Can scientists prove Zika causes birth defects?

Health officials say there is strong evidence linking the virus to microcephaly, but what will it take to know for sure?

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/can-scientists-prove-zika-causes-birth-defects/

College-Age Binge Drinkers May Face Higher BP

Study found continued boozing was linked to elevated readings at age 24

From: http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/news/20160219/college-age-binge-drinkers-may-face-higher-blood-pressure?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Check Newborns of Women Who Visited Zika-Prone Areas for Infection: CDC

Advisory is for babies of any woman who's been in such a locale within 2 weeks of delivery, experts say

From: http://www.webmd.com/news/20160219/check-newborns-of-women-who-visited-zika-prone-areas-for-infection-cdc?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Simple steps to lower your risk of stroke

New research suggests you have more control over your risk for stroke than you might think

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/lower-stroke-risk-sleep-exercise/

Fatal overdoses from common sedatives on the rise

A new study finds deaths from widely used drugs like Xanax and Valium have surged in recent years

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/fatal-overdoses-from-common-sedatives-xanax-valium-on-the-rise/

Mayo Clinic Live Stream

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6umoR83Jk0

Early Rehab May Help Spinal Cord Injury Patients

Better physical functioning reported after one year, study finds

From: http://www.webmd.com/brain/news/20160219/early-rehab-may-help-spinal-cord-injury-patients?src=RSS_PUBLIC

2. Securing a Polio-free World: The Polio Vaccines

From: World Health Organization http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhxEXHHbP9I

3. Securing a Polio-free World: Stopping all Polioviruses

From: World Health Organization http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h51V-zts4ec

3. Garantir un monde exempt de poliomyélite: L’éradication de tous les poliovirus

From: World Health Organization http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqYqt9JtBc4

2. Garantir un monde exempt de poliomyélite: Les vaccins antipoliomyélitiques

From: World Health Organization http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRJ5zSu-WSc

1. Garantir un monde exempt de poliomyélite

From: World Health Organization http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPtKnPJ-Fzw

1. Securing a Polio-Free World: Introductory video

From: World Health Organization http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9gjhFOiNKI

6. Securing a Polio-free World: Containing Polioviruses Safely and Securely

From: World Health Organization http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXEDG-dPZWs

4. Garantir un monde exempt de poliomyélite: Le retrait progressif des vaccins oraux

From: World Health Organization http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqIg4Q5LBk4

5. Securing a Polio-free World: Building Resilience for the Switch

From: World Health Organization http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oe5HooVpaUY

5. Garantir un monde exempt de poliomyélite: Le renforcement de la résilience pour le remplacement

From: World Health Organization http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9gsyUThIP0

4. Securing a Polio-Free World: Phasing Out Oral Polio Vaccines

From: World Health Organization http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rw0zwQS7f8

6. Garantir un monde exempt de poliomyélite: Le confinement des poliovirus en toute sécurité

From: World Health Organization http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONHn0ogjZZ8

Do you know how much sugar is in your Starbucks drink?

A nutrition advocacy group is bringing awareness to the "shocking" amount of sugar in many popular beverages

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/do-you-know-how-much-sugar-is-in-your-starbucks-drink/

Mayo Clinic Minute: Obesity and ADHD

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoH7EZPFYoU

Why men often die earlier than women

My wife recently asked me, “Why do you assume you’ll die before me?”

Her question caught me by surprise. But it’s true, I have made that assumption. So, I answered, as matter-of-factly as I could, with one word: statistics.

I knew that, on average, women live longer than men. In fact, 57% of all those ages 65 and older are female. By age 85, 67% are women. The average lifespan is about 5 years longer for women than men in the U.S., and about 7 years longer worldwide.

It’s not hard to see the gender gap among the elderly. A glance around most nursing homes or assisted living facilities in the U.S. often tells the story: women will usually outnumber men, and the magnitude of the difference is often striking. I’m also told that when a man moves into a residential setting dominated by the geriatric set, he tends to be popular; and that’s especially true if he still drives.

Advertisers know this as well. I recently saw an ad for an organization called “A Place for Mom” that helps families find assisted living or other services for senior citizens. And while they help men as well as women, the name of the company reflects how much bigger the elderly female market is.

So why do men, on average, die first?

There are many reasons why the ratio of men to women (which is roughly equal in young adulthood) starts to favor women over time. Among the most powerful factors? Men tend to

• take bigger risks. Some of the reason seems to be “biological destiny.” The frontal lobe of the brain — the part that controls judgment and consideration of an action’s consequences — develops more slowly in boys and young men than in their female counterparts. This likely contributes to the fact that far more boys and men die in accidents or due to violence than girls and women. Examples include biking, driving drunk, and homicide. This tendency toward lack of judgment and consideration of consequences may also contribute to detrimental lifestyle decisions among young men, such as smoking or drinking to excess.
• have more dangerous jobs. Men far outnumber women in some of the riskiest occupations, including military combat, firefighting, and working at construction sites.
• die of heart disease more often and at a younger age. In fact, men are 50% more likely than women to die of heart disease. The fact that men have lower estrogen levels than women may be part of the reason. But medical risks, such as poorly treated high blood pressure or unfavorable cholesterol levels, may contribute as well.
• be larger than women. Across many species, larger animals tend to die younger than smaller ones. Although the magnitude of this effect is uncertain in humans, it tends to work against male longevity.
• commit suicide more often than women. This is true despite the fact that depression is considered more common among women and women make more (non-fatal) suicide attempts. Some attribute this to the tendency for men to avoid seeking care for depression and the cultural norms that discourage men from seeking help for mental illness.
• be less socially connected. For reasons that aren’t entirely clear, people with fewer and weaker social connections (including men) tend to have higher death rates.
• avoid doctors. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, men are far more likely to skip routine health screens and far less likely than women to have seen a doctor of any kind during the previous year.

The uneven playing field for boys starts early. The Y chromosome tends to develop mutations more often than X chromosomes and the lack of a second X chromosome in men means that X-linked abnormalities among boys are not “masked” by a second, normal version. Survival in the womb is also less reliable for male fetuses (for uncertain, and probably multiple, reasons). Developmental disorders are also more common among boys; some of these could shorten life expectancy.

What we can do to help men live longer

While there’s not much that can be done about some of these factors, others are modifiable. For example, since men tend to avoid medical care far more often than women, getting men to report symptoms (including depression) and go for regular follow-up for chronic medical problems (such as high blood pressure) could counter some of the tendency for them to die younger.

It’s also worth noting that the survival gap between men and women reflects an average tendency among large numbers of people. In fact, plenty of wives predecease their husbands. Individual risk factors (such as smoking, diabetes, or a strong family history of breast cancer) can outweigh the general tendency for women to live longer.

Perhaps we’ll be more successful in the future in avoiding preventable, premature death among men (and women) — and, because many of these efforts will have a bigger impact on men, the gender gap among the elderly may eventually narrow. Until then, my wife and I will do what we can to stay healthy. But, statistics don’t lie. I’ll probably die first.

Related Post:

• The gender gap in sports injuries
• New mammography guidelines call for starting later and…
• Overweight children are at risk for heart disease as adults
• New guidelines aim to help women prevent stroke
• Kidney stones are on the rise

The post Why men often die earlier than women appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Robert Shmerling, M.D. http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/why-men-often-die-earlier-than-women-201602199137

Preemie Birth Risk May Rise for Depressed Parents

Treating expectant mothers and fathers might help prevent early birth, study suggests

From: http://www.webmd.com/baby/news/20160219/risk-of-preemie-birth-may-rise-for-depressed-parents-to-be?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Obesity Can Send Kids' Blood Pressure Soaring

Losing weight can bring it back in line, expert says

From: http://www.webmd.com/children/news/20160219/obesity-can-send-kids-blood-pressure-soaring-study?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Urban Medicare Beneficiaries: More Drug Savings?

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services says access to special, lower-cost pharmacies has improved for Medicare beneficiaries in urban areas.

From: http://www.webmd.com/health-insurance/20160219/urban-medicare-beneficiaries-may-see-more-drug-savings-this-year?src=RSS_PUBLIC

International Medical Relief seeking volunteer dentists

International Medical Relief, founded in 2002, provides medical, dental and surgical care to underserved and vulnerable people around the world through medical mission trips. In that time, it has helped thousands of patients — but to continue its efforts it could use a little help.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2016-archive/february/international-medical-relief-seeking-volunteer-dentists

Earn CE, learn to navigate latest research at symposium

Clinicians have the opportunity to earn up to 6.75 hours of CE credit March 18 at an ADA Center for Evidence-Based Dentistry symposium.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2016-archive/february/earn-ce-learn-to-navigate-latest-research-at-symposium

Study: More decay in town with discontinued fluoridation

Children who lived in a Canadian city that discontinued water fluoridation experienced more tooth decay than children who lived in a continuously fluoridated community, according to a study published in February in Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2016-archive/february/study-more-decay-in-town-with-discontinued-fluoridation

Sufficient Sleep, Exercise May Stave Off Stroke

Between 7 and 8 hours of shut-eye each night seems to be best, research suggests

From: http://www.webmd.com/stroke/news/20160218/sufficient-sleep-exercise-linked-to-lower-stroke-risk?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Add Neck Problems to Reasons Not to Smoke

Tobacco use hastens wear and tear of cervical discs, study suggests

From: http://www.webmd.com/smoking-cessation/news/20160218/add-neck-problems-to-reasons-not-to-smoke?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Wending the Web: New ADA.org software boosts search success

The ADA Feb. 8 added a new search software on its websites to enhance onsite search experience and help each visitor receive relevant search results that lead to informative Web content.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2016-archive/february/wending-the-web-new-adaorg-software-boosts-search-success

Have researchers found "ground zero" for Alzheimer's?

A small region deep in the brain stem might reveal clues to understanding how Alzheimer's disease develops

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/alzheimers-disease-ground-zero/