WARM UP:

One Joke: 

One Fact: 

The liver has four lobes: right, left, caudate, and quadrate.

One Quote:

"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment." 

– Ralph Waldo Emerson

One Guess…Name That Disease: (Answer at bottom)

• Description:  Infection caused by a toxin producing bacteria that causes painful muscle contractions.  Not spread from person to person.  Spores enter the body through broken skin – seen with puncture wounds, burns, crush injuries, contaminated wounds.

• Prevention: Four different vaccines are available for all ages.  A booster is required every 10 years for adults. 

• Signs and Symptoms:  Also called “lockjaw” because it causes neck/jaw muscles to lock, making it hard to open the mouth or swallow.  Other symptoms may include difficulty breathing and body spasms. 

• Treatment:  Active infection is a medical emergency requiring immediate treatment with immune globulin, wound care, antibiotics, vaccination, drugs to control muscle spasms.  If breathing is affected, respiratory support may be required.

• Prognosis:  The disease progresses for about 2 weeks and lasts about a month.  10-20% of cases are fatal.

HEALTHCARE HEADLINES:

** UnitedHealthcare is in hot water with a class action lawsuit alleging the mega insurer used algorithms with a 90% error rate to deny rehab services to the elderly and disabled. 

** The United Kingdom has become the first country to approve medical treatment involving CRISPR gene editing technology.  Initial disease targets include sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia, but other use cases are in the works.  The FDA is expected to release its own regulatory decision soon.

TOGETHER WITH VERB:

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WATER COOLER WONDERS…the stuff we found interesting this week:

** Television: If you’re like us, you can’t help but google the real life backstories and pictures of all the royals while watching “The Crown,” which recently resumed with its final season on Netflix.  Compare the actors with their real life counterparts. 

** Video: Want to see how every organ in your body ages?  Dr. Laitman discusses aging from head to toe, including what we can do to prevent it.

** Learn:  Most people know that Bourbon has to be made in the United States.  But do you know what a mash bill is?  Or how bourbon gets its color from a “hearts fraction?”  Learn Bourbon Basics.

WELLNESS WEDNESDAYS:

Need to take a break from alcohol before the holiday festivities resume?  Americans are cutting back on alcohol in record numbers.  Check out this quick article on the rise of non-alcoholic drinks.

Highlights:

• The “sober curious” movement is especially popular with Millenials and Gen Z, who drink significantly less than Boomers and Gen X.

• In a 2021 Gallup survey, just 60% of U.S. adults said they drink alcoholic beverages, down from 65% in 2019. 

• In 2021, non-alcoholic beverage sales increased by 33% to $331 million. 

• Some non alcoholic beverage brands are incorporating “nootropics,” natural or synthetic substances intended to increase brain power.  Consumers may endorse enhanced relaxation, but the science remains murky.

• Science tells us that no amount of alcohol can be considered “good.”  Even moderate drinking increases the risk of high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, cancer, and liver diseases, with almost 100,000 Americans dying of alcohol-related causes every year.  

There are a ton of high quality non-alcoholic drinks on the market, many of which imitate the flavor profiles of your favorite beverage without the booze. Popular options include HOP WTR, Athletic Brewing, Ghia Le Spritz, Phony Negroni, and De Soi.

THANKS FOR READING!

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Disease Answer: Tetanus