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Top 19 medical blogs:
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New data revealing decreasing trends in cancer deaths in the United States overall, and in colorectal cancer deaths in particular, highlight the remarkable benefits of colorectal cancer screening tests, but the lifesaving potential of these tests is unrealized for many Americans, according to experts from the American College of Gastroenterology. Racial minorities, uninsured Americans and even Medicare patients who should be tested are not being screening appropriately, and other recent studies reveal that they are diagnosed with more advanced cancers compared to patients with private insurance.
Today, the American Cancer Society reported a downward trend in cancer deaths between 2004 and 2005. Deaths from cancer of the colon and rectum decreased from 1998 to 2004 among both men and women, according to ACS. The report attributes early detection to this sharp decline in colon cancer deaths. Early detection of colorectal cancer, when it is most treatable, directly results in improved survival, exceeding 90 percent when detected at the earliest stage.
According to ACG President Amy E. Foxx-Orenstein, D.O., FACG, “The good news is that colorectal cancer deaths are down, but marked differences in the experience of colorectal cancer, its impact on quality of life, and death rates are seen between whites and blacks, and between the uninsured, and even those with health coverage under Medicare and Medicaid.” According to Dr. Foxx-Orenstein, “The American College of Gastroenterology is committed to national policy changes to improve access to colorectal screening and increased use of these proven prevention strategies, including reversing Medicare’s massive cuts to reimbursement for these tests since the benefit was first introduced, as well as to payments in ambulatory surgery centers where many screening tests are performed.”
Recent Studies Reveal Underuse of Colorectal Screenings, Late Stage Cancer Diagnoses
An analysis published in ACS’ journal CANCER in January 2008 of over 150,000 Medicare beneficiaries revealed that only 25 percent received recommended screenings for colorectal cancer since Medicare started to cover preventive screening tests. This finding reflects a significant underuse of proven screening tests among Medicare patients, and echoes other recent findings that Medicaid patients and the uninsured generally are being diagnosed with colorectal cancer at later stages, when the prognosis is far worse.
A study by Halpern et al. published in The Lancet Oncology on February 18, 2008 found a correlation between insurance status and stage of cancer diagnosis. According to the Halpern analysis, uninsured patients were two to three times more likely to be diagnosed at late stages (Stage III or State IV) than at Stage I. The disparity was most pronounced among cancers that could be detected early through screening or symptom assessment including colorectal cancer. The analysis also looked at racial background and found late state diagnosis for ten of twelve cancers among African Americans compared to whites.
ACG Recommends Earlier Screening for African Americans: Begin at Age 45
African-Americans are diagnosed with colorectal cancer at a younger age than other ethnic groups, and African-Americans with colorectal cancer have decreased survival compared with other ethnic groups. Physician experts from the American College of Gastroenterology in 2005 issued new recommendations to healthcare providers to begin colorectal cancer screening in African-Americans at age 45 rather than 50. Colonoscopy is the preferred method of screening for colorectal cancer and data support the recommendation that African-Americans begin screening at a younger age because of the high incidence of colorectal cancer and a greater prevalence of proximal or right-sided polyps and cancerous lesions in this population. The recommendations were published in the March 2005 issue of The American Journal of Gastroenterology.
Colorectal Cancer Screening Recommendations from the American College of Gastroenterology For normal risk individuals, the American College of Gastroenterology recommends screening beginning at age 50 (age 45 for African-Americans). The preferred screening test according to the American College of Gastroenterology is colonoscopy every 10 years. An alternative strategy for average risk individuals is an annual stool test for blood, and a flexible sigmoidoscopic exam every 5 years. Unlike colonoscopy, this approach does not allow identification and removal of polyps in the entire colon.
For those with a family history of colorectal cancer, testing should begin at 40 years of age or 10 years younger than the age of the youngest affected relative at the time of colon cancer diagnosis, whichever is earlier. For both average and high risk individuals, all potential precancerous polyps should be removed.
About Colorectal Cancer
Colorectal cancer is the number two cancer killer in the United States, affecting men and women equally. However, with screening and early detection, many of these deaths can be prevented. Most colorectal cancers develop from polyps, which are abnormal growths in the colon. Left undetected and free to grow, some polyps may develop into cancer. Screening tests can find and remove pre-cancerous polyps before they turn into cancer.
About the American College of Gastroenterology
Founded in 1932, the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) is an organization with an international membership of more than 10,000 individuals from 80 countries. The College is committed to serving the clinically oriented digestive disease specialist through its emphasis on scholarly practice, teaching and research. The mission of the College is to serve the evolving needs of physicians in the delivery of high quality, scientifically sound, humanistic, ethical, and cost-effective health care to gastroenterology patients.
American College of Gastroenterology (ACG)
6400 Goldsboro Rd., Ste 450
Bethesda, MD 20817
United States
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The body is like a highly functional machine. A machine as we well know must go through a period of complete readjustment, cleaning, realigning, refurbishing et.c so also should our body. In our daily activities, we forget to check our bodies. We forget to take care of our bowels and as result, we sometimes become less effective than we are supposed to be. Let me explain.Let’s say you’ve got this very important meting that you need to be at and just about the time you sat down, you had this terrible urge to go. What do you do? Leave the delegation and go spend thirty minutes in the loo while keeping them waiting? Imagine what harm that can do to your business. So you see that not cleaning out your bowels can adversely affect the results you pursue.To effectively carry out an evacuation of your bowels, it is best to take something that will not affect or interfere with your daily activities. This is where using herbal supplements come in. Other forms require you to use interfering methods that you would not like. For example if you were to do a hydrotherapy, you would end up spending about ninety minutes in the clinic or at home. So why put yourself through all that stress when you can easily take these supplements once or twice a day to enhance colon cleansing?Herbal colon cleansing are the way to go. It has got great advantages as you can take it while doing other things. Other benefits of using herbal colon cleansing supplements are:1. Increased weight lossBecause you are used to carrying about the waste in your bowels, using a colon cleansing agent will get rid of the feces impacted in the bowel hence, also getting rid of the excess weight that comes with the feces.2. Eliminates the toxic wastesBecause our bodies are delicate machines allowing any thing to clog our “wheels is not beneficial in any way. So, when you take herbal colon cleanse supplements like Bowtrol Colon Cleanser which eliminates water products, you get rid of all the harmful, toxic substances deposited in your colonOther benefits include increased overall sense of well being and great health, Clearer skin, increased energy and reduced bowel problems.
May be everyone has ever taken antibiotic for some reason. Antibiotics like Penicillin and Terramycin are often prescribed even when they are not needed. Your doctor may have told you to take antibiotics to ease the symptoms and treat infections like boils, pneumonia and fever. Certainly you have tried an antibiotic unguent to treat bad cuts or scrapes.
May be everyone has ever taken antibiotic for some reason. Antibiotics like Penicillin and Terramycin are often prescribed even when they are not needed. Your doctor may have told you to take antibiotics to ease the symptoms and treat infections like boils, pneumonia and fever. Certainly you have tried an antibiotic unguent to treat bad cuts or scrapes.
Antibiotics are often called “miracle drugs” because they are very efficient against infections. But the truth is that they are not “miracle drugs”. It will better to name them “microbe drugs”. The name “antibiotic” comes from two Greek words which mean “against life”. Antibiotic consist of ingredients which stop the growth of bacteria.
The first records of antibiotic usage come from more than 3000 years ago. At that time Asian people have already found certain moulds that cure infections. Despite the Indians of Central America and the Chinese had not known the essence of treatment and diseases, they had used molds to treat infected wounds. And they had done it efficiently. They believed in spiritualism and magic. They thought that moulds send away evil spirits which cause the disease. Nowadays, things do not stand the same way. People have already gained some knowledge for the infections. In the 1860s, a French scientist Louis Pasteur found that bacteria cause some diseases and it can be fight against using other bacteria. There starts the true knowledge about bacteria and infections.
The first men who made an effective medicine from bacteria were Rudolf Emmerich and Oskar Low, two doctors from Germany. They also find out that microbes which cause a disease may successfully cure another disease. The germs were taken from infected bandages. The two doctors grew tem in test tubes. They successfully isolated a bacterium, known now as Bacillus pyocyaneus, which colors infected and opened wounds in green. The Germans put some of these bacteria Bacillus pyocyaneus in test tubes with other germs. The result of the experiment was that the Bacillus pyocyaneus killed the other bacteria. Fortunately, the killed bacteria happened to be germs which cause cholera, diphtheria, anthrax and typhoid fever.
Rudolf Emmerich and Oskar Low decided to use the bacteria Bacillus pyocyaneus to make a medicine which will cure infections. They named the medicine “pyocyanase”. It was expected to be the first antibiotic widely used for treatment oh patients in hospitals. Alas, the two German doctors had not realized that it was too early to present such a medicine. It was discovered that some of the patients who take “pyocyanase” get better but some of them get even worse. Nobody was aware of how this drug worked and how to control its action. This caused prohibition against taking pyocyanase.
A safe and effective antibiotic was really needed. Physicians did not know how to heal infections. Such medicine was not found until 1928. Then, a scientist named Alexander Fleming made a discovery that shook the antibiotic medicine to its foundations. He was carrying a study on the bacteria called Staphylococcus aureaus. It is the cause for complaints which lead to brain diseases. He found that moulds in one of his petri dishes became spoiled. He ascertained the fact that the mold had eliminated the germs around it because there was an antiseptic ring of gelatin around the spot of mold. Later he named the mold penicillin.
Unfortunately, penicillin could not cure diseases such as the bubonic plague. Because of this, an American, Dr. Selman Waksman discovered a medicine which he called streptomycin which was effective against other diseases.
Not later, sulfonamides were discovered. They were drugs made of chemicals that are used for dye production. They proved to be very effective against diseases caused by infections. Regrettably, sulfa drugs gave very serious side effects. It was found that sulfa drugs weakened bacteria rather than kill it. However, weakening the germs gives the body a chance to recover.
Top 10 Medical Innovations For 2007
The Cleveland Clinic, a leading U.S. medical center,
recently published a list of the top 10 medical technologies
it Health Care Executives and Medical Device Executives
should be on the watch for in 2007.
The innovations named to the list were selected by a
panel of Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists,
reported the Association for the Advancement of Medical
Instrumentation:
Stop taking albendazole and seek emergency medical attention if you experience an allergic reaction (swelling of your lips, tongue, or face; shortness of breath; closing of your throat; or hives).
Other, less serious side effects may be more likely to occur. Continue to take albendazole and talk to your doctor if you experience
abdominal pain, nausea, or vomiting;
headache;
dizziness ;or
a fever.
Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.
Recommended Blood Glucose Numbers
Diabetic supplies
What are the Right Numbers?
Depending on where you look, recommended blood glucose levels can vary. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) numbers differ from the American College of Endocrinology (ACE) guidelines. The ACE recommendations are more strict than the ADA’s. How do you know which to follow? Ask your healthcare provider which goals are right for you. The table below compares the two sets of guidelines for blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol.
How many times a day should you check your blood glucose levels?
Checking your blood glucose levels often through out the day will help you to figure out how to keep good control. First thing in the morning before breakfast, two hours after a meal and before bed are good times to test. Other recommended times include before, during and after an exercise session, especially if it is strenuous or if you are feeling like your blood sugar may be low or high.
What is the A1C?
It’s a blood test that helps you and your doctor monitor your overall glucose control.
It gives an average of the amount of glucose in your blood over a few months’ time. It is usually ordered 2 to 4 times a year. If you are newly diagnosed or having trouble maintaining good day-to-day control, it may be ordered more often.
Sources:
"Checking Your Blood Glucose." American Diabetes Association. ADA. 15 Dec 2006
American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and the American College of Endocrinology, "The AACE System of Intensive Diabetes Self-Management - 2002 Update." The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists Medical Guidelines for the Management of Diabetes Mellitus. Endocrine Practice Vol. 8. 2002.