CHRONIC PAIN
• Half of adults with anxiety or depression report chronic pain: In a
survey of adults with anxiety or a mood disorder like depression or bipolar
disorder, about half reported experiencing chronic pain. Journal of Affective Disorders
• Chronic Pain Opioid Guidelines Updated for State Medical Boards: The
Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) has updated its guidelines on
the use of opioids in the treatment of chronic pain, with new policies
underscoring the need for physicians to be proactive in helping to turn the
tide of the nation's opioid epidemic. Medscape
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy reduces
depression, anxiety among chronic pain patients: The results of a study presented at
the Annual European Congress of Rheumatology (EULAR) 2017 has shown that
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, a form of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
that focuses on psychological flexibility and behavior change, provided a
significant reduction in self-reported depression and anxiety among patients
participating in a pain rehabilitation program. This treatment also resulted in
significant increases in self-efficacy, activity engagement and pain
acceptance.
• Womenwho focus negatively, magnify chronic pain, more likely to be taking prescribed opioids: Female chronic pain sufferers who catastrophize, a
psychological condition in which pain is exaggerated or irrationally focused
on, not only report greater pain intensity, but are more likely to be taking
prescribed opioids than men with the same condition. Anesthesiology
• Does Chronic Pain Cause Cognitive Decline? A study
appearing in JAMA
Internal Medicine links persistent pain with progressive cognitive decline
and dementia. But the mechanism is quite unclear. There are actually a few
possibilities.
• Can Virtual Reality Sessions Treat Chronic Pain?Stanford Doctor Yes Dr. Kim Bullock, a neuropsychiatrist at Stanford University, says she made the remarkable discovery by accident. While studying virtual reality for conditions like severe anxiety, a welcome side benefit of that treatment: patients’ chronic pain disappeared. NBC
• Cool’ New Knee Procedure Eases Arthritis Pain Without Surgery :A new, non-invasive knee procedure could bring some relief for patients suffering from debilitating chronic pain, for whom surgery is not an option. The treatment, recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration, is called “cooled radio frequency ablation” and is a less drastic option for people with moderate to severe osteoarthritis pain who are not ready to have knee replacement surgery, or who have health conditions that don’t make them a good candidate for surgery. NBC
COMPLEMENTARY & ALTERNATIVE
MEDICINE
• Study Documents Range of Challenging Meditation Experiences: Though it has gained popularity in
the West as medically and psychologically beneficial, meditation can produce a
much wider variety of outcomes, not all of them calm and relaxing, according to
a new study that analyzes meditation-related challenges. Plos One
• Marijuana Increases Periodontal Disease: Of 2,000 Americans studied, 27 percent
reported the use of cannabis (marijuana, hashish or hash oil) one or more times
for at least 12 months. Frequent recreational cannabis users were more likely
to have signs of moderate to severe gum disease than less-frequent users, the
researchers found. ournal of Periodontology
• Copaiba: Silver bullet or snake oil?: Sales of the essential oil copaiba [koh-pey-buh] are increasing, at least in part, because more than 54 million Americans suffer from arthritis. The traditional way to treat arthritis is using NSAIDs and COXIBs, which are not without adverse events. For arthritis sufferers, copaiba may turn out to be a silver bullet or, perhaps, snake oil. Integrative Medicine
• Tai chi significantly reduces
depression symptoms in Chinese-Americans: A new study finds that a 12-week program of instruction and practice
of the Chinese martial art tai chi led to significantly reduced symptoms of
depression in Chinese-Americans not receiving any other treatments. The Journal
of Clinical Psychiatry
FDA ACTION
• Asks Maker of
Opioid Painkiller Opana ER to Pull Drug From Market
• Fast tracks
Tanezumab for Treatment of Osteoarthritis and Chronic Low Back Pain
PREVENTION
• Loneliness May Lead to Sleepless Nights: More than 2,200 18- and 19-year-olds in
England and Wales provided information about their loneliness levels and
sleeping patterns. Between 25 percent and 30 percent of the participants said
they felt lonely sometimes, and another 5 percent said they frequently felt
lonely. Lonelier people were 24 percent more likely to feel tired and have
difficulty concentrating during the day. Psychological Medicine
• Excessive exercise may damage the gut: A review of published studies has found that people who exercise excessively may be prone to acute or chronic gut issues. Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics
• Take a coffee or tea break to protect your liver: New study
indicates that drinking even a few cups a day may prevent hardening of the
liver. Researchers found that drinking coffee and herbal tea may protect
against liver fibrosis, estimated as the degree of liver stiffness, which is
high in extensive scarring of the liver. Because these beverages are popular,
widely available, and inexpensive, they could have the potential to become
important in the prevention of advanced liver disease. Journal of Hepatology
• Flu Shot Falls Short More Often for Obese: New research reveals the vaccine doesn't
work as well for people who are obese. International Journal of
Obesity
• Couch Potatoes' May Face Higher Risk of Kidney, Bladder Cancers: Add
greater risk of kidney and bladder cancer to the long list of why a lifetime of
sitting on the sofa isn't good for your health, a new study suggests.
