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Is milk from grass-fed cows better for you?

May 31, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

May 31 (Reuters Life!) – If milk does the heart good, it might do the heart even more good if it comes from dairy cows grazed on grass instead of on feedlots, according to a U.S. study.

Lifestyle

Earlier studies have shown that cows on a diet of fresh grass produce milk with five times as much of an unsaturated fat called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) than cows fed processed grains.

Studies in animals have suggested that CLAs can protect the heart, and help in weight loss.

Hannia Campos of the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston and her colleagues found in a study of 4,000 people that people with the highest concentrations of CLAs — the top fifth among all participants — had a 36 percent lower risk of heart attack compared to those with the lowest concentrations.

Those findings held true even once the researchers took into account heart disease risk factors such as high blood pressure and smoking.

Campos said these new findings, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (here), suggest that CLA offers heart-healthy benefits that could more than offset the harms of saturated fat in milk.

“Because pasture grazing leads to higher CLA in milk, and it is the natural feed for cattle, it seems like more emphasis should be given to this type of feeding,” she told Reuters Health.

Dairy products in the United States come almost exclusively from feedlots, she added, and cow’s milk is the primary source of CLA. Beef contains a small amount.

For their study, Campos and her colleagues looked to Costa Rica where pasture grazing of dairy cows is still the norm.

They identified nearly 2,000 Costa Ricans who had suffered a non-fatal heart attack, and another 2,000 who had not and then they measured the amount of CLA in fat tissues to estimate each person’s intake.

Since CLA typically travels with a host of other fats, the researchers went a step further to tease apart its effects from those of its predominantly unhealthful companions.

The difference in risk attributed to CLA subsequently rose to 49 percent.

“Whole-fat milk and dairy products have gotten such a bad reputation in recent years due to their saturated fat and cholesterol contents, and now we find that CLA may be incredibly health-promoting,” said Michelle McGuire, spokesperson for the journal’s publisher, the American Society for Nutrition.

“Whole milk is not the villain!”

(Reporting by Lynne Peeples from Reuters Health, editing by Belinda Goldsmith)

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New hope in fight against HIV, TB

May 21, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Washington, May 20 (ANI): Scientists writing in an eminent American medical journal have expressed hope of dramatic changes in the fight against HIV and TB.

According to authors of a special new issue of the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, breakthroughs on the horizon include novel TB drugs in the pipeline that offer the hope of a safer, faster cure for both standard TB and drug-resistant TB; TB diagnostic tests that shrink the time it takes to diagnose drug-resistant TB from six weeks to 90 minutes; and bold HIV prevention approaches that include using antiretroviral agents as prophylactics to prevent against HIV infection, a method known as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).

At a Washington briefing, the journal articles” authors and scientific leaders said policymakers now need to find ways to capitalize on these promising advances, and not retreat from an effort that already has saved countless lives.

The briefing featured Anthony S. Fauci, director of NIH”s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and other leading physician-scientists from across the United States.

“Bold new policy, research, and programmatic approaches are needed to empower the scientific community to take on these twin diseases,” Wafaa El-Sadr, director of the International Center for AIDS Care and Treatment Programs and professor of medicine and epidemiology at Columbia University”s Mailman School of Public Health, said.

“These global health challenges are surmountable. With the right combination of financial resources, scientific innovation, and political will, the United States can lead the effort to save millions of lives from HIV and TB,” El-Sadr added. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: Aids Care, anthony s fauci, Antiretroviral Agents, clinical infectious diseases, columbia university, Countless Lives, drug resistant tb, El Sadr, Exposure Prophylaxis, health challenges, hiv infection, Hiv Prevention Approaches, mailman school of public health, national institute of allergy and infectious diseases, Physician Scientists, Promising Advances, Prophylactics, school of public health, Tb Drugs, Wafaa

Viagra may cause hearing loss

May 19, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Washington, May 19 (ANI): Researchers have found a link between hearing loss and the use of the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra.

Gerald McGwin, a professor of epidemiology at the School of Public Health in the University of Alabama at Birmingham claims use of Viagra can result in long-term hearing loss. Also, use of other phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE-5i) drugs such as Cialis and Levitra can be harmful for the ear, but results on those drugs are inconclusive.

Study author Gerald McGwin, a professor of epidemiology in the UAB School of Public Health, said: “It appears from these findings that the current government warning regarding hearing loss and the use of PDE-5i medications is warranted.

“Though there are limitations to this study, it is prudent that patients using these medications be warned about the signs and symptoms of hearing impairment and be encouraged to seek immediate medical attention to potentially forestall permanent damage.”

