While viruses like the flu, RSV and COVID can impact people anytime, most people associate these viruses with colder and winter months – and while winter may be loosening its grip – these viruses are not.

Who is most vulnerable to respiratory illnesses?

Immunocompromised people. You qualify as “immunocompromised” if you have an illness that weakens your immune system, such as cancer, an autoimmune disease, or have had an organ transplant. You may also qualify if your immune system works well. but are being treated for another condition suppresses your immune response.

We all know someone who is immunocompromised and for these people, COVID can be deadly.

Approximately 3% of the U.S adult population is considered immunocompromised and are more susceptible to severe outcomes and complications of infectious disease.

The best thing you can do to protect yourself against respiratory infections includes:

Vaccines are the recommended approach

However, vaccines are shown to leave immunocompromised people exposed and need extra protection

Talk to your doctor about a COVID protection approach

Cover your cough or sneeze

On Thursday, February 27th, Dr. Amesh Adalja, Senior Scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, and Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, will be available to discuss the peaking of the respiratory illness season and how everyone can protect themselves. He’ll also discuss protecting immunocompromised people from COVID-19.

Interview is courtesy: Invivyd

#covid19 #respiratoryvirus #cdc #invivyd #expandtheiroptions #illness #disease #covid

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I’m a retired Captain of Public Health Service. I graduated from Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1968. After college, I served as a VISTA volunteer and lived in a low-income housing project in Honolulu, Hawaii, for two years. I applied to my draft board as a Conscientious Objector.

After several years, I received a Master’s Degree in Public Health at the University of Hawaii and married Carol Ing, who grew up in Hawaii. This year, we celebrated our 46th wedding anniversary. We have a 32-year-old daughter and a 28-year-old son. 

After graduating with my Master’s degree, I joined the Public Health Service. As a health educator, community organizer, and behavioral scientist, I worked for the Indian Health Service and the Centers for Disease Control. My wife and I lived and worked on the Fork Peck Indian Reservation, a home for the Sioux and Assiniboine Indians in eastern Montana.

After four years, we transferred to the Zuni Indian Reservation in western New Mexico, where we lived for three years. We moved to Albuquerque, where I served as Executive Director of HealthNet New Mexico, a statewide health promotion organization, and four years at the Headquarters of the Indian Health Service. 1992, I transferred to the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta and retired in 1999. I taught health for ten years as a college instructor.

As a health educator, I promoted fitness to prevent Type II diabetes and obesity. I was also an athlete, wrestling in high school and college and ten years in Freestyle and Greco-Roman. After completing 21 marathons, I qualified for the prestigious Boston Marathon. In 1989, I rode my bike 3400 miles across the country from Seattle, Washington, to Atlantic, New Jersey. 

The post From Conscientious Objector to Health Advocate: A Short Interview with Bruce Leonard appeared first on Good News!.

THANKS TO A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN ABBOTT AND WEIGHTWATCHERS, THERE’S A NEW CONNECTED APP THAT HELPS PEOPLE LIVING WITH DIABETES MAKE HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE CHOICES WHEN IT COMES TO NUTRITION AND MOVEMENT. THROUGH THE WW APP, PEOPLE LIVING WITH DIABETES WHO WEAR A FREESTYLE LIBRE 2 CONTINUOUS GLUCOSE MONITOR WILL BE ABLE TO TRACK AND SEE HOW FOOD AND ACTIVITY IMPACT THEIR GLUCOSE LEVELS WHILE RECEIVING GUIDANCE AND SUPPORT WITH THE WEIGHTWATCHERS DIABETES-TAILORED PLAN.

ww.com/diabetesconnection

JOINING US TODAY TO SHARE MORE IS DR. MICHELLE CARDEL, HEAD OF WEIGHTWATCHER’S CLINICAL RESEARCH AND NUTRITION.

What she does at WW

Michelle is an obesity and nutrition scientist and registered dietitian with a focus on the development and implementation of evidence-based healthy lifestyle strategies for adults and children, particularly those from medically-underserved backgrounds. At WeightWatchers®, Michelle oversees the company’s academic research partnerships and clinical trials, nutrition portfolio, and science communication. In collaboration with fellow scientists and teams across the organization, she plans and executes research studies, then implements and disseminates the findings for WeightWatchers members, the scientific community, and the greater community at large. She also leads the company’s nutrition point of view using the latest in nutritional science, and works across the organization to translate the evidence in member content, programs, and beyond.

