http://http://www.kentucky.com/medicine/index.xml News, sports, and entertainment from Kentucky.com en-us Copyright 2009 Kentucky.com Medicine 60 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:01:36 EST http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss McClatchy Interactive's Workbench interactive-ops@herald-leader.com http://www.kentucky.com/medicine/story/1014515.html http://www.kentucky.com/medicine/story/1014515.html Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:29 EST
To many people, shoring up the body's defensive shield is a logical way to get through the cold and flu season, especially with the H1N1 virus lurking. But despite what marketers promise, there's little evidence herbal cocktails, vitamins, minerals and even specific foods have a beneficial effect on the immune system.

Some nutrients might raise the number of cells that fight infection in the body or increase their activity, but experts say that doesn't necessarily translate to enhanced immunity.

"It's really impossible to boost your immune system instantly by taking a pill," said Dr. Renee Scola, a primary care doctor at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. "What keeps it healthy are the common-sense things you do on a daily basis: Eating a well-balanced diet, sleeping, exercising and de-stressing yourself."

Immunity, or protection from disease-causing germs, is often seen as the holy grail of health. The global retail market for products related to "digestive health and immunity" is projected to exceed $22 billion by 2013, according to the market research firm Packaged Facts.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/medicine/story/1011682.html http://www.kentucky.com/medicine/story/1011682.html Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:29 EST
It sounds simple. So why don't more of us do it?

Probably because it isn't so simple. Getting healthy and staying that way often means waging a battle against our genes, our physical and social environments, and a lifetime of bad habits.

For example: Humans are genetically predisposed to be sedentary during adulthood. We favor fatty, calorie-laden foods because that's where our energy comes from. Our caveman bodies strive to store energy for hunting and scavenging food and to fend off now-extinct predators.

But we live in homes, workplaces and neighborhoods that limit physical activity. We have to go out of our way to break a sweat. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/medicine/story/1008137.html http://www.kentucky.com/medicine/story/1008137.html Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:29 EST
In recent years, this once obscure diagnosis, given to more than four times as many boys as girls, has become increasingly common.

Much of the growing prevalence of autism, which now affects about 1 percent of American children, according to federal data, can be attributed to Asperger's and other mild forms of the disorder. And Asperger's has exploded into popular culture through books and films depicting it as the realm of brilliant nerds and savantlike geniuses.

But no sooner has Asperger consciousness awakened than the disorder seems headed for psychiatric obsolescence. Though it became an official part of the medical lexicon only in 1994, the experts who are revising psychiatry's diagnostic manual have proposed to eliminate it from the new edition, due out in 2012.

If these experts have their way, Asperger's syndrome and another mild form of autism, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS for short), will be folded into a single broad diagnosis: autism spectrum disorder, a category that encompasses autism's entire range, or spectrum, from high-functioning to profoundly disabling.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/medicine/story/1008122.html http://www.kentucky.com/medicine/story/1008122.html Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:29 EST
But scientists say gene therapy might be on the edge of a resurgence. There were three recent, though small, successes one involving children with a fatal brain disease, one with an eye disease that causes blindness and one with children who have a disease that destroys the immune system.

"We are ready to move," said Dr. Luigi Naldini of the Institute for Gene Therapy at Vita-Salute San Raffaele in Milan.

"It's exciting," added Dr. Kenneth Cornetta, a gene therapy researcher at Indiana University and president of the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy. "The science gets better every year."

But given the history of gene therapy, some, like Dr. Mark Kay, a gene therapy researcher at Stanford, were careful to avoid promising too much.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/medicine/story/1005809.html http://www.kentucky.com/medicine/story/1005809.html Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:05 EST
Most surprisingly, there were no signs of mental decline in those on the machines. Avoiding this problem was thought be one of the benefits of so-called "off-pump" surgery without a machine.

"For the vast majority, there's no advantage to doing it off-pump and there may be some disadvantages," said Dr. Frederick Grover of the University of Colorado Denver, one of the leaders of the study.

