Elon University / Today at Elon / School of Health Sciences graduates urged to show compassion in new careers in health care

Elon University / Today at Elon / School of Health Sciences graduates urged to show compassion in new careers in health care

Elon University helped welcome nurses, physician assistants and physical therapists to their new health care careers on Friday, Dec. 9, during the 2022 School of Health Sciences Commencement Ceremony held in Alumni Gym.

A member of the Doctor of Physical Therapy Class of 2022 receives a hood during the School of Health Sciences Commencement December 9, 2022, at Alumni Gym.

The joint graduation ceremony saw students in the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Physician Assistant Studies and Doctor of Physical Therapy programs cross the stage to receive their diplomas. They were met at the conclusion of their rigorous academic pursuits with the resounding applause and cheers of friends and family members gathered to celebrate their accomplishments and wish them well as they begin new career paths.

Friday’s ceremony saw Elon graduate its first future nurses, with 14 students in the 16-month Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program receiving the university’s first nursing degree diplomas. The program was launched in 2021 along with a traditional four-year bachelor of science in nursing program within the School of Health Sciences.

“As graduates, you could not have arrived at a better time,” Stephen Folger, interim dean of the School of Health Sciences, told the students. “The United States and global societies need Elon School of Health Sciences graduates and leaders to face the challenges of today and tomorrow as we strive to reduce health care inequities and optimize patient outcomes.”

Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Associate Professor of Medical Humanities at the Creighton University School of Medicine delivers the keynote address at the School of Health Sciences Commencement December 9, 2022, at Alumni Gym.

As they prepare to care for patients and assist them through difficult times, these Elon-educated health care professionals heard guidance from Nicole Piemonte, assistant dean for student affairs and associate professor of medical humanities at Creighton University School of Medicine, about how to tend to their professional duties while not losing the connection with and empathy for those under their care.

“Being a clinician requires both scientific knowledge and a different kind of knowing and learning, one that involves more than an acquisition of facts and skills from lectures and textbooks, one that is in touch with what it means to connect with other people, to see their pain, and to respond to it,” Piemonte told the graduates. “Being professional means seeing patients, it means being vulnerable enough to feel a bit of what they’re feeling. … It means you’re courageous enough to walk over thresholds and be fully present for patients, to recognize what it might be like to be a part of their world, a world that might be crumbling around them.”

A graduate makes a shoe change at the School of Health Sciences Commencement on December 9, 2022, at Alumni Gym.

Piemonte recounted being with her mother during her final days as she succumbed to ovarian cancer, and witnessing the tension many clinicians experience between checking items off of a “to-do” list as they treat patients and having the ability to connect with their patients and fully understand that what they are experiencing is not routine to them.

“All you need to do is recognize the incongruity between your day with its long to-do list, and the day of your patients, people who might be having the crisis of their lives,” Piemonte said. “All you have to do is recognize that incongruity. Compassion will take over from there.”

Engaging fully with patients offers the opportunity to better help them as well as to learn more about yourself, Piemonte said, by providing more insight into what it is to be human, with all the flaws, triumphs and disappointments that come with it. She urged them to remember as they leave for work that their day is going to be significantly different from the day their patients have before them. “You are the people who can help them feel less lonely, to help them feel seen, the people who can bring them hope, or help them navigate situations that feel hopeless,” she said. “I promise that spending time connecting to the people who need it most is something you will never regret.”

School of Health Sciences Commencement December 9, 2022, at Alumni Gym on the campus of Elon University.

Across the three undergraduate and graduate programs, students immersed themselves in the classroom, building a base of medical knowledge that will inform them as they determine the best care for their patients. They spent hours in the lab, learning the protocols, skills and procedures that they will rely on to have an impact on their patients’ lives. Out in the community in a wide range of clinical settings, they honed their ability to identify the best path of care, to listen to what patients were telling them and to work with colleagues to achieve the best results for their patients.

Folger offered an official welcome to the new graduates into the health care provider community. “We commend you on your outstanding accomplishments,” he said. “We wish you continued success.”

A new graduate shows off their diploma following the School of Health Sciences Commencement on Dec. 9, 2022, at Alumni Gym.

Elon’s ABSN program is designed for students who have already obtained a bachelor’s degree who want to enter the field of nursing. The program’s curriculum focuses on community-based population health, the reduction of health disparities and the use of health informatics to optimize outcomes. Students complete 65 credit hours of academic work along with at least 540 hours of clinical work and upon their graduation are prepared to sit for their nursing licensing exams.

Students in Elon’s Physician Assistant Studies program complete the full-time program in 24 months, with the first year focused on academic work in the classroom and lab and the second year spent learning in clinical environments including those focused on primary care, pediatrics, emergency medicine, inpatient medicine, surgery, women’s health and behavioral medicine. Students complete a master’s project that supports and promotes professional development in the area of accessing, critically appraising and applying the best available evidence to address a research, patient care or policy question relevant to physician assistant practice or education.

