Expanding primary cares role in the healthcare system has long been viewed as key to reining in healthcare costs and improving outcomes. But patients themselves apparently havent gotten the message.

Medical Economics recently reported on a study of claims data at a large commercial health insurer that found a 25 percent decline in visits to primary care providers between 2008 and 2016. To gain more insight into the studys background and findings. Medical Economics recently spoke with Ishani Ganguli, MD, MPH, one of the studys authors. A transcript of the interview, edited for clarity and brevity, follows.

Medical Economics: What evidence had you seen of a decline in primary care visits that led you and your coauthors to undertake this study?

Ishani Ganguli: We first noticed it when we were studying a different but related topic, the Medicare Annual Wellness Visit, which began in 2011 as part of the Affordable Care Act. Myself and [co-author] Ateev Mehrotra had collaborated on that study and had noticed that primary care visit rates were going down in Medicare. So we started digging more and noticed this pattern was present across different populations.

So we published a paper last year in the Journal of General Internal Medicine demonstrating this decline in Medicare in two national surveys as well as employer data sets and this commercial population. This more recent paper was our opportunity to study in more depth what was happening among these commercially insured adults and to get more clues as to why it was happening.

ME: Annual checkups used to be routine, at least among people with insurance. Is that no longer the case, or would those now be considered preventative visits? And if it is no longer the case, why not?

IG: Let me unpack that a little. Annual Wellness Visits and preventative visits are two terms for what are essentially the same thing, and preventative visits are actually going up. So what we find is a couple of different threads. We know that having a primary care doctor is a good thing and that being in an area with lots of primary care doctors is good for your health.

But going in for an annual checkup is not that useful, particularly if you are a young or healthy person. In fact, when I have young healthy people come to my office I will do a new patient visit but tell them to come back every couple years because theres no benefit to coming in every year if they dont have any new medical needs. So hopefully were being more judicious about when to offer those routine checkups.

The other thing youll see in the data is a story about cost incentives. Thanks to the ACA, these preventative visits became much cheaper, or free to the patient. So part of why we might be seeing a rise in preventative visits as other types of visits in primary care go down is that exact fact.

Patients are savvy and know that [preventative] visit will be paid for and come in for that. If I, as a doctor know a patient is eligible for their next preventative visit they will have to pay less. Whereas the costs to patients for other types of primary care visits have been going up during this period we studied.

ME: Do you think that the way the insurance company whose data you used for the study structured its plans might have contributed to fewer primary care visits by its members?

IG: No. A large national insurer such as this one works with hundreds, maybe thousands of employers and designs plans specifically for each of them, so its virtually impossible to try and categorize these plans in any meaningful way.

Also, its certainly not unique to this insurer. But it may reflect broader trends in, for example, increasing reliance on high-deductible health plans.

ME: What has been the response to the study?

IG: The ACP [American College of Physicians] has been interested because it speaks to the larger challenges of the disconnect in the way we think about healthcare. We increasingly think of primary care as being the solution to a lot of the challenges we face in healthcare. We think about it as a way of saving money and improving the quality of care. And the new primary care models, like accountable care organizations and patient-centered medical homes have primary care at their center. Yet if people arent seeing their primary care doctor as much, that gives you pause. So I think thats why people have been interested, this sort of disconnect between what we want primary care to do for us and what this evidence suggests.

All that being saidand I think we make this point in the papersome of the reasons for the decline are worrisome, like issues of access, such as when theres no primary care doctor who has availability, or the cost barriers.

The good news story, though, is that I think primary care has gotten more efficient and tends to be better than specialist care at using other members of the team, and at doing virtual care through e-mails or telephone calls. So some of the decline might be an appropriate shift to other types of interactions between doctors and patients.

ME: Is it also possible that people just are healthier and thus have less reason to see a doctor?

IG: Yes, I think in certain ways thats probably true. We have better vaccinations, for example. One of my colleagues led a study, using this same data, looking at children in the commercially-insured population and found that vaccines for preventing upper respiratory infections resulted in a huge decline in visits. Weve seen a big drop in visits for more mild conditions like a cold or pink eye where you could go online and figure out what to do, or call your doctor but not come in. The paper we published last year goes into the whole universe of possible reasons [for the decline in primary care visits.]

ME: What are the implications of your findings for primary care doctors and the countrys healthcare system?

IG: To the extent that this is a worrisome story, whether its bigger drops in low-income areas that suggests shortage of primary care doctors and challenges paying for visits, we need to redesign areas of our healthcare system to try and make that better. That could be insurance companies making high-value visits like primary care visits free or low-cost for patients, or changes in our medical education policies to encourage more students to go into primary care, fostering our nurse practitioner and physician assistant colleagues--we included them in the study as primary care practitioners--all those changes are important.

I think theres also education that needs to be done around how patients view primary care. We saw a decline not just among millennials, which is the group we often think of that doesnt feel like they need to see a doctor, but even among folks in the 55-64 age group, the decline was present. To the extent thats telling us either people arent seeing the value in primary care, or getting their needs met in another venue, like an urgent care setting, we need to think more about how we make primary care accessible and attractive to people because of all the current challenges in accessing care.

So Id say, broadly speaking, its changing the way patients pay for primary care, theres how we structure the payment and delivery of primary care to make it easier for primary care docs to meet patients where they need to be, and its educating patients on why its important to have a primary care doctor.

See more here:
Explaining the drop off in primary care visits - Medical Economics

Harvard epidemiologistMarcLipsitchtold The Wall Street Journalthat "it's likely we'll see a global pandemic" of coronavirus, with 40 to 70 percent of the world's population likely to be infected this year.

"What proportion of those will be symptomatic, I can't give a good number," addedLipsitch, who is theDirector of the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Two other experts have recently given similar estimates.

Ira Longini, a biostatistician and adviser to the World Health Organization, has predicted that two-thirds of the global populationmay eventually contract COVID-19.

Prof Gabriel Leung, the chair of public health medicine at Hong Kong University, says if the transmission estimate of 2.5 additional people for each infected rate is accurate, that would result inan "attack rate" that wouldaffect 60 to 80 percent of the world's population.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has already saidthat it is preparing for the coronavirus to have a greater impact in the U.S. than the 15 confirmed cases currently.

In an interview withCNNon Feb. 13,Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said,Right now we're in an aggressive containment mode. He addedthat this virus is probably with us beyond this season, beyond this year, and I think eventually the virus will find a foothold and we will get community-based transmission."

Dr. Nancy Messonnier, the director of the CDCs National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, recentlyconfirmedthat the CDC is taking steps to prepare for the coronavirus to take a foothold in the U.S.

Along with communicating with health care facilities and resources, Messonnier says that the CDC is in constant talks with the medical supplies manufacturers, distributors and other health care partners to ensure there are plenty of preventative devices like masks and gloves available in the U.S. in the event of a larger outbreak.

Some of these partners have reported higher demand for N95 face masks and respirators.

She also took the time to explain the CDCs recommended use of any preventative supplies, especially face masks. Because the virus isnt spreading through the communityin the U.S., Messonnier only advises using face masks if you are sick or under investigation and not hospitalized, before one enters a health care providers office, or when caring for a potential infected patient.

When alone and at home, however, Messonnier says that people do not need to wear a mask.

She also confirmed that 195 people from Wuhan have completed the 14 day quarantine and left the March Air Reserve Base to be self-monitored with the help of state and local health authorities.

Additionally, amid reports of poor treatment of quarantined individuals and the military staff tending to them, Messonnier stated that the individuals discharged pose no health threat to their surrounding communities or the community they will return to.

After the CDC confirmed that a lab error led to the accidental discharge of an infected patient from a San Diego hospital, Messionnier told reporters that the CDC and other health officials are adding additional quality controls to keep patients organized.

Originally posted here:
Harvard professor says global coronavirus pandemic 'likely,' infecting 40-70% of world this year - The Hill

CORBIN Baptist Health Corbin in collaboration with the Corbin Public Library held its monthly Noontime Knowledge at the library on Thursday.

In honor of American Heart Month, this months Noontime Knowledge focused on heart health and heart attacks. More specifically, heart attack signs, symptoms and how to react if you or somebody you know is having a heart attack.

Heart attacks are the number one killer of adults here in the United States, said cardiovascular educator at Baptist Health Corbin Tracy Bruck. Over 735,000 Americans have heart attacks every single year. 525,000 people have their first heart attack every year, a lot of people have more than one.

Heart attacks kill 116,000 Americans each year.

Heart attacks are a community problem with a community solution. That community solution is education because if a community knows early symptoms of a heart attack, then you can seek medical treatment early, explained Bruck.

When it comes to symptoms, Bruck said the most common are chest pain and discomfort. Other symptoms include pain in your back, shoulders, arms, neck, throat or jaw; abdominal discomfort; shortness of breath; weakness and fatigue; nausea; and sweating.

According to Bruck, early signs of a heart attack are present in about half of all patients that have suffered one.

Symptoms can suddenly accelerate just before somebody has a heart attack. Most early symptoms happen around 24 hours before someone suffers one. However, some symptoms can occur two to three weeks before someone suffers a heart attack.

Bruck says that men are more likely to suffer heart attacks on their first symptom than women are. Men normally feel pain and numbness on their left arm or side of their chest, while women will typically feel it on their right side.

A womans risk of suffering a heart attack increases four times after going through menopause. Women are also more likely to have what are known as silent heart attacks, which can result in a person having a heart attack and not even realizing it. Women are also more likely to suffer a fatal heart attack.

According to the CDC, heart attacks are more common in men, smokers, people who are obese or overweight, those with family histories of cardiac issues, and people aged 55 or older.

Bruck says knowing your family's personal history with heart disease can help in preventing a heart attack. She also recommends knowing and modifying those things in ones control that can attribute to a higher chance of heart attack.

Those factors one can modify to lower the chance of suffering a heart attack include keeping your blood pressure under control, maintaining an active lifestyle (getting at least 20-30 minutes of physical activity three times a week), stopping the use of tobacco, and keeping an eye on metabolic diseases like diabetes.

If you or someone you know is showing signs of a heart attack, Bruck says its important to seek medical attention right away.

We have a tendency as human beings to delay recognizing and responding to these early symptoms. Were our own worst enemy.

Some of the most common excuses people make are that theyre too busy or that theyre too healthy to be suffering a heart attack. Bruck says some try to pass it off as something else or ignore it all together. This could be dangerous because although the symptoms may subside, theyll come back and thats when it may be too late.

Along with medicine, modifications to lifestyle and preventative measures, the medical community has also created the Life Vest to help those who suffer with a heart related medical condition.

Kim Deering with Zoll Life Vest explained that the vest is a wearable cardioverter defibrillator that can be used to detect sudden cardiac arrest and defibrillate its wearer.

Available to the public since 2003, the vest was designed for those with a compromised heart function, a heart functioning at less than 35% of full capacity.

The Life Vest can be worn under clothing and can be hidden from public view. The vest monitors its wearer the entire time it is worn through the use of four dry electrodes that are placed around ones chest.

The vest senses an arrhythmic beat in its user's heart and activates a vibrating alert. A siren will then sound from the vest and continue to get louder. If the vest were to malfunction or have a bad reading, the wearer can press two buttons simultaneously to cancel the treatment. If the treatment isnt canceled, the vest will perform a treatment shock and release a blue gel.

The blue gel is released in case the wearer were to wake up alone after suffering cardiac arrest and receiving shock treatment. The blue gel would notify them of what had happened and the person could seek medical treatment.

Its saving about three patients a day all across America, said Deering, who added that the vest has a 98% success rate after the first shock.

According to Deering, the Life Vest is meant to be used as bridging tool. If a patient is able to get their heart working above that 35% threshold, then they are no longer at as great of a risk for sudden cardiac arrest, and the device is no longer needed.

The Life Vest is available all over the world, and is accepted by Medicare and all Kentucky Medicaid, as well as most private medical insurances.

The next Noontime Knowledge will be held March 6 at the Corbin Library from noon-1 p.m.

The rest is here:
February's Noontime Knowledge event focuses on heart health - Times Tribune of Corbin

Greek Epidemiology Professor Dr. Dimitrios Paraskevis, the scientist who broke the coronavirus DNA, speaks exclusively to Greek City Times and provides answers on the potential availability of a vaccine against the virus, what we should be mindful of and how the lethal coronavirus started spreading.

By Konstantinos Sarrikostas

What is it actually like running after lethal viruses on a daily basis, 24 hours per day; locating, analyzing and decoding genetic material which leaves a hecatomb of dead people in its wake?

The Father of Medicine Hippocrates became the founder of Orthologic Medicine discouraging his fellow citizens from metaphysical elements, superstitions and even prejudices. Actually, he said that in serious diseases, the most effective method in treatment is absolute accuracy and fastidiousness, which modern doctors, who follow his oath, literally strive for in the healing of their fellow human beings.

Dr. Dimitrios Paraskevis, a modern Hippocrates, is Deputy Professor of Preventive Medicine and Hygienic Epidemiology at the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Along with two fellow colleagues, he has managed -in time- to analyse and decode the DNA of the lethal coronavirus which recently broke out in China and has alarmed the international community.

According to Dr. Dimitrios Paraskevis we are in the final stages of discovering a vaccine against the virus, its cause and origin and vital information on how to protect ourselves from it.

As he points out, in a few months time we will have the vaccine against the coronavirus; but what is absolutely essential is the total implementation of hygiene rules and most importantly behave with great composure.

THE INTERVIEW

Professor, the entire planet is discussing the coronavirus and peoples concern is really great. Could you please tell us in simple terms what the coronavirus is and why it has spread so rapidly?

The coronavirus spreads relatively easy for several reasons, the most significant one being that it can be spread by droplets if someone is exposed to them, for instance through sneezing or coughing. Other reasons include the fact that no preventative measures were taken to contain the virus or at the very least limit its spread, especially when it first infected people at the end of November and the beginning of December 2019 a period of prime importance.

This happened because it is an unknown virus and as such there was no awareness amongst the people in China in order that they initiate the necessary control measures. Therefore, when a great number of people have already been infected, you realise that from that point on, it is more difficult to control the infection. Moreover, owing to the fact that universal transfers are really easy nowadays, a disease can easily be spread globally.

From your studies and genetic analysis as the lead scientist of your research team , have you reached a conclusion about how it started? Was it, after all, spread by bats or could it be a lab product: a discussion which exists globally?

The coronavirus belongs to a team which is characterized as B team and its the same team to which the virus which caused the epidemic SARS in 2003 belongs. The genetic material of the virus which has caused this present epidemic, presents a great proportion with the genetic material of the relevant virus infecting bats.

Talking about proportion we mean that it reaches the level of 96%; that is, the possible source of infection is this particular animal, i.e. bats. Of course, we cannot rule out the fact that the infection can be made by another animal, another carrier, another mammal which has been infected by bats and this, in turn, transferred it to humans. This will be hard to find because we have to find the particular animal and locate the truth, the part of the virus which caused the infection. But, on the other hand, it is not of a particular importance either for epidemiology or for research in the creation of vaccines or antivirus drugs.

As to whether the virus has been created in a lab, that is, if it is a product of human intervention, I would like to assure you that such theories exist almost always in every epidemic with every new virus.

There is no possibility scientifically- that something like this has happened. There is no possibility because it was confirmed that this virus exists in animals, the infections from animals to people are very frequent and also all the people from whom it was isolated and characteristically the virus in China during the period of December, had an identical virus, which means that this was the result of infections among diverse people. Therefore, allow me to repeat that human intervention or the possible origin from a lab, should be indisputably ruled out.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has not used the term pandemic yet. Is it, Professor, a pandemic and when does a pandemic exist?

A pandemic, according to WHO, is defined as such when the epidemic has a great spread in, at least, two areas, in two continents. The areas as they are defined by WHO, are not exactly the geographic continents, but they are slightly different. Not to get into many details, the definition of pandemic refers to the geographic spread and not as much to the number of cases.

In Greece, for the time being, there are no certified cases. Do you believe, too, that it is a matter of time before we will be seeing our first case? How well-prepared is our country with the measures that are increasingly updated.

In Greece, there is no certified case. There may be but it is unlikely that there are any. The authorities have taken the appropriate measures, have announced the protection measures to be undertaken by health professionals, by the population and what people who travel should be mindful of.

We are informed about measures in airports and there has been an attempt for a prompt diagnosis of a possible case which is absolutely important to limit further infections.

Is the diagnosis of the specific virus easy and what are the symptoms?

The symptoms are identical to the ones of the flu and the definition of a potential case is related to whether someone has been exposed to other people from areas in which there are cases. That is, a fellow citizen who has not travelled and has flu symptoms, as you realise, does not have this virus.

So, in the first stages and absence of a case in Greece, if someone has symptoms, these symptoms should be accompanied with an exposure to another possible case, obviously and possibly outside Greece so that there may be a realistic possibility that they have been infected. Therefore, our fellow-citizens are more likely to suffer from the flu or another virus rather than the coronavirus.

The documentation of the infection, is feasible at the Paster Institute as well as in other laboratories which can diagnose if an infection is caused by this specific virus.

As far as travelling is concerned and according to WHO, people should not restrict their travels unless they are in areas in which there is a great number of cases. However, they should follow all the instructions which are recommended in reference to the prevention of infection from these viruses. What are some preventative measures?

People should wash their hands with soap for about 20 seconds and especially when they are in congested places such as airports; they should avoid touching their eyes, nose or mouth with their hands. So, when we find ourselves in public places where there are several fellow- citizens, we should bear in mind that we must take great care of our hands hygiene and that they must not touch our face. Also, if we feel symptoms identical to the ones of the flu, we should stay home, so that we dont expose other people to danger; and if symptoms persist, we should ask for medical advice.

Is the mask just some fashion accessory or does it actually contribute to the restriction of the virus spread?

The mask does not constitute the absolute means of protection and it doesnt mean that anyone who wears it is either totally or to a great extent protected from a possible flu infection or coronavirus. The role of the mask is to protect other people from the sufferer who must wear it. If they sneeze while talking, much fewer droplets are exposed, therefore the mask is a way of protection, especially for the protection of others. So, someone wearing a mask should be aware of the fact that they are not totally protected from these viruses.

Professor, why is this virus so lethal? There have have already been 630 deaths and more than 31.400 cases*?

We should clarify the following: The coronavirus is not so lethal in relation to other viruses. The number of deaths concerns a relatively great number of people about whom the coronavirus infection has been documented. Coronavirus as well as flu virus causes, to a great extent, very mild symptoms.

As a result, the number of people who have been infected is much bigger than the number of people whose infection has been documented. So, the denominator, when we estimate death-rate, is much bigger because the real number of the cases is unknown and a lot bigger related to those who have the infection documented.

Until now, the death-rate was considered to be approximately 3% to 4% but it is possibly much less because as I already earlier the real number of the cases is unknown.

Those who are more susceptible to this infection are older people, vulnerable groups and people who suffer from chronic heart diseases, chronic breathing diseases and immunodeficiency. The above categories constitute the percentage of serious symptoms or death.

How far or how close are we for the coronavirus vaccine creation? Can we be optimistic since a relative treatment for very old viruses and lethal diseases has not been found yet?

There are viruses, as you have correctly mentioned, for which it is not easy to develop vaccines. Hopefully, the coronavirus does not have these characteristics.

We consider that the coronavirus vaccine will be available relatively quickly, possibly even in a few months if we also estimate the time required for clinical tests.

Several Institutes and Centres have actively engaged in the creation of the vaccine. It is believed that in some weeks vaccines will be available for clinical tests. In the meantime, protection measures are vital for the restriction of the virus and for our protection.

I would like to point out once more: there are other viruses and diseases that are really dangerous. I realise how worried people are; the coronavirus is something new. However, Greece and the international community have been confronted with similar threats before, over the last 10 years, a fact that fills us with optimism.

We have the experience and the know-how so that we can face this menace effectively. What is really necessary is composure and optimism about the fact that even this disease will be challenged effectively with minimum human cost.

* Data as of the time of interview

This article was researched and written by a GCT team member.

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: The Greek Professor who 'broke' the coronavirus DNA sees a vaccine coming soon - Greek City Times

China is facing one of its largest public health crises: the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.

But U.S. healthcare officials are far more concerned about the spread of other viruses, like the flu.

WCBU talked to Lori Grooms, director of infection prevention for OSF HealthCare, about why the flu poses a bigger threat.

Dana Vollmer: Explain why people are more at risk of contracting the flu than coronavirus.

Lori Grooms, director of infection prevention for OSF HealthCare, talks to reporter Dana Vollmer.

Lori Grooms: The flu is something that we see every year and it is commonly circulating. The coronavirus that they're hearing on the news, while there are cases in the United States, the chances of coming in contact with the virus itself are very, very low. The flu virus, it's more common. You could come across somebody at the grocery store, because we all feel like we can wait it out. We have a cough, so I can go to the store and I can get the medicine to take care of it. I can go to work when I'm sick, because I'm just that important that I need to be at work. Unfortunately, because we have the idea that the flu is no big deal and we can go to work with it, we tend to spread it on to others.

DV: Why do people tend to worry about things like coronavirus, but not always think of the flu as potentially deadly?

LG:Because it's new. We're always more scared by the things that we don't know about. Because the flu circulates every year, it's something that we're used to seeing. The coronavirus, we don't know a lot about it and we're being told that we don't know a lot about it. That in itself makes people afraid. Even when you hear things from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or from the World Health Organization, they're still investigating. They can't tell us exactly everything about this virus because it is so new and there's they're still learning about it. That's what makes people afraid.

DV: What role does social media play in spreading misinformation about virus outbreaks?

LG: Social media, while it's a wonderful thing, it can also be a detriment. Not everything you see on the internet is true. With that, misinformation can spread very easily. What I always try to do is defer back to the experts. If you really want information, CDC has a very good website that anyone in the public can get on to and read the World Health Organization the same way. Those are the organizations that are actually investigating and looking at this virus. They have the most up-to-date and the most current information. The Illinois Department of Public Health also has the most current information. You're not always going to find that with every other website.

DV: The coronavirus is not the first major respiratory virus to pop up in recent years.

LG: It happens every two to three years. I've been in my role in infection prevention for over 15 years. Every two or three years, we're having discussions about a virus that has changed and the transmission is a little bit different. We've seen it with SARS, we've seen it with [MERS] in the more recent years. It's not something that is new to the healthcare profession. We've been planning for things like this. And once something like this comes up, infection prevention at your hospitals, your emergency preparedness we're ready to handle it. We keep current on the information and we just make tweaks to what we're doing on an everyday basis.

DV: Is it inevitable that more viruses like this will surface?

LG: Yes. Viruses are genetic makeup, so anytime you have genes you have the ability for them to change as they reproduce. So you will always see changes in viruses. The thing about the coronavirus that you're hearing on the news the one coming out of Wuhan, China is that this was spread from animals to humans at the start. That always causes concern. Once it is caught by humans, we don't know what's going to happen. You're seeing a lot of cases in China because of that because it's a new strain circulating in humans, but it had been in animals for years.

DV: What do you say to people who are still concerned about contracting coronavirus -- should they postpone their travel plans?

LG: My professional answer is to investigate. Would I travel to China right now? Not unless it was essential. CDC has a travel website that anyone can go to and actually put in the country that they are looking to travel to, and they can see whether or not they recommend traveling to that country. At this point in time, Chinais not recommended to travel for leisure and it is only for, like I said, essential travel. Other countries, if you're traveling there, I would go to the website and I would look it up.

DV: Any other advice for people to protect themselves?

LG: All I would say is that with any infection, with any virus it's the basic preventative measures: if there's a vaccine available, get the vaccine; frequent handwashing; avoid touching your eyes, your nose and your mouth without clean without clean hands; coughing into your elbow, coughing into a tissue and throwing it away; cleaning your hands after you've coughed; staying home if you're sick and avoiding purse other persons who are ill.

People like you value experienced, knowledgeable and award-winning journalism that covers meaningful stories in the Peoria area. To support more stories and interviews like this one,please consider making a contribution.

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Here's Why The Flu Poses A Bigger Risk Than The Coronavirus - Peoria Public Radio

New study highlighting the ability of cannabinoids to fight bacteria in dental plaque opens the door for CBD as an effective oral care product.

In recent years, the craze over CBD cannabidiol one of the more popular and well-known cannabinoids of the cannabis plant, has led to a massive uptick in research into its medical properties. Along with this has come a maelstrom of articles suggesting possible uses outside of what has already been studied, with hopes that upcoming scientific research will uncover even more ways that CBD can be useful, including in dental care.

CBD is now often considered a preferred alternative to pharmaceutical medication when it comes to dealing with sleep issues, anxiety, and depression, and is under intense study for its possible efficacy in treating different forms of cancer. It has been linked to research indicating usefulness in dealing with high cholesterol issues, blood pressure stabilization, and even a possible contender in the fight against Alzheimers disease.

Its pathogenic disease fighting properties have also been studied quite a bit at this point with evidence pointing to it being a strong antimicrobial capable of targeting different kinds of infectious agents. Of course, when it comes to pathogenic diseases, there are about a million different places to look for CBD efficacy.

Pathogenic diseases are infectious diseases that come from pathogens like bacteria, viruses, and fungi. So, anything from the common cold, to bacterial bronchitis, to ringworm are all pathogenic diseases. These, of course, account for a large percentage of the illnesses out there, and particularly the spreadable ones.

Whenever you hear a story about a new coronavirus like whats currently going around now or swine flu, or the plague; its all about pathogenic diseases. There are different ways of fighting pathogenic diseases, and oftentimes in pharmaceutical medicine, what works for one, wont work for another, particularly when looking at the necessary treatment methods for viruses vs bacteria, or even two very different viruses.

As always, its good to remember when dealing with CBD that it is not a pharmaceutical medicine, it is, in fact, a naturopathic medicine relating to plant medicine. Because of this, the chemical structure is significantly more complex than pharmaceutical medications that are based off of plant compounds, but generally in a more simplified way (which is what allows for things like antibiotic resistance as the bacteria are more easily able to replicate the simplified structure).

When dealing with plants, its not uncommon for one plant to be useful in many treatments, think of all the applications CBD is already being touted for. And for this reason, there is constantly new research coming out about new ways of using CBD that hadnt been thought of before.

The World Health Organization (WHO) provides some basic information on worldwide dental health. One of the first things to know about oral diseases is that theyre actually the most common non-communicable diseases (non-contagious) out there. In fact, a study on the Global Burden of Disease found that literally half the worlds population suffers from some sort of oral ailment, with tooth decay coming in at #1.

Unfortunately, dental care is often not very affordable, leaving many people in the world to never receive what they need, which often means living life in pain and discomfort. People that come from lower socio-economic backgrounds, or poorer countries, are way more likely to feel the health inequality gap that exists in dental health. For this reason, having better, and more affordable options for basic dental care and oral disease protection becomes very important.

An interesting new study came out in January of 2020 that investigated the efficiency of CBD vs known oral care products in reducing the amount of bacteria in dental plaque, which is responsible for all kinds of mouth ailments like cavities, bleeding gums, tooth decay, and tooth loss. The sixty test subjects in the study were split into six different categories according to the Dutch periodontal screening index. All participants were 18-45 years old.

The methodology of the study was to take dental plaque from all of the participants and spread each sample across two separate petri dishes, with each petri dish split into four parts, making for eight different places to test each specimen.

The eight things being compared for their ability to fight bacteria in dental plaque were: cannabidiol (CBD), cannabichromene (CBC), cannabinol (CBN), cannabigerol (CBG), cannabigerolic acid (CBGA), Oral B, Colgate, and Cannabite F (a toothpaste made from pomegranate and algae). After being sealed and incubated, the number of bacteria colonies were counted. The results of the study showed cannabinoids to actually be more effective than the well-known oral products like Colgate and Oral B.

When it comes to tooth and mouth care in general, most people shop for their standard drugstore products that theyre used to seeing ads for on TV, and which theyve probably been using for years. Some might even believe that what they use every day is the best option out there. In fact, many products like toothpastes and mouthwashes come with dentist recommended statements, leading to even more trust that these products are the best to use.

A study like this one clearly indicates that this might very well not be true at all, and possibly much better options can be found in non-chemical, more natural forms that have the capacity to do a better job.

Another research study done earlier, in 2012, looked at induced periodontitis (inflammation of the gums) in rats, and the role of endocannabinoid anandamide (AEA). All the rats were exposed to stress, and the results were: corticosterone plasma levels, locomotor activity, adrenal gland weight, and bone loss were all increased, as well as less weight gain.

There was also increased inflammation of the gingival (gum) tissue among other factors. Basically, the rats all responded to the stress by showing different forms of stress-related activity in their bodies. An injection was given locally of AEA to one group, and the results showed a decrease in corticosterone plasma levels and the content of certain cytokines (proteins involved in cell signaling). These AEA-induced inhibitions were mediated by CB1and CB2cannabinoid receptors.

The basic results showed that The endocannabinoid AEA diminishes the inflammatory response in periodontitis even during a stressful situation. The rats, after receiving the injection of AEA showed a reduction in much of their stress responses. This research implies that since CBD interacts with CB1and CB2cannabinoid receptors, it could possibly be useful in treating gingivitis an inflammation of the gums.

While its true that high quality CBD products arent always cheap, the preventative properties (when it comes to many things) may possibly outweigh the costs of dealing with the resulting health issues that come from not practicing good self-care.

Sometimes this is because people dont know what to do, sometimes people simply lack the motivation to do what they should, and others still just dont have the resources available to them to use preventative healthcare methods. If CBD is actually that effective in reducing bacteria and inflammation in the mouth, this could be incredibly useful for people who dont have as much access to dental care, or cant afford it.

If youre interested in chucking your old, standard, well-known toothpaste brand to try out something else, youll find plenty of products containing CBD and other cannabinoids available. Youll also be able to find mouthwashes, and other products for more specific oral ailments will likely pop up soon. Check online for available products.

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CBD Toothpaste Might Be Better Than Your Current Brand, Research Says - CBD Testers

(MENAFN - The Peninsula) More than 800 healthcare professionals gathered in Doha for the Fourth Qatar Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Conference (QDEM-4). Hosted by Hamad Medical Corporation's (HMC) Endocrine and Diabetes Division, Department of Medicine, and the Qatar Metabolic Institute (QMI), the conference brought together local and international experts in the fields of endocrinology, obesity, and diabetes to discuss the latest research, treatments, technological advances and preventative measures for these conditions.

Professor Abdul Badi Abou Samra, Chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine at HMC, and QMI Director, said the event provided an important platform for frontline clinicians, scientists, and researchers to discuss strategies and approaches for the management and prevention of diabetes. He said the conference highlighted the work being done in Qatar in the fields of endocrinology and diabetes treatment and management.

'HMC's National Diabetes Centers, located at Hamad General Hospital, Al Wakra Hospital, and the Women's Wellness and Research Center, receive more than 120,000 patient visits annually from around 30,000 patients, said Professor Abou Samra.

'Many of these patients live with other associated complications such as high blood pressure, kidney disease, and vision impairment. It is important for the local and international medical community to meet and discuss trends, best practice, and long-term strategies for the prevention and mitigation of complications related to this disease so we can continue to provide the best care for our patients, added Professor Abou Samra.

Dr Mahmoud Ali Zirie, Senior Consultant and Head of HMC's Endocrinology and Diabetes Division and Chair of the Conference's Organizing Committee, said the conference provided an opportunity to share the work being done here in Qatar and to deliver improvements tailored to the local population. He noted that the event included sessions dedicated to the new World Health Organization (WHO) classification of diabetes and its impact, adrenal disorders, thyroid disorders, cancer, and the latest technology in diabetes management.

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Over 800 healthcare professionals gather for Qatar Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolic Conference - MENAFN.COM