Foot Blog News - Issue 16 – June 2007
15 minutes of walking can do some good
UPI- BATON ROUGE, La., May 21 (UPI) — Walking or bike riding for as little as 15 minutes a day improves the fitness of postmenopausal women who are sedentary, found a U.S. study. The study examined 460 women who were randomly placed into one of four groups: a control group that did no exercise and groups that exercised 72 minutes, 135 minutes or 191 minutes per week.
Increased Coffee Consumption Linked To Decreased Risk Of Gout In Men Over Age 40
Medical News Today- Coffee is a habit for more than 50 percent of Americans, who drink, on average, 2 cups per day. This widely consumed beverage is regularly investigated and debated for its impact on health conditions from breast cancer to heart disease. Among its complex effects on the body, coffee or its components have been linked to lower insulin and uric acid levels on a short-term basis or cross-sectionally. These and other mechanisms suggest that coffee consumption may affect the risk of gout, the most prevalent inflammatory arthritis in adult males.
When It Comes To Preventing Amputation In Diabetics, Site, Not Size, Matters
Medical News Today- Researchers at Scholl College’s Center for Lower Extremity Ambulatory Research (CLEAR) at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, Leiden University in the Netherlands, and Texas A&M University have presented important new information that could help physicians and their patients predict dangerous recurrent wounds that precede amputations in persons with diabetes. The study, conducted over a several-year period, identified two simple items that helped predict recurrence.
“The study was surprising and promising in that, out of a whole lot of data, some simple truths emerged,” noted David G. Armstrong, DPM, PhD, Professor of Surgery at Scholl College and a principal investigator on the study. “The location of the ulcer (under the big toe) and the presence of poor blood flow were the key factors that dramatically increased the risk for recurrent wounds in these patients, thereby increasing their risk for gangrene and amputation. These findings could go a long way to help us predict and prevent the unnecessarily high rate of complications in persons with diabetes, worldwide.”
Athletes Foot Apprearance
Medical News Today- Athlete’s Foot, known as tinea pedis, is a very common fungal infection that grows on human skin but especially the feet. It mostly affects men of all ages as well as young people and appears in the area between the toes, on the soles of the feet as well as in the fingernails and toenails. This infection, once it takes hold, grows and multiplies particularly in a dark, moist and warm environment. Athlete’s foot is very contagious and may easily be picked up when walking barefoot in public places. Up to 70% of the population will have athlete’s foot at some time during their lives.
Mother dies after she stubs toe in the street
Scotsman News - A MOTHER-of-two has died after she stubbed her toe on an uneven pavement and the wound became infected. Kirsty Keenan, 35, cut her toe when she tripped in the street near her home in Leith. She died just over a month later at the Western General Hospital after developing septicaemia.
Her partner, James Raeburn, 31, found her unconscious at their home in Portland Street, Leith, after collecting their children, Terrilea, 11, and three-year-old James, from school.
Sally Field Addresses Members Of Congress About Osteoporosis During National Osteoporosis Awareness Month
Medical News Today - Actress Sally Field took her campaign to raise awareness around osteoporosis and bone health to Capitol Hill today, calling on women in Congress to take steps to protect their own health and to help spread the word to their constituents.
“Osteoporosis and low bone mass is a national health issue, threatening more than 44 million Americans age 50 and older,2″ Field said. But once detected, the disease is treatable and even reversible.3
“Any woman can find herself at risk for osteoporosis at some point in her life,” said Field, whose bone mineral density (BMD) test after a year on a prescription medication showed that her progression of osteoporotic bone loss had stopped.”But we can start to shift the odds in our favor by rallying together and challenging ourselves and each other to take care of the health of our bones.”
Foot fracture often overlooked
Medical News Today - Raymond Rapier wasn’t like a lot of people. He knew his foot was broken.
Raymond was working on his computer one Saturday morning when his wife opened a door to step outside their North Carolina home. But she forgot their burglar alarm was activated. The siren blared, and Raymond jumped up to turn it off. His left foot slipped on the floor and shot forward under the desk. It slammed into the corner. The pain was immediate and intense.
