tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40251640120047168152024-03-13T14:39:46.178-07:00HomeiRDMunihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885805731977569538noreply@blogger.comBlogger256125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025164012004716815.post-12048817083234720902012-12-09T11:23:00.001-08:002012-12-09T11:23:42.391-08:00At The Stroke Of A Key: Online Therapies To Improve Sight Of Stroke Survivors<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="Ent-Date">11/27/2012 6:59 AM ET</span></div>
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Stroke frequently affects vision, and one in five stroke survivors are said to have hemianopia, a condition which refers to partial or total loss of vision in either the right or left sides of one or both eyes. The visual problems following a stroke can severely affect the quality of life of stroke survivors. But all hope need not be lost as researchers from the University College London have developed two new web-based therapies to help stroke survivors <a class="itxtnewhook itxthook" href="http://www.rttnews.com/2012601/at-the-stroke-of-a-key-online-therapies-to-improve-sight-of-stroke-survivors.aspx?type=bio#" id="itxthook0" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: none; border: 0px none transparent; cursor: pointer; display: inline; padding: 0px; text-decoration: initial;"><span class="itxtrst itxtrstspan itxtnowrap" id="itxthook0p" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; bottom: auto; display: inline !important; float: none !important; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; height: auto; left: auto; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; position: static; right: auto; top: auto; white-space: nowrap !important;"><span class="itxtrst itxtrstspan itxtnowrap itxtnewhookspan" id="itxthook0w" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: transparent transparent rgb(0, 204, 0); border-style: none none solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; bottom: auto; color: #009900; display: inline; float: none; font-family: inherit; height: auto; left: auto; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px 0px 1px !important; position: static; right: auto; text-decoration: underline !important; top: auto; white-space: normal;">improve</span><img class="itxtrst itxtrstimg itxthookicon" id="itxthook0icon" src="http://images.intellitxt.com/ast/adTypes/icon1.png" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px !important; bottom: auto; display: inline !important; float: none !important; height: auto !important; left: auto; margin: 0px !important; max-height: none; max-width: none !important; padding: 0px 0px 0px 4px !important; position: static; right: auto; top: auto; vertical-align: baseline !important; white-space: normal; width: auto !important;" /></span></a>their sight from the comfort of their own home.</div>
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The two websites namely, Read-Right and Eye-Search could mark the beginning of a new online era for stroke rehabilitation, helping stroke survivors with everyday tasks like reading a shopping list or identifying an item of clothing from the wardrobe, say the researchers <b><i><a href="http://www.rttnews.com/2012601/at-the-stroke-of-a-key-online-therapies-to-improve-sight-of-stroke-survivors.aspx?type=bio" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">NEXT...</a></i></b></div>
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iRDMunihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885805731977569538noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025164012004716815.post-6041498473519370642012-12-09T11:08:00.000-08:002012-12-09T11:08:19.928-08:00After Stroke, Living in a Home Filled With Bickering, and Love<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A conversation between two roommates, Marianela Toro and Ana Ventura, on a recent afternoon consisted of disparaging comments soaked in sarcasm and exasperated sighs that were soon chased with laughter. There was even a weapon brandished: Ms. Ventura, 43, threatened Ms. Toro, 46, with a pillow.</div>
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Marianela Toro suffered a stroke that caused most of her left side to be paralyzed. A sister and nephew live with her.</div>
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<img alt="The Neediest Cases" class="runaroundLeft" height="75" src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2012/10/05/nyregion/neediest-logo/neediest-logo-thumbStandard.jpg" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin: 2px 6px 6px 0px;" width="75" /><em>For the past 100 years, The New York Times Neediest Cases Fund has provided direct assistance to children, families and the elderly in New York. To celebrate the 101st campaign, an article will appear daily through Jan. 25. Each profile will illustrate the difference that even a modest amount of money can make in easing the struggles of the poor.</em></div>
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<em>Last year donors contributed $7,003,854, which was distributed to those in need through seven New York charities.</em></div>
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<strong>The Youngest Donors</strong></div>
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If your child or family is using<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/01/31/nyregion/20100131_DONORPACKAGE.html?ref=nyregion" style="color: #666699; text-decoration: initial;">creative techniques</a> to raise money for this year’s campaign, we want to hear from you. Drop us a line on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/nytimesgiving" style="color: #666699; text-decoration: initial;">Facebook</a> or talk to us on <a href="https://twitter.com/neediestcases" style="color: #666699; text-decoration: initial;">Twitter.</a></div>
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<strong>2012-13 Campaign</strong></div>
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Previously recorded:</div>
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$2,686,184</div>
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Recorded Thursday:</div>
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$173,916</div>
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*Total:</div>
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$$2,860,100</div>
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Last year to date:</div>
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$2,640,733</div>
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<em>*Includes $511,791 contributed to the Hurricane Sandy relief efforts.</em></div>
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“Her hobby is screaming,” Ms. Toro said. “She screams all the time.”</div>
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“She’s like a child,” Ms. Ventura shot back, and Ms. Toro, an admitted instigator, simply smiled.</div>
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Ms. Toro and Ms. Ventura are sisters, sharing an apartment in the Unionport neighborhood of the Bronx. Ms. Ventura’s 12-year-old son, Yadriel Bracero, who had always been close to his aunt, lives with them. Bickering and pranks are commonplace in their home. <b><i><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/08/nyregion/after-stroke-living-in-a-home-filled-with-bickering-and-love.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">NEXT...</a></i></b></div>
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iRDMunihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885805731977569538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025164012004716815.post-41854695017890458692012-12-09T11:04:00.000-08:002012-12-09T11:04:06.318-08:00Frankie Muniz has mini-stroke: 'I couldn't say words'<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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He says he's "still trying to make sense of it."</h2>
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<img alt="Frankie Muniz" itemprop="url" src="http://www.gannett-cdn.com/media/USATODAY/USATODAY/2012/12/05/muniz-4_3_r560.jpg?f061b7ce9937c38b702e6f308816ac2a14e2a4ec" style="border: 0px; cursor: pointer; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /><span class="toggle" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-image: url(http://www.gannett-cdn.com/static/images/sprites/asset-sprite.png); background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; bottom: 0px; height: 21px; position: absolute; right: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; width: 21px; z-index: 200;"></span></div>
