Bournemouth, Dorset (PRWEB) may 29, 2012

Latest data suggests people are spending less on their health but are at increasing risk from hidden sugars in their diet, warn gum disease experts from Eludril and Elgydium.

Excessive sugar consumption is not only a cause of tooth decay – it can also lead to plaque which harbours the bacteria that cause gum disease.

But people who think they are eating sensibly by cutting out sugar may be in for a nasty surprise. many supposedly ‘healthy’ foods in reality contain hidden sugars.

As a result, the British Dental Health Foundation believes that breakfast is in danger of becoming the unhealthiest meal of the day.

The foundation quotes a report by the UK consumers organisation Which?. It found that 32 of the 50 breakfast cereals tested had a high sugar content. many were popular brands aimed at children.

Many foods and drinks aimed at the health-conscious can be very high in sugar. they include large numbers of low fat or fat-free products.

Also, energy drinks can have a very high sugar content – not good news for people trying to replenish energy expended at the gym or during sport:

•     non-diet fizzy drinks have an average 12 spoonfuls of sugar
•     flavoured vitamin waters – up to 11 spoonfuls of sugar
•     energy drinks – as many as 13 spoonfuls.

Meanwhile, Britons are spending less and less on their health, reveals data from the Office for National Statistics.

Between 2005 and 2010 the average weekly household spend on health declined by 25 cent to just £5 per week.

“It’s effectively a gum disease double-whammy – people are spending less on their health while at the same time being exposed to more and more hidden sugars,” said a spokesperson for the manufacturers of Eludril mouthwash and Elgydium toothpaste.

Latest NHS data also reveal some worrying statistics:

•     at least 80 per cent of the UK population have one or more fillings
•     six per cent of adults have lost all their natural teeth
•     one-fifth of adults have full or partial dentures
•     31 per cent of adults have tooth decay
•     three in 10 adults regularly suffer from dental pain
•     only 10 per cent of people in the UK are classed as having excellent oral health.

It is estimated that 80 per cent of people will display one or more signs of gum disease at some point in their lives. The condition is more likely to affect people aged over 35.

Gum disease (gingivitis) is serious because it can lead to receding gums, putting teeth at risk.

It is important to deal with a receding gum line as early as possible. stopping the condition in its tracks and preventing further damage is much easier than retrospective gum reconstruction.

Early symptoms of gum disease can include sore gums and inflamed or swollen gums. If left untreated, the gum swelling can become quite severe, affecting particularly the papillae, the soft triangular areas of tissue between the teeth.

Other symptoms can include halitosis (bad breath) and bleeding gums, usually a sign that the bacteria have been present for some time.

The recognised gum disease treatment recommended by dentists is chlorhexidine, a powerful and effective antibacterial and antifungal ingredient found in Eludril mouthwash and Elgydium toothpaste.

For more information about Elgydium toothpaste and Eludril mouthwash, contact Nikki Pounds at Ceuta Healthcare on +44 (0)1202 780558.

Notes for Editors

Eludril and Elgydium are represented in the UK by: Ceuta Healthcare Ltd Hill House 41 Richmond Hill Bournemouth Dorset BH2 6HS Tel: +44 (0)1202 780558

Eludril Mouthwash is an antibacterial and analgesic solution which can be used to manage a number of oral health problems.

Its main use is to treat and prevent dental plaque formation and gum disease (gingivitis, also known as periodontitis) by preventing the build-up of bacteria.

Eludril Mouthwash can also be used to maintain oral hygiene in situations where tooth brushing is difficult, for instance, following oral surgery or in physically or mentally handicapped patients.

Eludril can also be used as a disinfectant for the cleansing of removable dentures and in the management of common mouth ulcers and oral candidiasis infections (fungus infections).

Elgydium Anti-Plaque toothpaste is specially formulated for sensitive gums and helps to prevent dental plaque and tartar build-up, the major causes of tooth decay and gum disease.

Elgydium Whitening, Sensitive and Decay Protection are also available as part of the Elgydium range of toothpastes.

Read the full story at prweb.com/releases/gum-disease/hidden-sugars/prweb9541199.htm

EDMONTON, Alberta, April 17 (UPI) — Older men and women with heart failure could breathe better and exercise more after taking testosterone supplements, researchers in Canada said.

Study author Dr. Justin A. Ezekowitz, an assistant professor and director of the Heart Function Clinic at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, and colleagues analyzed four randomized clinical trials of patients with moderate to severe chronic heart failure.

