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Thursday, May 23, 2013
Extra Vitamin D May Ease Crohn's Symptoms, Study Finds
Improvements reported in muscle strength, fatigue and quality of life
By Kathleen Doheny
HealthDay Reporter
SATURDAY, May 18 (HealthDay News) -- Vitamin D supplements may help those with Crohn's disease overcome the fatigue and decreased muscle strength associated with the inflammatory bowel disease, according to new research.
Extra vitamin D "was associated with significantly less physical, emotional and general fatigue, greater quality of life and the ability to perform activities of daily living," said Tara Raftery, a research dietitian and doctoral candidate at Trinity College Dublin. She is scheduled to present the findings Saturday at the Digestive Disease Week meeting in Orlando, Fla.
Raftery and her colleagues evaluated 27 patients who had Crohn's in remission. (Even in remission, fatigue and quality of life can be problematic.) The patients were assigned to take either 2,000 IUs (international units) of vitamin D a day or a dummy vitamin for three months.
Before and after the study, the researchers measured hand-grip strength, fatigue, quality of life and blood levels of vitamin D.
"Hand-grip strength is a proxy measure of muscle function," Raftery said. "Muscle function has been known to be reduced in Crohn's disease."
Besides boosting bone growth and remodeling, vitamin D is thought to improve neuromuscular and immune function, reduce inflammation and help with other bodily tasks. Children and adults aged 1 year to 70 are advised to get 600 IUs a day; older adults, 800, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Vitamin D is found in fatty fish such as salmon, in smaller amounts in cheese, egg yolks and beef liver, and in fortified foods such as milk.
Sometimes called the sunshine vitamin, vitamin D is also produced when the sun's rays strike the skin.
Crohn's can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract, but most commonly affects the end of the small bowel and the beginning of the colon. Symptoms vary, but may include persistent diarrhea, rectal bleeding, abdominal cramps, and pain and constipation. About 700,000 Americans are affected, according to the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America.
Its cause is not well understood, but Crohn's is thought to involve heredity and environmental factors. Experts believe that in those with Crohn's, the immune system attacks harmless intestinal bacteria, triggering chronic inflammation and, eventually, the disease symptoms.
The daily vitamin D supplement benefitted participants in many ways, Raftery found. "When levels of vitamin D peaked at 30 ng/mL (75 nmol/L) or more [a level considered healthy], muscle function in both the dominant and non-dominant hands were significantly higher than in those who had levels less than 30 ng/mL," she said.
Quality of life improved more for the D-supplement group, too. Using a standard measure to evaluate quality of life, the researchers found those who achieved a healthy blood level of the vitamin scored 24 points higher than those not on supplements. A 20-point difference is considered meaningful from a "real-world" perspective, Raftery said.
Homegrown Strain of Dengue Fever Virus Pinpointed in Florida
Some 2009-2010 cases originated in Key West mosquitoes, not from travelers, CDC says
By Alan Mozes
HealthDay ReporterTHURSDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- Some people who fell prey to a 2009-2010 outbreak of dengue fever in Florida carried a particular viral strain that they did not bring into the country from a recent trip abroad, according to a fresh genetic analysis conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
To date, most cases of dengue fever on American soil have typically involved travelers who "import" the painful mosquito-borne disease after having been bitten elsewhere. But though the disease cannot move from person to person, mosquitoes are able to pick up dengue from infected patients and, in turn, spread the disease among a local populace.
The CDC's viral fingerprinting of Key West, Fla., dengue patients therefore raises the specter that a disease more commonly found in parts of Africa, the Caribbean, South America and Asia might be gaining traction among North American mosquito populations.
"Florida has the mosquitoes that transmit dengue and the climate to sustain these mosquitoes all year around," cautioned study lead author Jorge Munoz-Jordan. "So, there is potential for the dengue virus to be transmitted locally, and cause dengue outbreaks like the ones we saw in Key West in 2009 and 2010," he said.
"Every year more countries add another one of the dengue virus subtypes to their lists of locally transmitted viruses, and this could be the case with Florida," said Munoz-Jordan, chief of CDC's molecular diagnostics activity in the dengue branch of the division of vector-borne disease.
He and his colleagues report their findings in the April issue of CDC's Emerging Infectious Diseases.
Dengue fever is the most widespread mosquito-borne viral disease in the world, now found in roughly 100 countries, the study authors noted.
That said, until the 2009-2010 southern Florida outbreak, the United States had remained basically dengue-free for more than half a century.
Ultimately, 93 patients in the Key West area alone were diagnosed with the disease during the outbreak, which seemingly ended in 2010, with no new cases reported in 2011.
But the lack of later cases does not give experts much comfort. The reason: 75 percent of infected patients show no symptoms, and the large "house mosquito" population in the region remains a disease-transmitting disaster waiting to happen.