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<span class="credit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">(Photo: Matt Sayles, AP)</span></div>
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<span class="last-updated" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-weight: 700; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">10:07AM EST December 5. 2012 - </span><i>Malcolm in the Middle</i> star Frankie Muniz turns 27 today. And last week, he suffered a mini-stroke.</div>
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TMZ <a href="http://www.tmz.com/2012/12/04/frankie-muniz-stroke/?adid=hero1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: #1990e5; text-decoration: initial; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;" title="http://www.tmz.com/2012/12/04/frankie-muniz-stroke/?adid=hero1">reported</a> the news on Tuesday, citing a source was taken to an Arizona ER on Friday when friends noticed he was "acting really weird" -- having trouble speaking and understanding words -- and they got freaked out."</div>
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On <i>Good Morning America</i> today the actor/musician explained, "I couldn't say words. I thought I was saying them! My fiance, was looking at me like I was speaking a foreign language."</div>
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He was riding his motorcycle in Phoenix on Friday when he lost vision in one eye, he told GMA. His doctors told him he had suffered a mini-stroke. Among people who have had strokes, fewer than 10% are under 45. Muniz says he doesn't drink or do drugs and has never had a cigarette. <b><i><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2012/12/05/frankie-muniz-has-mini-stroke-i-couldnt-say-words/1747647/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">NEXT....</a></i></b></div>
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iRDMunihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885805731977569538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025164012004716815.post-54047711411126276562012-03-27T21:13:00.000-07:002012-03-27T21:13:22.059-07:00Speech long after stroke<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QpzHrjztFUY/T3KP09j0kJI/AAAAAAAAQRk/QVm5HIQjtyc/s1600/brain_scan_20100831021422_320_240.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QpzHrjztFUY/T3KP09j0kJI/AAAAAAAAQRk/QVm5HIQjtyc/s1600/brain_scan_20100831021422_320_240.JPG" /></a></div><div class="fontStyle4 storyFontResize"> <div class="story last">ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Nearly 800,000 Americans have strokes each year and about 100,000 are left with serious problems communicating, a condition known as aphasia. Research has demonstrated that, with therapy, many of these patients can talk and understand language again. But the process can be slow and expensive.<br />
A new study from the Medical University of South Carolina tallies at least part of that expense by examining Medicare payments to thousands of stroke patients. The study found that people with aphasia tend to be older and sicker than other stroke patients, requiring hospital stays that are on average 6.5 percent longer and Medicare payments that are 8.5 percent higher.<br />
But despite their greater needs, Medicare caps payments for speech and physical therapy after a stroke at less than $1,900. Most private insurance also has strict limits for such rehabilitation.<br />
In light of growing evidence that recovery can continue for some time after the stroke, that philosophy should be reconsidered, says the lead author of the new study, published recently in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.<br />
Without adequate treatment, patients and families suffer "substantial limitations in life participation," said Charles Ellis Jr., associate professor at the Medical University of South Carolina.<br />
Lisa Edmonds, an aphasia researcher at the University of Florida, says some patients continue to make gains for years. "The improvement may not be as steep as it is in the first year, but there is the capacity to continue improving. Some for three, five years after," she said.</div></div><br />
Read more: <a href="http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/news/health/Speech-long-after-stroke#ixzz1qNi1Mtzi" style="color: #003399;">http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/news/health/Speech-long-after-stroke#ixzz1qNi1Mtzi</a></div>iRDMunihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885805731977569538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025164012004716815.post-9028438212778326902012-03-08T17:11:00.000-08:002012-03-08T17:11:57.775-08:00Mark Kirk Stroke: Doctors Remove Two Pieces Of Republican Senator's Brain Tissue Destroyed By Stroke<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="margin_bottom_10 relative"> <img alt="Mark Kirk" id="img_caption_1234350" src="http://i.huffpost.com/gen/479080/thumbs/r-MARK-KIRK-large570.jpg" width="570" /> <div class="absolute large-image-caption white_bg arial_11 color_333333" id="caption_1234350" style="display: block;"> Illinois Sen. Mark Kirk remains in serious but stable condition after suffering a stroke over the weekend. </div></div><div class="comments_datetime relative v05"> <span class="updated" title="2012-01-26T12:14:23-05:00">01/26/12 12:14 PM ET</span> <span class="vborder-dashed margin_0_5"> </span> <span class="ap author source-org vcard"><img alt="AP" height="18" src="http://s.huffpost.com/images/v/ap_wire.png" width="18" /></span> <br />
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<div class="float_left"> <div class="chicklets lighter" id="chicklets"> </div></div><div class="sidebarHeader"><div class="share_boxes_wraper"> </div></div>CHICAGO -- Illinois Sen. Mark Kirk remains in serious but stable condition after suffering a stroke over the weekend.<br />
His neurosurgeon said Thursday that doctors have removed two small pieces of brain tissue destroyed by the stroke.<br />
Dr. Richard Fessler of Northwestern Memorial Hospital said Wednesday's surgical procedure is common and is meant to create more space around the brain to accommodate expected swelling. Doctors removed a 4-by-8-inch piece of Kirk's skull, also to allow for swelling during an emergency surgery Sunday...<br />
<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/26/mark-kirk_n_1234350.html">Next................... </a></div>iRDMunihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885805731977569538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025164012004716815.post-22604607317943937572012-03-08T17:06:00.000-08:002012-03-08T17:06:03.374-08:00Head patch watches over stroke patients’ blood flow in brains<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-65123" height="252" src="http://cdn.coolest-gadgets.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/head-patch.jpg" title="head-patch" width="450" />Stroke is one of the silent killers just like heart attacks, and the amount of damage it does to the body varies, with many of those who suffered from a stroke before having to live with limited movement as well as slurred speech. Not only that, statistics show that nearly 33% of stroke patients experience another stroke – all the while when they are still stuck in the hospital. Nurses assigned to such patients will have to go the extra mile then to keep a close eye on them, and also to help arrange for such patients to undergo additional tests if they fall under the category of being a high risk case of getting another stroke.<br />
It is rather unfortunate that such tests can prove to be invasive, and in some cases are even potentially harmful to the patient. Good thing advancements in modern medical technology brings good news – there is a spanking new device that is being developed at the Mayo Clinic in Florida, which might eventually be able to monitor the potential advent of another stroke through the simple act of shining light onto a patient’s forehead.<br />
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This device is known as near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), where it will be attached to the brow skin just like a sticker. Following that, it measures blood oxygen levels in the brain, and through the emission of near-infrared light that penetrates the scalp, which will in turn proceed about 2.5 centimeters (0.98 inches) into the underlying brain tissue, makes it work similar in nature to the pulse oximeter that is widely used today, although the latter will clamp onto one’s finger.<br />
