Much like acupuncture and tai chi have emerged from the realm of alternative medicine to take their rightful places as valuable mainstream treatments, so has biofeedback, a mind-over-body technique that trains patients to control typically involuntary bodily processes like blood pressure, stress, muscle tension and blood flow.

One expert describes biofeedback as "internal exercise, much like the physical exercise you perform at the gym. It's done with the head instead of the muscles." That's certainly been a very successful treatment option for Canadian skier Alexandre Bilodeau, who credited one form of biofeedback (bioneurofeedback) for helping him win his country's first Olympic Gold Medal at the recent Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Despite the mainstream acceptance, however, a 2008 American Cancer Society study that polled more than 4,000 cancer survivors found biofeedback, acupuncture/acupressure and hypnosis were rarely used by cancer patients.

An sidenote to readers of our daily blog: In the very same study, taking a supplement was a far more popular choice among cancer survivors.

healthfinder.gov February 4, 2010

WebMD June 27, 2007

Wish your internist was a little less boring and a bit more telegenic, like the brilliant and often venomous Dr. Gregory "Crankypants" House? In the real world, it's far safer to rely on a trained medical professional to treat real health problems, like seizures.

Canadian researchers came to that very logical conclusion after screening more than 300 episodes of medical dramas aired on American TV (Grey's Anatomy, House, M.D., ER and Private Practice) over the past five to seven years for the proper treatment of seizures, a popular problem that cropped up 59 times (all but eight occurring in a hospital setting). Most were of the tonic-clonic variety (also referred to as grand mal seizures) that many associate with epilepsy and affect the whole body.

Nearly half the time, a doctor or nurse improperly treated seizures, either by holding patients down or putting something in their mouths. In the real world of medicine, however, both options have the rare potential to be far more harmful, as in patients breaking bones or choking on blood or a broken tooth. Only about a quarter of the time was a seizure properly treated.

A reality check from Dr. Lisa Sanders, a New York Times columnist, faculty member at the Yale University School of Medicine and technical adviser for House, M.D., as told to CNN: It's very clear to anybody who watches House and has ever been in a hospital that House is not a close representation of the truth at any level.

So, the next time a relative or co-workers tries to "cure" you based on a medical license they've earned by proxy after watching years of TV shows like House or ER, you have my permission to tell them to cut it out. For good...

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CNNHealth February 15, 2010

The Vancouver Sun February 15, 2010

ScienceDaily February 15, 2010

Image source: NBC Universal

Because simple solutions are often the best ones, no doubt, premenopausal women with irregular menstrual periods will like the results of this small study that could change the timing of their breast MRI scans, provide clearer images and significantly reduce repeat scans.

Typically, physicians pay no attention to scheduling a premenopausal woman's breast MRIs in relation to her irregular menstrual cycles, a practice that often leads to multiple scans and non-diagnostic tests, according to scientists, although research has demonstrated performing these scans during the follicular phase of the ovarian cycle reduces breast tissue enhancement and improves results.

Based on blood work taken from patients with irregular periods, determining a woman's serum progesterone concentration with simple blood testing optimizes the scheduling of breast MRIs. In fact, among the 11 women who participated in the study, none needed a second scan.

American Journal of Roentgenology, Vol. 193, No. 6, pp. 1738-1740, December 2009

ScienceDaily November 20, 2009

healthfinder.gov November 20, 2009

An interesting piece in the New York Times raised some very different opinions about the real need for yearly mammograms for women under age 50 from experts in the field.

The American Cancer Society seems to want it both ways. In an interview with the Times, its chief medical officer claimed the practice of medicine had exaggerated the real benefit of mammograms. Later on, citing seven studies that showed how mammograms lowered the mortality risks of women, the organization suggested that women over age 40 should still keep having them even though these exams can "miss cancers that need treatment, and in some cases finds disease that does not need treatment."

The conversation began after a Journal of the American Medical Association report questioned whether medicine should rethink its guidance on mammograms, noting such screenings are ideal for finding slow-growing tumors that don't need treatment, but not for spotting deadly and aggressive variations of breast cancer before they spread. Yet, mammograms pick up tumors that grow at a medium rate, and women may benefit the most from this.

On the other hand, however, an article posted on rt-image.com is a worrisome reminder about two studies conducted this year that found many female cancer survivors were skipping their annual mammograms. And, in one such study, childhood cancer survivors were avoiding them despite being at a greater risk of breast cancer.

