First Human Ebola Vaccine Trial Shows It Seems to Work

The first test of an Ebola vaccine in people shows it's safe and appears to be working as designed, doctors reported Wednesday. A look at the first 20 people injected with the vaccine, which has been shown to protect monkeys from Ebola, shows no dangerous side effects. And it seems to be producing an immune response that would be expected to protect them from infection. http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/ebola-virus-outbreak/first-human-ebola-vaccine-trial-shows-it-seems-work-n256196

Infant's Death Linked to Dietary Supplement

The product is a dietary supplement intended to contain three viable bacteria, Bifidobacterium lactis, Streptococcus thermophilus, and Lactobacillus rhamnosus. It is claimed to have "probiotic" properties and is marketed for infants and children by Solgar, of Leonia, N.J. Such products are being used in preterm infants on the basis of a recent Cochrane review suggesting a benefit in cases of necrotizing enterocolitis, a possible complication in preterm infants, the CDC advisory said. Rhizopus oryzae, a known cause of mucormycosis, the advisory said. An investigation by the hospital found that unopened bottles of the lot were contaminated with mold, which was confirmed by the CDC to be R. oryzae. http://www.medpagetoday.com/Pediatrics/GeneralPediatrics/48821?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2014-11-27&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=ST&eun=g721819d0r&userid=721819&email=amydugan2%40gmail.com&mu_id=5883165&utm_term=Daily

HRT Slows Atherosclerosis in Younger Women

Starting hormone therapy early after menopause was associated with a significant slowing of atherosclerotic progression -The researchers said the results support the "timing hypothesis" of hormone therapy, writing that the trial "supports the concept that hormone therapy reduces early atherosclerosis but has no effect on established lesions."http://www.medpagetoday.com/Endocrinology/GeneralEndocrinology/48812 Does not say how but I know estrogen boosts HDL, good cholesterol.

Type 1 diabetes could be diagnosed with simple breath test, says Oxford University

The test works by detecting the harmful chemicals called ‘ketones’ which accumulate in the body when insulin levels are low. After collecting blood and “breath samples from 113 children and adolescents between the ages seven and 18,” researchers discovered “a significant relationship between increased levels of acetone in the breath of the subjects and increased levels of blood ketones.” The test itself detects acetone levels in the breath. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/11253360/Type-1-diabetes-could-be-diagnosed-with-simple-breath-test-says-Oxford-University.html

FDA Unveils Sweeping Calorie Labeling Requirements.

e FDA’s announcement of two new rules “requiring the operators of chain restaurants, movie theaters and vending machines to clearly display calorie information for food and drink products.” The new rules are “new additions to the menu labeling law passed in March 2010 as part of” the ACA. In a statement, Hamburg noted that “Americans eat and drink more than one-third of their calories away from home” and that “these final rules will give consumers more information when they are dining out and help them lead healthier lives.” As far as the specific requirements of the labels are concerned, Manny Alvarez, MD said on Fox News (11/26) that restaurants with 20 or more locations will “have to display not only the caloric content of the food” but also “the sodium, the fat and the unsaturated fats.” When asked about the “goal” of the new regulations, Hamburg says the rules “reflect the fact that overweight and obesity is a huge problem in this country affecting millions and millions of people.” Hamburg went on to say “that consumers have a very big interest in knowing more about the food that they eat and the food that they feed their families,” and so the FDA is “trying to provide uniform, consistent information about calories in particular, but access to other nutritional information as well for consumers when they eat outside the home.” http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/will-labeling-calorie-counts-menus-bring-americas-obesity-rates/

From Polio to Plague: Don't Forget Other Bugs

In Madagascar, 119 cases of plague -- caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis and spread by infected fleas -- have claimed 40 lives since early September, the agency reported at the weekend. Most have been bubonic, but 2% of the cases are the highly dangerous pneumonic form, in which the bacteria reach the lungs and can then be spread in droplets through coughing. Meanwhile, after a quiet summer, cases of Middle East coronavirus infection have increased in Saudi Arabia, which has been the center of that outbreak. The Saudi Ministry of Health reported 18 lab-confirmed cases of the virus so far this month, after 31 in October and 12 in September. All told, the ministry reported a total of 810 cases and 346 deaths since 2012, when the virus was first identified. Thirteen patients are currently being treated and 451 have recovered. Several dozen cases of the virus have also been reported outside the country, and the WHO said it has been formally notified of 909 laboratory-confirmed cases of infection. The early symptoms of MERS are nonspecific, the agency noted and healthcare workers need to apply standard precautions consistently, adding droplet precautions when patients have acute symptoms and contact precautions and eye protection when MERS infection is probable or confirmed. In China, the H7N9 avian flu continues to cause illness, although not at the alarming pace seen in 2013 and early 2014. In the past 3 months, China reported seven cases and two deaths from the virus. The novel avian flu strain was first identified in February 2013 and caused some 135 cases that spring. A second wave, starting in September, included another 220 cases to mid-February. The case-fatality rate over the two waves was about 31%. The virus is the first H7 strain to cause serious illness in humans; previous outbreaks of flu with a similar hemagglutinin gene -- the 'H' in H7N9 -- have mostly caused mild disease, such as conjunctivitis. H7N9 is regarded as a low-pathogenic avian strain -- it doesn't cause sickness and death in birds, making it difficult to track in poultry, which appear to be the reservoir for the virus. http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/GeneralInfectiousDisease/48809?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2014-11-25&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=ST&eun=g721819d0r&userid=721819&email=amydugan2%40gmail.com&mu_id=5883165&utm_term=Daily

Lunch Brought From Home is Unhealthier Than Cafeteria Food

Most lunches brought from home don’t meet the nutritional guidelines set by the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), finds a new study. Over the last few years, school lunches have undergone a makeover in hopes of curbing adolescent obesity and helping kids get healthier. Schools now provide more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat milk. Soda and sugar-sweetened beverages have been dismissed and vending machines restocked with healthier snacks. Even breakfast options are better for young people. http://time.com/3602757/school-lunch-cafeteria-food/

Regular Yogurt Consumption Tied To Lower Risk For T2D.