Standard operating procedures in testing for a stroke will require a CT perfusion scan to be performed, where this will measure blood flow and oxygenation via the use of an introduced contrast medium, and in some cases might actually result in airway or kidney damage. Should multiple scans be required, such a process will also expose the patient to excessive radiation, and that has a risk of cancer as well. Hopefully the new device can be miniaturized eventually for everyday use, including assessing the extent of brain injuries. <br />
<a href="http://www.gizmag.com/nirs-stroke-patient-brain-oxygen/21334/" target="_blank">Source</a><br />
<a href="http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/20120205/head-patch-watches-stroke-patients-blood-flow-brains/">Next............................. </a> </div>iRDMunihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885805731977569538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025164012004716815.post-82080662891058473602012-03-08T15:18:00.000-08:002012-03-08T15:18:16.031-08:00New drug could protect brain from stroke damage<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">A new drug appears to protect the brain against damage from stroke, even if administered hours after the stroke occurs, according to a new study in monkeys.<br />
Monkeys given the drug had less dead brain tissue and showed more improvements on tests of brain function after a stroke, compared with monkeys that did not take the drug.<br />
<a href="http://www.myhealthnewsdaily.com/522-q-a-a-why-do-scientists-perform-experiments-on-monkeys.html">Testing on primates</a> was important because, over the last half-century, there have been more than 1,000 drugs aimed at preventing <a href="http://www.myhealthnewsdaily.com/1139-freeway-air-damages-mice-brains.html">brain damage</a> that have failed to work in people, even though they worked well in mice or rats, said study researcher Dr. Michael Tymianski, of the Toronto Western Hospital Research Institute in <a class="r_lapi" href="http://www.foxnews.com/topics/canada.htm#r_src=ramp">Canada</a>.<br />
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Read more: <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/03/01/new-drug-could-protect-brain-from-stroke-damage/#ixzz1oZQAkmtt" style="color: #003399;">http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/03/01/new-drug-could-protect-brain-from-stroke-damage/#ixzz1oZQAkmtt</a></div></div>iRDMunihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885805731977569538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025164012004716815.post-51515433161032259482012-03-08T15:09:00.000-08:002012-03-08T15:09:53.061-08:00Air pollution may increase stroke, heart attack risk<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="cnn_stryimg640captioned"><img alt="The study doesn't show that air pollution directly triggers strokes, although the researchers say that is biologically plausible. " border="0" height="360" src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120215123218-car-people-air-pollution-smog-exhaust-story-top.jpg" width="640" /></div><div class="cnn_stryimg640caption"><div class="cnn_strycaptiontxt">The study doesn't show that air pollution directly triggers strokes, although the researchers say that is biologically plausible. </div></div><a href="" name="em0"></a> <div class="cnn_strylftcntnt"><div class="cnn_strylctcntr"> <div><strong>STORY HIGHLIGHTS</strong></div><ul class="cnn_bulletbin cnnStryHghLght"><li>Strokes more likely to occur immediately following periods when air quality drops </li>
<li>Researchers estimate a 20% reduction in air pollution would have prevented 6,100 strokes</li>
<li>Second study provides evidence that air pollution may increase cardiovascular risk</li>
</ul></div></div><strong>(Health.com)</strong> -- A brief uptick in traffic-related air pollution may be enough to increase a person's short-term risk of stroke, new research suggests.<br />
An analysis of 10 years of data from a major Boston stroke center has found that strokes are more likely to occur immediately following 24-hour periods in which air quality drops into the range the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers "moderate."<br />
"At levels that the EPA considers to be generally safe, we found an important effect of ambient air particles, which is one of many pollutants in the air, but an important one," says study coauthor Gregory A. Wallenius, Sc.D., an assistant professor of community health at Brown University Medical School, in Providence, Rhode Island. Wallenius collaborated with researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the Harvard School of Public Health, both in Boston...................<br />
<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/15/health/air-pollution-stroke-heart-attack-risk/index.html">Next............</a></div>iRDMunihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885805731977569538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025164012004716815.post-16893566199689636242012-03-08T11:02:00.000-08:002012-03-08T11:02:46.318-08:00McCarney, still hospitalized, confirms stroke but sounds cheery<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="ody-photo-land ody-photo" id="ody-mainphoto" style="position: relative;"> <div class="ody-land-nonfullwith"> <div class="ody-asset-breakout plus-seatgeek" id="ody-asset-breakout" style="border-bottom: medium none;"> <img alt="Photo taken Nov. 19, 2006: Then-Iowa State head football coach Dan McCarney gets high fives as he leads his players onto the field at Jack Trice Stadium." src="http://cmsimg.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=D2&Date=20120214&Category=SPORTS&ArtNo=120214005&Ref=AR&MaxW=640&Border=0&McCarney-still-hospitalized-confirms-stroke-sounds-cheery" /><div id="p360_left_wrapper" style="border-top: medium none; display: block;"><div class="p360-article hasAssets"><div><div class="ad_p360"><div id="adcontainer___gelement_adbanner_2"><div class="" id="__gelement_38"><div id="p360_ad_unit"><div id="p360_listing_container">Take it from Dan McCarney – something bad, something like a stroke -- can happen even when you’re in tip-top physical condition.<br />
<br />
“But tell everyone back there that I’m doing fine,” the former ISU head football coach said Tuesday from his bed in a Denton, Texas, hospital. “I’ve got too much Irish in me to stay down very long.”<br />
<br />
McCarney, now coach at North Texas, confirmed that he suffered a stroke Sunday morning, shortly after his daily workout.............</div><div id="p360_listing_container"><a href="http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20120214/SPORTS/120214005/-1/OBITUARIES/McCarney-still-hospitalized-confirms-stroke-sounds-cheery">Next..................................... </a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>iRDMunihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885805731977569538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025164012004716815.post-38319194989174619512012-03-08T10:27:00.000-08:002012-03-08T10:27:37.081-08:00Taking Medicine, With a Microchip Under the Skin<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="article_image" style="text-align: left;"><img alt="img" class="dxw_orientation_rss_article_element" height="320" src="http://m.voanews.com/img/rO0ABXQASmZ7aHR0cDovL21lZGlhLnZvYW5ld3MuY29tL2ltYWdlcy8yMzAtc2UtbWljcm9jaGlwLTA1bWFyMTIuanBlZ31mMzEzM2YzMjB0.jpg" width="320" /></div>Download this story as a PDF <br />
<br />
This is the VOA Special English Technology Report. <br />
<br />
Call it medicine on a microchip. <br />
<br />
Researchers in the United States have developed the first wirelessly controlled device that can supply a drug directly into the body. A small chip is implanted under the skin. It contains the medicine, which it releases at preset times. <br />
<br />
The developers say the device could improve the lives of millions of people who take medicine for long-term illnesses. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
A company called MicroCHIPS began developing the device about fifteen years ago. Last month, the company released the results of its first successful tests in humans. The tests took place in Denmark with seven women with osteoporosis. <br />
<br />
Osteoporosis causes bones to become weak and break easily. The disorder is common among older people, especially women. Many patients have to give themselves daily injections of medicine. One type of treatment requires injections for two years.<br />
<a href="http://m.voanews.com/learningenglish/rss.jsp?rssid=25266971&item=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.voanews.com%2Ftemplates%2FSingleArticle-mobiletech.rss%3FcontentID%3D141364043&show=full&cid=25228101">Next.......................................... </a></div>iRDMunihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885805731977569538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025164012004716815.post-63398978405766933062012-01-16T13:36:00.001-08:002012-01-16T13:36:58.423-08:00Strokes, retina damage and trapped nerves: Is yoga doing us more harm than good?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">It may be the secret to some of the most lithe and bendy bodies around, but yoga, as loved by celebrities from Matthew McConaughey to Natalie Portman, may also be the cause of a host of severe injuries.</span><span style="font-size: 1.2em;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">A new book, published next month, lifts the lid on some of the darker sides of the physical and mental stretching techniques - and from back traumas to strokes, the discipline is not without its dangers, writes author William J Broad.</span><span style="font-size: 1.2em;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The Science of Yoga: The Risks and the Rewards, out next month, pulls together medical studies and case studies from those who have met with disastrous ends rather than the feel-good flexibility the practice normally affords. </span><br />
<div class="thinCenter"> <img alt="Ancient technique: Yoga is said to calm and heal, but a new book opens the lid on some of the physical and mental stretching practices' darker sides" class="blkBorder" height="312" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/01/09/article-0-0F643CC700000578-74_468x312.jpg" width="468" /> <div class="imageCaption">Ancient technique: Yoga is said to calm and heal, but a new book opens the lid on some of the physical and mental stretching practices' darker sides</div></div><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">In an adaptation of the book in the New York Times, Mr Broad recalls meeting Glenn Black, a yogi with classic Indian Iyengar training. </span><span style="font-size: 1.2em;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Mr Black, a yoga teacher of nearly 40 years, made the admission that he believes that 'the vast majority of people' should give up yoga. He recently underwent back surgery to correct decades of damage from the discipline. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="relatedItemsTopBorder"> </div><div class="relatedItems"> <h4>More...</h4><ul><li><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2084223/The-rising-trend-Bro-tox-Meet-men-hooked-cosmetic-fillers.html">The rising trend for 'Bro-tox': Meet the men becoming hooked on cosmetic fillers</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2084052/Look-sweeter-Could-sugar-new-key-keeping-wrinkles-bay.html">Look sweeter: Could sugar be the new key to keeping those wrinkles at bay?</a></li>
</ul></div><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The yoga guru told Mr Broad that he has seen people's Achilles tendons tear from overdoing a downward-facing dog, men's ribs breaking with 'pops' from spine-twisting moves and teachers who no longer have any movement in their hips or who are forced to teach lying down because of back problems. </span><span style="font-size: 1.2em;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">But the most severe cases include a 28-year-old woman who suffered a massive stroke while attempting the 'wheel' position. Her story was documented by Willibald Nagler, of Cornell University Medical College, and published in 1973.</span><br />
<div class="thinCenter"> <img alt="Bendy: Matthew McConaughey enjoys a spot of yoga on the beach - but could he be doing his body more harm than good?" class="blkBorder" height="286" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/01/09/article-0-0F643CAE00000578-896_468x286.jpg" width="468" /> <div class="imageCaption">Bendy: Matthew McConaughey enjoys a spot of yoga on the beach - but could he be doing his body more harm than good?</div></div><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Neurological damage had occurred because of hyperextension of the neck, but the woman - who took two years to learn to walk again and was left with permanent arm and eye and problems - is not alone in succumbing to brain injuries brought on by wounding arteries from head, neck and back movements.</span><span style="font-size: 1.2em;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Mr Nagler's report was an early and salu</span><br />
<br />
Read more: <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2084334/Strokes-retina-damage-trapped-nerves-Is-yoga-doing-harm-good.html#ixzz1jex3eUOh" style="color: #003399;">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2084334/Strokes-retina-damage-trapped-nerves-Is-yoga-doing-harm-good.html#ixzz1jex3eUOh</a></div>iRDMunihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885805731977569538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025164012004716815.post-22143658499523328752012-01-12T19:11:00.000-08:002012-01-12T19:11:55.862-08:00‘Mini strokes’ linked to lower life expectancy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<span id="ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder1_lblNewsDetailMain">“Mini strokes,” with symptoms that last just a few minutes or hours, are well-recognized warning signs for potentially deadly larger strokes. Now new research confirms that they are associated with a lower life expectancy.<br />
<br />
Survival rates after mini strokes, known medically as transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), were 20% lower than expected among study participants nine years later compared to the general population. The findings highlight the fact that TIAs are serious events that should not be ignored, says stroke specialist and American Heart Association spokesman Philip Gorelick, MD. He directs the Center for Stroke Research at the University of Illinois College of Medicine....<a href="http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=86556&Cat=5&dt=1/9/2012">Next</a></span></div>iRDMunihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885805731977569538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025164012004716815.post-56091829111094939362012-01-12T18:56:00.000-08:002012-01-12T18:56:46.958-08:0012 to watch in 2012: Alexander Levy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="ts-main_article2_image" style="width: 590px;"> <img alt="App inventor Alex Levy is one of the Star's 12 people to watch in 2012." id="ts-main_article2_image_IMG" src="http://media.thestar.topscms.com/images/5d/b7/14c351804d3b92c734aab941167e.jpeg" /> <div class="ts-image_abstract">App inventor Alex Levy is one of the Star's 12 people to watch in 2012.</div><span class="ts-image_source">Lucas Oleniuk/Toronto Star</span> </div><div class="ts-columnist2"> <div class="ts-info"> <div class="td-author"> <span class="ts-label">Vanessa Lu</span> <span>Business Reporter</span> </div></div></div><div class="ts-facebook_like"> <span></span> </div>Alexander Levy never imagined he’d be running a mobile app company.<br />
In 2009 he was finishing up his political science degree at the University of Toronto and was planning to go to law school when he took a part-time research assistant job at the Technologies for Aging Gracefully Lab.<br />
That led him to a chance encounter with Bill Scott, a stroke survivor who suffered from aphasia, where words are on the tip of his tongue, but the person just can’t get them out.<br />
Scott wandered into the lab with a huge binder of photos with words that he used to communicate, along with a bulky machine, wanting to find a better way.<br />
