Better Living Through Well Being
Prompted by a recent scientific study offering grave warnings about the long-standing use of fluoride in drinking water and dental products, many dentists are using Dental Hygiene Month (October) to bring attention to the data. The official position is that given the elevated number of fluoride sources and the increased rates of fluoride intake in the American population since the 1940's, it is now necessary to reduce and work toward eliminating fluoride exposure. They say that not only is the synthetic fluoride in community water ineffective at reducing tooth decay, but it exposes us to a number of toxins. Many children now show signs of fluoride overdose by a tooth mottling known as fluorosis.
The International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT) has free fluoride awareness resources and the position paper on their website.
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The author of the study finds significance in the topical analgesics’ therapeutic effect, and also in being able to offer a safer alternative to opioids for pain relief. He states the study demonstrates a measurable improvement in quality of life without waiting for new and experimental drugs to address the already monumental issue of the current opioid epidemic.
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Authors of a white paper, “Solving the Determinants of Health by Improving Health Literacy,” emphasize that only 12 percent of Americans have proficient health literacy. As the nation converts from a fee-for-service to a value-based care model, a key factor will be individuals having more involvement in services they receive. Yet, in 2015, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported that nearly a third of adults in the United States fell into the basic or below basic health literacy groups and nearly 9 percent of Americans are not proficient in English. Healthcare providers understand that individuals experience the highest risk in their home environments after discharge.
The white paper explains how communication with patients once they’ve returned home, collaboration with other care-team members, and building alliances of support networks within the community will provide a solid foundation in which the country can address health literacy and overcome barriers to ultimately improving health outcomes and lower overall costs.
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World Animal Protection is calling on relevant governments to enforce laws protecting wild animals, and wants to ensure that travel companies and individuals who are exploiting wild animals for tourism in the Amazon abide by the existing laws.
They are also launching a Wildlife Selfie Code for tourists to learn how to take a photo with wild animals without fueling the cruel wildlife entertainment industry.
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Other articles of interest in this Fall 2017 TMIS eNewsletter:
* New U.S. maps taken from current hospital data show urgent need for new antibiotics with good activity against ESBL-producing and quinolone-resistant bacteria.
* Broad spectrum antibacterial action of nitric oxide demonstrates promise in treating antibiotic-resistant bacteria ‘Superbugs.’
* New head-eye vestibular motion therapy positively affects the mental and physical health of severe chronic postconcussion patients by reducing symptoms in 5 days.
* Data released by the CDC show suicide rates for rural counties were consistently higher than urban counties from 2001-2015.
* New book, “Fearless Women at Work, Five Powerful Strategies to Thrive in Your Career and Life!,” highlights importance of bringing feminine energy to create balance in the workplace.
* New scientific dietary supplement for honey bees provides a fighting chance to combat environmental and man-made forces attacking colonies.
* “Truth About Abuse” report helps young people recognize digital dating abuse and navigate the complex combination of today’s dating scene and the ever-changing world of technology.
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- Mary Michele McLaughlin
From the Front Page of TMIS News
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Fluoride Warnings Issued by International Group of Dentists
Championsgate, Florida
October is Dental Hygiene Month, but not all dentists will be touting the alleged benefits of fluoride. In fact, the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT) is using this month to raise awareness of the health risks associated with fluoride. This is especially timely because of recent news about a study linking fluoride exposure in utero with lower IQs.
The IAOMT is an organization of over 800 dentists, physicians, and research professionals in more than 14 countries, and the non-profit organization has been dedicated to its mission of protecting public health since it was founded in 1984. Since that time, the group has continually collected, examined, and reviewed studies and research articles about fluoride and other dental materials and practices.
"IAOMT and its members have been independently studying the toxicity of fluoride for decades," Matthew Young, DDS, President of the IAOMT, explains. "For dentistry, as an ethical profession, it is imperative to uphold the concepts of 'do no harm.' Fluoride has traditionally been seen as a panacea for dental disease without the knowledge of its inherent harm to the human body. We need to seek less toxic alternatives and work to improve human health with the safest approach."
