Causes of weight loss

Friday, March 30, 2012

'Super-Earths' in M-Dwarf Survey: Life on Other Planets?

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'Super-Earths' in M-Dwarf Survey: Life on Other Planets?

Warm Weather Triggers Early Allergy Season

HealthDay – 1 hr 18 mins ago FRIDAY, March 30 (HealthDay News) -- While unseasonably warm weather delights many people, those with allergies may not be as thrilled with the early arrival of spring.

Arriving along with those beautiful blooms is plenty of pollen that has hay-fever sufferers sneezing at least a few weeks sooner than normal.

And, in some areas, not only is the season starting early, but the pollen counts are breaking records. Several days ago, Atlanta's pollen count reading was 9,369 particles of pollen per cubic meter, which is 55 percent higher than the old record high set in 1999. Normally, anything above 1,500 is considered high in the Atlanta area, according to the American College of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology (ACAAI).

"Tree pollen in some parts of eastern U.S. started in early February, which is about three to four weeks early, and some areas have had record high counts for days and weeks. For the one in four people who has allergies, this is having a cumulative effect. The longer you get exposure, the worse the problem becomes," explained Dr. James Sublett, an allergist and spokesman for the ACAAI.

He said mold counts haven't been high yet, but normally in the winter, mold is gone once the ground freezes. "We've had some mold counts in the moderate range here in Louisville, Ky., and because of the nice weather people are outside more. Again, it's that continuous exposure that makes allergies even worse."

And, humans aren't the only ones enjoying the warmer weather. Ticks and mosquitoes that are normally dormant at this time of the year are already active, according to Richard Ostfeld, a senior scientist with the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, N.Y.

"Adult ticks have been active all winter long. The warm winter weather changed their behavior, but so far there's no evidence that it's changed their abundance. And, given the mildness of the winter, there could be a better over-winter survival of mosquitoes," Ostfeld said. Plus, he said, mosquitoes may get a jump-start on breeding with the warm weather.

If you normally use flea or tick treatments on your animals, hopefully you've started those treatments. If you haven't, now is the time, according to Ostfeld. And, it's important to be vigilant about checking yourself and children when you come in from outdoors for ticks, he said.

As for dealing with allergies, Sublett said the first line of treatment is over-the-counter antihistamines, such as Allegra, Claritin and Zyrtec. There are also nasal spray antihistamines, as well as topical nasal steroids for the treatment of allergies (most of these are available only by prescription). If you have allergies and asthma, Sublett said that montelukast (Singulair) can help treat both those problems. Singulair is only available by prescription.

Sublett said it's a good idea to visit an allergist so you can find out exactly what you're allergic to, so that you can take steps to avoid those allergens.

If you're allergic to pollen, but love to garden, Sublett said you should wear a mask (with a NIOSH N95 rating) to filter the small particles that you're bound to stir up while gardening or mowing the lawn.

He also recommended keeping your windows closed and using your air conditioner or home heating vent system to filter the air in your home. Sublett said to close the windows in your car and use the recirculated air setting in the car. In addition, be sure to change air conditioning and furnace filters frequently, and use high-efficiency filters with an 11 or 12 rating, he advised.

If you don't have a heating or air conditioning system that can filter your home's air, portable in-room air filters can work well. But, Sublett said, be sure to get one with a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter that's large enough for the room you need to clean, and let it run often. He advised against the ionizing type of air cleaners as those can put ozone in the air, which isn't good for those with breathing problems.

More information

The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology is conducting free asthma and nasal allergy screenings. To locate one in your area, click here.

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Health Tip: Partners Have a Role in Pregnancy

HealthDay – 1 hr 18 mins ago (HealthDay News) -- Partners play an important role in helping moms prepare for pregnancy, and in helping to ensure that the pregnancy goes smoothly.

The womenshealth.gov website offers these suggestions:

Partners should discuss when the time for pregnancy is right.Partners should be screened for sexually transmitted infections before pregnancy to prevent transmission.Quit smoking, manage stress, eat a healthy diet, avoid illegal drug use and limit alcohol use to reduce the risk of fertility problems.Partners should have a medical checkup to discuss personal health, medical history, family history and medication use.Anyone who works with toxic chemicals should avoid exposing moms-to-be.

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Health Highlights: March 30, 2012

HealthDay – 1 hr 17 mins ago Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

New York Bans Sale of Synthetic Marijuana Products

The sale of synthetic marijuana products has been banned in New York state.

