For Iraq Veterans, Headaches Continue After Traumatic Brain Injury

  • Author: Health Informer
  • Filed under: Health News
  • Date: Feb 25,2009

Many soldiers who experienced mild head trauma or a blast exposure while serving in Iraq or Afghanistan are returning to the United States with headaches, according to a study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 61st Annual Meeting in Seattle, April 25 to May 2, 2009.

The study, conducted at Fort Lewis, WA, involved 978 U.S. Army soldiers returning from Iraq or Afghanistan in 2008. All had experienced a concussion, head injury or blast exposure while deployed.

Nearly 98 percent of the soldiers reported having headaches during the last three months of their deployment. The headaches started within one week of the traumatic brain injury for 37 percent of the soldiers, and within one to four weeks for 20 percent. Among the soldiers whose headaches started within a week of the injury, 60 percent had migraine-like headaches and 40 percent had headaches that interfered with their ability to do their daily activities. Thirty percent had headaches for 15 or more days each month.

“Mild traumatic brain injury is occurring in 15 to 25 percent of soldiers deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan,” said study author Brett J. Theeler, MD, of Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, WA, and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. “The associated headaches can be a source of impaired occupational functioning. These findings should alert health care providers, especially those affiliated with the military or veteran health care systems, to the need to identify and properly treat headaches among soldiers.”

The study was supported by the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences through a grant from the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program.

The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 21,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is dedicated to promoting the highest quality patient-centered neurologic care. A neurologist is a doctor with specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system such as multiple sclerosis, restless legs syndrome, Alzheimer’s disease, narcolepsy, and stroke.

For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit www.aan.com.

The AAN 61st Annual Meeting, the world’s largest gathering of neurology professionals, takes place April 25 to May 2, 2009, in Seattle. Visit www.aan.com/am for more information.

To access 2009 AAN Annual Meeting abstracts available February 25, 2009, visit http://www.aan.com/go/science/abstracts.

Late-breaking abstracts will be featured in press release at the 2009 AAN Annual Meeting in Seattle.

Source: American Academy of Neurology


Top 5 Most Annoying Dental Patient Behaviors

  • Author: Health Informer
  • Filed under: Health News
  • Date: Feb 25,2009

Dentists Dish On What Drives Them Crazy While They Work…

30,000+ Dentists Converge in Chicago February 27-March 1

Who: The Chicago Dental Society (CDS) recently polled more than 300 members to find out some wacky, unusual, and just plain distracting behaviors they’ve encountered while patients are in their chair.

As we countdown to CDS’s annual Midwinter Meeting, one of the largest displays of dental products in North America, here are the most annoying patient behaviors, according to those surveyed. Give your dentist a break and avoid these activities if possible.

5) Public displays of affection. Your breath may be minty fresh after a cleaning, but don’t test it on your significant other until after you leave the dental office.

4) Playing games on your handheld. A few dentists reported getting knocked upside the head during an exam while their patients tried to continue playing their games at arms-length. Really, Tetris can wait.

3) Reading a book or magazine while the dentist is trying to perform an exam. You’ll have to relinquish that People magazine or John Grisham novel so your dentist can get a look at your teeth.

2) Grooming. The light in the dental chair might be just right for touching up makeup or – heaven help us – plucking your eyebrows, but dentists really would prefer you save those activities for the bathroom.

And the most annoying thing patients do while in the dentists’ chair?

Answering cell phone!

Why: Data was collected for the Chicago Dental Society’s 144th annual Midwinter Meeting, which begins at McCormick Place in Chicago on February 26, 2009. The exhibit floor opens on February 27.

Source: Chicago Dental Society


Results demonstrate potential for AHCC(R) in individuals living with West Nile Virus or susceptible populations such as the elderly or immune compromised

A study published online from The Journal of Nutrition (2009 Jan 13.) has demonstrated that AHCC(R) (Active Hexose Correlated Compound) enhances host resistance by boosting protective immune responses specific to West Nile Virus. This study is an important initial finding indicating that dietary supplements containing AHCC may be beneficial for individuals living with West Nile Virus.

West Nile Virus is a major public health concern that has been closely monitored by U.S. government agencies. The virus can cause brain inflammation (encephalitis) and is transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there have been 28,975 reported cases with 1,124 deaths since 1999. In 2003, the highest number of cases was reported at nearly 10,000. Currently there is no effective treatment for the disease.

“Our results indicate that AHCC increases several critical immune responses associated with protecting the body from West Nile Virus,” said Tian (Tina) Wang, Ph.D., lead researcher for the study and Assistant Professor, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. “This study shows that AHCC may provide benefits against the West Nile Virus infection and demonstrates its role for immune system enhancement.”

The West Nile Virus study utilizing AHCC examined its effect in both young and aged mice infected with a potent strain of West Nile Virus. AHCC was administered both prior to and post infection at specific intervals. Blood was drawn and analyzed for key parameters such as IgM (Immunoglobulin M) and IgG (Immunoglobulin G) antibody levels as well as gamma delta T cells. Increasing these responses helps the body protect itself from the virus. Results from the study demonstrated that AHCC increased the production of West Nile Virus-specific IgM, IgG and gamma delta T cells in young mice. Producing higher levels of these critical antibodies and lymphocytes is essential in helping the immune system protect itself from infection. AHCC also had an effect in aged mice but it was not as strong as on young mice. This initial study suggests that AHCC enhances protective immune responses against West Nile Virus infection in young and aged mice. Although additional studies are needed, these results are promising for individuals living with the disease as well as West Nile Virus susceptible populations such as the elderly and those individuals with a weakened immune system.

AHCC has been the subject of over 80 research studies worldwide. Research has demonstrated that AHCC enhances the immune system proving beneficial for a number of diseases that include flu, cancer, and autoimmune diseases.

What is AHCC (Active Hexose Correlated Compound)?

AHCC is derived from the hybridization of several subspecies of medicinal mushroom, cultivated in Japan and then produced from a specialized manufacturing process. AHCC is the leading immune-enhancing supplement in Japan and is utilized by over 700 hospitals and healthcare facilities worldwide as a standard preventative supplement for incoming patients to help reduce the risk of hospital infections as well as supporting the body’s fight against the formation of abnormal cells.*

AHCC is manufactured by Amino Up Chemical Company in Sapporo, Japan and is distributed in the United States by Maypro Industries. Maypro sells AHCC to a number of leading supplement companies including Quality of Life Laboratories, a subsidiary of Maypro.

The AHCC Research Association was founded in 1986 to promote further study. Each year since 1994, over 300 medical doctors and researchers have gathered in Sapporo, Japan for the AHCC Research Association Symposium to share and discuss the latest developments.

To learn more about AHCC, visit the AHCC Research Association Web site at http://www.ahccresearch.com/

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or mitigate disease.


Breast Cancer Patients May Have a New Treatment Option When Cancer Spreads

  • Author: Health Informer
  • Filed under: Health News
  • Date: Feb 23,2009

New procedure could offer a safer, more convenient treatment for spine tumors

For orthopaedic researcher Joyce Keyak, Ph.D., finding ways to battle breast cancer is a personal as well as a professional mission. Her cousin died from the disease several years ago. Dr. Keyak still remembers the incredible pain her cousin experienced when the cancer spread to her spine. A new study released by Dr. Keyak and her colleagues at the University of California, Irvine, shows patients whose breast cancer metastasizes to their spines may have a better option than the usual treatment, which can include up to 10 sessions of radiation therapy. The study looked at alternative — injecting radioactive bone cement into the vertebral body — with promising results.

The UCI researchers collaborated with a colleague from St. Jude Heritage Medical Group in Fullerton, Calif., to investigate this technique. Dr. Keyak is presenting the team’s findings in the paper “Feasibility of Using Radioactive Bone Cement to Treat Vertebral Metastases” during the 55th Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society, Feb. 22-25, 2009, in Las Vegas.

“With further development, this technology may yield a clinically feasible procedure that would eliminate the need for 10 radiation therapy sessions, making it more convenient for the patient,” says Dr. Keyak, an associate professor in UCI’s department of orthopaedic surgery. “This procedure would also deliver a higher dose to the bone metastases and a lower dose to the spinal cord and other normal tissues than conventional external beam radiation therapy, potentially improving the clinical outcome,” she explains. “The negligible dose to the spinal cord would also make it possible to treat recurrent spinal tumors in patients who have already received the maximum allowable radiation dose to the spinal cord.”

According to the American Cancer Society, almost 185,000 people in the United States — mainly women — were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in 2008. In addition, a study published in the journal Spine showed that, of those patients whose breast cancer metastasizes, almost 75 percent develop spine tumors.

Spinal metastases can cause pain and vertebral collapse. And, due to the proximity of the spinal cord and nerves, those tumors can lead to serious neurological complications. Conventional treatment often occurs in two phases:

1. A surgical procedure (vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty) in which bone cement is injected into the body to stabilize the bone
2. Subsequent external beam radiation therapy (or EBRT) to control tumor growth

The effectiveness of EBRT for spinal metastases is limited because the spinal cord restricts the dose of radiation that can be safely delivered. In addition, EBRT is typically provided in multiple sessions to reduce toxicity to the spinal cord, making treatment inconvenient for the patient.

The therapy investigated by Dr. Keyak and her colleagues would combine the two treatment phases into one procedure by mixing a radioactive compound with the injected cement. A single procedure using this radioactive bone cement would provide structural reinforcement to the bone while simultaneously irradiating the tumor from within (i.e., vertebral brachytherapy). Results of the study showed that a therapeutic dose of radiation would reach the intended bone without undue risk to tissue beyond a certain range (such as the spinal cord).

Once the results are validated, subsequent studies will look at the following:

  • Refining the choice of radioisotope(s), amount of activity and geographic distribution of the cement
  • Sensitivity of the radiation dose distribution to variations in bone size, density and tumor type; differences in bone cement formulations; and other factors associated with a potential clinical application

An abstract of the study is available online at http://www.ors.org/web/Media.asp.

Source: Orthopaedic Research Society


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