In 2007, following the report of several case studies potentially linking PDE-5i use and sudden hearing loss, the Food and Drug Administration announced labeling changes for PDE-5i medications so that the risk of hearing problems was more prominently displayed. McGwin said this is the first epidemiologic study to evaluate the relationship between PDE-5i drugs and long-term hearing loss.

McGwin examined data on 11,525 men over 40 years of age gathered by the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, a survey conducted by the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality between 2003 and 2006. Men who reported use of PDE-5i medications were twice as likely to also report hearing loss as were men who had not used the drugs.

McGwin said the relationship was strongest for men reporting use of sildenafil (Viagra) over those who used tadalafil (Cialis) or vardenafil (Levitra), a finding he attributed in part to a small sample size for both of the latter drugs. McGwin said the findings indicated an elevated but not statistically significant increase in hearing loss for users of tadalafil and vardenafil.

PDE-5i drugs were originally designed to treat pulmonary hypertension and are now used extensively in the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED). McGwin said one important consideration in evaluating the nature of the relationship between the drugs and hearing is the existence of a plausible biological mechanism of how these drugs might cause hearing loss.

McGwin said: “PDE-5i medications work in ED patients by their ability to increase blood flow to certain tissues in the body. It has been hypothesized that they may have a similar effect on similar tissues in the ear, where an increase of blood flow could potentially cause damage leading to hearing loss.”

McGwin acknowledged limitations in the study, including the limited sample size for tadalafil and vardenafil, concerns over under-reporting of use of PDE-5i medications and confounding factors such as pre-existing conditions that might also contribute to hearing loss. He suggested that additional research regarding the risk from PDE-5i is necessary due to the largely irreversible nature of hearing loss and its impact on quality of life.

McGwin concluded: “The results of the current study in conjunction with a plausible biologic mechanism lend support to the FDA”s decision to warn patients about the potential risk posed by PDE-5i use”.

The study has been published in Archives of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. (ANI)

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Viagra may cause hearing loss

May 19, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Washington, May 19 (ANI): Researchers have found a link between hearing loss and the use of the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra.

The study has been published in Archives of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. (ANI)

Kidney function, damage markers could help predict mortality risk

May 18, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

London, May 18 (ANI): A new study has shown that common tests of kidney function and damage can predict the risk of death from cardiovascular diseases and all causes.

This analysis of 21 studies from 14 countries found that a common blood test to estimate kidney function and a urine test measuring protein (albumin) to estimate kidney damage were strongly related to mortality risk.

“People with high levels of albumin in their urine were at markedly higher risk of mortality than people with low levels of albumin in the urine,” said Kunihiro Matsushita, lead author of the study and a postdoctoral fellow with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health”s Department of Epidemiology.

“The risk of mortality was elevated by nearly 50 percent at 30 mg/g albumin to creatinine ratio, which is the threshold for defining chronic kidney disease. In addition, mortality risk increased more than four-fold at high levels of albuminuria compared to an optimal level of 5 mg/g.

“The data presented in this analysis confirm that the current thresholds are indicative of increased all-cause and cardiovascular mortality risk with both kidney filtration function and urine protein contributing to risk,” Matsushita added.

The results are published in the May 17, 2010 issue of the Lancet. (ANI)

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”Sausage not steak” raises risk of heart disease

May 18, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Washington, May 18 (ANI): Eating processed meat such as sausages raises the likelihood of heart disease, while red meat does not seem to be as harmful, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) have found.

The study found that eating processed meat was associated with a 42 percent higher risk of heart disease and a 19 percent higher risk of type 2 diabetes.

In contrast, the researchers did not find any higher risk of heart disease or diabetes among individuals eating unprocessed red meat, such as from beef, pork, or lamb.

“Although most dietary guidelines recommend reducing meat consumption, prior individual studies have shown mixed results for relationships between meat consumption and cardiovascular diseases and diabetes,” said Renata Micha, a research fellow in the department of epidemiology at HSPH and lead author of the study. “Most prior studies also did not separately consider the health effects of eating unprocessed red versus processed meats.”

The study appears online May 17, 2010, on the website of the journal Circulation.

The researchers, led by Renata Micha, a research fellow in the department of epidemiology, and HSPH colleagues Dariush Mozaffarian, assistant professor in the department of epidemiology and Sarah Wallace, junior research fellow in the department of epidemiology, systematically reviewed nearly 1,600 studies. Twenty relevant studies were identified, which included a total of 1,218,380 individuals from 10 countries on four continents (United States, Europe, Australia, and Asia).