The products -- which are sold in locations such as convenience stores and smoke shops -- have been linked to severe health problems and death, the Associated Press reported.

The state order issued Thursday called for an immediate halt to the sale and distribution of the products. Local health officials will check stores to ensure they're complying with the order.

Synthetic marijuana products contain chemicals that mimic THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, and produce a high when smoked, the AP reported.

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U.S. Announces New Policy for Potentially Dangerous Research

The U.S. government is tightening its oversight of scientific research involving dangerous germs that could pose a biosecurity threat if the research is ever misused.

The new policy announced Thursday comes in the wake of a controversy over recent experiments in the United States and the Netherlands that created easier-to-spread versions of the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus, the Associated Press reported.

The policy -- posted on the National Institutes of Health biosecurity website -- outlines how scientists and government agencies can determine which projects raise particular concerns about biosecurity and how to carefully manage risks from the research.

In related news, biosecurity advisers to the federal government began a two-day meeting Thursday to discuss whether the public should ever be given the full details of the H5N1 bird flu virus experiments, the AP reported.

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Transplant Organ Storage Fluid Recalled

A worldwide recall of fluid used to store organs for potential transplants was announced Thursday by U.S. pharmaceutical company Bristol Myers-Squibb.

There are concerns the fluid, called Viaspan, could be contaminated with bacteria. The problem was detected March 19 at a third-party manufacturing facility in Austria, Agence France-Presse reported.

"We are urgently investigating the cause of this issue," the company said in a statement. "BMS has notified all health authorities in countries where the product is distributed and will provide further updates as the investigation progresses."

There is no evidence of actual contamination and the recall was announced as a precautionary measure, company spokesman Ken Dominski told AFP.

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Metal-on-Metal Hip Replacements Focus of FDA Meeting

The risks and benefits of metal-on-metal hip replacements will be discussed at a two-day meeting of a U.S. Food and Drug Administration expert advisory panel meeting.

The June 27-28 meeting is being held to gather input from experts and patients. The FDA is currently considering whether to require more rigorous testing and pre-market review requirements for this type of hip replacement.

In May 2011, the FDA told manufacturers of metal-on-metal hip systems to conduct post-market surveillance studies to collect more safety data on the systems, including data related to metal ion concentrations in the bloodstream.

The FDA's concerns about the safety of the hip systems were heightened by a recent study that found an increasing failure rate in models with large-diameter femoral heads.

"We are asking outside scientific and medical experts to discuss recent information on these devices so that the agency can continue to make reliable safety recommendations to patients and their health care providers," Dr. William Maisel, deputy director of science at FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said in an agency news release.

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Two-Thirds of Kids With Autism Have Been Bullied: Study

HealthDay – 1 hr 17 mins ago FRIDAY, March 30 (HealthDay News) -- Nearly two-thirds of American children with autism have been bullied at some point in their lives, and these kids are bullied three times more often than their siblings without autism, a new survey finds.

Bullying occurs in every grade but is worst in grades five through eight, with 42 percent to 49 percent of students with autism spectrum disorders in those grades bullied, according to a survey of nearly 1,200 parents of children with autism aged 6 to 15.

The Interactive Autism Network (IAN), a project of the Kennedy Krieger Institute, conducted the survey.

"These survey results show the urgent need to increase awareness, influence school policies and provide families and children with effective strategies for dealing with bullying," Paul Law, director of the IAN Project, said in an institute news release.

Children with autism, a developmental disorder, usually have delayed language development and difficulty with social interaction.

"Children with autism spectrum disorders are already vulnerable. To experience teasing, taunts, ostracism or other forms of spite may make a child who was already struggling to cope become completely unable to function," Law said. "The issue is complex and we plan to carefully analyze the data and publish peer-reviewed findings that will serve to advance policy and care for individuals with autism spectrum disorders."

Overall, 63 percent of kids with an autism spectrum disorder have been bullied at some time, the survey results indicated.

Among children with autism spectrum disorders, those in public schools are bullied nearly 50 percent more often than those in private schools or special-education schools, the researchers found.

Types of bullying experienced by these children include: being teased or made fun of (73 percent); being left out on purpose (51 percent); name-calling (47 percent); and being physically bullied, including pushing, hitting or kicking (30 percent).

Bullying is experienced by 57 percent of children with autism who want to interact with others but have difficulty making friends, compared with 25 percent of those who prefer to play alone and 34 percent of those who will play with others only if approached.

