5 or More Bad Sunburns While Young Tied to Higher Melanoma Risk

Odds for deadly skin cancer rise 80 percent, nurses' study finds

WebMD News from HealthDay

By Mary Elizabeth Dallas

HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, May 30, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- White women who get five or more blistering sunburns between the ages of 15 and 20 have an 80 percent increased risk for melanoma -- the most deadly form of skin cancer, new study findings indicate.

Researchers also found these women have a 68 percent greater risk for two other forms of skin cancer known as basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma.

"Our results suggest that sun exposures in both early life and adulthood were predictive of non-melanoma skin cancers, whereas melanoma risk was predominantly associated with sun exposure in early life," according to Dr. Abrar Qureshi, professor and chair of the department of dermatology at Brown University and Rhode Island Hospital in Providence.

"Parents may need to be advised to pay more attention to protection from early-life sun exposure for their kids in order to reduce the likelihood of developing melanoma as they grow up. Older individuals should also be cautious with their sun exposure, because cumulative sun exposure increases skin cancer risk as well," Qureshi said in a news release from the American Association for Cancer Research.

In conducting the study, published May 29 in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, the researchers followed nearly 109,000 white female nurses for about 20 years. When the study began, the women were aged 25 to 42. They were asked about their medical history. The researchers also assessed their risk factors for skin cancer, such as the number of moles they had, if they had a family history of the disease and the number of blistering sunburns they had in their late teens.

Over the course of the study, the investigators collected more recent information from the women on their skin cancer risk. Specifically, they were asked for updates on their family history as well as their use of tanning beds, alcohol and cigarettes.

The study participants lived in 14 different states. The researchers took this into account and calculated each woman's total ultraviolet (UV) light exposure, depending on how long they lived in any given place. The women were placed into three categories based on this UV exposure: low, medium and high.

Roughly one-quarter of the women experienced painful blistering sunburns at a young age and one-quarter admitted to using tanning beds. The researchers also found that about 10 percent of the women had more than five blistering sunburns when they were between the ages of 15 and 20.

Nearly 7,000 were diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma. Squamous cell carcinoma affected 880 of the women and about 780 were diagnosed with melanoma. Of the women who developed melanoma, 445 had invasive cancer, the investigators found.

The study authors pointed out that the women who had the greatest exposure to the sun's harmful UV rays when they were adults did not have an increased risk for melanoma. These women, however, had a roughly 2.3-fold greater risk for basal cell carcinoma and a 2.5-fold increased risk for squamous cell carcinoma.

"Pattern of sun exposure was not uniformly associated with the risk for all the three main skin cancers we see in the United States, suggesting that there are some differences in the [development] of these skin cancers," noted Qureshi.

"An individual's risk of developing skin cancer depends on both host and environmental risk factors. Persons with high host-risk traits, such as red hair color, higher number of moles and high sunburn susceptibility, should pay more attention to avoid excessive sun exposure, especially early in life."

source : 5 or More Bad Sunburns While Young Tied to Higher Melanoma Risk

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Obama Calls for More Youth Concussion Research

WebMD News from HealthDay

May 30, 2014 -- More research into youth sports concussion is needed in order to better understand he scope of the issue and the long-term impacts of this type of injury, President Barack Obama said Thursday at a day-long summit on the topic at the White House.

"We want our kids participating in sports," Obama said as he opened the event. "As parents though, we want to keep them safe and that means we have to have better information."

The summit included medical experts, young athletes, parents, coaches, professional sports league representatives and others, CBS News/Associated Press reported.

Additional research into youth concussions needs to be combined with a wider recognition of the need to take the issue seriously, the president noted.

"We have to change a culture that says, 'suck it up,'" Obama said.

He highlighted commitments from the National Institutes of Health, the National Football League and others to conduct research that could improve understanding and athlete safety, CBS/AP reported.

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Diabetes Drug May Spur Weight Loss in Obese Nondiabetics

One-third who took Victoza lost 10 percent of body weight, researchers say

WebMD News from HealthDay

By Steven Reinberg

HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, May 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A higher dose of the diabetes drug liraglutide (Victoza) may help obese people without the disease lose weight, a new study suggests.

In this test of its effectiveness as a diet aid, people taking liraglutide for over a year lost an average of 8 percent of their body weight, compared with 2.6 percent shed by those taking a placebo (dummy drug), researchers found.

Victoza/liraglutide is typically given in 1.2 milligram and 1.8 milligram doses as a diabetes treatment. In the new study, aimed at seeing if the medicine might help curb obesity, the drug's dose was upped to 3 milligrams.

"Liraglutide, an injection treatment already approved for diabetes treatment, can help reduce body weight in people with obesity when used at a higher dose than is usually used in diabetes," said lead researcher Dr. John Wilding, head of the department of obesity and endocrinology at the University of Liverpool in England.

"These results suggest liraglutide is effective and overall well-tolerated for obesity treatment," he said.

Although this study didn't compare Victoza with other weight loss drugs, Wilding said that a previous study showed Victoza could produce about twice as much weight loss as another drug, orlistat (Xenical).

Xenical works by reducing the amount of fat the intestines can absorb. People taking Xenical lose an average of five to seven pounds, studies have shown.

Victoza works by lowering blood sugar.

The results of the study were scheduled for presentation Thursday at the European Congress on Obesity in Sofia, Bulgaria. Data and conclusions presented at meetings are usually considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.

Dr. David Katz, director of the Yale University Prevention Research Center in New Haven, Conn., wasn't surprised by the findings. "A number of drugs used to treat type 2 diabetes tend to produce weight loss as one of their effects," said Katz, who was not involved in the study.

This is predictable because the insulin resistance that precedes and often accompanies type 2 diabetes results in frequent hunger and weight gain. Lowering blood sugar results in weight loss, he said.

Whether Victoza improves long-term weight management or leads to better health outcomes over years when used for weight loss is unknown, he said.

"But for now, Victoza takes its place alongside other drugs studied initially for diabetes, but [found to be] potentially useful for weight loss as well," Katz said.

"Such drugs will never replace diet and physical activity, but may prove a reasonable addition to lifestyle intervention in some patients," Katz added.

For the study, Wilding and colleagues randomly selected more than 3,700 obese and overweight adults to take daily injections of Victoza or a placebo. The participants' average age was 45.

source : Diabetes Drug May Spur Weight Loss in Obese Nondiabetics

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Heart Risks Depend on Which Blood Pressure Number Is High: Study

Researchers also discovered lifetime heart risks were greater even with medications to treat the condition

WebMD News from HealthDay

By Robert Preidt

HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, May 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- When you have high blood pressure, exactly what type of increased heart risk you face may be determined by which number in your blood pressure reading is high, new research shows.

In a blood pressure reading, systolic pressure is the top number and diastolic pressure is the bottom number.

People with higher systolic blood pressure had a greater risk of bleeding strokes and stable angina (chest pain), while those with higher diastolic blood pressure were more likely to be diagnosed with an abdominal aortic aneurysm. An abdominal aortic aneurysm is an overstretched, weakened section in the body's main artery, that occurs in the belly. If it bursts, it can cause serious bleeding and even death.

To reach their conclusion, researchers analyzed the health records of more than 1 million people in England who were aged 30 and older and who did not have heart disease. They were followed for an average of 5.2 years.

