CHRONIC PAIN
• Sleep is Key to Curing Chronic Pain: A ink between chronic pain and lack of sleep has been
identified by a team of researchers. They also discovered that people with pain
who believe they won't be able to sleep are more likely to suffer from
insomnia, thus causing worse pain. A pioneering study could lead to specific
cognitive therapy to cure insomnia and treat chronic pain. Journal of
Clinical Sleep Medicine
• Ketamine May Be Useful in Migraine, Chronic Pain: Ketamine, typically thought of as a
powerful sedative restricted to surgical use, is now generating a lot of
interest among pain management specialists as a useful approach to refractory migraine
and complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). Academy of Integrative Pain
Management Annual Meeting
• Tai
Chi Can Help Relieve chronic neck Pain: Tai Chi, a low-impact mind-body
exercise, can be as effective as neck exercises in relieving persistent neck
pain, according to results of randomized controlled trial. The Journal of Pain
COMPLEMENTARY & ALTERNATIVE
MEDICINE
• Certain alternative therapies may help patients with bowel
disorders: A new review looks at the evidence
behind the effectiveness of complementary or alternative therapies-including
probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, fiber, and herbal medicinal products-for
the treatment of bowel disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS),
functional constipation, and ulcerative colitis. Probiotics, synbiotics,
psyllium, and some herbal medicinal products (primarily peppermint oil) seem to
be effective in ameliorating IBS symptoms. Synbiotics and fiber seem to be
beneficial in patients with functional constipation, and the non-pathogenic
strain Nissle 1917 of Escherichia coli may be effective in maintaining
remission in patients with ulcerative colitis. British Journal of
Pharmacology
• Yoga May be Viable Option for People with Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Yoga
could help reduce symptoms for people with Generalized Anxiety Disorder,
according to a study published by Georgia State University researchers in the International
Journal of Yoga Therapy.
• Acupuncture reduces hot flashes for half of women, study finds: Hot
flashes – the bane of existence for many women during menopause – can be
reduced in frequency by almost half for about 50 percent of women over eight
weeks of acupuncture treatment, according to scientists. Menopause
• Changes in Emotional Processing with Mindfulness Meditation: Mindfulness
meditation produces demonstrable changes in emotional processing. “Findings
provide experimental evidence demonstrating that brief mindfulness meditation,
but not deliberate engagement in state mindfulness, produces demonstrable
changes in emotional processing indicative of reduced emotional
reactivity," the authors write. "Importantly, these effects are akin
to those observed in individuals with naturally high dispositional mindfulness,
suggesting that the benefits of mindfulness can be cultivated through
practice." Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
• Cannabis excess linked to bone disease, fractures: People who regularly
smoke large amounts of cannabis have reduced bone density and are more prone to
fractures, research has found. The study also found that heavy cannabis users
have a lower body weight and a reduced body mass index (BMI), which could
contribute to thinning of their bones. The
American Journal of Medicine
FDA ACTION
• Approves first drug, Exondys 51, to treat Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
• Approved Amjevita
(adalimumab-atto) as a biosimilar to Humira (adalimumab) for multiple
inflammatory diseases (active rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing
spondylitis; moderate to severe Crohn’s disease; ulcerative colitis and plaque
psoriasis.
• Approved three new
indications for Ilaris (canakinumab). The new indications are for rare and
serious auto-inflammatory diseases in adult and pediatric patients.
• Permitted marketing of a
device that uses a small balloon to treat persistent Eustachian tube
dysfunction (ETD), a condition in which pressure, pain or clogged or muffled
sensations occur in the ear.
• Approved 1st automated insulin delivery device the MiniMed 670G
hybrid closed looped system
• Approves BurstDR Stimulation for chronic
pain
PREVENTION
• Exercise Not Shown to Reduce Women’s Risk of Developing MS: A large, new study shows no
evidence that exercise may reduce a woman's risk of developing multiple
sclerosis (MS). Previous small studies had shown conflicting results. Neurology
• No Evidence Activity Tracker Devices Raise Fitness Levels:
There's no evidence that fitness tracking devices raise activity levels enough
to improve health, even with financial rewards. The Lancet Diabetes &
Endocrinology.
