Several strategies may be worth trying to prevent Alzheimer's

Moral of the story: While there are many things that do NOT work (such as ginseng and those brain games), here are a few strategies that be worth exploring to help prevent alzheimer's disease.

Source: AMA Morning Rounds 7/26/2010

Several strategies may be worth trying to prevent Alzheimer's.

In the first of a related series of articles focusing on Alzheimer's disease, the Los Angeles Times (7/26, Roan) reports that nothing has been found to prevent Alzheimer's disease, according to an "assessment was issued by a National Institutes of Health task force at an April meeting." However, "several healthy and inexpensive strategies are clearly worth trying, say neurologists and Alzheimer's researchers." Currently, "the strategies with the most support are regular physical activity, a Mediterranean diet, and high levels of cognitive engagement."

        Early-stage programs may be valuable for those recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's. The Los Angeles Times(7/26, Ogilvie) discusses the value of "early stage programs" to assist patients newly diagnosed with Alzheimer's and their families. Such programs provide "a safe place to be heard; educational seminars and day trips; and access to practical advice on matters, such as financial planning and end-of-life care," as well as alleviate the isolation such a devastating diagnosis brings. In fact, according to Steven Arnold, a professor of psychiatry and neurology at the University of Pennsylvania and the director of the Penn Memory Center, "interacting with people who are sensitive to what they're going through...can comfort people with the disease and help alleviate that isolation, as well as the depression that the Alzheimer's Assn. estimates affects 20%-40% of patients."

        Five medications have been approved to treat cognitive symptoms of Alzheimer's. The Los Angeles Times (7/26, Roan) reports, "Five medications have been approved to treat the cognitive symptoms of Alzheimer's disease." The medicines, which include Namenda (memantine), Razadyne (reminyl galantamine), Exelon (rivastigmine), Aricept (donepezil), and Cognex (tacrine) "can reduce some symptoms -- such as difficulties with memory, language, attention and reasoning -- especially in the early stages of the disease." However, "they don't work for everyone, and none of them works permanently."

        Researchers now targeting tau as well as beta-amyloid to develop new therapies . The Los Angeles Times (7/26, Adams) reports that researchers "studying treatments for Alzheimer's disease have focused on telltale plaques that appear in patients' diseased brains as a target for therapy. The plaques are clumps of a small protein called beta-amyloid that build up in the space around nerve cells and interfere with normal brain function." However, "earlier this month at an international conference, different tangled structures inside neurons took center stage alongside plaques. These so-called neurofibrillary tangles involve another protein, called tau, that normally functions to move critical supplies around neurons. Tau tangles are now being targeted with new experimental therapies."

        Researchers report progress on Alzheimer's blood test. The Houston Chronicle (7/25, Ackerman) reported, "Texas scientists are on the verge of developing a blood test to identify patients with Alzheimer's disease, a potential breakthrough on the difficult-to-diagnose ailment. The test, details of which were presented at an international conference on Alzheimer's in Hawaii this month, would give nonspecialists who often have trouble diagnosing the disease a tool to catch it earlier and make a referral when its progression can still be slowed. ... The study was the product of the Texas Alzheimer's Research Consortium, a Legislature-created collaboration that includes Baylor, Texas Tech, UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio and the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth."

        Research in mice explores role sirtuin may play in Alzheimer's. The New York Times (7/24, A9, Wade) reported, "A potentially promising approach to treating Alzheimer's disease has been developed by researchers studying sirtuin, a protein thought capable of extending lifespan in laboratory animals." In fact, by "using mice prone to developing Alzheimer's, the researchers showed that activating sirtuin suppressed the disease and that destroying sirtuin made it much worse." The researchers from the "Massachusetts Institute of Technology...say it raises the hope of treating Alzheimer's, and possibly other neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's and Huntington's, with drugs that activate sirtuin." The Boston Globe (7/26, Weintraub) also covers the story.

Most women may be able to safely give birth vaginally following C-sections

Moral of the story: More evidence pointing to the safety of VBAC and that our cesarean numbers can decrease in this country.  Safer, cheaper, better.

Source: AMA Morning Rounds 7/2//2010

Most women may be able to safely give birth vaginally following C-sections.

NBC Nightly News (7/21, story 6, 0:25, Williams) reported, "New guidelines out tonight from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists are out to reverse the old expression 'once a cesarean, always a cesarean.'" The group is now saying that "most women who have had a c-section, and many of them who have had more than one, should be allowed to try labor with their next birth."

        "In recent years hospitals, doctors and insurers have been refusing to let them even try, insisting on repeat Caesareans instead," the New York Times (7/22, A1, Grady) reports on its front page. The "decisions have been based largely on fears of medical risks and lawsuits, medical and legal experts say." This, in turn, has "infuriated many women, added to the nation's ever-increasing Caesarean rate and set off a bitter debate over who controls childbirth."

        The "OB-GYN group has acknowledged that one word in its 1999 and 2004 VBAC guidelines is partly to blame," USA Today(7/22, Rubin) reports. "Previously, the group had recommended that only hospitals with a 'readily available' surgical team -- interpreted as no more than a half-hour drive away -- allow VBACs." Then, the "1999 guidelines called for an 'immediately available' surgical team," which many hospitals "interpreted...as needing to have an anesthesiologist and operating room standing by whenever a patient attempts a VBAC. If they can't meet the guidelines, they argue, they're opening themselves up to lawsuits should mother or baby be injured during a VBAC attempt."

        Important to note is that "there's less than a one percent chance" that the "scar from the earlier surgery" would rupture, the AP(7/22, Neergaard) reports. What's more, "with most recently performed C-sections, that scar is located on a lower part of the uterus that's less stressed by contractions." In fact, "of those who attempt VBAC, between 60 percent and 80 percent will deliver vaginally, the guidelines note," but the "rest will need a C-section...because of stalled labor or other factors."

        "'Moving forward, we need to work collaboratively with our patients and our colleagues, hospitals and insurers to swing the pendulum back to fewer caesareans and a more reasonable VBAC rate,' Dr. Richard N. Waldman, president of ACOG, said in a news release," according to the Los Angeles Times (7/21, Roan) "Booster Shots" blog. Notably, the "guidelines follow the release in March of a report from a National Institutes of Health advisory panel calling for an easing of restrictions surrounding VBAC." The NIH "report combined with ACOG's new guidelines have the potential to usher in a new era of childbirth in the United States, returning it to a more natural, less-invasive event." WebMD (7/21, Doheny) also covered the story.

Moral of the story: IBS may be due to the way the brain develops

Source: AMA Morning Rounds 7/23/2010

Scientists identify possible connection between IBS, brain.

The Los Angeles Times (7/22, Roan) "Booster Shots" blog reported that researchers from McGill University and UCLA have identified "a possible connection between IBS and the brain." After taking "MRI scans of 55 IBS patients and 48 healthy women for comparison," investigators noted that the "women with IBS tended to have different amounts of brain gray matter in certain areas; for example, decreases in gray matter in parts of the brain that govern attention and areas that suppress pain." That association has "been identified in other disorders, such as...fibromyalgia and hip pain," which suggests that IBS, "like these other conditions...may be due to the brain's inability to inhibit the pain response."

Brain decline reduced with activity, vitamin D and tea

Moral of the story:  This is a topic that many are trying to find information about, but answer are often conflicting.  Take this with a grain of salt, and if you are already doing everything great, otherwise it is up to you whether you want to drink more tea.  However, everyone should make sure they have normal levels of vitamin D and get enough physical activity (ideally 60 min every day).

Source: AMA Morning Rounds 7/12/2010

Physical activity, tea-drinking, sufficient vitamin D levels may help reduce risk of brain decline, studies suggest.

USA Today (7/12, Marcus) reports that, according to three studies presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference, "improved living and diet habits -- including lots of physical activity, regular tea-drinking and sufficient vitamin D levels -- could reduce the risk of brain decline." In a study following some 1,200 elderly individuals over two decades, investigators discovered that "participants who had moderate to heavy levels of physical activity had about a 40% lower risk of developing any type of dementia." A second study "including data on more than 4,800 men and women ages 65 and older" found that "those who drank tea one to four times a week had average annual rates of decline 37% lower than people who didn't drink tea."

        HealthDay (7/11, Preidt) reported that a third study that "analyzed data from 3,325 people aged 65 and older" found that "the risk of cognitive impairment was 42 percent higher

Obesity bad for sex

Moral of the story: Obesity doesn't just shorten your life expectancy and worsen your quality of life in the stereotypical ways, it also affects sexual health in serious and unexpected ways (ED, STIs, fewer sexual partners, less use of contraception, and a dramatically higher rate of unintended pregnancies).

