2010 Archives
2010 Archives:
Featured InfoMedLinks
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19 Million New Cases Of Sexually Transmitted Disease Annually In The USA “If an STD goes untreated or undetected, the risk of becoming infected with HIV is greater, there is a higher chance of having a serious health consequence, such as infertility. Gonorrhea and Chlamydia, if left untreated can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease in females, which can cause infertility. In fact, according to US health authorities, over 24,000 American women with an STD become infertile annually. Syphilis can lead to brain damage, as well as damage to the cardiovascular system and other organs, if left untreated. A pregnant woman can pass on her syphilis infection to her baby (congenital syphilis), causing stillbirth, perinatal death, neurological problems, and physical deformity. 40% of babies die if the pregnant mother has syphilis.”
Accuracy of Screening Mammography Fluctuates With Menstrual Cycle “For premenopausal women scheduling mammography at regular intervals, the screening may be more sensitive in week 1 of the menstrual cycle, a new study suggests.”
We're Living Longer, But Not Healthier
When to End a Run to Avoid Injury: Runners Change Form When Running Exhausted “Runners who continue running when they are exhausted unknowingly change their running form, which could be related to an increased risk for injury.”
When Wrinkle-Free Clothing Also Means Formaldehyde Fumes “Though it is not obvious from the label, the antiwrinkle finish comes from a resin that releases formaldehyde, the chemical that is usually associated with embalming fluids or dissected frogs in biology class. And clothing is not the only thing treated with the chemical. Formaldehyde is commonly found in a broad range of consumer products and can show up in practically every room of the house. The sheets and pillow cases on the bed. The drapes hanging in the living room. The upholstery on the couch. In the bathroom, it can be found in personal care products like shampoos, lotions and eye shadow. It may even be in the baseball cap hanging by the back door. … The United States does not regulate formaldehyde levels in clothing, most of which is now made overseas. Nor does any government agency require manufacturers to disclose the use of the chemical on labels. So sensitive consumers may have a hard time avoiding it (though washing the clothes before wearing them helps).“
Yearly Mammograms Starting at Age 40 Cut Mastectomy Risk in Half
Prenatal Exposure to Acetaminophen Linked to Childhood Wheezing
Proximity to Freeway Associated With Autism
Slideshow: A Visual Guide to Atrial Fibrillation
Smokers' Former Homes May Retain Tobacco Toxins “The health of nonsmokers who move into homes previously inhabited by smokers could be threatened by tobacco toxins lodged in dust and on surfaces, a new study finds. This so-called "thirdhand smoke" was found on surfaces even after the homes had been vacant for two months and cleaned and repainted, said researchers reporting online Dec. 17 in Tobacco Control. "We found that thirdhand smoke is trapped on surfaces like walls and ceilings and in household dust and carpets left over by previous residents," study author Georg Matt, a psychology professor at San Diego State University, said in a university news release. "The homes of smokers become reservoirs of tobacco smoke pollutants. When new nonsmoking tenants come in contact with polluted surfaces and inhale suspended microscopic dust, they are unknowingly exposed to tobacco smoke toxins."“
Smoking May Thin the Brain “Smokers exhibited cortical thinning in the left medial orbitofrontal cortex. In addition, their cortical thickness measures negatively correlated with the amount of cigarettes smoked per day and the magnitude of lifetime exposure to tobacco smoke. In other words, heavier smoking was associated with more pronounced thinning of cortical tissue. The orbitofrontal cortex has frequently been implicated in drug addiction. The current findings suggest that smoking-related cortical thinning may increase the risk for addictions, including smoking. "Since the brain region in which we found the smoking-associated thinning has been related to impulse control, reward processing and decision making, this might explain how nicotine addiction comes about," explained Dr. Simone Kühn. "In a follow-up study, we plan to explore the rehabilitative effects of quitting smoking on the brain." "The current findings suggest that smoking may have a cumulative effect on the brain," noted John Krystal, M.D., Editor of Biological Psychiatry and Professor and Chair of Psychiatry at Yale University. "This concerning finding highlights the importance of targeting young smokers for antismoking interventions."“
Aspirin Cuts Death Rate From Several Common Cancers “Taking aspirin over a long period of time can substantially cut the risk of dying from a variety of cancers, according to a study showing that the benefit is independent of dose, sex, or smoking. It also found that the protective effect increases with age.”
Blood pressure targets: are clinical guidelines wrong? (Current Opinion in Cardiology 2010) “Summary: In hypertension, evidence does not support the traditional premise ‘the lower the better’. The optimal blood pressure targets have not been established, especially for systolic blood pressure in nondiabetic patients.”
CDC Issues 2010 Treatment Guidelines for Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Chronic Nasal Congestion May Be Linked to Severe Asthma
Death and Readmission Rates After Stroke 'Staggering' for Medicare Patients “Almost two-thirds of Medicare beneficiaries discharged from hospital after an ischemic stroke die or are readmitted within a year, a new study has found.”
Early Cell Phone Exposure Again Linked to Behavior Problems in Children
Early Tests for Alzheimer’s Pose Diagnosis Dilemma
End-Of-Life Care at Home Can Improve Quality of Life for Patients and Families “The study determined that those who died in hospitals experienced more physical and psychological discomfort than those who died at home. According to a survey by the National Hospice and Palliatative Care Organization, 80 percent of terminally ill patients prefer to live out their last days at home as opposed to a hospital. … "Patients who died at home were less likely to die in pain. They had less psychological suffering and their loved ones saw that their overall quality of life was better," Wright said. The families of patients also experienced increased psychological stress when their terminally ill loved ones died in a hospital setting. Family members had a fivefold higher risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder if their loved one died in the intensive care unit compared to at home," Wright said.”
Executive Functioning Problems Consistent Predictors of Adult ADHD
Facts on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome/Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SIDS/SUID)
Food Poisoning Hits 1 in 6 Americans Each Year: CDC “Each year in the United States some 48 million people, or one in every six Americans, are sickened by the food they eat, according to two federal health reports issued Wednesday.”
Gout In Women, A Not So Sweet Outcome Of Sugar-Sweetened Drinks “Women who consume fructose-rich beverages, such as sugar-sweetened soft drinks and orange juice, are at an increased risk for gout, according to research presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in Atlanta.”
Greater Coffee Intake in Men Is Associated With Steeper Age-Related Increases in Blood Pressure. (Am J Hypertens. 2010) “Greater coffee intake in men was associated with steeper age-related increases in SBP and pulse pressure, particularly beyond 70 years of age and in overweight to obese men.”
'Hands-Only' CPR Works, but Survival Still Low “Using national data on more than 55,000 Japanese adults who suffered a witnessed cardiac arrest, the researchers found that roughly 7% of those who received CPR from a bystander and were treated by paramedics within 15 minutes survived with a favorable neurological outcome. There was no significant difference between those who received conventional CPR and those who received the hands-only approach: 7.1% and 6.4%, respectively, survived and had a favorable neurological outcome one month later -- meaning no greater than "moderate" brain damage that left them still able to perform routine daily activities. That compared with a rate of 3.8% among victims who received no bystander CPR and were treated by emergency medical services within 15 minutes of their collapse. When treatment from paramedics was delayed for more than 15 minutes, survival with minimal brain damage was universally lower -- though somewhat higher with conventional CPR relative to hands-only and no CPR. Among victims who received no CPR, just 0.7% survived with no more than moderate brain damage one month later. That figure was 1.3% among those who received hands-only CPR, and 2% among victims who received conventional CPR.“
Hearing Loss in Elderly May Be Linked to Folate Deficiency
Study Finds Brain Bleeding Is Common With Aging “"Drugs that interfere with platelets and blood clotting, such as aspirin, are known to be associated with microbleeds seen in brain imaging studies," Fisher said. "Our findings suggest that aspirin and other platelet medications may have a different effect on the aging brain than on younger brains." Results from the UCI study also indicate that leakiness of brain blood vessels increases with age, he said, despite the fact that a specific barrier (known as the blood-brain barrier) exists to prevent leakiness. The areas of bleeding found in the study were very small and certainly not life-threatening, Fisher said. How they might affect intellectual and neurological function is a subject for further exploration.”
Study links painkillers to reproductive disorders “Use of mild painkillers such as paracetamol, aspirin and ibuprofen during pregnancy may partly account for a sharp increase in male reproductive disorders in recent decades, according to a study published on Monday. The research found that women who took a combination of more than one mild analgesic during pregnancy had an increased risk of giving birth to sons with undescended testicles.”
Teenage Amphetamine Abuse Affects Adult Brain Cell Function “Many children and teens with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder benefit from taking amphetamines, such as Adderall®, when closely supervised by parents and physicians. However, these drugs are also highly abused by healthy individuals, particularly adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17, a period when the brain continues to develop and mature. … Previous research showed deficits in working memory in adult rats exposed to amphetamines in adolescence. "Our new findings reveal that this change in cognitive behavior may be due in part to long-lasting changes in the function of neurons in the prefrontal cortex," said the study's senior author, Joshua Gulley, PhD. "We hypothesize that this is due to amphetamine disrupting the normal processes of brain development," he said.”
The 32-year relationship between cholesterol and dementia from midlife to late life. (Neurology. 2010) “While there was no association between cholesterol level and dementia when considering all participants over 32 years, a time-dependent decrease in cholesterol over the follow-up was associated with an increased risk of dementia…”
'Toxic Toy Crisis' Requires Fresh Solutions, Experts Say
Tummy Fat May Threaten Women's Bones
Urban Exposure to Manganese, Copper May Raise Parkinson's Risks “Previous laboratory research has shown that copper, manganese, and lead all cause changes in tissue similar to those seen in PD. As well, some observational studies have found that some people exposed to these metals in their occupation developed clinical syndromes similar to PD. Combined, this research suggests that these metals may have a neurotoxic effect in the same area of the brain affected in PD, said Dr. Willis. "These metals may interfere with the brain's ability to rid itself of toxic radicals. They may also be able to induce or accelerate the formation of clumps of protein found in people who have neurodegeneration."”
Why Risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Is Greater in Babies of Mothers Who Smoke
Working With Pesticides May Affect Memory and More
Internet fuels bad self-diagnoses and 'cyberchondria' “"It’s important to stay up on health-related information … but because information on the Web is so unfathomably plentiful, so readily available, and so unsorted, it's easy for someone to jump to the conclusion that they have a brain tumor when in fact it’s just a sinus infection,” according to Judy Segal, professor of English at the University of British Columbia who works on the cultural studies of medicine. To complicate matters further, a lot of the medical information available for free online is actually accurate and reliable, experts say. "The problem is, though, that even when the information is reliable, our ability to know what to do with it isn’t," Segal told MyHealthNewsDaily. "Medical problems are often complicated, and someone without a medical background may jump to false conclusions."“
Kids With Larger Waist Sizes Are More Likely to Have Cardiac Risk Factors “In a study of more than 4,500 children, researchers found those with higher waist circumferences had significantly higher pulse pressures, which is known to be linked to increased risk of heart-related disorders.”
Long-Term Health Problems Linked To Bariatric Surgery “One of the most well-known procedures of this type is gastric bypass surgery, which makes the stomach smaller and allows food to bypass part of the small intestine. The operation tricks the patient into feeling full with less food than when their stomach was its original size. While gastric bypass surgery can cause rapid and dramatic weight loss, there are drawbacks. After bypassing the small intestine, food moves directly to the lower intestine which does not absorb nutrients as well as the upper part of the digestive tract. The patient eats less and derives less nutrition from the food that is consumed. Less fat is absorbed by the body, but along with that benefit, fewer essential nutrients and vitamins are absorbed. "Typically what happens is people get really excited about the weight loss, and feel healthier to the point where they feel that they don't need to go in for their routine checkups," said Nana Gletsu Miller, Ph.D, an assistant professor at the School of Public Health at Emory University. "Less than 20 percent get routinely checked after surgery, and this is what leads to complications."“
"Mammography Saves Lives" Slogan Doesn't Tell Full Story “The current Mammography Saves Lives campaign in the United States and previous campaigns promoting screening for breast cancer are not providing balanced information, because they underreport, or don't mention at all, potential harms from the procedure, say critics. This campaign slogan is 1-sided, several critics told Medscape Medical News, and it oversells the benefits of mammography. When asked for a more accurate headline, H. Gilbert Welch MD, MPH, from the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, Dartmouth Medical School, Lebanon, New Hampshire, had the following tongue-in-cheek suggestions: "Mammography could save your life, but it's a long shot" and "Chances are it won't, but mammography could save your life."“
Mercury Exposure May Contribute to Alzheimer's Risk “Inorganic mercury, which is still widely used in dental amalgams, is likely a contributing cause of Alzheimer's disease (AD) according to a systematic review of 106 studies published in the November issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. Overall, investigators found that symptoms and features of AD were reproduced or accelerated when mercury was introduced. As a result of these findings, the researchers, led by Harald Walach, PhD, European University Viadrina, in Frankfurt, Germany, are calling for "the removal of mercury from public and ecologic circuits and replacing it wherever possible by less toxic alternatives. This would be a sensible public health measure that is supported by the current data."”
Music-Based Exercise Class Cuts Seniors' Fall Risk
Obesity Can Shorten Life, Analysis Finds “With a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher, the morbidly obese had a death rate more than double that of those of normal weight, according to study author Amy Berrington de Gonzalez.”
People With Sleep Apnea At Higher Risk For Aggressive Heart Disease
Radiation Worries for Children in Dentists’ Chairs “Not only do most dentists continue to use outmoded X-ray film requiring higher amounts of radiation, but orthodontists and other specialists are embracing a new scanning device that emits significantly more radiation than conventional methods, an examination by The New York Times has found.”
Slideshow: A Visual Guide to Multiple Sclerosis
Binge Drinking Increases Heart Disease Risk
Cadmium, lead found in drinking glasses “Drinking glasses depicting comic book and movie characters such as Superman, Wonder Woman and the Tin Man from "The Wizard of Oz" exceed federal limits for lead in children's products by up to 1,000 times, according to laboratory testing commissioned by The Associated Press. The decorative enamel on the superhero and Oz sets — made in China and purchased at a Warner Brothers Studios store in Burbank — contained between 16 percent and 30.2 percent lead. The federal limit on children's products is 0.03 percent. The same glasses also contained relatively high levels of the even-more-dangerous cadmium, though there are no federal limits on that toxic metal in design surfaces. In separate testing to recreate regular handling, other glasses shed small but notable amounts of lead or cadmium from their decorations. Federal regulators have worried that toxic metals rubbing onto children's hands can get into their mouths. Among the brands on those glasses: Coca-Cola, Walt Disney, Burger King and McDonald's.”
Confusing Labeling Found on Many Nonprescription Kids' Meds
Delaying the onset of Alzheimer disease: Bilingualism as a form of cognitive reserve. (Neurology. 2010)
Chronic high cholesterol diet produces brain damage “The results showed that chronic hypercholesterolemia caused memory impairment, cholinergic dysfunction, inflammation, enhanced cortical beta-amyloid and tau and induced microbleedings, all indications, which resemble an Alzheimer's disease-like pathology.”
Diabetes requires aerobic plus weight exercise, experts say
Excess Fructose May Play Role in Diabetes, Obesity and Other Health Conditions
Calcium supplements can set stage for MI “People who take calcium supplements without coadministered vitamin D may be increasing their risk for heart attack by as much as 31%, based on the findings of a recent meta-analysis… Data suggest that these cardiovascular risks are associated only with calcium-supplement use, not dietary calcium intake.”
CDC Panel Recommends Changes to 2011 Immunization Schedules
Half of Those Travelling Internationally Not Aware of Potential Health Risks, Study Finds
Hands-Only CPR Saves More Lives in Cardiac Arrests
Heavy Smoking in Midlife and Long-term Risk of Alzheimer Disease and Vascular Dementia (Arch Intern Med. 2010) “Conclusions In this large cohort, heavy smoking in midlife was associated with a greater than 100% increase in risk of dementia, AD, and VaD more than 2 decades later. These results suggest that the brain is not immune to long-term consequences of heavy smoking. “
High Resting Heart Rate Means Shorter Life? “Heart disease patients with the lowest heart rate, 59 beats per minute or less, had the least risk of suffering a major cardiac event. Those who had heart rates greater than 78 had a 39 percent increased risk of suffering a major cardiac event, 77 percent increased risk of cardiovascular disease death, and a 65 percent increased risk of all-cause death. They were twice as likely to be hospitalized as those with lower heart rates.”
Insufficient Vitamin D Levels in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Patients Linked to Cancer Progression and Death “In the Mayo Clinic study, published online in the journal Blood, the researchers found that patients with insufficient levels of vitamin D when their leukemia was diagnosed progressed much faster and were about twice as likely to die as were patients with adequate levels of vitamin D.
They also found solid trends: increasing vitamin D levels across patients matched longer survival times and decreasing levels matched shortening intervals between diagnosis and cancer progression. “
Loud Workplaces May Increase Heart Problems
Overheating in Infants Can Lead to SIDS, Experts Warn “During cold weather, the use of extra blankets and heavy clothes to keep infants warm can lead to dangerous overheating and increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), U.S. experts warn. Infants are sensitive to extremes in temperatures and have poor regulation of their body temperature. Research has shown that multiple layers of clothing, heavy clothing, heavy blankets and warm room temperatures increase risk of SIDS. Babies who are in danger of overheating feel hot to the touch, the experts at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) explained in a U.S. National Institutes of Health news release.”
