MyDailyApple News Alert: Top Stories

Calcium, vitamin D pills don't help heart: study

2010-03-04T07:00:54Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Don't expect your calcium and vitamin D supplements to improve your heart health or prevent a stroke, according to a systematic review of published studies. (Source: Reuters: Health)

Obesity and Depression Are Linked, Say Researchers

2010-03-04T07:00:54Z

Obesity appears to be linked with an increased risk of depression, say researchers, and the link also works in the other direction.

Floriana S. Luppino and a team of researchers at Leiden University Medical Center and GGZ Rivierduinen, Leiden, the Netherlands, analyzed the results of 15 previous studies involving 58,745 participants which examined the relationship between depression and obesity over time.

"We found bidirectional associations between depression and obesity: obese persons had a 55% increased risk of developing depression over time, whereas depressed persons had a 58% increased risk of becoming obese. The association between depression and obesity was stronger than the association between depression and overweight, which reflects a dose-response gradient," said the authors.

The researches also found that the link between obesity and later depression was stronger among Americans than among Europeans and stronger for diagnosed depressive disorder compared with depression symptoms.

Although the causes for the obesity-depression link are uncertain, the authors discussed several possible theories, including the following:

Obesity is an inflammatory state and inflammation increases the risk of depression.
Obesity contributes to body dissatisfaction and low-esteem, putting the overweight individual at risk for depression.
Depression may increase weight by either interfering with the endocrine system or through antidepressant side effects.

The authors suggest that doctors treating patients with either depression or obesity should be aware of the link so that they can engage in preventative care and detect problems early.

Obesity and Depression Are Linked, Say Researchers originally appeared on About.com Depression on Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010 at 00:00:09.

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A Novel Hypomorphic PDX1 Mutation Responsible for Permanent Neonatal Diabetes With Subclinical Exocrine Deficiency

2010-03-04T07:00:54Z

OBJECTIVE

Genes responsible for monogenic forms of diabetes have proven very valuable for understanding key mechanisms involved in β-cell development and function. Genetic study of selected families is a powerful strategy to identify such genes. We studied a consanguineous family with two first cousins affected by neonatal diabetes; their four parents had a common ancestor, suggestive of a fully penetrant recessive mutation.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We performed genetic studies of the family, detailed clinical and biochemical investigations of the patients and the four parents, and biochemical and functional studies of the new mutation.

RESULTS

We found a novel mutation in the pancreatic and duodenal homeobox 1 gene ( PDX1, IPF1) in the two patients, which segregated with diabetes in the homozygous state. The mutation resulted in an E178G substitution in the PDX1 homeodomain. In contrast to other reported PDX1 mutations leading to neonatal diabetes and pancreas agenesis, homozygosity for the E178G mutation was not associated with clinical signs of exocrine pancreas insufficiency. Further, the four heterozygous parents were not diabetic and displayed normal glucose tolerance. Biochemical studies, however, revealed subclinical exocrine pancreas insufficiency in the patients and slightly reduced insulin secretion in the heterozygous parents. The E178G mutation resulted in reduced Pdx1 transactivation despite normal nuclear localization, expression level, and chromatin occupancy.

CONCLUSIONS

This study broadens the clinical spectrum of PDX1 mutations and justifies screening of this gene in neonatal diabetic patients even in the absence of exocrine pancreas manifestations.

ASPIRIN BOLUS (Acetylsalicylic Acid) Tablet [Sparhawk Laboratories, Inc.]

2010-03-04T07:00:54Z

Updated Date: Mar 3, 2010 EST

iPhone applications are a helping hand in fighting pandemics

2010-02-25T07:01:13Z

PHILADELPHIA - A tap on the HealthMap iPhone application brings up a cluster of red pins on a map, representing nearby cases of swine flu. Another tap brings up a form for ordinary Americans to add to the collection by reporting bouts they have or know about.

Fighting swine flu fatigue with clever marketing

2010-02-25T07:01:13Z

Marco Torres stood on a busy road and waved an oversized yellow arrow with an unconventional message for a street marketing campaign: "FREE TODAY: H1N1 Flu Shots for All."

Almost 1 in 5 Americans had swine flu; death rate over 11,000

2010-02-25T07:01:13Z

About 57 million Americans, or slightly more than 18 percent of the population, have contracted pandemic H1N1 influenza since April, federal public health officials said Friday. (Source: Wash Post Health)

Marketing used to push vaccine, fight swine flu 'fatigue'

2010-02-25T07:01:13Z

Health departments around the country are going to great lengths to spread the word that swine flu vaccines are in abundant supply ... (Source: USATODAY.com Health)

Depression and lack of concentration

2010-02-18T07:00:47Z

A number of clinicians think that depression goes hand in hand with cognitive difficulties such as memory problems or difficulties concentrating and paying attention, but a recent review of nearly 20 years of literature conducted by scientists from UT Southwestern Medical Center has observed that depression does not always lead to such impairments........

Yes, the internet DOES make you depressed (and I've seen it happen to far too many clever women)

2010-02-18T07:00:47Z

A recent study found that spending too long online can expose a 'dark side'.

Bill Clinton's New Heart Problems

2010-02-18T07:00:47Z

Bill Clinton was hospitalized this afternoon after experiencing chest pains. Spokespersons for Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York City, where the 63-year-old former President Clinton was admitted, said he has received two stents in one of his coronary arteries. Mr. Clinton is known to have had coronary artery disease at least since 2004, when he had bypass surgery performed to four of his coronary arteries. At that time, it was noted that he did not have heart muscle damage. Whether he has sustained any permanent heart muscle damage with this latest episode has not been reported.

So what does this latest episode indicate? It is impossible to know for sure considering the sparse details released so far, but based on the symptom of chest pain, and his doctors' very rapid insertion of stents as a result, it appears very likely that President Clinton has experienced a form of Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS).

Generally, ACS occurs when a blood clot suddenly forms within a coronary artery, usually due to the acute rupture of a plaque. ACS can lead to myocardial infarction (which causes permanent heart muscle damage), or to unstable angina. ACS always ought to be considered a medical emergency, and ought to initiate medical care aimed at accomplishing two things: 1) to limit the heart muscle damage being done acutely by the blood clot within the coronary artery, and 2) to limit the possibility that the plaque - which has now shown itself to be unstable and prone to rupture - will rupture again.

Accomplishing the first goal - limiting the damage being done by the blocked or partially-blocked artery - often involves rapid angioplasty and stenting.

So, if Mr. Clinton had ACS, as appears likely, the treatment he has received so far has been appropriately aggressive.

Read more about ACS - its causes, diagnosis, and treatment - here.

Bill Clinton's New Heart Problems originally appeared on About.com Heart Disease on Thursday, February 11th, 2010 at 17:46:00.

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Ovarian cancer vaccine: Can it prevent recurrence?

2010-02-18T07:00:47Z

Research continues to evaluate the role of an ovarian cancer vaccine to prevent recurrence.