Tiger says he's getting 'professional help'

MIAMI -- Tiger Woods, arrested three weeks ago for impaired driving, said Monday he is receiving "professional help" to manage his medications and help cope with back pain and a sleep disorder.

Woods, a 14-time major golf champion who has not won a PGA Tour title since 2013, was arrested May 29 when police in Jupiter, Florida, found him asleep at the wheel of his car on a road.

A police report uncovered by The Golf Channel said Woods told authorities he had not been drinking but had a reaction to several prescription drugs, including Xanax, which can be used to treat insomnia.

Woods, 41, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, although he did not show any sign of alcohol in a breathalyzer test.

 
His arraignment on those charges has been set for August 9.

In his first comments since the release of police video footage showing him struggling to pass a sobriety test, Woods said he has sought aid in fighting medicating issues.

"I'm currently receiving professional help to manage my medications and the ways that I deal with back pain and a sleep disorder," Woods wrote in a posting on Twitter.

"I want to thank everyone for the amazing outpouring of support and understanding, especially the fans and players on tour."

Leigh Steinberg, Woods's agent, told ESPN that Woods was undergoing "in-patient treatment."

Last month, Woods announced he had undergone a fourth back surgery that would cause him to miss the rest of the season, ending a comeback that began last December but lasted only three tournaments.

Woods, who last won a major title at the 2008 US Open, has won 79 career PGA titles, three shy of Sam Snead's all-time record.

Next week's PGA event in suburban Washington is operated by Woods's charity foundation, with Woods often serving as host.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Disease or syndrome: Know the difference

MANILA -- A syndrome is different from a disease, and it usually affects more than just one body part.

In an interview on DZMM's "Magandang Gabi Dok," Dr. Joseph Lee, a urologist and surgeon, explained that unlike diseases, syndromes do not usually get treated.

"Ang syndrome kasi, ang classical, sabihin natin, manifestations and symptoms. Ganun naman, lahat naman ng sakit meron tayong any substance or medications na pwedeng gamutin ano, from medications, marami tayo," Lee said.

He added that medications are used merely to manage the symptoms of syndromes.

The causes of most syndromes are usually unknown.

"That's why it is a syndrome. It's never a disease because you are not specific, hindi tayo specific on that point," Lee said.

Diseases, on the other hand, can be treated, with its cause known.

An example of a syndrome is Parkinson's Disease. Although it is called a disease, doctors consider it as a syndrome, since it affects a person's motor system.

Also known as hypokinetic-rigid syndrome, Parkinson's disease is caused by the build up of lewy bodies, abnormal aggregates of protein, inside the nerve cells and the midbrain, or the substancia nigra.

The substancia nigra is a part of the brain that plays an important role in reward, addiction, and movement

Symptoms of Parkinson's include tremors and rigidity. Patients also tend to have what is called the Parkinsonian gait.

Patients also have difficulties in speaking, finding it difficult to move muscles in the mouth.

"Nagsasalita siya pero medyo may kabagalan o hindi mo na naiintindihan ang lenggwahe na lumalabas sa kanyang bibig," Lee said.

Among celebrities suffering from Parkinson's are Michael J. Fox, Muhammad Ali and Freddie Roach.

The exact cause of Parkinson's is unknown, but is connected to different factors such as genetics, exposure to pesticides and toxins, and in case of boxers, head injury.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Older adults overlook prescription warning labels, study suggests

Reading the fine print on prescription drug warning labels can be hard enough. But a new study suggests that many people, especially older ones, don’t notice these advisories at all. Colored warning stickers, which pharmacists often slap on pill vials in addition to the standard white pharmacy labels, highlight key safety instructions, such as “Avoid smoking while taking this drug” or “Do not drive while taking this medication.” The study findings suggest that the design and placement of these labels needs an overhaul to better prevent patients from making possibly harmful medication errors.

Notably, 17 participants over the age of 50 were much less likely to notice the warning labels than 15 participants who were ages 20 to 29. Younger adults scanned pill vials more actively, while the older ones fixed their gaze in a more stationary fashion, and often missed the warnings. These results hold particular significance because older adults often take more medications than younger ones, putting them at greater risk of making mistakes.

The research team included packaging experts and a psychologist from Michigan State University and a statistician from Kansas State University. The researchers presented study subjects with five prescription bags, each containing a single vial bearing a warning label with a unique message and color. “You have just been delivered prescription medications from the pharmacy,” they instructed patients. “Please do as you would normally do. Feel free to examine the vials as you please.”

Study subjects wore headsets with eye-tracking software that allowed researchers to record where they directed their gazes. The scientists recorded how often participants’ eyes passed over three regions of the vial: the white pharmacy label, the warning label, and the vial cap. Then the researchers presented the subjects with 10 warning labels, five which were identical to the ones they had seen, and others with different colors but the same text. The subjects were asked to recall which labels adorned the pill vials they received.

While all study subjects noticed the standard white pharmacy labels, the separate warning labels drew much less attention. Only half of the 32 subjects noticed all five warning stickers, and 22% did not notice any of the warnings at all. These results greatly differed by age: less than a third of the older adults spotted all five warnings, while nearly three-quarters of the young adults did the same. Older subjects were also less likely to recognize the warning labels after the fact, primarily because they hadn’t seen them in the first place. When older adults actually noticed the labels, they recalled them just as well as younger ones.

There are currently no federal regulations or standards that dictate how warning labels should look or what they should say. The study authors recommend redesigning labels in a way that will attract attention, especially for older adults. The color of the label doesn’t matter, their study found. However, all participants know to look at the large white pharmacy labels, so perhaps warnings should feature prominently in that space, rather than a separate location where they are overlooked.

source: latimes.com

Prenatal smoking tied to worse asthma in kids

NEW YORK- Children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy may have a tougher time controlling their asthma than other kids do, a new study suggests.

The findings, from a study of nearly 2,500 U.S. kids, add to evidence that prenatal smoking may affect children's future lung health.

There are already plenty of reasons for women to quit smoking during, and ideally before, pregnancy, said lead researcher Sam Oh, of the University of California San Francisco.

This study offers more motivation for women, and for doctors to ask moms and expectant moms about smoking, Oh said in an interview.

"Pregnancy is a great opportunity for smoking cessation," he said.

Smoking during pregnancy is linked to increased risks of miscarriage, low birth weight, certain birth defects and other pregnancy complications.

As for asthma, many studies have found that secondhand smoke may worsen children's asthma symptoms, or possibly raise their risk of developing the lung disease in the first place. The same risks have been linked to moms' prenatal smoking.

But, Oh's team says, it has not been clear how much of an impact prenatal smoking might have on kids' asthma symptoms later in life, independent of any current exposure to secondhand smoke.

HIGHER RISK AMONG POOR MINORITIES

For their study, the researchers focused on 2,481 black and Hispanic kids between the ages of 8 and 17 who all had asthma and were mostly from low-income families.

In the U.S., poor, minority children are at particular risk of asthma. About 16 percent of low-income black children have asthma, versus the national prevalence of 9 percent, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In this study, almost 19 percent of African-American moms smoked at some point during pregnancy, as did 5.5 percent of Hispanic moms.

Overall, their kids were at greater risk of poor asthma control later in life, even when childhood secondhand-smoke exposure was taken into account -- as well as other factors like a child's age and asthma medication use.

About 30 percent of Hispanic kids and 38 percent of black kids had poorly controlled asthma symptoms -- and the risk was 50 percent for those exposed to smoking in the womb, versus unexposed kids.

"There are measurable effects even years down the road," Oh said.

The findings do not, however, prove that prenatal smoking, itself, causes more-severe asthma symptoms later in life. They can only point to a correlation.

But there is lab research, in animals and human cells, suggesting there could be a direct effect, Oh pointed out.

Fetal exposure to tobacco smoke may, for example, impair early lung development, or have lasting effects on the activity of certain genes.

The bottom line, according to Oh, is that there is already a host of reasons for pregnant women to quit smoking for good, and this may be one more.

"This study provides more impetus for healthcare providers to ask about smoking at each visit," he said.

Some pregnant women may be able to quit with behavioral counseling. In some cases, a doctor may prescribe nicotine replacement therapy or other medication.

source: interaksyon.com

Botox ingredient has limited effect on headaches: study

NEW YORK - The main ingredient in Botox may be modestly helpful for people with chronic migraines, a new report suggests, but the wrinkle treatment doesn't seem to offer much relief for those whose headaches are less frequent.

Patients who started out having headaches almost daily reported two fewer headaches per month when they were given injections of botulinum toxin A. They also had more side effects, including weak muscles and a stiff neck.

The medication is marketed under multiple brands, but NEW YORK - The main ingredient in Botox may be modestly helpful for people with chronic migraines, a new report suggests, but the wrinkle treatment doesn't seem to offer much relief for those whose headaches are less frequent.

Patients who started out having headaches almost daily reported two fewer headaches per month when they were given injections of botulinum toxin A. They also had more side effects, including weak muscles and a stiff neck.

The medication is marketed under multiple brands, but Allergan's Botox is the best known. Botox is used to treat a range of conditions, including migraines and excessive sweating.

"The effect these appear to be having on migraine headaches is small -- it only reduces headaches by a couple of days a month," said Dr. Jeffrey Jackson, the study's lead researcher, from the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.

That's "really, really modest," he told Reuters Health.

Still, it's possible that some chronic migraine patients will benefit from injections much more than others, he said.

For their new analysis, he and his colleagues looked back at 27 studies in which more than 5,000 headache patients were randomly assigned to get botulinum toxin A injections in the head and neck or an injection of a drug-free placebo. The study was published on Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The initial trials varied widely in their use of the drug, with researchers injecting the medication into any of four to 58 spots, either at a single time or at three different times a few months apart.

Most trials allowed patients to use other headache medication in addition to the injections.

Study participants with chronic headaches or chronic migraines initially reported having 17 to 20 headaches per month, on average. Twelve weeks or more after getting botulinum toxin A injections, that had dropped by an average of two monthly headaches, compared to patients getting the placebo.

In people with fewer migraines to begin with -- six per month, on average -- the drug injections didn't seem to provide any change in headache frequency. The findings were consistent regardless of patients' age as well as the botulinum toxin A dose and injection strategy used.

Impact still significant

About half of study participants experienced side effects during the trials. People randomly assigned to receive the active drug injections were 25 percent more likely to report any type of side effect. Muscle weakness was nine times more common in those patients, and neck pain or stiffness was reported three to five times more often than in the placebo groups.

Botox is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to treat chronic migraines -- but not for less-frequent "episodic" headaches, a spokesperson for Allergan noted.

Headache researcher Dr. Vincent Martin, from the University of Cincinnati, said doctors have known for years that Botox doesn't help people with less-frequent headaches -- and the new review "gives a more definitive conclusion" on that.

But given that Botox is the only FDA-approved treatment for chronic migraines -- the most disabling type of headache -- its effect in those patients is not insignificant, said Martin, who wasn't involved in the new study.

"It's a very important treatment for many people with chronic migraine -- not for everyone," he told Reuters Health.

The drug costs nearly $1,000 for the dose used in chronic migraine patients, and injections aren't typically covered by insurance, according to Jackson.

He said the study had no outside funding source and wasn't linked to any companies that make botulinum toxin A products.

Dr. Mitchell Brin, Allergan's Chief Scientific Officer for Botox, pointed out that previous studies have suggested people with chronic migraines who are prescribed the drug also tend to have shorter-lasting migraines on the days when they still have headaches.

The difference equaled about 40 fewer hours per month of pain, compared to patients given placebo injections, he said.

That's "quite meaningful," Brin told Reuters Health. "The impact on their lives is quite significant."

Martin agreed that doctors often take into account more than just headache frequency when they prescribe the injections.

"Just looking at headache days per month may not tell the whole story," he said.is the best known. Botox is used to treat a range of conditions, including migraines and excessive sweating.

"The effect these appear to be having on migraine headaches is small -- it only reduces headaches by a couple of days a month," said Dr. Jeffrey Jackson, the study's lead researcher, from the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.

That's "really, really modest," he told Reuters Health.

Still, it's possible that some chronic migraine patients will benefit from injections much more than others, he said.

For their new analysis, he and his colleagues looked back at 27 studies in which more than 5,000 headache patients were randomly assigned to get botulinum toxin A injections in the head and neck or an injection of a drug-free placebo. The study was published on Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The initial trials varied widely in their use of the drug, with researchers injecting the medication into any of four to 58 spots, either at a single time or at three different times a few months apart.

Most trials allowed patients to use other headache medication in addition to the injections.

Study participants with chronic headaches or chronic migraines initially reported having 17 to 20 headaches per month, on average. Twelve weeks or more after getting botulinum toxin A injections, that had dropped by an average of two monthly headaches, compared to patients getting the placebo.

