04/18/18

Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Americans waste tons of healthy food each day

New research finds Americans waste nearly a pound of food per person each day. And the healthier the diet, the more waste there is likely to be. CBS News' Meg Oliver reports.

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/americans-waste-tons-of-healthy-food-each-day/

Does Pot Really Dull a Teen's Brain?

Further, intellectual effects that do crop up from frequent pot use appear to wear off soon after a teenager stops partaking, researchers report.

From: https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/news/20180418/does-pot-really-dull-a-teens-brain?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Mayo Clinic Minute: Why cleaning too often could be bad for your health

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtXURaBVCt8

How to Assess and Manage Stroke Risk in Atrial Fibrillation

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVF0Z4y0wzs

Noninvasive Imaging for Suspected CAD: Which Test When?

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

U.S. cities with the worst air pollution

A look at the metro areas with the most health-damaging air pollution, according to a report from the American Lung Association

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/air-pollution-worst-us-cities-2018/

Dentists flood Capitol Hill

In a conference room that used to be President Harry S. Truman's office on Capitol Hill, seven dentists and two dental students from Missouri filled a meeting table. Sitting in what's now the office of Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., the dentists and students were among more than 1,100 to participate in ADA Dentist and Student Lobby Day in April, which culminated in hundreds of meetings on Capitol Hill between dentists and legislators.

From: By Michelle Manchir
https://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2018-archive/april/dentists-flood-capitol-hill

Mayo Clinic Minute: The difference between micronutrients and macronutrients

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Wr1N1nazZ4

Cuando elegir salud significa renunciar a otros elementos esenciales como alimentos y educación

From: World Health Organization https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuHdfZzuJ9w

Отказаться от питания и образования в пользу здоровья

From: World Health Organization https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6bvNgb9DIc

Nearly half of Americans breathe dirty air, report finds

Health researchers say the high number has a lot to do with the effects of global warming

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/nearly-half-of-americans-breathe-dirty-air-report-finds/

Cryotherapy: Can it stop your pain cold?

Follow me on Twitter @RobShmerling

Let’s say you’ve started working out at the gym and you’re wondering what you can do for your aching muscles. How does this sound? Put on a pair of gloves, shoes, socks, and a protective headband to cover your ears and face — but wear little else. Then step into a cold room for three to four minutes. By “cold” I mean really cold: between −100° C and −140° C (which is −148° F to −220° F)!

If that sounds good to you (really?), you may already be using whole body cryotherapy (WBC). And if it sounds terrible to you (or just strange), perhaps you haven’t heard of this increasingly popular “treatment” for sports injuries and a host of other conditions. It’s become even more popular in recent years as celebrities and professional athletes have embraced it. (I’m going to resist the temptation to namedrop here… okay, just a few: Justin Timberlake, Jennifer Aniston, and LeBron James reportedly engage in WBC. If you feel compelled, you can Google “cryotherapy celebrities” to find out about others).

The idea comes from the simple observation that applying ice or other types of cryotherapy (cold treatment) can provide pain relief for inflamed, injured, or overused muscles. Another version of cryotherapy is to soak a sore area (such as an arm or leg) or the entire body in cold water (called cold water immersion, or CWI).

The claimed benefit of whole body cryotherapy

According to websites promoting whole body cryotherapy, it may be recommended for “anyone who wants to improve their health and appearance” — which by my estimation would be just about everyone — as well as for

recovering from a painful sports injury
a chronically painful condition such as rheumatoid arthritis
athletes who want to improve their performance
weight loss
improved mood or reduced anxiety.

And the list goes on. However, the escalating claims of benefit and rising popularity led the FDA to warn consumers recently that, “If you decide to try WBC, know that the FDA has not cleared or approved any of these devices for medical treatment of any specific medical conditions.”

Does whole body cryotherapy actually work?

Good question! One website offering WBC services recommended that customers perform their own search of the medical literature. That doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. Another provided links to dozens of studies that varied so much it was hard to know what to make of them. For example, the temperatures of the cold chambers varied, as did the duration and number of treatments across studies. Some assessed elite athletes or active adults who were generally young and fit, but still others enrolled people with chronic illnesses, such as rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. And then there’s the question of how to define success. Each study had its own way of assessing the response to treatment.