The analysis involved 198 patients — 84 percent men, average age 67 — were given commercial testosterone supplements by injection, patch or gel. one study involved only women.

The study, published in Circulation Heart Failure, found those who received supplemental testosterone scored 50 percent better than those receiving placebo in a 6-minute walking test, and the researchers noted gains in muscle and skeletal endurance that appeared quickly and lasted for a least one year. those involved in the study involving only women were given lower doses of testosterone than men in the other trials received, but similar improvements were found.

“The improvement in exercise capacity was consistent across all of the studies,” Ezekowitz said in a statement. “Compared to patients in placebo groups, the differences were striking.”

None of the male patients developed signs of prostate disease and there was no increase in cardiovascular events, Ezekowitz said.

It may be possible to treat cerebral palsy after birth with a new drug designed to target specific cells in the brain, a new study in animals suggests.

In the study, rabbits with a cerebral palsy-like condition who were treated with the drug soon after birth showed substantial improvements in their ability move around, compared with rabbits not given the drug.

Cerebral palsy is a group of disorders characterized by problems with movement, including difficulties with maintaining balance or posture. it is caused by injury to the brain sustained either in the womb, shortly after birth, or within the first years of life. it is a lifelong disorder for which there is currently no cure.

The new findings suggest that “there appears to be a window of opportunity for treatment, even after birth,” said study researcher Dr. Sujatha Kannan, of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) in Detroit.

However, much more work is needed before researchers will know if the findings apply to people. and the researchers still don’t know whether the improvements seen in the rabbits in the study will last over the long term.

The study is published in the April 18 issue of the journal Science Translational Medicine.

Targeting brain cells

About 1 in 300 children in the United States has cerebral palsy, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Cerebral palsy has a number of causes, and can manifest itself in different ways. One risk factor is bacterial infection within the womb. in response to the infection, cells in the baby’s brain called microglia and astrocytes trigger brain inflammation. an exaggerated inflammatory response can kill brain cells, leading to damage that will ultimately manifest as cerebral palsy. however, the condition is usually not diagnosed until age 2 or 3, around the time the child begins to walk.

The researchers hypothesized that if they could lower the brain’s inflammatory response, which can go on for months, they might be able to improve the motor symptoms of the condition.

To get anti-inflammatory drugs to the right spot in the brain, the researchers attached the drugs to nanomolecules designed to shuttle the drugs across the blood-brain barrier and target the microglia and astrocyte cells.

The researchers administered the drug when the rabbits were one day old. By day five, the rabbits had significant improvements in their ability to control their movement and take steps — moving almost as well as healthy rabbits. in contrast, rabbits that were given a placebo, or given the drug not attached to the  nanomolecules, showed no such improvements — frequently rolling on their backs rather than walking forward.

Improving other symptoms?

It’s not clear whether the treatment could improve other symptoms of cerebral palsy, such as developmental delays. the treatment targets cells in the brain’s white matter, while developmental delays occur as a result of damage to the brain’s gray matter. the researchers did see improvements in the treated animals’ gray and white matter, but more studies are needed to test for improvements in the rabbits’ cognitive development.

The researchers said they suspect the sooner the treatment is given, the better the response will be. currently, there are several ways to identify babies who would be candidates for the treatment.

If a baby is born prematurely as a result of infection in the mother, doctors can test the umbilical cord blood for markers of inflammation, said study researcherDr. Roberto Romero, also of the NICHD. in addition, scans of a baby’s brain can reveal if the cells that trigger inflammation have been activated, Romero said.

Preventing one case of cerebral palsy has been estimated to save $1 million in economic costs, Dr. Sidhartha Tan, of the University of Chicago, wrote in a summary article accompanying the new study.

However, “more detailed toxicology studies need to be done to rule out potential side effects,” Tan said.

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By Matlin Smith

Current-Argus Staff Writer

CARLSBAD — several cases of a sometimes fatal, highly contagious virus have been cropping up recently in Carlsbad pets, one local veterinarian said Thursday.

Canine Distemper is a viral disease that is spread through the respiratory system and is especially prevalent in puppies, said Carlsbad Animal Care Center veterinarian Dr. Robin Sankey.

Symptoms of the disease usually begin with a fever and can progress from severe cough, runny nose, lack of appetite, diarrhea and dental disease up to seizures and other neurological problems that could last the remainder of the dog’s life.

“In my experience, most dogs that have progressed to seizures have died,” Sankey said.

Distemper can take between two weeks and three months after infection for the dog to make a full recovery or succumb to the virus if they didn’t receive proper vaccination early.

