Month: April 2023

2023-04-27T09:01:00

(BPT) – While hormonal acne tends to be associated with the teenage years, it can affect adults of all ages, and is especially common in women with monthly hormonal changes and the onset of menopause. Some adults continue to get acne well into their 30s, 40s and even 50s, and you may even get acne for the first time as an adult, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.¹ So what’s the source of these breakouts? Overproduction of sebum is to blame and is one of the leading causes of acne at all ages.²

Enter AviClear™, the future of clear skin, and the first and original FDA-cleared energy device for the treatment of mild, moderate and severe acne.³ According to Mary Jane Salo, Family Nurse Practitioner at Wellness Marketplace Spa in American Canyon, CA, “AviClear treats acne at the source by selectively targeting and suppressing the oil glands. We can selectively deliver energy and damage the glands to suppress sebum production.

“My patients are very excited about this safe and effective acne laser treatment. I have seen results after their very first AviClear session, and they continue to see improvement over the course of three treatments, which demonstrates the long-term effects of this novel therapy. Another plus is that no topical numbing is needed and patients can go back to their normal activities right after a treatment,” says Nurse Salo.

Among the benefits of AviClear, when compared to over-the-counter creams and topical medications, is that it delivers clear skin that lasts. “We are seeing that results continue to improve over time for our clients. It works for all skin types and severities of acne from mild to moderate and even severe breakouts,” says Heather Callahan, PA-C at Dermestetics in Vienna, VA. “They are loving these treatments because it is quick, safe and comes with adjustable comfort due to the addition of AviCool™ cooling technology. Patients can get back to work and their busy lives immediately, while achieving the results they want quickly and effectively,” she says.

Studies have shown long-lasting results with up to two-year clearance that continues to improve over time, even after the initial series of treatments are complete.⁴ Ninety-three percent of patients saw visible improvement after their final treatment session with two-thirds of patients assessed as clear or almost clear 12 months after their final treatment session.³

So, if acne breakouts are affecting your quality of life and stopping you from enjoying social events, find an AviClear practice near you and say buh-bye to stubborn acne once and for all.

¹https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/acne/really-acne/adult-acne

²O’Neill AM, Gallo RL. Host-microbiome interactions and recent progress into understanding the biology of acne vulgaris. Microbiome. 2018;6:177.

³Data on file. FDA clearance study. Cutera, Inc.

⁴Data on file. FDA clearance study. Cutera, Inc

2023-04-26T10:25:00

(BPT) – Many of us know the basics for positive wellbeing — exercise consistently, sleep well, eat right — but what if we’re overlooking a crucial and simple component of health? Emerging research shows that adding time outside to our wellness routines can bring powerful benefits.

In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month this May, we’re encouraged to evaluate the state of our own wellbeing and integrate helpful tips for managing stress and staying healthy. L.L.Bean recently partnered with Mental Health America to help raise awareness by “going off the grid” (logging off our social channels) and sharing tips, research and insights on how to make the most of what is all around us. Together with L.L.Bean wellness operations expert Stephanie Harvie, we explored some of the facts that surprised us the most about nature’s power in our lives.

1. Nature can positively affect our mood and mental health

Exploring nature can provide wide-reaching benefits, helping to alleviate stress and providing physiological benefits like lower blood pressure and enhanced immune system function. “Being mindful in nature helps re-center your mind and energy level and can have a really big impact in controlling your nervous system and preparing yourself for the rest of the day,” Harvie said.

And, studies show self-reported improvements in focus, mood and even depression following time spent outside. In one experiment, researchers “cleaned and greened” empty lots in urban areas, removing trash and planting trees, flowers and grass. They found that a staggering 41.5% of nearby residents of one green lot reported a decrease in depressive feelings compared to those who lived by untouched lots.

2. Even a small amount of daily outside time makes a difference

Though it’s tempting to equate “spending time in nature” with long hikes, all-day fishing trips and other time-intensive activities, evidence suggests that even a few minutes outside can make a difference in our mental health. “I want to normalize the idea that doing anything has impact,” Harvie said. “If you don’t have much time, changing your position or going outside can help.”

In a meta-analysis of studies, scientists found that just 10 minutes in nature provides psychological and physiological benefits. And, the more time spent outside the better. Researchers conducted a survey of 20,000 people and found respondents who spent 120 minutes outside weekly are substantially more likely to say they feel a strong sense of wellbeing.

3. Outdoor experiences make us better people

An emerging area of research called “The Science of Awe” studies the distinct feelings of mystery and wonder we experience in nature and the impressive range of benefits received from them. L.L.Bean partner and researcher Dr. Paul Piff found that experiencing awe helps increase ethical decision making, generosity and “pro-social” values like compassion. When we connect with the spaces around us, it also helps us plug into our communities, offering societal benefits beyond the individual.