A new graduate poses for pictures following the School of Health Sciences Commencement December 9, 2022, at Alumni Gym.

The three-year Doctor of Physical Therapy program emphasizes a patient-centered approach to the profession with a curriculum that immerses students in science and research while teaching them the value of respect and communication. Students build upon the solid academic experience they obtain in the classroom with 40 weeks of hands-on clinical practicums, which is higher than the national average for similar programs. Students spend the final 16 weeks of the program in clinical practicum at sites across the United States.

In her charge to the new graduates, Elon President Connie Ledoux Book offered her congratulations and commended them on what they have accomplished by completing their programs. She noted that they have persevered through “collaborative and rigorous” programs that are focused on excellence and engaged experiences. She encouraged them to be “resilient and steadfast” like the oaks for which Elon University is named, with each new graduate receiving an oak sapling at the conclusion of the ceremony.

“Congratulations, Class of 2022, and long live Elon,” Book said.


Candidates for the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree

Alyssa Taylor Baskette-Stokes
B.S., The University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Carly Alison Carbone
B.A., North Carolina State University

Genisis Iris Dancer
B.S., University of Washington
M.S., Washington State University

Ashley Sarah Duggan
B.S., Elon University

Alivia Riann Gilbert
B.S., The University of North Carolina at Wilmington

Amanda Leigh Lester
B.S., Liberty University

Jessica Lauren Lloyd
B.S., East Carolina University

Lauren Winstead Myers
B.A., The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Sabrina Noel Palmieri
M.P.H., Slippery Rock University

Jessica Lauren Renaud
B.S., University of Pittsburgh

Sarah Rose Trexler
B.A., The University of North Carolina at Wilmington

Joseph William Tynan
B.S., Skidmore College

Debryah Renee’ Washington
B.S., East Carolina University

Brian Wayne Williamson
B.S., Campbell University
PharmD, Campbell University

Candidates for the Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies Degree

Sarah Angelina Akihary
B.S., Western Kentucky University

Samantha Jo Bauman
B.S., Whitworth University

Anna Christine Bilse
B.S., Saint Mary’s College

Mackenzie Bonner
B.S., University of Massachusetts

Michaela Kennedy Brown
B.S., Clemson University

Isabella Rose Calabrese
B.S., Saint Michael’s College

Claire Louise Campbell
B.S., The University of North Carolina at Wilmington

Cassondra Elizabeth Chaput
B.S., Austin Peay State University

Natalie Logan Cox
B.S., Roanoke College

Morgan Lee Darrow
B.S., The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Johanna K. Dauray
B.S., University of Rhode Island

Amy Patricia Davis
B.F.A., University of Georgia

Eric Gillespie
B.A., Concordia University
M.Sc., University of Glasgow

Emily Allison Griffith
B.S., B.A., Butler University

Matthew Hansen
B.S., Weber State University

Benjamin Ho
B.A., Carthage College

Neve Marie Jansen
B.S., University of Maryland, College Park

Krista Jean Johnson
B.S., Northern Arizona University

Summer Elizabeth Lackey
B.S., Lenoir-Rhyne University

Beverly Ann Lloyd
B.M., Appalachian State University

Ryan Fitzpatrick Loll
B.S., The University of North Carolina at Asheville

Katie Love
B.S., University of Massachusetts
M.S., Boston College

Christy Jean Mattern
B.S., University of Wisconsin-Madison

Michael Joseph McCann
B.S., North Carolina State University

Erin C. McKenna
B.S., Villanova University

Megan Christina Polak
B.S., Lehigh University

Meghan E. Richards
B.S., University of Florida

Rebecca Rising
B.S., Syracuse University

McKenzi Loring Schuh
B.S., North Carolina State University

Kyndall Blake Scott
B.S., University of Georgia

Matthew Segal
B.S., California State University, Fullerton

Courtney Elizabeth Stover
B.A., Florida State University

Niamh Elizabeth Sutherburg
B.S., University of Richmond

Rebecca Anne Swanburg
B.A., Messiah College

Evan Nathaniel Williams
B.S., Duke University

Natalie Elizabeth Wood
B.S., Palm Beach Atlantic University

Candidates for the Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree

Georgina Azzam
B.S., Oakland University

Sarah Nicole Bailey
B.S., Appalachian State University

Kathryn Frances Balardi
B.S., Wake Forest University

Benjamin Aaron Bell
B.S., Gardner-Webb University

Ian Padraic Brady
B.S., East Carolina University

Brenna Anne Buckley
B.S., East Carolina University

Camille Elise Burkhardt
B.S., Liberty University

Hannah Montgomery Cook
B.S., Appalachian State University

Mary Michelle Corcoran
B.A., The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Andi Marie Crosby
B.S., Christopher Newport University

