Dr. House
Dr. House
Friday, December 30, 2016
Tea May Be Helpful In Fighting Chronic Illnesses.
outlines the research on the potential health benefits of drinking tea. The article reports that research suggests that tea may be helpful in fighting cancer, type 2 diabetes, depression, Parkinson’s disease, and other chronic illnesses. Kathleen Zelman, a registered dietitian and the director of nutrition at WebMD, says, “It probably doesn’t live up to the hype of being a miracle cure, but it is beneficial, especially if you drink it simply, without adding sugar, cream or milk, which adds lots of calories.” http://health.usnews.com/wellness/articles/2016-12-29/can-drinking-tea-help-fight-cancer-parkinsons-and-diabetes
Approximately 30% Of Americans Suffer From Some Form Of Insomnia.
reported that approximately “30 percent of Americans suffer from some form of” insomnia. Now “experts say the worst kind is waking up way too early.” NBC News correspondent Gadi Schwartz explained, “Waking up too early can be caused by a body clock that shifts as we age.” reports that a Consumer Reports survey suggests individuals “struggling with insomnia often turn to non-prescription sleep remedies that may be habit-forming and are only intended for short-term use.” The survey indicated “18 percent of people who said they’d taken such over-the-counter drugs in the past year did so on a daily basis.” Meanwhile, “41 percent said they’d taken them for a year or longer.” https://consumer.healthday.com/sleep-disorder-information-33/insomnia-news-625/many-misuse-otc-sleep-aids-survey-718214.html
Diet-Induced Obesity May Change Brain In Ways That Suppress Impulse To Move Around, Mouse Study Suggests.
reports that research in mice published in Cell Metabolism “offers evidence that diet-induced obesity alters the brain’s functioning in ways that suppress the natural impulse to move around.”
STAT (12/29, Samuel) reports that the investigators found that “the activity of a particular dopamine receptor linked to movement goes down as mice gain weight on a high-fat diet.” Thus, the rodents “slow down and they move less.” When the investigators “restored the activity of that dopamine receptor...the mice started moving more, even though they were still obese.” The study also indicated that mice that were lean that did not have the receptor also did not “move around as much.” http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-obesity-inactivity-20161229-story.html
Thursday, December 29, 2016
Wednesday, December 28, 2016
Elevated Serum Testosterone Levels May Promote Formation Of Renal Stones, Research Suggests.
reports that research suggests “elevated levels of serum testosterone may promote formation of renal stones.” The findings were published in the International Journal of Applied & Basic Medical Research. https://mail.google.com/_/scs/mail-static/_/js/k=gmail.main.en.Az9C4K3BfFw.O/m=m_i,pdt,t,it/am=yOLi4PL_vj-IkwFAWelEhdn3zzeXygf73Pv_-wcECvoZ-L_Z_wP8HwAAAAB2UYMC/rt=h/d=1/rs=AHGWq9AsCVy7u3Ek0wvkm8iIRAUukRIxEA
Tuesday, December 27, 2016
Over Four Years Of College, Students Gain On Average About 10 Pounds, Study Indicates.
“Over four years of college, students gain...about 10 pounds, on average,” researchers found after assessing 86 students at the start “and end of their first and second semesters, and again at the end of their senior year.” The findings were published online in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. https://consumer.healthday.com/vitamins-and-nutrition-information-27/food-and-nutrition-news-316/wiser-but-fatter-by-graduation-717736.html
Study Examines How BMI Affects DNA.
“in what is being called the biggest study yet on the effect of body mass index (BMI) on DNA,” investigators revealed that “that significant changes were found in the expression of genes responsible for lipid metabolism and substrate transport and in gene loci related to inflammation in the DNA of individuals with high BMIs.” Additionally, the study authors were ultimately “able to identify epigenetic markers that could predict the risk of type 2 diabetes” after examining “blood samples of over 10,000 women and men from Europe.” The findings were published in a letter in Nature. http://www.medicaldaily.com/being-overweight-changes-your-dna-increasing-risk-diabetes-offspring-407204
Early Appendectomy And/Or Tonsillectomy May Be Associated With Increased Likelihood For Pregnancy, Study Indicates.
reported, “Women who had their appendix and/or tonsils removed when they were young are more likely to get pregnant” and to “get pregnant sooner,” researchers found after examining “pregnancy rates using the United Kingdom...primary health care-based Clinical Practice Research Datalink.” The findings were published in Fertility and Sterility. http://endocrinenews.endocrine.org/appendix-tonsil-removal-linked-higher-pregnancy-rates/
Kids May Be More Likely To Become Overweight Or Obese During Summer Vacation Than During School Year.
reported youngsters may be “more likely to become overweight or obese during summer vacation than during the school year,” researchers found after examining “data on kids’ height and weight at the beginning and end of each academic year from the fall of 2010 until the spring of 2013.” The findings were published in Obesity. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-children-summer-obesity-idUSKBN14C1XW
Saturday, December 24, 2016
Medicare Patients Who See Female Physicians May Be Less Likely To Die Or Be Readmitted In Following Month Than Those Who See Male Physicians, Study Suggests.
reports the researchers reviewed the records of over 1.5 million Medicare patients who were admitted to hospitals for medical reasons between 2011 and 2015, and found that over that period only 11% of the patients treated by female physicians died within a month of being admitted, compared to 11.5% of the patients treated by male physicians. The researchers estimated that if all physicians performed as well as the female physicians reviewed in the study, then 32,000 lives would be saved each year. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-survival-womendoctors-idUSKBN1481W2
Researchers Identify Genetic Link Between Sleep Problems And Obesity, Other Medical Conditions.
reports research suggests a “genetic link between poor sleep and some medical conditions, including obesity, restless legs syndrome and schizophrenia.” Researchers examined mapped genes “of more than 112,000 people” and “identified areas of the genome connected to different types of sleep problems (including insomnia and excessive daytime sleepiness), and then linked some to medical conditions, such as restless legs syndrome, schizophrenia and obesity.” The findings were published online Dec. 19 in the journal Nature Genetics. https://consumer.healthday.com/sleep-disorder-information-33/misc-sleep-problems-news-626/study-finds-genetic-link-between-sleep-problems-and-obesity-717922.html
Research Claims Warnings To Cut Sugar Intake Based On Weak Evidence.
reports new research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine argued that “warnings to cut sugar...are based on weak evidence and can’t be trusted.” The study received “sharp criticism from public health experts because the authors” were funded by the International Life Science Institute, a group funded by multinational food and agrochemical companies including Coca-Cola and General Mills. Critics “say the medical journal review is the latest in a series of efforts by the food industry to shape global nutrition advice by supporting prominent academics who question the role of junk food and sugary drinks in causing obesity, type 2 diabetes and other health problems.” http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/19/well/eat/a-food-industry-study-tries-to-discredit-advice-about-sugar.html
Many States Unprepared For Emergence Of New Contagious Diseases, Report Shows.
a new report from Trust for America’s Health released Tuesday revealed that “most states are easily caught off guard” by the emergence of a new contagious disease. The report, “Ready or Not? Protecting the Public from Diseases, Disasters and Bioterrorism,” found that “twenty-six states and the District of Columbia scored a six or lower on 10 key indicators of public health preparedness.” CNN reports that the “worst offenders were Alaska and Idaho, each scoring 3 out of 10.” Meanwhile, “Massachusetts scored the highest at 10 out of 10, trailed by North Carolina and Washington state, each scoring 9s.” http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/20/health/us-health-emergency-grades-2016/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_health+%28RSS%3A+CNN+-+Health%29
Obesity Gene Mediates Kids' Brain Response to Food Ads Reward center was more active in kids with genetic risk
The study focused on the fat-mass and obesity associated (FTO) gene, and it used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to examine the nucleus accumbens, a region of the brain associated with reward and eating behavior, said senior author Diane Gilbert-Diamond, ScD, of Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H., and colleagues.
When watching fast food commercials, brain activity in the nucleus accumbens of children with two copies of the high-risk FTO allele was significantly higher than in children with only one copy or no copy (P<0.01), Gilbert-Diamond and colleagues reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. http://www.medpagetoday.com/Pediatrics/Obesity/62181?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2016-12-21&eun=g721819d0r&pos=3
Thursday, December 15, 2016
Study Examines Health Impact Of Soda Taxes In 15 Cities.
reports a new Harvard study suggests soda taxes not only reduce consumption of sugary beverages, but “can improve the health and economic wellbeing of communities.” The Childhood Obesity Intervention Cost-Effectiveness Study at Harvard’s school of public health examined “the long-term cost-effectiveness of soda taxes” and concluded that “these policy measures could reduce rates of obesity and prevent diabetes, leading to a long-term reduction in healthcare costs nationwide.”
Business Insider (12/14, Taylor) notes the study examined what “would happen if the 15 largest US cities with the ability to pass a 1-cent-per-ounce tax on sugary drinks did so,” and found that the tax would “raise almost $1 billion in revenue every year.” Jim Krieger of Healthy Food America, the food policy nonprofit that funded the Harvard study, said “cities have a golden opportunity to help their people avoid premature death and illness and cut health costs while raising revenue to make residents’ lives better in other ways.” http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/The-Bite/2016/1214/Soda-taxes-do-more-than-discourage-consumption
Death And Complication Rates Vary Greatly Among US Hospitals, Study Suggests.
reports patients at the “worst” hospitals in the United States are three times more likely to die and 13 times more likely to have complications than patients at the “best” hospitals in the US, according to a study published in PLOS One. Researchers reviewed information from 22 million hospital admissions and found “considerable variation in outcomes” depending on the hospital that patients visited. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/14/business/hospitals-death-rates-quality-vary-widely.html?_r=0
Wednesday, December 14, 2016
Investigation Claims Many Popular Drugs Offer Small Benefit, Negative Side Effects.
http://www.jsonline.com/story/news/investigations/2016/12/14/medicines-secret-some-drugs-wont-help-most-those-who-take-them/95354170/
found that the “biggest secret in medicine,” according to F. Perry Wilson, a researcher and physician at Yale University School of Medicine, is that “For the vast majority of the drugs out there, the chance that you, as an individual, are going to see a benefit is quite small.” Furthermore, a push by pharmaceutical companies to “turn a series of everyday conditions into medical disorders, means more people are taking – and being harmed by – the suspect drugs.” The investigation looked into “eight conditions that became part of mainstream medicine over the past 20 years, ranging from pre-diabetes to overactive bladder.” According to the analysis, since 2013, “nearly 65,000 reports of serious side effects involving drugs used to treat five of the conditions have been reported to the FDA,” including over 1,600 deaths.
