Category: Brandpoint Health

2018-06-07T14:01:00

(BPT) – A frozen ice pop on the porch. A tart and sweet lemonade at a picnic. A chilled beer with friends at the game. Perfect summer moments to make you smile, right? Not if you are one of the 40 million Americans who has sensitive teeth.

Tooth sensitivity is one of the most common dental complaints for people across the country, but many think that living with discomfort or even pain is unavoidable. The good news is that there are tried-and-true options, as well as some breakthrough solutions that are changing the way people manage sensitive teeth. Start with some of these five tips to keep smiling all summer long.

1. Limit acidic drinks

If fresh-squeezed OJ sounds more like a burden than breakfast, you probably have sensitive teeth. Instead of avoiding drinks you love, try using a straw to bypass contact with teeth, while still enjoying some of your favorites. Another tip is to avoid brushing your teeth right before or after drinking beverages with high acidity. You may want to, but it can actually make things worse in the moment. Try a glass of milk to neutralize the acidity instead.

2. Get some expert protection

The oral care experts at Colgate just released two new products, both available online, to protect all of those sensitive smiles out there. Their Colgate Anywhere, Anytime™ serum is – as the name implies — an on-the-go solution, while Colgate Pro-Relief™ is for at-home prep. It starts working on contact — just massage into sensitive areas for one minute and you’re good to go!

3. Ease up with the toothbrush

Don’t stop brushing your teeth twice a day like the dentist says, but ease up on the vigor. Brushing too hard or with a hard-bristle brush can wear down the enamel that protects your teeth’s nerves. Opt for a soft-bristle brush and be sure you’re brushing gently back-and-forth. A little TLC can go a long way to reducing sensitivity.

4. Avoid the grind … literally

We’ve come a long way from those night guards of the 1980s, but that doesn’t mean they’re not useful. If you grind your teeth at night, that can wear on enamel and cause sensitivity. Check with your dentist or even pick up a mouth guard in the oral care section of your local drug store. You can look like a pro athlete and avoid the daily grind. (Wasn’t that always the dream anyway?)

5. Consult a professional

Whether you have sensitive teeth now or think they may be starting to get a little more sensitive, talking to your dentist is vital. She or he will have insights specific to your mouth and lifestyle to continue to protect your enamel for a lifetime.

2018-06-07T07:03:00

(BPT) – When you sip a wholesome smoothie or savor a slice of cheesy pizza, do you ever wonder who’s behind your favorite dairy foods?

More than 97 percent of dairy farms in the United States are family-owned and operated – and these families are as passionate about crafting simple, nutritious dairy products as you are about enjoying them. From dairy farmers to chefs, and everyone in between, the hardworking people who put delicious dairy foods on your table all share one undeniable characteristic: devotion.

Other than the great taste and rich farming tradition behind dairy products, here are five more reasons to make dairy a regular part of your diet:

*Dairy is a local business. When you buy cheese, yogurt or milk, you’re supporting hard-working dairy farm families near you, which helps create jobs. The dairy products you’re feeding your family probably came from another hard-working family near you. And dairy farms are the ultimate local businesses: Most milk is made less than a two-hour drive from where it’s sold.

*It’s natural: Real milk, cheese and butter taste the most natural because, well, they are the most natural. So, when you add a splash of milk to your morning coffee or top a baked potato with butter and sour cream, you’re keeping it real – and fresh.

*Dairy is simple and affordable. At a time when eating healthy seems to get more and more complicated – and expensive – dairy remains simple and affordable. Why? A glass of milk is the No. 1 source of nine essential nutrients like calcium, vitamin D and B vitamins.

*It’s good at any age. Dairy is beneficial for all ages, because it is a top food source for calcium, potassium and vitamin D – nutrients that many Americans, including children, are most lacking in their diets. And dairy products are safe to consume. “The bottom line is milk and other dairy foods are safe and nutritious foods you can recommend to others and enjoy with confidence,” confirms Dr. Gregory Miller, PhD, FACN, chief science officer at National Dairy Council.

