Dr. House
Dr. House
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Saturday, May 28, 2016
Friday, May 27, 2016
Most Drugs Aren’t Tested On Or Approved For Pregnant Women, Analysis Shows.
reports that “when it comes to drug safety, pregnancy is a largely research-free zone, women’s health experts say.” Only eight drugs “are currently approved by the FDA for prenatal use; from 1995 to 2011, the agency OK’d only one pregnancy-related drug.” Almost all drugs prescribed to pregnant women ares off-label. As a result, treatment for pregnant women “often is based on informed guesswork rather than solid evidence, in which medications that have never been approved for use during pregnancy, and whose long-term dangers may not be known, become the standard of care,” such as Zofran (ondansetron) for morning sickness. https://www.propublica.org/article/most-drugs-not-tested-pregnant-women-anti-nausea-cure-why-thats-a-problem
Certain Lifestyle Factors May Offset Genetic Risk Of Breast Cancer.
reports that the study indicated “that those women who are at greatest risk of developing breast cancer due to factors beyond their control, are the same women who most steeply reduce their risk when they maintain a healthy weight, stay away from hormone replacement therapy, don’t smoke and drink little to no alcohol.” http://time.com/4349231/here-are-the-things-women-can-do-to-avoid-breast-cancer/
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Roughly One-third Of US Hospitals Follow CDC Guidance To Curb Antibiotic Overuse, Analysis Finds.
reports an analysis published last week in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases found only 39 percent of 4,100 US acute care hospitals studied “had an antibiotics stewardship program that met all seven of the core elements recommended by the” CDC. The CDC says “hospitals should dedicate appropriate resources, appoint a single leader to run a program, and appoint a pharmacy leader who can focus on improving antibiotic use,” among other recommendations. On Wednesday, the National Quality Forum released a “Practical Playbook” that used the study’s results to provide guidance to hospitals on creating or improving their antibiotics stewardship program. http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20160525/NEWS/160529934
US Obesity Rates Increasing, CDC Finds.
reports the results from the 2015 CDC’s National Health Interview reveal obesity rates have increased among US adults aged 20. In particular, “adults between the ages of 40 and 59 bore the highest burden of obesity.” Among “this age group, 34.6% of people said they were obese, compared with 26.5% of adults 20 to 39 years old and 30.1% of adults 60 and older.” http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/25/health/americans-health-obesity-diabetes/index.html
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
Diabetes Organizations Call For Weight-Loss Surgery To Become A More Routine Treatment Option For T2D Patients.
The new guidelines suggest that for most people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes [T2D], if they don’t respond to existing therapies to control their blood sugar levels, bariatric surgery be discussed as an option for them, even if their BMIs are 30-35; currently,” physicians “only consider the” procedure “for weight loss for people with BMI greater than 35 if they also have other health problems such as high blood pressure or sleep apnea.” http://time.com/4345470/gastric-bypass-surgery-diabetes/
Decline In Smoking Tied To Rise In Obesity In US, Research Suggests.
reports the decline of smoking in the US has corresponded with a rise in obesity and some researchers suggest the two are related. The article highlights research that found the decline of smoking in the US could help explain only a small part of the rise in obesity that took place over the same period of time, but more than any other factor tested. Middle Tennessee State University Professor Charles Baum says, “No one would recommend cigarette smoking as a way to combat obesity. But realistically, the decline in smoking might very well have had some effect on the rise of obesity.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/05/24/one-of-americas-healthiest-trends-has-had-a-pretty-unexpected-side-effect/
Air Pollution May Worsen Risk Factors For Heart Disease, Studies Suggest.
reports that research suggests “air pollution can worsen heart disease risk factors, especially in people with diabetes.” Investigators looked at data on approximately 600,000 blood samples “from more than 73,000 adults.” Study participants were smokers or had diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, or “too low/too high levels of fat in the blood.” The researchers found that participants “exposed to higher levels of air pollution in the previous three months had higher blood sugar levels, higher levels of...LDL cholesterol and fats in the blood, and lower levels of...HDL cholesterol than those exposed to lower levels of air pollution.” The findings were published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. https://consumer.healthday.com/respiratory-and-allergy-information-2/air-pollution-health-news-540/air-pollution-heart-disease-risk-jcem-release-batch-2689-711202.html
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
Least Educated Eat More Unhealthy Fast Food Than Most Educated, Study Suggests.
