Monday, February 15, 2010

Hunterdon Medical Center among first to use artery cleaning device

By: Hunterdon County Democrat

February 14, 2010, 11:06AM

Scott Collins, 45, of Lambertville visited Dr. Andrey Espinoza, interventional cardiologist at Hunterdon Medical Center, last summer in an act of desperation. After suffering from peripheral arterial disease for the past seven years, Collins had grown accustomed to the pain and numbness in his legs that prevented him from walking more than 50 yards without having to take a rest.
Once his legs reached 100% arterial blockage, Collins began to accept the idea that he would likely be a candidate for amputation.
Peripheral arterial disease occurs when plaque builds up on the inside walls of blood vessels, causing a blockage of blood flow to the extremities, and is often associated with high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, stroke and aging.
After a short visit with Espinoza, Collins learned that a new device, Pathway Medical Technologie’s Jetstream, could fix his problem. Interventional Cardiologists at Hunterdon Medical Center is now treating patients using a newly FDA cleared device that clears away and removes potentially deadly artery clogging plaque in leg arteries for those suffering from peripheral arterial disease, a chronic condition that affects nearly 12 million Americans.
Collins came back for his procedure and the moment they finished their work, he knew that they had changed his life.
“I was still lying on the table, but I knew the procedure had worked,” Collins said. “My leg began to itch. I hadn’t felt anything in that leg for years.”
Working from his three-story home as an antique reseller is enjoyable again, Collins said, adding he has found freedom in what he deems his “new legs.”
“This treatment represents an innovative and minimally invasive solution to clear blockages in the peripheral arteries, restoring blood flow and effectively treating the disease without surgery,” explained Espinoza, who is the first physician to treat a patient using the device at Hunterdon Medical Center.
The Jetstream Atherectomy System is the first on the market capable of treating an entire spectrum of disease found in the PAD patient, including hard and soft plaque, calcium, thrombus and fibrotic lesions with consistent clinical results. The Jetstream catheter is equipped with tiny rotating blades and a vacuum that cuts through accumulated plaque in the legs and then vacuums away the debris left behind.
This treatment has the potential to reduce procedure time and minimize vessel trauma, which can mean fewer complications for patients. Removing the plaque that has been cut loose also minimizes the potential for that plaque to travel back through the leg’s arteries and cause another blockage.
PAD usually affects adults from age 60 to 80, but patients can be younger. Further, while people with elevated cholesterol, smokers or those with a history of heart disease can develop PAD, many people do not realize they have blocked arteries. Unfortunately, despite the large number of sufferers, traditionally invasive treatments for PAD, such as bypass surgery, coupled with a lack of consumer education, means that PAD is responsible for more than 150,000 leg amputations each year and only about 400,000 patients receive the endovascular intervention they need. In addition, many patients are poor surgical candidates for whom surgery can be life threatening.
Jetstream is now in use at more than 100 centers across the country, including New York-Presbyterian Hospital in New York, St. John Hospital and Medical Center in Detroit, Cardiovascular Consultants of Washington in Seattle, Wellstar Kennestone Hospital in Atlanta and Leesburg Regional Hospital in Leesburg, Florida, and has been used to successfully treat more than 600 patients suffering from PAD to date.
Jetstream offers renewed hope for patients and the benefits of a minimally invasive treatment option, including faster recovery and decreased systemic complications.
For more information on cardiac services at Hunterdon Medical Center call Registered Nurse Nicole Camporeale, heart and vascular care coordinator at Hunterdon Medical Center, at 908-237-5440 or visit hunterdonhealthcare.org.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

KDOQI To Update Diabetes Guideline

From: Renal Business Today


Draft of Updated Guideline Expected by January 2011
02/09/2010
NEW YORK—The National Kidney Foundation announced Feb. 9 plans to update its KDOQI Clinical Practice Guideline for Diabetes and Chronic Kidney Disease, which were first published in 2007.

“A revised diabetes and chronic kidney disease guideline will include recent studies focusing on the management of hyperglycemia such as the ACCORD (Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes) trial; we are aiming to complete the update process within a year, to ensure that practitioners and patients benefit from new knowledge as soon as possible,” said KDOQI Chair, Michael Rocco, MD of Wake Forest School of Medicine in North Carolina. “A draft is expected to be available for public review by January 2011.”

The work group is currently being assembled by Co-Chairs, Drs. Katherine Tuttle and Robert Nelson, who will return to their leadership positions.

“Our understanding of the diagnosis and management of diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is evolving rapidly and we want to ensure that the KDOQI guidelines reflect current knowledge. Moreover, findings from several recent trials suggest that certain drug treatment strategies widely believed to be beneficial for diabetic patients may in fact offer little benefit and may, in some settings, even be harmful,” said Tuttle, who is Medical and Scientific Director of Research at Providence Medical Research Center in Spokane, Wash.

“Emphasis on DKD prevention is reinforced by current evidence demonstrating long-term benefits of healthy lifestyle changes to reduce risk of type 2 diabetes, the root cause of most DKD,” said Nelson, who Staff Clinician at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. “By updating the guidelines to incorporate such new information, we seek to ensure that KDOQI remains an essential resource to clinicians in the management of their patients with and at risk for diabetic kidney disease.”

The KDOQI Evidence Review Team is currently assessing the literature before the work group begins writing. This process will be followed by a public review of the draft before its final publication next year.

“A thorough review of current literature inevitably identifies new questions that need to be addressed. Since investigators pay close attention to the research recommendations published with KDOQI guidelines, an update of these recommendations is fundamental to the guidelines update process. Guideline development and research data generation are iterative processes that should feedback to inform and update one another on an ongoing basis,” said Jeffrey Berns, MD of University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and KDOQI’s Vice Chairs for guidelines.

Monday, February 1, 2010

Men More Likely to Suffer from Diabetes Complications

From: Diabetes News Hound

Men are more likely to suffer from diabetes-related health problems, according to the American Diabetes Association. That’s due, in part, to the fact that a third of men with Type 2 diabetes, the more common form of the disease, don’t even know they have it, according to a recent article from TodaysTHV.com.

Type 2 diabetes is commonly referred to as “adult onset diabetes” even though it can affect people of all ages. People who have Type 2 diabetes become insulin resistant, meaning their body produces insulin, but doesn’t use it properly. Therefore, many with this form of the disease take pills or even inject extra insulin in order to regulate the amount of sugar in their blood.

Some of the side-effects or complications that men may suffer from include retinopathy, a problem in the eyes that can lead to blindness if left untreated, impotence and amputations. They can also experience peripheral vascular disorder, or PVD, which is a pain in the thigh, calf or butt during exercise that is linked to a dramatic increased risk for heart disease and stroke.