Americans Paying Premium For Perfect Teeth

According to Millennium Research Group's US Markets for Crown & Bridges 2008 report, the value placed on aesthetics is driving the US all-ceramic crown and bridge market. To meet the demands of patients seeking more natural-looking results, dental labs are increasingly adopting computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technology. As a result, the US market for CAD/CAM-produced all- ceramic restorations will grow more than 30% over the next five years, exceeding $1 billion by 2012.

All-ceramic material is being combined with CAD/CAM technology to improve patient results. These restorations avoid the dark lines that may appear below the gum line, as can be seen with porcelain-fused-to metal treatment. In addition, CAD/CAM systems can be used to customize all-ceramic restorative work to improve the fit of dental restorations. CAD/CAM technology creates a 3-D image of the restoration site before manufacturing a personalized prosthetic. These systems are often able to reduce turnaround times in manufacturing, enabling patients to receive their final restorations sooner. Chair-side CAD/CAM systems (located in the dental office), have the additional advantage of eliminating the need for temporary crowns or a second visit to complete the restoration process. Together, the material and technology allow for a more natural smile in a shorter time.

"People want their teeth to look great and they don't want to wait for the results," says Poonam Jassi, Analyst at Millennium Research Group. "Because CAD/CAM systems provide rapid customized crowns and bridges for each individual, patients will pay a premium for them, which is supporting growth of this market segment."

Massachusetts Hispanics, Blacks Have Higher Infant Mortality

Infant Mortality

Hispanics and blacks living in Massachusetts are disproportionately affected by diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, and have a higher infant mortality rate, according to a report released Wednesday by the state Executive Office of Health and Human Services, the Boston Globe reports (Smith, Boston Globe, 11/29). The 300-page report is being called the most comprehensive data available on health care disparities in the state, according to the Springfield Republican.

The report found that Hispanics in western Massachusetts had the highest mortality rate from HIV/AIDS-related causes of any race in the state. From 2003 to 2005, there were 29.3 deaths from such causes among blacks per 100,000 residents -- almost 10 times the state average of three HIV/AIDS-related deaths per 100,000 residents.

Hispanics had the highest teenage birth rate in the state, with 108 births per 1,000 residents between ages 15 and 19. The state average was five times lower at 22 births per 1,000 residents (Ring, Springfield Republican, 11/29).

In addition, blacks living in central Massachusetts had the highest infant mortality rate at four times the state average, according to the report (Boston Globe, 11/29).

Gov. Deval Patrick (D) said in a statement, "The data from the report are clear and disturbing," adding, "Eliminating racial and ethnic health disparities is a major priority for our administration." After the release of the report, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health announced that it will distribute $1 million in grants that seek to "support work to improve delivery of health care," provide funding to increase for job training for minorities seeking health care positions and pay for programs involved in eliminating disparities, the Republican reports (Springfield Republican, 11/29). The grants will be awarded to 42 clinics, hospitals and community groups that will address the disparities (Boston Globe, 11/29). Patrick said, "With the help of these grantees, we will tackle this problem across the commonwealth" (Springfield Republican, 11/29).

Living Donors May Be Best Source of Insulin-producing Islets for Diabetes Treatment

Insulin and Diabetes Treatment

According to a new study in Clinical Transplantation, obtaining islet cells (clusters of pancreatic cells that create insulin) from living donors may be a solution to the shortage of islets available for transplantation. In samples taken from living donors, 94 percent of the cells were viable for transplant, compared to only 42 percent of cells taken from deceased donors.

“Islet cell transplantation is the only known cure for insulin-dependent diabetes, but there are simply not enough deceased donors available to meet the demand for islet cells,” says study author Dr. Kwang-Won Kim. “In fact, we sometimes require islet cells from two deceased donors to gather enough cells to treat one patient.” Living donors would be able to provide many more healthy cells, since islet cells begin to deteriorate immediately after brain death.

Unfortunately, obtaining islet cells from living donors is not a risk-free procedure; donors may become susceptible to developing diabetes themselves. “Obviously, more research is needed to determine the risk to donors and ensure their safety, but if a low-risk donation strategy could be established, living donors could dramatically improve the supply of islet cells for transplant,” says Kim.

Ranking America's Mental Health

Depression is a devastating illness that affects more than 19 million Americans. Despite its prevalence, depression often goes undiagnosed and untreated. Ranking America's Mental Health is a first-of-its-kind study examining the statistical relationship between avariety of access-to-care measures and mental health outcomes for depression. Mental Health America will unveil the findings of this study and present a ranking of depression across the states.