The study, published in the May 29 issue of The Lancet, will be presented at the Hypertension 2014 meeting in Athens in June.

"Our findings do not support the widely held assumptions that systolic and diastolic pressure have similar strong associations with the occurrence of all cardiovascular [heart] diseases across a wide age range," lead investigator Dr. Eleni Rapsomaniki, from The Farr Institute for Health Informatics Research in London, England, said in a journal news release.

The researchers also found that despite modern medications, people with high blood pressure, or "hypertension," still face greater lifetime health risks. For example, a 30-year-old with high blood pressure has a 63 percent lifetime risk of developing heart disease, compared with 46 percent for a person with normal blood pressure.

Also, someone with high blood pressure would typically develop heart disease five years sooner than someone with normal blood pressure, the study authors noted.

"With lifetime risks this high, the need for new blood pressure-lowering strategies is paramount," Rapsomaniki said in the news release.

"Our estimates provide vital new information that can be used to improve patient counseling and decision-making for people with hypertension, which are currently based mainly on the risks of heart attack and stroke, and will help to focus guidelines and doctors to the cardiovascular conditions that might be more common, and in which screening and treatments are more likely to have an effect," Rapsomaniki added.

In a commentary accompanying the study, Thomas Kahan, from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, said that although the effectiveness of blood pressure-lowering drugs is undisputed, "observational studies suggest that few patients reach target blood pressure. Several steps therefore need to be taken to improve antihypertensive treatment and control."

Those steps include assessing patients' heart risks more carefully, pushing patients to stick with their medication schedules, expanding the use of home blood pressure monitoring and more aggressive treatment of those with tough-to-treat high blood pressure.

source : Heart Risks Depend on Which Blood Pressure Number Is High: Study

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Many Pets Are Too Plump

Measure food portions and provide daily exercise to keep your furry companions in shape, vet advises

WebMD News from HealthDay

By Randy Dotinga

HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, May 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Much like their human companions, many of America's pets are overweight.

Just over half of dogs in the United States are overweight or obese, and 58 percent of cats are carrying too many pounds, according to a survey from the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention.

And, like people, animals can face health consequences from excess weight.

"Overweight animals also have certain health issues," said Dr. Susan Nelson, clinical associate professor in the department of clinical sciences and veterinarian at the Kansas State University Veterinary Health Center, in a university news release.

Excess weight "can aggravate joint disease. It can lead to type 2 diabetes. It can aggravate heart conditions, and it can lead to skin diseases as folds in the pet's skin get bigger. It can even shorten their life span," noted Nelson.

How can you know if your pet is overweight? You may not be able to tell by appearance alone, since pets can appear to be in good shape even when they aren't.

At the appropriate weight, Nelson said, pets should only have a thin layer of fat over their ribs and show an hourglass shape from above. If you have a long-haired pet, it may be best to do this when your dog is wet.

Nelson also recommends using a measuring cup to figure out how many calories your pet is eating each day. It's also important to re-check that information every time you switch brands or types of food since calories may vary as much as 200 to 300 per cup between different brands or types of food, she said.

Calorie information should be available via the bag or can of pet food. If you can't find calorie details on the packaging, contact the manufacturer.

Be cautious about the suggested amount of food for your pet, Nelson said. "In the testing facilities, these animals are typically mandated to have a certain amount of exercise per day because they are research animals," she said. "In reality, a lot of the pets that we own don't get as much exercise as those dogs and cats in the research facilities."

Nelson suggests cutting back on treats too, keeping them to no more than 10 percent of your pet's diet. And exercise your pet 20 to 30 minutes per day, if possible.

Exercising dogs is usually simple, but what about cats?

"You can try scattering the food around in small portions throughout the house so that they have to hunt for it and get more exercise that way, or you can place the food in a location where the cat has to go up and down stairs," Nelson said. "There are also items call food puzzles that you fill with food and the pet needs to work at it to slowly retrieve the kibble."

If you think your pet is overweight, it's important to consult your veterinarian before putting your pet on a weight-loss regimen, Nelson cautioned.

source : Many Pets Are Too Plump

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Could White Bread Be Making You Fat?

Risk of obesity higher with 2 or more portions daily, researchers say

WebMD News from HealthDay

By Robert Preidt

HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, May 30, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- If you're watching your weight, you may have to watch your white bread consumption, too.

When white bread is a diet staple, you may be more likely to become overweight or obese than if you favor whole grain bread, according to a new study.

Researchers tracked the eating habits and weight of more than 9,200 Spanish university graduates for an average of five years.

Participants who ate both white and whole grain breads were not at increased risk for weight gain. But those who ate only white bread and had two or more portions of white bread a day were 40 percent more likely to become overweight or obese than those who ate less than one portion of white bread a week, according to the study authors.

There was no significant link between eating whole grain bread only and becoming overweight or obese. This may be because of the types of carbohydrates, fiber content and other ingredients in whole grain bread, according to Miguel Martinez-Gonzalez, a professor at the University of Navarra in Spain, and colleagues.

"Consumption of white bread [of] two portions per day or more showed a significant direct association with the risk of becoming overweight or obese," they concluded.

The study was scheduled for presentation Friday at the European Congress on Obesity in Bulgaria. The research doesn't actually show a cause-and-effect relationship between white bread consumption and weight gain, just an association. And study results presented at meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.

source : Could White Bread Be Making You Fat?

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Could White Bread Be Making You Fat?

Risk of obesity higher with 2 or more portions daily, researchers say

WebMD News from HealthDay

By Robert Preidt

HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, May 30, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- If you're watching your weight, you may have to watch your white bread consumption, too.

When white bread is a diet staple, you may be more likely to become overweight or obese than if you favor whole grain bread, according to a new study.

Researchers tracked the eating habits and weight of more than 9,200 Spanish university graduates for an average of five years.

Participants who ate both white and whole grain breads were not at increased risk for weight gain. But those who ate only white bread and had two or more portions of white bread a day were 40 percent more likely to become overweight or obese than those who ate less than one portion of white bread a week, according to the study authors.

There was no significant link between eating whole grain bread only and becoming overweight or obese. This may be because of the types of carbohydrates, fiber content and other ingredients in whole grain bread, according to Miguel Martinez-Gonzalez, a professor at the University of Navarra in Spain, and colleagues.

"Consumption of white bread [of] two portions per day or more showed a significant direct association with the risk of becoming overweight or obese," they concluded.

The study was scheduled for presentation Friday at the European Congress on Obesity in Bulgaria. The research doesn't actually show a cause-and-effect relationship between white bread consumption and weight gain, just an association. And study results presented at meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.

source : Could White Bread Be Making You Fat?

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Sagging Eyelids More Common in Men, Fair-Skinned and Overweight: Study

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source : Sagging Eyelids More Common in Men, Fair-Skinned and Overweight: Study

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U.S. Measles Cases at 20-Year High

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Having Babies May Be 'Contagious' Among Long-Time Friends

Women tend to get pregnant soon after friends they've known since high school give birth, study finds

WebMD News from HealthDay

By Randy Dotinga

HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, May 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Getting pregnant may be contagious among long-time friends -- when one woman has a baby, her former high school classmates are more likely to intentionally get pregnant within the next two years, according to new research.

