(www.wnbc.com)

One of the greatest benefits of the internet is its capacity to empower patients with information.  We all know that doctors are human and make mistakes. Furthermore, the office practice of medicine is often as much an art as a science.  When you bring a problem to the physician, especially if it is not straightforward or common, the history, physical, and laboratory evaluation often produces a "most likely" diagnosis, rather than a rock solid answer.  And, sometimes, that diagnosis is just plain wrong.

Physicians really have to have patients' help to practice optimal health care.  Patients who keep track of their own lab tests and medications, and who review their medical problems using information on the internet are more likely to discover errors, and are also more likely to suspect that a diagnosis that has been made is incorrect.

These five rules can help you figure out whether the diagnosis the physician has made is correct or not.  Take a look at these and, if your illness fits one or more of these criteria, consider going back and questioning your doctor further.  Or, consider getting a second opinion from another doctor.

Having a trusting relationship with your doctor is one of the most critical aspects of working through a difficult, potentially erroneous diagnosis.  If you trust him/her, it does not need to be a contentious or confrontational interaction.  In fact, your doctor will likely appreciate your concern about your own health and appreciate the assistance in arriving at the correct diagnosis.  If not, then its time for a new doctor anyway!

Your comments and dissenting opionions are always welcome...

Labels: drug, healthy, human growth hormone, problems

(news.bbc.co.uk)Some good points made in the discussion to a post on the low cost-effectiveness of government-funded medical research: Writing in The Scientist Frederick Sachs argues that the large increase in funding for the US National Institutes of Health did not produce a commensurate increase in scientific productivity as measured by papers published. ... Geez. An inefficient, ineffective, socialist, bureaucratic research system (as measured by its failure to cure most anything over 40 years) hits diminishing returns... Am I the only one not surprised? Sublimate it as rapidly as possible into a free-market, sink or swim, enterprise and maybe we will see something good come of it. That point is made at greater length and in greater detail in the comments by those who work inside the system. It's an important point for people with an eye on the next few decades of progress - if you want to see significant results in the advancement of human longevity, merely throwing resources at the problem is inadequate in and of itself. Without the right incentives, accountability, freedom and community, there will be immense waste, and the immense cost of missed opportunity. All spending by centralized government bodies is of that nature; no...

Labels: healthy life, hgh, hot now, result

(www.americanheart.org)Cholesterol contributes to atherosclerosis -- a condition that greatly increases the risk of heart attack and stroke -- by suppressing the activity of a key protein that protects the heart and blood vessels, according to a new article. These findings could lead to new therapies to treat or prevent heart disease - the leading cause of death in the United States - as well as answer key questions about other diseases associated with high cholesterol levels, including some types of cancer.
Possible Key To Autoimmune Disease
A self DNA-peptide complex triggers an immune response like that caused by a virus or other invading microbe. Researchers believe this response is both a likely key driver of autoimmune disease and an integral part of an early warning system that flags tissue damage to launch a protective inflammatory response to injury.
Toward A Faster Prenatal Test For Down Syndrome
Scientists are reporting an advance toward rapid testing for prenatal detection of Down syndrome and other birth defects that involve an abnormal number of chromosomes. The test has the potential for producing results for worried parents within two hours rather than the two weeks required with existing tests.
Blood Protein Detects Lung Cancer, Even At Earliest Stage
Biopharmaceutical researchers have found a protein in blood they say is linked to all stages of lung cancer but which rarely shows up in the blood of people without the disease. Testing for this protein might help physicians decide whether smokers or others at high risk for lung cancer should be referred for lung imaging, say investigators.
Brain's Messengers Could Be Regulated, Study Suggests
Tiny, spontaneous releases of the brain's primary chemical messengers can be regulated, potentially giving scientists unprecedented control over how the brain is wired. The work could lead to a better understanding of neurological diseases like schizophrenia. Sputtering electrical activity -- like a firecracker's leftover sparks after a big bang -- was long considered inconsequential background noise compared with the main cell-to-cell interactions underlying thought and memory. But researchers found that the miniscule events that follow a burst of electrical and chemical activity among neurons are far more important that previously thought.

