Previous Medical News
2010/05/15
1. Walgreen to hold off selling genetic test kits: Concerns raised by FDA (AP, 5/12/10)
Pathway Genomics states its Insight test could evaluate a propensity for developing medical conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, diabetes and obesity; the likelihood of parenting a baby with cystic fibrosis, Tay-Sachs disease and other genetic disorders; and the possible reaction to caffeine, cholesterol-lowering drugs, blood thinners and other medications. An FDA stated on 5/10/10 that the test required the agency's authorization because it involved consumers collecting their own DNA. Company officials disputed that, saying the test was exempt from FDA oversight because the testing was being done at its own lab.
2. Research finds new genes that play role in Alzheimer's (Journal of the American Medical Association, 5/12/10)
One in five people aged 65 or older will develop Alzheimer's over the remainder of their lifetime. Certain genetic variations are believed to play a key role in the development of Alzheimer's, which is more likely to affect people who have a family history of the disease. Researchers have identified two new genes that may play a role in the development of Alzheimer's disease and could help unravel new treatments.
3. Scientists find new gene links to breast cancer (Nature Genetics, 5/9/10)
British scientists have found five common genetic factors linked to the risk of developing breast cancer, giving researchers a better understanding of its causes and clues for developing more treatments. Family history is a well-established risk factor. Having a close relative with breast cancer approximately doubles a woman's risk for the disease.
4. Population health a key factor in Medicare cost differences: Study May Refute Theory That Physician Supply Boosts Healthcare Spending (New England Journal of Medicine, 5/13/10)
Population health plays a larger role in geographic differences in Medicare spending than previously thought. Geographic differences in Medicare spending are not necessarily evidence of inefficiency in healthcare.
5. US cancer costs double in nearly 20 years (Cancer, 5/10)
The cost of treating cancer in the United States nearly doubled over the past two decades, but expensive cancer drugs may not be the main reason why. The rising costs were mainly driven by the growing number of cancer patients as the population ages.
6. Joe Biden's 41 year son has stroke (AP, 5/11/10)
41 year old Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, was admitted to a Philadelphia hospital after suffering a mild stroke. An estimated 10 to 15 percent of strokes -- most of them ischemic or due to blood clots, rather than hemorrhaging -- occur in those under 45.
7. Barbara Walters' Heart Surgery (Multiple Sources)
80 year old Barbara Walters will undergo aortic valve replacement surgery to repair a valve that has become “tighter and smaller.”
8. New mutant genes linked to rheumatoid arthritis (Nature Genetics, 5/10/10)
There are seven new clusters of defective genes which may be responsible for rheumatoid arthritis.
9. Air Pollution Increases Heart Attack, Stroke Risk (Circulation, 6/1/10)
Short- and long-term exposure to air pollution directly increases the likelihood of heart attack, stroke, or other cardiovascular problems. The new recommendations were released by the American Heart Association (AHA) and singled out fine particulate matter as a cardiovascular risk factor. Fine particulate matter becomes suspended in the air as a result of various human activities, including burning fossil fuels, cooking, and other indoor activities. Forest fires and biomass burning can also result in increased concentrations of fine particulate matter in the air. Of the different sizes of particles that can become suspended in air, fine particulate matter appears to be most strongly associated with adverse effects.
10. Prostate cancer therapies all affect quality of life (Journal of Urology, 6/10)
The various forms of prostate cancer treatment -- from surgery to radiation to hormones -- can all have long-term effects on men's quality of life when it comes to sexual function and urinary problems.
11. Pre-term births fall in U.S. (National Center for Health Statistics, 5/11/10)
The U.S. rate of pre-term births has fallen for the second year in a row. The findings are good news, as babies born too early and too small are sicker and more likely to die than babies born after a full 39 weeks of gestation. Pre-term birth is birth before 37 weeks gestation. A major cause of pre-term birth is multiple pregnancy -- twins, triplets and especially larger groups such as quadruplets are much more likely to be delivered early and to have health problems. Poor prenatal care, poor nutrition and other factors also play a role.
12. Celiac Disease May Trigger Serious Complications (American Gastroenterological Association, 5/14/10)
Celiac disease causes the body's immune system to prevent the small intestine from working properly, denying the body needed nutrients. This can lead to a number of potential complications. Among them:
- Greater risk of anemia or malnutrition.
