Health Research:Federal grand jury subpoenas Chipotle records♦ High blood sugar levels could lead to heart attack complications ♦ Reliably detecting dengue fever

Federal grand jury subpoenas Chipotle records Officials with Chipotle Mexican Grill say they will “fully cooperate” after receiving a subpoena from a federal grand jury seeking documents related to a norovirus outbreak at a restaurant in Simi Valley, Calif.

Broken bone may lead to widespread body pain, not just at the site of the fracture Breaking a major bone may increase risk of widespread chronic body pain in later life, a new study has found. Researchers found that men and women who had a spine fracture and women who had a hip fracture were more than twice as likely to experience long term widespread pain as those who had not had a fracture.

High blood sugar levels could lead to heart attack complications Direct evidence of blood vessel contraction due to glucose (sugar) has now been demonstrated for the first time, researchers report. These effects were observed even at glucose levels that could be reached after a large meal. This research provides a potential therapeutic target for improving outcomes following a heart attack or stroke

Reliably detecting dengue fever Tiger mosquitoes are indigenous to Africa and Asia. However, they are increasingly being found around the Mediterranean and are bringing the dengue virus with them. Up to now, there’s been no sure-fire antibody test for detecting this virus. Researchers have now developed such a test, creating a cost-effective and fail-safe way to diagnose dengue.

Health News:.FDA Alert: Potential contamination of drug shipments from explosions in Tianjin City ♦ Tooth fillings of the future may incorporate bioactive glass

.FDA Alert: Potential contamination of drug shipments from explosions in Tianjin City . The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an alert December 22 to drug compounders and manufacturers claiming that drug shipments from Tianjin, China, may be contaminated with chemicals following two large explosions at Tianjin Dongjiang Port Ruihai International Logistics Co., chemical warehouse in August. The alert was issued after regulators detected hydrogen cyanide in two shipments of drugs from Tianjin Tianyao Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. which is located 18 miles from the explosion site

Tooth fillings of the future may incorporate bioactive glass A few years from now millions of people around the world might be walking around with an unusual kind of glass in their mouth, and using it every time they eat. Engineers have made some promising findings about the ability of 'bioactive' glass to help reduce the ability of bacteria to attack composite tooth fillings -- and perhaps even provide some of the minerals needed to replace those lost to tooth decay

Even before ACA, cancer survivors in non-expansion states had less health-care access

Even in the healthcare landscape as it existed before the ACA, cancer survivors in states without expanded Medicaid were less likely to have a personal doctor and more likely to report inability to see a doctor due to cost.

By asking, ;what's the worst part of this?' physicians can ease suffering When patients suffer, doctors tend to want to fix things and if they cannot many doctors then withdraw emotionally. But by turning toward the suffering, physicians can better help their patients and find more meaning in their work, write authors of a new report

Health Research: .How to eliminate pain tied to tooth decay ♦ 3-D mapping a new drug-delivery too ♦ Gene mutation linked to reckless drunken behavior

Gene mutation linked to reckless drunken behavior Researchers of the University of Helsinki, Finland, have identified a genetic mutation which renders carriers susceptible to particularly impulsive and reckless behavior when drunk

.How to eliminate pain tied to tooth decay An abundance of sweets during the holidays increases the threat of cavities and tooth sensitivity. Researchers have found a way to regrow enamel to protect teeth. Perhaps one day their gel could be used as teeth strips or in a mouth guard.

3-D mapping a new drug-delivery tool Scientists have developed a new method that can 'see' inside dispersed cubosomes (dispersed cubic liquid crystalline phases) with unprecedented detail. The breakthrough can help to improve their design significantly for better drug or nutrient delivery.

Tougher disability benefit assessment may have taken 'serious' toll on mental health The introduction of a more stringent test to assess eligibility for disability benefit in England may have taken a 'serious' toll on the nation's mental health.

Health News: Intractable pain may find relief in tiny gold rods ♦ Millions of lives blighted by smokeless tobacco ♦ US hospitals flout CDC recommendations that prevent infections

Intractable pain may find relief in tiny gold rods Scientists have developed a technique that could lead to therapies for pain relief in people with intractable pain, potentially including cancer-related pain. The team coated gold nanorods with a special type of protein that transports fat within the body known as a lipoprotein. This allowed the nanorods to bind efficiently to nerve cell membranes bearing a pain receptor. Gold nanorods are tiny rods that are 1-100 nanometers wide and long. In comparison, a human hair is 100,000 nanometers wide.

