MORE GOOD NEWS FOR FIBROMYALGIA CONFERENCE

 

If you have not made your mind up  to come to conference this year we have  new editions to the programme.

An expert  on the mysteries of  our Mitochrondia  and the links with fibromyalgia, Dr. Sarah Myhill, a very busy lady, is making a one day flying visit to conference. She has agreed to take several sessions, including questions, while sharing her extensive   knowledge on this illusive topic.

If you want to know what your Mitochrondia  really looks like just add the word into the  Internet Google search  and it should appear in glorious technicolour. Where it lives  in the body  I have no  idea but I am sure we will learn that at conference. Always a bit of a mystery this…..

On a more informal basis Maxine, a group leader and one of our  regular delegates,  who has struggled to work full time, while living with fibromyalgia, has agreed to host an informal  chat to  share her experiences with folks  in a similar situation or those considering going back to work.

We have already mentioned the Benefits & Debt Clinic from 3pm on our first day only.

Moe help is at hand. We now have a HealthWatch visitor  who will  also be available on Friday afternoon 24th. In the past year we have heard several stories relating to the help HealthWatch has given to local FM groups.  With HealthWatch behind you, it does add quite a  bit of “clout” to your story. This is a great opportunity to talk and find out how the local HealthWatch can help you or  your group and where to find them.  We are also hoping to have a person from the Citizens Advice Bureau to answer some of  those awkward questions  on the Friday afternoon.

If you want more information about the Fibromyalgia Conference, read the earlier article with all the details of the speakers. Log on to jeannehambleton77.wordpress.com.

See you at conference. The weeks are flying by and Simon  <fibcon2015bookings@gmail.com> is very busy with the late  bookings.  You can ring the HOTLINE  to reserve a double room and get a booking form. Tel 0844 887 2512.  Remember April 24/27 2015 Chichester Park Hotel.  See you at conference.  Jeanne

 

JUST WEEKS AWAY – 6th INTERNATIONAL FIBROMYALGIA CONFERENCE 2015

If you have not booked for our 6th  international Fibromyalgia Conference on April 24/27 2015, at Chichester Park Hotel,  it is not too late but  do not waste time. We have a lot of interest. The hotline to book  0844 887 2512.

Once again the cost is as low as we can make it to enable folks to enjoy the education, research news, make new friends, as well as entertainment, fun and laughter. You will have a chance to talk to the speakers personally 1-2-1 – almost a private consultation as part of the conference weekend and you will be among folk who understand your aches and pains. It has been said, “Conference is a great educational and life changing experience”. We aim to please.

If finding the fee is a stumbling block, you could make payment by using your credit card. Why not add it to your Tesco shopping credit card  as a “lend” and pay off a little each month. Paypal will accept  credit cards with an additional 4% charge. If you need help with the process please ask.

When folks talk about fibromyalgia there are several symptoms most of us suffer and  live with. This includes pain 24/7, chronic fatigue, sleeplessness, cognitive behaviour, IBS, morning stiffness,  depression and many more. This conference our experts will be highlighting some of these symptoms. With a wide and varied programme around the main FM symptoms, we are aiming to help with interesting speakers from the USA, Canada, Australia and the UK.

Iris Weverman, a registered physiotherapist from Canada who specialises in FM, will talk  about chronic fatigue, stiffness and exercise  for fibromyalgia. In her second talk she will discuss trigger points versus tender points … not to be missed.

Dr. Nick Read,  a gastroenterologist psychoanalytical psychotherapist, human nutritionist, interested in FM, will talk about his active involvement in the IBS Network , and integrated medicine.  As a nutritionist we are hoping he will give us a recommended diet for those with IBS.

Andrew Pothecary, a specialist pharmacist in Rheumatology & Biologics at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust, will be  lecturing at The Clinical Pharmacy Congress on the Future of Clinical Pharmacy in London on the Friday. As an old friend, he has agreed to stop over and talk to us on Saturday. We hope to learn more about the medications that our GPs prescribe for fibromites  pains.

Afifah Hamilton, MNIMH Cert Phyt ITEC, GAP practitioner and nutritionist, is an alternative medical practitioner who uses herbal remedies for wellbeing. Afifah is medically trained and a specialist in physical, psychological and conventional treatments with herbal options. She will be discussing sleeplessness  among other symptoms. If you are prone to too  many drugs, you should not miss this presentation.

An American lady with fibromyalgia and a great reputation, will be with us to talk about her commitment for FM. We hope she will include news of research, life with FM in the States and living with fibromyalgia. Jan Chambers is President of the USA National  Fibromyalgia & Chronic Pain Association, founder of the Centre of Understanding, Research and Education of Fibromyalgia (CURE FM) and co-founder of the NFA Leaders Coalition, Executive Committee. Married for 35 years and the mother of 5 children, Jan has had a roller coaster ride with fibromyalgia since 2005. Her background really makes interesting reading and will save a lot of questions if you are coming to conference. This is a lady who commands my highest respect and I am honoured she has agreed to visit us. Try http://www.fmcpaware.org/jan-chambers. “I’ve got my life back, and I love every minute of it” she said.

Another interesting speaker with big claims is Philip Rafferty. Born in the UK he lives  in Australia and travels the world. A specialist in fibromyalgia, chronic pain and CFS he is a kinesiology ‘wizard’. He claims the corrections he teaches fibromites keeps them out of fight/flight/ freeze/survival. What he does he says is different to anything else. He  claims he achieves instant dramatic pain reduction. This I  must see!

We are again pleased to welcome Wes and John with the Benefits & Debt Clinic which will be operating Friday afternoon from 3.15pm. Look at their website – for debt and benefits http://frontlinedebtadvice.org.uk/ – you might find it interesting.

As usual there will also be other attractions. On Friday evening we have the film premier of the documentary movie made at FM Conference 2014. Called ‘Focus on Fibromyalgia’ it includes consultants’ comments as well as the views of those who live with this condition. Be sure to see the film as it is a movie you should not miss. Lasting 65 minutes, it is full of information and you will need to go back and back again to the film to see what you missed. Copies of the film will be available to purchase with a donation from sales  to fibro research.

THERE IS MORE

Jen Lee is back with us again for some light relief and with more Belly Dancing steps to learn. We hope to have all doctors on stage Sunday afternoon for discussions and questions. Do not forget the fun auction of wine and other gifts donated by delegates on Monday morning.

Simon Stuart, a leading member of the FibCon team, who works in the medical profession with the elderly, will be giving a talk about Alzheimers – a hot topic at present. You will also meet Nicki Southwell this time. A name some will know, Nicki has been working with Simon and I for several months as Assistant Co-ordinator. We were sorry to lose Teresa White towards the end of last year, due to her health problems. We understand she is on the mend but taking things slowly. We have a great team of helpers this year who will be wearing their pink badges and should be able to help delegates and answer questions.

To join us for some worthwhile education, fun, laughter,  email Simon Stuart at fibcon2015bookings@gmail.com to check availability and book or ring the HOT LINE 0844 887 2512  to book or email jeanne@follypogsfibro.org. to reserve a room and get a booking form.

This conference will be an action packed weekend as usual – Friday to Monday –from April 24th  to 27th  2015 at Chichester Park Hotel, plus evening entertainment, all included for £220 per person sharing double room – just £55 a day all found. This covers the cost of  food, accommodation,  the conference and entertainment. There are no single bookings now only a waiting list. The food is good and the staff are very helpful. The hotel has an indoor pool, jacuzzi, spa and some  exercise equipment for use of our visitors.

STOP PRESS –  We have been offered  a trial run of the new and exciting ActiPatch. We have a patch for each delegate to try.  If it works for you Boots sell the patches which  I believe is  a forerunner of a Electromagnetic Pulse Therapy device which provide 90 hours of 8 hour treatments (720 hours). We only have patches.

ActiPatch is said to be a highly effective therapy by chronic pain individuals and trials have increased purchases. This reflects the result of the reported benefits of clinically significant and sustained decreases in chronic pain, large improvements in quality of life, and decreases in the reliance of analgesic pain medications including opioid based drugs. We have had news from an American FM group where members used the patch and are excited about it. There is only have a limited number of patches for FM delegates only.

Finally it is worth mentioning the weekend conferences are sponsored by Folly Pogs Fibromyalgia Research. Every booking makes a contribution to fibromyalgia research and the raffle and other paid items contribute to FM research. No one gets paid except the bills. We survive under The Old Pal Act 1845. We beg and borrow to make ends meet.

There is always someone to  talk to at conference if you come alone. You will soon make new friends and meet others at our Friday ‘onesie’ meeting for those who are alone.

We hope it will be another smash hit conference with entertainment, fun and laughter with educational and helpful tips. For more information about this and the last conference  –  see http://fibromyalgiaconference.weebly.com. Hope to see you at conference. Jeanne

NEW POLL: BLINDNESS FEARED MORE THAN LOSS OF OTHER SENSES, STRONGLY SUPPORT MORE FUNDING FOR RESEARCH

 From FMS Global News Desk of Jeanne Hambleton Released: 18-Sep-2014
Source Newsroom: Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO)

 

Newswise — Washington, D.C.—According to a new poll, Americans across racial and ethnic groups describe losing eyesight as potentially having the greatest impact on their day-to-day life — more so than other conditions, including loss of memory, hearing and speech. A higher percentage of African-Americans (57%) cite this concern compared to non-Hispanic whites (49%), Asians (43%) and Hispanics (38%).

Blindness ranked among the top four “worst things that could happen to you” for all respondents, alongside cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and HIV/AIDS. More African-Americans cited blindness as their top fear.

The poll generated another key finding: A large majority of respondents strongly consider research to improve the prevention and treatment of vision disorders a priority (83% of African-Americans and non-Hispanic whites, 80% of Asians and 79% of Hispanics).

When told that the federal government spends on average $2.10 per person each year on such research, half of African-Americans (51%) and Hispanics (50%) say this is not enough followed by non-Hispanic whites (47%) and Asian-Americans (35%).

About half of all groups believe that non-governmental sectors — industry, patient groups and philanthropies — should also increase funding for eye and vision research (57% of Hispanics, 51% of African-Americans, 49% of Asians and 47% of non-Hispanic whites).

These and other findings are from a national public opinion poll commissioned by Research!America and the Alliance for Eye and Vision Research (AEVR). The poll, which was carried out by Zogby Analytics, was funded by a grant from Research to Prevent Blindness and released at a National Press Club event in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 18.

Leaders from the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) played a role in both the development of the poll and the release event, which featured a panel discussion with Neil Bressler, MD (Wilmer Eye Institute), Paul Sieving, MD, PhD (National Eye Institute), James Tsai, MD (New York Eye and Ear Infirmary) and Karla Zadnik, OD, PhD (Ohio State University College of Optometry). The panel discussion was moderated by Michelle Miller of CBS News.

The Association for Research and Vision in Ophthalmology (ARVO) is the largest eye and vision research organization in the world. Members include nearly 12,000 eye and vision researchers from over 75 countries. ARVO advances research worldwide into understanding the visual system and preventing, treating and curing its disorders.

 

SCRIPPS RESEARCH INSTITUTE CHEMISTS MODIFY ANTIBIOTIC TO VANQUISH RESISTANT BACTERIA

From the FMS Global News Desk of Jeanne Hambleton Released: 17-Sep-2014
Source: Scripps Research Institute Citations Journal of the American Chemical Society

Professor Dale Boger (right) and Assistant Professor Akinori Okano led the research.

 

Newswise — LA JOLLA, CA—September 17, 2014—Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have devised a new antibiotic based on vancomycin that is powerfully effective against vancomycin-resistant strains of MRSA and other disease-causing bacteria.

The new vancomycin analog appears to have not one but two distinct mechanisms of anti-microbial action, against which bacteria probably cannot evolve resistance quickly.

“This is the prototype of analogues that once introduced will still be in clinical use a generation or maybe even two generations from now,” said Dale L. Boger, the Richard and Alice Cramer Professor of Chemistry at TSRI.

The report by Boger and members of his laboratory was published recently online ahead of print by the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Increasing Reports of Resistance

Vancomycin entered clinical use in 1958, five years after its isolation from microbes in a soil sample gathered by an American missionary in Borneo. For nearly six decades it has been useful against a wide range of bacteria, and it remains a standard weapon against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a major cause of hospital-acquired infections. A compound closely related to vancomycin also has been widely used to protect livestock.

Since the late 1980s, there have been increasing reports of vancomycin resistance in classes of bacteria that usually succumb to the antibiotic, including MRSA. Although vancomycin remains useful, scientists have been looking for new drugs to replace it in cases—often life-threatening—where it no longer can help patients.

The Boger laboratory has focused on inventing improved versions of vancomycin rather than entirely new compounds. “Vancomycin has lasted in clinical use for more than 50 years, in part because it isn’t very vulnerable to antibiotic resistance,” Boger said. “Our thought has been that if we find a vancomycin analog that addresses this current source of resistance we’ll get another 50 years of use out of it.”

Vancomycin works by binding to the building blocks of bacterial cell walls, in a way that prevents their proper assembly and leaves bacteria too leaky to live and replicate. The resistance comes from a single amino-acid alteration that some bacteria make to those building blocks, so that the antibiotic molecule can no longer get a firm grip. That drops vancomycin’s potency by a factor of about 1,000.

‘Incredibly Potent’

In 2012, Boger and his team reported making a vancomycin analog—informally termed vancomycin amidine—with a subtly altered binding pocket that fastens about equally well to the original and resistant sites on bacterial cell wall subunits. To get the precise structural modification they needed, they had to come up with a method for the “total synthesis” of this vancomycin-based compound—a controlled, step-by-step construction using organic chemistry reactions in the lab, rather than a natural enzyme-mediated production within cells.

“Years of work in this lab culminated in a total synthesis strategy that not only allowed us access to this target compound, but also gave us the ability to perform almost any other chemical modification of vancomycin that we wished,” said Akinori Okano, first author of the new report, who is an assistant professor of chemistry at TSRI.

Vancomycin amidine turned out to have acceptable level of activity against vancomycin-resistant and -sensitive bacteria, yet there was room for improvement. Thus in the new study, Okano, Boger and their colleagues used their vancomycin synthesis methods to add an additional feature to the molecule—a peripheral chlorobiphenyl (CBP), long known as a general booster of vancomycin’s potency.

“To our delight, the combination of these modifications led to an incredibly potent molecule, well beyond anything we had expected,” said Okano.

In lab dish tests, the new vancomycin analog proved highly effective against the usual vancomycin-sensitive bacteria as well as vancomycin-resistant MRSA and enterococcal bacteria.

The tests also suggested that the CBP modification, whose boost to potency has been thought to come from some broad enhancement of vancomycin’s activity, might in fact work via its own distinct attack on bacterial cell wall synthesis.

“This is probably the clearest depiction to date of the fact that for the CBP derivatives there must be a second mechanism of action, independent of vancomycin’s main mechanism of action,” Boger said. “[Such analogs] are likely to display especially durable antibiotic activity—that is, they won’t be prone to rapidly acquired clinical resistance.”

Boger and his colleagues now will try to optimize the synthesis process for the new analog, to provide quantities suitable for preclinical testing in animals.

Other co-authors of the paper, “Total Synthesis of [Ψ[C(=NH)NH]Tpg4] Vancomycin and its (4-Chlorobiphenyl) methyl Derivative: Impact of Peripheral Modifications on Vancomycin Analogs Redesigned for Dual D-Ala-D-Ala and D-Ala-D-Lac Binding,” were Atsushi Nakayama and Alex Schammel of the Boger Laboratory.

The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health (grant CA041101).

About The Scripps Research Institute

The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) is one of the world’s largest independent, not-for-profit organizations focusing on research in the biomedical sciences. TSRI is internationally recognized for its contributions to science and health, including its role in laying the foundation for new treatments for cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, hemophilia, and other diseases. An institution that evolved from the Scripps Metabolic Clinic founded by philanthropist Ellen Browning Scripps in 1924, the institute now employs about 3,000 people on its campuses in La Jolla, CA, and Jupiter, FL, where its renowned scientists—including three Nobel laureates—work toward their next discoveries. The institute’s graduate program, which awards PhD degrees in biology and chemistry, ranks among the top ten of its kind in the nation.

 

ENTOMOLOGIST SAYS EXPECT MORE SPIDERS INSIDE AS WEATHER TURNS COOLER

From the FMS Global News Desk of Jeanne Hambleton Released: 16-Sep-2014
Source Newsroom: Kansas State University

Brown recluse spider

I always keep a clean jam jar and a sheet of paper ready to collect invading spider and let them out at the window.

 

Newswise — MANHATTAN, Kansas — This is the time of year when the Kansas State University entomology department receives a lot of calls. The question most asked: Why am I getting so many spiders in my house?

“Insects move inside the house seeking warmer temperatures,” said Jeff Whitworth, assistant professor of entomology. “Just like humans, insects prefer a climate around 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Spiders are seeking those warmers environments as well as searching for food.”

Tennessee medical officials have reported an increase in brown recluse bites this year. However, Whitworth says there is no indication there are more spiders this year compared to previous years. The brown recluse, most common in the central and southeast regions, is the most feared spider in the Midwest because of its hemotoxic venom. But Whitworth says the brown recluse isn’t as scary as you think.

“The nice thing about the brown recluse spider, as its name implies, is it is reclusive,” he said. “We have reared spiders now for approximately two to three years and we have found the brown recluse to be non-aggressive.”

Whitworth; Holly Schwarting, research associate in entomology; and J.R. Ewing, master’s student in entomology, are researching the most reliable method of managing brown recluse spiders. Pest control operators are divided on whether sticky traps, pesticide or a combination of the two are a better way to kill spiders in your home.

Whichever form of removal you choose to use, Whitworth says to wait until March. Brown recluse spiders become inactive from mid-October until March.

Back tomorrw. Jeanne

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CARNEGIE MELLON’S SMART HEADLIGHTS SPARE THE EYES OF ONCOMING DRIVERS

Programmable Lights Prevent Glare, Improve Vision in Snow and Rain

From the FMS Global News Desk of Jeanne Hambleton September 9^th 2014   National Science Foundation Source Carnegie Mellon University

 

PITTSBURGH—A smart headlight developed at Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute enables drivers to take full advantage of their high beams without fear of blinding oncoming drivers or suffering from the glare that can occur when driving in snow or rain at night.

The programmable headlight senses and tracks virtually any number of oncoming drivers, blacking out only the small parts of the headlight beam that would otherwise shine into their eyes. During snow or rain showers, the headlight improves driver vision by tracking individual flakes and drops in the immediate vicinity of the car and blocking the narrow slivers of headlight beam that would otherwise illuminate the precipitation and reflect back into the driver’s eyes.
The programmable headlight senses and tracks virtually any number of oncoming drivers, blacking out only the small parts of the headlight beam that would otherwise shine into their eyes.

“Even after 130 years of headlight development, more than half of vehicle crashes and deaths occur at night, despite the fact there is much less traffic then,” said Srinivasa Narasimhan, associate professor of robotics.

“With our programmable system, however, we can actually make headlights that are even brighter than today’s without causing distractions for other drivers on the road.”

Robert Tamburo, the project’s lead engineer, will present findings from tests of the system in the lab and on the streets of Pittsburgh on Sept. 10 at the European Conference on Computer Vision in Zurich, Switzerland. More information, including a video, is available on the project website.

The system devised by Narasimhan, Tamburo and the rest of the research team uses a DLP (Digital Light Processing) projector instead of a standard headlight or cluster of LEDs. This enables the researchers to divide the light into a million tiny beams, each of which can be independently controlled by an onboard computer.

The research team assembled their experimental system from off-the-shelf parts and mounted the system atop the hood of a pickup truck, serving as the equivalent of a third headlight during street tests.

 

A camera senses oncoming cars, falling precipitation and other objects of interest, such as road signs. The one million light beams can then be adjusted accordingly, some dimmed to spare the eyes of oncoming drivers, while others might be brightened to highlight street signs or the traffic lane. The changes in overall illumination are minor, however, and generally not noticeable by the driver.

System latency —  the time between detection by the camera and a corresponding adjustment in the illumination — is between 1 and 2.5 milliseconds, Tamburo said. This near-instantaneous reaction means that in most cases the system does not have to employ sophisticated algorithms to predict where an oncoming driver or a flake of snow will be by the time the headlight system responds.

“Our system can keep high beams from blinding oncoming drivers when operating at normal highway speeds,” Narasimhan said. Rain and snow present a more difficult problem, he noted; the system reduces glare at low speeds, but becomes less effective as speed increases.

In addition to preventing glare, the projector can be used to highlight the traffic lane — a helpful driving aid when roads have unmarked lanes or edges, or when snow obscures lane markings. When tied to a navigation system, the programmable headlights also can project arrows or other directional signals to visually guide drivers.

“We can do all this and more with the same headlight,” Narasimhan said. That is in contrast to new headlight systems that some automakers are installing. These include multi-LED systems that reduce glare to oncoming drivers by darkening some LEDs as well as swiveling headlights that help drivers see down curved roads.

“Most of these are one-off systems, however, with different headlights required for different specialized tasks,” he added.

The research team assembled their experimental system from off-the-shelf parts and mounted the system atop the hood of a pickup truck, serving as the equivalent of a third headlight during street tests. The team plans to install a smaller version next year in the headlight slot of a truck.

Though currently larger than standard headlights, Narasimhan said the smart headlights could be accommodated by trucks and buses, whose headlights are especially prone to causing glare because they are positioned high off the ground. Eventually, miniaturization should make the smart headlights compatible with smaller vehicles.

The research team includes Takeo Kanade, professor of computer science and robotics; Anthony Rowe, assistant research professor of electrical and computer engineering (ECE); Abhishek Chugh, a master’s degree student in computer science; Subhagato Dutta and Vinay Palakkode, both master’s degree students in ECE; and Eriko Nurvitadhi and Mei Chen of Intel Research.

The research was supported by Ford Motor Co., the Intel Science and Technology Center for Embedded Computing, the Office of Naval Research and the National Science Foundation. It is part of the Technologies for Safe and Efficient Transportation Center, a U.S. Department of Transportation University Transportation Center at Carnegie Mellon.

The Robotics Institute is part of Carnegie Mellon’s top-ranked School of Computer Science, which is celebrating its 25th year. Follow the school on Twitter @SCSatCMU.

BURNOUT CAUSED BY MORE THAN JUST JOB STRESS

New research from Concordia and the University of Montreal confirms home life affects workplace mental health

From FMS Global News Desk of Jeanne Hambleton Released: 16-Sep-2014
Source Universite de Montreal Citations Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology

 

Newswise — Impossible deadlines, demanding bosses, abusive colleagues, unpaid overtime: all factors that can lead to a burnout. But when it comes to mental health in the workplace, the influence of home life must also be considered to get the full picture.

That is about to change thanks to new research from Concordia University and the University of Montreal, which proves that having an understanding partner is just as important as having a supportive boss.

The study, published in the journal Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, surveys 1,954 employees from 63 different organizations and shows that a multitude of issues contribute to mental health problems in the workforce.

The research team polled participants to measure factors like parental status, household income, social network, gender, age, physical health and levels of self-esteem. They studied these elements alongside stressors typically seen in the workplace, such as emotional exhaustion, poor use of skills, high psychological demands, job insecurity and lack of authority.

Turns out mental health in the workplace doesn’t exist in a vacuum: it’s deeply affected by the rest of a person’s day-to-day life. And vice versa.

The study shows that fewer mental health problems are experienced by those living with a partner, in households with young children, higher household incomes, less work-family conflicts, and greater access to the support of a social network outside the workplace.

Of course, factors within the workplace are still important. Fewer mental health problems were reported when employees are supported at work, when expectations of job recognition are met, and when people feel secure in their jobs. A higher level of skill use is also associated with lower levels of depression, pointing to the importance of designing tasks that motivate and challenge workers.

“This is a call to action,” says senior author Steve Harvey, professor of management and dean of Concordia’s John Molson School of Business.

“Researchers need to expand their perspective, so that they get a full picture of the complexity of factors that determine individuals’ mental health.”

For lead author Alain Marchand, professor at the University of Montreal’s School of Industrial Relations, it is all about adopting a holistic view.

“To maintain a truly healthy workforce, we need to look outside the office or home in simple terms to combat mental health issues in the workplace.”

 

MOST CONSUMERS DON’T KNOW THEIR DAILY CALORIE ‘BUDGET’

Awareness of 2,000-calorie context could encourage healthier food choices

From FMS Global News Desk of Jeanne Hambleton Released: 9-Sep-2014
Source Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health                                                   Citations Health Promotion Practice

 

Newswise — Many people are unaware that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s mandated nutrition labels are based on a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet, but a simple weekly text message reminder can greatly improve that awareness, according to a new study from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

While not an outright recommendation, the 2,000-calorie benchmark is what the FDA considers a reasonable daily calorie intake for many adults. More importantly, nutrition labels on food products sold in the U.S. are based on it. The key to translating nutrition labels and using them to make healthy food choices, researchers say, may be an understanding of this basic fact.

The study, published online in Health Promotion Practice, surveyed 246 participants dining in the Johns Hopkins Hospital cafeteria to assess their initial knowledge of the 2,000-calorie value. The cafeteria included calorie labels for food choices but no information on the daily context. Participants were then randomly assigned to receive either a weekly text message reminder, a weekly email reminder, or no weekly reminder about the 2,000-calorie value. Participants received the reminder messages each Monday for four weeks; after the four weeks, their knowledge of the 2,000-calorie value was assessed with a follow-up survey.