To our wonderful readers, if you're female north of 40, or a cancer survivor of any age, what say you?

New York Times November 2, 2009

Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 302, No. 15, pp. 1685-1692, October 22, 2009

Image, the source for radiology professionals November 2, 2009

Image source: Dr. Dwight Kaufman, division of cancer treatment/National Cancer Institute

Older antibiotics -- polymyxin drugs derived from Bacillus polymyxa -- that were developed almost a half-century ago have begun to show the first signs of bacterial resistance, according to a recent study presented during the 47th annual meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (ISDA).

Although the polymyxin class of drugs had lost some of their past appeal over the past 20 years due to kidney toxicity, these antibiotics have been making a recent comeback as a weapon to treat infections patients acquired in hospital settings that had been resistant to other antibiotics.

After comparing samples of bacteria taken from 1,041 patients in a New York hospital from 2005-08, 6 percent were resistant to polymyxin B and E drugs. And, the prevalence of resistance to polymyxin, according to the study, had exploded by some 50 percent over a two-year period.

Even more alarming, more than 30 percent of samples taken from patients were resistant to five classes of antibiotics, says lead author Dr. Jason Kessler, meaning that polymyxin may be the only treatment alternative.

The greatest fear, according to UCLA professor and ISDA expert Dr. Brad Spellberg, is fast becoming a reality. "Antibiotic development is dying, and we are running out of drugs. We have organisms that are already resistant to every antibiotic we can throw at them."

U.S. News and World Report/Science News October 30, 2009

healthfinder.gov October 30, 2009

Chalk it up to the Halloween season and medical myths that seemingly never die that studies like this one from the respected journal, Anesthesiology, questioning surgical outcomes still see the light of day. Literally...

Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic studied how the time of day or night might play a role in the outcomes of some 18,600 patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass graft surgeries between 1993-2006 that were performed on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., taking into account the risks of infections, heart attacks and death.

No surprise, full moons, the seasons, time of day or day of the week had no statistical influence whatsoever on the outcome of surgeries. Two legit caveats:

* Timing could be an issue, researchers say, if a patient scheduled his or her surgery at the end of a week or a long day for doctors and hospital personnel, taking fatigue into account.

* New residents join teaching hospitals in July and August, meaning your attending doctor may be a rookie and learning the ropes.

Strangely, however, our pets may be a completely, different matter, according to a 2007 study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. Scientists discovered emergency visits for cats and dogs at the Colorado State University Veterinary Medical Center spiked upward near or during a full moon.

Anesthesiology, Vol. 11, No. 4, pp. 785-789, October 2009 Free Full Text Study

LiveScience.com September 23, 2009

LiveScience.com July 15, 2007

Citing an "understandably anxious and confused" public, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson recently announced an urgent push for major reforms for the long outmoded 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) that governs how the agency regulates toxic chemicals. "Over the years, not only has the TSCA fallen behind the industry it's supposed to regulate, it's been proven an inadequate tool for providing the protection against chemical risks that the public rightfully expects," Jackson says.

It's about time. During TSCA's sorry, 33-year history, the FDA has issued either strong regulations or banned only five chemicals out of some 80,000. Among the reforms being considered:

1. Giving greater authority to the EPA to take action when chemicals don't meet safety standards.

2. Mandating more timely assessments of new and existing priority chemicals.

3. Reviewing chemicals against risk-specific safety standards based on sound science that safeguard the environment and human health.

4. Requiring manufacturers to provide the agency with enough information to make informed assessments about the safety or non-safety of chemicals.

5. Changing the mindset of assessments, so that chemicals aren't automatically assumed to be "innocent until proven guilty," says an Environmental Working Group spokesperson.

A big surprise: The American Chemistry Council endorses the move by the EPA to revamp TSCA, considered by many environmental health experts to be obsolete.

Toxic "surprises" are just another thing to consider when you're weighing the pros and cons of a product to improve your health. Read more about protecting yourself and your family from our toxic world here.

EPA.gov September 29, 2009

San Francisco Chronicle September 30, 2009

USA Today September 29, 2009

The news is good for folks who use a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) as a way to control their chronic heartburn. There's no risk of cancer, based on the findings of a study on 90 British patients given high or low dosages of such drugs.

