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Breast Self-Exam

Formaldehyde Exposure among Children: A Potential Building Block of Asthma “Formaldehyde, a staple chemical in the manufacturing industry, is known to trigger acute adverse health effects such as skin, eye, nose, and throat irritation. Research on the human health effects of this compound has focused on a possible link between formaldehyde exposure and nasopharyngeal cancer. A new study reports the results of a meta-analysis of the literature examining a potential link between formaldehyde exposure and the prevalence of asthma in children…”

Obese Kids as Young as Three Have Raised CRP “A new study has found that abnormal levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and two other inflammatory markers are associated with increasing weight in children, starting at a young age [1]. Dr Asheley Cockrell Skinner (University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill) and colleagues' findings are published online March 1, 2010 in Pediatrics. "We found this is a remarkably consistent story, and it starts as young as age three, something that was surprising to us," senior author Dr Eliana M Perrin (University of North Carolina School of Medicine) told heartwire . "But whether this portends increased cardiac risk down the road, we don't know. We also don't know if the effects are cumulative or whether they are reversible with weight loss or lifestyle changes. More research is needed."”

People Still Trust Their Doctors Rather Than the Internet “By a large margin, people take their health questions to the Internet first, performing their own research. Then they take that information to their doctor for discussion.”

People With Asthma More Likely to Be Depressed “People with asthma are more than twice as likely to have depression or anxiety as people who don't have the chronic airway disease, according to a report in the March issue of the journal Chest.”

Previous Antimicrobial Exposure Is Associated With Drug-Resistant Urinary Tract Infections in Children. (Pediatrics. 2010) “Conclusions: Recent antimicrobial exposure is associated with antimicrobial-resistant UTIs among pediatric outpatients, and the magnitude of this association decreases with time since exposure. Judicious antimicrobial prescribers should consider this association when selecting empiric antimicrobial agents for a new UTI and should use strategies to reduce unnecessary antimicrobial use to avoid development of resistant bacteria .”

Processed Meat May Harm the Heart “Conventional wisdom has dictated that fat from red meat is a risk factor for heart disease, but a new analysis from Harvard researchers finds it's eating processed meat -- not unprocessed red meat -- that increases the risk for heart disease and even diabetes. The term "processed meat" refers to any meat preserved by smoking, curing or salting or with the addition of chemical preservatives. The researchers defined "red meat" as unprocessed meats such as beef, hamburger, lamb and pork. "To lower risk of heart attacks and diabetes, people should avoid eating too much processed meats -- for example, hot dogs, bacon, sausage or processed deli meats," said lead researcher Renata Micha, a research fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health. "Based on our findings, eating up to one serving per week would be associated with relatively small risk."“

Stroke Risk Runs in the Family “If your mother or father had a stroke by the time they were 65, your chances of also having a stroke by that age are increased fourfold, U.S. researchers report. There are many risk factors for stroke, such as high blood pressure, obesity and smoking. These risks factors can be changed, but family history cannot, they added. "Know your family and parents' medical history as accurately as you can. And remember family history may not be modifiable, but it acts superimposed on other risk factors," said lead researcher Dr. Sudha Seshadri, an associate professor at Boston University School of Medicine. "Parental stroke occurrence should, we believe, be included in predicting a person's stroke risk," she added.”

Suit: Fish Oil Contains Undisclosed PCB Levels “The plaintiffs, led by the Mateel Environmental Justice Foundation and two environmentalists from New Jersey, tested 10 brands of fish oil supplements and found varying levels of PCBs in each; the highest level was 850 nanograms, and the lowest only 12. … Among the defendants are Omega Protein – the world's biggest producer of fish oil supplements – General Nutrition Corp, Now Health Group Inc, and CVS and Rite Aid, which sell the supplements.“

The Truth About Urine

Unsafe at home? “They conclude that seemingly innocent, everyday things might be killing us, because these hormone-altering chemicals are in just about everything and even low levels of them, over time, are harmful. "This notion that there's such a thing as a safe level just simply doesn't exist for endocrine-disrupting chemicals," Lourie said. "There is no safe level. Zero is safe, everything above zero is less safe." “

U.S. Pays a Price for Dirty Air “"California's failure to meet air pollution standards causes a large amount of expensive hospital care," study author and Rand economist John Romley said in a news release. "The result is that insurance programs -- both those run by the government and private payers -- face higher costs because of California's dirty air."”

Which Has More Germs - A Restaurant Tray or a Park Sandbox?

