02/24/16

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Video shows police saving man from heroin overdose

Police in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania saved a man who was shooting up heroin on a public bus from an overdose

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/video-shows-police-saving-man-from-heroin-overdose/

Probe: HealthCare.gov "passive" on heading off fraud

Government Accountability Office stops short of alleging widespread cheating in President Barack Obama's signature program

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/probe-obamacare-healthcare-gov-passive-on-heading-off-fraud/

Active Mind, Body May Not Help Curb Alzheimer's

Study suggests that, for most people, this kind of lifestyle does not curb markers of disease in the brain

From: http://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/news/20160224/active-mind-body-may-only-do-so-much-against-alzheimers?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Brain Cancer Common, Deadly in Teens, Young Adults

But types of tumors start to vary as people age, researchers add

From: http://www.webmd.com/children/news/20160224/brain-cancers-both-common-and-deadly-among-teens-young-adults-report?src=RSS_PUBLIC

It’s a family affair at ADA annual meetings

When dentist Dr. Maria Burmaster thinks about the ADA’s annual meetings, she thinks about family.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2016-archive/february/its-a-family-affair-at-ada-annual-meetings

Mayor in upstate New York calls for supervised heroin injection site

Proposal to consider allowing heroin users to shoot up under medical supervision has divided drug policy experts

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-york-mayor-calls-for-supervised-heroin-injection-site/

Exercise + Schoolwork = Better test scores?

A new study finds children may do better at math and spelling if physical activity is part of the lesson plan

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/exercise-schoolwork-better-test-scores/

$72M Awarded in Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder Case

From: http://www.webmd.com/cancer/news/20160224/talcum-powder-cancer-verdict?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Alfalfa Sprouts: CDC

Alfalfa Sprouts Likely Cause of Salmonella Outbreak: CDC

From: http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/food-poisoning/20160224/alfalfa-sprouts-salmonella?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Where do higher periodontitis rates prevail?

CDC identifies top 10 states in study

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2016-archive/february/where-do-higher-periodontitis-rates-prevail

ADA launches one-stop new dentist Web portal

The ADA launched this month a new Web portal, ADA.org/newdentist, designed to provide a one-stop shop for new dentists seeking information.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2016-archive/february/ada-launches-new-onestop-new-dentist-web-portal

Baby gorilla born after a rare C-section at British zoo

An adorable baby gorilla was delivered through a rare operation

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/baby-gorilla-born-in-british-zoo-after-a-rare-caesarean-section/

Gaps in care for women's "biggest health threat"

Heart disease is the number one killer for women, but study shows women are "understudied, underdiagnosed and undertreated"

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/american-heart-association-study-heart-disease-care-women-gender-gap/

Salmonella outbreak linked to alfalfa sprouts

Health officials urge consumers not to eat alfalfa sprouts produced by Sweetwater Farms at this time

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/salmonella-outbreak-linked-to-alfalfa-sprouts/

Exercise + Classwork May = Better Math Scores

Dutch study also found bringing exercise to the classroom boosted spelling grades

From: http://www.webmd.com/parenting/news/20160224/exercise-43-classwork-may-61-better-math-scores?src=RSS_PUBLIC

March JADA: Noncitizens in the U.S. foregoing dental care

Noncitizens and naturalized citizens in the U.S. had a lower rate of dental service use and are more likely to have had tooth extraction when compared with U.S.-born citizens in a study published in the March issue of The Journal of the American Dental Association.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2016-archive/february/march-jada-noncitizens-in-the-us-foregoing-dental-care

Dentists have 100 days to enroll in Medicare or opt out

Dentists who prescribe Part D covered drugs to Medicare beneficiaries have about three months to enroll in Medicare or opt out.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2016-archive/february/dentists-have-100-days-to-enroll-in-medicare-or-opt-out

"Never give up": Teen with rare disorder inspires team

Tristan Wilmott plays JV basketball even though he's only 3-foot-5, and when he scores, "the crowd goes wild"

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-hampshire-teen-with-rare-disorder-inspires-basketball-team/

Maine woman puts up road signs, finds a kidney

"I'm still amazed at the number of people that don't even know me but are willing to give me a piece of their body to save me," Linda Deming says

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/maine-woman-puts-up-road-signs-finds-a-kidney/

Women’s heart disease symptoms often overlooked, study shows

Heart disease is the number one cause of death in women, affecting more than six million women every year

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/womens-heart-disease-symptoms-often-overlooked-study-shows/

Mayo Clinic Minute: Standing Desk Tips

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjyhmguQ1ak

A stronger heart may keep your brain young

You probably know that regular exercise offers a wealth of benefits for your body, like staving off excess weight and chronic illnesses like heart disease and diabetes. But mounting evidence suggests that exercise is also good for your brain. A study published in the journal Neurology links better cardiovascular fitness to improved thinking skills in older adults.

The findings add to our understanding of how exercise benefits the brain, which seems to stem from several possible mechanisms, says Dr. John Ratey, associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and author of Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain. “It’s not just about delivering more oxygen to the brain, although that’s part of it,” he says. Having a fit, healthy cardiovascular system also protects against vascular dementia, which happens when blood vessels feeding the brain become blocked or narrowed, leading to memory and other cognitive problems.

But exercise also stimulates the growth of new blood vessels in the brain, as well as the growth and survival of new brain cells, says Dr. Ratey. Brain imaging studies suggest that key brain areas responsible for thinking and memory are larger in people who exercise than in those who don’t.

Fit body, younger brain?

The new study included 877 adults with an average age of 65. To assess their cardiovascular fitness, researchers used a standard measure known as VO2 max, which is defined as the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use while you’re exercising as hard as you can. (The V stands for volume, usually measured in milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute. O2 is for oxygen, and max is for maximum.) The participants also took a variety of tests to gauge their thinking skills, memory, and executive function (a category of mental skills used to manage time, plan and organize, and remember details).

When researchers divided the participants into four groups based on their VO2 max values, they found striking differences in executive function between those with the highest and lowest levels. In fact, the test score differences corresponded to an age difference of seven years, they estimated. They saw similar trends for both memory and overall thinking ability, corresponding to age differences of six and four years, respectively.

Better brain connectivity and activation

In a study published last year in Neuroimage, participants underwent functional MRI testing, which tracks the changes that take place when a region of the brain responds during various tasks. The researchers found stronger connections between different regions of the brain in people with higher levels of cardiorespiratory fitness. Earlier research also correlated fitness levels with activation in the brain’s frontal lobe — the part of the brain responsible for executive function.

Together, these findings suggest that exercise may help keep your brain young, or at least slow down the normal decline in age-related thinking skills. The government’s Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans are more than adequate for that purpose, says Dr. Ratey. For all adults, the weekly goals are:

Two hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, like brisk walking OR one hour and 15 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity, like jogging.
Muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days per week.

The post A stronger heart may keep your brain young appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Julie Corliss http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/a-stronger-heart-may-keep-your-brain-young-201602249182

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