By Daniel J. DeNoon
WebMD Feature
he first and only person ever to be cured of HIV/AIDS is a leukemia patient treated in Berlin with HIV-resistant stem cells.
Although the Berlin patient was treated in 2007, researchers are only now officially using the word "cure." That's because extensive tests -- including analyses of tissues from his brain, gut, and other organs -- detect no sign of lingering HIV.
Few people with HIV would want to go through the grueling and life-threatening cancer treatment that was part of this cure. And so far, the cure has not been duplicated in other HIV-positive leukemia patients who underwent similar treatment.
Yet the finding already has transformed AIDS research. What really happened? What does this mean for people who have HIV/AIDS? Here are WebMD's answers to these and other questions about the first HIV cure.
Sourch: www.webmd.com
Smoking Will Never Be This Convenient Without Smokebot Chicago Electronic Cigarettes
Choices in life can either fail us or make us successful. In everything that we do, we should put convenience in mind. There is nothing more convenient in choosing the newest and most high state of the art electronic cigarettes and accessories in the market today: Smokebot Chicago electronic cigarettes.
Smokebot Chicago electronic cigarettes are the latest smoking alternative brought to us by technology. It is the most advanced electronic cigarette available these days. It has soft tip cartridge, the latest state of the art technology that really looks like the real tobacco cigarette. It is powered by a lithium ion battery called "bots", and has an indicator light for one to gauge if it needs recharging. The cartridge or the "smoke" has a customized chamber to house the liquid nicotine solution. When this cartridge is fastened to its battery, the solution is heated up and turns it into vapor. You simply have to sip in the vapor and puff it out the way you do a real cigarette.
Smokebot Chicago electronic cigarettes have a charger pack exclusively compatible to the Smokebot soft tip electronic cigarette. It has an indicator for you to know if it is charging and when you needed to recharge it. An additional feature is a flashlight at the bottom of it in case of darkness. It also includes other accessories such as wall charge with USB cord, USB charger, and car charger attachment.
Not only that, it also comes in five different flavors. The traditional tobacco flavor for those smokers wishing to taste the smooth blend of tobacco, the mountain menthol is for people who love to feel the cool mountain breeze, the jolt juice is for people who are always on the go to have a bit of a jolt, the very vanilla is for people who love the sweet vanilla bean flavor, and for the coffee enthusiasts, the mocha mist is just right for you to savor the aroma of a roasted robust coffee bean. If one wishes to taste all of the five flavors in one purchasing, Smokebot electronic cigarettes are offering a variety pack for you to enjoy.
What makes it more convenient is it has no pungent odor which makes it possible for you to smoke in places where smoking is prohibited. You can smoke anywhere and anytime you want.
Source: www.articlesbase.com
Smokebot Chicago electronic cigarettes are the latest smoking alternative brought to us by technology. It is the most advanced electronic cigarette available these days. It has soft tip cartridge, the latest state of the art technology that really looks like the real tobacco cigarette. It is powered by a lithium ion battery called "bots", and has an indicator light for one to gauge if it needs recharging. The cartridge or the "smoke" has a customized chamber to house the liquid nicotine solution. When this cartridge is fastened to its battery, the solution is heated up and turns it into vapor. You simply have to sip in the vapor and puff it out the way you do a real cigarette.
Smokebot Chicago electronic cigarettes have a charger pack exclusively compatible to the Smokebot soft tip electronic cigarette. It has an indicator for you to know if it is charging and when you needed to recharge it. An additional feature is a flashlight at the bottom of it in case of darkness. It also includes other accessories such as wall charge with USB cord, USB charger, and car charger attachment.
Not only that, it also comes in five different flavors. The traditional tobacco flavor for those smokers wishing to taste the smooth blend of tobacco, the mountain menthol is for people who love to feel the cool mountain breeze, the jolt juice is for people who are always on the go to have a bit of a jolt, the very vanilla is for people who love the sweet vanilla bean flavor, and for the coffee enthusiasts, the mocha mist is just right for you to savor the aroma of a roasted robust coffee bean. If one wishes to taste all of the five flavors in one purchasing, Smokebot electronic cigarettes are offering a variety pack for you to enjoy.
What makes it more convenient is it has no pungent odor which makes it possible for you to smoke in places where smoking is prohibited. You can smoke anywhere and anytime you want.
Source: www.articlesbase.com
Early Detection and Better Treatment Are Factors in Decline in Cancer Deaths
By Bill Hendrick
WebMD Health News
Death rates for cancer are continuing a slow but steady decline in the U.S., due mainly to improved efforts at early detection, better treatments, and smoking cessation, the American Cancer Society (ACS) says in a new report.
Death rates for all cancers combined decreased 2% per year from 2001 to 2006 in males and 1.5% annually from 2002 to 2006 in females, the ACS says.
The report says lung, prostate, and colorectal cancers in men and lung, breast, and colorectal cancers in women continue to be the most common fatal cancers, accounting for about half of the total cancer deaths among men and women.
The ACS estimates that prostate, lung, and colorectal cancers will account for 52% of all newly diagnosed cases in 2010 in men. In women, breast, lung, and colorectal cancers will account for 52% of new diagnoses this year.
The ACS estimates that more than 1.5 million new cancer cases -- 789,620 in men and 739,940 in women -- will be diagnosed in 2010. It estimates that 569,490 people will die of cancer this year.
The annual rates of decline might seem small or modest, but they add up to significant drops, David Sampson, spokesman for the ACS, tells WebMD.
Other findings in the report:
* Prostate cancer will account for 28% of the new cases of cancers in men.
* Breast cancer is expected to account for 28% of all new cases in women.
* Cancer incidence rates decreased in men 1.3% per year from 2000 to 2006, and 0.5% in women annually from 1998 to 2006.
* Lung cancer incidence rates have been declining 1.8% annually in men since 1991 and appear to be leveling off in women after increasing for decades.
* Colorectal cancer incidence rates dropped markedly from 1998 through 2006, by 3% annually in men and 2.2% in women.
* Lung cancer will remain the leading cause of cancer death in men and women, followed by prostate cancer for men and breast cancer for women.
Assess Your Risk for the 5 Most Common Cancers
Building on Past Success
"This report is yet more proof that we are creating a world with more birthdays," says John R. Seffrin, PhD, chief executive of the ACS. "We will build on our progress in the fight against cancer through laws and policies that increase access to cancer prevention, early detection and treatment services, and with a sustained federal investment in research designed to find breakthroughs in the prevention and treatment of the most deadly forms of cancer."
The numbers come from Cancer Statistics 2010, published online in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.
The report also says that:
* Cancer is the second leading cause of death among children between ages 1 to 14, after accidents.
* The five-year relative survival rate among children for all cancers combined improved from 58% for patients diagnosed in 1975 to 1977 to 81% for those diagnosed in 1999-2005.
The ACS says a decline in cancer mortality rates over the past 16 years has averted more than 767,000 deaths.
"Not all of this was due to some remarkable breakthrough in medical treatment, although some of it certainly is due to better cancer care," writes Leonard Lichtenfeld, MD, MACP, deputy chief medical officer of the national office of the American Cancer Society, on his blog.
"Much of it has to do with stopping smoking, or not starting for that matter, especially among men," he writes. "Much of it has to do with better screening and early detection of breast and colorectal cancer, and perhaps prostate cancer. Some of it may have to do with lifestyle changes, such as increased awareness of the importance of exercise and diet in reducing cancer risk."
Source: WebMD Health News
WebMD Health News
Death rates for cancer are continuing a slow but steady decline in the U.S., due mainly to improved efforts at early detection, better treatments, and smoking cessation, the American Cancer Society (ACS) says in a new report.
Death rates for all cancers combined decreased 2% per year from 2001 to 2006 in males and 1.5% annually from 2002 to 2006 in females, the ACS says.
The report says lung, prostate, and colorectal cancers in men and lung, breast, and colorectal cancers in women continue to be the most common fatal cancers, accounting for about half of the total cancer deaths among men and women.
The ACS estimates that prostate, lung, and colorectal cancers will account for 52% of all newly diagnosed cases in 2010 in men. In women, breast, lung, and colorectal cancers will account for 52% of new diagnoses this year.
The ACS estimates that more than 1.5 million new cancer cases -- 789,620 in men and 739,940 in women -- will be diagnosed in 2010. It estimates that 569,490 people will die of cancer this year.
The annual rates of decline might seem small or modest, but they add up to significant drops, David Sampson, spokesman for the ACS, tells WebMD.
Other findings in the report:
* Prostate cancer will account for 28% of the new cases of cancers in men.
* Breast cancer is expected to account for 28% of all new cases in women.
* Cancer incidence rates decreased in men 1.3% per year from 2000 to 2006, and 0.5% in women annually from 1998 to 2006.
* Lung cancer incidence rates have been declining 1.8% annually in men since 1991 and appear to be leveling off in women after increasing for decades.
* Colorectal cancer incidence rates dropped markedly from 1998 through 2006, by 3% annually in men and 2.2% in women.
* Lung cancer will remain the leading cause of cancer death in men and women, followed by prostate cancer for men and breast cancer for women.
Assess Your Risk for the 5 Most Common Cancers
Building on Past Success
"This report is yet more proof that we are creating a world with more birthdays," says John R. Seffrin, PhD, chief executive of the ACS. "We will build on our progress in the fight against cancer through laws and policies that increase access to cancer prevention, early detection and treatment services, and with a sustained federal investment in research designed to find breakthroughs in the prevention and treatment of the most deadly forms of cancer."
The numbers come from Cancer Statistics 2010, published online in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.
