(ARA) – After a routine blood test in 2001, Helen Anbinder, now 67, of Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., heard the dreaded words: You have cancer. The diagnosis was chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), a serious blood cancer that affects more than 90,000 people in the United States.

One of her first calls was to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to learn more about what lay ahead for her. “The literature arrived quickly, along with the location of my local chapter, a list of support groups and an offer to put me in touch with someone who had CLL and could speak to me from personal experience,” Anbinder recalls.

Anbinder was put on a “watch and wait” protocol, holding off on treatment unless the white blood count rose to dangerous levels or she developed symptoms. In the meantime, Anbinder immersed herself more fully in the activities of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, volunteering with her local chapter.

In 2004 she formed her first “Anbinder Friends & Family Team” for LLS’s Light The Night Walk, an evening walk held in twilight in communities across the United States and Canada, to pay tribute to lives touched by cancer. Participants carry illuminated balloons, white for survivors, red for supporters and gold to honor those who have lost their battle with cancer. Funds raised through Light The Night Walk support the work of hundreds of the world’s best and brightest researchers in their search for better therapies and cures for leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma.

In its first year, Anbinder’s team walked at the Brooklyn Bridge in Manhattan, and raised $6,000 to support blood cancer research and patient services. The following year they raised more than $19,000; in 2006 they raised $21,000; in 2007, they raised more than $23,000; and at the walk in October 2008 they broke their record with more than $27,000 raised.

Last year’s walk took on even more meaning for Anbinder, because after seven years of watching and waiting, her white blood cell count climbed high enough to warrant treatment just months prior to the event.

The treatment she received had been proven effective by researchers funded by LLS. In 2005, Dr. John C. Byrd of the Ohio State Medical Center, and clinical colleagues, were among the first to discover that Rituxan combined with fludarabine was effective for previously untreated patients with CLL. Rituxan, a monoclonal antibody, was already being used to successfully treat non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients. Anbinder began her treatment with this combination in May 2008 and after only three cycles was in remission by July.

“I can never forget that the very effective treatment I received was developed by Dr. Byrd, a researcher funded by LLS and that it didn’t even exist when I was diagnosed in 2001,”Anbinder says. “I am so grateful to be able to help support the lifesaving work of LLS funded researchers.”

Anbinder’s team will once again walk the Brooklyn Bridge in October 2009. Friends and family teams, as well as corporate teams all across the country are beginning to form right now in preparation for the fall walk season. Participants can also walk individually. To learn more about Light The Night Walk or to form your own team, visit www.lightthenight.org or call (877) LTN-WALK.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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(ARA) – Are you taking risks with your life without even knowing it? You may be one of the nearly 6 million Americans who have type 2 diabetes and don’t even know it. 

Diabetes affects nearly 24 million children and adults in the United States and another 57 million have pre-diabetes, a condition that places them at increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes. If you don’t know the risk factors or symptoms for diabetes, you may very well be risking your life to this silent killer. 

Diabetes is a silent killer because many people can live with the disease for years and never find out that they have it until they start experiencing diabetes-related damage that can lead to a heart attack, stroke, vision problems or kidney disease. In fact, most people with type 2 diabetes do not notice the symptoms because some signs of diabetes aren’t easy to recognize. Symptoms of diabetes include: 

* Being very thirsty 
* Urinating often 
* Losing weight without trying 
* Having vision problems, such as blurred vision 

Diabetes is a serious disease, but early diagnosis and treatment can help people with diabetes live healthy and active lives. A person’s risk for diabetes goes up as they get older, gain weight, or if they do not stay active. So how can you find out if you might be at risk for diabetes? Risk factors include: 

* Being overweight or obese 
* Not being physically active 
* Having a family history of diabetes 
* Having high blood pressure 
* Having diabetes during pregnancy or having a baby weighing more than 9 pounds at birth 
* Being older than 45 years of age 

Diabetes is also more common in African Americans, Latinos/Hispanics, Native Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. 

