Dr. House
Dr. House
Friday, January 31, 2020
WHO Declares Global Health Emergency Over Wuhan Coronavirus Outbreak
reports on Thursday, the WHO declared the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak “a public health emergency of international concern,” a decision that acknowledges that “the disease now represents a risk beyond China, where it emerged last month.” Last week, the WHO declined to make such a declaration, but WHO officials said that since then thousands of new cases have been reported in China and there is clear evidence of human-to-human transmission in multiple countries. The article says that the declaration “does not have the force of law. But it serves notice to all United Nations member states that the world’s top health advisory body thinks the situation is grave.” The article adds that such declarations can aid efforts to raise funding, but currently “the countries most affected – China, Japan, Germany, South Korea, the United States and Vietnam – can afford to wage their own battles against the virus.” https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/30/health/coronavirus-world-health-organization.html
Thursday, January 30, 2020
US Life Expectancy Increased For First Time In Four Years In 2018, Data Indicate
reports that “life expectancy increased for the first time in four years in 2018, the federal government said Thursday, raising hopes that a benchmark of the nation’s health may finally be stabilizing after a rare and troubling decline that was driven by a surge in drug overdoses.” According to the Times, “Improvements in cancer mortality rates represented the single largest share of the life expectancy gain in 2018, about 30 percent.” The Times adds, “Next came the decline in so-called unintentional injuries, which include deaths from car accidents and drug overdoses.” https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/30/us/us-life-expectancy.html
Wednesday, January 29, 2020
CBD Shown To Reduce Connectivity Alterations in Psychosis
Researchers from King's College London have shown that cannabidiol (CBD) alters the brain activity in people with psychosis during memory tasks, making it more similar to the activation seen in people without psychosis during the same tasks.
Published in Psychological Medicine, the research used fMRI scans to examine the brain activity of 13 people with a diagnosis of psychosis under the influence of a single dose of CBD or placebo and 16 controls whilst they were undertaking a memory task. The researchers showed that, during the task, there was a different pattern of activity in the prefrontal and mediotemporal brain areas of people with psychosis under placebo compared to the activity seen in those without psychosis. When those with psychosis were given one dose of CBD, the activation in these brain areas became more like the activation seen in controls.
https://www.technologynetworks.com/neuroscience/news/cbd-shown-to-reduce-connectivity-alterations-in-psychosis-330017?utm_campaign=NEWSLETTER_TN_Breaking%20Science%20News&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=82584910&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_ce_dj2Msu8W3gidTBVUwIcmVM-Lmh9_cVSPLSTbLfagamwjY10VXfeBXhOB38HYYL8cPhpedvxr4MzwwsjzGQkxm1BA&_hsmi=82584910
Tuesday, January 28, 2020
Children Who Watch Cooking Programs Featuring Healthy Foods More Likely To Choose Them For A Snack, Research Indicates
reports research indicates that “children who watched a cooking program that featured healthy foods were more than twice as likely to choose them for a snack than children who watched a cooking show featuring unhealthy foods.” Investigators arrived at this conclusion after asking “125 children between the ages of 10 and 12 to watch 10 minutes of a Dutch TV show designed for children.” Some of the youngsters “watched a clip featuring healthy foods, while others watched a video featuring less healthy, energy-dense foods.” The study authors concluded that “cooking shows can have positive effects on behaviors and attitudes by promoting togetherness and healthy perceptions of food.” The findings were published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/27/health/kids-eat-healthier-watching-cooking-shows-study-wellness/index.html
Esports Lab Shows No Difference Between the Sexes in Spatial Cognition
Men are not better than women at spatial cognition - such as map reading - is the principal finding from ground-breaking work by researchers at Lero, the Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Software, hosted at University of Limerick (UL), Ireland.
Employing cutting-edge eye-tracking technology researchers Dr Mark Campbell and Dr Adam Toth of the Lero Esports Science Research Lab at UL found that there is no male advantage in mental rotation abilities associated with spatial cognition competences.
