It’s the New Year and for adults who are significantly overweight or have obesity and looking to maintain healthy weight loss –it’s a good time to be extra careful that they’re sticking to their healthy lifestyle choices and, in many cases, anti-obesity drug schedules.

It’s no secret that it can be difficult for many people living with obesity who are struggling to comply with their medication regimens and lifestyle changes, including diet and exercise.

With obesity projected to impact one billion people worldwide by 2030, there is an absolute necessity for these individuals to “stay on course.”

Experts are stressing that the obesity crisis can best be addressed with a combination of the new weight loss drugs or GLP-1 agonists and older, more established oral prescription drugs.

The GLP-1 drugs have many benefits, but there are some areas of concern, too. Many individuals need to stay on them long-term to maintain results and they’re sometimes very costly and often not covered by insurance. A recent analysis reported that the GLP-1 agonists are simply not cost-effective, and found that older, more established oral prescription drugs are more cost-effective.

According to weigh-loss experts, the best advice for those managing obesity is three-fold:
· Make sure you’re taking the drug that works best with your goals.
· Be sure you’re keeping your “eye on the ball” with treatment, diet, and exercise.
· Finally enjoy yourself as much as possible throughout all yearly celebrations.

Guests are: Anthony Auriemma MD, JD, FOMA, Medical Director, Ascension Illinois – Weight Loss Solutions, Trustee, Obesity Medicine Association, Trustee, Illinois Obesity Society, and one of his patients, Faith.

Qsymia.com

Interview is courtesy: Vivus

The post Tips To Rein In Overeating, Especially for Adults with Obesity Using Weight Loss Drugs appeared first on Good News!.

Work Experience and Product Development:
Robert Davidson is LifeWaters CEO and Member of the Board of Directors for Cure Pharmaceutical, Rob sits on the board of the Hemp Industries Association the oldest non profit organization representing Hemp as an agricultural crop. Prior to his role at CURE Pharmaceutical, Robert Davidson served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Innozen Inc., Chief Executive Officer of Gel Tech LLC, Chief Executive Officer of Bio Delivery Technologies Inc., and has served on multiple corporate boards. Davidson was responsible for the development of several drug delivery technologies and commercial brand extensions. He has worked with brands such as Chloraseptic, Suppress,as well as Pediastrip, Solves a private label electrolyte oral thin film sold in major drug store chains.

Education:
Davidson received his B.S. degree in Biological Sciences. He has a Masters Certificate in Applied Project Management from Villanova University, Masters of Public Health from and a Masters in Health and Wellness from Liberty University, Virginia. He attended Post Graduate Studies and earned a Masters in Sustainability Leadership from The University of Cambridge, UK. Davidson is also a Certified Performance Enhancement Specialist and Fitness Nutrition Specialist through the National Academy of Sports Medicine. Rob spent several years working and volunteering in third world countries where he attended doctorate studies in Public Health, Concentrating on Tropical Diseases at Central University of Nicaragua. It is there where he collaborated in a health education program to promote the prevention of Cholera in Haiti.

Consulting:
Has consulted for several fitness companies such as Malibu Pilates, Power Pilates and Ab-Cycle as well as non profit Companies such as Operation Underground to fight sex trafficking.

#rob #davidson #lifewaters #cure #pharmaceutical #hemp #agricultural #fitness #nutrition #health #wellness #sports #medicine #diseases #education #pilates #abs #sex #trafficking #drugs