To find out if you or a loved one are at risk for type 2 diabetes, you can take the American Diabetes Association’s Diabetes Risk Test. This is a simple test that asks questions about weight, age, family history and other potential risk factors for diabetes. Based on your response, you can find out whether you are at low, moderate or high risk for diabetes. You can take the test online at www.diabetes.org/alert or by phone (in English or Spanish) at (800) DIABETES (800-342-2383). 

If you find that you are at high risk for having diabetes, talk with your doctor to find out for sure. Only your doctor can determine if you have diabetes. 

To learn more about diabetes risk factors, diagnosis and treatment, or to take the Diabetes Risk Test, visit the American Diabetes Association’s Web site at www.diabetes.org or call (800) DIABETES (800-342-2383). 

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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(ARA) – It may fly in the face of everything your mother taught you about health, but not all bacteria are bad. Some can actually improve your immune and digestive health. Eating foods enhanced with probiotics, or taking supplements, are a great (and delicious) way to make bacteria work for you and to fight germs.

The latest nutritional trend, “probiotics,” has spawned a frenzy of interest from consumers and food manufacturers alike. According to the New York Times, “In the year since the Dannon Company introduced Activia, a line of yogurt with special live bacteria, sales in the United States have soared well past the $100 million mark. Now other food makers are scrambling to offer their own products with special live microbes that offer health benefits, known as probiotics.”

The word ”probiotic,” means ”for life” in Latin, and has come to characterize a large family of bacteria and microbes that are beneficial for healthy immune and digestive function. While probiotic use is relatively new in the United States, Eastern Europeans have included these friendly bacteria in their diets for hundreds of years.

In countries like Russia, Ukraine and Bulgaria, probiotics are consumed in fermented foods like yogurt, cheese and pickled vegetables and are also found in unpasteurized milk. Russian medical research has focused on the thousands of strains of these healthy bacteria, defining what different strains do in the human body.

Researchers have found that these bacteria assist the body in everything from digestion to healthy immune function. But what is the best way to include these friendly bacteria in your diet, and how much do you need for good health?

Live probiotic cultures are available in health food stores in several forms — capsules, powders and liquids that may be added to juice or water. Probiotic culture content is measured in the billions per dose — many health care practitioners recommend taking five to 10 billion per day. Prescription antibiotics kill the healthy bacteria in the intestinal tract, so many doctors suggest taking probiotics after a course of antibiotics. Probiotics are safe and non-toxic with no side effects.

For those who want probiotics for digestive support, there are several brands on the market. The Web site www.buyprobiotics.net carries brands such as Primal Defense, Culturelle, Natural Defense and Spectrabiotics. Do not buy probiotics unless they are refrigerated at the store, and always refrigerate the product at home to preserve freshness.
Some people prefer to get their daily dose of friendly bacteria in yogurt, but check the product package for information about “live culture” counts — not all commercial yogurts have these live cultures after manufacturing and the addition of sugar or corn syrup. The Dannon Activia brand contains a strain of probiotic intended to aid bowel regularity, and has had many positive customer reviews.

For immune function, Eastern European researchers took the friendly bacteria a step further and broke it into tiny fragments. The researchers found that the microscopic cell pieces stimulated an immune response and helped protect the body from foreign invaders like flu and cold germs. These cell fragment products, sometimes called “immunobiotics,” are emerging in the United States as a new type of dietary supplement.

One product, Del-Immune V, (www.delimmune.com) was discovered by a retired Colorado pharmacist and brought to the U.S. from Russia in 2002. The product is popular with doctors and consumers. Because of its immune system-supporting properties, “School teachers are the product’s biggest fans,” says Dr. Elin Ritchie M.D., Taos, NM.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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“My wife and I didn’t realize how important one vaccination could be until we lost our daughter to the flu,” said Kanowitz, president of Families Fighting Flu (FFF), a non-profit organization dedicated to encouraging parents to vaccinate their kids against the flu every year.

Flu education is especially important this year with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) expanding their flu vaccination recommendations. The CDC now recommends flu vaccinations for all children from 6 months through 18 years old, but parents may not have heard the news.

