JAPANESE TSUNAMI UNDERSCORES NEED FOR ELDER DISASTER PREPAREDNESS
The oldest segment of Japan's population will likely be the hardest hit as a result of the recent earthquake and subsequent tsunami, based on data from previous catastrophic events. Approximately 23 percent of Japanese citizens currently are age 65 and above.
"Japan's population -- with the highest proportion of older people in any country -- gives us an indicator of where the world as a whole is headed," said James Appleby, RPh, MPH, executive director of The Gerontological Society of America. "The significance of this demographic shift and the severity of the tsunami's effects are highlighted by the numerous reports showing that seniors suffer disproportionately during natural disasters."
For example, the May 12, 2008, earthquake in Wenchuan, China, was associated with a twofold increase in the one-year mortality among a group of nonagenarians that lived nearby, according to a study published in March 2011 issue of The Journal of Gerontology Series A: Biological and Medical Sciences.
Similarly, the spring 2006 edition of Public Policy & Aging Report reported that three quarters of those who perished in Hurricane Katrina were over the age of 60.
"Our thoughts are with the people of Japan as this time. Many people have limited access to food and water, and there is concern that lifesaving medicines could soon be in short supply. A number of the tragic news stories we see call attention to the needs of older people and other at-risk populations," Appleby said.
There also is a growing field of literature that outlines necessary steps for elder disaster preparedness in the face of an emergency. The Public Policy & Aging Report demonstrated that geographic information systems are able to map patterns of vulnerability in advance, allowing policymakers and first-responders to intervene both effectively and efficiently when disaster strikes.
Additionally, multi-tiered evacuation plans, pre-existing social networks, and "go-kits" can be used to assist elders at critical moments. These kits may include detailed contact information for family members; contact information for relevant health care providers; high-nutrient foods; and a week's supply of all prescription and over-the-counter medications, including a list of medications, the required dosage, and times of administration.
DIABETES TREATMENT MAY ALSO PROVIDE PROTECTION AGAINST ENDOMETRIAL CANCER
ScienceDaily (Apr. 6, 2011) - Research led by Warwick Medical School at the University of Warwick has found that metformin, a drug treatment used to treat diabetes and also in women with polycystic vary syndrome (PCOS), may potentially provide protection against endometrial cancer.
Endometrial cancer is the most common malignancy of the female genital tract and the fourth most common cancer in women in the UK and the US. Up to a third of PCOS women also have endometrial hyperplasia which, in turn predisposes these women to endometrial cancer. PCOS affects 5%-10% of women of reproductive age, where metformin ameliorates insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia in these women, but also long-term use of metformin improves ovulation and menstrual cycle regularity.
Recent research has found that metformin has anti-cancer properties, e.g., in breast cancer. Given that insulin resistant states, e.g. obesity, diabetes and PCOS are more at risk of developing endometrial cancer, the Warwick researchers studied the effects of metformin treatment on endometrial cancer cells. The researchers used serum from control and PCOS (before and after metformin treatment) subjects and carried out basic scientific experiments on endometrial cancer cells. The experiments revealed a decrease in endometrial cancer cell invasiveness in sera from metformin treated PCOS women.
The researchers found that serum samples from PCOS women who had completed the 6 month course of metformin the rate of spread of endometrial cancer cells was around 25% lower than in the serum samples from PCOS women who had not started that treatment.
The principal investigators, Dr. Harpal Randeva and Dr Bee K Tan, at Warwick Medical School said: "We are very excited about our findings, which reveal the significant impact of metformin therapy use on human endometrial cancer cells. However, it is prudent that further research to explore if metformin would actually be beneficial clinically as adjuvant therapy in endometrial cancer; this would need to be addressed through a randomized controlled trial."
GENETIC CHANGES BEHIND SWEET TOOTH
ScienceDaily (Apr. 4, 2011) - The substance ghrelin plays an important role in various addictions, such as alcoholism and binge-eating. It also impacts on sugar consumption, which is due, in part, to genetic factors, reveals new research from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
Ghrelin is a neuropeptide that both activates the brain's reward system and increases appetite. This means that when we are hungry, levels of ghrelin increase, activating the brain's reward system, and this, in turn, increases our motivation to look for food. Previous research from the Sahlgrenska Academy has linked ghrelin to the development of various dependencies, such as drug addiction and alcoholism.
In a new study published in the online journal PLoS ONE, researchers examined the genes of 579 individuals chosen from the general public. It emerged that people with certain changes in the ghrelin gene consume more sugar than their peers who do not have these changes. This link was also seen in people who consumed large amounts of both sugar and alcohol.
Trials have also been carried out using rats, where the researchers found that when ghrelin was blocked the rats reduced their consumption of sugar and were less motivated to hunt for sugar.
"This shows that ghrelin is a strong driver when it comes to tracking down rewarding substances such as sugar or alcohol," says researcher Elisabet Jerlhag from the Sahlgrenska Academy's Department of Pharmacology.
These results go hand in hand with the researchers' previous findings which showed that substances that block the ghrelin system reduce the positive effects of addictive drugs and that changes in the ghrelin gene are associated with high alcohol consumption, weight gain in alcoholics and smoking.
The researchers are now a step closer to understanding what happens in the brain and the body in different types of addictive behavior. Understanding these mechanisms means that new drugs can be developed to block the ghrelin system and used to treat patients who are addicted to alcohol or who suffer from binge-eating disorders.
"This knowledge could also make it easier for society to view dependency as an illness and could mean that these people can get the treatment they need more readily," says Jerlhag
ADHD RISK RISES WITH DEGREE OF PREMATURITY, STUDY SUGGESTS
By Marissa Cevallos, HealthKey. April 19, 2011, 5:46 p.m.
Children born prematurely appear more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD. This we knew. Now researchers have established that a greater risk exists even for babies born moderately early -- and that the size of the risk is associated with the level of prematurity.
That is, the earlier the birth, the higher the likelihood of being diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or more specifically, of being prescribed medication for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. The findings were reported online Monday in Pediatrics.
But don't assume that your premature child is fated to have the condition. Getting a prescription isn't a precise proxy for actually having the attention disorder, and the difference in risk for any individual child isn't enough to suggest that doctors should automatically get the prescription pad ready at birth.
Overall, the study flags the potential for problems and suggests that premature children be closely monitored as they develop.
Using a Swedish drug registry, Swedish researchers used birth records to link which children ages 6 to 19 had been prescribed medication for ADHD. About 1.2 million children were included in the analysis.
The earliest-born children were about 2 1/2 times more likely than their full-term peers to be on medications -- about 16 in 1,000 of babies born between 23 and 28 weeks compared to six in 1,000 babies born between 39 and 41 weeks.
Even after researchers adjusted for factors such as socioeconomic status and maternal smoking, the earliest-born babies were twice as likely to be prescribed ADHD medications than their full-term counterparts.
Notably, children born moderately prematurely were also more likely to be taking ADHD medication, compared to their full-term peers. And the later the birth, the lower the likelihood of being prescribed medication, the study found.
Of course the results come with a caveat: The study didn't establish how many children have ADHD. It established how many children were prescribed ADHD medication. The authors say guidelines have existed in Sweden since 2002 to ensure only the most severe cases are prescribed medication.
But even if ADHD is as prevalent as the medications suggest, only 1.6% of children born prematurely would have the disorder, compared to 0.6% of full-term babies. The risk is small either way.
Further, some research suggests that ADHD may not be a permanent condition. In short, kids may grow out of it. In one study, Finnish researchers followed 457 children into adulthood - 188 of whom had "probable or definite ADHD" - and found that the fidgety, stereotypically ADHD children were the most likely to mature out of the disorder.
