Consuming Large Amounts Of Sugar, Particularly Fructose, May Set Off Process In The Body Leading To Prediabetes And T2D.

website reports a “new study may hint at why some patients end up with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes even when they don’t appear to have all of the typical risk factors such as age, obesity, and an unhealthy diet.” After working with liver samples taken from humans and with mice, researchers found that “consuming large amounts of sugar, especially fructose,” may “set off a process in the body that leads to prediabetes and type 2 diabetes [T2D].” The study was published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. He and colleagues found that in mice, excessive sugar in the liver appears to activate a molecular factor known as carbohydrate-responsive element-binding protein – ChREBP. Activating this factor causes the liver to keep making glucose, contributing to increased blood glucose levels despite insulin signals telling it to stop. “We found that no matter how much insulin the pancreas made, it couldn’t override the processes started by this protein, ChREBP,” he explained. Ultimately it caused blood sugar and insulin levels to increase, which over time can lead to insulin resistance elsewhere in the body. “This paper is about a mechanism that we’ve identified by which sugar ingestion, particularly fructose ingestion, can contribute to hepatic [liver] insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is a precursor to diabetes,” Herman said. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/sugar-can-too-much-cause-type-2-diabetes/

Tears Linked to 'Mystery' Zika Case Secondary infection followed nonsexual contact with original patient

Testing for Zika was positive and showed a "very high viral load," the investigators reported. The man's tears are suspected of being the transmission route for the illness of a second patient, a 38-year-old friend who had visited the original patient in hospital and later reported helping move the man without using gloves and wiping his friend's eyes. However, there was no splashing of body fluids or contact with mucosal tissues, the report indicated. The second man presented 5 days after the first patient's death with conjunctivitis, fever, myalgia, and facial maculopapular rash, which resolved within a week. Urine testing for Zika was positive, as was a serum IgM antibody test, Swaminathan and colleagues reported, although serum was negative on a polymerase chain reaction assay. The second man's case, which was first reported earlier this summer, had caused considerable puzzlement. He had not travelled to a region where Zika virus is endemic http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/ZikaVirus/60508?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2016-09-29&eun=g721819d0r&pos=3

Moderate Alcohol Intake May Not Impact Women’s Fertility, Study Suggests.

reports that research published in the BMJ “suggests giving up alcohol may not be necessary for improving the chances of conceiving.” Investigators found that “women in the study who drank up to 14 drinks per week were just as likely as those who didn’t drink at all to get pregnant in the first month of trying.” http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-fertility-alcohol-idUSKCN11Y21C

Teenage Birth Rate In US Falls To New Record Low In 2015, CDC Finds.

http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-teen-birth-rate-20160928-snap-story.html reports that experts attribute the decline to teenagers having less sex, using more reliable contraception, and being more aware of the difficulty of having a child while a teenager.

Hormonal Contraception Use May Be Associated With Higher Risk Of Depression.

reports that investigators “found that among more than 1 million Danish women, those using hormonal contraception were more likely to be diagnosed with depression or prescribed an antidepressant for the first time, in the subsequent months or years, compared to their peers not using hormonal contraception.” STAT adds, “Increased risks were found across nearly all types of hormonal contraception, and were highest among adolescent girls. https://www.statnews.com/2016/09/28/hormonal-birth-control-depression/

First Baby Born From Technique That Combines DNA From Three People.

reports that while the nuclear DNA the child inherited comes from his mother and father, he “also has mitochondrial DNA from a second woman who served as an egg donor.” According to a report in Fertility and Sterility, the mother “had already lost an 8-month-old and a 6-year-old to” Leigh syndrome. It further explains that five eggs were altered in the way described, then fertilized. From those, four grew into embryos, but three “had abnormal numbers of chromosomes.” The one remaining was implanted into the mother. http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-baby-dna-20160927-snap-story.html

Maternal Mortality Rates In The US Increased 27 Percent In Last Decade, Study Indicates.

