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Monday, 30 January 2012

Diabetes Affects Hearing Loss, Especially In Women

Main Category: Hearing / Deafness
Also Included In: Women's Health / Gynecology
Article Date: 30 Jan 2012 - 0:00 PST

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Having diabetes may cause women to experience a greater degree of hearing loss as they age, especially if the metabolic disorder is not well controlled with medication, according to a new study from Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

Women between the ages of 60 and 75 with well-controlled diabetes had better hearing than women with poorly controlled diabetes, with similar hearing levels to those of non-diabetic women of the same age.

The study also shows significantly worse hearing in all women younger than 60 with diabetes, even if it is well controlled.

Men, however, had worse hearing loss across the board compared to women in the study, regardless of their age or whether or not they had diabetes.

"A certain degree of hearing loss is a normal part of the aging process for all of us, but it is often accelerated in patients with diabetes, especially if blood-glucose levels are not being controlled with medication and diet," says Derek J. Handzo, D.O., with the Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at Henry Ford.

"Our study really points to importance of patients controlling their diabetes, especially as they age, based on the impact it may have on hearing loss."

The study will be presented in Miami Beach at the annual Triological Society's Combined Sections Meeting.

According to the American Diabetes Association, nearly 26 million people in the U.S. have diabetes, and another 34.5 million have some degree of hearing loss. Signs of hearing loss include difficulty hearing background noises or hearing conversations in large groups, as well as regularly needing to turn up the volume on a radio or TV.

While the association between diabetes and hearing loss has previously been studied, Henry Ford researchers sought to learn more about hearing differences among patients with well-controlled diabetes, poorly controlled diabetes, and those who do not have diabetes.

The Henry Ford research team reviewed records for 990 patients that had audiograms performed between 2000 and 2008 at the hospital. Patients were categorized by gender, age (younger than 60 years old, between 60-75 years old and older than 75 years old), and if they had diabetes. Those with diabetes were divided into two groups: well-controlled or poorly controlled, as determined by the American Diabetes Association guidelines that use HbA1C blood levels.

Dr. Handzo notes that previous studies about diabetes and hearing loss have not focused on blood-glucose levels, nor did they include such a diverse population based on age and gender.

The Henry Ford team looked at patients' pure tone average, a measurement that determines hearing level at certain frequency, and speech recognition at different ages. The team evaluated pure tone average ranges that focus on the frequency at which most people speak and the very high frequencies used in music and alarms.

Women between the ages of 60 and 75 with poorly controlled diabetes had significantly worse hearing than those whose diabetes was well-controlled and the control group. Among the women younger than 60, those with diabetes - regardless of whether or not it was being controlled - had worse hearing than non-diabetic women.

For the men in the study, there was no significant difference in hearing between those with diabetes that well-controlled or poorly controlled, as well as those who did not have diabetes.

"Younger males in general have worse hearing, enough so to possibly mask any impact diabetes may have on hearing. But our findings really call for future research to determine the possible role gender plays in hearing loss," says Dr. Handzo.

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our hearing / deafness section for the latest news on this subject.

Funding: Henry Ford Hospital
Along with Dr. Handzo, Henry Ford study authors are Virginia S. Ramachandran, Au.D.; Brad A. Stach, Ph.D.; Ed S. Peterson, Ph.D.; and Kathleen L. Yaremchuk, M.D.
Henry Ford Health System

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Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/240865.php

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Medical chief highlights importance of vitamin D

Vitamin D was in the headlines today, with many papers reporting that a quarter of all toddlers are deficient in the nutrient and that childhood rickets is on the rise. The vitamin plays several important roles in the body, including regulating the balance of nutrients needed for strong, healthy bones.

The vitamin has fallen under the spotlight as Chief Medical Officer for England, Professor Dame Sally Davies, is reportedly contacting health professionals to highlight the need to prescribe vitamin D supplements to at-risk groups. There are already extensive guidelines on circumstances where people should take vitamin D supplements, but the move seems designed to increase use of the pills, which are available on prescription, or even free to individuals with a raised risk of deficiency.

An independent advisory committee is also researching and reviewing current recommendations on vitamin D, but the results of this extensive analysis are not expected until early 2014.

While vitamin D deficiency may have increased in recent years, rickets is still a rare condition. That said, it is entirely preventable and vitamin D supplementation can be of great importance to at-risk groups such as toddlers and young children.

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What is vitamin D and why do we need it?

Vitamin D plays an essential role in maintaining good health. It has several important functions, including helping to regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body. These substances are needed to keep bones and teeth healthy.

Without adequate vitamin D, bones can become thin, brittle and misshapen. In extreme cases this can lead to rickets in children, a condition involving a softening of the bones that can lead to fractures and deformity. In adults softening of the bones is usually called osteomalacia, and may cause pain and muscle weakness.