Some research has suggested that calcium, magnesium and fatty acids found dairy products may lower the risk of type 2 diabetes, which develops when the body stops making insulin. The researchers did not find that dairy consumption in general affected diabetes risk, but they did find that yogurt was specifically associated with a lower risk of developing the disease. With further calculations, the researchers concluded that consuming one serving of yogurt per day was associated with an 18% lower risk of type 2 diabetes. “Some mechanisms suggest that yogurt is special,” he said. “There is some research suggesting that the probiotic bacteria in yogurt may be beneficial. But there is no certain conclusion yet.” http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/11/24/yogurt-may-lower-diabetes-risk/?ref=health&_r=0

Hospitals Turn To Technology To Boost Cleanliness.

how hospital sanitization benefits from the implementation of new technology, such as “new sanitation devices to track cleanliness” and “microbial resistant materials” used in hospital garments and curtains, all of which can reduce the number of healthcare acquired infections (HAIs). In addition to detailing the new technology, the article also highlights the importance of getting healthcare workers to increase the number of times they wash their hands and technology to ensure compliance with new guidelines. http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2014/11/21/how-tech-strengthens-hospital-sanitization/

NIH Researchers Identify New Autoinflammatory Disease Tied To Specific Recessive Missense Mutation.

Symptoms included recurrent episodes of high fevers, sideroblastic anemia, and neurologic abnormalities including developmental delay, encephalopathy, optic nerve atrophy, and sensorineural hearing loss. Other manifestations included dysmorphic features and short stature, musculoskeletal symptoms, and inflammatory bowel disease-like gastrointestinal symptoms. Hypogammaglobulinemia also was present, along with deficiency of B cells possibly resulting from a maturation defect of B cells in the bone marrow. Two of the patients died. Systemic inflammation was prominent. The initial cytokine analyses in two of the patients identified high levels of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-6 and type 1 interferon, suggesting a possible role for therapeutic targets. http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/ACR/48757

Ebola: Can It End Next Summer?

The West African Ebola outbreak could be under control by next summer if local and international efforts to battle it continue to grow, according to the U.N. Secretary-General. "If we continue to accelerate our response, we can contain and end the outbreak by the middle of next year," Ban Ki-moon told reporters after he and other U.N. leaders met in Washington, D.C., to discuss the situation. But he cautioned that "results to date are uneven," with slowing rates of transmission in some places and increasing rates elsewhere in the three hardest-hit countries: Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone. http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/Ebola/48783?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2014-11-24&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=ST&eun=g721819d0r&userid=721819&email=amydugan2%40gmail.com&mu_id=5883165&utm_term=Daily

Highly contagious bird flu strain found in the Netherlands

Dutch authorities on Sunday said they had found the H5N8 strain of bird flu at a poultry farm in the central Netherlands. Authorities say it's the same highly contagious strain found earlier this month in Germany and the same one that has sparked massive poultry culls in Asia. http://www.smh.com.au/world/highly-contagious-bird-flu-strain-found-in-the-netherlands-20141116-11nx06.html

Gout May Protect Against Alzheimer's Disease

Our findings provide the first population-based evidence for the potential protective effect of gout on the risk of AD, and support the neuroprotective role of uric acid,http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/ACR/48761?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2014-11-22&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=ST&eun=g721819d0r&userid=721819&email=amydugan2%40gmail.com&mu_id=5883165&utm_term=Daily

Exercise Might Not Help Some Type 2 Diabetics Control Their Blood Sugar

In other words," Pena said, "why is it that someone who walks 30 minutes every other day and loses 15 pounds is able to significantly reduce their hemoglobin A1c [a measure of blood sugar control], whereas another person who reports to exercising twice as much is unable to achieve the same success?" Their analysis revealed that in 15 percent to 20 percent of people with type 2 diabetes, exercise did not lead to improvement in blood sugar control, insulin sensitivity, or their body's ability to burn fat. The animal and genetic studies suggest that this "resistance to exercise" among people with type 2 diabetes is genetic and can be handed down through generations, according to findings published Nov. 20 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. http://consumer.healthday.com/diabetes-information-10/misc-diabetes-news-181/exercise-might-not-help-some-type-2-diabetics-control-their-blood-sugar-693872.html

BP Still High With Lupus Nephritis in Remission

Apart from renal involvement, they surmise that hypertension could arise from other causes such as endothelial dysfunction and SLE-related alterations in body composition, as well as the use of glucocorticoids and CyA. "Hypertension is a known side effect of effective treatment with CyA," the authors wrote. "It has a prominent effect on the blood vessels and leads to systemic vasoconstriction [particularly in the kidney], thus causing reduced glomerular filtration rate and sodium retention." http://www.medpagetoday.com/Rheumatology/Lupus/48738?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2014-11-21&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=ST&eun=g721819d0r&userid=721819&email=amydugan2%40gmail.com&mu_id=5883165&utm_term=Daily

Replacing Vaccine Needles With Tens Of Thousands Of Drug-Laced Pins That Won't Hurt A Bit

