medicine and health

ScienceDaily (Oct. 11, 2012) — Domestic violence rates rose by an average of 30 percent each time England won or lost their games during the 2010 World Cup, but draws had little impact on the statistics.
Those are the key findings of research carried out by statistician Professor Allan Brimicombe and BBC News journalist Rebecca Cafe and published in the October issue of Significance
, the magazine of The Royal Statistical Society and the American Statistical Association.
As a consequence of this and previous research, Professor Brimicombe believes there is a strong case for schools to educate pupils of the dangers of domestic violence, event organisers should promote initiatives that tackle domestic violence and that police forces should prepare themselves for peaks in domestic violence around major sporting events.
"Domestic violence is widespread, accounting for 15 percent of all violent crimes and 35 percent of murders in the UK," explains Professor Brimicombe, from the Centre for Geo-Information Studies at the University of East London.
"It is a crime that is estimated to affect some 30 percent of women and 17 percent of men at some point in their lives."
The researchers based their findings on statistics provided by 33 of the 39 police forces in England, which between them cover 77 percent of the country's population.
The data, for the period covering the 2010 World Cup and the same period in 2009, was obtained under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, which enables members of the public to request official information from public bodies.
The figures showed that when England drew 1-1 against the USA, domestic violence fell by 1.9 percent and when England drew 0-0 against Algeria it rose by 0.1 percent.
However when England won its game against Slovenia 1-0, domestic violence rose by 27.7 percent. And England's exit from the World Cup, after losing 4-1 to Germany, was accompanied by a 31.5 percent rise in domestic violence.
The research aimed to test the validity of an analysis carried out by the Home Office that showed that domestic violence had risen during the 2006 World Cup. "Major sporting events do not cause domestic violence, as perpetrators are responsible for their actions," said the analysis, "but the levels of alcohol consumption linked to the highly charged emotional nature of those events seems to increase the prevalence of such incidents."
Professor Brimicombe concludes that the Home Office findings were right in some respects but fell short in their analysis in other respects.
Professor Brimicombe explains: "Our research shows that increased levels of domestic violence are associated with national football matches, but only if there is a definite win or lose result. The failing of the earlier Home Office analysis was that it ignored the outcome of the match, which as we have seen is crucial.
"The percentage differences that we found are so great that we believe we have established a strong case for linking wins and losses, but not draws, to increased domestic violence.
"I hope that the findings will encourage improved education around the links between major sporting events and peaks in domestic violence and greater awareness of the risk.
"And I would applaud initiatives like the recent beer mat campaign highlighting the dangers of domestic violence, run by the London Borough of Newham and Metropolitan Police during the 2012 Olympics."
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Wiley.
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Journal Reference:
Allan Brimicombe, Rebecca Cafe. Beware, win or lose: Domestic violence and the World Cup. Significance, 2012; 9 (5): 32 DOI: 10.1111/j.1740-9713.2012.00606.x
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Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

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Tuesday, October 23, 2012

TV, devices in kids' bedrooms linked to poor sleep, obesity

7:22 AM

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ScienceDaily (Oct. 22, 2012) — Children who bask in the nighttime glow of a TV or computer don't get enough rest and suffer from poor lifestyle habits, new research from the University of Alberta has shown.

A province-wide survey of Grade 5 students in Alberta showed that as little as one hour of additional sleep decreased the odds of being overweight or obese by 28 per cent and 30 per cent, respectively. Children with one or more electronic devices in the bedroom -- TVs, computers, video games and cellphones -- were also far more likely to be overweight or obese.

"If you want your kids to sleep better and live a healthier lifestyle, get the technology out of the bedroom," said co-author Paul Veugelers, a professor in the School of Public Health, Canada Research Chair in Population Health and Alberta Innovates -- Health Solutions Health Scholar.

Veugelers, director of the Population Health Intervention Research Unit that works with the Alberta Project Promoting active Living and healthy Eating (APPLE Schools), said the research is the first to connect the dots on the relationship between sleep, diet and physical activity among kids.

Nearly 3,400 Grade 5 students were asked about their nighttime sleep habits and access to electronics through the REAL Kids Alberta survey. Half of the students had a TV, DVD player or video game console in their bedroom, 21 per cent had a computer and 17 per cent had a cellphone. Five per cent of students had all three types of devices.

Some 57 per cent of students reported using electronics after they were supposed to be asleep, with watching TV and movies being the most popular activity. Twenty-seven per cent of students engaged in three or more activities after bedtime.

Researchers found that students with access to one electronic device were 1.47 times as likely to be overweight as kids with no devices in the bedroom. That increased to 2.57 times for kids with three devices, with similar results reported among obese children.

More sleep also led to significantly more physical activity and better diet choices, researchers found.

Co-author Christina Fung noted that children today are not sleeping as much as previous generations, with two-thirds not getting the recommended hours of sleep per night. In addition to healthy lifestyle habits, a good night's sleep has been linked to better academic outcomes, fewer mood disorders and other positive health outcomes, she said.

"It's important to teach these children at an earlier age and teach them healthy habits when they are younger."

The research was published in September by the journal Pediatric Obesity, in an early online release. The REAL Kids Alberta evaluation was funded through a contract with Alberta Health.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Alberta. The original article was written by Bryan Alary.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Journal Reference:

H. Chahal, C. Fung, S. Kuhle, P. J. Veugelers. Availability and night-time use of electronic entertainment and communication devices are associated with short sleep duration and obesity among Canadian children. Pediatric Obesity, 2012; DOI: 10.1111/j.2047-6310.2012.00085.x

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Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

High-Carb Diet in Old Age Linked to Mental Decline

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FRIDAY, Oct. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Seniors who consume lots of carbohydrates and sugar are at increased risk for mild cognitive impairment, according to a new study.

Mild cognitive impairment -- which includes problems with memory, language, thinking and judgment -- may be an early sign of Alzheimer's disease.

The study included 940 people, aged 70 to 89, who had no cognitive problems at the start of the trial and who provided information about their eating habits. Within four years, 200 of the participants were beginning to show mild cognitive impairment, the researchers from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., said.

Those who reported the highest carbohydrate intake were 1.9 times more likely to develop mild cognitive impairment than those with the lowest carbohydrate intake. Those with the highest sugar intake were 1.5 times more likely to develop mild cognitive impairment than those with the lowest intake.

Those whose diets had the highest levels of fat and protein were 42 percent and 21 percent less likely, respectively, to develop mild cognitive impairment than those with the lowest intake of fat and protein.

Overall, when total fat and protein consumption was considered, the risk of developing mild cognitive impairment was 3.6 times greater for people with the highest carbohydrate intake, according to the study, published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and funded by the U.S. National Institute on Aging.

"A high carbohydrate intake could be bad for you because carbohydrates impact your glucose and insulin metabolism," study author and epidemiologist Rosebud Roberts said in a Mayo news release.

"Sugar fuels the brain -- so moderate intake is good. However, high levels of sugar may actually prevent the brain from using the sugar -- similar to what we see with type 2 diabetes," said Roberts.

She noted the findings highlight the importance of a well-balanced diet.

"We think it's important that you eat a healthy balance of protein, carbohydrates and fat, because each of these nutrients has an important role in the body," Roberts said.

While the researchers found an association between sugar-laden, high-carb diets and mental decline, they did not establish a cause-and-effect relationship.

Chronic constipation linked to increased risk of colorectal cancer

5:55 AM

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ScienceDaily (Oct. 22, 2012) — Patients with chronic constipation may be at increased risk of developing colorectal cancer and benign neoplasms, according to study findings unveiled October 22 at the American College of Gastroenterology's (ACG) 77th Annual Scientific meeting in Las Vegas.

The study, "Risk of Developing Colorectal Cancer and Benign Neoplasm in Patients with Chronic Constipation," investigated the prevalence and incidence of colorectal cancer and benign neoplasms in 28,854 patients with chronic constipation (CC) and 86,562 controls without CC that were identified from a large retrospective U.S. claims database (January 1999-September 2011). Patients with at least two diagnoses of constipation were required to be 18 years or older and continuously enrolled in their health plan for at least one year following the study index date, which was the patient's first eligible diagnosis of constipation. Patients with diagnoses of irritable bowel syndrome or diarrhea were excluded.

Researchers found that:

• Both colorectal cancer (CRC) and benign neoplasms are more prevalent in chronic constipation patients compared to a control population free from chronic constipation.

• Among the patients that were not previously diagnosed with CRC or benign neoplasms prior to their index date, and after controlling for potential confounding factors including age, gender, family history of malignancies, and other non-gastrointestinal comorbidities, patients with CC were more at risk to develop CRC or benign neoplasms.

• The risk of developing CRC was 1.78 times higher for chronic constipation (CC) patients and the risk of developing benign neoplasms was 2.70 times higher. After adjusting for potential confounding factors, which are potentially also associated with the CC conditions, the incremental risk of developing CRC and benign neoplasms remained "consistently high."

"This study demonstrates an association, not causation, between chronic constipation and both colorectal cancer and benign neoplasms" said co-investigator Nicholas Talley, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Newcastle. "The postulated causal link between constipation and increased colorectal cancer risk is that longer transit times increase the duration of contact between the colonic mucosa and concentrated carcinogens in the lumen, such as bile acids or other carcinogens."

"The association between constipation and colorectal cancer deserves further exploration to better understand possible causal elements," said Dr. Talley. "Moreover, a review of the existing literature suggests prospective cohort studies have not identified this association. Thus, the findings may reflect recall bias."

"In this study, patients with chronic constipation were found to be at increased risk of developing colorectal cancer and benign neoplasms, said Dr. Talley. "Although chronic constipation is considered a relatively benign disease, practitioners should be aware of this potential association to monitor and treat accordingly," said Dr. Talley. "We encourage anyone with questions related to their condition to talk to their health care professional so that the specific health needs of each patient can be balanced with the risks and benefits of medications."

