Give Yourself the Gift of Health This Holiday Season

Scientifically Proven Exercise Tips to Help You Beat Holiday Stress, Get Fit, Stay Healthy, and Live Longer

Scientific studies have found that exercise can decrease age-related macular degeneration, prevent or delay the onset of high blood pressure, improve your sex life, increase collagen to keep your skin younger, reduce coronary artery disease and stress, and improve overall wellness. In “Faster, Better, Stronger,” Eric Heiden, M.D., world-renowned speed skater, cyclist and orthopedic surgeon and his co-authors, outline 10 proven secrets to a healthier body in 12 weeks and highlight scientific research to support their techniques. Geared toward those 30 and above “Faster, Better, Stronger” offers training tips for every lifestyle from sedentary to very active.

“We wanted to offer people of all physical conditions an inexpensive ‘personal trainer’ that could help them reduce stress and improve their health during these pressure cooker days,” says Dr. Heiden. “Exercise, when done properly and in a specific order – combining flexibility, aerobic, strength training and balance – can help you beat weight loss and training plateaus, gain greater exercise benefits in a fraction of the time, live longer and improve your overall quality of life. Exercise really is one of the best prescriptions for staying healthy and this book guides you through the process and benefits, whether you are a competitive athlete or a recovering coach potato.”

Drs. Heiden and Massimo Testa met at Stanford University Medical School, where Heiden was a student and Testa his cycling team doctor. The two went on to develop the UC Davis Sports Performance Center and now continue their collaboration at The Orthopedic Specialty Hospital in Salt Lake City and cycling camps in Park City, Utah. Dr. Heiden is practicing orthopedic surgeon, team physician for the U.S. Speed Skating, and team physician and director of sports medicine for USA Cycling. Dr. Testa is one of the foremost cycling trainers and exercise physiologists.

“Using our medical expertise and knowledge of training competitive athletes, we have created a book that offers, simple, understandable and affordable solutions that can be personalized for each and every reader,” says Dr. Testa, a co-author. “We offer tips for fitness at the office, on a business trip or in your living room, as well as highlights the prescriptive aspects of exercise, the biology of movement and the importance of motivation.”

“Faster, Better, Stronger,” offers readers, self-assessment tools, diagrams of innovative exercises, and other straight talk on exercise and your health,” says Dr. Heiden. “Whether you are a working parent, a busy single professional, or retiree this book offers realistic and scientifically proven techniques for getting into shape and staying in good health.”

Source: Dr. Eric Heiden and Dr. Massimo Testa


Siemens Introduces New Standard of Care for Breast Ultrasound

Increased information density, automation and intelligent clinical applications take workflow efficiency in ultrasound to an all new level

Siemens Healthcare (www.siemens.com/healthcare) highlights the ACUSON S2000(TM) Automated Breast Volume Scanner (ABVS)(1), the world’s first multi-use, automated volume breast ultrasound system, at the 94th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) from November 30 to December 5 at McCormick Place (Booth #922, East Building/Lakeside Center, Hall D) in Chicago. Siemens also demonstrates how Tissue Strain Analytics(2), a new dimension of diagnostic information, and intelligent knowledge-based workflow solutions, empower physicians to leverage ever-increasing imaging information density to achieve greater diagnostic confidence and decreased study time.

According to the New England Journal of Medicine(3), dense breast tissue increases a woman’s risk of breast cancer up to five-fold. While mammography remains the method of choice for breast cancer screening, a study(4) published by the RSNA in 2002 found that the detection rate for nonpalpable, invasive breast cancers increased by 42 percent when mammography was followed by an ultrasound examination.

“I am convinced that Automated Breast Volume Scanning can make a significant contribution in diagnostic confidence for women with dense breast tissue and inconclusive mammograms,” said Klaus Hambuechen, CEO, Ultrasound, Siemens Healthcare. Examinations performed with the ACUSON S2000 ABVS technique generally take less than 15 minutes. “Time well spent if you consider the extended diagnostic capabilities of ultrasound in dense breasts,” he says.