http://connect.mheducation.com/ Here’s what may be at play: Record keeping problems: National data on maternal mortality is inconsistent, and some health authorities argue that the uptick in maternal deaths is at least partially due to improved detection of pregnancy-related deaths. However, MacDorman says the 27% increase observed in her study is a true rise in maternal deaths, rather than a reporting issue. More American women are obese: America’s growing obesity problem is a factor. There’s also a growing number of pregnant women in the U.S. with chronic health problems like high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes—all of which put women at a greater risk for complications during pregnancy. According to the CDC, heart-related problems make up a substantial portion of pregnancy-related deaths. Access is inconsistent: Between 2000 to 2015, Texas saw a spike in maternal mortality while the state also underwent changes to reproductive health services, including the closure of several clinics offering abortions and other services. In 2011, the state’s family planning budget was cut by two-thirds. Experts say the lack of access is probably not solely responsible for the state’s dramatic spike in deaths, but as The Texas Tribune reports, it may have exacerbated the issue. “I’ve done my best to try to investigate this as a data error and I can’t find any changes to account for it,” says MacDorman. “It’s very concerning what’s happening in Texas.” Racial disparities persist: Black women in the United States are up to three times more likely to die in pregnancy and childbirth compared to white women. While they are not significantly more likely to develop conditions like hemorrhage and preeclampsia—which threaten a women’s health during childbirth—they are more likely to die from them. Rise in cesarean births: The rates of c-section deliveries among American women rose 53% from 1996 to 2007, now accounting for 32% of births. “Cesarean has its place, and it has saved the lives of mothers and babies,” says Dr. Michael Lu, an associate administrator with the Maternal and Child Health Bureau at the Health Resources and Services Administration. “But cesarean has its complications and these can increase the risk of maternal death.” C-sections require intensive surgery, and are associated with higher health and safety risks for mothers and infants. Women are having children later: Lu says older women are at a greater risk for maternal mortality, with a couple caveats. “It’s not clear whether it’s age, or that older women have more chronic conditions when they enter pregnancy,” he says. “The demographic of childbearing is changing. Women are getting older and they are entering pregnancy with more conditions like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.” To combat the problem, Lu says his department is focusing on improving the health of women before they get pregnant, and improving the quality and safety of maternal health care nationwide.

No Easy Way To Diagnose Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency, Expert Says.

reports on “exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, or EPI, a condition in which the pancreas doesn’t produce enough digestive enzymes to adequately absorb the nutrients in food.” Patients with EPI “can experience common digestive woes...as well as more serious medical complications including weight loss, vitamin deficiencies, osteoporosis and diabetes.” Some may even end up seriously malnourished. Dr. Christopher Forsmark, chief of the University of Florida Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, explained, “One of the biggest challenges we have is just making a diagnosis of EPI because there’s no easy way to do it.” http://health.usnews.com/health-news/patient-advice/articles/2016-09-26/epi-the-serious-but-little-known-cause-of-digestive-issues

Annual Physicals May Be Unnecessary Or Even Harmful, Research Suggests.

reports healthy people should not undergo annual physical exams, because they can be unnecessary and sometimes lead to costly follow-up care that is also unnecessary, according to medical research and experts. Michael Rothberg, the director of the Cleveland Clinic Medicine Institute Center for Value-Based Care Research wrote in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2014, “Almost nothing in the complete annual physical examination is based on evidence. Why, then, do we continue to examine healthy patients?” The article mentions that the United States Preventive Services Task Force does not recommend annual physical exams. http://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2016/9/26/13029358/annual-physical-tv-doctors-america

Leprosy Found in California Child: How Doctors Diagnosed It

http://www.livescience.com/56239-leprosy-california-confirmed.html

Some Physicians Pushing For More House Calls.