The report also says that:
* Cancer is the second leading cause of death among children between ages 1 to 14, after accidents.
* The five-year relative survival rate among children for all cancers combined improved from 58% for patients diagnosed in 1975 to 1977 to 81% for those diagnosed in 1999-2005.
The ACS says a decline in cancer mortality rates over the past 16 years has averted more than 767,000 deaths.
"Not all of this was due to some remarkable breakthrough in medical treatment, although some of it certainly is due to better cancer care," writes Leonard Lichtenfeld, MD, MACP, deputy chief medical officer of the national office of the American Cancer Society, on his blog.
"Much of it has to do with stopping smoking, or not starting for that matter, especially among men," he writes. "Much of it has to do with better screening and early detection of breast and colorectal cancer, and perhaps prostate cancer. Some of it may have to do with lifestyle changes, such as increased awareness of the importance of exercise and diet in reducing cancer risk."
Source: WebMD Health News
Poverty Does Not Mean Unhappiness
Money Boosts Life Satisfaction, but Not Necessarily Positive Feelings, Study Finds
By Bill Hendrick
WebMD Health News
All over the world, life satisfaction rises with income, but income is not necessarily highly correlated with positive feelings and enjoying yourself, new research indicates.
An analysis of findings from a study of 136,000 people in 132 countries also suggests that there is no single prescription for happiness, which depends on many factors, including local culture and expectations.
The findings from the data, gathered in the first Gallup World Poll, are published in the July issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
“The public always wonders: Does money make you happy?” Ed Diener, PhD, professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Illinois and a senior scientist with the Gallup Organization, says in a news release. “This study shows that it all depends on how you define happiness, because if you look at life satisfaction, how you evaluate your life as a whole, you see a pretty strong correlation around the world between income and happiness.”
However, he says in a news release, “it’s pretty shocking how small the correlation is with positive feelings and enjoying yourself.”
Money, Happiness, and Satisfaction
The pollsters asked people questions on a wide range of topics, including whether their basic needs were met, what kinds of conveniences they owned, and whether their psychological needs were met.
Participants were also asked about positive and negative emotions experienced the previous day, whether they felt respected, had family and friends they could count on in an emergency, and how free they felt to choose their daily activities.
Diener says positive feelings are much more associated with factors such as whether they feel respected, have autonomy, and if their jobs are fulfilling.
“Everybody has been looking at just life satisfaction and income,” he says. “And while it is true that getting richer will make you more satisfied with your life, it may not have the big impact we thought on enjoying life.”
Among findings:
* The United States had the highest income but ranked 16th in life satisfaction and 26th on positive feelings.
* Denmark ranks high across categories. The country ranked No. 1 on life satisfaction, seventh on positive feelings, and fifth in income.
* Extremely impoverished countries in Africa generally scored low on various categories, but no nation came in lowest in all types of happiness.
* Israel ranks high on life satisfaction (11th) but much lower in positive feelings.
* South Korea is a relatively wealthy country ranking 24th in income, but ranking 58th in positive feelings.
* Some nations such as Costa Rica and New Zealand are happier than their income levels would suggest. Costa Rica ranks 41st in income but fourth in positive feelings, while New Zealand ranks 22nd in incomes but first in positive feelings.
* Some mid-level countries such as Costa Rica do well and some like South Korea less well “in part because of the quality of social relationships,” Diener says in emailed responses to questions from WebMD.
* Self-esteem is more important to happiness in the U.S. than in “traditional” cultures.
Poverty Does Not Mean Unhappiness
Diener says Danes are happier mainly for two reasons -- social trust is very high, and corruption is considered low. Also, people in Denmark are more satisfied with “their economic safety net” than people in the U.S., Diener says.
Also, factors that influence feelings of well-being vary from country to country, he says.
Diener says the study “clearly shows” that there is no single prescription for happiness.
Money, he says, no more guarantees happiness than cigarette smoking guarantees cancer, but they increase the chances.
In studies of poor people, researchers find that some are happy, in part because their needs are met.
“We have interviewed happy people in the slums of Calcutta and they can be relatively happy, although dissatisfied with their poverty, because they are rich in family and friends,” he says.
Money makes a bigger difference to happiness among poor people, but it takes a lot more additional money to change the happiness of a person who is well-off, Diener says.
Source: http://www.webmd.com/balance/news/20100701/can-money-buy-happiness?page=2
By Bill Hendrick
WebMD Health News
All over the world, life satisfaction rises with income, but income is not necessarily highly correlated with positive feelings and enjoying yourself, new research indicates.
An analysis of findings from a study of 136,000 people in 132 countries also suggests that there is no single prescription for happiness, which depends on many factors, including local culture and expectations.
The findings from the data, gathered in the first Gallup World Poll, are published in the July issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
“The public always wonders: Does money make you happy?” Ed Diener, PhD, professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Illinois and a senior scientist with the Gallup Organization, says in a news release. “This study shows that it all depends on how you define happiness, because if you look at life satisfaction, how you evaluate your life as a whole, you see a pretty strong correlation around the world between income and happiness.”
However, he says in a news release, “it’s pretty shocking how small the correlation is with positive feelings and enjoying yourself.”
Money, Happiness, and Satisfaction
The pollsters asked people questions on a wide range of topics, including whether their basic needs were met, what kinds of conveniences they owned, and whether their psychological needs were met.
Participants were also asked about positive and negative emotions experienced the previous day, whether they felt respected, had family and friends they could count on in an emergency, and how free they felt to choose their daily activities.
Diener says positive feelings are much more associated with factors such as whether they feel respected, have autonomy, and if their jobs are fulfilling.
“Everybody has been looking at just life satisfaction and income,” he says. “And while it is true that getting richer will make you more satisfied with your life, it may not have the big impact we thought on enjoying life.”
Among findings:
* The United States had the highest income but ranked 16th in life satisfaction and 26th on positive feelings.
* Denmark ranks high across categories. The country ranked No. 1 on life satisfaction, seventh on positive feelings, and fifth in income.
* Extremely impoverished countries in Africa generally scored low on various categories, but no nation came in lowest in all types of happiness.
* Israel ranks high on life satisfaction (11th) but much lower in positive feelings.
* South Korea is a relatively wealthy country ranking 24th in income, but ranking 58th in positive feelings.
* Some nations such as Costa Rica and New Zealand are happier than their income levels would suggest. Costa Rica ranks 41st in income but fourth in positive feelings, while New Zealand ranks 22nd in incomes but first in positive feelings.
* Some mid-level countries such as Costa Rica do well and some like South Korea less well “in part because of the quality of social relationships,” Diener says in emailed responses to questions from WebMD.
* Self-esteem is more important to happiness in the U.S. than in “traditional” cultures.
Poverty Does Not Mean Unhappiness
Diener says Danes are happier mainly for two reasons -- social trust is very high, and corruption is considered low. Also, people in Denmark are more satisfied with “their economic safety net” than people in the U.S., Diener says.
Also, factors that influence feelings of well-being vary from country to country, he says.
Diener says the study “clearly shows” that there is no single prescription for happiness.
Money, he says, no more guarantees happiness than cigarette smoking guarantees cancer, but they increase the chances.
In studies of poor people, researchers find that some are happy, in part because their needs are met.
“We have interviewed happy people in the slums of Calcutta and they can be relatively happy, although dissatisfied with their poverty, because they are rich in family and friends,” he says.
Money makes a bigger difference to happiness among poor people, but it takes a lot more additional money to change the happiness of a person who is well-off, Diener says.
Source: http://www.webmd.com/balance/news/20100701/can-money-buy-happiness?page=2
Baby Einstein: Can baby DVDs promote infant development?
Baby DVDs, such as Baby Einstein, may catch your baby's attention, but screen time isn't likely to promote his or her development. In fact, an infant can learn just as much — if not more — by interacting with you or other caregivers.
Research examining the specific effects of baby DVDs and other infant programming is limited. In a 2007 study, children ages 8 months to 16 months learned six to eight fewer new words for every hour of screen time a day than did babies who had no screen time. In a 2009 study of children ages 2 months to 4 years, turning on the television reduced verbal interaction between parents and children — which may delay language development. In contrast, research has shown that reading to young children once a day has the opposite effect, boosting language ability for both babies and toddlers.
Many pediatricians discourage screen time for children younger than age 2. Instead of relying on Baby Einstein DVDs, concentrate on proven ways to promote infant development — such as talking, playing, singing and reading to your baby. Even if your baby doesn't understand what you're saying or grasp the plot of a story, he or she will soak in your words and revel in your attention. These simple activities form the foundation for speech and thought.
Still, baby DVDs such as Baby Einstein aren't necessarily off-limits. If your family enjoys this kind of programming, turn it on only occasionally — and encourage interaction by watching the programming together.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/baby-einstein/AN01990
Walk Your Dog to Unleash Better Health
Pet Owners Reap Big Health Benefits From Regular Walks With the Dog, Study Says
By Charlene Laino
WebMD Health News
Walking your dog not only can help keep you physically fit and at a healthy weight, but also may help ward off high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
"Dog owners who don't walk their dog are missing a great opportunity to get physical activity and stay healthy," says researcher Cindy Lentino, MS, an exercise scientist at George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services.
"If you walk your dog just 30 minutes a day, you can meet national recommendations for physical activity," she tells WebMD.
You don't have to look far to find a canine exercise buddy: About 72 million dogs have a place to call home in the U.S. and many more live in shelters, foster homes, and with rescue groups.
The study was presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) in Baltimore.
