There is a new solution for children with sleep apnea and bedwetting. Some professionals say that removing a child’s tonsils or adenoids can stop bedwetting among young sleep apnea sufferers.

In a recent study, researchers closely observed four hundred kids with the condition for a year after surgery. they said that half of the participants had sleep apnea and were bedwetters. However, they stopped wetting their bed after their tonsils were removed.

While this indicates that bedwetting and sleep apnea are linked, this needs further research and studies to solidify the relationship.

[EurekAlert press release] — Researchers have demonstrated the effectiveness of a novel treatment that stimulates the nerve that controls the diaphragm to normalize the breathing of patients who suffer from both heart failure and central sleep apnea.

“Many heart failure patients suffer from central sleep apnea, which a number of studies have shown increases mortality in these patients,” said Shahrokh Javaheri, MD, professor emeritus of medicine at the University of Cincinnati and medical director of Sleepcare Diagnostics in Mason, Ohio.

Systolic heart failure describes a medical condition in which the heart no longer pumps blood strongly enough to meet the body’s needs. according to the American Heart Association, the number of Americans living with heart failure is estimated at 5.8 million—a number that is expected to grow as people live longer and the population ages. Heart failure is also the leading cause of hospitalization among Medicare patients

Dr. Javaheri and his colleagues will present the results of their study, “Single Night Transvenous Nerve Stimulation Improves Central Sleep Apnea in Systolic Heart Failure Patients,” during the ATS 2011 International Conference, in Denver.

In this study, Dr. Javaheri and his colleagues conducted an acute, prospective investigation of 16 patients with a mean age of 59 and a mean body mass index of 27 kg/mk2. All 16 patients were diagnosed with heart failure (mean left ventricular ejection fraction of 30 percent) and central sleep apnea.

The patients served as their own control group, receiving on one night phrenic nerve stimulation and no therapeutic intervention on another. the intervention, which acts like a pacemaker for the nerve, dramatically reduced the number of times patients stopped, or almost stopped, breathing; improved blood oxygenation levels while sleeping; and resulted in a healthier heart rate.

Compared to the control night, phrenic nerve stimulation resulted in the virtual elimination of central sleep apnea as measured by the central apnea Index (25 ± 14 vs. 3 ± 4/hour, p ?0.001). there was a significant decrease in the apnea-hypopnea index (47 ± 12 vs. 24 ±15/hour, p=0.002) and in the associated arousal index (32 ±12 vs. 16 ±10/hour, p=0.001) and in the reduced number of times the patient experienced 4 percent oxygen desaturation (31 ± 11 vs. 16 ± 12/hour, p=0.002). Overnight sleep heart rate decreased significantly (73.3 ± 17.1 vs. 71.1 ± 16.3 bpm, p=0.002).

The current best treatment for these patients is Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP). In about half of all patients, CPAP suppresses central sleep apnea and improves cardiovascular health and mortality, according to Dr. Javaheri. However, even among those patients that could be helped by CPAP, many cannot tolerate sleeping an entire night with a nasal mask, so the percentage of patients helped by CPAP is considerably lower.

“our research suggests,” said Dr. Javaheri, “that there is a new therapy—one that, unlike CPAP and other existing mask-based therapies, could be tolerated by all patients.”

Dr. Javaheri added that a randomized clinical trial is now needed to determine the clinical implications on long-term phrenic nerve stimulation on morbidity and mortality of heart failure patients with central sleep apnea.

“Single Night Transvenous Phrenic Nerve Stimulation Improves Central Sleep Apnoea in Systolic Heart Failure” (B29, Monday, May 16, 8:15-10:45 a.m., Room 403-404 (Street Level), Colorado Convention Center; Abstract 22748)

* please note that numbers in this release may differ slightly from those in the abstract. Many of these investigations are ongoing; the release represents the most up-to-date data available at press time.

Snoring, morning fatigue, and afternoon naps. Don’t take these things lightly—they’re some of the many symptoms of sleep apnea.

This medical disorder causes the sufferer to stop breathing during his/her sleep, which leads to a general lack of rest. it can also lead to heart attacks, obesity, and headaches.

The condition is common among middle-aged men and post-menopausal women, which is attributed—by some experts—to the changes in sleep patterns that aging brings. Compared to younger people, older individuals tend to sleep less and in more fragmented patterns.

