Friday 24 August 2012

Kaiser Health News

First Edition: August 24, 2012

Now on Kaiser Health News blog, KUHF's Carrie Feibel, working in partnership with KHN and NPR, reports: "When Ashley Beecher had her first daughter, nursing was a struggle, and she sometimes had to supplement her baby's diet with formula. But when she had her second daughter in January, it was a very different story. … Beecher was reluctant to throw away the milk – mothers and doctors call it 'liquid gold' because of its health benefits -; so she was excited to find out about the donor milk bank at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston." read more..

Thursday 23 August 2012

Cancer

Walking and cycling can benefit people with cancer

Exercise may improve quality of life for people with cancer, according to Cochrane researchers. In two separate Cochrane systematic reviews, the authors gathered together evidence showing that activities such as walking and cycling can benefit those who are undergoing or have completed treatment for cancer. read more..

Proper Safety Measures

Precautions to ensure safety of children in and near water

Spending time in the water is a great way for kids to get exercise and cool off during the summer, but without taking the proper safety measures, hazards could be lurking around the pool. read more..

Saturday 11 August 2012

Junk Food Habit-Korean Meals

Early junk food habit may impact IQ

Children who eat a healthy diet before the age of 2 years are more likely to have a higher IQ at age 8 years than those who eat a less healthy diet, show results published in the European Journal of Epidemiology. read more..


Korean meals may help dieters shed the pounds

Regularly incorporating Korean dishes into a mainly Western-style diet may be an effective way to lose weight, say researchers. read more..

Thursday 9 August 2012

Physical Fitness Tests-Vitamins And Minerals-Exercise Regimen-Healthy Habits

Link between physical fitness and iron or vitamin status in adolescents

Adolescence is an important time not only for growing but for acquiring healthy habits that will last a lifetime, such as choosing foods rich in vitamins and minerals, and adopting a regular exercise regimen. Unfortunately, several studies have shown that adolescents' intake of important nutrients, as well as their performance on standard physical fitness tests, has fallen in recent years. read more..

Tuesday 7 August 2012

Kaiser Family Foundation-Medicaid Expansion-Voters-Poll

Poll: 2 out of 3 voters favor Medicaid expansion 'in general'; 1 in 5 expect to pay penalty

A new Kaiser Family Foundation poll finds views generally reflect partisan affiliations, and, overall, the the public remains split in its view of the 2010 health law. A slim majority (54 percent) says they are tired of hearing lawmakers fight over the law and would like the debate to move on to other topics. read more..

Friday 27 July 2012

Boston University School Of Medicine-Symptoms Of Type 2 Diabetes-Adenosine Receptor

A2bAR receptor plays a significant role in regulation of type 2 diabetes and obesity

A recent study led by Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) demonstrates that the A2b-type adenosine receptor, A2bAR, plays a significant role in the regulation of high fat, high cholesterol diet-induced symptoms of type 2 diabetes. read more..

Thursday 5 July 2012

David Geffen School Of Medicine-Docosahexaenoic Acid-Integrative Biology-Neuroprotection

Diet enriched with curcumin and DHA can promote neuroprotection in chronic SCI

Researchers from the Department of Neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine and the Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology at UCLA have found that a diet enriched with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid, and curcumin, a component of the Indian spice turmeric, can protect the injured spinal cord and minimize the clinical and biochemical effects of spinal cord myelopathy in rats. read more..

Wednesday 27 June 2012

University Of Gothenburg, Sweden-Sahlgrenska Academy-Mortality Rate-Waistlines

Older people with large waistlines have higher mortality rate

Older people with large waistlines have a higher mortality rate than those with a slim waistline. This was shown in a new study conducted by the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. read more..

Friday 15 June 2012

Mcmaster University-Growth Hormone-Testosterone-Hormones-Research

Exercise-related hormones do not play an influential role in building muscle

New research from scientists at McMaster University reveals exercise-related testosterone and growth hormone do not play an influential role in building muscle after weightlifting, despite conventional wisdom suggesting otherwise. read more..

