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Saturday, 31 January 2015
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Lead Exposure May Be Bigger Threat to Boys Than Girls
Hormones may offer young females some protection from toxic effects, study says
WebMD News from HealthDay
By Robert Preidt
HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, Jan. 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Hormones may explain why lead exposure is less likely to cause brain damage in girls than in boys, researchers report.
Specifically, the female hormones estrogen and estradiol may help protect against lead's harmful effects on the frontal areas of the brain, according to the findings published recently in the Journal of Environmental Health.
"The study supports existing research suggesting that estrogen and estradiol in females may act as neuroprotectants against the negative impacts of neurotoxins," study author Maya Khanna, a psychology professor at Creighton University, said in a university news release.
The study included 40 children. They were between the ages of 3 and 6, and all lived in an area of Omaha considered the largest residential lead clean-up site in the United States. The area has high levels of lead contamination in the soil due to emissions from a lead refinery that operated there for 125 years.
Also, many homes in the area are old and still have lead-based paint.
The researchers found that 23 of the children had elevated blood lead levels. Boys with elevated lead levels scored low on tests of memory, attention and other thinking abilities. Girls with elevated lead levels did not do as poorly on the tests, according to the study.
The researchers also found that elevated lead levels had a much stronger negative impact on thinking abilities than on reading readiness.
This is the first study to show that very young children already experience harm from lead exposure, and that lead has a greater impact on thinking abilities in boys than in girls, according to Khanna.
source : Lead Exposure May Be Bigger Threat to Boys Than Girls
Which Type of Long-Term Birth Control is Best for You?
By Sonya Collins
WebMD Feature
Reviewed by Traci C. Johnson, MD, FACOG
You don’t have to take a pill every day. Several birth control methods last weeks, months, or even years with little effort on your part. They are safe and effective for most healthy women of childbearing age.
“The best method of contraception for any woman is the method that she’s going to use correctly and consistently,” says Elizabeth Micks, MD, MPH. She’s an acting assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Washington Medical Center.
Do you know what's available?
The IUD
An intrauterine device (IUD) is a small, T-shaped device that your doctor places inside your uterus, or womb. It can stay there for 3 to 10 years, depending on its type. Your doctor can easily remove it if you decide you'd like to get pregnant or you no longer want to use it.
Once the IUD is in place, you don’t have to do anything else to prevent pregnancy. IUDs are 20 times more effective than pills, patches, or rings. Fewer than 1 in 100 women get pregnant during their first year on the IUD. This is the same success rate as sterilization.
Most women of childbearing age with a normal, healthy uterus can use this device. Your gynecologist will examine you before placing it.
Hormonal IUDs are plastic and release the hormone progestin. This thickens the mucus in your cervix (lower part of your uterus), which keeps sperm from entering. It also thins the walls of your uterus. This keeps a fertilized egg from attaching to it, which is a part of pregnancy.
Two brands of hormonal IUD are available: Skyla and Mirena. Skyla lasts for 3 years. Mirena, which uses a higher level of hormone, lasts for 5 years. It is also FDA-approved to treat heavy menstrual bleeding. Mirena can reduce bleeding up to 90% after the first 6 months.
“It’s so effective in treating women with heavy bleeding, painful periods, even women with endometriosis [a disorder of the uterus], fibroids [noncancerous tumors], and other problems," Micks says.
The drawback for some women is getting through those first 6 months. “Hormonal IUDs can lead to a lot of irregular bleeding in the beginning, which for a lot of women is really not acceptable,” Micks says. “Women do not like spotting (light bleeding between periods).”
source : Which Type of Long-Term Birth Control is Best for You?
Flame Retardants May Raise Risk of Preterm Births, Study Finds
Women with higher blood levels of common chemicals were more likely to deliver early
WebMD News from HealthDay
By Robert Preidt
HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, Jan. 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Pregnant women exposed to high levels of flame-retardant chemicals may be at increased risk for having premature babies, a new study indicates.
Researchers analyzed blood samples from pregnant women when they were admitted to hospital for delivery. Those with higher levels of flame-retardant chemicals in their bodies were more likely to have preterm babies (before 37 weeks of pregnancy) than those with lower levels of the chemicals, the investigators found.
"Nearly all women have some amount of exposure to flame-retardant chemicals. Many people have no idea that these chemicals can be found on many common items, including household dust and clothes dryer lint," study author Dr. Ramkumar Menon, an assistant professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Texas Medical Branch, said in a university news release.
Flame retardants have been widely used for four decades in home construction, furniture, clothing and electronic appliances, and they have been found in amniotic fluid, umbilical cord tissue, fetal tissue and breast milk, the study authors said.
More than 15 million babies around the world are born prematurely every year. About 1 million of these babies die shortly after birth, making preterm birth the second-leading cause of death in children under 5, the researchers added.
"Since stopping the use or exposure of flame retardants during pregnancy is not likely, our laboratory is currently studying the mechanisms by which flame retardants cause preterm birth," Menon said.
While the study found an association between exposure to flame-retardant chemicals and premature birth, it did not prove a cause-and-effect link.
The study was published Jan. 28 in the Journal of Reproductive Immunology.
source : Flame Retardants May Raise Risk of Preterm Births, Study Finds
Some With Kidney Stones Might Have Calcium Buildup in Blood Vessels: Study
These patients might need closer monitoring for further signs of pending heart trouble, researcher says
WebMD News from HealthDay
By Rosemary Black
HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, Jan. 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Some people who develop recurring kidney stones may also have high levels of calcium deposits in their blood vessels, and that could explain their increased risk for heart disease, new research suggests.
"It's becoming clear that having kidney stones is a bit like having raised blood pressure, raised blood lipids [such as cholesterol] or diabetes in that it is another indicator of, or risk factor for, cardiovascular disease and its consequences," said study co-author Dr. Robert Unwin, of University College London. Unwin is currently chief scientist with the AstraZeneca cardiovascular & metabolic diseases innovative medicines and early development science unit, in Molndal, Sweden.
