Weight-Loss Supplements Not Effective For Majority Of People.

of 27 weight-loss “supplements that had been recalled by the FDA, but were still on the market,” revealed that one-third of users “didn’t lose any weight,” and while another third reported some weight loss, just “nine percent said they lost all the weight they hoped to and kept it off.” Additionally, the study found that about half of surveyed users “said they experienced at least one side effect, including a rapid heart rate, jitteriness, dry mouth, or digestive problems such as constipation or diarrhea.” Consumer Reports concludes that “the key to success is finding a diet you can stick with,” and “a recent review of 48 studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that popular programs like Atkins, Jenny Craig, and Weight Watchers, all worked as well as another.” adding that 20 percent of surveyed users believed the supplements “were safe and tested” by the FDA. TIME notes that “unlike prescription drugs, supplements aren’t regulated under the strict criteria that require manufacturers to perform rigorous safety and effectiveness testing before getting approved.” http://time.com/3648784/weight-loss-supplements/

FTO Gene Linked To Obesity In People Born After 1942.

researchers looked at data from the Framingham Heart Study. The investigators “found no link between the FTO gene and obesity for people born prior to 1942.” But, “they found a very strong link between the gene and obesity in those born after 1942 – a link twice as strong as reported in previous studies.” http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/will-fat-gene-get-you-your-birth-year-may-matter-n276366

Flu Deaths Hit Epidemic Threshold

HIgher than normal rates of influenza-like illness seen across the U.S. http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/URItheFlu/49359?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2014-12-31&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=ST&eun=g721819d0r&userid=721819&email=amydugan2%40gmail.com&mu_id=5883165&utm_term=Daily

Ebola in Scotland: Live updates after Scottish nurse tests positive for deadly virus and two other cases investigated

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/ebola-scotland-live-updates-after-4891756

Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption Tied To Health Problems.

CDC’s journal Preventing Chronic Disease reveals “some interesting connections between sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and a slew of health problems.” Researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York “looked at how much sugar-sweetened soda people drank, how many vegetables and fruits they ate and how active they were, among other things and noticed a correlation between a person’s soda habit and other health factors.” For example, people who consumed more than one sugar-sweetened soda “per day were more likely to smoke, were more likely to eat no fruits or vegetables, and were more likely to have gone a month without much walking or biking.” People who drank no sugar-sweetened soda on a daily basis had a decreased likelihood of hypertension and type 2 diabetes. http://time.com/3639703/soda-sugar-health/

Ebola Toll Passes 20,000

Number is probably an underestimate of true impact. http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/Ebola/49338?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2014-12-30&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=ST&eun=g721819d0r&userid=721819&email=amydugan2%40gmail.com&mu_id=5883165&utm_term=Daily

NYTimes Blog Discusses National Diabetes Prevention Program.

the CDC “began rolling out the National Diabetes Prevention Program in 2012. Now, 527 organizations around the country — health care providers, community groups, employers, colleges, churches — offer it in every state, often at multiple sites.” According to the blog, it “may be the largest national health effort that most of us haven’t heard of, and one of the most important, especially for older adults.” Ann Albright, who directs the diabetes division at the CDC, said, “This is not a ‘diet,’ some sort of temporary thing.” Instead, Dr. Albright said, “This is intended to help people adopt new habits and to look at that as a way of life.” http://newoldage.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/12/26/diabetes-prevention-that-works/?ref=health

Researchers Create Artificial Human Sperm, Eggs Using Human Embryonic Stem Cells, Skin Cells.

Scientists say they have discovered a key factor in the lab formation of human primordial germ cells -- the precursors to egg and sperm -- and that it differs significantly from experiments involving rodent cells. lRelated Invasive species get by with a little help from their alien friends Science Now Invasive species get by with a little help from their alien friends The research, according to study authors, suggests that "mechanisms of early cell fate decisions in mice cannot be safely or wholly extrapolated to specification events during early human development." http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-primordial-germ-cells-20141224-story.html

Researchers Looking For Genes That Prevent Diseases.

In recent years, a few astounding protective gene mutations have been discovered, pretty much by accident. One prevents H.I.V. from entering cells and another enormously reduces the amount of LDL cholesterol, the dangerous kind, that people make. Both led to drugs. The AIDS drug is a mainstay of treatment, and the cholesterol drug is in the final stages of testing. Researchers, using systematic searches of genetic databases, also found alterations in some genes that partially protect from diseases like heart disease, osteoporosis, Type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s. But now some are starting a more ambitious project — a search for mutations that provide complete protection. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/29/health/in-a-new-approach-to-fighting-disease-helpful-genetic-mutations-are-sought.html?ref=health&_r=0

High Blood Sugar May Slow Brain Growth In Young Children With T1D.

high blood sugar may slow brain growth in young children with type 1 diabetes.” Researchers used brain scans and tests that gauge mental abilities, in addition to blood sugar monitoring. The investigators found that “compared to children without diabetes, the brains of those with the disease had slower overall and regional growth of gray and white matter.” The “differences were associated with higher and more variable blood sugar levels,” but the investigators did not see “significant differences” in cognition. http://consumer.healthday.com/cognitive-health-information-26/brain-health-news-80/diabetes-affects-kids-brain-growth-study-reports-694849.html

