Insidermedicine Daily News (Video)
Insidermedicine is a daily health and medical video news service created by a leading physicians. Our content library contains videos in many languages including English, Chinese, Spanish, on over 100 different diseases. Joining the likes of the Associated Press and Reuters, Insidermedicine's newstories are featured ...
Insidermedicine is a daily health and medical video news service created by a leading physicians. Our content library contains videos in many languages including English, Chinese, Spanish, on over 100 different diseases. Joining the likes of the Associated Press and Reuters, Insidermedicine's newstories are featured by Google News and The News Room. April 25, 2007 Patients with HIV who are treated with protease inhibitors have an increased risk of heart attack, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Combination antiretroviral therapy has had a dramatic effect in reducing illness and death associated with the HIV virus, however an earlier study showed that the risk of heart attacks increased by 17% with every year a patient spent on antiretroviral. It isn’t known, though, whether all antiretroviral drugs carry this risk. The assessment of the role of any specific drug is difficult because patients with HIV usually receive a combination of drugs, and often switch regimens because of the availability of newer substances, adverse events, or drug regimen failure. Previous studies have shown a relationship between the use of protease inhibitors, a class of antiretroviral drug, and cardiovascular disease, but there is little information on the risks associated with another class of antiretroviral therapy called nonnucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors. In this study, more than 23,000 patients infected with the HIV virus were assessed to determine the incidence of heart attack and the association between heart attack and exposure to protease inhibitors or nonnucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors. Confirming the earlier results, the researchers found the risk of having a heart attack increased by 16% per year of exposure to protease inhibitors alone, which is equal to twice the risk over five years. Not such effect was observed with nonnucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors. It is thought that protease inhibitors raise the level of blood lipid, thereby increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease and heart attack. Patients treated with protease inhibitors should have their cholesterol and blood pressure levels monitored, and take steps to reduce their lifestyle-related risk factors. This includes maintaining a healthy weight, eating a low-fat diet rich in fruits in vegetables, and getting regular exercise. Reporting for Insidermedicine, I'm Dr. Susan Sharma.
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Head injury, pesticide exposure tied to Parkinson's disease; Moderate alcohol consumption while pregnant lowers child's IQ
(November 17, 2012 - Insidermedicine Week in Review) From California ...
(November 17, 2012 - Insidermedicine Week in Review) From California - A new report published in Neurology finds that people who have had pesticide exposure and also suffer a head injury are at significant increased risk of Parkinson's disease. Researchers studied over 1,000 individuals from an agricultural area in California, nearly 400 of whom had Parkinson's disease. Participant's exposure to the pesticide paraquat--a weed killer--was determined using geographic data. Participants also reported if they ever had a head injury where they lost consciousness for 5 minutes or more. Results showed that Parkinson's patients were 2x more likely to have suffered a head injury that caused 5 minutes loss of consciousness. They were also 36% more likely to have exposure to paraquat than those without the disease. Taken together, suffering a head injury and being exposed to the pesticide resulted in a 3x increased risk of Parkinson's disease From Oxford - Even moderate alcohol consumption during pregnancy affects the child's IQ, according to a report published in PLoS ONE. Researchers reviewed data on over 4,000 mothers and their children, using information from the Children of the 90s study. The effect of alcohol during pregnancy was investigated using genetic variants that could indicate exposure independent of lifestyle or other factors. Results showed that four genetic variants on alcohol-metabolising genes were very strongly associated with lower IQ at age 8. The more genetic modifications the children had, the lower their IQ. This effect was only seen among children whose mothers drank a moderate amount of alcohol during pregnancy and not among mothers who consumed no alcohol at all.
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Genes, omega 3 fatty acids may play a role in postpartum depression
(November 16, 2012 - Insidermedicine) Research suggests that a diet ...
