Essure has come under new scrutiny as experts dissect host of problems reported by women implanted with metallic, permanent device
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/experts-question-safety-of-essure-birth-control-implant-linked-to-pain/
Thursday, September 24, 2015
MRIs Before Breast Cancer Surgery on the Rise: Study
Use of imaging tool has jumped dramatically, despite unclear guidelines on its use in this setting
From: http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/news/20150924/mris-before-breast-cancer-surgery-on-the-rise-study?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Dalai Lama at Mayo Clinic for evaluation
The 80-year-old Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader has made regular visits to the Mayo Clinic in past years
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/dalai-lama-at-mayo-clinic-for-evaluation/
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/dalai-lama-at-mayo-clinic-for-evaluation/
Teen with peanut allergy dies after eating s'mores
16-year-old didn't know there was peanut butter in one of his favorite treats at a school event
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/colorado-teen-dies-from-peanut-allergy/
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/colorado-teen-dies-from-peanut-allergy/
Listeriosis Outbreak Linked to Soft Cheeses
Listeriosis Outbreak Linked to Soft Cheeses
From: http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/20150924/listeriosis-outbreak-soft-cheese?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Retirement Might Not Agree With Your Health
Report found seniors who stayed in the workforce were better off physically
From: http://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/news/20150924/retirement-might-not-agree-with-your-health?src=RSS_PUBLIC
10 Percent of U.S. Women Drink During Pregnancy: Study
And 3 percent binge drink while expecting
From: http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/news/20150924/10-percent-of-us-women-drink-during-pregnancy-study?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Non-antibiotic drug holds promise for fighting superbug
Early studies in mice show the drug may stop potentially deadly effects of infection
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/non-antibiotic-drug-ebselen-superbug-c-difficile/
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/non-antibiotic-drug-ebselen-superbug-c-difficile/
Study tests success rates of common fertility drugs
Study finds one drug for couples with unexplained infertility works better than others
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/fertility-drug-clomid-success-rate-healthy-births/
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/fertility-drug-clomid-success-rate-healthy-births/
Older Adults' Hearing Loss May Be Tied to Earlier Death
Findings don't prove that impaired hearing is to blame, but draw attention to quality-of-life issues
From: http://www.webmd.com/news/20150924/older-adults-hearing-loss-may-be-tied-to-earlier-death?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Fidgeting might be good for your health
Tapping your foot or wriggling in your chair may help counteract the negative effects of sitting for long periods, researchers say
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/fidgeting-might-be-good-for-your-health/
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/fidgeting-might-be-good-for-your-health/
Contraceptive Implant Under Microscope Amid Questions of Safety, Altered Trial Data
Essure has generated more than 5,000 complaints of serious side effects.
From: http://www.webmd.com/sex/birth-control/news/20150924/contraceptive-implant-under-microscope-amid-questions-of-safety-altered-trial-data?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Mindfulness Calms Nerves at School and Work
This simple technique can ease stress and boost your focus, and training programs for it are catching on in schools and workplaces across the country. WebMD has the story.
From: http://www.webmd.com/balance/news/20150924/mindfulness-stress-school-work?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Coffee May Not Risk Irregular Heartbeat, Study Claims
Finds no link between beverage and increased odds of atrial fibrillation
From: http://www.webmd.com/heart/news/20150923/coffee-may-not-risk-irregular-heartbeat-study-claims?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Ankle Sprains—Pain Free Does Not Mean Normal
From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwmoHvtVdiw
Treating unexplained infertility: Answers still needed
Unexplained infertility is frustrating for couples and their doctors. Without a clear reason why a woman is having trouble becoming pregnant, it is difficult to choose a treatment that has a high rate of success but doesn’t increase the chances of a high-risk multiple pregnancy. A study published today in The New England Journal of Medicine compared three drugs commonly used to treat unexplained infertility. Unfortunately, there was no clear winner.
Infertility is defined as the inability to become pregnant after about a year of appropriate and well-timed efforts. Infertility affects about 10% of women ages 15 to 44. For those desiring a child, the inability to become pregnant can be devastating, and the drive to seek treatment is understandable. The usual first step along that path is a detailed evaluation of the couple. Almost half the time, when an issue is identified, it is with the male partner, usually a problem with his sperm. Sometimes we discover a woman has blocked fallopian tubes (so eggs can’t be fertilized and travel to the uterus) or abnormalities of the uterine cavity, such as fibroids (which may prevent a fertilized egg from implanting).
