Archive for the ‘Hormone Physician’ Category

Tomorrow, the first Saturday in June, is National Health and Fitness Day, confirmed by statute, proclaimed by 500 cities, and replete with important implications for all Canadians.

Beyond the current pandemic, were concerned about a different epidemic, one that began decades ago, has continued to spread, and is particularly harmful during self-isolation.

Were talking about the epidemic of sedentary behaviour.

Trends of sedentary behaviour, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and mental illness have worsened, and consequent sickness care costs have steadily climbed.

According to ParticipAction, Canada ranks poorly against other nations: out of 49 countries, were 12th in physical activity, 24th in sedentary behaviour, and 45th in active transportation. Ninety per cent of our children fail to get enough daily physical activity. Over 72 per cent of our children are staring at screens more than two hours daily. Urbanization has made children less active in the outdoors. Since 1979, the percentage of our children who are overweight or obese has tripled to approximately one in three. Canadians are experiencing increasing levels of anxiety and depression. The Public Health Agency of Canada estimates that obesity costs Canadian taxpayers up to $7 billion annually.

Significant evidence demonstrates that physical activity enhances self-confidence, peace of mind, relationships, workplace productivity, academic performance and overall wellbeing. It is proven to prevent and treat mental illness, diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease. Being active in nature improves sleep, mental health, blood pressure and stress hormone levels.

If you have COVID-19 symptoms, have in recent days travelled internationally, or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, follow the health authorities instructions to self-quarantine. Our words here are for Canadians who dont fit in those literally-stay-at-home categories. For people outside those categories, COVID has brought confusion about what levels of exercise are safe. Governments need a unified message that safe physical activity and outdoor recreation are critical to overall health and fitness.

We must exercise to keep up our immune systems, especially during a pandemic. We need exercise for physical, mental, and spiritual health, says Dr. Jack Taunton, one of the founders of sports medicine in Canada and our countrys top physician in the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Heightened physical activity routines and increased participation in recreation, sport and fitness activities will increase our quality of life and community health. A more active Canada is a Canada on the journey of transformative cultural change, modelled by our community, political, and corporate leaders and reinforced by government policy.

Tomorrow, National Health and Fitness Day, is an opportunity to re-evaluate our personal activity routines. This June 6, lets exercise active citizenship. Lets size up how to exercise safely, for our health, and the health of our fellow Canadians. And, for good measure, invite a friend to do the same!

Together, as we say at The National Health and Fitness Foundation and the National Health and Fitness Institute, lets make Canada the fittest nation on Earth.

John Weston is the volunteer president of the National Health and Fitness Institute. He practises law at Pan Pacific Law Corporation and served 2008-2015 as a member of parliament; Pierre Lafontaine, former head of Canadas Olympic swim team, is a consultant at Lafontaine Sports Consulting. He is the volunteer president of the National Health and Fitness Foundation.

Originally posted here:
Pierre Lafontaine and John Weston: The case for exercise even during the pandemic - The Province

Jordan is a middle-income country with an estimated total population of 10 million, the majority of them are the younger generation, and only 3.7% are 65years or older [15]. However, given the changing demographics and health care, this group is expanding rapidly.

Age is an important risk factor for breast cancer. However, data on whether patients age at diagnosis is also related to breast cancer treatment outcomes and survival in our region is lacking. Life expectancy for Jordanian females is significantly lower compared to Western societies [16].

Our data presented in this paper shows that chemotherapy and surgery were not aggressively used to treat a significant proportion of our patients, especially those with metastatic disease. Less than two-thirds of those with non-metastatic disease and only 14% of those with metastatic disease received chemotherapy. Similarly, surgical interventions were less aggressive. Less than a third had BCS while sLN biopsy was performed on 38.0% and axillary dissection was performed less often than younger patients [17]. Though breast reconstructive surgery is not commonly performed in our region, less than 5% of our older patients included in this study had it.

Avoidance of both surgery and chemotherapy in this age group was also reported in Western literature [18]. Hormonal therapy use as the sole therapy for breast cancer increases with age. One study at UK hospitals showed an increase from 2.8% in patients aged 6569years to 40.3% among patients aged 70years or older [19]. Furthermore, it has been shown in previous studies that older women are less likely to receive adjuvant radiotherapy [4, 20, 21].

Variation in the rate of surgery for breast cancer persists even in the same hospital. In one study that utilized data on over 17,000 women aged 70years or more with ER-positive operable breast cancer from two UK regional cancer registries demonstrated considerable variation in rates of surgery. Despite adjusting for case-mix, this variation persisted at the hospital level [10]. Utilizing the Charlsons Index of co-morbidity, Giordano and colleagues reported that among women aged 75years or older treated for breast cancer with clinical stage I-IIIa, the odds of having surgery in accordance with the guidelines were 0.32 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.20 to 0.51) times lower than those of 5564-year-old [22].

Because treatment decisions for such older patients are based mostly on age rather than health status or potential benefit, objective tools that assess the fitness and functional status of older patients for the planned cancer treatment is highly needed [23, 24]. A study from Sweden that included 4453 women diagnosed with breast cancer in Malm University Hospital between 1961 and 1991 looked at the effect of age on breast cancer-specific mortality. When adjusted for potential confounders, including stage at diagnosis, age was a significant factor only for patients aged 80years or more [25].

Based on women diagnosed with breast cancer between 2008 and 2014, the 5-year OS rate, published by the American Cancer Society, based on SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results)-database, for patients with stage IV disease is 27% [26]. This number had increased from 22% in 2012 [27]. The SEER database, however, does not group cancers by the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) TNM stages, instead, it groups cancers into localized, regional, and distant stages. The 5-year OS rates for patients with regional disease is 85%. Our survival rates are a little lower. However, the two populations are not comparable. Several of the known poor prognostic pathological features, like positive axillary lymph nodes and high-grade tumors are more prevalent in our patient population compared to what was reported in Western literature. The prevalence of comorbidities among our population, in general, is high enough to explain our lower life expectancy and this obviously affect the aggressiveness of anticancer therapy for this population and may be another factor to explain this difference in OS.

Our study is not without limitations. This is a retrospective study with limited data on potentially important factors like performance status, detailed comorbidities and social support. Though our study is a single-institution one, our center treats over two-thirds of all breast cancer patients in the country.

Original post:
Tumor characteristics and treatment outcomes of older patients with breast cancer in Jordan - BMC Blogs Network

CARLSBAD, Calif., June 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Qualigen Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: QLGN) (Qualigen or the Company) announced today that the Company has released a pre-launch supply of its proposed FastPackSARS-CoV-2 IgG Immunoassay diagnostic test kits to the University of Louisville to conduct validation studies with hundreds of patient samples, as well as for use in research on COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that causes COVID-19.

Qualigen's SARS-CoV-2 IgG immunoassay, for use with its new FastPack PRO System point-of-care diagnostic instruments, is a chemiluminescent microparticle test intended for the qualitative detection (i.e., yes/no) of the presence of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in blood. The FastPack PRO System is an upgraded version of Qualigen's flagship FastPack IP rapid immunoassay diagnostic point-of-care system.

"This is an important step in the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing, given the high number of inaccurate tests in the marketplace," said Michael Poirier, President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Qualigen. "Reliable, accurate and rapid testing for the presence of antibodies is critical to understanding who may have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 and who could potentially have an immune response to re-infection."

Mr. Poirier continued, "Since its founding in my basement in Minnesota over 20 years ago, Qualigen has been continuously advancing this sophisticated rapid diagnostic technology, which is now used in physician offices, clinics and small hospital worldwide. I believe Qualigen is well suited to bring to market diagnostic systems that can improve our understanding and tracking of this disease as we strive to open up the U.S. economy."

Kenneth Palmer, PhD, Director of the University of Louisville Center for Predictive Medicine for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases (CPM), and his research team will be conducting analytical validation studies on the FastPackSARS-CoV-2 IgG Immunoassay to provide Qualigen with validation data to submit to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requesting Emergency Use Authorization. The University of Louisville's CPM is one of only 12 infectious disease biocontainment facilities in the United States and is on the forefront of COVID-19 and infectious disease research.

"The ability to obtain rapid, accurate SARS-CoV-2 antibody data at the point of care for timely assessment of a patient's status is vital to the next phase of this pandemic. We are excited to be working with Qualigen on this important project," added Dr. Palmer.

About the FastPack SystemThe FastPack System is a rapid and highly accurate immunoassay testing system consisting of the FastPack Analyzer and the FastPack test pouch (a single-use, disposable, foil packet that includes the FastPack reagent chemistry). This "Laboratory in a Pouch" is installed in physician offices, clinics and small hospitals around the world, and quickly detects diseases and medical conditions at the point-of-care. Since the conception of the system, the Company has expanded its assay menu to 10 tests including tests for prostate cancer, thyroid function, metabolic disorders and research applications. Over the past 20 years, FastPack has generated more than $100 million in commercial sales. Qualigen's worldwide distributor for FastPack is Sekisui Diagnostics, LLC, a subsidiary of a multibillion-dollar Japanese chemical and technology company.

About Qualigen Therapeutics, Inc.Qualigen Therapeutics, Inc. is a biotechnology company focused on developing novel therapeutics for the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases, as well as maintaining and expanding its core FDA-approved FastPack System, which has been used successfully in diagnostics for almost 20 years. The FastPack menu includes tests for cancer, men's health, hormone function and vitamin D status. The Company's cancer therapeutics pipeline includes ALAN (AS1411-GNP), RAS-F3 and STARS. ALAN (AS1411-GNP) is a DNA coated gold nanoparticle cancer drug candidate that has the potential to target various types of cancer with minimal side effects. The foundational aptamer of ALAN, AS1411, is also being studied for use in treating viral-based infectious diseases. RAS-F3 is a small molecule RAS oncogene protein-protein inhibitor for blocking RAS mutations that lead to tumor formation, especially in pancreatic, colorectal and lung cancers. STARS is a DNA/RNA-based treatment device for removal from circulating blood of precisely targeted tumor-produced and viral compounds. Qualigen's facility in Carlsbad, California is FDA and ISO Certified and its FastPack product line is sold worldwide by its commercial partner Sekisui Diagnostics, LLC. For more information on Qualigen Therapeutics, Inc. or to order FastPack diagnostic products, please visit https://www.qualigeninc.com/.

Story continues

Forward-Looking StatementsThis news release contains forward-looking statements by the Company that involve risks and uncertainties and reflect the Company's judgment as of the date of this release. These statements include those related to potential future development, testing and launch of product candidates. Actual events or results may differ from our expectations. For example, there can be no assurance that the validation studies for the proposed FastPackSARS-CoV-2 IgG Immunoassay diagnostic test kits will be timely conducted or will provide favorable validation data; that any request to the FDA for Emergency Use Authorization will be granted; that the Company will be able to manufacture the FastPack Pro System instruments and test kits successfully; that any commercialization of the FastPack Pro System instruments and test kits will be profitable; that the Company will successfully develop any drugs or therapeutic devices; that preclinical or clinical development will be successful; that future clinical trial data will be favorable or that such trials will confirm any improvements over other products or lack negative impacts; that any drugs or therapeutic devices will receive required regulatory approvals or that they will be commercially successful; that we will be able to procure or earn sufficient working capital to complete the development, testing and launch of our prospective therapeutic products; or that we will be able to maintain or expand market demand and/or market share for our diagnostic products. Our stock price could be harmed if any of the events or trends contemplated by the forward-looking statements fails to occur or is delayed or if any actual future event otherwise differs from expectations. Additional information concerning these and other risk factors affecting the Company's business (including events beyond the Company's control, such as epidemics and resulting changes) can be found in the Company's prior filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, available at http://www.sec.gov. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements beyond the date of this news release, except as required by law. This caution is made under the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/qualigen-therapeutics-releases-fastpack-sars-cov-2-antibody-diagnostic-test-to-university-of-louisville-to-conduct-validation-studies-301069009.html

SOURCE Qualigen, Inc.

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Qualigen Therapeutics Releases FastPack SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Diagnostic Test to University of Louisville to Conduct Validation Studies - Yahoo Finance

For COVID-19, like all illnesses, the drugs and vaccines to treat or prevent the disease must be backed by rigorous evidence. Clinical trials are the source of this evidence.

With vaccines and drugs for the coronavirus already entering human testing, it is important to know what the different phases of clinical trials are testing for. I am a neurologist with the Alzheimers Therapeutic Research Institute at the University of Southern California. Our team has been developing and overseeing all phases of clinical trials for decades. I am here to help you understand this complicated and important process.

The earliest indications about whether an intervention is effective and safe come from preclinical trials. This research is done in the laboratory using cells or animals.

Researchers can get some information about safety and efficacy of a treatment from preclinical trials, but the results do not say whether what they are testing is safe or works in people.

Once a treatment shows promise in preclinical trials, researchers begin the process of working through the phases that have been established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. These phases are designed to do two things: protect patients during the process and make sure that the drug or treatment works.

Phase 1 trials are focused on safety. Researchers monitor kidney, liver, hormone and cardiac functions to look for adverse affects in human volunteers. They also look for biological signs of efficacy related to what they are hoping to treat. For example, if a trial was testing a vaccine, researchers might monitor immune activity to see if it increases.

Phase 1 clinical trials typically take around two months and involve small numbers of participants, usually 20 to 100 healthy volunteers or people with the condition that the intervention may treat. Researchers give the participants a range of medication dosages to help determine the lowest possible effective but safe dose. Some, but not all, phase 1 studies are randomized and placebo controlled, meaning that some portion of the subjects are given the real treatment and some get a placebo that does nothing. Neither the subject nor clinician knows who is receiving which treatment.

Drugs that pass phase 1 trials can be considered likely safe, but whether they work or not still remains to be seen.

In phase 2 trials, researchers focus on seeing if the treatment works, finding the safest effective dose and determining what symptoms, tests or outcomes are the best measures of efficacy of the treatment. Determining the best measures of success is important for designing the final stage of testing.

All phase 2 trials are randomized and placebo controlled.

This stage of research can take months to years, and only about one-third of drugs in phase 2 trials make it to the next phase.

In phase 2 trials, researchers give the drug to hundreds of subjects and watch for safety through regular testing. To measure effectiveness, researchers look at clinical responses such as the length of illness, severity of the illness or survival rates. Direct measures of a disease such as the amount of virus in a persons cells are also monitored, as well as biomarkers signals in the body that researchers know are changed by the targeted disease.

At this point, the researchers will use all the information they have gained to design the phase 3 trial. They decide what measures to use, the doses to test and the type, or cohort, of people to test.

If there is evidence in either phase 1 or phase 2 that the drug or vaccine is unsafe or ineffective, the teams will stop the trial.

Phase 3 trials are where researchers look to see if people that get the treatment are statistically better off than those dont. The trials are randomized and placebo controlled, and use the measures of success chosen from the phase 2 trial. Phase 3 trials are also designed to find any rare side effects of a treatment.

In order to get statistically meaningful data, phase 3 trials are big, normally including a few hundred to 3,000 people.

This is the final step before a drug is approved for public use. After a phase 3 trial is finished, the FDA puts together a panel of independent scientists to review the data. The panel decides, based on evidence of success and prevalence of side effects, if the benefits of the drug outweigh the risks enough to approve it for widespread use.

According to the FDA, only 25%-30% of drugs in phase 3 trials get approved.

Phase 4 trials are used to test approved treatments for the same medical condition but in a different dose or time frame or group of people. For example, a phase 4 trial could be used to test if a drug thats already approved for adults is safe and effective for children.

When a drug thats been approved for one purpose is studied for a different medical condition for example, testing the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a potential treatment for COVID-19 this is not a phase 4 trial. This is a phase 2 or 3 trial because it is designed to answer those early questions about how well the treatment works for the new condition.

News headlines are full of trial results concerning COVID-19 interventions. Its easy to get excited when reading about a new drug or vaccine. But early successes do not guarantee a treatment will work.

COVID-19, like Alzheimers, is a complex disease, and clinical trials to test treatments are particularly challenging, with highly variable outcomes. The process for drug and treatment approval is long, but is designed to guarantee that what a physician gives you will do help, not hurt, you.

[You need to understand the coronavirus pandemic, and we can help. Read The Conversations newsletter.]

Continued here:
From the research lab to your doctor's office here's what happens in phase 1, 2, 3 drug trials - The Conversation US

Avery Belyeu was anxious as she drove up to the mobile coronavirus testing site and rolled down her window to talk to a doctor in full protective gear. She had a fever and cough but was hesitant to get tested. Belyeu, along with an estimated 77 percent of trans Texans, does not have formal identification to match the name and gender she prefers. Going to a new health-care provider, she knew, meant having to explain her identity and the risk of being discriminated against. But her fear of the virus compelled her to go through with the test; later, it came back negative.

