Rao bulletin 15 April 2016 html edition this bulletin contains the following articles
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- Mindfulness could change veterans’ brains.
- Zika Virus ► Military Hubs Most At Risk
- Kidney Disease Update 04 ► Controlling Risk Factors
- Should You Be Tested For Kidney Disease
- TRICARE Use While Traveling Update 04 ► How To Obtain
- TRICARE Nurse Advice Line Update 04 ► Right Choice for Care
- Milk ► Fat Content Study | Recommendation
- Migraines Update 01 ► Neuromodulation | New Treatment
- VA helping migraine sufferers with new Cefaly treatment
PTSD Update 208 ► Mindfulness Training | A Ray of Hope Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the scourge of the veterans, is a real illness. Seemingly without an off-switch, it can replay terrible thoughts and memories over and over again in the patients’ minds. Mindfulness – a mind-body technique focusing on in the moment attention and awareness – offers a ray of hope to PTSD sufferers, with a new study showing how it could change veterans’ brains and help them find the off-switch to that endless loop of negative memories. Researchers from the University of Michigan Medical School and VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System studied 23 veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan wars. They split them into two groups assigned to different forms of therapy: nine participants received regular therapy such as problem solving and group support, while 14 of them were given mindfulness training. The mindfulness group saw greater improvements in symptoms through decreased ratings on the standard PTSD scale. While many reported easing symptoms, the mindfulness group revealed surprising brain changes. "The brain findings suggest that mindfulness training may have helped the veterans develop more capacity to shift their attention and get themselves out of being ‘stuck' in painful cycles of thoughts," says Anthony King, the study's lead researcher. 
Mindfulness could change veterans’ brains. Before the mindfulness practice, the veterans’ brains had excess activity in regions involved in threat or external stress response – signifying the endless loop of thoughts in PTSD. However, based on functional MRI results after they learned mindfulness, their brain networks, those involved in thoughts and that of directing and shifting attention, developed stronger connections. At the end of the two-hour, weekly mindfulness course for four months, the mindfulness group showed increased brain connections, particularly the area leading one to purposely move attention to think or act upon something. Those with the greatest relief grew the most brain connections. These findings, said King, offers the potential to help PTSD patients who might initially reject therapy that involves trauma processing, allowing them to regulate their emotions and better process their traumas. “[Mindfulness] helps them feel more grounded, and to notice that even very painful memories have a beginning, a middle and an end – that they can become manageable and feel safer,” he adds. King reminded, however, not to use mindfulness in isolation and to seek out providers specially trained in PTSD management. Mindfulness sessions, for instances, can sometimes trigger a flare-up of symptoms, making trained expertise necessary. The findings were published in the journal Depression and Anxiety. Among Iraq War veterans alone, 11 to 20 percent are afflicted with PTSD symptoms every year, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. These include concentration problems, extreme sensitivity to all sounds, nightmares, fear, and disorientation. A study in the Netherlands in 2015 warned that PTSD can exhibit a spike of recurrence even five years after soldiers returned home from being deployed in Afghanistan, making long-term recurrence a more critical aspect of care. [Source: Tech Times | Katrina Pascual | April 4, 2016 ++] ********************************* Zika Virus ► Military Hubs Most At Risk The Defense Department will monitor installations in 27 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico for mosquitoes that can carry the Zika virus, according to a Pentagon memo released in March. Hoping to ward off spread of the potentially dangerous virus among troops and military family members, senior defense officials have instructed installation managers to increase surveillance for certain mosquito species and to eradicate them in housing areas, near child development and youth centers, around barracks and elsewhere. According to the memo, 190 DoD installations are located in areas where mosquitoes capable of carrying Zika — aedes aegypti, aedes albopictus and aedes polynesiensis — may spread during the summer. 