To try and get a handle on just how serious that risk might be, the CDC team looked at blood samples from 16 of Florida's 67 counties, collected from dengue patients by the Florida Department of Health.
Rigorous genetic testing revealed what researchers feared: the identification of a local Key West strain among dengue patients who had not recently traveled outside the United States.
The team was able to trace the new Key West strain back to its original imported source: a Central American viral strain initially brought into Florida by patients infected in that region. But they stressed that as the local mosquito population acquired the virus from this first round of patients, it developed into a distinct strain of its own. In turn, the new strain was passed on to local residents who had not recently visited Central America.
pcos and appetite control
Hi :) my name is Caitlyn I'm 21 and i really need some advice. I've been making lifestyle changes especially t words my diet. but my appetite is really out of control i talked to a (therapist) and she doesn't think its emotional eating I read that pcos can cause extreme appetite changes. I'm& nbsp;really nervous to talk to my doctor about it but I'm going to anyways. does anyone have any tips on how i can control it. I could change my whole life if i could just take my appetite out of the equation I'm committed to changing my life for the better but these urges are uncontrollable and i find it hard not to beat myself up 10 rice cakes 2 pickles a protein bar 2 cups of low fat ice cream, some cottage cheese and a bag of popcorn later. -_- as you can see i have a real problem I want to change my life so bad but I have no help ideas please?
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High-Frequency Noise Boosts Math Skills in Study
But the treatment isn't ready for prime time yet, expert says
By Randy Dotinga
HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) -- Could you someday zap your way to a smarter brain? Preliminary new research suggests that it's a possibility: Scientists report that they were able to improve the math-calculation skills of college students by buzzing their brains with doses of random high-frequency noise.
But don't go searching for a brain zapper at Walmart just yet. It's not clear why "transcranial random noise stimulation" might boost thinking skills, and the necessary equipment isn't sitting on the shelves at your local hardware store. The treatment is considered to be harmless but has only been studied for a few years, and the study findings aren't definitive.
For now, though, the results of the new study are promising, said author Roi Cohen Kadosh, a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Oxford, in England. "We can enhance one of the most complicated high-level cognitive [mental] functions and improve brain response after just five days of training, with a long-lasting effect six months later."
Scientists have only been studying transcranial random noise stimulation for about five years, Cohen Kadosh said. Researchers use the technique to stimulate the brain's cortex by putting electrodes on the scalp and delivering random bits of electrical noise. "It is non-invasive, painless -- the level of current is generated by home batteries, and is very low -- and relatively cheap," he said.
Transcranial random noise stimulation is considered to be harmless, and several studies haven't mentioned any adverse effects in those who have been zapped. Researchers are interested in one possible positive effect, though: changes in how the brain processes things.
"The brain is working on electricity, and in some cases poor behavior and cognitive [thinking] abilities appear when there's less activation of regions that are otherwise active," Cohen Kadosh said. "We thought that if we can make it easier for neurons to fire, it will allow an improved performance."
In the study, appearing May 16 in the journal Current Biology, researchers recruited 51 Oxford students and gave them five days of training and testing as they performed arithmetic tasks. The tasks tested their ability to remember math facts (like 4 x 8 = 32) and make calculations (like 32 - 17 + 5 = 20), Cohen Kadosh said.
Some of the participants received transcranial random noise stimulation when they performed the math tasks. Those participants were two to five times better at learning things, he said. And, six months after the stimulation, they were 28 percent better at making calculations than the other participants.
Scientists aren't sure why the stimulation treatment may boost learning and thinking, but Cohen Kadosh said it may have something to do with activating neurons in the brain.
Why might brain-zapping be a good thing? "We all want to improve our learning and to make it faster if possible, and we also want to help those who have problems in learning" due to disease, developmental problems or aging, he said. Also, "around 20 percent of the population finds math challenging."
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Many Public Pools Contaminated With Human Waste: CDC
Agency offers clear advice to help you avoid infections
By HealthDay staff
HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) -- There are few things more inviting than a cool, clear pool on a hot summer day. But a new federal report will have you thinking twice before dipping a toe in the water.
Fifty-eight percent of pool filter samples taken from Atlanta area pools last summer contained E. coli, a bacteria found in human feces.
The report is a sign that swimmers often contaminate pool water when they have a "fecal incident" in the water, or when human waste washes off their bodies because they don't shower thoroughly before hitting the water, according to the report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
And while the study only focused on pools in the Atlanta region, the researchers said it's likely that fecal contamination from swimmers is a problem in public pools throughout the country. The study did not look at water parks, residential pools or other types of recreational water.
