Health News; Salmonella Outbreak in Alabama ♦ Researchers closer to better treatment for leading cause of hospital-acquired diarrhea

Salmonella Outbreak in Alabama Johnny Ray’s in Pelham was closed indefinitely January 8 following four confirmed cases of Salmonella tied to the restaurant. Health officials in Alabama are investigating the outbreak.

Roman toilets gave no clear health benefit, and Romanization actually spread parasites Intestinal parasites such as whipworm became increasingly common across Europe during the Roman Period, despite the apparent improvements the empire brought in sanitation technologies, archaeological evidence shows.

Researchers closer to better treatment for leading cause of hospital-acquired diarrhea Researchers have obtained the crystal structure of a toxin from the bacterium Clostridium difficile ('C. diff') -- the leading cause of hospital-acquired diarrhea in the United States. They also found that zinc is required to unleash the toxin's damaging effects in the colon. The discoveries are aiding efforts to develop vaccines and other novel therapies to prevent the potentially fatal consequences of C. diff infection

Playing american football may be a risk factor for hypertension As National Football League playoff games are underway, a new article suggests that the toll the sport takes on players' bodies extends beyond head trauma and damage to limbs and joints. The trauma and damage associated with football participation may also be linked to elevations in blood pressure through immune system activation and inflammation.

Heart structural gene causes sudden cardiac death in animal model ♦ Drugging the microbiome may treat heart disease ♦ Hypertension-related visits to emergency rooms on rise in US

Heart structural gene causes sudden cardiac death in animal model The presence or absence of the CAP2 gene causes sudden cardiac death in mice. In particular, the absence of the gene interrupts the animal's ability to send electrical signals to the heart to tell it to contract, a condition called cardiac conduction disease. Since humans have the same CAP2 gene, what we learn from the mice could advance our understanding of heart disease.

Drugging the microbiome may treat heart disease A first-of-a-kind drug that interferes with the metabolic activity of gut microbes could one day treat heart disease in humans, according to a mouse study. Dietary supplementation with a compound that is naturally abundant in red wine and olive oil prevented gut microbes from turning unhealthy foods into metabolic byproducts that clog arteries

Hypertension-related visits to emergency rooms on rise in US The number and percentage of patients treated at emergency departments for hypertension are on the rise across the United States.

Chances of good outcome after stroke reduced by delays in restoring blood flow Delays in restoring blood flow after a stroke were associated with decreased benefits of intra-arterial clot-busting treatment and reduced chances for a good outcome.

What Should your blood pressure targets be?

Adults treated at a target blood pressure level lower than commonly recommended had a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and death.

While there were some adverse effects with the lower target, study results suggest that the benefits outweighed the risks.

High blood pressure, or hypertension, causes no direct symptoms, but can lead to serious health problems if left untreated.Brand X Pictures/Stockbyte/Thinkstock

Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries. High blood pressure, or hypertension, occurs when this force is too high. About 1 in 3 U.S. adults has hypertension. The condition itself usually causes no symptoms, but it can damage the heart, blood vessels, kidneys, and other parts of the body if left untreated.

Blood pressure is typically given as 2 numbers, such as 110/70 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). The first number is systolic pressure, which is measured as the heart beats to pump blood. The second is diastolic pressure, which is measured when the heart is at rest between beats.

NIH’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), along with other NIH components, sponsored a large clinical study to determine whether treating people with hypertension to a target systolic blood pressure of less than 120 mm Hg (intensive treatment) would be more beneficial than targeting a level of 140 mm Hg (standard treatment).

Researchers enrolled more than 9,300 participants, age 50 and older, from 102 medical centers and clinical practices throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico. The participants had increased cardiovascular risk, but didn’t have diabetes. About 36% were women, 58% were white, 30% were African-American, and 11% were Hispanic. Approximately 28% were 75 or older, and 28% had chronic kidney disease.

