Women who deliver their babies prematurely appear to be at greater risk of heart disease, new research finds
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/preterm-delivery-may-signal-heart-disease-risk-later-in-life/
Thursday, February 2, 2017
Can't sleep? Camping could be the cure, study suggests
Researchers say sleeping under the stars can reset the body’s clock to be more in tune with nature’s light-and-dark cycle
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/cant-sleep-camping-resets-body-clock/
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/cant-sleep-camping-resets-body-clock/
American Society of Clinical Oncology Update 2017
From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzKn97v9X-8
The Ultimate High-Fiber Grocery List
The next time you go shopping, stock up on healthy fiber options in every aisle. Learn what to pick from WebMD.
From: http://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/features/fiber-groceries?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Current, Former Smokers and Lung Cancer Screening
Such testing could cut death rate by 20 percent, American Cancer Society says
From: http://www.webmd.com/lung-cancer/news/20170202/too-few-current-former-smokers-screened-for-lung-cancer?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Twins Give Clues to Health Hazards of Spaceflight
NASA researchers compare biological differences between Scott and Mark Kelly
From: http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/news/20170202/astronaut-twins-give-clues-to-health-hazards-of-spaceflight?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Detergent Pods Tied to Kids' Eye Burn Danger
Nearly 500 such injuries occurred in 2015, study reports
From: http://www.webmd.com/parenting/news/20170202/laundry-detergent-pods-linked-to-eye-burn-danger-in-kids?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Breast Cancer Survivors and Life-Extending Therapy
Study estimates nearly 15,000 lives saved over decade if all who needed hormone treatment got it
From: http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/news/20170202/many-breast-cancer-survivors-dont-get-life-extending-therapy?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Smokeless Tobacco Products Recalled
The recall covers some varieties of Skoal, Copenhagen, Cope and Husky brand smokeless tobacco
From: http://www.webmd.com/smoking-cessation/news/20170202/smokeless-tobacco-recall?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Most U.S. Adults Support Routine Child Vaccine
Survey finds 80 percent have positive view of the shot against measles, mumps and rubella
From: http://www.webmd.com/children/vaccines/news/20170202/most-us-adults-support-routine-child-vaccine?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Time Outdoors May Deliver Better Sleep
Camping and exposure to natural light helps prime your body for an earlier bedtime, researchers say
From: http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/news/20170202/time-outdoors-may-deliver-better-sleep?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Common Painkillers Don't Ease Back Pain: Study
Patients who took NSAIDs were also 2.5 times more likely to suffer gastrointestinal side effects
From: http://www.webmd.com/back-pain/news/20170202/common-painkillers-dont-ease-back-pain-study-finds?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Sleepless Nights Linked to Asthma Later in Life
Adults with chronic insomnia 3 times more likely to develop the respiratory disorder, study suggests
From: http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/news/20170202/sleepless-nights-linked-to-asthma-later-in-life?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Super Bowl QB says this gadget helped him have career-best season
Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons QB and likely league MVP, says a gadget called NeuroTracker helped him sharpen his cognitive skills
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/super-bowl-falcons-quarterback-matt-ryan-brain-cognitive-training/
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/super-bowl-falcons-quarterback-matt-ryan-brain-cognitive-training/
How Obamacare repeal could impact women's health
From higher premiums for women to gaps in coverage for birth control and breast pumps, the Republican push to repeal Obamacare is making some women nervous
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/risk-to-womens-health-benefits-seen-in-obamacare-repeal/
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/risk-to-womens-health-benefits-seen-in-obamacare-repeal/
Do weekend deliveries pose risk for moms?
New research looks at the chance of complications if giving birth on Saturday or Sunday versus a weekday
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/do-weekend-deliveries-pose-risk-for-moms/
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/do-weekend-deliveries-pose-risk-for-moms/
New Tests and Treatments for Childhood Cancer
Find out about the latest methods to test and treat leukemia, brain cancer, and bone cancer in children.
