Large-Scale, Multi-Pronged Effort To Reduce Obesity, Promote Healthy Behavior Among Kids In Two Low-Income Massachusetts Communities Yields Modest Two-Year Results

“A large-scale, multi-pronged effort to reduce obesity and promote healthy behavior among kids in two low-income Massachusetts communities yielded modest two-year results,” researchers found. The findings were published in the journal Obesity. http://www.medpagetoday.com/pediatrics/obesity/66296

Veggie Protein May Reduce Risk For Early Menopause

reports a study published online in the American Journal of Epidemiology found “premenopausal women who consumed the highest amount of vegetable protein...reported a 16% lower risk for early menopause compared with women who ate the lowest amounts in an adjusted model.” Lead author Maegan E. Boutot, MS, of the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and her team “also found a lower risk of early menopause associated with high intake of pasta, dark bread, and cold cereal.” The study also found “consumption of animal protein did not have any significant relationships with the time of menopause onset” nor for total protein intake. http://www.medpagetoday.com/endocrinology/menopause/66256

North Carolina Residents Suspect Drinking Water Contaminated With Toxic Chemicals From Nearby Plant.

reports on its website that Wilmington, NC “residents are demanding to know” if toxic chemicals manufactured at an upstream DuPont and Chemours plant, including GenX, are leaking their way into the Cape Fear River, where city residents get their drinking water. According to the article, the “Cape Fear Public Utility Authority co-authored a three-year study on the chemical’s elevated presence in the water”; however, “the findings were never made available to the general public.” CBS adds that “water inspectors are testing the current levels of GenX in Wilmington’s water, but results are not expected until late next month.” http://www.cbsnews.com/news/wilmington-nc-cape-fear-river-water-tainted-genx-dupont-chemours/

Eating Fish May Ease Rheumatoid Arthritis Cross-sectional study ties fish with diminished disease activity

https://www.medpagetoday.com/Rheumatology/Arthritis/66266?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2017-06-27&eun=g721819d0r&pos=2

IBD: Research Showing Yoga as Effective Complementary Tx 'Would be important to recommend well-trained yoga teacher/therapist who has basic medical knowledge'

It is not uncommon for patients with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis to add complementary treatments to conventional medical therapies to treat IBD. Many of these complementary treatments seem to be promising ways to optimize disease management and improve quality of life. For example, a 2015 pilot study by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital found that a relaxation response-based mind-body intervention was associated with improvements in disease-specific measures, "trait anxiety," and pain catastrophizing in patients with irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease. Among the mind-body interventions used in the study was yoga, a practice that is -- among other things -- used to relieve stress and ease symptoms of anxiety and depression. https://www.medpagetoday.com/reading-room/aga/lower-gi/66192?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2017-06-23&eun=g721819d0r&pos=2

Is Climate Change Making Us Sick? Time to add climate change to health hazard list?

https://www.medpagetoday.com/PublicHealthPolicy/HealthPolicy/66221?xid=NL_breakingnews_2017-06-23&eun=g721819d0r

Trump Administration Takes Initial Steps To Lower Drug Prices.

“Wonkblog” reports that the Trump Administration “is taking its first concrete steps to address the high cost of prescription medications, narrowly focusing on a measure it could take to increase the competition for old, off-patent drugs.” Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said the agency was creating a “drug competition action plan” to incentivize new generic drugs. According to the Wonkblog, “the effort would likely have a limited impact, affecting prices of older drugs whose patents and exclusivity have expired and lack competitors.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/06/21/trump-administration-signals-initial-steps-to-deal-with-drug-prices/?utm_term=.72fb3c90846b

Advertisement Dads Who Get More Involved In Raising Their Kids May Be Helping To Lower The Youngsters’ Risk Of Obesity

“Fathers who get more involved in raising their children may be helping to lower their kids’ risk of obesity,” researchers concluded after examining “how often fathers of young children participated in parenting activities like caregiving, making meals and playing outside and how much they weighed in on decisions related to nutrition, health and discipline when their kids were two and four years old.” The study revealed that by “age four, kids were 30 percent less likely to be obese if their fathers increased the amount of time they spent taking children outside for walks and play, compared to those whose dads remained more hands-off.” The findings were published online in Obesity. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-fathers-child-obesity-idUSKBN19C2EF

When Should I Start Biologics in RA?