The memo calls for monitoring, trapping, testing and eliminating water sources that can act as breeding grounds for the pests. “This must be a sustained effort in order to reduce and control the population … failure to implement a coordinated, sustained control effort will allow for a [mosquito population] that could transmit Zika,” wrote Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Dr. Jonathan Woodson and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Basing Peter Potochney. The Zika virus has appeared in 61 countries worldwide and has been linked to birth defects including microcephaly, a condition that causes infants to be born with underdeveloped brains and unusually small heads. Zika also can result in Guillain-Barre syndrome, a disorder that can cause paralysis. Zika, dengue and chikungunya viruses and even yellow fever are transmitted by the aegypti mosquito, the most common carrier, and may be carried by the albopictus mosquito, also known as the Asian Tiger mosquito, and polynesiensis, a mosquito found in the South Pacific. Most mosquitoes cannot survive in most of the United States year-round. But a study published 16 MAR in the journal PLOS Currents: Outbreaks found that nine of 50 U.S. cities analyzed could have a “high abundance of Zika virus-carrying mosquitoes by July.” And a few cities, mainly near Brownsville, Texas, and Miami, Florida, can harbor the mosquitoes year-round, according to the research, conducted by scientists from the National Center for Atmospheric Research, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, North Carolina State University, the University of Arizona, Durham University and Maricopa County, Arizona. But does this mean a Zika outbreak is unavoidable in these cities? Hardly, according to Chris Schmidt, one of the study’s authors and an epidemiology and biostatistics research assistant at the University of Arizona. “To try to put the data in perspective. This is a mathematical model we used to test different hypotheses — what could happen in various scenarios if all the variables were in place. It’s not a forecast," Schmidt said. The team examined weather patterns from 2006 to 2015 to simulate the seasonal abundance of aegypti in the U.S. and found that largely, conditions are unsuitable for survival from December to March, except in the southern parts of Florida and Texas, where warm conditions can support a year-round mosquito population. Florida in 2015 had 11 cases of locally acquired chikungunya, an indication that Zika also could spread there if introduced to the region by a traveler, Schmidt said. "Cities in southern Florida and south Texas have both high seasonal suitability for aedes aegypti and the strong potential for travel-related introduction," Schmidt said. Since the mosquito can live in all 50 cities examined in the study between the months of July and September, Schmidt stressed that mosquito control measures are advisable, even though the likelihood of a widespread outbreak is slim, since most people have access to air-conditioned residences and offices, and local governments in many states practice mosquito abatement. “Our study is not predictive, necessarily. It is designed to lead a discussion and encourage communities not to panic about Zika but not be complacent either,” Schmidt said. 
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention held a summit for state and local health officials April 1 on combating the Zika virus in their communities. CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden said the federal government does not expect widespread infection if local transmission occurs. Still, communities must be vigilant in tamping down on mosquito populations to prevent transmission, said White House Deputy Homeland Security Adviser Amy Pope. "If we wait until we see widespread transmission in the United States, if we wait until the public is panicking because they're seeing babies born with birth defects, we will have waited too late," Pope said. Military bases certainly will be doing their share to prevent the spread of disease-carrying mosquitoes. According to the instruction, they are to trap mosquitoes to determine whether they are ae. agypti and send them to be tested for Zika. They must reduce all potential water sources for breeding and have a response plan if a mosquito tests positive for Zika or another virus. The U.S. has seen 312 cases of Zika in 35 states and D.C., all related to travel, with the exception of six sexually transmitted cases. Of the 312 cases, 27 were pregnant women. There have been 325 locally acquired cases reported in Puerto Rico. [Source: Military Times | Patricia Kime | April 10, 2016 ++] ********************************* Kidney Disease Update 04 ► Controlling Risk Factors Your kidneys are two of your body’s best friends. Besides filtering and cleaning your blood, they also regulate fluids, acidity and key minerals…produce hormones that control blood pressure…and manufacture a form of vitamin D that strengthens bones. But modern life can really clobber your kidneys—high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar and obesity all can damage these vital organs and are major risk factors for chronic kidney disease (CKD). Controlling these big risk factors are the best ways to prevent or control CKD. But recent studies have revealed several new risk factors that might threaten your kidneys. These include… Proton Pump Inhibitors. Americans spend about $11 billion yearly on acid-reducing, heartburn-easing proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), such as esomeprazole (Nexium) and omeprazole (Prilosec). Researchers at Johns Hopkins University studied more than 10,000 people with normal kidney function. After 15 years, those using PPIs were 20% to 50% more likely to develop CKD. A possible explanation is that PPIs may cause interstitial nephritis—inflammation and scarring in the kidneys.
High Acid Diet. Just as our oceans are becoming more acidic and threatening marine life, scientists are finding that an acidic diet threatens our kidneys. When researchers analyzed 14 years of health data for nearly 1,500 people with CKD, they found that those who ate a high-acid, junk food–laden diet that included red meat, processed foods, sweets and few fruits and vegetables were three times more likely to develop kidney failure.
