StemCell Therapy

In 2014, during a speech in Manchester, Amanda Grappone Osmer made a startling admission.

I know why you hate me, she began, when it came her time to speak at TEDx Amoskeag Millyard. You all have memories of someone like me that takes you back to a time and place that you wish you didnt have to think about.

Your palms start to sweat. Your stomach is in a knot. Like me, your heart races. You just have an overall feeling of dread.

Mentally, you start to make a tally when you see me coming of all the ways you might get ripped off.

She describes further this experience with her at its center.

When you see me, you load up for bear. Because you know you need to, just to get through our conversation, she says.

You hate me because I am a car salesman. A fourth-generation car salesman.

And with a deep breath, she adds, I understand.

Osmers speech spoke to a stereotypical experience someone might have purchasing a car, an experience that she likened to being under the ether and one that her companys philosophy seeks to counter. Her personal mission and that of Grappone Automotive Group in Bow, for which she is CEO, moves well past the showroom to all aspects of the business, employee relationships and the manner in which she leads an engaged community life.

The business mission: Dedication to building lifelong relationships with our team members, guests and community by serving with integrity, kindness and respect.

And ingrained among her personal objectives is being a little bit better than the day before.

Osmer, the keynote speaker for The Keene Sentinels Extraordinary Women Awards on Aug. 24, graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a degree in humanities. In her teens, she worked at her familys dealership, which was started by her great-grandparents in Concord in 1924 as a Gulf service station. It is now five dealerships. But, despite her early work at the dealership, Osmer didnt envision a future for herself in the cars.

In 2001, after school and marriage, she moved to the West Coast, to the North Bay region of San Francisco. Her marriage ended after a short time, leaving her uncertain what to do next. She applied for all sorts of jobs with no luck, she says. Needing something and knowing something about cars, she found herself selling for Lexus of Marin.

I had never sold anything in my life, she says from her second-floor office at Grappones Toyota franchise, not far from the end of Interstate 89. Her notion of sales, she says, was all wrong, and she learned, You have to be nice to people and honest, and you will earn their business.

Three years later, she was back at her family dealership, in charge of fixed operations service, paint and collision. She described this as the hardest job of my life.

It was difficult to find technicians who met company standards, and there were myriad other workforce challenges, not the least of which is that few women run collision and service centers.

I knew nothing about that world, she recalls. It was constant stress.

But it was in this role that she discovered new ways of doing things that would change her and the company she would come to run. She found a mentor in Jeffrey Liker, the author of The Toyota Way, a best-seller at more than 650,000 copies and translated into 27 languages.

Liker, with whom Osmer corresponds, is professor of industrial and operations engineering at the University of Michigan and has written extensively about how Toyotas manufacturing processes employed principles to reduce waste, boost efficiency and create collaborative workforces to solve problems. He has also profiled other companies using these strategies and measurements, first pioneered by W. Edwards Deming in post-World War II Japan.

I fell in love with lean manufacturing, says Osmer, referring to the umbrella term under which these principles exist.

She opens Likers book frequently; her copy is dog-eared, heavily highlighted and fingerprinted and never far from reach. There are, in the lean world, seven categories of waste transport, inventory, motion, waiting, overproduction, over-processing and defects.

Osmer considers it one of her lifes highlights being invited to speak at the headquarters of Dupont in Delaware at a gathering of collision center specialists a conference at which Liker was speaking, too.

Shes asked if Grappone is an efficient operation.

Its a goal, she says candidly, referring to a never-ending focus on continuous improvement.

From the service operation, Osmer was promoted to COO and director of sales. The sales process was going through a similar evolution, she says.

We had peeled away from the current (traditional) way of doing things, she says, referring to the industry standard of commission-based selling. We had to figure out what is our way I really started to notice that we didnt have anyone recognizing the human experience.

The company hired a director of corporate potential a key decision and embarked on strategic planning that led to an unusual, if not dramatically different approach to business. Its primary commitment, she says, is to Grappones 340 employees. They come first in the mission statement by design. Second, the company seeks lifelong relationships with customers and believes this is best achievable if the sales and service experience is not one of negotiation. This, she says, creates integrity and expectations of consistent treatment. Theres a set price for everything, including financing terms. Everyone pays the same, removing the ether to which she referred in her TEDx speech.

Her sales team does not operate on commissions.

It didnt make sense to race to the bottom on pricing, she says.

Having Toyota as a flagship franchise was helpful; expectations of franchises are reasonable, she says, allowing room for Grappones way.

Always trying to be less wasteful as a company, Osmer said an eighth measure of waste also became a Grappone focus the waste of human creativity. Maybe more than any of the other principles, Osmer emphasizes a workplace that allows innovation to occur. As she describes ways this has been manifested, Ron Malachi, the companys inventory pricing specialist, walks by her office.

He ducks in when asked and rattles off several recent problems a team of folks has solved, including storing extra car inventory at a nearby indoor sports facility.

They get some income, and we get a place (to keep the cars), he says.

Osmer is one of five children born to Robert and Beverly Grappone. Her younger brother, Greg, was her only sibling to be part of the business, eventually becoming the groups chief information officer.

Greg, who had health challenges early in his life, developed cutaneous T-cell lymphoma in his 30s. He found he needed a blood stem cell transplant when the disease turned aggressive.

Osmer was a match for the transplant. Treatment involved eradicating Gregs immune system and injecting new stem cells through a transfusion of Osmers blood. The cancer was killed, but a gruesome side effect graft versus host disease took hold. Osmer described the horrific condition that transpired as one that literally hardened his tissues.

Greg died in 2015, leaving behind a wife and a two-year-old daughter.

In his name, Osmer works on a project that would develop a six-mile abandoned rail line into a new bike and walking path that connects to the Northern Rail trail and would link Concord to Lebanon. It is but one page in her deep portfolio of community work.

She says this involvement in social causes is informed by her familys work.

We were always taught its not about us, she says. Dad just didnt get hung up on material things. I dont get upset when I dont have more things. Its better to express me through how much I help people.

She sees herself as dedicated to serving a lot of people, and it starts with the employees, as the mission suggests.

People need to feel safe; psychological safety, physical safety and having flexibility, she says, describing how the company culture is modeled.

In such an environment, creativity is unleashed, efficiencies are found and people are retained. That environment includes an immaculate, welcoming Toyota dealership building that features a grand piano on its second floor a gift to Osmer from her grandfather.

So, its not a surprise that her team of six directors has more than 140 years of collective service to Grappone.

Away from the dealership, Osmers list of community-service positions is extensive and includes: board member, New Hampshire Public Broadcasting System; corporator, Canterbury Shaker Village; board member, The Endowment for Health; member, Partners for Community Wellness; member, New Hampshire Lemon Law Board; advisory member, Spark New Hampshire; advisory member, Stay Work Play New Hampshire; and advisory member, New Hampshire Charitable Foundations New Hampshire Tomorrow Initiative.

Recently, she became involved in President Donald Birx move to reorganize Plymouth State University into seven educational clusters, beginning this fall. They are: arts and technology; education, democracy and social change; exploration and discovery; health and human enrichment; innovation and entrepreneurship; justice and security; and tourism, environment and sustainable development.

I try to go where I can be most useful, she says, adding she prefers, in many cases, serving one term on a board rather than more to allow broader service.

