Screen all pregnant women for diabetes, task force says

ll pregnant women should be screened for gestational diabetes, an independent task force advised Monday, endorsing a test that most doctors routinely perform.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force found an overall benefit to screening and treatment, including a reduced risk of preeclampsia in pregnant patients and of having an overly large baby and birth-related injuries to the newborn.

The task force’s recommendation, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, noted that 96 percent of obstetricians screen for the condition, and that other medical groups also recommend screening. The group said women with no history of diabetes should be screened after 24 weeks of pregnancy.  http://www.nbcnews.com/health/screen-all-pregnant-women-diabetes-task-force-says-2D11918147

Obesity paradox' busted: Being pudgy not healthier for diabetics

The "obesity paradox" — the controversial notion that being overweight might actually be healthier for some people with diabetes — seems to be a myth, researchers report. A major study finds there's no survival advantage to being large, and a disadvantage to being very large.

More than 24 million Americans have diabetes, mostly Type 2, the kind that is on the rise because of obesity. About two-thirds of U.S. adults are overweight, including one-third who are obese.

Weighing too much increases the chances of heart disease, cancer and premature death. But some small studies have suggested this might not be true for everyone, and that Type 2 diabetics might even benefit from a few extra pounds — a "metabolic reserve" to help get them through sickness.  http://www.nbcnews.com/health/obesity-paradox-busted-being-pudgy-not-healthier-diabetics-2D11940195

Longer breastfeeding tied to better development

Children who were breastfed for more than six months scored the highest on cognitive, language and motor development tests as toddlers, in a new study from Greece.

Earlier research tied breastfeeding to better thinking and memory skills. But how it's related to language skills and movement and coordination had been less clear.

The new study doesn't prove breastfeeding is responsible for better development, but it shows a strong association, researchers said.

Most evidence "pretty clearly shows there are significant medical benefits of breast-feeding," Dr. Dimitri Christakis told Reuters Health in an email.  

Christakis is a professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington and director of the Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development at Seattle Children's Research Institute. He was not involved in the new study.

"I think that the evidence is now of sufficient quality that we can close the book on these benefits and focus instead on how do we succeed in promoting breast-feeding because all of the studies, including this one, that have looked at it have found a linear relationship, which is to say that the benefits accrue with each additional month that a child is breastfed," he said.

For their report, Dr. Leda Chatzi from the University of Crete and her colleagues used data from a long-term study of 540 mothers and their kids.  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_143742.html

Can Tomato Diet Reduce Breast Ca Risk?

Eating a diet that includes plenty of tomatoes may prove important for lowering breast cancer risk, findings from a preliminary intervention study suggested.

When postmenopausal women at high risk for breast cancer ate tomatoes-rich foods every day for 10 weeks they had significant increases in serum adiponectin concentrations, with the strongest effect observed among lean women.

Adiponectin is an adipocyte-specific protein that plays an important role in regulating glucose homeostasis and fatty acid metabolism. The link between adiponectin levels and cancer has not been proven, but a recent meta-analysis of 17 studies concluded that high levels of the hormone may decrease the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women.  http://www.medpagetoday.com/HematologyOncology/BreastCancer/43518

Walk More to Cut Heart Attack and Stroke Risk, Study Suggests

Walking more is a simple way for people at high risk for type 2 diabetes to greatly reduce their risk of heart disease, a new study suggests.

Researchers analyzed data from more than 9,300 adults with pre-diabetes in 40 countries. People with pre-diabetes have an increased risk of cardiovascular events, such as heart attack and stroke.

All of the study participants were enrolled in programs meant to increase their physical activity, shed excess pounds and cut fatty foods from their diets. The participants' average number of steps taken per day was recorded at the start of the programs and again 12 months later.

Amounts of walking at the start of the programs and changes in amounts of walking over 12 months affected the participants' risk of heart disease, according to the study, which was published Dec. 19 in the journal The Lancet.

For every 2,000 steps more per day a person took at the start of the study, they had a 10 percent lower risk for heart disease in subsequent years. And for every 2,000 steps per day increase during the study period, the risk of heart disease fell an additional 8 percent, the researchers found.  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_143632.html

Americans Still Eat Too Much Salt: CDC

 Americans' love of salt has continued unabated in the 21st century, putting people at risk for high blood pressure, the leading cause of heart attack and stroke, U.S. health officials said Thursday.

In 2010, more than 90 percent of U.S. teenagers and adults consumed more than the recommended levels of salt -- about the same number as in 2003, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.

"Salt intake in the U.S. has changed very little in the last decade," said CDC medical officer and report co-author Dr. Niu Tian.

And despite a slight drop in salt consumption among kids younger than 13, the researchers found 80 percent to 90 percent of kids still consume more than the amount recommended by the Institute of Medicine.  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_143593.html

Study: Black Women Lose Less Weight Than White Women on Same Diet

Black women will lose less weight than white women even if they follow the exact same exercise and diet regimen, researchers report.

The reason behind this finding is that black women's metabolisms run more slowly, which decreases their daily energy burn, said study author James DeLany, an associate professor in the division of endocrinology and metabolism at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

"African-American women have a lower energy expenditure. They're going to have to eat fewer calories than they would if they were Caucasian, and/or increase their physical activity more," said DeLany. His report is published in the Dec. 20 issue of the International Journal of Obesity.  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_143598.html

As Body Weight Rises, So Do Health Costs, Study Finds

The more people weigh, the higher their health care costs, a new study finds.

The findings may give people another reason to pledge to shed excess pounds next year, the Duke University researchers said.

The investigators analyzed the body mass index (BMI) -- an estimate of body fat based on height and weight -- and the health care costs (doctor visits and prescription drugs) of more than 17,700 university employees who took part in annual health appraisals from 2001 to 2011.

The results showed that health care cost increases paralleled BMI increases and began above a BMI of 19, which is in the lower range of BMI that's considered healthy.

Average annual health care costs were $2,368 for a person with a BMI of 19 and $4,880 for a person with a BMI of 45, which is severely obese, or greater. Women had higher overall medical costs across all BMI categories, but men saw a sharper climb in costs the higher their BMIs rose.

Rates of diabetes, high blood pressure and about 12 other health problems rose as BMI got higher. Cardiovascular disease was associated with the largest health care spending rise per BMI unit increase, according to the study published online recently in the journal Obesity.  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_143595.html

Being overweight may affect men's semen quality

 Overweight and obese men in a new study showed diminished quantity and quality of semen, suggesting that a weight problem might also affect fertility, researchers say.

"The heavier the men, the higher the chances of a low sperm count," urologist Dr. Keith Jarvi told Reuters Health. "I don't think that this message is well known or appreciated by men in general," said Jarvi, who was not involved in the new study.

Dr. Michael Eisenberg, of Stanford University School of Medicine in California, and his colleagues recruited 468 couples in Texas and Michigan who were planning to conceive a child and tested several aspects of the men's semen.

They also weighed the men and measured their waists and found that greater waist circumference and body mass index (BMI) - a measure of weight relative to height - were both linked to lower ejaculate volume.

"All aspects of semen quality are important," Eisenberg said. "Ejaculate has several chemicals that provide a safer environment for sperm. As such, if the volume is low it may be a problem."  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_143621.html

Fiber-Rich Foods May Cut Your Risk of Heart Disease

 Boosting the amount of fiber in your diet may lower your risk for heart disease, a new study finds.

"With so much controversy causing many to avoid carbohydrates and grains, this trial reassures us of the importance of fiber in the prevention of cardiovascular disease," said one expert not connected to the study, Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, a preventive cardiologist at Lenox Hill Hospital, in New York City.

In the study, researchers led by Diane Threapleton, of the School of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Leeds, in England, analyzed data from the United States, Australia, Europe and Japan to assess different kinds of fiber intake.

Her team looked at total fiber; insoluble fiber (such as that found in whole grains, potato skins) soluble fiber (found in legumes, nuts, oats, barley); cereal; fruits and vegetables and other sources.

The study also looked at two categories of heart disease. One, "coronary heart disease" refers to plaque buildup in the heart's arteries that could lead to a heart attack, according to the American Heart Association. The second type of heart trouble is called "cardiovascular disease" -- an umbrella term for heart and blood vessel conditions that include heart attack, stroke, heart failure and other problems, the AHA explains.  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_143600.html

Early start to weight gain tied to later heart risks

 Kids who start rapidly gaining weight early in childhood are more likely to have higher blood pressure and other signs of future heart trouble as preteens, a new study suggests.

"There's a natural tendency early in life for children to thin out as they grow taller and gain stature faster than they gain weight," Dr. Mark D. DeBoer said.

But eventually, all kids hit a point when they start gaining weight at a faster pace, and their body mass index (BMI) - a measure of weight in relation to height - begins to rise. That point is called the adiposity rebound.

The adiposity rebound typically happens around age four to six, DeBoer, who studies childhood obesity at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, told Reuters Health.

Some studies have suggested children who start to put on weight at a younger age are more likely to be obese later in life. The new report adds to those concerns.  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_143698.html

Obese Kids Might Have Higher Levels of Stress Hormone

Obese children have elevated levels of a key stress hormone, according to a new study.

Researchers measured levels of cortisol -- considered an indicator of stress -- in hair samples from 20 obese and 20 normal-weight children, aged 8 to 12. Each group included 15 girls and five boys.

The body produces cortisol when a person experiences stress, and frequent stress can cause cortisol and other stress hormones to accumulate in the blood. Over time, this can lead to serious health problems, according to the authors of the study, which was published online Dec. 18 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

"We were surprised to find obese children as young as age 8 already had elevated cortisol levels," study author Dr. Erica van den Akker, of Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital in Rotterdam, Netherlands, said in a journal news release.  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_143544.html

Obesity Tied to Decline in Kidney Function

Obesity increases the risk of developing kidney disease, a new study suggests.

Moreover, declines in kidney function can be detected long before people develop other obesity-related diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure, the researchers said.

The researchers analyzed data collected from nearly 3,000 black and white young adults who had normal kidney function.

The participants, who had an average age of 35, were grouped according to four ranges of body-mass index (BMI), a measurement of body fat based on height and weight. The groups were normal weight, overweight, obese and extremely obese.

Over time, kidney function decreased in all the participants, but the decline was much greater and quicker in overweight and obese people, and appeared to be linked solely with body-mass index.  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_143542.html