General

Migraines

Migraines may be Caused from Holes in Heart - [10/28/08]

Summary: Researchers have found that two-thirds of those who suffer from chronic migraines have a hole in their heart or a right-to-left shunt. This hole or shunt can cause abnormal blood flow which can bypass the filtration process in the lungs, possibly contributing to chronic migraines. "Although the possible connection between PFO heart defects and migraines has been known for awhile, we believe this is the first time such a clear connection can be drawn between those suffering chronic migraines and RLS defects," said Dr. Silberstein.

Comment: Some migraines can be very debilitating and harmful. Because of this proven research, those with chronic migraines may be able to get better treatment and have an enhanced understanding of their condition.

Read article - Medical News TODAY October 28, 2008

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Patients Misunderstand Written Screening Tests - [10/14/08]

Summary: The majority of physicians require patients to answer written questions while in the waiting room to visit the doctor. However, a new survey has revealed the gap between doctors and patients in the process of answering the written questions. Because of the difference in literacy between patients and physicians, most patients are confused, or don't understand most of the questions. According to Dr. Master, one of the authors of this survey, the predominant reason for this is illiteracy.

Comment: Illiteracy is becoming more common in American which is causing great problems to physicians. Not only is there a problem with illiteracy but also with patients who are innumerate. By answering the surveys to the best of your abilities, you will receive better diagnosis or treatment of migraines.

Read article - Medical News TODAY October 14, 2008

Nerve Stimulation Relieves Chronic Headache Pain - [10/12/08]

Summary: Using a small nerve stimulator, called a bion, pain from chronic headaches can be reduced up to 95%. The bion is a battery powered electrode, and when placed near the occipital nerve by minimally invasive surgery, sends pulses to the nerve that alleviates pain. The bion can be turned on and off by using an external remote controller. During the range of 6 to 21 months 5 out of 6 users experienced significant benefits from the bion.

Comment: Chronic headaches, cluster headaches, and migraines can affect all areas of a patients life. Many migraine drugs have side effects that cannot be tolerated by all patients. This bion can reduce the pain of such headaches, allowing patients that cannot take migraine drugs to experience less migraine pain.

Read article - Medical News TODAY October 12, 2008

Internet Consulted More Often Than Doctors - [10/12/08]

Summary: New market research shows that over the past year more adults went to the internet to get health information than consulted a doctor. This trend may likely be the product of an increasing consumer comfort in using the web to find reliable medical information. In addition, rising costs of healthcare coverage and visits to the doctor may be adding to the preference for first looking for information online.

Comment: The impacts of this trend, as well as others, will be discussed in an online seminar entitled "Is TV Dead? How the New New Media Changes Pharmaceutical DTC Advertising". The event is scheduled for October 14th at 11am EST and October 16th at 3pm EST.

Read article - Medical News Today. October 12, 2008.
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Vitamin D Linked to Overall Health - [10/10/08]

Summary: Vitamin D has been linked to improved overall health. This vitamin affects 36 organ tissues in the body including bone marrow, breast, colon, intestine, kidney, lung, prostate, retina, skin, stomach and uterus tissues. It has also been linked to improving immune systems, insulin secretion, heart health, blood pressure, muscle, brain activity, and decreased risk of cancer. For most adults 200-600 IU of daily vitamin D is recommended, but some experts recommend up to 2000 IU daily.

Comment: Vitamin D has previously been thought to improve bone health, but this study shows that it can affect all areas of health. By increased intake of vitamin D people with migraines can experience improved health.

Read article - Medical News TODAY October 10, 2008

Cell Protein Fights Pain - [10/09/08]

Summary: A new cell protein has been discovered that is believed to treat pain eight times better than morphine. The protein FRAP has been previously used as a nerve marker in pain studies, but its gene code was unknown. Through their experiments researchers found that FRAP is identical to PAP, a protein often used to treat prostate cancer. They found that by injecting high levels of PAP they could reduce pain levels in patients.

Comment: PAP is as effective in reducing pain levels as morphine, but it is able to last for up to three days, much longer than morphine. PAP could be developed to be used as an injected pain killer, and researchers are doing more work to develop similar molecules to PAP that could be used in a pill. This research can help patients with migraines experience less chronic pain.

Read article - Science Daily October 9, 2008

Medicare Eliminates Coverage for 10 "Reasonably Preventable" Errors - [10/02/08]

Summary: New regulations, which will take effect next Wednesday, have Medicare halting payment for 10 errors which they have deemed "conditions that could reasonably have been prevented." Expected to affect hundreds of thousands, the new rules will mostly likely not result in a major reduction in expenses.

Comment: This new decision comes on the heels of announcements by four state Medicaid organizations last year in which they eliminated 28 "never events", preventable errors, from coverage. The trend seems to be growing and could have negative ramifications for millions of Americans. Among others, healthcare professionals have begun expressing concern about the decision.

Read article - Medical News Today. October 2, 2008.

Efforts to Reduce Ethnic and Racial Disparities - [09/29/08]

Summary: This article outlines current efforts are being made to reduce racial and ethnic health care disparities. These include the Respira program, which focuses on providing asthma education and outreach to Hispanic communities. Another program is a lecture that seeks to improve knowledge of blood pressure management and diabetes. Other efforts involve grants to increase levels of minority students in medical programs, and campaigns to increase medical literacy in minority communities.

Comment: Racial and ethnic disparities exist in most areas of medical care including migraines. These disparities can often be dangerous to the health of minority people. These programs are aiming to close the gaps in health care, which can result in better care for people with migraines.

Read article - Medical News TODAY September 29, 2008

Hay Fever As a Child Increases Probability of Migraines - [09/23/08]

Summary: A new relationship has been found between hay fever (allergic rhinitis) and migraines, showing that children who suffer from hay fever are significantly more likely to subsequently suffer from migraines than those who do not experience hay fever. In addition, these children were also more likely to report having facial pain and ear pain or pressure.

Comment: While the causes behind this connection are not yet known, researchers still find it significant, and urge parents and doctors to acknowledge the relationships and give proper notice to the facial symptoms related to allergic rhinitis experienced by children.

Read article - Medical News Today. September 23, 2008.

Those with Migraines More Likely to Have Blood Clots in Veins - [09/15/08]

Summary: A new study has shown that those who suffer from migraines are also more likely to have a condition called venous thrombosis or thromboembolism. The condition causes blood clots to form in the vein, limiting blood flow and causing swelling and pain. In addition, the clots may dislodge and travel to the heart, which could potentially cause death.

Comment: As of yet, researchers do not understand the connection between migraines and venous thrombosis, they only know that it exists. It has been theorized that perhaps the blood of those predisposed to suffer from migraines is more susceptible to clotting.

Read article - American Academy of Neurology. September 15, 2008.