Amethyst Rose DeNeal
B.S., University of Kentucky

Tyanna S. Eaddy-Harris
B.S., Allegheny College

Michael Brandon Falls
B.S., Western Carolina University

Lucas Cristopher Friess
B.S., University of Toledo

Jennifer Nicole Gehrin
B.S., Elon University

Kylah Moshae George
B.A., The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Savannah Henry
B.S., Western Carolina University

Kaitlyn Marie Hickman
B.S., Calvin College

Daniel Hines
B.S., North Carolina State University
M.S., North Carolina State University

Michael Johnson
B.S., Anderson University

Kayla Jackson Karr
B.S., The University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Elizabeth Kincaid
B.A., Coker University

McKayla Ann Kraft
B.S., East Carolina University

Elizabeth Allyson Landers
B.S., George Mason University

Nicholas Andrew Messina
B.S., Towson University

Nichole Elena Montour
B.S., The College of William and Mary

Austin Taylor Moore
B.S., The University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Kimberly Rachel Newland
B.S., The Master’s University

Erica Novak
B.S., Adelphi University

Jordan Jamaal Patterson
B.S., The University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Sara Ann Perkins
B.S., High Point University

Jaclyn Brooke Ross
B.S., The University of Georgia

Jennifer Megan Schneible
B.S., University of Tampa

Durand Samuel Shoup
B.A., The University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Alyssa Christine Shupe
B.S., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Shane Scott Sullivan
B.A., The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Jessica Meghan Terrell
B.S., Berry College

Alexandra Jane Vitale
B.S., The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Luguang Wei
B.S., Arizona State University

Danielle Wild
B.S., Iowa State University

Maryanne Wilson
B.S., California State University East Bay

Brandi Melissa Wiltshire
B.S., The University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Yuan Zhuang
B.S., The State University of New York at Buffalo

Adding yoga to regular exercise may help

Adding yoga to regular exercise may help

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Adding yoga to your regular work out program might assistance assistance cardiovascular health. Halfpoint Visuals/Getty Photographs
  • Hypertension, or significant blood tension, is a possibility issue that can lead to more severe overall health troubles.
  • Individuals can choose proactive measures to enhance their blood force through life-style modifications.
  • A​ current examine uncovered that yoga might offer additional added benefits for controlling blood stress than other stretching solutions.

High blood force can be risky, but people today can consider proactive ways to deal with it. Nonetheless, what operates for just one person could possibly not work for someone else.

Researchers are still functioning to recognize the most helpful techniques and include-on therapies for controlling blood stress.

A pilot study not too long ago released in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology looked at the usefulness of yoga as a way to support regulate superior blood stress.

In comparison to the management group, the group that did yoga observed additional considerable advancements in resting blood stress and coronary heart level in contrast to stretching.

Blood stress has to do with the power of blood stream all through the human body. Blood tension should be at a particular amount for the system to purpose. If blood strain is too significant or as well small, it can lead to adverse well being outcomes.

Superior blood force can improve someone’s chance for stroke, heart attack, or kidney hurt. Dr. Leonard Pianko, cardiologist in Aventura, Florida, who was not included in the study, discussed to Medical Information Nowadays:

“Hypertension is regarded as the silent killer for the reason that you might expertise no signs and symptoms. It is a big chance variable for coronary heart condition, kidney failure, and stroke and can potentiate other health care challenges this sort of as diabetes and elevated cholesterol.”

T​here are way of living alterations persons can make to aid reduce blood stress. For example, persons can attempt to manage a wholesome body weight and modify their diet program to have fewer sodium and excess fat.

“There are many medications that have demonstrated to be helpful in decreasing your blood pressure. But life style alterations this kind of as training, eating plan, refraining from cigarette smoking, and hydration have also been established to greatly enhance the effectiveness of the medication,” Dr. Pianko even more famous.

This certain pilot examine examined the rewards of yoga in blood force management. The study incorporated sixty participants who experienced hypertension.

Scientists randomly divided contributors into two groups. Equally teams concluded an cardio physical exercise software. Then, just one group included fifteen minutes of yoga five days a week. The other team did fifteen minutes worth of stretching five times a week. This intervention lasted three months.

Though both of those teams saw enhancement in resting blood stress and coronary heart fee, the group that did yoga saw a a lot more major improvement in blood stress, coronary heart charge, and Reynolds hazard scores.

A Reynold risk score allows measure risk for adverse heart results and cardiovascular illness.

The final results suggest that yoga could most likely be an productive increase-on intervention to help increase blood pressure stages.

Brain-system workout routines for hypertension

“Many scientific studies have looked into the helpful physical outcomes of Transcendental Meditation, Tai Chi, and other types of brain-entire body workout routines. This study, which concentrated on yoga, is [a] fantastic reinforcement that our brain performs a considerable position in our actual physical wellness and that these approaches should be incorporated into our tips for lifestyle intervention.”
Dr. Alon Ronen, cardiologist at Bridgeport Clinic, who was not involved in the review, talking to MNT

The analyze authors famous that there are a several doable reasons why they saw more of an enhancement amongst the individuals that did yoga. It could reduce the action of the sympathetic anxious method, lessen cortisol degrees, and advertise vasodilation.