Say ‘Boo!’ to the Flu Pledges to Vaccinate More Families than Ever This Flu Season

Pledging to help get more families vaccinated this flu season, FFF, the Visiting Nurse Associations of America (VNAA) and The Clorox Company have joined forces for the national Say “Boo!” to the Flu program. In its third year, the program aims to educate families on the importance of flu prevention with flu vaccination events in cities across the country.

“Say ‘Boo!’ to the Flu provides information on the new CDC guidelines and educates parents on the importance of getting kids vaccinated,” said Kanowitz. “If we can prevent a single death and spare a single family from going through what we went through, we will consider our efforts a success.”

Nearly 400 children have died from the flu over the past five flu seasons. Since the flu is the leading cause of vaccine-preventable deaths for children, Say “Boo!” to the Flu intends to spread the word about the simple steps you can take to help protect your family this season.

“It is crucial that parents are informed about the importance of a flu vaccination,” said Mary Ann Blade of the VNAA. “The reality is, influenza is a serious illness, and parents should take action to help protect their family, and especially their children.”

“Kids” of All Ages Get Vaccinated
Besides getting children from 6 months through 18 years old vaccinated, the CDC also recommends the vaccine for anyone in frequent contact with this group — meaning moms, dads and child care providers. The CDC estimates that vaccination coverage still remains less than 50 percent among high-risk groups, including young children.

Say “Boo!” to the Flu at Home
Vaccination is the first step in flu prevention, but families should also take these simple steps at home:

* Wash Hands Frequently: Wash hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds (the time it takes to sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice).
* Disinfect Germ Hot Spots: Disinfect the surfaces kids touch most frequently — like doorknobs, light switches, faucets or plastic toys.
* Do the Elbow Cough: Cough and sneeze into your elbows instead of your hands to help prevent the spread of germs from touch.
* Follow Good Health Guidelines: Eat right, exercise, and get plenty of sleep to help boost your body’s ability to fight the effects of colds and the flu.

About the Flu
It is estimated that each year in the U.S. more than 20,000 children younger than 5 years old are hospitalized due to the flu, and children less than 2 years old are even more likely to be hospitalized by the flu. Among children who died from the flu in the 2003-2004 flu season, 44 percent were healthy and had no underlying conditions.

Influenza, or “the flu,” is an easy-to-spread viral infection. The symptoms include high fever, chills, cough, aches and fatigue. A simple cough or sneeze can quickly spread the flu virus from person to person.

The flu virus can live on household surfaces, too. The flu may spread when a person touches a surface, like a toy, with the flu virus on it and then touches his or her mouth or nose. Help prevent the spread of the flu virus by getting vaccinated and disinfecting frequently-touched surfaces in your home.

For more information, visit www.SayBooToTheFlu.com.

Courtesy of ARA Content

###

Tragedia personal de una familia ayuda a conocer la importancia
de la prevención de la gripe

Campaña “Say “ Boo! ” to the Flu” se propone vacunar a más familias
en esta temporada de la gripe

(ARA) – Contraer la gripe puede implicar serias consecuencias, especialmente en los menores. Cada año, los niños en Estados Unidos se enferman gravemente, e incluso algunos pierden la vida a causa de la gripe o influenza (“flu” ) y sus complicaciones. Richard Kanowitz lo sabe perfectamente, pues hace cuatro años él y Alisa, su esposa, perdieron a Amanda, su hija de cuatro años y medio, debido a la gripe.

“Mi esposa y yo no nos dimos cuenta de la importancia que podía tener una vacuna hasta que perdimos a nuestra hija a causa de la gripe”, expresó Kanowitz, presidente de Familias Luchando Contra la Gripe (Families Fighting Flu, FFF), una organización sin fines de lucro dedicada a exhortar a los padres a que vacunen cada año a sus hijos contra la enfermedad.

La información referente a la gripe resulta especialmente importante este año, debido a que los Centros para el Control y la Prevención de las Enfermedades (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC) modificaron sus recomendaciones para la vacuna contra la gripe. Los centros CDC recomiendan actualmente que todos los niños de 6 meses a 18 años de edad deben vacunarse, pero muchos padres podrían ignorar esta sugerencia.

