Signs point to growing abuse of gabapentinoids in the U.S. | Internal Medicine News

Three states have now added gabapentin to their list of Schedule V controlled substances: Kentucky in 2017, West Virginia this May, and Tennessee in July.

Ohio, Minnesota, Virginia, and Massachusetts have taken a different tack to controlling dispensing. In those states, all pharmacies, prescribers, and wholesalers must report all dispensing and sales of gabapentin to their prescription monitoring databases.

https://www.mdedge.com/internalmedicinenews/article/175585/addiction-medicine/signs-point-growing-abuse-gabapentinoids-us

Caffeine Linked to Lower Mortality in CKD

A large observational study found a significant inverse relationship between consuming caffeine and all-cause mortality among US patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The research was published online September 12 in Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation.

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/902567

Suppression of Presymptomatic Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Neurodegeneration by Grape-Derived Polyphenols. - PubMed - NCBI

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/30210334

Physician Foundation 2018

The Physicians Foundation's 2018 survey, now in its sixth edition, reveals some startling findings about the impact of several factors driving physicians to reassess their careers. The survey of nearly 9,000 U.S. physicians across the country examines the impact of poverty on healthcare outcomes, practice patterns, career plans, how physicians are responding to the opioid crisis and perspectives of today's physicians.

https://physiciansfoundation.org/research-insights/the-physicians-foundation-2018-physician-survey/

Turmeric behind woman's liver problems? | Fox News

It's known that in about 10 to 15 percent of people with autoimmune hepatitis, the condition is triggered by drugs or supplements, the report said. In these cases, the condition is called drug-induced autoimmune hepatitis. It's unclear how drugs or supplements trigger drug-induced autoimmune hepatitis, but it's thought that in some cases, the breakdown of drugs may lead to the formation of molecules that trigger an immune reaction, according to the NIH .

When the authors of the new report reviewed 35 previous studies of turmeric supplements in people, they found that about 5 percent of participants in those studies experienced liver problems tied to the supplements. It may be that some patients, such as older adults or those who consume alcohol, are more prone to these problems tied to supplements.

Still, the authors said that it's unclear whether turmeric compounds were indeed responsible for the liver problems in the woman's case. A sample of the product was not available to test, but it could be that contaminants in the product, rather than the turmeric itself, triggered the condition, the report said. Or, it may be that the combination of turmeric and other medicines and supplements that the woman was taking led to the condition.

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2018/09/18/turmeric-behind-womans-liver-problems.html

Syphilis cases up 44 percent in California county | Fox News

Health officials are attempting to combat a record number of syphilis cases in San Joaquin County after the area saw a 44 percent increase from 2016 to 2017, making it the second highest in the state.

"We're just trying to inform the public as much as possible that this is a public health concern in the county," Dr. Kismet Baldwin, a health officer with the county's health services, told Fox 40.

"If you're not treated you move onto the secondary stage and in the secondary stage you could have multiple sores like that but it could be in the mouth."

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2018/09/18/syphilis-cases-up-44-percent-in-california-county.html

Mediterranean Diet Linked to Improved Sleep Quality

Adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MeDi) may improve quality of sleep in older adults, new research suggests.

Investigators analyzed sleep duration and quality, as well as adherence to the MeDi, in more than 1600 adults. Results showed that in individuals aged 65 to 75 years, sleep quality was better for those who adhered to the MeDi than for those who did not, even after adjusting for possible confounding factors, including cognitive status.

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/902107

Air pollution affects thyroid development in fetuses, research finds

Soot and dust alters thyroid development in fetuses before they are born in smoggy cities, raising concern about health impacts later in life, new USC research shows.

It means before a doctor cuts the umbilical cord or a parent hugs a baby or a sibling gazes at the newest member of the family, the caress of air pollution already reached the womb's inner sanctum. The timing couldn't be worse, as the researchers found that no matter when they checked, thyroid impacts were evident until the final month of gestation.

https://m.medicalxpress.com/news/2018-09-air-pollution-affects-thyroid-fetuses.html

Healthcare Bluebook, your free health care guide to fair pricing for health care services

 Did you know that the cost for a single procedure could vary 400% or more at a different in-network facility just down the street? Or that the higher cost procedure could be performed by a provider with a much lower quality rating? Healthcare Bluebook levels the playing field with reliable cost and quality information that makes shopping for healthcare simple and straightforward. 

https://www.healthcarebluebook.com/

Ultimately, however, Myles envisions a day when consumer skin products are tested for their effects on the microbiome before they end up on store shelves. Topical products like soaps and shampoos, he believes, are among the "biggest offenders" behind the explosion of eczema in industrialized nations since the 1980s. In his recent study, some common preservatives, such as parabens and quaternium 15, inhibited the growth of R mucosa more than S aureus or inhibited healthy strains of R mucosa more than unhealthy ones. These preservatives can be found in skin products like baby shampoo, bubble baths, and even some lotions marketed as treatments for eczema, he said.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2700376

What should I do about insomnia?

