US concussion guide makes return to play tougher
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New guidelines from the American Academy of Neurology say no U.S. athlete who has had a concussion should be allowed to resume play until all symptoms have passed, revising earlier guidelines that allowed some athletes back on the field after just a week on the sidelines.
The guidelines, published on Monday in the journal Neurology, set the standard of care for doctors and follow studies that suggest even small blows to the head can have a big impact on brain health.
“We now understand that there are some really profoundly bad possible outcomes either from two hits in a row or a lot of hits over a lifetime,” said Dr. Jeffrey Kutcher, who chairs the sports neurology section of the American Academy of Neurology.
Obesity Costs Twice as Much
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As politicians and pundits debate the repeal of President Obama’s health care plan, a new study shows that the treatment of obesity could fall under greater scrutiny when the legislation takes effect. The reason? Medical costs related to obesity may be twice as high as earlier estimates, according to one new report.
The study analyzed the actual weight of people, while previous studies only considered the self reported weight of patients, which was likely to be understated. Researchers also took into account the role of genetic factors in the patients, looking at the weight of each subject’s immediate family members to determine whether obesity ran in the family.
Researchers John Cawley, Ph.D., an associate professor at Cornell University, and Chad Meyerhoefer, Ph.D., professor of economics at Lehigh University, based their findings on data from a survey involving 24,000 adult patients from 2000 to 2005. They found that costs related to obesity medical care are close to $168 billion, representing 17 percent of medical costs in the U.S. The figure is a sizeable jump from last year’s estimate of $147 billion – a figure cited by federal health officials – which is 9 percent of the country’s total medical costs.
Mothers can prevent obesity in children
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From the Lempert Report: Moms already have a ton of responsibilities, and now results from a recent WomenTALK online survey found that most women underestimate their role in preventing obesity in their children.
The survey found that while 87 percent of women believe a parent’s weight affects a child’s risk of becoming obese, a little over a quarter of women actually assign that responsibility to themselves. Research has demonstrated that moms have a greater effect than dads on a child’s weight - yet another responsibility to give mom.
The results released earlier this month by Healthy Women, an independent online health information source for women, surveyed over 1,000 women. The results found that only 11 percent knew that a child’s risk of becoming obese more than doubled if the mother is obese during her first trimester of pregnancy.
How is Dysthymia in Children Treated?
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Dysthymia is a mood disorder which is less severe than depression. Children diagnosed with dysthymia can be treated using medications, therapy, or both approaches together.
Introduction:
Dysthymia is considered a chronic mood disorder which falls under the category of depression. Like adults, children also suffer from this type of mood disorder. While chronic depression is a very serious condition, dysthymia in children is treatable. Treatments which are considered to be effective include medications and non-medicated therapy such as psychotherapeutic approaches. The main goals for treating this condition include decreasing symptoms of depression, decreasing risk of the development of other mood disorders, and reinforcement of psychosocial functioning.
Study finds gene links to common lymphoma cancer
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Scientists have found three new gene variations linked to the development of Hodgkin lymphoma, one of the most common cancers in young adults, and say the findings should help in the development of better treatments.
Around a quarter to half of all cases of Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of cancer originating from white blood cells called lymphocytes, are thought to be triggered by infection with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), but the disease can also develop in patients who have never been exposed to the virus.
Scientists had suspected genetic factors might be involved, since having a family history of the disease increases risk, but until now they had not been able to identify any specific genetic risk factors.
Test shows no health risk to food from oil spill
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Testing has helped confirm that chemicals used to disperse oil from the BP spill have not made their way into fish, crabs, shrimp or oysters from the Gulf of Mexico, U.S. officials said on Friday.
Tests of more than 1,700 samples show that fewer than 1 percent had any trace of chemicals at all, and the ones that did had extremely low levels, the officials from the Food and Drug Administration and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said.
“This additional round of testing has confirmed ... that Gulf seafood brought to market is safe,” Dr. Vicki Seyfert-Margolis, FDA’s senior adviser for science and innovation, told a telephone briefing.
Anna Nicole Smith boyfriend convicted in drug trial
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Anna Nicole Smith’s former boyfriend and a doctor were convicted on Thursday of helping to keep the former Playboy model supplied with painkillers and other prescription drugs before her death.
But after a two-month trial, a Los Angeles jury acquitted a second doctor on all charges in what was seen by the defense as a victory for physicians who treat patients with chronic pain.
Smith’s companion and lawyer Howard K. Stern was convicted on two counts of conspiracy for using false names to obtain prescription drugs for his lover, but was acquitted on seven more serious charges.
Studies examine costs, prospects of ending malaria
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Eliminating malaria can be achieved only with repeated investment over the long term and will require a major shift in policy and funding now focused on control of the disease, experts said on Friday.
In a series of studies in the Lancet medical journal about the prospect of trying to eradicate the often deadly infectious disease, scientists said that for many countries, wiping it out would take many decades rather than be a quick victory.
Like routine immunizations against diseases such as smallpox or measles, it would require long-term investment to make sure the disease does not come back, even after the intensive elimination activity is over, they said.
Burning straw, dung tied to kids’ anemia
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Households in developing countries that regularly burn wood, straw, dung and other natural materials are more likely to also contain children with anemia, a new report finds.
Families in 29 countries who burned so-called “biofuels” for cooking or heating were 7 percent more likely to include a child with mild anemia.
When the researchers from McMaster University in Canada compared national-level data, they found that the countries with more residents burning biofuels were also home to more children with moderate or severe anemia.
Programs Help Blacks Get Needed Colorectal Cancer Screening
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African-Americans are less likely than whites to be screened for colorectal cancer, and the disparity almost certainly contributes to higher mortality. A new review of studies identifies effective strategies for improving the situation, but suggests that work remains to be done.
“We have seen some success in interventions, and shown that it’s important to tailor approaches to African American individuals and to use multiple approaches, strategies, and communication media,” said review author Barbara Powe, Ph.D.
The studies’ lack of long term follow-up represents “a gap in research,” however. “We need to learn to design interventions to create patterns of screening that could enhance screening for other cancers as well,” said Powe, a registered nurse and director of Cancer Communication Science for the American Cancer Society.
Scientists call for tighter regulations on food adverts during children’s TV viewing
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The researchers, in partnership with the Cancer Council, Australia, studied 12,618 food advertisements from 11 countries and found that 67 per cent endorsed unhealthy food. The research builds on a previous study at Liverpool which revealed that children would consume twice as many calories from snacks after watching food adverts compared to after viewing advertising for toys and games.
The research reveals that Germany, Spain and Greece have the highest frequency of adverts promoting unhealthy foods during children’s peak viewing time, compared to other European countries and parts of the US, Canada and Australia. These adverts tend to feature child-orientated persuasive techniques, such as the use of popular animated characters and celebrities.
Although the US, Canada and Australia have a lower rate of unhealthy food advertising overall, broadcasters still air the adverts more frequently during a time when children are watching.
Most prefer touching toilet to handshake
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Most U.S. adults would rather touch a public toilet seat than shake someone’s hand after they’ve coughed or sneezed into it, a survey indicates.
The survey, commissioned by Purell Instant Hand Sanitizer, says two in five U.S. adults say they have hesitated to shake hands with someone because of their fear of germs.
Four in five Americans say they think people are shaking hands less frequently than they did 25 years ago. However, 56 percent say cold and flu germs are the worst part of a winter handshake, and 49 would prefer using a fist bump over a handshake—15 percent due to the fear of germs, 13 percent because of sweaty palms and 6 percent because of dry hands.
Canada needs to improve end-of-life care
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Better psychological and spiritual support, improved planning of care and stronger relationships with physicians are necessary to improve end-of-life care in Canada, according to a study by a Queen’s University professor.
“High quality end-of-life care should be the right of every Canadian,” says professor of Medicine and Epidemiology Daren Heyland, who is also a researcher at Kingston General Hospital. “But it’s not always happening. We know from international studies that Canada ranks ninth in the world in terms of quality of care provided at the end of life.”
The study, a questionnaire that aimed to measure satisfaction with end-of-life care for patients with advanced diseases and their families, involved 363 patients over 55 years of age and 193 family caregivers.
Small particles show big promise in beating unpleasant odors
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Scientists are reporting development of a new approach for dealing with offensive household and other odors — one that doesn’t simply mask odors like today’s room fresheners, but eliminates them at the source. Their research found that a deodorant made from nanoparticles — hundreds of times smaller than peach fuzz — eliminates odors up to twice as effectively as today’s gold standard. A report on these next-generation odor-fighters appears in ACS’ Langmuir, a bi-weekly journal.
Brij Moudgil and colleagues note that consumers use a wide range of materials to battle undesirable odors in clothing, on pets, in rooms, and elsewhere. Most common household air fresheners, for instance, mask odors with pleasing fragrances but do not eliminate the odors from the environment. People also apply deodorizing substances that absorb smells. These materials include activated carbon and baking soda. However, these substances tend to have only a weak ability to absorb the chemicals responsible for the odor.
Tobacco and its evil cousin, nicotine? They’re good—as a pesticide!
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Tobacco, used on a small scale as a natural organic pesticide for hundreds of years, is getting new scientific attention as a potential mass-produced alternative to traditional commercial pesticides. That’s the topic of a report in ACS’ bi-weekly journal Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research.
Cedric Briens and colleagues note that concerns about the health risks of tobacco have reduced demand and hurt tobacco farmers in some parts of the world. Scientists are looking for new uses for tobacco. One potential use is as a natural pesticide, due to tobacco’s content of toxic nicotine. For centuries, gardeners have used home-made mixtures of tobacco and water as a natural pesticide to kill insect pests. A “green” pesticide industry based on tobacco could provide additional income for farmers, and as well as a new eco-friendly pest-control agent, the scientists say.