In America, more than 12 million are affected by the condition, making it a serious health concern.

You can avoid sleep apnea by simply exercising a healthier lifestyle: eat right and avoid alcohol and nicotine. these things can ruin your body clock. the condition can also be cured by consistent treatments and some surgeries.

[PRWeb press release] — Dr. Jin Zhou, DC, is now accepting new patients with sleep apnea who is unable to tolerate CPAP or any device and/or failed to benefit from standard surgeries, with a possible conservative approach by ZHT (Zhou’s Hypoxicology Therapy), a natural therapy with seven year clinical observations. Sleep Apnea is a well-known deadly disease, if without proper clinical management, among increasing population. CPAP is the Gold Therapy for sleep apnea, in addition to standard surgeries, but a significant number of sleep apnea patients failed to tolerate or benefit from standard CPAP or any device, and/or standard surgeries. ZHT therapy may provide an alternative natural approach for those sleep apnea patients without any available choices or clinical results from standard medical treatment. as an alternative chiropractic care, ZHT is not covered by most health plans. ZHT therapy costs may range from about $200-$350 for the initial visit and $57 – $150 for the subsequent visits. ZHT Appointments are available to patients nationwide without any need for referral.

Only as an alternative to standard medical care from sleep specialists, ZHT therapy is expected to provide immediate relief on the first visit, and significant relief in three visits, for most cases, with increased uvulo-palato-pharyngeal space (opening of windpipe), better sleep and decreased snoring, or if not, the ZHT program is to be discontinued. ZHT includes supernatural breathing exercises and ZHT manual therapies. ZHT therapy is only initiated and continued with immediate noticeable clinical relief on the first visit and significant clinical relief in three visits. Depending upon the severity of sleep apnea and complicating medical conditions, ZHT therapy may be completed in one week to three months.

ZHT Therapy may benefit obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and central apnea (CA), as well as complex sleep apnea (OSA & CA).

ZHT was developed seven years ago and now available nationwide. Since sleep medicine industry Journal, Sleep Review, the Journal for Sleep Specialists, reported ZHT on August 10, 2006, Dr. Jin Zhou, DC, has significantly improved and refined ZHT therapy with intriguing anecdotal clinical observations. ZHT is neither a standard mainstream medical therapy nor a cure for sleep apnea.

“never claim for cure for any modern medical diagnosis, a natural solution with mother nature human body functions will be the most powerful protections against sleep apnea,” Dr. Zhou, the Inventor of Zhou’s Hypoxicology Therapy (ZHT), who coined the word, “Hypoxicology”.

In developing the new ZHT (Zhou’s Hypoxicology Therapy) alternatives for sleep apnea, Dr. Zhou, observed clinically that trachea caudal displacement (TCD) (the windpipe moving downward), resulted from diaphragm malfunction and baroreflex dysfunction, instead of weakened soft appellate as claimed by the mainstream scientists, is the main anatomical pathology for snoring, collapse of the upper airway and frequent breathing stops during the night for people with obstructive sleep apnea. In addition, as Dr. Zhou hypothesized, the dysfunction of the baroreflex, chemoreflex, metabo-reflex, mechanoreflex, psychosomato-reflex and respiration pace-making malfunction, due to psychological, environmental and anatomical causations, are primarily and intricately responsible for the obstructive and central sleep apnea development. Dr. Zhou further hypothesized that all of these sleep apnea etiological components are primarily controlled or regulated internally by the human body but induced externally. therefore, sleep apnea should be completely reversible primarily through volitional resuscitation, resetting of the baroreflex and revitalization of the upper airway defense reflex by working through patient’s body internally instead of externally through surgeries and devices.

ZHT breathing exercises and manual therapy are developed based on Eastern philosophy with acupuncture holistic health concept, and modern anatomy and physiology as well as latest worldwide scientific research on sleep apnea.

sleepapneausa.net/ZHT_Science.htm

Clinically, most ZHT patients may have been usually treated with sleep specialists and may have failed to tolerate or benefit from standard CPAP device or UPPP surgery, or a patient with possible sleep apnea will be referred to a sleep specialist for sleep study, diagnosis and management. as an alternative to those without any conventional options, ZHT therapy employs unique breathing and reflex exercises in conjunction with chiropractic manual and therapeutic exercises to reset baroreflex and functional fitness of upper airway. ZHT is simple, natural and quick for clinical results. the patient is the only judge for the clinical merits, based on the clinical outcome with better breathing, sleep and less snoring as well as relief for sleep apnea related symptoms, such as headaches, fatigue, arthritis, low back pain, sciatica, fatigue, depression, anxiety, fibromyalgia, arthritis and countless sleep apnea related medical conditions.

