Parent Stress = Kid Stress

Study says parents' stress can take a toll on their kids.
The Los Angeles Times (11/11, Forgione) "Booster Shots" blog reported, "Parents' stress can take a toll on their kids. Ask children, not Mom and Dad, how they are affected by their parents' stress." According to a "survey reported by the American Psychological Assn., children who say their parents are stressed out also say they feel that way. Some said it made them feel sad, worried or frustrated - feelings parents seem to be unaware of, according to the survey."
Yoga may beat walking in helping reduce anxiety, elevate mood. The Los Angeles Times (11/11, Stein) "Booster Shots" blog reported that people who practice yoga may show "greater improvements in mood and anxiety," according to a study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. Researchers arrived at this conclusion after randomizing "19 people to an Iyengar yoga program and 15 to a metabolically matched regular walking regimen" for one hour three times weekly for 12 weeks, then having participants undergo "magnetic resonance spectroscopy scans to measure levels of the brain chemical gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter that quiets brain activity, reducing anxiety, and producing a state of calm."

Concentration and Happiness Linked

Study suggests lack of concentration may make people unhappy.
The Boston Globe (11/12) reports, "Research by Harvard researchers, which used the iPhone to periodically interrupt 2,250 people's lives, found that about half the time, people's minds are wandering. Most strikingly, they found that overall, people whose minds are wandering are less happy than those focused on the task at hand."
The study, reported in this weeks' issue of the journal Science, analyzed the data in the US "to find out how happy" the volunteers were, "what they were doing and whether they were thinking about their current activity or something else, and whether that something else was pleasant, neutral or unpleasant," the Washington Post (11/12, Stein) "The Checkup" blog reports. "On average, the volunteers," aged 18 to 88, "reported that their minds wandered 46.9 percent of the time and no less than 30 percent of the time during every activity except sex, the researchers reported. People reported being happiest when they were engaging in sex, exercise and conversation," the Post notes.
"People were more unhappy when their mind wandered to neutral or unpleasant thoughts," Bloomberg News (11/12, Lopatto) reports. Study author Matthew Killingsworth, "a doctoral candidate in psychology at Harvard University, in Cambridge, Massachusetts," said that "by analyzing the data over time, the researchers discovered that people didn't merely fantasize when they were unhappy; instead, wandering minds led to unhappiness."
The CNN (11/11, Landau) "The Chart" blog, the Los Angeles Times (11/11, Roan) "Booster Shots" blog reports, and the Time (11/11, Szalavitz ) "Healthland" blog also covered the story.

Asthma and Social Networking

Social networking site could exacerbate asthma, physicians warn.
The AP (11/19) reports, "Italian doctors warn that Facebook could trigger an attack in some susceptible users," according to a paper published Nov. 20 in The Lancet. They found that one patient, a "man, had been taking two inhaled steroid drugs several times a day to control his asthma. But when his girlfriend dumped him -- and worse, unfriended him on Facebook -- his condition deteriorated."
According to "The Body Odd" blog hosted by MSNBC.com (11/198, Dahl), "Somehow," explained Dr. Neil L. Kao, an allergist located in South Carolina, "when the mind is under pressure or stress, some people are prone toward asthma attacks; these are people who really are susceptible to stress." Kao "didn't treat this particular young man, but he sees many patients whose asthma is caused by stress-outs about school, sports or social situations, which is what might be happening to this young man."
Thus, the study authors "say the case could be a useful tip for doctors who want to explore mystery cases of wheezing and breathlessness among young patients," AFP (11/19) reports. "Considering the high prevalence of asthma, especially among young people, we suggest that this type of trigger be considered in the assessment of asthma exacerbations." The Los Angeles Times (11/18, Kaplan) "Booster Shots" blog, HealthDay (11/18, Preidt) and WebMD (11/18, Woznicki) also covered the story.

Vaccine for Cancer

FDA panel supports using Gardasil to prevent anal cancer in males, females between 9 and 26.
The AP (11/18) reports, "A federal health panel says evidence supports expanding use of Merck's Gardasil (Recombinant Human Papillomavirus Quadrivalent) vaccine to prevent anal cancer in young men and women." An FDA panel said "a 4,000-patient study conducted by Merck & Co. Inc. shows the vaccine lowers the risk of anal cancer in men. They said these results can also be applied to women." WebMD (11/18, McMillen) and MedPage Today (11/18) also report the story.

PTSD and Early Mortality.

PTSD may damage blood vessels, increase risk of dying early.
CNN /Health.com (11/18, Harding) reports that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) "may damage blood vessels and increase the risk of dying early, according to new research presented...at an annual meeting of the American Heart Association." The research "included about 286,000 mostly male veterans between the ages of 45 and 81 who served in Iraq, Afghanistan, and conflicts dating back to the Korean War." Investigators found that "the vets with PTSD -- who accounted for roughly 10 percent of the study participants -- had more than double the risk of dying during the 10-year study compared to their peers who didn't have disorder."
HealthDay (11/17, Gardner) reported that approximately "three-quarters of those diagnosed with PTSD had some calcium build-up, versus 59 percent of the veterans without the disorder. As a group, the veterans with PTSD had more severe disease of their arteries, with an average coronary artery calcification score of 448, compared to a score of 332 in the veterans without PTSD -- a significantly higher reading."