Unique Anatomical Coronal View

The ACUSON S2000 ABVS system automatically and quickly acquires full-field sonographic volumes for comprehensive review and diagnosis of the breast streamlining workflow and reducing operator dependence and variability. The system also features the intuitive, anatomical coronal plane, not available using conventional ultrasound. This view provides a more understandable representation of the global anatomy and architecture of the breast. Semi-automated reporting and comprehensive BI-RADS(R) reporting capabilities further enhance the clinical workflow.

The ACUSON S2000 ABVS has an innovative, mobile in-suite design combining the advanced ACUSON S2000(TM) ultrasound system with a transducer specifically designed for automated ultrasound breast volume imaging. To further optimize high-volume patient care, the system also supports innovative breast imaging applications, such as fatty tissue and eSie Touch(TM) elasticity imaging.

Increased Diagnostic Information for Liver Disease and Other Organs

The world’s first commercially available implementations of Acoustic Radiation Force Imaging (ARFI), Virtual Touch(TM) Tissue Imaging(5) and Virtual Touch Tissue Quantification(6) premiere on the ACUSON S2000 ultrasound system. Similar to a physical palpation exam, these leading-edge technologies represent a new dimension of diagnostic information by interrogating the mechanical strain properties or stiffness of tissue, which may be correlated with pathology.

“Virtual Touch Tissue Imaging adds an independent parameter to our existing morphological diagnostic process,” said Professor William Lees, MD, of the University College London Hospital (UCLH), United Kingdom, who has worked with the technology for over a year now. “The more parameters we have, the more confident our diagnosis can be.”

Complementing the strain analysis is Virtual Touch Tissue Quantification, which is the first and only application to provide a numerical value related to tissue stiffness at a precise anatomical location. The application is highly promising in identifying early stages of liver diseases causing cirrhosis. Early studies show that it proved extremely sensitive in diagnosing fibrosis and distinguishing it from normal liver and cirrhosis.

Knowledge-based Workflow

Siemens will also demonstrate the clinical and economic benefits of knowledge-based workflow applications across their all-new ACUSON ultrasound product line, which automate and streamline a broad range of routine clinical tasks. Using learned pattern recognition from an expert database of thousands of clinical cases, knowledge-based workflow applications recognize anatomical patterns and landmarks and can automatically perform measurements and other routine tasks to achieve a whole new level of accuracy and efficiency. For example, syngo(R) eSieCalcs(TM) native tracing software features proprietary border detection technology to facilitate lesion or anatomical structure boundary segmentation and syngo AutoOB measurements allow automatic biometric measurements of the fetus (BPD, HC, AC, FL, HL, CRL). Knowledge-based workflow applications help to achieve consistent and reproducible measurements with high speed and fidelity across a wide range of applications and users.

To learn more about the Siemens Ultrasound innovations, please visit www.siemens.com/ultrasound. You can also tune in to listen to the “Advances in Medical Imaging” audio features of these and other Siemens Ultrasound news at Reach MD XM157 or www.ReachMD.com. Hosts Dr. Jason Birnholz, president of Diagnostic Ultrasound Consultants in Oakbrook, Ill., and Dr. Beverly Hashimoto, Ultrasound Section Head at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle, cover a wide range of ultrasound topics, including “Sonography Workflow Automation,” “Handheld Ultrasound in the ER,” “Tissue Strain Imaging,” and “3D and 4D Echocardiography in Cardiology.” The program airs every weekday on XM 157 and is also available online at www.reachmd.com/medicalimaging (promo code: Siemens).

(1) 510 (k) pending; not available in the United States
(2) Not available in the United States

(3) N Engl J Med 356;3. Boyd N.F. et Al., Mammographic Density and the Risk and Detection of Breast Cancer

(4) Radiology 2002;225:165-175. Kolb T.M. et Al., Comparison of the Performance of Screening Mammography, Physical Examination, and Breast US and Evaluation of Factors that Influence Them: An Analysis of 27,825 Patient Evaluations

(5) Not available in the United States

(6) Not available in the United States


Do You Know You’re Having a Stroke?

Symptom awareness can improve recovery

Audio and Web Video Resources to accompany this story are available on the Mayo Clinic News Blog. Please see the bottom of this release for details

A Mayo Clinic study shows a majority of stroke patients don’t think they’re having a stroke — and as a result — delay seeking treatment until their condition worsens. The findings appear in the current issue of Emergency Medicine Journal at http://emj.bmj.com/.