Friday 8 June 2012

Southern Methodist University-Alarming Rates-Diabetes

New tool helps researchers to better understand Type 2 human diabetes

With Type 2 human diabetes climbing at alarming rates in the United States, researchers are seeking treatments for the disease, which has been linked to obesity and poor diet. Now biologists at Southern Methodist University, Dallas, report they have developed a new tool that will help researchers better understand this deadly disease. read more..

Tuesday 5 June 2012

Mit Researchers Engineer-Hypodermic Needle

MIT researchers engineer new jet-injection system

MIT researchers have engineered a device that delivers a tiny, high-pressure jet of medicine through the skin without the use of a hypodermic needle. The device can be programmed to deliver a range of doses to various depths - an improvement over similar jet-injection systems that are now commercially available. read more..

University Of Colorado School Of Medicine-Serious Skin Conditions-Indicator

Eye color linked to high-risk for skin conditions

Eye color may be an indicator of whether a person is high-risk for certain serious skin conditions. A study, led by the University of Colorado School of Medicine, shows people with blue eyes are less likely to have vitiligo. read more..

Respiratory Tract Infections-Canadian Physicians-Medical Aesthetic-Hospitalization

Infections in older adults may increase risk of hospitalization for dangerous blood clots

Research shows older adults who get infections of any kind - such as urinary, skin, or respiratory tract infections - are nearly three times more likely to be hospitalized for a dangerous blood clot in their deep veins or lungs, University of Michigan Health System research shows. read more..


Viora offers Reaction Rent-to-Own program to medical aesthetic practitioners in Canada

Viora is excited to announce that its popular "Rent-to-Own" program for Reaction™ will now be offered in Canada to medical aesthetic practitioners. Now Canadian physicians will have the ability to introduce the leading medical aesthetic device for body contouring and skin tightening into their practice at minimal risk - with no capital investment, no financing, and no long term commitment. read more..

Monday 4 June 2012

European Journal Of Clinical Nutrition-Mediterranean Diet-Physical Health

Mediterranean diet associated with mental and physical health

The study has been published in the 'European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.' For years the Mediterranean diet has been associated with a lesser chance of illness and increased well-being. A new study has now linked it to mental and physical health too. read more..

Friday 18 May 2012

Salk Institute For Biological Studies-Diabetes

Regular eating times, extended daily fasting may prevent diabetes, obesity

It turns out that when we eat may be as important as what we eat. Scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have found that regular eating times and extending the daily fasting period may override the adverse health effects of a high-fat diet and prevent obesity, diabetes and liver disease in mice. read more..

Tuesday 15 May 2012

Treadmill Exercise Echocardiography-Archives Of Internal Medicine-Coronary Revascularization

Asymptomatic patients can benefit from ExE after coronary revascularization

Asymptomatic patients who undergo treadmill exercise echocardiography (ExE) after coronary revascularization may be identified as being at high risk but those patients do not appear to have more favorable outcomes with repeated revascularization, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Internal Medicine, a JAMA Network publication. The article is part of the journal's Less is More series. read more..

Aerobic Exercise-Workout Routine

Workout routine tips from NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/CUMC

The summer is a great season for getting in shape. Whether by playing a sport, doing an aerobic exercise routine, or just returning to that familiar running path — this is the time for activity. read more..

Friday 11 May 2012

Unitedhealth Group-Physical Activity-Active Video-Video Games

Physically active video games can complement traditional exercise

The majority of consumers believe video games should encourage physical activity and that "physically active" video games can complement traditional exercise, according to a new survey released today by UnitedHealth Group. read more..

Computer Games-Technology-Shopping-Alcohol

Addiction on the rise in Europe

Addiction is on the rise in Europe. An increasing number of young people are unable to control their use of drugs, alcohol, sex, computer games, technology, shopping, dieting or exercise. read more..

Wednesday 25 April 2012

Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo-School Of Medicine

CU School of Medicine researcher devises new exercise for BPPV

A CU School of Medicine researcher who suffers from benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and had to "fix it" before she could go to work one day was using a maneuver to treat herself that only made her sicker. "So I sat down and thought about it and figured out an alternate way to do it. Then I fixed myself and went in to work" and discovered a new treatment for this type of vertigo. read more..

