The following Article will be featured on an upcoming episode of Dr. Asa on Call with Dr. Asa Andrew:
Building up to 10,000 steps a day can help control weight and may reduce diabetes risk, suggests new research in the journal BMJ.
Of 592 middle-aged Australian adults, those who increased the number of steps they took during a five-year period and built up to 10,000 steps per day had a lower body mass index, less belly fat, and better insulin sensitivity than their counterparts who did not take as many steps daily during the same time period.
A hallmark of diabetes, insulin resistance occurs when the body's cells stop responding as well to the action of the hormone insulin, which helps the body use blood sugar (glucose) for energy. The pancreas tries to compensate by producing more insulin, but ultimately fails to keep pace. As a result, excess glucose builds up in the bloodstream, setting the stage for diabetes.
Weight loss is known to increase insulin sensitivity, so researchers suggest that increased walking led to weight loss and decreased body fat which, in turn, improved diabetes risk factors.
“These findings, confirming an independent beneficial role of higher daily step count on body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, and insulin sensitivity, provide further support to promote higher physical activity levels among middle-aged adults,” conclude researchers, who were led by Terry Dwyer, MD, director of Murdoch Children’s Research Institute of Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, Australia. “The use of a pedometer for measuring physical activity allows quantification of the magnitude of these effects.”
Participants answered questions about their diet and other lifestyle factors and had a full physical exam when the study began. They were also asked to wear pedometers to count the number of steps they took each day. Researchers followed up with the study participants five years later to see how many steps they were taking, and reassessed their diabetes risk factors.
Those who built up to 10,000 steps a day and kept at it showed a threefold improvement in their insulin sensitivity at five years, when compared with participants who only increased their daily steps to 3,000 per day, the study showed.
Tai Chi May Prevent Falls Among Seniors
The following article will be featured on an upcoming episode of Dr. Asa on Call with Dr. Asa Andrew:
Updated guidelines from the American Geriatrics Society and the British Geriatrics Society recommend interventions such as the slow-motion Chinese martial art tai chi along with medication reviews to help prevent falls among the elderly.
The guidelines, which appear in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, were last updated in 2001.
Falls among the elderly are linked to an increased risk for hip and other fractures and head injuries, all of which can lead to reduced independence, early admission to long-term care facilities, and even death.
“Given the frequency of falls and the injuries that occur as a result, falling is as big of a problem as heart attack and stroke, and we need to start taking it as seriously because falls are preventable,” says guideline author Mary Tinetti, MD, a geriatrician at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn. “The most effective way to prevent falls is to reduce medication, make the environment as safe as possible, and improve balance and gait through exercises including tai chi or physical therapy.”
Tinetti and other panel members reviewed studies looking at fall prevention interventions published between May 2001 and April 2008 to develop the updated guidelines.
Fall Prevention 101
Tai chi and/or physical therapy can help seniors improve their balance, gait, and strength and help stave off falls, the guidelines state.
Medication checkups are also useful for older people who are at risk for falls, Tinetti says. Medications that may increase falling risk include certain antidepressants and sleeping pills.
“We should review all the medications and really decide ‘do they need this medication at this dose’ and determine if the medicine is more likely to cause overall harm vs. overall benefit,” she says. “If a medication puts a person at risk of falling, is it really worth it?”
If a medication can’t be stopped altogether, reducing the dose may also an option, she says. No one should ever stop taking or reduce a dose of any medication without first discussing these risks with their doctor.
Some falls may be caused by poor vision. “Cataract extraction has a lot of benefits for fall prevention,” she says.
Fall Prevention Is Everyone’s Issue
The onus is on everyone involved with the care of the aging population to implement these guidelines, Tinetti says.
“Nurses, physical therapists, specialists, and anybody who is caring for older people should be aware of these new guidelines and follow the components that are relevant to their area of expertise,” she says.
“Older people also need to take more responsibility when they see their care providers,” she says. For example, say ‘I want my blood pressure taken when I stand to see if it drops, and I want you to look at all my medications to see if any are going to increase my risk for falling or make me unsteady,” she says.
Updated guidelines from the American Geriatrics Society and the British Geriatrics Society recommend interventions such as the slow-motion Chinese martial art tai chi along with medication reviews to help prevent falls among the elderly.
The guidelines, which appear in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, were last updated in 2001.
Falls among the elderly are linked to an increased risk for hip and other fractures and head injuries, all of which can lead to reduced independence, early admission to long-term care facilities, and even death.
“Given the frequency of falls and the injuries that occur as a result, falling is as big of a problem as heart attack and stroke, and we need to start taking it as seriously because falls are preventable,” says guideline author Mary Tinetti, MD, a geriatrician at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn. “The most effective way to prevent falls is to reduce medication, make the environment as safe as possible, and improve balance and gait through exercises including tai chi or physical therapy.”
Tinetti and other panel members reviewed studies looking at fall prevention interventions published between May 2001 and April 2008 to develop the updated guidelines.
Fall Prevention 101
Tai chi and/or physical therapy can help seniors improve their balance, gait, and strength and help stave off falls, the guidelines state.
Medication checkups are also useful for older people who are at risk for falls, Tinetti says. Medications that may increase falling risk include certain antidepressants and sleeping pills.
“We should review all the medications and really decide ‘do they need this medication at this dose’ and determine if the medicine is more likely to cause overall harm vs. overall benefit,” she says. “If a medication puts a person at risk of falling, is it really worth it?”
If a medication can’t be stopped altogether, reducing the dose may also an option, she says. No one should ever stop taking or reduce a dose of any medication without first discussing these risks with their doctor.
Some falls may be caused by poor vision. “Cataract extraction has a lot of benefits for fall prevention,” she says.
Fall Prevention Is Everyone’s Issue
The onus is on everyone involved with the care of the aging population to implement these guidelines, Tinetti says.
“Nurses, physical therapists, specialists, and anybody who is caring for older people should be aware of these new guidelines and follow the components that are relevant to their area of expertise,” she says.
“Older people also need to take more responsibility when they see their care providers,” she says. For example, say ‘I want my blood pressure taken when I stand to see if it drops, and I want you to look at all my medications to see if any are going to increase my risk for falling or make me unsteady,” she says.
Study Shows Sitting in Front of a Screen May Be Linked to Heart Risks
The following article will be featured on an upcoming episode of Dr. Asa on Call:
Hours spent lounging in front of a computer or television may hurt the heart, a new study shows.
The study shows that adults who averaged more than two hours sitting in front of a television or computer screen that was not related to their job or schoolwork had roughly twice the risk of having heart attacks, heart surgeries, strokes, or other cardiovascular events, compared to those who logged less than two hours of daily screen time.
What’s more, the risk did not drop appreciably when researchers factored in other variables, like a history of diabetes or high blood pressure, smoking, body weight, socioeconomic or marital status, or even a regular exercise routine.
Public health experts and cardiologists say the study offers more proof that people may need to shift their wellness goals slightly, beyond simply making sure they get a daily workout to also reducing the amount of time they are sedentary.
“It’s not even about the exercise. It’s about not sitting,” says Suzanne Steinbaum, DO, a preventive cardiologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. “I think that sort of points us in a little different direction. In order for you not to cause harm to yourself, you really need to focus on getting up and moving.”
Heart Health Goes Down the Tubes
For the study, which is due to be published in the Jan. 18 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, researchers at University College London and the University of Queensland in Australia followed more than 4,500 adults who took part in the Scottish Health Survey.
Participants were over age 34 and were followed for an average of 4.3 years.
To figure out how much leisure time was spent sitting, researchers asked: “Thinking of weekdays, how much time, on average, do you spend watching TV or another type of screen such as a computer or video game? (Please do not include any time spent in front of a screen while at school, college or work.)”
Researchers also asked about physical activity both at work and outside of work, including any heavy housework like scrubbing floors, heavy gardening like digging, walking, and leisure time exercise, such as cycling, swimming, aerobics, dancing, and football.
They then linked the survey results to hospital data on admissions and deaths in Scotland from 1981 through December 2007.
Compared to people who spent less than two hours a day in front of a TV or computer, those who spent four hours a day on screen-based entertainment had a 48% risk of dying for any reason; those who spent more than two hours a day sitting in front of a screen had 125% greater risk of experiencing cardiovascular events like heart attacks and strokes.
Hours spent lounging in front of a computer or television may hurt the heart, a new study shows.
The study shows that adults who averaged more than two hours sitting in front of a television or computer screen that was not related to their job or schoolwork had roughly twice the risk of having heart attacks, heart surgeries, strokes, or other cardiovascular events, compared to those who logged less than two hours of daily screen time.
What’s more, the risk did not drop appreciably when researchers factored in other variables, like a history of diabetes or high blood pressure, smoking, body weight, socioeconomic or marital status, or even a regular exercise routine.
Public health experts and cardiologists say the study offers more proof that people may need to shift their wellness goals slightly, beyond simply making sure they get a daily workout to also reducing the amount of time they are sedentary.
“It’s not even about the exercise. It’s about not sitting,” says Suzanne Steinbaum, DO, a preventive cardiologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. “I think that sort of points us in a little different direction. In order for you not to cause harm to yourself, you really need to focus on getting up and moving.”
Heart Health Goes Down the Tubes
For the study, which is due to be published in the Jan. 18 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, researchers at University College London and the University of Queensland in Australia followed more than 4,500 adults who took part in the Scottish Health Survey.
Participants were over age 34 and were followed for an average of 4.3 years.
To figure out how much leisure time was spent sitting, researchers asked: “Thinking of weekdays, how much time, on average, do you spend watching TV or another type of screen such as a computer or video game? (Please do not include any time spent in front of a screen while at school, college or work.)”
Researchers also asked about physical activity both at work and outside of work, including any heavy housework like scrubbing floors, heavy gardening like digging, walking, and leisure time exercise, such as cycling, swimming, aerobics, dancing, and football.
They then linked the survey results to hospital data on admissions and deaths in Scotland from 1981 through December 2007.
Compared to people who spent less than two hours a day in front of a TV or computer, those who spent four hours a day on screen-based entertainment had a 48% risk of dying for any reason; those who spent more than two hours a day sitting in front of a screen had 125% greater risk of experiencing cardiovascular events like heart attacks and strokes.
Study Shows Green Tea May Also Slow Growth of Cancer Cells
The following article will be featured on an upcoming episode of Dr. Asa on Call with Dr. Asa Andrew:
Regular consumption of green tea may offer protection against Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias and may also slow growth of cancer cells, new research indicates.
Green tea, an ancient Chinese remedy, has been shown to have protective properties in undigested, freshly brewed forms. But a research team at Newcastle University in the U.K. set out to determine whether the protective substances remained active after digestion. And in the study, they did.
“What was really exciting about this study was that we found when green tea is digested by enzymes in the gut, the resulting chemicals are actually more effective against key triggers of Alzheimer’s development than the undigested form of the tea,” Ed Okello, of Newcastle, says in a news release. “In addition to this, we also found the digested compounds had anti-cancer properties, significantly slowing down the growth of tumor cells which we were using in our experiments.”
Two compounds that are known to play a major role in the development of Alzheimer’s are hydrogen peroxide and beta-amyloid, a protein.
Previous research has shown that polyphenols, present in green and black tea, have neuroprotective properties, binding with the toxic compounds and protecting brain cells.
Polyphenols, when ingested, are broken down to produce a mixture of compounds, which the Newcastle scientists tested for this latest study.
Role of Digestion
“There are certain chemicals we know to be beneficial and we can identify foods which are rich in them, but what happens during the digestion process is crucial to whether these foods are actually doing us any good,” Okello says.
The researchers exposed cells similar to neurons to varying concentrations of toxins, as well as digested tea compounds, and the digested tea chemicals protected the cells, preventing the toxins from destroying them.
“We also saw them affecting the cancer cells, significantly slowing down their growth,” he says. “Green tea has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries and what we have here provides the scientific evidence why it may be effective against some of the key diseases we face today.”
The researchers say there is plenty of evidence that both black and green teas have protective properties that mainly are attributable to their content of polyphenols.
Green tea has been shown to be effective against cancers in animal models, and epidemiological studies have suggested it reduces risk for prostate cancer in men.
The results of the study, while not definitive, do provide a basis for more research on green tea metabolites and their potential role in fighting Alzheimer’s disease.
The study is published in the journal Phytomedicine.
To hear more of Dr. Asa Andrew join him for Dr. Asa on Call or log onto wwww.drasa.com
Regular consumption of green tea may offer protection against Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias and may also slow growth of cancer cells, new research indicates.
Green tea, an ancient Chinese remedy, has been shown to have protective properties in undigested, freshly brewed forms. But a research team at Newcastle University in the U.K. set out to determine whether the protective substances remained active after digestion. And in the study, they did.
“What was really exciting about this study was that we found when green tea is digested by enzymes in the gut, the resulting chemicals are actually more effective against key triggers of Alzheimer’s development than the undigested form of the tea,” Ed Okello, of Newcastle, says in a news release. “In addition to this, we also found the digested compounds had anti-cancer properties, significantly slowing down the growth of tumor cells which we were using in our experiments.”
Two compounds that are known to play a major role in the development of Alzheimer’s are hydrogen peroxide and beta-amyloid, a protein.
