London’s Great Smog of 1952 Linked to Asthma Surge

FRIDAY, July 8, 2016 (HealthDay News) — London’s Great Smog of 1952 might have affected the health of young children and unborn babies, resulting in thousands of additional cases of asthma, a new study contends.

“Our results suggest that the harm from this dreadful event over 60 years ago lives on today,” said the study’s leader, Matthew Neidell, in a Columbia University news release. He is an associate professor of Health Policy and Management at Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health in New York City.

The Great Smog of London lasted five days in December 1952. The smog developed when a weather phenomenon that pushes air downwards helped trap the pollution from residential coal fires (to heat homes) and industrial pollution low to the ground, according to the United Kingdom’s public weather service.

People described the smog as so thick you couldn’t see from one side of the street to the other, the weather agency reported.

The Great Smog far exceeded current air pollution standards. Thousands died prematurely because of the smog, the researchers said.

“Because the smog was unexpected, residents likely didn’t leave the city,” said study co-investigator Prashant Bharadwaj, an associate professor of economics at the University of California, San Diego.

The current study looked at survey responses from nearly 3,000 people who participated in the English Longitudinal Study on Aging. Participants were asked about their health. They were specifically asked if they had experienced asthma as a child or developed the condition as an adult.

The researchers reviewed the responses of people exposed to the smog while their mothers were pregnant or during their childhood. Then they compared those responses to those from people born between 1945 and 1955 who didn’t live in London during the Great Smog, or people who weren’t exposed to the smog during early childhood.

The study suggests that the health effects of the Great Smog likely still persist more than 60 years later.

The prevalence of childhood asthma was 20 percent higher among people exposed to the event during their first year of life. Adult asthma rates were 9.5 percent higher among this group, the study showed.

For those who might have been exposed while their mothers were pregnant, they had an 8 percent increased risk for childhood asthma, the study found.

While the current study found an association between early life exposure to the Great Smog and asthma, it didn’t prove a cause-and-effect link. But the researchers contend there was no other major event that might significantly affect asthma rates in the population. So, their study “suggests a strong possibility of a causal link between early childhood exposure to air pollution and the later development of asthma,” the researchers said

The researchers noted their findings have significant implications for cities that currently have high levels of air pollution.

“[Our findings] suggest that very young children living in heavily polluted environments, such as Beijing, are likely to experience significant changes in health over their life course,” Neidell said.

The study was published online July 8 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

More information

The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology provides more information on childhood asthma.

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FDA OKs Non-Prescription Use of Acne Drug

FRIDAY, July 8, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Good news for acne sufferers: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved an over-the-counter retinoid drug for acne — the first new active ingredient available without a prescription since the 1980s.

The drug — Differin Gel 0.1% (adapalene) — has been in use in a stronger form as a prescription acne treatment since 1996, the FDA said Friday. It is applied to the skin once a day and approved for people 12 and older.

“Millions of consumers, from adolescents to adults, suffer from acne,” Dr. Lesley Furlong, of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in an agency news release. “Now, consumers have access to a new safe and effective over-the-counter option.”

As many as 50 million people in the United States have acne, the majority of them teenagers and young adults. The telltale pimples form when hair follicles of the skin clog up, marring the face, neck, back, chest and/or shoulders.

The common skin condition can cause scarring and lead to poor self-image, depression and anxiety, the FDA pointed out.

Retinoids, which contain vitamin A-like chemicals, are used to treat a variety of skin conditions.

The FDA cautioned that women who are pregnant, planning to become pregnant or breast-feeding should ask a doctor before using Differin Gel 0.1%. No well-controlled studies of the drug have been conducted in pregnant women, and some other retinoid drugs have been shown to cause birth defects, the agency said.

The gel’s approval followed five clinical trials in people with mild to moderate acne. One study showed that absorption is limited, a finding that supports over-the-counter use, the FDA said.

Those using Differin Gel 0.1% should avoid sunburn. Also, skin may become irritated during the first few weeks of use, the agency said.

Dr. Doris Day is a dermatologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. She said, “Differin Gel has had an excellent safety profile and will be a great addition to the over-the-counter options for those suffering with acne who are unable to get to a dermatologist.”

Day noted that the over-the-counter version is a lower concentration of the medication available by prescription at 0.3% strength.

“You still need to be aware to see your dermatologist if the acne does not clear or if the acne is scarring,” she added. “And, it is very important to use sunscreen on a daily basis when using this product.”

Differin Gel 0.1% is distributed by Galderma Laboratories L.P., in Fort Worth, Texas.

More information

The American Academy of Dermatology talks about remedying acne scars.

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Could Statins Help Fight Cancer?

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, July 8, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Some cancer patients who take cholesterol-lowering statins may live longer than those not on these heart medications, a study from Britain suggests.

While it did not prove a cause-and-effect connection, the study of nearly 1 million cancer patients found that those taking statin drugs such as Lipitor and Crestor appeared to have:

• a 22 percent lower risk of dying from lung cancer,
• a 43 percent lower risk of dying from breast cancer,
• a 47 percent lower risk of dying from prostate cancer,
• and a 30 percent lower risk of dying from colon cancer.

“We need to further investigate the reasons for patients with high cholesterol having improved mortality in four of the most common cancers,” said senior researcher Dr. Rahul Potluri, a clinical lecturer at Aston University School of Medicine in Birmingham.

Potluri cautioned, however, that this study can’t prove that statins actually extended life in cancer patients.

At this time, people without high cholesterol should not be taking statins in the hope of warding off cancer or living longer with cancer, he said.

“People with high cholesterol should be taking statins to lower their cholesterol and reduce their cardiovascular risk,” he said. “We cannot, however, recommend statins for cancer prevention without a positive clinical trial.”

For the study, Potluri and colleagues collected data on nearly 1 million patients listed in a clinical database from January 2000 to March 2013. The database includes information on cancer and other medical conditions, including high cholesterol. Data on deaths was obtained from the U.K. Office for National Statistics.

Among the patients in the study, nearly 8,000 had lung cancer, 5,500 had breast cancer, 4,600 had prostate cancer and 4,500 had colon cancer, the researchers found.

After adjusting for factors that might play a role in dying, such as age, gender, ethnicity and common causes of death, the researchers found those taking statins lived longer than those who were not taking them.

The results were to be presented Friday at the European Society of Cardiology meeting in Florence, Italy. Research presented at meetings is considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.

One expert doesn’t think sufficient evidence exists yet to take statins to prevent or treat cancer.

“Regardless of whether or not a person has cancer, statin use should be discussed with a health care provider,” said Eric Jacobs, strategic director of pharmacoepidemiology at the American Cancer Society.

“There is little evidence that statins affect cancer risk or survival, but clear evidence that they can help some people lower risk of heart attacks and strokes,” he said.

More information

Visit the American Heart Association for more on statins.

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Why Breast Cancer Survivors Should Exercise

FRIDAY, July 8, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Excessive stress can lead to memory problems among breast cancer survivors, but exercise can help, according to new research.

“We found moderate to vigorous physical activity actually benefits women psychologically and that, in turn, helps their memory,” said the study’s lead author, Siobhan Phillips. She is assistant professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.

Post-cancer memory issues are often attributed to chemotherapy or radiation treatments, known as “chemo brain.” However, the new study findings suggest “these self-reported memory problems may be in part emotionally related,” Phillips said in a university news release.

“These women are frightened, stressed, fatigued, tapped out emotionally and have low self-confidence, which can be very mentally taxing and can lead to perceived memory problems,” she explained.

For the study, the researchers examined self-reported memory and exercise data collected from more than 1,800 breast cancer survivors, 362 of whom wore devices called “accelerometers” to track their movement.

In both groups, moderate or vigorous physical activity — such as brisk walking, biking, jogging or engaging in exercise classes — was found to reduce stress and fatigue. This has psychological benefits and leads to better memory, the researchers said.

While the study didn’t establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship, greater levels of physical activity were also linked to higher levels of self-confidence and less distress. These improvements were also associated with fewer perceived memory problems, the study authors added.

The findings were published July 8 in Psycho-Oncology.

More information

The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more on physical activity and cancer.

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Don’t Let Burns Spoil Your Summer Fun

FRIDAY, July 8, 2016 (HealthDay News) — As summer kicks into high gear, be sure your fun isn’t marred by fires or burns, an expert says.

“Before using your grill, make sure all of the parts — including the gas tank — are in good condition. If you notice any leaks, cracks or breaks, replace the parts before using,” said Dr. James Gallagher. He’s director of the William Randolph Hearst Burn Center at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City.

Barbecue grills should only be used outdoors and should be at least 10 feet away from buildings, deck railings and overhanging branches, Gallagher said in a hospital news release. Use utensils with long handles, wear short or tight-fitting sleeves and have a garden hose or bucket of sand available to put out small flare-ups.

Keep a fire extinguisher close by, and never leave the grill unattended, Gallagher advised.

To prevent sunburn, apply sunscreen at least 30 minutes before going outdoors. Reapply every one to two hours and after swimming, sweating or exercising, even on cloudy days, Gallagher said.

More information

The American Academy of Family Physicians has more on burn prevention.

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Beware Whole Body Cryotherapy Claims, FDA Warns

FRIDAY, July 8, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Whole body cryotherapy — a trendy treatment that has been used for everything from arthritis pain to Alzheimer’s — may pose serious health risks, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns.

“Based on purported health benefits seen in many promotions for cryotherapy spas, consumers may incorrectly believe that the FDA has cleared or approved [these] devices as safe and effective to treat medical conditions,” Dr. Aron Yustein, a medical officer in the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said in an agency news release. “That is not the case.”

Cryotherapy involves freezing abnormal tissue; it is often used to kill early skin cancers, according to the U.S. National Cancer Institute.

During whole body cryotherapy, the entire body is enclosed in a chamber and exposed to cold vapors for several minutes. The vapors are generated by liquid nitrogen and can reach ultra-low temperatures, the FDA said.

The benefits of whole body cryotherapy are still under investigation, although proponents claim it can ease symptoms of fibromyalgia, migraines, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, stress, anxiety or chronic pain.

But the FDA says there are many risks associated with the treatment.

“Potential hazards include asphyxiation, especially when liquid nitrogen is used for cooling,” said FDA scientific reviewer Dr. Anna Ghambaryan.

Being exposed to nitrogen vapors in an enclosed space can deprive people of oxygen and cause them to lose consciousness. Other risks associated with these extreme temperatures include frostbite, burns and eye injuries, the FDA said.

The treatment could also worsen existing medical conditions, the agency added.

The FDA advises people considering whole body cryotherapy to check with their doctor first.

Some whole body cryotherapy operators also claim the treatment improves circulation, boosts metabolism, speeds recovery and soreness following workouts and eases joint pain, the agency said.

It remains unclear how whole body cryotherapy affects people’s blood pressure, heart rate or metabolism, the FDA said.

More information

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration provides consumer updates on cryotherapy and other products and treatments.

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Beware Whole Body Cryotherapy Claims, FDA Warns

FRIDAY, July 8, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Whole body cryotherapy — a trendy treatment that has been used for everything from arthritis pain to Alzheimer’s — may pose serious health risks, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns.

“Based on purported health benefits seen in many promotions for cryotherapy spas, consumers may incorrectly believe that the FDA has cleared or approved [these] devices as safe and effective to treat medical conditions,” Dr. Aron Yustein, a medical officer in the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said in an agency news release. “That is not the case.”

Cryotherapy involves freezing abnormal tissue; it is often used to kill early skin cancers, according to the U.S. National Cancer Institute.

During whole body cryotherapy, the entire body is enclosed in a chamber and exposed to cold vapors for several minutes. The vapors are generated by liquid nitrogen and can reach ultra-low temperatures, the FDA said.

The benefits of whole body cryotherapy are still under investigation, although proponents claim it can ease symptoms of fibromyalgia, migraines, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, stress, anxiety or chronic pain.

But the FDA says there are many risks associated with the treatment.

“Potential hazards include asphyxiation, especially when liquid nitrogen is used for cooling,” said FDA scientific reviewer Dr. Anna Ghambaryan.

