we have Driver tracking , Children tracking ,  Personal security , Personalized gifts , Baby boomer gifts , Retirement gifts , Hot/cold packs , Dexterity aids , Memory loss products , Dressing aids , Sleep aids , Snoring aids , Vision aids , Medical alert , Medical record storage , Medication management , Incontinence products , Medical id bracelets , Defibrillators , Wicking Clothing , Drug and Alcohol Testing

The public has recently been warned about the chemical compound Bisphenol A (BPA), commonly used in plastic packaging for food and beverages. To correspond with a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hearing on BPA, the September 17 issue of JAMA contains a report that finds an association between higher levels of urinary BPA and cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and liver-enzyme abnormalities.

Two million metric tons of BPA were produced worldwide in 2003, making it one of the world’s highest production-volume chemicals. Experts also expect an annual increase in demand of 6% to 10% for this ubiquitous compound found in the plastic of several consumer products. Researcher David Melzer, M.B., Ph.D. (Peninsula Medical School, Exeter, U.K.) and colleagues note that, “Widespread and continuous exposure to BPA, primarily through food but also through drinking water, dental sealants, dermal exposure, and inhalation of household dusts, is evident from the presence of detectable levels of BPA in more than 90 percent of the U.S. population.” Although animal studies have shown adverse effects to create concern over low-level exposure in humans, researchers still lack enough data to detect low-dose effects with sufficient statistical power. This new study is unique in that it analyzes effects of BPA levels in a large population while also exploring “normal” levels of BPA exposure.
http://www.liveonnetwork.com
http://www.homehealthcareclassifieds.com

To investigate the relationship between urinary BPA concentrations and the health status of adults, Melzer and colleagues employed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003-2004. The sample consisted of 1,455 adults, age 18 through 74 years, with measured urinary BPA concentrations.

Statistical models that controlled for factors such as age and sex suggested that on average, BPA concentrations were higher in participants who reported diagnoses of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Further, a 39% increase in the odds of reporting diabetes and cardiovascular disease (including angina, coronary hear disease, or hear attack combined) was associated with only a 1-Standard Deviation (SD) increase in BPA concentration. Splitting the data into quartiles of BPA concentration revealed that participants in the highest 25% of BPA concentration had about 3 times the odds of cardiovascular disease and 2.4 times the odds of diabetes compared to participants in the lowest 25% of BPA concentration.

Finally, the researchers established a link between higher BPA concentrations and clinically abnormal concentrations for three liver enzymes.

“Using data representative of the adult U.S. population, we found that higher urinary concentrations of BPA were associated with an increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and liver-enzyme abnormalities. These findings add to the evidence suggesting adverse effects of low-dose BPA in animals. Independent replication and follow-up studies are needed to confirm these findings and to provide evidence on whether the associations are causal,” conclude the researchers. “Given the substantial negative effects on adult health that may be associated with increased BPA concentrations and also given the potential for reducing human exposure, our findings deserve scientific follow-up.”

An accompanying editorial to the article was written by Frederick S. vom Saal, Ph.D. (University of Missouri, Columbia) and John Peterson Myers, Ph.D. (Environmental Health Sciences, Charlottesville, Va.). They write:

“Since worldwide BPA production has now reached approximately 7 billion pounds per year, eliminating direct exposures from its use in food and beverage containers will prove far easier than finding solutions for the massive worldwide contamination by this chemical due its to disposal in landfills and the dumping into aquatic ecosystems of myriad other products containing BPA, which Canada has already declared to be a major environmental contaminant.”

“The good news is that government action to reduce exposures may offer an effective intervention for improving health and reducing the burden of some of the most consequential human health problems. Thus, even while awaiting confirmation of the findings of Lang et al, decreasing exposure to BPA and developing alternatives to its use are the logical next steps to minimize risk to public health.”
http://www.liveonnetwork.com
http://www.homehealthcareclassifieds.com

When the outer ear, also called the pinna, is removed surgically or significantly damaged by trauma, patients may require prosthetic ears, according to the article. The authors describe the situation faced by these patients: “Their external auditory canal is usually intact, and the remainder of their auditory system should function normally,” they say. “In these patients, the physician must strive not only to correct the aesthetic defect caused by the missing pinna but also to correct the hearing loss caused by its absence.”

