HEALTH UPDATE OF THE DAY: ARE YOU SITTING DOWN?

Then that may be a bad thing.  Read on:

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You may want to stand up to read this.
A new study suggests that people who spend the bulk of their day sitting -- whether behind the wheel, in front of the TV or working at a computer -- appear to have an increased risk for certain kinds of cancers.
Previous studies have tied too much time spent sedentary to a variety of health problems, including heart disease, blood clots, a large waistline, higher blood sugar and insulin, generally poor physical functioning, and even early death.
For the new study, researchers zeroed in on 43 studies that specifically looked at the link between sitting and nearly 70,000 cases of cancer.
After combining the results from individual studies -- a statistical tool that helps to reveal trends in research -- there was good news and bad news.

The good news? Being sedentary did not appear to be linked to every kind of cancer. Scientists found no relationship between sitting and breast, ovarian, testicular or prostate cancers, or cancers of the stomach, esophagus and kidneys, or non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
The bad news was that there did seem to be a consistent relationship between hours spent sitting and an increased risk for colon and endometrial cancers.
People who spent the most time sitting during the day had a 24 percent increased risk of getting colon cancer compared to those who logged the least number of hours in a chair, according to the study.
When the researchers looked just at time spent watching TV, the risk jumped even more. Those who clocked the most hours glued to the tube had a 54 percent increased risk of colon cancer compared to those who watched the least.
That may be because viewers tend to consume unhealthy snacks and drinks while watching TV, said study author Daniela Schmid, an epidemiologist at the University of Regensburg in Germany.

For endometrial -- or uterine -- cancer, the risks were even higher. There was a 32 percent increased risk for women who spent the most time seated compared to those who sat the least, and a 66 percent increased risk for those who watched the most TV, the study authors said.
Moreover, every two-hour increase in sitting time was linked to an 8 percent increased risk of colon cancer and a 10 percent increased risk of endometrial cancer.
The risks remained even for "active couch potatoes" -- folks who squeeze in some time at the gym but still spend most of their day off their feet. This suggests that regular exercise can't offset the risks of too much sitting, the study authors said.
The findings, published June 16 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, make sense to Dr. Graham Colditz. He's the associate director for prevention and control at Washington University's Siteman Cancer Center in St. Louis.
"High blood sugar and high insulin is a clear sort of pathway to colon cancer, and we know from intervention studies that walking lowers insulin and getting up after meals lowers blood sugar compared to sitting," said Colditz, who was not involved in the research.
As for endometrial cancer, "Obesity is a phenomenally strong cause. In fact, it is the main modifiable risk factor for endometrial cancer," he said.
"So for me, the likely scenario there is that the sitting, the weight gain and obesity really go together and exacerbate the risk of endometrial cancer," he added.
Because the studies included in the review only looked at broad relationships, they can't prove that sitting, by itself, causes cancer. But the findings appeared to be remarkably consistent across studies, so Colditz thinks they should be taken seriously.
The study authors agree.
"Cutting down on TV viewing and sedentary time is just as important as becoming more active," said Schmid. "For those whose jobs require them to sit at a desk most of the day, we recommend breaking up the time spent sitting by incorporating short bouts of light activity into the daily routine," she added.

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AWARENESS UPDATE: TELL YOUR STORY

Would you like to tell your story, about your life as someone with a difference--someone with Moebius Syndrome?  Soon, you can--read on:

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As the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act approaches next year, a new project is launching to encourage people within the disability community to share their stories.

The effort known as the Disability Visibility Project is kicking off Monday as a community partnership with StoryCorps, a national nonprofit that allows everyday people to record casual, one-on-one conversations in an effort to preserve history. The recordings are frequently featured on NPR’s “Morning Edition.”

StoryCorps’ recording booth in San Francisco is making sessions available between July 10 and Dec. 13 specifically for members of the disability community to record their stories. Additional times are expected to be added leading up to the ADA’s 25th anniversary in July 2015.

What’s more, recordings produced at StoryCorps’ booths in Chicago and Atlanta as well as through the organization’s MobileBooth, which travels to communities across the country, can also be tagged for inclusion in the project.

