Scientists ramp up efforts to improve "antiquated" flu vaccines

"We've been using this technology of inactivated virus that you grow in chicken eggs since the 1940s," the head of vaccine research at the NIH says

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/scientists-ramp-up-efforts-to-improve-antiquated-flu-vaccines/

Selfies distort faces like a "funhouse mirror," study finds

Plastic surgeon warns that when you take a selfie, you're essentially "looking into a portable funhouse mirror" that distorts your features

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/selfies-distort-faces-30-percent-like-funhouse-mirror-study-finds/

Mayo Clinic CV Grand Rounds – The Fontan Operation: Unanticipated Consequences

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

Mayo Clinic CV Grand Rounds – Can Anything Prevent the Momentum of the LVAD Revolution?

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3dEPjDxenU

Isaac Garcia's Story – Bone Cancer Care at Mayo Clinic

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

Lasers, Freezes: Fat Reducers Gaining Popularity

The annual report from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) finds big jumps in the popularity of noninvasive "body shaping" techniques -- everything from ultrasound to radio waves, infrared light, injected medications and vacuum-massage treatments.

From: https://www.webmd.com/beauty/news/20180301/lasers-freezes-fat-reducers-gaining-popularity?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Big Outdoor Temp Swings Tied to Heart Attack Risk

The risk of heart attack seems to increase by about 5 percent for every 9 degrees Fahrenheit of temperature swing on a given day, the study findings showed.

From: https://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20180301/big-outdoor-temp-swings-tied-to-heart-attack-risk?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Guns and mental illness: How do you judge who shouldn't get weapons?

A psychiatry professor says there are no easy answers when it comes to mental illness and gun violence

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/guns-and-mental-illness-how-do-you-judge-who-shouldnt-get-weapons/

Hall of fame quarterback Jim Kelly announces his cancer is back

The former Buffalo Bills star got the diagnosis just a few weeks after his 58th birthday

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/jim-kelly-quarterback-oral-cancer-buffalo-bills/

Adult Congenital Heart Disease: A Comprehensive Approach to a Complex Problem

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLOS1kH77LY

Adult Congenital Heart Disease: Arrhythmia Management in Ebstein’s Anomaly

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pf5UsN6RT_4

Hope and Hazards for Patients After Fontan Procedure

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPozG89OvYc

HVAD Lateral Trial Results – Mayo Clinic

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GefK3aMSzsY

Adult Congenital Heart Disease: The Fontan Patient - Role of Anticoagulation

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsXJkSJSD30

Teen told he likely had flu really had stage 4 cancer

What started as a fever, aches, and a cough turned into a devastating diagnosis for one family

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/teen-told-he-likely-had-the-flu-really-had-stage-4-cancer/

Does IBD increase my risk for colorectal cancer? - Dr. David Etzioni

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvvrykW8n6I

How do I know if I'm getting a high-quality colonscopy? - Dr. Michael Wallace

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hc-yG5L_cQE

Does exercise lower my risk of developing colorectal cancer? - Dr. Victoria Gomez

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Czz6xWWN64Q

How do stool tests for colorectal cancer work? - Dr. Michael Picco

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izPS_5X3Cm8

What is the best screening test for colorectal cancer? - Dr. John Kisiel

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcO2xGaWEKk

What should I do if I have polyps in my colon? - Dr. Michael Wallace

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

Who gets colon cancer? - Dr. John Kisiel

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCMz2Evnk5w

Can I prevent colorectal cancer? - Dr. John Kisiel

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

What is the Colorectal Cancer Expert Q&A series? - Dr. Paul J. Limburg

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nI2DuG3HZIQ

How does my medical history affect my colorectal cancer risk? - Dr. Jewel Samadder

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fD2ErfqD2DA

What are the scope tests for colorectal cancer screening? - Dr. Jonathan Leighton

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4YpzFpeTFE

Is there a blood test for colorectal cancer? - Dr. Brian Lacy

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

Is immunotherapy an option for people with colorectal cancer? - Dr. Pashtoon Kasi

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDljF8XpLV0

Which is better? An aspirin a day, or an apple a day? - Dr. Paul J. Limburg

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzH5_Ybfno8

What do the stages of colorectal cancer mean? - Dr. Kabir Mody

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9Po6iJKLL0

Knowing when to screen… and when to quit

Follow me on Twitter @RobShmerling

Let us sing the praises of good medical screening tests.

These are the tests that can detect medical problems before they become untreatable, and before they cause complications or even death. Even better are those screening tests that detect “predisease” — abnormalities that aren’t dangerous on their own but can lead to problems later.

According to the US Preventive Services Task Force, relatively few screening tests are considered good enough to routinely recommend for adults, including

• mammography for breast cancer (women)
• Pap smear for cervical cancer (women)
• bone density testing for osteoporosis — every two to four years if at least age 65 (women)
• colonoscopy — starting at age 50 and repeating every 10 years until age 75.

And blood tests for

• hepatitis C for all adults born between 1945 and 1965
• HIV for adolescents and adults ages 15 to 65 years and all pregnant women
• lipid screening for all adolescents and adults ages 15 to 65 years.

Many of these tests are recommended in younger adults or if risk factors for disease are present. For example, screening tests for osteoporosis may be recommended for a woman younger than age 65 if she takes medications (such as corticosteroids) linked to osteoporosis.

Other tests are offered for more select groups. For example, there are recommendations to test the urine of women for infection during early pregnancy, and to screen adults for diabetes if they are overweight or obese.

When to stop?

Many of these tests have no specific “end date.” Yet, as people reach advanced ages, it’s worth asking how useful it is to perform a screening test that’s been tested and validated on much younger individuals. And we know that it may be many years before the benefits of some tests are realized. So, for a person with a limited life span, it may make little sense to continue such tests.

One example is bone mineral density tests for osteoporosis. In a pivotal trial, the reduction in fractures only appeared about 2 years after starting treatment and may take many more years to reach full effect. For patients with a limited life expectancy, there may not be enough time to have any real benefit from continued screening. Similar logic applies to mammograms and blood tests for prostate cancer screening.

A new study

A recent study examines this issue for colonoscopy. Currently, the US Preventive Services Task Force recommends stopping at age 75. For older ages, “selective” testing may be considered for what is likely to be a small benefit.

But, isn’t it possible adults older than age 75 derive benefit from colonoscopies? After all, a colonoscopy is somewhat unique among available screening tests. Not only can a colonoscopy detect early colorectal cancer while still curable, but it can also detect polyps and remove them during the procedure before they have a chance to develop into cancer.

Researchers analyzed data from more than 1.3 million people ages 70 to 79 and compared how well colonoscopy delivered on its promise to detect colon cancer over a period of eight years. These findings were compared with rates of colon cancer diagnosed in people who did not have colonoscopy. The study found that

• For those aged 70 to 74 who had colonoscopies, the eight-year risk of colorectal cancer was 2.2%; in those who had no colonoscopy, the rate was 2.6%.
• For those aged 75 to 79 who had colonoscopies, the eight-year risk of colorectal cancer was 2.8%, and about 3% in those who did not have colonoscopy.
• The risks of colonoscopy were low. Fewer than six out of 1,000 people had any significant side effect in the 70 to 74 age group, and about one in 100 in the older group.

As I review these findings, I think there are at least two ways to interpret them: 1) colonoscopy is helpful at detecting colorectal cancer in elderly people, but the effect is quite small; and, 2) this study supports the recommendation to stop performing routine screening colonoscopies in the elderly, though it’s unclear whether the “stop time” should be age 70, 75, or some other age.

What’s your situation?

If you’re 70 or older, this new study about colonoscopy may be of particular interest to you. For younger people, the benefits of colonoscopy are clearer — this includes healthy people at average risk, as well as those with risk factors for colon cancer. Those include people with a prior history of colon cancer or certain types of colonic polyps (called adenomas), a strong family history of colon cancer, and inflammatory bowel disease. Complications of colonoscopy (such as bowel perforation) are rare, but they are more common in the elderly. The prep alone can take a toll on older individuals, especially if they are already frail or ill.

Look for new and better screening tests for colon cancer and other diseases. This is an active area of research and it’s likely the list of recommended screening tests will change in the future. Even before the official recommendations change, however, it makes sense to consider foregoing screening tests that may cause more harm than good.

The post Knowing when to screen… and when to quit appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Robert H. Shmerling, MD https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/knowing-screen-quit-2018030113305

Daily Aspirin Has Heart Benefits, But Risks Too

The study found the daily pill can reduce the risk for heart failure-related hospitalization and death in people who have both conditions.  However, it also found that a daily aspirin raises their risk for nonfatal heart attack and stroke.

From: https://www.webmd.com/heart/news/20180301/daily-aspirin-has-heart-benefits-but-risks-too?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Skip CPAP? Apnea Patients May Return To Hospital

The study involved 345 patients with severe sleep apnea who had been hospitalized at a VA medical center  any time from 2007 to 2015. Most were men over age 62.

From: https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/sleep-apnea/news/20180301/skip-cpap-apnea-patients-may-return-to-hospital?src=RSS_PUBLIC

U.S. Gun Injuries Dip During NRA Conventions

Researchers found that between 2007 and 2015, U.S. firearm injuries declined by 20 percent during NRA conventions, compared to the weeks before and after the meeting.

From: https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/news/20180228/us-gun-injuries-dip-during-nra-conventions?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Cutting Out Gluten May Help Some Battle Nerve Pain

The research showed that a gluten-free diet may help reduce nerve pain in some people with gluten sensitivity.

From: https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/news/20180228/cutting-out-gluten-may-help-some-battle-nerve-pain?src=RSS_PUBLIC

FDA panel aims to finalize next year's flu vaccine

An FDA panel is expected to finalize next year's flu vaccine during a meeting Thursday. This will give manufacturers the six to nine months they need to prepare more than 150 million doses to fight the flu. Dr. Tara Narula reports.

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/fda-panel-aims-to-finalize-next-years-flu-vaccine/

Amid grim flu season, scientists work to find "holy grail" vaccine

Manufactures will have six to nine months to prepare more than 150 million doses to fight the flu

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/flu-fda-panel-vaccine/