Participants who were randomly assigned to the target of less than 120 mm Hg received 3 medications on average, while those whose target was less than 140 mm Hg received about 2. The researchers monitored a variety of cardiovascular disease outcomes.

NIH stopped the intervention in August 2015—a year earlier than planned and after a median follow-up of about 3 years—when it became apparent that the more intensive intervention was beneficial. The findings were published online in the New England Journal of Medicine on November 9, 2015.

The researchers found that targeting a systolic blood pressure of less than 120 mm Hg reduced rates of cardiovascular events, such as heart attack and heart failure, as well as stroke, by 25% compared to the 140 mm Hg target. The more intensive treatment also reduced the risk of death by 27%.

Certain types of serious consequences were more common in the group undergoing the intensive treatment. These included low blood pressure, fainting, electrolyte abnormalities, and acute kidney damage. However, rates of other serious adverse events that may be associated with lower blood pressure—such as slow heart rate and falls with injuries—were similar in both groups.

“Although the study provides strong evidence that a lower blood pressure target saves lives in people who are at higher risk for cardiovascular events, patients and their health care providers may want to wait to see how guideline groups incorporate this study and other scientific reports into any future hypertension guidelines,” says study co-author Dr. Lawrence Fine of NHLBI. “In the meantime, patients should talk to their health care providers to determine whether this lower goal is best for their individual care.”

The researchers are continuing to assess the effects of the treatments on kidney disease, cognitive function, and dementia.

Cardiovascular Research:3D scans spot earliest signs of heart disease ♦ Lower systolic blood pressure reduces risk of hypertension complication ♦ Low physical activity responsible for 17 percent of cardiovascular deaths

Low physical activity responsible for 17 percent of cardiovascular deaths in Argentina Low levels of physical activity are responsible for 17 percent of cardiovascular deaths in Argentina.

Lower systolic blood pressure reduces risk of hypertension complication Lowering systolic blood pressure below the currently recommended target can reduce the risk of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), the most common complication of high blood pressure.

Favorable one-year clinical outcomes for catheter-based aortic valve replacement with latest generation of device Findings from the PARTNER II Trial, which examined one-year clinical outcomes among high-risk or inoperable patients who received TAVR with the latest generation of balloon-expandable (SAPIEN 3) device, are being released by researchers, suggesting that the new device offers promising outcomes for patients.

Zebrafish study sheds new light on human heart defects Researchers working with zebrafish have published a study providing new insights into the causes of the congenital heart defects associated with a rare developmental disorder. The disorder, Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS), is estimated to occur in up to one in 10,000 births worldwide. CdLS causes a range of developmental anomalies, both physical and cognitive, and up to 70 percent of people with CdLS have congenital heart defects.

3D scans spot earliest signs of heart disease People with high blood pressure develop changes in their hearts even before symptoms appear, new research shows. These changes are known to put people at risk of dying early, and the new work suggests it is possible for doctors to recognize such signs of heart disease earlier than they can today -- by examining detailed images of the heart.

Cardiovascular Research: Air pollution increased deaths from heart disease ♦ Beta-blockers promote heart muscle cell survival following a heart attack

'Life's Simple 7' and diabetes care program reduce risk of heart failure One in four middle-aged adults who survive to age 85 will develop heart failure. Intervention programs to improve lifestyles are widely advocated, but do they actually work? Investigators in the US and Taiwan independently examined programs that may reduce cardiovascular risk and concluded that both programs will reduce lifetime risk of heart failure.

Beta-blockers promote heart muscle cell survival following a heart attack A commonly prescribed drug for heart disease may do more good than previously thought. Researchers have found that beta-blockers may prevent further cell death following a heart attack and that could lead to better longer term patient outcomes.

Popular hypertension drugs linked to worse heart health in blacks compared to whites Drugs commonly used to treat high blood pressure, and prevent heart attacks and strokes, are associated with significantly worse cardiovascular outcomes in hypertensive African Americans compared to whites.