The main message, Unwin said, "is to begin to take having kidney stones seriously in relation to cardiovascular disease risk, and to practice preventive monitoring and treatments, including diet and lifestyle."
Some 10 percent of men and 7 percent of women develop kidney stones at some point in their lives, and research has shown that many of these people are at heightened risk for high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease and heart disease, the researchers said.
But study author Dr. Linda Shavit, a senior nephrologist at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem, and her colleagues wanted to find out whether the heart issues that can occur in some of those with kidney stones might be caused by high levels of calcium deposits in their blood vessels.
Using CT scans, they looked at calcium deposits in the abdominal aorta, one of the largest blood vessels in the body. Of the 111 people in the study, 57 suffered recurring kidney stones that were comprised of calcium (kidney stones can be made up of other minerals, depending on the patient's circumstances, the researchers noted), and 54 did not have kidney stones.
Not only did the investigators find that those with recurring kidney stones made of calcium have higher calcium deposits in their abdominal aortas, but they also had less dense bones than those who did not have kidney stones.
Earlier research has shown that calcium buildup in blood vessels frequently goes hand in hand with bone loss, which suggests a link between osteoporosis and atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries.
source : Some With Kidney Stones Might Have Calcium Buildup in Blood Vessels: Study
Researchers Learning More About Deadly Pancreatic Cancer
FDA hopes targeted drug research will lead to 'big break'
WebMD News from HealthDay
By Robert Preidt
HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, Jan. 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Scientists are working to find new ways to treat pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest types of cancer in the United States.
Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the country. Each year, more than 46,000 Americans are diagnosed with the disease and more than 39,000 die from it, according to the U.S. National Cancer Institute.
Current treatments include drugs, chemotherapy, surgery and radiation therapy, but the five-year survival rate is only about 5 percent. That's in part because it often isn't diagnosed until after it has spread.
"Today we know more about this form of cancer. We know it usually starts in the pancreatic ducts and that the KRAS gene is mutated in tumor samples from most patients with pancreatic cancer," Dr. Abhilasha Nair, an oncologist with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, said in an agency news release.
Scientists are trying to develop drugs that target the KRAS mutation, the FDA noted.
"Getting the right drug to target the right mutation would be a big break for treating patients with pancreatic cancer," Nair said. "KRAS is a very evasive target. We need to learn more about it so we can better understand how to overcome it."
Other areas of research include learning more about how certain factors increase the risk of pancreatic cancer.
These risk factors include smoking, long-term diabetes, other gene mutations, Lynch syndrome (a genetic disorder that increases the risk for certain cancers), and pancreatitis, which is chronic inflammation of the pancreas that causes abdominal pain, diarrhea and weight loss.
Immune therapies, which have proven successful in treating melanoma and some other cancers, are another area of research in fighting pancreatic cancer.
"Not too long ago, the prognosis for melanoma patients was very poor. But with the advent of these new therapies that boost the patient's own immune system, the landscape has greatly improved," Nair said.
"We hope that new research in pancreatic cancer will ultimately give us a similar, if not better, outcome in the fight against this aggressive cancer," Nair added.
source : Researchers Learning More About Deadly Pancreatic Cancer
Friday, 30 January 2015
Obama Lifting Curtain on 'Precision Medicine' Plan
By Rita Rubin
WebMD Health News
Reviewed by Michael W. Smith, MD
Jan. 30, 2015 -- President Obama will unveil details Friday about the “Precision Medicine Initiative,” a move toward tailoring medical treatments for each person.
Obama announced the initiative in his State of the Union speech.
“Throughout history, most treatments have been designed for the average patient,” says Jo Handelsman, PhD. She's the associate director for science at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. “Precision medicine means moving beyond the one-size-fits-all approach to medicine.”
Matching a patient's blood type for a transfusion is an early example of precision medicine, says National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins, MD, PhD. “But for much of medicine, this kind of personalizing has just not been possible. We just didn’t know enough,” he says.
It’s possible now because of advances in data science, better computing power, and electronic medical records. It also costs less to do something called genome sequencing, which maps out every gene in your body. It now costs $1,000 to sequence an entire genome (your genetic makeup) -- that's 100,000 times less than it cost 15 years ago.
Many of the details about how the initiative will be put into action have yet to be worked out, Collins says.
More than half of the president’s initial $215 million investment in the program -- $130 million -- will go to the NIH to develop a nationwide group of at least a million volunteers to participate in the research, according to the White House. Some of those volunteers might come from other studies that are already under way.
Participants will benefit personally by having access to data collected by researchers, Collins says. For example, some people in the existing studies have already had their whole genome or exome sequenced. The exome is part of the genome and contains the blueprints for proteins and most of the known disease-causing gene changes.
Protecting Participants’ Privacy
The White House is committed to protect the privacy and security of data collected by the initiative, Handelsman says. It is putting together a privacy working group that will include lawyers, ethicists, and representatives of patient organizations. Another $5 million for the initiative will go toward the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology to set up standards to protect the data.
source : Obama Lifting Curtain on 'Precision Medicine' Plan
Colon Cancer Rates Rising Among Americans Under 50
Still, only 10 percent of cases occur in younger group, study finds
WebMD News from HealthDay
By Alan Mozes
HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, Jan. 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Although the overall rate of colon cancer has fallen in recent decades, new research suggests that over the last 20 years the disease has been increasing among young and early middle-aged American adults.
At issue are colon cancer rates among men and women between the ages of 20 and 49, a group that generally isn't covered by public health guidelines.
"This is real," said study co-author Jason Zell, an assistant professor in the departments of medicine and epidemiology at the University of California, Irvine.
"Multiple research organizations have shown that colon cancer is rising in those under 50, and our study found the same, particularly among very young adults," he said. "Which means that the epidemiology of this disease is changing, even if the absolute risk among young adults is still very low."