Heart bypass is believed to be the most common surgery in the world - an estimated 253,000 Americans have the operation each year. Traditionally, the surgery is done while the patient is hooked up to a heart-lung machine which takes over the job of circulating blood while the beating heart is stopped. That "on-pump" method makes it easier for surgeons to attach new arteries or veins to create detours around clogged arteries.

But the heart-lung machine carries a small risk of complications, including stroke. In the 1990s, surgeons began doing off-pump surgery - without the machine but with devices that stabilize the beating heart.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/medicine/story/1003009.html http://www.kentucky.com/medicine/story/1003009.html Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:23 EST
To alleviate flu traffic in the emergency room, Pikeville Medical Center opened a regional flu clinic Monday. Doctors had seen dozens of patients by the close of business. The clinic offers complete testing, X-ray and lab services.

Patricia Harrison of Cowpen in Pike County took daughter Candace, 10, to their family doctor when Candace first got sick about a month ago. She didn't have the flu then, but her aches, pains and cough have lingered. So an after-hours clinic recommended chest X-rays, which the flu clinic provided. Blood work and swab tests were to determine within a couple of hours whether Candace had the flu.

"It seems every time she goes outside she gets sick," Harrison said. Even though it wasn't the flu before, "the doctor told us it can change very quickly."

The building that houses the regional flu center, about five minutes from the main hospital on North Mayo Trail, was already used by the hospital for clinics. But a five-day renovation created a new registration area and six exam rooms, said Jerry Johnson, the hospital's chief operating officer. Additional staff was hired to allow the flu clinic to operate around the clock. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/medicine/story/1000325.html http://www.kentucky.com/medicine/story/1000325.html Sun, 01 Nov 2009 06:48 EST
"I kept checking with the doctor's office, but they said they wouldn't be getting flu vaccine anytime soon," Castorena said. "So, here we are. We were just lucky to be the first ones in line."

People were lined up well before nurses began administering shots just before 9 a.m. Some said they came as early as 6:30 a.m. for Lexington's first big, public H1N1 flu vaccine clinic.

Tavito, 10, said he was a little nervous about getting a needle in his arm. But he said he wasn't complaining too much because he didn't want to get swine flu. Tavito has asthma, which puts him in the high-risk category for the illness.

Fayette health officials said they vaccinated about 1,500 patients by the time the clinic ended at 3 p.m.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/medicine/story/998551.html http://www.kentucky.com/medicine/story/998551.html Fri, 30 Oct 2009 06:20 EDT
The 230-bed psychiatric hospital is tentatively scheduled to open in 2012.

State, city and university leaders unveiled architectural plans for the $129 million, 300,000-square-foot facility, which will replace the existing campus at Fourth Street and Newtown Pike.

The new hospital will include additional beds for forensic care psychiatric care for those charged with crimes and geriatric nursing facility beds for older patients who need more intensive medical care, said Janie Miller, Secretary for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services.

Three personal care homes a less-restrictive environment for patients who are trying to move back into the community will sit nearby.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/medicine/story/994320.html http://www.kentucky.com/medicine/story/994320.html Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:23 EST
About 3,000 doses of vaccine will be available at the clinic. Long lines have formed at clinics in some parts of the country. Kevin Hall, health department spokesman, said it's hard to predict how many people will show up.

"We could have 2,000, we could have 6,000," he said.

The clinic was set up to serve children with chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, neurological disorders and severe asthma who are at high risk for catching H1N1.

"If you don't fall into this category don't show up expecting a shot," said Hall. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/medicine/story/988471.html http://www.kentucky.com/medicine/story/988471.html Fri, 23 Oct 2009 07:57 EDT
Dr. Watts, a Woodford County native and a 1945 graduate of the University of Louisville dental school, returned home to practice dentistry in 1947 after spending two years as a Navy lieutenant commander, a position in which he also worked on people's teeth.

He was instrumental in bringing fluoride to Woodford County's water system, and he served as president of the Kentucky Dental Association before his retirement in 1993.