CDC reports potential Ebola exposure in Atlanta lab

esearchers studying Ebola in a highly secure laboratory mistakenly allowed potentially lethal samples of the virus to be handled in a much less secure laboratory at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, agency officials said Wednesday. One technician in the second laboratory may have been exposed to the virus and about a dozen other people have been assessed after entering the facility unaware that potentially hazardous samples of Ebola had been handled there. http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/cdc-reports-potential-ebola-exposure-in-atlanta-lab/2014/12/24/f1a9f26c-8b8e-11e4-8ff4-fb93129c9c8b_story.html

Hep C Drug Deal Seen as Helpful to Patients

Patients will have access to Viekira Pak at all stages of the disease. http://www.medpagetoday.com/Gastroenterology/Hepatitis/49309?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2014-12-24&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=ST&eun=g721819d0r&userid=721819&email=amydugan2%40gmail.com&mu_id=5883165&utm_term=Daily

FDA OKs New Infection Drugs

A new antibacterial drug and an anti-influenza medication got the nod from the FDA. The agency approved the combination of ceftolozane, a cephalosporin antibacterial drug, and tazobactam, a beta-lactamase inhibitor, which will be sold as Zerbaxa and used to treat complicated intra-abdominal infections and complicated urinary tract infections. And it also approved peramivir (Rapivab), an anti-influenza drug delivered by intravenous injection and intended for patients unable to take medication orally or by inhalation. http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/GeneralInfectiousDisease/49269?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2014-12-23&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=ST&eun=g721819d0r&userid=721819&email=amydugan2%40gmail.com&mu_id=5883165&utm_term=Daily

Using E-Readers Before Bedtime May Disrupt Sleep Patterns.

Well” blog reports that after randomizing “12 healthy young adults to one of two activities: reading a light-emitting e-book in a dimly lit room for about four hours before bedtime on five consecutive evenings, or reading a printed book for the same amount of time,” researchers found that “compared with a printed book, a light-emitting e-book decreased sleepiness, reduced REM sleep (often called dream sleep), and substantially suppressed the normal bedtime rise of melatonin, the hormone that regulates the sleep and wake cycle.” People who read e-books reported feeling groggier and less alert in the morning. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/12/22/e-books-may-interfere-with-sleep/?_r=0

Certain Immune System Cells May Play Role In Weight Control.

research published online in Nature suggests that “certain immune system cells may play an important role in weight control.” Researchers “found that the cells, known as ILC2s, were less common in belly fat from obese adults, versus thinner people.” The investigators also found, “in experiments with mice...that ILC2s seem to spur the development of ‘beige’ fat cells, which boost the body’s calorie burning.” http://consumer.healthday.com/vitamins-and-nutrition-information-27/body-fat-health-news-300/immune-system-may-play-role-in-obesity-694880.html

Weight Training May Help Men Fight Belly Fat As They Age.

according to a study published online Dec. 22 in the journal Obesity, “men who completed 20 minutes of weight training a day saw a smaller increase in belly fat than men who spent the same amount of time sweating it out in a cardio workout.” http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/22/weight-lifting-belly-fat_n_6367756.html

Hospitals focus on antibiotic overuse as CMS prepares new mandate

Antibiotic resistance is a threat to national security. That's how President Barack Obama described the rapid growth of such resistance when he issued an executive order in September instructing HHS and the Defense and Agriculture departments to take aggressive action on the issue. A growing number of hospitals are instituting stewardship programs, which experts say not only improve patient outcomes, but also reduce costs and lengths of stay and lower antibiotic-resistance rates within hospitals. Those efforts have been bolstered by looming federal action that would make the inclusion of a stewardship program a requirement to participate in Medicare. In addition to improving patient outcomes, stewardship programs save money, in most cases more than paying for themselves, Srinivasan said. According to data cited by the CDC and the Infectious Diseases Society of America, a comprehensive antibiotic stewardship program can reduce antibiotic use by 22% to 36%, with annual savings of $200,000 to $900,000. “It's a win across the board,” Srinivasan said. Officials estimate that roughly half of the nation's hospitals have some kind of antibiotic stewardship program. http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20141220/MAGAZINE/312209980/hospitals-focus-on-antibiotic-overuse-as-cms-prepares-new-mandate

Capturing a High-Fiber Diet’s Curbs on Appetite

A potential food additive multiplies the effects of a high-fiber diet. The researchers focused on a naturally occurring substance called propionate, produced when fiber ferments in the gut. Propionate stimulates the release of hormones that signal the brain to reduce hunger, and the researchers wanted to see if giving volunteers high doses would magnify the effect. So they developed a formulation called IPE (inulin-propionate ester) that is designed to reach the gut intact; two teaspoons deliver the propionate punch of perhaps 10 bowls of whole-grain cereal. In small experiments, it seems to work. http://www.wsj.com/articles/capturing-a-high-fiber-diets-curbs-on-appetite-1419025820

Stress Of Moving From Rural To Urban Setting May Increase Diabetes Risk.

the stress of moving from a rural setting to an urban one makes newly urban transplants more vulnerable to diabetes and other metabolic disorders -- at least in the developing world. "Our findings indicate that people who leave a rural lifestyle for an urban environment are exposed to high levels of stress and tend to have higher levels of the hormone cortisol," said study co-author Dr. Peter Herbert Kann, M.D. Ph.D. in a press release. "This stress is likely contributing to the rising rates of diabetes we http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/19/diabetes-urban-stress_n_6356622.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000618