Vitamin D has many other important roles in the body including regulating cell growth, neuromuscular and immune function, and reduction of inflammation. Even years after its discovery, there is still ongoing research examining the various other functions vitamin D might perform in the body.

According to the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) ? a group of experts that advises the government about all aspects of nutrition ? some evidence suggests that vitamin D may be important in preventing other diseases including cancer, cardiovascular disease and multiple sclerosis, although it points out further research is needed before any definite conclusions can be drawn.

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How can I get vitamin D?

The best source of vitamin D is sunlight on the skin. The vitamin forms under the skin in reaction to a type of ultraviolet ray called UVB. UVB rays are more powerful in the summer, and experts advise exposing the skin to regular, short periods of sun during the summer months, without sunscreen, which blocks UVB rays. However, it is important to ensure that the skin does not burn.

Vitamin D is also found in a small number of foods but it is difficult to obtain enough vitamin D from diet alone. Good sources of vitamin D include oily fish (such as salmon and sardines), eggs, cheese and meat. In the UK, all margarines and infant formula milks are fortified with vitamin D. It is also added to other foods such as breakfast cereals, soya and some dairy products, but usually only in small amounts.

Breastfed babies get their vitamin D from their mother?s breastmilk, which makes it especially important that breastfeeding women have adequate vitamin D levels of their own.

Vitamin D is also available in supplement form. Women and children participating in�Healthy Start can get free supplements containing vitamin D. Some doctors sell supplements or supply them free of charge to those not eligible for Healthy Start.

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Who needs vitamin D supplements?

The current advice is that most people should be able to get all the vitamin D they need by getting enough sun and eating a healthy balanced diet. However, the Department of Health says the following people may be at risk of vitamin D deficiency and recommends they take daily vitamin supplements:

all pregnant and breastfeeding women
all children aged six months to five years old
all people aged 65 or over
people who are not exposed to much sun ? for example people who are housebound and those who cover up their skin for cultural reasons
people who have darker skin, such as people of African Caribbean and south Asian origin. Their bodies are unable to produce vitamin D as easily

You can buy single vitamin D supplements at most pharmacies and supermarkets. Pregnant women who take vitamin D as part of a multivitamin should avoid supplements containing vitamin A (retinol), which can be harmful in pregnancy.

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Can too much vitamin D be harmful?

The Department of Health says that taking 25 micrograms (0.025mg) or less a day of vitamin D supplements is unlikely to cause any harm.

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Is rickets really on the rise?

Yes. In 2007 SACN� published an update paper on vitamin D which, it said, highlighted ?the prevalence of low vitamin D status throughout the UK population and the re-emergence of rickets in certain subgroups?.

However, while it would appear that a relatively high proportion of children do not get enough vitamin D, rickets is still a rare disease in the UK and there is certainly not an epidemic of the condition, as might be supposed by reading some news articles. That said, the condition is entirely preventable, and so there is a need to ensure parents and children have access to vitamin D supplements wherever appropriate, such as through the�Healthy Start scheme.

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What will happen next?

Last year the government launched a review of vitamin D supplementation, which is due to report in the next few years. In the meantime, Dame Sally is reportedly contacting health professionals to ensure they offer advice on vitamin D supplementation to those at risk, so that they can avoid health problems associated with deficiencies of this important nutrient.

Links To The Headlines

Experts review vitamin D advice. BBC News, January 25 2012

Vitamin D awareness in decline, say doctors. The Guardian, January 25 2012

A quarter of UK toddlers are lacking Vitamin D. The Independent, January 25 2012

Rickets returns as 1 in 4 toddlers found to be lacking in vitamin D. Daily Mirror, January 25 2012

Vitamin D deficiency in UK a 'major problem'. The Daily Telegraph, January 25 2012

Source: http://www.nhs.uk/news/2012/01January/Pages/vitamin-d-medical-advice-and-supplements.aspx

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Family carers missing out on support

?More than a million cancer carers may be missing out on vital support,? the Daily Mirror and other newspapers have reported today. The news reports are based on a survey carried out for Macmillan Cancer Support, which identified that among 386 people who provided five or more hours of care a week to someone with cancer, around half had no support of any kind.
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There are more than 1 million carers of people with cancer in the UK, and more than 6 million carers of all kinds. The report detailed the impact of the apparent lack of support on carers? mental health, relationships and finances, finding that just 5% say they have received a local authority carer?s assessment, which enables them to access practical, emotional and financial support.

