As the effectiveness of antibiotics wanes, scientists are looking at medications that preceded them, such as those involving metals and metalloids.
Saturday, November 30, 2019
Medical News Today: Cancer survivors report an information gap in treatment side effects
According to a survey of people who had undergone treatment for cancer, about one-third wished that they had received more information on the side effects.
Medical News Today: Causes and treatment of a split lip
A split lip is a common minor injury with a range of possible causes, including cold weather, skin picking, and dehydration. Learn more here.
Medical News Today: What to know about tooth extraction
A person may need a tooth extraction for various reasons. Here, learn about the different types of extraction and what to expect during and after the procedure.
Medical News Today: Causes of right shoulder and arm pain
There are several potential causes of right shoulder and arm pain. Read on to find out the various causes and when to see a doctor.
Medical News Today: Constipation in breastfeeding babies: What to know
Constipation is very uncommon in breastfed babies, but it does sometimes happen. Learn about the causes and treatment of constipation in breastfed babies here.
Friday, November 29, 2019
Medical News Today: Everything you need to know about fluoride treatment
Fluoride treatment may offer benefits to those at risk of tooth decay. Natural health advocates, however, question the safety of fluoride. We look at the benefits and side effects of fluoride and fluoride treatment.
Medical News Today: Vitamins and supplements for athletes
Many athletes look for safe and efficient ways to boost their performance. In this article, we look at six vitamins and supplements that may help.
Medical News Today: Tips for healing a sprained ankle fast
An ankle sprain is an injury to ligaments in the ankle. Read on to learn about first aid and long-term methods of supporting recovery.
Medical News Today: What to know about newborn respiratory rates
A newborn’s respiratory rate may vary, but it should fall within a healthy range. Here, learn about this range and what to do if the rate is faster or slower.
Medical News Today: What does it mean when acne is itchy?
Acne can cause pain and skin irritation, but is it normal for acne bumps to itch? Here, we discuss the causes and treatment of itchy acne.
Medical News Today: How fruit and vegetable compounds help prevent colorectal cancer
While scientists have known for some time that flavonoids can help fight colorectal cancer, the mechanisms have not been clear. Now, a study has found one.
Medical News Today: Letter from the Editor: Feeling grateful
Thanksgiving is a time to express gratitude. In this month's letter, Managing Editor Honor talks about the importance of gratitude all year round.
Medical News Today: Do soft drinks affect women's bone health?
People in the United States drink more than almost every other country. A new study asked if this might impact the bone health of postmenopausal women.
Medical News Today: Fixing bird wings with sheep bones
The current method of fixing broken bird bones is not ideal. A recent study investigates whether pins made of dog or sheep bone might be more effective.
Medical News Today: One ketamine shot could help heavy drinkers cut down
An experimental study shows that a single shot of ketamine helps reduce drinking cravings, particularly after the retrieval of associated reward memories.
Medical News Today: Black tongue: Causes and what to do
Black tongue is a temporary and harmless condition in which the tongue appears to be covered in hair. In this article, learn about the causes of black tongue, as well as how to treat and prevent it.
Medical News Today: What to know about blood thinners for heart disease
Blood thinners help reduce the risk of blood clots and heart disease. Learn more about the different types and their effects in this article.
Medical News Today: When should I use a humidifier vs. a vaporizer?
Humidifiers and vaporizers are two options for adding moisture to the air. This article provides guidance about which one to choose for different uses and why.
Medical News Today: Should people use tea tree oil on piercings?
Tea tree oil is a natural antibacterial and anti-inflammatory substance. Some sources suggest that it can help with piercings and keloid scars. Learn more about tea tree oil for piercings here.
Bullitt County schools to sue Juul Labs, alleging it create e-cig epidemic that has cost them money and instructional time
The Bullitt County school board voted Nov. 25 to sue Juul Labs and other manufacturers of electronic cigarettes, as well as distributors and retailers.
"Bullitt County Public Schools, like every other school district in the country, has witnessed a dramatic increase in the use of vaping products by its students," the board's resolution said. "The targeting of school children by these companies in their marketing campaigns has resulted in an epidemic of nicotine addiction in children."
Ron Johnson, the attorney hired to file the lawsuit, said it would be the first such suit by a Kentucky school district. "This year in Kentucky, there have been four lawsuits filed against Juul and more than 100 around the country," Sarah Ladd reports for the Louisville Courier Journal.
Juul Labs is the leading maker of e-cigarettes and has used research by traditional cigarette companies to make its devices the most popular and, critics say, the most addictive.
School Supt. Jesse Bacon said in a news release, “In recent years, we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of infractions that involve vaping in our middle and high schools. The amount of resources being used and the instructional time that is lost as a result of this issue is alarming, to say the least.”
Ron Johnson, the attorney hired to file the lawsuit, said it would be the first such suit by a Kentucky school district. "This year in Kentucky, there have been four lawsuits filed against Juul and more than 100 around the country," Sarah Ladd reports for the Louisville Courier Journal.
Juul Labs used research that tobacco-cigarette manufacturers wanted to use to get young people to become addicted to nicotine
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| In this screenshot of an April 2016 video, recently removed from YouTube, a co-founder of Juul Labs, James Monsees, presents an R.J. Reynolds research memo (YouTube image via Los Angeles Times) |
"A review by the Los Angeles Times of more than 3,000 pages of internal Juul records, obtained by the Food and Drug Administration and released to a researcher through the Freedom of Information Act, found that the concept behind the formula that makes Juul so palatable and addictive dates back more than four decades" to the laboratories of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., the nation's No. 2 cigarette maker, Emily Baumgaertner reports for the Times.
"The key ingredient: nicotine salts," Baumgaertner writes. "Juul’s salts contain up to three times the amount of nicotine found in previous e-cigarettes. They use softening chemicals to allow people to take deeper drags without vomiting or burning their throats. And they were developed based on research conducted by the tobacco companies Juul claimed to be leaving behind. . . . The evidence depicts a Silicon Valley start-up that purported to 'deconstruct' Big Tobacco even as it emulated it, harvesting the industry’s technical savvy to launch a 21st century nicotine arms race."
Juul "acknowledged that the product intentionally 'mimicked' the nicotine experience of a traditional cigarette," but said that was to satisfy cravings of adult smokers, not children, Baumgaertner reports. "But a new generation of nicotine addicts has already been established, and health experts warn that millions of teenagers who currently vape could ultimately turn to other products like cigarettes for their fix."
A now-dead R.J. Reynolds researcher wrote in a confidential internal memo in 1973 that teenagers found the physical effects of smoking “quite unpleasant.” Later that year, another researcher proposed a cigarette design to get “a larger segment of the youth market” by packing “more ‘enjoyment’ or ‘kicks’ (nicotine)” while making it easier on the throat. An RJR chemist did that by using an acid to neutralize the high alkalinity of nicotine, creating a nicotine salt.
An RJR spokesperson told Baumgaertner that the research was intended to “reduce the risks” of smoking while “maintaining nicotine delivery,” and while the salts were patented, they were never used in a traditional RJR cigarette. In the late 1980s, RJR and three other cigarette makers "agreed to begin paying billions of dollars to compensate states for having knowingly propelled a smoking epidemic," Baumgaertner writes. "Within this climate, the company was unable to combine its two technical triumphs — palatable salts and early vaping equipment."
But RJR's research was used by Juul's developers, Baumgaertner reports: "Juul records show the start-up collected research done by tobacco experts about nicotine — work on using salts to control harshness, written by a former top scientist at Reynolds, as well as methods to maximize nicotine delivery, and piles of literature on nicotine’s impact on adolescent brains."
Juul cofounder James Monsees said at a 2018 conference, “Certainly, the nicotine salt chemistry was one of the big breakthroughs.”
The patent for Juul's nicotine-salt formula refers to RJR's patent, saying Juul's founders “unexpectedly discovered” the “efficient transfer of nicotine to the lungs of an individual and a rapid rise of nicotine absorption in the [blood] plasma.”
David Kessler, a pediatrician who headed the Food and Drug Administration in 1990-97, during its tobacco investigation, told Baumgaertner, “Addiction is central to the business model. With their nicotine salts, Juul has found the Holy Grail.”
Before Juul was introduced, "Most vaping fluids contained 1% to 3% nicotine, the latter described as 'super high' and intended for two-packs-a-day smokers,: Baumgaertner reports. "Juul offers pods that contain 5% nicotine, according to the company’s website. . . . From 2016 to 2017, Juul’s sales skyrocketed by more than 640%. Its cartridges were so palatable that teenagers sometimes raced one another to finish inhaling them. Many said they didn’t know the pods contained nicotine. Each 5% cartridge contained the nicotine equivalent of about 20 cigarettes."
Matthew Myers, the president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, told Baumgaertner, “Juul mimics the evil genius of the cigarette — but does it even better. They also pulled it off without any of the historical baggage, giving the deceptive illusion that it was safe.”
Doctors think nicotine salts allow the chemical to “cross the blood-brain barrier and lead to potentially more effect on the developing brain in adolescents,” Anne Schuchat, chief deputy director of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said at a congressional hearing in September. She told the Times that the salts “allow particularly high levels of nicotine to be inhaled more easily and with less irritation” than earlier e-cigarettes, "and could enable nicotine dependence among youth," Baumgaertner writes.
She concludes, "Today, Juul comprises about two-thirds of the vaping market. In 2018, the largest tobacco company in the U.S.," Altria Group, "purchased a 35% stake in Juul. After the purchase, several of the tobacco company’s employees also started working at Juul . . .In September, Altria’s former chief growth officer, K.C. Crosthwaite, became Juul’s CEO."