Labels: cholesterol, chromosomes, diseases, immune response, protein

In the face of an emerging liver cancer crisis in Asia, researchers have developed a test that could help millions. Due to widespread hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, nearly 10 percent of China's population is at high risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a liver cancer with low survival rates if not detected and treated early. Researchers report on a new blood screening technique that could make it possible to detect early-stage liver cancer and predict how well a patient will do following treatment.
le Vaccine Is Both More Effective And Less Expensive
Good news for public health: Bioengineering researchers have developed and patented a nanoparticle that can deliver vaccines more effectively, with fewer side effects, and at a fraction of the cost of current vaccine technologies.
A Step Toward Tissue-engineered Heart Structures For Children
Infants and children receiving artificial heart-valve replacements face several repeat operations as they grow, since the since the replacements become too small and must be traded for bigger ones. Researchers have now developed a solution: living, growing valves created in the lab from a patient's own cells. They can now make pulmonary valves through tissue engineering.
Targeting Nerve Growth Factor May Lead To Cure For Liver Cancer, Study Suggests
Nerve growth factor (NGF), as the name says, is an essential peptide factor for the growth and differentiation of neuronal cells. Therefore we can imagine that this growth factor is important for the nervous system including brain. But a recent article tells us another surprising and exciting discovery about this growth factor: NGF is positively related to liver cancer, the No.2 killer among all kinds of cancers in the world.
Gene Mutation Thought To Control Energy Levels Discovered
Scientists have discovered a mutation in a gene that is widely considered to be the major controller of energy levels in our bodies. The discovery has significant implications for people suffering from diabetes and for endurance athletes. This study focused on the gene for AMPK (adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase), which controls the amount of energy in our cells by becoming active when fuel stores start to deplete, such as during exercise.
MIT IDs Binocular Vision Gene
In work that could lead to new treatments for sensory disorders in which people experience the strange phenomena of seeing better with one eye covered, researchers report that they have identified the gene responsible for binocular vision.
(http://blood-pressure-standard.blogspot.com)

Labels: artificial heart, nerve growth factor, public health, treatment

Anti aging- this term has grown in importance with the emergence of an age where looking good has many more implications than it previously had.
Older male fertility exists in societies supporting serial monogamy, because men are more likely to remarry than women. As a person ages, the amount of human growth hormone their body produces declines. This means that one's body is less able to repair their damaged cells. Cell damage is what causes aging.
People who take an anti aging hormone often are desperate to avoid the signs of aging and are willing to try just about anything to postpone the effects of natural aging. This is why, people turn to HGH with the hope that this antiaging human growth hormone medicine will actually work to slow down the clock.
By taking human growth hormone, you can force your body to repair the damaged cells that cause it to age.
The scientists presented a range of data showing that males much older than 50 years have substantial realized fertility through matings with younger females, a pattern that was likely typical among early humans.
As a result older male fertility helps to select against damaging cell mutations in humans who have passed the age of female menopause, consequently eliminating the "wall of death" (evolutionary theory says that individuals should die of old age when their reproductive lives are complete, generally by age 55 in humans).
Because of their ability to heal damaged cells, human growth hormone drugs are considered the most effective anti-aging treatment currently in the market.
Additionally, HGH works to keep you healthy by promoting weight loss and muscle gain naturally.
The most popular explanation for why humans don't die by age 55 has been termed the "grandmother hypothesis," which suggests that women enhance the survival of their children and grandchildren by living long enough to care for them and "increasing the success of their genes.
Does the population have a greater growth rate if men are reproducing at a later age?
The answer is 'yes'.

