10/05/16

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Have we reached the natural limit to the human lifespan?

Life expectancy has vastly improved over the last century, but new research suggests the human species has an upper limit

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/is-there-a-natural-limit-to-the-human-lifespan/

Women’s better verbal skills may mask early Alzheimer’s

Women and men may need gender-specific tests to detect early Alzheimer's, news research suggests

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/womens-better-verbal-skills-may-mask-early-alzheimers/

Are virtual reality headsets safe for kids?

Heading into the holiday shopping season, plenty of parents will be wondering if VR is a good idea

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/are-virtual-reality-headsets-safe-for-kids/

1st U.S. Living-Donor Uterine Transplant Performed

Infertility procedure was tried in 4 women but has remained successful in only one, Texas team says

From: http://www.webmd.com/infertility-and-reproduction/news/20161005/doctors-perform-1st-us-living-donor-uterine-transplant?src=RSS_PUBLIC

A Better Diabetes Test?

Scientists say their mathematical formula improves accuracy of standard blood screen

From: http://www.webmd.com/diabetes/news/20161005/a-better-diabetes-test?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Have Humans Hit Their Longevity Limit?

More people might attain very old age, study finds, but probably not beyond 125 years

From: http://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/news/20161005/have-humans-hit-their-longevity-limit?src=RSS_PUBLIC

What Twins Are Teaching the Rest of Us

As in the case of astronaut Scott Kelly and his brother, Mark, twins offer a way to see how having identical genes affects everything from cancer to longevity.

From: http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/news/20161005/what-twins-are-teaching-the-rest-of-us?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Uterus transplants from live donors are first in U.S.

4 uterus transplants were performed in Texas last month, with mixed results, Baylor University Medical Center reports

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/uterus-transplants-live-donors-first-in-us-baylor-university-medical-center-dallas/

Activity trackers put to the test: Do they make you healthier?

A new study looks at whether incentive programs using Fitbit activity trackers actually make a difference

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/activity-trackers-fitbit-do-they-make-users-healthier/

Social Media at Mayo Clinic

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDP7CzuxCGY

Good Earth Eggs Linked to Salmonella Outbreak

From: http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/food-poisoning/news/20161005/good-earth-eggs-salmonella?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Workshop prepares dentists to run for office

What does it take to go from practicing dentistry to practicing politics? That was the focus of the 7th Annual Specialty Physician and Dentist Candidate Workshop supported by the American Dental Political Action Committee.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2016-archive/october/workshop-gets-dental-candidates-ready-to-run

Johnson & Johnson warns insulin pumps can be hacked

The risk is "extremely low," the company said, but it's advising patients on steps they can take to protect themselves

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/johnson-johnson-warns-insulin-pumps-can-be-hacked/

Amid water troubles, Flint hit by nasty stomach bug

The stomach illness shigellosis has flared up in Michigan community already struggling with water contamination problems

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/flint-michigan-stomach-bug-shigellosis-water-trouble/

Dad says hospital charged $39 to hold newborn baby

An extra charge for "skin to skin" time appeared on the family's itemized bill after C-section delivery

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/utah-hospital-charges-mom-dad-39-to-hold-baby/

Insulin Pump Can be Hacked: Johnson & Johnson

From: http://www.webmd.com/diabetes/news/20161005/insulin-pump-hack-warning?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Hurricane Preparation Tips

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY50vissXwk

For Many Women, Sex Gets Better at Midlife

Doctors discuss how you and your partner can achieve greater satisfaction

From: http://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/news/20161005/for-many-women-sex-gets-better-at-midlife?src=RSS_PUBLIC

USDA Prepares for Hurricane Matthew

STATE COLLEGE, Pa., Oct. 5, 2016 – At the White House Rural Forum convened today at Pennsylvania State University, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced $32 million in loans and grants that will promote economic development and provide access to broadband in more than 80 rural American communities. Vilsack, who is chair of the first-ever White House Rural Council, convened the forum with rural policy, business and nonprofit leaders to discuss pertinent issues facing rural communities, including opportunities for economic growth and strategies for improving health care and housing.

From: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=2016/10/0216.xml&contentidonly=true

Many Parents Think a Flu Shot Is Unnecessary

Study reveals other reasons for not getting kids vaccinated

From: http://www.webmd.com/children/vaccines/news/20161004/many-parents-think-a-flu-shot-is-unnecessary?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Do Activity Trackers Like Fitbit Boost Health?

If you own one of the devices, 'the news isn't good,' researcher says

From: http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/news/20161004/do-activity-trackers-boost-health?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Risk of Opioid Addiction Up 37% Among Young Adults

Study also finds painkiller abuse often precedes heroin use

From: http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/news/20161004/risk-of-opioid-addiction-up-37-percent-among-young-us-adults?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Marine vet adjusts to double arm transplant

More than 1,600 United States service members have lost limbs in the Middle East and Afghanistan. Only on "CBS This Morning," we take a look at the extraordinary story of hope for John Peck, a former Marine sergeant who lost all four limbs in combat. Thanks to the arms of a stranger, his prospects of managing everyday tasks are again within reach. David Martin reports.