Specifically, lifetime recreational inactivity was associated with a 73 percent
increased risk of bladder cancer and a 77 percent increased risk of kidney
cancer. Cancer Epidemiology
NUTRITION/SUPPLEMENTS/VITAMINS
• Dairy products a good dietary source of some types of vitamin K: New
study adds to knowledge about natural forms of vitamin K in dietary sources,
their appreciable presence in commonly consumed foods. In
the study, published June 1 in Current Developments in Nutrition,
researchers quantified the activity of two natural forms of vitamin K in dairy
products of various fat contents and found that common U.S. dairy items,
including milks, yogurts and cheeses, contain appreciable amounts of multiple
forms of vitamin K. Vitamin concentrations varied by fat content. Vitamin K
helps blood to clot.
• Probiotic use linked to improved symptoms of depression: A
new study is the first to show improved depression scores with a probiotic. It
adds to the whole field of microbiota-gut-brain axis, providing evidence that
bacteria affect behavior. Gastroenterology
• Flax: These sesame-seed lookalikes are considered a functional food -- a
food that goes beyond basic nutrients to provide health benefits and/or reduce
the risk of chronic diseases, according to a report in the Journal of Food
Science and Technology.
• Low Fat Dairy Habit and Parkinson’s Risk: A 25 year study of 130,000 men and women
found that those who consumed at least three servings of low-fat dairy a day
had a 34 percent higher risk of getting the disorder than those who only
consumed one serving a day. No
such association was seen with the consumption of full-fat dairy products, such
as whole milk. Experts who
reviewed the study stressed that the findings are preliminary -- the effect was
a modest one and the research wasn't designed to prove cause and effect. Neurology
• Even Moderate Drinking May Dull the Aging Brain: Researchers found
that those who regularly drank alcohol showed greater brain shrinkage than
non-drinkers by old age. They also lost more of their language
"fluency" -- a measure of memory and thinking skills. And, the
effects were seen even among people who drank "moderately" -- roughly
four to seven drinks a week, the researchers found. The findings do not prove
that alcohol was to blame. BMJ
• Excess Alcohol May Speed Muscle Loss in Women: A study
of 2,400 postmenopausal women, average age 62. Of those, 8 percent had
sarcopenia (condition of loss muscle mass and strength). Rates of sarcopenia
were nearly four times higher among high-risk drinkers than among low-risk
drinkers, the study found. Menopause
• Dietary Supplements and Cognitive Function, Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease: This issue of the NCCIH Clinical Digest summarizes current
information on “what the science says” about several dietary supplements that
have been studied for cognitive function, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease.
Although a few trials of natural products for the prevention of cognitive
decline or dementia have shown some modest effects, direct evidence is lacking.
In addition, research on some mind and body practices such as music therapy and
mental imagery, which have shown promise in treating some symptoms related to
dementia, as well as alleviating stress among caregivers, is ongoing.
• Healthy Dietary Fats Help Beat High Cholesterol: Replacing
saturated fats with healthier ones found in some vegetable oils can reduce
cholesterol levels and heart disease risk as much as statins, a new American
Heart Association (AHA) advisory says. Those healthier fats are
poly-unsaturated fats and mono-unsaturated fats. Poly-unsaturated fats are
found in corn, soybean and peanut oils. Mono-unsaturated fats are found in oils
such as olive, canola, safflower and avocado. Saturated fats are found in meat,
full-fat dairy products and tropical oils such as coconut and palm. In clinical
trials, reducing use of saturated fat in favor of poly-unsaturated vegetable
oil reduced heart disease by about 30 percent, similar to statin drugs,
according to the advisory. Several studies found that coconut oil -- which is
widely promoted as healthy -- increased LDL cholesterol levels in the same way
as other saturated fats do.
TREATMENT
• Online Treatment: new research suggests that online therapy
programs can help some people with mild to moderate depression. The study found
the results lasted at least three to six months after therapy ended, and the
programs don't necessarily need to have a therapist directly involved to
produce benefits "There was a significant effect in decreasing depressive
symptoms after completing the programs," American Psychiatric Association
meeting
• New Combo Pill for HCV Offers Hope to those who fail other treatments: The
pill -- which contains the antiviral drugs sofosbuvir (Sovaldi), velpatasvir
and voxilaprevir -- was nearly 100 percent effective in curing hepatitis C in
patients whose disease returned after treatment with other antiviral drugs.
