09/21/16

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Drug-Resistant Gonorrhea a Growing U.S. Threat: CDC

But new drug shows promise against sexually transmitted disease in early trials

From: http://www.webmd.com/sexual-conditions/news/20160921/drug-resistant-gonorrhea-a-growing-us-threat-cdc?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Blue Bell recalls some ice cream after listeria scare

Some ice cream distributed across the South recalled after chocolate chip cookie dough from a third-party supplier for use as an ingredient was potentially contaminated with listeria

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/blue-bell-recalls-some-ice-cream-after-listeria-scare/

New guidelines on radiation therapy for breast cancer

Experts from three leading cancer organizations suggest more patients should consider this treatment option

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/breast-cancer-patients-radiation-therapy-guidelines/

Unraveling a rare disease that alters sense of touch

Two young patients help scientists pinpoint a gene that plays a role in our sense of touch and physical awareness

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/gene-behind-rare-disease-helps-scientists-understand-sense-of-touch/

Kitten lovers beware: CDC warns of cat-scratch disease risk

Though extremely rare, experts say the condition can make humans sick and may even turn fatal

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/cat-scratch-disease-cdc-warning/

U.N. adopts wide-ranging anti-microbial resistance declaration

Declaration is aimed at addressing rising number of drug-resistant infections -- something the World Health Organization says has the potential to kill millions and undermine the global economy

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/united-nations-adopts-wide-ranging-anti-microbial-resistance-declaration/

At UN, global leaders commit to act on antimicrobial resistance

World leaders today signalled an unprecedented level of attention to curb the spread of infections that are resistant to antimicrobial medicines.

From: http://www.who.int/entity/mediacentre/news/releases/2016/commitment-antimicrobial-resistance/en/index.html

Organ Transplants Linked to Higher Skin Cancer Risk

Experts say all recipients should have full-body skin evaluations after transplant surgery

From: http://www.webmd.com/melanoma-skin-cancer/news/20160921/organ-transplants-linked-to-higher-skin-cancer-risk?src=RSS_PUBLIC

More Breast Cancer Patients Should Get Radiation, New Guidelines Say

Mastectomy patients with small tumors, fewer lymph nodes involved, benefit from the therapy, cancer experts agree

From: http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/news/20160921/more-breast-cancer-patients-should-get-radiation-new-guidelines-say?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Native Americans hit hard by opioid epidemic

Tribal leaders and federal officials are looking for ways to combat opioid abuse as overdose deaths take a toll on the community

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/native-americans-hit-hard-by-opioid-epidemic/

Stressed out? It may be undermining your diet

New research suggests too much stress could undo some of the benefits of healthy food choices in women

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/stress-may-undermine-benefits-of-a-healthy-diet-in-women/

Obese Kids Have Different Germs in Their Gut

Targeting specific types of bacteria might one day help treat childhood obesity, research suggests

From: http://www.webmd.com/parenting/news/20160920/obese-kids-have-different-germs-in-their-gut?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Early Introduction of Eggs, Peanuts May Cut Kids' Allergy Risk: Study

Allergy specialist suggests existing guidelines on introducing foods may be outdated

From: http://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/news/20160920/early-introduction-of-eggs-peanuts-may-cut-kids-allergy-risk-study?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Raegan’s Story

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

Why the Teen Years May Not Be Lean Years

Adolescents burn about 450 fewer calories daily than 10-year-olds, study finds

From: http://www.webmd.com/parenting/news/20160921/why-the-teen-years-may-not-be-lean-years?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Can Stress Lower a Woman's Fertility?

Greatest impact is around ovulation time, research suggests

From: http://www.webmd.com/women/news/20160920/can-stress-lower-a-womans-fertility?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Smoking can cause permanent damage to DNA

The sooner you stop smoking, the better off you'll be, said study authors, because some genetic changes may be reversible

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/smoking-cigarettes-can-cause-permanent-damage-to-dna/

ADA supports NIDCR research agenda, requests agency's input

The Association offered comments Sept. 19 on the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research's proposed research initiatives for 2018.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2016-archive/september/ada-supports-nidcr-research-agenda-requests-agencys-input

Heart disease, sleep apnea, and the Darth Vader mask too?

Your doctor says that you need to wear that Darth Vader mask, which caps off a bad month. First, that little bit of shortness of breath you were having when walking fast turned out to be coronary artery disease. That led to the placement of stents in the blood vessels in your heart. In addition to new medications, you were then referred to a cardiac rehabilitation program where instruction was provided on exercising more, losing weight, and changing to a healthier diet. The last straw is that because of a history of snoring, a sleep study was done and showed obstructive sleep apnea, a condition where you stop breathing at night. Your doctor recommended treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) to reduce the risk that your coronary heart disease will progress to a heart attack or stroke.

But, is there evidence to support this recommendation?

The best treatment for moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea is CPAP. It is a device worn while asleep that works like a reverse vacuum cleaner and applies pressure through a mask into the airway to keep it from collapsing during breathing. Obstructive sleep apnea is a risk factor for the development of high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, stroke, and premature death. Treatment with CPAP lowers blood pressure, and there is some evidence that it may prevent the development of heart disease and eliminate the risk of early death. Until recently, however, evidence that CPAP is beneficial in those who already have heart disease was not available. Now, the results of a large international clinical trial indicate that CPAP may not reduce the risk of heart disease progression.

The SAVE trial recruited 2,717 adults with coronary artery disease or history of stroke from seven countries (though not the United States). Half were treated with CPAP and half were not. After an average follow-up of 3.7 years, the number of people who died from heart disease, had a heart attack, had a stroke, or were hospitalized for heart failure was the same — for both the people using CPAP and those who didn’t.

Does this mean that you should not use CPAP if you have heart disease and sleep apnea? Not at all. Despite its lack of benefit in reducing heart disease and stroke in this study, people in the CPAP group had an improvement in daytime sleepiness, depression and anxiety symptoms, and overall quality of life. Furthermore, there was a suggestion that stroke risk was lower in the CPAP group. In addition, it is important to note that most of the subjects were Asian, and that the risk factors for obstructive sleep apnea are different in Asians than in other ethnic groups.

Finally, only 42% of the subjects in the CPAP group used it for more than four hours per night, which is the minimum amount of time considered as acceptable use in the United States. It is possible that any benefit of CPAP in preventing progression of heart disease will require greater usage. Although one could use the results of this study as an excuse to not use CPAP, until there is further information it would be a mistake to do so. The study reaffirms that CPAP reduces sleepiness and improves quality of life. More studies will be necessary to conclude that it does not reduce risk of progression in those who already have heart disease.

The post Heart disease, sleep apnea, and the Darth Vader mask too? appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Stuart Quan, MD http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/heart-disease-sleep-apnea-and-the-darth-vader-mask-too-2016092110346

OMS: Respire La Vie

From: World Health Organization http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQz1U36Y6ls

"Blood money": Lawmakers want answers for EpiPen price surge

Republican Congressman Jason Chaffetz and Democrat Elijah Cummings rarely ever agree, but they'll be joining forces to grill Mylan CEO on soaring price of life-saving device

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/epipen-mylan-ceo-heather-bresch-testify-house-oversight-committee-elijah-cummings-jason-chaffetz/

UN Commission: New investments in global health workforce will create jobs and drive economic growth

The Presidents of France and South Africa today called for urgent investments globally to create new jobs in the health sector in order to prevent a projected shortfall of 18 million health workers primarily in low- and lower-middle-income countries, and help countries to maximize the social and economic benefits of increased health employment.

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

Health and Nutrition News, Latest Headlines Source