Archive for October, 2008

Toni Braxton Had a Tumour Removed

Toni Braxton opens up to Us Weekly about a recent scare she had. Braxton admitted that a lump was found in her breast that was growing and needed to be removed which caused her to miss the finale of “Dancing with the Stars”.

The 41 year-old singer says the tumour was benign and as soon as she was out of the running on “Dancing with the Stars” she scheduled her surgery to have it removed. Braxton is still recovering from the surgery but plans to join the rest of the “Dancing with the Stars” contestants on a tour which begins December 17 in San Diego.

Gastric bypass can reverse diabetes in teens - News

Teens who are suffering from obesity or diabetes can actually get a reverse after their gastric bypass surgery, studies have revealed.

The research was done using 11 extremely obese teens that had undergone the gastro plasty surgery to tackle their obesity and diabetes problems. The researchers reported that 10 of the teens studied discovered that their diabetes had disappeared in less than a year after their weight-loss surgery. The last of the 11 patients was still diabetic, but had stopped taking diabetes drugs and now needed much less insulin.

Previous studies in the matter have shown how beneficial obesity surgery is for adults’ diabetic problems. Dr.

Read the rest of this entry »

California Surgeon Used Human Fat to Power Car?

Dr. Craig Alan Bittner of Beverly Hills Liposculpture claimed to have used fat extracted from patients at his clinic to power his own Ford Explorer and his girlfriend’s Lincoln Navigator. On his website lipodiesel.com he wrote ” “The vast majority of my patients request that I use their fat for fuel–and I have more fat than I can use,” and “Not only do they get to lose their love handles or chubby belly but they get to take part in saving the Earth.” However, the lipodiesel.com website is no longer online. It was taken down after investigations were opened by the California Department of Public Health in response to complaints from patients of Beverly Hills Liposculpture. A note from Bittner on the clinic’s website says that as of Dec. 23, the Rodeo Drive practice is closed and that Bittner has moved to South America to volunteer at a small clinic where he states he “…can help those most in need.”

Read the rest of this entry »

A Mysterious Link Between Sleeplessness and Heart Disease

It has been known for a long time that sleep and health go hand in hand, and getting an adequate amount of sleep per night allows the body to function properly for rest and repair. Now there seems to be a mysterious link between sleeplessness and heart disease.

Studies have been conducted that compare the amount of sleep obtained at night against development of calcification of coronary arteries, which can raise the risk of heart disease. Those who get less sleep are more likely to develop deposits of calcium in their arteries than those who get over seven hours of sleep a night. The studies do not prove a cause and effect situation, but the results do seem to link stress, the hormone cortisol, and lack of sleep with heart disease.

Another factor in developing heart disease is stress, which can increase blood levels of the hormone cortisol, and cause lack of sleep through anxiety. Lack

Read the rest of this entry »

Single Men Have a Higher Risk of Prostate Cancer

If you’re married and often wish your wife would nag you less, perhaps you should thank her instead. Studies show that married men are at a lower risk for prostate cancer. The main reason single men are at a greater risk for prostate cancer is they simply avoid getting checkups on a regular basis. Men over the age of 50 should have yearly prostate checks and without prompting from a significant other most put it off, or don’t go at all. Prostate cancer is a devastating illness that shows very few signs in the early stages. However, catching it early can have a great impact on the success of treatments.

Read the rest of this entry »

Jeremy Piven Ordered to Stop Broadway Show

Entourage star, Jeremy Piven, has reportedly been told by doctors that he should stop his performances on Broadway immediately due to health reasons. Piven missed Tuesday night’s show and will not be performing today.

He is playing the role of a sleazy, power-hungry studio exec in David Mamet’s “Speed the Plow”. The doctors say that he has an extremely high mercury count. Mamet told Variety “I talked to Jeremy on the phone and he told me that he discovered that he had a very high level of mercury. So my understanding is that he is leaving show business to pursue a career as a thermometer.” The play won’t be without a leading man for long says Mamet ”

The good news is that some really great actors will be helping out and stepping in, which to me is a sign of great heroism and friendship.” Pivet had originally signed on to perform until the show’s end on February 22.

Quaid’s Settle for $750,000

Dennis Quaid and his wife Kimberly have just settled with Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre for $750,000 after their twins Thomas Boone and Zoe Grace were given an accidental overdose of medication in 2007. The couple took their two-week old twins into the hospital with staph infections where they were then accidentally given 10,000 units instead of 10 units of a blood thinning drug called Heparin. At 9pm, after the hospital realized their mistake they gave the babies blood clotting drugs to counteract the Heparin.

The Quaid’s weren’t notified of any problem until the following morning when the twins were fighting for their lives. The agreement is still pending the approval of a Los Angeles judge. The twins pulled through and are now healthy and thriving at 13 months old.

Woman undergoes face transplant in Cleveland

A woman has received a face transplant. The face transplant took place at the Cleveland Clinic. This was the first time that this type of surgery had ever been done in the United States of America. This is the fourth time that a face transplant has taken place in the world.

A woman named Isabelle Dinoire had the first ever face transplant in 2005. She was a forty one year old mother who lived in France and needed a face transplant because a dog mauled her. Her surgery was successful and two other men had face transplants surgeries after hers.

The face transplant was done by Dr. Maria Siemionow. She is a plastic surgeon who works at the Cleveland Clinic. The doctor prepared for the surgery. She practiced the surgery on animals and on twenty cadavers to make sure that she could do the surgery well. The doctor had considered fifty other candidates for the transplant.

The woman received an eighty percent face transplant. The donor skin and muscles were taken from a

Read the rest of this entry »

Combined Radiation and Hormone Therapy cuts Prostate Cancer Death

According to the United States Cancer Statistics Working Group, prostrate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancers in the United States with approximately 190,000 men diagnosed in 2004 (most recent statistics available). Out of that figure, 16 percent die from the disease. The majority (62 percent) of those diagnosed with prostate cancer are over 65 years old.

Traditionally treatment of cancer follows standard protocols which include watchful waiting (Used in early disease stages), surgery to remove the prostate or pelvic lymph nodes, radiation therapy to kill cancer cells and hormone (endocrine) therapy where hormones effects on cancer cells are removed deterring the cancer cell growth. Each of the above treatments have been used alone to manage the care of a patient with prostrate cancer. There have been success in treating prostate cancer with the standard protocols; this is reflected in the declining death rates in the last decade, but there is room for improvement.

In a recent study published in the journal Lancet in December 2008, a combination of hormonal

Read the rest of this entry »

Advancing Prostate Cancer: Combo Treatment Best

A new study conducted by Swedish researchers offers the possibility that combining treatment can cut the risk of dying for men suffering from prostate cancer in half. Men diagnosed with locally advanced prostate cancer where tested and found to have a 10% increased rate of survival by combining their hormone treatments with radiotherapy.

This discovery has promoted The Chicago Prostate Center who dedicates its time to diagnosing and treating men who diagnosed with prostate cancer, to present a new website. The site informs patients of treatment options, early treatment opportunities and many other areas of interest to individuals with prostate cancer and their families. Also, information concerning a brachytherapy treatment which is the implantation of a radioactive seed; a treatment specialized in by The Chicago Prostate Center.

Read the rest of this entry »