4. Even hearing or thinking of nature can help

Engaging your senses through nature creates surprising effects. Scientists found that people who were exposed to nature sounds — like crickets chirping or waves crashing — performed better on tests than those who listened to sounds from the city. And other research noted that visualizing nature can help provide physiological benefits, meaning we can access the power of the outdoors at any time and from anywhere. “I would recommend having a place in mind that has been meaningful to you, or a place that inspires you to feel peace outdoors,” Harvie said.

5. Some spaces seem to have more healing power

It’s clear that enjoying nature in any capacity is helpful, but scientists are finding that not all spaces are created equal. Though green spaces have long been confirmed as aids to our wellbeing, research has found that blue spaces (waterside locations), remote areas, nature reserves and habitats are also highly beneficial. In fact, studies show that exposure to a variety of natural environments can produce positive outcomes.

As we learn more about the benefits of nature, it is clear that there are seemingly endless ways to experience the restorative power of the outdoors. So, don’t be discouraged by your level of experience or time constraints. Rather, establish a routine that inspires you, and find spaces that give you an easy opportunity to tap into the health benefits provided by time spent outside.

“Taking care of yourself is mission critical,” Harvie added. “Learning how to manage stress helps you bring your fullest self to work and to life.”

Join L.L.Bean in “going off the grid” and heading outside during Mental Health Awareness Month, and learn more by checking out these resources from L.L.Bean.

2023-04-25T08:31:00

(BPT) – It’s easy to ignore feelings of tiredness and sleepiness during the day. For many people, these feelings may be a result of a poor night’s sleep; however, for others, excessive daytime sleepiness can be a sign of an underlying sleep disorder, like narcolepsy, which can impact and disrupt daily life.

Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological disorder, that can be life-altering and is oftentimes misdiagnosed. It is thought to affect approximately 165,000 people in the United States. All people living with narcolepsy have excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), which can make staying awake and alert during the day a challenge. The urge to sleep may be so great that people living with narcolepsy may need to nap multiple times a day or fall asleep unintentionally.

The science of normal sleep and wakefulness

For people living with narcolepsy, the separate states of wakefulness and sleep do not work properly and can happen at the wrong time. To better understand narcolepsy, it is helpful to know what happens in the brain during normal wakefulness and sleep in those without narcolepsy.

Omavi Bailey, M.D., MPH, a somnologist, epidemiologist, and medical director practicing pediatric and adult sleep medicine at The BioRhythm Institute, explains, “There are three separate and distinct states of wakefulness and sleep: wake, non-REM sleep, and REM sleep. Normally, states of wakefulness and sleep occur one at a time in a regular pattern. People can stay awake all day and stay asleep at night, switching between non-REM sleep and REM sleep. This normal sleep pattern is characterized by specific physiological differences that allows individuals to stay awake and function during the day, building up their sleep drive that will eventually allow them to efficiently achieve proper sleep at night. Normal sleep goes through four or five cycles at night that progress from non-REM sleep to longer periods of REM or vivid dream sleep.”

Many naturally occurring chemicals in the brain play important roles in wakefulness and sleep. One of these chemicals, hypocretin, which is sometimes called orexin, plays a crucial role in stabilizing sleep and wake states. This is so that non-REM or REM sleep don’t impose themselves during wakefulness, causing excessive daytime sleepiness or cataplexy. Cataplexy is the sudden and brief loss of muscle strength or muscle tone often brought on by strong emotions such as laughter.

What happens in narcolepsy

In most people living with narcolepsy, hypocretin levels are low — sometimes too low to be detected. With low or no hypocretin, the separate states of wakefulness and sleep can happen at any time. People living with narcolepsy may feel sleepy or fall asleep during the day. “This is precisely why severe sleepiness and sleep attacks are experienced by those living with narcolepsy. A person living with narcolepsy can suddenly fall into a deep sleep in the middle of a conversation,” Dr. Bailey describes.

“For people living with narcolepsy, the brain also doesn’t always hold boundaries between states of sleep and wakefulness,” Dr. Bailey explains. “When this happens, some parts of sleep can interrupt wakefulness.” During normal REM sleep, muscle tone is absent and people are essentially paralyzed so they do not act their dreams. For people living with narcolepsy, REM sleep can suddenly impose itself during wakefulness, resulting in a sudden paralysis or inability to move certain muscles while awake (cataplexy).

The role of histamine in wakefulness

In addition to researchers understanding the importance of hypocretin, another naturally occurring chemical has also been found to be important for wakefulness: histamine.

Histamine plays many important roles in the body. In the brain, histamine works together with hypocretin to help people stay awake and alert throughout the day. Like hypocretin, it also helps prevent non-REM sleep and REM sleep from happening during the day.

Research has shown that histamine plays an important role in helping hypocretin produce long periods of wakefulness during the day. In narcolepsy, when hypocretin levels are low, histamine and other naturally occurring chemicals in the brain don’t work well enough, and wakefulness is reduced.