reports that the least educated people had unhealthier diets than the most educated people living in the same neighborhood near the same food sources, according to a new British study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The study surveyed 6,000 adults living in Cambridgeshire, England and found that the least educated people were more likely to eat “unhealthy fast food” and be obese than their most educated neighbors. https://consumer.healthday.com/vitamins-and-nutrition-information-27/food-and-nutrition-news-316/fast-food-outlets-more-of-a-problem-for-less-educated-folks-study-710877.html
Report: Superbugs Could Kill Ten Million People A Year By 2050.
reports online that the final report last week from the Review on Antimicrobial Resistance concluded “superbugs could kill one person every three seconds by 2050.” The report highlighted “the increasing burden of resistance and call for greater awareness of the problem, including the need for public campaigns beginning as soon as this summer.” The report’s authors said “the projected numbers are enough to enlist panic among people fearing a future where now-treatable conditions cannot be cured, but attention should be focused on pushing for solutions.” http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/23/health/stopping-superbugs/index.html
Late Suppers May Not Be Linked To Childhood Obesity.
reports that research published in the in the British Journal of Nutrition suggests “late suppers” may not be linked to childhood obesity. Investigators “looked at data from more than 1,600 children, aged 4 to 18.” The researchers “found that the risk of overweight or obesity was no higher among those who had meals between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. than among those who ate between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.” https://consumer.healthday.com/vitamins-and-nutrition-information-27/obesity-health-news-505/late-dinners-won-t-doom-kids-to-obesity-711070.html
Monday, May 23, 2016
CDC: Nearly 300 Pregnant Women Infected With Zika In US.
reports that Dr. Margaret Honein, chief of the CDC’s Birth Defects Branch, said that the spike in infections among pregnant women in the US is a “combination” of “both increasing numbers of pregnant women with a Zika infection, and also a recent change in how we’re reporting out the numbers on a weekly basis.” http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2016/05/20/obama-zika-virus-cdc-pregnant-women/84648936/
Friday, May 20, 2016
Exposure To Bright Light May Increase Insulin Resistance And Cause Higher Peak Blood Sugar Levels In The Evening.
reports that in a study published May 18 in PLOS One, “researchers found that exposure to bright light increased insulin resistance compared to dim light and caused higher peak blood sugar levels in the evening.” The findings of the 19-participant study indicate that “insulin has a greater inability to compensate for a glucose increase in the evening.” http://www.medicaldaily.com/slow-metabolism-bright-light-insulin-resistance-blood-sugar-evening-387056
Osteoporosis Not A Normal Part Of Aging, Expert Says. In a piece for US News & World Report (5/17), Endocrine Society member Vafa Tabatabaie
an assistant professor of Medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, wrote, “Osteoporosis is an insidious disease that occurs when the body loses too much bone, makes too little bone or both,” and “not a normal part of aging.” Figures from the National Osteoporosis Foundation show that “more than half of the US adult population over age 50 is at risk of breaking a bone and should be concerned about bone health.” Younger people should know that “proper nutrition and physical activity are critical to reaching peak bone mass and preventing broken bones later in life.” For older adults at risk, a physician can order bone density test screening. Those at risk can make “lifestyle changes” to both “diet and exercise.” If necessary, “prescription osteoporosis medications” may help prevent fractures. The Endocrine Society’s Centennial website provides additional bone health resources. http://health.usnews.com/health-news/patient-advice/articles/2016-05-17/maintaining-bone-health-is-important-for-healthy-aging
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Vox Explains Common Misconceptions About Metabolism.
In an over 2,800 word article, Vox (5/18, Belluz) runs an article with nine facts to explain metabolism. The story notes that the resting metabolic rate, or basal metabolic rate, “actually accounts for a huge amount of the total calories you burn each day.” Alexxai Kravitz, a neuroscientist and obesity researcher at the National Institutes of Health, said, “It’s generally accepted that for most people, the basal metabolic rate accounts for 60 to 80 percent of total energy expenditure. It’s not nothing, but it’s not nearly equal to food intake, which accounts for 100 percent of the energy intake of the body. This is why it’s not so surprising that exercise leads to [statistically] significant, but small, changes in weight.” http://www.vox.com/2016/5/18/11685254/metabolism-definition-booster-weight-loss
Washington, DC Tops US Fitness Rankings.
