CHRONIC PAIN
Does an exploding brain network cause chronic pain? New research reports that hyperreactive
brain networks could play a part in the hypersensitivity of fibromyalgia. Scientific Reports
Loosing Weight Helps Lower Pain Levels: A study of 123 obese patients found that losing
weight not only lowered pain levels in the knees and hips, but in unexpected
areas such as the abdomen, arm, chest and jaw. Study participants who could
reach the goal of losing 10% of their weight also reported better mental
health, improved cognition and more energy. Men in particular showed
improvements in their energy levels. The Journal of Pain
Interpersonal
Touch to Reduce Pain: A study of 23 couples found that
partner’s touch resulted in enhanced pain-reduction in comparison with others.
Women with highly empathetic partners reported increased pain-reduction
associates with that partner’s touch. Aeon
Migraine surgery produces 'dramatic improvements' in functioning, study finds: In addition
to reducing headache frequency and severity, surgical treatment for migraine
leads to significant improvements in everyday functioning and coping ability,
according to a new study. Plastic
and Reconstructive Surgery
Study uncovers potential key to preventing back pain in runners: A new study examines what
may cause chronic back pain in runners and the exercises to help prevent it.
The study suggests that runners with weak deep core muscles are at higher risk
of developing low back pain. And, unfortunately, most people's deep core
muscles aren't nearly as strong as they should be. Exercises such as planks that focus on stabilizing the core,
especially on unstable surfaces, are what's really going to make you a better
runner. Journal of Biomechanics
Hot Yoga Is No Better
Than Regular Yoga: Bikram
yoga has attracted a loyal following due to its steamy classes, which involve
26 specific postures and breathing exercises, typically performed in a room
heated to about 105 degrees. Proponents swear by the style’s ability to work up
a sweat and promote flexibility, and past research has shown that it’s good for your vascular health — but a small study published Thursday in Experimental Physiology suggests it’s
the physical practice of Bikram, not the sweltering heat, that’s good for you.
Available Evidence on Marijuana's Cardiovascular Effects Is Scant: The evidence examining associations between marijuana use
and cardiovascular risk factors and outcomes is limited, according to a review
published online Jan. 23 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
FDA ACTION
•
Approved Lutathera for Some Gastro and Pancreatic Cancers
•
Approves first treatment for breast cancer with a certain inherited genetic
mutation
•
Permits marketing of device to treat diabetic foot ulcers
•
Clears stereotactic radiotherapy system for use in treating brest cancer
•
Approves drug to treat dangerously low blood pressure
PREVENTION
Exercise can Help Boost Memory: A new
recommendation from the American Academy of Neurology suggests that exercise is
indeed helpful for people with mild cognitive impairment. Neurology
No greater risk of reaction than for those without an
allergy Annals of
Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, 2018
Thirty-year study shows women who breastfeed for 6 months or more reduce their diabetes risk
In a long-term national study, breastfeeding for six months or longer cuts the
risk of developing type 2 diabetes nearly in half for women throughout their
childbearing years, according to new research. JAMA Internal Medicine.
Hits, not concussions, cause chronic traumatic encephalopathy: New insights into the disease show
head impact, not concussion, triggers CTE and pave way for early detection,
prevention and treatment. Researchers have identified evidence of early Chronic
Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) brain pathology after head impact -- even in the
absence of signs of concussion. Early indicators of CTE pathology not only
persisted long after injury but also spread through the brain, providing the
best evidence to date that head impact, not concussion, causes CTE. Brain
Just one cigarette a day carries greater risk of heart disease and stroke than expected, warn expert
No safe level of smoking exists; smokers should aim to quit instead of
cutting down. Smoking just one
cigarette a day has a much higher risk of developing coronary heart disease and
stroke than expected -- about half the risk of smoking 20 per day -- concludes
a new review. BMJ
Aerobic exercise may mildly delay, slightly improve Alzheimer's symptoms: Geriatrics experts
have suggested that exercising can improve brain health in older adults.
However, not all studies of exercise and older adults have proven the benefits
of exercise. A team of researchers designed a study to learn whether exercise
could delay or improve AD symptoms. They reviewed 19 studies that examined the effect
of an exercise training program on cognitive function in older adults who were
at risk for or diagnosed with AD. The
research team concluded that this study may be the first to show that for older
adults who are at risk for or who have AD, aerobic exercise may be more
effective than other types of exercise in preserving the ability to think and
make decisions. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Multidomain Lifestyle Intervention May Aid Cognition in APOE ε4 Carriers: A multidomain lifestyle
intervention seems to be beneficial for cognition in older at-risk individuals,
even among apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 carriers, according to a study
published online Jan. 22 in JAMA Neurology.
Cognitive Training Aids Memory in People With Mild Impairment: Cognitive training improves memory in older patients with
mild cognitive impairment (MCI), according to a study published online Jan. 4
in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
Repeated Flu Vaccinations Help Prevent Severe Infection: Vaccination for influenza for
multiple seasons is twice as effective in preventing severe influenza --
compared with non-severe influenza -- in older patients admitted to hospital,
according to a study published in the Jan. 8 issue of CMAJ, the journal
of the Canadian Medical Association.
NUTRITION/SUPPLEMENTS/VITAMINS
Best Diets for 2018:
Your New Year's resolution diet should be based on a well-balanced eating plan that
fits your lifestyle, rather than a weird fad replete with food restrictions.
That's according to U.S. News & World Report's best diet rankings for 2018.
The two diets that tied for the top spot -- the Mediterranean Diet and the DASH
Diet -- fit that bill because they feature real food and reasonable, flexible
guidelines, experts said.
Energy Drinks Can Negatively Impact Health of Youth: Over half of Canadian youth and young adults who have
consumed energy drinks have experienced negative health effects as a result,
including rapid heartbeat, nausea, and in rare cases, seizures, according to a
new study. CMAJ
Vitamin D Protects Against Cold and Flu: A new
global collaborative study has confirmed that vitamin D supplementation can
help protect against acute respiratory infections. The study, a participant
data meta-analysis of 25 randomized controlled trials including more than
11,000 participants, has been published online in The BMJ. The investigators
found that daily or weekly supplementation had the greatest benefit for
individuals with the most significant vitamin D deficiency (blood levels below
10 mg/dl) — cutting their risk of respiratory infection in half — and that all
participants experienced some beneficial effects from regular vitamin D
supplementation. Administering occasional high doses of vitamin D did not produce
significant benefits.
Diet rich in apples and tomatoes may help repair lungs of ex-smokers, study suggests Study also
found that regular intake of tomatoes may also help slow the natural decline in
lung function among all adults. The natural decline in lung function over a
10-year period was slower among former smokers with a diet high in tomatoes and
fruits, especially apples, suggesting certain components in these foods might
help restore lung damage caused by smoking. European Respiratory Journal,
Paleolithic diet healthier for overweight women: Overweight women after menopause who eat a
Paleolithic diet can maintain weight loss in the long term. The levels of risk
factors of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases also decrease. Umeå
universitet
MIND diet may slow cognitive decline in stroke survivors: A diet created by researchers may
help substantially slow cognitive decline in stroke survivors, according to
preliminary research. The finding are significant because stroke survivors are
twice as likely to develop dementia compared to the general population. The diet, known as the MIND
diet, is short for Mediterranean-DASH Diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative
Delay. The diet is a hybrid of the Mediterranean and DASH (Dietary Approaches
to Stop Hypertension) diets. Both have been found to reduce the risk of
cardiovascular conditions such as hypertension, heart attack and stroke.
American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference
Mediterranean Diet May Lower Risk of Aggressive Prostate Cancer: High adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with
a lower risk of aggressive prostate cancer, according to a study published in
the February issue of The Journal of Urology.
Adherence to Mediterranean
Diet Linked to Reduced Frailty: For community-dwelling older adults, greater adherence to
a Mediterranean diet is associated with reduced risk of incident frailty,
according to a review published online Jan. 11 in the Journal of the
American Geriatrics Society a
TREATMENT
Hysterectomy May Have Long-Term Health Risks: Women
who undergo a hysterectomy are at greater risk for heart disease and other
health issues -- even if they keep their ovaries, new research suggests.
Menopause
First vaccine in the world developed against grass pollen allergy: Around 400 million people
world-wide suffer in some form or other from a grass pollen allergy (rhinitis)
– with the usual symptoms such as a runny nose, cough and severe breathing
problems. Medical researchers have now shown in a Phase II-b study with 180
patients in 11 European centers, that four injections of the synthetically
manufactured vaccine BM32 in the first year and a top-up in the second year of
treatment relieve the sufferers' symptoms by at least 25%. Journal of Allergy
and Clinical Immunology
Combo of BP, Cholesterol Meds Tied to Reduced Stroke Risk: For patients with intermediate risk of cardiovascular
disease, combining antihypertensive therapy and statin medications is
associated with a 44 percent reduction in stroke, according to a study
presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference
Guidelines of Care Developed for Skin Cancer Management: Guidelines of care have been developed for the management
of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC),
according to two reports published online Jan. 10 in the Journal of the
American Academy of Dermatology.
Broader Statin Use Improves Atherosclerotic CVD Prevention: Guidelines that recommend statins for more people for
primary prevention of atherosclerosis are likely to prevent more
atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) events than guidelines that
recommend fewer people take statins, according to a study published online Jan.
1 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Chronic Disease Care: Family Family helpers play key roles, but feel left out by providers : People with
diabetes, heart failure and other chronic diseases often live independent
lives, without a traditional 'caregiver.' But many of them have a family member
or friend who plays a key supporting role in their health care. A new study
finds that many of these 'health supporters' wish they could understand their
loved one's condition better, or get more involved in helping them navigate a
long-term illness. But it also reveals that many aren't getting the information
or access from health providers that could help them do that better. Families, Systems and Health,
OTHER
Clean Air Act May BeSaving More Lives than Thought: The number of Americans who die each year
from inhaling fine-particle pollutants has dropped dramatically since 1970,
thanks to laws that originated from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. That
finding stems from an investigation, led by Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT) researchers, into the impact of EPA rules enacted by the 1970
Clean Air Act and amendments added to it in 1990.
Odds of Post-Op Mortality
Increase As Weekend Approaches: Mortality after elective surgery increases in graded
manner as day of surgery approaches weekend. Medical Care
Walmart Launches Disposal
Solution for Opioids, Rx Meds: Walmart is launching a first-of-its-kind opioid disposal
solution in all company pharmacies, which is available at no cost, according to
a press release from the company.
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