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2701632

Nutrition Training for Young Doctors Lacks Bite

The survey of the 133 US medical schools with 4-year MD programs in 2012 showed that medical students received a median of 16 hours of nutritional education that year—roughly the same as in 2000, 2004, and 2008.[1] Meanwhile, the percentage of US medical schools that do not require medical students to receive any instruction about nutrition increased from 5% in 2000 to 10% in 2012. Only around 1 in 4 medical schools have a required nutrition course.

Typically, in the first 2 years of med school, students learn about the molecular structures of vitamins and metabolites, Dr Kohlmeier said. However, teaching students about "the structure of Krebs-cycle metabolites," for example, "doesn't teach them anything about diabetes."

"Fewer than one half of all US medical schools offer any kind of clinical focus on nutrition—no rounds, no clinics—which reflects the reality in a lot of these teaching hospitals," Dr Kohlmeier observed. "Even in those that offer something, the average is in the range of 5 hours at most, which is not enough."

Students are not getting practice in "making patient assessments or understanding which patients are at risk from malnutrition before or after surgery," nor are they learning how to help motivate patients to lose weight.

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/886722

Healthy Midlife Diet May Preserve Memory, Prevent Mental Illness

A healthy diet, as reflected by AHEI-2010 score, is rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, legumes, omega-3 fats, and polyunsaturated fatty acids, and is light on sugar-sweetened drinks, red and processed meat, trans fat, and sodium-rich products. It is also characterized by low alcohol intake. In the current study, low alcohol intake was a "key component" associated with larger hippocampus volume, the researchers say.

"Our findings lend support for the hypothesis that overall diet may affect brain structures with a specific impact on hippocampus volume," the researchers conclude. "Accounting for the importance of hippocampus with long-term, declarative, episodic memory, as well as for flexible cognition network, our findings reaffirm the need to recognize diet and nutrition as potential determinants of cognition, mental health and social behavior."

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/901867

Estrogen Matters – Science-Based Medicine

Once considered a veritable fountain of youth, estrogen replacement got a bad rap with the Women's Health Initiative study. This book is an exhaustively researched and meticulously reasoned vindication of hormone replacement therapy. Estrogen matters: it's the most effective treatment for hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause, and when started early and used continuously, it has important health benefits and can actually prevent some of the adverse events it was thought to cause. Bluming and Tavris tell estrogen's story in a way that is both accessible to the general public and appropriate for professionals. What's more, they provide valuable insights into understanding research and how even the best randomized controlled studies can lead to unjustified public fears and injudicious clinical recommendations. Very enlightening!

https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/estrogen-matters/

Report: Pharma exec says he had 'moral requirement' to raise drug price 400% - CNN

Nirmal Mulye, founder and president of Nostrum Pharmaceuticals, commented in a story Tuesday about the decision to raise the price of an antibiotic mixture called nitrofurantoin from about $500 per bottle to more than $2,300. The drug is listed by the World Health Organization as an "essential" medicine for lower urinary tract infections.

"I think it is a moral requirement to make money when you can," Mulye told the Financial Times, "to sell the product for the highest price."

The Financial Times said Mulye compared his decision to increase the price to that of an art dealer who sells "a painting for half a billion dollars" and said he was in "this business to make money." 

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2018/09/11/health/drug-price-hike-moral-requirement-bn/index.html

Watch "Monsanto Glyphosate Medical Implications" on YouTube

https://youtu.be/kY5f19QGvds

Flavorings in Tobacco Products Induce Endothelial Cell Dysfunction | Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology

Use of alternative tobacco products including electronic cigarettes is rapidly rising. The wide variety of flavored tobacco products available is of great appeal to smokers and youth. The flavorings added to tobacco products have been deemed safe for ingestion, but the cardiovascular health effects are unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of 9 flavors on vascular endothelial cell function.

Approach and Results—

Freshly isolated endothelial cells from participants who use nonmenthol- or menthol-flavored tobacco cigarettes showed impaired A23187-stimulated nitric oxide production compared with endothelial cells from nonsmoking participants. Treatment of endothelial cells isolated from nonsmoking participants with either menthol (0.01 mmol/L) or eugenol (0.01 mmol/L) decreased A23187-stimulated nitric oxide production. To further evaluate the effects of flavoring compounds on endothelial cell phenotype, commercially available human aortic endothelial cells were incubated with vanillin, menthol, cinnamaldehyde, eugenol, dimethylpyrazine, diacetyl, isoamyl acetate, eucalyptol, and acetylpyrazine (0.1–100 mmol/L) for 90 minutes. Cell death, reactive oxygen species production, expression of the proinflammatory marker IL-6 (interleukin-6), and nitric oxide production were measured. Cell death and reactive oxygen species production were induced only at high concentrations unlikely to be achieved in vivo. Lower concentrations of selected flavors (vanillin, menthol, cinnamaldehyde, eugenol, and acetylpyridine) induced both inflammation and impaired A23187-stimulated nitric oxide production consistent with endothelial dysfunction.

