StemCell Therapy

SANTA ANA, Calif., Feb. 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Johnson & Johnson Vision*, a global leader in eye health and part of the Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies**, today announces a month-long celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the TECNIS platform, the proprietary combination of materials and design on which Johnson & Johnson Vision IOLs (intraocular lenses) are built. Twenty years ago, a team of researchers and innovators created TECNIS, setting in motion two decades of breakthroughs, including the world's first aspherical lens and extended depth of focus lens. Today, notonly does TECNIS offer a distinct quality of vision1 that allows patients to "See More," it is also the broadest portfolio of IOLs worldwide, providing surgeons with a variety of solutions to treat different visual conditions.

"The innovation of the TECNIS platform was a revolutionary advancement in IOL design and composition that changed cataract surgery forever by introducing the concept of quality of vision," said Dr. Eric Donnenfeld, MD, Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology, New York University."*** "The TECNIS IOL was the first to employ negative spherical aberration and cancel the positive spherical aberration of the cornea achieving improved visual acuity, contrast sensitivity and reducing chromatic aberration. On behalf of my patients and my practice, congratulations to Johnson & Johnson Vision and TECNIS on 20 years of improving patient outcomes in cataract surgery."

"Many ophthalmologists can help restore their patients to 20/20 vision during their cataract procedureby addressing their patient's vision needs with a presbyopia-correcting IOL, a Toric IOL, or some combination of both. But quality vision is aboutso much more than the ability to see 20/20," said Rajesh K. Rajpal****, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Global Head of Clinical and Medical Affairs at Johnson & Johnson Vision. "It's about delivering clarity and contrast regardless of lighting or contrast conditions and sustaining that visual performance for the life of the lens. This month, we're celebrating TECNIS, because of the breakthrough 20 years ago, but also the breakthroughs it continues to enable today."

In celebration of 20 years, Johnson & Johnson Vision is launching the "See More" campaign to educate patients and physicians on what is possible with cataract surgery and how the TECNIS portfolio unlocks greater potential for patients. Additionally, Johnson & Johnson Vision is donating $20,000 to the Himalayan Cataract Project (HCP)|Cure Blindness in honor of the organization's dedication to spread cataract awareness. HCP | Cure Blindness is an independent, nonprofit organization that works to eradicate preventable blindness in countries across the globe and has screened and treated more than 11.5 million people and performed more than 940,000 surgeries in 20 countries.

Johnson & Johnson Vision will continue to roll out the campaign throughout 2021 by launching a global story search. Stories inside the U.S. about how cataract surgery has enabled patients to "See More" via video, photo or text will be collected at https://www.jjvision.com/tecnis-see-more; stories outside of the U.S. will be collected in accordance with the local and regional data privacy regulations. These "See More" patient stories will represent the true reach of the TECNIS platform.

"For two decades, we've dedicated ourselves to creating breakthroughs in cataract treatment and delivering the best optics available in terms of quality of vision. We believe the quality of the lens is only as good as the platform it is built on -- that's why TECNIS is both our legacy and our future. With the global expansion of our new TECNIS IOL lenses in 2021, we will be expanding access to the broadest IOL portfolio available on the market," said Nikki Sidi*****, Vice President, Global Strategic Marketing, Surgical Vision at Johnson & Johnson Vision. "We are excited to celebrate TECNIS 20th anniversary this yearand continue to offer more lenses to more patients than ever before."

In 2021, Johnson & Johnson Vision will continue to roll out new TECNIS IOLs across the globe including TECNIS Synergy IOL, TECNIS SymfonyIOL, and TECNIS Eyhance IOL, all available at launch with astigmatism correcting options under the next-generation Toric II platform.

Patients who want to learn more about the TECNISportfoliocan visit https://www.beyondcataracts.com/

About CataractsMore than 90% of people develop cataractsthe clouding and yellowing of the lens in the eyeby the age of 65.2 While part of the normal aging of the eye, left untreated, cataracts cause vision to deteriorate over time. In fact, cataracts are the leading cause of preventable blindness worldwide, impacting more than 100 million eyes.3 Cataract surgery is one of the most common outpatient procedures performed today and has a success rate of approximately 98%.4 Today, cataract treatments can also offer patients vision correction, reducing or eliminating the need for glasses, in addition to removing the cataract.5,6

About TECNISThe TECNIS platform offers the broadest portfolio of IOLs to serve patients with a variety of vision conditions and lifestyles; and equip them with the solutions they need to see efficiently, clearly and comfortably. The TECNIS Family of IOLs includes monofocals, multifocals, extended depth of focus (EDOF), and IOLs for those with or without astigmatism. The industry leading platform, which offers a variety of options for different visual conditions and lifestyles, delivers a unique combination of material, manufacturing, and design to deliver exceptional visual outcomes across all distances.

Important Safety InformationWhile complications are rare, there are risks to routine cataract surgery. This is irrelevant to the lens you choose. The problems could be minor, temporary, or affect your vision permanently. These may include worsening of your vision, bleeding, or infection. Pre-existing diseases or conditions (e.g., diabetes, heart disease, and previous eye trauma) may place you at higher risk of experiencing complications and/or more difficult recovery after routine cataract surgery. With some lenses, you may experience some loss in the sharpness of your vision, even with glasses. A small number of patients may want to have their IOL removed. This can be due to lens-related optical/visual symptoms. You should discuss all risks and benefits with your eye doctor before surgery.

About Johnson & Johnson Vision*At Johnson & Johnson Vision*, part of Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies**, we have a bold ambition: to change the trajectory of eye health worldwide. Through our operating companies, we deliver innovation that enables eye care professionals to create better outcomes for patients throughout their lives, with products and technologies that address unmet needs including refractive error, cataracts, and dry eye. In communities with greatest need, we work in collaboration to expand access to quality eye care, and we are committed to helping people see better, connect better, live better. Visit us atjjvision.com, follow @JNJVision on Twitter,Johnson & Johnson Vision on LinkedIn, and@JNJVision on Facebook.

About Johnson & JohnsonMedical Devices Companies**At Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies, we are helping people live their best lives. Building on more than a century of expertise, we tackle pressing healthcare challenges, and take bold steps that lead to new standards of care while improving people's healthcare experiences. In surgery, orthopaedics, vision, and interventional solutions, we are helping to save lives and paving the way to a healthier future for everyone, everywhere.

*Johnson & Johnson Vision represents the products and services of Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision, Inc., Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc., and the affiliates of both.

**The Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies comprise the surgery, orthopedics, vision, and interventional solutions businesses within Johnson & Johnson's Medical Devices segment.

***Dr. Eric Donnenfeld is a paid consultant of Johnson & Johnson Vision, Inc.

****Dr. Rajesh K. Rajpal is an employee of Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision, Inc., serving as Head of Clinical and Medical Affairs across both the Surgical Vision and Vision Care organizations.

*****Nikki Sidi is an employee of Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision, Inc., serving as Vice President of Global Strategic Marketing across Surgical Vision at Johnson & Johnson Vision.

Johnson & Johnson Vision, 2021. All rights reserved.

1Data on File. Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision, Inc. 20152Kellogg Eye Center. Cataract.https://www.umkelloggeye.org/conditions-treatments/cataract3World Health Organization. Blindness and Impairment.https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment4Vision Health Initiative, Common Eye Disorders. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.https://www.cdc.gov/visionhealth/basics/ced/index.html5All About Vision. Will I Need Glasses After Cataract Surgery?https://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/faq-cataract-glasses-after-surgery.htm6Khandelwal SS, et. al. Effectiveness of multifocal and monofocal intraocular lenses for cataract surgery and lens replacement: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2019 May;257(5):863-875. doi: 10.1007/s00417-018-04218-6

SOURCE Johnson & Johnson Vision

https://www.jjvision.com

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Johnson & Johnson Vision Celebrates 20 Years of Helping Cataract Patients with the See More Campaign and Global Patient Story Search - PRNewswire

The Democratic Party is not anti-racist because of its diversity; it is in fact becoming a more effective agent of a racist and imperialist state.

The year was 2011 and Occupy Wall Street protesters were gathering, and sleeping, at Zuccotti Park every single day to bring attention to the perils wrought on the 99 percent by the one percent. I was interning for a labor union at the time, and regularly visiting the Occupy Wall Street encampment to participate in its marches and rallies. The internship was coupled with labor studies courses that I attended with a mixture of union workers and students interested in the labor movement. A committed Occupy Wall Street organizer made an announcement in one of my courses that activists were planning a demonstration at Broadway Junction train station as part of a series of actions targeting the citys public transit riders. The organizer claimed that these actions had successfully brought thousands of people into the movement.

Broadway Junction is located in East New York, a majority Black neighborhood in Brooklyn. Occupy Wall Street protesters organizing at Zuccotti Park were overwhelmingly white and Occupy Wall Street organizers often treated racism as a peripheral problem that could be resolved through caucuses. I asked what kind of relationship Occupy organizers had developed with the Black community they hoped would join their rally. The answer was none. The demonstration ended up being a resounding failure, drawing just a fraction of the number of people that had turned out in more capital and student-intensive (white) areas of the city.

This experience provided a profound lesson in the failures of the politics of color-blindness. The Obama administration eventually deployed the FBI and DHS to assist local police in crushing Occupy Wall Street. Occupy Wall Street activists rendered politically homeless made up a large portion of the forces behind Bernie Sanders presidential campaign of 2016 and the push to elect Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, among others, to Congress two years later. These campaigns galvanized millions of young people and workers to vote on a platform of Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, student debt cancellation, and other universal policies.

