New Link Between Mom-to-Be's Diet, Child's ADHD
https://ift.tt/2HMkUkr FRIDAY, March 29, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Eating for two takes on added significance with a new study suggesting that a mother's diet during pregnancy could affect her child's risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Spanish researchers found a link between levels of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids in umbilical cord blood and ADHD at age 7. The fatty acids play an important role in the structure and function of the central nervous system, particularly during later stages of pregnancy, the researchers explained. Their study included 600 children from four regions in Spain. To assess ADHD symptoms, teachers completed questionnaires when the children were 4 years old and parents did so three years later. Researchers also analyzed samples of umbilical cord blood plasma from participants. At age 7, the number of ADHD symptoms rose 13 percent for each unit of increase in the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3. The researchers said a balance between the two fatty acids is important, because they have opposing functions. Omega-6 promotes inflammation; omega-3 is an anti-inflammatory. Omega-6 is found in certain vegetable and plant oils, seeds and nuts, while omega-3 is generally found in fish and fish oil, according to the Mayo Clinic. While the ratio was associated with the number of ADHD symptoms, this was only at age 7 and it was not linked to an ADHD diagnosis, according to the study. Also, only an association and not a cause-and-effect link was seen. "Our findings are in line with previous studies that established a relationship between the omega-6/omega-3 ratio in mothers and various early neurodevelopmental outcomes," said lead author Monica Lopez-Vicente. She's a researcher at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal). "Although the association was not clinically significant, our findings are important at the level of the population as a whole," Lopez-Vicente noted in an institute news release. Study co-author Jordi Julvez, also from ISGlobal, said the study adds to a growing body of research about the importance of maternal diet during pregnancy. "The nutrient supply during the earliest stages of life is essential in that it programs the structure and function of the organs, and this programming, in turn, has an impact on health at every stage of life," Julvez said. "As the brain takes a long time to develop, it is particularly vulnerable to misprogramming. Alterations of this sort could therefore lead to neurodevelopmental disorders," he explained. The study was published March 28 in the Journal of Pediatrics. Health via WebMD Health https://www.webmd.com/ March 29, 2019 at 02:32PM
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Vegan Condoms: Because Contraceptives Can Also Be Animal-Free
https://ift.tt/2FIbiF6 If you're vegan or allergic to dairy, you're probably familiar with animal-free products whether that's makeup, snacks, or face creams. Many people I've talked to, some vegans themselves, didn't know that vegan condoms existed, let alone that condoms may not be vegan in the first place. Lambskin condoms, as the name suggests, are made from lamb intestinal membrane. And, as it turns out, latex condoms are commonly processed with the milk protein casein. Let's learn some more! Are Vegan Condoms Effective?Tristan Bickman, a board-certified ob-gyn affiliated with St. John's Health Center and UCLA Medical Center, told POPSUGAR that lambskin condoms are not as effective in preventing transmission of STIs as other nonvegan or vegan condoms because of the "porous material." They're actually not recommended by the CDC because, according to the agency, they can help prevent pregnancy but may not effectively provide protection against STIs, including HIV; instead, the CDC recommends using latex or polyurethane condoms. Dr. Bickman said that vegan, like nonvegan, condoms have a two percent failure rate if used perfectly. In other words, they are 98 percent effective in pregnancy prevention, she explained. (Note: again, that's if they're used perfectly every time. The CDC states that, realistically, the failure rate of male condoms as a contraceptive is 13 percent.) "The casein protein in the latex of nonvegan condoms makes them softer and more pliable than vegan condoms," Dr. Bickman said. But that's not to say vegan condoms aren't lubricated (they are!). Some vegan brands are also free of nitrosamines, chemical compounds found to be carcinogenic (aka, potentially causing cancer) that can form during the production of latex. In this case, these condoms are safer for a woman's vagina and body in general, Dr. Bickman added. It's important to note, though, that studies have found a low risk of developing tumors from nitrosamines in condoms. Vegan Condom BrandsLOLA, an organic period and sexual health brand, sells vegan condoms that are 100 percent locally sourced. When Alex Friedman and her fellow cofounder Jordana Kier were developing their Sex by LOLA line, they wanted to design a product with "women's needs and bodies in mind," Alex told POPSUGAR. Their condoms are not only vegan but free of parabens and synthetic colorants and flavors as well. Dr. Bickman recommended vegan condom brands Glyde and Sustain. Ahead, check out these brands and others on the market. And, an added bonus: we've included one brand that's also latex-free. All are manufactured according to FDA or other global government health agency standards. Note: Popular vegan condom brands Durex and Sir Richard's appear to be out of stock on trusted retail websites. You can check out PETA's database for more animal-friendly companies. Health via POPSUGAR Fitness https://ift.tt/2mWxwLI March 29, 2019 at 01:39PM