Juul "acknowledged that the product intentionally 'mimicked' the nicotine experience of a traditional cigarette," but said that was to satisfy cravings of adult smokers, not children, Baumgaertner reports. "But a new generation of nicotine addicts has already been established, and health experts warn that millions of teenagers who currently vape could ultimately turn to other products like cigarettes for their fix."
A now-dead R.J. Reynolds researcher wrote in a confidential internal memo in 1973 that teenagers found the physical effects of smoking “quite unpleasant.” Later that year, another researcher proposed a cigarette design to get “a larger segment of the youth market” by packing “more ‘enjoyment’ or ‘kicks’ (nicotine)” while making it easier on the throat. An RJR chemist did that by using an acid to neutralize the high alkalinity of nicotine, creating a nicotine salt.
An RJR spokesperson told Baumgaertner that the research was intended to “reduce the risks” of smoking while “maintaining nicotine delivery,” and while the salts were patented, they were never used in a traditional RJR cigarette. In the late 1980s, RJR and three other cigarette makers "agreed to begin paying billions of dollars to compensate states for having knowingly propelled a smoking epidemic," Baumgaertner writes. "Within this climate, the company was unable to combine its two technical triumphs — palatable salts and early vaping equipment."
But RJR's research was used by Juul's developers, Baumgaertner reports: "Juul records show the start-up collected research done by tobacco experts about nicotine — work on using salts to control harshness, written by a former top scientist at Reynolds, as well as methods to maximize nicotine delivery, and piles of literature on nicotine’s impact on adolescent brains."
Juul cofounder James Monsees said at a 2018 conference, “Certainly, the nicotine salt chemistry was one of the big breakthroughs.”
The patent for Juul's nicotine-salt formula refers to RJR's patent, saying Juul's founders “unexpectedly discovered” the “efficient transfer of nicotine to the lungs of an individual and a rapid rise of nicotine absorption in the [blood] plasma.”
David Kessler, a pediatrician who headed the Food and Drug Administration in 1990-97, during its tobacco investigation, told Baumgaertner, “Addiction is central to the business model. With their nicotine salts, Juul has found the Holy Grail.”
Before Juul was introduced, "Most vaping fluids contained 1% to 3% nicotine, the latter described as 'super high' and intended for two-packs-a-day smokers,: Baumgaertner reports. "Juul offers pods that contain 5% nicotine, according to the company’s website. . . . From 2016 to 2017, Juul’s sales skyrocketed by more than 640%. Its cartridges were so palatable that teenagers sometimes raced one another to finish inhaling them. Many said they didn’t know the pods contained nicotine. Each 5% cartridge contained the nicotine equivalent of about 20 cigarettes."
Matthew Myers, the president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, told Baumgaertner, “Juul mimics the evil genius of the cigarette — but does it even better. They also pulled it off without any of the historical baggage, giving the deceptive illusion that it was safe.”
Doctors think nicotine salts allow the chemical to “cross the blood-brain barrier and lead to potentially more effect on the developing brain in adolescents,” Anne Schuchat, chief deputy director of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said at a congressional hearing in September. She told the Times that the salts “allow particularly high levels of nicotine to be inhaled more easily and with less irritation” than earlier e-cigarettes, "and could enable nicotine dependence among youth," Baumgaertner writes.
She concludes, "Today, Juul comprises about two-thirds of the vaping market. In 2018, the largest tobacco company in the U.S.," Altria Group, "purchased a 35% stake in Juul. After the purchase, several of the tobacco company’s employees also started working at Juul . . .In September, Altria’s former chief growth officer, K.C. Crosthwaite, became Juul’s CEO."
Could white-coat hypertension harm your heart?
For most people, going to the doctor is usually a bit nerve-racking. But for some, the stress of a medical appointment triggers a temporary rise in blood pressure. If that’s the case for you — and if your blood pressure is normal at home and in other nonmedical settings — you may have what’s known as white-coat hypertension. Now, a large study suggests that people with this condition face a greater threat of heart disease than people whose blood pressure readings are always normal.
According to current guidelines from the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association, normal blood pressure is defined as less than 120/80. High blood pressure is 130/80 and higher.
“If your blood pressure goes up under the relatively nonthreatening situation of seeing a doctor, then what might happen if you’re cut off on the highway, or experience a challenging family or work circumstance?” says Dr. Randall Zusman, a cardiologist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.
Everyone’s blood pressure fluctuates constantly throughout the day. But people with white-coat hypertension may experience more frequent and higher spikes. About one in five people has the condition, which doctors typically don’t treat with medication.
The white-coat effect
For the study, researchers pooled findings from 27 studies involving more than 64,000 people in the United States, Europe, and Asia. Compared with people whose blood pressure was normal both at the doctor’s office and at home, people with untreated white-coat hypertension had a 36% higher risk of heart attack, stroke, and other heart-related events. They were also twice as likely to die from heart disease.
However, people taking blood pressure medication whose blood pressure still rose at the doctor’s office (a phenomenon known as the white-coat effect) did not have a higher risk of heart disease. The study was published June 10 in Annals of Internal Medicine.
According to Dr. Zusman, the findings lend further support for treating people with white-coat hypertension. Research suggests that the condition nearly always progresses to sustained high blood pressure.
What you can do
Treatment doesn’t necessarily mean taking blood pressure medication, however. “Losing weight, exercising, limiting salt, and not smoking are all associated with better blood pressure control. I certainly encourage people to do all those things, whether they have intermittent or sustained high blood pressure,” says Dr. Zusman.
Sometimes, even determined efforts to make these changes aren’t sufficient. If lifestyle changes aimed at controlling hypertension can’t bring your blood pressure down to a normal range, there are many safe, effective medications that can help.
Dr. Zusman advises all of his patients to use a home blood pressure monitor to make sure their treatment is working. “I also have them bring their device in and watch them take their blood pressure to make sure they’re using the monitor correctly,” he says. Doctors often suggest checking your blood pressure once or twice a day for a week or so right after starting or changing medications. After that, two to three times a week at different times of the day is a good idea, says Dr. Zusman.
The post Could white-coat hypertension harm your heart? appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.
Thursday, November 28, 2019
Kentucky state senator taken aback by 'shoutfest' in Oval Office between electronic-cigarette interests and their foes
A Kentucky state senator witnessed what one report called a "shoutfest," hosted by President Trump in the Oval Office, between lobbyists for health interests and those for electronic cigarettes.
Sen. Julie Raque Adams, a Republican from Louisville, "says she was taken aback by the lack of decorum shown by vaping industry executives," reports Joe Sonka of the Courier Journal.
Sen. Julie Raque Adams, a Republican from Louisville, "says she was taken aback by the lack of decorum shown by vaping industry executives," reports Joe Sonka of the Courier Journal.
"There was a lot of passion in that room," Adams told Sonka. "Frankfort is tamer than that meeting was."
Trump said in September that he would ban all e-cigarette flavors except tobacco and menthol, then backed off in the face of protests from users, retailers and manufacturers.
Adams got a surprise invitation to the Nov. 22 meeting only two days in advance. The White House described it as a roundtable discussion that would likely be private so the two sides could speak frankly, she said.
Adams got a surprise invitation to the Nov. 22 meeting only two days in advance. The White House described it as a roundtable discussion that would likely be private so the two sides could speak frankly, she said.
But soon after she voiced concern that "We have a whole new generation addicted to nicotine," and said many teenagers don't know e-cigarettes contain the drug, Trump "suddenly asked if it was OK to allow news media into the room, she said. Then Trump asked her to talk about the situation in Kentucky and what needs to be done," Sonka reports.
"I said beyond anything, we have to look at keeping nicotine out of the hands of teens, because research shows that the sooner they're introduced to nicotine, they're more susceptible to become addicted to other substances," Adams said. "It messes with their brain chemistry. So the longer that we can keep nicotine out of the hands of teens, the better it would be for my state."
But not long after she spoke, "People started getting really loud and talking over each other. And I was really surprised in that setting that there wasn't a higher level of respect between people."
Sonka reports, "Adams added that Trump appeared to enjoy the 'free for all' to see what was driving the arguments of the different groups but cut in several times to 'rein them back in.'
"It was interesting to watch [Trump] because he was clearly not disturbed by the back and forth in the banter and the kind of aggressiveness," Adams said. "Everybody in the room was super-passionate about the issue. And then he would bring everybody back to a more respectful level, and then the passion would get wild again and then he tried to bring it back."
She said Ryan Nivakoff, CEO of e-cigarette manufacturer NJOY, and American Vaping Association President Greg Conley were "by far the loudest voices in the room," dispuiting arguments of Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, who wants to ban flavored e-cigarettes.
"Nivakoff and Conley said such a ban would put companies and independent vaping shops across the country out of business while taking away an option that many adults have used to quit smoking cigarettes," Sonka reports. "However, Adams says those vaping-industry officials provided four areas in which they were ready to compromise, including raising the age limit for purchasing tobacco and vaping products to 21, a self-imposed marketing ban, increasing punishment for retailers selling to anyone under 21, and increasing oversight of vape shops by local health officials."
Adams "said she supports addressing the issue of marketing products to teens and thinks it is worth having a continued conversation about flavored products," Sonka reports. She plans to sponsor a bill in the legislative session that starts Jan. 7 that would raise the age to buy tobacco products to 21.
"I said beyond anything, we have to look at keeping nicotine out of the hands of teens, because research shows that the sooner they're introduced to nicotine, they're more susceptible to become addicted to other substances," Adams said. "It messes with their brain chemistry. So the longer that we can keep nicotine out of the hands of teens, the better it would be for my state."