Biologic agents for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis can change the course of the disease – but these agents are expensive and come with some real as well as theoretical health risks. And that means doctors must perform a delicate balancing act over when, where, and for whom the biologic agents should be prescribed. In a new study based on literature review, Bruno Fautrel, MD, PhD, professor of rheumatology at the Pitié Salpêtrière University Hospital at Pierre et Marie Curie University in Paris, determined that earlier treatment at the first hints of rheumatoid arthritis – almost a pre-arthritis state – with disease modifying agents, including biologics, markedly reduced the risk of transition to frank rheumatoid arthritis by the end of a year. And while that coincides with programs aimed at getting people into treatment earlier in the course of the disease, it doesn't provide definitive answers as to who needs those earlier treatments, researchers suggested. https://www.medpagetoday.com/clinical-challenges/eular/66182?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2017-06-22&eun=g721819d0r&pos=2

CDC: U.S. Teens Have Less Sex -- But Safer Sex Most female adolescents used some contraception

https://www.medpagetoday.com/PrimaryCare/PreventiveCare/66183?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2017-06-22&eun=g721819d0r&pos=1

Patient with Lassa Fever Offers Clues to Virus In-depth study probes neglected disease

While Lassa fever causes more than 5,000 deaths per year in Africa, a lack of investigative resources on the continent means the human immune response to the virus has been shrouded in mystery. https://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/GeneralInfectiousDisease/66186?xid=NL_breakingnews_2017-06-22&eun=g721819d0r https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lassa_fever

Cardiac Devices Come In Handy for the Coroner Device memory can often supply time and cause of death, study shows

Cardiac implantable electronic devices may be useful even after death when used as autopsy tools, a small study showed. When forensics couldn't determine a clear time of death in a patient with such a device, interrogation of the device yielded a time stamp for death in 36.8%, Philipp Lacour, MD, of Charité - Medical University of Berlin, Germany, and colleagues found. Similarly, cause of death was found by traditional forensics in 66.0% of autopsies; device interrogation supplied the cause of 60.8% of the remainder, Lacour reported at the European Heart Rhythm Association's EUROPACE - CARDIOSTIM meeting in Vienna. "In our study, the time or cause of death was unclear in about 30% of cases after autopsy alone. This dropped to around 10–20% using device interrogation. The two procedures provide complementary information and with the combination we can solve around 85% of all unclear deaths," Lacour suggested in a statement. Out of 5,000 autopsies performed at Lacour's institution from 2012 to 2017, there were 151 cardiac devices found and removed (including 107 pacemakers, 22 implantable cardioverter-defibrillators, 14 cardiac resynchronization therapy systems, and six implantable loop recorders). https://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/EUROPACE/66146?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2017-06-21&eun=g721819d0r&pos=0

Many Americans Taking Excessively High Doses Of Vitamin D, causing cancer

eports almost 20% of adults in the US “are taking supplemental vitamin D, and a growing number are taking excessively high doses linked to an increased risk of fractures, falls, kidney stones and certain cancers,” according to the research letter published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Vox (6/20, Belluz) reports Dr. Barry Kramer, the director of the National Cancer Institute’s cancer prevention division, says that the debate over vitamin D supplements reflects how the science surrounding it has evolved. HealthDay (6/20, Gordon) also covers the story. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-vitamind-supplements-idUSKBN19B2F0

USPSTF Recommends Screening Children Who Are At Least Six Years Old For Obesity.