Mental Health America created two different rankings of the states: one showing the state rankings of depression and one showing the state rank in terms suicide rates. The depression rankings were based on the percent of adolescents and adults with depression, the percent of adults with serious psychological distress and reported mental health days. The data come from nationally representative surveys conducted by the United States government.

The state rankings of depression status were correlated with statistically significant access-to-care measures. The study found the following 5 factors to be associated with better depression status and lower suicide rates:

Mental health resources: The more mental health professionals per capita in a state, the lower the suicide rate.

Barriers to treatment: The fewer people reporting that they could not afford healthcare, the lower the suicide rate and the better the state's depression status. In addition, the fewer people reporting unmet mental health care needs, the better the state's depression status.

Mental health treatment utilization: The more people receiving mental health treatment, the lower the suicide rate.

Socioeconomic issues: The more educated the population and the greater the percentage with health insurance, the lower the suicide rate. The more educated the population, the better the state's depression status.

Mental health policies: The more generous a state's mental health parity coverage (meaning the state provide health insurance coverage for mental health and substance abuse problems similar to general health coverage), the more people receive mental health services.

Snake Bite, How To Provide First Aid?

Recently we saw Jimmy Kimmel snake bite video on a live TV during a Kimmel's show, while many people questioned it, the issue remains, how to provide first aid or treatment for snake bite when in the same situation like Jimmy Kimmel.

A poisonous snake was brough into the studio during a live talk show on a national TV and during the presentation Jimmy Kimmel is bit by snake. The ambulance comes and immediately gives him the first aid and takes Mr. Kimmel out of the studio to be treated from a snake bite.

John Henkel has published a very interesting paper on how to treat a snakebite in FDA's site. He writes the following:

First Aid for Snakebites

Over the years, snakebite victims have been exposed to all kinds of slicing, freezing and squeezing as stopgap measures before receiving medical care. Some of these approaches, like cutting into a bite and attempting to suck out the venom, have largely fallen out of favor.

"In the past five or 10 years, there's been a backing off in first aid from really invasive things like making incisions," says Arizona physician David Hardy, M.D., who studies snakebite epidemiology. "This is because we now know these things can do harm and we don't know if they really change the outcome."

Many health-care professionals embrace just a few basic first-aid techniques. According to the American Red Cross, these steps should be taken:

• Wash the bite with soap and water.

• Immobilize the bitten area and keep it lower than the heart.

• Get medical help.

"The main thing is to get to a hospital and don't delay," says Hardy. "Most bites don't occur in real isolated situations, so it is feasible to get prompt [medical care]." He describes cases in Arizona where people have caught rattlesnakes for sport and gotten bitten. "They waited until they couldn't stand the pain anymore and finally went to the hospital after the venom had been in there a few hours. But by then, they'd lost an opportunity for [effective treatment]," which increased the odds of long-term complications. Some medical professionals, along with the American Red Cross, cautiously recommend two other measures:

• If a victim is unable to reach medical care within 30 minutes, a bandage, wrapped two to four inches above the bite, may help slow venom. The bandage should not cut off blood flow from a vein or artery. A good rule of thumb is to make the band loose enough that a finger can slip under it.

• A suction device may be placed over the bite to help draw venom out of the wound without making cuts. Suction instruments often are included in commercial snakebite kits.

When watching the Jimmy Kimmel snake bite video it is clearly seen that his actions may have attracted snake's attention. Writing about avoiding snake bites John Henkel in the same research paper says the following "Leave snakes alone. Many people are bitten because they try to kill a snake or get a closer look at it."

Tips To Fight Cancer With Your Fork

The holidays are in full swing and festive food is everywhere. While these foods are delicious to eat, some have an added bonus of containing cancer-preventing nutrients, says Stephanie Meyers, MS, RD/LDN, a nutritionist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

Pumpkin isn't just for pie

Pumpkin can be a holiday staple for many families. And for some, it may be one of the tastiest ways to enhance the body's natural cancer fighting ability, says Meyers. Pumpkins are packed with cancer fighting nutrients called carotenoids, which have been linked to the prevention of colon, prostate, breast, and lung cancer.

Although many people only think of eating pumpkin when it is made into a pie, it also can be consumed in a variety of other ways, including roasted pumpkin, pumpkin soup and high fiber pumpkin muffins or bread.

Other orange vegetables, including sweet potatoes, carrots and squash, such as acorn and butternut, also are rich in carotenoids.

Meyers stresses that it is more beneficial to consume carotenoids from whole foods rather than from supplements, as the carotenoids in the pill-form do not appear to have the same protective properties. In fact, that is true of many of the nutrients in foods. Eating whole foods typically provides greater health benefits than taking a dietary supplement.

