ICYMI: The 10 Best Health Stories from September

Now that football season is underway, it only makes sense that one of September’s top stories involves a National Football League (NFL) player. Other stories making list include: how man’s best friend could be spreading infections, a promising drug indicated for two (very different) conditions, and… a flying eye hospital?

In addition to the fresh video interviews and other news coverage, the editors at MD Magazine have been traveling to conferences this month:

• PAINWeek 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada
• 32^nd Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS 2016) in London, United Kingdom
• 20^th Annual United States Conference on AIDS (USCA 2016) in Hollywood, Florida
• Heart Failure Society of America 20^th Annual Scientific Meeting (HFSA 2016) in Orlando, Florida

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Even a severe medical condition won’t let players avoid the National Football League’s (NFL) recent seemingly admirable stance on substance abuse violations. The NFL has officially suspended Buffalo Bills offensive tackle, Seantreal Henderson, without pay for the first four games of the 2016 season for using medical marijuana for his Crohn’s disease.

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The treatment of various eye conditions can vary widely depending on where a patient lives — and some countries lack the best technology. Orbis International, a nonprofit organization, has been addressing this concern for more than 20 years with their flying eye hospital.

>>> Watch the exclusive tour of the flying eye hospital.

“We’ve got lots of options at our disposal,” Roger B. Fillingim, PhD, said at PAINWeek 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Whether it’s drugs or procedures, there are different strategies for managing chronic pain. However, when psychological symptoms come into play, treatment mat need to take an alternative course.

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Multiple sclerosis is perceived differently by the patient and physician — after all, they’re in two different boats. However, this disconnect could make managing the disease a more complicated journey.

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In a move that could bring a promising new treatment to millions, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Sanofi and Regeneron’s joint offering, dupilumab, for priority review. Development is ongoing, but trials published to date have shown the drug effective against two major and common ailments with few significant side effects.

>>> Continue reading this story.

At the 5^th annual International Symposium on Hepatitis Care in Substance Users, experts spoke out strongly on the need for hepatitis C treatment to be more accessible to drug users.

“To delay further is unethical and undermines public,” said Jason Grebely, of the Kirby Institute of Australia’s University of New South Wales, in a press release from the meeting.

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At PAINWeek 2016, Kevin Zacharoff, MD, continued the discussion about the challenging areas of managing patients suffering from chronic pain. He stressed the importance of communication when dealing with any patient, as opposed to merely checking off a list of basic information about the patient.

>>> Watch the exclusive interview with Kevin Zacharoff, MD.

It’s hard to imagine babies and toddlers toking weed or intentionally consuming marijuana edibles, but increasingly they may be accidentally exposed by those around them who do, especially in states where marijuana has been legalized.

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A small Montreal study shows children and, in some cases, even the family dog play a part in recurrent hospital-acquired Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infections continuing to spread in the community.

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When HIV outreach specialist William Chastang loses a client to AIDS he often wants to attend the funeral.

But all too often, Chastang said at a session on HIV in the South held at the 20^th Annual US Conference on AIDS (2016 USCA) in Hollywood, Florida, he is asked to stay home.

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