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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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I’m being asked what I think about an mRNA vaccine. It’s a brilliant strategy and the data appear to show efficacy and safety. I used to work for a pharmaceutical company and present data for FDA approval of drugs. I am familiar with the rooms full of paperwork and the multiple studies that go into approval.
What’s great is that this vaccine doesn’t rely on a killed virus or a part of a virus. It relies on mRNA. What is mRNA? It is just a transient, short-lived copy of a gene. Consider that your body has this blueprint in its genes (in its DNA). The DNA tells the cells what proteins to make. But DNA is stuck in the cell nucleus and can’t go anywhere. So the cells make a copy of the gene, called “messenger RNA” or mRNA. (It’s just slightly different from the DNA so that the cells can tell the difference). This strand of mRNA gets sent the part of the cell where the protein will be made and the cell makes the proper protein based on this code. The mRNA, having served its purpose, gets destroyed in minutes or hours. The protein is also eventually destroyed.
Scientists have gotten a lot better over the years at figuring out this code and working with the mRNA. They isolated the mRNA for one particular protein on the COVID-causing virus, mostly commonly the “spike” protein that is important in infection. The vaccine contains mRNA that enters cells, gets made into the protein, the protein goes to the outside of cells, the immune system recognizes it as “foreign” and starts an immune response against it. The Spike protein doesn’t seem to cause damage. After all, it’s all by itself, lacking all of the other components of the virus that caused it to infect cells.
Once the body has started its immune response, it keeps some immune cells in reserve that recognize this Spike protein. Then, if the virus enters the body, its Spike protein gets recognized, the proper immune cells gets made, and the body destroys the ability of the virus to cause infection.
This mRNA vaccine technology is relatively new but has been studied for a decade. What is so promising is that there is no virus present, so there is no infection and since there is only one thing for the immune system to react against, it greatly reduces the chances of a hyper-immune reaction. Sometimes when the immune system is doing its thing, there are effects like aching from the increased blood flow, etc. but these symptoms can be signs that the process is working. These side effects are reported to be rare, short in duration and mild. But most importantly, the vaccines have shown extremely high efficacy in preventing infection.
I see absolutely no reason to not accept this vaccine. It has been shown to be highly effective and safe. For all you “You never know” types, safety concerns show up in trials. Many trials have been done. I am not an insider, but CEOs and people on the front lines all say that the only “rush” has been in that they have made this vaccine a priority, the FDA has made it a priority, and the companies have skipped over all the wrangling with management about the financial risk. I believe the reports that say that the science has not been rushed in the sense of skipping steps. The same FDA standards have been used as apply to all vaccines. Also, multiple companies using this approach have had very similar results. I plan to get the vaccine as soon as I can.
If you are someone who has concerns about vaccines, I would tell you that from a simple position of risk assessment, this COVID-causing virus has FAR FAR greater risk. It is one bad virus, has taken many of my friends and loved ones and has caused a planet-load of heartache and inconvenience. It has been relentless at using the body’s enzymes to make copies of itself and infect others. It contains a “proof-reading” enzyme that keeps its genes from mutating very much. Many viruses fade out because they accumulate so many mutations that gradually reduce the virus’ infective capabilities. Not this one. If you are fearful of a vaccine, my advice would be to weigh the risks. There are some unknowns, such as how long it will protect, but I don’t see these as obstacles. I am not qualified to give medical advice, but as a scientist, I am confident that the strategy is sound, the FDA has a robust procedure and that opposing the vaccine based on fear or ideology could harm yourself and others.

The post Update on… appeared first on Good News!.

Three tips all organ recipients and their caregivers should know for monitoring organ health, particularly during COVID-19

Approximately 80 people undergo organ transplants each day – these recipients are presented with unique challenges during the pandemic that require them to make substantial changes in ways that they receive medical care from their healthcare professionals. Organ recipients are at higher risk of contracting the virus because the immunosuppressive drugs they take to prevent organ rejection also limit their body’s ability to ward off infection.

As restrictions start to lift, and the world seems more like normal, existing transplant patients would benefit from practical tips that help them remain informed and hyper-vigilant about safety. And as organ transplant surgeries begin to resume at centers around the country, transplant professionals can provide guidance to new patients regarding staying healthy in our “new normal” environment.

