Newswise — • Hope for MS patients: In the words of Geisinger Health System’s multiple sclerosis (MS) specialist, Douglas Nathanson, M.D., the FDA’s approval of Tecfidera “is going to change everything in the world of MS.” More than 400,000 Americans are battling MS, a debilitating nervous system disorder that limits movement. Two clinical trials for Tecfidera showed that patients with relapsing forms of MS who took it had fewer MS relapses than those who took an inactive placebo. One of the trials also showed that worsening of MS-related disability occurred less often in patients who took the drug. In fact, European use of Tecfidera has shown it to be nearly twice as effective as some previously relied upon MS medications.
• If you don’t snooze, you lose: That groggy, exhausted feeling you overcome with a cup of coffee is more than just waking up on the wrong side of the bed. Sleep disorders can range from problems falling asleep, problems staying awake, trouble sticking to a schedule and unusual behaviors during sleep. These conditions can lead chronic health issues such as high blood pressure, stroke, heart failure, diabetes and depression. May is National Better Sleep Month, a time when Geisinger sleep specialists bring to light that more people than you think are suffering from sleep disorders. They can detail what to on the lookout for and some quick, at-home tips to get you and your pillow better acquainted.
• Burn me twice, shame on me: According to a recent study out of Yale University, more than 27 percent of the surveyed melanoma survivors skipped using sunscreen, 15 percent admitted to avoiding shade while outdoors and two percent continued to use tanning beds. During National Melanoma/Skin Cancer Awareness Month, it is especially important to drive home how preventable skin cancer is.
• Hog-riding hazards: Despite warnings about wearing helmets and driving safely, the latest statistics from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation report more than 3,600 injuries from motorcycle accidents and approximately 200 deaths. While these numbers are on the decline, many of these injuries and deaths can be prevented with proper precaution. Geisinger’s Dr. Shelly Timmons is an advocate for helmet legislation and can share her experiences on how to stay safe when riding a motorcycle.
• Some pep(permint) in your step: Wrigley has announced its creation of a new, caffeine-infused chewing gum. Boasting 40 mgs of caffeine, Alert Energy Gum packs the equivalent punch of half a cup of coffee and fits in your pocket so you can take it with you everywhere you go. Doctors are warning gum chewers, especially adolescents whose nervous systems aren’t fully developed, to carefully monitor consumption of this latest caffeinated product to hit store shelves.
• Savor your shorts: Despite the arrival of warmer weather, not everyone will be digging their summer shorts out from the back of the closet. For many of us, varicose veins – the unsightly, enlarged veins near the surface of the skin – make it tough to show off those legs in the summer. Geisinger vascular surgeons have the answer, however, with procedures and treatments that help clear up varicose veins and vanity that comes with them.
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