Heart Health Challenge: 30 Minutes of Exercise

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9u9LSGgckyA

Baby born with microcephaly in U.S. after mother's travels

On Friday, the CDC reported that a woman who contracted the Zika virus abroad gave birth to a baby with microcephaly in the U.S.

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/baby-born-with-microcephaly-in-u-s-after-mothers-travels/

Emails reveal governor's officials flagged early on Flint water

Problems began to surface in Flint, Michigan when the city switched its water source from Lake Huron to the polluted Flint River

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/emails-reveal-governors-officials-flagged-early-on-flint-water/

Baby born in U.S. with brain damage linked to Zika

Officials update on pregnant women in the U.S. who have had the Zika virus liked to microcephaly

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/baby-born-in-united-states-with-brain-damage-linked-to-zika/

Heart Health Challenge: Feeding Your Heart Health

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Btip28k3UtQ

Harris grants application deadline April 8

The application deadline for the 2016 ADA Foundation’s Samuel Harris Fund for Children’s Dental Health grant program is April 8.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2016-archive/february/harris-grants-application-deadline-april-8

Newlywed dies after mistaking cancer pain for pulled muscle

Friends and family of the U.K. woman have set up a foundation in her name to fight skin cancer

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/newlywed-dies-after-mistaking-cancer-pain-for-pulled-muscle/

Baby thrives after heart procedure before birth

A California baby's rare heart condition could have been fatal, but doctors were able to intervene before little Grayson was even born

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/baby-thrives-after-heart-procedure-before-birth/

Rare heart procedure saves tiny newborn's life

Twenty-two weeks into his mother's pregnancy, doctors discovered baby Grayson Davila had a rare heart condition

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/rare-heart-procedure-saves-tiny-newborns-life/

Pregnant Travelers, Tough Choices on Zika Testing

Pregnant women who recently traveled to areas where the Zika virus is being spread by mosquitoes are facing a dilemma -- whether or not to get a blood test to check for the infection. WebMD has the details.

From: http://www.webmd.com/news/20160226/pregnant-travelers-zika-tests?src=RSS_PUBLIC

4 Types of Pancreatic Cancer Identified: Study

Scientists say there are four types of pancreatic cancer, a discovery that could lead to new treatment opportunities. WebMD has the details.

From: http://www.webmd.com/cancer/pancreatic-cancer/news/20160226/pancreatic-cancer-types?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Surgeons Perform First U.S. Uterus Transplant

'Life-enhancing' procedure offers womb-less women a chance at pregnancy

From: http://www.webmd.com/women/news/20160226/surgeons-perform-first-us-uterus-transplant?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Is there a sleeping pill, car crash connection?

A new study looks at what happens in older Americans who took Ambien

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/is-there-a-sleeping-pill-car-crash-connection/

Mayo Clinic Minute: Where to Avoid Multitasking

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

Transgender Kids: Support Key to Emotional Health

Study did not find higher depression levels when parents backed children's choice

From: http://www.webmd.com/children/news/20160226/for-transgender-kids-support-is-key-to-emotional-well-being?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Pot Habit Early in Life May Alter Brain

Regular marijuana users who started smoking before 16 had marked differences on MRI scans

From: http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/news/20160226/pot-habit-early-in-life-may-alter-brain-study-suggests?src=RSS_PUBLIC

USDA Invests $25 Million in High-Priority Watersheds to Improve Water Quality

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26, 2016 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced an investment of $25 million targeted to help agriculture producers improve water quality in high-priority streams and rivers across the country. Through the National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI), USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will help agricultural producers in 187 priority watersheds apply conservation measures that contribute to cleaner water downstream.

From: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=2016/02/0052.xml&contentidonly=true

HIPAA clarification allows patients to receive health information through unsecure email

The federal government clarified that the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act that requires covered dentists to use unsecure email to send information to a patient as long as the patient requested it be sent that way.


From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2016-archive/february/hipaa-clarification-allows-patients-to-receive-health-information-through-unsecure-email

Oklahoma Mission of Mercy event breaks its own record

This year’s Oklahoma Mission of Mission event provided more than $1.7 million in donated dental care, a record, surpassing last year’s total of $1.5 million.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2016-archive/february/oklahoma-mission-of-mercy-event-breaks-its-own-record

Cranberry Juice for Urinary Tract Infection?

Specialist says grocery-store varieties aren't strong enough for the job

From: http://www.webmd.com/women/news/20160225/cranberry-juice-for-urinary-tract-infection?src=RSS_PUBLIC

"Truly stunning" findings on transgender kids' health

Small study looks at how transgender children who are allowed to live openly compare to other kids when it comes to mental health

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/transgender-kids-mental-health/

Vitamin D and physical function: Is more better?

The popularity of vitamin D has been surging in recent years, largely because of the growing list of its proposed health benefits. But not all of the claims are backed by evidence. For example, there have been suggestions that vitamin D can help you

• reduce your risk of arthritis
• prevent heart disease
• improve your brain function and lessen your risk of dementia
• improve your immune function and lessen the risk of immune disorders.

These are difficult claims to prove — or disprove. Most of them come from studies linking a low intake of vitamin D or a low level in the blood with an increased risk of disease or death. But, it’s possible that people with low intake or blood levels of vitamin D levels also smoke more, exercise less, or have other explanations for their higher rates of disease and death.

