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January Jones wears a red leather jacket to the Mad Men press conference - vote on celebrity fashion, style and red carpet looks in GLAMOUR.COM’s Dos and Don’tsContinue reading...
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
January Jones at the Mad Men press conference
January Jones wears a red leather jacket to the Mad Men press conference - vote on celebrity fashion, style and red carpet looks in GLAMOUR.COM’s Dos and Don’tsContinue reading...
Stress Disorder May Be Common Among ICU Patients on Ventilators
Title: Stress Disorder May Be Common Among ICU Patients on Ventilators
Category: Health News
Created: 3/1/2013 12:35:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 3/4/2013 12:00:00 AM
Category: Health News
Created: 3/1/2013 12:35:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 3/4/2013 12:00:00 AM
Survey Tallies Menopause Symptoms' Toll
Title: Survey Tallies Menopause Symptoms' Toll
Category: Health News
Created: 3/1/2013 2:36:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 3/4/2013 12:00:00 AM
Category: Health News
Created: 3/1/2013 2:36:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 3/4/2013 12:00:00 AM
Drugs May Help Relieve Restless Legs Syndrome
By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay ReporterMONDAY, March 4 (HealthDay News) -- People suffering from restless legs syndrome may find some relief by taking one of several drugs approved to treat the condition, a new review confirms.
The medications, which include Requip (ropinirole), levodopa, Neurontin (gabapentin) and Lyrica (pregabalin), appear to reduce symptoms of the syndrome in more than 60 percent of patients, researchers report. The first two drugs raise dopamine levels in the body, and the last two drugs reduce the amount of calcium reaching brain cells and trigger the production of other chemicals that help reduce pain. Dopamine is a brain chemical that regulates movement and mood.
"Physicians and patients now have better information on the effectiveness and harms of two types of drug treatments for patients with at least moderately severe restless legs symptoms in which to guide treatment choices," said review author Dr. Timothy Wilt, core investigator at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System.
Restless legs syndrome causes a person to feel a powerful urge to move his or her legs. The legs become uncomfortable when lying down or sitting, and the condition can disrupt sleep and take a toll on the quality of life, the researchers said.
One expert, Dr. Martin Niethammer, a neurologist at the Movement Disorders Center of North Shore-LIJ's Cushing Neuroscience Institute in Manhasset, N.Y., said this study is merely a review of the current treatments for restless legs syndrome.
"There is nothing new here at all," he said. "It doesn't add anything to the field."
This is just a compilation of evidence that follows guidelines that have been long established in both Europe and the United States, Niethammer said.
"These are the only treatments approved by the [U.S. Food and Drug Administration]," he added.
The report was published in the March 4 online issue of JAMA Internal Medicine.
For the analysis, Wilt's team reviewed 29 clinical trials. The researchers found that 61 percent of those taking dopamine agonists showed at least a 50 percent improvement in their symptoms, compared with 41 percent of those taking an inactive placebo.
In addition, those taking dopamine agonists slept better and scored higher on measures of quality of life. Dopamine agonists were originally developed to treat Parkinson's disease.
Side effects of dopamine agonists can include euphoria, hallucinations, weight loss, nausea, insomnia, tiredness or weakness, dizziness and drowsiness.
There are generic versions of Requip that cost far less, running between $11 and $22 a month. Insurance covers the treatment in most cases, so actual out-of-pocket costs will vary by insurance plan. The same is true for levodopa, Wilt said.
Neurontin and Lyrica also helped relieve symptoms in 61 percent of patients, compared with 37 percent of those taking a placebo, the researchers found.
Gel Manicures Durable, But Can Cause Lasting Problems
By Robert Preidt
HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, March 1 (HealthDay News) -- Many women like gel manicures because they are durable and long-lasting, but frequent use can cause nail thinning, brittleness, peeling and cracking, and also hide nail disease, an expert warns.
"In general, any manicure left in place for an extended period of time is not a good idea because you are not seeing what is going on underneath the nail polish," Dr. Chris Adigun, an assistant professor of dermatology at the New York University School of Medicine in New York City, said in an American Academy of Dermatology news release.
"As is the case with most things, moderation is the key when it comes to gel manicures," she said. "If you get them regularly, you need to be aware of the possible consequences and see a board-certified dermatologist if a persistent nail problem develops."
It's unclear whether nail brittleness associated with gel manicures is caused by chemicals in the gel nail polish or by the acetone soaks needed to remove the polish. Acetone dries nails and irritates the skin around the nail, Adigun said.
She said women who get frequent gel manicures need to know that the UV light used to cure the gel is a risk factor for skin cancer. Also, photo damage from the UV light can cause cosmetic changes in the skin surrounding nails.
Another potential problem is that nails continually covered in polish hide any problems occurring under the nail, such as an infection or tumor. This could delay diagnosis and treatment, she said.
Adigun offered the following tips for getting gel manicures:
Pay attention to your nails and allow them to regrow and repair. Consider getting gel manicures only occasionally to decrease the risk of problems.When getting gel manicures, wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen on your hands to minimize damage caused by exposure to UV light during the curing process.Tell the manicurist not to push or manipulate the cuticle because that will increase the risk of inflammation and infection and also dry out the nail.Use traditional nail polish instead of gel nail polish if you have recurring nail problems, or if you have an allergy to acetone, which is used to remove gel manicures.Rehydrate your nails several times a day with a moisturizing product, such as petroleum jelly, to combat brittleness, thinning and chipping.When removing gel nail polish, do not chip it with other nails or tools.Soak only the nails, not the whole hand or fingers, in acetone while nail polish is being removed. This will help prevent skin irritation. If you get gel manicures frequently, consider buying finger wraps that expose only the nails and protect surrounding skin.If you notice any unusual changes to the nails, see a dermatologist.More information
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has more about nail-care products.
Tattoos Can Pose Health Hazards, Doctor Warns
By Robert Preidt
HealthDay ReporterFRIDAY, March 1 (HealthDay News) -- Tattoos have become increasingly popular in the United States in recent years, but along with that comes a rise in problems such as allergic reactions and infections, an expert says.
More than one-third of Americans aged 18 to 25 report getting a tattoo, according to the Pew Research Center. But if you're thinking about getting "inked," there are some things to consider before you head to the tattoo parlor.
"Since tattoos are not regulated in any way, there are many unknowns that could pose potential problems for consumers in terms of the inks and tools used," Dr. Michi Shinohara, a clinical assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Washington in Seattle, said in an American Academy of Dermatology news release.
"It is especially important for consumers to be aware of the potential risks, report any problem that develops to the tattoo artist and see a board-certified dermatologist for proper diagnosis and treatment," Shinohara added.
Tattooing inks have changed a great deal over the years and many modern tattoo inks contain organic azo dyes with plastic-based pigments that are also used industrially in printing, textiles and car paint. Many unknowns exist about how these new tattoo inks interact with the skin and within the body.
Allergic reaction to the tattoo pigments is one of the most common problems associated with tattooing. Infections also can pose a serious threat to health. Along with localized bacterial infections, there have been reports of people being infected with syphilis and hepatitis B and C due to non-sterile tattooing practices, Shinohara said.
Skin cancer is another potential risk associated with tattoos because they can make it hard to detect cancer-related changes in moles. If you get a tattoo, make sure it's not placed over an existing mole.
A tattoo can also cause a reaction that creates a bump that resembles a type of skin cancer called squamous cell carcinoma. Because it is hard to distinguish from skin cancer, the bump could lead to potentially unnecessary and expensive skin cancer treatment, including surgery, Shinohara said.