Sankey said the best way to prevent the 50 percent deadly disease is to vaccinate puppies when their maternal antibodies are wearing off, when they are between six and eight weeks old.

however, one initial vaccination will not prevent the disease, and as the protective antibodies wear off, puppies will require a series of vaccinations to ensure they don’t contract the virus.

If a dog has not been vaccinated and develops symptoms, Sankey said testing for the virus is difficult and takes several days to receive results.

“If a dog has distemper, you can’t vaccinate it to prevent the virus from getting worse, you just have to treat the secondary symptoms and let it run its course. some fully recover, but a lot die,” she said.

Older dogs are also highly susceptible to contracting distemper and should also be examined and properly vaccinated.

Sankey said unlike parvovirus and rabies, distemper cannot affect humans who come in contact with an infected dog.

Thyroid problems, when undiagnosed and untreated, can cause a variety of uncomfortable symptoms, including weight gain or inability to lose weight, depression, anxiety, fatigue and infertility.

Because symptoms can sometimes be broad, thyroid disease is often misdiagnosed as a mental-health issue, and symptoms can be seen as attributed to other factors such as lifestyle, lack of sleep, overeating or stress.

Thyroid problems are mostly genetic, and thyroid problems do run in the family. They are more common in young women but can happen at any age including in the elderly, depending on the specific type of thyroid problem. Iodine deficiency, exposure to goitrogens (foods or other substances that can cause goiter) and other environmental factors may also play a part.

The thyroid gland is a small, butterfly-shaped gland in the neck. when the thyroid is its normal size, you can’t feel it. This gland controls how quickly the body uses energy, makes proteins, and controls how sensitive the body is to other hormones. it does this by producing thyroid hormones called T4 and T3. These hormones act throughout the body to influence metabolism, growth and development as well as body temperature.

During infancy and childhood, adequate thyroid hormone is crucial for brain development. Thyroid health also is especially important especially for women of childbearing age, as this affects fetal development and pregnancy outcome.

When the thyroid works normally, it produces and secretes the amount of T4 and T3 hormones necessary to keep things moving at their proper pace.

The most common problems of the thyroid consist of an overactive thyroid gland, known as hyperthyroidism, and an underactive thyroid gland, known as hypothyroidism. Of the two, hypothyroidism is more common.

In the United States, the most common cause of hypothyroidism is an autoimmune disease called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, in which your own body makes antibodies that attack the thyroid cells. it cannot be prevented but is easily treated with replacement thyroid hormone pills. Iodine deficiency as a cause for hypothyroidism is more common outside the United States; it can be prevented by adequate intake of iodine in the diet.

This is why the U.S. government puts iodine in salt and other food products.

Common symptoms of hyperthyroidism include anxiety, insomnia, rapid weight loss, diarrhea, high heart rate, high blood pressure, eye sensitivity or bulging, and vision disturbances. Common symptoms of hypothyroidism include feeling cold all the time, fatigue, weight gain, constipation, difficulty concentrating, fluid retention, depression, body pain and slow reflexes.

While there is no consensus from either the U.S. Preventive Service Task Force or the Endocrine Society on whether to check for thyroid issues during annual or regular physical exams, if a patient suspects thyroid dysfunction based on any of the symptoms discussed, it can be diagnosed by simple blood tests.

Zinnia T. San Juan, M.D., is an assistant professor and a specialist in endocrinology with the Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine.