Labels: aging, fertility, human growth hormone, longevity

Surgeons have performed the first clinical trial surgery in Southwestern USA to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of performing abdominal procedures through the body's natural openings, virtually eliminating scarring. The procedure involved removing the gallbladder through the patient's vagina without traditional incisions through the skin. Only one small incision through the naval was required to help guide the surgeon.
Researchers have now discovered that a protein that helps organising the cells' skeleton is crucial for preventing mental retardation and other neuronal disorders. They report that mice lacking the protein show symptoms of lissencephaly brought about by faulty development of the cerebral cortex, the brain's surface layer.
(www.cnn.com)

Labels: health, procedures, surgeon

The factors causing aging, also causes other diseases like cancer and coronary heart disease. Both aging and these diseases can in great extend be prevented with the knowledge possessed today, and the damages can in great extend be reversed.
The human growth hormone supplements fall into two categories: releasers and secretagogues.
Releasers are the least expensive human growth hormone supplement available today. There are several chemical conversion steps away from actually being a true HGH while these are all components of true HGH. The herbal supplements are combined and ingested in tablet or capsule form. The pills should be taken before bedtime for best result because HGH production in the pituitary gland is more active during sleep.

Human Growth Hormone Supplement remains to be the cheapest form of HGH product and becoming widely accepted because of its effective results.

The other category from where Human Growth Hormone supplements fall under is called secretagogues. It contains minute amounts of HGH substance usually measured in nanograms, or hundredths of a gram.
Absorbing little amounts of a synthetic hormone can cause the pituitary gland to produce more of its own natural human growth hormone into the bloodstream. Secretagogues can contain real human growth hormone. They can still be available without a prescription but only if they do so in very small quantity.
A person having a poor digestion, doing high performance sport or being exposed to a high amount of environmental stressors, may need more than a person in an average situation.
Side Effects of HGH
Before beginning any supplement program, it is always wise to consult with your doctor. In addition to the above common side effects, some patients have an allergic reaction to ingredients in HGH supplements. Signs of allergic reaction include tightness in the chest or throat, chest pain, skin rash or hives, or swollen or itchy skin. Be aware of these possible signs of allergic reaction and immediately alert your healthcare professional or contact emergency medical personnel if such signs appear.

Labels: aging, human growth hormone supplement, side effects

"It's time to provide quality affordable health care for every American," Clinton said. "And I intend to be the president who accomplishes that goal finally for our country."
It turns out that older men chasing younger women contributes to human longevity and the survival of the species, according to new findings.
In her plan, Clinton said families would receive tax credits to help pay for coverage. The tax credit would be designed to limit the premiums to a percentage of a family's income.
Human ability to scale the so-called "wall of death"—surviving beyond the reproductive years—has been a center of scientific controversy for more than 50 years.
Americans satisfied with their current coverage will be allowed to keep it, the Clinton campaign said.

To help pay for the plan, Clinton would also eliminate the Bush tax cuts for those making over $250,000 and limit the amount employers can exclude from taxes for health care benefits paid for those making over $250,000.
Economic analysis recently provided has demonstrated China is expected to become the fifth largest drug market in the world by 2010. Indian Pharmaceutical Industry is growing at about 8 to 9 percent annually. Recent increase in oil prices has certain effects on corporate share prices where it make difficult to pharmaceutical companies to in vest in R&D.

(www.cnn.com -Clinton unveils mandatory health care insurance plan)

Labels: care insurance, health, plan, tax credits

Preliminary findings indicate a heart failure medication used by adults, carvedilol, may not significantly improve heart failure outcomes for children and adolescents, according to a new article.
Researchers investigating the basic biology of cell signaling have made a discovery that may have therapeutic implications for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease) and other neurodegenerative diseases.
(Genes That Improve Survival...)

Labels: health, medication, sclerosis

Researchers investigating the basic biology of cell signaling have made a discovery that may have therapeutic implications for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease) and other neurodegenerative diseases. They discovered that two cell-signaling proteins called Nox1 and Nox2 appear to play an important role in disease progression of an inherited form of ALS.
The Government made the announcement at the launch of National Blood Donor Week, which recognises the contribution made to the Australian community by voluntary, unpaid blood donors.
(Commonwealth Provides...)

Labels: blood, drug, healthy

Researchers are hoping to preserve or restore fertility in women battling cancer. The scientists are working on methods for restoring fertility in cancer patients by studying rhesus macaque monkeys who have reproductive systems very similar to humans.

Children who undergo this sort of circumstances may grow up lacking coping skills. One example of this is when a child is punished more often than praised for their behavior.
(Coping with anger...)

