FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Sept. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Prominent South Florida plastic surgeon Dr. Harry K. Moon has been added to the list of Top Doctors in America—a national directory comprised of top physicians in dozens of medical specialties based on peer nominations.
The directory is a collaboration between U.S. News and Castle Connolly Medical Ltd., publisher of America's Top Doctors® and other guides. Top Doctors selections were based on nominations submitted by other doctors and reviewed by its physician-led research team.
The list identifies more than 27,000 exceptional doctors from a base list of close to 800,000 physicians who practice in the U.S.
In his distinguished 25-year career as a physician, researcher and surgeon, Dr. Moon has been recognized by numerous organizations in the medical industry for his commitment to quality patient care and expertise in the area of plastic surgery. Dr. Moon is the former CEO of the Cleveland Clinic Florida. He is the first American to become an Overseas Fellow with Dr. G. Ian Taylor at the Royal Melbourne Hospital in Australia. In 1993, he entered private practice and created Himmarshee Surgical Partners in Fort Lauderdale. (source: Dr Harry K. Moon)
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Nasal Insulin Spray May Treat Alzheimer’s
WASHINGTON -A small pilot study led by a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) researcher found that a nasal insulin spray improved memory, thinking skills, and functional ability in people with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. Currently, there are no effective treatments to delay or prevent Alzheimer’s.
“This research builds on several years of preliminary work by an innovative group of VA investigators and their colleagues, and we are gratified to see the progress that is being made on behalf of Veterans and all Americans who are at risk for Alzheimer’s disease,” said VA Under Secretary for Health Dr. Robert Petzel.
A VA team with the Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System led the trial, which was sponsored in large part by the National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The new findings appear in the Sept. 12 Archives of Neurology.
Previous studies found that low brain levels of insulin—the main hormone that turns sugar in the bloodstream into energy for cells—could contribute to Alzheimer’s. Based on these findings, VA’s Dr. Suzanne Craft has led efforts. Her work has found a strong link between a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, grains, fish and olive oil and improved memory skills in both healthy older adults, as well as those already experiencing cognitive difficulty.
The new study tested a nasal spray that delivers insulin quickly and directly to the brain, with no harmful side effects, such as increased insulin levels throughout the whole body. The trial included 104 adults with either amnestic mild cognitive impairment —people have memory loss that may progress to Alzheimer’s— or mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease.
The study volunteers received 20 international units (IU) of insulin, 40 IU of insulin, or a saline placebo, which were all given through a nasal delivery device for four months. Memory, cognition and functional ability were measured before and after treatment. Some participants also received spinal taps to test cerebrospinal fluid as well as brain scans before and after treatment. Treatment with 20 IU of intranasal insulin improved memory, and both doses of insulin preserved general cognition and functional ability. These results warrant larger trials of insulin nasal-spray therapy to help prevent Alzheimer’s disease or slow its progression.
VA Chief Research and Development Officer Dr. Joel Kupersmith stated, “VA researchers are exploring a number of possible approaches to help prevent or effectively treat this devastating disease, and these are among the most promising results to date. We are proud to partner with NIH in supporting this vital work.”
“This research builds on several years of preliminary work by an innovative group of VA investigators and their colleagues, and we are gratified to see the progress that is being made on behalf of Veterans and all Americans who are at risk for Alzheimer’s disease,” said VA Under Secretary for Health Dr. Robert Petzel.
A VA team with the Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System led the trial, which was sponsored in large part by the National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The new findings appear in the Sept. 12 Archives of Neurology.
Previous studies found that low brain levels of insulin—the main hormone that turns sugar in the bloodstream into energy for cells—could contribute to Alzheimer’s. Based on these findings, VA’s Dr. Suzanne Craft has led efforts. Her work has found a strong link between a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, grains, fish and olive oil and improved memory skills in both healthy older adults, as well as those already experiencing cognitive difficulty.
The new study tested a nasal spray that delivers insulin quickly and directly to the brain, with no harmful side effects, such as increased insulin levels throughout the whole body. The trial included 104 adults with either amnestic mild cognitive impairment —people have memory loss that may progress to Alzheimer’s— or mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease.
The study volunteers received 20 international units (IU) of insulin, 40 IU of insulin, or a saline placebo, which were all given through a nasal delivery device for four months. Memory, cognition and functional ability were measured before and after treatment. Some participants also received spinal taps to test cerebrospinal fluid as well as brain scans before and after treatment. Treatment with 20 IU of intranasal insulin improved memory, and both doses of insulin preserved general cognition and functional ability. These results warrant larger trials of insulin nasal-spray therapy to help prevent Alzheimer’s disease or slow its progression.
VA Chief Research and Development Officer Dr. Joel Kupersmith stated, “VA researchers are exploring a number of possible approaches to help prevent or effectively treat this devastating disease, and these are among the most promising results to date. We are proud to partner with NIH in supporting this vital work.”
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
U.S. Blood Supply Vulnerable To Ticks
Babesia, a tickborne parasite of red blood cells, is being transmitted through blood transfusions, according to results of a collaborative study, led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), from the past three decades data. Transfusion–associated cases of babesiosis have been increasing since 1979, the year the first known case occurred.
The article about the study and an accompanying editorial appear today online in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
In the report, CDC and collaborators describe 159 transfusion–related babesiosis cases that occurred during 1979–2009, most (77 percent) from 2000 to 2009. No Babesia test approved by the Food and Drug Administration is available for screening prospective blood donors, who can feel fine despite being infected.
Babesiosis is a potentially fatal but treatable complication of transfusion. Severe consequences, such as multi–organ failure and death, are most often seen in persons without a spleen, the elderly, and those with a weak immune system. The study authors say prevention strategies, including development of a screening test, are needed. Some manufacturers are working with investigators at blood establishments to develop FDA–approved tests for Babesia for donor–screening purposes.
Babesiosis is commonly by ticks, the risk of this disease is another reason for people to prevent tick bites. People who unknowingly become infected through the bite of a tiny tick (about the size of a poppy seed) can transmit the parasite via blood transfusion. Preventing the tick bite is the key.
Most U.S. tickborne Babesia cases have occurred in seven states in the Northeast and the upper Midwest (in parts of Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin), particularly during the warm months of the year. However, transfusion–associatedBabesia cases have been identified in 19 states and have occurred year–round.
The article about the study and an accompanying editorial appear today online in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
In the report, CDC and collaborators describe 159 transfusion–related babesiosis cases that occurred during 1979–2009, most (77 percent) from 2000 to 2009. No Babesia test approved by the Food and Drug Administration is available for screening prospective blood donors, who can feel fine despite being infected.
Babesiosis is a potentially fatal but treatable complication of transfusion. Severe consequences, such as multi–organ failure and death, are most often seen in persons without a spleen, the elderly, and those with a weak immune system. The study authors say prevention strategies, including development of a screening test, are needed. Some manufacturers are working with investigators at blood establishments to develop FDA–approved tests for Babesia for donor–screening purposes.
Babesiosis is commonly by ticks, the risk of this disease is another reason for people to prevent tick bites. People who unknowingly become infected through the bite of a tiny tick (about the size of a poppy seed) can transmit the parasite via blood transfusion. Preventing the tick bite is the key.
Most U.S. tickborne Babesia cases have occurred in seven states in the Northeast and the upper Midwest (in parts of Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin), particularly during the warm months of the year. However, transfusion–associatedBabesia cases have been identified in 19 states and have occurred year–round.
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