D​r. Pianko weighed in with his ideas and mentioned there could be quite a few explanations, “including the influence yoga has on our autonomic system.”

“Our adrenal glands create our struggle-or-flight hormones which increase the two our coronary heart level and blood strain. Precise styles of yoga can lessen our cortisol level, which is a tension hormone, thus reducing our blood pressure. Workout with the addition of yoga can modulate these hormones to a stage of tranquility,” he spelled out to MNT.

“As with effects witnessed with other intellect-body blood stress reducing pursuits, there looks to be a genuine correlation with our mental overall health influencing our strain hormone degrees. Mechanisms continue being unclear and might be linked to sleep pattern modifications however, the consequence gain is found.”

The review did have some limits. Initial, it only included a minimal sample sizing and was carried out in excess of a brief time body. This suggests the need to have for much more intensive research with much more prolonged-phrase abide by-ups.

The study authors admit that they may perhaps have misclassified some individuals who were being far more freshly diagnosed with large blood tension. They also did not evaluate participants’ exercise capacity.

Irrespective, the analyze presents much more evidence as to the wellness added benefits of yoga and opens up the probability of long run scientific tests in this space.

Analyze creator Dr. Paul Poirier noted that there are limits to the examine simply because it is a pilot review. On the other hand, he pointed out that yoga had further benefits when compared to stretching physical exercises on your own.

“​Yoga is in all probability a improved different just after training training than stretching since there’s an include-on influence of yoga in comparison to stretching. The increase-on impact is blood stress, coronary heart charge, and inflammation [improvement]…This study will likely stimulate others to do larger experiments with various populations, and if the science provides up in the identical way then follow could be modified.”
— Dr. Paul Poirier, study creator

Study finds heart health benefits for Omega-3, curcumin, and CoQ10

Study finds heart health benefits for Omega-3, curcumin, and CoQ10

Three hands holding a supplement in three diferent forms (powder capsule, pill, and liquigel) between their index finger and thumb on a blank colored surfaceShare on Pinterest
Not all supplements are safe or effective for everyone. Javier Díez/Stocksy
  • Researchers assessed the effects of various micronutrients on cardiovascular and type 2 diabetes risk.
  • They found that some micronutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, curcumin, and coenzyme Q10 decreased cardiovascular risk but not others.
  • They also found that beta-carotene supplements are linked to increased cardiovascular risk and cardiovascular mortality.
  • Experts say that further research is needed to understand how these results may apply to dietary recommendations.

Diet and nutrition are important drivers of cardiovascular disease (CVDs) and type 2 diabetes (T2D).

The American Heart Association recommends diets high in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals and low in saturated fat and sodium to reduce CVD and T2D risk.

Further research into micronutrients is crucial for personalizing preventive strategies for CVDs and T2D.

In a recent study, researchers reviewed 884 randomized controlled trials to assess the link between micronutrients and cardiometabolic risk.

While some micronutrients reduced cardiometabolic risk, others had a neutral effect. Beta-carotene, however, increased CVD risk.

The study was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

For the study, the researchers analyzed 884 studies with a total of 883,627 participants.

Data included micronutrient supplementation; nine measures of cardiometabolic risk factors covering blood pressure, blood lipids, and blood sugar levels, and a range of outcome measures including cardiovascular events, diagnosis of T2D, and mortality from stroke, heart disease, and all-cause mortality.

From their analysis, they found that several micronutrients improved at least two of the nine CVD risk factor measures based on moderate to high quality studies. These included:

  • omega-3 fatty acid
  • omega-6 fatty acid
  • L-arginine
  • L-citrulline
  • folic acid
  • magnesium
  • zinc
  • alpha lipoic acid
  • coenzyme Q10
  • Anthocyanin
  • curcumin
  • genistein
  • quercetin

They noted that omega-3 fatty acid supplements decreased CVD mortality, heart attacks, and other heart diseases, while folic acid reduced strokes.

Meanwhile, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, and selenium had no effect on CVD events such as heart attack, arrhythmia or stroke, or diagnosis of T2D and had no impact on longer-term outcomes such as cardiovascular mortality.

They further found that while omega-3 fatty acids, omega-6 fatty acids, vitamin E, and beta carotene were not linked to T2D incidence, an analysis of 10 polyphenols found moderate quality evidence for a reduction in HbA1c (a measure of longer-term blood sugar levels) for coenzyme Q10 and reduction in fasting blood insulin levels for flavanol, genistein, and quercetin. There was high quality evidence for similar reductions in insulin levels for curcumin.

Beta-carotene supplements, however, were linked to an increased risk of all-cause mortality, CVD mortality, and a reduction in the number of strokes.

To understand how the different micronutrients studied may affect cardiometabolic health, Medical News Today spoke with Dr. Debbie Fetter, assistant professor in teaching nutrition at the University of California Davis, who was not involved in the study.