"Our study shows that friend effects have a significant and strong influence on when a woman has her first child," said study co-author Nicoletta Balbo, a postdoctoral researcher with Bocconi University in Milan, Italy. "And it's interesting to note that our high school friends might play a relevant role in our fertility decisions well after the end of high school."

Balbo and co-author Nicola Barban, a postdoctoral fellow in the department of sociology at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, launched the study to gain a better understanding of how women choose to have children.

"We are trying to shed some light on the possible mechanisms via which people in our personal network, and specifically friends, may affect your decision of having children," Balbo said.

"Although everyday life and experience shows that friends influence our life decisions, such an influence on an individual's fertility and family decisions is still understudied, and empirical scientific evidence is still scarce," she added.

The study authors examined surveys of just over 1,900 U.S. women who were followed by researchers from their high school years in the 1990s to 2008 or 2009, when they were between 26 and 33 years old. The women answered questions about their lives, including their friends.

Of the women, 820 became parents. The average age at first birth for women in the study was just over 27 years. A bit more than half of the women said their pregnancies were unintended.

The researchers found that intended births -- but not unintended ones -- were more likely after a friend had a baby, especially about two years after.

"A friend's childbearing positively influences an individual's risk of becoming a parent. We found this effect to be short-term . . . An individual's risk of childbearing starts increasing after a friend's childbearing, reaches a peak around two years later, then decreases," the study authors wrote in the June issue of American Sociological Review.

Why might friends be such an influencing factor? Balbo and Barban theorize that "a friend's childbearing experience may be an important source of learning, because it provides relevant and useful information about how to face the transition to parenthood" and "a friend's behavior can be a source of influence because people compare themselves to their friends."

The study's findings only examine the effect of high school friends, not those made in college or years later in early adulthood. The researchers also didn't look at the role of males in pregnancies.

Patricia East, a developmental psychologist and research scientist at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, said the theories are sound. "It would be interesting in future studies to look at aspects of the friend relationship and see if jealousy, closeness, rivalry, and spending a lot of time with one another further increases the risk of early parenting," she said.

What about the role of the men who are getting women pregnant? "Men's fertility behavior is very difficult to study because one can never be sure that a specific man caused a particular pregnancy barring a blood test, which is very expensive," East said.

source : Having Babies May Be 'Contagious' Among Long-Time Friends

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Many Delay Blood Thinners After Stent Placement, Risking Death

Going 3 days without Plavix triples odds of heart attack within a month, researchers say

WebMD News from HealthDay

By Maureen Salamon

HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, May 28, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Many patients undergoing coronary stent placement don't fill their prescription for vital blood-thinning medication within the recommended time frame, a lapse leaving them much more likely to die within a month, new research suggests.

Researchers found that 30 percent of stent patients neglect to start taking Plavix (clopidogrel) as directed within three days of hospital discharge. This can triple their risk of heart attack and quintuple their risk of death over the following 30 days, the study authors said.

"What was surprising was the fact that almost a third of patients experienced some sort of delay and that any delay, even by a day, appeared to be associated with some increased risk," said study author Dr. Nicholas Cruden, a consultant cardiologist at Edinburgh Heart Center of the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh in Scotland.

"This highlights the difficulties patients often experience with medication on the transition from hospital to community and the importance of compliance with anti-platelet treatment after coronary artery stenting, particularly in the early period following implantation," Cruden added.

The study is published in the May 28 edition of the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Designed to reduce heart attack risk, coronary stents are surgically implanted in about 454,000 Americans each year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Stents are small mesh tubes that essentially prop open plaque-narrowed arteries.

A drug regimen of clopidogrel plus aspirin is advised for one month for patients with bare metal stents and for six to 12 months in patients with a so-called drug-eluting stent, which is coated with medication to help prevent the artery from becoming blocked again.

Analyzing records from more than 15,600 patients in British Columbia implanted with either type of stent between 2004 and 2006, Cruden and his colleagues also found that those who didn't promptly fill their blood-thinner prescriptions were twice as likely to have a heart attack or die of any cause within two years.

Dr. Alpesh Shah, an interventional cardiologist at Houston Methodist Hospital in Texas, said the research emphasizes the need to educate patients about the critical importance of following doctors' recommendations just after stent surgery.

"A person coming in for a stent usually spends a night in the hospital and goes home the next morning," explained Shah, who wasn't involved in the study. "Then they may not see their physician for two to three weeks. In that period . . . realizing the value of every drug that has been prescribed sometimes gets lost."

Cruden suggested that all stent patients be discharged from the hospital with enough blood-thinning medicine to last for the first month post-surgery.

"In the United Kingdom, we routinely discharge patients with a supply of anti-platelet drugs to cover the immediate 'at-risk' period following stent implantation," he said. "One month would seem like a sensible starting point."

source : Many Delay Blood Thinners After Stent Placement, Risking Death

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Fast Weight Loss May Mean Muscle Loss

Study volunteers eating 500 calories a day lost more muscle than those eating more than twice as much

WebMD News from HealthDay

By Robert Preidt

HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, May 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- If you lose weight too fast, you lose more muscle than when you shed excess pounds more slowly, a small study says.

The researchers put 25 participants on a five-week very-low-calorie diet of just 500 calories per day. Another 22 volunteers went on a 12-week low-calorie diet of 1,250 calories per day.

The investigators found that right after the end of their diets, both groups had similar levels of weight loss. The average weight loss was a little over 19 pounds among those on the very-low-calorie diet and just under 19 pounds among those on the low-calorie diet.

The researchers then looked at the loss of fat-free mass, which includes all the tissue in the human body, except fat. The major tissues are blood, bones, organs and muscles. However, the mass of the organs, blood and bones does not change during dieting. Therefore, changes in fat-free mass during dieting are mainly due to changes in muscle mass.

Participants on the very-low-calorie diet had lost about 3.5 pounds of fat-free mass, compared with 1.3 pounds among those on the low-calorie diet. Fat-free mass accounted for 18 percent of weight loss in the very-low-calorie diet group and 7.7 percent of weight loss in the low-calorie diet group, the study found.

Four weeks after the end of their diets, reductions in fat-free mass averaged 1.8 pounds among those in the very-low-calorie diet group and 0.7 pounds among those in the low-calorie diet group. Fat-free mass accounted for 9.4 percent of weight loss in the very-low-calorie diet group and 2.9 percent of weight loss in the low-calorie diet group, according to the report.

The findings were presented Wednesday at the European Congress on Obesity in Bulgaria.

"Loss of fat-free mass was higher after rapid than slow diet-induced weight loss with similar total weight loss," said the study's authors, Roel Vink and Marleen van Baak, of the School for Nutrition, Toxicology and Metabolism at Maastricht University in the Netherlands, and colleagues.

However, the authors also pointed out in a meeting news release that muscle loss among people in the very-low-calorie diet was likely overestimated immediately after they completed the diet, compared with four weeks later.

This is likely because they had a larger loss of water and glycogen (a natural form of sugar in the body) when they had just completed the diet than four weeks later, the researchers explained.

