Medifocus

	Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of premature death in the United States. Each year, more than 440,000 Americans die of tobacco-related disease, accounting for 1 in every 5 deaths. The adverse health effects of smoking have been widely recognized since the 1960s when smoking was closely linked to an increased risk of lung cancer. However, the list of known consequences of tobacco use has grown significantly since. While cigarette smoking is responsible for more than 30% of the cancer deaths each year in the United States, it also contributes substantially to deaths from heart disease, stroke, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), among others. It has been estimated that there were 850,000 deaths due to lung cancer worldwide in the year 2000. That year in the United States, there were 184,000 new cases of lung cancer; 46,000 among current smokers and 138,000 among former smokers. Several large studies have demonstrated that smokers have an increased risk of developing diabetes and that diabetics who smoke may require high doses of insulin for treatment to be effective.
	Thyroid cancer is the most common of all cancers involving the endocrine system. Approximately 26,000 cases of thyroid cancer are diagnosed in the United States each year. Thyroid cancer develops about 3 times more frequently in women than men suggesting that female hormones (estrogens) amy predispose women to this type of cancer. Risk factors for thyroid cancer include: Female gender Advanced age Low iodine intake Radiation exposure There are several different types of thyroid cancer that can be identified by examining the cancer cells undera microscope:
	The MediFocus Guidebook on Stroke Rehabilitation contains information that is vital to stroke victims and their families. The Guidebook will inform you about: 1) how to select a rehabilitation facility; 2) rehabilitation of motor and sensory deficits; 3) rehabilitation of visual and perceptual deficits; 4) rehabilitation of speech-language disorders; and 5) rehabilitation of activities of daily living. You will also learn about the doctors, hospitals, and medical centers that are at the leading edge in conducting clinical research in the field of stroke rehabilitation. You won't find this combination of information anywhere else. It is easily accessible right here. We invite you to preview the MediFocus Guidebook on Stroke Rehabilitation so that you can decide if this comprehensive, trustworthy information may help you or someone you care about who is a victim of stroke.
	Diabetes is a metabolic disorder associated with defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. Insulin is a hormone produced by the beta cells of the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas, and is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. The risk of cardiovascular disease is increased in people with diabetes. Of the more than 200,000 Americans with diabetes who die annually due to diabetes-related complications, most die of coronary heart disease or other cardiovascular conditions. Diabetes is a major cause of blindness, kidney disease, and limb amputation in the United States. Although the cause of diabetes is not known, both genetics and environmental factors, such as obesity and lack of exercise, appear to play roles. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder which results in the destruction of the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas, usually leading to an absolute deficiency of insulin.
	Diabetes is a metabolic disorder associated with defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. Insulin is a hormone produced by the beta cells of the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas, and is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. The risk of cardiovascular disease is increased in people with diabetes. Of the more than 200,000 Americans with diabetes who die annually due to diabetes-related complications, most die of coronary heart disease or other cardiovascular conditions. Diabetes is a major cause of blindness, kidney disease, and limb amputation in the United States. Although the cause of diabetes is not known, both genetics and environmental factors, such as obesity and lack of exercise, appear to play roles. Type 2 diabetes was formerly called Non-Insulin Dependent or Adult-Onset diabetes. In type 2 diabetes, the actions and secretion of insulin are impaired, as opposed to the absolute deficiency of insulin that occurs in people with type 1 diabetes.
	Since the brain itself feels no pain, headache pain comes from the tissues around the brain, the attaching structures at the base of the brain, and the muscles and blood vessels of the scalp, face and neck. Cluster headache pain may be related specifically to blood vessel dilation or to inflammation of nerves behind the eye. The pattern of cluster headache attacks earn their name: episodic cluster headaches consist of active periods that may last days or even months, during which headaches occur in "clusters" every other day or as frequently as eight times per day. Headache-free remissions can last months or years. During active periods, factors that may trigger attacks include alcohol, high altitude, air travel, bright sunlight, exertion or foods, especially foods high in nitrites. Drugs that dilate the blood vessels, such as nitroglycerine and various blood pressure medications, can also set off an attack. When the cycle is inactive, these triggers usually have no effect.
	Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast is an early, localized cluster of cancer cells that start in the milk passage ducts of the breast but have not penetrated the duct walls into the surrounding tissue. The term "in situ" refers to a tumor that has not spread beyond the place where it originally developed. Ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast is sometimes described as "pre-cancerous", "pre-invasive", "non-invasive", or "intraductal carcinoma". If left untreated, however, DCIS may progress to ‘true’ breast cancer by spreading into and invading the surrounding healthy breast tissue. Because doctors cannot predict with any degree of certainty whether DCIS will develop into invasive breast cancer, early diagnosis and treatment is crucial. With appropriate treatment, the prognosis (outlook) for women with ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast is excellent. Fortunately, ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast can often be detected on screening mammography before any symptoms develop. DCIS usually appears on mammography as an area of microcalcification (groups of small calcifications of tissue clustered together within the breast).
	A Glioblastoma is a type of a primary brain tumor. Primary brain tumors are those that arise from the brain itself rather than traveling or metastasizing from another location in the body. Approximately 17,000 new cases of primary brain tumors are treated each year in the United States. Primary brain tumors can either be benign or malignant. Benign brain tumors (eg. meningiomas, acoustic neuromas, pituitary gland tumors) usually grow slowly and can often be removed by surgery depending upon their specific location in the brain. Malignant brain tumors, such as glioblastomas and anaplastic astrocytomas, among others, tend to grow rapidly spreading into the surrounding brain tissue and often cannot be entirely removed surgically. Primary brain tumors can occur in both children as well as adults. The most common age groups are children 3 to 12 and adults ages 40-70. Metastatic brain tumors, such as glioblastomas, are much more common in adults than in children. There are many different types of brain tumors. One type, know as astrocytomas, are tumors that arise from astrocyte cells - part of the supportive (neuroglial) tissue of the brain. Astrocytomas account for about half of all primary brain and spinal cord tumors. Glioblastomas are fast growing astrocytomas that contain areas of dead (necrotic) tumor cells. In adults, glioblastoma occurs most often in the cerebrum, especially in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain. They rarely occur in the cerebellum or brain stem. Glioblastoma can be difficult to treat although surgery, radiation therapy, steroids, and chemotherapy have shown the ability to prolong survival.
	Graves' Disease is the most common form of hyperthyroidism in people who do not take extra thyroid hormone. But what is hyperthyroidism? The thyroid, the largest endocrine gland, helps control metabolic rate, body temperature, and muscle tone. This butterfly-shaped gland, which is located in front of and on each side of the windpipe, secretes two hormones. The production of thyroid hormones depends on an adequate intake of dietary iodine. The thyroid gland takes what it needs and the kidneys excrete the rest. But when the body is exposed to too much thyroid hormone - which can happen in the presence of several different disorders - hyperthyroidism occurs. Graves' Disease is an autoimmune disorder. This immune system defect causes the production of antibodies that stimulate and attack the thyroid gland, so the gland grows and overproduces thyroid hormone. These antibodies also attack eye muscle tissue and in the skin on the front of the lower legs. The cause of Graves' Disease is not known, though research is focusing on the immune system and genetic issues.
	Dementia is a general term for a number of syndromes characterized by a decline in intellectual functioning that interferes with normal daily activities and social relationships. There are many causes - both reversible and irreversible - of dementia. Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is the most common cause of irreversible dementia in the older person, affecting an estimated 4,000,000 persons in the United States. AD was first described by a Bavarian psychiatrist and neuropathologist named Alois Alzheimer in 1907. Alzheimer's Disease is defined by the National Institute on Aging as progressive, irreversible declines in memory, performance of routine tasks, time and space orientation, language and communication skills, abstract thinking, and the ability to learn and carry out mathematical calculations. Other symptoms include personality changes and impaired judgement.
	Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) may be defined as a broad range of medical systems, philosophies, and therapies that are not considered as part of conventional, mainstream medicine. The use of CAM therapies has increased dramatically since the 1990s. For example, it has been estimated that in 1997 Americans spent between $40 billion to $50 billion on CAM therapies with nearly 35% of these expenditures coming directly from out-of-pocket costs borne by patients that were not covered by health insurance policies. This data indicates that more and more Americans are using CAM therapies and are willing to pay directly for the costs associated with these services. Complementary and alternative therapies are also commonly used by cancer patients throughout the world, including cancer patients in modern Western countries such as Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Data from published surveys of cancer patients in 13 countries, including several surveys conducted in the United States, indicated that nearly one of every three cancer patients (31%) have used some form of CAM.
