Most people likely to become overweight as they age
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A 30-year study finds that most adults—nine out of 10 men, seven out of 10 women—are likely to be or become overweight as they grow older.
The report, published today in the Annals of Internal Medicine, was based on the experience of more than 4,000 white adults who were the second generation of a long-term study of heart disease sponsored by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
Exercise in middle age cuts Alzheimer’s risk
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Exercising in middle age not only keeps the weight down and the heart healthy but can also cut the risk of suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, particularly in high risk people, Swedish researchers said on Monday.
Scientists at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden found that people in mid-life who exercised at least twice a week had about a 60 percent lower risk of suffering from dementia than more sedentary people.
Exercise training may ease chronic back pain
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For workers disabling back pain, a supervised exercise program combining resistance training to strengthen the muscles of the lower back with exercises designed to improve flexibility and coordination may help them return to work, a study shows.
A look back at 314 consecutive individuals with chronic back pain attributed largely to work-related causes who participated in the 8- to 15-week exercise program showed that many of them saw improvement in their ability to move and had less pain.
Primary Care Clinics May Speed Early Alerts to Disease Outbreaks
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Disease outbreaks can be spotted quickly by automated daily data reporting of office-based diagnostic billing codes, according to a pilot study in a family practice clinic.
Investigators found in a North Carolina family practice clinic that that the daily data reporting was faster and more efficient than the emergency room surveillance systems already in place in the state, reported Philip D. Sloane, M.D., of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Migraine History May Predict Severity of Illness in Depressed Patients
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A previous diagnosis of migraine suggests that a fresh diagnosis of Depression may mean a particularly severe illness, with significant comorbidities.
In a presentation to the American Academy of Family Physicians meeting here, a group from Kalamazoo, Mich., reported on an office-based chart review of 107 patients newly diagnosed with Depression.
Many docs favor OTC access to ‘morning-after’ pill
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The majority of physicians in a recent national survey support over-the-counter (OTC) availability of the emergency contraceptive pill Plan B, but with age restrictions.
The New Jersey-based marketing and communications research company HCD Research surveyed 724 physicians regarding Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc.‘s Plan B “morning-after” contraceptive. Plan B contains high doses of progestin, to interfere with ovulation or prevent fertilization of an egg if taken within 72 hours of sexual intercourse, according to the manufacturer.
Heart attack death rate higher in December
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People hospitalized with a heart attack are more likely to die in December, and it’s not because their treatment is inferior, investigators report.
The incidence of heart attacks is higher in winter months, and so is the mortality rate from these attacks, Dr. Trip J. Meine and others note in their report in the Annals of Internal Medicine. They theorized that the cause is decreased use of proven treatments during the December holiday season.
Link weak between alcohol and lung cancer
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Pooled data from seven studies on diet and cancer provide weak evidence of a link between alcohol consumption and lung cancer risk—mainly confined to men who never smoked.
Although smoking is the main cause of lung cancer, not much is known about risk factors for nonsmokers, and modifying factors for smokers, Dr. Jo L. Freudenheim from the State University of New York at Buffalo and colleagues explain in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Vaginal birth after c-section safe after due date
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Women who have undergone a prior cesarean delivery can safely attempt to give birth vaginally in a subsequent pregnancy, even when they’re at or beyond 40 weeks, US researchers report. However, the chances of being able to complete a vaginal birth are reduced.
The safety of vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) in a variety of situations has been investigated before, the team explains in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, but little has been published about VBAC attempts for women at or past their expected delivery date.
Husband’s support can help with breastfeeding
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Though efforts to encourage breastfeeding are usually aimed at new mothers, getting dads on board can also help, according to a study published Monday.
The study, which followed 280 sets of new parents, found that mothers were more likely to breastfeed over the long term when their husbands also got some advice on breastfeeding.
US FDA head gives up cancer duties after criticism
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National Cancer Institute Director Andrew von Eschenbach will give up his daily duties there to focus on his new job as acting Food and Drug Administration commissioner, he told FDA staff on Friday.
Von Eschenbach also said he will recuse himself from certain FDA business that involves NCI research.
Clowns ease anxiety in young patients -study
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A clown in the operating room may relax anxious children who are about to undergo surgery, but the entertainer has to learn to keep out of the way, Italian researchers said on Monday.
A study of 40 children between 4 months and 3 years old who were accompanied by at least one parent prior to minor surgery found having a clown present significantly reduced anxiety levels for both child and parent. Three out of five children suffer anxiety before surgery, according to the report published in the journal Pediatrics.
Genome to get U.S. govt anthrax drug deal
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Human Genome Sciences Inc. plans to announce a deal with the U.S. government on Monday to provide as many as 100,000 doses of an experimental anthrax drug, the Washington Post reported.
The Rockville, Maryland-based company will sell the government a third of an ounce of the drug for $1.8 million, an amount sufficient for government testers to compare the product with competitors, the paper said.
Family Therapy Can Combat Conduct Disorders
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Family therapy can help quell substance abuse and conduct disorders in children and adolescents, but is not as effective when the diagnosis is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), researchers said here today.
A 10-year review of published research found that two types of family therapy, parent management training and behavioral family therapy, are especially effective for conduct disorders, said Allan Josephson, M.D., of Bingham Child Guidance in Louisville.
Coffee Sends Wake Up Call to the Brain
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People who queue up at Starbucks to buy a $5 cup of coffee do get their bang for those bucks, according to a Texas researcher. He has tracked the “wake-up” effect of coffee to its ability to block a brain chemical that makes people sleepy.
Robert W. Greene, M.D., a professor of psychiatry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, said the caffeine in coffee blocks the brain’s production of adenosine, a brain chemical that calms the brain’s arousal centers.