“[Nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta carotene] function as antioxidants, which helps protect body cells from oxidative damage. […] Antioxidants help prevent the cell membrane from weakening so that carcinogens or rogue compounds can’t get inside. We can think of antioxidants as [molecules] that protect us from oxidative damage that may lead indirectly to diet-related chronic disease, like CVD.”
— Dr. Debbie Fetter

Dr. Fetter explained that omega-3 fatty acids play an important role in the brain, heart, and immune system, as well as metabolism. She noted that research indicates omega-3 intake may lower CVD risk via an anti-inflammatory effect.

She further noted that vitamin D reduces oxidative stress, which improves cardiometabolic outcomes, but that research is still inconclusive as to whether it helps prevent CVD.

“Magnesium is another essential nutrient that plays a role in muscle and nerve function. Our heart is a muscle, so adequate magnesium is needed to keep our heart properly functioning (i.e. contractions and rhythm),” she added.

Beta-carotene is a plant pigment that gives vegetables and fruits their red, orange, and yellow colors.

To understand what might explain the observed effects of beta-carotene on cardiometabolic risk, MNT spoke with Dr. Ronald Grifka, Chief Medical Officer at the University of Michigan Health-West, not involved in the study. He noted that several factors might be involved:

“One factor may be the patients did not have a deficiency, and the excessive intake of beta-carotene resulted in the higher mortality. Also, beta-carotene may have a different effect on male and female patients and on those who are smokers or drinkers. Combining data from multiple studies do not control for these variables, making it difficult to interpret the results.”

Dr. Fetter stressed that beta-carotene can be beneficial when consumed as a part of food. However, she added that research has shown it is often harmful when a part of a supplement.

She noted that one study found that beta-carotene supplements increased the risk of lung cancer and overall mortality in smokers.

“This is a classic example of where we see benefits from getting the nutrient from the whole food, but when we isolate the nutrient and put it into supplement form, we see adverse consequences,” she said.

Dr. Nurgul Fitzgerald, associate professor in nutrition and public health at Rutgers University, who was not involved in the study, told MNT:

“A potential mechanism might have to do with the antioxidant properties of beta-carotene. Under certain conditions, antioxidants can become pro-oxidant – creating the opposite, harmful effect.”

“Beta-carotene supplementation is linked to increased risk of lung cancer, especially among high risk segments of the population such as smokers. If you consider that smoking is also a cardiovascular disease risk by itself, the supplementation might be compounding the risk there.”
— Dr. Nurgul Fitzgerald

The researchers concluded that some but not all micronutrients might benefit cardiometabolic health.

When asked about the study’s limitations, Dr. Fitzgerald noted that it is difficult to directly transfer these results to everyday lives due to the variety of dietary combinations.

“Some nutrients work better or worse when we consume them in certain amounts or consume them with other nutrients. Nutrients can have synergistic effects on one another, and other components in our foods can hinder the absorption of some of the nutrients.”

She added that the United States and other countries regularly add vitamins or minerals to certain foods meaning that the effects of supplementation might vary among different countries.

Dr. Grifka added that the studies assessed different doses of various micronutrients over varying periods of time, which could have resulted in ‘markedly’ different effects.

“If several micronutrients are included in a patient’s daily consumption, one micronutrient may offset the effect of the other or amplify the effect of another, further confusing the clinical results,” he continued.

“It would be important to identify the specific dosages and individual participants’ characteristics to better understand the findings,” Dr. Fetter concluded.

Vibra Healthcare, MindMaze Collaborate on Digital Health Solutions

Vibra Healthcare, MindMaze Collaborate on Digital Health Solutions

Vibra Healthcare is partnering with the neurotechnology company MindMaze to offer digital neurotherapeutic tools for men and women with neurological issues both of those in the clinic and at home.

The initiative will begin with sufferers at pick Vibra hospitals in Kentucky and California.

MindMaze’s electronic wellbeing remedies aim to support people with Parkinson’s disease, stroke, traumatic mind injury, or spinal twine injuries regain purpose by way of digitally-enabled evaluations and behavioral teaching of motor, cognitive, and cardiovascular systems.

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Two people are shown from behind with their arms wrapped around each other.

The artificial intelligence (AI)-driven engineering platform — including resources these as MindPod, TOAP Operate, and Brain Vitals — can intervene with and evaluate neurological conditions, and observe and gauge affected person operate through extensive-phrase condition management.

“Vibra is dedicated to offering the best possible care for our sufferers and the most effective value for our prospects,” Brad Hollinger, Vibra’s founder, chairman, and CEO, reported in a push release.

“We strongly imagine that progressive know-how in AI is the pioneering route forward to radically strengthen individual outcomes in the most expense-successful way,” Hollinger additional. “MindMaze has amazed our workforce not just with the electrical power of their technological abilities, but also with their experience in deploying authentic-globe care pathways for individuals with stroke and other neurological disorders in countries all-around the planet.”

