Category: Health

{Every year, 57,100 children who started primary school in England at a healthy weight end up obese or overweight by the time they leave, according to new statistics published by Cancer Research UK.
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This worrying statistic adds to the fact that one in five children are already overweight or obese when they start primary school. And by the time they leave, that figure rises to one in three.

To highlight the staggeringly high level of children’s obesity and epidemic of rising ill-health, Cancer Research UK has transformed a shop front into an XL school uniform shop to show the new norm of larger school uniforms.

The Government has reneged on its commitment to publish a robust strategy to tackle the crisis of children’s obesity. Encouraging exercise and a sugar tax alone won’t curb the rise of ill-health which could cost the NHS billions. Commitments to protect children from junk food marketing and mandatory targets to reduce the amount of fat, sugar and salt in food are also vital.

We know that obese children are around five times more likely to grow into obese adults, and carrying too much weight increases the risk of cancer as well as other diseases.

Sarah-Louise Bridgewater from Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, mother of two, said: “As a mum, my number one priority is to make sure my children are healthy. Seeing these outsize school uniforms has really worried me.

“As much as I want to, I just can’t watch my children 24 hours a day and it’s hard to stop them spending their pocket money on junk food. We’ve got to pull together to stop kids stuffing themselves with fatty sugary food that’s going to make them ill later in life.”

Being overweight or obese is the single biggest cause of preventable cancer in the UK after smoking and contributes to 18,100 cases of cancer every year. It is linked to 10 types of cancer including bowel, breast, and pancreatic.

Alison Cox, Cancer Research UK’s director of prevention, said: “The Government has failed children. More than 57,000 children will become overweight or obese during primary school each year in England, and the Government had a chance to prevent this. The childhood obesity plan is simply not up to the task of tackling children’s obesity. Instead, the next generation faces a future of ill health, shortened lives, and an overstretched NHS.

“It will take more than encouraging exercise and a sugar tax to tackle the obesity epidemic. The Government has already recognised the influence of junk food marketing on children’s health by banning junk food advertising during children’s programmes — it’s time to close the loop hole during family viewing time.

“Young waistlines have been expanding steadily over the last two decades. With so many overweight and obese children in England, we are seeing a greater need for larger school uniforms. And it’s a shame the Government has missed an opportunity to save lives.”

{Researchers have examined the biggest challenges for African American women after receiving breast cancer treatment. One of the main concerns was the problem of medical mistrust. Women expressed concern that the information they received was inferior to Caucasians leaving them less prepared to deal with survivor challenges after treatment completion.}

Although there is some overlap, past research has shown that the challenges faced by African American breast cancer survivors differ somewhat from Caucasian women. But the studies that demonstrated difference were not designed to explore those challenges in depth. Now new research from Thomas Jefferson University helps identify problems that are important to African American women — a first step in creating programs that better serve the needs of the community, and which could help reduce cancer disparities and improve health outcomes.

“We know that 21 percent of African American women with breast cancer don’t survive five years past their diagnosis, compared to only eight percent of Caucasian women. We wanted to explore whether the problems they experience after their first round of treatment might contribute to that disparity,” says lead author Andrea Barsevick, Ph.D., R.N., a Professor in Medical Oncology and researcher at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University. The study was published in the journal Supportive Care in Cancer.

In order to understand the experience of African American breast cancer survivors, the researchers conducted eight focus groups with 60 survivors to learn what was most important to them. One of the ideas that came up in every focus group was the problem of medical mistrust. Women expressed concern that the information they received was inferior to Caucasians leaving them less prepared to deal with survivor challenges after treatment completion.

Findings from the focus groups were used to refine a survey of survivor problems to be distributed to African American survivors. A survey of 31 survivor concerns that had been validated previously was modified to include 20 new items based on the focus group discussions. Questions about medical mistrust were also added to the survey based on concerns raised in the focus groups. The survey was mailed to over a thousand African American cancer survivors, of which 297 completed surveys were returned (a response rate comparable to other studies). Respondents rated problems like, “Feeling less feminine,” or “fatigue, loss of strength,” or “being treated as different from others,” as “not a problem, somewhat of a problem, or a severe problem.”

The researchers found that survivor problems reported in this survey could be grouped into four categories of concern: emotional, physical, resource, and sexual problems. Previous research using this survey identified physical, emotional, and economic concerns in a mixed group of cancer survivors (mixed race, gender, and cancer diagnosis).

In addition, the importance of these groups of problems varied between survey participants. For example, younger women reported more concerns overall than older women, women who had two or more chronic conditions in addition to cancer also reported a higher number of survivor problems. And women with higher levels of medical mistrust also had more survivor problems.

