NEW TEST CAN PREDICT ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE WITH 100% ACCURACY!
I bet that headline caught your eye just the way it did mine. On August 9, the news of a new test for Alzheimer’s disease flashed across public radio, ABC, The New York Times, and multiple other outlets. Many of us were asking ourselves “Can I find out if I have Alzheimer’s? How would knowing the answer to this question change my life?” Obviously, it would be a tough decision about taking such a test or not taking it, especially if some of the facts are distorted by the media.
First of all, what is Alzheimer’s disease? It is a common condition that causes memory loss in older people. It usually does not appear until after age 60, and it usually begins with problems remembering recent events. Alzheimer’s disease can run in families. For those with Alzheimer’s disease, the problems with memory and behavior gradually worsen over time, until the sufferer becomes unable to do even simple tasks such as bathing and dressing. The cause of Alzheimer’s disease is unknown. The first important point to remember though is that not all memory loss is Alzheimer’s disease. We all forget some things, and many of us notice that we forget more often as we get older. Forgetting a few things does not mean you have a serious problem. Here are some pointers that help us identify a more serious illness:
1. Short term memory loss: If we sometimes meet someone and can’t remember their name, that’s normal. If we ask their name 5-6 times, and still can’t remember, it may be a sign of serious memory loss. Many of us may forget part of an experience (we had a reunion at the lake this summer, but we can’t name everyone who was there). A person with serious memory loss often forgets even that the reunion party occurred
2. Problems doing everyday tasks: People with serious memory loss often forget how to make a meal, how to make change from a dollar, or how to place a phone call.
3. Problems with language: Those with serious memory loss often forget simple, everyday words. Instead of saying “I lost my toothbrush”, they might say “I can’t find that thing for my mouth.”
4. Problems with date/place: Occasionally forgetting the day or the date is a normal event. Many of us get confused when driving with a map. Persons with serious memory loss may get lost in their own neighborhood. They may not know how they got to a place, or how to get home.
5. Misplacing things: With serious memory loss, someone may put things in unusual places (a container of ice cream in the closet, a wristwatch in the freezer).
The new Alzheimer’s test looks for abnormal proteins in the spinal fluid. These proteins, called amyloid and tau, are present in the brain cells of people with Alzheimer’s disease. Recently, some researchers began looking for amyloid and tau in spinal fluid samples of people who had mild to moderate symptoms of memory loss. They found that almost all of the people who had the amyloid and tau proteins present in their spinal fluid developed Alzheimer’s disease within 5 years. What this doesn’t tell you is if those people with memory loss who test negatively for the proteins will not get Alzheimer’s disease. It also says nothing about what the test results could mean for people without memory loss. So, is this test really ready for general use? Despite all of the media hype, I would say definitely not. A spinal tap can be painful, and the meaning of the test results really isn’t clear yet. There are still too many unanswered questions.
OK, since I have disappointed everyone by trashing the new test, what can I offer for advice on how to at least partially avoid Alzheimer’s disease? We will take that up next time.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Help avoid Pastor Burn Out
Here’s a recent topic from National Public Radio that immediately caught my attention. The guest speakers were Paul Vitello, a journalist who reports on religion in the New York Times, and Robin Swift with the Duke University Divinity School. They discussed issues of health among members of the clergy, took questions from callers who were current of former pastors, and offered some suggestions on how to help your pastor stay healthy without excessive nagging or mothering (Chad made sure I added that last part).
Because pastors are called to their ministry by God, they feel a sense of duty to serve others whenever they are needed. Unfortunately, recent research shows that they might at times ignore their own needs. A recent study from North Carolina shows that pastors have higher rates of high blood pressure, obesity, and asthma as compared to the general population. Pastors also suffer depression more frequently than others. Sometimes, a feeling of needing to maintain professional boundaries can keep a pastor from getting the support and treatment that he/she needs.
Pastors have so many different roles in a congregation (preacher, spiritual leader, counselor, committee member, funeral planner, secretarial duties, locker of the doors) that the job can be exceedingly stressful. One pastor of a small church called in to say that he did everything from preaching to moving furniture-and usually he did more moving than preaching. A work week of 50 hours is fairly common when you add in all of the evening meetings, and that has an effect upon family members as well.
How can we as a congregation help out? As a church family, we need to find a balance of watching out for the needs of the pastor, while not overstepping personal boundaries.
Include the pastor and his/her family in your prayers.
Encourage the pastor to actually use his/her vacation time.
Consider making non-urgent phone calls to the pastor during office hours, and not in the evening.
Bring healthy treats to meetings and get-togethers. One pastor called in to say “cut out the free fried chicken, grits, and gravy.” In Minnesota we could say instead “cut out the free bars, muffins, and cake” (that’s my idea-Pastor Chad might not agree).