Dr Campbell said the skill of spatial cognition or our ability to navigate our environment has been the battleground for almost 40 years for researchers claiming that males have a distinct performance advantage on tests of spatial cognition, notably the mental rotations test.
Studying the cognitive proficiency of individuals and gamers is a key aim of the Lero Esports Science Research Lab which opened in 2019 and is the first of its kind in Ireland.
"Better performance on these tests is strongly associated with higher IQ and better performance in STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Maths) subjects in schools and colleges," Dr Campbell explained. https://www.technologynetworks.com/neuroscience/news/esports-lab-shows-no-difference-between-the-sexes-in-spatial-cognition-329906?utm_campaign=NEWSLETTER_TN_Breaking Science News&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=82525317&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--9OPqJgGPum0Tv1l_7hyYWhWwcapyQ9VHVWd2pqXuIq2FMPCvMTK8SvuC3EPePkyLG_3IR6rOlL3cwfTleQmM5BmZoyA&_hsmi=82525317
Monday, January 27, 2020
People Who Have Severe Obesity May Show Evidence Of Impaired Cognition Even When They Have No Signs Of Prediabetes Or Diabetes, Research Suggests
reported, “Severely obese people show evidence of impaired cognition even when they have no signs of prediabetes or diabetes, but retinopathy and nephropathy only occur in those with hyperglycemia,” researchers concluded in a study that found that “the prevalence of cognitive deficit was 6.5% in lean controls, 22.2% in normoglycemic obese participants, 17.7% in obese participants with prediabetes, and 25.6% in obese participants with diabetes, based on a National Institutes of Health...Toolbox cognitive composite score below the fifth percentile for lean controls.” Included in the study were “138 severely obese individuals (BMI >40 kg/m2 or BMI >35 kg/m2 with at least one comorbid medical condition) who were due to undergo bariatric surgery and 46 lean controls.” The findings were published online in Diabetes Care. https://www.medwirenews.com/diabetes/severe-obesity-may-be-associated-with-impaired-cognition/17591008
Friday, January 24, 2020
Maternal Prepregnancy Overweight And Obesity May Be Associated With Lower IQ Scores In Boys In Low-Income, Multiethnic Populations, Researchers Say
“Maternal prepregnancy overweight and obesity were found to be associated with lower IQ scores in boys in low-income, multiethnic populations,” researchers concluded after examining “data from a cohort of low-income African American and Dominican mother-child pairs in the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health Mothers and Newborns study to identify sex-specific associations between maternal prepregnancy BMI, gestational weight gain, and early neurodevelopment.” The findings were published online in BMC Pediatrics. https://www.endocrinologyadvisor.com/home/topics/obesity/prepregnancy-bmi-linked-to-cognitive-outcomes-in-boys/
Thursday, January 23, 2020
Teens Who Have Obesity Who Undergo Bariatric Surgery May Have Long-Term Mental Health Problems Afterwards,
“Teens with obesity who underwent bariatric surgery still had mental health problems five years after the operation, despite improvements in weight,” researchers concluded. The 161-participant study revealed that “five years after starting weight loss interventions, a significantly higher proportion of teens in the surgical cohort sought psychiatric care compared to teens receiving non-surgical treatment for obesity.” This was evidenced by the fact that “27% of patients in the surgical group initiated psychiatric medication and 24% initiated inpatient or outpatient psychiatric care during the study period,” compared to “just 7% and 10% of the surgical and nonsurgical cohorts, respectively,” who “discontinued specialized psychiatric treatment after weight loss therapy.” The findings were published online Jan. 21 in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health. https://www.medpagetoday.com/pediatrics/obesity/84479
Why Does Stress Turn Hair Gray? Nerve Study Provides the Answer
Elaborate sympathetic innervation (magenta) around melanocyte stem cells (yellow). Acute stress induces hyperactivation of the sympathetic nervous system to release large amount of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine. Norepinephrine drives rapid depletion of melanocyte stem cells and hair greying. Credit: Hsu Laboratory, Harvard University https://www.technologynetworks.com/neuroscience/news/why-does-stress-turn-hair-gray-nerve-study-provides-the-answer-329706?utm_campaign=NEWSLETTER_TN_Breaking%20Science%20News&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=82337936&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8eL8FUSY47RGT5kutWrcTqxrj9vBZCAINFXNHHBc0ZIuxFLCB5awXrCJx-mTmj_ZyFYaLk6OabGEIAyzYL-KJChkmsag&_hsmi=82337936