The researchers defined unprocessed red meat as any unprocessed meat from beef, lamb or pork, excluding poultry. Processed meat was defined as any meat preserved by smoking, curing or salting, or with the addition of chemical preservatives; examples include bacon, salami, sausages, hot dogs or processed deli or luncheon meats. Vegetable or seafood protein sources were not evaluated in these studies.

The results showed that, on average, each 50 gram (1.8 oz) daily serving of processed meat (about 1-2 slices of deli meats or 1 hot dog) was associated with a 42 percent higher risk of developing heart disease and a 19 percent higher risk of developing diabetes. In contrast, eating unprocessed red meat was not associated with risk of developing heart disease or diabetes. Too few studies evaluated the relationship between eating meat and risk of stroke to enable the researchers to draw any conclusions.

“Although cause-and-effect cannot be proven by these types of long-term observational studies, all of these studies adjusted for other risk factors, which may have been different between people who were eating more versus less meats,” said Mozaffarian. “Also, the lifestyle factors associated with eating unprocessed red meats and processed meats were similar, but only processed meats were linked to higher risk.” (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: beef pork, Cardiovascular Diseases, Chemical Preservatives, Europe Australia, four continents, harvard school of public health, hot dogs, HSPH, journal circulation, Junior Research Fellow, Luncheon Meats, meat consumption, Processed Meat, Processed Meats, Protein Sources, red meat, Relevant Studies, risk of heart disease, school of public health, type 2 diabetes

A handful of pistachios a day can help keep heart doc away

May 18, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Washington, May 18 (ANI): A diet containing nuts, including pistachios, can significantly lower total and LDL-cholesterol levels, in addition to triglycerides, according to a new study.

Published in Archives of Internal Medicine, the 600-subject, 25 clinical trial study, conducted in seven counties, is the most comprehensive study of its kind and further substantiates the evidence that nuts can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

The report, authored by Dr. Joan Sabaté of Loma Linda University’s School of Public Health, and funded by the International Tree Nut Council Nutrition Research & Education Foundation, set out to quantify the cholesterol-reducing benefits of various nuts, such as pistachios, by analyzing previously published human clinical trials.

To reach the conclusion, the authors reviewed the results of 25 human clinical trials published from 1992 through 2007. The analysis included data from 583 men and women, aged 19 to 86 years old. Among the studies, nut consumption ranged from less than one ounce to 4.75 ounces per day. The average daily intake for the meta-analysis was 67 grams per day or 2.4 ounces.

The results found that when 67 grams of nuts were consumed, triglycerides were reduced by 10.2 percent among those with high triglyceride levels at the onset of the study; and total and LDL-cholesterol were lowered by 5.1 percent and 7.4 percent, respectively. Individuals with higher baseline LDL-cholesterol levels also experienced a greater reduction in total and LDL-cholesterol levels compared to those with normal baseline LDL levels. Subjects following a typical Western-diet also experienced a greater reduction in total and LDL-cholesterol levels (-7.4 percent and – 9.6 percent, respectively) compared to a low-fat (-4.1 percent and -6.0 percent, respectively) or a Mediterranean diet (-4.1 percent and -6.0 percent, respectively).

“Enjoying a handful or two of in-shell pistachios may provide significant heart health benefits,” said Martin Yadrick, M.B.A., R.D., immediate past-president of the American Dietetic Association. “They are known to also

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: Archives of Internal Medicine, cholesterol, clinical trial, Dr Joan, Education Foundation, High Triglyceride Levels, Human Clinical Trials, Ldl Cholesterol Levels, Loma Linda University, mediterranean diet, meta analysis, Nut Consumption, Nutrition Research, ounce, Research Education, risk of cardiovascular disease, school of public health, Tree Nut, triglycerides, western diet

Maternal Vitamin A improves offspring lung function

May 13, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

London, May 13 (ANI): Scientists have discovered that deficiency of Vitamin A in the mother’s body may affect the lung function in the child.

Scientists at The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health conducted a study in order to come to this conclusion.

“Children of mothers who received vitamin A supplementation before, during and after pregnancy had significantly improved lung function when compared to those whose mothers received beta-carotene supplementation or placebo,” said lead author of the study, William Checkley, MD, PhD, assistant professor in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine with a joint appointment in the Bloomberg School”s Department of International Health.

They found that children whose mothers received vitamin A instead of a placebo had a significantly greater forced expiratory volume at one second (FEV1) and a greater forced vital capacity (FVC), while children whose mothers received beta-carotene instead of a placebo had similar FEV and FVC.

Vitamin A deficiency affects nearly 190 million preschool-age children worldwide and is the underlying cause of 650,000 early childhood deaths annually.

