Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Get the emotional support you need to cope with multiple myeloma
From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/get-emotional-support-to-cope-multiple-myeloma/art-20146455
Limit rheumatoid arthritis pain when you grocery shop
From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/limit-rheumatoid-arthritis-pain-grocery-shop/art-20146454
Q&A With Ken Jeong
Funnyman Ken Jeong opens up to WebMD Magazine about who he is at home.
From: http://www.webmd.com/parenting/features/ken-jeong-interview?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Mariska Hargitay Protects and Serves
'Law & Order: SVU' actor works to help abuse victims –- on the screen and off.
From: http://www.webmd.com/women/features/mariska-hargitay-law-order-svu?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Man's leg "bursting open" after venomous spider bite
London man says he was bitten by a poisonous brown recluse spider on an international flight
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/mans-leg-burst-open-after-venomous-spider-bite/
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/mans-leg-burst-open-after-venomous-spider-bite/
Severely Obese Kids at Higher Risk for Heart Disease, Diabetes
Study finds heavier boys face even greater odds of future trouble
From: http://www.webmd.com/children/news/20150930/severely-obese-kids-at-higher-risk-for-heart-disease-diabetes?src=RSS_PUBLIC
2 Experimental Drugs Offer Hope Against Psoriasis: Studies
Targeted therapies produce significant results, researchers say
From: http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/psoriasis/news/20150930/2-experimental-drugs-offer-hope-against-psoriasis-studies?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Gut Bacteria Tied to Asthma Risk in Kids
Study suggests that antibiotics in infancy might also play a role
From: http://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/news/20150930/gut-bacteria-tied-to-asthma-risk-in-kids?src=RSS_PUBLIC
'Placebo Effect' Might Help Predict Response to Depression Treatment
Those who improved with fake drug benefited from antidepressants, study found
From: http://www.webmd.com/news/20150930/placebo-effect-might-help-predict-response-to-depression-treatment?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Overweight children are at risk for heart disease as adults
Being an overweight child is no picnic — it can be hard to keep up with your friends on the playground, you can’t wear some of the same styles of clothing other kids do, and the teasing can be merciless. New research published in The New England Journal of Medicine shows that the damage goes beyond the social and emotional, too.
This study, entitled “Cardiometabolic Risks and Severity of Obesity in Children and Young Adults,” enrolled almost 9,000 children and adolescents ages 3–19 who were either overweight or obese (severely overweight). Doctors tested these young people for high blood pressure and cholesterol, diabetes, and other important risk factors for heart disease. On average, the most severely obese children and teens had higher blood pressures, worse cholesterol profiles, and higher blood sugar levels than those who were just overweight. This association was true even when taking into account race, ethnicity, gender, and age.
This was a cross-sectional study, meaning that it did not follow patients forward in time to see what happened to them. Rather, it examined each patient “in the moment” and identified factors that doctors believe affect the risk for future heart disease. So, based on the information in this study, we can’t tell which of these young people eventually went on to develop heart disease. However, we do know that, for adults, controlling blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar are critical to preventing heart disease. It is reasonable to infer that this would also hold true for children.
The majority of the study volunteers were ages 12–19. So it also seems reasonable to conclude that the more severely obese a teenager is, the greater the likelihood that he or she will go on to develop heart disease. The study also found that the boys and young men tended to have more concerning test results, raising the concern that childhood obesity might be particularly hazardous for them.
This study is incredibly important because it supports what pediatricians have feared for many years now, ever since we noticed rising rates of obesity among our younger patients: if we don’t find ways to help our kids achieve and maintain a healthy weight, we are going to see them become adults who suffer from heart disease at higher rates and at younger ages than ever before.
Helping children achieve a healthy weight
The great news is that we can do something about this! Weight loss interventions do work for younger patients, and are becoming more accessible. Most importantly, we should realize that even a little bit of weight loss can go a long way to living a healthy life, and this is important at every age.
If your child is overweight, I hope that learning about this study encourages you to talk to your pediatrician about helping him or her (or yourself!) lose weight. Ideally, make a plan as a family. Make it a goal for Mom, Dad, and all the kids to get lots of exercise and eat a healthy, well-balanced diet.
Before placing your child on a diet, or enrolling him or her in a weight-loss program, talk it over with your pediatrician. Don’t be embarrassed to do so! I can guarantee you that your doctor has seen many kids struggle with weight and has some expertise on the subject. Together you can create a plan of action that is right for your family and your child.
Related Posts:
The post Overweight children are at risk for heart disease as adults appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.
