Archive for January, 2010


Test Show Stem Cells Might Reverse Heart Disease

How Stem Cells Helped My Heart

Clinical tests on persons with severe heart disease have shown that when their own stem cells were injected back into their hearts, their heart disease showed marked improvement. These heart patients regained some of the mobility they had lost as a result of their heart disease and saw a reversal of some of their symptoms.

The tests were conducted by researchers from Northwestern University in Chicago and worked with Baxter International, which developed a special stem-cell extraction device. The device extracts stem cells from the patients’ bone marrow and purifies them for re-introduction into the donors’ hearts.The test panel was made up of 167 adults, mostly men, who were divided into test and control groups. All of the men suffered from medium to severe heart disease.Even though the tests have completed only two of the planned three phases,many patients have already experienced reduced angina and increased mobility. Some of the patients had angioplasty at some point in their pasts, or even had open-heart surgery. Some had been home bound and after they took the stem cell treatments, they were able to resume some normal activities like walking up stairs or shopping for groceries.

These test results have created a lot of interest and even excitement within their respective medical circles. These results were presented to the American Heart Association in Orlando, Florida last fall. The third and last phase is needed to apply to the FDA for approval, but its start date has not yet been announced. The final stage of such tests usually involve a larger sample than was the case in the Phase II trials.

There are other instances of similar treatment results from injecting sick patients with their own stem cells, most notably in the area of cancer and spinal injury therapy. One disease with similar results is cancer therapy, particularly lymphatic cancer.Amazingly, some persons with spinal cord injuries have regained some of their mobility.

 

The Link Between Tobacco and Heart Disease

Everybody understands that tobacco - contained in chewing tobacco and cigarettes - isn’t healthy. Your physician has likely given you a warning regarding its dangerous effects, yet you will also find lots of warnings from the office of the Surgeon General and from campaigns all over the nation. Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable heart disease and heart attacks in the United States and also in the rest of the world. By smoking you increase your risk of heart attack by at least 300%.

Smoking results in rapid heart rate, increased blood pressure, and lessens the quantity of oxygen in your blood. These factors in conjunction tremendously increase your risk of heart disease.

Smoking includes utilizing pipes, cigarettes, and cigars. Contrary to the popular belief that tobacco in the form of cigars and pipes only passively affects your health, they have no fewer harmful elements such as nicotine than do regular cigarettes.

People often think that using smokeless tobacco instead of smoking is healthier. This refers to tobacco in the form of snuff, dip, or chewing. The truth is that this habit is also very harmful for your heart. In fact, if you use smokeless tobacco you’re twice as likely to have a heart attack as someone who doesn’t. But if you are a smoker using smokeless tobacco you really have four times the chance to have a heart attack than a person who isn’t a tobacco user at all. And unlike other habits which can be okay in moderation, tobacco use has absolutely no health benefits and no safe level at which it can be used.

Yet, there’s some positive news. If you’re a tobacco user, you can quit this habit and the effects of tobacco will begin to be reduced. As a light smoker you can more easily become a non-smoker and within 5 to 10 years of quitting, you will become low risk as far as cardiac ailments are concerned. If you smoke a lot, you can decrease the risk somewhat but it might not be totally eliminated.

If you use any form of tobacco, now is the time to quit. Don’t wait until you have heart disease to leave this habit behind. Sadly, a large number of individuals wait to stop till they get ill. At that point there are many effects that are irreversible, though quitting will improve your chances of survival and your quality of life. Yet the sooner you stop, the better off you will be.

Heart disease kills more people each year than all of the cancers combined. Learn more about the causes and effects of this epidemic problem, along with treatment information such as herbal remedies for heart disease, at Heart Wellness.

Where To Recieve Help With Your Expensive Prescription drugs

Help for prescriptions is available if you qualify. If you are without healthcare insurance or your program doesn’t cover your drugs, getting the prescription drugs you must have may be expensive. Help with prescriptions can make your recovery go a lot faster. For these patients with brain cancer, this is particularly true.

For patients that are undergoing chemo therapy, the need for anti-nausea prescription medicine is pretty high because of the upset belly that the chemotherapy causes. You will doubtless need to have an iron supplement too for the reason that the chemotherapy will cause you to become anemic. It becomes a fierce cycle. What it amounts to is that a cancer patient might very easy be spending more for prescriptions than their house payment! At this point you need to turn to a prescription program assistance.

When You Need Help Paying for Your Medications

The one thing you don’t want to do is stop taking your medicine. There are quite a few plans offered which provide free and reduced cost prescription medication assistance.

• Hospital Social Worker- Most hospitals boast a social worker who can help you locate grants and other plans aimed at helping you with your healthcare requirements. This will be your first stop in searching for relief. Always tell your doctor if you can’t pay for prescription drugs or medical care. He or she may possibly know of a program firsthand to support you, too.

• PPA- The Partnership for Prescription Assistance is a organization aimed at serving those who can’t afford their prescriptions. They have created a database of more than 325  plans and over 5000 prescriptions provided for reduced or no cost help. They help in determining what you are suitable for and applying for the aid. The assistance is free and given online.

• Drug Companies- A lot of individuals would not consider pharmaceutical companies offer assistance, but a lot might. Pfizer gives a medication package for residents taking their medication and can’t pay for them. Track down the producer of your drugs by asking your medical doctor or pharmacist and check their web site for prescription drugs assistance programs.