MS Drug Tied to Higher Risk for Potentially Deadly Brain Virus

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 27, 2016 (HealthDay News) — People with multiple sclerosis who are treated with the drug Tysabri (natalizumab) may have up to a 10 times greater risk for a rare and potentially deadly viral infection, a new study finds.

The germ in question is the John Cunningham virus (JCV), a pathogen thought to cause a deadly brain condition known as progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML).

The link between Tysabri and PML isn’t new: Numerous studies published over the past few years have shown an increase in risk for the disease in patients taking the drug.

However, even though the new study showed a link between Tysabri and JCV infection, experts stressed that the drug can be of great help to patients, who should weigh its benefits against its risks.

The new research was led by Dr. Heinz Wiendl of the University of Muenster in Germany. The findings are published in the Jan. 27 online edition of the journal Neurology: Neuroimmunology & Neuroinflammation.

The study authors explained that the virus is usually kept in check by the human immune system. However, people taking drugs that compromise the immune system, such as Tysabri, appear to be more vulnerable to JCV. The researchers believe that Tysabri may prevent immune cells from reaching the brain and fighting the virus.

The new study involved 525 German and 711 French multiple sclerosis patients. All were taking Tysabri. The German patients had their blood levels of JCV antibodies monitored for 15 months, while the French patients were monitored for more than two years.

Those taking Tysabri had higher blood levels of JCV antibodies — an indicator of exposure to the virus, the study found. As a result, the researchers concluded these patients were at greater risk for PML.

The patients from Germany transitioned from being negative for JCV antibodies to positive at an annual rate of about one in every 10 patients (10 percent). The patients in France made this transition at an annual rate of 9 percent, the findings showed.

The researchers said that these rates are significantly higher than the annual rate of 1 percent among the general population and those with MS who are not treated with Tysabri.

Meanwhile, patients who initially tested positive for JCV antibodies in their blood at the start of the study showed a rise in those levels over the course of the study. Overall, treatment with Tysabri was linked to a 13 percent yearly rise in the level of JCV antibodies, the study revealed.

“An increase in the levels of anti-JCV antibodies could signify an increased risk of PML,” study author Weindl theorized in a news release from the American Academy of Neurology.

He said that it’s important for people with multiple sclerosis who are taking Tysabri to “speak with their doctor before making any changes to their treatment.”

In addition, he said that Tysabri “did appear to increase the levels of anti-JCV antibodies and this higher level may be associated with a higher risk of PML. The results of this study underscore the need for frequent monitoring of anti-JCV antibodies in people who are being treated with [Tysabri] for multiple sclerosis.”

However, his team stressed that while the study showed a link between use of Tysabri and levels of JCV antibodies in the blood, it could not go the extra step and prove that the drug causes the virus to replicate at higher rates.

According to the author of a corresponding journal editorial, Dr. Adil Javed, from the University of Chicago, “Even though anti-JCV antibodies were present at a higher level, it does not necessarily mean that an individual will get PML.”

He agreed that patients need to weigh the risks of taking the drug against the benefits.

“The risk of PML in JCV-positive people being treated for multiple sclerosis with [Tysabri] without prior immunosuppressant therapy is one in 1,000 people,” Javed noted. On the other hand, “the risk of a multiple sclerosis attack in untreated patients is one in every two people.”

Dr. Paul Wright is chair of neurology at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, N.Y. He agreed with the study authors that even though there was a 10-fold rate of conversion to JCV-positive status, “it did not necessarily imply that patients were 10-fold likely to get PML.”

Tysabri “has been shown to be very effective in treating relapses of MS,” added Wright, who is also head of neurology at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, N.Y. In his opinion, “patients should contact their physicians if they have any concerns or questions regarding their treatment.”

Efforts by HealthDay to reach Biogen, the maker of Tysabri, for comment were not successful.

More information

The U.S. National Library of Medicine has more about Tysabri.

---

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1noR7j9

New Kidney Transplant Drug Cuts Risk of Earlier Death: Study

By Amy Norton
HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 27, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A newer drug used for preventing organ rejection might improve the long-term outlook for kidney transplant recipients, a new study finds.