Osmer lives with her husband, Tom, and three children (two girls and a boy) in a log home in Canterbury. The community, known for its Shaker history, suits her in many ways, from the caring she can expect from the Canterbury Library staff if she drops her son off some afternoon, to the wooded setting that allows her to indulge in trail running, to the neighborly warmth of the Canterbury Fair, recently held.

And, its just the right setting to play her banjo, her instrument of choice.

Osmers is a life being well lived and one seemingly grounded in the words she used to finish her TEDx speech.

So, this is not just about car sales. Its not just about a fourth-generation family business in Bow Junction, New Hampshire, she says. Ask yourselves. Do integrity, kindness and respect form the foundation of all of your relationships, with the people you love the most, with the people you work with, with the people you meet every day? Do they?

If they dont, dont worry about it, she says. Just know that you are under the ether with all of the rest of us. And its time to wake up.

See the rest here:
Amanda Grappone Osmer breaks down car sales stereotypes with focus on kindness, integrity - The Keene Sentinel

The American Declaration of Independence claimed that certain basic human rights were obvious. Yet what is obvious to some is in reality obscure and unknown to many others. Because of this, the Torah emphasizes the obvious in this weeks Torah reading. The choice between death in this world and the next, and life eternal life, no less, should be obvious. The Torah in fact states that seeing this will lead to a correct choice. But one needs to see them objectively and rationally.

People, who make poor choices, do so on the basis of emotion, desire, foolishness and illusory hopes and false ideas. These are the products of distorted vision - the inability to see things clearly. Only clear vision can lead to wise and correct choices. The commandments that the Torah enjoins us to observe are a form of corrective lenses to aid us in seeing things clearly and accurately.

People have to pass an eye and vision test in order to be able to legally operate an automobile. How much more so is an eye and vision test necessary when life and death itself is in question?People have to pass an eye and vision test in order to be able to legally operate an automobile. How much more so is an eye and vision test necessary when life and death itself is in question? The Torah advises us to always choose life. This is the basis for all Jewish society throughout our long and sometimes very painful history. It is obvious that one should always choose life. But we must always be reminded even of the obvious. We should never underestimate the power of distorted vision which causes untold damage to our own selves.

The final gift, so to speak, that the Lord granted to our teacher Moshe was that he was able to see the Land of Israel and the story of the Jewish people throughout history. The Torah teaches us that imagination is a form of seeing. What we see from this is that seeing in the minds eye is also a legitimate form of sight.

The Jewish people survived on the basis of imagination for all of the centuries of our exile and dispersion. We always imagined Jerusalem and the Temple, the Land of Israel and the ingathering of the exiles to their ancient homeland. When imagination wanes, so does our hope and creativity. Of course imagined reality may not completely coincide with the actuality of the human condition and circumstance. But without the original power of imagination of seeing things in our mind and heart and not only with our actual physical eyes one will never advance to actually seeing the desired goal.

That is why the Torah emphasizes time and again the importance of seeing things correctly, both in imaginary and in actual sight. The prophets of Israel fired our imagination with their visions of the future redemption of the Jewish people and humanity generally. We have seen some of these visions fulfilled in our times and in front of our very eyes, if we are but wise enough to see things accurately. The importance of this kind of sight is never to be minimized.

Continue reading here:
Re'eh: Sight and vision - Arutz Sheva

A pregnant woman lost her vision after performing a downward pose during a prenatal yoga session.

Found to reduce the risk of developing anxiety and depression, as well as providing good preparation for breathing, yoga has long been hailed as a popular form of exercise for women during pregnancy.

But, if a new medical case report is anything to go by, in some cases it could actually do more harm than good.

Revealed in the BMJ Case Reports, a 35-year-old woman at 27 weeks gestation thought to be from Leicester experienced severalweeks of vision loss caused by straining as she stretched into a downward pose.

The position -which causes a rush of blood to the head -is said to be responsible for her valsalva retinopathy (VR).

And, while doctors confirm that VR has been linked with certain yoga exercises such as pranayama - controlled breathing to their knowledge a case like this has not been reported in the literature associated with yoga.

A condition associated with extreme straining, VR is known to occur during labour but can also strike from fairly harmless actions.

While its unclear where the patient attended her class, her VR symptoms are thought to have occurred almost immediately after striking the pose which saw her head being stretched downwards below her bottom.

She was taken to hospital at Leicester Royal Infirmary where doctors noticed a large floater in her left eye.

Fortunately, at a five month follow up it was revealed that the woman had undergone a healthy delivery and that her vision loss had resolved.

Doctors say that prognosis of the bizarre condition is variable, but that the majority of cases report excellent recoveries.

So, is it really safe to practice yoga while pregnant?

Well, according to the NHS keeping up your normal level of exercise during pregnancy is absolutely fine and can actually make it easier for you to adapt to your changing shape.

That being said, pregnant women are advised against contact sports such as scuba diving, judo and exercising at altitude.

More:
Pregnant woman loses vision after performing downward yoga pose - The Independent

In two short weeks, the moon will completely cover the sun and the suns atmosphere will be visible. Its a total eclipse, and its what NASA calls one of natures most awe-inspiring sights.

Although those in the Miami area will only see a 72 percent eclipse the path sprawls from Salem, Oregon, to Charleston, South Carolina looking into the partial eclipse can still be dangerous to the naked eye.

Dr. Harry Flynn, a 39-year ophthalmologist at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami, said the sun rays can cause damage to the eye when it focuses on the retina, burns it and creates a permanent scar in the center of vision.

Flynn said the burn can damage all layers of the retina. The burn often results in permanent and irreversible loss of eyesight.

The reason for this emphasis on eye protection is that people who are uninformed or perhaps children may be fascinated by the event and look at the sun for a period of time without understanding the risk and the potential for damage to their vision, said Flynn, who also teaches about the retina and vitreous at University of Miamis Miller School of Medicine.

Solar damage wipes out macular pigments, which can cause permanent vision loss.

Read more:
Here's how you can protect your eyes from damage during the total eclipse - Miami Herald

Names and faces

Shari Risken has joined Opportunity Bank of Montana as executive assistant to the chief executive officer, chief financial officer and chief risk officer. Shari has an executive assistant degree and more than 35 years of experience with an extensive background providing administrative, technical and analytical services in a wide variety of industries. Her job history includes serving in an executive level administrative position for Shodair Childrens Hospital, Providence Health Care Spokane and Washington Trust Bank.

Ruth Mollet, FNP has joined the gastroenterology department at St. Peters Medical Group North. Prior to this position, Mollet was a Same Day Nurse at St. Peters Hospital. She earned her Masters of Science in Nursing (MSN), with a Family Nurse Practitioner Emphasis, from Devry University, Chamberlain College of Nursing in Chicago. She obtained a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from Washington State University Intercollegiate College of Nursing, Joint B.S. degree with Eastern Washington University, in Spokane, Wash.

She is a board certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner with the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

Christopher Lindsay, M.D., has joined the radiology department at St. Peters Hospital. Lindsay earned his Doctor of Medicine from the Creighton University School of Medicine, in Omaha, Neb. He completed his fellowship in body imaging with the Henry Ford Health System and his residency in diagnostic radiology from Wayne State Universitys Detroit Medical Center in Detroit, Mich. He obtained his bachelor of arts, graduating maxima cum laude, in biology, from Carroll College.

Lindsay is a certified Magnetic Resonance Medical Director from the American Board of Magnetic Resonance Safety (ABMRS). He is also a member of the Radiological Society of North America, the American Roentgen Ray Society, and the American College of Radiology.

