01/08/18

Monday, January 8, 2018

Flu season could get worse, experts warn

This winter's flu season might get worse because of an imperfect vaccine and steady cold weather, flu experts and public health officials said this week.

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/flu-season-could-get-worse-experts-warn/

Tough flu season could get worse

Flu season is off to a nasty start across the country, resulting in a spike in hospital visits. CBS News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook explains why it's been hard to get under control.

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/tough-flu-season-could-get-worse/

Agriculture and Rural Prosperity Task Force

From: USDA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bWEUlFvURM

Brutal flu season could get even worse

The CDC says the number of flu cases is up sharply, with high activity reported in 26 states

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/hospitals-grapple-with-brutal-flu-season-that-could-get-even-worse/

Goop promotes a $135 coffee enema, but beware

Gwyneth Paltrow's lifestyle website Goop suggests you to "supercharge your detox" with a coffee enema. Here's why you shouldn't

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/goop-promotes-135-coffee-enema-health-warning/

Mayo Clinic Minute: 'fab 5' exercises to get you moving

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0_QWyAelWI

Cataract surgery may help women live longer, study suggests

By correcting vision trouble, the surgery may also help women in other ways

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/cataract-surgery-older-women-lower-risk-of-death/

Hepatitis A may have spread at Utah 7-Eleven

Health officials say customers who visited the store between December 26 and January 3 should get a preventative injection

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/possible-hepatitis-a-exposure-at-utah-7-eleven/

Kids' Eye Injuries From BB, Paintball Guns Spike

The rise in these air gun-related injuries occurred even though the overall eye injury rate among kids dropped slightly, his team noted.

From: https://www.webmd.com/children/news/20180108/kids-eye-injuries-from-bb-paintball-guns-spike?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Night Shifts May Raise Women's Odds for Cancer

Women who pull the night shift regularly might be at greater risk for a number of cancers, new research suggests.

From: https://www.webmd.com/cancer/news/20180108/night-shifts-may-raise-womens-odds-for-cancer?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Older and Out of Shape? You Can Save Your Heart

People in their 50s and early 60s can regain the heart health of someone decades younger through a regular and reasonable aerobic exercise program, no matter how long they've been inactive, the study authors said.

From: https://www.webmd.com/heart/news/20180108/older-and-out-of-shape-you-can-save-your-heart?src=RSS_PUBLIC

WHO Director-General: invest in health to end plague in Madagascar

The Director-General of WHO has outlined his vision for a Madagascar free of plague epidemics during a three-day visit to the island nation that started on 7 January 2018.

"Madagascar can make plague epidemics a thing of the past through strategic investments in its health system – including better access to healthcare, improving preparedness, surveillance and response capabilities, and implementing the International Health Regulations," said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

From: http://www.who.int/entity/mediacentre/news/releases/2017/end-plague-madagascar/en/index.html

Apple Investors Press for Parental Controls on iPhones

Apple also needs to explore potential mental health effects of smartphone overuse, says a letter sent to the technology giant this weekend by Jana Partners LLC and the California State Teachers' Retirement System (Calstrs).

From: https://www.webmd.com/children/news/20180108/apple-investors-seek-parental-controls-on-iphones?src=RSS_PUBLIC

How has Stephen Hawking lived so long with ALS?

The renowned physicist has reached an age far beyond what doctors expected he was diagnosed more than 50 years ago

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/stephen-hawking-turns-76-how-has-he-lived-so-long-with-als/

Weight-Loss Surgery Good for Obese Teens' Hearts

For the study, researchers tracked 242 adolescents for three years after they had weight-loss surgery.

From: https://www.webmd.com/diet/obesity/news/20180108/weight-loss-surgery-good-for-obese-teens-hearts?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Flu Shots Help Keep Seniors Out of the Hospital

New research shows that for older adults, faithfully getting the vaccine each year greatly reduces the odds of catching a flu so severe that it lands you in the hospital.

From: https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/news/20180108/flu-shots-help-keep-seniors-out-of-the-hospital?src=RSS_PUBLIC

For Poorer Americans, Stress Brings Worse Health

In the United States, illnesses and injuries associated with stress are estimated to cost more than $300 billion annually. This includes losses from absenteeism, employee turnover and lost productivity as well as direct legal, medical and insurance fees, the report authors explained.

From: https://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/news/20180108/for-poorer-americans-stress-brings-worse-health?src=RSS_PUBLIC

How color, sound and smell can change the taste of food

How food tastes is not just determined by its ingredients. At a research kitchen in London, a psychology professor and a top chef are trying to see how big of a role perception plays. Mark Phillips did some taste testing to see how sound and smell can actually change the flavor.

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/how-color-sound-and-smell-can-change-the-taste-of-food/

Mayo Clinic Men’s Health Minute: Penile implant pump

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcQgJB3kbO0

Mayo Clinic Men’s Health Minute: Penile implant overview

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f65tU0ptVJ0

Woman dies of flesh-eating bacteria from oysters

A Texas woman died after going crabbing and eating raw oysters while visiting family and friends on the coast of Louisiana

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/woman-dies-after-contracting-flesh-eating-bacteria-from-oysters/

Mayo Clinic Minute: What causes kidney stones?

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko_1x1WzCso

Mayo Clinic Minute: Emotional barriers to working out

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96hnvXSIgD8

ADA continues opposing medical device tax, awaits IRS guidance

Washington — The ADA continues to advocate for Congress to repeal the excise tax on medical devices.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2018-archive/january/ada-continues-opposing-medical-device-tax-awaits-irs-guidance

Mayo Clinic Minute: Exercise might be key to slowing cognitive impairment

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d59qbivavoc

Another option for life-threatening allergic reactions

For some people, many foods, medicines, and bee stings mean life-threatening allergic reactions that require immediate treatment with injectable epinephrine. For many people, January means the start of a new drug deductible to be met. In June 2017 the FDA approved a new form of emergency epinephrine called Symjepi, which may be good news for people who must be prepared in the event of a life-threatening allergic reaction.

The seriousness of a severe allergic reaction

Severe allergic reactions affect anywhere from 5% to 70% of persons, depending on age and prior exposure. Anaphylactic or “type 1” (immediate hypersensitivity) reactions are the most severe forms of allergic reaction to a substance: insect venom, foods, or some drugs. People who have had prior exposure to an allergic substance are “sensitized” and when they are re-exposed, can have a reaction within seconds to minutes. Anaphylactic reactions are caused by the release of histamine and other chemicals throughout the body, resulting in leaky blood vessels that contribute to swelling of tissues in the mouth and airway and very low blood pressure. These symptoms can lead to difficulty swallowing and speaking, wheezing and severe shortness of breath, and death.

Treating severe allergic reactions

The treatment for severe allergic reactions is the administration of epinephrine (adrenaline) at the first sign of symptoms. Epinephrine is one of the chemicals in the body that raises blood pressure and heart rate. Epinephrine can be administered through an IV in the hospital, but since the 1980s, epinephrine has been available as a pre-filled syringe that can be obtained with a prescription and immediately injected into the thigh muscle when severe allergic symptoms are recognized.

The prevalence of severe allergies has been increasing since 2000. Anaphylaxis to some external chemical or allergen occurs in 2% of the population, and it is estimated that approximately 500 people die from anaphylactic reactions per year in the US. Because of this, more and more people need to have epinephrine available wherever they are (home, school, when traveling). So it is no surprise that the manufacture and marketing of pre-filled epinephrine syringes has been big news in the last two years.

Keeping epinephrine at the ready

Spring-loaded autoinjectors that contain epinephrine have been manufactured by several companies since 1987. In the last 30 years, changes in pharmaceutical companies and patent transfers resulted in a near-monopoly in the production of pre-filled epinephrine products. From 2009 to 2016, one company with a 90% market share dramatically increased the consumer cost for epinephrine injectors, resulting in an investigation and eventual settlement with the US Department of Justice.

Although not a spring-loaded autoinjector, Symjepi consists of two single-dose, pre-filled syringes of epinephrine, for the emergency treatment of anaphylactic and severe allergic reactions in adults. Each pre-filled syringe contains 0.3 mg epinephrine, the recommended initial dose for emergency treatment of anaphylaxis.

At an anticipated lower cost and small size, Symjepi could be an attractive addition to this slice of the pharmaceutical world. In November 2017, the company also submitted a second new drug application to the FDA for a junior version (0.15 mg dose for children between 33 and 65 pounds).

Given the growing prevalence of life-threatening allergies, a new, lower-cost alternative should place the availability of this potentially life-saving drug within greater reach.

The post Another option for life-threatening allergic reactions appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Susan Farrell, MD https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/another-option-for-life-threatening-allergic-reactions-2018010813052

Cataract surgery in older women may reduce risk of death, study shows

New study reveals a longer life might be an unexpected benefit of cataract surgery, the most frequently performed operation in the U.S. A large study of women links the eye procedure to a 60 percent lower risk of dying from all causes. Dr. Christopher Starr, an ophthalmologist at Weill Cornell Medical Center, joins "CBS This Morning" to discuss the findings.

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/cataract-surgery-in-older-women-may-reduce-risk-of-death-study-shows/

Known internationally as ‘T. Bob’, Dr. Davis receives 2018 ADA Humanitarian Award

In recognition of more than four decades of service, which includes a continuing commitment to Latin America and his community in Texas, the ADA has selected Dr. Thomas Bobby Davis as the 2018 ADA Humanitarian Award recipient.

From: By David Burger http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2018-archive/january/2018-ada-humanitarian-award-recipient-known-internationally-as-t-bob

Addressing a 'critical human need': Community comes together to open dental clinic for uninsured

The demand for dental care was clear to Onslow Memorial Hospital before it appeared on the radar of Onslow Community Outreach, a nonprofit based in Jacksonville that oversees the dental clinic, in addition to a shelter, soup kitchen, Christmas program and medical clinic.

From: By Michelle Manchir
http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2018-archive/january/addressing-a-critical-human-need-community-comes-together-to-open-dental-clinic-for-uninsured

'Breaking new ground' in standards development

A guide that spells out a standard and interoperable way to send periodontal claims electronically is now in circulation due in large part to the ADA's involvement in its development.

From: By Michelle Manchir
http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2018-archive/january/breaking-new-ground-in-standards-development

Dental students prove their mettle with first cadaver

The first-year dental students at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry are excited. Prior to today, many, if not all, have never seen a human cadaver.

From: By Jennifer Garvin
http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2018-archive/january/dental-students-prove-their-mettle-with-first-cadaver20180104t153743

Health and Nutrition News, Latest Headlines Source