Link between air pollution, increased deaths and increased deaths from heart disease affirmed In what is believed to be the largest, most detailed study of its kind in the United States, scientists have confirmed that tiny chemical particles in the air we breathe are linked to an overall increase in risk of early death.

Blacks in all socioeconomic groups have poorer outcomes after heart attack Low socioeconomic blacks and whites have poorer outcomes after a heart attack. Blacks with high socioeconomic status had shorter life expectancy after a heart attack compared to whites

Cardiovascular Research: Switch for health heart muscle ♦ Half-dose combo of common diuretics a 'win-win' for hypertension ♦Potential value of antidepressant in some stroke victims

Research in mice shows potential value of antidepressant in some stroke victims Working with mice, researchers have added to evidence that a commonly prescribed antidepressant called fluoxetine helps stroke victims improve movement and coordination, and possibly why.

Switch for health heart muscle Researchers have discovered a protein, called Mel18, that regulates the development of heart muscle. Faults in the production of Mel18 in early cardiac cells may play a role in heart defects. The findings could help grow cardiac cells in the laboratory from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS).

Depressed patients have more frequent chest pain even in the absence of coronary artery disease Depressed patients have more frequent chest pain even in the absence of coronary artery disease, according to results. The findings suggest that pain and depression may share a common neurochemical pathway

Half-dose combo of common diuretics a 'win-win' for hypertension The combination of two commonly used diuretics, each at half dose, can significantly reduce blood pressure without the side-effects caused by full doses of either alone.

Spironolactone 'a clear winner' for resistant hypertension In patients with poor blood pressure control despite treatment with a combination of three drugs (‘resistant hypertension’), addition of the diuretic spironolactone was significantly more effective than adding other blood pressure lowering drugs.

Health Research:Improving gene therapy ♦ Depressive ruminations and the idling brain ♦ Pharmacists help patients with hypertension

Researchers resurrect ancient viruses in hopes of improving gene therapy Researchers have reconstructed an ancient virus that is highly effective at delivering gene therapies to the liver, muscle, and retina. This discovery could potentially be used to design gene therapies that are not only safer and more potent than therapies currently available, but may also help a greater number of patients.

Trying to quit smoking? First strengthen self-control The desire to quit smoking -- often considered a requirement for enrolling in treatment programs -- is not always necessary to reduce cigarette cravings, argues a review of addiction research. Early evidence suggests that exercises aimed at increasing self-control, such as mindfulness meditation, can decrease the unconscious influences that motivate a person to smoke.

Pharmacists help patients with hypertension Patients with hypertension benefit from interacting with a medical team that includes a pharmacist. Two studies showed pharmacist-included care teams delivered more hands-on and tailored medication regimens to patients, which yielded more effective blood-pressure control results than for those patients who did not have a pharmacist on hand.

Depressive ruminations and the idling brain Depressed people often find themselves preoccupied with guilty, shameful, or self-defeating thoughts for large parts of their day. These thoughts not only distract from other activities but also fail to resolve the underlying life issues. Further, the ideas that receive focused attention in these depressive ruminations are frequently quite distorted and lead to distress.

Treating ships' ballast water: Filtration preferable to disinfection Untreated ballast water discharge from ships can spread living organisms and even pathogens across the world thereby introducing non-native or invasive species into the local environment. Scientists therefore recommend using physical treatment processes such as filtration rather than electrochemical disinfection, which creates countless potentially toxic compounds.

Health News: 5 kinds of French goat cheese contaminated ♦ Bioprinting in 3-D:could regenerate nerve cells ♦ Protein linked to binge-drinking behavior

Hong Kong: 5 kinds of French goat cheese contaminated with Salmonella The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (May 13) urged the public not to consume certain batches of five kinds of goat cheese from raw milk, imported from France, as the products contaminated with salmonella.

Brain protein linked to binge-drinking behavior Scientists have discovered that a brain protein has a key role in controlling binge drinking in animal models.Binge drinking puts people at greater risk for health problems such as cardiovascular disease, liver disease and nerve damage.

