Archive for March 2009

Sleep is important for our mental, emotional and physical well being. Which is why mental disorders, such as depression, often have manifestations of sleep disturbance. However, the results of a University of Michigan study, to be presented at the upcoming World Psychiatric Association meeting, show that the complaint of sleep disturbance is enough to alert physicians that a patient may have a higher risk of suicide, whether or not they have a psychiatric condition. The more types of sleep disturbances people had, the more likely they were to have thoughts of killing themselves, or actually try to do so.

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The British Medical Journal today published a revealing study on the risks of smoking during pregnancy. Women smokers who do not quit prior to 15 weeks of pregnancy are 3 times as likely to give birth prematurely. And if you are a long time smoker and think that quitting now won’t make a difference, think again. Women who stopped smoking during pregnancy, compared to nonsmokers, have the same rate of preterm birth. This goes to show that it’s never too late to quit.

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Thirty six percent of East Asians (Japanese, Chinese, and Koreans) show a characteristic physiological response to consuming alcohol that includes facial flushing , nausea, and tachycardia. This “alcohol blush” is now considered a risk factor for esophageal cancer, one of the deadliest cancers worldwide with a 5-year survival rate of only 15.6% in the United States. Heavy alcohol consumption greatly increases the risk for esophageal cancer among these individuals, who comprise about 8% of the world’s population. Therefore, by simply knowing whether you have this this characteristic response to alcohol, you can decrease your esophageal cancer risk by limiting alcohol intake.

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New research published in the reputable New England Journal of Medicine reports that male circumcision reduces the risk of genital herpes and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, but not syphilis. The researchers say they are unsure why circumcision can reduce the risk of HSV-2 and HPV infection but not syphilis. However, the foreskin helps the HSV-2 and HPV viruses get into the epithelial cells in the surface skin of the penis where they multiply. Circumcision removes the foreskin and perhaps reduces risk of epithelial infection. As well, these findings have large implications in public health, especially in areas of the world where HIV infection is largely present.

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Marrying within one’s family is not usual practice for good reason – genetic diseases can occur more frequently. Aside from that, University of Cambridge researchers have found that children whose parents are related are more susceptible to some infections. By looking at data from certain parts of The Gambia where intra-family marriage is common, Gambian families where children had tuberculosis or hepatitis B, had parents who were significantly more likely to be related than in families with healthy children. Although more investigation needs to be done, it makes sense to think that children whose parents are related may have less diversity at the immunogenetic as well.

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During an internal review of hospital safety, the Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center discovered on March 4th that a part of the equipment used in colonoscopies and other gastrointestinal procedures was not being disinfected, only rinsed – contrary to the manufacturer’s recommendation. This suboptimal sterilization of equipment has led hospital officials to announce a potential increase in risk of HIV and hepatitis transmission for those who have undergone gastrointestinal procedures at the medical center, although there’s no evidence that any patients have been infected. The hospital has sent letters to over 2,500 veterans, and are still trying to reach another 700. Concerned patients and family can call the 24 hour Miami VA hotline at 305-575-7256 or toll free at 1-877-575-7256.

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expanding its alert to consumers regarding contaminated weight loss pills. About 70 such pills are on the list because they contain undeclared active pharmaceutical ingredients, such as anti-seizure medications, diuretics, and even drugs not approved to be marketed in the US. These weight loss products, some of which are marketed as “dietary supplements,” are promoted and sold on various web sites and in retail stores. Some claim to be “natural” or to contain only “herbal” ingredient, but actually contain potentially harmful ingredients not listed on the labels or in advertisements. These products have not been approved by the FDA, are illegal and may be potentially harmful to unsuspecting consumers. Anyone who has used these products should stop taking them. If you are contemplating purchasing weight loss products, please consult your health care professional first.

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A Congressional staff briefing on the state of health care in the US will take place on Tuesday March 24. The briefing will include the release of a new report, Primary Care Access: An Essential Building Block of Health Reform, which will reveal that nearly 60 million Americans are currently without a regular source of preventitive and primary health care. This is attributable to many factors, including economic instability, as well as the worsening shortage of primary care physicians and a growing scarcity of providers willing to treat the uninsured or publicly insured.

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The US government has released the most recent national statistics on birth rates. After reviewing nearly 99% of all birth records in 2007, the total number of births rose to 4,317,119, the highest number of births ever registered in the United States in a single year. As well, the number of children born to unmarried mothers rose significantly. The estimated 1,714,643 babies born to unmarried women in 2007 accounted for 39.7 % of all total births in the country. In addition the number of cesarean deliveries increased for an eleventh consecutive year.

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The health benefits of olive oil has been well documented. The US Food and Drug Administration says consuming 2 tablespoons of olive oil each day may reduce your risk of coronary heart disease. However, the time your olive oil sits on the shelf may reduce it’s health benefit potential. Researchers at the University of Foggia in Italy analyzed a variety of olive oils and found that after 6 months of shelf life, almost all of the oils had a 40% reduction in antioxidant activity level. That certainly doesn’t mean the bottle should go into the trash. The benefits of olive oil is attributed to its high content of monounsaturated fats, in addition to antioxidants.

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