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Oral supplements enhance effects of botox

A new study has revealed that consuming oral dietary supplements four days before receiving Botox injections made the toxin more effective in 93 per cent of patients.

Dr. Charles Soparkar at The Methodist Hospital in Houston found that a dietary supplement of organic zinc and the enzyme phytase four days before receiving botulinum toxin injections showed improved results of the Botox treatment.

Many of the patients in the study were being treated for a rare form of eyelid spasm and had previously responded poorly to botulinum toxin injections.

“The toxins seemed to have greater effect and last longer. Potentially, this could mean using less toxin, offering patients financial savings, greater safety, and more consistent results,” said Soparkar.

Soparkar’s research team will present the effect of dietary zinc supplementation on botulinum toxin treatments at the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery’s 41st Annual Fall Scientific Symposium on Oct. 14 in Chicago.

               

Allergan Pleads Guilty, Settles Botox Investigation

Pharmaceutical manufacturer Allergan pled guilty for its off-label promotion of Botox and will pay $600 million to settle additional charges in a longstanding federal investigation.

Botox is best known for its ability to smooth out wrinkles, but it is also approved to treat spasms in the neck, wrist and fingers, eye muscle disorders and excessive arm sweating.

Allergan released a statement Wednesday saying it would plead guilty to one misdemeanor charge of “misbranding” for marketing Botox as a treatment for unapproved uses such as for headache, pain and cerebral palsy in children.

“Allergan also taught doctors how to bill for off-label uses, including coaching doctors on how to miscode Botox claims, leading to millions of dollars of false claims being submitted to federal and state government programs,” Department of Justice Assistant Attorney General Tony West told reporters Wednesday. Read more

               

Allergan Resolves United States Government Investigation of Past Sales and Marketing Practices Relating to Certain Therapeutic Uses of BOTOX

IRVINE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Allergan, Inc. (NYSE: AGN) today announced that it has reached a resolution with the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) regarding the previously reported Government investigation into Allergan’s past U.S. sales and marketing practices relating to certain therapeutic uses of BOTOX® (onabotulinumtoxinA).

Allergan has been cooperating with the Government in a multi-year investigation in Atlanta, Georgia, regarding the use of BOTOX® for certain therapeutic treatments covering a period that commenced in January of 2000. The parties have resolved all issues involved in the investigation by entering into a global settlement, which includes the following: Read more

               

Pay Growing Faster for Nurse Practitioners Than Physicians

In a sign of their value in a shorthanded clinical workforce, nurse practitioners (NPs) in group practices saw their compensation increase 4.9% last year, outpacing physicians as a whole, according to the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA).Compensation for primary care physicians rose 2.9% in 2009, the MGMA reports in its latest Physician Compensation and Production Survey: 2010 Report Based on 2009 Data. Specialists took a 4.1% pay cut, although some individual specialties such as dermatology (12.3%) and ophthalmology (7.7%) posted sizable gains.

At $85,706, the median compensation for NPs in 2009 was far less than what primary care and specialist physicians earned — $191,401 and $325,916, respectively — in group practices. Still, NPs are slowly gaining ground. Since 2005, their compensation has risen 21.9% compared with 13.9% for primary care physicians and 2.9% for their specialty counterparts, according to the MGMA.

“We’re in demand,” said NP Jan Towers, PhD, director of health policy for the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, about the compensation trend. “NPs don’t have any problems getting work.”

The job market is so good that it has been able to absorb a tidal wave of new NPs. The ranks of the profession have grown from 82,000 NPs in 2000 to 140,000 today, according to Dr. Towers.

At the same time, Dr. Towers told Medscape Medical News, a 4.9% pay raise in 2009 is not spectacular. “We should be getting more of an increase,” she said. Read more

               

Membership in the IAPAM Helps Physicians Profitably Enter Aesthetic Medicine

Comprehensive botox training, hCG and medical weight loss education and business plan development are the foundations of a successful medical spa launch.  To provide the practical clinical and business training needed to open a medispa or integrate medical aesthetics into an existing practice, the IAPAM offers the industry’s most comprehensive Aesthetic Medicine Education Programs for new medspa physicians.

RealSelf’s Consumer Cosmetic Treatment Survey, conducted by Harris Interactive, reported that, “if money were not an issue,”  69% of adults would seek out minimally invasive procedures.  This was an increase over 2009 reports, by 14%.  Of the treatments that adults would entertain, teeth whitening was at the top of the list (48%), followed by hair removal (27%), cellulite treatments (14%), vein treatments (13%), dermal filler procedures (12%), laser skin treatments (9%), chemical peels and botox (7%).   

Therefore, given this growth in the accessibility and acceptance of aesthetic medicine procedures, it is very important that physicians understand: “what is working” and “what is not” in their practices, in order to have a successful and profitable medical spa. Through membership and training with the IAPAM (International Association for Physicians in Aesthetic Medicine), physicians are provided with insights from the top experts in the field of aesthetic medicine detailing their keys to launching and growing successful aesthetic medical practices.   

The following recommendations provide physicians with a proven blueprint for success: build one’s successful practice upon a solid foundation or strong business plan, incorporate industry best practices into each element of the operation of the business from staffing to marketing to customer service, and always keep an eye on the future trends of the industry and the specific needs of one’s patients and directions of one’s market.  Read more

               

Written by leslie · Filed Under IAPAM News | Leave a Comment 

Drinking Water Proven to Help Weight Loss

August 24, 2010

• Adding science to years of anecdotal claims, scientists find that dieters who drink two cups of water before meals lose more weight.
• Drinking two cups of water before all three meals helped dieters lose weight and keep it off. 
• The findings only worked in people who were middle-aged and older, but water might help younger dieters, too.
• Americans get far too many calories in the form of sugar-filled beverages.

It’s a popular dieting secret: Drink more water, and you’ll shed more pounds. Finally, science is adding weight to the practice.

After about three months, a new study found, obese dieters who drank two cups of water before each meal lost 5 pounds more than a group of dieters who didn’t increase their water intake. A year later, the water-drinkers had also kept more of the weight off.

The study included only middle-aged and older adults, but other studies suggest that drinking water might help dieters of all ages, said Brenda Davy, a nutrition researcher at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. After years of folklore, she added, this may be the first hard evidence that pounding water is viable weight-loss strategy.

“It’s this popular idea that, oh yeah, drink more water — that’s what you have to do when you want to lose weight,” said Davy, who presented her new findings today at a meeting of the American Chemical Society in Boston. “It seems to be logical, but it had never really been investigated.” Read more

               

Written by leslie · Filed Under Medical Weight Management | Leave a Comment 

Botox Reduces Pain From Postmastectomy Reconstruction

August 20, 2010

Botulinum toxin A (Botox) has a new off-label role in significantly reducing the postoperative pain that has discouraged many women from accepting silicone implant breast reconstruction following mastectomy.

Allen Gabriel, MD, assistant professor of surgery at Loma Linda University in California, has demonstrated in a small but hypothesis-driven randomized clinical trial that botulinum effectively addresses the sources of severe pain associated with the procedure. He presented his findings here at the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery 20th Biennial Congress.

Silicone breast implantation often involves the positioning of a temporary expander implant between layers of the pectoralis major chest muscle, which is filled with water serially to create a pocket where a permanent implant will reside. The muscle often contracts and spasms in response to the expansion, causing pain, Dr. Gabriel noted.

He and collaborator G. Patrick Maxwell, MD, who also practices at Loma Linda, theorized that injections of botulinum could offer relief by temporarily paralyzing the muscle, causing it to remain flaccid. That way, fewer spasms would occur and less pain would arise.

Thirty consecutive breast cancer patients scheduled for mastectomy with silicone gel implant breast reconstruction were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups: 40 units of botulinum injected into each pectoralis major through 4 serial injections in 0.5 cc increments; or the same routine procedure using saline solution as a placebo. Procedures were performed at the Southwest Washington Medical Center, in Vancouver, where Dr. Gabriel is also chief of plastic surgery. Read more

               

Written by leslie · Filed Under Aesthetic Medicine News | 1 Comment 

New Non-Surgical Techniques for Volume Enhancement and Loose Skin Help Rejuvenate the Aging Face

August 19, 2010

Open any beauty magazine and it seems as though all the models have full, pronounced cheeks and a firm, tight jaw line. In contrast, aging causes a loss of volume across the middle of the face, resulting in a flattened or sunken cheek structure with sagging jowls that can make the face appear drawn, tired and old.Now, armed with a deeper understanding of full facial contouring, dermatologists are using soft-tissue fillers to enhance and restore volume loss in the cheek area, thereby smoothing nasolabial folds (the wrinkles that form along the bottom of the nose to the corners of the mouth). In addition, newly introduced fractional radiofrequency technology to address skin laxity is showing promise by stimulating collagen contraction and reducing loose skin in the lower-face.

At the American Academy of Dermatology’s Summer Academy Meeting 2010 in Chicago, dermatologist Marian E. Northington, MD, FAAD, assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, presented a new approach to achieving aesthetic balance to the aging face by combining soft tissue fillers and skin tightening techniques. 



“Dermatologists no longer view the aging face as specific wrinkles or folds, but instead look at the face as a whole with what can be imagined as soft tissue scaffolding below the skin surface that supports the deep underlying fat,” said Dr. Northington. “With this perspective, we now appreciate that cheek volume is a key component in re-establishing the facial balance and proportions most patients seek in a youthful appearance. What’s more, volume loss of this deep cheek fat tends to create a more pronounced nasolabial fold, adding to a downward descent of the facial soft tissues.” Read more

               

Written by leslie · Filed Under Aesthetic Medicine News | Leave a Comment 

Protect skin from sun damage: Educate patients

August 18, 2010

Pharmacists are in a good position to tell patients that sand, water, snow, and clouds reflect and intensify the sun’s rays, causing unsuspected sun damage, even in shade, and that protecting skin from sun damage should be incorporated into a daily routine.

Statistics

The sun produces ultraviolet (UV) radiation A and B. UVB has traditionally been associated with sunburns, while UVA has been known to penetrate the skin, causing premature aging of the skin and skin damage, leading to skin cancers.
 
One in 5 Americans will develop skin cancers, of which 90% will be caused by sun damage. Skin cancer is the most common cancer in young adults and the incidence is climbing from year to year. The American Dermatological Association has projected that more that 1.3 million new cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed this year. In light of this, it is important to educate patients on proper skin protection in all seasons.

Everyone is at risk

How much sunscreen does the job?
 
Patients should be informed that some individuals are at increased risk because of environment, skin tone, skin irregularities, and use of certain medications that cause photosensitivity. Read more

               

Written by leslie · Filed Under Aesthetic Medicine News | 1 Comment 

Cosmetic facial filler suspended in the EU

August 18, 2010

An injectable cosmetic filler that smooths out facial wrinkles has been suspended from use after it was found to cause painful redness, bruising and swelling in some patients.  

Novabel is marketed as “the gentle, powerful, versatile dermal shaper” by its manufacturer, Merz.

Since its introduction in January the algae-based product has been used by cosmetic surgeons to fill out lines, reduce hollowness below the eyes and plump out cheeks.

According to Merz, 17 clinics use the substance and about 1,700 people across Britain have been treated with it.

But on Thursday the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) issued an alert that it should be withdrawn immediately from use. Read more

               

Written by leslie · Filed Under Aesthetic Medicine News | Leave a Comment 

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