Month: April 2016

Parkinson’s Awareness Month

This April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month. Many organizations use the month of April to bring awareness to the disease. Parkinson’s disease (also known as PD) is a chronic movement disorder that gets worse over time. Over one million people in the US are living with Parkinson’s disease. The cause of this disease is unknown and there is no cure; however; there are various treatments available, such as surgery and medication that can help manage some of the symptoms.

Parkinson’s occurs when crucial nerve cells in the brain, called neurons malfunction and die. These neurons are also responsible for producing dopamine, a chemical that affects movement. When the amount of neurons in the brain is reduced, dopamine is also reduced. A person is unable to control movement normally when the amount of dopamine in the brain is decreased.

Symptoms of Parkinson’s disease include slowness of movement, tremor of the hands, arms, legs, jaw, and face, stiffness of the limbs, and an impaired balance and coordination.

This Saturday, April 30th, the 22nd Parkinson’s Unity Walk will take place in Central Park. Legendary boxer Muhammad Ali’s daughter Maryum is bringing awareness to the disease. Her father was in his late 30s when his family began to notice symptoms of Parkinson’s. Maryum, along with Carol Walton, the CEO of the Parkinson Alliance, will attend the walk. Walton said in an interview with CBS news, “one of the most important messages we are still trying to get out is that if you are diagnosed with Parkinson’s, you absolutely must go see a Movement Disorder specialist, not just a neurologist.” Movement disorder specialists have two more years of training in these types of movement disorders. The type of treatment recommended can make a huge difference in the treatment of Parkinson’s.

The Unity Walk not only raises awareness of the disease but also helps to bring more funds for research, as well as provide a day of community and education. Maryum went on to say, “if my dad had something like a Unity Walk when he was first diagnosed, he wouldn’t have felt so alone.”

Raising Awareness for Autism This April

Although the percentage of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is high, autism awareness remains a pressing need. As a result, the month of April has been designated Autism Awareness Month, a nationwide effort to promote autism awareness, inclusion, and self-determination for all and assure that people with ASD have the opportunity to achieve the highest possible quality of life.

“If we want to promote awareness, let’s raise awareness about the challenges and triumphs faced by individuals with autism,” wrote Scott Badesch, president and CEO of the Autism Society.

Today, more than 3 million individuals live with autism. Many adults being diagnosed with ASD were not properly diagnosed as children and are now finding out they have autism.

Donate to Autism Awareness Today!

Donate to Autism Today

New data from the CDC found that about 1 in 68 children, or 1.5%, were diagnosed with ASD. Between 2002 and 2010, there was an increase in the number of children identified with ASD, and from 2010 to 2012, there has been no change.

However, the CDC has reported that it is too soon to tell if the percentage of children identified with ASD has actually stabilized or is still increasing. This is because the data is based on information from 11 communities in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Utah, and Wisconsin, and while the average percentage of children identified with ASD stayed the same, the percentage had increased significantly for 2 communities.

According to the Autism Society, there is no defined cause for autism, which means there is no way to link any suggested cause to the incidence rate. In addition, there is no cure for autism.

“More research is also needed on treatment and support interventions to determine what is the best treatment and support that can be provided to individuals on the autism spectrum to best address their desire to increase their quality of life each and every day,” according to the society.

An Aspirin a Day Can Prevent Cardiovascular Disease and Colon Cancer

Daily use of aspirin could help prevent cardiovascular disease and colon cancer, according to a new recommendation from the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). For people between the ages of 50 and 69 who have an increased risk of heart disease, taking an aspirin could be beneficial.

However, how much an individual could benefit from taking aspirin daily depends on their age and risk of the disease, according to the report, which was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

“Before starting to take aspirin for primary prevention, people aged 50 to 69 should talk to their primary care clinician to understand their risk of cardiovascular disease and risk for bleeding,” USPSTF Chair Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, PhD, MD, MAS, said in a statement.

Adults between the ages of 50 and 59 with a 10% or greater 10-year cardiovascular disease risk will see the most overall benefit and USPSTF recommends aspirin initiation for this group. However, for adults between the ages of 60 and 69 with an equivalent risk of cardiovascular disease, aspirin initiation should be decided with a primary care physician based on the patient’s risk of cardiovascular disease and bleeding, overall health, and personal values and preferences.

For colorectal cancer, the benefits of low-dose aspirin are not apparent until 10 years after initiation of the preventive treatment.

“Aspirin use is more likely to have an effect when it is started between the ages of 50 and 59 years,” according to the USPSTF. “Because of the time required before a reduced incidence in CRC is seen, older persons (that is, 60 years or older) are less likely to realize this benefit than adults aged 50 to 59 years.”

For adults young than age 50 or older than age 70, there is sufficient evidence to assess the benefits and harms of taking aspirin daily.

Cardiovascular disease and cancer are major causes of death with heart attacks and strokes responsible for 30% of all deaths in the US and colorectal cancer responsible for 50,000 deaths in 2014. Colorectal cancer is also the third most common cancer.

The USPSTF reminds people that daily aspirin use is just 1 part of preventing cardiovascular disease and cancer. People can reduce their risk of these diseases through smoking cessation, healthy diets, and physical activity. Regular screening is important to prevent colorectal cancer. Plus, keeping blood pressure and cholesterol under control can prevent heart attacks and strokes as well..

Please consult your physician or medical professional regarding the above, prior to taking any type of aspirin.

Four-Fold Increase In Worldwide Cases of Diabetes Over Past 25 Years – WHO

Approximately 18.2 million Americans have diabetes and almost approximately 5.2 million people are unaware that they have it. Worldwide, a person is actually diagnosed with the disease every 23 seconds. As yet, there is no cure, so it is important that you visit your doctor regularly as people with diabetes need to manage their disease to stay healthy.

The disease consists of problems with the insulin hormone. Normally, the pancreas releases insulin to help your body store and use the sugar and fat from the food you eat. When this normal process does not function properly diabetes. More specifically, diabetes occurs:

  • When the pancreas does not produce any insulin
  • When the pancreas produces very little insulin
  • When the body does not respond appropriately to insulin

Over the period from 1980 to 2014, “diabetes rates nearly doubled.” Currently, “one in 12 people living in the world today have the disease.” The Washington Post has reported that diabetes, “once predominantly a rich-country problem, has become one that disproportionately affects poorer countries,” the findings of a World Health Organization’s “first global report” on diabetes suggest. USA Today points out that around the globe, “diabetes killed 1.5 million people in 2012, according to the WHO report.”

According to the AP, the WHO report attributed “excess weight, obesity, aging and population growth” to the “nearly four-fold increase in worldwide cases of diabetes over the last quarter-century.”.

It is interesting to note that People Who Consume Full-Fat Dairy May Weigh Less, May Be Less Likely To Develop Diabetes Than Those Who Eat Low-Fat Dairy Products. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “people who consume full-fat dairy weigh less and are less likely to develop diabetes than those who eat low-fat dairy products,” the findings of a 3,333-adult, 15-year study published in the journal Circulation suggest. The study revealed that “people with higher levels of three different byproducts of full-fat dairy had, on average, a 46 percent lower risk of getting diabetes than those with lower levels.”

There are many organizations working on a cure for diabetes and donations can be made to American Diabetes Association, as well as many others.