Previous research has shown that polyphenols, present in green and black tea, have neuroprotective properties, binding with the toxic compounds and protecting brain cells.
Polyphenols, when ingested, are broken down to produce a mixture of compounds, which the Newcastle scientists tested for this latest study.
Role of Digestion
“There are certain chemicals we know to be beneficial and we can identify foods which are rich in them, but what happens during the digestion process is crucial to whether these foods are actually doing us any good,” Okello says.
The researchers exposed cells similar to neurons to varying concentrations of toxins, as well as digested tea compounds, and the digested tea chemicals protected the cells, preventing the toxins from destroying them.
“We also saw them affecting the cancer cells, significantly slowing down their growth,” he says. “Green tea has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries and what we have here provides the scientific evidence why it may be effective against some of the key diseases we face today.”
The researchers say there is plenty of evidence that both black and green teas have protective properties that mainly are attributable to their content of polyphenols.
Green tea has been shown to be effective against cancers in animal models, and epidemiological studies have suggested it reduces risk for prostate cancer in men.
The results of the study, while not definitive, do provide a basis for more research on green tea metabolites and their potential role in fighting Alzheimer’s disease.
The study is published in the journal Phytomedicine.
To hear more of Dr. Asa Andrew join him for Dr. Asa on Call or log onto wwww.drasa.com
Meat, poultry to have nutrition labels by 2012
The following article will be featured on an upcoming episode of Dr. Asa on Call with Dr. Asa Andrew:
Nutritional labels will be mandatory on 40 popular cuts of meat and poultry products beginning in 2012, a measure the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Wednesday will make it easier for consumers to understand the content of the foods they buy.
USDA said the nutritional information will be required for major cuts of raw, single-ingredient meat and poultry products. These include whole or boneless chicken breasts, beef whole cuts such as brisket or tenderloin steak, and hamburger and ground turkey.
"More and more, busy American families want nutrition information that they can quickly and easily understand," Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said. "We need to do all we can to provide nutrition labels that will help consumers make informed decisions."
The nutritional panels will include the number of calories and the grams of total fat and saturated fat a product contains. A product that has a lean percentage statement, such as "76 percent lean," on its label also will list its fat percentage.
The new measure goes into effect on January 1, 2012.
The National Cattlemen's Beef Association said in a statement it supported showing the nutritional content of beef products on a label. But Kristina Butts, NCBA's executive director of legislative affairs, said the industry needed more time to implement the new requirements.
"While NCBA believes consumers have the right to know what nutrients are found in meat, we also realize retailers and others in the food-production chain will face significant new costs associated with this final rule," said Butts.
"We wish USDA would have granted our request for an 18- to 24-month implementation period," she said.
To hear more of Dr. Asa Andrew, join him for Dr. Asa on Call or log onto www.drasa.com
Nutritional labels will be mandatory on 40 popular cuts of meat and poultry products beginning in 2012, a measure the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Wednesday will make it easier for consumers to understand the content of the foods they buy.
USDA said the nutritional information will be required for major cuts of raw, single-ingredient meat and poultry products. These include whole or boneless chicken breasts, beef whole cuts such as brisket or tenderloin steak, and hamburger and ground turkey.
"More and more, busy American families want nutrition information that they can quickly and easily understand," Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said. "We need to do all we can to provide nutrition labels that will help consumers make informed decisions."
The nutritional panels will include the number of calories and the grams of total fat and saturated fat a product contains. A product that has a lean percentage statement, such as "76 percent lean," on its label also will list its fat percentage.
The new measure goes into effect on January 1, 2012.
The National Cattlemen's Beef Association said in a statement it supported showing the nutritional content of beef products on a label. But Kristina Butts, NCBA's executive director of legislative affairs, said the industry needed more time to implement the new requirements.
"While NCBA believes consumers have the right to know what nutrients are found in meat, we also realize retailers and others in the food-production chain will face significant new costs associated with this final rule," said Butts.
"We wish USDA would have granted our request for an 18- to 24-month implementation period," she said.
To hear more of Dr. Asa Andrew, join him for Dr. Asa on Call or log onto www.drasa.com
In Study, Babies Fed Protein Hydrolysate Formula Gained Weight at a Normal Pace
The following article will be featured this week on Dr. Asa on Call with Dr. Asa Andrew:
Researchers report that infants fed cow milk formula gained more weight more quickly than infants fed protein hydrolysate formulas, which are also known as hypoallergenic formulas meant for babies that have problems digesting certain proteins. The proteins in the formula have already been broken down to make digestion easier.
Investigators led by Julie Mennella, PhD, from the Philadelphia-based Monell Chemical Senses Center, a research institute dedicated to studying the chemistry behind taste and smell, compared the benefits of drinking cow milk formula vs. protein hydrolysate formula.
Sixty-four healthy infants aged 0.5 months to 7.5 months were randomly assigned to one of the formulas for seven months. Infants were weighed and measured once a month to assess their growth. The two groups of infants were similar in birth weight and length at birth. Feeding time lengths were also similar between the two groups; the infants were also introduced to solid foods at about the same time.
Differences in the rate of weight gain appeared as early as two months after starting the study. Although infants fed the protein hydrolysate formula gained weight at a normal pace, infants fed the cow's milk formula gained more weight more quickly. Overall, the protein-hydrolysate-formula-fed infants had lower weight-for length scores than those children given cow’s milk formula.
The researchers proposed a few theories to explain the differences in weight gain between the two groups.
“Infants may dislike the taste of protein hydrolysate formula and consequently consume less, thereby gaining weight more slowly,” the authors wrote. It’s also possible the higher-protein content of this particular formula made infants feel fuller quicker, so they didn’t need to eat as much. Researchers also question whether the amino acids in protein hydrolysate formula may play a role in absorption and metabolism. All of these theories would require further evaluation.
“Longer-term effects of hydrolyzed protein diets, which are relatively new in the human food supply and are growing in use, also need to be investigated,” the researchers write. “Because dietary and nutritional programming can have long-term consequences in terms of later development of obesity, diabetes, and other diseases, it is imperative that we learn more about the long-term consequences of the early growth differences caused by environmental triggers, such as those associated with infant formulas, and how and why they differ from breastfeeding, which is the optimal mode of feeding
To hear more of Dr. Asa Andrew, join him for Dr. Asa on Call or log onto www.drasa.com
Researchers report that infants fed cow milk formula gained more weight more quickly than infants fed protein hydrolysate formulas, which are also known as hypoallergenic formulas meant for babies that have problems digesting certain proteins. The proteins in the formula have already been broken down to make digestion easier.
Investigators led by Julie Mennella, PhD, from the Philadelphia-based Monell Chemical Senses Center, a research institute dedicated to studying the chemistry behind taste and smell, compared the benefits of drinking cow milk formula vs. protein hydrolysate formula.
Sixty-four healthy infants aged 0.5 months to 7.5 months were randomly assigned to one of the formulas for seven months. Infants were weighed and measured once a month to assess their growth. The two groups of infants were similar in birth weight and length at birth. Feeding time lengths were also similar between the two groups; the infants were also introduced to solid foods at about the same time.
Differences in the rate of weight gain appeared as early as two months after starting the study. Although infants fed the protein hydrolysate formula gained weight at a normal pace, infants fed the cow's milk formula gained more weight more quickly. Overall, the protein-hydrolysate-formula-fed infants had lower weight-for length scores than those children given cow’s milk formula.
The researchers proposed a few theories to explain the differences in weight gain between the two groups.
“Infants may dislike the taste of protein hydrolysate formula and consequently consume less, thereby gaining weight more slowly,” the authors wrote. It’s also possible the higher-protein content of this particular formula made infants feel fuller quicker, so they didn’t need to eat as much. Researchers also question whether the amino acids in protein hydrolysate formula may play a role in absorption and metabolism. All of these theories would require further evaluation.
“Longer-term effects of hydrolyzed protein diets, which are relatively new in the human food supply and are growing in use, also need to be investigated,” the researchers write. “Because dietary and nutritional programming can have long-term consequences in terms of later development of obesity, diabetes, and other diseases, it is imperative that we learn more about the long-term consequences of the early growth differences caused by environmental triggers, such as those associated with infant formulas, and how and why they differ from breastfeeding, which is the optimal mode of feeding
To hear more of Dr. Asa Andrew, join him for Dr. Asa on Call or log onto www.drasa.com
Moms-to-Be Who Take Iron, Folic Acid Have Smarter Babies
The following article will be featured on an upcoming episode of Dr. Asa on Call with Dr. Asa Andrew:
While most American women of childbearing age already know that taking folic acid supplements before and during pregnancy is essential in helping prevent neural tube defects, they probably don't know that folic acid, when combined with iron supplements, may make children smarter. At least that's what a new study on mothers and children in rural Nepal suggests.
The research, published in the latest issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that when mothers in Nepal took iron and folic acid supplements before and during pregnancy, their children showed greater cognitive and motor skills when compared to children whose mothers did not receive prenatal supplements.
The study followed 676 children in a double-blind, randomized controlled trial of micronutrient supplementation given between 1999 and 2001. Researchers followed up with the children at ages 7 to 9. The children whose mothers had received prenatal supplements of folic acid and iron showed stronger cognitive ability, higher reasoning skills, better motor skills and enhanced inhibitory control when compared to their study group peers whose mothers had not taken supplements.
One of the study researchers, Laura Murray-Kolb, assistant professor at Penn State University and adjunct associate professor at Johns Hopkins University, told AOL Health that studies in rodents had already shown that iron deficiency during gestation can alter neurotransmitters in the brain, often impacting the speed of information processing. The study in Nepal suggests the same may be true in humans.
Even more than that, however, it points to the need for better prenatal care in developing nations. "We need effective, low-cost prental programs that can be implemented at the community level," Murray-Kolb says. "A lot of these women are not seeing physicians."
But the problem doesn't exist solely in developing nations. "We see this issue even in the U.S.," says Murray-Kolb. "Most women here are not entering pregnancy with the level of deficiency of women in Nepal, but previous studies have shown that as many as 30 percent of women in the U.S. are anemic by the end of pregnancy."
"Women are getting the message about prenatals," Murray-Kolb says, "but they tend to become more lax about it as pregnancy progresses." And that's not a good thing. While folic acid supplements are most important before and during the early months of pregnancy, iron supplementation is most critical at the end.
The World Health Organization estimates that in developing countries, some 50 percent of pregnant women are anemic. This latest study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
To hear more of Dr. Asa Andrew, join him for Dr. Asa on Call or log onto www.drasa.com
While most American women of childbearing age already know that taking folic acid supplements before and during pregnancy is essential in helping prevent neural tube defects, they probably don't know that folic acid, when combined with iron supplements, may make children smarter. At least that's what a new study on mothers and children in rural Nepal suggests.
The research, published in the latest issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that when mothers in Nepal took iron and folic acid supplements before and during pregnancy, their children showed greater cognitive and motor skills when compared to children whose mothers did not receive prenatal supplements.
The study followed 676 children in a double-blind, randomized controlled trial of micronutrient supplementation given between 1999 and 2001. Researchers followed up with the children at ages 7 to 9. The children whose mothers had received prenatal supplements of folic acid and iron showed stronger cognitive ability, higher reasoning skills, better motor skills and enhanced inhibitory control when compared to their study group peers whose mothers had not taken supplements.
One of the study researchers, Laura Murray-Kolb, assistant professor at Penn State University and adjunct associate professor at Johns Hopkins University, told AOL Health that studies in rodents had already shown that iron deficiency during gestation can alter neurotransmitters in the brain, often impacting the speed of information processing. The study in Nepal suggests the same may be true in humans.
Even more than that, however, it points to the need for better prenatal care in developing nations. "We need effective, low-cost prental programs that can be implemented at the community level," Murray-Kolb says. "A lot of these women are not seeing physicians."
But the problem doesn't exist solely in developing nations. "We see this issue even in the U.S.," says Murray-Kolb. "Most women here are not entering pregnancy with the level of deficiency of women in Nepal, but previous studies have shown that as many as 30 percent of women in the U.S. are anemic by the end of pregnancy."
"Women are getting the message about prenatals," Murray-Kolb says, "but they tend to become more lax about it as pregnancy progresses." And that's not a good thing. While folic acid supplements are most important before and during the early months of pregnancy, iron supplementation is most critical at the end.
The World Health Organization estimates that in developing countries, some 50 percent of pregnant women are anemic. This latest study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
To hear more of Dr. Asa Andrew, join him for Dr. Asa on Call or log onto www.drasa.com
Teen birthrate at lowest point in seven decades
The following article will be featured on an upcoming episode of Dr. Asa on Call with Dr. Asa Andrew:
Teenagers are giving birth at the lowest rates noted in seven decades of record-keeping, according to statistics from the federal government released Tuesday.
The report doesn't speculate on why the birthrate has fallen, but two decades of public-health initiatives to curb teenage pregnancy may be paying dividends. The National Center for Health Statistics report shows that the teen birthrate fell to 39.1 births per 1,000 teenagers ages 15 to 19 in 2009. That's a 6% drop from 2008 and the lowest rate since 1940. In 1991, in contrast, the rate was 61.8 per 1,000.