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
Exposure To Toxic Chemicals Appears To Have Led To More Than A Million Cases Of Intellectual Disability In The US Between 2001 And 2016, Researchers Say
reports, “While health problems from childhood exposure to lead and mercury are on the decline, these and other toxic chemicals continue to take a toll,” researchers concluded, finding that “exposure to other toxic chemicals – especially flame retardants and pesticides – led to more than one million cases of intellectual disability in the United States between 2001 and 2016.” Senior study author Leonardo Trasande, MD, MPP, “a professor of pediatrics, environmental medicine and population health at NYU Langone,” said, “Although people argue against costly regulations, unrestricted use of these chemicals is far more expensive in the long run, with American children bearing the largest burden.” The findings were published online ahead of print in the journal Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology. https://consumer.healthday.com/environmental-health-information-12/chemical-health-news-730/flame-retardants-pesticides-remain-threat-to-u-s-health-study-753833.html
Free Testosterone Levels Tied To Reduced Chance Of Current Asthma In Adult Women
reports a study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine indicates that sex hormones may account for the difference in asthma rates between the sexes. Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Children’s Hospital examined “sex hormone levels and asthma prevalence among adults from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)” and found that “free testosterone levels were shown to be associated with a reduced chance of current asthma among adult women.” The study, “which also took into account asthma disparities among obese and non-obese persons,” may help “explain the significantly greater rate of asthma among young adult women than their male counterparts.” https://www.mdmag.com/medical-news/sex-hormones-linked-to-asthma-risk
Tuesday, January 21, 2020
Early Menopause Tied To Increased Risk For Chronic Conditions, Study Suggests
reports a study from the University of Queensland suggests “early menopause triples the chance of women experiencing multiple chronic conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes, in their 60s.” The study of over 5,000 women followed for a 20-year period “suggests that those who experience the change at 40 or younger are at far greater risk of illness and should be screened.” The study was published in Human Reproduction. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2020/01/20/early-menopause-raises-risk-string-chronic-conditions/
Study Finds Majority Of Thai Adults With Diabetes Never Receive Diagnosis
reported “a new study by researchers from Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) and Chulalongkorn and Mahidol Universities in Bangkok, which was published in the journal PLOS ONE, found that the majority of Thai adults with diabetes were never diagnosed, but that most of those who were diagnosed did receive treatment and got the condition under control.” The findings indicate “of the 15,663 Thai adults included in the study, 8.8% appeared to have diabetes based on their blood samples and/or reporting being treated for diabetes.” Moreover, “of those who appeared to have diabetes, the researchers found that 67.0% reported ever being screened for diabetes, 34.0% reported being diagnosed, 33.3% had been treated, and 26.0% had their diabetes under control.” https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/asia-pacific/researchers-discover-unmet-needs-thai-diabetes-care
Fish Oil Linked To Better Sperm Quality In Young Men
reports new research suggests “taking fish oil supplements may improve sperm quality in healthy young men.” A study of 1,679 Danish men “taking physical examinations for compulsory military service” with an average age of 19, 98 of whom reported taking fish oil supplements during the previous three months, found that the “men who took fish oil supplements for at least 60 days during the previous three months had higher sperm count, a greater proportion of normal sperm cells, higher average semen volume and larger average testicular size.” The study was published in JAMA Network Open. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/17/well/live/fish-oil-supplements-tied-to-sperm-health.html
Friday, January 17, 2020
How Does the Brain Know When It's Hungry?
