Bear Belly Might Hold Clues to Obesity in Humans

THURSDAY, Feb. 4, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Changes in their gut microbes help bears prepare for hibernation, according to laboratory research that may hold clues for combating obesity in people.

As they prepare to hunker down for the winter, bears eat as much as possible, to boost their body fat. Despite the rapid weight gain, they don’t suffer the health problems associated with obesity in people, Swedish researchers noted.

The team analyzed fecal samples from wild brown bears and found seasonal changes in gut microbe populations. In the summer, the gut microbe population is more diverse and takes in more energy from food.

In winter, during hibernation, the gut microbe population is less diverse, according to the study published Feb 4 in the journal Cell Reports.

The researchers transferred the gut microbes from the bears into mice. Those that received the bears’ summer gut microbes put on more fat and weight than those that received the bears’ winter gut microbes.

Despite putting on more fat and weight, the mice that received the bears’ summer gut microbes had either no change or even a slight improvement in their sugar (glucose) metabolism, compared to those who received the bears’ winter gut microbes, the study found.

Potentially, the findings could point to new ways to manage obesity in people, said study leader Fredrik Backhed, of the University of Gothenburg.

It’s too early to say for sure, “as I consider this being very basic science,” he said in a journal news release. “However, if we learn more about which bacteria and the functions that promote and/or protect against obesity [in hibernating bears], we may identify new potential therapeutic targets.”

Also, results of animal experiments often aren’t replicated in humans.

In previous research, Backhed and colleagues found that the composition of gut microbe populations can affect the amount of energy gathered from food, and that these populations change in people who are obese or have type 2 diabetes.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains how to prevent weight gain.

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Majority of Americans and Canadians Expects Cancer Cure in Their Lifetime

THURSDAY, Feb. 4, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A majority of American and Canadian adults believe a cure for cancer will be found in their lifetime, and that a cancer diagnosis is not a death sentence, according to a new Harris Poll.

Nearly three out of five Americans and Canadians expect a cure for cancer in their lifetime. That belief is especially strong among those ages 18 to 34. Nearly three-quarters of young Americans and 69 percent of Canadians in that age group expect a cure in their lifetime.

And, about two-thirds of Americans and Canadians don’t think death is inevitable when someone is diagnosed with cancer, the poll found.

However, Americans adults under 35 are more likely to believe that a cancer diagnosis is a death sentence than those 35 and older (39 percent vs. 29 percent). Americans whose lives have been affected by cancer are also more likely to view cancer as deadly compared to those who haven’t been affected by cancer (35 percent vs. 29 percent), the poll revealed.

The poll was released to mark World Cancer Day on Feb. 4. It included just over 2,000 American and more than 1,100 Canadian adults. The online survey was conducted in late January.

“So many of us have had personal experiences with cancer or know someone who has,” Harris Poll Vice President and Public Relations Consultant Deana Percassi said in a Harris news release. “In honor of World Cancer Day, we wanted to understand how Americans and Canadians feel about this disease.”

Some other poll findings:

• About 38 percent of Americans and 34 percent of Canadians believe a great deal of effort is going toward improving cancer detection, while 87 percent and 85 percent, respectively, believe at least some effort is being made.
• Thirty-five percent of Americans and 30 percent of Canadians believe significant progress has been made in the fight against cancer in the past 10 years, while 87 percent of Americans and 83 percent of Canadians, respectively, believe some progress has been made.
• About one-third of Americans and 27 percent of Canadians believe a lot of effort is going toward improving cancer patients’ quality of life, and more than four out of five in both countries feel at least some effort is being made in this area.
• Twenty-eight percent of Americans and 27 percent of Canadians feel a great deal of effort is being made toward cancer prevention, and 77 percent and 78 percent, respectively, believe at least some effort is being made.
• However, only 20 percent of Americans and 19 percent of Canadians believe significant progress has been made in cancer prevention over the past 10 years.

Americans whose lives have been affected by cancer were especially likely to believe that efforts and progress are being made in all these areas, the poll showed.