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What is the caring role for people supporting others who have cancer?�

The ?More than a Million? report published by Macmillan is based on the results of a survey carried out by Ipsos MORI. The charity said that around one in seven people had given some unpaid informal support to a person with cancer in the past 12 months and that around one in 50 could currently be described as carers of people with cancer. The survey was carried out between May and August 2011 and it asked questions to identify carers among 18,449 people interviewed face-to-face. They then polled 386 of these people who were identified as carers of people with cancer.

The survey found that, as with all carers, most carers of people with cancer were women (62%) mostly aged between 45 and 54. The carers most often supported a member of their family such as a parent (23%) or a spouse or partner (17%), but surprisingly 31% said they cared for a friend or neighbour. In this research, being a carer was defined as giving at least five hours of support a week, or giving one to four hours with it affecting their lives in some way. Despite meeting this definition, only 43% of the people surveyed actually considered themselves to be carers (51% said that they would not consider themselves carers). You can find out more who is considered a carer at Carers Direct: what is a carer?�

The type of care given is varied, and includes emotional support for someone with cancer and helping with errands such as shopping and collecting prescriptions and helping with transportation. On average, the carers surveyed gave almost 15 hours of support per week and 81% said that being a carer impacted on other aspects of their life. The impacts included effects on:

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Do carers receive adequate support?

Owing to the different ways being a carer can affect outside life, the survey considered many different types of support a carer of someone with cancer may need. The survey found that most of the support that carers receive is informal, coming from their family (44%) or friends (28%). Some carers (20%) received support from their GP or another person working within the NHS. However, half of carers polled said they received no support. The survey revealed that the type of support carers wanted was training on how to give care, and someone to provide emotional support. The carers also wanted more information on the general support available to them.

It is important to note that entitlement to a carer?s assessment is based on them being considered as giving ?regular and substantial care? to the person they look after. The report defined carers as those caring for more than five hours a week. While there is no legal definition for what this entails, it could explain why some carers have never had an assessment.

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What is a local authority carer?s assessment?

A local authority carer?s assessment allows carers of all types to discuss with social services the help they need to maintain health and a balance between caring and other life commitments. The Macmillan Cancer Support report said that out of the people they surveyed, only 11% said they had received support from social services or local authorities and only five per cent have had a carer's assessment. If you are looking after someone, social services are obliged to consider the different issues that can affect your caring role to assess your needs.�

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What other sources of help are available for carers?

The Carers Direct helpline (0808 802 0202) is a free and confidential helpline for carers (living in England) needing help or advice on their caring role or on the needs of the person they are caring for. Carers Direct can also be contacted by mail, email and live, online webchat. You can also use Carers Direct to find addresses, phone numbers and websites for carers? services near you.
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Macmillan Cancer Support recognises the needs of people living with cancer and their carers. In the survey, 72% of carers named at least one service or activity that they thought Macmillan offers to carers and over a third said they had used at least one of these services. These included contact with Macmillan nurses and gaining information and advice through the Macmillan website.

Links To The Headlines

Millions of cancer carers missing out on benefits. The Daily Telegraph, January 27 2012

More than a million cancer carers may be missing out on vital support, charity reveals. Daily Mirror, January 27 2012

Carers 'missing out on support', says charity. BBC News, January 27 2012

Source: http://www.nhs.uk/news/2012/01January/Pages/millions-missing-carers-assessments.aspx

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Too Few Americans Getting Screened for Common Cancers: CDC

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Jan. 26 (HealthDay News) -- The number of Americans being screened for colon, breast and cervical cancers still fall below national targets, federal health officials said Thursday.

In 2010, 72.4 percent of women were being screened for breast cancer, below the target of 81 percent, for cervical cancer it was 83 percent of women, while the target is 93 percent, and for colon cancer 58.6 percent of Americans were screened, missing the target of 70.5 percent, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Not all Americans are getting the recommended screening for breast, cervical and colorectal cancer," said report co-author Mary C. White, branch chief of the CDC's Division of Cancer Prevention and Control. "There continue to be disparities for certain populations."

The screening rates are particularly low among Asians and Hispanics, according to the report in the Jan. 27 issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Among Asians, the screening rate for breast cancer was 64.1 percent, for cervical cancer it was 75.4 percent, and for colon cancer it was 46.9 percent.

Hispanics were less likely than non-Hispanics to have screening for cervical and colon cancer (78.7 percent and 46.5 percent, respectively), the researchers found.

Screening is important, said Dr. Stephanie Bernik, chief of surgical oncology at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

"Screening saves lives," she said. "When you catch a cancer at a smaller size it does affect outcome."

Some people may be confused about screening, because different medical groups have different screening protocols, Bernik said.

"It's hard to get people to do screening in general. People look for any excuse not to get screened. When they see there is a controversy about when to start screening, they look at it as an opportunity to not do the test," she said.