In the 1970s, Alfred Sommer, MD, MHS, dean emeritus at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, and colleagues discovered the link between vitamin A deficiency and night blindness among children in rural Indonesia and found that vitamin A given twice a year reduced childhood mortality by a third.

The World Bank declared vitamin A supplementation as one of the most cost-effective medical interventions of all time.

The results are published in the May 13, 2010, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: Alfred Sommer Md, Bloomberg School Of Public Health, childhood deaths, Childhood Mortality, Dean Emeritus, england journal of medicine, Fev1, Forced Expiratory Volume, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School Of Public Health, johns hopkins school, johns hopkins school of medicine, Medical Interventions, new england journal, new england journal of medicine, Night Blindness, preschool age children, school of public health, vital capacity, Vitamin A Deficiency, Vitamin A Supplementation

Vaccine response could depend on your sex

May 13, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Washington, May 13 (ANI): Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have claimed that biological differences between the sexes could be a significant predictor of responses to vaccines.

The scientists examined published data from numerous adult and child vaccine trials and found that sex is a fundamental, but often overlooked predictor of vaccine response that could help predict the efficacy of combating infectious disease.

The review is featured in the May 2010 issue of The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

“Sex can affect the frequency and severity of adverse effects of vaccination, including fever, pain and inflammation,” said Sabra Klein, PhD, lead author of the review and an assistant professor at the Bloomberg School”s W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology. “This is likely due to the fact that women typically mount stronger immune responses to vaccinations compared to men. In some cases, women need substantially less of a vaccine to mount the same response as men. Pregnancy is also a factor that can alter immune responses to vaccines.” (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: adverse effects, assistant professor, biological differences, Bloomberg School Of Public Health, Child Vaccine, efficacy, immune responses, Infectious Disease, infectious diseases, inflammation, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School Of Public Health, Lancet Infectious Diseases, microbiology and immunology, molecular microbiology, Sabra, school of public health, sexes, vaccination, Vaccine Trials, vaccines

Infections cause two-thirds of child deaths: Study

May 12, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

London, May 12 (ANI): According to a new study, preventable infectious diseases cause two-thirds of child deaths.

Published in The Lancet, experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF”s Child Health Epidemiology Reference Group (CHERG) assessed data from 193 countries to produce estimates by country, region and the world.

“With less than five years to reach the United Nations Millennium Development Goal 4—to reduce child deaths by two-thirds from 1990 levels—it is vital for governments, public health organizations, and donors to have accurate country-level estimates so they can target their efforts effectively,” said lead author Dr. Robert Black, chair of the Department of International Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

“These findings have important implications for national programs,” said UNICEF Chief of Health, Dr. Mickey Chopra. “The persistence of diarrhea, pneumonia and malaria, all of which are easily preventable and curable but which nonetheless remain the leading single causes of death worldwide, should spur us to do more to control these diseases.”

The study”s country and regional estimates, however, underscore how global efforts must be targeted to have maximum impact. Malaria, for instance, is responsible for approximately 16 percent of deaths in Africa, but is a comparatively minor disease in the rest of the world. The study did reveal successes in fighting some infectious diseases, such as measles and tetanus—each now only accounts for 1 percent of child deaths worldwide.

Newborn deaths—those within the first month of life—increased as a proportion of all child deaths globally from 37 percent in 2000 to 41 percent in 2008.

The two greatest single causes of death among neonates are pre-term birth complications and birth-related asphyxia.

“These new data make the compelling case that for countries to get on track for Millennium Development Goal 4, they need to scale up low-cost, effective newborn health interventions,” said co-author Dr. Joy Lawn, director of Global Policy and Evidence for Save the Children”s Saving Newborn Lives program. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: birth complications, Bloomberg School Of Public Health, Causes Of Death, Child Deaths, Child Health Epidemiology, global efforts, Impact Malaria, infectious diseases, International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School Of Public Health, Less Than Five Years, millennium development, Newborn Deaths, Public Health Organizations, reference group, Regional Estimates, s child, school of public health, UNICEF, world health organization

Rampant HR violations, apathy by Burmese Military Junta leaves cyclone victims hapless

May 8, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Washington, May 8 (ANI): The survivors of Cyclone Nargis that devastated Burma in 2008, continue to reel under the problems brought by the cyclone.

A study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Emergency Assistance Team—Burma, has revealed that the victims of Nargis are yet to receive vital assistance that would enable them to rebuild their lives, and they face lack of access to relief and reconstruction efforts even though its been over a year since the cyclone ripped through the country.

The study “Community-Based Assessment of Human Rights in a Complex Humanitarian Emergency: The Emergency Assistance Teams-Burma and Cyclone Nargis” is published May 7 in the journal Conflict and Health.