Tuesday 24 April 2012

Physiological Processes-Serum Calcium Levels-Vitamin D-Skeleton-Bones

Study investigates how vitamin D affects skeleton when serum calcium levels are depleted

Vitamin D is renowned for its role in creating strong bones and is a key regulator of serum calcium levels. Calcium is primarily obtained through diet and absorbed through the intestine and into the blood stream. In addition to building bone, calcium is required for a variety of important physiological processes. Vitamin D, which is detected by receptors in bone and intestinal cells, regulates the level of calcium in the blood stream and determines how much should be stored in the skeleton. read more..

Saturday 21 April 2012

Active Ingredient In Aspirin-Benefits Of Aspirin-Health Benefits

New evidence helps explain additional health benefits of aspirin

New evidence is helping explain additional health benefits of aspirin. Researchers in Canada, Scotland and Australia have discovered that salicylate, the active ingredient in aspirin, directly increases the activity of the protein AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase), a key player in regulating cell growth and metabolism. AMPK which is considered a cellular fuel-gauge is switched on by exercise and the commonly used anti-diabetic medication metformin. read more..

Tuesday 17 April 2012

Catheterization And Cardiovascular Interventions-Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation

TAVI improves heart function, exercise capacity in patients with aortic stenosis

German researchers report success with transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in patients with low-flow, low-gradient aortic stenosis-a special form of aortic stenosis that is difficult to treat. Results published in the April issue of Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions, the peer-reviewed journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI), show that while all-cause mortality was high within the first six months, TAVI significantly improved heart function and exercise capacity in surviving patients. read more..

Thursday 12 April 2012

Agency For Healthcare Research And Quality-Department Of Health And Human Services

Pelvic floor muscle training effective for adult women with urinary incontinence

A type of exercise called pelvic floor muscle training is effective for treating adult women with urinary incontinence (the involuntary loss of urine) without risk of side effects, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The report also found that drug-based treatments can be effective, but the degree of benefit is low and side effects are common. read more..

Wednesday 4 April 2012

University Of Loughborough-University Of Leicester-Leicester Kidney

Leicester Kidney Exercise Team shortlisted for BMJ award

A team of researchers from the University of Leicester, Leicester's Hospitals and the University of Loughborough are in the running for a prestigious medical award. read more..

Thursday 22 March 2012

Michigan State University-Bacterial Pathogen-Bowel Disease-Death Rate-Diet

Study finds higher death rate in calorie-restricted models of IBD

In a surprising result, Michigan State University researchers looking at the effects of diet on bowel disease found that mice on a calorie-restricted diet were more likely to die after being infected with an inflammation-causing bacterial pathogen in the colon. read more..

Centers For Disease Control-Family Medicine-Beverage Intake-Contributor-Obesity

Reducing children's sugary beverage intake may help manage obesity

Sugary drinks are the single biggest contributor to the obesity epidemic in the United States, and according to the Centers for Disease Control, two-thirds of adults and one-third of the children in the U.S. are overweight or obese. Registered dietician Leah Holbrook, Coordinator of the Long Island Center for Pediatric Obesity Prevention in the Department of Family Medicine at Stony Brook School of Medicine, says that these sobering statistics and the fact that beverages account for nearly half of the added sugars in our diet are a wakeup call for Americans to reduce their sugary drink intake. read more..

Tuesday 20 March 2012

Hive Health Media-Cultural Movement

Hive Health Media article cites several tips to improve skin's health

Hive Health Media has recently published an article that presents several tips for those individuals who are seeking anti-aging solutions. As a cultural movement, as well as a healthcare trend, anti-aging has become a popular activity among many generations. read more..

Sunday 18 March 2012

Intrinsic Factors-Sun Exposure

Study of genes may hold the key to improved skin care

Ever wonder why two people who are the same age may look years apart? While extrinsic factors such as sun exposure and smoking can contribute to skin aging, intrinsic factors - namely the genes inherited from our parents - can have an even greater influence on how our skin ages. read more..

Microneedle Vaccine-Robust Skin Cell-Immune Responses-Influenza Virus-Fertile Ground

Microneedle vaccine patch boosts flu protection through robust skin cell immune response

Recent research found that microneedle vaccine patches are more effective at delivering protection against influenza virus in mice than subcutaneous or intramuscular inoculation. A new, detailed analysis of the early immune responses helps explain why the skin is such fertile ground for vaccination with these tiny, virtually painless microneedles. read more..

