(NewsUSA) - Seen one of those Camp Lejeune lawsuit ads lately?  Of course you have.  Lawyers seeking to represent victims sickened by the water at the North Carolina Marine Corps base have been running them seemingly non-stop ever since Congress passed a law last month allowing cases to finally proceed.

But a good ad doesn’t necessarily make a good lawyer.  Which is why any money you may be entitled to could hinge, for starters, on heeding Forbes.com’s advice to “do at least as much homework (in choosing an attorney) as you would do in buying a car.”

Here’s five questions you need to ask and have answered:

1.How many years have you been practicing complex toxic tort litigation?

A tort is defined as “an act or omission that gives rise to injury or harm to another and amounts to a civil wrong for which courts impose liability.”  What you have here – and it’s one heck of a tort case – is the government allegedly having harmed a huge number of military members and civilians who lived or worked at the base, from August 1953 through December 1987, by exposing them to dangerously toxic chemicals that the Marine Corps says it only discovered in the water in 1982.

But, again, this is the government you’re up against.

And so the strength of your particular claim depends on how convincingly your attorney can tie your exposure to the toxins to what you claim is the harm you suffered.    

Were you diagnosed with cancer or Parkinson’s disease, for example?  Are you a woman made infertile?  

Hiring a lawyer with only a few years of experience handling such cases to argue you deserve massive compensation for your life having been devastated would be like … let’s see, sending in a rookie to bat against Mariano Rivera in the ninth before the all-time great closer retired from the New York Yankees.

2.What’s your success in achieving monetary values for your clients?

Forget worrying about feeling crass.  The New York City Bar says you want to choose a lawyer “who inspires confidence.”  

Well, what’s more confidence-building than hearing the law firm you’re considering has won $19 billion – that’s billion, with a “b” – in total verdicts and settlements?

That would be Weitz & Luxenberg, with 34 years handling complex toxic tort litigation (see number 1 above).  In fact, feel free to use the firm as a benchmark for judging others since – along with having been named to U.S. News & World Report’s 2022 “Best Law Firms” list and offering free consultations – its head of the Camp Lejeune litigation team makes a powerful argument for why these clients, in particular, deserve to be compensated.

“They and their families became sick while serving our country,” says Robin Greenwald, a partner at the firm.  “They drank the water, they bathed in it, and they used it to cook their food. And that water was contaminated with toxins at concentrations anywhere from 240 to 3,400 times the levels permitted by safety standards.”  

3.How many military veterans have you represented?  

Camp Lejeune is a military base.  Need we say more, other than Weitz & Luxenberg puts its number at more than 25,000?

4.How many cancer victims have you represented?

All kinds of cancers – breast, lung, liver, kidney and esophageal – have been associated with exposure to the chemicals in the base’s water.

See that aforementioned 25,000 figure?  You can more than double it for cancer victims.

5.Have you been in national mass torts leadership positions?

Go ahead, drop a few major cases like the BP Gulf oil spill and multi municipalities’ contaminated groundwater, both of which Weitz & Luxenberg led the way on, and see if others can match them.     

(NewsUSA) - Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a common condition affecting more than 12 million people in the U.S.  However, symptom recognition is low: 50% of PAD patients have unrecognized symptoms, often brushed off as a result of aging. This September, during PAD Awareness Month, Dr. John Laird, vice president and chief medical officer of Peripheral Vascular Health at Medtronic, breaks down what to know about this common, but often misunderstood, disease.

PAD occurs when blocked arteries outside the heart limit or stop blood flow to the legs. When blood cannot reach the legs and feet, it can cause pain while walking, and even lead to amputation. PAD also increases risk for a stroke or heart attack. This is the reality for more than 140,000 people in the U.S.

“PAD is a serious condition, but due to very low awareness, people are often confused when first diagnosed,” Dr. Laird explains. “But because most people haven't heard of it, they may not realize it can have devastating impacts on a person's quality of life."

Systemic health disparities also play a significant role when it comes to risk for PAD, as it disproportionally affects minority communities. Studies show that Black patients are more likely to have critical risk factors, including diabetes and hypertension. Further, Black individuals have the second highest rates of PAD and are nearly four times more likely to undergo amputation than other races.