“Accounts of survivors and independent relief workers one year after the cyclone make clear that the basic needs remain unmet for many survivors—a situation made worse by Burma’s military rulers who continued to hamper the recovery effort and to limit access by independent relief workers,” said study co-author Chris Beyrer, MD, professor and director of the Center for Public Health and Human Rights at the Bloomberg School.

For the study, a network of community-based organizations, known as the Emergency Assistance Team–Burma, worked on the ground to conduct an assessment of the human rights conditions in Burma immediately following Cyclone Nargis. In response to the cyclone—a storm that killed an estimated 138,000 people and affected 2.4 million people—the team was formed within days after the storm’s landfall.

The assessment found that community aid efforts faced government restrictions and harassment, including the threat of arrest of independent relief workers.

Storm survivors reported land confiscation, misappropriation of reconstruction materials and governmental restrictions on communication and information, all of which continued in 2009.

“The team’s ability to quickly provide appropriate relief services and conduct these assessments reaffirms the key role of community-based organizations in responding to disasters, particularly in challenging settings such as Burma, where official restrictions on humanitarian assistance are extensive,” said Beyrer adding that efforts such as these must be encouraged in the face of such arrant human rights violations. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: Aid Efforts, Assistance Teams, Bloomberg School Of Public Health, Burmese Military Junta, Chris Beyrer, Cyclone Victims, government restrictions, Governmental Restrictions, Health Accounts, Health And Human Rights, Hr Violations, Humanitarian Emergency, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School Of Public Health, Land Confiscation, Military Rulers, Nargis, reconstruction efforts, Relief Workers, school of public health, Vital Assistance

Coffee, soft drinks not tied to colon cancer risk

May 8, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Washington, May 8 (ANI): Drinking large amounts of coffee and sugar-sweetened, carbonated soft drinks does not increase the risk of colon cancer, according to a new study.

The study has been published online May 7 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Some previous studies have suggested that coffee and tea may lower the risk of cancer, but others show that they could increase the risk. Tea, for instance contains anti-oxidants that in theory help prevent cancer but also has polyamines, which in theory promote cancer. Sugar-sweetened soft drinks are associated with weight gain, obesity, and other conditions that are potential risk factors for colon cancer.

For this study, Xuehong Zhang, M.D., Sc.D., and colleagues at the Harvard School of Public Health analyzed data from 13 studies conducted in North America and Europe. Among 731,441 participants in these studies, there were 5,604 who developed colon cancer. Those who drank large amounts of coffee—more than six 8-oz cups a day—were no more likely to develop the disease than those who drank less.

Likewise, those who drank more than 18 oz daily of sugar-sweetened, carbonated beverages had no higher risk of colon cancer. But the authors note that the results for sugar-sweetened carbonated beverages should be interpreted with caution because only 2 percent of the study population drank more than 18 oz of these beverages daily.

The results were similar regardless of sex, smoking status, alcohol consumption, body mass index, level of physical activity, and location of the tumor.

The authors found a modest association between drinking high amounts of non-herbal tea—more than four 8-oz cups a day—and colon cancer risk. However, they note that very few people in the study drank that much tea and that the association could be due to chance.

“Drinking coffee or sugar-sweetened carbonated soft drinks was not associated with colon cancer risk,” the researchers conclude. “However, a modest positive association with higher tea consumption is possible and requires further study.” (ANI)

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Trauma-induced changes in genes could cause post-traumatic stress disorder

May 5, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Washington, May 5 (ANI): Traumatic experiences “biologically embed” themselves in select genes, subsequently alter their functions and lead to the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a study has revealed.

Conducted by researchers at Columbia University”s Mailman School of Public Health, the study is the first large scale investigation to search for trauma-induced changes in the genes of people with PTSD.

“Our findings suggest a new biological model of PTSD in which alteration of genes, induced by a traumatic event, changes a person”s stress response and leads to the disorder,” said Dr. Sandro Galea, principal investigator of the study.

“Identification of the biologic underpinnings of PTSD will be crucial for developing appropriate psychological and/or pharmacological interventions, particularly in the wake of an increasing number of military veterans returning home following recent wars worldwide,” he added.

Previous studies have found that lifetime experiences may alter the activity of specific genes by changing their methylation patterns.

Methylated genes are generally inactive, while unmethylated genes are generally active.

In the new study, DNA samples were obtained from participants in the Detroit Neighborhood Health Study (DNHS), a longitudinal epidemiologic study investigating PTSD and other mental disorders in the city of Detroit.

The researchers analysed the methylation patterns of over 14,000 genes from blood samples taken from 100 Detroit residents, 23 of whom suffer from PTSD.