Fifty-two percent of the parents said their child had been taunted by other children in order to trigger a meltdown or aggressive outburst.

Kids with Asperger's syndrome, a high-functioning type of autism, were nearly twice as likely as children with another autism disorder to be bullied, perhaps because of different school placements, the researchers said.

More information

The U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has more about autism.

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Obstructive Sleep Apnea May Be Linked to Depression

HealthDay – 1 hr 17 mins ago FRIDAY, March 30 (HealthDay News) -- There appears to be a link between the common sleep disorder known as obstructive sleep apnea and major depression, a new study suggests.

In people with obstructive sleep apnea, soft tissue in the back of the throat blocks the upper airway during sleep. This results in pauses in breathing and other sleep symptoms such as snorting, gasping and snoring.

In the new study, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention researchers surveyed about 9,700 American adults and found that 6 percent of the men and 3 percent of the women said they had been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea.

The CDC team found that symptoms of the sleep disorder were associated with many depression symptoms, including feeling like a failure and feeling hopeless. This association was not affected by factors such as weight, age, sex or race, they noted.

There was no link noted between regular snoring and depression, however, the researchers pointed out in the report, published in the April issue of the journal Sleep.

"We expected persons with sleep-disordered breathing to report trouble sleeping or sleeping too much, or feeling tired and having little energy, but not the other symptoms," such as hopelessness, lead study author Anne Wheaton, a CDC epidemiologist, said in a news release from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Although the study uncovered an association between obstructive sleep apnea and depression, it did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship.

More information

The American Academy of Family Physicians has more about sleep apnea.

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Dating Violence Common by 7th Grade: Survey

HealthDay – 1 hr 17 mins ago THURSDAY, March 29 (HealthDay News) -- Psychological and physical abuse is a common facet of dating for America's adolescents, a new survey reveals.

Researchers who polled more than 1,400 seventh graders found that more than 37 percent of 11- to 14-year olds had been the victim of some form of psychological violence, and almost one in six said they had fallen prey to physical violence while in an ongoing relationship.

"Issues of dating abuse among young teens are much more pervasive than I imagine many families believe," said Peter Long, president and CEO of Blue Shield of California Foundation, which co-sponsored the survey with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the organization Futures Without Violence.

Long said he was startled to see that three-quarters of the students reported they had a boyfriend or girlfriend by their middle-school years.

"That's a big number, and it means that this is the age when many kids are forming their views of what it is to have a relationship," Long said. This indicates that this is the appropriate age to intervene, he added, saying, "High school may even be too late."

The finding that 31 percent of these middle school kids is "experiencing some kind of electronic aggression or pressure such as provocative or insistent texting should be a warning sign for us," Long said, "as is the fact that 15 percent have experienced some kind of physical abuse while dating."

According to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention questionnaires, 10 percent of American high school students say they have been physically abused by their boyfriend or girlfriend. But clear insight regarding younger teens has been less well investigated, the researchers said.

To address that issue, between 2010 and 2012 surveys were conducted in eight middle schools in five U.S. cities: Los Angeles; Bridgeport, Conn.; Indianapolis; San Diego, and Saginaw, Mich.

The average age of the 1,430 students polled was 12, and boys and girls were equally represented. About one-quarter were white; 30 percent, black; 34 percent, Hispanic and 12 percent were a combination of other races.

The survey defined teen dating violence as any form of physical, sexual or emotional violence occurring within the context of dating. Psychological violence includes controlling behaviors, such as not allowing a girlfriend or boyfriend to do things with other people. Electronic violence covers bullying and name-calling online or via texts, and physical violence includes pushing, grabbing or kicking one's partner.

Asked about these and other behaviors in the previous six months:

Thirty-seven percent said that they had seen boys or girls being physically abusive towards their dating partner. About one-quarter had a male or female friend who was physically violent to a partner, and more than 20 percent had a friend whose partner was physically violent to him or her.Forty-nine percent said they had been sexually harassed, either physically or verbally, by being touched inappropriately or joked about.Seven percent strongly agreed that it was okay for a boy to hit his girlfriend under certain circumstances, such as "a girl who makes her boyfriend jealous on purpose." Interestingly, 50 percent strongly agreed that it was OK for a girl to hit her boyfriend in the same siutation.Sixty-three percent agreed with what the pollsters considered a "harmful stereotype" about gender, such as "girls are always trying to get boys to do what they want" or "With boyfriends and girlfriends, boys should be smarter than girls."