Swimming Pool Chemicals May Carry Cancer Risk
'Time is Muscle': Aspirin Taken During Acute Coronary Thrombosis (Br J Cardiol. 2010) “Low-dose aspirin is of value in the long-term management of vascular disease, and the giving of aspirin to patients believed to be experiencing an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is standard practice for paramedics and doctors in most countries. Given during infarction, aspirin may disaggregate platelet microthrombi and may reduce the size of a developing thrombus. Effects of aspirin other than on platelets have also been suggested and these include an increase in the permeability of a fibrin clot and an enhancement of clot lysis. Animal experiments have also shown a direct effect of aspirin upon the myocardium with a reduction in the incidence of ventricular fibrillation. Randomised trials have shown that the earlier aspirin is taken by patients with myocardial infarction, the greater the reduction in deaths. We suggest, therefore, that patients known to be at risk of an AMI, including older people, should be advised to carry a few tablets of soluble aspirin at all times, and chew and swallow a tablet immediately, if they experience severe chest pain.”
Toy Recall, Report Signal Small-Battery Dangers “Swallowing button batteries can be fatal or cause serious harm, and research suggests that severe injuries in children, though relatively scarce, are on the rise.”
Ultrafine air particles may increase firefighters' risk for heart disease “"Firefighters simply can't avoid inhaling these ultrafine particles when they are not wearing their protective breathing apparatus and, unfortunately, they routinely remove it during overhaul," explains Stuart Baxter, PhD, a collaborator in the study and UC professor of environmental health.”
What Is the Value of Mammograms for Women in Their 40s?
Women's Study Finds Longevity Means Getting Just Enough Sleep “Kripke said the study should allay some people's fears that they're not getting enough sleep. "This means that women who sleep as little as five to six-and-a-half hours have nothing to worry about since that amount of sleep is evidently consistent with excellent survival. That is actually about the average measured sleep duration for San Diego women." Researchers uncovered other interesting findings as well. For example, among older women, obstructive sleep apnea (pauses in breathing during sleep) did not predict increased mortality risk. "Although apneas may be associated with increased mortality risk among those under 60, it does not seem to carry a risk in the older age group, particularly for women," Kripke said.”
Obesity in Kids Rises Around the World “The proportion of young children who are overweight or obese has increased about 60% in the past 20 years, the World Health Organization (WHO) says in a new report. The WHO says that in 1990, 4.2% of kids under age 5 were overweight or obese, but that figure grew to 6.7% in 2010. What's more, researchers say the prevalence will likely hit 9.1% in 2020, and that the problem is worse in developed nations than in developing ones. The prevalence in developed nations is 11.7%, compared with 6.1% in developing countries, but the trend is expected to pick up speed in developing regions over the next 10 years.”
Smoking Raises Alzheimer's Risk “Heavy smoking in midlife more than doubles your odds of developing Alzheimer's disease, a Kaiser Permanente study said Monday.”
So That’s Why We’re Allergic to Sun Creams
Sodas, Other Sugary Beverages Linked to Increased Risk of Type 2 Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome “The findings showed that drinking one to two sugary drinks per day increased the risk of type 2 diabetes by 26% and the risk of metabolic syndrome by 20% compared with those who consumed less than one sugary drink per month. Drinking one 12-ounce serving per day increased the risk of type 2 diabetes by about 15%. "The association that we observed between soda consumption and risk of diabetes is likely a cause-and-effect relationship because other studies have documented that sugary beverages cause weight gain, and weight gain is closely linked to the development of type 2 diabetes," said Hu.”
Study Shows Vigorous Exercise Reduces Risk of Breast Cancer in African-American Women “Postmenopausal African-American women who exercise vigorously for more than two hours a week can reduce their risk of developing breast cancer by 64% compared to women of the same race who are sedentary, according to new research.”
Study: Older Walkers Cut Dementia Risk “The tests showed about 40% had either dementia or a mild cognitive impairment, which can lead to dementia. But people with more gray matter were only half as likely as others to have these problems. There was no benefit for people who walked fewer than 6 miles a week, researchers said. The journal Neurology published the study online.”
Chest Compression–Only CPR by Lay Rescuers and Survival From Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (JAMA. 2010) “Among patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, layperson compression-only CPR was associated with increased survival compared with conventional CPR and no bystander CPR in this setting with public endorsement of chest compression–only CPR.”
Coal Ash: The toxic threat to our health and environment
[Cognitive reserve and its relevance for the prevention and diagnosis of dementia.] (Nervenarzt. 2010)"Confronted with progressive neurodegeneration, these active mechanisms help to compensate for brain damage. Individuals with higher CR show more efficient activation for solving the same task, which helps them to preserve normal levels of cognitive performance for a longer period. "
Dietary Fats Seem to Affect Sperm Quality “Men who eat foods containing a lot of saturated fats -- think burgers and fries -- and monounsaturated fats may be harming their sperm, a new study by Harvard researchers suggests.”
Does cleaning with antibacterial products reduce illness in your home? “Infectious diseases expert Dr Michael Whitby says no 'reputable research' has found that using antibacterial products to clean surfaces – such as bench tops, bathroom sinks and toilets – will cut sickness. (Much of the research into bacteria in the home is funded by the companies that make the antibacterial products.) "I'm not saying that inanimate surfaces don't spread disease. What I'm saying is that in the close relationship of a household, a lot of it [disease] is spread person to person, and cleaning the inanimate surfaces with an antibacterial cleaner is not going to help," Whitby says.”
Epinephrine and its Use in Anaphylaxis: Current Issues (Current Opinion in Allergy and Clinical Immunology 2010)
Fathers on fatty diet may give diabetes to daughters
Alzheimer's and Its Impact on Women
Are Cortisone Shots for Tendon Injuries Worth It? “"If we look at delaying recovery and [at] recurrence rates, then there is solid evidence, especially for the tennis elbow steroid injections, that they will delay recovery and there will be a high probability of recurrences beyond that if the patient had just adopted a wait-and-see policy [over 12 months]." “
Breast Cancer Seen as Riskier With Hormone “Hormone treatment after menopause, already known to increase the risk of breast cancer, also makes it more likely that the cancer will be advanced and deadly, a study finds.”
"Caffeinating" children and youth
Caffeine and Bladder Problems Linked “In Gleason’s study, women who reported taking in 329 milligrams of caffeine a day -- about three cups of coffee -- or more had a 70% higher likelihood of having the bladder problem. Urinary incontinence, or the unintentional loss of urine, affects more than 13 million Americans, mostly women. Women are most likely to develop it either during pregnancy or childbirth or with menopause and its hormonal changes, due to pelvic muscle weakness. But it's not a natural consequence of aging, experts say.”
Can early introduction of egg prevent egg allergy in infants? A population-based study.(J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2010)" Introduction of cooked egg at 4 to 6 months of age might protect against egg allergy. Changes in infant feeding guidelines could have a significant effect on childhood egg allergy and possibly food allergy more generally."
6 Best Foods You're Not Eating
A Guide to Commercially-Bottled Water and Other Beverages “Commercially-bottled water labels reading "well water," "artesian well water," "spring water," or "mineral water" do not guarantee that the water does not contain Crypto.”
Antioxidants Do Help Arteries Stay Healthy “Long-term supplementation with dietary antioxidants has beneficial effects on sugar and fat metabolism, blood pressure and arterial flexibility in patients with multiple cardiovascular risk factors. Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access journal Nutrition and Metabolism report these positive results in a randomized controlled trial of combined vitamin C, vitamin E, coenzyme Q10 and selenium capsules.”
Athletes Need to Protect Against Heat Stroke: Expert
Attention, Couch Potatoes! Walking Boosts Brain Connectivity, Function “A group of "professional couch potatoes," as one researcher described them, has proven that even moderate exercise -- in this case walking at one's own pace for 40 minutes three times a week -- can enhance the connectivity of important brain circuits, combat declines in brain function associated with aging and increase performance on cognitive tasks.”
B vitamins found to halve brain shrinkage in old “Helga Refsum, who also worked on the trial, stressed that vitamins were given in extremely high doses. "This is a drug, not a vitamin intervention," she said. The pills, called "TrioBe Plus" contained around 300 times the recommended daily intake of B12, four times daily advised folate levels and 15 times the recommended amount of B6. Brain scans were taken at the beginning and the end of the trial to monitor the rate of brain shrinkage, or atrophy. The results, published in the Public Library of Science (PLoS) One journal, showed that on average the brains of those taking the vitamin treatment shrank at a rate of 0.76 percent a year, while those taking the dummy pill had an average brain shrinkage of 1.08 percent. People who had the highest levels of homocysteine at the start of the trial benefited the most from the treatment, with their brains shrinking at half the rate of those on the placebo.”
Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet
Berries May Slow Mental Decline From Aging
Black Rice Rivals Pricey Blueberries as Source of Healthful Antioxidants
Blueberries Help Fight Artery Hardening, Lab Animal Study Indicates “Blueberries may help fight atherosclerosis, also known as hardening of the arteries, according to results of a preliminary U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)-funded study with laboratory mice. The research provides the first direct evidence that blueberries can help prevent harmful plaques or lesions, symptomatic of atherosclerosis, from increasing in size in arteries.”
Brain exercises delay mental decline
Burning Candle at Both Ends Harmful?
Cancer risk can be cut with good habits such as exercise and healthful eating “"The sedentary lifestyle is a big contributor to cancer, we now think," says Higginbotham - and not just because it leads to weight gain. Research is suggesting there's something risky about inactivity itself. The strongest evidence involves colon cancer. One review found that just getting exercise reduced colon cancer risk by 50 percent, regardless of the intensity of the workout. Even moderate exercise, such as brisk walking for three to four hours per week, was shown in one study to lower colon cancer risk. Thun believes exercise may speed up your digestive processes, so that food moves faster through your system. The quicker the transit times of food through the colon, the lower the risk of cancer.“
Lower Folate Levels Increase Risk for Depressive Symptoms, Particularly in Women
Memory Impairment Common in People With a History of Cancer “People with a history of cancer have a 40 percent greater likelihood of experiencing memory problems that interfere with daily functioning, compared with those who have not had cancer, according to results of a new, large study.”
Mild Memory Loss Is Not a Part of Normal Aging, New Research Finds “"The very early mild cognitive changes once thought to be normal aging are really the first signs of progressive dementia, in particular Alzheimer's disease." said Robert S.Wilson, PhD, neuropsychologist at Rush University Medical Center. "The pathology in the brain related to Alzheimer's and other dementias has a much greater impact on memory function in old age than we previously recognized."“
News Review From Harvard Medical School -- Study: Mammograms Overrated as Lifesaver “The study found that regular mammograms reduced breast cancer deaths only 2% to 3%. The rest of the reduction came from better treatment, available in all counties. The New England Journal of Medicine published the study. …In recent years, some groups of experts have advised limiting mammography among women under age 50. Recent evidence has suggested little benefit for such screening. This change in advice has been controversial. This new study may stir even more controversy. After all, it argues that the benefits of mammography for all women are small at best.”
Physical Activity Can Reduce the Genetic Predisposition to Obesity by 40 Percent, Study Finds
Postconcussion syndrome after mild traumatic brain injury in Western Greece. (J Trauma. 2010)"BACKGROUND: The prevalence of postconcussion syndrome (PCS) in the first weeks after mild traumatic brain injury varies from 40% to 80%. However, as many as 50% of patients report symptoms for up to 3 months and 10% to 15% for more than a year."
Progression of brain atrophy and cognitive decline in diabetes mellitus (NEUROLOGY 2010) “Our data show that elderly patients with DM without dementia have accelerated progression of brain atrophy with significant consequences in cognition compared to subjects without DM. Our findings add further evidence to the hypothesis that diabetes exerts deleterious effects on neuronal integrity.”
RENEW: Intense Diet/Exercise Improves Weight, CV Risk Factors, in Severely Obese
Siblings of Autistic Children May Also Have Subtle Traits “As many as one in five siblings of children with autism may have subtler problems with language and speech, according to new research involving nearly 3,000 children. What isn't yet clear is if these problems indicate a milder form of an autism spectrum disorder, or exactly what type of intervention, if any, might be needed to help these youngsters. "Smaller studies have reported that in families with children with autism, many children who don't have an autism diagnosis have had a language delay," said the study's lead author, Dr. John Constantino, professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Mo. "When we looked at this huge sample, we saw the same thing -- about 20 percent of children presumed to be non-autistic had language delays and autistic qualities in their speech. In the general population, the prevalence of these traits is only about 7 percent," he said. “
Anaphylaxis: A review and update (Can Fam Physician. 2010)
Associations of Sugar and Artificially Sweetened Soda with Albuminuria and Kidney Function Decline in Women. (Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2010) "Consumption of =2 servings per day of artificially sweetened soda is associated with a 2-fold increased odds for kidney function decline in women."
Basketball-Related Brain Injuries on the Rise “According to the researchers, an "ever-increasing level of competitiveness and intensity of training and play, starting at younger ages, may be contributing to the increase in [traumatic brain injuries]." They suggest that to prevent traumatic brain injuries, age-appropriate basketballs should be used for young children, which may "decrease the rates of concussions and finger-related injuries, and rough play should be discouraged, to minimize collisions." “
Blood Test Accurately Predicts Death from Prostate Cancer Up to 25 Years in Advance “The researchers concluded that men with a PSA level above 2 ng/ml at age 60 should be considered at increased risk of aggressive prostate cancer and should continue to be screened regularly. Men with a PSA level below 1 ng / ml had a 0.2 percent chance of death from prostate cancer. The researchers concluded that men with PSA levels in this range, which is about half of all men, should be considered at low risk of prostate cancer death and may not need to be screened in the future. The study also indicated that some men found to be at low risk may actually have prostate cancer; however it is not likely to cause symptoms or shorten their life by the age of 85.”
Brain Anomalies Found in Moms With Postpartum Depression “In a small study that involved MRI brain scans, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center revealed that women with postpartum depression have reduced activity in parts of the brain that control emotional responses and recognize emotional cues in others.”
Brain Changes Found in High School Football Players Thought to Be Concussion-Free “The findings represent a dilemma because they suggest athletes may suffer a form of injury that is difficult to diagnose. "The problem is that the usual clinical signs of a head injury are not present," said Larry Leverenz, an expert in athletic training and a clinical professor of health and kinesiology. "There is no sign or symptom that would indicate a need to pull these players out of a practice or game, so they just keep getting hit." … Helmet sensor data indicate impact forces to the head range from 20 to more than 100 Gs. "To give you some perspective, a roller coaster subjects you to about 5 Gs and soccer players may experience up to 20 G accelerations from heading the ball," Nauman said. Head impacts cause the brain to bounce back and forth inside the skull, damaging neurons or surrounding tissue. The trauma can either break nerve fibers called axons or impair signaling junctions between neurons called synapses. The findings suggest the undiagnosed players suffer a different kind of brain injury than players who are diagnosed with a concussion. “
1 in 5 men who have sex with men in 21 U.S. cities has HIV; nearly half unaware
22.2% Of American Adults Diagnosed With Arthritis
ACOG Guidelines for Treating Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnant Women Reviewed " "In about 35% of women who have this condition, nausea and vomiting are clinically significant, resulting in lost work time and negatively affecting family relationships. In a small minority of patients, the symptoms lead to dehydration and weight loss requiring hospitalization. The reported incidence of hyperemesis gravidarum is 0.3 to 1.0%; this condition is characterized by persistent vomiting, weight loss of more than 5%, ketonuria, electrolyte abnormalities (hypokalemia), and dehydration (high urine specific gravity)." "
Revisiting Dietary Cholesterol Recommendations: Does the Evidence Support a Limit of 300 mg/d? (Current Atherosclerosis Reports 2010) “Clinical studies have shown that even if DC may increase plasma low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in certain individuals (hyper-responders), this is always accompanied by increases in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, so the LDL/HDL cholesterol ratio is maintained. More importantly, DC reduces circulating levels of small, dense LDL particles, a well-defined risk factor for CHD. This article presents recent evidence from human studies documenting the lack of effect of DC on CHD risk, suggesting that guidelines for DC should be revisited.”
Salmonella Outbreaks Spur Nationwide Egg Recall
Vitamin D May Treat Or Prevent Allergy To Common Mold
Widely Used Herbicide, Atrazine, Causes Prostate Inflammation in Male Rats and Delays Puberty
Years Later, No Magic Bullet Against Alzheimer’s Disease “In the meantime, doctors are in a bind. Should they tell people to do things like walk briskly or eat vegetables — activities that might someday be shown to protect against Alzheimer’s and that certainly cannot hurt? Or should they wait for absolute proof, confirmation that a diet or a drug or an exercise regimen prevents Alzheimer’s? The Alzheimer’s Association tells people to exercise, challenge themselves mentally, remain socially engaged and keep their hearts healthy. Such measures can only help, says Dr. Maria C. Carrillo, a senior director of the organization. But, she said, “The Alzheimer’s Association certainly agrees that there is not enough evidence to say anything definitive about the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease and any kind of intervention.” Of course, Dr. Hodes said, there are many reasons to follow practices to improve general health. But, he said, researchers have to be careful about implying that any measures will protect against this degenerative brain disease.“
A Rich Cognitive Life "Squares the Curve" of Decline Leading to Dementia “A new study finds that mentally stimulating activities may "square the curve" of cognitive decline by significantly delaying the onset of dementia, although the reprieve from symptoms may be followed by more rapid deterioration after they appear. The delay in dementia onset and a shorter illness can be seen perhaps as a doubly positive outcome, the researchers say. "We think what a cognitively active lifestyle does is help delay the initial appearance of cognitive impairment in old age and allows a person to have a longer period of cognitive vitality and cognitive independence," lead study author Robert S. Wilson, PhD, from the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center at Rush University in Chicago, Illinois, told Medscape Medical News. "Then, if the person lives long enough and the underlying disease is progressing nonetheless, when dementia does become clinically manifest, we think that this sort of lifestyle is associated with a slightly less protracted course of the disease," he added. "So that at the end of the day, you're spending a lesser proportion of your lifespan in a cognitively dependent, demented state, which I think is what we're all after."”
