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47,000 senior falls in U.S. tied to walkers, canes

Abused Kids Face Higher Cancer Risk “"One important avenue for future research is to investigate dysfunctions in cortisol production -- the hormone that prepares us for 'fight or flight' -- as a possible mediator in the abuse-cancer relationship," she said in a news release from the university. "Few talk about childhood physical abuse and cancer in the same breath," Esme Fuller-Thomson, of the University of Toronto's faculty of social work and department of family and community medicine, said in the news release. "From a public health perspective, it's extremely important that clinicians be aware of the full range of risk factors for cancer. This research provides important new knowledge about a potential childhood abuse-cancer relationship." “

Brown Recluse Spider Bite Manifestations and Management: Slideshow

Exposure To Phthalates May Be A Risk Factor For Low Birth Weight In Infants “A new study soon to be published in the Journal of Pediatrics examines the possibility that in utero phthalate exposure contributes to low birth weight in infants. Low birth weight is the leading cause of death in children under 5 years of age and increases the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic disease in adulthood.”

FDA panel votes to eliminate Vicodin, Percocet “Government experts say prescription drugs like Vicodin and Percocet that combine a popular painkiller with stronger narcotics should be eliminated because of their role in deadly overdoses. A Food and Drug Administration panel on Tuesday voted 20-17 that prescription drugs that combine acetaminophen with other painkilling ingredients should be pulled off the market. The FDA has assembled a group of experts to vote on ways to reduce liver damage associated with acetaminophen, one of the most widely used drugs in the U.S. “

Green Tea: The Next Cancer Therapy? “The study included 26 men, aged 41 to 72 years, diagnosed with prostate cancer and scheduled for radical prostatectomy. Patients consumed four capsules containing Polyphenon E until the day before surgery — four capsules are equivalent to about 12 cups of normally brewed concentrated green tea. The time of study for 25 of the 26 patients ranged from 12 days to 73 days. Findings showed a significant reduction in serum levels of HGF, VEGF and PSA after treatment, with some patients demonstrating reductions in levels of greater than 30 percent, according to the researchers. There were only a few reported side effects associated with this study, and liver function remained normal. Results of a recent year-long clinical trial conduced by researchers in Italy demonstrated that consumption of green tea polyphenols reduced the risk of developing prostate cancer in men with high-grade prostate intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN). "These studies are just the beginning and a lot of work remains to be done; however, we think that the use of tea polyphenols alone or in combination with other compounds currently used for cancer therapy should be explored as an approach to prevent cancer progression and recurrence," Cardelli said.”

Magic Ingredient In Breast Milk Protects Babies' Intestines “The ingredient called pancreatic secretory trypsin inhibitor, or PSTI, is found at its highest levels in colostrum - the milk produced in the first few days after birth. The lining of a newborn's gut is particularly vulnerable to damage as it has never been exposed to food or drink. The new study highlights the importance of breastfeeding in the first few days after the birth. The researchers found small amounts of PSTI in all the samples of breast milk they tested but it was seven times more concentrated in colostrum samples. The ingredient was not found in formula milk. “

Mississippi tops U.S. obesity rankings

Mole or Melanoma? Tell-Tale Signs in Benign Nevi and Malignant Melanoma: Slideshow

Most men are deficient in key minerals and vitamins.

Nestle Toll House Prepackaged, Refrigerated Cookie Dough “FDA and the CDC are warning consumers not to eat any varieties of prepackaged Nestle Toll House refrigerated cookie dough due to the risk of contamination with E. coli O157:H7 (a bacterium that causes food borne illness). The warning is based on an ongoing epidemiological study conducted by the CDC and several state and local health departments. Since March 2009 there have been 66 reports of illness across 28 states. Twenty-five persons were hospitalized; 7 with a severe complication called Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS). No one has died.E. coli O157:H7 causes abdominal cramping, vomiting and a diarrheal illness, often with bloody stools. Most healthy adults can recover completely within a week. Young children and the elderly are at highest risk for developing HUS, which can lead to serious kidney damage and even death. FDA advises that if consumers have any prepackaged, refrigerated Nestle Toll House cookie dough products in their home that they throw them away. Cooking the dough is not recommended because consumers might get the bacteria on their hands and on other cooking surfaces.”