Something to chew on: Millions of lives blighted by smokeless tobacco More than a quarter of a million people die each year from using smokeless tobacco, researchers have concluded. The study estimates that in 2010 alone smokeless tobacco resulted in more than 62,000 deaths due to cancers of the mouth, pharynx and esophagus and accounted for more than 200,00 deaths from heart disease.

US hospitals flout CDC recommendations that prevent infections There is significant variability regarding how clinicians manage catheters placed in the arteries of patients in intensive care units, research shows. Some practices may increase risk of infection associated with these catheters. Fewer than half of those surveyed complied with current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention infection prevention guidelines for arterial catheter insertions.

Influenza vaccines provide moderate protection throughout the entire flu season Individuals who received the flu vaccine were protected for up to 6 months post-vaccination, the duration of most flu seasons.

NIH analysis shows Americans are in pain

Report examines the prevalence, severity, and duration of pain

A new analysis of data from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) has found that most American adults have experienced some level of pain, from brief to more lasting pain, and from relatively minor to more severe pain. The analysis helps to unravel the complexities of a Nation in pain. It found that an estimated 25.3 million adults (11.2 percent) had pain every day for the preceding 3 months. Nearly 40 million adults (17.6 percent) experience severe levels of pain. Those with severe pain are also likely to have worse health status. The analysis was funded by the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) and was published in The Journal of Pain.

Pain in the United States

“The number of people who suffer from severe and lasting pain is striking,” said Josephine P. Briggs, M.D., director of NCCIH. “This analysis adds valuable new scope to our understanding of pain and could inform the National Pain Strategy in the areas of population research and disparities. It may help shape future research, development, and targeting of effective pain interventions, including complementary health approaches.”

Pain is one of the leading reasons Americans turn to complementary health approaches such as yoga, massage, and meditation—which may help manage pain and other symptoms that are not consistently addressed by prescription drugs and other conventional treatments. For this reason, NCCIH research priorities include the study of complementary approaches to determine their effectiveness for treating symptoms such as pain.

The CDC’s NHIS is an annual study in which tens of thousands of Americans are interviewed about their health- and illness-related experiences. The 2012 NHIS asked participants about the frequency and intensity of pain experienced in the prior 3 months. The survey results are based on combined data from 8,781 American adults from a subsection of the larger NHIS.

Researchers assigned pain severity using an approach developed by CDC investigators working with the Washington Group on Disability Statistics, which provides four categories of pain.* Among the findings of the analysis:

• An estimated 23.4 million adults (10.3 percent) experience a lot of pain.
• An estimated 126 million adults (55.7 percent) reported some type of pain in the 3 months prior to the survey.
• Adults in the two most severe pain groups were likely to have worse health status, use more health care, and suffer from more disability than those with less severe pain. However, approximately half of individuals with the most severe pain still rated their overall health as good or better.
• There were associations between pain severity and race, ethnicity, language preference, gender, and age. Women, older individuals, and non-Hispanics were more likely to report any pain, while Asians were less likely.
• Minorities who did not choose to be interviewed in English are markedly less likely to report pain.
• The impact of gender on pain varies by race and ethnicity.

“This report begins to answer calls for better national data on the nature and extent of the pain problem,” said Richard L. Nahin, Ph.D., M.P.H., lead epidemiologist for NCCIH and author of the analysis. “The experience of pain is subjective. It’s not surprising then that the data show varied responses to pain even in those with similar levels of pain. Continuing analyses of these data may help identify subpopulations that would benefit from additional pain treatment options.”

Read more about the report: https://nccih.nih.gov/research/statistics/NHIS/2012/pain/severity.

*This approach was developed by Kristen Miller and Mitch Loeb of the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics while working with of the Washington Group on Disability Statistics.

Health Research: High intensity training helps ease arthritis pains,♦ Evolutionary link between diet, stomach acidity ♦ Climbing a tree can improve cognitive skills

Evolutionary link between diet, stomach acidity An analysis of data on stomach acidity and diet in birds and mammals suggests that high levels of stomach acidity developed not to help animals break down food, but to defend animals against food poisoning. The work raises interesting questions about the evolution of stomach acidity in humans, and how modern life may be affecting both our stomach acidity and the microbial communities that live in our guts.

