Health & WellnessS


Health

Nevada woman dies from superbug infection resistant to 26 different antibiotics


RT
Fri, 13 Jan 2017 19:22 UTC
lab workers
© Pascal Deloche / GODONG / www.globallookpress.com
A woman in Nevada died when a superbug she picked up in India proved resistant to all 26 antibiotics available in the US, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The account of the unnamed woman's death was made public on Friday in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Public health officials said a 70-year-old resident of Washoe County arrived in the US in August last year after an extensive visit to India. She was admitted to an acute care hospital on August 18 and isolated with a resistant bacterial infection from a wound that had spread throughout her system.

"It was tested against everything that's available in the United States... and was not effective," Dr Alexander Kallen, a medical officer with the CDC who first reported the discovery of the superbug, told health news site Stat.

Comment: See also:

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SOTT Logo Radio

SOTT Focus: The Health & Wellness Show: Seeing the Light with Dr. Alexander Wunsch


Sott.net
Fri, 13 Jan 2017 16:00 UTC
alexander wunsch
How important is sunlight for the human body? Can it act as an energy source? And what are the biological consequences of living under artificial lights? Tune in to this week's show as Dr Alexander Wunsch, a world leading expert in light medicine and photobiology, shares with us his extensive knowledge of light's effects on biological systems. Aside from conducting research, Dr Wunsch utilizes a wide range of therapeutic treatments including chromotherapy, vibrational medicine and Cranio-Sacral body work at his private clinical practice in Heidelberg, Germany.

Join us for this exciting episode of the Health and Wellness Show where we'll discuss the necessity of natural light sources for maintaining health, the importance of adhering to chronobiological and circadian cycles and the toxic effects of artificial light exposure.

Relevant links:

https://vimeo.com/alexanderwunsch

http://www.spektrochrom.de/

http://www.unihedron.com/projects/spectrum/downloads/spectrum_20100428.pdf

Running Time: 02:12:09

Download: MP3


Here's the transcript of the show:
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Syringe

EpiPen maker set to lose $800mn in 2017 as CVS & Cigna turn to company's rivals


RT
Fri, 13 Jan 2017 15:57 UTC
EpiPen
© Jim Bourg / Reuters
Mylan, the controversial EpiPen maker, could lose much of the gains it made by hiking up the price of the lifesaving epinephrine auto-injector. Pharmacy chain CVS and insurance company Cigna have both announced they will turn toward the company's rivals.

EpiPen administers a quick dose of epinephrine to counter a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis. With competition to EpiPen from name-brand and generic options set to hit the market in the first half of 2017, CVS and Cigna both announced policy changes that will help consumers - and hurt Mylan. At least five state Medicaid programs are also pushing alternative injectors.

CVS, the nation's second-largest pharmacy, announced Thursday that it will offer Adrenaclick, the authorized generic version of EpiPen made by Impax, at a cash price of $110 for a two-pack, about a sixth of the cost of Mylan's name-brand injector.

Comment: Enterprising doctor and pharmacist come up with cheaper alternatives to the ridiculously priced EpiPen

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Health

Study finds "substantial and conclusive evidence" marijuana effective in treating chronic pain


RT
Fri, 13 Jan 2017 15:37 UTC
marijuana plant
© Jaime Saldarriaga / Reuters
Marijuana is effective in treating some illnesses, but there's not enough science to determine its efficacy for others, a new report has found. The massive study may be the most up-to-date and comprehensive look at the efficacy of medical cannabis ever.

There is "substantial" and "conclusive" evidence that cannabinoids, the compounds found in marijuana plants, can be useful for patients with chronic pain ‒ the most common complaint among medical marijuana users, according to the report ‒ nausea and vomiting, as well as multiple sclerosis and muscle spasms, the study by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) found.

There are also downsides to pot use. Driving while under the influence of marijuana does increase the risk of a crash, the study found. However, it noted that the introduction of medical cannabis to an area has been found to decrease the total number of accidents, indicating that effective policy and responsible use may alleviate increased risk of crashes.