This week, the IAOMT is officially releasing a variety of new fluoride awareness resources available for free on their website. The materials were developed based on the group's new Position Paper against Fluoride Use in Water, Dental Materials, and Other Products. Hundreds of scientific studies and research articles were analyzed to create this detailed document, which includes over 500 citations supporting the potential for fluoride to cause adverse health outcomes.
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Study Shows Topical Analgesics Reduce Chronic Pain, Lessen Need For Opioids
Austin, Texas
Clarity Science, a division of Safe Harbor Compliance and Clinical Services LLC, report results of the Institutional Review Board (IRB)- approved Optimizing Patient Experience and Response to Topical Analgesics (OPERA) Study which evaluated patients with chronic pain who were treated with topical analgesics. Overall results, published today in the Journal of Pain Research, suggest that topical treatments may provide an effective and safer treatment alternative to opioids and prescription NSAIDs for the management of chronic pain.
Chronic pain is a leading cause of disability in the United States. It affects over 100 million Americans and is one of the most frequent reasons people seek medical care. Despite a wealth of treatment options, as many as 40% of patients treated for chronic pain do not attain adequate relief.
Further compounding this problem, patients who report chronic pain often suffer from multiple conditions and take multiple medications such as opioids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that are associated with adverse effects including abuse, addiction, and death.
The FDA and CDC have recognized that opioid misuse and overdose have reached epidemic proportions. The number of prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances increased dramatically in recent years and deaths associated with opioids continue to grow. Recent data from the National Center for Health Statistics reports over 64,000 drug overdose deaths in 2016 -- a faster rate than the HIV epidemic, car crashes, and gun deaths at their respective peaks.
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Almost 9 out of 10 American Adults Lack Skills Needed to Manage Health and Prevent Disease
San Antonio, Texas
TAVHealth, an organization that connects healthcare providers, payers, community, and philanthropic organizations to help solve the Social Determinants of Health with its collaborative, cloud-based platform, has announced the importance of recognizing National Health Literacy Month in October. According to the National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy, nearly 9 out of 10 adults have difficulty using and understanding routine health information. In an age where we are trying to improve health outcomes and reduce unnecessary hospital visits, understanding the importance of health literacy is crucial.
"With the transition to value-based care it is imperative the post-discharge patient understands their care plan when they leave the hospital. Today, nearly one third of American adults struggle with basic or below basic health literacy. In order to improve health we need to meet individuals where they are and make sure they can understand and follow their plan," commented TAVHealth Founder and CEO, Jamo Rubin, M.D.
Increasingly, providers, payers, and community organizations are collaborating to make sure individuals and families understand complex instructions. Failing to adhere to post-acute care instructions is a key factor in hospital readmissions and increased healthcare costs. On average, adults with low health literacy experience 4 times higher healthcare costs, 6% more hospital visits, and 2-day longer hospital stays.
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Iconic wild animals in Amazon suffering for selfies
New York, New York
Demand for selfies has changed the lives of wild animals forever: the explosive trend on social media is driving the suffering and exploitation of some of the world's most iconic animals in the Amazon, says international charity World Animal Protection.
Focusing on two gateway cities of the Amazon --Manaus, Brazil and Puerto Alegria, Peru -- World Animal Protection's investigators reveal in a new report, "A close up on cruelty: The harmful impact of wildlife selfies in the Amazon" that animals are snatched from the wild, often illegally, and used by irresponsible tour operators who cruelly exploit and injure wildlife to entertain and provide harmful photo opportunities for tourists.
In public view and behind the scenes, investigators uncovered evidence of cruelty being inflicted on wild animals, including:
* Sloths captured from the wild, tied to trees with rope, not surviving longer than six months
* Birds such as toucans with severe abscesses on their feet
* Green anacondas wounded and dehydrated
* Caiman crocodiles restrained with rubber bands around their jaws
* An ocelot (a type of wild cat) kept in a small barren cage
* A manatee held in a tiny tank in the forecourt of a local hotel
* A giant anteater, manhandled and beaten by its owner
Steve McIvor, CEO at World Animal Protection, says: "The wildlife selfie craze is a worldwide phenomenon fueled by tourists, many of whom are unaware of the abhorrent conditions and terrible treatment wild animals may endure to provide that special souvenir photo. Behind the scenes, wild animals are being taken from their mothers as babies and secretly kept in filthy, cramped conditions or repeatedly baited with food, causing severe psychological trauma."