Prior to joining St. Peters Hospital, Lindsay was the chief of radiology/radiation oncology section and staff radiologist with St. James Healthcare, in Butte. He also served as a staff radiologist with Montana Interventional and Diagnostic Radiology Specialists, PLLC with the VA Montana Healthcare System in Fort Harrison.

Lindsay is originally from Clancy, and a graduate of Jefferson High School.

Helena native, Dillon Ewals has joined Better Body Fitness as the companys operations director. Ewals will focus on creating a consistent customer experience, as well as streamlining day-to-day operations. His professional experience includes retail store management, sales and account management throughout the U.S.

Mikael Bedell, M.D., has joined St. Peters Medical Group North Clinic. His primary focus is comprehensive outpatient and inpatient family medicine.

Bedell earned his Doctor of Medicine at the Albany Medical College in Albany, N.Y. He received his residency at Idaho State University in Pocatello, Idaho, where he served as chief resident in 1998. He received his bachelor of science, cum laude in animal sciences bioscience and technology from the University of New Hampshire, in Durham, N.H.

He is board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM). He serves as a clinical instructor for the Albany Medical College, Department of Family and Community Medicine; the University of Washington, Department of Family Medicine; and as an adjunct faculty for the University of Utah, Department of Family and Preventative Medicine.

Prior to joining St. Peters Hospital, Bedell was a staff physician at the Cascade Medical Center in Cascade, Idaho, where he served as medical director and also on the board of trustees.

Becky Schlauch is the new administrator for the Montana Department of Revenue Liquor Control Division. Schlauch has been in state government for more than seven years, previously working as business and financial services division administrator at the Department of Public Health and Human Services. She also worked for several newspapers in accounting, including as controller for the Helena Independent Record. Schlauch grew up in Circle and earned a bachelors degree in business administration and master of business administration degree from the University of Montana.

Montana Department of Revenue contracts officer Brett Boutin becomes one of just two certified public procurement officers in the state of Montana, after earning his Certified Public Procurement Officer (CPPO) credential. As contracts officer, Boutin manages department contracts to ensure effective and efficient use of public funds. Boutin has a 25-year career in state government.

Doney Crowley P.C. has announced the promotion of Jack Connors to senior associate attorney.

Connors holds a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics from Montana State University and a Juris Doctorate degree with honors from the University of Montana School of Law. Before attending law school, Connors owned and operated a construction company that specialized in building high-end homes in the Big Sky area. His law practice focuses on construction disputes, real property litigation and water law.

Connors works at the firms Helena office, and he can be contacted at either jconnors@doneylaw.com or 443-2211.

News and notes

Montana producers eligible for hay lottery

Producers in Montana affected by drought and fire are now eligible to participate in the first ever hay lottery. Ag Community Relief, is organizing a large-scale hay donation convoy to North Dakota to aid producers in North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana. The first convoy of hay will be delivered in mid-August but more deliveries could arrive as the group continues to fundraise and seek donations and volunteers. The donated hay will be delivered to North Dakota State University (NDSU) in Fargo, N.D. Any other individuals or organizations willing to donate hay or trucking for the hay lottery should call the North Dakota Department of Agricultures Drought Hotline at 701-425-8454.

Livestock producers interested in applying for the hay lottery must submit an application at https://www.nd.gov/ndda/montana-hay-lottery. Each state has its own lottery, although North Dakota will administer the applications. Eligible producers must be from a D2, D3 or D4 or fire-affected county and own at least 25 animal unit equivalents of state-specific livestock. Eligible livestock and a description of animal unit equivalents may be found directly on each states application. The latest drought monitor depicting the drought levels of specific counties may be found at http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/.

The application deadline is Aug. 31, 2017.

The hay will be distributed in semi-load lots with the first drawing in early September. If additional donations are taken in after that date, more drawings will occur. Producers that are selected will be responsible for arranging hay transportation from the NDSU site.

Questions about filling out the hay lottery application may be directed to 701-328-4764.

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OBrien leaving tourism alliance

The Helena Tourism Alliance/Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID)/Visit Helena Montana announces the resignation of executive director, Heidi OBrien. OBrien has been with the Tourism Business Improvement District since 2010 and was the organizations first employee. OBrien is moving on to a position with AAA Mountain West. Her last day with the TBID is Aug. 16.

Anna Strange, the current TBID programs coordinator, will help maintain office operations and Jennifer Davis will continue with her role as community outreach director. A nationwide search for a new executive director will be announced in the near future.

The Visitor Information Center located at 105 Reeders Alley will continue operation of normal hours: Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through the end of August.

DOR certifies property taxable values

The Montana Department of Revenue has announced it has completed its annual requirement to certify taxable values of property in the states 56 counties. This year, department offices in all 56 counties certified the values before or on the Aug. 7 deadline.

Under state law, the departments property assessment offices are responsible for providing the total taxable value of property to each taxing jurisdiction by the first Monday in August. The certified values include mobile homes, personal property business equipment, real property, and centrally assessed properties.

The 2017 certified taxable values for each county taxing jurisdiction are available at property.mt.gov.

Local governments establish their budgets and set their mill levies for property tax calculations and collections based on the certified taxable values provided to each taxing jurisdiction.

Property tax collections are the primary revenue source for local governments to provide public services such as police and fire protection, schools, roads and bridges, and public health and safety.

Guidelines

The IR welcomes reports of hiring, promotions, awards, recognition, learning opportunities and other news from local companies and nonprofits. We accept press releases and photos (digital images at 300 dpi or more are preferred). Email your information to irstaff@helenair.com.

There is no charge for items appearing in the Business Briefcase. Items are run on a space-available basis, and we reserve the right to edit and use information as we see fit.

The deadline is Tuesday at noon to be considered for publication the following Sunday.

Go here to see the original:
Business Briefcase published 08-13-17 - Helena Independent Record

The use of new technologies in geriatric psychiatry shows promise for advancing personalized medicine and improving patient care. A new study in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry describes the successful adaptation of an integrated medical and psychiatric self-management intervention to a smartphone application for middle-aged and older adults with serious mental illness.

Care of middle-aged and older patients with serious mental illness is complicated. Often these patients suffer from other medical conditions and are at increased risk of premature death. They have two to three times higher health costs than individuals in the general population. In order to help patients cope with their illness, researchers from Dartmouth developed a smartphone-based intervention using an adaptive systems engineering framework and principles of user-centered design. They found that even patients with limited technical abilities could use this App successfully. The App and intervention protocol were developed using commercially available products from Wellframe.

"The use of mobile health interventions by adults with serious mental illness is a promising approach that has been shown to be highly feasible and acceptable," explained lead investigator Karen L. Fortuna, PhD, of the Dartmouth Centers for Health and Aging and the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. "These technologies are associated with many advantages compared with traditional psychosocial interventions, including the potential for individually tailored, just-in-time delivery along with wide dissemination and high population impact. Nevertheless, the process of adapting an existing psychosocial intervention to a smartphone intervention requires adaptation for a high-risk group with limited health and technology literacy."

Following multiple design iterations, investigators tested the App's usability. Ten participants (mean age of 55.3 years) with serious mental illness and other chronic health conditions reported a high level of usability and satisfaction with the smartphone application.

The App takes patients through 10 sessions over a period of approximately three months, covering topics such as stress vulnerability and illness, medication adherence and strategies, and substance and medication abuse. Physicians can remotely monitor App use, and intervene when problems are detected, facilitating telemedicine for less accessible populations.