Wednesday 7 March 2012

Boston University School Of Medicine-Medical Conditions-Yoga

Yoga may be effective in treating patients with stress-related psychological and medical conditions

An article by researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), New York Medical College (NYMC), and the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons (CCPS) reviews evidence that yoga may be effective in treating patients with stress-related psychological and medical conditions such as depression, anxiety, high blood pressure and cardiac disease. read more..

Saturday 3 March 2012

Adult Immunization-Health Care Costs-Adult Vaccination-Highly Effective-Medical Practice

Promoting vaccines in office-based medical settings is needed to boost adult immunization rates, experts say

Promoting immunizations as a part of routine office-based medical practice is needed to improve adult vaccination rates, a highly effective way to curb the spread of diseases across communities, prevent needless illness and deaths, and lower health care costs, according to a new study. read more..


New information for flu fight: Researchers study RNA interference to determine host genes used by influenza for virus replication

Influenza virus can rapidly evolve from one form to another, complicating the effectiveness of vaccines and anti-viral drugs used to treat it. By first understanding the complex host cell pathways that the flu uses for replication, researchers are finding new strategies for therapies and vaccines, according to a new study. read more..

Childhood Infections-Pay For Performance-Ethnic Disparities-Electrical Pulse-Hospital Quality

How bacteria behind serious childhood disease evolve to evade vaccines

Genetics has provided surprising insights into why vaccines used in both the UK and US to combat serious childhood infections can eventually fail. The study, which investigates how bacteria change their disguise to evade the vaccines, has implications for how future vaccines can be made more effective. read more..


Targeted DNA vaccine using an electric pulse

The vaccines of the future against infections, influenza and cancer can be administered using an electrical pulse and a specially produced DNA code, new research suggests. The DNA code programs the body's own cells to produce a super-fast missile defense against the disease, researchers say. read more..


Research roundup: The push for hospital quality and concerns about disparities; Rating physicians online

Researchers wondered if pay-for-performance (P4P) programs, which reward hospitals for meeting quality targets, have unintentional effects on racial and/or ethnic disparities. Using federal patient-level quality data, researchers found that "many hospitals treat Whites and minorities equitably" but they noted that since many minorities tend to seek care at hospitals that "perform poorly on common quality score composites, the pay for performance efforts could unintentionally penalize hospitals serving high numbers of minorities. read more..

Emergent Biosolutions-Anthrax Vaccine-Antibiotics

Clinical Trial Tests Unsafe Anthrax Vaccine For Post-Exposure Use

From The Vaccine Exchange:
We have been writing about the anthrax vaccine here at Vaccine Xchange for some time. It seems clear that Emergent BioSolutions, the maker of the only human anthrax vaccine (BioThrax) currently available in the US, is working to aggressively market the vaccine, including ensuring that its vaccine is authorized for use for use after inhaling anthrax, as well as before an exposure, despite serious concerns about its safety and effectiveness. Earlier this year, the company was awarded a $1.25 billion contract to supply the U.S. Government with 44.75 million additional doses of the vaccine over a five year period. A few weeks ago, a story in MarketWatch informed us that Emergent BioSolutions has announced a new study evaluating the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine for future treatment of individuals after they have been exposed to anthrax. This story follows on the heels of the Department of Health and Human Services backpedalling on conducting a trial of the same vaccine on children.The study, which is funded by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), could potentially expand the use of BioThrax beyond its current use as a pre-exposure vaccine so that it will be used along with antibiotics as an adjunct to treat people who have been exposed to anthrax spores.It is obvious that such an expansion in the use of the vaccine would be heavily profitable for Emergent BioSolutions. However, it seems unnecessary – it has been demonstrated in many studies that early treatment of anthrax with antibiotics is very effective. Is it really necessary to replace this (reliable) treatment with a treatment that is not only highly expensive but also proven to have significant risk of adverse reaction?Emergent BioSolutions does not intend the vaccine to work alone, but in tandem with antibiotics. This would have to be done because the vaccine is given in three doses two weeks apart post-exposure. This means that peak antibody levels will not occur until at least 35 days after beginning the vaccine course. In other words, you wouldn’t expect the vaccine to work until at least 35 days after starting taking the vaccine. But the reason Emergent BioSolutions has given for using vaccines post-exposure is to decrease the amount of time patients are on antibiotics. With the vaccine only beginning to work after 35 days at the earliest, there really does not seem to be a good reason to take the vaccine, particularly since vaccines have been shown to be less effective than antibiotics for anthrax (unless the anthrax strain has been made resistant to multiple antibiotics, which is theoretically possible but has never occurred). In any case, the CDC and the FDA would both still recommend a full 60-day regimen of the antibiotics, even if the patient is vaccinated, so the amount of time the patient is on the antibiotics will not be affected at all.Not only this, but the data they are examining in this study – immunogenicity, which refers to antibody levels or similar blood parameters – is unreliable at predicting whether the vaccine will actually be effective upon a person’s exposure to the actual disease. In addition, similar data already exists, gathered in the trial conducted by the Center for Disease Control a few years ago. It seems puzzling that the government is investing even more taxpayer dollars to gather the very same data gathered by the CDC in its 2002-2007 clinical trial about this vaccine which has long been found to be unsafe and questionably effective.However, for Emergent BioSolutions, this study could be extremely lucrative (particularly since it is being funded by the government, and therefore costing them nothing). If there is, God forbid, a biological attack using anthrax in the United States, and some people agree to take the vaccine, they would currently have to be studied, since this would be an unlicensed use of the vacc read more..