If you're someone who hates injections, you'll like the next generation of vaccine delivery devices because they don't look anything like needles and, apparently, they don't hurt a bit. Take the Nanopatch, being developed by an Australian company called Vaxxas. Instead of a single spike, it's covered in tens of thousands of tiny drug-laced pins. It's designed to be pressed against the skin and barely make it through the surface. http://www.fastcoexist.com/3038247/replacing-vaccine-needles-with-tens-of-thousands-of-drug-laced-pins-that-wont-hurt-a-bit?partner=rss

Humans and Mice Are Both More Similar—and Different—Than Previously Thought

researchers have “found that in some ways, mice are more similar to humans than previously thought, and in other ways are more different.” According to Newsweek, “The upshot of the research is that now that we can delve deeper into the similarities and differences between mice and” humans, “hopefully we’ll be able to learn how to better test human medicine in mice. “ http://www.newsweek.com/humans-and-mice-are-both-more-similar-and-different-previously-thought-285635

Genetically Low Vitamin D Concentrations Linked To Deaths Due To Cancer, Other Causes But Not CVD Mortality

Having low levels of vitamin D because of your genetics may raise the risk of early death, a new study suggests. But the risk is not linked with early death due to heart-related causes, the researchers added. http://consumer.healthday.com/senior-citizen-information-31/misc-death-and-dying-news-172/low-levels-of-vitamin-d-may-raise-early-death-risk-study-693800.html

Obesity Now A $2 Trillion Annual Economic Burden.

The worldwide cost of obesity is about the same as smoking or armed conflict and greater than both alcoholism and climate change, research has suggested. The McKinsey Global Institute said it cost £1.3tn, or 2.8% of annual economic activity - it cost the UK £47bn. Some 2.1bn people - about 30% of the world's population - were overweight or obese, the researchers added. They said measures that relied less on individual responsibility should be used to tackle the problem. http://www.bbc.com/news/health-30122015

Consumption Of Trans Fats Tied To Impaired Memory In Men.

After studying “more than 1,000 men under the age of 45,” researchers found that “the more trans fat they consumed, the fewer words they later remembered on a memory test.” Other research has shown a link between trans fat consumption and obesity, aggression, heart disease and diabetes. trans fat, also called partially hydrogenated oil, http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/11/18/trans-fat-damage-memory/19213173/

Study Identifies Possible Method to Block Production of Antibodies Associated with Lupus

Previous studies have shown that CD154, a protein located on the surface of white blood cells, is not properly produced in people with lupus. This abnormality likely contributes to the development of lupus, possibly by over stimulating cells that produce antibodies. Researchers have now found the first evidence to support a possible mechanism that links CD154 with IL-15, a signaling protein often elevated in the blood of people with lupus. Understanding these mechanism could lead to future developments of novel therapies for the treatment of lupus and other autoimmune diseases. http://www.lupus.org/research-news/entry/study-ids-possible-method-to-block-production-of-antibodies?utm_source=Newsletter+11-18-14&utm_campaign=Newsletter&utm_medium=email

A Role for the Microbiome for Arthritis in Kids?

Children who were exposed to antibiotics had an increased risk of developing juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), a researcher reported here. "Dysregulation of the human microbiome has been implicated in the development of several autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease, and exposure to antibiotics has been linked with inflammatory bowel disease in children," http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/ACR/48682?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2014-11-19&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=ST&eun=g721819d0r&userid=721819&email=amydugan2%40gmail.com&mu_id=5883165&utm_term=Daily

Mom Dies After Eating Cookie Dough, Son Speaks In Front Of FDA Panel

Rivera, 58, had contracted the deadly E.Coli strain called E. Coli O157:H7 that was discovered in Nestle Toll House cookies in 2009, leading to a massive recall after Rivera filed a lawsuit before her death. http://www.hngn.com/articles/49728/20141117/mom-dies-after-eating-cookie-dough-son-speaks-in-front-of-fda-panel.htm

172 Passengers on Month-Long Cruise Fell Ill with Norovirus, CDC Says

A cruise ship docked in California on Sunday after 172 people on board fell ill with the highly contagious norovirus during a nearly month-long trip, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Some of the more than 4,100 people aboard the Crown Princess began to show signs of the gastrointestinal sickness a few days into the voyage from Los Angeles to Hawaii to Tahiti, according http://www.people.com/article/norovirus-crown-princess-cruise

Knee OA Risk Lower in Joggers

People who run at any time of life have lower rates of knee pain and osteoarthritis (OA) compared with nonrunners, according to cross-sectional analysis of data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI). http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/ACR/48641?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2014-11-18&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=ST&eun=g721819d0r&userid=721819&email=amydugan2%40gmail.com&mu_id=5883165&utm_term=Daily

Calorie-Tracking Apps May Not Help You Lose Weight

Millions of Americans use smartphone apps that help them track how many calories they consume each day, but a new study finds that people who used a popular one after their doctor recommended it did not lose any weight. The study doesn't conclusively debunk the idea of using such apps as weight-loss tools. Some participants were barely overweight in the first place, and their level of motivation varied, the researchers noted, and they added that they believe MyFitnessPal is fine as a calorie counter for people who are willing to use it. http://consumer.healthday.com/health-technology-information-18/cellphone-health-news-729/calorie-tracking-smartphone-apps-may-not-help-you-lose-weight-693795.html?related=true&utm_expid=38353063-2.r5ETjFV6SrG5_xobVbsyDw.1

Swing-Shift Workers Do Not Fool Their Bodies Into Burning Calories, Using Nutrients The Way Others Do.