Researchers studied 400 patients who were diagnosed at Mayo Clinic’s emergency department with either acute ischemic stroke or a transient ischemic attack (TIA), a temporary interruption of blood flow to part of the brain.

Less than half of the patients — 42 percent — thought they were having a stroke. In fact, most in the study did not go to the emergency room when symptoms appeared. The median time from onset of symptoms to arrival at the hospital was over three and a half hours. Most said they thought the symptoms would simply go away. The delay in seeking medical help was the same among men and women.

When asked how they knew about stroke symptoms, nearly one-fifth said they thought a stroke always came on gradually. Just over half (51.9 percent) said they thought that seeking medical care immediately was important.

Significance of the findings

“Time is crucial in treating stroke,” says Latha Stead, M.D., emergency medicine specialist and lead author of the study. “Each individual’s medical background differs and affects recovery, but in general the sooner a patient experiencing a stroke reaches emergency care, the more likely the stroke can be limited and the condition managed to prevent further damage and improve recovery.” The researchers say their findings clearly indicate that better public understanding of stroke symptoms will lead to a faster response and better outcomes.

What you should know

Strokes can happen quickly or can occur over several hours, with the condition continually worsening. The thrombus or clot that is causing the stroke can frequently be dissolved or disintegrated so blood can again flow to the brain. In such cases, immediate treatment can mean the difference between a slight injury and a major disability. Interestingly only 20.8 percent of the participants knew about such treatment. By use of stents, medications and other technology, physicians can stop a stroke from spreading and greatly limit damage. Stroke symptoms include:

  • Sudden numbness, weakness, or paralysis of your face, arm or leg — usually on one side of the body
  • Sudden difficulty speaking or understanding speech (aphasia)
  • Sudden blurred, double or decreased vision
  • Sudden dizziness, loss of balance or loss of coordination
  • A sudden, severe “bolt out of the blue” headache or an unusual headache, which may be accompanied by a stiff neck, facial pain, pain between your eyes, vomiting or altered consciousness
  • Confusion or problems with memory, spatial orientation or perception

In such cases, a stroke gives no warning. But one possible sign of an impending stroke is a TIA. The signs and symptoms of TIA are the same as for a stroke, but they last for a shorter period — several minutes to a few hours — and then disappear, without leaving apparent permanent effects. You may have more than one TIA, and the signs and symptoms may be similar or different. A TIA indicates a serious risk that a full-blown stroke may follow.

Other Mayo researchers involved in the study were Lekshmi Vaidyanathan, M.B.B.S.; Maria Bellolio, M.D.; Rahul Kashyap, M.B.B.S.; Anjali Bhagra, M.B.B.S.; Rachel Gilmore, M.B.B.Ch.; Wyatt Decker, M.D.; Sailaja Enduri, M.B.B.S.; Shaily Mishra, Ph.D.; Helen Wood, R.N.; Ayman Yassa, M.D.; Ann Hoff, M.D.; and Robert Brown, M.D. Dr. Stead is supported by the Mayo Emergency Medicine Research Career Development Award and Mayo Clinic.

To obtain the latest news releases from Mayo Clinic, go to www.mayoclinic.org/news. MayoClinic.com (www.mayoclinic.com) is available as a resource for your health stories. For more on Mayo Clinic research, go to www.mayo.edu.

To access web video and audio from Dr. Stead, click the link below: http://newsblog.mayoclinic.org/2008/11/24/are-you-having-a-stroke-many-don%E2% 80%99t-know-the-signs-or-seek-treatment/


Study Shows Shocking Cost of Multiple Sclerosis

  • Author: Health Informer
  • Filed under: Health News
  • Date: Nov 25,2008

A study of people living with the devastating effects of multiple sclerosis (MS) has shown the true economic cost of living with the incurable, life-long condition.

The independent research is one of the largest ever studies into the financial impact of MS and has revealed that the cost of being diagnosed with MS is on average nearly GBP17,000 per person. Care provided informally by families accounts for more than 70% of this.

For the 85,000 living with the condition, this works out to be a total expense to the economy of GBP1.4billion, making MS second only to tumours as the most costly brain condition across Europe.