While it’s not at all clear that vitamin D can deliver these health benefits, getting enough vitamin D is important, especially for maintaining bone health. Severe deficiency of vitamin D can cause osteomalacia, which means “soft bones.” (In children, abnormal bone development due to vitamin D deficiency is called rickets.) Low levels of vitamin D can also contribute to osteoporosis: vitamin D is needed to promote calcium absorption in the gut, and calcium is essential in building and remodeling bone.

Can vitamin D also improve physical function?

To explore the possibility that vitamin D might provide yet another health benefit, researchers recently published a study to determine whether taking a high dose vitamin D supplement might help stave off a decline in physical function in older adults. Researchers enrolled 200 people who were at least age 70 and who had reported a fall in the past. Some were given a low dose of vitamin D, while others received higher doses. After a year, the researchers assessed the participants’ physical function (by measures of walking speed, ability to stand up repeatedly from a sitting position, and balance). The results were no better in those treated with higher doses of vitamin D than in those on lower doses. In addition, those receiving the higher doses reported significantly more falls. There was no clear explanation for this unexpected finding.

While this study casts doubt on vitamin D as a panacea for failing physical function among elderly adults, it’s still possible that it might help certain people — for example, perhaps younger adults who’ve never fallen before would see more benefit. Or, a longer period of follow-up might reveal other benefits associated with taking high-dose vitamin D supplements.

Please stand by

While we know vitamin D is an essential part of a healthy diet and supplements might be helpful for those who don’t get enough, we need more research to back up some of its proposed benefits. In the meantime, it seems reasonable to choose a balanced diet that contains the recommended daily amount of vitamin D for your age and gender. Sun exposure (perhaps as little as 10-15 minutes a day) may also increase blood levels of vitamin D because UVB radiation from the sun converts precursors of vitamin D in the skin.

Talk to your doctor about whether to have a blood test to confirm that you’re getting enough vitamin D. And read the reports about the health benefits of this vitamin (and other vitamins and supplements) with a skeptical eye. There is considerable uncertainty about what vitamin D can do for you — and, as demonstrated in this latest research, one thing is clear: more is not always better.

Related Post:

• Benefits of vitamin D supplements still debated
• Selenium, vitamin E supplements increase prostate cancer…
• How well does calcium intake really protect your bones?
• Vitamin D testing not recommended for most people
• Want to get enough vitamin D? Try supplements — or…

The post Vitamin D and physical function: Is more better? appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Robert Shmerling, M.D. http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/vitamin-d-and-physical-function-is-more-better-201602269206

Live. Work. Play: Simintha’s Diabetes Story

Working for the American Diabetes Association® means making a difference for millions of people and working toward a future free of diabetes and all its burdens.

We all have a story to share. Some of us live with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes or prediabetes. Others have loved ones with the disease or have lost someone to the fight.

The following are personal stories from the Association’s staff about why we are so committed to the mission to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes.

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Simintha Esson
National Director, Corporate Alliances
Home Office (Alexandria, Va.)

On Wednesday, March 5, 2014, my father lost his fight to type 2 diabetes. When I received the call, my world was immediately turned upside down. I felt like I had been destroyed! The painful numbness of hurt filled my soul and I was beside myself with guilt, anger and confusion.

My father was affected by this disease for more than two decades. But unlike with other illnesses, he seemed just fine. There were no clear physical signs that my dad’s body was being demolished each day by this silent killer called diabetes. It wasn’t until about nine years ago that the snowball hit and everything started to change. He lost sensation in his limbs and developed other major complications to the point that, while only in his mid-40s, he could not walk.

The remaining five years of his life were spent in and out of assisted living homes and emergency rooms. I hate diabetes because it took my dad from me way too soon! He was only 52 and I still needed him. I miss him every day! Every time I need some advice or I want to share things about my day or just hear him call me “a big knuckle head,” my heart breaks because I will never have those moments with him again.

I’ll be honest. Before I began working at the American Diabetes Association’s Chicago office in 2008, I had no clue how to help my dad. We unknowingly replaced sugary foods with foods that were high in sodium and saturated fat, none of which were good for my dad. We had no clue these foods were not good choices for him. I think this is a common mistake people make when they don’t have access to diabetes education.

I know working with the Association helped extend my dad’s days because of the information and resources I got here and shared with him. Our visits changed from me bringing him some fried chicken to me bringing him pears, which he loved.

After I lost my dad, I decided to run the Chicago Marathon in his honor. I ran those 26.2 miles not only to honor him and raise funds for the Association, but also to inspire others who are going through the same situation. I strongly believe that if more people understood this disease, they could do something about it before it’s too late.

Every day that I work here and hear the stories and meet the people in the community who are going through similar situations, I am renewed. My dad used to tell me he was proud of me and the work I do here. His words drive me every day. I share my story with you not because I want pity, but because I want action.

Together, we can all make a difference. Stop Diabetes®!

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To learn more about nationwide employment opportunities and life at the Association, please visit diabetes.org/careers.

From: American Diabetes Association http://diabetesstopshere.org/2016/02/26/siminthas-diabetes-story/

Alzheimer's treatments: What's on the horizon?

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/alzheimers-treatments/art-20047780