2008/05/10

1.  Breastfeeding may boost IQ (Archives of General Psychiatry, 5/08)
Breastfeeding may make your kid more intelligent. Exclusive, long-term breastfeeding improves a child's verbal intelligence and other intelligence measures. If possible, try to exclusively breastfeed for three months and continue to breastfeed for some degree for one year.

2.  Alzheimer's disease risks are gender specific (Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, 5/1/08)
The risks of developing Alzheimer's disease differ between the sexes, with stroke in men, and depression in women, critical factors. Men with mild cognitive impairment were more likely to be overweight, diabetic, and to have had a stroke. Men who had had a stroke were almost three times as likely to progress. Women with mild cognitive impairment, on the other hand, were more likely to be in poorer general health, disabled, suffering from insomnia and to have a poor support network.

3.  Many Depressed Older Adults Lack Vitamin D (Archives of General Psychiatry, 5/08)
Soaking in plenty of sunshine and drinking lots of milk might help fight off depression in your golden years. When the body lacks the proper amount of vitamin D, the parathyroid produces too much parathyroid hormone. Overactive parathyroid glands, or hyperparathyroidism, often accompany symptoms of depression.

4.  Monthly Shot Treats Schizophrenia: Paliperidone Palmitate (American Psychiatric Association 2008 Annual Meeting, 5/3-8/08)
A new, once-a-month shot shows promise for the treatment of schizophrenia. The most common side effects were weight gain and stomach flu. The new drug is called paliperidone palmitate. It's an injectable form of the second-generation, or "atypical," antipsychotic medication Invega. Most of the second-generation antipsychotics -- such as Clozaril, Risperdal, Zyprexa, Seroquel, Geodon, and Abilify -- come only in pill form. The only second-generation injectable drug for schizophrenia, Risperdal Consta, has to be given every two weeks.

5.  To Avoid Dementia, Watch Your Weight (Obesity Review, 5/08)
Older adults who maintain a healthy weight may be preserving their mind and memory at the same time. Obese people have an 80% increased risk for Alzheimer's disease compared to those with normal weight. But being underweight makes you 36% more likely to develop such cognitive disorders.

6.  Teen use of pot can lead to dependency, mental illness (White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, 5/9/08)
Depression, teens and marijuana are a dangerous mix that can lead to dependency, mental illness or suicidal thoughts.

7.  Study links child's autism, parent's' mental illness (Pediatrics, 5/08)
In another sign pointing to an inherited component to autism, having a schizophrenic parent or a mother with psychiatric problems roughly doubled a child's risk of being autistic.

8.  Shorter arms, legs tied to greater dementia risk (Neurology, 5/08)
People with shorter arms and legs may be more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease, and poor nutrition in early life is the probable culprit.

9.  Noise in neck artery could warn of heart risk (Lancet, 5/10/08)
That unusual, harsh sound a doctor can hear when passing a stethoscope over a main artery to the brain could indicate an increased risk of heart attack and death from heart disease and stroke.

10.  Insulin pumps linked to injuries, deaths in teens (FDA, 5/4/08)
Insulin pumps are used by tens of thousands of teenagers worldwide with Type 1 diabetes, but they can be risky and have been linked to injuries and even deaths. Parents should be vigilant in watching their children's use of the pumps.

11.  IUDs seen to reduce cancer risk (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 5/6/08)
Intrauterine devices are not only among the most effective contraceptives, but they also can help protect women from a cancer of the uterus called endometrial cancer. IUD use among women is associated with a 40 percent reduction in the risk of endometrial cancer. An IUD is a small, T-shaped plastic device inserted into the uterus. Hormonal IUDs release small amounts of the hormone progestin, preventing pregnancy by preventing fertilization. The copper IUD releases small amounts of copper into the uterus to prevent pregnancy.

12.  Quit Smoking: Death Risk Drops Fast (Journal of the American Medical Association, 5/7/08)
It's never too late to get health benefits from giving up smoking. The risk of dying from smoking-related causes drops significantly within just a few years of giving up cigarettes, even for longtime smokers. Within five years of quitting smoking, study participants experienced a 13% reduction in the risk of death from all causes, a 47% risk reduction in heart disease-related deaths, and a 27% reduction in the risk of death from stroke. Within 20 years of quitting, the risk of dying among former smokers was similar to that of lifetime nonsmokers for most causes of death, with the exception of lung cancer.

13.  Too much, too little sleep tied to ill health (CDC, 5/7/08)
People who sleep fewer than six hours a night — or more than nine — are more likely to be obese. The study also linked light sleepers to higher smoking rates, less physical activity and more alcohol use.

14.  Even after weight loss, fat cells remain (Nature, 5/08)
Fat cells may shrink or grow in size, but not in number. It might be possible to create new weight loss drugs that reduce the number of fat cells. When people lost a lot of weight through bariatric surgery, their fat cells shrank in volume but held steady in number. Patients who had liposuction or abdominal surgery, fat cells died and were replaced by new fat cells at the same rate, resulting in a stable number of fat cells. It's not that you're born with a certain number of fat cells that you keep for life. The number of fat cells rose in kids and teens, leveling off by adulthood. Preventing adult obesity begins in childhood.

15.  Common drugs hasten decline in elderly (American Geriatrics Society Meeting, 5/3/08)
Elderly people who took commonly prescribed drugs for incontinence, allergy or high blood pressure walked more slowly and were less able to take care of themselves than others not taking the drugs. People who took drugs that block acetylcholine -- a chemical messenger in the nervous system critical for memory -- functioned less well than their peers. Some of the most common such drugs in the study included the blood pressure drug nifedipine (sold as Adalat or Procardia), the stomach antacid ranitidine or Zantac, both with mild or moderate anticholinergic properties, and the incontinence drug tolterodine or Detrol, which is highly anticholinergic.

16.  Few Aware of Stroke Warning Symptoms (CDC, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 5/9/08)
Most people are not aware of the five most common symptoms a stroke. Only 16.4% of persons surveyed correctly recognized all five stroke warning symptoms, knew to call 911, and could identify an incorrect symptom of stroke. The five warning symptoms of a stroke are:

• Sudden weakness or numbness of the arms, legs, or face, especially on one side.
• Sudden vision problem in one or both eyes.
• Sudden dizziness, loss of balance or coordination, or difficulty walking.
• Sudden confusion or trouble speaking.
• Sudden severe headache with no known cause

17.  Safest Spot for Baby's Car Seat (Pediatrics, 5/08)
The safest spot for a baby's car seat is in the center of the back seat rather than on the sides.

18.  Recall: Gourmet Boutique recalls 286,320 pounds of meat and poultry: Listeria monocytogenes contamination (USDA, 5/3/08)
Gourmet Boutique, L.L.C., a Jamaica, N.Y., firm, is voluntarily recalling approximately 286,320 pounds of fresh and frozen meat and poultry products that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

19.  Recall: Palama Holdings, LLC Recalls Ground Beef: Possible E. coli 0157:H7 Contamination (USDA, 5/8/08)
Palama Holdings, LLC, a Kapolei, Hawaii, firm, is voluntarily recalling approximately 68,670 pounds of ground beef products because they may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.