Category Archives: Longevity Medicine

Editor's note: Find the latest COVID-19 news and guidance in Medscape's Coronavirus Resource Center.

Lillie Shockney, RN, MAS, a two-time breast cancer survivor and professor of surgery at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland,mourns the many losses that her patients with advanced cancer now face in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. But in the void of the usual support networks and treatment plans, she sees the resurgence of something that has recently been crowded out: hospice.

The pandemic has forced patients and their physicians to reassess the risk/benefit balance of continuing or embarking on yet another cancer treatment.

"It's one of the pearls that we will get out of this nightmare," said Shockney, who recently retired as administrative director of the cancer survivorship programs at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center.

"Physicians have been taught to treat the disease so as long as there's a treatment they give another treatment," she told Medscape Medical News during a Zoom call from her home. "But for some patients with advanced disease, those treatments were making them very sick, so they were trading longevity over quality of life."

Of course, longevity has never been a guarantee with cancer treatment, and even less so now, with the risk of COVID-19.

"This is going to bring them to some hard discussions," says Brenda Nevidjon, RN, MSN, chief executive officer at the Oncology Nursing Society.

"We've known for a long time that there are patients who are on third- and fourth-round treatment options that have very little evidence of prolonging life or quality of life," she told Medscape Medical News. "Do we bring these people out of their home to a setting where there could be a fair number of COVID-positive patients? Do we expose them to that?"

Across the world, these dilemmas are pushing cancer specialists to initiate discussions of hospice sooner with patients who have advanced disease, and with more clarity than before.

One of the reasons such conversations have often been avoided is that the concept of hospice is generally misunderstood, said Shockney.

"Patients think 'you're giving up on me, you've abandoned me', but hospice is all about preserving the remainder of their quality of life and letting them have time with family and time to fulfill those elements of experiencing a good and peaceful death," she said.

Indeed, hospice is "a benefit meant for somebody with at least a 6-month horizon," agrees Nevidjon. Yet the average length of hospice in the US is just 5 days. "It's at the very, very end, and yet for some of these patients the 6 months they could get in hospice might be a better quality of life than the 4 months on another whole plan of chemotherapy. I can't imagine that on the backside of this pandemic we will not have learned and we won't start to change practices around initiating more of these conversations."

It's too early into the pandemic to have hard data on whether hospice uptake has increased, but "it's encouraging to hear that hospice is being discussed and offered sooner as an alternative to that third- or fourth-round chemo," said Lori Bishop, MHA, RN, vice president of palliative and advanced care at the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO).

"I agree that improving informed-decision discussions and timely access to hospice is a silver lining of the pandemic," she told Medscape Medical News.

But she points out that today's hospice looks quite different than it did before the pandemic, with the immediate and very obvious difference being telehealth, which was not widely utilized previously.

In March, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) expanded telehealth options for hospice providers, something that Bishop and other hospice providers hope will remain in place after the pandemic passes.

"Telehealth visits are offered to replace some in-home visits both to minimize risk of exposure to COVID-19 and reduce the drain on personal protective equipment," Bishop explained.

"In-patient hospice programs are also finding unique ways to provide support and connect patients to their loved ones: visitors are allowed but limited to one or two. Music and pet therapy are being provided through the window or virtually and devices such as iPads are being used to help patients connect with loved ones," she said.

Telehealth links patients out of loneliness, but the one thing it cannot do is provide the comfort of touch an important part of any hospice program.

"Hand-holdingI miss that a lot," says Shockney, her eyes filling with tears. "When you take somebody's hand, you don't even have to speak; that connection, and eye contact, is all you need to help that person emotionally heal."

Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified Schockney's title and affiliation.

Kate Johnson is a freelance journalist based in Montreal. She has also written for the New York Times; the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation; MDedge, part of the Medscape Professional Network; Men's Journal; Allergic Living Magazine; and others. She can be reached at kkatejohnson@aol.com.

For more from Medscape Oncology, follow us on Twitter: @MedscapeOnc

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'A Good and Peaceful Death': Cancer Hospice in the Pandemic - Medscape

The incidence of anemia increases with aging, and it is considered to affect mortality through complex pathophysiological outcomes. Although it has been suggested that self-rated health may also contribute to the prognosis of anemia in older people, the relationship between anemia and self-rated health is not well understood. This study thus examined the actual status of anemia in older community-dwelling Japanese people and clarified the relationship between anemia and self-rated health.We conducted medical interviews, physical measurements and blood testing in 2083 people aged 69-91years who participated in the long-term observational Septuagenarians, Octogenarians, Nonagenarians, Investigation with Centenarians (SONIC) study. Subjects were divided into two groups according to whether they had anemia. Logistic regression analyses were used to assess the relationship between anemia and self-rated health after adjusting for possible confounding factors.The prevalence of anemia was 22.3% in all participants, 7.2% in men and 11.6% in women aged 69-71years, 27.4% in men and 26.3% in women aged 79-81years, and 55.8% in men and 44.9% in women aged 89-91years. Multivariate analysis revealed a correlation between the presence of anemia and poor self-rated health in all (odds ratio 0.67, 95% confidence interval 0.48-0.93) and aged 69-71years (odds ratio 0.47, 95% confidence interval 0.25-0.86).Anemia was associated with self-rated health in older Japanese people, suggesting that careful management of anemia may contribute to health and longevity. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2020; : -. 2020 Japan Geriatrics Society.

PubMed

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Association of anemia and SRH in older people: the SONIC study. - Physician's Weekly

ATLANTA, June 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The NFL Players Association (NFLPA), through its for-profit subsidiary NFL Players Inc., has invested in TendoNova Corporation. TendoNova is an Atlanta-based company that develops medical devices that enable microinvasive orthopedic procedures.

The companys initial product, the Ocelot System, addresses chronic tendon pain, which is prevalent in both athletes and the population at large. The investment in TendoNova further exemplifies the NFLPA's commitment to the health and longevity of football athletes. The NFLPA has also sponsored Harvard Universitys Football Players Health Study, from which TendoNova had previously received research support.

Approximately 30 million people in the U.S. suffer from chronic tendon pain each year. This includes injuries such as tennis elbow, Achilles tendinosis and patellar tendon pain. These conditions are prevalent in NFL players and, if left untreated, can lead to career-ending injuries.

Chronic tendon pain in my knees was just a normal part of life as a player at all levels of the game, from high school to the NFL. Through my entire career I never found a way to resolve it; it was something I just dealt with. And I was not alone, said former New Orleans Saints All-Pro offensive tackle Jon Stinchcomb.

TendoNova combines decades of regenerative medicine know-how with modern data analytics to enable in-office procedures to treat chronic tendon pain. The Ocelot system encourages the growth of healthy tendon to replace painful lesions by performing a controlled mechanical debridement of pathologic tendon. Current methods of treating chronic tendon pain, such as using a needle to poke holes in a tendon, rely heavily on clinician skill and are expensive, invasive or have inconsistent outcomes. This leaves patients and physicians with limited viable treatment options for patients that fail to heal. TendoNovas Ocelot System is a smart tool that is easy to use, cost effective and provides real-time data that enhances the clinicians skill. By making treatment of chronic tendon pain more accessible and reliable, TendoNova's Ocelot System brings surgical level care to the office and training room.

We believe investments in companies such as TendoNova are a crucial part of the NFLPAs mission to improve the health, safety and well-being of players both on and off the field, said Sean Sansiveri, who oversees the NFLPAs health, safety and medical research initiatives. TendoNovas Ocelot System will help players from all levels of the game overcome nagging injuries so they dont become lifelong problems.

Founded in 2017 by four Georgia Tech master's students and Dr. Kenneth Mautner of Emory University, TendoNova intends to disrupt the market with a suite of tools for microinvasive procedures performed during a visit with a doctor. TendoNovas Ocelot system is in the final phase of development and funds provided by the NFLPA will enable TendoNova to reach market launch in 2021.

About TendoNovaTendoNova is a medical device company whose initial product is the Ocelot system, a patented, cutting edge device and digital health solution that brings surgical level care to the physician office. Designed to treat chronic tendon pains such as tennis elbow and plantar fasciitis, the Ocelot system promises to lower both the recovery time and patient cost by bringing a proven treatment methodology into the physician office setting. For additional information go to http://www.tendonova.com or email info@tendonova.com.

About the NFL Players AssociationThe National Football League Players Association is the union for professional football players in the National Football League. Established in 1956, the NFLPA has a long history of assuring proper recognition and representation of players interests. The NFLPA has shown that it will do whatever is necessary to assure that the rights of players are protectedincluding ceasing to be a union, if necessary, as it did in 1989. In 1993, the NFLPA again was officially recognized as the union representing the players and negotiated a landmark Collective Bargaining Agreement with the NFL. The current CBA will govern the sport through the 2030 NFL season.

About NFL Players Inc.NFL Players Inc., the licensing and marketing arm of the NFLPA, connects businesses to the power of NFL players. NFL Players Inc. creates customized business solutions for partners through licensing, marketing strategy and player activations. For more information, please visit nflpa.com/players.

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NFLPA Invests in TendoNova to Develop Devices that Enable Microinvasive Orthopedic Procedures - GlobeNewswire

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Precision Medicine Software Market 2020 Recent Industry Growth And Development Strategies Adopted By Top Key Players Worldwide And Assessment To 2026...

Researchers considered that question specifically for new technology foods, like GMOs, where there is a great deal of public opposition. They made use of Amazons Mechanical Turk, the Internet version of college students taking an introduction to psychology. The participants answered questions regarding food crops that were new and old, and were the result of traditional breeding or new technologies, like genetic modification or irradiation. The participants were asked whether they would be willing to consume the product, where it was safe for them or society, and whether it was moral to grow it at all. [1] Here is what they found over a series of studies.

Thesestudies were conducted on US citizens, so while it may well be generalizable to other first-world, Western countries, it may not apply as well to developing countries where adequate nutrition is an over-riding life-changing issue.

People prefer food that has stood the test of time, a heuristic rule that is captured in Talebs Lindy Rule, where old ideas and objects are more resilient to the buffeting winds of change. While some opponents of GMOs argue that they are not safe despite significant testing and can produce examples to prove their point, it is also clear that this cognitive bias, what the researchers termed recency negativity, is also at play. The more widespread acceptance of GMOs or other genetically modified crops may well require the passage of time more than any logical argument.

[1] For example, SP6321 is a domesticated sweet potato (it does not grow wild in nature). Humans changed the DNA of SP 6321 ancestors by selectively breeding only the largest and most drought-resistant sweet potato plants over multiple generations. That DNA is in SP 6321 today and it makes SP 6321 larger and more drought-resistant than many types of wild sweet potatoes. Farmers are just now beginning to grow SP 6321 for human consumption.

[2] While both techniques involve human action, irradiation is an older, lesser-known technology, whereas gene modification has had quite a bit of media and controversy.

Source: Recency Negativity: Newer food crops are evaluated less favorably Appetite DOI: 101.1016/j.appet.2020.104754

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Is There Bias In How We Judge GMOs? - American Council on Science and Health

By Lalit Garg

Bharatbhoomi (India) has been famous as Ayurveda land since ancient times. Everyparticle and molecule of this land having medicinal properties that can cure every type of disease. Incurable diseases can also be destroyed by Ayurveda in our country. There are many medicines in Ayurveda that can combat corona infection. These drugs increase immunity without any side effects, which is necessary to fight a serious disease like corona. During some experiments conducted under the Ministry of AYUSH, it was observed that all those patients who took Ayurvedic or homeopathic medicine for at least seven days during the quarantine period did not develop the infection and became disease free.

Prime Minister NarendraModi, in Mann Ki Baat, recently emphasized on promoting traditional Ayurveda knowledge, treatment and experimentation by connecting with Innovative India Campaign. The encouraging results coming out in the researches of Ministry of AYUSH have shown a ray of hope. Indeed, Ayurveda is the greatest need of the present. Corona havoc can be prevented; if people adopt a healthy lifestyle and include the intake of Ayurvedic herbs in their daily routine.

Various types of research are going on around the world for the treatment of Corona. Medical scientists are working constantly to combat the corona infection. In the midst of all this, the Indian Ayurvedic system of medicine is also engaged in research, treatment and use with its herbs. With its use and treatment, many cases of corona patients getting healthy have not only changed but also show a ray of hope against this deadly disease in the world.

These days, the demand for curcumin-rich turmeric, Ashwagandha, Amla (amalaki), Giloy Juice,chyawanprash etc. has increased greatly in overseas countries like US, Europe & Russia. In many countries of Europe, doctors have been recommending Ayurvedic medicine to patients along with allopathic medicines. In this era of Corona pandemic, foreigners are looking for Ayurvedic medicines on the advice of doctors. Most of the corona infected patients of Delhi, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Goa and Rajasthan are recovering from intake ofAyurvedic medicines.

Goa government has announced that all the Corona infected patients of that state have become disease free due to Ayurvedic medicines and now there is not a single patient of Corona there. The doctors provided Ayurvedic herbs along allopathic medicines to corona patients in Goa. In Gujarat, about 8 thousand patients were cured from Ayurvedic medicines. Ayurvedic medicines like SambhmaniButi, DashmoolKwath, TrikatuChurna and Turmeric etc. has been given to corona patients. Ayurvedic medicines were successfully administered to 6,210 corona virus victims at 179 centers in Uttar Pradesh and they have a positive effect in ending corona disease. AyushKavach has also been started to establish Ayurveda and Yoga treatment system here.

Health screening of 6000 corona assemblages was done in Ayurveda method at Gandhi VidyaMandir Ayurveda College in Rajasthan. According to the Chancellor of the University KanakamalDugad, corona patients have been given regular intake of nutritional chemicals such as basil, Giloy, Trikatu, nutmeg, mace,cinnamon, cardamom etc. The Ministry of AYUSH of India has advised people to take Ayurvedic herbs to increase immunity and strengthen their respiratory system.

. Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan and Union Minister of AYUSH ShripadYessoNaik have also launched the Sanjeevani Mobile App, through which ventures are being made to promote Ayurveda by making contact with as many people as possible. This impact of Ayurveda and allopaths being able to drive away corona disease is a major achievement. If both these systems of medicine are coordinated in the same way, then India will once again be able to achieve a meaningful place in the direction of becoming a World Guru through Ayurveda like Yoga and non-violence.

Dr. KN Dwivedi, senior scientist of Banaras Hindu University has also admitted that we should use our traditional medicinal system Ayurveda to treat Covid 19. He plans to work on the possibility of ayurvedic treatment of corona virus by testing Fifatrol (an ayurvedic drug) on humans. He has sent the proposal of this research to the research team in collaboration with Emil Pharmaceutical. The proposal states that it is an anti-microbial medicinal formula prepared from 13 herbs fromFIFATROL, the five major herbs included includeSudarshanVati, SanjeevaniVati, GodantiBhasma, TripuvanKirtiRas and MrityunjayRas. While the portions of the eight drugs have been mixed with Tulsi, Kutki, Chirayatra, Motha, Giloy, Daruhaldi, Karanja and Appamarga.

All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has also studied this fifatrol, in which this drug has been proved as an Ayurvedic antibiotic. It was found effective in preventing bacterial infection during research. It is helpful in boosting immunity.

This Mandakini of Ayurveda medicine has never been blocked in India nor will it ever be blocked. Today, the whole world is eager to be inundated with this AyurvedicMandakini, it is certainly a good sign for the whole of humanity. Today Ayurveda medicine has become as important as globally, it has never been so important before. If people understood and realized the importance of Ayurveda for their health, then the attitude towards disease and its treatment will change in the world. There is a solution to the worldwide disease like corona in expanding, broadening our perspective towards medicine. Ayurveda has to move privately towards universalism, universalism or inclusiveness. This can create a wave of healthy and effective health system on this entire earth.

It will be a matter of pride for Indians that Ayurveda will be a great gift to the world from India. Ayurveda has been an integral part of the life of Indians. But now it will become the subject of the whole world and part of human life.

Indian Yoga and Ayurveda is a unique disease treatment system, which has been interpreted in such a way that mental and spiritual progress along with the beauty of the body. The sages have given Pranayam for posture and longevity for the strength of the body on the basis of experience in a scientific way, by which a person can take a great resolution and implement it. Therefore, Yoga and Ayurveda are capable of giving health, happiness and peace in this life and also paves the way for disease-liberation. Freedom from Corona Tip of healthy life That is the birth of Ayurveda, from this people will get new thinking, new health philosophy.

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Ayurveda Therapy : The way To Get rid of Corona Disease - Avenue Mail