Assess Your Risk
Nearly 95% of people with PAD have at least one other chronic disease.  Smokers are at a four times greater risk of PAD.

Common risk factors include:    

• Diabetes    
• High cholesterol    
• High blood pressure    
• History of heart attack or stroke    
• History of smoking    
• Age over 50

Know PAD Signs & Symptoms
People with PAD often experience discomfort or fatigue in the legs when walking. This can impact daily activities. Symptoms include:    

• Cramping or pain in the legs when active    
• Numbness, tingly or burning in your legs and feet    
• A cold foot that is pale or changes in color    
• A sore or ulcer on your foot that is slow or fails to heal

When shared with your doctor early, PAD symptoms can be more easily addressed and risk of amputation is significantly decreased.

Treatment options may include different therapies used over time based on  severity of the artery blockage. These may include:        

• Lifestyle changes, including walking    
• Medication    
• Endovascular treatment    
• Surgical bypass    
• Amputation (as a last resort)

In cases where exercise and medical management fail, your healthcare provider may perform a procedure to help restore blood flow by reopening narrowed or blocked arteries. This can be done through atherectomy using a device such as the Medtronic HawkOne™ Directional Atherectomy System, and/or by using a drug-coated balloon (DCB), such as the Medtronic IN.PACT™ Admiral™ DCB or IN.PACT™ 018 DCB. Talk to your doctor about risks associated with these devices.

“There are many treatment options,” Dr. Laird says. “You can successfully advocate for yourself by asking your doctor about PAD screenings.”

Learn about PAD at Medtronic.com/PAD.    

(NewsUSA) - You may be among the 42 million Americans currently infected by the human papillomavirus (HPV) and not know it. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States, affecting more than 70 percent of sexually active adults at least once in their lifetimes. Unlike the “low-risk” HPV strains that produce visible lesions, “high-risk” HPV is an “invisible” infection that can lie undetected for decades and can lead to six different types of cancer; the two most common being cervical and head-and-neck cancers.       

A recent breakthrough in the study of HPV is providing physicians and patients with a new avenue for addressing high-risk infection.  Researchers at the McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston studied the effect of a unique natural Japanese medicinal mushroom extract called AHCC® on women with persistent high-risk HPV infections.  They found that daily use of AHCC® helped to clear an active HPV infection in two-thirds of study participants after only six months, while volunteers in the placebo group did not see comparable results.     

The randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial, considered to be the gold standard protocol for clinical research, was co-funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and published in the June 2022 issue of the prestigious medical journal Frontiers in Oncology.     

Current standard of care entails screening women for HPV during their regular gynecological exam. HPV usually goes undetected in men unless and until they are diagnosed with an HPV-associated cancer; as a result, they often spread the infection without knowing it. When a patient tests positive for HPV, the current protocol is often referred to as “watchful waiting” which entails monitoring the patient’s condition through regular exams but not providing any pharmacological or surgical treatment.     

This latest study shows that there is something that patients can do during this “waiting” period other than just passively anticipating their next exam. “Our results showed that AHCC® supplementation helped the majority of patients in the AHCC® arm of the trial to become HPV-negative, therefore decreasing the long-term risk of HPV-related cancers,” says Dr. Smith. “Importantly, through multiple studies, we have shown that AHCC supplements are safe.”     

There are more than 30 human clinical studies and over 50 papers on AHCC® that have been published in Medline-indexed NIH-recognized scientific journals. AHCC® contains a unique combination of potent active components including alpha-glucans and axoglucan™ fractions, discovered by the Amino Up company of Sapporo, Japan. Numerous reputable supplement brands offer AHCC® in North America. Verified authentic products sold under the registered AHCC® trademark of Amino Up are listed on the AHCC Association website at www.AHCC.net.

(NewsUSA) - Despite advances in diagnosis and treatment, lung cancer remains a leading cause of death for Black men and women. In the United States, estimates suggest that more than 73,000 Black individuals will die from lung cancer in the next year alone.     

While there are many new treatments for lung cancer, disparities persist across racial and ethnic lines. Given these disparities, Black Americans in particular should learn what questions to ask their doctors to optimize their care.  Specifically, they should ask, what is my biomarker?     

