Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Smoking is a major risk factor for heart disease, including heart attacks. It is, therefore, no surprise that the CDC reported this week that hospitalizations for heart attacks in Pueblo, Colorado have sustained a 3-year decrease after the city implemented a law making public and work places smoke-free. Multiple studies have shown similar rapid and dramatic decreases within one year after the implementation of smoke-free laws. However, this was the first study to show that the benefits continue years after the initial drop.

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Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) was widely pulicized in the 1990s as the human form of the cow disease bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), which is contracted from eating contaminated beef. However, there are sporadic forms of CJD that can occur for unknown reasons - unrelated to eating meat. Now, researchers have found a new variant of this fatal disease that appears to advance faster, causing dementia and even the loss of ability to speak and move. It is yet unclear what the cause is, but scientists speculate that an interaction with a genetic component may be likely.

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Did you know at any given time approximately ten percent of teenage drivers are either talking or texting on their cell phones? Studies have shown that drivers who use cell phones are four times as likely to be involved in a crash, which is why many states have already banned their use while driving. Now researchers at the University of Utah are taking the case one step further by developing a device which disables cell phone usage while the key is in the ignition. Dubbed “Key2SafeDriving” the device affixes to car keys and uses bluetooth radio waves to signal cell phones to go into “driving mode” so long as the key is in the ignition. While in driving mode, drivers cannot use their phones to talk or text, except for calling 911 or other numbers pre-approved by parents. Incoming calls and texts are automatically answered with a message saying, “I am driving now. I will call you later when I arrive at the destination safely.”

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Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most commonly diagnosed gastrointestinal disorder, accounting for 25 to 50 percent of all referrals to gastroenterologists. The exact cause is unknown, but researchers at the Institute of Human Genetics in Heidelberg, Germany have discovered a genetic mutation in serotonin receptors of the intestinal tract that may cause the diarrhea which many people with IBS experience. Serotonin is a hormone that is found not only in the central nervous system, but in large abundance in the GI tract. A mutation in a receptor for serotonin can explain GI disturbances, such as diarrhea. This discovery will likely pave the way for future treatments of IBS.

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Chinese newspapers are reporting on the curious case of a 20-something year old girl who has temporarily lost hearing in her left ear after receiving a passionate kiss from her boyfriend. The doctor who treated the women offered the explaination that ”The kiss reduced the pressure in the mouth, pulled the eardrum out and caused the breakdown of the ear.” Cases where eardrum rupture caused by a suction force applied to the external ear canal from a kiss forming a tight seal against the ear have also been reported. These curious cases are very rare and kissing, in general, is still considered to be a low-risk enterprise when it comes to eardrum rupture.

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After looking at 20 years of records, Swedish researchers found that the number of heart attacks decreased the Monday after daylight savings time ended, possibly due to the extra hour of sleep most people get. Typically, most heart attacks occur on Mondays due to the increased stress load and activity of the new week. The researchers also noted that the number of heart attacks increased throughout the week after “springing forward” an hour. This may be due to the persistence of sleep disturbance following the reduction of sleep time, which may add to the stress load of the work week.

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Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have discovered an enzyme in blood vessels which produces small amounts of hydrogen sulphide, the gas responsible for the smell of rotten eggs and flatulence. The discovery is notable for the fact that the gas signals blood vessels to relax, dilate, and thereby lower blood pressure. Another gas that functions in a similar manner is nitric oxide, which is often used in the treatment of heart disease. Scientists are hoping to base future blood pressure medications on the discovery of this gas.

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The CDC reported earlier this year that approximately 32% of US children were overweight, 16% were obese, and 11% were extremely obese. With concerns about weight on the minds of most Americans these days, many food companies have voluntarily began campaigns to combat the obesity epidemic by categorizing a certain amount of their products as “healthy alternatives.” But do these wellness initiatives truly have the consumer in mind? In a recent JAMA article pediatrician David Ludwig and Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition at New York University, argues that makers of popular junk foods ultimately have obligations to their stockholders to encourage children to consume more, not less. In an interview with U.S. News they outlined the top 10 things that the food industry doesn’t want you to know, including the following:

- Junk food makers donate large sums of money to professional nutrition associations.

- Less-processed foods are generally more satiating than their highly processed counterparts.

- The food industry funds front groups that fight antiobesity public health initiatives.

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Don Gorske, a Wisconsin man made famous by the 2004 movie Super Size Me, has recently recorded the consumption of his 23rd thousand McDonald’s Big Mac sandwich. According to the 6-foot 2-inch, 185 pound Gorske, his daily food intake consists of two Big Macs, in addition to soft drinks. He also claims a cholesterol level of 140. (An ideal LDL cholesterol level is less than 130). Although not as staggering as Olympian Michael Phelps’ 12,000 calorie diet, Gorske is able to maintain his weight and cholesterol level likely due to his daily activity level - he walks 10 miles a day. Full story.

Beginning September 5, 2008 the FDA will post a quarterly list of drugs that are being evaluated for potential safety concerns. The drugs are identified through the FDA’s Adverse Event Reporting System, a computerized information database designed to support the FDA’s drug safety surveillance program. The appearance of a drug (and the related safety issue) on the list does not mean there is necessarily a problem with the drug. It simply means that the FDA is looking into a potential safety concern that may or may not be related to the drug. The FDA is stressing that this list is not to be used as a warning alarm for those who are taking medications. Rather, it is merely a means of communication for the consumer to know when the FDA is in the early stages of looking into a potential safety problem. See the first quarterly list.