Birthrates fell for groups that have had the highest rates, including Hispanics, whose rate fell 10% but still stands at 70.1 births per 1,000.
Other birth data:
The overall birthrate for all U.S. women fell for the second straight year. The decline appears to be continuing, based on data for the first half of 2010.
About 41% of births were to unmarried mothers in 2009, up from 40.6% in 2008.
The birthrate for women in their early 20s fell 7% and now stands at the lowest rate since 1973.
The preterm birthrate continued its much-need improvement -- falling for the third straight year.
The cesearean section rate reached a new high of 32.9%. It has increased every year since 1996, when the rate was 20.7%.
To hear more of Dr. Asa Andrew join him for Dr. Asa on Call or log onto www.drasa.com
Teenagers are giving birth at the lowest rates noted in seven decades of record-keeping, according to statistics from the federal government released Tuesday.
The report doesn't speculate on why the birthrate has fallen, but two decades of public-health initiatives to curb teenage pregnancy may be paying dividends. The National Center for Health Statistics report shows that the teen birthrate fell to 39.1 births per 1,000 teenagers ages 15 to 19 in 2009. That's a 6% drop from 2008 and the lowest rate since 1940. In 1991, in contrast, the rate was 61.8 per 1,000.
Birthrates fell for groups that have had the highest rates, including Hispanics, whose rate fell 10% but still stands at 70.1 births per 1,000.
Other birth data:
The overall birthrate for all U.S. women fell for the second straight year. The decline appears to be continuing, based on data for the first half of 2010.
About 41% of births were to unmarried mothers in 2009, up from 40.6% in 2008.
The birthrate for women in their early 20s fell 7% and now stands at the lowest rate since 1973.
The preterm birthrate continued its much-need improvement -- falling for the third straight year.
The cesearean section rate reached a new high of 32.9%. It has increased every year since 1996, when the rate was 20.7%.
To hear more of Dr. Asa Andrew join him for Dr. Asa on Call or log onto www.drasa.com
Study Gives 'Striking' Snapshot of Stroke Prognosis
The following article will be featured on an upcoming episode of "Dr. Asa on Call" with Dr. Asa Andrew:
Nearly two-thirds of Medicare patients who are discharged after having a stroke will die or be readmitted to the hospital within a year, according to a new study in the journal Stroke.
The findings are “striking,” says study author Gregg C. Fonarow, MD, the Eliot Corday Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine and Science and the director of the Ahmanson-UCLA Cardiomyopathy Center in Los Angeles.
Fonarow and colleagues analyzed the death and hospital readmission rates for more than 91,000 Medicare beneficiaries treated for ischemic stroke at 625 hospitals from April 2003 and December 2006. The most common type of stroke, ischemic strokes occur when blood flow to the brain is blocked.
In-hospital death rates are about 14% within a month and 30% within one year of hospital admission for stroke. Within one year of hospital discharge, the stroke death or readmission rate is close to 62%, the new study showed. There were no improvements in death or rehospitalization rates from 2003 to 2006.
There was variation in rates by hospital. For example, the 30-day death rate after admission for stroke was as low as 9.8% in the top-performing hospitals to 17.8% in the bottom-performing hospitals, the study showed.
There were also no significant differences in readmission or death rates in hospitals that were certified as primary stroke centers. A primary stroke center is a hospital that provides emergency care to people having a stroke or admits stroke patients and offers additional care or transfers patients to a comprehensive stroke center when needed.
Findings Likely Apply to All Senior Citizens With Stroke
The new study only looked at Medicare beneficiaries, but the findings are likely generalizable, Fonarow says.
About 65% of patients hospitalized for stroke are aged 65 or older, which is the age that most people become eligible for Medicare. “The [new] findings thus are likely generalizable to these patients, however, whether similar findings would be seen in younger patients needs further study,” he says.
The death and rehospitalization rates seen in the study are likely due to the severity of the stroke, presence of other related health problems, and the in-hospital and follow-up care, he says.
“Between of the acute presentation with an ischemic stroke and a readmission to the hospital or postdischarge death, a window of opportunity exists for interventions to reduce the burden of postischemic stroke morbidity and mortality,” he says.
Patrick Lyden, MD, chairman of the department of neurology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, says the findings likely apply to all senior citizens with stroke -- not just Medicare beneficiaries.
“It is very generalizable because most strokes occur in the Medicare-eligible population,” he says.
“Stroke patients are much more concerned about stroke-related disability,” he says. “What matters is are we making patients better. We need to be focusing on stroke-related disability and getting people treated in primary stroke centers.”
A clot-busting agent should be given as soon as possible after an ischemic stroke to reduce long-term damage, and this is more likely to be administered at a stroke center, he says.
Stroke warning signs include sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg; sudden confusion, trouble speaking, sudden trouble walking, and/or a severe headache that comes on suddenly.
“Call 911 if you suspect a stroke,” Lyden says. “It is becoming more and more common for medics to direct people to stroke centers,” he says.
Aggressive Follow-up Care Can Lower Death, Readmission Rates After Stroke
Stroke is a slippery slope, says Irene Katzan, MD a stroke neurologist in the Neurological Institute at Cleveland Clinic and the director of Enterprise Stroke Systems in the Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation in Ohio.
“Stroke is a bad disease and occurs in patients who are often sick and have other comorbid diseases,” she says. People who have strokes are often left severely disabled, and when you are disabled, you are prone to readmission and death, she says.
“This paper provides an overall national picture of how bad the problem is, and this is the tip of the iceberg because most people don’t die from a stroke, but are left functionally disabled,” she says. “These findings are not surprising, but it is sobering to see it in print on a national scale,” Katzan tells WebMD.
But aggressive follow-up care can help make a dent in these sobering statistics, she says.
“Once you leave the hospital, you should follow up with a neurologist or primary care physician so they reduce the chance of death or readmitted,” she says.
To hear more of Dr. Asa Andrew, join him for Dr. Asa on Call or log onto www.drasa.com
Nearly two-thirds of Medicare patients who are discharged after having a stroke will die or be readmitted to the hospital within a year, according to a new study in the journal Stroke.
The findings are “striking,” says study author Gregg C. Fonarow, MD, the Eliot Corday Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine and Science and the director of the Ahmanson-UCLA Cardiomyopathy Center in Los Angeles.
Fonarow and colleagues analyzed the death and hospital readmission rates for more than 91,000 Medicare beneficiaries treated for ischemic stroke at 625 hospitals from April 2003 and December 2006. The most common type of stroke, ischemic strokes occur when blood flow to the brain is blocked.
In-hospital death rates are about 14% within a month and 30% within one year of hospital admission for stroke. Within one year of hospital discharge, the stroke death or readmission rate is close to 62%, the new study showed. There were no improvements in death or rehospitalization rates from 2003 to 2006.
There was variation in rates by hospital. For example, the 30-day death rate after admission for stroke was as low as 9.8% in the top-performing hospitals to 17.8% in the bottom-performing hospitals, the study showed.
There were also no significant differences in readmission or death rates in hospitals that were certified as primary stroke centers. A primary stroke center is a hospital that provides emergency care to people having a stroke or admits stroke patients and offers additional care or transfers patients to a comprehensive stroke center when needed.
Findings Likely Apply to All Senior Citizens With Stroke
The new study only looked at Medicare beneficiaries, but the findings are likely generalizable, Fonarow says.
About 65% of patients hospitalized for stroke are aged 65 or older, which is the age that most people become eligible for Medicare. “The [new] findings thus are likely generalizable to these patients, however, whether similar findings would be seen in younger patients needs further study,” he says.
The death and rehospitalization rates seen in the study are likely due to the severity of the stroke, presence of other related health problems, and the in-hospital and follow-up care, he says.
“Between of the acute presentation with an ischemic stroke and a readmission to the hospital or postdischarge death, a window of opportunity exists for interventions to reduce the burden of postischemic stroke morbidity and mortality,” he says.
Patrick Lyden, MD, chairman of the department of neurology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, says the findings likely apply to all senior citizens with stroke -- not just Medicare beneficiaries.
“It is very generalizable because most strokes occur in the Medicare-eligible population,” he says.
“Stroke patients are much more concerned about stroke-related disability,” he says. “What matters is are we making patients better. We need to be focusing on stroke-related disability and getting people treated in primary stroke centers.”
A clot-busting agent should be given as soon as possible after an ischemic stroke to reduce long-term damage, and this is more likely to be administered at a stroke center, he says.
Stroke warning signs include sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg; sudden confusion, trouble speaking, sudden trouble walking, and/or a severe headache that comes on suddenly.
“Call 911 if you suspect a stroke,” Lyden says. “It is becoming more and more common for medics to direct people to stroke centers,” he says.
Aggressive Follow-up Care Can Lower Death, Readmission Rates After Stroke
Stroke is a slippery slope, says Irene Katzan, MD a stroke neurologist in the Neurological Institute at Cleveland Clinic and the director of Enterprise Stroke Systems in the Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation in Ohio.
“Stroke is a bad disease and occurs in patients who are often sick and have other comorbid diseases,” she says. People who have strokes are often left severely disabled, and when you are disabled, you are prone to readmission and death, she says.
“This paper provides an overall national picture of how bad the problem is, and this is the tip of the iceberg because most people don’t die from a stroke, but are left functionally disabled,” she says. “These findings are not surprising, but it is sobering to see it in print on a national scale,” Katzan tells WebMD.
But aggressive follow-up care can help make a dent in these sobering statistics, she says.
“Once you leave the hospital, you should follow up with a neurologist or primary care physician so they reduce the chance of death or readmitted,” she says.
To hear more of Dr. Asa Andrew, join him for Dr. Asa on Call or log onto www.drasa.com
After Inching Up for Years, Life Expectancy Drops Slightly
The following article will be featured on an upcoming episode of "Dr. Asa on Call" with Dr. Asa Andrew
The life expectancy for Americans has fallen by about a month after steadily rising for years, the government said.
A baby born in 2008 will live to be about 77.8 years old, which has dipped since its all-time peak of 77.9 years in 2007, according to a preliminary report released Thursday.
"For the first time in history, it is possible that total life expectancy will be higher for the parents than the children," longevity expert Dr. Walter M. Bortz, the author of "Living Longer for Dummies" and "Road Map to 100," told AOL Health. "I think it's the American lifestyle. In those counties [where the life expectancy is going down] the smoking rates and obesity rates are the highest."
Life expectancy also dropped slightly in 2005 and 1993. It was down in 2008 for both women and men, but women still live longer -- to about 80 years old compared to 75 for men.
The lead author of the report, issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics, said the 2008 decline is so small as to be insignificant. Arialdi Minino said it wouldn't be known for years whether it represented an actual trend.
"2008 was not much different from 2007," Minino told the Associated Press. "Once you look under the hood, and look at the trends and the causes, you do find differences. But overall, it wasn't that different."
While Bortz agreed it's wise to be cautious about the latest findings, he said a drop in U.S. life expectancy has been anticipated for a while.
"Everyone is looking for it to happen. We expect it's going to happen," he said. "It's predictable."
The gap between the life expectancy for blacks and whites shrank slightly, to 4.6-years. For the first time, black men's average age of death was above 70. Life expectancy data for Hispanics hasn't been included in the annual reports because the data hasn't been relialble, according to the CDC.
Emory University health policy professor Ken Thorpe said the minor dip in overall life expectancy could be because of skyrocketing obesity rates in the United States. But the cause for the decrease wasn't clear.
"It's something to keep our eyes on," Thorpe told the AP.
U.S. Life Expectancy Continues to Lag Behind Other Nations Female life expectancy on the drop in some U.S. counties Calculate your life expectancy Bortz said the solution is "behavior change."
"Have people walk, watch what they put in their mouth and how much they put in their mouth," he told AOL Health.
The CDC's report is based on almost all the death certificates for the year 2008. A final version will be released later.
The preliminary findings show that stroke dropped from its spot as the third leading cause of death for the first time in 50 years, replaced by chronic lower respiratory diseases like emphysema, persistent bronchitis and asthma.
Cancer and heart disease stayed put as the two top killers of people in the United States, contributing to half of all deaths.
Death rates fell for six of the 15 top causes of death: cancer, heart disease, stroke, murder, diabetes and accidents. Mortality rates rose for Alzheimer's disease, flu and pneumonia, suicide, kidney disease and high blood pressure.
The infant death rate dropped by about 2 percent to a record low of 6.59 deaths per 1,000 births.
To hear more of Dr. Asa Andrew, join him for "Dr. Asa on Call" or log onto www.drasa.com
The life expectancy for Americans has fallen by about a month after steadily rising for years, the government said.
A baby born in 2008 will live to be about 77.8 years old, which has dipped since its all-time peak of 77.9 years in 2007, according to a preliminary report released Thursday.
"For the first time in history, it is possible that total life expectancy will be higher for the parents than the children," longevity expert Dr. Walter M. Bortz, the author of "Living Longer for Dummies" and "Road Map to 100," told AOL Health. "I think it's the American lifestyle. In those counties [where the life expectancy is going down] the smoking rates and obesity rates are the highest."
Life expectancy also dropped slightly in 2005 and 1993. It was down in 2008 for both women and men, but women still live longer -- to about 80 years old compared to 75 for men.
