"Co-sleeping" has long been a controversial topic -- even among some experts
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/dads-post-supporting-wifes-co-sleeping-goes-viral-sparks-debate/
Monday, April 3, 2017
Flu vaccines can be life-saving to children, study says
A new study in the Journal Pediatrics found that nearly three of four children who die from the flu did not get vaccinated. Dr. Tara Narula has the details.
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/flu-vaccines-can-be-life-saving-to-children-study-says/
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/flu-vaccines-can-be-life-saving-to-children-study-says/
"Remarkable" progress against childhood deaths, but ...
Despite a dramatic global decline in the number of childhood deaths in recent years, some areas are hit much harder than others, new research shows
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/fewer-childhood-deaths-worldwide-but-progress-is-uneven/
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/fewer-childhood-deaths-worldwide-but-progress-is-uneven/
3D EM reconstruction of mitochondria in multiple neuropils in mouse hippocampi
From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9Y3pKlvspg
Animated 3D reconstruction of mitochondrial structure in hippocampal tissue of APP/PS1 mouse
From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qI3wnEZeGg
Axonal trafficking of mitochondria in primary neuron from a wild type mouse
From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIGlTMZCg20
Infectious Diseases A-Z: Mumps outbreaks in the U.S.
From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLRb5NymUI8
New JADA+ Clinical Scans make scientific information more accessible to members
ADA members can access some of the latest scientific information with the April launch of The Journal of the American Dental Association's JADA+ Clinical Scans.
From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/april/new-jada-clinical-scans-make-scientific-information-more-accessible-to-members
From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/april/new-jada-clinical-scans-make-scientific-information-more-accessible-to-members
Dad's viral post on co-sleeping with baby sparks debate
"Co-sleeping" has long been a controversial topic — even among some experts
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/dads-post-supporting-wifes-co-sleeping-goes-viral-sparks-debate/
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/dads-post-supporting-wifes-co-sleeping-goes-viral-sparks-debate/
"Remarkable" progress against childhood deaths, but ...
Despite a dramatic global decline in the number of childhood deaths in recent years, some areas are hit much harder than others, new research shows
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/fewer-childhood-deaths-worldwide-but-progress-is-uneven/
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/fewer-childhood-deaths-worldwide-but-progress-is-uneven/
3D EM reconstruction of mitochondria in multiple neuropils in mouse hippocampi
From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9Y3pKlvspg
Animated 3D reconstruction of mitochondrial structure in hippocampal tissue of APP/PS1 mouse
From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qI3wnEZeGg
Axonal trafficking of mitochondria in primary neuron from a wild type mouse
From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIGlTMZCg20
Infectious Diseases A-Z: Mumps outbreaks in the U.S.
From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLRb5NymUI8
New JADA+ Clinical Scans make scientific information more accessible to members
ADA members can access some of the latest scientific information with the April launch of The Journal of the American Dental Association's JADA+ Clinical Scans.
From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/april/new-jada-clinical-scans-make-scientific-information-more-accessible-to-members
From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/april/new-jada-clinical-scans-make-scientific-information-more-accessible-to-members
Student-driven event provides more than 280 with dental care
Dental students took the lead in treating hundreds of adults who have little or no access to dental care during Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry's first Oral Health Day on March 11 at the school's clinic.
From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/april/student-driven-event-provides-more-than-280-with-dental-care
From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/april/student-driven-event-provides-more-than-280-with-dental-care
Most children who die from flu weren't vaccinated, study finds
A new study from the CDC shows getting a flu shot significantly reduces a child's risk of dying from the flu. CBS News' Wendy Gillette has the story of one New Jersey family that learned just how serious the illness can be.
