Foot Blog News - Issue 18 – July 2007
Shoppers invited to put feet up and get advice
News.scotsman.com -SHOPPERS are to be offered advice on how to avoid foot problems by NHS podiatrists this week. NHS Lothian staff are supporting “Feet for Life Month” by visiting some of the city’s most popular shopping centres. Experts will be on hand at each event to advise the public on foot problems and how to prevent them.
U.S. hospitals rife with superbug bacteria: survey
Antidepressants weaken bones in elderly: studies
UPI - WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Two studies published on Monday added to the growing evidence that the most popular class of drugs taken to treat depression may contribute to fragile bones in elderly people.The research focused on a class of antidepressant drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Millions of people, including many elderly, take these drugs, known as SSRIs, which include Eli Lilly and Co’s Prozac, known generically as fluoxetine.
Alcohol may prevent rheumatoid arthritis: study
Fibromyalgia affects Nervous System
UPI - PEORIA, Ill., June 26 (UPI) — A U.S. expert on fibromyalgia has unified the literature on the condition and suggests it and several other disorders have much in common. Twenty-five years ago, Dr. Muhammad B. Yunus, of the University of Illinois College of Medicine, Peoria, and colleagues published the first controlled study of the clinical characteristics of fibromyalgia syndrome that led to formal recognition of the disease by the medical community.Now, Yunus reviewed more than 225 publications on fibromyalgia and related diseases and he describes 13 separate conditions that are related to central sensitization, where the central nervous system — spinal cord and brain — becomes extremely sensitized on certain parts of the body, so that even mild pressure or touch can cause much pain, poor sleep and fatigue.
Pfizer drug gets U.S. approval to treat fibromyalgia
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc. won U.S. approval on Thursday to promote its prescription drug Lyrica for treating fibromyalgia, a chronic disease which can cause debilitating pain, sleep problems, stiffness and fatigue.The medicine is the first treatment approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for fibromyalgia, which affects about 3 million to 6 million people in the United States each year, mostly women, the FDA said
Glaxo failed to warn of diabetes drug risk: lawsuit
NEW YORK (Reuters) – The widow and son of a Texas man who was taking a GlaxoSmithKline Plc diabetes drug at the time of his fatal heart attack has sued the drugmaker, claiming that it failed to warn of the drug’s heart risks, according to court papers.The claim involves rosiglitazone, which is sold under the brand names Avandia and Advandamet. Investors have been bracing for a flood of litigation against Glaxo after a widely publicized medical report last month suggested that Avandia increases the risk of heart attack and death.
Step-Based Guidelines In New Pair Of Studies – Steps To Meet ACSM/CDC Recommendations; Steps To Meet One-Mile Mark
MNT- A new pair of studies compare step counts needed to meet 1) ACSM/CDC recommendations for moderate physical activity and 2) a one-mile mark. Both studies are presented in conjunction with the 54th American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Annual Meeting in New Orleans, and are useful as suggested step-based guidelines for meeting physical activity recommendations.
A New Walking Study Encourages Overweight Americans To Step Up To Better Health
MNT- What if someone told you, you could walk your way to better health? With 65 percent of American adults considered to be overweight or obese, walking may be one way to battle the bulge. However, if you lack motivation, a prescription to walk may be just what the doctor ordered. That’s the premise behind a 48-week pilot walking program conducted by 16 member physicians of the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA).
Clot-busting drug helps with frostbite
Reuters Health- CHICAGO (Reuters) – People with frostbite who were treated with a clot-busting drug typically used in stroke patients had fewer amputations than those who were not, suggesting another role for the drug, U.S. researchers said on Monday.
Shockwave therapy safe, effective for knee injury
Reuters Health- NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – In the treatment of chronic pain and tenderness around the knee cap, or “patella,” shockwave therapy seems to be safer and more effective, with lower recurrence rates, than conventional conservative treatments, suggest the results of a new study.
New COX-2 inhibitor may also lower blood pressure
Reuters Health- BARCELONA (Reuters) – Lumiracoxib, developed by Novartis AG under the trade name Prexige, is a COX-2 inhibitor analgesic drug that has significantly better effects on blood pressure than the older generic drug ibuprofen, researchers said on Friday.
Natural Treatments For Plantar Warts
MNT- All wart viruses including plantar warts are very common and everywhere. If you were to avoid exposure to HPV (human papilloma virus) it would mean total isolation. However, you can minimize such exposure by taking a few simple preventative precautions:Don’t share towels, wash cloths, socks or footwear with anyone including members of your own family. Wear thongs or other footwear in locker rooms and public showers and at public pools when not swimming. Be aware that gyms have a lot of equipment used by many people so there is often excessive sweat and moisture on these amenities. Use the disinfectant supplied by staff to wipe down equipment before use. A new possible source of infections to the feet is the use of shared exercise and yoga mats. So if you are a yoga fan be aware of this possibility and invest in your own personal mat or purchase one of half a dozen kinds of “yoga mat wipes” or other new products like hand and foot mitts. If you are concerned about possible infection in your own home, then the same advice applies to showers and the pool area there. Keep the shower and bathroom floors well disinfected.
Wound Healing May Be Promoted Using Gel Derived From A Patient’s Own Blood
MNT- A preliminary study suggests that topical application of a gel made from platelets in healthy individuals’ own blood may help wounds heal more quickly and completely, according to a report in the May/June issue of Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.Recent innovations have led to devices that can process blood into a concentrated plasma rich in platelets (particles important for blood clotting), and then to an autologous (from the patient’s own body) platelet gel, according to background information in the article. This gel is currently used in surgery to improve healing, but its clinical application remains controversial .
MayoClinic.com, Adds Three New Centers Focusing On Osteoporosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis And Osteoarthritis
MNT- MayoClinic.com , an award-winning consumer health information site, has added three new centers focusing on osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. The new areas provide visitors with detailed, easy-to-find information on symptoms, tests, diagnosis and complications associated with these conditions . . .
Diabetes News
- Improving America’s Health
- Diabetes Care Improves After UK Reforms Of General Practice, But Ethnic Disparities Remain
- Diabetes Associated With Decreases In Life Expectancy And Number Of Years Free Of Heart Disease
- American Diabetes Association Strongly Advises Patients Using Rosiglitazone To See Their Doctor
- Death Rates For Men With Diabetes Fell Steeply, But Rates For Women With Diabetes Did Not Change
- Diabetes Care Accounts For One Of Every Eight Health Care Dollars In 2005, Study Finds
- First Non-Invasive Diabetes Screening Device Previewed At The American Diabetes Association Annual Meeting
- Focus On Exercise Alone For Diabetics Makes Greater Improvement Than Diet And Medicine
- Type 1 Diabetes And Heart Disease — Heavier May Mean Healthier
- Questions Over Value Of Glucose Monitoring For Non-insulin Using Diabetes Patients
- Real-Time Continuous Glucose Monitoring Shows Excellent Results
- White U.S. children have highest rates of diabetes