try as they might to adjust to a schedule that has them toiling while others sleep, swing-shift workers do not fool their bodies into burning calories and using nutrients the way people who obey their internal circadian clocks do.” According to the Times, “The result – a metabolism that burns fewer calories during sleep and slows down at night despite work demands – could help explain why those who work overnight shifts are more likely to be obese and to develop type 2 diabetes.” http://www.latimes.com/la-sci-sn-swingshift-obesity-20141117-story.html?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+latimes/features/lifestyle+%28L.A.+Times+-+Fashion+&+Style%29

Researchers Coming Closer To Developing Non-Addictive Medications To Relieve Severe, Chronic Pain.

researchers are “closing in on creating medicines that could relieve severe, chronic pain without getting people hooked – raising hopes as well as skepticism among those fighting drug abuse.” One company, “Cara Therapeutics, recently released research showing its opioid drug,” currently known as CR845, “is far less likely to cause patients to feel high than a control medicine considered to have a low potential for abuse.” http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/11/17/non-addictive-opioids-on-horizon/18810059/

Long-Term Use Of Triclosan May Promote Growth Of Tumors In Mice.

Triclosan, a widely used antibacterial, is everywhere: in your cleaning supplies, soap, acne lotion, fabrics and even toothpaste. So too are the signs that it might be toxic: a 2012 study showed that triclosan impairs muscle contraction in cells, and other studies have linked it to endocrine disruption and bacterial resistance. Now, new research published Monday in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences finds that long-term use of triclosan may promote the growth of cancerous tumors in lab mice. http://time.com/3589572/triclosan-liver-tumors-mice/

Cutting calories slows aging, new study finds

Previous studies found a dietary impacts on one or two genes, while this study analyzed the impact on more than 10,000, said professor Stephen D. Ginsberg, who was senior study investigator. For the study, researchers fed female mice – which are more prone to dementia than males – 30 percent fewer calories from a carbohydrate diet than those fed to other mice. The scientists then analyzed tissue from the animals’ hippocampal region, which is critical to memory and the part of the brain first affected by Alzheimer’s tissue. They found that longterm calorie restriction suppressed the age-dependent activity of 882 genes in the hippocampal region. http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/cutting-calories-slows-aging-new-study-finds/2014/11/17/6156e156-6e75-11e4-8808-afaa1e3a33ef_story.html

Why 3 in 10 People with Diabetes Don’t Know They Have It

Annals of Internal Medicine “suggests that nearly 30% of adults with diabetes remain undiagnosed—the same rate as people with HIV.” The study also suggests that “just like many HIV patients, only about 20% of diabetes patients are treated satisfactorily.” The corollaries between incomplete treatment of both diseases suggest that overlapping solutions may address both diseases. Incentives could encourage both patients and health care providers to screen and then treat diabetes. “They’re extremely similar because they both require patients to be extremely proactive in managing their own condition,” said Ali, specifically citing diet, exercise and taking medication. http://time.com/3589130/hiv-aids-diabetes/

Doctor Being Treated for Ebola in Omaha Dies

A surgeon who contracted Ebola while working in Sierra Leone, Dr. Martin Salia, died Monday while being treated in a biocontainment center in Omaha. “We used the maximum amount of supportive care and every advanced technique available in an effort to save his life,” said Dr. Jeffrey P. Gold, chancellor of the University of Nebraska Medical Center. “We are reminded today that even though this was the best possible place for a patient with this virus to be, that in the very advanced stages, even the most modern techniques that we have at our disposal are not enough to help these patients once they reach the critical threshold,” Dr. Gold said. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/18/us/martin-salia-omaha-ebola-dead.html?_r=0

Killing More Cancerous Cells than Healthy at Thomas Jefferson University

Research in the laboratory of Ulrich Rodeck, MD, PhD, at Thomas Jefferson University, is looking to make prostate cancer (and other cancer types) radiation therapy safer and more effective for patients. Dr. Rodeck’s work with a new anti-cancer drug, RTA-408, currently being developed by Reata Pharmaceuticals, is directed toward protecting normal cells from radiation while enhancing the effects of radiation on cancer cells. “It was really exciting to see that combining radiation and RTA-408 more effectively inhibited tumor growth compared to using either one or the other as single treatment modalities,” said Dr. Rodeck in a news release from the university. http://prostatecancernewstoday.com/2014/11/17/killing-cancerous-cells-healthy-thomas-jefferson-university/

Why You Probably Can’t Donate a Kidney Even If You Want To

data from a representative sample of 7,000 U.S. adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey survey. They discovered that a full 55% of the U.S. population would be ineligible to donate a kidney because of medical conditions—most of them preventable. Based on the criteria the Bleyers used, 15% of adults would be excluded due to obesity, 19% to hypertension, 12% to excessive alcohol use and 12% to diabetes. That’s not necessarily because a medical condition has rendered the organs damaged. “Our number one thing is we want to preserve the health of the donor,” says Dr. Bleyer. “The donors have to be in really pristine condition.” https://time.com/3585545/kidney-donation-obesity/

Something in your sunblock may be causing fertility problems

A new study from the National Institutes of Health finds that chemicals in sunscreens and personal care products that filter out UV rays may lead to infertility issues among men. The study followed 500 couples who are part of a larger study known as the Longitudinal Investigation of Fertility and the Environment. This large study looks at the role between environmental chemicals and fertility. To get at this result, the authors took urine samples from the couples and had them keep a journal until they had conceived or had tried for 12 months. The couples who took the longest to conceive had something in common. BP-2 or 4OH-BP, two UV filter chemicals found commonly in sunblocks and sunscreens, were found in high concentrations in the male partner's urine. The chemicals are also used in moisturizers and shampoos. http://edition.cnn.com/2014/11/14/health/sunblock-fertility-problems/index.html?eref=edition