According to Dr. Fortuna, "Smartphone applications also potentially facilitate patient engagement in participatory, personalized, and preventative care. As the healthcare industry increasingly embraces prevention and illness self-management, it is important for physicians and patients to be actively involved in designing and developing new technologies supporting these approaches."

The use of smart devices is poised to revolutionize how we think about clinical information and facilitate personalized interventions in a way that could not have been conceptualized before these technologies came into existence. This study is part of a special issue of the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry that captures an important moment in the evolving relationship between technology and the clinical care of older adults.

"It has often been noted that with the pace of technology development being so rapid, research may not be able to keep up. While this may be true in the most literal sense, this set of nine papers represents a major step in developing a body of research to guide how technologies can interface with clinical care," noted guest editor Ipsit V. Vahia, MD, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, and the Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.

These papers highlight the potential of technology based-approaches, provide direction on how this area of work needs to develop, and put a spotlight on the major pitfalls that the field must consider in order for technologies realize their full potential. They also address the relative lack of evidence to date supporting use of these technologies and the lack of clarity on data security and privacy related to use of these devices.

Dr. Vahia continued, "While the potential of technology to impact geriatric psychiatry care in this manner has long been recognized, this issue provides substantial evidence to demonstrate that this potential is translating into reality. Simultaneously, it also makes clear that the work is just getting started."

Explore further: Older adults with severe mental illness challenge healthcare system

More information: Karen L. Whiteman et al, Adapting a Psychosocial Intervention for Smartphone Delivery to Middle-Aged and Older Adults with Serious Mental Illness, The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry (2017). DOI: 10.1016/j.jagp.2016.12.007

More:
Smartphone app may help older adults manage serious mental illness and chronic health conditions - Medical Xpress

In recent months, people that suffer from diabetes and that have visited the St. Francis Client Choice Food Pantry in Scranton have been eating better and feeling better. And if all goes according to plan, the healthy trend should continue for years to come.

Last fall, the CEO Weinberg Regional Food Bank began a nine-month Diabetes Wellness Program at the Pantry. The program assisted clients by initially offering hemoglobin A1c screenings (HbA1c) to those with pre-existing diabetic conditions.

These screenings helped CEO nutrition educators determine the baseline of the clients blood/sugar levels. The program then helped such clients with their special dietary needs by providing boxes of healthy foods, twice each month, and by monitoring improvements in their health.

Funded by an AllOne Foundation grant, the program served 50 clients throughout four counties and St. Francis was one of five food pantries served.

We began in September and determined who would be in the program, says Mary Kay DElia, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator with CEO.

In October, they started picking up their boxes of healthy foods. Each box featured a recipe, focused on the foods provided that month, and a pantry staple, and condiment to be utilized in that recipe.

"The monthly box also contained handouts about nutrition, food safety, and information on diabetes self-management. And in addition to the monthly box of non-perishables, clients also received fresh produce, milk, eggs, and frozen meat."

In addition to improving clients health, DElia says she hoped that those participating in the program would find it to be empowering.

With diabetes, its always better to teach people to learn to cook at home rather than to eat at fast-food restaurants, she says. That will lower their blood sugar and keep them in control.

Though the program ended on June 30, DElia says that in many ways, it will continue.

We provided exit counseling, she says. We wanted to summarize for the clients all of the lessons that theyve learned throughout the program. Now, were going to turn our mission in another direction and start educating the clients on how to continue making food choices similar to what was in their boxes.

"And we have to educate our food bank staff to order such foods, so that theyll be on the shelves at the pantries.

DElia says that should more grant funding become available, the food box component of the program may return.

Meanwhile, she says diabetic and dietary specialist from CEO will continue to visit St. Francis a few times a year in order to help the clients maintain the good habits theyve learned. Ironically, the St. Francis Client Choice Food Panty had already recently established a Healthy Foods Section as the result of an Eagle Scout project spearheaded by Brandon Kelleher, a member of Boy Scout Troop 160, Clarks Summit.

Thus, DElia feels even more confident that those with diabetes will continue to be properly served at St. Francis. The program, she says, had positive results.

We were able to measure if we made a difference, says DElia. And I was very, very pleased.

Monsignor Joseph P. Kelly, director of St. Francis Kitchen, says there are currently 14 clients at St. Francis being served by the program and there are 32 on its waiting list. He adds that he appreciates the good work that CEO brought to the Food Pantry and that it remains committed to providing healthy foods to all, especially those with special dietary needs.

Food donations needed the most are low sodium items, light syrup, vegetables and fruit.

Having this program at the Food Pantry for the past nine months has been a blessing and a gift to St. Francis and to those that we serve, he says. We plan on continuing to work with CEO and others in the community to insure that such healthy foods remain on our shelves, and we are pleased that as a result of this program, so many of our clients are eating better and feeling better.

See the original post here:
CEO Diabetes Wellness Program serves St. Francis - Carbondale News

Reuters Health - Children who dont get enough sleep may be more likely to develop diabetes than kids who typically get enough shuteye, a UK study suggests.

Thats because each additional hour of sleep children get at night is associated with a lower body weight, more lean muscle mass and less accumulation of sugars in the blood, researchers report in Pediatrics. Obesity and elevated blood sugar are risk factors for type 2 diabetes, which happens when the body can't properly use or make enough of the hormone insulin to convert blood sugar into energy.

These findings suggest increasing sleep duration could offer a simple, cost-effective approach to reducing levels of body fat and type 2 diabetes risk early in life, senior study author Christopher Owen of St. Georges, University of London, said by email.

Type 2 diabetes used to be called adult-onset diabetes because it was so rare in children. But today, its a common childhood health problem, in large part because millions of kids worldwide are overweight or obese, dont get enough exercise, and eat too many sugary and fatty foods.

For the current study, researchers examined survey data on sleep habits and lab results from tests of risk factors for diabetes in 4,525 UK children age 9 or 10.

On average, the kids slept 10.5 hours on school nights, although sleep duration ranged from 8 to 12 hours.

Children who got less sleep in the study were more likely to have a risk factor for diabetes known as insulin resistance, when the body doesnt respond normally to the hormone.

Kids who slept less were also more likely to be extremely overweight or obese and have more body fat, the study also found.

Kids 6 to 12 years old should get 9 to 12 hours of sleep a night, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Not getting enough sleep is associated with an increased risk of injuries, high blood pressure, obesity and depression.

The study wasnt a controlled experiment designed to prove whether or how insufficient sleep might lead to diabetes in children. Researchers also relied on kids to accurately recall and report what time they went to bed and woke up, which might not accurately reflect how much sleep they really got.

Even so, its possible that insufficient sleep might negatively impact childrens appetites and ability to regulate blood sugar, said Stacey Simon, a pediatric sleep psychologist at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and Childrens Hospital Colorado.

When kids are going to bed very late or sleeping on an irregular schedule, they may also be skipping meals, eating at irregular times, or be less likely to exercise during the day, Simon, who wasnt involved in the study, said by email.

Insufficient sleep can affect levels of hormones that control appetite, making kids hungrier and increasing cravings for sweet and salty snacks, said James Gangwisch, a psychiatry researcher at Columbia University in New York who wasnt involved in the study.

Getting enough sleep helps keep our appetite in check and is protective against insulin resistance, Gangwisch said by email.

Beyond making sure kids have regular bedtime, parents should also focus on whats known as sleep hygiene, said Femke Rutters of the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam.