She offered the following advice for people who want to get a tattoo:
Go to a professional tattoo parlor and to a tattoo artist who is licensed according to state requirements. Insist on seeing tattoo equipment in sterile packaging.Tell the tattoo artist if you have a reaction. If a problem lasts more than one to two weeks, see a dermatologist.People with a chronic skin condition such as psoriasis, eczema or a tendency toward keloid scarring should check with a dermatologist before getting a tattoo.Do not get a tattoo over a mole. Doing so will make it more difficult to diagnose a problem if the mole changes in the future.More information
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has more about tattoos and permanent makeup.
Jessica Chastain’s super-straight locks
Jessica Chastain attends Paris Fashion Week with very straight ginger hair – Hair Do's & Don'ts brought to you by Glamour.com. Visit Glamour.com for the latest dos and don'ts for hairstyles, with celebrity photos.Continue reading...
Monday, April 29, 2013
Winter Weather Plays a Role in Spring Allergies, Expert Says
Title: Winter Weather Plays a Role in Spring Allergies, Expert Says
Category: Health News
Created: 3/2/2013 10:35:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 3/4/2013 12:00:00 AM
Category: Health News
Created: 3/2/2013 10:35:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 3/4/2013 12:00:00 AM
Justin Bieber two hours late for London gig
Justin Bieber disappointed fans last night after showing up two hours late for his O2 Arena show. Continue reading...
Jude Law and mystery woman arrive in Marseille
Jude Law kept everyone guessing as he arrived with a mystery woman at Marseille airport - Get the latest in celebrity style and fashion from Glamour.com. Visit Glamour.com to get all the latest celebrity styles, fashion and gossip.Continue reading...
Russell Crowe denies relationship with Samantha Barks
Russell Crowe has denied that he is in a relationship with his Les Mis co-star Samantha Barks.Continue reading...
Salmonella Risk Prompts Easter Candy Recall
March 1, 2013 -- A candy company is recalling some chocolate-covered marshmallow eggs because of possible salmonella contamination.
Zachary Confections, Inc., says its Zachary Chocolate-Covered Marshmallow Eggs should be thrown out or returned to the store.The affected candy was shipped to stores in Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Look for this information on the side panel of the product packaging next to the Unit UPC bar code label:
Zachary Chocolate-Covered Marshmallow Egg Crates in a white, 5-ounce packageUnit UPC code: 0 75186 15797 8Code dates: D3245D; D3145E; F3145E; D3245EBest Buy Date: 02/14/14Zachary says the candy is possibly contaminated with salmonella, but it doesn't say how that might have happened. The bacteria was found during routine testing. Production is on hold until the FDA and the company finds the source.
No one has reported getting sick from the chocolate-covered marshmallow eggs. An infection caused by salmonella can cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea (sometimes bloody), fever, and headache.
Get more details from the FDA.
Olivia Palermo’s loose up-do
Olivia Palermo wears her hair in a loose up-do style – Hair Do's & Don'ts brought to you by Glamour.com. Visit Glamour.com for the latest dos and don'ts for hairstyles, with celebrity photos.Continue reading...
Video Games May Sharpen Focusing Skills in Kids With Dyslexia
By Randy Dotinga
HealthDay ReporterTHURSDAY, Feb. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Here's one possible treatment for dyslexia that kids won't complain about: video games.
Italian researchers report that they found that children with the reading disability scored better on tests after they played an action video game for hours, possibly because their minds temporarily became more focused.
It's not clear if video games directly improved the dyslexia in the kids. If it did, no one knows how long the effect might last or whether the strategy is a better approach than traditional treatments. In other words, dyslexic children shouldn't necessarily play a couple of video games and call their reading specialist in the morning.
Even if video games do help dyslexic kids, "we are not suggesting a 'do-it-yourself' training by any means," said study co-author Andrea Facoetti, an assistant professor with the Developmental & Cognitive Neuroscience Lab at the University of Padua in Italy. However, Facoetti said, video games could become a tool for reading teachers who teach kids with dyslexia, a learning disability that prevents people from properly understanding written words.
In the study, one group of 10 dyslexic kids played a Wii video game called Rayman Raving Rabbids for 12 hours over several days while another group played a video game that didn't focus on action.
The kids who played the action game improved their reading speed by as much or more than a dyslexic child normally would in an intense reading program, Facoetti said.
The video games may train the brain to pay more close attention and focus on things, Facoetti said.
The findings deserve to be taken seriously, said Guinevere Eden, director of the Center for the Study of Learning at Georgetown University and a past president of the International Dyslexia Association.
"It's exciting to see an unconventional approach to try to improve the speed or fluency of reading," she said. It's difficult to improve reading comprehension in dyslexic kids because they read slowly, she explained: "By the time they get to the end of the sentence, they can't tell you what it's about."
The difficult therapy to improve dyslexia is another drawback, she said. "It's hard work, and it's not fun."
If video games help kids with dyslexia read more effectively, shouldn't dyslexia cases have fallen drastically in recent decades during the rise of video games? Study co-author Facoetti said the new research can't answer that question because the children tested hadn't played video games before.
Eden, who's familiar with the findings, said: "I don't have a great answer for you, but there are a couple of things: I don't think we have a good sense of whether dyslexia is going up or down because the whole definition is variable. What's interesting here is how it might be that what we think of dyslexia may be changing, not just because of video games but because of technology in general."
What's next? Eden said researchers should focus on trying to understand why video games may improve the symptoms of dyslexia.
While the study showed an association between playing action video games and improved reading scores among kids with dyslexia, it did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship.
The study was released online Feb. 28 in advance of publication in the March 18 print issue of Current Biology.
More information
For more about dyslexia and other learning disorders, visit the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Bye Bye Beauty Rut
Read Alessandra Steinherr's editorial for 'Your Ultimate Guide To Everything Beauty', free with April's GLAMOUR in association with L'Oreal ParisContinue reading...
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Harry Styles requests extra security amid safety concerns
One Direction star Harry Styles has requested extra security ahead of the US leg of the band’s tour, amid concerns over his safety.Continue reading...
Natalie Portman at the grocery store
Natalie Portman struggled with her trolley as she stocked up in Los Angeles - Get the latest in celebrity style and fashion from Glamour.com. Visit Glamour.com to get all the latest celebrity styles, fashion and gossip.Continue reading...
Resilient Personality May Bring Better Aerobic Health
Title: Resilient Personality May Bring Better Aerobic Health
Category: Health News
Created: 3/1/2013 12:35:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 3/4/2013 12:00:00 AM
Category: Health News
Created: 3/1/2013 12:35:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 3/4/2013 12:00:00 AM
Lack of Sleep Disrupts Genes
By Peter Russell
WebMD Health News
WebMD Health News
March 1, 2013 -- Sleeping fewer than six hours for several nights in a row affects hundreds of genes responsible for keeping us in good health, says a new study.
Research led by the U.K.'s Surrey Sleep Research Centre found that people who were subjected to sleep deprivation for a week underwent changes at a molecular level that could affect their well-being.Sleep disorders are common in industrialized countries, with about 10% to 20% of the U.S. and European population reporting they often don’t get a good night’s sleep. Lack of sleep and disrupting the sleep-wake cycle are known to have a damaging effect on health, but the reasons behind this remain largely unexplored.
The small study involved 14 healthy men and 12 healthy women who were allowed to sleep under laboratory conditions for 5.7 hours one week and 8.5 hours another week.
