DALLAS — Performing CPR for 38 minutes or longer can improve a patient’s chance of surviving cardiac arrest, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2013.

Sustaining CPR that long also improves the chances that survivors will have normal brain function, researchers said.

Cardiac arrest occurs when electrical impulses in the heart become rapid or chaotic, causing it to suddenly stop beating.

About 80 percent of cardiac arrests — nearly 288,000 people — occur outside of a hospital each year, and fewer than 10 percent survive, according to the American Heart Association.

Research has found that early return of spontaneous circulation — the body pumping blood on its own — is important for people to survive cardiac arrest with normal brain function. But little research has focused on the period between cardiac arrest and any return of spontaneous circulation.

Using a massive registry tracking all out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in Japan in 2005-11, researchers studied how much time passed between survivors’ collapse and the return of spontaneous circulation, and how well brain function was preserved a month later.

Survivors were considered to have fared well neurologically if they were alert and able to return to normal activities, or if they had moderate disability but were well enough to work part-time in a sheltered environment or take part in daily activities independently.

The time between collapse and return of spontaneous circulation for those who fared well was 13 minutes compared to about 21 minutes for those who suffered severe brain disability, said Ken Nagao, M.D., Ph.D., professor and director-in-chief of the Department of Cardiology, CPR and Emergency Cardiovascular Care at Surugadai Nihon University Hospital in Tokyo.

After adjusting for other factors that can affect neurological outcomes, researchers found that the odds of surviving an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest without severe brain damage dropped 5 percent for every 60 seconds that passed before spontaneous circulation was restored.

Based on the relationship between favorable brain outcomes and the time from collapse to a return of spontaneous circulation, the researchers calculated that CPR lasting 38 minutes or more was advisable.

“It may be appropriate to continue CPR if the return of spontaneous circulation occurs for any period of time,” said Nagao.

The 2010 AHA Guidelines for CPR and ECC advise bystanders to perform CPR until emergency crews arrive.

The Japanese Circulation Society Resuscitation Science Study group conducted the study.

Co-authors are Eizo Tachibana, M.D., Ph.D.; Tukasa Yagi, M.D., Ph.D; Naohiro Yonemoto, Dr.P.H.; Morimasa Takayama, M.D., Ph.D.; Hiroshi Nogoni, M.D., Ph.D.; Shinichi Shirai, M.D., Ph.D.; and Takeshi Kimura, M.D., Ph.D. Author disclosures are on the abstract.

OXNARD, CALIF. – Citizens of the dental community have made their voices heard and the ugliest dental bib clip in America has been decided. After tallying the votes from the DUX Dental fifth annual Bib-Eze for Boob-Eze campaign, Lou Swartz, a bib clip ravaged by rust and dental debris, has been declared the ugliest bib clip in America. This year’s campaign garnered more participation than ever before with more than 1,800 people voting online for America’s Ugliest Dental Bib Clip. For each vote, DUX Dental made a donation to breast cancer screening and diagnosis. The company announced today that it doubled its initial contribution commitment resulting in a total donation of $3,700 to the campaign’s cause partner – Mammograms In Action.

“We were very inspired to see the level of enthusiasm around this year’s Bib-Eze for Boob-Eze campaign. More people than ever participated in the campaign to raise money for breast cancer screening and diagnosis, and had fun doing it. DUX Dental’s contribution to Mammograms In Action will support up to 47 free mammograms for people who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford one,” said Stacey Williams, director of marketing and sales at DUX Dental. “During the five year history of Bib-Eze for Boob-Eze more than $15,500 has been raised for breast cancer charities.”

Mammograms In Action has a two-fold mission. It is committed to raising awareness and diagnosis of breast cancer in symptomatic people who are under the age of 40, and who thus often don’t meet the current requirements for screening that favor patients over 40. Secondly, the organization provides funding for screening and diagnostic procedures for people who otherwise don’t qualify for funding from the government or other charitable resources. These recipients have typically been turned away from screening because of their age, inability to pay, or because they have lost their health insurance and have no other means of payment. For more information visit www.mammogramsinaction.org.

The contestants in the ugliest bib clip contest were dental bib clips and holders sent in from all around the country during last year’s Bib-Eze for Boob-Eze campaign. Personified by their resemblance to well-known celebrities, political figures and personality types, all the bib clips had something in common – they were all old, dirty, rusty and in dire need of retirement. Lou Swartz from Venice Beach garnered the most votes (41%), with Clip Lee (22%) and Rusty Chain (19%) coming in as the second and third runners up.