*Dairy packs a protein punch. Dairy is an important and widely available source of protein, which helps rebuild and repair muscle. If you took it out of your diet, you’d need to eat up to 30 percent more plant proteins to match the quality of the protein that’s in dairy.

Learn more about the people behind your favorite dairy foods and the benefits of eating dairy at UndeniablyDairy.org/devoted.

2018-06-07T07:01:01

(BPT) – Aunque la disfunción eréctil, o DE, puede ser un tema difícil de tratar, más del 50 por ciento de los hombres mayores de 40 años padecen algún grado de DE.^[1] Si bien el hecho de no poder lograr o mantener una erección puede ser frustrante, embarazoso y confuso, existen numerosos mitos sobre este trastorno común que deben desmentirse.

Mito: DE es solo parte normal del envejecimiento

Realidad: Es cierto que la DE es más común en la medida que el hombre envejece, pero no tiene que ser algo que se acepte como parte rutinaria de entrar en años. La DE es un trastorno de salud que debe tratarse, independientemente de que ocurra a los 41 o a los 89.

Mito: Padecer de DE equivale a perder el apetito sexual

Realidad: Algunos hombres que padecen DE podrían evitar el coito porque temen no poder lograr o mantener una erección. Sin embargo, la DE no es una indicación de apetito sexual, y darle tratamiento podría contribuir a la recuperación de una vida sexual sana.

Mito: No debemos preocuparnos por la DE

Realidad: Aunque no siempre ocurre así, la DE podría ser la señal de un trastorno subyacente como la diabetes o una enfermedad cardiaca.^[2] Por ejemplo, en casi el 70 por ciento de los casos, la DE se manifiesta antes de una enfermedad cardiaca coronaria.^[3] Y, particularmente en los hombres menores de 45 años, la DE puede ser un síntoma precoz de una diabetes no diagnosticada.^[4] Es importante consultar con un médico si se padecen síntomas de DE para determinar la existencia de posibles trastornos más graves.

Mito: La DE se puede tratar sencillamente con píldoras

Realidad: Si bien los medicamentos por vía oral son el primer paso para el tratamiento de la DE, debemos tener en cuenta que no funcionan para todo el mundo. Generalmente cerca del 50 por ciento de los hombres que padecen DE dejaron de tomar píldoras, o las mismas dejaron de hacer su función^[5] y, además, los pacientes bajo tratamiento de enfermedades cardiacas no pueden consumir medicamentos para la DE.^[6] La buena noticia es que existen otras opciones de tratamiento disponibles como un implante de pene, que ofrece una solución permanente y le proporciona al hombre el control total de sus erecciones. Los medicamentos para la DE se han aplicado para dar tratamiento al trastorno durante veinte años,^[7] mientras que los implantes se han estado colocando durante más de cuarenta.^[8]

Si usted o un ser querido padece síntomas de DE, es importante hablar con un especialista. Visite el sitio web https://www.edcure.org/es/ para:

• Realizar una sencilla evaluación para recibir una puntuación personalizada de síntomas de ED y determinar con qué gravedad está impactando en su vida o la de su ser querido
• Buscar un especialista en su localidad de residencia
• Inscribirse en seminarios informativos gratuitos para conocer más detalles sobre opciones de tratamiento
• Enterarse de cómo personas como usted han encontrado tratamiento para la ED y obtener respuestas a preguntas comunes sobre la DE, los implantes de pene, y la cobertura de seguro médico.