Pregnancy Complications in SLE Linked to Subclinical CVD

SLE-induced inflammation may contribute to fetal growth restriction and preterm birth. http://www.medpagetoday.com/Rheumatology/Lupus/49220?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2014-12-20&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=ST&eun=g721819d0r&userid=721819&email=amydugan2%40gmail.com&mu_id=5883165&utm_term=Daily

Listeriosis Deaths Linked to Caramel Apples

Commercial caramel apples are being linked to a multistate outbreak of listeriosis that has claimed at least four lives, the CDC said. http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/GeneralInfectiousDisease/49228?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2014-12-20&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=ST&eun=g721819d0r&userid=721819&email=amydugan2%40gmail.com&mu_id=5883165&utm_term=Daily

Few States Score Well on Infection Readiness

Despite improvements over the past 10 years, America's health system is still not ready either for infectious disease emergencies or for the day-to-day business of preventing illness, a new report says. The highest score seen was an eight -- achieved by five states (Maryland, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Vermont, and Virginia) -- while seven states had a score of seven and 13 had a score of six. The remaining 25 states and the District of Columbia scored five or lower, with Arkansas at the bottom with two. http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/GeneralInfectiousDisease/49212?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2014-12-19&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=ST&eun=g721819d0r&userid=721819&email=amydugan2%40gmail.com&mu_id=5883165&utm_term=Daily

High-Dose Flu Vaccine Better for Frail Elderly

For frail older people living in long-term care, a high-dose inactivated influenza vaccine is a better option than the standard drug, researchers are reporting. The impact of the flu on older people is well-known, with more than 90% of influenza deaths among those 65 and older, http://www.medpagetoday.com/Geriatrics/Vaccines/49198?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2014-12-19&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=ST&eun=g721819d0r&userid=721819&email=amydugan2%40gmail.com&mu_id=5883165&utm_term=Daily

OmniCarb Study: Cutting Carbs No Silver Bullet

Overweight and obese people who followed a low glycemic index diet in the context of an overall DASH-type diet had no greater improvements in insulin sensitivity, lipid levels or systolic blood pressure compared to study subjects who ate high glycemic index foods, in a randomized, controlled feeding study. ollowing a low-glycemic index, low-carbohydrate diet, compared to a high-glycemic index, high-carbohydrate diet did not affect insulin sensitivity, systolic blood pressure, LDL cholesterol or HDL cholesterol, but it did lower triglycerides

Swimmer's Ear Gets New Drug

Finafloxacin otic suspension (Xtoro), manufactured by Alcon Laboratories, was okayed to treat the condition when caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and/or Staphylococcus aureus, according to an FDA statement. http://www.medpagetoday.com/PrimaryCare/GeneralPrimaryCare/49188?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2014-12-18&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=ST&eun=g721819d0r&userid=721819&email=amydugan2%40gmail.com&mu_id=5883165&utm_term=Daily

Researchers Identify Membrane-Bound Transcription Factor That Mimics Starvation.

researchers in Japan have identified a membrane-bound transcription factor that mimics starvation and appears to be critical for controlling whole-body energy homeostasis and improving obesity and diabetes.” In mouse studies, researchers found that cAMP-responsive element-binding protein 3-like 3 (CREB3L3) “activates a wide spectrum of metabolic responses to starvation.” When fed normal chow, increases in body weight were significantly suppressed in the CREB3L3 transgenic mice, but not in wild type mice fed the same diet. "Compared with wild type mice, the suppression of increase in body weight in transgenic mice was mainly accompanied by the remarkable suppression of fat mass increase and not by the suppression of lean mass increase," the researchers wrote. CREB3L3 overexpression also improved diet-induced hyperinsulinemia and hyperglycemia and reduced plasma triglyceride levels. http://www.medpagetoday.com/Endocrinology/Obesity/49183

Questioning the Idea of Good Carbs, Bad Carbs

reports that “rigorous new research from the National Institutes of Health suggests that for people who already follow a healthful diet, the glycemic index may not be very important.” The research, “published in JAMA, found that diets containing low glycemic foods did not lower cholesterol and other heart disease risk factors compared to diets containing mostly high glycemic foods.” “In fact, among those eating the high-carb diets, those consuming low-glycemic-index foods had worse insulin response and higher LDL cholesterol.” Investigators found that “among dieters eating the low-carb diets, the high v. low glycemic index foods did not make a difference in insulin response, blood pressure, LDL or HDL cholesterol levels.” http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/12/16/questioning-the-idea-of-good-carbs-bad-carbs/?ref=health&_r=0

Little Known About Postoperative Infections Rates In Surgery Centers.

the number of ambulatory surgery centers or ASCs — which perform procedures such as colonoscopies, cataract removal, joint repairs and spinal injections on patients who don’t require an overnight stay in a hospital — has increased dramatically in the past decade, for reasons both clinical and financial.” However, while “postoperative infections in hospitals have been a source of concern for years...little is known about the rates in surgery centers.” The article points out that “a 2010 report by CDC researchers examined 68 centers in three states...and found that two-thirds had one or more lapses in infection control.” http://kaiserhealthnews.org/news/popularity-of-out-patient-surgery-centers-leads-to-questions-about-safety/