Bioprinting in 3-D could regenerate nerve cells Researchers are working on 3-D bioprinting synthetic tissue that could help regenerate nerve cells in the spinal cord..

Not just a flavoring:' Menthol, nicotine combined desensitize airway receptors Menthol acts in combination with nicotine to desensitize the type of nicotinic receptors found in lungs and airways that are responsible for nicotine's irritation, say researchers. They say their findings suggests menthol is not just a flavoring, but has an important pharmacologic effect.

Healing plants inspire new compounds for psychiatric drugs Treatments used by traditional healers in Nigeria have inspired scientists to synthesize four new chemical compounds that could one day lead to better therapies for people with psychiatric disorders.

Gene responsible for hypertension, brachydactyly identified Individuals with a newly discovered altered gene have hereditary hypertension and a skeletal malformation, brachydactyly type E, which is characterized by unusually short fingers and toes, scientists report. The effect on blood pressure is so serious that -- if left untreated -- it most often leads to death before age fifty.

Weight Loss Research:Anti-obesity treatment ♦ Highly Processed Foods Dominate U.S. Grocery Purchases ♦ Compulsive binge eating linked to hypertension

Anti-obesity treatment in animal models developed A study has been conducted on obese mice and monkeys, using a drug which inhibits the activity of the PI3K enzyme. The body weight loss observed by researchers was exclusively due to a reduction in fat mass, and no toxic effects have been noted. The study also found an improvement in the symptoms of diabetes and hepatic steatosis (fatty liver disease),

Highly Processed Foods Dominate U.S. Grocery Purchases A nation-wide analysis of U.S. grocery purchases reveals that highly processed foods make up more than 60 percent of the calories in food we buy, and these items tend to have more fat, sugar and salt than less processed foods

Mechanisms that link compulsive binge eating with hypertension identified An estimated eight million adults in the U.S. suffer from binge eating disorder. Now, researchers have shown that compulsive binging on foods that are high in fat and sugar can trigger specific molecular changes that can lead to high blood pressure. While others have studied the effects of binge eating on the brain, this study is the first to look at its molecular effects

Short bouts of high-intensity exercise before a fatty meal best for vascular health A short burst of intensive exercise before eating a high fat meal is better for blood vessel function in young people than the currently recommended moderate-intensity exercise, according to a new study. Cardiovascular diseases including heart attacks and stroke a leading cause of death, and the process underlying these diseases start in youth. An impairment in the function of blood vessels is thought to be the earliest event in this process, and this is known to occur in the hours after consuming a high fat meal.

Weight Loss Research:Anti-obesity treatment ♦ Highly Processed Foods Dominate U.S. ♦ Compulsive binge eating with hypertension identified ♦ High-intensity exercise before a fatty meal best for vascular health

Anti-obesity treatment in animal models developed A study has been conducted on obese mice and monkeys, using a drug which inhibits the activity of the PI3K enzyme. The body weight loss observed by researchers was exclusively due to a reduction in fat mass, and no toxic effects have been noted. The study also found an improvement in the symptoms of diabetes and hepatic steatosis (fatty liver disease),

Highly Processed Foods Dominate U.S. Grocery Purchases A nation-wide analysis of U.S. grocery purchases reveals that highly processed foods make up more than 60 percent of the calories in food we buy, and these items tend to have more fat, sugar and salt than less processed foods

Mechanisms that link compulsive binge eating with hypertension identified An estimated eight million adults in the U.S. suffer from binge eating disorder. Now, researchers have shown that compulsive binging on foods that are high in fat and sugar can trigger specific molecular changes that can lead to high blood pressure. While others have studied the effects of binge eating on the brain, this study is the first to look at its molecular effects

Short bouts of high-intensity exercise before a fatty meal best for vascular health A short burst of intensive exercise before eating a high fat meal is better for blood vessel function in young people than the currently recommended moderate-intensity exercise, according to a new study. Cardiovascular diseases including heart attacks and stroke a leading cause of death, and the process underlying these diseases start in youth. An impairment in the function of blood vessels is thought to be the earliest event in this process, and this is known to occur in the hours after consuming a high fat meal.

Physical labor, hypertension and multiple meds may reduce male fertility

Working in a physically demanding job, having high blood pressure, and taking multiple medications are among health risks that may undermine a man’s fertility, according to a study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and Stanford University, Stanford, California. The study is the first to examine the relationships between workplace exertion, health, and semen quality as men are trying to conceive. The results were published online in Fertility and Sterility.

“Nearly 15 percent of U.S. couples do not become pregnant in their first year of trying,” said Germaine Buck Louis, Ph.D., the study’s senior author and director of the Division of Intramural Population Health Research at NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. “Male infertility plays a significant role, and our aim is to explore the influence of environmental factors and health status on semen quality.”

Semen quality is a measure of a man’s ability to achieve fertilization and is based on the number, shape, and movement ability of sperm, as well as other factors.

The investigators followed more than 500 couples in Texas and Michigan over a yearlong period. The couples were in committed relationships and stopped using contraception. All male participants completed preliminary interviews in which they were asked about their reproductive history, health, lifestyle and occupational activity. Most of the men provided a semen sample for analysis.

The final study group comprised 456 men with an average age of 31.8 years. Most were white (77 percent) and college-educated (91 percent); more than half had never fathered a pregnancy. The researchers found that 13 percent of the men who reported heavy work-related activity had lower sperm counts, compared to 6 percent of the men who reported no workplace exertion. In contrast, no other work-related exposure, such as heat, noise or prolonged sitting, appeared to influence semen quality.

Of the men who reported receiving a physician’s diagnosis of high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol, the researchers found that only those with high blood pressure had a lower percentage of normally shaped sperm, compared to men who reported no high blood pressure.

“As men are having children later in life, the importance of diseases we once thought as separate from fertility must be re-explored,” said Michael L. Eisenberg, M.D., the study’s principal investigator and director of Male Reproductive Medicine and Surgery at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. “Future investigations need to examine whether it’s the high blood pressure itself or the treatment that is driving these trends.”

To that end, the researchers observed that the more medications a man reported taking, the higher his risk of a low sperm count. For example, 7 percent of the men who did not take medications had sperm counts below 39 million (a normal sperm count is between 40 million and 300 million). Of the men who reported taking two or more medications, 15 percent had sperm counts below 39 million.

“The good news is that these factors, if they are confirmed to have negative effects on male fertility, can potentially be modified by medical care or changing job-related behaviors ,” said NIH’s Dr. Buck Louis. “We look forward to additional research in this area.”

1/29/15 Health News: Measles outbreak up to 87 cases ♦ Pasture feeding improves nutritional of red meat ♦ Salt and hypertension ♦ Malignant melanoma

California measles outbreak is up to 87 cases in 7 states, Mexico

Officials have now confirmed at least 87 cases of measles in seven states and Mexico, as the outbreak centered in California continues to spread.Continue Reading

Arizona measles outbreak reaches ‘critical point’.

Two additional cases of measles were confirmed in Arizona January 27 and public health officials warned that one of the confirmed cases may have exposed as many as 195 children to the disease at the Phoenix Children’s East Valley Center. Continue Reading

Pasture feeding may improve nutritional benefits of red meat

Pasture-fed lamb meat is high in polyunsaturated fat due to the specific plant species consumed, indicating that it may be better for your health. Continue Reading

Can coffee protect against malignant melanoma?

Both epidemiological and preclinical studies have suggested that coffee consumption has a protective effect against non-melanoma skin cancers. However the protective effect for cutaneous melanoma is less clear, according to a new study. Continue Reading

Blame it on your brain: Salt and hypertension

Excessive salt intake "reprograms" the brain, interfering with a natural safety mechanism that normally prevents the body's arterial blood pressure from rising, Continue Reading