- "Refractory" celiac disease, which causes symptoms to persist despite a gluten-free diet.
- Short stature in children, or osteoporosis.
- Greater risk of lymphoma or intestinal cancer.
- Some people with celiac have other autoimmune disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid disease or type 1 diabetes.
13. Caffeine Reduces on-the-Job Mistakes (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 5/10)
A Cup of Coffee Can Help Shift Workers Improve Performance, and Cut Down on Errors. Shift and nighttime workers appear to make fewer mistakes on the job when they consume caffeine, such as a cup of coffee.
14. Want to Feel Better? Just Call Your Mom: Talking to Mom by Phone May Relieve a Daughter's Stress (Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 5/12/10)
For daughters in search of a calming influence, hearing the soothing sound of their mother's voice over the phone can prompt as much hormone-induced stress relief as an actual hug.
15. Genital wart virus may raise men's risk of HIV (Journal of Infectious Diseases, 6/1/10)
Men who carry the virus that causes genital warts may be at increased risk of HIV infection. These findings raise the possibility that vaccination against the virus, known as the human papillomavirus (HPV), could help curb the world's HIV pandemic.
16. Does Perfume Have Hidden Health Risks? (Not So Sexy: The Health Risks of Secret Chemicals in Fragrance," The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, 5/12/10)
According to this report, fragrance labels aren’t telling you everything that’s in it. Some chemicals found in fragrances may be hazardous to your health yet makers of popular colognes, perfumes, and body sprays often don't disclose all the ingredients found in their products. Some chemicals have been linked to allergic reactions or hormone disruption but industry officials say products are safe.
17. Internet Use Makes Us Happier (Chartered Institute of IT (known as BCS), 5/12/10)
Spending time on the Web could actually be making you happy.
18. Peanut Allergy Cases Triple in 10 Years (Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 5/10)
More than 3 million Americans now have some kind of nut allergy, with cases of peanut allergy in children more than tripling between 1997 and 2008. Why allergies are on the rise? One idea for the cause called the hygiene hypothesis believes we’re too clean. Squeaky-clean living and the use of medications to prevent and quickly treat infections leaves the immune system under-stimulated. This "bored" immune system then goes and attacks harmless proteins like those in foods, pollens and animal dander. Other theories include the timing of introduction of the food and how the food is prepared.
19. Restless Legs Syndrome Can Have Family Ties (Archives of Neurology, 5/10)
Siblings and family members of people who have restless legs syndrome are also more likely to suffer from the condition.
20. Botox May Actually Cause Extra Wrinkles (The Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 5/10/10)
Botox injection may actually cause extra wrinkles. Muscle groups that have not been injected with Botox will still find a way to make expressions, leading to more lines.
21. Sleeping Pill May Treat Fibromyalgia Pain: Xyrem (Annual Meeting of the American Pain Society, 5/12/10)
The powerful sleeping pill Xyrem can help relieve the hallmark symptom of pain in people with fibromyalgia. Xyrem also helped reduce fatigue, stiffness, and other symptoms. The most common side effects among people taking Xyrem were headache (15% and 23% of patients in the low- and high-dose groups, respectively), nausea (14% and 21%), and dizziness (13% and 17%). There are three drugs approved in the U.S. for the treatment of fibromyalgia: Lyrica, Cymbalta, and Savella. None of them works in the same way as Xyrem.
22. Working Overtime Increases Risk Of Heart Disease (European Heart Journal, 5/10)
People who work a lot of overtime are at increased risk of developing heart disease. The study of 6,000 British civil servants, shows that the longer the work day is, the more strain that is put on the heart. Possible reasons for this trend include; lack of time to relax, the inability to exercise due to there only being so many hours in a day, and a stressful work environment.
23. Behavior Change Is Key to Lower Heart Risk (Journal of the American Medical Association, 5/12/10)
Although the medical and surgical treatments improve, behavior change and risk factors continue to be important. Improvements in risk factors such as lowering cholesterol levels and blood pressure have accounted for nearly half of the decline in heart disease deaths.
24. Heart, Not Ear, Main Source of Dizziness in Elderly (Annals of Family Medicine, May/June 2010)
Heart disease, not inner ear problems, appears to be the most common cause of dizziness in elderly patients seen in primary care offices.