Antagonistic people may increase heart attack, stroke risk
Atrophy of the parahippocampal gyrus and regional cerebral blood flow in the limbic system in chronic alcoholic patients. (Alcohol. 2010)
Broad Review of FDA Trials Suggests Antidepressants Only Marginally Better than Placebo “A new review of 4 meta-analyses of efficacy trials submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) suggests that antidepressants are only "marginally efficacious" compared with placebo and "document profound publication bias that inflates their apparent efficacy." In addition, when the researchers also analyzed the Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression (STAR*D) trial, "the largest antidepressant effectiveness trial ever conducted," they found that "the effectiveness of antidepressant therapies was probably even lower than the modest one reported...with an apparent progressively increasing dropout rate across each study phase.”
CDC: Nearly 1,100 Foodborne Outbreaks Reported Nationally In 2007
Chronic Insomnia With Objectively Measured Short Sleep Duration Is Associated With Increased Mortality In Men “Compared to men without insomnia who slept for six hours or more, men with chronic insomnia who slept for less than six hours were four times more likely to die during the 14-year follow-up period (odds ratio = 4.33). Results were adjusted for potential confounders such as body mass index, smoking status, alcohol use, depression and obstructive sleep apnea. Further adjustments for hypertension and diabetes had little effect on the elevated mortality risk (OR = 4.00). No significant mortality risk was found in women with insomnia and a short sleep duration of less than six hours (OR = 0.36).”
Even modest weight gain can harm blood vessels, Mayo researchers find “Among those who gained weight in their abdomens (known as visceral fat), even though their blood pressure remained healthy, researchers found that the regulation of blood flow through their arm arteries was impaired due to endothelial dysfunction. Once the volunteers lost the weight, the blood flow recovered. Blood flow regulation was unchanged in the weight-maintainers and was less affected among those who gained weight evenly throughout their bodies.”
Excessive Drinking May Lead to Poor Brain Health Via Obesity “"While it is fortunate that tobacco use, violent crime, and some other unhealthy behaviors have declined in recent years, heavy drinking has remained relatively stable, and obesity rates have greatly increased," said Tapert. "These findings point to another deleterious outcome of becoming overweight: poor brain health. While it may be that poor brain cell functioning has led to the challenges these men faced with overconsumption of food and alcohol, it is also possible that the obesity itself contributed to poor brain health. If so, weight loss, exercise, and improved self-care in addition to stopping drinking could result in improvements to brain health."”
Hooked on Headphones? Personal Listening Devices Can Harm Hearing, Study Finds “"The ear is going to be damaged throughout your lifetime; what we're seeing here resembles early onset age-related hearing loss -- you might think of it as prematurely aging the ear," he said. "I don't demonize headphones," said Fligor, who encourages moderation, not prohibition. At a reasonable volume -- conversational or slightly louder -- there's little risk, he said: "It's when you start overworking the ear that you get problems."”
Is Bottled Tea Another Junk Drink? “Bottled tea is not only poor in levels of health-improving ingredients for which tea is famous, but it often contains high quantities of sugar and some other substances - substances the health-conscious consumer may be trying to avoid, Li pointed out. Li and team measured polyphenol levels in six brands of tea bought from supermarkets. Half of them contained "virtually no antioxidants" while the rest had small quantities of polyphenols which would most likely carry little health benefit, especially when the high sugar content was taken into consideration.”
Lose a Little Weight, Gain Some Continence
Moms Who Don't Breastfeed More Likely to Develop Type 2 Diabetes, Study Finds
More Evidence Organophosphate Pesticides Raise ADHD Risk in Children “Organophosphate pesticides work by disrupting neurotransmitters, particularly acetylcholine, which is critical for brain development in humans and helps to sustain attention and short-term memory. Exposure to these compounds may also disrupt DNA replication and the growth of nerve axons and dendrites. Young children are more vulnerable to organophosphate exposure than adults because of lower levels of acetylcholinesterase, which detoxifies these pesticides, the study authors explained.”
Parental Autoimmune Diseases Associated With Autism Spectrum Disorders in Offspring. (Epidemiology. 2010)
Acetaminophen Use in Adolescents May Double Risk for Asthma “Acetaminophen use in adolescents is linked to development and/or maintenance of asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis, and eczema, according to the results of a global study reported online August 13 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.”
Atherosclerosis, dementia, and Alzheimer disease in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of aging cohort (Annals of Neurology 2010)
Belly fat may double risk of death for older adults
Medications Found to Cause Long Term Cognitive Impairment of Aging Brain, Study Finds “"Simply put, we have confirmed that anticholinergics, something as seemingly benign as a medication for inability to get a good night's sleep or for motion sickness, can cause or worsen cognitive impairment, specifically long-term mild cognitive impairment which involves gradual memory loss. As a geriatrician I tell my Wishard Healthy Aging Brain Center patients not to take these drugs and I encourage all older adults to talk with their physicians about each and every one of the medications they take," said Malaz Boustani, M.D., IU School of Medicine associate professor of medicine, Regenstrief Institute investigator and IU Center for Aging Research center scientist.”
More Than Half of All ACL Reconstructions Could Be Avoided, Swedish Study Finds
New study gives first indication that smog might trigger cell death in the heart
No Pap Smears for Women Under 21: Guidelines “Pap smears in women under 21 do more harm than good, new guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) say. In most cases such tests reveal only human papillomavirus (HPV) infections, which rarely lead to cervical cancer in women under 21, said Dr. Mark Einstein of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine (no relation) in the Bronx, New York.”
Peripheral Neuropathy Fact Sheet
Sunbed use during adolescence and early adulthood is associated with increased risk of early-onset melanoma. (Int J Cancer. 2010) “Among those who had ever used a sunbed and were diagnosed between 18-29 years of age, three quarters (76%) of melanomas were attributable to sunbed use. Sunbed use is associated with increased risk of early-onset melanoma, with risk increasing with greater use, an earlier age at first use and for earlier onset disease.”
Prenatal Smoking Exposure and the Risk of Psychiatric Morbidity Into Young Adulthood (Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2010) “Prenatal smoking exposure is associated with an increased risk of psychiatric morbidity, whereas prenatal exposure to more than 10 cigarettes a day increases the risk of mortality in childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood.”
Tea May Contain More Fluoride Than Once Thought, Research Shows “Fluoride is known to help prevent dental cavities, but long-term ingestion of excessive amounts could cause bone problems. The average person ingests a very safe amount, 2 to 3 milligrams, daily through fluoridated drinking water, toothpaste and food. It would take ingesting about 20 milligrams a day over 10 or more years before posing a significant risk to bone health. Whitford discovered that the fluoride concentration in black tea had long been underestimated when he began analyzing data from four patients with advanced skeletal fluorosis, a disease caused by excessive fluoride consumption and characterized by joint and bone pain and damage. While it is extremely rare in the United States, the common link between these four patients was their tea consumption -- each person drank 1 to 2 gallons of tea daily for the past 10 to 30 years. "When we tested the patients' tea brands using a traditional method, we found the fluoride concentrations to be very low, so we wondered if that method was detecting all of the fluoride," Whitford said, noting that the tea plant, Camellia sinensis, creates a quandary when measuring fluoride. Unique among other plants, it accumulates huge concentrations of fluoride and aluminum in its leaves -- each mineral ranges from 600 to more than 1,000 milligrams per kilogram of leaves. When the leaves are brewed for tea, some of the minerals leach into the beverage.”
Vitamin D and Risk of Cognitive Decline in Elderly Persons (Arch Intern Med. 2010) “Conclusion Low levels of vitamin D were associated with substantial cognitive decline in the elderly population studied over a 6-year period, which raises important new possibilities for treatment and prevention.”
Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Arterial Stiffness in Black Teens “"Our study is the first clinical trial of vitamin D intervention to use 2,000 IU in black subjects and to include cardiovascular risk factors as outcomes in youth," said Dong. "Our study indicates that the current recommendations for vitamin D intake in black teenagers may need to be revised upward."”
Western diet link to ADHD “"We found a diet high in the Western pattern of foods was associated with more than double the risk of having an ADHD diagnosis compared with a diet low in the Western pattern, after adjusting for numerous other social and family influences," Dr Oddy said. "We looked at the dietary patterns amongst the adolescents and compared the diet information against whether or not the adolescent had received a diagnosis of ADHD by the age of 14 years. In our study, 115 adolescents had been diagnosed with ADHD, 91 boys and 24 girls." A "healthy" pattern is a diet high in fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains and fish. It tends to be higher in omega-3 fatty acids, folate and fibre. A "Western" pattern is a diet with a trend towards takeaway foods, confectionary, processed, fried and refined foods. These diets tend to be higher in total fat, saturated fat, refined sugar and sodium. "When we looked at specific foods, having an ADHD diagnosis was associated with a diet high in takeaway foods, processed meats, red meat, high fat dairy products and confectionary," Dr Oddy said. "We suggest that a Western dietary pattern may indicate the adolescent has a less optimal fatty acid profile, whereas a diet higher in omega-3 fatty acids is thought to hold benefits for mental health and optimal brain function. "It also may be that the Western dietary pattern doesn't provide enough essential micronutrients that are needed for brain function, particularly attention and concentration, or that a Western diet might contain more colours, flavours and additives that have been linked to an increase in ADHD symptoms. It may also be that impulsivity, which is a characteristic of ADHD, leads to poor dietary choices such as quick snacks when hungry."“
ADHD, conduct disorder and smoking most strongly related to dropping out of high school
Advice to rest in bed versus advice to stay active for acute low-back pain and sciatica (Cochrane Reviews 2010)
Age of Onset Influences Prognosis in Bipolar
Age, Alzheimer's disease and dementia in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Ageing. (Brain. 2010)
Air pollution, asthma linked to suicide
Are you sitting down? It's slowly killing you “More leisure time spent sitting was associated with higher risk of mortality, particularly in women. Women who reported more than six hours per day of sitting (outside of work) were 37 percent more likely to die during the time period studied than those who sat fewer than three hours a day. Men who sat more than six hours a day (also outside of work) were 18 percent more likely to die than those who sat fewer than three hours per day. The association remained virtually unchanged after adjusting for physical activity level. Associations were stronger for cardiovascular disease mortality than for cancer mortality. When combined with a lack of physical activity, the association was even stronger. Women and men who both sat more and were less physically active were 94 percent and 48 percent more likely to die during the study period, respectively, compared with those who reported sitting the least and being most active. "Several factors could explain the positive association between time spent sitting and higher all-cause death rates," Patel said. "Prolonged time spent sitting, independent of physical activity, has been shown to have important metabolic consequences, and may influence things like triglycerides, high density lipoprotein, cholesterol, fasting plasma glucose, resting blood pressure, and leptin, which are biomarkers of obesity and cardiovascular and other chronic diseases."
Asbestos: Selected Cancers. (National Academies Press (US) 2010) “The committee also considered the biologic plausibility of causal associations of asbestos with cancers at the specified sites, recognizing that asbestos is an established cause of mesothelioma and lung cancer. The full committee reviewed the final integration of the evidence to assure uniformity of application of the causal criteria across the sites. Of the five sites considered, the committee found the evidence to be sufficient to infer a causal relationship for laryngeal cancer; to be suggestive for pharyngeal, stomach, and colorectal cancers; and to be inadequate for esophageal cancer. Most of the non-epidemiologic evidence does not indicate any particular site as being the target of carcinogenic action by asbestos in humans; that evidence and the complementary epidemiologic evidence do establish with certainty that asbestos is a human carcinogen.”
Differences in Brain Structure and Function in Older Adults with Self-Reported Disabling and Nondisabling Chronic Low Back Pain (Pain Medicine 2010)
Excess Weight in Older Women Linked to Diminished Memory “Middle-aged women who are overweight may have yet another motivation to take off those excess pounds: The more a postmenopausal woman weighs, the worse her memory, researchers have found. What's more, the negative impact on memory was more pronounced in "pear-shaped" women who carry excess weight around their hips, and less of a factor in "apple-shaped" women who carry it around their waists, the study authors noted. In the new study, researchers found that for every one point increase in a woman's body mass index (BMI), her score on a standard memory test -- though still in the normal range -- dropped by one point. BMI is a measurement that takes into account height and weight.”
Exposure to Secondhand Smoke in the Womb Has Lifelong Impact, Study Finds “"These findings back up our previous conclusion that passive, or secondary, smoke causes permanent genetic damage in newborns that is very similar to the damage caused by active smoking," said Dr. Grant. "By using a different assay, we were able to pick up a completely distinct yet equally important type of genetic mutation that is likely to persist throughout a child's lifetime. Pregnant women should not only stop smoking, but be aware of their exposure to tobacco smoke from other family members, work and social situations."”
Going Barefoot in Home May Contribute to Elderly Falls “"Our findings show that older people going barefoot, wearing only socks, or wearing slippers may be at considerably increased risk of falls in their homes," says senior author Marian T. Hannan, D.Sc., M.P.H., co-director of the Musculoskeletal Research Center at the Institute for Aging Research. "Therefore, older people should wear shoes at home whenever possible to minimize their risk of falling."”
Greatly Increased Risk Of Reflux Disease Of Esophagus In Extremely Obese Children
Heart Failure On The Rise For Men Who Can't Sleep “Researchers found that men who have the most severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have a 58 percent increased risk of developing heart failure and those same men ages 40 to 70 have a 68 percent higher risk of getting coronary heart disease. Researchers defined severe obstructive sleep apnea as an average of 30 or more breathing interruptions in a single hour of sleep. During OSA, the airways collapse and which often leaves the patient struggling to breathe.“
High Fructose Diet May Contribute to High Blood Pressure, Study Finds “People who eat a diet high in fructose, in the form of added sugar, are at increased risk of developing high blood pressure, or hypertension, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN). The results suggest that cutting back on foods and beverages containing a lot of fructose (sugar) might decrease one's risk of developing hypertension.”
Higher vitamin E intake tied to lower dementia risk “Researchers found that among 5,400 Dutch adults age 55 and older, the one-third who reported the highest vitamin E intake from food were 25 percent less likely to develop dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, over the next decade than the third with the lowest intakes. The findings, reported in the Archives of Neurology, do not prove that vitamin E itself protects the aging brain. Studies so far have come to conflicting conclusions as to whether vitamin E or other antioxidants may influence older adults' risk of dementia. However, the new study followed participants for a longer period than most previous studies on antioxidants and dementia. And it supports findings from some previous research that dietary vitamin E, in particular, might be related to a lower risk of dementia.”
History of Smoking is Associated with Younger Age at Diagnosis of Breast Cancer (The Breast Journal 2010)
Inactivity 'No Contributor' to Childhood Obesity Epidemic, New Report Suggests “EarlyBird has already shown how the trajectory leading to obesity is established very early in life, long before children go to school, and how most childhood obesity is associated with obesity in the same-sex parent. While portion size, calorie-dense snacks and sugary drinks are all important contributors, early feeding errors seem crucial -- and physical activity is not the answer.”
Lifesaving cancer drugs may put workers' lives at risk “The same powerful chemotherapy drugs that have saved hundreds of thousands of patients’ lives for decades have at the same time potentially taken a deadly toll on the hospital and clinic workers who handled them.”
MRI Superior to CT for Stroke “Diffusion MRI scans are better than CT scans at diagnosing strokes, according to a new guideline from the American Academy of Neurology. In one large study, among many that were reviewed for the guideline, stroke was accurately detected 83 percent of the time when an MRI was used compared to 26 percent of the time when a CT was used. MRI scans also detected lesions from strokes more accurately and helped identify the severity of some types of stroke.”
Obesity at Age 20 Linked to Early Death
Predicting Risk Of Death From Prostate Cancer Via Baseline PSA
Risk factors for ischaemic and intracerebral haemorrhagic stroke in 22 countries (the INTERSTROKE study): a case-control study (The Lancet 2010) “Our findings suggest that ten risk factors are associated with 90% of the risk of stroke. Targeted interventions that reduce blood pressure and smoking, and promote physical activity and a healthy diet, could substantially reduce the burden of stroke.”
Rules Seek to Expand Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s “The current formal criteria for diagnosing Alzheimer’s require steadily progressing dementia — memory loss and an inability to carry out day-to-day activities, like dressing or bathing — along with a pathologist’s report of plaque and another abnormality, known as tangles, in the brain after death. But researchers are now convinced that the disease is present a decade or more before dementia.”