From: http://www.webmd.com/cancer/features/new-tests-treatments-childhood-cancer?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Man Infected With HIV Despite Preventive Drugs
But cases of drug-resistant strains of AIDS virus are still rare, doctors say
From: http://www.webmd.com/hiv-aids/news/20170201/gay-man-infected-with-hiv-despite-using-preventive-drugs?src=RSS_PUBLIC
'Heading' Soccer Ball Not Smart for the Brain
It's tied to higher concussion risk in players, study finds
From: http://www.webmd.com/brain/news/20170201/heading-soccer-ball-not-smart-for-the-brain?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Parents of Kids With Heart Defects Face PTSD Risk
They're also more likely to suffer depression, anxiety -- and new moms particularly vulnerable
From: http://www.webmd.com/parenting/news/20170201/parents-of-kids-with-heart-defects-face-ptsd-risk-study?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Medical Groups Concerned Over Immigration Ban
Groups call on Trump administration to consider impact
From: http://www.webmd.com/health-insurance/20170201/medical-groups-immigration-ban?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Mayo Clinic Minute: Stop cleaning your ears
From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1ZJInvpq-g
When are self-help programs “helpful”?
Follow me on Twitter @srinipillay
For some people, a “self-help” program can be a useful addition to professional services, or even be enough by itself. Despite the good intentions of the creators of such programs, the degree and quality of research backing up their claims vary. What’s more, people also vary in how well they use such programs.
Given the increasing number of books, tapes, podcasts, programs, and apps that claim to provide self-help, it is important to think about a few principles that may help you choose a program and use its information more effectively. Here are some factors to consider when evaluating self-help programs for any challenge you may be facing.
Is the program’s approach backed up by good data?
The quality of research in self-help is highly variable. For example, although self-help treatments for anxiety may be more effective than placebo but less effective than face-to face studies for the treatment of anxiety disorders, many of the studies showing this have not been well-controlled trials. For that reason, it is important to examine whether a program itself references well-controlled trials, and that more than one study backs up the claim. This is rare, but certainly, by checking the references or endnotes in a book or program, you can get a sense of whether the recommendations are research-based or not.
And here’s why you should care about the research. Scientists use statistical analyses to help determine whether an intervention works significantly better than placebo for a majority of people. Yet, even if an intervention is better than placebo for 80% of people in a study, there is no way to actually tell if you are likely to fall into that 80% or whether you are more likely to be one of the 20% of people for whom that intervention did not work. In fact, many scientists now recognize that because there is such variation in humans, the only truly valuable study would be one that was conducted for the specific human being planning to use that intervention. This is close to impossible, The onus then falls back on you, and on how you interpret the data presented to you. Scientific research is certainly one factor to consider, but not the only one.
Is the self-help program a good match for you?
All study results pertain to a “generalized person” and not specifically to you. “Individualized medicine” aims to target interventions to a specific group of people. For example, scientists may test a drug or therapy on people who share the same genetics. However, it is not only our genes that make us different. Gender, race, personality, and even our beliefs in whether an intervention will work or not, all help determine whether or not a particular self-help program will benefit you. Being more deliberate in thinking about whether an approach is relevant to you may help.
Is the person who developed the program “qualified” — and does it matter?
Guided self-help interventions can certainly help you navigate your way toward alleviating depression or anxiety. But providing such help is a responsibility that is quite complex, and training gives professionals perspectives that untrained people do not have. So, understanding whether an author is qualified may help you decide whether or not to follow his or her advice. Clinical experts offer the advantage of having worked with large numbers of individuals, and not just promoting isolated, sensational outcomes that give you a false sense of hope. Yet, as with research, even an expert’s experience is limited to the types of people that person sees. Other factors such as religion, cultural sensitivity, and spirituality may all play a role in helping you decide whether to follow the advice of an “expert.” While focusing on qualifications may help you avoid the charlatans, there is something to be said for the wisdom of people who share their personal experiences too. One red flag should be someone claiming to have a “cure for all” or “known methods that always work.” Distinguishing your desperation from random inspiration is helpful.
So how do you decide?