He ran for county judge-executive after retiring, and was in that post from 1994 until 1999. The judge-executive job wasn't his first foray into politics. From about 1962 to 1970, he was a member and chairman of the Woodford County school board.

He was also a long-time member of the Woodford County Board of Health, and a room in the local health department is named for him.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/medicine/story/985969.html http://www.kentucky.com/medicine/story/985969.html Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:23 EST
University of Kentucky health officials said Wednesday they are temporarily excluding visitors under age 18 from hospital rooms and patient-care areas to help protect patients and health care workers from the flu.

One exception: parents or guardians under age 18 can visit their children in the hospital.

There also are restrictions on the number of adult visitors patients can have at one time.

UK's policy applies to all UK HealthCare clinic and hospital operations, including the University of Kentucky Hospital, UK HealthCare Good Samaritan Hospital and all Kentucky Clinic locations.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/medicine/story/985215.html http://www.kentucky.com/medicine/story/985215.html Wed, 21 Oct 2009 03:51 EDT
"In the name of all who have died, we call for reform in health care now," the crowd repeated in unison during the service.

Attendees stood before a field of luminaries and carried signs with messages such as "Medicare for ALL," "People of Faith for Health Care Reform" and "Everybody In Nobody Out." The Rev. Nancy Jo Kemper, pastor of New Union Christian Church in Woodford County and retired leader of the Kentucky Council of Churches, called on the group to contact U.S. Sens. Mitch McConnell and Jim Bunning, and U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler.

Karla Ward]]> http://www.kentucky.com/medicine/story/985432.html http://www.kentucky.com/medicine/story/985432.html Wed, 21 Oct 2009 01:32 EDT
It is quietly working on a message, to put on its Web site early next year, to emphasize that screening for breast and prostate cancer and certain other cancers can come with a real risk of overtreating many small cancers while missing cancers that are deadly.

"We don't want people to panic," said Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer of the cancer society. "But I'm admitting that American medicine has overpromised when it comes to screening. The advantages to screening have been exaggerated."

Prostate cancer screening has long been problematic. The cancer society, which with more than 2 million volunteers is one of the nation's largest voluntary health agencies, does not advocate testing for all men. And many researchers point out that the PSA prostate cancer screening test has not been shown to prevent prostate cancer deaths.

There has been much less public debate about mammograms. Studies from the 1960s to the 1980s found that they reduced the death rate from breast cancer by up to 20 percent. But it has been unclear how much of the decline is because of mammograms or improved treatment.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/medicine/story/985413.html http://www.kentucky.com/medicine/story/985413.html Wed, 21 Oct 2009 01:30 EDT
She and her brothers are visiting their mother, Michelle, at an Alzheimer's and dementia facility in Flower Mound, Texas. Alex hates it there, hates seeing the stranger in her mom's body.

The kids don't like it in her room, so Michelle's husband, Bill, escorts her into the hallway. She shuffles out, her fingers in her mouth. You can tell she had Alex's face once upon a time, before the life left her eyes.

Wes, 18, mumbles a subdued, "Hi, Mom." Harrison, 10, gives a more enthusiastic greeting. He's too young to remember when things were different. Normal.

"Hey, Mom!" Harrison says, smiling. ]]> http://www.kentucky.com/medicine/story/981978.html http://www.kentucky.com/medicine/story/981978.html Sun, 18 Oct 2009 07:06 EDT
Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, 1600 Man O' War Boulevard.

Bryan Station High School, 201 Eastin Road

10 a.m.-3 p.m. Nov. 14

Drive-through clinic at Lexmark]]> http://www.kentucky.com/medicine/story/981970.html http://www.kentucky.com/medicine/story/981970.html Sun, 18 Oct 2009 01:41 EDT
Cannabis advocates say that more than 800 dispensaries have sprouted since 2002; some law enforcement officials say it is closer to 1,000. Whatever the real number, everyone agrees it is too high.

For the first time, police officials in Los Angeles have said they'll prosecute medical marijuana dispensaries that turn a profit, and that they expect to conduct raids. Their efforts are widely seen as a campaign to sway the City Council into adopting strict regulations after two years of debate.