AHA: Not All CPR Is Equal

Note that while performing chest compression at a rate of 80 to 120 compressions a minute was within guidelines, the failure to compress to a depth of more than 4-6 centimeters would make the number of compressions performed moot. http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/AHA/48632?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2014-11-17&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=ST&eun=g721819d0r&userid=721819&email=amydugan2%40gmail.com&mu_id=5883165&utm_term=Daily

Ebola: Signs of Progress, CDC says

The response to the Ebola outbreak in Liberia is showing encouraging signs of progress, with downward trends in new cases especially in two regions of the country that had been hot spots, the CDC is reporting. http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/Ebola/48598?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2014-11-15&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=ST&eun=g721819d0r&userid=721819&email=amydugan2%40gmail.com&mu_id=5883165&utm_term=Daily

Sleep Problems In Firefighters Tied To Accident Risk, Health Problems.

that according to a study published Nov. 13 in the Journal of Critical Sleep Medicine, “37 percent of” 7,000 firefighters tested “screened positive for at least one sleep disorder, most for obstructive sleep apnea.” After controlling for confounding factors, investigators “found that compared with sound sleepers, those with a sleep disorder were about twice as likely to have a motor vehicle crash, to nod off while driving, and to have cardiovascular disease or diabetes.” In addition, the firefighters faced a threefold higher risk of having anxiety and depression. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/11/13/firefighter-accidents-are-linked-to-sleep-problems/?ref=health&_r=0

Measles: A Disease We Thought Was History Is Making An Alarming Comeback

Once thought to be virtually eliminated in the U.S., measles continues to make a comeback, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has documented a total 603 cases in 22 states thus far in 2014. http://news.yahoo.com/disease-thought-history-making-alarming-194600629.html

When Does Diabetes Really Start?

For most of my professional life, a diagnosis of diabetes was made when the fasting blood glucose exceeded 140 mg/dL. In 1998, a consensus committee, based on an extensive review of data, changed that to 126 mg/dL. A normal fasting blood glucose was now 100 mg/dL. A glucose between those values is now impaired fasting glucose. Similarly, glucose 2 hours after a meal or glucose load should be 140 mg/dL. A postprandial value becomes diabetes when it exceeds 200 mg/dL. Between 140 and 199 is impaired glucose tolerance. http://www.medpagetoday.com/Endocrinology/Diabetes/48572?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2014-11-14&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=ST&eun=g721819d0r&userid=721819&email=amydugan2%40gmail.com&mu_id=5883165&utm_term=Daily

Drug Combo Disappoints in Hepatitis B

A drug combination cured only a small fraction of patients with chronic hepatitis B (HBV), a researcher said here. After 48 weeks of treatment with tenofovir (Viread) and pegylated interferon, fewer than one patient in 10 lost the HBV surface antigen (HBsAg), the gold standard for cure of the virus, http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/AASLD/48571?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2014-11-14&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=ST&eun=g721819d0r&userid=721819&email=amydugan2%40gmail.com&mu_id=5883165&utm_term=Daily

Press Release: Prestigious Awards Recognize Three Researchers for Their Studies in Lupus

Three medical investigators are the 2014 recipients of prestigious career awards that recognize their important achievements in research on the autoimmune disease lupus. Dr. Jane E. Salmon of Hospital for Special Surgery in New York will receive the Evelyn V. Hess Award. http://www.hss.edu/newsroom_research-award-lupus-studies.asp?mc_cid=289b23e047&mc_eid=17e68ecaf5

Website Educates Public About Sugar’s Effects On Health.

scientists have started SugarScience.org, a new website “to educate the public on precisely how too much sugar can make people sick.” The site’s creators “say they have reviewed 8,000 independent clinical research articles on sugar and its role in metabolic conditions that are some of the leading killers of Americans, like heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and liver disease.” http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/11/12/website-explores-sugars-effects-on-health/?ref=health&_r=0

Ebola: Mali Reports New Cases

The West African nation of Mali is reporting a second confirmed case of Ebola as well as two new probable cases, all of them fatal.

Sugar Cap-and-Trade May Cut Obesity

The cap-and-trade strategy debuted in the U.S. in the 1990s in response to high levels of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides released into the atmosphere as waste from the electrical power industry. The government placed a cap on the amount of sulfur dioxide that a company could produce, but allowed companies to trade pollution rights. was applied to the food industry with added sugars -- looking specifically at how such a policy could impact caloric consumption and obesity and diabetes rates, should manufacturers decide among themselves whether to reformulate their products or to buy and sell added sugar "emissions" permits. They relied on data from the USDA, the U.S. Census Bureau, and NHANES to construct a mathematical model of a cap-and-trade policy that aimed to reduce added sugar emissions into the food supply by 20% over 20 years. They found that this policy could substantially reduce obesity and type 2 diabetes rates -- driving down obesity prevalence by 1.7 percentage points and the incidence of type 2 diabetes by 21.7 cases per 100,000 people during that time period.

Some People End Up Heavier After Undertaking An Exercise Regimen.

according to a study published in the October issue of the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, “a substantial number of people who take up an exercise regimen wind up heavier afterward than they were at the start, with the weight gain due mostly to extra fat, not muscle.” The study of “81 healthy but sedentary women” who undertook an exercise program for 12 weeks without modifying their diet also revealed that “women who were losing weight after four weeks of exercise tended to continue to lose weight, while the others did not.” Many reward themselves with more calories than they burn. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/11/12/exercising-but-gaining-weight/?ref=health&_r=0

Popular Diets May Result In Similar Weight Loss Over One Year.

researchers “scoured existing research about Atkins, South Beach, Weight Watchers and the Zone diets to find out which was most effective and which had the most scientifically rigorous proof to back up its weight-loss claims, especially over the long term.” After examining data from 12 studies, investigators found that “none of the four diet plans led to dramatic weight loss, and none was significantly better than the others when it came to keeping weight off for a year or more.” The investigators also found that the “diets...did not result in differences in heart-disease risk factors, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure or blood sugar levels.” http://time.com/3578729/diet-atkins-south-beatch-weight-watchers-or-zone/

Kidney Week To Spotlight Dialysis for Ebola

http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/ASN/48499?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2014-11-11&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=ST&eun=g721819d0r&userid=721819&email=amydugan2%40gmail.com&mu_id=5883165&utm_term=Daily Nephrologists involved in the care of Ebola patients at Emory University will present their clinical exerience during a special session at this year's Kidney Week meeting.