An apple a day

Apples are another food with cancer preventing properties, thanks to the nutrient quercitin, which protects DNA in the cell from damage that could lead to the development of cancer.

Meyers points out, however, that apples provide the most protection against cancer when eaten with the skin on and not combined with sugar and fats, such as in a pie.

Not just for the holidays

Cranberries also offer nutritional protection against cancer. Cranberries contain benzoic acid, which has been shown to inhibit the growth of lung cancer, colon cancer, and some forms of leukemia.

Meyers reminds her patients that cranberries aren't just for the holidays and encourages them to eat cranberries year-round. She says that buying bags of cranberries now, while they are at their nutritional best, and popping them in the freezer for later will help ensure that the berries provide the highest level of cancer protection all year long.

Color your world

The overall key to finding cancer fighting foods is to look for a lot of color. The brighter and richer the pigment, the higher the level of nutrients. "You want to load up your plate with as much colorful plant-based foods as you can, such as tomatoes, carrots, and sweet potatoes" explains Meyers. "Eating a plant-based diet all year long is the best way to help lower your risk of cancer."

Clinton To Invest $50B To Fight Global HIV/AIDS

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), who is running for the Democratic presidential nomination, on Thursday at an HIV/AIDS conference hosted by Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., reiterated her commitment to invest $50 billion to fight HIV/AIDS, the Los Angeles Times reports (Berthelsen, Los Angeles Times, 11/30).

Clinton in a plan released earlier this week proposed to spend at least $50 billion by 2013 on initiatives to fight HIV/AIDS worldwide. Clinton's plan also will propose doubling funding for HIV/AIDS research at NIH to $5.2 billion annually (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 11/27). According to David Bryden, a spokesperson for the Global AIDS Alliance, Clinton's plan would increase U. S. spending to fight HIV/AIDS by about 20%. He added that all of the Democratic presidential candidates have committed to the same funding proposal.

Clinton in her speech to more than 1,700 attendees on Thursday said that HIV/AIDS "remains a plague of biblical proportions," adding that where "ignorance and prejudice builds, AIDS thrives." She said that stigma related to the disease is "one of the real evils that has to be combated" and that part of the solution to the pandemic is to teach " abstinence, be faithful and use condoms if necessary" (Los Angeles Times, 11/30). Clinton also pledged to double the number of people worldwide who receive HIV/AIDS treatment through U.S. funding (Gerstein, New York Sun, 11/30). In addition, Clinton said that "it is long past time that we do everything we can to stand up for the proposition that women's rights are human rights." She added, "Girls denied their human rights are girls at risk for AIDS" (Marinucci, San Francisco Chronicle, 11/30).

In addition, Clinton said that if elected president, she would try to eradicate malaria deaths in Africa within eight years. She also said that she would commit $1 billion annually for global malaria control efforts (Blood, AP/Google.com, 11/30). "AIDS will not be defeated until medical systems in developing countries are relieved of the burdens caused by malaria," Clinton said, adding, "It is appalling that more than one million people die every year from a bug bite and nearly all of them are children" (New York Sun, 11/30).

Former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) and Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), both of whom also are running for the Democratic presidential nomination, gave videotaped speeches that were shown after Clinton's speech. According to the Times, Edwards and Obama "hammered on their desire to curb pharmaceutical company profits on AIDS drugs and make lower-cost generic medications more widely available" (Los Angeles Times, 11/30).

Republican presidential candidates former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) also addressed the conference through videos, the Chronicle reports (San Francisco Chronicle, 11/30). Romney and McCain praised AIDS efforts launched by President Bush, according to the Times. McCain said that he would favor continuing an "abstinence-only approach" to sex education in U.S. efforts abroad (Los Angeles Times, 11/30).

Expanded Efforts To Address Nationwide Childhood Overweight Epidemic

Childhood Overweight

A new partnership between the National Institutes of Health’s We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children's Activity and Nutrition) program and the Association of Children’s Museums (ACM) will expand efforts to address the epidemic of childhood overweight, national leaders in public health said today. In addition, three major cities — Boston, Pittsburgh, and Las Vegas — will be designated as We Can! Cities. We Can!, a science-based national education program to help children ages 8-13 stay at a healthy weight, is now being implemented in more than 450 community sites in 44 states.

"We are coming together with museums, community groups, corporations, health professionals, and educators today to celebrate an exciting, broad-based collaboration to address the epidemic of childhood overweight," said Acting U.S. Surgeon General Rear Admiral Steven K. Galson, M.D., M.P.H., in his first public outreach activity as chair of the Department of Health and Human Services' new Childhood Overweight and Obesity Prevention Initiative, which highlights new approaches to obesity prevention and the promotion of healthy weight for children.

"More than twelve and a half million American children and adolescents are overweight, and are at increased risk for chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes and asthma," Dr. Galson said . "Reducing obesity — and improving the health of millions of children — will take concerted action by all sectors of society, and We Can! is a model for meeting the challenges of childhood overweight."

As part of today’s events, the mayors of Boston, Pittsburgh, and Las Vegas are proclaiming their cities to be We Can! Cities. As We Can! Cities, they have made a commitment to address the issue of childhood overweight by putting into practice the We Can! educational program through their city employees, community groups, corporate wellness programs, health professionals, or schools. Other We Can! Cities include Roswell, Ga.; South Bend, Ind.; Gary, Ind.; Armstrong County, Pa.; and Carson City, Nev.

A special event today at the Boston Children’s Museum brings together Acting Surgeon General Galson; Elias Zerhouni, M.D., director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH); Elizabeth G. Nabel, M.D., director of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI); and Janet Rice Elman, executive director of ACM. The event features the new partnership with ACM as well as We Can!'s evidence-based approach to provide organizations as well as parents and caregivers with tools to address the problem of childhood overweight.

"To create the We Can! program, NIH brought together the best minds in science from four of our Institutes," said Zerhouni. "Today more than ever, parents need sensible guidance to help their kids stay at a healthy weight. We Can! turns what researchers have learned about preventing overweight into practical, easy-to use strategies to help families and community groups teach our children to make better food choices, be more physically active, and cut back on TV and computer time."

In addition, simultaneous events are being held today in nine cities across the nation to bring attention to the growing success and availability of the We Can! program. For example, Susan Shurin, M.D., NHLBI deputy director, is participating in a We Can! community event at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, and Griffin Rodgers, M.D., M.A.C.P., director of NIH's National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, is participating in a We Can! community event at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, which features local chefs and fitness instructors. Similar events are taking place in Las Vegas; Memphis and Oak Ridge Tenn.; Rockford, Ill.; and Carson City, Nev. to demonstrate how communities are using the We Can! program at the local level.

ACM joins 40 other national and corporate partners implementing We Can! in community centers, schools, health care settings, corporate wellness programs, and faith-based organizations to help families work with their children toward healthier lifestyles.

"We join this important movement against childhood overweight today by becoming a We Can! partner, bringing our 340 museums to the table to provide new health education tools and activities," said ACM's Rice Elman. "It is our hope that our unique exhibits and interactive venues will help deliver critical messages and recommendations about healthy choices, while ensuring that school groups and families have fun at the same time."

Quality Plus Issues Allergy Alert On Undeclared Eggs

Quality Plus Products, Inc., of Bellingham, Washington is recalling its 7 ounce packages of "Jackson's Quality Plus Smoked Wild Salmon Spread" because the top ingredient label does not mention eggs however; it is listed on the side label of ingredients. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to eggs run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products.

The recalled "Jackson's Quality Plus Smoked Wild Salmon Spread" products were distributed in retail stores located in Northwestern Washington. The product comes in 7 ounce, clear plastic containers, with an ingredient label on the top lid and an ingredient label on the side with SELL BY dates up to and including 01/15/08 stamped on the side of the container.

No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem. The recall was initiated after it was discovered that the egg-containing product was distributed in packaging that did not reveal the presence of eggs on the top ingredient label. Subsequent investigation indicates the problem was caused by a temporary breakdown in the company's labeling process.

Production of the product has been suspended until FDA and the company is certain that the labels have been corrected. Consumers who have purchased 7 ounce packages of "Smoked Wild Salmon Spread", without the ingredient Horseradish on the top lid, are asked to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.

High-Trauma Fractures In Older Men, Women Linked To Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis

Researchers at the California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC) Research Institute are challenging a widely held belief that fractures resulting from major trauma, such as automobile accidents, are not related to osteoporosis, the common disease that makes bones weak and prone to fracture. Their study, published in the November 28 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, was supported by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), and the National Institute on Aging (NIA). NIAMS and NIA are components of the National Institutes of Health.

People with osteoporosis, a condition of low bone mineral density, experience fractures from a level of force that would not break a healthy bone. Although clinicians often recognize fractures resulting from minimal trauma as osteoporotic, those related to more substantial injury are rarely given the same consideration. "We know that too many clinicians pass on any follow-up of many fracture patients because, in their minds, the patient ‘earned’ their fracture," says Joan A. McGowan, Ph.D., director of the Division of Musculoskeletal Diseases at NIAMS. "These missed opportunities can have a devastating impact on these men and women, who, without proper management, are at increased risk for subsequent fracture."

CPMC’s Steven R. Cummings, M.D., and his colleagues analyzed data from two large prospective cohort studies: the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures (SOF) in women and the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Study (Mr. OS). The SOF followed 8,022 women for nine years and Mr. OS tracked 5,995 men for five years. Bone mineral density (BMD) was assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Study participants were contacted every four months to determine whether they experienced a fracture in the previous four-month period.

When a fracture was reported, clinical staff interviewed the participant to learn how it occurred. Without knowledge of the participant’s BMD, staff classified each fracture as high-trauma or low-trauma. High-trauma fractures were defined as those caused by motor vehicle crashes and falls from greater than standing height, and low-trauma fractures were defined as those resulting from falls from standing height and less severe trauma.

Cummings and his team discovered that the relationship between BMD and fracture risk was similar for high-trauma and low-trauma fractures. They also found that women who experienced a high-trauma fracture were at increased risk for future fractures. (A similar analysis was not conducted in men because of the shorter follow-up time.) "It is becoming increasingly clear that any fracture experienced by an older individual is worthy of an osteoporosis evaluation," says Sheryl S. Sherman, Ph.D., Geriatrics and Clinical Gerontology Branch, NIA.

"We believe that this study changes the definition of osteoporotic fracture and expands the number of fractures that should be considered as such," Cummings says. "Moreover, it is critical that fractures that occur as a result of high trauma be included as outcomes in future studies, so that we may fully understand the impact of these fractures and develop strategies to prevent them."

Vitamin C And Your Adrenal Glands

his article is about how your Adrenal Glands are functioning and how imporant the other members of your gland faimly are.

The adrenals themselves have a very high content of ascorbic acid (vitamin C). Since we know that vitamin C is used in large doses to help combat infections, the conclusion now is that this vitamin helps stimulate the adrenal glands into producing more cortin, the hormone that fights off disease. Because this pair of glands was designed by nature to pour forth adrenalin in times of physical danger, or emotional crisis, continued mental or emotional tension overworks your 'emergency glands' to the point where your nerves and vital organs are constantly kept keyed-up to fever pitch owing to too many fake 'emergency' messages from the brain, thereby sending the powerful adrenalin hormone shooting into your bloodstream when it isn't actually needed. In times of stress, the adrenal glands also release into your bloodstream a substance called cholesterol (the waxy substance now blamed for causing hardening of the arteries. See Chapter 9). For this reason, many doctors believe that arteriosclerosis, and other 'diseases of age' such as coronary thrombosis and cerebral hemorrhage, may develop as a result of this constant overstimulation of the adrenal glands by high-tension living, and day-in-day-out mental or emotional strain. This emergency function of the adrenals to act as a powerful stimulant upon the organs of the body is a holdover from the days when man needed instantaneous physical and mental reserves to save himself from animal or human enemies. But today, when most of our emergencies are chiefly emotional or mental, this continued outpouring of the high-powered adrenalin into your bloodstream causes the heart and blood vessels to take a fearful beating. And because adrenalin is continually being squirted into the blood under the stress and strain of our highly emotional civilization, cortin is likewise constantly needed in big doses to get the body machine slowed down to normal again. Since we know that the adrenal glands use vitamin C to manufacture the cortical hormone, it's not difficult to understand that continued high-tension living (either physical, mental or emotional) uses up a lot of vitamin C and releases a lot of cholesterol into the bloodstream. The result is depleted vitamin C reserves, unless special attention is given to replacing this vitamin through the diet; an increased tendency to infection (witness how easily an epidemic of influenza knocks over its victims during times of a local or national crisis); and high blood pressure and hardening of the arteries-that surplus amount of cholesterol from the overstimulated adrenals has to land some place, and where more convenient than on the walls of your arteries where it clogs the free flowing of the blood, causing the arteries to 'harden'? If you want to feel and look younger than you are, you'd better stop setting off those mental and emotional 'false alarms' that keep your body wound up as tight as a main spring. The old proverb that 'worry kills more people than cannons' was unconsciously aimed right at the adrenal glands, since the unwise use of their powerful hormone by an emotionally unstable mind is equivalent to killing off your youth-yourself as well-by inches. A final word of advice on the care of your adrenal glands: Feed them plenty of high-grade protein; provide them with ample vitamin C (best sources are citrus fruits, melons, apricots, strawberries, green vegetables, and particularly tomatoes); make sure that foods rich in Vitamins A and B-com-plex are eaten at least twice a day; and provide them with the minerals magnesium and silicon (richest sources are citrus and other fruits, green and leafy vegetables, yellow vegetables, walnuts and egg yolk).