"Swimming is an excellent way to get the physical activity needed to stay healthy," Michele Hlavsa, chief of the CDC's Healthy Swimming Program, said in an agency news release. "However, pool users should be aware of how to prevent infections while swimming.
"Remember," she added, "chlorine and other disinfectants don't kill germs instantly. That's why it's important for swimmers to protect themselves by not swallowing the water they swim in and to protect others by keeping feces and germs out of the pool by taking a pre-swim shower and not swimming when ill with diarrhea.
The CDC says all swimmers should take the following steps to keep feces out of pools and to prevent infections:
Don't swim if you have diarrhea.Shower with soap before swimming.Take a rinse shower before getting back in the water.Go to the bathroom every 60 minutes.Wash your hands with soap after using the toilet or changing diapers.Don't swallow the water you swim in.Parents of young children should take the following steps:
Take children on bathroom breaks every 60 minutes or check diapers every 30 to 60 minutes.Change diapers in the bathroom or diaper-changing area and not at poolside where germs can rinse into the water.Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency medicine physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, said the new study "highlights the importance of practicing good hygiene anytime we swim in a pool, since the potential for contamination with fecal organisms, which could lead to severe diarrheal illnesses, remains an ever present concern.
"From a public health standpoint," he added, "it is especially important for people to avoid swimming when they have diarrhea, as other swimmers could swallow germ-laden water and potentially become ill.
The study reveals a "true public health concern, and reinforces the need to practice safe and effective swim hygiene as the summer approaches," Glatter said.
The study appears in the May 17 issue of the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Its release is timed in advance of Recreational Water Illness and Injury Prevention Week, May 20-26. The goal of the prevention week is to "raise awareness about healthy swimming, including ways to prevent recreational water illnesses (RWIs). Germs that cause RWIs are spread by swallowing, breathing in the mists or aerosols from, or having contact with contaminated water in swimming pools, water parks, hot tubs, interactive fountains, water play areas, lakes, rivers, or oceans," according to the CDC.
Hate Other People's Cellphone Calls? You're Not Alone
Study found working people were more distracted by one-sided versus two-sided conversations
By Alan Mozes
HealthDay ReporterWEDNESDAY, March 13 (HealthDay News) -- Adding to the list of "really annoying things," new research is pointing the finger at a technology that can turn public spaces into private misery for many: cellphones.
The study suggests that cellphone calls, and the half-conversations listeners are forced to overhear, are a much more distracting form of background noise than an in-person exchange between two people.
"I find cell phones annoying, frankly, and there's lots of research suggesting that many people agree -- so I wanted to study this," said study lead author Veronica Galvan, an assistant professor in the department of psychological sciences with the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of San Diego.
"What we found," Galvan said, "was that there does seem to be something unique about a one-sided cell conversation that makes it more distracting for people to overhear than a two-way conversation."
Galvan and her colleagues published their findings in the March 13 issue of the journal PLoS ONE.
According to the authors, in 2012 wireless device users worldwide devoted more than 2.3 trillion minutes to cellphone calls, texting, listening to music and Web surfing. Many of the calls are being placed in public spaces such as restaurants, elevators or on public transport.
Last year, a study conducted by researchers at Cornell University asked college students to try to ignore sound recordings while trying to complete a task. Their conclusion: Recordings of one-sided cell phone conversations were actually more distracting, irritating and taxing to the brain than two-sided in-person conversations.
The newer study builds on that work, using a real-world study design. This time, Galvan's team had nearly 150 undergraduate students complete a word-play reading exercise.
There was a hitch, though: Participants were exposed to one of two types of live conversations, either an in-person exchange between two people or a one-sided cellphone call.
In both cases, the exchange was scripted to focus on the same range of topics, including shopping for furniture, details concerning a birthday party for Dad, or meeting up with a date in a shopping mall.
Conversations were similar in length and were overheard by the participants just once, as they struggled to compete the word task. When the conversations ceased, the students were asked to complete memory recall tests, as well as distraction questionnaires.
While all the participants fared comparably well on the tasks, one-sided cellphone conversations were deemed to be "significantly" more distracting than two-sided conversations. Attention seemed to stray more to the one-sided calls, since people who had overheard a one-sided cellphone conversation were more able to recall what had been said versus those who had overheard a two-party exchange.
According to the researchers, people appear to be less able to tune out cellphone conversations compared to two-person exchanges. This supports notions that overheard cellphone jabber might negatively affect a person's ability to concentrate and focus, they said.
When Heat and Cold Hurt Your Teeth
Here's how to banish the pain of sensitive teeth.By Elizabeth B. Krieger
WebMD Magazine - Feature
WebMD Magazine - Feature
Perhaps you've taken a swig of a cold drink and winced in pain. Or inhaled on a chilly day and felt a jolt when the air hit your teeth. Maybe you found yourself unable to enjoy a cup of hot tea without a sharp ache punctuating each sip. If any of these situations sounds familiar, you probably have sensitive teeth.