More Americans Now Think Vaping Is Harmful
https://ift.tt/2FIXvOC FRIDAY, March 29, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Amid growing concern about the safety of e-cigarettes, more American adults now believe vaping is just as dangerous as smoking cigarettes. Between 2012 and 2017, the number of people who considered e-cigarettes less harmful than tobacco cigarettes dropped significantly, according to an analysis of two surveys. In one, the percentage fell 16 points -- from 51 to 35 percent. In the other, the difference was smaller but still significant, dropping from 39 percent to 34 percent over the period. These changes in attitude, "may deter some adult smokers from switching to e-cigarettes," said lead researcher Jidong Huang. He's associate professor of health management and policy at Georgia State University in Atlanta. The study findings were published online March 29 in JAMA Network Open. Stanton Glantz, director of the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education at the University of California, San Francisco, said public perception is moving in the right direction. "The more we learn about e-cigarettes, the more dangerous they look," Glantz said. He noted that research has linked vaping with increased risk for heart attacks, strokes, respiratory disease and, possibly, cancer. The belief that e-cigarettes are safer is looking less true every day, said Glantz, who wrote an editorial that accompanied the study. "The fact that the public is perceiving that e-cigarettes are more dangerous over time is, in fact, an accurate perception," he said. "The idea that e-cigarettes are harmless is fading away, which is a good thing." Over the study period, the percentage of American adults who viewed e-cigarettes as harmful rose, Huang's team found. In 2012, 46 percent of respondents to the Health Information National Trends Surveys said e-cigarettes were as harmful as regular cigarettes, and that number rose to 56 percent in 2017. Over the same period, the number who considered e-cigarettes more harmful than regular cigarettes jumped from 3 percent to 10 percent. Results were similar among participants in the Tobacco Products and Risk Perceptions Surveys. The percentage who considered e-cigarettes as bad as regular cigarettes rose from 12 percent in 2012 to 36 percent in 2017, and those who considered them more harmful rose from 1 percent to 4 percent. Health via WebMD Health https://www.webmd.com/ March 29, 2019 at 01:28PM
"Therapy Is Everything": Simone Biles Opens Up About Her Experience With Depression
https://ift.tt/2U4C7fC Simone Biles is arguably the greatest female gymnast the world has ever seen. In the past year, she's opened up about her anxiety and her journey coming to terms with being one of the 150-plus women who accused former USA Gymnastics and Michigan State doctor Larry Nassar of sexual abuse. Now, in Priyanka Chopra's new YouTube Originals special If I Could Tell You Just One Thing, the Olympic and four-time all around World Gymnastics Champion speaks out about her experience with depression. Priyanka interviews Simone first in this special that debuted on March 27 (Priyanka also speaks to entertainer Awkwafina and designer Diane Von Furstenberg). Simone said that, when it comes to handling the immense amount of pressure put on her, therapy is her main coping mechanism. "Even at the Olympics, people wanted me to win six golds," she told Priyanka (for the record, she won four gold medals and one bronze at Rio 2016 and made US history by doing so). The pressure to be perfect was and still is a lot to handle, Simone said, but "therapy is everything." "I feel like nowadays, if you say you're going to therapy, nobody questions it anymore," Simone continued, adding that even though society used to be a lot less accepting of it, therapy "needs to be more normalized." She told Priyanka, "I'm still going through things in everyday life that I still need to go to therapy for," explaining that "it all comes back to my childhood and everything that's happened to me being sexually abused." Simone said at first she denied having gone through the abuse and "buried it" instead. "I was very depressed, I never left my room, I was sleeping all the time. I told one of my lawyers, 'I sleep all the time because it's the closest thing to death,'" she revealed. After friends of Simone came out with their own allegations against the ex-doctor, she went to her parents and, eventually, the public. "I feel like I'm a stronger woman today, and I feel like telling my story has helped younger girls." Watch the full inspiring special above; Simone's interview starts around the four-minute mark. Health via POPSUGAR Fitness https://ift.tt/2mWxwLI March 29, 2019 at 12:59PM
