Injectable On-Demand HAE Treatments Linked to Quality-of-Life Burden

NEW qualitative research suggests that injectable on-demand treatments for hereditary angioedema are associated with substantial emotional, logistical, and quality-of-life challenges for both patients and caregivers, potentially delaying treatment during acute attacks.

Hereditary angioedema is characterised by unpredictable and painful swelling episodes that can significantly disrupt daily life. While the burden of long-term prophylactic therapies has been well described, less attention has been paid to how on-demand injectable treatments affect health-related quality of life in real-world settings.

Insights From Patients and Caregivers

In this interview-based study, researchers recruited 25 participants from the United States and the United Kingdom, including 17 patients aged 12 years and older and eight adult caregivers. All patients had experienced at least one HAE attack in the previous six months. Semi-structured interviews explored experiences with injectable on-demand treatments, including administration, perceived burden, and impacts on daily life.

Participants consistently reported emotional and practical barriers to using injectable treatments promptly. Common reasons for delaying or avoiding treatment included fear of needles, concerns about pain, difficulty transporting medication, and the complexity of preparation and administration.

Impact on Daily Life and Independence

All participants described at least one negative impact on health-related quality of life related to injectable on-demand therapy. Reported effects included anxiety surrounding administration, physical discomfort, missed work or school days, and strain on personal relationships. Adolescents reported greater disruption than adults, particularly in social and educational settings.

Although these treatments are approved for self-administration, many patients reported requiring assistance. All adolescent patients and several adults relied on caregivers or family members to administer injections, highlighting ongoing dependence that may limit autonomy during acute attacks.

Demand for Alternative Options

Notably, every participant expressed interest in an oral on-demand treatment. Key reasons included pain-free administration, improved portability, and the ability to treat attacks earlier. Participants felt that an oral option could reduce anxiety, promote independence, and improve overall quality of life for both patients and caregivers.

The authors conclude that injectable on-demand therapies, while clinically effective, may contribute to unmet needs in HAE management. Treatments that enable earlier, simpler, and less painful administration could meaningfully improve patient independence and health-related quality of life.

 

 

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This Doctor Says Humans Actually Need 7 Kinds of Rest (and You're Probably Not Getting All of Them)Getting a solid eight hours of sleep isn't enough.

We're only a week into 2021 and we've already had a coup attempt, a rampaging new strain of Covid, a halting vaccine rollout, and even attack squirrels (murder hornets and meth alligators are so 2020). It does not appear we're in for a restful year. But even if the world makes it hard to relax, at least one doctor insists we all need to find a way to reset and recharge anyway. 

And that's more complicated than just switching off your brain and switching on Netflix every once in a while. 

In a new TED Ideas post, Saundra Dalton-Smith insists "we go through life thinking we've rested because we have gotten enough sleep -- but in reality we are missing out on the other types of rest we desperately need" and outlines the seven types of rest that are essential for human flourishing. 

1. Physical rest

This is the usual definition of rest we're all familiar with. But while we know we need to spend a decent number of hours in bed to stay healthy, a steady drumbeat of studies shows a large proportion of us still don't get enough physical rest. 

2. Mental rest 

Always have a tornado of thoughts swirling in your head from the moment you wake up to the moment you (finally) fall asleep? You need more mental rest, and even if you sleep a solid eight hours a night, you're not going to feel fully recharged until you get it. 

"The good news is you don't have to quit your job or go on vacation to fix this. Schedule short breaks to occur every two hours throughout your workday; these breaks can remind you to slow down. You might also keep a notepad by the bed to jot down any nagging thoughts that would keep you awake," suggests Dalton-Smith. 

3. Sensory rest

Staring at screens all day and all night means your eyes never get a proper rest, but this isn't the only reason many of us never give our senses a break. Noisy cities, pinging notifications, and blaring music all contribute to constant sensory stimulation. Your brain needs a rest now and again. Consciously close your eyes and give yourself the gift of silence for short periods throughout the day. 

4. Creative rest 

Inc.com and other sites are full of tips on how to be more creative, but just as important as striving to put out new ideas is remembering to pause and take in the building blocks out of which they're constructed -- awe, art, inspiring people, and time to let it all marinate. 