Too Much Screen Time Can Threaten Attention Span “Too much time spent watching television and playing video games can double the risk of attention problems in children and young adults, new research finds.”
Using Domestic Spoons to Give Children Medicine Increases Overdose Risk, Doctors Warn
Abused Children Appear Likely to Have Mental Disorders as Young Adults
Adolescent Cyberbullies and Their Victims May Have Physical, Mental Health Problems
Alzheimer's Disease Frequently Asked Questions
Daily aspirin not recommended for diabetics younger than 50“The American College of Cardiology Foundation, American Diabetes Assn. and American Heart Assn. recommend that physicians prescribe low-dose aspirin therapy (75 mg/day to 162 mg/day) to diabetic men older than 50 and diabetic women older than 60 who are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Risk factors include a family history of the disease, smoking, hypertension, albuminuria and dyslipidemia.”
Low Vitamin D Linked to the Metabolic Syndrome in Elderly People “A new study adds to the mounting evidence that older adults commonly have low vitamin D levels and that vitamin D inadequacy may be a risk factor for the metabolic syndrome, a condition that affects one in four adults.”
Memory Problems Not The Only Predictor Of Later Mild Cognitive Impairment
Might You Live to 100? Gene Test Tells
Mold May Trigger Severe Asthma in Some Folks “Living in a home with high levels of mold may increase the risk of severe asthma attacks in people with certain gene variants, finds a new study.”
Mystery Unraveled: How Asbestos Causes Cancer
New study of centenarians links certain genetic variations to a long lifespan
Obesity Rate Swells in 28 States
Patterns: Added Sugar and High Blood Pressure “Those who consumed at least 2.6 ounces a day of fructose in the form of table sugar or high-fructose corn syrup were found to have almost double the risk for systolic blood pressure higher than 160. (The top number of the two, a measure of blood pressure while the heart is beating, it should normally be no higher than 120.).”
Untreated prostate cancer no death sentence “After about eight years, 20 percent of the men in the watchful waiting group had died, almost twice as many as in the treatment group. However, the number of deaths was no different than what would be expected in the general population. Less than three percent had actually died from prostate cancer, and those who weren't treated turned out also to be sicker in the first place. The researchers calculated that of those men with low-risk cancer, 2.4 percent would die from the disease within 10 years without treatment. While this number was about three times higher than in men who had had surgery or radiation therapy, it wasn't clear how much of the difference was due to worse general health in the men who didn't get treatment.”
The Little Flaw in the Longevity-Gene Study That Could Be a Big Problem “Remember that Science study from last week linking a whole bunch of genes—including unexpectedly powerful ones—to extreme old age in centenarians? NEWSWEEK reported that a number of outside experts thought it sounded too good to be true, perhaps because of an error in the way the genes were identified that could cause false-positive results. … “UPDATE: Within an hour of this story's publication, the Science study's authors released a statement which a BU spokeswoman described as appearing "because of your inquiry and a similar one from the New York Times concerning methodology used to test 2 of the 150 genetic variants." Here is what the statement says: "Since the publication of our study in Science, which was extensively peer-reviewed, a question has been raised about two elements of the findings. One has to do with two of the 150 genetic variants included in the prediction model, while the other is related to the criteria used to determine the significance of the individual variants. On the first concern, we have been made aware that there is a technical error in the lab test used on approximately 10% of the centenarian sample that involved the two of the 150 variants. Our preliminary analysis of this issue suggests that the apparent error would not effect the overall accuracy of the model. Because the issue has been raised since the publication of the paper, we are now closely re-examining the analysis. Another question that was raised concerns the criteria used to determine if an association between a genetic variant and exceptional longevity was statistically significant. We used standard criteria for the analysis, and we are confident that the appropriate threshold was used."”
The New HPV Test You Should Ask Your Doctor About
Visceral fat is associated with lower brain volume in healthy middle-aged adults (Annals of Neurology 2010)
Well-Defined Quantity of Antioxidants in Diet Can Improve Insulin Resistance, Study Finds
Will you live to 100? Scientists pinpoint 19 markers that tell you if you will have a long life
Young player had brain damage more often seen in NFL veterans
Online Bullies Pull Schools Into the Fray
People Who Care for Family Members With Dementia Report Frequent Abuse
Prolonged and Exclusive Breastfeeding Reduces the Risk of Infectious Diseases in Infancy (Pediatrics 2010)
Replacing White Rice With Brown Rice Reduces Risk of Type 2 Diabetes, Study Finds
Reusable Grocery Bags Can Breed E. Coli, Study Warns
Healthy Diet Could Slow Or Reverse Early Effects Of Alzheimer's Disease “Pratico also emphasized that the researchers believe that in addition to switching to a healthy diet, patients diagnosed with MCI or Alzheimer's also need a regiment of physical as well as mental exercises.”
Heavy Alcohol Use, Binge Drinking, Might Increase Risk of Pancreatic Cancer, Researcher Reports
If you don't brush your teeth twice a day, you're more likely to develop heart disease
Increasing incidence of dementia in the oldest old: evidence and implications. (Alzheimers Res Ther. 2010)
Indoor Tanning Poses Melanoma Risk; There Are No Safe Devices “"No device is safe," said Dr. Lazovich, dispelling the belief that UVB devices are not carcinogenic. In general, melanoma risk increased with use, whether it was measured in hours, sessions, or years. For instance, 1 to 9 hours of lifetime tanning resulted in a 46% increased risk (adjusted OR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.15 - 1.85). But 50 or more hours resulted in a 3-fold increased risk (adjusted OR, 3.18; 95% CI, 2.28 - 4.43). This study is the largest of its kind to date and "advances what we already knew on this subject," said Dr. Lazovich. Among the things the study revealed for the first time is the fact that there is a "dose-response relationship" between the amount of time spent indoor tanning and melanoma risk, and the fact that certain devices are riskier than others, she noted.”
Insufficient vitamin D tied to severe asthma attacks “The effects of vitamin D on the immune system, which include the inflammatory response to infections, might help explain why higher levels of the vitamin were linked to a lower risk of severe asthma exacerbations, according to Litongua's team. They say it's also possible that vitamin D enhances the effects of anti-inflammatory steroid hormones -- both the body's natural supply and the synthetic corticosteroids used to treat asthma. In this study, the beneficial association between vitamin D and asthma attacks was mainly seen in children who were on budesonide, a corticosteroid. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants, children and teenagers get 400 IU of vitamin D each day. Milk, breakfast cereals and orange juice fortified with the vitamin are the main food sources, though some fatty fish naturally contain high amounts of vitamin D. Experts recommend vitamin pills for children who do not get enough of the vitamin from food.”
Many Americans overtreated to death
12 Possible Heart Symptoms Never to Ignore
90% in U.S. Get Too Much Salt; 5 Foods Blamed “But the CDC report identifies five foods that give Americans most of their salt: • Yeast breads • Chicken and mixed chicken dinners • Pizza • Pasta dishes • Cold cuts The three food groups from which we get the most sodium include some surprises: • Grains contribute 37% of our daily sodium. These foods include grain-based frozen meals and soups, breads, and pizza (which is mostly salty bread). • Meats, including poultry and fish, contribute 28% of our daily sodium. • Vegetables contribute more than 12% of our daily sodium. This seems surprising, but potato chips and french fries are vegetables. And canned vegetables, vegetable soups, and vegetable sauces tend to be loaded with salt. “
A Repeat Call for the Banning of Asbestos
Adverse Events Associated with Testosterone Administration (NEJM 2010)
Breast-Feeding Until 4 Months May Protect Infants From Respiratory, GI Infections
Calcium, Vitamin D Supplements OK for Arteries “"This study provides reassuring evidence that moderate doses of calcium and vitamin D supplements do not increase calcium deposition in the coronary arteries. Thus, women need not avoid these supplements and sacrifice bone health due to concern about such a risk," Dr. JoAnn Manson, chief of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, said in a hospital news release.”
CDC and IOM Warn of Adverse Psychosocial, Cancer Effects From Gulf Oil Spill
CPAP Therapy Provides a Memory Boost for Adults With Sleep Apnea
Coffee or Tea: Enjoy Both in Moderation for Heart Benefits, Dutch Study Suggests
Could Teen Exercise Pay Dividends in Less Cognitive Impairment as a Senior? “The prevalence of cognitive impairment was significantly lower in women aged 65 and older who reported they were physically active as teens than in those who were inactive in their teen years, the study found. "If we want to optimally prevent dementia, it's important to start physical activity as early in life as possible," said principal investigator Laura Middleton of the Heart and Stroke Foundation Centre for Stroke Recovery at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto.“
Dementia incidence continues to increase with age in the oldest old: the 90+ study. (Ann Neurol. 2010)
Exercise Alone Reduces Diabetes Risk in Obese Boys
FDA tests lipsticks, finds lead in all
Flame Retardant May Up Risk of Thyroid Problems in Pregnancy “Exposure to flame-retardant chemicals may reduce a pregnant woman's levels of certain thyroid hormones that play a critical role in fetal brain development, a new study shows. Polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants are used in a large number of consumer products, including cars, electronics and home furnishings. PBDEs are found in the blood of most Americans, according to data collected by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”
IVF, Fertility Drugs Might Boost Autism Risk
Mental decline from diabetes can start in middle age “The study confirmed the findings of earlier research, by Knopman and others, of an association between diabetes and declines in such mental functions as the ability to think quickly and recall words, but this is the first project to test memory and demonstrate how quickly the drop-off can occur.”
Multivitamin Use and Breast Cancer: Protective or Harmful?
New cancer guidelines: Exercise during and after treatment is now encouraged “Cancer patients and survivors should strive to get the same 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise that is recommended for the general public, the panel says. Though the evidence indicates that most types of physical activity – from swimming to yoga to strength training -- are beneficial for cancer patients, clinicians should tailor exercise recommendations to individual patients, taking into account their general fitness level, specific diagnosis and factors about their disease that might influence exercise safety. Cancer patients with weakened ability to fight infection, for instance, may be advised to avoid exercise in public gyms. One persistent area of concern for cancer patients is change in body mass -- both weight gain and weight loss tied to disease symptoms and treatment side effects. Patients with hormone-based tumors, breast and prostate cancers, tend to gain weight during treatment and frequently have difficulty losing it. Other patients, especially those with gastrointestinal tumors, suffer from weight loss brought on by loss of appetite and changes in their ability to swallow and properly digest food. The new guidelines indicate that both groups can benefit from exercise. Studies show, for instance, that exercise for weight control and reduction in body mass may actually reduce the risk of recurrence for breast cancer patients, and ultimately decrease breast cancer mortality. For patients suffering from cancer-related weight loss, physical activity helps to maintain lean body mass, which can contribute to increased strength and well being.”
New urine test spots prostate cancer
Nomogram Predictive of Which Female Athletes Are High-Risk for ACL Tears
Overtreated: Pain in the Back Widely Overtreated “The reality is that time often is the best antidote. Most people will experience back pain at some point, but up to 90 percent will heal on their own within weeks. In fact, for run-of-the-mill cases, doctors aren't even supposed to do an X-ray or MRI unless the pain lingers for a month to six weeks. Yet a study last year found nearly one in three aching Medicare patients get some kind of back scan within that first month. Why is that a problem? Those scans can be misleading. By middle age, most people who don't even have pain nonetheless have degeneration of their disks, those doughnut-looking shock absorbers between vertebrae. So in someone who does have pain, pinpointing that a particular black spot or bulge on a scan is the true cause is tricky.“
Oxygen therapy for acute myocardial infarction. (Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2010)
Treatment of allergic rhinitis. (Am Fam Physician. 2010) “Evidence does not support the use of mite-proof impermeable covers, air filtration systems, or delayed exposure to solid foods in infancy.”
A review of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder complicated by symptoms of oppositional defiant disorder or conduct disorder. (J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2010)
Agreement Regarding Diagnosis of Transient Ischemic Attack Fairly Low Among Stroke-Trained Neurologists. (Stroke. 2010)
Alzheimer's Disease and Other Forms of Dementia
Alzheimer’s Stalks a Colombian Family
'Button' Batteries Killing, Disabling Children “The accidental swallowing of coin-sized lithium "button batteries" found in many common household products is a rapidly mounting threat to children, new research indicates. In fact, a pair of new studies reveals that between 1985 and 2009 the risk that American children will experience a serious health complication after ingesting a button-battery has gone up nearly seven-fold. "We're talking about a really profoundly devastating injury, and sometimes fatalities," said lead author for both studies Dr. Toby Litovitz, director of the National Capital Poison Center in Washington D.C. "But I think people are not aware of the problem, which is very, very much worse than swallowing a coin. And of course it's hard for parents to protect their kids when they don't realize that something is a problem."“
Calcium Increases Risk of Prostate Cancer
Chlamydia: The Hidden Dangers “The good news is that because chlamydia is caused by a bacterium, it can easily be cured with antibiotics. The bad news is you may not know you have it unless you get tested, because there may be few if any symptoms. About 75% of women and 50% of men have no symptoms at all.”
Parental Involvement Key to Preventing Child Bullying
Particulate Air Pollution Affects Heart Health, Research Finds
Pesticides in kids linked to ADHD “Exposure to pesticides used on common kid-friendly foods — including frozen blueberries, fresh strawberries and celery — appears to boost the chances that children will be diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, new research shows. Youngsters with high levels of pesticide residue in their urine, particularly from widely used types of insecticide such as malathion, were more likely to have ADHD, the behavior disorder that often disrupts school and social life, scientists in the United States and Canada found.“
Predicted 25-hydroxyvitamin D score and incident type 2 diabetes in the Framingham Offspring Study. (Am J Clin Nutr. 2010) “CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that higher vitamin D status is associated with decreased risk of T2D. Maintaining optimal 25(OH)D status may be a strategy to prevent the development of T2D.”
Pregnant Women Should Limit Intake Of BPA-Contaminated Foods, Study States “The study found that 92% of metal cans are contaminated with BPA and that the concentration of the chemical can "vary dramatically" between two cans of the same product. For example, the researchers found that one can of Del Monte French Style Green Beans contained 36 micrograms of BPA per serving, while a second can of the identical product contained 138 micrograms -- a level that has been linked to changes in prostate cells and increasingly aggressive behavior in animals.”
[Psychosis: from diagnosis to syndrome] (Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 2010) “The diagnosis of schizophrenia is associated with demonstrable alterations in brain structure and changes in dopamine neurotransmission, the latter being directly related to hallucinations and delusions. Antipsychotics, which block the dopamine system, are effective for delusions and hallucinations but less so for disabling cognitive and motivational impairments.”
Red and Processed Meat Consumption and Risk of Incident Coronary Heart Disease, Stroke, and Diabetes Mellitus. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (Circulation 2010)
Regular Use of Aspirin Increases Risk of Crohn's Disease by 5 Times, Study Finds “"Aspirin does have many beneficial effects, however, including helping to prevent heart attacks and strokes. I would urge aspirin users to continue taking this medication since the risk of aspirin users possibly developing Crohn's disease remains very low -- only one in every 2000 users, and the link is not yet finally proved."“
Sun Exposure While Driving Linked to Cancer
The Truth About Vitamin D: Can You Get Too Much Vitamin D?
Toothbrushing, inflammation, and risk of cardiovascular disease: results from Scottish Health Survey (BMJ 2010)
Abdominal Fat at Middle Age Associated With Greater Risk of Dementia: Obesity Linked to Lower Total Brain Volume “"More importantly our data suggests a stronger connection between central obesity, particularly the visceral fat component of abdominal obesity, and risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease," Dr. Seshadri added.”
ACIP Issues New Guidelines for Use of Combination Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Varicella Vaccine
Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in an Anxiety Disorders Population. (CNS Neurosci Ther. 2010)
Aspirin Dosing for the Prevention and Treatment of Ischemic Stroke: An Indication-Specific Review of the Literature (Annals of Pharmacotherapy 2010)
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Urinary Metabolites of Organophosphate Pesticides (Pediatrics 2010)
Canadian Bottled Water High in Bacteria “They found more than 70 percent of popular brands tested did not meet the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) specifications for drinking water. "Heterotrophic bacteria counts in some of the bottles were found to be in revolting figures of 100-times more than the permitted limit," Sonish Azam, a researcher involved in the study, was quoted as saying. However, Azam says these bacteria most likely do not cause disease, but they could pose a risk for populations such as pregnant women, infants and the elderly.”
Decision Making in Adults With ADHD. (J Atten Disord. 2010)
Diabetes ups risk of abnormal heart rhythm
Eating Processed Meats, but Not Unprocessed Red Meats, May Raise Risk of Heart Disease and Diabetes, Study Finds “In a new study, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) have found that eating processed meat, such as bacon, sausage or processed deli meats, was associated with a 42% higher risk of heart disease and a 19% higher risk of type 2 diabetes. In contrast, the researchers did not find any higher risk of heart disease or diabetes among individuals eating unprocessed red meat, such as from beef, pork, or lamb.”
Exposure to Ultrasound in Utero: Epidemiology and Relevance of Neuronal Migration Studies. (Ultrasound Med Biol. 2010) “The present knowledge of the potential bioeffects of ultrasound suggests that, when using ultrasound for examinations in pregnancy, fetal scanning without medical indication should be avoided and that adherence to ALARA principle (use of energy "as low as reasonably achievable") is compulsory.”
