Dr. House
Dr. House
Monday, July 31, 2017
Friday, July 28, 2017
Drinking Alcohol Every Few Days May Help Protect Against T2D
reports, “Drinking alcohol – especially wine – every few days may help protect against type 2 diabetes [T2D].” The findings were published in Diabetologia. Researchers looked at “data from more than 70,000 healthy Danish adults who were surveyed about their health and drinking habits around 2007,” then tracked “them for five years.” http://time.com/4876998/drinking-wine-diabetes/
Thursday, July 27, 2017
Clinical Trials Now Underway In First-Ever Vaccine For The Prevention Of T1D In Humans.
“Clinical trials are underway in the first-ever vaccine for the prevention of type 1 diabetes [T1D] in humans,” researchers from the University of Tampere in Finland have announced. Investigators there have “identified the enteroviruses belonging to the group B coxsackieviruses that are related to diabetes, and” have “developed a prototype vaccine that aims to prevent these viruses.” In the first phase of the clinical trial, safety of the vaccine will be monitored “in a small group of adults.” In the second phase, the vaccine will be evaluated in youngsters. In the third phase, investigators will find out “whether the vaccine could be used to prevent the onset of type 1 diabetes.” http://www.mdmag.com/medical-news/human-trials-begin-on-firstever-preventative-vaccine-for-t1-diabetes-in-humans
Wednesday, July 26, 2017
Environmental Working Group Says US Water Contains Dangerous Contaminants Still Permitted Under Law.
reports the Environmental Working Group released data Wednesday showing water samples from around the US containing contaminants “pose health risks but are perfectly legal under the Safe Drinking Water Act.” The advocacy group’s data “found 267 [contaminants] present in water supplies, many at levels above what scientific studies have found pose health risks but are still legal under the Safe Drinking Water Act.” The act has not been updated in “more than 20 years.” https://mail.google.com/_/scs/mail-static/_/js/k=gmail.main.en.HFKfDbXmXEw.O/m=pds,pdl,pdit,m_i,pdt,t,it/am=rcA8QL4fAhzMAGObTiDM_J-_XA4Pe377_38AOSrgG_Bv7v8J_DgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACwRfEJ/rt=h/d=1/rs=AHGWq9DRzB-lNCadZoXh3L8AKomp03PB8A
Sperm Count, Concentration Declining Among Men In Western World, Research Indicates
reports that research published in Human Reproduction Update indicated that “men in North America, Australia and Europe produced less than half as many sperm in 2011 compared with 1973.” The study also indicated that “the quality was worse.” USA Today points out that “some experts” are concerned “that so-called endocrine-disrupting chemicals...could be major contributors to falling sperm counts.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/07/25/male-sperm-count-declining/508734001/
Tuesday, July 25, 2017
Study Examines Prevalence Of Overfat Adults, Kids In 30 Developed Countries.
“Most American men are ‘overfat,’ and most American women are not far behind,” researchers concluded. The study revealed that in the US “and 29 other developed countries, up to 90 percent of men, 80 percent of women and 50 percent of children are overfat.” The findings were published in Frontiers in Public Health. https://consumer.healthday.com/vitamins-and-nutrition-information-27/body-fat-health-news-300/most-american-men-qualify-as-overfat-724831.html
Obesity Even In Adolescence May Increase Risk For Colon Cancer In Adulthood
reports that research suggests “obesity even in adolescence may raise the odds for colon cancer in adulthood.” Investigators found that “overweight and obese teens in Israel had about a 53 percent higher risk for colon cancer as adults.” Meanwhile, “for rectal cancer, obesity – but not overweight – was” associated with “more than double the risk for girls, and 71 percent higher odds for boys, compared to normal-weight teens.” The findings were published online in Cancer. Cancer Therapy Advisor (7/24, Goodman) also covers the story. https://consumer.healthday.com/cancer-information-5/colon-cancer-news-96/obesity-in-teen-years-tied-to-colon-cancer-risk-in-adulthood-724873.html
Routine Blood Tests Fail To Detect Insufficient Thyroid Hormone For A Significant Number Of People With Thyroid Deficiencies.
