Kids Eat Better, but Much Room for Improvement More fruits and veggies, but also more sodium in average diet

http://www.medpagetoday.com/PrimaryCare/DietNutrition/61720?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2016-11-30&eun=g721819d0r&pos=0

Does Girls' Sexual Debut Depend on Relationship with Mom?

http://www.medpagetoday.com/Pediatrics/Parenting/61723?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2016-11-30&eun=g721819d0r&pos=4

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

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

Happier Dads, Better Adjusted Kids But specifics of fathers' household roles not a factor, study finds

http://www.medpagetoday.com/Pediatrics/Parenting/61678?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2016-11-28&eun=g721819d0r&pos=0

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

ASRA: Ketamine Can Treat Stubborn Migraines

http://www.medpagetoday.com/clinical-context/Migraines/61635?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2016-11-23&eun=g721819d0r&pos=3

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

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

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

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.

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/

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Binocular Tx, Patching Boost Visual Acuity in Lazy Eye But patching still offered superior results in kids age 5-12

http://www.medpagetoday.com/Ophthalmology/GeneralOphthalmology/61281?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2016-11-08&eun=g721819d0r&pos=0

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/

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

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

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/

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

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/

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