• Drug Xeloda Prolongs Survival for Some Breast Cancer Patients It
cut risk of relapse, death by 30 percent over 5 years, trial found. NEJM
• Adding abiraterone to standard treatment improves prostate cancer survival by 40 percent: Adding abiraterone to hormone therapy at the
start of treatment for prostate cancer improves survival by 37 percent,
according to the results of one of the largest ever clinical trials for
prostate cancer. Science Daily
• For older adults, antibiotics may not be appropriate treatment for some UTIs: Prescribing antibiotics for urinary tract infections (or 'UTIs') may often be avoided among older adults, suggests new research. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
• Drug for refractory psoriatic arthritis shows promise in clinical trial: Patients with psoriatic arthritis for whom standard-of-care
pharmaceutical treatments have provided no lasting relief experienced a
significant reduction in symptoms, including joint tenderness and swelling,
have reported promising results when they were given a new drug-SPIRIT-P2 The
Lancet
• Patients’ Own Fat Tissue Can Help Treat Joint Problems: Body fat now
can help treat bone joint conditions, including injuries and osteoarthritis --
the type of arthritis caused by wear and tear in tissue between joints, which
affects 27 million people. A new device gently suctions, processes and uses a
patient's own fat tissue to provide a potential source of stem cells and growth
factors to promote healing. The FDA approved Lipogems for widespread use in
November of 2016.
• Is the finger-stick blood test necessary for type 2 diabetes treatment?
In the first large pragmatic trial of its kind in the United States, results
from a UNC School of Medicine study show that checking finger-stick blood
sugars may not help diabetes patients who do not use insulin. JAMA Internal
Medicine
• For Diabetics, Nasal Powder Fixed Severe Low Blood Sugar: New product
much easier to use than rescue injections. For many people with diabetes, low
blood sugar levels are a serious health risk, but researchers report that a new
nasal powder quickly reverses the effects of this dangerous condition. Better
yet, it can be administered even when someone is unconscious. American Diabetes
Association meeting
• Study Confirms Link Between Diabetes Med and Rare But Dangerous Complication: A new class of type 2 diabetes drugs called SGLT2 inhibitors (Invokana, Invokamet, Farxiga, Xigduo XR, Jardiance and Glyxambi) could increase the risk of a rare, life-threatening complication of the disease called ketoacidosis, a new study warns. NEJM
• Online cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia is effective for military: A new study focused on soldiers at Fort Hood who had chronic insomnia.
Some received therapy from clinicians for six weeks and some received online
therapy for six weeks. For military personnel, internet-delivered cognitive
behavioral therapy appears to be an effective alternative to meeting regularly
with a therapist, although it is about half as effective as traditional
methods, according to results of a study. Sleep
• Major Study Heralds New Era in Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes The findings published in the
New England Journal of Medicine found the drug canagliflozin reduced
the overall risk of cardiovascular disease by 14 per cent and reduced the risk
of heart failure hospitalisation by 33 per cent. It was also shown to have a
significant impact on the progression of renal disease.
OTHER
• MS Related Brain Changes May Affect Social Skills: Subtle brain changes may explain why some people with
multiple sclerosis (MS) lose their ability to interpret clues about what other
people are thinking and feeling, a new study suggests. It doesn't happen to
everyone with MS, but experts agree that it's a big deal for those who
experience it. Neurology
• Nearly 10 Million U.S. Adults Suffer From Mental Illness: Nearly
10 million American adults have a serious mental illness, and a similar number
have considered suicide during the past year, according to a new government
report on the nation's behavioral ills. The report also said that 15.7 million
Americans abuse alcohol and 7.7 million abuse illicit drugs. he researchers
found that 12.5 million people are estimated to have misused prescription
painkillers such as oxycodone (OxyContin, Percocet) or hydrocodone
(Vicoprofen).. Behavioral Health Barometer -- United States, 2016
• Depression Can Slow Hospital Patients' Recovery: A review of 20
studies on depression screening in hospitals showed that 33 percent of patients
had symptoms of depression. Patients with depression are less likely to take
their medications and keep all recommended appointments after leaving the
hospital, potentially leading to longer hospital stays and an increased risk of
readmission. Journal of Hospital Medicine
• Home Blood Pressure Monitors Wrong 7 of 10 Times: Checking your device against ones used at
your doctor's office may be advised, experts say. A small, new Canadian study
suggests that readings from the devices are wrong most of the time and could
put patients at risk. American Journal of Hypertension
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