Community Involvement

Intro: Hello, my name is JuIie I am a student at FVTC and I am interested in neurofibromatosis also called NF because… I recently received an email about NF and I was surprised that I had never heard of it before and I want to take this opportunity to teach a little of what I learned through researching NF on the Internet.

I learned that it affects children.

What does NF cause: It causes tumors to grow anywhere in the body including the brain and spine. As the tumors increase in size, they can press on vital areas of the body, causing problems in the way the body functions such as serious skeletal abnormalities, amputation and deafness, and significant learning disorders

How it is DX: NF is dx by five or more dime-sized light brown spots on the child’s body. Usually these spots are not seen on the face. There is no cure for NF although an early diagnosis can save a child from becoming disabled.

Where can I find additional information about neurofibromatosis type 1?

Resources about neurofibromatosis type 1 helpful written for the general public.

MedlinePlus - Health information (2 links)

Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center - Information about genetic conditions and rare diseases (2 links)

Additional NIH Resources - National Institutes of Health (2 links)

Educational resources - Information pages (15 links)

Patient support - For patients and families (5 links)

Resources, which are designed for healthcare professionals and researchers.

Gene Reviews - Clinical summary

What other names do people use for neurofibromatosis type 1?

Neurofibromatosis 1/NF1/Peripheral Neurofibromatosis

Recklinghausen Disease, Nerve/von Recklinghausen Disease

I feel that public awareness of NF can possibly lead to a cure.

Thank you for your time,

Julie Oyen Nursing student

Dr. Kornberg and Nutrition.

By Allan Kornberg, MD

A groundbreaking new study funded by the National Institutes of Health and published in the Annals of Internal Medicine made national headlines yesterday as mainstream media outlets like CNN reported on its findings and gave Americans plenty of food for thought. Following more than 85,000 female and roughly 44,500 male subjects without heart disease, cancer or diabetes over a span of 20 to 26 years, the study explored the correlation between low-carbohydrate diets based on either animal or plant-based proteins and mortality rates, ultimately revealing the positives of vegetarian alternatives.

According to the study, subjects who consumed low-carbohydrate, high-protein diets centered on meat and other animal products had a 14 percent increased risk of dying from heart disease and a 28 percent risk of dying of cancer, while those whose diets emphasized plant-based proteins and fats had a 23 percent lower risk of succumbing to heart disease, as well as a 20 percent lower mortality rate overall. While no study is perfect, and all are subject to certain limitations, these numbers speak volumes about the potential of healthy plant-based foods to improve our quality of life.

As a physician who has long been aware of the good plant foods can do, the results of this study come as no shock. Nonetheless, it is always encouraging for me, and doubtless many of you, to see such awareness grow and result in an ever-expanding body of research that compels us to reflect on the foods we consume and consider choices that not only more positively impact our own lives, but also the world at large. After all, we truly are what we eat and the time has never been riper to embrace the power of plants – not only to benefit our health, but billions of suffering farm animals and our ailing planet too.