All lung cancer patients should ask their doctors about biomarkers, a new frontier in targeted therapy that may reduce or eliminate the need for chemotherapy and improve outcomes.     

Each cancer tumor is unique, and some have specific traits called “biomarkers.” If you identify your cancer biomarker, there may be treatments that target that specific biomarker, according to Dr. Sydney Barned, a doctor and lung cancer patient.     

“In many cases, these treatments mean taking pills instead of chemotherapy and radiation. Asking for biomarker testing is extremely important, not only in treating your cancer but also in improving your quality of life,” she says.     

“The doctors originally thought I had pneumonia, but I didn’t get better,” says Brandi Bryant, a mother of four and a lung cancer patient.     

“When more treatments didn’t work, I had a biopsy, and they diagnosed me with stage 4 lung cancer. I was prescribed radiation, chemo and immunotherapy (where your body attacks the cancer cells), but the doctors finally put me on targeted therapy where I take eight pills per day. Today, four years later, I show no evidence of cancer. It doesn’t mean the cancer is cured, but it means that it is not growing in my body,” she says.     

“Many people, especially patients of color, are diagnosed and treated by doctors who are not lung cancer specialists. So, it is important for you to ask whether your cancer has been tested for its biomarker before you start treatment,” Brandi adds. “Knowing my biomarker made the difference in my treatment and how much I can do with my kids,” she emphasizes.     

In Dr. Barned’s case, “Knowing my biomarker meant being able to finish my hospital residency. I am on targeted therapy to help my body fight my specific type of lung cancer. So, knowing my biomarker made a huge difference in my life.”     

Many breakthroughs, such as targeted therapy for biomarkers, come from research supported by the Lung Cancer Foundation of America (LCFA). “If you have lung cancer, ask your doctor to identify your biomarker,” Dr. Barned says. “Where there is knowledge, there is hope,” she adds.     

For more information, visit LCFamerica.org or text LCFA to 41444.

(NewsUSA) - Pulse Check: 3 Things You May Not Know About the Most Common Heart Rhythm Disorder

Atrial fibrillation (AFib), otherwise known as an irregular or fluttering heartbeat, is the most common heart rhythm disorder. In fact, nearly one in every ten people older than 65 have AFib.¹ September is National AFib Awareness Month, which is a great time to take a pulse check on your heart health. Here are three misconceptions about AFib and the facts you need to know.

Misconception #1: AFib Symptoms are Easy to Spot

This is not always true – some people don’t know they have AFib until they are diagnosed at a doctor’s appointment or it causes a larger medical concern. It’s often at routine checkups when AFib is diagnosed.  

For others, AFib feels like butterflies or a flopping fish in the chest, according to StopAFib.org.

AFib is a progressive disease meaning that when left untreated or undiagnosed, patients are five times more likely to have a stroke.² Knowing the signs and symptoms of AFib can help you and your doctor catch it earlier:    

• Heart sensations, sometimes called palpitations, which may include irregular, thumping, or pounding heartbeats    
• Feeling like your heart is racing    
• Chest discomfort or pain    
• Fainting or lightheadedness    
• Fatigue, shortness of breath, or weakness

Misconception #2: Medication is My Only Treatment Option

Currently, medications to prevent and treat irregular heart rhythms, known as antiarrhythmic drugs, don’t work for half of people who take them.^3,4,5 Some patients with AFib may be candidates for a minimally invasive procedure called cryoablation. During the procedure, the Medtronic Artic Front™ Cryoballoon targets electrical signals to get your heart rhythm back on track and can be used as the first line therapy approach for a patient experiencing AFib.

Misconception #3: Everyone’s AFib is the same

According to StopAFib.org, different people experience different AFib symptoms. The best thing you can do is go talk to your doctor if you think you’re having symptoms. To better understand your specific condition, your doctor may recommend an insertable heart monitor that watches your heart continuously around the clock to detect abnormal heart rhythms including AFib.⁶  Long-term monitoring with the Medtronic LINQ™ family of insertable cardiac monitors (ICMs) can help your doctor get a better picture of how your heart is doing over time and detect episodes of AFib. Because AFib is a progressive condition—meaning it worsens over time—early treatment is crucial. When a heart monitor detects AFib, your doctor can help you get on the treatment course that is right for you. Your long-term heart monitor will continue to give your doctor the information needed to know if your treatment is working or if you need to make changes over time.