New Cholesterol Drug

Anacetrapib appears to lower LDL cholesterol while raising HDL cholesterol.
ABC World News (11/17, story 8, 1:40, Stephanopoulos) reported, "There's a potentially huge advance in the fight against America's number one killer, a drug that could turn back the clock on heart disease."
The New York Times (11/18, B4, Singer) reports that, according to a study published Nov. 17 in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the American Heart Association meeting, Merck's experimental drug anacetrapib appears to increase "HDL or 'good' cholesterol even as it lowers LDL, the 'bad' cholesterol." The drug, which "works by inhibiting an enzyme called CETP, which is involved in transforming particles of good cholesterol into bad cholesterol," was tested in "1,623 patients who were already taking statins to control their cholesterol." Researchers at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital found that patients taking the drug saw a 39.8% reduction in LDL beyond what was seen in patients who got a placebo.
USA Today (11/18, Sternberg) reports, "Doctors caution that anacetrapib is experimental and must be tested in a bigger trial designed to show whether it actually prevents heart attacks and saves lives. If the drug succeeds, it will be at least five years before it can be sold in the US." Nevertheless, the drug holds promise, and some cardiologists are cautiously optimistic.
The AP (11/18, Marchione) reports that so far, there have been "no signs of the blood pressure problems that led Pfizer Inc. to walk away from an $800 million investment in torcetrapib, a similar drug it was developing four years ago."

Otitis Media and Antibiotics

Majority of children with acute otitis media may not need antibiotics.
USA Today (11/17, Szabo) reports, "Ear infections are the No. 1 reason kids get antibiotics, costing the country $2.8 billion a year." Now, a paper appearing in the Journal of the American Medical Association indicates that "most of the eight million kids who see a doctor for ear infections each year don't need antibiotics." In fact, the "benefits of antibiotics seem even smaller in light of their side effects," and previous research has suggested that their overuse can spur the "growth of hardier, drug-resistant bacteria."
Before reaching those conclusions, researchers "from Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA and the RAND Corporation were asked to update guidelines issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics," the Boston Globe (11/16, Cooney) "White Coat Notes" blog reported. According to CNN (11/17, Falco), the "pediatricians' group and the American Academy of Family Physicians have suggested since 2004 that 'observation' -- avoiding antibiotics -- is an option for treating ear infections in otherwise healthy children between the ages of two and 12." Aiming to evaluate the soundness of that recommendation, investigators reviewed "existing research on the topic."
"Based on their review of more than 100 studies published over the last decade, the researchers were able to quantify the risks and benefits of treatment with antibiotics," WebMD (11/17, Boyles) reported. "They estimated that for every 100 otherwise healthy children with uncomplicated middle ear infections, about 80 could be expected to improve without antibiotics within about three days. An additional 12 children could be expected to improve during this time if all were treated with antibiotics, but three to 10 would develop a treatment-related rash and five to 10 would get diarrhea."

Massachusetts Uninsured

Study: Access to healthcare tight in Massachusetts despite 97% insured.
The Boston Herald /AP (11/17) reports that according to an annual report from the Massachusetts Health Council access "to health care in Massachusetts remains tight, with hospital emergency rooms increasingly picking up the slack, even as the state has experienced a surge in the number of insured residents." Notably, the "report found that while 97 percent of the state's residents were insured...finding a doctor wasn't always easy" because only "44 percent of primary care doctors are accepting new patients, and primary health services are increasingly being provided by hospital emergency departments." The report also makes "policy recommendations for lawmakers."

Women and Work Related Illness

Women with demanding jobs 40% more likely to have heart attack, stroke.
The CBS Evening News (11/14, story 11, 0:20, Mitchell) reported, "Findings of the longest major study on stress in women are in this evening. The 10-year study found women with demanding jobs were 40% more likely to have a heart attack or stroke as women with less stressful jobs."
The AP (11/14) reported that the study presented at the American Heart Association conference on Nov. 14 followed "17,415 participants in the Women's Health Study" for 10 years. The investigators then discovered that "women with demanding jobs and little control over how to do them were nearly twice as likely to have suffered a heart attack as women with less demanding jobs and more control."
"Women with high-stress jobs face about 88 percent more risk of a heart attack than if they had low workplace strain," Bloomberg News (11/14, Lopatto) reported. The study authors "defined the stressful positions as those with demanding tasks and little authority or creativity," Bloomberg News noted.
CNN /Health.com (11/14, Harding) quoted researcher Peter Kaufmann, PhD, of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, as saying, "This new data is among the most important to emerge in recent years concerning the relationship between job strain and cardiovascular health." Kaufmann, who is not involved with the study, added that the "finding 'emphasize that progress is needed urgently in this arena.'"

Endometrial Cancer Prevention

Exercising 150 minutes or more every week may reduce risk for endometrial cancer.
The Los Angeles Times (11/9, Stein, Times) "Booster Shots" blog reported that the majority of adults are urged to get at least "150 minutes" of exercise each week. Now, Yale researchers suggest that level of physical activity "or more may decrease a woman's risk of endometrial cancer."
Before reaching that conclusion, investigators "looked at data on 1,333 women -- 668 with endometrial cancer from the population-based Rapid Case Ascertainment Shared Resource at the Yale Cancer Center and 665 age-matched controls," MedPage Today (11/9, Neale) reported. "After controlling for potential confounders, including BMI and age, active women (those who participated in more than the equivalent of 7.5 MET hours/week) had a 34% reduced likelihood of endometrial cancer compared with those who were inactive." And, even though the "odds reduction occurred in both normal-weight and overweight women, it was greatest in normal-weight women who were active compared with overweight women who were inactive (OR 0.27, 95% CI 0.19 to 0.38)."

