Family Key to Helping Teens Avoid Obesity

FRIDAY, July 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Having a stable family and a good relationship with mom and dad makes young people more likely to develop healthy habits that may protect them against obesity, a new study suggests.

The researchers also found that fathers are especially important for helping their sons to develop behaviors that will allow them to maintain a healthy weight.

“A high level of family dysfunction may interfere with the development of healthful behaviors due to the families’ limited ability to develop routines related to eating, sleep or activity behaviors, which can lead to excess weight gain,” said the study’s lead author, Jess Haines, of the University of Guelph in Ontario.

For the study, the researchers reviewed information on about 3,700 daughters and 2,600 sons, aged 14 to 24, in the United States.

About 80 percent reported having close and stable families. The findings showed that 60 percent of daughters and 50 percent of sons said they had a good relationship with their parents.

The investigators found that children with stable families and strong relationships with their parents were more likely to follow a healthy diet. They were also more likely to be physically active and get enough sleep.

The daughters in these families ate less fast food, and were less likely to be overweight or obese, the researchers found.

Among the sons, those who had a close relationship with their father were less likely to be overweight or obese, according to the report.

“Much of the research examining the influence of parents has typically examined only the mother’s influence or has combined information across parents,” Haines said in a university news release.

“Our results underscore the importance of examining the influence fathers have on their children, and to develop strategies to help fathers support the development of healthy behaviors among their children,” she said.

“It appears the father-son parent relationship has a stronger influence on sons than the mother-daughter relationship has on young women,” said Haines. She added that more research needs to be done to figure out why this difference exists.

The study findings highlight the importance of family behaviors and relationships on young people’s health.

The study was published recently in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about raising healthy teens.

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2009 Swine Flu Originated in Mexico

FRIDAY, July 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The 2009 swine flu pandemic originated in pigs in a small region of central Mexico, a new study reports.

Researchers used genetic analysis to pinpoint the source of the H1N1 pandemic. This version of the swine flu killed more than 17,000 people worldwide. The scientists used the same type of genetic analysis to learn how the virus jumped from pigs to people.

It’s the first time the origin of a pandemic flu virus has been determined in such detail, the study authors said.

The virus was a combination of a North American swine virus that had jumped between birds, humans and pigs, and a Eurasian swine virus that circulated for more than 10 years in pigs in Mexico before jumping into humans, the investigators said.

“Knowing where and how an animal influenza virus infects humans and spreads all over the world helps us understand how we can reduce risk of these pandemics,” said study senior author Adolfo Garcia-Sastre. He is director of the Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.

“This virus came from, and was confined to, a very small geographic area, and had been there 10 years before one emergent strain gained the capacity to infect humans. The virus was completely under the radar,” he explained in a hospital news release.

The study was published online June 28 in the journal eLife.

More information

Flu.gov has more on the H1N1 flu virus.

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How Pregnancy Can Trip You Up

FRIDAY, July 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A pregnancy “waddle” really does increase a woman’s risk for falls, a new study reveals.

The baby bump changes the way women walk and perform everyday activities, such as rising from a chair or turning around while walking, said researchers from Hiroshima University in Japan.

This may help explain why pregnant women are as likely to fall as women who are 70 years old, the researchers said.

For their study, the researchers used a three-dimensional video recording system, called 3D motion capture, to assess the way pregnant women walk.

“Biomechanics studies like ours of how humans move are valuable for many things, like making our built environments safer or designing mobility skills,” said Koichi Shinkoda in a university news release. He is a professor in the Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences.

Shinkoda’s team used the 3D recording system — which is typically found on movie sets — to create biomechanical models of eight women at three stages of pregnancy. The researchers also created biomechanical models of seven women who weren’t pregnant.

A computer analysis of the video led to the creation of virtual models that represent the average pregnant woman.

“This model is just the start of our goal of contributing to a safe and comfortable life before and after childbirth for pregnant women,” said the study’s first author, Yasuyo Sunaga, a doctoral student at the university.

The study’s findings confirm why pregnant women walk differently. Even in their first trimester of pregnancy, women’s center of mass is farther forward, the researchers said.

As a result, they lean backwards while standing and bend their hips less while walking. This increases their risk for tripping over their toes or losing their balance, the researchers said.

“Now that we have the appropriate data, we hope to apply our model and make it possible to problem-solve these concerns of daily life,” said Sunaga.

The study appears in the July issue of Applied Ergonomics.

More information

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provides more on a safe and healthy pregnancy.

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Many Smartphone ‘Fertility Apps’ May Not Work

FRIDAY, July 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A smartphone app probably won’t help you get pregnant or avoid pregnancy, researchers report.

“Smartphone apps are increasing in popularity because more and more women are interested in using natural or fertility awareness-based methods of family planning,” said study leader Dr. Marguerite Duane.

These women want “to feel empowered with greater knowledge of their bodies,” said Duane, an adjunct associate professor at Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C.

But an analysis of nearly 100 fertility awareness apps found most don’t use accurate methods that are based on scientific evidence. Also, many have a disclaimer saying they shouldn’t be used to prevent pregnancy, Duane’s study found.

The researchers identified more than 95 fertility awareness apps on iTunes, Google, or Google Play. The investigators excluded 55 from evaluation because they either had a disclaimer against their use for avoiding pregnancy or did not use evidence-based methods.

Each of the remaining 40 apps was assessed on a five-point scale.

“Of those reviewed, 30 apps predict days of fertility for the user and 10 do not. Only six apps had either a perfect score on accuracy or no false negatives (days of fertility classified as infertile),” the researchers wrote.

“When learning how to track your fertility signs, we recommend that women first receive instruction from a trained educator,” Duane said in a university news release. She’s also executive director of the Fertility Appreciation Collaborative.

The study results were published June 30 in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine.

More information

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has tips if you’re trying to conceive.

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Could ‘Zaps’ to the Brain Help Fight Glaucoma?

By Alan Mozes
HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, July 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Electrical pulses to the brain may help restore vision in some partially blind patients, German researchers report.

Glaucoma and other types of damage to the eye’s optic nerve typically cause permanent damage. But, the new technique appears to kick-start the brain’s visual control centers, the researchers explained.

A 10-day treatment regimen — entailing upwards of nearly an hour a day of electrical pulses aimed directly into the eye — improved vision among patients who were losing their sight, the researchers said.

“By giving currents through the eye, we force retinal cells connected to the brain to fire intensely,” explained study author Dr. Bernhard Sabel, a member of the medical faculty at the Otto-von-Guericke University of Magdeburg. “This activates the brain’s [vision] cells to function better again. And, ‘what fires together, wires together.’ “

According to the U.S. National Eye Institute, glaucoma is a group of diseases that damage the optic nerve, a bundle of 1 million-plus nerve fibers that links the eye’s retina to the brain’s vision processing center.

The Glaucoma Research Foundation says roughly 3 million Americans have the disease, which to date has no known cure. An estimated 120,000 Americans are blind as a result of glaucoma.

If caught early, a combination of eye drops, pills and laser and conventional surgery (to relieve fluid and/or pressure buildup) can slow disease progression and sometimes prevent serious vision loss.

But because it is symptomless and painless, glaucoma is often caught late, when partial to total vision loss is largely considered irreversible, doctors say.

In the new study, investigators focused on 82 partially blind adult patients between 2010 and 2012. Thirty-three had glaucoma, while the rest had other types of optic nerve damage.

A little more than half (45) the group was assigned to receive electrical stimulation therapy; the rest received a placebo treatment.

Electrical stimulation sessions ranged from 25 minutes on the first day to 50 minutes a day by day 10.

Two days after treatment ended, the electrical stimulation group saw a 24 percent improvement, on average, in the ability to perceive objects across their whole field of vision. This improvement was maintained two months out, on average. By comparison, the control group saw less than a 3 percent improvement, which dropped off to almost nothing after two months.

Some patients saw permanent improvements, while others lost their gains over time. What’s more, a third of the electrical stimulation patients did not realize any treatment benefit at all, with no clear indications as to why, Sabel said.

Still, the treatment was deemed to be safe, with mild side effects and no discomfort during the procedure, he said.

Sabel said the findings justify making electrical stimulation available to patients immediately, adding, “We do not need more research to show that it [is] a major step forward.”

Dr. Alfred Sommer, a professor of ophthalmology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, suggested that while the effort may ultimately lead to new avenues of research, the immediate practical benefit to patients remains “unclear.”

“[The treatment] obviously has not reversed the optic nerve degeneration caused by glaucoma or optic neuritis [nerve inflammation],” he said. “Nor have they [the study authors] demonstrated any improvement in visual acuity or the tasks of daily living.

“What they claim to have improved,” added Sommer, “is the ability of an individual to identify a light stimulus in an area of the visual field they couldn’t previously. Perhaps they have, but unless this actually improves a person’s ability to function, it isn’t a ‘cure.’ “

The study findings were published June 29 in the journal PLOS One.

More information

Visit the U.S. National Eye Institute for more on glaucoma.

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7 Famous Women on How They Really Feel in a Bathing Suit

Photo: Getty Images

The pressure to be “bikini ready” can really make a gal sweat. But it doesn’t have to be that way. These seven celebrities have discovered the secret to feeling comfortable in a bathing suit. (Hint: It has to do with loving the skin you’re in, flaws and all.) Here, they share their opinions on everything from post-baby cellulite to the ridiculous pressure to have a thigh gap.