Leading transplant surgeon Adam W Bingaman, MD, PhD, Director of Abdominal Organ Transplantation at Methodist Hospital/Specialty and Transplant, is on the front lines during this crisis in his community and is available to provide tips to both patients and their caregivers about keeping safe, during the “new normal.”

• Seek Care with Telemedicine: Consult with your doctor about available telemedicine programs. Also known as telehealth, telemedicine uses phones, tablets and laptops for virtual medical appointments, remote but in real-time, with healthcare professionals.
• Evaluate Caregivers’ Risk: In addition to transplant patients being hyper-vigilant of their own health, they must also monitor their caregivers’ exposure to the public. If a caregiver needs to go into public areas– for example, if they are an essential worker – then they should take necessary precautions.
• Inquire About Home Blood Draws: Transplant patients undergo frequent blood tests in labs or hospitals to monitor for the health of their transplanted organs. There are at-home services that A service allows patients to receive home blood draws from trained technicians called phlebotomists to access for organ rejection:
• Dr. Adam Bingaman, will be available to discuss what transplant patients can expect during COVID-19 and to share helpful tips on ways to protect a transplanted organ. Additionally, CareDx CEO Peter Maag – the company behind RemoTraC – is available to discuss widespread usage of the service during COVID-19, and the company’s ongoing commitment to addressing patient needs.

Interview courtesy: CareDx, Inc.

#caredx #adam #peter #bingaman #maag #navigating #new #normal #transplant #patient #tips #organ #recipients #caregivers #monitoring #health #covid #covid19 #covid-19 #transplants #pandemic #require #changes #medical #care #healthcare #virus #drugs #ability #environment #abdominal #transplantation #hospital

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Your participation in this project will be greatly appreciated. We believe this brief survey will help humanity when we share the results with the world. MBC has been a leader in research for niche markets since 1988.

If you want, please share your email as you will receive a personalized certificate of appreciation. You will also be invited to join in Good News and Peace Day events.

We encourage you to share this survey with others.

Please go to the Google link and fill it out at: https://goo.gl/forms/h3AIeZMvWbekCftV2

Thank you.

Paul Sladkus & Good News and Peace Team
Dear Good News & Peace Friends,

Our company, Milestone Broadcast Corporation (MBC) is delighted to announce that we are commencing our HISTORIC survey; Peace, Love & HOPE Research Study 2019.

Your participation in this project will be greatly appreciated. We believe this brief survey will help humanity when we share the results with the world. MBC has been a leader in research for niche markets since 1988.

If you want, please share your email as you will receive a personalized certificate of appreciation. You will also be invited to join in Good News and Peace Day events.

Please cut out this survey and send it to us by March 29th or go to the link and fill it out at: http://goodnewsplanet.com/dear-good-news-peace-friends/

Please send your survey to:

Paul Sladkus (For questions or to volunteer call 212 647 1212)

148 West 80th Street Garden Suite

New York, NY 10024

Milestone Broadcast Corporation Presents

Peace, Love & HOPE Research Study 2019

Name – Optional

Email Address – Optional, needed to receive a Certificate of Appreciation and be invited to more opportunities to join events.

Please circle your answers.

Gender: Male Female Intersex

Age

A. 22 years or under

B. 23 – 38

C. 39 – 45

D. 46 – 65

E. 66 and over

Ethnicity

A. American Indian or Alaska Native

B. Asian

C. Black or African American

D. Native Hawaiian or the Pacific Islander

E. Hispanic/Latino

F. White

G. Other

Education

A. High School

B. College

C. Post College

D. Other

Let’s explore the meaning of Peace, Love & HOPE and what they mean to you.

Ratings: 1, 2,3,4,5: Most important equals, 5 least important equals 1.

