CHRONIC PAIN
• Complementary Health Approaches for
Chronic Pain: This issue of the
NCCAM Clinical Digest summarizes current scientific evidence about the
complementary health approaches most often used by people for chronic pain. The
scientific evidence to date suggests that some complementary health approaches
may provide modest, short-term effects that may help individuals manage the
day-to-day variations in their chronic pain symptoms. In most instances,
though, the amount of evidence is too small to clearly show whether an approach
is useful.
• Acupunctureand Chronic Knee Pain: Researchers randomly
assigned 282 patients with moderate to severe chronic knee pain to one of 4
groups, no acupuncture, needle acupuncture, laser acupuncture or sham laser.
Treatments were performed for 12 weeks. There were no significant differences
in pain relief or physical function between needle, laser or sham acupuncture
either at 12 weeks or 1 year. And while there were modest improvements in pain
and function comparing one or both of the active treatments with the control
group at 12 weeks, the relief was not maintained at 1 year. JAMA
COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
• Jazz and Silence Help Reduce HeartRate After Surgery: Patients
who listen to music or experience silence while recovering from surgery might
need less pain medication, and may be more relaxed and satisfied, concludes a
study of women undergoing elective hysterectomies. Anesthesiology 2014 Annual
Meeting
• What20 years of cannabis research has taught us: A major new review sets out the
latest information on the effects of cannabis use on mental and physical
health. While cannabis does not produce fatal overdoses, long term users have a
variety of adverse effects including: dependence syndrome, risks of psychotic
disorders; lower educational attainment; doubles the risk of being diagnosed
with schizophrenia. Addiction
• CAM
Most Used for Chronic Conditions: Complementary and alternative
medicine is most often used for the treatment of chronic skin conditions rather
than acute skin conditions, and herbal therapies are the most common form of
treatment used. JAMA Dermat.
• Mars Chocolate North America Issues Allergy Alert Voluntary Recall On
Undeclared Peanut Butter In M&M’s® Brand Milk Chocolate Theater Box
• Approves the first combination tablet
(Harvoni) to treat patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1
infection. The tablet contains ledipasvir and sofosbuvir.
• Approved Lumason (sulfur hexafluoride
lipid microsphere) for patients whose ultrasound image of the heart
(echocardiograms) are hard to see with ultrasound waves.
• Approved the Lutonix 035 Drug Coated Balloon
Percutaneous Transluminal Angioplasty Catheter (Lutonix DCB). This is the first
drug-coated balloon used to re-open arteries in the thigh (superficial femoral
arteries) and knee (popliteal arteries) when narrowed or blocked as a result of
peripheral artery disease (PAD).
• Approved Ofev and Esbriet to treat idiopathic
pulmonary fibrosis
PREVENTION
• Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors May Prevent 80%
of Heart Attacks: Middle-aged
and older men were much less likely to have heart attacks over an average of 11
years if they drank moderately, didn't smoke and did everything right on the
diet, exercise and weight fronts. Journal of the American
College of Cardiology
• Can
All Work and No Play Make You Diabetic? People who worked more than 55
hours a week at manual labor or other types of "low socioeconomic status
jobs" were 30 percent more likely to develop diabetes than those who
worked 35 to 40 hours a week. The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology
• Nature Walks With Others May Keep Depression at Bay: Taking nature walks
with other people may lower your stress levels and reduce your risk of
depression, a new study suggests. Ecopsychology
• Living Near a Highway May Be Bad for Your Blood Pressure: Among more than 5,000
postmenopausal women, those who lived within 109 yards of a busy road had a 22
percent greater risk of developing high blood pressure than women living at
least half a mile away, researchers report. Journal of the American Heart
Association
• HealthyLifestyle May Reduce Stroke in Half for Women: Women with a healthy diet and lifestyle may be less
likely to have a stroke by more than half, according to a study published in
the online edition of the journal Neurology
• Healthy
Habits Might Reduce Colon Cancer Risks: Researchers examined how five
lifestyle factors affected colon cancer risk: healthy weight; low amounts of
belly fat; regular physical activity; not smoking and limiting alcohol
consumption; and a well-balanced diet. This diet was high in fruits,
vegetables, fish, yogurt, nuts and seeds, and foods rich in fiber, and low in
red and processed meat.
The more of these factors people had, the lower their
risk for colon cancer, according to the researchers. BMC Medicine
• High Cholesterol Tied to Prostate Cancer’s Return: After surgery for prostate
cancer, elevated levels of cholesterol and triglycerides may be linked with
greater risk of the cancer's return, a new study suggests. Cancer Epidemiology,
Biomarkers & Prevention
• Is“Slow and Steady” Weight Loss Really the Best Way to Loose Weight?: A new
study found that that whether you opt for a "crash" diet or something
a bit slower, the rate at which you shed excess pounds has no bearing on
whether or not those pounds will come back. The Lancet Diabetes &
Endocrinology 10/15/14
• More Evidence That Exercise May Help Fight Depression: Physically
active people are less likely to show signs of depression, a new study finds. And
exercise can help improve mood in people who already feel depressed, but
there's a catch: Depressive symptoms appear to be a barrier to physical
activity, the British researchers said. The findings, based on 11,000 adults
ages 23 to 50, correlate with previous research suggesting that exercise can
have a powerful effect on depression, although it's far from a cure-all. AMA
Psychiatry
SUPPLEMENTS/NUTRITION/VITAMINS
• Which cereals are the healthiest: Consumer Reports has taken out the guess
work. Check out their chart for which cereals are the healthiest.
• Gene Study Finds No Proof Vitamin D Guards Against Type 2 Diabetes: British researchers investigated the
association between diabetes risk and vitamin D by focusing on genes that
control blood levels of vitamin D. They found no connection between different
variants of these genes and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The Lancet
Diabetes & Endocrinology
• Fish Oil and Fibrilation: High-dose fish oil does not stop AFib
recurrence in patients who aren’t receiving traditional therapy. The
researchers say the fish oil failed to reduce inflammation or stress markers,
which may explain why it didn’t work. Journal of the American College of
Cardiology
• Mediterranean
Diet Can Reverse Metabolic Syndrome: For people with metabolic
syndrome, a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or nuts
may help reverse the condition. Canadian Medical Association Journal.
• If You Do Gain Weight, Polyunsaturated Fats May Prevent Some Damage:
Muffins -- and other fatty foods -- can definitely put on the pounds, but
those made with polyunsaturated oil may be safer for your heart than if they're
made with saturated fats like butter, a small study suggests. That's because
olive oil, sunflower oil and other polyunsaturated fats won't increase cholesterol
like butter or palm oil, the researchers found. Journal of the American Heart
Association
• Even Decaf Coffee May Help the Liver: Another study suggests that coffee might actually be healthy for your liver, and that even decaffeinated coffee may have this effect. Hepatology
TREATMENT RESEARCH
• Behavioral Therapy Deemed Best forSocial Phobia: In a
review of 101 clinical trials, researchers found that "cognitive
behavioral therapy" often helped people with social phobia -- a type of
anxiety disorder where people have a deep fear of being judged by others or
embarrassed in public. The Lancet Psychiatry
• Common Painkillers Tied to Blood Clot Risk, StudySuggests People who use painkillers called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
(NSAIDs) -- which include aspirin, naproxen (Aleve) and ibuprofen (Advil,
Motrin) -- may be at increased risk for potentially deadly blood clots, a new
study suggests. Rheumatology
• EvolocumabSignificantly Reduces LDL-C Levels in Patients With FamilialHypercholesterolaemia: Evolocumab is highly effective at
reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels with few side
effects in people with familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH), according to 2
studies published in The Lancet.
• Long-ActingInsulin Superior to Intermediate-Acting Form for Patients With Diabetes: Long-acting
insulin is safer and more effective than intermediate-acting insulin for
patients with type 1 diabetes, according to a study published in BMJ.
• Leading lung health organizations releasefirst-ever evidence-based patient care guidelines in prevention of acuteexacerbations of COPD: The American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) and
the Canadian Thoracic Society (CTS) announced Oct. 16 the release of Prevention
of Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: American
College of Chest Physicians and Canadian Thoracic Society Guideline in the
journal CHEST. The guideline, a first of its kind, provides
evidence-based recommendations aimed at prevention of COPD exacerbations, which
can cause frequent hospital readmissions, death during or after a hospital
stay, and can potentially greatly reduce the quality of life for patients along
with carrying a heavy financial burden.
OTHER
The More Wired You are, the Less Dense YourGray Matter: Researchers
found that people who often use several forms of media simultaneously had lower
gray matter density in a specific area of the brain than those who used just
one device occasionally. It's conceivable that individuals with less dense gray
matter are more inclined to multitask due to weaker socio-emotional regulation.
But it's equally plausible that higher levels of exposure to multitasking
situations can lead to structural changes in the brain. PLoS One
It's time to get mad about the outrageous cost of health care: Why it’s so high, how it affects your wallet—and yes, what you can do
about it from Consumer Reports.
5 Physical therapy treatments you probably don't need: The American Physical Therapist Association, in conjunction with Choosing
Wisely and Consumer Reports has identified five treatments that you don’t need
from a physical therapist and what you can do instead.
• US Life Expectancy Hits Record High of Nearly 79 Years: Average life expectancy in the United States reached an all-time high of
78.8 years in 2012, federal officials reported Wednesday. The increased life
expectancy is likely due to Americans living healthier lifestyles, according to
researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Mortality
in the United States, 2012
• Genes May Make Some More Prone to
Heart Disease When Under Stress: Genes may interact with stress to trigger heart
disease in some people, a new study suggests. The genetic risk occurs in about
13 percent of people, but only in those who are white. The finding could help
these people reduce their heart disease risk through simple measures such as
exercise, a healthy diet and stress management, the Duke University researchers
said. European Journal of Human Genetics
• Chewing Gum While fasting beforeSurgery is Safe: Although
chewing gum significantly increases the volume of liquids in the stomach, it is
safe to administer sedatives or anesthesia to patients who have chewed gum
while fasting before surgery, reports a new study. Anesthesiology 2014
• Children with ChronicHealth Problems Less Likely to Graduate from High School: Approximately
32 million U.S. children have at least one chronic health condition, which can
negatively affect their chances of receiving a high school diploma or its
equivalent by age 21, finds a new study in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
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