and Alfreddsons passion and exuberance spoke for them all.

Cameron Champ won the Safeway Open in October while dedicating his play to his gravely ill African-American grandfather, Mack, who started him in the game. The 24-year-old bombers calm as he garnered his second victory was reminiscent of Ben Crenshaws march to the 1995 Masters after being a pallbearer at the funeral of his teacher, Harvey Penick, earlier that week.

In the most exciting finish of the year, Matthew Wolff he of the fascinatingly powerful swing and unofficial leader of the games latest youth movement in only his third pro start, won the 3M Championship with an eagle on the 72nd hole to beat Bryson DeChambeau, who had also eagled the last, by one.

Finally and excuse my darkness Koepka and Rahm saving big victories after blowing huge Sunday leads. For some reason, nothing makes me happier (or more accurately relieved) than seeing a player who has gone from the zone to full meltdown, and then reverse what suddenly looks like his or her inevitable and awful fate in the nick of time. Koepka dug to the very bottom of his deep reservoir of poise to do it at Bethpage after four straight bogeys on the final nine had him lose all but one of his seven-stroke lead. Rahm had a five shot lead with 10 to play at the DP World in Dubai, but it was all gone thanks especially to a couple of knuckleheaded three-putts from inside 25 feet when he reached the 72nd hole. Hell remember that birdie with a smile and a shudder for the rest of his life.

Adding additional poignancy to our main theme, it was also the year of journeymen each capable, but with a history of struggle at the highest level seizing the day.

There is a fine line between success and slump in professional golf. It took only one swing to send Brendon Todd over that line and years to make it back.

Brendan Todd ran away with this category, returning from nearly four years in the wilderness that included a stretch of missing 37 of 41 cuts, to win back-to-back at Bermuda and Mayakoba, and then nearly won again at the RSM. The 34-year-old, who won the Byron Nelson in 2014, came down with a nightmare dose of the swing yips (the lose-it-way-right strain) that by late-2018 had him on the verge of giving up pro golf and opening a pizza franchise. Instead, Todd got some help from swing coach and former player Bradley Hughes and pulled off one of the great turnarounds in golf history.

And consider this roll call of others who went through storybook lost-and-found cycles to convert a week of magic into first victories that take them into 2020 with transformed lives: Max Homa (Wells Fargo Championship), JT Poston (Wyndham Championship), Nate Lashley (Rocket Mortgage), Lanto Griffin (Houston Open), Tyler Duncan (RSM Classic), Adam Long (Desert Classic). Inspirations all.

And at the risk of belaboring the feel-good point, it seemed that just about every level of pro golf ended the year on a happy note.

At the PGA Tours finale at East Lake, McIlroy spread much joy in Ponte Vedra, with one fell swoop validating the wisdom of the Tours more compressed and earlier finishing schedule, getting the new staggered start scoring system at the Tour Championship off on the right foot, and winning in the final group in another showdown with Koepka.

The LPGAs season ended on a high note with Sei Young Kim making a 22-foot birdie putt on the last hole to win the richest first-place prize ever in the womens game $1.5 million at the CME Group Tour Championship. A new format had been questioned for seeming to put sheer money over an equitable reward for season-long performance, but Kims stature as a top player and the cliffhanger nature of her victory over Charley Hull made for a satisfying result.

The PGA Tour Champions season ended with a bang when Jeff Maggert holed out from 123 yards for eagle to win the Charles Schwab Cup Championship in sudden-death.

And at the last big event of the year, the Presidents Cup, Woods was fittingly triumphant as both captain and player. And, as he has done more with age, a strong display of emotion spread the joy.

So finally, did something happen that set the tone for all this happiness? Was there a beginning?

Amy Bockerstette, a 20-year-old golfer with Down syndrome, got to play the iconic 16th hole at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and made par with Gary Woodland watching.

To say there wasnt would be to underestimate the impact of Amy Bockerstette, a 20-year-old collegiate golfer and Special Olympics athlete with Down syndrome, who in January played the 16th hole with Gary Woodland at the pro-am of the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Ill admit it, tears fill my eyes each time I watch the 2-minute and 50-second video, which has reached double-digit million views.

Seeing the way Bockerstette, clearly thrilled to meet her playing partners, Woodland and Matt Kuchar, reveled so genuinely as the center of attention on golfs iconic stadium hole, and then stepped up, assertively telling herself, I got this, is irresistible. She hit a good tee shot, followed with a deft bunker shot, and then, again repeating her mantra out loud, drilled the 10-footer for par with Nicklausian poise.

One guess at the phrase Woodland told himself before pulling off the shot of the year a perfectly clipped 60-degree wedge off the 17th green at Pebble Beach that carried and spun to within 4 feet and a crucial par.

Said Woodland of Bockertette: Theres nobody that Ive seen be in the moment as much as she is.

In a particularly feel-good year, it might have been the most extra special moment of all.

Visit link:
All the feels: From start to finish, a year of emotional stories - Golf Channel

For decades, the DNA of living organisms such as corn and salmon has been modified, but Crispr, invented in 2012, made gene editing more widely accessible. Image: YinYang/IStock.com via AFP Relaxnews

In the summer, a mother in Nashville with a seemingly incurable genetic disorder finally found an end to her suffering by editing her genome.