Researchers found evidence that smoking marijuana is not linked to smoking-related cancers, but does increase the risk of bronchitis. The report was not able to find sufficient evidence that cannabis can help treat cancer, a longtime claim of medical marijuana advocates. Nausea related to chemotherapy can be alleviated by ingesting the plant, though.
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Syringe

Mercury, Vaccines and the CDC's Worst Nightmare

Rita Shreffler
EcoWatch
Thu, 15 Dec 2016 12:57 UTC
Robert F Keneddy, Jr
(Left to Right) Laura Bono, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Lyn Redwood are leading the charge against toxic mercury exposures.
For over three decades, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has been one of the world's leading environmental advocates. He is the founder and president of Waterkeeper Alliance, the umbrella group for 300 local waterkeeper organizations, in 34 countries, that track down and sue polluters. Under his leadership, Waterkeeper has grown to become the world's largest clean water advocacy organization.

Around 2005, parents of vaccine-injured children started encountering Kennedy's speeches and writings about the toxic mercury-based preservative thimerosal. They embraced new hope that this environmental champion would finally expose the truth about vaccine injury and win justice for injured children. Kennedy is known for his fierce and relentless brand of environmental activism and his advocacy for transparent government and rigorous science. He is now applying his tenacious energies and sophisticated strategies to exposing the fraud and corruption within the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the pharmaceutical industry. Last month, he launched his new non-profit, the World Mercury Project, with vaccine safety advocates Lyn Redwood and Laura Bono, legends themselves among parents of vaccine-injured children. Autism File executive editor Rita Shreffler spoke with Kennedy about CDC corruption, pharmaceutical industry greed, media malpractice and his vision for the World Mercury Project.

Comment: Hopefully we'll hear more about Robert Kennedy, Jr. in the near future:

Trump appoints noted vaccine skeptic RFK Jr. to chair a commission to investigate vaccine safety

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Attention

A Nevada woman dies of a superbug resistant to every available antibiotic in the US

Helen Branswell
Raw Story
Fri, 13 Jan 2017 00:37 UTC
Drug resistant bacteria on petri dish
© ShutterstockDrug resistant bacteria on petri dish
Public health officials from Nevada are reporting on a case of a woman who died in Reno in September from an incurable infection. Testing showed the superbug that had spread throughout her system could fend off 26 different antibiotics.

"It was tested against everything that's available in the United States ... and was not effective," said Dr. Alexander Kallen, a medical officer in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's division of health care quality promotion.

Although this isn't the first time someone in the US has been infected with pan-resistant bacteria, at this point, it is not common. It is, however, alarming.
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Pills

Acid suppression medications linked to serious gastrointestinal infections


Medical Xpress
Thu, 05 Jan 2017 18:35 UTC
nexium
In a population-based study from Scotland, use of commonly-prescribed acid suppression medications such as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) was linked with an increased risk of intestinal infections with C. difficileand Campylobacter bacteria, which can cause considerable illness.

Compared with individuals in the community who did not take acid suppression medications, those who did had 1.7-times and 3.7-times increased risks of C. difficile and Campylobacter, respectively. Among hospitalized patients, those using the medications had 1.4-times and 4.5-times increased risks, respectively.

Although acid suppression therapy is often considered relatively free from side effects, the findings suggest that there are significant adverse gastrointestinal consequences of their use.


Comment: That is simply not true: Proton Pump Inhibitors: So dangerous that prescriptions border on being criminal


"Users of these medications should be particularly vigilant about food hygiene as the removal of stomach acid makes them more easily infected with agents such as Campylobacter, which is commonly found on poultry," said Prof. Thomas MacDonald, senior author of the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology study.

Comment: See also:

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Heart

Stress, heart health, and the amygdala: Links explained

Tim Newman
Medical News Today
Thu, 12 Jan 2017 12:06 UTC
stress and work
© UnknownBreaking research explains why stress can contribute to poor heart health.
That long-term stress is linked to cardiovascular disease is not breaking news. However, despite the well-known connection, exactly how the two are coupled has been difficult to pinpoint. Two studies published this week provide new insight.

