Recent Studies
Posted on September 24, 2011 in Health & Medicine, Recent Studies
Genetic differences could explain why 40 percent of people with asthma don’t respond to inhaled steroids as a long term treatment, new research shows. The finding could lead to more personalized treatment for asthma, which affects more than 22 million Americans and around 300 million people worldwide.
Researchers from Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital analyzed the genetic information of over 1,000 people enrolled in clinical trials of asthma treatments. They found that asthma patients who inherited two copies of a certain gene variant were more likely to respond to inhaled steroids than people with two copies of a more common gene.
Further clinical trials need to be conducted to understand if a person’s genetic response to drugs improves the effectiveness of certain treatments. Inhaled steroids are currently used by millions of people with asthma.
Posted on September 22, 2011 in Health & Medicine, Opinion, Recent Studies, Technology, Women's Health
Women over the age of 65 who fracture a hip are more likely to die from other causes in the following year than they would have been had they avoided injury, a new study suggests. The study is the first to suggest a cause-and-effect relationship between hip fracture and death.
The study tracked women in four states nationwide between 1986 and 2005, as part of a larger study funded by the National Institutes of Health. The researchers matched women from this pool of study participants with women of the same age who had not. Those who suffered a hip fracture had twice the odds of dying within one year of their injury than did their peers in the control group during the same year. Seventeen percent of the women who experienced a fracture died during the year, versus 8% in the control group.
The most common causes of death in both groups were heart disease, stroke, and sepsis. More than half the deaths in the fracture group occurred within three months of injury, and almost three-quarters happened within six months.
The youngest women in the group had the highest risk of death: For women 65 to 69, hip fracture quintupled the odds of death in one year. The study authors suggest that all postmenopausal women get enough bone-strengthening calcium and vitamin D in their diets, as well as avoid smoking and excessive alcohol intake.
Have you experienced a hip fracture?
Posted on September 13, 2011 in Parenting, Recent Studies, Technology
A popular children’s cartoon negatively impacts 4-year-olds’ attention spans, according to a study published by the journal Pediatrics. Watching ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ was detrimental to their ability to stay on task, the study claims.
University of Virginia researchers recruited 60 mostly white and middle- or upper-middle-class 4-year-olds and randomly divided them into three groups. One group watched a 9-minute clip of “SpongeBob SquarePants,” a second watched a 9-minute clip of “Caillou,” a realistic PBS cartoon about a preschool boy, and the third drew pictures for 9 minutes instead of watching television.
Afterwards, the researchers examined what psychologists called “executive function” in the groups. The kids’ ability to stay on task and not be distracted was evaluated.
Those who watched PBS and drew performed equally well on tests, while those who spent time watching SpongeBob did significantly worse. Watching the full half-hour could be even more detrimental to kids’ attention spans, study authors speculated. Fast-paced programming aimed at a slightly older demographic might be too much for young kids to handle.
Posted on September 11, 2011 in Health & Medicine, Holistic Remedies, Men's Health, Recent Studies, Women's Health
Gentle yoga classes may be beneficial for people with type 2 diabetes, according to a small study of middle-aged and older adults. Study participants lost several pounds and kept blood sugar levels steady during the three-month study.
Among the 60 study participants who took yoga classes several times a week, the average BMI — a measure of weight in relation to height — declined from 25.9 to 25.4. A BMI between 25 and 30 is considered overweight.
The study also tracked how levels of oxidative stress declined in the yoga group. Oxidative stress occurs when levels of reactive oxygen species rise above the body’s ability to neutralize them. Long-term oxidative stress can contribute to disease and other negative health outcomes.
Vigorous exercise is still more effective in helping people with diabetes shed pounds. The study findings do not suggest that yoga should replace regular exercise for people with type 2 diabetes.
Posted on September 10, 2011 in Health & Medicine, Holistic Remedies, Recent Studies
If you’re planning to chow down on potatoes in the near future, know that color makes a nutritional difference: purple ones can help lower blood pressure and protect body cells against free radical damage.
Recent research tracked 18 overweight or obese subjects who ate six to eight small purple potatoes as part of their lunch and dinner. On average, diastolic blood pressure — the bottom number in a blood pressure reading — dropped by a statistically significant 4.3 percent and systolic blood pressure — the top number in a blood pressure reading — dropped by 3.5 percent.
What’s the best way to eat these powerful purple plants? Microwave them, like the subjects of the study did. This method of cooking preserves plant chemicals, including polyphenol antioxidants that protect body cells against free radical damage that can increase disease risk. Higher cooking temperatures destroys many of the healthy substances naturally found in potatoes and leaves only starch, fat, and minerals.
The study, not yet published, was presented this week at the American Chemical Society National Meeting in Denver.
Posted on September 8, 2011 in Health & Medicine, Recent Studies
People in search of a glowing suntan now have an array of sunless tanning options that promise to darken skin tone without the harmful effects of UV radiation. But how safe are these alternate tanning options?
