Despite HIV/AIDS Suppression Advances, Socioeconomic Factors Prevent Widespread Treatment.

reports that 66 percent of the estimated 1.2 million Americans living with HIV/AIDS are not undergoing treatment, and African-Americans and Latinos are less likely to stay in treatment than whites. Under the Ryan White Act, underinsured and uninsured patients have financial access to treatment and social services, but according to University of California Women’s HIV Program professor and director Dr. Edward Machtinger, “social determinants of health” – such as homelessness, domestic abuse, mental illness, poverty, and addiction – challenge HIV/AIDS patients’ ability or willingness to remain in treatment. http://edition.cnn.com/2015/12/30/health/hiv-treatment-disparity-us/

Concerns Mount As Zika Virus Spreads Outside Brazil.

reports on its front page that Brazilian researchers claim the mosquito-borne Zika virus, which has caused over 2,782 cases of microcephaly in newborns in Brazil, only recently entered the country. Researchers have not pinpointed exactly when the virus entered Brazil but speculated the World Cup or kayak races may have introduced it. The virus has also spread to other Latin American countries, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is warning that Americans traveling to these countries could bring it back to the US. Zika virus is a member of the Flaviviridae family and is transmitted to humans by mosquitoes. It is related to other pathogenic vector borne flaviviruses including dengue, West-Nile and Japanese encephalitis viruses but produces a comparatively mild disease in humans. In 2007, Zika virus caused an outbreak on the island of Yap in the Pacific. This was the first documented transmission outside of its traditional endemic areas in Africa and Asia, and Zika virus is considered an emerging infectious disease with the potential to spread to new areas where the Aedes mosquito vector is present. There is no evidence of transmission Zika virus in Europe to date and imported cases are rare. - See more at: http://ecdc.europa.eu/en/healthtopics/zika_virus_infection/Pages/index.aspx#sthash.l9V7Sfd7.dpuf http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/31/world/americas/alarm-spreads-in-brazil-over-a-virus-and-a-surge-in-malformed-infants.html?ref=todayspaper&_r=0

Offspring Of Parents With RA May Face Increased Risk For Many Long-Term Morbidities.

reports that research suggests that “the offspring of parents with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are at increased risk for many long-term morbidities, and particularly autoimmune diseases.” Investigators found that “among children whose mothers had RA, the hazard ratios were 3.30 (2.71-4.03) for juvenile idiopathic arthritis, 1.37 (95% CI 1.12-1.66) for type 1 diabetes, and 1.28 (95% CI 1.20-1.36) for asthma.” Meanwhile, among “those whose fathers had RA, the hazard ratios were 2.97 (95% CI 2.20-4.01), 1.44 (95% CI 1.09-1.90), and 1.15 (95% CI 1.04-1.26), respectively.” The findings were published online in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. Potential explanations for this heightened risk for disease in the offspring include genetic factors or fetal programming, a concept suggesting that intrauterine exposures can have health effects later in life, as well as RA treatments. However, little is known about the long-term effects of parental RA, and these potentially influential factors have not been fully explored. http://www.medpagetoday.com/Rheumatology/Arthritis/55462

High-Dose Vitamin D3 May Modulate Immune System In Patients With MS.

reports that in a study published online Dec. 30 in Neurology, researchers “tested the impact of two levels of vitamin D supplementation among 80 patients” with multiple sclerosis. Half the patients “were given 10,400 international units of Vitamin D, and the other 40 took 800 IUs of the supplement per day.” Researchers found that patients “in the high-dose group had significantly reduced levels of activity among a certain type of immune cell thought to be involved in multiple sclerosis, compared with those in the low-dose group.” http://www.newsweek.com/high-levels-vitamin-d-may-help-treat-multiple-sclerosis-410352

Asthma Prevalence Rising Among Poorer, Older Children Other populations show dips in asthma rates

http://www.medpagetoday.com/Pediatrics/Asthma/55452?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2015-12-30&eun=g721819d0r

Brain Death Determinations Vary Across Hospitals Only spotty adoption of 2010 AAN guidelines, study finds

Only a third of nearly 500 policies analyzed required specific expertise in neurology or neurosurgery to make the diagnosis, David Greer, MD, of Yale, and colleagues reported online in JAMA Neurology. "Hospitals should be encouraged to implement the 2010 AAN [American Academy of Neurology] guidelines to ensure 100% accurate and appropriate determination of brain death," Greer and colleagues wrote. Greer was a co-author of the 2010 AAN http://www.medpagetoday.com/Neurology/GeneralNeurology/55451?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2015-12-30&eun=g721819d0r

Study Outlines Risks Of Swine Flu Pandemic.

reports University of Tokyo professor Yoshihro Kawaoka said “the public should know the risk” of a potential swine flu pandemic following Monday’s publication of the results of a study conducted by Kawaoka and other researchers. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, called for “immediate action” and revealed that vaccines are effective against swine flu but remain underused in China, the global pork supply leader. According to Dr. Joe Bresee, head of the CDC’s Epidemiology and Prevention Branch, the current US flu vaccine does not protect against the viruses discussed in Monday’s report. Opinion: Americans Not Worried Enough About The Flu. In the Washington Post (12/30, Ropeik) “Post Everything” blog, Harvard University instructor David Ropeik urges the government to bolster public awareness and education programs focused on increasing influenza immunization rates. Ropeik asserts influenza immunization numbers are low despite the flu’s significant economic and health impact because Americans’ risk perception of the virus is also low, resulting in preventable illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths. According to Ropeik, better public education and communication programs, increased media attention, vaccination incentives, and other programs are cost-effective measures necessary to convince Americans to get inoculated. http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015-12-29/researchers-warn-of-potential-for-swine-flu-pandemic

Mirrors In Dining Room, Kitchen May Help People Avoid Weight Gain.

reports that “installing a mirror in the dining room and kitchen could” help people avoid weight gain. A study to appear in the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research suggests that “when diners gaze at their own reflection, they literally watch what they eat.” http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/12071748/How-a-mirror-in-the-dining-room-could-help-you-eat-less.html

They Don't Call 'em Bloodcurdling for Nothing Horror movie messes with coagulation parameter

Watching a horror movie caused a spike in blood coagulation factor VIII, providing unprecedented scientific support for the existence of fear-induced bloodcurdling, Dutch investigators reported. Blood draws before and after movie viewing showed a statistically significant 11.1 IU/dL increase in factor VIII after watching a scary movie (2010's "Insidious") versus an educational film but without evidence of thrombin induction, essential for clot formation (not so scary that it might cause a heart attack or stroke). The change in the coagulation parameter correlated with a visual analog scale (VAS) assessment showing that viewers found the horror movie more frightening than the educational one. http://www.medpagetoday.com/Cardiology/Prevention/55418?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2015-12-28&eun=g721819d0r

Study: Wealthy, White Americans “Most Likely” To Refuse Vaccines For Children.

“Well” blog reported that a study of California state data to be published in the January issue of the American Journal of Public Health suggests that the Americans “most likely to refuse to have their children vaccinated tend to be white, well-educated and affluent.” http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/12/24/rich-white-and-refusing-vaccinations/?ref=health&_r=0

Eating Potatoes May Increase Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes.

“Eating potatoes may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and replacing them with whole grains may lower this risk,” a study published online Dec. 17 in Diabetes Care suggests. The study, which “combined data from three US cohort studies on 70,773 women from the Nurses’ Health Study (1984–2010), 87,739 women from the Nurses’ Health Study II (1991–2011), and 40,669 men from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (1986–2010),” revealed that people “who ate french fries had a higher risk of type 2 diabetes (pooled HR for every three servings/week, 1.19) than those who ate baked, boiled, or mashed potatoes (same HR, 1.04), respectively.” However, “replacing three servings per week of potatoes (regardless of type) with whole grains would decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes by 12%,” the study found. https://login.medscape.com/login/sso/getlogin?urlCache=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5tZWRzY2FwZS5jb20vdmlld2FydGljbGUvODU2NDQ1&ac=401

White House Announces New Plan To Fight Tuberculosis.

reports that the Obama Administration on Tuesday released a “long-awaited plan” to combat “the global threat of MDR-TB, the more deadly strain of tuberculosis that develops after inappropriate TB treatment.” The five-year National Action Plan recommends that the US better track the multidrug-resistant strain, boost global capabilities to fight the disease, and develop new treatments and vaccines. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/white-house-multidrug-resistant-tuberculosis_56796f17e4b06fa6887ea9ed

Women On Anticoagulants May Safely Use Contraceptives, HRT, Study Finds.

reports that a new Italian study shows that “women on blood thinners can also take contraceptives that contain estrogen, or hormone replacement therapy, without raising their risk for blood clots or uterine bleeding.” The findings were published in the journal Blood. http://consumer.healthday.com/women-s-health-information-34/misc-women-s-problem-news-707/hormone-therapy-the-pill-safe-for-women-taking-blood-thinners-706382.html

California Details Paralysis Cases Mystery of causes, connections still unsolved Polio????

The California records show an uptick in incidence of acute flaccid myelitis from August 2014 to January 2015, which coincides with an outbreak of enterovirus D68, a respiratory illness. Van Haren and colleagues noted that although they isolated enterovirus D68 from respiratory, serum, and stool samples from nine patients, they didn't find the virus in their cerebrospinal fluid. "The etiology of acute flaccid myelitis cases in our series remains undetermined," they wrote, noting, however, that the cases are very similar to those seen after outbreaks of other enterovirus species, including A71 and polio. http://www.medpagetoday.com/Neurology/GeneralNeurology/55378?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2015-12-23&eun=g721819d0r

CDC investigating another outbreak of different E. coli strain at Chipotle

http://www.cnbc.com/2015/12/21/cdc-investigating-another-outbreak-of-different-e-coli-strain-at-chipotle.html

HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Not Widely Used.

