Exercise and Memory

Moderate aerobic exercise may delay age-related memory decline.
The AP (1/31) reported that, according to a study published Jan. 31 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, "one year of moderate physical exercise can increase the size of the brain's hippocampus in adults aged 55 and more, leading to an improvement in spatial memory."
In fact, "walking three times a week may improve memory in older adults and help prevent mental decline as people age," Bloomberg News (2/1, Ostrow) explains. "The study of adults ages 55 and older found a two percent expansion of the hippocampus, the brain's memory processor that can shrink during middle age, in those who walked 40 minutes, three times a week, for a year."
The Los Angeles Times (1/31, Brown) "Booster Shots" blog reported, "To complete the study, the team recruited 120 older people who didn't exercise regularly. Half were randomly assigned to an aerobic exercise program, walking around a track three days a week for 40 minutes per session," while "the other half embarked on a stretching-and-weights program."
MRI scans revealed that "after 12 months, the group that walked showed an average 2% growth in the hippocampus compared with when they began, while the control groups suffered a more than 1% shrinkage in the same region compared with when the study started," the Time (1/31, Park) "Healthland" blog noted. HealthDay (1/31, Goodwin) added, "MRI brain scans" also revealed that "those who showed the greatest improvements in memory also showed the greatest increases in hippocampal volume."
According to the CNN (1/31, Caruso) "The Chart" blog, "The researchers also saw an increase in a molecule called BDNF, which affects learning and memory. Those people in the aerobic exercise group improved their memory performance from the beginning of the study." WebMD (1/31, Warner) also covered the story.

Bath Salts???...Really?

Law enforcement, health officials concerned by "bath salts."
The Los Angeles Times (1/28, Sewell) reports that "'bath salts,' are powerful synthetic stimulants, designed to be comparable to cocaine or methamphetamine, and with similar risks, law enforcement and health officials say." However, unlike "cocaine or meth, the stimulants are legal in most of the US, at least for now, selling for about $25 to $40 a packet online and in convenience stores and head shops." Poison control centers across the US "fielded 235 calls relating to the 'bath salts' last year, and already have seen 214 cases this year, according to the American Assn. of Poison Control Centers."

Memory Enhancer

Scientists discover substance that may help improve memory.
The Wall Street Journal (1/27, D2, Wang, subscription required) reports that, according to research published in the journal Nature, scientists claim to have discovered a substance, called IGF-II, that may help improve their memory, at least in rats. When researchers blocked IGF-II, the rodents could not retain memories and forgot what they had learned. Notably, the study findings suggest that declarative memory (that is, the ability to remember things, places, and facts) can be improved. In patients with Alzheimer's and other kinds of dementia, for example, declarative memory is severely affected. The scientists called for further study of IGF-II and said their findings indicate yet another possible future target for treating dementia in humans.

Diet and Depression

Study analyzes effects of dietary fat on depression.
Bloomberg News (1/27, Lopatto) reports, "People who eat more trans fats from cheese, milk, or processed foods may have a 48-percent increased risk of depression, compared with those who consume almost no trans fats," according to a study published in the journal PLoS One.
The Los Angeles Times (1/26, Roan) "Booster Shots" blog reported that the researchers "followed 12,059 people over six years, analyzing their diets, lifestyles, and medical problems." The people "who ate the most trans fats" had a "48% increased risk of depression, compared with people who did not eat trans fats." In contrast, individuals who "ate a lot of polyunsaturated fats" had a "lower risk of depression," the study found.
According to WebMD (1/26, Doheny), "The ill effects of bad fats on heart disease are believed to be due to increases in LDL 'bad' cholesterol and reductions in HDL 'good' cholesterol." There are also "inflammatory changes, and these changes have also been linked with depression, the researchers say." The study's lead author also theorized that "inflammation may interfere with the brain's neurotransmitters, such as serotonin...and a lack of serotonin adversely affects mood."

Parents of Overweight Kids

Researchers examine role played by parental behavior in helping obese children lose weight.
HealthDay (1/25, Goodwin) reported that "obese children whose parents took classes on the importance of healthy eating and exercise lost weight and kept it off for the next two years, according to" a study published online in the journal Pediatrics. After enrolling "mostly mothers of 169 moderately obese or overweight children aged five to nine years in a six-month 'healthy lifestyle' course, in which parents were taught about portion size and reading nutrition labels, being a good role model for their children, and setting limits," researchers found that "at the end of six months, children's body mass index...dropped an average of 10 percent, as did their waist circumference. Eighteen months later, the children had kept the weight off, the investigators found."

Antibiotic Resistance Update

Antibiotic-resistant bugs may be originating from animal farms.
WebMD (1/25, Doheny) reported antibiotic-resistant insects may be "originating from animal farms where antibiotics are used to promote growth," according to a study in BMC Microbiology. Investigators visited several pig farms collecting flies and cockroaches, "and fecal matter from the pigs." They focused on "two common gut bacteria, Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium" and found that Enterococci were found in "nearly 90% of the pig samples, 94% of the cockroach samples, and more than 98% of the fly samples." Testing the samples "for antibiotic resistance against eight different antibiotics used in human medicine," revealed that they were "highly resistant to tetracycline." The samples were also found to be resistant to "erythromycin, streptomycin, and kanamycin."

Top Cities for Hospitals

HealthGrades releases list of top five cities for hospital excellence.
HealthGrades has released a quality study in which it identifies hospitals in the top 5% in the US as well as cities having the highest concentration of top hospitals.
Minnesota's Twin Cities rank among nation's top five for hospital excellence. The Minneapolis Star Tribune (1/26, Lerner) reports, "The Twin Cities are among the nation's top five cities for hospital excellence, says a report by HealthGrades, a private rating company." Specifically, "Minneapolis-St. Paul ranked fourth on a list of 50 cities, based on the number of hospitals winning a HealthGrades award for excellence." Compared with other states, "Minnesota ranked second only to Delaware, according to the report."
Dayton, Ohio ranks third in US for hospital quality. The Dayton Daily News (1/26, Sutherly) reports that Dayton, OH "ranks third in the nation for hospital quality" behind West Palm Beach, FL and Brownsville, TX, according to the report. What's more, "five of seven eligible hospitals in the Dayton area made the top five percent: Miami Valley and Good Samaritan hospitals and Grandview, Kettering and Sycamore medical centers."
California hospitals rank among nation's top five percent. The San Jose Mercury News (1/26, Rosenberg) reports that in California, "Sequoia Hospital and two facilities run by Mills-Peninsula Health Services are ranked among the nation's top five percent of hospitals." In fact, "the Peninsula medical centers were among the top 268 hospitals in the United States -- including six in the Bay Area." The Mercury News notes that "patients at the top hospitals typically have a 30 percent better chance at survival than at a typical medical center."