EDCURE.ORG es un sitio web patrocinado por Boston Scientific Corporation

REFERENCIAS

^[1] Feldman HA, Goldstein I, Hatzichristou DG, et al. Impotence and its medical and psychosocial correlates: results of the Massachusetts Male Aging Study. J Urol. 1994 Jan;151(1):54-61. ON FILE AT BSC (From Website)

^[2] Feldman HA, Goldstein I, Hatzichristou DG, et al. Impotence and its medical and psychosocial correlates: results of the Massachusetts Male Aging Study. J Urol. 1994 Jan;151(1):54-61. ON FILE AT BSC (From Website)

^[3] Gandaglia G, Briganti A, Jackson G, et al. A systematic review of the association between disfunción eréctil and cardiovascular disease. Eur Urol. 2014 May;65(5):968-78.

^[4] Sexual and Urologic Problems of Diabetes. NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/sup/. Accessed May 2015. ON FILE AT BSC (From Website)

^[5] Matthew AG, Goldman A, Trachtenberg J, et al. Sexual dysfunction after radical prostatectomy: prevalence, treatments, restricted use of treatments and distress. J Urol. 2005 Dec;174(6):2105-10. ON FILE AT BSC (From Website)

^[6] Jackson G, Rosen RC, Kloner RA, et al. The second Princeton consensus on sexual dysfunction and cardiac risk: new guidelines for sexual medicine. J Sex Med. 2006 Jan;3(1):28–36. ON FILE AT BSC (From Website)

^[7] Viagra: The Little Blue Pill That Could. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2013/03/27/health/viagra-anniversary-timeline/index.html. Accessed March 2018.

^[8] Scott FB, Bradley WE, Timm GW. Management of erectile impotence: use of implantable inflatable prosthesis. Urology. 1973 Jul:2(1):80-2. ON FILE AT BSC (From Website)

2018-06-05T14:01:00

(BPT) – Content sponsored and provided by Pfizer.

Living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) requires regular medical appointments with your rheumatologist or healthcare provider (HCP), which can be valuable time to ask questions about RA symptoms and learn about available resources or treatments. Listed below are five key steps to help you with your interaction with your HCP.

Schedule Conversations, Not Appointments

Think of your time with your HCP as a conversation: two people, on equal ground, working together to help you manage your RA.

Prepare in Advance and Prioritize Questions

Time with your HCP is never as long as either of you would prefer. To maximize your time, always have updates and questions ready before the conversation, and try to prioritize your questions.

You Know Yourself the Best

You know your body better than anyone. You know when you’re meeting your goals or not. Trust your instincts and be honest when speaking with your HCP about how you’re really doing.

Be Specific and Honest

When your HCP asks you: “How are you doing?” try to use more descriptive words about your RA symptoms than simply stating “fine,” “good” or “OK.” Ask yourself: “Am I really ‘fine’ or am I just trying to appear strong?”

Set Goals

Setting goals that can be measured during each conversation with your HCP is one of the most important things you can do. Discuss progress toward goals at each visit to track the management of your RA.

Visit www.Pfizer.com/RANarRAtive to download the Power Your Inner RA Voice Conversation Guide which includes these key tips along with a worksheet to help guide your next appointment!

2018-06-05T07:01:00

(BPT) – Ask yourself these questions to see if you might be struggling with a substance use disorder. Watch this video to learn more about the Addiction Resource Center, and call 833-301-HELP (4357) toll-free for support.

2018-06-01T07:01:00

(BPT) – Does your life today look different than it did in your younger years — literally? If things seem more cloudy and blurry than usual, even with your glasses on, you may be one of 24 million Americans living with cataracts.^[1] Cataracts might be slow to make themselves known, but the ultimate impact they have on your life can be profound.^[2]

As daily activities like driving become more difficult, you might be feeling like you’ve lost some of your independence and may experience fear of missing out (FOMO) on the things you love, like traveling to your favorite destinations and spending quality time with your family.^[3] But that doesn’t have to be your reality.

“Many patients who come into my practice are unhappy with the way cataracts are making them miss out on experiences, but they’re hesitant about undergoing cataract surgery — even though it is the only treatment for cataracts,” said Dr. Bonnie Henderson*, a Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at Tufts University School of Medicine in Massachusetts. “I talk to my patients about the benefits of cataract surgery so they are comfortable undergoing treatment and don’t waste any more precious time missing out on what life has to offer.”