Too Much Phosphorus. The mineral phosphorus is a must—for cellular health, energy and digestion, a steady heartbeat and strong bones and teeth. But too much phosphorus damages the kidneys and the circulatory system. In a study conducted by kidney specialists involving nearly 10,000 people, it was found that an excess of phosphorus in the diet was linked to more than double the risk of dying from any cause and three times the risk of dying from heart disease. In another study, higher levels of dietary phosphorus sped up the decline from CKD to end-stage renal disease. Red meat and dairy products are rich in phosphorus, but about 40% of the phosphorus in our daily diets is from phosphorus-containing additives used to extend shelf life and improve flavor and texture. Those additives are just about everywhere—including in many flavored waters, iced teas, nondairy creamers and bottled coffee beverages.
Sitting Too Much. It’s not just lack of regular exercise that contributes to chronic health problems such as heart disease— it’s also excessive sitting. And sitting takes a toll on your kidneys, too. In a study of nearly 6,000 people, every 80-minute period of sitting during the day increased the likelihood of CKD by 20%, according to research from the University Of Utah School Of Medicine. That was true whether or not the person exercised regularly or had diabetes, high blood pressure or obesity.
Should You Be Tested For Kidney Disease? More than 25 million Americans have chronic kidney disease (CKD)—but only 6% know it! Beware: The symptoms of kidney disease (such as swollen legs, feet and/or ankles…frequent urination…fatigue…and/or dry, itchy skin) are not likely to be noticed until you reach end-stage renal disease because the body is very good at adapting to loss of kidney function until most of the function is gone. Recommend you have a Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) blood test to measure kidney function. A filtration rate of less than 60 mL/min for more than three months means that you have CKD. Most insurance companies pay for the cost of the test if the patient has a risk factor for kidney disease—such as high blood pressure…type 2 diabetes…obesity…age (65 or older)…or a family history of the disease (a parent or sibling who has CKD). If you have a risk factor for CKD, get the test every year. Otherwise, there’s usually no need for testing, but be sure to consult your doctor for advice. [Source: Bottom Line Health | Orlando Gutiérrez, MD | March 1, 2016 ++] ******************************** TRICARE Use While Traveling Update 04 ► How To Obtain Are you on Spring Break or preparing for vacation? Either way, you should know how to get medical or dental care when you need it. Your rules for getting care depend on your TRICARE plan and travel destination.
Standard and Extra beneficiaries can visit any TRICARE-Authorized Provider. An authorized provider is any individual, institution/organization, or supplier that is licensed by a state, accredited by national organization, or meets other standards of the medical community, and is certified to provide benefits under TRICARE. There are two types of TRICARE-authorized providers (Network and Non-Network) for care, whether stateside or overseas. Keep in mind, if you’re overseas, you may need to pay up front and file a claim with the overseas claims processor for reimbursement. If you need dental care and are enrolled in the TRICARE Dental Program, you can visit any licensed dentist for treatment. You can search (https://employeedental.metlife.com/dental/public/EmpEntry.do) for a participating dentist both stateside and overseas. TRICARE Retiree Dental Program enrollees can search for a stateside dentist or call Delta Dental’s international dentist referral service collect at 1-312-356-5971. Call 1-215-942-8226 for dental emergencies. Don’t forget about your prescriptions (http://www.tricare.mil/CoveredServices/Pharmacy/FillPrescriptions.aspx). TRICARE beneficiaries have several options for filling prescriptions; military hospitals or clinics, network pharmacies, non-network pharmacies and home delivery. If you’re traveling stateside and you don’t know what to do for care, call the TRICARE Nurse Advice Line at 1-800-TRICARE, Option 1. You can get information about all of your TRICARE benefits on the TRICARE website http://www.tricare.mil. [Source: TREA Washington Update | April 4, 2016 ++] ******************************** TRICARE Nurse Advice Line Update 04 ► Right Choice for Care Do you know that more than half of all adults 65 and older have three or more chronic medical problems, such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, or arthritis? Older adults can have multiple health problems and not know whether they need to see a doctor or can administer self-care. Have you considered