The analysis found that participants with PTSD had six to seven times more unmethylated genes than unaffected participants, and most of the unmethylated genes were involved in the immune system.

The observed methylation changes in the immune system genes were reflected in the PTSD participants” immune systems— levels of antibodies to a herpes virus were high in PTSD patients, indicative of a compromised immune system.

While people who experience severe trauma will exhibit a normal stress response, in PTSD, the stress response system becomes deregulated and chronically overactive causing compromised immune functioning.

PTSD has long been linked to increased risk of numerous physical health problems – including diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

The study suggests why PTSD is so strongly associated with physical health problems – trauma exposure causes epigenetic changes in immune system genes and thus, compromised immune functioning putting individuals at risk for a host of disorders.

“Our findings show that PTSD may be associated with epigenetic changes in immune-system genes. If this is the case, these clusters could provide clues to our understanding of how a traumatic event changes gene expression, thus altering immune function and resulting in other possible physiologic alterations,” said Galea.

The findings are published online in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). (ANI)

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Regular booze ‘harms those over 60 with health issues, prescription meds’

April 30, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Washington, Apr 30 (ANI): More than a third of drinkers 60 years old and older consume amounts of alcohol that are excessive or that are potentially harmful in combination with certain diseases they may have or medications they may be taking, a study ahs found.

Basing their research on data from 3,308 older patients accessing primary care clinics around Santa Barbara, Calif., the authors at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA report that just as many individuals were at risk from alcohol consumption in combination with comorbidities or medication as from alcohol consumption alone.

The study, published in the current online edition of the Journal of General Internal Medicine, also found that at-risk drinking was associated with being younger, white and less educated.

“Compared to the U.S. Census population over age 60, the sample studied was more likely to be white, married, well-educated and high-income,” said lead study author Andrew Barnes, a researcher in the UCLA School of Public Health”s department of health services. “However, the adjusted associations of patient demographics with at-risk drinking found in our research should be more generalizable than the descriptive data published previously.”

At-risk drinking was assessed using the Comorbidity Alcohol Risk Evaluation Tool (CARET), which categorizes older adults as at risk if they display at least one of the following drinking behaviors: they consume more than two drinks on most days; they consume one to two drinks on most days and have certain comorbidities, such as gout, hepatitis or nausea; they consume one to two drinks on most days and take select medications, such as antidepressants or sedatives.

“In summary, even among our relatively advantaged study patients, as many as one in three who continued to consume alcohol into older adulthood were at risk of harm from drinking,” the researchers wrote. “Physicians may be less aware of other alcohol-related risk factors common among the elderly (e.g., interactions with select medications and comorbidities) than the risks associated with heavy drinking. Information suggesting which patients have the highest likelihood of at-risk drinking may assist physicians to better target patients for further screening and intervention.” (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: alcohol consumption, Alcohol Risk, Andrew Barnes, Care Clinics, Census Population, comorbidities, david geffen school, david geffen school of medicine, david geffen school of medicine at ucla, Department Of Health Services, Descriptive Data, Evaluation Tool, General Internal Medicine, Journal Of General Internal Medicine, older adults, Patient Demographics, risk evaluation, school of public health, U S Census, Ucla School Of Public Health

Hand washing may limit pandemic flu transmission

April 30, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Washington, Apr 30 (ANI): Hand washing and mouth covering may help limit the transmission of the pandemic flu, suggests a new research.

However, more research on these measures is critical, according to the new study appearing in the May issue of AJIC: American Journal of Infection Control, the official publication of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. (APIC).

The study presents findings which show that although significant knowledge was gained regarding non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) and transmission of pandemic flu in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-funded studies, key concerns and gaps in the research related to the acceptability and protective efficacy of these measures remain.

NPIs include measures other than vaccines and antiviral treatments that reduce the harm and spread of disease. NPIs can be implemented at the border level, the community level, or the individual level. Examples of individual actions include frequent hand washing with soap, using alcohol-based hand sanitizer, covering sneezes/coughs and wearing a mask. Social distancing policies (border and community level) involve things like closing schools, working from home or restricting public gatherings. These practices are specifically geared to limit the spread of the disease from person to person.

“The recent influenza A (H1N1) pandemic may provide us with an opportunity to address many research gaps and ultimately create a broad, comprehensive strategy for pandemic mitigation,” according to Allison E. Aiello, PhD, MS,. Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. “However, the emergence of this pandemic in 2009 demonstrated that there are still more questions than answers. More research is urgently needed, especially in light of the potential for mutations in influenza A (H1N1). If mutations do occur, or if new pandemic strains emerge in the future, NPIs likely will play a crucial role in mitigating the spread of infection when vaccines are unable to provide sufficient protection.” (ANI)

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Prenatal air pollution exposure ‘adversely affects kids’ cognitive development’

April 21, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Washington, Apr 21 (ANI): Children”s cognitive ability can be affected by mother”s exposure to urban air pollutants, says a new study.