Her background

Before joining the WW Science team in 2021, Michelle was an assistant professor at the University of Florida College of Medicine. She was also the founder and director of the University of Florida Obesity Research Alliance, and an associate director for the Center for Integrative Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases. She holds a PhD in nutrition sciences and a master’s degree in clinical nutrition from University of Alabama at Birmingham, and a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from Florida State University. She also holds specialized training in motivational interviewing, acceptance and commitment therapy, implementation science, and is a dedicated advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Throughout her career, Michelle has authored over 70 scientific publications and received numerous honors including the Excellence in Emerging Outcomes Research award from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the Superior Accomplishment Award for Diversity & Inclusion in the Workplace from the University of Florida Health Sciences Center, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Outstanding Woman Award and Outstanding Young Alumni Award. She was also awarded Fellow Status for The Obesity Society, in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the field of obesity. Michelle is a skilled proponent of science communication and has conducted dozens of media interviews, including a recurring segment on nutrition for Channel 9 News in Denver. She’s also highly active on social media in efforts to translate scientific findings to the public.

What brought her to WW

Michelle has focused her career on the etiology, prevention, and treatment of obesity among diverse populations. She is committed to meeting people where they are and using science-backed practices to help them become their healthiest selves. When given the opportunity to join the WW team, she jumped at the chance to channel this passion into real-world application for 4+ million WW members across the globe.

Most exciting part of the job

According to Michelle, it is all about impact. She loves utilizing her science background and collaborating with others to improve the health and wellness of WW members.

Get to know Michelle:

In her free time: Michelle, her husband, and their two young children spend as much time as they can outside. Whether camping, hiking, swimming, skiing, or jumping off a rope swing, they find joy together as a family in the great outdoors.
You might be surprised to learn: Michelle is terrified of heights. In an attempt to overcome that fear, she has bungee-jumped at the highest jump in the world (South Africa) and gone skydiving. That said, she still gets nauseous when looking over a third-story balcony.
The wellness advice she gives her friends: Find what works for you and aligns with your value system. “Nourishing and moving our bodies, doing things that bring joy, and prioritizing sleep and mental health are all ways that we can become the healthiest version of ourselves,” she adds.

#ww #weightwatchers #diabeties #diabetiesconnection #michellecardel #glucose #cdc #centerdiseasecontrol

The post THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION (CDC) REPORTS THAT ABOUT ONE IN TEN AMERICANS HAVE DIABETES AND MORE THAN 90% HAVE TYPE 2 appeared first on Good News!.

But older Americans should know that there are many practical measures they can take to avoid any falling injuries while still enjoying the physical benefits of being outdoors in summer.

Former dancer Amanda Rees draws on her extensive background in ballet, yoga and tai chi in order to develop a unique personalized, science-based program that can help reduce falls risks. The Bold Program includes customized researched-based exercises designed to improve balance, flexibility, and strength. The program is proven to reduce the incidence of falls by 46% and the exercises can all be done from the comfort of your home.

http://voyagela.com/interview/daily-inspiration-meet-amanda-rees/

#seniorstumbling #preventdangerousinjury #weather #swimming #cdc #adults #physicalbenefits #falling #amandarees #ballet #yoga #taichi #grandma #exercise

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CDC reports that an estimated 41% of U.S. adults delayed or avoided medical care during the pandemic.

And according to a 2021 article, breast, colorectal, and cervical cancer screenings dropped by more than 80% during the pandemic. While screenings have since improved, they have not returned to normal levels. These missed screenings mean people will be diagnosed at a later stage of cancer when it’s more difficult to treat, and experts have predicted these delays will result in an excess of 10,000 deaths from breast and colorectal cancer alone.

CDC urges Americans not to wait for symptoms when it comes to cancer, including breast, cervical, colon and lung cancers. The CDC Foundation and its Preventing Infections in Cancer Patients program developed a PSA, poster campaign, and a Cancer Screening Guide to help educate and encourage people to get cancer screening tests that can prevent or detect cancer early. Many of those resources are also available in Spanish.

In honor of National Cancer Survivors Day, CDC’s Dr. Lisa Richardson discusses the need for Americans to return to their routine healthcare appointments, cancer screenings, and cancer treatments.

Lisa Richardson, MD, MPH, is the director, Division of Cancer Prevention and Control at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Interview is courtesy: CDC Foundation

www.preventcancerinfections.org
www.cdc.gov/cancer

#drlisarichardson #june5 #nationalcancersurvivorsday #cancer #cancerscreening #savinglives #cdc #helping #treatment #healthcare #findingcancerearly #prevention

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Now amidst a different pandemic environment and laxed social distancing that has prompted influenza’s inevitable resurgence, annual vaccination remains the best way to protect ourselves and families.

http://familiesfightingflu.org/

Influenza vaccination is critical in helping to avoid a potential ‘twindemic’ and alleviate the burden on our healthcare system. According to the CDC, it is both safe and effective for a COVID-19 vaccine to be co-administered with a seasonal flu vaccine and may even improve the uptake of both vaccines/boosters.

Key Flu Facts:

Influenza vaccination prevents hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations each year and can alleviate the growing burden on our healthcare system

Flu vaccine is especially critical for protecting vulnerable populations, including young children, older adults, and people with chronic health conditions

Children under 18 years of age suffered nearly 52,500 flu-related hospitalizations and 434 deaths in 2019/20, which is why it’s critical for parents of children under 18 years of age to be vigilant about vaccination

Shelle Allen, President, Families Fighting Flu (a national, nonprofit, advocacy organization dedicated to protecting children, families, and communities against the flu) will be available to discuss the importance of flu vaccines and help families plan for it. Shelle has a personal connection to this issue. Her daughter, Madi Allen, was placed on life support when she was 12 years old as a result of influenza, and even had part of her left lung removed more than a decade later due to long-term effects.

Joining Shelle will be Gregg Sylvester, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Seqirus, a global leader in influenza prevention, which is partnering with Families Fight Flu, urging them to take a “Promise” to stay on track for flu vaccines.

#avoiding #twindemic #family #covid #flu #help #families #fighting #vaccination #healthcare #health #care #cdc #boosters #vaccines #influenza #hospital #stelle #allen #gregg #sylvester #promise

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The high number of U.S. adults that have delayed or avoided medical care during the pandemic has led to adverse health outcomes, including increased risk for heart disease and stroke, and the latest data shows that cardiovascular disease is trending in the wrong direction. After the first year of the pandemic, there was a rise in heart disease and stroke-related deaths and declines in physical activity.
As the end of the year quicky approaches, many Americans may be thinking about how they can get their health back on track – such as getting back to the doctor and making new year’s resolutions.
Based on age and health status, there are many factors that Americans should be considering when talking to their doctor, especially when it comes to heart disease and stroke. It’s important for people to ask their doctor the right questions, including what healthy blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol levels are, and how they can check those levels at home. It’s also a good time to check with a doctor on small steps they can take, like activity and diet, to live a heart healthy lifestyle.
Heart disease is the number one cause of death for Black adults in the US. As with too many other issues, Black adults are disproportionately impacted – rates of premature heart disease are 87% higher for Black adults than white adults. CDC Foundation has launched a new national campaign to encourage adults to make heart health a priority—reminding them they can get to it in small steps. The “Start Small. Live Big,” effort focuses specifically on older adults (51% of adults with cardiovascular disease are age 60 or over, according to the American Heart Association).
The campaign encourages adults to get back on track with the small steps—like scheduling their medical appointments, getting active and eating healthy—so that they can get back to living big.
The CDC Foundation collaborated with CDC’s Million Hearts® Initiative to develop the campaign, designed to support CDC’s goal of preventing one million heart attacks, strokes, and cardiovascular events.
Dr. Larry Sperling, cardiologist and executive director of the CDC Million Hearts initiative, Americans should ask their doctors at end-of-year visits to help get their health back on track.

www.hearthealthysteps.org

LAURENCE S. SPERLING, M.D., FACC, FAHA, FACP, FASPC-BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Laurence S. Sperling, M.D., FACC, FAHA, FACP, FASPC is the current Executive Director of the Million Hearts Initiative for the Division of Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. He is the Founder and was the Director of The Heart Disease Prevention Center at Emory since 1997. He is currently the Katz Professor in Preventive Cardiology at the Emory University School of Medicine, and Professor of Global Health in the Rollins School of Public Health. He served as the President of the American Society for Preventive Cardiology from 2014-2016, served on the writing committee of 2018 the ACC/ AHA Guideline on the Management on Blood Cholesterol, and served as Chair of the World Heart Federation writing group on the Roadmap for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention among People Living with Diabetes. Dr. Sperling was the recipient of the 2017 Award of Honor from the Alumni Association of Emory University School of Medicine. He has received awards for excellence in teaching (including 4 Golden Apple Awards and The Dean’s Teaching Award), mentorship (Emory SOM 2018 Mentorship Award), and the R. Wayne Alexander Research mentor award. He has authored over 350 manuscripts/ abstracts/ books, and has been an invited speaker on every continent except Antarctica.