Worse still, the study found that among the nearly 2,000 people surveyed from across the UK, half said they had to leave work due to their MS, pushing the figure to more than GBP25,000 per person when lost employment is added.

Daniel Berry, head of policy and campaigns at the MS Society, said: “This research shows the shocking cost of living with MS.

“It has been proven to be economically viable to keep people with MS as healthy as possible and in work for as long as possible and this study shows how cutting corners in health and social care is counter productive.

“At a time when the government is running headlong into even more debt, these figures underline the enormous costs of inaction. Long term investment in research and in support for carers would pay dividends for people living with MS and for the whole economy.”

The Costs of MS study analyses the economic cost, quality of life and disability associated with MS and the independent research was carried out for the MS Society by Dr Paul McCrone from Kings College London and published in the peer reviewed journal of Pharmacoeconomics.

Dr McCrone said: “The costs associated with MS are substantial. Most of the service costs are hidden as they represent care provided by family members.

“It is crucial that evaluations of any new treatments or forms of care should assess their impact on carer costs as well as the costs of statutory services.”

The study has shown that the cost of MS can be broken down as follows:

  • Informal care GBP1,021 million (72%)
  • Professional care GBP245 million (17.2%)
  • Medication GBP115.5 million (8.1%)
  • Aids and adaptations GBP37.1million (2.30%)
  • Medical tests GBP5.7million (0.4%)

With bills for care from family and friends estimated to be worth more than a billion pounds alone and the cost of home adaptations running into tens of millions, it is no surprise that MS Society grants for financial advice and assistance are in high demand.

For more information, see http://www.mssociety.org.uk

Case studies – contact MS Society press office for interviews

Leonie from Derbyshire is married and has two children.

She has lived with MS for almost 20 years and as a result of worsening symptoms had to give up her role as the main breadwinner in her household.

She took early retirement aged 39 from her job as a school bursar as a result of the unpredictable MS.

This means her family is in a much worse position financially, but her stress-related MS relapses have lessened.

Fay from Nottinghamshire has a nine-year-old son who is her main carer.

She was diagnosed with MS five years ago and two major relapses mean that she now has to work part time.

She finds it hard to pay the bills and had to rely on her mother to fund an electric wheelchair that she needs to get up the hill on which she lives.

Due to constantly feeling cold as a result her MS, Fay has the heating on continuously and has to do more washing due to continence issues related to her condition.

Her electricity bills are always high because of the need to charge her electric wheelchair at night.

Notes:

  • The survey statistics are based on a large (1,942) sample, with a very good (48.9%) response rate
  • The McCrone study suggests that the average cost of MS is GBP16,794 per person. This increases to GBP25,310 for people of working age, when factoring-in the costs of lost employment
  • The survey demonstrated that people with MS in the UK have a relatively low quality of life, using the recognised QOL measurement
  • This work looks at the economic costs of MS, not the costs in terms of worry, discomfort and pain to people living with the condition
  • It is important to quantify the total costs of conditions such as MS, so that policy makers have the full information to work with when making policy decisions. This is especially relevant when assessments are made of new treatments that can people keep people as healthy as possible for as long as possible
  • The average respondent to the survey was a 54 year old married woman with adult children, retired due to ill health.

Employment

  • 50% of the sample were retired due to ill health
  • 21.3% were in work, but half of those were only part time
  • 7.5% were unemployed – compared to an average unemployment rate in 2007 of 5.4%.
  • 9.5% retired and 8.8% housewife/husband

The MS Society

  • The MS Society (http://www.mssociety.org.uk) is the UK’s largest charity dedicated to supporting everyone whose life is touched by MS, providing respite care, an award-winning freephone helpline (0808-800-8000), specialist MS nurses and funds more than 50 vital MS research projects in the UK.
  • Multiple sclerosis is the most common disabling neurological condition affecting young adults and an estimated 85,000 people in the UK have MS.
  • MS is the result of damage to myelin – the protective sheath surrounding nerve fibres of the central nervous system – which interferes with messages between the brain and the body.
  • For some people, MS is characterised by periods of relapse and remission while for others it has a progressive pattern.
  • Symptoms range from loss of sight and mobility, fatigue, depression and cognitive problems. There is no cure and few effective treatments.


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