Archive for October, 2016

According to a the research, the period from 2000 to 2014 saw a significant increase in the maternal death rate by about 27%. In 2000, each 100,000 live births witnessed the death of 19 women during or within 42 days after delivery. This number increased to 24 women for each 100,000 live births in 2014. This new finding is much worse than it was thought previously. The federal health officials had already reported that the maternal death rate is increasing, but their figures were lower – 16 % per 100,000.

MD Kenneth Margulies from the Perelman School of Medicine in Philadelphia and a lead author said that the group getting GLP-1 agonist liraglutide treatment showed insignificant differences (12% vs. 11%). The type 2 diabetes patients were included here. Margulies and colleagues reported that rehospitalizations for patients with heart failure similarly had no significant difference. In addition, the study could not locate any difference between placebo and treatment of any of the said prespecified endpoints. But the researchers noted that the type 2 diabetes group showed the possibility of worse outcomes.

AFFP feels that the steps to up the number of patients under care for opioid use disorders can be overburdening to the physicians. The new proposals are being championed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, SAMHSA and will need the physicians to track patients progressively after they have received medical associated treatment (MAT) due to opioid disorder. But M.D. Robert Wergin, AFFP’s Board Chair, wrote a letter to the Acting Administrator Kana Enomoto expressing reservations that administrative tasks may increase.

The Food and Drug Administration effected a rule from 8th August 2016 that seeks to regulate the e-cigs as well as other tobacco products such as premium cigars and hookahs just like it regulates the smokeless tobacco and traditional cigarettes. The main intention is to limit the minors from accessing it and also ensure some products are reviewed scientifically. This announcement had been made by the FDA in May.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force concluded its recommendation statement on skin cancer screening and cited that it did not get enough evidence that supports or is against using visual exams to screen adults for skin cancer. This involves only the asymptomatic adults that do not have any risk related to skin cancer. M.D., M.P.H David Grossman, the USPSTF Vice Chair said that it is wise to remember that this report does not pertain the people with cancerous skin lesions, history of precancerous skin or skin cancer syndromes or signs of skin cancer.

Most clinicians do get frustrated with the electronic health records but there are times when they become of some use. One of such cases was witnessed in the war against Zika virus – and to be specific in Miami. Fear is all over that the Zika virus is on a spread spree. That prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to do what it has not done ever before; advise travelers not to go to a location in the continental U.S. The CDC issued a travel advisory for the pregnant women, those with plans to get pregnant and their partners residing within or travelling to the Miami neighborhood – Wynwood. The advisory asked them to keep off the areas if possible and also get tested and take precautions.

A new report released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found out that for the women who got pregnant in 2014, over 50 percent of them were either obese or overweight. A top researcher Amy Branum said that the report for the first time concentrated on Body Mass Index and it’s disappointing to see the negative results. She works as a statistician at CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics. For the researcher to get a broader picture of the situation, they included all the states except Rhode Island, New Jersey and Connecticut.

The study was done basing on the visits that the U.S. emergency department has made in certain years of age. Researchers found out that workplace chemical ranked high as the major causes of potentially blinding eye accidents. Dr. Sterling who was the research leader said that the major culprits in children are the household cleaners. He added that previous research has implicated spray bottles.

Telomeres are DNA stretches, which protect genes from getting damaged by capping the chromosomes ends. You can compare them to the plastic coverings at the end of the shoelaces. As people grow older and their cells divide, the length of the telomeres becomes shorter. Chronic illnesses like diabetes in adults are linked to shorter telomeres. There are past studies, which have associated telomeres with longevity. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a new research that the length of the telomere is early life may be malleable. The finding is that children who took breast milk in the first 4 to 6 weeks after birth had longer telomeres than those who took sugar water, teas, juice or formula.

From the late 1980s and early 1990s, the average American has gained 15 extra pounds but still maintained the same height. The study has found out that even 11-year olds are victims of this weight increase. Boys have gained an inch in height and put on 13.5 pounds while the girls haven’t grown taller and added 7 pounds. When compared depending on the race, the blacks recorded more weight gain averagely. The black women added 22 pounds and remained unchanged in height. On the other hand, black men added one-fifth inch and 18 pounds compared to two past decades.