The study by the Columbia Center for Children”s Environmental Health (CCCEH) carried out in Krakow, Poland found that prenatal exposure to pollutants adversely affected children”s cognitive development at age 5.

Researchers report that children exposed to high levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Krakow had a significant reduction in scores on a standardized test of reasoning ability and intelligence at age 5.

The study findings are published online in Environmental Health Perspectives.

PAHs are released into the air from the burning of fossil fuels for transportation, heating, energy production, and from other combustion sources.

“The effect on intelligence was comparable to that seen in NYC children exposed prenatally to the same air pollutants,” noted Frederica Perera, professor of Environmental Health Sciences and director of the CCCEH at the Mailman School of Public Health, and senior author. “This finding is of concern because IQ is an important predictor of future academic performance, and PAHs are widespread in urban environments and throughout the world.”

“These results contribute to the cumulative body of published evidence linking ambient air pollution levels and adverse health effects in children and are clearly relevant to public health policy,” says Susan Edwards, study lead author.

The study included a cohort of 214 children who were born to healthy, non-smoking Caucasian women in Krakow, Poland between 2001 and 2006. During pregnancy, the mothers completed a questionnaire, wore small backpack personal air monitors to estimate their babies” PAH exposure, and provided a blood sample and/or a cord blood sample at the time of delivery. The children were followed through the age of 5 when they were tested using the Raven Coloured Progressive Matrices (RCPM) Test of reasoning ability and intelligence. The researchers accounted for other factors such as second-hand smoke exposure, lead and mother”s education. Study participants exposed to air pollution levels below the median (17.96 nanograms per cubic meter) were designated as having “low exposure,” while those exposed to pollution levels above the median were identified as “high exposure.” (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: Adverse Health Effects, air pollutants, air pollution levels, Burning Of Fossil Fuels, Caucasian Women, Columbia Center, Combustion Sources, environmental health perspectives, Environmental Health Sciences, Heating Energy, Krakow Poland, mailman school of public health, Personal Air, pollution exposure, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, Prenatal Exposure, Public Health Policy, school of public health, Susan Edwards, Urban Environments

Shorter mums have unhealthier children in developing countries

April 21, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Washington, Apr 21 (ANI): Shorter maternal height is associated with more deaths among children in developing countries, say researchers.

According to a new study from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), mothers shorter than 4 feet, 9 inches in low- to middle-income countries had about a 40 percent higher risk of their children dying within the first five years of life than mothers who were 5 feet, 3 inches or taller.

The risk was higher—almost 60 percent—in the first 30 days after birth.

The study appears in the April 21, 2010 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

“Height is a useful and stable marker of cumulative health,” said S.V. Subramanian, senior author of the paper and associate professor in the department of society, human development, and health at HSPH. “It is an indicator of the nutritional environment a person was exposed to during childhood, which shapes both the mother”s attained height and subsequent health as well as her offspring”s chances of survival or ability to grow in infancy and childhood.”

Subramanian and his co-authors, Emre Özaltin, a doctoral candidate in the department of global health and population at HSPH and lead author of the study, and Kenneth Hill, professor of the practice of global health at HSPH, analyzed health surveys from 54 low- to middle-income countries that included more than 2.6 million children and more than 750,000 mothers.

The researchers also found that a 1-centimeter—less than 0.4 inch— increase in height reduced the risk of child mortality by 1.2 percent. The same increase in height reduced the risk of underweight and growth failure by more than 3 percent.

“Health needs to be viewed not only as a phenomenon that spans one”s life, but one that also has a multigenerational aspect,” said Özaltin. “We believe that interventions to reduce child mortality and growth failure have not recognized the intergenerational transmission of poor health,” added Subramanian. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: american medical association, centimeter, Child Mortality, developing countries, doctoral candidate, first five years, global health, Growth Failure, harvard school of public health, Health Surveys, hill professor, HSPH, infancy and childhood, Intergenerational Transmission, journal of the american medical association, middle income countries, mums, Nutritional Environment, school of public health, underweight

New strategies to cut maternal mortality in India by 75pc

April 21, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Washington, Apr 21 (ANI): Better family planning, provision of safe abortion, and improved intrapartum and emergency obstetrical care could reduce maternal mortality in India by 75 percent in less than a decade, a study has claimed.