Cause Of Death Varies By Region, Study Suggests.
reports deaths caused by neurological disorders increased in eastern Texas, Oklahoma, and Alabama. The article also mentions that according to the National Cancer Institute, death rates from cancer between 2009 and 2013 “were highest in Union County, Florida; Wade Hampton Census Area, Alaska; Woodson County, Kansas; Powell County, Kentucky; and other nearby counties.” http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/13/health/cause-of-death-by-county/
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
Patients With T2D Who Receive Diabetes Education While Hospitalized May Have Improved HbA1c,
“Patients with type 2 diabetes [T2D] who receive diabetes education while hospitalized have improved HbA1c as measured by continuous glucose monitoring,” researchers reported. The findings of the 54-adult study were published online in the Journal of Diabetes Investigation. http://www.healio.com/endocrinology/diabetes/news/in-the-journals/%7Be944b5a4-7798-4d10-ae8a-6dfca98357d5%7D/hba1c-improves-with-inpatient-diabetes-education
Proportion Of Overweight Babies, Toddlers Declines.
GREAT news a study published in the journal Pediatrics showed that the “rate of youngsters at risk for obesity fell during the study, from almost 15 percent in 2010 to 12 percent overall in 2014,” according to a review of data by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention researchers. Lead author David Freedman “said reasons are uncertain for the decline, but it came amid changes designed to improve nutrition and health in food packages, including more whole grains, fruits and vegetables.” The AP notes that all age groups studied saw a decline in obesity risk. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_MED_CHUBBY_BABIES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Treatments For Obesity Are Not One-Size-Fits-All, Experts Say.
reports in a 2,800-word article that treatments for obesity are not one-size-fits-all and that “obesity and its precursor – being overweight – are not one disease but instead, like cancer, they are many.” Dr. Lee Kaplan, director of the obesity, metabolism and nutrition institute at Massachusetts General Hospital, “counts 59” types of obesity and ongoing research may well reveal more. Dr. Caroline Apovian, director of the nutrition and weight management center at Boston Medical Center, “said most people can lose weight but keeping it off is the key,” and “finding something that works ‘is still trial and error’ for most people.” Dr. Louis Aronne, an obesity medicine specialist at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medicine Center, is featured along with the various strategies he has used to help his patients with obesity lose weight. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/12/health/weight-loss-obesity.html
Monday, December 12, 2016
Patients Who Take Multivitamins Should Get One Tailored To Age, Gender.
“Well” blog reported that there is a “rationale for having sex-specific vitamins,” according to Jeffrey B. Blumberg, a professor of nutrition science and policy at Tufts University, because the multivitamins have “recommended dietary allowances” that differ considering gender and age. However, “many experts question whether you need to take a multivitamin at all,” even though there is “wide agreement that some people should take a daily multivitamin, including pregnant women and nursing mothers, people on a heavily restricted diet, and those with a known nutrient deficiency.” http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/12/09/do-men-and-women-need-separate-multivitamins/?_r=0
Postmenopausal Women Undergoing Estradiol-Based HT May Have Significantly Decreased Risk For Mortality Due To Vascular Dementia, Study Indicates.
reported, “Postmenopausal women undergoing estradiol-based hormone therapy [HT] have a significantly decreased risk for mortality due to vascular dementia and a modestly decreased risk for mortality due to Alzheimer’s disease,” researchers found after identifying “489,105 Finnish women in a national drug reimbursement register who were using hormone therapy between 1994 and 2009.” The findings were published online in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. http://www.endocrinologyadvisor.com/androgen-and-reproductive-disorders/hormone-therapy-and-risk-for-death-from-vascular-dementia/article/578370/
Friday, December 9, 2016
Thursday, December 8, 2016
Optimism May Decrease Risk Of Various Diseases, Study Suggests.
revealed a “significant association between increasing levels of optimism and decreasing risks of death from cancer, heart disease, stroke, respiratory disease and infections.” The Times reports, “the associations were particularly strong for cardiovascular disease,” adding that those “in the quarter with the highest optimism scores had a nearly 40 percent lower risk for heart disease and stroke than those in the lowest quarter.”
On its website, CBS News (12/7, Welch) reports researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health “analyzed data...from 2004 to 2012 on 70,000 women who participated in the Nurses’ Health Study, a long-running research project tracking women’s health via surveys every two years.” Researchers concluded that the correlation between optimism and a longer life was the result of optimistic people tending to have healthier behaviors, better diets and better sleeping patterns, among other factors. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/07/well/mind/stay-optimistic-live-longer.html
While the study is observational and cannot prove a cause-and-effect relationship between optimism and a longer life, the researchers have some theories for what might be behind the connection.
“It’s a combination,” Hagan said. “If you’re more optimistic, you tend to have healthier behaviors. Optimistic people are likely to have better diets, they’re exercising more, and they’re getting better sleep.”
However, even after the researchers accounted for these factors, the results still suggest that optimism itself is linked to a longer life.
“So it could be that optimism directly impacts our biological functioning,” Hagan said. “Optimism is linked with lower inflammation and healthier biomarker levels and lipid levels, so there could be an independent effect on optimism.”
Intense Or Prolonged Exercise May Leave Immune System Temporarily Weakened, Review Suggests.
reports on a review published in the Journal of Applied Physiology finding that “some types of workouts may hinder the immune response...while others bolster it,” and “a few simple precautions, including consuming carbohydrates during exhausting workouts, might help to keep our immune systems robust.” Review author Jonathan M. Peake, a lecturer in sports science at Queensland University of Technology in Australia, explained that during exercise the immune system is stimulated, but that after exercise the resultant decline often leaves people with “fewer natural killer cells in their blood” than before. Co-author Oliver Neubauer, a senior research fellow at Queensland, said, “Ingesting carbohydrates during vigorous exercise may help” by stabilizing blood sugar levels and so reducing “the body’s stress response.” This would only be necessary for “high-intensity or prolonged exercise that lasts for 90 minutes or more.” http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/07/well/move/carbs-during-workouts-may-fend-off-colds.html
US Life Expectancy Declines For First Time Since 1993.
“For the first time in more than two decades, life expectancy for Americans declined last year.” According to a report released Thursday by the National Center for Health Statistics, “Rising fatalities from heart disease and stroke, diabetes, drug overdoses, accidents and other conditions caused the lower life expectancy.” In all, “death rates rose for eight of the top 10 leading causes of death.” The Post says that “overall, life expectancy fell by one-tenth of a year, from 78.9 in 2014 to 78.8 in 2015, according to the latest data.” The last time the US “life expectancy at birth declined was in 1993, when it dropped from 75.6 to “The United States ranks below dozens of other high-income countries in life expectancy, according to the World Bank.” The world leader is Japan, “at nearly 84 years.” The report is “based mainly on 2015 death certificates” and notes that “life expectancy is not declining for all Americans.” Unfortunately, the new CDC report “did not offer a geographic breakdown of 2015 deaths, or analysis of death based on education or income.” However, other research “has shown death rates are rising sharply for poorer people – particularly white people – in rural areas but not wealthier and more highly educated and people on the coasts.” http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_MED_LIFE_EXPECTANCY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Baby Teethers May Leach Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals, Study Says.
reports on a study conducted by researchers at the American Chemical Society and published in Environmental Science & Technology finding that baby teethers may contain “endocrine-disrupting chemicals.” The researchers found that every one of the 59 baby teethers they tested “contained bisphenol A (BPA), bisphenol S (BPS) or bisphenol F (BPF), and most contained various parabens, as well as the antimicrobials triclosan and triclocarban.” The study authors estimated that a baby’s exposure to the chemicals would be at lower levels than “those of what European regulators consider safe.” http://www.foxnews.com/health/2016/12/07/baby-teethers-may-contain-low-levels-bpa-study-finds.html
Public Unclear on What Makes Cigarettes Dangerous Many think added chemicals are the problem, not tobacco itself
"Additives don't change tobacco and make it dangerous. Tobacco is inherently dangerous when you burn it and smoke it," he said. "Additive-free has been promoted heavily by these manufacturers, and it's no accident that smokers perceive these brands to be less harmful," Brewer told MedPage Today. "It's sort of like the 'low-tar' lie. Smokers of low-tar cigarettes believed these products were safer, but they weren't." "If you burned and inhaled pretty much anything that would be dangerous. Cigarettes are an inherently flawed product that is designed to kill people." http://www.medpagetoday.com/PrimaryCare/Smoking/61911?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2016-12-08&eun=g721819d0r&pos=0
Wednesday, December 7, 2016
Handful Of Nuts Daily Can Reduce Risk Of Death From Heart Disease, Other Risks, Review Finds.
reports that a review of 20 prospective studies published in BMC Medicine finds that “a handful of nuts a day may be enough to reduce the risk for death from heart disease and other ills.” Researchers found that people who ate the most nuts “reduced the risk for coronary heart disease by 29 percent, for cardiovascular disease by 21 percent and for cancer by 15 percent,” compared to those who ate the fewest. In addition, “there was also a 52 percent reduced risk for respiratory disease, 39 percent for diabetes and 75 percent reduced risk for infectious disease in those who ate the most nuts.” http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/06/well/eat/a-handful-of-nuts-is-good-for-your-health.html
In a review combining data from 20 prospective studies, researchers found that compared with people who ate the least nuts, those who ate the most reduced the risk for coronary heart disease by 29 percent, for cardiovascular disease by 21 percent and for cancer by 15 percent.