reports pediatricians should screen patients who are at least six years old for obesity, and then refer obese patients “to attend intensive weight management programs if needed,” according to new recommendations from the US Preventive Services Task Force that were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-pediatrics-obesity-idUSKBN19C00D

Certain Hair Products May Be Linked To Higher Breast Cancer Risk

reports that “research suggests that black women who use dark hair dyes face a higher risk of breast cancer, while chemical relaxers and straighteners boost the odds in white women.” In the “study of more than 4,000 women,” investigators found that “use of dark brown or black hair dyes by black women was tied to a 51 percent greater risk of breast cancer.” Meanwhile, “whites who used hair relaxers had 74 percent higher odds.” The findings were published in Carcinogenesis. https://consumer.healthday.com/cancer-information-5/breast-cancer-news-94/could-certain-hair-dyes-relaxers-raise-breast-cancer-risk-723833.html

Scientists, Medical Professionals Call On International Community To Restrict Production, Use Of Triclosan And Triclocarban.

reports that late in 2016, “the Food and Drug Administration took the bold step...of banning 19 chemicals in hand and body soap because of questions about their benefits and concerns about their impact on human health and the environment.” On June 20, “a group of 200 scientists and medical professionals called on the international community to further restrict the production and use of two chemicals – triclosan and triclocarban – citing ‘extensive peer-reviewed research’ that shows potential harm from both.” The experts, “in a statement published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives...said the chemicals, which have been around for decades, should only be used when there is an ‘evidence-based health benefit’ going forward.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2017/06/20/200-scientists-call-for-new-restrictions-on-antimicrobial-chemicals-in-personal-care-products/?utm_term=.8f821b59c2aa

Gout Patients Face Increased Risk for Erectile Dysfunction

Gout cases also had a higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus (15.2% versus 8.1%, P<0.001), hypertension 43.4% versus 21.5%, P<0.001), ischemic heart disease (12.2% versus 7.6%, P<0.001), chronic renal disease (8.3% versus 2.7%, P<0.001) and depression (19.6% versus 16.3%, P<0.001) compared with matched controls. https://www.medpagetoday.com/Rheumatology/GeneralRheumatology/66101?xid=nl_mpt_Weekly_Education_2017-06-21&eun=g5883165d1r

Liver Cancer Rates Rising Rapidly in U.S. Overall prognosis poor with racial disparities in healthcare access, mortality rates

The incidence of liver cancer in the U.S. has doubled since the 1970s and is expected to continue increasing until at least 2030, with the overall prognosis remaining poor and with substantial disparities in death rates by sex, race/ethnicity, and state, according to a new report from the American Cancer Society (ACS). Major differences in risk factors and inequalities in access to healthcare are the primary drivers of these disparities, an ACS research team led by Farhad Islami, MD, PhD, reported online in the journal CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. Between 2010 and 2014, liver cancer death rates were 5.5 per 100,000 for non-Hispanic whites, 8.4 per 100,000 for non-Hispanic blacks, and 11.9 per 100,000 for American Indian/Alaska Natives, according to their analysis of data from the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program. Death rates also varied by state. In North Dakota, for instance, liver cancer deaths occurred in 3.8 per 100,000 people whereas in the District Columbia, there were 9.6 deaths per 100,000. Paradoxically, liver cancer stage distribution at the time of diagnosis was very similar between patients of different races and ethnicities, leading the authors to conclude that the increased death rates in non-Hispanic blacks and Native Americans is driven by inequalities in access to care. https://www.medpagetoday.com/HematologyOncology/OtherCancers/65947?xid=nl_mpt_Weekly_Education_2017-06-21&eun=g5883165d1r

Low-Dose Aspirin May Reduce Risk Of Breast Cancer In Women With Type 2 Diabetes,

reports that research suggests “women with type 2 diabetes who are taking low-dose aspirin had a lower occurrence of breast cancer than those not taking aspirin.” The findings were published in the Journal of Women’s Health. https://www.healio.com/family-medicine/womens-health/news/online/%7Baea078e1-85d2-4dee-961e-6e7c907cbafc%7D/low-dose-aspirin-may-reduce-breast-cancer-risk?nc=1