Con el compromiso de contribuir a que se vacunen más familias en esta temporada de la gripe, FFF, la Asociación Nacional de Enfermeras Visitantes (Visiting Nurse Associations of America, VNAA) y la Compañía Clorox han creado una alianza para llevar a cabo nuevamente el programa nacional Say “Boo!” to the Flu. La campaña, en su tercer año de existencia, tiene como objetivo informar a las familias acerca de la importancia de la prevención de la gripe, con eventos de vacunación en varias ciudades del país.

“Say ‘Boo!’ to the Flu proporciona información referente a las nuevas recomendaciones de los CDC, y educa a los padres acerca de la importancia de que los niños se vacunen”, añadió Kanowitz. “Si podemos evitar una sola muerte, e impedir que una sola familia sufra lo que nosotros vivimos, consideraremos que nuestros esfuerzos fueron exitosos”.

En las últimas cinco temporadas de la gripe, aproximadamente 400 niños perdieron la vida como consecuencia de esta enfermedad. Como la gripe es la principal causa de mortalidad infantil que se puede evitar con una vacuna, Say “Boo!” to the Flu tiene el propósito de informar acerca de las medidas simples que usted puede tomar para proteger a su familia en esta temporada.

“Es crucial que los padres estén informados acerca de la importancia de la vacuna contra la gripe”, aseguró Mary Ann Blade (TBC) de la VNAA. “La realidad es que es una enfermedad seria, y los padres deben tomar medidas para contribuir a la protección de sus familias, y especialmente de sus hijos”.

Los “niños” de todas las edades deben vacunarse
Los centros CDC recomiendan que, además de los niños de seis meses a 18 años, se debe vacunar a toda persona que mantenga contacto frecuente con este grupo, o sea: madres, padres, niñeras y otras personas responsables del cuidado infantil. Los centros CDC estiman que la cobertura de vacunación sigue siendo inferior al 50 por ciento en los grupos de alto riesgo, incluyendo a los menores de edad.

Say “Boo!” to the Flu en su hogar
Aunque la vacunación es el primer paso en la prevención de la gripe, las familias también deben poner en práctica estas medidas simples en sus hogares:
* Lavarse las manos con frecuencia: Lávese las manos con agua tibia y jabón, restregándose al menos durante 20 segundos (el tiempo que demoramos en cantar “Feliz Cumpleaños” dos veces).
* Desinfectar de gérmenes las superficies de contacto frecuente: Desinfecte las superficies que los niños tocan con más frecuencia, como las perillas de las puertas, los interruptores de luz, los grifos o los juguetes plásticos.
* Toser hacia los codos: Tosa y estornude tapándose la boca o la nariz con los codos y no con las manos, para evitar la propagación de gérmenes por contacto.
* Seguir las normas de salud adecuadas: Alimentarse en forma sana, hacer ejercicio y dormir las horas necesarias, a fin de incrementar la capacidad del organismo para combatir los efectos de los resfriados y la gripe.

Acerca de la gripe
Se estima que cada año, en los Estados Unidos, más de 20.000 niños menores de cinco años son hospitalizados a causa de la gripe. Además, los menores de dos años son aún más propensos a ser hospitalizados como consecuencia de la enfermedad. De los niños que murieron a causa de la gripe en la temporada correspondiente al 2003-2004, el 44 por ciento era saludable y no padecía de trastornos subyacentes.

La gripe, influenza o “flu” es una infección viral de fácil propagación. Entre sus síntomas figuran fiebre alta, escalofríos, tos, dolores y fatiga. Algo simple como toser o estornudar puede propagar rápidamente el virus de la gripe de una persona a otra.

El virus de la gripe también puede estar presente en las superficies de contacto frecuente de su hogar. La gripe se propaga cuando una persona tiene contacto con una superficie (como por ejemplo, un juguete) donde está alojado el virus de la gripe, y luego se toca la boca o la nariz. Contribuya a la prevención del virus, vacunándose y desinfectando las superficies de contacto frecuente en su hogar.