After each seven-day period, researchers collected and looked at blood samples that included RNA, or ribonucleic acid, from each person. The major type of RNA is called messenger RNA, and this plays a vital role in making proteins. These samples allowed the researchers to examine what happens to the RNA in the blood, brain, and liver.
Professor Derk-Jan Dijk and his colleagues found that volunteers who got less than six hours of sleep each night over the course of a week had changes to 711 RNA genes linked to inflammation, the ability to fight disease, and stress. These changes might have an impact on obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and brain function.
The findings appear in the journal PNAS.
Professor Jim Horne from the Sleep Research Centre at Loughborough University says people shouldn’t be alarmed by the study results.
"The potential perils of 'sleep debt' in today’s society and the need for 'eight hours of sleep a night’ are overplayed and can cause undue concern," Horne says. "Although this important study seems to support this concern, the participants had their sleep suddenly restricted to an unusually low level, which must have been somewhat stressful."
"We must be careful not to generalize such findings to, say, habitual six-hour sleepers who are happy with their sleep,” he says. “Besides, sleep can adapt to some change, and should also be judged on its quality, not simply on its total amount."
Researchers Describe 1st 'Functional Cure' of HIV in Baby
Title: Researchers Describe 1st 'Functional Cure' of HIV in Baby
Category: Health News
Created: 3/3/2013 6:35:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 3/4/2013 12:00:00 AM
Category: Health News
Created: 3/3/2013 6:35:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 3/4/2013 12:00:00 AM
Can Therapy Dogs Help Kids With Autism?
Title: Can Therapy Dogs Help Kids With Autism?
Category: Health News
Created: 2/26/2013 10:35:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 2/26/2013 12:00:00 AM
Category: Health News
Created: 2/26/2013 10:35:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 2/26/2013 12:00:00 AM
Foods Might Serve Up High Levels of Chemicals Found in Plastics
By Carina Storrs
HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates, two types of chemicals in plastics that have been linked to a number of health effects, could still find their way into your body even if you avoid foods that are shipped, stored or cooked using plastic materials, new research suggests.
The findings are based on a small study that followed 10 families for five days. Half of the families got catered meals made with fresh, local ingredients that were not stored or prepared with plastics.
The other half got a handout on how to avoid BPA and phthalates in their diet, such as not microwaving foods and drinks in plastic containers and avoiding food in cans, which are often lined in BPA-containing material.
"We fully expected to see reductions in the catered-diet group, and hoped the other group would also have reductions" in their levels of these chemicals, said study author Dr. Sheela Sathyanarayana, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington in Seattle.
Instead, the researchers found that all but one person in the catered-diet group had a spike in phthalate levels in their urine during the five-day diet intervention, and a more modest increase in their BPA levels. In contrast, the group that got handouts had steady levels of these chemicals over the study period.
The researchers then tested the ingredients in the catered diet to track down the source of phthalate exposure and detected high levels in milk, butter and cream, and also in some of the spices, such as cinnamon and ground coriander.
"Several studies have found that high-fat dairy tends to contain high concentration of phthalates, maybe because of phthalates in the plastic tubing that milk goes through to get to the final containers, and it may be in animal products, such as feed," Sathyanarayana said.
Overall, the more processed the food, the more likely it could come into contact with materials that contain phthalates, and phthalates can easily leach from these materials into food, Sathyanarayana explained. Spices could be one type of highly processed food, she added.
Unfortunately, consumers have no way of knowing which products or brands contain phthalates because manufacturers themselves don't know whether their processing materials contain phthalates, Sathyanarayana added.
Brent Collett and his wife and kids were one of the families that received the catered diet for Sathyanarayana's study. At the end of the study, Collett and the other families received a letter telling them their phthalate and BPA levels and the foods that contained phthalates.
"To have ingredients [such as coriander] that is not a major part of diet lead to this increase was a bit of an eye-opener," said Collett, a psychologist at Seattle Children's Hospital. "There would be no way we as consumers could do any better" than the catered diet in this study at avoiding plastics, he added.
Countries With More Sugar in Food Supply Have More Diabetes
By Serena Gordon
HealthDay ReporterWEDNESDAY, Feb. 27 (HealthDay News) -- It's a common belief that type 2 diabetes is caused by eating too much sugar. While it's not nearly that simple, a new study bolsters the connection between the disorder and sugar consumption.
The study found that even when researchers factored obesity out, an association still remained between the amount of sugar in the food supply and a country's rate of diabetes.
"The old mantra that 'a calorie is a calorie' is probably naive," said study lead author Dr. Sanjay Basu, an assistant professor of medicine at Stanford University. "Some calories may be more metabolically harmful than others, and sugar calories appear to have remarkably potent properties that make us concerned about their long-term metabolic effects. This study also suggests that obesity alone may not be the only issue in [the development of] diabetes."
Results of the study are published Feb. 27 in the journal PLoS One.
The prevalence of diabetes in the world has more than doubled over the last 30 years, according to study background information. That means nearly one in 10 adults in the world has diabetes, and most of those have type 2 diabetes. (The less-common type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that's not related to food intake.)
Although the development of type 2 diabetes is associated with obesity and sedentary lifestyles, not everyone with type 2 diabetes is overweight, according to the American Diabetes Association. A genetic susceptibility to the disease is also believed to play a role.
Previous research has suggested that obesity isn't the only driver in the development of type 2 disease, and some studies have pinpointed excessive sugar intake, particularly sugars added to processed foods.
To get an idea of whether sugar plays an independent role in type 2 diabetes, Basu and his colleagues reviewed data from the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization on the availability of foods in 175 countries. They also obtained data on the prevalence of diabetes in adults from the International Diabetes Federation.
Using statistical methods to tease out certain factors, such as obesity, the researchers found that the availability of sugar in the diet was linked to diabetes. For every additional 150 calories of sugar -- about the amount in a 12-ounce can of sweetened soda -- that were available per person daily, the prevalence of diabetes rose 1 percent in the population.
And, this rise was independent of obesity, physical activity and other factors that might contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes, the investigators found.
But, when the researchers looked at 150 additional calories per person a day from other sources, they found only a 0.1 percent rise in the rate of diabetes.
Mother's Drinking Increases Risk of Infant's Death: Study
By Kathleen Doheny
HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, Feb. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Children of women who are diagnosed with an alcohol disorder during pregnancy or within a year after giving birth have a three-fold higher risk of dying from SIDS -- sudden infant death syndrome -- compared to babies whose mothers do not have alcohol issues, according to a new Australian study.
In the study, a mother's problem drinking was implicated in about one out of every six SIDS deaths, according to the researchers. Alcohol abuse by the mothers was also linked with about 3 percent of the deaths caused by something other than SIDS, the researchers found.
"Maternal alcohol-use disorder is a significant risk factor for SIDS and infant mortality excluding SIDS," wrote researcher Colleen O'Leary, of Curtin University in Perth, and colleagues.
The study was published online Feb. 25 and in the March print issue of the journal Pediatrics
SIDS is defined as the sudden death of an infant less than 1 year old that can't be explained after thoroughly investigating, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Overall, SIDS deaths have dropped by more than half since 1990, the CDC noted. Even so, it is still the leading cause of death among U.S. babies aged 1 month to 1 year.
In 2009, about 2,200 U.S. children died from SIDS. The rate is still disproportionately high among some groups, including American Indians, Alaskan natives and blacks, the Australian researchers said.