A Google Web search with words “apnea” + “your symptoms or diagnosis” will show the connection between sleep apnea and your medical condition, according to Dr. Zhou.

Dr. Jin Zhou, D.C. has been a licensed chiropractic physician in Hanover Park, IL since 1991. He was a former orthopedic surgeon at China Air Force General Hospital in Beijing, China 23 years ago. Dr. Zhou is dedicated to developing a revolutionary breakthrough, an extremely simple and super natural therapy that could potentially save millions of lives and trillions of dollars without having to rely upon only medication, surgery and device. He coined the new word, “Hypoxicology”.

For more scientific information on ZHT, please visit SleepapneaUSA.net, or contact Dr. Jin Zhou at 630-808-7237.

For more clinical information and an appointment, please visit PainUSA.com, or contact Dr. Jin Zhou at 630-736-1646.

[EurekAlert press release] — In the largest study of it kind to establish a link between sleep and diabetes, researchers found that people with diabetes who sleep poorly have higher insulin resistance, and a harder time controlling the disease.

The findings, published in the June issue of Diabetes Care, suggest that poor sleep may contribute to worse outcomes in people with diabetes.

“Poor sleep quality in people with diabetes was associated with worse control of their blood glucose levels,” said Kristen Knutson, PhD, assistant professor of medicine and lead author of the study. “People who have a hard time controlling their blood glucose levels have a greater risk of complications. they have a reduced quality of life. And, they have a reduced life expectancy.”

People with diabetes generally have poorer sleep than the general population, and poor sleep has been proposed as a risk factor for developing the disease. Sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea, are more prevalent in people with type 2 diabetes, Knutson said.

For the study, researchers monitored the sleep of 40 people with diabetes for six nights. the subjects also reported if they generally suffered from symptoms of sleep disturbances like insomnia, snoring or sleep apnea. at clinical examinations, they gave blood samples to allow researchers to measure insulin and glucose levels.

The subjects wore activity monitors on their wrists at night, which measure their wrist movements throughout the night. Poor sleep, or insomnia, was determined by both poor sleep quality based on the activity monitors and the subject telling the researchers that they often had a hard time falling asleep or woke up during the night.

Among the diabetics, poor sleepers had 23% higher blood glucose levels in the morning, and 48% higher blood insulin levels. using these numbers to estimate a person’s insulin resistance, the researchers found that poor sleepers with diabetes had 82% higher insulin resistance than normal sleepers with diabetes.

Knutson said the next step for researchers is to see if treating poor sleep can improve long-term outcomes and quality of life for diabetics. “For someone who already has diabetes, adding a sleep treatment intervention, whether it’s treating sleep apnea or treating insomnia, may be an additional help for them to control their disease,” Knutson said.

In fact, restoring a healthy amount of sleep may be as powerful an intervention as the drugs currently used to treat type 2 diabetes. “this suggests that improving sleep quality in diabetics would have a similar beneficial effect as the most commonly used anti-diabetes drugs,” said Eve Van Cauter, PhD, professor of medicine and co-author of the study.

Further investigation into which leads to the other – the chronic poor sleep or chronic insulin resistance – could improve the quality of life for people with type 2 diabetes. “Anything that we can do to help people improve their ability to control their glucose will help their lives in the long run,” Knutson said.

The data was collected as part of the CARDIA study, an ongoing longitudinal study of the heart health. it has tracked thousands of people for over 20 years.

The study, “Cross-sectional associations between measure of sleep and markers of glucose metabolism among persons with and without diabetes” was published online March 16, 2011, in the journal Diabetes Care and is freely available. In addition to Drs. Knutson and Van Cauter, authors include Phyllis Zee and Kiang Liu at Northwestern University, and Diane Lauderdale at the University of Chicago Department of Health Studies.