Practically 100 million U.S. citizens have a neurological ailment that can worsen around time. These kinds of problems burden the health care technique and account for nearly 50 {cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of the overall U.S. health care burden, in accordance to the push release.

Switzerland-centered MindMaze believes a multimodal technological tactic is required to tackle the increasing worries. Even though behavioral, cognitive, and motor interventions ordinarily assistance people with neurological circumstances, the use of technology could effectively lead to broader electronic health remedies that strengthen individual outcomes.

Research has shown that significant-dosage, superior-depth instruction can result in enhanced results in neurological disorders that are ordinarily challenging to deal with.

‘Redefining neuro recovery’

Tej Tadi, MindMaze’s founder, chairman, and CEO, reported the organization “is dedicated to redefining neuro recovery throughout the continuum of treatment by the improvement [of] evidence-driven answers for sufferers with critical neurological problems.”

“We are centered on furnishing clinicians with highly effective, digitally enabled, slicing-edge tools, even though also empowering individuals and their households with straightforward-to-use, engaging, and obtainable remedies,” Tadi mentioned.

Through the partnership, which kicks off what is hoped will be an expansive roll-out of MindMaze options, clinicians will be ready to present sufferers with in-clinic and at-home interventions “at dosage and intensity levels that are orders of magnitude greater than the recent regular of care,” the launch stated.

The goal is to acquire a universal platform to enhance patient treatment throughout a wide range of environments: in-affected person, article-acute, community sub-acute, and at-house.

The collaboration is anticipated to facilitate a “substantial” increase in the remedy and schooling of Vibra patients, as effectively as smooth and organized treatment transitions for Vibra Healthcare Method clients. The system operates and manages some 90 specialty hospitals and transitional treatment destinations in 19 states.

“Our services have persistently rated amongst the top-rated hospitals and rehabilitation amenities in the place, and we are always seeking for means to enhance on our incredibly substantial expectations,” Hollinger mentioned.

Tadi additional: “In Vibra we have discovered a entire world-course spouse with equally the determination and correct capacity to produce a phase modify in brain wellness as properly as significant advancements in affected individual results.”

Very last month, MindMaze initiated a collaboration with Mount Sinai Health and fitness Process to pace affected individual access to its novel neurotherapeutic program.

 

Tuesday, December 6, 2022 | Kaiser Health News

Tuesday, December 6, 2022 | Kaiser Health News

Flu Shots Are ‘Very Very good Match’ Fewer White Children Are Finding Them

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky explained Monday that this season’s flu shot should really present defense towards the strains that are at the moment circulating. In the meantime, Indiana’s most significant wellness method is restricting site visitors to control the unfold of flu and RSV.


St. Louis Public Radio:
Washington College Conducts Clinical Trial For MRNA Flu Shot


Experts at Washington College are looking for participants for a demo that would test if the very same form of vaccine utilized for the coronavirus could also operate on the flu. If an mRNA vaccine approach could function with the flu virus, it could indicate scientists could respond to illnesses a lot more rapidly, making more powerful vaccines greater matched to distinctive viral strains, scientists explained. (Fentem, 12/5)

A lot more on the distribute of flu, RSV, and strep —


AP:
Some Indiana Hospitals Prohibit Website visitors More than Flu Rates 


The hospitals in Indiana’s greatest health and fitness technique and in its most populous county have started customer limits due to the fact of a rise in documented scenarios of flu and other respiratory viruses, they introduced Monday. The limitations will go into impact by Tuesday at all IU Well being hospitals. They started Monday at all hospitals in Marion County, household to Indianapolis. (12/5)


United states Right now:
Medical practitioners Alert Flu Time Is ‘Fierce’ And Is Having Even worse. This is What To Know


Although the “tripledemic” – COVID-19, RSV and influenza – continues to be a issue in quite a few locations, gurus say the flu is starting to strike the place difficult. Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease professional at Vanderbilt University Healthcare Heart in Nashville, Tennessee, said he has seen the very first symptoms that RSV infections may well be stabilizing following an early jump, while COVID-19 is “smoldering.” (Rodriguez, 12/6)


United states Today:
Strep Throat Signs or symptoms: What Are The To start with Indications And How To Deal with It?


While the United Kingdom has described the deaths of six small children because of to strep A, U.S. health and fitness officials on Tuesday explained there hasn’t been a “noteworthy boost” in streptococcal illness right here. Regardless, it really is constantly fantastic to be prepared. Here’s everything you really should know about strep throat, from indicators to treatment method to unfold. (Kaufman, 12/5)

On drug shortages —


CIDRAP:
Shortages Of Medication To Take care of Kids’ Respiratory Health problems Troubling Health professionals, Parents 


Professionals fear that the absence of acetaminophen and ibuprofen to minimize signs could power mother and father to look for care for their kids at urgent-care centers and emergency departments. “It’s a enormous dilemma,” Kristina Powell, a Virginia pediatrician, told the Washington Put up. “Moms and dads run to Walmart or Goal, the shelves are empty. … This is likely to be a prolonged drop and winter season of viral infections.” (12/5)


