Month: December 2013

4 Great Car Features For Older Drivers

We live in interesting times.

Computers, smartphones, and other gadgets have made the world a smaller place, metaphorically speaking. Automobiles and airplanes allow us to travel in hours distances that would’ve taken days or weeks just a century ago. And advances in safety and medical technology have extended the human lifespan by decades: in the early 1900s, the global life expectancy for a newborn was around 40 years (PDF), but today, that figure is nearly 70.

There’s a downside to that last item, though: as we live longer, our cognitive abilities often degrade, diminishing our ability to drive safely. This creates stress for many families, as they have to ask parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles to hand over the keys.

But long before mental abilities begin to fade, older motorists can face physical problems that make driving more difficult. As part of the American Occupational Therapy Association’s Older Driver Safety Awareness Week (December 2 – 6), AAA has updated its list of car features that benefit senior drivers. Among those features:

Keyless entry and ignition
As anyone with arthritis knows, gripping keys of any size can sometimes be a challenge. Vehicles that permit drivers to open doors and start vehicles by carrying a fob in their pocket or purse help solve that problem.

Six-way adjustable seats
This common feature can be a lifesaver for adults with knee, hip, and leg impairments, allowing them to enter and exit a vehicle with greater ease.

Thick steering wheels
As with keys, many seniors have trouble gripping ordinary steering wheels. Thicker wheels make it easier for drivers to control vehicles, boosting safety.

High-contrast displays
It’s no secret that vision often deteriorates with age. In the days of analog gauges, that often presented problems for older drivers, but now that so many dashboards consist of digital screens, drivers have greater control over the way that information is displayed. Increasing the contrast gives drivers access to the information they need at just a glance.

According to AAA’s Jake Nelson, “A 2012 survey revealed that only one in 10 senior drivers with health issues are driving a vehicle with features like keyless entry or larger dashboard controls that can assist with such conditions.” Now, as many shoppers look for bargains on 2013 models — or check out new 2014 vehicles — it’s a great time to keep options like these in mind.
Source: the car connection

FDA warns that some Philips HeartStart defibrillators may not work

Federal health regulators are warning the public that certain cardiac defibrillators recalled by Philips Healthcare may fail to deliver a needed shock in an emergency.

Defibrillators are used by emergency responders and others to restore normal heart function in people suffering a heart attack. The FDA says an electrical problem with recalled Philips’ HeartStart devices could cause them to fail to deliver a life-saving shock.

Philips recalled three models of its HeartStart devices in September 2012 due to an internal electrical malfunction. The recall affects about 700,000 defibrillators sold between 2005 and 2012. The recalled HeartStart FRx and HS1 (OnSite and Home) devices include an electrical part called a resistor that could fail when high voltage is applied, and that could prevent the device from delivering the necessary shock. If the resistor fails, the device will emit an audible triple-chirp alert.

Customers who have received the affected devices should contact Philips at 1-800-263-3342 to receive a replacement. Until a replacement is received, the agency does recommend keeping the recalled defibrillators in service because it considers the benefits of attempting to use the device in a cardiac arrest emergency greater than the risk of not attempting to use the defibrillator, said Steve Silverman, director of the Office of Compliance in the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, in a statement Tuesday.

In March the FDA proposed new requirements for companies that manufacture external defibrillators, which are found everywhere from hospitals to schools to airports. The proposed rules would require an FDA review of devices before their launch and are intended to curb years of recalls caused by design and manufacturing flaws.

Philips said Tuesday that it has not received any reports of patient harm due to this recall and has been working closely with regulatory authorities and with customers to address this issue.

Source: Fox News

10 steps to a perfect do-it-yourself pedicure

Our feet are often the most neglected parts of the body when it comes to our beauty regime. A pedicure would not only improve the appearance of your feet and toenails it can help prevent nail diseases and disorders. You can get a pedicure at a beauty salon or simply learn the right steps to take care of your feet at home.

Step 1

Remove any existing nail polish with a mild remover.

Step 2

Put some bubble bath or Epsom salts in a tub filled with warm water and soak your feet for 10 to 15 minutes. You can also put marbles or smooth pebbles in the tub and run your feet over them for relaxation.