That was the good. The bad was that racism and white supremacy remained a peripheral or non-existent issue in a struggle to elect progressive-sounding Democrats to implement a welfare state that the United States has never fully possessed in its two centuries-plus of existence. Just as Occupy Wall Street demanded nothing directly from the Obama administration, so too did newfound progressive Democratic Party activists largely avoid any kind of synthesis of eight years of Obama-rule. This allowed the capitalists in control of the party to wage an ideological war on mythical Bernie Bros and exploit color-blindness to their advantage. The masses of people supporting Sanders were all racist, we were told by the corporate media, because they did not specifically address issues particular to Black people.

The Democratic Party establishment began the work of normalizing endless war, austerity, and state sanctioned white supremacy.

Bernie Sanders did not help himself in this regard. While his policy agenda of Medicare for All and other universal policies would disproportionately benefit Black Americans, his unwillingness to publicly support reparations (despite no real commitment among the establishment of what form it would take) and his reluctance to focus campaign resources in heavily Black areas of the country opened a lane for his foes in the Democratic Party establishment to take the lead on the age-old debate of race versus class. Obama was summoned to whip the Democratic Party into shape , and the Black misleadership class coalesced around an anybody but Bernie political agenda. The elevation of Biden to the presidency, a barely functional modern-day corporate Dixiecrat, was the result of two consecutive primaries where Sanders stood silent as establishment Democrats took every measure possible to prevent his nomination.

It has been more than four years since Barack Obama was president of the United States yet his legacy continues to haunt the Left in ways that have gone unrecognized to the naked eye. Obama neutralized the left and consolidated the farce that the Democratic Party was an anti-racist institution because it was a diverse institution. At the same time, many in the Democratic Party, including large numbers of Black Americans, believed that white supremacy had been handed a significant defeat with the election of Barack Obama. This predictably angered many white Americans committed to the racist roots of American democracy. With the wages of whiteness diminishing, it was quite easy for Donald Trump to take hold over the White Mans GOP with a more enthusiastic brand of racist red meat posing as working class politics.

These developments were given birth on a bed of lies. The Democratic Party was not anti-racist because of its diversity; it was in fact becoming a more effective agent of a racist and imperialist state. Obama and his political minions helped fan the flames of heightening white anxiety by focusing all of their attention on the neutralization of the Left. And this didnt begin with the direct suppression of the Occupy Wall Street and Black Lives Matter movements or the broad assault on the left vis--vis Russiagate. It began when Obama was elected and the Democratic Party establishment began the work of normalizing endless war, austerity, and state sanctioned white supremacy to the point of rendering any kind of ideological coherence around these machinations of imperialism too difficult for so-called progressive forces to muster.

The Democratic Party has thus played a key role in both stoking color-blind racism and its ideological counterpart on the far right. Democrat-led anti-Russian racism justified U.S. aggression toward Russia and directly led to Trumps New Cold War on China and the Yellow Peril racism required to wage it. The mass deportation of undocumented immigrants, the mass transfer of military weaponry to localized occupation forces in the Black community otherwise known as the police, and the militarization of the African continent through the expansion AFRICOM are just a few of Obamas policies that helped expand the scope of racist wars of aggression at home and abroad. Over the course of two presidential terms, the most left-leaning section of the United States, Black America, became increasingly conservative and captive to the Democratic Partys political vise grip.

It should come as no surprise, then, that the first anti-establishment steps taken out of the crisis of capitalism in the United States are color-blind in character. But this doesnt make color-blindness correct. The Democratic Party is not an anti-racist institution and does not hold on a monopoly on the struggle against white supremacy. White supremacy forms the core of why the United States never had a welfare state to begin with and why, even at its height, the labor movement in the United States could barely reach half of the country let alone take state power. Furthermore, to paraphrase Dr. Charisse Burden-Stellys commentary on Luqman Nation, Black Americans have literally existed as capital in the form of slaves for longer than they have participated in the wage labor force in the United States. Continued racial disparities in healthcare, housing, incarceration, employment, and across all indicators of class antagonism cannot be fully explained without acknowledgement of the fact that the U.S. power structure has always been, and will always be, rooted in white supremacist domination.

The ongoing struggle for peace and socialism in the United States will need to wrestle the narrative of white supremacy away from the corporate jaws of the Democratic Party, which is fully invested in the profits enjoyed from the neoliberal decay of the capitalist system. This doesnt mean avoiding the question of white supremacy in the quest for an American unity that has never existed in any mass way in the United States.

It means engaging in struggle with the people directly in a manner that raises the contradictions of U.S. imperialism into full visibility and generates a real public debate. There will be no color-blind road to socialism in the United States but it is a forgone conclusion that white supremacy is the biggest impediment to actually traveling on a socialist path in the correct direction.

Danny HaiphongBlack Agenda Report

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No Color-Blind Road to Socialism in the U.S. - LA Progressive

DUARTE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--City of Hope, a world-renowned independent cancer and diabetes research and treatment center, today announced it has renamed its preeminent diabetes research center the Arthur Riggs Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute, in honor of its longtime director and research pioneer. Riggs scientific achievements include developing the technology that led to the first synthetic human insulin a breakthrough that enabled mass production of insulin for people with diabetes. That discovery, which jumpstarted what is now a $500 billion global biotech industry, was followed by numerous firsts in the field of biomedical science. Today, synthetic insulin is used regularly by hundreds of millions of people.

Riggs, the Samuel Rahbar Chair in Diabetes & Drug Discovery, also developed recombinant DNA technology capable of producing humanized monoclonal antibodies that are the foundation of modern treatments for diabetes, cancer, autoimmune diseases, blindness and a host of other diseases. These therapies include trastuzumab (commercial name: Herceptin), rituximab (commercial name: Rituxan), pembrolizumab (commercial name: Keytruda) and many others that are some of the worlds most widely used cancer drugs.

Arthur Riggs is a true visionary and a scientific giant, said Robert Stone, president and CEO of City of Hope and the Helen and Morgan Chu Chief Executive Officer Distinguished Chair. Dr. Riggs has been essential to the institutes growth and accomplishments over five decades, as a researcher, discoverer, mentor and major donor. His contributions to biomedical research have transformed the lives of countless people living with serious diseases and his mark on City of Hope is an indelible one that will continue on in the institute that now bears his name.

At City of Hope, in addition to dedicating himself to scientific pursuits, Riggs has quietly contributed nearly all of the wealth from his discoveries to support leading-edge research toward the development of new treatments for the betterment of human health.

Over the past 30 years, Riggs has donated more than $310 million to City of Hope. His generosity culminated in a gift of $100 million in January 2021 that will help fund the continuation of research that has been his passion for more than half a century.

Until now, Riggs has insisted that his gifts remain anonymous so that any attention would not detract from his work. He elected to make his philanthropy public now in the hope of encouraging other donors to join City of Hopes fight against diabetes and cancer, especially at a time when new therapeutic discoveries are needed more than ever.

I came to City of Hope because the environment here offers exactly that hope for people with diabetes, cancer and many other serious diseases, Riggs said. I believe in the promise of our work at City of Hope so strongly that one day, probably sooner than most think, well create a world without diabetes. Yet, we will realize the full potential of this important work only through the generosity of many other donors who will choose to join us.

The Arthur Riggs Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute is one of the worlds foremost scientific organizations dedicated to investigating the biology of diabetes and its treatment. It houses eight departments, including The Wanek Family Project for Type 1 Diabetes, and continues Riggs work under its newly appointed director, Debbie C. Thurmond, Ph.D., the Ruth B. & Robert K. Lanman Chair in Gene Regulation & Drug Discovery Research.

It has been a humbling honor to assume responsibility for this institute that Dr. Riggs so purposefully and painstakingly built, Thurmond said. Its entirely fitting that it should carry his name as we carry on the work he began for the benefit of people with diabetes. His philanthropy is an extension of the generosity of spirit he has shown to me and everyone else who has ever walked through these doors, and his impact will be with us for many years to come.

About City of HopeCity of Hope is an independent biomedical research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases. Founded in 1913, City of Hope is a leader in bone marrow transplantation and immunotherapy such as CAR T cell therapy. City of Hopes translational research and personalized treatment protocols advance care throughout the world. Human synthetic insulin, monoclonal antibodies and numerous breakthrough cancer drugs are based on technology developed at the institution. AccessHope, a wholly owned subsidiary, was launched in 2019 and is dedicated to serving employers and their health care partners by providing access to City of Hopes exceptional cancer expertise. A National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center and a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, City of Hope is ranked among the nations Best Hospitals in cancer by U.S. News & World Report. Its main campus is located near Los Angeles, with additional locations throughout Southern California and in Arizona. For more information about City of Hope, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.

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City of Hope Renames World-Class Research Center the Arthur Riggs Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute - Business Wire

Lasers can cause temporary blindness in pilots, aviation school CEO Ashok Poduval says. Photo / 123RF

By RNZ

Massey University's aviation school is warning people to stop shining lasers into planes at night because it could cause a pilot to crash.

School of Aviation chief executive Ashok Poduval said the lasers could cause temporary blindness.

"When they're flying at night you need to keep eyes adjusted to darkness and not have any bright lights around you, so when suddenly there's a flash of light your night vision is either completely reduced or completely removed."

Poduval said it was difficult to track down who was shining the beams up at the plane but police and the Civil Aviation Authority have been notified.

