10/27/16

Thursday, October 27, 2016

Are hormonal contraceptives on the way for men?

A trial tested hormone injections for men to reduce their sperm counts, but the side effects halted the study

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/will-men-soon-be-taking-hormone-contraceptives/

Research trial examines hormonal birth control for men

Male contraception is usually limited to condoms and vasectomies, but an experimental drug could change how men tackle birth control. Dr. Jon LaPook has more.

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/research-trial-examines-hormonal-birth-control-for-men/

Nurses' scrubs can harbor nasty germs

Superbug MRSA and other dangerous bacteria were detected on uniforms of hospital staff

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/nurses-scrubs-can-harbor-nasty-germs-superbugs/

Doctors Try Brain-Training for 'Phantom Limb Pain'

Robotic technology offers insight into the post-amputation phenomenon

From: http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/news/20161027/doctors-try-brain-training-to-curb-phantom-limb-pain?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Study Questions Migraine Meds in Kids, Teens

Researchers found sugar pill worked as well as commonly prescribed drugs

From: http://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/news/20161027/study-questions-use-of-migraine-meds-in-kids-teens?src=RSS_PUBLIC

#AsktheMayoMom about Congetial Heart Disease

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6CqnUf_Bc8

Male Birth Control Shot Promising, But Work Needed

Injections as effective as other contraceptives, but side effects prompted early halt of trial

From: http://www.webmd.com/sex/birth-control/news/20161027/male-birth-control-in-a-shot-promising-but-more-work-needed?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Cranberry Products May Not Prevent UTIs: Study

In female nursing home residents, cranberry capsules didn't affect infection rate

From: http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/news/20161027/cranberry-products-may-not-prevent-utis-study?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Artificial hand helps amputee feel softness

Technology that allows a person to sense softness and firmness is another step toward the development of prosthetics that can feel

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/artificial-hand-technology-helps-amputee-feel-softness-firmness/

AARP sues feds over employer wellness program rules

Workplace wellness programs help rein in soaring costs of insurance premiums, but the AARP claims the new rules would compromise people’s privacy or make them vulnerable to discrimination

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/aarp-sues-eeoc-employer-wellness-program-rules/

Colon Cancer's Location May Determine Survival

Study found 'right-sided' tumors had worse prognoses, with implications for screening and treatment

From: http://www.webmd.com/colorectal-cancer/news/20161027/colon-cancers-location-may-determine-patient-survival?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Nurses' 'Scrubs' Pick Up Bad Hospital Germs

Superbug MRSA, other disease-causing bacteria detected on uniforms in ICU

From: http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/news/20161027/nurses-scrubs-pick-up-bad-hospital-germs?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Making Mayo's Recipes: Whole wheat pumpkin pancakes

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

Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Awards $45 Million in Grants to Help Agricultural Producers and Small Rural Businesses Develop New Products

EAU CLAIRE Wis., Oct. 27, 2016 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA is providing more than $45 million to help farmers, ranchers, small businesses and entrepreneurs nationwide develop new product lines. USDA is investing in 325 projects through the Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) program.

From: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=2016/10/0232.xml&contentidonly=true

Volunteers donate dental services to veterans

About 600 volunteers came together for the 2016 Homeless Veteran Stand Down for Monterey County.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2016-archive/october/volunteers-donate-dental-services-to-veterans

Checkup on kids born through experimental fertility treatment

17 babies born using an unusual type of infertility treatment that gave them DNA from three people are now in their teens

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-are-kids-after-experimental-3-person-dna-infertility-treatments/

New High-Tech Tools to Help Control Diabetes

New high-tech devices may make it easier for many of the nation’s 21 million people with diabetes to control the disease.

From: http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/condition-15/diabetes/gadgets?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Mayo Clinic Minute: Doctors urge use of HPV vaccine

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sf7iCN9Jh6M

Regular meditation more beneficial than vacation

As mindfulness meditation and yoga have become mainstream and more extensively studied, growing evidence suggests multiple psychological and physical benefits of these mindfulness exercises, as well as for similar practices like tai chi and qi gong.

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses analyzing hundreds of research studies suggest that mindfulness-based interventions help decrease anxiety, depression, stress, and pain, and help improve general health, mental health, and quality of life. These practices also appear to reduce inflammation and increase immune response.

You say vacation, I say meditation…

As much as this intuitively makes sense, I’ve often wondered if simple rest and relaxation could be just as good for you. The few studies conducted suggest that vacation does result in real, albeit temporary, positive effects on health and well-being.

So when the editors at Harvard Health Publications suggested I take a look at a recent study comparing a mindfulness meditation and yoga retreat to regular vacation in terms of mental health as well as physical health outcomes, I agreed. This is interesting stuff.