After-School Exercise Program Leads To Loss In Visceral Fat, Better Test Scores In Elementary-Age Kids

In its Sunday Magazine and in its “Well” bog, the New York Times (6/18, MM20, Reynolds, Subscription Publication) reported, “A new study of elementary-age children shows that those who were not part of an after-school exercise program tended to pack on” visceral fat, “a particular type of body fat that can have deleterious impacts on brain health and thinking.” In a study to be published soon, researchers found that kids who participated in a “nine-month after-school exercise program” not only shed visceral fat, but also performed better on “a computerized test that measures how well children pay attention, process information and avoid being impulsive.” https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/16/magazine/losing-fat-gaining-brain-power-on-the-playground.html

Exercise Rates In US At Age 19 Comparable To Levels At Age 60,

reported that “rates of exercise actually declined during the teen years,” researchers found after analyzing “data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination survey from 2003-2004 and 2005-2006” that involved some 12,500 people ranging in age from six to 84. The study revealed that 19-year-old adolescents “spent as much time being inactive and sedentary as” adults age 60. The findings were published in Preventive Medicine. HealthDay (6/16, Preidt) also covered the study. http://time.com/4821963/teens-sedentary-lifestyle-exercise/

Eating Late At Night May Cause A Series Of Adverse Effects, Research Suggests.

reports, “Eating late at night, compared with earlier in the day, caused a series of adverse effects,” researchers found, including “increases in weight, respiratory quotient, insulin and cholesterol levels, as well as a decrease in adiponectin” and a “ghrelin phase...delayed with greater amplitude.” The findings of the eight-participant study were presented at Sleep 2017, the Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies. https://www.healio.com/family-medicine/obesity/news/online/%7B137a91b4-7b60-4176-80d8-94c25050a96c%7D/late-night-eating-associated-with-chronic-health-problems

Cell Therapies Getting Second Chance in Parkinson's

Two clinical trials using cell therapies to treat Parkinson's disease, one using fetal tissue and one using cells derived from embryonic stem cells (ESCs), seek to learn from the mixed results of earlier work using fetal tissue to prove cells can deliver dopamine to Parkinson patients with fewer side effects and less "off" time than current therapy, researchers reported on a panel here. https://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/AdditionalMeetings/66031?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2017-06-15&eun=g721819d0r&pos=1

Drinking May Hike Muscle-Wasting After Menopause Estrogen hormone therapy seen as possibly mitigating this risk

https://www.medpagetoday.com/Endocrinology/Menopause/65848?xid=nl_mpt_Weekly_Education_2017-06-14&eun=g5883165d1r

Advertisement Influenza Vaccine Appears Not To Work As Well For People Who Are Obese, Researchers Say.

reports that the influenza vaccine appears not to “work as well for people who are obese,” researchers concluded after comparing “effectiveness of the flu vaccine among 1,022 adults.” The findings were published online in the International Journal of Obesity. Among obese, 9.8% had either confirmed influenza or influenza-like-illness compared with 5.1% of healthy weight participants. Compared with vaccinated healthy weight, obese participants had double the risk of developing influenza or influenza-like illness (relative risk=2.01, 95% CI 1.12, 3.60, P=0.020). Seroconversion or seroprotection rates were not different between healthy weight and obese adults with influenza or ILI. CONCLUSIONS: Despite robust serological responses, vaccinated obese adults are twice as likely to develop influenza and influenza-like illness compared to healthy weight adults. This finding challenges the current standard for correlates of protection, suggesting use of antibody titers to determine vaccine effectiveness in an obese population may provide misleading information. The researchers suggest the flu shot isn't as effective for obese people because their T-cells don't function as well as they should. T-cells, which are infection fighters, help guard against the flu and aid in recovery. "Impaired cell functioning, despite the robust production of antibodies, may make vaccinated obese adults more susceptible to influenza infection," http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/vaop/naam/abs/ijo2017131a.html

