A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of HealthNLM Director’s Comments Transcript
NIH MedlinePlus Magazine: 04/14/2014
Photo: Courtesy of
the National Library of Medicine.
Greetings from the National Library of Medicine and MedlinePlus.gov
Regards to all our listeners!
I'm Rob Logan, Ph.D. senior staff National Library of Medicine for Donald Lindberg, M.D, the Director of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Here is what's new this week in MedlinePlus.
I’m Rob Logan, Ph.D., senior staff, U.S. National Library of Medicine, for Donald Lindberg, M.D, the Director of the National Library of Medicine.
Here is what’s new this week in MedlinePlus.
The new edition of NIH MedlinePlus magazine covers preventing falls, women’s heart disease, as well as information about Parkinson’s disease.
The cover features celebrated actor Michael J. Fox, who disclosed he had Parkinson’s Disease at the height of his career in 1998. Two years later, Fox founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, which has raised millions of dollars .
Fox returned to U.S. network television last year to play a man living successfully with Parkinson’s. With a famed sense of self-effacing humor, Fox tells NIH MedlinePlus magazine (and we quote): ‘I can play anybody as long as the character has Parkinson’s disease’ (end of quote).
Fox adds (and we quote) ‘Parkinson’s has made me a better person. A better husband, father, and overall human being. Life delivered me a catastrophe, but I found a richness of soul’ (end of quote). NIH MedlinePlus magazine adds some other well-known celebrities with Parkinson’s include: boxer Muhammad Ali, singer Linda Ronstadt, and English actor Bob Hoskins.
NIH MedlinePlus magazine notes Parkinson’s occurs when nerve cells, or neurons, in the brain become impaired or die. These neurons produce dopamine, a chemical messenger that governs smooth, purposeful body movement, which is reduced among Parkinson’s patients. NIH MedlinePlus magazine adds the trigger that causes Parkinson’s remains unknown.
However, Stacy Landis Ph.D., Director of the National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke – NINDS, tells NIH MedlinePlus magazine scientists recently discovered a network of genes that power brain cells, that may provide new targets to treat Parkinson’s and other neurological disorders.
Landis adds (and we quote): ‘NINDS and other researchers hope to improve existing treatments and find new approaches to slowing disease progression’ (end of quote).
NIH MedlinePlus magazine also contains a special section to prevent falls among older adults. Richard Hodes M.D., the Director of the National Institute of Aging, tells NIH MedlinePlus magazine (and we quote) ‘Injuries from falls are a major cause of loss of independence for older people. This is a significant public health problem’ (end of quote). In fact, NIH MedlinePlus magazine reports about one of three adults age 65 or older fall annually.
Some of the provided tips to prevent falls in one’s home include: avoid throw rugs and small area rugs, affix carpets to the floor, and keep stairs, halls, and floors free of clutter.
NIH MedlinePlus magazine additionally contains a special section to promote greater awareness of heart disease among women. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the U.S. About 6.6 million American women have coronary heart disease and 395,000 heart attacks occur among U.S. women each year.
NIH MedlinePlus magazine additionally contains a special section to promote greater awareness of heart disease among women. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the U.S. About 6.6 million American women have coronary heart disease and 395,000 heart attacks occur among U.S. women each year.
NIH MedlinePlus magazine explains promoting heart health and awareness are vital to prevent heart disease. For example, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) sponsors a national campaign called The Heart Truth to raise awareness among women about common risk factors. The Heart Truth sponsors a popular Red Dress runway event each winter during Fashion Week in New York City.
NIH MedlinePlus magazine reports several new clinical guidelines to: assess heart health risks, make lifestyle changes to reduce risks, as well as manage blood cholesterol and weight may help health care providers provide updated guidance to women patients. The revised guidelines were developed by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association — based on evidence reviews from NHLBI.
NIH MedlinePlus magazine notes some of the risk factors for heart disease that you can control include: smoking, high blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, high blood pressure, diabetes, overweight, an unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, and stress.
As always, NIH MedlinePlus magazine provides a helpful list of phone numbers (many of them a free call) to contact NIH’s array of institutes and centers.
NIH MedlinePlus magazine is distributed to physicians’ offices nationwide by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the Friends of the National Library of Medicine. You can subscribe or find the latest edition online by clicking on ‘Magazine,’ which is on the bottom right side of MedlinePlus.gov’s home page.
Previous editions of NIH MedlinePlus magazine are available at the same site. A link to NIH MedlinePlus Salud, which provides other health information and resources in Spanish, is available there as well (see the top right of the page).
The web version of NIH MedlinePlus magazine includes links that visually supplement the information in some articles.
To find MedlinePlus.gov’s clinical trials health topic page type ‘clinical trials’ in the search box on MedlinePlus.gov’s home page, then, click on ‘clinical trials (National Library of Medicine).’ MedlinePlus.gov also has a health topic page devoted to understanding medical research.
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Please email Dr. Lindberg anytime at: NLMDirector@nlm.nih.gov
That's NLMDirector (one word) @nlm.nih.gov
A written transcript of recent podcasts is available by typing 'Director's comments' in the search box on MedlinePlus.gov's home page.
The National Library of Medicine is one of 27 institutes and centers within the National Institutes of Health. The National Institutes of Health is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
A disclaimer — the information presented in this program should not replace the medical advice of your physician. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat any disease without first consulting with your physician or other health care provider.
It was nice to be with you. I look forward to meeting you here next week.
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