Interview courtesy: CDC Foundation

#larry #sperling #heart #doctor #pandemic #health #steps #medical #care #disease #stress #attack #stroke #cdc #americans #blood #pressure #cholesterol #sugar #death

The post Now we Know that: 41% of U.S. Adults Delayed or Avoided Medical Care During Covid Pandemic appeared first on Good News!.

https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/

October is Liver Awareness Month and a great time to talk about hepatitis A vaccination with your doctor or pharmacist. Since 2017, substantial increases in hepatitis A have occurred, with nearly 40,000 cases reported. While people who use drugs, people experiencing homelessness, and men who have sex with men are most often at risk, nearly one third of people with hepatitis A have no identified risk factor.
Hepatitis A patient Stan was 66 years old and in the best shape of his life, having just completed a half-marathon, when he contracted hepatitis A and his life was changed. He believes he contracted the virus through food at a restaurant. His symptoms began as mild and sporadic and felt like the flu, but as his symptoms of nausea continued he was rushed to the ER and told that his liver was failing. Stan underwent a liver transplant and fortunately is doing well today, but regrets not knowing that vaccination for hepatitis A is available.
85% adults in the US have not been vaccinated for Hepatitis A; creating opportunities for infection, as it can be transmitted person-to-person or through contaminated food or drink.
Foodborne outbreaks of the virus can occur when someone eats fresh and frozen food products that are contaminated with Hepatitis A. It can be transmitted where food is prepared and served by food handlers who may be infected with the virus.
Stories from real people affected by hepatitis A remind us why everyone, not just high-risk groups or travelers, should discuss vaccination with their healthcare provider.
On Thursday, September 30th , Stan and Dr. Leah Smith, Pharmacist and Vaccine Educator at GSK discuss the virus, vaccination and share a personal perspective on the impact of the illness.
Interview is courtesy: GSK

#hepatitis #transmission #liver #hospital #sick #awareness #leah #smith #stan #vaccine #pharmacist #gsk #virus #illness #impact #drugs #homelessness #symptoms #nausea #cdc

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zynrelef.com (http://zynrelef.com)

As we are approaching Pain Awareness Month in September, it is a time to highlight the issues of postoperative pain and postoperative pain management in the United States. Recent data shows that 67% of patients filled an opioid prescription between 30 days before through 14 days after surgery. In the past, postoperative pain management has been a one-size-fits all approach and there is an urgent need for it to be more individualized.
While patients routinely are searching for a safe and effective way to manage the pain they experience following surgery, many tell doctors they want to avoid the adverse effects that are commonly experienced by those receiving opioids to reduce their pain. The most common adverse effects are dizziness, nausea and constipation. But even more than that, patients want to avoid any risk of misuse and addiction.
Now there’s been a new development; what some surgeons are calling a “game-changer” for postoperative pain. The FDA recently approved a treatment that works on both inflammation and pain at the surgical site for up to 3 days for those who undergo bunion surgery, hernia repair and total knee replacement surgeries. Clinical trials have shown that this new treatment reduces the need for and can eliminate in many patients, potentially addictive opioids. The safety and efficacy of this new treatment has not been established in highly vascular surgeries, such as intrathoracic, large multilevel spinal, and head and neck procedures. The new treatment also contains an NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug), a type of medicine which:

can increase the risk of a heart attack or stroke that can lead to death. This risk increases with higher doses and longer use of an NSAID.

cannot be used during heart bypass surgery.

can increase the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding, ulcers, and tears.

Dr. Alan Rechter, an orthopedic surgeon, will be available to discuss the newest method of effectively managing postoperative pain. He will explain why this latest development is such an important step in helping patients who are undergoing a variety of procedures.
Interview Courtesy: Heron Therapeutics

References:

NCHS, National Vital Statistics System. Estimates for 2020 are based on provisional data. Estimates for 2015-2019 are based on final data (available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/mortality_public_use_data.htm (https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/mortality_public_use_data.htm)).

Santosa KB, Hu HM, Brummett CM, et al. New Persistent Opioid Use Among Older Patients Following Surgery: A Medicare Claims Analysis. Surgery. 2020;167(4):732-742. doi:10.1016/j.surg.2019.04.016

U.S. Food & Drug Administration. Data presented at June 11-12, 2019 Joint Meeting of the Drug Safety and Risk Management (DSaRM) Advisory Committee and Meeting of the Anesthetic and Analgesic Drug Products Advisory Committee (AADPAC).

ZYNRELEF [Package Insert]. San Diego, CA: Heron Therapeutics Inc.; 2021.

Viscusi E, Gimbel JS, Pollack RA, Hu J, Lee G-C. HTX-011 reduced pain intensity and opioid consumption versus bupivacaine HCl in bunionectomy: phase III results from the randomized EPOCH 1 study. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2019;44(7):700-706. doi:10.1136/rapm-2019-100531.