FDA Indefinitely Delays Deadlines For New Nutrition Labels.

reports the agency indefinitely delayed two deadlines for food companies to begin using revised nutrition labels. Previously, larger food companies had until July 26, 2018 to implement the new labels, while smaller food companies had an additional year. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_NUTRITION_FACTS_PANEL?SITE=AP&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2017-06-13-13-24-22

Mosquitoes test positive for West Nile virus in Ohio

Health officials say mosquitoes trapped in an area of central Ohio have tested positive for the West Nile virus. Franklin County Public Health says the infected mosquito pool is in Norwich Township near the Columbus suburb of Hilliard. Health officials say the pool was identified in a surveillance of traps set up to monitor the mosquito population. Health officials are reminding people to wear insect repellant containing DEET, limit outdoor activity at dusk and dawn and empty all standing water around their homes. Symptoms experienced by about 20 to 30 percent of people infected with the virus include fever, headache, body aches, joint pain, vomiting, diarrhea and rash. Most survive. Symptoms of more severe disease can include high fever, neck stiffness, disorientation, coma, tremors, seizures and paralysis. © 2017 Associated Press http://www.wkyc.com/news/health/mosquitoes-test-positive-for-west-nile-virus-in-ohio/448240940

More than 2 billion people are overweight or obese worldwide, says study

reports on its website that the researchers also found that “obesity levels were higher among women than men across all age groups, which correlates with previous findings on obesity.” The US had the greatest number of obese adults, 79.4 million, while China had the second greatest number, 57.3 million. Bangladesh and Vietnam have the lowest obesity rates of 1%. The AP (6/12, Stobbe) reports obesity is increasing faster among children than adults in many countries, and that obesity among children and young adults tripled in Brazil, China, Indonesia, and other countries, according to the study. The article reports that the researchers used modeling to fill in gaps in the data. http://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/12/more-than-2-billion-people-are-overweight-or-obese-worldwide-says-study.html

HbA1c Levels May Overestimate Average Glucose Concentration In Black Patients, Compared With White Patients

reports the hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) test “used to diagnose and monitor diabetes may vary in accuracy based on...race and other factors, potentially influencing how aggressively” diabetes is monitored and treated, research suggests. In fact, individuals “of African, Mediterranean or Southeast Asian descent are particularly at risk of interference, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.” The findings, published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, suggest that “hemoglobin A1c levels can overestimate the average glucose concentration in black patients, compared with white patients.” http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/12/health/diabetes-sugar-level-racial-differences-study/index.html

Poor Diet, Obesity, Inactivity Could Overtake Smoking In Cancer Death Risk, Researchers Suggest.

reports researchers suggest that “as the rate of smoking decreases, other unhealthy habits,” such as poor diet, alcohol consumption, lack of physical activity, and excess weight, “threaten to offset the progress in reducing cancer deaths.” The issue was discussed by researchers from the American Cancer Society at a recent meeting of the Council of Accountable Care Physicians. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/06/09/obesity-and-drinking-may-soon-outpace-smoking-cause-cancer/102189698/

Toxins In Drinking Water Of 15M Nationwide, Study Says.

“A new study released today by the nonprofit Environmental Working Group and Northeastern University in Boston shows harmful types of PFCs, known as PFOA or PFOS, can be found in drinking water systems in 27 U.S. states and in the tap water supplies of 15 million people.” According to the Free Press, “the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in blood samples taken from about 2,000 Americans in 2003-04, found PFOS, PFOA and other PFCs in 98% of participants’ blood.” The article adds that “a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2013” demonstrated that PFOA contamination of children’s blood “affected their immune systems, causing routine childhood immunizations for diseases such as measles, mumps and polio to be far less effective.” http://www.freep.com/story/news/2017/06/08/report-toxins-drinking-water-15-m-nationwide/377633001/