The key ingredient of many sunless tanning creams and lotions is dihydroxyacetone (DHA), a sugar compound that is approved by the FDA as a color additive. DHA reacts with proteins in the outermost layer of dead skin cells to produce a “tan” hue that lasts until the cells slough off.
While many dermatologists are in agreement that sunless tanning creams with DHA are a better alternative to soaking up sun, the additive can produce allergic rashes and other reactions in sensitive skin. No studies have looked into the health effects of regular, long-term use of these products, although no dangers have been detected yet.
Spray-tan booths are a different story, however. Patrons are treated to a full-body blast of DHA that may be inhaled, ingested or absorbed into the bloodstream. Safety studies haven’t been conducted on spray-tan booths, either, but the FDA has received reports of coughing, dizziness, and fainting from people who’ve used the booths.
Posted on September 5, 2011 in FDA, Health & Medicine, Recent Studies, Technology
Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are designed to save lives by administering shocks to hearts in cardiac arrests. But what can be done when the device fails to work because of an easily preventable error? A new study finds that almost a quarter of potentially deadly AED failures are due to problems with batteries.
A study published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine tracks 1,150 AED failures over a 15-year period. Nearly one in four of those failures occurred due to problems with batteries, according to researchers who pored through nearly 41,000 reports of adverse events associated with the devices. Problems with wiring and with the pads that attached to the patient’s chest accounted for other top concerns.
According to information in the FDA’s database, 23.2 percent of the AED failures were due to battery/power failures, while 23.7 percent were due to problems with the pads or connectors. Batteries on AEDs typically last anywhere from three to five years. The devices signal when users should change the batteries with an error message.
Study authors urged that people using AEDs should report when the device fails. If the unit powers off, for instance, people can indicate whether the problem was due to the batteries or some other cause.
Do you know how to use an AED?
Posted on September 4, 2011 in Health & Medicine, Parenting, Recent Studies
A review from the Institute of Medicine sends one message loud and clear: childhood vaccines do not cause autism. The independent panel looked at eight different childhood vaccines, and found that they may cause several other adverse effects, however.
Two live vaccines—one against measles, mumps and rubella and one against chickenpox — were found to be responsible for most of the serious side effects. The committee found clear evidence that the MMR can cause fever-related seizures, which usually cause no long-term harm. The MMR also can cause brain inflammation in people with immune system problems.
The varicella vaccine was also found to cause health problems, including pneumonia, brain swelling, and shingles. Six vaccines were listed as sometimes causing anaphylaxis, a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction: MMR, varicella, influenza, hepatitis B, meningococcal, and tetanus.
Disproving a link between vaccines and autism is nearly impossible, the researchers responsible for the review said. But recent studies show strong evidence that there’s not an autism risk. Although scientists haven’t pinpointed the causes of autism, genetic and environmental factors are involved.
Are you concerned about childhood vaccines?
Posted on August 31, 2011 in Consumer Goods, Health & Medicine, Recent Studies
Chocolate consumption could be associated with a one third reduction in the risk of developing heart disease, according to new research presented at the European Society of Cardiology conference. Should you be chowing down on chocolate regularly?
The jury is still out on whether eating chocolate actually causes better health outcomes. Countless scientific studies have claimed that dark chocolate, in particular, could be beneficial. Dark chocolate contains flavanols that are supposed to be good for the blood system, but researchers are still concerned about the high sugar and fat content of commercially available chocolate.
The University of Cambridge research team looked at the results of seven studies involving 100,000 people. Two of the studies did not show beneficial results from consuming chocolate. Overall, however, the findings showed the highest levels of chocolate consumption were associated with a 37 percent reduction in cardiovascular disease and a 29 percent reduction in stroke compared with the lowest levels. The pooled analysis did not differentiate between dark and milk chocolate.
The study was published online in the British Medical Journal.
Posted on August 28, 2011 in Consumer Goods, Health & Medicine, Recent Studies
Scented laundry products and dryer sheets could contain carcinogens, according to a small University of Washington study published in the journal Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health. The study suggests that the scented items might waft through vents and increase the risk of cancer.
Researchers asked two homeowners to volunteer their washers and dryers, which were scrubbed clean beforehand. The researchers ran normal laundry cycles for three scenarios in each home: once without detergent, once with a scented liquid laundry detergent, and once with scented detergent and leading brand dryer sheets.
More than 25 pollutants were discovered during the course of the study, including carcinogens acetaldehyde and benzene. The emissions released through dryer vents are essentially unregulated, study authors pointed out. “These products can affect not only personal health, but also public and environmental health. The chemicals can go into the air, down the drain and into water bodies,” lead author Anne Steinemann said in a written statement.
“We focus a lot of attention on how to reduce emissions of pollutants from automobiles,” Steinemann said. “And here’s one source of pollutants that could be reduced.”
Do you use scented laundry products?