Bioethicists call for end to 'pay-to-play' clinical research Charging people to participate in research studies is likely to undermine the fundamental ethical basis of clinical research, according to a new paper written by bioethicists. The paper outlines the arguments for and against the concept of "pay-to-play" research, ultimately concluding that this type of approach compromises the overall integrity of clinical research

Colonoscopies of the future: Adjustable-focus endoscope helps to reduce discomfort An endoscopic probe that delivers adjustable-focus capabilities in a slimmer package has been developed by researchers. The findings could ultimately facilitate more effective and less painful imaging of internal tissues.

Climbing a tree can improve cognitive skills, Climbing a tree and balancing on a beam can dramatically improve cognitive skills, according to a study. The findings suggest working memory improvements can be made in just a couple of hours of these types of physical exercises.

High intensity training helps ease arthritis pains Arthritis: it’s a disease that sneaks up on you. Fingers and toes slowly but surely become stiff and painful. A nice morning stretch is no longer all it takes to get your body moving. Arthritis is a chronic illness that sinks its claws into your body, and causes inflammation in your joints. It can destroy your joints, which causes weakness and loss of movement. New research suggests that high intensity training can help with the pain that the illness provides.

Health News: Inhaled cannabis shown effective for diabetic neuropathy pain ♦ Prawn solution to spread of deadly disease ♦ Lack of knowledge on animal disease leaves humans at risk

Prawn solution to spread of deadly disease identified A deadly disease may have met its match: a bug-eyed, pint-sized crustacean. The river prawn, a natural predator of parasite-carrying snails, proves effective at curbing the spread of schistosomiasis in West Africa.

Lack of knowledge on animal disease leaves humans at risk Researchers have painted the most detailed picture to date of major infectious diseases shared between wildlife and livestock, and found a huge gap in knowledge about diseases which could spread to humans.

Inhaled cannabis shown effective for diabetic neuropathy pain Inhaled cannabis reduces diabetic neuropathy and the analgesic effect is dose-dependent, new research suggests. Researchers conducted a randomized, double-blind study evaluating 16 subjects to assess the efficacy and tolerability of inhaled cannabis for treating pain caused by diabetic peripheral neuropathy

Researchers beat untreatable eczema with arthritis drug Researchers have successfully treated patients with moderate to severe eczema using a rheumatoid arthritis drug recently shown to reverse two other disfiguring skin conditions, vitiligo and alopecia areata. The study is evidence of a potential new era in eczema treatment, they report.

Most chronic pain patients use alternative therapies, but many don't tell their doctors More than half of chronic pain patients in a managed care setting reported using chiropractic care or acupuncture or both, but many of these patients didn't discuss this care with their primary care providers. These study results suggest that better care coordination is needed among patients and physicians

Health Research;FDA approval of first drug to treat radiation sickness ♦ New possibilities for cell-based vaccines ♦ Subconscious learning shapes pain responses

Subconscious learning shapes pain responses People can be conditioned to associate images with particular pain responses – such as improved tolerance to pain – even when they are not consciously aware of the images.

Microfluidic cell-squeezing device opens new possibilities for cell-based vaccines Researchers have shown that they can use a microfluidic cell-squeezing device to introduce specific antigens inside the immune system’s B cells, providing a new approach to developing and implementing antigen-presenting cell vaccines

Anti-stroke drug effective treatment for middle-ear infections An existing anti-stroke drug is an effective treatment for middle-ear infections, showing the ability to suppress mucus overproduction, improve bacterial clearance and reduce hearing loss.

FDA approval of first drug to treat radiation sickness New research has led to FDA approval of the use of a drug to treat the effects of radiation exposure following a nuclear incident. The drug, Neupogen, is the first ever approved for the treatment of acute radiation injury.

Beyond average: New platforms genetically barcode tens of thousands of cells at a time Two separate research teams have developed high-throughput techniques to quickly, easily and inexpensively give every individual cell in a sample a unique genetic barcode. This allows scientists to analyze complex tissues by profiling each individual cell--no averaging required.

Health Research: Activate 'off signals' for pain ♦ Lower the risk of sleep apnea ♦ Smokers who use e-cigarettes less likely to quit, study shows

Playing a wind instrument could help lower the risk of sleep apnea Wind instrument players have a reduced risk of developing obstructive sleep apnea. "The findings of our small study present an interesting theory on preventative measures or treatment in sleep apnea. If the findings are confirmed in larger groups, wind instrument playing could become a cheap and non-invasive method of preventing sleep apnea in those at risk of developing the condition,"

Adenosine receptor can activate 'off signals' for pain Pain is the most common reason that people seek medical attention, but the available treatments are not always successful at relieving pain in patients with chronic pain. Now researchers found that drugs targeting the A3 adenosine receptor can "turn off" pain signals in the spinal cord to provide relief from chronic pain.