Im very privileged in the fact that I do have health insurance, Belyeu, who lives in Tarrant County and is the regional director of Lambda Legal, a LGBTQ advocacy organization, said. However, I was extremely nervous because I was sent to a testing location thats not my typical physicians office where they know who I am and they know my identity.

Belyeus story is similar to that of many trans Texans during the COVID-19 crisis, which has exacerbated the inequities the community had to face before the pandemic. UCLAs Williams Institute estimates that there are 125,350 adults in Texas who identify as transgenderthe second largest population in the country behind California. When it comes to receiving aid, and health care in particular, the community is often overlooked and discriminated against, in ways that make it more vulnerable during times of crisis.

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In Texas, before the pandemic, trans people had more than four times the statewide rate of unemploymentand double the rate of poverty, and were more likely to experience homelessness and health problems. Though theres no record of the percentage of trans Texans who dont have health insurance, according to the Williams Institute, 26 percent of LGBT Texans are uninsured, compared with 17.7 percent of all Texans.

But even if they are insured, many trans Texans, like Belyeu, might be resistant to seek out coronavirus-related care. I have heard from trans people who delayed going to receive testing either because they didnt have health insurance, they were concerned about whether or not they would have access to testing, and delayed doing that for some time, Belyeu said. And I think that thats really the norm.

Before the pandemic, 22 percent of trans Texans did not see a doctor when they needed to because of fear of being mistreated as a transgender person, according to the 2015 Transgender Survey. The survey also found that 20 percent of trans Texans were denied coverage by their insurance because of their gender identity, and 30 percent of those who saw a health-care provider reported having at least one negative experienceverbal harassment, assault, refusal of treatmentrelated to being transgender.

There are community clinics around the state that focus on providing trans-affirming health care, and most have been able to stay open by providing telemedicine services. However, a majority of them are located in large metros, and not all are providing tests for COVID-19. In rural parts of the state, access to those same facilities can be few and far between.

Dr. Kelly Bennett is one of the few doctors in Lubbock who provides trans health care. She says many of her patients refuse to see any other doctors because of their anxieties ranging from overt discrimination to being misgendered or having to educate health providers about trans people. Shes even had new patients reach out then drive to see her from as far as Midland and Odessa (about two hours away) during this time. Patients are concerned that something will be done incorrectly, Bennett said. And they just dont want to explain [their gender] to somebody theyve never met, especially through the phone or on an awkward Zoom visit.

The gaps and barriers between trans Texans and services providing health care, mental-health care, and direct aid have resulted in organizations like Lambda Legal, a national legal organization litigating and advocating for LGBTQ people, to call for Governor Greg Abbott to expand health insurance to all Texans during the global pandemic. (They have not received a response from Abbott and are planning to raise the issue again to the Texas Health and Human Services executive council.) In recent years legislation has been drafted to address the inequities trans Texans facecalling for a transgender health-care committee and task forcesbut has not passed.

In lieu of state support, nonprofits and grassroots organizations across Texas have been left to pick up the slack.

The Montrose Center in Houston, which serves the LGBT community at large, has long had a disaster relief program for this very reason. Back in 2005, when busloads of survivors arrived in Houston during Hurricane Katrina, many trans individuals were turned back from shelters and denied clothes of their choice based on their gender identity. Anytime theres an economic impact or a disaster that disrupts the economy, said Kennedy Loftin, chief development officer at the Montrose Center, that community, which in some cases is already living on the margins, is just going to be more impacted every time.

Prior crises informed how the Montrose Center would handle the effects of COVID-19. Theyve continued to operate since stay-at-home orders took effect, with most case managers working remotely. In general, theyve seen an uptick in the need for basic necessities like food and shelter, but for the trans community, theyve seen an increase in mental health issues and suicides in particular.

The Montrose Center has also created a nonprofit incubator program, providing free resources, connections, and support to smaller organizations that focus specifically on serving transgender Texans and communities of color.

One organization receiving aid from the center, Save Our Sisters United, a Houston-based group for trans people of color, has in turn been providing direct financial assistance to its community.

When the pandemic started, Atlantis Narcisse, the organizations founder, immediately thought of the members of her community who were sex workers, gig workers, and service industry workers. With a grant from the Simmons Foundation, an organization that assists underfunded marginalized groups in Texas, her organization has provided its first direct assistance fund for food, hotel rooms, and medication like HRTs (hormone replacement therapy). This has never been donesomething that was for us by us, Narcisse said.

The organization has helped trans Texans like Alyssa Gamble, who was laid off in March from her housekeeping job at the Hilton hotel in downtown Houston, weeks before the citys stay-at-home order went into effect. In one fell swoop, Gamble lost her job, health care, and income to pay rent. Save Our Sisters was able to give her $150enough to get groceries and feminine hygiene products she needed before her unemployment money came through. Shes currently still unemployed and is receiving public assistance to pay for her housing and necessities.

Other aid groups have begun organizing online. Danny Roe, the assistant director of student diversity initiatives at Texas A&M Galveston, leads a trans support group. Its biweekly hour-long chats on Zoom have been a bright spot for memberssome are in quarantine with family members who arent accepting of them. Roe told me that one member became depressed because the coronavirus forced her long-planned appointment for electrolysis for facial hair removal to be pushed back. Others havent been able to see their trans-affirming primary care physicians because of their lack of telemedicine services and restrictions on running bloodwork.

All of these combined organizations and efforts versus the kind of funding that you see traditionally be passed down from either state, local, or federal coffers, its really a drop in the bucket, Emmett Schelling, executive director the Transgender Education Network of Texas, said. This is our community trying to do everything we can to meet people with just a little bit of assistance for them to survive through this. And unfortunately, we have to do this because we cant rely on the systems that everybody else relies on.

More:
We Cant Rely on the Systems That Everybody Else Relies On: Trans Texans Struggle With Health Care Access During COVID-19 - Texas Monthly

Sugar can lead to high blood sugar and contributes to the development of diabetes.

We all want to keep track of our health in every way we can -- you may weigh yourself daily, measure your waist-to-hip ratio, keep track of your blood pressure or monitor your resting heart rate. But how close of an eye do you keep on your blood sugar?

People with diabetes are all too familiar with their blood sugar levels, but the rest of us might not even think about them. However, consistently high blood sugar levels can coexist with Type 2 diabetes and cause serious health conditions like kidney disease, nerve problems or stroke.

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I hope I haven't scared you away, but when it comes to our health it's important to know exactly what's going on inside of our bodies. Without further ado, let's get into what blood sugar means, how to measure it and everything else you need to know.

Read more:How to eat less sugar without feeling deprived

Blood sugar, or glucose, is your body's main energy source. We get glucose from the food we eat, and our blood carries it around to all the cells in the body to give them energy to function. Glucose mainly comes from the carbohydrates we eat, though our bodies can convert protein and fat into sugar too if needed.

Glucose from protein is typically stored in the liver and doesn't enter the bloodstream, so eating protein-rich foods won't raise your blood sugar too much. Fats slow down the digestion of carbohydrates, which causes a delayed rise in blood sugar. A high blood sugar can be an issue because it usually leads to sugar crashes, which are no fun -- symptoms include fatigue, headaches and the jitters. So, eat meals balanced with protein, fat and carbs to avoid this.

Read more:How sugar can temporarily sabotage your immune system

Blood sugar is closely related to insulin, a hormone secreted by the pancreas that helps your body use glucose. Insulin keeps your blood sugar from getting too high or too low -- if you eat more sugar than you need in the moment, the hormone helps store the glucose in your liver until it's needed for energy.

You probably also know about blood sugar in the context of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is a condition in which people are unable to make insulin, so they need to inject the hormone in order to keep their blood sugar levels stable. People with Type 2 diabetes, which usually occurs later in life, either don't secrete insulin or are resistant to it.

Read more:Is all sugar the same? The difference between "good" and "bad" sugars

If you have diabetes, you probably already keep a watchful eye on your blood sugar through the use of a continuous glucose monitor (a CGM) or a blood sugar meter (which involves pricking your fingertip). Blood sugar measurement is also typically included in routine lab work for people without diabetes -- your physician will usually order a glycated hemoglobin (A1C) test, which measures your average blood sugar over the past two to three months.

Say your A1C test comes back with no sign of diabetes -- constantly measuring your blood sugar can still be helpful. For instance, some people experiment with using a CGM to see how their body responds to different types of food. However, it's good to note that this is a fairly cost-intensive way of figuring out your nutrition, and writing down a food diary that includes how you felt after each meal will also help you figure out what to eat.

Check out these blood sugar monitors if you're looking for recommendations on how to keep track of your levels at home.

Your blood sugar level changes depending on what you've eaten, whether you've exercised and other factors (more on that later) but we have some general guidelines to determine what levels are healthy.

For generally healthy individuals (without diabetes) who haven't eaten for eight hours or more, a normal blood sugar level is between 70-99 mg/dL. When you've eaten in the past two hours, it should be no higher than 140 mg/dL. To refresh your chemistry knowledge, that unit is milligrams per deciliter (one tenth of a liter) and it's measuring the amount of glucose present in your blood.

Only a medical professional can diagnose diabetes or another issue with your blood sugar, so if you're concerned about your blood sugar levels, check with a doctor.

Again, only a doctor can diagnose a problem with your blood sugar. But you may be wondering how to know if it's something you should get checked out. There can be two main issues with your blood sugar -- either it's consistently too high or too low. Even if you don't have diabetes, there are some signs that your blood sugar levels are not functioning normally.

Hypoglycemia is a condition in which your blood sugar is too low. Signs include an irregular heartbeat, fatigue, shakiness and tingling or numbness in your face. If you consistently feel this way when you get hungry or between meals, talk to your healthcare provider.

On the flipside, hyperglycemia happens when your blood sugar is too high, and can happen to nondiabetics. Symptoms include frequent urination, increased thirst and headache. If you think you're hyperglycemic and can't keep fluids or food down, call for emergency medical assistance.

You can guess that carbohydrate intake and insulin production are at least partly responsible for your blood sugar levels. But the list is much longer -- almost every lifestyle choice you make can affect your blood sugar. Here's just a partial list.

Other surprising factors can affect your blood sugar, like a sunburn or gum disease, so if you're dealing with a blood sugar issue and can't figure out what's causing your spikes and dips, talk to a health care professional.

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.

More:
Blood sugar levels: what's normal, what's not and how to measure them - CNET

For COVID-19, like all illnesses, the drugs and vaccines to treat or prevent the disease must be backed by rigorous evidence. Clinical trials are the source of this evidence.

With vaccines and drugs for the coronavirus already entering human testing, it is important to know what the different phases of clinical trials are testing for. I am a neurologist with the Alzheimers Therapeutic Research Institute at the University of Southern California. Our team has been developing and overseeing all phases of clinical trials for decades. I am here to help you understand this complicated and important process.

Preclinical trials

The earliest indications about whether an intervention is effective and safe come from preclinical trials. This research is done in the laboratory using cells or animals.

Researchers can get some information about safety and efficacy of a treatment from preclinical trials, but the results do not say whether what they are testing is safe or works in people.

Once a treatment shows promise in preclinical trials, researchers begin the process of working through the phases that have been established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. These phases are designed to do two things: protect patients during the process and make sure that the drug or treatment works.

Phase 1 trials

Phase 1 trials are focused on safety. Researchers monitor kidney, liver, hormone and cardiac functions to look for adverse affects in human volunteers. They also look for biological signs of efficacy related to what they are hoping to treat. For example, if a trial was testing a vaccine, researchers might monitor immune activity to see if it increases.

Phase 1 clinical trials typically take around two months and involve small numbers of participants, usually 20 to 100 healthy volunteers or people with the condition that the intervention may treat. Researchers give the participants a range of medication dosages to help determine the lowest possible effective but safe dose. Some, but not all, phase 1 studies are randomized and placebo controlled, meaning that some portion of the subjects are given the real treatment and some get a placebo that does nothing. Neither the subject nor clinician knows who is receiving which treatment.

Drugs that pass phase 1 trials can be considered likely safe, but whether they work or not still remains to be seen.

Phase 2 trials

In phase 2 trials, researchers focus on seeing if the treatment works, finding the safest effective dose and determining what symptoms, tests or outcomes are the best measures of efficacy of the treatment. Determining the best measures of success is important for designing the final stage of testing.

All phase 2 trials are randomized and placebo controlled.

This stage of research can take months to years, and only about one-third of drugs in phase 2 trials make it to the next phase.

In phase 2 trials, researchers give the drug to hundreds of subjects and watch for safety through regular testing. To measure effectiveness, researchers look at clinical responses such as the length of illness, severity of the illness or survival rates. Direct measures of a disease such as the amount of virus in a persons cells are also monitored, as well as biomarkers signals in the body that researchers know are changed by the targeted disease.

At this point, the researchers will use all the information they have gained to design the phase 3 trial. They decide what measures to use, the doses to test and the type, or cohort, of people to test.

If there is evidence in either phase 1 or phase 2 that the drug or vaccine is unsafe or ineffective, the teams will stop the trial.

Phase 3 trials

Phase 3 trials are where researchers look to see if people that get the treatment are statistically better off than those dont. The trials are randomized and placebo controlled, and use the measures of success chosen from the phase 2 trial. Phase 3 trials are also designed to find any rare side effects of a treatment.

In order to get statistically meaningful data, phase 3 trials are big, normally including a few hundred to 3,000 people.

This is the final step before a drug is approved for public use. After a phase 3 trial is finished, the FDA puts together a panel of independent scientists to review the data. The panel decides, based on evidence of success and prevalence of side effects, if the benefits of the drug outweigh the risks enough to approve it for widespread use.

According to the FDA, only 25%-30% of drugs in phase 3 trials get approved.

Phase 4 trials

Phase 4 trials are used to test approved treatments for the same medical condition but in a different dose or time frame or group of people. For example, a phase 4 trial could be used to test if a drug thats already approved for adults is safe and effective for children.

When a drug thats been approved for one purpose is studied for a different medical condition for example, testing the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a potential treatment for COVID-19 this is not a phase 4 trial. This is a phase 2 or 3 trial because it is designed to answer those early questions about how well the treatment works for the new condition.

A critical eye for medical news

News headlines are full of trial results concerning COVID-19 interventions. Its easy to get excited when reading about a new drug or vaccine. But early successes do not guarantee a treatment will work.

COVID-19, like Alzheimers, is a complex disease, and clinical trials to test treatments are particularly challenging, with highly variable outcomes. The process for drug and treatment approval is long, but is designed to guarantee that what a physician gives you will do help, not hurt, you.

[You need to understand the coronavirus pandemic, and we can help. Read The Conversations newsletter.]

Mindy Aisen, Clinical Professor of Neurology, University of Southern California

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Image: Reuters

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How Vaccines Go From the Research Lab to Your Doctor's Office - The National Interest

PHILADELPHIA The pandemic is helping U.S. abortion-rights advocates achieve a long-standing goal: Make it easier for women to use pills to end pregnancies up to 10 weeks.

Federal and state regulations have restricted access to medication abortion ever since the Food and Drug Administration approved it two decades ago. Nonetheless, use of the two-drug regimen has grown steadily, accounting for at least 40% of all abortions, even as the national abortion rate has fallen to historic lows, data show.

Before the coronavirus made seeking medical care in person risky for both patients and providers, efforts were well underway to expand access to abortion pills through telemedicine and mail-order pharmacies. Now, those efforts are accelerating and multiplying because suddenly a divisive political issue is also a matter of public health.

For patients seeking abortion, urgent modifications of current protocols are needed to ensure that patients can continue to obtain this time-sensitive treatment while limiting transmission of infection, 11 prominent reproductive health experts wrote last month in the journal Contraception.

The group, led by obstetrician-gynecologist Elizabeth Raymond, proposed reducing in-person clinic visits by eliminating ultrasounds and other tests that research shows are unnecessary for a safe, effective pill-induced abortion.

Planned Parenthood Southeastern Pennsylvania, which adopted the test-less approach in mid-March, quickly saw a shift. Although the total number of medication and surgical abortions remained about 800 a month, the proportion that used pills increased from 55% before the pandemic to 65% now.

We wouldnt be offering it if it werent safe, said Dayle Steinberg, president and CEO of the Southeastern Pennsylvania affiliate. The pandemic is showing us that we have to be nimble and adapt.

WHEN PRECAUTIONS BECOME DANGERS

Some background: Medication abortion starts with a pill called mifepristone, which blocks a hormone vital to pregnancy. That is followed 24 to 48 hours later by at least two misoprostol pills, which induce contractions. (Misoprostol is also used to treat stomach ulcers.)

In 2000, when the FDA made the controversial decision to approve mifepristone, it imposed stringent safety requirements. The drug can be dispensed only by specially certified health-care providers and only in clinics, hospitals, and medical offices not pharmacies like most prescription drugs.