Physicians, Dietitians Noticing Increase In People With Orthorexia Nervosa.

reports that dietitians and physicians are noticing an increase in the number of people suffering from orthorexia nervosa. Even though the condition is not included in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), investigators at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine have come up with diagnostic criteria for it. The guidelines appeared earlier this year in the journal Psychosomatics. People who suffer from the condition are so obsessed with eating certain foods they consider healthy and not eating anything else that they end up underweight and malnourished. The condition may be comorbid with obsessive-compulsive disorder. http://online.wsj.com/articles/when-healthy-eating-calls-for-treatment-1415654737

Written Commitment To Exercise May Make Office Workers Sit Much Less.

reports that according to the results of a 48-participant study published in the November issue of the journal Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise, office workers who committed in writing to spending more time in physical activities both inside and outside the office spent much less time sitting and more time using their muscles. http://online.wsj.com/articles/to-exercise-more-sign-a-contract-1415642812

Brown Fat Sucks Up Excess Glucose In The Blood.

reports that research published in the Journal of Cell Biology suggests that brown fat “acts as a ‘super vacuum’ to suck up excess glucose...in the blood by producing large amounts of a substance that transports glucose into the brown fat cells, where it can be burned to produce heat – a process called thermogenesis.” The blog adds that the research “helps to connect the dots between years of findings suggesting that better understanding brown tissue can lead to new treatments for obesity and type 2 diabetes.” http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2014/11/10/how-brown-fat-the-good-fat-burns-calories-and-could-help-treat-type-2-diabetes-and-obesity/

Most Kids Who Are Obese At Age 11 May Still Be Too Heavy At Age 16.

according to a study published online Nov. 10 in the journal Pediatrics, “the vast majority of children who are obese at age 11 are still far too heavy at age 16.” After following “nearly 4,000 children in three US metropolitan areas over five years, researchers found that 83 percent of obese 10th graders had also been obese in fifth grade.” Just “12 percent of kids who were obese in fifth grade transitioned to a normal weight over the following half-decade,” the study found. http://consumer.healthday.com/kids-health-information-23/adolescents-and-teen-health-news-719/kids-obese-at-young-age-often-stay-that-way-693545.html

Morocco insists on delaying African Cup over Ebola fears

Morocco is sticking to its demand to postpone the African Cup of Nations football tournament due to the outbreak of Ebola in West Africa, despite pressure from the Confederation of African Football. A statement from the Ministry of Sports late Saturday said that because of the "spread of the deadly Ebola pandemic," Morocco was maintaining its call for delaying the tournament it is scheduled to host from Jan. 17-Feb. 8, to the following year. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ebola-outbreak-morocco-insists-on-delaying-african-cup-over-virus-fears/

Time to Quit the Cubans? Cigars May Be as Bad as Cigarettes

according to a report published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, “the amount of NNAL, a carcinogen which comes only from tobacco, was as high in daily cigar smokers as those who regularly smoke cigarettes.” Study’s lead author, Jiping Chen said, “There is no safe level of cigar smoking...Even cigar smokers who don’t smoke every day are exposed to substantially higher levels of toxic compounds” than nonsmokers. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-11-07/time-to-quit-cubans-cigar-may-hurt-as-much-as-cigarettes.html

Most People Who Think They Are Allergic To Penicillin Are Not.

Many Americans may check the box "allergic to penicillin" on medical forms, but new research suggests that most of them are mistaken. Follow-up testing revealed that most people who believed they were allergic to penicillin were actually not allergic to the antibiotic, according to two new studies. In one study, 94 percent of 384 people who believed they were allergic to penicillin tested negative for penicillin allergy. And in the second study, penicillin skin testing was performed on 38 people who believed they were allergic to the antibiotic, and all of them tested negative for such an allergy. The studies were to be presented Friday at the annual meeting of American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), in Atlanta. "A large number of people in our study who had a history of penicillin allergy were actually not allergic," Dr. Thanai Pongdee, lead author of the first study, said in an ACAAI news release. "They may have had an unfavorable response to penicillin at some point in the past, such as hives or swelling, but they did not demonstrate any evidence of penicillin allergy at the current time," Pongdee explained. http://consumer.healthday.com/respiratory-and-allergy-information-2/misc-allergy-news-17/think-you-re-allergic-to-penicillin-maybe-not-693288.html

As Children Get Older, Their Sleeping Patterns Shift.

a study from Brown University suggests that children, particularly as they get older, tend to go to bed later due to a shift in sleeping patterns. NBC News correspondence Miguel Almaguer explained that researchers “tracked 94 children for two years,” finding that “the typical nine-year-old falls asleep at 9:28 p.m. But by age 11 their bedtime naturally shifts to 10:00.” By the time teens are 15, they are going to bed around 10:30. Seventeen-year-olds may be going to bed as late as 11 pm. kids “are believed to need about nine hours of sleep during adolescence but many are not getting that minimum, and many parents and health-care professionals blame” early school start times. For that reason, “the American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that schools start after 8:30 a.m. based on the growing body of research about the negative effects of insufficient sleep for teens.” http://consumer.healthday.com/kids-health-information-23/adolescents-and-teen-health-news-719/study-builds-case-for-later-starting-time-in-high-school-693517.html