The lead author of the report, issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics, said the 2008 decline is so small as to be insignificant. Arialdi Minino said it wouldn't be known for years whether it represented an actual trend.
"2008 was not much different from 2007," Minino told the Associated Press. "Once you look under the hood, and look at the trends and the causes, you do find differences. But overall, it wasn't that different."
While Bortz agreed it's wise to be cautious about the latest findings, he said a drop in U.S. life expectancy has been anticipated for a while.
"Everyone is looking for it to happen. We expect it's going to happen," he said. "It's predictable."
The gap between the life expectancy for blacks and whites shrank slightly, to 4.6-years. For the first time, black men's average age of death was above 70. Life expectancy data for Hispanics hasn't been included in the annual reports because the data hasn't been relialble, according to the CDC.
Emory University health policy professor Ken Thorpe said the minor dip in overall life expectancy could be because of skyrocketing obesity rates in the United States. But the cause for the decrease wasn't clear.
"It's something to keep our eyes on," Thorpe told the AP.
U.S. Life Expectancy Continues to Lag Behind Other Nations Female life expectancy on the drop in some U.S. counties Calculate your life expectancy Bortz said the solution is "behavior change."
"Have people walk, watch what they put in their mouth and how much they put in their mouth," he told AOL Health.
The CDC's report is based on almost all the death certificates for the year 2008. A final version will be released later.
The preliminary findings show that stroke dropped from its spot as the third leading cause of death for the first time in 50 years, replaced by chronic lower respiratory diseases like emphysema, persistent bronchitis and asthma.
Cancer and heart disease stayed put as the two top killers of people in the United States, contributing to half of all deaths.
Death rates fell for six of the 15 top causes of death: cancer, heart disease, stroke, murder, diabetes and accidents. Mortality rates rose for Alzheimer's disease, flu and pneumonia, suicide, kidney disease and high blood pressure.
The infant death rate dropped by about 2 percent to a record low of 6.59 deaths per 1,000 births.
To hear more of Dr. Asa Andrew, join him for "Dr. Asa on Call" or log onto www.drasa.com
U.S. Gets 'Unsatisfactory' Grade on Women's Health
The following article will be featured on an upcoming episode of Dr. Asa on Call with Dr. Asa Andrew
More women are binge drinking and fewer women are getting Pap smears to test for cervical cancer, a new analysis reveals. On a positive note, a lower proportion of women are dying of stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, and breast cancer.
The nation and most states continued to receive a grade of “unsatisfactory” on key issues affecting women’s health in an updated report released today by the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC).
For the fifth time this decade and the first time since 2007, the group has issued a national and state-by-state report card on the status of important health goals for women set a decade ago by federal officials in their Healthy People 2010 initiative.
As the end of the decade approaches, the analysis revealed that very few of these goals have been met.
The number of women in the nation receiving mammograms, the number being screened for colorectal cancer, and the number that had annual dental exams met or exceeded national goals for 2010.
But 23 other health objectives graded by NWLC will not have been met by the end of this year.
And several disturbing health trends have emerged over the last three years, including:
The percentage of women that reported one or more episodes of binge drinking within a month of being questioned increased to 10.6% from 7.3% in 2007. Binge drinking was defined as having five or more drinks on a single occasion.
The percentage of women that reported getting annual Pap smears declined from 86% to 78% during the same period.
The percentage of women that tested positive for the sexually transmitted infection chlamydia increased from 6.3% to 7.4%.
Compared to three years ago, a higher percentage of women in the U.S. are also obese and have high blood pressure and/or diabetes.
In 2010, 26.4% of women were obese, compared to 24% in 2007. Both figures fall far short of the goal of a 15% obesity rate by 2010 set by government health officials at the beginning of the decade.
State-by-State Findings
Colorado had the lowest obesity rate in the nation, at just below 20%; Mississippi had the highest, at 34%.
When states were ranked in terms of successful implementation of policies designed to address access to health care, California, Nevada, and Massachusetts came closest to meeting policy goals and Mississippi, Idaho, and South Dakota were at the bottom of the list.
The report noted that about 12% of Americans live in areas that are considered medically underserved. The state with the highest percentage of medically underserved residents was Louisiana, at 34%. The state with the lowest was New Jersey, at 1%.
Nationally, more than a third of women live in counties without an abortion provider, according to the report. Nineteen states restrict private insurers’ ability to cover abortions, and 26 require that a woman receive counseling before obtaining an abortion.
In a news conference held Wednesday, National Women’s Law Center vice president for health and reproductive rights Judy Waxman said health care reform is poised to address many of the access issues of concern.
She says of 68 policies dealing with insurance coverage and other aspects of access to medical, fully two-thirds are addressed to some degree by the new law, known as the Affordable Care Act.
“From 2000 to 2010 we have seen some improvements, some declines, but overall, unfortunately, we still have a long way to go in terms of women’s health in this country,” she said. “The Affordable Care Act holds enormous potential for expanding coverage and, over time, improving women’s health.”
To hear more of Dr. Asa Andrew, join him for Dr. Asa on Call or log onto www.drasa.com
More women are binge drinking and fewer women are getting Pap smears to test for cervical cancer, a new analysis reveals. On a positive note, a lower proportion of women are dying of stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, and breast cancer.
The nation and most states continued to receive a grade of “unsatisfactory” on key issues affecting women’s health in an updated report released today by the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC).
For the fifth time this decade and the first time since 2007, the group has issued a national and state-by-state report card on the status of important health goals for women set a decade ago by federal officials in their Healthy People 2010 initiative.
As the end of the decade approaches, the analysis revealed that very few of these goals have been met.
The number of women in the nation receiving mammograms, the number being screened for colorectal cancer, and the number that had annual dental exams met or exceeded national goals for 2010.
But 23 other health objectives graded by NWLC will not have been met by the end of this year.
And several disturbing health trends have emerged over the last three years, including:
The percentage of women that reported one or more episodes of binge drinking within a month of being questioned increased to 10.6% from 7.3% in 2007. Binge drinking was defined as having five or more drinks on a single occasion.
The percentage of women that reported getting annual Pap smears declined from 86% to 78% during the same period.
The percentage of women that tested positive for the sexually transmitted infection chlamydia increased from 6.3% to 7.4%.
Compared to three years ago, a higher percentage of women in the U.S. are also obese and have high blood pressure and/or diabetes.
In 2010, 26.4% of women were obese, compared to 24% in 2007. Both figures fall far short of the goal of a 15% obesity rate by 2010 set by government health officials at the beginning of the decade.
State-by-State Findings
Colorado had the lowest obesity rate in the nation, at just below 20%; Mississippi had the highest, at 34%.
When states were ranked in terms of successful implementation of policies designed to address access to health care, California, Nevada, and Massachusetts came closest to meeting policy goals and Mississippi, Idaho, and South Dakota were at the bottom of the list.
The report noted that about 12% of Americans live in areas that are considered medically underserved. The state with the highest percentage of medically underserved residents was Louisiana, at 34%. The state with the lowest was New Jersey, at 1%.
Nationally, more than a third of women live in counties without an abortion provider, according to the report. Nineteen states restrict private insurers’ ability to cover abortions, and 26 require that a woman receive counseling before obtaining an abortion.
In a news conference held Wednesday, National Women’s Law Center vice president for health and reproductive rights Judy Waxman said health care reform is poised to address many of the access issues of concern.
She says of 68 policies dealing with insurance coverage and other aspects of access to medical, fully two-thirds are addressed to some degree by the new law, known as the Affordable Care Act.
“From 2000 to 2010 we have seen some improvements, some declines, but overall, unfortunately, we still have a long way to go in terms of women’s health in this country,” she said. “The Affordable Care Act holds enormous potential for expanding coverage and, over time, improving women’s health.”
To hear more of Dr. Asa Andrew, join him for Dr. Asa on Call or log onto www.drasa.com
Georgia Tops U.S. in Seasonal Flu Activity
The following article will be featured on an upcoming episode of Dr. Asa On Call with Dr. Asa Andrew
Flu season is here, and so far Georgia is the state hit the hardest by this year’s influenza virus, according to the CDC.
“Georgia is reporting high levels of influenza-like activity,” Anne Schuchat, MD, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said at a news conference. ” It gets a 10 of 10, and is leading the country in terms of what we will be seeing.”
The flu -- largely influenza type B -- has been reported throughout Georgia, and been seen mainly in school-aged children, she says.
In the U.S., flu season usually begins in the fall and runs through early spring. It peaks anywhere from late November through March.
“We know that the flu season has started here in Georgia, and there has been sporadic reporting of influenza-like viruses throughout the country,” including the Southeast region of the U.S. and some of the Western states, she says. “Places that don’t have as much flu as Georgia will.”
Flu Vaccine Matches This Year’s Strains
The good news is that this year’s flu vaccine, which is recommended for everyone older than 6 months, is likely a good match for this year’s flu, Schuchat says.
“Some H1N1, an A/H3N2 strain, and B-strains have been seen this year, [along with] a mixture of B strains and A strains that haven’t been characterized,” she says. This year’s vaccine protects against seasonal flu and the H1N1 swine flu. “Flu is unpredictable, but based on the viruses circulating so far, we do expect the vaccine to be a good match.”
As far as what type of flu season we can expect, Schuchat can’t predict, but there is ample vaccine to go around which can keep flu activity at a minimum.
Approximately 160 million doses of the vaccine have already been distributed nationwide, she says.
“Don’t be complacent because disease activity is low this year; flu is coming,” she says. “You don’t want to find out how bad the season is going to be before you get the flu vaccine.”
Schuchat says she is encouraged by the number of people who have already received a flu vaccine so far this season.
“We are a little ahead of last year’s seasonal flu vaccine, which we find encouraging because we haven’t had media talking back to back about flu,” she says. Last year, the H1N1 pandemic and a shortage of available vaccine generated many headlines.
“Flu activity is now increasing across the country and the flu season is now underway, so if you are thinking about influenza vaccine, now is a good time to do it,” says Howard Koh, MD, an assistant secretary for health in the Department of Health and Human Services.
This year’s National Influenza Vaccination Week is being observed on December 5-11.
To here more of Dr. Asa Andrew, join him for Dr. Asa on Call, or log onto www.drasa.com
Flu season is here, and so far Georgia is the state hit the hardest by this year’s influenza virus, according to the CDC.
“Georgia is reporting high levels of influenza-like activity,” Anne Schuchat, MD, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said at a news conference. ” It gets a 10 of 10, and is leading the country in terms of what we will be seeing.”
The flu -- largely influenza type B -- has been reported throughout Georgia, and been seen mainly in school-aged children, she says.
In the U.S., flu season usually begins in the fall and runs through early spring. It peaks anywhere from late November through March.
“We know that the flu season has started here in Georgia, and there has been sporadic reporting of influenza-like viruses throughout the country,” including the Southeast region of the U.S. and some of the Western states, she says. “Places that don’t have as much flu as Georgia will.”
Flu Vaccine Matches This Year’s Strains
The good news is that this year’s flu vaccine, which is recommended for everyone older than 6 months, is likely a good match for this year’s flu, Schuchat says.
“Some H1N1, an A/H3N2 strain, and B-strains have been seen this year, [along with] a mixture of B strains and A strains that haven’t been characterized,” she says. This year’s vaccine protects against seasonal flu and the H1N1 swine flu. “Flu is unpredictable, but based on the viruses circulating so far, we do expect the vaccine to be a good match.”
As far as what type of flu season we can expect, Schuchat can’t predict, but there is ample vaccine to go around which can keep flu activity at a minimum.
Approximately 160 million doses of the vaccine have already been distributed nationwide, she says.
“Don’t be complacent because disease activity is low this year; flu is coming,” she says. “You don’t want to find out how bad the season is going to be before you get the flu vaccine.”
Schuchat says she is encouraged by the number of people who have already received a flu vaccine so far this season.
“We are a little ahead of last year’s seasonal flu vaccine, which we find encouraging because we haven’t had media talking back to back about flu,” she says. Last year, the H1N1 pandemic and a shortage of available vaccine generated many headlines.
“Flu activity is now increasing across the country and the flu season is now underway, so if you are thinking about influenza vaccine, now is a good time to do it,” says Howard Koh, MD, an assistant secretary for health in the Department of Health and Human Services.
This year’s National Influenza Vaccination Week is being observed on December 5-11.
To here more of Dr. Asa Andrew, join him for Dr. Asa on Call, or log onto www.drasa.com
Diabetes Cuts Years off Life Span of Americans
The following article will be featured on an upcoming episode of "Dr. Asa on Call" with Dr. Asa Andrew:
Diabetes cuts about 8.5 years off the life span of the average 50-year-old compared to a 50-year-old without diabetes, new research indicates.
The study also shows that older adults with diabetes have a lower life expectancy at every age compared to people who do not have the disease. For example, researchers say, the difference at age 60 is 5.4 years; it’s one year by 90.
The findings come from a new report commissioned by the National Academy on an Aging Society and was supported by Sanofi-aventis U.S., a pharmaceutical company. It was based on data provided by the Health and Retirement Study, a survey of more than 20,000 Americans over age 50 done every two years by the University of Michigan.
