Health news, tips and features: Healia Health Blog
October 2009
Children Gain Weight on Antipsychotic Medications
Health News posted 3 weeks ago by The Healia Team
Dr. Chrostoph Correll, MD, and associates observed 272
children aged 4 to 19 taking atypical antipsychotic medication for the first
time. Drugs/Medications included olanzapine (Zyprexa), quetiapine (Seroquel),
risperidone (Risperadol) and aripiprazole (Abilify)—drugs sometimes used to
treat children with autism, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.
Children’s weights were monitored over a 12-week period.
During the last two weeks of the study, nearly all experienced significant
weight gain. Average gain was as follows: 18.7 pounds with onanzapine, 13.7
pounds with quetiapine, 11.7 pounds with risperidone, and 9.7 pounds with
aripiprazole. Children in the control group gained less than half a pound (.44
pounds) on average.
“(E)ffects such as age-inappropriate weight gain, obesity,
hypertension, and lipid and glucose abnormalities are particularly problematic
during development because they predict adult obesity, metabolic syndrome,
cardiovascular morbidity, and malignancy,” authors of the study write.
Doctors were so concerned over weight gain in children
taking onanzapine that they stopped treatment before the study was completed.
“Each antipsychotic was associated with significantly increased fat mass and
waist circumference,” authors write. “Altogether, 10 percent to 36 percent of
patients transitioned to overweight or obese status within 11 weeks.”
As more children—some younger than 5-years-old—are diagnosed
with bipolar and “disruptive behavior” disorders (such as ADHD), there is
also a rise in atypical antipsychotic prescriptions. These medications are
generally effective for children with autism and schizophrenia, but they may
not be the best treatment for other conditions.
The authors suggest seeking alternative treatments. They
write that, in view of the negative health outcomes, the benefits of using
these medications “must be balanced against their cardiometabolic risks”, and
say the results suggest including in prescription guidelines closer monitoring
during the early months of treatment.
They also plan on researching whether or not diet
restrictions and additional medications for weight and glucose control will
help balance the potential negative effects of the drugs.
Five Ways to Fight Cavities from Halloween Candy
Health News posted 3 weeks ago by The Healia Team 
The review examined the
2007-2008 dental records of U.K. children, 211 of whom were Plymouth
five-year-olds. This number was just under the national average of 30.9
percent, but other regions were significantly worse.
The United States had similar
rates. Almost half of children ages 12 to 15 and about one in four American
children aged 2 to 5 is affected by tooth decay. Overall, it affects 4 million
children in the U.S. alone. Americans consumed an average of 23.8 pounds of
candy each in 2008, and with the
holiday season approaching, parents should be on the watch for cavities.
As Halloween approaches,
candy consumption is likely to skyrocket, but there are plenty of ways to
protect trick-or-treaters from tooth decay. Try these five tips to help reduce
the amount of sugar:
1. Choose reduced-sugar or sugar-free candies. Most stores carry equally tasty sugar-free or
reduced-sugar versions of Halloween favorites, including chocolate, peanut
butter cups and various filled or hard candies. These options won’t completely
eliminate the risk of tooth decay, but they can significantly cut sugar intake.
2. Give out unconventional goodies. When it comes to candy, sugar-free gum is your safest
bet. Candies that can melt and/or stick to teeth are the worst. Other ideas
might include stickers, press-on tattoos, plastic rings, or other small toys.
3.
Go to a Halloween program or event.
Choosing alternatives to trick-or-treating significantly cuts the candy haul.
These events are a great place for adults and children to socialize while
enjoying snacks and fun activities.
4. Set a limit. Put a limit on the amount of candy a child is allowed daily. This
helps prevent candy binges while reducing sugar consumption. Candy can also be
used as a reward for good behavior.
5. Donate excess candy. Many communities have programs that will send it to
troops or donate $1 for every pound of candy donated. Candy can also be donated
to fire stations, schools (for rewards), or other offices in the community.
Regularly brushing teeth and
reducing sugar intake can help prevent cavities. Consuming fewer sweets can
also help decrease children’s risk for obesity and diabetes. Dentists and parents
alike recommend that candy be consumed in moderation.
Bariatric Surgery May Improve Pregnancy Success in Young, Obese Women
Health News posted 3 weeks ago by The Healia Team
Forty-two percent of the
women in the study trying to conceive experienced infertility, but pregnancy
was more likely for women who became obese after age 18. The good news is,
surgical weight loss may increase fertility.
The study, the Longitudinal
Assessment of Bariatric Surgery (LABS), provided information on the fertility
of obese women considering surgical weight loss procedures.
