Common Anti-seizure Drug Could Be Effective for Lupus Patients
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A common anti-seizure drug may be effective against certain conditions associated with lupus, according to animal research at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
The drug, valproic acid (Depakote), prevents skin disease and reduces the severity of kidney disease in a mouse model of lupus, said Nilamadhab Mishra, M.D., a rheumatologist at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.
Stress Interferes with Problem Solving; Beta Blocker May Help
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An experience as simple as watching graphically violent or emotional scenes in a movie can induce enough stress to interfere with problem-solving abilities, new research at Ohio State University Medical Center suggests. A related study suggests a beta-blocker medication could promote the ability to think flexibly under stressful conditions, neurology researchers say.
The research, presented Nov. 16 at the annual Society for Neuroscience meeting in Washington, D.C., represents the first time scientists have asked participants to combine movie viewing with problem-solving tasks to assess the effects of stress on cognitive flexibility, said David Beversdorf, a neurologist at OSU Medical Center and senior author of the studies. The researchers juxtaposed two very different movies – “Saving Private Ryan” and “Shrek” – to induce stress or set up a control condition before testing participants for verbal mental flexibility.
Women Increasingly Pick Husbands’ Surnames
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What’s in a name – or two names? Quite a bit, says a University of Florida professor, whose research finds that a growing number of brides are returning to tradition when taking a man’s hand in marriage, assuming his name instead of keeping their own as a symbol of independent identity.
“Adopting a husband’s last name remains an entrenched tradition that is on the upswing, despite a temporary blip in the ‘70s, ‘80s and early ‘90s where many young women tended to want to hold on to their birth names,” said UF linguistics professor Diana Boxer, who led a series of studies. “I think it reflects how men’s power continues to influence American society despite the fact that women have made great advances economically and socially.”
Women warned about contraceptive patch
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The makers of a revolutionary contraceptive patch are warning women that they are at a greater risk of blood clots and other serious side-effects because of the higher doses of hormones the patch delivers.
The patch, which is called Evra and is worn on the skin like a plaster, was first introduced in Britain in 2003 amid claims that it would be the greatest family-planning breakthrough since the Pill.
Tis the Season for Heart Attacks
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The holiday season can be a time of good cheer, brightly lit parties, and the pleasure of family reunions. It can also be a lonely or stressful time, and a season of eating, drinking, or spending too much. These downsides, along with other factors, may contribute to a spike in heart disease deaths over the holidays, reports the Harvard Heart Letter.
A handful of small studies have hinted that death has its season, and winter is it. What is it about the holiday season that isn’t conducive to good health? The Harvard Heart Letter points to these possible factors:
Higher placental weight ups breast cancer risk
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For women who have given birth, the risk of breast cancer is directly associated with the weight of the placenta in two consecutive pregnancies, according to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association this week. Women with higher placental weight in prior pregnancies are at increased risk for breast cancer, the study indicates.
“Our finding of a positive association between placental weight and breast cancer risk may reflect that exposures to elevated levels of hormones influence the risk of breast cancer,” Dr. Sven Cnattingius, from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, and colleagues note in the report.
A New Addition to Your Family’s Thanksgiving Dinner: The PHR?
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Pass the turkey. Pass the dressing. Pass the cranberry sauce. Pass the PHR?
A personal health record (PHR) may not be on your menu this Thanksgiving Day, but the U.S. Surgeon General and health information management specialists at Saint Louis University’s Doisy College of Health Sciences think it should be.
Tamoxifen curbs breast cancer risk, study confirms
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Data from additional years of follow-up of a large study of tamoxifen for the prevention of breast cancer confirm that the drug reduces the risk of the disease in high-risk women.
Tamoxifen “remains the only proven chemopreventive treatment for breast cancer risk reduction,” Dr. Bernard Fisher, from the University of Pittsburgh, and colleagues note in their report in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute this week.
Check homocysteine after pregnancy-induced diabetes
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High homocysteine in the early postpartum period is an independent risk factor for the development of diabetes in women with a history of pregnancy-induced diabetes (a.k.a. gestational diabetes), a study suggests.
Measurement of homocysteine at six week’s postpartum “would be helpful” to identify women with a previous history of pregnancy-induced diabetes at high risk for developing diabetes, study investigators conclude.
Older Brains “Rise to the Challenge’’
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When the going gets tough, older adults’ brains get going, according to new research by a University of Michigan professor studying how key regions of the brain click on when needed.
Several regions in the brain, especially in the frontal cortex, are involved in helping people meet the demands of a constantly changing environment. While earlier research focused on older adults’ failures to activate these regions, the new U-M research found that older adults can activate these regions in response to a challenging task, and may also bring additional brain regions online to help their performance.
Daily Weighing Helps People Lose Weight, Prevents Gain
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People who are trying to either lose weight or avoid gaining do better by weighing themselves daily, according to a new study in the December issue of Annals of Behavioral Medicine.
The research team evaluated self-weighing practices of more than 3,000 people participating in either a weight-loss or a weight-gain prevention program. The study’s key finding: “Higher weighing frequency was associated with greater 24-month weight loss or less weight gain.”
People with Heart Failure at Significant Increase for Death from Stroke
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People with heart failure are twice as likely to die from a stroke as the general population, new research at Mayo Clinic has found. This research will be presented today at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2005 in Dallas.
A random sample of 630 patients with heart failure was identified over a 20-year period, from 1979 through 1999, in this community-based study. Stroke risk in heart failure was compared with the risk in the general population using standard morbidity ratios. In the 30 days following a heart failure diagnosis, patients were at a 17-fold increased risk of stroke compared with the general population, and the risk remained elevated during the five years of follow-up.
Talking About Sex with Your Children
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It’s never too early to talk to your child about sex, says a contributing author of a new book.
“Parents should be the primary source of what parents want kids to know,” says Marilyn Maxwell, M.D., professor of internal medicine and pediatrics at Saint Louis University School of Medicine.
Heart Disease is #1 Killer of Women, Could A Simple Test Be a Lifesaver?
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New research from Saint Louis University School of Medicine may give doctors a way to predict life-threatening heart problems in women.
The team studied 421 diabetic women between 49 and 75 who underwent a certain type of stress test for suspected coronary disease. Investigators concluded that the test, known as dobutamine stress echocardiography, provided valuable information that could help doctors predict future fatal heart problems.
Colon cancer screening of little value for some
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The risks of colorectal cancer screening may outweigh the benefits for some patients aged 70 years and older, a group of doctors warn in the journal Gastroenterology.
“Colorectal cancer screening has risks as well as benefits,” Dr. Cynthia W. Ko from the University of Washington, Seattle, told Reuters Health.
