04/04/17

Some older adults stay sharp into their 80s, 90s and beyond; new research may show why

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/brain-scans-reveal-mental-secret-of-super-agers/

Alarming rate of birth defects in U.S. cases of Zika

A new report confirms "indisputable evidence that Zika has a great capacity to cause birth defects, especially in the first trimester”

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/birth-defects-strike-1-in-10-us-pregnancies-affected-by-zika/

High Thyroid Hormone Levels and Stiffer Arteries

Measuring these levels might help identify people at risk of heart disease, researcher says

From: http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20170404/high-thyroid-hormone-levels-tied-to-stiffer-arteries?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Birth Defects Strike 1 in 10 Zika Pregnancies

CDC report also says too few babies are tested for the virus

From: http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/news/20170404/birth-defects-strike-1-in-10-us-pregnancies-affected-by-zika?src=RSS_PUBLIC

White House, Lawmakers Revisit Health Care Bill

Proposal would make it tougher for people with pre-existing medical problems, reports say

From: http://www.webmd.com/health-insurance/news/20170404/white-house-gop-lawmakers-revisit-health-care-bill?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Study Links Celiac Disease, Anorexia

Chances of being diagnosed with eating disorder were higher in those with gluten intolerance

From: http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/celiac-disease/news/20170404/study-links-celiac-disease-anorexia?src=RSS_PUBLIC

What's the 'SuperAgers' Mental Secret?

Some folks stay sharp into their 80s, 90s, and brain scans may show why

From: http://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/news/20170404/whats-the-superagers-mental-secret?src=RSS_PUBLIC

ADA, ADA Foundation scientists present research

ADA and ADA Foundation scientists and researchers presented original scientific abstracts and other works March 22-25 during the 95th General Session & Exhibition of the International Association for Dental Research.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/april/ada-ada-foundation-scientists-present-research

Southwestern wraps

From: http://www.mayoclinic.com/healthy-lifestyle/recipes/southwestern-wraps/rcp-20049825

Spicy red cabbage

From: http://www.mayoclinic.com/healthy-lifestyle/recipes/spicy-red-cabbage/rcp-20049827

Spinach-stuffed sole

From: http://www.mayoclinic.com/healthy-lifestyle/recipes/spinachstuffed-sole/rcp-20049829

Smoke and flames not the only risks to firefighters

Exposure to high heat and physical exertion may increase risk of heart attacks, a new study finds

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/firefighters-face-increased-risk-of-heart-attack/

Mom shares pregnancy warning sign that could mean danger for baby

“If you’re pregnant and you’re itching REALLY bad, don’t ignore it!"

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/mom-shares-pregnancy-warning-sign-that-could-mean-danger-for-baby/

VA responds after report highlights suicide hotline problems

VA inspector general found that nearly a third of calls to the Veterans Crisis Line as recently as November were bounced to backup centers run by an outside contractor

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/veterans-affairs-defends-suicide-hotline-against-watchdog/

Warm chocolate souffles

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/recipes/warm-chocolate-souffles/rcp-20049626

Spicy red cabbage

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/recipes/spicy-red-cabbage/rcp-20049827

Southwestern wraps

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/recipes/southwestern-wraps/rcp-20049825

Spinach dip with mushrooms

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/recipes/spinach-dip-with-mushrooms/rcp-20049828

Spinach-stuffed sole

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/recipes/spinachstuffed-sole/rcp-20049829

Warm coleslaw with honey dressing

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/recipes/warm-coleslaw-with-honey-dressing/rcp-20049627

Getting a second opinion could save your life

New research reveals second opinions can lead to quicker access to lifesaving care and prevent unnecessary treatments

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/getting-a-second-opinion-from-a-doctor-could-save-your-life/

For injured vets, smart tech is key to quality of life

An innovative branch of the Veterans Affairs department works to find the right connected tech for disabled veterans and service members

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/for-injured-vets-smart-tech-is-crucial-to-quality-of-life/

Ryan addresses new GOP health care plan

The White House presented a new health care plan to conservatives and moderates Monday -- Ryan says GOP is at "concept" stage right now

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/paul-ryan-addresses-new-gop-health-care-plan/

SkinSAFE

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

Is a New Sepsis Treatment on the Horizon?

Sepsis is a killer. A new study suggests a common vitamin could stop it

From: http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/news/20170404/sepsis-treatments?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Mayo Clinic Minute: Blood-based lung cancer test shows promise

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pX84ikzBOrA

WHO: Let’s talk about depression – focus on older people

From: World Health Organization http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXZZcdFXTtY

WHO: Let’s talk about depression - focus on women with young babies

From: World Health Organization http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FxFU_xfAzQ

WHO: Let’s talk about depression – focus on adolescents and young adults

From: World Health Organization http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yv_dvG_2VLI

Warm coleslaw with honey dressing

From: http://www.mayoclinic.com/healthy-lifestyle/recipes/warm-coleslaw-with-honey-dressing/rcp-20049627

Southwestern wraps

From: http://www.mayoclinic.com/healthy-lifestyle/recipes/southwestern-wraps/rcp-20049825

Spicy red cabbage

From: http://www.mayoclinic.com/healthy-lifestyle/recipes/spicy-red-cabbage/rcp-20049827