Obesity can interfere with a
woman’s hormone levels, making it difficult to become pregnant. This also makes
vitro procedures less likely to work. Even in the event of conception, there
are major health risks to both mother and child. Not only are miscarriage rates
higher, but there are also a higher rates of premature and still-births.
Weight loss surgery, also
known as bariatric or metabolic surgery, which includes gastric bypass surgery
and lap banding, may help obese women trying to conceive. Many women don't
know that having such a procedure is an option.
Research shows that
bariatric surgery can reduce pregnancy complications for obese women, and LABS
participants were no exception. Roughly 62 percent of LABS participants who
underwent surgery who hoped to conceive experienced at least one live birth
after infertility.
After weight loss surgery,
doctors advise women to wait at least 18 months after surgery (6 months after
banding) before trying to become pregnant. They also suggest using
contraceptives while waiting for the body to become more stable.
“As the incidence of obesity
increases in the United States, women’s health care practitioners are likely to
care for a substantial number of patients who will undergo bariatric surgery,”
says Dr. William Gibbons of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. “Studies
like this one are extremely useful to help us determine how to advise these
patients and best meet their needs.”
Find more information about
pregnancy after bariatric surgery, or test your knowledge with Healia’s
Pregnancy Quiz.
Acetaminophen After Boosters May Weaken Infant Immune Systems
Health News posted 3 weeks ago by The Healia Team
Acetaminophen is sometimes given to infants and small
children following shots to prevent fever, a common reaction to vaccinations.
This study examined the effects of acetaminophen on immune response after
initial and booster vaccinations.
Two hundred twenty-six children from 10 different medical
centers were randomly selected to receive three doses every six to eight hours
for 24 hours after immunizations. Just 42 percent of these children experienced
fevers (100.4 degrees F or above), compared to 66 percent of a control group of
233.
When it was time for booster shots, parents were asked to
repeat the process. There was a lower incidence of fever in both groups—36
percent for those who took acetaminophen and 58 percent for those who did not.
Children who received acetaminophen , however, had fewer
antibodies, indicating more susceptibility to disease. In the studied children,
pneumonia, hepatitis B, whooping cough, polio, diphtheria and tetanus
antibodies were fewer following vaccinations and boosters with acetaminophen
use.
Antibodies are proteins in the immune system
(immunoglobulins) that bind to harmful pathogens (viruses) to keep them away
from healthy white blood cells. Without these antibodies, the body’s immune
system is more susceptible to disease.
When vaccines fail to protect against diseases, the health
of the entire community is at stake because viruses are more easily spread.
“This point has implications, especially for Haemophilus
influenzae, for which higher and sustained antibody concentrations are needed
(to reduce transmission),” says Dr. Robert T Chen of the Centers for Disease
Control in Atlanta, “…and for pertussis, the bacterial vaccine-preventable
disease that is least controlled.”
Although they’re not entirely sure why children taking
acetaminophen had fewer antibodies, doctors plan to explore the issue further.
They stress the importance of this information, and advise against unnecessary
acetaminophen use.
“(A)dministration of antipyretic drugs at the time of
vaccination should nevertheless no longer be routinely recommended without
careful weighing of the expected benefits and risks,” wrote lead author Dr.
Roman Pryula of the University of Defense in Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic.
The study appears in this month’s online issue of The
Lancet.
Safflower Oil Helps Women with Type 2 Diabetes Lose Weight, Control Blood Sugar
Health News posted 1 month ago by The Healia Team
After menopause,
many women experience weight gain, which increases the risk of developing
metabolic conditions. For women with type 2 diabetes, weight loss and glucose
management can become extremely difficult to manage. Researchers found that
both CLA and safflower oil proved particularly beneficial to postmenopausal
women with type 2 diabetes.
CLA, conjugated
linoleic acid, is an unsaturated fatty acid found primarily in meat and dairy
products of cows, goats and sheep. CLA has been known to help people wishing to
build muscle, lose weight and prevent heart disease.
Safflower oil is a
plant-based oil similar to sunflower oil that is used in cooking oils, salad
dressings and some margarines. Safflower oil, SAF, is a colorless and
flavorless source of omega-6 fatty acids, and has been known to promote
healthier skin and hair, reduce cholesterol and boost the immune system.
Thirty-five women
completed a 36-week study comparing the effects of CLA and safflower oil on
weight and body mass. Each supplement was consumed for sixteen weeks. Participants
took roughly two teaspoons of either oil daily.
CLA began to cut
body fat and reduce BMI after just eight weeks. “This magnitude of reduction
has not been reported in an intervention that used a linoleic acid-rich oil,”
wrote lead authors Martha Belury and Leigh Norris, both from the Department of
Human Nutrition at OSU.