Medical societies and public health experts have called on the FDA to remove the restrictions. Physician Jane E. Henney, FDA commissioner when mifepristone was approved, added her voice last year. Last month, so did Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Patty Murray, urging a reevaluation in light of the growing coronavirus disease pandemic.

The FDA has not budged, even though its own review says medication abortion has been increasingly used as its efficacy and safety have become well-established by both research and experience, and serious complications have proven to be extremely rare.

Advocates have not been deterred by the FDAs inflexibility.

Over the last year, Gynuity Health Projects a New York City-based nonprofit that Raymond joined in 2010 has expanded its FDA-approved study of medication abortion via telemedicine from five states to 13. It enables women to have video conferences with certified doctors, then get the pills mailed to them to take at home.

Still, Gynuitys TelAbortion has served fewer than 1,000 women over more than three years. Partly, thats because the FDA requires all study participants to have an initial in-person visit and an ultrasound to make sure they are no more than 10 weeks pregnant.

BENDING THE RULES

Studies have shown an ultrasound is unnecessary; only 1% of women do not accurately recall the date of their last menstrual period, and medication abortion still works for the vast majority of them. Other parts of the typical medication abortion protocol a pelvic exam, blood tests, and a return visit to confirm the termination are also unneeded, research shows.

Thats why Raymond and her 10 colleagues wrote the Contraception article, which laid out a protocol for evaluating, treating, and following up with patients in a way that would bend but not break the FDA rules.

Although FDA-imposed restrictions on mifepristone may require patients to present to the abortion facility to obtain the drug, this protocol would enable every other part of the medication abortion process to be implemented without any in-person encounter, they wrote.

Nothing like an epidemic to accelerate innovations, Raymond said in an interview.

Abortion foes denounce such innovations as endangering womens health. So far, 18 states have enacted various laws designed to ban the use of telemedicine in medication abortion. More recently, several states have tried to ban all abortions under pandemic emergency orders restricting elective medical procedures.

While the political divide is wider than ever, even abortion-rights activists dont agree on how much medical support women seeking medication abortion need or how best to provide it.

Numerous international websites ship abortion pills without prescription or any medical oversight to women who self-manage the termination in secret. Recognizing that the internet makes such uncounted abortions virtually unstoppable, public health researcher Elisa Wells cofounded Plan C, a website with a report card that rates such websites on product quality, price, and shipping time.

In early March, as the pandemic deepened, Plan C took another step toward helping women self-manage: It asked doctors across the country to register with one of the two FDA-approved manufacturers of mifepristone so they can obtain pills to mail to women in their homes.

FDA regulations say mifepristone must be dispensed in a facility, but Plan C maintains that dispensing is different than delivering.

Most doctors read the (FDA regulations) to say the pills cant be mailed, Wells said, adding that a handful of doctors have joined the new initiative. We disagree.

Aid Access, a mail-order abortion-pill service overseen by Dutch physician Rebecca Gomperts, has already been ordered to cease and desist by the FDA.

Gomperts set up Aid Access last year using the model of her first abortion-pill service, Women on Web, which serves women in countries were abortion is illegal. Basically, the pregnant woman consults online with the prescribing doctor, then gets a script to email to an Indian company that ships the pills. Instructions explain how to use the drugs, what to expect, and when to see a doctor if problems occur.

Although Gomperts didnt respond to a request for comment, she was recently quoted in the New York Times saying that the pandemic has fueled demand, with about 3,000 women requesting help from Aid Access since late March.

As for the FDA, Gomperts has a complaint against the agency pending in federal court. The FDA, she maintains, is trying to deny the constitutional right to abortion.

Dr. Gomperts has standing to assert the constitutional rights of her patients seeking medical abortions in the U.S., her legal brief says.

2020 The Philadelphia Inquirer

Visit The Philadelphia Inquirer at http://www.inquirer.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Coronavirus pandemic is fueling efforts to increase access to abortion pills - yoursun.com

Disease education needed, especially in emergency or urgent care setting

Voices of Hypopara survey describes complex patient journey, and need for a strong patient and physician partnership

LEMOORE, Calif., June 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In support of World Hypoparathyroidism Awareness Day, the HypoPARAthyroidism Association (HPA) today released findings of its recent survey highlighting the experiences of patients living with hypoparathyroidism (hypopara or HP) in the United States (U.S.). The Voices of Hypopara survey revealed that the majority of patients with this rare and complex endocrine disorder still struggle to receive adequate medical care, including in the emergency room (ER) or urgent care setting.

Hypoparathyroidism causes low levels of calcium in the blood due to insufficient amounts of parathyroid hormone. Hypoparathyroidism is mostly caused by thyroid (neck) surgery, but also results from idiopathic, genetic or autoimmune issues. It can lead to a wide range of physical and emotional symptoms, as well as severe long-term complications related to calcification in the kidney, brain, blood vessels, eye and other soft tissues.

In this survey of 146 people living with hypopara, an overwhelming 69% of participants reported experiencing a calcium crash’ a potentially life-threatening decrease in calcium levels at least once in the past year. Of these, 43% reported calcium crashes weekly or monthly, and 4% daily. A calcium crash can cause an inability to speak or breathe, involuntary or painful muscle spasms and even seizures.

Additionally, approximately 42% visited an ER and/or urgent care facility in the last year to address their symptoms; half of these visited two to four times, and another 18% visited the ER and/or urgent care even more often in the past year.

The survey also highlighted the complexity of the hypopara patient journey, including diagnosis. For half of the participants, it took more than five physician visits, and for a quarter of them, more than a year before receiving a diagnosis. In approximately 10% of participants, it took over a decade for their disorder to be diagnosed.

These striking results show that, while we’ve made great progress, we have more work to do to educate the medical community and public about hypopara, especially in the emergency setting,” said Deb Murphy, President and Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the HypoPARAthyroidism Association. It was heartening to see that those participants who cited positive ER experiences said they played a key role in educating the staff about hypopara. Patients driving medical education and empowering themselves I can’t think of anything more exciting to see. By continuing on this path, I know we’ll be able to make a difference. It is an honor to be able to present the results of our survey and give voice to patients with hypopara on World Hypoparathyroidism Awareness Day.”

Results of the survey also provide insight to the experiences of those living with hypopara who seek emergency care:

In some cases, the calcium crash episodes are so serious they may require intravenous (IV) infusions of calcium in an ER or urgent care facility:

As an endocrinologist, managing hypoparathyroidism is one of the more complicated and challenging conditions. Greater awareness is needed across the healthcare community,” said Mishaela Rubin, M.D., a member of HypoPARAthyroidism Association’s Board of Medical Advisors. It is also critical that patients and physicians work together to anticipate and manage all the different aspects of this disease to minimize its day-to-day impact, and to reduce its burden to the healthcare system.”

Additional key findings include:

Of the 146 who participated in the survey, 89% were women and the average age was 51 years. The majority of participants (80%) were diagnosed after surgery; 11% were diagnosed due to idiopathic/unknown reasons; and 9% were diagnosed due to autoimmune or genetic causes.

About the Voices of Hypopara Survey The Voices of Hypopara research survey evaluated the experiences of 146 U.S. patients living with hypoparathyroidism (hypopara or HP), and was supported by Ascendis Pharma. The survey was fully anonymous and conducted online during April and May 2020.

About Hypoparathyroidism Hypoparathyroidism (hypopara or HP) is a rare endocrine disorder characterized by insufficient levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH), resulting in low calcium and elevated phosphate levels in the blood. The disorder affects approximately 200,000 patients in the United States (U.S.), Europe, Japan and South Korea, and at least 80,000 in the U.S. alone. The majority develop the condition following damage or accidental removal of the parathyroid glands during thyroid surgery. This condition can also be inherited or associated with other disorders.

Patients with hypopara often experience decreased quality of life. In the short term, symptoms include weakness, severe muscle cramps (tetany), abnormal sensations such as tingling, burning and numbness (paresthesia), memory loss, impaired judgment and headache. Over the long term, this complex disorder can cause major complications, such as calcium deposits occurring within the brain, eye, blood vessels and kidneys, which can lead to impaired renal function.

Until recently, hypopara remained among the few hormonal insufficiency states not treated by replacement of the missing hormone. Standard of care with active vitamin D analogs and calcium supplementation do not fully control this disorder, which contributes to a 4-fold to 8-fold greater risk of renal disease as compared to healthy individuals.

About the HypoPARAthyroidism Association The HypoPARAthyroidism Association is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of people impacted by hypoparathyroidism and their caregivers through education, support, research and advocacy. Founded in 1994 by James Sanders, the Association has grown to include approximately 4,000 members in 70 countries and hosts an annual international conference to bring the medical and patient communities together for mutual exchange of how to treat and live with this rare disease. For more information, please visit http://www.hypopara.org.

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New Survey on World Hypoparathyroidism Day Highlights Need for Awareness of this Rare Endocrine Disorder and Patient Challenges to Receive Adequate...

CARLSBAD, Calif., June 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Qualigen, Inc. Inc. (NASDAQ: QLGN) (Qualigen or the Company) announced today that the Company has released a pre-launch supply of its proposed FastPackSARS-CoV-2 IgG Immunoassay diagnostic test kits to the University of Louisville to conduct validation studies with hundreds of patient samples, as well as for use in research on COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that causes COVID-19.

Qualigen's SARS-CoV-2 IgG immunoassay, for use with its new FastPack PRO System point-of-care diagnostic instruments, is a chemiluminescent microparticle test intended for the qualitative detection (i.e., yes/no) of the presence of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in blood. The FastPack PRO System is an upgraded version of Qualigen's flagship FastPack IP rapid immunoassay diagnostic point-of-care system.

"This is an important step in the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing, given the high number of inaccurate tests in the marketplace," said Michael Poirier, President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Qualigen. "Reliable, accurate and rapid testing for the presence of antibodies is critical to understanding who may have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 and who could potentially have an immune response to re-infection."

Mr. Poirier continued, "Since its founding in my basement in Minnesota over 20 years ago, Qualigen has been continuously advancing this sophisticated rapid diagnostic technology, which is now used in physician offices, clinics and small hospital worldwide. I believe Qualigen is well suited to bring to market diagnostic systems that can improve our understanding and tracking of this disease as we strive to open up the U.S. economy."

Kenneth Palmer, PhD, Director of the University of Louisville Center for Predictive Medicine for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases (CPM), and his research team will be conducting analytical validation studies on the FastPackSARS-CoV-2 IgG Immunoassay to provide Qualigen with validation data to submit to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requesting Emergency Use Authorization. The University of Louisville's CPM is one of only 12 infectious disease biocontainment facilities in the United States and is on the forefront of COVID-19 and infectious disease research.

"The ability to obtain rapid, accurate SARS-CoV-2 antibody data at the point of care for timely assessment of a patient's status is vital to the next phase of this pandemic. We are excited to be working with Qualigen on this important project," added Dr. Palmer.

About the FastPack SystemThe FastPack System is a rapid and highly accurate immunoassay testing system consisting of the FastPack Analyzer and the FastPack test pouch (a single-use, disposable, foil packet that includes the FastPack reagent chemistry). This "Laboratory in a Pouch" is installed in physician offices, clinics and small hospitals around the world, and quickly detects diseases and medical conditions at the point-of-care. Since the conception of the system, the Company has expanded its assay menu to 10 tests including tests for prostate cancer, thyroid function, metabolic disorders and research applications. Over the past 20 years, FastPack has generated more than $100 million in commercial sales. Qualigen's worldwide distributor for FastPack is Sekisui Diagnostics, LLC, a subsidiary of a multibillion-dollar Japanese chemical and technology company.

About Qualigen Therapeutics, Inc.Qualigen Therapeutics, Inc. is a biotechnology company focused on developing novel therapeutics for the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases, as well as maintaining and expanding its core FDA-approved FastPack System, which has been used successfully in diagnostics for almost 20 years. The FastPack menu includes tests for cancer, men's health, hormone function and vitamin D status. The Company's cancer therapeutics pipeline includes ALAN (AS1411-GNP), RAS-F3 and STARS. ALAN (AS1411-GNP) is a DNA coated gold nanoparticle cancer drug candidate that has the potential to target various types of cancer with minimal side effects. The foundational aptamer of ALAN, AS1411, is also being studied for use in treating viral-based infectious diseases. RAS-F3 is a small molecule RAS oncogene protein-protein inhibitor for blocking RAS mutations that lead to tumor formation, especially in pancreatic, colorectal and lung cancers. STARS is a DNA/RNA-based treatment device for removal from circulating blood of precisely targeted tumor-produced and viral compounds. Qualigen's facility in Carlsbad, California is FDA and ISO Certified and its FastPack product line is sold worldwide by its commercial partner Sekisui Diagnostics, LLC. For more information on Qualigen Therapeutics, Inc. or to order FastPack diagnostic products, please visit https://www.qualigeninc.com/.

Forward-Looking StatementsThis news release contains forward-looking statements by the Company that involve risks and uncertainties and reflect the Company's judgment as of the date of this release. These statements include those related to potential future development, testing and launch of product candidates. Actual events or results may differ from our expectations. For example, there can be no assurance that the validation studies for the proposed FastPackSARS-CoV-2 IgG Immunoassay diagnostic test kits will be timely conducted or will provide favorable validation data; that any request to the FDA for Emergency Use Authorization will be granted; that the Company will be able to manufacture the FastPack Pro System instruments and test kits successfully; that any commercialization of the FastPack Pro System instruments and test kits will be profitable; that the Company will successfully develop any drugs or therapeutic devices; that preclinical or clinical development will be successful; that future clinical trial data will be favorable or that such trials will confirm any improvements over other products or lack negative impacts; that any drugs or therapeutic devices will receive required regulatory approvals or that they will be commercially successful; that we will be able to procure or earn sufficient working capital to complete the development, testing and launch of our prospective therapeutic products; or that we will be able to maintain or expand market demand and/or market share for our diagnostic products. Our stock price could be harmed if any of the events or trends contemplated by the forward-looking statements fails to occur or is delayed or if any actual future event otherwise differs from expectations. Additional information concerning these and other risk factors affecting the Company's business (including events beyond the Company's control, such as epidemics and resulting changes) can be found in the Company's prior filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, available at http://www.sec.gov. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements beyond the date of this news release, except as required by law. This caution is made under the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

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SOURCE Qualigen, Inc.

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Qualigen Therapeutics Releases FastPack SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Diagnostic Test to University of Louisville to Conduct Validation Studies - BioSpace

With May being Mental Health Month, we sat down with Neill Epperson, MD, professor and chair of the CU Department of Psychiatry, for a wide-ranging conversation about expanding mental health resources and services to the CU Anschutz Medical Campus and broader community in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, her new Mind the Brain podcast, the state of mental health in Colorado, and why the brain is so intriguing.

CU Anschutz Today: How is the COVID-19 pandemic impacting our mental health?

Neill Epperson, MD: Depression, anxiety, insomnia, post-traumatic stress and increased use of alcohol and other substances are already on the rise and will likely be the second wave of this pandemic. Clearly, individuals who have experienced these problems in the past as well as those who are newly in the process of recovering from a mental health or substance use condition are at high risk for illness relapse.

However, other groups are also at risk. Those on the frontlines who are most proximal to the threat of illness, loss of their own life as well as that of their patients, are at high risk though they may experience a delay in onset of symptoms. It is not uncommon for those closest to the trauma, whether a natural disaster, terrorist attack or pandemic, to be so engaged in managing the crisis that they do not process the impact on their mental and physical health until the crisis subsides.

How does your new podcast, Mind the Brain: Mental Health in the Time of COVID-19, address the mental health challenges were facing amid the pandemic?

When social distancing first began, we realized that this was going to be a very difficult time for everyone. Human beings are very social creatures. Positive social contact helps us to manage our anxieties, distress, and uncertainties. During the first weeks of the pandemic the focus was on resilience and coping strategies. We and others provided many resources and tools via online and other virtual formats to help individuals of all ages and situations manage the crisis.

While resilience is clearly important to weathering this unprecedented global threat, I became increasingly concerned that our singular focus on resilience, support and coping could backfire resulting in increased stigma, diminishing an individuals willingness to seek formal mental health care. It is so easy to think that resilience means that we can take it, we can experience these tremendously adverse events and not experience insomnia, post-traumatic symptoms, depression or anxiety. In reality, resilience is far more complex. To admit that one is suffering takes tremendous strength. To overcome mental illness or a substance problem demonstrates true resilience.

Dr. Epperson recently launched the new podcast, Mind the Brain.

I was particularly concerned about my physician colleagues. We are trained to be team leaders, healers, to put our personal distress aside in order to provide the best care possible for our patients. While this is clearly part of our role, our mission, it can lead us to ignore our own needs for support and yes, psychological counseling and/or medications.

I created Mind the Brain: Mental Health in the Time of COVID-19 with the CU Anschutz Office of Communications as a forum for us to discuss mental illness, substance misuse and addictions in addition to resilience. All of the data we have at this time, indicates that mental illness is going to be the second wave of this pandemic. While we may have a vaccine in the coming month to years, the psychological sequelae of this pandemic will live on. My goal is to make sure that people can benefit from help, do not suffer in silence out of shame, guilt or lack of access to care.

How are you and your team working to expand mental health resources and services to the CU Anschutz campus and broader community in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic?

In addition to the terrific resources on our website COVID-19 Support, we created a warmline for individuals who need rapid access to emotional support. We also created virtual support groups for students, residents, staff and clinical faculty and non-clinical faculty. We engaged with our colleagues at the University of Colorado Hospital and Childrens Hospital Colorado to offer virtual teams support groups. More than 400 people have used these groups to process clinical events, family stress, uncertainty, feelings of guilt and grief and anxieties about so many aspects of this pandemic. We have now been asked by public and mental health authorities to extend these resources across the State providing us with the opportunity to help an increasing number of Coloradans.

What fascinates you most about the brain?

Pretty much everything! Who we are, how we view ourselves, our personalities the processes that we refer to as the mind all of these are essentially rooted in the central nervous system- neural chemicals interacting with each other within and between functional neural networks. Some people don't like that definition of personality or the mind, because it sounds relatively reductionist: like all we are is just all a bunch of neurochemicals in our brain communicating with each other. I'm comfortable with that.

We dont judge how the heart works. We don't believe that the importance of the heart is diminished just because we understand that its function is to pump blood to the body. The importance of the brain is tantamount to how we function in the world today.

What is the relationship between mental health and physical health?

Mental health is about brain health. We can't separate brain health from the health of other organ systems.

There is a direct relationship between what happens in the central nervous system and other parts of the body. The brain controls many organ systems, and if your brain is not working well, then you can have illnesses in other parts of the body, and vice versa. If your heart is not working well blood flow to the brain can be compromised seriously impacting brain function, cognitive processes, and your mood. If you have an inflammatory problem, or cancer, or any number of other health conditions, the brain health can be adversely affected.

What's different about treating brain illnesses versus heart disease or a broken limb is that we are our brain to some degree. How we think about things, what we find funny, serious or worrisome, and our response to our environment, is very much driven by the central nervous system. We may worry that our personalities will change, that we may be cognitively impaired after our treatment. So treatments that impact our brain can be very scary, striking at the very core of who we are.

We also know that the environment that you grew up in whether you suffered poverty and maltreatment, or were lucky enough to have a very supportive, loving and well-resourced childhood can have an enduring effect on the brain. When treating central nervous system disorders like psychiatric or substance use conditions, it is important to consider these early life events. These events can impact how a person responds to both psychotherapies and pharmacotherapies.

Why can it be difficult for people to know if they need to seek mental health support?

What sometimes makes it difficult for people to know that they need to seek mental health care is that emotions are normal. Stress is normal. We all experience happiness, sadness, fear, anxiety, and stress. That difference between having emotions and having those emotions impact your functioning is a very difficult boundary to be able to distinguish.

It's tough for folks to know, "When do these emotions become problematic? How do I know when they're severe enough, or I feel sad enough long enough? Is my anxiety now reaching the point of panic? Does my anxiety get in the way of my going to work or going out and having fun with my friends?"

For people who think they may need mental health support, why is it often difficult for them to seek help?

Unfortunately, in 2020, stigma about mental health conditions is still rampant. Its one of the reasons people don't seek care. They think, "Im feeling a little sad, but I'll just get over it. The idea of talking about their issues can be very scary. And a lot of people don't really know what happens when you go and talk to a psychiatrist or a psychologist.

That difference between having emotions and having

those emotions impact your functioning is a very

difficult boundary to be able to distinguish.

What I tell people is that if you feel there's any question that you're not functioning as well as you would like to, then seeking help is the right way to go.

Why do you think stigma around mental health support is still so persistent?

One of the reasons I think stigma exists, but it's only one, is that people don't recognize that we actually have really good treatments for mental illness. People can get better. Many mental health conditions are actually curable.

Years ago, before we had really wonderful and effective treatments for cancer, cancer was highly stigmatized. I think that there is a direct benefit from knowing that what is bothering you the condition that you're experiencing actually has a name and is treatable. It's something that we have to make people aware of so that they understand it's true for psychiatric conditions as well as it is now true for cancer conditions.

How can we decrease the stigmatization of mental health conditions and the act of seeking treatment and support?

It will help decrease stigma the more we educate people about how common mental illness is. Fifty percent of people in the United States and worldwide are going to suffer with a mental health condition of some sort in their lifetime. In Colorado, one out of five individuals will have a mental health condition this year alone. How can you stigmatize something that is so common and affects so many people?

There is an immense need here in Colorado for mental health services. Unfortunately, we have about 25 counties where there is no practicing psychiatrist or psychologist, and that's just unacceptable. Even in counties where we do have psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers, there are not enough to meet the mental health needs of that particular population or region. We have to do a better job of thinking strategically about how to get mental health services out to these other regions in the state.

What is the biggest difference in behavioral health research and treatment today, versus when you started working in this field?

When I first started my training in psychiatry in the 1990s, we had relatively few medications. Prozac was just released to the market. We had very few evidence-based psychotherapies to treat various psychiatric conditions, like post traumatic stress disorder, social anxiety, phobias, and OCD. We have these treatments now, and they are effective. We have much more information about the specific profile of the individual, the kinds of symptoms they experience, and how to modify our treatments to target those particular patient profiles.

Why did you choose to focus the majority of your clinical and research work on womens mental health?

I chose to study women, because at the time women were often left out of research not just in psychiatric research, but in medical research in general. Though women are increasingly included in research today, many investigators still do not examine outcomes by sex or gender. As a result, we know less about women than men in terms of how they respond to medications, and the kinds of treatment we should offer them.

We also know that hormones have a dramatic impact on brain health. Women undergo dramatic hormonal fluctuations every month when they have a menstrual cycle. I observed women in my practice developing depression, anxiety, psychosis, insomnia, and many different types of behavioral health conditions during these periods of hormonal fluctuation. I became fascinated by the profound effect hormones have on the brain.

From left, Drs. Nanette Santoro, Neill Epperson and Judy

Regensteiner map out the intersection of the primary issues

of focus for the Center for Womens Health Research.

Regensteiner is director and co-founder of the CWHR.

I am also fascinated by hormones because people don't mind talking about hormones. People might feel stigmatized if they talk about mental health, but talking about hormones is cool. You become the most popular person at the party when you tell people that you study hormone effects on the brain. People, particularly women, are curious about how hormones change the way they feel, think, and believe.

Where has your research and clinical work into the effect of hormones on the brain taken you?

Roughly one out of 10 women who have just given birth will experience depression or what we refer to as postpartum depression. They often feel that they're a bad mother, and they question why this is happening to them at a time when they're supposed to be so happy.

What most people do not realize is that pregnancy is like one big hormonal gymnastics. Women go from experiencing really high hormone levels during pregnancy to, within 24 hours after delivery, having those hormone levels plummet to their socks. That is a major adjustment for the brain. This concept is foreign to most people. They think, "It's a major adjustment for my body to deliver this baby, but they don't think about the fact that it's a major adjustment for their brain.

Can you talk about the important breakthrough your team made regarding pregnancy and the brain?

One of the major breakthroughs in the Department of Psychiatry this past year was the finding that choline, which is a nutrient in various foods, is critical to fetal brain development. We know that the in utero environment is one of the most important times in an individual's life. People think of birth as the start of life, but conception and what happens to the developing fetal brain during pregnancy is also critical for that individual's risk or resilience to mental health or mental illness later in life.

If a woman has low levels of choline during pregnancy, this can have an adverse effect on the fetus' neural development. Our researchers found that if you treat women with choline, you can decrease the negative effects of depression, anxiety, infection, and marijuana use during pregnancy on fetal brain development.

This is such an important finding that the American Medical Association has put forth guidelines recommending that women have a certain level of choline intake during pregnancy.

Given the fact that about 15 percent of women will experience depression during pregnancy, about a third of women are using cannabis at the time of conception at least here in Colorado and about 50 percent of women will have some kind of an infection during pregnancy, increasing choline levels during pregnancy could protect not only this generation from the adverse health effects of these maternal physical and psychological states, but generations to come.

How does being part of the CU Anschutz Medical Campus help you further your research into the brain and translate your findings into effective treatments?

One of the most exciting aspects of being a psychiatrist today and conducting research in neuroscience here on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus is that we have a number of state-of-the-art tools and techniques that allow us to access and understand how the brain is working far more than we ever have before.

For example, through deep-brain stimulation, we can put a probe in a very specific area of the brain to treat severe Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, or OCD. We can use brain imaging to visualize what happens when we give medications to patients, and to understand how early life adversity has an enduring impact on the way the brain functions when a person is performing a cognitive task. We can see the brain regions that are critical for those particular tasks.

We can measure neurochemistry in the brain, and how those neurochemicals interact with each other. This was unthinkable 20 years ago.

What have you learned from your research and clinical work about how early life experiences affect aging?

Early life experience can have an enduring impact on risk and resilience for depression, anxiety, cognitive outcomes, and even cognitive aging. On average, women today live a third of their lives in a post-menopausal state. We know that estrogen has a profound, positive effect on many aspects of brain function. To live a third of your life in a low- estrogen state was unheard of 100 years ago, when life expectancy for a woman meant she was likely to die around the time of menopause. For some women, living without estradiol is going to cause a problem. These are the people that I treat, and these are the people that I study. I want to understand Why them and not someone else?

One of the things we discovered is that early life adversity can have an impact on someone's risk for depression or cognitive changes when they go through menopause. Using functional brain imaging and novel neuroimaging techniques, weve seen that for people who have adverse childhood experiences, their brain actually functions differently when they try to do a complex cognitive task than somebody who didn't undergo those experiences. These cognitive changes can make it difficult for women to balance their home life, work life, and all the tasks they have to do.

As a psychiatrist, I can't go back and change what happened to one of my patients when they were a child, but if I give that post-menopausal woman estrogen, we may actually reverse the effects of those adverse childhood experiences.

What are your goals for the Department of Psychiatry and the communities you serve?

My goal for the Department of Psychiatry is that we are a top-five department in the nation. That means we're doing cutting-edge research that is impactful and changes peoples' lives. My goal for the state of Colorado is that we enable all Coloradans to live without mental illness and to enjoy the most fulfilling lives possible.

Our motto for the Department of Psychiatry is Brain health for all, for life. We believe every Coloradan should have access to state of the art evidence-based mental health care. We say "for life" because psychiatry and mental health are critical for a good life, and its reflective of our belief that one has to think about the whole lifespan of the patient when one considers the treatment of mental health conditions.

What keeps you up at night?

I try to get a good night sleep, because I believe sleep is important for mental health, but what keeps me up at night is knowing that there are people suffering needlessly from mental health conditions, either because they don't know that they're suffering from a clinical depression or anxiety disorder, they're afraid to seek treatment, or they feel stigmatized. When they do seek treatment, they find it challenging to find a provider they can afford. Those issues are very upsetting and very concerning. I know that we can do better. We must do better.

What do you find most gratifying about your work?

As a psychiatrist, youre often working with someone who comes to your office in tremendous psychological pain. That psychological pain actually can be experienced physically. When you can bring hope to that individual and then over the course of several weeks to months get them back to what they consider their normal state, it is exceptionally rewarding. You can see that pain falling away from them.

There is still much to learn, but the brain is not a black box anymore. It is complex, but let's face it: this is the organ that is at the seat of who we are. Don't we hope it's complex?

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Q&A with Dr. Neill Epperson, Chair of the Department of Psychiatry - CU Anschutz Today

The proton pump inhibitor (PPI) omeprazole may be a useful addition to treatment for triple-negative breast cancer, as it boosted the expected rate of tumor disappearance among women with early-stage disease, according to the results of a phase 2 trial.

The trial results are presented online at the 2020 virtual annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

The rationale behind the approach includes the fact that PPIs inhibit fatty acid synthase (FASN), an enzyme overexpressed in 70% of newly diagnosed triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC) and associated with poor prognosis.

In the study, omeprazole, a generic drug for gastroesophageal reflux, was added to standard chemotherapy. Both were given to 42 women as neoadjuvant treatment in the weeks before breast surgery at five US centers in the single-arm study.

The pathologic complete response (pCR) rate was 71% in the study population, which is higher than the typical 40% seen in patients treated with standard AC-T (adriamycin and cyclophosphamide plus a taxane), said lead author Sagar Sardesai, MBBS, a medical oncologist at Ohio State Comprehensive Cancer Center in Columbus.

"It's exciting," said Sardesai in an interview with Medscape Medical News. "Overall, triple-negative patients who achieve a pCR have a very good outcome."

That complete disappearance of the tumor is a surrogate for overall survival in TNBC and patients who achieve it have a greatly reduced risk of recurrence or death, he explained.

Natalie Berger, MD, medical oncologist, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, said the study's pCR rates were "much higher" than expected and "intriguing and hypothesis generating."

But Berger, who was not involved in the study, wanted to see more data.

"Having a non-chemotherapeutic agent to offer our patients with TNBC that improves pCR rates without added toxicity would be an exciting finding, but we need a larger randomized study," she said in an email.

The researchers, who include high-profile breast cancer specialist Kathy Miller, MD, of Indiana University, are seeking a National Cancer Institute or Department of Defense grant to mount a 100-plus patient randomized trial.

Sardesai explained that FASN, which is an enzyme, helps generate fatty acids that are a key to cancer cell survival. FASN is primarily found in hormone-dominated tissue such as those of the endometrium, prostate, and breast.

PPIs "selectively inhibit FASN activity and induce apoptosis in breast cancer cell lines with minimal effect on non-malignant cells," write the study authors in their meeting abstract.

The only other known agent known to inhibit FASN is the weight loss drug orlistat, which is poorly absorbed by the body and unlikely to impact cancer cells, Sardesai said.

FASN has been a potential drug target in TNBC for 10 to 15 years, but the first clinical evidence of efficacy in solid tumors was only seen in the last 5 years, he commented.

In 2015, Chinese investigators reported that the PPI esomeprazole in combination with chemotherapy produced a 5-month improvement in progression-free survival (vs chemo alone) among a subset of 15 TNBC patients in a randomized trial of 97 patients with a variety of breast cancer types.

The study was conducted in patients with early-stage, operable TNBC (with and without baseline FASN expression) and no prior PPI use within 12 months.

All patients started daily high-dose omeprazole 4 to 7 days prior to start of AC-T neoadjuvant chemotherapy (the addition of carboplatin was allowed per physician discretion) and continued until surgery.

The primary endpoint was pCR, defined as no residual invasive disease in breast or axilla, in patients with baseline FASN expression (FASN+).

The pCR rate was 71.4% in the 28 FASN+ patients and 71.8% in all 42 enrolled patients. The researchers had targeted a pCR rate of 60% in the FASN+ patients.

Also, among the subset of 15 patients who received carboplatin with AC-T, the pCR was 73%.

These two findings both have limitations, commented Berger.

She pointed out that it is "unexplained" as to why the pCR rates were similar among the FASN+ patients and the total population (including 14 FASN patients); the pCR rate would be expected to be lower in the total population, she suggested.

Further, it was also unexplained as to why there were similar pCR rates with or without carboplatin; other research has demonstrated improved pCR rates in patients receiving additional carboplatin (compared to AC-T alone) but at the cost of increased toxicity, she said.

Sardesai said that omeprazole was well tolerated with no known grade 3 or 4 toxicities and that the chemotherapy toxicity was similar to prior studies of AC-T. PPIs have side effects if taken for longer than a year, including a higher risk of infections, osteoporosis, and low magnesium, he also commented.

"Omeprazole can be safely administered in doses that inhibit FASN. The addition of high-dose omeprazole to neoadjuvant AC-T yields a promising pCR rate without adding toxicity," the authors conclude in their abstract.

Sardesai also highlighted the fact that using a PPI for breast cancer is an example of drug repurposing. The approach offers a way of rapid drug development because PPIs have complete safety and pharmacokinetics data available, he said. "If we can prove the efficacy, the treatment can move forward quickly and be available in clinical practice much sooner than with traditional drug development."

The study was funded by the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Sardesai has financial ties to Novartis and Immunomedics. Other study authors have ties to industry. Berger has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2020: Abstract 584

Follow Medscape's Nick Mulcahy on Twitter. For more from Medscape Oncology, follow us on Twitter.