Spinach-stuffed sole

From: http://www.mayoclinic.com/healthy-lifestyle/recipes/spinachstuffed-sole/rcp-20049829

Spinach dip with mushrooms

From: http://www.mayoclinic.com/healthy-lifestyle/recipes/spinach-dip-with-mushrooms/rcp-20049828

Warm chocolate souffles

From: http://www.mayoclinic.com/healthy-lifestyle/recipes/warm-chocolate-souffles/rcp-20049626

Drug Offers Some Hope for a Deadly Lung Cancer

Immunotherapy may triple 5-year survival rate for certain patients with advanced disease, study finds

From: http://www.webmd.com/lung-cancer/news/20170404/drug-offers-some-hope-for-a-deadly-lung-cancer?src=RSS_PUBLIC

The flu shot saves children’s lives

Follow me on Twitter @drClaire

Of the 358 children who died from influenza between 2010 and 2014, only 26% had been vaccinated against it, according to a study just released in the journal Pediatrics.

That means 74%, or three out of four of them, had not. And maybe if they had been vaccinated, they’d be alive right now.

Of all the vaccines I give as a pediatrician, the flu shot is the one that families refuse most. Parents don’t think they need it. They don’t think it works. They think it is dangerous. This frustrates me, because none of these reasons for refusing the flu shot are true.

Influenza can be a dangerous disease. Every year, it kills thousands of people. The 358 above is the number of children who died of what was proven to be influenza by testing; but testing isn’t always done, so the number is likely much higher. And many people die of complications of influenza, such as bacterial pneumonia — or, for people who have chronic conditions, the stress on their body of influenza leads to fatal problems from their condition. For this reason, it’s extremely difficult to know how many people influenza kills each year. But millions of people catch it, and hundreds of thousands end up hospitalized. While many people are just miserable with fever and cough for a few days, for some people it is far more serious.

Of those 358 children in the study, 153 had conditions that put them at higher risk of getting sicker from the flu. That means that more than 200 were healthy children. That’s the thing: being healthy doesn’t mean you will be fine if you get the flu. Again and again, parents tell me that their children don’t need it because they are healthy. Again and again, I try to explain that being healthy isn’t enough to keep you safe.

It’s certainly true that the flu shot doesn’t always work. As the study pointed out, 26% of those children who died had been vaccinated. On average, the flu vaccine is about 50-60% effective. Parents say to me sometimes: why bother, if it might not work? My answer is: why not get it, if it might work?

The only reason not to would be if it were risky, but the scientific truth is that the influenza vaccine is quite safe. It’s certainly possible that your arm can be sore, or that you could get a fever; according to data from the World Health Organization, “local reactions” such as redness or soreness can happen up to 50% of the time. Fevers happen in 12% of children under five who get the vaccine, and in 5% of older children. While uncomfortable, these are brief and manageable side effects.

But serious reactions, such as severe allergic reactions, Guillain-Barre syndrome, or oculorespiratory syndrome, are extremely rare — only a few people in every million who get the vaccine will experience them. Of these, a severe allergic reaction is the only one that has a significant chance of being deadly — and those reactions happen less than once in every million doses.

While we are still seeing cases of flu, the season is winding down; soon we will stop giving the flu shot again until the end of summer or early fall. I hope that parents who have refused the flu shot in the past will take the time to learn more and talk to their doctor; I hope that when fall comes they won’t miss a chance to help keep their child healthy — and alive.

The post The flu shot saves children’s lives appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Claire McCarthy, MD http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-flu-shot-saves-childrens-lives-2017040411542

Spinach dip with mushrooms

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/recipes/spinach-dip-with-mushrooms/rcp-20049828

Warm chocolate souffles

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/recipes/warm-chocolate-souffles/rcp-20049626

Warm coleslaw with honey dressing

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/recipes/warm-coleslaw-with-honey-dressing/rcp-20049627

Spinach-stuffed sole

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/recipes/spinachstuffed-sole/rcp-20049829

Spicy red cabbage

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/recipes/spicy-red-cabbage/rcp-20049827

Southwestern wraps

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/recipes/southwestern-wraps/rcp-20049825

Can Low-Dose Aspirin Lower Cancer Death Risk?

Large U.S. study points to the drug's potential tumor-fighting abilities

From: http://www.webmd.com/cancer/news/20170403/can-daily-low-dose-aspirin-lower-cancer-death-risk?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Race Plays Role in Health, Even at Normal Weight

For example, study found higher risk in Hispanics and people of South Asian descent who weren't overweight

From: http://www.webmd.com/diabetes/news/20170403/race-plays-role-in-heart-diabetes-risk-even-at-normal-weight?src=RSS_PUBLIC

As Weight Goes Up, So Does Death Risk

Heart disease, cancer, other illnesses start to take a toll, study says

From: http://www.webmd.com/diet/obesity/news/20170403/as-weight-goes-up-so-does-death-risk?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Getting a second opinion from a doctor could be a lifesaver

A second opinion from a doctor could give you a second chance at survival. A new study found that only 12 percent of patients seeking a second opinion at the Mayo Clinic got confirmation of their original diagnosis, and 21 percent received a "distinctly different" one. The gap could cause unnecessary procedures, more invasive treatments or even death. Dr. David Agus joins "CBS This Morning" to discuss the findings.

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/getting-a-second-opinion-from-a-doctor-could-be-a-lifesaver/