This can include things like limiting screen time before bed and making sure the bedroom is totally dark at night, Rutters, who wasnt involved in the study, said by email.

SOURCE: bit.ly/2x0TIVI Pediatrics, online August 15, 2017.

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Lack of sleep tied to higher risk of diabetes in kids - Reuters

TUESDAY, Aug. 15, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- When it comes to type 2 diabetes management, a new study finds that more is definitely better for lowering blood sugar levels.

The study showed that adding intensive lifestyle management to standard diabetes care (diabetes medication and usual lifestyle change advice) brought blood sugar into a nondiabetic range.

The intensive intervention worked so well that "half of the intervention group did not need glucose-lowering medications to maintain or even improve [blood sugar] control," said the study's senior researcher, Mathias Ried-Larsen.

So, what exactly constitutes an "intensive" intervention?

"Patients were prescribed exercise five to six times per week for 30 to 60 minutes per session. That included both endurance and resistance training," said Ried-Larsen, of Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen, Denmark.

"In the beginning, the exercise was supervised by a coach, but gradually, they were left on their own. Moreover, they received a dietary program with focus on foods rich in fiber, low in saturated fats, lots of fruit and no processed food. We designed the diet for patients to lose weight," he said.

The study included nearly 100 people from Denmark. All had had type 2 diabetes for less than 10 years, and none had complications from the disease.

The average age of the participants was 55, and nearly half were women. Average A1C level at the start of the study was 6.7 percent. A1C is a blood test that estimates average blood sugar levels over two to three months. An A1C of 6.5 percent or higher indicates diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association.

Study participants were randomly placed into the usual care group or the intensive lifestyle management group.

After a year, the intensive group lost 13 pounds compared to 4 pounds in the standard management group, the findings showed. LDL cholesterol (the bad kind) and triglycerides (another type of bad blood fat) were reduced more in the intensive group than in the standard group. HDL cholesterol (the good kind) rose more in the intensive group than in the standard group, according to the report.

Average A1C dropped from 6.65 to 6.34 percent in the intensive intervention group, and from 6.74 percent to 6.66 percent in the standard group, the investigators found.

In addition, three-quarters of those in the intensive group needed less diabetes medication, while only one-quarter of the standard care group lowered their medications, the researchers reported.

Not every expert agrees that lowering or stopping diabetes medications is a good idea, however.

Dr. Joel Zonszein is director of the clinical diabetes center at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City.

Zonszein noted that study participants were taking metformin and GLP-1 analogues. "These are good agents. That's why their A1C was so good at the start. I also treat my patients with lifestyle changes. But it's not one or the other. Both medicine and lifestyle changes are important," he said.

"When you use the two together, they work much better," he added.

Zonszein also noted that the Denmark group was "an unusual population." None took insulin, and no one had complications. And, at the start of the study, their blood sugar was already fairly well-managed. That would likely be much different in a U.S. population with type 2 diabetes.

One reason Ried-Larsen hoped to lower the need for medication is to save money. Although metformin is available in a generic form and isn't generally expensive, some of the newer type 2 diabetes medications can be costly.

"I think this study calls for a thorough discussion about the resources we need to allocate to help people to adhere to a lifestyle treatment and what responsibility the society has in this regard," Ried-Larsen said.

"We do acknowledge that the lifestyle treatment is extensive and could be regarded as not economically viable in clinical care," Ried-Larsen noted. "However, consider the willingness to introduce newer classes of drugs that come with extreme prices. If we could get doctors and patients to allocate that sort of money and resources to lifestyle treatment, I think we could change things."

Zonszein added that when people rely solely on lifestyle management, it doesn't always bring blood sugar levels down enough.

"It's important to consider the cost-effectiveness of medications along with their cost. A lot of expense comes from treating diabetes complications," he said.

The report was published Aug. 15 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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Could Big Lifestyle Changes Be Key to Managing Type 2 Diabetes? - Sioux City Journal

Touchscreen insulin pump maker Tandem Diabetes announced a new clinical trial for an insulin pump with apredictive low glucose suspend (PLGS) algorithm. Another step on the road to an artificial pancreas, PLGS allows Tandem to automatically suspend insulin delivery when it predicts low glucose and resume it when glucose starts to rise again.

The start of this pivotal trial is another important step forward in our automated insulin delivery programs, and comes on the heels of very encouraging feasibility study data, Kim Blickenstaff, president and CEO of Tandem Diabetes Care, said in a statement. We remain on track to submit our t:slim X2 Pump with predictive low glucose suspend to the FDA in early 2018. Subject to FDA approval, we are preparing to launch in summer of 2018, and plan to make this new feature accessible for existing t:slim X2 customers via a remote software update using our Tandem Device Updater.

The pivotal trial, which is part of the data Tandem needs to collect for its FDA submission, will include 90 participants at 6 research centers around the country. Participants will be randomized into two groups that will each be monitored for three weeks as they manage their insulin at home. Both groups will use at:slim X2 Pump from Tandem and a Dexcom G5 continuous glucose monitor, but one will have PLGS enabled while the other will not.

The primary outcome measure of the study will be glucose sensor values, and the secondary outcome measures include glucose control and instances of hypo- and hyperglycemia.

"Mild to moderate hypoglycemia occurs frequently during the day for people with Type 1 diabetes, but of more concern is the severe hypoglycemia which can occur at night causing seizures or even death," principal investigator Dr. Bruce Buckingham said in a statement. "This is a real concern to all people living with Type 1 diabetes, and especially parents of children with Type 1. This new PLGS algorithm will allow for the automatic suspension of insulin delivery when glucose is predicted to be low. This is beneficial throughout the day, but can be lifesaving at night when a person is otherwise unable to react.

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Tandem Diabetes launches clinical trial for its automatic insulin delivery suspension - MobiHealthNews

Viewing even the smallest sliver of a crescent sun peeking out from behind the moon is enough to cause damage, according to a news release from the Minnesota Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

They offer the following suggestions:

Use specially designed solar eclipse glasses and viewers. Ordinary sunglasses, even dark ones, are not sufficient.

Use solar filters on camera lenses, binoculars and telescopes.

Inspect your solar filter before the eclipse. Don't use it if it's scratched or damaged.

Another option is to view the eclipse through #14 welder's glass. That's much darker than the shades arc welders typically wear.

Do not use solar eclipse glasses to look through a camera, binoculars or a telescope. The sun can melt the filter and damage your eyes.

The high cost of diabetes

Diabetes and prediabetes hit Minnesotans with a staggering annual medical bill, reports Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota.

The annual cost is estimated at $4.4 billion, according to Blue Cross, and diabetes accounts for a 6.3 percent "loss of good health" in Minnesota in the form of severe disease, disability or premature death.

Noting that 90 percent of prediabetics don't know they have the condition, the insurer last week launched a "Reverse It" campaign to raise greater awareness about diabetes prevention.

Prediabetes is indicated by a higher-than-normal level of glucose (blood sugar), but not high enough for a type 2 diabetes diagnosis. Type 2 diabetes can include serious health problems, including heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and blindness.

You can learn more and take a prediabetes quiz at BlueCrossMN.com/ReverseIt.

Remember walk in Chisholm

The Iron Range's first Walk to Remember fundraising walk for Alzheimer's awareness will take place on Aug. 19 around Longyear Lake in Chisholm.

Sponsored by St. Luke's Hibbing Family Medical Clinic, the walk will be based at Valentini's Restaurant, 31 W. Lake St. Registration and raffles and door prizes will be from 8-9:30 a.m. The walk will begin at 9:30 following opening comments.