	Hepatocellular carcinoma, also called malignant hepatoma, is a primary form of liver cancer that originates in the hepatocyte cells of the liver. Hepatocellular carcinoma is the 5th most common type of cancer worldwide with nearly 500,000 new cases diagnosed each year. Approximately 19,000 cases of primary liver cancer are diagnosed each year in the United States and affects males more than females by a ratio of about 3:1. Major risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma include cirrhosis of the liver, chronic infection with the Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C virus, exposure to aflatoxins that can contaminate certain crops, hereditary hemochromatosis, and primary biliary cirrhosis. Unfortunately, the early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma is difficult because most people with early-stage disease do not exhibit clinical symptoms of the disease. By the time symptoms do develop, the disease has already progressed to a more advanced stage. Signs and symptoms of hepatocellular carcinoma may include abdominal pain, enlargement of the liver and spleen, unintentional weight loss, jaundice, and generalized weakness and fatigue. The treatment options for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma depend upon a variety of factors including the stage of the disease, location of the tumor, and how well or poorly the liver is functioning. In general, the treatment options for hepatocellular carcinoma can be grouped into those treatments that are intended to be curative and those that are intended to be palliative meaning that they do not cure the underlying disease but rather control the symptoms of the disease. The only known curative treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma are surgical resection and liver transplantation. Palliative treatment options include radiofrequency thermal ablation, percutaneous ethanol injection, cryosurgery, hepatic arterial embolization, and systemic chemotherapy.
	Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee is a chronic, inflammatory, degenerative arthritic condition in which the cartilage in the knee joint gradually wears away. Osteoarthritis affects the knees more than any other joint. The average age at diagnosis of OA of the knee is 50. The incidence of OA increases with age, and is the leading cause of disability among the elderly. The pain in OA of the knee is a major issue for most patients and is typically related to physical activity such as climbing stairs, getting out of a chair, or jumping. In mild cases, walking may not cause pain since there is minimal bending of the knee involved. The patient may feel stiffness in the knee upon getting up in the morning that usually lasts less than 30 minutes. Many people with severe OA of the knee experience a feeling as if their knee is "giving way" or "buckling under". There also may be swelling of the knee. At rest, pain is usually not present unless OA is severe.
	Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurobehavioral disorder which affects between 3 and 12% of school-age children and up to 4% of adults. It is a chronic condition that is experienced over a lifetime in varying levels of severity. ADHD is characterized by three behavior patterns which were determined by the Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR),
	There are several types of tumors that can occur in the breasts. Most are benign (non-cancerous) and are related to fibrocystic changes. Benign breast tumors are abnormal growths, but they do not appear outside of the breast and they are not life-threatening. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, other than skin cancer. It is the second leading cause of cancer death in women after lung cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, about 178,500 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in the U.S. in 2007 and about 40,500 American women will die from breast cancer. Currently, there are approximately 2 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S. The good news is that death rates from breast cancer continue to decline, particularly in women age 50 or younger, due to earlier detection through screening mammography as well as advances in treatment.
	Cervical cancer develops in the lining of the cervix, the lower part of the uterus that enters the vagina. Normal cervical cells may undergo gradual changes to become precancerous and then cancerous - a process which may take several years. Cancer of the cervix is the 10th leading cause of cancer deaths Many women will become infected with high risk HPV types, however, even without any intervention, only 2% will develop precancerous lesions that might progress to cancer. Persistent infection with high risk HPV types is a major determinant for developing high grade pre-invasive cervical lesions. Persistent infection has been defined as detection of HPV DNA of the same HPV type in 2 or more consecutive tests at least 6 months apart. In 2006, an estimated 9,710 cases of invasive cervical cancer were diagnosed in the United States and an estimated 3,700 women died from the disease. Globally, cervical cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in women, with an estimated 510,000 newly diagnosed cervical cancer cases and 288,000 deaths.
	Asthma is a chronic inflammatory condition in which the airways undergo changes when stimulated by allergens or other environmental triggers that causes an inability to breathe properly. The word asthma was derived from an ancient Greek word meaning panting or breathlessness. The cause of asthma is multifactorial and includes both hereditary and environmental factors. Most cases of asthma are thought to be related to the presence of allergies, however not all persons with allergies have asthma and not all cases of asthma can be attributed to allergies.
	Fatigue is a very common symptom all over the world. However, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is more than just fatigue, it is a complex of symptoms that is both prolonged (persisting longer than 6 months) and severe (associated with substantial disability). The term chronic fatigue syndrome was originally proposed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 1988 to replace numerous other names that had been used to describe the common set of symptoms for this syndrome, including febricula in 1750 and neurasthenia in 1869. The term myalgic encephalomyelitis is more commonly used in the United Kingdom to describe chronic fatigue syndrome. It has been estimated that chronic fatigue syndrome affects about 0.3% of the adult U.S. population. The syndrome is much more common in women than in men with women representing about 75% of all cases. The mean age of onset is between 30 and 40. Without treatment, the overwhelming majority of patients (95%) fail to recover and continue to suffer with the effects of the syndrome.
	Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD for short, is the medical term used to describe diseases of the lung that are associated with airway obstruction. The two major diseases that are included in the category of COPD are: Chronic bronchitis - an inflammatory condition of the bronchi characterized by coughing and expectoration (spitting-up) of sputum (mucous coughed-up from the lungs) occurring on most days and lasting 3 months or longer for at least two consecutive years. Emphysema - a respiratory disorder that is characterized by enlargement of the air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs, through which oxygen passes from the lungs into the bloodstream. Although asthma is also a condition that is associated with airway obstruction, and many people with COPD also suffer with asthma, as a general rule, asthma is not included under the category of COPD.
	High levels of cholesterol in the bloodstream is recognized as a major risk factor for the development of atherosclerosis (accumulation of plaque in the walls of the arteries that can cause blockages and reduce blood flow to an organ) and is, therefore, also a key risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD). In the United States, CAD is responsible for about 500,000 deaths each year. The American Heart Association estimates that about 100 million Americans have total cholesterol levels between 200-239 mg/dL (defined as borderline high) and at least 40 million Americans have total cholesterol levels greater than 240 mg/dL (defined as high). These finding indicate that, based on levels of total cholesterol, at least 140 million people in the U.S. are at moderate to high risk for developing CAD.
	Insomnia is defined as a condition in which a person fails to get sufficient sleep despite having the opportunity to sleep. Inclusive in this definition of insomnia are the following important features: Difficulty falling asleep Difficulty staying asleep Not getting enough sleep Poor quality of sleep (unrefreshing sleep) Insomnia is the most common type of sleep disorder and is among the most frequent complaints brought to the attention of health care providers. Although estimates of the prevalence of insomnia vary among different studies, insomnia is thought to be an occassional problem for at least 33% of the general population and is a chronic problem for at least 10% of adults. Studies have shown that insomnia is more common among women, older individuals, and people with underlying medical or psychiatric problems.
	The National Headache Foundation (NHF) estimates that approximately 20.5 million people in the U.S. suffer from migraine headaches. Migraines occur most commonly between the ages of 15 and 55 though they are not uncommon in preschoolers and elementary school-age children. Migraines typically peak at 40-50 years of age and subside thereafter in both men and women. Up to 80% of patients have a family history of migraine headache. The largest subgroup of people who experience migraine headaches is women in their reproductive years. It is estimated that up to 25% of all migraine attacks occur in the perimenstrual period of the menstrual cycle (from two days before up to 3 days after the cycle begins). It is estimated that less than half the people suffering from migraines receive a correct diagnosis by their physicians. Migraines are severely underdiagnosed and are often misdiagnosed as tension or sinus headaches. When left untreated, a migraine headache can continue for up to 72 hours. They may occur as infrequently as twice a year or as often as daily. For unknown reasons, some migraine sufferers spontaneously go into remission and experience an extended period of time without headaches.
	Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder that is characterized by two distinct types of symptoms: Obsessions - intrusive thoughts, ideas, or impulses that recur repeatedly and cannot be controlled even though the person recognizes that these thoughts are irrational. Compulsions - repeated ritualistic behaviors or mental processes that a person is driven or compelled to perform over and over again even though they recognize that the behavior is irrational. Obsessions in people with OCD commonly involve anxieties and fears about specific situations