From: Nandini Mani, MD http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/overweight-children-are-at-risk-for-heart-disease-as-adults-201509308367
How well does calcium intake really protect your bones?
Ask anyone how to prevent bone fractures and they’re likely to answer, “Get more calcium.” Medical experts have tended to agree. For example, the Institute of Medicine advises a calcium intake of 1,000 to 1,200 milligrams (mg) a day for most adults. But in the last five years, we’ve also learned that calcium — at least, in the form of supplements — isn’t risk-free. An intake of 1,000 mg from supplements has been associated with an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney stones, and gastrointestinal symptoms.
Now an analysis of reams of research concludes that consuming calcium at that level doesn’t even reduce fractures in people over 50. And a related analysis indicates that increasing calcium intake has only a modest effect on bone density in people that age. Both were published online this week in the medical journal BMJ.
These results may seem startling, but they aren’t a surprise to Dr. David Slovik, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and author of our Special Health Report Osteoporosis: A guide to prevention and treatment. “I don’t believe that we’ve ever thought that calcium per se reduces fractures; it’s one part of a larger picture,” he says. You really can’t say ‘Take enough calcium and you’ll be fine.’”
What the analyses found
The analyses were conducted by a team of New Zealand researchers led by Mark Bolland, who first identified the cardiovascular risk associated with calcium supplements. For the first analysis, they looked at more than 70 studies on the effects of dietary calcium and calcium supplements in preventing fractures. They considered both randomized clinical trials and observational studies, and the studies varied widely in terms of numbers of participants, calcium intake, vitamin D intake, and how fractures were reported. The researchers found that, over all, neither dietary calcium nor calcium supplements were associated with a reduction in fractures.
In the second analysis, the team reviewed 59 randomized controlled clinical trials that evaluated calcium intake and bone density. Fifteen of those studies involved dietary calcium, and 44 looked at calcium supplements. Over all, getting at least 800 mg of calcium a day from the diet or taking at least 1,000 mg of supplemental calcium a day increased bone density. But bone density only increased by about 0.6% to 1.8% — an amount too low to affect fracture risk.
It’s important to note that these studies included very few men. (Many people think that osteoporosis only affects women, but men can develop osteoporosis too.)
The study that started it all?
Bolland and colleagues pointed to one study that they think may be responsible for today’s calcium recommendations. This study was a randomized controlled trial conducted among 3,800 elderly French women (average age 84) in assisted living. The women initially had a low calcium intake (around 500 mg a day), low vitamin D levels, and low bone density. Those who received 1,200 mg of calcium and 800 international units (IU) of vitamin D supplements daily for three years had a 23% lower risk of hip fracture, and a 17% lower risk of fractures over all, than those taking placebos. The women who took calcium also built bone, while those on placebos continued to lose it. Those results — reported in 1992 and 1994 — are often cited by experts when drafting calcium recommendations for the general population. But Bolland argues that healthy, active people who don’t have a calcium or vitamin D deficiency aren’t likely to get the same protection from taking that much calcium.
What to do?
“The takeaway is that you shouldn’t be taking calcium with the idea that it will prevent bone fractures,” Dr. Slovik says. But he notes that adequate calcium and vitamin D intake is still essential for healthy bone. A deficiency of either can increase the risk of diseases like osteomalacia and rickets.
It’s impossible to determine how much calcium each of us, individually, needs. Try to get as much calcium as you can from food. If your doctor advises you to get 1,000 to 1,200 mg of calcium a day, you can safely add a daily calcium supplement of 500 or 600 mg without increasing your risk of heart attack or kidney stones. And don’t forget vitamin D. No one is challenging the recommendation for vitamin D — 600 to 800 IU a day from either food or supplements.
Related Posts:
The post How well does calcium intake really protect your bones? appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.
From: Beverly Merz http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/how-well-does-calcium-intake-really-protect-your-bones-201509308384
New recommendations for HIV treatment worldwide
The World Health Organization has revised its guidelines on early treatment
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/un-urges-hiv-patients-to-seek-immediate-treatment/
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/un-urges-hiv-patients-to-seek-immediate-treatment/
Herbal Remedies for Overactive Bladder
Can herbal remedies help ease overactive bladder symptoms? WebMD asked experts for their take on OAB and herbal treatments.