Research presented at meetings should be viewed as preliminary until it is published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.

source : Fast Weight Loss May Mean Muscle Loss

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Obesity, Overweight Rates Jump Worldwide, Report Finds

And United States is home to highest proportion of world's obese people, researchers add

WebMD News from HealthDay

By Robert Preidt

HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, May 28, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- In the past three decades, the number of overweight and obese people worldwide has jumped from 857 million to 2.1 billion, a new analysis shows.

Not only that, the United States is home to the highest proportion of the world's obese people, at 13 percent.

The study shows that obesity is a major public health epidemic in both developing and developed nations, said the researchers at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington in Seattle.

They analyzed data collected between 1980 and 2013 about children and adults in 188 countries.

Rates of overweight and obesity rose from 29 percent to 37 percent among men and from 30 percent to 38 percent among women. Rates of overweight and obesity among men were higher in developed nations, while rates among women were higher in developing nations.

The researchers also found that peak obesity rates are occurring at younger ages in developed nations, according to the study that appears May 29 in The Lancet.

Rates of overweight and obese children worldwide rose by nearly 50 percent between 1980 and 2013. In 2013, more than 22 percent of girls and nearly 24 percent of boys in developed nations were overweight or obese. The rates in developing nations were nearly 13 percent for both boys and girls.

"The rise in obesity among children is especially troubling in so many low- and middle-income countries," study author Marie Ng, an assistant professor of global health at IHME, said in an institute news release.

"We know that there are severe downstream health effects from childhood obesity, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and many cancers. We need to be thinking now about how to turn this trend around," she said.

The study also found that more than 50 percent of the world's 671 million obese people live in 10 countries: the United States, China, India, Russia, Brazil, Mexico, Egypt, Germany, Pakistan and Indonesia.

"Obesity is an issue affecting people of all ages and incomes, everywhere," IHME Director Dr. Christopher Murray said in the news release. "In the last three decades, not one country has achieved success in reducing obesity rates, and we expect obesity to rise steadily as incomes rise in low- and middle-income countries in particular, unless urgent steps are taken to address this public health crisis."

source : Obesity, Overweight Rates Jump Worldwide, Report Finds

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Plan to Sell Cialis Over the Counter Announced

WebMD News from HealthDay

May 28, 2014 -- The maker of the erectile dysfunction drug Cialis on Wednesday announced plans to seek approval to sell the medication over the counter once its patents expire.

The move, which would not come to fruition until Cialis loses patent protection in the United States and Europe in 2017, would allow men to buy the drug without having to first visit a doctor for a prescription, the New York Times reported.

Under the proposal, the French pharmaceutical company Sanofi would buy the rights to seek approval to sell Cialis over the counter in the United States, Europe, Canada and Australia from drug maker Eli Lilly, according to the Times.

The move would give Cialis a competitive edge over similar drugs, such as Viagra. But it is not clear whether the idea would sit well with regulators in those countries. Pfizer abandoned a similar plan for Viagra in 2008 after the European Medicines Agency raised safety concerns, the Times reported.

Cialis should not be taken with some heart medications because it could cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure, the newspaper said.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration would need to decide what type of additional research would be required to sell Cialis without a prescription, a spokesperson told the newspaper.

source : Plan to Sell Cialis Over the Counter Announced

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Fast Weight Loss May Mean Muscle Loss

Study volunteers eating 500 calories a day lost more muscle than those eating more than twice as much

WebMD News from HealthDay

By Robert Preidt

HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, May 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- If you lose weight too fast, you lose more muscle than when you shed excess pounds more slowly, a small study says.

The researchers put 25 participants on a five-week very-low-calorie diet of just 500 calories per day. Another 22 volunteers went on a 12-week low-calorie diet of 1,250 calories per day.

The investigators found that right after the end of their diets, both groups had similar levels of weight loss. The average weight loss was a little over 19 pounds among those on the very-low-calorie diet and just under 19 pounds among those on the low-calorie diet.

The researchers then looked at the loss of fat-free mass, which includes all the tissue in the human body, except fat. The major tissues are blood, bones, organs and muscles. However, the mass of the organs, blood and bones does not change during dieting. Therefore, changes in fat-free mass during dieting are mainly due to changes in muscle mass.

Participants on the very-low-calorie diet had lost about 3.5 pounds of fat-free mass, compared with 1.3 pounds among those on the low-calorie diet. Fat-free mass accounted for 18 percent of weight loss in the very-low-calorie diet group and 7.7 percent of weight loss in the low-calorie diet group, the study found.

Four weeks after the end of their diets, reductions in fat-free mass averaged 1.8 pounds among those in the very-low-calorie diet group and 0.7 pounds among those in the low-calorie diet group. Fat-free mass accounted for 9.4 percent of weight loss in the very-low-calorie diet group and 2.9 percent of weight loss in the low-calorie diet group, according to the report.

The findings were presented Wednesday at the European Congress on Obesity in Bulgaria.

"Loss of fat-free mass was higher after rapid than slow diet-induced weight loss with similar total weight loss," said the study's authors, Roel Vink and Marleen van Baak, of the School for Nutrition, Toxicology and Metabolism at Maastricht University in the Netherlands, and colleagues.

However, the authors also pointed out in a meeting news release that muscle loss among people in the very-low-calorie diet was likely overestimated immediately after they completed the diet, compared with four weeks later.

This is likely because they had a larger loss of water and glycogen (a natural form of sugar in the body) when they had just completed the diet than four weeks later, the researchers explained.

Research presented at meetings should be viewed as preliminary until it is published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.

source : Fast Weight Loss May Mean Muscle Loss

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Obesity, Overweight Rates Jump Worldwide, Report Finds

And United States is home to highest proportion of world's obese people, researchers add

WebMD News from HealthDay

By Robert Preidt

HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, May 28, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- In the past three decades, the number of overweight and obese people worldwide has jumped from 857 million to 2.1 billion, a new analysis shows.

Not only that, the United States is home to the highest proportion of the world's obese people, at 13 percent.

The study shows that obesity is a major public health epidemic in both developing and developed nations, said the researchers at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington in Seattle.

They analyzed data collected between 1980 and 2013 about children and adults in 188 countries.

Rates of overweight and obesity rose from 29 percent to 37 percent among men and from 30 percent to 38 percent among women. Rates of overweight and obesity among men were higher in developed nations, while rates among women were higher in developing nations.

The researchers also found that peak obesity rates are occurring at younger ages in developed nations, according to the study that appears May 29 in The Lancet.

Rates of overweight and obese children worldwide rose by nearly 50 percent between 1980 and 2013. In 2013, more than 22 percent of girls and nearly 24 percent of boys in developed nations were overweight or obese. The rates in developing nations were nearly 13 percent for both boys and girls.

"The rise in obesity among children is especially troubling in so many low- and middle-income countries," study author Marie Ng, an assistant professor of global health at IHME, said in an institute news release.

"We know that there are severe downstream health effects from childhood obesity, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and many cancers. We need to be thinking now about how to turn this trend around," she said.

The study also found that more than 50 percent of the world's 671 million obese people live in 10 countries: the United States, China, India, Russia, Brazil, Mexico, Egypt, Germany, Pakistan and Indonesia.

"Obesity is an issue affecting people of all ages and incomes, everywhere," IHME Director Dr. Christopher Murray said in the news release. "In the last three decades, not one country has achieved success in reducing obesity rates, and we expect obesity to rise steadily as incomes rise in low- and middle-income countries in particular, unless urgent steps are taken to address this public health crisis."

source : Obesity, Overweight Rates Jump Worldwide, Report Finds

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Older Black Trauma Patients Fare Better Than Whites in ER: Study

Researchers found older white trauma patients were 20 percent more likely to die

WebMD News from HealthDay

By Robert Preidt

HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, May 28, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Older black trauma patients are 20 percent more likely to survive their injuries than their white peers are, a new study shows.

The finding is surprising because studies typically show that black trauma patients have worse outcomes than whites, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine researchers noted.

For the study, the investigators analyzed in-hospital death rates among nearly 1.1 million trauma patients treated at U.S. hospitals from 2003 through 2010. Among patients aged 16 to 64, blacks were 20 percent more likely to die than whites. However, among patients aged 65 and older, whites were 20 percent more likely to die than blacks, the team found.

"We have long found it vexing that minority patients consistently do worse, even in treatment for trauma that seems to leave little room for bias," study leader Dr. Adil Haider, an associate professor of surgery, said in a Hopkins news release.

"And although we still see the disparity in younger black patients, we were surprised to find in this study that older black trauma patients were more likely to survive their injuries," he added.

Far more of the older patients suffered blunt trauma injuries -- mainly from traffic accidents and falls -- while younger patients were much more likely to have gunshot or stab wounds.

The researchers also found that nearly all of the older patients (99.4 percent) had insurance, many of them through Medicare. This high percentage of coverage means that all older patients have better access to health care, which helps "level the playing field" among older patients of different races, Haider said.

Another possible reason for the finding is that black patients have worse outcomes from disease and injury throughout their lives, so they have what the researchers called a "healthy survivor bias."

"There are well-documented disparities in access to health care for younger black patients, so it is possible that black patients who make it to age 65 have potentially reached that age stronger and healthier than their white counterparts of a similar age," study co-author and surgical resident Dr. Caitlin Hicks said in the news release.

"This is an important finding in racial disparities research that we need to look into and learn from," she added.

The study was published online May 28 in the journal JAMA Surgery.

source : Older Black Trauma Patients Fare Better Than Whites in ER: Study

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Today's Heroin Abusers Often Middle-Class Suburbanites: Study

Problem often starts after prescription painkiller use, researchers say

WebMD News from HealthDay

By Amy Norton

HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, May 28, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Today's typical heroin user is a middle-class suburban dweller who started off with prescription painkillers, a new study reports.

Once mainly a problem of teens living in impoverished neighborhoods in large cities, heroin use now more commonly affects whites in their early 20s, according to research published online May 28 in JAMA Psychiatry.

"There really has been a shift, in just the past five years or so. There's been a migration (of heroin abuse) to the suburbs," said lead researcher Theodore Cicero, a professor of psychiatry at Washington University in St. Louis.

Cicero added that the current findings weren't unexpected. "This is verifying, in a systematic way, what we've suspected," he said.

The shift of heroin use to the suburbs appears to be mainly related to abuse of prescription narcotics such as oxycodone (OxyContin), hydrocodone (Vicodin) and fentanyl (Duragesic). A "subset" of people prescribed those medications become addicted, cannot afford to keep abusing the pricey drugs, and then switch to heroin, Cicero said.

That didn't happen before the 1990s because doctors weren't prescribing powerful narcotics, explained Dr. Herbert Kleber, an addiction expert at the New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University Medical Center in New York City.

"For years, a lot of people in pain couldn't get adequate relief," Kleber said. "Then in the 1990s, there was a rebellion against that. Pain became the 'fifth vital sign' in medicine."

That meant that many more pain patients got legitimate prescriptions. A side effect, though, was that prescription painkiller abuse and overdose shot up, Kleber noted.

U.S. sales of prescription narcotics rose 300 percent between 1999 and 2008, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Meanwhile, drug overdose deaths tripled during roughly the same time period -- largely due to prescription narcotics.

And, then there's the issue of prescription narcotic abusers switching to heroin. Media reports have highlighted the problem, Cicero said, but the new findings give it scientific weight.

For the study, the researchers used data from a survey of almost 2,800 U.S. patients undergoing treatment for heroin abuse. They found that patients who'd begun using heroin back in the 1960s were mostly men who'd chosen heroin as their first drug of abuse -- usually as teenagers. Just over half were white.

That profile shifted over time, however -- especially during the 1990s. And by 2010, about 90 percent of recently initiated heroin abusers were white, and half were women. The average age of today's heroin user was 22.9 years old. And, 75 percent lived in "less urban" areas, according to the study.

Three-quarters of people who began abusing heroin after 2000 only did so after they were hooked on prescription painkillers.

source : Today's Heroin Abusers Often Middle-Class Suburbanites: Study

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Antidepressant Eases Menopause-Related Symptoms, Study Finds

Effexor nearly as good as estrogen therapy for reducing hot flashes, night sweats, researchers state

WebMD News from HealthDay

By Robert Preidt

HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, May 28, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Estrogen therapy and the non-hormonal drug venlafaxine (Effexor) are nearly equally effective in reducing menopause-related hot flashes and night sweats, according to a new study.

"Our new findings provide critical data for physicians and women making treatment decisions for hot flashes/night sweats. Our data show that first-line hormonal and non-hormonal pharmacological treatments are well-tolerated and effective options for alleviating symptoms," the study's lead author Dr. Hadine Joffe, director of the Women's Hormone and Aging Research Program at Brigham and Women's Hospital, said in a hospital news release.

"Hot flashes and night sweats ... affect up to 80 percent of women in midlife and are the primary menopause-related symptoms leading menopausal women to seek medical attention," Joffe noted.

Estrogen therapy is considered the "gold standard" treatment for hot flashes and night sweats, but is used at the lowest possible doses due to potential risks associated with the treatment, according to the researchers. These risks include blood clots and an increased risk of certain cancers.

Venlafaxine, also known by the brand name Effexor, is more commonly prescribed to treat depression or anxiety, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

The study included almost 350 women who were either entering menopause or had been through menopause. All of the women had hot flashes and night sweats. They were randomly assigned to receive either low-dose oral estrogen estradiol, low-dose venlafaxine hydrochloride extended release, or an inactive placebo.

After eight weeks, hot flashes and night sweats decreased by nearly 53 percent among women on estrogen therapy. In women taking venlafaxine, those symptoms dropped by nearly 48 percent. Almost 29 percent of those taking a placebo also had improvement in their symptoms.

Compared to the placebo, estradiol reduced the number of hot flashes or night sweats by an average of 2.3 more per day. Venlafaxine reduced the number of these symptoms by 1.8 more per day, according to the study published online May 26 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

The study, funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, is the first to compare estrogen therapy and a non-hormonal treatment, and shows that venlafaxine offers an effective alternative to hormone therapy.

source : Antidepressant Eases Menopause-Related Symptoms, Study Finds

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10 Risky Jobs for Your Lungs

These jobs may have lung risks for some workers.

By Pamela Babcock
WebMD Feature

Reviewed by Luqman Seidu, MD

Your lungs work hard. Most adults take more than 20,000 breaths a day. But just how well your lungs do their job may be affected by the job you do.

Chemicals. Germs. Tobacco smoke and dirt. Fibers, dust, and even things you might not think are dangerous can damage your airway and threaten your lungs.

"The lungs are complex organs," says Philip Harber, MD, MPH, professor of public health at the University of Arizona in Tucson. "Occupational and environmental exposures can lead to scarring or fibrosis, asthma, COPD, and infection or 

The good news: Many on-the-job lung dangers are preventable. Depending on your line of work, making certain changes can be key: Improve ventilation, wear protective equipment, change the way you do your work, and learn more about hazards, for examples.

Here are 10 jobs where precautions may help you avoid work-related lung damage.

1. Bartending and Waitressing

Secondhand smoke has been linked to lung cancer. It remains a threat to workers in cities where smoking hasn't been banned in public places. Casino workers also can find themselves in a cloud of smoke.

No one's going to wear a respirator while serving martinis or dealing a blackjack game. Separating smokers from nonsmokers, cleaning the air, and ventilating buildings won't keep nonsmokers from being exposed.

Short of working to change policy, the best solution may be to find another job.

"Unfortunately, the individual worker has limited options," says Susanna Von Essen, MD. She's a University of Nebraska Medical Center professor of internal medicine in the division of pulmonary, critical care, sleep, and allergy.

2. Housekeeping and Cleaning

Some cleaning supplies, even so-called "green" or "natural" products, have harmful chemicals that have been linked with developing asthma.

"Cleaners are reactive chemicals, meaning that they react with dirt and also with your lung tissues," Von Essen says.

Some release volatile organic compounds, which can contribute to chronic respiratory problems and allergic reactions. Read labels and follow instructions.

Consider using "simple cleaning agents like vinegar and water or baking soda," Von Essen says. Open windows and doors to keep the area well ventilated, too.

3. Health Care

Doctors, nurses, and other people who work in hospitals, medical offices, or nursing homes are at increased risk for lung diseases such as tuberculosis, influenza, and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

So, health care workers should keep up with immunizations (including the flu vaccine) that the CDC recommends for them.

Health care workers may also develop asthma if latex is used in gloves or other supplies. Latex-free synthetic gloves are an alternative.

4. Hair Styling

Certain hair-coloring agents can lead to occupational asthma. Some salon hair-straightening products contain formaldehyde, a known carcinogen. It's also a strong eye, nose, throat, and lung irritant.

Good ventilation is important. Because wearing a respirator might cause appointments to cancel, know what's in the products you're working with. If they're not safe, find a safer product.

source : 10 Risky Jobs for Your Lungs

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Can Fire Retardants Raise Risk of Children Born With Lower IQs?

Study found higher levels of the chemicals in mom also upped chances of hyperactivity in kids by age 5

WebMD News from HealthDay

By Randy Dotinga

HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, May 28, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A new study bolsters the concerns of some scientists that hazardous levels of fire retardants in furniture and other products may harm children before they are born.

A team of researchers from the University of Cincinnati, Canada and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the chemicals in the retardants may penetrate the bodies of pregnant women. This may boost the risk that their children will be hyperactive and have lower IQs.

The findings don't definitively prove that fire retardants cause these problems; it's possible that other factors could be responsible for lower IQ levels and higher rates of hyperactivity. And even if there is an effect, it is small on an individual basis.

Still, the study suggests that fire retardant chemicals might disrupt the normal ways in which children develop.

"The paper is upsetting," said Steven Gilbert, director and founder of the Institute of Neurotoxicology & Neurological Disorders, who was not involved with the research. "I am really tired of our kids being needlessly exposed to harmful chemicals while we do little to correct the root causes."

At issue are chemicals known as polybrominated diphenyl ethers, which are used as fire retardants in furniture, drapes, car seats, TVs and other products. The chemicals, which slow the progress of fire, make their way into people's bodies and even into wildlife through dust and soil.

According to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which tracks the chemicals in the ocean, this kind of fire retardant mostly vanished from the U.S. market about a decade ago amid concerns that they were toxic. The chemicals can still be found in new TVs and in older couches and other furniture.

In the new study, researchers tested 309 pregnant women in Cincinnati from 2003-06 for levels of the chemicals in their bodies. Then they tracked the women's children to see how they fared on various tests and adjusted their statistics so they wouldn't be thrown off by large or small numbers of women who fit into various types of categories such as rich or poor.

The level of fire-retardant chemicals in the women's bodies didn't appear to affect the way the kids developed physically and mentally from ages 1 to 3. But at the age of 5, children of mothers with the highest level of chemicals in their bodies were more likely to have lower IQs (by 5 points) and to be more hyperactive than other kids.

Does this matter? In the big picture, "a 5-point reduction in the average IQ of U.S. children would result in a 57 percent increase in children who have an IQ lower than 70 points," said study co-author Dr. Bruce Lanphear, a health sciences professor at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Those children, he noted, would be considered mentally disabled.

source : Can Fire Retardants Raise Risk of Children Born With Lower IQs?

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1 in 5 Elderly U.S. Patients Injured by Medical Care

Sickest patients at greatest risk, researchers say

WebMD News from HealthDay

By Steven Reinberg

HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, May 27, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Nearly one in five Medicare patients are victims of medical injuries that often aren't related to their underlying disease or condition, according to new research.

The injuries included: being given the wrong medication, having an allergic reaction to a medication, or receiving any treatment that led to more complications of an existing medical problem.

"These injuries are caused by the medical care or management rather than any underlying disease," said lead researcher Mary Carter, director of the Gerontology Program at Towson University in Maryland.

About two-thirds of these injuries occurred during outpatient care, rather than in the hospital, the study findings showed.

While there has been a great deal of effort in trying to understand medical injury in hospitals, not as much has been done in clinics, doctor's offices, outpatient surgery centers, emergency rooms and nursing homes, noted Carter.

"To really improve our ability to prevent these types of adverse events, we have to focus at least as much on outpatient care as we do on inpatient care," Carter said.

Findings from the study were published online May 27 in the journal Injury Prevention. It's important to note that while the people in the study all had Medicare insurance, the study didn't show that having Medicare insurance caused any of these injuries.

For the study, Carter and her colleagues collected data on more than 12,500 Medicare patients who made claims between 1998 and 2005. Their average age was 76.

The researchers found that 19 percent of those included in the study experienced at least one adverse medical event. That's higher than previous research estimates that suggested the rate of adverse medical events was probably around 13.5 percent for hospitalized patients, according to background information in the study.

"The rate of these injuries is probably higher than has been estimated," she said.

Sixty-two percent of these injuries took place during outpatient care, the investigators found.

Older people, men and those from lower-income backgrounds were most at risk of an adverse medical event, the study authors found. They also found that people who had chronic medical conditions or who were disabled in some way were more at risk of a medical injury.

Each additional month of age was associated with a 1 percent increase in the risk of a medical injury. In addition, the risk of experiencing an adverse medical event increased by 27 percent for each chronic condition a person had, the report revealed.

The death rate among those who had experienced a medical injury was nearly twice as high as among patients who hadn't had one, Carter said.

The consequences of these injuries were lasting. "We are seeing increased health care costs over a year following the injury with the greater use of medical services," said Carter.

source : 1 in 5 Elderly U.S. Patients Injured by Medical Care

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Top Nutrition Tips for Athletes

By Peter Jaret
WebMD Feature

Reviewed by Arefa Cassoobhoy, MD, MPH

When you exercise hard for 90 minutes or more, especially if you're doing something at high intensity that takes a lot of endurance, you need a diet that can help you perform at your peak and recover quickly afterward.