CIDRAP:
Fda Chief Desires Pharma Corporations To Alert Of Need Spikes Forward Of Shortages


A US Food and Drug Administration (Food and drug administration) official needs pharmaceutical firms to start out reporting spikes in demand from customers for medicine in an exertion to reduce or relieve shortages, Endpoints News experiences. In a webinar final 7 days hosted by the nonprofit Alliance for a More powerful Food and drug administration, Valerie Jensen, RPh, affiliate director of the FDA’s Drug Scarcity Employees, famous expanding quality-connected problems and desire for specific medicines more than the past decade—but especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic. She termed on drug businesses to report demand spikes, despite the fact that they are presently essential only to report offer disruptions. (12/5)

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The Atlantic:
The 12 months Without the need of Germs Adjusted Youngsters


In the spring of 2021, Brett Finlay, a microbiologist at the University of British Columbia, provided the earth a daring and stressing prediction. “My guess is that five many years from now we are heading to see a bolus of youngsters with bronchial asthma and obesity,” he advised Wired. Individuals kids, he reported, would be “the COVID kids”: those born just before or through the peak of the crisis, when the coronavirus was everywhere, and we cleaned everything for the reason that we did not want it to be. (Wu, 12/5)

Hair loss treatment: Researchers pinpoint best supplements

Hair loss treatment: Researchers pinpoint best supplements

wooden hair brash going through long strand of brown hairShare on Pinterest
What does the scientific evidence say about using nutritional supplements to treat hair loss? Image credit: Socha/Getty Images.
  • Hair loss is a common problem, with nearly 80{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of men and half of all women experiencing hair loss during their lifetime.
  • Although nutritional supplements are commonly used for treating hair loss, there are limited data on their efficacy and safety
  • A recent review summarizing data from 30 prior human studies suggests that nutritional supplements could potentially treat certain types of hair loss while having generally tolerable side effects.
  • The authors noted that these studies included a limited number of participants and showed variability in design, suggesting the need for larger randomized clinical trials.

A recent systematic review published in the journal JAMA Dermatology synthesized data from previous research, including randomized clinical trials, on nutritional supplements that could treat hair loss.

The study found that an array of supplements ranging from pumpkin seed oil, zinc, vitamin E, omega fatty acids, and certain commercial formulations like Viviscal and Nutrafol, among others, showed promise in the treatment of specific types of hair loss.

The studies included in the review were generally small and used subjective inclusion criteria, emphasizing the need for larger, more robust randomized clinical trials.

The hair growth cycle can be divided into three phases. The first phase, known as anagen, is characterized by the growth of hair and can last several years.

Around 85–90{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of hair follicles in a normal scalp are in the anagen or growth phase. The growth phase is followed by catagen, the transition phase involving the slowing of hair growth.

The catagen phase lasts about 14 days and is followed by the telogen or resting phase which lasts 3–4 months. Hair growth remains dormant during the resting phase and is followed by hair shedding. A loss of about 50–100 hair strands normally occurs every day.

Hair shedding in excess of these normal values is referred to as hair loss or alopecia.

Hair loss can occur due to many reasons, including genetics, aging, autoimmune disease, hormonal changes, and stress. Some of the common types of hair loss include androgenetic alopecia, alopecia areata, and telogen effluvium.

Androgenetic alopecia, referred to as pattern baldness, is the most common cause of hair loss that is estimated to affect 50{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of men and women by the time they reach the age of 50 years. Alopecia areata, another common form of hair loss, is an autoimmune disease that results in the loss of small patches of hair.

Telogen effluvium is characterized by hair follicles prematurely exiting the growth phase and entering the telogen phase. This results in excessive shedding of hair in the resting phase.

Telogen effluvium often appears in response to stress, illness, or the use of medications.

Treatment of hair loss generally requires addressing the underlying cause, such as nutritional deficiency or disease. There are also Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications for androgenetic alopecia, namely oral finasteride and topical minoxidil.

Due to the potential negative effects of finasteride in females, only minoxidil is also used for androgenetic alopecia in females.

However, both drugs are associated with adverse effects that may result in the discontinuation of their use. Specifically, finasteride can cause sexual dysfunction in men, whereas minoxidil is associated with dermatitis.

More recently, the FDA also approved baricitinib, a drug that modulates the immune system, for the treatment of severe alopecia areata.

Given the potential side effects associated with pharmacological treatments, there has been an interest in the use of alternative therapies, including nutritional supplements, for hair loss.

A recent study involving patients from a hair loss clinic showed that nearly 80{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of individuals used nutritional supplements. However, there are limited data on the safety and efficacy of these supplements.

In the present study, the researchers summarized evidence from 30 prior human studies, including 17 randomized clinical trials, examining the effectiveness of various nutritional supplements in the treatment of hair loss.

They excluded studies involving hair loss due to nutritional deficiency, use of medications, trauma, or physical stress.

The researchers also categorized the studies according to the quality of evidence, with randomized clinical trials representing the highest level of evidence in the review.

Studies suggest that various types of hair loss, including alopecia areata, androgenetic alopecia, and telogen effluvium, are associated with oxidative stress and a deficiency of micronutrients such as vitamins.

While the review found some high-quality evidence to suggest that zinc could enhance hair growth in individuals with hair loss, evidence supporting a role for vitamin D and vitamin B12 in the treatment of hair loss was of lower quality.

Although biotin (vitamin B7) is a common ingredient in hair loss therapies, there was an absence of studies examining the effects of biotin as a standalone treatment.

However, results from randomized clinical trials suggest that tocotrienols, antioxidant compounds belonging to the vitamin E family, and a combination of fish oil (omega-3 and omega-6), blackcurrant seed oil, and antioxidants such as vitamin E and lycopene, could improve hair density in individuals with hair loss.

Androgenetic alopecia is associated with the excessive response of hair follicles to an androgen called dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is derived from testosterone.

Among nutritional supplements that inhibit the formation of DHT, data from a randomized clinical trial suggests that pumpkin seed oil could stimulate hair growth in men.

A deficiency of other hormones, such as insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), is also associated with hair loss. Studies suggest that capsaicin, the active ingredient in chili peppers, and isoflavones, a subclass of antioxidant compounds, could potentially increase the levels of insulin-like growth factor-1.

In addition, a small randomized clinical trial showed that capsaicin and isoflavones together can enhance hair growth in individuals with alopecia.

Plant-based compounds that can modulate the immune response, such as glycyrrhizin (licorice) and extracts from the peony plant, have also shown promise in the treatment of individuals with alopecia areata, which is characterized by an immune response against hair follicles.

Similarly, studies also suggest that procyanidin B-2, an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compound, derived from certain apple species, can also stimulate hair growth.

Multi-ingredient commercial formulations including Pantogar, Nourkrin, Viviscal, Nutrafol, and Lambdapil have also shown positive effects on hair growth in randomized clinical trials.

Pantogar includes keratin, the major protein in hair, and its building block L-cysteine, which could help promote hair growth.

Viviscal and Nourkirn contain proteins derived from marine animals that can facilitate hair growth. Nutrafol contains DHT synthesis blockers, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory compounds, whereas Lambdapil contains L-cysteine, plant-derived silicon, and DHT synthesis blockers.

There is a lack of sufficient or high-quality evidence to support the role of other multi-ingredient commercial formulations such as Omni-Three and FORTI-5 in stimulating hair growth.

Besides having beneficial effects on hair growth, the interventions reviewed in the current study generally had mild side effects. These results suggest that nutritional supplements could potentially help treat certain types of hair loss.

However, the authors noted that the studies included in the review had several limitations. For instance, a majority of studies had a small sample size or used subjective reports of hair loss at baseline.

The authors also cautioned that some of the studies included in the review were funded by manufacturers of the nutritional supplements

The authors further noted concerns about the lack of FDA regulations that cover the efficacy, safety, and quality of supplements. Thus, nutritional supplements could potentially contain inefficacious or adulterated ingredients, with the latter resulting in side effects.

This requires dermatologists to work with patients to weigh the risks and benefits of such nutritional supplements.

Dr. Justin Rome, founder of the Barber Surgeons Guild, commented for Medical News Today that:

“While nutritional deficiencies can lead to hair loss, supplementation of vitamins such as biotin to those who are not deficient has not been shown to promote hair growth. Other novel ingredients may have a beneficial result in certain circumstances; however, they also may have no result or worse, potential adverse effects. It is important to note that nutritional supplements are not regulated by the FDA, which means they do not undergo the rigorous safety and efficacy testing as medications.”

Similarly, Dr. Thivi Maruthappu, consultant dermatologist at the Cadogan Clinic and lecturer in nutrition science, cautioned:

“Be careful when choosing supplements, look for high-quality clinical trials supporting their use. High doses of certain nutrients can actually be harmful for example excess Selenium, can lead to toxicity and even worsen hair shedding, and high dose biotin can trigger acne and interfere with blood tests, so it’s important to do your research before you buy.”

Maintaining a healthy diet could also play a critical role in preventing hair loss. Dr. Reid Maclellan, founder and CEO of Cortina, and adjunct faculty at Harvard Medical School, told us that “[i]ncreasing your intake of protein and iron in your diet can help prevent hair loss in both men and women.”

“Iron deficiency or being anemic is the most evident factor that can lead to hair loss as it can affect the follicles from producing proteins to make the hair grow,” he added.

“Some foods that you can incorporate into your diet that can help add to your hair loss prevention plan include bone broth, eggs, seaweed/ kelp, seeds (flax, sunflower, chia), fish oils, and berries. Avoid alcohol, sugar, and processed foods which are DHT blockers,” advised Dr. Maclellan.