• Anger Exertion Hikes Heart Attack Risk: If you're angry or upset, you might want to simmer
down before heading out for an intense run or gym workout. A new study ties
heavy exertion while stressed or mad to a tripled risk of having a heart attack
within an hour.
NUTRITION/SUPPLEMENTS/VITAMINS
• Heavy Drinking Can Harm the Aging Brain: As people age, the harmful effects of heavy
drinking can take a toll on key brain functions, such as memory, attention and
learning, a new study shows. A lifetime history of alcohol dependence was also
linked with worse learning, memory and motor function, the researchers
reported. These people also had reductions in their attention or executive
function (which includes reasoning and working memory), regardless of their
age, the findings showed. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research
• Vitamin E May Prevent Pneumonia in Non Smoking Elderly Men: Administration
of 50 mg per day of vitamin E decreased the risk of pneumonia in elderly male
smokers by 72% after they quit smoking, according to a new article. Clinical
Interventions in Aging
• Omega 3 Fatty Acid Stops Known Trigger of Lupus: Consuming an omega-3 fatty acid
called DHA, or docosahexaenoic acid, can stop a known trigger of lupus and
potentially other autoimmune disorders, researchers have discovered. Plos One
• Excess dietary zinc worsens C.diff infection: The consumption of dietary supplements
and cold therapies containing high concentrations of zinc is now being called
into question, following research that suggests it may worsen Clostridium
difficile infection. Nature Medicine
• Fish Oil May Help Improve Mood in Veterans: Low concentration of fish oil in
the blood and lack of physical activity may contribute to the high levels of
depressed mood among soldiers returning from combat, according to researchers.
Military Medicine
• More Evidence for Benefit of Reduced Salt Intake on Mortality: Sodium
intake has a direct relationship with total mortality, according to a report.
Over 24 years, people who consumed less than 2,300 mg of sodium a day had a 25
percent lower mortality risk, compared with those who consumed 2,300 to 3,600
mg/day. Journal of the American College of Cardiology
• Eating Oats Can Lower Cholesterol: Researchers have known for more than 50
years that eating oats can lower cholesterol levels and thus reduce a person's
risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Studies during that time have
focused on the impact of oats on levels of LDL (or "lousy")
cholesterol, which collects in the walls of blood vessels where it can cause
blockages or blood clots. But there is growing evidence that two other markers
provide an even more accurate assessment of cardiovascular risk -- non-HDL
cholesterol (total cholesterol minus the "H" or "healthy
cholesterol") and apolipoprotein B, or apoB, a lipoprotein that carries
bad cholesterol through the blood. Science Daily
• Calcium Supplements May Damage the Heart: Taking calcium in the form of
supplements may raise the risk of plaque buildup in arteries and heart damage,
although a diet high in calcium-rich foods appears be protective, say
researchers at conclusion of their study that analyzed 10 years of medical
tests on more than 2,700 people. JAMA
• High-protein diet curbs metabolic benefits of weight loss: Dieters
sometimes consume extra protein to stave off hunger and prevent loss of muscle
tissue that often comes with weight loss. But in a study of 34 postmenopausal
women with obesity, researchers found that eating too much protein eliminates
an important health benefit of weight loss: improvement in insulin sensitivity,
which is critical to lowering diabetes risk. Cell Reports
• Forty Years of Low Fat diets a failed experiment: Recent
research suggests that eating a low-fat/high-carbohydrate diet—which Americans
were advised to do for about 40 years—is not a good idea. But Harvard T.H. Chan
School of Public Health nutrition expert David Ludwig says that the low-fat diet remains
“deeply embedded in public consciousness and food policy.” Experts now say that
not all fats are bad—in fact, some are healthy and important in a balanced
diet. Several recent studies found that high-fat diets actually produce greater
weight loss than low-fat diets. And while the 2015 Dietary
Guidelines for Americans have now lifted the limit on dietary
fat, “you’d never know it, because a full accounting of this failed experiment
has not been made,” Ludwig wrote. He called for a rigorous examination of “the
low-fat diet debacle” and for more government funding to test new ideas in
nutrition. CNN
• Cocoa compound linked to some cardiovascular biomarker improvements: To the
tantalizing delight of chocolate lovers everywhere, a number of recent studies
employing various methods have suggested that compounds in cocoa called
flavanols could benefit cardiovascular health. Now a systematic review and
meta-analysis of 19 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of cocoa consumption
reveals some further pieces of supporting evidence. Journal of Nutrition
TREATMENT
• Arthritis Drug May Help with Alopecia: Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease that causes
patchy or complete hair loss, including on the head, body, eyebrows and
eyelashes. Researchers found that more than 50 percent of 66 patients treated
with the drug Xeljanz (tofacitinib citrate) saw hair regrowth in three months.
JCI Insight
• Brain Packmaker Improves Lives of TBI Patients: Deep brain stimulation -- a technique that sends
targeted electrical impulses to certain areas of the brain -- may help people
who've had a traumatic brain injury gain more independence, a new study
suggests. Neurosurgery
• Oxytocin May Quiet Tinnitus: People suffering from chronic ringing in the
ears -- called tinnitus -- may find some relief by spraying the hormone
oxytocin in their nose, a small initial study by Brazilian researchers
suggests. JAMA Otolaryngology--Head & Neck Surgery.
• More Cancer Patients Gaining from Immune Based Treatments: The
American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) says more Americans are
benefiting from immunotherapy -- a relatively new treatment approach that helps
the immune system target and destroy cancer cells. 2016 Cancer Progress Report
• Light for Low Male Libido: Light therapy, commonly used to treat
seasonal depression, may restore a measure of libido to men who struggle with a
low sex drive, a small study suggests. Italian researchers said they found that
men exposed to just two weeks of daily doses of bright light saw their
testosterone levels increase more than 50 percent, and their sexual
satisfaction levels more than triple. European College of
Neuropsychopharmacology annual meeting
•
Vasectomy May Not Raise Prostate Cancer Risk: A large, new study challenges
previous research that suggested vasectomies might increase the risk of
prostate cancer or dying from it. The American Cancer Society epidemiologists
reviewed more than 7,000 prostate cancer deaths, as opposed to the just over
800 prostate cancer deaths that were studied by Harvard scientists in a 2014
study. In the latest finding, researchers found no connection between
vasectomies and overall risk of prostate cancer, or of dying from the disease.
Journal of Clinical Oncology
• Long Term Tamoxifen Lowers Contralateral Breast Cancer Risk: Treatment
with tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors does cut breast cancer patients' risk of
developing cancer in their other breast, according to findings published online
Oct. 6 in JAMA Oncology
• Common Prostate Cancer Treatment Linked to Later Dementia: Men
with prostate cancer who are treated with testosterone-lowering drugs are twice
as likely to develop dementia within five years as prostate cancer patients
whose testosterone levels are not tampered with, research shows. JAMA Oncology
• Inhaled Version of Parkinson's Drug May Help Keep Symptoms at Bay An inhaled version of the
Parkinson's drug levodopa can help when patients experience symptoms between
doses of the pill form of the medication, a new, small study finds. Science
Translational Medicine
OTHER
• Health Insurance Hikes Ease But Workers Pay a Price: Premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance rose
modestly in 2016, but more workers must meet higher deductibles before their
coverage kicks in, a new nationwide survey shows. On average, the annual
premium for employer-sponsored family health coverage rose 3 percent to $18,142
this year. The modest rise continues a slowdown in annual premium increases
over the past 15 years, according to the report. The average deductible jumped
12 percent (about $159) to $1,478 this year. Kaiser Family Foundation
• US Health Care System is One of the Least Efficient Worldwide: The
U.S. health care system is one of the least efficient worldwide based on a
Bloomberg index that assesses life expectancy, health care spending per capita,
and relative spending as a share of gross domestic product, according to a
report published by Bloomberg.
• Docs Much Better than Internet or Apps for Diagnosis:
Hundreds of millions of people rely on Internet or app-based symptom checkers
to help make sense of symptoms or self-diagnose diseases. The first direct
comparison shows human doctors outperform digital ones in diagnostic accuracy.
JAMA Internal Medicine
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