Health News

Comparison Of WHO And CDC Growth Curves In Assessment Of Overweight And Obesity In Children In Canada

Date: May-01-2012
Several medical organizations have recently recommended that doctors switch from using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) growth curves to the World Health Organization (WHO) growth curves to better determine overweight and obesity in children in Canada aged 5 years. However, a study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) shows no advantage in using one over the other. The CDC and WHO growth curves are used widely around the world, but they have different definitions of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents and result in different prevalence...

MRI Not Recommended For Patients With Pacemakers

Date: May-01-2012
Great care should be taken when performing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with a cardiac pacemaker. Henning Bovenschulte and his co-authors review recent findings in the latest issue of Deutsches Arzteblatt International (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2012; 109[15]: 270-5). MRI is generally contraindicated in patients with a pacemaker (PM) or an implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD), because of the risk of life-threatening events. The devices and their sensors may interact with the magnetic fields, disrupting the cardiac rhythm. Energy builds up in the electrode leads, which act as an...

Exciting Lead Into Premature Ageing And Heart Disease

Date: May-01-2012
Scientists have discovered that they can dramatically increase the life span of mice with progeria (premature ageing disease) and heart disease (caused by Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy) by reducing levels of a protein called SUN1. This research was done by A*STAR's Institute of Medical Biology (IMB) in collaboration with their partners at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in the United States and the Institute of Cellular and System Medicine in Taiwan. Their findings were published in the prestigious scientific journal, Cell and provide an exciting lead into...

Racial Differences Found In Care Of Children With Abdominal Pain In ED

Date: May-01-2012
Black children are less likely than white children to receive medication for abdominal pain in the emergency department (ED) even when they report severe pain, according to a study to be presented Saturday, April 28, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Boston. "The emergency department serves as our nation's health care safety net, where all children can receive care regardless of their insurance status, ability to pay or race," said lead author Tiffani J. Johnson, MD, pediatric emergency medicine fellow at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh and a postdoctoral scholar at...

Smoke Incursion Can Be A Problem For Apartment Dwellers: Second-Hand Smoke Exposure Puts Children At Risk For Respiratory Diseases

Date: May-01-2012
Noisy neighbors and broken-down elevators are common downsides of apartment living. You also can add unwanted tobacco smoke to the list of hazards, according to research presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Boston. Studies have shown that tobacco smoke can seep from one apartment into another. The extent to which this happens, however, is unclear. Researchers from the American Academy of Pediatrics Julius B. Richmond Center of Excellence surveyed a nationally representative sample of adults living in apartments to examine factors associated with unwanted...

Youths With Special Needs At Risk For Depression When Ostracized By Peers

Date: May-01-2012
The challenges that come with battling a chronic medical condition or developmental disability are enough to get a young person down. But being left out, ignored or bullied by their peers is the main reason youths with special health care needs report symptoms of anxiety or depression, according to a study to be presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Boston. Being bullied has been shown to increase students' risk for academic and emotional problems. Little research has been done specifically on how being a victim of bullying affects youths with special needs. In...

Obese Women May Be Discriminated Against In The Workplace

Date: May-01-2012
Obese women are more likely to be discriminated against when applying for jobs and receive lower starting salaries than their non-overweight colleagues, a new study has found. The study, led by The University of Manchester and Monash University, Melbourne, and published in the International Journal of Obesity, examined whether a recently developed measure of anti-fat prejudice, the universal measure of bias (UMB), predicted actual obesity job discrimination. The researchers also assessed whether people's insecurity with their own bodies (body image) and conservative personalities such as,...

Fast-Food Ad Familiarity Linked To Obesity

Date: May-01-2012
There is a long-held concern that youths who eat a lot of fast food are at risk for becoming overweight. New research to be presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Boston shows that greater familiarity with fast-food restaurant advertising on television is associated with obesity in young people. "We know that children and adolescents are highly exposed to fast-food restaurant advertising, particularly on television. This study links obesity in young people to familiarity with this advertising, suggesting that youth who are aware of and receptive to televised...

Treating Traumatic Shoulder Injuries: New Standards To Improve Patient Care

Date: May-01-2012
Traumatic Shoulder Injuries: New Standards To Improve Patient Care Main Category: Bones / Orthopedics Article Date: 01 May 2012 - 0:00 PDT  email to a friend   printer friendly   opinions    rate article  Current ratings for: 'Treating Traumatic Shoulder Injuries: New Standards To Improve Patient Care' Patient / Public: 5 (1 votes) Healthcare Prof: 1 (1 votes) Traumatic shoulder injuries that result in a patient visit to the ER often contain a secondary injury that can cause pain and discomfort in that part of the body after the primary injury has healed. By focusing on the...

Should Pacifiers Be Discouraged?

Date: May-01-2012
A recent study, which was presented yesterday, April 30, at the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting in Boston, revealed that although people have long believed that pacifiers may tamper with breastfeeding, researchers determined that not giving babies binkies while in the hospital increases the amount of formula they are drinking.  Evidence has shown reduced illness, such as diarrhea and ear infections, obesity, asthma, and even some types of cancers in babies who are breast fed, and health benefits for mothers who breastfeed; the American Academy of Pediatrics advises mothers to...