Psychological stress carries with it a wealth of ills. In fact, excessive stress is known to contribute to a range of conditions, including hypertension (high blood pressure), ulcers, asthma, and irritable bowel syndrome.

It also has a well-documented impact on heart health. Some of this negative influence could be due to coping mechanisms - such as drinking alcohol or smoking tobacco - but there also appears to be a direct link between elevated stress levels and heart complaints.

Although this relationship is common knowledge to medical researchers and laypeople alike, the exact physiological processes behind it have remained difficult to unpick.

How can an emotion that is constructed in the brain influence the physical health of the heart?

Comment: A fascinating correlation. To reduce stress in an easy and enjoyable way, we recommend the Eiriu Eolas breathing and meditation programme which can be found at eiriu-eolas.org. If you cannot afford to buy the DVD set, you can download it for free. The programme is based on sound scientific evidence. Have a read through the testimonials if you're not sure whether it is for you.

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Eggs Fried

Eggs are not just yummy, they also improve cognition

Natasha Longo
Prevent Disease
Tue, 10 Jan 2017 23:13 UTC
eggs
One of the most perfect foods, low in calories, containing every single vitamin (A, B, D, E, K) except C, and nearly perfect in protein can also improve aspects of cognition, according to research that also concludes neither high intake of cholesterol or eggs are associated with an increased risk of dementia or Alzheimer's disease.

The study, involving almost 2,500 Finnish men, aimed to test a suggested link between intakes of cholesterol (and eggs as a major source of dietary cholesterol) and cognitive decline in both the general population and in a group of people genetically 'at risk' of dementia.

Led by Maija Ylilauri from the University of Eastern Finland, the team found that a relatively high intake of dietary cholesterol, or eating one egg every day, was not associated with an increased risk of dementia or Alzheimer's disease.

Furthermore, no link was found in people carrying the APOE4 gene - a gene that is known to affect cholesterol metabolism and increase the risk of memory disorders.

"Neither cholesterol nor egg intake is associated with an increased risk of incident dementia or AD in Eastern Finnish men," said the team. "Instead, moderate egg intake may have a beneficial association with certain areas of cognitive performance."
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Health

The drugs may be the problem: A tribute to whistle-blowing psychiatrists

Gary G. Kohls, MD
Transcend Media Service
Wed, 11 Jan 2017 01:04 UTC
Psychiatric drugs
© Reuters
Inconvenient Truths about Big Pharma and the Psychiatric Industry: A Tribute to Whistle-Blowing Psychiatrists Peter Breggin and Loren Mosher

I stole the main title from Dr Peter Breggin's ground-breakng book Your Drug May Be Your Problem: How and Why to Stop Taking Psychiatric Medications. I, along with thousands of Big Pharma skeptics, regard Breggin as a valued mentor. I have spent many hours studying his books and they occupy a significant section in my personal library.

Peter Breggin is the giant of psychiatric whistle-blowers and a huge thorn in the flesh of the super-wealthy and super-powerful multinational psychopharmaceutical corporations (and much of academic psychiatry) ever since his first ground-breaking book was published in 1991.

The title of that book was Toxic Psychiatry: Why Therapy, Empathy and Love Must Replace the Drugs, Electroshock and Biochemical Theories of the 'New Psychiatry'.

2016 happens to be the 25th anniversary of Toxic Psychiatry and I am dedicating my seminar to Breggin. Soberingly, Breggin's books are essentially banned books in polite medical establishment circles. His titles are rarely found in mainstream book-seller's stores. His courageous truth-telling has resulted in his being treated as a banned author. His ideas are considered heretical in mainstream psychiatry, which makes his books continue to be somewhat popular for psychiatric survivors who know they have been sickened or made worse by the drugs.

Comment: For more on toxic psychiatry see:
The Health & Wellness Show: ‌Big Pharma Karma - Magic bullets and the astonishing rise of mental illness

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