Source: BMJ Press Release 6/18/2010

(1) Obesity may harm your sexual health
(Research: Sexuality and obesity, a gender perspective: results from French national random probability survey of sexual behaviours)
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/340/jun15_1/c2573 (Editorial: Obesity and poor sexual health outcomes)
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/extract/340/jun15_1/c2826
Being obese impacts on sexual health according to research published on bmj.com today.
The study reports that the rate of unplanned pregnancies is four times higher among single obese women than normal weight women, despite them being less likely to have been sexually active in the past year. Obese women are less likely to seek contraceptive advice or to use oral contraceptives. Obese men have fewer sexual partners in a 12 month period, but are more likely to suffer from erectile dysfunction and develop sexually transmitted infections than normal weight men.
Obesity is emerging as one of the fastest growing pandemics in modern times says the study, but its effects on sexual health are unclear. The research led by Professor Nathalie Bajos, Research Director at the Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Medicale in Paris, is the first major study to investigate the impact of being overweight or obese on sexual activity and sexual health outcomes such as sexual satisfaction, unintended pregnancy and abortion.
The authors undertook a survey of sexual behaviours among 12,364 men and women aged between 18 and 69 years of age living in France in 2006. Of the participants, 3,651 women and 2,725 men were normal weight (BMI between 18.5 and 25), 1,010 women and 1,488 men were overweight (BMI between 25 and 30) and 411 women and 350 men were obese (BMI over 30).
The results show that obese women were 30% less likely to have had a sexual partner in the last 12 months. Obese men were 70% less likely to have had more than one sexual partner in the same period and were two and half times more likely to experience erectile dysfunction.
Sexual dysfunction was not associated with BMI among women. However, obese women under 30 were less likely to seek contraceptive advice or use oral contraceptives. They were also more likely to report an unintended pregnancy. Obese men under 30 were far more likely to have had a sexually transmitted infection.
Obese women were also five times as likely to have met their partner on the internet, more likely to have an obese partner, and less likely to view sex as important for personal life balance. The authors suggest that social pressure, low self-esteem and concerns about body image may help explain these findings.
The authors conclude that the public health impact of these findings is important. They say: “The scale of the problem and the magnitude of the effects (particularly the fourfold increase in risk of unintended pregnancy among obese women) warrants focused attention. In terms of targeting advice and care, a considerable proportion of the population is obese, is easily identified as such, as is at increased risk in terms of poorer sexual health status.”
In an accompanying editorial, Dr Sandy Goldbeck-Wood, a specialist in psychosexual medicine, points to evidence showing that doctors find it difficult to discuss sex and weight issues with patients, and believes that clinicians must be prepared to address these difficult subjects which have such important effects on health and quality of life. She says: “We need to understand more about how obese people feel about their sex lives, and what drives the observed behaviours and attitudes.”
She concludes: “In public health terms, the study lends a new slant to a familiar message: that obesity can harm not only health and longevity, but your sex life. And culturally, it reminds us as clinicians and researchers to look at the subjects we find difficult.”
Contacts:
Research: Nathalie Bajos, Associate Professor, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Research Director, Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale, Paris, France
Email: nathalie.bajos@inserm.fr Editorial: Sandy Goldbeck-Wood, Associate Specialist in Psychosexual Medicine, Camden and Islington Mental Health Trust and Specialty Doctor in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ipswich Hospital, UK Email: goldbeckwood@doctors.org.uk

World Cup horns could damage hearing, spread infectious diseases.

Moral of the story: wear earplugs and wash your hands.

Source: AMA Morning Rounds 6/16/2010

World Cup horns could damage hearing, spread infectious diseases.

The Wall Street Journal (6/15, Stewart) reported that instead of the enthusiastic chants and cheers which usually play background to the World Cup, fans are hearing something quite different: loud plastic horns known as vuvuzelas. Traditionally, they were used to rally people living in remote places. Today, however, they are being used to champion athletes. But, in addition to the conflict they're causing among attendees and broadcasters, health experts are now saying they prompt hearing loss. In fact, researchers have found that even in the presence of hearing protection, the sound is "unacceptably high," louder even than an air horn and chain saw. The horn's biggest threat, however, is its ability to spread infectious disease like the flu.

US cigarette brands expose smokers to higher levels of cancer-causing agents.

