WEDNESDAY, April 5, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Yo-yo dieting -- quickly losing weight only to promptly regain it -- may raise the risk of heart problems, a new study suggests.

People who experience regular weight fluctuations of 8 to 10 pounds are much more likely to suffer from heart disease, heart attack, stroke and other heart-related maladies than people who only experienced shifts of 2 pounds or less, said lead researcher Dr. Sripal Bangalore. He is an interventional cardiologist with NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City.

In particular, yo-yo dieters had more than twice the risk of death, heart attack or stroke compared with people who maintained a relatively stable body weight, Bangalore said.

'For every 1.5- to 2-pound change in weight fluctuation, the risk of any coronary or cardiovascular event was increased by 4 percent, and the risk of death by 9 percent,' Bangalore said.

Patients with heart disease are encouraged to drop so

THURSDAY, Feb. 23, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- If you want to add years to your life, 10 daily servings of fruits and vegetables may be the best recipe you can follow, a new analysis suggests.

The benefits appear to come through lower rates of heart attack, stroke, cancer and early death. And if everyone found a way to get 10 daily servings of produce, 7.8 million premature deaths would be avoided each year worldwide, the British researchers estimated.

Exactly how much in the way of fruits and vegetables is that? Anywhere from 10 small bananas or apples to 30 tablespoons of cooked spinach, peas, broccoli or cauliflower -- or roughly 800 grams of produce, the researchers said. 

At least five servings (400 grams) of fruits and vegetables each day is what is currently recommended by many health agencies.

'Although five portions of fruit and vegetables is good, 10 a day is even better,' said study author Dagfinn Aune, of the School of Public Health at Imper

MONDAY, Feb. 20, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Eating mercury-laden seafood may raise the risk of developing ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), preliminary research suggests.

The report warns of possible harm from fish containing the most mercury, such as swordfish and shark. It doesn't suggest a higher risk of ALS from general consumption of seafood. 

'For most people, eating fish is part of a healthy diet,' said study author Dr. Elijah Stommel, who's with Dartmouth College's Geisel School of Medicine in Hanover, N.H.

'But questions remain about the possible impact of mercury in fish,' Stommel said in an American Academy of Neurology news release

The study of 500-plus people found that seafood eaters who ate the most mercury-heavy fish may face double the risk of developing ALS. 

However, the study only established a link between the two, not a cause-and-effect relationship. 

Mercury is a toxic metal that occurs naturally in the

THURSDAY, Feb. 16, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- America's love affair with gluten-free foods may come at a cost: greater intake of the toxic metals arsenic and mercury, a new study contends.

'These results indicate that there could be unintended consequences of eating a gluten-free diet,' said study author Maria Argos of the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC).

Gluten-free products often contain rice flour as a substitute for wheat, rye and barley. And rice is known to accumulate arsenic and mercury from fertilizers, soil and water, said Argos, an assistant professor of epidemiology in the School of Public Health.

For the study, the researchers analyzed U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data from thousands of Americans, aged 6 to 80. The investigators identified 73 people who said they ate a gluten-free diet.

Compared to other survey participants, those who ate gluten-free diets had nearly twice the levels of arsenic in their urine, an

TUESDAY, Feb. 14, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Children in families struggling to make ends meet are developing asthma and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) at faster rates than kids from families with greater means, a new study finds.

On the other hand, kids from wealthier families are being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder more often than children in poorer homes. But that likely indicates that those parents have better access to the health care services that can uncover an autism diagnosis, the study authors said.

The findings suggest that family income and access to health insurance play a large role in a child's physical and mental health, said lead researcher Dr. Christian Pulcini. He's a pediatrics resident with the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.

'Children in poverty are more at risk for adverse health outcomes, and we need to keep that in mind when we make policy and programs that will benefit children, particularly if they are poor,

THURSDAY, Feb. 16, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Encouraging people with kidney disease to reduce their salt intake may help improve blood pressure and cut excess fluid retention, at least for a while, a new study suggests.

Study participants lowered their systolic blood pressure (the top number) by almost 11 points, on average, on a salt-restricted diet versus their usual diet. They also flushed out a liter of water (about one-quart) from their bodies, on average, by slashing salt in their diets, researchers said.