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/most-children-who-die-from-flu-werent-vaccinated-study-finds/
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/most-children-who-die-from-flu-werent-vaccinated-study-finds/
'Electric Cap' May Help Fight a Deadly Brain Tumor
Study found significant increase in survival 2 years after diagnosis
From: http://www.webmd.com/cancer/brain-cancer/news/20170403/electric-cap-might-help-fight-a-deadly-brain-tumor?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Obesity in Pregnancy May Up Child's Epilepsy Risk
The heavier the mom, the greater the odds of the seizure disorder, study suggests
From: http://www.webmd.com/baby/news/20170403/obesity-in-early-pregnancy-may-raise-childs-risk-of-epilepsy?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Serum Folate, Vitamin B-12, Vitamin A, {gamma}-Tocopherol, {alpha}-Tocopherol, and Carotenoids Do Not Modify Associations between Cadmium Exposure and Leukocyte Telomere Length in the General US Adult Population [Nutrient Physiology, Metabolism, and Nutrient-Nutrient Interactions]
Background: Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is a biomarker of the aging process and is associated with the risk of chronic disease. Higher exposure to cadmium may be associated with shorter LTL, and adequate nutrient concentrations may be associated with longer LTL; however, the potential interaction between metals and nutrients on LTL has yet to be examined.
Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate whether serum concentrations of vitamins and carotenoids were associated with LTL, and whether they modified the association between blood cadmium and LTL in the US NHANES (1999–2002).
Methods: We evaluated cross-sectional associations between LTL and serum concentrations of vitamin A, -tocopherol, α-tocopherol, folate, and vitamin B-12 (1999–2002; n = 7458) and α-carotene, β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, lutein + zeaxanthin, and lycopene (2001–2002; n = 4018) in a nationally representative sample of US adults (≥20 y of age) with the use of multivariable linear regression. We further investigated whether vitamin and carotenoid concentrations modified associations between blood cadmium and LTL with models stratified by serum nutrient concentrations and the inclusion of an interaction term.
Results: Blood cadmium was inversely associated with LTL (percentage of LTL difference per 1 μg/L = –3.74; 95% CI: –5.35, –2.10). Serum vitamin A was positively associated (percentage of LTL difference per 1 μg/L = 4.01; 95% CI: 0.26, 7.90) and -tocopherol was inversely associated (percentage of LTL difference per 1 μg/dL = –2.49; 95% CI: –4.21, –0.73) with LTL. Serum folate (P-trend = 0.06) and α-tocopherol (P-trend = 0.10) were marginally positively associated with LTL, whereas vitamin B-12 (P-trend = 0.78) was not associated with LTL. Serum carotenoids were generally positively associated with LTL. Serum vitamin and carotenoid concentrations did not modify blood cadmium and LTL associations (P-interaction > 0.10).
Conclusions: Results from this cross-sectional study suggest that exposure to cadmium and certain nutrients may be associated with LTL in US adults, but the serum concentrations of the vitamins and carotenoids evaluated did not modify cross-sectional associations between cadmium exposure and LTL.
From: Nomura, S. J., Robien, K., Zota, A. R. http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/short/147/4/538?rss=1
Breast Milk Iodine Concentration Is a More Accurate Biomarker of Iodine Status Than Urinary Iodine Concentration in Exclusively Breastfeeding Women [Nutrient Physiology, Metabolism, and Nutrient-Nutrient Interactions]
Background: Iodine status in populations is usually assessed by the median urinary iodine concentration (UIC). However, iodine is also excreted in breast milk during lactation; thus, breast milk iodine concentration (BMIC) may be a promising biomarker of iodine nutrition in lactating women. Whether the mammary gland can vary fractional uptake of circulating iodine in response to changes in dietary intake is unclear.
Objective: We evaluated UIC and BMIC as biomarkers for iodine status in lactating women with a wide range of iodine intakes.
Methods: We recruited 866 pairs of lactating mothers and exclusively breastfed infants from 3 iodine-sufficient study sites: Linfen, China (n = 386); Tuguegarao, Philippines (n = 371); and Zagreb, Croatia (n = 109). We also recruited iodine-deficient lactating women from Amizmiz, Morocco (n = 117). We collected urine and breast milk samples and measured UIC and BMIC.
Results: In the 3 iodine-sufficient sites, a pooled regression analysis of the estimated iodine excretion revealed higher fractional iodine excretion in breast milk than in urine at borderline low iodine intakes. In contrast, in the iodine-deficient site in Morocco, a constant proportion (~33%) of total iodine was excreted into breast milk.