Prior to receiving the weekly reminders, 58 percent of participants could not correctly identify the 2,000-calorie value, even those with college or graduate degrees. After the study period, those receiving the weekly text messages were twice as likely to correctly identify the 2,000-calorie value as compared to those who received no weekly reminder.

“While daily energy needs vary, the 2,000-calorie value provides a general frame of reference that can make menu and product nutrition labels more meaningful,” says study leader Lawrence J. Cheskin, MD, director of the Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center at the Bloomberg School of Public Health.

“When people know their calorie ‘budget’ for the day, they have context for making healthier meal and snack choices.”

The FDA has proposed new menu-labeling regulations, which will soon require chain restaurants with 20 or more outlets to list calories on menus, menu boards, and drive-through displays. Cheskin says that those calorie counts are not helpful tools for making good food choices if people do not understand roughly how many calories they should consume each day.

“Given the low level of calorie literacy, simply posting calorie counts on menu boards is not sufficient,” Cheskin says.

The weekly text and email reminders were based on The Monday Campaigns’ model for health communications, which leverages the idea that Monday provides a weekly opportunity to start fresh and commit to new healthy habits, such as exercise regimens, healthy eating plans or smoking cessation. The Monday Campaigns is a nonprofit organization that started in 2003 with research support from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

“There are many simple ways to convey calorie information to consumers, including point of sale communication, text messages, emails and even smart phone apps,” Cheskin notes.

“Ideally, these could work together, with calories posted on menus, restaurant signage and food labels along with personal reminders delivered through the latest technology. Our data indicate that weekly text messages are one element in this mix that can be effective.”

“Consumer Understanding of Calorie Labeling: A Healthy Monday E-Mail and Text Message Intervention” was written by Michelle L. Abel, MSPH; Katherine Lee, MA; Ralph Loglisci, BS; Allison Righter, MSPH; Thomas J. Hipper, MSPH, MA; and Lawrence J. Cheskin, MD.

This research was supported by the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future and The Monday Campaigns.

 

 

 

ADULT WAISTLINES CONTINUE TO INCREASE

From FMS Global News Desk of Jeanne Hambleton Embargoed: 16-Sep-2014
Source Newsroom: JAMA – Journal of the American Medical AssociatioN

 

Newswise — The prevalence of abdominal obesity and average waist circumference increased among U.S. adults from 1999 to 2012, according to a study in the September 17 issue of JAMA.

Waist circumference is a simple measure of total and intra-abdominal body fat. Although the prevalence of abdominal obesity has increased in the United States through 2008, its trend in recent years has not been known, according to background information in the article.

Earl S. Ford, M.D., M.P.H., of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, and colleagues used data from seven 2-year cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) starting with 1999-2000 and concluding with 2011-2012 to determine trends in average waist circumference and prevalence of abdominal obesity among adults in the United States. Abdominal obesity was defined as a waist circumference greater than 40.2 inches (102 cm) in men and greater than 34.6 inches (88 cm) in women.

Data from 32,816 men and nonpregnant women ages 20 years or older were analyzed. The overall age-adjusted average waist circumference increased progressively and significantly, from 37.6 inches in 1999-2000 to 38.8 inches in 2011-2012. Significant increases occurred in men (0.8 inch), women (1.5 inch), non-Hispanic whites (1.2 inch), non­Hispanic blacks (1.6 inch), and Mexican Americans (1.8 inch).

The overall age-adjusted prevalence of abdominal obesity increased significantly from 46.4 percent in 1999-2000 to 54.2 percent in 2011-2012. Significant increases were present in men (37.1 percent to 43.5 percent), women (55.4 percent to 64.7 percent), non-Hispanic whites (45.8 percent to 53.8 percent), non-Hispanic blacks (52.4 percent to 60.9 percent), and Mexican Americans (48.1 percent to 57.4 percent).

The authors write that previous analyses of data from NHANES show that the prevalence of obesity calculated from body mass index (BMI) did not change significantly from 2003-2004 to 2011-2012.

“In contrast, our analyses using data from the same surveys indicate that the prevalence of abdominal obesity is still increasing. The reasons for increases in waist circumference in excess of what would be expected from changes in BMI remain speculative, but several factors, including sleep deprivation, endocrine disruptors, and certain medications, have been proposed as potential explanations.”

“Our results support the routine measurement of waist circumference in clinical care consistent with current recommendations as a key step in initiating the prevention, control, and management of obesity among patients.”

 

NINE FATS TO INCLUDE IN A HEALTHY DIET – Fats for Fitness

From the FMS Global News Desk of Jeanne Hambleton Released: 17-Sep-2014 Source Newsroom: Institute of Food Technologists (IFT)             By Linda Milo Ohr

Newswise — CHICAGO—Fats are often considered the enemy of good nutrition, but when included in a healthy diet they can boast several potential health benefits. In the September issue of Food Technology magazine published by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), Contributing Editor Linda Milo Ohr writes about how fatty acids and nutritional oils may benefit cognition, weight management, heart health, eye and brain development, and even mood.

1. Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Omega-3 fatty acids are associated with brain development, cognition, eye health, dementia and depression. They are also widely well-known for their heart health benefits.
   2. Pinolenic Acid: Pinolenic acid is based on pine nut oil derived from a specific Korean pine tree, and is especially rich in long-chain fatty acids. Clinical trials have shown that it can help suppress appetite and promote a feeling of fullness.
   3. Conjugated Linoleic Acid: Conjugated linoleic acid has been shown to affect weight management by helping reduce body fat and increase lean body mass.
   4. Flaxseed Oil: Flaxseed oil is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids as well as omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids which can contribute to heart health and help reduce inflammation.
   5. Hemp Oil: Hemp seed oil contains a balanced ratio of omega-6 and omega-3 linolenic essential fatty acids, and also contains vitamin E.
   6. Fish Oil: Fish oil is known for its effect on cardiovascular, neurological, and cognitive health.
   7. Canola Oil: A study showed that a canola oil-enriched, low-glycemic-diet improved blood sugar control in type 2 diabetics, especially those with raised systolic blood pressure (Jenkins, 2014).
   8. Soybean Oil: High oleic soybean oil has reduced saturated fat and 0 grams of trans fat, and delivers three times the amount of monounsaturated fats compared to commodity soybean oil.
   9. Coconut Oil: Although not as much research has been done compared to olive or fish oil, it is thought to aid in areas such as energy, skin health, and dental health.

Research has shown that fatty acids and nutritional oils may benefit cognition, weight management, heart health, eye and brain development, and even mood. As a result, they have jumped into the limelight for these potential benefits, making the inclusion of fats in the diet more appealing. Here is a look at some of these functional fats.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids, particularly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are associated with brain development, cognition, eye health, dementia, and depression. They are widely known for their heart health benefits. Researchers de Oliveira Otto et al. (2013) showed that EPA and DHA from seafood were inversely associated with cardiovascular disease incidence, suggesting that increased consumption may help prevent risk development in a multiethnic population.

North America has the largest number of dairy launches using omega-3 claims, with nearly 35% of the global total, according to Innova Market Insights, Duiven, the Netherlands (www.innovadatabase.com) (Innova, 2014). In the United States there is rising interest in omega-3-fortified milk, with Innova’s data indicating that nearly 8% of milk launches in the U.S. in the 12 months ending October 2013 featured omega-3 claims.

In addition to dairy, there is plenty of room for innovation using omega-3s in products for consumers of all ages. This is in part thanks to the advancements in omega-3 ingredient developments. At the 2014 IFT Food Expo, BASF Nutrition & Health, Florham Park, N.J. (www.newtrition.basf.com), showcased a graham cracker and a chocolate almond butter spread that were both formulated with omega-3 fatty acids.

“These were among our most popular prototypes and, in fact, one attendee called them ‘IFT gold,’” says Elsie Jamin-Maguire, Business Manager, Foods & Beverages, at BASF Nutrition & Health.

BASF Nutrition & Health offers Omevital ™ 1812 TG Gold (fish oil, minimum 30% omega-3); Omevital 1050 TG Gold (fish oil concentrate, minimum 61% omega-3 as TG, DHA rich); Dry n-3 ^® 12 Food (microencapsulated fish oil rich in omega-3); and Dry n-3 DHA 11 (microencapsulated fish oil rich in DHA). Omevital TG Gold oils are specially deodorized for food and beverage applications. The Dry n-3 microencapsulated EPA- and DHA-rich ingredients are produced in Denmark using a microencapsulation technology, which results in an ingredient with excellent flowability and high stability.

DSM, Parsippany, N.J. (www.dsm.com/human-nutrition), in 2013 launched life’sOMEGA ™ 60, a high-potency vegetarian DHA and EPA omega-3 oil developed from a sustainable algal source. The ingredient is said to provide all the benefits of life’sDHA ™ with additional EPA, resulting in an ingredient that is a higher-potency, more sustainable alternative to fish and krill oils. DSM’s portfolio also includes life’sDHA and MEG-3 ^® fish oil. MEG-3 is sourced from wild-caught, sustainable fisheries that adhere to the strict regulations of government agencies in the Peruvian upwelling region.

In June 2014, Enzymotec Ltd., Migdal HaEmeq, Israel (www.enzymotec.com), launched Omega PC ™ fish oil–based omega-3 ingredient, a wild, cold fish extract containing omega-3 fatty acids bound to phospholipids and triglycerides. The omega-3 fatty acids bound to phospholipids have been shown to be absorbed better than triglyceride-bound omega-3 fatty acids. The better absorption leads to better efficacy and to higher accumulation of omega-3 fatty acids in target organs.

About IFT
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Institute of Food Technologists. Since its founding in 1939, IFT has been committed to advancing the science of food, both today and tomorrow. Our non-profit scientific society—more than 18,000 members from more than 100 countries—brings together food scientists, technologists and related professions from academia, government and industry.

 

VETERINARY PHARMACOLOGIST WARNS THAT EGGS FROM BACKYARD CHICKENS MAY POSE CONSUMPTION PROBLEMS

From the FMS Global News Desk of Jeanne Hambleton Released: 16-Sep-2014
Source Newsroom: Kansas State University

Cleaning water dishes is important after chickens being raised in the backyard complete any course of medication. That is because medication residues can remain in the eggs the chickens produce for varying lengths of time, according to Ronette Gehring, a Kansas State University pharmacologist.

 

Newswise — MANHATTAN, Kansas — Whether raising chickens in your backyard as pets or as a source of fresh eggs, a Kansas State University pharmacologist says what you do not know about your chickens could hurt you or others.

Ronette Gehring, associate professor of veterinary pharmacology at the university’s College of Veterinary Medicine and regional director of the Midwest branch of the Food Animal Residue Avoidance Databank, or FARAD, says that owners need to be aware of potential drug residues in eggs from backyard chickens that might be or have been on medication.

“These animals get sick from time to time,” Gehring said. “They may get injured and need antibiotic treatment or pain medications. Foot infections are quite common, while sometimes the animals may need treatment for external or internal parasites.”

The danger is that residues from the medications remain in eggs for various lengths of time.

“Owners must be aware that any drug they administer will result in residues in the eggs,” Gehring said.

“It is important that if owners buy medications over the counter to treat their flock, they closely follow the directions on the label. This includes only using the drug if it is specifically labeled for chickens laying eggs and only for the diseases listed on the label, at the exact dose, dosing interval and duration of treatment given in the instructions.”

The Food Animal Residue Avoidance Databank keeps information about medications and the withdrawal time for different animals. Gerhing said backyard chicken owners need to be very attentive when giving the animals any medications.

“If all these instructions are followed closely, there will be a withdrawal time given on the label, which is the time for which the eggs must not be consumed after the last dose,” she said.

“Any deviation from the label instructions is considered extra-label and is illegal unless it is prescribed by a veterinarian within a valid veterinarian-client-patient relationship. There are very few drugs specifically labeled for backyard chickens. Most are formulated for large commercial operations, so many treatments for backyard flocks will be extra-label, requiring a prescription from a veterinarian.”

The Food Animal Residue Avoidance Databank only gives extra-label drug use advice to veterinarians. Exclusively for food animal species, the databank is a congressionally mandated risk-management program supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and maintained by a consortium of universities, including Kansas State University; University of California, Davis; University of Florida; and North Carolina State University.

“Another problem owners need to be aware of is exposure of their chickens to chemicals and toxins in the home environment,” Gehring said.

“For example, an owner may have wasps in the backyard and spray them with pesticides. The chickens might eat the wasps, which can cause residues in the eggs. Other environmental, accidental exposures can occur, such as herbicides sprayed for weed control. If an owner suspects an environmental exposure, then they can call FARAD themselves, but it is important to know which chemicals the chickens may have been exposed to.”

Owners are encouraged to visit with their veterinarians. More information is available at the Food Animal Residue Avoidance Databank website at http://www.farad.org.

