Info Session for New Volunteers!

 

WASHINGTON, DC – November 6, 2022 – A recent American Lung Association study found that almost 95% of eligible at-risk people did not receive a screening CT scan for lung cancer. This is a much higher level of nonparticipation than cancer screenings for cervical, breast and colorectal. Lung cancer is the most-deadly cancer in the United States. Most are discovered after the tumor has spread past the point of being cured with treatment. Cancer screening tests are at no cost to patients under the Affordable Care Act.

The only recommended screening test for lung cancer is a low-dose CT scan. It is painless and only takes a few minutes to perform. These tests are only available by prescription. Primary care physicians need to be aware of their patient’s complete smoking history because there is a strong risk of association between smoking history and lung cancer. The screening test is performed on at-risk people, before a person has any symptoms or diagnosis of the disease. Treatment can be started earlier when an early diagnosis is made. Therefore, early diagnosis through screening is more likely to reduce the severity of the disease.

The rate of survival at five-years for this deadly disease has increased to more than 25% from 15%. According to a 2011 National Lung Screening Trial, lung cancer screening has resulted in a 20% reduction of mortality. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and the CDC have recommended a lung cancer screening CT scan since 2014. In 2021, the screening criteria were modified to increase the number of eligible people because of disparities in the mortality rates by race. Now, persons are eligible for the screening if they have smoked the equivalent of at least a pack of cigarettes a day for 20 years, quit within the past 15 years and are between the ages 50 to 80 years old.

Kentucky has the highest incidence of lung cancer and mortality rates in the U.S. and the second highest smoking rate. Its screening rate has increased to 13%, well above the national average. The improvement has been credited to the state chapter of the American Lung Association partnering with universities and other cancer organizations in the state. The coalition has educated providers and patients about the importance of lung cancer screenings. Additionally, the Kentucky state legislature passed a bill that requires an annual report on screening rates in order to promote the availability of screening throughout the state.

 

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Contact: Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]

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WASHINGTON, DC – November 9, 2022 – Mindful meditation is as effective as prescription medicine for the treatment of anxiety, as reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association Psychiatry on November 9^th. Anxiety disorder is a common mental health condition that is very distressing and may cause impairment. Anxiety disorder includes social anxiety, generalized anxiety and panic attacks. Prescription medicines can be effective treatment for some people, but not for others. Mindful meditation has been shown to help decrease anxiety. However, its effectiveness hasn’t been directly compared to prescription medicine.

Patients suffering from anxiety disorder were randomized to 1 of 2 treatment groups: mindful meditation or the prescription medicine Lexapro (whose generic name is escitalopram). The meditation program included 2.5 hours of classes each week and 45 minutes of daily meditation. There were 8 weeks of treatment and a follow-up evaluation at about 1 month and 4 months after treatment ended. At the conclusion of the treatment, both groups had about 30% less anxiety as measured on a severity scale. This continued to decrease about 4 months after treatment. Mindful meditation proved to be as effective as drug therapy. Some study participants had to drop out of the study because of side-effects from the medicine.

The public health community has recently focused their attention to mental health disorders, including anxiety disorders. These illnesses have increased due to COVID-19 pandemic worries, political and racial unrest, climate change and financial stressors. Anxiety disorder is characterized by intrusive thoughts or worries that interfere with people’s lives and their relationships. In the U.S., 40% of women are affected by anxiety disorder at some point in their lives and more than 25% of men, according to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.

Mindfulness meditation is a technique that helps a person focus only on what’s happening in the present. Training sessions include breathing exercises and focusing thoughts on a specific area of the body while dismissing worried thoughts that intrude upon their focus. Lead author of the study, Dr Elizabeth Hope from Georgetown University Medical Center, says that “it changes the relationship people have with their thoughts when not meditating.” She is hoping that these findings can persuade health insurance companies to cover meditation training costs which run from $300 to $500 for the 8-week session. However, mindfulness meditation may not work for a person who doesn’t have the time for training classes or daily meditation.

 

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Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]

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ASHEVILLE, NC – November 23, 2022 – The CDC reports that the community level for Buncombe County is low for the week ending November 14^th. Most of the counties in North Carolina are low and none are at a high community level. Most of the counties in the U.S. are at a low level with less than 3% of the counties at a high level. For a county at a low community level, the CDC recommends:

• You may choose to wear a mask at any time as an additional precaution to protect yourself and others.
• If you are at high risk for severe illness, consider wearing a mask in a public indoors space and take additional precautions.

The Buncombe County COVID-19 metrics are on the North Carolina COVID Dashboard. Data from the week ending on November 12^th indicate:

• The data from the last 2 weeks is incomplete. With the best available data, last week’s total cases are 190 down 18% from 233 the previous week.
• 67% of the total population have received their primary vaccination series. Unchanged over the past 14 weeks.
• 24% of people with their primary vaccination series have had the new bivalent booster up 1% from last week.
• The seven-day daily average of COVID-19 hospitalizations is 44 and has increased by 1 since last week, and of ICU patients is 4 and has decreased by 1 from the previous week.

The Department of Health and Human Services recommends:

• Stay up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccines and boosters.
• People with any COVID symptoms should get tested
• People who are positive for COVID-19 or do not feel well should stay home

Vaccination sites and testing sites can be located through the North Carolina and Buncombe County Department of Health and Human Services.

An updated COVID-19 booster is now available for eligible persons 5 years and older. This new booster targets 2 versions of the COVID virus, the original virus and the new dominant BA.4 and BA.5 variants. Eligible persons must be at least 2 months after any prior COVID-19 shots and have had the primary vaccination series. The CDC advises that people who recently had COVID consider delaying their boosters until 3 months after their symptoms started or 3 months after a positive COVID test if they were asymptomatic. The updated booster shot is available at the Department of Public Health Coxe Avenue vaccination clinic, pharmacies, community health centers and rural health clinics.

 

Listen to the full report below:

 

 

Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]

More Posts for Show: Asheville FM News Hour