WHO: True Ebola Toll Hidden

That's because much of the region is rural, where communication is poor and the challenges of containing the epidemic remain great despite the international effort to halt the epidemic. http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/Ebola/49156?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2014-12-17&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=ST&eun=g721819d0r&userid=721819&email=amydugan2%40gmail.com&mu_id=5883165&utm_term=Daily

Men Still Drive STD Increases

On the positive side, the rate of reported cases of chlamydia fell for the first time since national reporting of the disease began, the agency said in the report, "Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 2013." On the down side, the 2013 rate of reported primary and secondary syphilis cases rose nearly 11% over 2012 -- the highest rate since 1995. http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/STDs/49155?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2014-12-17&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=ST&eun=g721819d0r&userid=721819&email=amydugan2%40gmail.com&mu_id=5883165&utm_term=Daily

Syphilis Test Gets OK for Wider Use

While syphilis is easy to treat, the number of people in the U.S. who have the disease has been rising, reaching 16,663 reported cases in 2013 according to the CDC. The annual rate for that year was 5.3 primary and secondary cases per 100,000 population -- nearly double what it had been 8 years earlier in 2005. But that number is almost certainly an underestimate, since it is based on 34 states and the District of Columbia. The true number, the CDC thinks, is closer to 55,000 new cases a year. The test uses whole blood from a fingerstick and results can be available within minutes, the agency noted. The speed of the test allows healthcare workers to get a second sample at the same office visit to confirm any positive results and that, in turn, increases the probability of timely treatment, the agency said. http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/STDs/49136?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2014-12-16&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=ST&eun=g721819d0r&userid=721819&email=amydugan2%40gmail.com&mu_id=5883165&utm_term=Daily

Many People In US Working When They Should Be Sleeping.

reports that according to a study published in the December issue of the journal Sleep, people in the US appear to be exchanging sleep time for work. After examining “nearly 125,000 responses to the American Time Use Survey to calculate two things: first, how much sleep we’re getting, and second, what we’re doing instead of sleeping,” researchers found that “compared to normal sleepers, so-called ‘short sleepers’ – those who are getting six hours or less on weeknights – worked 1.5 more hours on weekdays and nearly two hours more on weekends and holidays.” People who worked at multiple jobs got even less sleep. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/12/15/americans-are-trading-sleep-for-work-and-its-literally-killing-us/

Behavior, Biology Make it Hard to Keep Pounds Off

Behavioral fatigue is a big problem, causing patients to grow weary of diet and exercise regimens that seem to yield little benefit after the first 6 months, the report says. Dieters also have to work against biology: reductions in resting and non-resting energy expenditure occur in response to caloric restriction and initial weight loss, according to the report, which was published in the January issue of Obesity. http://www.medpagetoday.com/Endocrinology/Obesity/49134

Some Nutritionists Say Guidelines On Saturated Fat May Be Driving Obesity Rates.

yesterday, “a group of prominent nutritionists and scientists” were set to meet “before drafting a report to the departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture that will help the agencies set the influential template that tells Americans how to eat,” the so-called Dietary Guidelines which “will state that Americans should limit consumption of saturated fat in order to lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease.” Now, however, some nutritionists argue that “the Dietary Guidelines’ emphasis on reducing saturated fat prompted food makers to remove fats and replace them with refined carbohydrates, or sugars, to compensate for the loss of taste,” thereby unintentionally increasing obesity rates.

Lyme Disease, Fibromylagia Link Evaporates

Earlier studies that suggested that Lyme disease may trigger fibromyalgia were performed before the use of two-tier serologic testing for Lyme disease and therefore may have included patients who did not actually have Lyme disease, the investigators wrote online in Arthritis & Rheumatology. Further, these studies did not follow Lyme disease patients over the long term. http://www.medpagetoday.com/Rheumatology/Fibromyalgia/49114?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2014-12-15&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=ST&eun=g721819d0r&userid=721819&email=amydugan2%40gmail.com&mu_id=5883165&utm_term=Daily

Increases In BMI Tied To Greater Risks, Even In Normal-Weight Young Adults.

Elevated B.M.I. and numerous blood indications of metabolic risk closely matched higher gene scores, strongly suggesting that higher B.M.I. alone causes the increase in cardiovascular risk factors independent of fatty food consumption, exercise, smoking and other variables. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/12/12/weight-gain-carries-risks-no-matter-your-weight/?ref=health&_r=0

Report: Superbugs Could Result In 10 Million Deaths Each Year By 2050.

The world could have a deadly and expensive problem on its hands if the growing fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria stays on the same track, according to a dire new warning. The so-called superbugs, if left unchecked, could result in 10 million deaths each year by 2050 — more than the number of people killed by cancer — and put a $100 trillion dent in the global economy, according to a new report commissioned by United Kingdom Prime Minister David Cameron. The analysis, which projects a 2 percent to 3.5 percent drop in global economic output, comes from RAND Europe and KPMG. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/12/12/superbugs-could-soon-kill-more-people-than-cancer/

Is an Expensive New Antibiotic Worth the Cost?

Patients with extensive cellulitis or large abscesses often require hospital admission for intravenous antibiotics. Most infections are due to Staphylococcus aureus and streptococci, but there are a number of infections that are due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which can be a treatment challenge for many reasons including antibiotic toxicity, bacterial resistance, and/or lack of an oral formulation to treat the infection. This greatly adds to hospitals costs and the other associated risks of inpatient stays. Outpatient treatment of these patients is cost saving and increases patient satisfaction. What if there was a treatment that was as effective as the usual once or twice daily inpatient treatments? Dalbavancin is a lipoglycopeptide antibiotic with activity against gram-positive pathogens including MRSA. The terminal half-life of the antibiotic is 2 weeks. Put simply, this antibiotic is like vancomycin with a long half-life.http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/GeneralInfectiousDisease/49088?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2014-12-13&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=ST&eun=g721819d0r&userid=721819&email=amydugan2%40gmail.com&mu_id=5883165&utm_term=Daily

Mumps Checks NHL Players

The National Hockey League is battling an outbreak of mumps among players on several teams, and -- although only nine players have been affected so far -- it comes in a year in which more than 1,000 cases were recorded in the U.S. like influenza, there is a period before the onset of symptoms when infected people are already contagious and can spread the disease unwittingly. They remain contagious for a few days after symptoms appear. But it's unusual, one expert told MedPage Today, that it's occurring among young men most of whom should have been vaccinated against mumps in childhood. All nine players affected -- two Americans, five Canadians, and two Swedes -- come from countries where childhood vaccination with the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is the norm. On the other hand, "the vaccine is not perfect by any means, http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/GeneralInfectiousDisease/49112?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2014-12-13&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=ST&eun=g721819d0r&userid=721819&email=amydugan2%40gmail.com&mu_id=5883165&utm_term=Daily

Antipsychotic Ziprasidone Associated With Serious Skin Reaction.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/11/pfizer-fda-antipsychotic-idUSL3N0TV4MH20141211

Sugar May Be More Important Contributor To Hypertension Than Salt.

a study published in Open Heart finding that “sugar, not salt, appears to contribute to the majority of the hypertension risk associated with processed food.” The study analyzed “results from two types of studies: epidemiological studies and small interventional studies,” and “together they make a rather strong case.” It is remarked that “cardiologists have noticed that the recommendations to increasingly lower salt intake have not resulted in the expected positive cardiovascular outcomes.” The researchers conclude that patients should be advised to “eat less processed food.” “It is time for guideline committees to shift focus away from salt and focus greater attention to the likely more-consequential food additive: sugar.” She explains possible reasons for this, but suggests that it may be wise to keep an eye on both sugar and salt in the diet. http://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2014/12/11/study-is-sugar-worse-for-blood-pressure-than-salt/

Questioning Medicine: Why Is Tamiflu Still Around?

The author discusses his reasons for a belief that there is no clinical benefit associated with the use of Tamiflu. a report with access to some of the full clinical data concluded "there is no evidence that oseltamivir reduces the likelihood of hospitalization, pneumonia, or combined outcome of pneumonia." And what was more shocking was that this trial, WV15912, which took 401 adults with at least one cardiac or respiratory condition, had an end result of a nonsignificant 1-hour reduction in symptoms. I repeat only 1 hour, only 60 minutes, only 3,600 seconds. When the Cochrane reviewers were finally able to look at and sort through the body of information, and not just the abstract data, they came to similar conclusions, and reported that there were no differences for hospital admissions, reductions in confirmed pneumonia, or other complications. http://www.medpagetoday.com/PrimaryCare/URItheFlu/49062?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2014-12-12&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=ST&eun=g721819d0r&userid=721819&email=amydugan2%40gmail.com&mu_id=5883165&utm_term=Daily

Baby infected in birthing pool died of Legionnaire's disease

An infant in Texas died from Legionnaires' disease few weeks after being born in a heated birthing pool at home, according to a new report from investigators at the Texas Department of State Health Services. Legionnaires' disease is a severe form of pneumonia and is caused by Legionella bacteria, which live in warm water and can be commonly found in hot tubs and plumbing systems, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The baby's death, in January 2014, is the first and only documented case of this infection linked with water birth in the United States, and comes after a few similar cases of Legionella infection reported in the UK and France. But there could be more cases that haven't been reported, the researchers said. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/baby-infected-in-birthing-pool-died-of-legionnaires-disease/

Predicting the flu so you can avoid it

Imagine being able to predict when the flu might strike your town, a bit like how meteorologists predict when a storm is heading your way. Think about what companies or hospitals or even you could do to prepare. That's exactly what infectious disease experts at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health are doing. They've figured out a way to forecast the flu. Their model is a huge advance, as most current models mapping the flu look backward instead of forward. The team won a contest sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention called "Predict the Influenza Season Challenge." http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/10/health/flu-prediction-model/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

Cannabis for Child Seizures: Popular, but Is It Effective?

Epileptic patients and especially parents of children with the condition believe that the cannabidiol component of marijuana was effective, but there remains little solid evidence that it was not just a placebo effect, researchers said here. Two surveys of parents of children with severe seizure disorders, presented at the American Epilepsy Society annual meeting, found high rates of perceived efficacy, particularly for Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and infantile spasms. But the authors of those studies said the results were, in the words of one, "too good to be true" and in direct conflict with their own experiences in seeing patients taking cannabidiol-based products. http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/AES/49039?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2014-12-11&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=ST&eun=g721819d0r&userid=721819&email=amydugan2%40gmail.com&mu_id=5883165&utm_term=Daily

Popular Nerve Pain Medicine Has Little Effect On Back Pain.

Pfizer Inc.’s best-selling drug, Lyrica (pregabalin), “didn’t help patients with the most common cause of back pain,” severe lumbar spinal stenosis, “any more than a placebo in a small study.” The study’s findings, published in the journal Neurology, casts “doubt on the potential for doctors to expand the medication’s use.” The FDA “has not approved the drug’s use for spinal stenosis,” but Lyrica “and similar medicines are often used to treat lower back pain.” Lyrica is currently used “to treat pain caused by shingles and diabetes and for conditions including epilepsy, fibromyalgia and hot flashes.” Houman Danesh, a specialist in pain management, rehabilitation and physical medicine at New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital, said “the drug’s reputation may be strong enough to withstand the results of the trial” and said he doesn’t “think people will change their practice based on one study.” http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-12-10/pfizer-s-lyrica-doesn-t-help-most-common-back-pain-study-finds.html

Even One Minute Of Intense Exercise During A 10-Minute Workout May Improve Fitness.

Well” blog reported that according to a study published Nov. 3 in PLoS One, “a single minute of intense exercise, embedded within an otherwise easy 10-minute workout, can improve fitness and health.” After recruiting “a group of 14 sedentary and overweight but otherwise healthy men and women,” then asking the participants to undergo three weekly 10-minute sessions of interval cardio on stationary bicycles for six weeks, researchers then found that both “men and women had increased their endurance capacity by an average of 12 percent, a significant improvement.” http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/12/10/one-minute-workout/?ref=health

Prenatal exposure to household chemical linked to reduced IQ, study says

“phthalates have been shown to disrupt the endocrine system, including testosterone and thyroid hormone levels.” While some of these chemicals “have been banned from children’s toys and childcare products, no steps in the US have been taken to alert pregnant women to potential exposure to the developing fetus.” Fox News also reports that “chemical exposure levels in the study were slightly higher than those reported in a national sample by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” http://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/12/10/prenatal-exposure-to-household-chemical-linked-to-reduced-iq-study-says-1590128890/

Long Radiation Treatments Called Unnecessary in Many Breast Cancer Cases

Two-thirds of women who have lumpectomies for breast cancer are receiving radiation treatment that lasts nearly twice as long as necessary, a new study reports. The conventional, longer treatment lasts five to seven weeks. But four rigorous studies and guidelines from a leading radiology society conclude that three to four weeks of more intense radiation is just as effective. Women overwhelmingly prefer the shorter course of radiation, studies have found. It is also less expensive. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/11/health/for-many-with-breast-cancer-shorter-radiation-treatment-is-just-as-effective-study-finds.html?_r=0

Tarrant County confirms 2 flu deaths

They're seeing a vertical increase in the number of positive test results, with 52 percent of those testing positive having a mutated form of the flu virus -- which isn't covered by the flu shot.

Triple Hormone Combo May Boost Metabolism

A monomeric peptide comprised of GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon reduced body weight and diabetic complications in obese mice, Matthias Tschoep, MD, PhD, of Helmholtz Diabetes Center in Munich, and colleagues reported in Nature Medicine. "The triple-action produces exceptional results in rodent models of obesity and diabetes, reducing blood glucose levels, appetite, and body fat to baseline levels," Tschoep told MedPage Today. "This means major progress toward the ultimate goal of precision medicines that control metabolism by simultaneously mimicking multiple physiological signals."http://www.medpagetoday.com/Endocrinology/GeneralEndocrinology/49002

US Health Rankings Show More Are Obese, Fewer Exercise.

reports on the annual America’s Health Rankings, which found that “Americans got fatter last year and were more slothful too” which was a return to a “steady increase in obesity” found over the state rankings’ 25 year history, from “encouraging improvement in last year’s report.” Specifically, the obesity rate has “more than doubled” during that period to 29.4 percent of adults, while 23.5 percent of adults “report doing no physical activity or exercise in the last 30 days.” In addition, “nearly 10% of adults” report having diabetes. The report also shows a continued “downward trend” in smoking, as well as increases in “Immunization coverage for adolescents” and declining infant mortality. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/12/10/public-health-obesity-inactivity-state-rankings/20095261/

Moderate Results With Tx Program for Food Addiction

A multipart behavioral treatment program offered only a slight improvement in symptoms of food addiction among obese patients with comorbid binge eating disorder, a researcher said here.Emerging research has suggested that this construct of food addiction may characterize a subgroup of patients with binge eating disorder and obesity that may represent a more disturbed variant," Binge eating episodes require two features: eating large amounts of food during discreet periods of time, during which the individual experiences a subjective sense of loss of control over eating during that episode." "The DSM-V also has five behavioral indicators of criteria. [The patient] needs at least three of them to reflect this loss of control," he added. Those behaviors include eating when not hungry -- usually rapidly -- and way past the point of satiety. There also needs to be marked distress about the binge eating, Grilo noted. "The diagnosis requires the absence of extreme and appropriate compensatory behaviorism such as self-induced vomiting, laxative misuse, and so forth -- things that are characteristics of bulimia nervosa -- and the frequency and duration stipulations are once weekly binge eating for the past 3 months, http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/AAAP/49020?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2014-12-10&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=ST&eun=g721819d0r&userid=721819&email=amydugan2%40gmail.com&mu_id=5883165&utm_term=Daily

New York health insurer Oscar to pay members who walk more

Dec 8 (Reuters) - Oscar Health Insurance, which sells health plans on Obamacare exchanges in New York and New Jersey, said it will pay members up to $240 per year in Amazon.com Inc gift cards for the thousands of steps they take each day. The plan is the latest effort by venture-capital backed Oscar to distinguish itself in the individual insurance market, where it is rare to offer members incentives to improve their health. Employer-sponsored health plans regularly use incentives such as lower premiums or higher contributions as part of their "workplace wellness" programs. http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/08/usa-healthcare-oscar-idUSL1N0TS14K20141208

More US Physicians Writing Exercise Prescriptions.

Rather than just explain the dangers of inactivity, they suggest the right amount of exercise, and in some cases refer patients to certified trainers or physical therapists who can design regimens for different medical conditions such as asthma and diabetes that might limit certain activities. http://www.wsj.com/articles/doctors-dole-out-prescriptions-for-exercise-1418080961

Researchers Manipulate Fat-Storing White Cells, Offer Renewed Hope For Weight Loss Pill.

they’re one step closer to creating” a weight loss pill “thanks to a breakthrough that can change the way energy-storing white fat cells behave.” For the report, published in Nature Cell Biology, “scientists screened about 1,000 compounds and found two that make the white fat cells act more like their brown cousins, which burn excess energy rather than store it.” The researchers “worked with stem cells that would normally turn into white fat cells,” and by “exposing the cells to drugs,” such as Pfizer Inc’s rheumatoid arthritis medicine Xeljanz (tofacitinib), “made them behave more like brown cells that burn fat to regulate body temperature. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-12-08/fat-burning-pill-closer-to-reality-harvard-researchers-say.html

Does Flu Vaccine Reduce Kids' ED Visits?

The CDC recently announced it expects a more severe flu season this year, but a study in the January issue of Pediatrics was unable to find a correlation between influenza vaccination rates for children under 5 years old and a decline in children hospitalized for influenza-related illness. Significant increases in emergency department (ED) visits (P<0.05) and decreases in hospitalizations (P<0.05) over time were not clearly related to vaccination trends, researchers wrote. "We know the vaccine is 50% to 70% effective in preventing medical care visits for kids, but there's a lot of variability from year to year in which a strain circulates, so it's hard to really link trends in illness to vaccine uptake at this point," http://www.medpagetoday.com/Pediatrics/Vaccines/48976?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2014-12-09&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=ST&eun=g721819d0r&userid=721819&email=amydugan2%40gmail.com&mu_id=5883165&utm_term=Daily

Obama, complaining of sore throat, diagnosed with acid reflux

Acid reflux is a condition in which the stomach contents flow back up from the stomach into the esophagus, causing such symptoms as heartburn and sore throat. http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/obama-complaining-of-sore-throat-diagnosed-with-acid-reflux/ar-BBgr8YC

Weight-Loss Surgery Patients Who Don’t Take Supplements May Face Vision Problems.

research published in Obesity Surgery suggests that “weight-loss surgery patients who don’t take prescribed vitamin and mineral supplements could put themselves at risk for vision problems.” HealthDay adds, “A lower intake of vitamins A, E and B1 (thiamine) and copper are especially concerning because they help with the normal functioning of the eye and optic system...said” the investigators. The researchers “found that vitamin A deficiency was most strongly linked to eye problem. http://consumer.healthday.com/eye-care-information-13/eye-and-vision-problem-news-295/vitamins-help-prevent-eye-problems-after-weight-loss-surgery-study-finds-694243.html

Breastfeeding Longer May Protect Babies At High Risk For Obesity.

according to a study published in the January print issue of the journal Pediatrics, the longer infants at high risk for obesity “breast-feed, the less likely they may be to become overweight.” After following 595 youngsters from birth until age two, researchers found that “among those children with a higher risk for obesity, babies who breast-fed for less than two months were more than twice as likely to gain extra weight than those who breast-fed for at least four months.” http://consumer.healthday.com/women-s-health-information-34/breast-feeding-news-82/breast-feeding-for-longer-may-protect-infants-at-risk-for-obesity-694218.html

California Pertussis Outbreak Biggest in 70 Years

A whooping cough epidemic in California this year provides additional evidence that the immunity given by acellular pertussis vaccine is not permanent, researchers reported. From Jan. 1 through Nov. 26, the state registered 9,935 cases of pertussis, for an incidence of 26.0 cases per 100,000 population, according to investigators with the California Department of Public Health. It's the largest number of cases reported in California in nearly 70 years, the group reported. Infants had the largest burden of disease, but there was also a peak among adolescents 14 through 16 -- the age cohort whose members have only had the acellular pertussis vaccine, they reported in the Dec. 5 issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. http://www.medpagetoday.com/Pediatrics/GeneralPediatrics/48935?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2014-12-05&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=ST&eun=g721819d0r&userid=721819&email=amydugan2%40gmail.com&mu_id=5883165&utm_term=Daily

CDC: Severe Flu Season Possible

This winter's flu season could be more severe than usual, the CDC is warning. While activity is low so far, most of the circulating virus is the H3N2 strain of influenza A, according to CDC Director Tom Frieden, MD. When H3N2 virus predominates, "we tend to have seasons that are worse flu years, with more hospitalizations from flu and more deaths from influenza," Frieden told reporters in a telephone briefing. In the week ending Nov. 22, he said, 91% of 1,200 samples tested were influenza A -- almost all of them H3N2 -- and 9% were influenza B. Only a small fraction were H1N1 influenza, which has predominated in recent years. But a second factor might foretell a bad flu season, Frieden said: Of the H3N2 samples, only 48% were matched to this year's vaccine and the majority of samples were "drifted" variants with slightly different immunogenic molecules. One possible implication, Frieden said, is that the seasonal vaccine now distributed across the country might be less effective than usual, although he added that sometimes vaccines remain effective against drifted strains. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/05/health/cdc-warns-that-flu-season-may-be-more-deadly-than-usual.html?_r=0

Mammograms: Less Pain, Risk-Based Screens?

esearchers say a device to standardize the pressure applied during mammography could cut the pain of breast compression, while another group of researchers here found that risk-based screening for women in their 40s likely misses 75% of tumors in that age group. A third study also presented at the Radiological Society of North America meeting suggested adding a 3-dimensional view to digital mammography would help with detection in dense or fatty breasts. http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/RSNA/48918?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2014-12-04&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=ST&eun=g721819d0r&userid=721819&email=amydugan2%40gmail.com&mu_id=5883165&utm_term=Daily

Disease Activity Predicts Death in Sjogren's

Sjogren's syndrome has typically been considered a nonlethal chronic disorder characterized by mucosal and ocular dryness. However, it's now recognized that in up to 80% of patients there is systemic involvement, most often affecting the skin, joints, lungs, and peripheral nerves, and the prognosis is largely dependent on these systemic components. http://www.medpagetoday.com/Rheumatology/GeneralRheumatology/48894?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2014-12-03&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=ST&eun=g721819d0r&userid=721819&email=amydugan2%40gmail.com&mu_id=5883165&utm_term=Daily

Many people unfamiliar with cancer symptoms, survey suggests

Many people in mid- and late life may be unfamiliar with common cancer symptoms such as unexplained coughing, bleeding, and persistent changes in bowel or bladder habits, suggests new research published Tuesday in the journal PLOS ONE. In a questionnaire that asked about symptoms and their corresponding ailments, about 53 percent of 1,700 people surveyed reported that they had at least one red-flag cancer symptom during the previous three months— but only 2 percent said they thought cancer was a possible cause. http://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/12/02/many-people-unfamiliar-with-cancer-symptoms-survey-suggests/

Lifestyle Changes, Medications Equally Effective For Preventing Prediabetes From Progressing To T2D.

investigators analyzed data from a dozen studies. They found that “men and women with prediabetes who made lifestyle changes were 40 percent less likely to progress to diabetes after one year, and 37 percent less likely to progress after three years, compared to those who did not make lifestyle changes.” http://consumer.healthday.com/diabetes-information-10/misc-diabetes-news-181/lifestyle-changes-help-prevent-diabetes-in-both-sexes-study-finds-694142.html

Why late night dining may encourage weight gain

that according to a mouse study published in the journal Cell Metabolism, “eating after the sun has gone down might trigger weight gain.” In the study, “even when given the same amount of calories overall, mice that ate around the clock put on more fat.” However, the study also found that “fasting for at least 12 hours appears to switch on important fat burning pathways in the body. Even when the restricted feed time mice were allowed a blow out at weekends and could eat when they liked, they still gained less weight, suggesting that the diet can withstand some temporary interruptions, Additional work in mice by another team showed that limiting eating to half the day also altered the balance of microbes in the gut, which experts say might be important. The revelation that there is a circadian rhythm in gut microbes now adds another dimension to this very interesting area of research." http://www.bbc.com/news/health-30297497

Diabetes in Midlife Tied to Memory Problems Late in Life

Diabetes can impair blood circulation, and the authors suggest that the association of diabetes with thinking and memory problems may be the result of damage to small blood vessels in the brain. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/12/01/diabetes-in-midlife-tied-to-memory-problems-late-in-life/?ref=health&_r=0

HIV Remains Uncontrolled for Most Patients

Only three Americans in 10 with HIV had the virus under control in a 2011 snapshot of the epidemic, according to the CDC. Note that in 2011, an estimated 1.2 million people in 50 states and Washington were living with HIV and most of them were aware of their status. http://www.medpagetoday.com/HIVAIDS/HIVAIDS/48848?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2014-12-01&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=ST&eun=g721819d0r&userid=721819&email=amydugan2%40gmail.com&mu_id=5883165&utm_term=Daily

Researchers To Study Whether Stool Transplants Can Forestall Diabetes.

Most of the microbes are found in the lower intestine, where they digest food that wasn’t broken down higher in the gastrointestinal track. But a high-calorie diet of fast food and highly processed and sweetened foods gets broken down earlier, leaving few leftovers for most of the microbes. “So you can imagine that if microbes are not getting fed, they are hungry and they’re going to tell the brain, ‘Eat more,’ ” Khoruts said. “We’re eating more and we’re getting fatter, and the cycle continues.” Eventually, the microbes go extinct, and the only way to fix the problem is a fecal transplant from a lean, healthy donor. Obese people, studies have shown, have less diverse microbiota than lean individuals. And the microbiota found in remote tribal peoples — who haven’t been exposed to antibiotics or processed foods — are far more diverse than those found among urbanites. http://www.startribune.com/local/284227581.html