A recent review of the evidence found that WBC

may lower skin or muscle temperatures to a similar (or lesser) degree as other forms of cryotherapy (such as applying ice packs)
may reduce soreness in the short term and accelerate the perception of recovery after certain activities, though this did not consistently lead to improved function or performance
could be helpful for “adhesive capsulitis” (frozen shoulder), a condition marked by severe loss of shoulder motion that may complicate certain injuries; there are no long-term studies of WBC for this problem
did not alter the amount of muscle damage (as reflected by blood tests) after intense exercise.

What are the downsides of whole body cryotherapy?

While whole body cryotherapy is generally considered safe and few problems have been reported with its use, some people are advised to avoid WBC because it may worsen conditions such as

poorly controlled high blood pressure
major heart or lung disease
poor circulation (especially if made worse by exposure to cold)
allergy symptoms triggered by cold
neuropathy (nerve disease) in the legs or feet.

Local irritations, including skin burns, have been reported, although these should be avoidable with proper preparation.

Perhaps the biggest downside is cost. While first visits may be offered at a discount, a single session may run $20 to $80, and a course of treatment can cost several hundred dollars (and is not typically covered by health insurance in the US).

The bottom line on whole body cryotherapy

From the available evidence, it’s hard to know if whole body cryotherapy reliably prevents or treats any particular condition, or if it speeds recovery or improves athletic performance. And even if it did, there’s little proof that it’s more helpful than much less expensive cryotherapy options, such as simply applying ice to a sore area.

My guess is that the lack of convincing evidence that WBC works is unlikely to diminish its popularity. As long as people are convinced it’s helping (and as long as they can afford it), WBC is here to stay… at least until the next “big thing.”

The post Cryotherapy: Can it stop your pain cold? appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Robert H. Shmerling, MD https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/can-cryotherapy-stop-your-pain-cold-or-is-just-a-lot-of-hot-air-2018041813612

New Therapy May Prevent Tough-to-Treat Migraines

Researchers found that the injected drug, called erenumab, could prevent migraines if other treatments fail to do so.

From: https://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/news/20180417/new-therapy-may-prevent-tough-to-treat-migraines?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Skin Sensor Could Track Alcoholics' Booze Intake

Routine monitoring of people in addiction treatment programs is a challenge. The most common way to check patients' blood alcohol levels is a breathalyzer, but the devices are bulky, not that accurate, and require patient initiation.

From: https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/news/20180417/skin-sensor-could-track-alcoholics-booze-intake?src=RSS_PUBLIC

BP Meds Tied to Pancreatic Cancer Risk in Women

In a large study of postmenopausal women, those who had ever taken a short-acting calcium channel blocker (CCB) saw their pancreatic cancer risk shoot up by 66 percent.

From: https://www.webmd.com/cancer/pancreatic-cancer/news/20180417/bp-meds-tied-to-pancreatic-cancer-risk-in-women?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Ketamine Spray May Help Stop Depression, Suicide

Ketamine has a checkered history, and is perhaps best known as the recreational club drug "Special K." But researchers have also noted its effects in easing signs of depression.

From: https://www.webmd.com/depression/news/20180417/ketamine-spray-may-help-stop-depression-suicide?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Pope adds voice to fight over terminally ill toddler

British courts have ruled 23-month-old Alfie Evans should be taken off life support, but his parents want him flown to Italy

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/alfie-evans-update-pope-francis-meets-parents-terminally-ill-british-child/

选择健康意味着放弃食物和教育等其它必需品

From: World Health Organization https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsOfgqBVvD4

ADA book offers guidance for treating opioid users and safe prescribing

The ADA Practical Guide to Substance Use Disorders and Safe Prescribing helps dental practitioners identify and treat patients with drug addiction, prevent drug diversion and properly manage and prescribe controlled substances.

From: https://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2018-archive/april/ada-book-offers-guidance-for-treating-opioid-users-and-safe-prescribing

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