Australia has a higher-than-average infant death rate, with more than four of every 1,000 live births affected, according to study background information.
Experts have known that certain risk factors increase the chances of SIDS, including bed sharing, maternal smoking and putting a baby to sleep on their stomach. Prevention guidelines recommend positioning babies on their backs.
More recently, researchers have focused on alcohol.
The new study findings did not surprise David P. Phillips, a professor of sociology at the University of California, San Diego, who also has reported a link between parental alcohol intake and SIDS deaths. As alcohol consumption rises -- such as on New Year's and weekends -- so do the number of SIDS deaths, he found.
"We know that when people are under the influence of alcohol, they perform tasks much more poorly, including parenting," he said.
For the new study, the Australian researchers evaluated nearly 78,000 live births from 1983 to 2005. They found nearly 22,000 of the mothers had an alcohol diagnosis such as acute alcohol intoxication or dependence. About 56,000 did not.
In all, more than 300 children died from SIDS and nearly 600 others died of other causes.
Although the study found an association between infant death and maternal drinking, it didn't establish a cause-and-effect relationship. The researchers can't explain exactly why alcohol abuse and SIDS are linked. They speculate that the alcohol has a bad effect on the development of the brainstem during pregnancy.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
C-Section May Raise Child's Risk of Allergies, Asthma: Study
Title: C-Section May Raise Child's Risk of Allergies, Asthma: Study
Category: Health News
Created: 2/25/2013 6:36:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 2/26/2013 12:00:00 AM
Category: Health News
Created: 2/25/2013 6:36:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 2/26/2013 12:00:00 AM
Healthy Older Women Advised Against Taking Calcium
Title: Healthy Older Women Advised Against Taking Calcium
Category: Health News
Created: 2/25/2013 6:36:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 2/26/2013 12:00:00 AM
Category: Health News
Created: 2/25/2013 6:36:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 2/26/2013 12:00:00 AM
'Worried Well' Often Ignore Negative Test Results: Study
Title: 'Worried Well' Often Ignore Negative Test Results: Study
Category: Health News
Created: 2/26/2013 10:35:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 2/26/2013 12:00:00 AM
Category: Health News
Created: 2/26/2013 10:35:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 2/26/2013 12:00:00 AM
Primary Care Doctors Can Make the Wrong Call
Title: Primary Care Doctors Can Make the Wrong Call
Category: Health News
Created: 2/25/2013 6:36:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 2/26/2013 12:00:00 AM
Category: Health News
Created: 2/25/2013 6:36:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 2/26/2013 12:00:00 AM
Artificial Pancreas Worked Overnight on Kids With Type 1 Diabetes
By Serena Gordon
HealthDay ReporterWEDNESDAY, Feb. 27 (HealthDay News) -- The artificial pancreas -- a treatment that's been called the closest thing to a possible cure for type 1 diabetes -- may be another step closer to becoming a reality.
Israeli researchers just released the findings from an overnight trial of their artificial pancreas system at three different camps for youngsters with type 1 diabetes. The artificial pancreas system was able to maintain better blood sugar levels, and helped prevent dangerous overnight drops in blood sugar levels, compared to an insulin pump and a continuous glucose monitor, according to the study.
"There is hope for better control without the fear of [low blood sugar levels], and therefore improvement in quality of life is coming soon," said study author Dr. Moshe Phillip.
Philip is director of the Institute for Endocrinology and Diabetes at the National Center for Childhood Diabetes at the Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, in Tel Aviv. The findings appear in the Feb. 28 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system turns against healthy cells. In type 1 diabetes, the immune system attacks beta cells in the pancreas, effectively destroying the body's ability to produce the hormone insulin. Insulin helps metabolize carbohydrates from food and fuels the body's cells.
Insulin can't be replaced with a pill. It must be injected with a shot or delivered by a pump that uses a tiny catheter inserted under the skin. This catheter must be changed every few days. The problem with both techniques is that people have to estimate how much insulin they'll need based on the foods they eat and how much activity they'll be doing.
Too much insulin can result in low blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia), which makes a person with diabetes feel awful, and if left untreated, can cause a person to pass out. Low blood sugar levels can even lead to death. Too little insulin leads to high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia), which over time can cause serious complications, such as heart disease and kidney and eye problems.
An artificial pancreas could potentially solve those problems by taking over the decision-making process and applying sophisticated computer algorithms to decide how much insulin is needed at any given moment.
But developing such a device isn't easy. It has to be able to continuously detect patients' blood sugar levels and know whether the levels are trending up or down. There also has to be a piece of the device that holds and delivers insulin. Right now, most artificial pancreas devices, including the one tested in this study, use already-available insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors. Such monitors measure blood sugar levels every few minutes with a sensor that's inserted under the skin, and send the results to a transmitter.
Iron-Rich Diet Might Ease PMS Misery
By Serena Gordon
HealthDay ReporterTUESDAY, Feb. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Millions of American women know the pain and emotional tumult of premenstrual syndrome, or PMS. But a new study finds that diets full of iron from plant-based sources might help ease the condition.
Women who ate in this way were about one-third less likely to develop PMS than women who consumed less iron, the researchers found. Non-meat sources of iron include dried beans and green leafy vegetables.
Another mineral makes a difference, the study found. Higher levels of zinc were also associated with less PMS over the 10-year study period. Zinc occurs in many fresh fruits and vegetables.
"It does look like a range of minerals are important for menstrual cycle health and for PMS. Women should consume a balanced diet, and if they're not getting enough nutrients from their diet, they should take a multivitamin," recommended senior study author Elizabeth Bertone-Johnson, an associate professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Bertone-Johnson said the researchers don't know exactly why iron might be associated with less PMS, because iron is involved in many processes in the body. They think higher levels of iron might reduce the pain and emotional symptoms of PMS by boosting levels of a brain chemical called serotonin. Low serotonin levels play a role in clinical depression, and Bertone-Johnson said that serotonin has been linked to PMS symptoms in other research.
As with iron, Bertone-Johnson said it wasn't clear how higher levels of zinc might protect against PMS.
Results of the study were published online Feb. 26 in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
PMS affects between 8 percent and 15 percent of women in their reproductive years, according to study background information. Symptoms can be physical or emotional, and may include breast tenderness, abdominal bloating, appetite changes, depression and anxiety.
The current research followed about 3,000 women enrolled in the U.S. Nurses' Health Study II. None of the women reported having PMS at the start of the study.
Over 10 years, the women completed three food-intake questionnaires. At the end of the study, 1,057 women reported PMS, and the remaining 1,968 women did not.
After adjusting the data for calcium intake and other factors, the researchers found that the women who consumed the most non-heme iron had up to a 40 percent lower PMS risk compared to the women who consumed the least non-heme iron. Non-heme iron is iron that comes from plant-based sources or supplements, rather than from meat.
The risk of developing PMS dropped significantly for women who consumed more than 20 milligrams (mg) of iron daily. The lowest risk was seen in women consuming nearly 50 mg of iron daily. However, the recommended daily intake for premenopausal women is 18 mg per day, according to Bertone-Johnson.
Primary Care Doctors Can Make the Wrong Call
By Amanda Gardner
HealthDay ReporterMONDAY, Feb. 25 (HealthDay News) -- In one case documented in a new study, an elderly patient was misdiagnosed with bronchitis but actually had full-blown pneumonia and ended up being admitted to the hospital.
Although that patient recovered, other symptoms that aren't properly diagnosed could be even more serious: numbness, tingling and dizziness that aren't recognized as the first signs of a stroke, for instance.
