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Flu Shot Delay
Just like last year, there is a delay in flu shot distribution, so that not everyone will be able to get the shot immediately. However, health official assure that those who need it the most will get it right
away.
Those who are eligible for the shot right away include people who are 64 or older, those with chronic illnesses like diabetes, heart, lung, liver or kidney disease, those with asthma or anemia, those who have
problems with their immune system, those who are on chemotherapy or steroids, children over six months old who have a chronic health condition, health care workers, and some pregnant women. For those who do not fall
into one of these categories, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ask that they wait until December to get the vaccination.
Are Video Visits The Future Of Healthcare?
Advances in communication equipment in recent years may lead to a whole new way of conducting healthcare. A recent study demonstrates that people don't necessarily need a home visit by a healthcare professional--
an interactive video session might work just as well.
The study was conducted by researchers at Pennsylvania State University in University Park to determine whether "telehomecare" could be as effective in terms of healthcare and cost in treating people
with diabetes. They included eighty-six people with diabetes in the study, all of whom had been discharged from a hospital. These participants were given equipment to conduct video visits, including a camera with
a close-up lens, an electric sphygmomanometer for measuring blood pressure, an electric stethoscope, and two buttons for patient responses. This group of participants was compared to a group of eighty-five people
who had traditional RN home visits.
People who were using the video equipment received an average of 5.5 video visits per 60 days of care. They communicated with nurses at a clinician station. Outcomes of this treatment appeared to be positive,
as only 10% of the people using video visits needed to be hospitalized during the study, while 28% of the other participants needed to be hospitalized. The researchers also estimate that video visits would be more
cost-effective in the long-run. They estimate that if video visits were substituted for every other home visit, a healthcare provider could save nearly $1,000 per person per episode.
This study, which has been published in the Telemedicine Journal and e-Health (volume 7, pages 225-232, Fall 2001), indicates that a new, high-tech method of healthcare may soon be on its way.
Transplant Success With Neo-Tissue
When research with stem cells began, the hope was that these cells would be made to develop into a variety of specialized cells in order to be transplanted to replace diseased cells. Recently, researchers have
developed a way of insuring more successful transplants through the use of a synthetic tissue.
In the journal Nature Biotechnology (volume 19, pages 934-939, October 2001), researchers from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York describe their transplant technique. The researchers have developed a synthetic
material called "neo-tissue" in order to stick to stem cells and send them signals after being transplanted. In animal studies, researchers were able to use the neo-tissue to control the development of
stem cells into brain cells.
The researchers hope that neo-tissues will also help them control the integration of cells into the brain after transplanting them, so that certain signals can be programmed to stay dormant until the right time.
They also hope to develop neo tissues that have molecules that would prevent rejection by the immune system. All neo-tissue research so far has centered around brain cells, and the research needs to be developed
to see if the technique can also be used in other cell types to treat other diseases.
Stroke Rates Declining, But Not With Equality
Because of improvements in medical care, people are more likely to survive a stroke now than ever before. However, new research indicates that the incidence of stroke is remaining the same, and that there are
differences in survival rates along lines of ethnicity.
One recent study was conducted by doctors at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, who examined U.S. government data on hospital discharges. This study indicates that the death rate from stroke
dropped from 29.9 to 25.9 per 100,000 Americans from 1987 to 1997, but that the number of people who were hospitalized for strokes increased. Researchers postulate that the reason for the decrease in mortality from
stroke may be due to improved care at hospitals, including the creation of acute stroke units. In addition, average length of stay at hospitals decreased from 11.1 days to 6.2 days.
Another study, which was conducted by researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, showed that there is a vast difference in stroke death rates among the states, and along lines of ethnicity. South
Carolina has the highest rate of mortality from stroke, and North Carolina, Arkansas, Oregon, and Washington have also failed to decrease rates of stroke mortality. The researchers also found that, between the years
1968 and 1996, the rates of stroke death was most dramatic decreased among white men, and had the smallest changes among black men.
Both studies have been published in the journal Stroke (October 2001), and indicate that stroke is still a leading health problem that deserves attention.
Risk Of 2nd Heart Attack Increased With Obesity?
Recent research indicates that those who are at the highest risk for suffering a second heart attack are those who are obese, a risk factor that is unsurprising when its numerous health complications are considered.
The research was conducted by doctors at the University of Washington in Seattle, who have published their study in the American Journal of Cardiology (volume 88, pages 467-472, September 2001). The study included
over 2,500 people between the ages of 30 and 79 who had had a heart attack. About 41% of these were overweight, and 28% were obese. There were 418 recurrent heart attacks among the participants during the study.
Researchers found that those who were overweight had a 16% greater risk of suffering a second hart attack, and those who were obese had a 49% greater risk. For those who were morbidly obese, there was an 80% greater
risk of having a second heart attack than those with a normal body mass index. The researchers believe that these results are due to the many health complications associated with obesity. These include diabetes,
high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, and an increased risk of inflammation that can lead to heart attack or blood clots.
Study authors hope that their research will emphasize the importance of health education, and that people will recognize the dangers of obesity.
Discount Medication For Seniors
The pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline has recently announced a new program that offers discount drugs to low-income seniors. The program is similar to the program developed by President Bush this summer,
a program which is currently held up by an injunction by the National Association of Chain Drug Stores.
The new program will begin November 1, and will provide discounts of 25-30% at participating pharmacies for seniors who have annual incomes below $26,000 for individuals and $35,000 for couples. Those who are
eligible will receive "Orange Cards" to present at pharmacies for the discounts.
The program is opposed by the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, which claims that the program will take away their customers by encouraging them to use mail-order pharmacies. This is the same complaint
they raised at the introduction of the President's plan, which has been held up in the courts since September 7.
Prescribing Exercise May
Increase Results
The benefits of regular exercise are fairly well-known, but that doesn't mean that most people do engage in an exercise program. A physical therapist in Sweden has devised a way to encourage people to actually
exercise: written prescriptions.
Agneta Stehle is a physical therapist from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden who has developed a prescription sheet for exercise that she encourages doctors to use in their treatment and prevention methods. She
hopes that seeing the exercise plan on paper from their doctor will encourage people to actually do the exercise.
Stehle has also developed an internet-based handbook for doctors about the benefits of exercise. Each chapter of the handbook is designed to explain causes, prevalence, physiology, and effects of physical activity
on diseases like diabetes, heart disease, renal failure, obesity, and cancer. The handbook is called Physical Activity as Prevention and Treatment, and was a topic at the Swedish bi-Annual Congress for Physical Therapists
outside Stockholm (October 2001).
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