The team observed that when mice hadn’t eaten for many hours, the activity pattern of insular cortex neurons reflected current levels of hunger. As the mice ate, this pattern gradually shifted over hours to a new pattern reflecting satiety. When mice were shown a visual cue predicting impending availability of food – akin to a person seeing a food commercial or a restaurant logo – the insular cortex appeared to simulate the future sated state for a few seconds, and then returned to an activity pattern related to hunger. These findings provided direct support for studies in humans that hypothesized that the insular cortex is involved in imagining or predicting how we will feel after eating or drinking.
“It is as if the insular cortex is briefly estimating, or simulating, the physiological consequences of eating a meal,” said first author Yoav Livneh, Ph.D., a postdoctoral research fellow in Andermann’s lab. “When hungry, this would be a simulation of satiety. But when considering whether to eat in the absence of hunger, for example when eating dessert after a big meal, this would be a simulation of the consequences of overeating. We hypothesized in this paper that when insular cortex activity shifts from a pattern reflecting current bodily state to a pattern reflecting a future satiety state, the size of this shift actually predicts how rewarding it will be to eat the food.” https://www.technologynetworks.com/neuroscience/news/how-does-the-brain-know-when-its-hungry-329496?utm_campaign=NEWSLETTER_TN_Breaking%20Science%20News&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=82074220&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_7lh44OA4BT68Vwd46PteZVMtT2vHEXePjxpzzCAtEqx8CqVVWILMZginkk_dukhZPGAAV6XDRdOEUWT8XhAiU8IeehA&_hsmi=82074220
More Than One In Seven Adults Across All US States, Territories Are Physically Inactive, CDC Data Reveal
reports CDC data reveal that more than one in seven “adults across all U.S. states and territories are physically inactive.” Investigators arrived at this conclusion after compiling “2015-2018 data collected as part of the CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, which is a telephone-based survey of people’s health activities, chronic conditions, and use of preventive health services.” The study revealed that “Colorado ranked lowest, with 17.3% of people physically inactive, compared to Puerto Rico, which had the highest total at 47.7%.” https://www.statnews.com/2020/01/16/physical-inactivity-us-adults-cdc-data/
Researchers Say Engaging In Recommended Exercise May Mitigate Cardiometabolic Risks Tied To Poor Diet Quality
reports researchers analyzed Framingham Heart Study data and concluded that “engaging in at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week as recommended in national guidelines appears to mitigate the cardiometabolic risks associated with poor diet quality in middle-aged and older adults.” The findings were presented at the American Heart Association scientific sessions. https://profreg.medscape.com/px/sso/oauthlogin?oauth=1&client_id=29210617-47A2-49CB-A6C8-38A252ED3F14&response_type=code&redirect_uri=https%3A//www.mdedge.com/services/medauth/authenticated&state=https%253A%252F%252Fwww.mdedge.com%252Fendocrinology%252Farticle%252F215633%252Fpreventive-care%252Fframingham-exercise-lessens-cardiometabolic-risk-poor&status=5e21c8392fe47
Study Suggests Surgical Weight Loss May Beat Diet And Exercise For Reversing Diabetes
reports that people who have weight-loss surgery “are more likely to achieve remission of diabetes than those who try to shed excess pounds by dieting and exercising, a recent study suggests.” Researchers “randomly assigned 61 participants with type 2 diabetes to one of three weight-loss interventions: an operation known as Roux-en-Y gastric bypass; a type of surgery known as laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding; or an intensive weight-loss program focused on cutting calories and increasing exercise.” Their findings were published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-diabetes-obesity/surgical-weight-loss-beats-diet-and-exercise-for-reversing-diabetes-idUSKBN1ZF2VW
Thursday, January 16, 2020
Net Prices Of Four Biologics All Decreased In Face Of Competition From Biosimilars, Other Substitutes, Even Without Interchangeability, Research Indicates