According to the new study, published online Feb. 25 in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, primary care physicians can make diagnostic errors across a wide range of conditions, many of them common conditions such as urinary tract infections and anemia.
"There's a great heterogeneity of conditions [that are missed]," said study author Dr. Hardeep Singh.
Although much is known about medication errors and mistakes that occur in hospitals and other inpatient settings, less is known about mistakes that happen in doctors' offices or clinics, said Singh, chief of the Health Policy, Quality and Informatics Program at the Houston VA Health Services Research and Development Center of Excellence.
Similarly, while "high-profile" diagnostic mistakes -- missed cancer that ends in unnecessary death, for example -- often make the news, more mundane diagnostic errors can fly under the radar, he added.
In the study, Singh and his colleagues used electronic medical records to identify 190 cases of diagnostic errors that took place in a primary-care physician's office, either at a VA facility or in a private health care system. Sixty-eight of those were missed diagnoses, according to the study.
Diagnostic errors occurred across many common conditions, including pneumonia (6.7 percent of the cases), congestive heart failure (5.7 percent), kidney failure (5.3 percent) and urinary tract or kidney infection (4.8 percent). Cancer made up 5.3 percent of missed diagnoses, on a par with kidney failure.
Eighty percent of the errors were due to communication breakdowns between the patient and practitioner. This could have been failing to take a proper medical history or not performing a comprehensive physical exam. There also were problems with ordering and interpreting tests and follow-up care.
More than 40 percent of the cases studied involved more than one of these factors.
Although all the cases reviewed in this study involved patients coming back for -- and receiving -- follow-up care, the cases did have the potential for "moderate to severe harm," the authors said.
It's not clear if these findings would extrapolate into other primary care settings, especially ones that aren't part of a larger health care network, the authors said. (Even in this study, the authors found different patterns in the VA network versus the private system.)
The authors did not say what proportion of total diagnoses were in error, said Dr. Doug Campos-Outcalt, chairman of family medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, in Phoenix.
Another Study Says Mediterranean Diet Good for the Heart
By Kathleen Doheny
HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, Feb. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Score another heart-health win for the Mediterranean diet.
Eating a diet rich in olive oil, nuts, fresh fruits and vegetables, along with red wine, helped those at high risk for cardiovascular problems avoid heart trouble better than those eating a low-fat diet, a new Spanish study has found.
During a follow-up period of about five years, study participants on a Mediterranean diet that emphasized either olive oil or nuts had a 30 percent greater reduction in relative risk of a heart attack, stroke or death from cardiovascular disease, said study lead author Dr. Miguel Angel Martinez-Gonzalez. He is chairman of preventive medicine and public health at the Universidad de Navarra in Spain.
"This is a moderate-to-high benefit," he said. "The low-fat diet also helped, but to a lesser degree."
The new findings are published online Feb. 25 in the New England Journal of Medicine. They will also be presented Monday at the International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition in Loma Linda, Calif.
The findings echo those from previous research.
Martinez-Gonzalez's team evaluated nearly 7,500 men and women. They ranged in age from 55 to 80 when they enrolled in the study, which began in Spain in 2003. Fifty-seven percent of the participants were women.
While the men and women had no history of heart attack or stroke or other cardiovascular problems at enrollment, they did have risk factors such as type 2 diabetes, smoking, high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
The researchers assigned the men and women to one of three groups -- a low-fat diet, a Mediterranean diet that focused on nuts or a Mediterranean diet that focused on olive oil.
On average, the men and women were overweight or obese. In all three groups, the average body-mass index was 30 or close to it, which is defined as obese.
The olive oil group consumed about four tablespoons a day or more. The nuts group ate about three servings a week or more, including walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds. Members of both groups also ate plenty of fruits and vegetables, as well as fish, and drank wine with meals. They could have white meat but were told to avoid red and processed meats.
The low-fat group ate low-fat dairy, breads, potatoes, fruits and vegetables, and lean fish. They were told to avoid oils, baked goods, nuts, red and processed meat, and fatty fish.
At the end of the study, 288 cardiovascular events had occurred. While 109 of those events occurred in the low-fat group, 96 were in the group that ate a Mediterranean diet with olive oil, and 83 were in the Mediterranean diet-with-nuts group.
When the researchers looked separately at stroke, heart attack and death, only the link between the Mediterranean diet and stroke was statistically significant. The researchers found a link between the diets and heart protection, but it did not prove cause and effect, they said.
Friday, April 26, 2013
Do Vitamin Supplements Make Sense?
Feb. 27, 2013 -- For years, women have been told to take extra calcium to guard against osteoporosis.
But doctors just reversed that advice. After looking at scores of studies, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) says that common doses of calcium and vitamin D don’t prevent fractures in women past menopause who have healthy bones, and they may raise the risk of kidney stones.
That recommendation comes on the heels of two new studies showing that men and women with high calcium levels from supplements were more likely to die of heart disease than those who got less calcium or who got their calcium from diet alone.
Calcium is just the latest supplement to falter under scientific scrutiny. Other studies have questioned the value of fish oil, and antioxidants like vitamins C, E, and beta-carotene.
Does that mean you should ditch your daily calcium pill? What about other kinds of supplements?
Experts on both sides of the debate say that despite discouraging headlines, it’s still smart for some people to take supplements, depending on their individual nutritional needs.
“I think scientists are still trying to make sense of it all, particularly the latest calcium studies. In many cases the risks don’t appear to apply to all people,” says Carol Haggans, a registered dietitian who keeps up with the latest research for the Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institutes of Health.
Duffy MacKay, ND, cautions that nutrition research is complex and still “in its infancy.” He is vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs at the Council for Responsible Nutrition, a group that promotes supplements.
Haggans says people should get two messages loud and clear:
Whole foods nearly always top pills. “We need certain amounts of these vitamins and minerals, and it’s preferable to get them from eating a variety of healthy foods. That really should be the basis of what people are trying to do,” she says.More is not better. “When you’re starting to take individual supplements or higher doses, that’s when you can potentially get into trouble,” she says.Here’s what science says about several other popular supplements:
Women planning a pregnancy need at least 400 micrograms of folic acid from fortified foods or supplements each day, according to the National Institute of Medicine. Folic acid has been shown to prevent serious birth defects of the spine and brain. It may also cut a child’s chances of developing autism.
A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that women who started taking folic acid at least a month before their pregnancy and for eight weeks after conception had a 40% lower risk of having a child with autism than women who didn’t take folic acid.
Health Tip: Serve Up a Healthy After-School Snack
Title: Health Tip: Serve Up a Healthy After-School Snack
Category: Health News
Created: 2/26/2013 8:35:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 2/26/2013 12:00:00 AM
Category: Health News
Created: 2/26/2013 8:35:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 2/26/2013 12:00:00 AM
Can Therapy Dogs Help Kids With Autism?
By Amy Norton
HealthDay ReporterTUESDAY, Feb. 26 (HealthDay News) -- For children with autism, trained dogs may offer not only a furry friend, but some therapeutic benefits, too, a new research review finds.
There is a "substantial body of evidence" that dogs act as "social catalysts," even encouraging adults to be a little friendlier to each other, said senior researcher Francesca Cirulli, of the National Institute of Health in Rome, Italy. And the few studies that have focused on kids with autism suggest the same is true for them.
People have long turned to animals as a way to help with health conditions or disabilities -- either as part of formal therapy or to offer everyday assistance (such as guide dogs for the blind).
