Federal government bans e-cig sales to minors

As part of sweeping regulations on the multi-billion dollar e-cigarette industry, the federal government banned sales of the products to anyone under the age of 18

From: http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cbsnews.com%2Fvideos%2Ffederal-government-bans-e-cig-sales-to-minors%2F&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8

Is Meat Killing Us? Mayo Clinic Doctor Discusses Findings

From: Mayo Clinic http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DbO08mOX7xAY&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8

Steps to reduce a common health threat to seniors

Nearly 30 percent of older adults suffer this problem each year, but many cases could be prevented

From: http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cbsnews.com%2Fnews%2Fcdc-minimize-seniors-risk-of-falling%2F&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8

Your Healthy Skin Germs Stay Put, Despite Cleaning

Findings suggest your 'microbial fingerprint' is important to well-being

From: http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.webmd.com%2Fskin-problems-and-treatments%2Fnews%2F20160505%2Fyour-healthy-skin-germs-stay-put-despite-cleaning%3Fsrc%3DRSS_PUBLIC&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8

Rodeo Champion Shares Story of Hope After Brain Tumor Treatment

From: Mayo Clinic http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DupHis1uFI3c&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8

Dr. Haraldur Bjarnason- Vascular Interventional Radiologist, Mayo Clinic

From: Mayo Clinic http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DbFLlWOLWeNA&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8

Widely Used Heart Drug Tied to Dementia Risk

Both warfarin and the atrial fibrillation it's often used to treat may raise risk, study suggests

From: http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.webmd.com%2Fheart-disease%2Fnews%2F20160505%2Fwidely-used-heart-drug-tied-to-dementia-risk%3Fsrc%3DRSS_PUBLIC&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8

Dr. Robert McBane – Vascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic

From: Mayo Clinic http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DoBuJ4PlPEt8&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8

ADAF grant program rewards those who provide access to care, dental homes

The ADA Foundation is accepting applications for its Semi-annual Grants Program: Access to Care.

From: http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ada.org%2Fen%2Fpublications%2Fada-news%2F2016-archive%2Fmay%2Fadaf-grant-program-rewards-those-who-provide-access-to-care&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8

FDA issues final rule on all tobacco products

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration May 5 issued a final rule on tobacco products, expanding the agency's authority to regulate all tobacco — including e-cigarettes, hookah and cigars.

From: http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ada.org%2Fen%2Fpublications%2Fada-news%2F2016-archive%2Fmay%2Ffda-issues-final-rule-on-all-tobacco-products&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8

FDA Bans Underage E-Cigarette Sales

The FDA will bar sales of e-cigarettes, cigars, and hookah tobacco to anyone under 18. WebMD has the details.

From: http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.webmd.com%2Fsmoking-cessation%2Fnews%2F20160505%2Fban-underage-electronic-cigarette-sales%3Fsrc%3DRSS_PUBLIC&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8

"Modern Family" actor on body image, mental health

After years of struggling with body image issues and depression, actor Reid Ewing talks about finding happiness and healing

From: http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cbsnews.com%2Fnews%2Fmodern-family-actor-reid-ewing-on-body-image-mental-health-healing%2F&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8

Is There Gunk On Your Greens? 4 Things To Know About The Listeria Recall

The FDA issued a big recall of frozen foods this week. Here’s what you need to know about the nasty bug that’s causing all the problems.

From: http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.webmd.com%2Fhealth-insurance%2F20160505%2Fis-there-gunk-on-your-greens-4-things-to-know-about-the-listeria-recall%3Fsrc%3DRSS_PUBLIC&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8

Robot surgeons one step closer to reality

Scientists have created a robotic system that stitched together tissue by itself

From: http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cbsnews.com%2Fnews%2Frobot-surgeon-stitches-tissue-by-itself%2F&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8

Chinese boy born with 31 fingers and toes

3-month-old diagnosed with an extreme form of polydactylism, a rare condition passed down through families

From: http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cbsnews.com%2Fnews%2Ffamily-seeks-help-for-chinese-boy-born-with-31-fingers-and-toes-polydactylism%2F&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8

