04/20/16

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Lead poisoning victims possibly targeted to sign over settlement funds

Lead poisoning victim Crystal Linton says she didn't understand what she was doing when she signed over her settlement money to a finance company; CBS News spoke to two dozen others in similar situations

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/lead-poisoning-victims-possibly-targeted-to-sign-over-settlement-money/

Warfarin and People With an Irregular Heartbeat

Study supports well-managed use of the cheap, standby drug, but one expert prefers newer blood thinners

From: http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20160420/warfarin-can-be-safe-effective-for-people-with-irregular-heartbeat?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Cow's Milk Allergy in Childhood May Lead to This

But one expert contends that difference in bone density wasn't enough, on average, to worry about fractures

From: http://www.webmd.com/children/news/20160420/cows-milk-allergy-in-childhood-may-lead-to-weaker-bones-study?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Criminal charges filed in Flint water crisis

Charges filed in Michigan court allege wrongdoing related to city's lead-tainted water

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/michigan-flint-water-crisis-city-employee-state-regulators-crimes-charges/

Texas dentist honored to serve

Long before he joined the United States Army and became a dentist, Maj. Philip Estes was service minded.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2016-archive/april/texas-dentist-honored-to-serve

One group of Americans isn't living as long as they used to

Analysts say they think they know what's behind the disturbing trend

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/life-expectancy-for-white-women-falls-slightly-in-u-s/

Why so few patients get these new cholesterol busters

Two powerful drugs that appear twice as effective as older ones have a big problem that's keeping them from those in need

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/why-so-few-patients-get-these-new-cholesterol-busters/

Low-Dose Aspirin Tied to Better Cancer Survival

Improved odds seen for patients with colon, prostate or breast tumors, but research isn't definitive

From: http://www.webmd.com/cancer/news/20160420/low-dose-aspirin-tied-to-better-cancer-survival-in-study?src=RSS_PUBLIC

First dental school in New York in 50 years to open this fall

Touro College and University System announced April 19 it is set to open a new dental school — the first in the state in 50 years.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2016-archive/april/first-dental-school-in-new-york-in-50-years-to-open-this-fall

How the brain identifies other people's feelings

Subtle smile or furrowed brow: researchers spot brain region that decodes facial expressions

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-the-brain-identifies-other-peoples-feelings-facial-expressions/

Want Viagra? Not so fast lawmaker says

South Carolina lawmaker proposing that men who want erectile dysfunction medicine should wait, get note from partners first

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/viagra-waiting-period-south-carolina-proposed-abortion-rules/

Certain Mouth Germs Tied to Pancreatic Cancer Risk

But research can't prove cause-and-effect and more investigation is needed, experts say

From: http://www.webmd.com/cancer/pancreatic-cancer/news/20160420/study-ties-certain-mouth-germs-to-pancreatic-cancer-risk?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Breast Cancer Gene Might Lower Women's Fertility

The BRCA1 mutation may speed the aging of a woman's ovaries, researchers report

From: http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/news/20160420/breast-cancer-gene-might-lower-womens-fertility-study?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Nice! Mandarin Oranges Recalled

From: http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/20160420/nice-mandarin-oranges-recalled?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Case Study: Publishing Press Ganey Scores Online

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H35Ur-GWtus

Untitled

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2016-archive/may

4 Steps to Spring Cleaning

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9YPwhIARvs

WHO: Preventing disease through healthy environments

From: World Health Organization http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tupJDf13jBo

Florida city brings fluoridation back

This municipality will reinstate community water fluoridation following a unanimous city council vote.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2016-archive/april/florida-city-brings-fluoridation-back

Hospitals seek better pain relief for preemies

Doctors are pushing for better pain management for the most vulnerable babies in hospital intensive care units

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/hospitals-seek-better-pain-relief-for-preemies/

Is Obamacare making Americans healthier?

Doctor visits are on the rise after state Medicaid expansions, but do they add up to better health?

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/is-obamacare-making-americans-healthier/

John Grisham seeks to advance disease fight with free book

“The Tumor,” explores the promise of modern healthcare and the tool that could change how we battle dozens of disease

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/john-grisham-seeks-to-advance-disease-fight-with-free-book/

Americans are living longer but more disabled

The average lifespan has increased in the last few decades, but there's a health price to pay

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/americans-are-living-longer-but-more-disabled/

Zika: Worse than we thought?