New Supplement May Help Slow Sight Loss In Elderly “As the macula of the eye is very rich in antioxidants the researchers wanted to see if a supplement called CARMA (Caroteneoids and Co-antioxidants in Age-related Maculopathy) containing the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin could help slow down AMD. The supplement also contained vitamins C,E and Zinc, which had been used in a previous study. The latest study showed that intake of high levels of both carotenoids preserved the macular pigments, slowing down the progression from early AMD to late AMD.”

Omega-3 Fatty Acids May Protect Against Progression Of Age-related Macular Degeneration “Eating two to three servings of fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, shellfish, and herring every week would achieve the recommended daily intake of DHA and EPA. However, the majority of AREDS participants and Americans eat a much lower level than recommended. "If changing dietary habits is not easy, supplementation is an option," says Chiu. The authors stress it is still premature to conclude dietary recommendations for people with AMD and more studies are warranted. "Taken together, these data indicate that consuming a diet with higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and low-GI foods may delay compromised vision due to AMD," says Taylor. "The present study adds the possibility that the timing of a dietary intervention as well as the combination of nutrients recommended may be important." AMD is a progressive disease that attacks central vision, resulting in a gradual loss of eyesight and, in some cases, blindness. The NEI reports that AMD is the most common causes of non-remediable vision loss in Americans over 60.”

Overweight in midlife and risk of dementia: a 40-year follow-up study (International Journal of Obesity 2009) “Conclusions: This study gives further support to the notion that overweight in midlife increases later risk of dementia. The risk is increased for both Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia, and follows the same pattern for men and women.”

Pesticide Residue Common on Kitchen Floors “The most commonly detected insecticide was permethrin, a carcinogen, which was present on 89 percent of the floors. About 78 percent of the floors had measurable levels of chlorpyrifos, a broad-spectrum insecticide used to control pests in the house and garden. About 64 percent had chlordane, one of the organochlorine insecticides that are no longer in use. Other compounds that were found included piperonyl butoxide (52 percent), cypermethrin (46 percent) and fipronil (40 percent), a relatively new residential-use insecticide used to kill fleas and ticks on pets, termites and ants and cockroaches in bait traps, according to the study.”

Pesticide Susceptibility In Children Lasts Longer Than Expected “"Current EPA standards of exposure for some pesticides assume children are 3 to 5 times more susceptible than adults, and for other pesticides the standards assume no difference," said Nina Holland, UC Berkeley adjunct professor of environmental health sciences and senior author of the paper. "Our study is the first to show quantitatively that young children may be more susceptible to certain organophosphate pesticides up to age 7. Our results suggest that the EPA standards need to be re-examined to determine if they are adequately protecting the most vulnerable members of the population."“

Studies Suggest Physicians Should Be Vigilant for Serious H1N1 Infection in Young “The pattern of the swine-origin influenza A (H1N1) virus (S-OIV) seen in March and April of this year suggests that people exposed to H1N1 strains during childhood before the 1957 flu pandemic will be relatively protected from severe illness, according to a study in the June 29 Online First issue of The New England Journal of Medicine. The study, which appears along with a case series describing some of the first patients to be hospitalized with confirmed H1N1 and pneumonia, paint a picture of the early days of the pandemic and highlight that the virus can cause serious illness in a younger population. “

What Should A Teenage Girl Do If She Finds A Lump In Her Breast? “Among girls younger than 19, there are fewer than 25 cases of breast cancer per 100,000 per year, according to the National Cancer Institute. The vast majority of breast lumps in adolescents are benign and tend to wax and wane. Over time, many disappear. Many teenage girls undergo biopsy of breast lumps because of parental anxiety and surgeons' concerns, Vade said. Vade and colleagues wrote that for adolescents who present with solid masses that appear benign on ultrasound examination, "we conclude that excisional biopsy may not always be necessary." “