“Darn right it hurt,” the 70-year-old retiree said, ranking the pain an 11 on a scale of one to 10, comparing it to smacking your thumb with a hammer.
Raymond survived the weekend taking pain relief pills and hopping around on an old pair of crutches. Monday morning, he phoned the foot and ankle surgeon he sees for diabetes care and made an appointment. Several hours later, Raymond found himself in the Suffolk, Va. examining room of Matthew Dairman, DPM, FACFAS. Dairman diagnosed a fifth metatarsal fracture, which is a break in the long bone on the outside of the foot that connects to the little toe.
Get your skates on to tackle arthritis
Daily Mail - Specially-designed shoes, with balls on the soles, are having a big impact on symptoms of knee arthritis.
After eight weeks of wearing them, patients showed a 70 per cent improvement in pain symptoms and a 30 per cent improvement in movement of the knee.
Researchers say that some patients improve so much, they abandon plans to have surgery.
“We’ve seen patients who had difficulty walking 200 yards now walking three or four miles,” say the developers, whose shoes will soon be available in the UK and America.
The Arthritis Research Campaign estimates that 550,000 men and women have moderate to severe osteoarthritis of the knee.
Sun Tan News for the Summer
- Summer is here! With the rise of melanoma and other skin cancers , even on the foot, some tips on how to avoid those harmful rays:
- Sun-smart (and not-so-smart) U.S. cities
- Sunny vacations may lead to kids’ mole development
- Summer Skin Protection “Did You Knows?”
- Indecent Exposure: Survey Shows Millions Still Not Using Sunscreen
- Burnt Brits Don’t Feel Hot
- Myth: Sunscreen Is All You Need To Prevent Skin Cancer
- Caspase-14 Protects Our Skin Against UVB And Dehydration
Discovery Of The Cellular Origin Of Ewing’s Sarcoma
Medical News Today - Inserm researchers at the Institut Curie have identified the cells that cause Ewing’s sarcoma. They are cells of the mesenchyme, the connective tissue that supports other tissues. The Institut Curie is the reference center in France for Ewing’s sarcoma, a bone tumor of children, adolescents, and young adults. The researchers have also succeeded “to make” the tumor cells to become virtually normal mesenchymal cells again. These results, published in Cancer Cell on 7 May 2007, open up new therapeutic possibilities for blocking the development of Ewing’s sarcoma in young patients.
Ewing’s sarcoma (1) is the second most frequent malignant bone tumor in France, with 50 to 100 new cases a year. It occurs in children, teenagers, and young adults (up to 30 years of age), at a frequency that peaks around puberty, between 10 and 20 years of age. This bone tumor essentially grows in the pelvis, ribs, femur, fibula, and tibia. It is highly invasive and metastases are common, especially in the lungs and skeleton.
Raynaud’s Disease: The Reason Behind Cold, White Fingers And Toes
Medical News Today - There’s a medical reason behind cold fingers and toes, when a chill seems to instantly turn extremities white. The May issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter explains the likely cause: Raynaud’s (ray-NODES) disease, a disorder of the blood vessels.
Exposure to cold normally results in slowing of blood flow to fingers and toes. Small arteries in extremities narrow, reducing blood flow and preserving the core body temperature. For people with Raynaud’s disease, the response is exaggerated for unknown reasons. The small arteries constrict dramatically, most often in the fingers and toes, but the nose, ears and cheeks also can be affected. The constriction, called vasospasm, can last for a little as a minute or as long as several hours. Stressful emotions can trigger vasospasm, too.
Osteoporosis News
What’s new in Osteoporosis news?