See you tomorrow. Jeanne

TIPS AND DIETS

GUT BACTERIA, ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS, AND GLUCOSE INTOLERANCE

A new study reveals that certain gut bacteria may induce metabolic changes following exposure to artificial sweeteners

From the FMS Global News Desk of Jeanne Hambleton Released: 17-Sep-2014
Source Newsroom: Weizmann Institute of Science Citations Nature, Sept. 17, 2014

Newswise — Artificial sweeteners – promoted as aids to weight loss and diabetes prevention – could actually hasten the development of glucose intolerance and metabolic disease, and they do so in a surprising way: by changing the composition and function of the gut microbiota – the substantial population of bacteria residing in our intestines.

These findings, the results of experiments in mice and humans, were published September 17 in Nature. Dr. Eran Elinav of the Weizmann Institute of Science’s Department of Immunology, who led this research together with Prof. Eran Segal of the Department of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics, says that the widespread use of artificial sweeteners in drinks and food, among other things, may be contributing to the obesity and diabetes epidemic that is sweeping much of the world.

For years, researchers have been puzzling over the fact that non-caloric artificial sweeteners do not seem to assist in weight loss, with some studies suggesting that they may even have an opposite effect.

Graduate student Jotham Suez in Dr. Elinav’s lab, who led the study, collaborated with lab member Gili Zilberman-Shapira and graduate students Tal Korem and David Zeevi in Prof. Segal’s lab to discover that artificial sweeteners, even though they do not contain sugar, nonetheless have a direct effect on the body’s ability to utilize glucose.

Glucose intolerance – generally thought to occur when the body cannot cope with large amounts of sugar in the diet – is the first step on the path to metabolic syndrome and adult-onset diabetes.

The scientists gave mice water laced with the three most commonly used artificial sweeteners, in amounts equivalent to those permitted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These mice developed glucose intolerance, as compared to mice that drank water, or even sugar water.

Repeating the experiment with different types of mice and different doses of the artificial sweeteners produced the same results – these substances were somehow inducing glucose intolerance.

Next, the researchers investigated a hypothesis that the gut microbiota are involved in this phenomenon. They thought the bacteria might do this by reacting to new substances like artificial sweeteners, which the body itself may not recognize as “food.” Indeed, artificial sweeteners are not absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract, but in passing through they encounter trillions of the bacteria in the gut microbiota.

The researchers treated mice with antibiotics to eradicate many of their gut bacteria; this resulted in a full reversal of the artificial sweeteners’ effects on glucose metabolism. Next, they transferred the microbiota from mice that consumed artificial sweeteners to “germ-free,” or sterile, mice – resulting in a complete transmission of the glucose intolerance into the recipient mice.

This, in itself, was conclusive proof that changes to the gut bacteria are directly responsible for the harmful effects to their host’s metabolism. The group even found that incubating the microbiota outside the body, together with artificial sweeteners, was sufficient to induce glucose intolerance in the sterile mice.

A detailed characterization of the microbiota in these mice revealed profound changes to their bacterial populations, including new microbial functions that are known to infer a propensity to obesity, diabetes, and complications of these problems in both mice and humans.

Does the human microbiome function in the same way? Dr. Elinav and Prof. Segal had a means to test this as well. As a first step, they looked at data collected from their Personalized Nutrition Project (www.personalnutrition.org), the largest human trial to date to look at the connection between nutrition and microbiota.

Here, they uncovered a significant association between self-reported consumption of artificial sweeteners, personal configurations of gut bacteria, and the propensity for glucose intolerance. They next conducted a controlled experiment, asking a group of volunteers who did not generally eat or drink artificially sweetened foods to consume them for a week, and then undergo tests of their glucose levels and gut microbiota compositions.

The findings showed that many – but not all – of the volunteers had begun to develop glucose intolerance after just one week of artificial sweetener consumption. The composition of their gut microbiota explained the difference: the researchers discovered two different populations of human gut bacteria – one that induced glucose intolerance when exposed to the sweeteners, and one that had no effect either way.

Dr. Elinav believes that certain bacteria in the guts of those who developed glucose intolerance reacted to the chemical sweeteners by secreting substances that then provoked an inflammatory response similar to sugar overdose, promoting changes in the body’s ability to utilize sugar.

Prof. Segal states, “The results of our experiments highlight the importance of personalized medicine and nutrition to our overall health. We believe that an integrated analysis of individualized ‘big data’ from our genome, microbiome, and dietary habits could transform our ability to understand how foods and nutritional supplements affect a person’s health and risk of disease.”

According to Dr. Elinav, “Our relationship with our own individual mix of gut bacteria is a huge factor in determining how the food we eat affects us. Especially intriguing is the link between use of artificial sweeteners – through the bacteria in our guts – to a tendency to develop the very disorders they were designed to prevent; this calls for reassessment of today’s massive, unsupervised consumption of these substances.”

Also participating in this research were Christoph A. Thaiss, Ori Maza, and Dr. Hagit Shapiro of Dr. Elinav’s group; Dr. Adina Weinberger of Prof. Segal’s group; Dr. Ilana Kolodkin-Gal of the Department of Molecular Genetics; Prof. Alon Harmelin and Dr. Yael Kuperman of the Department of Veterinary Resources; Dr. Shlomit Gilad of the Nancy and Stephen Grand Israel National Center for Personalized Medicine; Prof. Zamir Halperin and Dr. Niv Zmora of Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center and Tel Aviv University; and Dr. David Israeli of Kfar Shaul Hospital Jerusalem Center for Mental Health.

Dr. Eran Elinav’s research is supported by the Abisch Frenkel Foundation for the Promotion of Life Sciences; the Benoziyo Endowment Fund for the Advancement of Science; the Gurwin Family Fund for Scientific Research; the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust; the Adelis Foundation; Yael and Rami Ungar, Israel; the Crown Endowment Fund for Immunological Research; John L. and Vera Schwartz, Pacific Palisades, CA; the Rising Tide Foundation; Alan Markovitz, Canada; Cynthia Adelson, Canada; the estate of Jack Gitlitz; the estate of Lydia Hershkovich; the European Research Council; the CNRS – Centre National de la Recherché Scientifique; the estate of Samuel and Alwyn J. Weber; and Mr. and Mrs. Donald L. Schwarz, Sherman Oaks, CA. Dr. Elinav is the incumbent of the Rina Gudinski Career Development Chair.

Prof. Eran Segal’s research is supported by the Kahn Family Research Center for Systems Biology of the Human Cell; the Carolito Stiftung; the Cecil and Hilda Lewis Charitable Trust; the European Research Council; and Mr. and Mrs. Donald L. Schwarz, Sherman Oaks, CA.

The Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, is one of the world’s top-ranking multidisciplinary research institutions. The Institute’s 2,700-strong scientific community engages in research addressing crucial problems in medicine and health, energy, technology, agriculture, and the environment. Outstanding young scientists from around the world pursue advanced degrees at the Weizmann Institute’s Feinberg Graduate School. The discoveries and theories of Weizmann Institute scientists have had a major impact on the wider scientific community, as well as on the quality of life of millions of people worldwide.

9 FATS TO INCLUDE IN A HEALTHY DIET

From the FMS Global News Desk of Jeanne Hambleton Released: 17-Sep-2014
Source Newsroom: Institute of Food Technologists (IFT)

Newswise — CHICAGO—Fats are often considered the enemy of good nutrition, but when included in a healthy diet they can boast several potential health benefits. In the September issue of Food Technology magazine published by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), Contributing Editor Linda Milo Ohr writes about how fatty acids and nutritional oils may benefit cognition, weight management, heart health, eye and brain development, and even mood.

1. Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Omega-3 fatty acids are associated with brain development, cognition, eye health, dementia and depression. They are also widely well-known for their heart health benefits.
   2. Pinolenic Acid: Pinolenic acid is based on pine nut oil derived from a specific Korean pine tree, and is especially rich in long-chain fatty acids. Clinical trials have shown that it can help suppress appetite and promote a feeling of fullness.
   3. Conjugated Linoleic Acid: Conjugated linoleic acid has been shown to affect weight management by helping reduce body fat and increase lean body mass.
   4. Flaxseed Oil: Flaxseed oil is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids as well as omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids which can contribute to heart health and help reduce inflammation.
   5. Hemp Oil: Hemp seed oil contains a balanced ratio of omega-6 and omega-3 linolenic essential fatty acids, and also contains vitamin E.
   6. Fish Oil: Fish oil is known for its effect on cardiovascular, neurological, and cognitive health.
   7. Canola Oil: A study showed that a canola oil-enriched, low-glycemic-diet improved blood sugar control in type 2 diabetics, especially those with raised systolic blood pressure (Jenkins, 2014).
   8. Soybean Oil: High oleic soybean oil has reduced saturated fat and 0 grams of trans fat, and delivers three times the amount of monounsaturated fats compared to commodity soybean oil.
   9. Coconut Oil: Although not as much research has been done compared to olive or fish oil, it is thought to aid in areas such as energy, skin health, and dental health.

About IFT
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Institute of Food Technologists. Since its founding in 1939, IFT has been committed to advancing the science of food, both today and tomorrow. Our non-profit scientific society—more than 18,000 members from more than 100 countries—brings together food scientists, technologists and related professions from academia, government and industry.

 

7 SUPERMARKETS TRENDS NOW AND IN THE FUTURE

From the FMS Global News Desk of Jeanne Hambleton Released: 17-Sep-2014
Source Newsroom: Institute of Food Technologists (IFT)

 

Newswise — CHICAGO— With convenience and value being key drivers when it comes to grocery shopping, successful retailers will be those who adapt to changes in consumer product preferences, technology and lifestyle needs. In the September issue of Food Technology magazine published by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), Executive Editor Mary Ellen Kuhn writes about the changing landscape of today’s supermarket. The following seven trends are identified in the article.

1. Price-Driven Consumers: Middle- and low-income shoppers account for 70 percent of U.S. grocery sales, and even consumers without major financial constraints tend to be frugal and open to shopping in a variety of different channels in order to economize (Jeffries, 2013).
   2. Healthy Living and Fresh Food: 92 percent of U.S. adults believe that eating at home is healthier than eating out (FMI, 2014).
   3. Smaller Grocery Stores: Smaller grocery stores are on track for rapid growth (Jeffries, 2013). Stores are able to refine their offerings based on neighborhood purchasing patterns.
   4. Fresh Prepared Foods: More than half of the households in the U.S. are composed of only one or two people (U.S. Census Bureau, 2012), and consumers often look to stores as their “sous chef.” Consumers often just want to put the finishing touches on an item and avoid the slicing, dicing, and marinating that often come with food preparation (FMI, 2014).
   5. Meal Solutions: Many retailers are putting their own spin on high-quality fare that reflects trendy culinary influences like chef-prepared entrees and salads, ethnic fare, brunch stations, and gelato bars in stores. In addition, supermarkets are bundling together meal components that are tasty and easy to prepare.
   6. Mobile Commerce: According to Catalina Marketing, there are currently more than 1,000 grocery shopping apps for the iPhone. Digitizing supermarket ads and coupons for smartphones, computers, and tablets is important to drive sales and form deeper connections with shoppers.
   7. Online Options: In the future more people are expected to purchase pantry stables online rather than in grocery stores. Although the market for online ordering is growing, experts agree that because grocery shopping is such a sensory experience it will probably never be a totally online process (Tom Johnson, PwC, 2014). Grocery shopping is more likely to become a hybrid online and in-store process with consumers both placing orders online, but also stopping in the store for items.

 

THE OBESITY SOCIETY: REDUCED ENERGY DENSITY IN FOODS CAN CREATE HEALTHIER FOOD ENVIRONMENT AND MAY HELP TO REDUCE OBESITY

Experts Applaud Food & Beverage Industry Actions to Improve the Food Environment

From the FMS Global News Desk of Jeanne Hambleton Released: 17-Sep-2014
Source Newsroom: Obesity Society

 

Newswise — SILVER SPRING, MD: On the heels of new research showing that 16 major food and beverage companies have collectively cut 6.4 trillion calories from U.S. food products, The Obesity Society (TOS) issues an official position statement pointing to the pervasive availability of foods high in calories per unit of weight, or energy density, as a contributing factor for weight gain and obesity. The Society goes further to urge food companies to test and market foods that will help individuals reduce the energy density in their diets and better manage body weight.

“With more than one-third of American children affected by obesity or overweight, it Is no secret that our food environment is a contributing factor to obesity, especially among children,” said Barbara Rolls, PhD, FTOS, TOS past-president and professor of nutrition at Pennsylvania State University.

“This obesogenic environment is characterized by large portions of tasty, inexpensive, energy-dense foods that are easily accessible in convenience stores, vending machines and restaurants – all areas where food and beverage companies have an overwhelming impact on the nutritional and energy content of foods.”