Step 3

Use a foot brush or a scrubber to remove the dirt lodged in between the ridges of your heels or the stains on your nails.

Step 4

Use a pumice stone or callus file and scrub the heels and bottoms of your feet to do away with dead skin cells.

Step 5

Massage and exfoliate with a foot scrub and wrap your feet in hot hand towels to seal in the moisture.

India.com
Step 6

Dry you feet with a towel and cut your nails.

Step 7

File your nails gently and push back the cuticles with orange sticks. You could also use a mild nail buffer to polish the surface of your toenails.

Step 8

Wash your feet and dry them.

Step 9

Massage each foot with a moisturising lotion for 5 minutes.

Step 10

When your feet are dry, remove any oil residue on your toe nails with remover and apply a base coat.

You’ll need: A tub or foot bath, nail polish remover, bubble bath, Epsom salts and/or scented oil, cuticle oil, exfoliating foot scrub, towels, pumice stone, callus file, nail clipper, nail file, nail buffer, moisturizing lotion, base coat and/or nail polish.

Source: inagist

Nigeria Spends N150bn Yearly on Medical Tourism

The National President of the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientist of Nigeria, AMLSN, Dr Godswill Okara has disclosed that Nigeria spends N 150 billion annually on medical tourism due to the fact that the larger proportion of Nigerians have lost confidence on the health sector in the country.
Speaking at the annual National Executive Council meeting of AMLSN convened in Yola, Adamawa state capital, the President of the association blamed the decline in the health sector on mismanagement of both human and economic resources.
Okara explained that according to reports at their disposal, Nigeria was ranked 4th among countries of the common wealth in 1960s to 70s stressing that some African countries were coming to Nigeria for health services because it had a vibrant health sector at that time. But he said the case today is the opposite due to the fact that since1985, the health sector was left in the hands of unprofessionals to manage .
Source: This day live

 

UAB Medicine introduces Web-based learning and continuing medical education for physicians

UAB Medicine, in collaboration with BroadcastMed, Inc. has launched MD Learning Channel, an online resource that enables medical professionals worldwide to tap into the knowledge and expertise of University of Alabama at Birmingham physicians.

The website at learnmd.uabmedicine.org offers free Web-based learning and continuing medical education for physicians and other medical professionals. It includes video presentations from UAB physicians discussing new research findings, new procedures and changes and developments in diagnosis or treatment of disease. The site primarily focuses on cancer, neurosciences, pulmonary medicine, women and infants services and cardiovascular medicine and will expand to include additional medical specialties in the future.

“UAB physicians and scientists are at the forefront of medicine, scientific research and discovery and advancement of treatments and patient-focused care,” said Physician Marketing Manager Whitney McDonald. “This site provides an easy, convenient way for UAB to help disseminate its incredible wealth of expertise to medical professionals around the world.”

McDonald says the site’s on-demand service enables physicians and medical professionals to learn as their schedule permits.

“By making the information readily available, we hope to further the mission, vision and successes of the UAB Medicine team, while sharing techniques, procedures and evidence-based care in use here to help others care for their patients,” said McDonald. “We hope that the MD Learning Channel will serve as a platform to foster many growth and development opportunities for health-care providers.”

Source: News Medical

8 Tips for Losing Weight After Pregnancy

Load Up on ‘Super Foods’, Find Time to Exercise, Consider Breastfeeding to Help Shed Excess Pounds

Now that your new baby is here, you have a lot to think about: when to feed her, what to do if she cries — and how to get rid of those extra pounds you packed on during your pregnancy.

If you started out at a normal weight and gained the 25-35 pounds your doctor probably recommended, it shouldn’t take you more than a couple of months to get back to your pre-pregnancy weight if you watch what you eat and exercise.
If, on the other hand, you were overweight before your pregnancy or you put on more weight than your doctor advised, it could take much longer — up to a year — to get the weight off. Any baby weight you don’t take off could stick with you for a long time.