The research was funded by a grant from the National Institute on Aging at the U.S. National Institutes of Health. the CARDIA study is supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

Royal Philips Electronics will be displaying its new sleep diagnostics and therapy solutions in the eight edition of the Otolaryngology Exhibition Conference at Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai.

“There are a number of potential causes for a disturbed night’s sleep,” explained Diederik Zeven, general manager of Philips Healthcare in the Middle East. “These include sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which affects approximately four per cent of the adult population.”

Zeven added: “It’s a disorder characterized by airway collapse behind the tongue during sleep, which obstructs breathing. if untreated, it can contribute to the development of high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attacks, and strokes.”

The company has developed an innovative collection of sleep products, including diagnostic tools and therapy devices.

During the conference, Philips will also be conducting sleep therapy solutions and demonstrating how its tools and products work.

Don’t take snoring lightly. it may just be an indicator of a more serious health problem, sleep apnea.

Dr. Charles Hawkins of the Zanesville Dental Sleep Medicine Center says that snoring and sleep apnea are sometimes related.

“What happens is the body feels itself starting to choke because you stop breathing,” says Dr. Hawkins. “Your oxygen level actually drops in your blood; the body picks that up and associates it with choking.”

To solve the problem, the doctor recommends using a device, which allows the sufferer to breath more easily. Hawkins explains: “It’s actually something like CPR. it opens up the airway by bringing the lower jaw forward. now we can’t fit this device until you have a sleep test and get diagnosed with sleep apnea or snoring.”

Studies have proven that if sleep apnea is left untreated, it can result in cardiovascular complications, obesity, and even stroke.

Press Release Source: Health Canada On Wednesday February 2, 2011, 3:14 pm EST

OTTAWA, ONTARIO–(Marketwire – 02/02/11) – The issue:

“Exact™ Multi Greens Powder” and “Exact™ Multi Greens Capsule” are being voluntarily recalled by Pharmetics inc. because of an allergy risk to people with milk sensitivities. The natural health products are labelled as not containing dairy (milk), but they may contain trace amounts of milk protein from ingredients used in the production process. Exact™ is the store brand of Loblaws grocery chains (See Loblaw website (loblaw.ca/en/abt_corprof.html) for the list of stores).

People with milk allergies can experience a range of mild to severe symptoms when exposed to even small amounts of milk proteins. Symptoms may include breathing difficulties that, in some cases, can be life threatening. Health Canada has received no reports of adverse reactions involving these products to date.

Canadians with milk allergies who have purchased or used “Exact™ Multi Greens Powder” or “Exact™ Multi Greens Capsule”

What consumers should do:

 – Speak to your healthcare practitioner with any questions or concerns regarding further use of these products.– Report any adverse reaction potentially related to these products to Health Canada (see below).

What Health Canada is doing:

Health Canada will monitor the recalls. Pharmetics inc. has confirmed to Health Canada that these products are discontinued; however, some may remain on store shelves or in homes.

Live microorganisms, including probiotics, that are included in natural health products are grown in nutrient solutions called culture media. The culture media used to produce probiotics include a source of protein, which is frequently but not always derived from milk, which is a priority allergen in Canada. For products that are formulated as pills or dry powders, the culture media is mostly removed before freeze-drying. because culture media is removed, it is not considered to be a non-medicinal ingredient and is not required to be listed on product labels. however, traces of milk or any other priority allergen included in culture media that was removed can remain in the product in quantities sufficient to provoke an allergic reaction in highly sensitive individuals.

Products that have been assessed by Health Canada for safety, effectiveness and quality will have an eight-digit Drug Identification Number (DIN), a Homeopathic Medicine Number (DIN-HM) or a Natural Product Number (NPN) on the label. Some natural health products may have an Exemption Number (EN), which indicates that the product is legally available for sale while Health Canada is reviewing its application for licensing. The products being recalled have ENs, as follows:

Exact™ Multi Greens Powder (225 g): EN-142033

Exact™ Multi Greens Powder (510 g): EN-142033

Exact™ Multi Greens Capsules (360 capsules): EN-142032

“Exact™ Multi Greens Powder” and “Exact™ Multi Greens Capsule” are natural health products that contain live bacteria (probiotics) for therapeutic purposes.

“Exact™ Multi Greens Powder” is sold in 225 g and 510 g containers, while “Exact™ Multi Greens Capsule” is sold in containers of 360 capsules.

Photos of the products are available at the following address: media3.marketwire.com/docs/hlt-eng.pdf

For more information:

Consumers and health professionals wanting more information about this advisory from Health Canada can contact the Public Enquiries Line at 613-957-2991, or toll free at 1-866-225-0709.

Media enquiries related to this Advisory should be directed to Health Canada Media Relations at 613-957-2983.

How to report side effects to health products:

To report suspected adverse reaction to these or other health products, please contact Health Canada’s Canada Vigilance Program toll-free at 1-866-234-2345, or complete a Canada Vigilance Reporting Form (hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/medeff/report-declaration/index-eng.php) and send to us using one of these methods:

 – Fax: 1-866-678-6789– Internet: healthcanada.gc.ca/medeffect– Mail: Canada Vigilance Program Marketed Health Products Directorate Ottawa, ON, Address Locator 0701E K1A 0K9

Related Health Canada Web content:

- Advisory (December 24, 2010): Update: Four Probiotic Natural Health Products may Pose serious Health Risks to Canadians with Milk or Soy Allergies (hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media/advisories-avis/_2010/2010_232-eng.php)

- Advisory (December 6, 2010) – “Probiophilus” and “Cultures de Yogourt 5 Milliards” may Pose serious Health Risks to Canadians with Milk Allergies (hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media/advisories-avis/_2010/2010_216-eng.php)

- Warning (July 24, 2009) – Milk Allergy Risk Identified in the Natural Health Product: Dophilus Chewable Tablets (hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media/advisories-avis/_2009/2009_120-eng.php)

Send us your feedback: Help improve Health Canada’s risk communications by sharing your thoughts on the new format for our Advisories (surveys-sondages.hc-sc.gc.ca/s/adv-temp-mod-avis/langen/).

Stay connected with Health Canada and receive the latest advisories and product recalls using these social media tools: hc-sc.gc.ca/home-accueil/sm-ms/index-eng.php

Egalement disponible en francais

Press Release Source: SI-BONE, inc. on Monday December 6, 2010, 4:05 pm EST

SAN JOSE, Calif., Dec. 6, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — SI-BONE, inc. (San Jose, California), a medical device company that is pioneering the use of a minimally invasive surgical (MIS) device to treat the sacroiliac (SI) joint announced today that Ralph F. Rashbaum, MD, Texas Back Institute, has joined its Medical Advisory Board (MAB). Dr. Rashbaum joins noted spine surgeons Steve Garfin, Frank Phillips, Paul Anderson and Nick Shamie, along with SI-BONE founder, mark Reiley, on the SI-BONE MAB.

“The SI joint is a significant cause of low back complaints, including pain and disability,” said Ralph Rashbaum, M.D.  “My experience and published clinical research strongly suggest that the SI joint is a significant contributor to low back problems.  All spine surgeons should include the SI joint as part of their patient work-up and differential diagnosis of low back complaints. the SI joint should perhaps be one of the first things that surgeons evaluate in patients presenting with low back complaints, and I hope that my work with SI-BONE will help teach and convince many other surgeons the importance of this diagnostic thinking.”

Dr. Rashbaum is a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon with a specialization in spine surgery and co-founder of the Texas Back Institute in Plano, Texas, which is one of the largest spine specialty clinics and spine surgical training schools in the United States.  He has significant expertise in diagnosing and treating challenging chronic low back pain patients, many of whom were failed surgery patients, as well as pain mechanisms and the physiological effect of various treatments.  Dr. Rashbaum has published numerous articles and book chapters on these topics and devotes time to training others in the evaluation of chronic low back pain patients.  After earning his Doctor of Medicine from Chicago Medical School, Dr. Rashbaum completed a spine fellowship with Drs. Richard Rothman and Frederick Simone at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia. He later co-founded Texas Back Institute in 1977.

Commenting on Dr. Rashbaum’s appointment, Jeff Dunn, President and CEO, said, “Having Dr. Rashbaum as a member of our Medical Advisory Board significantly boosts SI-BONE’s capability in getting the word out on appropriate diagnosis of low back complaints that include the SI joint.  In addition, his work with minimally invasive surgical technologies provides us with a unique opportunity to teach many new spine surgeons about the iFuse Implant System™ for SI joint fixation/fusion.”