Safflower oil,
originally meant for baseline comparison, yielded exciting changes of its own.
Safflower oil reduced trunk mass and increased lean muscle mass, resulting in
an average loss of 6.3 percent of body fat. It also reduced insulin resistance
and fasting blood glucose levels.
“I never would have
imagined such a finding,” Belury says. “This study is the first to show that
such a modest amount of linoleic acid-rich oil may have a profound effect on
body composition in women."
Belury and
associates are pleased with the results of their study, and hope to explore the
effects further. They believe that CLA and safflower oil show great promise in
weight and glucose management for women with type 2 diabetes.
“It is possible
that further reductions in BMI are achievable with a longer length of
supplementation,” the authors wrote. “The use of lower doses of CLA over longer
durations of intervention may prove to be an effective weight-loss aid."
The study appears online in The Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Recession Could Increase Life Expectancy
Health News posted 1 month ago by The Healia Team
“While economic expansions bring with them
increases in employment, greater optimism, and higher incomes (although not
always and not for all sectors of the population), recessions are of periods of
pessimism, shrinking, and social malaise,” study authors Jose A. Tapia Granados
and Ana V. Diez Roux wrote. How, then, could this improve health?
Granados and Diez believe this may be due, in part,
to the stress factors associated with economic boom. During times of economic
prosperity, employees carry a much heavier workload. Higher occupational
demands require workers to work quickly and put in more hours, which can cause
greater stress and greater alcohol and tobacco consumption. There are also
higher rates of cardiovascular problems during periods of expansion. There is
less to do during times of economic downturn, which would eliminate many of
these problems.
To examine the effects of recession on health and
life expectancy, Granados and Diez reviewed mortality rates during the Great
Depression. “Mortality tended to peak during years of strong economic
expansion,” the authors wrote. “In contrast, the recessions of 1921, 1930-1933
and 1938 coincided with declines in mortality and gains in life expectancy.”
In 1932, at the height of the depression, nearly 23
percent of the U.S. population was unemployed. Life expectancy at this time was
63.3 years, up over six years from 57.7 in 1929. Not only did the weak economy
seem to prolong life, but there was also a decline in tuberculosis cases,
traffic accidents and pollution.
Overall statistics were consistent across age
groups, gender, and whites and nonwhites, but the latter group saw the most
benefit. “Nonwhite males lost 8.1 years of life expectancy between 1921 and 1926,
and females lost 7.4 years (a brief period of expansion),” authors wrote. “In
contrast, during the Great Depression nonwhites gained 8 years of longevity.”
Suicide rates rose during the Great Depression,
accounting for less than two percent of all deaths. The economic crisis of the
1920s and 30s also saw higher rates of infant mortality and malnutrition in
areas with extremely high unemployment rates, but people generally lived
longer, healthier lives.
If this pattern holds true today, they say it’s
possible current economic conditions could give Americans up to two additional
years of life: “Although social science is not physics, regularities in the
past allow us at least some confidence in forecasting the future.” They also
stress that although this information is promising, the negative effects of anxiety and hopelessness can still take a toll on a person’s health and well-being.
Granados and Diaz plan to continue their research. They explain, “A better understanding of the beneficial effects of recessions on health may perhaps contribute to the development of economic policies that enhance health and minimize or buffer adverse impacts of economic expansions.”
Alzheimer's Memory Aid Possible with New Visual Recording Tool
Health News posted 1 month ago by The Healia Team
SenseCam automatically snaps pictures every 30 seconds to create
and archive image sequences. Its fish-eye lens creates images similar to the
wearer’s natural perspective. It is also capable of recording short videos.
About the size of a deck of cards, SenseCam weighs just 3.2 ounces and stores
up to 30,000 pictures.
“The small size of the recall device makes it possible to
integrate it into common portable consumer products, such as MP3 players,
purses, clothing, hats, backpacks, necklaces, collars, and other human-wearable
products,” developers wrote in the patent.
The images primarily trigger episodic recall, memory of
events and experiences. This is the most common form of memory loss for Alzheimer's patients.
Lyndsay Williams invented SenseCam for Microsoft Cambridge in 1999. The device has since been used
to monitor diet, anxiety triggers and disaster response volunteers. Gordon
Bell, 75, one of Microsoft’s lead researchers, has been using the SenseCam to
record every detail of his daily life every day for the last ten years. “I
capture everything that I can that is of value,” he says. “I think of my
e-memory and bio-memory as one.”