Over seven years, patients given the drug belatacept (brand name: Nulojix) were 43 percent less likely to die or see their donor kidney fail compared to patients given an older drug called cyclosporine.

Experts said the findings should encourage more doctors and patients to choose belatacept over standard anti-rejection medications.

“This is a potentially transformational drug,” said study lead researcher Dr. Flavio Vincenti, a transplant specialist at the University of California, San Francisco.

The study — funded by the drug’s maker, Bristol-Myers Squibb — was published in the Jan. 28 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Belatacept was first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2011 for preventing organ rejection after a kidney transplant. That was based on a three-year trial showing that the drug can prevent rejection in the shorter term, according to background information in the study.

Now the new findings prove what experts had hoped — that belatacept would be better than cyclosporine in the long run, doctors said.

Dr. Eliot Heher cowrote an editorial published with the study. “When belatacept was approved, there was promise that it would bring longer-term benefits,” he said. “But until now, we didn’t have the data.”

Cyclosporine and similar anti-rejection drugs such as tacrolimus are effective at suppressing the immune system’s response against donor kidneys, explained Heher, medical director of the kidney transplant program at Massachusetts General Hospital, in Boston.

Unfortunately, he said, they have substantial downsides over the long term, potentially causing damage to the kidney they are supposed to protect. The drugs can also raise the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes, according to Heher.

Belatacept works differently from those older drugs, and doesn’t appear to harm the kidneys or carry the same cardiovascular risks, Heher said.

On top of that, the new study found it may do a better job of preventing the immune system from eventually creating antibodies against the donor kidney.

“That was more of an unexpected finding,” Heher said.

Right now, nearly 133,000 Americans are on waiting lists for an organ transplant — with the large majority in need of a kidney, according to the U.S. Department of Health.

The past few decades have seen major advances in the short-term outlook after a kidney transplant, Heher said: In the 1980s, anywhere from 50 percent to 80 percent of patients had an episode of rejection within one year of receiving a new kidney.

These days, over 90 percent of donor kidneys are still well-functioning after a year, according to the U.S. National Kidney Foundation.

And yet, Heher said, there’s been relatively little change in the long-term outlook — kidneys from a deceased donor last 10 to 15 years, on average, while those from living donors typically function for 15 to 18 years. “The question has been, why don’t they last?” Heher said.

One reason, he said, has become clear: Damage from cyclosporine, tacrolimus and other anti-rejection drugs eventually causes some kidneys to fail.

Another reason is that there are different types of organ rejection. In the long run, Heher explained, there can be a “slow, insidious” form of rejection — where the immune system produces antibodies against the donor kidney, which gradually reduces its function.

That happens to about 20 percent of patients within five years, Vincenti said. In this study, less than 5 percent of belatacept patients developed antibodies against their kidneys over seven years.

The new trial included 660 transplant patients who were randomly assigned to receive either one of two belatacept doses, or cyclosporine.

There are downsides to belatacept: Like all immune suppressors, it puts people at risk of infections. It also carries an FDA-mandated warning about the risk of a blood-cell cancer called lymphoproliferative disorder. The cancer developed in five belatacept patients in this trial, and in two on cyclosporine.

Another issue is “inconvenience,” Heher said. Older anti-rejection drugs come in pill form, but belatacept has to be given by IV once a month.

There’s also cost. All anti-rejection drugs are expensive; a 3-milligram daily dose of tacrolimus costs around $7,000 per year, according to Heher. Belatacept is even pricier, with hospitals paying $21,000 yearly to get the drug. Then there’s the added costs of nursing time and supplies to do the infusions, Heher pointed out.

“This drug is not for everyone,” Vincenti said. “But it does offer a good alternative.”

A limitation to this study, Heher said, is that it compared belatacept only to cyclosporine. After the trial started in 2006, tacrolimus became the anti-rejection drug of choice. So it would be helpful to compare those two drugs head-to-head, Heher said.

More information

The National Kidney Foundation has more on kidney transplantation.