Continue reading here:
PPI Added to Chemo Improves Breast Tumor Response Rate - Medscape

Glucose and insulin metabolism in patients with diabetes are profoundly altered by advanced chronic kidney disease. Risk of hypoglycemia is increased by failure of kidney gluconeogenesis, impaired insulin clearance by the kidney, defective insulin degradation due to uremia, increased erythrocyte glucose uptake during hemodialysis, impaired counter-regulatory hormone responses (cortisol, growth hormone), nutritional deprivation and variability of exposure to oral anti-hyperglycemic agents and exogenous insulin. Patients with end stage kidney disease frequently experience wide glycemic excursions, with common occurrences of both hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia. Assessment of glycemia by glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is hampered by a variety of CKD-associated conditions that can bias the measure either to the low or high range. Alternative glycemic biomarkers, such as glycated albumin or fructosamine, are even less reliable than HbA1c. Therefore, HbA1c remains the preferred glycemic biomarker despite its limitations. Based upon observational data for associations with mortality and risks of hypoglycemia with intensive glycemic control regimens in advanced CKD, a HbA1c range of 7-8% appears to be most favorable. Emerging data on the use of continuous glucose monitoring in this population brings promise for more precise monitoring and treatment adjustments to permit fine-tuning of glycemic management in patients with diabetes and advanced CKD. Endocrine Society 2020. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

PubMed

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Glycemic Monitoring and Management in Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease. - Physician's Weekly

Are you aware your irregular menstrual pattern or cycle that tends to include missing periods can be a sign of infertility? This may suggest that a woman may not be ovulating on a regular basis as she should be. Irregular ovulation can happen due to many problems such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), obesity, being underweight, or having thyroid issues. Here, we explain to you why an irregular menstrual pattern can lead to infertility. Read on to know more about thisThe menstrual cycle can be described as the monthly series of changes that a womans body undergoes in order to prepare her for conceiving (the possibility of getting pregnant). The process of ovulation takes place when ones ovary releases an egg. Moreover, at the same time, ones hormonal changes also prepare the uterus in order to conceive and get pregnant. So, if the ovulation takes place and the egg is not fertilized, the lining of the uterus sheds via the vagina and this is termed as a menstrual period.Know what is a normal cycle?Did you know? Menstrual flow tends to occur every 21 to 35 days and may last up to 7 days. Also remember that during the first few years when the menstruation starts, ones cycle can be long. Yes, you heard it right. You will also be surprised to know that the menstrual cycles tend to become short and regular, as you age. But, if your menstrual cycle is irregular, the flow is heavy and you encounter any problems while menstruating then it can be worrisome.

This is how your periods can be causing infertility

Missing period for the wrong reason: Consult your doctor, if you are trying to get pregnant and you have missed your period owing to the wrong reason. Missing period for a long time can indicate an underlying condition that can be bothersome. (PCOS), obesity, and having thyroid issues can be culprits. This can also put you at risk of infertility.

Abnormal blood flow: Are your periods heavy or light? Then, this can become a growing matter of concern and a grave problem that needs to be solved before the conception. As, this can be an obstacle in conceiving.

See the rest here:
Your menstrual pattern could be a sign of infertility - Times of India

Editors note: In honor of Menstrual Equity Day (May 28), Ms. is republishing this classic piece from its first issue in 1972. The original piece (below) was written by Dr. Estelle Ramey; the introductionwritten by Rameys granddaughter, Jessica Stender, Ms. contributor and feminist lawyeris a modern revisit of topics explored by Ramey in 72.

The cry that anatomy is destiny has held women back for centuries. Inherent in this claim is the idea that womens hormones render them unfit for positions of leadership.

In 1970, Dr. Edgar BermanVice President Humphreys physician and a member of the Democratic Partys Committee on National Prioritiesdismissed U.S. Representative Patsy Minks assertion that a woman could be president, by referencing womens raging storms of monthly hormonal imbalances.

The woman who subsequently held him to account was Dr. Estelle Rameymy grandmother.

In a letter published in the Washington Star, she observed that as an endocrinologist (specializing in the study of hormones), she was startled to learn that ovarian hormones are toxic to brain cells. This led to a highly publicized debate between the two, hosted by the National Womens Press Club, (women were barred at that time from membership in the National Press Club)a confrontation that ultimately nurtured a broader public awareness of the scientific invalidity of such arguments.

In Mens Cycles (They Have Them Too You Know)published in the first issue of Ms. Magazine in 1972 and republished hereDr. Ramey exposed the inherent sexism of statements like Dr. Bermans. She explained that hormonal variations affect all human beings, and that, although far less acknowledged, men also experience monthly hormonal cycles which cause changes in mood, energy and overall well-being.

She emphasized that the broader failure to accept this reality not only prevents an understanding of how these cycles affect mens physical and mental health, but also perpetuates the myth of womens inferiority owing to their inherent biological difference from men.

As Dr. Ramey pointed out, What is human and the same about the males and females classified as Homo Sapiens is much greater than the differences.

While progress has unquestionably been made in societys views of female capabilities, women continue to be denigrated and denied positions of power on the pretext of physiological inferiority. One need look no further than the current occupant of the White House, who crudely suggested that reporter Megyn Kelly had been on her period after she questioned him during a presidential debate, and who repeatedly makes demeaning comments about womens appearance, proper role, and emotional strengthreferring, for example, to Hillary Clinton as unstable, unbalanced and unhinged.

As noted by Dr. Ramey, a broader societal recognition of the inherent similarities between the sexes, will require a rejection of the mythology of male biological stabilityan imperative which has not yet become a reality, perhaps because logic has little to do with the impulse to enshrine and justify a power structure.

Male supremacy rests on the belief that women are defective men, since they are periodic and lack the rod of divinity.

Sooner or later at every cocktail party polemic on the subject of women, someone (usually male) plays the trump card.

You have to admit, says the accuser, all sweet reason and paternalism, that women are biologically different from men.

This is the cue for cries of Vive la diffrence, or other examples of sexual wit, and the argument for social justice being made by the defendant (usually female) tends to get drowned out in the innuendo and laughter.

As an endocrinologist, I found out long ago that men and women are different. But I also found that what is human and the same about the males and females classified as Homo sapiens is much greater than the differences. I think we are all beginning to understand that differentwhen applied to females, or to males of other raceshas been exaggerated and oddly interpreted in order to come out synonymous with inferior.

In fact, the accusations and laughter so common in living room debates are almost gestures of religious faith: forms of worshipping the great Freudian tenet, Anatomy Is Destiny.

As a rational justification of sex discrimination becomes harder and harder to find, much less sustain, the need for the religious masculine supremacy becomes greater and more intense. The newest wave of pseudo-biology and pseudo-anthropology to hit the publishing business, a wave typified by Lionel Tiger and his belief that human females should behave in the same way baboon females do, is a self-protective upsurge of this popular religion.

In practice, the religion rests on the belief that women are defective men. They are structurally lacking, since they lack the rod of divinity.

(Of course, Mother Goddesses have been worshipped for precisely the reverse reasonthat they have wombs, and men do notbut logic has little to do with the impulse to enshrine and justify a power structure.)

Furthermore, females lack the consistent and calm behavior of males, because women suffer from a form of periodic lunacy imposed by their lunar sex hormone rhythms. Men, according to this theory, are the natural leaders, being endowed with a biological stability that rivals that of the rocks.

To be fair, the recurrent drama of menstrual bleeding must have been unnerving to primitive peoples. In man, the shedding of blood is always associated with injury, disease or death. Only the female half of humanity was seen to have the magical ability to bleed profusely and still rise phoenix-like each month from the gore.

But now that human knowledge has exceeded the invention of elaborate myths to explain the events most obvious in nature, we should be willing to accept and to study the less obvious evidence of cycles, both monthly and daily, that affect all living thingsmen as well as women, plants as well as animals.

Because men do have monthly cycles. The evidence of them may be less dramatic, but the monthly changes are no less real.

In Denmark, for instance, a careful, sixteen-year study was conducted in which male urine was tested for the fluctuating amounts of male sex hormones it contained. The result: A pronounced 30-day rhythm was revealed through the ebb and flow of hormones.

Other studies have tested mood changes in men. More than 40 years ago, for instance, the late Dr. Rex Hersey believed that male factory workers were incorrectly thought to be stable and unchanging in their daily capabilities. For a year, he observed both management and workers, concentrating on a group of men who seemed particularly well-adjusted and at ease in their jobs.

Through a combination of four-times-a-day interviews with the workers, regular physical examinations, and a supplementary set of interviews with their families, he arrived at charts for each individual, showing that emotions varied predictably within the rhythm of 24 hours, and within the larger rhythm of a near-monthly cycle of four to six weeks.

Low periods were characterized by apathy, indifference or a tendency to magnify minor problems out of all proportion. High periods were often marked by a feeling of well-being, energy, a lower body weight and a decreased need for sleep.

Each man tended to deny that he was more or less irritable, more or less amiable, at different points in his cyclebut standardized psychological tests established clearly that he responded very differently to the same life stresses at different times of his cycle. This denial by men of a cyclicity traditionally accepted by women may be an important factor: a two-edged sword for both men and women.

Female acceptance of, and even obsession with, the monthly cycle may unnecessarily accentuate its effects. Women actively engaged in ego-satisfying work, for instance, report far less discomfort or emotional disarray during their biological ups and downs than women who are bored or relegated to stultifying jobs.

Even the statistical information derived by science is reported in a culturally-influenced way. Monthly discomforts are rightly regarded as normal in women, because 60 percent of all women report them.

But the obvious conversethat 40 percent of all women report no cycle symptomsis emphasized much less. And 40 percent is a lot of women.

It is forever being pointed out, too, that women have a higher incidence of car accidents and suicides during their periods. However, it is rarely added that the percentage of women who have accidents or commit suicide is still much lower than the percentage of men.

Men, on the other hand, also respond to cycles in a way that is a function of their culturally-acquired self-image. They deny it.

This reluctance to deal with their biological bondage has probably played down mens monthly symptoms compared to womens, since the human brain is extraordinarily powerful and suggestible. But it has also postponed the study of male cycles by a largely male scientific community, and therefore postponed the practical utilization of biological rhythms in the treatment of disease or in protection against disease both mental and physical. (Resistance to disease may be different at different points in the cycle, for instance, yet this possibility is rarely considered in treatment. Japanese researchers have discovered psychoses that occur in teenagers and adult men in near-monthly cycles.)

Study of mens cycles might even have the socially and commercially useful result of reducing the accident rate.

The directors of the Omi Railway Company of Japan, for instance, are pragmatic students of human behavior and have therefore decided to accept the fact that men have lunar cycles of mood and efficiency. This company operates a private transport system of more than 700 buses and taxis in dense traffic areas of Kyoto and Osaka.

Because their operations were plagued with high losses due to accidents, the Omi efficiency experts began in 1969 to make studies of each man and his lunar cycles and to adjust routes and schedules to coincide with the appropriate time of the month for each worker. They report a one-third drop in Omis accident rate in the past two years, despite the fact that during the same period traffic increased. The benefit to the companyand to the menhas been substantial.

Menopause in men has been studied somewhat more than the effects of their monthly cycles, but not enough.

For women, the menopause is an abrupt end to an obvious cyclicity, and it is made more traumatic by various cultural factors: Older women are often regarded as having less social value than older men, and womens main role as mother is likely to run out about the time of menopause, as children become independent and leave home.

For men, menopause appears to be less traumatic, being largely a social and psychological response to a generalized fear of aging and death. They are likely to be at the height of their careers at this crucial time, in great contrast to most women. (Among women, those with continuing ego-satisfying work suffer menopausal symptoms much less.)

But it is also true that there is a gradual decrease in the secretion of testosterone, the male hormone, from youth to old age. In some men, the downslope of sex hormone production is steeper than in others. Very little attention has been given to this part of the male life cycle, perhaps again because meneven men of sciencehave assumed their freedom from cycles. (One wonders sometimes if they prefer not to know.)

But a great deal more research into the male menopause needs to be done if men are to be relieved medically from some of its symptoms, and to suffer less from the personal implications of trying to deny biological facts.

So there are, for all living things, lunar cycles, as well as the longer life cycles of childhood, puberty, adulthood and senescence. But another kind of cyclethe daily or circadian onehas often been either ignored or taken for granted by both men and women.

The data just beginning to come out of hospitals and laboratories are rather startling. They show men and women to be in a constant 24-hour rhythmic flux of hormones, moods, strengths and weaknesses. We sleep and wake, our body temperature rises and falls with our hormones (sex hormones included), and this causes a rise and fall of efficiency and libido.

These circadian rhythms are remarkably fixed in time and are difficult to alter by changes in lifestyle. They are also age-linked: The young child has more erratic timing of biological events, and the older person shows signs of disorganization in daily timing. In healthy maturity, however, the adult human changes with clock-like regularity during each day, just as he or she does during each month, or each of lifes seasons.

The hormonal cycles that have been most studied are the periodic changes in the adrenal hormones (cortisone, for example), which are called the stress hormones. These vital substances are secreted in largest amounts about the time of waking in the morning, and in the smallest amounts after midnight. Their physiological effects, however, are not felt until several hours after the highs and lows are seen in blood levels of the hormones.

A similar pattern has been reported for the secretion of male and female sex hormones in the course of each day. Testosterone levels are found to be highest in early morning and lowest after midnight. The maximum functional effects seem to be reached several hours after the actual secretion of the hormones. They induce subtle changes in mood and behavior, but men are seldom aware of them. Many psychological tests have shown, however, that daily mood variability is a real and recurrent background to emotional response.

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In medicine, relatively little attention is being paid to the significance of these cyclic changes in hormones. Yet there is evidence to show that the timing of the administration of a drug is critical in determining its effects, whether toxic or curative.

When a certain dose of amphetamines was given to rats at the daily peak of their body temperature cycle, for instance, it killed 77.6 percent of them. The same dose, given to litter mates of these animals at the lowest point in their daily activity cycle, killed only 6 percent.

Yet we continue to prescribe and use buckshot capsules that release drugs at the same rate continuously into the blood stream with no regard to changes of sensitivity. Overdoses are probably errors in timing, as frequently as errors in dosage. If a person imposes a powerful stimulus on the brain when it is already at peak excitability for that 24-hour cycle, he or she can cause death with the same dose of the drug taken with impunity on another day, at another point in the excitability rhythm.

Cancer cells also seem to be affected by the circadian rhythms. They may be at their highest point of metabolic activity and cell division when normal cells in the same organ are at a low point. This has many implications for therapy, whether with anti-cancer chemicals or with X-rays. It may eventually be possible to time the treatment so that the cancer cells are at the peak of their sensitivity to the destructive agents while the normal cells are most resistant to them. Smaller doses of these toxic agents would thus be more curative, and the unpleasant side effects could be minimized.

Some clinicians and researchers are beginning to suggest that certain kinds of cancers may result from the consequences of altered internal clocks. Cancer cells have abnormal rhythms and are outside the temporal discipline found in healthy tissue. Some people are more sensitive than others to an alteration in their fundamental cyclicity.

Given these two facts, investigators propose that inheritance of susceptibility to cancer may be related to a propensity for mis-timing, and that a persons speed of readjustment to time shifts could be an indicator of vulnerability to illnesses of mis-timing. Such individuals, they point out, should probably avoid irregular work-rest schedules and jobs involving rotating shifts. Its still very much in the theoretical stage, but these concepts may turn out to be vital to the preventive medicine of the future.

Emotional problems may also be exaggerated in individuals who frequently alter their cyclicity. (But remember, individual tolerance of such changes varies. Ideally, those least suited to such jobs could be pre-selected out.) Workers who often change from night to day shifts have been found to be the most vulnerable to emotional and physical disorders.

Next come those workers who remain in the night shift: They are more likely than day workers to have ulcers or nervous disorders. And most healthy are those who work regularly and during the day.

Even the traveler who flies overnight to Tokyo or Peking has significantly deranged his or her circadian rhythms, and cerebral activity is likely to suffer. In addition, individuals vary greatly in their ability to restore normal cycles, sleep-wake patterns and performance.

Some of mens most cherished tests of stamina have to do with the ability to function well without sleep, but these tests of manhood may be doing us all in. Interns, for instance, are traditionally put through round-the-clock work schedules during much of their internship, as if this were part of the training of a real doctor, like the puberty tests of primitive tribes. In fact, a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine indicated that chronic sleep deprivation impaired the interns performance sharply, no matter how much of a man the male or female intern might be.

Sleep-deprived interns, said the study, felt increased sadness and decreased vigor, egotism and social affection. In addition, numerous psychopathologic symptoms developed

Internal clocks arent reset easily. Even after ten hours sleep for each intern, the previous sleep-deprivation resulted in decrements on a vigilance task. The article concludes that only a small amount of sleep loss can be sustained before emotional and intellectual function deteriorates.