reports that for “a significant number of people with thyroid deficiencies, routine blood tests fail to detect insufficient thyroid hormone.” This may leave “patients without an accurate explanation for their symptoms,” such as “excessive fatigue, depression, hair loss, unexplained weight gain, constipation, sleep problems, mental fogginess and anxiety.” In the case of “women of childbearing age,” they may face “difficulty getting pregnant or staying pregnant.” https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/24/well/live/the-subtle-signs-of-a-thyroid-disorder.html
Meal Timing, Snacking May Most Influence BMI
reports researchers “examined factors that led to weight loss,” finding that “regardless what people actually ate, it was the time of their meals and whether they snacked throughout the day that most influenced their body mass index (BMI).” The findings were published in the Journal of Nutrition.
Four eating habits were most associated with weight loss: "eating only one or two meals a day, maintaining an overnight fast of up to 18 hours, eating breakfast instead of skipping it, and making breakfast or lunch the largest meal of the day," according to a statement. In addition, the factors associated with higher BMI were snacking and eating more than three meals a day, and having dinner as the largest meal of the day. http://www.medicaldaily.com/4-eating-habits-most-associated-weight-loss-lower-bmi-420416
Cross-Sex Hormone Therapy May Be Linked To Increased Risk For Cardiovascular Disease.
reports that while “cross-sex hormone therapy (CSHT) is tied with improved psychological well being in transgender persons,” research suggests “it may come with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease.” In the “narrative review, CSHT was associated with increased cardiovascular (CVD) risk factors among transgender men (female to male), especially among those also on testosterone treatment.” Meanwhile, with regard to “transgender women (male to female), there is a link between CSHT with an increased risk for thromboembolism, they wrote.” The findings were published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Hormone Tx Tied to CVD Risk in Transgender Adults
Transgender health issues need more study
https://www.medpagetoday.com/endocrinology/generalendocrinology/66836
Novel HIV Vaccine Candidate Safe, Immunogenic Next step is efficacy trial but more data needed
If that happens, it will be the second HIV vaccine candidate being tested for efficacy. A trial in South Africa, dubbed HVTN 702, is currently studying a tweaked version of the only vaccine ever to show any efficacy in preventing HIV. https://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/IAC/66841?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2017-07-25&eun=g721819d0r&pos=3
Monday, July 24, 2017
Cardiovascular Risk Still Higher with RA in Modern Treatment Era
The results "suggest that despite improved RA disease control and increasing recognition of cardiovascular risks in RA over time, the gap in risk between patients with RA and the general population remains, at least among patients with seropositive RA," they added.
In a nationwide population-based cohort study, patients with new-onset RA, defined as an RA diagnosis within 12 months of patient-reported onset of symptoms, were identified between 1997 and 2014 from the Swedish Rheumatology Quality Register. For each unique patient with RA, up to five individuals from the Swedish Population Register were randomly selected, matched on sex, year of birth, and residential area. Persons with a history of ACS at the start of follow-up were excluded, leaving 15,744 RA patients and 70,899 comparators for the analysis. Sixty-nine percent in the analysis were women with a mean age of 57 years. https://www.medpagetoday.com/Rheumatology/Arthritis/66813?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2017-07-24&eun=g721819d0r&pos=3
Consuming A Sugar-Sweetened Drink With A High Protein Meal May Prime The Body To Store More Fat,
Drinking a sugar-sweetened drink with a high protein meal primes your body to store more fat,” researchers found. Investigators discovered that “sugary drinks decrease fat oxidation, the process that begins the breakdown of fat molecules.” Fat oxidation decreases proportionately to the amount of protein in the meal, the study found. https://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddisalvo/2017/07/21/this-is-why-drinking-a-coke-with-your-big-juicy-hamburger-is-a-really-bad-idea/#61ee951e36c9
To put this in context, a decent-size hamburger may weigh around 130 grams, about 30 of which are protein. If you slam it down with a glass of sugar-sweetened soda, this study predicts that your fat metabolism will decrease somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 grams.