---

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1lTPEAv

Small Number of Doctors Trigger Big Share of Malpractice Payouts

By Karen Pallarito
HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 27, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Just 1 percent of active U.S. physicians are responsible for nearly a third of the nation’s paid malpractice claims, a new study finds.

And, the more paid claims doctors incurred, the higher their risk of future paid claims, the study found.

The results suggest it may be possible to identify “claim-prone” physicians and intervene before they encounter additional claims, said study lead author David Studdert, professor of medicine and law at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif.

“I think a lot of liability insurers and health care organizations have not taken that analytical step to really understand who these folks are,” he said.

The findings are published in the Jan. 28 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Studdert said there’s never been a national study of how malpractice claims are distributed among physicians. Prior studies are decades old and rely on data from a single insurer or state, “so we think this is new information,” he said.

Some medical malpractice experts said the findings confirm what they’ve known for a long time.

“I don’t believe that they discovered anything new,” said David Sousa, chief operating officer and general counsel of Medical Mutual in Raleigh, N.C., which insures some 13,000 doctors in 22 states.

For the new study, researchers from Stanford and the University of Melbourne in Australia reviewed information culled from the U.S. National Practitioner Data Bank, an electronic repository created by Congress in 1986 to improve health care quality.

The data bank collects information on medical malpractice payments and adverse actions, such as when a physician is barred from participating in Medicare or Medicaid. That information is not available for public scrutiny.

The study included almost 67,000 paid claims against more than 54,000 physicians from 2005 through 2014.

Overall, during the 10-year period, only 6 percent of all active U.S. physicians had a paid claim, the study found.

Those with two of more claims represented just 1 percent of all physicians, but they accounted for 32 percent of all paid claims, the researchers said.

The study didn’t break out the amount paid to malpractice victims on behalf of those claim-prone physicians.

Over the decade, a whopping $24.6 billion was paid to satisfy court verdicts and out-of-court settlements of medical malpractice cases, according to Studdert. That doesn’t include costs for bringing and defending those claims, he said.

Nearly one-third of the claims involved patients who died, while 54 percent related to “major” or “significant” physical injury. The average payout was more than $371,000, the research revealed.

Twenty-nine states have limits on damages awarded for pain and suffering, according to PIAA, a Rockville, Md.-based trade association representing medical liability insurers.

Physicians at risk of incurring future paid claims share some distinct characteristics, the study found. They are much more likely to be male and much less likely to be younger than 35.

Neurosurgeons, orthopedic surgeons, general surgeons and obstetrician-gynecologists were among those who faced double the risk of future claims, compared with internal medicine physicians, the study showed.

That’s partly due to the nature of the work, Sousa explained. “OBs [obstetricians] forever in this country have been the prime target, because if something goes wrong in the delivery of a newborn child, the injuries are devastating,” he said.

The most important predictor of a claim appeared to be a physician’s past claims history. Compared with doctors with one previous paid claim, those with two paid claims had almost twice the risk of having another. Physicians with three paid claims had three times the risk. Those with six or more had more than 12 times the risk, the study found.

Are they bad doctors or just more likely to attract claims?

“It is a very reasonable question to ask why it’s possible to accumulate four or five paid claims in a 10-year period and continue to practice [medicine],” Studdert said. “We don’t know the answer to that question.”

Dr. Gerald Hickson, senior vice president for quality, safety and risk prevention at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, has studied the relationship between patient and family complaints about a surgeon’s behavior and poor outcomes in complex cases.

Patients and families must be sure the hospital where the doctor practices is “committed to a culture of safety,” he cautioned. “You want to be sure that the hospital has a mechanism that you can speak up and complain when you’re not satisfied with the care you’re receiving,” he said.

More information

Learn more about choosing a doctor at the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

---

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1noR72D

What It Really Feels Like to Get an IUD

Photo: Getty Images

When it comes to pregnancy prevention, IUDs are nearly fail-safe—which helps explain why they’ve become the hottest thing in contraception. Once an IUD is in, it works for years with greater than 99% efficacy. But getting it in is what makes some women nervous. A gynecologist needs to insert the T-shaped device into your uterus, a process that is typically quick and not very painful, says Health‘s medical editor, Roshini Rajapaksa, MD. But because no two IUD experiences are exactly alike, we reached out to real women for their personal stories. Here, they share what they felt during the insertion, and whether they would choose to do it again.

“It felt like I’d done a serious strength training regimen just with my pelvis.” —Allyson W., 31, college instructor

Allyson switched to an IUD because she was tired of having to think about birth control everyday. “My OBGYN recommended Mirena for its low side effects, and I decided to go for it,” she says. But the insertion process wasn’t what she expected: “I have a small cervix. I was given drugs to help it dilate … but they just did not work at all. In fact, I had an allergic reaction to them. The nurse practitioner had to manually dilate my cervix to insert the device,” she explains. “It was so painful, and I thought I was going to pass out!” But Allyson has no regrets, and has since gotten her first IUD replaced. “I haven’t had any side effects, I never need to remember to take a pill, and I know I’m using a very reliable form of contraception. I’ll probably get a third in 2018.”

RELATED: 20 Weird Facts About Sex and Love

“I love the ‘set it and forget it’ mentality.” —Danielle L., 30, general manager

Danielle describes her IUD insertion as “the single biggest, most intense cramp of my life.” The pain, however, didn’t last long. There was some lingering abdominal discomfort afterward, but “nothing too bad.” When her IUD expires, she plans to have it replaced. “Whatever the cost—both financially and the physical pain of the insertion—it’s totally worth it in my opinion,” she says.

“If you’ve ever had a PAP smear, the cramps I felt were like those cramps, but five times worse.” —Gina V., 22, marketing coordinator

Gina thinks her anxiety about the insertion made it feel more painful: “I [had] read every online review I could find. I [had] completely psyched myself out, and almost didn’t get it.” Gina’s emotional distress during the process triggered a vasovagal reaction—a sudden drop in heart rate and blood pressure that reduces blood flow to the brain. “My whole body was shaking and quickly alternating between hot and cold, I was slightly nauseated and very dizzy and faint,” she says. But Gina believes her experience was rare: “A lot of woman have really easy, great experiences with the IUD. I’m just not one of those women.”

“In retrospect, 10 minutes of discomfort seems insubstantial to five years of effective birth control.” —Lauren G., 24, financial analyst

During her appointment to have her IUD inserted, Lauren learned that her uterus was tilted, and that the process would take about 10 minutes (five times longer than usual). “When the IUD was inserted, the pain was comparable to very intense period cramps,” she said. “They were most prevalent during the insertion, but did not go away completely for a few days.” She was surprised by how long it took her body to adjust to the device. “I was bleeding intermittently for about four months,” she said, which “was more of an annoyance than anything.” Still, Lauren says, she wouldn’t hesitate to make the same choice again.

RELATED: 16 Things You Must Know About Sex After Pregnancy

“All clothing with a waist band caused me pain.” —Ashley B., 31, communications manager 

Ashley initially chose a copper IUD (the only type of LARC that doesn’t release progestin) to avoid the common side effects of hormonal birth control methods (think weight gain and mood swings). She was attracted to the idea of a long-term solution that wouldn’t cause much of a reaction in her body. But after suffering through a month of pain, she opted to have her IUD taken out. She says her doctor suggested it was possible her uterus was too small for the device.

“The peace of mind I have of not worrying about purchasing birth control monthly is worth it.” —Jerlyn T., 30, senior art director

Jerlyn made the decision to get an IUD from a cost perspective: “The price and the percentage of effectiveness made sense to me,” she says. “If it cost $500 for 5 years it would be like paying less than $10 per month.” For her, the insertion process was akin to PMS. “I felt some mild cramping,” says Jerlyn, who plans to have her device replaced when it expires. “I love that I spend less [money] than men for contraceptives,” she said. The fact that she used to spend a lot more than men had to “always hit a nerve with me.”

 

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1noR6Ml

Brain Protein Might Offer New Clues to Alzheimer’s Treatment

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 27, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A protein in the brain may hold a key to slowing progression of Alzheimer’s disease, a new study suggests.

And boosting this protein might be as simple as increasing exercise and social activity, experts say.

The protein is encoded by a gene called brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF. Researchers found that seniors with the highest levels of BDNF gene function had a 50 percent slower loss of memory and thinking than those with the lowest levels.

“What is cool about this study is that we have shown that BDNF, which is involved in brain cell survival, may protect against dementia,” said lead researcher Dr. Aron Buchman. He is a professor in the department of neurological sciences at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

BDNF was protective despite the brain having plaques and tangles, hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease, Buchman said. “If you have high levels of BDNF, you might not have the mental decline people with low levels have, even if you have plaques and tangles,” he noted.

To study the effect of BDNF on dementia, Buchman’s team followed 535 people, average age 81, until death.

Over an average of six years, the researchers tested participants’ thinking and memory skills annually. After death, they examined BDNF levels in the brain. They then compared the two sets of results to see how BDNF levels might be associated with a decline in memory and thinking skills.

Even people with the most plaques and tangles but the highest levels of BDNF had slower mental decline compared with those with the lowest amount of BDNF, the researchers found.

The report was published Jan. 27 online in the journal Neurology.

Michal Schnaider Beeri, an associate professor of psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, viewed the results more cautiously.

The new study shows an association between BDNF and slower mental decline, not that this protein was the cause of that slowing, said Beeri, who wrote an accompanying journal editorial.

Still, this study may be a step in “thinking about how we can change the course of Alzheimer’s disease to something milder,” Beeri said.

Existing drugs to treat Alzheimer’s aren’t very effective, Beeri added. “There might be new medications in the future that increase levels of BDNF and may possibly decrease the rate of decline in Alzheimer’s disease,” she said.

If borne out in additional research, Buchman thinks these findings may usher in a “whole different approach to aging.” Traditionally, researchers have been looking for ways to treat plaques and tangles in the brain and other ravages of Alzheimer’s disease. “That hasn’t gone so well,” he said.

Buchman’s idea focuses on increasing the amount of the brain’s BDNF. “That may be a way of treating and slowing the rate of mental decline even if we can’t get rid of the Alzheimer’s disease pathology in the brain,” he said.

It is not known why one person naturally has high levels of BDNF and another doesn’t, Buchman said.

However, studies have found that purpose in life, social interaction, education and exercise may boost levels of BDNF and “could provide some protection against Alzheimer’s pathology,” he said.

The next step is to find a way to raise BDNF levels, Buchman said. It might be a drug or a change in behavior. But, at what age that lifestyle change must start or what the effects of a drug might be are unknowns, he said.

Beeri pointed out that exercise has been shown to increase levels of BDNF in the blood, but said a relationship between BDNF protein levels in the blood and in the brain hasn’t been established.

Exercise and mentally stimulating activities can’t hurt, she said. “It’s worth giving it a try,” she said.

More information

For more on Alzheimer’s disease, visit the Alzheimer’s Association.

---

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1PBIsRb

14 Hot Workout Leggings for Under $25

A pair of high-performance workout tights can make all the difference during your gym sessions. Workout leggings need not only to look good, but also to fit like a second skin so you’re not fussing with them the entire time. Thing is, some leggings can cost $100 or more—not exactly budget-friendly. So if you want break a sweat at the gym, but not the cash register, try one of these great pairs of leggings—they all cost less than $25. Note: Some of these are on sale now, so some sizes may start to sell out.

RELATED: 18 Moves to Tone Your Butt, Thighs, and Legs

Active Abstract Geo Leggings ($23; forever21.com)

This pair of workout leggings fits like a second skin, so you might even forget that you’re wearing them—until you spot the stylish blue geometric print in the mirror, that is.

Active Digital Print Leggings ($25; forever21.com)

Every time you slip into these leggings, you’ll be reminded that it’s “never too late” —for what, you’ll have to decide. Mesh panels on the back of the knee will keep you cool and comfortable from start to finish, not to mention add unexpected style.

Go-Dry Compression Crops ($18 on sale, originally $27; oldnavy.com)

These compression crops feature quick-drying, moisture-wicking fabric to keep you cool and dry during the sweatiest of spin classes. Flat seams prevent chafing, and UPF 40 protects your skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays.

RELATED: The Better Butt Workout

Active Space Dye Leggings  ($25; forever21.com)

Skip the all-black ensembles for nighttime runs and go for bright, reflective prints instead. You’ll certainly be seen in these leggings, which are accented with reflective details at the end of each leg.

C9 Champion Performance Legging ($21 on sale, originally $28; target.com)

These fun workout leggings move with you, no matter what kind of workout you’re doing. A wide range of sizes is available, including long lengths for the leggy ladies among us.

RELATED: Best Yoga Poses for Trouble Spots

Active Dip-Dyed Capri Leggings ($20; forever21.com)

If patterned leggings aren’t your thing, you can still spice up your gym outfit with these ocean-inspired crops. But style isn’t everything—these capris have a hidden stash pocket for your keys, driver’s license, or credit cards.

Tek Gear Workout Leggings ($25 on sale, originally $36; kohls.com)

These leggings feature moisture-wicking fabric as well as a gusset to help combat the dreaded camel-toe. The midrise, no-cinch waistband sits above the hip, and a mini waistband pocket gives you a place to conveniently store your keys.

 

RELATED: 13 Sports Bras for All Body Types

Tek Gear Shapewear Skimmer Capri Workout Leggings ($25 on sale, originally $36; kohls.com)

 

The color-blocking on these cropped leggings is not just eye-catching—it also flatters your curves. Breathable, moisture-wicking fabric keeps you super comfortable during even the sweatiest workouts.

Active Geo-Paneled Leggings ($25; forever21.com)

Who said your active wear can’t be a little sexy? A sheer mesh insert goes down the side of each leg from hip to ankle, bringing spiciness to your gym look (not to mention some airflow during hot workouts).

RELATED: 4 Exercises to Perk Up Your Boobs

Adjustable-Rise Leggings ($19; oldnavy.com)

When you’re flowing through vinyasas, you have to stay focused on your breath, not on pants that are slipping and sliding around. These leggings have an adjustable-rise waistband so you can wear them how you want—and not think about them until it’s time to take them off.

Active Space-Dye Leggings ($20; forever21.com)

These brightly hued workout leggings feature a hidden key pocket secured into the waistband and stylish mesh panels along the calves.

RELATED: The Best Sneakers for Walking

C9 Champion Performance Legging ($28; target.com)

Staying dry and comfortable won’t be a problem in these leggings. They wick sweat away quickly, and are also super breathable so you can stay cool as you’re heating up.

Active Digital Print Leggings ($25; forever21.com)

Staying dry will be no problem in these leggings, which are engineered for effective moisture-management. With the wicking capabilities, you won’t have to worry about getting home in sweaty clothes!

RELATED: 16 Ways to Lose Weight Fast

FILA SPORT Maui Workout Leggings ($25 on sale, originally $45); kohls.com)

With a wide array of fun color and pattern options, you’ll never find yourself in a workout rut when wearing these leggings. They are engineered with moisture-wicking fabric, and they have a higher-rise waistband for more coverage and comfort.

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1nosxix

Soy May Counter Effects of BPA in Women Undergoing Fertility Treatments

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 27, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A soy-rich diet may protect women undergoing infertility treatments from the harmful effects of a chemical widely used in food containers, a new study suggests.

Bisphenol A (BPA) — which is found in such items as polycarbonate plastic water bottles and can linings — can mimic estrogen, one of the two main sex hormones found in women, and the chemical has been linked to reproductive disorders.

More than 96 percent of Americans have BPA in their bodies, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

This study included 239 women, aged 18 to 45, who underwent at least one in-vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle between 2007 and 2012. They completed questionnaires about their eating habits (176 consumed soy foods) and their urine was analyzed to measure BPA levels.

Among women who did not eat soy foods, those with higher BPA levels had lower rates of embryo implantation, fewer pregnancies that advanced to the point where the fetus could be seen on an ultrasound, and fewer live births than those with a soy-rich diet, the researchers found.