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Iterum Therapeutics reveals new US maps highlighting antibiotic resistance 'hotspots'
Dublin, Ireland
Research presented this week by Iterum Therapeutics provides, for the first time, detailed maps by zip code showing the prevalence of bacteria in the US that are resistant to many newer antibiotics. These heat-maps document the prevalence of common gram-negative bacteria that cause urinary tract infections in the community, as well as more serious hospital onset infections. These are increasingly resistant to quinolones, as well as to penicillins and cephalosporins, as a consequence of the production of extended spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs).
The findings were released at the Infectious Disease Week conference in San Diego, CA. Data collected from 571 hospitals and other health facilities across the United States show regional differences in resistance rates, with quinolone resistance exceeding 30 per cent and ESBL prevalence over nine per cent (Poster #400). Hotspots of resistance include southern California, Louisiana, Texas and New Jersey. The maps and more details are at www.iterumtx.com.
The Infectious Disease Week poster also compared prevalence within hospitals. Rates were highest for in-patients (more than three days after admission or soon after discharge), compared to new admissions (fewer than three days after admission) and out-patients. "Wherever possible, avoidance of hospitalization for infections caused by these organisms is much better for patients and the healthcare system," said Dr. Michael Dunne, one of the research authors. "Outpatient care is much less expensive and protects against the dissemination of resistant pathogens within the hospital. But such care requires new antibiotics that are safe and effective and can be taken orally, rather than intravenously."
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New Nitric Oxide Treatment Eradicates Emerging 'Superbugs'
Durham, North Carolina
Novoclem Therapeutics, a biotech company focused on advancing nitric oxide therapies for the treatment of respiratory diseases, has announced that data from an in vitro study with BIOC51, a nitric oxide-releasing biopolymer being developed for the treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections in cystic fibrosis patients, will be presented at the 2017 ID Week conference in San Diego, California.
Novoclem's study, conducted by researchers at Southern Research Institute, demonstrated broad spectrum in vitro eradication of Gram-positive and Gram-negative multi drug resistant bacteria, including Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. These bacteria have been identified by the Centers of Disease and Control Prevention (CDC) as rapidly spreading and severe public threats in infectious diseases due to the limited availability of new antibiotic treatments.
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New Head-Eye Vestibular Motion Therapy Reduces Chronic Concussion Symptoms in 5 Days
Cape Canaveral, Florida
A recent peer-reviewed study published in Frontiers in Neurology: Neurotrauma Section (Impact Factor 3.552) showing "statistical and substantive significant decreases in Post Concussive Syndrome (PCS) symptom severity after treatment…" may suggest important improvements in treating sports-related head trauma.
Researchers from the Bedfordshire Centre for Mental Health Research in association with the University of Cambridge, University of Cincinnati, Carrick Institute, Plasticity Brain Centers and Harvard Macy- MGH Institutes studied whether head-eye vestibular motion (HEVM) therapy is associated with decreased symptoms and increased function in post concussive syndrome patients who have been severely impaired for greater than 6 months after a mild traumatic brain injury.
The investigators reviewed the medical records of 620 post-concussive patients exhibiting Post Concussive Syndrome. The inclusion criteria included only individuals who had sustained a sport-related concussion, had persistent and debilitating symptoms for greater than 6 months, and who had not responded to prior interventions. The selection of subjects based upon the defined criteria yielded a population sample of 70 patients.
As described in the text, each patient was assessed individually, utilizing instrumentation designed to measure and quantify over 40 variables such as symptoms, cognitive function, reaction time, vestibular-ocular function, gaze-holding, and eye-tracking.
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Americans in rural areas more likely to die by suicide
Atlanta, Georgia
Rural counties consistently had higher suicide rates than metropolitan counties from 2001-2015, according to data released in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States. There were more than half a million suicides during the 2001–2015 study period.