And that’s not all that happens, report the researchers. “This combination [of a sugar-sweetened drink with a high protein meal] also increased study subjects' desire to eat savory and salty foods for four hours after eating."
So in addition to burning less fat, your body is also on the hunt for something salty, which is probably going to be found in a less-than-healthy snack.
Friday, July 21, 2017
Americans Say Health Insurance Companies Should Charge More For Smoking But Not Obesity, Survey Finds.
reports in its “Briefing Room” blog that a recent Gallup poll found most Americans “say they believe it is okay to charge smokers higher insurance rates, but not those who are obese.” Researchers “found that 59 percent of Americans polled said it is ‘justifiable’” for smokers to pay higher health insurance rates, while “37 percent of Americans polled...said significantly overweight people should pay higher rates.” http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/342921-poll-americans-say-charge-smokers-more-but-not-the-obese
Thursday, July 20, 2017
Certain Antibiotics in First Trimester Up Risk of Major Birth Defects Largest cohort study to examine risk by antibiotic class and type
Several common types of antibiotics were linked both to major congenital and to organ specific malformations in infants when taken during the first trimester of pregnancy, a retrospective Canadian cohort study found.
Exposure to antibiotics, such as clindamycin, doxycycline, quinolones, macrolides and phenoxymethylpenicillin, increased the risk of these birth defects, reported Flory T. Muanda, MD, of the University of Montreal, and colleagues. https://www.medpagetoday.com/OBGYN/Pregnancy/66749?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2017-07-20&eun=g721819d0r&pos=0
Wednesday, July 19, 2017
Type 2 Diabetes Status May Be Independently Associated With Age Of Natural Menopause,
ype 2 diabetes status was independently associated with the age of natural menopause,” researchers found. In fact, “women who experienced a premature onset of menopause were much more likely to develop type 2 diabetes compared with those who experienced late menopause,” the study revealed. The findings were published online in Diabetologia. https://www.medpagetoday.com/endocrinology/diabetes/66716
Advertisement More Than 100 Million US Adults Have Diabetes Or Prediabetes, CDC Officials Report.
“Science Now” blog points out the report, which “combines data from the CDC, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Indian Health Service and the Census Bureau,” also reveals that “the total cost of caring for Americans with diabetes in 2012” averaged “out to $13,700 per diabetes patient, which is 2.3 times higher than for people who don’t have diabetes.” http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-diabetes-in-america-20170718-htmlstory.html
Minn. Measles Outbreak Tied to Vaccine Fears (MMWR) Most cases were in U.S.-born children of Somali descent
The ongoing measles epidemic in Minnesota, which had 65 confirmed cases as of late May, is tied to undervaccinated individuals fearful of autism from the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, public health officials reported in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Some 95% of all cases were in unvaccinated persons, including more than three-quarters in children at least 12 months old, and 88% were among U.S. born children of Somali decent. Median patient age was 21 months, though cases ranged from persons ages 3 months to 49 years. Measles was confirmed in five schools, 12 child care centers, and three healthcare facilities, with an estimated 8,250 people exposed.
The report said that culturally appropriate outreach was extended to the community, as well as an accelerated vaccination schedule for all Somali children and all children in Hennepin County, which includes the city of Minneapolis. https://www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdisease/generalinfectiousdisease/66612?xid=nl_mpt_special_reports_2017-07-19%20&uun=g721819d0r5883165u
Tuesday, July 18, 2017
Artificial Sweeteners May Not Lead To Weight Loss,
eports the researchers found that “in seven randomized controlled trials...people who consumed artificial sweeteners did not lose or gain more weight than controls.” STAT adds, “Meanwhile, a re-analysis of the 30 longitudinal studies found that people who consumed low-calorie sweeteners on a regular basis were more susceptible to obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular issues...over time.” The research was published in CMAJ. https://www.statnews.com/2017/07/17/artificial-sweeteners-weight-loss/
Hyperparathyroidism May Be Often Missed In The US Healthcare System,
reports that “hyperparathyroidism is often missed in the” US healthcare system, researchers concluded after reviewing “the electronic health records for 682,704 patients,” then identifying “hypercalcemia (serum calcium greater than 10.5 mg/dL) – usually the first indication of disease – in 10,432 patients.” Parathyroid hormone (PTH) measurement took place in just “3,200 patients (31%), and it usually took multiple abnormal calcium levels before PTH was checked,” the study revealed. The findings were published in the Annals of Surgery. http://www.mdedge.com/clinicalendocrinologynews/article/142605/pituitary-thyroid-adrenal-disorders/surgeon-primary-care
Low-Level Ozone Exposure Linked to CVD Risk Blood platelet activation occurred at levels considered safe
Exposure to ozone pollution was found to activate blood platelets and raise blood pressure at levels lower than those reported to cause lung function impairment, according to a longitudinal study.
