_ Stethoscopes More Contaminated Than DocsΓÇÖ Hands By Jane Farrell article The diaphragm of stethoscopes turned out to be more contaminated than all regions of the physicians’ hand except the fingertips in a study at the University of Geneva Hospitals and published in the March 2014 issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Not only that, but the tube of the stethoscope was more heavily contaminated than the back of the physician's hand. Similar results were observed when contamination was due to methicillin-resistant S.aureus (MRSA) after examining MRSA-colonized patients.
_ Disruptive Sleep and Alzheimer's Patients By Jane Farrell article Scientists are coming closer to finding out how Alzheimer’s disrupts sleep patterns, and that could eventually lead to more effective ways to improve sleep among AD patients. People with Alzheimer’s often have poor biological rhythms that result in fragmented sleep as well as agitation in the late afternoon and early evening, a phenomenon known as “sundowning.” But it hasn’t been clear until now whether the biological clock is disrupted or destroyed altogether.
_ Comprehensive Care Needed for Breast-Cancer Survivors By Jane Farrell article Older breast-cancer survivors need comprehensive care to help them fight heart disease, osteoporosis and high blood pressure, according to new research. Women in this category are likely to face these illnesses after their diagnosis of breast cancers. Because of that, they should watch their weight and get regular exercise. The kind of cancer treatment the women received may be a factor, as well as their weight and age.
_ In One Ear and Out the Other By Sondra Forsyth article Do you remember that sound bite you heard on the radio this morning? The name of the person you met socially yesterday? The grocery items your spouse asked you to pick up? Chances are the answer is no, according to a study done at the University of Iowa that showed there is truth to the old adage “in on ear and out the other”. The team reports in a paper published February 2014 in the journal PLoS ONE that we don't remember things we hear nearly as well as things we see or touch.
_ Sunburns Strike Twice By article As severe winter weather lingers in many areas of the country, you may be thinking ahead to sunnier days when you’ll be able to soak up some rays. Yet here’s even stronger proof that UV rays are hazardous to your health: Researchers at the University of Bonn in Germany have found that skin inflammation following UV irradiation promotes cancer cell spread along blood vessels.
_ Study: A Flu "Patch" May Be Alternative To The Needle By Jane Farrell article Instead of going to the doctor’s office for an annual flu shot, patients may eventually give themselves the same treatment via a painless patch. A study by researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University School of Medicine gave the “microneedle patch” to nearly 100 people in the metropolitan Atlanta area. The investigators found that the subjects could successfully apply the patch. If the treatment becomes feasible, it could reduce health care costs and increase the number of people who are vaccinated.
_ The 12 Habits of Highly Healthy People: #1, Physical Activity By article By Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D. The Mayo Clinic has created a program modeled on the same on that Mayo Clinic employees follow. It’s called "12 Habits of Highly Healthy People." The 12 habits are: 1) Physical activity 2) Forgiveness 3) Portion size
_ Exercise Need Motivation At The Gym? Just Add Music By Jane Farrell article By Joe Vennare, PT We will try anything to get a boost in the gym. Caffeine and pre-workout supplements might do the trick for some, but they come with a host of potential side effects in tow. Other people opt for performance enhancing drugs, legal or otherwise. This probably isn’t the best bet either. Breaking the law seldom is.
Women's Health and Wellness Diabetes & Stroke Linked for Women By article New research done at at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and published in the journal Diabetologia shows that diabetes in women is associated with an increased risk of stroke. Yet the data do not show the same association among men. Also, the researchers found the risk of stroke among diabetic women was substantially raised for women aged 55 years and over compared with younger women.
_ Caring for Patients with Multiple Chronic Conditions By article The millions of Americans living with more than one chronic disease are at high risk of poor health outcomes, and account for a disproportionate share of health care costs. A special March supplement to Medical Carepresents updates from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's (AHRQ) Multiple Chronic Conditions (MCC) Research Network, formed to address knowledge gaps and research challenges in meeting the complex health care needs of this growing population.
_ Rural Docs Doing a Good Job By article Although studies have found that the quality of care delivered to rural patients is as good or better than that available in urban areas, the belief persists that top-quality primary care is only available in big cities. However, a new study done at Massachusetts General Hospital and published in the National Rural Health Association's Journal of Rural Health finds few meaningful differences between rural and urban primary care physicians on key measures of professionalism, including their attitudes about participation in quality care improvement.
_ Parenting Helping Grown Kids Can Boost Mental Health By article All the negative press about “boomerang kids” aside, helping your adult children in various ways may actually be an antidote to depression as you age. That’s the finding of a team of researchers at Penn State, the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Michigan. The results are published in the February 2014 issue of The Gerontologist.
Aging Well Hispanics Live Longer Than Whites By article One in every six people in the U.S. is Hispanic/Latino and as a group they live longer than non-Hispanic whites -- 81.4 years vs. 78.8 years. Yet despite their strong representation and relative longevity, little is understood about this group's health conditions and behaviors, according to a release from Albert Einstein College of Medicine of the Yeshiva University in the Bronx, NY.
_ Mental & Emotional Health Health-Care Coverage: A Tragic Exception By Jane Farrell article By Michelle Andrews, Kaiser Health News Dealing with the aftermath of a suicide or attempted suicide is stressful enough. But some health plans make a harrowing experience worse by refusing to cover medical costs for injuries that are related to suicide—even though experts say that in many cases such exclusions aren't permitted under federal law. Yet patients or their loved ones often don't realize that.
Aging Well Restoring Strength in Aging Muscles By article A stem cell based method may restore strength to damaged skeletal muscles of the elderly, according to a study done at the University of Toronto and published in a February 2014 issue of the journal Nature Medicine describes. A release from the university notes that skeletal muscles are some of the most important muscles in the body, supporting functions such as sitting, standing, blinking and swallowing. In aging individuals, the function of these muscles significantly decreases.
_ Bright Light Intensifies Emotions By article Human emotion, whether positive or negative, is felt more intensely under bright light, according to a study done at the University of Toronto Scarborough and Northwestern University. The research is published in the February 2014 edition of the Journal of Consumer Psychology.
_ Pets Help for Overweight Cats By Jane Farrell article Obese cats could lose weight if their owners feed them smaller wet meals throughout the day, according to new research from the University of Illinois. But those methods, which work for humans as well, may be hard to implement.
_ Diabetes: ΓÇ£Lend a HandΓÇ¥ Prioritizes Goals By Sondra Forsyth article The "lend a hand " illustration that accompanies this article shows an open palm with the five major forms of diabetes interventions are arranged in descending order of importance from thumb to little finger as follows: smoking cessation, blood pressure control, metformin therapy, lipid reduction, and glucose control.