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Healthy Living

An apple a day may hold colorectal cancer at bay: recent evidence from a case-control study. (Rev Environ Health. 2009) “Apples are a rich source of flavonoids and have the second highest level of antioxidant power among all fruits, with peels having a stronger antioxidant activity than apple flesh. A recent reanalysis of several case-control studies in Italy demonstrated a consistent inverse association between apple consumption and the risk of various cancers, and among them ofcolorectal cancer.”

Anatomy of health effects of Mediterranean diet: Greek EPIC prospective cohort study (BMJ 2009) “Conclusion The dominant components of the Mediterranean diet score as a predictor of lower mortality are moderate consumption of ethanol, low consumption of meat and meat products, and high consumption of vegetables, fruits and nuts, olive oil, and legumes. Minimal contributions were found for cereals and dairy products, possibly because they are heterogeneous categories of foods with differential health effects, and for fish and seafood, the intake of which is low in this population.”

Association between Plasma 25-Hydroxyvitamin D and Breast Cancer Risk (Cancer Prevention Research 2009) “In summary, these results add to a growing body of evidence that adequate vitamin D stores may prevent breast cancer development. Whereas circulating 25-OHD levels of >32 ng/mL are associated with normal bone mineral metabolism, our data suggest that the optimal level for breast cancer prevention is 40 ng/mL.”

Diet May Reduce Risk Of Prostate Cancer “The researchers found that a diet low in fat, high in vegetables and fruit, and avoiding high energy intake, excessive meat, and excessive dairy products and calcium intake may be helpful in preventing prostate cancer, and for patients diagnosed with prostate cancer. Specifically, consumption of tomatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, green tea, and vitamins including Vitamin E and selenium seemed to propose a decreased risk of prostate cancer. Consumption of highly processed or charcoaled meats, dairy products, and fats seemed to be correlated with prostate cancer.”

Exercise after age 30 may curb breast cancer risk “"Preliminarily," Sprod said, "the take home message is that accumulating greater physical activity after the age of 30 may play a role in reducing the risk of developing breast cancer."“

Exercise Reduces Leakage through the Blood Brain Barrier “Results show how regular exercise may have yet another benefit -- delaying the formation of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Both diseases are connected with leakage through the blood-brain barrier.”

Green tea: nature's defense against malignancies. (Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2009)

Fish Oil Protects Against Diseases Like Parkinson's “ … findings showing that an omega three fatty acid in the diet protects brain cells by preventing the misfolding of a protein resulting from a gene mutation in neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's and Huntington's.”

Greater vegetable and fruit intake is associated with a lower risk of breast cancer among Chinese women. (Int J Cancer. 2009)

High Fruit and Vegetable Intake is Positively Correlated with Antioxidant Status and Cognitive Performance in Healthy Subjects. (J Alzheimers Dis. 2009) “Healthy subjects of any age with a high daily intake of fruits and vegetables have higher antioxidant levels, lower levels of biomarkers of oxidative stress, and better cognitive performance than healthy subjects of any age consuming low amounts of fruits and vegetables. Modification of nutritional habits aimed at increasing intake of fruits and vegetables should be encouraged to lower prevalence of cognitive impairment in later life.”

