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02 Sep 2010 - 0:00 PDT

Simple Dementia Tests - Everyday Tips to Preserving Memory From America's #1

Hospital - Free! - www.sHopkinsHealthAlerts.com

" New research shows that mentally stimulating activities such as crossword

puzzles, reading and listening to the radio may, at first, slow the decline of

thinking skills but speed up dementia later in old age. The research is

published in the September 1, 2010, online issue of Neurology®, the medical

journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

" Our results suggest that the benefit of delaying the initial signs of cognitive

decline may come at the cost of more rapid dementia progression later on, but

the question is why does this happen? " said study author S. , PhD,

with Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. "

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/199715.php

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Article Date: 02 Oct 2010 - 15:00 PDT

Humana Medicare Plans - Compare Humana Medicare Plans. View All Plans & Prices

Online. - www.MedicareSolutions.com

" According to Humana Inc., a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan co-branded

with Walmart Stores Inc. - The Humana Walmart-Preferred Rx Plan (PDP) - can,

according to CMS, save over $450 in 2011, with a monthly premium of $14.80, as

well as low copays and cost-shares for Medicare beneficiaries, including people

with disabilities and seniors. Humana says this is the lowest national deal for

2011 for a stand-alone Medicare Part D plan premium, which is on offer in

Washington D.C. and all 50 states.

" Humana and Walmart say this plan provides a prescription solution which nearly

18 million Americans can afford; those who rely on Medicare Part D for their

prescriptions. Fleming, PharmD, vice president of Humana Pharmacy

Solutions, said:

" One of the primary goals of health care reform is to make health coverage

more affordable - and that's what we're doing with the introduction of this

low-cost Medicare Part D plan. People are more likely to take the medications

prescribed for them when they can afford those medications. And adhering to

prescription-drug regimens can enable people to be healthier and prevent future

illness. At Humana, we believe that this prevention helps people live healthier

lives and achieve lifelong well-being. "

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/203298.php

http://tinyurl.com/2chkg4a

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Article Date: 30 Sep 2010 - PDT

" After halting studies on TANEZUMAB, a drug that is extremely good at

relieving pain and improving function in patients with moderate to severe

osteoarthritis, a small phase II clinical trial has reported just a few slight

side effects, and considerable improvement in the condition of patients. Details

of the 16-week trial have been published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Previous longer-lasting trials have revealed that tanezumab may speed up the

progression of osteoarthritis - the trial was subsequently suspended until the

FDA could check trial data and decide on its safety. Researchers believe this

occurred because the drug worked too well - some patients may have overused

their joints because the pain had gone, and damaged them more. " NSAIDs

(non-steroidal anti-inflammatory inhibitors) are commonly used to treat

osteoarthritis symptoms, however when used long term they can lead to serious

problems, such as heart attacks, strokes, gastrointestinal bleeding, kidney

dysfunction and ulcers. Examples of such medications include, aspirin, naproxen,

ibuprofen and COX-2 inhibitors such as Celebrex and Vioxx.

" E. Lane, professor of internal medicine and director of the UC

Center for Healthy Aging, principal investigator and co-author, said: " The need

to find new drugs to treat osteoarthritis is critical. We really don't have

anything that slows its course, and most people with severe disease end up

dependent on narcotic analgesics while waiting to have a joint replaced. "

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/203067.php

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12 Aug 2010...

" For the first time, an international team of medical researchers has

successfully treated patients with a fatal and rare skin disease called

recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB) using bone marrow stem cells:

so far 10 children with an aggressive form of the disease have been treated

successfully although two have since died from related complications. Drs

E. Wagner and and Jakub Tolar from the University of Minnesota Medical School in

the US and colleagues from Portland, Oregon, also in the US as well as

colleagues in the UK and Japan, wrote about their research in a paper published

in the New England Journal of Medicine on 12 August.

" Epidermolysis bullosa (EB), is a rare, genetic skin disease where even the

slightest friction causes the skin to blister and scrape off. As well as

affecting skin, EB also affects the lining of the mouth and the esophagus.EB

varies widely in severity and forms, the most severe of which are generally

lethal. Patients with more severe forms are very fragile, living in constant

pain and scarring, which can leave them disfigured and disabled, and they often

die young. "

http://tinyurl.com/2fltdfz

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FYI,

Lottie Duthu