It appears to be working. Carmen A. Trutanich, the newly elected city attorney, recently persuaded the council to put aside a proposed ordinance negotiated with medical marijuana supporters for one drafted by his office. The new proposal calls for dispensaries to have renewable permits, submit to criminal-record checks, register the names of members with the police and operate on a non-profit basis. If enacted, it is likely to result in the closing of hundreds of marijuana dispensaries.

Whatever happens will be closely watched by police and marijuana advocates across the country who are threading their way through federal laws that still treat marijuana as an illegal drug and state laws that are increasingly allowing medicinal use. Thirteen states have laws supporting medical marijuana, and others are considering new legislation.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/medicine/story/981947.html http://www.kentucky.com/medicine/story/981947.html Sun, 18 Oct 2009 01:39 EDT
The facts: Soap and warm water have long been said to prevent the spread infections, not just the common cold but respiratory infections and even the viruses that cause diarrhea. But is warm or hot water really more effective than cold?

In a 2005 report in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, scientists with the Joint Bank Group/Fund Health Services Department stated that in studies during which subjects had their hands contaminated and were instructed to wash and rinse with soap for 25 seconds using water with temperatures ranging from 40 degrees to 120 degrees, the various temperatures had "no effect on transient or resident bacterial reduction."

The bottom line: Hot water for hand washing has not been proved to remove germs better than cold water.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/medicine/story/981131.html http://www.kentucky.com/medicine/story/981131.html Sun, 18 Oct 2009 06:44 EDT
The man died at Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital in Somerset. Health officials did not release his name or details about his hospitalization.

The man had no apparent underlying medical conditions, according to a news release from Lake Cumberland District Health Department.

"We are truly saddened that the flu has taken the life of this young man," Sheryl Glasscock, chief nursing officer at the hospital, said in a news release.

The Somerset hospital had moved to limit visitation just a week ago in an effort to limit exposure of patients, staff and visitors. No one younger than 18 is allowed to enter the hospital unless seeking care, and people entering the emergency room with flu-like symptoms are kept apart from other patients.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/medicine/story/980793.html http://www.kentucky.com/medicine/story/980793.html Sat, 17 Oct 2009 01:27 EDT
Lawmakers working on a national health care fix have much to learn from the past 35 years in Hawaii, President Barack Obama's native state. Among the most important lessons is that even small steps to change the system can have lasting effects on health.

Hawaiians live longer than people in the rest of the country, recent surveys have shown, and the state's health care system might be one reason. In one example, Hawaii has the nation's highest incidence of breast cancer but the lowest death rate from the disease.

But perhaps the most intriguing lesson has to do with costs. Hawaii's health insurance premiums are nearly tied with North Dakota for the lowest in the country, and Medicare costs per beneficiary are the nation's lowest.

Why is Hawaiian care so efficient? No one really knows. Hawaiian doctors and hospital and insurance executives offered many theories, including an active population that is culturally disinclined to hospitals, and a health care market dominated by a few not-for-profit organizations. But there was another answer: With nearly 90 percent of the populace given relatively generous benefits, patients stay healthy, and health providers have the money and motivation to innovate.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/medicine/story/976381.html http://www.kentucky.com/medicine/story/976381.html Wed, 14 Oct 2009 01:32 EDT
A study published last week in the journal Science suggested that might be the case, reporting that many patients who had the syndrome were infected with a recently discovered virus.

Chronic fatigue syndrome has long been a medical mystery and the subject of debate, sometimes bitter, among doctors, researchers and patients. It affects at least 1 million Americans, causing extreme fatigue, muscle and joint pain, sleep problems, difficulty concentrating and other symptoms. Its cause is unknown, symptoms can last for years and there is no effective treatment.

Researchers disagree about whether it is one disease or a collection of symptoms that may have different causes in different patients. It has sometimes been stigmatized as more mental than physical, with patients labeled neurotic, depressed or hypochondriacal.

Many patients find even the name of the disorder offensive, a not-so-subtle hint that it is not a real disease.]]>