Examples of foods high in energy density that can lead to consumption of excess calories include those high in sugar, like ice cream, and those high in fat, including deep-fried foods, such as French fries, and cheese. Foods low in energy density and recommended for a healthy diet are those that have a high amount of nutrients per serving, including fruits and vegetables, non-fat milk, whole grains, and fish and other lean proteins.

As detailed in the position statement, a diet reduced in energy density can accommodate a wide range of eating patterns, and can support a lifestyle that includes a healthy, well-balanced diet for weight management. A key component to reduced energy density is the amount of water in our food, which contributes to the weight and volume without adding energy, or calories, and can make us feel more satiated.

“A growing body of evidence indicates that increasing the water content in foods can reduce energy intake and improve diet quality,” continued Dr. Rolls.

“For example, I will feel more full after eating 100 calories of strawberries, which are high in water content, than after eating 100 calories of pretzels. This is because the fruit provides about 13 times more food by weight than the pretzels.”

A successful effort to improve the food environment by food and beverage companies is detailed in the research conducted by TOS members Shu Wen Ng, PhD, and Barry Popkin, PhD, published today in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. The study unveils a new, unprecedented system for tracking trends in consumer-packaged goods, which allowed researchers to evaluate consumer trends more closely than ever before. Results show that the 6.4 trillion caloric reduction by the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation (HWCF) member companies translates to a 78-calorie per person, per day decline, with largest calorie cuts to foods coming from products high in energy density, including: sweets and snack foods; fats, oils and dressings, and; carbonated soft drinks. In a second study published in the same issue, researchers tie the effort back to a decline in the calorie content of purchases by American families, and call for more research to continue to track its success.

“We applaud the efforts of the member companies for their work to cut calories from foods high in energy density, and we encourage others in the industry to sign onto this important initiative,” said TOS President Steven Smith, MD.

“Food and beverage companies can take these efforts a step further with a closer look at the energy density of their products. There is a growing consumer demand for healthier food offerings; responding to this demand is a win-win for both corporations and public health.”

In January 2014, Dr. Smith commended the industry for following through on its pledge following its initial announcement.

“Efforts to reduce obesity cannot succeed without the engagement of the many industries that have the power to positively impact the health of billions of people,” he said.

According to the authors, the pledge is just the first step to evaluate the impact of the industry on obesity, and more needs to be done to continue to have a positive impact on the epidemic.

About The Obesity Society
The Obesity Society (TOS) is the leading professional society dedicated to better understanding, preventing and treating obesity. Through research, education and advocacy, TOS is committed to improving the lives of those affected by the disease.

BACK TOMORROW JEANNE

 

 

 

 

 

TAKE YOUR BEST SHOT AT AVOIDING THE FLU THIS SEASON

Flu Vaccine from Physician Offers Important Health Check Up, Says Loyola Infectious Disease Specialist

From the FMS Global News Desk of Jeanne Hambleton Released: 12-Sep-2014
Source: Loyola University Health System

Getting your annual flu shot from your physician affords an opportunity for an overall health checkup, says Jorge Parada, MD, medical director of infectious disease at Loyola University Health System.

(A health check-up would be nice. In our surgery for flu jabs  we queue up like children waiting for dinner. The nurses do about three couples in every ten minutes. It is like a conveyor belt but it works. J.)

Newswise — Everyone knows that the best way to avoid the flu is by getting an annual flu shot. But a trip to your physician every autumn for the vaccination can help you avoid much more than the dreaded flu bug.

“At the doctor’s office, the focus is on you and what is going on with your health. This is your time to talk about concerns to improve your well-being beyond the flu season,” says Jorge Parada, MD, MPH, the medical director of the Infection Prevention and Control Program at Loyola University Health System.

A retail store that offers the flu shot cannot give you expert medical advice from your physician that knows you and your medical history.

“You trust your store employee to help you locate items you want to buy, not to diagnose what is causing a persistent symptom, schedule other annual health maintenance exams such as mammograms or offer expert medical advice,” he said.

When is the best time of year to get the flu shot? The official flu season is October 1 – March 31, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

“Getting the flu shot in October gives you the best chance of avoiding the flu this year,” says Parada.

“If you get your flu shot in the beginning of September, you may start running out of infection immunity by February or March, when the virus is still around.”

The flu season traditionally peaks in late December to early February, he notes. Loyola is planning to distribute more than 30,000 flu vaccinations this season.

“Remember that it takes up to two weeks after the flu shot for the full effect to kick in,” says Parada. “And if you were exposed to the flu around the time you get your flu shot, you may still experience the flu but do not blame the flu shot.”

Just like with other infectious diseases such as polio, mumps, chicken pox and whooping cough, the participation of everyone in receiving vaccinations is critical to stopping the virus.

“When people are universally vaccinated, those infections are largely eliminated,” says Parada. “It may not sound sexy but it is everyone’s civic responsibility to protect themselves and their community.”

Millions of dollars are lost each year during the flu season due to missed days of work, expense of medications and the like. And many lose their lives due to the flu.

“The most vulnerable members of our society, the very young and the elderly or chronically ill, and pregnant women, are hit the hardest by the flu,” says Parada.

For 2014, the flu vaccination composition is the same as in 2013. The 2014-2015 trivalent influenza vaccine is made from the following three viruses:
• an A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus;
• an A/Texas/50/2012 (H3N2)-like virus;
• a B/Massachusetts/2/2012-like virus.

It is recommended that quadrivalent vaccines containing two influenza B viruses contain the above three viruses and a B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus.

There are hundreds of varieties of the flu. “The flu virus is mutating all the time but health professionals track what happens in other countries that experience the flu season earlier and identify the primary strains,” says Parada.

Loyola University Health System is recognized internationally as a leader in infection control and prevention. Loyola is one of a few select hospitals who invest in universal screening of all inpatients for MRSA. Loyola was one of the first institutions to require all staff to have mandatory flu shots as a condition of employment. Loyola was the only academic hospital to participate in a national C. difficile study and performs the most accurate testing for bacteria. Loyola also actively screens emergency department patients for HIV/AIDS as part of an ongoing research study.

COFFEE GENOME SHEDS LIGHT ON THE EVOLUTION OF CAFFEINE

Enzymes that help produce caffeine evolved independently in coffee, tea and chocolate, say scientists who have newly sequenced the coffee plant genome

From FMS Global News Desk of Jeanne Hambleton Release: September 4, 2014                           By Cory Nealon   University of Buffalo News Centre

• An international research team has sequenced the genome of the coffee plant Coffea canephora.
• By comparing genes in the coffee, tea and chocolate plants, the scientists show that enzymes involved in making caffeine likely evolved independently in these three organisms.
• More than 8.7 million tons of coffee was produced in 2013; it is the principal agricultural product of many tropical nations.
• The study was led by the French Institute of Research for Development, the French National Sequencing Center (CEA-Genoscope) and the University at Buffalo. The findings appear in the journal Science.

 

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The newly sequenced genome of the coffee plant reveals secrets about the evolution of man’s best chemical friend: caffeine.

The scientists who completed the project say the sequences and positions of genes in the coffee plant show that they evolved independently from genes with similar functions in tea and chocolate, which also make caffeine.

In other words, coffee did not inherit caffeine-linked genes from a common ancestor, but instead developed the genes on its own.

Why coffee?

With more than 2.25 billion cups consumed daily worldwide, coffee is the principal agricultural product of many tropical countries. According to estimates by the International Coffee Organization, more than 8.7 million tons of coffee were produced in 2013, revenue from exports amounted to $15.4 billion in 2009-2010, and the sector employed nearly 26 million people in 52 countries during 2010.

“Coffee is as important to everyday early risers as it is to the global economy. Accordingly, a genome sequence could be a significant step toward improving coffee,” said Philippe Lashermes, a researcher at the French Institute of Research for Development (IRD).

“By looking at the coffee genome and genes specific to coffee, we were able to draw some conclusions about what makes coffee special.”

Lashermes, along with Patrick Wincker and France Denoeud, genome scientists at the French National Sequencing Center (CEA-Genoscope), and Victor Albert, professor of biological sciences at the University at Buffalo, are the principal authors of the study.

Scientists from other organizations, particularly the Agricultural Research Center for International Development in France, also contributed, along with researchers from public and private organizations in the U.S., France, Italy, Canada, Germany, China, Spain, Indonesia, Brazil, Australia and India.

The team created a high-quality draft of the genome of Coffea canephora, which accounts for about 30 percent of the world’s coffee production, according to the Manhattan-based National Coffee Association.

Next, the scientists looked at how coffee’s genetic make-up is distinct from other species.

Compared to several other plant species, including the grape and tomato, coffee harbors larger families of genes that relate to the production of alkaloid and flavonoid compounds, which contribute to qualities such as coffee aroma and the bitterness of beans.

Coffee also has an expanded collection of N-methyltransferases, enzymes that are involved in making caffeine.

Upon taking a closer look, the researchers found that coffee’s caffeine enzymes are more closely related to other genes within the coffee plant than to caffeine enzymes in tea and chocolate.

This finding suggests that caffeine production developed independently in coffee. If this trait had been inherited from a common ancestor, the enzymes would have been more similar between species.

“The coffee genome helps us understand what is exciting about coffee — other than that it wakes me up in the morning,” Albert said.

“By looking at which families of genes expanded in the plant, and the relationship between the genome structure of coffee and other species, we were able to learn about coffee’s independent pathway in evolution, including — excitingly — the story of caffeine.”

Why caffeine is so important in nature is another question. Scientists theorize that the chemical may help plants repel insects or stunt competitors’ growth. One recent paper showed that pollinators — like humans — may develop caffeine habits. Insects that visited caffeine-producing plants often returned to get another taste.

The new Science study does not offer new ideas about the evolutionary role of caffeine, but it does reinforce the idea that the compound is a valuable asset. It also provides the opportunity to better understand the evolution of coffee’s genome structure.

“It turns out that, over evolutionary time, the coffee genome was not triplicated as in its relatives: the tomato and chile pepper,” Wincker said.

“Instead it maintained a structure similar to the grape’s. As such, evolutionary diversification of the coffee genome was likely more driven by duplications in particular gene families as opposed to en masse, when all genes in the genome duplicate.”

This stands in contrast to what has been suggested for several other large plant families, where other investigators have noted correlations between high species diversity in a group and the presence of whole genome doublings or triplings.

“Coffee lies in the plant family Rubiaceae, which has about 13,000 species and is the world’s fourth largest; thus, with no genome duplication at its root, it appears to break the mold of a genome duplication link to high biodiversity,” Denoeud said.

The research was funded by the French National Research Agency; Australian Research Council; Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada; CNR-ENEA Agrifood Project of Italy; Funding Authority for Studies and Projects (FINEP Qualicafe) of Brazil; National Institutes of Science and Technology (INCT Cafe) of Brazil; the U.S. National Science Foundation; the College of Arts and Sciences, University at Buffalo; and in-kind support by scientists at Nestle’s research and development center in Tours, France.

“The coffee genome helps us understand what is exciting about coffee — other than that it wakes me up in the morning,” said Victor Albert, professor of biological sciences University at Buffalo.

 

BABIES BORN IN THE WINTER START CRAWLING EARLIER THAN THOSE BORN IN THE SUMMER

Study shows a seasonal effect on the pace of motor development in babies born in Israel during their first year

From the FMS Global News Desk of Jeanne Hambleton Released: 11-Sep-2014   Source : University of Haifax

 

Newswise — The season of a baby’s birth influences its motor development during its first year of life, a new study by University of Haifa researcher’s shows. Babies born in the winter (between December and May) start crawling earlier compared to babies born in the summer (June-November).

The research was conducted by Dr. Osnat Atun-Einy of the University’s Department of Physical Therapy and Dr. Dina Cohen, Moran Samuel and Prof. Anat Scher of the Department of Counseling and Human Development. 47 healthy babies with typical development patterns where divided them into two groups.

The first group comprised “summer-fall” babies, 16 babies born from June to November, and the second, “winter-spring” babies, 31 babies born from December to May. The study consisted of motor observations in the babies’ homes when there were seven months old, and a follow-up session when they began to crawl. Parents were asked to record the stages in their babies’ development before and between the observations.

The study used the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS), an observational assessment with high reliability, to track the babies’ development. The scale relates to four positions: Prone (on the stomach), supine (on the back), sitting, and standing.

The average age at which the babies started crawling was 31 weeks. But while the babies born in the winter (who started to crawl in the summer) started to crawl at an average 30 weeks, those born in the summer (who started to crawl in the winter) began crawling at an average of 35 weeks, with no differences noted between the boys or the girls or in the initial style of crawling (belly crawling or using hands and knees).

The overall AIMS score was higher for those babies born in the winter, and the score for movement in the prone position, the scale most meaningful in connection with crawling was, significantly higher for the babies in the winter group.

By contrast, there was no significant difference in the scores for the supine position, sitting, or standing between the two groups. According to the researchers, the findings strengthen the assumption that there is a window of opportunity for starting to crawl and stress the effect of the season on the start of crawling.