Fitness Buddies: Exercising With Your Dog
Dog Owners Less Stressed
Lentino says she got the idea for the study, which was part of her master's thesis, after hearing a presentation about the relationship between dog ownership and physical activity at a previous ACSM meeting.
"I wanted to go beyond that and look at health variables among people who walk their dogs, dog owners who don't walk their dogs, and people without dogs," Lentino says.
The study involved 916 healthy people, about three-fourths of whom were women, with an average age of 40.
A total of 380 didn't own dogs, 399 were dog owners who walked their dogs, and 137 were dog owners who did not walk their dogs.
All the study participants filled out detailed online surveys with more than 35 questions on physical activity and physical and mental health. Responses were matched against goals set by the government's Healthy People 2010 imitative.
Dog Walkers More Physically Fit
Compared with participants who regularly walked their four-legged pals, dog owners who didn't walk their pets:
* Were 58% more likely to be overweight or underweight.
* Were substantially less likely to meet the ACSM/American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines for physical activity, which call for moderately intense cardio exercise at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week. That means working hard enough to raise your heart rate and break a sweat, yet still being able to carry on a conversation.
* Spent about 30 more minutes sitting around every day, on average.
* Were more than twice as likely to have high blood pressure.
When matched against people who didn't own a dog, the dog walkers:
* Were 11% less likely to use tobacco products.
* Had about one-third the risk of diabetes.
* Were about 15% less likely to have high blood pressure and about 30% less likely to have high cholesterol.
* Were about 35% less likely to have symptoms of depression.
Just owning a dog was associated with better social support systems, Lentino says.
AHA spokesman Barry Franklin, PhD, director of preventive cardiology at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich., tells WebMD that several studies have shown that heart disease patients who have dogs have a better prognosis.
Source: http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/news/20100608/walk-your-dog-to-unleash-better-health
By Charlene Laino
WebMD Health News
Walking your dog not only can help keep you physically fit and at a healthy weight, but also may help ward off high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
"Dog owners who don't walk their dog are missing a great opportunity to get physical activity and stay healthy," says researcher Cindy Lentino, MS, an exercise scientist at George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services.
"If you walk your dog just 30 minutes a day, you can meet national recommendations for physical activity," she tells WebMD.
You don't have to look far to find a canine exercise buddy: About 72 million dogs have a place to call home in the U.S. and many more live in shelters, foster homes, and with rescue groups.
The study was presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) in Baltimore.
Fitness Buddies: Exercising With Your Dog
Dog Owners Less Stressed
Lentino says she got the idea for the study, which was part of her master's thesis, after hearing a presentation about the relationship between dog ownership and physical activity at a previous ACSM meeting.
"I wanted to go beyond that and look at health variables among people who walk their dogs, dog owners who don't walk their dogs, and people without dogs," Lentino says.
The study involved 916 healthy people, about three-fourths of whom were women, with an average age of 40.
A total of 380 didn't own dogs, 399 were dog owners who walked their dogs, and 137 were dog owners who did not walk their dogs.
All the study participants filled out detailed online surveys with more than 35 questions on physical activity and physical and mental health. Responses were matched against goals set by the government's Healthy People 2010 imitative.
Dog Walkers More Physically Fit
Compared with participants who regularly walked their four-legged pals, dog owners who didn't walk their pets:
* Were 58% more likely to be overweight or underweight.
* Were substantially less likely to meet the ACSM/American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines for physical activity, which call for moderately intense cardio exercise at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week. That means working hard enough to raise your heart rate and break a sweat, yet still being able to carry on a conversation.
* Spent about 30 more minutes sitting around every day, on average.
* Were more than twice as likely to have high blood pressure.
When matched against people who didn't own a dog, the dog walkers:
* Were 11% less likely to use tobacco products.
* Had about one-third the risk of diabetes.
* Were about 15% less likely to have high blood pressure and about 30% less likely to have high cholesterol.
* Were about 35% less likely to have symptoms of depression.
Just owning a dog was associated with better social support systems, Lentino says.
AHA spokesman Barry Franklin, PhD, director of preventive cardiology at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich., tells WebMD that several studies have shown that heart disease patients who have dogs have a better prognosis.
Source: http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/news/20100608/walk-your-dog-to-unleash-better-health
Boost From Coffee Is Just an illusion
Study Suggests the 'Alert' Feeling From Drinking Coffee May Not Be Real
Nighttime Urination Linked to Higher Death Risk
Study Shows Frequent Urination at Night Associated With Increased Mortality Rate
By Charlene Laino
WebMD Health News
Men and women who have to get up two or more times a night to urinate appear to be at an increased risk of death, researchers say.
The increased risk of mortality was seen in all age groups -- 20- to 49 year-olds, 50- to 64-year-olds, and 65- to 90-year-olds -- says Varant Kupelian, PhD, a research scientist at the New England Research Institute in Watertown, Mass.
"Nocturia [defined in the study as having to urinate two or more times a night] is a predictor of mortality, and surprisingly more so in relatively younger men and women, rather than in the elderly," he tells WebMD.
The greater risk of deaths in younger adults "suggests that what we are catching [with frequent night urination] is a marker or warning sign for subclinical disease or for the impending development of chronic disease," he says.
In older adults, falls and fractures that occur when people get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night may account for some of the increase in mortality, Kupelian says.
Relationship of Nocturia to Mortality
In the study, Kupelian and colleagues mined data gathered during a large national health survey to determine the relationship of nocturia to mortality. Analyses were conducted on a sample of 15,988 men and women age 20 and older.
Nocturia was assessed using the question: "How many times a night do you usually get up to urinate (pass water)?"
The researchers found that over a nine-year period:
* Men aged 20-40 who woke up two or more times a night to urinate had a 2.56-fold increased risk of dying.
* Women ages 20-29 with nocturia had a 10% increased risk of mortality, but that could have been due to chance.
* Men aged 50-64 with nocturia had a 60% increased risk of dying.
* Women ages 50-64 with nocturia had a 94% increased risk of dying.
* Men aged 65-90 with nocturia had a 49% increased risk of dying.
* Women aged 65-90 with nocturia had a 32% increased risk of dying.
The analysis took into account other factors that can affect mortality, including age, other medical conditions, marital status, body mass index, and smoking.
Frequent Nighttime Urination
"Getting up two or three times a night to urinate doesn't mean you're going to die. But you should advise clinicians of the problem and undergo a thorough workup to determine if there is an underlying cause to your nocturia," says Tomas Griebling, MD, associate professor of urology at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City.
Griebling tells WebMD that nocturia can be treated with medication to control overactive bladders and with behavioral modification.
"Even simple steps like avoiding fluids at night may help," says Griebling, who moderated a press briefing at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association to discuss the findings.
"We do not know if treatment can alter the risk of mortality," says Kepulian, but it might decrease the number of trips to the bathroom during the night and reduce sleep disturbances.
The research was funded by Ferring Pharmaceuticals.
Source: http://www.webmd.com/urinary-incontinence-oab/news/20100601/nighttime-urination-linked-to-higher-death-risk
By Charlene Laino
WebMD Health News
Men and women who have to get up two or more times a night to urinate appear to be at an increased risk of death, researchers say.
The increased risk of mortality was seen in all age groups -- 20- to 49 year-olds, 50- to 64-year-olds, and 65- to 90-year-olds -- says Varant Kupelian, PhD, a research scientist at the New England Research Institute in Watertown, Mass.
"Nocturia [defined in the study as having to urinate two or more times a night] is a predictor of mortality, and surprisingly more so in relatively younger men and women, rather than in the elderly," he tells WebMD.
The greater risk of deaths in younger adults "suggests that what we are catching [with frequent night urination] is a marker or warning sign for subclinical disease or for the impending development of chronic disease," he says.
In older adults, falls and fractures that occur when people get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night may account for some of the increase in mortality, Kupelian says.
Relationship of Nocturia to Mortality
In the study, Kupelian and colleagues mined data gathered during a large national health survey to determine the relationship of nocturia to mortality. Analyses were conducted on a sample of 15,988 men and women age 20 and older.
Nocturia was assessed using the question: "How many times a night do you usually get up to urinate (pass water)?"
The researchers found that over a nine-year period:
* Men aged 20-40 who woke up two or more times a night to urinate had a 2.56-fold increased risk of dying.
* Women ages 20-29 with nocturia had a 10% increased risk of mortality, but that could have been due to chance.
* Men aged 50-64 with nocturia had a 60% increased risk of dying.
* Women ages 50-64 with nocturia had a 94% increased risk of dying.
* Men aged 65-90 with nocturia had a 49% increased risk of dying.
* Women aged 65-90 with nocturia had a 32% increased risk of dying.
The analysis took into account other factors that can affect mortality, including age, other medical conditions, marital status, body mass index, and smoking.
Frequent Nighttime Urination
"Getting up two or three times a night to urinate doesn't mean you're going to die. But you should advise clinicians of the problem and undergo a thorough workup to determine if there is an underlying cause to your nocturia," says Tomas Griebling, MD, associate professor of urology at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City.
Griebling tells WebMD that nocturia can be treated with medication to control overactive bladders and with behavioral modification.
"Even simple steps like avoiding fluids at night may help," says Griebling, who moderated a press briefing at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association to discuss the findings.
"We do not know if treatment can alter the risk of mortality," says Kepulian, but it might decrease the number of trips to the bathroom during the night and reduce sleep disturbances.
The research was funded by Ferring Pharmaceuticals.