How Cranberry Products Prevent Urinary Tract Infections “Chemicals present in cranberries—and not the acidity of cranberry juice, as previously thought—prevent infection-causing bacteria from attaching to the cells that line the urinary tract, as documented in a report published in Journal of Medicinal Food. … Adhesion of E. coli bacteria to cells lining the urinary tract is the first step in the development of a UTI. Chemicals found in cranberry products called proanthocyanidins (PACs) prevent E. coli, which is the cause of about 85% of UTIs and 90% of cases of acute pyelonephritis, from adhering to these urinary tract epithelial cells by affecting the surface properties of the bacteria. … "Cranberries, one of only three species of fruits native to North America, has a long history of medicinal food use. Native Americans used the fruit for the treatment of bladder and kidney ailments hundreds of years ago.…““

Oily Fish Eaten Once a Week Associated With Lower Rates of HF, but No Benefits of More Frequent Intake “A new observational study in Sweden has found that eating oily fish once a week seems to protect middle-aged and older men against developing heart failure [1]. But eating it more often than that did not give a greater benefit; in fact, it returned the risk to the same level seen in those who never ate oily fish. Dr Emily B Levitan (Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA) and colleagues report their findings online April 21, 2009 in the European Heart Journal. Levitan told heartwire the apparent U-shaped relationship of oily fish with heart failure found "was unexpected. We showed you get the most bang for your buck at the beginning part of the curve," she noted. However, she said that although they did not see a benefit of eating oily fish twice a week in this particular study, "I think the totality of the evidence is better captured by the official recommendations." The AHA recommends eating fish, preferably oily fish, twice a week, she notes, and the Swedish National Food Administration advises consuming fish two to three times per week. … Levitan adds that the type of fish eaten is key. In Sweden, where her study was conducted, "the bulk of the population was eating herring, mackerel, or tuna once a week," she said. "In the US, we do eat salmon, but there's very little consumption of herring or mackerel, which are better sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Also, we eat a lot of tuna [in the US], and that is one of the less oily of the oily fish. "The bottom line is this study is another indication that a moderate intake of oily fish is probably helpful for cardiovascular health," she concluded. “

Outgoing Nature Could Get You to 100 “They found that the offspring of centenarians were more extraverted than the published norms. That means "they are quite social, establish important friendships and view these friendships as 'safety nets,' " important sources of help when needed, Perls said. The offspring of centenarians scored lower than the norms on neuroticism, the study found. Perls said that translates into an ability to manage stress very well. Women in the study also scored high in agreeableness, a trait that might pave the way for friendships, Perls said. The men in the study were no higher in agreeableness than normal, and men and women scored average levels for openness and conscientiousness. As for the exact relationship between personality and longevity, "we are relying on scientific literature to understand exactly what it means," Perls said. For instance, he said, it makes sense that scoring lower in neuroticism -- and handling stress well -- would contribute to a longer life, because stress has been shown in scientific studies to be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Other research has found social ties to be important to an older person's health. "We really found that the offspring of centenarians, in their 70s and early 80s, are very much following in the footsteps of their parents," Perls said. "They have 60 percent reduced rates of heart disease, stroke and diabetes." “

Rethinking Daily Exercise: Less Regular, High-Intensity Intervals May Be Best Bet for Metabolic Syndrome “According to the Norwegian investigators who tested two different exercise regimens, high-intensity exercise actually reversed most of the risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome; after just 16 weeks of the exercise program, almost half the patients enrolled in this arm of the trial no longer had metabolic syndrome, without making any changes to their diets. Less impressive gains were seen with consistent, moderate exercise.”

Vitamin D and Health

What Is Exercise? The Benefits Of Exercise

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Inflammation and Oxidative Stress

Elevated C-reactive protein levels are associated with prevalent dementia in the oldest-old (The Lancet 2009) “Background C-reactive protein (CRP) is a nonspecific marker of inflammation that is increased in the brain and serum of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), and has been associated with increased risk of developing dementia. Inflammation increases with age, and the number of people reaching age 90 years and older is growing, making the association between inflammation and dementia increasingly relevant. Using a cross-sectional design, we examined whether high levels of serum CRP are associated with increased odds of prevalent dementia in the oldest-old.”

Exercise as a mean to control low-grade systemic inflammation. (Mediators Inflamm. 2008 (Epub 2009)) “Chronic noncommunicable diseases (CNCDs), which include cardiovascular disease, some cancers, for example, colon cancer, breast cancer, and type 2 diabetes, are reaching epidemic proportions worldwide. It has now become clear that low-grade chronic inflammation is a key player in the pathogenesis of most CNCDs. Given that regular exercise offers protection against all causes of mortality, primarily by protection against atherosclerosis and insulin resistance, we suggest that exercise may exert some of its beneficial health effects by inducing anti-inflammatory actions. Recently, IL-6 was introduced as the first myokine, defined as a cytokine, which is produced and released by contracting skeletal muscle fibres, exerting its effects in other organs of the body. We suggest that skeletal muscle is an endocrine organ and that myokines may be involved in mediating the beneficial effects against CNCDs associated with low-grade inflammation.”

Fish-oil supplementation induces antiinflammatory gene expression profiles in human blood mononuclear cells. (Am J Clin Nutr. 2009)

Fruit and vegetable consumption and its relation to markers of inflammation and oxidative stress in adolescents. (J Am Diet Assoc. 2009) “CONCLUSION: Study results show that the beneficial effects of fruit and vegetable intake on markers of inflammation and oxidative stress are already present by early adolescence and provide support for the Dietary Guidelines for Americans "to consume five or more servings per day" of fruits and vegetables to promote beneficial cardiovascular health.”

How Inflammatory Disease Causes Fatigue “Chronic inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, psoriasis, and liver disease cause "sickness behaviors," including fatigue, malaise, and loss of social interest. However, it has been unclear how inflammation in other organs in the body can impact the brain and behavior. The researchers found that in mice with inflamed livers, white blood cells called monocytes infiltrated the brain. These findings support previous research demonstrating the presence of immune cells in the brain following organ inflammation, challenging the long-held belief that the blood-brain barrier prevents immune cells from accessing the brain.”

[Inflammation and C-reactive protein in cardiovascular disease.] (Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen. 2009) “INTERPRETATION: Individuals with chronic inflammatory disease and those with high risk and acute infection are at risk for cardiovascular events and should be evaluated for primary prevention. In patient groups at moderate risk for cardiovascular disease, hs-CRP can be a valuable supplement to established factors for risk stratification. Despite numerous studies confirming hs-CRP's role as an independent risk marker, hs-CRP has not found its place in international guidelines. This should be reconsidered on the background of new study results.”

Mediterranean diet and inflammatory response in myocardial infarction survivors. (Int J Epidemiol. 2009) “CONCLUSIONS: Adherence to the traditional Mediterranean diet was associated with a reduction of the concentrations of inflammatory markers in MI survivors. This may, in part, explain the beneficial effects of this diet on various chronic diseases such as atherosclerosis and cancer, and expands its role to secondary prevention level.”

Mom’s Obesity Linked to Asthma in Kids “How would having a mother who was obese during pregnancy influence asthma risk in youngsters? The researchers explain excess fat produces pro-inflammatory cytokines and suppresses anti-inflammatory cytokines. Cytokines are known to play a role in asthma. “Therefore, when you have an obese person, you are not just looking at a problem of excess fat, but a problem of systemic inflammation,” study author Jet Smit, Ph.D., was quoted as saying. “This may affect the immunological and pulmonary development in the fetus and possibly result in a higher risk of asthma symptoms after birth.”“

Selenium and Inflammation: Underlying Anti-inflammatory Mechanisms. (Horm Metab Res. 2009)

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Patient Safety

Ban Is Advised on 2 Top Pills for Pain Relief “The two drugs combine a narcotic with acetaminophen, the ingredient found in popular over-the-counter products like Tylenol and Excedrin. High doses of acetaminophen are a leading cause of liver damage, and the panel noted that patients who take Percocet and Vicodin for long periods often need higher and higher doses to achieve the same effect.”

Insured, but Bankrupted by Health Crises (USA) “Health insurance is supposed to offer protection — both medically and financially. But as it turns out, an estimated three-quarters of people who are pushed into personal bankruptcy by medical problems actually had insurance when they got sick or were injured.”

