CHRONIC PAIN
• New Technologies Can help Short Circuit Chronic Pain: As part
of a comprehensive treatment plan, a variety of technologies offer new hope to
people living with chronic pain. This article reviews a few of these,- radio
waves, electrical pulses (TENS), image-guided injections, spinal cord
stimulation, and special pumps to
deliver pain medication-in an effort to give hope to those who suffer. Science
Daily
• Oral Contraceptives and Rheumatoid Arthritis: Oral contraceptives -- also known as birth control pills -- may ease pain and improve functioning in women with rheumatoid arthritis, a small German study suggests. Arthritis Care & Research
COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
• Many Seniors with Cancer Use
Alternative Medicines: Many
elderly cancer patients use alternative medicines, including some that could
interfere with their treatment, a new study shows. Many of these patients don't
tell their doctors they are using complementary or alternative medicines
(CAMs). Journal of Geriatric Oncology
• Mixed Findings on Pot’s Effect on the Developing Brain: Marijuana's
potential effect on brain structure remains a subject of intense scientific
scrutiny, but mixed results have emerged from two of the latest studies on the
topic. Researchers in one study have concluded that marijuana use likely does
not directly affect the size of the amygdala, a brain site linked with emotion,
emotional behavior and motivation. "We found that while cannabis users had
lower amygdala volumes than nonusers, that difference appears to be linked to
other predisposing factors." But researchers in the other study found that
marijuana use in the teenage years could increase kids' risk for developing
schizophrenia if they carry a high genetic risk for the mental illness. JAMA
Psychiatry
•
Hypertensive Patients Benefit From Acupuncture Treatments: Patients
with hypertension treated with acupuncture experienced drops in their blood
pressure that lasted up to a month and a half, researchers have found. This
work is the first to scientifically confirm that this ancient Chinese practice
is beneficial in treating mild to moderate hypertension, and it indicates that
regular use could help people control their blood pressure and lessen their
risk of stroke and heart disease. Medical Acupuncture
• Tai Chi for People with Long-Term Health Conditions: he slow, fluid movements of tai chi --
an ancient Chinese exercise -- appear to help older adults with chronic
conditions improve their physical function, a new review suggests.
Specifically, those with breast cancer, heart failure, osteoarthritis or
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, which includes emphysema) saw
improvements in strength, balance and posture without worsening pain or being
out of breath. British Journal of Sports Medicine
• Yoga Improves Arthritis Symptoms,Mood: Yoga can be safe and effective for people with
arthritis, a randomized trial of people with two common forms of arthritis has
found. The researchers report that eight weeks of yoga classes improved the
physical and mental well being of people with two common forms of arthritis,
knee osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. The Journal of Rheumatology
FDA ACTION
• Approved
Flibanserin to boost women’s sex drive
• Requiring
manufacturers of testosterone supplements to conduct clinical trials to test
whether men benefit from treatments to reverse age related dips in
testosterone.
• Issued
Warning about reports of severe allergic reactions and herpes zoster associated
with the use of ingenol mebutate (Picato gel).
• Approves Repatha for High Cholesterol, the
second non-statin drug in its class approved to treat high cholesterol
• Warns of joint pain tied to widely prescribed
type 2 Diabetes drugs- sitagliptin (Januvia), saxagliptin (Onglyza),
linagliptin (Tradjenta) and alogliptin (Nesina)
• Propoposed New Rules to Keep Food Safety
http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm459072.htm
• Strengthened
warning for the type 2 Diabetes drug Invokana and Invokamet relating to the
increased risk of bone fractures, and added new information about decreased
bone mineral density.
• Alert for
voluntary recall of all non-expired drug products produced for sterile use and
distributed nationwide by Medistat RX, LLC in Foley, Al due to possible
contamination. Recall is for Nov. 1, 2014 to Sept. 3, 2015
• Expanded
alert for compounder or repackaged drugs stored in Becton-Dickinson general use
syringes.