The net prices of four biologics – filgrastim, pegfilgrastim, infliximab and insulin glargine – all decreased in the face of competition from biosimilars or other substitutes, even without interchangeability,” investigators found after studying “pricing data from SSR Health,” which, “according to the researchers...provides estimates of list prices, net prices, Medicaid discounts and discounts regarding other payers for branded products with the United States, as reported by publicly traded companies.” For the study, researchers focused on “the time period from January 2007 to June 2018,” defining “quarterly net prices as the ratio between sales and the number of units sold, while discounts were calculated as the ratio between the difference in list and net prices and the list prices.” The findings were published online in a research letter in JAMA Network Open. https://www.healio.com/rheumatology/practice-management/news/online/%7Ba2441bb6-4163-4c0f-a7e5-8ac517f660fe%7D/biologics-net-prices-decrease-with-biosimilar-competition
Wednesday, January 15, 2020
Over A Million Children Have Developed Intellectual Disabilities After Exposure To Flame Retardants, Pesticides, Other Chemicals, Research Indicates
reports that research indicates that “over a million children have developed some form of intellectual disability over the past two decades after being exposed to chemicals including flame retardants, pesticides, lead, and mercury.” Furthermore, “in recent years, pesticides and flame retardants have overtaken lead and mercury as the chemicals responsible for the biggest loss of IQ among children.” The findings were published in the journal Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology. https://www.newsweek.com/child-iq-u-s-flame-retardants-pesticides-study-1482009
More Frequent Sex May Be Linked To Lower Risk Of Early Menopause, Study Suggests
reports that research published in Royal Society Open Science indicates “women who have sex at least once a month have a lower risk of entering menopause early than women with less active sex lives.”
Newsweek (1/14, Gander) reports that the study “involved 2,936 women in the U.S. who were aged between 42 and 52 at the start of the study, and hadn’t yet experienced the menopause.” Participants “told the authors of the paper presented in the journal Royal Society Open Science how often they had engaged in a sexual activity over in the past six months.” Newsweek adds, “That included sexual touching or caressing, oral sex, sexual intercourse and masturbation.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-sex-menopause/women-who-have-more-sex-have-lower-risk-of-early-menopause-scientists-idUSKBN1ZE00P
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
Experimental Drug Derived From Krill Oil Does Not Appear More Effective Than Placebo For Reducing Triglyceride Levels In Phase 3 Trial
reports Acasti Pharma announced that its drug CaPre, which is derived from krill oil, “failed to beat placebo by a large margin in reducing a type of fat found in blood that increases the risk of heart diseases” in a phase 3 trial. The company said that the drug appeared to reduce triglyceride, but not significantly more than placebo. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-acasti-pharma-study/acastis-krill-oil-derived-drug-fails-late-stage-study-shares-tumble-idUSKBN1ZC10A
Drinking Four Cups Of Caffeinated Coffee Daily May Help Reduce Overall Body Fat, Research Suggests
reports research indicates that “just four cups of coffee a day can actually help shed some body fat.” Investigators arrived at that conclusion following “a 24-week investigation that tracked coffee’s impact among 126 overweight men and women in Singapore.” The study revealed that participants “who drank four cups of caffeinated coffee per day over six months saw a nearly 4% drop in overall body fat.” The findings were published online in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. https://consumer.healthday.com/vitamins-and-nutrition-information-27/caffeine-health-news-89/could-your-morning-coffee-be-a-weight-loss-tool-753803.html
Have Scientists Found a Replacement for Exercise?
Whether it be a brisk walk around the park or high intensity training at the gym, exercise does a body good. But what if you could harness the benefits of a good workout without ever moving a muscle? Michigan Medicine researchers studying a class of naturally occurring protein called Sestrin have found that it can mimic many of exercise’s effects in flies and mice. The findings could eventually help scientists combat muscle wasting due to aging and other causes.