5. Emotional rest 

This "means having the time and space to freely express your feelings and cut back on people pleasing," Dalton-Smith explains. "Emotional rest also requires the courage to be authentic. An emotionally rested person can answer the question 'How are you today?' with a truthful 'I'm not okay' -- and then go on to share some hard things that otherwise go unsaid."

In other words, we all need the space to stop pretending for ourselves and others and get real about our feelings sometimes. 

6. Social rest 

Some people energize you. Others drain you (here's how to spot them). If you spend too much time with the latter type, you're going to need some emotional rest. 

7. Spiritual rest 

All humans, no matter their religious affiliation or lack thereof, have a need to feel connected to something larger than themselves. That's sometimes not easy to maintain in the middle of the minutiae of everyday life. The good news is science shows simple interventions can give you a quick dose of awe that should lead to measurable increases in well-being. 

So next time you think to yourself, "I'm tired," don't leave your complaint at that. Instead, dig a little deeper and try to identify just what sort of rest you're lacking exactly. Once you know what you're missing, you'll be in a much better place to figure out how to recharge effectively.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

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Neurochemicals play significant roles in emotional and cognitive functions

Evolutionary changes in the human brain are the potential cause of anxiety, new research has found. Neurochemicals like dopamine and serotonin play significant roles in the emotional as well as cognitive functions of the human brain. Vesicular monoamine transporter 1 (VMAT1) is one of the many genes that are majorly responsible for regulating neuronal signalling and for transporting neurotransmitters.

The research team of the Tohoku University reconstructed ancestral VMAt1 proteins for their study which further revealed the functional changes that have taken place in the neurotransmitter uptake of VMAT1 during the course of human evolution.

The team of researchers including Professor Masakado Kawata and PhD candidate Daiki Sato of the Graduate School of Life Sciences at Tohoku University previously found out that VMAT1 is one of the genes that had evolved through the human lineage.

VMAT 1 contains two mutations or the genome changes which are human-specific. In the study, the researchers revealed the evolutionary changes present in the uptake of neurotransmitters through the reconstruction of ancestral VMAT1 proteins. The researchers began by applying a fluorescent substrate for visualizing and quantifying the neurotransmitter uptake of every genotype.

The researchers found out that the ancestral VMAT1 protein exhibited an increased uptake of neurotransmitters as compared to the derived genotype which is shown to be associated with depression and/or anxiety in contemporary human populations.

"These results of our study reveal that our ancestors may have been able to withstand higher levels of anxiety or depression," said the authors of the study. The researchers would next try to get a better understanding of how the variants contributed to our brain evolution. "This would be the striking evidence that links the evolution of our genome and brain," said the authors of the study.

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Guide to Relaxation

Call it what you like - Stress, tension, anxiety or worry. It all comes down to you feeling bad both physically and mentally. Anxiety has become one of the most prevalent forces in modern life, with more and more people feeling overwhelmed and anxious when dealing with the many challenges and problems life puts on their path. When this happens, don't blame yourself, many are in the same boat. Read this guide and you'll find there are many ways to reduce your worries and anxiety.

Part A: Symptoms

If you're not sure you really are disproportionately anxious, know that anxiety can manifest in three types of symptoms:

Emotional Symptoms
•    A sudden feeling of apprehension, dread or unexplained guilt.
•    Feeling worried for large periods of time without the ability to stop the worrying thoughts.
•    Intrusive thoughts about things that make you anxious even when you're in the middle of doing something else.
•    You find uncertainty intolerable, if there is a problem, you must know about it right away.
Behavioral symptoms
•    Finding it extremely hard to relax or enjoy a quiet time.
•    Frequently putting things off because you feel overwhelmed.
•    Avoiding situations that make you anxious.
Physical symptoms
•    Feeling like your muscles are tense, that your body aches from being held rigid.
•    Having trouble either falling or staying asleep, as your mind will not stop working.
•    Feeling cranky, edgy or jumpy.
•    Stomach pain, nausea, and other stomach issues often occur. 

Part B: Treating the Anxiety

Step 1: Understanding what worrying really is
We often feel like our worries are generated from the outside. From other people, problems or situations that trigger this worried anxiety within us. But the truth is that worrying comes from within. There are triggers all around us, but it is the anxiety machine within us that spins it over and over again, making a running dialog that produces worry.