(November 16, 2012 - Insidermedicine) Research suggests that a diet low in omega-3 fatty acids and a genetic makeup that interferes with the transport of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain may work either on their own or together to increase the risk that women will suffer from postpartum depression. A review of the medical research to date on the topic is published in the November issue of the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. Here is some information on postpartum depression: • It is a form of depression that occurs in women soon after giving birth • It is associated with poorer health in the mother • Health and developmental problems are also more likely to occur among the children of depressed mothers. Researchers from the University of Montreal and Sainte-Justine Mother and Child Hospital searched the medical literature for available research on the association between intake of omega-3 fatty acids, carrying certain forms of a gene known as 5-HTT that are associated with relatively poor transport of serotonin between brain cells, and the risk of postpartum depression. Serotonin is known to play an important role in regulating mood and many antidepressants work by increasing available serotonin to brain cells. The investigators identified two well-designed studies that revealed a link between 5-HTT gene type and the risk for postpartum depression. In addition, there is accumulating evidence that women with a low intake of omega-3 fatty acids are more likely to suffer from postpartum depression. There is also some evidence that these two risk factors may interact, meaning that women with both risk factors would be especially vulnerable to postpartum depression. Today’s research demonstrates a need to more closely investigate the links between omega-3 fatty acid intake, the 5-HTT gene, and postpartum depression. The results of such research could help determine whether screening women of childbearing age for their 5-HTT gene type or the amount of omega-3 fatty acids in their diet could help identify those at greatest risk for postpartum depression. It could also help determine whether increasing intake of omega-3 fatty acids through diet or supplements could reduce this risk.
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Over 1 million women in the US could get cancer screening with implementation of Affordable Care Act
(November 16, 2012 - Insidermedicine) From Washington – Over a ...
(November 16, 2012 - Insidermedicine) From Washington – Over a million women in the US could gain access to cancer screening tests as a result of the Affordable Care Act, according to research published in Preventing Chronic Disease. Researchers constructed a mathematical model to estimate the amount of low-income women who would gain health coverage once the ACA is fully implemented. Results showed that 6.8 million women would gain health insurance, 500,000 would be able to get mammograms and 1.3 million would be able to get regular Pap tests to screen for cervical cancer. These results are especially important as nearly 40,000 women die from breast cancer and nearly 4,000 die from cervical cancer every year in the US.
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Vitamin D deficiency may cause type 1 diabetes
(November 16, 2012 - Insidermedicine) From California – A new ...
(November 16, 2012 - Insidermedicine) From California – A new report published in Diabetologia finds that lack of vitamin D may be tied to type 1 diabetes. Researchers examined frozen blood samples from 1000 healthy people who went on the develop type 1 diabetes after their blood was drawn, as well as samples from 1000 healthy people who did not develop the disease. Results of the 6 year study found a strong association between low vitamin D3 in the blood and the development of type 1 diabetes. These results suggest that vitamin D could play a role in preventing the disease.
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Air pollution may cause mental decline in older adults
(November 16, 2012 - Insidermedicine) From California – Air pollution ...
(November 16, 2012 - Insidermedicine) From California – Air pollution can affect mental decline in older adults, according to a report presented at the Gerontological Society of America’s annual meeting. For the study, researchers followed a sample of white, black and Hispanic men and women over the age of 50. Nearly 15,000 participants were followed. Air pollution data was collected from the EPA and cognitive function was measured on a scale of 1 to 35. Results showed that those who lived in areas with high levels of air pollution scored lower on the tests measuring cognitive function. The higher the exposure, the lower the scores. These results were consistent even after accounting for race, education, age, smoking history as well as respiratory and heart conditions.
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Infant Pneumococcal Vaccine; Flame Retardant Exposure in the Womb; Low Omega-3 and Postpartum Depression
(November 12, 2012 - Insidermedicine) From Finland - A novel ...
(November 12, 2012 - Insidermedicine) From Finland - A novel pneumococcal vaccine for infants has shown great success in research published in the Lancet. Researchers randomized nearly 46,000 children under 19 months old to receive 2-4 doses of the vaccine, known as PCV10, or a hepatitis A or B vaccine as a control. Results showed that PCV10 was 92% effective at preventing invasive pneumococcal disease with no safety concerns. From California - Exposure to flame retardants while in the womb raises a child's risk of neurodevelopmental delays, according to a report published in Environmental Health Perspectives. Researchers studied blood samples from nearly 300 pregnant women, following up with their children until the age of 7. They found that exposure to PBDEs during pregnancy--a flame retardant found in foam furniture, carpets, and electronics--was linked to poorer attention, fine motor skills and IQ in the children at ages 5 and 7. From Montreal - Research published in the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry finds that eating fish while pregnant may ward off postpartum depression. Results of a meta-analysis revealed that many women become deficient in omega-3 due to pregnancy and breastfeeding, an aspect that affects how much serotonin is released into the brain. Eating more fish while pregnant could ensure that omega-3 remains at recommended levels.
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Vitamin D supplementation in pregnant women may help prevent multiple sclerosis
(November 14, 2012 - Insidermedicine) From London - Giving pregnant ...
(November 14, 2012 - Insidermedicine) From London - Giving pregnant women vitamin D supplements may help prevent multiple sclerosis, according to a report published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. Researchers reviewed previously published studies that involved over 150,000 MS patients. Several of the studies focused on populations that were greater than 52 degrees from the equator. Results showed that people born in April and May had the highest risk of MS, and those born in October and November had the lowest risk of MS. These results suggest that pregnant women who get insufficient vitamin D exposure during the winter months may be putting their children at risk of the neurological disease. An aspect that underlines the importance of vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy.
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Too much light at night may cause depression, learning problems
(November 14, 2012 - Insidermedicine) From Baltimore - Research published ...
(November 14, 2012 - Insidermedicine) From Baltimore - Research published in Nature finds that light exposure at night may actually cause learning problems and depression. Scientists exposed mice to a cycle of 3.5 hours of light followed by 3.5 hours of darkness in an attempt to replicate seasonal affective disorder. They found that exposing mice to this amount of light increased the rodent's cortisol levels. The mice also demonstrated depressive symptoms, such as a lack of interest in pleasure-seeking and reduced movement, as well as an impaired ability to learn quickly or remember tasks
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Moderate drinking during pregnancy affects child's IQ
(November 14, 2012 - Insidermedicine) From Oxford - Even moderate ...
(November 14, 2012 - Insidermedicine) From Oxford - Even moderate alcohol consumption during pregnancy affects the child's IQ, according to a report published in PLoS ONE. Researchers reviewed data on over 4,000 mothers and their children, using information from the Children of the 90s study. The effect of alcohol during pregnancy was investigated using genetic variants that could indicate exposure independent of lifestyle or other factors. Results showed that four genetic variants on alcohol-metabolising genes were very strongly associated with lower IQ at age 8. The more genetic modifications the children had, the lower their IQ. This effect was only seen among children whose mothers drank a moderate amount of alcohol during pregnancy and not among mothers who consumed no alcohol at all.
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Migraines raise risk of brain lesions in women
(November 13, 2012 - Insidermedicine) Women with migraines have been ...
(November 13, 2012 - Insidermedicine) Women with migraines have been found to be at increased risk of having lesions deep in the white matter of the brain, but the health implications of these findings remain uncertain. The research is published in the November 14 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Here is some information about migraine headache: • It is a form of headache caused by dilation of blood vessels in the brain, which in turn triggers the release of certain chemicals from nerve fibers that coil around the large arteries of the brain • The chemicals cause inflammation, pain, and further dilation of the arteries • Symptoms if migraine include intense head pain as well as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea Researchers from the Leiden University Medical Center followed up more than 400 individuals with and without migraines who underwent brain scans in 2000 using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The investigators repeated these scans in nearly 300 of the original participants to assess the progression of any brain lesions they discovered and to determine whether the changes they observed were linked with the presence of migraines. No link between brain lesions and migraines were found in men. Among women, however, those with migraines were more than twice as likely to have progression of brain lesions deep in the white matter of the brain than those without migraines, after taking into account participants’ age, sex, and educational level as well as the presence of diabetes or high blood pressure. No link was seen between migraines in women and lesions in other parts of the brain. In addition, the intensity, frequency, number, and treatment of the migraines did not appear to be related to the brain lesions, nor was the volume of the brain lesions associated with changes in cognitive ability. Today’s research raises questions about the relationship between migraines and neurological health in women. It remains unclear whether migraines may place women at increased risk for neurological diseases such as stroke.