Always talk to your doctor about risks, diagnosis, and treatment information.

Possible risks associated with the implant of the LINQ™ Family ICM’s include, but are not limited to, infection at the surgical site, device migration, erosion of the device through the skin and/or sensitivity to the device material.  Risks associated with the Artic Front™ Cryoballoon may include bleeding and bruising where the catheter was inserted, cough, shortness of breath, infection, temporary or permanent stroke, severe complications leading to hospitalization or potentially death. Always talk with your doctor about risks, diagnosis, and treatment information for AFib.

To learn more about atrial fibrillation, available treatment options and to identify a specialist near you, visit: www.Medtronic.com/AFmonth    

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Worldwide Epidemiology of Atrial Fibrillation, A Global Burden of Disease 2010 Study    
2. Kannel WB, Wolf PA, Benjamin EJ, Levy D. Prevalence, incidence, prognosis, and predisposing conditions for atrial fibrillation: population-based estimates. Am J Cardiol. 1998 Oct 16;82(8A):2N-9N. doi: 10.1016/s0002-9149(98)00583-9. PMID: 9809895.    
3. Wazni OM, Dandamudi G, Sood N, et al. Cryoballoon Ablation as Initial Therapy for Atrial Fibrillation. N Engl J Med. January 28, 2021;384(4):316-324.    
4. Kuniss M, Pavlovic N, Velagic V, et al. Cryoballoon ablation vs. antiarrhythmic drugs: first-line therapy for patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Europace. March 17, 2021:euab029.    
5. Andrade JG, Wells GA, Deyell MW, et al. Cryoablation or Drug Therapy for Initial Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation. N Engl J Med. January 28, 2021;384(4):305-315.    
6. Majos E, Dabrowski R. Significance and Management Strategies for Patients with Asymptomatic Atrial Fibrillation. J Atrial Fibrillation. February 28, 2015;7(5):1169.

(NewsUSA) -  

After more than two years of living through a pandemic, it’s not surprising Americans report overwhelming stress levels. But the situation is even worse for people living with psoriasis, a chronic immune-mediated disease with an unclear cause, that impacts over eight million people in the U.S. In fact, according to new data from the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) people living with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis experience depression more than the general U.S. population – a known trigger, along with anxiety, for onset or flaring of the disease.   While there’s no known cure for psoriasis, managing the disease is possible with the right treatment plan and  implementing healthy habits  including stress management. This August, during Psoriasis Action Month, taking small steps each day to combat stress can help put psoriasis to rest:

Catch Some Zs

Making changes to your sleep hygiene not only sets the stage for better sleep, but also leads to lower stress levels and better overall health. Going to bed at the same time each night can help regulate your internal sleep clock, which can boost your mood and reduce stress.

Limit processed foods – or skip them all together

Paying close attention to what you eat each day is a great way to improve your mood. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, protein, and whole grains are all natural ways to relieve stress, anxiety, and grief.

Get up and get moving

Exercise can be a fantastic stress reliever that can work within minutes. Simply taking a short walk, doing some breathing exercises or gentle stretches from the couch each day can help get you into a different frame of mind and make a difference. Moving more can also have a great impact on mood.

Rely on a strong support system

A support system is important for your overall mental health. During stressful times, friends and family may help you cope with difficult situations. NPF provides free support and resources to all those impacted by psoriatic disease, including caregivers, family, and friends.

Talk to your doctor

Each person experiences psoriatic disease in their own unique way, including its physical and mental impacts. What works for one person may not work for another. Talk to your doctor to find the treatment plan that works best for you.

Visit psoriasis.org for more tips and information about how relieve stress and put psoriasis to rest once and for all. 

(NewsUSA) - Accidents happen: you hurt your shoulder fixing that broken gutter or throwing a baseball, develop carpal tunnel syndrome from your less-than-ergonomic work-from-home setup, or you suffer from painful tendon or joint conditions such as arthritis.     

In the past, many people with these and other issues have felt they have no option but to go under the knife for major orthopedic surgery. However, advances in technology have allowed the evolution of the field of regenerative medicine, in which the body’s own cells, including platelets and stem cells, are taken from one part of the body and used to promote healing in areas where it is needed, and where blood supply is limited, such as tendons, ligaments, and cartilage.     

“While not all surgery can be avoided, advanced technology and the emergence of regenerative medicine means the vast majority of conditions can be treated without surgery,” says Dr. Daniel Savarino, director of the Apex Center for Regenerative Medicine in Tinton Falls, NJ.     

For example, Dr. Savarino uses ultrasound imaging to target the exact location of an injury without the need for a large incision. People of all ages and activity levels can be treated with regenerative medicine, as no hospital stay is required, he adds.     

Regeneration in the body can occur in three ways. Molecular regeneration involves the small molecules that are the body’s building blocks, such as fats and carbohydrates; cellular regeneration involves the structures such as neurons that cause new cells to grow and reproduce; and tissue regeneration includes blood, skin, bone, or muscle.     

One example of regenerative medicine is the harvesting of stem cells to inject into injured areas and treat orthopedic conditions such as osteoarthritis of the joints, rotator cuff tears, meniscal tears in the knee, and tendon injuries such as tennis elbow. These stem cells become new cells in the injured areas to promote healing and repair without the need for invasive surgery.     

Another example of regenerative medicine is using the body’s own platelets and plasma (a technique called platelet-rich plasma injections, or PRP) to promote healing in damaged areas including tendons, ligaments, and muscles. PRP injections also have also been used to promote hair regrowth in individuals with hair loss.     

Although some orthopedic conditions do require surgery, that was traditionally less than 10% of the time. But with advances in regenerative medicine, it is now much less than that.  Dr. Savarino explains that he often treats patients who were told that major surgery was their only option. If patients are candidates for regenerative medicine, they can undergo minimally invasive procedures in an office setting instead. “Our motto is ‘Don’t Operate . . . Regenerate,’” he says.     

For more information, visit regeneratenj.com.

(NewsUSA) - The scorching sun is the major reason that skin cancer is the nation’s most common cancer type. But there’s seriously good news -- dermatologists can now cure most cases of nonmelanoma skin cancer (basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas) without scalpels, pain, bleeding, infection, surgical scarring or the need for reconstructive surgery.     

Dermatologists around the country are rapidly adopting FDA-cleared, image-guided, superficial radiotherapy (SRT) as a patient-friendly treatment alternative to traditional Mohs surgery for common skin cancers.   

The contrast in these treatments, both of which generate cure rates above 99 percent, is startling. Century-old Mohs surgery involves the repeated cutting away of diseased tissue until skin samples viewed under a microscope show that only healthy tissue remains.     

With newer image-guided SRT, a patient visits the doctor for a few 15-minute sessions per week over several weeks. Each time, the doctor uses an ultrasound imaging device that lets them view a live image that distinguishes cancerous tissue from healthy tissue. Using those images, the doctor aims low-level x-rays at the treatment site, damaging and killing the cancer cells. The patient can see the tumor shrinking until it’s entirely gone. The procedure is painless, and there are no surgical scars to mark where the treatment took place. More than 500 dermatologists offer it, and that number is growing fast.     

Ruby Wepler, an 86-year-old, life long tennis player in Stow, Ohio, had Mohs surgery on her face three years ago. “It was very scary. You go into the office and they numb your face, cut that particular area and check to see if they got it all. And then you have to come back again and they go a little deeper if they didn't get it all. It was painful,” she says.     

“I was diagnosed again last year,” Ruby continues, “with cancer on my cheek and they suggested image-guided SRT. What surprised me was that it took no time at all. They went out of the room, pushed the button and a minute later they come back and it's all over. After a series of treatments, the cancer is gone and there's no scarring at all.”     

Surveys show a 99.9-percent patient satisfaction rate with image-guided SRT, which is covered by Medicare and most insurance plans.     

For more information and to learn where image-guided SRT is available, visit GentleCure.com.

(NewsUSA) - A unique injectable drug shows promising potential to reduce some of the early brain damage caused by stroke, based on a newly published study using animal models. In other words, human victims of stroke might someday be able to regain or improve bodily functions, including key cognitive abilities.     

Approximately one of every 19 deaths in the United States in 2019 was due to stroke, according to the American Heart Association. The only current FDA-approved drug for treatment of stroke does not repair damage and must be administered within 4.5 hours of stroke onset. When a stroke happens, lack of blood flow to the brain causes the deaths of millions of neurons. Individuals who survive any type of stroke are at an increased risk for debilitating loss of function in areas of speech and language, as well as difficulty with overall motor coordination, walking and cognitive function.     

The new drug, currently known as NVG-291-R, is designed to help repair damage caused to the neurons in the brain after a stroke. Researchers at the University of Cincinnati tested the drug by inducing strokes in mice. They found that the drug not only created new neuronal connections but also enhanced movement of stem cells to the area of the brain damaged by a stroke.     

The results were encouraging, according to the researchers.     

“There was significant improvement in motor and sensory function in the mice -- essentially the ability to walk, grasp objects and detect the presences of objects on their paws.  Additionally, there was an improvement in spatial learning and memory,” they said in a press release.     

Another encouraging finding was that the drug was similarly effective when given up to seven days after the stroke occurred. Most other treatments in development for stroke damage must be administered within 24 to 48 hours of a stroke to be effective, the researchers noted.       

The drug was developed by NervGen, a biotech company focused on treatments to promote nervous system repair.     “The current standard of care for stroke is one approved drug administered to less than 10% of those suffering, and it only works by limiting ongoing damage in those receiving it,” says NervGen’s  CEO, Paul Brennan.     

“If the meaningful recovery of function shown in this study translates in a clinical setting, our drug will redefine stroke therapy.”     

The study findings were published in the medical journal Cell Reports.       

Visit nervgen.com for more information about evolving treatments for nervous system damage from injury or disease.

(NewsUSA) - Despite the documented success of the various COVID-19 vaccines in preventing serious illness and death across a range of ages, many people in the United States, especially in rural communities, remain hesitant to getting vaccinated.     

However, a new public service announcement focusing on love, respect, and humility is making inroads to encourage COVID-19 vaccination in rural communities. The GreenShoots Foundation, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to uplifting people across the social fabric of America, was launched in 2021 by Arkansas native and NYC-based financial services veteran Ted Huffman and his wife, Cheryl Huffman.     

The foundation’s inaugural project is a COVID-19 vaccine awareness campaign focused on rural communities. The “Please Consider Vaccination” campaign includes outreach on radio, TV, digital media, and social media.     

In the campaign’s signature video, a father in a rural community, travels from his farm to a church and then a school, where he sees children safely crossing the street under the supervision of a crossing guard. In the next shot, the father arrives at a local vaccination clinic and says, “Let’s do this.”     

The campaign was first launched in communities in Arkansas in November 2021 but has proven so successful that it has appeared in areas of Mississippi, Tennessee, Missouri, Oklahoma, Montana, Maryland, Wisconsin, Idaho, West Virginia, Ohio, South Carolina, Alaska, Michigan, Wyoming, Illinois, Tennessee, Utah, and Kentucky.     

In the three months after the release of the PSA campaign, Pulaski County, which contains Little Rock, Arkansas’s capital and largest city, saw an increase of 9% over similar markets in neighboring Mississippi without access to the PSA campaign. In fact, the areas without access to the campaign saw a drop in vaccination rates among the unvaccinated population during the same time period.     

“When you look at the success of this campaign, I believe it comes down to the representation of core human desires and needs, which are universal and apolitical, such as respect, health, and safety,” concludes Ted Huffman. ”We hope the word will continue to spread and encourage even more people to consider vaccination.”     

Looking ahead, the goals of The GreenShoots Foundation include shelter for the homeless, U.S. military veteran advocacy, and increased participation in the exercise of self-government.     View the video, titled “Life. Your Journey. Your Choice” at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXnZMKqLkfk     

For more information about the GreenShoots Foundation, visit thegreenshootsfoundation.org.