Among women who regularly consumed soy, BPA levels had no impact on IVF outcomes, according to the study, published Jan. 27 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

“Our study is the first to show a possible interaction between soy and BPA in humans,” first author Dr. Jorge Chavarro, from Harvard School of Public Health and Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, all in Boston, said in a journal news release.

“This is consistent with research in mice that found a soy-rich diet could protect against reproductive health problems associated with BPA exposure. More research is needed to determine why soy has this effect in humans,” Chavarro added.

“Although it is recommended that women trying to get pregnant reduce their exposure to BPA, our findings suggest that diet may modify some of the risks of exposure to BPA, a chemical that is nearly impossible to completely avoid due to its widespread use,” study senior author Dr. Russ Hauser, from Harvard School of Public Health, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, said in the news release.

“Additional research could help identify other diet and lifestyle changes that may modify the effects of not only BPA exposure, but also exposure to other chemicals,” Chavarro said.

More information

The U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences has more about BPA.

---

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1Vshi3u

HIV Can Persist in Body Despite Drug Therapy

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 27, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Even when blood tests of HIV patients on antiretroviral drugs show no sign of the AIDS-causing virus, it can still be replicating in lymphoid tissue, researchers report.

The study offers important new insight into how HIV persists in the body despite treatment with the powerful drugs, according to the team of international researchers led by Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.

To reach their finding, they examined viral sequences in samples of lymph node and blood cells from three HIV-infected patients who had no detectable virus in their blood.

And what they found was that a viral reservoir in lymphoid tissue, which scientists believed held long-lived infected cells in a resting state, was being constantly replenished with infected cells.

“The challenge is to deliver drugs at clinically effective concentrations to where the virus continues to replicate within the patient,” said study corresponding author Dr. Steven Wolinsky in a university news release. He is chief of infectious diseases at the Feinberg School of Medicine.

The study, published Jan. 27 in the journal Nature, highlights the importance of delivering high concentrations of antiretroviral drugs to all areas in the body where HIV can grow. Developing drugs that can reach this newly identified HIV “sanctuary” in lymphoid tissue may be the first step towards a cure, the researchers suggested.

Study co-author Angela McLean, a professor of mathematical biology at Oxford University in England, said in the release, “The study is exciting because it really changes how we think about what is happening in treated patients.

“It helps explain why some strategies that tried to clear the reservoir have failed,” she noted.

More information

The U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has more about HIV/AIDS.

---

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1VshhN6

Scientists Uncover Clues to Origins of Schizophrenia

By Dennis Thompson
HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 27, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Some people might develop schizophrenia when a normal process of brain development goes haywire in adolescence and early adulthood, Harvard researchers report.

Everyone undergoes what is called “synaptic pruning” as they move into adulthood, explained study author Steven McCarroll, director of genetics for the Broad Institute’s Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research and an associate professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School in Boston.

It’s how extra brain cells and synapses (the junctions where nerve signals cross from one brain cell to the next) are eliminated in the cerebral cortex, to increase the efficiency of function, he said.

But a gene that contributes to synaptic pruning may increase a person’s risk of schizophrenia if certain mutations cause things to go wrong, McCarroll and his colleagues explained.

“Somehow, this biological process becomes miscalibrated and removes too many synapses,” McCarroll said. “Something about this process of maturation, if it goes awry, results in brain wiring that can no longer perform some of the basic functions that it used to be able to perform.”

The findings were published online Jan. 27 in the journal Nature.

About 1 percent of U.S. adults have schizophrenia, and about seven or eight people out of every 1,000 will have schizophrenia in their lifetime, according to the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

People with schizophrenia may hear voices or see things that aren’t there, or develop irrational delusions of grandeur or persecution, according to NIMH. Patients might also display disorganized thinking, agitated body movements or emotional withdrawal. Symptoms most frequently appear in patients when they are teenagers or young adults.

The gene implicated in this study, C4, normally acts as a regulator of the immune system, McCarroll said. The gene helps target debris, viruses and other pathogens for destruction by immune cells.