But not long after she spoke, "People started getting really loud and talking over each other. And I was really surprised in that setting that there wasn't a higher level of respect between people."
Sonka reports, "Adams added that Trump appeared to enjoy the 'free for all' to see what was driving the arguments of the different groups but cut in several times to 'rein them back in.'
"It was interesting to watch [Trump] because he was clearly not disturbed by the back and forth in the banter and the kind of aggressiveness," Adams said. "Everybody in the room was super-passionate about the issue. And then he would bring everybody back to a more respectful level, and then the passion would get wild again and then he tried to bring it back."
She said Ryan Nivakoff, CEO of e-cigarette manufacturer NJOY, and American Vaping Association President Greg Conley were "by far the loudest voices in the room," dispuiting arguments of Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, who wants to ban flavored e-cigarettes.
"Nivakoff and Conley said such a ban would put companies and independent vaping shops across the country out of business while taking away an option that many adults have used to quit smoking cigarettes," Sonka reports. "However, Adams says those vaping-industry officials provided four areas in which they were ready to compromise, including raising the age limit for purchasing tobacco and vaping products to 21, a self-imposed marketing ban, increasing punishment for retailers selling to anyone under 21, and increasing oversight of vape shops by local health officials."
Adams "said she supports addressing the issue of marketing products to teens and thinks it is worth having a continued conversation about flavored products," Sonka reports. She plans to sponsor a bill in the legislative session that starts Jan. 7 that would raise the age to buy tobacco products to 21.
"Adams said she was glad to attend the meeting and to get her perspective in front of the president," Sonka writes, quoting her: "You know me, I'll work with conservatives, liberals, moderates. This issue, I'm just very passionate about it, because we save a lot of tax dollars by having a healthy Kentucky."
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Will a purpose-driven life help you live longer?
Do you get joy out of volunteering, helping out with your grandkids, or learning new skills in that class you’ve been taking?
If you said yes, it could help you live longer. As it turns out, being inspired by things in your life doesn’t just help your emotional well-being — it may keep you healthier.
A 2019 JAMA Network Open study found that among a group of nearly 7,000 adults over age 50, those who scored highest on a scale that measured “life purpose” were less likely to die during the four-year study period. They were also less likely to die during the same period from heart, circulatory, or blood conditions, compared with those who scored lower.
“There have been a number of studies suggesting that a higher sense of purpose in life is associated with reduced risk of early death,” says Eric S. Kim, PhD, a research scientist in the department of social and behavioral sciences at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “However, this study showed for the first time that sense of purpose in life is associated with specific causes of death, and that’s an interesting advancement of knowledge.”
Defining a purposeful life
So, what exactly is life purpose? Life purpose is defined differently by different people. But in general it indicates that you have an aim in life and goals. This purpose, the study authors said, helps make it more likely that you will engage in behaviors that are good for your health. Some studies have simply asked people what gives them a sense of purpose in life, says Kim. People listed such factors as
- family and relationships
- community
- helping others
- learning new skills
- taking part in leisure activities or hobbies.
“I define it as the extent to which people experience their lives as being directed and motivated by valued life goals,” says Kim.
In this study, having more life purpose was associated with a lower rate of death during the study period overall, from cardiovascular disease and blood conditions, and also from digestive conditions.
However, stronger life purpose didn’t appear to insulate study participants from all health conditions. Researchers did not find an effect on death rates from cancer, tumors, or conditions that affected the respiratory tract. It’s also important to note that the study didn’t prove that having a life purpose resulted in the lower death rates seen in the study.
“This was a well-done observational study. But there are limitations from studies with this kind of design, as they can’t pinpoint causality,” says Kim.
How does life purpose keep you healthy?
There are a few theoretical reasons why having a life purpose might help improve your health. “We’re currently working on a review article about this topic and we found literature suggesting that purpose in life works through three main pathways,” says Kim.
These include the following:
- It makes you more likely to protect your health. For example, you might eat healthier, sleep better, exercise more, or increase your use of preventive health services.
- It could reduce stress. “There’s some evidence from lab studies and studies that track people over time that suggests that people with a higher sense of purpose in life are less perturbed by various stressors, and also recover more quickly when they are more stressed out,” says Kim.
- It could reduce inflammation. Researchers have linked inflammation in the body to cardiovascular disease and other health conditions. Stress is known to prompt inflammation in the body, so reducing stress might help to reduce inflammation.
Ultimately, activities that provide life purpose may be prompted by an overarching outlook in which life itself is greatly valued, says Kim. “One caveat is that there are important studies that show no association between a sense of purpose in life and some of these factors, so this is still an active field of research.”
Lacking purpose? Strategies to help
If you feel like you are lacking purpose, seeking out new opportunities may help. Look for activities and roles that will provide a compelling reason to get up every morning. Some research has found that volunteering is a valuable option for many people.
But if you’re feeling stuck, don’t be afraid to reach out for help.
“There’s some evidence to suggest that specialized cognitive behavioral therapy can improve a sense of purpose in life, as well as meaning in life, which is a conceptually close cousin,” says Kim.
The post Will a purpose-driven life help you live longer? appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.
Wednesday, November 27, 2019
Substance abuse drives decrease in life expectancy in U.S., Ky.
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| Charts from report show impact of drug overdoses; ages 45-54 showed an increase almost as steep. |
Kentucky Health News
Americans are dying younger, and Kentucky is a big part of that.
The most basic measurement of a population's health, life expectancy at birth, has decreased in the United States for three straight years, and in Kentucky for four. The leading cause is drug overdoses, but there are many other factors.
In 2000, Kentucky had a mortality rate of 425 deaths per 100,000 people; in 2017, the rate was 512 per 100,000, an increase of 20 percent. Most of that increase, 14.7 percentage points, occurred from 2010 to 2017, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Eight states had greater increases: New Hampshire, 23.3%; West Virginia, 23%; Ohio, 21.6% Maine, 20.7%; Vermont, 19.9%; New Mexico, 17.5%; South Dakota, 15.5%; and Indiana, 14.8%.
The report said, "The increase in opioid-related deaths is only part of a more complicated phenomenon and does not fully explain the increase in midlife mortality rates from other causes, such as alcoholic liver disease or suicides (85.2% of which involve firearms or other non-poisoning methods.) . . . Two recent studies estimated that drug overdoses accounted for 15% or less of the gap in life expectancy between the United States and other high-income countries in 2013 and 2014, respectively."
Other possible causes include high rates of tobacco use (including effects that linger despite lower smoking rates), obesity and socioeconomic factors: "substantial job losses in manufacturing and other sectors, contraction of the middle class, wage stagnation, and reduced inter-generational mobility. Income inequality widened, surpassing levels in other countries, concurrent with the deepening U.S. health disadvantage. . . . Increases in death rates were concentrated in areas with a history of economic challenges, such as rural U.S. areas and the industrial Midwest."
The study was done by Dr. Steven Woolf of Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond and Dr. Heidi Schoomaker of Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk.
The study was done by Dr. Steven Woolf of Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond and Dr. Heidi Schoomaker of Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk.
Louisville newspaper tracks huge, powerful and violent drug cartel's invasion of small towns in Kentucky and other states
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| Courier Journal illustration shows farm worker who oversaw flow of $30 million in drugs into Kentucky. |
The "New Generation Jalisco Cartel," is known by its Spanish name, Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación and its acronym. "CJNG’s increased distribution of fentanyl across the country has helped the synthetic opioid unseat heroin as the nation’s No. 1 killer," Warren writes. "The billion-dollar criminal organization has a large and disciplined army, control of extensive drug routes throughout the U.S., sophisticated money-laundering techniques and an elaborate digital terror campaign, federal drug agents say."
CJNG’s network reaches into "the mountains of Virginia, small farming towns in Iowa and Nebraska, and across the Bluegrass State" of Kentucky, Warren reports. "A cartel member even worked at Kentucky's famed Calumet Farm, home to eight Kentucky Derby and three Triple Crown winners. . . . CJNG members have followed relatives or friends who left Mexico for the U.S. to find jobs. The cartel exploits its connections with otherwise hard-working immigrants, said Dan Dodds, who leads DEA operations in Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia.
Ciro Macias Martinez, now serving a 31-year prison term, "led a double life, working as a horse groomer by day and overseeing the flow of $30 million worth of drugs into Kentucky by night before being imprisoned in 2018 for meth trafficking and money laundering, federal records show," Warren writes. "No sooner had authorities busted Kentucky's CJNG ring than the cartel replaced Macias, sending in another team. It hauled in more than 3 kilos of fentanyl, the synthetic opioid so potent that an amount as small as Abraham Lincoln's cheek on a penny can be fatal."
In Paducah, sheriff's investigators said the cartel warned a business owner who fell behind on a drug debt, "If we don’t get our money, we’re gonna kill you and your family." Russell Coleman, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Kentucky, said, “We’re fighting a war for our families, and (the cartels) are winning.”
New state Medicaid contracts drop Passport and Anthem, which say they will appeal; top Beshear aide voices concern
The three returning firms are subsidiaries of Aetna, Humana and WellCare. The two newcomers are UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Kentucky and Molina Healthcare of Kentucky. The new contracts would replace the old ones on July 1, unless Passport and Anthem win protests they say they will file.
On Dec. 10, Bevin will be replaced by Democrat Andy Beshear, who defeated him this month. Beshear's top aide, J. Michael Brown, issued a statement saying, “Awarding $8 billion in contracts with just 11 days left in this administration is concerning. As we move through the transition and ultimately the change of the administration, we will be taking a close look at this action.”