“Your Money” blog reported on the efforts of some physicians to revive the old practice of physicians making house calls to care for the sick at home rather than in hospitals. The article points out that many practitioners work exclusively in hospitals, but also points out that house calls for Medicare patients increased from 1.5 million in 1995 to 2.6 million in 2014, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The article highlights Dr. Thomas Cornwell who “is spearheading a national effort to revive physician house calls even as he pushes for doctors to be more fully compensated by Medicare for doing them.” The article also mentions the Independence at Home Act (S. 3130), a bill with bipartisan support that “would expand a Medicare home care demonstration program.” http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/24/your-money/the-doctor-is-in-in-your-house-that-is.html

Food Banks Working With Physicians To “Prescribe” Healthy Food To Help People Improve Their Health.

reports food banks in the US are increasingly promoting “food as medicine” in part by working with physicians who can write “prescriptions” for food to improve their patients’ health. A recent survey done by a national network of food banks found that many households that rely on them have a family member with high blood pressure or diabetes. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_FOOD_AS_MEDICINE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2016-09-25-13-13-31

US Healthcare System Ill Prepared To Handle Growing Number Of Obese Patients.

reports in a 1,900-word story that even though “one in three Americans is obese,” the US “health care system – in its attitudes, equipment and common practices – is ill prepared, and its practitioners are often unwilling, to treat the rising population of fat patients.” For people whose body mass index is “40 or higher,” the “situation is particularly thorny,” especially since such people face serious health issues. Both physicians and patients attribute the situation partly to “a reluctance to look beyond a fat person’s weight.” The Times adds, “The disease of obesity might exacerbate cancer, said Dr. Clifford Hudis, the chief executive officer of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.” However, “he added, another reason for poor outcomes in obese cancer patients is almost certainly that medical care is compromised.” http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/26/health/obese-patients-health-care.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=second-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0

Friday Feedback: Can Fitness Trackers Step Up Weight Loss? New study says no, but what do experts think?

http://www.medpagetoday.com/PrimaryCare/ExerciseFitness/60449?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2016-09-26&eun=g721819d0r&pos=12

Post-Lyme Arthritis: More than Lyme? Persistent joint symptoms may represent a new-onset autoimmune disease

http://www.medpagetoday.com/Rheumatology/Arthritis/60443?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2016-09-26&eun=g721819d0r&pos=1

Gonorrhea Cluster Raises Drug Resistance Fears Patients treated successfully but only one drug was working

http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/STDPrevention/60394?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2016-09-23&eun=g721819d0r&pos=0

Binge Eating Disorder May Be Associated With A Broad Range Of Other Illnesses, Study Suggest

reports that binge eating disorder (BED) may be “linked to a broad range of other illnesses,” research suggests. People with “BED had a 2.5 times greater risk of also having an endocrine disorder and a 1.9 times increased risk of a circulatory system disorder,” while “obese people with BED had a 1.5 times increased risk of having a respiratory disease and a 2.6 times increased risk of having a gastrointestinal disease than those who were not obese,” the study found. The findings of the 9,350-patient study were published online Sept. 19 in the International Journal of Eating Disorders. http://www.medicaldaily.com/binge-eating-disorder-linked-44-health-conditions-recent-study-398569

Exposure To Air Pollution May Increase Glucose Intolerance DIABETES , Research Suggests

“Well” blog reports, “Exposure to air pollution...may increase glucose intolerance,” researchers found. Investigators also “found the effect particularly strong in people who are already considered prediabetic because of abnormally high blood sugar levels.” The findings of the 2,944-participant study were published in Diabetes. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/21/well/live/air-pollution-is-linked-to-a-diabetes-marker.html

FTO Genotype Appears Not To Effect Weight Loss, Meta-Analysis Concludes.

reports that the FTO genotype appears not to effect weight loss in any way whatsoever. Although people who have the FTO genotype may be “more likely to be a bit heavier” than people without it, they should still be able to lose weight, researchers found. The findings of the multi-study meta-analysis were published online in the BMJ. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/sep/20/obesity-gene-weight-loss-gain-study-diet