To investigate the potential effects of a prosthetic ear on the patient, William E. Walsh, M.D., C.M.I., of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, and colleagues examined eight different silicone rubber prostheses in a two part study. First, the researchers experimented using a life-sized head made of foam, with a 12-millimeter hole drilled at the location of the external auditory canal. Placing a microphone at the entrance of the ear canal, the sound pressure with and without the prosthesis as the head rotated.

The prosthesis improved the sound volume acquired by 8.1 decibels when the frequency of the sound was 4.6 kilohertz. This increase was 9.7 decibels when the frequency was 11.5 kilohertz.

In the second part of the study, the researchers examined whether this improvement would actually benefit patients. A total 11 English-speaking young adults with normal hearing took a speech test in two different forms. The first was unmodified, ,while the second allowed the acoustic effects caused by the absense of a pinna were stimulated, based on the data from the study made with the foam head. Participants sat in front of two speakers,  one playing normal speech and one playing white noise. The participants then plugged their left ears and tried to understand the sentences. The sound level of the speech was gradually increased, one decibel at a time, until the participant could understand all of the sentences. This was repeated with the prosthesis over the opposite ear.
http://www.liveonnetwork.com
http://www.homehealthcareclassifieds.com

The prosthesis used in this tests improved the average ratio of speech to noise at which the subject was able to understand all of the sentences heard. The authors of the study claim this “answers the question whether the gain measured in a model system actually improves a patient’s hearing,”

The continue, discussing prosthetic ears in the context of improved acoustics. “Auricular prostheses provide an acoustic gain at certain head positions and frequencies, and this acoustic gain is clinically relevant because it benefits speech recognition in noise.” They continue: “In some individuals, auricular prostheses not only effectively restore aesthetics but also may improve hearing. To verify the results of the present experiments, the main outcome measures described in this study will be used to obtain future measurements from individuals who wear auricular prostheses.”
http://www.liveonnetwork.com
http://www.homehealthcareclassifieds.com

Driver tracking , Children tracking ,  Personal security , Personalized gifts , Baby boomer gifts , Retirement gifts , Hot/cold packs , Dexterity aids , Memory loss products , Dressing aids , Sleep aids , Snoring aids , Vision aids , Medical alert , Medical record storage , Medication management , Incontinence products , Medical id bracelets , Defibrillators , Wicking Clothing , Drug and Alcohol Testing

Heartburn, which also is known as acid reflux disease, is a condition in which acid from the stomach creeps up into the esophagus and causes a burning sensation in the chest. According to medical literature, as many as 14 million Americans live with acid reflux disease and complications can lead to esophageal cancer. For patients who do not respond to medication therapy, their only option is surgery. Traditional surgery includes a large open abdominal incision-an operation that takes several hours-and patients must remain in the hospital for a few days.

The FDA-approved device, known as EsophX, is a tubular device that rides over a standard endoscope. With the patient sedated under general anesthesia, the device is inserted into the patient’s mouth down the esophagus and into the stomach. EsophX has both an operating and procedural end, enabling surgeons to view the procedure from a tiny fiber optic camera mounted inside the device. Once the stomach is inflated for surgery, tiny instruments can be deployed to grasp the stomach tissue to begin reconstruction of the valve. The surgeons repeat the procedure until they are satisfied that a one-way valve from the stomach to the esophagus is secured to prevent the backflow of stomach acids.

“Many patients with severe heartburn must take expensive medications, which only treat the symptoms and do not adequately address the underlying problem caused by defective anatomy. With this novel device, we are now able to permanently correct the patient’s anatomy by creating a tissue barrier against stomach fluid moving into the esophagus,” said Blair Jobe, M.D., F.A.C.S., associate professor of surgery, division of thoracic and foregut surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and director of esophageal research, member of the first team to perform incisionless heartburn surgery in the United States.

Home health care products , Baby boomers products , Menopause products , Neck pillows , Orthopedics , Mobility aids , Alzheimer’s aids , Arthritis aids , First aid kits , Survival kits , Products that make life easier , Independant Living Products ,  Amplified Phones ,  Big Button Remotes , Medical devices ,  Personal listening devices

The study was the work of Anna Vogiatzoglou of the Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics at Oxford University, and colleagues, and is published in the 9th September online issue of the journal Neurology.