About DUX Dental

DUX Dental has been manufacturing and distributing the highest level of dental products worldwide for more than 50 years. Based in the coastal city of Oxnard, Calif., with additional manufacturing and distribution facilities in Europe, DUX Dental is home to a world-class team of innovators who produce and service a portfolio of hundreds of dental products and supplies. DUX Dental is well known for its series of industry firsts including Zone Temporary Cement, Identic™ Alginate and Bib-Eze disposable bib holders, as well as its award-winning PeelVue+ sterilization pouches. Visit www.duxdental.com or contact duxoffice@duxdental.com for more information about DUX Dental products.

About Mammograms In Action

Mammograms In Action is a 501(c)3 non-profit breast cancer organization whose mission it is to raise awareness of the incidence of breast cancer under the age of 40, and provide resources to those that typically would not have access to screening and diagnostic procedures for preventative purposes.

Zionna Munoz founded the organization in 2009 after her best friend was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 26. Due to her young age, there was little concern about the potential of breast cancer and she experienced many challenges in accessing breast health care services. Her courageous journey and strong survivor spirit inspired the creation of Barbells for Boobs and the Mammograms In Action® Grant Program as a proactive voice and supportive resource in the fight against breast cancer. For more information visit www.mammogramsinaction.org.

The American Dental Association (ADA) is offering a patient education brochure Antibiotics and Dental Treatment (W307), which can help to clarify who should take antibiotics before dental treatment and who should not.

The six-panel brochure is $39 for a pack of 50. 

To learn more, click here.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. /PRNewswire/ -- A July 2013 Syracuse University Whitman School of Management study reveals that the opening of a new Aspen Dental-branded office generates a significant positive economic impact of more than $1.3 million on a community.

The study analyzed data from a 12-month period, taking the following key factors into account:  investment in office construction, furniture and fixtures; jobs created and wages and benefits paid; taxes; and investment in marketing and advertising.

"We're on track to open 55 new locations in 2013, and are proud that those offices not only benefit patients though access to quality, affordable dental care, but also the local communities in terms of investment and job creation," said Brian Holtz, director of new office development at Aspen Dental Management, Inc.

Each new office generates an average of ten healthcare professional and office staff jobs in the local community.

"The local economic impact is significant," said Terry Brown, executive director of the Falcone Center for Entrepreneurship at Syracuse's Whitman School of Management, who oversaw the research. "In addition to a positive impact of more than $1.3 million on one community alone, we must also recognize the positive qualitative impact of opening a dental practice in underserved communities, including increased access to dental care for citizens and the number of jobs created."

Interviews with frail older people show that some common barriers to dental care may be more complicated than they seem.

To see the full INTELIHEALTH News Service article, click here. 

A statement by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius

Smoking is still the single largest preventable cause of disease, disability, and premature death in the United States. Each year, more than 440,000 people in the U.S. die from smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke, and more than 8 million Americans are living with a serious illness caused by smoking.

By quitting, smokers can reclaim their health. The benefits begin the day a smoker quits and continue for the rest of his or her life. Over the last several years the Obama administration and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have taken concrete steps to reduce tobacco use. In 2012, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched a successful media campaign encouraging people to quit smoking by highlighting the toll that smoking-related illnesses take on smokers and their loved ones. CDC estimates that 1.6 million Americans tried to quit smoking because of the 2012 Tips From Former Smokers campaign, and at a minimum, more than 100,000 Americans quit smoking long-term because of the campaign.

In 2014, we will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first Surgeon General’s Report on Smoking and Health with the release of a new report, which will highlight 50 years of progress in tobacco control and prevention and present new data on the health consequences of tobacco use. We have come a great distance in these fifty years, but there are still lives to be spared suffering due to tobacco use.

Today, on the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout, let’s support our family and friends who are smokers by encouraging them to not smoke today and to make plans to quit smoking for good. For individuals trying to quit, there is help. Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW for free assistance, and visit www.BeTobaccoFree.gov, a comprehensive website with information on avoiding or ending tobacco use.

It is my sincere hope that by continuing our efforts to end the tobacco epidemic, we will create a tobacco-free generation.

Cigarette smokers who are over 65 years of age may be able to lower their risk of cardiovascular disease-related deaths to the level of never-smokers when they quit faster than previously reported, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2013.

A study showed that older people who smoked less than 32 "pack years" – 3.2 packs (20 cigarettes per pack) a day for no more than 10 years or less than one pack a day for 30 years -- and gave up smoking 15 or fewer years ago lowered their risks of developing heart failure or dying from heart failure, heart attacks and strokes to the same level as those who had never smoked.

Previous research showed it may take up to 15 years or more of abstinence for smokers to reach similar cardiovascular death risks as people who never smoke. But many of the people in the study were able to reduce their risk in less than 15 years (median eight years).

"It's good news," said Ali Ahmed, M.D., M.P.H., senior researcher and professor of cardiovascular disease at the University of Alabama at Birmingham's School of Medicine. "Now there's a chance for even less of a waiting period to get a cleaner bill of cardiovascular health."

