Month: May 2016

Senate Clears Procedural Hurdle On Zika $1.1 Billion Funding Bill

CBS Evening News has reported that the Senate moved closer to approving the $1.1 billion in new funding that will help fight the spread of the Zika virus, “but that’s only about half” of what President Obama asked for.

The House, meanwhile, “wants even less: $622 million.” Health officials are cautioning that the mosquito borne illness will become more prominent in the US soon. There are already more than 100 cases in Florida. With the coming summer months just around the corner, there is no doubt that this will be the case.

Dr. Jon LaPook who is  the chief medical correspondent for CBS News and is Professor of Medicine at the NYU School of Medicine quoted CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden as stating that the lack of funding is “mind-boggling. This is no way to fight an epidemic. We’re basically nickeling and diming the response when we know there are urgent needs that aren’t getting met.” LaPook added, “I’m hearing similar sentiments at every level of public government.” LaPook concluded by saying, “you have to ask yourself, as public health officials are asking, do we really need to wait for” Zika to spread locally “before springing into action and mounting a full court press that is so desperately needed.”

The Washington Post reported that the “House Republicans are balking at the proposal, as they plan to move their own aid bill later this week.” By a 68-29 vote, the Senate “cleared a key procedural step that will now allow senators to adopt a bipartisan spending amendment…that beat out two competing proposals.” It is unclear, however, how soon Senate leaders will be able to “settle their differences with House Republicans, who are reluctant to approve new funds unless they are offset with cuts elsewhere in the budget.”

Gene Mutations and Cancer Risk

Image of woman holding her chest with pink banner next to her
Pixabay

Since Angelina Jolie opened up about her BRCA1 gene mutation, more awareness about this mutation is spreading. Due to her announcement, public awareness skyrocketed and more women were getting tested. So much so that it became a phenomenon known as the Angla Joli Effect.

What Are the Chances of Getting Breast Cancer if You Have the BRCA1 Gene?

Those who test positive for an abnormal BRCA1, BRCA2, or PALB2 gene are learning their chance for breast cancer is higher than that of the average woman. An average woman without the mutation only has a 12% chance of getting breast cancer in her lifetime according to the  National Cancer Institute, whereas a woman with BRCA1 or BRCA2 has up to an 85% chance of getting breast cancer in her lifetime. The chance for ovarian cancer also increases with the gene mutations to about 16-44% chance compared to just under 2% for the average woman without the mutation. Women with BRCA1 are also more likely to develop estrogen-negative cancers, meaning that a cancer’s growth is not caused by the hormone estrogen. Anti-estrogen hormone therapy is not a viable treatment option and since these cancers tend to be more aggressive it’s important they are caught early. BRCA2 mutation-caused cancers however can benefit from hormonal therapy according to the American Cancer Society.

BRCA1, BRCA2 Prevention

This information is incredibly important because it gives women a chance to lower their risk through a variety of methods starting with an annual breast MRI at age 25. This is of great significance as BRCA1 and BRCA2 cancers tend to be aggressive and it is important to catch them early. Other risk-lowering methods include prophylactic surgery such as a double mastectomy and oophorectomy.

BRCA1 and BRCA2 not only affect women, but men are also at risk. Men with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation have an increased chance of developing prostate cancer and a higher lifetime risk of developing male breast cancer. Both women and men with the mutation are also at an elevated risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Those with a family history of breast or ovarian cancer should consider being tested for these mutations. Those with  Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry are also more likely to have the BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation.  

The PALB2 gene mutation increases the chance of breast cancer to about 58% percent. Research about this gene is ongoing to find out how it affects the likelihood of developing other cancers such as ovarian and pancreatic.  

 

Physician Group Recommends CBT-I as First Choice to Treat Chronic Insomnia

Man-having-trouble-sleeping-squeezes-a-pillow-around-his-earsInsomnia is a sleep disorder whereby people have difficulty falling and/or staying asleep.

This differs from sleep apnea, which is a disorder that affects your breathing and subsequently, causes your breathing to stop and start. Dr. Robert Gaerlick, a sleep apnea specialist in Long Island, NY provides a very good explanation of the disorder if you’d like to learn more.

People with insomnia have one or more of the following symptoms:

    • Difficulty falling asleep
    • Waking up often during the night and having trouble going back to sleep
    • Waking up too early in the morning
    • Feeling tired when waking up

While there are many methods available to combat insomnia, a recent study points to one specific recommendation.

A recent AP report cited new guidelines issued by the American College of Physicians in the Annals of Internal Medicine stating “… the first choice to treat chronic insomnia should be cognitive behavioral therapy [CBT].”

The group “said Monday the method known as CBT can be effective and doesn’t carry the side effects of medication, a recommendation intended to spur primary care” physicians to prescribe the therapy. They stated that if CBT is not effective for any particular individual, then physicians could consider prescribing medication.

The CBT recommended for people with insomnia is called CBT-I, “which blends talk therapy and sleep tutorials, and has been shown to help a majority of patients recover some normalcy in their sleep quality and duration.” The therapy “requires a trained clinician,” however, “of which there are few in even the country’s biggest cities.”

The NBC News website reported that in putting together the guidelines, “a team at the organization looked at research on insomnia and at an evidence review by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.”

There are also some foods you should eat and others you should not eat if you have sleep apnea. Fruits and vegetables and whole grains are recommended. For a more complete list of foods for/against sleep apnea, click here.

Zika Virus Confirmed to Cause Birth Defects

The more researchers learn about the Zika virus, the scarier it becomes. In a new report published in the New England Journal of Medicine, CDC researchers confirm that Zika causes a rare birth defect.

Birth Defect from Zika Virus
An example of an infant with microcephaly, as a result of the Zika Virus in the parent

CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden said that “it is now clear” that Zika causes microcephaly, a rare birth defect. In addition, the virus causes several other severe fetal abnormalities. The virus is now being linked to a broad set of complications in pregnancy as well, such as premature birth and eye problems.

“Most of what we’ve learned is not reassuring,” Dr. Ann Schuchat, the principal deputy director of the CDC, said candidly at a White House briefing. “Everything we look at with this virus seems to be a bit scarier than we initially thought.”

Another study published in Science from a team of scientists in Brazil concluded that Zika “targets” human brain cells. After studying human neural stem cells that had been infected with the virus, the scientists found that the cells were misshapen and necrotic.

However, the general public in the United States seems largely unconcerned about Zika virus infection in the continental US, according to The New York Times. However, the CDC has reported that the mosquitoes that carry the virus are present in 30 states, up from the 12 states initially thought. In Puerto Rico there are already hundreds of local transmissions of the virus and Dr. Schuchat said there are potentially hundreds of affected babies in the US territory.

While the CDC does not expect large outbreaks of the Zika virus in the continental US, there will be some local transmissions, and the virus is now expected to be a problem during much of a pregnancy, not just the first trimester. As a result, pregnant women or women expecting to become pregnant are being warned against travel to Zika-infected countries. At the very least they should take precautions against mosquito bites.