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In
the news ... what the editors are researching ...
Could restless
sleep cause widespread pain?
Researchers report that non-restorative sleep is the strongest,
independent predictor of widespread pain onset among adults over
the age of 50. According to the study, anxiety, memory
impairment, and poor physical health among older adults
may also increase the risk of developing widespread pain.
Muscle, bone and nerve (musculoskeletal) pain is more prevalent
as people age, with up to 80% of people 65 years of age and
older experiencing daily pain. Widespread pain that affects
multiple areas of the body. "Predictors of New Onset
Widespread Pain in Older Adults- Results from the Prospective
Population-based NorStOP Study." John McBeth, Rosie J
Lacey and Ross Wilkie. Arthritis & Rheumatology.
American College of Rheumatology.
Cognitive
behavioral therapy benefits patients
Researchers found significant benefits of cognitive behavioral
therapy as a treatment modality for patients with Body
Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). BDD is a common, often severe, and
under-recognized body image disorder. Katharine Phillips, M.D.
Rhode Island Hospital. Behavior. 022014
Thinking skills
take biggest hit from anxiety
Hot flashes, depression, and most of all, anxiety,
affect the thinking skills of midlife women with HIV, so
screening for and treating their anxiety may
be especially important in helping them function. Anxiety stood
out as having the greatest impact on thinking skills. Menopause.
022014
Process that turns
'good cholesterol' bad
Researchers have discovered the process by which high-density
lipoprotein (HDL) – the so-called "good cholesterol" – becomes
dysfunctional, loses its cardio-protective properties, and
instead promotes inflammation and atherosclerosis, or the
clogging and hardening of the arteries. The beneficial and
cardio-protective properties of HDL have been studied and
reported extensively, yet all clinical trials of pharmaceuticals
designed to raise HDL levels have so far failed to show that
they significantly improve cardiovascular health. Research team
led by Stanley Hazen, M.D., Ph.D., Vice Chair of Translational
Research for the Lerner Research Institute and section head of
Preventive Cardiology & Rehabilitation in the Miller Family
Heart and Vascular Institute at Cleveland Clinic. Nature
Medicine. 012014
Total darkness at
night is key to success of breast cancer therapy
Exposure to light at night, which shuts off nighttime production
of the hormone melatonin, renders breast cancer completely
resistant to tamoxifen, a widely used breast cancer drug,
according to cancer researchers. These findings have potentially
enormous implications for women being treated with tamoxifen and
also regularly exposed to light at night due to sleep problems,
working night shifts or exposed to light from computer and TV
screens. Tulane University School of Medicine. Cancer
Research. 072014
Diabetes and
depression and impulse control disorders including
binge-eating and bulimia
New research shows that depression and impulse control disorders
(eating disorders in particular) are independently associated
with diabetes diagnosis, after adjustment for presence of other
mental disorders.
The research supports the focus on depression as an independent
risk factor for diabetes, but also suggests this focus should be
extended to impulse control disorders. The study is the first to
report on the association between impulse control disorders and
diabetes diagnosis. The research is by Dr Peter de Jonge,
Interdisciplinary Center for Psychopathology and Emotion
Regulation, University Medical Center Groningen, University of
Groningen, Netherlands, and colleagues worldwide. Diabetologia
(the journal of The European Association for the Study of
Diabetes). 012014
One-size-fits-all
approach can lead to over-treatment
Diabetes treatments have saved many lives, but in older patients
with multiple medical conditions, aggressively controlling blood
sugar with insulin and sulfonylurea drugs, could lead to
over-treatment and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). the study
found that many older diabetes patients received aggressive
treatment for their disease regardless of their health status
and blood sugar levels. In patients with diabetes age 65 and
older, this could result in hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), a
serious health threat, which can lead to confusion, coma, and
even death.
"Our study suggests
that we have a one-size-fits-all approach despite questionable
benefits and known risks. We have been potentially over-treating
a substantial proportion of the population," Kasia Lipska, M.D.,
assistant professor of internal medicine at Yale School of
Medicine. JAMA Internal Medicine. 012015
Exercising more,
sitting less reduces heart failure risk
Increased sedentary time may be linked to greater heart failure
risk. Being very physically active and less sedentary reduces
heart failure risk. High sedentary levels increase heart failure
risk regardless of physical activity levels. This study only
included men. American Heart Association. Circulation: Heart
Failure. 012014
Regular exercise
beneficial
Research suggests that exercise transiently suppresses local and
systemic inflammation, reinforcing the beneficial effects of
exercise and the need for this to be regular in order to achieve
clinical efficacy in rheumatic disease. Chronic inflammation,
swelling and pain in the joints characterise the more than 200
rheumatic diseases. Persistent inflammation over time can damage
affected joints, but previous research has established that
exercise can decrease joint inflammation in rheumatoid
arthritis. Dr. Nicholas Young, The Ohio State University Wexner
Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio. European League Against
Rheumatism. 062014
Recreational
football can treat hypertensive and type 2 diabetes patients
Football training produces significant changes in body
composition and glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes patients,
and effectively lowers blood pressure in men with high blood
pressure. Jens Bangsbo, Professor, Director of the Copenhagen
Centre for Team Sport and Health, University of Copenhagen.
Peter Riis Hansen, senior cardiologist, Department of
Cardiology, Gentofte University Hospital. Copenhagen Centre for
Team Sport and Health at the University of Copenhagen.
Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports.
062014
Later start times
improve sleep and daytime functioning
Julie Boergers, Ph.D., a psychologist and sleep expert from the
Bradley Hasbro Children's Research Center, led a study linking
later school start times to improved sleep and mood in teens.
"Later School Start Time is Associated with Improved Sleep and
Daytime Functioning in Adolescents" Journal of
Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics. 012014
Don’t just sit
there!
“The assumption has been that if you’re fit and physically
active, that will protect you, even if you spend a huge amount
of time sitting each day,” said Rebecca Seguin, assistant
professor of nutritional sciences in Cornell’s College of Human
Ecology. “In fact, in doing so you are far less protected from
negative health effects of being sedentary than you realize.”
Seguin and co-authors found that women with more than 11 hours
of daily sedentary time faced a 12 percent increase in all-cause
premature mortality compared with the most energetic group –
those with four hours or less of inactivity. The former group
also upped their odds for death due to cardiovascular disease,
coronary heart disease and cancer by 13, 27 and 21 percent,
respectively.
“If you’re in an office, get up and move around frequently,”
she said. “If you’re retired and have more idle time, find
ways to move around inside and outside the house. Get
up between TV programs, take breaks in computer and reading
time and be conscious of interrupting prolonged sedentarytime.”
Cornell University. American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
012014
Sleep to protect
your brain
A new study shows that one night of sleep deprivation increases
morning blood concentrations of NSE and S-100B in healthy young
men. These molecules are typically found in the brain. Thus,
their rise in blood after sleep loss may indicate that a lack of
snoozing might be conducive to a loss of brain tissue.
"We observed that a night of total sleep loss was followed by
increased blood concentrations of NSE and S-100B. These brain
molecules typically rise in blood under conditions of brain
damage. Thus, our results indicate that a lack of sleep may
promote neurodegenerative processes", says sleep
researcher Christian Benedict at the Department of Neuroscience,
Uppsala University. "In conclusion, the findings of our trial
indicate that a good night's sleep may be critical for
maintaining brain health", says Christian Benedict.
Uppsala University, Sweden. SLEEP. 122013
Getting excited
helps with performance anxiety
People who tell themselves to get excited rather than trying to
relax can improve their performance during anxiety-inducing
activities such as public speaking and math tests.
"Anxiety is incredibly pervasive. People have a very strong
intuition that trying to calm down is the best way to cope with
their anxiety, but that can be very difficult and ineffective,"
said study author Alison Wood Brooks, PhD, of Harvard Business
School. "When people feel anxious and try to calm down, they are
thinking about all the things that could go badly. When they are
excited, they are thinking about how things could go well."
"The way we talk about our feelings has a strong influence on
how we actually feel," said Brooks, an assistant professor
of business administration at Harvard Business School.
"When you feel anxious, you're ruminating too much and focusing
on potential threats," she said. "In those circumstances, people
should try to focus on the potential opportunities. It really
does pay to be positive, and people should say they are excited.
Even if they don't believe it at first, saying 'I'm excited' out
loud increases authentic feelings of excitement." American
Psychological Association. Journal of Experimental
Psychology: General. 122013
Pain ...
More than half of older adults ... have experienced bothersome
pain in the previous month, impairing their physical function.
"Pain is common in older adults and one of the major reasons why
we start slowing down as we age," says lead investigator Kushang
V. Patel, PhD, MPH, of the Center for Pain Research on Impact,
Measurement, and Effectiveness in the Department of
Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at the University of
Washington.
The researchers
gained several insights from the new study:
-
Bothersome pain
afflicts half of community-dwelling older adults
-
The majority of
older adults with pain reported having pain in multiple
locations, such as in the back, hips, and knees
-
The percentage of
people with pain did not differ by age, even when
researchers accounted for dementia and cognitive performance
-
Pain was strongly
associated with decreased physical capacity. Older adults
with pain, particularly those with pain in multiple
locations, had weaker muscle strength, slower walking speed,
and poorer overall function than those without pain
PAIN® 122013
Aerobic exercise
benefits memory in persons with multiple sclerosis ...
A research study headed by Victoria Leavitt, Ph.D. and James
Sumowski, Ph.D., of Kessler Foundation, provides the first
evidence for beneficial effects of aerobic exercise on brain and
memory in individuals with multiple sclerosis. "Aerobic exercise
increases hippocampal volume and improves memory in multiple
sclerosis: Preliminary findings."
