Health Research: High-fructose diet slows recovery from brain injury ♦ Tallness linked to increased risk of premature death for patients on dialysis ♦ Washing dishes decreases stress

High-fructose diet slows recovery from brain injury A diet high in processed fructose sabotages rat brains’ ability to heal after head trauma, neuroscience report. Revealing a link between nutrition and brain health, the finding offers implications for the 5.3 million Americans living with a traumatic brain injury, or TBI.

Exercise is good for everyone, but some struggle more than others People with increased risk of type 2 diabetes need to exercise more than others to achieve the same results, according to new research.

Researchers identify cause of inherited form of extreme nearsightedness 'Why, Grandma, what big eyes you have!' Though similar in appearance, the hidden cause of those big eyes Little Red Riding Hood notices in Grimms' fairy tale has nothing to do with the hidden cause of enlarged eyeballs in buphthalmia, a genetic mechanism causing this devastating eye disease which has now been uncovered by researchers. Patients afflicted are severely myopic, or nearsighted.

Tallness linked to increased risk of premature death for patients on dialysis Tallness has been associated with higher premature mortality risk and shorter life spans in patients on dialysis. The association was observed in white, Asian, and American Indian/Alaskan native patients, but not in black patients. The overall paradoxical relationship between height and premature death was not explained by concurrent illness, socioeconomic status, or differences in care

Chore or stress reliever: Study suggests that washing dishes decreases stress

Mindfully washing dishes calms the mind and decreases stress, a new study shows. The study looked at whether washing dishes could be used as an informal contemplative practice that promotes a positive state of mindfulness -- a meditative method of focusing attention on the emotions and thoughts of the present moment.

Health News: FDA rejects snack foods from India for contaminants ♦ Legalizing medical marijuana does not increase use among adolescents ♦ Vitamin D status related to immune response to HIV-1

FDA  rejects several snack foods from India for contaminants The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has rejected a number of snack imports made by Indian company Haldiram Snacks for concerns over high levels of pesticides, mold and bacteria. The move comes as global food corporation Nestlé has been subjected to a nationwide ban in India of its Maggi noodles that have allegedly tested for high levels

Legalizing medical marijuana does not increase use among adolescents Nationwide study analyzing 24 years of data (1991 to 2014) from over one million American adolescents in the 48 contiguous states has found no evidence that legalizing the use of marijuana for medical purposes leads to increased use among teenagers.

Personal experience a major driver in decision for or against flu vaccination Convincing someone to receive the annual flu vaccine goes beyond clever messaging and well-written public service announcements, research finds. A study outlines both the barriers and facilitators that motivate people in their flu vaccine decisions.

More dialysis patients living in poor neighborhoods The percentage of adults beginning kidney dialysis who lived in zip codes with high poverty rates increased from 27.4 percent during the 1995-2004 time period to 34 percent in 2005-2010.

Vitamin D status related to immune response to HIV-1 Vitamin D plays an important part in the human immune response and deficiency can leave individuals less able to fight infections like HIV-1. Now an international team of researchers has found that high-dose vitamin D supplementation can reverse the deficiency and also improve immune response

2/15/14 Health News: Obesity Starts in Early Childhood - Silver Nanoparticles May block HIV Transmission - Medical Homes Cut ER Visits,

Obesity Is Found to Gain Its Hold in Earliest Years

For many obese adults, the die was cast by the time they were 5 years old. A major new study of more than 7,000 children has found that a third of children who were overweight in kindergarten were obese by eighth grade. And almost every child who was very obese remained that way. Some obese or overweight kindergartners lost their excess weight, and some children of normal weight got fat over the years. But every year, the chances that a child would slide into or out of being overweight or obese diminished. By age 11, there were few additional changes: Those who were obese or overweight stayed that way, and those whose weight was normal did not become fat.Continue Reading

New Cream With Silver Nanoparticles Could Block HIV Transmission

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 1.1 million people in the US are infected with human immunodeficiency virus. But new research has detailed the creation of a cream that has proved effective against transmission of the infection in laboratory tests. Previous research from the University of Texas, in collaboration with the University of Monterrey in Mexico, found that silver nanoparticles may be able to stop transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Now, the research team has used the findings to create a vaginal cream that can block HIV transmission.Continue Reading

Medical Homes Cut Unnecessary ER Use Dramatically

The use of medical homes with a low-income population in California dramatically reduced unnecessary hospital emergency room visits, California HealthLine reported. According to data compiled by researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles, low-income residents who enrolled and remained in medical homes were half as likely as those not in medical homes to use the ER for care that did not lead to a hospitalization. Continue Reading

Shortage of Saline Causes Hospitals, Dialysis Centers to Scramble to Manage Supply

A shortage of intravenous saline is causing hospitals and dialysis centers to scramble to manage their supplies of one of the most commonly used drugs. Healthcare providers are asking doctors and staff to use smaller IV bags and find alternatives, if possible, to cope with the shortage, officials and executives said. Officials have not yet heard of any facilities running out of the solutions, “but we know that hospitals are still reporting that they may only have a few days supply,” said Valerie Jensen Continue Reading