In some cases, "therapy" or "service" dogs are called into action to help children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) -- a group of developmental brain disorders that hinder a child's ability to communicate and interact socially. ASDs range from the severe cases of "classic" autism to the relatively mild form called Asperger's syndrome.
In the United States, it's estimated that about one in 88 children has some form of autism.
Yet there has been little research into whether trained dogs actually benefit those kids. The good news is, the existing evidence is promising, according to the new review, published in the February issue of the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.
However, "it is early to draw final conclusions," said Cirulli.
Specifically, Cirulli's team found six published studies of dogs' effects on children with an autism spectrum disorder. Four of them looked at therapy dogs -- dogs that therapists use during formal sessions to help children settle in, get engaged and be more open to communicating.
Overall, the studies were positive, Cirulli and her colleagues found.
In one study of 22 children, for example, kids were more talkative and socially engaged during therapy sessions where a dog was present. In another study, of 12 boys, the children were less aggressive and smiled more when their therapy session included a canine companion.
Two studies focused on service dogs -- trained dogs that live with the family. The animals serve mainly to keep kids with autism safe; when the family goes out, the child will be literally tethered to the dog to keep from running off or getting hurt.
"That can be a huge relief for families," said Dr. Melissa Nishawala, medical director of the Autism Spectrum Disorders Clinical and Research Program at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City.
Parents' anxiety over their child's safety can lead to social isolation in some cases, noted Nishawala, who was not involved in the study. "Your world can get very small," she said, "because you limit where you go."
Health Tip: Work Out at the Right Speed for You
Title: Health Tip: Work Out at the Right Speed for You
Category: Health News
Created: 2/26/2013 8:35:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 2/26/2013 12:00:00 AM
Category: Health News
Created: 2/26/2013 8:35:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 2/26/2013 12:00:00 AM
Allergy 'Rescue' Shots May Work Better in Lower Thigh of Overweight Kids
Title: Allergy 'Rescue' Shots May Work Better in Lower Thigh of Overweight Kids
Category: Health News
Created: 2/25/2013 2:36:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 2/26/2013 12:00:00 AM
Category: Health News
Created: 2/25/2013 2:36:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 2/26/2013 12:00:00 AM
Pediatricians Say No to Expulsions, Suspensions at Schools
Title: Pediatricians Say No to Expulsions, Suspensions at Schools
Category: Health News
Created: 2/25/2013 12:36:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 2/26/2013 12:00:00 AM
Category: Health News
Created: 2/25/2013 12:36:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 2/26/2013 12:00:00 AM
Teen Pregnancy-Prevention Program Works, Study Says
Title: Teen Pregnancy-Prevention Program Works, Study Says
Category: Health News
Created: 2/25/2013 4:36:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 2/26/2013 12:00:00 AM
Category: Health News
Created: 2/25/2013 4:36:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 2/26/2013 12:00:00 AM
Thursday, April 25, 2013
CPR Training Should Focus on High-Risk Neighborhoods: Experts
Title: CPR Training Should Focus on High-Risk Neighborhoods: Experts
Category: Health News
Created: 2/25/2013 4:36:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 2/26/2013 12:00:00 AM
Category: Health News
Created: 2/25/2013 4:36:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 2/26/2013 12:00:00 AM
Pediatrics Group Issues New Ear Infection Guidelines
By Serena Gordon
HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, Feb. 25 (HealthDay News) -- The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued new guidelines for identifying and treating a common childhood ailment that can cause a lot of misery -- the ear infection.
In the guidelines released Monday, the pediatrics group more clearly defines the signs and symptoms that indicate an infection that might need treatment. They also encourage observation with close follow-up instead of antibiotic treatment for many children, including some under the age of 2 years. And, for parents of children with recurrent infections, the new guidelines advise physicians and parents when it's time to see a specialist.
"Between a more accurate diagnosis and the use of observation, we think we can greatly decrease the use of antibiotics," said the lead author of the new guidelines, Dr. Allan Lieberthal, a pediatrician at Kaiser Permanente Panorama City, in Los Angeles, and a clinical professor of pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California.
The last set of guidelines was issued in 2004. Lieberthal said those stimulated a lot of new research, which provided additional evidence for the current American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines appearing in the March issue of Pediatrics.
Lieberthal said the biggest change in the new document is the definition of the diagnosis itself.
Pediatrician Dr. Roya Samuels, who has reviewed the new guidelines, agreed. "The definition is more clear-cut, more precise," she said. But, she added, "There's still no gold standard for diagnosis. There are different stages of [ear infections], and making the diagnosis can be tricky."
Because the diagnosis isn't always easy to make, the AAP offers detailed treatment suggestions, encouraging observation with close follow-up, but also leaves it up to the discretion of the doctor whether or not to prescribe antibiotics. If children who are being observed don't improve within 48 to 72 hours from when symptoms first began, the guidelines recommend beginning antibiotic therapy.
Previous guidelines recommended giving antibiotics for ear infections in children age 2 and under. The new guidelines suggest that children aged between 6 months and 23 months can be observed with close follow-up as long as they don't have severe symptoms.
Another key component of the new guidelines is pain management. "Antibiotics take 24 to 48 hours before they start to improve signs and symptoms, so if a child has fever or pain, it's important to place them on [pain-relieving or fever-reducing medications]," Samuels said.
The guidelines also confirm that amoxicillin should be the antibiotic of choice unless the child is allergic to penicillin, or if the child has been treated with amoxicillin during the past month.
The new guidance from the AAP also states that children, even those with recurrent infections, shouldn't be on long-term daily antibiotics to try to prevent infections from occurring.
Scientists Pinpoint How Deep Brain Stimulation Eases OCD
By Amanda Gardner
HealthDay ReporterSUNDAY, Feb. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Deep brain stimulation has helped people with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder, and new research begins to explain why.
A Dutch study appearing in the Feb. 24 online issue of the journal Nature Neuroscience found the procedure essentially restored normal function in a part of the brain called the nucleus accumbens.
The nucleus accumbens "is part of a greater brain network," explained study author Dr. Martijn Figee. "This network is involved in motivation and the processing of rewards, and its activity is disturbed in [obsessive-compulsive disorder], probably explaining why [patients] are stuck in pathological behaviors at the cost of healthy ones."
So, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is essentially the result of faulty wiring in the brain.
It's not so much a disorder of a specific part of the brain than it is a "disorder of neurocircuitry," explained Dr. Brian Snyder, director of functional and restorative neurosurgery at Winthrop University Hospital in Mineola, N.Y.
About 1 percent of U.S. adults suffer from the condition, which involves unwanted, intrusive thoughts or obsessions that then spur compulsive behavior.
While a person without OCD might momentarily worry that he or she has forgotten to lock the door, that thought is quickly balanced by the realization that, yes, the door has indeed been locked.
For a person with OCD, on the other hand, the thought that the door is unlocked will recur and fall into a repetitive pattern of thinking (obsession) and checking to make sure the door is locked (compulsion).
Dr. Wayne Goodman, professor and chair of psychiatry at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City described OCD as a kind of "reverberating circuit."
Deep brain stimulation (DBS), which is widely used for severe Parkinson's and experimentally to treat major depression, has limited approval in the United States to treat OCD that hasn't responded to other treatments.
But experts haven't been sure why the procedure worked.
This study involved 16 patients with OCD and 13 healthy controls, all of whom had electrodes implanted in the nucleus accumbens area of the brain. They then underwent functional MRI brain scans while performing a task that involved the anticipation of reward (the type of activity that might trigger OCD).
OCD symptoms improved an average of 50 percent while brain activity -- not only in the nucleus accumbens but also in a larger brain network -- was normalized, said Figee, who is a psychiatrist with the DBS psychiatry department at Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
"This may explain why patients with DBS experience very fast changes in a wide array of motivational and behavioral problems," he added. "This is clinically important because it indicates that DBS could also help for other disorders that have similar network disturbances, like addiction or eating disorders."
Sibling's Death May Boost Your Own Risk of Dying From Heart Attack: Study
By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay ReporterWEDNESDAY, Feb. 27 (HealthDay News) -- When a brother or sister dies -- especially from a heart attack -- the risk of a surviving sibling also dying from a heart attack increases sharply in the following years, a large new study from Sweden suggests.
Chronic stress or lifestyle choices like drinking, smoking, unhealthy diet and lack of exercise may follow the loss of a sibling, increasing the risk of a heart attack over time, the researchers said.
"Health care providers should follow bereaved siblings to help recognize signs of acute or chronic psychosocial stress mechanisms that could lead to heart attack," said lead researcher Mikael Rostila, an associate professor at Stockholm University and the Karolinska Institute.
"We might be able to prevent heart attacks and other heart-related conditions by treating these siblings early on and recommending stress management," he added.
Reasons for the association between a sibling's death and the death of a brother or sister years later aren't clear, Rostila noted. And although the study showed an association between a sibling's heart attack death and heightened death risk, it did not establish a cause-and-effect relationship.
"More detailed information from medical records, shared childhood social environment and family characteristics, and data on personal and relational characteristics is needed to uncover the mechanisms causing the association between sibling death and heart attack," Rostila said.
The report was published in the Feb. 27 issue of the Journal of the American Heart Association.
To see the effect of a sibling's death on their other siblings, Rostila's team collected data on more than 1.6 million people in Sweden, aged 40 to 69.
They found the risk of dying from a heart attack increased 25 percent among surviving sisters and 15 percent among surviving brothers compared to people who had not lost a sibling. If their brother or sister died of a heart attack, risk of also dying from a heart attack in the following years increased by 62 percent among women and 98 percent among men, Rostila's team found.
Death from a heart attack was not likely to happen immediately after siblings died, the researchers said. Rather, the risk rose in the four to six years after a sibling's death among women and in the two to six years afterward among men, they found.
"This is a red flag for families," said Dr. Stephen Green, associate chairman of the department of cardiology at North Shore University Hospital, in Manhasset, N.Y. "We know that heart disease is genetic and environmental and typically siblings and family members share the same gene pool, but also share the same bad habits."
Many siblings whose brother or sister died from a heart attack have undiagnosed heart disease, Green said.
If you -- or someone you know -- has a family member with a history of heart disease or heart attack, or a family member who died from heart disease, it is important to talk with your primary care doctor or a cardiologist to make sure it doesn't happen to you, Green said.
More information
To learn more about heart attacks, visit the American Heart Association.
Healthy Older Women Advised Against Taking Calcium
By Barbara Bronson Gray
HealthDay ReporterMONDAY, Feb. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Healthy older women should not take calcium and vitamin D supplements to prevent fractures, according to a final recommendation issued Monday by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
In healthy adults, lower doses of calcium and vitamin D seem to be ineffective. As for higher doses, it's still up in the air, the government group said.
The new recommendations do not apply to people who are known to be vitamin D-deficient or who already have osteoporosis, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) noted.
Every year about 1.5 million fractures in the United States are attributed to osteoporosis, which is caused by a decrease in bone mass and density that makes bones fragile and more susceptible to a break. Almost half of all women older than 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in their lifetime, according to the USPSTF.
Calcium is one of the main building blocks of bone growth, and vitamin D (sourced via sunlight's action on the skin, or through diet) helps bones absorb calcium. But at issue is whether people receive enough of these nutrients in their daily diet, or if supplements would help protect them.
Dr. Virginia Moyer, chair of the USPSTF, and a professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine, said experts know that a "medium dose" of supplements -- less than 400 international units (IU) of vitamin D and less than 1,000 milligrams (mg) of calcium -- does not work.
As for higher doses? "We simply don't know. There are reasons to think they could work, but unfortunately, even though there are a bunch of studies, there are problems with them," Moyer said.
"We know these recommendations will be very frustrating to both physicians and patients, but it's a call to action to the research community," she added.
The USPSTF analyzed a wide range of studies on the effects of supplementation of vitamin D and calcium levels for bone health and the adverse effects of supplementation. The report, published online Feb. 26 in the Annals of Internal Medicine, makes these points about preventing fractures:
Don't take low doses of daily supplements: Less than 400 IU of vitamin D and less than 1,000 mg of calcium after menopause have no benefit.For higher doses: The task force doesn't have sufficient evidence to make a recommendation on daily supplements.For men and women younger than 50: The task force also doesn't have enough evidence to make a recommendation on vitamin D and calcium supplements.The report notes a downside to low-dose supplementation: Taking 400 IU or less of vitamin D and 1,000 mg or less of calcium increases the risk of kidney stones, which can be painful and may require hospitalization.
Should I Get Allergy Shots?
Allergy shots don't cure allergies, but they should reduce your symptoms noticeably.
They are best if you have severe allergy symptoms or symptoms that last more than three months every year, says Michael Land, MD. They can also help people who can't take allergy medicines because of side effects or interactions with other medications.
The shots are a form immunotherapy, which retrains your immune system not to overreact to your allergy trigger. Each shot contains a little bit of your allergy trigger, and over time, the dose gets bigger, so that you slowly and safely become less sensitive to that trigger.
In the buildup phase, you'll get the shots once or twice a week for several months. Some people start to feel relief within the first few weeks, though it may take several months.
When you reach your maintenance dose, you'll get a shot every 2 to 4 weeks for 3 to 5 years. Eventually, you may not need the shots at all, unless you move to an area where the pollen is different.
In most cases, allergy shots don't cause side effects, other than redness and slight swelling near the injection site. Because there's a small chance that you could have an allergic reaction, you get allergy shots at a doctor's office and stay there for about 30 minutes afterward.
Newest Diabetes Drugs Linked to Higher Pancreatitis Risk
Title: Newest Diabetes Drugs Linked to Higher Pancreatitis Risk
Category: Health News
Created: 2/25/2013 4:36:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 2/26/2013 12:00:00 AM
Category: Health News
Created: 2/25/2013 4:36:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 2/26/2013 12:00:00 AM
Heart Failure Drug May Only Help Heart's Function, Not Symptoms
By Amy Norton
HealthDay ReporterTUESDAY, Feb. 26 (HealthDay News) -- A drug often used to treat chronic heart failure may not ease symptoms in people with one form of the disease, a new study suggests.
The medication, called spironolactone (Aldactone), failed to improve symptoms or quality of life among 422 patients with diastolic heart failure -- a form of the disease that affects about half of all people with heart failure.
The drug did, however, benefit the structure and function of patients' hearts. And experts said it's too early to know what to make of the results, which appear in the Feb. 27 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
"It would be premature to say this is not beneficial," said Dr. Sanjiv Shah, a cardiologist at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, in Chicago, who was not involved in the study.
Shah is involved in an ongoing study of spironolactone's effects in people with diastolic heart failure. And that trial is focusing on the big questions: Can the drug prevent or delay hospitalizations, or prolong people's lives?
Spironolactone is in a class of drugs called aldosterone receptor antagonists. They cause the kidneys to eliminate excess water and sodium from the body, so they can lower blood pressure and get rid of fluid build-up in some people with heart failure.
And studies have shown that spironolactone can extend the lives of some heart failure patients -- namely, those with a low "ejection fraction." That means the percentage of blood pushed out by the heart with each contraction is abnormally low.
The problem is that heart failure is "heterogeneous," according to Shah, who described it as a "syndrome" -- or a collection of signs and symptoms -- rather than a disease. So a treatment that works for some patients may not work as well for others.
In general, heart failure is a chronic condition where the heart does not pump blood efficiently enough to meet the body's needs. That causes symptoms such as fatigue, breathlessness and fluid build-up in the legs and feet.
In systolic heart failure, the heart's left ventricle (the main pumping chamber) cannot contract strongly enough, and many people with this form of heart failure have a reduced ejection fraction.
In the diastolic form, the left ventricle doesn't relax enough between contractions, which means it cannot fill up with as much blood as it should. But the heart's ejection fraction is actually normal.
Diastolic heart failure is trickier to diagnose, and doctors know less about how to best treat it, said Dr. John Cleland, a cardiologist at Hull York Medical School in Kingston-upon-Hull, England, who co-wrote an editorial published with the study.
He agreed that it's too soon to draw conclusions from the current findings, and that doctors will know more when Shah's study results are in.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Poll: Many Americans Don't See Their Kids as Overweight
Title: Poll: Many Americans Don't See Their Kids as Overweight
Category: Health News
Created: 2/25/2013 12:36:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 2/26/2013 12:00:00 AM
Category: Health News
Created: 2/25/2013 12:36:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 2/26/2013 12:00:00 AM
More Younger Women Diagnosed With Advanced Breast Cancer: Study
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For Alzheimer's Caregivers, Patience and Compassion Are Key
By Serena Gordon
HealthDay ReporterFRIDAY, Feb. 22 (HealthDay News) -- The picture isn't necessarily pretty when it comes to Alzheimer's disease.
More than 5 million Americans currently have the degenerative brain condition, there's no sure way to prevent it and current treatment options don't work for everyone. Even more millions are tasked with the sometimes difficult and frustrating daily care of those stricken with the memory-robbing disease, often with little experience or training.
But as the number of Americans with Alzheimer's has risen in the past few decades and continues to spiral upward, anecdotal and research evidence has accumulated on ways to make everyday life more bearable for those with the disease and to help those caring for them. It includes expanded knowledge of what works and what doesn't in areas of medication, living situations, everyday contact and more, and ranges from complex to simple solutions.
"There are times that it can be difficult to handle someone with Alzheimer's, but you have to have patience, and you have to put yourself in their shoes," said Teresa Dinau, a caregiver for Home Care Assistance, based in Palo Alto, Calif. "It's important to try to understand what they're going through."
Dr. Jacobo Mintzer, chairman of the Medical and Scientific Advisory Board for the Alzheimer's Foundation of America, said that the biggest initial problem for caregivers is often that "they're trying to preserve the person they knew as long as possible."
"That's usually where they get themselves into trouble," he said. "Because of this desperate need to try to preserve the person, caregivers will put themselves in dangerous situations, like letting the person with Alzheimer's drive because it has always been important to them."
Not pushing someone with Alzheimer's to be who they used to be makes some caregivers feel like they've given up on their loved one, added Mintzer, who's also a physician at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center in Charleston, S.C.
But he said that's not the case and that there are plenty of safe ways to keep a connection. If someone with Alzheimer's used to like to swing dance, for instance, and you put on music and swing dance with them, it will often be calming, he said. Or, people with Alzheimer's usually enjoy looking at photos from the past, according to the Alzheimer's Association.
Mintzer said there are no treatments currently available to alter the course of the disease. However, two types of medications have been approved in the United States to help with memory loss: a group of drugs called cholinesterase inhibitors (brand names include Aricept, Exelon, Razadyne and Cognex) and memantine (brand name Namenda). However, the Alzheimer's Association reports that these medications don't work for everyone and, on average, delay worsening of symptoms only by about six to 12 months.
Health Tip: Help Control Eye Allergy Symptoms
Title: Health Tip: Help Control Eye Allergy Symptoms
Category: Health News
Created: 2/22/2013 8:35:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 2/22/2013 12:00:00 AM
Category: Health News
Created: 2/22/2013 8:35:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 2/22/2013 12:00:00 AM
Cancer Rates Vary Widely by State, Race: CDC Report
Title: Cancer Rates Vary Widely by State, Race: CDC Report
Category: Health News
Created: 2/21/2013 2:36:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 2/22/2013 12:00:00 AM
Category: Health News
Created: 2/21/2013 2:36:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 2/22/2013 12:00:00 AM
Salmonella Fears Spur Major Recall of Pet Treats
Title: Salmonella Fears Spur Major Recall of Pet Treats
Category: Health News
Created: 2/21/2013 2:36:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 2/22/2013 12:00:00 AM
Category: Health News
Created: 2/21/2013 2:36:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 2/22/2013 12:00:00 AM
Study: Electronic Prescribing Cuts Medication Errors
Title: Study: Electronic Prescribing Cuts Medication Errors
Category: Health News
Created: 2/21/2013 12:35:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 2/22/2013 12:00:00 AM
Category: Health News
Created: 2/21/2013 12:35:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 2/22/2013 12:00:00 AM
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
U.S. AIDS-Relief Plan a Success, Report Finds
Title: U.S. AIDS-Relief Plan a Success, Report Finds
Category: Health News
Created: 2/21/2013 12:35:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 2/22/2013 12:00:00 AM
Category: Health News
Created: 2/21/2013 12:35:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 2/22/2013 12:00:00 AM
'Smarter Lunchroom' May Lead to Healthier Choices
By Robert Preidt
HealthDay ReporterFRIDAY, Feb. 22 (HealthDay News) -- A few simple and inexpensive changes to school cafeterias can help encourage children to eat healthier foods at lunch, a new study finds.
The changes included improving the convenience and attractiveness of fruits and vegetables (such as placing fresh fruit in nice bowls or tiered stands next to the cash register) and having cafeteria staff prompt children to choose fruits and vegetables by asking them questions such as, "Would you like to try an apple?"
The "smarter lunchroom" makeover took no more than three hours in one afternoon and cost less than $50, according to the researchers at the Cornell Center for Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition Programs, in Ithaca, N.Y.
The program was tested in the cafeterias of two junior-senior high schools (grades 7 to 12) in western New York. After the makeover, students were 13 percent more likely to select fruits and 23 percent more likely to take vegetables, according to the study, which was published Feb. 22 in the Journal of Pediatrics.
When researchers recorded what was left on trays after lunch, they found fruit consumption had increased 18 percent and vegetable consumption rose 25 percent. The likelihood that students would eat whole servings of fruits or vegetables increased 16 percent and 10 percent, respectively, they said.
This low-cost, effective approach could help combat rising rates of childhood obesity in the United States, said study author Andrew Hanks. Last year, the U.S. government introduced regulations to make school lunches more nutritious. But children can't be forced to eat these healthier lunches.
The "smart lunchroom" makeover "not only preserves choice, but has the potential to lead children to develop lifelong habits of selecting and consuming healthier foods even when confronted with less healthy options," Hanks noted.
These changes could also prove effective in the cafeterias of hospitals, retirement homes, businesses and other organizations, he suggested.
More information
The Nemours Foundation has more about children and healthy eating.
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