"But the good news," Long said, "is that nearly three-quarters of the students reported that in the last six months they have talked to their parents about dating. Not necessarily about dating abuse, but about dating. Which means the door is open for parents to talk to their children about relationships. So, on the one hand we have real serious issues here. But, on the other hand, we also have a real opportunity for parents to engage."

A California mother of two, Alexandra Preston, 35, encourages parents of teens to take the survey findings to heart.

"There's a tendency to read about a study like this and think, 'That can't be true.' Because we want our kids to be safe and happy, and we don't want it to be true, right?"

"But I think it's important that parents acknowledge that understanding and establishing and respecting boundaries is something all of us have to struggle with throughout life, at every age," said Preston, who added that she herself was a victim of domestic violence in a prior marriage.

Preston, whose children are 13 and 10, is finance and operations manager for a non-profit agency that works with Robert Wood Johnson's Start Strong program, which aims to combat dating abuse in middle school. She said her own experiences have led her to be proactive with her children regarding healthy relationships.

Her son "remembers what happened in our home," she said, explaining she tries "to make sense of it, without demonizing the people who do it, and making sure they know it's not their fault."

Preston said this study could be helpful in raising awareness about dating issues, and encouraging parents to listen to their children.

More information

For more on young teen relationships, visit the StartStrongTeens.

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Health Tip: Caring for a Chemical Burn

HealthDay – 1 hr 17 mins ago (HealthDay News) -- A chemical burn should be treated immediately and with care, since traditional skin remedies -- such as an antibiotic lotion -- can react with the chemical and actually worsen the burn.

The American Academy of Family Physicians offers these suggestions to care for a chemical burn:

Carefully flush the area with lots of cool water.Promptly remove any jewelry or clothing that may have come in contact with the chemical.Carefully wrap the area with a clean cloth or a piece of sterile, dry gauze.Call your doctor, 911 or the local poison control center as soon as possible.

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Thyroid Surgery Riskier for Older Patients: Study

HealthDay – 1 hr 17 mins ago FRIDAY, March 30 (HealthDay News) -- Seniors who have thyroid surgery are much more likely than younger patients to suffer serious heart, lung and infection-related complications, according to a new study.

The findings challenge the widely held belief that thyroid surgery (thyroidectomy) is a low-risk operation for older patients, the researchers said.

They analyzed data from 7,915 patients in the United States who had all or part of their thyroid gland removed. The risk of postoperative complications was five times higher in patients 80 and older and two times higher in patients ages 65 to 79, compared to younger patients.

The study appears in the May issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

The number of elderly patients in the United States undergoing thyroid operations is increasing due to an aging population, and rising rates of thyroid cancer and benign thyroid conditions, the researchers said.

"It is important to understand that our study emphasizes the importance of the entire medical system that cares for these elderly patients, not just the surgeon," study lead author Dr. Raymon Grogan, of the University of Chicago, said in a journal news release.

"In our study, elderly patients were susceptible to life-threatening, nonsurgical complications. Thus it is important that an elderly patient undergoing thyroid surgery have an experienced team of primary care physicians, surgeons, anesthesiologists and nurses who handle these types of surgeries on a routine, daily basis," Grogan said.

More information

The American Thyroid Association has more about thyroid surgery.

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Justices Meet to Decide Fate of Health-Reform Legislation

HealthDay – 1 hr 17 mins ago FRIDAY, March 30 (HealthDay News) -- Now comes the hard part.

Following three days of arguments that ended Wednesday over the constitutionality of the health-reform legislation passed by Congress in 2010, the nine justices of the U.S. Supreme Court will meet Friday and begin to decide whether the entire law -- or key provisions -- can stand.

While their final decision won't be announced until June, an initial vote on the fate of the polarizing legislation will take place Friday. Then during the weeks to follow, individual votes can change as the justices read each other's working drafts of opinions and dissents, the Associated Press reported.

Equally hard is trying to predict just how the justices -- typically described as four conservatives, four liberals and one "swing" member -- will vote.

Twenty-six states have challenged the constitutionality of the law, primarily over two provisions -- a requirement that most adults have health insurance by 2014 or face a penalty, and an expansion of Medicaid, the government-run insurance program for lower-income individuals.

Arguments over those provisions dominated much of this week's hearing before the high court.

"It's very hard to tell what can happen as a result of the oral arguments.

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