Intervention appears effective to prevent weight gain among black women – An intervention not focused on weight loss was effective for weight gain prevention among socioeconomically disadvantaged black women. Promoting clinically meaningful weight loss among black women has been a challenge.
AAP Recommends Emergency Contraception Be Available to Teens – Teen pregnancies have declined over the past few decades, but the United States continues to see substantially higher teen birth rates compared to other developed countries. Use of emergency contraception can reduce the risk of pregnancy if used up to 120 hours.
Exercise improves memory, thinking after stroke, study finds – Just six months of exercise can improve memory, language, thinking and judgment problems by almost 50 per cent. Toronto researchers found that the proportion of stroke patients with at least mild cognitive impairment dropped from 66 per cent to 37 per cent during a research study on the impact of exercise on the brain.
FDA approves first drug for reducing the risk of sexually acquired HIV infection — Evidence-based approach enhances existing prevention strategies – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Truvada (emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate), the first drug approved to reduce the risk of HIV infection in uninfected individuals who are at high risk of HIV infection and who may engage in sexual activity with HIV-infected partners.
FDA approves Belviq to treat some overweight or obese adults – Belviq (lorcaserin hydrochloride) is approved as an addition to a reduced-calorie diet and exercise, for chronic weight management. This obesity drug is approved by US FDA for use in adults with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater (obese), or adults with a BMI of 27 or greater (overweight) and who have at least one weight-related condition such as high blood pressure (hypertension), type 2 diabetes, or high cholesterol (dyslipidemia).
Task Force Recommends Obesity Screening for All Adults — Docs Should Screen for Obesity and Direct Obese Patients to Intensive, Multicomponent Behavioral Interventions – In an update to its 2003 recommendation statement on screening for obesity in adults, the United States Preventive Services Task Force recommends screening all adult patients for obesity. Screening includes measurement of height and weight to ascertain BMI, although measuring waist circumference also is an accepted method.
Studies examine CPAP treatment and cardiovascular outcomes in adults with obstructive sleep apnea — Treatment of Obstructed Sleep Apnea With CPAP Therapy Associated With A Lower Risk Of Hypertension – Two studies that included adults with obstructive sleep apnea examined the effectiveness of reducing the risk of cardiovascular outcomes, including high blood pressure, by treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP).
Family preferences strongly influence decision making in very premature deliveries — Wide variation in practices and counseling reported in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology – When making decisions and counseling about risk and management options for deliveries between 22 and 26 weeks (periviable deliveries), obstetricians are heavily influenced by family preferences, particularly by the impression that parents consistently prefer to have everything possible done to prolong a pregnancy or “save the baby” through interventions such as cesarean section.
First large study to evaluate impact of EHR on childhood obesity evaluation — Computer-assisted tools alert pediatricians to obese patients – Electronic health records and embedded tools can alert and direct pediatricians so they can better manage the weight of children and teenagers. Researchers analyzed visits for nearly 740,000 children and adolescents ages 2 to 17 to evaluate the impact of computer-assisted decision tools.
Regardless of How Much Time Sedentary, Higher Amounts of Time Being Physically Active Associated With Better Cardiometabolic Measures Among Children – Higher amounts of time with moderate to vigorous physical activity were associated with better cardiometabolic risk factors (such as measures of cholesterol, blood pressure and waist size), regardless of the amount of time spent sedentary. National and international public health authorities agree that children and adolescents should accumulate at least 60 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) daily.
