02/11/16

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Venezuela says 3 dead from Zika virus complications

More than 5,000 suspected cases of Zika in Venezuela since November, but local health officials say the real number is likely much higher

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/venezuela-says-3-dead-from-zika-virus-complications/

Overactive Thyroid Linked to Breast Cancer Risk

But researchers added that their study did not prove cause-and-effect

From: http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/news/20160211/overactive-thyroid-linked-to-breast-cancer-risk?src=RSS_PUBLIC

U.S. Olympic Committee tries to ease athletes' Zika fears

A memo to prospective U.S. Olympians said the Zika virus outbreak in Brazil is being closely monitored

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/united-states-olympic-committee-tries-to-ease-athletes-zika-virus-fears/

Zika virus

Coverage of the viral threat

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/feature/zika-virus/

Mayo Clinic Minute: 26.2 to Beat Breast Cancer

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZe5bayfJBM

Donna Deegan - Breast Cancer Marathon Helps Fund Genomic Research

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0rVDEu2brU

Varied Diets May Not Curb Childhood Obesity

Kids given more food diversity might be heavier, researchers find

From: http://www.webmd.com/children/news/20160211/varied-diets-may-not-curb-childhood-obesity-study-suggests?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Surprising cause of man's persistent hiccups

Long-lasting bouts of hiccups finally led to a rare and serious diagnosis

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/surprising-cause-of-mans-persistent-hiccups/

Is Neanderthal DNA making us depressed?

Study shows traces of Neanderthal DNA may influence the risk of several diseases in modern humans

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/neanderthal-dna-affects-health-of-modern-humans/

The 5 Things You Need in a Weight Loss Plan

A new study says reliable weight loss programs are hard to find. WebMD explains why and offer tips for cutting thru the hype and finding the healthiest options.

From: http://www.webmd.com/diet/obesity/20160211/weight-loss-program-keys?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Gene Tests Up Among Young Breast Cancer Patients

New study finds nearly all women under 40 at diagnosis are opting for BRCA evaluation

From: http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/news/20160211/more-young-breast-cancer-patients-getting-gene-test?src=RSS_PUBLIC

USDA Secretary Vilsack Announces $58.25 Million to Protect Agriculture and Plants from Pests and Diseases Through 2014 Farm Bill Section 10007

WASHINGTON, Feb. 11, 2016 — U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has allocated $58.25 million from Section 10007 of the 2014 Farm Bill. This money will support 434 projects that prevent the introduction or spread of plant pests and diseases that threaten U.S. agriculture and the environment and ensure the availability of a healthy supply of clean plant stock in the United States.

From: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=2016/02/0041.xml&contentidonly=true

How 3D printers are changing plastic surgery

The new technology is allowing patients to see a preview of their new faces before going under the knife

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/3d-printers-give-plastic-surgery-patients-preview-of-new-face/

Living with Diabetes in College: Eddie

For young adults living with diabetes, preparing for college can be a difficult time. Managing diabetes while trying to make sense of a new world, social network and expectations can be especially challenging. You’re not alone! There are many resources in place to help support this transition.

The following are stories shared by College Diabetes Network (CDN) Students, involved in CDN’s Student Advisory Committee (SAC), about their experiences heading off to college, and navigating life on campus, with diabetes.

The College Diabetes Network provides programs for young adults with diabetes to help make their college experience safer and more successful. The American Diabetes Association is working with CDN to help further this goal.

Name: Eddie

School: Boston College, Class of 2016

I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at a young age. Although my college transition didn’t have too many obstacles, for others it may present many difficult changes and intimidating environments. For students living with type 1 diabetes, many of these experiences hold unique consequences, consequences other students may not be able to relate to. Diabetes management during finals, food intake, alcohol consumption are just some of the examples we have to consider.

I applied exclusively to colleges close to home, as I wanted to stay in Boston and continue my care at the Joslin Diabetes Center. This way, I figured I would have easy access to all the medical resources I might need while living at college.

I also had a very strong support group. My mother and endocrinologist were very helpful, as they made sure I was fully stocked with everything I needed at school on a consistent basis. The Dexcom with Bluetooth and Share changed my life; I consistently feel comfortable about my blood glucose monitoring wherever I am.

In the past I’ve had the privilege of working with numerous organizations including the Association, JDRF, Camp Joslin and Beyond Type 1. I’ve had numerous roles, ranging from blogging and public speaking, to fundraising and leadership. And now serving as CDN chapter leader, I look forward to raising more awareness about this disease.

The CDN is a unique opportunity to link with the type 1 community on campus and to further increase campus awareness about diabetes. It’s incredible to have a community on campus with which you can discuss the trials of college, whether they are academic, personal or medical. My goal is to fuse the type 1 diabetes community with the larger type 2 community so people can be educated more about diabetes and how it affects us all.

If you live with diabetes or any other chronic condition, I would strongly recommend letting your roommates know about it, educating them and getting them involved. In addition to teaching them the basics, I show my roommates and friends everything. I explain where it all should be and how the math all works out. By now my closest friends know the blood glucose-testing and carb-counting drill well. In case of emergencies, they all know where to find and use glucagon kits. Even if I never have an emergency, it’s very important knowledge.

And still, everyone thinks my Dexcom is an iPod. I assure them it doesn’t play music.

I juggle many things on top of diabetes. I play lacrosse at school, which makes life a bit more difficult. Late practices can complicate my sleep schedule and blood sugars, so I do lose sleep on a regular basis. Learning how to balance everything has been difficult, but I’ve managed so far.