SI-BONE received clearance in November 2008 from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market its iFuse Implant system. the CE mark for European commercialization was obtained in November 2010. the iFuse provides immediate post-operative fixation, accomplishing the goal of traditional open SI joint fusion through an MIS approach. Clinical publications have identified the SI joint as a pain generator for up to 22 percent of low back pain patients and that up to 75 percent of post-lumbar fusion patients develop SI joint degeneration within five years of surgery. these represent significant unmet clinical needs where iFuse may provide an MIS option.

In response to increasing awareness of SI joint disruption and dysfunction as debilitating symptom generators, SI-BONE, inc. developed an innovative, patented, intramedullary implant to treat the SI joint. the company is also embarking on a post-market multicenter study to determine its effect over time on SI joint pathology and on symptoms associated with SI joint problems.

The iFuse Implant system is a commercially available device in the United States intended for fracture fixation of large bones and large bone fragments of the pelvis for conditions including sacroiliac joint disruptions and degenerative sacroiliitis. the iFuse procedure uses a minimal incision for delivery and implantation of small, titanium implants.  The implants are coated with a porous plasma spray that acts as an interference surface, designed to help decrease implant motion.  These implants have substantial thickness and sophisticated metallurgy and are able to produce a much stronger construct than that of conventional pins or screws used to surgically fix boney structures.  This implant technology from SI-BONE has been previously used successfully in well over 1,000 cases of dysfunctional foot joints.

About SI-BONE, inc.

SI-BONE, inc. (San Jose, California) is a leading spinal medical device company dedicated to the development of tools and products for diagnosing and treating patients with low back issues related to sacroiliac (SI) joint pathology.  The company has developed, and is manufacturing and marketing, less invasive approaches using implants for the treatment of SI joint pathology.  SI-BONE has an experienced management team with extensive experience in orthopedic and spine medical devices.

About Texas Back Institute

Texas Back Institute, one of the largest freestanding multispecialty spine clinics in the United States, was established in 1977 and provides comprehensive medical care for back and neck pain. Texas Back Institute is a back care leader specializing in spinal arthroplasty, minimally invasive spine surgery, degenerative disc disease and spinal deformation. as an academic health care organization, Texas Back Institute has trained hundreds of physicians, scientists and allied health professionals. Its research institution employs state-of-the-art technology and is involved in many clinical trials, including artificial discs. Texas Back Institute’s professional staff includes board-certified spine surgeons, general surgeons, internists, physiatrists, pain specialists, exercise physiologists, and a team of physical and occupational therapists. Texas Back Institute has locations in Denton, Fort Worth, Mansfield, McKinney, Plano, Rockwall, Trophy Club, Wichita Falls, Tyler and Odessa, Texas, and Phoenix and Gilbert, Arizona. For more information, visit texasback.com.

Press Release Source: BG Medicine, inc. On Tuesday November 23, 2010, 8:00 am EST

WALTHAM, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– BG Medicine, inc., a U.S.-based life sciences company, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared the company’s Galectin-3 test for use in conjunction with clinical evaluation as an aid to assess the prognosis of patients diagnosed with chronic heart failure. this marks the first time the FDA has cleared a test to measure galectin-3 blood levels, and is the first novel cardiac test cleared by the FDA in five years.

Galectin-3 is a protein that has been shown to play an important role in the development and progression of heart failure in approximately 30% of the patients diagnosed with heart failure.i this galectin-3 mediated form of heart failure is associated with progressive fibrosis, or stiffening, in the heart muscle, which impairs the heart’s ability to pump.ii the role of galectin-3 in heart failure was first established in 2004iii, and the clearance of the company’s Galectin-3 blood test now for the first time allows physicians to use this product in the evaluation of patients diagnosed with heart failure.

“The availability of a galectin-3 test to identify high risk patients with cardiovascular disease and myocardial fibrosis represents another step toward the goal of enabling more efficient targeting of therapeutic approaches to reduce fibrosis in patients with chronic heart failure,” said Bertram Pitt, M.D., F.A.C.C., professor of internal medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Michigan School of Medicine.