Health Experts Express Concern Over HCG Weight Loss Injections.

reports health experts are questioning the “alarming weight loss trend” of “injecting the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin twice a day and sticking to a diet of just 500 calories” through the HCG diet. The trend centers on the concept that the pregnancy hormone HCG “the body’s natural tendency to store fat in stubborn areas such as the stomach and thighs,” although “experts say there is no scientific evidence that shows HCG works for weight loss, and the injections could cause significant harm.” http://nypost.com/2017/06/08/injecting-yourself-with-pregnancy-hormones-is-not-a-safe-way-to-diet/

In Older Adults With Overweight Or Obesity, Elevated Triglyceride Levels May Be Associated With Increased Circadian Rhythm Disruption

Endocrine Today (6/8, Schaffer) reports, “In older adults with overweight or obesity, elevated triglyceride levels are associated with increased circadian rhythm disruption, measured by reductions in both temperature amplitude and stability,” researchers found after analyzing “wrist skin temperature in 34 adults aged 50 to 70 years, with BMI between 27 kg/m² and 40 kg/m², every 10 minutes for 7 consecutive days, as well as metabolic parameters, including BMI, blood pressure, HbA1c, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol and LDL cholesterol.” The findings were published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society. http://www.healio.com/endocrinology/cardiometabolic-disorders/news/in-the-journals/%7Bb55bd18c-e16e-418c-92c6-923f503d9f0b%7D/elevated-triglycerides-predominant-marker-for-disrupted-circadian-rhythms-in-older-adults

Inhaled Levodopa Cuts Motor Symptoms in Parkinson's

Inhaled levodopa (CVT-301) passed a phase III test, significantly improving motor function during Parkinson's "off" periods compared with placebo, researchers reported here. At 12 weeks, change in Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) Part III scores 30 minutes post-dose was significantly greater among those given 84 mg of CVT-301 compared with placebo (-9.83 versus -5.91, P=0.009), Peter LeWitt, MD, of Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, and colleagues reported during a late-breaking poster session at the Movement Disorder Society meeting here. The drug also produced better results than placebo at helping patients achieve an "on" state by 60 minutes -- although a pre-specified 12-point hierarchical analysis became non-significant at the third item of change in UPDRS Part III scores at 20 minutes, leaving the subsequent steps technically ineligible for statistical significance. Nonetheless, investigators were encouraged by the results, and a new drug application will be filed with the FDA by the end of the month, according to co-author Charles Oh, MD, a vice president of clinical development at drugmaker Acorda Therapeutics. https://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/MDS/65882?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2017-06-09&eun=g721819d0r&pos=0

IBD and Vitamin D: Exploring the Link The relationship may be bidirectional

Some studies have suggested that individuals with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis have low levels of vitamin D, with up to 60% to 70% of patients possibly having insufficiency and half of those being deficient. Those numbers are influenced by other factors, however, such as the location and the season of the year when the vitamin D levels are measured. Several studies have shown geographic variation in the incidence of IBD. For instance, in the prospective Nurses' Health Studies I and II, 175,912 women reported their area of residence in 1992. During more than three million person-years of follow-up, the incidence of both Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis increased with higher latitude and less ultraviolet exposure. Compared with women living in northern areas of the U.S., those residing in the south had an adjusted hazard ratio of 0.48 (95% CI 0.30-0.77) for Crohn's disease and 0.62 (95% CI 0.42-0.90) for ulcerative colitis (P<0.01). https://www.medpagetoday.com/reading-room/aga/lower-gi/65873?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2017-06-09&eun=g721819d0r&pos=3

Morning Breakfasts May Make Weight Loss Easier Starting the day's meals at noon linked to impaired fat metabolism