Obese Kids, Teens Appear To Have Different Bacteria Living In Their Digestive Tracts Than Peers Who Aren’t Obese, Research Suggests

reports, “Obese children and teens have different bacteria living in their digestive tracts than peers who aren’t obese,” investigators found after identifying “eight groups of gut bacteria that were associated with the amount of fat in the body.” http://www.ctpost.com/living/article/Yale-led-study-links-gut-bacteria-childhood-9234697.php

Wearable Activity Monitors May Not Help People Lose Weight, Study Suggests Fitness trackers may even be working against you, according to the results of a new study

reports that the participants “using wearables still lost some weight, but significantly less than the people who weren’t using them.” Participants “in the standard weight loss group lost 13 pounds on average, whereas the people in the wearables group lost 7.7 pounds on average.” http://time.com/4501018/wearable-weight-loss/

Low Vitamin D Linked with All-Cause Death There was a significant interaction by race, with greater risks for whites

http://www.medpagetoday.com/meetingcoverage/asbmr/60300?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2016-09-20&eun=g721819d0r&pos=10

Research Quantifies Rates Of Antibiotic Use In Hospitals.

reports that research indicated “between 2006 and 2012, rates of antibiotic use haven’t changed much among more than 300 hospitals, despite the fact that awareness of antibiotic resistance was emerging during that time.” The investigators “found that the types of antibiotics being used more often are the third and fourth generation drugs that are typically considered last resort medications to treat infections resistant to other classes of antibiotics.” The “use of older antibiotics went down during the study period while prescriptions of newer, broad spectrum antibiotics increased anywhere from three times to 18 times, depending on the class.” http://time.com/4497675/antibiotics-overused-hospitals/

Florida Officials Expand One Zika Virus Transmission Zone, Lift Another.

reported that “by dramatically expanding the beach’s Zika zone, Scott has ramped up an area of caution that already has hotels warning of sharp slowdowns and elected leaders pleading with Florida and Washington for financial help if the region’s economy suffers the severe hit they fear might be coming.” http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/sep/16/floridas-governor-authorizes-10m-more-for-zika-res/

Could Fish Oil Fatty Acids Raise a Woman's Risk for Diabetes?

reported, “Women who consume high amounts of meat, fish, eggs and other common foods rich in several different types of fatty acids may end up facing a greater risk for type 2 diabetes [T2D],” researchers found after tracking some “71,000 non-diabetic women between 1993 and 2011.” For example, “docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), an omega-3 fatty acid found in meat, fish and seafood,” was associated with “a 45 percent jump” in diabetes risk “among normal-weight women and a 54 percent jump for overweight women in the highest consumption group, compared to those in the lowest.” The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes. https://consumer.healthday.com/diabetes-information-10/type-ii-diabetes-news-183/could-fish-oil-fatty-acids-raise-women-s-risk-for-diabetes-714829.html

Weight-Based Shaming, Not BMI, May Cause Kids' Distress Middle schools should promote weight acceptance, body-shape diversity

http://www.medpagetoday.com/Pediatrics/Obesity/60238?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2016-09-16&eun=g721819d0r&pos=1

Debate About Low-Carb Diet And Glucose Control Continues.

reports that in recent New York Times commentary, Dr. Sarah Hallberg, an osteopath at a weight loss clinic in Indiana, and Dr. Osama Hamdy, the medical director of the obesity weight loss program at the Joslin Diabetes Center at Harvard Medical School, argue that a diet that restricts carbohydrates helps with diabetes. However, the Times points out that there are “no large and rigorous studies showing that low carbohydrate diets offer an advantage,” nor is there a “consensus on the definition of a low-carbohydrate diet.” In support of a “low-carbohydrate” diet like the one proposed by Dr. Halberg, Kevin Hill of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and his colleagues have conducted a short term study “involving 17 overweight and obese men, none of whom had diabetes.” The study found “that insulin secretion dropped by 50 percent with the very low carbohydrate diet, meaning that much less insulin was required to maintain normal blood glucose levels.” Long-term studies however, have “failed to show that low carbohydrate diets benefited glucose control.” http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/16/health/type-2-diabetes-low-carb-diet.html?_r=0

Women Who Enter Menopause Early May Face Greater Risk For Heart Disease, Premature Death.

reports that investigators “looked at data on more than 310,000 women who had participated in a total of 33 studies published since the 1990s.” After “comparing women who had their last period before age 45 to those who entered menopause at age 45 or older, the” investigators “found women with earlier menopause had a 50 percent higher risk of coronary heart disease.” Additionally, “women who entered menopause early were...12 percent more likely to die of any cause while researchers were tracking them, compared to women who entered menopause later.” Estrogen lowers LDL and raises HDL. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-menopause-heart-death-idUSKCN11L2K2

Do E-Cigarettes Help Smokers Quit? Research from England suggests they do

http://www.medpagetoday.com/Pulmonology/Smoking/60224?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2016-09-15&eun=g721819d0r&pos=3

Naps Longer Than One Hour Linked To Type 2 Diabetes Risk.

reports University of Tokyo researchers’ meta-analysis of “more than 300,000 people included in 21 published studies” found people who napped for at least 60 minutes a day were 45 percent more likely to develop type 2 diabetes compared to those who napped for less than an hour or not at all. The study concluded “further studies are needed to confirm the efficacy of a short nap.” The study’s results were “presented Wednesday at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes meeting in Munich, Germany.” http://www.bbc.com/news/health-37362341

Nearly All 50 States Reduced Avoidable Hospital Readmissions, CMS Data Show.

https://mail.google.com/_/scs/mail-static/_/js/k=gmail.main.en.HYfHhmCGcLw.O/m=m_i,t,it/am=OotHAjD_7_3BuJYBQFb6QIV53_98c6n8sM89_n8fEIW8Cvy_2f8D-D_Yi7ZQ/rt=h/d=1/rs=AHGWq9AL-Mprk4Ly9Cv0iF5EvwRaoeKNOQ

Taking Lorcaserin May Result In Decrease In Response To Food Cues In Areas Of The Brain Associated With Attention, Emotion, Scan Study Indicates.

reports that taking the weight-loss medication lorcaserin may “result in a decrease in the response to food cues in areas of the brain that are associated with attention and emotion,” researchers found. The findings of the 48-participant, functional magnetic resonance imaging study were published in the journal Diabetes. http://www.medicaldaily.com/what-lorcaserin-weight-loss-drugs-effect-brain-revealed-new-study-397711 The drug could lead to a decrease in caloric intake, weight and body mass index (BMI).

Four-Component Imaging/Biomarker Screen May Identify Silent MI In Asymptomatic Patients With T2D.

A four-component imaging/biomarker screen was highly accurate for identifying silent myocardial infarction [MI] among asymptomatic patients with type 2 diabetes [T2D],” researchers found “in a cohort of 100 patients with type 2 diabetes and no history of heart disease.” The findings were published online in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism and were presented at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes. http://www.clinicalendocrinologynews.com/specialty-focus/diabetes/single-article-page/four-step-screen-ids-silent-heart-attack-in-type-2-diabetes/b73494f4b665709664526c072b87a45f.html

Collaborative Care' May Aid Kids' Concussion Recovery Multi-modal approach saw improved symptoms, less depression

http://www.medpagetoday.com/Pediatrics/GeneralPediatrics/60193?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2016-09-14&eun=g721819d0r&pos=0

Hypertension Increasing Among Youngsters And Adolescents.

reports in “Personal Health” that hypertension is on the increase among youngsters and adolescents. Current “national guidelines [pdf] state that blood pressure should be measured every year in children, starting at age three.” Overall, “blood pressures in children should be lower than in adults.” Hypertension in kids can be caused by obesity but also by “a wide range of kidney diseases, pulmonary diseases, heart defects, hormonal abnormalities, obstructive sleep apnea, genetic disorders and the use of certain medications, as well as some over-the-counter and performance-enhancing drugs and nutritional supplements.” http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/13/well/family/high-blood-pressure-in-children.html?_r=0

Hospitals Administer Germ-Killing Baths To ICU Patients To Protect Against Superbugs.

reports HCA, the largest chain of for-profit hospitals in the United States, has adopted a regime to bath patients admitted to the ICU with germ-killing soap, while also administering an antibiotic nose ointment twice daily for five days to protect against superbugs. The technique stems from a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2013. At the request of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health, another study called Abate is investigating the treatment of patients in other hospitals in other units besides the ICU. https://mail.google.com/_/scs/mail-static/_/js/k=gmail.main.en.HYfHhmCGcLw.O/m=m_i,t,it/am=OotHAjD_7_3BuJYBQFb6QIV53_98c6n8sMs9_n8fEIW8Cvy_2f8D-D_Yi7ZQ/rt=h/d=1/rs=AHGWq9CZSmuAIidmp2k9mDLMQS1eQvfKqw

Can Asthma Be Treated With Probiotics?

http://www.medpagetoday.com/AllergyImmunology/Asthma/60182?xid=NL_breakingnews_2016-09-13&eun=g721819d0r

How Sweet: Sugar Industry Made Fat the Villain Harvard researchers received sugar industry money to write a NEJMreview

Newly uncovered documents reveal that 50 years ago the sugar industry gave secret support to prominent Harvard researchers to write an influential series of articles in the New England Journal of Medicine that downplayed the negative effects of sugar. Instead, the articles shifted the blame from sugar to fat as the "dietary culprit" behind heart disease. In recent years there has been growing awareness that decades of dietary policy demonized fat and ignored or played down the dangers of increased consumption of carbohydrates and sugars. Many believe this policy had a significant adverse effect on public health, contributing to the obesity and diabetes epidemics. In the new paper, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, Cristin Kearns, DDS, MBA, of U.C. San Francisco and colleagues examined archives containing letters between the Sugar Research Foundation (SRF), the predecessor to today's Sugar Association, and prominent Harvard researchers, including the late Fredrick Stare, chair of Harvard's School of Public Health Nutrition Department, and D. Mark Hegsted, a professor in Stare's department. Hegsted died in 2009. In the mid-1960s the SRF sought to counter research suggesting that sugar was a more important cause of atherosclerosis than dietary fat. The SRF invited Stare to join its scientific advisory board and approved funds -- eventually amounting to nearly $50,000 in 2016 dollars -- to support a review article that would respond to the research showing the danger of sucrose. In a letter to Hegsted the SRF gave a clear indication of its agenda: "Our particular interest had to do with that part of nutrition in which there are claims that carbohydrates in the form of sucrose make an inordinate contribution to the metabolic condition, hitherto ascribed to aberrations called fat metabolism. I will be disappointed if this aspect is drowned out in a cascade of review and general interpretation." http://www.medpagetoday.com/Cardiology/CardioBrief/60177?xid=NL_breakingnews_2016-09-13&eun=g721819d0r

Patients Needing High-Dose Opioids May Have Genetic Defects Defective activity levels require extra meds for pain control

Chronic pain patients who require high-dose opioids seem to have genetic anomalies that impact their ability to metabolize drugs, researchers reported here. In a small survey, 91% of patients taking opioids in excess of 100 morphine milligram equivalent (MME) per day had defects in cytochrome P450 enzymes, which are involved in drug metabolism, reported Forest Tennant, MD, DrPH, of Veract Intractable Pain Clinic in West Covina, Calif., in a poster at Pain Week. http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/PainWeek/60155?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2016-09-12&eun=g721819d0r&pos=2

Insulin Tablet Under Development.

reported that in a news release, the American Chemical Society announced “researchers are developing an insulin” tablet “that could make diabetes treatment less painful.” The tablet “relies on new technology: a neutral, lipid-based particle dubbed a ‘cholestosome’ that houses the insulin.” So far the technology has been tested in rats. Much more work needs to be done before investigators can move on to human trials. http://www.healio.com/endocrinology/diabetes/news/online/%7B1396d0f8-087c-4275-b79a-c5c1c5c51cb0%7D/researchers-begin-development-of-insulin-pill

Six Batches Of GlucaGen HypoKit Recalled.

reported, “Novo Nordisk is recalling six batches of its GlucaGen HypoKit because customers in the UK and in Portugal complained about detached needles on the syringe with sterile water for injection,” the Food and Drug Administration “said in an announcement posted on its website” on Friday. Medscape (9/9, Lowes) also covered the story, providing lot numbers of the recalled batches. http://www.medpagetoday.com/Endocrinology/Diabetes/60147

Synthetic Ovary Now A Step Closer, Research In Mice Indicates.

“A synthetic ovary that could help both older women and those with endometriosis conceive is a step closer,” researchers reported in a study published in Reproductive BioMedicine Online. Belgian investigators “have managed to encapsulate donated human follicles inside bundles of fibrin, the tough protein that normally forms the scaffolding of blood clots.” When two of these synthetic ovaries were implanted “into each of the abdominal cavities of eight mice, more than a fifth of the follicles were still alive a week later,” researchers found. https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg23130904-000-artificial-ovary-may-boost-fertility-and-postpone-the-menopause/

'Glycemic Index' May Be Too Unreliable to Manage Diabetes: Study Wide variability seen after eating same food at different times

In the study, researchers checked blood sugar responses in 63 healthy adults after eating the same amount of white bread three different times over 12 weeks. The investigators found that glycemic index values varied an average of 20 percent among individuals and 25 percent between different study participants. "Glycemic index values appear to be an unreliable indicator even under highly standardized conditions, and are unlikely to be useful in guiding food choices," said lead author Nirupa Matthan. She is a scientist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center at Tufts University in Boston. "If someone eats the same amount of the same food three times, their blood glucose response should be similar each time, but that was not observed in our study. A food that is low glycemic index for you one time you eat it could be high the next time, and it may have no impact on blood sugar for me," she explained in a university news release. https://consumer.healthday.com/vitamins-and-nutrition-information-27/food-and-nutrition-news-316/glycemic-index-too-unreliable-for-use-in-diabetes-management-study-714520.html

Exercise Curtails COPD Depression, Anxiety

"In COPD patients, those with high physical activity are less likely to develop depression or anxiety over time," the researchers wrote. "Physical activity promotion may be considered to lower the burden of mental disorders in COPD patients." http://www.medpagetoday.com/clinical-context/COPD/60042?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2016-09-07&eun=g721819d0r&pos=9

Thyroid Problems May Be Linked To Increased Risk Of Sudden Cardiac Death, Research Suggests.

reports that investigators “found that people with thyroid hormone levels at the high end of the normal range were 2.5 times more likely to die from sudden cardiac death, compared with people at the lower end of the range.” The data also indicated that “the 10-year risk of sudden cardiac death was four times greater among people with high levels of thyroid hormone – about 4 percent versus 1 percent in people with lower levels http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/06/health/thyroid-sudden-cardiac-death/index.html

Physicians Missing Important Opportunity To Treat Overweight Patients With Antiobesity Medications, Researchers Say.

reports, “Physicians are missing an important opportunity to treat overweight patients with antiobesity medications in order to reduce the odds of developing diabetes,” researchers found. The findings were published online in Obesity. The author of an accompanying editorial observed, “The unmet need for better obesity care is considerable.” http://www.medpagetoday.com/Endocrinology/Obesity/60052

Vitamin D Supplements May Help Reduce Risk Of Asthma Attacks, Review Suggests.

Asthma patients who suffer from severe attacks, or exacerbations, were at a lower risk of having an attack and less likely to need hospital treatment if they had been taking regular doses of the vitamin, trials carried out by a Cochrane Review” indicated. Additionally, “they were...less likely to need treatment with steroid tablets. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-asthma-vitamins-idUSKCN11B2AT

Early Bedtimes Associated With Lower Risk Of Obesity.

reports on a study finding later bedtimes are associated with “an increased risk of obesity,” both when people are young and “later in life.” The study was published in the Journal of Pediatrics, and was based on “data on 977 children who were part of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development’s Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development.” The study found that those who had bedtimes of 8:00 p.m. or earlier “were half as likely as children with late bedtimes to be obese as adolescents.” http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/05/health/bedtime-children-health-benefits/

FDA Banning 19 Chemicals Commonly Found In Antibacterial Soaps.

reported, “Products with 19 antibacterial ingredients...must be reformulated or removed from stores within a year, the FDA announced Friday.” The use of “cleaners with the 19 specified ingredients could increase bacterial resistance, making it harder to fight disease, and may affect hormones...said” Theresa Michele of the FDA’s Division of Non-prescription Drug Products. The Washington Post (9/2, McGinley) reported that in a statement, Dr. Janet Woodcock, director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said, “Consumers may think antibacterial washes are more effective at preventing the spread of germs, but we have no scientific evidence that they are any better than plain soap and water.” She added, “In fact, some data suggests that antibacterial ingredients may do more harm than good over the long-term.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2016/09/02/fda-bans-some-antibacterial-soaps-and-body-washes/

Decline In Teenage Pregnancy Due To Use Of Contraceptives, Study Suggests.

reports a new study published in the Journal of Adolescent health found the “sharp decline in American teenage pregnancy and birthrates in recent years was driven exclusively by the use of contraceptives.” The study of a “nationally representative sample of more than 3,000 women ages 15 to 19” in 2007, 2009 and 2012 concluded “that sexual activity in the last three months of each time period did not vary — about one-third of the young women had had sex during that time.” However, the “percentage of teenagers who reported using contraception increased to 86 percent from 78 percent, and the share using more than one method increased to 37 percent from 26 percent.” Laura Lindberg, a research scientist with the Guttmacher Institute, said, “The long-term decline in teen pregnancy and teen births has been brought about by teenagers making considered and responsible decisions.” http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/01/well/family/contraceptives-drive-teenage-pregnancy-down.html?_r=0

Rates Of Obesity Fell In Four States Last Year, Report Indicates.

, a report indicates that “rates of obesity fell in four states last year: Minnesota, Montana, New York and Ohio.” This “report, from the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, also found some evidence the obesity epidemic may be starting to slow.” http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/obesity-rates-fall-four-states-n641396

Researchers Say They Have Found An Easy Way To Spur Stem Cells To Build Bone In Mice.

“Researchers say they’ve found an easy way to spur stem cells to build bone in mice.” In a study published in Science Advances, “scientists from the University of California-San Diego used a naturally occurring molecule called adenosine to prompt human stem cells to regenerate bone tissue.” That “new tissue helped repair cranial bone defects in the mice.” https://consumer.healthday.com/health-technology-information-18/stem-cell-news-636/stem-cells-bone-sa-ucsd-release-batch-2847-714340.html

Weight Loss After RYGB Surgery Appears To Last For At Least 10 Years, Study Finds.

“Ten-year data suggest that Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery yields greater, more sustained weight loss compared with no surgery,” the study also revealed. Another study finding was that “RYGB surgery may result in more weight loss over 4 years than adjustable gastric banding or sleeve gastrectomy.” https://consumer.healthday.com/vitamins-and-nutrition-information-27/weight-loss-surgery-bariatric-1005/weight-loss-surgery-achieves-long-term-weight-loss-for-many-714392.html