DC Death with Dignity Survives Federal Congress Repeal
Congressional have protected Washington, D.C.’s Death with Dignity Act by excluding a House-approved appropriations bill rider to overturn the law from the final omnibus appropriations bill signed into law this afternoon.
Last September, the U.S. House of Representatives passed an appropriations bill (H.R. 3354) that included an amendment by U.S. Rep. Andy Harris (MD) to repeal the D.C. Death with Dignity Act, which authorizes medical aid in dying in the District of Columbia.“For seven long months, terminally ill D.C. residents like Mary Klein have been living on pins and needles worrying if Congress would take...
Source: blog.bioethics.net - March 23, 2018 Category: Medical Ethics Authors: Thaddeus Mason Pope, JD, PhD Tags: Health Care syndicated Source Type: blogs
Which Direct-To-Consumer Genetic Test to Choose?
Due to the collapse of the price of genetic testing and the FDA’s gradual ease of the regulatory environment, direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing companies are booming. You can inquire your deoxyribonucleic acid about your ancestry, health risks, metabolism, and some start-ups even promise you to find true love or your kids’ talents. As the jungle of DTC companies is getting denser, more and more people ask me which genetic tests are worth the try. They love the possibility of getting access to their DNA but don’t know where to start. Here’s the DTC genetic testing kick-starter package!
Navigating through...
Source: The Medical Futurist - March 20, 2018 Category: Information Technology Authors: nora Tags: Genomics 23andme ancestry DNA DTC future genetic test Genetic testing genetics Genome genome sequencing Health 2.0 Source Type: blogs
The FDA approval of 23andMe ’s BRCA test: What it means for you
The approval by the Food and Drug Administration of 23andMe’s BRCA test is bound to create a discussion about the merits and pitfalls of direct to consumer genetic testing for cancer risk.
It is also going to add fuel to a growing fire about how we as a nation assess genetic risks for cancer, and whether society is prepared for what is inevitably going to become a genomic-influenced and informed culture of health.
From my perspective, as someone who has given considerable thought to these questions over the past several years, there are no easy answers.
The announcement was straightforward: the FDA approved a test t...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - March 18, 2018 Category: General Medicine Authors: < a href="https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/j-leonard-lichtenfeld" rel="tag" > J. Leonard Lichtenfeld, MD < /a > Tags: Conditions Genetics Oncology/Hematology Source Type: blogs
The challenge in oncology: balancing hope and reality
Part of the challenge in oncology is the balance between hope and reality, and that is probably the most important thing to strive for for patients living with metastatic disease. Often times, the important conversations relate to treatment options, goals of care, and patient preferences (i.e., how frequent the visits to the doctor and for infusions, side effect profiles, and the important events in their lives which they do not want to miss). Yet, some of the most important are also the ones I struggle with the most.
This was the case with Laynie*. She and I met when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. I had hoped to c...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - March 14, 2018 Category: General Medicine Authors: < a href="https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/don-s-dizon" rel="tag" > Don S. Dizon, MD < /a > Tags: Conditions Oncology/Hematology Source Type: blogs
Mr. and Mrs. Wheat Belly
Men and women follow the Wheat Belly lifestyle and can undergo important and sometime startling hormonal changes. Though results vary with stage of life—young adults, middle-aged, older—there are a variety of hormonal changes that women and men typically experience, some in concert, others independently. Such hormonal shifts can be powerful and part of the health-restoring menu of changes that develop with this lifestyle. They can even improve a relationship in a number of ways, both physically and emotionally, especially if we weave in some of the newer Wheat Belly/Undoctored concepts and practices such as oxy...
Source: Wheat Belly Blog - March 13, 2018 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr. Davis Tags: Wheat Belly Lifestyle estradiol estrogen hormonal hormones Inflammation low-carb oxytocin testosterone Thyroid Weight Loss Source Type: blogs
Is my IVF doctor taking me for a ride ?
A patient sent me this email.I am going through an IVF cycle . Egg retrieval has already been done and as per the doctor's report , 10 embryos were formed.. Then we were told that instead of fresh ET , he will.go for frozen cycle , so that ovary comes to to.normalcy, and he started me on 21 days birth control pill. I am upset that he did not explain this to me before we started.This month in this cycle (as today is day 13) my endometrium has reached only till 6.5 wherein last month it was 9mm. Is this normal?If the transfer is not done in this cycle will there be a negative impact on my embryos due to prolonged freezing?Wh...
Source: Dr.Malpani's Blog - March 13, 2018 Category: Reproduction Medicine Source Type: blogs
The FDA-approved concussion blood test isn ’t ready for prime time
As an emergency medicine physician, a sports medicine physician who has spent countless hours on the sideline, and a concussion researcher, I spent a few minutes on Valentine’s Day reading with great interest the FDA release about a concussion biomarker. Currently, the diagnosis of a concussion is a timely, complicated task, taking into account both subjective historical elements and objective findings from the physical exam. The idea that a blood test could diagnose a concussion would be a game-changer. Unfortunately, after reading the release and the corresponding studies, we have yet to reach the goal line.