• Bans Sale of
New R.J. Reynolds Cigarettes
PREVENTION
Workaholics May Face Higher Stroke Risk: "Working long hours is associated
with a significantly increased risk of stroke, and perhaps also coronary heart
disease," putting millions of workers who put in lots of overtime at risk
for a stroke. The Lancet
• Physical Activity, Nutritional
Supplements Fail to Have Significant Effect on Cognitive Function: Two studies published in the
August 25 issue of JAMA show that physical activity and nutrient
supplementation have no effect on cognitive function. A total of 1,635
participants aged 70 to 89 years were randomised to a structured,
moderate-intensity physical activity program (n = 818) that included walking,
resistance training, and flexibility exercises, or to a health education
program (n = 817) of educational workshops and upper-extremity stretching.
• Short
Intense Workouts May Help Hearts of Diabetics: New research suggests that short
bouts of high-intensity exercise could help reverse some early cardiac changes
in people with type 2 diabetes. The data also suggest that this type of
high-intensity intermittent exercise benefits both the heart and diabetes
control, but the benefits appear to be greatest in the heart. Diabetologia
• Naps May Do a Heart Good: A study of 400 middle aged adults found
that those who napped saw their systolic blood pressure reading
(the number on top of the standard blood pressure ratio) drop an average of 5
percent over the course of the day, compared with patients who didn't rest.
European Society of Cardiology
• Too Little Sleep May Quadruple Your Risk for Colds: When
you're run down from lack of sleep, you really are more apt to catch a cold, a
new study finds. Investigators exposed 164 adults to a cold virus, and found
better-rested folks more likely to resist infection. Sleep
• Too
much too little sleep may harm the heart: Folks who get too much or too
little sleep -- or not enough quality rest -- are more likely to suffer from
stiffened arteries and calcium deposits on the walls of their major arteries.
The sweet spot appears to be about seven hours of sleep, the researchers
reported. People who got more or less sleep tended to have increased signs of
potential future heart problems. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular
Biology
• OtherPeople’s Flu Vaccines Help Seniors: Higher flu vaccination rates for
young and middle-aged adults seem to lower the risk of flu among older people.
That's important because seniors have a greater risk for serious flu-related
complications. Clinical Infectious Diseases
SUPPLEMENTATION/VITAMINS/NUTRITION
• Fewer Seniors Falls While Taking Vitamin D: Over five months, 68 homebound seniors received either
a monthly vitamin D supplement of 100,000 international units or a placebo with
their Meals on Wheels prepared-food deliveries. At the start of the study, more
than half of the seniors had insufficient vitamin D levels, and fewer than
one-quarter had optimal levels. The supplements increased vitamin D from
insufficient to sufficient levels in all but one senior who received the
supplements, and to optimal levels in all but five. Seniors who received the
vitamin D supplements reported about half the falls as those in the placebo
group. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
• Vitamin A Implicated in Development of Alcoholic Liver Disease: Chronic alcohol consumption has a dramatic effect on the
way the body handles vitamin A. Long-term drinking lowers vitamin A levels in
the liver, which is the main site of alcohol breakdown and vitamin A storage,
while raising vitamin A levels in many other tissues. This opens the doors for
novel treatments of alcoholic liver disease that focus on counteracting
alcohol's effect on vitamin A in the liver. The FASEB Journal
• No Benefit of Omega-3 Supplements for Cognitive Decline: While some
research suggests that a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids can protect brain
health, a large clinical trial found that omega-3 supplements did not slow
cognitive decline in older persons. With 4,000 patients followed over a
five-year period, the study is one of the largest and longest of its kind. JAMA
• One or Two Drinks a Day Might Boost Cancer Risk: A new study of 136,000 adults found light to moderate
drinking was associated with an increased risk of breast cancer in women and
several other cancers in male smokers. Light drinking is defined as up to one
drink a day for women and up to two drinks daily for men, the researchers
added. BMJ
• Could Eating Fish Help Ward Off Depression?: Chinese researchers found that
people who consumed the most fish lowered their risk of depression by 17
percent compared to those who ate the least. Journal of Epidemiology &
Community Health
• How Safe is your ground beef? According to Consumer Reports, if it’s
labeled grass fed organic it’s going to be a lot better for you than what is
generally available at your grocery store. Consumer Reports
• High Protein Snacks: A study from Consumer Reports finds: you don’t need to reach for foods promoted as high
protein snacks or otherwise go out of your way to do so. Most people easily get
the 0.4 gram of protein per pound of body weight each day that experts
recommend (0.6 gram if you’re over 65 and 1 gram if you’re an athlete). It’s
best if the protein comes from whole foods like beans, eggs, low-fat dairy,
lean meats, nuts, quinoa, seafood, and tofu. In most cases, you’re better off
choosing the regular version over the high protein snack version.