Having high blood pressure and retaining excess salt and water in the body stresses the heart and blood vessels, explained lead author Dr. Rajiv Saran of the University of Michigan. 

For kidney disease patients, high blood pressure (or 'hypertension') and excess fluid in the body can be a toxic combination. 'They die predominantly of cardiovascular disease,' said Saran, a professor of internal medicine and epidemiology in the nephrology division. 

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 15, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- There's more evidence that obese patients with type 2 diabetes can control the disease better with weight-loss surgery, compared to medication alone.

New research shows that five years after weight-loss surgery, known as bariatric surgery, those who had the procedure showed better improvements in quality of life and overall health, and some no longer needed insulin, compared with those who only took diabetes medications.

'About a third of the patients who had surgery were able to achieve a complete remission of their diabetes -- their blood sugar returned to normal and they did not need medications,' said lead researcher Dr. Philip Schauer. He is director of the Cleveland Clinic Bariatric and Metabolic Institute in Ohio.

'Surgery has come as close as any treatment that we know of that can lead to long-term remission of type 2 diabetes, which is about as close to a cure as you can get,' Schauer added. 

Diab

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 15, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers who pinpointed brain differences in people with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) say their findings show the condition should be considered a brain disorder.

The international study -- the largest of its kind -- included more than 1,700 people with ADHD and more than 1,500 without the disorder. Participants were between the ages of 4 and 63.

'We hope that this will help to reduce stigma that ADHD is 'just a label' for difficult children or caused by poor parenting. This is definitely not the case, and we hope that this work will contribute to a better understanding of the disorder,' said study author Martine Hoogman.

ADHD is characterized by inattention, overactivity and impulsivity that can interfere with learning and relationships.

Brain scans revealed that five brain regions in those with ADHD were smaller than in those without ADHD. The greatest differences were seen in children,

Dexcom G5连续血糖监测系统(Dexcom G5® Mobile Continuous Glucose Monitoring System)”，该系统的确是FDA批准的、目前唯一一个可用于指导糖尿病病友管控血糖的装置（说明：同一厂家研发的Dexcom G4都没有获得FDA认可）。

我认为该系统连续监测血糖和自动报警功能对需要接受胰岛素治疗的病友的确意义很大，因为尽早发现低血糖是糖尿病病友控糖过程中非常重要的事儿，一般而“糖友”最怕突发性低血糖但又没有被及时察觉，如此可以产生严重之后果。可以说，连续监测血糖（通常是每5分钟读数1次）和自动报警功能是这个系统最突出的优点，这对幼小的“糖友”更加有价值。

事实上，尽管这个系统虽然有很多优点，但我不提倡病情比较轻，也就是不需要注射胰岛素治疗的糖友采用。理由包括，但不限于：1)该系统仍要求每12小时至少用传统血糖仪检测一次血糖水平，以矫正系统的误差，这也就是说采纳该系统后的“糖友”，每天仍要刺破两次手指；2)留至皮下装置处有感染之风险；3)佩戴该系统后除了不可以接受MRI和CT检查，也就是接受这两项检查时需要将其取下来外，亦不可以接近高频电场或接受高频电疗等，也即日常生活受限或存在风险；4)Dexco

由埋藏在皮下的血糖检测装置，血糖数据传输系统和可以接受、分析与显示系统所组成，每套价格（不包括手机）约为1200美元。

Does Not Include Smartphone.

The Dexcom G5® Mobile App Gives You The Information You Need Quickly At A Glance. With Bluetooth® Technology That Is Now Built Into The Transmitter, Your Glucose Data Is Sent Wirelessly from The Dexcom G5® Mobile Transmitter to Your Compatible Smart Device. Simply Turn On Your Compatible Smart Device With The Dexcom G5® Mobile App and Stay One Step Ahead Of Your Diabetes. Dexcom G5® Mobile Will Give You Glucose Information With Readings Every Five Minutes. Through Secure Wireless Connections, The Dexcom G5® Mobile Cgm System Allows Remote Viewing Of Glucose Levels, Trends and Data Between The Person With Diabetes from Their Compatible Smart Device. With The Dexcom G5® Mobile Cgm System, You’ll Be Alerted Directly On Your Phone When You’re Heading Too H