Special Bag Helps People Get Rid of Unused Opioids
https://ift.tt/2FI4jvS FRIDAY, March 29, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- After undergoing surgery, many people who are prescribed opioid painkillers have no idea how to dispose of leftover pills so they won't be misused by others or harm the environment. Giving special disposal bags to these patients more than doubled the percentage of people who safely disposed of their unused painkillers, according to researchers. The new study included 208 patients who were prescribed opioids (such as OxyContin) when they left the hospital after surgery. Of those, 63 received no formal information about disposal of leftover pills ("usual care"); 75 got an educational brochure outlining the importance of proper disposal of pills; and 70 received special disposal bags called Deterra bags. The bags contain activated charcoal that binds to prescription drugs when water is added, making them unusable. Once in a landfill, the bags break down and prevent the drugs from leaching into the environment. The bags cost about $7 each for individual buyers, but the research team bought them in bulk at a wholesale price for the study. The researchers then followed up with the patients six weeks after they left the hospital. The investigators found that about 28 percent of those in the usual care group had disposed of their leftover opioids. The methods of disposal included: throwing the painkillers in the garbage; flushing them down the toilet; or taking them to a law enforcement agency or other approved location. Among those patients who received an educational brochure, 33 percent said they had disposed of leftover pills. People in this group who put their leftover pills in the trash were more likely to say they first mixed the painkillers with unpalatable substances to prevent others from abusing the drugs. Among those given Deterra bags, 57 percent said they'd disposed of their leftovers, mostly by using the bag. Only one in 10 said they put their unaltered pills in the garbage or toilet, the findings showed. "We need everyday disposal options that address patients' needs and break down common barriers for safe disposal," said study leader Dr. Chad Brummett. He is director of pain research at Michigan Medicine, the University of Michigan's academic medical center. Brummett said some patients may be uneasy about taking unneeded medications to law enforcement offices or take-back drives, and doing so may be inconvenient. The researchers said the fact that more than 40 percent of patients with disposal bags still had their leftover opioids four to six weeks after surgery highlights the need for continued attention to proper medication disposal. The findings are outlined in a research letter published online March 27 in JAMA Surgery. Health via WebMD Health https://www.webmd.com/ March 29, 2019 at 12:52PM
Traumatic Event Can Stick for Kids, Lead to PTSD
https://ift.tt/2TDFm8Q THURSDAY, March 28, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- The risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among children and teens is higher if they think their response to a traumatic event is abnormal, a new study indicates. Most kids fully recover after a traumatic event, such as a car accident. But some develop PTSD that may endure for months, years or even into adulthood, according to researchers at the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom. "Symptoms of PTSD can be a common reaction to trauma in children and teenagers. These can include distressing symptoms like intrusive memories, nightmares and flashbacks. Health professionals steer away from diagnosing it in the first month after a trauma because, rather than being a disorder, it's a completely normal response," said lead researcher Richard Meiser-Stedman, a medical school professor. "We wanted to find out more about why some children have significant traumatic stress symptoms in the days and weeks after a trauma and while others do not, and importantly -- why some recover well without treatment, while others go on to experience more persistent problems," Meiser-Stedman explained. The study included more than 200 children, aged 8 to 17, treated at a hospital emergency department after traumatic incidents, such as car crashes, assaults and dog attacks. The children were interviewed and assessed for PTSD between two and four weeks after the incident, and again after two months. "We found that PTSD symptoms are fairly common early on -- for example, between two and four weeks following a trauma. These initial reactions are driven by high levels of fear and confusion during the trauma," Meiser-Stedman said. Most of the patients recovered naturally without any intervention, the investigators found. "Interestingly, the severity of physical injuries did not predict PTSD, nor did other life stressors, the amount of social support they could rely on, or self-blame," Meiser-Stedman said in a university news release. "The young people who didn't recover well, and who were heading down a chronic PTSD track two months after their trauma, were much more likely to be thinking negatively about their trauma and their reactions," he explained. Health via WebMD Health https://www.webmd.com/ March 28, 2019 at 04:39PM
2-Way HIV Positive Kidney Transplant Reported
https://ift.tt/2HYopUi By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter THURSDAY, March 28, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Surgeons in Baltimore have performed the world's first kidney transplant in which both the living donor and the recipient are HIV-positive. The success of the operation could potentially make organs more widely available to patients infected with the AIDS virus. A 35-year-old Atlanta woman who contracted HIV as a newborn offered one of her kidneys to an HIV-positive stranger, and doctors at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine performed the procedure on Monday. Nina Martinez initially had wanted to donate her kidney to a friend, but the friend passed away last fall, hospital officials said. Nevertheless, she decided that she still wanted to make the donation, partially to help clear away some of the stigma surrounding people with HIV/AIDS. "For me, it was an opportunity to be the same as anybody else," Martinez said during a media briefing Thursday. "I really wanted to do something to jolt people's perceptions. Usually when society thinks of people with HIV, they think of people who look like they have HIV, they think of people from the 1980s." "Somebody was waiting for a kidney who needed that kidney, and even though my kidney has HIV, this kidney saved their lives," she added. Martinez contracted HIV through a blood transfusion when she was just 6 weeks old, Johns Hopkins said. Doctors diagnosed her with the virus in the early 1990s. Johns Hopkins surgeon Dr. Dorry Segev hailed the procedure as "unbelievably exciting" for HIV patients whose kidneys are in danger of shutting down. "We saw there were people on the transplant list who had HIV who were dying, and at the same time we were unable to use organs from donors who had HIV," Segev explained during the media briefing. That's because U.S. doctors were prevented by law until six years ago from using organs harvested from HIV-positive donors, even if they would be used to save the lives of HIV-positive patients. The HIV Organ Policy Equity (HOPE) Act of 2013 lifted the 25-year-old ban and gave the Johns Hopkins surgeons the legal authority to perform Monday's transplant, which also was greenlit by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), the group that oversees the U.S. transplant system. ContinuedApproximately 113,000 people are on a waiting list for an organ, according to UNOS statistics. Nearly three of every five transplants involve a kidney. In a statement, Segev estimated that between 500 and 600 HIV-positive people who wanted to be organ donors will die each year. Their organs could have saved more than 1,000 people if the medical community used the organs for transplant. There already have been very positive outcomes when HIV-positive patients received HIV-negative organs, Johns Hopkins noted. In addition, South Africa has established a successful track record of HIV-positive to HIV-positive kidney transplants using organs from deceased donors. "Organ transplantation is critical for patients with HIV, who die on the waiting list even faster than their HIV-negative counterparts," Segev said in a statement. "We are very thankful to Congress, the president and the entire transplant community for letting us use organs from HIV-positive patients to save lives instead of throwing them away, as we had to do for so many years." Over the past few years, the United States has started to transplant organs from deceased HIV-positive donors, as part of a research study, according to UNOS. Since 2016, 116 kidney and liver transplants from deceased donors have been performed, the AP reported. Doctors have been concerned about taking kidneys from living donors with HIV, fearing that the person's generosity might backfire if their remaining kidney suffered damage either from the virus or the medications that keep HIV at bay. "The medical side of a living donor transplant is we want to make sure that the donor remains healthy for the rest of their life and can live their long and healthy life with only one kidney," Segev explained. But newer HIV medications are safer and more effective, making the risks associated with these sorts of live donor transplants comparable between people with or without the virus, he added in a statement. In a statement, UNOS called the new transplant "a positive milestone in the HOPE process. All of these transplants are part of a research endeavor that is being monitored closely for donor and recipient safety." Health via WebMD Health https://www.webmd.com/ March 28, 2019 at 04:25PM