More information

The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about cancer.

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Head Injuries May Explain Henry VIII’s Erratic Behavior, Study Suggests

THURSDAY, Feb. 4, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Henry VIII’s reign was a tumultuous one, and new research suggests the monarch’s erratic behavior may have been linked to brain injuries similar to those affecting some pro football players today.

Scientists at Yale University believe that repeated head injuries during jousting matches might have transformed an intelligent, even-tempered young man into an impulsive, forgetful king known for his rage and impulsive decisions.

After examining volumes of letters and other historical documents describing Henry’s medical history and events that may have affected his health and behavior, the researchers concluded that the most plausible explanation for the English monarch’s headaches, insomnia, memory loss, poor impulse control and short temper were jousting injuries.

“It is intriguing to think that modern European history may have changed forever because of a blow to the head,” study senior author Dr. Arash Salardini, a behavioral neurologist and co-director of the Yale Memory Clinic in New Haven, Conn., said in a university news release.

Henry VIII may be best known for his pivotal role in the English Reformation, the researchers said. The Reformation separated the Church of England from the Catholic Church following a dispute with the Pope over the monarch’s request to annul his first marriage to Catherine of Aragon so he could marry Ann Boleyn. Also known for his explosive anger, Henry was married six times and had two of his wives beheaded, the study authors noted.

Researchers reviewed historical documents to investigate what might have influenced Henry’s health and erratic behavior. He sustained three serious head injuries that may have played a role, they said.

In 1524, Henry was dazed when a lance penetrated his helmet during a jousting tournament. The following year, he fell head first into a brook while trying to vault across the water. The incident rendered him unconscious. And, in 1536, he lost consciousness for two hours after a horse fell on him.

“Historians agree his behavior changed after 1536,” said Salardini.

For example, in 1546 Henry was assuring his sixth wife, Catherine Parr, that he wouldn’t send her to the Tower of London, forgetting that he’d given soldiers an order to arrest her the day before.

Metabolic syndrome — a group of heart disease risk factors — and impotence are also possible signs that a traumatic brain injury occurred, the researchers said. Historical records suggest Henry may have suffered from sexual dysfunction as early as 1533, the researchers said.

Based on the available evidence, the team concluded that brain injury explains Henry’s troubled behavior better than other suspected health issues.

The study was published online Feb. 2, and is to be published in the June print edition of the Journal of Clinical Neuroscience.

More information

The U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke provides more information on traumatic brain injury.

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Too Much, Too Little Sleep During Pregnancy May Prompt Weight Gain

THURSDAY, Feb. 4, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Sleeping too few or too many hours a night may lead to excessive weight gain during pregnancy, a new study suggests.

“We know that poor sleep in pregnancy has been linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes,” wrote researcher Dr. Francesca Facco, who’s with the U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

“Our findings provide a potential mechanism [weight gain] for poor sleep in pregnancy and adverse outcomes,” she said in a news release from the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine.

Previous research has suggested that poor sleep is associated with weight gain and obesity in women who are not pregnant. The authors of this new study wanted to examine a possible link between sleep and weight gain during pregnancy.

The study included 751 pregnant women whose sleep was monitored for seven straight days. About two-thirds of the women slept between seven and nine hours a night.

The researchers found that short or long sleep duration was associated with extra weight gain during pregnancy.

The study is to be presented Thursday at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine’s annual meeting, in Atlanta.

Research presented at meetings is considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.

More information

The March of Dimes has more about weight gain during pregnancy.

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Exercise May Prevent Harmful Falls in Men

THURSDAY, Feb. 4, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Regular exercise reduces older men’s risk of serious injuries from falls, a new study finds.

“The physical activity program was more effective in reducing the rate of serious fall injuries in men than in women,” said study author Dr. Thomas Gill, a professor of geriatrics at Yale University, in New Haven, Conn.

Although the findings were mixed, they suggest that moderate exercise may help prevent serious falls, the leading cause of injury in people 70 and older, Gill said in a university news release.

The study included more than 1,600 inactive women and men, aged 70 to 89, randomly assigned to either a long-term, moderate exercise regimen or to a health education program.

The physical activity sessions included walking and flexibility, strength and balance training.

Compared to those in the health education group, men in the workout group had a 38 percent lower risk of serious fall injuries, a 53 percent lower risk of fall-related fractures, and a 59 percent lower rate of fall injuries requiring hospitalization.

The exercise program did not appear to reduce women’s risk of serious fall injuries, according to the study published online Feb. 3 in the journal BMJ.

The men in the exercise group boosted their physical activity levels more than the women, and also had greater improvements in gait, balance and muscle strength, the researchers said.

“The results from the current study support continued evaluation of the physical activity program for possible widespread implementation in the community,” Gill said.

More information

The U.S. National Institute on Aging has more about older adults and falls.

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ADHD Tied to Obesity Risk for Girls, Study Contends

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Feb. 4, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Girls with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have their share of challenges. And new research suggests a tendency toward obesity may be one of them.

In a 1,000-person study, Mayo Clinic researchers found that girls with ADHD may be twice as likely to be obese in childhood or early adulthood as girls without the disorder.

This association was not linked to treatment with stimulants such as Ritalin and Adderall, the researchers said.

“There are a couple of biological mechanisms that underlie both obesity and ADHD,” said Dr. Seema Kumar, a pediatrician and researcher at Mayo Clinic Children’s Research Center in Rochester, Minn.

The abnormalities in the brain that can cause ADHD can also cause eating disorders, Kumar said. “Girls with ADHD may not be able to control their eating and may end up overeating,” she explained. “Because kids with ADHD don’t have impulse control, it may also play a role in this.”

Sleep issues, which often go hand in hand with ADHD, may also contribute to weight gain, the researchers suggested.

But weight gain is not a given, said Dr. Brandon Korman, chief of neuropsychology at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami. While the Mayo research shows an association between ADHD and obesity, it doesn’t mean it’s bound to happen, he said.

“Parents and physicians and other caregivers need to be proactive in monitoring eating habits and exercise, and be aware of changes in body composition,” said Korman, who wasn’t involved in the study. A healthy diet and active lifestyle are important, he added.

This association between ADHD and obesity was not found among men, Kumar said. And, she added, boys with the condition don’t often have eating disorders.

Boys with ADHD tend to be hyperactive and burn more calories, according to Kumar. “It is possible that there are differences in eating patterns with boys with ADHD or differences in the types of ADHD girls have,” she said.

Korman agreed that ADHD looks different in girls than boys.

“Boys tend to act out, while girls may engage in eating behaviors,” Korman said. Girls have more “internalizing behaviors” and less “externalizing behaviors,” he said.

Between 8 percent and 16 percent of school-age children have ADHD, according to background notes with the study. These kids often have trouble staying focused and paying attention, difficulty controlling behavior, and may be overactive. Academics and social relationships can suffer as a result.

Prior research has shown that kids with ADHD are heavier than average, and that significant ADHD symptoms are twice as likely in overweight children, the researchers said.

Because obesity rates have skyrocketed in the United States over the past three decades, leading to serious health problems, the study authors suggested that it’s important to understand the various causes.

The report was published Feb. 4 in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

For the study, Kumar and colleagues compared medical records of 336 people diagnosed with ADHD in childhood with more than 600 people who had not had the diagnosis. All of the adults had been born between 1976 and 1982.

The investigators examined medical records through August 2010 and found that, among women, nearly 42 percent of ADHD patients were obese after age 20 compared to less than 20 percent of those without ADHD. Obesity rates were similar in those with and without stimulant treatment.

Korman said parents and doctors need to be aware of the association between obesity and ADHD but should realize it is only a possibility.

“One of the last things we want to do is create a panic,” he said. “ADHD is not a sentence for being obese, but these findings warrant a greater awareness. It’s unhealthy expecting that this will happen, but it’s a good thing to be aware of it.”

More information

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

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Exercise May Prevent Injurious Falls in Men

THURSDAY, Feb. 4, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Regular exercise reduces older men’s risk of serious injuries from falls, a new study finds.

“The physical activity program was more effective in reducing the rate of serious fall injuries in men than in women,” said study author Dr. Thomas Gill, a professor of geriatrics at Yale University, in New Haven, Conn.

Although the findings were mixed, they suggest that moderate exercise may help prevent serious falls, the leading cause of injury in people 70 and older, Gill said in a university news release.

The study included more than 1,600 inactive women and men, aged 70 to 89, randomly assigned to either a long-term, moderate exercise regimen or to a health education program.

The physical activity sessions included walking and flexibility, strength and balance training.

Compared to those in the health education group, men in the workout group had a 38 percent lower risk of serious fall injuries, a 53 percent lower risk of fall-related fractures, and a 59 percent lower rate of fall injuries requiring hospitalization.

The exercise program did not appear to reduce women’s risk of serious fall injuries, according to the study published online Feb. 3 in the journal BMJ.

The men in the exercise group boosted their physical activity levels more than the women, and also had greater improvements in gait, balance and muscle strength, the researchers said.

“The results from the current study support continued evaluation of the physical activity program for possible widespread implementation in the community,” Gill said.

More information

The U.S. National Institute on Aging has more about older adults and falls.

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Steroids Might Help More Than Just Very Premature Babies: Study

THURSDAY, Feb. 4, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Giving steroids to pregnant women at risk for late preterm delivery may reduce the risk of severe respiratory problems in their babies, a new study finds.

The study included more than 2,800 pregnant women with a high risk of late preterm delivery (34 to 36 weeks of pregnancy) who were randomly selected to receive two injections over 24 hours of either the steroid betamethasone or a placebo.

The steroid is commonly used to prevent complications in babies born before 34 weeks of pregnancy. A full-term pregnancy is considered to be 40 weeks.

Compared to babies born to mothers who received the placebo, babies born to mothers who received the steroid were much less likely to have severe respiratory complications shortly after birth, to require a long stay in the neonatal intensive care unit, or to need respiratory treatments.

The findings were published Feb. 4 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

“Our study demonstrates that administering a medication that is commonly used to prevent complications in babies born before 34 weeks of gestation can also reduce the risk of many serious complications in babies delivered just a few weeks before term,” lead investigator Dr. Cynthia Gyamfi-Bannerman, an associate professor of women’s health at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City, said in a Columbia news release.

“This will transform the way we care for mothers at risk for late preterm delivery,” added Gyamfi-Bannerman, who is also an obstetrician and maternal-fetal medicine specialist at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, in New York City.

Each year, about 8 percent (more than 300,000) of babies born in the United States are late preterm births. About 12 percent of those babies have respiratory or other serious complications and require long stays in the neonatal intensive care unit, the researchers said.

“While survival among late preterm infants is comparable to that of babies born at term, the rate of respiratory problems and other serious complications in this group is not comparable and remains unacceptably high,” Gyamfi-Bannerman said.

“Expanding the use of a well-studied, safe medication to improve lung development before birth offers a means of preventing many of these complications,” she said.

More information

The U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development has more about preterm labor and birth.

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Meditation May Ease Pain, Anxiety From Breast Cancer Biopsy: Study

THURSDAY, Feb. 4, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Meditation and music may reduce pain, anxiety and fatigue associated with a breast cancer biopsy, a new study suggests.

Researchers from the Duke Cancer Institute in Durham, N.C., evaluated 121 women who listened to recorded meditation or music, or received standard care during image-guided needle biopsies.

The meditation focused on creating positive emotions and dispelling negative feelings, while the music was a patient’s choice of instrumental jazz, classical piano, harp and flute, nature sounds or world music. Standard care was a health care worker offering casual conversation and support.

Compared to those in the standard care group, women who listened to meditation or music had greater reductions in anxiety and fatigue. Those in the meditation group had much less pain during the biopsy than those in the music group, the study found.

