- Obstructive sleep apnea is associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, particularly heart failure, a study found.
- The severity of obstructive sleep apnea was significantly associated with higher levels of high-sensitivity troponin, suggesting that subclinical myocardial injury may play a role in the association with risk of heart failure.
underwriting
Red Meat Tied to Cancer Risk in Some People
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Red and processed meat consumption was significantly associated with colorectal cancer risk in patients who had a common gene mutation, researchers found.
- Note that, if replicated, the findings suggest selected individuals at higher risk of colorectal cancer based on genomic profiling could be targeted for screening, diet modification, and other prevention strategies.
BBC News – Madagascar Bubonic Plague Warning
Madagascar faces a bubonic plague epidemic unless it slows the spread of the disease, experts have warned.
Madagascar had 256 plague cases and 60 deaths last year, the world’s highest recorded number.
Acute Hepatitis and Liver Failure Following the Use of a Dietary Supplement Intended for Weight Loss or Muscle Building — May–October 2013
On September 9, 2013, the Hawaii Department of Health (HDOH) was notified of seven patients with severe acute hepatitis and fulminant liver failure of unknown etiology. Patients were previously healthy and sought medical care during May-September 2013. Clinicians reported that the seven patients had all used OxyELITE Pro, a dietary supplement marketed for weight loss and muscle gain, before illness onset.
Oops.
Mind the Gap – Dangerous Weight Loss Goal
Studies suggest that peer pressure from social media plays a significant role in eating disorders. A 2011 study at the University of Haifa found that adolescent girls who spent the most time using Facebook had a greater chance of developing a negative body image and an eating disorder.
via Social media fuel dangerous weight-loss goal » The Commercial Appeal.
Shorter Life Expectancy Persists in Type 1 Diabetes
Colhoun said there have been few large-scale evaluations of life expectancy in type 1 diabetes, with the largest from the 1970s. To attain more current estimates, the researchers looked at data on 24,971 patients from Scotland with the disease — a cohort in which there were 1,079 deaths.
They then compared that information with data from the general population of Scotland with 12,055,160 people and 162,066 deaths.
Overall, they found significant gaps in life expectancy between type 1 diabetics and the general population — a difference of 11.1 years for men and 14.3 years for women between the ages of 20 and 25.
Life Stressors Increase Mortality Risk
When they looked at life stressors and mortality, they found that 510 persons said they experienced none of the 10 major life events, and over the course of the follow-up, 159 of them died. Of the 853 people who listed one major life event, 276 died — a crude nonsignificant 4% increased risk of all-cause mortality compared with those having no life stressors.
Of the 588 individuals who experienced two life stressors, 213 died, translating to a crude 21% increased risk that also failed to achieve statistical significance. The researchers identified 257 people who experienced three life stressors, and 101 of them died, a crude 50% increase in all-cause mortality that was significant. They also reported that 177 persons experienced four or more life events, and 78 of that group died, translating to a crude all-cause mortality increase was 60% higher than those with no life stressors, also significant.
When the researchers adjusted for age and sex, the significant findings held for those with three or more events. When the figures were also adjusted for glycemic parameters, type 2 diabetes prevalence, body mass index, hypertension and cardiovascular disease prevalence, significance remained for those with four or more life stressor events — a 38% increased risk (95% CI 1.0-1.8), Rutters said.
South Africa’s Nyaope (heroin-marijuana cocktail)
Nyaope is a whitish powder – low-grade heroin mixed with ingredients such as rat poison and sometimes even crushed-up medicine for people with HIV.
via BBC News – South Africa’s craze for heroin-marijuana cocktail.
Cows Vs Great Whites: Which Are More Likely to Kill You? – Physician’s Weekly
You rarely hear about a cow killing a human, but it happens about 20 times every year. Between 2003 and 2008, 108 people in the United States died from injuries caused by cattle, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s 27 times the whopping 4 people killed in shark attacks in the United States during the same time period, according to the International Shark Attack File.
via Cows Vs Great Whites: Which Are More Likely to Kill You? | Physician’s Weekly.
Metformin and Cognitive Impairment
In a retrospective study, diabetic patients who were taking metformin had worse cognitive performance than those not taking the drug (odds ratio 2.23, 95% CI 1.05-4.75), Eileen Moore, PhD, of the University of Melbourne in Australia, and colleagues reported online in Diabetes Care.
Additionally, patients with diabetes who had vitamin B12 levels less than 250 pmol/L also had worse cognitive performance (OR 2.29, 95% CI 1.12-4.66), and the association between metformin and cognitive impairment was weakened after adjusting for vitamin B12 levels, they stated.
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