Genital Herpes Affects Approximately 16% of Americans Aged 14 to 49 Years “Among those infected with HSV-2, 81.1% had not been diagnosed. Women and non-Hispanic blacks had the highest seroprevalence (20.9% and 39.2%, respectively), with prevalence among women almost twice that of men and prevalence 3 times higher among blacks than whites. Prevalence was lowest among Mexican-Americans. These data reinforce findings from previous research indicating that racial disparities are likely perpetuated because of the higher prevalence of infection within black communities, the authors note in a statement. As a result, they add, blacks are at greater risk of exposure to genital herpes with any given sexual encounter.”
Hidden Chemicals in Popular Perfumes
High-fat meals a no-no for asthma patients “Subjects who had consumed the high-fat meal had a marked increase in airway neutrophils and TLR4 mRNA gene expression. TLR4 is a cell surface receptor that is activated by nutritional fatty acids: TLR4 'senses' the presence of saturated fatty acids, and prompts the cell to respond to the fatty acids as if they were an invading pathogen, releasing inflammatory mediators. While the study didn't definitively distinguish between high fat and high energy, this increase in TLR4 activity suggests that dietary fat is important to the effects. Subjects who had consumed the high fat meal also had reduced bronchodilator response as measured by FEV1% predicted and FEV1/FVC%, when compared to those had consumed the low-fat meal.”
How Dark Chocolate May Guard Against Brain Injury from Stroke
Iatrogenic Gastric Acid Suppression and the Risk of Nosocomial Clostridium difficile Infection (Arch Intern Med. 2010) “Conclusions Increasing levels of pharmacologic acid suppression are associated with increased risks of nosocomial C difficile infection. This evidence of a dose-response effect provides further support for the potentially causal nature of iatrogenic acid suppression in the development of nosocomial C difficile infection.”
Indoor Tanning Addiction Linked to Anxiety, Drug Abuse “Indoor tanning can be addictive, and people who are hooked on tanning beds may also be prone to anxiety and substance abuse problems, according to a new study in the Archives of Dermatology.”
More Than A Third Of The U.S. Population Carry Obesity Gene Which Can Lead To Brain Tissue Loss
Multivitamins May Cut Breast Cancer Risk “Multivitamins and calcium supplements may help protect women against breast cancer, new research suggests. In a study of more than 700 women, taking multivitamin tablets in the past five years was associated with 31% lower odds of having breast cancer. The use of calcium supplements was linked to a 40% reduced risk.”
The Vitamin Deficiency You May Not Know You Have “"If you're low on vitamin D, your immune system does not function as well or you're more susceptible to infections,” said Dr. Richard Honaker, a family practice physician. “There's a greater incidence of heart attacks and strokes in people that are vitamin D-deficient versus people who are OK on their vitamin D levels.”“
Treating Common Irregular Heartbeat Might Also Ward Off Alzheimer's “By treating the common irregular heartbeat known as atrial fibrillation in a certain way, doctors might also help prevent Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia, new research finds. In atrial fibrillation, the upper chambers of the heart beat chaotically, causing blood to pool and increasing the potential of clots, stroke, heart failure and death.”
Vitamin D Deficiency In Pregnant Arab Women Requires Urgent Attention
Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Cognitive Impairment in Older Women “Vitamin D deficiency is common in the general population but is rampant among the elderly. According to Dr. Annweiler, it is estimated that 70% to 80% of individuals older than 75 years are vitamin D deficient. Currently, adequate intakes of vitamin D for 51- to 70-year-olds are 400 IU per day and 600 IU for those older than 70 years to maintain a 25OHD level of 30 ng/mL or more. However, Dr. Annweiler noted that these recommendations are based primarily on preservation of bone health alone. The reason the elderly are more vulnerable to vitamin D deficiency than younger individuals are several-fold and include decreased exposure to sunlight and inadequate dietary intake. In addition, said Dr. Annweiler, the skin of older people is not as efficient at synthesizing UV-B rays into vitamin D. "This study provides more evidence to support [vitamin D] supplementation in our elderly patients to normalize serum concentrations and help sustain good health. Although we are not certain yet, it may be that this will also be a viable way to prevent or treat cognitive impairment and possibly turn out to be a new management strategy for dementia," said Dr. Annweiler.”
Vitamin and calcium supplements may reduce breast cancer risk “Vitamins and calcium supplements appear to reduce the risk of breast cancer, according to findings presented at the American Association for Cancer Research 101st Annual Meeting 2010. "It is not an immediate effect. You don't take a vitamin today and your breast cancer risk is reduced tomorrow," said Jaime Matta, Ph.D., professor in the Ponce School of Medicine in Puerto Rico. "However, we did see a long-term effect in terms of breast cancer reduction." Matta said the findings suggest that the calcium supplements are acting to enhance DNA repair capacity, a complex biological process involving more than 200 proteins that, if disrupted, can lead to cancer.“
Vitamin D in pill form may cut breast cancer risk “The researchers found no relationship between overall vitamin D intake and breast cancer risk; nor was there any association between overall calcium intake and risk of the disease. However, women who reported taking at least 400 international units of vitamin D every day were at 24 percent lower risk of developing breast cancer.”
Vitamin D3 Supplements in Winter May Help Protect Against Influenza A
Walking shrinks women's stroke risk “Women who said they walked briskly had a 37 percent lower risk of stroke than those who didn't walk. Women who reported walking at least two hours a week at any pace had a 30 percent lower risk, according to a study published online Tuesday in the American Heart Association journal Stroke.”
Prevent Alzheimer's? No evidence you can
Preventing Alzheimer’s Disease and Cognitive Decline (NIH Draft Statement)
Researchers Recommend Pregnant Women Take 4,000 IU Vitamin D a Day “Taking vitamin D supplements during pregnancy is not only safe for mother and baby, but also can prevent preterm labor/births and infections, according to results of a randomized controlled study to be presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.”
Smoking While Pregnant May Raise Psychiatric Risks in Kids “A woman who smokes while pregnant increases her baby's risk of developing psychiatric problems in childhood and young adulthood, a new Finnish study suggests. While there's plenty of evidence that smoking during pregnancy puts unborn children at risk for long-term health problems such as asthma, ear infections and respiratory disease, this research is among the first to find a connection between prenatal smoking and an increased risk for mental illnesses, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and depression, in the mother's offspring.”
Study Shows Added Sugars Hurt Cholesterol Levels
Sun-shy mothers may raise MS risk in babies: study “Children whose mothers had low exposure to sunlight during their first three months of pregnancy may have a higher risk of developing multiple sclerosis later in life, a study in Australia has found. Low vitamin D levels have long been linked to a higher risk of MS. Experts suspect an expectant mother's lack of exposure to sunlight - the main source of vitamin D - may affect the fetus's central nervous system or immune system, and predispose it to developing MS later in life. In the Australian study, researchers combed birth records of 1,524 MS patients born between 1920 and 1950, and found there were more of them born in the months of November and December. This means their first trimester occurred during the winter months of April to June, a time when expectant mothers in the southern hemisphere may prefer to be indoors to escape the cold. Conversely, there were far fewer MS patients who were born in May and June - meaning their first trimesters were in the early summer months of September to November.”
The Coffee-Cholesterol Connection “Diterpene compounds in coffee beans—notably cafestol—are responsible for the cholesterol-raising effect. The longer the coffee grounds come in contact with the brewing water, and the hotter the water, the greater the amount of diterpenes released. Scandinavian-style boiled coffee has the most diterpenes, studies have shown—followed by Turkish/Greek coffee, French-press (cafetière or plunger-pot) coffee, and then espresso. American-style “drip” coffee has virtually none because the paper filters trap the compounds. Percolated and instant coffees also have negligible amounts. Decaffeinating coffee does not reduce diterpenes.”
Aspirin Dosing for the Prevention and Treatment of Ischemic Stroke: An Indication-Specific Review of the Literature (Annals of Pharmacotherapy 2010)
Bad Habits Can Age You by 12 Years, Study Suggests “Four common bad habits combined - smoking, drinking too much, inactivity and poor diet - can age you by 12 years, sobering new research suggests.”
Being Obese Can Attract Bullies
Breast Cancer Risk Tied To Grandmother's Diet “"The implications from this study are that pregnant mothers need to eat a well balanced diet because they may be affecting the future health of their daughters and granddaughters," says de Assis.”
Caffeine intake and semen quality in a population of 2,554 young Danish men. (Am J Epidemiol. 2010)
Chlamydia Often Overlooked in Young Men
Combination of Physical Exercise and Computer Use Protective Against MCI in Late Life “At this point the mechanism is unclear, he added. However, some researchers have suggested that mentally stimulating activities may enhance synaptic response, whereas physical exercise may increase blood flow to the brain and the 2 in combination may have a synergistic effect. However, added Dr. Geda, at this point the mechanism remains speculative.”
Combined Unhealthy Behaviors Associated With 4-Fold Increased Risk for Death “Smoking, lack of physical activity, poor diet, and alcohol consumption, when their effect is considered collectively, appear to be associated with a substantially increased risk for death, according to a new study.”
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.”
Prolonged breastfeeding reduces risk of breast cancer in Sri Lankan women: A case-control study. (Cancer Epidemiol. 2010) “Principle results: Multivariate analysis found that those women who breastfed for >/=24 months during lifetime had significantly lower risk of breast cancer than those who breastfed for less than 24 months (OR=0.40; 95%CI=0.22, 0.73). Compared to 0-11 months of lifetime breastfeeding, there was a 66.3% reduction in breast cancer risk in women who breastfed for 12-23 months, 87.4% reduction in 24-35 months and 94% reduction in 36-47 months categories. The mean duration of breastfeeding per child for >/=12 months was also associated with reduced risk of breast cancer (OR=0.52; 95%CI=0.28, 0.94).”
Psychopaths' Brains Wired to Seek Rewards, No Matter the Consequences
Residential Pesticides and Childhood Leukemia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (Environmental Health Perspectives. 2010) “Conclusions: Positive associations were observed between childhood leukemia and residential pesticide exposures.”
Risk of Newborn Heart Defects Increases with Maternal Obesity “The more obese a woman is when she becomes pregnant, the greater the likelihood that she will give birth to an infant with a congenital heart defect, according to a study conducted by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and the New York state Department of Health. The researchers found that, on average, obesity increases a woman’s chance of having a baby with a heart defect by around 15 percent. The risk increases with rising obesity. Moderately obese women are 11 percent more likely to have a child with a heart defect, and morbidly obese women are 33 percent more likely.”
Sciatica (Best Practice & Research: Clinical Rheumatology 2010) “Although the term sciatica is simple and easy to use, it is, in fact, an archaic and confusing term [1]. For most researchers and clinicians, it refers to a radiculopathy, involving one of the lower extremities, and related to disc herniation (DH). As such, the term ‘sciatica’ is too restrictive as nerve roots from L1 to L4 may also be involved in the same process. However, even more confusing is the fact that patients, and many clinicians alike, use sciatica to describe any pain arising from the lower back and radiating down to the leg. The majority of the time, this painful sensation is referred pain from the lower back and is neither related to DH nor does it result from nerve-root compression. Although differentiating the radicular pain from the referred pain may be challenging for the clinician, it is of primary importance. This is because the epidemiology, clinical course and, most importantly, therapeutic interventions are different for these two conditions.”
Secondhand Smoke Boosts Sinusitis Risk “Exposure to secondhand smoke appears to substantially raise the risk for chronic sinusitis, a new Canadian study has found. In fact, it might explain 40 percent of the cases of the condition, said study author Dr. C. Martin Tammemagi, a researcher at Brock University in Ontario.”
Tooth loss and periodontal disease predict poor cognitive function in older men. (J Am Geriatr Soc. 2010) “CONCLUSION: Risk of cognitive decline in older men increases as more teeth are lost. Periodontal disease and caries, major reasons for tooth loss, are also related to cognitive decline.”
Untreated Poor Vision: A Contributing Factor to Late-life Dementia
Want a better workout? Don't stretch before
A 10-year follow-up of hippocampal volume on magnetic resonance imaging in early dementia and cognitive decline. (Brain. 2010) “We found an increased risk to develop incident dementia per standard deviation faster rate of decline in hippocampal volume [left hippocampus 1.6 (95% confidence interval 1.2-2.3, right hippocampus 1.6 (95% confidence interval 1.2-2.1)]. Furthermore, decline in hippocampal volume predicted onset of clinical dementia when corrected for baseline hippocampal volume. In people who remained free of dementia during the whole follow-up period, we found that decline in hippocampal volume paralleled, and preceded, specific decline in delayed word recall. No associations were found in this sample between rate of hippocampal atrophy, Mini Mental State Examination and tests of executive function. Our results suggest that rate of hippocampal atrophy is an early marker of incipient memory decline and dementia, and could be of additional value when compared with a single hippocampal volume measurement as a surrogate biomarker of dementia.”
Abnormal Heart Rhythm Linked to Alzheimer's “People with atrial fibrillation, a form of abnormal heart rhythm, are more likely than others to develop dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, a new study finds. The presence of atrial fibrillation also predicted higher death rates in dementia patients, especially among younger patients in the group studied, meaning under the age of 70. "This leaves us with the finding that atrial fibrillation, independent of everything else, is a risk factor [for dementia]," said Dr. Gary Kennedy, director of geriatric psychiatry at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City. "This is adding one more brick in the road toward understanding that cardiovascular disease is a major risk factor for dementia."”
Being overweight ups stroke risk, study confirms “People who were overweight were 22 percent more likely to suffer an ischemic stroke than normal weight people, while the risk for obese people was 64 percent higher, the researchers found. Hemorrhagic stroke risk wasn't higher for overweight people, but it was 24 percent higher for obese people.”
Brain scans show signs of early Alzheimer's: study “Brain scans of all 42 showed that those whose parents -- either fathers or mothers -- had Alzheimer's were more likely to have amyloid plaques in their brains. This was especially true of people whose mothers had Alzheimer's. "They have pretty much 20 percent more amyloid beta deposits in their brains. In other words, they had an almost four times greater risk for amyloid beta pathology," Moscone said in a telephone interview. The finding confirms other studies that suggest having a mother with Alzheimer's may be a greater risk factor. "It looks like if you have maternal history of Alzheimer's disease, the risk of amyloid beta plaque and a reduction in brain activity is much greater as compared to having a father affected," Moscone said.”
Excess Weight Raises Risk for Liver Disease “Comment: Add liver disease to the long list of detrimental health effects (e.g., cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer) of excess body weight. Data from these two studies also suggest that excess body weight and alcohol consumption act synergistically to cause liver disease. Given the high prevalence of overweight and obesity, these results have obvious public health implications.”
Slide show: Causes of back pain
Smoking Is Dumb: Young Men Who Smoke Have Lower IQs, Study Finds
Teen Drinking May Boost Breast Problems Later “Frequent alcohol consumption by teenage girls may increase the chances that they will develop non-cancerous breast disease in their 20s and possibly breast cancer later in life. Research published online April 12 in the journal Pediatrics found that girls who drank the most alcohol during their teen years -- daily or nearly every day -- were five times more likely to develop benign breast disease as young adults than were their peers who never drank or drank less than once a week. Benign breast disease (BBD) includes a number of nonmalignant conditions. Fibroadenoma, a noncancerous tumor, is the most common in those aged 30 and younger. Study co-author Catherine Berkey, a biostatistician at Harvard Medical School in Boston, said that benign breast disease is known to boost the risk for breast cancer.”
The downside of 'friends with benefits'
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Linked to High Prevalence of Epilepsy “Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) refers to a range of negative developmental outcomes that result from maternal drinking during pregnancy. Children with FASD can suffer from many problems, including epilepsy, a disorder characterized by spontaneous recurrence of unprovoked seizures that affects 0.6 percent of the general population. A new study has found a much higher prevalence of epilepsy or history of seizures in individuals with FASD.”
Formaldehyde Exposure and Asthma in Children: A Systematic Review (Environmental Health Perspectives. 2010) “Acute exposure to formaldehyde can cause eye, nose, throat, and skin irritation, whereas long-term exposure has been associated with certain cancers (e.g., sinonasal) as well as asthma (Daisey et al. 2003). Exposure to formaldehyde occurs in certain occupational settings (e.g., embalmers), but exposure via formaldehyde-emitting products such as particle board, urea formaldehyde insulation, carpeting, and furniture is more common (Garrett et al. 1999). … Conclusions: Results indicate a significant positive association between formaldehyde exposure and childhood asthma.”
Gonorrhea Getting Harder to Treat “A new study shows that treating gonorrhea is becoming more difficult because the bacterium has become resistant to many antibiotics. If trends continue, researchers say there is a very real possibility that some strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae may become resistant to all current treatment options.”
HPV Might Not Act Like Other STDs
Infant Deaths Prompt CPSC Warning About Sling Carriers for Babies
Living Without Gluten May Be Easier Than You Think
New AF Predicts Diagnosis of Alzheimer's, Other Dementias “Onset of atrial fibrillation (AF) in a community population followed for five years predicted development of dementia of any kind during the same period, and it also predicted each of four dementia subtypes independently, including Alzheimer's disease [1].”
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."”