The research is the first to show a positive association between low-level ozone exposure and the platelet activation biomarker soluble P-selectin (sCD62P), which is linked to increased cardiovascular disease risk, wrote Drew Day, PhD, of Duke University in Durham, N.C. and colleagues in JAMA Internal Medicine. https://www.medpagetoday.com/PublicHealthPolicy/EnvironmentalHealth/66687?xid=NL_breakingnews_2017-07-18&eun=g721819d0r
Monday, July 17, 2017
Junk Food May Have Less Appeal If People Get A Good Night’s Sleep
“Get a good night’s sleep and junk food may have less appeal at the end of a tough day,” researchers found in two studies including 235 adults. The findings were published online in the Journal of Applied Psychology. https://consumer.healthday.com/public-health-information-30/overeating-health-news-771/sound-sleep-may-help-you-junk-the-junk-food-723949.html
Friday, July 14, 2017
Asthma Medication May Potentially Be Repurposed To Treat Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes,
reports that research suggests “a little-used asthma drug called amlexanox may potentially be repurposed to treat type 2 diabetes.” Investigators found that using the medication “for 12 weeks was linked to significantly reduced HbA1c in some patients with obesity, type 2 diabetes, and nonalcoholic fatty-liver disease (NAFLD).” The findings were published in Cell Metabolism. http://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/fulltext/S1550-4131(17)30348-0
Thursday, July 13, 2017
Wednesday, July 12, 2017
Calcium And Vitamin D Supplementation May Have Protective Effect Against Hematologic Malignancies
reports that research indicated “calcium and vitamin D supplementation had a protective effect against hematologic malignancies.” The research indicated that “women assigned to modest supplementation had a 20% decreased risk of incident hematologic malignancy.” The findings were published in Cancer. Vitamin D has effects on T cells, B cells, natural killer cells, and dendritic cells in the lymphoid compartment, in which it may impact the malignant transformation of these cells or affect their ability to mitigate the emergence of other malignant hematologic clones,” they wrote. “Vitamin D also decreases Janus-associated kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT) pathway activation in vitro, providing a potential rationale for protective effects against myeloid malignancies.” http://www.cancernetwork.com/hematologic-malignancies/calcium-vitamin-d-may-be-protective-against-blood-cancers
Tuesday, July 11, 2017
Meningitis Vax Works -- for Gonorrhea Unexpected finding might point way to first vaccine against the disease
A mass vaccination campaign against meningitis B had an unexpected benefit -- a drop in gonorrhea incidence, researchers reported.
In a case-control study in New Zealand, young people vaccinated against serogroup B Neisseria meningitides were significantly less likely to be diagnosed with gonorrhea, according to Helen Petousis-Harris, PhD, of the University of Auckland, and colleagues.
The finding suggests that the outer membrane vesicle (OMV) vaccine against meningitis B might provide a guide toward the first vaccine that would prevent Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection, Petousis-Harris and colleagues wrote in the Lancet Infectious Diseases. (The group had reported preliminary data, with the same overall conclusion, in September 2016 at the STD Prevention Conference.) https://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/STDs/66531?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2017-07-11&eun=g721819d0r&pos=1
Rate Of Serious Medication Errors Made By Patients Has Doubled Since 2000,
reports that “since 2000,” the “rate of serious” medication errors made by patients “has doubled,” researchers found after using the “US National Poison Data System records to track errors involving prescription or over-the-counter medications taken outside a health care facility.” Notably, “four out of 10 mistakes involve heart medications,” analgesics, “or hormone therapy prescriptions, including insulin,” and many resulted in the hospitalization of patients. The findings were published online in Clinical Toxicology. https://consumer.healthday.com/general-health-information-16/medical-errors-983/medication-mistakes-have-doubled-in-u-s-since-2000-study-724409.html
Monday, July 10, 2017
Huge Dose Of Vitamin D May Alleviate Sunburn Symptoms
reported people who take a huge dose of vitamin D shortly after being sunburned may experience “significant reductions in redness, swelling and inflammation,” according to a study (pdf) published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/07/08/if-vitamin-d-may-sunburn-remedy-what-does-mean-skin-cancer/460710001/
Quiet Bedroom May Make For Strong, Healthy Sperm,
“A quiet bedroom might make for strong, healthy sperm,” researchers found. After examining “health insurance data on more than 206,000 men aged 20 to 59,” investigators “found that men who slept where the noise level routinely exceeded that of a suburban neighborhood had worse fertility than men who rested in quieter quarters.” The findings were published in the journal Environmental Pollution. https://consumer.healthday.com/infertility-information-22/infertility-news-412/guys-a-noisy-bedroom-may-not-be-good-for-your-fertility-724340.html
Friday, July 7, 2017
LED Street Lights: Good for the Environment, Bad for Night Vision?
White” LED streetlights emit more short visible wavelengths (ie, blue light) than incandescent or sodium light sources. Short wavelengths can scatter more easily in an optical medium that may not be perfectly clear, such as nighttime fog or rain, or in an eye with early cataract formation. As such, light sources (eg, streetlights, high-intensity discharge [HID] headlights) can appear to have halos, be blurry, or cause glare. In addition, many people will perceive the light to be more “harsh” or “stark.” https://www.medpagetoday.com/resource-center/ocular-health/led-street-lights/a/63502?xid=NL_MPT_OcularHealth_2017-07-07&eun=g721819d0r
Cancer Death Rates Higher In Rural America Than In Urban Areas Of The US, CDC Report Indicates.
reports in “To Your Health” that “despite decreases in cancer death rates” across the US, a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that “they are higher in rural America than in urban areas of the” US. Differences in the incidence of cancer, or the rates of new cases, could arise because of risk factors such as smoking, obesity and a lack of physical activity, the report said.
But differences in the death rates could result from disparities in access to health care and timely diagnosis and treatment, researchers concluded. A higher percentage of rural Americans are uninsured, limiting their access to preventive services covered by insurance, according to federal health data.
According to Reuters (7/6, Grover), the report indicated “cancer accounted for 180 deaths per 100,000 persons in rural areas annually compared with 158 deaths in urban areas.” But, the report found that “rural areas...reported fewer new cancer cases at 442 per 100,000 persons compared with 457 cases in urban areas.” Meanwhile, “for cancers...often associated with tobacco use such as lung or those that can be diagnosed through early screenings, including colorectal and cervical, the rate of incidence is higher in rural areas.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2017/07/06/deaths-from-cancer-higher-in-rural-america-cdc-finds/?utm_term=.406948c373ea
Strength Training Exercise May Reduce Risk Of Metabolic Syndrome In Middle-Aged Adults,
reports that research suggests “middle-aged adults who do even a small amount of regular strength training exercise may be lowering their risk of...metabolic syndrome.” Investigators “found that when generally healthy people did strength-building exercise for less than an hour a week they had 29 percent lower odds of developing metabolic syndrome than their peers who did no resistance exercise.” The findings were published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-metabolicsyndrome-resistance-f-idUSKBN19R2RJ
Thursday, July 6, 2017
Overall Prevalence Of Diabetes In Adults Increased 35% Over 25 Years,
reports, “The overall prevalence of diabetes increased 35% from 1988-1994 to 2011-2014 among adults aged 20 years and over, according” to data from the National Center for Health Statistics. In its report, NCHS found that “during 2011-2014, the age-adjusted prevalence of diabetes was 11.9% in adults aged 20 years and over, compared with 8.8% in 1988-1994.” That increase of 35% “came despite a decrease in undiagnosed diabetes from 3.6% to 2.9% over that time period, which was not enough to offset a jump in physician-diagnosed disease from 5.2% to 9%, the NCHS reported.” The findings were published here. http://www.mdedge.com/clinicalendocrinologynews/article/141833/diabetes/adult-diabetes-35-over-25-years
Novo Nordisk Warns Of Defective Insulin Pens Distributed In Canada.
reports that Novo Nordisk warned “the insulin cartridge holder in some of its insulin pen devices might crack or break if exposed to certain chemicals, including some cleaning agents.” According to the company, the defect “affects lots of NovoPen Echo and NovoPen 5 that were distributed in Canada.” http://www.reuters.com/article/us-novo-nordisk-insulin-idUSKBN19Q1X7
How Women’s Brains Respond To Visual Food Cues May Vary During Menstrual Cycle Phase
reports that in women who are healthy, “the regions of the brain associated with reward, behavior and emotions responded differently to visual food cues during the luteal phase vs. the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle,” researchers found in a study involving 32 women. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain was used in the study. The findings were published online in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. https://www.healio.com/endocrinology/neuroendocrinology/news/in-the-journals/%7Bc3e064e8-da7a-4657-8e49-93be3bc03fdf%7D/menstrual-cycle-phase-may-influence-brain-response-to-visual-food-cues
Wednesday, July 5, 2017
Shingles Seen as Possible Trigger for Cardiovascular Events Younger age associated with increased risk; but biological mechanism unclear
Shingles attacks may increase a person's risk of stroke and myocardial infarction, according to a large population-based cohort in South Korea.
In propensity score-matched analysis, herpes zoster reactivation -- also known as shingles -- raised the risks of the composite of cardiovascular events, stroke, and myocardial infarction (MI) by 41%, 35%, and 59%, respectively, compared with people without herpes zoster, reported Sung-Han Kim, MD, PhD, of the Asan Medical Center in Seoul, and colleagues in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. https://www.medpagetoday.com/Cardiology/MyocardialInfarction/66384?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2017-07-05&eun=g721819d0r&pos=3
After A Concussion, Young Women May Have Abnormal Menstrual Patterns.
reported, “After a concussion, a young woman might notice that her next few menstrual periods are a bit off-schedule,” researchers found. In the study, “nearly 24 percent of the women with a concussion had two or more abnormal menstrual bleeding patterns during the study period.” The findings of the 128-participant study were published online in JAMA Pediatrics. According to Dr. Megan Moreno, who wrote an accompanying editorial, “These findings suggest that brain injuries, such as a concussion, may affect the hormonal processes involving estrogen and progesterone that are important in maintaining a regular menstrual cycle and female development via puberty and bone density.” https://consumer.healthday.com/kids-health-information-23/adolescents-and-teen-health-news-719/concussion-can-spur-short-term-change-in-women-s-periods-724222.html
Tuesday, July 4, 2017
Number Of Babies Delivered In US Fell In 2016, Report Indicates.
website reported that “nearly 10 percent of babies born in the U.S. are born prematurely and the rates of preterm birth are going up.” The report also indicated that “the birth rate for teenagers aged 15–19 declined 9 percent in 2016 to 20.3 births per 1,000 women.”
CNN (6/30, Scutti) reported, “Joyce A. Martin, a co-author of the report and lead statistician...noted the declining rate of nonmarital births – births to people who aren’t legally married – in 2016, which fell 3% compared to the previous year.” Meanwhile, “three out of four women got prenatal care in their first trimester, noted Michelle J.K. Osterman, a co-author of the report and statistician.” http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/preterm-birth-rates-have-increased-u-s-n778576
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