Ahmed and his colleagues analyzed 13 years of medical information compiled in the Cardiovascular Health Study, started in 1989 and funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. They compared 853 people who quit smoking 15 or fewer years before with 2,557 people who had never smoked.

Of the 853 former smokers, 319 had smoked less than 32 pack years. Pack years are determined by multiplying the cigarette packs smoked per day times the number of years a person has smoked. All participants were over age 65 years of age. Results were adjusted for age, gender and race.

Smokers who smoked less than 32 pack years but quit 15 or fewer years ago still had higher risks of dying from causes unrelated to cardiovascular health, such as cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and emphysema. Former smokers who smoked more than 32 pack years had higher risks of dying from any health condition.

"Smoking is the most preventable cause of early death in America — if you smoke, quit and quit early!" Ahmed said.

Co-authors are Amiya Ahmed, Charity Morgan, Ph.D.; Gregg Fonarow, M.D.; Sumanth Prabhu, M.D.; Vera Bittner, M.D., M.S.P.H.; Kanan Patel, M.B.B.S., M.P.H.; Prakash Deedwania, M.D.; Gerasimos Filippatos, M.D., Ph.D.; Stefan Anker, M.D., Ph.D.; and Wilbert Aronow, M.D. Author disclosures are on the abstract. 

Tobacco misconceptions prevail in the United States despite the dramatic drop in smoking rates since the release of the first Surgeon General’s Report on smoking and health in January 1964. Experts at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center dispel common myths and share new educational resources to address this persistent challenge.

“Since 1964, smoking rates have dropped by more than half as a result of successful education, legislative and smoking cessation efforts,” said Lewis Foxhall, M.D., vice president for health policy at MD Anderson. 

“Still, lung cancer remains the number one cancer killer and the leading preventable cause of death in the United States.”

With the approaching 50^th anniversary of the Surgeon General’s Report, Foxhall and other MD Anderson experts urge the public to take a proactive stance against this pervasive health issue by gaining insight on current tobacco issues including information that disproves the following myths.

Tobacco Myth #1: Almost no one smokes any more.

Fact: About 43.8 million people still smoke. That’s almost one in five people in the United States. 

“The current percentage of smokers is 19%. That’s significantly lower than the 42% in 1965,” Foxhall said. “However, the actual number of people smoking today is close to the same.”

About 50 million people smoked in 1965. “Because our population is much larger, it just seems like we have a lot fewer smokers,” Foxhall explained.

“We have a lot of work ahead to prevent new smokers and help existing smokers quit,” said Ellen R. Gritz, Ph.D., professor and chair of behavioral science at MD Anderson. 

“Thanks to programs like the American Legacy Foundation’s truth national anti-smoking campaign, we have been able to achieve fewer youths smoking,” Gritz said, a previous vice chair on the Legacy board. “But funding for these campaigns is limited and unable to compete with the exorbitant and seemingly unlimited advertising dollars spent by tobacco companies.”  

Tobacco Myth #2: e-Cigarettes, cigars and hookahs are safe alternatives.

Fact: All tobacco products, including e-cigarettes and hookahs, have nicotine. And it’s nicotine’s highly addictive properties that make these products harmful.

In 2008, the five largest cigarette companies spent $9.94 billion dollars on advertising and marketing products like e-cigarettes, flavored cigars, cigarillos and hookahs.

“The tobacco industry comes up with these new products to recruit new, younger smokers,” said Alexander Prokhorov, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Tobacco Outreach Education Program at MD Anderson. “And, they advertise them as less harmful than conventional cigarettes. But once a young person gets acquainted with nicotine, it’s more likely he or she will try other tobacco products.”

“While e-cigarettes may contain less harmful substances than combustible tobacco, they’re presently unregulated so quality control over the nicotine content and other components is left to the manufacturer,” said Paul Cinciripini, Ph.D., professor and deputy chair of behavioral science and director of the Tobacco Treatment Program at MD Anderson.

“At this time, it’s far too early to tell whether or not e-cigarettes can be used effectively as a smoking cessation device,” Cinciripini said.

Tobacco Myth #3: Infrequent, social smoking is harmless.

Fact: Any smoking, even social smoking, is dangerous.

“Science has not identified a safe level of smoking, and even a few cigarettes here and there can maintain addiction,” said David Wetter, Ph.D., chair of health disparities research at MD Anderson. “If you are a former smoker, data suggests that having just a single puff can send you back to smoking.”

Tobacco Myth #4: Smoking outside eliminates the dangers of secondhand smoke

Fact: There is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke. Even brief secondhand smoke exposure can cause harm.