Concerns were linked to Barrett's Oesophagus (BE), a condition reported among some 10 percent of all patients who fail to treat their regular or prolonged bouts of heartburn which, in turn, can develop into oesophageal adenocarcinoma, a potentially fatal cancer. Additionally, BE narrows the size of the esophagus while contributing to pain when swallowing.

Over the course of the two-year study, there was no difference in the incidence of BE among patients who took PPIs of either dosage or any worsening of this condition. Also, no additional cases of cancer were reported, as well as any changes in the amount of precancerous cells discovered in either study group.

Two interesting factoids: Oesophageal adenocarcinoma harms more people in the UK than anywhere else in the world, and BE is half as common in America as it is in Great Britain.

Gut August 2, 2009

Physorg.com September 9, 2009

Many more people are living with Alzheimer's and dementia -- a projected 10 percent increase to more than 35 million worldwide by 2010 -- than experts expected, and the number of patients harmed by this mind-robbing disease is expected to explode by the year 2050, according to the latest World Alzheimer Report released by Alzheimer's Disease International.

Although the report estimates 4.4 million North Americans are harmed by Alzheimer's, the Alzheimer's Association is far less conservative about U.S. estimates, pegging the number of patients affected domestically at more than 5 million. Overall, one out of eight Americans older than age 65 are harmed by Alzheimer's as are almost half of seniors over age 85.

Even more alarming, an estimated 115 million people in the world may be affected by the ravages of Alzheimer's as soon as the year 2050.

New studies assessing the reach of Alzheimer's around the world (nearly 7 million people apiece in Western Europe, and South and Southeastern Asia) prompted the worldwide coalition of some 70 non-profit groups to ask British researchers to rethink their estimates.

One huge problem: Many folks still believe dementia is a normal part of the aging process, not a disease that can be treated.

Alzheimer's Association Free Full PDF Report

USA Today September 21, 2009

MSNBC.com September 21, 2009

Ever wondered why American women live longer than their male counterparts? Although the gap in lifespan between the sexes is narrowing, the most recent CDC report still gives women more than a five-year lead over men.

What gives? Old school beliefs about masculinity that push men away from timely, preventative health care -- even guys who could more than afford the time and expense -- may be the problem, according to data collected on the health of 1,000 Baby Boomer males participating in the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study.

Regardless of their marital status, family backgrounds, socioeconomic status and health history, middle-aged men who held onto traditional beliefs about their masculinity were 50 percent less likely to follow through on preventative health care maintenance -- a prostate exam, flu shot and physical -- annually.

Interestingly, there was a single but important exception to these findings. Men who worked in low-status, blue-collar jobs (truck drivers, farm workers, machine operators and construction workers) took better care of their health, in spite of their traditional views. As men who viewed life through the "John Wayne" filter climbed the corporate ladder, however, the likelihood they would take preventative healthcare measures dropped significantly.

All Academic Research Free Full Text Study

Rodale.com September 4, 2009

EurekAlert August 10, 2009

Medline Plus August 11, 2009

The surgical options of Baby Boomers may sharply decline over the next 15 years, thanks to a severe shortage of cardiothoracic surgeons coupled with a health demands of a growing, aging population, according to a new study.

Simply put, experts believe a boom in retirements -- the number of Americans turning age 65 will double to 70 million over the next two decades -- will coincide with a diminishing supply of physicians -- a minimum 21 percent drop in the number of available heart surgeons -- by 2025, creating an increased demand for surgeons nearing 50 percent.

Why the shortfall? Medical residents with training in cardiothoracic surgery had difficulty finding jobs as the number of heart bypass surgeries dropped by 28 percent and the use of stints -- procedures done by cardiologists -- dramatically increased by 121 percent.

Even worse, an immediate increase in cardiothoracic professionals wouldn't be enough to prevent a dire shortage, taking into account the anticipated increase in patients over age 65, because it takes a decade of training to become a cardiothoracic surgeon.

Circulation, Vol. 120, No. 6, pp. 488-494, August 11, 2009

healthfinder.gov July 28, 2009

heartwire July 27, 2009

The FDA finally issued formal black box warnings for BOTOX and three other products containing botulinum toxins (BOTOX Cosmetic, Myobloc and Dysport). These new warnings underscore the potentially harmful spread of these drugs from the injection site to distant parts of the human body, potentially affecting a patient's ability to breathe or swallow.