Stay Lean, Live Longer

Researchers found slimmest people had lowest chances of dying in two studies

From: http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.webmd.com%2Fdiet%2F20160505%2Fstay-lean-live-longer%3Fsrc%3DRSS_PUBLIC&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8

Race May Influence Risk for Irregular Heart Beat

Whites with heart failure more likely to develop atrial fibrillation, research finds

From: http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.webmd.com%2Fheart%2Fnews%2F20160505%2Frace-may-influence-risk-for-irregular-heart-beat%3Fsrc%3DRSS_PUBLIC&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8

Sleep Apnea May Raise Heart Risks in These People

Study found the combo was linked to raised odds of irregular heartbeat

From: http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.webmd.com%2Fsleep-disorders%2Fsleep-apnea%2Fnews%2F20160505%2Fsleep-apnea-may-raise-heart-risks-in-people-with-pacemakers%3Fsrc%3DRSS_PUBLIC&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8

Lung Cancer Surgery Worthwhile for Older Patients

Study found those 65 and older survived longer when they had operation

From: http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.webmd.com%2Flung-cancer%2Fnews%2F20160505%2Flung-cancer-surgery-worthwhile-for-older-patients%3Fsrc%3DRSS_PUBLIC&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8

4 Things To Know About The Listeria Recall

The FDA issued a big recall of frozen foods this week. Here’s what you need to know about the nasty bug that’s causing all the problems.

From: http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.webmd.com%2Ffood-recipes%2Ffood-poisoning%2F20160505%2Fis-there-gunk-on-your-greens-4-things-to-know-about-the-listeria-recall%3Fsrc%3DRSS_PUBLIC&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8

New video shines spotlight on Ethics Code’s 150th anniversary

As part of the 150th Anniversary of the ADA Principles of Ethics and Code of Conduct, the Association has created a video that brings awareness to members about the value of the ADA Code of Ethics from their patients’ perspective.

From: http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ada.org%2Fen%2Fpublications%2Fada-news%2F2016-archive%2Fmay%2Fnew-video-shines-spotlight-on-ethics-codes-150th-anniversary&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8

Hep C Now Leading U.S. Infectious Disease Killer

CDC notes that nearly 20,000 Americans died in 2014 from the widespread, but treatable, illness

From: http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.webmd.com%2Fhepatitis%2Fnews%2F20160504%2Fhepatitis-c-now-leading-infectious-disease-killer-in-us%3Fsrc%3DRSS_PUBLIC&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8

Dirty scopes linked to more hospital deaths

Hospital officials claim privacy laws prevented them from telling the public that patients had died after scope procedures

From: http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cbsnews.com%2Fnews%2Fdirty-scopes-linked-to-more-hospital-deaths%2F&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8

Blue Bell recalls mislabeled ice cream over allergy concerns

Mix-up could cause serious and potentially life-threatening reactions to allergic consumers, but no illnesses reported yet

From: http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cbsnews.com%2Fnews%2Fblue-bell-recalls-mislabeled-ice-cream-over-allergy-concerns%2F&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8

FDA unveils new regulations on e-cigarettes

New rules will ban e-cigarette sales to minors and require health warnings

From: http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cbsnews.com%2Fnews%2Ffda-e-cigarettes-new-regulations%2F&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8

Diabetes drug pioglitazone could get personal: Neither panacea, nor peril

When I was in training, one of my beloved mentors declared, “I never use a drug until it’s been on the market for 20 years.” I was young enough then that I couldn’t fathom being a doctor for 20 years, let alone waiting two decades to use a new drug. As my career has progressed, I’ve seen many new drugs released to the market. Some of them are truly miraculous, bringing people longer, healthier, and more productive lives. Many of them have not withstood the test of time. More than a few have even been taken off the market. Even though the Food and Drug Administration diligently reviews each new medicine before it’s approved for use, we often learn much more about a drug after its release into the general population.

I reflected on that memory when I read a recent editorial in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) about insulin resistance. In his editorial, the author tells us of the “long, strange trip” of a class of medications called thiazolidinediones, which help people who have type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes to be more sensitive to the insulin that they make in their bodies. (Many diabetes medications work by helping the body lower its resistance to insulin in different ways.)