2-Party HIV Positive Kidney Transplant Reported
https://ift.tt/2CKPkPU By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter THURSDAY, March 28, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Surgeons in Baltimore have performed the world's first kidney transplant in which both the living donor and the recipient are HIV-positive. The success of the operation could potentially make organs more widely available to patients infected with the AIDS virus. A 35-year-old Atlanta woman who contracted HIV as a newborn offered one of her kidneys to an HIV-positive stranger, and doctors at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine performed the procedure on Monday. Nina Martinez initially had wanted to donate her kidney to a friend, but the friend passed away last fall, hospital officials said. Nevertheless, she decided that she still wanted to make the donation, partially to help clear away some of the stigma surrounding people with HIV/AIDS. "For me, it was an opportunity to be the same as anybody else," Martinez said during a media briefing Thursday. "I really wanted to do something to jolt people's perceptions. Usually when society thinks of people with HIV, they think of people who look like they have HIV, they think of people from the 1980s." "Somebody was waiting for a kidney who needed that kidney, and even though my kidney has HIV, this kidney saved their lives," she added. Martinez contracted HIV through a blood transfusion when she was just 6 weeks old, Johns Hopkins said. Doctors diagnosed her with the virus in the early 1990s. Johns Hopkins surgeon Dr. Dorry Segev hailed the procedure as "unbelievably exciting" for HIV patients whose kidneys are in danger of shutting down. "We saw there were people on the transplant list who had HIV who were dying, and at the same time we were unable to use organs from donors who had HIV," Segev explained during the media briefing. That's because U.S. doctors were prevented by law until six years ago from using organs harvested from HIV-positive donors, even if they would be used to save the lives of HIV-positive patients. The HIV Organ Policy Equity (HOPE) Act of 2013 lifted the 25-year-old ban and gave the Johns Hopkins surgeons the legal authority to perform Monday's transplant, which also was greenlit by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), the group that oversees the U.S. transplant system. ContinuedApproximately 113,000 people are on a waiting list for an organ, according to UNOS statistics. Nearly three of every five transplants involve a kidney. In a statement, Segev estimated that between 500 and 600 HIV-positive people who wanted to be organ donors will die each year. Their organs could have saved more than 1,000 people if the medical community used the organs for transplant. There already have been very positive outcomes when HIV-positive patients received HIV-negative organs, Johns Hopkins noted. In addition, South Africa has established a successful track record of HIV-positive to HIV-positive kidney transplants using organs from deceased donors. "Organ transplantation is critical for patients with HIV, who die on the waiting list even faster than their HIV-negative counterparts," Segev said in a statement. "We are very thankful to Congress, the president and the entire transplant community for letting us use organs from HIV-positive patients to save lives instead of throwing them away, as we had to do for so many years." Over the past few years, the United States has started to transplant organs from deceased HIV-positive donors, as part of a research study, according to UNOS. Since 2016, 116 kidney and liver transplants from deceased donors have been performed, the AP reported. Doctors have been concerned about taking kidneys from living donors with HIV, fearing that the person's generosity might backfire if their remaining kidney suffered damage either from the virus or the medications that keep HIV at bay. "The medical side of a living donor transplant is we want to make sure that the donor remains healthy for the rest of their life and can live their long and healthy life with only one kidney," Segev explained. But newer HIV medications are safer and more effective, making the risks associated with these sorts of live donor transplants comparable between people with or without the virus, he added in a statement. In a statement, UNOS called the new transplant "a positive milestone in the HOPE process. All of these transplants are part of a research endeavor that is being monitored closely for donor and recipient safety." Health via WebMD Health https://www.webmd.com/ March 28, 2019 at 03:49PM
If Workouts and Runs Give You GI Issues, This RD's Food Suggestions Can Help