“It’s very critical that you do get the weight off, because if you don’t it has been associated with overweight and obesity 15 to 20 years later in life,” says Debra Krummel, PhD, RD, endowed professor in the University of Cincinnati department of nutrition.
And although every new mom is eager to look like her old self again, one of the most important things to remember is to be patient with yourself. Your favorite celebrity might have gone straight from the delivery room into her size 0 jeans, but she may not have done it in a way that was good for her body.

“All the magazines ask, ‘How did she do it?’ The more important question is, ‘Why did she do it?'” says Melinda Johnson, MS, RD, registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association (ADA). “They do this with very, very strict diets, and a lot of them do it by getting back into activity before their body is really ready for it.”

Johnson advocates a more gradual approach to weight loss. “The number one thing new mothers have to have is a certain amount of patience with their body,” she says. “It took nine months to get there. It should take at least that long to get back to their fighting weight.”

With that in mind, here are some tips to help you lose weight after pregnancy and fit back into your old jeans — whatever their size.

Don’t diet.

It may sound strange, but going on an official “diet” could derail your post-pregnancy weight loss goals. Feeling deprived of your favorite foods while you’re already stressed out by your new role as mom could actually cause you to gain weight, Johnson says.

“If you go back to eating healthy and eating for your hunger, most women find that the weight comes off pretty naturally,” she says.

Instead of dieting, she recommends eating a well-balanced variety of foods. Keep different snacks in the house to keep you from feeling hungry and give you energy throughout the day. Apple slices, carrot sticks, and wheat crackers are all good for noshing.
Source: Web md

 

Four California students sickened with meningitis bacteria

An outbreak of disease linked to bacteria that cause meningitis has sickened four students at a major California university, prompting discussions with federal regulators about hastening approval of a new vaccine.

The students, at the University of California at Santa Barbara, were all sickened within a three-week period last month with meningococcal disease, a sometimes fatal illness that can affect the brain or the blood, according to a spokeswoman for the Santa Barbara County Department of Public Health.

The students were stricken by a form of the bacteria that does not respond to the meningitis vaccine currently approved for use in the United States, said the spokeswoman, Susan Klein-Rothschild.

A vaccine known to be effective against this form of meningitis is approved for use in Europe, and Santa Barbara public health officials were in discussions with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about using it to protect students at the California university.

The discussions come after federal officials agreed to allow Princeton University in New Jersey to administer the European vaccine, Bexsero, after eight students there were diagnosed with similar infections since March.

Meningitis, which causes the brain and spinal cord to swell, is spread through coughing and exchanges of saliva, and people living in dormitories or other crowded living quarters are especially at risk.

The most severe cases can result in death, hearing loss, brain damage, kidney disease or amputation of limbs.

In the Santa Barbara cases, one student has been permanently disabled, Klein-Rothschild said, declining to provide further details on the case, citing privacy issues.

To prevent additional cases, Santa Barbara public health officials will provide the antibiotic Cipro to students and others who may have been exposed to the bacteria. Students will also be taught to recognize and respond quickly to signs of infection, which include fever and headache.

In addition, the university is suspending social events by fraternities and sororities, saying the parties put too many students in close quarters and could cause the outbreak to spread further.

Students and faculty can also protect themselves by maintaining good hygiene and nutrition, and getting plenty of sleep during the highly stressful exam period, which begins this month, Klein-Rothschild said.

Bexsero, a new vaccine made by Swiss drugmaker Novartis, is designed to protect against serogroup B, a strain of meningitis that is not as common in the United States as it is in other parts of the world, Reynolds said.

source: Yahoo News

New data backs promise of long-acting Sanofi insulin

An improved version of Sanofi’s diabetes drug Lantus is better than the old one at controlling blood sugar levels and comes with fewer hypoglycemic events, new late-stage trial data showed on Tuesday.

The treatment is one of several drugs Sanofi is betting on to defend its No.2 spot on the world’s $42 billion diabetes market as its superstar product Lantus, the world’s most prescribed insulin, will lose patent protection by 2015.

The long-acting insulin, known as U300, requires less frequent or lower dosing than Lantus and offers a more consistent insulin release. It is similar to Novo Nordisk’s Tresiba (degludec), also in development.

Analysts expect Sanofi to seek regulatory approval for U300 in the United States and Europe next year and for the drug to reach global sales of $872 million by 2017, according to forecasts compiled by Thomson Reuters Cortellis.