That prompted Levy, with the help of others including his company’s co-founder, Aakash Sahnei, to develop their MyVoice app, which readies a list of specific words based on the GPS location of a smartphone....<a href="http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1112916">.Next</a></div>iRDMunihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885805731977569538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025164012004716815.post-79625323798948787772012-01-12T16:40:00.001-08:002012-01-12T16:40:47.963-08:00Aphasia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div id="content"> <div id="page-header"> <h2>Films</h2></div><div id="page-body"> <div class="film-entry last-entry"> <div class="film-col-1"> <div class="film-image"> <img alt="Aphasia" src="http://www.reelabilities.org/uploads/films/Aphasia_websized.jpg" /> </div><div class="film-links"> <div class="view-trailer"> <a class="thickbox" href="http://newyork.reelabilities.org/video.php?url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANd5N_saVo4&list=PL3A07A61A9EE8096E&index=1&feature=plpp_video&TB_iframe=true&height=380&width=620" target="_blank" title="Aphasia">View Trailer</a> </div></div></div><div class="film-col-2"> <div class="social-widgets"> <div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style"> <a class="atc_s addthis_button_compact" href=""><span></span></a><a class="addthis_button_expanded" href="http://newyork.reelabilities.org/films/view/aphasia#" title="View more services">1</a> </div></div><h3 class="film-title">Aphasia</h3><div class="text-meta">Jim Gloster / USA / English / 40 min / <a href="http://aphasiathemovie.com/Aphasia_Project/Home.html" target="_blank" title="Aphasia">Official Website</a></div><div class="text-desc"><em>Aphasia </em>tells the true story of actor Carl McIntyre about the effects of a massive stroke he suffered at the age of 44 - he lost his ability to read, write and speak. Starring as himself, McIntyre portrays his life story with an incredibly nuanced performance. Through humor and pathos <em>Aphasia </em>speaks to anyone who has struggled to meet life’s challenges. <em><a href="http://newyork.reelabilities.org/films/view/aphasia">Click for Tickets</a></em><br />
</div><div class="screening-container-visible" id="screening-container-364"> <table cellpadding="0px" cellspacing="0px" class="screening-table"><colgroup><col width="161px"></col> <col width="71px"></col> <col></col> <col width="147px"></col> </colgroup><thead>
<tr> <th>Date</th> <th>Time</th> <th>Venue</th> <th>Tickets</th> </tr>
</thead> <tbody>
<tr> <td>Sunday 02/12/2012</td> <td>2:00pm</td> <td><a href="http://newyork.reelabilities.org/venues/the-jcc-in-manhattan" title="The JCC in Manhattan">The JCC in Manhattan</a></td> <td><a href="http://www.jccmanhattan.org/cat-content.aspx?catid=2927&progid=25249" target="_blank" title="Buy Tickets"><img alt="Buy Tickets" src="http://www.reelabilities.org/themes/site_themes/reelabilities/img/buy-tickets.gif" /></a></td> </tr>
<tr> <td>Monday 02/13/2012</td> <td>7:00pm</td> <td><a href="http://newyork.reelabilities.org/venues/staten-island-jcc" title="Staten Island JCC">Staten Island JCC</a></td> <td>Call for tickets - 718.475.5291</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>Saturday 02/11/2012</td> <td>1:00pm</td> <td><a href="http://newyork.reelabilities.org/venues/st.-agnes-library" title="St. Agnes Library">St. Agnes Library</a></td> <td>Free.</td> </tr>
</tbody> </table></div></div></div></div></div></div>iRDMunihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885805731977569538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025164012004716815.post-43207884918857388672012-01-08T12:27:00.000-08:002012-01-08T12:27:55.305-08:00Red meat linked to high stroke risk - study<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gGG84nEq7mk/Twn8BmHIvII/AAAAAAAAQFE/jgwPQkIPHX8/s1600/Red-meat-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gGG84nEq7mk/Twn8BmHIvII/AAAAAAAAQFE/jgwPQkIPHX8/s200/Red-meat-1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>By David Liu, PHD<br />
<div><br />
</div><div>Saturday Jan 7, 2012 (foodconsumer.org) -- A new study in the journal Stroke suggests that eating too much red meat may drastically increase risk of stroke.</div><div><br />
</div><div>The study led by Adam M. Bernstein, MD, ScD of the Wellness Institute of the Cleveland Clinic and colleagues found high intake of red meat was associated with an elevated risk of stroke while eating poultry was correlated with a reduced risk.</div><div><br />
</div><div>For the study, researchers followed 84, 010 women aged 30 to 55 years at baseline and 43,150 men aged 40 to 75 years who at baseline had no diagnosed cancer, diabetes, or <a class="kLink" href="http://www.foodconsumer.org/newsite/#" id="KonaLink1" style="font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; font-weight: inherit !important; position: static; text-decoration: underline !important;"><span style="color: #0c4790; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit ! important; font-weight: inherit ! important; position: static;"><span class="kLink" style="color: #0c4790; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit ! important; font-weight: inherit ! important; position: static;">cardiovascular </span><span class="kLink" style="color: #0c4790; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit ! important; font-weight: inherit ! important; position: static;">disease</span></span></a>, for 26 and 22 years respectively. During the follow-up, 2633 and 1397 strokes occurred in women and men respectively.</div><div><br />
</div><div>The researchers found that compared to consumption of one serving per day of red meat, one serving per day of poultry, nuts, fish, low-fat dairy and whole fat dairy cut the risk of stroke by 27, 17, 17, 11, and 10 percent, respectively.</div><div><br />
</div><div>However, when legumes and eggs replaced red meat, the risk remained the same. Caution needs to be exercised when interpreting this finding. Legumes were consumed in small quantity and it may not play any significant role in the risk for stroke, a health observer suggested.</div><div><br />
</div><div>The findings indicate that red meat eaters may cut their risk for stroke if they opt to eat poultry, fish, but and dairy products instead of red meat.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Stroke is a leading cause of death in the U.S. More than 800,000 Americans die each year from cardiovascular disease and strokes. In the U.S., about 800,000 people have a stroke.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Symptoms of a stroke include sudden <a class="kLink" href="http://www.foodconsumer.org/newsite/#" id="KonaLink2" style="font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; font-weight: inherit !important; position: static; text-decoration: underline !important;"><span style="color: #0c4790; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit ! important; font-weight: inherit ! important; position: static;"><span class="kLink" style="color: #0c4790; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit ! important; font-weight: inherit ! important; position: static;">numbness</span></span></a> or weakness of the face, arm or leg, sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding, sudden trouble seeing in on or both eyes, sudden trouble walking, feeling dizzy, losing balance or coordination and sudden severe headache without known causes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.</div><div><ins style="border: none; display: inline-table; height: 90px; margin: 0; padding: 0; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 200px;"></ins><br />
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</div></div>iRDMunihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885805731977569538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025164012004716815.post-8108434169528321942011-12-27T15:45:00.000-08:002011-12-27T15:48:29.543-08:00Singing Therapy Helps Stroke Patients Speak Aga<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="storytitle"><h1><span style="font-size: x-large;">Singing Therapy Helps Stroke Patients Speak Again</span></h1></div><div class="postinfo"><div class="storytoolswrap"><div class="spacer"> </div></div></div><div class="bucketwrap photo624" id="res144204717"><img alt="Laurel Fontaine, 16, (left) and her twin sister Heather. When Laurel was 11 years old, she suffered a stroke that destroyed 80 percent of the left side of her brain. The singing therapy helped her regain the ability to speak." class="img624 enlarge" src="http://media.npr.org/assets/img/2011/12/23/fontaine_emw_20111223_0161_wide.jpg?t=1324937579&s=4" title="Laurel Fontaine, 16, (left) and her twin sister Heather. When Laurel was 11 years old, she suffered a stroke that destroyed 80 percent of the left side of her brain. The singing therapy helped her regain the ability to speak." width="624" /> <br />
<div class="captionwrap enlarge"><a alt="Enlarge" class="enlargeicon" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=4025164012004716815&postID=810843416952832194" title="Enlarge Image">Enlarge</a> <span class="creditwrap"><span class="rightsnotice">Ellen Webber for NPR</span></span> Laurel Fontaine, 16, (left) and her twin sister Heather. When Laurel was 11 years old, she suffered a stroke that destroyed 80 percent of the left side of her brain. The singing therapy helped her regain the ability to speak.</div></div>Debra Meyerson was hiking near Lake Tahoe 15 months ago when a stroke destroyed part of the left side of her brain, leaving her literally speechless. It happens to more than 150,000 Americans a year.<br />
But now Meyerson is learning to talk again through an approach that trains the undamaged right side of her brain to "speak." Specifically, it's a region that controls singing.<br />
For more than 100 years, it's been known that people who can't speak after injury to the speech centers on the left side of the brain <i>can</i> sing.<br />
In the 1970s, Boston researchers started to use a sort of.....<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Lj9mxlVF4HI/TvpYUVbt4cI/AAAAAAAAQE8/B75WATJswhw/s1600/andrea-norton-and-deb-meyerson-21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Lj9mxlVF4HI/TvpYUVbt4cI/AAAAAAAAQE8/B75WATJswhw/s320/andrea-norton-and-deb-meyerson-21.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2011/12/26/144152193/singing-therapy-helps-stroke-patients-speak-again?sc=fb&cc=fp"> Next.....</a></div></div>iRDMunihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885805731977569538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025164012004716815.post-77605643294888344252011-10-15T10:40:00.000-07:002011-10-15T10:40:14.241-07:00Chocolate lovers have fewer strokes, study finds<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="hmedia art grid-6x2 " id="mainart"> <div class="img" rel="media:image enclosure" type="image/jpeg"> <img alt="Chocolates" class="photo" height="322" src="http://msnbcmedia4.msn.com/j/reuters/2011-10-10t213901z_01_btre7991o5600_rtroptp_3_croatia-chocolate.grid-6x2.jpg" width="474" /> </div><span class="credit vcard contributor" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Person"> <span class="fn" itemprop="name">Nikola Solic</span> / <span class="org fn" itemprop="affiliation">REUTERS</span> </span> <div class="caption fn">Chocolates made by Belgian Christine Scholtes Covic are displayed in her Lika Chocolate workshop in the village of Rakovica, in the Croatian region of Lika, some 150 kilometres (93 miles) south of Zagreb January 21, 2011. REUTERS/Nikola Solic</div></div><div class="txt vcard author contributor" id="byline" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Person" rel="dc:creator"> <div class="source-org" id="source" rel="dc:publisher"> <span class="org" itemprop="affiliation"> <img alt="" class="photo" src="http://msnbcmedia2.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Sources/Art/source_Reuters3.gif" /> </span> </div></div><div class="txt timestamp"><br />
</div><div class="i1"> NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A sweet tooth isn't necessarily bad for your health-- at least not when it comes to chocolate, hints a new study. </div>Researchers studying more than 33,000 Swedish women found that the more chocolate women said they ate, the lower their risk of stroke.<br />
The results add to a growing body of evidence linking cocoa consumption to heart health, but they aren't a free pass to gorge on chocolate.<br />
"Given the observational design of the study, findings from this study cannot prove that it's chocolate that lowers the risk of stroke," Susanna Larsson from Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm told Reuters Health in an email.<br />
While she believes chocolate has health benefits, she also warned that eating too much of it could be counterproductive.<br />
"Chocolate should be consumed in moderation as it is high in calories, fat, and sugar," she said. "As dark chocolate contains more cocoa and less sugar than milk chocolate, consumption of dark chocolate would be more beneficial."<br />
<a href="http://on.today.com/pK5vwz">http://on.today.com/pK5vwz</a></div>iRDMunihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885805731977569538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025164012004716815.post-82800577136621411962011-09-27T10:42:00.000-07:002011-09-27T10:42:48.008-07:00Trial Shows Blockbuster Potential for Blood Clot Pill<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> An experimental pill to prevent blood clots exceeded already high expectations as a better therapy for millions of people with <a class="meta-classifier" href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/atrial-fibrillationflutter/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="In-depth reference and news articles about Atrial fibrillation/flutter.">atrial fibrillation</a>, according to final results of a worldwide study released Sunday. <br />
The study was featured at the European Society of Cardiology in Paris and simultaneously published on the Web site of <a href="http://www.nejm.org/" title="The journal’s site.">The New England Journal of Medicine</a>. <br />
“It’s a remarkable achievement,” said Dr. Valentin Fuster, a past president of American and world heart associations, who was not involved with the trial. “This is one of the most significant advances in cardiovascular medicine in the last five years, no question,” Dr. Fuster, chairman of federal and medical panels on atrial fibrillation and director of the heart center at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, said in an interview..... <br />
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<a href="http://nyti.ms/qeKHAh">http://nyti.ms/qeKHAh </a> </div>iRDMunihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885805731977569538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025164012004716815.post-85927505968972721322011-09-27T10:14:00.000-07:002011-09-27T10:21:25.759-07:00Empathy can limit stroke-related frustration<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mCqPCF03NZA/ToIGDO1hxnI/AAAAAAAAK6E/VA6mu_bGd3A/s1600/empathy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mCqPCF03NZA/ToIGDO1hxnI/AAAAAAAAK6E/VA6mu_bGd3A/s320/empathy.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>Imagine your thoughts directing your brain to communicate a desire, idea or command, but your mouth won't speak the words and your hands won't write the correct letters.<br />
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Now, if you are born this way, there are methods to teach a baby how to compensate for this handicap.<br />
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But, what if, in an instant, you are deprived of the ability to communicate and the world is indifferent to your plight?<br />
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This is exactly what happened to my mom. Last July, in the dark loneliness of the night, she suffered a small stroke, which abruptly altered her ability to communicate......<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1562587794"> </a><a href="http://bit.ly/ns52rw%20">http://bit.ly/ns52rw </a></div>iRDMunihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885805731977569538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025164012004716815.post-45124957811146449612011-09-27T10:10:00.000-07:002011-09-27T10:10:11.991-07:00Potassium-rich diet tied to lower stroke risk<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FqrUbjLNZmU/ToIDLdi0NPI/AAAAAAAAK6A/47dJHE8xthU/s1600/.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FqrUbjLNZmU/ToIDLdi0NPI/AAAAAAAAK6A/47dJHE8xthU/s320/.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span id="articleText"><span class="focusParagraph"></span></span><br />
(Reuters Health) - People who eat plenty of high-potassium fruits, vegetables and dairy products may be less likely to suffer a stroke than those who get little of the mineral, a new study suggests.<br />
<span id="midArticle_1"></span>The findings, reported in the journal Stroke, come from an analysis of 10 international studies involving more than 200,000 middle-aged and older adults.<br />
<span id="midArticle_2"></span>Researchers found that across those studies, stroke risk dipped as people's reported potassium intake went up. For each 1,000-milligram (mg) increase in daily potassium, the odds of suffering a stroke in the next five to 14 years declined by 11 percent.<br />
<span id="midArticle_3"></span>That would translate into a modest benefit for any one person, the researchers say. And the findings do not prove that potassium, itself, is what produces the positive effect.<br />
<span id="midArticle_4"></span>But they strengthen existing evidence that it might, said lead researcher Susanna C. Larsson, of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden.<br />
<span id="midArticle_5"></span>Since high-potassium foods are generally healt..... <br />
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<a href="http://reut.rs/nVS4rl">http://reut.rs/nVS4rl</a><br />
</div>iRDMunihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885805731977569538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025164012004716815.post-10425043737709940352011-09-27T09:44:00.000-07:002011-09-27T09:44:59.892-07:00Body & Mind - HEALTH Lung Cancer Linked to Risk of Stroke<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v5jRFz5Amc8/ToH9AaJjAOI/AAAAAAAAK58/Z67QnJKlH4c/s1600/Heart_ECG_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v5jRFz5Amc8/ToH9AaJjAOI/AAAAAAAAK58/Z67QnJKlH4c/s400/Heart_ECG_640.jpg" width="396" /></a></div>Heart ECG<br />
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iStock<br />
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People recently diagnosed with lung cancer are at higher risk of having a stroke than those without lung tumors, suggests a large new study from Taiwan.<br />
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Researchers looking at data covering more than 150,000 adults found that among those with lung cancer, 26 in every 1000 experienced a stroke each year, compared with 17 in 1000 who did not have cancer.<br />
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"This is one more telling sign of the long term risk of smoking," said Dr. Andrew Russman, a stroke specialist at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, who was not part of the study.<br />
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The Taiwanese researchers didn't factor in lifestyle issues, such as smoking, drinking or diet, that might influence stroke risk, explained senior author, Dr. Fung-Chang Sung of the China Medical University, to Reuters Health in an email.<br />
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Still, they report in the journal Stroke, that stroke risk was highest during the first three months after lung cancer diagnosis for men and during the first four-to-six months for women. Risk decreased in men after one year and after two years in women.<br />
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They also found that a less common type of stroke, hemorrhagic stroke, caused by sudden bleeding into the brain, occurred more often among the lung cancer patients than ischemic stroke, which is usually caused by a clot blocking blood flow to brain tissue.<br />
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Some evidence suggests that excessive bleeding and blood clots, both of wh<br />
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Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/09/22/lung-cancer-linked-to-risk-stroke/#ixzz1ZAipi0NF<br />
<a href="http://fxn.ws/oHwUbH">http://fxn.ws/oHwUbH</a></div>iRDMunihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885805731977569538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025164012004716815.post-70755269502327587952011-09-26T17:42:00.001-07:002011-09-26T17:42:38.831-07:00George Seldes Recounts Meeting V.I. Lenin<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/gmfr8IRZt2w" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>iRDMunihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885805731977569538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025164012004716815.post-87751749625024896662011-09-22T19:16:00.000-07:002011-09-22T19:16:42.616-07:00Depression tied to higher risk for stroke<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rCILNlc5aEE/TnvrfsMSVeI/AAAAAAAAK5k/Lv3lK_hiIcM/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="269" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rCILNlc5aEE/TnvrfsMSVeI/AAAAAAAAK5k/Lv3lK_hiIcM/s400/images.jpg" width="187" /></a></div><br />
</div>People who are depressed are at greater risk for suffering a stroke, a new study indicates.<br />
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Having other medical conditions that are also risk factors for stroke, diabetes and high blood pressure could be one of the reasons for the link between depression and stroke.<br />
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Hemera Technologies, www.jupiterimages.com<br />
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Having other medical conditions that are also risk factors for stroke, diabetes and high blood pressure could be one of the reasons for the link between depression and stroke.<br />
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Enlarge<br />
<br />
Hemera Technologies, www.jupiterimages.com<br />
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Having other medical conditions that are also risk factors for stroke, diabetes and high blood pressure could be one of the reasons for the link between depression and stroke.<br />
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Harvard researchers pointed out that the findings could have a significant impact on public health since stroke is a leading cause of death and permanent disability.<br />
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Researchers analyzed 28 previous studies, which involved a total of almost 318,000 people and 8,478 stroke cases. The investigators found that depression was associated with a 45 percent increased risk for stroke and a 55 percent raised risk for fatal stroke.<br />
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The study, published in the Sept. 21 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, also .... <a href="http://usat.ly/p9gMNF">http://usat.ly/p9gMNF</a>iRDMunihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885805731977569538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025164012004716815.post-31891644356394977062011-09-18T17:59:00.000-07:002011-09-18T17:59:21.036-07:00Study Is Ended as a Stent Fails to Stop StrokesA promising but expensive device to prop open blocked arteries in the brain in the hope of preventing disabling or fatal strokes failed in a rigorous study, researchers reported on Wednesday. Those who got the device actually had so many more strokes than those assigned to control risk factors, like blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes, that the study was abruptly terminated.<br />
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The Food and Drug Administration approved the device six years ago on the basis of a humanitarian exemption, which did not require solid evidence that it would prevent strokes. Thousands of patients got the devices since then, according to the study’s lead researcher. The finding that the devices actually more than doubled the rate of stroke or death raised serious questions about whether the F.D.A.’s procedures for approving such a medical device ended up putting patients at risk. <br />
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<a href="http://nyti.ms/nbcYEC">http://nyti.ms/nbcYEC</a>iRDMunihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885805731977569538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4025164012004716815.post-26010592065628013612011-09-18T17:24:00.000-07:002011-09-18T17:24:56.310-07:00Stroke talkRestoring speech and communication after a stroke. <br />
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http://bit.ly/q5DHkx<br />
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Sharon (not her real name) suffered a stroke. On our first meeting, I remember vividly her body language, which was much more expressive than any sentence she could put together. It displayed total openness, and her eyes said it all – “Can you help me?”<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YaCDxrTQfiw/TnaLmM7pbTI/AAAAAAAAK5M/PeoApvvPglE/s1600/sf_p8stroke.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="256" width="350" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YaCDxrTQfiw/TnaLmM7pbTI/AAAAAAAAK5M/PeoApvvPglE/s400/sf_p8stroke.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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Although she understood all that took place around her, and showed this by her head nods and hand gestures as we spoke, she had significant trouble when she attempted to speak.<br />
Rehabilitation is an essential part of the life of a person living with stroke. This not only applies to motor functioning, but also to speech and language skills.<br />
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As with a few of my other patients, without asking, she gestured me to listen to her speak. “Bow (one), bu (two), tatatata (three), orh (four) ,” she counted one to four, raising each functional left finger as she spoke.<br />
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She then raised her hands in exasperation, and gestured, “Can you fix this?”<br />
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My first thought was, “Here is a remarkable woman, a fighter,” and our journey to recovery began.<br />
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Surviving a stroke brings a new facet of life, not only to the stroke survivor, but to their loving caregivers as well.<br />
