LILLY DIABETES DRUG SLASHES DEATHS 32 PERCENT IN HEART-RISK PATIENTS

Eli Lilly and Co's new Jardiance pill slashed deaths by 32 percent in a study of 7,000 patients with type 2 diabetes at risk of heart attack and stroke, a finding that researchers said could make it a mainstay diabetes treatment. 

"This is the first diabetes therapy to show robust effect in reducing cardiovascular death. It really is big news," said Dr. Bernard Zinman, director of the Diabetes Center at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, who led the 3-year study.

Zinman, in an interview, predicted the study would prompt medical societies to recommend in their treatment guidelines that Jardiance be used for type 2 diabetics that have a history of heart disease or are at risk of cardiovascular events.

The once-a-day drug, developed with Germany's privately held Boehringer Ingelheim, won U.S. approval last year. It belongs to a new family of treatments called SGLT2 inhibitors that include Johnson & Johnson's Invokana. They lower blood sugar by inhibiting reabsorption of glucose in the kidney.

Zinman noted that Jardiance, like other SGLT2 drugs, causes weight loss and reduced blood pressure, besides lowering blood sugar levels and lowering body fat, and also reduces swelling, which all help the cardiovascular system.

About one-half of the deaths in people with type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease which is linked to obesity, are caused by cardiovascular disease. So reducing cardiovascular risk is considered essential to diabetes care.

Lilly and Boehringer last month disclosed Jardiance met its primary study goal, becoming the first diabetes drug to show heart-protective results in a large cardiovascular trial. But they did not unveil detailed data until Thursday at a medical meeting in Stockholm.

In calculating the combined number of cardiac deaths, non-fatal heart attacks and non-fatal strokes, 14 percent fewer events were seen in patients taking Jardiance in combination with standard treatments, compared with patients who took standard treatments alone, meeting the study's main goal. Standard treatments included statins, which lower cholesterol, and blood pressure drugs.

Among patients taking Jardiance, there was a 38 percent reduction in cardiovascular death, including death from heart attacks and strokes. But there was no significant difference in non-fatal heart attacks or non-fatal strokes.

Those taking Jardiance had a 32 percent lower risk of dying from any cause, and a 35 percent lower rate of hospitalizations from heart failure.

The benefits were especially impressive because they were on top of protection that patients received from taking cholesterol fighters and other life-saving cardiovascular drugs, Zinman added.

TIME FOR FLU VACCINE, UPDATED AFTER MISERY OF LAST WINTER

It's time for flu shots again, and health officials expect to avoid a repeat of the misery last winter, when immunizations weren't a good match for a nasty surprise strain.

More than 170 million doses of flu vaccine are expected this year, with options ranging from traditional shots, a nasal spray, a high-dose version for seniors and even a needle-free injection for the squeamish.

"Getting the flu vaccine is the best way to protect yourself against the flu," Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said in an interview Thursday.

Last year's flu season was especially rough, as a harsh new Type A strain burst on the scene after vaccine doses already were brewed, leaving them less effective than usual. Flu-related hospitalizations of seniors were the highest recorded in the decade that CDC has counted.

This year's vaccine contains protection against that bug and other strains that specialists consider most likely to spread.

"So far the strains in this year's vaccine seem likely to match," Frieden said.

Still, flu viruses are tricky, and there's no guarantee another surprise won't crop up.

Fewer than half of Americans get an annual flu immunization, even though the CDC says on average, flu kills about 24,000 people a year in the U.S.

New CDC data shows vaccination rates last year were highest for children ages 6 months to 23 months — at 75 percent, the only age group to meet public health goals. Not far behind were adults over 65 and children ages 2 to 4 — about two-thirds of each group got vaccinated.

Least likely to be vaccinated were adults ages 18 to 49. Even the healthy, whether kids or adults, can benefit from flu vaccine, not only to ward off their own illness but also to keep from spreading it to others, the CDC said.

RARE IDENTICAL TRIPLET BOYS BORN IN NEW YORK

A Long Island, New York, family welcomed the newest additions to their family in July: identical triplets, a 1 in 50 million occurrence. The boys, born Wednesday, July 1, were introduced to the world by their parents on Thursday, Fox5NY reported.

In addition to Owen Michael (2 pounds, 14 ounces), Noah Charles (2 pounds, 15 ounces) and Miles John (2 pounds, 12 ounces), Jason and Kelli Fenley are parents to Aidan, 3.

Kelli, 33, told Fox5NY that she keeps the boys on a hospital-created schedule, including bathing them every other night, feeding them every three hours, and putting them down for naps immediately after they eat.

APP AIMS TO MAKE MEDITATION EASY FOR SKEPTIC

The idea of meditation can be intimidating for beginners.  You know it’s good for you, but you just can’t get into it. Now, there’s a program that aims to make meditating easier— and it’s accessible right at your fingertips.

The app 10 Percent Happier: Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics is based on Dan Harris’s best-selling book. The newsman was a nonbeliever at first, but now he practices meditation daily to focus, minimize stress and be happier.

Harris paired up with mindfulness scholar Joseph Goldstein and Change Collective,  which offers lifestyle courses and coaching, to create the app, a 12-week course to incorporate mediation into your daily life.

Each day, users get a video lesson and guided audio meditation. Plus, a coach will contact you to answer any questions via text message, giving the app a personalized touch.

The 10 Percent Happier app costs $19.99.

STEM CELL DISCOVERY COULD SPARE CANCER PATIENTS FROM NASTY SIDE EFFECT

People who have head and neck cancer and undergo radiation treatments often suffer from permanent damage to their salivary glands. This can lead to an inability to make any saliva, the loss of all their teeth and other major consequences for everyday life.

Now, scientists may have figured out how to prevent this harm. They are currently conducting a clinical trial to test their work, they said.

Each year, a half-million patients worldwide with head and neck cancer undergo radiotherapy. About 40 percent of patients who have such treatments suffer major damage to their salivary glands, resulting in dry-mouth syndrome.

"It is painful, causing people to wake up and drink multiple times during the night, leading to severe fatigue," said study lead author Peter van Luijk, a biophysicist at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. "Speaking and eating is difficult without saliva, and often leads to isolation. Moreover, saliva plays a central role in preventing tooth decay and oral infections. Loss of saliva production often leads to loss of all teeth. These patients often need to use saliva-replacing liquids for the rest of their lives."

Modern radiotherapy techniques use precisely aimed blasts of radiation, in an effort to reduce side effects. However, researchers' understanding of how to prevent dry-mouth syndrome was limited, because it wasn'’t exactly clear how radiation caused this problem, Luijk said.

Scientists had suspected that stem cells inside the parotid glands — the pair of large salivary glands situated just in front of each ear — could help the glands regenerate after being damaged so that patients salivate normally again. Until now, where specifically these stem cells might be located was unknown. [5 Spiffy Facts about Spit]

8 WAYS TO SAVE ON DENTAL CARE COSTS

Skipping the dentist’s chair, like skipping the doctor’s office when you’re sick, to save money can have major repercussions on both your health and your wallet.

Even if you have dental insurance, your deductible and copayments can quickly add up. But putting off dental care can lead to bigger problems. Left untreated, a small cavity can eventually lead to tooth loss, an abscess to a major infection. Finding ways to get affordable dental care now will save your mouth and your money in the future.

The high cost of avoiding dental care

According to the nationally representative Children’s Dental Health Project Survey released earlier this year, 37 percent of respondents or a relative had avoided dental care in the last 12 months due to cost. But preventive care can identify small and relatively affordable concerns before they become big, expensive problems.

For example, the average cost of a dental exam in San Francisco is $205, according to OKCopay, a medical costs comparison site. If your dentist finds a small cavity on your molar, the average filing price is $160. But if you don’t get regular checkups when that cavity can be found early, it could develop into a bigger problem requiring a root canal, which would cost $825. And that’s if you don’t end up at the emergency room in pain first.

CAFFEINE CLOSE TO BEDTIME DOES MORE THAN KEEP YOU UP LATE

It's no news flash that consuming caffeine close to bedtime can interfere with sleep. But scientists at the University of Colorado Boulder report in the journalScience Translational Medicine that caffeine has another physiological impact on sleep by delaying the body's natural surge in the production of the sleep hormone melatonin, which in turn pushes back the body's circadian clock.

"To our surprise, no one had really tested this question," one of the researchers tells NPR. "What we're seeing here now is another way that caffeine impacts our physiology that we didn't know about before in humans." The problem in this case is that the circadian clock is "present in cells throughout our entire body," says the researcher.

"It's in your fat cells; it's in your muscle cells." Messing with it appears to play a role in a wide range of health problems, from obesity to cancer.

Many studies have recently suggested that bright light at night, especially the blue light emanating from our screens, impedes melatonin production. Caffeine's effect is about half what scientists found when exposing volunteers to bright light alone; volunteers who drank a double espresso three hours before bedtime experienced a 40-minute delay of the melatonin surge.

Now the researchers plan to study whether caffeine consumption five or six hours before bedtime produces a similar effect. (Still want to watch TV at night?Orange glasses should do the trick.)

What ar Age Spots and the way am i able to take away Them?

Age Spots ar confusing.

Part of the confusion goes back to once individuals initial named the spots. for several years Age spots were Liver Spots, however once scientists discovered that they're not connected in any thanks to the liver or its functions the name modified to Age spots. Recently many of us have began to discuss with them as Sun Spots as a result of science has discovered the most cause for spots' is excessive animal pigment production, that tends to happen once semipermanent exposure to Ultra-Violet rays from the sun. This name is additional sensible however individuals usually discuss with them as each Age/Sun spots, and even Liver Spots due to their history.

The best ways that to avoid obtaining Age Spots is by being proactive and protective the skin from Ultra-Violet light-weight. sporting emollient once outdoors, avoiding afternoon sun and protecting hats/clothing ar invariably nice things to try and do facilitate shield your skin.

An Age Spot poses no risk to health however it's smart plan to go to a Doctor to own them tried from time to time. solely a medical skilled will notice cancer or different connected skin issues. those that expertise discomfort like hemorrhage, redness, itchiness or notably visible changes in size, color or approach spot ought to have a diagnostic assay and medical consultation to avoid future issues. If you're experiencing these symptoms it can be a symptom of a medical conditions. These symptoms aren't thought of traditional behavior for age spots.

The spots themselves create no health risks. folks that favor to have them removed do thus for ascetic reasons. whereas there ar several merchandise that ar marketed to assist take away age spots, the simplest choice for those inquisitive about removing the spots is optical device removal. The procedure with a Q-Switched optical device is extremely quick and usually takes 2-5 seconds per spot. on the average they'll take one to 2 weeks to heal type a skinny crust once optical device treatment.

There ar several different merchandise and coverings on the market that claim to assist take away age spots. individuals ar advising customers to avoid home remedies and creams claiming to get rid of Age spots. The Food and Drug Administration solely approves one product. the general public wants warning that bleaching creams that ar on the market within the North American nation market aren't legal in several different countries across Europe and Asia. several merchandise ar currently illegal due to the big concentration of malignant neoplastic disease properties in them and ar harmful to the skin.