“The difference in crawling onset of four weeks constitutes 14 percent of a seven-month-old’s life and is significant,” the researchers note. “Documenting the trend by comparing the results of a standard evaluation scale strengthens the findings and points to a significant seasonal effect in the Israeli context.

”The geographic location and the local climate where the study is conducted is important to understand the findings, they add. A seasonal effect is found in places where the differences in the home environment between summer and winter are significant.

Studies done in Denver, Colorado and in Osaka, Japan found a seasonal effect that corresponds with the findings of the Haifa study, but a study conducted in Alberta, Canada, where winters are long and cold on the one hand, but the home environment (because of winter heating) is very similar all year round, the seasonal effect was not observed.

“Although the winter in Israel is comparatively mild compared to other places in the world, it turns out that it nonetheless influences the motor development of babies because of the differences between summer and winter in Israel,” the researchers say.

“The season influences the babies’ experiences in a number of ways, including layers of clothing that are worn; the opportunities babies are given to spend on the floor on their stomachs, and the hours of activity and daylight. Awareness of the seasonal effect is important so that parents will give their babies proper movement and development opportunities in the winter as well,” the researchers say.

Back tomorrow Jeanne

HIGH-DOSE FLU VACCINE MORE EFFECTIVE IN ELDERLY

From FMS Global News Desk of Jeanne Hambleton 13-Aug-2014                                                 Source: Vanderbilt University Medical Center Citations New England Journal of Medicine

 

Newswise — High-dose influenza vaccine is 24 percent more effective than the standard-dose vaccine in protecting persons ages 65 and over against influenza illness and its complications, according to a Vanderbilt-led study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).

The multi-center study enrolled 31,989 participants from 126 research centers in the U.S. and Canada during the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 influenza seasons in the Northern Hemisphere in order to compare the high-dose trivalent vaccine versus the standard-dose trivalent vaccine in adults over 65 years of age.

“The study was done to see if using a high-dose vaccine protected older adults better than the usual vaccine. Until this trial came out we did not know if it was going to be clinically better or not and now we know it is better,” said lead author Keipp Talbot, M.D., assistant professor of Medicine, who served as coordinating investigator for the more than 100 study sites.

“Older adults are the most vulnerable to influenza; they become the sickest and have the most hospitalizations. This vaccine works better than the standard dose and hence I would tell my patients to get the high-dose vaccine every year. In the meantime, we will continue to work to find newer and better vaccines for older adults.”

Researchers concluded that the high-dose vaccine is safe, induces significantly higher antibody responses, and provides superior protection against laboratory-confirmed influenza illness compared to standard dose among persons over 65 years of age.

Study data also indicated that the high-dose vaccine may provide clinical benefit for the prevention of hospitalizations, pneumonia, cardio-respiratory conditions, non-routine medical visits, and medication use.

Between 1990 and 1999, seasonal influenza caused an average of 36,000 deaths and 226,000 hospitalizations per year in the U.S. Adults over 65 years old are particularly vulnerable to influenza complications, accounting for most seasonal influenza-related hospitalizations and deaths.

“Prevention of influenza should lower hospitalizations, deaths, heart attacks, and pneumonia,” Talbot said.

“This vaccine does have some more arm soreness than the usual vaccine because it is a higher dose. With this increased soreness comes greater protection.”

Known as the Fluzone High-Dose vaccine, and made by Sanofi Pasteur, the inactivated influenza vaccine contains four times the amount of antigen that is contained in the standard-dose Fluzone vaccine.

“Fluzone High-Dose vaccine is the only influenza vaccine in the U.S. that is designed specifically to address the age-related decline of the immune system in older adults,” said David P. Greenberg, M.D., vice president, Scientific & Medical Affairs, and chief medical officer, Sanofi Pasteur U.S.

Study authors said about one-in-four breakthrough cases of influenza could be prevented if the high-dose vaccine were used instead of the standard-dose vaccine.

“I see older adults hospitalized every year with influenza and many of them come into the hospital with pneumonias and heart failure because they had influenza,” Talbot said.

“But I have to say our seniors in Nashville are very good at getting vaccinated. Locally they are very good and they do much better than their counterparts who are less than 65 years old. About 76 percent of this community of older adults are vaccinated for influenza each year.”

SLOW TO MATURE, QUICK TO DISTRACT: ADHD BRAIN STUDY FINDS SLOWER DEVELOPMENT OF KEY CONNECTIONS

Brain networks to handle internal & external tasks mature more slowly in ADHD

From FMS Global News Desk of Jeanne Hambleton Embargoed: 15-Sep-2014
Source: University of Michigan Health System   Citations Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, September 15 Early Edition

By examining hundreds of fMRI brain scans of children with ADHD and those without, the researchers identified key connections between brain networks that matured more slowly in ADHD brains.

 

Newswise — ANN ARBOR, Mich. — A peek inside the brains of more than 750 children and teens reveals a key difference in brain architecture between those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and those without.

Kids and teens with ADHD, a new study finds, lag behind others of the same age in how quickly their brains form connections within, and between, key brain networks.

The result: less-mature connections between a brain network that controls internally-directed thought (such as daydreaming) and networks that allow a person to focus on externally-directed tasks. That lag in connection development may help explain why people with ADHD get easily distracted or struggle to stay focused.

What is more, the new findings, and the methods used to make them, may one day allow doctors to use brain scans to diagnose ADHD — and track how well someone responds to treatment. This kind of neuroimaging “biomarker” does not yet exist for ADHD, or any psychiatric condition for that matter.

The new findings come from a team in the University of Michigan Medical School’s Department of Psychiatry. They used highly advanced computing techniques to analyze a large pool of detailed brain scans that were publicly shared for scientists to study. Their results are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Lead author Chandra Sripada, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues looked at the brain scans of 275 kids and teens with ADHD, and 481others without it, using “connectomic” methods that can map interconnectivity between networks in the brain.

The scans, made using function magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanners, show brain activity during a resting state. This allows researchers to see how a number of different brain networks, each specialized for certain types of functions, were “talking” within and amongst themselves.

The researchers found lags in development of connection within the internally-focused network, called the default mode network or DMN, and in development of connections between DMN and two networks that process externally-focused tasks, often called task-positive networks, or TPNs. They could even see that the lags in connection development with the two task-related networks — the frontoparietal and ventral attention networks — were located primarily in two specific areas of the brain.

The new findings mesh well with what other researchers have found by examining the physical structure of the brains of people with and without ADHD in other ways.

Such research has already shown alterations in regions within DMN and TPNs. So, the new findings build on that understanding and add to it.

The findings are also relevant to thinking about the longitudinal course of ADHD from childhood to adulthood. For instance, some children and teens “grow out” of the disorder, while for others the disorder persists throughout adulthood. Future studies of brain network maturation in ADHD could shed light into the neural basis for this difference.

“We and others are interested in understanding the neural mechanisms of ADHD in hopes that we can contribute to better diagnosis and treatment,” says Sripada, an assistant professor and psychiatrist who holds a joint appointment in the U-M Philosophy department and is a member of the U-M Center for Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics.

“But without the database of fMRI images, and the spirit of collaboration that allowed them to be compiled and shared, we would never have reached this point.”

Sripada (shown above)  explains that in the last decade, functional medical imaging has revealed that the human brain is functionally organized into large-scale connectivity networks. These networks, and the connections between them, mature throughout early childhood all the way to young adulthood.

“It is particularly noteworthy that the networks we found to have lagging maturation in ADHD are linked to the very behaviors that are the symptoms of ADHD,” he says.

Studying the vast array of connections in the brain, a field called connectomics, requires scientists to be able to parse through not just the one-to-one communications between two specific brain regions, but the patterns of communication among thousands of nodes within the brain. This requires major computing power and access to massive amounts of data – which makes the open sharing of fMRI images so important.

“The results of this study set the stage for the next phase of this research, which is to examine individual components of the networks that have the maturational lag,” he says. “This study provides a coarse-grained understanding, and now we want to examine this phenomenon in a more fine-grained way that might lead us to a true biological marker, or neuromarker, for ADHD.”

Sripada also notes that connectomics could be used to examine other disorders with roots in brain connectivity – including autism, which some evidence has suggested stems from over-maturation of some brain networks, and schizophrenia, which may arise from abnormal connections. Pooling more fMRI data from people with these conditions, and depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and more could boost connectomics studies in those fields.

Volunteers needed for research:

To develop such a neuromarker, Sripada has embarked on follow-up research. One study is enrolling children between the ages of 7 and 17 who have ADHD and a comparison group of those without it; information is at http://umhealth.me/adhdchild. Another study is enrolling adults between the ages of 18 and 35 who have ADHD and a comparison group of those without it; information is at http://umhealth.me/adhdadult. Of note, fMRI scans do not expose a person to radiation. Anyone interested in these studies can email Psych-study@med.umich.edu or call (734) 232-0353; for the study of children, parents should make the contact and consent to research on behalf of their children.

Besides Sripada, the study’s authors are Psychiatry computer specialists Daniel Kessler and Mike Angstadt. Kessler, a graduate of U-M with a degree in neuroscience and statistics, helped develop the key connectomic methods used in the study and plans to pursue this research further in a graduate program starting in 2015.

The research was funded by a National Institutes of Health grant (AA020297), a UMCCMB pilot grant, and the John Templeton Foundation. It used fMRI scans from the ADHD-200 and ABIDE projects.

 

STUDY FIRST TO USE BRAIN SCANS TO FORECAST EARLY READING DIFFICULTIES

Brain’s White Matter Highly Predictive of Reading Acquisition Beyond Effects of Genetic Predisposition

From the FMS Global News Desk of Jeanne Hambleton Released: 15-Sep-2014
Source Newsroom: University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)                                       Citations Psychological Science, September 15, 2014

 

Newswise — UC San Francisco researchers have used brain scans to predict how young children learn to read, giving clinicians a possible tool to spot children with dyslexia and other reading difficulties before they experience reading challenges.

In the United States, children usually learn to read for the first time in kindergarten and become proficient readers by third grade, according to the authors. In the study, researchers examined brain scans of 38 kindergarteners as they were learning to read formally at school and tracked their white matter development until third grade. The brain’s white matter is essential for perceiving, thinking and learning.

The researchers found that the developmental course of the children’s white matter volume predicted the kindergarteners’ abilities to read.

“We show that white matter development during a critical period in a child’s life, when they start school and learn to read for the very first time, predicts how well the child ends up reading,” said Fumiko Hoeft, MD, PhD, senior author and an associate professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at UCSF, and member of the UCSF Dyslexia Center.

The research is published online in Psychological Science.

Doctors commonly use behavioral measures of reading readiness for assessments of ability. Other measures such as cognitive (i.e. IQ) ability, early linguistic skills, measures of the environment such as socio-economic status, and whether there is a family member with reading problems or dyslexia are all common early factors used to assess risk of developing reading difficulties.

“What was intriguing in this study was that brain development in regions important to reading predicted above and beyond all of these measures,” said Hoeft.

The researchers removed the effects of these commonly used assessments when doing the statistical analyses in order to assess how the white matter directly predicted future reading ability. They found that left hemisphere white matter in the temporo-parietal region just behind and above the left ear — thought to be important for language, reading and speech — was highly predictive of reading acquisition beyond effects of genetic predisposition, cognitive abilities, and environment at the outset of kindergarten. Brain scans improved prediction accuracy by 60 percent better at predicting reading difficulties than the compared to traditional assessments alone.

“Early identification and interventions are extremely important in children with dyslexia as well as most neurodevelopmental disorders,” said Hoeft. “Accumulation of research evidence such as ours may one day help us identify kids who might be at risk for dyslexia, rather than waiting for children to become poor readers and experience failure.”

According to the National Institute of Child and Human Development, as many as 15 percent of Americans have major trouble reading.

“Examining developmental changes in the brain over a critical period of reading appears to be a unique sensitive measure of variation and may add insight to our understanding of reading development in ways that brain data from one time point, and behavioral and environmental measures, cannot,” said Chelsea Myers, BS, lead author and lab manager in UCSF’s Laboratory for Educational NeuroScience.

“The hope is that understanding each child’s neurocognitive profiles will help educators provide targeted and personalized education and intervention, particularly in those with special needs.”

Co-authors include Maaike Vandermosten, PhD of KU Leuven; Emily Farris, PhD of University of Texas Permian Basin; Roeland Hancock, PhD, Paul Gimenez, BA, Brandi Casto, MS, Miroslav Drahos, MS, Mandeep Tumber, MS, and Robert Hendren, DO, all of the Department of Psychiatry at UCSF; Jessica Black, PhD of School of Social Work at Boston College; and Charles Hulme, DPhil of Department of Psychology at University College London.