Voice your support every time you get the chance, and avoid finding fault. Remember that pastors and their families are human too.
Encourage the Annual Conference to provide strong health and dental benefits for pastors and their families (no dental plan is currently provided).
Our church gives love and support with prayers, cards, and gifts (recent gifts include hostas, iris bulbs, and tomato plants). I’m told that the trustees are great about fixing things at the parsonage. We have sent cards and given meals during times of illness. All of these items are greatly appreciated by our pastor and his family. Let’s continue to help our pastor realize that a plan for maintaining personal health and happiness is a necessary part of being a pastor.
Because pastors are called to their ministry by God, they feel a sense of duty to serve others whenever they are needed. Unfortunately, recent research shows that they might at times ignore their own needs. A recent study from North Carolina shows that pastors have higher rates of high blood pressure, obesity, and asthma as compared to the general population. Pastors also suffer depression more frequently than others. Sometimes, a feeling of needing to maintain professional boundaries can keep a pastor from getting the support and treatment that he/she needs.
Pastors have so many different roles in a congregation (preacher, spiritual leader, counselor, committee member, funeral planner, secretarial duties, locker of the doors) that the job can be exceedingly stressful. One pastor of a small church called in to say that he did everything from preaching to moving furniture-and usually he did more moving than preaching. A work week of 50 hours is fairly common when you add in all of the evening meetings, and that has an effect upon family members as well.
How can we as a congregation help out? As a church family, we need to find a balance of watching out for the needs of the pastor, while not overstepping personal boundaries.
Include the pastor and his/her family in your prayers.
Encourage the pastor to actually use his/her vacation time.
Consider making non-urgent phone calls to the pastor during office hours, and not in the evening.
Bring healthy treats to meetings and get-togethers. One pastor called in to say “cut out the free fried chicken, grits, and gravy.” In Minnesota we could say instead “cut out the free bars, muffins, and cake” (that’s my idea-Pastor Chad might not agree).
Voice your support every time you get the chance, and avoid finding fault. Remember that pastors and their families are human too.
Encourage the Annual Conference to provide strong health and dental benefits for pastors and their families (no dental plan is currently provided).
Our church gives love and support with prayers, cards, and gifts (recent gifts include hostas, iris bulbs, and tomato plants). I’m told that the trustees are great about fixing things at the parsonage. We have sent cards and given meals during times of illness. All of these items are greatly appreciated by our pastor and his family. Let’s continue to help our pastor realize that a plan for maintaining personal health and happiness is a necessary part of being a pastor.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Cancer genes
As a child, Sarah Gabriel’s life was turned upside down when her mother became ill with breast cancer. Sarah’s mother had surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, but she ultimately died of cancer when Sarah was just a teenager. In early adulthood, Sarah’s sister was also diagnosed with breast cancer. It seemed as if history was repeating itself. Sarah and her sister had heard of a gene that causes breast cancer to be inherited in families. Testing for the gene, called BRCA, was available. Should they get the tests and find out if they had inherited the gene? What if they did have BRCA, what would they do about it? Would they just spend their time waiting for cancer to appear? Maybe, it would just be better not to know and to let things take their “natural course.” The questions mounted and the tension grew.
Sarah and her sister ultimately had the tests and the results showed that they both carry a mutation in the BRCA1 gene, an inherited breast cancer gene. Since their mother had breast cancer at an early age, they most likely inherited the gene from her side of the family. Sarah decided to have regular mammograms. The first one was normal, what a relief! But then she found a lump, and it turned out to be a small cancer. Her mind was full of worry. What to do about the cancer? The cancer was small enough that she could have a lumpectomy, but could that be a wise choice given the cancer gene? Should she have both breasts removed to prevent other cancers from developing? Since mutations in BRCA1 can also cause cancer of the ovaries, should they be removed too?
Sarah eventually decided to have bilateral mastectomies, and she had both of her ovaries removed as well. Sarah’s struggles with inherited breast cancer are detailed in her new book, Eating Pomegranates, which will be out in October. It is a frightening story, but it is also a hopeful one.
Part of the hope in Sarah’s story is the terrific advances that are being made in understanding how changes in our genes can cause illness to occur. Doctors are linking changes in our genes to numerous serious diseases, such as diabetes, cancer, and even Alzheimer’s disease. Let’s look at one of these problems, the breast cancer gene that affected Sarah and her family, BRCA.
There are actually two BRCA genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2. They are named after BReast CAncer because they were first discovered in breast cancer patients. BRCA1 and BRCA2 are actually supposed to help prevent cancers. However, in some people changes called mutations occur in these genes. The mutations result in the loss of the cancer prevention activity, so cancer risk goes up. Flaws in the BRCA genes can cause more than just breast cancer. They also increase the risk of cancers of the ovary and prostate gland. If you have a BRCA mutation, you are more likely to get cancer, and the cancers appear at an earlier age. BRCA mutations can make breast or ovarian cancers appear in the 30s or even in the 20s, when we usually think of these cancers as illnesses of women older than 50. Changes in BRCA are passed down from parents to children, so the cancers run in families. BRCA mutations are rare (maybe 5 in 1000 people), but they can cause so much suffering.