The insurance-company subsidiaries are known as "managed care organizations." MCOs manage the care of about 1.2 million Kentucky Medicaid beneficiaries, which costs $8 billion a year, with about 80 percent of the money coming from the federal government.
"The Bevin administration solicited bids for the contracts over the summer, but the announcement of the successful bidders has been delayed," reports Chris Otts of Louisville's WDRB-TV. The Cabinet for Health and Family Services, which oversees Medicaid, referred questions to the Finance and Administration Cabinet, where spokeswoman Pamela Trautner said in an email that contracts were awarded competitively.
Trautner wrote: "Proposals were submitted by prospective MCOs, which were evaluated and scored by a technical evaluation team comprised of subject matter experts against the evaluation criteria stated in the RFP. The RFP stated that between three and five awardees would be selected. The five highest scored vendors were selected. Because Passport and Anthem were not among the five most highly scored proposals, they were not awarded a contract."
Passport is a nonprofit formed in 1997 to get the state into the business of managed care, with the goal of saving taxpayers' money. The company said in a news release that it was "deeply disappointed" by the decision and that it plans to challenge the outcome. Anthem also plans to challenge the decision, Deborah Yetter reports for the Louisville Courier Journal.
Passport serves more than 300,000 Kentuckians on Medicaid, mostly in the Louisville region. Anthem serves 130,000 enrollees in Kentucky, mostly outside Louisville, Yetter reports.
Bevin and Passport have a conflict that predates his governorship. In May 2015, Passport gave $25,000 to the Democratic Governors Association, which supported Bevin's Democratic foe. Passport said the money funded a one-day health-policy conference in Louisville. In 2018, the state cut some MCOs' payment rates, and Passport said it was hit hardest and almost went out of business. "Bevin had been critical of Passport, calling it 'poorly run'," Yetter notes.
In May, Evolent Health, a health-management firm, agreed to buy 70 percent of Passport, but told investors "that the company would likely liquidate Passport, selling it for parts, if Passport failed to win the next round of Medicaid business from Kentucky," Otts reports.
Evolent spokeswoman Kim Conquest told Yetter that the company supports Passport's decision to protest the loss of the contract and that Evolent "will continue to support efforts to keep the plan on solid financial footing. Per our agreement, we intend to proceed with the pending acquisition as planned and anticipate it will close by the end of this year.”
"Should the deal fall through, the University of Louisville, as a founding partner of Passport, could lose about $45 million from the sale," Yetter notes. U of L spokesman John Karman told her that the university is disappointed in the decision: "U of L is proud of its longstanding relationship with Passport and supports its decision to challenge the outcome of the evaluation and award process for this contract."
Yetter notes that most of the company's main revenue comes from managing care for Kentucky Medicaid. Anthem, by contrast, is one of the nation's largest health-benefit companies.
Passport spokesman Ben Adkins told Yetter that the company has about 600 employees in Louisville.
"This decision, if upheld, would have a profound impact on our 300,000-plus members whose access to care will be disrupted as a result," he told Yetter. "We strongly encourage state leaders to reconsider this decision and its devastating impact on our proud Kentucky company and the communities we serve."
The Cabinet for Health and Family Services said in its news release announcing the contracts thay they include a number of improvements, including a a separate contract with WellCare to cover all children in the state's foster-care system.
The contracts also include, among other things, provisions for tighter management of the prescription drug program, including abolishing "spread pricing," a system in which middlemen known as pharmacy benefit managers can profit by paying pharmacists less than they make from state Medicaid programs.
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A clue to a cure for Alzheimer’s disease
Are you worried about Alzheimer’s disease? Does one of your parents or siblings have the disease? If so, your risks are between two and four times that of the general public. What about people without a family history of the disease? Unfortunately, everyone is at risk for it. By age 85, half of you reading this article today will have developed Alzheimer’s disease, with or without a family history.
Sounds pretty scary, doesn’t it?
I’m writing today to give you some good news. A new study from the lab of Harvard researcher Yakeel Quiroz, PhD, has suggested a new target for drugs that might have the potential to slow down or even stop Alzheimer’s disease in its tracks.
A family with early-onset disease — and one exception
Dr. Quiroz, her longtime colleague Dr. Francisco Lopera, and first author Dr. Joseph Arboleda-Velasquez have been studying a large family in Colombia, South America, some of whom have a mutation in the presenilin 1 gene that causes early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Over 1,000 people in this family are affected by the mutation. Among these family members, early symptoms of Alzheimer’s, such as memory loss and word-finding difficulties, almost always develop around age 44, and dementia follows at around age 49. Sometimes individuals may develop these symptoms or dementia one, two, or even three years later. But not 10 or 20 years later — and certainly not 30 years later. Yet one individual — a woman in her 70s with this genetic mutation — is only now starting to show symptoms.
The study, reported in the November 2019 issue of Nature Medicine, is a case report and extensive analysis of this one woman.
The APOE gene can modify your risk of Alzheimer’s
Many people have read or heard about variations in the APOE gene as a risk factor for Alzheimer’s. Interestingly, in their inquiry into why this woman with a mutation for early-onset Alzheimer’s had not yet developed dementia, the researchers found that she had an additional mutation in her APOE gene.
APOE has been linked to ordinary, late-onset Alzheimer’s disease and comes in three common forms. Most people, about 70% to 75%, have APOE3. About 15% to 20% of people have an APOE4 gene, and about 5% to 10% of people have an APOE2 gene.
- If you have one APOE4 gene, your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease is three to four times more likely than if you only have APOE3 genes.
- If you have one APOE2 gene, your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease is somewhat less than if you only have APOE3 genes.
This woman’s mutation of her APOE gene is an unusual variant called APOE3Christchurch (APOE3ch), named after the New Zealand city where it was first discovered. Even more unusual is the fact that she had two versions of this mutation, meaning that both her father and her mother gave it to her. The researchers wondered if this APOE3ch mutation could be the cause of her resistance to Alzheimer’s disease.
Resistance to tau
Another piece of the puzzle relates to an abnormal protein called tau. Tau is associated with the destruction of brain cells in Alzheimer’s disease. Tau is thought to accumulate in the brain after amyloid protein — the pathologic hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease — forms plaques. Although her brain was full of abnormal amyloid plaques — even more so than most people with full-blown Alzheimer’s dementia — she had relatively little tau.
Now the question was, could the APOE3ch mutation be related to the small amounts of tau protein? Although the answer is far from settled, the researchers did uncover some clues through laboratory experiments. Their findings suggest that the APOE3ch mutation may reduce the uptake of tau in brain cells. In addition, they were able to produce similar beneficial results using a special protein they created in the laboratory to try to mimic the effects of the APOE3ch mutation.
Where we are now
In brief, these Harvard researchers have a viable hypothesis to explain why this woman has been highly resistant to developing Alzheimer’s disease dementia. Moreover, their work suggests a possible path to a treatment that could be beneficial for all forms of Alzheimer’s disease.
We are still years away from a human treatment. The next step will be to try to treat laboratory models of Alzheimer’s disease in rodents, and then clinical trials in people with the disease after that. But in my view, this paper has provided the scientific community with a clue that may lead us to an eventual cure for Alzheimer’s disease.
The post A clue to a cure for Alzheimer’s disease appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
Report says Kentucky Medicaid could save nearly $240 million by cutting middlemen between drug makers and pharmacists
Pharmacy benefit managers are the middlemen between insurance and drug companies. The PBMs have much power; they determine what drugs are offered, how much someone pays for the drug, and the payments to pharmacists.
The report was done by the independent accounting firm Myers and Stauffer, which is a national expert on prescription drug pricing, Deborah Yetter reports for the Louisville Courier Journal.
Kentucky lawmakers have been working on PBM issues for years. Most recently, they called for increased scrutiny of PBMs' pricing practices. The bill's sponsor, Republican Sen. Max Wise of Campbellsville, told Yetter that this report sheds some light into what's in the "black box" as lawmakers look into "unfair practices that are harmful."
Wise was referring to a separate report issued earlier this year, "Medicaid Pharmacy Pricing: Opening the Black Box," which found two PBMs kept $123.5 million last year from the state's Medicaid program by paying pharmacies a lower rate to fill prescriptions, while charging the state more for the same drug, a process that is called "spread pricing."
Wise told the Courier Journal that he didn't know what would result from the report, but said he plans to "take it up with legislative leadership to discuss possible changes in state law," Yetter writes.
Independent pharmacies in Kentucky and around the nation have said for years that the payment practices of PBMs are so bad that they threaten their survival.
Greg Lopes, a spokesman for the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, a trade group for the PBMs, told Yetter, “Pharmacy benefit managers are hired to reduce prescription drug costs and improve the quality of benefits for consumers, employers, and public programs, including Medicaid."
The report makes no recommendations on what Kentucky should do, and a spokeswoman for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, which oversees Medicaid, told Yetter that its Department of Medicaid Services, which sought the study, had no recommendation either.
But Kentucky pharmacists were quick to call for reform, Yetter reports.
"The savings estimated in this report demonstrate that overpaying PBMs to administer pharmacy benefits is an untenable situation that must be remedied," Don Kupper, president of the Kentucky Pharmacists Association, said in a statement.
And Rosemary Smith, co-founder of the Kentucky Independent Pharmacists Association, told Yetter that the report provides a much-needed framework to reform the system. Smith and her husband, Luther, own six Eastern Kentucky pharmacies.
"We need to act immediately," Yetter heard from Shannon Stiglitz, vice president of government affairs for the Kentucky Retail Federation. "For many years, the pharmacy benefit managers have told us they save dollars," she said. "Now we know and this report is evidence that those savings go to their bottom line at the expense of patients, taxpayers and providers."