Obesity, Hypertension, Alcohol and Diuretic Use: Gout Risk Factors for Women
Parental Stroke Associated With 3-Fold Increased Risk for Stroke in Offspring “Parental stroke before the age of 65 years is associated with a 3-fold increased risk for stroke in offspring, according to new data from the Framingham Heart Study. These findings suggest that "a reliable family history can serve as a 'poor man's genetic risk score' providing a simple, aggregate estimate of an individual's genetic risk," lead author Seshadri Sudha Seshadri, MD, with Boston University in Massachusetts, told Medscape Neurology. The results are published in the March 23 issue of Circulation.”
Kids Not Only Obese, They're Extremely Obese “Extreme obesity has reached ''alarming'' levels among children, according to a new study that looked at the weights and heights of more than 710,000 children aged 2 to 19. ''The prevalence of extreme obesity was much higher than we thought," says the study's lead author, Corinna Koebnick, PhD, a research scientist at Kaiser Permanente in Southern California, a large prepaid health plan. ''Seven percent of boys and 5% of girls -- that is scary," she tells WebMD. That was the overall prevalence of extreme obesity she found. Before the study findings, Koebnick says, she would have expected perhaps 3% to 5%. And the 7% and 5% figures are overall. For some ethnic groups, the prevalence of extreme obesity was much higher -- up to nearly 12%.”
Longitudinal Examination of Obesity and Cognitive Function: Results from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (Neuroepidemiology 2010) “Conclusion: Obesity indices showed similar associations to cognitive function, and further work is needed to clarify the physiological mechanisms that link obesity to poor neurocognitive outcome.”
Low Levels of Vitamin D Linked to Muscle Fat, Decreased Strength in Young People “While study results may inspire some people to start taking Vitamin D supplements, Dr. Kremer recommends caution. "Obviously this subject requires more study," he says. "We don't yet know whether Vitamin D supplementation would actually result in less accumulation of fat in the muscles or increase muscle strength. We need more research before we can recommend interventions. We need to take things one step at a time."”
Low Vitamin D Levels Tied to Incontinence “Not getting enough vitamin D may cause women problems in the bathroom as well as with their bones. A new study suggests vitamin D deficiency may contribute to pelvic floor disorders like urinary and fecal incontinence. “Higher vitamin D levels were associated with a decreased risk of any pelvic floor disorder in all women,” write researcher Samuel Badalian, MD, PhD, of SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, N.Y., and colleagues in Obstetrics & Gynecology. “Given the increase in the number of patients with pelvic floor disorders, further evaluation of the role of vitamin D is warranted.” Researchers say one in four women suffers from at least one type of pelvic floor disorder, such as urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, and fecal incontinence, and the risks of developing these disorders increase with age. They say the results suggest that treatment of vitamin D deficiency in women could improve pelvic muscle strength and reduce the risk of pelvic floor disorders, especially incontinence. “
Medicines washing down the shower
Metabolic syndrome in adolescents in the Balearic Islands, a Mediterranean region. (Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2010)
The truth about the hormone leptin and obesity. “Leptin is a protein that's made in the fat cells, circulates in the bloodstream, and goes to the brain. "Leptin is the way your fat cells tell your brain that your energy thermostat is set right," Lustig says. "Leptin tells your brain that you have enough energy stored in your fat cells to engage in normal, relatively expensive metabolic processes," he says. "In other words, when leptin levels are at a certain threshold -- for each person, it's probably genetically set -- when your leptin level is above that threshold, your brain senses that you have energy sufficiency, which means you can burn energy at a normal rate, eat food at a normal amount, engage in exercise at a normal rate, and you can engage in expensive processes, like puberty and pregnancy". But when people diet, they eat less and their fat cells lose some fat, which then decreases the amount of leptin produced. "Let's say you starve, let's say you have decreased energy intake, let's say you lose weight," Lustig says. "Now your leptin level goes below your personal leptin threshold. When it does that, your brain senses starvation. That can occur at any leptin level, depending on what your leptin threshold is." "Your brain senses that and says, ‘Hey, I don't have the energy onboard that I used to. I am now in a starvation state,'" Lustig says. Then several processes begin within the body to drive leptin levels back up. One includes stimulation of the vagus nerve, which runs between the brain and the abdomen. "The vagus nerve is your energy storage nerve," Lustig says. "Now the vagus nerve is turned on, so you get hungrier. Every single thing the vagus nerve does…[is] designed to make you take up extra energy and store it in your fat. Why? To generate more leptin so that your leptin can re-establish its personal leptin threshold... It causes you to eat and it causes you to get your leptin back to where it belongs."“
Variable blood pressure can mean stroke risk “They found patients who had consistently variable blood pressure rates were at least six times more likely to have a stroke than those with regularly high blood pressure.”
Which Has More Germs - A Restaurant Tray or a Park Sandbox?
Years of Exposure to Traffic Pollution Raises Blood Pressure
10 Worst Plants for Your Allergies
Alzheimer's 'Epidemic' Hitting Minorities Hardest “Over 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease, and blacks and Hispanics are at highest risk of developing the disease, a new report finds. The report, 2010 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures, from the Alzheimer's Association, finds that black Americans are about two times more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than whites, and Hispanics face about 1.5 times the risk. "Alzheimer's is continuing to be on the rise," said Maria Carrillo, the association's senior director of medical and scientific relations. "So many people are affected by it across the country, but we are rallying to highlight the disparities that exist in populations," she said. Much of the increase in Alzheimer's is because of increasing high blood pressure and diabetes, which increase the odds of developing Alzheimer's in all populations. "African-Americans and Hispanics are particularly vulnerable, because the proportion of these two risk factors is higher even still," Carrillo said. "We can actually do something about this increased risk with better management of the conditions."”
Brain Function May Drop Quickly Before Alzheimer's “The scores of people with mild cognitive impairment declined twice as fast each year as did scores of those with no memory problems. The scores for people with Alzheimer's declined four times as fast as those of participants with no cognitive problems, the study found. The results are in the March 23 issue of Neurology. "The changes in rate of decline occur as the brain atrophies due to the disease, first mainly in the hippocampus during the initial symptomatic stage, referred to as mild cognitive impairment, then in the temporal, parietal and frontal cortex during the dementing illness phase of Alzheimer's disease," said Dr. David S. Knopman, of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., who wrote an editorial accompanying the study.”
Brain Plaques May Explain Higher Risk of Alzheimer's Based on Mom's History “Aided by a new version of a brain scanning technique, the researchers discovered a far greater number of protein clumps linked to the disease among healthy adult children of parents with Alzheimer's compared to counterparts with no family history of dementia. The average increase in these clumps, called amyloid-beta plaques, was particularly striking among study volunteers whose mothers had been diagnosed with the disease. The plaques appeared throughout most regions of the brain.”
CDC: Genital Herpes Rates Still High “One in six Americans between the ages of 14 and 49 have genital herpes and close to one in two black women are infected, new figures from the CDC reveal. … "It is important that we promote steps to prevent the spread of genital herpes, not only because herpes is a lifelong and incurable infection, but also because of the linkage between herpes and HIV infection." Research shows that people with genital herpes are two to three times more likely to acquire HIV and they are also more likely to transmit HIV infection to others. Douglas explained that the immunologic response at the site where herpes ulcers form act as a target for HIV infection even after the ulcers have disappeared. "If you come into contact with the HIV virus, even after the ulcers have healed, you may be more likely to become infected," he says. People who are dually infected with HIV and HSV-2 may also be especially likely to transmit the HIV virus to others during genital herpes flare-ups.”
Common Pesticide Tied to Development Delays in Kids “The pesticide chlorpyrifos is associated with delays in the physical and mental development of young children, a new study shows. The product is banned in U.S. households but is widely used as an agricultural pesticide on fruits and vegetables. The agricultural use of chlorpyrifos is currently under review by the Environmental Protection Agency. This study included 266 children in low-income areas of the South Bronx and Northern Manhattan in New York City. Chlorpyrifos was commonly used in these neighborhoods until it was banned for household use in 2001.”
Diesel Exhaust Associated With Lethargy in Offspring “Breathing diesel exhaust during pregnancy is associated with sluggishness in offspring.”
Dietary fatty acids in dementia and predementia syndromes: Epidemiological evidence and possible underlying mechanisms (Ageing Research Reviews 2010) “These data together with epidemiological evidence support a possible role of fatty acid intake in maintaining adequate cognitive functioning and possibly for the prevention and management of cognitive decline and dementia, but not when the AD process has already taken over.”
Early Warning Signs: When to Call the Doctor about Alzheimer's
Food-allergic kids should carry two 'epi' doses “Among a group of children treated for food-related "anaphylactic" reactions over 6 years, 12 percent needed a second epinephrine dose, according to a report out today in the journal Pediatrics. Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction that develops quickly, within seconds or minutes of exposure, causing potentially life-threatening symptoms like difficulty breathing. Prior studies found similar results. One found that nearly one in five severe food-induced allergic reactions will require more than one epinephrine shots. Taken together, these studies add weight to the recommendation that children at risk for severe food-related allergic reactions carry two doses of epinephrine, note Dr. Susan A. Rudders of Children's Hospital Boston and colleagues. Food allergy affects up to 6 percent of children and, by most estimates, seems to be rising. Appropriate treatment involves an immediate self-administered shot, or two, of epinephrine, available in convenient pre-loaded devices, such as EpiPen.”
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…”
High Fructose Corn Syrup Linked to Liver Scarring “New research links consumption of high-fructose corn syrup, the extremely popular sweetener that shows up in food products from ketchup to jelly, to liver damage in people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. It's not clear if the sweetener directly causes liver scarring, also known as fibrosis, but those who consumed more of the sweetener appeared to have more liver scarring, according to the report released online in advance of publication in an upcoming print issue of the journal Hepatology.”
High-Fructose Corn Syrup Prompts Considerably More Weight Gain, Researchers Find “In addition to causing significant weight gain in lab animals, long-term consumption of high-fructose corn syrup also led to abnormal increases in body fat, especially in the abdomen, and a rise in circulating blood fats called triglycerides. The researchers say the work sheds light on the factors contributing to obesity trends in the United States.”
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."“
Regular Analgesic Use May Increase Risk for Hearing Loss “Regular use of aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), or acetaminophen may increase the risk for hearing loss in men, and the impact is larger on those younger than 60 years, according to a prospective study published in the March issue of the American Journal of Medicine. "Aspirin, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen are the 3 most commonly used drugs in the US," write Sharon G. Curhan, MD, ScM, from Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, and colleagues. "Given that analgesic use might result in pathophysiologic changes in the cochlea and that regular use of these analgesics is so common, the relation of these medications and hearing loss might be an important public health issue." However, Curhan and colleagues point out several study limitations that may affect the results of their study. Two independent commentators interviewed by Medscape Family Medicine reiterate these limitations and emphasize that causality cannot be determined from the study results. Yet, both agree that the study focuses on an important issue.”
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.“
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."”
Breastfeeding Protects Children Against Peptic Ulcer Bacterium, Study Suggests
Bribes Let Tomato Vendor Sell Tainted Food “Days later, federal agents descended on Kraft’s offices near Chicago and confronted Mr. Watson. He admitted his role in a bribery scheme that has laid bare a startling vein of corruption in the food industry. And because the scheme also involved millions of pounds of tomato products with high levels of mold or other defects, the case has raised serious questions about how well food manufacturers safeguard the quality of their ingredients. Over the last 14 months, Mr. Watson and three other purchasing managers, at Frito-Lay, Safeway and B&G Foods, have pleaded guilty to taking bribes. Five people connected to one of the nation’s largest tomato processors, SK Foods, have also admitted taking part in the scheme. … In addition, prosecutors say that for years, SK Foods shipped its customers millions of pounds of bulk tomato paste and puree that fell short of basic quality standards — with falsified documentation to mask the problems. Often that meant mold counts so high the sale should have been prohibited under federal law; at other times it involved breaching specifications in the sales contracts, such as acidity levels or the age of the product. The scope of the tainted shipments was much broader than the bribery scheme, touching more than 55 companies. In some cases, companies detected problems and sent the products back — but in many cases, according to prosecutors, they did not, and the tainted ingredients wound up in food sold to consumers. “
Cyberbullying: A Growing Problem “Around 10 percent of all adolescents in grades 7-9 are victims of internet bullying. 'This type of bullying can be more serious than conventional bullying. At least with conventional bullying the victim is left alone on evenings and weekends', says Ann Frisén, Professor of Psychology at the University of Gothenburg. 'Victims of internet bullying -- or cyberbullying -- have no refuge. Victims may be harassed continuously via SMS and websites, and the information spreads very quickly and may be difficult to remove. In addition, it is often difficult to identify the perpetrator.'“
Daily aspirin therapy: Understand the benefits and risks
Do Antioxidants Prevent Cataracts and Age-Related Macular Degeneration?
Dry Cleaning Chemical 'Likely' Causes Cancer “PERC really is a "likely human carcinogen," the National Academy of Sciences says. PERC is a chemical known as perchloroethylene or tetrachloroethylene. It's the solvent used by about 85% of U.S. dry cleaners, but is also used as a metal degreaser and in the production of many other chemicals. PERC is found in the air, in drinking water, and in soil. It can be detected in most people's blood, as well as in breast milk. What's the risk? In 2008, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suggested that PERC be classified as a "likely human carcinogen." Moreover, the EPA found that PERC's most dangerous noncancer toxicity is brain and nervous system damage -- and set safe exposure levels well below levels that cause such damage.”
Is child's food allergy real? Tests trigger false alarms “Food allergies are often misdiagnosed, leaving many parents needlessly worrying about dangerous reactions and painstakingly monitoring food, said Dr. Leonard Bacharier, director of pediatric allergy and immunology at Washington University School of Medicine. "It's a big, ugly issue. We deal with it every day." A key reason, he said, is many parents rely solely on the results of blood or skin tests, which are increasing in use because of easier access. Blood tests measure IgE antibodies, chemicals present during an allergic reaction. Skin tests involve measuring hives that result from pricking the skin with food extract. But experts agree blood and skin tests are not reliable. Several recent reports have focused on tests for peanut allergies, a common food allergy one study shows increased twofold among children from 1997 to 2002. Allergies to peanuts and tree nuts are usually lifelong and the leading cause of fatal and near-fatal food allergic reactions. Misdiagnoses appear to be one of many factors behind its increase.”
Soft drink consumption and obesity: it is all about fructose (Current Opinion in Lipidology 2010) “Summary: The present review concludes on the basis of the data assembled here that in the amounts currently consumed, fructose is hazardous to the cardiometabolic health of many children, adolescents and adults.”
Sugar-sweetened beverages and risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes: Epidemiologic evidence. (Physiol Behav. 2010) “Consumption of SSBs should therefore be replaced by healthy alternatives such as water, to reduce risk of obesity and chronic diseases.”
The Biggest Loser: Maternal Obesity Puts a Load on Her Offspring That Lasts a Lifetime
Total fat, trans fat linked to higher incidence of ischemic stroke “Post-menopausal women who reported consuming the most daily dietary fat had a 40 percent higher incidence of clot-caused strokes compared to women who ate the least amount, according to research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2010. The incidence of ischemic stroke also increased by 30 percent in the quartile of women consuming the highest daily amount of trans fat (average intake 7 grams per day) compared to those who consumed the least (average 1 gram/day). Two common sources of trans fat are processed foods and fried foods.“
Vitamin B3 Shows Early Promise in Treatment of Stroke “When rats with ischemic stroke were given niacin, their brains showed growth of new blood vessels, and sprouting of nerve cells which greatly improved neurological outcome. … Niacin is known to be the most effective medicine in current clinical use for increasing high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), which helps those fatty deposits. Dr. Chopp and his colleagues found that in animals niacin helps restore neurological function in the brain following stroke. In 2009, stroke physicians at Henry Ford Hospital published research which showed that HDL-C is abnormally low at the time stroke patients arrive at the hospital.”
Why BPA Leached from 'Safe' Plastics May Damage Health of Female Offspring “"The BPA baby bottle scare may be only the tip of the iceberg." said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal. "Remember how diethylstilbestrol (DES) caused birth defects and cancers in young women whose mothers were given such hormones during pregnancy. We'd better watch out for BPA, which seems to carry similar epigenetic risks across the generations."“
Why Vitamins Are Hard To Swallow, UK “Dr Sharma argues that these supplements are manufactured by pharmaceutical companies and bear little resemblance to the natural vitamins and minerals found in fruit, vegetables and other foods. "So the Cochrane Review, which found that vitamin E may increase the risk of mortality, was not talking about vitamin E found in its natural state," he says. "The component in those supplements was alpha-tocopherol, which is just one part of eight different components found in naturally occurring vitamin E." These other components include flavonoids and carotenoids, found in carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, kale and tomatoes. Without them, says Dr Sharma, the body cannot successfully absorb the isolate vitamin. "This creates a deficiency in vitamin E, an antioxidant that destroys the free-radical cells which cause cancer," he says. Dr Sharma is not against supplements per se; he just thinks we should take them with care and under medical guidance. He also recommends eschewing isolate supplements for a more natural alternative. "I strongly believe that people should only take natural 'food-state' vitamins and minerals - I think going out and buying vitamin C, in isolate form, from, say, a chemist, is actually dangerous."”
The risks of copper toxicity contributing to cognitive decline in the aging population and to Alzheimer's disease. (J Am Coll Nutr. 2009) “Food copper (organic copper) is processed by the liver and is transported and sequestered in a safe manner. Inorganic copper, such as that in drinking water and copper supplements, largely bypasses the liver and enters the free copper pool of the blood directly. This copper is potentially toxic because it may penetrate the blood/brain barrier.”
Too much cola 'leads to muscle and heart problems' “Experts have issued a warning against drinking large quantities of cola, saying it could lead to muscle problems, an irregular heartbeat and bone weakness. The number of cola-lovers suffering health issues is on the rise, they said, adding there had been a food industry push towards an “increase in portion sizes”. As well as tooth decay, diabetes and “softening” of the bones, doctors have seen patients suffering from hypokalaemia — where potassium levels in the blood drop too low. This can increase the risk of muscle problems and heart rhythm abnormalities, which could prove fatal in some cases. “We are consuming more soft drinks than ever before and a number of health issues have already been identified including tooth problems, bone demineralisation and the development of metabolic syndrome and diabetes,” said Dr Moses Elisaf from the University of Ioannina in Greece, who led an academic review of the issue. “
Even third-hand smoke carries carcinogens: study “They found cancer-causing agents called tobacco-specific nitrosamines stick to a variety of surfaces, where they can get into dust or be picked up on the fingers. Children and infants are the most likely to pick them up, the team at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California reported. "These findings raise concerns about exposures to the tobacco smoke residue that has been recently dubbed 'third-hand smoke'," the researchers wrote in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, available here They suggested a good clean-up could help remove these potentially harmful chemicals and said their findings suggest other airborne toxins may also be found on surfaces.” … "Because of their frequent contact with surfaces and dust, infants and children are particularly at risk," they wrote. "Nicotine, the addictive substance in tobacco smoke, has until now been considered to be non-toxic in the strictest sense of the term," Kamlesh Asotra of the University of California's Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program, which paid for the study, said in a statement. "What we see in this study is that the reactions of residual nicotine with nitrous acid at surface interfaces are a potential cancer hazard, and these results may be just the tip of the iceberg."“
Fibroids May Raise Risk of Stillbirth “"Our results showed that women with a combination of fibroids and fetal growth restriction were at two-and-a-half times the risk of having a stillbirth, though the absolute risk remained rare," study co-author Dr. Alison G. Cahill said in the news release. "This may lead to a future recommendation for serial growth scans to monitor fetal growth in women with fibroids."”
Lead exposure: Tips to protect your child
Pan-Frying Meat With Gas May Be Worse Than Electricity for Raising Cancer Risk
Pancreatic Cancer Linked to Sodas? “Drinking as little as two soft drinks a week appears to nearly double the risk of getting pancreatic cancer, according to a new study. ''People who drank two or more soft drinks a week had an 87% increased risk -- or nearly twice the risk -- of pancreatic cancer compared to individuals consuming no soft drinks," says study lead author Noel T. Mueller, MPH, a research associate at the Cancer Control Program at Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, D.C. The study is published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. The beverage industry took strong exception to the study, calling it flawed and pointing to other research that has found no association between soda consumption and pancreatic cancer. … Even though the new study has limitations, the findings do echo those of previous studies, says Laurence N. Kolonel, MD, PhD, a researcher at the Cancer Research Center and professor of public health at the University of Hawaii, Honolulu. With his colleagues, he evaluated the association between added sugars in the diet and pancreatic cancer risk, publishing the findings in 2007. “In our study, we found a positive association between high intake of fructose and pancreatic cancer,” he tells WebMD. “Since high-fructose corn syrup is the main sweetener in non-diet soft drinks, our findings and those of the present study are quite consistent.””
Effect of Early Life Exposure to Air Pollution on Development of Childhood Asthma (EHP 2010) “These data support the hypothesis that early childhood exposure to air pollutants plays a role in development of asthma.”
Mothers' maximum drinks ever consumed in 24 hours predicts mental health problems in adolescent offspring. (J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2010) “Results: Maximum consumption was associated with conduct disorder, disruptive disorders in general, early substance use and misuse, and substance disorders in adolescent children regardless of sex.”
Is Swimming During Pregnancy a Safe Exercise? (J.Epidemiology. 2010) “Compared with nonexercisers, women who swam in early/mid-pregnancy had a slightly reduced risk of giving birth preterm (hazard ratio = 0.80 [95% confidence interval = 0.72-0.88]) or giving birth to a child with congenital malformations (odds ratio = 0.89 [0.80-0.98]). CONCLUSIONS:: These data do not indicate that swimming in pool water is associated with adverse reproductive outcomes.”
Low IQ among top heart health risks, study finds “Those who ignored or failed to understand advice about the risks of smoking or benefits of good diet and exercise for heart health would be more likely to be at higher risk, they wrote in a study in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention.”
Memory Failing? You May Be at Higher Risk for Stroke
"My child doesn't have a brain injury, he only has a concussion". (Pediatrics. 2010)
Obesity -- Mild or Severe -- Raises Kidney Stone Risk
Pediatricians Urge Choking Warning Labels for Food “When 4-year-old Eric Stavros Adler choked to death on a piece of hot dog, his anguished mother never dreamed that the popular kids' food could be so dangerous. Some food makers including Oscar Mayer have warning labels about choking, but not nearly enough, says Joan Stavros Adler, Eric's mom. The American Academy of Pediatrics agrees. The nation's largest pediatricians group is calling for sweeping changes in the way food is designed and labeled to minimize children's chances for choking. Choking kills more than 100 U.S. children 14 years or younger each year and thousands more -- 15,000 in 2001 -- are treated in emergency rooms. Food, including candy and gum, is among the leading culprits, along with items like coins and balloons. Of the 141 choking deaths in kids in 2006, 61 were food-related.”
Physical inactivity, abdominal obesity and risk of coronary heart disease in apparently healthy men and women (International Journal of Obesity (2010)) “Conclusion: In any BMI category, inactive participants were characterized by an increased waist circumference, a marker of abdominal adiposity, compared with active individuals. Physical inactivity and abdominal obesity were both independently associated with an increased risk of future CHD.”
Quarter of stroke patients die within a year “One in four people who have a stroke will likely die within one year from any cause and 8 percent who have a stroke will have another one soon, U.S. researchers said on Monday. The risks were higher for African-Americans compared to whites and increased with age and the number of other ailments stroke patients had, the researchers wrote in the journal Neurology.”
Agricultural Chemical Spray Linked to Birth Defect Risk “Gastroschisis occurred more often among infants born to mothers who lived less than 25 kilometers (or about 15.5 miles) from the site of high surface water contamination with atrazine. There was no increased risk associated with the other chemicals. The study authors also found that the risk of gastroschisis was higher for women who conceived in the spring (March through May), when agricultural chemical use is more prevalent.”
Autism's Earliest Symptoms Not Evident in Children Under 6 Months, Study Finds
Auto Exhaust Linked to Thickening of Arteries, Possible Increased Risk of Heart Attack “"For the first time, we have shown that air pollution contributes to the early formation of heart disease, known as atherosclerosis, which is connected to nearly half the deaths in Western societies and to a growing proportion of deaths in the rapidly industrializing nations of Asia and Latin America," said study co-author Michael Jerrett, UC Berkeley associate professor of environmental health sciences. "The implications are that by controlling air pollution from traffic, we may see much larger benefits to public health than we thought previously."”
Cannabis and breastfeeding. (J Toxicol. 2009)
Drinking pop can lead to deadly form of cancer “The pancreas makes insulin, and scientists believe high concentrations of insulin can drive the growth of pancreatic cancer cells. Eating too much sugar increases insulin levels in the body, and one of the leading sources of added sugar in our diets are soft drinks. … Those who reported drinking two or more soft drinks per week had an 87-per-cent increased risk of pancreatic cancer compared to those who didn't drink soft drinks. The pop drinkers were averaging five drinks per week.”
More evidence anti-depressants don't work for mild, moderate cases
More Melamine-Tainted Milk Products Found in China “The announcement calls into question the effectiveness of a crackdown launched by Chinese officials to improve product safety after a number of scandals, including the contamination of baby formula in 2008 and the recent discovery of the toxic metal cadmium in cheap jewelry.”
Much Higher Tritium Levels Found at Nuclear Plant “A radioactive substance recently found in groundwater monitoring wells at a Vermont nuclear plant has turned up again at levels more than nine times those previously reported and more than 37 times higher than a federal safe drinking water limit, officials said Thursday. Officials at the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant, state Health Department and federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission said a newly dug monitoring well at the Vernon reactor turned up a reading of nearly 775,000 picocuries per liter. It was by far the highest reading reported yet for tritium, which has been linked to cancer when ingested in large amounts. Despite the much higher reading, an NRC spokeswoman said Thursday there was nothing to fear. "There's not currently, nor is there likely to be, an impact on public health or safety or the environment," the NRC's Diane Screnci said in an interview. She had maintained previously that the Environmental Protection Agency drinking water safety limit of 20,000 picocuries per liter had an abundance of caution built into it. California's state limit is 50 times lower than the EPA's, 400 picocuries per liter. The National Academy of Sciences said in 2005 that any exposure to ionizing radiation from an isotope like tritium elevates the risk of cancer, though it also said with small exposures, the risk would be low. … Gov. Jim Douglas, meanwhile, told reporters he did not know whether to be satisfied with a management shake-up at Vermont Yankee. He had called for such changes last week, three weeks after it was revealed that officials with Vermont Yankee and it's owner, New Orleans-based Entergy Corp., had misled state regulators and lawmakers by saying the nuclear plant did not have the sort of underground piping that could carry tritium.”
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Due to Brainstem Serotonin Abnormality “The findings appear to confirm the hypothesis that SIDS — the unexplained death of an infant within a year of birth — results from lower levels, rather than an excess, of medullary 5-HT. This fits into the triple-risk model of SIDS, suggesting it occurs when 3 elements come together: an infant with an underlying vulnerability, in this case, a low serotonin level; a critical period of development during the first year of life; and an external stressor, sleeping face down. "We call this a perfect storm," said Dr. Kinney: "You have a baby with the underlying vulnerability but that becomes unmasked when the baby is asleep and when the baby undergoes stress."”
A Comparison of the Effects of Three GM Corn Varieties on Mammalian Health (Int J Biol Sci 2009) “We present for the first time a comparative analysis of blood and organ system data from trials with rats fed three main commercialized genetically modified (GM) maize (NK 603, MON 810, MON 863), which are present in food and feed in the world. NK 603 has been modified to be tolerant to the broad spectrum herbicide Roundup and thus contains residues of this formulation. MON 810 and MON 863 are engineered to synthesize two different Bt toxins used as insecticides. … Our analysis clearly reveals for the 3 GMOs new side effects linked with GM maize consumption, which were sex- and often dose-dependent. Effects were mostly associated with the kidney and liver, the dietary detoxifying organs, although different between the 3 GMOs. Other effects were also noticed in the heart, adrenal glands, spleen and haematopoietic system. We conclude that these data highlight signs of hepatorenal toxicity, possibly due to the new pesticides specific to each GM corn. In addition, unintended direct or indirect metabolic consequences of the genetic modification cannot be excluded. … These substances have never before been an integral part of the human or animal diet and therefore their health consequences for those who consume them, especially over long time periods are currently unknown. … Our analysis highlights that the kidneys and liver as particularly important on which to focus such research as there was a clear negative impact on the function of these organs in rats consuming GM maize varieties for just 90 days.”
Air pollution positively correlates with daily stroke admission and in hospital mortality: a study in the urban area of Como, Italy. (Neurol Sci. 2010) “In conclusion, this study suggests an association between short-term outdoor air pollution exposure and ischemic stroke admission and mortality.”
Balance Training Reduces Falls Risk in Older Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes. (Diabetes Care. 2010)
Cell Phones May Be Linked to Increase in Tumors, But Evidence Still Inconclusive
Cigarette Smoking A Risk For Alzheimer's Disease According To Study
Concussions extra dangerous to teen brains
Obesity and weight change in relation to breast cancer survival. (Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2010) “Our study suggests that obesity and weight change after diagnosis are inversely associated with breast cancer prognosis. Weight control is important among women with breast cancer.”
Obesity Ups Cancer Risk, and Here's How “Karin's team shows that liver cancer is fostered by the chronic inflammatory state that goes with obesity, and two well known inflammatory factors in particular. The findings suggest that anti-inflammatory drugs that have already been taken by millions of people for diseases including rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's disease may also reduce the risk of cancer in those at high risk due to obesity and perhaps other factors as well, Karin said.”
Physicians Urged to Consider Active Surveillance in Prostate Cancer “Active surveillance—in the past also called “watchful waiting and “expectant management”—refers to a strategy of forgoing immediate treatment after a diagnosis of prostate cancer in favor of regularly scheduled testing and clinical exams to closely monitor the disease. Active surveillance can include prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing, digital rectal exams (DRE), and prostate biopsies. If, at some point, there are indications that the disease is progressing—such as significant growth in the tumor or a rapid increase in PSA level or higher tumor grade on biopsy—definitive treatments such as surgery or radiation therapy can be pursued.”
Salted Meat Consumption and the Risk of Cancer: a Multisite Case-Control Study in Uruguay. (Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2009)
Study Linking Vaccine to Autism Broke Research Rules, U.K. Regulators Say
Success Seen With Experimental Abstinence Program “An experimental abstinence-only program without a moralistic tone can delay teens from having sex, a provocative study found. Billed as the first rigorous research to show long-term success with an abstinence-only approach, the study differed from traditional programs that have lost federal and state support in recent years. The classes didn't preach saving sex until marriage or disparage condom use. Instead, it involved assignments to help sixth- and seventh graders see the drawbacks to sexual activity at their age, including having them list the pros and cons themselves. Their cons far outnumbered the pros.”
Systematic review of statins for the prevention of vascular dementia or dementia. (Geriatr Gerontol Int. 2010) “Conclusion: Study design differences among the studies and methodological shortcomings may have resulted in different outcomes. On the basis of these conflicting results, statins could not be recommended as a preventative treatment for dementia.”
Vitamin D Supplementation Can Reduce Falls in Nursing Care Facilities
What Is the Lifetime Risk of Physician-diagnosed Asthma in Ontario, Canada? (American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine 2010) “Conclusions: Our estimated overall lifetime risk indicates that one of every three individuals in Ontario, Canada has physician-diagnosed asthma during one's lifetime.”
Egg Consumption and the Risk of Cancer: a Multisite Case-Control Study in Uruguay. (Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2009)
Exercise, green tea may lessen breast cancer blues “Although exercise and drinking green tea seemed to lower depression in this group of Chinese women, breast cancer survivors "should not overdose themselves," Shu cautioned in an email to Reuters Health. He noted that excessive exercise and tea drinking may not have the same benefit on mood. Also, further investigations are necessary to clarify these findings since women in other countries, who may undergo different breast cancer treatment regimens, may react differently.”
Experts say 40 percent of cancers could be prevented “Cervical and liver cancer, both caused by infections which can be prevented with vaccines, should be top priorities, the report said, not only in rich nations, but also in developing countries where 80 percent of global cervical cancer occur. … Other cancer-causing infections include hepatitis C, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Epstein Barr, a herpes-type virus transmitted by saliva. The experts said the risk of developing cancer could potentially be reduced by up to 40 percent if full immunization and prevention measures were deployed and combined with simple lifestyle changes like quitting smoking, eating healthily, limiting alcohol intake and reducing sun exposure.”
HPV Testing More Effective Than Cytology in Preventing Cervical Cancer in Women Over 35 “For women 35 years of age or older, human papillomavirus (HPV)-based screening is more effective in detecting high-grade lesions and preventing invasive cervical cancer than cytology. However, this screening modality is less effective in younger women because it can lead to overdiagnosis of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), which is likely to regress on its own. In a study published online January 19 in the Lancet Oncology, the researchers conclude that for women older than 35 years, HPV testing should replace cytology in routine screening. An accompanying editorial notes that HPV testing "shows a great deal of promise to revolutionize cervical cancer screening, especially in developing countries."“
Influence of smoking cessation after diagnosis of early stage lung cancer on prognosis: systematic review of observational studies with meta-analysis (BMJ 2010) “Conclusions This review provides preliminary evidence that smoking cessation after diagnosis of early stage lung cancer improves prognostic outcomes. From life table modelling, the estimated number of deaths prevented is larger than would be expected from reduction of cardiorespiratory deaths after smoking cessation, so most of the mortality gain is likely to be due to reduced cancer progression. These findings indicate that offering smoking cessation treatment to patients presenting with early stage lung cancer may be beneficial.”
Lead damages child kidneys, even low levels: study “Tiny amounts of lead are common in the blood of U.S. teenagers and may be damaging their kidneys, U.S. researchers reported on Monday. They found evidence of early kidney damage in children with lead levels far below what is normally considered dangerous and said this could lead to kidney disease in later life.”
Long-term developmental outcome of children of women with epilepsy, unexposed or exposed prenatally to antiepileptic drugs: a meta-analysis of cohort studies. (Drug Saf. 2010) “Although our analysis revealed no evidence that untreated maternal epilepsy was associated with a lower IQ in the child, there may have been confounding factors, such as milder epilepsy, in this group. Exposure to valproic acid in pregnancy is associated with significantly reduced intelligence in children whose mothers were treated for epilepsy. Exposure to carbamazepine in pregnancy does not appear to be associated with reduced FSIQ and VIQ in children, although PIQ was lower in the sub-analysis. Clinicians should inform families of the potential cognitive adverse effects of valproic acid.”