Conclusions—

Our data suggest that short-term exposure of endothelial cells to flavoring compounds used in tobacco products have adverse effects on endothelial cell phenotype that may have relevance to cardiovascular toxicity.

https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1161/ATVBAHA.118.311156

More Bad News About Benzos

Benzodiazepines are in the news again—this time, not for the increased risk for falls and fractures that can come with their use.

A case-control study was conducted in Finland among community-dwelling adults who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer disease. Benzodiazepines and related Z drug use was associated with a modestly increased risk for Alzheimer disease. No real differences were seen for the drug subcategories. This included short-, medium-, and long-acting benzodiazepines, as well as zolpidem, zaleplon, and eszopiclone.

The analysis showed that 5.7% of dementia cases among adults using benzodiazepines were due to the drugs. Even this small increased risk could be significant because they are widely prescribed to elderly adults, often long term. The drugs are given to treat prodromal and neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia like insomnia and anxiety.

The authors concluded that benzodiazepines and Z drugs should be avoided when possible, given their adverse-event profile. For patients who you would like to wean off benzodiazepines, deprescribing can be tough and take a long time. Guidelines are now available to help you with the process.

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/901271

There aren’t enough doctors to go around | TheHill

And then, there's economics. In 1997, the Balanced Budget Act capped federal funding of medical residency programs; in 2016, for example, the government spent about $10 billion, the overwhelming majority of it coming from Medicare. Most experts predicted that the cap would soon be lifted; more than 20 years later, it's still in place.

As a result, what we have now is a classic bottleneck condition: More and more people want to practice medicine while less and less funding is available to help create residency programs that meet the demand.

http://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/405231-there-arent-enough-doctors-to-go-around

Time-Restricted Feeding Prevents Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome in Mice Lacking a Circadian Clock

Increased susceptibility of circadian clock mutant mice to metabolic diseases has led to the idea that a molecular clock is necessary for metabolic homeostasis. However, these mice often lack a normal feeding-fasting cycle. We tested whether time-restricted feeding (TRF) could prevent obesity and metabolic syndrome in whole-body Cry1;Cry2 and in liver-specific Bmal1 and Rev-erbα/β knockout mice. When provided access to food ad libitum, these mice rapidly gained weight and showed genotype-specific metabolic defects. However, when fed the same diet under TRF (food access restricted to 10 hr during the dark phase) they were protected from excessive weight gain and metabolic diseases. Transcriptome and metabolome analyses showed that TRF reduced the accumulation of hepatic lipids and enhanced cellular defenses against metabolic stress. These results suggest that the circadian clock maintains metabolic homeostasis by sustaining daily rhythms in feeding and fasting and by maintaining balance between nutrient and cellular stress responses.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1550413118305059?via%3Dihub

Making Doctors Dumber Won't Make Our Health Care System Smarter

We need more early intervention and prevention, not more late-stage expensive patches. Smoking cessation counseling isn't sexy the way humming machines and newly approved biologics are, but it's effective, inexpensive and what our country really needs. Unfortunately, the way the house of medicine is carved now, it's not the specialists who are providing it.

The balance between primary care and specialty services is a delicate one, and some would argue that health care is already too specialized ― why does one patient need an entire Rolodex of "-ologists" — a cardiologist, a nephrologist, an endocrinologist, a pulmonologist and a dermatologist? 

Patients are not sliced into the "organ systems" we divide specialty lines across. And there is no better example of this than the patients we see in the emergency room, confused by their multiple canisters of co-interacting meds, sent to see us by one of their specialists who, after expensive tests on the organ of expertise, couldn't figure out what was going on and sent the patient to the ER. Ophthalmologists refer patients to the ER for high blood pressure found in the clinic. Orthopedists send patients to the ER when they find incidental elevated blood sugar prior to an operation. 

Yes, some referrals are appropriate, but some are plainly wasteful. The ER, designed to be full of "resuscitation-ists" — providers trained to take care of life-threatening events like heart attacks, strokes and gunshot wounds — has quickly become a catch-all of "available-ists" — providers who happen to be available 24/7/365. In between the heart attacks and car accidents, I also counsel patients on smoking and drug cessation, advise them on the importance of seat belts, teach them to use their glucometers and adjust their daily meds. 

Why? Because not only are these patients unable to get in to see all of their specialists in a timely manner, but many don't even have a primary care doctor.

We can't force medical students to become primary care physicians, nor should we. But education reform isn't necessarily going to fix our health care system, either.

https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5b89b277e4b0cf7b0035e624/amp