The study was conducted at a resort in Southern California with 91 female volunteers who had no major health problems, were not pregnant, nor taking hormones or antidepressants. The mindfulness intervention was an established meditation and yoga retreat consisting of 12 hours of meditation, nine hours of yoga, and self-reflective exercises over a week. The participants were divided into three groups of about 30 each: experienced meditators, women who had never meditated, and a group who simply “went on vacation.” The 30 “vacation participants” listened to health lectures and then did fun outdoor things for a week.

At the end, all three groups (vacation, novice, and regular meditators) showed statistically significant improvements in scores of stress and depression, which were measured using well-established and commonly used questionnaires. If we stop there, it seems that vacation is just as good as mindfulness exercises for stress reduction and mood lifting.

But what’s really striking are the result from 10 months later: the regular meditators still showed significant improvements on these scores, the novice meditators even more so. However, the vacationers were back to baseline. The researchers had ensured that all three groups were equal in average age, education level, employment status, and body mass index. This finding is in keeping with prior research showing that vacation has beneficial but very temporary effects, and that mindfulness therapies have sustained beneficial effects.

What about long-term physical benefits of meditation?

These researchers also took blood samples just before and after the weeklong study period. All three groups showed significant positive changes in the markers of immune function. However, regular meditators also showed additional, more interesting changes. I got in touch with study author Eric Schadt, Ph.D., director of the Icahn Institute at Mount Sinai, who offered this interpretation of the data:

“Regular meditators showed both the same types of ‘improvements’ at the molecular level as the others, but on top of that exhibited changes that were also associated with some aging/disease processes that also correlated with biomarkers of aging in a favorable direction. I think there is some suggestion there of improved healthy aging, so hopefully that motivates further study in this direction.”

He went on to explain that other factors that often go hand in hand with meditation (for example, exercise, diet, even exposure to incense) could help explain these improvements. “So that as well remains to be more fully resolved in future studies.”

The vacation study was fairly small and included only women, and the authors point out that more research in this area is needed. But the evidence that mindfulness exercises can result in long-lasting positive psychological effects, especially for people new to these experiences, is compelling. In addition, meditation and yoga can boost immunity, and regular practice seems to promote more complex genetic effects related to healthier aging.

The post Regular meditation more beneficial than vacation appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Monique Tello, MD, MPH http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/relaxation-benefits-meditation-stronger-relaxation-benefits-taking-vacation-2016102710532

“The hardest part” of breast cancer under 40

One woman shares her story of the special challenges younger women can face with breast cancer

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-hardest-part-of-breast-cancer-under-40/

Parent-led autism therapy shows long-term benefits

Early intervention reduced severity of symptoms years down the road, researchers find

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/parent-led-autism-therapy-shows-benefits/

Screening Urged for Inherited Heart Condition

People with familial hypercholesterolemia have higher risk of heart attack before 40, researchers say

From: http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20161026/parent-child-screening-urged-for-inherited-heart-condition?src=RSS_PUBLIC

High Rate of Antidepressant Use After Cancer

Nearly 1 in 5 survivors taking medication for depression or anxiety years later

From: http://www.webmd.com/cancer/news/20161026/high-rate-of-antidepressant-use-after-cancer?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Oxygen Therapy Little Help for Milder COPD

Study could change clinical practice, researchers say

From: http://www.webmd.com/lung/copd/news/20161026/oxygen-therapy-little-help-for-those-with-milder-copd?src=RSS_PUBLIC

ADA Business Resources can help members affected by Hurricane Matthew

Hurricane Matthew left damage and residual issues with flooding and power outages across the southern Atlantic states.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2016-archive/october/ada-business-resources-can-help-members-affected-by-hurricane-matthew

Study: Brain can learn to "see" again after blindness

New research looks at the human brain's ability to process visual information after years of blindness

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/brain-can-see-again-after-blindness-study-finds/

New Guidelines Urge Diabetics to Move More

They should do light physical activity every 30 minutes, not every 90 minutes

From: http://www.webmd.com/diabetes/news/20161026/new-guidelines-urge-diabetics-to-move-more?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Over 1 million treated with highly effective hepatitis C medicines

The new medicines have a cure rate of over 95%, fewer side effects than previously available therapies, and can completely cure the disease within three months. But at an initial estimated price of some US$85 000 they were unaffordable even in high-income countries.

From: http://www.who.int/entity/mediacentre/news/releases/2016/hepatitis-c-medicines/en/index.html

‘Father of aesthetic dentistry’ dies at 92

Dr. Irwin Smigel, who has been referred to as the “Father of aesthetic dentistry,” died Oct. 17 at his Manhattan home. He was 92 years old.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2016-archive/october/father-of-aesthetic-dentistry-dies-at-92

Thursday, October 27, 2016

You say vacation, I say meditation…

What about long-term physical benefits of meditation?

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