Teen Texting and Sex

Study links excessive texting among teens to sex, drugs.
The AP (11/10) reports, "Teens who text 120 times a day or more -- and there seems to be a lot of them -- are more likely to have had sex or used alcohol and drugs than kids who don't send as many messages, according to provocative new research." The authors of the study "aren't suggesting that 'hyper-texting' leads to sex, drinking or drugs, but say it's startling to see an apparent link between excessive messaging and that kind of risky behavior."
In "Vital Signs," the New York Times (11/9, Rabin) reported that "the study by researchers at Case Western Reserve University, presented Tuesday at a meeting of the American Public Health Association in Denver, is based on data from questions posed last year to more than 4,000 students at 20 urban high schools in Ohio." Approximately "one-fifth sent at least 120 text messages a day, one-tenth were on social networks for three hours or more, and four percent did both." Notably, "that four percent were at twice the risk of nonusers for fighting, smoking, binge drinking, becoming cyber victims, thinking about suicide, missing school, and dozing off in class."
"The hyper-texters were 3.5 more likely to have had sex than teens who texted less," the Time (11/9, Melnick) "Healthland" blog reported. "The hyper-networkers, however, were not more likely to have had sex compared with the hyper-texters," but "they did exceed the texters' predilection for fighting, drinking and drug use," according to the study authors.
Teen girls more likely to have risky sex, study suggests. The Time (11/9, Melnick) "Healthland" blog reported, "A doctoral candidate at Arizona State University made a surprising discovery during the course of her dissertation research on the impact of early sexual health education." Nicole Weller "found that regardless of what type of sex-ed they received, teen girls were 30% less likely than teen boys to use protection during their first sexual encounter. She also found that black teens were 40% less likely than white teens to use protection the first time they had sex." The researcher "presented her analysis of data from the National Survey of Family Growth, in which she looked at responses from 5,012 adolescents aged 11 to 19," at "the annual American Public Health Association Social Justice Meeting and Expo in Denver."

Uninsured Americans

CDC says number of uninsured Americans rose in first quarter of 2010.
CQ Healthbeat (11/10, Reichard, subscription required) reports, "The number of Americans -- including those in the middle class -- who have had periods without health coverage has risen considerably in recent years. That has led people with hypertension, diabetes and asthma to skip care, thus increasing their odds of developing costly complications," according to a National Health Interview Survey released Tuesday. "An estimated 59.1 million Americans in the first quarter of 2010 were uninsured for at least part of the year before they were interviewed," CQ said, noting that "Census Bureau officials interviewed 90,000 people in 35,000 households." The CDC, which released the analysis, said "the 59.1 million figure represented an increase of 400,000 compared with 2009 and 2.7 million compared with 2008."
The CNN (11/9, Young) "The Chart" blog reported the data from the survey covered "2006 through 2009 and the first quarter of 2010. Over that time, the number of people without insurance in the 18- to 64-year-old age group has increased an average of 1.1 million Americans per year." Notably, "half of the overall increase [is] among people with family incomes twice to three times higher than the federal poverty level of about $22,000 for a family of four." Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the CDC, said, "Private insurance coverage has been falling steadily for at least the last 10 years." He added. "The public insurance safety net helped cover children, but private insurance fell by nine percent." MedPage Today (11/9, Frieden) and HealthDay (11/9, Reinberg) also covered the story.

Diabetes Lifestyle Article

Basic lifestyle factors play key role in controlling diabetes and preventing complications.
The Los Angeles Times (11/1, Powell) reports that for patients with type 2 diabetes, "basic lifestyle factors," like diet and exercise, "can play a key role in controlling the disorder and preventing serious complications, such as blindness, nerve disorders, and kidney failure." In fact, "with consistent blood sugar control and careful attention to cholesterol and blood pressure levels, most type 2 diabetics can keep the disease in check." And, "adopting a low-fat, low-calorie diet and regular exercise to trim 5% to 10% of one's body weight is enough to prevent type 2 diabetes from developing or to bring diabetics' blood sugar, cholesterol, and other key markers within healthy limits."
Article addresses misconceptions about diabetes. USA Today (11/1, Marcus) reports, "Misconceptions about diabetes abound, says Mark Feinglos, chief of endocrinology, metabolism and nutrition at Duke University Medical Center." For example, despite the fact that many people think that complications "such as blindness, loss of limbs, and kidney failure" are inevitable, they are not. "Feinglos says that with proper medication and medical care, regular blood sugar checks and good habits such as staying active and eating right, there's a good chance you'll avoid other health complications." But, if the disease is undertreated or not treated at all, then "more serious health problems can arise," including stroke, heart disease, or even death.

Planning for Retirement

Consumers urged to begin planning for retirement health costs early.
The Boston Globe (10/31, Cooney) reported that "many aging Americans...haven't even broached the topic of paying for healthcare, which can cost $10,000 a year once they retire. Financial planners and retirement specialists say people should prepare now for the day when paychecks stop coming, but medical bills start climbing." Data show that "couples retiring this year will need at least $250,000 to pay for healthcare over the rest of their lives...and those costs are only likely to increase." As a result, "financial planners say, people will need to replace much more of their working income after retirement."