Moral of the story: Not only is smoking bad for, in fact will kill you, but smoking in the US is especially bad for you.  The real question is why on earth are US cigarettes so bad for you?  Are the companies aware of this?  Is the newly empowered FDA going to address this issue?

Source: AMA Morning Rounds 6/2/2010

US cigarette brands expose smokers to higher levels of cancer-causing agents.

CBS News (6/1) reported on its website that "'cigarettes from around the world vary in their ingredients and the way they are produced,' Dr. Jim Pirkle, deputy director for science at the CDC's National Center for Environmental Health, Division of Laboratory Sciences, said in a statement." But a newly-published paper appearing in Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention shows, "for the first time, the major carcinogens and cancer-causing agents in tobacco products, which researchers call tobacco-specific nitrosamines [TSNAs], were found in higher levels in US cigarettes than in cigarettes from" three other countries.

        Before reaching that conclusion, the "CDC team enlisted 126 regular smokers in Australia, Canada, Britain and, in the US, in New York and Minnesota," the Los Angeles Times (6/1, Maugh) "Booster Shots" blog reported. "All smoked one brand routinely, typically the most popular brands in their country." Minnesotans "smoked Marlboro, Newport, Marlboro Light and Camel Light, while those in New York smoked Marlboro, Newport, Newport Light, Camel Light and Marlboro Menthol." The researchers "focused on the most lethal carcinogen in the tobacco smoke, 4-(methylnitrosoamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), and its primary metabolite in urine, known informally as NNAL."

Refusal of vaccines puts other "children in harm's way"

Moral of the story: Get yourself and your children vaccinated.  That is all.

Source: AMA Morning Rounds 6/2/2010

Parents who refuse vaccines put other people's "children in harm's way," clinician says.

In an op-ed in the Los Angeles Times (6/1), Pamela Nguyen, of UCLA's Mattel Children's Hospital, pointed out that, according to CDC data, "there were 197,000 measles deaths worldwide" in 2007. The following year, "a seven-year-old unvaccinated child who was exposed to the virus while abroad" ignited an outbreak in San Diego. Still, "many parents continue not to vaccinate their children." Some believe certain "vaccine-preventable diseases" are "no longer a threat," while "parents in the San Diego outbreak...were afraid of autism." This is "creating large reservoirs of susceptibility, primarily in private and charter schools that are generally free from state restrictions." In other words, "by choosing not to vaccinate, parents put not only their own children, but also other peoples' 'children in harm's way.'"

Chefs improving school lunches- finally

Moral of the story: Chefs are finally starting to become involved in the fight against obesity.  Working with Michelle Obama they are starting an adopt a school program and are going to offer classes.  This is a very important first step, and as a former chef, I have to say a decidedly tardy but welcome one.

Source: AMA Morning Rounds 6/4/2010

Chefs aim to improve school lunches in DC, across the US.

The Washington Post (6/4, Black) reports that Washington, DC's Iron Chefs "have taken the first steps to make real the lofty goals of Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative, which aims to end childhood obesity within a generation." Some have begun "teaching cooking classes to hundreds of students and parents, and have helped to plant school gardens." On Friday, "hundreds of...chefs will gather at the White House to launch a national adopt-a-school program. Dubbed Chefs Move to Schools, the initiative will draw both the brightest stars of the culinary universe -- Rachael Ray, Tom Colicchio and Cat Cora -- and the unknown soldiers who staff corporate kitchens, food banks and culinary schools."

        In an editorial, the Houston Chronicle (6/4) mentions the meeting between Mrs. Obama and the chefs, and says, "It's a fun, flashy piece of the mom-in-chief's war on childhood obesity -- which is, sadly, a big fat American problem." Notably, "Houston is on the leading edge of the problem." Approximately "36 percent of our kids ages 6 to 17 are overweight; 19 percent are obese." But, according to the Chronicle, "we're also on the leading edge of the solution -- largely because of Recipe for Success, one of the biggest organizations battling childhood obesity. The nonprofit group runs after-school cooking and gardening classes, as well as summer camps."

Obesity leads to caesareans, birth defects

Moral of the story: The US always has an abysmal showing in health statistics considering how much we spend on health care.  This story helps to fill that gap in reasoning.  Obesity is bad for OB/GYN.

Source: AMA Morning Rounds 6/7/2010

High obesity rates contributing to high caesarean rates, more birth defects.

