CHRONIC PAIN
Spinal Cord Stimulation System that Treats
Pain Without Tingling Sensation Approved: The FDA approved the Senza spinal cord stimulation
(SCS) system (Senza System) as an aid in the management of chronic intractable
pain of the trunk and/or limbs, including pain associated with failed back
surgery syndrome, low back pain and leg pain. The Senza System can reduce pain
without producing a tingling sensation called paresthesia by providing high
frequency stimulation (at 10 KHz) and low stimulation amplitudes.
Shingles Vaccine Appears to Cut Odds of Long Term Pain: Even
when shingles vaccination does not prevent the disease, it reduces the risk of
long-term pain that can occur as a complication of the condition, according to
a new study. Journal of Infectious Diseases.
Talking Therapy Shows Promise for People WithChronic Low Back Pain: A new
treatment, contextual cognitive behavioural therapy (CCBT), is particularly
promising, as it focuses on accepting pain that cannot be cured, and learning
to live life to the full amid the pain. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders
COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
Keep calm and Carry On: Reacting positively to stressful situations may play a key role in
long-term health, according to researchers. Adults who fail to maintain
positive moods such as cheerfulness or calm when faced with the minor stressors
of everyday life appear to have elevated levels of inflammation. Furthermore,
women can be at heightened risk, the researchers say. Health Psychology
FDA ACTION
• Approves
additional antibacterial treatment for plague
• Spinal cord
stimulation system that treats pain without tingling sensation approved
• Safety
communication for LifeCare PCA3 and PCA5 Infusion Pump Systems by Hospira
• Cautions
about dose confusion, medication errors for Ceftolozane, Tazobactam
• Reported that
it’s not always possible to tell if dark chocolate contains milk by reading the
ingredients list. Of 94 dark chocolate bars tested, only six listed milk as an
ingredient but 51 of them actually contained milk.
• Approved
brain stimulation device for Parkinson’s Disease
• Banned
harmful trans fats
• Recommended
Approval of two New Cholesterol Drugs: evolocumab (Repatha) for use in patients
who at very high risk for high cholesterol and alirocumab (Praluent), both of
which are PCSK9 inhibitors.
PREVENTION
• At Home Walks Help Those with Clogged Leg Arteries: Support
groups that encourage walking exercises at home can improve the mobility of
people with clogged leg arteries-called peripheral artery disease- a new study
finds. Journal of the American Heart Association
• Cholesterol
Drugs May Lower Stroke Risk for Healthy Older Adults: A
study found that when people took statins or fibrates, their risk of stroke
over almost a decade went down by about one-third. BMJ
• 1 Dose of HPV Vaccine May be Sufficient: One dose of the human
papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine Cervarix could prevent as many cases of cervical
cancer as the current two- and three-dose schedules, a new study contends. The
Lancet Oncology
• Diet
and Exercise May Not Stave off Muscle Loss: A meta analysis of 17 studies
that looked at whether diet and exercise programs in men and women older than
65 could prevent the loss of muscle mass that current evidence is incomplete
and inconsistent. Further research to determine the benefits of supplementation
and exercise training for older people is therefore needed.” Clinical
Interventions in Aging
• Most Physical Activity Helps You Sleep Better but not housework and child care: Researchers
looked at data from a survey of more than 429,000 American adults. They found
that activities such as walking, bicycling, running, weight lifting,
aerobics/calisthenics, gardening, yoga/Pilates and golfing were all linked to
better odds of a good night's slumber. But, people who got physical activity
from household chores and child care had a greater risk of poor sleep,
according to the study. Associated Professional Sleep Societies
• Poor Sleep Associated with Increased Risk of Heart Attack, Stroke: Poor
sleep is associated with increased risk of heart attack and stroke, according
to results from a recent study. The study included a representative sample of
657 men aged 25 to 64 years with no history of heart attack, stroke or
diabetes. In terms of sleep quality, very bad, bad or poor ratings were
considered a sleeping disorder in the study. European Society of Cardiology
• Aerobic
Exercise Can Help Curb Asthma: Researchers led by Celso Carvalho of
the University of Sao Paolo School of Medicine looked at outcomes for 43
people, aged 20 to 59, with moderate to severe asthma. They were randomly
selected to do 30-minute yoga breathing exercises twice a week, or the
breathing exercises plus a 35-minute indoor treadmill session twice a week.
After three months, those in the treadmill group showed greater reductions in
asthma severity and more improvement in their quality of life. Thorax
• Exercise,
Games, Puzzles Don’t Prevent Signs of Alzheimer’s in the Brain: Physical
and mental activity don't appear to prevent the brain from developing the
telltale beta-amyloid deposits that are a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, a
new study suggests. Neurology
• Treating Gum Disease Might Help Prostate Symptoms: Treating gum disease may help
reduce symptoms of prostate inflammation, which can make urination difficult, a
small study suggests. Denistry
• Weight
Training’s Benefits May Depend on Genetics: Strength-building workouts seem
to be most effective for those with a low genetic risk for a high body-mass
index (BMI), the study found. BMI is a rough estimate of a person's body fat --
the higher the number, the more fat a person has. "This doesn't mean that
resistance training is futile for women with higher genetic risk for obesity.
It means those with lower genetic risk just benefited more. International
Journal of Obesity
SUPPLEMENTS/VITAMINS/NUTRITION
• Coffee May Help Keep Impotence at Bay: The study, from the University of Texas
Health Science Center at Houston, found that men who consume more caffeine each
day had a lower risk of erectile dysfunction. The exception? Men with diabetes
-- for them, extra caffeine didn't lower their odds for impotence. Plos One
• Older Americans Need Protein to Keep Muscles Strong: Older
adults need a protein-rich diet to maintain muscle mass and strength, a new
study suggests. Protein should come from animal and plant sources, since each
type of protein appears to play different roles in maintaining lean muscle mass
and leg strength. Plant protein helps preserve muscle strength, while animal
protein is linked to muscle mass, the researchers said. Journal of Nutrition
• Nut Consumption Associated with Reduced Risk of Some Types of Cancer: A new
systematic review and meta-analysis shows that nut consumption is, indeed,
associated with a decreased risk of certain types of cancer (colorectal,
endometrial and pancreatic), but not type 2 diabetes. Nutrition Reviews
• Fish Oil Tied to Better Brain Function in Older Adults: A
study of 40 mentally healthy adults, aged 65 to 75, who had the gene variant
APOE e4, which put them at risk for late-onset Alzheimer's, found that those
who consumed higher amounts of two omega-3 fatty acids found in fish -- DHA and
EPA -- did better on tests that assessed their ability to switch between mental
tasks. They also had a larger anterior cingulate cortex, a part of the brain
involved in mental flexibility. The
findings suggest -- but do not prove -- that consuming DHA and EPA omega-3
fatty acids might improve mental flexibility by boosting the size of the
anterior cingulate cortex. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience
• Soy Supplements Don’t Improve Asthma: Despite previous findings suggesting a
link between soy intake and decreased asthma severity, a new placebo-controlled
study shows soy supplements do not improve lung function for patients with
asthma. The paper highlights the importance of focusing on overall health --
not just one food -- to manage disease and the importance of performing
well-designed studies. JAMA
• Drinking Chamomile Decreases Risk of Death in Older Mexican American Women: Drinking chamomile tea was
associated with a decreased risk of death from all causes in Mexican-American
American women over 65, a new study has shown. Chamomile is one of the oldest,
most-widely used and well-documented medicinal plants in the world and has been
recommended for a variety of healing applications. It is currently widely used
as an herbal remedy in Mexico and among Mexican-Americans. Science Daily
• More Research Hints at Chocolate Benefits: Middle-aged or older folks who ate as much as 3.5
ounces of chocolate-milk or dark- a day seemed to receive heart health
benefits, British researchers report in the June 16 issue of the journal Heart.
While the study uncovered a link between chocolate and heart health, it didn't
prove cause-and-effect. The research team mainly based its findings on almost
21,000 adults taking part in a study that is tracking the impact of diet on the
long-term health of 25,000 men and women in Norfolk, England.
TREATMENT
• Asthma Treatments Fail Older Patients More: Researchers
looked at 1,200 patients with mild-to-moderate asthma, especially inhaled
corticosteroids, and found that treatment failure occurred in about 17 percent
of those aged 30 and older, compared with about 10 percent of those younger
than 30. Researchers looked at 1,200 patients with mild-to-moderate asthma, and
found that treatment failure occurred in about 17 percent of those aged 30 and
older, compared with about 10 percent of those younger than 30. American
Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
• ADHD
Med for Menopause Symptoms: A drug, Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine)
marketed for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder might improve memory and
concentration problems associated with menopause, a new, small study suggests.
Psychopharmacology
• Popular Heartburn Meds Linked to Heart Attack: Using medical records from nearly 300,000 U.S. adults
with acid reflux disease (commonly called heartburn), researchers found that
the risk of heart attack was slightly elevated among those using proton pump
inhibitors (Prevacid, Prilosec and Nexium). Another class of heartburn drug --
so-called H2-blockers (Zantac, Pepcid and Tagamet) -- was not linked to any
increase in heart attack risk. PLOS One
• Using Same Hospital for Complications After Surgery Lowers Death Risk: Surgery patients who suffer
complications after discharge from a hospital are more likely to die if they're
readmitted to a different hospital than where they had their original
operation, a new study finds. The Lancet
OTHER
• People with Depression More Likely to
Develop Parkinson’s Disease:“We saw this link between depression and Parkinson’s disease over a
timespan of more than two decades, so depression may be a very early symptom of
Parkinson’s disease or a risk factor for the disease.” The researchers also
examined siblings, and found no link between one sibling having depression and
the other having Parkinson’s disease. “If the diseases were independent of each
other but caused by the same genetic or early environmental factors, then we
would expect to see the two diseases group together in siblings, but that
didn’t happen.” Neurology
• Depression Linked to Death in Patients with Heart Failure: Heart failure
patients with moderate to severe depression had a five times higher risk of
death than those with no or mild depression, researchers found. European
Society of Cardiology
• Over 4 Million Workers Suffer From
Anxiety Disorders: A new
study finds that 4.3 million Americans with full-time jobs had an anxiety
disorder in the past year. That number represents 3.7 percent of full-time
workers aged 18 and older, according to the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
• Almost 1/3 of the U.S. population are informal Caregivers:
Providing about 1.2 hours of unpaid work, American provide the equivalent of
about 30.5 million full time care aides. Interestingly, the sandwich
generation, those caring for parents and children, only makes up about 3% of
this population. The elderly were frequently cared for by spouses not their
adult children. About 20% of caregiving time spent on people 80 years or older
comes from people of the same age. Older
men provided slightly more spousal care than women, Zagheni said, which might
be explained by men dying earlier, possibly before they need much care, and
women living longer but being in poor health at older ages. And much less
caregiving time was spent on elderly people compared with young children.
Across the various age groups, elderly people received caregiving typically no
more than 1.5 hours daily, on average, compared with six hours for young
children. Population and Development Review
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