Health Care News

ADVERTISEMENT   Distress may increase risk of stroke-related death in seniors Seniors with the highest levels of psychosocial distress such as depression faced three times the risk of stroke-related mortality compared with people who experienced lower stress, according to a study in the journal Stroke. "The study adds to the growing evidence that stress is a significant factor in cardiovascular disease and stroke," said neurologist Ralph Sacco, however, it did not prove a causal relationship. HealthDay News (12/13)      Psychological therapies effective for young PTSD patients Researchers reviewed 14 studies involving 758 3- to 18-year-olds diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and found that psychological treatments yielded better outcomes, such as lower levels of anxiety and depression. The findings appear in The Cochrane Library. PsychCentral.com (12/13)      Study looks at role of detection method on breast cancer survival An analysis of data on 126,537 women in Japan found that mammography and clinical breast examination may be better for patients than mammography alone. Women screened using mammogram and clinical breast exam had a 96.8% five-year survival rate compared with 92.7% for those diagnosed by clinical breast exam alone, and 86.6% for those diagnosed by self-detection. The results didn't prove that mammography together with clinical examination had any protective effect. The study was published in the journal Breast Cancer. FoodConsumer.org (12/15)      Study cites health risks for older women from yo-yo diets Yo-yo dieting in postmenopausal obese women can result in higher cardiovascular and diabetes risks than before weight loss, according to a study on the website of the Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences. Wake Forest University researchers said risks went back to baseline or worsened even in women who regained only some of the lost weight, which shows the importance of weight management. HealthDay News (12/13)      Editorial: NPs can help fill the gap in primary care Allowing nurse practitioners and other health care professionals to provide many of the services traditionally performed by physicians could help solve the shortage in primary care providers that is expected to worsen once the Affordable Care Act goes into full effect, according to this editorial. Studies have shown nurse practitioners provide quality primary care, and they can be more sensitive to patients' needs. The New York Times (tiered subscription model)/Sunday Review (12/15)

Pharmaceutical News

• FDA, IARS cite need to discuss risks of pediatric anesthesia, sedatives
  SmartTots, a partnership of the FDA and the International Anesthesia Research Society, released a statement saying that the use of sedatives and anesthetics in pediatrics is sometimes needed, but the potential benefits and risks should be discussed by health care providers with parents and caregivers. "Increasing evidence from research studies suggests the benefits of these agents should be considered in the context of their potential to cause harmful effects," the statement said. MedPage Today (free registration) (12/14)     

• Tenofovir is well-tolerated by teens with chronic HBV, study shows
  Whether or not teens infected with chronic hepatitis B virus received prior treatment, taking tenofovir once a day for 72 weeks effectively normalized alanine aminotransferase values and suppressed the virus' DNA, a trial found. However, researchers noted that those in the tenofovir group were more likely to report grade 3 and 4 side effects than those in the placebo group. The findings appear in the journal Hepatology. DoctorsLounge.com/HealthDay News (12/14)     

Hot Topics

Top five news stories selected by AANP SmartBrief readers in the past week.

• Primary care shortage creates greater need for NPs (Stateline.org)

• Merger to give NPs stronger voice on practice issues (Medscape (free registration))

• U.S. life expectancy improves, but with more chronic illnesses (Reuters)

• OxyContin tops list of most-abused prescription drugs (Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News)

• High carotenoid intake may reduce women's risk of breast cancer (WebMD)

• Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.

Emerging Trends, Products and Technologies

• Child abuse cases down for 5th consecutive year
  Reports of child abuse and neglect in the U.S. have dropped for the fifth year in a row, from 723,000 cases in 2007 to about 681,000 in 2011, according to a report released by the HHS' Administration for Children and Families. The number of maltreatment-related child deaths reached a five-year low of 1,570 last year, researchers said. HealthDay News (12/13)     

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Health Policy and Legislative News

• Federal approval to set up exchanges granted to 2 more states
  HHS announced its approval for plans to create state-run health care exchange in New York and Kentucky. Plans were also approved for Washington, D.C., to create an exchange. The states must be ready for open enrollment by October and operational by January 2014. The Wall Street Journal/The Associated Press (12/14)     

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• In your state and in your practice, can you provide care to the full extent of your training and license?
  The results of this poll will appear in an AANP SmartBrief special report on the Best of 2012 on Friday.

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Action is the antidote to despair." --Joan Baez, American singer