Conclusions: In iodine-sufficient populations, when iodine intake in lactating women is low, there is increased partitioning of iodine into breast milk. For this reason, maternal UIC alone may not reflect iodine status, and BMIC should also be measured to assess iodine status in lactating women. Our data suggest a BMIC reference range (2.5th and 97.5th percentiles) of 60–465 μg/kg in exclusively breastfeeding women. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02196337.
From: Dold, S., Zimmermann, M. B., Aboussad, A., Cherkaoui, M., Jia, Q., Jukic, T., Kusic, Z., Quirino, A., Sang, Z., San Luis, T. O., Vandea, E., Andersson, M. http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/short/147/4/528?rss=1
Short-Term Subclinical Zinc Deficiency in Weaned Piglets Affects Cardiac Redox Metabolism and Zinc Concentration [Nutrient Physiology, Metabolism, and Nutrient-Nutrient Interactions]
Background: Subclinical zinc deficiency (SZD) represents the common zinc malnutrition phenotype. However, its association with oxidative stress is not well understood. The heart muscle may be a promising target for studying early changes in redox metabolism.
Objective: We investigated the effects of short-term SZD on cardiac redox metabolism in weaned piglets.
Methods: Forty-eight weaned German Large White x Landrace x Piétrain piglets (50% castrated males and 50% females; body weight of 8.5 kg) were fed diets with different zinc concentrations for 8 d. Measurements included cardiac parameters of antioxidative capacity, stress-associated gene expression, and tissue zinc status. Analyses comprised (linear, broken-line) regression models and Pearson correlation coefficients.
Results: Glutathione and α-tocopherol concentrations as well as catalase, glutathione reductase, B-cell lymphoma 2–associated X protein, and caspase 9 gene expression plateaued in response to reduction in dietary zinc from 88.0 to 57.6, 36.0, 36.5, 41.3, 55.3, and 33.8 mg/kg, respectively (P < 0.0001). Further reduction in dietary zinc promoted a linear decrease of glutathione and α-tocopherol (30 and 0.6 nmol/mg dietary Zn, respectively; P < 0.05) and a linear increase of gene expression [0.02, 0.01, 0.003, and 0.02 Log10(2–Ct)/mg dietary Zn, respectively; P < 0.05)]. Tissue zinc declined linearly with reduction in dietary zinc (0.21 mg tissue Zn/mg dietary Zn; P = 0.004) from 88.0 to 42.7 mg/kg (P < 0.0001), below which it linearly increased inversely to further reduction in dietary zinc (0.57 mg tissue Zn/mg dietary Zn; P = 0.006). H2O2-detoxification activity and metallothionein 1A gene expression decreased linearly with reduction in dietary zinc from 88.0 to 28.1 mg/kg [0.02 mU and 0.008 Log10(2–Ct)/mg dietary Zn, respectively; P < 0.05]. Fas cell-surface death receptor, etoposide-induced 2.4 and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A gene expression correlated positively to cardiac zinc in piglets fed ≤42.7 mg Zn/kg (r ≥ 0.97; P < 0.05).
Conclusions: Short-term SZD decreased cardiac antioxidative capacity of weaned piglets while simultaneously increasing stress-associated gene expression and zinc concentration. This is the first report to our knowledge on the effects of SZD on redox metabolism.
From: Brugger, D., Windisch, W. M. http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/short/147/4/521?rss=1
Flu shot saves children's lives, study shows
About three-quarters of American children and teens who died of flu in recent years had not received flu shots
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/flu-shot-unvaccinated-kids-die-influenza-study/
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/flu-shot-unvaccinated-kids-die-influenza-study/
Infectious Diseases A-Z: HPV vaccination guidelines to prevent cervical cancer
From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8Ov3sAKrrA
Mayo Clinic Minute: Treating eosinophilic esophagitis with special diet
From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6coOc7sgvA
Most U.S. Kids Who Die From Flu Are Unvaccinated
Researchers estimate about two-thirds of pediatric deaths could be prevented by flu shot
From: http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/news/20170403/most-us-kids-who-die-from-flu-are-unvaccinated?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Breast Cancer 'Immunotherapy' Helps Some
A minority of women with 'triple-negative' tumors responded to Tecentriq, but they responded well
From: http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/news/20170403/breast-cancer-immunotherapy-helps-some-with-tough-to-treat-disease?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Mom's Vaccine Protects Babies From Whooping Cough
Benefit is dramatic for newborns who are too young to be vaccinated, researchers say
From: http://www.webmd.com/baby/news/20170403/vaccinating-pregnant-moms-protects-babies-from-whooping-cough?src=RSS_PUBLIC
FDA: Some EpiPens recalled
The manufacturer of EpiPen and EpiPen Jr is voluntarily recalling 13 lots of the device used to treat severe allergic reactions because they may contain a defective part, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said March 31.