How do you feel about Peace? Number 1-5

1. Inner Peace

2. World Peace

3. Peace among neighbors

4. Peace among humans and the animal kingdom

5. Peace with nature

6. Peace within our family

How do you feel about Love? Number 1-5

1. Love for self

2. Love for partner

3. Love for family

4. Love of neighbors

5. Love for World Peace

6. Love for country

7. Love for the animal kingdom

8. Love of nature

How do you feel about HOPE? Number 1-5

1. HOPE for a good life

2. HOPE for future generations

3. HOPE for good health

4. HOPE for our family

5. HOPE for Humanity

6. HOPE for the animal kingdom

7. HOPE for nature

Which name is most memorable?

A. www.goodnewsbroadcast.com,

B. www.goodnewsplanet.tv,

C. www.mygoodnews.com

D. www.goodnewstogo.com

E. www.lovegoodnews.com

Please circle answers to the following questions.

1, Do you know about the Woodstock 1969 Concert? Yes or No

If yes,

A. Do you associate Woodstock 1969 with the term Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll? Yes or No

B. Do you associate Woodstock 1969 with the term Peace, Love and HOPE? Yes or No

2. Would you be interested in learning more about Peace, Love & HOPE as expressed by participants at the Woodstock 1969 Concert and todays modern cultural icons? Yes or No

If yes,

A. Would you be inclined to watch a movie expressing these themes? Yes or No

3. Do you think we will ever see a world in total Peace, Love & HOPE? Yes or No

Here is our rough cut link with some of the highlights for our documentary feature film/TV series as of 2/27/19: http://goodnewsplanet.com/woodstock-forever-peace-love-hope-a-good-news-film-and-tv-radio-series/ .

Thank you for your participation in our survey. If you have provided your email address, you will soon receive your Certificate of Appreciation.

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See the Faces and Listen to the Stories of Our Society’s Most Overlooked Outcasts:

The Mentally Ill and Homeless http://www.robertokinmd.com

From L.A. to Philly to Miami, they’re out there—pushing their carts, digging through garbage, sleeping on park benches, sometimes ranting about nonsense to no one. They often look and sound crazy, smell bad, and make us uneasy, so we avoid them. We know better intellectually, yet most of us shun people suffering from homelessness and mental illness because we view them as deeply flawed—somehow less human than the rest of us.

As part of his career devoted to the mentally disabled, Dr. Robert Okin decided to use a powerful artistic medium to advocate for these people. In SILENT VOICES: People with Mental Disorders on the Street (Golden Pine Press, October 2014), Dr. Okin invites all of us to get to know the people society treats like pariahs, people who, beneath their symptoms and rags, struggle with feelings and needs similar to those of the rest of us. He shares the striking and evocative photographs and stories—most often, in their own words—of more than 40 mentally ill people he met on the streets of San Francisco. “I wrote this book,” Dr. Okin reflects, “to contribute to making these people known as human beings.”

SILENT VOICES offers a glimpse of the dark pasts—marked by abuse, violation, tragedies, crime, drugs, and addiction—and everyday challenges of homeless men and women suffering from bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and other serious mental disabilities.

Based on his interviews, research, and decades of professional experience, Dr. Okin discusses:

 Staggering facts on how the mentally ill are neglected, mistreated, and discriminated against. In America today, over 200,000 people with mental disorders are abandoned in the streets and another 250,000 are locked up in jails and prisons.

 Measures needed to reduce the widespread, escalating problem of the homeless mentally ill, including increased government funding for affordable housing, partnerships between the public and private sector to provide job training, and legal reform.

 The critical need for well-trained, dedicated professional clinical case managers. “Without excellent clinical case managers, a mental health system will tend to be mechanistic, inaccessible, and exclusively focused on the management of symptoms with medication, rather than also on clients’ human development and rehabilitation,” Dr. Okin asserts.

 What everyone can do to overcome the stigma of mental illness and prevent homelessness, with the goal of not just social acceptance for people with mental illness but genuine inclusion in society. “Treatment cannot occur first and inclusion second,” stresses Dr. Okin.