Sleep deprivation and frequent circadian misalignment are known risk factors for packing on the pounds. Now a small study presented here suggests that routinely eating meals late in the day or at night also increases obesity risk independent of how much sleep people get. After controlling for sleep duration, the laboratory study involving healthy volunteers found that compared to eating during the daytime, prolonged eating that began at noon and went as late as 11 p.m. was associated with weight gain, increases in insulin and cholesterol levels, and impaired fat metabolism. https://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/APSS/65895?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2017-06-09&eun=g721819d0r&pos=4

Study Seeks To Explain Why Women May Be More Likely To Develop Neuropsychiatric Disorders After TBI.

reports that “when it comes to traumatic brain injuries (TBI), women are more likely to develop subsequent neuropsychiatric disorders, like anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.” Now, research may explain why “-- a potentially disrupted pathway in the brain.” The study’s findings “will be presented at the...Endocrine Society’s annual meeting.” http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/disrupted-brain-pathway-altered-stress-hormones-key_us_59380a34e4b06bff911d7c6b

Researchers Find “No Clinically Significant Differences” Between Effects Of Eating Different Types Of Bread.

reports researchers found “no clinically significant differences between the effects of” consuming whole wheat sourdough bread or white bread, according to a study published in Cell. For the study, “participants consumed the same amount of white and non-white bread for several days,” then consumed one type of bread for one week, and then two weeks later consumed the other type of bread.Those parameters included glucose levels upon waking, fat and cholesterol levels, the amounts of essential minerals (like calcium, iron and magnesium) in the bloodstream and several indicators of inflammation and tissue damage. The lack of difference between the two breads led the researchers to wonder why. The findings imply that either the two breads have the same effect or that the effect of the bread is specific to each person. Such individual differences would disappear in the data analysis but could be underlying the overall average. To gauge whether individual responses could be at play, the researchers measured glycemic response; that is, changes in blood glucose levels two hours after a meal. This measure is a crucial figure in determining whether a person is at risk for diabetes resulting from weight gain. As it turns out, people respond very personally to bread. Half the participants had a higher glycemic response to industrial white bread, and half had the higher response to artisanal sourdough bread. “People have a personalized glucose response to bread,” Segal tells Newsweek. “White bread may be better for half the people, while sourdough for the other half.” Finally, the researchers found that which bread was best for each person could be predicted based on the bacteria present in their gut. They collected stool samples to determine the collection of microbes living in them and found that the “profile”—the variety of bacterial species—correlated with the glycemic response to each bread. In total, Segal and colleagues examined 20 different variables and found not one single notable difference between the white bread eaters and the artisanal bread eaters. Importantly, it wasn’t that the breads both had no effect. Rather, they both did equal damage. http://www.newsweek.com/bread-healthy-artisanal-processed-white-bread-study-shows-621748

Extreme Exercise Tied to Gut Damage

A systematic review suggested that exercise intensity was a key regulator of gastric emptying rate, with higher intensity exercise (≥70% peak power output) causing the greatest disturbance to gastric motility, However, steady state moderate exercise (60-70% peak power output or 66% VO2max equivalent) did not appear to influence gastric emptying and intestinal transit compared with rest in well-trained individuals, Additionally, they found that the impact of high-intensity exercise on gastric motility appeared to be ephemeral, as the intensity of prior exercise had a negligible effect on post-exercise gastric emptying rate of a glucose solution. Costa's group found that as exercise intensity and duration increased, so did indices of intestinal injury, permeability and endotoxemia, as well as impairment of gastric emptying, slowing of small intestinal transit, and malabsorption. "Understanding the effect of prolonged strenuous exercise on gastrointestinal motility is important since the consumption of foods/fluids during exercise aids in the maintenance of blood glucoseconcentration and euhydration, aimed at attenuating fatigue and enhancing exercise performance," Costa stated. https://www.medpagetoday.com/Gastroenterology/GeneralGastroenterology/65834?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2017-06-07&eun=g721819d0r&pos=3

Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Found in Produce, Dairy Products Some bacteria even resistant to colistin