Years of Exposure to Traffic Pollution Raises Blood Pressure

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Healthy Living

Brain Fitness Games Improve Delayed Memory in Elderly Adults “Elderly adults who play brain fitness games that exercise global aspects of memory show improvements in the domain of delayed memory at 6 months compared with a slight decline in active controls, according to preliminary findings presented here at the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry 2010 Annual Meeting.”

Can Nutrients Prevent or Delay Onset of Alzheimer's Disease? (Alzheimers Dis. 2010) “The literature reinforces the need for early intervention in AD and suggests that multi-nutritional intervention, targeting multiple aspects of the neurodegenerative process during the earliest possible phase in the development of the disease, is likely to have the greatest therapeutic potential.”

Colorado, California Cities Dominate Slimmest Cities List

Dietary Calcium and Magnesium Intake and Mortality: A Prospective Study of Men (American Journal of Epidemiology 2010) “This population-based, prospective study of men with relatively high intakes of dietary calcium and magnesium showed that intake of calcium above that recommended daily may reduce all-cause mortality.”

Dietary Formula That Maintains Youthful Function Into Old Age “Ingredients consists of items that were purchased in local stores selling vitamin and health supplements for people, including vitamins B1, C, D, E, acetylsalicylic acid, beta carotene, folic acid, garlic, ginger root, ginkgo biloba, ginseng, green tea extract, magnesium, melatonin, potassium, cod liver oil, and flax seed oil. Multiple ingredients were combined based on their ability to offset five mechanisms involved in ageing.”

Don't worry, be happy: positive affect and reduced 10-year incident coronary heart disease: The Canadian Nova Scotia Health Survey (Eur Heart J (2010))

Effect of Exercise on Oxidative Stress: A 12-Month Randomized, Controlled Trial. (Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2010) “CONCLUSION:: These findings suggest that aerobic exercise, when accompanied by relatively marked gains in aerobic fitness, decreases oxidative stress among previously sedentary older women, and that these effects occur with minimal change in mass or body composition.”

Effect of Nutrition on Blood Pressure (Annual Review of Nutrition 2010) “Higher intakes of potassium, PUFA, protein, exercise, and possibly vitamin D may reduce blood pressure. Less conclusive studies suggest that amino acids, tea, green coffee bean extract, dark chocolate, tea, and foods high in nitrates may reduce blood pressure. Short-term studies indicate that specialized diets may prevent or ameliorate mild hypertension, most notably the DASH diet, which is high in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products, and the DASH low-sodium diet. Long-term compliance to these diets remains a major concern.”

Exercise Your Way to a Healthier Colon

Fruit and vegetable intake and risk of acute coronary syndrome. (Br J Nutr. 2010) “The present results provide some support for previously observed inverse associations between fresh fruit intake, particularly apples, and ACS risk.”

Green Tea May Help Cut Risk for Lung Cancer

High Levels of Vitamin D in Older People Can Reduce Heart Disease and Diabetes “Middle aged and elderly people with high levels of vitamin D could reduce their chances of developing heart disease or diabetes by 43%, according to researchers at the University of Warwick.“

High Vitamin D Levels Linked to Lower Risk of Colon Cancer “High blood levels of vitamin D are associated with a lower risk of colon cancer, finds a large European study published online in the British Medical Journal. The risk was cut by as much as 40% in people with the highest levels compared with those in the lowest.”

Mediterranean diet may help prevent dementia, study says “Eating a diet rich in healthy fats and limiting dairy and meat could do more than keep your heart healthier. It could also help keep you thinking clearly. New research shows that sticking to the Mediterranean diet, previously shown to reduce heart and other health issues, also may help lower the risk of having small areas of dead tissue linked to thinking problems. Known as brain infarcts, they're involved in vascular dementia, the second most common form of dementia, after Alzheimer's disease. … A Mediterranean diet includes a lot of fruit, vegetables and fish, olive oil, legumes and cereals, and fewer dishes containing dairy, meat, poultry, and saturated fatty acids than other diets. It also involves small to moderate amounts of alcohol. … Researchers found that people who most closely followed a Mediterranean-like diet were 36 percent less likely to have areas of brain damage, compared with those whose eating habits were furthest from the diet. The study shows association, not causation, meaning there could be some other factors linking the Mediterranean diet to resilience against this form of brain damage.”

Omega-3 May Promote Youthful Biological Age

Persistent low-grade inflammation and regular exercise. (Front Biosci (Schol Ed). 2010) “We suggest that the anti-inflammatory effects of exercise may be mediated via a long-term effect of exercise leading to a reduction in visceral fat mass and/or by induction of anti-inflammatory cytokines with each bout of exercise.”

Plant-focused diet may curb breast cancer risk “Diets high in vegetables, fruits and soy might cut the risk of developing breast cancer by 30 percent, new research suggests.”

Physical Activity Associated With Healthier Aging: Links Between Exercise and Cognitive Function, Bone Density and Overall Health

Positive Effects of Physical Training in Activity of Daily Living-Dependent Older Adults. (Exp Aging Res. 2010)

Potassium-Rich Foods Do a Heart Good “Eating plenty of potassium-rich foods such as leafy greens, potatoes and bananas may reduce the risk of stroke and coronary artery disease, according to Italian researchers. The new analysis was based on 10 studies published between 1966 and 2009 that included almost 280,000 adults. During follow-ups that ranged from five to 19 years, there were over 5,500 strokes and almost 3,100 coronary heart disease events, the investigators found. Higher potassium intake was associated with a 19 percent lower risk of stroke and an 8 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease. The findings support global recommendations for people to increase their consumption of potassium-rich foods in order to prevent vascular disease, said Dr. Pasquale Strazzullo, of the University of Naples, and colleagues. Other foods high in potassium include soybeans, apricots, avocados, plain non-fat yogurt, prune juice, and dried beans and peas.”

Purpose in Life May Reduce Alzheimer's Risk “Elderly people with a strong sense of purpose in life are almost 2½ times less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease (AD), report researchers. The new finding adds to emerging data suggesting that psychological and experiential factors are associated with cognitive impairment. "Our results suggest that positive factors, such as having a sense of goal-directedness that guides behavior, may provide a buffer against negative health outcomes, particularly in old age," coauthor Lisa Barnes, PhD, from the Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, told Medscape Psychiatry.”

Soy: Friend or Foe?

The total antioxidant content of more than 3100 foods, beverages, spices, herbs and supplements used worldwide (Nutr J. 2010)

Vitamin D may help pre-diabetes

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Inflammation and Oxidative Stress

Association of C-Reactive Protein With Cognitive Impairment (Arch Neurol. 2010) “Conclusions High hsCRP may be a marker of memory and visuospatial impairment in the elderly.”

Association of vitamin B-6 status with inflammation, oxidative stress, and chronic inflammatory conditions: the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study (Am J Clin Nutr 2010) “Conclusions: Low vitamin B-6 concentrations are associated with inflammation, higher oxidative stress, and metabolic conditions in older Puerto Rican adults. Our data suggest that vitamin B-6 may influence cardiovascular disease risk through mechanisms other than homocysteine and support the notion that nutritional status may influence the health disparities present in this population.”

CRP is risk factor for heart disease “CRP (C-reactive protein) is a protein made by the liver which is known to be a ‘marker’ for a state of inflammation in the body. In recent years, there has been growing interest in the role CRP might play in heart disease. For instance, CRP is present in the atherosclerotic plaque that is the hallmark of heart disease. Raised CRP may indicate a state of inflammation in the coronary arteries that may set the scene for heart disease. So should doctors be measuring CRP as a risk factor, as they do cholesterol and blood pressure? A report from the Emerging Risk Factors Collaboration, led by doctors at the University of Cambridge, UK, suggests that we should, indeed, take CRP seriously as a risk factor in heart disease.”

C-Reactive Protein Concentration and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease, Stroke, and Mortality: An Individual Participant Meta-Analysis “Perspective: There is debate about the clinical utility of CRP for risk assessment in cardiovascular disease as well as whether it is a causal relationship or simply a biomarker of risk. This study adds to the abundant literature supporting CRP as a risk marker for cardiovascular events and mortality. And the JUPITER trial provided clinical evidence that it may be useful to risk stratify persons with relatively normal lipid profiles for deciding statin therapy. CRP binds to low-density lipoprotein, and is found in atherosclerotic plaque, suggesting causality. However, this study showing attenuation of attributable risk when corrected for fibrinogen, and recent studies showing no relationship between genetic polymorphisms associated with a higher level of CRP and cardiovascular disease imply that CRP is a risk marker, but not a risk factor for cardiovascular events. And the important saga continues. “

Defending Against Disease With an Anti-Inflammation Lifestyle

Inflammation in Atherosclerosis: (Circ J. 2010) “Thus, accumulating experimental evidence supports a key role for inflammation as a link between risk factors for atherosclerosis and the biology that underlies the complications of this disease. The recent JUPITER trial supports the clinical utility of an assessment of inflammatory status in guiding intervention to limit cardiovascular events. Inflammation is thus moving from a theoretical concept to a tool that provides practical clinical utility in risk assessment and targeting of therapy.”

Persistent low-grade inflammation and regular exercise.Inflammation (Biosci (Schol Ed). 2010) “Visceral adiposity contributes to systemic inflammation and is independently associated with the occurrence of CVD, type 2 diabetes and dementia. We suggest that the anti-inflammatory effects of exercise may be mediated via a long-term effect of exercise leading to a reduction in visceral fat mass and/or by induction of anti-inflammatory cytokines with each bout of exercise.”

Researchers link inflammation to illness in overweight people “Normally, inflammation is healthy, a part of the body's fight against infections. But when it happens in response to obesity, it can contribute to numerous ills, such as fatty liver disease, type 2 diabetes and atherosclerosis, says Anthony Ferrante, a medical professor at Columbia whose research focuses on obesity's affects. The inflammation appears to happen because macrophages, white blood cells that attack and eat infection, congregate in fat tissue. Why is a mystery. "Are the fat cells getting big, bursting and then the macrophages are going in to clean up the mess? Or is it that the macrophages are killing the fat cells?" asks Carey Lumeng, a pediatrician who studies obesity and inflammation at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. A few years ago, Ferrante's lab discovered that in lean people, only 5% of fat tissue is made up of macrophages, while in the severely obese it can be more than 50%. And why do they cause an immune response? One hypothesis is that higher concentrations of fat could trigger macrophages to go into inflammatory mode.”

Waist circumference is related to low-grade inflammation in youth. (Int J Pediatr Obes. 2010) “Conclusions. Low grade systemic inflammation is already present in youth with high waist circumference. CRP, HGF and PAI-1 may be related to the adverse overall metabolic risk profile observed in these children and adolescents.”

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Patient Safety

Amiodarone - A 'Broad Spectrum' Antiarrhythmic Drug. (Cardiovasc Hematol Disord Drug Targets. 2009) “Amiodarone, an iodinated benzofuran derivative, introduced in 1960's as an anti-anginal agent, emerged as a potent anti-arrhythmic agent by 1970's and is currently one of the most commonly prescribed drugs in US for ventricular and atrial arrhythmias. Although amiodarone is considered a class III anti-arrhythmic agent, it also has class I, II, IV actions, making it a unique and effective anti-arrhythmic agent. Because of its minimal negative inotropic activity and very low rate of pro-arrhythmia, it is considered safe in treating arrhythmias in patients with Coronary Artery Disease and Left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Despite these advantages, long term oral therapy with amiodarone is limited by side effect profile involving various organs like thyroid, lung, heart, liver, skin etc. Though the side effects can be decreased significantly by keeping the maintenance dose at 200 to 300 mg/day, patients on amiodarone should be followed closely. Amiodarone interacts with medications such as Warfarin, Digoxin, Macrolides, Floroquinolones etc., which share Cytochrome P450 metabolic pathway. Hence reducing their doses prior to starting amiodarone is recommended. Amiodarone, a category D drug, is contraindicated in pregnant and breast feeding women.”

Death of Rep. John Murtha Highlights Limitations of Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

Decolonizing Nasal Carriers May Reduce Surgical-Site Staphylococcus aureus Infections

Hospital-acquired sepsis, pneumonia kill 48,000 each year “Researchers examined 69 million hospital discharges in 40 states from 1998 to 2006, looking at two conditions, sepsis and pneumonia, often caused by drug-resistant infections. Nosocomial sepsis and pneumonia kill 48,000 patients annually and cost $8.1 billion to treat, said the study, published in the Feb. 22 Archives of Internal Medicine.”

Lessons of a $618,616 death

Metformin-Induced Vitamin B12 Deficiency Presenting as a Peripheral Neuropathy. (Med J. 2010) “Chronic metformin use results in vitamin B12 deficiency in 30% of patients.”

Polypharmacy and Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use Among Community-dwelling Elders With Dementia (Alzheimer Disease & Associated Disorders 2010)

Primary Care Doctors Ordering Unnecessary Scans “Inappropriate exams included brain CT for chronic headache, lumbar spine MRI for acute back pain, and knee or shoulder MRI in patients with osteoarthritis.”

Radiation dose-volume effects in the brain. (Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2010) “We have reviewed the published data regarding radiotherapy (RT)-induced brain injury. Radiation necrosis appears a median of 1-2 years after RT; however, cognitive decline develops over many years. The incidence and severity is dose and volume dependent and can also be increased by chemotherapy, age, diabetes, and spatial factors.”

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