Heart failure is caused by a combination of factors that reduce blood flow and damage or overwork the heart muscle, so that it cannot circulate blood efficiently to meet the needs of other body organs.iv Heart failure may lead to serious medical complications and is a leading cause of death. According to the American Heart Association, heart failure affects an estimated 5.8 million Americans with 670,000 new diagnoses each year. the estimated direct and indirect cost of this condition in the U.S. is $39.2 billion.v

“In recent times many major medical conditions have been redefined from a classical definition based on signs and symptoms to a science-based definition taking into account the underlying biology. With the introduction of our Galectin-3 test, we are offering physicians the first opportunity to identify those patients with higher levels of galectin-3. Galectin-3 has been implicated in important biological processes in heart failure, including myofibroblast proliferation, fibrogenesis, and cardiac remodeling,” indicated Pieter Muntendam, M.D., president and chief executive officer of BG Medicine. “It is an important step towards improved medical management in heart failure.”

the BGM Galectin-3 test is based on the common ELISA format using the standard microtiter plate presentation. BG Medicine is currently finalizing its commercialization plans with LabCorp, one of the world’s largest clinical laboratories, in order to make the BGM Galectin-3 test available within 45 days of the FDA clearance.

BG Medicine has also entered into agreements with Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT – News), Alere inc. (NYSE:ALR – News), and bioMérieux SA (EURONEXT:BIM – News) for the development and commercialization of automated versions of the BGM Galectin-3 test for Abbott’s Architect immunochemistry instrument platform (i1000SR and i2000SR), Abbott’s hand-held i-STAT System, Alere’s Triage Meter Pro and the bioMérieux VIDAS/miniVIDAS systems.

BG Medicine is a life sciences company focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of novel diagnostics to improve patient outcomes and contain healthcare costs. for further information about galectin-3 and the BGM Galectin-3 test, visit galectin-3.com.

i BGM Galectin-3 Product Insert.

ii de Boer, Rudolf A. et al. “Galectin-3: A novel Mediator of Heart Failure Development and Progression,” European Journal of Heart Failure. 2009; 11: 811–817.

iii Sharma, Umesh C. et al. “Galectin-3 marks Activated Macrophages in Failure-Prone Hypertrophied Hearts and Contributes to Cardiac Dysfunction,” Circulation, Journal of the American Heart Association. 2004;110:3121-3128.

iv hearthub.org/hc-heart-failure.htm. Accessed on October 25, 2010.

v Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics, 2010 Update. American Heart Association.

Tuesday, 30 November 2010, 11:32 am Press Release: Stress Management

Avoiding Boiling Point: Stress Management Tips forBusiness

Stress is naturally occurring in all ofour lives and unfortunately cannot be eliminated altogether.however contrary to popular belief stress is not always anentirely negative thing. Stress generally is what gets usmotivated and kicks us into action. so a certain amount ofstress is actually healthy – however when stress starts totake over our lives and we begin to feel the symptoms of itaffecting our day to day then it can become aproblem.

Another little known factor about stress is thatit is not actually “given” by the pressure of work orbeing faced with a pressure situation, in fact it isactually ‘taken” by us and is more about how we react tothe pressure that this creates. Reacting to stress in apositive way is all about being prepared and having theright tools in our arsenal to counteract against it. As weknow negative effects of personal stress can lead toproblems not only in the business but also problems with ourpersonal health so it is very important, as a person inbusiness, to set up our stress tool kit. Ideally in ourtoolkit we need:

A Support System –Just being in business can be stressful, but owning abusiness and having the buck stop with you is, not onlystressful but it can also be incredibly lonely. Surroundingyourself with the right support structure is crucial to yourbusiness success and your overall wellbeing. As humans weare social creatures, it is in our nature to want to talk,share and discuss. As a business owner you need to surroundyourself with trustworthy people who can not only give yousound advice but can also act as a sounding board who willbe there sometimes just to listen. This group may be madeup of personal friends and family but should also be made upof select professionals such as an accountant, banker,lawyer and business coach, or even a coaching club.

Talk about It – choose someone thatyou trust from that support group and make sure that whenyou are feeling stressed you find that someone to talk to. often we spend so much time worrying about the stress thatwe don’t take action. The simple act of talking aboutwhat is stressing us with someone who is good at listeningand offering practical advice can kick us out of that rutand propel us back into action.

Don’t Try to DIYEverything – Let’s say you’re a plumber, doesthat mean you are necessarily a whizz at accounting, anexpert in marketing and selling, a speedster at generaladministration, and completely dedicated to holding yourselfto account and keeping promises to yourself? As a smallbusiness owner you are often forced to wear many hats. InAustralasia we are traditionally brought up with the DIYattitude which we often carry over to the running of ourbusinesses. We often see this kind of attitude in businesswhere one person is trying to do absolutely everything bythemselves in order to cut costs and this often ends upcosting them a lot more in the end. Not only does it end upcosting them more money but it costs them in time, in healthand wellbeing and actually in the long run by not“sticking to their knitting” they end up earning lesswhich in turn causes them a lot more stress than isnecessary.

Plan Your Time and Set RealisticGoals – We often see clients who are so stressedbecause they feel like everything has gotten out of control,all their clients wanted their work done yesterday and theyfeel like time has run away from them. whilst some thingscome out of left field and cannot necessarily be plannedfor, they can be allowed for and you should be managing therest of your time that you can control. Sit down and takethe time to plan out your time. plan out your day the nightbefore, plan out your week and plan out you month. Treatthe things you need to do as meetings and allocate and blockout a certain about of time to get them done. Don’t leteverything just happen and assume you will get it all done. Set yourself goals for what you want to achieve and map outhow you are going to get there. Not setting goals and notplanning is like having a destination but no map and no ideahow you are actually going to get there.

Learn toSay NO – often we are so busy trying to pleaseeveryone and acquiring every new client that comes our waythat we end up over-committing ourselves. Not only isover-committing ourselves stressful but in actual fact it isno good for our business, as it means we are not able togive our entire focus to our current clients and servicethem to the best of our abilities. In reality we should bepicking the best jobs that give us the most return andworking really hard on those and on treating those clientslike royalty. if we over-commit and are running around likea “stress head” trying to get everything done we end uprunning late and not servicing those clients to the best ofour ability. Also think very carefully about working withclients that have short deadlines – is it worth it? Andcan you get it done in time comfortably?

ManageYour Cashflow – one of the most stressful thingsin business is not having enough cash. you continuouslywork your butt off only to find that there is no cash inyour bank account – or there is an abundance of cash onemonth and then your bone dry the next. To alleviate thismake sure to visit your accountant and work out a cashflowplan. This allows you to predict and manage your cashflow,knowing when to expect the peaks and valleys in the cashflowwhich can help you immensely because you now have an idea ofwhen you can spend and when you need to tighten the belt alittle bit further.

Looking AfterYourself– As mentioned, negative stress can havea negative impact on our health and well being. Physicalsymptoms of stress include: irritability, headaches, nausea,irregular sleeping patterns and habits such as nail bitingor nervous twitches. Prolonged suffering can have moredetrimental affects leading to anxiety, heart disease andhigh blood pressure. To avoid these you need to learn torecognise the triggers of stress and how to deal with them. if you are feeling stressed and ready to “fight orflight” then the first things you have to do is practiseyour breathing. often when we are stressed we begin tshallow breathing, limiting the amount of oxygen that wereceive which only makes us feel worse and more anxious. Tocalm yourself down you need to practise taking big fullbreaths that full your entire diaphragm. keep concentratingon slowing down your breathing and returning yourself to aplace of calm. you can choose to turn stress into amotivator by choosing to view the situation in a positivelight – turn around your thinking and use positiveself-talk to encourage yourself and set yourself into apositive frame of mind.

Keep Your BodyHealthy – The negative effects of stress canmultiply if you are run down or not looking after yourself. Be sure to indulge in activities that you enjoy and rechargeyou. As an adult you should be getting at least 30 minutesof exercise a day to keep you healthy. Maintaining activitylevels and exercising as well as fuelling our bodies withthe right foods helps to provide our bodies with the rightkind of energy to combat the negative impact of stress.

Take some Time Out – Be sure to takesome time out for yourself, this can be either by takingtime out to do something you enjoy, meditating, or justrelaxing with a book. Be sure to keep that balance betweenwhat you enjoy doing and your work.

If you let it stresscan be a motivator to get us to achieve greater things OR itcan be a hindrance in our daily lives. There is no way toeliminate stress altogether but by taking some time toprepare and create a toolkit we can learn to manage stressto make the most of its positive attributes and limit itsnegativeeffects.

ENDS