The New York Times (6/6, A1, Hartocollis) reported on its front page, "As Americans have grown fatter over the last generation, inviting more heart disease, diabetes and premature deaths, all that extra weight has also become a burden in the maternity ward, where babies take their first breath of life." Approximately "one in five women are obese when they become pregnant, meaning they have a body mass index of at least 30, as would a 5-foot-5 woman weighing 180 pounds, according to researchers with" the CDC. In addition, "medical evidence suggests that obesity might be contributing to record-high rates of Caesarean sections and leading to more birth defects and deaths for mothers and babies."

Health and global warming

Moral of the story: There are very real health effects to global warming that are rarely discussed in the news.  These should be an important part of the global warming discussion, as well as of the health discussion.  For example, obesity, public transport and climate change are integrally related and should be discussed as such.  We need better organized cities with better transportation, food and clinical care options.

Source: AMA Morning Rounds 6/3/2010

Health benefits of potential global warming policy rarely discussed.

In the Washington Post (6/2) "Ezra Klein" column, Kate Sheppard pointed out that "among the many positive outcomes of carbon-reduction policy often ignored when looking at the costs are the health benefits." For instance, "programs to reduce emissions, like providing better public transportation and improving urban planning, could...result in indirect healthcare savings, thanks to lower obesity rates and fewer respiratory and heart problems." Meanwhile, "kidney stones could increase by 30 percent or more in some areas of the US because of dehydration -- a problem that alone could cost the US healthcare system more than $1 billion per year." Such arguments, however, "rarely surface in the climate debate." In fact, "a forthcoming study...found that stories connecting health and global warming made up just five percent of the climate coverage in the New York Times and...the Washington Post."

Hyaluronic acid only works when injected- don't waste your money

Moral of the story: If you want to fix your wrinkles, get some injectable hyaluronic acid, otherwise, don't waste your money on the topical forms.

Source: AMA Morning Rounds 6/7/2010

Hyaluronic acid does not eliminate wrinkles when used topically, dermatologist explains.

The Los Angeles Times (6/6, Dawson) reported that "hyaluronic acid, a substance that plumps and softens skin...has been added to products including lip gloss, eye shadows and moisturizers -- and almost everything else in the beauty aisle." The substance, which "is also the key component of several injectable wrinkle fillers," is able to draw "moisture from the air and is said to hold up to 1, 000 times its weight in water." Cosmetic dermatologist Norwell Solish, MD, FRCP (C) pointed out, however, that while hyaluronic acid works well as an injectable dermal filler, "it doesn't eliminate wrinkles" when used topically on the skin.

Physical activity or medical treatment

Moral of the story: Which do we target in health campaigns? Why not both?

Source: BMJ

(1) What's more important in the obesity battle – physical activity or medical treatment?
(Head to Head: Should health policy focus on physical activity rather than obesity?)
Yes: http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/extract/340/may25_1/c2603 No: http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/extract/340/may25_1/c2602
Experts disagree on bmj.com today about the best way to tackle the obesity crisis. While Professor Louise Baur and colleagues from the Children's Hospital at Westmead and the University of Sydney in Australia acknowledge that "physical inactivity is a major contributor to the global burden of disease," they says that it would be wrong to only focus on this and ignore the problem of obesity.
Baur and colleagues argue that physical inactivity is just one marker and that there is substantial evidence that unhealthy diets low in fibre and high in sugar and large portion size are also responsible for obesity and the diseases associated with it.
However, Dr Richard Weiler, a specialist registrar in sport and exercise medicine at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and general practitioner, and colleagues believe that inadequate cardio-respiratory fitness causes disease more than excess body fat, waist size and body mass index.
Weiler and colleagues maintain that "physical inactivity is one of the greatest health threats facing developed nations today" and they are concerned that 95% of the populations in England and the United States do not meet the recommended guidelines of doing 30 minutes moderate to vigorous physical activity on at least five days a week or equivalent.
They say this is alarming given that physical inactivity rather than obesity per se is an actual cause for many illnesses including obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, mental health problems, high blood pressure and dementia.
Spending huge amounts on treating obesity is not the right way forward, they argue. Weight loss drugs and surgery are risky and the long-term benefits are limited and they certainly do not have the associated health benefits linked to physical activity. They conclude that it is time for health policy and healthcare professionals to focus on fighting physical inactivity, a "chronic disease that has an adult population prevalence of 95%."
Professor Baur, on the other hand, believes that "on its own, improving physical activity will have little impact on reducing overall levels of already established obesity."
She believes that obese people need access to high quality treatment provided by well-trained professionals to deal with their weight and any linked health problems.
In conclusion, Professor Baur and colleagues advocate tackling obesity with a range of strategies, for example, increasing physical activity, improving diet and lifestyles. They say urban planning should be developed to encourage people to use their car less and cycle more and public transport should be made more accessible and affordable.
Contacts:
Louise Baur, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Email: louiseb3@chw.edu.au Richard Weiler, Specialist Registrar in Sport and Exercise Medicine, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, Charing Cross Hospital, London, UK and General Practitioner, Hertfordshire Email: c/- cassie.zachariou@imperial.nhs.uk