June is Cataract Awareness Month, a time to shine a spotlight on the toll this condition can take on the lives of millions of Americans. Whether you’re someone living with cataracts or concerned about a loved one struggling with their eyesight, Dr. Henderson sheds light on cataracts and answers important questions about the latest cataract surgery options.

What exactly are cataracts?

Cataracts cloud the eye’s naturally clear lens, blocking or changing how light passes through and resulting in blurry vision.^[2] Nearly everyone who lives long enough will develop cataracts.^[4] It’s one of the leading causes of vision loss in the United States and the primary cause of blindness in the world.^[5],[6]

What are people with cataracts missing out on?

A survey conducted by Alcon, the global leader in eye care, unveiled that people living with cataracts report experiencing poor vision when driving, having difficulty working and feeling fearful about falling.^[3] Many are also worried that cataracts may keep them from being able to clearly see vibrant colors, or the faces of their loved ones.^[7] These experiences could be further increasing their fears and frustrations about missing out on the things that bring them joy.

What are the treatment options for cataracts?

Surgery is the only way that you can correct cataracts. Nearly four million Americans go through the brief procedure each year, and many are able to quickly resume their lives.^[8] Today, there are even new options that allow you to correct cataracts and other eye conditions at the same time, like eye pressure associated with glaucoma, presbyopia or even astigmatism — potentially reducing the need for glasses that you may have worn your entire life.

What’s keeping people from having cataract surgery?

Despite the difficulties cataracts may cause, survey findings show that many who are impacted aren’t aware of the options available to help overcome the condition.^[3] Some decide not to seek treatment at all because they’re afraid of eye surgery or they simply accept cataracts as a natural part of aging.^[7]

The good news is that with the advancements in technology available today, cataract surgery is not something to fear — or delay. In fact, more than 90 percent of people 60 years and older who underwent cataract surgery said they realized that their worries about the surgery and recovery process were unfounded and they would advise someone they know to get the surgery.^[3]

You can hear real people talk about their cataract stories and learn more about available treatment options at MyCataracts.com. Be sure to talk to your doctor about how treatment can make sure you never again miss out on what’s important in life. Take control of your time — the earlier you start the conversation, the faster you can get back to doing the things you love.

* Dr. Bonnie Henderson is an internationally recognized surgeon who is also a paid consultant for Alcon.

2018-05-31T07:01:00

(BPT) – A Patient’s Journey to Surviving the Odds

In 2010, Kristin Kleinhofer was feeling healthy when she found a bump on the top of the right side of her head and thought it was just a “harmless cyst.” After her mother suggested she see a doctor, surgery was performed to remove the growth. The biopsy results came back a week later and much to everyone’s surprise, Kristin was informed via a phone call at work that she had blood cancer and needed to immediately leave her job to have blood work done and was scheduled to meet with an oncologist the next morning. At age 36, she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Kristin reflected on how overwhelmed she felt, “it was a lot to take in, a lot of unloading of my life … I learned that I didn’t know how strong I was until being strong was the only choice I had.”

After a two-year protocol of intense inpatient and outpatient chemotherapy, Kristin went into remission for eighteen months, but in February 2014, while eating dinner with her partner, Benny, she felt a lump on the right side of her neck and soon discovered that the leukemia had returned. Kristin immediately began salvage chemotherapy, but it was ineffective and left her with serious side effects, some of which she still has today.

Then, while enrolled in a 4-week inpatient combination chemotherapy clinical trial, Kristin’s oncologist mentioned CAR T cell immunotherapy as a possible option to perhaps get into remission. Kristin had never heard of immunotherapy before, and went home to research with her family. Doctor stories and educational videos helped to inform Kristin’s decision, and she immediately asked her oncologist to reach out to the medical institutions that had open clinical trials for CAR T cell immunotherapy. Kristin was on her way to reaching remission once again.