TRICARE’s Nurse Advice Line (NAL)? If you are suffering from a rash, a sinus infection, or perhaps you just have a common cold; there is help! When you call the NAL, a registered nurse will help you assess if you can handle your health concern with self-care or if you need to see a medical professional. Since its launch, the NAL has been able to increase patient safety and further ensure a positive patient experience. Military Health System (MHS) Patient Centered Medical Home (PCHM) team members can access live NAL information so they are aware of their patients’ situation and can provide follow-up, if needed. The NAL is a great medical assessment tool that provides access to care, especially after hours and when traveling, which is great for retirees on the move. When you don’t know what kind of care you need, the NAL helps you access the right type of care at the right time. The NAL can also help you find a doctor and schedule next-day appointments at military hospitals and clinics when available. The NAL is an easy option for beneficiaries to get information on their medical problems quickly and at any time. To access the NAL dial 1-800-TRICARE (874-2273) and select option 1. At http://www.tricare.mil/ContactUs/CallUs/NAL.aspx you can obtain more information about the Nurse Advice Line. [Source: TRICARE Communications | April 4, 2016 ++] ******************************** Milk ► Fat Content Study | Recommendation Don’t feel guilty for passing over that carton of blue-tinged skim milk in favor of whole milk next time you’re in the dairy aisle. It turns out, consuming full-fat dairy, like whole milk, may be a healthier choice than the low-fat or fat-free alternatives, like skim milk. According to a new study published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation, people who regularly consume full-fat dairy weigh less and are less likely to develop diabetes than those who consume low-fat dairy products. 
In analyzing the blood of 3,333 adults taken over 15 years, researchers discovered that people who eat full-fat dairy had an average 46 percent lower risk of developing diabetes than people who consumed low-fat or fat-free dairy, Time reports. “I think these findings together with those from other studies do call for a change in the policy of recommending only low-fat dairy products,” said Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, adjunct assistant professor of epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, who led the study. “There is no prospective human evidence that people who eat low-fat dairy do better than people who eat whole-fat dairy.” Experts believe that eating high-fat foods keep you feeling full longer, possibly reducing how many calories you consume. People who reduce their fat intake tend to replace it with carbohydrates and sugar, which can increase their risk of developing diabetes. “This is just one more piece of evidence showing that we really need to stop making recommendations about food based on theories about one nutrient in food,” says Mozaffarian. “It’s crucial at this time to understand that it’s about food as a whole, and not about single nutrients.” Mozaffarian isn’t recommending that you go out and eat or drink a lot of full-fat dairy. Instead, he said it’s smart to eat a mix of high-, low- and no-fat dairy products. “In the absence of any evidence for the superior effects of low-fat dairy, and some evidence that there may be better benefits of whole-fat dairy products for diabetes, why are we recommending only low-fat diary?” Mozaffarian told Time. “We should be telling people to eat a variety of dairy and remove the recommendation about fat content.” [Source: MoneyTalksNews | Krystal Steinmetz | April 07, 2016 ++] ******************************** Migraines Update 01 ► Neuromodulation | New Treatment We’ve all experienced a really bad headache at some point in our lives. But what if you were having a real head-splitter three or four times a week? The good folks at the W. G. (Bill) Hefner VA Medical Center - Salisbury, NC might have discovered a cure for all that pain. Dr. Alton Bryant, a neurologist at Salisbury said, “One of my patients told me about this new device that was approved by the FDA in 2014. I’ve been prescribing it for about six months now. I think it’s a solid treatment, certainly as good as our standard migraine medicines.” Bryant explained, “It’s a futuristic-looking device that you place on your head, like a metallic headband. It sends electrical impulses back into your brainstem, where they interrupt your pain circuits. You need to wear it every day for at least 20 minutes. You can wear it more than that, if you want, but 20 minutes is the minimum.” He added: “Using electrical impulses to control pain is called neuromodulation and it’s a big focus in medicine right now.”   