Home health care products , Baby boomers products , Menopause products , Neck pillows , Orthopedics , Mobility aids , Alzheimer’s aids , Arthritis aids , First aid kits , Survival kits , Products that make life easier , Independant Living Products ,  Amplified Phones ,  Big Button Remotes , Medical devices ,  Personal listening devices

For the prospective study, Vogiatzoglou and colleagues, under the auspices of the Oxford Project to Investigate Memory and Ageing (OPTIMA), studied 107 community dwelling volunteers aged from 61 to 87 who did not have cognitive impairment when they enrolled on the project. The volunteers underwent yearly MRI brain scans, cognitive and memory tests and physical exams for five years.

The participants also gave blood samples at the start and the end of the project, from which a number of B12 markers and metabolites were assessed, including blood folate levels.

The results showed that while none of the participants had a shortage of vitamin B12, those with the highest levels were six times less likely to show brain shrinkage compared to those who had the lowest levels.

The researchers concluded that:

“Low vitamin B12 status should be further investigated as a modifiable cause of brain atrophy and of likely subsequent cognitive impairment in the elderly.”

Commenting on the findings, Vogiatzoglou said:

“Many factors that affect brain health are thought to be out of our control, but this study suggests that simply adjusting our diets to consume more vitamin B12 through eating meat, fish, fortified cereals or milk may be something we can easily adjust to prevent brain shrinkage and so perhaps save our memory.”

(The study did not assess whether taking vitamin B12 supplements would improve memory.)

Vitamin B12 deficiency is a recognized public health problem, particularly among older people, so increasing B12 intake could help to reduce the problem. However, a clinical trial would be necessary before a final conclusion about whether giving older people B12 supplements would make a significance difference to their risk of brain shrinkage, said Vogiatzoglou.Home health care products , Baby boomers products , Menopause products , Neck pillows , Orthopedics , Mobility aids , Alzheimer’s aids , Arthritis aids , First aid kits , Survival kits , Products that make life easier , Independant Living Products ,  Amplified Phones ,  Big Button Remotes , Medical devices ,  Personal listening devices

Home health care products , Baby boomers products , Menopause products , Neck pillows , Orthopedics , Mobility aids , Alzheimer’s aids , Arthritis aids , First aid kits , Survival kits , Products that make life easier , Independant Living Products ,  Amplified Phones ,  Big Button Remotes , Medical devices ,  Personal listening devices

In the 12-week placebo-controlled study, known as the Sirocco trial, neither the active comparator donepezil nor AZD3480 met the trial’s criteria for statistical significance on the primary outcome measure, ADAS-Cog1. Both results were impacted by an improvement in the placebo group.

At two of the three doses tested, AZD3480 showed an improvement on the secondary outcome measures ADCS-CGIC2, a widely accepted measure of clinician assessment of change in patients’ behavior and ability to function, and MMSE3, a quantitative cognition scale commonly used by neurologists in a clinical setting. Of the three AZD3480 doses, the middle dose performed best on both measures (0.5 point improvement, ADCS-CGIC and 0.9 point improvement, MMSE). Donepezil also showed an improvement on ADCS-CGIC (0.2 point improvement) and the MMSE (1.0 point improvement). Neither donepezil nor AZD3480 showed improvement in any domain of the Cognitive Drug Research computerized test battery in the pooled dataset of all subjects.
http://www.liveonnetwork.com
http://www.homehealthcareclassifieds.com

AZD3480 exhibited an overall safety and tolerability profile comparable to placebo in the trial, with fewer gastrointestinal-related adverse events (diarrhea, nausea & vomiting) than donepezil.

Analyses of the full dataset from the Sirocco trial are ongoing. AstraZeneca and Targacept plan to discuss the data with leading medical experts and to present and publish more detailed results over the coming months. A decision by AstraZeneca with respect to potential further development of AZD3480 is expected in December 2008.

“While we had hoped for a more conclusive overall outcome, we believe the Sirocco trial provides further support for the clinical rationale for AZD3480 by demonstrating improvement on both ADCS-CGIC, an accepted scale that reflects improvement in everyday activities, and the widely used MMSE cognitive assessment, as well as a favorable safety and tolerability profile,” said J. Donald deBethizy, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Targacept. “These findings also strengthen the scientific foundation for our pipeline of NNR Therapeutics. We thank AstraZeneca for its execution of this trial and investment in the broad development of AZD3480.”

In addition to Alzheimer’s disease, AZD3480 is currently being evaluated in a Phase 2b trial in cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia (the “HALO” trial), as well as a Phase 2 exploratory study in adult attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Top-line results from the cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia trial are expected by the end of 2008.

http://www.liveonnetwork.com
http://www.homehealthcareclassifieds.com