The study was supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (K23 HD054720), Flora Family Foundation, UCSF Catalyst Award, UCSF Resource Allocation Program, Brain & Behavior Research Foundation Young Investigator Award, Stanford University Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health, Spectrum Child Health & Clinical and Translational Science Award and the Extraordinary Brain Series of the Dyslexia Foundation.

UC San Francisco (UCSF), now celebrating the 150th anniversary of its founding, is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care. It includes top-ranked graduate schools of dentistry, medicine, nursing and pharmacy, a graduate division with nationally renowned programs in basic, biomedical, translational and population sciences, as well as a preeminent biomedical research enterprise and two top-ranked hospitals, UCSF Medical Center and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital San Francisco

See you Wednesday. Jeanne

 

 

 

 

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GPS FACE IMMEDIATE CAP ON CHILD FLU VACCINE ORDERS

From the FMS Global News Desk of Jeanne Hambleton PULSE TODAY                        September  15 2014 | By Caroline Price

 

GP practices will only be able to order a maximum of 50 doses of nasal flu vaccine next week to start routine immunisations in children, public health officials have warned.

Public Health England (PHE) said it will be temporarily capping orders of the new Fluenz Tetra vaccine at 50 doses – or five packs – per practice per week, when central ordering of the vaccine opens next Wednesday, 24 September.

PHE said in its latest vaccine update the cap was needed to make sure the vaccine could be distributed equitably across the country. The update also reminded practices the vaccine has a limited shelf life and said they should only order what they need for a week or two in advance.

The update states: ‘To ensure that vaccine is distributed equitably across the NHS in England for the children’s part of national flu programme, an initial restriction on the number of doses of Fluenz Tetra that can be ordered by each practice per week will be implemented from the start of ordering on Wednesday 24 September.

‘The controls will allow practices to order 50 doses per week (five packs) initially. We will be monitoring the situation on a daily basis and as soon as we are in receipt of sufficient quantities of vaccine we will lift the restriction.’

GPs are this year taking on seasonal flu immunisation of four-year-olds, as well as two- and three-year-olds as they did last year when the routine flu vaccination programme children was first introduced.

However, as all the vaccine stocks will expire by the end of January, PHE is again urging GPs to get as many children immunised before Christmas as possible – which GPC warned could leave practices struggling to fit them in.

A PHE spokesperson told Pulse the restriction was the result of a ‘gradual supply’ of vaccine from the manufacturer, as well as the shorter shelf-life of live-attenuated vaccines.

The spokesperson said: ‘The temporary order restriction is concerned with the gradual supply of the vaccine and the shorter shelf life of the flu nasal spray vaccine Fluenz Tetra which means that it has been agreed with the manufacturer that deliveries will be staggered to ensure that there is sufficient in-date vaccine for patients who present later in the season.’

PHE added there is no restriction on the nasal flu vaccine Fluarix Tetra.

The spokesperson said: ‘There is not an order cap in place for Fluarix Tetra but it should only be ordered for eligible children aged from three years who are contraindicated for Fluenz Tetra. It should not be used for children for whom Fluenz Tetra is suitable and flu vaccine ordered via ImmForm should not be used for patients over the age of 18.’

 

GPS TOLD TO CARRY OUT CHILD FLU VACCINATION PROGRAMME IN THREE-MONTH WINDOW

From the FMS Global News Desk of Jeanne Hambleton PULSE TODAY    9 May 2014               By Caroline Price, Alex Matthews-King

 

Public health chiefs have told GPs they must vaccinate children aged between 2-4 years within a three-month window this winter because the chosen vaccines will expire midway through the flu season.

Experts from Public Health England (PHE) said in guidance for this year’s flu immunisation programme that it was ‘highly likely’ central stocks of the chosen Fluenz vaccines will have expired by the end of January, despite the vaccination programme expanding to include all 2-4 year olds this year.

The guidance also told GPs they must focus their efforts on improving uptake of the flu vaccine in patients with liver or neurological diseases.

GP leaders said that increased numbers of patients could be left unimmunised as a result of the short time-frame for immunising children.

The update stated: ‘Vaccine has been ordered to cover the period over which historically the flu vaccine has been administered, extending from September to mid-December.’

‘It is highly likely that all the Fluenz Tetra® supplied centrally will have expired before the end of January 2015. In the light of this it will be important to ensure that efforts are made to vaccinate children before the Christmas holidays.’

Last year, stocks of the vaccine had a similar expiry date, and some practices said they were struggling to vaccinate two- and three-year olds as a result.

Dr Richard Vautrey, a member of the GPC negotiating team and a GP in Leeds, told Pulse that patients could be left unimmunised and GPs could see their QOF achievement hit by failure to provide adequate stocks of vaccine.

Dr Vautrey said: ‘There is an increasing problem, as more patients fall into the cohort for immunisation with Fluenz, it means that increasing numbers of patients will be left unimmunised unless practices use their own supplies of the alternative vaccine for those patients.’

He added: ‘This year, it has been extended to 2-4 year olds. So it is a bigger group and it is bound to have a much bigger impact because it then impacts on QOF targets for immunisations as well. So it is important that the vaccine is available throughout the flu season.’

‘We were told that with the extension of the scheme, to include a greater number of patients, they would ensure there was a considerable supply right through the immunisation program, right through to the end of March. It is a manufacturing issue, and that’s simply not good enough.’

The public health update also urged GPs to concentrate their vaccination programmes on patients with liver or neurological diseases.

Average uptake of the flu vaccine in the under-65s clinical risk groups has been stuck at about 50% for the past three years. But it is even lower in patients with chronic liver disease, in whom uptake was around 43% last flu season, while coverage in those with neurological disease was 49% last year, despite them being among the most at risk of dying from the complications of flu.

A spokesperson for PHE told Pulse: ‘For a number of years now around only half of patients in at-risk groups have been vaccinated and increasing uptake in these groups is important because of the increased risk of serious illness should people in these groups catch flu. 

‘However, we know that establishing the true uptake rate is hard because of difficulties in determining the denominator and therefore this year we decided to take a different approach which is to ask that particular attention is focused on those in at risk groups who are most at risk of death from flu but who have the lowest uptake rates amongst the at risk groups (that is those with chronic liver and neurological disease, including those with learning disabilities).’ 

PHE declined to comment on what additional resources or support GPs could get to help boost uptake in these groups, but said it wanted to see coverage upped to that of other clinical risk groups.

The spokesperson added: ‘We would expect vaccine uptake in those with chronic liver and neurological disease (including learning disabilities) to reach levels closer to those being achieved for other at risk groups who have a higher level of uptake.’

 

TWO-THIRDS OF YOUNG CHILDREN NOT VACCINATED AGAINST FLU YET

From the FMS Global News Desk of Jeanne Hambleton PULSE TODAY         2 December 2013 | By Caroline Price

 

Two-thirds of young children have yet to be vaccinated against flu, as practices battle to immunise two and three- year olds before central stocks of vaccine expire in January.

The most recent weekly figures showed 34.1% of two-year-olds and 30.6% of three-year-olds had received influenza vaccine by 24 November.

The data show uptake has gone up around 10% since the end of October, when the monthly breakdown showed 22% and 20% of two- and three-year-olds overall had been vaccinated.

But LMCs said practices face an uphill battle to immunise children before central supplies run out after the 16 January – with some batches expiring in mid-December.

It comes as Public Health England revealed that a ‘small number’ of GP practices had yet to order any nasal vaccine at all and that NHS England would be in touch with them to make sure they have not ‘overlooked’ the scheme.

Public health chiefs advised GP practices last month that they should make their own arrangements with the manufacturer of the nasal vaccine if they need additional doses after then.

Public Health England said the uptake with the new programme was ‘encouraging, given the extra workload this has generated for primary care’.

It added: ‘It is interesting to note that a small number of GP surgeries have yet to order any Fluenz vaccine. For some, this is because they have opted out of offering childhood immunisations, but for the others NHS England will be in contact to make sure they have not overlooked the fluvaccination programme for healthy two- and three- year olds.’

But LMC leaders expressed concerns about a lack of a national campaign to help GPs keep parents aware of the campaign – and how low uptake could impact on practices using up vaccine stocks that they are currently ordering in centrally from Public Health England.

Dr Paul Roblin, chair of Berkshire, Buckhingamshire  and Oxfordshire LMCs, told Pulse: ‘I sent an email to practices about two weeks ago pointing out there was concern in the Thames Valley about low uptake – and that all the national vaccine stock will be out of shelf-life after Christmas.

‘But practices are inundated and the last thing they can do is chase parents who do not want the vaccine.’

Dr Roblin added: ‘It is a worry that as vaccines expire, there could be a whole load of wasted stock. But I would expect the central procurement team to have sorted that out in advance – to have a financial arrangement if stock was not used.

‘If parents do not want it and there has not been a national campaign then Public Health England and politicians should take responsibility for not making it clear what the recommendations were for parents of two- and three-year-olds.’

For clinical at-risk groups, the latest weekly figures are up slightly on last year with over 67% of people aged 65 and over, 44% of those under 65 in an at-risk group and 34% of pregnant women having been vaccinated – compared with 65%, 41% and 32% of each groups around the same time last year.

 

GP-LED FLU VACCINATION OF CHILDREN TO BE EXTENDED TO ALL FOUR-YEAR-OLDS FROM SEPTEMBER

From the FMS Global News Desk of Jeanne Hambleton PULSE TODAY        21 February 2014 | By Caroline Price

 

GPs will be expected to vaccinate all four-year-olds as well as two- and three-year-old children against flu from September, Public Health England has confirmed.

The public health body said the national childhood flu vaccination programme in children and adolescents aged two to 17 – which began to be rolled out last year – will now be extended through GP practices to four-year-olds nationally, as well as through pilot programmes in schools to children aged 11 to 13 years.

A PHE spokesperson confirmed to Pulse GPs would be expected to deliver the flu vaccines to four-year olds.

The spokesperson said: ‘Yes, [the] plan is for vaccination for four-year-olds to be delivered by GPs’.

It comes as GP leaders had already criticised the workload associated with this season’s campaign, which spanned only two- and three-year olds.

The GP-led campaign was hailed a success by public health chiefs, after around 40% of children were vaccinated by the end of January, but GP leaders said GPs shouldered too much of the responsibility for informing parents and ensuring adequate uptake.

PHE advised GPs the live-attenuated flu vaccine – Fluenz – used would again be provided centrally and practices will need to take into account the additional four-year-old cohort when ordering stocks.

In a new vaccine update communication to GPs, Public Health England wrote: ‘The flu vaccine ordering season for the winter 2014/15 is already upon us, so we are using this month’s issue to update readers on who will be eligible for the flu vaccine later in the year when the vaccination programme starts.

‘Next winter sees the addition of two more age groups of children to those introduced in winter 2013/14. These are planned for eligible four-year-olds, and in several pilot programmes around the country to 11- to 13-year-olds.

‘GP practices should note that flu vaccine will be provided centrally for all children in the extended programme, and those of all ages in clinical risk groups, up to and including those aged 17 years.’

Anonymous comment from a GP reader

Whilst agreeing that Flu vaccination in these age groups is a good thing it is yet one more job to be added to an incredibly busy time of year. This year I decided enough was enough. It was underfunded and distracted from my primary purpose. I will not be doing it this year either. Nor the shingles vaccine.

Whether you do it is up to you but please then do not complain that you have not enough time to see your ill patients and you have not time to have lunch or even take a break.

Time management is key here. NHS England and HMG really do not give a monkeys and will keep piling this stuff on us until we say no or crack.

Make your choice.

GPs do their best but they are not supermen .. we only think they are. J.

 

LMC FORCES DELAY IN PHARMACY FLU VACCINATION PLANS

From the FMS Global News Desk of Jeanne Hambleton PULSE TODAY       22 August 2014 | By Caroline Price

Exclusive: GP leaders have forced NHS England in one area to halt plans to co-opt pharmacies into delivering flu jabs, amid concerns it would put practices at serious financial risk without helping to improve uptake in at-risk groups.

LMC leaders in Shropshire and Staffordshire said they have managed to get the plans – announced earlier this month – put on hold, after objecting over the short notice for GPs who had already ordered in vaccine stocks for their at-risk populations.

GPC leaders have criticised NHS England’s continued push for pharmacy-led schemes across the country, which they said had not increased flu vaccine uptake and were potentially depriving GPs of income at the same time as adding to their workload.

NHS England Shropshire and Staffordshire area team sent out a letter to local pharmacy groups in the first week of August, offering them service level agreements to provide the flu vaccinations to patients aged 65 years and over; those aged from 18 years to under 65 years in clinical risk groups and pregnant women aged 18 years and over.

Dr David Dickson, secretary of South Staffordshire LMC, told Pulse that GP leaders in the area – which also covers Shropshire and North Staffordshire LMCs – immediately raised their concerns with the area team. They have now been informed by NHS England that the plans are on hold while the area team formulates a proper plan.