In people with fewer migraines to begin with -- six per month, on average -- the drug injections didn't seem to provide any change in headache frequency. The findings were consistent regardless of patients' age as well as the botulinum toxin A dose and injection strategy used.

Impact still significant

About half of study participants experienced side effects during the trials. People randomly assigned to receive the active drug injections were 25 percent more likely to report any type of side effect. Muscle weakness was nine times more common in those patients, and neck pain or stiffness was reported three to five times more often than in the placebo groups.

Botox is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to treat chronic migraines -- but not for less-frequent "episodic" headaches, a spokesperson for Allergan noted.

Headache researcher Dr. Vincent Martin, from the University of Cincinnati, said doctors have known for years that Botox doesn't help people with less-frequent headaches -- and the new review "gives a more definitive conclusion" on that.

But given that Botox is the only FDA-approved treatment for chronic migraines -- the most disabling type of headache -- its effect in those patients is not insignificant, said Martin, who wasn't involved in the new study.

"It's a very important treatment for many people with chronic migraine -- not for everyone," he told Reuters Health.

The drug costs nearly $1,000 for the dose used in chronic migraine patients, and injections aren't typically covered by insurance, according to Jackson.

He said the study had no outside funding source and wasn't linked to any companies that make botulinum toxin A products.

Dr. Mitchell Brin, Allergan's Chief Scientific Officer for Botox, pointed out that previous studies have suggested people with chronic migraines who are prescribed the drug also tend to have shorter-lasting migraines on the days when they still have headaches.

The difference equaled about 40 fewer hours per month of pain, compared to patients given placebo injections, he said.

That's "quite meaningful," Brin told Reuters Health. "The impact on their lives is quite significant."

Martin agreed that doctors often take into account more than just headache frequency when they prescribe the injections.

"Just looking at headache days per month may not tell the whole story," he said.

source: interaksyon.com

Telephones may help cure chronic pain

Researchers may have found another use for the telephone - as an aid to address chronic widespread pain, or fibromyalgia.

But no, it's not an app. It's just good, old-fashioned talk-on-the-phone therapy, researchers at UK's University of Aberdeen and the University of Manchester said.

"TCBT (telephone-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy) was associated with substantial, statistically significant, and sustained improvements in patient global assessment," the researchers said in their conclusion.

In their study, the researchers picked at random 442 patients with chronic widespread pain and had them receive six months of TCBT, graded exercise, combined intervention, or treatment as usual (TAU).

With a seven-point patient global assessment scale of change in health since trial enrollment (range: very much worse to very much better), was assessed at baseline and six months (intervention end) and nine months after randomization.

The results of the treatments showed a positive outcome at six and nine months, respectively:


TAU group, 8 percent after six months, 8 percent after nine months
TCBT group, 30 percent after six months and 33 percent after nine months
Exercise group, 35 percent after six months and 24 percent after nine months
Combined intervention group, 37 percent after six months and 37 percent after nine months.


At six and nine months, combined intervention was associated with improvements in the 36-Item Short Form Health Questionnaire and a reduction in passive coping strategies.

The researchers included John McBeth, MA, PhD; Gordon Prescott, BSc, MSc, PhD; Graham Scotland, BSc, MSc; Karina Lovell, PhD, MSc, BA, RN; Philip Keeley, RN, BA, MA, PhD; Phil Hannaford, MD, FRCGP, FFSRH, FFPH, DRCOG, DCH; Paul McNamee, MA, MSc, PhD; Deborah P. M. Symmons, MD, FFPH, FRCP; Steve Woby, PhD; Chrysa Gkazinou, BSc(Hons); Marcus Beasley, BSc(Hons); Gary J. Macfarlane, PhD, MD(Hons).

Treatment costs

A separate report on tech site CNET noted the first six months following diagnosis may cost a patient an average of $3,481 for medications, consultations, tests, and emergency room visits.

This prompted the researchers to investigate two less expensive alternatives: exercise and cognitive behavioral therapy (by phone).

"(These results) demonstrate that we can improve symptoms for many people. We have examined two options--a graded exercise program and CBT--and found both to be effective," said MacFarlane.

Findings showed that after six months, 8.1 percent of participants in the control group reported positive outcomes, compared with 29.9 percent of the talk therapy group; 34.8 percent of the exercise group; and 37.2 percent of the combined intervention group.

Results were similar at a nine-month follow-up. — TJD, GMA News

Source: gmanews.tv