Earlier research had linked the C4 gene to schizophrenia, leading some to believe the mental disorder might be caused by some sort of virus or infection, he said.

However, the research team learned that the C4 gene also “moonlights” in synaptic pruning, playing a role in the process by tagging synapses for elimination, McCarroll said.

His team’s analysis of genetic data for more than 65,000 people revealed that patients who had particular forms of the C4 gene showed a higher expression of that gene and, in turn, had a higher risk of developing schizophrenia.

“This is a promising model because it addresses what has been two of the central mysteries of schizophrenia — the age of onset, in adolescence, and genetic results that have seemed to point to immune molecules as having some role in the illness,” McCarroll said.

Synaptic pruning is particularly active during adolescence, which is the typical period of onset for schizophrenia symptoms. And brains of schizophrenic patients tend to show fewer connections between neurons (brain cells), the researchers said.

And “when we got to the bottom of this genetic effect, yes, it’s an immune molecule, but it’s an immune molecule with a different job in the brain,” McCarroll said. “It’s important when we got to the bottom of this genetic effect, it’s not pointing to a virus or infection, it’s pointing to brain wiring.”

Schizophrenia currently is treated mainly through the use of antipsychotic medications, according to NIMH. Patients might also need therapy and rehabilitation to help them lead a normal life, once medication has stabilized their condition.

The new discovery by McCarroll and his team could lead to new medicines for the treatment, and possible prevention, of schizophrenia in people who carry this genetic risk, he said.

“I get emails every day” from drug companies interested in exploring possible treatments based on this research, McCarroll said, although he warned that “it takes many, many years to go from biological discovery to a new medicine.”

Dr. Vishwajit Nimgaonkar, a professor of psychiatry and human genetics at the University of Pittsburgh, praised the new study as “very sophisticated and fairly comprehensive.”

However, Nimgaonkar added that the findings really are just a first step along a promising new line of research.

“I don’t think they’ve proved conclusively this is one of the mechanisms that causes schizophrenia, but they’ve certainly got a lot of minds thinking,” he said. “This might lead to new drugs for treating schizophrenia, but we really need to figure out the mechanism properly first, and then figure out a way to treat the problem.”

More information

For more on schizophrenia, visit the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health.

---

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1VshjV6

Too Much Social Media Could Mess Up Your Sleep, Study Finds

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 27, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Young adults who spend too much time on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram may pay the price in poor sleep, new research suggests.

“This is one of the first pieces of evidence that social media use really can impact your sleep,” lead author Jessica Levenson, a postdoctoral researcher in psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, said in a university news release.

Her team tracked the social media use and sleep troubles of nearly 1,800 Americans aged 19 to 32.

On average, participants said they spent 61 minutes a day on social media and visited social media sites 30 times a week. Nearly 30 percent of the participants also said they suffered sleep disturbances.

While the study couldn’t prove cause-and-effect, Levenson’s team found that people who spent the most time on social media each day were twice as likely to have sleep problems as those who spent less time on social media.

People who checked social media most often during the week were also three times more likely to have sleep problems than those who checked the least often, the study found.

The findings, released online in advance of publication in the April print issue of the journal Preventive Medicine, suggest that doctors may need to ask about social media when assessing sleep problems in young adults, the researchers said.

The young adults questioned in the study are “arguably, the first generation to grow up with social media,” Levenson pointed out.

Study senior author Dr. Brian Primack said there are a number of ways that too much surfing on social media might get in the way of a good night’s sleep.

For example: it could replace sleep, such as when someone stays up late using social media; it could cause emotional, mental or physical arousal, such as when involved in contentious discussions; or the bright light emitted by devices might disrupt the body’s circadian rhythms.

Some young adults may also use social media to pass the time when they can’t fall asleep or get back to sleep, said Primack, who directs the university’s Center for Research on Media, Technology and Health.

“Difficulty sleeping may lead to increased use of social media, which may in turn lead to more problems sleeping,” he said. “This cycle may be particularly problematic with social media because many forms involve interactive screen time that is stimulating and rewarding and, therefore, potentially detrimental to sleep.”

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on sleep.

---

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1no8bG4