Robert L. Okin, MD, served as chief of psychiatry at San Francisco General Hospital and professor of clinical psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco, for 17 years. He is also a former state commissioner of mental health for both Vermont and Massachusetts. Throughout his career, he developed crucial services and clinical case management programs to enable mentally ill people to live with dignity in the community. A member of the board of advisors of Disabilities Rights International (DRI), he has provided psychiatric advocacy and consultation for missions to Mexico and Turkey, among many other countries, to investigate human rights violations in mental institutions. He lives in San Francisco.

I hope you will be moved, uplifted, and outraged by the stories in SILENT VOICES.

Dr. Robert Okin, Author of SILENT VOICES

1. You’ve forged relationships with the homeless, but you’re a trained psychiatrist. What can the average person do to help a homeless person they see on the street?

It is true that I was able to forge such relationships, but I don’t think this primarily resulted from any particular skill I had as a psychiatrist. It was more the result of my openness and expressed interest in the people I met. This may sound corny, but saying a simple “Hello, I hope you have a good day” or “I wish you well” is probably the best and easiest thing to do. It won’t change the actual living conditions of the homeless people, but at least it will make them feel that they’re not invisible. It would be great if you could follow up with an e-mail to your city supervisors and congressperson about the need for supportive housing for homeless people. And if you really want to move this project forward, get your friends to send e-mails as well.

2. What is the root of society’s fear and stigmatization of mental illness?

Some of society’s fear comes from the strangeness and unpredictability people associate, sometimes correctly, with mental illness. Because mentally ill people seem strange, it’s hard for us to empathize with them and to remember that they were once children with hopes and dreams like our own. At a deeper level, people have always projected the most feared and hated parts of themselves onto those who have mental illness. Mentally ill people become the living representation of the most disavowed parts of ourselves and thus become stigmatized. Not wanting to be reminded of these parts of ourselves, we, as a society, have burned these people, drowned them, isolated them in mental hospitals, and put them away in jails where we can’t see them. But those who become homeless and aren’t put out of sight evoke in us responses that cause us to avoid them in other ways: basically, we close our eyes to them.

3. Did you have any preconceived ideas about the homeless? What was your biggest misconception about them?

I expected to be dismissed and rejected when I reached out to them. I was a stranger, so I assumed they wouldn’t want to talk with me. I also assumed that if they did, they wouldn’t reveal their feelings. I was wrong on all counts. Most of the people I met genuinely welcomed my overtures and quickly warmed up to me. I was repeatedly surprised at how much grief these people were carrying just under the surface and how willing they were to reveal it to me. More than anything else, I was reminded of just how human and vulnerable these people are. I easily identified with and felt close to them. At the end of a day of talking with them, I felt sad, wrung out, and anxious about my grip on my own financial and emotional security.

4. How did your own opinions change after meeting and getting to know some of them?

I developed an abiding admiration for many of them—I respected how they were willing to continue living, despite the brutal conditions they were dealing with day after day. I often wondered if I would have the grit and the courage to stick it out if I were in their position. I don’t know if I could stand living their lives and dealing with the hopelessness most of them feel.

5. What percentage of the homeless suffer from mental illness?

Approximately 25 percent primarily have severe and chronic mental illness and another 15 percent have significant drug abuse disorders.

6. What can city and state governments do to help the homeless mentally ill integrate back into society?

First, these people need supportive, supervised housing and a sufficient income that allows them to escape the deprivations of poverty. Without housing, any other intervention is ineffective. Second, they need case management from a social worker with a relatively small caseload who has the time to meet them where they live, provide a loving human connection with them, help them with their daily tasks (laundry, shopping, budgeting), help them reduce their drug intake, and when indicated, help them to be evaluated by a psychiatrist to get them on psychiatric medications. These social workers also have to play a major advocacy role in helping their clients rejoin society. And third, the homeless mentally ill need something productive to do during the day—some sort of job.

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