Once you realize that your worries are not really helping you plan but are just wasting valuable energy, you can start dealing with the irrationality of these worrying thoughts. This may mean challenging these irrational thoughts, learning to accept uncertainty, and postponing the act of worrying.

Step 2: Physical Relaxation Techniques
A big part of anxiety is how we physically feel when it happens. Anxiety is our body's reaction to perceived danger. It used to help us escape predators. Our hearts pound in our chests, we breathe faster, more shallow breaths, our muscles tense up and we feel light-headed. All these things are great when you're escaping an angry tiger, but in everyday life, this reaction can also be triggered by much smaller threats, like being late to work or doing something embarrassing in front of other people.
That is why it is important to know a few techniques to physically relax your body. The most important thing is REPETITION AND REGULAR PRACTICE. Set aside 30 minutes once a day, or when you're anxious, to practice some of the following:

Progressive muscle relaxation
Start releasing all the muscles in your body. First clench your toes, as hard as you can. Then unclench them. The move to your calves and do the same. Repeat this for every part of your body that has muscle, working your way from the toes to the legs, the middle of your body, up to your arms and hands and finally neck and head. Do it patiently, give attention to each muscle as you clench it. This will help relax your body and with it your mind.

Deep breathing
When we're anxious, we start breathing faster, causing hyperventilation. This, in turn, leads to symptoms such as lightheadedness, feeling out of breath, dizziness, and tingly extremities. These scare us, creating a loop of anxiety that gets higher and higher. By forcing your breath to become slower, deliberate and coming from your diaphragm, you'll be signaling to your body that it is time to relax, and you'll be surprised how effective it can be.

Meditation
Countless studies have proven beyond doubt that there are many kinds of meditation that lead to reduced anxiety. Meditation can not only reduce your physical symptoms but, over time, help you control the flow of thoughts in your head. As you gain more control over your thoughts, you will be able to stop their persistent nagging.

Use your senses to calm yourself down quickly.
Sight: Look at something you find beautiful, walk around somewhere pretty or look at photos that make you feel good, such as family photos or treasured photos from your past. Animal photos have also been proven to have a calming effect on our psyche.

Sound: Listen to something relaxing. Slow music, the sounds of nature. Listen to crashing waves and the wind passing through the leaves.

Smell: Certain smells reduce anxiety and promote relaxation. A great example is lavender, which is great for relaxing both body and mind, as well as promoting healthy sleep.

Taste: Cook yourself something delicious. Slowly eat a favorite treat. Do NOT start treating anxiety with sugary sweets, because you will create a sugar spike that will only lead to more anxiety later on. Not to mention you can develop a nasty habit of calming yourself down with fattening foods. Eat something slowly, enjoy the taste and let it overwhelm everything else.

Touch: Take a hot, scented bath. Pet your dog or cat. Wrap yourself in something soft like a good blanket. Enjoy a good massage or sit outside and feel the wind caress your skin.

Step 3: Connecting with others
Being under stress, being worried and feeling anxious is worst when you are dealing with it alone. Without any objective feedback, everything just becomes bigger and worse in our minds. A quick and honest evaluation from someone else can drastically reduce the amount of time we spend obsessing and worrying over a problem.

However, being anxious can also negatively impact your relationships with others. You may seem cranky, or you may come across as needy and weak. That is why many don't disclose their anxiety, fearing to be judged.

Build a strong support system
Offer your trust and your help to others, and use them to lean on when your anxiety gets too bad. Have people you trust and who you find steady and calming to help you through this difficult time.

Talk about your worries
This may sound easy, but many find it hard to talk about their deepest, darkest anxieties because they are afraid to make them more real. The truth is usually the opposite, and when things come out and you tell someone about what's bothering you, it usually makes your problem seem much smaller and a lot less scary. what you like - Stress, tension, anxiety or worry. It all comes down to you feeling bad both physically and mentally. Anxiety has become one of the most prevalent forces in modern life, with more and more people feeling overwhelmed and anxious when dealing with the many challenges and problems life puts on their path. When this happens, don't blame yourself, many are in the same boat. Read this guide and you'll find there are many ways to reduce your worries and anxiety.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     
https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  
https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement