10 governors, including Republicans, come out against Obamacare "skinny repeal"

Ohio's John Kasich and Nevada's Brian Sandoval among group of governors urging Senate to reject proposal

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/10-governors-including-republicans-against-obamacare-skinny-repeal-health-care/

Kids’ viral video helps their mom get new kidney

The video went viral, and months later their mom received a life-saving transplant

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/kids-viral-video-helps-their-mom-get-new-kidney/

Angelina Jolie's Bell’s palsy diagnosis sparks questions

The actress opened up about her health struggles in the latest issue of Vanity Fair

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/angelina-jolie-bells-palsy-diagnosis/

Mayo Clinic Minute: Treating male hair loss

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98nrCj5Tnw8

Obamacare repeal bill fails in Senate vote

Republicans needed a simple majority, 51 votes, rather than a supermajority to pass it because they were using the budget reconciliation process

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/obamacare-repeal-bill-fails-in-senate-vote/

When is it time to get bariatric surgery?

New research looks at the impact of starting weight on how well bariatric surgery patients fare a year later

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/bariatric-surgery-weight-loss-obesity-results/

Robotic Device May Help Kids With Cerebral Palsy

Those with condition known as 'crouch gait' had better posture and balance after 15 training sessions

From: http://www.webmd.com/children/news/20170726/robotic-device-may-kids-with-cerebral-palsy?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Wellness Wednesday: Hold a lunge

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYboQcvR-UM

Don't Wait to Add Lbs Before Weight-Loss Surgery

Best results seen for those with pre-op BMI of less than 40, study says

From: http://www.webmd.com/diet/obesity/news/20170726/dont-wait-to-add-lbs-before-weight-loss-surgery?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Can Suicide Tries Spread Among Soldiers?

Increased risk seen within Army unit if another member had tried to take own life in previous year

From: http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/news/20170726/can-suicide-tries-spread-among-soldiers?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Sick baby's parents face decision over where he should die

Judge says he will decide where Charlie Gard goes unless parents, hospital reach agreement

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/charlie-gard-parents-urged-make-end-of-life-plan-great-ormond-street-hospital/

Dr. Agus on football brain study: "This is a major issue"

In a conversation on "CBS This Morning," Dr. David Agus spoke about the concern of CTE affecting football players of all ages.

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/dr-agus-football-brain-study-cte/

Making Mayo's Recipes: Baked Brie Envelopes

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiOx5zN_ICw

Widow of slain cop gives birth to their daughter 31 months after his death

The widow of slain New York City Detective Wenjian Liu gives birth to their child more than two years after his death

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/widow-of-slain-nypd-detective-wenjian-liu-gives-birth-to-their-daughter/

"Thrilling": Scientists build DNA from scratch to alter life's blueprint

The work is part of a controversial pursuit aimed at creating custom-made DNA codes to be inserted into living cells to change how they function, or even provide a treatment for diseases

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/scientists-build-dna-from-scratch-to-alter-lifes-blueprint/

Sperm counts continue to plummet, study finds

The continued decline raises concerns about male fertility, and also male health in general, researchers say

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/sperm-counts-continue-to-plummet-in-western-nations-study/

Nanomedicine and Extracellular Vesicles Lab

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1VtQhIvBHU

Can probiotics help treat depression and anxiety?

There is a lot of interest right now in the human microbiome (the populations of bacteria that live in various parts of the body, including the intestine, skin, and lungs). We now know that there are approximately 10 times as many bacterial cells as human cells in the body. The vast majority of these bacterial cells are in the intestinal tract, and they serve many purposes, including digesting foods, manufacturing certain vitamins (for example, vitamin K), and regulating our immune system. Researchers are actively studying whether changes in intestinal bacteria can increase the risk of chronic illnesses, such as obesity or inflammatory bowel disease.

Is the way to your brain through your stomach?

Interest is also developing in the so-called “brain-gut axis.” It has been theorized that changes in intestinal bacteria may play a role in neuropsychiatric conditions such as anxiety or depression. The intestine has its own separate nervous system, and generates many of the same neurotransmitters (including acetylcholine and serotonin) that the brain generates. These neurotransmitters are very important in promoting gut motility, and too much or too little of them may result in constipation or diarrhea. Similarly, we believe that the brain and the gut can talk to each other. Therefore, it is possible that anxiety and depression may trigger abdominal pain or other GI symptoms. It is also possible that gastrointestinal conditions such as chronic abdominal pain or constipation might also result in anxiety or depression.

Can probiotics treat chronic conditions (physical and mental)?

If, in theory, bacteria have a role in these chronic conditions, perhaps changing the intestinal bacteria by adding probiotics (“good bacteria”) might help treat chronic illnesses. Probiotics have been utilized widely in countries like China and Japan for decades, primarily in the form of fermented milk. In addition, there are a number of animal studies that suggest probiotics may be helpful for conditions like diarrhea or colitis. Unfortunately, probiotics have not yet been shown to treat much human disease.

A recent article in Annals of General Psychiatry reviewed the currently available medical literature on using probiotics to treat anxiety and depression. The doctors identified 10 studies that were well done (in other words blinded and placebo-controlled), and looked at each study in depth. All of these studies had relatively small numbers of patients, ranging as from as few as 42 to as many as 124. The results of these studies were mixed; some suggested that there may be mild benefits of taking probiotics if you have anxiety or depression while other studies showed no benefit. Overall, the authors concluded “the clinical effects of probiotics on mental health have yet to be studied comprehensively.”

The bottom line

While it is tempting to hope that probiotics may be used to treat anxiety or depression, at this point there are no compelling data that suggest a true benefit. Since most probiotics are relatively safe, taking them for this reason probably falls into the “doesn’t hurt, and might help” category. However, probiotics are probably not a substitute for standard care such as cognitive behavioral therapy, or FDA-approved drugs to treat depression or anxiety. More research as needed in the future, that should try to identify which strains of bacteria are the most effective and the best dose of bacteria to take to treat these conditions.

The post Can probiotics help treat depression and anxiety? appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Athos Bousvaros, MD http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/can-probiotics-help-treat-depression-anxiety-2017072612085

World-class athlete takes unconventional approach to help drug addicts

By putting people's hearts under extreme pressure, Ryan Burke believes he can retrain their brains

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/athlete-develops-unconventional-program-to-treat-opioid-addiction-outdoors/

Teen Suicide: “The Time for Secrecy Is Over”

As growing numbers of young people take their lives, public officials and mental health experts say teachers and parents need to talk about suicide to help with prevention.

From: http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/news/20170725/teen-suicide-time-for-secrecy-is-over?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Wyatt Decker, M.D.: Vice President - Mayo Clinic

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koAVJdjzKYo

HIV Treatment Protects Healthy Partner From Virus

Study of gay couples duplicates findings of earlier research

From: http://www.webmd.com/hiv-aids/news/20170725/hiv-treatment-protects-healthy-partner-from-virus?src=RSS_PUBLIC

$100 Sweetens the Pot for a Colonoscopy

Study found those who were offered cash to get cancer screening were twice as likely to do so

From: http://www.webmd.com/colorectal-cancer/news/20170725/100-sweetens-the-pot-for-a-colonoscopy?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Dr. Agus on new football brain study: "This is a major issue"

The largest study of brain trauma in football players reveals the risks to players of all ages. Researchers at Boston University examined the brains of 111 deceased NFL players. They found signs of the disease CTE in 110 players. Families of the former players donated the brains after they suspected injuries. Dr. David Agus joins "CBS This Morning" from Los Angeles to talk about results of the study, athletes' potential to sustain head injuries and how to prevent CTE.

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/dr-agus-on-new-football-brain-study-this-is-a-major-issue/

Statement by UNICEF Executive Director, Anthony Lake, WFP Executive Director, David Beasley and WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, following their joint visit to Yemen

Statement by UNICEF Executive Director, Anthony Lake, WFP Executive Director, David Beasley and WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, following their joint visit to Yemen

From: http://www.who.int/entity/mediacentre/news/statements/2017/joint-visit-yemen/en/index.html