reports that Washington, DC was ranked first for the third year in a row as the fittest city in the US among the 50 largest metropolitan areas. Minneapolis-St. Paul and Denver ranked second and third, respectively, according to the American Fitness Index. According to the report, residents of these cities are more likely to use public transportation or walk to work than drive. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2016/05/18/fittest-city-united-states-america-american-college-sports-medicine/84492256/
Forbes Contributor Discusses Latest Research Linking Certain Genes To Weight Gain.
the latest research linking certain genes to weight gain. In one example, she writes that health insurer Aetna has partnered with Newtopia to test for the genes FTO, MC4R, and DRD2 that have “been linked to addictive behavior such as overeating.” People who undergo testing “talk with counselors about once a week as they design and implement their weight-loss plan based on which of the genes they have.” On average, participants “in the pilot test” lost 10 pounds, research published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine revealed. Aetna is now offering “the program to its corporate customers.” http://www.forbes.com/forbes/welcome/#3932fa955cde
Contradictory Studies Examine How Triclosan Affects The Body.
reports that “in light of new evidence” that the antibacterial triclosan may be linked to “bacteria resistance, hormone disruption, and possibly even liver cancer,” the Food and Drug Administration is “currently reviewing” those studies. Meanwhile, a new study “done in zebrafish” and published May 18 in PLOS One suggests that triclosan may interfere “with the community of bacteria” inhabiting the microbiome of the gut.
Meanwhile, HealthDay (5/18, Dallas) reports a separate study published online in mSphere suggests that “triclosan doesn’t dramatically alter the microbiome of the gut or the mouth, or significantly affect the endocrine system.” After randomizing “13 healthy people to use household and personal care products with or without the ingredient,” researchers found “little effect on the endocrine system.” In a news release, principal study investigator Dr. Julie Parsonnet said “there was no major blow to oral flora or gut flora.” http://time.com/4339866/triclosan-antibacterial-soap-safety/
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
Market For Anti-Obesity Drugs In US Has Been Largely “Flat,” Despite Expectations.
reports that the market for anti-obesity drugs has generally been “flat” in the US. According to STAT, “analysts were predicting that anti-obesity drugs could ring up as much as $3 billion in sales by 2020” as “early as five years ago.” Ultimately, “physicians proved reticent to prescribe the new drugs as they hit the market, in part because of a cultural reluctance to see obesity as a disease requiring medication.” In addition, many patients “see only modest benefits” from such drugs and “cost is an issue, as many insurers still aren’t paying for weight loss [drugs].” https://www.statnews.com/2016/05/17/obesity-pill-market/
Eating Disorders Impacting Weight May Also Change Perception Of How Food Tastes, Small Study Finds.
, “Eating disorders that impact your weight – like anorexia nervosa, binge-eating disorder, or obesity – may also change the way you taste food,” research suggests. In the study involving 106 women who “tasted both sugar water and a tasteless water solution” while undergoing a brain scan, researchers discovered that “abnormal eating patterns – like anorexia or obesity – impaired” a part of the brain called the “insula’s ability to identify taste.” People with “anorexia or obesity had a harder time telling the difference between the sugar water and the regular water, compared to control subjects – and even people who had recovered from anorexia,” the study found. The findings were published online April 16 in the International Journal of Eating Disorders. http://www.medicaldaily.com/obese-anorexic-people-taste-buds-eating-disorders-386585
Germs May Play Key Role In Development Of Type 1 Diabetes, Study Suggests.
reports that germs may “play a key role in the development of” type 1 diabetes (T1D), a study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation reveals. The study “found a link between type 1 diabetes, killer T-cells, and germs.” Using “powerful X-rays,” researchers “discovered that some strains of bacteria can activate killer T-cells to attack the body,” latching “onto beta cells” that produce insulin. http://www.medicaldaily.com/type-1-diabetes-killer-t-cells-germs-insulin-beta-cells-386556
Experts Say Self-Injectable Contraceptives Could Save Lives In Africa.
reports on statements made by health experts on Tuesday that disposable, self-injectable contraceptives may save women’s lives in rural Africa. These devices, which cost $1, may prevent unwanted births and possibly save lives of women who cannot access family planning clinics, according to global health organization PATH. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-women-conference-contraception-idUSKCN0Y828O
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Nearly 50% Of Parents Keep Leftover Medication At Home, Survey Finds.
reports that according to a C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll, 47 percent of parents keep their children’s leftover medication at home. The survey found that “only 30% disposed of pills in the toilet, and 6% used the drugs for other family members,” while eight percent returned the drugs and nine percent “forgot what they did.” According to previous studies, “keeping leftover pain pills around the home may lead to unintended consequences, especially when adolescents have unrestricted access to these medications.” http://www.forbes.com/sites/cjarlotta/2016/05/16/disposing-pain-medication-should-prescribers-review-options/#71f7cdd03c09
Opinion: Too Much Vitamin D Can Be Damaging.
