Acupuncture reduces post-op nausea and vomiting
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Acupuncture or acupressure stimulation of Pericardium 6 (P6), a point on the wrist, is safe and effective for reducing postoperative nausea and vomiting, according to a review of studies appearing in The Cochrane Library for April 14.
The results show that compared with a sham treatment, P6 stimulation reduced nausea by 29 percent, vomiting by 30 percent, and the need for rescue antiemetics - drugs that suppress nausea—by 31 percent, study co-authors Dr. Anna Lee and Dr. Lawrence T. Y. Fan, from The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, report.
In a search of two large databases, MEDLINE and EMBASE, and other sources through September 2008, the authors identified 40 trials with 4858 subjects that compared various forms of P6 stimulation with sham treatment in preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting.
Heart Procedure? Bring Your iPod Along, Review Suggests
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The right mix of Portuguese instrumentals calms Philadelphia researcher Joke Bradt. That’s what she’d want to hear during a serious medical procedure — that or classical music.
She points out quickly that this is her musical preference. She knows the right music can help her and, as a music therapist, she uses it to help others as well. “If you can relax patients, if you can calm them down a bit, that is only going to be beneficial,” says Bradt, who is assistant director of the Arts and Quality of Life Research Center at Temple University.
Bradt and Cheryl Dileo, another Temple researcher, conducted a review of 23 studies that focused on the use of music with 1,461 patients with coronary heart disease. They found that listening to music reduced heart rate, respiratory rate and blood pressure. However, Bradt cautioned that the quality of evidence was not strong and the clinical significance unclear.
Severe Hypoglycemia Linked With Higher Risk of Dementia for Older Adults With Diabetes
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Having hypoglycemic (low blood sugar level) episodes that are severe enough to require hospitalization are associated with a greater risk of dementia for older adults with type 2 diabetes, according to a study in the April 15 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on diabetes.
Rachel A. Whitmer, Ph.D., of Kaiser Permanente, Oakland, Calif., presented the findings of the study at a JAMA media briefing at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
Hypoglycemic episodes may include dizziness, disorientation, fainting or seizures. While most hypoglycemia is mild and self-managed, more severe hypoglycemia can require hospitalization. Although some studies have reported an association between history of hypoglycemia and impaired cognitive functioning in children and young adults with type 1 diabetes, no studies have evaluated whether or to what extent hypoglycemic episodes are a risk factor for the development of dementia in populations of older patients, who are more likely to have type 2 diabetes than type 1. “With the increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes worldwide, and potentially of hypoglycemia and dementia among patients with diabetes, the relationship between these conditions should be evaluated,” the authors write.
Homeopathy appears compatible with cancer therapy
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There is limited evidence that homeopathic remedies ease the side effects of cancer treatments, but they at least seem to cause no serious adverse effects or drug interactions, according to a report published Tuesday.
In a review of eight clinical trials that included 664 cancer patients, researchers found preliminary evidence that certain homeopathic remedies may lessen some cancer therapy side effects. However, lead researcher Dr. Sosie Kassab, of the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital in the UK, and co-investigators stress that these trials need to be replicated before any recommendations can be made.
One study found that topical calendula—an extract from marigolds—may be helpful for skin inflammation from radiation therapy for breast cancer. Another suggested that a mouthwash called Traumeel S—a mix of various plant extracts and minerals—can help ease treatment-related inflammation in the mouth.
Strength training aids health, extra protein or not
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Men with high cholesterol can do their bodies well through strength training, without the need for protein supplements, a small study suggests.
Strength training is known to build muscle mass, aid weight loss and help lower cholesterol. The new study looked at whether protein supplements—either from whey (a milk-based protein) or soy—offered added benefits to overweight men with high cholesterol.
Many weightlifters use protein supplements, mostly whey-based, in the belief that they are required for building muscle. Few use soy-based supplements, but in theory, such products could be particularly beneficial for men at risk of heart disease because soy may cut cholesterol levels.
Researchers find promotion is bad for mental health and stops you visiting the doctor
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New research by economics and psychology researchers at the University of Warwick has found that promotion on average produces 10% more mental strain and gives up to 20% less time to visit the Doctors.
In a research paper entitled “Do People Become Healthier after Being Promoted” Chris Boyce and Professor Andrew Oswald of the University of Warwick questioned why people with higher job status seem to have better health. A long-held assumption by researchers is that an improvement to a person’s job status, through a promotion, will directly result in better health due to an increased sense of life control and self-worth.
The researchers tested this. They drew upon the British Household Panel Survey data set, collected annually between 1991 and 2005, with information on approximately 1000 individual promotions. They found no evidence of improved physical health after promotion – nor that self-assessed feelings of health declined.
High blood lead levels linked to heart deaths
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Older women with high levels of lead in their blood are likely to die sooner—particularly from heart disease—than their counterparts with low lead levels, new research indicates.
Researchers followed 533 women aged 65 to 87 years old for roughly 12 years. Those with lead concentrations above 8 micrograms per deciliter of blood were 59 percent more likely to die of any cause, and three times more likely to die of heart disease, than women with lower blood lead levels.
“Despite declines in blood lead concentrations during the past 30 years, environmental lead exposure continues to be a public health concern,” Dr. Naila Khalil of University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and colleagues wrote in BioMed Central’s online journal Environmental Health.
Reward program may improve poor kids’ behavior
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A Mexican government program that offers assistance to families living in extreme poverty if they comply with certain conditions, improves not only children’s health but also their behavior, researchers have found.
The “conditional cash transfer” program called Oportunidades, initiated by the Mexican government in 1997 in 506 very poor rural communities, gives impoverished families cash in exchange for attendance at school and medical check-ups and consumption of provided nutritional supplements.
Brazil, Argentina, Nicaragua and other middle- and lower-income countries are now using conditional cash transfer programs based on evidence that these programs can make a difference in the health of participating families.
Mothers’ bereavement does not raise autism risk
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Severe stress during pregnancy has been proposed as a risk factor for autism, but a new study finds that at least one source of such stress appears unrelated to the disorder.
The study, which analyzed records on 1.5 million children born in Denmark, found no evidence of an increased autism risk among children whose mothers lost a close family member shortly before or during pregnancy.
The findings, reported in the journal Pediatrics, suggest that mothers’ bereavement—as an indicator of substantial stress—does not contribute to autism risk.
Risk of progression to dementia overestimated
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People with mild cognitive impairment appear to have a lower risk of progressing to full blown dementia than previously thought, according to a new report.
Mild cognitive impairment is a transitional stage between normal brain function and dementia/Alzheimer’s disease.
It’s estimated that up to 15 percent of people with mild cognitive impairment go on to develop dementia, Dr. Alex J. Mitchell, of the University of Leicester, and Dr. M. Shiri-Feshki, of Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, note in a report in the journal Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica.
Developing New Treatments for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
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Brian Rowan, Ph.D., professor of Cancer Research for the Tulane Cancer Center, is studying treatment options for an aggressive type of breast cancer that is prevalent in New Orleans among African-American women—triple-negative breast cancer. The term triple-negative refers to the fact that these tumors do not have estrogen, progesterone or HER2 receptors, effectively eliminating hormonal and targeted herceptin therapy from the list of possible treatment options. This limits therapeutic choices for these patients to surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.
Rowan is studying a therapy that targets a protein called Src kinase, which is required for tumor growth in triple negative breast cancer. Rowan and his team are working with Kinex Pharmaceuticals in Buffalo, N.Y. to test a new Src inhibitor called KX-01. Phase I trials for this new drug are complete and preliminary results indicate that KX-01 kills triple-negative breast cancer cells in both Petri dishes and in animal tumor models.
“KX-01 in combination with chemotherapy kills even more cancer cells,” said Rowan.
Expert Advice on Prostate Cancer Screenings
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Recent studies have questioned the wisdom of getting regular tests for prostate cancer. Tulane University School of Medicine prostate cancer expert Dr. Oliver Sartor is available to talk about the latest treatments for prostate cancer and who should continue to seek annual tests for the deadly cancer.
Sartor is sought after by patients across the country because of his expertise in hard-to-treat cases and cutting-edge therapies at the forefront of cancer research. “Patients come to me because I deal with difficult cases, particularly those that have failed initial therapies,” Sartor says. “However, I am increasingly being consulted on early-stage cases to help patients understand and balance the risks and benefits of their therapeutic options.”
Does the stress of being a parent lead to decay in children’s teeth?
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A team of scientists from The Ohio State University has examined the stress levels of parents whose young children either had no cavities or so many cavities that the children had receive anesthesia before undergoing dental treatment.
The investigators presented their findings today during the 87th General Session of the International Association for Dental Research.
The team also looked at the parents’ education levels and income, and noted if they were single parents. Finally, they measured the parents’ stress levels again after the children had received dental treatment.
Germy mouths linked to heart attacks, study finds
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People with the germiest mouths are the most likely to have heart attacks, U.S. researchers reported on Wednesday.
A study that compared heart attack victims to healthy volunteers found the heart patients had higher numbers of bacteria in their mouths, the researchers said.
Their findings add to a growing body of evidence linking oral hygiene with overall health.
Pregnancy problems up stroke risk in offspring
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Adults whose mothers suffered from “preeclampsia” or “gestational hypertension” while pregnant appear to be at increased risk of suffering a stroke, new research suggests.
Preeclampsia is a complication of pregnancy marked by high blood pressure, fluid retention and protein in urine, whereas gestational hypertension is high blood pressure that develops during pregnancy.
In a study, researchers found that people whose mothers had preeclampsia have nearly double the risk of stroke. A similar, albeit smaller, effect was seen with pregnancies complicated by gestational hypertension.