There was also a 52 percent reduced risk for respiratory disease, 39 percent for diabetes and 75 percent reduced risk for infectious disease in those who ate the most nuts.
Most of the risk reduction was achieved by eating an average of about one ounce of nuts a day, the amount in about two dozen almonds or 15 pecan halves. There was little decrease in risk with greater consumption. The study is in BMC Medicine.
“It has been shown in randomized trials that higher nut intake can reduce triglycerides and cholesterol in the blood,” said the lead author, Dagfinn Aune, a research fellow at Imperial College London. “And nuts are high in fiber, antioxidants and polyunsaturated fats.”
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
Poverty Cuts Seven To 10 Years Off US Life Expectancy, Study Finds.
reports that, according to a study published in the American Journal of Public Health, “poverty cuts an average of almost 10 years off American men’s lives and seven off women’s.” Reuters explains that “researchers reclassified all the U.S. counties into 50 new ‘states’ based on household income instead of geography” and then “examined longevity, smoking, obesity, childhood poverty and other health information from the richest and poorest places.” The study authors write, “The results should be deeply disturbing to all persons in the country. ... Life expectancy in the poorest ‘state’ falls below that of more than half the countries in the world, meaning that, in essence, there are several developing countries hidden within the borders of the United States.” http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-lifeexpectancy-wealth-idUSKBN13U200
Some Experts Worry About Long-Term Impacts Of High-Protein Diets.
reports that “while some nutritionists have encouraged the protein craze, a number of experts are urging caution.” The Times says that “they point out that protein powders and supplements...are a relatively new invention” and that “there are no rigorous long-term studies to tell us how much protein is too much.” The Times adds that “short-term studies suggest that high protein, low carbohydrate diets may promote weight loss and help to preserve lean muscle, and that eating protein helps satisfy hunger.” But, according to the Times, “a recent small trial found that older women who lost weight on a high protein diet did not experience one of the important benefits that usually follow weight loss, an improvement in insulin sensitivity, which reduces the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.” Meanwhile, “large population studies also suggest an association between habitual high protein intake and a heightened risk of diabetes.” http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/06/well/eat/can-you-get-too-much-protein.html
Tip for Improving HPV Vax Rates in Youth Just tell parents that kids are due for immunization
Training providers to inform parents that adolescents are due for an HPV vaccine, as opposed to engaging in an open-ended conversation, is an effective way to increase vaccine initiation, according to a study published in Pediatrics.
Clinics that received announcement training reported a 5 percentage point increase in HPV vaccine initiation coverage for 11- and 12-year-olds at 6 months compared with control clinics (95% CI 1.1% to 9.7%), reported the researchers, led by Noel T. Brewer, PhD, of the University of North Carolina School of Public Health in Chapel Hill and chair of the National HPV Vaccination Roundtable. Conversely, providers who were trained on participatory conversations did not see an increase in coverage. http://www.medpagetoday.com/Pediatrics/Vaccines/61853?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2016-12-06&eun=g721819d0r&pos=0
Monday, December 5, 2016
Many Older People Skip Vaccinations.
“New Old Age” blog reported on “an ongoing and vexing public health problem: People once vigilant about vaccinating their children aren’t nearly as careful about protecting themselves as they age, even though diseases like influenza, pneumonia and shingles...are particularly dangerous for older people.” Dr. Carolyn Bridges, associate director for adult immunization at the CDC, said, “Trying to prevent these common and often debilitating conditions is incredibly important for older adults.” http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/02/health/shingles-vaccine.html?action=click®ion=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=2&pgtype=sectionfront
Why these missed opportunities?
“Vaccines are less likely to be routinely incorporated in adult medical practice,” Dr. Bridges said. “Every time a child comes in, a pediatrician makes sure they’re up-to-date.”
Older adults often have medical issues that take precedence during brief office visits. They also see specialists who are more focused on cardiology or oncology than on flu and shingles. The vaccine’s underuse can be blamed, in part, on supply shortages in its early years until about 2012. Cost remains a barrier to getting Zostavax and some other adult vaccines.
In a study published this past summer, researchers reported that nearly 40 percent of the time, patients over 50 who requested a prescription for Zostavax at a pharmacy chain chose not to receive the vaccine; out-of-pocket costs were most frequently the reason.
The Affordable Care Act requires private insurers to cover Zostavax without co-pays for people older than 60, and many cover it for policyholders over 50. But Medicare beneficiaries find that, unlike the flu and pneumococcal vaccines, which are covered under Part B and often administered in physicians’ offices, Zostavax and Tdap are covered under Part D.
Physicians can’t easily bill for Part D reimbursement, so they often send patients to pharmacies, which can. But because Part D involves a welter of different plans and formularies, some requiring patients to pay for the vaccine and then seek reimbursement, the cost and co-pays can discourage use. Zostavax, at about $200 a dose, is the most expensive adult vaccine.
Genetic Testing May Not Encourage Healthier Behavior, Study Suggests.
reported genetic testing may not encourage healthier behavior, according to a new study published in PLoS Medicine. Researchers “provided written information about the risk factors, prevention, treatment and consequences of Type 2 diabetes to 569 healthy middle-aged men and women” and also included a “genetic risk score” for some participants, and found no significant difference in the behavior of those who received the extra genetic information compared to those who did not. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/02/well/live/does-gene-testing-spur-healthier-habits-maybe-not.html?_r=0
Researchers Identify Five Genetic Variants Tied To Higher Levels Of Branched-Chain Amino Acids And Also With An Increased Risk For T2D.
reported investigators “from the Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge have identified five genetic variants associated with higher levels of branched-chain amino acids and also with an increased risk for type 2 diabetes [T2D].” In 16,000 participants studied, “five genetic variants were associated with higher levels of circulating branched-chain amino acids.” Next, researchers examined “those genetic differences and found that in 300,000 individuals (including 40,000 with diabetes) there was elevated risk for type 2 diabetes.” The findings were described in a University of Cambridge press release.
I think BCAA make you burn fat over glucose. http://www.healio.com/endocrinology/diabetes/news/online/%7Bfe6cde4d-fcdc-4f81-854d-61bad81fa54b%7D/genes-associated-with-higher-risk-for-type-2-diabetes
Friday, December 2, 2016
Imaging Studies Zero in on Zika Impact Radiologic findings offer insight into signs and symptoms
"Neural axis MRI were performed in adult patients with acute neurological syndrome after exanthematic fever suggestive of Zika infection. Newborns with microcephaly whose mothers had exanthematic fever underwent brain MRI, some also with [ultrasound] and CT, and histopathological study of the placenta. Fetal MRI was performed in pregnant women who have had exanthematic fever," they said.
They found that most of the adult patients presented with symptoms of Guillain-Barré syndrome and variants, while a few presented with encephalomyelitis. The most common finding was lumbar root enhancement followed by lumbar dorsal ganglia enhancement and facial nerve enhancement. Other findings included brain-stem lesions, spinal cord lesions, and trigeminal nerve enhancement.
MRI studies in newborns and fetal MRI showed anatomical changes in the brain parenchyma and orbital injuries. http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/RSNA/61770?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2016-12-02&eun=g721819d0r&pos=2
Efforts To Standardize Autism Diagnosis Autism diagnosis must account for individual ability to function
There are any number of ways to conceptualize behavioral problems. There has been an emerging consensus over the past four years that mental conditions should be understood from at least three perspectives: the features or symptoms present, the effects on daily functioning within various environments, and a person's subjective experience and quality of life.
The standard diagnostic manuals provide useful categorical descriptions of various conditions. But neither the "International Statistical Classification of Diseases" nor the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" sufficiently account for either an individual's ability to function in his daily life, or the quality of his life. Yet functioning and daily experience are frequently the starting points for clinical assessments. http://www.medpagetoday.com/Neurology/Autism/61772?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2016-12-02&eun=g721819d0r&pos=0
Many Overweight Americans Don’t Realize They’re Overweight, Gallup Data Show.
reports new Gallup data reveals “7 in 10 Americans are obese or overweight, but only 36 percent think they have a weight problem.” The Times recalls that in 1990, “about 56 percent of Americans qualified as obese or overweight,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and “48 percent considered themselves ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ overweight, according to Gallup.” The article suggests that the “gap between how fat we think we are and how fat we are” has widened as obesity has normalized. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/12/01/nearly-half-of-americas-overweight-people-dont-realize-theyre-overweight/?utm_term=.89fe43f8adf1
Newborns With Low Levels Of Vitamin D May Have Higher Odds Of Developing MS Later In Life, Study Suggests.
“Newborns with low levels of vitamin D may have higher odds of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) later in life,” researchers found after examining “dried blood spot samples stored in the Danish Newborn Screening Biobank,” then identifying “every Dane born since May 1981, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis by 2012.”
Medscape (12/1, Hughes) reports the findings were published online in Neurology. An accompanying editorial observed, “Although we do not know the precise target level of 25(OH)D that would be adequate to prevent MS in most individuals, or the precise period when adequate exposure to 25(OH)D is needed, we can still aim to ensure that pregnant women and their offspring achieve the minimum levels of 25(OH)D that are considered important for health (i.e., >50 nmol/L) lifelong, and are nontoxic.” https://consumer.healthday.com/cognitive-health-information-26/multiple-sclerosis-news-486/could-low-levels-of-vitamin-d-at-birth-indicate-higher-ms-risk-717332.html
Thursday, December 1, 2016
Standing, Leisurely Walking May Benefit Patients With T2D, Study Suggests
“For people with type 2 diabetes [T2D], better blood sugar control may be as easy as getting up off the couch and standing every so often, or taking a leisurely walk,” researchers found.