The study was published online Feb. 4 in the Journal of the American College of Radiology.

“Image-guided needle biopsies for diagnosing breast cancer are very efficient and successful, but the anxiety and potential pain can have a negative impact on patient care,” said study lead author Dr. Mary Scott Soo, an associate professor of radiology at the institute.

“Patients who experience pain and anxiety may move during the procedure, which can reduce the effectiveness of biopsy, or they may not adhere to follow-up screening and testing,” she explained in a Duke news release.

Anti-anxiety drugs are one option for dealing with pain and anxiety during the procedure. But due to their sedating effects, Soo said, patients need to have someone drive them home.

Meditation and music offer simple and inexpensive alternatives to drugs, she said.

“We would like to see this study scaled up to include a multicenter trial, and see if the findings could be generalized to different practices,” Soo said.

More information

Breastcancer.org has more about breast biopsy.

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Could IVF Raise Children’s Odds for Blood Cancer?

By Dennis Thompson
HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Feb. 4, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Children conceived through in vitro fertilization (IVF) might have a slightly increased risk of developing blood cancer, a new study suggests.

Children born via IVF had a 67 percent increased risk of leukemia and a more than tripled risk of Hodgkin’s lymphoma compared to children conceived naturally, researchers found in an analysis of more than 1.6 million children in Norway.

Parents shouldn’t panic, however. The risk of childhood cancer is still very small, even after factoring in the results of this study, said lead author Dr. Marte Myhre Reigstad. She is a researcher with the Norwegian National Advisory Unit on Women’s Health at Oslo University Hospital.

“For example, in Norway, the risk of being diagnosed with leukemia within the first 10 years of life is 0.5 in 1,000,” Reigstad said. “A risk increase of such magnitude as found in our study would amount to a risk of 0.8 in 1,000. So for children conceived by assisted reproductive technology, there is still only a very small chance of developing cancer.”

In the study, published online Feb. 4 in the journal Pediatrics, researchers reviewed medical data for all children born in Norway between 1984 and 2011. Of the more than 1.6 million children, about 25,800 were conceived through different assisted reproductive technology procedures.

Researchers did not find any significant increase in IVF kids’ overall risk of cancer, other than leukemia and Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which are cancers that affect blood cells.

However, the statistics behind these risks are based on very small numbers of sick kids, said Susan Amirian, an assistant professor with the Baylor College of Medicine’s Duncan Cancer Center in Houston.

For example, only 17 cases of leukemia and three cases of Hodgkin’s lymphoma were reported among the IVF kids in the sample, said Amirian, co-author of an accompanying editorial in the journal.

She called the results based on those numbers “borderline statistically significant.”

“We need to be extra cautious interpreting that number, and we need a lot more studies that confirm that association before we can say there’s a true relationship there,” Amirian said.

There are a number of possible reasons why IVF kids might be at higher risk for some cancers, said Amirian and her editorial co-author, Melissa Bondy, also of Baylor’s Duncan Cancer Center.

Mothers who use IVF to conceive often do so later in life, and previous studies have shown that kids of older mothers have an increased risk for childhood cancers, Bondy said.

Parental genetics might also play a factor, in that whatever has contributed to the parents’ infertility might also increase their children’s cancer risk, Bondy added.

But Bondy and Amirian agreed that the study does not warrant “sounding any alarms.”

“This is an implication there may be something going on,” Bondy said. “We need to investigate it, but we don’t want to alarm anybody and we don’t want to make any recommendations as of right now.”

Reigstad concurred, adding that her study should not deter hopeful parents from using assisted reproductive technology.

“I think this should not dissuade couples from being treated with IVF, but medical researchers and care providers must keep these findings in mind, and we must keep observing these children as they grow older,” Reigstad said.

Worldwide, more than 5 million babies have been conceived through assisted reproductive technology, such as IVF, according to background notes with the study.

More information

For more on assisted reproductive technology, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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