04/06/16

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

U.S. commits more than $500 million to fighting Zika

With warm weather fast approaching, mosquitoes will be making their return to much of the U.S. soon -- and they'll be bringing the Zika virus with them

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/u-s-commits-more-than-500-million-to-fighting-zika/

Expert worries U.S. Zika outbreak could be "public health equivalent of Katrina"

President Obama is committing more than $500 million to fight the Zika virus; but some experts worry that's not enough -- and that the U.S. is not prepared

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/expert-worries-u-s-zika-outbreak-could-be-public-health-equivalent-of-katrina/

Can You Teach a Teen New Tricks? - IBD In The News

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxxNWMuI1_c

Fruit Every Day Might Help Your Heart

Lower risk of heart attack, stroke seen in Chinese study

From: http://www.webmd.com/heart/news/20160406/fruit-every-day-might-help-your-heart-researchers-say?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Chemo May Prolong Lives of Some With Brain Cancer

Those with slow-growing gliomas lived five years longer, on average, than those who got only radiation

From: http://www.webmd.com/children/news/20160406/chemo-may-prolong-lives-of-some-brain-cancer-patients-study?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Epilepsy Drug & Certain Birth Defects Not Linked?

Large review found no greater risk of clubfoot, cleft palate, in babies of moms-to-be who used lamotrigine

From: http://www.webmd.com/epilepsy/news/20160406/study-sees-no-link-between-common-epilepsy-drug-certain-birth-defects?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Are full-fat dairy foods better for you after all?

You may be surprised at the impact on diabetes and obesity risk when people skipped the skim milk and went for full-fat dairy

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/full-fat-dairy-foods-diabetes-obesity-risk/

Diabetes cases nearly quadruple worldwide

Diets full of sugary foods and drinks are just part of the reason diabetes cases have skyrocketed, health officials say

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/diabetes-cases-quadruple-worldwide/

White House to draw on Ebola funds to fight Zika virus

Congress has not yet acted on Obama's $2 billion in emergency funding for Zika, submitted in February

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/white-house-to-draw-on-ebola-funds-to-fight-zika-virus/

Gene May Raise Melanoma Risk, Even Without Sun

Variant of gene linked to skin pigmentation tied to higher chance of deadly skin cancer in study

From: http://www.webmd.com/melanoma-skin-cancer/news/20160406/gene-may-raise-melanoma-risk-even-without-sun-exposure?src=RSS_PUBLIC

U.S. Moving Ebola Money to Help Fight Zika

More than $500 million pulled out to prepare for likely outbreaks of mosquito-borne virus in U.S.

From: http://www.webmd.com/news/20160406/us-moving-money-from-ebola-fund-to-help-fight-zika?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Course aims to make Medicaid easier

The Association wants to make navigating Medicaid easier for providers, which is why the ADA is hosting several Medicaid boot camps in 2016.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2016-archive/april/course-aims-to-make-medicaid-easier

Death of a loved one may actually "break" your heart

Another study adds evidence to the link between heart rhythm problems and emotional turmoil

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/death-of-a-loved-one-may-actually-break-your-heart/

Restaurants Cutting Calories in Kids' Meals

But salt and fat still a concern, expert says

From: http://www.webmd.com/children/news/20160406/restaurants-cut-calories-in-kids-meals-study-finds?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Mayo Clinic Minute: Decoding Food Dates

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXm7rc8YAHU

Grief May Trigger Heart Rhythm Trouble

When partner passes, odds for atrial fibrillation appear to rise, study suggests

From: http://www.webmd.com/heart/news/20160406/death-of-loved-one-may-trigger-heart-rhythm-trouble?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Could lack of sleep trigger a food “addiction”?

We have all heard it. Perhaps some of us have even said it. Phrases like “No willpower” and “Can’t push away from the table” are frequently used to disparage an overweight or obese person’s perceived lack of “motivation” to control his or her eating habits. But, is this really the primary reason why weight gain occurs?

It is a simple nutritional principle that if calories consumed exceed calories expended, weight gain will result. Therefore, most weight reduction programs focus on cutting calories. Many people view failure to adhere to these regimens as a lack of motivation, dedication, or mental toughness. However, there is now increasing evidence that the “lack of willpower” may be explained by chemical and hormonal changes resulting from sleep deficiency.

There are more and more data that support a link between obesity and insufficient sleep. The growth of this country’s obesity epidemic over the past 40 years correlates with a progressive decline in the amount of sleep reported by the average adult. In large population-based studies, obesity has been found to be related to reduced amounts of sleep. But if this association is true, how might sleep deficiency be related to weight gain?

A recent experimental study published in the journal Sleep provides some clues. Sleep restriction to 4.5 hours per night was compared with normal sleep duration for 4 nights each in a group of young, healthy adults. When measured at the end of 4 days, the ratio of 2 hormones responsible for hunger levels, ghrelin (which increases appetite) and leptin (which reduces appetite) was altered to favor greater appetite. Other studies have observed the same thing. However, this study measured something the others hadn’t: snack consumption, particularly items with greater fat and protein content, was higher after sleep restriction — and, strikingly, the participants’ levels of endocannabinoids increased corresponding to the time of greater snack consumption. Endocannabinoids are chemicals that kindle appetite (like ghrelin), but more importantly, also stimulate reward centers in the brain. Thus, this finding suggests that sleep restriction may make the act of eating more satisfying. Could it be that insufficient sleep contributes to weight gain by stimulating the brain to make eating more pleasurable? If so, the “lack of willpower” may not be due to personal weakness, but rather a result of an addictive chemical imbalance resulting from sleep loss.

No doubt that this exciting finding requires further investigation. However, it already provides additional evidence that sufficient sleep is important for optimal health, and in particular, for combating obesity. It also suggests that greater efforts need to be made on the part of public health officials, individual clinicians, and the general public to get the 7 hours or more of nightly sleep recommended by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

The post Could lack of sleep trigger a food “addiction”? appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Stuart Quan, MD http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/lack-sleep-trigger-food-addiction-201604069403

Pot Use in Pregnancy Tied to Low Birth Weight

Study also finds raised risk of newborns needing intensive care, but it doesn't prove cause-and-effect

From: http://www.webmd.com/baby/news/20160405/pot-use-during-pregnancy-tied-to-low-birth-weight-babies?src=RSS_PUBLIC

World Health Day 2016: WHO calls for global action to halt rise in and improve care for people with diabetes

The number of people living with diabetes has almost quadrupled since 1980 to 422 million adults, with most living in developing countries. Factors driving this dramatic rise include overweight and obesity, WHO announced ahead of World Health Day.

From: http://www.who.int/entity/mediacentre/news/releases/2016/world-health-day/en/index.html

2 Diabetes Drugs May Be Tied to Heart Failure Risk

Warning pertains to drugs containing saxagliptin or alogliptin

From: http://www.webmd.com/diabetes/news/20160405/fda-2-diabetes-drugs-may-be-linked-to-heart-failure-risk?src=RSS_PUBLIC

AFib May Hamper Seniors' Walking Ability

Atrial fibrillation tied to faster physical decline, study finds

From: http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/atrial-fibrillation/news/20160405/common-irregular-heartbeat-may-hamper-seniors-walking-ability?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Weight-Loss Surgery Gets People Moving: Study

More than half of patients showed improvement in pain symptoms, ability to walk

From: http://www.webmd.com/diet/obesity/20160405/weight-loss-surgery-gets-people-moving-study-shows?src=RSS_PUBLIC

California lawmaker wants to allow supervised heroin use

Proponents say the plan would cut down on overdoses, but law enforcement fears it will worsen addiction

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/california-lawmaker-wants-to-allow-supervised-heroin-use/

Amy Schumer slams Glamour over plus-sized controversy

The magazine’s special issue aimed at plus size readers includes Schumer among its “women who inspire us”

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/amy-schumer-slams-glamour-over-plus-sized-controversy/

Wellness Across the Lifespan: Psychological Science Update for Clinicians & Coaches 2016

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENpAR5Sw0Qs

Angina treatment: Stents, drugs, lifestyle changes — What's best?

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/angina-treatment/art-20046240

Why I Am a Diabetes Advocate: Allison Holdgreve

This week, advocates from around the country will convene in Washington, D.C., for the biannual American Diabetes Association® Capitol Hill Advocacy Day. What does it mean to be a Diabetes Advocate? Let’s hear from Association volunteer Allison, who will be joining us!

When I was 6 years old, my life changed FOREVER when I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Now I am 11, and FOREVER is a long time.

I still play competitive soccer and the flute, and I am a straight-A student. But it isn’t the same. FOREVER tethered to diabetes, the many pricks and sticks. FOREVER? REALLY?

Each day I have to check my blood sugar at least 6 to 10 times. I have to measure all my food and figure out how many carbohydrates there are in what I eat. It’s a lot for a kid, or anyone, to manage.

I do have a different life than my friends, but I am NOT different than them. I have to think every hour, every minute, every second of every day about how what I am about to do will affect my glucose. My friends can go and run around or go to sleep and never think that something bad might happen. But with my diabetes, it’s something I cannot control; it’s something that could send me to the hospital in an instant.

My first thoughts about a friend’s party are not about the fun. I think, “Do I have my meter? Enough strips? Juice? Do I have enough insulin in my pump?” I wonder what kind of cake and food will be there. Will my mom be there to help me, or will I have to teach another adult about my diabetes? I cannot NOT think about these things because they keep me alive. NOT healthy, but ALIVE.

I’m an 11-year-old making sure I have the things I need to survive each and every day. I was told this was FOREVER at the age of 6. FOREVER with insulin and checking my glucose.

Five years later, and I don’t want this forever. The ups and downs, the emotions I deal with, the looks and stares of people when I prick my finger and when they ask if I have a “pager” on my hip. The stress I see in my parents when they check my glucose in the middle of the night, the doctors’ visits and all the medical bills they pay.

FOREVER just seems wrong to me.

Just because you’re not joining Allison on the Hill doesn’t mean you can’t help. Anyone who is affected by diabetes can be an advocate and take part Capitol Hill Advocacy Day from afar.

Please sign our petition to Congress at http://stopdiabetes.com/petition. Together, we can win this battle!

The Association also asks that you join our Thunderclap and dedicate your social media status to help spread the word about our advocacy efforts. By inviting your friends and family to participate we can ignite a dialogue about the importance of preventing, treating and curing diabetes.

From: American Diabetes Association http://diabetesstopshere.org/2016/04/06/diabetes-advocate-allison-holdgreve/

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