Exposure to secondhand smoke at home or work increases a person’s risk of heart disease by 25 to 30% and lung cancer by 20 to 30%. That’s because the amount of cancer-causing chemicals is higher in secondhand smoke than in the smoke inhaled by smokers.

Families that prohibit smoking in and around the home are on the right path, said Wetter.

Stay informed and take action

“Being educated and sharing this knowledge with others are ways to action,” said Ernest Hawk, M.D., vice president of cancer prevention and population sciences at MD Anderson. “For smokers, it’s never too late to quit smoking and reap health benefits.”

As part of MD Anderson’s Moon Shot program to end cancer, Hawk and other experts have developed a comprehensive plan that addresses the burden of tobacco use in institutions, communities, states and nations.

“The End Tobacco plan recommends more than 100 actions in the areas of policy, education and community-based services that MD Anderson can lead to end tobacco at the institutional, local, regional, state national and international levels,” Hawk said. “As a leader in the field of tobacco research, it’s vital we take a leadership role to confront the use of tobacco in any form.”

More than 200,000 people are diagnosed with lung cancer each year in the United States and about 150,000 people die as a result of this disease. Smoking contributes to almost 90% of lung cancer deaths and 30% of all cancer deaths.

Oral Health American (OHA) has openings for both two summer internships and two year-long fellowships in the upcoming year working with OHA's Children and Older Adult programs. Both offering unique opportunities for rising college seniors and graduates interested in oral health to gain insight and perspective on the state of oral health in this country. Both opportunities are paid, based out of OHA's downtown Chicago office, and begin during May or June 2014 (depending on university schedules). Internship applications are due by Nov. 30 and fellowship applications are due by Jan. 2.

For more information, visit the fellowship and internship OHA webpages or contact Christine Spencer at OHA. 

LOS ANGELES, CA – Futuredontics, the nation’s leading dental marketing company, announced today the renewal of its Ruby Sponsorship with the American Association of Dental Office Managers (AADOM). As AADOM’s official dental marketing company, Futuredontics will offer a complimentary 1-year AADOM membership (or extension) to office managers who take a demo of the company’s PatientActivator® software. 

The partnership combines two of the most powerful resources for office managers to create a robust set of time-saving tools. PatientActivator automatically generates patient reviews, confirms appointments, and makes it easy to promote the practice on Facebook and other social media – plus it features a new mobile app and unlimited free live support. AADOM provides access to the most respected network of dental office managers in the country, with a thriving online forum, annual conference, magazine, online newsletter and more. 

“Office managers play an important role in both running and marketing the dental practice,” explained Michael Turner, CEO of Futuredontics. “This partnership provides them with much needed tools to save time and increase efficiency in their day-to-day work, including educational resources, marketing services and access to a community of like-minded dental professionals.” 

According to a recent survey conducted by Futuredontics, dental office managers are being asked to take on more and more roles within the dental practice, but often have access to the fewest resources. PatientActivator and AADOM joined together to change this by providing office managers with increased support including office-manager enhancements in PatientActivator, free training webinars with useful tips and best practices and unlimited access to the AADOM online community. 

“This is a game-changer for dental office managers,” added Turner. “Our patient communication, social media and dental marketing services combined with the unbelievable benefits of an AADOM membership provide office managers with the tools to achieve even greater success.” 

In addition to PatientActivator (patient communication & online marketing), Futuredontics’ popular services include its flagship 1-800-DENTIST program (new patient leads), WebDirector (dental websites & online identity), ReputationMonitor (online reputation management), and ReActivation Pro (dormant patient reactivation). The company also boasts a library of educational resources for dental practices, including marketing whitepapers, on-demand Webinars, and dental industry surveys. 

For more information or to take a demo, call 1-855-244-2967. 

About Futuredontics® 

Futuredontics®, parent company of 1-800-DENTIST®, is America’s leading provider of dental marketing services & software. Since 1986, the company has been dedicated exclusively to dentistry, developing powerful products and resources that help dentists thrive in the evolving digital world. 

The company’s flagship product, 1-800-DENTIST, has delivered over 7 million new patient leads to dental practices nationwide. PatientActivator®, their patient communications and online marketing solution, increases production and boosts the practice’s online presence with automated appointment confirmations and tools for social media, reviews and much more. ReputationMonitor® helps dentists protect their online reputation – monitoring hundreds of directories, reviews sites and social media platforms, and displaying them all on a single screen. WebDirector® delivers custom, dynamic websites, mobile sites and branded social pages all for one low price. And ReActivation Pro® gets dormant patients back on the practice’s schedule. Futuredontics also offers an extensive library of dental marketing resources – including in-depth whitepapers, Webinars and front desk training. With unlimited live customer support, dentistry’s best marketing products and the largest dental website in North America, Futuredontics is the proven way for dental practices to grow their patient base and increase production year after year.