Dr. Bailey highlights that “researchers are encouraged by the community’s heightened understanding of the role histamine plays in stabilizing sleep-wake states and are hopeful to advance research in the future.”

If you’re interested in learning more about narcolepsy and the role of histamine, visit KnowNarcolepsy.com/Science-Of-Narcolepsy.

Know Narcolepsy is a registered trademark of Harmony Biosciences.
Harmony Biosciences name is a registered trademark.
© 2023 Harmony Biosciences. All rights reserved.
US-NAR-2200176/April 2023

2023-04-25T12:17:00

(BPT) – Polycythemia vera (PV) is a rare, chronic cancer that leads to overproduction of red blood cells, increasing the “stickiness” of blood. People with PV experience a range of symptoms, some of which may be dismissed as less serious. These include visual disturbances, shortness of breath, severe itching and poor concentration.

But the excess number of red blood cells slows blood flow, which puts people with PV at risk for additional serious health threats, including blood clots and cardiovascular events like heart attacks, strokes and mini-strokes.

“PV is diagnosed not only by detecting an elevated hematocrit but also elevated white blood cell counts and platelet counts, detection of an acquired mutation in the gene JAK2, which controls blood cell production, and characteristic changes in how bone marrow looks,” says Dr. Ronald Hoffman, Albert A. and Vera G. List Professor of Medicine and Director of the Myeloproliferative Disorders Research Program at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, New York.

If diagnosed, people with PV can regularly undergo a standard of care procedure called phlebotomy to normalize their hematocrit, with the goal of reducing their risk of developing clots, heart attacks or strokes, he says. Phlebotomy removes blood from the body using the same procedure as donating a unit of blood.

“The established goal of phlebotomy therapy is to maintain red blood cell levels, as measured by hematocrit, below 45%,” says Hoffman. “Research shows phlebotomy is an effective treatment for PV patients, but frequently the target hematocrit level is not achieved between physician visits, leaving the patient at risk for developing clots.”

Patients with poorly controlled PV can develop scarring of their marrow known as myelofibrosis and can sometimes develop leukemia.

“PV is one of those blood cancers that you don’t hear about as much, but it is a serious disease. It’s important that patients get diagnosed and understand their treatment options,” Hoffman says.

“In addition to phlebotomy, there are a number of approved medicines that can be used to control this condition, and experimental therapeutics are also being evaluated,” he says.

An example is rusfertide. An investigational new medicine, rusfertide is still being studied by doctors and is not approved by regulatory authorities like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

“Rusfertide was designed with the potential to control the malignant proliferation of red blood cells by limiting the supply of iron to the cells in the marrow that makes red cells,” says Dr. Arturo Molina, a physician-scientist specializing in the development of new treatments for rare and more prevalent diseases at Protagonist Therapeutics. “Rusfertide is a synthetic version of an iron regulator called hepcidin, something all people have.”

Rusfertide is currently being studied to evaluate its safety and ability to control the production of red blood cells and to keep hematocrit levels within the recommended range, potentially reducing the need for phlebotomies, its ability to impact symptoms as well as if patients experience fewer blood clots or cardiovascular complications.

“We hope that by advancing research and development of drug candidates like rusfertide, we may be able to help people with diseases like PV,” says Molina, “and to potentially add to available treatment options for PV and other rare diseases.”

2023-04-25T15:59:00

(BPT) – Stay focused for $2,500 toward your car insurance premiums, no strings attached

Did you know that three-quarters of Americans admit to texting while driving, as well as other behaviors like eating, watching movies, and even sexting? While distracted driving may seem innocuous, it can be dangerous and even life-threatening. This is why, during Distracted Driving Month, we’re rewarding people who drive, well, undistracted.

The concept is simple: if you drive undistracted for a week, you’ll receive up to $2,500 in cash toward your auto insurance premiums. Here’s how it works:

• To be considered, submit the application form.
• Up to 25 participants will be chosen and notified by April 29, 2023.
• If chosen, for a week, participants will stop using phones while driving. During this time, they’ll use Screen Time reporting to verify they didn’t use their phones while driving.
• We’ll send further instructions for how to submit Screen Time reports when we notify participants.
• We’ll also require participants to:
• Post a video on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or TikTok mentioning this contest with the #turnitoff hashtag
• Subscribe to our YouTube channel
• Following a proven week of undistracted driving, we’ll enter participants into a giveaway for $2,500 in cash to be used toward their car insurance premiums — no strings attached.
• Participants who drive undistracted for a week and do not win the $2,500 cash prize will still receive $100 in the form of a cash prize.

Submit Your Application for the #TurnItOff Contest

• First name
• Last name
• Email
• Zip code
• Age
• Are you a U.S. resident?
• Please provide links to your social channels (if applicable):
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• TikTok
• How much time do you spend driving per day?