Slideshow: Type 2 Diabetes Overview
Increase in Diabetes
“Given the rise in diabetes among boomers and seniors, these findings are alarming,” Greg O’Neill, PhD, director of the National Academy on an Aging Society, says in a news release. “They paint a stark picture of the impact of diabetes and its complications on healthy aging.”
The study shows a significant increase over the past decade in the percentage of adults over age 50 with diabetes, from 11% of non-Hispanic whites in 1998 to 18% in 2008, coinciding with an alarming obesity epidemic affecting most population groups.
The increase among adult non-Hispanic blacks has been even more alarming, from 22% to 32% in the past 10 years, study researchers say.
Compared to older adults without diabetes, patients with the disease are less likely to be employed and more likely to have other health problems, such as heart disease, depression, and disabilities that get in the way of normal life activities, the researchers say.
Scott M. Lynch, PhD, of Princeton University’s Office of Population Research, analyzed data on more than 20,000 adults over the age of 50. The study, described as a “profile,” was written by Nancy Maddox, MPH, a co-founder of Maren Enterprises, a consulting firm specializing in technical and promotional writing in the field of public health.
Many Don’t Realize They Have Diabetes
The researchers say at least 7.8% of the U.S. population, or some 23.6 million people, have diabetes, including 5.7 million who don’t know they do.
The study also shows that:
23.1% of people 60 and older, or 12.2 million people, have diabetes.
By 2034, this number will increase to 44.1 million.
By the same year, 14.6 million people who are Medicare-eligible will have the disease.
Annual diabetes-related spending is expected to reach $336 billion in 2034, which is almost three times the amount spent in 2009.
In 2007, diagnosed diabetes cost the U.S. an estimated $116 billion in direct medical costs and $58 billion in reduced productivity.
People with diabetes are responsible for about 20% of U.S. health care expenditures.
By 2025, more than half of people with diabetes will be 65 and older, and if this trend continues, it will become primarily a geriatric disease. In 2000, people 65 and older accounted for 40% of U.S. diabetes cases.
The prevalence of diabetes is projected to more than double between 2005 and 2050 for U.S. residents 20 to 64 and increase 220% for people between 65 and 74. For people 75 and older the prevalence is expected to increase 449%.
Diabetes is more common among non-whites; African-Americans are more likely to develop the disease than either whites or Hispanics.
African-Americans are more likely to die from diabetes than either Hispanics or whites. The overall diabetes mortality rate is 41% higher for Hispanics than for whites and 113% higher for non-Hispanic blacks than for whites.
To hear more of Dr. Asa Andrew, join him for "Dr. Asa on Call" or log onto www.drasa.com
Diabetes cuts about 8.5 years off the life span of the average 50-year-old compared to a 50-year-old without diabetes, new research indicates.
The study also shows that older adults with diabetes have a lower life expectancy at every age compared to people who do not have the disease. For example, researchers say, the difference at age 60 is 5.4 years; it’s one year by 90.
The findings come from a new report commissioned by the National Academy on an Aging Society and was supported by Sanofi-aventis U.S., a pharmaceutical company. It was based on data provided by the Health and Retirement Study, a survey of more than 20,000 Americans over age 50 done every two years by the University of Michigan.
Slideshow: Type 2 Diabetes Overview
Increase in Diabetes
“Given the rise in diabetes among boomers and seniors, these findings are alarming,” Greg O’Neill, PhD, director of the National Academy on an Aging Society, says in a news release. “They paint a stark picture of the impact of diabetes and its complications on healthy aging.”
The study shows a significant increase over the past decade in the percentage of adults over age 50 with diabetes, from 11% of non-Hispanic whites in 1998 to 18% in 2008, coinciding with an alarming obesity epidemic affecting most population groups.
The increase among adult non-Hispanic blacks has been even more alarming, from 22% to 32% in the past 10 years, study researchers say.
Compared to older adults without diabetes, patients with the disease are less likely to be employed and more likely to have other health problems, such as heart disease, depression, and disabilities that get in the way of normal life activities, the researchers say.
Scott M. Lynch, PhD, of Princeton University’s Office of Population Research, analyzed data on more than 20,000 adults over the age of 50. The study, described as a “profile,” was written by Nancy Maddox, MPH, a co-founder of Maren Enterprises, a consulting firm specializing in technical and promotional writing in the field of public health.
Many Don’t Realize They Have Diabetes
The researchers say at least 7.8% of the U.S. population, or some 23.6 million people, have diabetes, including 5.7 million who don’t know they do.
The study also shows that:
23.1% of people 60 and older, or 12.2 million people, have diabetes.
By 2034, this number will increase to 44.1 million.
By the same year, 14.6 million people who are Medicare-eligible will have the disease.
Annual diabetes-related spending is expected to reach $336 billion in 2034, which is almost three times the amount spent in 2009.
In 2007, diagnosed diabetes cost the U.S. an estimated $116 billion in direct medical costs and $58 billion in reduced productivity.
People with diabetes are responsible for about 20% of U.S. health care expenditures.
By 2025, more than half of people with diabetes will be 65 and older, and if this trend continues, it will become primarily a geriatric disease. In 2000, people 65 and older accounted for 40% of U.S. diabetes cases.
The prevalence of diabetes is projected to more than double between 2005 and 2050 for U.S. residents 20 to 64 and increase 220% for people between 65 and 74. For people 75 and older the prevalence is expected to increase 449%.
Diabetes is more common among non-whites; African-Americans are more likely to develop the disease than either whites or Hispanics.
African-Americans are more likely to die from diabetes than either Hispanics or whites. The overall diabetes mortality rate is 41% higher for Hispanics than for whites and 113% higher for non-Hispanic blacks than for whites.
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Every Excess Pound Gained Raises Risk of Death
The following article will be featured on an upcoming episode of Dr. Asa on Call with Dr. Asa Andrew:
Your risk of death rises steadily with every overweight pound you gain, a huge study funded by the National Institutes of Health confirms.
Even if you don't smoke and are in otherwise good health, your risk of death goes up 31% with every 5-point increase in BMI, a measure of body mass based on weight and height.
Just being a little bit overweight increases death risk. Compared to those with a normal-range BMI of 22.5 to 24.9:
A BMI of 25.0 to 29.9 increased death risk by 13%
A BMI of 30.0 to 34.9 increased death risk by 44%
A BMI of 35.0 to 39.9 increased death risk by 88%
A BMI of 40.0 to 49.9 increased death risk by 251%
Those figures are for women who do not smoke and who have no underlying disease. The risks are similar for men, note Amy Berrington de Gonzalez, DPhil, of the National Institutes of Health, and colleagues.
"We conclude that for non-Hispanic whites, both overweight and obesity are associated with increased all-cause mortality," they conclude. "All-cause mortality is generally lowest within the BMI range of 20.0 to 24.9."
BMI measured before age 50 had the strongest effect on death risk.
Being underweight may also increase death risk, but it's not clear whether underlying, undetected disease might account for this finding.
The study pooled data from 19 long-term studies that followed 1.46 million white adults for five to 28 years.
The strong statistical significance of the findings suggest that an earlier study of the impact of obesity on death risk -- which was scary enough -- may have underestimated the problem. That study found that adult obesity cut life expectancy by four years. The new data show that obesity has a much greater effect on life span.
"In our study, there were more than five times as many deaths among participants in the highest obesity categories (BMI of 35-0 to 39.9 and 40.0 to 49.9) than in previous studies, because severe obesity had become more common," Berrington de Gonzalez and colleagues note.
Smoking and chronic disease have an enormous effect on death risk. To isolate the effects of obesity, the researchers calculated death risk for nonsmokers who reported no underlying disease.
The findings appear in the Dec. 2 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
To hear more of Dr. Asa Andrew, join him for Dr. Asa on Call or log onto www.drasa.com
Your risk of death rises steadily with every overweight pound you gain, a huge study funded by the National Institutes of Health confirms.
Even if you don't smoke and are in otherwise good health, your risk of death goes up 31% with every 5-point increase in BMI, a measure of body mass based on weight and height.
Just being a little bit overweight increases death risk. Compared to those with a normal-range BMI of 22.5 to 24.9:
A BMI of 25.0 to 29.9 increased death risk by 13%
A BMI of 30.0 to 34.9 increased death risk by 44%
A BMI of 35.0 to 39.9 increased death risk by 88%
A BMI of 40.0 to 49.9 increased death risk by 251%
Those figures are for women who do not smoke and who have no underlying disease. The risks are similar for men, note Amy Berrington de Gonzalez, DPhil, of the National Institutes of Health, and colleagues.
"We conclude that for non-Hispanic whites, both overweight and obesity are associated with increased all-cause mortality," they conclude. "All-cause mortality is generally lowest within the BMI range of 20.0 to 24.9."
BMI measured before age 50 had the strongest effect on death risk.
Being underweight may also increase death risk, but it's not clear whether underlying, undetected disease might account for this finding.
The study pooled data from 19 long-term studies that followed 1.46 million white adults for five to 28 years.
The strong statistical significance of the findings suggest that an earlier study of the impact of obesity on death risk -- which was scary enough -- may have underestimated the problem. That study found that adult obesity cut life expectancy by four years. The new data show that obesity has a much greater effect on life span.
"In our study, there were more than five times as many deaths among participants in the highest obesity categories (BMI of 35-0 to 39.9 and 40.0 to 49.9) than in previous studies, because severe obesity had become more common," Berrington de Gonzalez and colleagues note.
Smoking and chronic disease have an enormous effect on death risk. To isolate the effects of obesity, the researchers calculated death risk for nonsmokers who reported no underlying disease.
The findings appear in the Dec. 2 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
To hear more of Dr. Asa Andrew, join him for Dr. Asa on Call or log onto www.drasa.com
Finger Length a Clue to Prostate Cancer Risk
The following article will be featured on an upcoming episode of "Dr. Asa on Call" with Dr. Asa Andrew
Men whose index finger is longer than their ring finger are at a lower risk of prostate cancer than those with a finger pattern the other way round, according to a new study in the British Journal of Cancer.
The relative length of the first and third fingers is set before birth, and it is thought to relate to the levels of sex hormones the baby is exposed to in the womb. Babies exposed to less of the male sex hormone testosterone are more likely to have longer index fingers.
Finger Length and Prostate Cancer
Over a 15-year period, researchers from The University of Warwick and The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) collected data on finger length in 1,524 patients with prostate cancer as well as 3,044 healthy people. Men were shown pictures of hands with different finger lengths and asked to identify the one most like their own right hand.
The most common finger length pattern, seen in more than half the men in the study, was a shorter index than ring finger. Men whose index and ring fingers were the same length (about 19%) had a similar prostate cancer risk to those with a shorter index than ring finger. However, men whose index fingers were longer than their ring finger were 33% less likely to have prostate cancer.
Risk reduction was even greater in men aged under 60, say the researchers, who found that this younger group were 87% less likely to be in the prostate cancer group.
Testosterone Exposure
The researchers believe that being exposed to less testosterone before birth helps protect against prostate cancer later in life. The phenomenon is thought to occur because the genes HOXA and HOXD control both finger length and development of sex organs.
“Our results show that relative finger length could be used as a simple test for prostate cancer risk, particularly in men aged under 60,” says joint senior author Professor Ros Eeles from the ICR and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust. “This exciting finding means that finger pattern could potentially be used to select at-risk men for ongoing screening, perhaps in combination with other factors such as family history or genetic testing.”
The study was funded by Prostate Cancer Research Foundation and Cancer Research UK.
Diagnosing Prostate Cancer
Helen Rippon, head of research at The Prostate Cancer Charity in the U.K., says in an emailed statement: “Diagnosis of prostate cancer is not a simple affair and the best blood test we have, known as a PSA test, tells us only that something might be wrong with the prostate, not whether it is cancerous or not. Anything that adds to our knowledge about whether a man is likely to develop prostate cancer or not is to be welcomed, especially when it is something as easy as looking at the length of his fingers.
“This research also adds to the growing body of evidence that the balance of hormones we are exposed to before birth influences our health for the rest of our lives.”
Rippon says men who check their hands and find they have a shorter index finger should not be unduly concerned. “They share this trait with more than half of all men and it does not mean they will definitely develop prostate cancer in later life,” she says.
To hear more of Dr. Asa Andrew, join him for "Dr. Asa on Call" or log onto www.drasa.com
Men whose index finger is longer than their ring finger are at a lower risk of prostate cancer than those with a finger pattern the other way round, according to a new study in the British Journal of Cancer.
The relative length of the first and third fingers is set before birth, and it is thought to relate to the levels of sex hormones the baby is exposed to in the womb. Babies exposed to less of the male sex hormone testosterone are more likely to have longer index fingers.
Finger Length and Prostate Cancer
Over a 15-year period, researchers from The University of Warwick and The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) collected data on finger length in 1,524 patients with prostate cancer as well as 3,044 healthy people. Men were shown pictures of hands with different finger lengths and asked to identify the one most like their own right hand.
The most common finger length pattern, seen in more than half the men in the study, was a shorter index than ring finger. Men whose index and ring fingers were the same length (about 19%) had a similar prostate cancer risk to those with a shorter index than ring finger. However, men whose index fingers were longer than their ring finger were 33% less likely to have prostate cancer.
