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