“Researchers have previously observed that Sestrin accumulates in muscle following exercise,” said Myungjin Kim, Ph.D., a research assistant professor in the Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology. Kim, working with professor Jun Hee Lee, Ph.D. and a team of researchers wanted to know more about the protein’s apparent link to exercise. Their first step was to encourage a bunch of flies to work out. https://www.technologynetworks.com/proteomics/news/have-scientists-found-a-replacement-for-exercise-329285?utm_campaign=NEWSLETTER_TN_Breaking%20Science%20News&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=81883518&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9GQjYzaeYk2NePRhC-Xxw2evVMFpnEaY1wH_fMLIt6lH-mayt73bG1ZhdUq038JZxHL2ZFN_ejEmcB_6yx2wCD-vHVBw&_hsmi=81883518
Monday, January 13, 2020
Antibiotics May Be a Promising Treatment for Form of Dementia
Researchers at the University of Kentucky’s College of Medicine have found that a class of antibiotics called aminoglycosides could be a promising treatment for frontotemporal dementia.
Results of their proof of concept study, which was a collaborative effort between UK’s Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry and the University of California San Francisco’s Department of Pathology, were recently published in the journal, Human Molecular Genetics.
Frontotemporal dementia is the most common type of early onset dementia. It typically begins between ages 40 and 65 and affects the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, which leads to behavior changes, difficulty speaking and writing, and memory deterioration.
A subgroup of patients with frontotemporal dementia have a specific genetic mutation that prevents brain cells from making a protein called progranulin. Although progranulin is not widely understood, its absence is linked to the disease. https://www.technologynetworks.com/genomics/news/antibiotics-may-be-a-promising-treatment-for-form-of-dementia-329232?utm_campaign=NEWSLETTER_TN_Breaking%20Science%20News&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=81814950&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_n-uooSj6PczfR-nK8mrzwz9BZQ0BXZryScRdDB6qmF3APvxOUW4dfJR0buTZzpE5IS0x52CxSekWB-6BFVB-yu552nw&_hsmi=81814950
Friday, January 10, 2020
Study Suggests Children Exposed To Air Pollution In Womb May Have Higher Blood Sugar In Childhood
reports that children who “are exposed to air pollution in the womb may have higher blood sugar levels during childhood than kids without this exposure, according to a study that suggests particle pollution could be an environmental risk factor for diabetes.” Researchers “focused on so-called PM 2.5, a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter that can include dust, dirt, soot and smoke.” Their findings were published in JAMA Network Open. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-pollution-diabetes/prenatal-air-pollution-exposure-tied-to-childhood-blood-sugar-idUSKBN1Z82S8
Thursday, January 9, 2020
US Cancer Mortality Rate Sees Record Decline
from the American Cancer Society found “the cancer death rate in the United States has dropped 29 percent since 1991,” which “translates to approximately 2.9 million fewer cancer deaths than would have occurred if the mortality rate had remained constant.” Moreover, the US saw “an accelerated drop in the cancer death rate of 2.2 percent from 2016 to 2017 – the largest single-year decline in cancer mortality ever reported,” according to the research published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.