He said if anyone was caught, they could face charges for interfering with an aircraft.

Flight instructor Shannon Mickleburgh told Stuff pilots could get flash blindness where they could not see anything.

"It's quite disorientating when it does happen.

"The little laser on the ground ends up being quite bright by the time it makes it up to the aircraft.

"You've got a glass canopy so everything just reflects. It's extremely bright when it actually is on the canopy itself at night because you get accustomed to the darkness and all of a sudden you've got a bright light."

- RNZ, Stuff

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Pilots complain of laser lights targeting night flights - New Zealand Herald

AMD affects the central vision and occurs when cells in the macula - a small area of the retina at the back of the eye - break down or deteriorate. While peripheral vision is not affected, one loses the sharp, straight-ahead vision that is necessary for driving, reading, recognizing faces, and looking at fine detail.

"Early on, there may not be any noticeable vision loss from age-related macular degeneration, especially if only one eye is affected, but your eye doctor can spot the most common signs before it gets worse," says Dr. Colin Mann, President of the Canadian Ophthalmological Society. "With treatment, we can delay the progression and prevent further vision loss in about 90 per cent of cases, so it's critical to have comprehensive eye exams at least once a year, particularly the older you are."

While age is the biggest factor, the causes of macular degeneration includegenetics and a mixture of other health and environmental factors. Particularly at risk are those with blue eyes, heart disease, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Smokers, people who are overweight or have a family history of the disease may also be more likely to develop AMD.

Depending on which type of age-related macular degeneration someone has, vision loss either happens slowly or quickly. Nine out of 10 people with AMD have the atrophic or 'Dry' type, which usually progresses slowly over many years. On the other hand, 'Wet' AMD is less common but more serious, and can lead to vision loss quickly. Delays can result in poorer outcomes, so treating Wet AMD is time-sensitive.

Symptoms of AMD

In advanced stages, the more common symptoms of macular degeneration may include:

Early AMD changes can be detected at home by checking your vision in each eye with the use of an Amsler grid.

Treatment While there's no treatment for Dry AMD yet, a high-dose vitamin regimen hasbeen shown to reduce the rate of which people with advanced dry macular degeneration develop Wet AMD, and there are several promising drugs are undergoing clinical trials. Wet AMD is more rare, and is most commonly treated through injections directly into the eye with drugs that are very effective at causing the abnormal blood vessels to stop growing and leaking. The frequency of injections taper off after an initial period but lifelong treatment is required to prevent recurrence and vision loss.

Learn more about AMD, or one of the other four serious eye diseases, by visiting seethepossibilities.ca.

About Canadian Ophthalmological SocietyThe Canadian Ophthalmological Society (COS) is the national, recognized authority on eye and vision care in Canada. As eye physicians and surgeons, we are committed to assuring the provision of optimal medical and surgical eye care for all Canadians by promoting excellence in ophthalmology and by providing services to support our members in practice. Our membership includes over 900 ophthalmologists and 200 ophthalmology residents. We work collaboratively with government, other national and international specialty societies, our academic communities (ACUPO), our provincial partners and affiliates and other eye care professionals and patient groups to advocate for health policy in Canada in the area of eye and vision health. COS is an accredited, award-winning provider of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) through the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) and is an affiliate of the Canadian Medical Association (CMA). For more information, visit cos-sco.ca.

SOURCE Canadian Ophthalmological Society

For further information: Elizabeth Glassen, [emailprotected], 647.309.0141, BlueSky Communications

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AMD Awareness Month sheds light on the leading cause of severe vision loss in older adults - Canada NewsWire

This Q&A is part of a short series highlighting some of the Earth Institutes women scientists as part of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science on February 11. Read more about the day and our related blog posts here.

Elisabeth Ilboudo Nbi sits by one of the major dams of the Sondr-Est Pastoral Zone in the Center-South region of Burkina Faso in the rainy season. Livestock rely on this water for their subsistence, especially at the onset of the dry season when there is less water in ponds near settlements. On average, the rainy season lasts between May-October, but these dates vary annually. The site receives about 880-900 mm of rainfall annually, but this also varies.Photo courtesy Elisabeth Ilboudo Nbi

As a human ecologist, Elisabeth Ilboudo Nbi looks at the impact of the environment on people. Also, how people are adapting to environmental change.

After graduating with a masters in international development and social change, Ilboudo Nbi observed that one of the reasons why development projects have failed in the past was because they didnt take the time to work closely with local communities. I want to be the type of development practitioner who can work with local communities and thats why the major I chose during my Ph.D. was anthropology, said Ilboudo Nbi.

Participatory mapping of pastoral resources, using satellite imagery. This was the first time these women saw a photograph of their village from above. They had never seen a map either, but after Ilboudo Nbi and her colleagues helped them identify key features (i.e., dams, roads), they were very successful at mapping key resources. Photo courtesy Elisabeth Ilboudo Nbi

While working with her advisor, who focused on rural communities perceptions of climate change and the impact of climate change on their livelihoods, she decided to further delve into the interaction between the environment and communities.

After completing her Ph.D., Ilboudo Nbi won a competitive Earth Institute post-doctoral fellowship to study food security trends, environmental changes, the drivers of human migration, and climate services for pastoral communities in West Africa. She recently completed this research at Columbia Universitys International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI), and now works at theInternational Development Research Centre in Canada.

In a conversation with State of the Planet, she spoke about her observations in the field as a human ecologist.

Can you tell us about your research on the relationship between the re-greening of the West African Sahel (a semi-arid region that extends from Senegal to Sudan) and food security trends?

The Sahel region of West Africa used to be considered a desertification hotspot. But in the last decades, studies have shown that the area has been re-greening. We are delving into what is the impact of this visible re-greening on food security and it is a long-term project. But for the past two years, we looked at climate shocks and their impact on food security.

We wanted to do this research work in Burkina Faso (a landlocked country in West Africa that has endured recurring droughts) but due to security reasons caused by political unrest in the country, we focused most of our research work in Senegal. We are trying to find out how climate shocks impact food security in the country, and also to identify households that are more or less food secure. I conducted this first study with my mentor, Alessandra Giannini, a climate scientist at IRI, in collaboration with Diaba Ba, the head of Vulnerability Analysis Mapping Unit in the country office of the World Food Programme in Senegal.

Landscape in Sondr-Est after the first rains. Emaciated livestock that survived the tough dry season starts to access limited water and growing pastures. Photo courtesy Elisabeth Ilboudo Nbi

What were some of the findings from your research work in the last two years that surprised you the most?

The southern part of Senegal is more humid but its also the least food secure area in the country. This was surprising for me because you would normally expect a humid region to receive good rainfall and satisfactory agricultural production. But thats not what we saw in Senegal. One of the plausible explanations for this is the ongoing Casamance conflict between the government of Senegal and natives of this region, who are ethnically and religiously distinct from the rest of the country and are pressing for their independence. Another possible explanation is poor access to southern areas in terms of transportation. South Senegal is far away from urban centers. The Casamance region of southern Senegal is actually separated from the rest of the country by the Gambia, which makes reaching Dakar, where the economy is concentrated, complicated.

What could be some of the reasons why the Sahel region has been experiencing re-greening?

At a small-scale level, farmers in the Sahel have taken up initiatives to grow more trees and there have been other local water and soil conservation initiatives as well. This pattern of re-greening is very patchy. It is only since the last 30 years when rainfall has started improving in this region of Africa. But when you look at annual rainfall from one year to another one, it varies. We plan on going to areas that have witnessed some re-greening to learn more about these local water and soil conservation initiatives, and also visit other areas that are still arid, to gain a better understanding of the ground realities. When I was still in my Ph.D. program and conducted fieldwork in a community in Burkina Faso where locals were involved in initiatives for the conservation of water and soil, the locals claimed that famines, as they experienced them in the past, cannot happen anymore because of their increasing access to early warning systems and adaptation strategies. So definitely there is a relationship between using these adaptation techniques and also having better agricultural productivity.

Your Ph.D. dissertation was on famers and herders livelihoods in your home country, Burkina Faso. From your fieldwork, what do you think are some of the biggest challenges that farmer/herder livelihoods face in Burkina Faso?

Some of the biggest challenges are rainfall variability, population pressure and access to adaptation resources.

Herders used to be more mobile. They moved seasonally along with their livestock from dry places in the north to more humid areas in the south. Following major droughts in the 1970s-80s, the government decided to resettle the herders in the southern part of the country because of farmer-herder conflicts during seasonal migrations and the effect of droughts on livestock in the herders settlements in the north. Southern Burkina Faso used to be sparsely populated because it was humid and infested by parasitic worms (Onchocerca volvulus) that cause a disease known as onchocerciasis, or river blindness. By the time the government succeeded in eradicating river blindness, more people were open to living in that region. They were also investing a lot in these areas to improve intensive agriculture and also intensive herding. So, herders could just stay in one place and become easier to manage and access for development projects.

Now, there is population pressure in the south and land is disputed between native farmers and migrant herders. The herders want to protect the land that was given to them, and the farmers now also claim this land as part of the ancestral land. And on top of this, there is rainfall variability and they have been experiencing recurrent floods in certain areas. There is declining resource availability in terms of grass for livestock and available agricultural land for farmers. The herders livestock keeps entering fields and there is an increase in the number of conflicts between farmers and herders.

A focus group with Fulani women discussing natural resource management in times of rainfall variability. Photo courtesy Elisabeth Ilboudo Nbi

How might these conflicts be mitigated?

In order to adapt to these changes, these communities need access to suitable financial and technical resources.

In terms of policymaking, governments need to avoid putting farmers and herders in one category. These communities are ethnically and sometimes religiously different from each other and are involved in different livelihood activities.

Its true that nowadays one way of adapting is mixing livelihoods. So you find a lot of agro-pastoralists: people who are doing both, cultivating and herding. But for instance, when herders adopt agriculture, their way of cultivating is different from conventional farming in that area. They tend to have smaller size fields, grow fodder and/or dual purpose crops with the aim to feed their livestock and themselves.

Its important to note that these communities also belong to different ethnic groups. So, when we bring them all together, we cannot always have efficient interventions. In terms of making new policies, it is important to consider these differences and design targeted policies and interventions, even if this can be challenging.

I give myself the mission to show policy makers and development practitioners that these communities are different and we cannot just have a one-size-fits all solutions approach. At the IRI, my work involved pastoralists because these communities are underserved in terms of climate services.

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Lisa Ilboudo Nbi: Studying Food Security, Environmental Changes and Migration in West Africa - State of the Planet

This week on WJON's Health Matters program I was joined by Dr. Joel Baumgartner from Rejuv Medical to talk about "Inflammation". He says inflammation doesn't always have to be bad. Dr. Baumgartner says degeneration is bad while inflammation can be good. He says if someone has a injured ankle they can see inflammation in the area signaling healing but sometimes the inflammation can be too much. Inflammation can be caused by a lack of sleep, what we eat, stress and many other triggers. Listen to our 4-part conversation below.

Dr. Baumgartner says at Rejuv Medical they can help treat inflammation in a variety of ways. He says PRP and Stem Cell replacement can be options for those looking to solve what has been chronic pain. Baumgartner says all Stem Cell replacement procedures involve PRP as part of the process to help trigger healing. Many people use anti-inflammatory pills to help with pain but he says some of those can have long-term negative effects. He warns against depending on those to get through chronic inflammation. He also suggests stretching, a proper diet, enough sleep, reduce stress and exercise meant to support the problem area.

Learn more about how Rejuv Medical can help. Health Matters airs on WJON Mondays and Saturdays from 9:10-10.

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Health Matters; Inflammation with Dr. Baumgartner [PODCAST] - WJON News

Your familys philanthropic foundation, Pratiksha Trust, has also invested in brain research. In 2014, it donated 225 crore to set up the Centre for Brain Research (CBR), at IISc. How is that going?

There are two interesting projects the CBR is pursuing. The first one is a longitudinal study. It is studying 10,000 people over a period of 10 years in Kolar [district, in Karnataka] to see how the brain ages. These people are healthy individuals without dementia, aged 45 years and above.

There have been some hiccups in conducting the study and collecting data due to the pandemic. But it will restart soon. Till now, they have covered more than 2,000 people. It will be the first comprehensive database of Indian subjects on how they age. Theres a similar study done by CBR on urban subjects in Bengaluru which is funded by the Tata Trusts. The studies show interesting insights and the contrasting lifestyle between people in urban and rural areas.

The second programme is the Genome India Project (GIP) which is supported by the Department of Biotechnology [under the ministry of science and technology]. CBR at IISc is one of the over 20 labs involved in the project across the country. [The project aims to collect over 10,000 genetic samples from people across India to build a reference genome.] We dont have a comprehensive database of DNA sequences of Indian subjects. Besides my grant of 225 crore, there are other research programmes that I support. Overall, my support for research work alone is approximately 400 crore, currently spanning across brain, brain sciences, stem cell research, and others.

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Kris Gopalakrishnan on innovation - Fortune India

As expected, G1 Therapeutics Inc.s Cosela (trilaciclib) won FDA approval for use in extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients undergoing chemotherapy, becoming the first proactively administered myelopreservation therapy to hit the market.

The approval, conducted under the FDAs priority review, came late Feb. 12, just ahead of its Feb. 15 PDUFA date. Pricing has not yet been disclosed, but Research Triangle Park, N.C.-based G1 spent the latter half of 2020 prepping for commercial launch in the first quarter of 2021, with marketing, medical affairs and manufacturing operations fully in place and a field sales team from U.S. partner Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH trained and ready, the company reported during its presentation at the 2021 J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference.

There are roughly 30,000 ES-SCLC patients treated annually in the U.S.

Chemotherapy remains the primary therapy for SCLC etoposide, topotecan, irinotecan and platinum-based drugs such as cisplatin or carboplatin, for example but its use results in damage to bone marrow stem cells, leading to myelosuppression. That, in turn, results in symptoms such as anemia, neutropenia or thrombocytopenia, which not only affects patients quality of life but can also disrupt treatment cycles and impact overall survival.

Some drugs are available to mitigate the damage. G-CSF drugs, for instance, are designed to prevent febrile neutropenia resulting from chemotherapy and erythropoiesis-stimulating agents are used to keep anemia in check. But those usually have their own treatment-limiting side effects.

Preserving immune function

Trilaciclib, a CDK4/6 inhibitor that received an FDA breakthrough therapy designation, is designed to preserve bone marrow and immune system function during chemotherapy treatment. Approval was based on data pooled from three pivotal studies that read out over 2018 and 2019.

In December 2018, G1 reported top-line data from its randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase II trial evaluating combination of the therapy with topotecan as a treatment for second- and third-line SCLC, showing trilaciclib reduced clinically relevant consequences of myelosuppression vs. placebo. The trilaciclib arm demonstrated statistically significant reductions in both the duration of grade 4 neutropenia in cycle one (mean eight days vs. two days; adjusted one-sided p<0.0001) and occurrence of grade 4 neutropenia (75.9% vs. 40.6%; adjusted one-sided p=0.0160) as compared to the placebo arm.

Data from a phase II study testing trilaciclib with the combination of etoposide/carboplatin for the treatment of first-line SCLC demonstrated clinically meaningful improvements for neutrophil, red blood cell and lymphocyte measures in patients vs. placebo. In regard to lymphocytes, in particular, trilaciclib preserved or improved B-cell and T-cell subset counts, including activated CD8-positive cells, and increased CD8-positive/regulatory T-cell and activated CD8-positive/regulatory T-cell ratios in peripheral blood compared to placebo.

It also showed benefit in another phase II study in combination with chemotherapy and Tecentriq (atezolizumab), the PD-L1 inhibitor from Roche Holding AG. Data showed statistically significant improvements in both primary endpoints of occurrence of grade 4 neutropenia and duration of grade 4 neutropenia in cycle one, as well as a statistically significant reduction in grade 4 thrombocytopenia and clinically meaningful reduction in red blood cell transfusions. Trilaciclib reduced clinically relevant consequences of myelosuppression vs. placebo when administered in combination with chemotherapy (etoposide and carboplatin) and Tecentriq across neutrophils, red blood cells and platelets.

An established sales team

G1s three-year, SCLC-focused co-promotion deal with Boehringer, inked in June 2020, calls for G1 to lead marketing, market access and medical engagement initiatives, which are expected to extend to a focus on updating NCCN clinical practice guidelines to include trilaciclib. Boehringer brings to the table the established lung cancer sales team. Under the terms, G1 will book revenue and retain development and commercialization rights, paying Boehringer a promotion fee determined by net sales.

H.C. Wainwright analyst Edward White in Nov. 5, 2020, note, said he estimates trilaciclib sales of $21.4 million in 2021.

G1 also is looking to expand use of the drug beyond SCLC. In December, the company reported phase II data at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium showing significantly improved overall survival in patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) treated with trilaciclib in combination with gemcitabine/carboplatin (GC) vs. GC alone. G1 plans to launch a registrational study this year to test trilaciclib plus GC in first-line patients with metastatic TNBC who have not received a PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor and in second-line patients with metastatic TNBC who have received prior PD-1/PD-L1 therapy.

Trilaciclib also is included in the ongoing pivotal I-SPY 2 study in neoadjuvant breast cancer.

In August 2020, G1 licensed greater China rights for trilaciclib to Simcere Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. in a $170 million deal.

Shares of G1 (NASDAQ:GTHX) were trading up 12% in after-hours trading Feb. 12.

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G1 Therapeutics gains first FDA nod with myelopreservation therapy Cosela | 2021-02-12 - BioWorld Online

A European company is pioneering a bloodless way for people with diabetes to monitor their glucose levels.

Why it matters: More than 5% of the global population is affected by diabetes, and the number is set to keep rising. A more seamless monitoring system would make it easier for people with diabetes to manage their conditions and avoid disastrous health outcomes.

How it works: DiaMonTech is developing machines that use lasers and an optical lens to read glucose levels through the skin photothermally.

Background: People with diabetes suffer from problems managing blood sugar levels that stem from their inability or inefficiency of their bodies to produce the glucose-regulating hormone insulin.

What to watch: DiaMonTech has developed a lab-based version of its system that has been certified for medical use in clinics in Europe, and is working on a hand-held device for personal use that Lubinski believes could be ready by 2022.