Source: http://www.webmd.com/urinary-incontinence-oab/news/20100601/nighttime-urination-linked-to-higher-death-risk
Tanning Beds Triple Melanoma Risk
Skin Cancer Risk Even Higher for Frequent Users of High-Pressure Tanning Beds
Too Much Belly Fat Linked to Dementia
Study Shows Deep Belly Fat May Be Linked to Shrinkage in Brain Volume
Breathe Easy: 5 Ways To Improve Indoor Air Quality
By Jeanie Lerche Davis
WebMD Feature provided in collaboration with Healthy Child Healthy World
WebMD Feature provided in collaboration with Healthy Child Healthy World
We tend to think of air pollution as something outside -- smog, ozone, or haze hanging in the air, especially in summer. But the truth is, the air inside homes, offices, and other buildings can be more polluted than the air outside. The air inside your home may be polluted by lead (in house dust), formaldehyde, fire-retardants, radon, even volatile chemicals from fragrances used in conventional cleaners. Some pollutants are tracked into the home. Some arrive via a new mattress or furniture, carpet cleaners, or a coat of paint on the walls.
In that mix, you'll also find microscopic dust mites -- a major allergen -- plus mold and heaps of pet dander, says David Lang, MD, head of Allergy/Immunology at the Cleveland Clinic. "Even if you don't have pets, you've probably got pet dander," he tells WebMD. "It's become what we call a community allergen. Pet owners carry it around on their clothes and shed it throughout the day. You can't get away from it."
Children, people with asthma, and the elderly may be especially sensitive to indoor pollutants, but other effects on health may appear years later, after repeated exposure.
Indoor allergens and irritants have become much more important in recent decades because we're spending more time indoors, Lang says. And because modern homes are airtight, these irritants can't easily escape. "We're all exposed to a greater degree than we were three or four decades ago," he says.
5 Simple Steps to Improve Indoor Air Quality
1. Keep your floors fresh.
- Suck it up. Chemicals and allergens can accumulate in household dust for decades. By using a vacuum with a HEPA filter you can reduce concentrations of lead in your home. You can also get rid of other toxins, like brominated fire-retardant chemicals (PBDEs) as well as allergens like pollen, pet dander, and dust mites.
Using a vacuum cleaner that has strong suction, rotating brushes, and a HEPA filter ensures that dust and dirt won’t get blown back out in the exhaust. In high traffic areas, vacuum the same spot several times. Don't forget walls, carpet edges, and upholstered furniture, where dust accumulates. For best results, vacuum two or more times each week and wash out your filter regularly.
- Mop it up. Mopping picks up the dust that vacuuming leaves behind. You can skip the soaps and cleaners and just use plain water to capture any lingering dust or allergens. New microfiber mops (and dust cloths) reportedly capture more dust and dirt than traditional fibers and don’t require any cleaning solutions whatsoever.
- Keep it out. Put a large floor mat at every door.People track in all sorts of chemicals via the dirt on their shoes. A door mat reduces the amount of dirt, pesticides, and other pollutants from getting into your home. If the mat is big enough, even those who don't wipe their shoes will leave most pollutants on the mat -- not the floors in your home.
More tips for dehumidifying your home:
- Use an exhaust fan or crack open a window when cooking, running the dishwasher, or bathing.
- Don't overwater houseplants.
- Vent the clothes dryer to the outside.
- Fix leaky plumbing to prevent moisture-loving mold.
- Empty drip pans in your window air conditioner and dehumidifier.
3. Make your home a no-smoking zone. "Probably the single most important aspect of indoor air pollution is secondhand cigarette smoke," says Philip Landrigan, MD, a pediatrician and director of the Children's Environmental Health Center at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.
Cigarette smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals. Research shows that secondhand smoke increases a child's risk of developing ear and respiratory infections, asthma, cancer, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). For the smoker, this addiction causes cancer, breathing problems, heart attacks, and stroke.
If you want to stop smoking, support groups, nicotine-replacement therapy, and other medications can help. Find a method that works for you, get some support (friends, family, fellow quitters, counseling), and think positive. Focus on your reasons for quitting -- not on your cravings.
More Americans than ever before have kicked the habit, according to the CDC. But if you relapse, make sure you don’t smoke inside the house. "If you just can't quit, at least smoke outside," Landrigan says.
4. Test for radon. Whether you have a new or old home, you could have a radon problem. This colorless, odorless gas significantly raises the risk of lung cancer. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. today. If you smoke and your home has high radon levels, your risk of lung cancer is especially high.
5. Smell good naturally. You may associate that lemony or piney scent with a clean kitchen or clean clothes.But synthetic fragrances in laundry products and air fresheners emit dozens of different chemicals into the air. You won’t find their names on the product labels. Conventional laundry detergents, fabric softeners, dryer sheets, and air fresheners in solid, spray, and oil form may all emit such gasses.
In one study, a plug-in air freshener was found to emit 20 different volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including seven regulated as toxic or hazardous under U.S. federal laws. But these chemicals were not included on the label -- only the word "fragrance" is required to be listed. But the actual composition of the fragrance is considered a "trade secret."
Most fragrances are derived from petroleum products, and generally haven’t been tested to see if they have any significant adverse health effects in humans when they are inhaled. (Tests usually focus on whether a fragrance causes skin irritation.) Some that have been tested raise concern. Phthalates are a group of chemicals often used in fragrances and also used to soften plastics. Studies show that phthalates disrupt hormones in animals.What can you do?
- Look for fragrance-free or naturally-scented laundry products.
- Switch to mild cleaners that don't include artificial fragrances.
- Stop using aerosol sprays -- deodorants, hair sprays, carpet cleaners, furniture polish, and air fresheners.
- Let in fresh air. Open windows so toxic chemicals don't build up in your home. What if you or your child has pollen allergies? Then keep rooms ventilated with a filtered air- conditioning system.
- Use sliced lemons and baking soda to get a clean scent in the kitchen.
- Bring nature indoors. Any room is prettier with a fern, spider plant, or aloe vera. It’s also healthier. NASA research shows that indoor plants like these act as living air purifiers -- the foliage and roots work in tandem to absorb chemical pollutants released by synthetic materials. If you have kids or pets, make sure the plants aren’t poisonous if ingested.
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Coping With Bedwetting: Your Step-by-Step Guide
Bedwetting Causes Stress
Know that bedwetting is often a normal part of growing up. Most children don't stay dry at night until about the age of 3. And it's usually not a concern for parents until around age 6. While working towards dry nights there are ways to work through it as a family.
A Bed Wetter Needs Your Support
Reassure your child by being supportive. He isn't wetting the bed on purpose. And bedwetting isn't typically a sign of an emotional or physical problem. Explain that it is normal, very common, and that he won't always wet the bed.
Talk and Share Your Experience
Bedwetting often runs in families. If you or your partner wet the bed as a child, talk with your child about it. It'll help him see that people do outgrow it. And it may help him feel less alone and embarrassed.
What Causes Bedwetting?
Many things can cause bedwetting. It could be slower development of bladder control or heavy sleep. There may be hormonal factors. Stress and anxiety can be a cause. A child who's been dry and suddenly starts wetting the bed may have an infection, or something such as a move may be stressing or bothering her.
Let Your Child Help Find Solutions
If she's 4 or older, ask for her help. What might help her stop wetting the bed? Brainstorm together. Drinking less in the evening and cutting back on caffeinated soda may be worth trying. You can also offer options like disposable underwear or waterproof sheets. By keeping it positive and involving her you'll help build her confidence and encourage good bedtime habits.
Praise and Reward for Staying Dry
When your child has a dry night, praise her for it. Some families mark wet days and dry days on a calendar. Stickers or stars can make it fun. If your child stays dry a number of nights in a row, offer a small reward like a fun breakfast or small book. If she wets, be supportive and remind her that by keeping up her efforts results will come.
Provide Simple Reminders
Make using the bathroom just before he gets in bed part of his bedtime routine. Also remind him that it's OK to get up during the night to use the bathroom. Nightlights can help him find his own way back and forth from the bathroom.
Does Waking During the Night Help?
Resist the urge to wake your child repeatedly during the night. If you use this approach, waking once a night should be enough. Keep in mind that if you deprive your child of rest and sleep, you may increase his level of stress. Stress can be a bedwetting trigger.
Involve Your Child in Cleaning Up
When he wets the bed, he can put his PJs in the hamper or help you change the sheets. Make sure he understands it's not a punishment, just part of what has to be done. The idea is to make him more aware of his bedwetting without scolding him or making him feel ashamed.
Clean Up: Removing the Smell of Urine
Accidents happen. And when they do, urine can leave a stubborn odor in clothes and in bed linens. Try adding a half cup to a cup of white vinegar to your wash to remove the smell.
Cleaning a Mattress: Step 1
If you need to clean urine from a mattress, first use towels to blot up as much as you can. Keep blotting, but don't rub, until no more moisture comes to the surface.
Cleaning a Mattress: Step 2
Once you've blotted up as much of the urine as you can, saturate the entire area of urine stain with hydrogen peroxide. Let it stand for 5 minutes, and then use towels again to blot the area dry.
Cleaning a Mattress: Step 3
Once the mattress is dry, sprinkle baking soda over the entire area and let it stand for 24 hours. The next day, vacuum the baking soda away. It should be clean and odor free.
Easing Sleepover Stress
If your child is nervous about sleepovers, remind her of the steps she uses to stay dry at home. Providing her with disposable underwear and extra clothes in case of an accident may help relieve anxiety. A sleeping bag with waterproof lining may also help.
Beforehand, notify the adult host that your child may have some worries about bedwetting. Discuss your child's plans for coping so everyone feels prepared.
Be Patient About Bedwetting
Scolding or losing your temper won't make your child stop wetting the bed. Don't bring up bedwetting in front of others in an attempt to shame her. Embarrassing her in hopes it'll make her stop will increase her stress and anxiety. Meanwhile, remember that bedwetting eventually does stop. Try practicing patience and providing support while you wait.
Dealing With Teasing in the Home
Bedwetting can make your child an easy target for teasing. To help him cope, make your home safe for him. Don't allow anyone in your family to tease about it. Explain to siblings that bedwetting is something their brother doesn't have control over and that he needs everybody's love and support.
Bullying at School About Bedwetting
Avoiding other children or coming home with unexplained injuries are signs your child may be being bullied. Listen to what your child says. Talk with her and let her know that you know it's not her fault. Then talk with people at the school and ask what they've seen. Be proactive and work with the school to find ways to make the teasing stop.
When to Call the Doctor
If your child is still bedwetting at age 7, consider setting up a doctor's visit. While there may be a medical problem, most of the time there isn't. Also, see the doctor if your child suddenly starts wetting the bed after being dry for 6 months or more.
Source: http://www.webmd.com/parenting/slideshow-bedwetting
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How Anger Hurts Your Heart
Yellers, ragers, and door slammers beware -- frequent high levels of anger have now been linked to heart disease.
By Katherine Kam
WebMD the Magazine
If you knew that frequent anger might raise your risk of heart disease significantly, would you continue to blow off steam by yelling and smashing things during an argument or getting furious if the office email crashes during a rushed, stressful day?
It's time for hot heads to take heed: Increasingly, the negative, irritable, raging, and intimidating personality type worries heart researchers and doctors alike. "You're talking about people who seem to experience high levels of anger very frequently," says Laura Kubzansky, PhD, MPH, an associate professor at the Harvard School of Public Health in Cambridge, Mass., who has studied the role of stress and emotions on cardiovascular disease.
The key here is "high" levels. Moderate anger may not be the problem, according to Kubzansky. In fact, expressing anger in reasonable ways can be healthy. "Being able to tell people that you're angry can be extremely functional," she says. But explosive people who hurl objects or scream at others may be at greater risk for heart disease, as well as those who harbor suppressed rage, she says. "Either end of the continuum is problematic."
Anger's Physiological Effects on the Heart
So how exactly does anger contribute to heart disease? Scientists don't know for sure, but anger might produce direct physiological effects on the heart and arteries. Emotions such as anger and hostility quickly activate the "fight or flight response," in which stress hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol, speed up your heart rate and breathing and give you a burst of energy. Blood pressure also rises as your blood vessels constrict.
While this stress response mobilizes you for emergencies, it might cause harm if activated repeatedly. "You get high cortisol and high adrenaline levels and that is the cardiotoxic effect of anger expression," says Jerry Kiffer, MA, a heart-brain researcher at the Cleveland Clinic's Psychological Testing Center. "It causes wear and tear on the heart and cardiovascular system." Frequent anger may speed up the process of atherosclerosis, in which fatty plaques build up in arteries, Kiffer says. The heart pumps harder, blood vessels constrict, blood pressure surges, and there are higher levels of glucose in the blood and more fat globules in the blood vessels. All this, scientists believe, can cause damage to artery walls.
And anger might not be the only culprit. In Kubzansky's own research, she found that high levels of anxiety and depression may contribute to heart disease risk, too. "They tend to co-occur," she says. "People who are angry a lot tend to have other chronic negative emotions as well."
Emotions and the Heart
According to an analysis of findings from 44 studies published last year in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, evidence supports the link between emotions and heart disease. To be specific, anger and hostility are significantly associated with more heart problems in initially healthy people, as well as a worse outcome for patients already diagnosed with heart disease.
Emotions and the Heart continued...
The same study also showed that chronically angry or hostile adults with no history of heart trouble might be 19% more likely than their more placid peers to develop heart disease. The researchers found that anger and hostility seemed to do more harm to men's hearts than women's. Among patients already diagnosed with heart disease, those with angry or hostile temperaments were 24% more likely than other heart patients to have a poor prognosis.
In light of such findings, some doctors now consider anger a heart disease risk factor that can be modified, just as people can lower their cholesterol or blood pressure. "We're really good at treating heart attacks, but we're not that good at preventing them," says Holly S. Andersen, MD, cardiologist and director of education and outreach at the Ronald O. Perelman Heart Institute at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. "Stress is not as easy to measure as your cholesterol level or your blood pressure, which are clearly objective. But it's really important that physicians start taking care of the whole person -- including their moods and their lives -- because it matters." The bottom line: "A change of mind can lead to a change of heart," Kiffer says.
Coping With Anger
Got a hair-trigger temper? Counseling and anger management might help in the long term, but what can you do for a quick fix?
Recognizing signs that you're getting angry and shifting your frame of mind will help, says Wayne Sotile, PhD, author of Thriving With Heart Disease. The next time you feel your anger -- and heart rate -- rising, try these coping statements to get a grip fast:
* "I can't accomplish anything by blaming other people, even if they are responsible for the problem. I'll try another angle."
* "Will this matter five years from now? (Five hours? Five minutes?)"
* "If I'm still angry about this tomorrow, I'll deal with it then. But for now, I'm just going to cool off."
* "Acting angry is not the same as showing that I care."
Source: http://www.webmd.com
By Katherine Kam
WebMD the Magazine
If you knew that frequent anger might raise your risk of heart disease significantly, would you continue to blow off steam by yelling and smashing things during an argument or getting furious if the office email crashes during a rushed, stressful day?
It's time for hot heads to take heed: Increasingly, the negative, irritable, raging, and intimidating personality type worries heart researchers and doctors alike. "You're talking about people who seem to experience high levels of anger very frequently," says Laura Kubzansky, PhD, MPH, an associate professor at the Harvard School of Public Health in Cambridge, Mass., who has studied the role of stress and emotions on cardiovascular disease.
The key here is "high" levels. Moderate anger may not be the problem, according to Kubzansky. In fact, expressing anger in reasonable ways can be healthy. "Being able to tell people that you're angry can be extremely functional," she says. But explosive people who hurl objects or scream at others may be at greater risk for heart disease, as well as those who harbor suppressed rage, she says. "Either end of the continuum is problematic."
Anger's Physiological Effects on the Heart
So how exactly does anger contribute to heart disease? Scientists don't know for sure, but anger might produce direct physiological effects on the heart and arteries. Emotions such as anger and hostility quickly activate the "fight or flight response," in which stress hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol, speed up your heart rate and breathing and give you a burst of energy. Blood pressure also rises as your blood vessels constrict.
While this stress response mobilizes you for emergencies, it might cause harm if activated repeatedly. "You get high cortisol and high adrenaline levels and that is the cardiotoxic effect of anger expression," says Jerry Kiffer, MA, a heart-brain researcher at the Cleveland Clinic's Psychological Testing Center. "It causes wear and tear on the heart and cardiovascular system." Frequent anger may speed up the process of atherosclerosis, in which fatty plaques build up in arteries, Kiffer says. The heart pumps harder, blood vessels constrict, blood pressure surges, and there are higher levels of glucose in the blood and more fat globules in the blood vessels. All this, scientists believe, can cause damage to artery walls.
And anger might not be the only culprit. In Kubzansky's own research, she found that high levels of anxiety and depression may contribute to heart disease risk, too. "They tend to co-occur," she says. "People who are angry a lot tend to have other chronic negative emotions as well."
Emotions and the Heart
According to an analysis of findings from 44 studies published last year in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, evidence supports the link between emotions and heart disease. To be specific, anger and hostility are significantly associated with more heart problems in initially healthy people, as well as a worse outcome for patients already diagnosed with heart disease.
Emotions and the Heart continued...
The same study also showed that chronically angry or hostile adults with no history of heart trouble might be 19% more likely than their more placid peers to develop heart disease. The researchers found that anger and hostility seemed to do more harm to men's hearts than women's. Among patients already diagnosed with heart disease, those with angry or hostile temperaments were 24% more likely than other heart patients to have a poor prognosis.
In light of such findings, some doctors now consider anger a heart disease risk factor that can be modified, just as people can lower their cholesterol or blood pressure. "We're really good at treating heart attacks, but we're not that good at preventing them," says Holly S. Andersen, MD, cardiologist and director of education and outreach at the Ronald O. Perelman Heart Institute at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. "Stress is not as easy to measure as your cholesterol level or your blood pressure, which are clearly objective. But it's really important that physicians start taking care of the whole person -- including their moods and their lives -- because it matters." The bottom line: "A change of mind can lead to a change of heart," Kiffer says.
Coping With Anger
Got a hair-trigger temper? Counseling and anger management might help in the long term, but what can you do for a quick fix?
Recognizing signs that you're getting angry and shifting your frame of mind will help, says Wayne Sotile, PhD, author of Thriving With Heart Disease. The next time you feel your anger -- and heart rate -- rising, try these coping statements to get a grip fast:
* "I can't accomplish anything by blaming other people, even if they are responsible for the problem. I'll try another angle."
* "Will this matter five years from now? (Five hours? Five minutes?)"
* "If I'm still angry about this tomorrow, I'll deal with it then. But for now, I'm just going to cool off."
* "Acting angry is not the same as showing that I care."
Source: http://www.webmd.com
Toddlers with Autism Benefit from Early Intervention
Autism is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder that can cause significant communication, social and behavioral challenges. For years autism was rare, occurring in just 5 children per 10,000 live births. But since the early 1990s, that rate has increased exponentially and today it is reported to affect an average of 1 in 100 children in the United States. There was also a time when autism was thought to be a fate that simply had to be accepted, but we now know that many of the debilitating symptoms of autism can be prevented or reduced with early diagnosis and intervention. A notable treatment approach for older preschool-aged children is applied behavior analysis (ABA), a structured method used in many schools and treatment clinics to teach new skills while encouraging positive behaviors and discouraging negative ones. And a new study has found that a novel intervention called the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) is effective for improving IQ, language ability, and social interaction for very young children with autism—some as young as 18 months.
ESDM was developed by Dr. Geraldine Dawson, a University of North Carolina psychologist and chief science officer of the patient-advocacy group Autism Speaks, and Sally Rogers, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and a researcher at the UC Davis MIND Institute in California. The intervention, tailored for toddlers as young as 12 months old, is delivered by trained therapists and parents, who receive instruction and training, in the child’s natural environment. “It’s a very pleasing kind of therapy, kids are happy,” Rogers explains. “It is play, and it can happen everywhere.” Dawson adds that this type of intervention builds on a fun, positive relationship with the therapist.
To access its effectiveness, ESDM was put to the test in a five-year randomized clinical trial at the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle. It involved therapy for 48 diverse, 18- to 30-month-old children with autism and no other health problems. The children were separated into two groups; one that received 20 hours of intervention per week (two 2-hour sessions, five days a week) from UW specialists as well as five hours a week of parent-delivered therapy; while children in the other group were referred to community-based programs for therapy. Both groups were monitored by UW researchers.
At the start of the study there was no substantial difference in functioning between the two groups. After a year, however, the IQs of children in the ESDM group rose an average of 15.4 points compared with an increase of 4.4 points for those in the comparison group. And by the second year, the ESDM group’s IQs rose by 17.6 points, compared to 7 points for the comparison group. There was also a nearly 18-point improvement in receptive language (listening and understanding) in the ESDM group, compared to about a 10 point improvement in the comparison group. And while no children were considered “cured,” seven of the children in the ESDM group had enough improvement that they were re-diagnosed with a less severe form of autism, compared with one child with an improved diagnosis in the comparison group. ““Many of the children (in the ESDM group) had virtually caught up to the typical kids their age,” said Dawson.
“Parents and therapists both carried out the intervention toward individualized goals for each child, and worked collaboratively to improve how the children were responding socially, playing with toys, and communicating,” said Milani Smith, who oversees the UW Autism Center’s clinical programs. “Parents are taught strategies for capturing their children’s attention and promoting communication. By using these strategies throughout the day, the children were offered many opportunities to learn to interact with others.”
Dawson says that with the American Academy of Pediatrics urging doctors to screen all 18- to 24-month-old children for autism, it is essential that an effective program is available for children in this age group to intervene immediately after diagnosis. “By starting as soon as the toddler is diagnosed, we hope to maximize the positive impact of the intervention,” she said. “The study strongly affirms the positive outcomes of early intervention and the need for the earliest possible start.”
Source: http://www.healthnews.com
ESDM was developed by Dr. Geraldine Dawson, a University of North Carolina psychologist and chief science officer of the patient-advocacy group Autism Speaks, and Sally Rogers, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and a researcher at the UC Davis MIND Institute in California. The intervention, tailored for toddlers as young as 12 months old, is delivered by trained therapists and parents, who receive instruction and training, in the child’s natural environment. “It’s a very pleasing kind of therapy, kids are happy,” Rogers explains. “It is play, and it can happen everywhere.” Dawson adds that this type of intervention builds on a fun, positive relationship with the therapist.
To access its effectiveness, ESDM was put to the test in a five-year randomized clinical trial at the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle. It involved therapy for 48 diverse, 18- to 30-month-old children with autism and no other health problems. The children were separated into two groups; one that received 20 hours of intervention per week (two 2-hour sessions, five days a week) from UW specialists as well as five hours a week of parent-delivered therapy; while children in the other group were referred to community-based programs for therapy. Both groups were monitored by UW researchers.
At the start of the study there was no substantial difference in functioning between the two groups. After a year, however, the IQs of children in the ESDM group rose an average of 15.4 points compared with an increase of 4.4 points for those in the comparison group. And by the second year, the ESDM group’s IQs rose by 17.6 points, compared to 7 points for the comparison group. There was also a nearly 18-point improvement in receptive language (listening and understanding) in the ESDM group, compared to about a 10 point improvement in the comparison group. And while no children were considered “cured,” seven of the children in the ESDM group had enough improvement that they were re-diagnosed with a less severe form of autism, compared with one child with an improved diagnosis in the comparison group. ““Many of the children (in the ESDM group) had virtually caught up to the typical kids their age,” said Dawson.
“Parents and therapists both carried out the intervention toward individualized goals for each child, and worked collaboratively to improve how the children were responding socially, playing with toys, and communicating,” said Milani Smith, who oversees the UW Autism Center’s clinical programs. “Parents are taught strategies for capturing their children’s attention and promoting communication. By using these strategies throughout the day, the children were offered many opportunities to learn to interact with others.”
Dawson says that with the American Academy of Pediatrics urging doctors to screen all 18- to 24-month-old children for autism, it is essential that an effective program is available for children in this age group to intervene immediately after diagnosis. “By starting as soon as the toddler is diagnosed, we hope to maximize the positive impact of the intervention,” she said. “The study strongly affirms the positive outcomes of early intervention and the need for the earliest possible start.”
Source: http://www.healthnews.com
First Hard Evidence of Brain Damage Caused by Childhood Lead Exposure
Lead is a highly toxic metal that has been used in the manufacture of a wide variety of products, including paint, ceramics, pipes, and solders, gasoline, batteries, and cosmetics. Over the last thity years, federal regulatory standards have helped to minimize or eliminate the amount of lead in consumer products and occupational settings. In 1978, the addition of lead to paints was eliminated (with the exception of some artist’s paints) and tetraethyl lead, which was used in gasoline to increase the octane rating, was phased out and eventually banned by 1996. But even though paint sold today is safe, there are still pre-1977 buildings with old lead paint in our communities and the lead once released into the environment still resides in our air, water and soil.
Even small amounts of lead in the body, as measured by blood lead levels, can be harmful, impairing the function of the central nervous system, production of red blood cells, and the functioning of vital organs such as the liver and kidneys. Because of their size and developing nervous system, children are particularly sensitive to the chronic effects of lead. Research has shown that low-dose lead exposure has a profound impact on brain development, interfering with cellular growth and reducing the brain’s ability to transmit neural impulses. But researchers from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center say that “no region of the brain” is safe from the damage caused by lead exposure—permanent damage that persists into adulthood.
To access the long-term effects of childhood exposure to lead, the researchers studied 33 adults with a mean age of 21 who were part of the Cincinnati Lead Study as infants from 1979 to 1987. The participants had blood lead levels ranging from 5 micrograms to 37 micrograms per deciliter, with a mean of 14. They also had decreased IQ and criminal histories as juveniles. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans were used to monitor the participants’ brains while they performed two tasks that access attention, decision making and impulse control. The scans showed that in order to complete a task that required inhibition, participants with elevated blood lead levels required activation from additional regions within the brain’s frontal and parietal lobes.
“This tells us that the area of the brain responsible for inhibition is damaged by lead exposure and that other regions of the brain must compensate in order for an individual to perform,” explained study author Kim Cecil, an imaging scientist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and a professor of radiology, pediatrics and neuroscience at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. “Your brain has some adaptability and it tries to recruit other areas to take over for parts that are damaged. But it doesn’t work as well.”
According to Cecil, the brain’s white matter, which organizes and matures at an early age, adapts to lead exposure. But the frontal lobe, which is the last part to develop, suffers permanent damage from lead exposure as it matures. “Many people think that once lead blood levels decrease, the effects should be reversible, but, in fact, lead exposure has harmful and lasting effects,” Cecil said. “Lead exposure has been associated with diminished IQ, poor academic performance, inability to focus and increased risk of criminal behavior.”
Kim Dietrich, co-author of the study and an environmental health researcher at the University of Cincinnati, says their findings give scientists the first hard evidence that lead exposure causes physical and long-lasting damage to the brain. “One of the arguments we’ve always heard is, ‘You see lower IQ. You see more behavioral problems. You see motor coordination problems in these lead-exposed kids. But you’ve never really proven there’s any brain damage in these kids,’” Dietrich said. “Well, now we have. This is the first direct, neurological evidence of brain damage to children exposed to low to moderate levels of lead.”
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 890,000 U.S. children aged 1-5 have elevated blood lead levels and about 250,000 children have blood levels greater than 10 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood, which is the level that the CDC and the World Health Organization (WHO) considers cause for concern. The CDC now recommends screening for children in high risk areas or populations for lead exposures.
The study was presented Tuesday at an annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America in Chicago.
Source & Picture: http://www.healthnews.com
Drinking Tea May Trim Men's Waistlines
Men Who Drink Tea Have Smaller Waistlines Than Those Who Don't
By Jennifer Warner
WebMD Health News
Could tea be the secret to a trim waistline? For men, the answer may be yes, or at least it couldn't hurt.
A new study shows that men who drink more than two cups of tea a day have trimmer waistlines than men who drink coffee or nothing at all. But the same doesn't hold true for women.
Researchers say previous studies have looked at coffee and tea drinking habits and obesity in general, but little is known about how these habits affect abdominal obesity. Abdominal obesity, or excess fa around the midsection, has been linked to a number of health risks, including heart disease and diabetes.