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria were found in fresh produce and dairy products throughout California grocery stores, researchers found. Samples from organic and conventional produce were the most resistant to cefotaxime, an antibiotic that treats a variety of bacterial infections. Moreover, numerous samples were positive for bacteria resistant to colistin, a "last resort" antibiotic, reported Bryan Sanchez, of California State University Northridge, and colleagues. The authors described their study as "preliminary surveillance." They purchased organic and conventional produce and dairy products at grocery stores throughout the San Fernando Valley. They defined antibiotic concentrations as the minimal concentration to inhibit particular strains of both Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Researchers then measured antibiotic resistance against eight types of antibiotics: Ciprofloxacin Tetracycline Erythromycin Chloramphenicol Gentamicin Ampicillin Cefotaxime Colistin https://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/ASMMicrobe/65821?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2017-06-07&eun=g721819d0r&pos=0

In RA, Try Biologics First?

Patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who received certolizumab pegol (Cimzia) plus methotrexate for a year had improved outcomes during the following year -- after stopping the biologic -- compared with those who received methotrexate alone for the 2 years, Japanese researchers reported. https://www.medpagetoday.com/Rheumatology/Arthritis/65731?xid=nl_mpt_Weekly_Education_2017-06-07&eun=g5883165d1r

Sleep Aid Tied to Parkinson's Risk

Although only two studies were of high enough quality to be included in the review, pooled data showed a 2.5-fold increased risk of Parkinson's disease among patients taking zolpidem (Ambien), Salman Hussain, PhD, of Hamdard University in New Delhi in India, reported at the Movement Disorders Society meeting here. https://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/MDS/65841?xid=NL_breakingnews_2017-06-07&eun=g721819d0r

Microbiomes Differ in Newer vs Older Hospital NICUs Differences seen in infants' environmental, skin microbiomes

The type of hospital neonatal intensive care unit may have an effect on the infant microbiome, with differences observed between infants in older and newer hospital NICUs, according to a pilot study presented here. There was a significant difference at a genus level between infants' environmental and skin microbiomes between a NICU in an older hospital, where infants were all kept in the same room, and a new hospital, where infants had separate rooms, reported Suchitra K. Hourigan, MD, of Inova Translational Medicine Institute in Falls Church, Va., and colleagues. https://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/ASMMicrobe/65781?xid=NL_breakingnews_2017-06-05&eun=g721819d0r

Early-Life Exposure To Certain Phthalates May Be Linked To Lower Thyroid Function In Young Girls,

Environment International indicates that “early-life exposure to certain phthalates – a group of chemicals found in a wide variety of household items including shampoos, perfumes, nail polish, plastic toys, house building materials and more – is linked to lowered thyroid function in young girls.” Included in the study were 229 pregnant women and “229 children who were three years old.” TIME points out that “phthalates are thought to be endocrine disruptors, which means they interfere with the body’s hormones.” http://time.com/4799330/household-chemicals-phthalates-thyroid-girls/

Foods That End Up In The Trash Contain Many Of The Same Nutrients Americans Are Missing In Their Diets, Researchers Say.

“Foods that wind up in the trash contain many of the same nutrients that Americans are missing in their diets,” researchers found after using “US Department of agriculture data to calculate the nutritional value of foods in 213 categories that were wasted, both at the retail level and in homes, during 2012.” Investigators found that “nationwide, wasted food contained an estimated 1,200 calories, as well as 146 grams of carbohydrate, 33 g of protein, 6 g of fiber, 286 milligrams of calcium, 2 mg of vitamin D and 900 mg of potassium per person per day, among other nutrients.” The findings were published online in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-food-waste-nutrients-idUSKBN18R21G

Obese Women May Suffer From More Intense Hot Flashes, Night Sweats During Menopause, Study Indicates.

https://consumer.healthday.com/women-s-health-information-34/menopause-and-postmenopause-news-472/obese-women-may-have-more-intense-hot-flashes-723186.html