Results of the study were published recently in the Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology.
The study authors noted that more than 90 percent of those with colon cancer are 50 and older. Most Americans (those with no family history or heightened risk profile) are advised to start screening at age 50.
Despite remaining the third most common cancer in the United States (and the number two cause of cancer deaths), a steady rise in screening rates has appeared to be the main driving force behind a decades-long plummet in overall colon cancer rates, according to background information in the study.
An analysis of U.S. National Cancer Institute data, published last November in JAMA Surgery, indicated that, as a whole, colon cancer rates had fallen by roughly 1 percent every year between 1975 and 2010.
But, that study also revealed that during the same time period, the rate among people aged 20 to 34 had actually gone up by 2 percent annually, while those between 35 and 49 had seen a half-percent yearly uptick.
To examine that trend, the current study focused on data collected by the California Cancer Registry. This registry included information on nearly 232,000 colon cancer cases diagnosed between 1988 and 2009. Half the cases were in men, and over 70 percent occurred in whites.
source : Colon Cancer Rates Rising Among Americans Under 50
Insurance Choices Dwindle In Rural California As Blue Shield Pulls Back
By Pauline Bartolone, Capital Public Radio
Fri, Jan 30 2015
After the insurance exchanges set up under the Affordable Care Act first went live in late 2013, Lori Lomas started combing the website of Covered California on a hunt for good deals for her clients. Lomas is an agent at Feather Financial, in the Sierra Nevada mountain town of Quincy, Calif.; she’s been selling health policies in rural communities for more than 20 years.
But in 2013, she noticed a troubling change that surprised her: For many clients, insurance options decreased.
“I just started running quotes for people,” Lomas says, “and began realizing that in [some] zip codes, the only thing that shows up is Anthem.”
In addition to Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield of California used to sell policies to individuals in every county in the state, according to the Department of Managed Health Care, one of California’s two teams of health insurance regulators. But by 2014’s open enrollment period, Blue Shield had pulled out of 250 zip codes throughout the state, including four entire counties: Alpine, Monterey, Sutter, and Yuba.
The gaps are particularly felt in the top third of the state, where thousands of residents now have only one choice of insurer if they want to buy a health plan on the exchange.
That’s in contrast, Lomas says, to other spots, like the San Francisco Bay Area, where she’s also been helping clients find policies on the state exchange. “I’d do it for them,” she says, “and, wow, there are six insurance companies or seven insurance companies. I think that was when I first realized how, truly, we were getting the shaft up here.”
Blue Shield of California declined an interview with NPR. But in a written statement, the company reported that it’s not selling in certain areas of California because it could not find enough health providers willing to accept a level of payment that would keep premiums low. According to the statement, the company also is not selling in areas where there is no contracted hospital within 15 miles.
source : Insurance Choices Dwindle In Rural California As Blue Shield Pulls Back
Too Much Alcohol at Midlife Raises Stroke Risk, Study Finds
The danger zone: more than 2 drinks daily
WebMD News from HealthDay
By Dennis Thompson
HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, Jan. 29, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Too much alcohol in middle age can increase your stroke risk as much as high blood pressure or diabetes, a new study suggests.
People who average more than two drinks a day have a 34 percent higher risk of stroke compared to those whose daily average amounts to less than half a drink, according to findings published Jan. 29 in the journal Stroke.
Researchers also found that people who drink heavily in their 50s and 60s tend to suffer strokes earlier in life than light drinkers or non-imbibers.
"Our study showed that drinking more than two drinks per day can shorten time to stroke by about five years," said lead author Pavla Kadlecova, a statistician at St. Anne's University Hospital International Clinical Research Center in the Czech Republic.
The enhanced stroke risk created by heavy drinking rivals the risk posed by high blood pressure or diabetes, the researchers concluded. By age 75, however, blood pressure and diabetes became better predictors of stroke.
The study involved 11,644 middle-aged Swedish twins who were followed in an attempt to examine the effect of genetics and lifestyle factors on risk of stroke.
Researchers analyzed results from a Swedish registry of same-sex twins who answered questionnaires between 1967 and 1970. By 2010, the registry yielded 43 years of follow-up, including hospital records and cause-of-death data.
Almost 30 percent of participants had a stroke. They were categorized as light, moderate, heavy or nondrinkers based on the questionnaires, and researchers compared the risk from alcohol and health risks such as high blood pressure, diabetes and smoking.
The researchers found that for heavy drinkers, alcohol produced a high risk of stroke in late middle age, starting at age 50. By comparison, light drinkers' or nondrinkers' stroke risk increased gradually with age.
Among identical twins, siblings who had a stroke drank more than their siblings who hadn't had a stroke, suggesting that midlife drinking raises stroke risks regardless of genetics and early lifestyle, the researchers said.
Midlife heavy drinkers -- those in their 50s and 60s -- were likely to have a stroke five years earlier in life, irrespective of genetic and lifestyle factors, the study found.
source : Too Much Alcohol at Midlife Raises Stroke Risk, Study Finds
Tamiflu Cuts 1 Day Off Average Flu Bout, Study Finds
Researchers reviewed collected data on the influenza medication
WebMD News from HealthDay
By Robert Preidt
HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, Jan. 29, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- A review of the data suggests that the antiviral drug Tamiflu shortens the length of flu symptoms by about a day, and reduces the risk of flu-related complications such as pneumonia.
The findings come from an analysis of nine published and unpublished randomized clinical trials of Tamiflu (oseltamivir) in adults. The data was provided to the researchers by Tamiflu's maker, Roche.
The studies compared the effectiveness of the licensed 75-milligram dose of Tamiflu against a placebo in more than 4,300 adults who had the flu between 1997 and 2001.