VA helping migraine sufferers with new Cefaly treatment The mysterious device goes by the name of Cefaly –pronounced Sef-a-lee— and looks like it was beamed down from the Starship Enterprise. “I call it my ‘Geordi device,’ because that’s what it looks like,” said Marine Corps Veteran Rodney Harrington. (Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge, blind since birth, was the chief engineering officer on the USS Enterprise. He wore a special visor that enabled him to ‘see.’) “I was kind of skeptical, but I gave it a try,” Harrington said. “I went from having two to four migraines a week to having maybe two per month. It really works. I usually wear it in the afternoon or evening. It’s very calming. It’s kind of a good way to end the day.” “I’ve had migraines for 20 years, and this is the first thing that’s really made a difference for me.” Harrington, 44, said his Geordi device is a welcome alternative to the various pills he was taking daily to control his pain. “The meds I was taking would make me feel like a zombie,” he said. “I call them knock-out pills. But this thing just relaxes me. And it’s small and lightweight, so whenever I go out of town I just throw it in my bag and take it with me. “I haven’t taken my meds in quite some time now,” he added, “so this has definitely been a benefit. I’ve had migraine problems for 20 years and this is the first thing that’s really made a difference for me.” “It’s a preventative,” observed Dr. Alton Bryant. “And like any migraine preventative it will work extremely well for some people, moderately well for others, and not well at all for some. I can say it’s been beneficial for most of my patients. Well over half my patients have a moderate to very good response.” Only half? So why doesn’t it work for everyone? “That’s true of any treatment,” said the neurologist. “That’s why we have 10 different pills for epilepsy. That’s why we have so many different kinds of blood pressure medications. Everyone’s different, and everyone will respond to a given treatment differently.” Bryant said migraines are the single biggest reason people visit a neurologist. “More people see a neurologist for migraines than dementia, stroke, or Parkinson’s,” he said. “We’re fortunate to have Cefaly as an optional treatment, because here at VA we’re trying to avoid prescribing meds whenever possible. “You always have to worry about your patients not taking their meds correctly,” the neurologist continued, “so we’re always open to trying alternatives like Cefaly. Because even when your patients take their meds correctly, there’s always side effects or interactions with other meds they’re taking. Side effects can add up. But when you use electrical impulses to prevent pain, you don’t have to worry about any of that.” “I was taking a lot of over-the-counter pain killers,” said another of Bryant’s patients, 53-year-old Randy Stegall. “And some of the prescription meds I was taking made me feel funny. I won’t say this new device is a cure-all, but it’s given me a lot of relief. You have to get used to the sensation, though. It kind of puts you in a very relaxed state. It’s almost like meditating. You might not want to drive a car or operate heavy machinery right after using it.” Stegall, an Army Veteran, said the Cefaly device has only one notable drawback. “When you first see it, you have to refrain from making a comical remark about it,” he laughed. “It’s definitely different-looking. When I put it on, I just tell people I’m going to take a few minutes to shock my brain and I’ll be right back.” Different looking though it might be, but Cefaly appears to have had a distinct impact on the quality of Stegall’s life. “It’s reduced the amount of meds I’m taking,” he said. “When you’ve had a headache for 14 days, you’re willing to try anything to get relief, and this thing works. If you’re having issues with headaches, it’s worth a try. It’s a comfort, having it here, knowing I can use it whenever I need it.” “Initially, in the doctor’s office, it felt kind of funny,” said 49-year-old Army Veteran Mark Brooks. “I didn’t think I would like it. But I wanted to give it a fair shot. So I took it home and kept using it. My migraines are real severe, but when I started using it consistently I stopped getting the severe ones as much. “If my migraines were at a 10, they’re probably at a six now,” he added. “Six is better than ten.” Brooks said his pain never really goes away, which is why he’s on three different medications in addition to his daily Cefaly treatment. He said he hopes the science of neuromodulation continues to advance so that perhaps one day he can be pain free. “When I first started getting migraines, back in the 90s, I felt there was no way I could live with it,” he said. “The pain was so severe. I felt like maybe I had a tumor or something and that I was going to die. But now I feel like there’s more hope for me.” [Source: VAntage Point | Tom Cramer | April 07, 2016 ++] ******************************** Directory: wp-content -> uploads -> 2016 2016 -> 2017 afoCo Landmark Scholarship Program 2016 -> Instructions for the Preparation of Camera-Ready Contributions to the Conference Proceedings 2016 -> Step student Scholarships for Year 10-13 2016 -> The united church of canada 2016 -> Idan raichel biography – May 2016 Brief Producer, keyboardist, Lyricist, composer and Performer Idan Raichel 2016 -> An introduction to centre’s interventions expanding access to justice 2016 -> Sanchar Shakti 2016 -> Unit analysis should help here. We want number of bananas 2016 -> The Autobiography of Elder Joseph Bates 2016 -> The Great Heat and the Rhode Island Deep Water Bay Scallop (Argopecten irradians) Fishery 1875-1905 Download 0.88 Mb. Share with your friends:
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