Medication errors: the importance of an accurate drug history (British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 2009)

Mobile phones may be source of hospital infections “Mobile phones used by hospital healthcare workers are often contaminated with germs, including those that can causes illness in hospitalized patients, a Turkish research team reports. Dr. Fatma Ulger and others at Ondokuz Mayis University, Samsun, swabbed the dominant hand and the mobile phones of 200 doctors, nurses, and other healthcare staff working in intensive care units and operating rooms. They found that 95 percent of telephones were contaminated, often with more than one type of microbe, and often with antibiotic-resistant bacteria. … They recommend routine decontamination of mobile phones with alcohol-containing disinfectants.”

New Merck Allegations: A Fake Journal; Ghostwritten Studies; Vioxx Pop Songs; PR Execs Harass Reporters

Numerous CT Scans Over Lifetime May Increase Cancer Risk “"CT is an excellent diagnostic tool of tremendous clinical value in many situations," Dr. Sodickson said. "Individual decisions about its use should balance the expected clinical benefits against the potential cumulative risks of recurrent imaging." Dr. Sodickson points out that for patients who have not undergone a large number of CT scans, the benefits of appropriate CT exams typically outweigh the potential risks. "However, we feel that a higher clinical threshold is warranted in patients undergoing a large amount of recurrent CT imaging," Dr. Sodickson said, "particularly if many of their prior CT scans have been negative. This scenario may result in a combination of high cumulative risk with low clinical benefit."“

One In Four Nursing Home Residents Carry MRSA, UK Study Suggests “Twenty-four per cent of residents and 7 per cent of staff were found to be colonised with MRSA, meaning they were carrying the bacteria but not necessarily showing signs of infection or illness.”

Patient Safety (CDC)

Patients Not Always Told of Lab Results “Casalino tells WebMD that "patients should never assume that no news is good news" because "a lot of things can go wrong in the office. Some may never receive a report from the lab, or it may come in but the doctor never sees it and it might get filed away before he does." He tells WebMD that many primary care doctors' offices are swamped with paperwork, making it easy for test reports to go to the wrong place, or the right place and not be seen, and that often procedures are not in place to make sure doctors see and act on lab results. "Doctors should at the least mail out a form and keep a copy in the charts," he says. "In our research team, it turned out that almost everybody had a personal experience with a missed communication." … But the backup for patients should always be to call their doctors if they aren't notified of the results of tests, Dunham says.“

PUBLICATION ETHICS AND THE GHOST MANAGEMENT OF MEDICAL PUBLICATION. (Bioethics. 2009)

Radiation dose from multidetector row CT imaging for acute stroke. (Neuroradiology. 2009)

Radiation Exposure Linked to Aggressive Thyroid Cancers “Thyroid cancer patients who've previously been exposed to radiation have more aggressive disease and worse outcomes than other patients, a new study finds. Researchers at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto studied 125 thyroid cancer patients who'd been exposed to radiation -- for example, in the workplace, through environmental exposure, or for treatment of acne or other benign conditions -- at least three years before they had surgery for their thyroid cancer. “

Researcher claims disease overtreated “It did not make sense to do something which would increase peoples risk "if you are offering something which has a considerable hazard, you have really added to their problems". The difficulty was that the commonly used prostate specific antigen test (PSA) led to over-diagnosis of cancers and over treatment. About 30% of men over 50 had a small tumour on their prostate which, when studied under a microscope was indistinguishable from cancer. A vast majority of these tumours did not appear to become a clinical disease or even cause symptoms. Research into randomised trials using PSA for screening showed that the over-diagnosis of cancers could be as high as 50%. Men were undergoing radical prostatectomy or radiotherapy which could result in chronic incontinence (urinary or faecal), impotence, or in some instances, death, he said. Dr Cox estimates that about 2000 cases of prostate cancer are detected by PSA testing a year in New Zealand and about half of them would never become clinically relevant. “

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