CNN (1/8, Howard) reports at its peak, the US recorded “215 cancer deaths for every 100,000 people in 1991,” and since that time, “the cancer death rate in the United States has continued to fall.” For female breast cancer, the rate “fell 40% since its peak in 1989,” while for prostate cancer, the rate “52% since 1993.” https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/08/health/cancer-deaths-decline.html
Addressing Medical, Social Needs Of The Most Expensive Patients Does Not Reduce Hospital Readmissions, Study Indicates
reports a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine concluded that “addressing the medical and social needs of the most expensive patients” did not reduce “hospital readmissions in the six months after a patient left the hospital.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-hotspotting-trial/hotspotting-patients-with-extensive-needs-fails-to-reduce-hospital-readmissions-idUSKBN1Z72YX
Wednesday, January 8, 2020
Study Suggests Air Pollution Exposure May Be Associated With Increased Patient Mortality Following Heart Transplant
“Exposure to air pollution may be associated with increased patient mortality after heart transplantation, according to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.” The study examined “the data of 21,800 patients who received heart transplants between January 2004 and September 2015...which were obtained from the Standard Transplant Analysis and Research from United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS).” The study found “the estimated hazard ratio for mortality was 1.34 (95% CI, 1.21-1.49; P <.001) for every additional 10 µg/m³ in annual PM2.5 exposure, and 1.44 (95% CI, 1.28-1.62; P <.001) in patients who had survived 30 days after heart transplant.” https://www.thecardiologyadvisor.com/home/topics/transplantation/exposure-to-air-pollution-associated-with-increased-patient-mortality-after-heart-transplantation/
Study Identifies Food Trends That May Be Contributing To Obesity In US
reports a study suggests “that as more U.S. residents are consuming processed foods, obesity may become more widespread.” The study published in Current Treatment Options in Gastroenterology also identified additional trends, including “insufficient dietary fiber intake, a dramatic increase in food additives like emulsifiers and gums, and a higher prevalence of women’s obesity in particular.” Researcher Leigh A. Frame, Ph.D. said, “Many of the food trends we reviewed are tied directly to a fast-paced U.S. lifestyle that contributes to the obesity epidemic we are now facing.” https://www.ajc.com/lifestyles/study-processed-foods-highly-correlated-obesity-epidemic/S4d5g1KwtMkGCEO0ejyjLJ/
Monday, January 6, 2020
People With Full-Time Jobs And Long Commutes More Likely To Have Sleep Problems, Sedentary Lifestyles, Study Indicates
“People with full-time jobs who endure long commutes may be more likely to have sleep problems and sedentary lifestyles than counterparts who work closer to home,” investigators found. After surveying some “22,000 working-age adults at least twice between 2008 and 2018 about their work and commute hours as well as how much they drank, smoked, exercised and slept,” investigators found that “among individuals working more than 40 hours a week, commuting more than a half hour each way to work on a typical day was associated with a 25% higher risk of having an inactive lifestyle and a 16% higher risk of sleep problems.” The findings were published online in Occupational & Environmental Medicine. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-commuting/commuters-may-get-less-sleep-and-exercise-idUSKBN1Z225G
Air Pollution May Be Associated With Poor Bone Health, Research Suggests
reported research indicated that air pollution may be associated with “poor bone health.” Included in the study were “3,717 people aged 35 on average, living in 28 villages near the southern Indian city of Hyderabad,” who were on average “annually exposed to 32.8 μg/m3 of particulate matter PM2.5.” Investigators “found a negative association between PM2.5 air pollution exposure and bone mineral content and bone mineral density.” The findings were published online in JAMA Network Open. https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/
Nearly A Quarter Of Americans Taking Fat-inducing Prescription Medication
“Nearly a quarter of American adults are on a prescription drug that often produces obesity as a side effect, and use of such obesogenic drugs was significantly higher among patients who already are obese,” investigators concluded after examining “national U.S. data collected during 2013-2016.” The findings were presented at Obesity Week. The article added, “The Endocrine Society, the STOP Obesity Alliance, and other medical societies have recommended that clinicians try to minimize use of obesogenic drugs and focus on prescribing agents that are weight neutral or that trigger weight loss when those options are available and appropriate.” In addition, “according to practice guidelines published by the Endocrine Society, all drugs in the classes of glucocorticoids, beta-blockers, and antihistamines are obesogenic, as well as selected agents in the classes of antidepressant drugs, antipsychotics, antidepressants, antidiabetics, and contraceptives that are progestin only.” https://www.mdedge.com/endocrinology/article/214991/obesity/nearly-25-us-adults-take-obesogenic-prescription-drug
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