The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved tetrabenazine (Xenazine®) for the treatment of chorea in people with Huntington disease (HD). This is the first drug approved for the treatment of any symptom of HD. The FDA based this decision on the results of a randomized, placebo-controlled double-blind, multicenter study and other supporting studies.

About Huntington Disease
Huntington disease affects between 4 and 7 out of every 100,000 people. The classic signs of HD include the development of chorea or involuntary, rapid, irregular, jerky movements that may affect the face, arms, legs, or trunk. Other symptoms may include a gradual loss of thought processing and acquired abilities to think and reason (dementia). The person with HD may have trouble with memory, abstract thinking, and judgment; improper perceptions of time, place, or identity (disorientation); increased agitation; and personality changes. Although symptoms typically become evident during the fourth or fifth decades of life, the age at onset may vary and ranges from early childhood to late adulthood (even up to age 70 or 80).

HD is transmitted in an autosomal-dominant manner. That is, only one mutated copy of the gene IT15 is necessary for a person to have HD. Every child of a person with HD has a 50% chance of inheriting the mutated gene.

For more information on HD, please visit the WE MOVE web site at wemove.org/hd. While you are visiting the web site, check out the HD discussion forum by clicking on the discussion tab at the top of the home page. Once you’ve registered, you can share your thoughts and ask questions about living with HD.

About Tetrabenazine
People with HD have overactive dopamine systems in their brains. Tetrabenazine reduces the amount of dopamine in the brain and subsequently reduces the abnormal movements or chorea in people with HD. The FDA granted orphan drug status to Xenazine.

Serious side effects reported with use of tetrabenzine include depression and suicidal thoughts and actions. Tetrabenazine should not be used in patients who are actively suicidal or in patients with untreated depression. Concerns about the risk of suicide are heightened in all people with HD.

To view the FDA’s announcement, go to http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2008/NEW01874.html

Advice For Nurses

Being a nurse takes dedication and perseverance. It’s not the most glamorous of duties and may be demanding but at the same time it can be one of the most rewarding of careers because you get to see your patients recovering from serious ailments under your care while you make sure their safety and treatment are being taken care of.

Nursing as a job needs the true dedication of its practitioners. There are many things that could deter a new nurse from the job. Things like latex allergies or the violence in the environment could be factors.

Problems on Latex Allergy - This is one of the most common problems that you may encounter as a nurse. You may develop rashes all over your hands. The rashes are caused by powders that are on the latex gloves that you use to perform treatments and other health care procedures. Sometimes, you do not just get rashes but also experience an anaphylactic shock.

There are cotton liners or synthetic gloves that you can buy to replace a powdered pair of gloves. However, using this is only appropriate if you need to wet your hands while working.

Always request for powder-free gloves if you don’t want this problem recurring. You may still use the powdered one if there are no available powder-free gloves. Just be sure to dry your hands after washing them.

Violence in the Environment - Being a nurse does not keep you away from violence, especially in the workplace. Since all people in the hospital are busy, their temperaments also become shorter. If you are a nurse who works in a remote area, your location alone makes you susceptible to assault. Even nurses who work in mental health centers and emergency rooms are highly vulnerable to danger, be it emotional, psychological or physical.

The secret to a problem like this is familiarity. Get to know your patients more than you think you should. Learn about their history, especially those who are known to have violent behavior. Also, be familiar with patients who have a history of alcoholism, drug addiction or dementia. This way, you will be able to guard yourself from harm.

Use Ginkgo Biloba to Starve Off Alzheimer’s and Dementia

Dementia, Alzheimer’s, and other mental diseases are accelerated by the,

* The lack of blood to the brain

* The lack of oxygen to the brain

* The lack of minerals and vitamins to the brain

* The lack of glucose to the brain

* Increase of toxins to the brain.

The lack of blood to the brain is caused by arteriosclerosis - plack b .

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Dementia – From a Personal View

Dementia refers to multiple sets of ailments and not to any specific set(s) of causes.

Dementia basically causes damage to the brain and leads to a slow decrease of the cognitive functioning of the brain.

Dementia can be caused by scarcity of oxygenated blood flow, minerals, glucose and vitamins to the brain and as a result of which there is a rise in toxins insi .

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