These five guidelines will help.

1. Load Up on Carbohydrates

Carbs are an athlete's main fuel. Your body changes them to glucose, a form of sugar, and stores it in your muscles as glycogen.

When you exercise, your body changes glycogen into energy. If you exercise for under 90 minutes, you have enough glycogen in your muscles, even for high-intensity activities. But if your workout is longer than that, use these strategies:

• "Carbohydrate loading for 3 or 4 days before an event can help top up your glycogen stores,” says sports dietitian Joy Dubost, PhD.
• Eat a diet that gets about 70% of its calories from carbohydrates, including breads, cereals, pasta, fruit, and vegetables, to achieve maximum carbohydrate storage.
• On the day of a big event, eat your last meal 3 to 4 hours before exercising, to give your stomach time to empty.
• Avoid eating sugary or starchy foods within 30 minutes of starting an activity; they can speed up dehydration.
• Replenish carbs, minerals, and water during long exercise sessions. Eat a snack and drink fluid every 15 to 20 minutes. Refined carbohydrates (with sugar or flour) pass quickly into the bloodstream, where they fuel working muscles. Many athletes prefer sports bars, sports drinks, or gels, since they're so convenient. But fruit and fruit juice are also excellent choices.
• Reload on carbohydrates after intensive exercise, too. "Since you don't need quick energy, it's best to choose less refined carbohydrates" such as a whole-grain bagel or carrot sticks, which provide both carbohydrates and a rich array of nutrients, Dubost says.

2. Get Enough Protein, But Not Too Much

Protein doesn’t provide a lot of fuel for energy. But you need it to maintain your muscles.

• Know what you need. The average person needs 1.2 to 1.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight a day. That's about 88 grams of protein for a 150-pound person. A strength athlete may need up to 1.7 grams per kilogram of body weight. That's about 150 grams of protein for a 200-pound athlete.
• Favor foods. Getting too much protein can put a strain on your kidneys. Instead of protein supplements, eat high-quality protein, such as lean meats, fish, poultry, nuts, beans, eggs, or milk.
• Drink up. "Milk is one of the best foods for recovery after an event, because it provides a good balance of protein and carbohydrates," Dubost says. Milk also has both casein and whey protein. The combination may be particularly helpful for athletes. Research shows that whey protein is absorbed quickly, which can help speed recovery immediately after an event. Casein is digested more slowly, helping to ensure long-term recovery of muscle after a grueling event. Milk also has calcium, which is important for maintaining strong bones.

source : Top Nutrition Tips for Athletes

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Your Income Might Influence Your Risk for Certain Cancers

Lifestyle-related disease, such as lung cancer, is more common among the poor, researchers find

WebMD News from HealthDay

By Steven Reinberg

HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, May 27, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Some cancers in the United States are tied to poverty, while others are more common among the wealthy, researchers report.

In the poorest areas of the country, the incidence of cancer is generally lower than in richer regions, but deaths from cancers are higher, the study authors said.

"Socioeconomic status is not something that appears on a medical record, so it is not really part of national cancer statistics, and this has skewed our thinking about cancer risk," said study co-author Kevin Henry, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Rutgers School of Public Health in New Jersey.

Greater access to screening among the rich, and risky behaviors more common among the poor -- such as smoking -- may help explain the disparities, experts said.

Kaposi sarcoma (a skin cancer common among AIDS patients) and cancers of the larynx, cervix, penis and liver occur more often in the poorest neighborhoods, the investigators found.

Poorer areas also had higher rates of cancers related to drinking, smoking and using injectable drugs. These are considered modifiable risk factors for cancer.

Since smoking rates are higher in poor areas, so is the incidence of smoking-related cancers, said Dr. Ahmedin Jemal, vice president for surveillance research at the American Cancer Society.

Cancers tied to sexually transmitted disease and poor diet were also more likely in the poorest neighborhoods.

In the wealthiest areas, thyroid and testicular cancer, melanoma and other skin cancers were more common, according to the report, published online May 27 in Cancer.

For their study, the researchers used the poverty rate of the patients' neighborhoods -- based on U.S. Census information -- as a measure of socioeconomic status in 16 states and Los Angeles County.

"We had data for almost 3 million cancer diagnoses in an area covering 42 percent of the United States population," Henry said. "This allowed us to look at some rare cancers that are less often studied. Overall, the breadth and depth of our analysis is unprecedented."

Although the researchers found scant association between poverty and cancers in general, for 32 of 39 cancers there was a significant link with economic status. Fourteen cancers were more common in poor areas and 18 were less common.

"Rates of cancers associated with overdiagnosis -- that is, cancers detected due to use of medical technology that would not have been identified otherwise -- tend to increase with increasing affluence," said study co-author Recinda Sherman, a program manager in data use and research at the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries.

Conversely, cancers common in poor areas are often the result of lack of access to cancer screening, said Jemal, of the cancer society. Cervical cancer is one example, he noted.

Another example is Kaposi sarcoma. "Kaposi sarcoma is an HIV-related cancer, and HIV patients are likely to be poorer," he said.

Diagnoses of breast and prostate cancer are more common in richer areas because of greater access to screening such as mammography, Jemal said.

Screening identifies these cancers early when they can be treated. This helps explain why poor people are more often diagnosed with advanced cancer and are more likely to die from these cancers, Jemal said.

These disparities, Jemal added, can be reduced only by targeting poor neighborhoods with messages about living a healthy lifestyle. This means stressing the importance of good nutrition, physical activity, maintaining a normal weight and not smoking, he said.

source : Your Income Might Influence Your Risk for Certain Cancers

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MERS Update: All Workers Test Negative

Florida, Indiana Hospital Workers All Cleared for Return to Work

By Kathleen Doheny
WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD

May 27, 2014 -- All hospital workers in Florida and Indiana who were in contact with the patients diagnosed with Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) have been cleared to return to work, hospital officials say.

In Florida, follow-up testing on all 23 health care workers exposed to the MERS patient showed they didn't catch the virus, according to Dain Weister, a spokesman for the Florida Department of Health. They were able to return to work May 24.

In Indiana, all 50 employees of Community Hospital in Munster who had direct contact with the patient diagnosed there did not catch MERS either, a second test confirmed, according to the hospital.

MERS first surfaced in Saudi Arabia in 2012. As of May 23, 635 confirmed cases have been reported, according to the World Health Organization, with 193 deaths. The death rate of MERS is about 30%.

The virus first appeared in the U.S. May 2, when a health care worker traveled from Saudi Arabia to Indiana, then went to the emergency room in Munster with symptoms. Fever, cough, and shortness of breath are typical MERS symptoms.

A second health care worker who traveled from Saudi Arabia to Orlando fell ill upon his arrival in Florida, with health care officials confirming that case May 11.

Both patients have been discharged from the hospital.

A third man from Illinois, who had met with the Indiana MERS patient twice before the patient was hospitalized, tested positive but showed no sign of the illness. Blood tests showed the Illinois man had been exposed to the MERS virus because he developed antibodies to fight it, officials said. But he did not seek or need medical care.