Many children 'hear voices'; most aren't bothered “Nearly 1 in 10 seven- to eight-year-olds hears voices that aren't really there, according to a new study. But most children who hear voices don't find them troubling or disruptive to their thinking, the study team found. "These voices in general have a limited impact in daily life," Agna A. Bartels-Velthuis of University Medical Center Groningen in The Netherlands wrote in an email to Reuters Health. And parents whose children hear voices should not be overly concerned, she added. "In most cases the voices will just disappear. I would advise them to reassure their child and to watch him or her closely." Up to 16 percent of mentally healthy children and teens may hear voices, the researchers note in the British Journal of Psychiatry. While hearing voices can signal a heightened risk of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders in later life, they add, the "great majority" of young people who have these experiences never become mentally ill.”
Maternal Influenza Infection During Pregnancy Impacts Postnatal Brain Development in t he Rhesus Monkey. (Biol Psychiatry. 2010) “CONCLUSIONS: Influenza infection during pregnancy affects neural development in the monkey, reducing gray matter throughout most of the cortex and decreasing white matter in parietal cortex. These brain alterations are likely to be permanent, given that they were still present at the monkey-equivalent of older childhood and thus might increase the likelihood of later behavioral pathology.”
Body mass index as predictor for asthma: a cohort study of 118 723 males and females. (Eur Respir J. 2010)
Caffeine Intoxication and Addiction (Journal for Nurse Practitioners. 2010)
Chronic fungal sinusitis leading to disastrous cerebral aspergillosis: a case report (Cases J. 2009)
Cognitive Fluctuations Signal Onset of Alzheimer's “A total of 12% of patients experienced cognitive fluctuations, defined as having 3 or 4 indicators, including daytime somnolence, daytime sleep of more than 2 hours, illogical or disorganized thinking, and staring spells. Of the 216 participants diagnosed as having mild dementia, 25 had mental lapses. Of the 295 with no dementia, only 2 experienced such lapses. After controlling for age and alertness level, those with cognitive fluctuations were 4.6 times more likely to have dementia (95% confidence interval, 2.05 – 10.40). The risk of having a CDR of 0.5, very mild dementia, was 13.4 times higher, and the risk of having a CDR of 1, mild dementia, was 34 times higher for those with cognitive fluctuations vs those without. Performance for those with cognitive fluctuations was decreased across individual neuropsychological tests and in composite scores, the study authors note.”
Confirmation of asthma in an Era of Overdiagnosis. (Eur Respir J. 2010)
Consumers Over Age 50 Should Consider Cutting Copper and Iron Intake, Report Suggests “"It seems clear that large segments of the population are at risk for toxicities from free copper and free iron, and to me, it seems clear that preventive steps should begin now." The article details those steps for people over age 50, including avoiding vitamin and mineral pills that contain cooper and iron; lowering meat intake: avoiding drinking water from copper pipes; donating blood regularly to reduce iron levels; and taking zinc supplements to lower copper levels.”
Driveways could spread toxins into the home “If you're thinking about sprucing up your driveway with a fresh coat of black sealant, consider this: some homes with black parking lots have been found to have surprisingly large doses of carcinogens in their household dust. Some of the sticky, black sealants used to coat asphalt are made of coal tar, which contains polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), some of which are known or suspected carcinogens. Barbara Mahler of the US Geological Survey in Austin, Texas, and colleagues have been tracking a link between high quantities of these compounds in the environment and sealed parking lots. "Scientists who work with these compounds — their jaws drop open when they see our numbers," says Mahler. Their work has led to the banning of coal-tar sealants in some cities, including their home town of Austin and, in 2009, Washington DC. Now they show that the use of coal tar sealant in household driveways makes a big difference to the amount of PAHs in household dust1.”
Drowsiness, Staring, And Other Mental Lapses May Signal Alzheimer's Disease “Older people who have "mental lapses," or times when their thinking seems disorganized or illogical or when they stare into space, may be more likely to have Alzheimer's disease than people who do not have these lapses, according to a study published in the January 19, 2010, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. These mental lapses, also called cognitive fluctuations, are common in a type of dementia called dementia with Lewy bodies, but researchers previously did not know how frequently they occurred in people with Alzheimer's disease and, equally important, what effect fluctuations might have on their thinking abilities or assessment scores.”
Ear Infections: New Thinking on What to Do “Ear infections often clear up on their own. But another pediatric otolaryngologist, Dr. Richard Rosenfeld, stressed that "observation is different than no treatment." Rosenfeld is chairman of otolaryngology at Long Island College Hospital and the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center and a consultant for the American Academy of Pediatrics on the ear infection guidelines. When recommending observation before medication, he said, doctors might send parents home with a "safety net" prescription, one to have on hand in case the situation worsens. Parents should ask the doctor for specifics on the timeline for observation, which typically ranges from one to three days. And while watching and waiting, the focus would be on pain relief. But observation isn't advised for all kids, even if they're healthy and 2 years or older, Tunkel said. For instance, a child with a fever of 102 or more would typically be treated. "We don't want to withhold antibiotics from kids," he said.”
Prenatal Exposure to Flame-Retardant Compounds Affects Neurodevelopment of Young Children “PBDEs are endocrine-disrupting chemicals and widely used flame-retardant compounds that are applied to a broad array of textiles and consumer products, including mattresses, upholstery, building materials, and electronic equipment. Because the compounds are additives rather than chemically bound to consumer products, they can be released into the environment. Human exposure may occur through dietary ingestion or through inhalation of dust containing PBDEs. The researchers found that children with higher concentrations of PBDEs in their umbilical cord blood at birth scored lower on tests of mental and physical development between the ages of one and six. Developmental effects were particularly evident at four years of age, when verbal and full IQ scores were reduced 5.5 to 8.0 points for those with the highest prenatal exposures.”
Phthalate exposure and asthma in children. (Int J Androl. 2010)
Study links thyroid disease to non-stick chemicals “Scientists have linked a chemical used in consumer goods like non-stick pans and water-resistant fabrics with thyroid disease, raising questions about the potential health risks of exposure to the substance. A study by British researchers found that people with high levels of the chemical perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in their blood have higher rates of thyroid diseases -- conditions which affect the body's metabolism. PFOA is a common chemical, used in industrial and consumer products including non-stick cooking pans, stain-proof carpet coatings and waterproofing for fabrics.”
Sun and solarium exposure and melanoma risk: effects of age, pigmentary characteristics, and nevi. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2010)
The role of cats and dogs in asthma and allergy - a systematic review. (Int J Hyg Environ Health. 2010)
Vitamin D insufficiency in pregnant and nonpregnant women of childbearing age in the United States. (Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2010) “CONCLUSION: Adolescent and adult women of childbearing age have a high prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency. Current prenatal multivitamins (400 IU vitamin D) helped to raise serum 25(OH)D levels, but higher doses and longer duration may be required.”
White matter microstructural abnormalities in euthymic bipolar disorder. (Br J Psychiatry. 2010) “CONCLUSIONS: Generalised white matter microstructural abnormalities may exist in bipolar disorder, possibly exacerbated by past substance use and ameliorated by lithium.”
Earlier Bedtimes May Help Protect Adolescents Against Depression and Suicidal Thoughts “Results show that adolescents with parental set bedtimes of midnight or later were 24 percent more likely to suffer from depression (odds ratio = 1.24) and 20 percent more likely to have suicidal ideation (OR=1.20) than adolescents with parental set bedtimes of 10 p.m. or earlier. This association was appreciably attenuated by self-reported sleep duration and the perception of getting enough sleep. Adolescents who reported that they usually sleep for five or fewer hours per night were 71 percent more likely to suffer from depression (OR=1.71) and 48 percent more likely to think about committing suicide (OR=1.48) than those who reported getting eight hours of nightly sleep. Participants who reported that they "usually get enough sleep" were significantly less likely to suffer from depression (OR=0.35) and suicidal ideation (OR=0.71).”
Early Cognitive Deficits, Developmental Delays, May Be a Harbinger for Adult-Onset Schizophrenia “Children who develop schizophrenia as adults already show signs of cognitive deficits by the age of 7 years and lag behind their peers on measures of memory, attention, and processing speed as they mature, according to results of the 30-year Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study. In a study published online January 4 in the American Journal of Psychiatry, Abraham Reichenberg, PhD, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College, London, United Kingdom, and colleagues, found that children who developed schizophrenia as adults had signs of development deficits relative to their peers that emerged early and remained stable on cognitive tests assessing verbal and visual knowledge acquisition, reasoning, and conceptualization. The same children also lagged behind their peers on tests assessing processing speed, attention, visual-spatial problem solving, and working memory. Neither one of these premorbid cognitive patterns were seen in children who later developed recurrent depression.”
HRT, Placebo Each Beats Black Cohosh for Hot Flashes “Black cohosh and red clover are no better than placebo for treating hot flashes and night sweats in menopausal women, according to a randomized control trial. That doesn't mean that they won't be helpful for some women, Dr. Stacie E. Geller, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Illinois, Chicago, the study's lead author, told Reuters Health. But, she added, while the herbal extracts they tested were completely safe when taken daily for a year, the same isn't necessarily the case with products available over the counter. "Unfortunately in this country and many others, there's not enough rigorousness around the development, standardization and monitoring of these products," Dr. Geller said. "We developed our own product, so that's why we knew it was safe and pure." About 75% of women will experience some hot flashes and night sweats as they enter menopause, Dr. Geller noted. "There is a small group of women who have pretty severe hot flashes for a long period of time," she added. "It can be incredibly disruptive."”
Impact of Body Mass Index and the Metabolic Syndrome on the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and Death in Middle-Aged Men. (Circulation. 2009) “Conclusions-Middle-aged men with MetS had increased risk for cardiovascular events and total death regardless of BMI status during more than 30 years of follow-up. In contrast to previous reports, overweight and obese individuals without MetS also had an increased risk. The present data refute the notion that overweight and obesity without MetS are benign conditions.”
Less sleep for kids may mean higher blood sugar
Effects of Aerobic Exercise on Mild Cognitive Impairment (Arch Neurol. 2010) “Conclusions This study provides support, using rigorous controlled methodology, for a potent nonpharmacologic intervention that improves executive control processes for older women at high risk of cognitive decline.”
Feds Probe Cadmium in Kids' Jewelry From China
H1N1 Virus Spreads Easily by Plane “Scientists already know that smallpox, measles, tuberculosis, seasonal influenza and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) can be transmitted during commercial flights. Now, in the first study to predict the number of H1N1 flu infections that could occur during a flight, UCLA researchers found that transmission during transatlantic travel could be fairly high.”
Health Tip: Who Shouldn't 'Cosleep' With an Infant “"Cosleeping" is the practice of letting babies sleep in bed with their parents, an older sibling or a caregiver. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has said the practice is dangerous for any child under 2 years old, according to the Nemours Foundation. Advocates of the practice dispute the agency's recommendation. Nonetheless, the Nemours Foundation says the following people should avoid cosleeping with an infant: • Anyone who has consumed alcohol or used any drugs. • Smokers (because of an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome). • Children, especially of toddler age, because they may inadvertently roll over on the baby.”
High Fat Diet Increases Inflammation in the Mouse Colon “Colorectal cancer, the third most common type of cancer worldwide, has been linked to an increased prevalence of the Western diet: one high in fat and low in fiber, vitamin D and calcium. Now, a team of scientists led by researchers at Rockefeller University have shown what happens to colon tissue when mice are fed such a diet: an inflammatory response that could be the trigger for carcinogenic processes. Their results are published in the November 2009 issue of The Journal of Nutrition.”
Addictive effects of caffeine on kids being studied by UB neurobiologist
AP IMPACT: Toxic metal in kids' jewelry from China “Barred from using lead in children's jewelry because of its toxicity, some Chinese manufacturers have been substituting the more dangerous heavy metal cadmium in sparkling charm bracelets and shiny pendants being sold throughout the United States, an Associated Press investigation shows. The most contaminated piece analyzed in lab testing performed for the AP contained a startling 91 percent cadmium by weight. The cadmium content of other contaminated trinkets, all purchased at national and regional chains or franchises, tested at 89 percent, 86 percent and 84 percent by weight. The testing also showed that some items easily shed the heavy metal, raising additional concerns about the levels of exposure to children. … Cadmium is a known carcinogen. Like lead, it can hinder brain development in the very young, according to recent research. Children don't have to swallow an item to be exposed -- they can get persistent, low-level doses by regularly sucking or biting jewelry with a high cadmium content. To gauge cadmium's prevalence in children's jewelry, the AP organized lab testing of 103 items bought in New York, Ohio, Texas and California. All but one were purchased in November or December. The results: 12 percent of the pieces of jewelry contained at least 10 percent cadmium. Some of the most troubling test results were for bracelet charms sold at Walmart, at the jewelry chain Claire's and at a dollar store. High amounts of cadmium also were detected in "The Princess and The Frog" movie-themed pendants. "There's nothing positive that you can say about this metal. It's a poison," said Bruce A. Fowler, a cadmium specialist and toxicologist with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. On the CDC's priority list of 275 most hazardous substances in the environment, cadmium ranks No. 7.”
As Problems Accumulate, Frailty May Set In “So is frailty inevitable? Eventually, if people live long enough, it's likely they will become increasingly frail. But "it can be delayed," Brangman and others said. Much of it is rooted in unhealthy habits picked up in early and middle age -- "especially a lack of physical exercise, smoking and poor nutrition," said Heppenstall. "To prevent it, we should emphasize regular physical activity in all adults at all ages, as well as a balanced diet," she said. Exercise on a regular basis will at least delay frailty, agreed Brangman. "What we are trying to do is avoid that period of time when people are dependent and debilitated and have a lot of disability and need to be institutionalized." “
Association between local traffic-generated air pollution and preeclampsia and preterm delivery in the south coast air basin of California. (Environ Health Perspect. 2009) “CONCLUSION: Exposure to local traffic-generated air pollution during pregnancy increases the risk of preeclampsia and preterm birth in Southern California women. These results provide further evidence that air pollution is associated with adverse reproductive outcomes.”
Benefit of Memantine in Treating Alzheimer's Disease Not Proven, Study Finds “There is no scientific proof that patients with moderate or severe Alzheimer's disease benefit from drugs containing the agent memantine. This is the conclusion in the final report that the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) published in September 2009.”
Beverages obtained from soda fountain machines in the U.S. contain microorganisms, including coliform bacteria (International Journal of Food Microbiology 2009) “These findings suggest that soda fountain machines may harbor persistent communities of potentially pathogenic microorganisms which may contribute to episodic gastric distress in the general population and could pose a more significant health risk to immunocompromised individuals. These findings have important public health implications and signal the need for regulations enforcing hygienic practices associated with these beverage dispensers.“
Dieters Beware: Calorie Counts Are Frequently Off “According to a new study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, prepared foods may contain an average of 8% more calories than their package labels own up to and restaurant meals may contain a whopping 18% more. Worse still, as far as Food and Drug Administration regulations are concerned, that's perfectly O.K.”
New SBI and ACR recommendations suggest breast cancer screening should begin at age 40 “The new recommendations from the Society of Breast Imaging (SBI) and the American College of Radiology (ACR) on breast cancer screening, published in the January issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology (JACR), state that breast cancer screening should begin at age 40 and earlier in high-risk patients. The recommendations also suggest appropriate utilization of medical imaging modalities such as mammography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and ultrasound for breast cancer screening. "The significant decrease in breast cancer mortality, which amounts to nearly 30 percent since 1990, is a major medical success and is due largely to earlier detection of breast cancer through mammography screening," said Carol H. Lee, MD. "For women with the highest risk of developing breast cancer, screening technologies in addition to mammography have been adopted," said Lee.“
Organochlorine pesticides dieldrin and lindane induce cooperative toxicity in dopaminergic neurons: role of O xidative Stress. (Neurotoxicology. 2009) These results demonstrate that dieldrin and lindane work cooperatively to induce DA neurotoxicity through the induction of oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. These findings may advance understanding of the role of pesticides in the multi-factorial etiology of PD.”
The effects of maternal smoking during pregnancy on offspring outcomes. (Prev Med. 2009) “RESULTS: Maternal smoking during pregnancy was associated with decreased birth weight, low scholastic achievement, regular smoking and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. However, the association between maternal smoking during pregnancy and offspring attention deficit hyperactivity disorder was explained by maternal attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Maternal smoking during pregnancy was also associated with earlier age of offspring initiation of smoking and onset of regular smoking.”
The Long-Term Effects of Breastfeeding on Child and Adolescent Mental Health: A Pregnancy Cohort Study Followed for 14 Years. (J Pediatr. 2010)
Toxic Effects of Lead and Mercury (Medscape Pediatrics 2009) “This article provides an overview of lead and mercury toxicity, including sources of exposure, adverse effects, treatment, and prevention. The primary goals are to impart an understanding of the toxicology of these metals[1] and to help the physician be prepared to counsel families on ways to prevent adverse effects from lead and mercury toxicity.[2] The article also discusses relevant medical literature for further study.”
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