International Federation-Unprecedented Control-Therapeutic Vaccine-Comparative Price

New HIV-vaccine tested on people shows limited success

Scientists have tested a new 'therapeutic vaccine' against HIV on volunteers. The participants were 'so to say' vaccinated with their own cells. The immune system of the testees was better than before in attacking and suppressing the virus, the scientists have reported. read more..


'Universal' vaccines could finally allow for wide-scale flu prevention

Scientists have found that an emerging class of long-lasting flu vaccines called "universal" vaccines could for the first time allow for the effective, wide-scale prevention of flu by limiting the virus' ability to spread and mutate. A computational model showed that the vaccines could achieve unprecedented control of the flu virus both seasonally and during outbreaks of highly contagious new strains. read more..


IFHP releases 2011 Comparative Price Report

The International Federation of Health Plans today released its 2011 Comparative Price Report detailing its annual survey of medical costs per unit. Designed to showcase the variation in healthcare costs around the world, the report examines the costs of medical procedures, tests, scans and treatments in nine countries. read more..

Immunization Campaigns-Immunization Coverage-Routine Immunizations-Vaccination Coverage

Better estimating vaccine coverage: Vaccination coverage estimates can be improved by combining administrative data with survey data

Immunizations are a valuable tool for controlling infectious diseases among populations both in the U.S. and globally. Routine immunizations and supplemental immunization activities, such as immunization campaigns, are designed to provide immunization coverage to entire populations. Current measurements used to determine the success and rates of immunization can be flawed and inconsistent. According to a new study, estimates of vaccination coverage can be significantly improved by combining administrative data with survey data. read more..


Teenagers with healthy behaviours more likely to have higher levels of happiness

Teenagers who turn their backs on a healthy lifestyle and turn to drink, cigarettes and junk food are significantly unhappier than their healthier peers. New research also shows that 12-13 is a catalyst age when young people turn away from the healthy habits of their younger years and start to get involved in risky behaviours. read more..

Immunological Protection-Parkinson's Disease-Deadly Ebola Virus-Defensive Measures

Defensive measures: Toward a vaccine for Ebola

Researchers have made progress toward a vaccine against the deadly Ebola virus. They have demonstrated that a plant-derived vaccine for Ebola provided strong immunological protection in a mouse model. If early efforts bear fruit, an Ebola vaccine could be stockpiled for use in the United States, should the country fall victim to a natural outbreak or a bioterrorism event in which a weaponized strain of the virus were unleashed on soldiers or the public. read more..


CLR01 blocks toxic aggregations of proteins in mouse model of Parkinson's

Millions of people suffer from Parkinson's disease, a disorder of the nervous system that affects movement and worsens over time. As the world's population ages, it's estimated that the number of people with the disease will rise sharply. Yet despite several effective therapies that treat Parkinson's symptoms, nothing slows its progression. read more..

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