Read more here:
Diabetes monitoring without the needle - Axios

National Review

President Bidens flurry of executive orders has now extended to housing policy and to a pledge to reverse the Trump administrations approach to fair housing. Specifically, that would mean reversing the Trump reversal of an Obama-era rule known as Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing designed to introduce affordable (read subsidized) housing into higher-income, suburban zip codes. To justify a return to this controversial policy, President Biden rehearsed a long litany of federal housing-policy sins. Hes right about many of those but wrong about his approach to redress. More subsidized housing, in the tragic public-housing tradition, will only spur division and do little to help minority groups in their quest for upward mobility. It is incontrovertible, as President Biden stated in his executive order, that during the 20th century, Federal, State, and local governments systematically implemented racially discriminatory housing policies that contributed to segregated neighborhoods and inhibited equal opportunity and the chance to build wealth for Black, Latino, Asian American and Pacific Islander, and Native American families, and other underserved communities. Most significantly, the Federal Housing Authority would not insure mortgages for blacks in white neighborhoods, and racial covenants deed restrictions against blacks (and Jews, by the way) were the norm into the 1950s. Urban freeways ploughed through low-income, often (though not exclusively) minority, neighborhoods, displacing thousands. Today, we are left with the Cross Bronx Expressway and the Chrysler Freeway. Even this apology is, however, selective. African Americans, particularly, suffered the tragedy of a (still) favorite progressive program: public housing. A key history here is underappreciated. Historically black neighborhoods Central Harlem, Detroits Black Bottom, Chicagos Bronzeville, Desoto-Carr in St. Louis were denigrated as slums, even though they were home to large numbers of residential property owners and hundreds of black-owned businesses. When they were cleared to make way for public housing, they were replaced by high-rise hells in which ownership asset accumulation was by definition impossible. The social fabric of self-help, civil society, and upward mobility was ripped apart. Blacks have always been, and remain, disproportionately represented in public and otherwise subsidized housing, often trapped into long-term dependency by counterproductive policies: When their income rises, so does rent. Compensating for this dual history of outright racism and harmful progressivism must not mean a new generation of housing sins. But Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing, should it be restored, is just that. Federal pressure through the leverage of local aid programs to force the introduction of subsidized rental housing for low-income tenants has long been a guarantee of resistance by lower-middle class residents, white and black, justifiably concerned that households who have not strived and saved to make it to their neighborhoods will pose problems. Concentrations of housing-voucher tenants, dispersed by the demolition of some public-housing projects, have already spread dysfunction and poor maintenance including into apartment buildings in Warrensville Heights, the Ohio hometown of Marcia Fudge, the incoming secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Racial integration and fair housing remain goals for which America must strive. But that means understanding how neighborhoods work. Americans, black and white, self-select to live in areas in which they share the socioeconomic characteristics of their neighbors. Some liberals might not like that but those are their personal choices, as well. When minority-group members share the economic and educational backgrounds of new neighbors, the odds of intolerance are vastly decreased. Thats why fair housing should mean nondiscrimination not subsidized new developments. Instead, Biden is doubling down on the example set by the Obama administration in Westchester County, which was forced to spend $60 million to subsidize 874 housing units in a county in which racial and ethnic minorities are already well represented. That means that current black and Hispanic homeowners, who have bought their homes through striving and saving, will have to see their county taxes used to subsidize others to the tune of $68,000 per home. The exclusionary suburbs wont be pried open by confrontation. There will be endless lawsuits. Instead, HUD, if its to have any useful role, must try to use such tools as model zoning (suggestions, not mandates) to convince local planning boards to permit the market to build naturally occurring affordable housing small homes, including small multifamilies, on small lots. Historically, thats how the American working class was able to afford homes. An administration truly interested in correcting the housing-policy sins of the past would not overlook the existing problems of public and subsidized housing. Heres a bold idea: sell off public-housing projects on high-value real estate (see the Brooklyn waterfront) and provide cash compensation to its residents. They should be able to move where they like or just put the money aside. Theres a lot about our housing past to correct. Doubling down on previous sins is not the way to start.

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People aged 40 with type 2 diabetes have increased coronavirus death risk, study finds - Yahoo News

New London Since Nydia Rodriguez met Wanda Santiago about a year ago, thecity resident has lost 20 pounds and gotten her Type 2 diabetes under control. That's because Santiago, Lawrence + Memorial Hospital's bilingual diabetes educator, has taught Rodriguez, a former nurse from Puerto Rico, about portion control, sugar substitutes and how to cut back on bread and pasta.

Santiago, who was also a nurse in Puerto Rico, has even connected Rodriguez with food banks that offer fresh fruit and vegetables.

"I talk to her almost every day," Rodriguez, 64, said in Spanish, with her daughter Yolanda Mejias translating. "If I need anything, I'll call her."

L+M hired Santiago in 2019 as part of a concerted effort by the hospital, city, local doctors, diabetes educators and the Ledge Light Health District to improve the health of residents with diabetes. The need is urgent in the city, where 12% of adults have diabetes, compared to 9.7% statewide and 11% in the greater New London area. A 2019 report found that in greater New London, 25% of African Americans and 23% of people over 65 have diabetes. Forty-six percent of Latinos are obese, putting them at risk for Type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes and other illnesses exact a heavy toll in New London's poorest neighborhoods, where census data show the average life expectancy is 69 years old. In nearby Stonington, it's 86.

Dr. Mae Whelan, an endocrinologist at the Northeast Medical Group Diabetes and Endocrine Center in New London, said her patients face food insecurity, few safe places to exercise, language barriers and limited access to transportation. Their problems have worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ledge Light, the New London Senior Center, the hospital and Whelan's practice all offer diabetes education, including by phone during the pandemic.

"This is the hardest chronic disease to manage because they have to know so much about it," Whelan said. "They have to understand what blood sugar is, when to do a finger stick, when to take their medicine and how to take it."

Mirroring a national trend, diabetes among Connecticut adults has risen from 6.9% in 2009 to 9.7% in 2018, according to the state Department of Public Health. Cindy Kozak, the coordinator of DPH's Diabetes Prevention and Control Program, said the state is working to reduce that rate but it's a challenge.

"Diabetes is a very expensive disease, both economically as well as in personal pain and suffering, so there are efforts to really bend that curve,'' she said.

The state spends $153,000 on a free Live Well with Diabetes program in many communities, among other efforts to curb diabetes. Connecticut residents also are taught by certified diabetes care and education specialists around the state at diabetes education centers. These programs are proven to lower the A1C, a three-month measurement of blood sugar control, Kozak said.

"I ask doctors if diabetes education were a pill, would you prescribe it?" she said. "There are no side effects, and it's a real benefit."

A dangerous disease

Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S. and the main cause of kidney failure, lower-limb amputations and adult blindness. Most people with diabetes have Type 2, in which the body doesn't use insulin well. Five to 10% have Type 1, in which the body stops making insulin. Our bodies need insulin to get glucose from the bloodstream into the cells of the body.

While growing up in Detroit, Reona Dyess saw her great-grandmother struggle with diabetes.

"The terminology that I heard in my family is 'I've got sugar,'" said Dyess, who is Black. When Dyess, a New London City Council member, was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes a dozen years ago, it hit her hard. "I hated that it happened, and I was in denial at first," she said.

Now 56, Dyess requires two insulin shots a day. She said the diabetes classes in New London have helped her be more mindful about what she eats. She said she was thrilled last year when the state legislature passed a $25 a month cap on insulin for those on state-regulated health insurance. When the law takes effect next year, it will also cap the cost of diabetes supplies at $100 a month.

Gretchen Edstrom, the education coordinator in Whelan's practice, said some patients ration their insulin and medications because they can't afford them. Some of the medications that work best at controlling blood sugar cost $900 or more a month, she said.

"They say, 'I knew I was running low on the medication, so I was only taking half my dose,'" Edstrom said. "It's very short-sighted to not take these life-saving drugs."

Dyess said she switched to cheaper but less effective over-the-counter insulin from Walmart during a year when she had no health insurance.

Emphasizing healthy food

When the pandemic shut down a mobile food pantry last spring, the city, Ledge Light, L+M and FRESH New London, an organization dedicated to food security and community-based agriculture,launched a Friday food delivery program feeding 170 families. They distribute 6,000 pounds of food a week, including 1,600 pounds of fresh fruit and vegetables, said Esther Pendola, L+M's community health project coordinator.

"We try to give them healthy options,'' she said. "I think one of the hard things with having diabetes is that it's expensive to eat that way."

As executive director of The Drop-In Learning Center of New London, Dyess has her students grow tomatoes that they bring home. She said the classes, food banks, farmers markets and community gardens throughout New London make a difference for people with diabetes.

"I see us going in a better direction," she said.

This story was reported under a partnership with the Conn. Health I-Team (www.c-hit.org), a nonprofit news organization focused on health reporting.

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In New London, agencies using education to combat diabetes - theday.com

Highlights

Diabetes is emerging to be one of the most prevalent disorders of the modern world. It is a condition that is marked by fluctuating blood sugar levels and occurs when there is a lack of insulin produced in the body, or when the body is unable to respond to the insulin produced. Diabetes is of many types, like Type 1, Type 2, Gestational. There's also a condition called prediabetes that is becoming a very common phenomenon among youngsters today. Unfortunately, there is no known cure for diabetes, hence all you can do is to manage its symptoms through proper diet and lifestyle. Lack of timely intervention could lead to blindness, kidney failure and massive weight fluctuations.