SenseCam features a 24-hour battery life, and according to
Bell it’s also extremely durable. His first SenseCam lasted 4 years. That’s
over 420,480 pictures! Because so much information is recorded, Bell stresses
the importance of a good filing system.
“We have a collections mechanism that gives as a by-product
a more general file system beyond (an organizational) tree, ability to collect stuff together and
name it, keywords, taxonomies,” he says. “My favorite organizing principle is
facets.”
Apart from day-to-day activity, Bell says it’s come in handy
when meeting new people at tradeshows and conferences. He’s come to depend on
and respect the system a great deal, too. “All of your life’s images have a
strong impact on being able to refresh your life,” he says.
SenseCam shows great potential, but further research is needed to determine its full effect on memory recall. In the meantime, you can read more about Bell's experience in his book, Total Recall, or follow MyLifeBits until the official release date is set.
Visit Healia's Alzheimer's Community.
Mental Illness Awareness Week and What You Should Know About Seasonal Affective Disorder
Health News posted 1 month ago by The Healia Team
Today marks the last day of Mental Illness Awareness Week,
first recognized by Congress in 1990. The first week of October has since been
used to raise awareness about mental health issues. As fall approaches,
seasonal affective disorder may be one issue to look out for.Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a common mood disorder that occurs in autumn and winter. The reduced sunlight during these months causes the body to fall out of its natural rhythm. People with the disorder may feel drained, depressed, or lack interest in normal activity, among other symptoms.
Not to worry, though. These five tips may help you lose those winter blues:
- Exercise regularly. Just 30 minutes of exercise is enough to flood the brain with endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good hormones.
- Eat a balanced diet. Cutting out excess carbohydrates and saturated fats and replacing them with healthier foods can boost your metabolism and give you more energy.
- Get plenty of sunlight. Most physicians recommend getting at least 30 minutes of sunlight to boost brain chemistry. If sunlight is scarce, you might consider a form of light therapy.
- Consult your physician. There are lots of health conditions with similar symptoms as sad. SAD can be mistaken as hypothyroidism, mononucleosis, or another mental disorder.
- Consider medication. For more
severe cases of SAD, medication may be needed to balance the brain’s chemical
levels. Talk to your doctor about different medications and other treatment options.
According to the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI), as many as 26 percent of adults and 10 percent of children living in the U.S. are directly affected by a mental health disorder every year. Mental illness affects everyone, but it doesn’t have to wreak havoc on your life. Taking extra steps toward positive mental health can keep a smile on your face this season.
Get more information about symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD), or find resources on how to make Mental Illness Awareness Week recognized in your community.
Retinal Device Helps Some Blind People See
Health News posted 2 months ago by The Healia Team“So far everyone has been able to see something,”
says Brian Mech, Ph. D., M.B.A., and vice president of business development at
Second Sight, the company that created the device. “Some of the greatest
successes are people who can read large letters. They do sometimes see color,
but we haven’t yet focused on reproducing color in a controlled way,” he
explains. “We want to wait until black and white is perfected before we worry
about color.”
Procedures currently help individuals with retinitis
pigmentosa (RP), a disease responsible for roughly 200,000 cases of blindness
in the United States. When light enters the eye through the pupil, it strikes
the retina at the back of the eye and is converted to an electrical signal by
rods and cones. In individuals with RP, these tissues deteriorate, resulting in
full or partial blindness.
The restoration process starts with an image captured
by a small camera attached to a pair of glasses. After streaming through a
video processor, the data is then transferred back through the glasses to a
tiny electrode “sheet” implanted on the retina. These electrodes use electrical
impulses to communicate visual information to undamaged retinal tissue (just as
healthy rods and cones would have done). The result is some degree of sight.
Currently the devices have only 60 electrodes,
compared to more than 2 million in HD televisions, so images are still rough.
This means that if the entire population of New Mexico plus 17,000 of their
relatives were gathered in a field, only 60 would be visible.
The technology has been greatly improved from earlier
16-electrode versions. Before, objects appeared as horizontal lines. Now users
can make out basic shapes; some can see faint reflections and differentiate
between concrete and grass.
“Our near term goal is to get regulatory approval to
market the device in Europe and the United States. This will allow us to
generate revenue to fund the development of next generation prostheses with
greater numbers of electrodes. This should mean more utility for the patients,”
Mech explains.
Researchers from Second Sight will follow project participants for the next three years to track progress. They hope to develop versions with 200 and 1000 electrodes in the future, but so far implant recipients are pleased with results.
"Besides the objective testing that we do to show improvement in visual function, participants are often most excited by personal experiences. One woman saw the moon for the first time in about 20 years," Mech says. "Another can shoot baskets and watch her grandkids play soccer. This is significant."
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