Pill for female sex drive

Moral of the story: a possibly unnecessary an dangerous drug that targets female arousal.

Source: AMA Morning Rounds 5/24/2010

FDA advisory committee to consider approving pill designed to boost women's sex lives.
The Washington Post (5/24, Stein) reports, "A panel of federal advisers will soon" consider "endorsing the first pill designed to do for women what Viagra [sildenafil] did for men: boost their sex lives." The drug known as "flibanserin," which was developed by Germany's Boehringer Ingelheim, may become "the first prescription medication to tap what some have estimated could be a $2 billion market in the United States alone." But, "even before the FDA's Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee meets June 18 to consider the request, the prospect of the drug's approval has triggered debate over whether the medication, like others in the pipeline, represents a long-sought step toward equity for women's health or the latest example of the pharmaceutical industry fabricating a questionable disorder to sell unnecessary -- and potentially dangerous -- drugs."
The creator of a new documentary on "female sexuality" stumbled upon the issue while researching her film, Newsweek (5/23, Kantrowitz, Wingert) reported. Liz Canner "was bewildered by the purported disease" that some refer to as "female sexual dysfunction." Noting that Vivus executives told her that "43 percent of women had this disorder," Canner asked, "How could that be true if I had never heard of it before?" After "a cross-country quest that included visits with scientists, experts in erotica, and individual women," Canner "ultimately concluded that the catch-all female sexual dysfunction is essentially a phony disease made up by pharmaceutical companies."



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Processed meat may be linked to increased risk of heart disease, diabetes

Moral of the story: Processed meat may the real culprit and unprocessed red meat may be less unhealthy than previously thought. maybe.

Source: AMA Morning Rounds 5/18/2010

Processed meat may be linked to increased risk of heart disease, diabetes.

The Wall Street Journal (5/18, Winslow) reports that processed meat may be linked to increased risk of heart disease and diabetes, according to a study published online in the journal Circulation.

        The Boston Globe (5/17, Cooney) "White Coat Notes" blog reported that investigators looked at data from "20 studies involving more than 1.2 million participants from 10 countries who were followed for up to 18 years." After "pooling the study results, the researchers found that eating unprocessed red meat was not associated with heart disease or diabetes." However, "people who ate at least one serving a day of processed red meat -- one hot dog or two deli slices -- had a 42 percent higher risk of heart disease and a 19 percent higher risk of diabetes than people who did not eat processed red meat."

Hookahs not safer than cigarettes

Moral of the story: Hookahs may actually be worse than cigarettes in exposing people to more heavy metals and nicotine.  Stay away from both, they are bad.

Source: AMA Morning Rounds 5/18/2010

Hookahs, other water pipes mistakenly believed by many to be safer than cigarettes.

The New York Times (5/18, D6, Rabin) reports that after mailing "questionnaires in 2007 and 2008 to 1,208 people ages 18 to 24," researchers in Canada found that "many young people seem to believe that hookahs and other water pipes are safer than cigarettes." According to the authors of the Pediatrics paper, one myth involved young adults thinking that "because the texture is smoother, it is less toxic" and believing that "the water filters out the toxins." But, "that is not at all true," investigator Jennifer O'Loughlin asserted. "In fact, she said, the pipes may expose smokers to higher amounts of nicotine and heavy metals than cigarettes."

New fathers may suffer from depression

Moral of the story: Be aware of this possibility when you have a kid and address the issue if you see it arising.  Depression is a treatable condition and is perfectly normal to have arise with a new kid.

Source: AMA Morning Rounds 5/19/2010

New fathers may suffer from depression.

ABC World News (5/18, story 12, 1:15, Sawyer) reported, "We've all become a lot more sensitive to the problems of postpartum depression (PPD) in new moms." Now, however, "it turns out now that...new fathers may be suffering, too."

        USA Today (5/19, Szabo) reports that, according to a study published May 19 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, "14% of American men develop depression, either during their partner's pregnancies or in the first year after delivery." In other countries, "approximately 8% of fathers...develop the problem, according to the analysis, which included 43 studies of 28,000 people."

        The study "found that 10.4% of men experienced serious depression at some point between his partner's first trimester and one year after childbirth, more than double the depression rate for men in general," the Los Angeles Times (5/19, Roan) reports. Unfortunately, "paternal depression symptoms are much less likely to be recognized than maternal depression," because men do not become weepy or sad, and instead may display anger, irritability, or detachment from their families.

        On the front of its Personal Journal section, the Wall Street Journal (5/19, D1, Wang) reports that reasons for depression in men bear similarities to those for women, and may result from being deprived of sleep and stress between partners.

        Bloomberg News (5/19, Ostrow) reports that depression "may also occur because of changes in perceived role in life, financial stress, isolation from friends and social activities." Paternal "depression was highest in the three to six months following the baby's arrival," possibly "because family leave ends about that time, particularly in the US," the study authors from the Eastern Virginia Medical School theorized.

        According to CNN (5/19, Landau), "depression in fathers has potential negative implications for the family, and for the child's development and behavioral and emotional health," lead author James Paulson, PhD, "said. Paulson's study also found that fathers' depression tended to have an association with mothers' depression -- so when moms were more depressed, so were dads." Still, further research "is needed to determine how the two are related, as one parent's moods have not been proven to cause the other's."

Some advocacy groups concerned about endocrine-disrupting chemicals in sunscreens.

Source: AMA Morning Rounds 5/15/2010

Some advocacy groups concerned about endocrine-disrupting chemicals in sunscreens.
The Chicago Tribune (5/13, Deardorff) reported that "there's growing concern by advocacy groups, parents, and some doctors that some of the chemicals in" sunscreens "are endocrine disruptors and may pose risks to children." The Environmental Working Group currently "recommends against using any product containing the ingredient oxybenzone." Dr. Alan Greene, the author of "Raising Baby Green: The Earth-Friendly Guide to Pregnancy, Childbirth and Baby Care," is concerned that "the tests evaluating oxybenzone have been done on healthy adults in the middle of life. 'Permanent changes of puberty happen with one drop of sex hormones,' he said. 'We don't know the impact of kids and babies who get at least three times the concentration as adults.'"


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No hard evidence supports supplements', vitamins' promise in slowing cognitive decline.

Moral of the story: no supplements known to help cognitive performance

Source: AMA Morning Rounds 4/28/10

No hard evidence supports supplements', vitamins' promise in slowing cognitive decline.
CNN (4/26, Landau) reported, "A seemingly steady stream of new research purports to show supplements' and vitamins' promise in preventing or slowing cognitive decline, but in reality no hard evidence supports taking any of them." But, "at the same time, such supplements have been proved safe, barring drug interactions and other complications, so some doctors recommend trying them anyway." The article discussed claims regarding omega 3 fatty acid fish oils, gingko biloba, and vitamin E for preserving cognition, pointing out that studies have found inconclusive or mixed benefits for each of these supplements.

Computer brain games may not improve cognitive ability.

Moral of the story: Don't waste your money, but if you enjoy them, go for it.

Source: AMA Morning Rounds 4/21/2010

Computer brain games may not improve cognitive ability.

USA Today (4/21, Marcus) reports, "Computer brain games may not offer the big mental boost many were hoping for, suggests new research, but brain scientists and brain-game experts don't all agree on the findings." The study was published in Nature and "is the largest of its kind," its authors say. For the study, researchers recruited over "11,000 people between the ages of 18 and 60," who "were split into three groups, including two groups that played different brain-training games that are similar to commercially available games, and a control group that was asked to go online and find answers to questions about topics such as music." According to lead author Adrian Owen, "Participants did get better at games they practiced. The more they trained, the better they got. But there was still no translation to any general improvement in cognitive function."

        The Wall Street Journal (4/21, Naik) reports that companies which produce brain training and fitness games have experienced significant growth in the last few years, in part because of the increase in the number of baby boomers, and because previous research suggested that such games could benefit cognitive abilities. But, this six-week, online experiment has not borne out previous conclusions.