https://ift.tt/2HWuVuJ When you're putting together the perfect workout, a good pre-workout snack is the last, crucial puzzle piece. And, also like a puzzle piece, sometimes you just can't find the right fit. For more intense workouts, like CrossFit and running, it often comes down to trial and error. Case in point: as a runner, I used to eat a huge bowl of cereal before logging my miles. When I switched to a banana, I realized that my food choices - not the run itself – had been causing the uncomfortable side cramps and sloshy feeling in my stomach. Eating right before a workout not only removes these kinds of uncomfortable side effects, but also gives you the energy to make the most out of every rep or step. To save you some intestinal upset, we talked to registered dietitian and nationally-ranked CrossFitter Michele Fumagalli, LDN, of the Northwestern Running Medicine Clinic, about choosing the right fuel before an intense workout. Avoid Fats Before a RunThe first rule of thumb Michele shared is an easy one to remember: the closer you get to your workout or run, the fewer fats (yes, even healthy fats) you should consume. That's because fats take a longer time for your body to absorb, and eating them too close to your workout can cause gastrointestinal (GI) stress, like stomachaches. Why? Michele explained that during a workout, the blood that's usually aiding in digestion in your stomach lining is sent into your muscles instead. If your stomach is full when the blood is diverted, it can cause stomachaches. "You want to have your last full meal about two and a half to three hours before a workout," Michele said. This will give you plenty of time to digest and help you avoid those stomach issues. Choose an Easily-Digestible FoodSo what should you go for right before a run? Michele recommended choosing foods that are easy to digest, like simpler carbs, because they'll give you quick energy without upsetting your stomach. About an hour before your run, she advised drinking water and eating snacks like:
You can find more pre-workout snack ideas right here. If it's closer to the run or workout, Michele said you want to go even more basic. Eat an applesauce pouch for some quick sugar and carbs, she suggested, or sip on water mixed with a bit of fruit juice. "The closer you get to the run or workout, the more easily-digestible you want to get," Michele said. Of course, some trial and error will still come into play. What works for someone else might not work for you, and a good snack before one kind of workout might not be as effective for another. Experimenting to find what works best help you blast through your workouts with a minimum of discomfort and a maximum of effectiveness. For more snack suggestions before, during, and after workouts, check out this post. Health via POPSUGAR Fitness https://ift.tt/2mWxwLI March 28, 2019 at 03:40PM
Climate Change May Mean More Risky Mosquitoes
https://ift.tt/2CHm64o THURSDAY, March 28, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- You thought Zika was scary? Well, get this: Global warming places up to 1 billion people worldwide at risk of exposure to disease-carrying mosquitoes over the next 50 years, new research indicates. The two most common disease-transmitting mosquitoes -- Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus -- carry viruses such as dengue, Zika and chikungunya, plus more than a dozen others that could become larger threats in the next half-century, researchers report. By creating a month-by-month model of temperature changes across the world, scientists analyzed what would happen if these two types of mosquitoes moved as temperatures rose over the decades. "Even though it's hard to pin down the numbers, we've known this would be a problem for some time," said study author Colin Carlson. He's a postdoctoral fellow in the biology department at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. "The scale of the numbers is definitely frightening," Carlson added. "If there's a human aspect to this, it's that we were hoping for a different result." Mosquitoes carry diseases that cause millions of deaths every year, according to the World Health Organization. Dengue, Zika and chikungunya cause symptoms that include fever, rash and severe muscle aches, among others. Zika virus surfaced in Brazil in 2014 and caused severe brain damage to thousands of South American babies exposed in the womb. Carlson and his team found that as temperatures increase worldwide, year-round transmissions of mosquito-borne diseases could occur in the tropics, and seasonal outbreaks might happen nearly everywhere else. Nearly every population on earth could be exposed to these diseases over the next half-century. In the United States, where Zika cases have occurred in warmer areas in the last several years, dengue and chikungunya could also become wider threats, Carlson said. Currently, about 100 to 200 cases of dengue fever occur in the United States every year, mostly in people who have traveled abroad, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health. "The significance of the study is we have the ability to know the threat is coming," Carlson said. "The hope is that we can keep some of these viruses from getting established in the U.S. and U.S. territories. But any approach we take that focuses just on keeping tropical diseases out of the U.S. and Europe is missing the bigger picture." Health via WebMD Health https://www.webmd.com/ March 28, 2019 at 03:34PM |
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