MedPage Today (11/30, Harris) reports the study authors concluded, “Our results suggest that for people with type 2 diabetes, light-intensity activities (light walking and standing) can be an alternative to exercise to improve glucose regulation.” The findings were published online in Diabetologia. https://consumer.healthday.com/diabetes-information-10/misc-diabetes-news-181/standing-easy-walks-may-help-type-2-diabetics-control-blood-sugar-717252.html
Man With Advanced Prostate Cancer Said To Be Cured After Physicians “Shocked” His Tumor With Large Amounts Of Testosterone.
reports that “a man with advanced prostate cancer is believed to be cured after doctors ‘shocked’ his tumour to death with huge amounts of testosterone.” This “result has been described as ‘unexpected’ and ‘exciting’ because most prostate cancer therapies work by depriving tumours of testosterone, because cancer uses it as a fuel.” Meanwhile, “other seriously ill men taking part in the same trial showed responses that astounded scientists, with tumours shrinking and the progress of their disease halted.” The findings were presented at symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2016/11/30/man-cured-prostate-cancer-doctors-shock-tumour-death-testosterone/
Giving People Detailed Info About Their Personal Genetic Risk Of Developing Diabetes May Not Inspire Them To Change Behavior, Researchers Find.
Giving people detailed information about their personal genetic risk of developing diabetes may not inspire them to change their behavior any more than just giving them basic facts about the disease,” researchers found after analyzing “data on 569 men and women born in England between 1950 and 1965 who didn’t have a diagnosis of diabetes or other chronic diseases.” The findings were published online in PLoS Medicine. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-diabetes-risk-behavior-idUSKBN13P23Q
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Tuesday, November 29, 2016
Women With Chronic Conditions Who Don’t Use The Internet May Have Worse Health, Study Suggests.
reports that research suggests “chronically ill women who don’t use the internet may struggle with worse health.” Investigators came to this conclusion after analyzing “information provided by hundreds of American women aged 44 and older with at least one chronic condition,” such as “heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, asthma, emphysema and anxiety.” The findings were published in the Journal of Women’s Health. https://consumer.healthday.com/health-technology-information-18/misc-computer-health-news-150/many-women-with-chronic-ills-shun-online-tools-716955.html
Monday, November 28, 2016
Television Ads May Unconsciously Lead Young Children To Overconsume Snacks, Study Suggests.
reported that research suggests that “Mindless snacking in front of the television set may start long before children know how to work the remote control.” Researchers studied 60 children aged 2 to 5 years and examined “how advertising influences...eating in the absence of hunger.” Lead study author Jennifer Emond of Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire said, “If kids are exposed to food ads during” TV viewing time, “they may unconsciously overconsume snacks which can lead to extra weight gain.” The findings were published in the journal Pediatrics. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-toddlers-tv-snacking-idUSKBN13H2H0
Excess Weight Gain After Successful Dieting May Be Due To Microbiome, Mouse Study Indicates.
reported research in mice suggests “the tendency for people to regain excess weight rapidly after successfully slimming may well be due to their microbiome.” Investigators discovered that “changes in the gut microbiome that occur when an obese mouse loses weight can persist for many months, and that this contributes to accelerated weight regain later if the diet lapses.” http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-diets-yoyo-idUSKBN13J1PK
Common Drugs Boost Diabetes Risk in RA Patients Hydrochloroquine, abatacept associated with reduced risk
Confirming previously observed elevated diabetes risk with glucocorticoids, the study found a more than 30% increase in risk with these anti-inflammatories and also found a rise in diabetes risk of almost 60% with statin treatment.
In contrast, hydroxychloroquine and abatacept (Orencia) were associated with reduced diabetes susceptibility. "Considering the increased [cardiovascular] mortality in RA and the importance of diabetes to this outcome, our findings can inform clinicians about determining the appropriate treatment decisions in high diabetes-risk patients with RA," wrote Kaleb Michaud, PhD, of the University of Nebraska in Omaha, and colleagues. http://www.medpagetoday.com/rheumatology/arthritis/61677
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
Prescription Drug Reactions Leading To More Senior Citizens Going To Emergency Department, Study Finds.
reports that a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published in JAMA finds that one out of every 250 Americans goes to the ED due to a drug reaction in 2013 and 2014, representing an increase from 2005 and 2006. While the rate for children, teens and young adults largely stayed the same, “elderly Americans ended up in the ER at a higher rate during 2013 and 2014 than in the past, even when taking into account different population numbers during the two periods.” Drug interactions among senior citizens constituted about 35% of ED visits in 2013 and 2014, “compared with just 26% during 2005 and 2006, the CDC estimates.” https://mail.google.com/_/scs/mail-static/_/js/k=gmail.main.en.scnnZvz5130.O/m=m_i,pdt,t,it/am=IIsTHET-3_cHcWQA0JU6UWH2_fPNpfKxz73_vz9AUMhn4P_N_h_g_9iLWig/rt=h/d=1/rs=AHGWq9AISQ4UdovrWFCuwjThEUDIn5GbJg
Tuesday, November 22, 2016
http://www.medpagetoday.com/Rheumatology/Arthritis/61621?xid=NL_MBstandard_2016-11-22&eun=g721819d0r
The interleukin-6 receptor (IL-6R) blocker sarilumab given as monotherapy among patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was superior to adalimumab (Humira) monotherapy, a phase III trial found.
At week 24, the mean change from baseline in Disease Activity Score in 28 joints (DAS28) was -3.28 for those randomized to sarilumab compared with -2.20 among those given adalimumab, for a difference of -1.08 (95% CI -1.36 to -0.79, P<0.0001), according to Gerd R. Burmester, MD, of Charite-University Medicine in Berlin, and colleagues. http://www.medpagetoday.com/Rheumatology/Arthritis/61621?xid=NL_MBstandard_2016-11-22&eun=g721819d0r
Dementia Rate In Americans 65 And Older Has Fallen 24% Over 12 Years, Study Reveals.
“Older adults with the most schooling had the lowest dementia rates, and the average education level increased during the study years,” researchers found after analyzing “nationally representative government surveys of about 10,500 older adults” in 2000 and in 2012. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_MED_DEMENTIA_DECLINE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2016-11-21-11-33-16
Support For Dietary Supplements Questioned.
surveys the scientific evidence, or lack thereof, in support of dietary supplements. The article notes that “an independent panel convened by the National Institutes of Health concluded that evidence is lacking for or against the ability of a multivitamin to prevent chronic disease.” The author also highlights the lack of support for vitamin D, calcium, fish oil, and magnesium supplements, while explaining that the best sources of these minerals remains through food. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/21/well/live/which-supplements-if-any-may-be-worth-your-money.html?_r=0
US Hospitals Halve Number Of Potentially Deadly Bloodstream Infections Linked To Central-Line Catheters Since 2008, Consumer Reports Finds.
“US hospitals have cut in half the number of potentially deadly bloodstream infections linked to so-called central-line catheters since 2008,” yet “too many critically ill patients are still exposed to dangerous bacteria,” Consumer Reports researchers found after examining “the five-year track records of nearly 2,000 hospitals, of which 233 are teaching hospitals.” While “the good news is that central-line infection rates were sliced in half between 2008 and 2014, according to the” CDC, rates of “other hospital” infections have not changed much recently. https://consumer.healthday.com/caregiving-information-6/hospital-news-393/hospitals-halve-central-catheter-infection-rates-report-716946.html
Monday, November 21, 2016
Study Examines How Menopause Appears To Affect Memory.
reports that menopause appears to affect memory, researchers found. The study revealed that “between the ages of 45 and 55, women outperform men in memory function, but some types of memory appear to fade as estrogen declines.” Specifically, “postmenopausal women were worse at learning new information and retrieving new memories than premenopausal women.” The findings were published online in Menopause. http://www.medpagetoday.com/clinical-context/Diabetes/61588
Friday, November 18, 2016
Knee OA No Excuse to Skip Out on Physical Activity
Performing below these thresholds on the tests above may mean knee OA patients are not getting the appropriate amount of activity to prevent functional knee limitation White added. In a previous paper, White and colleagues determined that to be 6,000 steps daily. http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/ACR/61515?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2016-11-18&eun=g721819d0r&pos=0
Investigational Estrogen-Like Compound May Be A Potential Candidate For A Remyelinating Therapy In MS, Study Suggests.
“an investigational estrogen-like compound, induced oligodendrocyte differentiation in vitro, and upregulated oligodendrogenesis genes, making it a potential candidate for a remyelinating therapy in multiple sclerosis (MS),” researchers found. The findings were presented at the Society for Neuroscience meeting. http://www.medpagetoday.com/mastery-of-medicine/neurology-mastery-in-ms/61527
Kids Who Drink Whole Milk May Be Leaner Than Those Who Drink Low-Fat And Skimmed Versions, Study Suggests.
reports researchers have “found that children who drink whole milk are leaner than those who drink low-fat and skimmed versions.” The findings of the 2,745-child study were published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The article points out, however, that “current guidelines from Health Canada, National Institutes of Health and American Academy of Pediatrics go against the findings from the study, recommending two servings of low fat (one percent or two percent) milk for children over the age of two to reduce the risk of childhood obesity.” Although the research didn't look at why there was a link between whole milk and lower BMI scores, Dr. Maguire suggested that because of its higher fat content children who drank whole milk felt fuller than those who drank the same amount of low-fat or skim milk. Children who don't feel full could be more likely to snack on other foods, which possibly are less healthy or higher in calories, and in the end consume more calories overall than those who drink whole milk. https://www.yahoo.com/news/kids-drink-whole-fat-milk-slimmer-those-drink-111601857.html?ref=gs
Vitamin B12 Deficiency During Pregnancy May Predispose Children To Metabolic Problems, Researchers Say.
reports, “Vitamin B12 deficiency during pregnancy may predispose children to metabolic problems,” researchers found. The study revealed that infants “born to mothers with B12 deficiency had higher-than-normal leptin levels.” The findings were presented at the UK Society for Endocrinology Annual Conference.
Thursday, November 17, 2016
US Teen Birth Rate Fell More In Urban Counties Than Rural Counties From 2007 To 2015, CDC Finds.
reports data from the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics show that from 2007 to 2015, the teen birth rate in urban areas decreased by 50%, while it only fell by 37% in rural areas. MedPage Today (11/16, Walker) reports the researchers found that the teen birth rate fell from 38.1 to 18.9 per 1,000 teenage girls in urban counties over the time period, while it fell from 49.1 to 30.9 per 1,000 teenage girls in rural counties over the same time. reports the teen birth rate fell more among white and Hispanic teenagers than black teenagers, while all three racial groups had a higher teen birth rate in urban areas than rural ones. Additional coverage is provided by: PBS NewsHour (11/16, Santhanam) and Vox (11/16, Frostenson). http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-teen-birth-rate-rural-urban-20161116-story.html
Researchers Develop Online Calculator That May Predict Success Of Fertility Treatment
Researchers say they’ve developed free online calculators that predict how likely a woman is to have a baby after a handful of in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment cycles.” Researchers developed the calculators “after examining the experiences of almost 114,000 women who started IVF treatment in the United Kingdom between 1999 and 2008, using their own eggs and their partner’s sperm.” The findings were published online Nov. 16 in the journal BMJ. https://consumer.healthday.com/infertility-information-22/infertility-news-412/calculators-may-help-couples-predict-success-with-fertility-treatments-716910.html
Yo-yo dieting could hurt your heart: study
reports that research suggests “losing 10 pounds now and then and gaining it back may be bad for your heart,” especially for “normal-weight” women. The findings were presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions. Investigators found that “women who were normal weight at the study’s start but who reported a history of weight cycling – dropping more than 10 pounds and regaining it while not sick or pregnant, more than four times – had a 3.5 times greater risk for sudden cardiac death than those with stable weights.” The researchers also found that “they...had a 66% increased risk of dying from coronary heart disease.” That weight fluctuations are linked to such dire consequences makes some sense, and there are several different theories as to why. One is that every time weight is gained and lost, risk variables like heart rate, blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose fluctuate; repeat this cycle enough, and they’ll be less likely to return to baseline levels, Rasla says. Gaining and losing weight repeatedly may also cause insulin resistance, which increases the risk for coronary heart disease death, he says.
Why do these health problems appear to disproportionately affect women of healthy weight? Other research has shown that normal-weight women are more likely to die from with heart failure than obese women, Rasla says. “Obese people have higher blood pressure, high diabetes but over a long period of time, and it’s been found that their bodies develop a compensatory adaptive mechanism to different diseases,” he says. Thinner women, though they don’t get sick as often, may therefore be more vulnerable. http://time.com/4571618/dieting-weight-loss-heart-health/
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Patients With Diets High In Monosaturated Fatty Acids Saw Reduction In Obesity, Metabolic Syndrome Risk Factors
Researchers performed a randomized, controlled feeding study on 101 adults with obesity in the U.S. and Canada. Participants were randomly assigned to five low-calorie diets including five different treatment oils: canola DHA, canola oleic, canola, corn/safflower and flax/safflower. Participants assigned to the canola and canola oleic diets experienced a reduction in android fat mass (3.1 kg; P = .026 and 3.09 kg; P = .03, respectively) compared with the flax/safflower oil diet (3.2 kg), Liu and colleagues reported. This was particularly true for men.
Decrease in abdominal fat was associated with a decrease in BP in the canola diet group (systolic BP: r = 0.26; P = .062; diastolic BP: r = 0.38; P = .0049), as well as the canola oleic diet group (systolic BP: r = 0.39; P = .004; diastolic BP: r = 0.45; P = .0006). Patients assigned to the canola oleic diet also had a decrease in triglycerides, which was associated with decreased fat mass (r = 0.42; P = .002).
“In summary, short-term consumption of diets high in monounsaturated fatty acids provided by canola oil and canola oleic oil was associated with a reduced android fat mass in participants with or at risk for metabolic syndrome,” Liu and colleagues wrote. “These changes were associated with favorable shifts in cardiometabolic risk factors. Importantly, our findings provide evidence for a beneficial effect of dietary monounsaturated fatty acids in lowering cardiometabolic risk that we suggest is mediated by a decrease in android fat mass.” – by Andy Polhamus http://www.healio.com/endocrinology/obesity/news/in-the-journals/%7Bc950678c-7c57-4ae5-b3e3-dc3506820460%7D/high-monounsaturated-fatty-acid-diets-reduce-fat-mass-metabolic-risk-factors
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
Neighborhood Factors May Be Tied To Biological Stress For Children.
reports a new study in New Orleans found that neighborhood factors “like liquor store density, domestic violence and violent crime rates, may be tied to biological factors like stress hormone responses for children.” Researchers studied 85 black children and teenagers from 52 neighborhoods in New Orleans and found that in children who “lived near more liquor stores, domestic violence and violent crime, cortisol levels were more likely to remain high and less likely to return to normal after the stress test.” The findings were published in JAMA Pediatrics. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-kids-stress-idUSKBN1392KP
The risk of cardiovascular events among patients with established rheumatoid arthritis was more than double that of the general population over 15 years
he incidence of cardiovascular disease was more than double that of the general population, an increase that persisted even after adjustment for traditional risk factors, "indicating that the ongoing systemic inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis is an independent contributor to cardiovascular risk," he said.
"We need better implementation programs for screening and treating cardiovascular risks," he said.
"There's accumulating evidence that anti-rheumatic treatment, particularly with biologics, decrease cardiovascular risk. However, our current strategy of tapering or stopping biologics might expose patients to increased risk. This should be addressed in future studies," he concluded. http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/ACR/61425?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2016-11-15&eun=g721819d0r&pos=4
Bad News for Naproxen in RA
"Cardiovascular disease in RA is more common than in OA, which we think is because of the underlying systemic inflammation," Solomon told MedPage Today. A surprising finding in a subgroup analysis of the PRECISION study was a doubling in the all-cause mortality among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) associated with naproxen use compared with celecoxib treatment, researchers reported here at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology.
Among patients with RA, there were 15 deaths in the celecoxib group and 30 deaths in the naproxen arm (HR 0.47, 95% CI 0.25-0.88, P=0.02), reported co-investigator Daniel H. Solomon, MD, of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard University in Boston, in a poster session.
This was not the case with osteoarthritis (OA), in which the all-cause mortality rate was similar in the celecoxib, naproxen, and ibuprofen arms. Among the OA patients, the hazard ratio for celecoxib vs naproxen was 0.87 (95% CI 0.68-1.12, P=0.28), according to another investigator, M. Elaine Husni, MD, of the Cleveland Clinic.
PRECISION was a double-blind study that enrolled 24,081 patients with OA or RA who were considered to be at cardiovascular (CV) risk, with 10% of the total having RA and the remainder having OA. http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/ACR/61430?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2016-11-15&eun=g721819d0r&pos=3
Monday, November 14, 2016
Black Americans Who Smoke A Pack Or More Of Cigarettes Daily May Be At Higher Risk For Diabetes.
reported, “Black Americans who smoke a pack or more a day of cigarettes may be at higher risk for diabetes,” researchers found after tracking “outcomes for nearly 3,000 black participants enrolled in the Jackson Heart study.” The findings were scheduled for presentation at the American Heart Association’s annual meeting. https://consumer.healthday.com/cancer-information-5/smoking-cessation-news-628/heavy-smoking-may-boost-odds-for-diabetes-in-blacks-716492.html
Marked Sex Difference Seen in Drug-Induced Liver Failure Brain damage, polypharmacy more common in women with ALF
Women with acetaminophen-induced acute liver failure are more likely than men to have severe hepatic encephalopathy, a researcher said here. That finding raises another question, Rubin said: why women would be more sensitive than men to the effects of co-ingestion of drugs. Future research, she added, should look at possible physiological and neurological explanations. The explanation behind the higher fragility of women when developing toxic hepatitis is currently unknown, but hormonal factors and the differences in body fat distribution could contribute," he added. http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/AASLD/61385?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2016-11-14&eun=g721819d0r&pos=4
Saturday, November 12, 2016
Keeping Chemo Patients Away From Hospitals Is 'Come Home' ready for prime time?
Every time chemotherapy complications sent someone to an emergency room, which happens all too often, "they'd come out a little bit worse, each time just another step down in their quality of life."
They'd sometimes contract other infections while waiting for hours for the cause of their fever or diarrhea to be diagnosed. And if admitted, they'd grow weaker and disoriented lying in a bed.
The longer they wait for their first dose of antibiotics, the more likely they will become septic and end up in the intensive care unit, she said.
If only she could keep them away from hospitals.
So she and her 15-physician team at the New Mexico Cancer Center changed the way they practiced. In 2006, they initiated .... http://www.medpagetoday.com/HematologyOncology/Chemotherapy/61363?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2016-11-12&eun=g721819d0r&pos=0
Friday, November 11, 2016
Butter, Other Daily Fats Appear Not To Be So Bad For People With Diabetes, Researchers Say.
Butter may not be so bad for diabetics and others, according to an international meta-analysis. The same finding occurred for other dairy fats in relation to the development of diabetes or causing cardiovascular deaths for diabetic patients.
“This systematic review and meta-analysis suggests relatively small or neutral overall associations of butter with mortality, CVD, and diabetes. These findings do not support a need for major emphasis in dietary guidelines on either increasing or decreasing butter consumption, in comparison to other better established dietary priorities; while also highlighting the need for additional investigation of health and metabolic effects of butter and dairy fat,” wrote Laura Pimpin and her co-authors. Pimpin is a PhD candidate at the University of Cambridge. - See more at: http://www.hcplive.com/medical-news/diabetes-need-not-avoid-butter#sthash.nEHrEdH6.dpuf The concern about butter stems from the practice of focusing on micronutrients, such as saturated fats, when looking at their relationship with the increased risk of chronic diseases, the authors explained. ”For example, growing evidence supports potential metabolic benefits of certain dairy products, such as yogurt and possibly cheese, on risk of type 2 diabetes [5, 6], which may even relate to benefits of dairy fat. [7–9] However, the relationship of butter, which is highest in dairy fat, with diabetes remains unclear. The long-term effects of butter consumption on other major endpoints, such as all-cause mortality and CVD, are also not well-established,” the authors wrote.
As a result of their meta-analysis, the authors concluded “relatively small or neutral overall associations of butter with mortality, CVD, and diabetes. These findings do not support a need for major emphasis in dietary guidelines on either increasing or decreasing butter consumption, in comparison to other better established dietary priorities; while also highlighting the need for additional investigation of health and metabolic effects of butter and dairy fat.” - See more at: http://www.hcplive.com/medical-news/diabetes-need-not-avoid-butter#sthash.nEHrEdH6.dpuf http://www.hcplive.com/medical-news/diabetes-need-not-avoid-butter
High Levels Of Iron May Be Linked With A Higher Risk Of Developing Gestational Diabetes, Study Indicates.
, “High levels of iron are linked with a higher risk of developing gestational diabetes (GDM),” researchers from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) found after comparing “107 women with GDM and 214 pregnant women without gestational diabetes.” The findings were published online in Diabetologia.
HealthDay (11/10, Reinberg) provides additional coverage. https://consumer.healthday.com/pregnancy-information-29/gestational-diabetes-974/too-much-iron-linked-to-gestational-diabetes-716752.html
Iron may play a role in the development of gestational diabetes by increasing the levels of oxidative stress. In turn, that stress can cause damage or even death to pancreatic beta cells. These cells produce insulin, and damage or loss could lead to impaired insulin function. In the liver, high iron may induce insulin resistance, the researchers said
Fuzzy Results for Vision Tests in Kids Technology often misses farsightedness in preschoolers
A new study suggests that vision tests in preschoolers often fail to detect hyperopia (farsightedness), potentially robbing kids of an early opportunity to correct their eyesight.
"There is an inherent technical problem," said lead author Bruce Moore, OD, of New England College of Optometry in Boston. "We need to go back and understand what the problem is, and then we've got to find a fix."
While vision tests have been required in some U.S. school-age children since the 19th century, they've tended to be better at detecting myopia than hyperopia, said Moore, who spoke at a press conference at the American Academy of Optometry (AAOPT) annual meeting and in an interview with MedPage Today. http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/AAOPT/61334?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2016-11-11&eun=g721819d0r&pos=0
Botox-Type Drugs Can Treat Many Eye Conditions A good approach when muscular dysfunction is the cause, expert says
According to Skorin, botulinum toxins can effectively treat dystonias such as benign essential blepharospasm (BEB), which causes eyelid spasms. "I see this the most in my practice. These people are blinking constantly," said Skorin, who spoke of a patient who had to hold up his eyelids to drive to the doctor's office. "These people can become functionally blind: They can't keep their eyes open enough to drive, read, watch television."
In terms of treatment, it's important to remember that the drugs are designed to be injected into muscles, he said. "Let's say somebody has BEB, and they also have wrinkles," he said. "The injection for cosmetic purposes or the dystonia is exactly the same. You'll never inject in a crease or furrow. You want to inject in muscles themselves."
Another use: The treatment of post-Bell's palsy and the related "crocodile tears" form of synkinesis: "They'll start getting teary every time they chew, or even if they think of food and start salivating. You can do Botox injections directly into lachrymal gland. It works very well."
Other conditions for which botulinum toxin agents can be used include hemifacial spasm, apraxia of lid opening, segmental cranial dystonia, idiopathic oromandibular dystonia (Breughel syndrome), and idiopathic orofacial dystonia (Meige syndrome), said Skorin.
They can also be used to treat strabismus ("you inject the overreacting muscle to weaken it so the eye straightens itself out"), eyelid retraction and spastic entropion, he said. http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/AAOPT/61335?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2016-11-11&eun=g721819d0r&pos=2
Thursday, November 10, 2016
Physicians Say Vitamin D Deficiency May Be Overestimated.
reports, “Misunderstandings about the recommended amount of vitamin D have led to misinterpretation of blood tests and many people thinking they need more than they really do, some experts who helped set the levels write in” the New England Journal of Medicine. The AP adds, “Correctly interpreted, less than 6 percent of Americans ages 1 to 70 are deficient and only 13 percent are in danger of not getting enough.” http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_MED_OVERDOING_VITAMIN_D?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2016-11-09-17-23-21
Uncertainty Surrounds Medicaid Expansion Under Trump Administration.
reports, “Millions of low-income Americans on Medicaid could lose their health coverage if President-elect Donald Trump and a Republican-controlled Congress follow through on GOP proposals to cut spending in the state-federal insurance program.” Kaiser Health News adds that the “biggest risk for Medicaid beneficiaries comes from pledges by Trump and other Republicans to repeal the Affordable Care Act,” which has allowed nearly 73 million to enroll “in Medicaid – about half are children.” http://khn.org/news/millions-could-lose-medicaid-coverage-under-trump-plan/
Women Seeking To Take Advantage Of Birth Control Opportunities Before Trump Takes Office.
reports women are encouraging each other to visit the gynecologist in the next 70 days in light of President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign promise to defund Planned Parenthood and repeal Obamacare, including its provision that gives women “access to 18 FDA-approved types of birth control at no out-of-pocket cost.”
More Women Expressing Interest In Getting IUDs After Trump’s Election. The Huffington Post (11/9, Hanson) reports “many women” are planning to get intrauterine devices after the election of Donald Trump, out of fear that the new Republican administration will introduce new limitations on reproductive rights. Planned Parenthood’s Dr. Raegan McDonald-Mosley said, “It’s too early to tell if we’ll see an uptick in requests for IUDs as a result of the election. ... While we truly hope that birth control methods will be available, accessible, and affordable to all women under the Trump administration, we understand people’s real concerns about losing access to birth control, which is basic health care for women.” http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/11/09/why-women-making-gynecologist-appointments-post-election/93553266/
Short Sleepers Drink More Sugary Sodas Treating sleep deprivation may help reduce sugar intake, researchers say
There appears to be a connection between getting too little sleep and drinking more caffeinated sugary drinks, but the direction of the association is not understood. It is not clear if drinking caffeinated, sugar-sweetened beverages causes people to sleep less or if it is the opposite, that sleep deprivation causes people to give in to cravings for the sugary drinks. Respondents who slept 5 hours or less had 21% higher consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (relative difference 1.21, 95% CI 1.11-1.32);
When considered by beverage type, caffeinated sugary beverages accounted for this difference; and
No associations were seen between self-reported sleep duration and consumption of 100% juice beverages, tea, or diet drinks. http://www.medpagetoday.com/PrimaryCare/SleepDisorders/61326?xid=NL_MBstandard_2016-11-10&eun=g721819d0r
Wednesday, November 9, 2016
Low Vitamin D May Be Linked To Higher Asthma Risk In Kids, Study Suggests.
reports that research suggests children “who don’t get enough vitamin D may be at increased risk for asthma.” Investigators found that “children with vitamin D insufficiency were 1.35 times more likely to have asthma compared with children with adequate levels of vitamin D.” Meanwhile, “adults with vitamin D insufficiency were not at increased risk for an asthma diagnosis, but they were more likely to say they experienced wheezing in the past year, compared with those who had adequate levels of vitamin D.” The findings were presented at the meeting of the American Public Health Association in Denver. http://www.livescience.com/56794-vitamin-d-asthma.html
Low Vitamin D Levels May Increase Risk Of Bladder Cancer, Research Suggests.
reports that research suggests “low vitamin D levels may increase the risk of bladder cancer.” The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Endocrinology.
AFP-Relaxnews (11/8) reports, “After reviewing seven previous studies, researchers...identified an increased risk of bladder cancer in participants with low levels of vitamin D in five of the studies.” The investigators “then investigated cells in the bladder and established that they were able to activate and respond to vitamin D, in turn stimulating an immune response.” https://consumer.healthday.com/vitamins-and-nutrition-information-27/vitamin-and-mineral-news-698/vitamin-d-bladder-cancer-se-meeting-u-warwick-release-batch-2954-716618.html
'Essential' Meds for the World Are Surprisingly Cheap As little as $1/month per person could support basic package
The cost of providing essential medicines to people in low- and middle-income countries is surprisingly low, a panel of experts is reporting.
But in most of those poorer countries even that low expenditure on medicines -- from $12.90 to $25.40 per person annually -- is not being made, according to the expert panel, sponsored by The Lancet and supported by academic institutions and philanthropic groups.
Indeed, low-income countries on average have annual per capita spending on medicines -- both public and private -- of less than $9 a year, according to The Lancet Commission on Essential Medicines, reporting online in The Lancet.
At the same time, the world as a whole will spend an estimated $1.2 trillion on medicines in 2017 or about eight times the yearly total -- from $77.4 to $151.9 billion -- needed to bring essential medicines to people in the developing countries, according to Andy Gray, of the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, South Africa, who is one of the commission's co-chairs.
Those figures "highlight massive inequities and inefficiencies," Gray told reporters in a telephone briefing. http://www.medpagetoday.com/PublicHealthPolicy/PublicHealth/61292?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2016-11-09&eun=g721819d0r&pos=0
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
to Search High-protein diet reverses prediabetes in adults with obesity
In a prospective, randomized trial, Stentz and colleagues analyzed data from 24 men and women with prediabetes (HbA1c, 5.7%-6.4%) and BMI between 30 kg/m² and 55 kg/m². Researchers randomly assigned 12 participants to a high-protein diet (30% kcal from protein; 40% kcal from carbohydrates; 30% kcal from fat) and 12 participants to a high-carbohydrate diet (15% kcal from protein; 55% kcal from carbohydrates; 30% kcal from fat). Participants underwent a mixed-meal tolerance and oral glucose tolerance testing at baseline and 6 months, as well as a DXA scan to assess body composition and indirect calorimetry to determine resting metabolic rate. Researchers established caloric needs for participants; 500 kcal were subtracted from the determined caloric needs to promote weight loss between 1 lb and 2 lb weekly. Participants came in weekly to pick up all food and daily food records; compliance and diet adherence was checked at pickup.
At 6 months, all participants assigned to the high-protein diet experienced remission to normal glucose tolerance; 33% of participants in the high-carbohydrate group experienced remission. Both groups experienced weight loss at 6 months from baseline with no significant between-group differences. Both groups also experienced improvements in HbA1c and insulin sensitivity; however, improvements in the high-protein diet group were greater The high-protein group also saw greater improvements in triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, oxidative stress, tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6, suggesting a better anti-inflammatory effect vs. the high-carbohydrate plan.
“To the best of our knowledge, this is the first lifestyle intervention study where 100% remission of prediabetes was obtained,” the researchers wrote. http://www.healio.com/endocrinology/diabetes/news/in-the-journals/%7Bd927b791-f36e-4dc6-acdd-6a9409992c53%7D/high-protein-diet-reverses-prediabetes-in-adults-with-obesity
Mouse Study Indicates Common Food Emulsifiers May Promote Colon Tumors.
reports on a study published in Cancer Research finding that “emulsifiers create the ideal conditions for triggering colon cancer in mice.” Lead researcher Emilie Viennois of the Institute of Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State University had earlier demonstrated that “emulsifiers changed the good bacteria living in the guts of mice” in ways that “promoted metabolic syndrome” known to be a risk factor for diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and inflammation, which have also “been connected to inflammatory bowel disease.” Viennois fed the mice polysorbate 80 and carboxymethylcellulose, common emulsifiers, and found “changes in their gut microbes that were consistent with promoting tumor growth.” She also found the changes led to “higher levels of inflammation” and “the perfect cancer friendly environment.” http://time.com/4559107/processed-food-additive-emulsifier-cancer/
Monday, November 7, 2016
Jury Still Out on Time-Restricted Feeding for Weight Loss Some positive signs, but effects not as great as in animal studies
Early time-restricted feeding -- the idea of eating all of one's meals in the early part of the day, followed by a long fast in the evening -- did not affect total energy expenditure, a researcher said here.
But a small randomized crossover study did find some positive signs of the potential metabolic impact of early time-restricted feeding compared with controls. Early-time restricted feeding was associated with both significant decreases in 24-hour respiratory quotient, indicating higher fat oxidation and increases in the thermic effect of food, reported Courtney Peterson, PhD, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. "I think time-restricted feeding does two beneficial things," said Peterson. "It increases metabolic flexibility, although it remains to be seen if it translates into improvements in metabolic health, and it keeps hunger levels more stable. But the effect sizes are much smaller in humans than in rodents."
Protein oxidation and hunger swings were also significantly higher in the early time-restricted feeding group compared with controls. "We know that meal timing impacts the circadian system to at least some degree, and there is good evidence now that the circadian system influences all three of these aspects of health," she said in the interview. "I suspect that future applications would be to understand how meal timing influences blood sugar control, cardiovascular disease risk, and weight loss." these differences may be a function of the body's circadian system, where recent research has suggested that energy metabolism is higher in the morning than in the evening. http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/ObesityWeek/61264?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2016-11-07&eun=g721819d0r&pos=1
Sucralose May Adversely Affect Glucose Metabolism In Consumers With Obesity, Study Suggests.
reported, “Sucralose, a no-calorie sweetener widely used in beverages, may adversely affect glucose metabolism in consumers with obesity,” researchers found after conducting five-hour “modified oral glucose tolerance tests on two separate occasions in eight normal-weight adults (mean BMI, 22.9 kg/m²) and seven with obesity (mean BMI 37.9 kg/m²).” The findings were presented at Obesity http://www.healio.com/endocrinology/obesity/news/online/%7Bd976c2ee-06ee-425f-b1eb-aa3b6cbc2891%7D/non-nutritive-sweetener-effects-may-contribute-to-insulin-resistance-in-consumers-with-obesity
There seem to be differential effects of sucralose on glucose metabolism in normal-weight people and in people with obesity, so previous findings in lean subjects cannot be extrapolated to what will be the effects of sucralose in subjects with obesity (and vice versa),” Marta Yanina Pepino De Gruev, PhD, assistant professor in food science and human nutrition at the University of Illinois in Urbana, told Endocrine Today. “Clinicians may find surprising that sucralose is not metabolically inert, as generally thought, at least for people with obesity.” Pepino reported that this finding replicated results from a previous trial conducted by her group “that acute sucralose consumption increases insulin responses to a glucose load in people with obesity, which in the long term may have adverse effects on glucose metabolism.”
“Perhaps we should revise the recommendation of replacing sugar-sweetened beverages with non-caloric sweetened beverages for subjects with obesity who are trying to control their weight,” Pepino told Endocrine Today. “We may benefit from considering sweet-tasting beverages, regardless if sweetened with sugars or non-caloric sweeteners, really as a treat, and move toward the recommendation of replacing such beverages with water.”
For Every Kilogram Of Weight Lost, Patients In New Study Consumed An Extra 100 Calories Per Day.
reported, “For every kg of weight they lost, patients in a new study consumed an extra 100 calories a day – more than three times what they would need to maintain the lower weight,” researchers found. The study’s “findings suggest that ‘a relatively modest increased appetite might explain a lot of the difficulty that people are having in both losing the weight and maintaining that weight loss over time,’ noted senior author Kevin D Hall, MD, from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease, National Institutes of Health.” The findings were presented at Obesity Week 2016 and published in the journal Obesity.
Obese Patients Who Swallow Balloon Capsules May Lose More Weight Than Those Who Just Diet And Exercise, Study Finds.
Obese patients who swallowed balloon capsules that helped them eat less lost an average of 15 pounds, roughly two times more weight than patients who just dieted and exercised,” researchers found after studying how the Obalon Balloon System worked in a randomized study involving “400 obese patients.” The findings were presented at Obesity Week. https://consumer.healthday.com/vitamins-and-nutrition-information-27/misc-weight-news-704/balloon-in-a-pill-helps-obese-patients-lose-weight-in-study-716556.html
Consumption Of Canola Oil Products For Four Weeks May Be Associated With A Reduction In Certain Metabolic Syndrome Risk Factors, Study Indicates.
“Consumption of canola oil products for 4 weeks was associated with a reduction in certain metabolic syndrome risk factors,” researchers found. In the randomized, 101-patient “cross-over trial, canola oil and high-oleic-acid canola oil (CanolaOleic) were each correlated with decreases of 3.1 kg decrease in abdominal fat mass (P=0.026 and P=0.03, respectively) compared to a flax and safflower oil diet.” The findings were presented at Obesity Week and published in the journal Obesity. The study received grant support from the National Center for Research Resources, among others.She brought up the findings of The Prevención con Dieta Mediterránea (PREDIMED) study, which found similar results of waist circumference reduction and decrease total body fat from a Mediterranean diet high in monounsaturated fats, to the currently studied effects of canola oil. Liu recommended to the audience that a olive oil consumption would also be a beneficial diet choice, high in monounsaturated fatty acids.During the intervention, participants consumed pre-made smoothies twice a day, containing either canola oil, CanolaOleic, CanolaDHA (high-oleic-acid canola oil with DHA), corn/safflower oil, or flax/safflower oil. To control for confounding dietary variables, participants were provided with all meals consumed in addition to the smoothies. All diets were designed to provide the same caloric content.Much of the apparent effect on body composition parameters of the canola oils appeared to be concentrated in the male participants, with greater reductions in android fat mass than in the women http://www.medpagetoday.com/meetingcoverage/obesityweek/61252
Saturday, November 5, 2016
Canola Oil Curbs Metabolic Risk Factors in Trial Fat mass, blood pressures, triglycerides decline with canola-rich diet
One of the strategies to manage metabolic syndrome is through dietary intervention," she said. "And previous studies have shown that the intake of monounsaturated fatty acids improved lipids related to both cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, when they are working as a replacement to saturated fatty acids."
Liu recommended swapping out dietary saturated fatty acids for monounsaturated fatty acids, citing current dietary guidelines which recommend less than 10% of an individual total fat intake should come from saturated fatty acids. Much of the apparent effect on body composition parameters of the canola oils appeared to be concentrated in the male participants, with greater reductions in android fat mass than in the women. http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/ObesityWeek/61252?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2016-11-05&eun=g721819d0r&pos=1
Kids Less Likely to Be Obese When Dad Is Active Parent Fathers' hands-on involvement tied to lower BMI in young children
Young children whose fathers were more involved in "physical childcare tasks," such as bathing and dressing them, were less likely to be obese, a researcher said here.
Greater involvement of fathers in such tasks was associated with less risk of childhood obesity from age 2 to age 4, reported Jessica Jones-Smith, PhD, of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, and colleagues.
The researchers also found that the inverse was true -- that the less the dad was involved in taking care of the child, the greater the risk of childhood obesity. There was a trend towards increased risk of childhood obesity when fathers were less involved with meal preparation. more involvement from the fathers may simply be indicative of a more stable household, which would lead to more healthy behaviors. http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/ObesityWeek/61235?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2016-11-05&eun=g721819d0r&pos=0
Friday, November 4, 2016
Kids' Brain Function May Predict Overeating When food trumps money, kids eat more
Young children who responded positively to food rewards compared with money rewards ate more in a controlled lab environment than those who responded more to money, regardless of their weight, a researcher said here. Among kids where anticipation for food rewards produced a greater response than money rewards, they found that both brain response and body weight predicted 32% of the variance in how much of the test meal the child ate.
"The brain's response of food compared to money predicts intake in some children," Adise said at a presentation at Obesity Week. "It might play a role in overeating, but this needs to be evaluated in a longitudinal study." http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/ObesityWeek/61215?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2016-11-04&eun=g721819d0r&pos=1
I guess it is genetically determined which you prefer more, food, sex, money, drugs.
Weight Gain In When School's Out Out-of-school factors appear to drive kids' overweight and obesity
Based on other studies, it is likely the standard breakfast/lunch, set sleep schedule, and standard physical activity during the school year is stabilizing weight gain. On the other hand, it is likely the unstable sleep schedule, high TV viewing with exposure to food ads, and low levels of physical activity in hot climates are driving the summer weight gain. http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/ObesityWeek/61213?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2016-11-04&eun=g721819d0r&pos=0
Gene mutation linked with preference for high fat, less sugar in adults
The melanocortin-4-receptor protein is key to modulating food preference in humans and can have a unique influence on adults with obesity,” researchers found. The study revealed that “in adults with and without obesity with a melanocortin-4-receptor (MC4R) mutation,” there appears to be “an increased craving for high-fat foods, but a decreased craving for high-sucrose food.” The findings were presented at Obesity Week 2016. The MC4R mutation also has another surprising benefit. Despite having even severe obesity, many adults with the mutation are protected from hypertension, Farooqi said.
In studies with diet-induced obese mice, the obese mice would develop hypertension, whereas the obese mice lacking leptin or a leptin receptor would not develop hypertension, despite a high-fat diet, Farooqi said.
“What this means is leptin is a key signal linking weight and blood pressure,” Farooqi said. “The pathway looks something like this: If you have more fat, you make more leptin. Leptin goes to the brain, acts in the hypothalamus on this melanocortin circuit, and if you have increased leptin with obesity, you get increased tone through this circuit.”
That increased tone, Farooqi said, ultimately increases sympathetic tone, driving up heart rate, blood pressure and the blood pressure response to stress.
“This pathway is a key reason why as people gain weight, their blood pressure goes up, and as they lose weight their blood pressure goes down,” Farooqi said. “That is a physiological response mediated by leptin and these circuits.” – by Regina Schaffer http://www.healio.com/endocrinology/obesity/news/online/%7Bd8eb4e0c-d9fe-433f-a262-51823650bbb8%7D/gene-mutation-linked-with-preference-for-high-fat-less-sugar-in-adults
Type 2 Diabetes Health Update: Low-Carb Diet Could Be The Secret To Lowering Insulin Resistance, not medicine or exercise???
What is remarkable about our findings is that they show that a simple dietary modification of reducing the carbohydrate content of the meals can, within a day, protect against development of insulin resistance and block the path toward development of prediabetes while sustained intake of high carbohydrate diets as shown in the two mentioned studies lead to increased fasting insulin secretion and resistance," explained researcher Katarina Borer in the press release. "And even more surprising and amazing is that exercise before the meals made the subjects more carbohydrate intolerant — that is, it increased evening blood sugar levels,” e study also revealed that exercise did not lower insulin resistance, but that doesn’t mean working out has no relationship to insulin. Instead, it’s possible that the insulin reaction from a low-carb meal was driven by an intestinal response to the carbohydrate, rather than by being active. http://www.medicaldaily.com/type-2-diabetes-health-update-low-carb-diet-could-be-secret-lowering-insulin-403361
Stage 3 Study On Injectable Male Contraceptive Halted Due To Side Effects.
In continuing coverage, the NPR (11/3) “Shots” blog and “All Things Considered” program report that a 320-participant, stage 3 trial testing a 96% effective injectable male contraceptive had to be halted “after an independent review panel found that the drug had too many side effects.” The findings were published last week in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. The fact that the study had to be halted due to severe depression and acne in participants is seen as a “setback and...a disappointment.” http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/11/03/500549503/male-birth-control-study-killed-after-men-complain-about-side-effects
Diabetes and Bones: An Underappreciated Complication
The possible culprit in the decrease in bone quality could be a familiar one — the accumulation of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) that underlies many complications, such as retinopathy and peripheral neuropathy. Rubin and her colleagues wondered whether the increase in glycation in diabetes patients with the “proteins in the collagen becoming encrusted in sugar” could be related to the lower strength of the bones. “We used a skin test to see what the accumulation of these sugar glycation products was in the skin. We found that the more they were present in skin, the weaker the bone material quality was in the diabetic patients. But in the healthy patients, that relationship didn’t exist at all,” Rubin says. Diabetes can be weakening the skeleton despite apparently good bone mineral density scores. Fortunately, standard osteoporosis treatments appear to be just as successful in patients with diabetes. http://endocrinenews.endocrine.org/diabetes-bones-underappreciated-complication/
Thursday, November 3, 2016
Medications Curb Criminal Recidivism: Study Fewer violent reoffenses when psych meds given at prison release
http://www.medpagetoday.com/Psychiatry/GeneralPsychiatry/61183?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2016-11-03&eun=g721819d0r&pos=0
Rates of violent reoffending were lower when prisoners were given psychotropic medications after leaving prison, Swedish researchers found.
In a cohort study, prisoners provided with psychostimulants, antipsychotics, and medication for addictive disorders had hazard ratios of violent reoffending of 0.62 (95% CI 0.40-0.98), 0.58 (95% CI 0.39-0.88), and 0.48 (95% CI 0.23-0.97), respectively, compared with periods when they weren't given the drugs, Zheng Chang, PhD, of the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, and colleagues reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The researchers did not observe similar declines in violent reoffending among those given antidepressants or antiepileptic drugs when they were released (HR 1.09, 95% CI 0.83-1.43 and HR 1.14, 95% CI 0.79-1.65, respectively). The authors explained this by noting that patients with depression "are less violent than individuals with other mental illnesses; therefore, antidepressants may be less likely than other psychotropic medications to reduce violent reoffending."
HORRIBLE Insulin Prices Have Risen Some 400% Over The Last 10 Years.
In a greater than two-minute segment, NBC Nightly News (11/2, story 7, 2:20, Holt) reported on “outrage over the soaring cost of” insulin, which “has risen some 400 percent in the last decade, although the drug has been around for nearly 100 years.” NBC News correspondent Jo Ling Kent explained that the high prices of insulin are leaving some “desperate patients” to plead “online saying they can’t afford the insulin they need to live.” Pharmaceutical makers are putting the blame for high prices on “insurance companies, saying more patients have high deductible plans, meaning they must pay more for drugs out of pocket.” http://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/insulin-new-epipen-families-facing-sticker-shock-over-400-percent-n667536
Wednesday, November 2, 2016
Report Says Developing Countries Could Prevent Cancer Deaths For $1.72 Per Person.
reports the series, “Health, Equity and Women’s Cancers” with lead author Ophira Ginsburg, MD, Women’s College Hospital, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, who said that cervical cancer is “an entirely preventable disease,” while “clinical breast examination screening and breast awareness campaigns are likely to be cost-effective in diagnosing early-stage breast cancer.” Ginsburg said that “a basic cancer control package could be introduced” in low and middle income countries (LMIC) at a cost of $1.72 per person. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-cancer-women-idUSKBN12X01M
Partner’s Stress, Overall Marriage Quality May Play Role In Weight Gain, Research Suggests.
reports that a partner’s stress and the overall “quality of marriage” may “play a role in whether husbands and wives” gain weight. The findings of the four-year study, which included some 2,000 married people, were published online in the Journals of Gerontology: Social Sciences. Wives were 1.6 times more likely to have an increase in waist circumference when their husbands reported greater stress and greater negative marriage quality," Birditt said.
However, she added, husbands were more than twice as likely to have a 10 percent increase in waist size when their wives had greater stress but weren't complaining about marriage quality. Birditt said she couldn't explain that difference. While Monin can't explain the findings, she suggested that if spouses see that their partner is stressed out, they may eat more to cope.
As for marriage quality's effect, Birditt said, "research shows that people who are more distressed in their marriage do eat more as a way to feel connected to each other to reduce their feeling of stress." https://consumer.healthday.com/vitamins-and-nutrition-information-27/obesity-health-news-505/stressed-out-mate-bad-news-for-your-waistline-716030.html
Infections May Be Linked To Childhood Obesity, New Analysis Shows.
reports a new analysis suggests that infections in infancy may be tied to childhood obesity. Researchers tracked 260,556 infants using a database that included “details on antibiotic use, diagnosis and height and weight measurements from birth through age 18.” The findings were published in Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology.
Is use of antibiotics in infancy tied to childhood obesity? Some studies suggest so, but a new analysis suggests the link may be with infections, rather than antibiotics. The scientists compared children who had no infections and no antibiotic use in the first year of life with those who had untreated infections. They found that an infant with one untreated infection had a 15 percent increased risk for childhood obesity, and the risk increased to 40 percent in those with three untreated infections.
But there was no difference in obesity risk between infants treated with antibiotics and those with a similar infection left untreated. In other words, infections, but not the use of antibiotics, were associated with childhood obesity.
So HOW does infection do this????
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/01/well/live/infections-not-antibiotics-may-be-tied-to-childhood-obesity.html?_r=0
Injectable Male Contraceptive Found To Be Nearly 96% Effective At Preventing Pregnancy.
reported that an injectable male contraceptive was found to be “nearly 96% percent effective at preventing pregnancy.” The study ended early, however, “after men taking it reported negative side effects including mood swings, an altered libido and acne.” Put another way, “they experienced side effects faced by women already taking birth control every day.” The findings were published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2016/11/01/male-birth-control-study-nixed-after-men-cant-handle-side-effects-women-face-daily/93088124/
Tuesday, November 1, 2016
Mouse Study Finds Zika Reduces Sperm Count, Fertility In Males.
reports that the researchers “also used a very powerful dose of Zika when infecting the mice.” However, the findings “were enough for the paper’s authors to call for further study of the issue in men who have contracted Zika to determine whether the virus affects the male reproductive tract over time.” http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-zika-testes-idUSKBN12V1T0
Heart Surgery Machines Tied to M. chimaera Outbreak Mortality approaches 50% in case series
Indeed, the findings might be just the beginning, according to Arjun Srinivasan, MD, of the CDC in Atlanta, who is the SHEA program chair for the meeting.
These are "very, very serious infections," he said, explaining that they are very rare and slow to develop, so that the link to cardiac surgery might not immediately be recognized. The mortality rate approaches 50% in the cases, Appenheimer reported.
"There's ongoing discussion about how to deal with this issue," he said, as heater-cooler devices are essential to cardiac surgery and the machines in question are very widely used.
Indeed, earlier this month, the FDA updated its safety guidance on the devices and continues to urge healthcare providers to be watchful for M. chimaera contamination, especially in LivaNova 3T machines made before September 2014. http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/IDWeek/61141?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2016-11-01&eun=g721819d0r&pos=3
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)