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if someone suddenly loses the ability to speak, move body parts or has trouble seeing, call 911. these are the first symptoms of a stroke and it’s imperative that a person receive immediate medical attention, said Sarah Kiyoi, Stroke Coordinator at San Ramon Regional Medical Center. every minute counts when someone is having a stroke, yet the average stroke patient waits more than 12 hours before going to an emergency room and many wait much longer, sometimes an entire day, she said. An expanded Stroke System to reduce brain damage launched Jan. 9 in Contra Costa to join Alameda County to provide a coordinated 911 emergency response. It identifies stroke victims en route to stroke-certified hospitals to treat them within the critical four-hour window. “It’s really, really exciting because stroke has kind of ended up taking second fiddle to heart disease. People don’t know there are things you can do to turn a stroke around,” Kiyoi said. “The overwhelming majority of people, less than 5 percent of patients nationally, get to the hospital to be treated acutely. Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States.” The leading two causes are heart disease and all types of cancer combined. “The other thing to know is strokes are one of the leading causes of long-term disability in the U.S. — paralysis, blurred speech, they can’t walk without assistance,” Kiyoi added. “Twenty-six percent of patients end up in a nursing home. “The story of the heart attack is if they can get to an ambulance or emergency room they’re most likely going to live. they are not only going to live but they are going to walk away,” she continued. “With a stroke they’re not necessarily going to walk away.” there are two types of stroke, she explained: dry or ischemic and hemorrhagic or bleeding stroke. “The overwhelming majority, 87 percent, are dry or ischemic,” she said. “This means there’s a clot, usually the arteries become narrowed from plaque and cholesterol building up. The clot builds up or gets lodged in a blood vessel, and the area beyond that starts to die. The bigger the blood vessel, the bigger part of the brain affected. “The scary part is, the brain is what controls everything else.” The good news, she said, is that usually only one side of the brain is affected, which controls just one side of the body, the opposite side. Hemorrhagic or bleeding stroke is caused by a blood vessel in the brain breaking and bleeding into the brain. “The symptoms are a severe, severe headache. It’s a quick onset — boom! ‘My head is going to explode,’” Kiyoi said. “This is 13 percent of all strokes and 30 percent of all stroke deaths. there is nowhere for the brain to go — it gets squished.” Rapid treatment is important for any kind of stroke, she emphasized. a third type of “mini-stroke” gives people a sign that an ischemic stroke is on the way. these transient ischemic attacks — called TIAs — happen when blood flow to the brain is temporarily blocked. they may cause blurry vision or loss of vision, tingling or numbness of the mouth or the inability to speak clearly, and your body produces a drug to deal with it. “Your body breaks the clot up,” Kiyoi said. “They are usually mild and last for 15-20 minutes.” they should not be ignored because it is estimated that 15% of TIA sufferers have a stroke within a year. when stroke victims arrive at San Ramon Regional, the stroke team reaffirms the diagnosis, then treats the patient with the same clot-busting drug. “We treat when appropriate with a drug that works in the same way as your body does to break up a clot, and return blood flow to the brain,” Kiyoi said. “There is only one FDA-approved drug, and it takes an hour to give it. “It returns blood supply to that part of the brain, and it’s pretty miraculous when we see it work,” she continued. “The signs and symptoms will turn around in the first hour or so.” “We do very, very close monitoring for first 24 hours after medication. we do lots of follow up screening and testing,” she said. “We have a stroke team and we treat a stroke with the same level of urgency as someone not breathing. we page throughout the hospital, just like a code blue. we have a whole team that pops into action, 24 hours a day.” San Ramon Regional is affiliated with the neurology department at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. “So we are basically able to get a stroke neurological consultation very quickly and at a super high level,” Kiyoi said. San Ramon Regional received its certification as a stroke center in December after a year of fine-tuning its procedures. “We definitely have ‘owned’ being a stroke hospital,” Kiyoi said. “It was a culture change to feel like it’s something we do and we do well. It’s multi-disciplinary, involving five different departments.” Radiology performs the CT head scan; the laboratory runs three tests to help determine the treatment plan; the pharmacy provides the drug; and critical care doctors and nurses are stroke specialists. Stroke victims can be seen in the emergency room or they may have been admitted for other reasons then have a stroke while in hospital, Kiyoi noted. when suspecting a stroke, the team performs standard tests. one is to show a picture of a feather to see if the patient can find the word to identify it, which shows whether the person can take in an image, understand it, organize a response and deliver it. “People think strokes are more of an ‘elderly’ thing,” Kiyoi said, “but I’m seeing lots more people in their 40s, 50s and 60s.” “A lot has to do with same old, same old — diet and exercise,” she added. “Some is hereditary. I have seen some patients look very healthy on the outside and feel healthy but they still have a stroke. “High blood pressure is big risk factor and it’s silent. until they have to, people don’t pay attention to it. High cholesterol is also silent. It builds up on your artery walls and makes it easier for a clot to lodge.” High blood pressure is 140/90 or above; 120-139/80-89 is the pre-hypertension stage, or at risk. Normal is less than 120/80, according to guidelines of the National Institutes of Health. Eighty percent of strokes are preventable with proper eating and exercise, Kiyoi said. “The cool thing is it’s a twofer — you reduce the risk of stroke and you also reduce the risk of heart disease.” a danger is that a person won’t recognize they are having a stroke, and they may lie down hoping they’ll feel better. “There’s lots of denial,” Kiyoi said, which is why it’s important for spouses and friends to be aware of symptoms and insist on medical treatment. “If you let a stroke patient tell you they don’t want to come in, well, their brain is broken, the thing making decisions is broken.” Of stroke victims, 60 percent are women while 40 percent are men. “We don’t know why. We’re looking at hormones,” Kiyoi said. “Heart disease is 50-50. We’re trying to figure out why we’re seeing those differences; there’s a lot of research going on.” “Women handle so much and are really good at that denial thing,” she added. they may think they can handle the symptoms without stopping their other activities. Women think of breast cancer as their biggest health threat although stroke kills twice as many woman than breast cancer a year, according to the National Stroke Association. “A huge, huge part of whether they come in or not is that awareness,” Kiyoi said. Countywide stroke systems and hospital certification to treat strokes have been gaining momentum in the last five years, Kiyoi said. “It definitely takes an institutional commitment, from the administration down,” she said. The standard is tough, she pointed out, and she’s proud that the medical center is holding itself to it. “It’s really neat that part of the requirements is that you do community outreach,” she said. “That’s one of my favorite parts, talking with people at wellness events.” In 2011, Kiyoi educated almost 800 people through seminars, classes and community events and is on the speakers bureau for the American Heart/American Stroke Association. Contact her at 275-8886. “I’m always shopping around for more opportunities,” she said. “It’s free, an hour-long lecture. I answer questions and give out literature.” Kiyoi said she emphasizes the importance of being engaged in your own health, which leads to knowing why you should live healthy. People also need to understand their medications and keep them up to date. “Sometimes your body becomes less responsive or you pack on 10 pounds and it is not working. Things change,” Kiyoi said. “Also, are people taking their medications regularly? Do you know why you are taking them?” Someone might stop taking the aspirin the doctor prescribed because it is over the counter, or they can’t afford it. “There are a lot of reasons. if you understand that aspirin makes blood not clot as easily then you’re going to take it every day,” she said. The American Heart/American Stroke Association has a “Life’s Simple 7″ list to help reduce heart disease and strokes by 20% by the year 2020. “If we all make small changes it comes out to a huge impact,” Kiyoi said. “Looking at the entire population, if we can reduce overall blood pressure by 10 points then the death rate goes down dramatically.” The Stroke System in Alameda and Contra Costa counties also promotes the “Act in Time” campaign of the National Institute of Health. This means that everyone will recognize the signs of stroke and not wait to call 911. “Those who do wait risk permanent brain damage or death,” said Mia Fairbanks, Contra Costa Stroke Program Coordinator.