In patients with laboratory-confirmed flu, Tamiflu shorted the length of flu symptoms by 21 percent compared with the placebo, shortening the average flu bout from about five days to four.
Compared to flu sufferers who took the placebo, patients who took Tamiflu also had a 44 percent lower risk of lower respiratory infections requiring antibiotics and a 63 percent lower risk of hospitalization for any cause.
One expert said the study was important.
"This type of confirmatory data is great to see," said Victoria Richards, associate professor of medical sciences at the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn.
"It has often been stated that Tamiflu reduces the length of the flu, but to have more data, especially independent data, to back up the statement is critical for appropriate prescribing and usage," she said. "Moreover, reducing the risk of bacterial infections is encouraging."
Still, every medicine has its risks and that was true for Tamiflu, as well. The study found that patients who took Tamiflu were 3.7 percent more likely to experience nausea and 4.7 percent more likely to have vomiting than those who took a placebo.
The study, published online Jan. 29 in The Lancet, was funded by the Multiparty Group for Advice on Science foundation, an independent panel of experts.
Tamiflu's safety and effectiveness "has been hotly debated, with some researchers claiming there is little evidence that [Tamiflu] works," study co-leader Arnold Monto, professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, noted in a journal news release.
source : Tamiflu Cuts 1 Day Off Average Flu Bout, Study Finds
Acne Gel Linked to Rare Side Effect, Doctors Warn
Teen developed blood disorder after using Aczone for a week
WebMD News from HealthDay
By Alan Mozes
HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, Jan. 29, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- For certain people, the acne treatment Aczone may be linked to a rare blood disorder, a new case study contends.
A 19-year-old woman who had used Aczone -- the skin gel version of the drug dapsone -- for a week developed a serious condition called methemoglobinemia.
The patient showed up at a Pittsburgh emergency room with a headache, shortness of breath, and blue lips and fingers. Her symptoms initially confounded her doctors.
Although she had applied a "pea-sized" amount of Aczone to her skin twice daily for seven days before seeking care, she never mentioned that when asked if was using any medications.
"We went over all her meds and herbal supplements," said Dr. Greg Swartzentruber, a medical toxicology fellow at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. "And we couldn't come up with a cause, even after interviewing her and her family. Aczone was just never mentioned."
The young woman didn't realize that "topical medicines can have systemic adverse effects, and she didn't realize the importance of telling your doctor about everything you might be taking, including topicals," he added.
The study authors noted that prior research has shown that dapsone pills, in very rare instances, can trigger methemoglobinemia, the abnormal production of a red blood cell protein that delivers oxygen throughout the body.
But the current case appears to be the first time that this condition has been associated with Aczone, the skin gel version of dapsone, they said.
Swartzentruber and his colleagues described the case in a letter in the Jan. 29 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Dapsone pills, which were also used to treat leprosy, have been available for decades. The topical 5 percent gel version known as Aczone was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2005.
source : Acne Gel Linked to Rare Side Effect, Doctors Warn
Should Vaccination Be a Personal Choice?
Reviewed by Hansa D. Bhargava, MD
Jan. 29, 2015 -- As a measles outbreak linked to two Disney parks in California continues to spread, a backlash against parents who refuse or delay vaccination for their children has risen to a fever pitch.
More and more pediatricians say they are "firing" patients who decide not to vaccinate. On social media, angry parents engage in heated debates about the decision not to vaccinate. One columnist suggested parents who don’t vaccinate their kids should go to jail. And at least one well-known infectious disease expert called for states to make it tougher for parents to opt out of the shots.
“It’s not just about you. You’re part of a social order. You’ve got to make your own contribution to it. You can’t opt out. This is a stronger statement than I’ve ever made to the media. But I think we should become increasingly intolerant of parents opting out,” says William Schaffner, MD. He's a professor of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN.
There’s good reason to be angry. Diseases like whooping cough and measles, which had been all but wiped out in this country, are making a comeback. In 2014, 644 people caught measles in the U.S., the most in more than two decades, according to the CDC. With nearly 60 cases in seven states connected to the two Disney parks so far this year, 2015 might be on pace to be even worse.
“It’s only January and we’ve already had a very large number of measles cases. This worries me,” says Anne Schuchat, MD. She's the director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. She spoke at a press briefing on the outbreak and urged children and adults to get vaccinated.
Experts say preventable diseases like these are gaining a foothold again because many parents have taken advantage of laws in 48 states that allow families to skip or delay the shots for religious or personal reasons.
“Ten to 20 percent delay the shots. One to 2 percent choose not to vaccinate at all,” says Paul Offit, MD, director of the Vaccine Education Center at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
That wouldn’t be so bad if they were evenly distributed across the U.S., putting an unvaccinated kid here or there. But people who decide to go unprotected tend to cluster in groups.
source : Should Vaccination Be a Personal Choice?
Flu's Grip on U.S. Starting to Weaken: CDC
Some areas are starting to see a decline in infections, official says
WebMD News from HealthDay
By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, Jan. 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- After a rough start to the flu season, the number of infections seems to have peaked and is even starting to decline in many parts of the nation, federal health officials reported Thursday.
"We likely reached our highest level of activity and in many parts of the country we are starting to see flu activity decline," said Dr. Michael Jhung, a medical officer in U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Influenza Division.
Jhung added, however, that flu remains widespread in much of the country.
As has been the case since the flu season began, the predominant type of flu continues to be an H3N2 strain, which is not a good match to this year's vaccine. The majority of H3N2-related infections diagnosed so far -- 65 percent -- are "different from the strain in the vaccine," he said.
The reason: the circulating H3N2 strain mutated after scientists settled last year on the makeup of this season's flu shot.
This year's flu season continues to hit children and the elderly hardest. And some children continue to die from flu. "That's not surprising," Jhung said, adding that 56 children have died from complications of flu.
In an average year, children's deaths vary from as few as 30 to as many as 170 or more, CDC officials said.
Jhung thinks that over the next few weeks, as in other flu seasons, different flu strains -- such as H1N1 -- will likely become more common. "I expect to see some other strains circulating, but I don't know how much," he said.
That could be good news on the vaccine front. Right now, the flu vaccine is only about 23 percent effective, due to the mutated H3N2 strain. But, as other strains become more widespread, the vaccine's effectiveness should increase, Jhung said.
Most years, flu vaccine effectiveness ranges from 10 percent to 60 percent, according to the CDC.
Twenty-three percent effectiveness means there's some benefit -- a little less flu among vaccinated people. Typically, flu is more common among the unvaccinated, but this year there's been a lot of flu both in people who are vaccinated and in those who aren't, CDC officials said.
source : Flu's Grip on U.S. Starting to Weaken: CDC
Most Californians On Insurance Exchange Are Sticking With Last Year’s Plan
By Jenny Gold
Thu, Jan 29 2015
When it comes to health insurance, Californians seem to value consistency.
Of the 944,000 people who were could renew their coverage for 2015 through Covered California, the state’s health insurance exchange, 94 percent stayed in the same plan that they were in last year.
About a third of them shopped for other plans available on the exchange, but few ended up making a change. The other two-thirds took no action and were automatically re-enrolled in their plan from last year.
Executive Director Peter V. Lee said one reason was that the prices remained fairly consistent. “While consumers might have saved a few dollars by changing plans, they didn’t face draconian price increases if they stayed,” Lee explained during a conference call with reporters on Wednesday.
Larry Levitt, senior vice president at the Kaiser Family Foundation, called the stability “stunning.” (Kaiser Health News is an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation.)
“On the one hand, it may suggest that people were generally happy with the coverage they had,” he said. “On the other hand, it may suggest that people were confused or reticent to change even when they might save money.”
That sort of reluctance to switch plans, he said, is also generally what happens in the Medicare Advantage and federal employee markets, “where inertia generally takes hold.”
“More active shopping would certainly put greater competitive pressure on insurers, but there’s also a lot of new customers in this market, so insurers still have an incentive to keep prices down,” Levitt said.
Attrition rates varied a bit by carrier in the Covered California market, but in all plans, at least 90 percent of consumers chose to stay. Kaiser Permanente, which is not affiliated with Kaiser Health News, managed to hang on to 99 percent of customers who purchased coverage through Covered California.
In December, there were 1.1 million customers eligible for renewal through Covered California. Of those, 85,000 experienced drops in income making them eligible for Medi-Cal this year instead of subsidized private coverage. Covered California officials say they are still working with another 80,000 people who for various reasons could not be renewed within the exchange.
As of January 26th – about two months into this year’s open enrollment period – 273,000 new customers have enrolled in coverage through the state’s exchange.
Californians have until February 15th to enroll if they want coverage this year.
Kaiser Health News (KHN) is a national health policy news service. It is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.
source : Most Californians On Insurance Exchange Are Sticking With Last Year’s Plan
What Is a Fetish?
By Sonya Collins
WebMD Feature
Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD
While you might like the sight of your partner in a pair of high heels during sex, that doesn’t necessarily mean you have a shoe fetish.
A fetish is sexual excitement in response to an object or body part that’s not typically sexual, such as shoes or feet. They’re more common in men.
Boring Bedroom Syndrome — It's Everywhere
By Julia A. Savacool Our prescription: Try some of these passion boosters, and thank us in the morning. Not to be nosy, but how's your love life? For those not newly wed, possible answers to that question might range from the noninformative "Fine, thanks" to the slightly weary "Okay, considering..." to the ever-popular "None of your business." But what if we told you that a few easy changes could make your sex life more electric — wouldn't you be interested? Well, listen up...
Read the Boring Bedroom Syndrome — It's Everywhere article > >
Many people with fetishes must have the object of their attraction at hand or be fantasizing about it, alone or with a partner, in order to become sexually aroused, get an erection, and have an orgasm.
A person with a fetish might masturbate while they hold, smell, rub, or taste the object. Or they might ask their partner to wear it or use it during sex.
Most Common Fetishes
People can “fetishize” almost anything.
There are many web sites about lots of fetish interests, says Richard Krueger, MD, an associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University. “Anything you could imagine.”
According to a study, the most common fetishes involve body parts, such as feet, or body features, such as obesity, piercings, or tattoos. The feet are by far the most common. Body fluid, body size, and hair fetishes aren’t far behind.
After body parts comes things you wear. The same study put clothes worn on the hips and legs, such as stockings and skirts, at the top of the list. Footwear, then underwear, ranked closely behind.
Fetishes that involve the feel of a certain material, often leather or rubber, are also common. Some people like dressing themselves and their partner in furry animal costumes.
Where Do Fetishes Come From?
Sexual behavior experts don't agree on the causes. Some people can trace their attraction back to early childhood, before they were aware of their sexuality.
A fetish can also come from seeing inappropriate sexual behavior during childhood or from sexual abuse, says Kenneth Rosenberg, MD. He's a psychiatry professor at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Are Fetishes OK?
A sexual fetish is not a disorder by definition, but it can reach that level if it causes intense, lasting distress.
source : What Is a Fetish?
Little Improvement in Children Paralyzed After Viral Infection, Study Finds
Cluster of Colorado cases may be tied to 2014 outbreak of enterovirus D68, experts say
WebMD News from HealthDay
By Dennis Thompson
HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, Jan. 29, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- A cluster of 12 Colorado children are suffering muscle weakness and paralysis similar to that caused by polio, and doctors are concerned these cases could be linked to a nationwide outbreak of what's usually a rare respiratory virus.
Despite treatment, 10 of the children first diagnosed late last summer still have ongoing problems, the authors noted, and it's not known if their limb weakness and paralysis will be permanent.
The viral culprit tied to at least some of the cases, enterovirus D68 or EV-D68, belongs to the same family as the polio virus.
"The pattern of symptoms the children are presenting with and the pattern of imaging we are seeing is similar to other enteroviruses, with polio being one of those," said lead author Dr. Kevin Messacar, a pediatric infectious diseases physician at Children's Hospital Colorado in Aurora.
Dr. Amesh Adalja is a senior associate at the Center for Health Security at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and a spokesman for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. He stressed that it's "important to keep in context that this is a rare complication that doesn't reflect what enterovirus D68 normally does in a person.
"There's no avoiding comparisons to polio because it's in the same family of virus, but I don't think we're going to see wide outbreaks of associated paralysis the way we did with polio," Adalja added. "For whatever reason, we're seeing a smaller proportion of paralytic cases."
In 2014, the United States experienced a nationwide outbreak of EV-D68, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). From mid-August to mid-January 2015, public health officials confirmed more than 1,100 cases in all but one state. The virus was detected in 14 patients who died of illness, the CDC reported.
In most cases EV-D68 resembles a common cold, according to the CDC. Mild symptoms include fever, runny nose, sneezing and cough. People with more severe cases may suffer from wheezing or difficulty breathing.
Colorado was hit hard by EV-D68, the report authors say in background notes. In August and September, Children's Hospital Colorado experienced a 36 percent increase in ER visits involving respiratory symptoms and a 77 percent increase in admissions for respiratory illness, compared to 2012 and 2013.
source : Little Improvement in Children Paralyzed After Viral Infection, Study Finds
Most Californians On Insurance Exchange Are Sticking With Last Year’s Plan
By Jenny Gold
Thu, Jan 29 2015
When it comes to health insurance, Californians seem to value consistency.
Of the 944,000 people who were could renew their coverage for 2015 through Covered California, the state’s health insurance exchange, 94 percent stayed in the same plan that they were in last year.
About a third of them shopped for other plans available on the exchange, but few ended up making a change. The other two-thirds took no action and were automatically re-enrolled in their plan from last year.
Executive Director Peter V. Lee said one reason was that the prices remained fairly consistent. “While consumers might have saved a few dollars by changing plans, they didn’t face draconian price increases if they stayed,” Lee explained during a conference call with reporters on Wednesday.
Larry Levitt, senior vice president at the Kaiser Family Foundation, called the stability “stunning.” (Kaiser Health News is an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation.)
“On the one hand, it may suggest that people were generally happy with the coverage they had,” he said. “On the other hand, it may suggest that people were confused or reticent to change even when they might save money.”
That sort of reluctance to switch plans, he said, is also generally what happens in the Medicare Advantage and federal employee markets, “where inertia generally takes hold.”
“More active shopping would certainly put greater competitive pressure on insurers, but there’s also a lot of new customers in this market, so insurers still have an incentive to keep prices down,” Levitt said.
Attrition rates varied a bit by carrier in the Covered California market, but in all plans, at least 90 percent of consumers chose to stay. Kaiser Permanente, which is not affiliated with Kaiser Health News, managed to hang on to 99 percent of customers who purchased coverage through Covered California.
Kaiser Health News (KHN) is a national health policy news service. It is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.
source : Most Californians On Insurance Exchange Are Sticking With Last Year’s Plan
Binge-Watching TV May Be Sign of Depression, Loneliness
Researchers say hours and hours of viewing often isn't just harmless fun
WebMD News from HealthDay
By Robert Preidt
HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, Jan. 29, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Binge-watching television is linked with feeling lonely and depressed, a new study suggests.
"Even though some people argue that binge-watching is a harmless addiction, findings from our study suggest that binge-watching should no longer be viewed this way," study author Yoon Hi Sung said in a news release from the International Communication Association.
The study included more than 300 people. They were between the ages of 18 and 29. The researchers asked about their TV viewing habits and their moods.
The more lonely and depressed people were, the more likely they were to binge-watch TV. And, people binge-watched in an attempt to distract themselves from their negative feelings, according to the University of Texas at Austin researchers.
The researchers also found that people who lacked self-control were more likely to binge-watch TV. They were unable to stop even when they knew they had other tasks to complete.
"Physical fatigue and problems such as obesity and other health problems are related to binge-watching and they are a cause for concern. When binge-watching becomes rampant, viewers may start to neglect their work and their relationships with others. Even though people know they should not, they have difficulty resisting the desire to watch episodes continuously," Sung said.
"Our research is a step toward exploring binge-watching as an important media and social phenomenon," Sung concluded.
The study is to be presented at the International Communication Association's annual meeting in Puerto Rico, which will be held in late May. Findings from meetings are generally considered preliminary until they've been published in a peer-reviewed journal.
source : Binge-Watching TV May Be Sign of Depression, Loneliness
Eye Tracking May Help to Spot Concussions Quickly
Simple technique offers possible way to assess brain injury severity, study says
WebMD News from HealthDay
By Robert Preidt
HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, Jan. 29, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- A new eye-tracking method might help determine the severity of concussions, researchers report.
They said the simple approach can be used in emergency departments and, perhaps one day, on the sidelines at sporting events.
"Concussion is a condition that has been plagued by the lack of an objective diagnostic tool, which in turn has helped drive confusion and fears among those affected and their families," said lead investigator Dr. Uzma Samadani. She is an assistant professor in the departments of neurosurgery, neuroscience and physiology at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City.
"Our new eye-tracking methodology may be the missing piece to help better diagnose concussion severity, enable testing of diagnostics and therapeutics, and help assess recovery, such as when a patient can safely return to work following a head injury," she explained in an NYU news release.
According to researchers, it's believed that up to 90 percent of patients with concussions or blast injuries have eye movement problems. But the current method of assessing eye movement is asking a patient to track a doctor's finger, Samadani said.
The new method was originally developed by Samadani and her colleagues to assess eye movement in U.S. military personnel believed to have concussion or other types of brain injuries.
The researchers compared 75 trauma injury patients and a control group of 64 healthy people. The movements of the participants' pupils were tracked while they watched a music video for a few minutes.
Thirteen trauma patients who hit their heads and had CT scans showing new brain damage, and 39 trauma patients who hit their heads and had normal CT scans, were much less able to coordinate their eye movements than trauma patients who hadn't hit their heads and those in the control group.
The more severe the concussion, the worse a patient's eye movement problems, according to the study. Results were published online Jan. 29 in the Journal of Neurotrauma.
Dr. M. Sean Grady, chair of the neurosurgery department at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine in Philadelphia, said, "The importance of this study is that it establishes a reliable test and a 'biological' marker for detecting concussion." He was not involved in the study.
"Since concussion can occur without loss of consciousness, this can be particularly important in sideline evaluations in athletics or in military settings where individuals are highly motivated to return to activity and may minimize their symptoms. More work is needed to establish its sensitivity and specificity, but it is very promising," Grady said.
source : Eye Tracking May Help to Spot Concussions Quickly
Do Pregnant Women Need High Blood Pressure Treatment?
Controlling blood pressure doesn't seem to affect baby, but may prevent problems for mom
WebMD News from HealthDay
By Amy Norton
HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 28, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- When pregnant women have high blood pressure, more-intensive treatment doesn't seem to affect their babies, but it may lower the odds that moms will develop severely high blood pressure.
That's the conclusion of a clinical trial reported in the Jan. 29 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Experts were divided, however, on how to interpret the results.
For one of the study's authors, the choice is clear. Tighter blood pressure control, aiming to get women's numbers "normalized," is better, said the study's lead researcher, Dr. Laura Magee, of the Child and Family Research Institute and the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.
"If less-tight control had no benefit for the baby, then how do you justify the risk of severe (high blood pressure) in the mother?" said Magee.
But current international guidelines on managing high blood pressure in pregnancy vary. And the advice from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) is consistent with the "less-tight" approach, according to Dr. James Martin, a past president of ACOG.
To him, the new findings support that guidance. "Tighter blood pressure control doesn't seem to make much difference," said Martin, who recently retired as director of maternal-fetal medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
"This basically suggests we don't have to change what we're already doing," Martin said.
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is the most common medical condition of pregnancy -- affecting about 10 percent of pregnant women, according to Magee's team. Some of those women go into pregnancy with the condition, but many more develop pregnancy-induced hypertension, which arises after the 20th week.
Magee said the long-standing question has been whether doctors should try to "normalize" women's blood pressure numbers -- as they would with a patient who wasn't pregnant -- or be less aggressive.
The worry, Martin explained, is that lowering a pregnant woman's blood pressure too much could reduce blood flow to the placenta and impair fetal growth. Some studies have found that to be a risk.
source : Do Pregnant Women Need High Blood Pressure Treatment?
Thursday, 29 January 2015
5 Alzheimer’s Disease Myths: Risk Factors, Memory Loss, Prevention, and More
Reviewed by Neil Lava, MD
Get the facts about Alzheimer's disease as we clear up five common misunderstandings.
Myth No. 1: Alzheimer’s happens only to older people.
Most people with Alzheimer’s are 65 and older. But it can happen when you’re younger, too. About 5% of people with the disease get symptoms in their 30s, 40s, or 50s. It’s called early-onset Alzheimer’s.
People who have it often go a long time before getting an accurate diagnosis. That’s because doctors don’t usually consider it a possibility during midlife. They often think symptoms like memory loss are from stress.
Early-onset Alzheimer's can be genetic. Scientists think it involves changes in one of three rare genes passed down from a parent.
Myth No. 2: Alzheimer’s symptoms are a normal part of aging.
Some memory loss is a normal part of aging. But Alzheimer’s symptoms -- like forgetfulness that interferes with your daily life, and disorientation -- are not.
It’s normal to forget where your keys are from time to time. But forgetting how to drive to a place you’ve been many times, or losing track of what season it is, points to a more serious problem.
Unlike the mild memory loss that can happen with aging, Alzheimer's disease takes a growing toll on the brain. As the disease gradually worsens, it takes away someone's ability to think, eat, talk, and more.
So, if your mind doesn't seem as sharp as it used to be, that doesn't mean you have Alzheimer's symptoms. The condition becomes more common among people as they age, but “it isn’t an inevitable part of aging,” says George Perry, MD. He's a neuroscientist and a member of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America.
Myth No. 3: Alzheimer’s doesn't lead to death.
Sadly, it's the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S. Most people live 8 to 10 years after they’re diagnosed.
They can forget to drink or eat, or they might have trouble swallowing, which can lead to a severe shortage of nutrients. They can also have breathing problems, and that can lead to pneumonia, which is often deadly, Perry says.
Also, the high-risk behaviors that sometimes stem from Alzheimer's, like wandering into dangerous situations, can be fatal.
source : 5 Alzheimer’s Disease Myths: Risk Factors, Memory Loss, Prevention, and More
Study Suggests Early Start to Football May Pose Brain Risks
Former pros who played before age of 11 showed greater deficits in memory and thinking skills
WebMD News from HealthDay
By Alan Mozes
HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 28, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- As football fans prepare to watch the 49th Super Bowl this Sunday, a new study suggests that boys who start playing tackle football before the age of 12 may face a higher risk for neurological deficits as adults.
The concern stems from an assessment of current memory and thinking skills among 42 former National Football League players, now between the ages of 40 and 69. Half the players had started playing tackle football at age 11 or younger.
The bottom line: Regardless of their current age or total years playing football, NFL players who were that young when they first played the game scored notably worse on all measures than those who started playing at age 12 or later.
"It is very important that we err on the side of caution and not over-interpret these findings," said study co-author Robert Stern, a professor of neurology, neurosurgery, anatomy and neurobiology at Boston University's School of Medicine. "This is just one research study that had as its focus former NFL players. So we can't generalize from this to anyone else.
"At the same time," Stern added, "this study provides a little bit of evidence that starting to hit your head before the age of 12 over and over again may have long-term ramifications. So the question is, if we know that there's a time in childhood where the young, vulnerable brain is developing so actively, do we take care of it, or do we expose our kids to hit after hit after hit?"
Stern, who is also the director of the Alzheimer's Disease Center Clinical Core and director of clinical research at the Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Center at the university, reported the findings with his colleagues in the Jan. 28 issue of Neurology.
The study authors pointed out that, on average, children who play football between the ages of 9 and 12 experience between 240 and 585 head hits per season, with a force that is comparable to that experienced by high school and college players.
source : Study Suggests Early Start to Football May Pose Brain Risks
Have Insurers Found Way Around Obamacare 'Pre-Existing Conditions' Rule?
By Dennis Thompson
HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 28, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Some insurance companies may be using high-dollar pharmacy co-pays to flout the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) mandate against discrimination on the basis of pre-existing health problems, Harvard researchers claim.
These insurers may have structured their drug coverage to discourage people with HIV from enrolling in their plans through the health insurance marketplaces created by the ACA, sometimes called "Obamacare," the researchers contend in the Jan. 29 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
The companies are placing all HIV medicines, including generics, in the highest cost-sharing category of their drug coverage, a practice known as "adverse tiering," said lead author Doug Jacobs, a medical student at the Harvard School of Public Health.
"For someone with HIV, if they were in an adverse tiering plan, they would pay on average $3,000 more a year to be in that plan," Jacobs said.
One out of every four health plans placed commonly used HIV drugs at the highest level of co-insurance, requiring patients to pay 30 percent or more of the medicine's cost, according to the researchers' review of 12 states' insurance marketplaces.
"This is appalling. It's a clear case of discrimination," said Greg Millett, vice president and director of public policy for amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research. "We've heard anecdotal reports about this conduct before, but this study shows a clear pattern of discrimination."
However, the findings by definition show that three out of four plans are offering HIV coverage at more reasonable rates, said Clare Krusing, director of communications for America's Health Insurance Plans, an insurance industry group. Patients with HIV can choose to move to one of those plans.
"This report really misses that point, and I think that's the overarching component that is important to highlight," Krusing said. "Consumers do have that choice, and that choice is an important part of the marketplace."
The Harvard researchers undertook their study after hearing of a formal complaint submitted to federal regulators in May, which contended that Florida insurers had structured their drug coverage to discourage enrollment by HIV patients, according to background information in the paper.
source : Have Insurers Found Way Around Obamacare 'Pre-Existing Conditions' Rule?
Girl Scout Cookies: Calories, Fat, and Other Nutritional Information
Reviewed by Maryann Tomovich Jacobsen, MS, RD
It's Girl Scout cookie season. Before you order, check out how many cookies and calories you get per serving.
This year's new cookies include Trios, which are a gluten-free chocolate chip peanut-butter oatmeal cookie. You'll get all the nutrition facts below, arranged alphabetically by cookie.
Find it hard to limit yourself to the official serving size? You can portion them out and put the box away, or keep the cookies in the freezer to help you slow down.
Note: The nutrition facts vary slightly depending on the serving size and baker. (There are two baking companies for Girl Scouts, and they use similar, but not identical, recipes.)
Cranberry Citrus Crisps
- Serving size: 4 cookies (5 servings per box)
- Calories: 150
- Fat: 4 grams
- Saturated fat: 0 grams
- Trans fat: 0 grams
- Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
- Sodium: 70 milligrams
- Carbs: 26 grams
- Fiber: 1 gram
- Sugar: 10 grams
- Protein: 2 grams
- First three ingredients: whole-grain wheat flour, enriched flour, sugar
Do-si-dos/Peanut Butter Sandwich
- Serving size: 3 cookies (6/7 servings per box)
- Calories: 160
- Fat: 7/6 grams
- Saturated fat: 2/2.5 grams
- Trans fat: 0 grams
- Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
- Sodium: 100/135 milligrams
- Carbs: 22/26 grams
- Fiber: 1 gram/less than 1 gram
- Sugar: 11/8 grams
- Protein: 3/2 grams
- First three ingredients: enriched flour, sugar, whole-grain oats (Do-si-dos); enriched flour, sugar, peanuts (Peanut Butter Sandwich)
Lemonades
- Serving size: 2 cookies (8 servings per box)
- Calories: 150
- Fat: 7 grams
- Saturated fat: 4 grams
- Trans fat: 0 grams
- Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
- Sodium: 80 milligrams
- Carbs: 22 grams
- Fiber: 1 gram
- Sugar: 10 grams
- Protein: 1 gram
- First three ingredients: enriched flour, sugar, vegetable shortening
Rah-Rah Raisins
- Serving size: 2 cookies (about 7 servings per box)
- Calories: 120
- Fat: 5 grams
- Saturated fat: 2 grams
- Trans fat: 0 grams
- Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
- Sodium: 135 milligrams
- Carbs: 17 grams
- Fiber: less than 1 gram
- Sugar: 7 grams
- Protein: 1 gram
First three ingredients: enriched flour, whole-grain oats, vegetable oil
Samoas/Caramel deLites
- Serving size: 2 cookies (7/8 servings per box)
- Calories: 140/130
- Fat: 8/6 grams
- Saturated fat: 5/5 grams
- Trans fat: 0 grams
- Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
- Sodium: 60/55 milligrams
- Carbs: 18/19 grams
- Fiber: 1 gram/1 gram
- Sugar: 10/12 grams
- Protein: 1 gram/1 gram
- First three ingredients: sugar, vegetable oil, enriched flour (Samoas); sugar, enriched flour, vegetable shortening (Caramel deLites)
source : Girl Scout Cookies: Calories, Fat, and Other Nutritional Information
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