• Beta Glucan enriched pasta boosts good gut bacteria and lowered cholesterol: People fed beta-glucan-enriched pasta for two months showed
increased populations of beneficial bacteria in their intestinal tracts, and
reduced populations of non-beneficial bacteria. They also showed reduced LDL
(bad) cholesterol. This work is part of a broad effort to identify potential
prebiotics -- foods that could encourage the growth of health-promoting
bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract. Applied and Environmental
Microbiology
TREATMENT
• Antibiotics Linked to Type 2 Diabetes:Danish researchers found that people with type 2 diabetes tended to take
more antibiotics in the years leading up to their diagnosis than Danes without
the condition. Although the researchers uncovered an association between
antibiotic use and type 2 diabetes, it's important to note they did not
establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship. Journal of Clinical
Endocriniology & Metabolism
• Flu
Vaccines Offer About 6 Months of Protection: A study of more than 1,700
Americans of all ages received flu shots for four flu seasons, from 2010-2011
through 2013-2014. Annual flu shots offered up to six months of protection.
This means flu vaccination reduced one's risk of a doctor's visit by
approximately 50 to 70 percent American Society of Microbiology, news release,
Aug. 24, 2015
OTHER
• When
Spouse has a Stroke, Caregiver Suffers: Swedish researchers evaluated nearly 250 caregiving
partners of stroke survivors and found they scored lower on tests of mental and
physical well-being than people with healthy spouses. Their vitality and social
life also suffered, not only in the first years after stroke, but over many
years. Stroke
• Head Lice Now Resistant in 25 States: Drug-resistant head lice are very likely
coming to a school near you, U.S. investigators warn. At least 25 states host lice populations that don't
respond to common over-the-counter treatments, a new analysis reveals. American
Chemical Society
• Many Say Mental Care is Vital but Hard to Get: In questioning more than 2,000
adults, nearly 90 percent said they place equal value on mental and physical
health. But one-third said mental health care is inaccessible. And 40 percent
said cost is a barrier to treatment for many people, the survey found. Anxiety
and Depression Association of America
• US Smoking rate falls to 15%: The U.S. smoking
rate continues to decline, with just over 15 percent of adults reporting
they're current smokers, a new government survey reveals. That's down from
nearly 17 percent in 2014 and almost 18 percent in 2013. The falloff reflects a
continued decline that started in 2010 after a decade of no progress against
smoking. U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention
• Many
Teens With Chronic Illness Use Alcohol, Pot: Teens with chronic diseases such
as asthma and juvenile arthritis have to manage their health carefully, yet
many of them have had alcohol or smoked marijuana in the last year, a new study
shows. Pediatrics
• How Reliable are Medical Studies?: Independent researchers couldn't
reproduce the findings of more than half of 100 experiments previously
published in three prominent psychology journals, a new review reports. Only 47
percent of the follow-up studies were able to reproduce the same effects of the
original studies, the review found. The strength of findings found during
original studies also appeared to diminish when successfully replicated.
Science
• Antibacterial Soaps Fail to Beat Plain Soap: Lab tests conducted by a team of Korean
researchers revealed that when bacteria are exposed to the standard
over-the-counter antibacterial ingredient known as triclosan for hours at a
time, the antiseptic formulation is a more potent killer than plain soap. The
problem: People wash their hands for a matter of seconds, not hours. And in
real-world tests, the research team found no evidence to suggest that normal
hand-washing with antibacterial soap does any more to clean the hands than
plain soap. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