When they were first released, these medicines were widely accepted and adopted. We do, after all, have an epidemic of obesity and diabetes in the United States, and they seemed to work very well for people. They seemed a great alternative to insulin, which has to be injected. Then, after about 6 years on the market, these drugs began to be linked to liver disease and congestive heart failure — and maybe even cancer. Even though longer-term studies did not show that there was a definite risk of heart attack or cancer, these drugs became unpopular and fell into disuse. We were not willing to take a chance with our patients when we had other good options.

And yet, some researchers continued to wonder if there was any safe role for these very potent medications with their many positive effects, despite the concerns. The same NEJM issue as the editorial referenced above also contains a study that showed that certain carefully selected patients might, in fact, have fewer strokes if they took a medication called pioglitazone, which is in the thiazolidinedione class of medicines. Interestingly, the patients in this trial were already on extremely comprehensive stroke prevention regimens — and still they decreased their risk of a future stroke by 24%. These patients, all of whom were at risk of developing diabetes, had a slower rate of progression to diabetes as well.

What grabbed me about this story? First, it would seem that the drugs in question are neither panacea nor pariah. Pioglitazone, in fact, might a very good drug to prevent stroke in a very select population.

But, can we define that select population? That might be the most interesting tale of the past decades. Twenty years ago, we could only guess, based on certain characteristics of a patient, whether a medication would be effective. Today, we know certain people’s genetics make them better candidates for certain medications than other people. We are close to being able to tailor a medication to the patient at the level of his or her genes. When we are able to do this in an effective, safe, and efficient way, we will be able to deliver truly personalized medicine. As a clinician, I find this truly exciting. It would be wonderful to say to a patient, “This drug might have the following side effects — but I know they won’t affect you!”

My mentor may well have been right that it takes 20 years to know how a drug works and for whom it will work. He would not be surprised by the strange story of thiazolidinediones. He would undoubtedly be overjoyed by the idea that the past 20 years of laboratory and clinical research has brought us that much closer to truly personalized care.

Related Post:

• Millions of adults skip medications due to their high cost
• The “right” goal when managing pain
• Tight blood sugar control in type 2 diabetes linked to fewer
• People with type 1 diabetes are living longer
• “Bionic pancreas” could help people with type 1…

The post Diabetes drug pioglitazone could get personal: Neither panacea, nor peril appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Lori Wiviott Tishler, MD, MPH http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.health.harvard.edu%2Fblog%2Fdiabetes-drug-pioglitazone-get-personal-neither-panacea-peril-201605059574&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8

Obama Administration to Help Five Small Communities Revitalize Downtowns through Broadband Service

WASHINGTON – May 5, 2016 – Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the selection of communities in five states that will participate in the Cool & Connected planning assistance program, an innovative initiative to help people use broadband service for downtown revitalization and economic development.

From: http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.usda.gov%2Fwps%2Fportal%2Fusda%2Fusdahome%3Fcontentid%3D2016%2F05%2F0104.xml%26amp%3Bcontentidonly%3Dtrue&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8

ADA members campaign for Congress

Two Association member dentists are running for Congress with support from the American Dental Political Action Committee.

From: http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ada.org%2Fen%2Fpublications%2Fada-news%2F2016-archive%2Fmay%2Fada-members-campaign-for-congress&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8

USDA Announces Conservation Reserve Program Results

WASHINGTON, May 5, 2016 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the enrollment of more than 800,000 acres in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) through the program’s 49th sign up period. Through CRP, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) helps farmers offset the costs of restoring, enhancing and protecting certain grasses, shrubs and trees that improve water quality, prevent soil erosion and strengthen wildlife habitat. Farmers’ and ranchers’ participation in CRP continues to provide numerous benefits to our nation, including helping reduce emissions of harmful greenhouse gases and providing resiliency to future weather changes.

From: http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.usda.gov%2Fwps%2Fportal%2Fusda%2Fusdahome%3Fcontentid%3D2016%2F05%2F0105.xml%26amp%3Bcontentidonly%3Dtrue&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8

Fitness ball exercises: How-to video collection

Fitness balls may look like toys — but they can play an important role in nearly any fitness routine. See how fitness ball exercises are done.

From: http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mayoclinic.org%2Fhealthy-lifestyle%2Ffitness%2Fin-depth%2Ffitness-ball%2Fart-20046053&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8