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/marine-vet-adjusts-to-double-arm-transplant/

Staying active at “that time of the month”

Follow me on Twitter @RobShmerling

This past August, her exuberance, emotion and enthusiasm had already made Fu Yuanhui the most famous Chinese athlete at the Olympics. After winning a bronze medal in the women’s 100-meter backstroke with a personal best, she nearly exploded with excitement: “I was so fast! I’m really pleased! I’ve already… expended my primordial powers!” Her interview went viral with millions of hits worldwide.

Then she said something truly shocking: she was having her period. Noticing that the swimmer was grimacing after her relay team narrowly missed medaling, an interviewer asked if she had a stomachache. Yuanhui answered “It’s because I just got my period yesterday, so I’m still a bit weak and really tired. But this isn’t an excuse for not swimming well.”

When the New York Times, NPR and other media outlets covered the story of the Chinese swimmer who dared to mention that she was having her period as if it were the perfectly natural thing that it is, they focused on the fact that she’d violated a cultural taboo — indeed, it is virtually unheard of for women in China to publicly mention menstruation. But, they also missed an opportunity to counter the common misconception that menstruation impairs athletic performance or that it’s unsafe or inappropriate to swim while having your period.

Menstruation and athletics

I recall classmates in high school sitting out basketball practice because they had their periods. I assumed it was just because they weren’t feeling well. In fact, many girls have been told they are more likely to be injured, less likely to perform well, and that the best way to handle menses is to take it easy. Maybe. But the evidence for each of these is weak.

Injury

Much has been made about the apparent increased incidence of significant injuries — ankle sprains, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears and others — in female athletes compared with their male counterparts. Blaming it on “hormones” is common. A 1989 study interviewed 84 female soccer players and found more reports of injuries during the premenstrual period and menstrual period, especially among those with premenstrual symptoms (such as irritability or breast discomfort). A 2007 study found that ACL injuries tended to occur more often during the first half of the menstrual cycle (in the week or two after the period). A 2009 study found that among eight healthy volunteers, hamstring flexibility increased at the mid-point of the menstrual cycle. That’s the point in the cycle that estrogen levels are rising or at their highest.

So it’s possible that variations in female hormones through the menstrual cycle change the function of bones, joints, tendons, or ligaments, and that these changes could have an impact on performance or likelihood of injury. Then again, these studies are simply observations of certain patterns — they don’t prove a connection between phases of the menstrual cycle and injury. In fact, we don’t know for sure whether the phase of the menstrual cycle truly has an important effect on tendency for injury. And if there is an effect, it’s not clear what to do about it.

Athletic performance

Studies find inconsistent effects on the impact of menstrual periods on athletic performance. For example:

a group of swimmers were found to have poorer performance just before their periods started, and improved times during menstruation
cross-country skiers were best just after their periods and after ovulation (which occurs midway between periods)

in yet another study, strength of handgrip and standing long jump distance were best during menstrual periods compared with other parts of the menstrual cycle.

A 1994 analysis reviewing the available research concluded that when it comes to having your period, “…for most women there is no significant effect… medals have been won and world records set in any phase of the menstrual cycle.”

Even so, many women don’t feel well just before or during their periods and it seems reasonable that this could affect athletic performance. Anyone who is in pain, tired, or just not as sharp as usual may not perform at their highest potential. And in elite athletics (such as Olympic events) in which the difference between a gold medal and last place may be fractions of a second, surely feeling poorly could make a big difference. A 2009 study concluded that taking an anti-inflammatory medication (called diclofenac, a drug that’s similar to ibuprofen) led to reduced menstrual cramps and improved exercise performance. In fact, some athletes try to avoid the issue altogether: they take oral contraceptive pills or other hormones to avoid having their periods during important athletic events.

The bottom line

There is much we don’t understand about the relationship between the menstrual cycle and athletic injuries or athletic performance in women. It’s probably true that individual factors, including overall health, type of exercise, degree of conditioning, and nutritional status matter more than the phase of the menstrual cycle.

Clearly, women with premenstrual or menstrual symptoms may not feel like exercising. But there is no compelling evidence that exercise or athletic activities should be avoided or altered based only on what part of the menstrual cycle you’re in. Good training may reduce the risks of injury and enhance performance much more than trying to time exercise around one’s periods.

Many have commended Fu Yuanhui for being so forthright about having her period even though it violated a longstanding taboo, but she could also be commended for avoiding the temptation to blame her period for a disappointing performance.

The post Staying active at “that time of the month” appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Robert H. Shmerling, MD http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/staying-active-at-that-time-of-the-month-2016100510408

At White House Rural Forum, USDA Unveils New Funding to Support Rural Broadband and Economic Development

Investing in early childhood development essential to helping more children and communities thrive, new Lancet Series finds

An estimated 43 percent—249 million—of children under five in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) are at an elevated risk of poor development due to extreme poverty and stunting, according to findings from The Lancet’s new Series, Advancing Early Childhood Development: from Science to Scale.

From: http://www.who.int/entity/mediacentre/news/releases/2016/investing-early-childhood/en/index.html

Mayo Clinic Minute: Pharmacogenomics is individualizing medicine

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

Paralyzing illness is striking more U.S. kids

Polio-like condition reported in 24 states so far this year, and most victims are children

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/paralyzing-illness-acute-flaccid-myelitis-striking-more-us-kids/

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