- Protelos®: First Osteoporosis Treatment To Show Long-Term, Sustained Efficacy And Quality Of Life Improvement
- Osteoporosis Treatment — Without Estrogen
- Estrogen Is Important For Bone Health In Men As Well As Women
- FDA Approves New Dosage Strength Of FOSAMAX PLUS D (alendronate Sodium/cholecalciferol), Increasing Vitamin D Intake For Patients With Osteoporosis
Study Uses MRI To Determine Features Of Osteoarthrosis
Medical News Today - Abnormalities in the ligaments found on the outside of the knee (lateral collateral ligament complex or LCLC) are commonly seen on MRI in patients with knee osteoarthrosis (OA), according to a study conducted by researchers from Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, PA.
The study consisted of 96 patients (53 women, 43 men), 51 with knee osteoarthrosis, and 44 patients with knee pain following an injury and no history of knee osteoarthrosis who underwent MRI. “The patients were graded on the severity of knee osteoarthrosis on radiographs and the severity of abnormalities of the LCLC components on MRI,” said Yung-Hsin Chen, MD, of Johns Hopkins Hospital and lead author of the study.
Researchers Discover How Antibiotic Inhibits Bacterial Growth
Medical News Today - Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago, in collaboration with research teams from Pharmacia & Upjohn and Pfizer, have discovered precisely how the antibiotic linezolid inhibits bacterial growth.Scientists have known that the drug linezolid — the first new antibiotic to enter the marketplace in 30 years — works by binding to ribosomes, the protein production factory of the cell. But exactly where the binding occurred and how the drug worked was not known. Until now.”Linezolid targets ribosomes, inhibits protein synthesis, and kills bacteria,” said Alexander Mankin, professor and associate director of UIC’s Center for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and lead investigator of the study. “If we know exactly where the drug binds, we can make it better and learn how to use it more effectively.” Diabetes News
- Diabetes And Heart Failure Is Double Trouble For Older Women
- Employee Health Program Improves Blood Pressure, Diabetes Control
- Frequent Urination Can Signal Underlying Health Problem
- Governments Must Act On Biggest Epidemic In Human History – New IDF Consensus On Prevention Of Diabetes Is Launched
- Insulin Therapy Shown To Treat Early Experimental Diabetic Retinopathy
- Plant-Derived Chemical With Antidiabetic Effects Discovered Using Fat Cell Screen
- Protective Pouch To Enhance Cell Therapy Invented By Johns Hopkins Students
- Inhale Insulin for Diabetes Mellitus
- Glucosamine-Like Supplement Inhibits Multiple Sclerosis, Type 1 Diabetes
- Trophos Starts Phase II Clinical Trial Of TRO19622 In Painful Diabetic Neuropathy
- Sleep Apnea May Increase Risk Of Diabetes
- Lower Risk For Diabetes Associated With Grain Fiber And Magnesium Intake
- Low Glycemic May Be Better Than Low Fat Diet For High Insulin Secreters
- KineMed Evaluates The Mechanism Of Action For Colesevelam In Patients With Type 2 Diabetes
- Enzymes And Exercise Curb Muscle Insulin Resistance
- Stenting Outcomes In Diabetic Patients Improved By Long-Term Anti-Clotting Therapy
- Study Tests Depression Treatment For Diabetes Patients
- Results From Largest Ever Study On Type 2 Diabetes Could Have Huge Implications For Patients
- Latest Strategies For Moving Research Toward A Cure For Diabetes Explored At Global Scientific Forum
- Insulin-Producing Cells Development Research Could Help Fight Against Diabetes
- Immunization Against Type 1 Diabetes – Mice Successfully Treated
November 7, 2007 at 10:12 pm
Hello my name is Benjamin. I was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea. I have been battling with my insurance company and they are not going to help me get a bipap machine because it is a pre-existing condition. I am trying to get one used online. I set up a website to try to tell my story and hopefully make enough from the ads to purchase a bipap machine. The last sleep study I went to told me that if I did not get a machine, I was headed for a heart attack in 5 years. I am 36. I appreciate anyone who makes the effort to spread the word. I would like to try to set up a way for the uninsured to get cpap and bipap machines without insurance. Thanks Very Much