Morgellons Mystery Disease

CDC readies report on mysterious disease called Morgellons.
The Washington Post (10/31, Schulte) reports, "CDC experts are preparing the final draft of their report" on Morgellons, or what the agency "calls unexplained dermopathy." The report follows lobbying efforts by sufferers of the "strange medical condition" as well as by "then-Sen. Barack Obama," who wrote to the agency "demanding an investigation." Some "years ago, a handful of scientists thought the so-called fiber disease could be the result of infection by some strange new bacterium, parasite or fungus," but "almost all of them have dropped their research," the Post notes. CDC experts "hope to submit for publication in a peer-reviewed scientific journal sometime in early 2011."

Diabetes and Sugared Drinks

Sugar-sweetened beverages associated with increased risk for type 2 diabetes.
The Boston Globe (10/27, Cooney) "White Coat Notes" blog reported that, according to an analysis published online Oct. 27 in the journal Diabetes Care, there appears to be an association between consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
"Drinking one or two sugar-sweetened beverages a day increases diabetes risk by 26%," WebMD (10/27, Doheny) reported. After pooling "the findings of 11 previously published studies including more than 320,000 participants," researchers found that "habitual drinkers -- those drinking one to two sugar-sweetened beverages a day on average -- had a 26% increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes and a 20% increased risk for developing metabolic syndrome, compared to those who drank the beverages once a month or not at all."
MedPage Today (10/27, Fiore) reported that when body mass index "was included in the analysis, the association was less but not eliminated, leading the researchers to conclude that sugary drinks are a risk factor for diabetes and metabolic syndrome independent of weight gain." The study authors concluded that "the findings provide further evidence that patients should replace sugary drinks with healthier alternatives like water in order to reduce their risk of both obesity and chronic diseases."

NIH Budget Cuts

Republican plan for budget cuts may trim NIH funding by $6 billion.
BusinessWeek (10/27, O'Connor) reported, "US House Republicans plan to try to slash $100 billion from the federal budget as early as January if they wrest power from Democrats in this year's midterm elections, setting up possible early showdowns with President Barack Obama on taxes and spending." President Obama sought "$76.4 billion for the Department of Health and Human Services," and "almost half that -- $32 billion -- is for NIH, which includes the National Cancer Institute and other research facilities." BusinessWeek said that "a 21 percent cut would slash NIH funding" by more than "$6 billion."

Red Bull + Alcohol = Trouble

Caffeinated alcoholic drinks draw scrutiny after students end up in ERs.
The New York Times (10/27, A12, Goodnough) reports beverages containing alcohol and caffeine, especially "a brand called Four Loko," are drawing "scrutiny after students who drank it this fall at Ramapo College in New Jersey and Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Wash., ended up in emergency rooms, some with high levels of alcohol poisoning." Physicians say "the drinks are dangerous" as "the caffeine masks the effects of the alcohol, keeping consumers from realizing just how intoxicated they are."
State officials urge FDA to act quickly to help stop abuse. "The 23 ½-ounce can of fruity malt liquor [Four Loko] sold in Washington and many other states packs 12% alcohol, the equivalent of drinking four or more beers and a cup of strong coffee," notes the Los Angeles Times (10/27, Murphy). Meanwhile, "several attorneys general across the country, including California and Washington, have urged the FDA to move quickly." In fact, "Washington Atty. Gen. Rob McKenna said Monday that barring national sales restrictions, he will seek a ban on caffeinated malt liquor beverages in his state." NPR (10/26, Fulton) "Shots" blog also covered the news.

Specialist Pay Scale

Survey: Some specialists earn 52% more than primary-care physicians.
The Hill (10/26, Lillis) reports in its Healthwatch blog, "By a wide margin, specialists are paid more than doctors in general practice, according to an independent report released Monday. In a nationwide survey, researchers at the University of California, Davis, found medical specialists are paid as much as 52 percent more than primary-care physicians." This "trend -- while hardly news within the medical community -- nonetheless quantifies some of the gaps in physician compensation that are encouraging more physicians to enter lucrative specialties and avoid general practice."

Red Yeast Rice Update

Red yeast rice products may vary in potency.
The Chicago Tribune (10/25, Deardorff) "Julie's Health Club" blog reported that "some red yeast rice products have been shown to lower cholesterol levels as effectively as moderate doses of statin drugs." However, "the supplement isn't quite 'ready for primetime,' according to researchers who found that 12 over-the-counter red yeast products had strikingly inconsistent amounts of active ingredients." The research, "published in the current issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, also showed that four of the 12 products (one third of the sample) contained citrinin, a contaminant that is toxic to kidneys of animals." WebMD (10/25, Warner) and MedPage Today (10/25, Walsh) also covered the story.

