2014 Saw Only 3 Shark Attack Deaths Worldwide – MedicineNet.
Last year’s 50% reduction in the average yearly death toll does nothing to alleviate my irrational fear of being eaten alive by a shark.
underwriting
MUST READ – 5 Takeaways – Diabetes Drugs Investigation – Medpage Today
5 Takeaways from the Diabetes Drugs Investigation | Medpage Today.
At least 3,300 deaths and 20,000 hospitalizations have been linked to new diabetes drugs in adverse event reports submitted by clinicians and pharmaceutical companies to the FDA since 2004.
Read and pay close attention to the chart of adverse events by drug. The lizard strikes back (Byetta).
Lessons in Diabetes Care from Around the World – Medpage Today
Diabetes outcomes are better with effective self-management, and therefore patients must be engaged in understanding proper self-care and making healthy behavior changes.
via Lessons in Diabetes Care from Around the World | Medpage Today.
Hypertension Becoming More Deadly? – Medpage Today
Hypertension is increasingly contributing to U.S. mortality, a national death-certificate study showed.
Pregnancy Related Deaths Rising in the US
Since 1990, the rate of pregnancy-related deaths for all women in the United States has essentially doubled, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System. Between 1987-1990, the rate was 9.1 pregnancy-related deaths per 100,000 live births; the rate in 2011 was 17.8/100,000
via Physician’s Weekly for Medical News, Opinions, Features Articles.
Workplace Suicide Rates Rise Sharply – NPR
Jobs with greatest risk include law enforcement, firefighting and protective services, such as private detectives and security guards. The suicide rate for the group was 1.5 per million workers per year over the study period. The vast majority of these suicides (84 percent) involved firearms. Easy access to guns for some and the high stress in these jobs may both play roles in the workers’ decisions about suicide.
via Workplace Suicide Rates Rise Sharply : Shots – Health News : NPR.
The Far-Reaching Effects of a Fall – NYTimes.com
Statistics among older people are indeed daunting. Dr. Laurence Z. Rubenstein, chairman of geriatrics at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, reports that those 65 and older constitute about 13 percent of the population but account for three-fourths of all deaths caused by falls. About 40 percent in this age group fall at least once a year; one in 40 of them ends up in the hospital, after which only half are still alive a year later.
More Bad News for Niacin
More Bad News for Niacin: Health After 50.
Health After 50
More Bad News for Niacin
Are you currently taking niacin to improve your cholesterol levels? If so, a conversation with your doctor may be warranted to determine whether you should continue taking niacin.
The reason for reconsidering niacin is twofold: First, a new study claims that the drug doesn’t help lower heart attack or stroke risk and may instead cause serious side effects. Second, studies haven’t been able to show that raising “good” HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol — one of the effects of niacin — has a benefit for people who already have heart disease.
For years, doctors have speculated on whether taking niacin to raise levels of HDL cholesterol could lower the risk of a heart attack, stroke or other cardiac events. The latest results from the recent HPS2-THRIVE trial, published by the New England Journal of Medicine, have answered with a resounding “no.”
This isn’t the first time niacin has been given the thumbs-down — past trials have reached similar conclusions, most notably the AIM-HIGH study of more than 3,400 patients on statin therapy. Researchers stopped that trial early in 2011 because of the apparent lack of benefit from niacin, along with reports of adverse events.
Dr. James L. Weiss, professor of cardiology at Johns Hopkins weighs in: “Higher HDL levels are associated with better heart outcomes, but that doesn’t mean they directly cause these better outcomes — an important distinction.
“Another way to look at it: Low HDL levels may be linked to an increased heart disease risk, but raising them with niacin doesn’t seem to reduce that risk. Still, it makes sense that you’d want more HDL cholesterol in your body.
“You can naturally increase levels by eating healthier foods, exercising regularly and quitting smoking. In the end, good health outcomes stem from making good lifestyle choices. For patients who stand to benefit from drug therapy, current guidelines recommend statins alone as the most effective therapy for reducing cardiovascular risk and suggest niacin for only selected high-risk patients for whom benefits outweigh risks.”
Posted in Heart Health on March 6, 2015
Medical Disclaimer: This information is not intended to substitute for the advice of a physician. Click here for additional information: Health After 50 Disclaimer
How to Choose Best Opoid Addiction Treatment – Medpage Today
How to Choose Best Opoid Addiction Treatment | Medpage Today.
The pros and cons of methadone and buprenorphine.
Austerity Kills: Economic Distress Seen as Culprit in Sharp Rise in Suicide Rate Among Middle Aged – naked capitalism
Suicide rates for adults between 40 and 64 years of age in the U.S. have risen about 40% since 1999, with a sharp rise since 2007. One possible explanation could be the detrimental effects of the economic downturn of 2007-2009, leading to disproportionate effects on house values, household finances, and retirement savings for that age group. In a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, researchers found that external economic factors were present in 37.5% of all completed suicides in 2010, rising from 32.9% in 2005.
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