The agency acted on a 15-month-old petition sent by Public Citizen, spurred by 180 reports of serious health problems and 16 deaths connected to such products. During its investigation, the FDA identified 225 additional reports linked to the spread of the drug beyond the injection site. Many of these side effects were related to off-label uses, primarily the treatment of muscle spasticity in children suffering from cerebral palsy.

On the heels of the black box warnings, the FDA also approved Dysport, a variation of the very same toxin to treat cervical dystonia (a neck problem that may cause severe pain and abnormal head positioning), for sale in America.

FDA.gov August 3, 2009

AboutLawsuits.com August 4, 2009

New York Times April 30, 2009

BOTOX is a trademark of Allergan Inc.

Dysport is a trademark of Medicis Pharmaceutical.

Myobloc is a trademark of Solstice Neurosciences.

BOTOX Cosmetic is a trademark of Allergan Inc.

An important reason to pay attention when your primary care doctor talks to you about cancer prevention during routine office visits and physicals: When recommending colorectal cancer screenings, most physicians fail to discuss all the options available to their patients as outlined in national guidelines.

Based on a survey of nearly 1,300 physicians, 95 percent recommended colonoscopy as a primary screening method followed by fecal occult blood testing with 80 percent. Unfortunately, that's where the good news ends.

* A measly 17 percent of doctors recommended only one screening method, while 56 percent suggested two.

* Sixty-one percent of primary care practices had screening guidelines.

* Only 4 percent of physicians polled perform sigmoidoscopic procedures (examining the lower third of the colon).

A second study, analyzing colorectal cancer screening rates among Medicare patients, also highlighted the lack of options. Although the rate of colonoscopies among seniors grew, testing for all other options fell steadily. What's more, just a third of Medicare patients between ages 50-64 and less than half of the enrollees older than age 64 were tested at recommended intervals.

American Journal of Preventative Medicine, Vol. 37, No. 1, p. 1-7, July 2009 Free Full Text Study

American Journal of Preventative Medicine, Vol. 37, No. 1, p. 8-16, July 2009 Free Full Text Study

Medscape Today July 17, 2009

Although the origins of ovarian cancer are murky at best, Danish researchers may have uncovered a link between this deadly form of cancer and hormone therapy. Regardless of when or for how long women were treated, the estrogen dosage or the specific treatment regimen, women who have taken hormone therapy at some point in their lives may have an elevated risk of ovarian cancer.

While reviewing the health records of some 900,000 Danish women between ages 50-79 from 1995-2005, researchers found 31 percent of the patients had used or were using hormonal therapies. And, nearly half of the women currently using hormone therapy (46 percent) had been following their treatment regimen for more than seven years.

The number of ovarian cancers identified during an eight-year follow-up period amounted to 3,068 cases, with the majority linked to epithelial tumors (2,681). Women who actively took hormone therapies elevated their risk of ovarian cancer by 38 percent, compared to those who never used it.

Unfortunately, when scientists narrowed their focus to epithelial tumors, the numbers worsened: Ovarian cancer risks rose significantly among women who were currently using hormone therapy (44 percent) and those who had stopped using it (15 percent), compared to those who avoided such therapies.

Although current or previous use of hormone therapies resulted in a 5 percent increase overall -- not a huge number -- women should take into account the high fatality rate among ovarian cancer patients when considering hormone therapy, researchers said.

Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 302, No. 3, p. 298-305, July 15, 2009

ScienceDaily July 15, 2009

WebMD July 14, 2009

Despite controversial media reports to the contrary, autism may not be linked to a child's diet, according to a Mayo Clinic study that compared the incidence of gastrointestinal problems of some 240 healthy children to those of about 120 autistic kids over an 18-year period.

Although young autistic patients had more problems with constipation and were far pickier eaters (making it difficult to gain weight) than healthy kids, scientists discovered no difference between both groups in the number of gastrointestinal issues: Seventy-two percent of healthy kids and 77 percent of autistic children experienced at least one compliant over the course of the study.

More autistic children were affected by their picky eating habits and constipation than the healthy control group, but only a handful of them suffered from Chron's disease, lactose intolerance, milk allergies or intestinal disaccharidase (enzyme) deficiencies.

One variable researchers suspect that may have affected the nutritional health of autistic children in the study: About half of the autistic patients monitored were taking a stimulant medication.

Yahoo News July 27, 2009

New York Times July 27, 2009

Chicago Tribune July 27, 2009