==B Signs of a stroke== * Sudden numbness or weakness of face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body. * Sudden confusion or trouble speaking or understanding speech. * Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, or loss of balance or coordination. * Sudden severe headache with no known cause. * Blurred or double vision, drowsiness, and nausea or vomiting. Source: Sarah Kiyoi, R.N., MSN, Stroke Coordinator, San Ramon Regional Medical Center ==B Act FAST== if you suspect someone is having a stroke, remember the following: * Face — does one side not move as well or droop? * Arm — have them put their arms out in front of them. is there numbness on one side? * Speech — is it slurred? is it appropriate? Can they answer simple questions? * Time — call 911. The faster medical help arrives, the more brain they can save. ==B ‘Life’s Simple 7′== 1. get active 2. Eat better 3. Lose weight 4. stop smoking 5. Control cholesterol 6. Manage blood pressure 7. Reduce blood sugar

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Time to check your health records: Kids aren’t the only ones who need their shots

Infants, children and teens are not the only ones who need immunization.

“Adults that are not current on immunizations put themselves and other people at risk,” said Dr. Yoon-Taek Chun of Pocono Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine in East Stroudsburg.

Following a vaccination schedule throughout your lifetime can save you from a lot of time in the doctor’s office as well as a potential long-term toll on your body.

Consider the following:

Pneumococcal infection causes severe disease in children under age 5. Before a vaccine was available, the infection caused more than 700 cases of meningitis, 13,000 blood infections and about 5 million ear infections. It can also lead to pneumonia, deafness and brain damage, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

If that wasn’t bad enough, consider that pneumococcal infections can be hard to treat because the bacteria have become resistant to some drugs.

In this case, prevention is much easier and less traumatic for children who could simply receive the four-dose vaccine.

Immunizing children also helps protect the health of others, especially those who are not immunized. “This protection also slows down or stops disease outbreaks,” Chun said.

Not only do children need to follow a vaccination schedule, adults do as well.

Consider that sharp cut from a metal object. when was the last time you had a tetanus shot? The protection lasts 10 years for adults.