Risk reduction was even greater in men aged under 60, say the researchers, who found that this younger group were 87% less likely to be in the prostate cancer group.
Testosterone Exposure
The researchers believe that being exposed to less testosterone before birth helps protect against prostate cancer later in life. The phenomenon is thought to occur because the genes HOXA and HOXD control both finger length and development of sex organs.
“Our results show that relative finger length could be used as a simple test for prostate cancer risk, particularly in men aged under 60,” says joint senior author Professor Ros Eeles from the ICR and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust. “This exciting finding means that finger pattern could potentially be used to select at-risk men for ongoing screening, perhaps in combination with other factors such as family history or genetic testing.”
The study was funded by Prostate Cancer Research Foundation and Cancer Research UK.
Diagnosing Prostate Cancer
Helen Rippon, head of research at The Prostate Cancer Charity in the U.K., says in an emailed statement: “Diagnosis of prostate cancer is not a simple affair and the best blood test we have, known as a PSA test, tells us only that something might be wrong with the prostate, not whether it is cancerous or not. Anything that adds to our knowledge about whether a man is likely to develop prostate cancer or not is to be welcomed, especially when it is something as easy as looking at the length of his fingers.
“This research also adds to the growing body of evidence that the balance of hormones we are exposed to before birth influences our health for the rest of our lives.”
Rippon says men who check their hands and find they have a shorter index finger should not be unduly concerned. “They share this trait with more than half of all men and it does not mean they will definitely develop prostate cancer in later life,” she says.
To hear more of Dr. Asa Andrew, join him for "Dr. Asa on Call" or log onto www.drasa.com
How to Manage Food Allergies in Children
The following article will be featured on an upcoming episode of Dr. Asa on Call with Dr. Asa Andrew
Pediatricians play a key role in preventing and treating food-related allergic reactions among school-aged children, and can help implement plans concerning the way food allergies are managed in the school setting, according to a clinical report published by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Food allergies are estimated to affect about one in 25 school-aged children. Research suggests that as many as 18% of children with food allergies experience a reaction while in school, indicating that the school environment is an important place to help prevent and treat allergic responses. Food allergy is also a common trigger of anaphylaxis, a possibly life-threatening reaction to a particular food.
Published in the December issue of Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the report includes:
Advice for pediatricians on diagnosing and documenting any potential life-threatening food allergies, including identifying any food that might truly be life-threatening.
Developing and writing down age-appropriate management and emergency response plans and including children, parents, and school officials in the planning process.
Determining whether a health care professional, such as a nurse, is available to help the child in the event of a reaction at school.
Prescribing self-injectable epinephrine and, if schools permit and if age-appropriate, allowing children to carry their own epinephrine in the event of an emergency, such as outside of the school cafeteria, because delays in treatments have been linked to fatalities.
Teaching children and their families how to use and store medication properly.
Informing children, families, and schools how to identify signs of anaphylaxis and how to best respond to expedite treatment.
Understanding the school’s anaphylaxis response protocols. The report notes that 25% of anaphylaxis cases that occur in schools are among children without a previous diagnosis of food allergy.
Building Partnerships
“Partnerships with students, families, school nurses, school physicians, and school staff are important for individualizing effective and practical care plans,” the authors write.
The report did not include infants, toddlers, and preschool age children, since these children are cared for in a variety of settings and would require their own set of prevention and treatment guidelines.
According to the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network, an advocacy group, an estimated 3 million children have food allergies. Eight foods account for 90% of all food allergies in the U.S.: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts (such as almonds and walnuts), wheat, soy, fish, and shellfish. Food allergies account for more than 300,000 ambulatory care visits per year among children.
To hear more of Dr. Asa Andrew, join him for Dr. Asa on Call or log onto www.drasa.com
Pediatricians play a key role in preventing and treating food-related allergic reactions among school-aged children, and can help implement plans concerning the way food allergies are managed in the school setting, according to a clinical report published by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Food allergies are estimated to affect about one in 25 school-aged children. Research suggests that as many as 18% of children with food allergies experience a reaction while in school, indicating that the school environment is an important place to help prevent and treat allergic responses. Food allergy is also a common trigger of anaphylaxis, a possibly life-threatening reaction to a particular food.
Published in the December issue of Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the report includes:
Advice for pediatricians on diagnosing and documenting any potential life-threatening food allergies, including identifying any food that might truly be life-threatening.
Developing and writing down age-appropriate management and emergency response plans and including children, parents, and school officials in the planning process.
Determining whether a health care professional, such as a nurse, is available to help the child in the event of a reaction at school.
Prescribing self-injectable epinephrine and, if schools permit and if age-appropriate, allowing children to carry their own epinephrine in the event of an emergency, such as outside of the school cafeteria, because delays in treatments have been linked to fatalities.
Teaching children and their families how to use and store medication properly.
Informing children, families, and schools how to identify signs of anaphylaxis and how to best respond to expedite treatment.
Understanding the school’s anaphylaxis response protocols. The report notes that 25% of anaphylaxis cases that occur in schools are among children without a previous diagnosis of food allergy.
Building Partnerships
“Partnerships with students, families, school nurses, school physicians, and school staff are important for individualizing effective and practical care plans,” the authors write.
The report did not include infants, toddlers, and preschool age children, since these children are cared for in a variety of settings and would require their own set of prevention and treatment guidelines.
According to the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network, an advocacy group, an estimated 3 million children have food allergies. Eight foods account for 90% of all food allergies in the U.S.: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts (such as almonds and walnuts), wheat, soy, fish, and shellfish. Food allergies account for more than 300,000 ambulatory care visits per year among children.
To hear more of Dr. Asa Andrew, join him for Dr. Asa on Call or log onto www.drasa.com
Eating Orange and Dark Green Veggies Linked to Longer Life
The following article will be featured on an upcoming episode of "Dr. Asa on Call" with Dr. Asa Andrew:
Your parents knew what they were talking about when they told you to eat your vegetables, though they probably should have specified which ones.
A new study has found that diets rich in orange and dark green veggies like carrots, green beans and sweet potatoes may result in less disease and a longer life.
Researchers believe that the potential for a longer, disease-free life is due to the alpha-carotene in those foods, which, like beta-carotene, is a carotenoid antioxidant and may stop oxidative damage to cells and DNA.
"Because of the multiple constituents within these vegetables, there is a plethora of benefits of getting them in the natural food forms and eating plenty of them," nutritionist Douglas Husbands told AOL Health. "That should be one of the foundations of people if they want to live a healthy and long life."
Dark green vegetables like beans, spinach, kale, bok choy, swiss chard and collard greens are rich in folates and many other essential nutrients, Husbands said -- and eating them doesn't only boost your own health but that of future generations.
"They work to turn on many good genes and turn off many bad genes," he said. "Studies are continuing to show that dark green vegetables most definitely can influence a healthier life and potentially a longer life also. The research on this is just overwhelming."
Dr. Chaoyang Li of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and his colleagues based their findings on the previously-established link between good health -- including less cancer and heart disease -- and eating certain fruits and vegetables.
Li told Reuters Health that his team wanted to find out specifically what components in vegetables have benefits and how they work. Recent studies have suggested that beta-carotene pills have no concrete positive effects, he said.
The researchers looked at data on more than 15,000 people participating in a wide-scale national nutrition survey. The subjects had given blood samples, as well as information on their medical histories and lifestyles at the start of the 14-year study.
By the end of the study period, almost 4,000 participants had died. Li and his colleagues determined that the more alpha-carotene the subjects had in their systems at the beginning of the survey, the lower their chances of disease and death, Reuters reported. Those with the highest amounts of the antioxidant in their blood had as much as a 39 percent lower risk of dying than participants with the lowest levels of alpha-carotene.
The findings, published this week in the Archives of Internal Medicine, stayed the same even after researchers took other risk factors into account, including age and smoking. They also remained steady when the rates of death due to cancer and heart disease were analyzed.
But the study results don't provide solid evidence that alpha-carotene is what leads to a longer life and less disease, according to the authors.
"Alpha-carotene may be at least partially responsible for the risk reduction," Li told Reuters. "However, we are unable to rule out the possible links of other antioxidants or other elements in vegetables and fruits to lower mortality risk."
Could Fruits and Vegetables Save Your Life? How to Steam Vegetables Girl, 7, Must Eat Only Fruits, Vegetables or Risk Brain Damage Husbands said it isn't just alpha-carotene that is responsible for the health benefits seen in the research.
"You can't simplify it or (see) one carotenoid as a magic bullet because you're going to get spurious results," he told AOL Health. "It's the mix."
Howard Sesso of the Harvard School of Public Health said it's difficult to differentiate between the benefits of alpha-carotene and beta-carotene since carrots and some of the other vegetables in question tend to contain both.
"Alpha-carotene has a lot of overlapping chemical properties with beta-carotene, as well as the same perceived mechanisms of effect," he told Reuters Health. "It's hard to disentangle the two from each other. They tend to travel together."
Li said there have been previous lab experiments showing that alpha-carotene is a more potent preventer of brain, skin and liver cancer than its beta relative, according to Reuters.
No matter what is behind the findings, Sesso said they're hopeful.
"We don't know how this is going to translate into practice yet, but it is encouraging," he said. "If nothing else, these results reinforce the point that there is likely little downside to increasing your fruit and veggie intake."
And there is little debate about the enormous health benefits of vegetables, particularly the dark green and orange variety, according to Husbands.
"That's some of the cheapest health care people can buy," he said.
To hear more of Dr. Asa Andrew, join him for "Dr. Asa on Call" or log onto www.drasa.com
Your parents knew what they were talking about when they told you to eat your vegetables, though they probably should have specified which ones.
A new study has found that diets rich in orange and dark green veggies like carrots, green beans and sweet potatoes may result in less disease and a longer life.
Researchers believe that the potential for a longer, disease-free life is due to the alpha-carotene in those foods, which, like beta-carotene, is a carotenoid antioxidant and may stop oxidative damage to cells and DNA.
"Because of the multiple constituents within these vegetables, there is a plethora of benefits of getting them in the natural food forms and eating plenty of them," nutritionist Douglas Husbands told AOL Health. "That should be one of the foundations of people if they want to live a healthy and long life."
Dark green vegetables like beans, spinach, kale, bok choy, swiss chard and collard greens are rich in folates and many other essential nutrients, Husbands said -- and eating them doesn't only boost your own health but that of future generations.
"They work to turn on many good genes and turn off many bad genes," he said. "Studies are continuing to show that dark green vegetables most definitely can influence a healthier life and potentially a longer life also. The research on this is just overwhelming."
Dr. Chaoyang Li of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and his colleagues based their findings on the previously-established link between good health -- including less cancer and heart disease -- and eating certain fruits and vegetables.
Li told Reuters Health that his team wanted to find out specifically what components in vegetables have benefits and how they work. Recent studies have suggested that beta-carotene pills have no concrete positive effects, he said.
The researchers looked at data on more than 15,000 people participating in a wide-scale national nutrition survey. The subjects had given blood samples, as well as information on their medical histories and lifestyles at the start of the 14-year study.
By the end of the study period, almost 4,000 participants had died. Li and his colleagues determined that the more alpha-carotene the subjects had in their systems at the beginning of the survey, the lower their chances of disease and death, Reuters reported. Those with the highest amounts of the antioxidant in their blood had as much as a 39 percent lower risk of dying than participants with the lowest levels of alpha-carotene.
The findings, published this week in the Archives of Internal Medicine, stayed the same even after researchers took other risk factors into account, including age and smoking. They also remained steady when the rates of death due to cancer and heart disease were analyzed.
But the study results don't provide solid evidence that alpha-carotene is what leads to a longer life and less disease, according to the authors.
"Alpha-carotene may be at least partially responsible for the risk reduction," Li told Reuters. "However, we are unable to rule out the possible links of other antioxidants or other elements in vegetables and fruits to lower mortality risk."
Could Fruits and Vegetables Save Your Life? How to Steam Vegetables Girl, 7, Must Eat Only Fruits, Vegetables or Risk Brain Damage Husbands said it isn't just alpha-carotene that is responsible for the health benefits seen in the research.
"You can't simplify it or (see) one carotenoid as a magic bullet because you're going to get spurious results," he told AOL Health. "It's the mix."
Howard Sesso of the Harvard School of Public Health said it's difficult to differentiate between the benefits of alpha-carotene and beta-carotene since carrots and some of the other vegetables in question tend to contain both.
"Alpha-carotene has a lot of overlapping chemical properties with beta-carotene, as well as the same perceived mechanisms of effect," he told Reuters Health. "It's hard to disentangle the two from each other. They tend to travel together."
Li said there have been previous lab experiments showing that alpha-carotene is a more potent preventer of brain, skin and liver cancer than its beta relative, according to Reuters.
No matter what is behind the findings, Sesso said they're hopeful.
"We don't know how this is going to translate into practice yet, but it is encouraging," he said. "If nothing else, these results reinforce the point that there is likely little downside to increasing your fruit and veggie intake."
And there is little debate about the enormous health benefits of vegetables, particularly the dark green and orange variety, according to Husbands.
"That's some of the cheapest health care people can buy," he said.
To hear more of Dr. Asa Andrew, join him for "Dr. Asa on Call" or log onto www.drasa.com
Acetaminophen Not Linked to Liver Damage in Kids
The following article will be featured on an upcoming episode of "Dr. Asa on Call" with Dr. Asa Andrew:
A review of the medical literature indicates that despite a reported association between liver toxicity and acetaminophen use, the risk of children developing any kind of liver damage after taking the everyday painkiller at recommended dosing is less than 0.01%.
Acetaminophen overdosing is associated with liver toxicity in children and adults, but in this study, researchers led by Eric J. Lavonas, MD, from the Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center in Denver, wanted to evaluate the risk of standard acetaminophen doses. Looking at data on 32,414 children, from newborns to young adults, they found that not a single child who took acetaminophen therapeutically showed signs of liver disease, received antidotes or transplantation, or died.
Combing the Medical Literature
Using medical data sources dating back to 1950, Lavonas and his team included 62 clinical studies and case reports in their analysis. The trials occurred in both the industrialized and developing worlds, and children treated in private practices, hospitals, intensive care units, and clinics. The children were treated with a standard dose of acetaminophen that did not exceed 4 grams during a 24-hour period -- a dose that is in line with FDA recommendations for children. In most cases, acetaminophen was used to treat pain, such as postoperative pain or infection. Children received acetaminophen orally, by intravenous infusion, as a suppository, and by feeding tube.
Liver complications were reported in 10 children out of the entire study population. Among this group, two children who discontinued acetaminophen use were found to have had acute viral hepatitis. The findings were published in the December issue of Pediatrics.
Acetaminophen is, for many people, a medicine cabinet staple. The drug has been available over-the-counter in pediatric formulations since 1959. According to the authors, it is the most common pain reliever administered to American children. Every week, an estimated 11.1% of the 73.7 million children in the U.S. receive acetaminophen.
The authors note that the question of causality, particularly with greater doses of acetaminophen, remains unclear. However, the overall risk of liver toxicity to children who take doses that fall within FDA recommendations appears quite low. “Few reports contain sufficient data to support a probable causal relationship,” the researchers write.
To hear more of Dr. Asa Andrew, join him for "Dr. Asa On Call" or log onto www.drasa.com
A review of the medical literature indicates that despite a reported association between liver toxicity and acetaminophen use, the risk of children developing any kind of liver damage after taking the everyday painkiller at recommended dosing is less than 0.01%.
Acetaminophen overdosing is associated with liver toxicity in children and adults, but in this study, researchers led by Eric J. Lavonas, MD, from the Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center in Denver, wanted to evaluate the risk of standard acetaminophen doses. Looking at data on 32,414 children, from newborns to young adults, they found that not a single child who took acetaminophen therapeutically showed signs of liver disease, received antidotes or transplantation, or died.
Combing the Medical Literature
Using medical data sources dating back to 1950, Lavonas and his team included 62 clinical studies and case reports in their analysis. The trials occurred in both the industrialized and developing worlds, and children treated in private practices, hospitals, intensive care units, and clinics. The children were treated with a standard dose of acetaminophen that did not exceed 4 grams during a 24-hour period -- a dose that is in line with FDA recommendations for children. In most cases, acetaminophen was used to treat pain, such as postoperative pain or infection. Children received acetaminophen orally, by intravenous infusion, as a suppository, and by feeding tube.
Liver complications were reported in 10 children out of the entire study population. Among this group, two children who discontinued acetaminophen use were found to have had acute viral hepatitis. The findings were published in the December issue of Pediatrics.
Acetaminophen is, for many people, a medicine cabinet staple. The drug has been available over-the-counter in pediatric formulations since 1959. According to the authors, it is the most common pain reliever administered to American children. Every week, an estimated 11.1% of the 73.7 million children in the U.S. receive acetaminophen.
The authors note that the question of causality, particularly with greater doses of acetaminophen, remains unclear. However, the overall risk of liver toxicity to children who take doses that fall within FDA recommendations appears quite low. “Few reports contain sufficient data to support a probable causal relationship,” the researchers write.
To hear more of Dr. Asa Andrew, join him for "Dr. Asa On Call" or log onto www.drasa.com
Most Shocking Health Stories of 2010
The following article will be featured on an upcoming episode of Dr. Asa on Call with Dr. Asa Andrew:
Chilean Miners Survive 69 Days Below GroundOn August 5, the historically unstable San Jose gold and copper mine in northern Chile caved in while 33 miners were working. The miners were widely assumed dead, but on August 22, a note was pulled up through a borehole: We are OK in the refuge, the 33 said. Against all odds, the men were alive 2,000 feet below the surface. But it could take several months to reach them. From then on, the miners, who had spent 17 days rationing out spoonfuls of tuna fish and milk, captivated the world with their remarkable survival skills and discipline. For more than two months, they lived in a 165-square-foot cavern below the earth as Chilean President Sebastian Pinera called in experts from across the world to assist in the delicate rescue process. Using a thin tube to send supplies like nutrient-packed gels, food, water, medication, oxygen, and even empanadas and cigarettes, doctors and health officials nursed the men back to health. Psychologists above monitored the miners and talked to them about their anxiety and fear on a telephone. On October 12, as the entire world tuned in, the miners ascended one by one in a special capsule over the course of 24 hours. Three miners had immediate surgery for dental problems, while others were treated for tooth infections and corneal problems. One miner recovered from pneumonia, while two others had a respiratory condition from breathing in silica dust. But all expect a full physical recovery.
Baby Smokes 40 Cigarettes a Day but Manages to QuitTwo-year-old Indonesian toddler Aldi Suganda soared to international fame when a video of him chain-smoking cigarettes went viral. The pudgy toddler was filmed expertly holding a cigarette between his index and middle finger and exhaling. Soon, people from around the world were in an uproar, and the story expanded: The kid really did have a habit to the tune of 40 cigarettes a day and threw violent temper tantrums when he couldn't get his fix. His fish merchant parents had allowed Aldi to wander the market as they worked. One day, they found their then 11-month-old smoking "like an adult," according to his mother. Anti-smoking organizations note that while Aldi's case is dramatic, many children in Indonesia smoke due to the government's lack of health education and lax oversight of tobacco company advertising. After news crews arrived at their door, Aldi's parents enrolled the child in a smoking cessation program. In September, officials announced that Aldi had quit smoking.
Bret Michaels' Brain HemorrhageOn April 12, Bret Michaels -- former Poison lead singer and bandanna-wearing reality TV star -- was rushed to the hospital for an emergency appendectomy. Just two weeks later on April 23, the rocker began complaining of an excruciating headache after a day of vomiting. In fact, the headache was a symptom of a massive brain hemorrhage, which landed Michaels in the ICU in critical condition. Michaels, a diabetic, emerged from the ordeal in good sprits, blogging that there were "hot nurses taking care of me." Then on May 2, Michaels felt numbness and pain on a side of his body and was diagnosed with a hole in his heart, which is treatable. Since his release from the hospital, Michaels has reconciled with his on-again, off-again girlfriend and the mother of his children. The man who has made a career of being a player says he's considering marriage because he feels he has been given a "second chance."
Rash of Cancer Hoaxes -- and an Acid HoaxAshley Anne Kirilow, pictured right, shaved her head, plucked her eyebrows, starved herself to look like a cancer patient and founded a bogus cancer research charity to take in $30,000. Jessica Vega tricked friends, family and even her new husband into believing she had terminal leukemia, apparently in order to score a free wedding dress, honeymoon and jewelry. Carol Lynn Schnuphase drugged her healthy 12-year-old son and shaved his head so that he appeared to have cancer. Bethany Storro said a stranger threw acid in her face but later admitted the disfiguring attack was self-inflicted. The year has been a big one for health hoaxes -- usually the result of mental illness or sociopathic tendencies, experts theorize. "This could be a combination of self-mutilation and Munchausen syndrome," AOL Health's Mental Health Specialist Dr. Daniel Carlat said of Storro. "Prisons are filled with people like this," Dr. Neil I. Bernstein said of Kirilow, noting that antisocial personality disorder is a likely diagnosis for such a person. The afflicted repeatedly break the law; disregard the safety of others; lie, steal or fight constantly; and generally violate social norms to take advantage of the system. Neither Carlat nor Bernstein treats any of those accused of health hoaxes.
Mom-to-Be Cut in Half to Remove CancerCanadian Janis Ollson, pictured right, was called a "miracle mom" after she survived an experimental operation during which she was literally cut in half and sewn back together while she was pregnant. Three years ago, while pregnant with her second child, Ollson was diagnosed with chondrosarcoma, a form of untreatable bone cancer. She had suffered extreme back pain that she and doctors assumed was sciatica. Since the cancer was diagnosed after it had spread through her bones, surgeons at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., determined that they would need to remove her leg, lower spine and half of her pelvis -- a procedure performed only on cadavers before. The doctors' main challenge was how to put Ollson back together again and they succeeded. Ollson went forward with the surgery, receiving a prosthetic leg and pelvis. She snowmobiles; grocery shops; drives an ATV; and uses a wheelchair, crutches or a walker to get around. "There's some purpose to all this whether I know it or not," she told the Winnipeg Free Press.
Gay Teen Suicide EpidemicIn September 2010, at least six gay youth -- some as young as 13 -- committed suicide after being relentlessly bullied. Perhaps the most well-known case concerns Tyler Clementi, a freshman at Rutgers University who jumped off a bridge after learning that his sexual encounter with another man had been streamed live on the Internet by his roommate. Though LGBT teens have long been far more likely to commit suicide than their heterosexual peers, the September suicides led to public outrage directed at bullies, gay-shaming churches, and unsupportive school administrators and parents. "Stigmatizing someone for being gay is like criticizing them for having brown hair," Carlat told AOL Health. "It is really a relic of another era." Journalist Dan Savage began an online campaign called "It Gets Better," aimed at decreasing the sense of isolation and hopelessness many young LGBT people experience. LGBT adults were encouraged to produce and upload home videos that repeated a single message: Life gets better; don't end yours now.
First Full Face Transplant a SuccessA Spanish farmer had accidentally blown off his entire face in a gun accident five years ago, but surgeons in Barcelona successfully gave him an entirely new set of features. Oscar, 31, who did not reveal his last name, had been unable to eat solid foods, speak or breathe independently since 2005. In March, he underwent a 24-hour surgery, during which doctors transplanted a donor face, including a jaw, nose, muscles, teeth, eyelids and nose onto Oscar's head. The surgery was the first of its kind (previous face transplants have been partial). In July, Oscar appeared at a press conference to reveal his masklike new face. Though in the preliminary stages of an estimated 18 months of physical therapy and recovery, Oscar could drink liquids, eat soft foods and speak -- and he even grew beard hair on his new chin. He was ready to do "little things, like walking down the street without anyone looking at him or sitting down for a meal with his family," his sister said.
More Than a Half Billion Eggs Recalled Due to Salmonella ConcernsConsumers were disgusted by the factory-farming truths that August's large-scale egg recall brought to light. The contaminated eggs had come out of Iowa -- mainly from the major distributor Wright County Egg -- and had sickened nearly 2,000 people across the country. News reports showed that Wright County Egg, which supplied wholesalers throughout the country, had a troubling past. The owner, Austin "Jack" DeCoster, has sold salmonella-tainted eggs before, causing a 1987 outbreak at a New York City hospital that sickened 500 chronically ill and elderly patients, killing nine. His company has been accused of providing unsafe working conditions, committing environmental violations, harassing workers, hiring illegal immigrants and violating health codes. During the recent recall, investigators found salmonella in bone meal used in feed for young birds. Some of DeCoster's farms had manure piles, dead rodents, dead maggots and flies. Workers failed to follow anti-contamination protocol. But jaded experts doubted that any significant changes would be implemented after the initial outrage. "Food tends to be the poor stepchild for the FDA," Caroline Smith DeWaal, food safety director for the advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest, told AOL Health. "There have been numerous outbreaks over [the] last five or six years that focused congressional attention, but we've been waiting over a year for the Senate to act."
Health Effects of Haiti's EarthquakeThe January 12 earthquake devastated Haiti, an already-fragile country, killing and severely injuring hundreds of thousands and rendering 1.5 million people homeless in the dense, impoverished capital of Port-au-Prince. But afterwards, things got even worse for the survivors, as a major public health crisis descended. Because much of Haiti's already unsteady infrastructure (including hospitals) was destroyed in the quake, patients with abrasions and broken bones, which would be easily fixed in a more developed country, were at risk for infection, blood clots and death. Those with more severe conditions often went without medical care for days or weeks, and people with limbs that may have been salvaged with quick, efficient care often were forced to undergo amputations. Doctors and medical supplies were unable to make their way through destroyed roads. Drinking water was contaminated, and sanitation systems were broken, allowing raw sewage to flow freely. Malnutrition, dehydration, fever and diarrhea swept the makeshift camps, where many shelters were constructed of salvaged plastic and sticks. People living in the shelters were particularly vulnerable to mosquito-borne illnesses like malaria and dengue fever during the rainy season; one doctor in a Brazilian field hospital reported a 1,000 percent rise in malaria cases after the earthquake. Currently, a cholera outbreak threatens to sweep through the tent cities, where, 10 months after the earthquake, nearly 1.3 million people still live.
To hear more of Dr. Asa Andrew, join him for Dr. Asa on Call or log onto www.drasa.com
Chilean Miners Survive 69 Days Below GroundOn August 5, the historically unstable San Jose gold and copper mine in northern Chile caved in while 33 miners were working. The miners were widely assumed dead, but on August 22, a note was pulled up through a borehole: We are OK in the refuge, the 33 said. Against all odds, the men were alive 2,000 feet below the surface. But it could take several months to reach them. From then on, the miners, who had spent 17 days rationing out spoonfuls of tuna fish and milk, captivated the world with their remarkable survival skills and discipline. For more than two months, they lived in a 165-square-foot cavern below the earth as Chilean President Sebastian Pinera called in experts from across the world to assist in the delicate rescue process. Using a thin tube to send supplies like nutrient-packed gels, food, water, medication, oxygen, and even empanadas and cigarettes, doctors and health officials nursed the men back to health. Psychologists above monitored the miners and talked to them about their anxiety and fear on a telephone. On October 12, as the entire world tuned in, the miners ascended one by one in a special capsule over the course of 24 hours. Three miners had immediate surgery for dental problems, while others were treated for tooth infections and corneal problems. One miner recovered from pneumonia, while two others had a respiratory condition from breathing in silica dust. But all expect a full physical recovery.
Baby Smokes 40 Cigarettes a Day but Manages to QuitTwo-year-old Indonesian toddler Aldi Suganda soared to international fame when a video of him chain-smoking cigarettes went viral. The pudgy toddler was filmed expertly holding a cigarette between his index and middle finger and exhaling. Soon, people from around the world were in an uproar, and the story expanded: The kid really did have a habit to the tune of 40 cigarettes a day and threw violent temper tantrums when he couldn't get his fix. His fish merchant parents had allowed Aldi to wander the market as they worked. One day, they found their then 11-month-old smoking "like an adult," according to his mother. Anti-smoking organizations note that while Aldi's case is dramatic, many children in Indonesia smoke due to the government's lack of health education and lax oversight of tobacco company advertising. After news crews arrived at their door, Aldi's parents enrolled the child in a smoking cessation program. In September, officials announced that Aldi had quit smoking.
Bret Michaels' Brain HemorrhageOn April 12, Bret Michaels -- former Poison lead singer and bandanna-wearing reality TV star -- was rushed to the hospital for an emergency appendectomy. Just two weeks later on April 23, the rocker began complaining of an excruciating headache after a day of vomiting. In fact, the headache was a symptom of a massive brain hemorrhage, which landed Michaels in the ICU in critical condition. Michaels, a diabetic, emerged from the ordeal in good sprits, blogging that there were "hot nurses taking care of me." Then on May 2, Michaels felt numbness and pain on a side of his body and was diagnosed with a hole in his heart, which is treatable. Since his release from the hospital, Michaels has reconciled with his on-again, off-again girlfriend and the mother of his children. The man who has made a career of being a player says he's considering marriage because he feels he has been given a "second chance."
Rash of Cancer Hoaxes -- and an Acid HoaxAshley Anne Kirilow, pictured right, shaved her head, plucked her eyebrows, starved herself to look like a cancer patient and founded a bogus cancer research charity to take in $30,000. Jessica Vega tricked friends, family and even her new husband into believing she had terminal leukemia, apparently in order to score a free wedding dress, honeymoon and jewelry. Carol Lynn Schnuphase drugged her healthy 12-year-old son and shaved his head so that he appeared to have cancer. Bethany Storro said a stranger threw acid in her face but later admitted the disfiguring attack was self-inflicted. The year has been a big one for health hoaxes -- usually the result of mental illness or sociopathic tendencies, experts theorize. "This could be a combination of self-mutilation and Munchausen syndrome," AOL Health's Mental Health Specialist Dr. Daniel Carlat said of Storro. "Prisons are filled with people like this," Dr. Neil I. Bernstein said of Kirilow, noting that antisocial personality disorder is a likely diagnosis for such a person. The afflicted repeatedly break the law; disregard the safety of others; lie, steal or fight constantly; and generally violate social norms to take advantage of the system. Neither Carlat nor Bernstein treats any of those accused of health hoaxes.
Mom-to-Be Cut in Half to Remove CancerCanadian Janis Ollson, pictured right, was called a "miracle mom" after she survived an experimental operation during which she was literally cut in half and sewn back together while she was pregnant. Three years ago, while pregnant with her second child, Ollson was diagnosed with chondrosarcoma, a form of untreatable bone cancer. She had suffered extreme back pain that she and doctors assumed was sciatica. Since the cancer was diagnosed after it had spread through her bones, surgeons at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., determined that they would need to remove her leg, lower spine and half of her pelvis -- a procedure performed only on cadavers before. The doctors' main challenge was how to put Ollson back together again and they succeeded. Ollson went forward with the surgery, receiving a prosthetic leg and pelvis. She snowmobiles; grocery shops; drives an ATV; and uses a wheelchair, crutches or a walker to get around. "There's some purpose to all this whether I know it or not," she told the Winnipeg Free Press.
Gay Teen Suicide EpidemicIn September 2010, at least six gay youth -- some as young as 13 -- committed suicide after being relentlessly bullied. Perhaps the most well-known case concerns Tyler Clementi, a freshman at Rutgers University who jumped off a bridge after learning that his sexual encounter with another man had been streamed live on the Internet by his roommate. Though LGBT teens have long been far more likely to commit suicide than their heterosexual peers, the September suicides led to public outrage directed at bullies, gay-shaming churches, and unsupportive school administrators and parents. "Stigmatizing someone for being gay is like criticizing them for having brown hair," Carlat told AOL Health. "It is really a relic of another era." Journalist Dan Savage began an online campaign called "It Gets Better," aimed at decreasing the sense of isolation and hopelessness many young LGBT people experience. LGBT adults were encouraged to produce and upload home videos that repeated a single message: Life gets better; don't end yours now.
First Full Face Transplant a SuccessA Spanish farmer had accidentally blown off his entire face in a gun accident five years ago, but surgeons in Barcelona successfully gave him an entirely new set of features. Oscar, 31, who did not reveal his last name, had been unable to eat solid foods, speak or breathe independently since 2005. In March, he underwent a 24-hour surgery, during which doctors transplanted a donor face, including a jaw, nose, muscles, teeth, eyelids and nose onto Oscar's head. The surgery was the first of its kind (previous face transplants have been partial). In July, Oscar appeared at a press conference to reveal his masklike new face. Though in the preliminary stages of an estimated 18 months of physical therapy and recovery, Oscar could drink liquids, eat soft foods and speak -- and he even grew beard hair on his new chin. He was ready to do "little things, like walking down the street without anyone looking at him or sitting down for a meal with his family," his sister said.
More Than a Half Billion Eggs Recalled Due to Salmonella ConcernsConsumers were disgusted by the factory-farming truths that August's large-scale egg recall brought to light. The contaminated eggs had come out of Iowa -- mainly from the major distributor Wright County Egg -- and had sickened nearly 2,000 people across the country. News reports showed that Wright County Egg, which supplied wholesalers throughout the country, had a troubling past. The owner, Austin "Jack" DeCoster, has sold salmonella-tainted eggs before, causing a 1987 outbreak at a New York City hospital that sickened 500 chronically ill and elderly patients, killing nine. His company has been accused of providing unsafe working conditions, committing environmental violations, harassing workers, hiring illegal immigrants and violating health codes. During the recent recall, investigators found salmonella in bone meal used in feed for young birds. Some of DeCoster's farms had manure piles, dead rodents, dead maggots and flies. Workers failed to follow anti-contamination protocol. But jaded experts doubted that any significant changes would be implemented after the initial outrage. "Food tends to be the poor stepchild for the FDA," Caroline Smith DeWaal, food safety director for the advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest, told AOL Health. "There have been numerous outbreaks over [the] last five or six years that focused congressional attention, but we've been waiting over a year for the Senate to act."
Health Effects of Haiti's EarthquakeThe January 12 earthquake devastated Haiti, an already-fragile country, killing and severely injuring hundreds of thousands and rendering 1.5 million people homeless in the dense, impoverished capital of Port-au-Prince. But afterwards, things got even worse for the survivors, as a major public health crisis descended. Because much of Haiti's already unsteady infrastructure (including hospitals) was destroyed in the quake, patients with abrasions and broken bones, which would be easily fixed in a more developed country, were at risk for infection, blood clots and death. Those with more severe conditions often went without medical care for days or weeks, and people with limbs that may have been salvaged with quick, efficient care often were forced to undergo amputations. Doctors and medical supplies were unable to make their way through destroyed roads. Drinking water was contaminated, and sanitation systems were broken, allowing raw sewage to flow freely. Malnutrition, dehydration, fever and diarrhea swept the makeshift camps, where many shelters were constructed of salvaged plastic and sticks. People living in the shelters were particularly vulnerable to mosquito-borne illnesses like malaria and dengue fever during the rainy season; one doctor in a Brazilian field hospital reported a 1,000 percent rise in malaria cases after the earthquake. Currently, a cholera outbreak threatens to sweep through the tent cities, where, 10 months after the earthquake, nearly 1.3 million people still live.
To hear more of Dr. Asa Andrew, join him for Dr. Asa on Call or log onto www.drasa.com
Heightened Sense of Smell Linked to Obesity
The following article will be featured on an upcoming episode of Dr. Asa on Call with Dr. Asa Andrew:
We all know our noses can often lead us into temptation when it comes to food.
Would you really eat all that popcorn at the movie theater if that buttery smell was not wafting out into the street? But for people who are obese, sense of smell may play a bigger role than we realize in causing them to eat too much.
A new study from researchers at the University of Portsmouth in Great Britain has demonstrated that people with a higher body mass index also have a much more heightened sense of smell compared to thin people, particularly following a full meal. The research, published in the journal Chemical Senses last month, may help explain why overweight people eat more.
Leady study author Dr. Lorenzo Stafford says that that keener sense of smell may lead an overweight person to keep eating even though he or she is already full. The study included 64 volunteers asked to take tests in smelling ability both before and after eating a complete meal.
Dr. Lisa M. Davis, vice president of research and development with Medifast Inc., a physician-developed weight-loss system, reviewed the British study and told AOL Health that while it might seem counterintuitive, that heightened sense of smell following food consumption may actually help most people know that they are full so they stop eating.
"But for those with a higher BMI, greater olfactory sensitivity to the smell of food may actually foster the continuation of eating, as opposed to causing them to stop eating like individuals with a healthy BMI," Davis adds. "Obese consumers with a higher BMI have more of a drive to eat high fat, high sugar and highly palatable foods, which is consistent with a heightened taste sensitivity for these foods."
Davis goes on to explain that the opioid receptors in the brain drive the palatability of food, while dopaminergic receptors drive motivation for obtaining good tasting food to eat. "Studies have shown that obese individuals tend to have a dysfunction among these regulatory systems," she says.
But all of this begs the question as to whether obesity is driving the heightened sense of smell or whether the heightened sense of smell is driving one to eat more, leading to obesity. Davis says it's not a question she can answer, "but it makes a fascinating area of future research."
To hear more of Dr. Asa Andrew, join him for Dr. Asa on Call or log onto www.drasa.com
We all know our noses can often lead us into temptation when it comes to food.
Would you really eat all that popcorn at the movie theater if that buttery smell was not wafting out into the street? But for people who are obese, sense of smell may play a bigger role than we realize in causing them to eat too much.
A new study from researchers at the University of Portsmouth in Great Britain has demonstrated that people with a higher body mass index also have a much more heightened sense of smell compared to thin people, particularly following a full meal. The research, published in the journal Chemical Senses last month, may help explain why overweight people eat more.
Leady study author Dr. Lorenzo Stafford says that that keener sense of smell may lead an overweight person to keep eating even though he or she is already full. The study included 64 volunteers asked to take tests in smelling ability both before and after eating a complete meal.
Dr. Lisa M. Davis, vice president of research and development with Medifast Inc., a physician-developed weight-loss system, reviewed the British study and told AOL Health that while it might seem counterintuitive, that heightened sense of smell following food consumption may actually help most people know that they are full so they stop eating.
"But for those with a higher BMI, greater olfactory sensitivity to the smell of food may actually foster the continuation of eating, as opposed to causing them to stop eating like individuals with a healthy BMI," Davis adds. "Obese consumers with a higher BMI have more of a drive to eat high fat, high sugar and highly palatable foods, which is consistent with a heightened taste sensitivity for these foods."
Davis goes on to explain that the opioid receptors in the brain drive the palatability of food, while dopaminergic receptors drive motivation for obtaining good tasting food to eat. "Studies have shown that obese individuals tend to have a dysfunction among these regulatory systems," she says.
But all of this begs the question as to whether obesity is driving the heightened sense of smell or whether the heightened sense of smell is driving one to eat more, leading to obesity. Davis says it's not a question she can answer, "but it makes a fascinating area of future research."
To hear more of Dr. Asa Andrew, join him for Dr. Asa on Call or log onto www.drasa.com
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