The blood ...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - March 9, 2018 Category: General Medicine Authors: < a href="https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/neha-raukar" rel="tag" > Neha Raukar, MD < /a > Tags: Conditions Emergency Medicine Neurology Source Type: blogs
Loss of Ribosomal DNA is Associated with Aging in Flies
Researchers here make an interesting discovery in the genetics of fly aging. Old flies lose repeated DNA sequences in the genome that encode for RNA related to the ribosome, a cellular structure important in the intricate, multi-stage process by which proteins are created from their genetic blueprints. Protein creation changes in numerous ways in later life, better ribosomal function is associated with greater species longevity, and it is known that ribosomal RNA genes acquire epigenetic markers in a characteristic way with age. How exactly this all links together is yet to be determined in detail.
The more interest...
Source: Fight Aging! - March 5, 2018 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs
Why it's a pleasure treating well informed patients !
A patient sent me this emailWe are considering embarking upon IVF to have our 4th living child . We have a history of successful pregnancies (births 2008, 2010, 2012) mixed with miscarriages (3 in 2007, one in 2017). We want to expedite conception rather than trying for years more on our own. My AMH appears reasonable (21.6 pmol/l) and my CD3 FSH was 8.3; LH and estradiol, prolactin etc. were in normal range). We have approached two fertility clinics (one in Greece, one in the Czech republic, both well known) who have both recommended a hysteroscopy before proceeding. I do not feel that this is evidence-based practice. I h...
Source: Dr.Malpani's Blog - February 20, 2018 Category: Reproduction Medicine Source Type: blogs
I am 28 and my girl friend is 33.We want to get married. Will we able to have a baby ?
I am 28 and my girl friend is 33.We want to get married, but my mother is worried about her fertility, because she is older than I am Can you help ?While I can do some simple tests to check her fertility, I am very reluctant to do tests without any good reason.If you are both healthy and active, then the odds are stacked in your favour that you will have no problems at all - the human race has proved to be quite efficient at reproducing itself !If your girl friend is worried about her fertility because of her age, please share this with her.Please test your AMH level ( read more at http://www.dr...
Source: Dr.Malpani's Blog - February 20, 2018 Category: Reproduction Medicine Source Type: blogs
Fight Aging! Newsletter, February 19th 2018
Fight Aging! provides a weekly digest of news and commentary for thousands of subscribers interested in the latest longevity science: progress towards the medical control of aging in order to prevent age-related frailty, suffering, and disease, as well as improvements in the present understanding of what works and what doesn't work when it comes to extending healthy life. Expect to see summaries of recent advances in medical research, news from the scientific community, advocacy and fundraising initiatives to help speed work on the repair and reversal of aging, links to online resources, and much more.
This content is...
Source: Fight Aging! - February 18, 2018 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Newsletters Source Type: blogs
Nanomachines Create Clots Inside Vessels Feeding Cancer Tumors
Researchers from Arizona State University and National Center for Nanoscience and Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have developed a remarkable new way of killing tumors. They’ve developed robot-like nanoscale devices that cling to the walls of tumor vessels, release a clotting agent, and block the tumor from receiving nutrients. These nanorobots, which consist of sheets made of strings of DNA, have DNA aptamers that target a protein produced only by certain tumor types. The sheets are rolled up into cylinders and thrombin, the clotting enzyme, is attached to the interior of the newly formed tubes. When ...
Source: Medgadget - February 16, 2018 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Editors Tags: Nanomedicine Oncology Source Type: blogs
Making sense of your IVF blood results
A patient sent me this emailI am doing an IVF cycle, and my Day 6 results are as follows: E2- 1776 (great result) PO- 0.6 nmol/l LH 1.6 mIU/mL I am wondering if LH or Progesterone can be too low and should the cycle be cancelled. I am on Puregon- 300iu Menopur- 1 vial Orgalutran- 1 syringe ThanksI am very pleased when patients are well-informed, and take an active and intelligent interest in their treatment !Yes, the medical jargon can be quite confusing, and doctors don't make it easier, because they rarely bother to explain what's happening.This is why the internet can be such a valuable resource for infertile women, who...
Source: Dr.Malpani's Blog - February 14, 2018 Category: Reproduction Medicine Source Type: blogs
DNA Machinery that can Sabotage the Blood Supply of Tumors
Researchers have been building simple molecular machines out of DNA for some years now. This approach to molecular machinery is well suited to applications that involve conditional activation based on the proteins present in the surrounding environment; a lot of the necessary functional parts already exist in DNA and just have to be assembled in the right way. The Oisin Biotechnologies cell-killing technology is a smaller example of the type than the approach here, in which sizable DNA containers are constructed. They carry a cargo that will disrupt local blood flow, and are triggered into opening by cancerous cell surface...
Source: Fight Aging! - February 14, 2018 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs
