Flu Shot Doesn’t Work As Well For People Who Are Overweight — And That’s Not The Only Problem, CDC Reports
Heavier people get sicker and are also more likely to spread the disease, researchers said, and that has the potential to amplify a flu outbreak. Public health news is on including family in holiday workouts, air pollution's impact on the brain, cancer treatments for the elderly, California's Healthy Blue Zone, dangers from probiotic bacteria, skin-lightening products, a mysterious lung ailment, push back against vets' service dogs, and dengue fevers risks for travelers.
NPR:
Flu Shot Doesn't Work As Well For Obese And Overweight People
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says flu season is starting to ramp up — and it's not too late to reduce your risk with a vaccine. But scientists have come to realize that flu vaccines are less effective for people who are overweight or obese. Considering that excess weight affects more than two-thirds of the U.S. adult population, that's a significant shortcoming. (Harris, 11/24)
The New York Times:
Fitting In Family Fitness At The Holidays
Milk-gallon dead lifts, shared inchworms, synchronized walking and a little misdirection could be the keys to staying in shape and in harmony with loved ones during the holiday weeks ahead, experts say. While people who regularly exercise often worry about having too little time, willpower or familial good will available for workouts when they visit or host family and friends for the holidays, the researchers and athletes I spoke with felt that the greater challenge — and opportunity — lies in finding ways to rope in the gathered hordes, who might otherwise stay inactive. (Reynolds, 11/23)
The New York Times:
Air Pollution May Damage The Brain
Long-term exposure to air pollution is associated with lower scores on tests of mental acuity, researchers have found. And one reason may be that air pollution causes changes in brain structure that resemble those of Alzheimer’s disease. The scientists studied 998 women ages 73 to 87 and free of dementia, periodically giving them tests of learning and memory. They used magnetic resonance imaging to detect brain atrophy, or wasting, and then scored the deterioration on its degree of similarity to the brain atrophy characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease. (Bakalar, 11/25)
NPR:
For Older Cancer Patients, Geriatric Assessments Help Doctors Tailor Treatment
When Lorraine Griggs' 86-year-old father was diagnosed with prostate cancer, he was treated with 35 rounds of radiation, though he had a long list of other serious medical issues, including diabetes, kidney disease and high blood pressure. The treatment left him frailer, Griggs recalls. A few years later, when his prostate cancer reoccurred, Griggs' father received a different kind of cancer care. Before his doctor devised a treatment plan, she ordered what's known as a geriatric assessment. (Platzman Weinstock, 11/23)
CNN:
What This Sunny, Religious Town In California Teaches Us About Living Longer
Spanish for "beautiful city," Loma Linda, California is nestled between mountain peaks in the middle of the San Bernardino Valley. The city is known as an epicenter of health and wellness, with more than 900 physicians on the campus of Loma Linda University and Medical Center. But that's not Loma Linda's only wellness claim to fame. This city of 21,000 is one of the five original blue zones, regions in the world where people live longest and are the healthiest. In fact, the people in this community tend to live eight to 10 years longer than the average American. (LaMotte, 11/25)
WBUR:
When 'Friendly' Probiotic Bacteria Turn Into Foes In The ICU
In an intensive care unit at Boston Children's Hospital, Dr. Greg Priebe was treating a teenager whose lungs had failed. To make matters worse, the patient spiked a fever from an infection brewing in his bloodstream: a type of bacteria called lactobacillus, commonly found in probiotic capsules and foods like yogurt. (Goldberg, 11/22)
The Associated Press:
Amazon Pulls Skin-Lightening Products After Groups’ Concerns
Amazon has pulled more than a dozen skin-lightening products with dangerous levels of mercury off its website after Minnesota public-health and environmental activists raised concerns. The company’s change came after two groups, the BeautyWell Project and the state branch of the Sierra Club, delivered a petition on Wednesday with over 23,000 signatures to Amazon’s fulfillment center in Shakopee, Minnesota Public Radio News reported. (11/22)
The Washington Post:
Her Lungs Seemed To Be A Mess. But The Problem That Nearly Killed Her Lay Elsewhere.
Why, Gail Multop wondered repeatedly, couldn’t doctors put an end to her seemingly intractable lung ailments? Multop’s problems seemed to progress slowly but relentlessly. In November 2016, she contracted pneumonia. A second bout followed six months later. By then, the early-childhood education specialist had developed a wracking cough and felt increasingly exhausted and short of breath. (Boodman, 11/23)
The New York Times:
Veterans Join Airlines In Pushback Against Conduct Unbecoming A Support Dog
It seemed, in retrospect, a bit of a low point — a medium-size dog racing through an airplane at 30,000 feet, spraying diarrhea toward passengers throughout the cabin. But according to some transportation officials, it was an increasingly typical scene that has stemmed from the growing use of comfort animals on airplanes — a situation that some injured veterans say is making life harder on them. (Steinhauer, 11/23)
Miami Herald:
Dengue Virus’ Spread Through Latin America Threatens Miami
Dengue virus is surging in Latin America at an inopportune time for Miami, with infections in those countries spreading rapidly just as many foreign-born South Florida residents are preparing to travel to their home countries for the holidays, public health experts are warning. That increases the likelihood that travelers will bring the disease back to South Florida when they return. (Conarck, 11/22)
