04/05/17

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

56-year-old master fencer sets example by out-working opponents

Kristin Vines, 56, is a four-time USA fencing champion who still competes and coaches her Baylor School team in Tennessee. As part of the "Living Stronger" series, Don Dahler reports on how she is setting an example for all of us.

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/56-year-old-master-fencer-sets-example-by-out-working-opponents/

Sex abuse could accelerate puberty in girls

Abuse casts a shadow over health and well-being long past childhood, and now researchers are seeing an impact you might not expect

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/sexual-abuse-accelerates-puberty-girls/

"Extreme You": Are you living up to your potential?

In her new book, Flywheel CEO Sarah Robb O’Hagan is offering advice on how to tap into your successes and failures

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/extreme-you-live-up-to-your-potential-sarah-robb-ohagan-flywheel-ceo/

Southwestern chicken and pasta

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/recipes/southwestern-chicken-and-pasta/rcp-20049823

Ratatouille with roasted tomato vinaigrette

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/recipes/ratatouille-with-roasted-tomato-vinaigrette/rcp-20049870

Chicken salad with Thai flavors

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/recipes/chicken-salad-with-thai-flavors/rcp-20049869

End of life: Caring for a dying loved one

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/end-of-life/in-depth/cancer/art-20047600

Southwestern chicken and pasta

From: http://www.mayoclinic.com/healthy-lifestyle/recipes/southwestern-chicken-and-pasta/rcp-20049823

Could taking antibiotics raise colon cancer risk?

Drugs that alter gut bacteria might set stage for polyp development, researcher says

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/prolonged-antibiotic-use-linked-to-colon-cancer-precursor/

Retiring with robots? Older folks to get high-tech help

Researchers are working on robots that can monitor and care for the elderly

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/retiring-with-robots-how-your-folks-will-get-high-tech-help/

6-year-old dancer loses part of leg to rare infection

The devastating turn came after a case of strep throat and flu led to a serious infection

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/tessa-puma-kindergartner-loses-leg-after-strep-throat-flu-lead-to-infection/

Good Sleep Does Get Tougher With Age

Review suggests many seniors struggle to get deep, restorative slumber, adding to health problems

From: http://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/news/20170405/good-sleep-does-get-tougher-with-age?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Pink Shares Body-Positive Message About BMI on Instagram

The singer's "gym selfie" highlights the problem with using the classic measure of a person's health based on their weight.

From: http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/pinks-body-positive-message-about-bmi?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Ratatouille with roasted tomato vinaigrette

From: http://www.mayoclinic.com/healthy-lifestyle/recipes/ratatouille-with-roasted-tomato-vinaigrette/rcp-20049870

Chicken salad with Thai flavors

From: http://www.mayoclinic.com/healthy-lifestyle/recipes/chicken-salad-with-thai-flavors/rcp-20049869

End of life: Caring for a dying loved one

From: http://www.mayoclinic.com/healthy-lifestyle/end-of-life/in-depth/cancer/art-20047600

Young girl loses leg after strep infection

A community is rallying around a 6-year-old girl in Ohio who lost her leg after a bout of strep throat led to a life-threatening infection. Tessa Puma's dance instructor describes her as a phenom while young dancers from the Center Stage Dance Studio in Northfield sent out well wishes to the girl.

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/young-girl-loses-leg-after-strep-infection/

Women's Wellness: Do I still need birth control?

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLo70dLYujs

Prolonged Antibiotic Use Tied to Colon Polyps

Drugs that alter gut bacteria might set stage for polyp development, researcher says

From: http://www.webmd.com/colorectal-cancer/news/20170404/prolonged-antibiotic-use-tied-to-precancerous-colon-growths?src=RSS_PUBLIC

H. pylori, a true stomach “bug”: Who should doctors test and treat?

In 1982, two Australian scientists discovered that a certain bacterium, Helicobacter pylori, was a common cause of persistent stomach inflammation and stomach ulcers. This realization revolutionized ulcer treatment.

While fairly common, this infection usually causes no symptoms, but it can sometimes lead to ulcers in the stomach or the very first part of the small intestine (duodenum), and to certain types of stomach cancer. There is also evidence linking H. pylori infection to other conditions like iron-deficiency anemia and vitamin B₁₂ deficiency. The bacteria are thought to spread through contaminated water, vomit, or feces. Most infections are acquired in childhood and often within families, especially in developing countries.

Should everyone be tested for H. pylori?

No, not everyone. You should be tested if you have ongoing dyspepsia (discomfort or pain in the upper abdomen) or if you have an associated condition like peptic ulcers or stomach cancer. Testing for H. pylori is not needed for typical symptoms of acid reflux (heartburn).

In a recent guideline update, the American College of Gastroenterology also suggests H. pylori testing if you are on long-term aspirin therapy or starting long-term NSAID therapy (e.g., ibuprofen, naproxen) to help reduce the risk of developing ulcers and gastrointestinal bleeding. A Chinese study showed that patients with a history of bleeding ulcers and H. pylori infection who were also on low-dose aspirin were less likely to experience a recurrence of stomach bleeding when the infection was treated. Studies on patients taking NSAIDs have had mixed results. An analysis of the combined results of several of these studies showed that treating H. pylori infection reduced the number of ulcers in patients starting NSAID therapy, but not for patients already taking these medications. It’s important to keep in mind that these studies don’t provide the most definitive data. We don’t know that testing everyone taking aspirin or NSAIDs long-term is cost-effective, so it’s best to talk with your doctor. Together you can determine your personal risk of ulcer bleeding against the cost and inconvenience of testing and risks of taking antibiotics.

Testing for H. pylori

The H. pylori infection can be detected by submitting a stool sample (stool antigen test) or by using a device to measure breath samples after swallowing a urea pill (urea breath test). For both of these tests to be reliable, it is important to stop taking acid-reducing medications called proton pump inhibitors (like Prilosec, Nexium, Protonix) for two weeks, and to avoid any bismuth products (like Pepto-Bismol) or antibiotics for four weeks before the test. Blood tests (serology or antibody test) are no longer recommended for most people because there are more false positives (abnormal test result when you may not have the infection), and this blood test can’t help tell whether you’ve had the infection in the past or have a current active infection. If you have specific risk factors for stomach cancer, your doctor may recommend starting with an upper endoscopy. For this test, a flexible tube with a camera is passed through the mouth and into the digestive tract. During an endoscopy the doctor can take tissue samples (biopsies) if necessary, as well as do H. pylori testing.

Treating H. pylori

Treatment for H. pylori infection is challenging. It usually involves taking a combination of three or four medications multiple times a day for 14 days. And rising antibiotic resistance has made it increasingly difficult to cure the infection. The treatment is roughly 80% effective in getting rid of the infection, but the cure rate depends on picking the right combination of medications, taking them correctly, and finishing the full course of treatment. Your doctor will factor in what the antibiotic resistance pattern is like in your region, as well as any drug allergies you might have and other medications you take, to avoid a drug interaction. Another important consideration is what antibiotics you have taken in the past for other infections. It is best to avoid ones you have already used often, as it is more likely the H. pylori will be resistant to these.

Most experts recommend testing four or more weeks after treatment ends to confirm the infection is cured. If it isn’t, this means trying another therapy with a different combination of antibiotics. After one or more treatment failures, it may be time to have an endoscopy to obtain a culture and identify exactly which antibiotics will kill the bacteria.

If you have a condition associated with H. pylori infection or are at risk for stomach ulcers, talk to your doctor about whether testing is right for you. Testing correctly is important to reliably diagnose the infection and avoid unnecessary treatment.

The post H. pylori, a true stomach “bug”: Who should doctors test and treat? appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Wynne Armand, MD http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/h-pylori-a-true-stomach-bug-who-should-doctors-test-and-treat-2017040511328

WHO alarmed by use of highly toxic chemicals as weapons in Syria

WHO is alarmed by serious reports of the use of highly toxic chemicals in an attack in Khan Shaykhun, southern rural Idleb, Syria.

From: http://www.who.int/entity/mediacentre/news/statements/2017/toxic-chemicals-syria/en/index.html

Mayo Clinic Minute: Why second opinions are good for patients

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eC8vMEc2OX4

Cell therapy for GI motility disorders: comparison of cell sources and proposed steps for treating Hirschsprung disease

Cell therapeutic approaches to treat a range of congenital and degenerative neuropathies are under intense investigation. There have been recent significant advancements in the development of cell therapy to treat disorders of the enteric nervous system (ENS), enteric neuropathies. These advances include the efficient generation of enteric neural progenitors from pluripotent stem cells and the rescue of a Hirschsprung disease model mouse following their transplantation into the bowel. Furthermore, a recent study provides evidence of functional innervation of the bowel muscle by neurons derived from transplanted ENS-derived neural progenitors. This mini-review discusses these recent findings, compares endogenous ENS-derived progenitors and pluripotent stem cell-derived progenitors as a cell source for therapy, and proposes the key steps for cell therapy to treat Hirschsprung disease.

From: Stamp, L. A. http://ajpgi.physiology.org/cgi/content/abstract/312/4/G348?rss=1

Corrigendum

From: http://ajpgi.physiology.org/cgi/content/full/312/4/G405?rss=1

Nitric oxide regulates homeoprotein OTX1 and OTX2 expression in the rat myenteric plexus after intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury

Synergy of glucagon-like peptide-2 and epidermal growth factor coadministration on intestinal adaptation in neonatal piglets with short bowel syndrome

Glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) treatment enhance intestinal adaptation. To determine whether these growth factors exert synergistic effects on intestinal growth and function, GLP-2 and EGF-containing media (EGF-cm) were administered, alone and in combination, in neonatal piglet models of short bowel syndrome (SBS). Neonatal Landrace-Large White piglets were block randomized to 75% midintestinal [jejunoileal (JI) group] or distal intestinal [jejunocolic (JC) group] resection or sham control, with 7-day infusion of saline (control), intravenous human GLP-2 (11 nmol·kg^–1·day^–1) alone, enteral EGF-cm (80 μg·kg^–1·day^–1) alone, or GLP-2 and EGF-cm in combination. Adaptation was assessed by intestinal length, histopathology, Üssing chamber analysis, and real-time quantitative PCR of intestinal growth factors. Combined EGF-cm and GLP-2 treatment increased intestinal length in all three surgical models (P < 0.01). EGF-cm alone selectively increased bowel weight per length and jejunal villus height in the JI group only. The JC group demonstrated increased intestinal weight and villus height (P < 0.01) when given either GLP-2 alone or in combination with EGF-cm, with no effect of EGF-cm alone. Jejunal permeability of mannitol and polyethylene glycol decreased with combination therapy in both SBS groups (P < 0.05). No difference was observed in fat absorption or body weight gain. IGF-1 mRNA was differentially expressed in JI vs. JC piglets with treatment. Combined treatment with GLP-2 and EGF-cm induced intestinal lengthening and decreased permeability, in addition to the trophic effects of GLP-2 alone. Our findings demonstrate the benefits of novel combination GLP-2 and EGF treatment for neonatal SBS, especially in the JC model representing most human infants with SBS.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) are intestinotrophic, with demonstrated benefit in both animal models and human studies of short bowel syndrome (SBS). The current research shows that over and above known trophic effects, the combination of GLP-2 and EGF synergistically lengthens the bowel in neonatal piglet models of SBS. Most notable benefit occurred with resection of the terminal ileum, the common clinical anatomy seen in neonatal SBS and associated with least de novo lengthening postsurgery.

From: Lim, D. W., Levesque, C. L., Vine, D. F., Muto, M., Koepke, J. R., Nation, P. N., Wizzard, P. R., Li, J., Bigam, D. L., Brubaker, P. L., Turner, J. M., Wales, P. W. http://ajpgi.physiology.org/cgi/content/abstract/312/4/G390?rss=1

Involvement of gut microbiota in association between GLP-1/GLP-1 receptor expression and gastrointestinal motility

The microbiota in the gut is known to play a pivotal role in host physiology by interacting with the immune and neuroendocrine systems in gastrointestinal (GI) tissues. Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), a gut hormone, is involved in metabolism as well as GI motility. We examined how gut microbiota affects the link between GLP-1/GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) expression and motility of the GI tract. Germ-free (GF) mice (6 wk old) were orally administered a fecal bacterial suspension prepared from specific pathogen-free (SPF) mice, and then after fecal transplantation (FT) GI tissues were obtained from the GF mice at various time points. The expression of GLP-1 and its receptor was examined by immunohistochemistry, and gastrointestinal transit time (GITT) was measured by administration of carmine red solution. GLP-1 was expressed in endocrine cells in the colonic mucosa, and GLP-1R was expressed in myenteric neural cells throughout the GI wall. GLP-1R-positive cells throughout the GI wall were significantly fewer in GF mice with FT than in GF mice without gut microbiota reconstitution. GITT was significantly shorter in GF mice with FT than in control GF mice without FT and correlated with the number of GLP-1R-positive cells throughout the GI wall. GITT was significantly longer in GF control mice than in SPF mice. When those mice were treated with GLP-1 agonist extendin4, GITT was significantly longer in the GF mice. The gut microbiota may accelerate or at least modify GI motility while suppressing GLP-1R expression in myenteric neural cells throughout the GI tract.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY The gut microbiota has been intensively studied, because it plays a pivotal role in various aspects of host physiology. On the other hand, glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) plays important roles in metabolism as well as gastrointestinal motility. In the present study, we have suggested that the gut microbiota accelerates gastrointestinal motility while suppressing the expression of GLP-1 receptor in myenteric neural cells throughout the gastrointestinal tract. We believe that this article is very timely and suggestive work.

From: Yang, M., Fukui, H., Eda, H., Xu, X., Kitayama, Y., Hara, K., Kodani, M., Tomita, T., Oshima, T., Watari, J., Miwa, H. http://ajpgi.physiology.org/cgi/content/abstract/312/4/G367?rss=1