Kentucky Medicaid, which gets about 80% of its money from the federal government, spends about $1.5 billion a year on drugs. The report estimates that eliminating PBMs, it could save about $237.5 million a year — keeping about $45 million for itself, with the rest of the savings being the federal share of the money, Yetter reports.
"That conflicts with the findings of state Medicaid officials in 2018 that a carve-out of prescription drugs could cost the Medicaid program an additional $200 million a year, $36 million of that in state funds," Yetter writes.
Both Smith and Kupper recommend returning to the fee-for-service system, which is already used for patients outside Medicaid managed care, such as nursing home residents and those in special Medicaid programs for people with disabilities, Yetter reports.
"We already have the system in place to take this back," Smith said. "We have the resources. We have the staff and we can save the state all of this money."
The state Medicaid program contracts with five managed care companies that in turn subcontract with PBMs. The PBMs then contract with pharmacies. CVS Caremark, an affiliate of the drugstore chain, has most of the PBM business in Kentucky, handling prescription drug claims for four of the five managed-care companies.
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Holiday-season tips to enjoy all of your favorite foods, without the weight gain
Seasonal, calorie-rich holiday foods that show up on Thanksgiving Day and stick around until New Year's Day can be detrimental to the waistline. But the good news is that there are strategies which will allow you to enjoy all of your favorite foods without the unwanted weight gain.
Beth Ackerman of the University of Louisville Physicians Diabetes and Obesity Center offers several tips to keep your weight in check on the U of L Physicians blog.
Eat regular meals: Don’t skip breakfast and hold out for the big meal. Instead, eat regular meals and don’t stuff yourself.
Cut down on leftovers: Because holiday foods are often high in calories, consider cutting recipes in half, and if you do end up with leftovers, freeze them for another meal on a different week.
Portion size is the key: Keep portions to a couple of tablespoons instead of a full serving. This way you can have a little bit of all your favorite dishes.
Hide tempting food: Place tempting foods, like pies and cookies, in containers in the pantry.
Healthy choices: Make sure to also offer lower-calorie foods such as vegetable trays or fruit trays so guests can enjoy healthy alternatives.
Start a new tradition: Take a walk, play a game of basketball or go shopping after the big meal to burn off some calories.
Make some swaps: Choose sweet potatoes instead of sweet potato casserole; a wheat roll instead of a biscuit; or fruit instead of a slice of pie.
Fill up on veggies: Veggies will keep you full, and maybe help you avoid a second dessert.
Eat regular meals: Don’t skip breakfast and hold out for the big meal. Instead, eat regular meals and don’t stuff yourself.
Cut down on leftovers: Because holiday foods are often high in calories, consider cutting recipes in half, and if you do end up with leftovers, freeze them for another meal on a different week.
Portion size is the key: Keep portions to a couple of tablespoons instead of a full serving. This way you can have a little bit of all your favorite dishes.
Hide tempting food: Place tempting foods, like pies and cookies, in containers in the pantry.
Healthy choices: Make sure to also offer lower-calorie foods such as vegetable trays or fruit trays so guests can enjoy healthy alternatives.
Start a new tradition: Take a walk, play a game of basketball or go shopping after the big meal to burn off some calories.
Make some swaps: Choose sweet potatoes instead of sweet potato casserole; a wheat roll instead of a biscuit; or fruit instead of a slice of pie.
Fill up on veggies: Veggies will keep you full, and maybe help you avoid a second dessert.
Living with Crohn’s disease: Recognizing and managing flares
Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory condition that can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract. Together with ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s is one of the two main types of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Crohn’s affects approximately 500,000 Americans and is a chronic, lifelong condition that typically alternates between periods of relatively stable or absent symptoms (remission) and periods of symptom flare-ups that can last for days, weeks, or even months.
The goal of treatment is to induce remission and then to maximize the chance that patients stay in remission. However, almost everyone with Crohn’s disease will experience a flare-up at some point. If you have Crohn’s disease, it is important to understand what you can do to reduce the risk of a flare, to recognize symptoms of a flare, and to manage flares when they do happen.
Tracking symptoms helps recognize Crohn’s disease flares early
Flare-ups can be triggered by a variety of factors including changes in diet, new medications, infections and antibiotics, stress, and changes in the underlying disease itself. In some cases a specific trigger can be identified, but in many cases the trigger remains unknown.
Symptoms of Crohn’s disease can vary widely. Some people primarily have abdominal pain and diarrhea, while others may have lack of appetite, nausea, or abdominal distension, and still others may have less specific symptoms such as fatigue, joint pain, mouth ulcers, or eye symptoms.
The key is to have a good sense of your baseline symptoms at remission, and how your Crohn’s disease manifests when it is more active. A number of smartphone apps, including Oshi: IBD tracker and myColitis, can help patients better monitor their condition, prompting you to track things like bowel movements, symptoms, and medications. The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation has developed an easy-to-use symptom tracker. These types of records can help you provide your gastroenterologist with a more complete picture of your disease activity between office visits.
Contact your doctor at the first sign of a flare
You should contact your doctor if you think you are experiencing a flare so he or she can test to see if the flare is due to an infection, or determine if any new medications or exposures, such as recent antibiotics, might have triggered the flare. In the absence of infection or another reversible cause of the flare, your gastroenterologist may recommend a treatment course of corticosteroids, either topical (applied to the lower colon through enemas or suppositories) or systemic (body-wide).
Symptom flares can also indicate a change in your body’s response to your current treatment. For example, each year a portion of patients who take either immunomodulator or biologic medications such as infliximab (Remicade) or adalimumab (Humira) stop responding to their medication. Sometimes a major symptom flare can signify that these medications are no longer working. Your doctor can perform tests to confirm if this is the case and, if necessary, switch you to a different medication.
Dietary and lifestyle changes can help manage Crohn’s disease flares
There are a number of additional measures you can take to help manage flares when they do occur.
Avoid NSAIDs. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen (Advil) or naproxen (Aleve) can impair the ability of the GI tract to protect and heal itself, and can precipitate a flare. If you are having pain, take acetaminophen (Tylenol) instead of NSAIDs.
Quit smoking. Smoking is a strong risk factor for developing Crohn’s disease and can also set off a disease flare. Quitting smoking is strongly associated with fewer flares, decreased medication requirements, and reduced risk of surgery.
Reduce stress. Although stress does not directly cause Crohn’s disease, it does strongly impact IBD symptoms. Many people with Crohn’s disease find the regular use of stress management and stress reduction techniques to be helpful. These can include meditation, deep breathing, biofeedback, yoga, and cognitive behavioral therapy.
Simplify your diet. There is no specific diet that prevents or cures Crohn’s disease, but you may identify specific foods that tend to worsen your symptoms. Keeping a food journal can help you make these connections. There are also several general principles that help most patients feel better when they are experiencing a flare:
- Eliminate dairy.
- Avoid greasy and fried food.
- Limit foods that are high in fiber, such as raw vegetables and whole grains.
- Avoid foods that tend to cause gas (beans, cruciferous vegetables).
- Limit your diet to well-cooked vegetables.
Minimize caffeine and alcohol. They may make symptoms worse during a flare.
The bottom line
Most people with Crohn’s disease will experience a flare at some point, even if they take their maintenance medications as directed. Carefully monitoring and tracking symptoms every day will help you recognize a flare-up when it begins. Let your gastroenterologist know about a flare-up and to be sure to follow recommendations for medications and tests. Dietary and lifestyle modifications can also help manage flare-ups when they do occur.
The post Living with Crohn’s disease: Recognizing and managing flares appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.
Monday, November 25, 2019
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Yes, you can avoid weight gain over the holidays!
The holidays are a time when family and friends gather to enjoy each other’s company — and eat! Indulgent meals, bountiful buffets, cookie swaps, holiday parties… it’s no surprise that maintaining a healthy weight can present even more challenges during the holidays than throughout the rest of the year. Each year, on average, we tend to gain a small amount of weight (about one pound per year). According to some research, most of that weight is gained over the holiday season.
Study suggests you can control holiday weight gain
Does that mean we are destined to see a bigger number when we step on the scale in January? Or can we keep the end-of-year weight gain at bay?
A study published in The BMJ sought to find out. Researchers examined the effectiveness of a brief (four to eight week) behavioral intervention to prevent weight gain over the Christmas holiday period. The researchers randomized 272 adults into one of two groups. The intervention group was given a behavioral intervention intended to increase their restraint of food and beverage consumption. The intervention involved three components: encouraging participants to regularly weigh themselves and record their weight; providing specific weight-management strategies; and providing information on how much physical activity would be needed to burn off the calories consumed in typical holiday foods and drinks. The control group received information on healthy living.
Results showed that the intervention group lost an average of 0.3 pounds, while the control group gained 0.8 pounds. This may not seem like much, but research shows that weight gains are not fully lost in the months following the holidays. Although the yearly gain is small, it can add up to an increase of 10 pounds over 10 years.
10 top tips for weight management
Study participants in the intervention group were encouraged to follow these 10 tips to help prevent weight gain:
- Keep to your meal routine. Try to eat at roughly the same times each day.
- Go reduced-fat. Choose low-fat foods when possible.
- Walk off the weight. Aim for 10,000 steps each day.
- Pack a healthy snack. Choose fresh fruit or low-calorie yogurt instead of chocolate or chips.
- Look at the labels. Check food labels for fat and sugar content.
- Caution with your portions. Don’t heap food on your plate, and think twice before having second helpings.
- Up on your feet. Stand up for 10 minutes every hour.
