December Special Section
2 | December 2021 | NorthFulton.com
HEALTH & WELLNESS • Sponsored Section
Small Business Benefits. Are they worth it? Brought to you by – Josh Dougherty josh.dougherty@xperiencebenefits.com Why are benefits such an annual challenge for small businesses? Each year, the health insurance options change, NAME price typically increases, and most of all, there is a significant amount of time that it takes to research these options. Although it can be a major investment of both time and money, it is a critical component of retaining and attracting quality employees to work for a firm. Studies show that primary reasons why people stay with a job is for the quality and levels of benefits. So why doesn’t everyone offer benefits? For starters, employers generally need to contribute at least half of an employee’s monthly premium to sponsor a plan. Also, small businesses do not have the options that are afforded to larger companies because of the ability to mitigate risk with a large number of people on the plan. It is extremely important to understand your budget and have the capital to
afford a plan for years on end. Lastly, employees that qualify for subsidies on a plan via healthcare.gov may elect to waive employer plans for a more affordable option there. All these items said, the answer to the posed question is “it depends”! It depends on your budget. It depends on the purpose of the policies being placed. It depends on the trajectory of your business. It depends on the amount of participation of employees within your benefits plan. It all just simply depends on your situation and analyzing all the components. So, what do you do? Speak to a local insurance broker that will objectively analyze your situation and assess whether it makes sense to offer benefits or not. Discuss options between HMO, POS, PPO, self-funded, level-funded, Chamber plans, Association plans, and much more! Explore various quotes and explore the pros and cons of different plans. Xperience Benefits is an independent brokerage and does not represent one specific carrier of insurance products. We believe in building a quality business with authentic lasting relationships.
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Who do you call to discuss your health insurance options? Whether you’re a business owner wearing multiple hats, or an HR Director trying to control costs and productivity, turn it over to your new employee benefits department. Lean on our full team, full time and get back to your business.
Call us today! 404-484-9263 xperiencebenefitsga.com Locally Owned and Operated
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Lovastatin and Cholesterol for Disseminated Superficial Actinic Porokeratosis (DSAP): Volcanos and Dinosaurs Brought to you by – Dr. Brent Taylor, Premier Dermatology and Mohs Surgery of Atlanta If the first portion of this title does not grab you immediately, then you are not alone! Three out of 5 respondents polled for this article voted the first title “boring” (those respondents being my eight year old, six year old and three year old). My wife’s vote was nicer with an encouraging “needs improvement.” My vote of “Riveting!” was deemed biased by the judges. If you like the second portion more, “Volcanoes and Dinosaurs,” then you like the title that my sons suggested and that, incidentally, has nothing to do with this article other than that dinosaurs, like skin diseases and their medicines, often have long names that are hard to pronounce. But 2% lovastatin & cholesterol for disseminated superficial actinic porokeratosis is an exciting topic. Allow me to explain: One of the most enjoyable aspects of dermatology is that most patients present with conditions that can often be either cured or treated very effectively. When a patient presents with a skin cancer, I can often cure it with a greater than 99% cure rate through a procedure called Mohs surgery, which involves removing a cancer in stages or layers and checking the edges under the microscope until the cancer has been completely removed. When a patient presents to clinic with dermatitis or eczema, we have a whole armamentarium of medicines including
topical steroids, tacrolimus, crisaborole, dupilumab and other medicines. And when a patient presents with leg pain or swelling due to vein disease, our clinic is proud to offer minimally invasive techniques such as endovenous laser ablation and foam sclerotherapy as well as phlebectomy and external laser treatments with great success. Our tremendous power to treat skin disease has not always been the case. Take, for example, psoriasis. Historically, psoriasis was a terrible disease that could even be a death sentence. Without effective treatments, psoriasis patients frequently were hospitalized. Whole wards in hospitals were dedicated to treating patients with severe psoriasis. When psoriasis overtook a large portion of someone’s skin surface, the skin could cease to function and patients could develop “erythroderma,” in which the skin turned red, body heat and moisture was lost, and patients sometimes died of heat and water loss. Modern psoriasis treatments have essentially shut down hospitals’ psoriasis wards, and now prescriptions for medicine such as Humira® that you see advertised on television have become the miracle cures we so desperately needed. An exception to our success in dermatology has been a condition called DSAP – disseminated superficial actinic porokeratosis. In this disease, an individual develops small growths on the skin that slowly become larger. These growths
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often have a slightly rough or scaly ringlike edge. They rarely ever become cancer or cause easily quantifiable harm, but people who develop these lesions often develop dozens of thin round growths that can nearly cover the legs or arms and can itch, cause irritation and become inflamed. DSAP lesions have had no satisfactory treatment for years. The attending physicians who trained me tried lasers, topical chemotherapy agents, acids, anti-inflammatories and a host of compounded medications all with little result. Liquid nitrogen to select lesions was often the default and relatively unsatisfying therapy of choice. Recently, Dr. Lihi Atzmony of Yale University and her colleagues identified a new therapy that they report was able to improve DSAP lesions. In many cases, DSAP appears to arise when mutations in genes involved in cholesterol metabolism cause a deficiency of cholesterol production in the skin and a build-up of toxic precursors or byproducts. In the famous “I Love Lucy” candy factory skit, Lucy is not fast enough to wrap all the candy coming down the conveyor belt and unwrapped candy builds up. Similarly, a defective cholesterol pathway is not able to produce a finished cholesterol product (the
wrapped candy in this analogy), and the unfinished precursors of cholesterol build up (the unwrapped candies). Lovastatin is a medicine that decreases cholesterol production. Dr. Atzmony’s 2% lovastatin / 2% cholesterol cream effectively slows down the candy belt using lovastatin and supplies the wrapped candy by delivering already-wrapped cholesterol. A combination 2% lovastatin, 2% cholesterol ointment is currently offlabel, not FDA approved, and new, but it is scientifically based with Dr. Aztmony reporting promising early results. This ointment offers one of the first rays of hope for a condition that has defied attempts at treatment. With luck, we may add DSAP to the long list of skin diseases that we can effectively control. We live in a great era for medicine. Exciting and effective treatments increase in number every day. And the number of dinosaurs we contend with appears to be at an all time low. If you or a loved one has a skin or vein issue, consider Premier Dermatology and Mohs Surgery of Atlanta. Dr. Brent Taylor and Kathryn Filipek, PA-C are delighted to help you achieve your skin health goals. Dr. Taylor is a Harvardgraduate, a board certified dermatologist and vein care expert, and fellowshiptrained Mohs surgeon. Kathryn Filipek has greater than 15 years of dermatology experience with expertise in medical, surgical and cosmetic dermatology.
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IV Therapy is our little holiday season secret Brought to you by – Hydralive The holiday season is upon us, which is exciting for a lot of us. We spend more time with loved ones, enjoy home-cooked meals, give thanks to those we care about. But it can also be exhausting, with decorating, family dinners and last-minute shopping. We’re out of our routines, eating more and oftentimes not sleeping well. Of all the things we have to look forward to this holiday season, it’s important we stay prepared. With cooler weather, you may not be as physically active, spending more time indoors. This can contribute to a weakened immune system and sluggish immune response. Since the immune system is responsible for protecting the body from bacteria, viruses and toxins, it’s important we properly care for our immune system. How Can IV Therapy Promote a Healthy Immune System? IV therapy is a more effective alternative than oral supplements, whether it be a capsule formula or a powdered formula. It allows for essential vitamins and minerals -- among other
nutrients -- to be injected directly into the bloodstream, opposed to traveling through the GI tract. By taking advantage of nutrients with immune-boosting properties and adding them to an IV bag, you can not only boost immune function and strengthen the immune system but promote overall health and wellness -which is important, especially during the cold and flu season. At Hydralive Therapy Milton, we offer options tailored to your unique needs, like our Beast Mode cocktail – a nutrient-rich drip that will revive your stamina and help your muscles recover. Or try the Fountain of Youth, which delivers glutathione, amino acids and vitamin c to promote your immune system and help detoxify your body. We even have a cocktail to help you bounce back after one too many champagne toasts. With our welcoming staff, comfortable atmosphere and experienced nurses, you’ll feel right at home. Contact Hydralive today to schedule your next IV therapy appointment or just walk in -- we can’t wait to meet you!
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HEALTH & WELLNESS • Sponsored Section
Looking Ahead To 2022 Brought to you by – Dr. Bradley Hepler, The Atlanta Center for Dental Health The month of December gets so busy with holidays, family gatherings, work events, and things that need to be done before the end of the year. This time of year, I also start looking ahead to next year. I think about the last year and all that happened. I think about the goals I accomplished and those that weren’t reached. Those goals have slipped into the future. One of the goals I have for myself is to focus on my health in a meaningful way. I want to take care of me. It is so easy to take care of those around you and ignore yourself. I don’t want to do that this year. I want to take care of me because I need it and deserve it! One of my New Years Resolutions will be to eat better, exercise, and go to the doctor to address my health proactively and preventively. This includes a visit to the dentist to address those problems that you know are getting worse and prevent future problems. Restoring Your Smile – Repairing your teeth allows you to keep your teeth for a lifetime and look and feel your best. Cosmetic Dentistry – It’s more than
just Whiter Teeth. Uneven and chipped teeth can be reshaped painlessly. You can add to your teeth to make your teeth look normal, natural, and vibrant again and create the smile of your dreams. Dental Implants – Replacing missing teeth allows you to eat your favorite healthy foods again, smile without fear, and provides support to your face to avoid looking older. Invisalign – The metal-free way to straighten your teeth, improve our bite, and be more attractive. Preventive Tooth Cleaning – Routine cleanings prevent problems and keep your teeth healthy, white, and attractive. Don’t Forget that these things can be accomplished comfortably while you rest… with Sedation Dentistry! A healthy mouth is part of a healthy body. My wish for you is that you look and feel your best in 2022! Dr. Bradley Hepler, Dr. Jeffrey Priluck and the experienced team at the Atlanta Center for Dental Health provide the most modern advances in cosmetic dentistry. Experience immediate results with procedures to greatly enhance your smile and your health. If you would like a complimentary consultation to discover which of these options is best for
you, please call us at 770-992-2236. Dr. Hepler and Dr. Priluck are highly trained and certified to provide you with
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Specialist in Integrative Oncology Cancer Treatments Including: Chemotherapy Immunotherapy Nutrition Supplementation
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Cancer fighting drugs in your medicine cabinet Brought to you by: Jonathan Stegall, MD Did you know that you might have some great cancer-fighting drugs in your medicine cabinet at home? It turns out that many drugs, originally STEGALL approved for non-cancer indications, have been found in subsequent research to have an anticancer effect. The most well-known
of these is the diabetes drug metformin. In addition to its blood sugar lowering effects, metformin has also been shown to kill cancer stem cells, a key in cancer’s spread. The cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins have also been found to have an anticancer effect, by affecting the way cancer cells use fat and carbohydrates for fuel. Even baby aspirin, taken by millions of Americans each day for its cardiovascular benefits, has anticancer activity by reducing inflammation and affects the way cancer cells
communicate. These are just a few of the many drugs which have been shown in studies to have an anticancer effect. Please note that incorporating these medications in this fashion (what we refer to as “repurposing”) requires the skill of an oncologist with experience doing this. Please do not try to do this on your own! To learn more about repurposed medications, and how they can be part of an integrative cancer treatment protocol, please check out episode #10 of my podcast at cancersecrets.com/podcast.
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