Do you want to be cut on a rusty nail and trust that your last shot wasn’t 20 years ago?

Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib)

Human papilloma virus (HPV)

Influenza (seasonal flu)

Japanese encephalitis (JE)

Pertussis (whooping cough)

Poliomyelitis (polio)

Rubella (German measles)

Shingles (herpes zoster)

Varicella (chickenpox)

First dose: Ages birth to 2 months.

Second dose: Ages 1 and 4 months.

Third and final dose: Ages 6 to 12 months.

First dose: Can be given any time.

Second dose: one to two months after the first dose.

Third dose: between four and six months after the first dose.

Adolescents 11 to 15 years of age may need only two doses of hepatitis B vaccine, separated by four to six months.

First dose: Age 2 months.

Second dose: one to two months later.

The third and final dose should be given at ages 6 to 12 months.

If an adult has never been vaccinated, the first dose may be given any time.

Second dose: one to two months later.

Third dose: six to 12 months after that.

MMRV vaccine may be given to children ages 1 through 12 years to protect them from the four diseases.

Two doses of MMRV vaccine are recommended:

First dose: Ages 12 through 15 months.

Second dose: Ages 4 through 5 years.

Anyone 13 or older who needs protection from these diseases should get MMR and Varicella vaccines as separate shots.

Children should get five doses of DTaP vaccine.

First dose: Ages 2 months

Second dose: Age 4 months

Third dose: Age 6 months

Fourth dose: Ages 15 to 18 months

Fifth dose: Ages 4 to 6 years

DTaP vaccine is only recommended for children under age 7. Older children, adolescents and adults still need protection from tetanus and diphtheria. a booster shot called Td is recommended at ages 11 to 12 years and then every 10 years.

First dose: Age 2 month

Second dose: Age 4 months

Third dose: Age 6 months

Children should receive all three doses by age 32 weeks.

First dose: Age 2 months

Second dose: Age 4 months

Third dose: Age 6 months

Fourth dose: Ages 12 to 15 months

First dose: Age 2 months

Second dose: Age 6 months

Third dose: Ages 12 to 15 months

Older children and adults with special health conditions should get the vaccine. these conditions include sickle cell disease, HIV/AIDS, removal of spleen, bone marrow transplant and cancer treatment with drugs.

Haemophilus Influenzae type b (HIB): a disease caused by a bacteria and usually strikes children under 5 years old.

Polio: a disease caused by a virus. It enters the body through the mouth. Sometimes it does not cause an illness. but sometimes it causes paralysis. It can kill people, usually by paralyzing the muscles that help them breathe.

Measles: a disease caused by a virus, and symptoms include rash, cough, runny nose, eye irritation and fever.

Mumps: a virus that produces fever, headache and swollen glands.

Rubella (German Measles): a virus that causes rash, mild fever and arthritis (mostly in women).

Chickenpox (Varicella): Can cause rash, itching, fever and tiredness. It can lead to severe skin infection, scars, pneumonia, brain damage or death. a person with chickenpox can also get shingles.

Rotavirus: this is a virus that can cause severe diarrhea, mostly in babies and young children. It is often accompanied by vomiting and fever. almost all children can get rotavirus infection before age 5.

Pneumococcal conjugate: this is a infection with Streptococcus pneumonia bacteria and can result in a serious illness and death. It is the leading cause of bacterial meningitis in the United States.

Diphtheria: Caused by bacteria, it causes a thick covering in the back of the throat and can lead to breathing problems, paralysis, heart failure and death.

Tetanus (Lockjaw): a bacteria causing a painful tightening of the muscles. Can lead to locking of the jaw.

Pertussis: a bacteria causing coughing spells preventing infants from eating, drinking or breathing. It can lead to pneumonia, seizures, brain damage and death.

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It is no surprise that Tennessee women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt has turned a personal crisis into a teaching moment.

When no. 6 Tennessee and no. 4 Stanford play the 29th edition of their storied rivalry Tuesday at Maples Pavilion, attention will turn to Alzheimer’s disease and Summitt’s shocking announcement in August.

“She has put a face on dementia,” Tennessee associate head coach Holly Warlick said Monday after practice.

The winningest coach in college basketball history has been nothing if not a teacher in the months since revealing that she suffers from early onset dementia, Alzheimer’s type.

As one of the largest figures in women’s basketball, Summitt has a legacy that might now be tied to helping change perceptions of a disease that causes a slow decline of cognitive functions such as memory, thinking and behavior.

“I’m not going to hide anything,” she said last month at the Southeastern Conference media day. “Telling the truth is the right way to go, so I wasn’t going to cover anything up.”

It’s one reason the basketball community has rallied around a woman who has won an Olympic gold medal, eight NCAA championships and has a 1,078-201 record at Tennessee.

Stanford Hospital will show an educational video before the game, as well as staff an information booth on Alzheimer’s at the pavilion. the school will hand out red rally towels proclaiming, “We back Pat.”

Cardinal coach Tara VanDerveer has arranged a video tribute to her longtime friend and to the rivalry that begin in 1988. the Lady Vols hold a 22-6 edge over Stanford.

“This is a tough time, but when that ball goes up, it doesn’t matter to me,” VanDerveer said of wanting to defeat Tennessee (7-2). “That’s what she wants, too. She’s not having a pity party for herself.”

It wouldn’t be Summitt’s style. for 38 years she has led the Lady Vols to unprecedented success. and while Summitt, 59, has delegated some duties to trusted assistants, she has remained along the Tennessee sideline.

Warlick said the situation works because of the dedication of fellow longtime assistants Mickie DeMoss and Dean Lockwood, as well as the players’ attitude. she runs the huddles and postgame news conferences while the other assistants have taken on great responsibilities in practice and recruiting because Summitt is no longer making trips to watch prospective players.

Summitt didn’t attend practice at Stanford on Monday, and she hasn’t granted many interviews this season. but her presence looms large. This month she was named Sports Illustrated’s sportswoman of the year and won women’s basketball’s Maggie Dixon Courage award.

Summitt once was all-encompassing on the court, preaching the values of basketball. Now the lessons involve a degenerative brain disease that afflicts millions.

Eric J. Hall, CEO of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, said Summitt’s disclosure will have a similar impact to President Reagan’s announcement of his diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.

“Alzheimer’s disease is the public health crisis of the 21st century, and a hero like Pat Summitt can open eyes,” he said. “People need to know that this disease does not discriminate, that it can strike both the well-known and your neighbor next door, younger Americans as well as older ones. only by talking openly about Alzheimer’s disease can we lift the veil off the fear and denial that continue to surround it.”

Everywhere Tennessee has played this season, it has felt like a farewell tour.

“She just has to peek her head out of the door, and everybody goes nuts,” said Warlick, Summitt’s assistant at Tennessee for 27 seasons.

Summitt has been surprised by the response because “she never wants it to be about her,” Warlick added. “She told us many times, ‘I’m tired of me.’ “

Members of her squad said Monday it’s about how they play. and those not playing well will hear about it. Preseason All-American Shekinna Stricklen said no one has escaped Summitt’s legendary wrath this season.

“That’s not going to change,” the 6-foot-2 senior said.

“She is still Pat Summitt,” added Auburn coach Nell Fortner, a close friend of Summitt’s. “I don’t think anybody would think anything different if you were around her. She’s still passionate about what she does.”

According to the Mayo Clinic, only 5 percent of those with symptoms of Alzheimer’s show signs of the disease before age 65. VanDerveer was among those who noticed something wrong with the Tennessee coach earlier this year. Summitt reportedly arrived late for some practices and sometimes hesitated before calling plays last season.

“Something doesn’t seem quite right,” recalled VanDerveer, who joined Summitt in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame this summer. “I thought was she was dealing with arthritis.”

So did Summitt, who suffers from rheumatoid arthritis. At first she thought it might have something to do with her medication. but extensive testing at the Mayo Clinic revealed signs of Alzheimer’s.

“She felt she wasn’t on top of her game, and when she found out it was almost like a relief for her,” Warlick said. “When she made it public, that was a major burden off her shoulders.”

While Summitt hoped to return the focus to basketball, she now knows that won’t happen.

After helping turn women’s basketball into a popular pastime, Summitt couldn’t expect to fade into anonymity.

During Stanford’s trip to Knoxville, Tenn., last year, VanDerveer pulled Summitt aside.

“Pat, look at what you’ve built,” she told her friend of the atmosphere at Thompson-Boling Arena.

It’s something few basketball fans will forget.

Contact Elliott Almond at 408-920-5865 and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/elliottalmond.

Louisville, KY — (SBWIRE) –11/08/2011 — Medicine and healthcare have been one of the most researched and studied branches of Science for centuries. There are records of use of medicines as early as 500 B.C. Research and development over millions of years has led to the establishment of the current structured healthcare system. Documentation of patient records is an integral component of healthcare and mandatory in many countries which rely on insurance-based healthcare systems.Early forms of healthcare documentation involved physicians keeping hand-written records of patient visits and filing this information for future reference. Managing records of thousands of patients in paper became impossible, not to mention that paper-based records were vulnerable to loss in natural calamities.this led to the birth of electronic healthcare data capture and documentation. Patient records were then managed in the form of electronic documents and systems like EMRs, EHRs, and other forms of electronic healthcare data management systems provided secure patient information and easily available to the physicians whenever required.Hospitals and healthcare practices across the US spend thousands of dollars every year in documenting and managing patient care details to meet statutory requirements of the healthcare industry. Most of this data is recorded and stored in EMRs and EHRs and used generally for insurance purposes or for reference.An innovative and visionary line of thought is the use of concrete data and evidence to support medical decisions. this is called EBM or evidence-based medicine. Evidence of this is available from as early as 1854 when John Snow (considered the father of epidemiology) used maps with bar graphs to discover the source of a cholera outbreak and trace it to the water supply system in London. He counted the number of deaths and plotted the victims’ addresses on a map and saw that all the deaths occurred around a common water body. this was one of the earliest applications of data mining.The modern EMR of a hospital or healthcare facility is a rich treasure-house of information of thousands of patients with a wide facet of illnesses, containing thousands of medicines, history etc. Each and every bit of information stored in this system could be a part of a pattern of events which if studied could give valuable insights into the pattern of diseases and the techniques of treatment and if researched lead to predictions about disease outbreaks.The question however is how do we tap into this vast pool of data and extract the information we need!!!this could be available either by:Manually searching through thousands of documents.Creating an electronic tool to search for data and analyze patterns.Manual searching of such huge volumes of data is not a practical solution. An electronic tool to do that would have to be an intelligent system which should know exactly what to search for, where to search it, and how to present it in the most useful way. Different physicians have different styles of dictation and formats of reports, the search tool will have to separate out the required information and present the most valuable information.for example:Heart disease is one of the most common causes of death in the United States.Identification of early signs of heart disease can save thousands of lives. Analyzing a database of thousands of patients with heart disease can give valuable information about the probable causes, nature of progression, etc., of heart disease and help in developing systems that could identify heart disease at the earliest signs of occurrence leading to timely treatment and preventive techniques can save many lives. Natural Language Processing or NLP is a field of computer science and linguistics concerned with the interactions between computers and human (natural) languages. It began as a branch of artificial intelligence. In theory, natural language processing is a very attractive method of human–computer interaction. Natural language understanding is sometimes referred to as an AI-complete problem because it seems to require extensive knowledge about the outside world and the ability to manipulate it.Combining NLP and data mining provides the solution to tap into the huge resource of health-care data and provide tangible solutions to queries and problems.EZDI is a clinical Natural Language Processing Engine that identifies and converts relevant text into codes and numbers using patented technology.EZDI combines data mining and NLP to extract clinical information from an EMR, or any healthcare documentation system, and provides structured information on diseases, findings, procedures, microorganisms, pharmaceuticals, etc., arranged systematically with computer processable collection of medical terminology SNOMED-CT (Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine – Clinical Terms).Key Areas of Application Include:Improving the Quality of Patient CareIdentifying high-risk patient groups with combinations of symptoms and/or risks.Identifying the need for prophylactic measures to prevent outbreak of disease.Improve patient care through efficient prescribing of drugs by identifying duplication or over-prescribing of drugs, and also identifying potential drug interactions in contraindicated drugsSearch for statistical data regarding patient-disease patterns, classifying them based on age, gender, geographical locations, food groups, etc., by identifying common factors among patients with similar diseases.Identifying the need for diagnostic tests in specific patients, leading to effective dispensing of health care measures.Ensure Compliance of Health Care DocumentationEZDI’s search engine makes auditing and reporting of “medical records compliance” an automated process.Revenue Generation and SavingLowering the cost and effort involved in clinical Research and Development through automated chart review. Identifying the need for specific diagnostic tests in specific patients, leading to effective dispensing of health care measures and eliminating unnecessary tests.EZDI is the perfect tool for evidence-based medicine and treatment and is the future of healthcare in general. With accuracy up to 98% and immediate availability of query results, EZDI is the future of clinical data analytics this product will ensure more effective and efficient healthcare delivery.About ezDIThe Company is one of the leaders in business intelligence and healthcare analytics that aim at improving the quality of services in health care and reducing costs. The company offers integrated solutions with a single data feed, and increases the industry’s speed, accuracy, flexibility and value overtime.