Does this suggest that survivor problems are being caused by mistrust or that younger women are at greater risk for problems than older women? “Not necessarily” says co-author Amy Leader, Dr.P.H., M.P.H. an assistant professor of Medical Oncology and research at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center who collaborated on this research. “The associations aren’t causal, but they do show us how much diversity there is within the African American women as a group, and that it will be important to craft different approaches to address the needs of different parts of the community. For example, different types of educational resources may be needed by younger versus older survivors. And for all of them, educational materials and resources should be culturally tailored to African American survivors.”

“Combating cancer disparities in the African American community will take a multi-faceted approach,” says co-author Patricia K. Bradley, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N., associate professor in the College of Nursing at Villanova University. “This research is the first step toward bridging the gap in care after initial cancer treatment is completed.”

“African American survivors have taught us what’s important to them,” says Dr. Barsevick. She and her colleagues are now working with a panel of local advisors to create a tailored survivorship care plan that includes resources and coping methods addressing the concerns that are most important to African American women.

{Heritability estimates provide first evidence that weight identity may have genetic underpinnings.}

Do you feel overweight, about right, or too skinny?

Your answer to that question may be tied to genes you inherited from your parents, especially if you are a female, according to a new study led by the University of Colorado Boulder.

“This study is the first to show that genes may influence how people feel about their weight,” said CU Boulder doctoral student Robbee Wedow, lead study author. “And we found the effect is much stronger for women than men.”

The research measured the heritability of subjective weight status, which indicates what proportion of variation in a given trait is due to genes versus the environment. Heritability estimates range from 0 to 1, with 0 indicating that genetics are not a contributing factor at all, and 1 indicating that genetics are the only contributing factor.

The study showed that perceived weight status was 0.47 heritable, said Wedow, who along with co-author Jason Boardman is in the Department of Sociology and a member of CU Boulder’s Institute of Behavioral Science.

“The heritability estimates provided us with the first evidence that weight identity may have genetic underpinnings,” Wedow said.

A paper on the subject was just published online in the journal Social Science & Medicine.

The team used data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, or Add Health, that has sampled more than 20,000 adolescents into adulthood, including hundreds of twins who were first quizzed about their health beginning in 1994. All participants in the national study were re-sampled during four subsequent in-home interviews running through 2008.

First, the body mass index (BMI), or the height-to-weight ratio, of each person was calculated during each of the four Add Health interviews. Then, the participants were asked how they felt about their own weight. Response options included “very underweight,” “slightly underweight,” “about the right weight,” “slightly overweight” and “very overweight.”

The researchers paid special attention to the Add Health twin data as a way to get at the genetic part of perceived weight status, looking at information from more than 700 twin pairs in the database. They included identical twins and fraternal twins, the latter including both same-sex and opposite-sex siblings. Identical twins share 100 percent of their genes with each other, while fraternal twins share about 50 percent of their genes.

Boardman said the new study and others like it are important since researchers have repeatedly shown that health assessments are strong predictors of adult mortality. Some studies have shown that self-health assessments are at least as accurate as health assessments of the subjects made by their physicians, he said.

“One’s own perception about his or her health is a gold standard measure — it predicts mortality better than anything else,” said Boardman. “But those who are less flexible in assessing their changing health over time may be less likely than others to make significant efforts to improve and maintain their health.”

The researchers emphasized that even when there is a genetic connection to particular human behaviors or traits, social environments and personal choices will always play a major role in shaping outcomes.

{A total of 168 medical doctors that have completed university education have been deployed at various hospitals countrywide and urged on observing professionalism in treating and giving medical care to patients every day.}

Of the total number, 94 have been permanently hired while 74 are on internship.
The deployed medical doctors have been advised to observe professionalism at all times.

“A patient needs a doctor who listens and takes care of him. Even if you are experienced but disrespect patients, your services will not last. Listen to patients and explain what you are about to do with or for them and why,” said the state minister in the Ministry of Health, Dr Ndimubanzi Patrick as he briefed 168 medical doctors yesterday.

Dr Mugabe Fiacre Byiringiro, who represented the commissioned medical doctors advised them to apply skills acquired during internship.

“We have been carrying out internship for one year. We learnt a lot of practical skills other than theoretical courses from classes. We are going to be practical in applying what we have learnt,” he promised.

The 74 intern medical doctors have been deployed to 46 hospitals countrywide.

{Your teeth is an important part of your mouth, and is important for food digestion. However, many expose their teeth to dangerous habits which aren’t good for the teeth.}

{{These are some of them below:}}

1. Brushing your teeth is a good oral hygiene; however, brushing too hard can wear down the protective layer of the tooth — the enamel, irritate your gum and even cause cavities.

{{2. Smoking }}

Smoking can cause all manner of dangers to your oral health; such as gum disease, stains on the teeth, raise the risk of mouth cancer and dry up the mouth, which could cause a build up of plaque.