But in 15-20% of cases, no reason is identified — so-called “unexplained infertility.”
Many with unexplained infertility will become pregnant on their own simply with more time. But for those reluctant to just wait, a first step is to try using medicines to push the ovaries to mature more than just one egg (this is called ovulation induction). With more eggs available for fertilization per cycle, the hope is that at least one will result in a pregnancy. This therapy is simpler and much less expensive than in vitro fertilization (IVF). Cost is an important issue because finances can be a huge barrier to infertility treatment. Very few states mandate that insurance plans provide coverage for IVF, which can easily run more than $10,000 for each cycle, or “try.”
But every time you drive the ovaries to produce more eggs, you run the risk of “super-ovulation,” or making many eggs available for fertilization. This in turn means you run the risk of a “multiple pregnancy” — twins, triplets, and beyond. For couples desperate to build a family, more babies may sound like hitting the jackpot. But multiple pregnancies are the biggest risk of infertility treatments, and arguably should be counted as failures rather than successes. These pregnancies — even with “just” twins — mean the babies are more likely to be born prematurely and the mothers are more likely to experience complications. Both these situations can be serious and have long-term consequences.
So which drugs are best at meeting the goals of infertility treatment — that is, achieving a pregnancy with one baby? In this study, a national network of investigators looked at how the drug letrozole compared with two standard drugs to stimulate ovulation. Letrozole works to stimulate ovulation through a different path than traditional fertility medications.
Investigators assigned cver a thousand couples with unexplained infertility to as many as four rounds of treatment with either letrozole or one of two “standard treatments”: gonadotropin (Menopur is one brand name) or clomiphene (Clomid is a common brand name). The results: live birth rates were lower in the women who took letrozole (19%) as compared with gonadotropin (32%), but were statistically similar to clomiphene (23%). On the other hand, rates of multiple pregnancies (all twins and triplets in this study) were higher in the gonadotropin group (all the triplets in were in this treatment group) than in the letrozole and clomiphene groups (which had about the same rate).
Hardly a home run for those who were hoping letrozole would be the answer. Over all, the numbers indicate that for couples with unexplained infertility, these alternatives to IVF may help them achieve a pregnancy — but success is hardly a sure thing. The drugs that bring a higher chance of pregnancy, also bring a greater chance that pregnancy will be a high-risk one.
While disappointing, the results argue for more work to optimize fertility therapies. A very important part of this work — whether we’re talking about ovulation induction or IVF — are continued efforts to reduce the unsatisfactorily high rate of multiple pregnancies that current treatment options carry. Until we have answers, judicious therapy means appropriately limiting the doses of ovulation induction drugs, and in the case of IVF, limiting the number of embryos transferred. That means doctors need to help patients make wise decisions, especially when there is more than one embryo available for transfer.
The true and heartfelt goal of couples and their doctors isn’t just a pregnancy, but a pregnancy with a good outcome—a healthy mom and a healthy baby. Here, more does not translate into better.
Related Posts:
The post Treating unexplained infertility: Answers still needed appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.