The Future of Immunotherapy Treatments

Approximately every 3 minutes, one person in the United States is diagnosed with a blood cancer. While a cure for leukemia does not yet exist, new immune-based treatments are currently in development and improving the prognosis for people living with blood and bone marrow cancers. Clinical trials for leukemia are testing immunotherapies that fall into several broad categories, including adoptive cell therapy, targeted antibodies, checkpoint inhibitors, therapeutic vaccines, and oncolytic viruses.

Immunotherapy is widely considered to be the most promising new cancer treatment approach since the development of the first chemotherapies in the 1940s. Cancer immunotherapy treatments harness and enhance the innate powers of the immune system to fight cancer.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy, a type of adoptive cell therapy, has been shown in early clinical trials to be particularly effective at treating leukemia. In CAR T cell therapy, T cells from a patient are removed and then genetically modified to express a receptor that recognizes a particular protein, called an antigen, found on leukemia cells. The receptor is called “chimeric” because it is a hybrid molecule made up of two different proteins (an antibody and a T cell receptor) joined together.

In 2011, Carl H. June, M.D., Michael Kalos, Ph.D., and colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine achieved good clinical responses in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), including two complete, durable clinical responses. After Kristin’s mother shared a video with her and Benny about the doctors’ immunotherapy work, it made sense to her that she’d use her own immune system to eliminate the cancer as her body had become resistant to standard chemotherapy regimens.

What’s Next for Immunotherapy Patients

In November 2014, Kristin officially began the CAR T cell therapy clinical trial. As one of the first to receive outpatient treatment, nurses and other professionals were especially excited to support and document Kristin’s journey. Unlike her previous chemotherapy treatments, after the CAR T cell infusion was completed and she had experienced the anticipated cytokine release syndrome—characterized by intense flu-like symptoms—she felt like she could begin recovering right away with minimal side effects. Two weeks before Christmas, a bone marrow biopsy confirmed that the cancer was gone and Kristin was in remission. Kristin reflected, “It was the best Christmas gift” for her entire family, and they were elated that the immunotherapy treatment worked.

Now, almost four years later, Kristin celebrates life with her family and partner, Benny, traveling and checking adventures off her bucket list. In her free time, Kristin also offers independent patient navigation and advocacy. Her goal is to help educate people about their options by sharing her own story, and to create tools and helpful online resources. “It’s important to be your own advocate, and if you can’t, have a loved one be your advocate—so you feel in control of what is happening to you,” Kristin explained.

“Once you choose hope, anything is possible,” is a mantra Kristin lives by and one that has become especially meaningful to her family. “Immunotherapy offers so much hope for those that have run out of treatment options and it’s changing lives,” said Kristin. She remains optimistic that more patients will benefit from emerging immunotherapy treatments—through new FDA-approved therapies and clinical trial participation.

There are many other cancer patients and survivors, like Kristin, who have been given new hope and longer lives thanks to cancer immunotherapy research and clinical trials.

“Clinical trials today are evaluating immunotherapies as a first-line cancer treatment, and we are beginning to see the first FDA approvals in the first-line setting, providing patients with more treatment options earlier in their journey,” said Dr. Jill O’Donnell-Tormey, chief executive officer and director of scientific affairs at the Cancer Research Institute. “We hope our Clinical Trial Finder gives more promise to patients.”

For more information on cancer immunotherapy and how to match with an open clinical trial, visit the Cancer Research Institute Cancer Immunotherapy Clinical Trial Finder at https://www.cancerresearch.org/patients/clinical-trials.

2018-05-30T17:01:00

(BPT) – –

2018-05-30T12:01:01

(BPT) – Menopause can come with many changes. But one of the most common symptoms of menopause is rarely discussed: painful sex.