From: http://www.webmd.com/urinary-incontinence-oab/features/herbal-remedies-overactive-bladder?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Morning sickness? Doctors say this treatment helps
Vitamin B6 and an over-the-counter antihistamine are safe and effective for pregnant women and their babies, experts say
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/doctors-recommend-vitamin-b6-antihistamine-for-morning-sickness/
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/doctors-recommend-vitamin-b6-antihistamine-for-morning-sickness/
Delivery Science Summit 2015 - What Do You Hope To Learn?
From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EL9Mob9yAs0
Delivery Science Summit 2015 - Why Did You Come?
From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJ_0RF-CLOA
"Golden hour" policy saved hundreds of U.S. troops
Under the 2009 Pentagon mandate, wounded soldiers must be transported to treatment centers in 60 minutes or less
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/golden-hour-policy-decreased-combat-deaths-among-u-s-troops/
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/golden-hour-policy-decreased-combat-deaths-among-u-s-troops/
Parents find touching note from dead son
Mom and dad find note from 6-year-old son while picking out his burial clothes
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/parents-find-touching-note-after-son-dies-from-rare-brain-amoeba/
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/parents-find-touching-note-after-son-dies-from-rare-brain-amoeba/
WHO: Number of people over 60 years set to double by 2050; major societal changes required
With advances in medicine helping more people to live longer lives, the number of people over the age of 60 is expected to double by 2050 and will require radical societal change, according to a new report released by the WHO for the International Day of Older Persons (1 October).
“Today, most people, even in the poorest countries, are living longer lives,” says Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General of WHO. “But this is not enough. We need to ensure these extra years are healthy, meaningful and dignified. Achieving this will not just be good for older people, it will be good for society as a whole.”
From: http://www.who.int/entity/mediacentre/news/releases/2015/older-persons-day/en/index.html
“Today, most people, even in the poorest countries, are living longer lives,” says Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General of WHO. “But this is not enough. We need to ensure these extra years are healthy, meaningful and dignified. Achieving this will not just be good for older people, it will be good for society as a whole.”
From: http://www.who.int/entity/mediacentre/news/releases/2015/older-persons-day/en/index.html
Treatment helps with morning sickness
Doctors say a combination of vitamin B6 and the antihistamine doxylamine safely reduces morning sickness in pregnant women
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/treatment-helps-with-morning-sickness/
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/treatment-helps-with-morning-sickness/
More Than 670 Illnesses Reported in Latest Salmonella Outbreak
Three deaths have also been linked to tainted cucumbers, CDC officials report
From: http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/food-poisoning/20150929/more-than-670-illnesses-reported-in-latest-salmonella-outbreak?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Kids May Be More Likely to Get Asthma if Grandma Smoked While Pregnant: Study
Risk is heightened even if child's mother didn't smoke, research suggests
From: http://www.webmd.com/asthma/news/20150929/kids-may-be-more-likely-to-get-asthma-if-grandma-smoked-while-pregnant-study?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Leonard Nimoy documentary follows lung disease battle
"Star Trek" star's family aims to raise funds for film about his struggle with COPD
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-documentary-follows-leonard-nimoys-battle-with-lung-disease/
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-documentary-follows-leonard-nimoys-battle-with-lung-disease/
Less Sleep May Mean Less Sex After Menopause
Women who reported insomnia were less sexually active, study finds
From: http://www.webmd.com/menopause/news/20150930/less-sleep-may-mean-less-sex-after-menopause?src=RSS_PUBLIC
More Than 670 Illnesses Reported in Latest Salmonella Outbreak
Three deaths have also been linked to tainted cucumbers, CDC officials report
From: http://www.webmd.com/news/20150929/more-than-670-illnesses-reported-in-latest-salmonella-outbreak?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Added Calcium May Not Help Older Bones: Studies
Researchers find no evidence that boosting intake will prevent fractures
From: http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/news/20150929/added-calcium-may-not-help-older-bones-studies?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Study: Calcium supplements may not help your bones
Calcium supplements don't appear to strengthen aging bones and may cause side effects, researchers say
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/calcium-supplements-may-not-help-your-bones-study-finds/
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/calcium-supplements-may-not-help-your-bones-study-finds/
Parents Talking Type 1: Heather & Bekah
We recently asked our Facebook and Twitter communities to send us their stories—specifically, what it’s like to be the parent of a child living with type 1 diabetes. Having received a lot of wonderful stories, we’re excited to present these favorites on the blog every week.
We hope you’re as inspired by these personal stories as we are, and that you’re willing to keep the conversation going. Tell us more in the comments!
Name: Heather & Bekah (@yermawn)
Location: Fresno, California
Bekah was recently diagnosed on July 2, 2015. She is now 11 years old. I’ve had type 1 since I was 18 months old and now I’m 46. My grandmother also had it and lived until she was 89.
What motivates me? It’s that I know exactly what it’s like for Bekah. I am so very thankful, for once in my life, to have this disease. I am able to teach her and understand her frustrations from personal experience. But seriously, I’ve done everything I’ve ever wanted to—and I tell her she will do the same!
I have told her it’s an inconvenience to take a shot before you eat, but it could be worse. She has been giving her own shots since July 13, less than two weeks after she was diagnosed. I told her if she wants to be able to be independent and go to sleepovers, she’s going to have to do it herself. She did it and we were so proud of her. That’s a huge accomplishment!
There haven’t really been any challenges at school. The nurse is new, but she knows I know what I’m doing and what the doctors have ordered. We have set up a group text message between the school nurse assistant who is there daily and the district nurse and me. When Bekah checks her blood glucose at her designated times, she then group-texts us and tells us how many carbs she’s eating and what she is dosing. I pack her lunch so I text the carb count to everyone in the morning. Bekah just reconfirms that carb number along with her blood glucose levels and insulin dose at lunch time. Everyone is in the loop and has been wonderful and supportive.
My advice to other parents with newly diagnosed children is to no not overreact with the whole food thing. My kid eats whatever she wants, within reason. I obviously don’t let her eat candy bars for breakfast, apple pie for lunch and German chocolate cake for dinner. Everything is in moderation. She even got up in front of the whole class the first day of school and said, “If you can eat it, so can I!” She counts her carbs and knows how to dose insulin. It takes about two extra minutes out of her entire day to figure out the carb counts. Again, my philosophy is “everything in moderation.”
I believe everyone should expect and be prepared for a hypoglycemia situation. We were on day two of our journey with diabetes and on vacation for the Fourth of July (diabetes doesn’t stop us!) when Bekah said, “I think I’m low.”
I asked, “What are you feeling?”
She explained her symptoms and I said, “Let’s go check your levels and get you some juice.”
She was indeed low (72 mg/dl) and she knew what the feeling was. As we sat there as a family, I explained to her, “This is what it feels like. If you feel like this you need to eat or drink something.” Since then she’s all over it.
Let your friends, your child’s friends and their parents know right away about living with diabetes. Brag about it and post it on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Everyone needs to know the basics of diabetes, so there are as many people as possible looking out for your child. This way, your child should never feel ashamed or embarrassed to tell someone someday when they need help with a low, for example.
Lastly, make your child learn about diabetes. Do not do everything for them forever. They need independence and that cannot be done by hovering over them 24/7. They have to know what to do and what not to do. Granted, your child must be old enough to understand. I wouldn’t expect a 2-year-old to know the ropes, but an 8-year-old can and should. I was 8 when I started giving my own shots and I knew what to do if I was low.
There have been so many changes and advances since I was a kid, so with Bekah’s diagnosis there is a ton of new information for me as well. It’s a great refresher course on diabetes.
The American Diabetes Association’s Safe at School campaign is dedicated to making sure that all children with diabetes are medically safe at school and have the same educational opportunities as their peers. To learn more, visit http://diabetes.org/sas.
From: American Diabetes Association http://diabetesstopshere.org/2015/09/30/ptt1-heather-bekah/
Treat all people living with HIV, offer antiretrovirals as additional prevention choice for people at "substantial" risk
Anyone infected with HIV should begin antiretroviral treatment as soon after diagnosis as possible, WHO announced Wednesday. With its "treat-all" recommendation, WHO removes all limitations on eligibility for antiretroviral therapy (ART) among people living with HIV; all populations and age groups are now eligible for treatment.
The expanded use of antiretroviral treatment is supported by recent findings from clinical trials confirming that early use of ART keeps people living with HIV alive, healthier and reduces the risk of transmitting the virus to partners.
From: http://www.who.int/entity/mediacentre/news/releases/2015/hiv-treat-all-recommendation/en/index.html
The expanded use of antiretroviral treatment is supported by recent findings from clinical trials confirming that early use of ART keeps people living with HIV alive, healthier and reduces the risk of transmitting the virus to partners.
From: http://www.who.int/entity/mediacentre/news/releases/2015/hiv-treat-all-recommendation/en/index.html
Planned Parenthood showdown in Congressional hearing
A group of Republican lawmakers will try again to pass legislation to defund Planned Parenthood
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/planned-parenthood-showdown-in-congressional-hearing/
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/planned-parenthood-showdown-in-congressional-hearing/
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