Distractions Diminish Food Cravings

Food craving has become a much more prominent focal point because we're finding out that the brain's reward pathways are what drive most of the overeating in the U.S. and industrialized nations,It's not due to physiological need. ... The reward salience, or craving, usually wins out." Two studies reported here at the Obesity Week meeting show that cognitive strategies for turning attention away from food cravings help patients turn off the desire to indulge -- at least temporarily. Both studies sought to test cognitive strategies to suppress cravings, with one taking a mental tack and the other a more physical approach. patients who were told to use four basic cognitive strategies while looking at pictures of food: Distract: Think about anything other than the food Allow: Accept your thoughts and recognize they're just thoughts that don't need to be acted upon Later: Focus on the negative long-term consequences of eating the food Now: Focus on the immediate reward of the food Demos and colleagues found that focusing on long-term consequences reduced the urge to eat most significantly -- and it also increased brain activity in areas associated with inhibitory control, particularly the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/ObesityWeek/48472?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2014-11-08&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=ST&eun=g721819d0r&userid=721819&email=amydugan2%40gmail.com&mu_id=5883165&utm_term=Daily This contradicts other studies that said focusing on the meal and savoring each bite vs eating mindlessly while watching tv or playing video games , resulted in eating less calories each meal.

Cervical Cancer Rates Drop Slowly

The incidence of cervical cancer continues to inch down but the death rate is stable and screening rates still fall short of targets, the CDC is reporting. In a Vital Signs analysis in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, however, the agency found that "important disparities persist" in all three measures. In particular, the analysis found, women with no health insurance and those without a regular healthcare provider are markedly less likely to be screened for the disease. http://www.medpagetoday.com/HematologyOncology/CervicalCancer/48450?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2014-11-07&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=ST&eun=g721819d0r&userid=721819&email=amydugan2%40gmail.com&mu_id=5883165&utm_term=Daily

Genes May Determine Body Weight by Shaping Gut Bacteria

The pair, along with their colleagues in the UK, US and Israel, analysed the gut bacteria of 977 twins based in the UK by looking at the bacterial content of their faeces. Each of the volunteers donated a sample, which the team put through a process that pulls out fragments of DNA that can be used to identify the different types of bacteria present. The team then compared how similar gut bacteria were in identical twins (which have the same set of genes) and non-identical twins (who are assumed to share a very similar environment, but do not have exactly the same genes). When the group compared the levels of similarity in gut bacteria generally, they found no difference between identical and non-identical twins, suggesting that genes don't influence the microbiome. But when they looked at the heritability of different groups of bacteria separately, they found that some bacteria were more similar in identical than in non-identical twins. In other words, some components of the microbiome are heritable. Intriguingly, the groups of bacteria that are heritable are ones that have previously been linked to disease, the team found. "It could be one of the mechanisms for genetic inheritance of disease – a route we haven't thought of before," says Spector. http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn26519-composition-of-your-gut-bacteria-may-be-inherited.html#.VFvBScknbPs

FDA To Consider Gastric Balloon As Weight-Loss Aid.

For many struggling with obesity, taking one of the newly approved prescription medications for weight loss (marketed as Qsymia, Belviq and Contrave) feels like climbing a mountain with a walking cane — it's a little help, but not enough. And bariatric surgery — a permanent replumbing of the intestinal tract that is expensive and carries the risks of major surgery — feels like a bit too much help. Related story: Losing weight quickly is just as good (or bad) as losing it gradually Related story: Losing weight quickly is just as good (or bad) as losing it gradually Karen Kaplan Could a water balloon be the solution? The water balloon diet sounds like a new weight-loss gimmick, but at its heart is a medical device: the gastric balloon, several of which are expected to be considered by the Food and Drug Administration as weight-loss aids in the next year or so. http://www.latimes.com/science/la-sci-sn-balloon-weight-loss-20141105-story.html#page=1

Simple Tool May ID Dementia Risk in Seniors

A higher incidence of a pre-dementia condition called motoric cognitive risk syndrome (MCR) was seen with advancing age in older, healthy adults, according to researchers. MCR is "a newly described pre-dementia syndrome characterized by slow gait and cognitive complaints," they wrote online in Neurology. Over the last decade or so, there has been growing evidence that gait impairment or slowing gait occurs very early in the course of dementia," Verghese told MedPage Today. "What we have found is that slowing gait combined with cognitive complaint has a greater predictive value in patients at risk for dementia than either feature alone."

Do Statins Up a Woman's Risk for Thyroid Cancer?

The regular use of statins, particularly among women, was associated with an increased risk of thyroid cancer, Taiwanese researchers reported. Compared with controls, patients who routinely used statins had an adjusted odds ratio for having thyroid cancer of 1.40 (95% CI 1.05-1.86, P<0.05), according to Shiu-Dong Chung, MD, of Far Eastern Memorial Hospital in New Taipei City, and colleagues. http://www.medpagetoday.com/Endocrinology/Thyroid/48416?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2014-11-06&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=ST&eun=g721819d0r&userid=721819&email=amydugan2%40gmail.com&mu_id=5883165&utm_term=Daily

Does Breast Feeding Drain Women of Calcium?

Serotonin causes the lactating mammary gland to synthesize and secrete parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP). Tryptophan hydroxylase 1 catalyzes the rate-limiting step in peripheral serotonin synthesis and inactivation reduced sonic hedgehog signaling in the mammary gland during lactation. http://www.medpagetoday.com/Endocrinology/GeneralEndocrinology/48422?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2014-11-06&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=ST&eun=g721819d0r&userid=721819&email=amydugan2%40gmail.com&mu_id=5883165&utm_term=Daily

Bariatric Surgery May Be Associated With Increased Taste Sensitivity.

reports that research suggests that individuals who are obese “have less sensitive taste buds than normal-weight people, but bariatric surgery may increase their taste sensitivity in addition to helping them shed pounds.” The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery.Morton suspects that improved taste buds allowed some of the patients to change their relation to food, and therefore become satisfied by taste and do not need to eat as much to be satisfied by volume as they had in the past. It’s unknown how taste buds change or why obese participants had less sensitivity at baseline, Morton noted, but based on the study and his clinical experience, obese patients do have taste buds that are different from normal weight people, he said. http://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/11/04/bariatric-surgery-linked-with-increased-taste-sensitivity/ THIS TOTALLY CONTRADICTS RESEARCH OUT EARLIER THIS WEEK http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/ObesityWeek/48322?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2014-10-31&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=ST&eun=g721819d0r&userid=721819&email=amydugan2%40gmail.com&mu_id=5883165&utm_term=Daily

FDA Warns Of Possible Adverse Effects Of Mixing Supplements, Medications.

according to the FDA, vitamins and other dietary supplements could be dangerous when taken in conjunction with other medication. In a news release the agency warned, “Some dietary supplements may increase the effect of your medication, and other dietary supplements may decrease it.” HealthDay adds that while “many people take supplements to make sure they get proper nutrition,” Robert Mozersky, a medical officer at the FDA, says “natural does not always mean safe,” http://consumer.healthday.com/public-health-information-30/food-and-drug-administration-news-315/dietary-supplements-and-medication-could-be-a-dangerous-combination-693176.html

Point of Contention: The Law and Ebola Quarantines

We e-mailed legal experts and a diverse group of healthcare professionals and asked: How might it affect public health if the courts got involved in the Ebola quarantine issue, and should the courts be involved? The participants this week: http://www.medpagetoday.com/PracticeManagement/Medicolegal/48381?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2014-11-04&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=ST&eun=g721819d0r&userid=721819&email=amydugan2%40gmail.com&mu_id=5883165&utm_term=Daily

FDA Moving Forward With Guidelines To Curb Misleading Claims In Dietary Supplements.

FDA “is moving forward with new recommendations to the manufacturers of dietary supplements” that will “show what evidence the pharmaceutical companies will need” to substantiate their supplements’ “general well-being claims.” In a released statement concerning the guidelines, the FDA wrote that “It is unlikely that a dietary supplement manufacturer will attempt to make a claim when the cost of obtaining the evidence to support the claim outweighs the benefits of having the claim on the product’s label.” http://thehill.com/regulation/222659-fda-tackles-dietary-supplement-weight-loss-claims

Exposure To Secondhand Smoke May Increase Body Fat.

new research from Brigham Young University published in the American Journal of Physiology: Endocrinology and Metabolism “suggests inhaling secondhand smoke raises body fat and throws off metabolism.” The Tribune reports, “Children who inhale such ‘side-stream’ smoke at home are at a particularly ‘massive’ risk of cardiovascular or metabolic problems, Bikman writes in the study.” researchers “exposed lab mice to secondhand smoke and tracked their metabolic progression,” and found that “mice exposed to smoke put on weight.” The Deseret News adds, “The researchers determined that secondhand smoke exposure disrupted normal cell function and inhibited the cells’ ability to respond to insulin.” http://www.sltrib.com/home/1778282-155/smoke-body-bikman-fat-ceramide-weight

Researchers Create Thyroid Cells from Human Stem Cells

Researchers have differentiated human embryonic stem cells into thyroid cells for the first time, according to a report here. By overexpressing two transcription factors -- PAX8 and NKX2-1 -- Terry Davies, MD, of Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, and colleagues said they were able to induce stem cells into thyroid cells. They reported their results at the American Thyroid Association meeting. Exposing the differentiated cells to activin A and then thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) further matured them into functional thyroid follicle cells, Davies told MedPage Today. http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/ATA/48361?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2014-11-03&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=ST&eun=g721819d0r&userid=721819&email=amydugan2%40gmail.com&mu_id=5883165&utm_term=Daily

Vitamin D Deficiency May Be Common Among Men With ED.

http://www.renalandurologynews.com/erectile-dysfunction-vitamin-d-deficiency/article/380505/

Increasing Vitamin D Levels May Help Control Flare-Ups In People With Asthma.

research published in Allergy suggests that increasing “vitamin D levels may help control flare-ups in people with asthma.” Investigators who studied approximately 308,000 individuals “found no association of low vitamin D with an initial diagnosis of asthma.” However, “inadequate levels were significantly associated with the number and severity of attacks in the 21,237 people in the group who had had asthma diagnosed.” http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/10/31/low-vitamin-d-tied-to-asthma-attacks/?ref=health&_r=0

High-Protein Breakfast Reduces Food Cravings, Increases Dopamine.

eating a high-protein breakfast can be an effective tool for reducing food cravings, boosting dopamine, which may assist efforts to control weight. The study’s author, Heather Leidy, said having a high-protein breakfast led to a 34-fold reduction in cravings for high fat foods and a 15-fold increase in dopamine. The Journal adds that the study was conducted with 16 obese female volunteers who were about 19 years old and regular breakfast-skippers. http://online.wsj.com/articles/eat-breakfast-and-remember-the-protein-scientists-say-1414764968