Smoking and Alzheimers

Heavy smoking in midlife may more than double odds of developing Alzheimer's disease.
USA Today (10/26, Marcus) reports that, according to a study published online Oct. 25 in the Archives of Internal Medicine, "heavy smoking in midlife more than doubles your odds of developing Alzheimer's disease." For the study, researchers from Kaiser Permanente "evaluated the records of 21,123 men and women in midlife and continued following them, on average, for 23 years." They found that, "compared with non-smokers, those who had smoked two packs of cigarettes a day increased their risk of developing Alzheimer's by more than 157% and had a 172% higher risk of developing vascular dementia -- the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer's."
The Wall Street Journal (10/26, D3, Wang) reports that smokers who did not smoke so heavily still faced an increased risk for dementia. For example, even smokers who smoked just half a pack of cigarettes daily still had a 37% increased risk for Alzheimer's.
Bloomberg News (10/26, Ostrow) points out the public health implications of the study, noting that "about 46 million Americans ages 18 or older are cigarette smokers, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention." The study's lead author explained that "smoking causes higher levels of inflammation in the body and affects how blood clots." In addition, "smokers are...more likely to have strokes, high blood pressure, and cerebrovascular disease -- a malady of the blood vessels, particularly the arteries that supply the brain -- which are all risk factors for dementia, she said."
According to the CNN (10/25, Landau) "The Chart" blog, people "who smoked between one and two packs had a 44 percent heightened risk, compared to non-smokers." However, "this could be an underestimation, because some smokers who would have developed dementia died before diagnosis, said Kenneth Hepburn, associate dean for research at the Emory University School of Nursing, who was not involved in the study." What's more, "the reported risk of dementia among heavy smokers is also likely an underestimation because many of those people will die before they're old enough to develop dementia, he said."
"Former smokers and people who smoked less than half a pack a day did not appear to be at increased risk of Alzheimer's or vascular dementia," HealthDay (10/25, Reinberg) reported. Still, "the associations between smoking and dementia did not change, even after adjusting for race or gender, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or heart attack, stroke or weight," the study authors added.

Home Remedy Book

New guide provides home remedies for minor ailments.
USA Today (10/25, Lloyd) reports a new guide, "The Mayo Clinic's Book of Home Remedies," provides information "for treating more than 100 common conditions." People "looking for quick advice and good bedside manner get both from author Philip Hagen, who discusses alternative and conventional approaches to healing, cautions about when to seek medical help and offers advice about how to stay healthy." Among the "remedies addressed are as diverse as gentle stretching for back pain, swallowing a teaspoon of sugar for hiccups, trying ginger for morning sickness and using Tylenol for teething," USA Today adds.

Marathon Runners Heart Damage

Marathon running may damage heart muscle.
The Time (10/25, Park) "Healthland" blog reports that, "in a new study designed to document exactly what kind of stress that running a marathon put on the heart," researchers "found...that it actually damages the muscle." However, the researchers "were encouraged by the fact that at the three-month follow up, the damage induced by the marathon appeared to have dissipated, and the heart had resumed its normal functions." The research was presented at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2010.

Superbug in Chicago

Antibiotic-resistant superbug spreading in Chicago hospitals, nursing homes.
The Chicago Tribune (10/22, Graham) reported, "A dangerous, often deadly bacterium resistant to the most powerful antibiotics known to medicine is spreading in Chicago hospitals and nursing homes, prompting an effort to mobilize a regionwide response." Klebsiella pneumoniae Carbapenemase (KPC) bacteria "are a drug-resistant form of a common pathogen that was first reported 11 years ago in North Carolina." The article noted that "37 health facilities in Chicago reported an average of 10 KPC cases each, up from an average of four cases in 2009 in 26 facilities, according to a new study presented Friday at the annual meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America."

Osteopaths Speak Out

Osteopaths also urge lawmakers to fix Medicare physician reimbursement.
CQ Today (10/23, Ethridge) reported, "The American Osteopathic Association added its voice to a chorus of doctor groups urging that Congress take immediate action to avoid scheduled cuts in Medicare physician payments starting Dec. 1, and warning that further short-term fixes are unacceptable." The group's president Karen J. Nichols wrote, "We believe that it is absolutely essential that the provisions enacted by Congress ensure that this policy is dealt with, at minimum, on an annual basis, versus the 30-day or 60-day pattern that has existed over the past year." Notably, "lawmakers have enacted several short-term patches to stave off the cuts this year, the most recent of which...will expire Nov. 30," yet physician groups, in particular the American Medical Association, "say those are not sufficient to keep their members participating in government programs."

Asprin and Colon Cancer

Low-dose aspirin may reduce risk of developing, dying from colon cancer.
ABC World News (10/21, story 8, 0:25, Sawyer) reported that the medical community has long understood that "at high doses, aspirin can cause side effects, like bleeding and stomach discomfort." Now, however, new research suggests that "low dose of aspirin a lot of people are already taking for their hearts may reduce the risk of colon cancer by a quarter and deaths from the disease by a third."
Indeed, "aspirin should not replace screening tests like colonoscopies, and because it has serious side effects...people should talk to their doctors before taking even a low dose of aspirin on a regular basis," the CBS Evening News (10/21, story 5, 0:30, Couric) reported. Still, "a daily dose of baby aspirin" over a long period of time may be the way to go.
The recommendation is based on European research in which investigators "pooled the 20-year results of four trials with more than 14,000 people," the Washington Post /AP (10/22, Cheng) reports. "Those studies were designed to study aspirin's use in preventing strokes, not colon cancer." The current study authors, however, "tracked who developed the disease through cancer registries and death certificates in Britain and Sweden, where the studies were done."
Specifically, "two of the trials randomized patients to 75 mg aspirin or placebo daily, a third compared 300 mg or 1,200 mg daily with placebo, and another compared 500 mg daily with no aspirin," while the "other trial randomized patients to 30 mg or 283 mg of aspirin daily," MedPage Today (10/21, Walsh) reported. "There were 391 cases of colorectal cancer and 240 deaths during a median follow-up of 18.3 years."