It seems hard for men to admit they are not the masters of nature. During World War II, Dr. Nathaniel Kleitman of the University of Chicago was asked by the Navy to study the sleep patterns of seamen working the traditional four-hour shifts of naval duty. Dr. Kleitman measured body temperature cycles and correlated these changes with efficiency of performance in the four-hour cycle. It turned out to be a terrible physiological way to run a Navy, with enormous cost in efficiency of response.

Dr. Kleitman wrote an eloquent scientific report on his findings. The Navy thanked him courteously and has continued the traditional four-hour work cycle to this day.

Given this and a myriad of other evidences of male resistance, it is perhaps optimistic to expect our male-run hierarchies to take lessons from women, or even from the Japanese, when it comes to the less admissible problem of monthly cycles. Such a departure from the mythology of male biological stability might produce in men the same kind of psychological wrench that Copernicus inflicted on them when his theories revealed that man is not, in fact, the center of the universe.

But menand womenshould take heart. What separates us from baboons and other animals, even if Lionel Tiger would rather not admit it, is our very different kind of cerebral cortex.

We are Homo sapiens: the thinking ones. We share with other living creatures a captivity to time, but human beings, we alone have the extraordinary plasticity of behavior that results from the unique powers of our cerebral cortex. In other words, our minds can control our behavior to a degree unknown in any other animal. Perhaps we would all be better off if we recognized both the cycles that control humans, male and female, and the intellectual powers that can mitigate their effects.

Thomas Jefferson had periodic migraine headaches all his life. Abraham Lincoln had periodic depressions. The potential women leaders of this country have cycles, as all living things have to varying degrees, but women do not have the encouragement to mitigate and work around their cycles. Womens chains have been forged by men, not by anatomy.

We should all be informed of the various forces that influence us. As Dylan Thomas wrote,

Time held me green and dying

Though I sang in my chains like the

sea.

The coronavirus pandemic and the response by federal, state and local authorities is fast-moving.During this time,Ms. is keeping a focus on aspects of the crisisespecially as it impacts women and their familiesoften not reported by mainstream media.If you found this article helpful,please consider supporting our independent reporting and truth-telling for as little as $5 per month.

Original post:
Men's Cycles (They Have Them Too, You Know) - Ms. Magazine

The morning-after pill is a type of emergency contraceptive that women use to prevent pregnancy.

The morning-after pill is a type of emergency contraceptive that women use to prevent pregnancy. Often, it used as a plan B after the user suspects that their usual birth control method may have failed. Also, women who have had unprotected intercourse can use the morning after pill just to reduce their chances of having gotten pregnant.

This type of contraceptive is not designed to be used as a primary method of birth control. Instead, it is intended as a backup.

The morning-after pills contain progestin, the same hormone found in oral contraceptives, known as levonorgestrel. However, the hormone levels found in the morning-after pill are usually higher. The higher doses of levonorgestrel often affect the normal pattern of the menstrual cycle.

RELATED:Pregnant Women Offered A Scam Treatment That Supposedly Reverses Morning After Pill

Morning-after pills are designed to stop conception after having unprotected intercourse. The hormones in the pills work by delaying ovulation. If the egg was already released before intercourse, the pill works by stopping fertilization from taking place.

In the process of doing this, the length of your normal period can be affected. It is not unusual for you to see a change in your normal menstrual cycle after taking the morning-after pill. Some women do not have any irregularities though.

After taking the morning after pill, your next period can be:

You should not get alarmed if you notice spotting between periods. These changes normally last for one cycle. You should soon resume to your normal cycle. If you notice that you have not had your period after a week, take a pregnancy test just to be sure.

As mentioned earlier, morning-after pills should never be used as primary birth controls. They should only be taken during emergencies. The more you take, the more you are likely to experience irregular menstrual cycles. In a year, if you find yourself using too many morning-after pills, it is advisable to talk to your physician to recommend other birth control methods that are more effective.

Is it true that morning-after pills can cause a miscarriage? The truth is that morning-after pills should never be used as an abortion pill. Also, they are not designed to cause miscarriages. However, if you experience a heavy blood flow containing large clots after taking this medication, you should visit your doctor as soon as possible.

If you are a parent, using morning-after pills is safe for you and your baby. Apart from affecting your normal menstrual cycle as discussed above, the levonorgestrel hormone is known to decrease milk production. This is only for a brief moment and it does not harm the breastfeeding baby.

Studies have shown that no brand of morning-after pills is 100 percent effective. No contraception is either. The only way you can be sure that a morning-after pill has worked is to wait until you get your next period. As mentioned earlier, one of the effects can be delayed periods. So, it is very important that you remain calm during this period. Keep yourself busy with other activities to take your mind off ofthe results.

It is advisable to learn about your menstrual cycle. There is more to it than just when and how long you get your periods. Having this information can help you spot signs when you are due and when you are late.

The number one question most women ask after they test positive after a pregnancy test is will the baby be ok? It is very important that you visit your doctor if the test result is positive. Your doctor will insist on doing more tests just to confirm the results. This is because there have been cases of false-positive results. Once your doctor has confirmed your results, the two of you can discuss your options. He or she will help you decide what is best for you.

Note that morning-after pills affect each woman differently. The way it affects you and your body could be different from the next woman. However, if you experience any long-term side effects or changes that seem to be ongoing, make a point to see your physician as soon as possible.

NEXT:Study Reveals The Birth Control Pills Can Impact A Woman's Oxytocin Levels

Sources:healthline.com,mymorningafter.co.uk,mayoclinic.org

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What To Expect From Your Period After Taking The Morning After Pill - BabyGaga

What makes the coronavirus pandemic unlike any other collective tragedy is that we can't commiserate together.

Post-layoff drinks at a dive bar near the office; embracing someone you haven't seen in months; pats on the back these are seemingly small comforts that have morphed into luxuries in the past few months.

While there are many things I miss about the Before, these touches of comfort are high on the list. As we round the corner into another month of social distancing I find myself thinking about touch constantly. One look at dating apps or porn sites and I know I'm not alone in that.

The phrase "touch starved" might once have sounded dramatic, evoking Victorian-era courting where couples couldn't even bear witness to each other's ankles. In a time where I haven't high-fived let alone hugged someone in months, though, it doesn't sound overdramatic at all.

While there's limited research on "touch starvation" itself, according to Dr. Natasha Bhuyan, MD, a practicing family physician in Phoenix, Arizona, there's emerging touch research that emphasizes its positive impact. "Physical touch activates brain neurotransmitters that can lift our mood, reduce stress, and even improve sleep quality," she said.

Dr. Lori Whatley, clinical psychologist and author of Connected and Engaged, reaffirmed those benefits. "As humans we are wired for connection, and connection also means touch," she said. "Touch with other humans is at the foundation of connection and an essential part of our being and forming healthy relationships."

Unfortunately, many are currently going without any physical connection for months on end. A lack of touch intensifies feelings of isolation, said Dr. Mitchell Hicks, core faculty in Walden University's PhD in Clinical Psychology program. When we can't touch anyone it leaves the impression that we lack that connection we're wired for, that we're truly alone.

"For many, touch from a loved and trusted person increases their visceral sense of connection and soothes them," said Hicks. "No amount of videoconferencing can really make up for that."

It's not just that touch gives the impression of connection, either. Touch actually has an impact on the brain. Humans deprived of connection experience a decrease in oxytocin a hormone known to increase positive feelings and a simultaneous increase in the stress hormone cortisol, explained Dr. Alexis Parcells, MD. High levels of cortisol can lead to a slew of physical and mental health problems, such as increased blood pressure.

"People suffering with touch deprivation report high rates of depression, anxiety, and insomnia," said Parcells.

"People suffering with touch deprivation report high rates of depression, anxiety, and insomnia."

Despite the consequences of lack of touch, there is good news. You can do something to help and I don't mean stopping social distancing. (Do not stop social distancing.) The benefit of touch has to do with moving the skin, said Dr. Tiffany Field, founder and director of the Touch Research Institute said in an interview with To the Best of Our Knowledge. Moving the skin stimulates the brain. This means that exercise, such as yoga or dance, can produce some of the benefits we see from touch.

Furthermore, it's okay to go months without touch if you're taking care of your mental health in other ways, according to Bhuyan. While there's no "real" substitute for human touch, there are activities you can do to give the same benefits.

While exercise can give you some of the physical benefits, it doesn't do much when it comes to creating that connection with your loved ones. Bhuyan suggests exercising with a friend over video while it seems silly, it can actually be beneficial. "The mutual body movement can create a powerful connection," said Bhuyan. "Its also important to invest in your own self-care and mindfulness."

Parcells suggested any virtual meetup, not just working out. While it's not the same as meeting in person, it still has a positive impact. Parcells said, "Research has shown that a virtual connection is about 80% as effective in increasing the release of oxytocin as seeing that same person face-to-face."

Whatley reiterated, "When we connect personally with others via FaceTime we can release oxytocin and lower stress." This is exactly the opposite of what occurs when we lack touch.

Another suggestion of Parcells has already been heeded by people across the United States: adopting a pet. "Time and time again," said Pacells, "Studies have shown pets to be therapeutic during a stressful time." Not only do they provide comfort, but they're a tactile substitute for human interaction.

As monks have demonstrated over millennia, we won't die from not having been touched in a while. There's no direct substitute from human touch, but through exercise and speaking to our loved ones even virtually we can maintain some of these benefits. Maybe we don't have to be touch starved; maybe we just need a little nosh.

Originally posted here:
The real impact of not having been touched in months - Mashable SE Asia

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Since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the novel coronavirus a pandemic on March 11, 2020, the words COVID-19 testing have become a fundamental part of every U.S. citizens vocabulary. Each day, news sources report the number of new coronavirus cases, the number of new deaths and total deaths, as well as the number of coronavirus tests performed. These testing results have shaped the very foundation of U.S. society by providing data to the White House Coronavirus Task Force and state leaders. This data is used to make pivotal decisions about public health and the nations economy. Such decisions have resulted in life versus death outcomes for loved ones and have had a vital impact on our personal finances.

Because COVID-19 is a respiratory disease, it can only be diagnosed through the collection of a nasal swab. We have all seen images of healthcare workers collecting nasal swabs, but have you ever wondered what type of healthcare professional is actually performing the tests on those swabs? Within the laboratory are unseen medical laboratory scientists who carefully analyze a variety of biological specimen types using specialized skills and sophisticated instrumentation. Information from the analysis of clinical specimens can provide data critical for patient diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, or disease prevention. The medical laboratory scientist (MLS) works as an integral member of the healthcare team and touches the lives of every patient.

The term COVID-19 testing has been used in the media to encompass a variety of components, which may require some clarification. Testing may be used to refer to the drive-thru testing sites, which are strictly nasal swab collection sites, or it may refer to the actual laboratory tests. Lab tests include both the genetic test used to detect the viral particles and the antibody test used to detect antibodies formed to the virus. Medical laboratory scientists perform both of these tests.

At the forefront of the pandemic, genetic testing was not available in hospital labs. However, hospital labs worked quickly to acquire the necessary equipment and reagents. Performance of COVID-19 testing by an MLS within these labs is especially vital because it provides emergency room physicians with rapid testing results for patients with suspect respiratory symptoms. If test results are positive for COVID-19, patients are placed in COVID-19 designated rooms to receive specialized care. This process not only provides the most rapid and ideal treatment for the patient, but also protects family members, other hospitalized patients, and healthcare workers from the infection.

We have all heard the news reports about the challenges the lab faces when acquiring the necessary testing reagents. The unavailable or delayed testing in the case of coronavirus could be the loss of human lives. Without hospital-based lab testing results, direct patient care providers are handicapped. In addition, unnecessary waste of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other critical resources is likely to occur because symptomatic patients may require interim isolation if their COVID status is unknown.

Antibody testing is performed on blood collected after a patient recovers from coronavirus infection. Positive results indicate that the patient has had a past infection with COVID-19. Convalescent plasma is a blood product collected from recovered patients. It is being used to treat hospitalized patients suffering from current COVID-19 infections, although the exact clinical impacts of such treatments are still uncertain. Medical laboratory scientists and the laboratory team within the blood bank department collect, test, manage and issue such convalescent plasma. Thus, not only are medical laboratory scientists among the most essential healthcare workers in the diagnosis of COVID-19, but they also play critical roles in providing blood products used in the treatment of patients with COVID-19.

Because the results obtained from COVID-19 testing govern the nations current and future health until a vaccine can be developed, the field of medical laboratory science has become the cornerstone of healthcare during the COVID-19 crisis. Though medical laboratory scientists typically do not have face-to-face contact with patients, they are the unsung heroes performing these crucial tests that guide patient care decisions each day. Almost all patients, whether hospitalized, ill, or just in for an annual checkup, require laboratory testing. Some routine tests performed by an MLS include:

Blood cell counts Blood typing and donor testing Chemistry panels and hormone levels Therapeutic drug monitoring and drugs of abuse detection Hepatitis and HIV testing Bacterial cultures and viral testing Urine evaluations

It is difficult to imagine how modern medicine could function without the quick availability of reliable results from the MLS profession.

In this time of uncertainty, many people may be considering alternate career options. Medical laboratory science is one consideration but is a career unknown to most people. What type of person might choose a career in MLS?

The type of personal characteristics that lead to success in MLS include:

Sharp critical thinking and problem-solving Meticulous attention to detail Effective intrapersonal communication skills

Critical thinking and problem-solving are essential, especially in the evaluation of abnormal patient results, which may require additional verification, advanced follow-up testing, or manual assessments. Because the production of accurate, quality results is at the forefront of laboratory testing, following complex procedures with great attention to detail is a necessity for medical laboratory professionals. In addition, the MLS must be able to communicate about testing protocols and critical patient results with colleagues and members of the multidisciplinary healthcare team such as nurses and physicians accurately.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of medical laboratory scientists is expected to increase 11 percent over the next decade, much faster than the average for all occupations. A greater need to diagnose medical conditions through lab testing is projected due to the growing number of patients within the aging population. Although the most common employment site for medical laboratory scientists is the hospital lab, opportunities expand far beyond the hospital to include public health labs, physician offices, industrial/research labs, biotechnology labs, and crime labs. In the wake of the COVID pandemic, healthcare employment opportunities will continue to be abundant.

While the long-term repercussions of COVID-19 are mostly unknown, one thing remains certain: MLS professionals will always play a crucial behind-the-scenes role in American healthcare even after this crisis has passed.

Are you interested in making a difference in the lives of our future healthcare heroes? Please visitfranu.edu/giving to learn ways of how you can make an impact.

Excerpt from:
Coronavirus Advisory: The role of medical laboratory science in a COVID-19 world - Greater Baton Rouge Business Report

Can melatonin make you as sleepy as this pup?

Sleep: We all want more. Most of us are in perpetual sleep debt, accruing lost hours every time we hit the hay. Waking up puffy-eyed and groggy is not ideal, yet many people accept it as their normal. The occasional late night at work or weekend of partying doesn't help our quest for more shut-eye.

If only there was a supplement that promised to improve your sleep cycle so you could bounce out of bed bright-eyed and bushy-tailed every morning.

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Melatonin, per various marketing claims, pill bottles and social media hype, could be that supplement. Is it really that easy, though? Can you just pop a sleep supplement before bed and quickly enter dreamland -- and stay there till sunrise?

If you're itching to grab a bottle of melatonin gummies next time you're at your local drugstore, first read up on the potential benefits and risks, plus how to supplement melatonin smartly and avoid dangerous drug interactions.

Read more: Collagen supplements promise smooth skin, but you should eat these foods instead

What is melatonin?

Melatonin is a hormone that animals, including humans, produce to regulate circadian rhythms. Melatonin may have some other functions, but its role in sleep-wake cycles is the most extensively studied and understood.

Read more: Caffeine: How bad is it really?

Now playing: Watch this: 9 sleep myths, busted by a sleep doctor

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How does melatonin work?

Your body naturally produces melatonin in response to darkness and reduces production of melatonin in response to light. It's referred to as the "sleep hormone" because it essentially tells your body when to sleep and when to wake up.

Everyone has a circadian rhythm or "internal clock" that runs on a 24-hour cycle and is affected by your body's production of melatonin.

How it works: A certain area of your brain -- specifically thesuprachiasmatic nucleusin the hypothalamus -- controls this body clock, and it's primarily influenced by light and environment.

Your SCN processes that information and signals your body to produce melatonin accordingly. Various tissues in your body produce melatonin, but the main source is the pineal gland, a small gland inside your brain.

Melatonin production can be suppressed by constant exposure to light, which is primarily where all of the advice about shutting down screens an hour before bed comes from: Feeding your eyes bright light up until the point you shut your eyes can result in a wacky melatonin-production schedule, thus a messed up sleep schedule.

Melatonin supplementation is supposed to aid your body's natural production of melatonin -- if done correctly, this theoretically can help regulate your circadian rhythm and result in better sleep. While potentially beneficial if used properly, supplemental melatonin can be detrimental or, at best, useless, if not used with care.