Victoria Grays recovery from sickle cell disease, which had caused her painful seizures, came in a year of breakthroughs in one of the hottest areas of medical research gene therapy.

I have hoped for a cure since I was about 11, the 34-year-old told AFP in an email.

Since I received the new cells, I have been able to enjoy more time with my family without worrying about pain or an out-of-the-blue emergency.

Over several weeks, Grays blood was drawn so doctors could get to the cause of her illness stem cells from her bone marrow that were making deformed red blood cells.

The stem cells were sent to a Scottish laboratory, where their DNA was modified using Crispr/Cas9 pronounced Crisper a new tool informally known as molecular scissors.

The genetically edited cells were transfused back into Grays veins and bone marrow. A month later, she was producing normal blood cells.

Medics warn that caution is necessary but, theoretically, she has been cured.

This is one patient. This is early results. We need to see how it works out in other patients, said her doctor, Haydar Frangoul, at the Sarah Cannon Research Institute in Nashville.

But these results are really exciting.

In Germany, a 19-year-old woman was treated with a similar method for a different blood disease, beta thalassemia. She had previously needed 16 blood transfusions per year.

Nine months later, she is completely free of that burden.

For decades, the DNA of living organisms such as corn and salmon has been modified.

But Crispr, invented in 2012, made gene editing more widely accessible. It is much simpler than preceding technology, cheaper and easy to use in small labs.

The technique has given new impetus to the perennial debate over the wisdom of humanity manipulating life itself.

Its all developing very quickly, said French geneticist Emmanuelle Charpentier, one of Crisprs inventors and the cofounder of Crispr Therapeutics, the biotech company conducting the clinical trials involving Gray and the German patient.

Cures

Crispr is the latest breakthrough in a year of great strides in gene therapy, a medical adventure started three decades ago, when the first TV telethons were raising money for children with muscular dystrophy.

Scientists practicing the technique insert a normal gene into cells containing a defective gene.

It does the work the original could not such as making normal red blood cells, in Victorias case, or making tumor-killing super white blood cells for a cancer patient.

Crispr goes even further: instead of adding a gene, the tool edits the genome itself.

After decades of research and clinical trials on a genetic fix to genetic disorders, 2019 saw a historic milestone: approval to bring to market the first gene therapies for a neuromuscular disease in the United States and a blood disease in the European Union.

They join several other gene therapies bringing the total to eight approved in recent years to treat certain cancers and an inherited blindness.

Serge Braun, the scientific director of the French Muscular Dystrophy Association, sees 2019 as a turning point that will lead to a medical revolution.

Twenty-five, 30 years, thats the time it had to take, he told AFP from Paris.

It took a generation for gene therapy to become a reality. Now, its only going to go faster.

Just outside Washington, at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), researchers are also celebrating a breakthrough period.

We have hit an inflection point, said Carrie Wolinetz, NIHs associate director for science policy.

These therapies are exorbitantly expensive, however, costing up to $2 million meaning patients face grueling negotiations with their insurance companies.

They also involve a complex regimen of procedures that are only available in wealthy countries.

Gray spent months in hospital getting blood drawn, undergoing chemotherapy, having edited stem cells reintroduced via transfusion and fighting a general infection.

You cannot do this in a community hospital close to home, said her doctor.

However, the number of approved gene therapies will increase to about 40 by 2022, according to MIT researchers.

They will mostly target cancers and diseases that affect muscles, the eyes and the nervous system.

Bioterrorism

Another problem with Crispr is that its relative simplicity has triggered the imaginations of rogue practitioners who dont necessarily share the medical ethics of Western medicine.

Last year in China, scientist He Jiankui triggered an international scandal and his excommunication from the scientific community when he used Crispr to create what he called the first gene-edited humans.

The biophysicist said he had altered the DNA of human embryos that became twin girls Lulu and Nana.

His goal was to create a mutation that would prevent the girls from contracting HIV, even though there was no specific reason to put them through the process.

That technology is not safe, said Kiran Musunuru, a genetics professor at the University of Pennsylvania, explaining that the Crispr scissors often cut next to the targeted gene, causing unexpected mutations.

Its very easy to do if you dont care about the consequences, Musunuru added.

Despite the ethical pitfalls, restraint seems mainly to have prevailed so far.

The community is keeping a close eye on Russia, where biologist Denis Rebrikov has said he wants to use Crispr to help deaf parents have children without the disability.

There is also the temptation to genetically edit entire animal species malaria-causing mosquitoes in Burkina Faso or mice hosting ticks that carry Lyme disease in the US.

The researchers in charge of those projects are advancing carefully, however, fully aware of the unpredictability of chain reactions on the ecosystem.

Charpentier doesnt believe in the more dystopian scenarios predicted for gene therapy, including American biohackers injecting themselves with Crispr technology bought online.

Not everyone is a biologist or scientist, she said.

And the possibility of military hijacking to create soldier-killing viruses or bacteria that would ravage enemies crops?

Charpentier thinks that technology generally tends to be used for the better.

Im a bacteriologist weve been talking about bioterrorism for years, she said. Nothing has ever happened.IB/JB

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