Teen Pregnancy Data

CDC data show state by state differences in teen pregnancy rates.
The Hill (10/21, Lillis) reports in its Healthwatch blog, "Although national teen-pregnancy rates are on the decline, the disparities between states are often dramatic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported Wednesday." The data reveal that "the regional disparities are stark," with "Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont, for instance," showing "2008 birth rates" of "less than 25 per 1,000 teens aged 15 to 19," while "in the same year, Arkansas, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas all had rates topping 60 per 1,000 teens." Just last month, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said, "Teen pregnancy is a serious national problem, and we need to use the best science of what works to address it."
ABC News (10/21, Hutchison) reports on its website, "While the teenage birth rate overall saw a 2.4 percent decline, large disparities in the prevalence of teen moms still exist from state to state, with the Southern states reporting the highest rates." In fact, "when comparing teen birth rates by state, the ten states with the highest number of teen moms were almost all southern states: Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Nevada."

More Doctors Needed

Survey finds Massachusetts physicians in limited supply.
The AP (10/20) reports, "Massachusetts has the highest percentage of insured residents of any state, but access to medical care, especially to primary care doctors and a wide number of specialists, continues to be tight." According to a new survey, "more than half of family primary care practices said they were not accepting new patients this year, the highest in four years." In addition, "ten of 18 specialties, including emergency medicine, general surgery, orthopedics, and psychiatry, have been found in short supply. That's three more than last year, the study found."
The Boston Globe (10/20) "White Coat Notes" blog reports, "The Massachusetts Medical Society, which has been polling doctors, hospital executives, and medical educators for nine years, reports that primary care doctors are in short supply for the fifth year in a row, citing pressure from the state's 2006 law mandating near-universal insurance coverage."
The Boston Herald (10/20, Fitzgerald) reports, "While hundreds of thousands of Bay State residents are desperately looking for jobs due to the Great Recession, area hospitals are facing the exact opposite problem: they can't find enough doctors to hire." The "most acute need is for primary-care physicians who practice family or internal medicine. The study called the shortages in those two key areas 'critical.'" MedPage Today (10/20) also reports the story.

Hormone Replacement Therapy Update

Hormone replacement therapy after menopause may worsen breast cancer.
The CBS Evening News (10/19, story 4, 2:35, Couric) reported, "For women going through menopause, the decision about whether to take hormone replacement therapy has been controversial and confusing." In 2009, "40 million prescriptions for hormones were filled here in the US, but there's new evidence tonight that this treatment may be even riskier than previously thought."
ABC World News (10/19, story 4, 0:25, Sawyer) reported, "The Women's Health Initiative reports today that among post-menopausal women, the use of estrogen and progestin is not only linked to an increased risk of breast cancer, but the kind that kind of cancers that have higher fatality rates. The safety of more hormone replacement therapy was first questioned in 2002."
NBC Nightly News (10/19, lead story, 2:30, Williams) reported, "Our lead story tonight has to do with an emotional and perplexing topic for millions of American women -- hormone replacement therapy; specifically, its relationship to breast cancer." Chief science reporter Robert Bazell explained that a new study published Oct. 20 in the Journal of the American Medical Association "suggests that hormone replacement therapy, estrogen plus progestin, once the most commonly prescribed medication for women 50 and older, not only increases the risk of aggressive breast cancer, but increases the risk that cancers will be more advanced and deadly."
In a follow-on piece, NBC Nightly News (10/19, story 2, 3:30, Williams) reported, "Some big questions come out of this. What does this all mean?" Dr. Beth Dupree, medical director of the Breast Health Program at Holy Redeemer Health System in Pennsylvania, explained to viewers that women who are using or considering taking hormone replacement therapy to manage the symptoms of menopause need to "weigh the risks and benefits" in the light of severity of symptoms and discuss them with their physicians. Dr. Dupree also added that the "study shows women are dying at a higher frequency and those hormones probably played a role in that."
On its front page, the New York Times (10/20, A1, Grady) reports, "Hormone treatment after menopause, already known to increase the risk of breast cancer, also makes it more likely that the cancer will be advanced and deadly," the study found. Specifically, "women who took hormones and developed breast cancer were more likely to have cancerous lymph nodes, a sign of more advanced disease, and were more likely to die from the disease than were breast cancer patients who had never taken hormones." Notably, "the treatment studied was the most commonly prescribed hormone replacement pill, Prempro [conjugated estrogens and medroxyprogesterone], which contains estrogens from horse urine and a synthetic relative of the hormone progesterone."

New CPR Guidelines

AHA issues new guidelines for CPR.
The AP (10/18, Stengle) reports, "New guidelines" released on Monday by the American Heart Association "switch up the steps for CPR, telling rescuers to start with hard, fast chest presses before giving mouth-to-mouth." The "change ditches the old ABC training -- airway-breathing-compressions. That called for rescuers to give two breaths first, then alternate with 30 presses." One of the authors of the guidelines, Dr. Michael Sayre, "said that approach took time and delayed chest presses, which keep the blood circulating."
AHA's "decision was driven by a growing body of research showing that bystanders are more likely to perform compression-only CPR on strangers and that it works better than conventional CPR," according to USA Today (10/18, Sternberg). Notably, "doctors say the AHA's change marks the end of the organization's advocacy of a practice believed for at least half a century to be essential for saving victims of cardiac arrest or heart attacks."