Bernik also admits that screening can result in some over-treatment.

"With screening comes that risk," she said. "Unfortunately, we are not at a point where we can select the patients that are not going to have a problem, so we treat everyone equally. So, there is a little bit of over-treatment but, overall, you are improving survival for many people."

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that women aged 50 to 74 get a mammogram every two years to screen for breast cancer.

Women aged 21 to 65, or those who have been sexually active for three years, should have a Pap test to screen for cervical cancer at least every three years, the task force recommends.

For colorectal cancer, men and women aged 50 to 75 should be screened with a yearly fecal occult blood test or sigmoidoscopy every five years, or have a colonoscopy every 10 years.

Other highlights of the report include:

Breast cancer screening rates remained stable from 2000-2010, varying only about 3 percent.
Colon cancer screening rates increased from 2000-2010, to more than 58 percent for both men and women.
Cervical cancer screening rates dipped 3.3 percent from 2000-2010.
Screening rates for all these cancers was much lower among the uninsured or those who didn't have a regular doctor.

The Affordable Care Act is expected to lower these barriers to access by expanding insurance coverage, the authors said.

"Other efforts are needed, such as developing systems that identify persons eligible for cancer screening tests, actively encouraging the use of screening tests, and monitoring participation to improve screening rates," the authors added.

SOURCES: Mary C. White, Sc.D., M.P.H., branch chief, division of cancer prevention and control, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Stephanie Bernik, M.D., chief, surgical oncology, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City; Jan. 27, 2012, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report

Source: http://www.medicinenet.com/guide.asp?s=rss&a=154036&k=Womens_Health_General

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Diabetes Affects Hearing Loss, Especially In Women

Main Category: Hearing / Deafness
Also Included In: Women's Health / Gynecology
Article Date: 30 Jan 2012 - 0:00 PST

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The study also shows significantly worse hearing in all women younger than 60 with diabetes, even if it is well controlled.

Men, however, had worse hearing loss across the board compared to women in the study, regardless of their age or whether or not they had diabetes.

"Our study really points to importance of patients controlling their diabetes, especially as they age, based on the impact it may have on hearing loss."

The study will be presented in Miami Beach at the annual Triological Society's Combined Sections Meeting.

Dr. Handzo notes that previous studies about diabetes and hearing loss have not focused on blood-glucose levels, nor did they include such a diverse population based on age and gender.

For the men in the study, there was no significant difference in hearing between those with diabetes that well-controlled or poorly controlled, as well as those who did not have diabetes.

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our hearing / deafness section for the latest news on this subject.

Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

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Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/240865.php

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Link Between Prenatal Testosterone And An Increased Risk Of Language Delay For Male Infants

Main Category: Psychology / Psychiatry
Also Included In: Men's health;��Pediatrics / Children's Health;��Pregnancy / Obstetrics
Article Date: 27 Jan 2012 - 0:00 PST

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New research by Australian scientists reveals that males who are exposed to high levels of testosterone before birth are twice as likely to experience delays in language development compared to females. The research, published in Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, focused on umbilical cord blood to explore the presence of testosterone when the language-related regions of a fetus' brain are undergoing a critical period of growth.

"An estimated 12% of toddlers experience significant delays in their language development," said lead author Professor Andrew Whitehouse from the University of Western Australia. "While language development varies between individuals, males tend to develop later and at a slower rate than females."

The team believed this may be due to prenatal exposure to sex-steroids such as testosterone. Male fetuses are known to have 10 times the circulating levels of testosterone compared to females. The team proposed that higher levels of exposure to prenatal testosterone may increase the likelihood of language development delays.

Professor Whitehouse's team measured levels of testosterone in the umbilical cord blood of 767 newborns before examining their language ability at 1, 2 and 3-years of age.

The results showed male infants with high levels of testosterone in cord blood were between two-and-three times more likely to experience language delay. However, the opposite effect was found in female infants, where high-levels of testosterone in cord blood were associated with a decreased risk of language delay.

Previous smaller studies have explored the link between testosterone levels in amniotic fluid and language development. However, this is the first large population-based study to explore the relationship between umbilical cord blood and language delay in the first three years of life.

"Language delay is one of the most common reasons children are taken to a Paediatrician," concluded Professor Whitehouse. "Now these findings can help us to understand the biological mechanisms that may underpin language delay, as well as language development more generally."

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our psychology / psychiatry section for the latest news on this subject.

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Wiley-Blackwell. "Link Between Prenatal Testosterone And An Increased Risk Of Language Delay For Male Infants." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 27 Jan. 2012. Web.
30 Jan. 2012. <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/240783.php>

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Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/240783.php

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