” writes that vitamin D, “one of the few vitamins we can make on our own,” is now outselling “all other supplements” because of “confusing science and misinformation.” Price explains that vitamin D is essential to good health, but that it is unclear how much we need and that too much can be damaging. Price explains that the Institute of Medicine recommends that healthy adults should have 600 IU per day, but many experts say that recommendation is too low. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-price-vitamin-d-20160516-snap-story.html
Study Provides Mixed News For People Hoping For Permanent Weight Loss.
reports that a study “recently presented at the Society of General Internal Medicine’s annual meeting provides somewhat mixed news for those hoping to lose weight permanently.” After analyzing “data from participants who took part in one of the longest-running weight loss programs around: the Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS) program,” researchers found that half of 65,559 participants “who had enrolled in the program from 2005 to 2010 and renewed their annual membership at least twice” had “accomplished significant weight loss.” Furthermore, “80 to 95 percent” of “successful participants who could be tracked for up to seven years after they first joined...kept the pounds off.” But, the study also revealed that “most people who enrolled in TOPS during the study’s time period failed to stay on long term.” http://www.medicaldaily.com/weight-loss-programs-success-386255
Monday, May 16, 2016
Friday, May 13, 2016
Ten Cancers Will Account For Over 70 Percent Of New US Cases This Year.
reports in its “The New Anatomy of Cancer” issue that the practice of categorizing cancer by its point of origin within an organ or system “drew from decades of steady discoveries made by researchers staring at stained slides under a microscope.” Even as doctors move away from this taxonomy to the “precision of genetic research, the knowledge gained by staring at cells continues to be crucial to treatment.” According to estimates from the American Cancer Society, just ten cancers will account for 70 percent of new US cancer cases. In order of most frequent occurrence, the cancers are breast, lung, prostate, colorectum, lymphatic system, bladder, skin (melanoma), thyroid, kidney, and blood (leukemia). The deadliest cancers, ranked by 5-year survival rate, in ascending order are pancreatic, lung, liver, esophageal, stomach, and brain. The most-survivable cancers, ranked by 5-year survival rate, in descending order are prostate, thyroid, testicular, melanoma, breast, and Hodgkin lymphoma. http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/05/11/magazine/cancer-origin.html?_r=0
White House To Launch Microbiome Initiative Today.
reports that the White House is set to launch a new national initiative Friday to study microbiomes found in the human body and the ecosystem. The initiative is “part of an effort to fight disease, grow more food and even reduce the greenhouse gases fueling climate change.” The new National Microbiome Initiative will start with “$121 million in federal dollars and $400 million in private funds,” bringing “together researchers from a variety of disciplines.” Government researchers “will be joined by organizations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the University of Michigan and JDRF, formerly known as the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.” http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/05/13/white-house-launches-microbiome-initiative-study-beneficial-bacteria/84286286/
Thursday, May 12, 2016
Several stores issuing recalls due to Listeria
The possibility that Listeria has contaminated meat and poultry product, some of which are sold at area grocery stores, has prompted a California company that distributes them to issue a voluntary recall.
Costco, Dororthy Lane Market and Trader Joe’s shoppers should have received a recorded phone call alert regarding frozen chicken fried rice, chicken poblano firecrackers and other chicken and meat products produced by Ajinomoto Windsor Inc.
Kroger, Gordon Food Service and Meijer make no mention of the recall on their websites. http://www.whio.com/news/news/local/listeria-fears-prompt-recall-of-meat-poultry/nrLgW/
Olympics 2016: IOC insists Games will go ahead despite Zika
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has said that it sees no need to cancel, delay or move the Rio Olympic Games because of the Zika virus threat.
However IOC medical director Richard Budgett said that it would continue to monitor the situation closely.
Dr Budgett was responding to a call by Canadian health Professor Amir Attaran for the Games to be postponed or moved.
Prof Attaran said that the influx of visitors to Brazil would result in the avoidable births of malformed babies http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-36272502
Public Health Professor: Because Of Zika, Rio Olympics 'Must Not Proceed http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2016/05/11/477651279/public-health-professor-because-of-zika-rio-olympics-must-not-proceed
Study Examines Factors Contributing To Dental Loss Among Patients With Diabetes.
reports that “patients with diabetes had significantly more incidences of periodontal disease and dental loss than people in the general population,” research suggests. After adjusting for confounding factors, investigators “confirmed that older patients, those who did not floss, and those with diabetic retinopathy had more dental loss than others.” The findings of the 202-patient study will appear in the June issue of the Journal of Clinical & Translational Endocrinology. http://www.hcplive.com/medical-news/diabetes-patients-have-higher-odds-of-dental-loss
A fat-storing hormone called neurotensin might influence your odds for obesity
A fat-storing hormone called neurotensin might influence your odds for obesity,” the findings of a research letter published online May 11 in Nature suggest. Working with mice and humans, researchers found that “middle-aged folks with high levels of pro-neurotensin – a substance the body uses to make neurotensin – have twice the risk of developing obesity later in life,” while “mice with low levels of neurotensin that were put on a high-fat diet absorbed less fat than average mice.” Neurotensin -- a hormone found in the small intestine and the central nervous system -- appears to prompt the body to store excess fats, Evers said. https://consumer.healthday.com/vitamins-and-nutrition-information-27/obesity-health-news-505/does-fat-storing-hormone-cause-obesity-710900.html
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Gut Bugs Differ in Chronic Prostatitis
The gut microbiome was altered in men with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) versus controls, researchers reported here.
Microbiome processing of fecal matter using next-generation RNA gene sequencing and bioinformatics analyses revealed underrepresentation of several taxa, including Prevotella, in the guts of men with chronic prostatitis/CPPS compared with controls, according to Daniel Shoskes, MD, from the Cleveland Clinic, and colleagues.
Prevotella is a genus of gram-negative bacteria that protects against inflammation. Data from gut microbiome analyses may eventually allow for identification of potential biomarkers and targets of therapy, he reported in a presentation at the American Urological Association meeting.
In humans, the number of bacterial genes exceeds the number of human genes by a factor of at least 100:1. http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/AUA/57833?xid=NL_breakingnews_2016-05-11&eun=g721819d0r
Dietary Restrictions May Lead To Iodine Deficiency In Children, Case Studies Show.
“Two cases of children who developed iodine deficiency highlight the risks of putting too many restrictions on young kids’ diets,” research published online May 10 in Pediatrics points out. Physicians “said that the children – aged 2 and 5 – developed iodine deficiency because their diets lacked salt, dairy products, bread and other sources of the mineral.” The study’s lead author said, “Parents should be aware that if they’re really restricting the foods their children eat, iodine deficiency is a possibility.” https://consumer.healthday.com/general-health-information-16/thyroid-news-659/restrictive-diets-can-cause-thyroid-troubles-in-young-kids-study-710807.html
Does Putting On A Few Pounds Help You Cheat Death?
The risk of death for people who are obese, with a BMI of 30 or greater, also declined, to the point that it was on a par with some people of so-called "normal" weight.
So being fatter, at least a bit, may be healthier. So he and his colleagues sliced and diced the data to see what could account for the shift. They looked at age, sex, smoking, cancer and heart disease. The most relevant was the decline in smoking since the 1970s. But when they looked at the mortality rates in nonsmokers who had never had cancer or heart disease, it also became associated with a higher BMI over time.
So what's going on? One option certainly is over these three decades we have become much better at treating the cardiovascular risk factors that come with overweight and obesity."
That includes treating high cholesterol with statins; treating high blood pressure with diet, exercise and an array of medications; and making concerted efforts to help people to control blood sugar.http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/05/10/477376914/does-putting-on-a-few-pounds-help-you-cheat-death
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Many People May Attribute Overeating To Food-Based Addiction, Study Indicates.
“Our research found that participants who believed themselves to be ‘food addicts' reduced the amount of time they were exposed to unhealthy foods and ate less as a result. This appears to be because the perception of being a food addict made them concerned about their eating behavior,” study investigator Helen K. Ruddock, of the University of Liverpool in the United Kingdom, said in a press release.Many attribute overeating, which can lead to obesity, to food-based addiction, but this connection remains controversial in the scientific community because “scientific understanding has not kept pace with the lay public's enthusiasm for the concept of ‘food addiction.'” http://www.endocrinologyadvisor.com/obesity/perception-of-food-addiction-and-eating-behavior/article/495229/
Artificially Sweetened Beverage Consumption During Pregnancy May Be Linked To Higher Infant Body Mass Index.
reports that research involving “more than 3,000 Canadian children and their mothers finds a strong link between the amount of artificially sweetened beverages the women drank during pregnancy and the body mass index of their babies.” Investigators found that “compared with women who stayed away from the drinks while they were pregnant, those who consumed them on a daily basis were twice as likely to have their babies classified as overweight when they” turned one year old. The findings were published in JAMA Pediatrics. “The diet drinkers also often were overweight themselves...and many of them did not score well on a healthy eating index.” However, “the effects on the babies still correlated with diet drinks even” after those “factors were accounted for.” However, the researchers could not find any link between consumption of high-calorie sugar-sweetened beverages during pregnancy and the risk that a baby would be overweight at age 1. After considering the effects on boys and girls separately, they found that the link was only significant in boys.
Intriguingly, whether or not mothers opted for diet drinks during pregnancy had no effect on their babies’ weight at birth. To the researchers, this finding suggests that the influence – if any – of artificial sweeteners comes into play not during fetal development but after the infant is born. http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-diet-soda-pregnancy-childhood-obesity-snap-story.html
Studies on whether diet drinks help keep weight off often contradict one another, with some finding that people who drink lots of diet drinks are more likely to be obese, with others finding they are better than sugary drinks.
Monday, May 9, 2016
Estradiol May Protect Against herpes, Mouse Study Suggests.
reported that a mouse study published in PLOS Pathogens has “uncovered the underlying properties of estradiol (present during the menstrual cycle) that allow it to create an antiviral response.” Working with mice, investigators “examined its influence on the herpes simplex virus, type 2 (HSV-2).” Mice that were treated with estradiol and were “given two rounds of an HSV-2 vaccine and then a high dose of the virus” ended up with “less severe disease symptoms.” The majority of them also survived, compared with an unimmunized control group. http://www.hcplive.com/medical-news/birth-control-may-protect-against-herpes
Mindful Eating May Be Better Than Dieting For Controlling Weight, Neuroscientist Says.
op-ed, neuroscientist Sandra Aamodt, PhD, wrote that instead of dieting, mindful eating may be a better way of controlling weight. Eating mindfully means “paying attention to signals of hunger and fullness, without judgment, to relearn how to eat only as much as the brain’s weight-regulation system commands.” Aamodt pointed out, “Relative to chronic dieters, people who eat when they’re hungry and stop when they’re full are less likely to become overweight, maintain more stable weights over time and spend less time thinking about food.”http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/08/opinion/sunday/why-you-cant-lose-weight-on-a-diet.html?_r=0
Friday, May 6, 2016
FDA Announces New E-Cigarette Rules.
reports the “499-page regulatory road map has broad implications for public health, the tobacco industry and the nation’s 40 million smokers.” The Times says the “long-awaited regulations shift the terms of the intense public debate over e-cigarettes, which deliver nicotine without the harmful tar and chemicals that cause cancer” and “have sharply divided American public health experts.” According to the Times, “The new regulations would ban the sale of e-cigarettes to Americans under 18 and would require that many people buying them show photo identification to prove their age, measures already mandated in a number of states.” http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/06/science/fda-rules-electronic-cigarettes.html?_r=0
Thursday, May 5, 2016
Humans Developed Larger Brains Due To Faster Metabolism, More Body Fat, Study Suggests.
reports in “Speaking of Science” that a study published in Nature indicates humans may have evolved larger brains and lived longer due to a faster metabolism. Researchers “looked at metabolic rates of humans and zoo apes,” and found that “humans had higher energy budgets than any animal other than an adult male gorilla.” According to the researchers, the findings indicate “humans have overcome a biological constraint that holds most other creatures back.”
Science Magazine (5/4, Gibbons) reports that the study shows human metabolisms “burn calories 27% faster,” which “equips us to quickly fuel energy-hungry brain cells, sustaining our bigger brains.” In addition, the study “also found that humans are fatter than other primates, giving us energy stores to draw on in lean times.” The authors said the next step in research is to determine how humans were able to boost their metabolisms above those of apes. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2016/05/04/the-evolutionary-key-to-our-big-brains-and-long-lives-a-faster-metabolism/
What if, instead of sacrificing energy for one organ to pay for another, we just increased our overall budget?
So he compared human energy expenditures to those of our closest relatives: chimps, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans. And he believes his hypothesis proved correct: Humans have a basal metabolic rate (the number of kilocalories we burn simply by being) between 200 and 600 calories larger than other apes. The gulf between our total energy expenditure and theirs was even greater — as many as 820 calories. Our ability to use up energy is abnormally high even when you adjust for things like body size and activity levels, Pontzer said.
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
Colorado Kids Exposed to Second-Hand Pot Smoke One in six young children in small study had detectable THC levels
A small but substantial portion of young children admitted to the hospital for bronchiolitis had evidence of marijuana in their systems, a study out of Colorado found.
Using a new assay developed by the CDC, Karen Wilson, MD, of Children's Hospital Colorado in Aurora, and colleagues, found that seven out of 43 children (16%) younger than 2 with bronchiolitis had marijuana metabolites (COOH-THC) in their urine at levels of 0.04 to 1.5 ng/mL). http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/PAS/57684?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2016-05-04&eun=g721819d0r
CDC Study Says Nearly One-Third Of Prescriptions For Antibiotics Are Unnecessary.
reported that a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that “one-third of antibiotics are not needed,” which amounts to nearly “47 million unnecessary prescriptions every year for children and adults.” NBC Nightly News (5/3, story 7, 2:15, Holt) correspondent Tom Costello reported that according to researchers “healthy adults can often fight off bacteria infections on their own.” He added that the CDC’s goal is to “cut unnecessary antibiotic use by 50 percent within four years.” reports on its website that the investigators “took a deep dive into data on antibiotic prescriptions written in 2010 and 2011-- the most recent data they could work with.” The researchers found that approximatley “13 percent of all outpatient doctor visits – that would add up to 154 million visits a year – result in an antibiotic prescription.” Close to “30 percent of these prescriptions, or 47 million of them, are unnecessary, they calculated.” http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/third-antibiotic-prescriptions-are-just-wrong-n567026
research Supports Link Between Viral Infections In Infancy And Development Of diabetes type 1
the study, which involved “295,420 children, found the rate of respiratory infections between age 0 and 2.9 months or between 3.0 and 5.9 months to be significantly higher among the 278 who developed type 1 diabetes before age eight years than among those who did not, at 38.6% versus 34.2%.” Put another way, this represents “a 17% increased risk, which was further increased if children had infections during both time periods.” The findings were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. https://www.medwirenews.com/diabetes/paediatrics/viral-link-to-type-1-diabetes-bolstered/10064562
Medical Errors Now The Third Leading Cause Of Death In The US, Study Indicates.
reports that the study authors “wrote that strategies to reduce death from medical care should include making errors ‘more visible’ when they occur, having remedies available to ‘rescue patients,’ and making errors less frequent by following principles that take ‘human limitations’ into account.”
According to the Washington Post (5/3, Cha), “in 1999, an Institute of Medicine report [pdf] calling preventable medical errors an ‘epidemic’ shocked the medical establishment and led to significant debate about what could be done.” The institute, “based on one study, estimated deaths because of medical errors as high as 98,000” annually. The new research, published in the BMJ, “involves a more comprehensive analysis of four large studies...that took place between 2000 to 2008.” http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2016/05/03/second-study-says-medical-errors-third-leading-cause-death-us/83874022/
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
Dieting May Help Improve Health, Mood, Sex Drive, And Stress Levels Among Normal-Weight People.
reports in “Science Now” that a study indicated “normal-weight people who ate 25% less than they wanted for” two years appeared to be “happier and less stressed, slept better and had more robust sex drives,” compared to “healthy adults” who ate whatever they wanted during that same time frame. The findings were published in JAMA Internal Medicine. HealthDay (5/2, Thompson) and Endocrinology Advisor (5/2, Foster) also cover the story. http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-eat-less-feel-better-20160502-story.html
Body Fights Back Against Weight Loss, Study Suggests.
reports on how contestants on NBC’s “The Biggest Loser” program struggle to retain their lower body weights in the months and years after the program. After following 14 former contestants for six years “after they had lost large amounts of weight with intensive dieting and exercise,” researchers found “just how hard the body fights back against weight loss.” The Times adds the research shows the participants’ resting metabolism plunged during the program, but did not recover in the period afterward. the research, which was published online in Obesity Biology and Integrated Biology, revealed that 13 of 14 contestants “regained weight within six years and four are even heavier than they were before the competition began.” One contestant did sustain weight loss despite a slower metabolism, the study found. Also covering the story are the NPR (5/2) “Shots” blog and “All Things http://abcnews.go.com/Health/extreme-weight-loss-linked-slower-metabolism-explaining-hard/story?id=38826362
"Long-term weight loss requires vigilant combat against persistent metabolic adaptation that acts to proportionally counter ongoing efforts to reduce body weight," the authors concluded.
So let's say you've lost a lot of weight, let's say you lost 100 pounds and now you're 150 pounds. Another person who is 150 pounds — they can still eat the calories they want, right? But you've got to eat less to maintain that level.
That is correct. You must eat less than a person who weighs exactly the same as you.
But you'll be hungrier, right? Because the research is also talking about another way your body fights against it.
Absolutely. All of the hormones that your body produces that regulate appetite are also altered disproportionately. So you're hungrier than that person. You're more susceptible to highly rewarding foods, to snacking. http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/05/02/476498729/biggest-loser-lessons-why-the-body-makes-it-hard-to-keep-pounds-off
Monday, May 2, 2016
Researchers Identify Zika In More Common US Mosquito.
reported that “for the first time in the Western Hemisphere, researchers have detected the Zika virus in Aedes albopictus...a finding that increases the number of U.S. states potentially at risk for transmission of the disease.” The Post added that “albopictus are more ubiquitous than the Aedes aegypti that have been the primary vector of the spread of Zika elsewhere in the Americas.” The mosquito “has a range as far north as New England and the lower Great Lakes.” The discovery was reported recently by the Pan American Health Organization “after researchers in Mexico confirmed the presence of Zika in Asian tiger mosquitoes captured in the state of San Luis Potosi and sent them to government labs for testing.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/new-discovery-means-more-us-states-will-face-a-risk-from-zika/2016/04/29/497ffa98-0d59-11e6-bc53-db634ca94a2a_story.html
Estrogen May Help Protect The Kidneys, Study Suggests.
http://www.medicaldaily.com/sex-differences-menstrual-cycle-kidney-failure-384251
"This result suggests that cyclical changes of female hormones might affect renal cell homeostasis, potentially providing women with an increased resistance against kidney damages,” Lechner said. Homeostasis helps regulate temperature and balance acidity and alkalinity levels. “Thus, recurring changes of sex hormone levels, as brought about by the natural menstrual cycle, might be involved in periodic tissue remodeling not only in reproductive organs, but to a certain extent in the kidneys as well,” she added.
Lechner hypothesizes that estrogen might help to replace damaged cells. During cycle phases of high estrogen exposure, kidney cells might be induced to grow, she explained, “while at time points of decreasing estrogen levels damaged or simply older cells might be discarded into the urine.”
That said, the study is not saying that estrogen is the sole reason fewer women develop kidney disease and failure. Their enzyme levels match men’s once they go through menopause, which definitely argues for the importance of the female hormones — but this could also be a matter of age.
Study Uncovers Potential Shared Genetic Source Between Psoriasis And Obesity.
reported that a study published online in JAMA Dermatology “has uncovered a potential shared genetic source between psoriasis and obesity, which could also address a connection among psoriasis, type 2 diabetes, and body mass index (BMI).” After examining “health records of 33,588 twins, 4.2 percent of whom suffered from psoriasis and 1.4 of which were diabetic,” researchers found that “only 4.1 percent of people without diabetes exhibited psoriasis, but 7.6 percent of those with diabetes had the skin condition.” What’s more, “the average BMI of people with psoriasis was higher than those without the condition: 25 compared to 24.4.” http://www.medicaldaily.com/psoriasis-type-2-diabetes-genetic-risk-factor-health-problems-384289
Testosterone May Help Men Regulate Blood Sugar Levels, Study Suggests.
reported that in a study published April 29 in Cell Metabolism, scientists from Tulane University “suggest that testosterone helps men regulate their blood sugar levels by activating insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.” The study’s findings may “help identify new treatments for type 2 diabetes in men with low testosterone caused by old age or prostate cancer treatment.” The study’s senior author is Endocrine Society member Franck Mauvais-Jarvis, MD, PhD, who heads “the diabetes research program at Tulane’s Health Sciences Center.” http://www.nola.com/health/index.ssf/2016/04/testosterone_diabetes_risk_men.html#incart_river_home
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