"While we've seen many causes of death come down in recent years, suicide rates have increased more than 20 percent from 2001 to 2015. And this is especially concerning in rural areas," said CDC Director Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D. "We need proven prevention efforts to help stop these deaths and the terrible pain and loss they cause."
Mortality data from the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) include demographic, geographic, and mechanism of death information derived from death certificates filed in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The new report examined annual county level trends in suicide rates during 2001-2015 for rural counties, medium/small metropolitan counties, large metropolitan counties, as well as demographics and mechanism of death. Overall, suicide death rates for rural counties (17.32 per 100,000 people) were higher than medium/small metropolitan counties (14.86) and large metropolitan counties (11.92).
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Author of Fearless Women at Work Says Women Need to Bring Feminine Energy to Work
Branchville, New Jersey
In her new book, Fearless Women at Work, Five Powerful Strategies to Thrive in Your Career and Life!, certified executive coach Ginny Baro, Ph.D. devotes an entire chapter to the importance of female executives harnessing their feminine energy along with their masculine energy. In the chapter "Taking Off the Man Suit," she writes that applying the new integrative leadership model reflecting the best traits found in male and female energy could prevent burnout, boost employee engagement and lead to greater collaboration and increased happiness.
She writes that when female executives operate in masculine energy, "We show up protected, controlling, aggressive, driving, commanding, pushing, unbending, forceful and demanding. This is the energy we rely on to complete tasks, finish projects, 'get it done,' and get from point A to Point B in the most effective way. On the other hand, when we show up in our core feminine energy, we show up vulnerable, decisive but flexible, open, collaborative, humble, playful, compassionate, receptive, nurturing, unpretentious and focused as much on the experience and the journey as we are on the destination."
Embracing female and masculine energy is just one suggestion in Baro's book, which provides women with practical strategies for building their dream lives and careers. All of the strategies in the book are based on her innovative C.A.R.E.S system. C.A.R.E.S. stands for Connect, Align, Rise, Envision and Seek. She advises women on ways to connect with what they value most; align what they are doing with what they wish they were doing; to rise above their limiting beliefs standing in their way; envision what they will have to do to get the life they want; and seek the support they need to propel themselves forward.
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BeesVita Plus Unveils Scientific Breakthrough for Honey Bees
West Palm Beach, Florida
At the 45th annual Apimondia International Apiculture Congress in Istanbul; in the midst of a global epidemic of honey bee colony losses, America's Healthy Bees, LLC, unveiled BeesVita Plus (www.BeesVitaPlus.com), a scientific breakthrough in the form of a next generation nutritional system that, according to preliminary tests in five countries, shows signs of bolstering honey bees' immune systems, strengthening their resistances to pesticides, and improving overall health.
"This is the first significant scientific advancement in the treatment of honey bee health since colony loss syndrome began a decade ago; when suddenly, around the world, billions of bees started dying in record numbers – and they are still dying at faster rates today than in past years," says Philip McCabe, president of the International Federation of Beekeepers' Associations. "We now have a scientific formulation that provides us with a fighting chance to combat environmental and man-made forces that are attacking colonies."
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A New Epidemic: Digital Dating Abuse Widespread But Underreported Among Young Americans
Dallas, Texas
For young Americans in the dating scene, a new epidemic has emerged – digital dating abuse. Mary Kay has released data from its eighth annual Truth About Abuse Survey which reveals that more than 1 in 4 (27%) of young Americans report they have personally experienced digital dating abuse and another 39% know someone who has. While the problem is widespread, it is also underreported, increasing the need for intervention and education.
"As a corporate leader in the fight against domestic violence, we know how important it is to educate and empower young people about warning signs before they happen," said Kirsten Gappelberg, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability for Mary Kay Inc. "Through this year's Truth About Abuse Survey, we've learned that young people have difficulty recognizing digital dating abuse. This tells us there's an opportunity to raise awareness while helping to educate young people as they navigate the complex combination of today's dating scene and the ever-changing world of technology."
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