He also noted that further research is warranted to evaluate whether patients who have their constipation well controlled are at lower risk of developing CRC and benign neoplasms. "Longitudinal prospective studies to understand the causal relationship between chronic constipation and CRC would advance our understanding of prevention and management of these disorders."

About Chronic Constipation

Constipation, one of the most common gastrointestinal complaints in the United States, occurs when the colon absorbs too much water or if the colon's muscle contractions are slow or sluggish, causing the stool to move through the colon too slowly. As a result, stools can become hard and dry. More than 4 million Americans have frequent constipation, accounting for 2.5 million physician visits a year, according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC).

Chronic constipation is a condition of infrequent bowel movements -- typically fewer than three bowel movements a week -- and difficult passage of stools which does not go away. In some cases, CC may be caused by an underlying medical condition.

About Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in both men and women in the US, according to the American Cancer Society. It is estimated that there will be 143,460 new cases diagnosed in the United States in 2012 and 51,690 deaths due to this disease. The American College of Gastroenterology's screening guidelines recommend colonoscopy as a "preferred" colorectal cancer prevention strategy beginning at age 50 (age 45 for African Americans.)

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by American College of Gastroenterology (ACG), via Newswise.
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Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Depression, DNA Linked to Higher Death Risk in Bladder Cancer Patients

1:37 AM

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THURSDAY, Oct. 18 (HealthDay News) -- People with significant symptoms of depression and shortened telomeres -- pieces of DNA that protect the ends of chromosomes from deterioration -- are at greater risk of death from bladder cancer, new research suggests.

The findings were scheduled for presentation Wednesday at the annual cancer prevention conference of the American Association for Cancer Research, in Anaheim, Calif.

"We found that patients with bladder cancer with shorter telomeres and high levels of depression symptoms have a threefold increased risk for mortality," Meng Chen, an epidemiologist at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, in Houston, said in an association news release.

In conducting the study, the researchers analyzed medical and psychological information on nearly 500 patients with bladder cancer. The participants' level of depression was rated on a standard scale: Patients without symptoms of depression had a score below 16 and those with a score of 16 or greater were considered depressed.

Patients who scored as depressed had an average survival time of 58 months, the study found. In comparison, patients with scores below 16 had an average survival time that exceeded 200 months. Depressed patients had a 1.89 times higher risk of death from all causes than those who were not depressed.

The researchers used patients' blood samples to measure the length of the their telomeres, a marker of aging that is linked to cancer. Patients with depression symptoms and short telomeres had more than a three times higher risk for death and a much shorter period of disease-free survival.

Although the study authors said more research is needed to further investigate their findings, they suggested that psychological factors may play an important role in the survival of people with cancer, along with lifestyle factors that could slow the shortening of telomeres, such as exercise and weight loss.

"In terms of building a prediction model for bladder cancer mortality, current models only focus on clinical variables, such as treatment and tumor stage and grade," Chen said. "Our study suggests that psychological factors and perhaps lifestyle changes could be included in this prediction model."

The study found an association between depression, DNA changes and death after bladder cancer. It did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship. The data and conclusions should be viewed as preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.

House Dust Ingredient Linked to Allergic Asthma: Study

1:24 AM

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THURSDAY, Oct. 18 (HealthDay News) -- A bacterial protein known as flagellin and found in house dust could make allergic reactions to common indoor allergens worse, according to a new study of both mice and people.

Researchers from the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and Duke University found that flagellin can prime an allergic response and trigger allergic asthma. Cleaning can reduce the amount of house dust to prevent an allergy flare-up.

"Most people with asthma have allergic asthma, resulting largely from allergic responses to inhaled substances," the study's corresponding author, Donald Cook, an NIEHS scientist, said in an institute news release. "Although flagellin is not an allergen, it can boost allergic responses to true allergens."

In conducting the study, the researchers found that mice exposed to house dust that were able to respond to flagellin showed symptoms of allergic asthma, such as more mucous production and airway obstruction and inflammation. The researchers noted, however, that mice unable to detect flagellin had reduced levels of these symptoms.

The researchers also found that people with asthma have higher levels of antibodies against flagellin in their blood, which suggests a link between people's environment and allergic asthma.

"More work will be required to confirm our conclusions, but it's possible that cleaning can reduce the amount of house dust in general, and flagellated bacteria in particular, to reduce the incidence of allergic asthma," Cook said.

"More than 20 million Americans have asthma, with 4,000 deaths from the disease occurring each year," study co-author Dr. Darryl Zeldin, NIEHS scientific director, added in the news release. "All of these data suggest that flagellin in common house dust can promote allergic asthma by priming allergic responses to common indoor allergens."

The study was published online Oct. 14 in the journal Nature Medicine. Although it showed an association between flagellin and worsened allergic reactions, it did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship.