PROFNET EXPERT & DAILY TOPIC ALERTS: Health and Living

Nov. 30, 2007_____________EXPERT ALERTS1. Behavior: Military Families Coping for the Holidays2. Dermatology: Psoriasis and the Winter Season3. Health: Alzheimer's Disease Can Impact Lives of Caregivers4. Health: Silicone Breast Implants5. Health: Excessive Perspiration/Hyperhidrosis6. Health: Hands-on Health Care Training Pays Off for Families, Taxpayers7. Health: Treat Your Cold Naturally8. Health: Quaid Case Illustrates Problem of Medication Errors9. Nutrition: During the Holidays, Even Supermodels Get that Fat Feeling10. Pets: Keeping Pets Safe Over the Holidays11. Relationships: Gift-Giving Tips for Singles**1. BEHAVIOR: MILITARY FAMILIES COPING FOR THE HOLIDAYS. JOHN MOORE,professor at the AMERICAN MILITARY UNIVERSITY (AMU), is a licensedprofessional counselor who counsels active-duty service members and others. Heteaches courses on stress, health and interpersonal communications at AMU andcounsels on PTSD and other mental health issues. Moore can discuss howmilitary families can cope during the holidays: "Maintain your traditions asmuch as possible, even if you're celebrating the holidays in your barracks.For those at home, don't be afraid of remembering your family member. Set thema place at the table, arrange a call during dinnertime, do whatever you can tostay connected to them. Other coping strategies: set a communication schedule

-- and keep to it; make communication personal; find a place to vent your-- and keep to it; make communication personal; find a place to vent yourfeelings; for those at home, maintain your daily ritual; focus on what you'regaining." AMU is a member institution of American Public University System

(APUS), which also includes American Public University and serves more than27,000 students worldwide. News Contact: Lynn Woolf, lynn@russellpr.com Phone:+1-316-542-0485 Web sites: http://www.amuonline.com and http://www.apus.edu

(11/30/07)**2. DERMATOLOGY: PSORIASIS AND THE WINTER SEASON. DR. MARTA RENDON, board-certified dermatologist at THE DERMATOLOGY AND AESTHETIC CENTER in Boca Raton,Fla., and clinical associate professor in the Department of Dermatology at theUniversity of Miami School of Medicine: "The worst time of the year has justbegun for the estimated 10 million Americans suffering from psoriasis. Whilewarm summer months will pacify the bothersome effects of the disease, coolerweather and the change of seasons mark the return of the associated symptoms -- and embarrassment. There are a variety of treatments for this disease, but aNational Psoriasis Foundation benchmark study of psoriasis sufferers foundthat fewer than 40 percent of respondents were very satisfied with any of thefour commonly prescribed therapies assessed in the study." Rendon can provideinformation on the most common treatments for mild to moderate psoriasis andthe latest psoriasis treatment technologies, and how recent insurancereimbursement decisions in many states have made new therapies available totens of thousands of psoriasis sufferers. News Contact: Shane M. Swisher,sswisher@btcmarketing.com Phone: +1-610-254-7412 (11/30/07)**3. HEALTH: ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE CAN IMPACT THE LIVES AND HEALTH OFCAREGIVERS. DR. GUS ALVA, medical director of the ATP CLINICAL RESEARCH GROUP,and renowned researcher and clinician specializing in Alzheimer's disease,treats patients and their caregivers to help them understand the disease andits challenges, and how best to manage care: "The diagnosis of Alzheimer's isdevastating for the patient and family, and I feel it is important to helpcaregivers understand the disease so they know what to expect, how to cope,how to get the best care, and how to maintain their own quality of life andhealth." There are about 5 million Americans with Alzheimer's disease, andthis number is expected to triple by mid-century. Alva can speak about a widerange of subjects on Alzheimer's disease, ranging from medical care, latesttreatment advances and caregiving. News Contact: Lynn Blenkhorn,Lynn.blenkhorn@fkhealth.com Phone: +1-508-851-0930 (11/30/07)**4. HEALTH: SILICONE BREAST IMPLANTS. ELEANOR BARONE, M.D., an aestheticplastic surgeon at ADVANCED DERMATOLOGY and THE CENTER FOR LASER AND COSMETICSURGERY in New York and Long Island: After a 14-year ban, the Food and DrugAdministration once again gave its blessing to silicone breast implants. Itdidn't take long for American women to get the news: breast augmentation isnow the top surgical procedure for women. The ASAPS reports that there werenearly 384,000 breast augmentation surgeries in 2006. We know now thatsilicone implants are both safe and effective." News Contact: Melissa Chefec,mchefec@optonline.net Phone: +1-203-968-6625 (11/30/07)**5. HEALTH: EXCESSIVE PERSPIRATION/HYPERHIDROSIS: A PROBLEM FOR MILLIONS.DAVID BANK, M.D., dermatologist director of THE CENTER FOR DERMATOLOGY,COSMETIC AND LASER SURGERY in Mount Kisco, N.Y.: "The topic of excessiveperspiration is coming more to the forefront lately as manufacturers stake outtheir claims for perspiration relief. And, with nearly half (45 percent) ofAmerican adults indicating that perspiration is often a problem for them, manyare hoping to find or learn about an effective, easy-to-use treatment.Excessive sweating can be a debilitating condition on an emotional, social andfunctional level. Sadly, many suffer in silence and alter their lifestyle toavoid embarrassing situations. People who suffer from excessive perspirationoften choose not to discuss the topic openly because they fear embarrassmentand are unaware of the easily accessible treatments available, including over-counter-antiperspirants, for treating excessive perspiration." Bank canprovide information about the options available for the treatment of excessiveperspiration, ranging from surgery, liposuction and Botox to advice on thebest OTC antiperspirants; knowing how to recognize which OTC antiperspirantproduct is best for you when trying to stop excessive perspiration; clear upthe confusion between deodorants and antiperspirants -- many consumers don'tknow the difference; and provide tips for avoiding noticeable perspiration andunderarm odor. News Contact: Laura Giardina,lgiardina@robinleedyassociates.com Phone: +1-914-241-0086, ext. 20 (11/30/07)**6. HEALTH: 'DOSE' OF HANDS-ON HEALTH CARE TRAINING EQUALS HUGE PAYOFF TOFAMILIES, TAXPAYERS. ARIELLA HERMAN, Ph.D., research director of theUCLA/JOHNSON & JOHNSON HEALTH CARE INSTITUTE at UCLA ANDERSON SCHOOL OFMANAGEMENT, can comment on new research that shows hands-on training in basichealth care for Head Start parents results in healthier children losing fewerschool days, parents losing less time at work while gaining a boost inconfidence, and millions in savings to Medicaid annually: "The health caretraining model can be easily replicated throughout the nation and by countlessother community-based groups, extending the ripple effect far beyond HeadStart families and exponentially increasing the benefits to our health caresystem." News Contact: Olivia H. Goodman, olivia.goodman@gabbe.com Phone: +1-212-220-4444 (11/30/07)**7. HEALTH: TREAT YOUR COLD NATURALLY. SUZY COHEN, R.Ph., noted pharmacistand author of "The 24-Hour Pharmacist" (HarperCollins, 2007): "With coldseason underway, it's just a matter of time before you get a runny nose, coughand sore throat. If you're suffering from the common cold, a visit to yourdoctor for antibiotics won't do you any good. There are more than 200 coldviruses lurking around at all times, but antibiotics won't be any help intrying to fight them off once they enter your body. Antibiotics are onlyuseful in treating bacterial infections, so viral infections, like the commoncold, must make their way through the body before the person affected startsto feel better. There are different things you can do to treat a cold quicklyand naturally, such as get plenty of sleep, use a humidifier and take zinc,among others." Cohen is available to speak about tips to treat your coldnaturally, how to boost your immunity to help prevent a cold and theimportance of zinc in the body, as well as other cold topics. News Contact:Christina Occhipinti, cocchipinti@robinleedyassociates.com Phone: +1-914-241-0086, ext. 14 (11/30/07)**8. HEALTH: QUAID CASE ILLUSTRATES GROWING PROBLEM OF MEDICATION ERRORS.JEFF RASANSKY of Dallas' RASANSKY LAW FIRM: "The recent drug overdoses givento actor Dennis Quaid's newborn twins are indicative of the growing number ofmedication errors committed in even highly regarded hospitals. Industrywatchdog groups say at least 1.5 million Americans are injured each year bydrug or dosing mistakes while hospitalized, a figure that has doubled in thelast decade. The problems of look-alike packaging and sound-alike drugsincreasingly lead to these kinds of preventable errors. Pharmacies are full ofticking time bombs, and these dangers are not taken seriously. Most hospitalshave not installed the available technologies to make sure that the right drugand the right dose are being used, and to guard against dangerous druginteractions." News Contact: Bruce Vincent, bruce@androvett.com Phone: +1-800-559-4534 (11/30/07)**9. NUTRITION: DURING THE HOLIDAYS, EVEN SUPERMODELS GET THAT FAT FEELING.DEBORAH ENOS, certified nutritionist and author: "Feeling bloated during theholidays is so common that most people just get used to feeling terrible. Whohasn't experienced morning-after bloat? Bloat is more than just feeling fat.Symptoms include puffy eyes, pants that can't zip-up, and an overall feelingof thickening, an extra layer of flesh. Unbeknownst to many, even celebritiesand supermodels get bloated. Here's a quick remedy straight from the catwalk:Eat more citrus fruit. Oranges, grapefruits and lemons can help draw the extrafluid out of your body. This works best in the evening before you go to bed.Eat an orange or drink some water with lemon, and you'll wake up feelingbetter. This overnight remedy will eliminate excess water weight. No morebloat." News Contact: Patricia Vaccarino, patricia@xanthuscom.com Phone: +1-206-979-3380 (11/30/07)**10. PETS: KEEPING PETS SAFE OVER THE HOLIDAYS. ANDY CONRAD, CONTECH: "Theholiday season can present some unique challenges for pet parents. Seasonalfoods, lights and decorations, and a fragrant and sparkling tree can proveirresistible to curious cats and dogs. The temptations can pose a realnuisance to pet owners, and a danger to the pets themselves, but how can youenjoy the season without putting your pets at risk?" Conrad has been workingwith pet owners for almost 20 years, helping to solve animal-controlchallenges. News Contact: Karen Ross, karen.ross@contech-inc.com Phone: +1-250-652-0755 Web site: http://www.contech-inc.com (11/30/07)**11. RELATIONSHIPS: GIFT-GIVING TIPS FOR SINGLES. ROBIN GORMAN NEWMAN, lovecoach and author of "How to Marry a Mensch" (decent person): "During theholiday season, followed by Valentine's Day, gift giving can be particularlychallenging for singles. If you're dating someone, depending on the stage ofyour relationship, you want to give, or receive, a gift that makes the rightimpression. For example, a bouquet of roses makes a big statement vs. a giftcard. But, you don't want to read too much into the gift, since some arebetter at making shopping decisions than others." Newman is also the creatorof International Flirting Week, Feb. 11-17. (11/30/07)SOURCE ProfNet