2018-05-30T09:01:00

(BPT) – If you are one of the 30 million Americans with diabetes, you know all too well that the painful routine of checking blood sugar levels has remained unchanged for decades. Prick your finger, drop blood on a test strip, insert into a reader and wait. Repeat up to eight times per day.

Diabetes is a chronic disease that affects how your body processes blood sugar. And according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), the U.S. is one of the top three countries in the world with the highest diabetes prevalence.

“Every year, more than one million people are diagnosed with diabetes and have to learn how to best manage their disease, including adjusting their diet, exercising and closely monitoring their glucose levels,” said Cher Pastore, MS, RDN, Certified Diabetes Educator, founder and owner of CherNutrition in New York City. “With that comes the dreaded fingerstick, an important but painful and invasive part of managing diabetes that many patients struggle with for most of their lives. Until now, the fingerstick has been the only way to maintain a good handle on one’s glucose levels and help inform treatment decisions.”

But managing your glucose levels just got easier. Last fall, the FDA approved a revolutionary diabetes wearable technology that is unlike any other glucose monitoring technology on the market and is transforming the way people manage their diabetes. The FreeStyle Libre system from Abbott is a personal continuous glucose monitor (CGM) that eliminates the need for fingerstick calibration, allowing for more flexibility when managing your diabetes. It also removes the burden of routine fingersticks – the one step that people with diabetes claim is the biggest reason they don’t test their glucose levels as often as they should.

With just a one second scan over a small sensor that is worn on the back of the upper arm for up to 10 days, the FreeStyle Libre system provides people with their current glucose level, historical trends and patterns of where their glucose has been and a directional arrow showing where their glucose level is going. The FreeStyle Libre system scans through clothing and avoids interference with acetaminophen, an active ingredient in common over-the-counter medications, which can falsely raise reported glucose levels in certain CGMs to appear as if they are at dangerously high levels. The FreeStyle Libre sensor also automatically measures glucose readings day and night and is accurate for insulin dosing.

“Patients have really been embracing the FreeStyle Libre as it takes away the burden of routine fingersticks, while at the same time helping them manage their diabetes,” said Pastore. “It’s easy to use and discreet, and represents a true innovation that empowers patients to make the best decisions about their health.”

The FreeStyle Libre system is available in major retail pharmacies. Visit www.freestylelibre.us/cgm-experience to learn more about how the FreeStyle Libre system is transforming diabetes management and how you can receive the system free of charge.

INDICATIONS AND IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

The FreeStyle Libre Flash Glucose Monitoring system is a continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) device indicated for replacing blood glucose testing and detecting trends and tracking patterns aiding in the detection of episodes of hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia, facilitating both acute and long-term therapy adjustments in persons (age 18 and older) with diabetes. The system is intended for single patient use and requires a prescription.

CONTRAINDICATIONS: Remove the sensor before MRI, CT scan, X-ray, or diathermy treatment.

WARNINGS/LIMITATIONS: Do not ignore symptoms that may be due to low or high blood glucose, hypoglycemic unawareness, or dehydration. Check sensor glucose readings with a blood glucose meter when Check Blood Glucose symbol appears, when symptoms do not match system readings, or when readings are suspected to be inaccurate. The FreeStyle Libre system does not have alarms unless the sensor is scanned, and the system contains small parts that may be dangerous if swallowed. The FreeStyle Libre system is not approved for pregnant women, persons on dialysis, or critically-ill population. Sensor placement is not approved for sites other than the back of the arm and standard precautions for transmission of blood borne pathogens should be taken. The built-in blood glucose meter is not for use on dehydrated, hypotensive, in shock, hyperglycemic-hyperosmolar state, with or without ketosis, neonates, critically-ill patients, or for diagnosis or screening of diabetes. Review all product information before use or contact Abbott Toll Free (855-632-8658) or visit www.freestylelibre.us for detailed indications for use and safety information.