The study by Sue J. Goldie and colleagues from the Harvard School of Public Health has been published in PLoS Medicine.

Most maternal deaths in developing countries are caused by severe bleeding after childbirth, infections soon after delivery, blood pressure disorders during pregnancy, and obstructed labor.

The authors capture the complexity of multiple factors that impact on maternal mortality using a computer-based model that simulates the progress of women through pregnancy and childbirth in rural and urban India, and estimates clinical outcomes (pregnancies, complications, live births, or deaths), costs, and cost-effectiveness (a metric that indicates the ””value”” of an intervention, and is expressed as ””cost per year of life saved””).

The authors find that in just 5 years, more than 150,000 maternal deaths could be prevented by reducing unmet contraceptive needs. They further find that an integrated approach (improved access to family planning and safe abortion, coupled with stepwise improvements in skilled birth attendants, improved care before and after birth, reduced home births, and improved emergency obstetrical care) could ultimately prevent more than 3 out of 4 maternal deaths.

For those women who deliver at home, integrated strategies include better recognition of when referral is needed and improved access to transport. All of these interventions either save money or are cost-effective. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: 3 Out Of 4, abortion, Birth Attendants, Bleeding After Childbirth, Clinical Outcomes, Cost Effectiveness, developing countries, Family Planning, goldie, harvard school of public health, Home Births, Intrapartum, maternal deaths, Maternal Mortality, Obstetrical Care, Pregnancy Childbirth, pregnancy-and-childbirth, school of public health, Those Women, Urban India

Tobacco in candy form can lead to accidental poisoning in kids: Study

April 20, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Washington, April 19 (ANI): A study has found that a tobacco company”s new, dissolvable nicotine pellet, which resembles popular candies, could lead to accidental nicotine poisoning in children.

According to the study from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), the Northern Ohio Poison Control Center, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the candy-like products could appeal to young people and lead to nicotine addiction as well.

In 2009, the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company launched a dissolvable nicotine product called Camel Orbs, which according to the company”s promotional literature contains 1 mg nicotine per pellet and is flavoured with cinnamon or mint.

The company also introduced Camel Strips (to contain 0.6 mg nicotine per strip) and Sticks (to contain 3.1 mg nicotine per strip).

It appears that the product is intended as a temporary form of nicotine for smokers in settings where smoking is banned.

However, the potential public health effect could be disastrous, particularly for infants and adolescents, said Professor Gregory Connolly, lead author of the study and director of the Tobacco Control Research Program at HSPH.

Ingestion of tobacco products by infants and children is a major reason for calls to poison control centres nationwide.

In 2007, 6,724 tobacco-related poisoning cases were reported among children five years of age and under. Small children can experience nausea and vomiting from as little as 1 mg of nicotine.

“This product is called a ”tobacco” product, but in the eyes of a 4-year-old, the pellets look more like candy than a regular cigarette,” Connolly said.

“Nicotine is a highly addictive drug and to make it look like a piece of candy is recklessly playing with the health of children,” he stated.

The researchers computed, based on median body weight, how much nicotine ingestion would lead to symptoms of poisoning in children.

A one-year-old infant could suffer mild to moderate symptoms of nicotine poisoning by ingesting 8 to 14 Orbs, 14 Strips or 3 Sticks; ingesting 10 to 17 Orbs, 17 Strips or 3 to 4 Sticks could result in severe toxicity or death.

A four-year-old child could have moderate symptoms by ingesting 13 to 21 Orbs, 14 Strips or 4 Sticks and could suffer severe toxicity or death by consuming 16 to 27 Orbs, 27 Strips or 5 Sticks.

The researchers report that a poison control centre in Portland, Oregon, a test market for Orbs, reported a case in which a three-year old ingested an Orbs pellet.

R.J. Reynolds claims that Orbs packaging is “child resistant”, but the researchers say adults could unknowingly leave the pellets out in the open where children could easily access them.

The researchers also say that the candy-like appearance and flavouring and ease-of-use of the product could appeal to children.

The study appears in an advance online edition of the journal Paediatrics on April 19, 2010 and will appear in a later print issue. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: Addictive Drug, centers for disease control and prevention, centers for disease control and prevention cdc, disease control and prevention, food and drug administration, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), harvard school of public health, health effect, Nicotine Addiction, Nicotine Poisoning, Piece Of Candy, Poison Control Center, Professor Gregory, R J Reynolds, R J Reynolds Tobacco, R J Reynolds Tobacco Company, school of public health, tobacco control research, Tobacco Product, tobacco products

Tobacco in candy form can lead to accidental poisoning in kids: Study

April 19, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment