Brain Cancer Treatment Shows Promise in Early Trial

WEDNESDAY, June 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — An experimental viral treatment may extend the lives of patients with a hard-to-treat brain cancer, researchers say.

For the phase 1 study, patients with recurrent glioblastoma, the most common and aggressive brain tumor, were injected with an engineered virus.

Survival was 13.6 months among 43 patients treated with the viral therapy, compared with 7.1 months for patients who did not receive the new therapy, according to the study.

“For the first time, this clinical data shows that this treatment, used in combination with an antifungal drug, kills cancer cells and appears to activate the immune system against them while sparing healthy cells,” said study co-leader Dr. Timothy Cloughesy. He is director of the neuro-oncology program at the University of California, Los Angeles.

“This approach also has potential in additional types of the disease, such as metastatic colorectal and breast cancers,” Cloughesy said in a university news release.

Cloughesy is also a consultant for Tocagen, the biopharmaceutical company that developed the therapy and funded most of the study.

Some patients who received the experimental treatment lived more than two years with few side effects, the researchers reported.

“Brain cancer is a deadly disease, and when it returns there are extremely few treatment options, and survival is usually measured in months,” said study co-lead author Dr. Michael Vogelbaum, associate director of the brain tumor neuro-oncology center at the Cleveland Clinic.

Here’s how the treatment works: Injectable Toca 511 infects actively dividing cancer cells and delivers a gene for an enzyme called cytosine deaminase to the cancer cells. Inside the tumor, Toca 511 programs the cancer cells to make cytosine deaminase to set them up for the second step of the treatment.

In that next phase, the patient takes the antifungal drug Toca FC. The genetic changes triggered by Toca 511 cause the cancer cells to convert Toca FC into the anticancer drug 5-fluorouracil (5-FU).

This leads to the targeted death of infected cancer cells and cells that help tumors hide from the immune system, while leaving healthy cells unharmed, the researchers explained.

These are the first published clinical trial results of this new type of modified virus known as a retroviral replicating vector (RRV), according to the news release.

The purpose of a phase 1 study is to assess safety and tolerability. Three phases are usually required for a medication to receive U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval.

“The collective results from this virus study, include encouraging survival and excellent safety data, support the ongoing randomized phase 2/3 trial called Toca 5, and offer hope for a new treatment option for patients with brain cancer,” Vogelbaum said.

The study results were published June 1 in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

More information

The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about brain tumors.

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Severe Obesity May Boost Infection Risk After Heart Surgery

WEDNESDAY, June 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Severely obese people may have a higher risk of certain complications after heart bypass surgery than normal-weight patients, a new study suggests.

The researchers found that severe obesity was linked to much higher odds of developing an infection soon after heart bypass surgery. And severely obese patients were also more likely to have longer hospital stays than normal-weight patients.

For the study, the investigators reviewed data from more than 7,500 Canadians who had coronary artery bypass surgery between 2003 and 2014. This surgery redirects blood flow to the heart around clogged arteries.

People with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more were considered severely obese. BMI is a rough estimate of a person’s body fat based on height and weight. A BMI between 35 and 39.9 is considered severe obesity, while 30 to 34.9 is obesity. A normal BMI is 18.5 to 24.9, the study authors said.

For perspective, a normal weight for a 5 foot 4 inch woman ranges from 110 to 145 pounds. That same woman would be considered overweight at 146 to 174 pounds. Obesity would be defined as any weight over 174, but severe obesity would begin at about 233 pounds, the researchers explained.

Severely obese patients had triple the risk of infection after bypass surgery compared to people of normal weight. The severely obese also spent a median of one day more in the hospital. And among severely obese patients, those with diabetes who developed an infection had hospital stays that were more than three times longer than for patients without either health condition, the study findings showed.

In addition, severely obese patients were 56 percent more likely to have complications within a month of surgery. The risk of complications was 35 percent higher among moderately obese patients, the study authors said.

The study was published June 1 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

“Based on the results of this study, it appears that addressing infection risk might be an effective strategy to decrease the length-of-stay for patients with obesity who undergo coronary artery bypass surgery,” senior study author Mary Forhan said in a journal news release. She is an assistant professor in the department of occupational therapy, faculty of rehabilitation medicine at University of Alberta in Edmonton.

It’s not clear why severely obese patients are more likely to develop infections, the study authors noted. And the study didn’t prove a cause-and-effect relationship.

“We need further study that includes ways of preventing infection using evidence-based methods, and determining if such methods meet the needs of coronary artery bypass patients with moderate to severe obesity,” Forhan said.

Each year, nearly 400,000 people in the United States undergo coronary artery bypass. About seven in 10 adults aged 20 or older are overweight or obese, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.

More information

The American Heart Association has more on coronary artery bypass surgery.

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Exploring the Link Between Estrogen and Migraines

WEDNESDAY, June 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Researchers are getting a better understanding of the link between estrogen levels and migraine headaches in women.

A new study finds that for women who get these intense headaches, levels of the hormone estrogen drop more rapidly in the days before menstruation than in women without the headaches.

“These results suggest that a ‘two-hit’ process may link estrogen withdrawal to menstrual migraine,” said study author Dr. Jelena Pavlovic, of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center in New York City. “More rapid estrogen decline may make women vulnerable to common triggers for migraine attacks such as stress, lack of sleep, foods and wine.”

Researchers looked at urine samples of 114 women with migraines and 223 women without migraines, average age 47. Estrogen levels among those with migraines dropped 40 percent in the days just before menstruation, compared to 30 percent for those without migraines, the study found.

No similar patterns were seen with other types of hormones, according to the study.

The results were published online June 1 in the journal Neurology.

“Future studies should focus on the relationship between headaches and daily hormone changes and explore the possible underpinnings of these results,” Pavlovic added in a journal news release.

About 12 percent of Americans get migraines, and they’re three times more common in women than men, according to the American Migraine Foundation. Besides headaches, migraine attacks can include nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to lights, sound and smells.

More information

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

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How Amy Schumer Is Like a Greek Goddess

Photo: Getty Images

When we think of powerful female role models, Amy Schumer is high up on the list of celebs that come to mind. After she’s been repeatedly shamed for her size, Schumer continues to come out on top by clapping back at condescending salespeople, calling out trolls, and even a major magazine for labeling her “plus size.”

Now one fan’s viral Instagram post is helping spread the comedian’s call for body acceptance.

Earlier this week a college student posted a photo of a statue of Aphrodite alongside Schumer’s topless portrait from the 2016 Pirelli calendar, and pointed out the “wonderful resemblance between two beautiful women.”

“So many women and young girls are shamed by the media and fashion industry for not having a flat stomach and not being a size zero,” @whitneyzombie wrote in the caption. “But look, the goddess of beauty is portrayed here with stomach rolls and doesn’t have a perfectly smooth, toned body.”

RELATED: Anna Victoria Shows Even Fitness Models Have Stomach Rolls

She goes on to encourage women to embrace their unique shape: “I want to remind everyone that they do not have to be a Victoria’s Secret model to be a beautiful goddess with a beautiful body.”

Schumer shared @whitneyzombie’s sentiment with the caption, “So cool!”

We couldn’t agree more. With this clever juxtaposition, @whitneyzombie managed to convey a message louder than the trolls: There’s no such thing as universal beauty.

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More Americans Engaging in Same-Sex Encounters

By Alan Mozes
HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, June 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The number of Americans who say they’ve had sexual activity with someone of the same gender has doubled since the 1970s, a new survey reveals.

And, during the past 40 years, the number of Americans who say they have no problem with same-sex sexual activity has more than quadrupled, the survey showed.

“This data showed strikingly how quickly opinions on same-sex sexuality changed,” said study lead author Jean Twenge, a professor of psychology at San Diego State University.

The trend, she added, “suggests a fundamental shift in sexual behavior toward more freedom and the abandonment of previously strict social rules against same-sex sexuality.”

The findings come from the National Opinion Research Center’s General Social Survey, spanning 1973 to 2014. Participants were between 18 and 96 years old.

More than 34,000 men and women answered questions about their attitudes on same-sex sexual relations. And, 28,000 shared details about their own sexual experiences, according to the survey.

In 1973, acceptance of same-sex sexual relations was just over 10 percent. By 2014, almost 50 percent said they were OK with same-sex sexual activity. The biggest jumps in acceptance occurred after 1990, the survey found.

The trend toward acceptance was even more dramatic among younger Americans. In 1990, only 15 percent of people aged 18 to 29 said same-sex relations were “not wrong at all.” By 2014, 63 percent of that age group had no issue with same-sex relations, the findings showed.

What’s more, about 8 percent of men and 9 percent of women now say they’ve had at least one same-sex sexual experience. That’s up from just 4.5 percent of men and 4 percent of women back in 1973.

The results likely indicate that “more same-sex sexual activity truly is occurring than in previous decades,” Twenge said.

“However, we cannot rule out the explanation that people are more willing to admit to such activity,” she added. “But, even if so, that would still suggest a cultural shift, though in willingness to admit to same-sex behavior rather than the behavior itself.”

Twenge said that shift in attitudes should be seen as part of a larger ongoing cultural shift. Strict adherence to social norms is gradually giving way to a less restrictive embrace of individual freedoms and expression.

“The fundamental cultural shift toward individualism is more likely to be the cause of the shift (on same sex issues) than any one event or even a few events,” she said. “Especially given that the changes happened over several decades rather than happening all at once in a year or two.”

Psychiatrist Dr. Jack Drescher said the survey findings “are not entirely surprising.” He’s a clinical professor of psychiatry at New York Medical College in Valhalla, N.Y.

“It was in the 1990s that the U.S. began its first open national policy discussions about homosexuality, centered around the issues of gays in the military and marriage equality,” he said. “It was inevitable that open discussions would reveal many of the irrational prejudices about homosexuality that were normally spoken in private.”

And, Drescher added, “with increasing conversation came increasing acceptance.”

But Ilan Meyer noted that the survey trends show that “homosexuality is still stigmatized by a large proportion of Americans.” The survey showed roughly half of Americans said they don’t accept same-sex relations.

Meyer is a senior scholar for public policy at the Williams Institute for Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy at the UCLA School of Law in Los Angeles.

He also said the changing trends don’t reflect an actual jump in the number of people who identify as gay or lesbian.

Most of the increase in same-sex experience seemed to involve bisexual interactions with both male and female partners, Meyer said. And even that activity, he added, may be chalked up to an experimental phase of youth, rather than as a predictor of life-long exclusive same-sex relations.

Still, Meyer said the findings were “remarkable” and “real.” He suggested they are, at least in part, reflective of a growing liberalization of attitudes and shifts in the cultural status quo.

The study was published online June 1 in the Archives of Sexual Behavior.

More information

There’s more on global attitudes towards same-sex relations at the Pew Research Center.

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ADHD Meds May Pose Heart Risks for Some Kids

By Dennis Thompson
HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, June 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Ritalin, a popular drug for treating attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), might increase the risk of an abnormal heart rhythm shortly after a young person starts taking it, a new study suggests.

Children and teens who were prescribed methylphenidate — sold under the brand names Ritalin, Daytrana and Concerta — had a 61 percent increased risk of arrhythmias during the first two months of use, according to the analysis of South Korean patients.

But most children on the medication should not experience heart problems, stressed senior study author Nicole Pratt, a senior research fellow at the Quality Use of Medicines and Pharmacy Research Center at the University of South Australia.

“In the average child, the risk of serious cardiovascular events is extremely small [three per 100,000 per year], and any absolute excess risk associated with methylphenidate is also likely to be small,” Pratt said.

Also, the study did not prove that the medication causes an irregular heartbeat.

However, doctors should take these findings into account when putting a child on methylphenidate, Pratt added.

Kids with existing congenital heart disease are most affected by the drug, with a more than threefold increased risk of heart rhythm problems, the study found.

“Children on these medicines should have [their] blood pressure and heart rate monitored to help mitigate potential risk,” Pratt said. “Health professionals also need to consider the risk/benefit balance in children with prior history of heart disease or children on medicines that can affect [heart rhythm], particularly where symptoms of ADHD are mild.”

Ritalin stimulates the central nervous system, the researchers said in background notes.

Concerns have been raised that stimulants like methylphenidate can affect heart health, the study authors said.

And other stimulants have been shown to affect heart rate and heart rhythm, said Dr. Kabir Bhasin, director of clinical education for cardiac electrophysiology at Lenox Hill Hospital, in New York City .

“We tell cardiac patients to avoid things like caffeine,” Bhasin said. “Clearly, methylphenidate is a stronger stimulant than caffeine, but it’s the same guiding principle.”

Two previous large-scale U.S. studies have shown “very subtle signals that these drugs may have some degree of cardiovascular toxicity,” Bhasin added.

The study findings were published May 31 in the BMJ.

About half of U.S. children diagnosed with ADHD in 2011 — some 3.5 million kids — received a stimulant drug (typically methylphenidate) for treatment, Harvard epidemiologist John Jackson wrote in an accompanying editorial in the journal.

Pratt and her colleagues examined the possible harmful effects of methylphenidate using South Korea National Health Insurance Database data regarding more than 114,600 kids aged 17 or younger who were recently prescribed the ADHD drug.

Among those children, 1,224 cardiac events had occurred between 2008 and 2011 — heart rhythm problems, high blood pressure, heart attacks, stroke and heart failure.

They found that children were most vulnerable within their first two months on methylphenidate.

The risk was highest within the first three days of treatment, about doubled compared to periods when the kids weren’t taking methylphenidate.

The researchers found no significant increased risk of heart attack in these kids, and no increased risk at all for high blood pressure, stroke or heart failure.

“I’ve always said to parents that you have to weigh the pros and cons, based on the severity of their disease,” Bhasin said. “If someone has very severe ADHD and this is really the only treatment option, you have to take that into account. But we’ve known for a while that this drug is not as effective as initially thought, so whenever possible I always tell them to reserve it as a last option.”

Despite the findings, Pratt said parents should not just take their children off this drug. Doctors gradually wean patients off methylphenidate, since suddenly discontinuing its use can cause a severe depression, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

“Parents should not stop the medicine, but discuss this study and their concerns with their doctor or pediatrician,” Pratt said. “Children should be closely monitored for any signs or symptoms of cardiac effects.”

More information

Visit the U.S. National Institutes of Health for more on ADHD medications.

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Genes Might Help Shield Some Black Men From Obesity

By Alan Mozes
HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, June 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Though the obesity epidemic affects people of all backgrounds, experts have long noted that black women face a notably higher risk of being overweight or obese than black men.

Now, a new study has identified genetic factors in black men with a strong West African ancestry that are associated with a lower risk of belly fat. But this apparent benefit doesn’t extend to black women, regardless of their lineage.

“This finding is not entirely novel,” said study lead author Yann Klimentidis, an assistant professor with the department of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Arizona.

“There is some previously existing evidence that individuals of West African descent tend to have lower levels of visceral, or belly, fat,” he said.

“However, our finding is novel in showing that this protective effect appears to be limited to men,” Klimentidis added, “and thus potentially explaining why there is such a large gender disparity in obesity rates among African-Americans.”

More than eight in 10 black American women are either overweight or obese, a U.S. survey found. About three-quarters of Hispanic women are overweight or obese. And, 65 percent of white women face similar weight concerns, the survey showed.

Slightly less than 70 percent of black men in the United States are either overweight or obese, the survey noted. In white men, that figure is 73 percent. And about 78 percent of Hispanic men are overweight or obese, the survey said.

Being overweight or obese is a known risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes, the American Diabetes Association says. Black American women are more likely to have type 2 diabetes than white American women. But type 2 diabetes is more prevalent among white American men than black American men, the study authors said.

The researchers wanted to learn if genetics might explain these differences. So, the study team looked at genetic data collected by the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Samples were collected from nearly 4,500 black men and women. The study volunteers were between 45 and 85 years old.

The researchers looked for evidence of West African or European ancestry.

The study also included hip and waist measurements, a standard way to assess excess belly fat. The researchers compared genetic factors to these measurements.

Although the investigators found that black men with a “high degree” of West African ancestry were less likely to carry excess belly fat, it’s not clear which specific genes might offer black men some obesity protection. It’s also not clear how such a genetic background might interact with lifestyle habits, such as diet and exercise, to lessen obesity risk. Or, when those genetic factors are missing, how lifestyle might boost obesity risk.

“There are many different risk factors for obesity,” stressed Klimentidis, “so it’s difficult to say what percentage of men benefit. But in general, our findings suggest that men with greater West African ancestry are those most likely to be protected from obesity or belly fat.

“We still need to identify the specific genes that protect African-American men,” Klimentidis added, “and also better understand why women do not benefit in the same way.”

The study was published June 1 in Frontiers in Genetics.

Ruth Loos, an expert on the genetics of obesity, called the new findings “intriguing,” but unsurprising.

“People’s genetic ancestry — such as African, European, Asian — determines, in part, what they look like. It also contributes to some populations’ increased risk of developing certain diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, it’s not unlikely that people’s ancestry will also make them more susceptible to weight gain,” said Loos, who wasn’t part of the study. She’s the director of the Genetics of Obesity and Related Metabolic Traits Program at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, in New York City.

Still, Loos said that future research will need to reconfirm the findings. New research should also attempt to figure out why certain genes end up keeping weight down among black men but not black women, she added.

More information

There’s more information on racial disparities and obesity at The State of Obesity Report.

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I’ll Take the One in the White Coat

WEDNESDAY, June 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Sometimes, perceptions can make for good medicine, a new study suggests.

A survey of 255 patients found most people prefer their dermatologists to wear a white coat, and what their doctor wears may affect results.

The patients were shown photos of dermatologists wearing either a suit, a white coat (professional attire), surgical scrubs or casual clothing, and asked which they favored.

A white coat was the most preferred (73 percent), followed by surgical scrubs (19 percent), a suit (6 percent) and casual clothing (2 percent).

“In this study, most patients preferred professional attire for their dermatologists in most settings,” wrote Dr. Robert Kirsner, of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and coauthors.

“It is possible that patients’ perceptions of their physicians’ knowledge and skill is influenced by the physicians’ appearance, and these perceptions may affect outcomes,” the study authors concluded.

The study was published online June 1 in the journal JAMA Dermatology.

More information

The American Academy of Family Physicians offers advice on choosing a doctor.

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Long-Term Pot Use Tied to Gum Disease in Study

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, June 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Smoking marijuana for decades may result in gum disease and potential tooth loss, a new study indicates.

In an analysis of about 1,000 people who used pot and/or tobacco in New Zealand, those who smoked pot for 20 years didn’t have notable health problems, except for gum disease, the researchers said.

“Unlike tobacco smoking, cannabis smoking is associated with few physical health problems in midlife, with the exception of periodontal disease,” said lead researcher Madeline Meier, an assistant professor of psychology at Arizona State University.

Besides gum health, the researchers assessed lung function, risk factors for heart disease and diabetes, and systemic inflammation, which could indicate a severe response to trauma or infection.

The study can’t prove that pot causes gum, or periodontal, disease. Still, “physicians should convey to patients that their cannabis use puts them at risk for tooth loss,” Meier said.

Meier can’t say why pot seems to be associated with poor dental health. “Our analyses show that this association was not explained by tobacco smoking, alcohol abuse or less tooth brushing and flossing,” she said.

However, Meier isn’t saying that marijuana doesn’t have negative consequences.

“We don’t want people to think, ‘Hey, marijuana can’t hurt me,’ because research based on this same sample of New Zealanders has shown that marijuana use is associated with increased risk of psychotic illness, IQ decline, and downward socioeconomic mobility,” she said.

In addition, the researchers didn’t follow the participants long enough to see whether pot increased the risk for diseases that develop later in life, such as heart disease and cancer, Meier said.

Study co-author Avshalom Caspi added that while the drug might not be all bad, long-term use can have some harmful effects.

“What we’re seeing is that cannabis may be harmful in some respects, but possibly not in every way,” said Caspi, a professor of psychology at Duke University, in Durham, N.C. “We need to recognize that heavy recreational cannabis use does have some adverse consequences, but overall damage to physical health is not apparent in this study.”

The study participants were born in New Zealand in 1972 and 1973 and followed to age 38. The researchers looked at whether marijuana use from ages 18 to 38 was tied to health problems at 38. Nearly 700 of the more than 1,000 participants said they had used marijuana.

Use of tobacco, but not marijuana, was associated with signs of declining health, the researchers said. The lack of physical health problems among pot users was not because they were in better health to begin with or living healthier lifestyles, the researchers said.

An advocate of marijuana use said the study results bolster arguments in favor of legalized marijuana in the United States.

“These findings affirm what cannabis law reformers have known for some time: that the use of cannabis, even long term, poses far less risks to health than do tobacco, and therefore it ought to be legalized and regulated accordingly,” said Paul Armentano, deputy director of NORML, which advocates for the legalization of marijuana.

The association between long-term marijuana use and gum disease is likely caused by dry mouth, which is common among marijuana smokers, he said.

“These conclusions belie the myth that cannabis’ potential dangers to the health of adults warrant its [U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration] Schedule 1 prohibited status under federal law,” Armentano said. This classification contends that “marijuana’s risks are on par with those of heroin and that the plant lacks any accepted therapeutic value,” he added.

The report was published online June 1 in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.

More information

For more on marijuana, visit the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse.

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FDA Calls for Less Salt in Processed Foods

WEDNESDAY, June 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration wants the food industry to cut back on the salt.

In draft voluntary guidelines issued Wednesday, the agency set both two-year and 10-year goals for lower sodium content in hundreds of processed and prepared foods. The aim is to reduce the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke among Americans, according to the FDA.

“Many Americans want to reduce sodium in their diets, but that’s hard to do when much of it is in everyday products we buy in stores and restaurants,” Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell said in an FDA statement.

“Today’s announcement is about putting power back in the hands of consumers, so that they can better control how much salt is in the food they eat and improve their health,” she added.

Americans’ average salt intake is about 3,400 milligrams (mg) a day, which is nearly 50 percent more than what experts recommend. High salt intake increases the risk of high blood pressure (“hypertension”), heart disease and stroke.

The voluntary targets are meant to reduce Americans’ daily salt intake to 3,000 mg in two years and 2,300 mg in the next decade, according to the FDA. The guidelines cover a wide swath of foods, from bread to cold cuts, cereals and snacks.

Some studies have estimated that lowering salt intake by about 40 percent over the next decade could save 500,000 lives and nearly $100 billion in health care costs in the United States.

“The totality of the scientific evidence supports sodium reduction from current intake levels,” said Susan Mayne, director of the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.

“Experts at the Institute of Medicine have concluded that reducing sodium intake to 2,300 mg per day can significantly help Americans reduce their blood pressure, and ultimately prevent hundreds of thousands of premature illnesses and deaths,” Mayne said.

“Because the majority of sodium in our diets comes from processed and prepared foods, consumers are challenged in lowering their sodium intake themselves,” Mayne added.

The draft guidelines, which are open for public comment ranging from 90 days to 150 days, were welcomed by American Heart Association CEO Nancy Brown.

“The American Heart Association strongly supports the draft voluntary sodium targets released today by the FDA, and we call upon the agency to finalize them as soon as possible,” Brown said in a statement.

“These new targets will spark a vital, healthy change in our food supply, a change consumers say they want. These voluntary targets can have a significant impact on the nation’s health,” she added.

“Lowering sodium levels in the food supply could eliminate about 1.5 million cases of uncontrolled hypertension and save billions of dollars in health care costs over the next decade,” Brown suggested.

More information

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration outlines how to reduce salt in your diet.

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