25. Ingredient in Dark Chocolate Could Guard Against Stroke (Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism, 5/10)
There’s a compound found in cocoa that can guard against the damage of a stroke. It’s a flavanol called epicatechin which triggers two built-in protective pathways in the brain.
26. A Woman's Touch Encourages Financial Risk-Taking (Psychological Science, 4/22/10)
If you're about to make a big financial purchase, keep your distance from the friendly and helpful saleswoman. Both men and women are more likely to take financial risks after being lightly touched on the back by a woman. The same contact from a man has no effect.
27. Going nuts in your diet can cut cholesterol: Nuts' anti-cholesterol effects stronger for some (Archives of Internal Medicine, 5/10/10)
People who ate an average of 67 grams (2.4 ounces) of nuts a day saw a 5.1 percent fall in total cholesterol concentration and a 7.4 percent drop in low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) -- sometimes referred to as bad cholesterol -- concentration compared to no-nut eaters. People with high triglyceride levels who ate nuts saw a 10.2 percent fall in those blood lipid levels. The higher the starting LDL-C, the greater the cholesterol-lowering effects of nuts. And the lower a patient's body mass index -- in other words, if the patient was not overweight or obese -- the greater the effects of nuts on lowering cholesterol levels.
28. Interruptions Make Doctors Lose Track of Tasks (Quality and Safety in Health Care, 5/13/10)
Hospital doctors who get interrupted on the job often fail to get back to what they were doing and end up spending less time on their tasks.
29. For Married Women, Age Gap Can Be Deadly (Demography, 5/12/10)
Women who marry men seven to nine years younger than they are increase their mortality risk by 20 percent. This is the opposite of the finding for men who marry much younger wives - their life expectancy increases. For women, the greater the age difference with her husband, the lower her life expectancy, regardless of whether she is younger or older than her spouse.
30. Don't Swallow Benadryl Gel (FDA, 5/12/10)
There are potentially serious side effects from mistakenly swallowing Benadryl Extra Strength Itch Stopping Gel, an over-the-counter (OTC) product that should only be used on the skin. Some OTC Benadryl products are intended to be swallowed. But Benadryl Extra Strength Itch Stopping Gel is only safe and effective when used, as directed, on the skin. People swallowing the gel can ingest a dangerous amount of the active ingredient, diphenhydramine. Large doses of diphenhydramine can result in serious side effects such as unconsciousness, hallucinations, and confusion.
31. Overuse of heartburn drugs is risky: Infections, Fractures Linked to Acid Reflux Drugs (Archives of Internal Medicine, 5/10/10)
Common heartburn drugs can cause serious side effects and should be used with caution. Well-known brands of the drugs -- called proton pump inhibitors or PPIs -- include Astrazeneca’s Nexium and Prilosec. While the drugs are a great help to the right patients, they can raise the risk of fractures in post-menopausal women and cause bacterial infections in patients. There was a 74 percent increase in cases of infections with Clostridium difficile -- a common and sometimes deadly cause of diarrhea -- among people who used a PPI daily.
32. Suicide Rate Highest in Middle Age (CDC, 5/14/10)
The suicide rate, once highest among those older than 80, now tops out among people in the 45 to 54 age group.
33. Low vitamin D tied to depression in older people (Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 5/5/10)
Older men and women with lower levels of vitamin D in their blood are more prone to become depressed over time.
34. Sugar Before Shots Helps Infants Cope: That 'Spoonful' of Sugar Actually Works (Archives of Disease in Childhood, 5/12/10)
A sugar solution appears to help babies tolerate immunizations and get through the pain. They seem to cry less after immunization.
35. Combating childhood obesity may start in the womb (Diabetes Care, 5/10)
Children whose mothers developed diabetes while pregnant are at increased risk of being overweight by age 11. Also, children born to obese mothers are more likely to have a weight problem than children born to lean mothers. The best advice is to get lean and fit before you get pregnant.
36. Recall: More kids' jewelry recalls in works: "Best Friends" charm bracelets (U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 5/10/10)
There was a recall announced 5/10/10 of "Best Friends” made in China due to the presence of cadmium, and more kids’ jewelry recalls are in the works, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Cadmium is toxic if ingested by children. Cadmium in high levels is a known carcinogen and can harm kidneys and bones.