Diabetes management and anxiety can take a very significant toll on you — it’s something that needs to be addressed more than it is. Too seldom do we take the time to slow down and recognize that the management of our disease is difficult and extremely stressful. Our whole person, every element of our lives, can be dramatically affected by our relationship with our disease. To effectively manage diabetes, we need to identify how it worries us and how we might combat those concerns, especially in the college environment.

If you’re heading off to college, I would suggest moving slowly into everything new. It’ll be a tremendous experience, but don’t feel like you have to assimilate right away. Just because everyone else participates in some activities, especially those that involve alcohol consumption, doesn’t mean you have to dive in headfirst.

You can do more for yourself and your own well-being by practicing restraint. Finding others who practice the same restraint might help keep your spirits up.

The College Diabetes Network (CDN) is a 501c3 non-profit organization, whose mission is to use the power of peers, access to resources, and grassroots leadership to fill the gaps experienced by young adults with diabetes and make their college experience safer and more successful. CDN’s vision is to empower young adults with diabetes to thrive in all of their personal, healthcare, and scholastic endeavors. CDN has over 80 campuses with 60+ affiliated chapters. Sign-up for more information here.

Diabetes Forecast magazine and the College Diabetes Network recently published a “Thrive Guide for Young Adults” with tips for doing college with diabetes. Visit diabetesforecast.org and diabetes.org for more information.

From: American Diabetes Association http://diabetesstopshere.org/2016/02/11/diabetes-in-college-eddie/

Promising results for a targeted drug in advanced prostate cancer

It’s well known that defective BRCA genes can increase a woman’s chances of developing breast, ovarian, and other cancers. But these same gene changes can also increase a man’s risk of dying from prostate cancer.

Now, a new study published in The New England Journal of Medicine has shown that men with prostate cancer who test positive for BRCA mutations can benefit from an ovarian cancer drug developed for BRCA-positive women. On the basis of this finding, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is accelerating its review of the drug, called olaparib, as a possible new prostate cancer treatment.

During the study, 50 men with advanced metastatic prostate cancer took olaparib tablets twice a day. Sixteen of them responded: their prostate-specific antigen levels fell by at least 50%, the number of tumor cells in their blood dropped sharply, and several had their tumors shrink by a third or more in size. Moreover, olaparib improved pain control and quality of life, with responses among some men lasting more than a year. “What was impressive was not just the magnitude of the response, but also its duration,” said Dr. Joaquin Mateo, an oncologist at the London-based Institute of Cancer Research and the study’s lead author.

How olaparib gets its noteworthy results

Olaparib kills BRCA-positive cancer cells by interfering with a DNA repair protein called PARP. And when olaparib-treated cancer cells can’t repair the damage that accumulates naturally in their DNA, they die.

Upon analyzing biopsy samples from the men in the study, Mateo and his co-authors found that responders were limited to men who tested positive for defects in BRCA and a few other related genes. What’s more, the defects in some of the responders weren’t inherited, but rather had developed spontaneously in their cancer cells. Mateo said that’s a critical finding, because PARP inhibitors like olaparib have so far been investigated only in patients with inherited BRCA mutations. “Our trial suggests that many more patients might benefit from the drug, including those who develop DNA repair defects later in life,” he said.

Dr. Marc Garnick, the Gorman Brothers Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and editor in chief of HarvardProstateKnowledge.org, said the findings are promising for the roughly 30% of men with prostate cancer who have DNA repair defects. “Olaparib could provide another, much needed treatment option for many men with advanced prostate cancer,” he said.

The post Promising results for a targeted drug in advanced prostate cancer appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Charlie Schmidt http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/promising-results-for-a-targeted-drug-in-advanced-prostate-cancer-201602119165

Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces the Selection of Warren Preston as USDA Deputy Chief Economist

WASHINGTON, Feb. 11, 2016 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the selection of Dr. Warren Preston as U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Chief Economist, effective February 21. He has served as senior economist for agricultural policy in the Office of the Chief Economist (OCE) since August 2015, after serving as USDA's acting Deputy Chief Economist beginning in February 2015. He joined USDA in 1992.

From: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=2016/02/0040.xml&contentidonly=true

CDC Reports Link Between Zika Virus, Microcephaly

Germ found in tissues of 2 Brazilian babies who died from the birth defect marked by undersized heads, brains

From: http://www.webmd.com/news/20160210/cdc-reports-link-between-zika-virus-and-microcephaly?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Flu Shot May Guard Against Irregular Heart Rate

Vaccination was associated with fewer cases of atrial fibrillation, but more research is needed, authors say

From: http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/atrial-fibrillation/news/20160210/flu-shot-may-guard-against-irregular-heart-rate-study?src=RSS_PUBLIC

"She is feisty": Tiny preemie goes home

One of the smallest babies to survive, little E'layah Faith was 14 weeks premature and weighed just 10 ounces when she was born

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/she-is-feisty-tiny-preemie-goes-home/

Doctors, parents amazed as tiny preemie goes home

E'layah Faith was born 14 weeks early and weighed just 10 ounces - lighter than a can of soda

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/premature-baby-elayah-faith-pegues-home-from-hospital-charlotte-north-carolina/

USDA Sees Strong Demand for Conservation Reserve Program

WASHINGTON, Feb. 11, 2016 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is reminding farmers and ranchers that the competitive sign-up deadline for its most popular voluntary conservation program, the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), is Feb. 26, 2016.

From: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=2016/02/0039.xml&contentidonly=true

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