Registration is free. Contact Christine Nelson at Christine.Nelson@slhduluth.com, or call (218) 780-8484 with questions or to donate.

All money raised will go to the Alzheimer's Association in Northern Minnesota/North Dakota.

The inside view in Ely

Ely-Bloomenson Community Hospital will celebrate its 60th anniversary on Aug. 19 with the Medical Inflatables MEGA Body Exhibit and Health Expo at Ely's Whiteside Park.

That means visitors will be able to step inside a 50-foot-long interactive model demonstrating the inner workings of the human body.

The free event will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Help with Medicare

Answers and education regarding health insurance for Medicare beneficiaries and pre-retirees will be provided by Senior LinkAge Line through the Arrowhead Area Agency on Aging on Sept. 7 at Our Savior's Lutheran Church, 4831 Grand Ave., and on Sept. 12 and Sept. 27 at the Missabe Building, 227 W. First St., Suite 103.

To schedule an appointment, call Senior LinkAge Line at (800) 333-2433.

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Health notes: Eclipse viewing safety, diabetes costs and more - Duluth News Tribune

New York Daily News

There's no known cure for arthritis, but marijuana works wonders New York Daily News Here's some good news: Medical marijuana is helping people with arthritis improve their quality of life. Most of us know someone an aunt, uncle or grandmother suffering from arthritis. It is one of the most common health ailments in the world ... Arthritis doesn't affect only the elderly! Watch out for these signsEconomic Times Medical Marijuana May Help Ease Chronic PainImmortal News all 3 news articles »

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There's no known cure for arthritis, but marijuana works wonders - New York Daily News

A new study found osteoarthritis of the knee is more than twice as common as it was just a few generations ago. It's estimated that the lifetime risk of developing this condition is 46 percent.

However, it is possible to protect your knees and even reverse some of the symptoms. Dr. Jordan Metzl, a sports medicine physician at New York's Hospital for Special Surgery, joined "CBS This Morning" to discuss what might be causing the increase and what you can do to reduce arthritic symptoms.

Asked what people are doing wrong when it comes to arthritis, Metzl said, "They're not recognizing the symptoms of arthritis."

The first thing to do if you are having symptoms, Metzl said, is to get an X-ray, which will show if there is a "narrowing between the bones."

Metzl also credits the inactivity of modern life. "If you were alive 100 years ago, you walked more, you were much more active," Metzl said.

"As this study shows us, the incidence of arthritis, the prevalence has more than doubled in the past hundred years and there are some different reasons for why that may be including people living longer and having higher weights but also related to activity," Metzl said.

X-rays of what a healthy knee versus an arthritic knee looks like.

CBS News

To reduce symptoms, he says the best thing to do is strengthen your muscles with exercises like squats and lunges instead of saying off of the knee and, in effect, becoming more inactive.

"We want them to be very active. When they get arthritis I get them started on exercise, strengthening," Metzl said.

While he says the wrong shoes can play a part in making symptoms worse, they don't necessarily cause arthritis.

"I think the shoes may be part of making the symptoms worse. I don't think it really has a lot to do with the reasons people get arthritis which are probably genetic, longevity, body index and then maybe inactivity but once you have arthritis we do a lot to control your symptoms," Metzl said.

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Sports medicine doctor on how to combat knee arthritis symptoms - CBS News

(Reuters Health) - Workers exposed to airborne toxins may have an elevated risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, an immune system disorder that causes debilitating swelling and pain in the joints, a Swedish study suggests.

Among men, bricklayers, concrete workers and electricians had at least twice the risk of rheumatoid arthritis they would have in certain other occupations, the study found. For women, jobs in nursing carried a 30 percent higher risk than other careers.

Previous studies have indicated that occupations within the manufacturing sector are associated with an increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis, said lead study author Anna Ilar of the Karolinska Institute in Sweden.

The novelty of our findings is that we showed that occupations within this sector are related to an increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis even after controlling for lifestyle-related factors including smoking, alcohol use, education and (obesity), Ilar said by email.

Unlike the more common osteoarthritis, which is caused by mechanical wear and tear on joints, in rheumatoid arthritis the immune system attacks the body's joints.

While smoking is a known risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis, the findings add to evidence suggesting that environmental factors could trigger the disease in some people. Previous research suggests that lung changes caused by inhaled pollutants may trigger immune responses that lead to rheumatoid arthritis, particularly in individuals with a genetic predisposition for the disease.

For the current study, reported in Arthritis Care and Research, researchers examined data on 3,522 people with rheumatoid arthritis and 5,580 similar individuals without the condition. They gathered information on work history from questionnaires and analyzed results form blood samples looking for genetic factors that can contribute to the disorder.

Researchers compared the elevated risk of rheumatoid arthritis in manufacturing occupations to the risk associated with professional, administrative and technical jobs that tend to involve deskwork rather than manual labor.

Compared with men working desk jobs, electrical workers had twice the risk of rheumatoid arthritis and bricklayers and concrete workers had roughly triple the risk.

The study didnt find an increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis for women working in the manufacturing sector, but there may have been too few women in these jobs to properly analyze the impact of this work, the researchers say.

Its possible that inhaled toxins such as silica, asbestos, organic solvents and motor exhaust might have contributed to the development of rheumatoid arthritis, but the study didnt analyze which pollutants caused the condition.

One limitation of the study is that researchers assumed people in professional jobs in doing office work didnt have exposure to toxins that may increase the odds of rheumatoid arthritis. The study also wasnt a controlled experiment designed to prove whether or how certain occupations might cause rheumatoid arthritis.

They also didnt directly examine the influence of manual labor on development of rheumatoid arthritis, said Kaleb Michaud, a researcher at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and co-director of the National Data Bank for Rheumatic Diseases.

There is some evidence that greater physical labor, which can cause more stress on the body physically and mentally, can lead to rheumatoid arthritis, Michaud, who wasnt involved in the study, said by email.

Not getting enough sleep and continuous repetitive tasks can lead to added stress that can impact your immune system, Michaud added. The more triggers to the immune system just increase the chances for an irregular response by it that may lead to an autoimmune disease like rheumatoid arthritis.

SOURCE: bit.ly/2x1AdfS Arthritis Care and Research, online August 10, 2017.

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Some jobs tied to higher risk of rheumatoid arthritis - Reuters

For more than a year, Harvard researcher Ian Wallace scoured the country for skeletons. Thousands of them.

No grave-digging was involved. Wallace unearthed the bones inacademic collectionsthatranged from ancient remainsfound by archaeologists, to 19th-century bodies never claimed at morgues, to cadavers donated recently to medical schools.

His quest: to gauge the rise of osteoarthritis, the most common formof arthritis, which tends to come with age and affect hips and knees. Hechecked the knees of more than 2,000 skeletons for a telltale polished look, called eburnation, that means the bones have been rubbing against each other.

The finding: Knee osteoarthritis has doubled in prevalence since the mid-20th century, Wallace and colleagues report ina paperjust out in the journal PNAS.

Of course, everyone who pays attention knows that arthritis has been on the riseas Americanslive longer and tend to weigh more, imposing heavierloads on aging joints. Initially, Wallace says, doctors responded to the findingthat arthritis rates were up dramatically with a resounding ho-hum.

But then came the statistical kicker: Even after the researchteam adjusted for weightand age, they found thedoubling in arthritis rates.

"That's when people's eyes got big and they started scratching their heads," Wallace says. "This is a pretty major revelation for physicians, because it means that tons of cases of this disease that they encounter in the clinic might not be due to the two risk factors that receive by far the most attention old age and obesity."

And it could be a revelation for anyone who hopes to avoid the aches and pains of arthritis: If our ancestors had far less arthritis than we do roughly 8 percent of the early skeletons vs. 16 percent of the more recent ones there's hope that we could figure out what they were doing right.

"The most important message here is that we shouldn't consider arthritis a wear-and-tear disease of age," says Harvard professorDaniel E. Lieberman, senior author of the paper. "Arthritis is a disease thatbecomes more common as you age, but it's not caused by 'wear and tear'; if anything, it might be caused by the absence of physical activity," so a major way to prevent arthritis could be moving more, not less.

Though still just a hypothesis, physical inactivity is his prime suspect, he says: "It is one of the biggest differences between people who live today and people who lived in the past whose risk of arthritis was much lower" like many of our grandparents, who tended to sit much less and walk much more than we do.

When Lieberman says wear and tear does not cause arthritis, it still may seem counter-intuitive. After all, joint injuries greatly increase the risk of arthritis, andaging seems so linked to things "wearing out."

But what goes awry in arthritis is looking more complicated than just mechanical overuse, says professor David Felson of Boston University Medical School, a co-author on the paper.

"Joints biologically develop to bear a load, and bear stress across them," hesays. "When they aren't able to do it well, they break down. And that's what's going on here they're somehow not able to withstand the stress that's put across them."

What's making them vulnerable like that is the central question, Felson says. The paper found such a large difference over time that it's likely due to more than one factor, he says, butit's plausible that inactivity is having an effect.

Exercise makes joints more stress-resistant, he says: "Their cartilage gets thicker; the muscles that support and protect the joints get stronger. And joints are hardier when you're active, so the absence of activity isn't necessarily good for our joints."

But is it ever too late for exercise? Say, after arthritis has already hit hard?

"Ithink probably it can always help," Felson says. "The issue is: When your joint is already far gone, is it a good idea to suddenly engage in physical activity? And the answer is probably no. So it depends on where you are, the stage of disease."

Not to over-promise: Physical activity by no meansguarantees arthritis prevention. Felson notes that arthritis has been found in Egyptian mummies; it has also been found in Neanderthals.

But the skeleton findings do point the way toward additional research to pinpoint exactly which factors are at work in the rise of arthritis, and how to counteract them.

"Your probability of having arthritis today is more than double at a given age what your probability of having arthritis was if you had been born before World War II," Lieberman says. "And obviously, genes for arthritis haven't swept the population since World War II. It's something about the way we're living today that's changed. And those are factors that we can shift."

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Harvard Study Of Skeletons Suggests Much Age-Related Arthritis May Be Preventable - WBUR

Meningitis is an infection of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord.

If untreated, it can turn serious very quickly - one in ten cases of bacterial meningitis are fatal, according to the NHS.

For this reason the meningitis ACWY jab is offered for free to everyone aged 17 and 18 in England.

However, there are concerns that not enough school leavers are having it, with only a third vaccinated against the condition last year.

The Royal College of Nursing this week warned that people are risking loss of limbs, arthritis and even death by not having it.

Older teenagers and university students are thought to be particularly at risk since they are mixing with lots of new people.

This vaccine is different from other meningitis jabs often giving to babies including the meningitis B vaccine, 6-in-1 vaccine, pneumococcal vaccine, meningitis C vaccine and MMR vaccine.

It can be spread by coughs, sneezes and kisses.

A classic symptom of the condition is a blotchy rash, where small red, pinpricks spread quickly over the body before turning into red or purple blotches.

According to the NHS, if you press the side of a clear glass firmly against the skin and the rash doesn't fade, it's a sign of blood poisoning - or septicaemia - which requires urgent medical attention.

Other signs of the condition include a high temperature, feeling and being sick, lack of energy, a headache, achieving muscles, breathing quickly and cold hands or feet.

Additionally, sufferers may experience pale and mottled skin, a stiff neck, confusion, dislike of bright lights, drowsiness and seizures.

It is possible to make a full recovery, but the condition can lead to long-term or life-threatening problems.

These include hearing loss, problems with memory, vision loss, loss of limbs to stop the infection spreading arthritis and kidney problems.

Helen Donovan, from the Royal College of Nursing, said: "Meningitis can be fatal, and can leave those who survive with life-changing disabilities. Vaccination is quick, easy and free, and offers protection against most strains of the disease, but reaching young people is not easy.

"Many will have been away over the summer travelling or working before university. But the risk is real and getting vaccinated saves lives.

"We are urging people to contact their surgeries now and book an appointment with the practice nurse."

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Arthritis warning: Going without THIS vaccine puts you at risk of joint damage - Express.co.uk

Rheumatoid arthritisis a painful disease where a person's immune system attacks the joints, causing chronic inflammation in the peripheral joints of the hands, feet, elbows, shoulders, knees, hips and feet. According to Health24, the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are stiffness early in the morning, pain and swelling of the joints.

The cause of rheumatoid arthritis is not known and is usually linked to a genetic predisposition.

But new research shows that rheumatoid arthritis appears to be more common among people in certain types of jobs.

The findings "indicate that work-related factors, such as airborne harmful exposures, may contribute to disease development," study author Anna Ilar said. She is a doctoral student in epidemiology at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm.

Some more at risk than others

The study looked at more than 3 500 people in Sweden with rheumatoid arthritis, and nearly 5 600 people without the disease.

Among men, those in manufacturing jobs had a higher risk of rheumatoid arthritis than those in the professional, administrative and technical sectors, the findings showed. The risk was twice as high for electrical and electronics workers, and three times higher for bricklayers and concrete workers.

The risk for rheumatoid arthritis is high in men who work in jobs such as construction and electronics.

Among women, assistant nurses and attendants had a slightly higher risk, but women in manufacturing jobs did not. The researchers suspect that's because fewer women than men work in manufacturing.

Assistant nurses had a slightly higher risk to develop rheumatoid arthritis.

More study is needed to zero in on the exposures that may be involved, Ilar noted. Potential culprits include silica, asbestos, organic solvents and engine exhaust.

The report was published online in the journal Arthritis Care & Research.

"It is important that findings on preventable risk factors are spread to employees, employers, and decision-makers in order to prevent disease by reducing or eliminating known risk factors," Ilar said in a journal news release.

The researchers said they accounted for lifestyle factors associated with rheumatoid arthritis, such as body fat, smoking, alcohol use and education level. However, while the study found an association between certain occupations and rheumatoid arthritis risk, it didn't prove a cause-and-effect relationship.

Managing rheumatoid arthritis

Here are a few practical tips to manage your arthritis:

All images supplied by iStock.

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Got arthritis? Your job might be the problem... - Health24

Experts have, perhaps unexpectedly, said the condition is not due to people living longer and an ageing society.

They have even gone as far as to suggest the condition is as preventable as heart disease.

Scientists have said there are a number of environmental factors which could be causing the condition - but living longer and being overweight are not reasons why, according to experts.

Instead, the scientists suggested it could be as a result of being less active than our ancestors and have even said it could be as a result of wider environmental factors.

The team analysed over 2,000 skeletons from archaeological collections spanning more than 6,000 years to show how cases have soared in the last seven decades.

Professor Daniel Lieberman, of Harvard University in Boston, said: "The most important comparison is between the early industrial (1800s) and modern samples.

"Because we had data on each individual's age, sex, body weight, ethnicity and in many cases, their occupation and cause of death, we were able to correct for a number of factors that we considered important co-variates.

"Using careful statistical methods, we are able to say that if you were born after World War II you have approximately twice the likelihood of getting knee osteoarthritis at a given age or BMI than if you were born earlier."

It also exposed the idea knee osteoarthritis is now widespread because of more obesity and longevity as a myth.

Dr Ian Wallace, of Harvard University in Boston, said: "Before this study it was assumed without having been tested the prevalence of knee osteoarthritis has changed over time.

"We were able to show - for the first time - this pervasive cause of pain is actually twice as common today than even in the recent past.

"But the even bigger surprise is it's not just because people are living longer or getting fatter, but for other reasons likely related to our modern environments."

Experts said the condition is responsible for more disability than almost any other musculoskeletal disorder.

Professor Lieberman added: "Understanding the origins of knee osteoarthritis is an urgent challenge because the disease is almost entirely untreatable apart from joint replacement - and once someone has knee osteoarthritis it creates a vicious circle.

"People become less active which can lead to a host of other problems - and their health ends up declining at a more rapid rate."

"Knee osteoarthritis is not a necessary consequence of old age.

We should think of this as a partly preventable disease.

"Wouldn't it be great if people could live to be 60, 70 or 80 and never get knee osteoarthritis in the first place?

"Right now, our society is barely focusing on prevention in any way, shape or form, so we need to redirect more interest toward preventing this and other so-called diseases of ageing."

The researchers hope their study inspires new research to prevent knee osteoarthritis.

The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Arthritis cure? Woman hails miracle device used on horses

Continued here:
Knee osteoarthritis symptoms: Obesity is not to blame for rise, say experts - Express.co.uk

Aging and obesity alone cannot explain it.

Arthritis is an inflammation of the joints (or another area where the bones come together). Its often a chronic condition which typically starts off in the hands or feet, and most often ends up affecting the knees. Its estimated that one in five Americans over 45 suffer from knee arthritis, and similar figures are reported in many parts of the world.

Initially, this was thought to be a consequence of aging people lived to older ages, and therefore started suffering more from old age diseases. Obesity is also thought to play a role the more you weigh, the more pressure you put on your joints. But a new study found that these factors alone cannot explain the rise in knee arthritis prevalence.

Image credits: BruceBlaus.

Ian Wallaceis a paleoanthropologist at Harvard University who studies how human health and diseases have changed over time. He was aware that knee arthritis is often associated with obesity and aging, but wanted to see how these and other factors affected the prevalence of obesity through the years. So he and his colleagues studied several thousand American skeletons, frompre-industrial, early industrial, and post-industrial periods. They were specifically looking at the wear and tear in the skeletons knees. The age and body mass index were also assessed and through statistical processing, the impact of obesity and age was removed.

Wallace and colleagues found that18 percent of the skeletons from the post-industrial ages (1950) had signs of advanced arthritis, compared tosix and eight percent of the early industrial and prehistoric bones, respectively. The statistical model showed that neither aging nor obesity can explain the phenomenon.

It points to this mysterious conclusion: A lot of cases of osteoarthritis, which we thought might be inevitable, may be preventable and are due to unknown factors, Wallace says.

Of course, both obesity and aging take their toll no ones saying they just dont matter. But what this study shows is that theres something else were missing.

The study didnt attempt to explain the findings, but its not very difficult to speculate. Wallace too says that lack of physical activity is a very likely culprit. Since the 1950s, office jobs have multiplied dramatically, more and more cars flood the streets, and physical activity has declined accordingly. Sitting down is also a possible culprit.David Felson, study co-author, a renowned arthritis expert and physician at Boston University comments:

Our joints dont do well when they arent active much of the time, Felson says.

But that might not tell the whole story. Inflammation might also be at blame. Arthritis itself is an inflammation, but different inflammations, while a natural reaction, promote injury and prevent proper healing.Francis Berenbaum, a researcher and physician at Pierre and Marie Curie University and AP-HP hospital in Paris, France, who wasnt involved in the study, believesan unhealthy diet might also be at blame. The same diet (high in processed foods and sugars) thats favoring diabetes and heart diseases might also be contributing to arthritis. Other factors, such as walking more on hard surfaces such as concrete or asphalt or concrete might also contribute, but at the moment, the truth is we dont really know.

I study this, and I dont know what [more] can be done to prevent it, Felson adds.

For now, your best bet is to keep a healthy diet and be physically active.

Journal Reference:Ian J. Wallace, Steven Worthington, David T. Felson, Robert D. Jurmain, Kimberly T. Wren, Heli Maijanen, Robert J. Woods, and Daniel E. Lieberman Knee osteoarthritis has doubled in prevalence since the mid-20th century.doi: 10.1073/pnas.1703856114

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Knee arthritis has doubled since 1950, and we don't really know why - ZME Science

The global cancer gene therapy market to grow at a CAGR of 20.63% during the period 2017-2021.

The report, Global Cancer Gene Therapy Market 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.

One trend in the market is favorable government regulations for gene therapy programs. Gene therapy has been a big hope for the individuals suffering from rare diseases and various forms of cancers. Cancer is one of the biggest life-threatening diseases across the globe and has been a huge point of concern for the healthcare providers. This has led to rising support to R&D activities in cancer gene therapy from various governments.

According to the report, one driver in the market is rising geriatric population. The global geriatric population is continues to grow at a faster pace due to several factors such as rapidly falling fertility rates and growing life expectancy due to better medical facilities. The US Census Bureau reported that the total population aging 65 years and above was estimated at 617 million in 2015 and is expected to rise to 1,566 million by 2050. Asia has the largest and fastest growing aging population due to several factors such as the huge population of the region, government policies such as one child policy of China has reduced the addition of young population, and higher investment in the healthcare sector has led to better medical facilities and longer life expectancy.

Further, the report states that one challenge in the market is high cost of gene therapy treatment. The sky-high cost of gene therapy has made it a point of debate across the globe. One of the major causes for the exorbitant cost of gene therapy is the requirement of intensive clinical trials. The gene therapy needs to be tailored to suit the genetic acceptance for each individual, unlike small and large molecule drug clinical trials where the trials are done in large and random samples. In the clinical trials of gene therapy, the stem cell is extracted from each patient's bone marrow, then the correct version of the gene is mingled with the cell, and the corrected stem cells are introduced to the individual patient.

Key vendors

Other prominent vendors

Key Topics Covered:

Part 01: Executive Summary

Part 02: Scope Of The Report

Part 03: Research Methodology

Part 04: Market Landscape

Part 05: Pipeline Analysis

Part 06: Market Segmentation By Therapy

Part 07: Geographical Segmentation

Part 08: Decision Framework

Part 09: Drivers And Challenges

Part 10: Market Trends

Part 11: Vendor Landscape

Part 12: Key Vendor Analysis

Part 13: Appendix

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/drvk7v/global_cancer

Media Contact:

Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager press@researchandmarkets.com

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

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View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-cancer-gene-therapy-market-to-grow-at-a-cagr-of-206-by-2021-favorable-government-regulations-for-gene-therapy-programs-300504680.html

SOURCE Research and Markets

http://www.researchandmarkets.com

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Global Cancer Gene Therapy Market to Grow at a CAGR of 20.6% by 2021: Favorable Government Regulations for ... - PR Newswire (press release)