Genetic predisposition found for noise-induced hearing loss

In a new genome-wide association study, a team of neuroscientists found evidence that some people may be more genetically susceptible to noise-induced hearing loss than others

Smokers who use e-cigarettes less likely to quit, The increase in use of e-cigarettes has led to heated debates between opponents who question the safety of these devices and proponents who claim the battery-operated products are a useful cessation tool. In a new study, researchers found that smokers who used e-cigarettes were 49 percent less likely to decrease cigarette use and 59 percent less likely to quit smoking.

Health Research; Goodbye to sunburn thanks to sunburn indicator ♦ Crossing fingers can reduce feelings of pain ♦ Age-specific brain changes in autism

Goodbye to sunburn thanks to sunburn indicator Researchers have developed a strip of plastic, containing 'smart' ink, which turns colourless from an initial blue colour just before exposure to too much ultraviolet light from the sun, prompting you to move into the shade before you burn

Research aims to reduce healthcare disparities The lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender/transsexual, queer/questioning and intersex (LGBTQI) population has been largely understudied by the medical community. Researchers found that the LGBTQI community experience health disparities with being at an elevated risk for multiple types of cancer.

Crossing fingers can reduce feelings of pain How you feel pain is affected by where sources of pain are in relation to each other, and so crossing your fingers can change what you feel on a single finger, finds new research. "Many people suffer from chronic pain, and the level of pain experienced can be higher than would be expected from actual tissue damage. Our research raises the interesting possibility that pain levels could be manipulated by applying additional stimuli, and by moving one part of the body relative to others

Discovering age-specific brain changes in autism Individuals with autism spectrum disorder exhibit different patterns of brain connectivity when compared to typically developing individuals, scientists report, and those patterns adjust as the individual ages, research shows.

1/23/15 Health News: Antibiotic-Restistant Bacteria Spread Via Dust ♦ Food-Safety Education can Reduce Foodborne Illness ♦ Women’s pain ♦ Childhood adversity seen at cellular level

ANTIBIOTIC-RESISTANT BACTERIA SPREAD THROUGH DUST

There have been many concerns raised in recent years about the overuse of antibiotics on farms, but the effect such uses have on human health is not fully understood. Researchers at Texas Tech University are now suggesting that airborne dust could be a pathway for antibiotic-resistance bacteria to travel from feedlots to human environments. Scientists... Continue Reading

INCREASING FOOD-SAFETY EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS COULD REDUCE FOODBORNE ILLNESS IN KIDS

There’s a lack of food-safety education in schools that, if addressed, could help reduce the high rates of foodborne illness among children. Each year, an estimated 48 million Americans contract a foodborne illness, resulting in 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths. Vulnerable populations, including children, seniors, pregnant and postpartum women, and those with compromised immune systems, are at... Continue Reading

Women’s pain: Common, treatable and often overlooked or mismanaged

Despite the variety of effective treatments, and physicians who specialize in treating pain, women often suffer unnecessarily from conditions ranging from backaches to pain after cancer surgery, and also treat their pain with medications that may be ineffective and possibly harmful, according to a review of research Continue Reading

Connection between childhood adversity, psychiatric disorders seen at cellular level

An association between biological changes on the cellular level and both childhood adversity and psychiatric disorders has been identified by researchers. These changes in the form of telomere shortening and alterations of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), are important in the aging process. Continue Reading

Treating Migraines: More Ways to Fight the Pain

Thought there was no hope for treating your migraine headaches? Don’t give up.In the past year, the Food and Drug Administration has given adults new options for treating migraines by allowing the marketing of two prescription devices for such headaches. People who don’t tolerate drug treatments well might find relief by using the Cerena Transcranial Magnetic Stimulator or the Cefaly transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation device. Both devices have been shown in clinical studies to be effective and pose minimal risks and side effects when used according to their labeling.

There’s a great need for these noninvasive devices because many anti-migraine drugs have side effects that some patients can’t tolerate, says Michael Hoffmann, a biomedical engineer with FDA.