Being exposed to nitrogen vapors in an enclosed space can deprive people of oxygen and cause them to lose consciousness. Other risks associated with these extreme temperatures include frostbite, burns and eye injuries, the FDA said.

The treatment could also worsen existing medical conditions, the agency added.

The FDA advises people considering whole body cryotherapy to check with their doctor first.

Some whole body cryotherapy operators also claim the treatment improves circulation, boosts metabolism, speeds recovery and soreness following workouts and eases joint pain, the agency said.

It remains unclear how whole body cryotherapy affects people’s blood pressure, heart rate or metabolism, the FDA said.

More information

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration provides consumer updates on cryotherapy and other products and treatments.

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Obese Preschoolers More Likely to Be Hospitalized

FRIDAY, July 8, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Obese preschoolers are two to three times more likely to end up in the hospital than their healthy weight peers are, new research suggests.

The Australian study also found that health care costs are about 60 percent higher for obese kids.

“Childhood obesity is a serious public health issue, and is becoming an increasing problem in children under 5 years old,” said study lead author Alison Hayes. She is an associate professor of health economics at the University of Sydney.

“In addition to the health impacts of childhood obesity, there are major economic impacts, which may occur earlier than previously thought,” she said in a university news release.

Obesity and overweight rates for kids under age 5 are about 7 percent worldwide, the researchers said. But in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, the rate rises as high as 23 percent.

The new study looked at health care usage patterns among 350 children aged 2 to 5 years. This included visits to specialists, hospital admissions, visits to the ER, and the use of diagnostic services, medical testing and drugs.

The researchers found that obese children were more likely to be admitted to a hospital for respiratory difficulties, as well as for diseases of the ear, nose, mouth and/or throat.

“Early prevention of obesity is important to improve children’s health, but there are also likely to be immediate savings in health care costs,” said Hayes.

Preventing childhood obesity also could have a long-term impact on health systems. That’s because children who are obese tend to stay obese into adulthood. And, lasting obesity can lead to serious chronic diseases, she pointed out.

“Our results are important for health care funders and policy makers because preventing obesity in the early childhood years may be a cost-effective way to tackle the obesity crisis, improve the nation’s health and reduce the economic burden of obesity,” Hayes said.

The study was published in the July 6 issue of the journal Obesity.

More information

There’s more on pediatric obesity at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Are High School Athletes at Risk From Artificial Turf?

By Randy Dotinga
HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, July 8, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Lower levels of fake soil in artificial turf — a cost-saving move — may be linked to sharply higher numbers of injuries among high school football players, new research suggests.

The findings of the industry-funded research suggest a connection but don’t definitively prove that less fake soil causes more injuries.

Still, “we’re seeing a phenomenal effect. You’re exchanging low cost for higher injuries,” said study author Michael Meyers, an associate professor with the department of sport science and physical activity at Idaho State University. “It’s an eye opener, definitely a game changer.”

Meyers recommends that schools move to prevent injuries by installing artificial turf with more fake soil, known as “infill.”

According to Meyers, modern school fields often feature artificial turf instead of grass for several reasons. For one, artificial turf doesn’t require the same level of maintenance and watering as grass. And as schools use their fields for purposes beyond athletics, artificial turf can tolerate the wear and tear better than grass, he said.

Artificial turf can be expensive, potentially costing $1 million for a field, Meyers said, but its durability can make it cost-effective.

The question: Does the thickness of the turf’s infill affect injuries? Meyers decided to explore the issue and sought funding assistance from turf makers. Only one company, FieldTurf, agreed to help support his research, he said.

Meyers focused on a measurement of infill, a combination of rubber and sand that underlies artificial turf. Infill is measured by the number of pounds of infill per square foot; more infill translates to more pounds per square foot — and a higher cost.

For the study, Meyers analyzed injuries at 52 high schools in four states over five football seasons. All the high schools had artificial turf.

The average number of injuries per season on the fields with the most infill (9 or more pounds per square foot) was 18. But that number grew to 34 on fields with infill measured at 3 to 5 pounds per square foot, the findings showed.

The study also reported higher rates of injuries from contact with the ground on fields with less infill. In general, Meyers said, these injuries occurred to players’ arms and legs.

Why might more infill translate to fewer injuries?

“It’s kind of common sense,” Meyers said. “Would you rather hit your head on a pillow or hit your head on concrete? You want a little bit of padding, some thickness.”

When there’s less infill, he said, “you have less firmness, less foundation, less room for error.”

Meyers recommends that campuses install artificial turf with at least 6 pounds per square foot of infill. If an existing field has less than that, he said, school officials should add more infill.

Sports medicine specialist Dr. Samuel Taylor is an orthopedic surgeon at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. He said the new study is important, but he cautioned that decisions about infill aren’t simple.

“Many other factors likely come into play, such as the influence of weather conditions in a given location on infill performance,” said Taylor, who’s also an associate team physician with the National Football League’s New York Giants.

Also, Taylor said, “we don’t know the impact of how often a field is used on infill performance. For example, an NFL stadium used 10 times over a season and a high school field used year-round may perform differently over time.”

The study was to be presented Friday at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine annual meeting in Colorado Springs, Colo. The findings of studies released at medical conferences are considered preliminary until they are published in a peer-reviewed journal.

More information

For more about athletic safety for kids, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Stigma Prolongs Global HIV Epidemic Among Gays

THURSDAY, July 7, 2016 (HealthDay News) — High rates of HIV among gay and bisexual men continue in many regions of the world because of discriminatory laws and lack of access to preventive services, a new study finds.

“While HIV rates have flattened overall in recent years, we’re really concerned that the HIV epidemic is continuing among gay men and we’re going in the wrong direction,” said study leader Dr. Chris Beyrer, a professor of public health and human rights at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore.

“It’s painful that the history of AIDS is looking like its future, but that’s actually where we are,” said Beyrer, who is also president of the International AIDS Society. “But the first step in taking on a problem is recognizing and articulating it, and we’ve really done that here.”

Four years ago, the same researchers laid out a plan to curb HIV epidemics in gays. Among other priorities, the plan called for policy reforms and improved HIV prevention, such as expanded access to pre-exposure medication.

For the latest study, the scientists examined medical research published between January 2007 and October 2015 to identify any improvements. But little progress has been made, they report in the July 9 issue of The Lancet.

HIV infection rates are falling among heterosexual men and women in many countries. Many people with the virus are also living long lives with the help of antiretroviral treatment. But this isn’t the case among gay men, even in middle- and high-income countries, the researchers said.

A new $100 million investment fund from the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief was set up for at-risk groups, including gay and bisexual men. Several countries also approved or initiated projects to improve access to preventive treatment among gay men, the researchers noted.

Overall, however, preventive services aren’t reaching gays who are HIV-negative and at high risk for infection, the authors found. Loss of civil liberties among the gay community in some countries, including Russia, Nigeria and Uganda, have also played a role in continued high HIV rates among gay men, they said.

In the United States, a 20-year-old gay black man has a 50 percent chance of becoming infected with HIV during his lifetime, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Insured Americans have access to effective preventive treatment, but HIV epidemics continue among gay men in low-income, southern minority communities where Medicaid coverage has not been expanded, the researchers said.

Sodomy is still a crime in many countries. And even websites providing information on HIV have been shut down in certain parts of the world.

“Stigma and discrimination continue to play a very big role in these epidemics,” Beyrer said in a Hopkins news release. “In many countries, these men are just not welcome in health clinics and the fear of discrimination stands in the way of not only treatment, but even just the testing that can go a long way toward stemming the spread of disease.”

Looking ahead, the researchers expect Mexico, Argentina and the Netherlands to expand the use of preventive HIV treatments. They also hope some countries will repeal anti-gay laws.

“The global epidemic of HIV in gay men is ongoing and efforts to address it remain insufficient,” said Beyrer. “This must change if we are ever to ever truly achieve an AIDS-free generation.”

He will oversee the International AIDS Conference, which begins July 18 in Durban, South Africa.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides more on HIV/AIDS.

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