(Also Read:Diabetes Diet: 5 Whole Grain Desi Flat Bread Recipes For Diabetics)

Diabetics should avoid consumption of refined flourPhoto Credit: iStock

While diabetics must plan their diet with caution, they should be extra careful of what they have for breakfast. Since that is the first meal of the day after about eight hours of slumber, you cannot nosh on anything that comes in front of your eyes. Eating foods of refined flour, refined cereals, processed food could lead to blood sugar spikes; this is why you should look for options that could balance your glycaemic load. Options may seem limited, but there are still enough ideas you can toy with. Take, for instance, suji or semolina - a healthy alternative to maida - may prove beneficial, only if it is consumed in moderation. Ms Jyoti Bhatt, Senior Dietician from Jaslok Hospital & Research Centre explains, "Rava is a coarse flour made from durum wheat, a hard type of wheat. Semolina is a great source of many minerals and fibre - nutrients that may help improving blood sugar levels and reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes."

(Also Read:Diabetes Diet: Neem Tea May Help Manage Blood Sugar Levels - Recipe Inside)

Suji is also known as semolina

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Suji Idli and Tomato Chutney Recipe

Suji (also known as rava or semolina) is fairly versatile. You can use it to make upma, dosa, halwa and idli. Yes, you heard us. Traditional rice batter replaced with a suji one. This healthy variant of idli also comes with the goodness of carrots, giving your idlis a more wholesome and healthy upgrade. You can pair these spongy idlis with tangy and spicy tomato chutney. Here is the recipe link of both suji idli and tomato chutney.Try making it at home and let us know how you liked it in the comments below.

(This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.)

About Sushmita SenguptaSharing a strong penchant for food, Sushmita loves all things good, cheesy and greasy. Her other favourite pastime activities other than discussing food includes, reading, watching movies and binge-watching TV shows.

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Diabetes? This Suji Idli And Tomato Chutney Breakfast Combo Is Meant Just For You! - NDTV Food

I have always felt that Valentines is a day to say, I love you, to my friends and family, I deliver this message with a text, a quick face-time chat, email, or snail mail-whatever medium I know the recipients use to communicate.

The clichd Valentines dinner, gifts, flowers, chocolate, and jewelry are fine, but do we need to buy something? Isnt unconditional love the best gift we can deliver one another? What if Valentines Day were a day for forgiving? Can you imagine hundreds of thousands of people putting their egos aside despite something done or said to them in the past that created a wall they never anticipated could come down?

Compound the ability to forgive year after year. I can confidently say that there certainly would be more love between everyone. As we forgive others for not doing or saying the right thing, we permit our friends and family to love themselves. Letting go of the past, of attachment to memories of moments that hurt us, is what heals the heart. Our pool of Valentines love becomes much more profound.

I wish you a day of love and forgiveness. Even if reaching out seems hard. Say who you forgive out loud to yourself and make it a mantra until you dare to call the loved one that has left you with a sore heart.

Link:
Diabetes Health Type 1 &2: Not Only is Today a Day for Love- but It is Also a Day for Forgiveness - Diabetes Health

Patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) who were diabetic or prediabetic had reduced left ventricular (LV) volumes following therapy with empagliflozin, according to study results published in Circulation.

In this multicenter randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03485092), 105 patients (mean age, 68.711.1 years; 73.3% men) with HFrEF and type 2 diabetes or prediabetes were recruited between 2018 and 2020 at 15 hospitals in Scotland. Patients were randomly assigned at a 1:1 ratio to receive empagliflozin (10 mg daily; n=52) or placebo (n=53) for 36 weeks. Patients were assessed during 6 visits during which they underwent cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging, standard laboratory analyses, and were examined for cardiovascular health.

In this cohort, 77.1% of participants had New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class II, 49.5% had been previously hospitalized for HF, and 78.1% had type 2 diabetes mellitus.

At baseline, average LV end-systolic volume index (LVESVi) was 80.837.2 ml/m2 and 76.729.3 mL/m2 among patients receiving empagliflozin and placebo, respectively. At 36 weeks, LVESVi was reduced by 7.911.8 mL/m2 in the empagliflozin group compared with a 1.5 mL/m2 reduction in the placebo group (adjusted between-group difference, -6.0; 95% CI, -10.8 to -1.2 mL/m2; P =.015).

The mean reduction in LV end-diastolic volume index was greater in the empagliflozin vs placebo group (empagliflozin: baseline, 114.737.0 mL/m2; week 36, 105.737.6 mL/m2; placebo: baseline, 111.429.2 mL/m2; week 36, 110.928.3 mL/m2; adjusted between-group difference, -8.2; 95% CI, -13.7 to -2.6 mL/m2; P =.004).

No difference for LV global longitudinal strain was observed (adjusted between-group difference, 0.35%; 95% CI, -0.25% to 0.95%; P =.25).

Patients receiving empagliflozin vs placebo had greater reductions in: uric acid (adjusted between-group difference, -66.2 umol/L; 95% CI, -91.9 to -40.5 umol/L; P <.0001), hematocrit (adjusted between-group difference, 0.027 L/L; 95% CI, 0.015-0.038 L/L; P <.0001), galectin-3 (adjusted between-group difference, 1.94 ng/mL; 95% CI, 0.41-3.47 ng/mL; P =.013), and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (adjusted between-group difference, -28%; 95% CI, -47% to -2%; P =.038).

Safety outcomes were comparable between the 2 groups, however, deaths occurred in 2 participants treated with empagliflozin (due to pancreatic cancer and cardiogenic shock).

These findings may not be generalizable to a more frail population, as patients with atrial fibrillation, cardiac devices, or NYHA functional class IV were excluded from this study.

[T]reatment with the SGLT2 inhibitor empagliflozin led to favorable reverse LV remodeling in patients with HFrEF and type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, concluded the study authors. This finding may, at least in part, explain the beneficial effect of SGLT2 inhibitors on clinical outcomes in HFrEF.

Disclosure: Multiple authors declared affiliations with industry. Please refer to the original article for a full list of disclosures.

Reference

Lee M M Y, Brooksbank K J M, Wetherall K, et al. Effect of Empagliflozin on Left Ventricular Volumes in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes, or Prediabetes, and Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction (SUGAR-DM-HF). [published online November 13, 2020] Circulation. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.120.052186

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Empagliflozin Treatment in HFrEF With Comorbid Diabetes/Prediabetes - The Cardiology Advisor

Your kidneys are organs that play several important roles in your health. They help filter your blood, remove waste products, produce hormones, keep your bones strong, regulate fluid balance, and regulate your blood pressure.

Unfortunately, your kidneys can get damaged and become less efficient over time. This is commonly called kidney disease, and it affects around 10% of adults globally (1).

Various factors and health conditions, including diabetes, can raise your risk of kidney disease (2).

Prolonged high blood sugar levels may damage your blood vessels, including those in your kidneys. As a result, about 1 in 3 adults with diabetes also have kidney disease (2).

Dietary guidelines for kidney disease and diabetes vary based on the stage of kidney disease. The goal is to prevent the buildup of various chemicals, nutrients, and waste products in the blood in order to preserve kidney function.

People with kidney disease and diabetes should monitor their intake of sugar and the minerals sodium, potassium, and phosphorus.

Generally, people with kidney disease should consume no more than 2,000 mg each of sodium and potassium per day and no more than 8001,000 mg of phosphorus per day.

In comparison, people with healthy kidneys can have up to 4,700 mg of potassium, 2,300 mg of sodium, and 1,250 mg of phosphorus per day (3, 4).

People with kidney disease should also monitor their protein intake, since the kidneys may struggle to filter waste products from protein metabolism. On the other hand, people with end stage kidney disease may need more protein (5, 6).

Nutritional needs for people with kidney disease vary depending on how severe the disease is. Your healthcare provider and a registered dietitian can advise you on your individual needs for protein and other nutrients.

Here are 11 foods to avoid if you have kidney disease and diabetes.

Processed meats are made by drying, salting, curing, or smoking meats to enhance their flavor, texture, and shelf life. Bacon, deli meats, sausage, and jerky are some common types of processed meats.

Because processed meats are typically salted, they have a high sodium content. For example, a standard 3-ounce (85-gram) serving of bacon contains a whopping 1,430 mg of sodium, which is nearly 75% of your daily sodium allowance with kidney disease (7).

High sodium foods are not ideal for people with kidney disease and diabetes because excess sodium can significantly strain the kidneys. This may raise your blood pressure and cause fluid buildup in places such as your ankles and around your heart and lungs (8, 9).

Instead of processed meats, choose lean, skinless cuts of meat like chicken breast fillets which contain less sodium. However, as with all protein-rich foods, eat them in moderation based on your stage of kidney disease.

Processed meats are high in sodium, which can significantly strain your kidneys. Instead, choose lean, skinless cuts of meat and enjoy them in moderation.

Sodas, especially dark-colored varieties, are not ideal for people with kidney disease and diabetes.

Dark-colored sodas contain phosphorus, which is used to prevent discoloration, prolong shelf life, and add flavor. Most dark-colored sodas contain 90180 mg of phosphorus per 12-ounce (355-mL) serving (10).

Although this may not seem like much compared with the daily upper limit, sodas contain a different type of phosphorus than is naturally found in foods. It isnt bound to protein but instead appears in salt form, meaning its absorbed into your blood more easily (11, 12).

Healthy kidneys can easily remove excess phosphorus from your blood, but this isnt the case when you have kidney disease.

Having high blood phosphorus levels for an extended period can raise your heart disease risk, weaken your bones, and increase your risk of early death (13).

Sodas and other sugar-sweetened drinks are also high in added sugar. This isnt ideal for people who have diabetes, since their bodies cant regulate blood sugar levels properly.

Having high blood sugar levels over a long period can damage your nerves, further damage your kidneys, and raise your risk of heart disease (14).

Instead of soda, choose a beverage thats low in sugar and phosphorus, such as water, unsweetened tea, or sparkling water infused with sliced fruits or vegetables.

Dark-colored sodas are high in added sugar and phosphorus, which can cause health problems if you have kidney disease and diabetes.

Generally, fruits are healthy and packed with vitamins and minerals. However, people with kidney disease and diabetes may need to limit their intake of certain fruits mainly those high in sugar and the mineral potassium.

If you have kidney disease, your body cant remove potassium properly, which can lead to increased blood potassium levels, also known as hyperkalemia. If left untreated, this condition can cause fatigue, muscle weakness, heart problems, and even death (15).

Fruits high in potassium include bananas, avocados, apricots, kiwifruit, and oranges.

For example, a standard avocado (201 grams) contains 975 mg of potassium, which is more than twice the potassium content of a medium banana (118 grams) and nearly half the advised daily potassium intake for people with kidney disease (16, 17).

Fortunately, there are plenty of healthy low potassium fruits you can add to your diet in moderation as long as you monitor your carb intake. Grapes, berries, pineapple, mango, and apples are a few examples.

High potassium fruits such as bananas and avocados arent ideal for those with kidney disease and diabetes. Instead, choose low potassium fruits such as grapes, berries, and pineapple, and eat them in moderation.

Dried fruits are made by removing water from fruit through various processes. This creates small, dense fruits rich in energy and nutrients.

Dried fruits arent ideal for people with kidney disease and diabetes because theyre high in sugar and minerals such as potassium.

In fact, just half a cup (65 grams) of dried apricots contains around 755 mg of potassium, which is roughly 38% of your daily potassium needs if you have kidney disease (18).

Also, dried fruits are high in fast-digesting sugar, which isnt ideal if you have diabetes.

Dried fruits contain concentrated amounts of potassium and sugar, which means they arent ideal for people who have kidney disease and diabetes.

In most cases, beans and lentils are considered healthy and convenient.

However, for people with kidney disease and diabetes, beans and lentils both canned and fresh are not ideal due to their relatively high phosphorus content. Canned versions are typically also high in sodium.

For example, 1 cup (185 grams) of canned lentils contains 633 mg of potassium and 309 mg of phosphorus. This is close to one-third of the daily advised amount for each of those nutrients for people with weak kidneys (19).

If you enjoy beans and lentils, you can still eat them in small amounts but not as a standard carbohydrate part of your meal.

If you choose canned beans and lentils, opt for a low sodium or no salt added version. Also, older research suggests that draining and rinsing canned foods can reduce their sodium content by as much as 3380%, depending on the product (20).

Most beans and lentils are high in phosphorus and potassium, which means theyre not ideal for people who have kidney disease and diabetes. If you choose to eat them, opt for a smaller portion and choose low sodium versions.

Packaged foods, instant meals, and fast food tend to be high in sodium, which is one reason they arent ideal for someone with kidney disease and diabetes.

Some examples of these foods are instant noodles, frozen pizza, frozen boxed meals, and other types of microwavable meals.

For example, just one slice (102 grams) of frozen pepperoni pizza contains 568 mg of sodium, more than one-quarter of the advised sodium intake if you have kidney disease, and doesnt provide significant amounts of beneficial nutrients (21).

These foods are also heavily processed and often high in refined carbs. This isnt ideal if you have diabetes, because refined carbs are digested quickly and tend to spike blood sugar levels (22).

Packaged foods, instant meals, and fast food are high in sodium and refined carbs but low in beneficial nutrients. Limit your intake of these foods if you have kidney disease and diabetes.

Avoid fruit juices and other sugar-sweetened beverages if you have kidney disease and diabetes.

These drinks tend to be high in added sugar that can cause rapid spikes in blood sugar. This is concerning because diabetes affects your bodys ability to absorb sugar properly, and prolonged high blood sugar levels can lead to various health complications (23, 24).

Plus, certain fruit juices are high in minerals such as potassium. For example, a single cup (240 mL) of orange juice contains around 443 mg of potassium (25).

Fruit juices such as orange juice are high in potassium and added sugar, so theyre not ideal for people with kidney disease and diabetes.

Various leafy green vegetables, such as spinach, chard, and beet greens, contain high amounts of nutrients like potassium.

Just 1 cup (3038 grams) of raw veggies contains 136290 mg of potassium (26, 27, 28).

Keep in mind that when these leafy veggies are cooked, they shrink to a significantly smaller size but still contain the same amount of potassium.

So, if you have kidney disease, its better to eat them raw, as youre likely to eat a smaller amount of them this way. That said, its still OK to eat them cooked, as long as you manage your portion sizes.

Spinach, beet greens, chard, and other leafy veggies are also high in oxalic acid, an organic compound that can form oxalates once bound to minerals such as calcium.

Oxalates may form kidney stones in susceptible people. Aside from being painful, kidney stones can further damage your kidneys and impair their functioning (29).

Various leafy green veggies, such as spinach, beet greens, and chard, are high in potassium and oxalic acid. Oxalic acid can increase your risk of developing kidney stones.

Snack foods such as chips, crackers, and pretzels are typically high in salt and refined carbs, which makes them unsuitable for those with kidney disease and diabetes.

Some snack foods, like potato chips, are also high in other minerals, such as potassium or phosphorus, either naturally or as a result of additives.

For example, one medium (57-gram) single-serving bag of potato chips contains 682 mg of potassium, 300 mg of sodium, and 87 mg of phosphorus (30).

Snack foods should be limited or avoided as part of any healthy diet, especially if you have health conditions such as kidney disease and diabetes. Instead, experiment with nutrient-dense diabetes-friendly snacks.

Snack foods such as chips, pretzels, and crackers are high in sodium and refined sugar and low in beneficial nutrients. Limit your intake of these foods.

Potatoes and sweet potatoes are high in potassium, which can be a concern for people with kidney disease, especially when the condition is in its later stages.

For example, a medium baked potato (156 grams) contains 610 mg of potassium, and a standard baked sweet potato (114 grams) contains 541 mg of potassium (31, 32).

However, potatoes and sweet potatoes can be soaked or leached to significantly reduce their potassium content.

In one study, boiling small, thin pieces of potatoes for at least 10 minutes reduced their potassium content by about 50% (33).

In another study, soaking potatoes after cooking them reduced the potassium content by as much as 70%, resulting in potassium levels suitable for people with kidney disease (34).

While these methods may lower the potassium content, potatoes and sweet potatoes are still high in carbs, so its a good idea to eat them in moderation if you have diabetes.

If you have kidney disease and diabetes, limit your intake of potatoes and sweet potatoes, as theyre high in potassium and carbs. However, boiling them can significantly reduce their potassium content.

If you have kidney disease and diabetes, its best to limit your intake of certain nutrients, including carbohydrates, sodium, potassium, and phosphorus.

Your dietary restrictions for kidney disease and diabetes depend on your stage of kidney disease. But limiting these nutrients can be helpful regardless, allowing you to better manage the conditions and reduce the likelihood of kidney disease worsening over time.

Make sure to speak with your healthcare provider and a renal dietitian for specialized recommendations based on your stage of kidney disease.

Read more:
10 Foods to Avoid with Kidney Disease and Diabetes - Healthline

Recent research sheds new light on the importance of weight loss to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The study, published this week in the Journal of the American Heart Association (JAHA), found that obesity is a contributing factor in a significant number of type 2 diabetes cases.

It is not surprising to anyone that obesity is an important risk factor for diabetes, Dr. Sadiya S. Khan, a senior author of the study and an assistant professor of medicine and preventive medicine at Northwestern Universitys Feinberg School of Medicine in Illinois, told Healthline.

What surprised us was the extent of the burden for diabetes related to obesity. Between one-third to one-half of new cases of diabetes were attributed to obesity, Khan noted.

Healthline interviewed experts who said that the study underlines the connection between obesity and type 2 diabetes and that it could serve as a wake-up call to those who are already at risk.

Its important to note that risk factors fall along racial and income-based lines. One reason for this may be inequities in healthcare.

The studys authors noted that participants with obesity were more likely to be non-Hispanic Black or Mexican American. Those with an annual family income of less than $50,000 were also more likely to have obesity.

We now know from this current research that there are disproportionate contributions from certain populations in terms of this obesity risk, Dr. Spencer Kroll, director of the Cholesterol Treatment Center in Marlboro, New Jersey, told Healthline.

The research also noted the impact on non-Hispanic white women.

Research identified a disproportionate effect of obesity in non-Hispanic Caucasian women, who appear to be of significantly greater risk of developing diabetes when obese, Kroll said. Further, this study is the first to include a population-based attribution Latinx populations for obesity and diabetes. This group demonstrates a higher burden of both of these conditions.

Kroll added that the study highlights the need for appropriate and targeted public health measures for different groups.

Given the differing numbers among these groups and the financial burden of diabetes in the United States, Kroll said its critical to determine precursors to diabetes and how they differ in these populations so specific guidelines can be introduced for obesity prevention.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that more than 34 million Americans about 1 in 10 have diabetes, and 90 to 95 percent of this population has type 2 diabetes.

And obesity is an epidemic in the United States. The most recent numbers from the CDC show that 42 percent of Americans have obesity. In 1999-2000, this number stood at 30 percent.

But experts say a little bit of effort can go along way in reducing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The Diabetes Prevention Program found that a weight loss of 5 to 7 percent reduced the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 58 percent in adults at high risk for the disease.