The reasons for the discomfort are many, says Mark S. Wolff, DDS, PhD, a professor and chair of the Department of Cariology and Comprehensive Care at New York University College of Dentistry. First, the root structure of one or more teeth may have become exposed. Normally covered by gum tissue, this layer just underneath -- called dentin -- contains millions of tiny tubules (or tubes), each of which is connected to a nerve ending. It's when the tubules are left unprotected by gum recession or enamel erosion that problems arise. Receding gums, tooth grinding, a diet high in acidic beverages, and overaggressive brushing can all leave dentin exposed.
Children and OrthodonticsIf your child has crooked teeth or a misaligned jaw, it may be time to pay a visit to an orthodontist. An orthodontist specializes in perfecting smiles using orthodontic appliances, such as: bands brackets wires headgear rubber bands retainers WebMD takes a look at common forms of orthodontics and gives you the facts you need to make an informed decision about orthodontic treatment.
Read the Children and Orthodontics article > >Brushing too hard is a surprisingly big problem for a lot of people, Wolff says. "Harsh strokes wear away at the gum tissue as well as the tooth's enamel layer, leaving each dentin tubule vulnerable to whatever it comes in contact with -- hot, cold, soft, or hard."
Your favorite beverages can make a big difference, too. Anything with a high acid level -- sodas, coffee, tea, almost all juices, wine, and many popular energy drinks -- can worsen enamel erosion and discomfort. Carbonated water is OK, says Wolff, but watch out for flavored seltzer, which may have citric acid.
Dentin can also become irritated if you overuse tooth-whitening agents, which contain harsh ingredients to strip away stains. Unfortunately, they can also thin the enamel layer around dentin, exposing the tender tubules.
For severe sensitivity, talk to your dentist about bonding the problematic areas. This is essentially a very fine varnish your dentist applies to the tooth. It's not a permanent fix, though.
Find more articles, browse back issues, and read the current issue of "WebMD Magazine."
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How long will I need to take steroids for polymyalgia rheumatica?
Posted May 20, 2013, 2:00 am 
I have polymyalgia rheumatica. My doctor has prescribed prednisone, but I’m worried about the long-term effects of this treatment. How long will I need to take it?
Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is a painful, sometimes disabling condition. Fortunately, PMR responds well to proper treatment.
It’s not clear what causes PMR. Doctors suspect it is an autoimmune disorder, a condition in which the immune system turns against the body’s own tissues.
PMR causes muscle pain and stiffness. The shoulders are affected most often, followed by the hips and neck. The pain is caused by inflammation. Most patients with PMR complain of pain in their muscles. But inflammation is actually most intense in the synovium (the membrane surrounding the joints near the painful muscles) and in the bursa (the fluid-filled sacs that cushion these joints).
Without treatment, PMR can cause fatigue and loss of appetite. Weight loss is common, as is depression. In addition, many people complain of low-grade fever.
PMR doesn’t typically respond to medications that relieve most joint and muscle pain. So acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil, others) and naproxen (Aleve, others) are not very effective.
On the other hand, steroids, which reduce inflammation, produce dramatic improvement. As in your case, most doctors prescribe prednisone, a corticosteroid. PMR responds to modest doses of prednisone, and most patients feel much better in just two or three days.
But that doesn’t mean that the treatment lasts only two or three days. In fact, most experts keep people with PMR on treatment (although at a steadily decreasing dose) for six to eight weeks after symptoms have disappeared. That’s because if a patient promptly feels like he or she is healed and stops the treatment, there’s a high likelihood that the illness will flare up again.
Some people with PMR seem to be resistant to treatment: If you lower the dose of prednisone below a certain level, their symptoms return. Some patients remain on relatively low doses of prednisone for years, but in my experience such patients are unusual.
As you noted, long-term corticosteroid therapy can have serious side effects. These include high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoporosis, cataracts and infections. Unfortunately, we have no proven remedies for such people. Sometimes, by adding another potent anti-inflammatory medicine, such as methotrexate, we can reduce the dose of prednisone.
While you are on prednisone, your doctor should continue to make sure it’s working effectively and that the side effects are minimal. If you relapse, you may need slightly higher doses and an even slower dose reduction. Your progress is monitored both by your symptoms and by two blood tests of inflammation: erythrocyte sedimentation rate (“sed rate”) and C-reactive protein (CRP). If your symptoms are gone, and your markers of inflammation are low, your disease is being contained by the treatment.
Even though we don’t understand what causes PMR, we can diagnose it and also have potent treatments for it. Usually those treatments work, and can be stopped without the disease recurring.
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