Follow me at @JohnRossMD

Back in January, Dr. Anne Schuchat, Deputy Director of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), didn’t seem all that worried about Zika. She expected it to cause only “very limited outbreaks” in the United States.

Now, she’s not so sure.

Last week, Dr. Schuchat admitted that Zika virus “seems to be a bit scarier than we initially thought.”

Her unusual comments may be aimed partly at Congress, which has been reluctant to fund Zika control measures. But there are several reasons that public health officials are more nervous about Zika now than they were a few months ago.

Our latest findings on Zika

The evidence linking Zika infection in pregnancy and reduced fetal brain growth (microcephaly) has grown. Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the CDC, says that it is “now clear that the virus causes microcephaly.”

In the laboratory, Zika virus can infect and kill developing nerve cells similar to those found in the fetal brain. Field studies in Brazil have confirmed a large spike in cases of microcephaly during the current Zika outbreak. The risk of microcephaly was increased five-fold in parts of Brazil with active Zika transmission, compared to areas where Zika was absent.

In another Brazilian study, 29% of otherwise healthy pregnant women with Zika infection had an abnormal fetal ultrasound, with findings that included microcephaly, fetal growth restriction, and fetal death. These findings were not seen in pregnant women without Zika infection. The study also showed that there was evidence for fetal harm with Zika infection acquired in any trimester.

Evidence has strengthened of the link between Zika and Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), which causes acute paralysis that resolves or improves in most cases. In French Polynesia, for example, GBS has occurred in about one in every 5,000 Zika cases. Zika virus may also rarely cause a brain disorder called acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM), which resembles multiple sclerosis (MS), but does not cause recurrent attacks like MS does.

strains of Zika virus in the current epidemic are genetically quite different from those isolated 50 years ago. This may explain why a little-known virus once thought to cause only mild illness has led to a major pandemic associated with birth defects and paralysis. The Zika strains from humans and mosquitoes didn’t match up too closely in this study, which suggests that sexual transmission of Zika may be more prevalent than we thought. Indeed, the number of reports of sexual transmission of Zika continues to increase. And it now seems that any type of unprotected sexual activity with a person exposed to Zika is potentially risky. We know that at least one case, reported in Texas, was transmitted via anal sex.

And the CDC had one final bit of bad news last month regarding Zika: the Aedes mosquitoes that carry the virus may be more widespread than previously believed.

Some good news — and what you can do to avoid Zika

Is there any good news in all this? Well, we still believe that for the vast majority of people, infection with Zika virus causes either minor symptoms, or no symptoms at all. Neurologic disease such as GBS and ADEM is rare.

However, there is currently no vaccine or treatment for Zika, so it is important to take steps to avoid infection:

Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants (spray your clothes with insect repellent for extra protection).
Make sure your windows and doors have screens that will prevent mosquitoes from getting in your home.
Use only Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents, and carefully follow all directions on the label.
Avoid or disrupt mosquito breeding sites, such as containers with standing water.
Before traveling, check the CDC travel advisories for updated information on Zika transmission.
If you are pregnant, don’t travel to an area with Zika at all.
If your sexual partner has recently traveled to an area with Zika, avoid sex, or use condoms with all forms of intercourse.

The post Zika: Worse than we thought? appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: John Ross, MD, FIDSA http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/zika-worse-thought-201604209560

FDA expands "Real Cost" campaign

The Food and Drug Administration announced April 19 that it is expanding "The Real Cost" smokeless tobacco campaign to include messages on nicotine addiction, gum disease, tooth loss and cancer.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2016-archive/april/fda-expands-real-cost-campaign

Loneliness Linked to Heart Disease Stroke

Study found social isolation raised the risk by 30 percent

From: http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20160419/lonely-isolated-people-may-be-prone-to-heart-disease-stroke?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Can Allergy Meds Worsen Restless Legs Syndrome?

Some over-the-counter antihistamines might cause painful sensations that disrupt sleep, expert says

From: http://www.webmd.com/brain/restless-legs-syndrome/news/20160419/can-certain-allergy-meds-worsen-restless-legs-syndrome?src=RSS_PUBLIC

John Grisham on why his new book is important - and free

Known for his legal thrillers, the best-selling author believes "The Turf" could advance new technology that could potentially revolutionize the way we fight diseases

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/john-grisham-hopes-new-book-the-tumor-could-advance-medical-technology-focused-ultrasound/

Health and Nutrition News, Latest Headlines Source