On not seeking perfection

“I don’t care to look absolutely perfect in a bathing suit. I’m a normal girl. I’m strong. I’m fit. I feel good about myself after I’ve had a baby.” —Hilary Duff, Today, June 2016

On the beauty of one-pieces

“I love one-pieces. I think one-pieces can be super-sexy. I don’t think you need to show everything for it to be sexy. And now one-pieces [include] high European cuts and I think they’re great and I feel really comfortable in them. So for me I’m always a one-piece girl.” —Khloe Kardashian, Lorraine, June 2016

On thigh gaps

“Regardless of what society tells you these days… You don’t have to have a thigh gap to be beautiful. It is possible to love your body the way it is.” —Demi Lovato, Instagram, February 2015

RELATED: These Are the Best Swimsuits for Bigger Busts

On bathing suits after babies

“I never looked good in a bathing suit, so now I look worse in a bathing suit. I have cellulite. But I would much rather have my kids and look a little worse in a bathing suit!” —Drew Barrymore, People, February 2015

On giving up judgment

“As bikini season starts to roll in, let’s keep in mind that a girl wearing a swimsuit does not mean it’s a free ticket to judge her body. In fact, don’t you dare judge anyone’s body without knowing their story, their strengths, and who they are. Your body is simply a physical vessel for you to carry out the things you want to accomplish with your life. Take care of your body, respect it and it will do amazing things for you. Don’t fall into the vanity trap.” —Cassey Ho, Instagram, April 2016

RELATED: These Are the Best Swimsuits for an Athletic Shape

On appreciating what you’ve got

“Oh, how I regret not having worn a bikini for the entire year I was 26. If anyone young is reading this, go, right this minute, put on a bikini, and don’t take it off until you’re 34.” —Nora Ephron, I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman, 2008

On not caring what anyone else thinks

“This is how I look. I feel happy. I think I look strong and healthy and also like miss trunchbull from Matilda.” —Amy Schumer in response to body-shaming comments, Instagram, May 2016

 

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Anthrax Vaccine Shows Promise in Monkey Trial

FRIDAY, July 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A vaccine made with a component of the bacteria that causes anthrax protected monkeys from the deadly infection in a preliminary trial.

Previous research showed that this component — the anthrax capsule — played a pivotal role in providing protection, the researchers said.

In this study, the same team of scientists at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) tested a higher dose of the anthrax capsule vaccine in monkeys exposed to lethal inhaled levels of anthrax spores.

All the monkeys that received the vaccine survived, while the non-vaccinated monkeys died from anthrax, according to the study published online June 27 in the journal Vaccine.

The results suggest that anthrax capsule is a highly effective vaccine ingredient and should be considered for use in future anthrax vaccines, the researchers said. Current anthrax vaccines are based on a different component of anthrax toxins.

“In the 140-year history of research on anthrax there have been two previous types of vaccine, the last one licensed in 1970,” study senior author Dr. Arthur Friedlander said in a USAMRIID news release.

“This new capsule vaccine is expected to work against possible vaccine-resistant strains of anthrax and to protect individuals who may not respond optimally to protective antigen [a foreign substance that triggers an immune response] alone. In addition, it could be combined with protective antigen to create a multi-component vaccine that may enhance the efficacy of protective antigen-based vaccines,” he said.

However, it’s important to note that most animal research doesn’t produce similar results in human.

More information

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

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Who’s Most Likely to Seek Infertility Help

FRIDAY, July 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Nearly half of people with infertility problems don’t seek treatment, according to a new British study.

“One of the important and concerning findings in our study is the difference in educational attainment and job status between people who sought help for infertility and those who did not,” said study leader Jessica Datta. She is a lecturer at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine in London.

Datta’s team surveyed 15,000 adults in Britain. The investigators found that one in eight women and one in 10 men had experienced infertility, but nearly 43 percent of those women and nearly 47 percent of those men didn’t seek medical help for the problem.

Infertility was defined as unsuccessfully trying to become pregnant for a year or longer.

Those with infertility who did seek help were more likely to be better educated, have higher incomes and to be older, according to the study. The results were published online June 30 in the journal Human Reproduction.

“We were surprised that almost half of the people in our study who had experienced infertility had not sought help,” Datta said in a journal news release.

Unlike most studies of infertility that tend to recruit participants from medical practices, this population-based study “provides a rare insight” into people who don’t seek medical assistance after trying and failing to conceive, she explained.

“The existence of inequalities in access to health care is well established, but this is one of few analyses to explore uptake of services for infertility,” Datta said.

The researchers believe similar results could be found in other countries. In the United States, about 6 percent of married women are unable to conceive after a year of trying, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

More information

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

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When Cooking Outside, Don’t Let Food Safety Slide

FRIDAY, July 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Food is a big part of many Fourth of July celebrations. But take care when making and storing your meal, so that a bout of food poisoning doesn’t ruin the rest of your holiday plans, a dietary expert advises.

When having a picnic or barbecue, it’s important to keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot.

“Cold foods should be ideally put in shallow containers and then kept on ice to keep them below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Hot foods should be kept warm — above 160 degrees — to prevent bacteria from growing on food,” said Liz Weinandy, a dietitian at Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center.

Use a thermometer when cooking. In general, ground meats like hamburgers should be cooked through to an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees F, and poultry like chicken breasts to 165 degrees.

“Make sure to use separate cutting boards, utensils, tongs and plates for raw meat and cooked products. Anything that touches raw meat should be completely sanitized before being used again, or use clean ones to avoid cross contamination,” Weinandy said in a university news release.

“Make sure to refrigerate leftovers within two hours of sitting them out to eat. If it is over 90 degrees outside, this time shrinks to one hour,” she noted.

“If food is left out longer than this, it can grow some serious bacteria. Avoid eating food that has been sitting out that long and throw it away instead of sending it home with guests or keeping it for lunch the next day,” Weinandy advised.

More information

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

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U.S. Cancer Survivors Living Longer

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, July 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — As the American population ages, more older adults will survive cancer and live with other chronic conditions that will burden the health care system, U.S. government health officials report.

“Increasingly, we are seeing the impact of an aging population — fueled by maturing baby boomers — on major diseases, including cancer,” said lead researcher Shirley Bluethmann, a cancer prevention fellow at the U.S. National Cancer Institute.

In 2016, nearly 62 percent of almost 16 million cancer survivors are aged 65 or older, the researchers said. By 2040, an estimated 73 percent of 26 million cancer survivors will be 65 or older.

“This steady and dramatic growth will affect the health care system, and so is sometimes referred to as the ‘silver tsunami,’ ” Bluethmann said. “It not only has implications for older people who are at higher risk for cancer, it also means that we will have higher numbers of older patients with complex health needs.”

In the face of this challenge, health care providers will have to build collaborative care teams — including doctors, nurses and other caregivers — to be able to respond to the needs of this vulnerable population, Bluethmann noted.

“We also need to emphasize the benefits of lifestyle for cancer prevention and control across the life course,” she added.

“Lifestyle choices, including doing regular exercise and maintaining a healthy weight, may prevent some kinds of cancer, but also offer many benefits in preserving function, reducing symptoms and promoting a high quality of life into old age,” Bluethmann said.

For the study, Bluethmann and her colleagues used federal health data from 1975 to 2012. With Census data, they projected the incidence of cancer from 2016 to 2040. In addition, the researchers used Medicare claims to estimate the impact of other chronic conditions such as heart disease, lung disease and diabetes.

They found that by 2040, cancer survivors aged 65 to 74 will make up 24 percent of all survivors, those aged 75 to 84 will make up 31 percent of all survivors, and those aged 85 and older will represent 18 percent.

Currently, the prevalence of cancer is about the same for men and women. In older age groups, however, cancer is more common among men.

Among those aged 65 to 69, 14 percent of men and 12 percent of women have been diagnosed with cancer. The gap increases with age. In the oldest group, 90 and up, 37 percent of men and 25 percent of women have been diagnosed with cancer, the study found.

This gap is most likely due to more prostate cancer survivors, which is usually diagnosed at older ages, Bluethmann said.

In addition, aging increases the chances that cancer survivors will suffer from one or more chronic medical conditions. Among cancer survivors aged 65 to 69, 27 percent had a history of other medical problems. Among survivors aged 85 and older, 47 percent had other chronic conditions, the researchers found.

The findings were published in the July 1 issue of the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention.

One public health expert sees the explosion in the numbers of cancer survivors, especially those with other medical problems, as concerning.

“There aren’t many older adults in clinical trials, so we have a limited amount of knowledge about how to optimize treatment,” said Kim Miller, an epidemiologist at the American Cancer Society.

“In addition, the number of oncologists is dwindling, which means there will be fewer doctors to treat the growing population of cancer survivors,” Miller said.

Also, other medical problems such as heart disease, lung disease and diabetes make caring for these cancer patients more difficult, she said.

“It’s going to put a financial strain on the health care system, especially because most of these older cancer survivors are receiving Medicare,” Miller said.

More information

Visit the U.S. National Cancer Institute for more on cancer.

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