The MERS virus is also known as MERS-CoV, or coronavirus. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses. They cause a range of illnesses in people and animals. The source of MERS is not known, according to the CDC, although the virus has been found in camels and a bat. There is no vaccine.

The CDC does not recommend any change in travel plans. It advises travelers to take precautions: Wash hands with soap and water often, and avoid sick people.

source : MERS Update: All Workers Test Negative

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Men's Top 7 Abdominal Training Mistakes

By Michael Esco, PhD
WebMD Feature

Reviewed by Michael W. Smith, MD

Even when you exercise extra hard for “six-pack” abs, you might not get the results you want. That’s because it’s hard to lose abdominal fat, especially if you’re not exercising correctly.

Make sure you’re following these 7 training to-dos.

1. Go Beyond Crunches and Sit-Ups

There's a good reason these exercises are a go-to for abdominal training -- they work!

But your muscles adapt quickly to certain exercises. If this happens, they may stop responding altogether.

Changing your workout every 4-6 weeks will ensure the results keep coming.

It’s also important to do a variety of movements to fully target all of the ab muscles, not just the “six-pack” -- aka the rectus abdominis. Other muscles include the external and internal obliques, which are located on the side of the trunk. Try side bridges, planks, hip-ups, bicycles, and Pilates for variety. You can also incorporate stability devices, and do crunches on a Swiss ball for an advanced move.

2. Give Your Abs a Break

When it comes to training your abs, the more you do does not mean the more results you’ll get. As a matter of fact, doing too much can actually increase the risk of injury to the lower back.

If you’re working your midsection on a daily basis, you’re probably overdoing it. Like all other muscles in your body, your abs need rest to fully recover and repair from a strenuous workout. A good abdominal workout should only be performed on 2 to 3 nonconsecutive days per week.

3. Include Cardio

The biggest mistake men make when attempting to lose belly fat? Avoiding cardiovascular exercise. No matter how hard you try, you can’t spot-reduce. You must burn stored calories.

If a layer of fat is covering your abs, there isn’t any ab-specific workout that will show results without help from cardio training.

Strive for at least 30 minutes 5 days a week. But an even better way to torch belly fat is with vigorous exercise like jogging or spin class. And it’s a great time-saver too, giving you the same benefits in just 25 minutes 3 days a week.

To trim the layer of fat over your abs even faster, throw in high-intensity intervals.

source : Men's Top 7 Abdominal Training Mistakes

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3 Ways to Cook Butternut Squash

By Erin O'Donnell
WebMD Magazine - Feature

Reviewed by Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD

Butternut squash is low in calories (just 41 in a half-cup serving) and a good source of filling fiber. It's also chock full of yellow- and orange-hued antioxidants known as carotenoids.

These nutrient powerhouses may help protect against heart disease and cancer, says American Institute for Cancer Research dietitian Alice Bender.

Carotenoids include beta-carotene, which the body changes to vitamin A, a nutrient that supports the immune system. Other carotenoids in butternut squash are lutein and zeaxanthin, which help protect the eyes against cataracts and macular degeneration.

One cup of butternut squash has more than four times the recommended daily value of vitamin A.

Butternut squash is the most widely grown winter squash. Its sweet flavor appeals to kids and works well in pastas, soups, and stews.

Bender suspects that some cooks are intimidated by the strange shape and hard skin. "It looks daunting, but it's very easy to prepare," she says. "You just need a good knife."

Cut the squash in half, and scrape out the seeds. Then bake it, cut side down, until soft. Scoop out the flesh, or remove the rind with a vegetable peeler, and cut the squash flesh into cubes.

Try butternut squash in these three recipes:

Butternut Squash, Apple, and Currant Bake

This side dish pairs well with pork or roast chicken, but it might as well be dessert, given the delectable way the squash and apples caramelize while roasting. It features five-spice powder, a Chinese cooking staple found in large grocery stores and ethnic markets.

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

            2 large butternut squashes (totaling 3 or 4 pounds)

            2 Tbsp canola oil

            1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder or pumpkin pie spice

            5 apples, Granny Smith or McIntosh

            1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

            1/3 cup maple syrup

            1/3 cup raisins or currants

            1/3 cup pecans (optional)

            1/4 tsp sea salt

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Peel, seed, and cut squash into cubes; place in a large bowl.
3. Toss squash with canola oil and spice. Spread on a rimmed cookie sheet or sheet pan, and bake for 20 minutes.
4. Core apples, remove peels if desired, and cut into cubes. Place apple pieces in a large bowl.
5. In a small bowl, combine vinegar and maple syrup; pour over apples.
6. Combine apples with squash, and toss gently. Return squash with apples to baking sheet, and bake 5-10 minutes until cooked through and tender.
7. Remove apples and squash from oven, and place in a serving dish. Add raisins, pecans, salt, and pepper, and serve.

Per serving (does not include pecans): 221 calories, 2 g protein, 46 g carbohydrate, 5 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 0 mg cholesterol, 4 g fiber, 3 g sugar, 104 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 20%

source : 3 Ways to Cook Butternut Squash

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Obesity Gene May Explain Why Some Gain Weight as They Age

But experts say a healthy lifestyle can combat tendency to overeat

WebMD News from HealthDay

By Dennis Thompson

HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, May 27, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A defective gene linked to obesity appears to affect impulse control and food choices. And this could explain why people with the gene have so much trouble maintaining a healthy weight as they age, a new U.S. study says.

Middle-aged and older people with obesity-associated variants of the FTO gene tend to gain weight, according to researchers from the National Institutes of Health. Moreover, scans detected reduced function in brain regions that govern impulsivity and perception of food texture and taste, the researchers found.

"Sure enough, people who carry one or two copies of the FTO variant show increased intake of high-calorie or fatty food as they age," said senior author Dr. Madhav Thambisetty, chief of clinical and translational neuroscience at the National Institute on Aging's Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience.

"There may be a common biological factor underlying both the risk for obesity during aging as well as obesity-related behavior like your ability to resist impulse eating," Thambisetty said.

Many studies have tied certain versions of the FTO gene to chronic obesity, but doctors have struggled to determine why the gene affects a person's risk of obesity, said Ruth Loos, director of the genetics of obesity and related metabolic traits program at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.

"These types of studies are important to disentangle the mechanism of why FTO is associated with obesity, but it's only one piece of a huge puzzle," Loos said.

In the United States, more than one-third of adults aged 65 and over are obese, according to background information in the study.

About 45 percent of people in this study had at least one copy of the pro-obesity FTO variant, Thambisetty said, which tracks with the white population in the United States. About 16 percent of people had two copies of the gene, which confers an even greater risk of obesity.

The study focused on nearly 700 participants, including 69 people who agreed to annual PET scans to gather additional information regarding their brain structure and function. At the start of the study, average age was 46. All were participating in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging, one of the longest running studies of human aging in North America.

They first confirmed that body mass index increased in those with one or two copies of the FTO gene variant. They then compared brain PET scans of patients with the FTO variant with scans of non-carriers, looking for differences in brain function over time.

They found people with the gene variant had reduced function in their medial prefrontal cortex, a region thought to be important in controlling impulses and response to the taste and texture of food.

source : Obesity Gene May Explain Why Some Gain Weight as They Age

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