Botox and Migraines

FDA approves Botox as treatment for chronic migraines.
On the front page of its Business Day section, the New York Times (10/15, B1, Singer) reported, "The Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved Botox, the anti-wrinkle shot from Allergan, as a treatment to prevent chronic migraines, a little more than a month after the company agreed to pay $600 million to settle allegations that it had illegally marketed the drug for unapproved uses like headaches for years." Botox "had worldwide sales last year of about $1.3 billion, divided equally between medical and cosmetic uses." But Allergan said "sales of Botox for chronic migraine and other medical uses would soon eclipse sales of the drug as a wrinkle smoother.
The Los Angeles Times (10/15, Healy) "Booster Shots" blog reported, "The FDA's decision expands the potential market for Botox, which burst upon the American cosmetic scene in the late 1980s, to 12% of the US population -- the proportion of Americans thought to suffer from the throbbing, pulsating pain of migraine headaches." The approval allows Allergan "to advertise to consumers and promote to doctors the use of Botox for chronic migraine." The FDA "underscored Friday that Botox does not appear to be useful in treating or preventing less frequent migraines, or headaches that are not caused by the activation of nerve fibers within the brain's blood vessels--the definition of migraine headache."
The AP (10/15) reported, "For the new use, doctors are directed to inject patients in the neck or head every 12 weeks to dull future headaches." The FDA "approved the new use based on two company studies of more than 1,300 patients who received either a Botox injection or a dummy injection." Those "who received Botox reported slightly fewer 'headache days' than patients given the sham treatment. In the more significant of the two studies, patients on Botox reported about two fewer headache days than patients who didn't receive the drug."

Yoga and Fibromyalgia

Yoga may benefit fibromyalgia patients who get no relief from prescription drugs.
CNN /Health.com (10/15, Storrs) reports, "Fibromyalgia patients who aren't getting relief from prescription drugs and are in too much pain to exercise may want to try yoga," according to a study published in the journal Pain. "A weekly two-hour yoga class reduced fibromyalgia symptoms such as pain, fatigue, and stiffness by 30 percent in more than half of the people who took it," the study found.
For the study, "25 women diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a chronic pain syndrome, were enrolled in a two-hour yoga class that met once a week for eight weeks," HealthDay (10/14, Goodwin) reported. Meanwhile, "another group of 28 women diagnosed with the condition were put on a waiting list and told to continue their normal routine for dealing with fibromyalgia." Notably, "after eight weeks, the yoga group reported improvements in both physical and psychological aspects of fibromyalgia, including decreased pain, fatigue, tenderness, anxiety, and better sleep and mood."
WebMD (10/14, Hendrick) pointed out that "to participate in the study, the women had to have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia using the American College of Rheumatology's criteria for at least one year, and to be on a stable regimen of prescription or over-the-counter medications for at least three months."
According to MedPage Today (10/14, Fiore), "In terms of potential mechanisms for the association, the researchers said that yoga cultivates an acceptance of and a willingness to learn from pain and other stressful experiences." It has also "been shown to produce effects similar to aerobic exercise, potentially improving the fatigue that plagues fibromyalgia patients."

HIV Statistics

CDC releases race-based estimates of lifetime risk for contracting HIV.
The AP (10/15) reports that data retrieved from "37 states and Puerto Rico" indicate that "one in 22 black Americans," one in 52 Hispanics/Latinos, and "one in 170" self-identifying white Americans will contract HIV in their lifetime.
According to the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, "Hispanic/Latino men had about three times the lifetime risk Hispanic/Latino women had -- 2.80%, or one in 36, compared with 0.94%, or one in 106," MedPage Today (10/14, Smith) reported. "That male-female disparity was also seen in other ethnic and racial groups. For example, the respective rates among white men and women were 0.98% and 0.19% -- slightly less than a five-fold difference -- while among blacks the rates were 6.27% and 3.09%, about a twofold difference." Investigators pointed out that "many new infections among Hispanics/Latinos are associated with male-to-male sexual contacts."
In light of National Latino AIDS Awareness Day, the CDC team "suggested a number of ways to lower the risk of HIV diagnosis among Hispanics," HealthDay (10/14, Preidt) reported. "These include an increased focus on culturally and linguistically appropriate intervention programs and increased access to HIV testing, prevention, care and treatment."

Diabetics and Dogs

Trained dogs alert diabetes patients when blood sugar level runs low.
USA Today (10/14, Peters) reports that dogs are being employed to alert diabetes patients their blood sugar level is running low. Non-profit Dogs4Diabetics "is one of a handful of facilities that train such dogs," which signal patients "several minutes before any symptoms" or the blood tests tell them they are "entering the danger zone." D4D "puts its dogs through months of special scent-detection training," reports USA Today.

Exercise Posts

Marathon runners may not be at greater risk for developing arthritis.
The New York Times (10/13, Reynold) "Well" blog reported, "The idea that distance running inexorably leads to arthritis is deeply entrenched, despite the publication of a number of recent studies (detailed in a Phys Ed column last year) that have found otherwise." One study in particular found, through the use of "more sensitive type of MRI technology than had been available in the past," evidence of "significant biochemical changes in the runners' knee cartilage, particularly in the days immediately after the race." But one expert points out that "adaptive transformations may underlie the cartilage changes visible in the UCSF marathon study." In other words, says Anthony Luke, MD, "the same signals on an MRI that would suggest incipient arthritis in a sedentary person's knee 'may indicate some kind of necessary adaptation' in the knees of a marathoner."