“A drug may have the potential for systemic side effects because it’s ingested and metabolized. It may also have a variety of side effects that vary from person to person,” Hoffmann explains. “Patients have been looking for alternative migraine treatments. Because these devices aren’t ingested or metabolized like drug therapies, they don’t necessarily have the same types of side effects.”

Two New Devices

Migraine headaches are characterized by intense pulsing or throbbing pain in one area of the head accompanied by nausea and/or vomiting and sensitivity to light and sound. A migraine can last four to 72 hours when untreated. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), 12 percent of Americans (about 37 million people) have migraines. These debilitating headaches affect children and adults, and women are three times more likely to have migraines than men (about 18 percent of women have migraines).

About one-third of people with migraines experience an aura—visual disturbances such as dots, flashing lights or a blind spot—that signals the beginning of the headache. Cerena is the first medical device granted marketing by FDA to relieve pain caused by migraine headaches that are preceded by an aura.

Patients use Cerena when they feel a headache coming on or when the pain begins. Using both hands to hold the device against the back of the head, the patient presses a button to release a very short (less than one second) magnetic pulse to stimulate the brain’s occipital cortex (the back part of the brain that processes visual information). Transcranial Magnetic Stimulator (TMS) technology, used in the Cerena device, has been studied for quite some time but has only recently been authorized for specific clinical uses.

Cefaly is the first transcutaneous (passing through the skin) electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) device granted marketing by FDA for use before the onset of a migraine, as a preventive treatment for migraine headaches. Patients can use Cefaly daily, and the treatment has been shown to reduce the number of days during which they experience migraines. TENS technology has been around a long time as a treatment for general pain, but this is the first time it’s been authorized as a preventive measure for migraines.

The portable, battery-powered Cefaly device resembles a plastic headband worn across the forehead. The user applies an electrode (a patch) to the forehead, connects the plastic headband to the electrode, and the device then emits an electrical current to stimulate one of the large nerves in the head (the trigeminal nerve), which has been associated with migraines. “It’s a set-time therapy—running for 20 minutes and stopping automatically,” Hoffmann says.

Both devices’ side effects include skin irritations, discomfort, sleepiness, dizziness and pain at site of application. These issues weren’t reported often and were resolved quickly, Hoffmann says. For example, in a telephone poll of more than 2,000 European users of Cefaly, 95 percent did not report any complaint with using the device. But the safety and effectiveness of these devices have not been established in certain populations, including children, pregnant women and people with pacemakers.

Limitations of Drugs

Although there are effective drug treatments for migraines, they can have side effects. Medical devices aim to provide an alternative treatment with fewer and more tolerable side effects.

There are many drugs to reduce migraine pain and symptoms, says Eric Bastings, M.D., a neurologist at FDA. “Although these drugs are quite effective, they are not for everyone. Some can make you tired, drowsy or dizzy. Some can affect your thinking. And some migraine drugs can cause birth defects; so pregnant women can’t use them,” he adds. “It’s important to note that medical devices have some limitations as well, and that the safety and efficacy of Cefaly and Cerena have not been established in pregnant women.”

Many people who have frequent or severe migraines may use preventive medications, including beta-blockers such as propranolol. Beta-blockers, which slow the heart rate, are used mostly to treat heart conditions. “These medications aren't for migraine patients who have asthma, some lung problems or slow heart rate,” Bastings warns.

Certain antiepileptic drugs, such as topiramate and divalproex sodium, are also prescribed for migraines. These seizure medicines, when they are taken regularly, may help to reduce the number of migraine headaches, but rarely eliminate them completely.

Migraines are often underdiagnosed and undertreated. Bastings advises patients to tell their health care providers about their headaches and to see a doctor who specializes in migraines if they don’t get adequate relief. “Doctors should be aware of the drugs approved for migraines and of alternative treatment options,” he adds.

These devices present another choice that patients can discuss with their doctors, Hoffmann says. “Now patients have more options and hopefully can find the one that works best for them.”

Ireland and Great Britain: Tesco Recalls Chocolate & Nut Cones

Tesco Ireland is recalling batches of Tesco 4 Chocolate & Nut Ice Cream Cones, due to the discovery of a pain relief tablet in two individual cones. The affected cones have a best before date up to and including July 2014

Tesco Ireland has issued in-store notices requesting customers who have bought the affected batches to return them to a Tesco store.  For further information consumers can contact Tesco Ireland on freephone 1800 248123.  No action is required by official agencies.