From: Jeffrey Ecker, MD http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/treating-unexplained-infertility-answers-still-needed-201509248340
Almost Half of American Adults With HIV Don't Take Meds: Report
Finding highlights challenges of 'unequal epidemic,' researcher says
From: http://www.webmd.com/hiv-aids/news/20150924/almost-half-of-american-adults-with-hiv-dont-take-meds-report?src=RSS_PUBLIC
For Unexplained Infertility, Breast Cancer Drug No Better Than Standard Treatment
Study found letrozole did not result in more pregnancies compared to two other fertility drugs
From: http://www.webmd.com/infertility-and-reproduction/news/20150923/for-unexplained-infertility-breast-cancer-drug-no-better-than-standard-treatment?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Want Your Kids to Exercise? Skip the Guilt
Pressuring middle schoolers to get active can backfire, researchers say
From: http://www.webmd.com/children/news/20150923/want-your-kids-to-exercise-skip-the-guilt?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Taking Blood Pressure Drugs at Night May Help Prevent Type 2 Diabetes
Study finds taking medication at night cut risk of blood sugar disorder in half
From: http://www.webmd.com/diabetes/news/20150923/taking-blood-pressure-drugs-at-night-may-help-prevent-type-2-diabetes?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Paralyzed man walks again using his own brain power
Researchers say this is the first time a person paralyzed by a spinal cord injury was able to walk without manually controlled robotic limbs
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/paralyzed-man-walks-again-using-his-own-brain-power/
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/paralyzed-man-walks-again-using-his-own-brain-power/
CEO promises to lower controversial price of key drug
The 5,000-percent overnight price hike on a crucial infection treatment drug created outrage that Turing Pharmaceuticals initially dismissed
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ceo-martin-shkreli-promises-to-lower-controversial-price-of-daraprim/
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ceo-martin-shkreli-promises-to-lower-controversial-price-of-daraprim/
Reduced prostate screening could miss advanced tumors
Study suggests the latest guidelines on screening could carry some serious risks as well as benefits
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/reduced-prostate-screening-could-miss-advanced-tumors/
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/reduced-prostate-screening-could-miss-advanced-tumors/
Tai chi can improve life for people with chronic health conditions
Last summer, I practiced tai chi with my 83-year old mother at the senior center near her home. The hour-long class helped me realize why this flowing, meditative practice is an ideal exercise for older people with health issues. My mom is doing well, but she has osteoporosis and had a heart valve replacement a few years ago.
Practiced for centuries in China, tai chi has become popular in the United States in recent years, thanks in part to the growing evidence for its many health benefits. Not only does tai chi improve balance and flexibility, it may prevent falls, ease pain, and even help your heart.
Like walking, which can be leisurely or brisk, tai chi is easily adaptable. You can do the gentle movements sitting on a chair or standing up. You can repeat the sequences of movements to gradually strengthen your muscles. Like yoga, tai chi stretches your joints and connective tissues. But you don’t have to get down on the floor — a boon for people with limited mobility. And similar to yoga and meditation, tai chi also encourages deep, slow breathing.
As I wrote in the September Harvard Heart Letter, hundreds of studies dating back to the late 1950s suggest that tai chi offers modest benefits for treating high blood pressure and other heart-related conditions. The latest research, published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine last week, suggests that doing tai chi can help older adults with common, long-term health conditions move about more easily and enhance their quality of life.
Researchers analyzed data from 33 studies involving nearly 1,600 adults. Most were in their 60s or 70s and all had one or more chronic conditions: osteoarthritis, breast cancer, heart failure, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a serious lung condition that includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema.
All the studies were randomized and controlled: they compared people who did tai chi with those who either did another type of exercise or were waiting to join a tai chi class. Over all, people who did tai chi showed greater improvements on a six-minute walking test, in muscle strength (measured by bending and stretching the knees), and in quality of life. People with osteoarthritis didn’t reap as much in terms of strength as those with other conditions, but their pain and stiffness improved. And people with COPD who did tai chi noted less breathlessness.
The quality of life improvements may stem from the meditative, mind-calming aspects of tai chi, says Peter Wayne, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and author of The Harvard Medical School Guide to Tai Chi. “Tai chi integrates physical activity, breathing, and a variety of cognitive skills, including imagery and visualization,” says Wayne.
In fact, that’s what I found most helpful about tai chi, which is often called “meditation in motion.” During a class, the teacher guides you through a series of slow-motion postures with evocative descriptions, like “grasping the sparrow’s tail” and “waving hands like clouds.” Instead of mentally scrolling through my to-do list (as I’m prone to during regular meditation), I was able to stay focused yet relaxed. I also noticed the sense of camaraderie among the people in my mom’s class. That’s another reason that doing tai chi classes tends to improve people’s quality of life, says Wayne.
The best way to try tai chi is to take a class at a senior or community center, health club, or hospital. Of the 58 academic health centers throughout the United States that have integrative health programs, many offer tai chi classes. Tai chi is also incorporated into many cardiac rehabilitation programs, including those affiliated with several Harvard teaching hospitals. And many assisted living facilities offer tai chi classes free for their residents.
Classes typically cost around $15. Wear loose, comfortable clothing, and supportive shoes like sneakers. Or you can go barefoot, if you prefer. If you can’t locate a class that’s convenient for you, you can buy a DVD, or search online for a video.
Related Posts:
The post Tai chi can improve life for people with chronic health conditions appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.
From: Julie Corliss http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/tai-chi-can-improve-life-for-people-with-chronic-health-conditions-201509248349
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