Walking may help maintain memory, cognitive function.
The Los Angeles Times (10/13) "Booster Shots" blog reported, "Walking promotes good physical health, but it may also help maintain memory and cognitive function for years," a study finds. The research, "published online Wednesday in the journal Neurology, is based on a study of 299 men and women, average age 78, who were followed for nine years."

Heroin Addiction Help

Implanted buprenorphine delivery device may help fight addiction to heroin, prescription painkillers.
Bloomberg News (10/13, Ostrow) reports that, according to a study published Oct. 13 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, an experimental implanted medication-delivery device manufactured by Titan Pharmaceutical Inc. and called Probuphine appeared to help "people fight addiction to heroin and prescription painkillers better than a placebo." Bloomberg News explains that the "product, shaped like an inch-long match-stick, is implanted under the skin and delivers continuously the drug buprenorphine."
"The current study involved 163 adults between the ages of 18 and 65 diagnosed as opioid-dependent between 2007 and 2008," HealthDay (10/12) reported. "Four buprenorphine delivery devices were implanted under the skin of one arm in 108 patients. Each device was set to slowly release 80 milligrams of medication," while the "remaining 55 patients received implants without any drug delivery." Notably, approximately "40 percent of the urine samples taken from the implant group tested negative for illegal drug use, compared with about 28 percent of the placebo group."

New Osteoporosis Drug

FDA approves new delayed release osteoporosis drug.
The AP (10/12) reports, "Irish drug developer Warner Chilcott PLC said Monday the US Food and Drug Administration has approved its new drug for treating postmenopausal osteoporosis." Warner Chilcott said "Atelvia [risedronate] is the next generation of its popular osteoporosis drug Actonel, which it acquired when it bought Procter & Gamble Co.'s global branded prescription drug business for $3.1 billion last year." Roger Boissonneault, Warner Chilcott's president and chief executive, said, "We believe the dosing convenience of Atelvia sets it apart from other treatment options for osteoporosis patients."
According to MedPage Today (10/12, Gever), the new "formulation...may be easier for some patients." Atelvia "can be taken with food, whereas patients are instructed to take ordinary risedronate (Actonel) on an empty stomach." Notably, the "delayed-release drug was approved only for treating osteoporosis in postmenopausal women, not for other indications for which Actonel is approved including glucocorticoid osteoporosis, Paget's disease, or osteoporosis in men."

Chemicals in Environment

CDC data show pervasiveness of chemicals in environment.
The Los Angeles Times (10/11, Adams) reports, "Our modern-day environment is loaded with man-made chemicals," but "what's the health fallout of this? In some cases, such as those for lead and mercury, the effects of environmental chemicals are clear. Not so much for others, such as bisphenol A and flame retardants." For over a decade, the CDC "has been doing biomonitoring studies -- sampling blood and urine from a broad swath of Americans to see what chemicals are regularly found in people." Dr. John Osterloh, the chief medical officer of the CDC's division of laboratory sciences, says, "For the public, I think the basic point is just the understanding that chemicals...in our environment do in fact actually get into your body." Notably, the latest CDC report "shows how pervasive many of these chemicals are in the environment."
BPA levels may vary widely in pregnant women. The Los Angeles Times (10/8, Roan) "Booster Shots" blog reported, "Research published Friday indicates that bisphenol A (BPA) levels in pregnant women vary widely." According to the study, published online in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, "scientists examined BPA levels in urine samples from 386 pregnant women in Cincinnati. About 90% of the women had detectable levels of bisphenol A." Higher "concentrations were found in women with education levels below a high school graduation, but socioeconomic factors did not seem to affect exposures otherwise." In "recent years, studies have suggested that high levels of the chemical stored in the body can lead to adverse health effects," the blog noted.

Health Care Insurance Premium Update

Workers may pay more for healthcare in 2011 as premiums rise.
American Medical News (10/11, Berry) reports, "Workers are expected to pay more for health care coverage in 2011 than in 2010 as part of the steepening rise in premiums and employees' share of the cost. Experts say that increase could keep workers from getting the care they need." The "average cost of group health insurance coverage is expected to rise 8.8% from 2010 to 2011, the highest increase since 2005, when premiums rose by about 9.2%, according to research by Hewitt Associates." Hewitt projected "that the average annual health care premium will rise from $4,083 in 2001 to $9,821 in 2011."

Obesity Drug Discontinued

Obesity drug sibutramine pulled from US market due to FDA safety concerns.
The New York Times (10/9, B3, Pollack) reported, "The diet drug Meridia is being withdrawn from the market because it can increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes." Meridia's manufacturer, Abbott Laboratories, "said on Friday that it was taking the action voluntarily but under pressure from the Food and Drug Administration." The "withdrawal of Meridia, also known as sibutramine, is the latest setback in efforts to provide a safe medicine to treat obesity, one of the nation's largest health problems."
The AP (10/8) reported, "Abbott Laboratories says it is withdrawing its diet pill Meridia in the US and Canada, almost a year after studies showed the drug increases the risk of heart attack and stroke in patients with a history of heart disease." European regulators "pulled the product off the market in January citing data showing that patients who had heart disease were more likely to have heart attacks or stroke while taking the drug."