{{3. Soda }}

The acidity in soda is bad for your teeth; it can damage your enamel and cause decay around your gum. It’s even worse when you sip soda for a long time.

{{4. Nail biting }}

Biting your nail is bad for your teeth; it puts too much pressure on the teeth and can move the teeth out of its place. It can even do damage to your enamel.

{{5. Using teeth as a tool }}

People use their teeth as bottle opener, to cut objects and do certain chores in the house, but that’s bad for the teeth. It can cause your teeth to crack and cause other problems for the teeth.

{{6. Chewing ice }}

The cold temperature of ice and its hardness can are not healthy for your teeth and can cause serious teeth damage.

{{7. Lemons}}

Sucking on lemons for long is also bad for your teeth. Lemons are very acidic and can cause the tooth enamel to erode.

If you love your teeth, you need to stay off these habits.

{“Johns” Hopkins researchers join collaborative group to screen 6,000 existing drugs in hopes of finding treatments for Zika Virus infection.}

Scientists report that a specialized drug screen test using lab-grown human cells has revealed two classes of compounds already in the pharmaceutical arsenal that may work against mosquito-borne Zika virus infections.

In a summary of their work, published in Nature Medicine on Aug. 29, the investigators say they screened 6,000 existing compounds currently in late-stage clinical trials or already approved for human use for other conditions, and identified several compounds that showed the ability to hinder or halt the progress of the Zika virus in lab-grown human neural cells.

The research collaboration includes teams from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, the National Institutes of Health and Florida State University.

“It takes years if not decades to develop a new drug,” says Hongjun Song, Ph.D., director of the Stem Cell Program in the Institute of Cell Engineering at Johns Hopkins. “In this sort of global health emergency, we don’t have that kind of time.”

“So instead of using new drugs, we chose to screen existing drugs,” adds Guo-li Ming, M.D., Ph.D., professor of neurology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. “In this way, we hope to create a therapy much more quickly.”

The new findings are an extension of previous work by the research team, which found that Zika mainly targets specialized stem cells that give rise to neurons in the brain’s outer layer, the cortex. The researchers observed Zika’s effects in two- and three-dimensional cell cultures called “mini-brains,” which share structures with the human brain and allow researchers to study the effects of Zika in a more accurate model for human infection.

In the current study, the research team exposed similar cell cultures to the Zika virus and the drugs one at a time, measuring for indicators of cell death, including caspase-3 activity, a chemical marker of cell death, and ATP, a molecule whose presence is indicative of cell vitality.

Typically, after Zika infection, the damage done to neural cells is “dramatic and irreversible,” says Hengli Tang, Ph.D., professor of biological sciences at Florida State University. However, some of the compounds tested allowed the cells to survive longer and, in some cases, fully recover from infections.

Further analysis of the surviving cells, says Ming, showed that the promising drugs could be divided into two classes: neuroprotective drugs, which prevent the activation of mechanisms that cause cell death, and antiviral drugs, which slow or stop viral infection or replication. Overall, Song says, three drugs showed robust enough results to warrant further study: PHA-690509, an investigational compound with antiviral properties; emricasan, now in clinical trials to reduce liver damage from hepatitis C virus and shown to have neuroprotective effects; and niclosamide, a drug already used in humans and livestock to combat parasitic infections, which worked as an antiviral agent in these experiments.

Song cautioned that the three drugs “are very effective against Zika in the dish, but we don’t know if they can work in humans in the same way.” For example, he says, although niclosamide can safely treat parasites in the human gastrointestinal tract, scientists have not yet determined if the drug can even penetrate the central nervous system of adults or a fetus inside a carrier’s womb to treat the brain cells targeted by Zika.

Nor, he says, do they know if the drugs would address the wide range of effects of Zika infection, which include microcephaly in fetuses and temporary paralysis from Guillain-Barre syndrome in adults.

“To address these questions, additional studies need to be done in animal models as well as humans to demonstrate their ability to treat Zika infection,” says Ming. “So we could still be years away from finding a treatment that works.”

The researchers say their next steps include testing the efficacy of these drugs in animal models to see if they have the ability to combat Zika in vivo.

Zika was first identified in 1947 and garnered little scientific interest until an outbreak began in South America in mid-2015. This outbreak is now known to be responsible for an increase in cases of microcephaly — a severe birth defect in which afflicted infants are born with underdeveloped brains. In the continental United States, there have been a total of 2,260 reported cases of Zika. Though most cases are associated with travel, 43 cases of local transmission have been reported in Florida, in the Miami area. In addition, Puerto Rico has reported 7,855 locally transmitted cases, spurring the Obama administration to declare a public health emergency in the territory on Aug. 12. From these reports, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that up to 270 babies may be born with microcephaly by 2017. The CDC is advising preventive measures for people in these areas, including eliminating standing water where mosquitos breed and creating a barrier from bites with clothing and wearing insect repellents. The Florida Department of Health has a robust mosquito-borne illness surveillance system. It has partnered with local groups and the CDC to fight Zika infections, and is providing free Zika testing to all pregnant women. The Puerto Rico Department of Health has put an active Zika surveillance system in place to coordinate reporting from health care providers and weekly mosquito spraying in many areas.