The detailed Phase III results unveiled at the World Diabetes Congress in Melbourne showed U300 was better than Lantus at controlling blood sugar lows at night, a common side effect in diabetics treated with insulin.

The drug also lowered the incidence of hypoglycemic events at any time of the day across the six-month study period.

U300 met its goal in three other Phase III clinical trials, showing similar blood sugar level control as Lantus in patients with type 2 diabetes not previously treated with insulin and uncontrolled on oral medication, as well as in patients with type 1 diabetes already treated with insulin.

Lantus, also known as insulin glargine, was developed in the 1990s and is currently Sanofi’s top-selling drug. It reaped around 5 billion euros ($6.78 billion) in revenue last year.

Sanofi needs a successor for the drug and is also developing a pen-shaped device, known as LixiLan, that combines Lantus with Lyxumia, another diabetes treatment belonging to a class of drugs known as GLP-1 analogues.

The successful launch of both U300 and LixiLan could strengthen Sanofi against rival drugs such as Novo Nordisk’s Tresiba (degludec) and IDegLira, a combination of Tresiba and Victoza.

Novo Nordisk, the global leader in diabetes, faced a setback earlier this year when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration asked for further clinical studies for Tresiba, delaying its potential launch on the world’s largest pharmaceutical market until 2017 at the earliest.

Source: Reuters

Two in five kids don’t have right BMI: Survey

Two out of five kids in India were found not to have the right Body Mass Index (BMI) levels, according to a health and fitness survey which covered 77,669 children in 176 schools across the country.

The children were in the age group of 7-17 years from 176 schools in 68 cities and 17 states. The fitness parameters were measured over a period of 24 months.

The parameters included flexibility, lower and upper body strength, abdominal strength and BMI which evaluates a person’s body weight in proportion to the height.

“In a comparative study between boys and girls, it was found that 66 percent girls have healthy BMI scores compared to 59 percent boys. The primary causes for higher BMI are sedentary lifestyles, unhealthy eating habits and little or no play,” the report said.

It also states that high BMI is a direct indicator of the onset of obesity which can lead to several health problems including type 2 diabetes, heart ailments and high blood pleasure as early as adolescence.

The fourth edition of Edusports annual school health and fitness survey of school going children in urban India was conducted by EduSports, a school sports and physical education company.

According to the survey, children in all five regions of the country were deemed equally unfit with unhealthy BMI scores of 37 percent (central), 39 percent (east and north), 37 percent (south) and 38 percent (west).

Encouraging schools to increase their physical education periods, and proposing a structured sports programme as a solution, Saumil Majumdar, CEO and co-founder of Edusports said: “A structured sports programme is the way forward, if any change in the fitness levels of children is desired. It is disheartening to witness an unhealthy generation that is otherwise ahead of its time.”

“The alarming fitness standards that have emerged in our annual study, again prove that physical activity/sports in schools should be viewed as an important part of the curriculum for the overall development of a child,” he added.

Source; News Track India

First toll-free helpline for disabled launched

Now help is only a phone call away for people with speech and hearing disabilities in the eastern part of the country with the launch of a toll-free helpline Tuesday, the first in this region.

Ushering the International Day of People with Disability, Bengal Speech and Hearing Aid Pvt. Ltd. (BSHPL), the largest chain of clinics for hearing and speech disability patients in this part of the country, kicked-off the venture here.

“Previously the disabled were not able to access information due to lack of such measures. But now with the helpline, they can get any information they want,” said audiologist and speech language pathologist Somenath Mukherjee, managing director, BSHPL.

The Persons With Disability Act (PWD), 1995 extends equal status and opportunities for participation of people with different abilities.

However, due to a dearth of information, the speech and hearing-disabled people have not been able to exercise their rights.

“For anyone seeking any kind of help in the form of information on treatment, clinics and even information regarding the rights provided by the PWD Act of 1995, this toll-free number would come as a form of genuine assistance,” said Mukherjee.

The helpline number is 180030001620.

The relatives and friends of people with speech and hearing disability can call and enquire on their behalf.

Source: Business Standard