Para obtener más información, visite la página de Internet www.SayBooToTheFlu.com.

Por cortesía de ARA Content

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Of the 10 million Americans with osteoporosis, 80 percent are women, and having a mother with osteoporosis puts a daughter particularly at risk for fractures.

Priscilla Turner, 67, of Memphis, Tenn., knows this risk all too well. Her 90-year-old mother, Jewell Fondren, suffers from osteoporosis (a disease that causes bone to become weak and susceptible to fracture). During the past 30 years, Fondren has experienced a hip fracture, spinal fractures and has a hunched back that may have been caused by multiple spinal fractures. Fondren, who lives with her daughter, has difficulty walking, cannot bend and finds her clothes don’t fit well because of her hunched back.

Two years ago, Turner seemed to be heading toward the same fate as her mother when she suffered from back pain. Turner saw her doctor and discovered she had a spinal fracture. She was also diagnosed with osteopenia or low bone mineral density that can lead to osteoporosis.

“I just thought I was getting older,” she says. “I didn’t know my bones were breaking, but when my doctor told me I had a spinal fracture, I was very surprised.”

Like Turner, the estimated 44 million Americans at risk for osteoporosis are often unaware that they have the disease until they break a bone, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF). However, today more information is known about the risk factors for osteoporosis and fractures.

If you have low bone mineral density coupled with one or more other risk factors, you are at increased risk of having an osteoporosis-related fracture within the next 10 years, according to a recent publication by the World Health Organization (WHO). These risk factors include a previous fracture, a parent who has had a hip fracture, smoking, taking steroid medications, drinking three or more glasses of alcohol daily and suffering from rheumatoid arthritis or from a disorder strongly associated with osteoporosis.

Less was known about osteoporosis years ago when Turner’s mother was prescribed pain pills and bed rest to manage her osteoporosis-related spinal fractures. Treatments are now available to help strengthen bones, and new procedures have been developed to repair spinal fractures.

When Turner experienced her spinal fracture, her primary care physician referred her to orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Edward Pratt* of the Memphis Spine Center, who treated her spinal fracture with balloon kyphoplasty.

Balloon kyphoplasty is a minimally invasive procedure that can reduce back pain and correct the deformity caused by a spinal fracture. Small balloons are inserted and inflated in the fractured area of the spine to restore it back to its normal shape. After the balloons are deflated and removed, the cavity that has been created is filled with special bone cement, creating an internal cast.

Turner is exceedingly close to her mother. They spend afternoons on their parlor couch, reminiscing about their years together or sitting quietly as Turner reads and her mother knits. However, she knows that she does not want to suffer the same fate as her mother.

“Osteoporosis has kept Mama from being as mobile as I knew her years ago,” Turner says. “Her movements are restricted. She cannot bend nor do many activities around the house. Her walking is limited.”

When Turner experienced her second spinal fracture in 2007 and her activities became restricted due to the back pain, she decided to take action to avoid the same fate as her mother. She again had her fracture repaired with balloon kyphoplasty and now exercises regularly and takes prescription drugs and calcium supplements to prevent more bone loss.

“Today I do everything,” she says. “We have a two-story home, and I am always going up and down the steps, and I couldn’t do that before the (balloon kyphoplasty) procedures because of my back pain. I am also gardening again. I walk two miles a day and work out on weight machines. I am a very active person. I don’t sit.”

The National Osteoporosis Foundation estimates that one in two women and one in four men over age 50 will experience an osteoporosis-related fracture in their lifetime. “The world is beginning to gradually wake up and see that osteoporosis is a problem and that the best way to treat it is to stay ahead of it,” says Dr. Pratt.

To learn more about osteoporosis, visit the National Osteoporosis Foundation at www.nof.org. For more information about spinal fractures and balloon kyphoplasty, go to www.spinalfracture.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

* Dr. Edward Pratt of the Memphis Spine Center is a paid consultant of Medtronic

KYPHON(R) Balloon Kyphoplasty incorporates technology developed by Gary K. Michelson, M.D.

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