Viscusi E, Minkowitz H, Winkle P, Ramamoorthy S, Hu J, Singla N. HTX-011 reduced pain intensity and opioid consumption versus bupivacaine HCl in herniorrhaphy: results from the phase 3 EPOCH 2 study. Hernia. 2019;23(6):1071-1080. doi:10.1007/s10029-019-02023-6.

BIO-Alan Rechter, M.D.
Orthopedic Surgeon at Orthopaedic Associates
Dr. Alan Rechter is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and has practiced medicine in Houston since 1995. He joined Orthopaedic Associates in 1999 and has staff privileges at Methodist West & Houston Orthopedic & Spine Hospital in Bellaire. He is a former Clinical Assistant Professor of Orthopedics at the University of Texas Medical School.
Throughout his career, he received numerous awards. He was recognized by Merck Pharmaceuticals as one of the top ranked medical school graduates during his graduating year. He received a prestigious AO International Fellowship in Germany, which affords focused training in the arts of trauma, hand and joint reconstructive surgery.
Dr. Rechter received his Bachelor’s degree from the University of South Florida and his medical degree from Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha, NE. Dr. Rechter completed his training in orthopedic surgery at the University of Texas in Houston after being Chief Resident for the 1998-1999 academic year.

ZYNRELEF is approved for use in adults to reduce pain for up to 3 days after removal of bunions, groin hernia repair, and total knee replacement. ZYNRELEF is applied into the wound at the time of surgery.
Important Safety Information
ZYNRELEF contains an NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug), a type of medicine which:
• can increase the risk of a heart attack or stroke that can lead to death. This risk increases with higher doses and longer use of an NSAID.
• cannot be used during heart bypass surgery.
• can increase the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding, ulcers, and tears.

ZYNRELEF should also not be used:
• if you are allergic to any components of ZYNRELEF, aspirin or other NSAIDs (such as ibuprofen or naproxen), or have had an asthma attack, hives, or other allergic reaction after taking any of these medicines.
• as a paracervical block, during childbirth.

The most common side effects of ZYNRELEF are constipation, vomiting, and headache.

The medicines in ZYNRELEF (a local anesthetic and an NSAID) can affect the nervous and cardiovascular system; may cause liver or kidney problems; may reduce the effects of some blood pressure medicines; should be avoided if you have severe heart failure; may cause a rare blood disorder, or life-threatening skin or allergic reactions; may harm your unborn baby if received at 20 weeks of pregnancy or later; and may cause low red blood cells (anemia).
Tell your healthcare provider about all your medical conditions and about all the medicines you take including prescription or over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, or herbal supplements to discuss if ZYNRELEF is right for you

#alan #rechter #death #overdose #prescription #opioids #cdc #pain #awareness #houston #texas #surgery #zynrelef #heron #therapeutics #fda #medicine #safety #asthma #headache

The post AT A TIME WHEN DRUG OVERDOSE DEATHS ARE CLIMBING A NEW TREATMENT FOR POSTOPERATIVE PAIN MAY HELP REDUCE THE NEED FOR OPIOIDS AFTER SURGERY appeared first on Good News!.

cdc.gov/hepatitis/

WORLD HEPATITS DAY IS COMING UP ON JULY 28TH AND HERE WITH INFORMATION TO HELP YOU PROTECT YOUR HEALTH DURING THIS OUTBREAK, ARE DR. LEAH SMITH, PHARMACIST AND VACCINE EDUCATOR AT G-S-K, AND PATIENT ANGELA.

BIO
Leah Smith, PharmD, BCPS, BCGP
Pharmacist & Vaccine Educator, Vaccines
Dr. Leah Smith has been with GSK since August 2019, serving in the Medical Affairs division of GSK Vaccines. Leah earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Howard University in 2005 and subsequently completed a post-graduate pharmacy residency at Grady Health System in Atlanta, Georgia. Post-residency, Leah continued her career as a clinical pharmacist in both inpatient and ambulatory care settings, transitioned to managed care at Humana, working as a clinical pharmacist and quality consultant for 8 years, and subsequently served as a pharmacy residency accreditor with the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. She strives to use her years of experience in patient care as a foundation in her current role, as she engages with healthcare professionals and other stakeholders regarding the value of vaccinations.

#hepatitis #health #hepatitis-a #virus #attacks #liver #hospitalized #need #cdc #leah #smith #pharmacist #vaccine #educator #gsk #angela #medical #affairs #howard #grady

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