Is a Colonoscopy Screening Worth It?

Hey friends, 

Did you know?  

In the United States, colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men and in women, and the second most common cause of cancer deaths when men and women are combined. It's expected to cause about 53,200 deaths during 2020.

The American Cancer Society predicts 17,930 new cases of colorectal cancer within the under-50 population and 3,640 deaths in 2020.

What can you do?

A colonoscopy screening can prevent over 90% of deaths related to colon cancer.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force currently recommends that screening should begin at age 50 for those who have no predisposing symptoms.

Recently, the American Cancer Society recommended lowering the screening age to 45, in order to catch a good percentage of the younger people whose risk may be increasing. (Chadwick Boseman’s death underscores colorectal cancer increase in younger adults and health gaps for African Americans)

Patients at high risk—notably those with a family history, a known genetic risk, inflammatory bowel disease, or certain other disorders—should start earlier.  

What are you afraid of?  

A lot of people are unaware of their need to be screened with a colonoscopy. And even worse, many know they need it, though they are afraid of the procedure.  

Please, don’t be scared.  And please don't be stubborn. Do yourself and your family a favor and strongly consider giving me a call so we can take care of you.  And if you're under the recommended age of 50, please share this and encourage a loved one.  

I know 2020 has been a tough year but let’s try to close it as healthy as possible.

It's a proven lifesaver.  And I'll be by your side the entire time.

Live well, 

-- Dr. Dale

11 Reasons Dehydration Is Making You Sick And Fat

“I love this! Dehydration is often one of the leading causes of symptoms I see in my office. I hope this changes the way you view the importance of drinking water.”

— Dr. Dale

Reblogged from: http://themindunleashed.org/2014/09/11-reasons-dehydration-making-sick-fat.html
 

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Adverse effects from not drinking enough water include digestive, skin, bladder and kidney problems, fatigue, and even headaches. We need water as much as the air we breathe in! Keeping your body hydrated is not a joke.

Did you know that dehydration actually sets in just before you start feeling thirsty? Sipping water throughout the day is the best way to handle it. Always have a bottle or a glass of water handy! If you’re not a morning person, having two glasses of water right after you wake up will boost up your blood pressure to normal levels, and it’s way healthier than having your first coffee on an empty stomach.

Many of us believe that merely drinking fluids like sweetened juices, soda or tea will hydrate you as well as water does. This is not true. It’s actually the opposite! To deal with the excess sugar and salt you are taking in your body wastes immense amounts of precious water just to clean it out from your system. And if you love your coffee, make sure to drink one extra glass of water for every cup you have.

Drinking water regularly speeds up your metabolism and makes you feel more ‘full’. You will eat less once you start drinking more! It’s the safest and healthiest way to lose weight. Drink up!

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ADHD Common in Adults With Epilepsy

“This is interesting.”

— Dr. Dale

www.medscape.com

ADHD Common in Adults With Epilepsy

Megan Brooks

January 19, 2015

Nearly 20% of adult epilepsy patients report symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a rate much higher than of the general adult population, a new study shows.

Epilepsy patients with ADHD symptoms also have higher rates of anxiety and depression and worse seizure frequency.

"Little was previously known about the prevalence of ADHD symptoms in adults with epilepsy, and the results were quite striking," first author Alan B. Ettinger, MD, director, Epilepsy Center at Neurological Surgery, PC, in Lake Success, New York, noted in a statement.

"To my knowledge, this is the first time ADHD symptoms in adults with epilepsy have been described in the scientific literature. Yet, the presence of these symptoms may have severe implications for patients' quality of life, mood, anxiety, and functioning in both their social and work lives," said Dr Ettinger, professor of clinical neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York City.

The study was published online January 15 in Epilepsia.

Screen for Psychosocial Troubles

The investigators surveyed 1361 adults with active epilepsy as part of the Epilepsy Comorbidities and Health (EPIC) study. A total of 251 (18.4%) were classified as experiencing significant ADHD symptoms on the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale, version 6 (ASRS-6), a rate four times higher than the 4.4% rate of ADHD in the general adult population.

Adults with epilepsy who had ADHD symptoms were nine times more likely to have depression and eight times more likely to have anxiety symptoms than their peers without ADHD symptoms. They also reported lower quality of life and worse physical and social function and were more likely to be unemployed.

"This study reinforces the fact that we have to broaden our view of what epilepsy entails," Dr Ettinger said. "Our patients may also have psychiatric comorbidities, and screening for and treating these may make a great difference to patients in their family, school, and work lives."

"Physicians who treat epilepsy often attribute depression, anxiety, reduced quality of life, and psychosocial outcomes to the effects of seizures, antiepileptic therapies, and underlying central nervous system conditions," he added.

"Our findings suggest that ADHD may also be playing a significant role. However, we don't know yet if ADHD in epilepsy is synonymous with ADHD in the general population, which is often responsive to treatment," Dr Ettinger said.

"As a next step, we need to validate measures to screen for ADHD specifically in epilepsy and clarify the nature of ADHD symptoms in adults with epilepsy. This will lay the foundation for future trials of treatments that offer the promise of rendering major improvements in the quality of life of adult epilepsy patients," he said.

The study was funded by the Leslie Munzer Neurological Institute. Janssen Scientific Affairs provided data access. Data analysis was performed by Vedanta Research. Dr Ettinger has served on advisory boards for Upsher-Smith, Eisai, Sunovion, and UCB and as a consultant to Ortho-McNeil Janssen Scientific Affairs LLC. The original article contains a complete list of author disclosures.

Epilepsia. Published online January 15, 2015. Abstract

Medscape Medical News © 2015  WebMD, LLC 
ADHD Common in Adults With Epilepsy. Medscape. Jan 19, 2015.