Not sure how much you already drive distracted? Take our distracted driving quiz to find out.

Terms and Conditions

1. The promoter of the Turn It Off Contest is Centerfield Media Holding Company, a Delaware corporation, doing business as AutoInsurance.com (“AutoInsurance.com”) whose principal office is located at 12130 Millennium Drive, Ste 600 Los Angeles, CA 90094.
2. Employees of AutoInsurance.com or their family members or anyone else connected in any way with the Turn It Off Contest or helping to set up the Turn It Off Contest shall not be permitted to enter.
3. Persons must be at least 18 years old, or otherwise have reached the age of majority under the laws of the state where they reside to apply for the Turn It Off Contest.
4. Only lawful residents of the United States are eligible to enter.
5. TURN IT OFF CONTEST VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.
6. There is NO ENTRY FEE AND NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO APPLY FOR THE Turn It Off Contest. Any purchase or consideration otherwise given by entrants will not improve one’s chances of being selected for the prizes.
7. Submission Period: The Submission period will start on April 14, 2023 at 12:00 a.m. Pacific Time, and will close on April 26, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time. After the closing date, no further submissions to the Turn It Off Contest will be permitted.
8. To apply, visit autoinsurance.com/research/distracted-driving-contest and fill out the submission form.
9. Each entrant may only enter once.
10. AutoInsurance.com will select up to twenty five (25) Turn It Off Contest participants (“Participants”) from the pool of eligible entrants. Participants will be selected based on the quality of the submission as judged by AutoInsurance.com employees.
11. Odds of being selected for the Turn It Off Contest depend on the number of entries received.
12. The Participants will be notified by email, phone call, and/or letter within five (5) days after the closing date.
13. A total of one (1) Turn It Off contest winner (“Winner”) will be selected based on a random drawing from the pool of Participants that successfully complete the challenge.
14. The Winner will be notified by email, phone call, and/or letter within five (5) days after the closing date and will receive a $2,500 stipend. Other Participants who successfully complete the challenge will receive a $100 stipend and will be notified within fifteen (15) days after the closing date.
15. If a Winner cannot be contacted, is not eligible, or does not claim the prize within five (5) days of notification, then AutoInsurance.com reserves the right to withdraw the prize from the Winner and pick a replacement Winner.
16. The entrants specifically acknowledge that the prize package will be provided by AutoInsurance.com, and that the Turn It Off Contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by any of the companies whose products or services are provided to Winners.
17. The Turn It Off Contest consists of spending 1 week without using a phone while driving, barring any emergencies. The contest Winner must adhere to the contest conditions in order to be paid the full $2,500 stipend, and the contest Participants must adhere to the contest conditions in order to be paid the full $100 stipend.
18. AutoInsurance.com will mail, email, or hand-deliver the prize package to the Winners.
19. Winners acknowledge that participation in the Turn It Off Contest will be as an independent contractor. No agency, partnership, joint venture, or employee-employer relationship is intended or created by accepting the Turn It Off Contest. Winners have no authority to bind AutoInsurance.com to contracts, make any agreement or representations on AutoInsurance.com’s written consent. Winners shall not be eligible to participate in any vacation, group medical or life insurance, disability, profit sharing, or retirement benefits, or any other fringe benefits or benefit plans offered by AutoInsurance.com to its employees. AutoInsurance.com is not responsible for withholding or paying any income, payroll, Social Security, or other federal, state, or local taxes, making any insurance contributions, including unemployment or disability, or obtaining worker’s compensation insurance on the Winners’ behalf. Winners acknowledge that stipend is subject to all applicable taxes. Winners are solely responsible for all such taxes or contributions, including penalties and interest.
20. Entrants agree to the use of their names and image in any publicity material associated with the Turn It Off Contest. Any personal data relating to the entrants will be used solely in accordance with current federal and state data protection laws. For more information, please visit the Privacy Policy at AutoInsurance.com.
21. No alternative to the prizes will be offered. The opportunity to participate in the Turn It Off Contest is not transferable. AutoInsurance.com reserves the right to substitute the prize with items of equivalent value without giving notice.
22. A list of the Winners will be available 28 days after the closing date where legally required. To request a list of Winners, send the request in a stamped self-addressed envelope to the following address:
    AutoInsurance.com
    12130 Millennium Drive, Ste 600
    Los Angeles, CA 90094
23. AutoInsurance.com reserves the right to cancel or amend this Turn It Off Contest and these Terms and Conditions without notice.
24. AutoInsurance.com’s decision in respect of all matters to do with the Turn It Off Contest will be final and no correspondence will be considered or provided.
25. The Turn It Off Contest and these Terms and Conditions will be governed by California law, and any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of California.
26. By submitting an application for this Turn It Off Contest, entrants agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions.