02/16/17

Thursday, February 16, 2017

Flu vaccine seems to be working well, weakening punch of nasty bug

The current vaccine is a good match for this year's flu, and it includes a strain of Type A H3N2 flu virus that is causing most illnesses

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/flu-vaccine-seems-to-be-working-well-weakening-punch-of-nasty-bug-health-officials-say/

Bone and joint problems associated with diabetes

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetes/in-depth/diabetes/art-20049314

Germs: Understand and protect against bacteria, viruses and infection

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/infectious-diseases/in-depth/germs/art-20045289

Making Mayo's Recipes: Cranberry Pecan Rice Pilaf

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWOgvSCA3qc

Flu Vaccine a Good Match for Viruses This Year

Overall, it has been 48 percent effective, but more severe H3N2 strain a factor in reduced coverage

From: http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/news/20170216/flu-vaccine-a-pretty-good-match-for-viruses-this-year-cdc?src=RSS_PUBLIC

64-year-old woman gives birth to twins

64-year-old woman gives birth to a boy and girl after undergoing IVF treatment in the U.S.

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/64-year-old-woman-gives-birth-to-healthy-twins-in-spain/

Is it safe to rinse your sinuses with a neti pot?

The FDA is warning consumers that improper use of nasal rinses can lead to potentially deadly infections

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/is-it-safe-to-rinse-your-sinuses-with-a-neti-pot/

MRIs suggest why political beliefs are hard to change

Neuroscientists look at what's happening in the brain when your political beliefs are challenged

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/mri-brain-study-usc-political-beliefs-challenged/

Warmer Temps Speed Infectious Disease Spread

Global warming may have been at least partly responsible for the rapid spread of Zika virus, experts say.

From: http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/news/20170216/climate-change-diseases?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Depression Can Strike Expectant and New Dads, Too

Men who are stressed or in poor health seem to be at special risk, study shows

From: http://www.webmd.com/baby/news/20170216/hey-fellas-depression-can-strike-expectant-and-new-dads-too?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Post-Menopausal? Give Exercise a Try

Study participants were fitter, felt better -- and were less bothered by hot flashes

From: http://www.webmd.com/menopause/news/20170216/post-menopausal-give-exercise-a-try?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Kidney Stone Treatment

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZNBTA3Fxdk

Dr. Abba Zubair & CAST Launch Stem Cells in Space

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBO0YndkgGA

FDA OKs Injectable Psoriasis Drug for Tough Cases

But Siliq poses increased risk of suicidal behavior, agency warns

From: http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/psoriasis/news/20170216/fda-approves-injectable-psoriasis-drug-for-tough-cases?src=RSS_PUBLIC

FDA: Some skin antiseptic product labels to incorporate allergy warnings

Rare but serious allergic reactions have resulted from the use of skin antiseptic products containing chlorhexidine gluconate, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said in a safety announcement Feb. 2.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/february/fda-some-skin-antiseptic-product-labels-to-incorporate-allergy-warnings

HPI: Oral surgeons are 'consistently' highest earning specialists

Oral surgeons are consistently the highest earning dental specialists while periodontists are the lowest earning dental specialists, according to the ADA Health Policy Institute.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/february/hpi-oral-surgeons-are-consistently-highest-earning-specialists

ADA urges Congress to repeal McCarran-Ferguson

The Association submitted written testimony to the House Judiciary Subcommittee's Feb. 16 hearing on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law, urging legislators to support H.R. 372, the Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act of 2017.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/february/ada-urges-congress-to-repeal-mccarran-ferguson

Gestational Diabetes Poses Risks for Mom, Baby

Study confirms numerous hazards, and experts stress the condition must be treated immediately

From: http://www.webmd.com/diabetes/news/20170216/pregnancy-linked-diabetes-poses-risks-for-mom-baby?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Vitamin D Tied to Lower Risk of Colds, Infections

But medical experts can't agree if recommending supplements or food fortification would be helpful

From: http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/news/20170216/vitamin-d-linked-to-lower-risk-of-respiratory-infections?src=RSS_PUBLIC

HRT Won't Lower Women's Alzheimer's Risk

There was some hint that long-term hormone therapy might have a benefit, but results weren't definitive

From: http://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/news/20170216/hrt-wont-lower-womens-alzheimers-risk-study-finds?src=RSS_PUBLIC

March 29 webinar to cover safe uses, handling of medicines

The ADA is hosting a webinar March 29 from 2-3 p.m. Central time on How to Discuss Safe Use, Storage and Disposal of Medicines including Opioids with Your Dental Patients.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/february/march-29-webinar-to-cover-safe-uses-handling-of-medicines

MRI scans reveal brain differences in kids with ADHD

The new study provides more evidence that the disorder should be considered a neurological condition, researchers say

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/mri-scans-reveal-brain-differences-in-kids-with-adhd/

Would you let someone who's not a dentist pull your teeth?

Some states are letting “dental therapists,” professionals with a lower level of training, do the job – and more may join in

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/would-you-let-someone-whos-not-a-dentist-pull-your-teeth/

Study offers encouraging news for "extreme preemies"

Babies born at 22 and 24 weeks still face tough odds, but neonatal care improvements have been key, doctors say

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/survival-rates-improving-for-extreme-preemies/

More 'Extreme Preemies' Are Surviving

Babies born at 22 and 24 weeks still face tough odds, but neonatal care improvements have been key, doctors say

From: http://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/news/20170215/more-extreme-preemies-are-surviving?src=RSS_PUBLIC

House Republicans mulling options for Obamacare replacement

The GOP has been divided about how and when to replace President Obama's signature healthcare law

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/house-republicans-mulling-options-for-obamacare-replacement/

The underappreciated health benefits of being a weekend warrior

Follow me on Twitter @RobShmerling

What do you think of when you hear the term “weekend warrior”? Maybe it’s a person who exercises intensely on the weekend but is otherwise sedentary. I tend to think of an overweight, middle-aged guy resolving for the 100th time to get in shape. But because he only has time to work out over the weekend, that’s when he does it — or overdoes it.

Woe betide the weekend warrior

Weekend warriors with back pain, a pulled muscle, or other “overuse” injuries are a common sight in doctors’ waiting rooms after they’ve tried to do too much in too little time. That’s why most experts recommend regular exercise most days of the week rather than just on weekends.

A new study’s new take

Despite the injuries commonly associated with the weekend warrior, a new study finds that weekend warriors may be on to something. As published in JAMA Internal Medicine, weekend warriors who met recommended exercise guidelines (including those who exercised just once or twice a week but did so vigorously for at least 75 minutes, or at moderate intensity for at least 150 minutes) had a reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease, cancer, or other causes.

Here’s some more specific information about this study:

More than 63,000 adults in England and Scotland were surveyed about their health and physical activity between 1994 and 2012.
Nearly two-thirds of study subjects were considered inactive — 11% were regularly active and about 4% were “weekend warriors.” The rest were “insufficiently active,” meaning they were not inactive but did not meet recommended activity guidelines.
Data regarding their deaths from any cause, cardiovascular disease, and cancer were also collected over this time period.

Compared to less active adults, weekend warriors had a 30% lower risk of death from any cause, a 40% lower risk of death due to cardiovascular disease, and an 18% lower risk of death due to cancer. While regular exercisers had lower death rates than weekend warriors, the differences were quite small.

Some caveats

Of course, a study of this sort can only describe an association between exercise and death rates, but it cannot prove that the exercise actually caused the health benefits. It’s possible that something other than exercise — perhaps a difference in diet not captured by the surveys — accounted for the lower death rates among the weekend warriors. Activity levels were self-reported and could be inaccurate. In addition, 90% of the study population was white. If other ethnic groups were included, the results might have been different. Other information not included in this study would be of interest, including the type of sedentary activities (such as sitting), effects on other health outcomes (such as mental health, arthritis, or diabetes), and rates of injuries related to physical activity.

Still, this study is among the first to suggest that weekend warriors may get a similar benefit from their schedule of exercise as those working out more regularly. This study also supports current exercise guidelines that recommend 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week or 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week.

So, what does this mean for you?

In my view, this study is important. In the past, weekend warriors were encouraged to change their ways lest they wind up injured. And it has long been assumed that you can’t get much benefit by exercising just once or twice a week rather than daily or most days of the week. This new study should make us rethink that assumption.

If you’re a weekend warrior, the results of this study should be reassuring. But I see at least two important challenges:

The weekend warriors in this study met or exceeded current activity guidelines — they probably exercised more, and more intensely, in one or two days than many people who work out only over the weekend.
Injuries are particularly common among weekend warriors; unfortunately, this study did not collect information on the risk of injury among weekend warriors. Experts generally agree that warming up, stretching, and not pushing too hard, too fast are important preventive measures.

Perhaps the most important conclusion of this study is that inactivity is way too common and being active is what matters, not how often you exercise each week.

The post The underappreciated health benefits of being a weekend warrior appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Robert H. Shmerling, MD http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/underappreciated-health-benefits-weekend-warrior-2017021611167

Alzheimer's disease drug fails in trial

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlnJ1MRtI7s

Brain Differences Seen in People With ADHD

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity should be considered a brain disorder, researchers say

From: http://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/news/20170215/imaging-study-confirms-brain-differences-in-people-with-adhd?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Can infant brain imaging help autism diagnosis?

New research suggests doctors may eventually be able to predict autism at an age when treatment is more effective. It means the diagnosis may be possible in the first year of life, instead of the current range of two to four years. Researchers performed brain scans on babies considered high-risk because they have an older sibling with the disorder. Dr. David Agus joins "CBS This Morning" to discuss the findings.

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/can-infant-brain-imaging-help-autism-diagnosis/

Food industry works to simplify expiration labels

The food industry is working to simplify labels on perishable food. Date stamps like "best by," "sell by," "use by" and "best before" can be confusing for shoppers. Jamie Yuccas reports on how changing the language could help you save money and also keep people from wasting perfectly good food.

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/food-industry-works-to-simplify-expiration-labels/