Labels: children living, health, process

(www.americanheart.org)Scientists have identified the process that causes blood vessels to constrict during and after a heart attack. They've also demonstrated that delivering a vital molecule that is depleted during this process directly to those blood vessels can reverse damage and help restore blood flow. The medical researchers say these findings have the potential to improve outcomes for patients with acute coronary episodes related to ischemia, and to ameliorate the restriction of blood supply to the heart.

Labels: genetic, health, symptoms

Although summer is waning, ticks are still abundant in many parts of the country.  I frequently receive questions from persons who are worried about what to do following a tick removal.  Questions range from how to safely remove them to whether or not to take antibiotics to make sure they don't get Lyme disease or Rocky Mountain Spotted fever. 

Yesterday, I received a question from a client who had noticed a small tick on his arm and "burned" it off with a match.  The next day, he had a round, red area around the bite and wondered whether this indicated presence of a tick-borne illness and whether he should begin to take antibiotics.

This is how I responded to this question: 

Even if a tick is attached, it must have taken a blood meal in order to transmit Lyme disease. At least 36 to 48 hours of feeding is required for a tick to have fed and then transmit the organism that causes Lyme disease. After this amount of time, the tick will be engorged (full of blood). An engorged tick has a globular shape and is larger than an unengorged one. So it doesn't sound at all likely that this occurred in your case.

The attached page has examples of the tiny ticks that transmit Lyme disease. The Infectious Disease Society of America recommends preventive treatment with antibiotics only in patients who meet all of the following circumstances:

1. Attached tick identified as an adult or nymphal I. scapularis (deer) tick
2. Tick is estimated to have been attached for 36 hours (by degree of engorgement or time of exposure)
3. Prophylaxis should begin within 72 hours of tick removal
4. Rate of infection of ticks with B. burgdorferi is about 20 percent (these rates of infection have been shown to occur in parts of New England, parts of the mid-Atlantic States, parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin)
5. Doxycycline is not contraindicated (ie, the patient is not pregnant or lactating or a child <8 years of age)

I would say that you don't meet the recommendations for antibiotic prophylaxis, so all we should do is monitor for possible Lyme disease, as noted below.

Many people have incorrect information about Lyme disease. For example, individuals may be concerned that Lyme disease is untreatable if antibiotics are not given early (this is untrue; even later features of Lyme disease can be effectively treated with appropriate antibiotics).

The person who was bitten should observe the area of the bite for expanding redness (you have some of this but this can also occur just from the inflammation of the tick bite), which would suggest erythema migrans (EM), the characteristic rash of Lyme disease.

The rash is usually a salmon color although, rarely, it can be an intense red, occasionally resembling cellulitis (infection of the skin). The color may be almost uniform. The lesion typically expands over a few days and is usually asymptomatic, although burning or itching has been reported. As the rash expands, it can clear in the center. The center of the rash can then appear a lighter color than its edges or the rash can develop into a series of concentric rings giving it a ''bull's eye'' appearance.

In people with early localized Lyme disease, EM occurs within one month of the tick bite, typically within a week of the tick bite, although only one-third of people recall the tick bite that gave them Lyme disease. Components of tick saliva can cause a short-lived (24 to 48 hours--this sounds like what you have) rash that should not be confused with EM. This reaction usually does not expand to a size larger than a dime.

Up to 90 percent of patients with Lyme disease will develop EM; 10 percent of these may have multiple lesions. If EM or signs or symptoms suggestive of Lyme disease develop, the person should see a healthcare provider for proper diagnosis and treatment.

I hope this information helps you figure out what to do. Please let me know if you have other questions about this.

One of the most common issues I encounter following a tick bite is people who experience this one-to-two day small red inflammatory area around a tick bite that is the result of regurgitation of tick saliva and subsequent inflammation from it.  People see this and often "freak out", thinking that they, for sure, have Lyme disease.  This reaction typically doesn't occur, though, if the tick is removed properly, which involves use of tweezers, grasping the tick near the head and tugging steadily and firmly until it releases from the skin. Then, swab the area with alcohol. 

Have you had a close encounter of the tick kind?  Let me hear from you...

( Pharmaceutical Releases)

Labels: antibiotic, disease, infection, people