On the front of its Personal Journal section, the Wall Street Journal (12/22, D1, Reddy, Subscription Publication) reports that although the CDC estimates that 1.2 million Americans could benefit from using Truvada (emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) to prevent the spread of HIV, fewer than 22,000 people are estimated to take the drug. The CDC estimates that one-third of primary care physicians have not heard of Truvada. http://www.wsj.com/articles/why-a-drug-to-prevent-hiv-infection-is-in-low-demand-1450723285

USPSTF Releases Draft Recommendation On Who Should Use Statins.

reports that the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has issued a draft recommendation on “who qualifies for cholesterol-lowering stains.” In the new “draft guidelines” released Dec. 21 for public comment, the USPSTF “says the...medications will be of most benefit to some people ages 40 to 75 whose risk of cardiovascular disease over the next decade is at least 10 percent.” According to the AP, the task force recommendations “are similar to...2013 guidelines from the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology.” http://time.com/4157879/statins-heart-attack/

Androgen-Deprivation Therapy For Prostate Cancer May Increase Risk Of Alzheimer’s.

eports in “Quick Study” on research (12/22) published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology that suggests that androgen-deprivation therapy for prostate cancer may increase the risk of Alzheimer’s. Investigators “analyzed data on 16,888 men who had prostate cancer, including 2,397 who were treated with androgen-deprivation therapy.” Patients “treated with androgen-deprivation therapy were nearly twice as likely as the others to have developed Alzheimer’s, and those who had been given the hormone treatment for at least a year had more than double the risk for Alzheimer’s, compared with men who did not” receive ADT. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/one-type-of-prostate-cancer-treatment-may-increase-chances-of-alzheimers/2015/12/18/aaa400a0-a4ed-11e5-9c4e-be37f66848bb_story.html

FDA Announces New Blood Donation Policy for MSM

FDA adopts looser policy for men who have sex with men, continues deferral for hemophiliacs http://www.medpagetoday.com/Washington-Watch/FDAGeneral/55361?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2015-12-22&eun=g721819d0r

Flu Season Off To A Slow Start.

reports that, unlike the last three seasons, this year’s flu season is off to a slow start. According to CDC’s weekly flu count, only “South Carolina is showing significant flu-related traffic at doctor’s offices and clinics.” http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_MED_FLU_SEASON?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-12-18-13-42-27

CDC: Gun, Traffic Deaths Now Equally Common.

reported that “for the first time on record, Americans are as likely to die by a gunshot as in a traffic accident, according to” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data released this month. According to the Post, deaths involving guns “now outnumber vehicle deaths in 21 states and the District of Columbia.” The Post adds this “trend was driven largely by the sharp drop in the rate of traffic fatalities” and while homicide rates involving guns “have fallen in recent years, [they] have been offset by the rising prevalence of suicides.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/12/18/how-gun-deaths-became-as-common-as-traffic-deaths/

Sleeping Less Than 8 Hours A Day May Increase Likelihood Of Being Overweight, Study Suggests.

reports that new research suggests that sleeping less than 8 hours a day may increase a person’s likelihood of being overweight. The article reports that according to endocrinologists, sleep plays a large role in the function of hormones controlling physical health, including hunger and blood sugar regulation. http://www.seattletimes.com/life/wellness/little-sleep-may-mean-too-many-pounds/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_life

CDC Report: Deaths From Overdoses Reach Record High In 2014.

reported that a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report released Friday found that fatal overdoses from prescription opioids and heroin “surged” in 14 states last year, “pushing the nation to a record count.” Overdose deaths in the US eclipsed 47,000 in 2014, a 7 percent increase from the previous year, the highest amount reported since at least 1970, according to CDC records. The states where rates went up are Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia. West Virginia had the highest overdose rate with 35.5 fatalities per 100,000, surpassing the national rate of 15 per 100,000. California had the most total overall deaths last year, with over 4,500. Ohio was second, with more than 2,700. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2015/12/11/deaths-from-heroin-overdoses-surged-in-2014/

Cancer Deaths In Kentucky Among Highest In Nation.

reports in the first of a two-part series on cancer in Kentucky that “about 10,000 Kentuckians a year” die from cancer, “the highest rate in the nation.” Lung cancer deaths in the state are “50 percent higher than the national average,” while breast, colorectal, and cervical cancers are also at high rates. Louisville gastroenterologist Dr. Whitney Jones said, “It’s really been driven by three major things: obesity, smoking and lack of screening.” The paper points out that “Kentucky is both rural and poor” and that those two characteristics increase the risk of deadly cancer across the nation. The state also has a shortage of physicians, and a high rate of uninsured people, both of which lead to lower than average rates of screening. The article credits some moves to reduce smoking and increased cancer screening under the Affordable Care Act with offering grounds for hope that the state may reduce its cancer mortalities. http://www.courier-journal.com/story/life/wellness/health/2015/12/17/cancer-kills-kentuckians-highest-rate-nation/74874698/

Number Of US Kids Living With Type 1 diabetes Has Increased By Almost 60% Since 2002, Researchers Say.

reports that “experts” are unsure why “the number of US kids living with type 1 diabetes has increased by almost 60 percent since 2002,” according to a study published online Dec. 17 in Diabetes Care. After examining “a national database, researchers found that the prevalence of type 1 diabetes stood at just under 1.5 cases per 1,000 children and teenagers in 2002.” Eleven years later, however, “that figure had risen to 2.3 per 1,000,” the study found, adding to the “evidence of a global – and puzzling – rise in type 1 diabetes.” http://consumer.healthday.com/diabetes-information-10/type-i-diabetes-news-182/more-u-s-kids-have-type-1-diabetes-but-researchers-don-t-know-why-706315.html

Happiness and Longevity: What's Up With That?

Many prior studies claimed people who describe themselves as happy are likely to live longer, but analysis of data from more than 700,000 women in England found no such relationship. In this 150-second analysis, MedPage Today medical reviewer F. Perry Wilson, MD, sorts through conflicting findings to reach a happy -- if sometimes premature -- ending. http://www.medpagetoday.com/PrimaryCare/GeneralPrimaryCare/55286?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2015-12-18&eun=g721819d0r

Outbreak Prevention Report Card: Half of States Score 50%

Measures to quell infectious disease and prevent outbreaks fall short in half of U.S. states. http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/GeneralInfectiousDisease/55293?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2015-12-18&eun=g721819d0r

Ebola Has Long-Term Consequences for U.S. Survivors

Months later, post-recovery symptoms include joint pain, hair loss http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/Ebola/55271?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2015-12-17&eun=g721819d0r

Stroke Rounds: Shingles Tied to Short-Term Risk for Stroke

Older patients who've had shingles may be at a greater risk of stroke shortly after infection, researchers found. In a retrospective case-control study, those age 50 and up who had an acute episode of herpes zoster virus were at a significantly increased risk of stroke over the next 3 months compared with controls, Barbara Yawn, MD, of the Olmsted Medical Center in Rochester, Minn., and colleagues reported in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings. http://www.medpagetoday.com/Neurology/Strokes/55245?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2015-12-16&eun=g721819d0r

Some Employers Offering Subsidized Genetic Testing.

eports that some employers are offering their workers free or subsidized genetic testing for markers associated with metabolism, weight gain, and cancer. However, the FDA issued a report last month stating that many lab tests, including genetic ones, might be unreliable. http://www.wsj.com/articles/genetic-testing-may-be-coming-to-your-office-1450227295

nteraction Of Two Appetite Hormones May Prove Key To Developing New Treatments For Alcohol-Use Disorder.

Interaction Of Two Appetite Hormones May Prove Key To Developing New Treatments For Alcohol-Use Disorder. Medscape (12/16, Lowry) reports, “The interaction of two appetite hormones, leptin and ghrelin, may prove key to developing new drugs to treat alcohol use disorder (AUD),” the findings of a 45-participant study presented at the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry’s annual meeting suggest. The study revealed that “higher concentrations of ghrelin in the blood meant more severe cravings for both juice and alcohol,” while “leptin acted to curb alcohol cravings but did not affect the urge to drink juice.”

Study Suggests Smoking, Passive Smoking May Be Linked To Early Menopause, Infertility.

reports that new research suggests that smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke may be linked to infertility in women and early menopause. Researchers found that those who smoked or were exposed to secondhand smoke were more likely to have difficulty getting pregnant or enter menopause before age 50. The researchers looked at data from over 88,700 women in the US who had enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study between 1993 and 1998. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-smoking-fertility-idUSKBN0TY32C20151215

Data Indicate Decline In New Diabetes Diagnoses In US

website reviewed recent CDC and NIH data showing a decline in new diabetes diagnoses among American adults for the first time in 20 years. Still, Dr. Andy Menke, the study’s first author, pointed out, “Among everyone with diabetes in the US, about one in three were unaware that they had the condition. This was even higher among Asians, where one in two were unaware that they had the condition.” Both NIH and the CDC wish to study the Asian-American population more closely, because “overall weight gain is not a typical symptom for many Asian Americans” who ultimately develop type 2 diabetes. http://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/study-shows-decline-new-diabetes-cases-lacks-specific-data-asian-n477761

Impact Of Living In Poverty On Childhood Obesity Risk May Increase As Children Age

eports, “The impact of living in poverty on childhood obesity risk appears to increase as children age,” results from the UK’s Millennium Cohort Study suggest. That study found that “at age five, children living in poverty enrolled in” that study “were twice as likely as the most economically well-off children in the study to be obese.” Over time that gap grew larger, “and by age 11 the obesity rate among the poorest children was three times higher than among the wealthiest.” The findings were published online Dec. 11 in the European Journal of Public Health. http://www.medpagetoday.com/Pediatrics/Obesity/55205

USPSTF Releases Draft Recommendations For Syphilis Screening

reports that draft recommendations released by the US Preventive Services Task Force suggest that “all adults and teens at increased risk for syphilis should be screened for the sexually transmitted disease.” In a news release, task force member Dr. Francisco Garcia said, “Given the rising rates of syphilis infection, clinicians should focus on screening people at increased risk.” HealthDay reports that those with the “highest risk for syphilis are gay and bisexual men and people with HIV.” The draft recommendation is open for public comment until Jan. 18, 2016. http://consumer.healthday.com/infectious-disease-information-21/syphilis-651/syphilis-screening-recommendation-usptf-release-batch-2439-706060.html

Cancer Rates Declining In Rich Countries, Increasing In Poorer Ones, Analysis Indicates.

“In an analysis that maps the world’s hot spots for cancer, epidemiologist Lindsey Torre found a tremendous heterogeneity in which forms of the disease are most commonly diagnosed in different countries.” One of “the most significant trends...identified is a growing inequality between high-income countries and lower-income countries in cancer diagnoses – with cancer rates declining in high-income countries but rising in lower-income countries.” The findings were published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2015/12/14/global-cancer-hotspots-burden-of-disease-is-shifting-to-developing-world/

California Health Officials Issue Warning After Nurse Tests Positive For Tuberculosis. Also, 350 infants may have been exposed to tuberculosis

reported that California officials have issued a warning after a nurse in San Jose tested positive for tuberculosis, potentially exposing 350 newborn babies as well as “368 mothers, and 338 hospital employees, who came into contact with that nurse between September and November.” While “TB was once considered eradicated in the United States,” Janet Shamlian reported on NBC Nightly News (12/12, story 5, 2:05, Diaz-Balart), “rates in Santa Clara County are the fourth highest among all districts in California and nearly three times the national average.” 350 infants may have been exposed to tuberculosis at California hospital http://edition.cnn.com/2015/12/13/health/california-hospital-tuberculosis-exposure/index.html

No Benefit Seen for Probiotics in Ulcerative Colitis

The use of probiotics was not associated with significant improvements in the maintenance of remission in patients with ulcerative colitis, a Cochrane systematic review found. In four studies that compared probiotics with mesalazine, the likelihood of clinical or endoscopic relapse did not differ between the two treatments (OR 1.29, 95% CI 0.92-1.80, P=0.46, I 2=0%), according to Morris Gordon, MBChB, PhD, of the University of Central Lancashire in Preston, England. http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/AIBD/55185?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2015-12-12&eun=g721819d0r

Heart Group Statement Says T2D Boosts Cardiovascular Risk For Women More Than For Men.

reports on a statement (pdf) from the American Heart Association, published in Circulation, on differences between the sexes of the cardiovascular effects of type 2 diabetes (T2D), noting that “women with diabetes have a twofold increase in risk for coronary heart disease (CHD) compared with their male counterparts, nearly four times the risk for CHD death, and they may also need to exercise more than men to achieve the same cardiovascular risk reductions.” The authors conclude that type 2 diabetes eliminates the “advantage” women have over men in the risk for “cardiovascular events.” http://www.medpagetoday.com/Cardiology/Diabetes/55150

Chipotle now has Norovirus contamination in addition to E. coli

Boston Public Health Commission to date, and Boston College reports that at least 140 students have come to the campus health center with norovirus-like symptoms since the outbreak began over the weekend. Those symptoms include: nausea, vomiting, cramps, diarrhea and muscle pain. So, the fun stuff. http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/chipotles-norovirus-outbreak-is-not-a-typical-norovirus-outbreak/

Treating Whole Communities for Scabies Feasible, Effective

Endemic scabies can be fought successfully by dosing entire communities with ivermectin (Stromectol), results from a randomized trial in the Fiji island chain indicated. Prevalence of scabies fell from 32.1% to 1.9% after a year of community-wide treatment with ivermectin in the cluster-randomized trial -- a relative decline of 94% (95% CI 83%-100%) -- compared with a decrease in prevalence from 36.6% to 18.8% (relative decline 49%, 95% CI 37%-60%) in a community assigned to treatment only of diagnosed cases, reported Andrew Steer, PhD, of Royal Children's Hospital in Parkville, Australia, and colleagues. http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/GeneralInfectiousDisease/55129?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2015-12-10&eun=g721819d0r

NIH Director Calls Obesity “A Very Serious Problem.”

reports on its website that for part three of the “Here & Now’s series America On The Scale,” host Jeremy Hobson interviews NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins “about the latest research and what it says about understanding obesity, its complications and how best to reduce the problem.” When prompted with the question about the seriousness of obesity, Dr. Collins said that obesity is “a very serious problem,” adding that “over the last 30 years, we’ve been going very much in the wrong direction and with increasing incidents of obesity, that implies to both children and adults, and we know the health consequences are very significant in terms of increases in diabetes, in terms of joint problems, in terms of cardiovascular disease, even cancer which many people don’t realize is increased at risk in obese individuals.” http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2015/12/09/nih-obesity-no-magic-pill

Public Health Campaigns Have Played Role In Decline Of SIDS, Study Finds.

reports that new research published in the journal Pediatrics shows how much research has advanced on sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). The study, led by Richard Goldstein at Boston Children’s Hospital, based “on an analysis of 900,000 infant deaths between 1983 and 2012, suggests that safer sleeping arrangements are not a cure-all.” The study “also suggests that drops in teen pregnancy and smoking—the targets of their own major campaigns in the last 20 years—have also played a role in the dramatic decline of SIDS.” The article mentions the National Institutes of Health’s “Back to Sleep” public-health campaign launched in 1994. http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/12/sudden-infant-death-syndrome-sids-safe-sleep/419490/

Report Ranks Three Southern States As Poorest, Sickest In The US.

showed there was little progress among many of the poorest, sickest states, with some of the southern states – Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas – remaining at the bottom of the list.” Across the US, “increases in drug deaths, obesity and diabetes offset national declines in smoking, deaths from heart disease and infant mortality.” Still, “some states’ dramatic improvement brightened the overall picture.” http://cdnfiles.americashealthrankings.org/SiteFiles/Reports/2015AHR_Annual.pdf

US Life Expectancy Stalled At Nearly 79.

The AP (12/9, Stobbe) reports that a CDC report “based on all the 2014 death certificates” reveals that US life expectancy “has stalled for three straight years.” A baby born in 2014 “can expect to make it to 78 years and 9½ months – the same prediction made for the previous two years.” It remains unclear “why life expectancy has been flat lately, but suicides and fatal drug overdoses probably are playing a role, experts believe.” http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_MED_LIFE_EXPECTANCY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-12-09-01-40-54

CDC: US Infant Mortality Rate Hits Record Low.

A report from the CDC says that infant mortality in the US “fell to its lowest level ever in 2014,” the New York Times (12/9, A28, Tavernise, Subscription Publication) reports. US infant mortality rates “have long been stubbornly high, particularly when compared with other rich countries,” but, following a peak in 2005, “rates have been declining, down by 13 percent through 2013.” The CDC report says the rate “declined again in 2014, down by 2.3 percent to a new low of 582.1 infant deaths per 100,000 live births, from 596.1 the year before.” http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/09/health/us-reports-a-new-low-in-deaths-of-infants.html?_r=0

Cows’ Milk Taken At Night Found To Have Sedative Effects On Mice.

reports that a mouse study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food found that milk taken from cows during the night had greater sedative effects than milk collected during the day. The reason suggested is that milk collected at night had 24% more tryptophan and about ten times as much melatonin as milk collected during the day. http://www.wsj.com/articles/got-night-milk-a-possible-treatment-for-anxiety-insomnia-1449503741

WHO Assembles Scientists In Geneva To Predict Next Pandemic.

reports the World Health Organization has called for scientists to travel to Geneva on Dec. 8 and 9 to “discuss which infectious disease is likely to spark the next pandemic.” The WHO does not want to be caught off-guard, “as it was last year” by the Ebola outbreak. Some possible diseases include other Ebola species, the “closely related” Marburg virus, Middle East respiratory syndrome, Influenza, Nipah and Hendra viruses, or previously unknown pathogens, such as SARS. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the preparation means “you are better positioned to respond to anything, even something that you never imagined in your wildest dreams.” http://www.nature.com/news/disease-specialists-identify-post-ebola-threats-1.18952

Number Of Dengue Fever Cases In Hawaii Grows.

reports that the number of dengue fever cases reported on Hawaii’s big island has reached 136, “prompting health authorities this week to warn residents and travelers...to take precautions to avoid contracting the virus.” The first cases in the current outbreak can be traced to September, and they have “developed into what is now being treated as a cluster of 106 adults and 30 children.” The outbreak is also occurring at the beginning of the island’s peak tourist season. The AP (12/8) and NBC News (12/8, Fox) also report on the outbreak. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/08/health/hawaiis-dengue-fever-outbreak-grows.html?ref=health&_r=0

Texting Triggers New Type of Brain Wave Video EEG monitoring reveals 'texting rhythm' in some epilepsy patients

Tatum and colleagues evaluated data from 129 patients seen at Mayo Clinic Florida and Rush University Medical Center, finding that nearly a quarter of the population (24%) showed this "texting rhythm" on video EEG monitoring. He defined it as a "reproducible, stimulus-evoked, time-locked generalized frontocentral monomorphic burst of 5 to 6 Hz theta, consistently induced by active text messaging." The waveform was highly specific to active texting (P<0.0001), and it didn't occur with other activities such as voice calls, speech, or movement. Nor was there any association with age, gender, epilepsy type, MRI results, or EEG lateralization in patients with focal epileptic seizures, Tatum said. Advertisement He noted that the wave pattern itself isn't exactly new: "It's a new biorhythm in terms of where it appears and what causes it," he said. "It's not a new rhythm relative to the EEGs that people have been analyzing since the early 1900s." http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/AES/55068?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2015-12-08&eun=g721819d0r

Infant Mortality Rises With Maternal Weight Gain

Stillbirth, neonatal death risks spike when mom fattens between pregnancies http://www.medpagetoday.com/OBGYN/Pregnancy/55036?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2015-12-07&eun=g721819d0r

Experts Warn Of Risks Associated With Over-The-Counter Drugs.

reported on its website that physicians “warn that there are risks involved with taking” over-the-counter medicines “that people may not be aware of.” According to experts, one of the main concerns with OTC drugs are the risk of interactions with other OTC or prescription drugs, especially among older adults who take multiple prescription drugs. Experts also point to the risk of taking too much of an ingredient contained in multiple OTC drugs. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-safe-are-over-the-counter-drugs/

Ultraman Endurance Competition May Lead To Muscle Damage Associated With Insulin Resistance.

The endurance competition known as the Ultraman could lead to muscle damage associated with insulin resistance,” a study published online in the European Journal of Applied Physiology suggests. In addition, athletes taking part in Ultraman competitions may “experience higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol and a drop in their testosterone levels.” Such “negative health effects are temporary but call into question the long-term health of people who train for and compete in these races on a regular basis,” the study indicates. http://consumer.healthday.com/fitness-information-14/jogging-and-running-health-news-261/endurance-athletes-may-pay-physical-toll-705490.html

Early Weight Loss With Saxenda Predicts More

Early weight loss in patients taking the newly approved injectable obesity drug liraglutide 3 mg (Saxenda, Novo Nordisk) predicts sustained weight loss with the drug, according to findings from a post hoc analysis of two large randomized trials. More than half (55%) of nondiabetic study participants who lost at least 5% of their total body weight after 4 months on liraglutide (early responders) had a 10% or more weight loss after 56 weeks on the drug, compared to fewer than one in 10 (8%) patients who did not achieve this early weight loss. http://www.medpagetoday.com/Endocrinology/Obesity/55019?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2015-12-05&eun=g721819d0r

Health Officials Warn Against Drug-Resistant “Phantom Menace” Bacteria.

reports that a study released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that a drug-resistant superbug known as the “phantom menace” is on the rise in the US. The bug belongs to the CRE bacteria family, which can have a fatality rate of up to 50 percent, and which health officials have listed as one of the country’s “most urgent public health threats.” The “phantom menace” is a relatively new disease, and its low profile has allowed it to slip under the radar of health officials until now. CDC confirms at least 43 cases of the “phantom menace” from June 2010 to August 2015. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2015/12/03/superbug-known-as-phantom-menace-on-the-rise-in-u-s/

Fractures May Be Less Prevalent In Patients Treated With Glucocorticoids Compared To Non-Users With Similar Bone Density.

a study, researchers found that “fractures were less prevalent in patients treated with glucocorticoids compared to non-users with similar bone density.” The investigators came to this conclusion after studying data on more than 20,200 “patients referred by primary or secondary providers for bone mineral density (BMD) estimation with dual X-ray absorptiometry of the spine based on the mean density of the L1 to L4 vertebrae and femoral neck.” The findings were presented at a rheumatology meeting. http://www.healio.com/rheumatology/rheumatoid-arthritis/news/online/%7B2c42d1b5-9ab1-4cd2-b01a-8091653f3464%7D/patients-treated-with-glucocorticoids-may-have-fewer-fractures-vs-patients-with-similar-bone-density “The surprising, apparently protective effects of GC on bone quality from this large cross-sectional study cannot be explained by known confounding factors,” the researchers wrote. “These results are likely subject to unmeasured confounding and need to be interpreted with caution.” - by Shirley Pulawski

Children of obese men may inherit obesity, study shows

Speaking of Science” blog reports that in a study published online Dec. 3 in the journal Cell Metabolism, investigators “found that the sperm cells of lean and obese men had different epigenetic marks – especially in gene regions associated with controlling appetite.” researchers are “investigating a tantalizing but controversial hypothesis: that a man’s experiences can alter his sperm, and that those changes in turn may alter his children.” http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/children-obese-men-inherit-obesity-study-shows-article-1.2454431

People With Diabetes May Lose Twice As Many Teeth, Study Suggests.

reports on its website that a study published Dec. 3 in the CDC’s Preventing Chronic Disease journal suggests that people with diabetes are twice as likely to lose teeth on average as those without the condition. The study reveals that although “tooth loss has dropped overall in the US over the past 40 years, people with diabetes remain much more vulnerable,” with “black Americans with diabetes” being particularly “likely to lose teeth.” http://www.cbsnews.com/news/tooth-loss-is-higher-among-people-with-diabetes/

Obesity Drug Trial Put On Hold Due To Second Patient Death.

reports that the move was a “major setback” to Zafgen’s “bid to become an obesity drug pioneer.” Both patients who died during the trial were confirmed to have been taking beloranib, rather than a placebo. The AP (12/3) reports that Zafgen “said the patient died from a blockage in an artery in the lung, or blood clots, in the late-stage study of beloranib.” Reuters (12/3, Nathan) also covers the story. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-02/zafgen-plummets-after-second-patient-died-on-obesity-drug

Energy Drink Shots May Trigger Short-Term Insulin Resistance In Teens.

reports that teenagers who drank a “shot” of “5-hour Energy – which contains no sugar but has 208 milligrams of caffeine – were not able to metabolize sugar as efficiently as when they drank a decaf version of the same drink,” according to research presented at the World Diabetes Conference. The study’s findings indicate that “this effect might lay the foundation for developing type 2 diabetes later in life, the researchers said.” http://consumer.healthday.com/kids-health-information-23/adolescents-and-teen-health-news-719/could-energy-shots-raise-diabetes-risk-in-teens-705826.html

HHS: Dramatic Downturn in Hospital-Acquired Conditions

Big reductions in adverse drug events, pressure ulcers http://www.medpagetoday.com/HospitalBasedMedicine/GeneralHospitalPractice/54954?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2015-12-02&eun=g721819d0r

Fewer Cases Of Diabetes Being Diagnosed In US Adults, CDC Says.

In continuing coverage, the AP (12/2, Stobbe) reports, “Fewer cases of diabetes are being diagnosed in US adults,” data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate. In 2014, 1.4 million new cases of diabetes were diagnosed, compared to 1.7 million in 2009. Diabetes expert Edward Gregg, “who has been tracking the numbers at the” CDC, said, “After so many years of seeing increases, it is surprising.” On its “All Things Considered” program and in its “Shots” blog, NPR (12/1, Shute) quotes Ann Albright, director of the CDC’s Division of Diabetes Translation, who said that despite the falling number of diagnoses, “we still have a long, long way to go.” According to NPR, “the number of new cases each year is still triple what it was in 1980.” Currently, some “29 million people, nine percent of the US population, have diabetes.” http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_MED_DIABETES_DECLINE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-12-01-16-01-27

CDC Officials Say US At Risk Of Losing Fight Against AIDS.

reports that in an essay published in The New England Journal of Medicine on Tuesday, World AIDS Day, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Thomas R. Frieden and the CDC’s chief of AIDS prevention Dr. Jonathan Mermin write that despite efforts to combat HIV/AIDS, the US is still in danger of losing the fight against AIDS. “Hundreds of thousands of people with diagnosed H.I.V. infection are not receiving care or antiretroviral treatment,” Frieden and Mermin wrote. “These people account for most new H.I.V. transmission,” they added, noting that 45,000 new infections occur each year. The Times adds that some AIDS experts “said [the article] amounted to a call for radical changes in how the disease is fought,” while other experts “complained that Dr. Frieden should have gone further, calling for much more funding, a heavier reliance on preventive drugs and the decriminalization of H.I.V. transmission.” http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/02/health/us-still-in-danger-of-losing-war-on-aids-cdc-director-says.html?ref=health&_r=0

Gastric Artery Embolization May Have Potential As Treatment For Morbid Obesity.

reports that gastric artery embolization “may have new potential as a minimally invasive treatment for morbid obesity,” a study presented at the Radiological Society of North America’s annual meeting suggests. So far, four patients have undergone the procedure, with “mixed” results. While “one patient lost 50 pounds within nine months of the procedure,” two other “patients experienced more ‘mild’ weight loss, the researchers said.” The fourth patient, “who also has diabetes, had safely lost 26 pounds three months out.” http://consumer.healthday.com/women-s-health-information-34/misc-hormones-health-news-390/blocking-a-stomach-artery-tested-as-weight-loss-tool-705680.html

Number Of New Diabetes Cases In The US Has Finally Started To Decline, CDC Says.

reports in a nearly 1,500-word story that “the number of new cases of diabetes in the United States has finally started to decline,” falling by “about a fifth from 2008 to 2014, according to researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” While “experts say they do not know whether efforts to prevent diabetes have finally started to work, or if the disease has simply peaked,” they do “say the shift tracks with the nascent progress that has been reported recently in” Americans’ health. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/01/health/new-diabetes-cases-at-long-last-begin-to-fall-in-the-united-states.html?ref=health&_r=0

Culture Shock: Declining Ebola, Rising STDs

West African outbreak enters final stages; congenital syphilis rises in U.S. http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/GeneralInfectiousDisease/54919?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2015-12-01&eun=g721819d0r

AIDS-Related Deaths Tripled Among Adolescents In Last 15 Years, UNICEF Report Says.

reported that data released last Friday by UNICEF showed that “the number of adolescents dying from AIDS has tripled over the last 15 years.” The report also showed that most “acquired the disease when they were infants.” The report further disclosed that “AIDS is the number one cause of death among adolescents aged 10 to 19 in Africa and the second leading cause of death among adolescents globally.” However, “only one in three of the 2.6 million children under the age of 15 living with HIV are on treatment.” http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-3335740/Adolescent-deaths-AIDS-tripled-2000-UNICEF.html

Breast-Feeding May Reduce A Woman’s Risk Of Diabetes And Cancer, Studies Suggest.

To Your Health” blog touted the benefits of breast-feeding for infants, pointing to the “growing number of new studies” that “provide evidence that breastfeeding” may reduce a woman’s risk of diabetes and cancer. According to a study funded by that National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, women who breast-feed “were a great deal less likely – up to 50 percent less – to develop diabetes 2 in subsequent years than those who did not breast feed.” The findings were published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Another study suggested that “those who breastfeed may reduce an aggressive type of cancer called hormone receptive negative tumors by 20 percent.” The findings were published in the Annals of Oncology in October. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2015/11/25/two-more-reasons-to-breastfeed-it-may-reduce-moms-cancer-and-diabetes-risk/

Medical Groups Issue Independent Warnings About Toxic Chemicals In Common Products.

“Sunday Review” column, Nicholas Kristof wrote that “two major medical organizations have issued independent warnings about toxic chemicals in products all around us,” contending that “unregulated substances...are sometimes linked to breast and prostate cancer, genital deformities, obesity, diabetes and infertility.” The Endocrine Society released a 150-page “scientific statement,” in which it warned that “‘mounting evidence’ also ties endocrine disrupters to infertility, prostate cancer, undescended testicles, testicular cancer, breast cancer, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer and neurological issues,” with the threat being “particularly great when unborn children are exposed.” Meanwhile, citing “a National Cancer Institute report finding that ‘to a disturbing extent babies are born ‘pre-polluted,’” the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) pointed out that “virtually every pregnant woman in America has at least 43 different chemical contaminants in her body.” The Endocrine Society has endorsed http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/29/opinion/sunday/contaminating-our-bodies-with-everyday-products.html?_r=1

New Target in Sepsis: The Host Response

Researchers from Harvard University's Center for Experimental Therapeutics and Reperfusion Injury reported that bioactive lipid molecules referred to as 13-series resolvins (RvTs) hastened the resolution of inflammation and increased survival from Escherichia coli infections in a mouse model. http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/GeneralInfectiousDisease/54884?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2015-11-27&eun=g721819d0r

Obese Kids May Have Difficulty Resisting Food Because Of How Their Brain Is Wired.

Obese children may have difficulty resisting food because of how their brain is wired,” a study scheduled for presentation at the Radiological Society of North America’s annual meeting suggests. The MRI study involving 30 kids ranging in age from six to 10 revealed that “food smells activated the parts of their brains related to impulsive behavior and obsessive-compulsive disorder,” something that did not occur in youngsters whose weight was “normal” and “healthy.” http://consumer.healthday.com/cognitive-health-information-26/brain-health-news-80/could-obesity-be-wired-into-some-children-s-brains-705334.html

UNAIDS Report: New HIV Infections, AIDS-Related Deaths On The Decline.

reports that the United Nations AIDS program said Tuesday that the strategy to end the AIDS pandemic is beginning to show results. UNAIDS estimates in a report that the rate of new HIV infections has decreased by 35 percent since the peak in 2000, while AIDS-related deaths have decreased by 42 percent since a 2004 peak. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/24/health-aids-idUSL8N13I3FA20151124

Increased Potassium Intake May Be Of Benefit In Patients With Type 2 Diabetes.

“The higher the levels of urinary potassium excretion, the lower the risk for renal dysfunction and cardiovascular (CV) complications in patients with type 2 diabetes and normal renal function at baseline,” research published online Nov. 6 in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology suggests. The findings of the 623-patient study “indicate that increased potassium intake could be of benefit in such patients.” https://login.medscape.com/login/sso/getlogin?urlCache=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5tZWRzY2FwZS5jb20vdmlld2FydGljbGUvODU0OTI2&ac=401

Energy-Dense Walnuts Tied to Better Diets

Walnuts significantly improved diet quality, endothelial function, and cholesterol without negatively affecting blood pressure or glucose levels in a new study. The walnut diets neither significantly improved or worsened body mass index, percent body fat, percent body water, or visceral fat (P>0.05) when the two arms were compared. But waist circumference improved in the walnut plus dietary counseling group. The walnut diets also had no significant effect on blood pressure or fasting blood glucose. http://www.medpagetoday.com/PrimaryCare/DietNutrition/54869?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2015-11-25&eun=g721819d0r

E. coli linked to Costco chicken salad

Health officials are advising customers to throw away chicken salad made with rotisserie chicken purchased from any Costco location. http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/e-coli-linked-to-costco-chicken/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_business

Complete Lupus Remission is Possible; So is Eventual Relapse

A modest proportion of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in a large cohort achieved complete remission for at least 3 years but relapses occurred even after 10 years of remission, suggesting long-term follow-up of SLE patients is mandatory, researchers said. http://www.medpagetoday.com/Rheumatology/Lupus/54842?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2015-11-24&eun=g721819d0r

Do Stimulant Meds Keep Kids With ADHD up all Night?

Stimulant medication for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) had a negative effect on a child's ability to get to sleep and resulted in overall less sleep time, a small meta-analysis measuring the impact of stimulants on a child's sleep found. http://www.medpagetoday.com/Pediatrics/ADHD-ADD/54844?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2015-11-24&eun=g721819d0r

Chipotle’s E. coli outbreak hits Ohio

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported new cases of the illness in California, New York and Ohio on Friday linked to the popular burrito restaurant. Those follow earlier cases in Oregon, Washington and Minnesota. http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/morning_call/2015/11/chipotle-s-e-coli-outbreak-hits-ohio.html

Research Suggests Link Between “Social Jetlag” And Higher Risk For Heart Disease, Diabetes

Well” blog reported that while previous research has “shown that there is an association between shift work and an increased risk for heart disease and diabetes,” new research published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism “has found a similar association in people whose sleeping schedules change on the weekend.” reported that investigators found that study participants “with the greatest variation in their sleep schedules also had worse cholesterol readings, higher blood sugar levels, a larger waist circumference, and a higher body-mass index than those who had less social jetlag.” Lead author Patricia M. Wong said, “Social jetlag refers to the mismatch between an individual’s biological circadian rhythm and their socially imposed sleep schedules. Other researchers have found that social jetlag [especially in shift workers] relates to obesity and some indicators of cardiovascular function.” Wong “added that this study is the first to show that even a small amount of social jet lag can have big effects on health, contributing to metabolic problems. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/11/20/sleeping-in-feels-so-good-but-may-be-unhealthy/?ref=health&_r=0

Sleep Matters for Obesity

Sleep deprivation and metabolic disease has been studied extensively recently with reviews showing glucose tolerance decreasing in healthy young adults after just a night of sleep deprivation. It has also been shown that shorter sleep duration has an association with weight gain as revealed in the NIH-AARP study and in a recent systematic review and meta-analyses (one also linking long duration with weight gain). The data associating poor sleep with obesity and metabolic disease, including type 2 diabetes, is concerning because it seems to be a significant problem in our society for a variety of reasons. Beyond just sleep hygiene and sleep duration, it was found in the Look Ahead trial that 86% of patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This obviously contributes very detrimentally to poor sleep and expansive metabolic complications including obesity. Treatment of OSA with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) may not solely lead to weight loss, as pointed out in a recent meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials, but certainly improves health and well-being, likely improving the potential of successful obesity treatment. The good news is that weight loss does improve OSA, especially if mild or moderate. Marked improvement or resolution requires significant weight loss, but should definitely be a goal for patients with obesity and OSA with a strong indication for intensive obesity therapy. http://www.medpagetoday.com/Blogs/LifestyleMedicine/54815?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2015-11-21&eun=g721819d0r

Tenofovir Prevents HBV Transmission in Pregnancy

Giving tenofovir to pregnant women with high levels of hepatitis B virus can reduce transmission to children, researchers reported here. http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/AASLD/54806?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2015-11-21&eun=g721819d0r

CDC Deputy Director Says Flu Vaccine Is A Better Match To Circulating Viruses.

reports that CDC Principal Deputy Director Anne Schuchat reassured the House Energy and Commerce Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee on Thursday that “current lab data shows that most flu viruses in circulation remain similar to the virus used to develop vaccines updated from the 2014-2015 season to create a better match.” Democrats and Republicans on the subcommittee “expressed concern about the capacity and modernity of the vaccine development process while still emphasizing the need for individuals to get vaccinated.” Schuchat added that it is unknown how well the vaccine will work at this time of year but emphasized that “being vaccinated protects you substantially compared to not being vaccinated.” http://www.cq.com/login?jumpto=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cq.com%2Fdoc%2F4793911

Waist-To-Hip Ratio Proposed As Measure Of Health.

reports on a study (11/20) published Nov. 10 in the Annals of Internal Medicine suggests that a good way to determine whether one has too much belly fat is to divide the measure of one’s waist by one’s hips. In general, the ratio of waist to hips should not exceed one, and in women anywhere from 0.85 to 1 is “a healthy ratio,” while “for men the ideal ratio is .9-to-1.” Mayo Clinic researcher and lead author on the study Francisco Lopez-Jimenez said that for those who have too high a waist-to-hip ratio, they might try “a diet low in refined carbohydrates,” adding that “The very first fat that we burn after engaging in a good exercise program is actually abdominal fat.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/11/19/this-simple-measure-of-health-may-be-more-important-than-your-weight/

Study Finds Wide Variance In How The Same Foods Affect Postprandial Blood Glucose Levels In Different People.

the findings of an-800 patient study published Nov. 19 in Cell suggest there is a “wide variance in how the same foods” affect postprandial blood glucose levels in different people. Then, “to understand why such vast differences exist between people, the researchers conducted microbiome analyses on stool samples,” finding that “specific microbes did correlate with how much blood sugar rises after a meal.” http://www.cbsnews.com/news/huge-differences-even-when-people-ate-the-same-foods/

Viagra May Help Ward Off T2D By Improving Body’s Ability To Use Insulin.

reports that in the study of overweight adults with pre-diabetes, “all of the patients were randomly assigned to take Viagra (25 milligrams, three times per day) or an inactive placebo for three months.” At that point, patients “in the Viagra group were more sensitive to insulin and also had lower levels of albumin in their urine...than those in the placebo group, the researchers found.” The study was published Nov. 18 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. http://consumer.healthday.com/diabetes-information-10/misc-diabetes-news-181/could-viagra-help-prevent-type-2-diabetes-in-those-at-risk-705322.html

Disruption Of Routine Sleep Habits May Be Tied To Increased Risk For Diabetes, Heart Disease

reports that the disruption of routine sleep habits may be associated with an increased risk for diabetes and heart disease, according to the results of a 447-patient study published online Nov. 18 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Even after adjusting for confounding factors, researchers found that people “with large differences in their sleep schedules on workdays and free days tended to have worse cholesterol and fasting insulin levels, greater insulin resistance, larger waist size, and higher body mass index.” In a news release from the Endocrine Society, study lead author Patricia Wong, of the University of Pittsburgh, said that the study is the “first...to extend upon that work and show that even among healthy, working adults who experience a less extreme range of mismatches in their sleep schedule, social jetlag can contribute to metabolic problems.” http://consumer.healthday.com/sleep-disorder-information-33/misc-sleep-problems-news-626/sleep-cycle-changes-raise-health-risks-705348.html

Oral RSV Drug Shows Promise in Early Study Symptoms reduced in volunteers infected with RSV

An oral drug designed to inhibit replication of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) lowered viral loads and alleviated clinical symptoms in healthy adults who had been inoculated with the virus in an early-stage placebo-controlled trial, researchers said. http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/GeneralInfectiousDisease/54773?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2015-11-19&eun=g721819d0r

Antibiotic Reduces Severe Lung Illness in At-Risk Kids

Bacharier's group conducted a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled parallel group trial across 9 academic medical centers, comprising 607 children from 12 to 71 months old with histories of recurrent, severe LRTIs with wheezing requiring systemic corticosteroids or unscheduled clinic or hospital visits. Participants were randomized 1:1 to receive azithromycin or placebo at the earliest signs and symptoms prior to development of LRTI. Of these, 443 children (223 azithromycin and 220 placebo) actually experienced at least 1 RTI and were treated. Use of azithromycin reduced the risk that a given RTI would become severe by 3 percentage points (8% with placebo versus 5% with azithromycin), Bacharier and colleagues reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association. http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/URItheFlu/54776?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2015-11-19&eun=g721819d0r

CDC: Rates Of Syphilis, Chlamydia, Gonorrhea On The Rise.

says that a report released Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that “syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia are rising at alarming rates.” Between 2013 and 2014, physicians reported a 15 percent increase in syphilis infections, a 5 percent increase in gonorrhea cases, and a 3 percent increase in chlamydia cases, the report found. The CDC said the diseases pose “a substantial health challenge.” Dr. Gail Bolan, director of the CDC’s STD Prevention Division, “said there was ‘no single answer’ for the increase, but noted several factors.” http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/18/us/spike-seen-in-reported-cases-of-sexually-transmitted-diseases.html?_r=0

Women With Apple-Shaped Body At Risk for Eating Disorder Researchers say more fat at center of body is a predictor

Each one-point increase in percentage of abdominal fat was associated with a 53% increase in risk of developing loss-of-control when eating, even though percentage of total body fat didn't predict the eating disorder, according to Laura Berner, PhD, at Drexel University in Philadelphia, and colleagues. With a 2 year follow-up, Berner and colleagues also found that more trunk fat was also associated with body image dissatisfaction in nearly 300 college-aged women at risk of weight gain. They published their findings in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. "Our results suggest that centralized fat deposition increased disordered eating risk above and beyond other known risk factors," said Berner in a press release. "The specificity of our findings to centralized fat deposition was also surprising." Previous research has shown that loss-of-control eating predicts weight gain and the development of binge-eating episodes, said the researchers. And a separate study, published last week, found that the waist-to-hip ratio is a far better predictor of relevant outcomes like mortality than is body mass index (BMI). Berner and colleagues found that their results were independent of BMI and of depressive episodes. http://www.medpagetoday.com/PrimaryCare/DietNutrition/54751?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2015-11-18&eun=g721819d0r

AAP: Animal Antibiotics Threaten Kids' Health

Drug-resistant organisms spreading, and children are most vulnerable. Citing the potential threat to children's health, as well as to the public at large, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) took a stand against the use of nontherapeutic antibiotic use in animals. The AAP technical report, which was published simultaneously in Pediatrics, described how the use of antibiotics in livestock as growth stimulants, and not for treating illnesses, contributes to the threat of antimicrobial resistance and potential infection through the food supply -- especially among young children who are most vulnerable to infection. http://www.medpagetoday.com/PublicHealthPolicy/PublicHealth/54718?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2015-11-17&eun=g721819d0r

WHO Survey Indicates People Lack Understanding Of Antibiotics.

Misunderstanding of antibiotics fuels superbug threat, WHO says http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/16/us-health-antibiotics-who-idUSKCN0T50X720151116#UlSPQKgkhLj0hbKD.97

Global Pharmaceutical Companies “Rushing Into” Dietary Supplement Market.

reports that global pharmaceutical companies are “rushing into” the nutraceutical market, “putting hundreds of millions of dollars behind new nutraceutical products that can move quickly onto store shelves without much federal oversight.” The market is “already huge,” as “studies show between half and two-thirds of Americans use dietary supplements,” and the relaxed regulation decreases the cost of developing and marketing products. http://www.statnews.com/2015/11/16/celebrity-selfies-lax-regulations-drive-booming-supplement-industry/

Moderate Coffee Drinking Associated With Lower Risk Of Death From Certain Conditions, Including T2D.

reports on a study published in Circulation based on data covering “almost 168,000 women and over 40,000 men,” some of them for up to 30 years, finding that those who drank fewer that five cups of coffee daily “had a lower risk of deaths from cardiovascular disease, neurological diseases, type 2 diabetes [T2D] and suicide.” http://www.cbsnews.com/news/coffee-drinking-linked-to-a-longer-life/

Cardiac Events Tied to Certain Antibiotics

Macrolide use was also associated with a 31% increased risk of cardiovascular death, but not with an increase in the risk of all-cause death, noncardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke. http://www.medpagetoday.com/Cardiology/Arrhythmias/54705?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2015-11-16&eun=g721819d0r Antibiotic macrolides US FDA-approved : Azithromycin - unique; does not inhibit CYP3A4 Clarithromycin Erythromycin Fidaxomicin Telithromycin

FDA Finalizes New Food Safety Rules

Under the new Foreign Supplier Verification rule, food importers will be required to verify that suppliers are producing food that meets U.S. safety standards. The FDA also issued guidelines governing the accreditation of third-party auditors to conduct food safety audits on foreign food facilities. In 2013, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated that imported food accounted for 19% of the U.S. food supply, including 52% of fresh fruits and 22% of fresh vegetables. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued new rules designed to prevent foodborne illnesses caused by tainted produce that sicken millions of Americans each year, the agency said on Friday. http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/GeneralInfectiousDisease/54703?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2015-11-16&eun=g721819d0r

Study Finds Devices Emitting More Sleep-Disrupting Blue Light.

reports that a study published in Frontiers in Public Health and led by Prof. Paul Gringras of Evelina Children’s Hospital in London, found that newer electronic devices are more likely to disrupt sleep because of their brighter and bluer displays. Prof. Gringras said that “smartphones, tablets and e-readers should have an automatic ‘bedtime mode’ that stops them disrupting people’s sleep.” He said that the devices emit “blue light that delays the body clock and keeps people awake later into the evening.” He explained that there are “some sleep-aware apps” that “reduce blue-green light emissions,” and that the devices could have a “bedtime mode” that would “filter out the blue” light. http://www.bbc.com/news/health-34744859

Is the Ebola Virus Petering Out?

Two African countries free of disease but risks remain, WHO says http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/Ebola/54666?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2015-11-13&eun=g721819d0r

FDA to Examine Maternal Vaccines to Protect Infants

An advisory panel for the FDA will explore the development and licensing of maternal immunizations used to protect infants from disease, at a meeting here on Friday. The FDA's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee will offer its recommendations regarding the appropriate clinical study design for assessing the safety and efficacy of both investigational and licensed vaccines given to mothers for their infants' protection. http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/Vaccines/54665?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2015-11-13&eun=g721819d0r

CDC: Congenital Syphilis Rates On The Rise In The US.

reports that “the rate of newborns with syphilis jumped 38 percent between 2012 and 2014 to its highest level in more than a decade, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention” said Thursday in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The report showed that syphilis “was found in 11.6 of every 100,000 births in 2014, up sharply from 8.4 in 2012 and the highest rate since 2001.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2015/11/12/u-s-sees-alarming-jump-in-rate-of-newborns-with-syphilis/

Cleaning Chemicals Appear To Weaken Fertility, Mouse Study Suggests.

reports that new research indicates that “common ingredients in the cleaning sprays for your kitchen and bathroom make mice less fertile, suggesting the compounds could do the same to humans.” The study was published in Reproductive Toxicology, and “comes as US infertility rates appear to be rising.” http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/germ-killing-bathroom-sprays-appear-to-weaken-fertility/

Smoking Rates Dropped To 16.8% In 2014, CDC Report Says.

reports that according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report, the prevalence of smoking in the country dropped from almost 21 percent in 2005 to 16.8 percent in 2014. This includes a full percentage point drop since 2013. However, these figures “mask deep trouble spots” among the poor and less-educated. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/13/health/us-smoking-rate-cdc-report.html?_r=0

Obesity Has Not Declined In US Recent Years, Report Indicates.

reports that “despite years of efforts to reduce obesity in America...federal health officials reported Thursday that the share of Americans who were obese had not declined in recent years, and had edged up slightly.” Approximately “38 percent of American adults were obese in 2013 and 2014, up from 35 percent in 2011 and 2012.” http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/12/health/obesity-rises-despite-all-efforts-to-fight-it-us-health-officials-say.html?_r=0

Greater Consumption Of Soft Drinks With High Fructose Corn Syrup May Be Linked To Higher Risk For Chronic Bronchitis.

http://www.healio.com/pulmonology/bronchitis/news/online/%7B050bb3fa-2810-42d0-bf77-80df944bf8b6%7D/soft-drink-consumption-may-influence-risk-for-chronic-bronchitis “Results support the hypothesis that underlying fructose malabsorption and fructose reactivity in the gastrointestinal [tract] may contribute to chronic bronchitis, perhaps through in situ formation of [advanced glycation end products], which may contribute to lung disease. Longitudinal and biochemical research is needed to confirm and clarify the mechanisms involved.”

Researchers Have Used Toenail, Hair Samples At Harvard To Study 40 Different Diseases.

reports that Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health has “toenail clippings from more than 100,000 people – and a similar number of snips of hair from cut-off ponytails.” The Globe adds that “hair and toenails harbor hormones and trace elements like arsenic and selenium, so” researchers “can analyze them to get an average of the levels in your body over several months.” This “makes the envelopes full of clippings a gold mine for researchers, who have used the samples in at least 400 research projects studying 40 diseases.” http://www.statnews.com/2015/11/11/trove-of-toenails-stashed-in-freezers-could-hold-clues-for-cancer-research/

Two Gene Variants Linked to Brain's Response to Food Imagery

The FTO genetic variant, which is associated with type 2 diabetes, has previously been shown to affect dietary intake, and body mass index, in children. And a separate study presented here found that adolescents with any of four weight-associated nucleotide polymorphisms -- of which the FTO variant was one -- responded more intensely to words associated with high-energy foods. Dopamine is released by the pleasure center in the brain. http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/ObesityWeek/54628?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2015-11-11&eun=g721819d0r

Flu Vaccine May Be Less Effective If Administered Every Year, Studies Suggest.

reports that a “growing body of evidence” indicates that repeated flu shots every year may “gradually reduce the effectiveness of the vaccines under some circumstances.” A study released by Wisconsin’s Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation reported “recently that children who had been vaccinated annually over a number of years were more likely to contract the flu than those who were vaccinated only in the season in which they were studied.” In a recent interview with STAT, lead researcher and epidemiologist Dr. Edward Belongia recounted, “The vaccine was significantly more effective...if they had not been vaccinated in the previous five years.” http://www.statnews.com/2015/11/11/flu-shots-reduce-effectiveness/

Short Sessions Of High-Intensity Exercise May Benefit People With T2D.

“Short sessions of high-intensity exercise may provide more health benefits for people with type 2 diabetes [T2D] than longer bouts of less intense activity,” according to the results of a 76-patient study that was scheduled for presentation Nov. 10 at the American Heart Association’s annual meeting. http://consumer.healthday.com/diabetes-information-10/diabetes-management-news-180/short-bursts-of-intense-exercise-benefits-type-2-diabetics-704903.html

Infants Who Consume Probiotics Within 27 Days Of Birth May Decrease Chances Of Developing Islet Autoimmunity.

reports that a study published online Nov. 9 in JAMA Pediatrics reveals that “infants who consumed probiotic formula or dietary supplements within 27 days of birth were less likely to develop islet autoimmunity, a condition that leads to Type 1 diabetes.” However, the study was “limited to infants with a high genetic risk of developing the disease,” the article points out. The research was supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health http://www.tampabay.com/news/health/can-the-stuff-in-yogurt-lower-the-risk-for-type-1-diabetes-a-usf-study/2253216

Weight Loss Surgery Relieves Psoriasis Symptoms

http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/ACR/54598?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2015-11-10&eun=g721819d0r

Record Number Of West Nile Virus Deaths Reported In California.

reported that California has suffered a record number of deaths from West Nile in 2015, according to health data published Friday. This year, 32 people have died of the virus, compared to 31 last year. The number is estimated to rise through November, health officials warn. Infection rates this year are also high, but not as high as last year, the article reported. http://www.dailynews.com/health/20151106/california-reports-record-number-of-west-nile-virus-deaths

Cooking Meals At Home May Help Fight Sugar Spikes That Can Lead To Type 2 Diabetes.

reports that after analyzing data “on nearly 58,000 women who took part in the Nurses’ Health Study and on more than 41,000 men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study,” researchers found that people “who ate about 11 to 14 homemade lunches or dinners a week had about a 13 percent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, compared with those who ate less than six homemade lunches or dinners a week.” The research was presented at the American Heart Association’s annual meeting. Healio (11/9, Talierco) also covers the story. http://time.com/4104061/homemade-meals-diabetes/

Most Americans Report No Coverage for Obesity

True even when employers target BMI in wellness programs http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/ObesityWeek/54522?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2015-11-07&eun=g721819d0r

Uninsured Rate Drops To 9%, CDC Data Show.

reports that Obama Administration officials “touted the new data on Thursday as evidence of the success of ObamaCare.” The data indicate that 16.3 million people have gained health coverage since the ACA’s coverage expansion took effect in 2013. The survey also “finds that the uninsured rate in states that expanded Medicaid dropped from 18 percent to 10 percent since 2013.” http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/259304-uninsured-rate-falls-to-new-low-under-obamacare-poll-finds

FDA Advisory Panel Recommends Heightened Warnings On Commonly Prescribed Antibiotics.

reports that an advisory panel for the Food and Drug Administration called for greater label warnings for the side effects of fluoroquinolones. The panel voted 21-0 on sinusitis, 18-2 on bronchitis, and 20-1 on urinary-tract infections. http://www.wsj.com/articles/fda-panel-seeks-tougher-antibiotic-labels-1446784061?mod=rss_US_News

Certain Food Words May Interact With Stress, Genetics To Trigger Unhealthy Eating, Studies Say.

reports that two studies presented this week at Obesity Week suggest that “certain food words can interact with stress and genetics to trigger unhealthy eating.” In one study of participants “whose brain activity was monitored while they looked at words describing high- and low-calorie foods,” participants who were obese had a higher likelihood of wanting high-calorie foods, particularly when under stress. The other study found an association “between responses to food words and obesity risk in teens with genetic variants that increase the risk of obesity.” http://consumer.healthday.com/vitamins-and-nutrition-information-27/obesity-health-news-505/don-t-even-talk-about-it-food-words-can-make-you-overeat-704936.html

Gastric Balloon Swallowed Like A Tablet May Help Patients Lose Excess Weight.

reports in “Science Now” that the Elipse device, an encapsulated “gastric balloon that’s swallowed like a [tablet] and then sits in the stomach filled with fluid, helped patients lose more than a third of their excess weight over a four-month period,” according to the results of a study presented at Obesity Week. The study of “34 overweight and obese subjects who got the balloon lost an average of 22 pounds after four months – roughly 37% of their excess weight,” the study found. The device has yet to be approved by the FDA, however. http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-swallowed-pill-weight-loss-surgery-20151105-story.html

California's first flu death of season recorded in Santa Clara County

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-first-death-of-flu-season-20151104-story.html eports that California Department of Public Health officials confirmed the state’s first flu-related death of the year on Wednesday. The person who died was under 65 years of age and lived in Santa Clara County. Last flu season in state was “moderately severe, with 78 deaths in people under 65, according to a recent department report.” The article points out that only deaths in people under 65 are reported to the state.

Survey Names Mississippi The “Fattest” State Once Again.

reports that in a “troubling survey” conducted by personal finance website WalletHub, Mississippi was “again” named “fattest” state in the US. The survey ranked “Louisiana as a close second, while Hawaii came out as the fittest – or leanest – of the 50 states.” http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3304609/United-States-Obesity-Mississippi-named-America-s-fattest-state-Hawaii-ranks-leanest.html

Counting Bites Of Food May Help Result In Weight Loss, Study Suggests.

reports that counting bites of food may help result in weight loss, according to the results of a 61-participant study published in Advances in Obesity, Weight Management & Control. Participants who counted “the number of bites they took each day and pledge[d] to take 20 percent to 30 percent fewer bites over the next four weeks” ended up losing about four pounds that month. http://consumer.healthday.com/vitamins-and-nutrition-information-27/obesity-health-news-505/study-count-your-bites-count-down-the-pounds-704746.html

Major Foodborne Outbreaks On The Rise.

reports in “To Your Health” that “major foodborne outbreaks in the United States have more than tripled in the last 20 years, and the germs most frequently implicated are familiar to most Americans: Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria.” Meanwhile, “a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention makes clear the danger these pathogens pose.” The report analyzed “the illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths from foodborne outbreaks that took place in two or more states between 2010 and 2014,” finding “120 multistate outbreaks.” CDC officials are also using new gene-sequencing tools to track down the source of outbreaks faster. The agency has been using the technology for all investigations involving Listeria since September 2013 and will begin testing it for salmonella, E. coli and campylobacter next year. This DNA "fingerprinting" allows public health officials to examine thousands of pieces of DNA to link germs in sick people with the pathogens in contaminated food more precisely than the standard techniques in use for the past two decades. So far, officials say, they've been able to solve some "cold cases" by finding contaminated food responsible for unsolved illnesses. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2015/11/03/major-foodborne-outbreaks-in-u-s-have-tripled-in-last-20-years/

NIAID Director Warns The Public May Be Underestimating Superbug Threat.

reports that antibiotic-resistant bacteria have made hospital stays more risky, causing 75,000 deaths per year due to infections acquired while in health facilities. NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci, who fears the public underestimates the threat of antibiotic resistance, said that while clean healthcare environments are important, “I don’t think the major issue is to scrub and scrub the floors. I think the major issue is to have judicious use of antibiotics.” http://www.wsj.com/articles/benefits-of-bleach-a-hospital-adopts-a-grandmothers-preferred-germ-killer-1446493104

Global Health Experts Sound Warning On “Looming Co-Epidemic” Of TB And Diabetes.

reports that a “declaration made at a summit in Indonesia” by “global health experts” sounds a warning that “the convergence” of diabetes and tuberculosis “represents a ‘looming co-epidemic.’” The statement makes a call “for greater co-ordination in testing and treating diabetes and TB.” http://www.bbc.com/news/health-34702351

Maintaining A Good Diet May Be Crucial To Overall Health And Stopping Deaths Considered Preventable, Studies Suggest.

reports that two studies published in the November issue of the journal Health Affairs suggest that “maintaining a good diet is crucial to overall health and stopping deaths that are usually considered preventable.” One study examined “cost-effective interventions that could lower childhood obesity,” finding that “an excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverages, elimination of the tax subsidy for advertising unhealthy food to children, and nutrition standards for food and drinks sold in schools outside of school meals would pay for themselves through health care costs saved.” http://time.com/4096894/us-diet-premature-death/

Menu Calorie Counts May Not Improve Dining Habits, Studies Suggest.

reports that “most consumers don’t seem to care much about calorie counts on menu boards,” according to a pair of new studies published in Health Affairs. The first study found that New York City’s requirement “has done little so far to change consumers’ eating habits,” as, initially, “just 12% of consumers ordered items with fewer calories, and that dropped to 9% when the researchers surveyed customers again in 2013 and 2014.” Furthermore, “only about half of consumers even noticed the calorie counts when they went up on menu boards in 2008.” reports that the second study found “restaurants that moved to calorie posting early reduced the calorie content of standard items on their menus by an average of roughly 120 calories.” The researchers concluded that “the greatest impact on mandatory menu labeling on population health may come from restaurants’ changing the calories of their menu items instead of consumers’ changing their behavior.” http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2015/11/02/effects-of-labeling-calories-on-menus/75046400/

Legionellosis Incidence Increasing, Data Indicate.

eported that research indicated that “passive surveillance for legionellosis showed a 249% increase in crude incidence in the United States between 2000 and 2011.” The findings were published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. https://login.medscape.com/login/sso/getlogin?urlCache=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5tZWRzY2FwZS5jb20vdmlld2FydGljbGUvODUzNDg4&ac=401

West Nile Virus Has Killed 28 People This Year In California.

reports that health officials said that the latest data from the Department of Public Health in California showed that this year 28 people have died from West Nile virus so far. As of Friday, “517 people in 30 counties...tested positive for the virus.” Many who have died from the virus are senior citizens, who are more likely to have complications from the disease, according to health officials. Also covering the story is the AP (11/2). http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-28-deaths-in-california-so-far-in-2015-from-west-nile-virus-20151101-story.html

Plague confirmed in Oregon teen

Health officials believe she contracted the bacteria from an infected flea during a hunting trip earlier this month in Morrow County, Oregon. According to a press release, the young woman began feeling sick on October 21 and was hospitalized in Bend, Oregon on October 24. Plague is rare in Oregon, with only eight human cases diagnosed since 1995 and no deaths, according to the Oregon Health Authority. The plague usually occurs in rural and semi-rural areas of the western United States, most commonly in New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado. The bacteria that causes the plague is naturally occurring in the environment. Humans become infected by fleas who have fed off of infected rodents such as rats, chipmunks and squirrels. http://kfor.com/2015/10/31/plague-confirmed-in-oregon-teen/

Amid E. Coli Outbreak, Chipotle Closes 43 Restaurants In Washington, Oregon

Chipotle Mexican Grill is temporarily closing more than 40 restaurants in and around Seattle and Portland, Ore., as health officials investigate an E. coli outbreak that has gotten at least 22 people sick. USA Today reports: "Since Oct. 14, three people in Clackamas and Washington counties in Oregon, both in suburban Portland, have fallen ill, said Jonathan Modie, Oregon Health Authority spokesman. And 19 cases in Clark County, which contains Vancouver, Wash., just north of Portland; Cowlitz County, north of Vancouver; King County, where Seattle is the largest city; and Skagit County about 50 miles north of King County, also have been reported. "About a third of the victims have been hospitalized, he said. No one has died from the Shiga toxin-producing E. coli bacteria, the most common in food-borne outbreaks. " 'Many people affected with Shiga toxin E. coli may not seek health care, so the number of people made ill by this outbreak is likely more than identified,' Modie said in a statement. 'Health officials want people who have eaten at a Chipotle between Oct. 14 and 23 and become ill with vomiting and bloody diarrhea to see their health-care provider and mention this outbreak.' " http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/11/02/453950872/amid-e-coli-outbreak-chipotle-closes-43-restaurants-in-washington-oregon

Patients With Diabetes More Likely To Get Post-Surgical Infections Than Patients Without Diabetes, Meta-Analysis Suggests.

http://www.medpagetoday.com/Endocrinology/Diabetes/54381

Study Finds Consumption Of Whole Milk Tied To Decrease In Metabolic Syndrome.

reports a new study published in the Journal of Nutrition concluded “that people who consume full-fat dairy products such as whole milk are less likely to be afflicted with so-called ‘metabolic syndrome,’ a set of related risk factors predicting heart disease and diabetes.” The study, backed by the Brazilian Ministry of Health and the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, looked at “more than 15,000 civil servants in Brazil” and “examined the connection between the types of dairy products people consume and their likelihood to suffer from metabolic syndrome.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonkblog/wp/2015/10/29/more-research-undermines-the-u-s-governments-case-against-whole-milk/

Reduced-Fat Diets No More Effective Than Other Weight-Loss Diets, Meta-Analysis Says.

website reports that after analyzing data from “53 studies” including “more than 68,000 adults,” researchers found that “reduced-fat diets only led to more weight loss when compared with no diet at all.” Individuals “on low-carbohydrate diets lost substantially more weight than those who went the low-fat route.” http://www.cbsnews.com/news/low-fat-diet-long-term-weight-loss/

CardioBrief: Flu Vaccine Weakened by Statin Use?

Two new studies published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases offer preliminary evidence that the flu vaccine may not work as well in people taking statins. But there is widespread agreement among experts that the association, much less a demonstration of cause and effect, has not been proven, and that current clinical practice should not be changed because of the findings. http://www.medpagetoday.com/Cardiology/CardioBrief/54389?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2015-10-30&eun=g721819d0r

TB Rivals HIV/AIDS For Leading Cause Of Death From Infectious Disease.

reports in its “Goats and Soda” blog that TB deaths “have actually been going down in recent years,” adding that the number of deaths from TB “each year has dropped by nearly half since 1990.” However, HIV deaths are “falling far faster,” NPR says. Additionally, the report “estimates that there were roughly half a million cases of multi-drug-resistant TB last year, double the number from the year 2000.” The article points out that the increase in TB cases may also be the result of new diagnostic tools that allow for easier diagnosis, in addition to better reporting. BBC News (10/29, Gallagher) also reports the story. http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2015/10/28/452565249/tb-is-now-the-top-infectious-killer-even-though-deaths-are-down

New Macrolide Passes Phase III Pneumonia Test

Solithromycin structure may thwart microbial resistance. http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/CHEST/54337?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2015-10-29&eun=g721819d0r

Chikungunya Joint Pain Keeps Islanders Away from Work Effects of the mosquito-born disease can linger for some time

"The acute course of the disease lasts about a week to 10 days," he said, "but the effects of the disease can linger for some time." "We have seen patients with arthralgia related to chikungunya infection out to more than a year," concurred Graham Simmons, PhD, of the Blood Systems Research Institute in San Francisco. Chikungunya infection typically is manifested as fever and polyarthralgia, Feldstein explained. These acute symptoms often resolve within 7 to 10 days, but 5% to 60% of these patients have reported persistent arthralgia for months. The disease is transmitted by mosquitoes, and is widespread and endemic in Asia and Africa. http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/ASTMH/54358?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2015-10-29&eun=g721819d0r

Obese Kids Who Cut Back On Sugar Intake May See Health Improvements After Just 10 Days.

“Well” blog reported that the study, which received its financial support from the National Institutes of Health, found that “obese children who cut back on their sugar intake see improvements in their blood pressure, cholesterol readings and other markers of health after just 10 days.” The study’s findings indicate that calories “from sugar are especially likely to contribute to type 2 diabetes and other metabolic diseases, which are on the rise in children, said the study’s lead author.” http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/10/27/cutting-sugar-improves-childrens-health-in-just-10-days/?ref=health&_r=0

Many Schools Failing on Type 1 Diabetes Care

reports on the front of its Science Times section that “too many schools are failing to provide the growing number of students who have type 1 diabetes [T1D] with the routine care they need, such as insulin shots or blood sugar monitoring, federal regulators and diabetes experts say.” In many cases, “parents do not know they have the legal right to insist on” such care. According to the Times, “many school officials do not realize that they are obligated to care” for kids with T1D. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/27/health/many-schools-failing-on-diabetes-care.html?ref=health