- Think about your drinks. Choose water or calorie-free drinks, and limit alcohol.
- Focus on your food. Slow down, and don’t eat in front of the TV or on the go.
- Don’t forget your 5-a-day. Eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day.
How much activity would it take to burn off this eggnog?
Physical activity — or at least understanding how much physical activity it would take to burn off calories, and possibly considering that information when making choices about what to eat — also played a role in preventing weight gain. In the study, the researchers provided the intervention group with a chart that showed the approximate amount of activity it would take to burn the calories found in a given amount of festive foods. For example, it would take approximately 12 minutes of walking or six minutes of running to burn off the calories in five pigs in a blanket, and it would take approximately eight minutes of walking or four minutes of running to burn off the calories in 5 tablespoons of gravy.
More strategies to prevent holiday weight gain
Here are a few more tips to help you keep your weight in check without foregoing your holiday traditions.
- Mark all of the holiday events you’ll be attending on your calendar so that you’ll remember to plan ahead. If the meal is not at your home, eat lighter the day of the event to balance the extra calories you may consume at the party. If the event is in the evening, have a healthy breakfast and satisfying lunch, with a light snack before the event to avoid overindulging later.
- If you are the host and struggle with tasting while cooking, try chewing sugar-free gum while preparing the meal, or have a small snack before you start cooking. Serve plenty of raw vegetables and yogurt-based dips to start the event and fresh fruit to finish. After the meal, send leftovers home with friends and family.
- The workplace can be hazardous around the holidays; holiday lunches and office parties can make it difficult for even the most health-conscious employee to make smart choices. If the team is going out for a special holiday lunch, choose lower-calorie items and go light on dinner that evening. Move holiday cookies and candies to a high-traffic area to spread the goodies around.
- Start new traditions that don’t revolve around food. For example, attend a holiday concert or show, or take a drive or walk to see holiday lights. Catch up with a friend over a yoga or Zumba class instead of meeting for a peppermint mocha latte.
Preventing weight gain over the holidays can be a challenge. But it is possible!
The post Yes, you can avoid weight gain over the holidays! appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.
Why hire a full-time health reporter when you can buy news off the shelf?
While somewhere there is still some important investigative reporting going on in some local TV stations, here is a fresh warning to anyone who gets much of their health care information from local TV health news.
A recent case in point – seen on television stations across the country – is news about a minimally invasive nose-freezing procedure to treat chronic rhinitis – problems with allergies, runny or stuffy noses or other breathing problems.
The procedure uses a device marketed as Clarifix.
Limited data as basis for FDA approval
In 2017 The FDA approved the device for use in adults with chronic rhinitis. It was approved under the agency’s 510(K) clause, with FDA stating that it is “substantially equivalent” to a device already approved and on the market for destroying unwanted tissue during surgical procedures
The pilot trial data – which was enough for the FDA to approve the device – was gathered in only 27 people, 24 of whom were followed for just 90 days. (A longer, non-randomized study now appears to be underway.)
The trial relied heavily on patient reported outcomes and satisfaction – which can be unreliable measurements.
After 90 days use in 24 people, the average patient-reported “nasal symptom” score improved 56 percent.
Only 17 patients in the trial responded to a questionnaire on their level of satisfaction. Ten of the 17 reported the freezing technique to be somewhat or very uncomfortable.
Mega-TV news coverage for this?
When you think about all of the health care news that might be considered newsworthy nationwide, would it be a technique that won FDA approval after being tested in 24 people for a few months?
Local television news stories have touted the device across the US – in Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New York, Rhode Island, Texas, Wisconsin. They almost all follow the same predictable pattern.
A. Feature a patient who tried several medications without relief.
B. Introduce a local physician who is a true believer in the Clarifix device.
C. Use the same video animation of the procedure – from the manufacturer.
D. Cap it off with a sound bite from a satisfied patient.
E. When the taped story ends, come back to the studio and have the anchor tout how quickly results are seen and how minimal any side effects are.
KOLN in Lincoln, Nebraska promoted the physician they profiled as “one of the few in Nebraska” using this approach and quoted one patient’s advice – “If your allergies make you miserable, go see Dr. Robinson (her doctor).” Gee, a doctor couldn’t buy that kind of advertising. And he got it free – on the news.
Feeding you a steady diet of ‘Medical Breakthroughs’
Unbeknownst to viewers, the source for some of these copycat stories is a Florida-based news service called Ivanhoe “Medical Breakthroughs.” Ivanhoe calls itself “the country’s largest news-gathering organization covering medical breakthroughs, family health and issues important to women.”
I’ve written about their problematic pre-packaged video reports for more than a decade – as long ago as 2006 and again in 2009.
Ivanhoe’s website states, “Through our three syndicated television series, Ivanhoe’s reports are broadcast in approximately 50 markets reaching 30 million U.S. households.”
Dispelling any doubt about Ivanhoe’s involvement, WNDU in South Bend, Indiana apparently inadvertently posted Ivanhoe background information under a Clarifix story on its website – all under the byline of one of the station’s anchors. Here’s a screenshot from their website:
Cheaper than hiring and training a full-time health care journalist
One New York doctor appears in many of the stories I saw. That’s largely because he appears in the Ivanhoe video. So if you live in South Bend – or in many other TV markets where a local station touted the device – you may have learned about a New York doctor using it, but you may not have heard anything about anyone in your area using it.
More importantly, you probably didn’t know that you weren’t getting this story because someone in your local TV newsroom sat in an editorial meeting and said, “Hey, why don’t we do something on the latest in treatment for chronic rhinitis?”
Instead, you got this story the same way many other American viewers of local TV news got it – from the widespread distribution of canned videos that put the device in the best possible light and fail to ask probing questions about key points such as how much it costs and how strong is the evidence that it’s safe and effective. At a time when local TV stations no longer have profit margins of 40%, the Ivanhoe approach is a cheaper, more predictable way of filling your newscast with health care news. Cheaper than hiring and training a full-time health care reporter.
Of course if you did hire and adequately train a full-time health care journalist, he/she might object to being asked to create a story based on handout video and a pilot study of 24 people for 3 months. And what news director wants to deal with such a problem reporter?
In an article I cited 13 years ago, a website called Grade The News analyzed the Ivanhoe approach.
The company, Ivanhoe Broadcast News, allows local reporters to put their names on stories they didn’t report, film or write — without mentioning Ivanhoe. Stations also are permitted to omit geographical information, giving viewers the false impression that the stories were locally produced and the patients and doctors quoted in the stories could be their neighbors.
In that story, critics called the approach “plagiarism…unethical…deception.” Thirteen years later, not much has changed.
Sunday, November 24, 2019
Medical News Today: Sleep deprivation 'triples the number of lapses in attention'
Accumulating evidence shows that sleep loss can severely hamper our ability to handle complex tasks, which, researchers note, can be 'risky.'
Medical News Today: Can the gut microbiome unlock the secrets of aging?
A new study finds that gut bacteria from old mice can help rejuvenate the neurons of younger ones, suggesting that gut bacteria are key to aging.
Saturday, November 23, 2019
Medical News Today: Anal cancer mortality rates have more than doubled in the US
Researchers warn that the incidence and mortality rates of anal cancer have been increasing steeply in the United States over a period of only 15 years.
Medical News Today: How dormant herpes springs back to life
Researchers have now uncovered a cellular mechanism that may explain how the herpes simplex virus goes into and comes out of hiding.
Medical News Today: Flu in toddlers: Everything you need to know
Toddlers can catch the flu, just like other people, and it can be hard to know when to seek help. Learn more about flu signs and symptoms in toddlers and treatments available.
Medical News Today: What is a preauricular pit?
A preauricular pit is a second hole in the ear that forms before birth. This is not usually a cause for concern, but infection may lead to mild complications. Read this article to learn more.
Medical News Today: What are the benefits of aerobic exercise?
Aerobic exercise reduces the risk of many health conditions. National guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of aerobic activity per week. Here, learn more about the benefits of aerobic exercise on the body and brain.
Employer-sponsored insurance health plans in Ky. more costly in 2018; high premiums and deductibles leave many underinsured
By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News
A recent analysis by The Commonwealth Fund, a foundation interested in the health-care system, shows that the overall cost of employer-sponsored insurance plans keeps going up, and families are spending more of their income on health care.
“The majority of people under age 65 in the U.S., 164 million, get their health insurance through an employer, and that insurance is less and less affordable for many of them,” Dr. David Blumenthal, president of The Commonwealth Fund, said in a news release. “Ensuring that everyone can afford health insurance and health care will require policy fixes and systemwide efforts to get to the heart of the health care cost problem: the exorbitant prices we often pay for health care in the United States.”
The analysis found that Kentucky families covered through employer plans spent on average, 13 percent of their yearly income for health coverage in 2018 -- or $7,471 in out-of-pocket spending. That was slightly above the national average of 11.5%.
That was a 3.1% increase from 2016, compared to a 4.4% jump in the national rate. But when you compare the state's average potential out-of-pocket spending in 2018 to what Kentuckians were paying a decade ago ($3,886), it's up 92%.
And because Kentuckians make less money on average than people in other states, they spend a larger share of their incomes on their premiums and deductibles. For example, in Kentucky, the median household income in 2018 was $50,247, compared to $61,937 nationally.
“Over the last decade, employer health-insurance premiums and deductibles have grown faster than workers’ wages. This is concerning, because it may put both coverage and health care out of reach for millions of people," Sara Collins, lead author of the study, said in the release.
The analysis of Kentucky empoloyer-based insurance shows that the premium cost for single-coverage plans saw the biggest jump between 2016 and 2018, from $1,290 to $1,633, or 12.5%. The rest of the nation saw a 3.8% increase for this measure.
Deductible costs for single coverage dropped 1.9%, to $1,833; deductibles for the combined average of single and family coverage dropped 3.2%, to $2,930; and premiums for family coverage increased 6.6%, to $5,382. Changes nationally were higher for the deductible costs, but lower for the premium cost.
Offering a bit of perspective, the Commonwealth Fund points out that high-deductible plans leave many people at risk of being underinsured, which is defined as having a deductible equivalent to 5% or more of their income. That said, a $2,930 deductible would leave many middle-class families in Kentucky underinsured, making it difficult for them to pay their medical bills and more likely resulting in skipping care because of the cost.
In general, the report says, employees pay about one-fourth of U.S. employers’ portion of the premium costs -- and that holds true in Kentucky. Employer-sponsored insurance premiums, which includes contributions from both the employer and employee, for single coverage in Kentucky in 2018 was $6,690 (up 7.8% from 2016) and $19,277 for family coverage (up 7.5% from 2016).
The researchers note that recent proposals to address the rising cost of health insurance include enhancing the affordability and cost protection of Affordable Care Act marketplace plans, allowing people with employer plans to buy coverage on the marketplace, or replacing private insurance with a public plan like Medicare.
The study used data from the federal Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Researchers surveyed more than 40,000 business establishments in 2018, with an overall response rate of 67.8%. It looked at both premiums, the amount a person has to pay each month for their plan, and deductibles, the amount a person has to pay before an insurance company's payments kick in; and the size of the costs relative to the median income in each state.
Kentucky Health News
A recent analysis by The Commonwealth Fund, a foundation interested in the health-care system, shows that the overall cost of employer-sponsored insurance plans keeps going up, and families are spending more of their income on health care.
“The majority of people under age 65 in the U.S., 164 million, get their health insurance through an employer, and that insurance is less and less affordable for many of them,” Dr. David Blumenthal, president of The Commonwealth Fund, said in a news release. “Ensuring that everyone can afford health insurance and health care will require policy fixes and systemwide efforts to get to the heart of the health care cost problem: the exorbitant prices we often pay for health care in the United States.”
That was a 3.1% increase from 2016, compared to a 4.4% jump in the national rate. But when you compare the state's average potential out-of-pocket spending in 2018 to what Kentuckians were paying a decade ago ($3,886), it's up 92%.
And because Kentuckians make less money on average than people in other states, they spend a larger share of their incomes on their premiums and deductibles. For example, in Kentucky, the median household income in 2018 was $50,247, compared to $61,937 nationally.
“Over the last decade, employer health-insurance premiums and deductibles have grown faster than workers’ wages. This is concerning, because it may put both coverage and health care out of reach for millions of people," Sara Collins, lead author of the study, said in the release.
The analysis of Kentucky empoloyer-based insurance shows that the premium cost for single-coverage plans saw the biggest jump between 2016 and 2018, from $1,290 to $1,633, or 12.5%. The rest of the nation saw a 3.8% increase for this measure.
Deductible costs for single coverage dropped 1.9%, to $1,833; deductibles for the combined average of single and family coverage dropped 3.2%, to $2,930; and premiums for family coverage increased 6.6%, to $5,382. Changes nationally were higher for the deductible costs, but lower for the premium cost.
Offering a bit of perspective, the Commonwealth Fund points out that high-deductible plans leave many people at risk of being underinsured, which is defined as having a deductible equivalent to 5% or more of their income. That said, a $2,930 deductible would leave many middle-class families in Kentucky underinsured, making it difficult for them to pay their medical bills and more likely resulting in skipping care because of the cost.
In general, the report says, employees pay about one-fourth of U.S. employers’ portion of the premium costs -- and that holds true in Kentucky. Employer-sponsored insurance premiums, which includes contributions from both the employer and employee, for single coverage in Kentucky in 2018 was $6,690 (up 7.8% from 2016) and $19,277 for family coverage (up 7.5% from 2016).
The researchers note that recent proposals to address the rising cost of health insurance include enhancing the affordability and cost protection of Affordable Care Act marketplace plans, allowing people with employer plans to buy coverage on the marketplace, or replacing private insurance with a public plan like Medicare.
The study used data from the federal Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Researchers surveyed more than 40,000 business establishments in 2018, with an overall response rate of 67.8%. It looked at both premiums, the amount a person has to pay each month for their plan, and deductibles, the amount a person has to pay before an insurance company's payments kick in; and the size of the costs relative to the median income in each state.
Friday, November 22, 2019
Medical News Today: What is resistant starch?
Resistant starches are starches that the body cannot break down and use for energy. Read this article to learn about the types of resistant starch and their potential health benefits.
Medical News Today: Obsessive love: What to know
Obsessive love disorder can be a symptom of an underlying mental health condition or due to previous trauma. Learn more about its symptoms, causes, and treatments here.
Medical News Today: Sinus tachycardia: Everything you need to know
Sinus tachycardia is when the sinus node in the heart sends electrical impulses faster than the normal rate, resulting in an increased heart rate. Learn more in this article.
Medical News Today: What to know about recovering from concussion
Concussion recovery usually takes 2 weeks to 1 month, and most people make a full recovery. Learn about concussion recovery and recovery tips here.
Medical News Today: Inflammation drives tau damage in Alzheimer's
Inflammation drives neuron damage by tau protein accumulation in Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative brain diseases, according to new research.
Medical News Today: Brain cancer: Lithium may restore cognitive function after radiation
New research has found that lithium improves memory and learning capabilities in young female mice that have undergone radiation treatment.
Medical News Today: Alzheimer's: Poor air quality may contribute to cognitive decline
A recent study adds to the evidence linking air pollution with cognitive decline. The researchers also suggest a possible underlying mechanism.
Medical News Today: Through my eyes: Living with shoulder arthritis
My name is Rudy Kadlub, and I'm a 70-year-old powerlifter. This is my story of how I continued to break world records after shoulder surgery.
Medical News Today: Heart attack protein may raise early death risk
New research finds a link between troponin, a heart attack-related protein, and a high risk of early death among people of all ages.
Medical News Today: How long does bronchitis take to go away?
Bronchitis is an inflammatory condition affecting the lungs. Here we look at the differences between acute and chronic bronchitis, how long each type may last, and when to see a doctor for treatment.
Medical News Today: What to know about a tracheostomy
A tracheostomy is a surgical procedure that can help a person breathe. Here, find out when the procedure is necessary, what it involves, and its associated risks.
Medical News Today: 8 yoga poses to relieve constipation
Constipation is a common complaint, but yoga poses can help by stimulating the digestive system and relieving gas. Learn more about yoga poses for constipation here.
Words matter when writing about addiction, and the wrong ones increase stigma; speakers at workshop offer tips
By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News
ASHLAND, Ky. -- The words used to describe drug addiction and those suffering from it can either perpetuate the stigma that is attached to the disease or can help people move beyond it, and journalists have a responsibility to stop using stigmatizing language.
That was the main message of the last two speakers at the Nov. 15 workshop in Ashland, Ky., "Covering Substance Abuse and Recovery: A Workshop for Journalists," sponsored by the University of Kentucky's Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues and Oak Ridge Associated Universities.
"Nobody has the power to change language like us," said Bishop Nash, most recently the health reporter at the Herald-Dispatch in nearby Huntington, W.Va., a city that has been called the epicenter of the opioid epidemic. “That's just how it is and I feel it in my heart to do it for my people."
Nash said he, like many other reporters, has had to learn to write differently about addiction, but once he understood the science of the disease and why it was important to not use stigmatizing language, it has been an easy switch.
"It really requires a change of heart," he said. "When you get your heart wrapped around this issue, you really don't have to think about it."
Nash gave credit to Lyn O'Connell, the associate director of community services in the division of addiction sciences in family medicine at Marshall Health in Huntington, for helping him and others in the area understand why the words journalists use to cover addiction matters.
O'Connell, who spoke first, explained that after making regular phone calls to the Herald-Dispatch, including ones to Nash, and asking them to print less stigmatizing headlines, she realized the journalists and their editors just didn't know any better, so she compiled a set of guidelines on how to cover addiction and set out to teach them. O"Connell shared some of those guidelines at the day-long workshop.
Like other speakers at the conference, O’Connell said stigma is what keeps many people with substance use disorders from seeking treatment. She added that it also keeps lawmakers from providing adequate funding for programs to support them.
"So if they see these damaging headlines, it's only going to perpetuate these diseases in our communities," she said.
She encouraged journalist to use non-stigmatizing language, and offered four suggestions.
First, she said it's important to use "people-first language." For example, write "an individual with a substance-use disorder" instead of the more stigmatizing term "addict." "Remember that we are talking about a human and we should put the human first in a sentence," she said.
O'Connell also noted the importance of focusing on the medical nature of a substance use disorder. She pointed out that we don't call people with cancer "those cancer people" and asked why would we de-humanize a person with a substance-use disorder, which is a chronic disease, and call them an addict.
She also encouraged using language that promotes recovery. For example, instead of saying "an individual with a substance-use disorder," when appropriate say "an individual in recovery."
It's also important to avoid perpetuating negative stereotypes and biases through the use of slang and idioms, she said. In other words, don't use words like junkie, addict, user, abuser, crack-head.
She also encouraged journalists to move away from writing or saying "substance abuse," which she said has criminal under-tones. Instead, she said be medically accurate and use the term substance use disorder, which is what it is. "I think this is one of the hardest adjustments," she said.
She offered several more suggestions, including making sure you only mention the details of a person's addiction if it is relevant; to never say an infant is born addicted, but to instead say it was born experiencing exposure or withdrawal; and to not ever use the words "clean or dirty" to describe a drug screening, but to instead say it was positive or negative for the substance. She also said to make sure the images and photographs used in a story are accurate and are images that promote treatment and recovery.
She concluded by noting that addiction is a complex, chronic-relapsing disease that is the result of many different factors, and that most individuals in treatment have a history of trauma.
She said, "When we don't consider the entire person in that story, we're missing out on a lot of who that person is, and the back history."
Nash said he initially thought all of these changes would "clog” his writing and that readers would roll their eyes and say, "Oh, the PC police are out." But since, he said he has evolved to writing substance use disorder on first reference because that establishes it as a disease, and then refers to it as an addiction because that is the word his readers understand.
"This isn't about being politically correct," he said. "This about being right in the science with it."
A person in the audience noted the struggles editors face in trying to fit so many words into a headline and said alternative, smaller words are needed that are also appropriate to use.
"That just speaks to the importance that you should not just be teaching this to reporters," Nash said. "You've got to teach this to editors, you've got to teach this to copy desk people, and the hardest thing is that you've got to teach this to a lot of people who are set in their ways."
Nash recognized that a reporters job is to report, and to not sugarcoat the news, but said there is no reason that the words they use should add to the stigma.
He said, "I believe that state and local journalists in particular have a moral imperative for the greater public good in the communities they serve."
Kentucky Health News
ASHLAND, Ky. -- The words used to describe drug addiction and those suffering from it can either perpetuate the stigma that is attached to the disease or can help people move beyond it, and journalists have a responsibility to stop using stigmatizing language.
 |
| Bishop Nash and Lyn O'Connell speaking at in Ashland Nov. 15 at "Covering Substance Abuse and Recovery: A Workshop for Journalists" |
"Nobody has the power to change language like us," said Bishop Nash, most recently the health reporter at the Herald-Dispatch in nearby Huntington, W.Va., a city that has been called the epicenter of the opioid epidemic. “That's just how it is and I feel it in my heart to do it for my people."
Nash said he, like many other reporters, has had to learn to write differently about addiction, but once he understood the science of the disease and why it was important to not use stigmatizing language, it has been an easy switch.
"It really requires a change of heart," he said. "When you get your heart wrapped around this issue, you really don't have to think about it."
Nash gave credit to Lyn O'Connell, the associate director of community services in the division of addiction sciences in family medicine at Marshall Health in Huntington, for helping him and others in the area understand why the words journalists use to cover addiction matters.
O'Connell, who spoke first, explained that after making regular phone calls to the Herald-Dispatch, including ones to Nash, and asking them to print less stigmatizing headlines, she realized the journalists and their editors just didn't know any better, so she compiled a set of guidelines on how to cover addiction and set out to teach them. O"Connell shared some of those guidelines at the day-long workshop.
Like other speakers at the conference, O’Connell said stigma is what keeps many people with substance use disorders from seeking treatment. She added that it also keeps lawmakers from providing adequate funding for programs to support them.
"So if they see these damaging headlines, it's only going to perpetuate these diseases in our communities," she said.
She encouraged journalist to use non-stigmatizing language, and offered four suggestions.
First, she said it's important to use "people-first language." For example, write "an individual with a substance-use disorder" instead of the more stigmatizing term "addict." "Remember that we are talking about a human and we should put the human first in a sentence," she said.
O'Connell also noted the importance of focusing on the medical nature of a substance use disorder. She pointed out that we don't call people with cancer "those cancer people" and asked why would we de-humanize a person with a substance-use disorder, which is a chronic disease, and call them an addict.
She also encouraged using language that promotes recovery. For example, instead of saying "an individual with a substance-use disorder," when appropriate say "an individual in recovery."
It's also important to avoid perpetuating negative stereotypes and biases through the use of slang and idioms, she said. In other words, don't use words like junkie, addict, user, abuser, crack-head.
She also encouraged journalists to move away from writing or saying "substance abuse," which she said has criminal under-tones. Instead, she said be medically accurate and use the term substance use disorder, which is what it is. "I think this is one of the hardest adjustments," she said.
She offered several more suggestions, including making sure you only mention the details of a person's addiction if it is relevant; to never say an infant is born addicted, but to instead say it was born experiencing exposure or withdrawal; and to not ever use the words "clean or dirty" to describe a drug screening, but to instead say it was positive or negative for the substance. She also said to make sure the images and photographs used in a story are accurate and are images that promote treatment and recovery.
She concluded by noting that addiction is a complex, chronic-relapsing disease that is the result of many different factors, and that most individuals in treatment have a history of trauma.
She said, "When we don't consider the entire person in that story, we're missing out on a lot of who that person is, and the back history."
Nash said he initially thought all of these changes would "clog” his writing and that readers would roll their eyes and say, "Oh, the PC police are out." But since, he said he has evolved to writing substance use disorder on first reference because that establishes it as a disease, and then refers to it as an addiction because that is the word his readers understand.
"This isn't about being politically correct," he said. "This about being right in the science with it."
A person in the audience noted the struggles editors face in trying to fit so many words into a headline and said alternative, smaller words are needed that are also appropriate to use.
"That just speaks to the importance that you should not just be teaching this to reporters," Nash said. "You've got to teach this to editors, you've got to teach this to copy desk people, and the hardest thing is that you've got to teach this to a lot of people who are set in their ways."
Nash recognized that a reporters job is to report, and to not sugarcoat the news, but said there is no reason that the words they use should add to the stigma.
He said, "I believe that state and local journalists in particular have a moral imperative for the greater public good in the communities they serve."
Kentucky offers free service to help teens quit vaping and smoking; Courier Journal reports on how few teen options exist
In an effort to help teenagers stop vaping, the Kentucky Department for Public Health has launched a free service called “My Life, My Quit.”
The service allows teens who want to quit using electronic cigarettes or other tobacco products to text or call a toll-free number, 1-800-891-9989, and be connected with a "quit coach" who will provide up to five confidential, free sessions to help the teen create a personalized quit plan.
"The quit coach will help them develop strategies to cope with stress, address symptoms of withdrawal, and navigate social situations," says the news release.
“We know how difficult it is for young people to find effective help quitting tobacco products, especially help that is tailored just for them,” the health department’s Elizabeth Anderson-Hoagland said in the release. “But we also know that with help and support, young people can successfully quit tobacco, including vaping.”
E-cigarette use among Kentucky's teens nearly doubled from 2016 to 2018, with more than one in four high-school seniors and one in seven eighth-graders reporting use last year, according to the Kentucky Incentives for Prevention study.
Bailey Loosemore of the Louisville Courier Journal reports in detail about the difficulties in finding help for teens who want to quit vaping. She writes, "As the health community plays catch-up with the electronic devices, advocates admit little research has been done on cessation for teens."
A Louisville mother told Loosemore about her son who at age 17 started using Juul products, the most popular brand of e-cigarette. She said at minimum he used "at least a pod a day," which is the equivalent of a full pack of cigarettes. This, she said, has led to an addiction to nicotine that he is unable to kick, despite trying several nicotine replacement therapies. He is now 19.
The mother said she has since learned that "patches cannot replace the amount of nicotine that's in these pods" and that they are looking at inpatient therapy programs as an option for her son.
"He wants to stop," she told Loosemore. "I'm telling you, he can't."
In a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the mom writes, "There are countless victims like my son who desperately need help."
Loosemore offers several tips to help teens quit, including:
The service allows teens who want to quit using electronic cigarettes or other tobacco products to text or call a toll-free number, 1-800-891-9989, and be connected with a "quit coach" who will provide up to five confidential, free sessions to help the teen create a personalized quit plan.
"The quit coach will help them develop strategies to cope with stress, address symptoms of withdrawal, and navigate social situations," says the news release.
“We know how difficult it is for young people to find effective help quitting tobacco products, especially help that is tailored just for them,” the health department’s Elizabeth Anderson-Hoagland said in the release. “But we also know that with help and support, young people can successfully quit tobacco, including vaping.”
 |
| Data from Kentucky Incentives for Prevention survey; graphic from Sept. 18 DPH Power-Point presentation |
Bailey Loosemore of the Louisville Courier Journal reports in detail about the difficulties in finding help for teens who want to quit vaping. She writes, "As the health community plays catch-up with the electronic devices, advocates admit little research has been done on cessation for teens."
A Louisville mother told Loosemore about her son who at age 17 started using Juul products, the most popular brand of e-cigarette. She said at minimum he used "at least a pod a day," which is the equivalent of a full pack of cigarettes. This, she said, has led to an addiction to nicotine that he is unable to kick, despite trying several nicotine replacement therapies. He is now 19.
The mother said she has since learned that "patches cannot replace the amount of nicotine that's in these pods" and that they are looking at inpatient therapy programs as an option for her son.
"He wants to stop," she told Loosemore. "I'm telling you, he can't."
In a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the mom writes, "There are countless victims like my son who desperately need help."
Loosemore offers several tips to help teens quit, including:
- Know the facts about vaping. Loosemore suggests The American Lung Association and Teen.smokefree.gov as resources.
- Be ready to quit. Loosemore writes that whether it's an adult or a teen, experts say a person wont' quit vaping or smoking unless they want to -- so be patient.
- Form a support group. Experts say it increases your odds of quitting.
- Download an app. Loosemore offers several options: Truth Initiative; SmokeFree.gov; Truthinitiative.org/thisisquitting; QuitSTART; MyLifeMyQuit.com.
- Consider counseling.