Given such variability in the quality of research, the meaning of research, the qualifications and experience of “experts,” and in the people who respond to interventions, there is no “one size fits all” solution. Eventually, the decision to use self-help (or any treatment, for that matter) will be yours. To help you decide, I’ve created a mnemonic that you can use to assess the value of a suggested self-help intervention: REST.
- Is the claim based on high-quality Research?
- What is the Expertise of the person handing out the advice?
- Does this advice feel Self-applicable — to you, and to your genetics and circumstances?
- How Trustworthy is the advice? Is the advice-giver appropriately humble, or too hyped up about the advice?
When you realize the complexity of self-help interventions, it will help you become a more discerning customer and make it more likely you will find something that could work for you.
The post When are self-help programs “helpful”? appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.
From: Srini Pillay, MD http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/self-help-programs-helpful-2017020211069
Attention shoppers: Be wary of health claims on food packaging
If you’re like most nutrition-minded shoppers, the word “healthy” on the front of a package can be a big draw. “When you’re stuck in a situation where processed foods are the only thing available to you, it can be helpful to know which foods are healthier than others,” says Dr. Walter Willett, chair of the department of nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Yet these days you’re on shaky nutritional ground if you rely on front-of-package claims like “healthy” and “natural” to determine which soup, sauce, cereal (or other canned, bottled, boxed, or bagged food) is the best choice. In 2015 Dr. Willett was one of a dozen nutrition experts to notify the Food and Drug Administration that its definition of “healthy” was out of date and could lead consumers in the wrong direction. They petitioned the FDA to redefine “healthy,” and in September 2016 the agency reported that it was doing so the FDA is also working on defining the term “natural” as well.
What does “healthy” mean?
“Healthy” became a selling point a quarter of a century ago, when the balance of evidence indicated that what we eat plays an important role in determining how healthy we are. In those days, the major focus was on diet and heart disease, and public health officials emphasized reducing fat intake to keep our arteries open, and controlling sodium to keep our blood pressure in check. In the early 1990s, the FDA ruled that food manufacturers could use the term “healthy” on the front of a package as long as the contents contained less than a specified amount of both sodium and fat per serving.
Since then, research has determined that diets rich in unsaturated fats — those found in nuts, seeds, and fish — may actually reduce the risk cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Research has also shown that eating a lot of refined carbohydrates — which were often added to low-fat foods as flavor enhancers — may increase the risk of those conditions. The experts who crafted the 2015-2020 Dietary Recommendations for Americans advised removing the limit on total fat calories. Instead, the new recommendations limit only trans and saturated fats (to 10% of calories), added sugars (to 10% of calories), and sodium (to 2,300 grams per day).
Nutrition Facts labeling is also being updated to reflect the recent dietary recommendations. By July 26, 2018, most food packages will display an updated Nutrition Facts box that will include the amount of added sugars—a source of empty calories. They will also include realistic serving sizes, and will no longer single out calories from fat.
What can you do?
Although food labeling isn’t ideal, it still offers useful information. To get the best idea of what you’re buying you may want to do the following:
- Trust, but verify. If the front of the package says “healthy,” check the Nutrition Facts on the back to make sure you’re not getting too many calories from sugars. Remember: each gram of sugar has four calories.
- Do the math. The serving size on the package is likely to be an underestimate of what you’ll eat. For a more realistic idea of your potential calorie intake, multiply the number of calories in a single serving by the number of servings in the package. Then estimate how much of the package you’re likely to consume. For example, a container of hummus may have 17 servings at 35 calories each. If you usually use a fifth of the container in a sandwich wrap, you’ll be getting about 120 calories. This approach works for other ingredients like sugar and sodium. If it sounds daunting, turn to the calculator app on your smartphone.
- Cut back on packaged foods. If you make your own sauces, dressings, and soups from fresh produce, spices, and vegetable oils, you’ll have more assurance that you’re eating for good health — and you’ll probably get better flavors in the bargain.
The post Attention shoppers: Be wary of health claims on food packaging appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.
From: Beverly Merz http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/attention-shoppers-be-wary-of-health-claims-on-food-packaging-2017020110963
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