These numbers were noted in the recent JAHA study.

Dr. Kuldeep Singh, director of the Maryland Bariatric Center at Mercy, told Healthline that its important to know if youre at risk.

If a person has a mother or father with type 2 diabetes, and they are over 40 years of age, they should watch their weight and blood sugar levels on a regular basis, Singh said.

Sometimes, media and literature confuse obesity and overweight. For practical purposes, overweight is similar to obesity in its bad effects on the body, just to a lesser extent, he explained.

Singh said people could take some control over the condition.

A modest drop 10 percent of total weight goes a long way in managing diabetes, he said. It not only improves blood sugar levels but decreases overall risk of early death and other serious complications. Exercise increases the utilization of blood sugar and sensitivity to insulin in liver and muscles, and independently helps in blood sugar control.

Dr.Stephanie Redmond, a diabetes educator and co-founder of Diabetes Doctor, told Healthline that changing your diet can help, but theres more to it.

Ive seen the most benefits from intermittent fasting, she said.

However, this doesnt mean you can eat whatever you want during the eating window, or it wont work. If you eat an enormous amount of carbs, it can overwhelm your pancreas, leading to huge surges in insulin. If fasting makes you binge and have crazy hunger fits, then its probably not for you, she added.

Redmond said that another critical component is exercise.

Diet is important but not everything. You get sick of hearing people telling you to exercise, but you need to, she urged. Figure out how to work it in. Watch a YouTube video of a step class and do it on your stairs, try kickboxing at home, or take a walk with your grandkids and do some extra skips. Try to get at least 20 to 30 minutes at a time.

Original post:
Weight Loss of 5 Percent Can Reduce Risk of Type 2 Diabetes - Healthline

SCORED, SOLOIST Trials to Add to Evidence for Treating Diabetes with SGLT2 Inhibitors

The two paired trials evaluated sotagliflozin, a drug that inhibits SGLT2 and SGLT1, according to a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

With the results of these large two trials, adding to other recent data about drugs in this class, it is now clear that most patients with type 2 diabetes and either kidney disease or heart failure should be on an SGLT2 inhibitor, said Deepak L. Bhatt, MD, MPH, the executive director of Interventional Cardiovascular Programs at the Brigham, in a press release.

Bhatt added that the Sotagliflozin on Cardiovascular and Renal Events in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes and Moderate Renal Impairment Who Are at Cardiovascular Risk (SCORED) trial provides further randomized clinical trial evidence that SGLT2 inhibitors should be part of the standard of care for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and kidney disease. Meanwhile, The Effect of Sotagliflozin on Cardiovascular Events in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Post Worsening Heart Failure (SOLOIST-WHF) trial demonstrates that early, in-hospital initiation of SGLT2 inhibitors is safe, effective, and should become the standard of care in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and heart failure.

Further, sotagliflozin inhibits not only SGLT2, but also SGLT1. SGLT2 inhibition helps the body eliminate blood sugar via urine, whereas SGLT1 inhibition leads to blood sugar reduction via the digestive tract.

In the SCORED trial, investigators evaluated whether sotagliflozin could prevent cardiovascular events in patients with diabetes with chronic kidney disease. The trial enrolled 10,584 patients who were followed for an average of 16 months but ended early due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related loss of funding. The study authors changed the primary endpoint, but the initial endpoint reached statistical significance.

Unlike previous trials, SCORED enrolled patients across the full range of albuminuria, or leakage of protein into the urine that can happen when a person has diabetes. Further, sotagliflozin significantly reduced the primary endpoint of total occurrences of cardiovascular deaths, hospitalizations for heart failure, or urgent visits for heart failure regardless of the patients degree of albuminuria by approximately 26%.

In addition, sotagliflozin reduced the rate of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke, with an early benefit potentially mediated by the SGLT1 action. There was a reduction in the total number of fatal or non-fatal heart attacks and the total number of fatal or non-fatal strokes by 32% and 34%, respectively.

SCORED is the first trial to show the benefits of SGLT2 inhibitors across the full range of albuminuria, Bhatt said in a press release. It is also the first trial of an SGLT2 inhibitor to show a beneficial effect on stroke.

In the The Effect of Sotagliflozin on Cardiovascular Events in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Post Worsening Heart Failure (SOLOIST-WHF) trial, 1222 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and recent worsening heart failure requiring hospitalization were enrolled. The patients were randomized to sotagliflozin or placebo and followed for an average of 9 months, but the trial ended early due to loss of funding from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Data from the patients who took part in the trial showed a significant 33% reduction in the studys primary endpoint (defined as the total occurrences of cardiovascular deaths, hospitalizations for heart failure, and urgent visits for heart failure) for patients with either heart failure with reduced or preserved ejection fraction. Taking the drug prior to hospital discharge was safe and effective.

SOLOIST is the first large, randomized trial to show the safety and efficacy of SGLT2 inhibitors when initiated in patients hospitalized with acute heart failure, Bhatt said in a press release. Thus, it really changes the field and supports early initiation of this class of drugs.

There were limitations of the SCORED and SOLOIST trials, including premature cessation due to loss of funding that led to an inability to complete the intended duration of follow-up. However, both trials found statistically significant declines in rates of total cardiovascular events for their respective patient populations.

REFERENCESCORED and SOLOIST trials add to evidence for treating diabetes with SGLT2 inhibitors. Brigham Health and Womens Hospital. https://www.brighamandwomens.org/about-bwh/newsroom/press-releases-detail?id=3732. Published November 16, 2020. Accessed February 3, 2021.

Read the original post:
SCORED, SOLOIST Trials to Add to Evidence for Treating Diabetes with SGLT2 Inhibitors - Pharmacy Times

The Spare a Rose campaign encourages people to donate the $5 cost of each rose they would have given to someone on Valentine's Day to Life for a Child. Life for a Child believes that no child should die of diabetes and this campaign is critical to help it achieve this goal. The funds raised from the campaign enable the charity to partner with diabetes centers in countries such as Mauritania, Jamaica and India to provide critical supplies, including insulin and testing supplies, as well as much needed diabetes education. Every $5 dollars equates to one month's supply of insulin for a young person and the program currently supports over 22,000 young people in 43 countries.

Ascensia has committed to match their employees' donations up to a maximum of one rose for every one of the company's 1,700 employees. To date Ascensia and its employees have collectively donated over $40,000 to Spare A Rose, making it the largest corporate supporter for this campaign to date. This donation is equivalent to providing life-saving insulin supplies to almost 670 children for a year, who otherwise would have nowhere else to turn.

Rob Schumm, President of Ascensia Diabetes Care, explained: "While people around the world will be buying flowers and cards for their loved one this Valentine's Day, many of our employees will be choosing instead to donate to the Spare A Rose campaign. This is testament to how many employees at Ascensia are passionate about making a difference to the lives of people living with diabetes, both professionally and personally."

Dr. Graham Ogle, General Manager of Life for Child, explained the importance of companies providing support for Spare a Rose: "The tremendous efforts from employees at Ascensia has had a huge impact on our ability to save the lives of children with diabetes across the world. Many children in less resourced countries are walking a tightrope with their diabetes management and often do not have the basic supplies to keep them alive. Through the generous employee donations and company matching we have received from Ascensia, we are able to provide crucial supplies and education that enable more children to have access to the care they need for their diabetes."

Rob continued: "We are proud to have been an avid supporter of this worthwhile campaign, which not only raises funds for insulin and testing equipment, but importantly also helps to highlight the plight of many children with diabetes in countries, where they do not have access to these essential supplies. The work of Life for a Child is literally saving the lives of children around the world and I implore more people to donate, so that together we can make a difference."

Donations to Spare a Rose can be made at https://lfacinternational.org/sparearose/.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1436733/Ascensia_Diabetes_Care.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/749389/Ascensia_Diabetes_Care_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Ascensia Diabetes Care

https://www.ascensia.com

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Ascensia Diabetes Care And Its Employees Excited To Support Spare A Rose Campaign For The Fourth Consecutive Year - PRNewswire

The market has been high on Cellect Biotechnology Ltd - ADR (APOP) stock recently. APOP gets a Bullish score from InvestorsObserver's Stock Sentiment Indicator.

Sentiment is a very short-term indicator that is entirely technical. There is no information about the health of profitability of the underlying company in our sentiment score.

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Recent trends are a good indicator of current market sentiments. In its most basic form, stocks that are trending up are desirable by investors while stocks currently falling must be unattractive.

InvestorsObserver's Sentimental Indicator tracks both changes in price and volume to analyze the most recent trends. Typically an increase in volume indicates ongoing trends are getting stronger, while a decrease in volume usually signals an end to the current trend.

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Cellect Biotechnology Ltd - ADR (APOP) stock is trading at $4.17 as of 12:27 PM on Thursday, Feb 11, a decline of -$0.58, or -12.19% from the previous closing price of $4.75. The stock has traded between $3.92 and $4.70 so far today. Volume today is elevated. So far 667,963 shares have traded compared to average volume of 237,549 shares.

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Cellect Biotechnology Ltd is a biotechnology company that has developed a novel technology platform known as ApoGraft that functionally selects cells in order to improve the safety and efficacy of regenerative medicine and cell therapies. The company is developing its first product based on its ApoGraft technology platform, the ApoTainer kit that utilizes FasL- apoptotic protein.

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Is Cellect Biotechnology Ltd - ADR (APOP) a Stock to Watch This Week? - InvestorsObserver