The study, presented this week at the First International Congress on Abdominal Obesity, looked at the relationship between coffee and tea drinking and abdominal obesity in 3,823 adults who participated in the 2003-2004 U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
"The potential association between coffee/tea and abdominal obesity is not trivial considering that more than 60% of the adult population drinks coffee/tea,that these beverages can be consumed as frequently as 10 times per day, and that a high percentage of coffee and tea drinkers use additives in these beverages," write researcher D. R. Bouchard and colleagues at the school of kinesiology and health studies at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario.
Source & Picture: http://www.webmd.com
By Jennifer Warner
WebMD Health News
Could tea be the secret to a trim waistline? For men, the answer may be yes, or at least it couldn't hurt.
A new study shows that men who drink more than two cups of tea a day have trimmer waistlines than men who drink coffee or nothing at all. But the same doesn't hold true for women.
Researchers say previous studies have looked at coffee and tea drinking habits and obesity in general, but little is known about how these habits affect abdominal obesity. Abdominal obesity, or excess fa around the midsection, has been linked to a number of health risks, including heart disease and diabetes.
The study, presented this week at the First International Congress on Abdominal Obesity, looked at the relationship between coffee and tea drinking and abdominal obesity in 3,823 adults who participated in the 2003-2004 U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
"The potential association between coffee/tea and abdominal obesity is not trivial considering that more than 60% of the adult population drinks coffee/tea,that these beverages can be consumed as frequently as 10 times per day, and that a high percentage of coffee and tea drinkers use additives in these beverages," write researcher D. R. Bouchard and colleagues at the school of kinesiology and health studies at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario.
Source & Picture: http://www.webmd.com
Study Shows Link Between Menopause and Increased Cholesterol
Benjamin Franklin once remarked that the only things certain in this world are death and taxes, but as any woman can attest to, there is another certainty in life—menopause. Defined as the final menstrual period and usually confirmed when a woman has missed her periods for 12 consecutive months, menopause marks the permanent end of fertility. This “change of life” usually occurs around age 51 and affects every woman differently. While the only symptom for some women will be the end of menstruation, others will experience more profound physical and emotional challenges, including hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, aching joints, thinning hair, and memory lapses. Several chronic medical conditions can also develop after menopause. When estrogen levels decline the risk of cardiovascular disease increases, as does the risk of osteoporosis. But at this time of life, it isn’t always possible to tell if symptoms are related to menopause, aging, or both. So to better understand the “changes women experience during life,” researchers at the University of Pittsburgh embarked on a ten-year study, and this is what they discovered.
Each year the researchers tested 1,054 study participants for heart disease risk factors including cholesterol, blood pressure, blood glucose, and insulin. In nearly all of the women, cholesterol levels rose sharply around the time of menopause. In the two-year time period surrounding their final menstrual period, the women’s average LDL, or the “bad” cholesterol that blocks arteries, rose by about 10.5 points, or around 9 percent and average total cholesterol level increased by 6.5 percent. “As they approach menopause, many, many women show a very striking increase in cholesterol levels, which in turn increases risk for later heart disease,” said Dr. Karen A. Matthews, lead author of the study and professor of psychiatry and epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh.
During the study, other risk factors such as insulin and systolic blood pressure also increased, but at a steady rate, which suggests the changes were related to aging and not menopause. “Other risk factors we measured didn’t show a dramatic change,” Matthews said. “I expected to see some change in inflammatory factors because some data suggest that hormone users have higher cholesterol levels, but it did not occur.”
Dr. Vera Bittner, a professor of medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, who wrote an editorial accompanying the study, said that although the increases don’t seem significant, they could definitely have an impact on a woman’s health. “The changes don’t look large, but given that the typical woman lives several decades after menopause, any adverse change becomes cumulative over time,” said Bittner. “If somebody had cholesterol levels at the lower ranges of normal, the small change may not make a difference. But if somebody’s risk factors were already borderline in several categories, this increase may tip them over the edge and put them in a risk category where treatment may be beneficial.”
Bittner says women should be aware of the changes that occur around menopause and should talk to their doctors about risk factors and whether they should have their cholesterol checked more often or need to begin a cholesterol-lowering treatment, such as a statin. Not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight and getting plenty of physical activity are essential to help keep cholesterol levels in check, Bittner adds, but she points out that menopause can be an especially difficult time for women to get enough exercise. “It often falls by the wayside because women in this age range take care of kids, spouse, aging parents, and often work in addition.”
Dr. Wolf Ulian, founder and executive director of the North American Menopause Society, says the study findings emphasize that menopause is a good time for women to adopt healthier lifestyles. “Menopause is a milestone,” he says. “It’s a time to take stock and take control and try to enhance the quality of your second half of life.”
Source & Picture: http://www.healthnews.com
Male Immunization with Gardasil Not Deemed Cost Effective
Although Gardasil has been proven to protect against two strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV) that cause cervical cancer, as well as two additional strains that cause genital warts, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has voted against its use as a routine immunization for boys and men. However, the committee did vote, almost unanimously, to allow doctors to recommend the vaccine be given to males to reduce their likelihood of acquiring genital warts.
HPV is a sexually transmitted pathogen that is believed to cause approximately 70 percent of all cervical cancers. In addition, HPV has been associated with more rare forms of cancer of the throat, genitals and anus, as well as genital warts. Studies have found Gardasil not only to be safe, but also to be nearly 100 percent effective in preventing pre-cancerous cervical lesions from the four HPV strains that it targets. In addition, findings have shown that Gardasil is far more effective in females when given before they become sexually active.
Since first being approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2006 for use in females, the issue of whether or not to use Gardasil for males has been strongly debated. Advocates for use of Gardasil as a routine immunization among males believe that widespread use of the vaccine may reduce cervical cancer rates, since males commonly transmit HPV to females.
Although in early October the FDA approved the Gardasil vaccine for use among males aged 9 through 26, results of a study conducted in the same month revealed that immunization among males was not cost effective, as costs would outweigh the health benefit of the vaccine. Now, the results of the final vote by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices reported to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has apparently put this issue to rest. The vaccine will not be approved for boys as part of the childhood immunization schedule.
The pivotal study published in the British Medical Journal made a comparison between a female-only vaccination program and a co-ed vaccination program. Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health performed the analysis. According to lead researcher Jane Kim, an assistant professor of health decision science, “This study found that while vaccine coverage and efficacy are high in girls, including boys in an HPV vaccination program generally exceeds what the U.S. typically considers good value for money.”
The basis of a good value was deemed as having cost-effectiveness ratios ranging from $50,000 to $100,000 per quality-adjusted life year, or the cost of the vaccine versus the number of added years someone would gain by getting the vaccine. By assuming lifelong protection among 75 percent coverage, the routine vaccination of girls who were 12 years of age was found to be a good value at less than $50,000 per quality adjusted life year. However, by adding boys of the same age, the cost-effectiveness ratio was increased to over $100,000 per quality adjusted life year.
Currently, the CDC recommends Gardasil for girls ages 11 and 12, and for women ages 13 to 26, who have not been vaccinated for the prevention cervical cancer. The disease claims 4,000 female lives annually in the United State alone.
Source & Picture: http://www.healthnews.com
Regular Coffee Consumption Can Reduce Risk of Prostate Cancer
Leading up to the American Revolution in December 1773, the Boston Tea Party was the historical event that began to transform America into a coffee drinking nation. Today the U.S. is responsible for more than a third of worldwide coffee consumption at 400 million cups every day. Over the years, thousands of studies have been done examining coffee’s impact on health and, for the most part, their results are as pleasing as the aroma of that freshly brewed cup of java.
“Overall, the research shows that coffee is far more healthful than it is harmful,” says Dr. Tomas DePaulis, research scientist at Vanderbilt University’s Institute for Coffee Studies. “For most people, very little bad comes from drinking it, but a lot of good.” Coffee not only perks up energy and helps sharpen the mind, it has been shown to lessen the severity of a heart attack or stroke and protect against certain cancers, type 2 diabetes, liver disease and gallstones. There’s also evidence that coffee may help stop a headache, boost mood and even prevent cavities. And a study presented this week at the Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research conference in Houston, Texas shows that men who drink coffee on a regular basis have an added benefit—a significantly decreased risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer.
The study, by researchers from the Channing Laboratory at the Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health, was based on an analysis of information from the Health Professionals’ Follow-Up Study, which included data on the coffee-drinking habits of about 50,000 men from 1986 to 2006. During that time frame, 4,975 of the men developed prostate cancer, 846 cases being life-threatening because they had spread beyond the prostate gland or were growing aggressively. The review showed a clear relationship between the amount of coffee consumed and prostate cancer risk. The men who drank the most coffee (six or more cups per day) were nearly 60 percent less likely to develop advanced prostate cancer and 19 percent less likely to develop any form of prostate cancer than men who drank no coffee.
Some of coffee’s reported benefits are a direct result of its high caffeine content. An eight ounce cup of drip-brewed coffee contains about 85 mg, which is about three and a half times more than the same serving of tea or cola or one ounce of chocolate. But the researchers say the fact that the same risk reduction was seen regardless of whether the man drank regular or decaffeinated coffee suggests it isn’t the caffeine but rather coffee’s influence on insulin and hormone levels that caused the positive effect on prostate cancer risk. “Coffee has effects on insulin and glucose metabolism, as well as sex hormone levels, all of which play a role in prostate cancer,” said lead author Dr. Kathryn M. Wilson, a research fellow in epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health.
Wilson said though more work is needed before any firm conclusion can be drawn about the relationship between coffee and prostate cancer, the results of this study are encouraging. “Very few lifestyle factors have been consistently associated with prostate cancer risk, especially with risk of aggressive disease, so it would be exciting if this association is confirmed in other studies,” Wilson said. “While it is too early to recommend increasing coffee intake based on this study alone, our results do suggest there is no reason to stop drinking coffee out of any concern about prostate cancer.”
Also presented at the conference was a study into the effects of physical activity on prostate cancer survival by another Harvard School of Public Health researcher, Stacey A. Kenfield. It showed that prostate cancer patients who participated in vigorous physical activity, such as jogging, biking, swimming or playing tennis, for an average of three or more hours per week had a 35 percent lower death rate than those who exercised less frequently or not at all. For those who walked regularly (four or more hours per week), overall mortality rates were 23 percent lower than men who walked for less than 20 minutes per week. Kenfield says that while it’s already known that physical activity reduces overall mortality, this is the first study to focus on the effect of exercise on prostate cancer survival.
Source & Picture: http://www.healthnews.com
Excess Body Fat Can Endanger People of Average Weight
Weighing in at a normal average for your height and age may not mean that you will avoid increased health risks. Although many health issues are associated with obesity, having an unhealthy percentage of body fat puts you at risk even if your scales indicate that you are not overweight.
According to a new Mayo Clinic study, even though you may look thin, you can still be carrying too much body fat. The condition, known as normal weight obesity, can lead to the same health issues caused by obesity, and as many as 30 million Americans may unknowingly be at risk. The deadly internal fat, also called visceral fat, hides beneath muscles and envelops vital organs. The fat is metabolized by the liver, and converted into blood cholesterol, which leads to an increased risk of such medical conditions as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
This new information makes it far understandable that heart disease is the number one cause of death among women in the United States, according to the American Heart Association. In fact, according to Dr. Francisco Lopez Jimenez, who led the study, “Women with normal weight obesity, meaning those who have high fat and a normal weight have a two times increased risk for death or dying from heart problems or a stroke.”
During the study, The Mayo Clinic researchers assessed a total of 6,171 Americans over a period of nine years. Results revealed that although considered to be of normal weight, between 20 and 30 percent of those evaluated had a dangerously high percentage of body fat. The fact that they were found to have normal weight obesity puts them at a greater risk of the very same diseases that causes medical afflictions for those who are overweight.
A healthy percentage of body fat for women is an amount totaling less than 30 percent while for men a percentage less than 20 to 25 percent is the healthy target. A good indication of whether or not you are carrying excess body fat is to check your waistline for so-called “love handles.” In addition, you can have your body fat tested by asking your healthcare provider to do so. Another good rule of thumb is the old adage, “You are what you eat.”
What can you do? The best way to reduce your health risks is to lose the extra fat and work to build lean muscle. This can be achieved by eating a healthy diet and getting the proper amount of exercise including resistance training and cardiovascular activities. With all the diets available to choose from, having a clear knowledge of what each has to offer can be very helpful in choosing the one that will work best for you. Check out the in depth reviews of the top diets of 2010 located on our diet pages.
Source & Picture: www.healthnews.com
Simple Urine Test Effective in Detecting Kids Sleep Disorder
Sleep apnea is a breathing disorder characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep. These short stops in breathing usually lasts for 10 to 30 seconds and can happen up to 400 times every night. Men, people who are overweight or over the age of 40 are more likely to have sleep apnea, but it can affect anyone at any age, even children. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a common type of apnea in children, is caused by an obstruction of the airway, such as enlarged tonsils and adenoids. This is most likely to happen during sleep because that’s when the soft tissue at the back of throat is most relaxed. Children who have OSA nearly always snore, may have difficulty breathing during sleep, and may be restless during sleep and wake up often. Symptoms of OSA tend to appear in the first few years of life, but the disorder often remains undiagnosed until many years later.
Once a doctor completes an evaluation and makes a diagnosis, most cases of OSA can be treated or managed with surgery, medications and monitoring devices. Generally, a polysomnagram or overnight sleep study is used to confirm obstructive sleep apnea. It charts the child’s brain waves, heartbeat, and breathing during sleep. It also records arm and leg movements. The study requires the child and a parent or guardian to spend the night at the sleep center. In some cases other tests, including endoscopy and magnetic resonance imaging, may be used to evaluate the child’s upper airway. But a recent discovery may lead to a much simpler way to detect whether a children has OSA—a simple urine test.
Dr. David Gozal, a professor and chairman of pediatrics at the University of Chicago, and colleagues studied 90 children who had been referred to a sleep clinic for evaluation of breathing problems during sleep and 30 non-snoring children. All the children underwent standard overnight sleep tests and were categorized either as having OSA, habitual snoring or no sleep disordered breathing. The morning after the tests, urine samples were collected and screening using a sophisticated electrophoresis technique. The researchers found that the expression of a number of proteins in children with OSA was different than in those who didn’t snore or who snored habitually. “It was rather unexpected that the urine would provide us with the ability to identify OSA,” Gozal said. “However, the field of biomarkers is one that is under marked expansion, and this certainly opens the way for possible simple diagnostic screening methods in the future.”
“We wish to validate these findings in urine samples from many children from laboratories around the country and to develop a simple, color-based test that can be done in the physician office or by the parents” Gozal said, pointing out that such a test “would alleviate the need for costly and inconvenient sleep studies in children who snore, only about 20 to 30 percent of whom actually have OSA.”
OSA affects 1 to 10 percent of children. In early childhood, OSA can slow a child’s growth rate. Cognitive and behavioral problems such as aggressive behavior and poor school performance are common in children with OSA. Untreated, OSA can also lead to high blood pressure and cardiopulmonary disease.
The finding is reported in the December 15 issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
Source & Picture: http://www.healthnews.com
Many children 'hear voices'; most aren't bothered
Nearly 1 in 10 seven- to eight-year-olds hears voices that aren't really there, according to a new study.
But most children who hear voices don't find them troubling or disruptive to their thinking, the study team found. "These voices in general have a limited impact in daily life," Agna A. Bartels-Velthuis of University Medical Center Groningen in The Netherlands wrote in an email to Reuters Health.
And parents whose children hear voices should not be overly concerned, she added. "In most cases the voices will just disappear. I would advise them to reassure their child and to watch him or her closely."
Up to 16 percent of mentally healthy children and teens may hear voices, the researchers note in the British Journal of Psychiatry. While hearing voices can signal a heightened risk of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders in later life, they add, the "great majority" of young people who have these experiences never become mentally ill.
To further investigate how common these "auditory vocal hallucinations" are and whether they are associated with developmental and behavioral factors, the researchers looked at 3,870 Groningen primary schoolers. All were asked whether they had heard "one or more voices that only you and no one else could hear" in the past year.
Nine percent of the children answered yes. Only 15 percent of these children said the voices caused them serious suffering, and 19 percent said the voices interfered with their thinking. Boys and girls were equally likely to report hearing voices, but girls were more likely to report suffering and anxiety due to the voices.
While past studies have linked complications in the womb or during early infancy with the likelihood of hearing voices, Bartels-Velthuis and her team found no such relationship. The researcher said that she and her colleagues had expected that hearing voices would be more common among urban children than among their rural peers, "but to our surprise, the contrary was the case in our sample. We have no explanation for this finding."
Although urban children were less likely to hear voices, they were more troubled by them, the researchers found. They were more likely to report hearing several voices at once, voices speaking for a longer time, and voices that interfered with their thinking.
This greater severity suggests that the urban children who heard voices might be at higher risk of going on to develop psychotic illness, the researchers say.
Bartels-Velthuis and her team are now conducting a five-year follow-up study of the children to see how the voice-hearing plays out and what effect, if any, it has on behavior.
Source: www.reutershealth.com
But most children who hear voices don't find them troubling or disruptive to their thinking, the study team found. "These voices in general have a limited impact in daily life," Agna A. Bartels-Velthuis of University Medical Center Groningen in The Netherlands wrote in an email to Reuters Health.
And parents whose children hear voices should not be overly concerned, she added. "In most cases the voices will just disappear. I would advise them to reassure their child and to watch him or her closely."
Up to 16 percent of mentally healthy children and teens may hear voices, the researchers note in the British Journal of Psychiatry. While hearing voices can signal a heightened risk of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders in later life, they add, the "great majority" of young people who have these experiences never become mentally ill.
To further investigate how common these "auditory vocal hallucinations" are and whether they are associated with developmental and behavioral factors, the researchers looked at 3,870 Groningen primary schoolers. All were asked whether they had heard "one or more voices that only you and no one else could hear" in the past year.
Nine percent of the children answered yes. Only 15 percent of these children said the voices caused them serious suffering, and 19 percent said the voices interfered with their thinking. Boys and girls were equally likely to report hearing voices, but girls were more likely to report suffering and anxiety due to the voices.
While past studies have linked complications in the womb or during early infancy with the likelihood of hearing voices, Bartels-Velthuis and her team found no such relationship. The researcher said that she and her colleagues had expected that hearing voices would be more common among urban children than among their rural peers, "but to our surprise, the contrary was the case in our sample. We have no explanation for this finding."
Although urban children were less likely to hear voices, they were more troubled by them, the researchers found. They were more likely to report hearing several voices at once, voices speaking for a longer time, and voices that interfered with their thinking.
This greater severity suggests that the urban children who heard voices might be at higher risk of going on to develop psychotic illness, the researchers say.
Bartels-Velthuis and her team are now conducting a five-year follow-up study of the children to see how the voice-hearing plays out and what effect, if any, it has on behavior.
Source: www.reutershealth.com
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