The Zika virus is commonly transmitted from mosquito bites or from an infected person to an uninfected person through sexual contact. Despite the potential effects of infection, only one in four infected people will present symptoms if Zika infection, allowing the virus to spread rapidly in areas with local transmission. Because of this, the CDC recommends all pregnant women with ongoing risk of Zika infection, including residence or frequent travel to areas with active Zika virus transmission, receive screening throughout their pregnancy.

Many research groups are fast tracking the development of vaccines, treatments and mosquito control measures to combat further spread of the virus.

Additional authors include Emily M. Lee, Yichen Cheng, Sarah C. Ogden, Christy Hammack, Catherine Hanna and Chase Allen of Florida State University; Wei Zheng, Jennifer Kouznetsova, Misha Itkin, Paul Shinn, Samuel G. Michael, Anton Simeonov, Wenwei Huang, Rulli Huang and Menghang Xia of the National Institutes of Health; Alison Goate and Kristen Brennand of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; Miao Xu of the National Institutes of Health and Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; Zhexing Wen of Emory University School of Medicine and the Institute of Cell Engineering at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; and Wei-kai Huang, Xuyu Qian, Fadi Jacob, Ha Nam Nguyen and Kimberly M. Christian of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

This work was supported by the Intramural Research Program of the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, ZIKV seed funding from Florida State University, Startup fund from Emory University, the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, the New York Stem Cell Foundation, and the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund, the National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NS048271, NS095348, NS047344, NS097206) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (AI119530).

{New research presented at this year’s World Congress of Anaesthesiologists (WCA) in Hong Kong (28 Aug — 2 Sept) shows that patients who have surgery during the night are twice as likely to die as patients operated on during regular working hours. Patients operated on later in the working day or in the early evening also have a higher mortality risk, concludes the study by Dr Michael Tessler, Associate Professor of Anesthesiology, and Dr Ning Nan Wang, Chief Resident, Department of Anesthesia at McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Canada, and colleagues.}

Postoperative mortality risk factors have been previously extensively studied. Previously identified risk factors include the patient age (1,2); the American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) overall risk score (2) and emergency status (1,2). Research studies analysing the time of surgery and postoperative mortality have had ambiguous results. The aim of this study was to investigate relationship between postoperative mortality and the time of the day of surgery at a Canadian hospital — the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal, Canada.

After obtaining institutional ethics review board approval, a retrospective review of 30 day postoperative in hospital mortality was carried out at the hospital, which is also a teaching hospital. The study evaluated all surgical procedures for the past 5 years, starting from April 1, 2010 to March 31, 2015. A database was constructed collecting variables about surgical interventions. All elective and emergent surgical cases were included except ophthalmic and local anaesthesia cases (since the vast majority of ophthalmic cases are performed under local rather than general anesthesia, and not in the regular operating theatre).

The working day was divided into three time blocks (Daytime 07:30-15:29, Evening 15:30-23:29 and night time 23:30-07:29). The start time of the anaesthetic recorded by the circulating nurse was used to determine in which time block the operation began.

There were 41,716 elective and emergency surgeries performed on 33,942 patients in 40,044 hospitalizations. Of these, 10,480 were emergency procedures; there were 3,445; 4,951; and 2,084 emergency procedures with anaesthesia starting between day, evening and night respectively. There were 226, 97 and 29 deaths of all cases during day, evening and night surgery (79, 95, 29 mortalities for emergency surgery in the same time periods) respectively.

The researchers found that after adjustment for age and ASA scores, the patients operated in the night were 2.17 times more likely to die than those operating on during regular daytime working hours, and patients operated on in the late day were 1.43 times more likely to die than those operated on during regular daytime working hours.

The researchers say: “This study demonstrates that late day and night emergency surgery are associated with higher mortality when factoring in ASA score and patient age. Postoperative 30-day in-hospital mortality rate should include start time of anaesthesia, along with other known variables, as a risk factor.”

They say that theoretical possible causes include, but are not limited to, provider fatigue during anaesthesia and surgery, overnight hospital staffing issues, delays in treatment (for example how many operating rooms are available), or the patient being too sick to be postponed prior to treatment. The authors say: “Analysis of each of these possibilities is important to understand the reasons for this increased mortality and to direct any remedial action in an effort to reduce postoperative mortality.”