Read more: Vitamin D is crucial for immune health -- make sure you're getting enough

Melatonin benefits

The obvious benefit is that melatonin can help you sleep more and sleep better, if used correctly (more on that later). However, melatonin can do much more than boost just one night of sleep -- it can also help you reset your circadian rhythm and result in a firmly established, healthy sleep cycle. You don't need a doctor to tell you that a healthy sleep cycle can help you be more alert, motivated and productive.

Basically, the benefits of melatonin mirror those of getting more sleep, and they can extend much further into your life than you may initially think. Sleep is the foundation of human function: Without it, we are at risk for an array of emotional and physical health problems, not to mention things like auto accidents and other dangerous mistakes.

Melatonin can also benefit people who have secondary sleep disorders, or a sleep disorder that's a symptom of a different condition or circumstance. This includes people whose jobs require shift work, poor sleep caused by jet lag and sleep-wake disorders in people who are blind.

Read more: Vitamin C: Why you need it and how to get enough of it

Melatonin risks and side effects

All supplements come with risks -- melatonin is no different.

Short-term side effects of melatonin are generally mild, but can still be frustrating or inconvenient. Side effects reported in clinical trials related to melatonin include:

Other than those listed, melatonin doesn't appear to induce any serious conditions, although some health organizations and practitioners worry that supplementing melatonin may mess with your body's natural production of the hormone. There's no evidence to currently support the idea that people build a tolerance to melatonin, though.

Certain people should use caution with melatonin to avoid any potential complications, including people who are pregnant or breastfeeding, people who are on dialysis treatment, people who have liver problems and people with autoimmune conditions.

Read more: Zinc and coronavirus: The supplement may help reduce severity of symptoms, but it's no cure

Is melatonin safe?

Melatonin is generally considered safe for short-term use, although some health agencies express concern about product quality and efficacy, as well as labels with misinformation. Here's the lowdown from some of the biggest health agencies:

As for the stance of the Food and Drug Administration on melatonin, there isn't really one. In the US, melatonin is classified as a dietary supplement, which means it is less strictly regulated than food ingredients or medications. The FDA has sent warning letters in the past to food and beverage companies who make questionable claims about melatonin in their products.

Melatonin is probably one of the most studied supplements currently available to consumers. Evidence in individual scientific studies sways both ways, but meta-analyses generally come to the same conclusion: Melatonin is generally safe and well-tolerated, even in the absence of sleep improvements.

Does melatonin actually work?

The scientific evidence on melatonin points in both directions: Many studies say it works, many say it doesn't. This could be because melatonin affects everyone differently (as do all supplements), so to find out if melatonin works for you, you'd have to try it yourself.

For argument's sake, here are some recent peer-reviewed studies on the efficacy of melatonin:

If you do decide to take melatonin, consider discussing potential benefits and risks with your doctor first, as well as proper dosing and timing guidelines, which are outlined below.

There are also many research studies on the efficacy of melatonin as it pertains to specific conditions, such as melatonin for sleep following a traumatic brain injury, melatonin for Parkinson's disease and melatonin for ADHD. If you have a health condition you think may benefit from melatonin, perusing studies can help you learn more, although you should definitely check with your doctor, too.

Is melatonin addictive?

There's no evidence that melatonin as a substance is addictive. No studies have reported that melatonin can cause people to build a dependence on or tolerance of the hormone, and it isn't known to cause symptoms of withdrawal.

What you may become "addicted" to, though, is the feeling of improved sleep. Once you know what it feels like to fall asleep quickly, stay asleep through the night and wake up energetic, it's tough to go back to the exact opposite. This may make it hard for you to fall asleep without the help of melatonin.

Even though melatonin isn't known to be addictive, if you have a history of addiction to any substance, it may be a good idea to discuss melatonin with your doctor before trying it.

Best time to take melatonin

Studies support taking melatonin between 30 minutes and two hours before bedtime. The range exists because everyone absorbs medications at different rates and your own body's melatonin production can affect how quickly supplemental melatonin works.

The most important thing is to avoid taking melatonin too late at night -- like way after your bedtime -- lest your sleep cycle get shifted and you have to drag yourself out of a cycle of late nights.

How much melatonin should you take?

There's no exact dosage of melatonin that everyone should take, as it can vary based on factors such as gender, age, health conditions, body size and more. According to the NIH, no effective dosing has been established, and dosing in studies has ranged from 0.1 up to 10 milligrams.

The National Sleep Foundation recommends a dose of 0.2 milligrams to 5 milligrams for adults, although it's not clear where that determination came from. If you plan to take melatonin, try starting with the smallest possible dose and working your way up to a dose that helps you fall asleep but doesn't cause any side effects.

Keep in mind that the FDA doesn't regulate melatonin, so what you see on the product label may not be what you get.

Can you take melatonin every night?

There's no evidence that warrants advising against taking melatonin every day, but keep in mind that the majority of clinical trials to date have only tested short-term use of melatonin (three months or less), and that more research is needed to determine if it's safe to take melatonin every day for a long time.

Should you take melatonin for insomnia?

If you have or think you have insomnia, you should chat with your doctor about melatonin as a potential treatment. Some major health agencies advise against using melatonin to treat insomnia and instead advocate for cognitive behavioral therapy or another drug-free intervention.

Your doctor may want you to try lifestyle modifications first, such as increasing your daily exercise, changing your eating habits or reducing alcohol consumption. Your provider will also want to rule out other conditions that can coexist with insomnia, such as anxiety or depression. Sometimes, when drug-free interventions don't suffice, prescription medication is needed to treat insomnia.

Can you take melatonin with...?

Before you take melatonin, check with your doctor if you have any existing health conditions. According to drugs.com, which is powered in part by theAmerican Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Harvard Health and Mayo Clinic, you should take caution -- and ask your doctor if you can take melatonin -- if you have any of the following health conditions:

You should also check with your doctor about melatonin drug interactions if you're currently on any other medications, including other sedatives.

Remember, when taking any dietary supplement, use it wisely.

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.

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Melatonin: Is it safe, does it work and other FAQs - CNET

Menopause is a natural phase of a womans life and is marked by the complete cessation of periods for one whole year. The average age at which Indian women undergo menopause is approximately 46 years. The main physiological change is that the ovaries stop producing the female reproductive hormone- estrogen.The years prior to menopause are called pre-menopause and they involve many changes such as irregular periods, vasomotor symptoms such as hot flashes(feeling hot suddenly for a few seconds to minutes especially in the face), cold sweats(i.e., sweating for no reason), mood disturbances including irritability, emotional lability and bouts of anger and crying etc. Other changes include urogenital symptoms such as urinary leakage, urgency and vaginal dryness and irritation; skin changes such as thinning, dryness, itching etc and loss and thinning of scalp hair. These symptoms can be variable in presentation and severity. About 80% women experience symptoms like hot flashes, which is the most common symptom.The health risks revolve around the effects of lack of estrogen such as bone loss leading to osteoporosis and associated fragility fractures, heart disease such as atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, dementia, psychological disorders, certain cancers like breast, colon cancer etc.Being well-informed is the first step towards self-care. It is important that women in their premenopausal years undergo certain baseline tests to determine if there are any underlying diseases. Common disorders that may be pre-existing or new-onset are anaemia, hypocalcemia, vitamin D deficiency, osteoporosis, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and hypothyroidism, hypercholesterolemia and depression and anxiety. Also a baseline cancer screening is important and involves tests like Pap smear for cervical cancer, clinical breast examination and mammography and an ultrasound scan of the abdomen and pelvis.Lifestyle modification forms the fundamental preventive strategy at this age. Consistent moderate exercises such as weight bearing exercises, strength and balance exercises, yoga asanas and surya namaskar, regular walking or jogging go a long way in maintaining physical and emotional health. Nutrition at this stage is also important and should aim to get enough calcium, iron and other micronutrients along with soya based protein which is rich in phytoestrogens (plant based estrogen). Calcium supplements and vitamin D supplementation may be required to prevent weakening of bones. About one fifth of menopausal women may have severe symptoms for which various medications may need to be initiated. Menopausal hormone therapy can be given in selected individuals after a thorough evaluation, and helps alleviate symptoms substantially. Although, fertility rates drop substantially in perimenopause, women must use effective contraception until menopause is complete i.e., a year has passed since the last period.Regular follow up with physician, gynaecologist, urologist, psychiatrist, orthopaedician, ophthalmologist etc is vital to maintain health over the long term. Annual or more frequent health checks would help in identifying diseases earlier.Being fit at forty, strong at sixty and independent at eighty should be the motto for us women.May 25th 2020By Dr. Aruna Muralidhar, senior consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, Fortis La Femme, Richmond Town, Bengaluru

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the doctors are their independent professional judgment and we do not take any responsibility for the accuracy of their views. This should not be considered as a substitute for physician's advice. Please consult your treating physician for more details.

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Menopause: How to prepare your body for it - Times of India

A month following surgery for thyroid cancer, a Hartford Hospital patients tumor grew to 10 inches. The case was presented to the hospitals tumor board, which involved 30 doctors from different specialties.

The gene mutation found to be controlling the patients tumor growth was already well-established as a driver of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, says Dr. Sope Olugbile, medical oncologist at Hartford HealthCare.Chemotherapy wouldnt work fast enough against the aggressive tumor. Tumor board members recommended a targeted therapy already treating patients with melanoma. Without that genetic information, we wouldnt have been able to come up with that therapy, he says. The treatment saved the patients life, so far. Our goal is to use more of the genetic information to drive the treatment of cancer patients.

This type of personalized care, known as precision medicine and its subset, genomic medicine, has been offered for years at world-renowned cancer-treatment hospitals such as Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Its now the standard of care in Connecticuts Hartford HealthCare Cancer Institute, UConn Health Center in Farmington, Connecticut Childrens Medical Center in Hartford and Smilow Cancer Center at Yale New Haven Health.Cancer therapy has become precision therapy, says Dr. Roy Herbst, professor of medicinal oncology and pharmacology, and chief of medical oncology at Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital.

Dr. Roy Herbst, of Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital, says that precision care is often used in cancer treatment these days.

While its most commonly used with cancer patients, precision medicine is also making inroads into other areas of health care including the treatment of some cardiac patients. Its also being studied and used on a limited basis to treat those with rare diseases. In the U.S., newborns are screened with a blood test for hearing loss and heart defects. If detected and treated early, this can prevent death and disability in some cases. For some doctors and researchers, precision medicine holds the promise of effective targeted diseases and chronic conditions, and, even more revolutionary, the chance to prevent illness before it arises. The race is on to gather as much data as possible in order to increase understanding of the connection between genes and overall health; here in Connecticut, Yales Center for Genetic Health last fall launched its Generations project to collect DNA from 100,000 volunteers (see sidebar below).

Precision medicine involves the study of human genes, called the genome. The human genome contains 23 pairs of chromosomes within all human cells, and each chromosome contains hundreds to thousands of genes. Using high-level computing and mathematics, genomics researchers analyze massive amounts of DNA-sequence data to find variations or mutations that affect health, disease or response to drugs, according to an online description by The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine in Farmington.

Researchers can sequence an entire tumor to look for markers or abnormalities that can be treated with a targeted medication that attacks that mutation, unlike traditional chemotherapy that kills healthy cells along with cancer cells, says Herbst, also associate director for translational science at the Yale School of Medicine.

These days, when Yales precision medicine tumor board meets weekly, they dont focus on where the tumor began, he says. They look at what errors occurred in the DNA of the tumor, because once they know whats driving the tumor, they can treat it.For example, lung cancer is the most common cancer in the world. When a nonsmoker gets lung cancer, doctors sequence the tumors DNA to see if it contains one of eight genes known to mutate.

Each cancer cell has about 18,000 to 20,000 genes, and there are some cancers where just one of those genes is directing the growth of the cancer, Olugbile says. We call that the driver gene. The other 17,999 are just following the lead of that driver gene, he says. That means if we tag just that one gene with the medication then we can actually shut down the growth of the entire cancer.

Traditional chemotherapy can only be given for 4-6 months because of the side effects, while targeted oral medications have very few side effects and patients remain on them for an average of two years, Olugbile says.

In the past five years, genetic testing has become standard of care for some cancers specifically colon, lung and melanoma because those types of cancers tend to have genetic mutations that have been known to respond to therapy, says Sara Patterson, manager of clinical analytics and curation at Jackson Labs, which works with UConn and Yale researchers.But targeted therapy is not a cure-all, and researchers are still a long way from using precision medicine to treat all cancer patients. Even if cancers have the same genomic change and mutation, theres no guarantee they will all respond to the same therapy, she says.Overall, precision medicine is only effective at stopping the spread of cancer in an average of 20 percent of cancer patients treated, Olugbile says, with variations by cancer. Sometimes the cancer returns because the tumor changes to resist the therapy, Patterson adds.

As doctors and researchers do more genomic sequencing, the data pool will grow and so will knowledge of what medications work most effectively against various tumor types.The more information we gather, the better well know how to treat specific patients, Patterson says.

Reimbursement from insurance companies can be a challenge. If precision treatment for a particular type of cancer hasnt been approved by the insurance industry, its difficult to get reimbursed for genomic testing, says Sue Mockus, director of product innovation and strategic commercialization at Jackson Labs.Its a catch-22. Even though a patient with pancreatic cancer could benefit from a targeted therapy, unless that patient is part of a clinical trial that would pay for the genomic testing, the patient would have to pay out of pocket, the annual cost of which can run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. If you do have a mutation identified and your physician wants to give you the medication off label, you have to fight with the insurance company, Mockus says.

Experts have suggested a value-based approach to precision medicine, reports the International Journal of Public Health. This means policy decisions about reimbursement and investment in research and development will factor in how long patients lives are prolonged and the quality of those lives, the Journal reports.

Oncologists also offer cancer patients immunotherapy, another form of personalized medicine, Patterson says. Theyre using diagnostic tests on tumors, independent of genomic sequencing, to determine if their tumor profiles make them a good immunotherapy candidate. Immunotherapy is approved for multiple tumor types, as long as they have certain markers, she says.

Former President Jimmy Carter became cancer free after receiving radiation and immunotherapy to treat the melanoma that had spread to his brain and liver. While immunotherapy can cure cancer for some, its only effective about 20 percent of the time, Olugbile says. It varies a bit by cancer, with some cancers having a higher success rate, he adds.

Through a collaboration with Memorial Sloan Kettering, Hartford HealthCares Advanced Disease Clinic was scheduled to open this spring to give patients even more options, he says. If targeted therapies and immunotherapies dont work or are not a match for patients, doctors will look for suitable clinical trials that offer potential treatments, Olugbile says.Our goal is to create awareness on two fronts, one is among the doctors. Yes, we are available to help if patients have gone through standard of care who didnt respond, he says. Its also an option for patients who want to be treated with precision medicine closer to home. The goal is to make it available so they dont have to go to New York or Boston, he says. Its right here in Hartford and hopefully at other cancer centers over time.

From Yale, Herbst leads a clinical trial through the National Cancer Institute where he and his team are trying to match the right patient to the right drug.Every tumor is getting sequenced. Thats accelerating the field. The sequencing techniques have gotten cheaper and faster, so we can analyze them at the point of care, Herbst says. This is why clinical trials are so important. Whats a clinical trial today is standard of care tomorrow.

In a study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, a multi-institutional research team including a Connecticut doctor developed an advanced method to analyze existing data from thousands of clinical trials, comparing which genes FDA-approved drugs work against to the genes active in pediatric brain tumor patients. This sped up the lengthy process of developing cancer drugs.

Dr. Ching Lau, head of the oncology-hematology division at Connecticut Childrens Medical Center and the pediatric oncology-hematology department at UConn School of Medicine, is accessing the World Community Grid, an IBM-funded program that allows researchers worldwide to perform tens of thousands of virtual experiments. Instead of screening thousands and thousands of compounds to try to find a potential drug, we found we could use genomics data already available and do a more systems-approach analysis to figure out the predominant pathways driving the tumor cells, Lau, professor at The Jackson Laboratory, says in an email. Then we asked if there were any existing FDA-approved drugs that could potentially modulate those pathways.

The researchers identified eight drugs that could potentially fight medulloblastoma (MB) tumors, the most common malignant brain tumor in children. One of the drugs showed an increased survival rate in mice with MB tumors, and a clinical trial is being pursued.

Personalized medicineand heart disease

Precision medicines applications have expanded beyond cancer care. At first, much heart disease research relied on a genetic analysis of whether someone was predisposed to a disease. Thanks to a growing database of patient information that is shared worldwide, researchers can mine huge data sets with hundreds of thousands of cases for patterns and abnormalities that lead to discoveries, says Beth Taylor, associate professor of kinesiology at UConn and director of exercise physiology research in cardiology at Hartford Hospital. Researchers and clinicians know that about half the people who have heart attacks dont have the typical risk factors such as high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes. To determine why physically active people with healthy diets have heart attacks, researchers are using precision medicine to comb through large studies to find small predictors, Taylor says. Often the influence of any one factor is hard to detect unless you have a big sample size, she says.

The National Institutes of Health requires grant recipients to share their data to a national registry so that researchers have access to big data, she says. (Personal information such as date of birth, name and address are removed from files used for research studies.)

When we first began to really measure genetic variations, it was believed that was going to be the big hope in treatment, Taylor says. But genes are complex and environmental factors modify genetics for multiple generations.

For the first time ever, weve got wide-scale computing ability to analyze huge data points. This can better allow us to predict disease progression and optimize treatment, she says. Many of us would say that this concept of big data is as or more important than genetic risk. Genetic risks are not the whole picture.

For the first time ever, weve got wide-scale computing ability to analyze huge data points. This can better allow us to predict disease progression and optimize treatment.

Progress with diabetes

Precision medicine is not widely used in the treatment ofdiabetesin the U.S., except when it comes to a rare form of diabetes called neonatal diabetes mellitus. While type 1 and type 2 diabetes are controlled by two or more genesand additional genetic factors,neonatal diabetes mellitus involves a single gene and develops in babies under 6 months old.

Through genetic testing of babies with elevated blood sugar levels,researchers learnedthat about half the patients have gene mutations that respond well to a pill used to treat type 2 diabetes and they dont need to be on insulin for the rest of their lives like type 1 diabetics, says Karel Erion,director of research stewardship and communications for the American Diabetes Association.

When infants show signs of type 1 diabetes at Yale New Haven Childrens Hospital or Connecticut Childrens Medical Center, they are automatically tested for neonatal diabetes, hospital doctors say.

An example of precision medicine as a predictor of disease is the TrialNet database, which uses genetic testing to determine whether the relatives of those with type 1 diabetes have two or more of the five diabetes-related autoantibodies (proteins produced by the immune system directed against the persons own proteins) linked to increased risk of developing type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetics must take insulin for the rest of their lives to survive, and theres no known way to prevent the autoimmune disease. Type 1 diabetes, formerly called juvenile diabetes, typically strikes children and adolescents, causing the pancreas to stop producing insulin, a hormone needed to process sugar, or glucose, from food. Type 2 diabetes was formerly known as adult-onset diabetes, but the disorder is being seen in more children, thought to be the result of a rise in childhood obesity. Screening identifies the early stages of the disease years before any symptoms appear, according to the TrialNet website.

In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers from the TrialNet Study Group, led by Yale Universitys Dr. Kevan Herold, found that an experimental medication delayed the onset of type 1 diabetes in high-risk participants by two years compared to the control group. The disease was diagnosed in 43 percent of the participants who received the medication, teplizumab, and 72 percent of those who received the placebo.

Alzheimers disease and dementia

Only 1 to 3 percent of the 5 million people living with Alzheimers disease have a genetic mutation that leads to whats called genetic or familial Alzheimers. But one in three older adults will eventually develop some form of dementia, says Rebecca Edelmayer, the Alzheimers Association director of scientific engagement.

Like other diseases that strike large segments of the population, researchers rely on big data to learn about Alzheimers and which genes play a role in who gets it.Researchers have learned that there are several risk factors that contribute to dementia, she says. Specifically, the presence of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, social and cognitive isolation, poor nutrition and the level of education, can contribute to cognitive decline, she says.

Scientists from around the world share research data and draw from data in the Global Alzheimers Association Interactive Network, she says.The field has made some dramatic advances in understanding of how genetics play a role and how other underlying diseases play a role, Edelmayer says. We need to give doctors evidence-based recommendations.

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For cancer treatment and more, genetic-based precision medicine holds a lot of promise - Connecticut Magazine

What makes the coronavirus pandemic unlike any other collective tragedy is that we can't commiserate together.

Post-layoff drinks at a dive bar near the office; embracing someone you haven't seen in months; pats on the back these are seemingly small comforts that have morphed into luxuries in the past few months.

While there are many things I miss about the Before, these touches of comfort are high on the list. As we round the corner into another month of social distancing I find myself thinking about touch constantly. One look at dating apps or porn sites and I know I'm not alone in that.

The phrase "touch starved" might once have sounded dramatic, evoking Victorian-era courting where couples couldn't even bear witness to each other's ankles. In a time where I haven't high-fived let alone hugged someone in months, though, it doesn't sound overdramatic at all.

While there's limited research on "touch starvation" itself, according to Dr. Natasha Bhuyan, MD, a practicing family physician in Phoenix, Arizona, there's emerging touch research that emphasizes its positive impact. "Physical touch activates brain neurotransmitters that can lift our mood, reduce stress, and even improve sleep quality," she said.

Dr. Lori Whatley, clinical psychologist and author of Connected and Engaged, reaffirmed those benefits. "As humans we are wired for connection, and connection also means touch," she said. "Touch with other humans is at the foundation of connection and an essential part of our being and forming healthy relationships."

Unfortunately, many are currently going without any physical connection for months on end. A lack of touch intensifies feelings of isolation, said Dr. Mitchell Hicks, core faculty in Walden University's PhD in Clinical Psychology program. When we can't touch anyone it leaves the impression that we lack that connection we're wired for, that we're truly alone.

"For many, touch from a loved and trusted person increases their visceral sense of connection and soothes them," said Hicks. "No amount of videoconferencing can really make up for that."

It's not just that touch gives the impression of connection, either. Touch actually has an impact on the brain. Humans deprived of connection experience a decrease in oxytocin a hormone known to increase positive feelings and a simultaneous increase in the stress hormone cortisol, explained Dr. Alexis Parcells, MD. High levels of cortisol can lead to a slew of physical and mental health problems, such as increased blood pressure.

"People suffering with touch deprivation report high rates of depression, anxiety, and insomnia," said Parcells.

"People suffering with touch deprivation report high rates of depression, anxiety, and insomnia."

Despite the consequences of lack of touch, there is good news. You can do something to help and I don't mean stopping social distancing. (Do not stop social distancing.) The benefit of touch has to do with moving the skin, said Dr. Tiffany Field, founder and director of the Touch Research Institute said in an interview with To the Best of Our Knowledge. Moving the skin stimulates the brain. This means that exercise, such as yoga or dance, can produce some of the benefits we see from touch.

Furthermore, it's okay to go months without touch if you're taking care of your mental health in other ways, according to Bhuyan. While there's no "real" substitute for human touch, there are activities you can do to give the same benefits.

While exercise can give you some of the physical benefits, it doesn't do much when it comes to creating that connection with your loved ones. Bhuyan suggests exercising with a friend over video while it seems silly, it can actually be beneficial. "The mutual body movement can create a powerful connection," said Bhuyan. "Its also important to invest in your own self-care and mindfulness."

Parcells suggested any virtual meetup, not just working out. While it's not the same as meeting in person, it still has a positive impact. Parcells said, "Research has shown that a virtual connection is about 80% as effective in increasing the release of oxytocin as seeing that same person face-to-face."

Whatley reiterated, "When we connect personally with others via FaceTime we can release oxytocin and lower stress." This is exactly the opposite of what occurs when we lack touch.

Another suggestion of Parcells has already been heeded by people across the United States: adopting a pet. "Time and time again," said Pacells, "Studies have shown pets to be therapeutic during a stressful time." Not only do they provide comfort, but they're a tactile substitute for human interaction.

As monks have demonstrated over millennia, we won't die from not having been touched in a while. There's no direct substitute from human touch, but through exercise and speaking to our loved ones even virtually we can maintain some of these benefits. Maybe we don't have to be touch starved; maybe we just need a little nosh.

Read the rest here:
The real impact of not having been touched in months - Mashable

Updated: May 26, 2020 7:57:00 pm

By Dr Shweta Goswami

In the past few decades, Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) has emerged as one of the leading and most talked about health issues among women who are in their reproductive phase i.e. in the age group of 16 to 40 years. Speaking of the statistics, the problem affects 1 out of 10 women globally. If we talk about India alone, PCOS has a prevalence of nearly 20 per cent with one in five women being affected by it.

It is advisable that with the current lockdown, it is important to manage your PCOD or PCOS symptoms. PCOS is a problem triggered by elevated levels of the androgen hormones in a female body. Since androgen is mainly a male hormone that plays a vital role in the development of traits like facial and body hair growth, PCOS is likely to induce the same traits in women. Some of the common symptoms that indicate PCOS include:

*Irregular menstrual cycles with a gap of more than 35 to 40 days between two consecutive periods.*Acne-breakout on the face, chest and back.*Excessive hair loss and dandruff.*Dark patches in areas around the neck, groin and under the breasts.*Persistent mood swings and anxiety.*Unhealthy weight gain.

Read| How to get pregnant: A gynaecologists guide to boosting your fertility

To understand how PCOS affects your ability to conceive, it is very important to first understand these two terms fertility and ovulation. Fertility refers to the capability to reproduce i.e. to conceive a child naturally, whereas ovulation is a part of the mensuration cycle marked by the monthly release of an ovum (female gamete) from the ovaries. Regular and healthy ovulation is extremely important for female fertility.

Since PCOS interferes with the normal mensuration cycle, it is likely to disrupt the process of ovulation and negatively impact fertility. This happens because the ovaries are not able to release the ovum and even if they do, elevated levels of hormones like testosterone and estrogen affect the egg quality; thereby increasing the chances of infertility, miscarriage and stillbirth. PCOS can also prevent the uterine lining from developing properly, thereby hindering the implantation of the matured egg.

Read| How to calculate your pregnancy in weeks and months

This is a question that concerns almost every woman who has been detected with PCOS as it is one of the leading causes of female infertility. The problem can be easily tackled by adapting to healthy lifestyle modifications and simple medication.

So, the answer to this question is yes, it is possible to conceive a child even after being detected with PCOS, provided you opt for the treatment and stick to a healthy lifestyle.

Read| The challenges for fertility treatment in India

Here are a few tips that can help you to manage PCOS effectively during this current lockdown:

Keep your weight under check- The bond between obesity and PCOS is inseparable. Approximately 40 to 80 per cent of women suffering from PCOS are either obese or overweight. The reason behind this is that women with PCOS have an increased resistance to insulin owing to which they gain weight very easily and find it quite difficult to get rid of the same. Studies have shown that even 10 per cent weight loss can significantly improve ovulation and fertility. Here is what you need to do:

Whatever goes inside our body has a direct impact on our health. It is very important to have a balanced and healthy diet, making sure that you are not missing out on any important nutrients. You can easily get a personalized diet plan from a dietician which consists of all the haves and have nots. Diet management is very important. Since junk food is not easily available due to the lockdown use this as an opportunity to lose weight by shunning high-calorie foods and going for oats, dalia, and poha.

Take your medication on time- For women who find it rather difficult to lose weight naturally, certain medication may be prescribed for assisting in weight loss by decreasing insulin resistance. However, the medication alone will not be effective if you do not resort to healthy lifestyle changes.

Indulge in physical activities- A sedentary lifestyle promotes obesity. At least 150 minutes of exercise per week is required to keep your weight under check. You can join a gym or perform simple mat exercises at home depending upon your convenience.

Stress management A happy life is key to a healthy life. Excessive stress and strain can have a very negative impact on your reproductive health by releasing stress hormones as well as triggering problems like stress-eating which eventually lead to obesity.Maintain a balance between your work and personal life.

Here are some other tips to keep in mind:

*Indulge in activities that you love to do*Focus on self-love*Get enough sleep*Exercise regularly*Go out with family and friends

The mainstay of treatment in PCOS, after lifestyle modification is ovulation induction and follicular monitoring, to correct the problem of egg development. Your physician will be able to guide you on the treatment module depending upon the level of PCOD in your body. This is helpful for patients to understand their ovulation cycles before opting for other treatment options like IVF. It is important to note that in certain rare cases women might still find it difficult to conceive after the treatment. Such women can opt for assisted reproduction methods like IVF (In Vitro Fertilisation). The procedure is carried out by inducing artificial fertilization of male and female gametes using a combination of medicines, therapies and surgical procedures.

(The author is associate Director, fertility, Cloudnine Group of Hospitals, Noida.)

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Does PCOS affect your ability to conceive? - The Indian Express

By Deepak Chopra, Rudolph E Tanzi, Michelle Williams, Ryan Castle, William C Bushell, Kimberly Brouwer and Paul J Mills

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought with it a second pandemic, not of disease but of stress. We all feel stress as added pressure. This pressure registers psychologically as worry and anxiety, while the body responds with stress hormones. The overall stress response is designed to be a short-term reaction. When stress persists, however, it enters into the mix of threats posed by Covid-19.

So what can the average person do to reduce the threat?

We advocate meditation, yoga, and deep regular breathing (Pranayama), which are practices available to anyone. They can be easily done at home, with the intention of returning to a relaxed, balanced state. Paying attention to stress is always advisable, but doubly so during this crisis. There is a specific connection that wed like to explain.

First, a little background. Although Covid-19 is very easily transmitted from person to person, the risk of being hospitalised or dying primarily affects people who are already at risk because of old age, infirmity, or chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, autoimmune illness, obesity, and heart disease. All of these chronic illnesses are associated with measurable low grade inflammation in the body.

The chronic low-grade inflammation that develops with advanced age has become known as inflammaging. Most people with chronic illness unknowingly have low grade inflammation. Recent research points to a second finding: These same disorders are often accompanied by persistent low grade anxiety and depression.

In a crisis like the current pandemic, anxiety and depression also begin to affect healthy people due to stress. It has become increasingly evident that low level inflammation and chronic stress lie at the heart of many disorders that take years or even decades to develop before symptoms appear that can be treated by a physician.

Against this background, which pertains to countless people in modern society, there is increased danger when acute illness strikes. In addition to the elderly and chronically ill, Covid-19 is causing acute respiratory illness and stroke sometimes leading to death in seemingly otherwise healthy younger people. The transition from SARS-CoV-2 infection to being diagnosed with Covid-19 is typically accompanied by a so-called cytokine storm. Cytokines are proteins that are major drivers of inflammation, and their rapid increase, or storm is one of the bodys immune responses to acute threat.

In addition, studies have connected pro-inflammatory cytokines to the stress response; they regulate well-known stress hormones such as ACTH and cortisol. Three major systems are involved: the immune system, central nervous system and endocrine hormone system.

In the face of these connections, we are coming forward to suggest that complementary practices deep breathing, yoga and meditation can play an important role during this pandemic. These practices have been confirmed by hundreds of scientific studies to bring down over-activity of the autonomic nervous system, calm the mind from anxiety, reduce the stress response, regularise heartbeat, and lower blood pressure. Together, all of these diverse benefits are associated with reducing the invisible presence of chronic low-grade inflammation, especially if added to good sleep, exercise and proper diet.

We dont fully understand how the immune response, linked to stress and inflammation, can turn lethal. As a response to cuts, wounds, invading pathogens, and other threats, prior to antibody formation, the body first responds with inflammation as a normal yet crucial healing function. But it has long been known that inflammation is paradoxical. Acute inflammation can overreact, harming or even killing the patient. (Instances of strokes and heart attacks among young Covid-19 patients might be linked to micro-cytokine storms in the brain and heart.)

The threat from low-grade chronic inflammation was not discovered until recently but seems to be widespread. It is unaccompanied by swelling, burning and redness of the skin that marks acute inflammation and therefore goes undetected by the patient or physician.

Preventing and addressing chronic low-grade inflammation and its significant adverse consequences are urgent issues, even more urgent during a pandemic. There seems to be every reason to make the public aware how deep breathing, meditation, yoga and other healthy lifestyle practices can help during this crisis and long afterwards.

DISCLAIMER : Views expressed above are the author's own.

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Stress caused by Covid-19 makes us doubly vulnerable: What the average person can do about it - Economic Times

Even though male balding is almost as inevitable as gravity, celebrities simply do not like to speak on the IP behind their dramatic hair restoration innovations. What is verifiable, however, is when Elon Musk sold PayPal in 2002 the cash transaction website that made him a billionaire he was indeed abalding man. More present day, however, he is quite the opposite. That requires some kind of scientific explanation, and with a $38.2 billion fortune,the SpaceX and Tesla founder could surely afford a consultation.

"I mean, he had a class three to a class four (out of seven) hair loss pattern and he now shows no evidence, at least in the front, of any hair loss," New York hair transplant specialist, Dr. Jefferey Epstein, told Page Six in 2018, further describing the odds that Musk went under the knife as "highly, highly likely." Epstein added that Musk may have had at least two procedures, running him between $20,000 and $30,000 a sum the engineering mogul likely located between the seats in one of his electric cars.

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Celebs who don't want you to know they're going bald - Nicki Swift