If you have multiple relatives who have suffered from breast or ovarian cancer, and especially if someone has had cancers of both breast and ovary, your family may have one of these flawed BRCA genes. There is a blood test that can detect changes in the BRCA gene. If you test positive, you need regular medical tests to prevent cancers from developing. You might need to take the same difficult steps that Sarah did-have surgery to prevent cancers. You don’t need to make these decisions alone. Genetic counseling is available in Willmar or St. Cloud to help you can make an informed decision whether to have genetic tests or not. The state of Minnesota actually has a law in place requiring this counseling before you have genetic tests done.
You might be thinking that maybe you should have some tests to tell you your cancer risk. There are lots of ads out there-just send in a sample of saliva and $300.00 to $1000.00, and they send back a report that tells you if you are “at risk” for cancer. A word of caution: Many of these labs are not very careful. In a recent study from Wall street Journal, the same sample was sent to 3 different labs, and one result said “low risk of leukemia” one said “high risk of leukemia,” and one said “normal risk.” (Hmm…I think there must be a mistake somewhere.) ABC had 5 different volunteers go to different labs to request testing for a prostate cancer gene. There was a discrepancy in 68% of the results. Please talk with your doctor before you spend (waste) your money.
Sarah and her sister ultimately had the tests and the results showed that they both carry a mutation in the BRCA1 gene, an inherited breast cancer gene. Since their mother had breast cancer at an early age, they most likely inherited the gene from her side of the family. Sarah decided to have regular mammograms. The first one was normal, what a relief! But then she found a lump, and it turned out to be a small cancer. Her mind was full of worry. What to do about the cancer? The cancer was small enough that she could have a lumpectomy, but could that be a wise choice given the cancer gene? Should she have both breasts removed to prevent other cancers from developing? Since mutations in BRCA1 can also cause cancer of the ovaries, should they be removed too?
Sarah eventually decided to have bilateral mastectomies, and she had both of her ovaries removed as well. Sarah’s struggles with inherited breast cancer are detailed in her new book, Eating Pomegranates, which will be out in October. It is a frightening story, but it is also a hopeful one.
Part of the hope in Sarah’s story is the terrific advances that are being made in understanding how changes in our genes can cause illness to occur. Doctors are linking changes in our genes to numerous serious diseases, such as diabetes, cancer, and even Alzheimer’s disease. Let’s look at one of these problems, the breast cancer gene that affected Sarah and her family, BRCA.
There are actually two BRCA genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2. They are named after BReast CAncer because they were first discovered in breast cancer patients. BRCA1 and BRCA2 are actually supposed to help prevent cancers. However, in some people changes called mutations occur in these genes. The mutations result in the loss of the cancer prevention activity, so cancer risk goes up. Flaws in the BRCA genes can cause more than just breast cancer. They also increase the risk of cancers of the ovary and prostate gland. If you have a BRCA mutation, you are more likely to get cancer, and the cancers appear at an earlier age. BRCA mutations can make breast or ovarian cancers appear in the 30s or even in the 20s, when we usually think of these cancers as illnesses of women older than 50. Changes in BRCA are passed down from parents to children, so the cancers run in families. BRCA mutations are rare (maybe 5 in 1000 people), but they can cause so much suffering.
If you have multiple relatives who have suffered from breast or ovarian cancer, and especially if someone has had cancers of both breast and ovary, your family may have one of these flawed BRCA genes. There is a blood test that can detect changes in the BRCA gene. If you test positive, you need regular medical tests to prevent cancers from developing. You might need to take the same difficult steps that Sarah did-have surgery to prevent cancers. You don’t need to make these decisions alone. Genetic counseling is available in Willmar or St. Cloud to help you can make an informed decision whether to have genetic tests or not. The state of Minnesota actually has a law in place requiring this counseling before you have genetic tests done.
You might be thinking that maybe you should have some tests to tell you your cancer risk. There are lots of ads out there-just send in a sample of saliva and $300.00 to $1000.00, and they send back a report that tells you if you are “at risk” for cancer. A word of caution: Many of these labs are not very careful. In a recent study from Wall street Journal, the same sample was sent to 3 different labs, and one result said “low risk of leukemia” one said “high risk of leukemia,” and one said “normal risk.” (Hmm…I think there must be a mistake somewhere.) ABC had 5 different volunteers go to different labs to request testing for a prostate cancer gene. There was a discrepancy in 68% of the results. Please talk with your doctor before you spend (waste) your money.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)