Neurocase: The Neural Basis of
Cognition. 112013
Neuroscientists
discover new 'mini-neural computer' in the brain
Dendrites, the branch-like projections of neurons, were once
thought to be passive wiring in the brain. But now researchers
at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have shown
that these dendrites do more than relay information from one
neuron to the next. They actively process information,
multiplying the brain's computing power.
"Suddenly, it's as if the processing power of the brain is much
greater than we had originally thought," said Spencer Smith,
PhD, an assistant professor in the UNC School of Medicine. University
of North Carolina Health Care. Nature. 102013
Complementary
Therapy … sessions significantly reduce anxiety, depression
...
A research study led by Dr. Patricia Conrod confirmed the
effectiveness of group therapy sessions. The effects were
clinically significant, with a reduction in severe depression,
anxiety and behaviour problem symptoms.University of Montreal
and its affiliated Sainte-Justine Hospital Research Centre.
102013
Complimentary Medicine ...
"This is a part of medicine that has significant impact on
patient care," said Gardiner. "We need to minimise barriers to
implementing complementary and alternative medicine and
integrative medicine curricula in order to address these
competencies and promote a larger focus on patient centred
care." Boston University Medical Center. The Journal of Science
and Healing. 102013
Psychological interventions reduce deaths
Psychological interventions halve deaths and cardiovascular
events in heart disease patients.
Dr Zoi Aggelopoulou said: "We found a huge benefit of
psychological interventions with less patients dying or having a
cardiovascular event and therefore fewer repeat hospital
visits."
Population-based studies have shown that psychological factors
may have an influence on the likelihood of having a heart attack
in the first place. The factors include depression, social
isolation, low socioeconomic status, and chronic stress such as
occupational or marital distress and stress from caregiving.
Dr Aggelopoulou said: "The results of our study strengthen the
evidence that psychological factors have a big role to play in
heart disease. Not only do they impact on the risk of having a
heart attack, but they also affect the future outlook of a
patient who has had a cardiovascular event. This validates our
view that cardiovascular disease is not just a physical disease
but also has a substantial psychological component."
She concluded: "We can help our patients by simply talking to
them or introducing new … therapy. …Our finding that the
addition of psychological support on top of physiological
therapies reduces death and
cardiovascular events by 55% should be a
wake-up call that these interventions really do work." European
Society of Cardiology. the Acute Cardiac Care Congress. 102013
Behavioural therapy helps ...
Behavioural therapy provided chair-side to kidney failure
patients while they're undergoing dialysis may help fight
depression and improve patients' quality of life.
Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. 102013
Fighting cancer
with dietary changes
Breast cancer patients are often treated with hormonal therapy
to block tumor growth, and steroids to counteract the side
effects of chemotherapy. However, both treatments can cause a
patient to have altered metabolism which can lead to weight
gain. In fact, women gain an average of 10 pounds in their first
year of treatment. Recent studies have shown that too much
weight makes standard treatments for breast cancer less
effective, and those who gain weight during treatment have worse
cancer outcomes. "That's why it's important to look at
metabolism when treating women with cancer," says Nicole Simone,
M.D., an associate professor in the department of Radiation
Oncology at Thomas Jefferson University. Breast Cancer Res
Treat. 052014
Heart and Stroke
Risk
Several medications survived US FDA scrutiny, only to be pulled
from the market after reports of increased heart attacks and
strokes related to use of the drugs. What these drugs have in
common is that they raise blood pressure. Other medications
approved by the FDA, including some antidepressant medications
as well as medications used to treat attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder, also raise blood pressure but remain on
the market.
“It is unwise to
allow medications that predictably increase risk to be marketed
without adequate safety data,” said Robert P. Blankfield, MD,
MS, a clinical professor of family medicine, also a family
physician at University Hospitals Berea Health Center. “Risk
should be quantified, and the product label should accurately
communicate the risk.” “Physicians and the general public may
assume that if a drug is approved by the FDA, it is safe. Yet
even modest elevations in blood pressure increase the risk of
heart attacks and strokes.” Case Western Reserve University
School of Medicine. Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology
and Therapeutics. 052014
Frequent soccer
ball 'heading' may lead to brain injury
Researchers have shown that soccer players who frequently
head the ball have brain abnormalities resembling those found in
patients with concussion (mild traumatic brain injury). The
study used advanced imaging techniques and cognitive tests that
assessed memory. Radiology. Albert
Einstein College of Medicine. 062013
Vegetarian diets
associated with lower risk of death. The JAMA Network
Journals. 062013
4 lifestyle changes will your protect heart, reduce the risk
of early death
American Journal
of Epidemiology. 062013
World No Tobacco Day- WHO: Ban tobacco advertising to protect
young people
The World Health Organization (WHO) is calling for countries to
ban all forms of tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship
to help reduce the number of tobacco users. Tobacco use kills
nearly 6 million people every year.
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