Dr Dickson said: ‘They have put it on hold for the moment. They have not given sufficient notice for this, practices have already placed their orders for vaccine and they are at financial risk if they are not taken up. It is too late in the year to change those orders – and some practices do not have return of sale arrangements.’

‘We also do not think there is evidence it will improve the uptake and are worried pharmacy colleagues do not have the same recording and reporting duties – they are not going to target the hard-to-reach groups.’

A spokesperson for NHS England Shropshire and Staffordshire said discussions about the scheme were ‘ongoing’ and it would likely be in place ‘by the end of the year’.

But Dr Dickson said the Government should instead adopt more vigorous publicity campaigns to encourage uptake in difficult to reach at-risk groups – such as young working men, housebound people and people with impaired mobility  – as well as better strategies to help inform pregnant women about the benefits of vaccination.

He said: ‘There are key things like that they need to address before handing all the easy ones over to pharmacies.’

Pharmacy-led flu vaccination programmes have been implemented in several areas in recent years, and NHS England is continuing to encourage CCGs to commission them to help boost vaccine uptake in at-risk groups, which is falling well below the national target of 75%, as part of its ‘winter pressures’ strategy to prevent avoidable hospital admissions.

The NHS England Shropshire and Staffordshire area team spokeperson said: ‘We are committed to ensuring that people who are most at risk have easy access to the flu vaccination.

‘NHS England in Shropshire and Staffordshire proposed a scheme earlier this year to allow pharmacies to administer flu vaccinations to adults in the “at risk” groups. We are continuing to have on-going discussions with GP practices, Local Medical Committees (LMCs) and Local Pharmacy Committees (LPCs) and anticipate the scheme will be available by the end of this year.’

But GPC Wales chair Dr Charlotte Jones, who is also co-lead for the GPC on immunisations, said initiatives to get pharmacies to deliver flu vaccines to at-risk groups in Wales had not helped to reach more patients in vulnerable groups.

Dr Jones said: ‘Whilst we do not disagree with any initiative to increase flu vaccine uptake, our experience has been it is those patients who would have always had their flu jabs done in the GP surgery that are being captured by the pharmacies – and they are not actually reaching those who have not been getting it, so it is not meeting that need.

‘We are concerned it is removing this work from GPs who deliver the vast bulk of the programme, and end up chasing the harder to reach patients.’

Dr Richard Vautrey, GPC deputy chair and also co-lead on immunisation, said experience elsewhere in the country had similarly demonstrated that pharmacy-based schemes were causing disruption for practices but not helping to boost uptake.

He said: ‘All it does is add complexity and confusion to the process rather than producing any greater benefits in terms of numbers of vaccinated.’

He added that the GPC wanted to reinstate national publicity campaigns to promote flu vaccinations, despite Department of Health claims they were ineffective.

‘The more the Department of Health and Public Health England can promote vaccination the better there is no loss and only gain to be made if it is more widely promoted whether through direct publicity or articles in the media.’

A spokesperson for the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) told Pulse ‘there is evidence for the positive impact that pharmacies can have on [flu vaccine] delivery rates’.

The PSNC spokesperson added: ‘There is also evidence that patients strongly welcome the additional choice that alternative providers allow them.’

 

For even  More  Medical Trouble  with lost patients and  GPs’ cut backs, please log into fmsglobalnews.wordpress.com

Back tomorrow I hope. Jeanne

 

 

 

SMOKE THIS!

SMOKE THIS! PUBLIC HEALTH IMPACTS OF E-CIGARETTES

From the FMS Global News Desk of Jeanne Hambleton Released: 11-Sep-2014
Source Newsroom: Kids + Chemical Safety Science Outreach & Initiative

Newswise — Smoking (or “vaping”) with an e-cigarette creates an inhalable form of nicotine that the user can breathe in, just like a normal cigarette. In fact, many e-cigarettes are designed to look just like a regular cigarette, cigar, or pipe. However, one big difference between an e-cigarette and a regular cigarette is that an e-cigarette does not contain tobacco. Instead, an e-cigarette contains a compact, battery-powered device that heats a replaceable cartridge containing a liquid mixture. The liquid mixture is vaporized by an anodizing device, and delivered to the user as an inhalable vapor.

The liquid mixture in the cartridge usually contains nicotine, which is the highly addictive drug that is also present in traditional tobacco products. Therefore, an e-cigarette is designed to deliver a dose of nicotine to the user, while greatly reducing or eliminating exposure to many (albeit not all) of the other harmful substances that are present in traditional tobacco products.

E-cigarette use is becoming more popular among teenagers, so it is important for parents to understand how their use may be harmful to children. According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study using data from the 2012 National Youth Tobacco Survey, during the period from 2011 – 2012, e-cigarette use doubled among middle school females, high school females, and middle school males, and increased more than 60% among high school males.

This increase was attributed, in part, to increased availability and marketing of e-cigarettes, as well as the perception amongst young adults that the devices are safer than traditional cigarettes and other tobacco products.

Furthermore, the liquid nicotine used in e-cigarettes very often contains flavoring additives and other sweeteners. This type of marketing can convince young adults to try e-cigarettes for the first time, which can lead to nicotine addiction. There is currently a debate among health experts as to whether e-cigarettes may be considered a “gateway drug” and encourage children and young adults to also experiment with traditional tobacco products and marijuana.

A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association reviewed survey data from nearly 40,000 US middle and high school students, and found that adolescents who use e-cigarettes are more likely to smoke conventional cigarettes. Further study is clearly warranted to comprehensively address the “gateway drug” concern.

A laboratory analysis was conducted on samples of e-cigarettes by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2009. Several findings raised concern regarding the safety of e-cigarettes. The liquid mixture added to e-cigarette cartridges contained detectable concentrations of several chemicals, including nitrosamines, anabasine, myosmine, beta-nicotyrine, and diethylene glycol, all of which are known to be toxic to humans.

Furthermore, although many e-cigarette liquid cartridges are labeled as containing low amounts of nicotine, the FDA analysis found that the actual amount of nicotine contained within the “e-liquid” or “liquid nicotine” used to fill the e-cigarette cartridges was highly variable and unpredictable compared to the level of nicotine specified on the labels of liquid nicotine bottles.

There are currently no safeguards or quality controls in place to confirm that the level of nicotine advertised on the label of a liquid nicotine bottle is the actual amount present.

The FDA has stated its intention to regulate e-cigarettes, which would include banning the sale of e-cigarettes to children under 18, requiring manufacturers to register with the FDA so they can be monitored for safety and quality, and further requiring manufacturers to substantiate marketing claims using scientific evidence. However, this regulatory action is only in its initial stages, so these products are effectively unregulated and manufacturers may market them to individuals of any age.

Perhaps even more concerning is a noticeable increase in the frequency of accidental exposure to the e-cigarette cartridge liquid among young children. The CDC analyzed data on e-cigarette related calls to U.S. poison control centers from September 2010 through February 2014, and found that e-cigarette exposure calls increased on a per month basis from one call in September 2010 to 215 calls in February 2014.

Approximately 51% of these calls related to accidental exposure to children of less than six years of age, and 68.9% of the calls were related to accidental ingestion of the liquid mixture. Ingestion of nicotine at high doses can lead to nausea, rapid heart rate, and perspiration, followed by a slowing of the heart rate with a fall in blood pressure.

At very high concentrations, nicotine can cause paralysis of the muscles that control breathing, which can lead to death. Exposure via contact with the skin is also of concern, which can cause irritation, redness, or an allergic reaction in addition to the symptoms listed above, due to absorption of nicotine from the surface of the skin into the bloodstream.

It is important to remember that the safety claims being made by e-cigarette manufacturers have not been validated by any scientific or regulatory body, and that there have been serious questions raised in regard to the marketing of these products to children and teenagers, the potential of e-cigarettes to serve as a “gateway drug” among teenagers, and the demonstrated toxicity of the liquid nicotine mixture in young children following accidental exposure through ingestion and/or the skin.

Parents can encourage their children to avoid e-cigarette use by talking to them about the dangers of smoking in general, and including e-cigarettes in an overall discussion of avoiding cigarette and tobacco use.

Parents should also consider avoiding use of e-cigarettes and instead use FDA recommended products for smoking cessation such as nicotine patches and nicotine gum. If e-cigarettes are used in the household, extreme care must be exercised in keeping the e-cigarette cartridges and the liquid nicotine refills safely stored out of the reach of young children to prevent accidental exposure.

 

AIR POLLUTION MAY AFFECT LEVELS OF OBESITY-RELATED HORMONE

Higher Exposure to Traffic Pollutants Linked to Increased Leptin Levels

From the FMS Global News Desk of Jeanne Hambleton Released: 8-Sep-2014
Source:   Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine   By Dr G Wellenius            Citations Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine`

 

Newswise —Higher exposure to one measure of traffic-related air pollution is associated with higher levels of the obesity-related hormone leptin in older adults, reports a study in the September Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).

Gregory A. Wellenius, ScD, of Brown University and colleagues analyzed the relationship between measures of traffic-related air pollution and blood leptin levels in 765 Boston-area older adults. Higher levels of leptin, an “inflammatory cytokine,” have been linked to increased rates of heart disease, obesity, and diabetes.

The results showed a significant association between exposure to black carbon—a measure of fine-particle air pollution from traffic sources—and leptin levels. Participants with higher exposure to black carbon were less likely to be white, had lower incomes, and had higher rates of high blood pressure and diabetes.

But even after adjustment for these differences, average leptin levels were 27 percent higher for older adults in the highest category of black carbon exposure. An alternative measure of exposure to traffic-related pollution—residential distance to the nearest major roadway—was unrelated to leptin levels. The estimates of black carbon exposure “likely reflect contributions from traffic on a wider range of roadways in the immediate vicinity of each participant’s home,” the researchers write.

While the study cannot prove any causal link, the link between black carbon exposure and leptin levels may help to explain observed increases in cardiovascular disease risk associated with air pollution—especially from traffic.

Dr Wellenius and colleagues conclude, “If confirmed, these findings support the emerging evidence suggesting that certain sources of traffic pollution may be associated with adverse cardiometabolic effects.”

About ACOEM
ACOEM  is the official journal of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Edited to serve as a guide for physicians, nurses, and researchers, the clinically oriented research articles are an excellent source for new ideas, concepts, techniques, and procedures that can be readily applied in the industrial or commercial employment setting.

 

MEDITATION MAY MITIGATE MIGRAINE MISERY

 From FMS Global News Desk of Jeanne Hambleton Released: 11-Sep-2014                           Source: Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center Citations Headache

 

Newswise — WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Meditation might be a path to migraine relief, according to a new study by researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

“Stress is a well-known trigger for headaches and research supports the general benefits of mind/body interventions for migraines, but there has not been much research to evaluate specific standardized meditation interventions,” said Rebecca Erwin Wells, M.D., assistant professor of neurology at Wake Forest Baptist and lead author of the study published in the online edition of the journal Headache.

The study was designed to assess the safety, feasibility and effects of a standardized meditation and yoga intervention called mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) in adults with migraines.

Nineteen adults were randomly assigned to two groups with 10 receiving the MBSR intervention and nine receiving standard medical care. The participants attended eight weekly classes to learn MBSR techniques and were instructed to practice 45 minutes on their own at least five additional days per week.

Study participants were evaluated before and after the trial period using objective measures of disability, self-efficacy and mindfulness. They also maintained headache logs throughout the trial to capture the frequency, severity and duration of their migraines.

“We found that the MBSR participants had trends of fewer migraines that were less severe,” Wells said. “Secondary effects included headaches that were shorter in duration and less disabling, and participants had increases in mindfulness and self-efficacy — a sense of personal control over their migraines. In addition, there were no adverse events and excellent adherence.”

Specifically, the MBSR participants had 1.4 fewer migraines per month that were less severe, effects that did not reach statistical significance. The participants’ headaches were significantly shorter as compared to the control group.

Based on these findings, the research team concluded that MBSR is a safe and feasible therapy for adults with migraines. Although the sample size of this pilot study was too small to detect statistically significant changes in migraine frequency or severity, secondary outcomes demonstrated this intervention had a beneficial effect on headache duration, disability, self-efficacy and mindfulness.

Future studies with larger sample sizes are planned to further evaluate the impact and mechanisms of this intervention in adults with migraines, Wells said.

“For the approximate 36 million Americans who suffer from migraines, there is big need for non-pharmaceutical treatment strategies, and doctors and patients should know that MBSR is a safe intervention that could potentially decrease the impact of migraines,” Wells said.

The study was supported financially by the American Headache Society Fellowship and the Headache Research Fund of the John Graham Headache Center, Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital.

Co-authors are Timothy T. Houle, Ph.D., of Wake Forest Baptist; Rebecca Burch, M.D., Elizabeth Loder, M.D., Randall H. Paulsen, M.D., and Peter M. Wayne, Ph.D., of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School.

 

See you tomorrow. Jeanne