From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/april/fda-some-epipens-recalled
From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/april/fda-some-epipens-recalled
Personalized therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS)
From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/multiple-sclerosis/in-depth/personalized-therapy-for-multiple-sclerosis/art-20095758
Sleepless Nights, Unhealthy Hearts?
Chronic wakefulness might leave its mark on cardiovascular system, study suggests
From: http://www.webmd.com/heart/news/20170331/sleepless-nights-unhealthy-hearts?src=RSS_PUBLIC
If you have low back pain try these steps first
Low back pain, the scourge of mankind: it is the second leading cause of disability here in the United States, and the fourth worldwide. It’s also one of the top five medical problems for which people see doctors. Almost every day that I see patients, I see someone with back pain. It’s one of the top reasons for lost wages due to missed work, as well as for healthcare dollars spent, hence, a very expensive problem.
Looking at two kinds of back pain
Let’s talk about the most common forms of back pain: acute (which lasts less than four weeks) and subacute (which lasts four to 12 weeks). Most of these cases (approximately 85%) are due to harmless causes. We lump them into the “mechanical back pain” diagnosis, which includes muscle spasm, ligament strain, and arthritis. A handful (3% to 4%) will be due to potentially more serious causes such as herniated discs (“bulging” discs), spondylolisthesis (“slipped” discs), a compression fracture of the vertebra due to osteoporosis (collapsed bone due to bone thinning), or spinal stenosis (squeezing of the spinal cord due to arthritis). Rarely, less than 1% of the time, we will see pain due to inflammation (such as ankylosing spondylitis), cancer (usually metastases), or infection.
When someone with acute low back pain comes into the office, my main job is to rule out one of these potentially more serious conditions through my interview and exam. It is only when we suspect a cause other than “mechanical” that we will then order imaging or labs, and then things can go in a different direction.
But most of the time, we’re dealing with a relatively benign and yet really painful, disabling, and expensive condition. How do we treat this? The sheer number of treatments is dizzying, but truly effective treatment options are few.
Analyzing a range of treatments for low back pain
The American College of Physicians (ACP), the second-largest physician group in the U.S., recently updated guidelines for the management of low back pain. Its physician researchers combed through hundreds of published studies of non-interventional treatments of back pain, and analyzed the data. Treatments included medicines such as acetaminophen, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen and naproxen), opioids (such as oxycodone), muscle relaxants, benzodiazepines (such as lorazepam and diazepam), antidepressants (like fluoxetine or nortriptyline), anti-seizure medications (like Neurontin), and systemic corticosteroids (like prednisone). The analysis also included studies on non-drug treatments including acupuncture, mindfulness-based stress reduction, tai chi, yoga, motor control exercise (working the muscles that support and control the spine), progressive relaxation, biofeedback, low-level laser therapy, behavior based therapies, or spinal manipulation for low back pain.
That’s a lot of therapies!
Researchers were interested in studies that measured the effectiveness (usually measured as pain relief and physical functioning) as well as the harms of all these therapies.
Drugs are not part of the latest recommendations for treating “mechanical” back pain
What the researchers found was surprising: for acute and subacute low back pain, the best and safest treatments are not medicines. The ACP made the following strong recommendation:
Most patients with acute or subacute low back pain improve over time regardless of treatment and can avoid potentially harmful and costly treatments and tests. First-line therapy should include nondrug therapy, such as superficial heat, massage, acupuncture, or spinal manipulation. When nondrug therapy fails, consider NSAIDs or skeletal muscle relaxants.
Because most mechanical back pain improves no matter what, we don’t want to prescribe treatment that can cause harm. Because some medications carry significant risks, we really shouldn’t be recommending these right off the bat. Rather, we should be providing guidance on heating pad or hot water bottle use, and recommendations or referrals to acupuncturists, massage therapists, and chiropractors. These therapies were somewhat effective, and are very unlikely to cause harm.
Even the nonprescription pain relievers are not risk free
Medicines like ibuprofen and naproxen can be helpful, but they can cause stomach inflammation and ulcers, as well as possible bleeding, and even kidney damage, especially in the elderly. Muscle relaxants can be sedating, and can interact with other common medications. Benzodiazepines and opiates not only can cause sedation, making it hard to think clearly and function normally, they are also addictive. Basically, for acute and subacute low back pain, the risks of these medications outweigh the benefits. Other medications, like acetaminophen, steroids, antidepressants, and anti-seizure medications, were not significantly helpful for acute and subacute low back pain at all.
Here’s what the study couldn’t tell us
The study was missing a few potentially helpful low-risk medicines. Topicals such as the lidocaine patch or capsaicin ointment were not included, which is a shame, as these can provide relief for some people, and carry little risk. I would also be interested to know if over-the-counter topical therapies containing menthol and camphor are better than placebo for low back pain. Suggestions for the future research, and the next update!
I plan to write about chronic low back pain (and chronic pain in general) in a future post, because there was a guideline update for that specific issue as well.
References
Global, regional, and national disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for 315 diseases and injuries and healthy life expectancy (HALE), 1990–2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015, The Lancet, October 2016.
Hing E, Rui P, Palso K. National Ambulatory Care Medical Survey 2013: State and National Summary Tables.
Primary Care Office Insight at the Massachusetts General Hospital: Authors: Angela M. Freniere, MD and Shana Birnbaum, MD. MGH Primary Care Operations Improvement. Specialty Reviewer: Steven J. Atlas, MD, MPH.
Atlas SJ, Deyo RA. Evaluating and managing acute low back pain in the primary care setting. Journal of General Internal Medicine, February 2001.
Atlas SJ, Nardin RA. Evaluation and treatment of low back pain: an evidence-based approach to clinical care. Muscle & Nerve. January13, 2003.
Chou R, Deyo R, Friedly J, et al. Noninvasive Treatments for Low Back Pain [Internet]. Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US), 2016.
Qaseem, A, Wilt, T, McLean, R, Forciea, MA, for the Clinical Guidelines Committee of the American College of Physicians, Noninvasive Treatments for Acute, Subacute, and Chronic Low Back Pain: A Clinical Practice Guideline From the American College of Physicians. Annals of Internal Medicine, February 14, 2017.
The post If you have low back pain try these steps first appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.
From: Monique Tello, MD, MPH http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/low-back-pain-try-steps-first-2017040311411
Researchers Strive to Help Paralyzed Man Make Strides - Mayo Clinic
From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn9bi8rzulA
ADA unveils Find-a-Dentist online search tool for patients
Land at the top of an online search for dentists in your area by completing your Find-a-Dentist profile.
From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/april/ada-unveils-find-a-dentist-online-search-tool-for-patients
From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/april/ada-unveils-find-a-dentist-online-search-tool-for-patients
Dentist triumphs in making movies
Dr. Jim Kreutzer remembers the first movie he helped produce. It was a low-budget, mid-1990s horror film called "Fever Lake" starring Corey Haim and Mario Lopez, shot in southeast Wisconsin, where Dr. Kreutzer practices as an endodontist.
From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/april/dentist-triumphs-in-making-movies
From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/april/dentist-triumphs-in-making-movies
Just the Facts — April 3, 2017
Average first-year tuition
From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/april/just-the-facts-april-3-2017
From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/april/just-the-facts-april-3-2017
Why consumer groups are filing a petition to the FDA over hair dyes
Popular men’s cosmetic products are raising concerns over a potentially harmful ingredient
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/lead-acetate-hair-dye-mens-us-consumer-groups-file-petition-to-fda/
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/lead-acetate-hair-dye-mens-us-consumer-groups-file-petition-to-fda/
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