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“Stroke” by definition means “sudden”. It is commonly used in daily language, such as a stroke of luck, a stroke of lightning, and such. It is aptly use by laypersons to depict a cerebral vascular accident (abbreviated as CVA).<br />
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A stroke is the sudden death of a portion of the brain due to the lack of oxygen. A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is hampered, resulting in abnormal function of the brain. It is caused by blockage or rupture of an artery in the brain.<br />
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Sudden are all its changes. A stroke leads to challenges in walking, eating, everyday self-help skills, speaking, communicating, thinking, information processing, judgement, personality change, and much more.<br />
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Needless to say, the magnitude of change and the challenges it poses are different for each person, and so is its recovery.<br />
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Frightening is often a word that describes the feeling of many.<br />
Encourage the stroke-affected person to maintain his social life. A good social life builds up one’s confidence and motivation to regain speech, language and communication skills.<br />
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Recovery after a stroke<br />
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After a stroke, some spontaneous recovery takes place for most people. Abilities that may have been lost will begin to return.<br />
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This process can take place very quickly over the first few weeks, and then, it may begin to taper off.<br />
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This can be a very frustrating time for the stroke survivor as they become aware of their limitations from the stroke.<br />
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Often, this is the period where anger or depression can set in.<br />
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During this period, and even months after, it is helpful to begin intensive rehabilitation to help with regaining lost skills.<br />
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In more recent times, researchers and clinicians have been studying and documenting the evidence of what we now know as brain plasticity (plasticine-ness if there is such a word). Although not fully understood, it is certain now that the brain is able to change, reorganising itself following damage such that the remaining healthy cells of the brain are able to take over jobs that were previously carried out by brain cells which were destroyed.<br />
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This means that certain lost functions, such as speech and language, can re-emerge as the result of intensive rehabilitation. One way to do this is to practise your speech, language and thinking skills on a DAILY BASIS.<br />
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Speech disorders after a stroke can take the form of dysarthria – commonly referring to speech problems due to weak muscles; dyspraxia – referring to the inability to coordinate and perform speech and oral movements in spite of having no paralysis or muscle damage.<br />
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Language deficits are known as aphasia. Aphasia affects all modes of expressive and receptive communication, including speaking, writing, reading, understanding and gesturing.<br />
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This can be loosely grouped into either receptive aphasia (understanding skills) or expressive aphasia (expression skills).<br />
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Needless to say, this means a myriad of possible combinations of the above challenges.<br />
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It is NOT helpful to compare Mr Ahmad to Mr Ali in the hopes of encouraging our loved ones to work hard. Constant, reliable support is a great accompaniment to stroke recovery.<br />
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Restoring speech<br />
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Speech language pathologists are qualified professionals who can assist your family by assessing, planning, working individually or demonstrating what you can do to help with restoring speech and language skills at home.<br />
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In Malaysia, most government hospitals have at least one attending speech language pathologist today.<br />
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Others can be found at private hospital set-ups, private centres or home-based visiting clinicians.<br />
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Every person can be an element of support and encouragement. Here are a few things to bear in mind:<br />
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1. Reassure the person that he/she is still needed and important. Include him/her in family activities and decisions even if the verbal output is minimal.<br />
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2. Encourage the person to maintain his social life. A good social life builds up one’s confidence and motivation to regain his/her speech language and communication skills. Invite his/her friends over (with permission) for casual chats.<br />
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3. Make speaking a pleasant experience and provide stimulating conversation. Tell him/her what’s been happening, share with him/her no matter what sort of response you get. Ignore errors when possible and avoid criticisms/corrections.<br />
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4. Take a calm, friendly, respectful approach when communicating. Remember that you are speaking to an adult.<br />
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5. Find a quiet place to talk. If not, minimise or eliminate background noise (such as television, radio, other people).<br />
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6. Allow time for the person to understand what you say and to formulate his responses.<br />
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In Malaysia, we have a growing prevalence of stroke. It has been reported that six Malaysians experiencing a stroke EVERY hour, and about 52,000 Malaysians suffer a stroke annually.<br />
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Act FAST<br />
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After countless therapy sessions and the sheer hard work that she put in daily with the support of her loved ones, Sharon now enjoys communication, speaks confidently, and is actively giving back to society in her own way.<br />
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Albeit needing more time than others, she is now back on both the mobile and email network, is able to cook, read, and drive herself places (after having her car suitably modified).<br />
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If you suspect someone of having a possible stroke, act F.A.S.T.<br />
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F – Face: Ask them to smile and see if it’s even.<br />
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A – Arms: Ask them to raise both arms and notice if one drops, or can’t be raised equally well.<br />
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S – Speech: Ask them to repeat a sentence and note if it’s perfect.<br />
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T – Time: Time is off the essence to prevent further damage, so get them to a hospital FAST.<br />
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If we have family members or colleagues at work who are at risk of having a stroke from an unhealthy sedentary lifestyle, obesity, smoking, and a failure to control their hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol, paste this reminder on your fridge or your office billboard. You may just give them a second chance at life.<br />
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> Pamela Thomas Joseph is a speech language pathologist and a member of the Malaysian Association of Speech Language & Hearing (MASH). She will be running a workshop for caregivers on September 24, 2011, in Petaling Jaya, Selangor. For details, contact Coreen at 013-3301728 or email her at coreen@trainingtrack.biz.iRDMunihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885805731977569538noreply@blogger.com0