“The history of people with disabilities rarely appears in textbooks,” said Alice Wong who’s spearheading the effort. “I’ve had the good fortune to meet so many fascinating and amazing people with disabilities who have been fighting for disability rights for decades. I believe their stories and the stories of everyday Americans with disabilities should be preserved.”

For the Disability Visibility Project, Wong said she envisions people talking about how their lives have changed since the passage of the ADA, what they hope for people with disabilities in the future and other relevant topics.

Individuals who participate in StoryCorps go home with a broadcast-quality CD of their conversation. What’s more, all recordings are preserved at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress in Washington and Wong said recordings made for the Disability Visibility Project will be identified as part of a distinct collection.

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HEALTH UPDATE: BEWARE OF "JUNK SLEEP"

Using electronic devices in bed, right before sleep, will too often not provide you with a good night of shut-eye; so if you're not a good sleeper, read on--maybe this has something to do with it:

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People love to use their electronic devices in the bedroom. With so many small gadgets providing news articles, e-books and games in one tiny package, who can blame them?

National Sleep Foundation polls show approximately 95% of Americans use an electronic device within an hour of going to sleep. In 2013, the foundation found that 89% of adults and 75% of children have at least one electronic device in their bedrooms. Televisions were the most common; MP3 players, tablets and smartphones were also popular.

And if you use your smartphone as an alarm clock, chances are you're literally going to bed with some form of electronic device.

Phones, tablets becoming more popular in the bedroom than TV

Technology can interfere with a good night's sleep in several ways. The biggest problem is these devices are often left on at night and emit light and noise that can disrupt sleep cycles and alter sleep-related hormone levels. The light from electronic screens can trick your body into thinking it's daytime and stop it from producing melatonin, the hormone that helps regulate sleep.

News articles and games can also keep your mind very active, making it difficult to relax and fall asleep. A 2013 study published in the Behavioral Sleep Medicine journal found that computer and mobile phone use before bed was positively correlated with insomnia.

As long as your phone is on and not in airplane mode, it's communicating intermittently with nearby cell towers, emitting low levels of radiation. While the effects of cell phone radiation aren't well understood, a 2008 study found people exposed to mobile radiation for three hours before going to sleep had more trouble falling into and staying in a deep sleep.

The result is later bedtimes and a higher incidence of waking during the night. It's not surprising, then, that research shows children with electronic devices in their bedrooms sleep less and experience lower-quality sleep than children without gadgets. Sleep quality suffers most dramatically when devices are regularly left on during the night. And the higher the number of gadgets, the lower the quality of sleep.

So what to do?

One solution is an electronic curfew. One hour before bed, remove all electronic devices from the bedroom.

Some sleep specialists suggest no TV right before bed, but some people feel they need the distraction of TV to fall asleep. Those people can try using a TV-timer -- featured on most modern TVs -- which will automatically turn off the television after a chosen period.

If you use your phone as an alarm clock, consider switching to an "old school" alarm clock with no digital lights. It will not be as disruptive to sleep.

And while it might be tempting to track your sleep using an app on your tablet or phone, it's probably best to leave these devices in the living room. You'll get a better night's sleep, even if you don't have the data to prove it.

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AUTISM UPDATE: FINDING THE CAUSE...WITH GOOGLE

Because autism is sometimes, though by no means always, associated with Moebius Syndrome; that is, some children born with Moebius also are autistic.  So--what causes autism?  What's it all about?  We don't know yet.  But researchers hope to team up with Google to help figure it all out.  Huh???  How will Google be involved?  Read on:

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The cause of autism is still unknown, but researchers hope harnessing the power of Google will help them solve this neurodevelopmental puzzle.

The research and advocacy group Autism Speaks announced Tuesday they are collaborating with the Google Cloud Platform to build the largest autism genome database to date. The collaboration, known as The Autism Speaks Ten Thousand Genomes Program (AUT10K), will combine extensive DNA databases with cloud storage technology, in hopes of moving mountains in autism research, according to a press release.
Autism Speaks believes the AUT10K program holds the potential to radically transform ASD genomics research. “Working with Google is a game-changer,” said Rob Ring, who is the organization’s chief science officer.
This collaboration is part of a larger movement in the medical field to use big data to speed research efforts. IBM's supercomputer Watson, for instance, is helping oncologists find treatments for a rare aggressive brain cancer in partnership with the New York Genome Center.
Autism Speaks has already donated 12,000 DNA samples, which members describe as the “the largest private collection” with diagnostic and specific genetic information. The organization says the collaboration with Google will allow them provide researchers access to what will eventually be huge amounts of data. This, in turn, should help researchers find connections between patients faster.
Zachary Warren, director of Vanderbilt University’s autism research institute,  says in order to understand the vast developmental and behavioral differences linked to ASD, more powerful platforms to analyze genetic data are needed.
“Only by understanding autism risk can we begin to develop treatments that target not just the symptoms but the root causes of autism spectrum disorder," his colleague and genetic autism researcher Dr. Jeremy Veenstra-VanderWeele said in agreement.
The number of children with autism has continued to go up over the past decades, as have the costs for caring for someone with ASD.
Earlier this year, the CDC reported that 1 in 68 children in the United States has autism.  A new study, published Monday in JAMA Pediatrics, estimates the lifetime cost of supporting an individual with ASD can be up to $2.4 million.
 

 

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FOR MOEBIUS MOMS AND DADS: STRESSED? TAKE A DAY OFF FROM WORK

One of the things about being a parent of a Moebius child is that you can have stress coming at you from more than one direction.  There's stress from your job...and there can be stress at home, as you parent a child with some special needs.  It can be exhausting.  So--never be afraid to ask for help.  Nor should you be afraid to take a day off.  It's good for your health!  Read on:

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You're so stressed that even your stress is stressed out. You're overworked and overwrought, aching for a day off to chill and recharge, but you keep putting it off.

Well, no more. It's time to take a day off.

"We try to convince ourselves that feeling overwhelmed and stressed out and not having time to take a day off is normal -- but it's not normal," says Dr. Adam Perlman, executive director of Duke Integrative Medicine. "It's just your reality at that moment."

If you're going to do it though, do it right. Don't wait until you're totally losing it and then call in sick. Lying to your boss, and sticking it to your fellow overworked colleagues, isn't good mental health karma. Plus, it's not really that helpful.

"A crisis response may provide relief, but it's not really prevention," says Dr. Lloyd Sederer, medical director of the New York State Office of Mental Health.

Instead, plan it. See a rough patch coming up? Now is the time to schedule a three-day weekend or two. That way, your colleagues can plan around it.

"It's about learning your own self-management, an ongoing steady attention to a healthy life," Sederer says.

Still not convinced? Time to turn the mirror around: Your very inability to plan a one-day escape may be the best evidence that you really, really need it. If any of these excuses sound familiar, you probably need to take a day:

I'm too stressed even to plan time off. "That's learned helplessness," Perlman says. "It can be a self-defeating and dangerous thinking style. Your ticker-tape thoughts that 'I'm too busy to take a day off' (are) a warning sign. You're undervaluing your own self-worth. Isn't your health and well-being worth taking the time?"

I have way too much work. Time isn't that linear. Sometimes you can solve a problem in a creative flash while other times you just stare at the screen for hours without really getting much done.

"Mild to moderate stress can improve performance, but with excessive stress, performance falls off -- we do things less well," Perlman says.

When you find better ways to handle stress, Sederer says, "You'll not only be more productive but able to think more clearly and work at a higher level."

Why not push through until I can really take time off? Because chronic stress is bad for your health, body and mind.

"Your heart rate goes up, blood pressure rises, your blood sugar metabolism is impaired, you gain weight and your immunity is lowered," Sederer says. "We're made of carbon and water, not titanium (and) steel. We can't endure constant stress forever."

I'm fine, really. Stress can be sneaky, especially if everyone around you is keyed up, too.

"Denial is a powerful thing," Perlman says. "If you're feeling fatigued, feeling low on motivation, having difficulty sleeping, getting palpitations or feeling anxiety, or noticing that you're irritable and your relationships are feeling more challenged -- those are all signs of stress. A lot of people just get into overdrive, a prolonged state of being revved up."

If you experience stress symptoms such as these, take action -- like a mental health day.

What would I do? If you're asking yourself that question, you really need a day off.

One day won't change your life. In the end, it's about finding work-life balance, every day. But you've got to start somewhere.

HEALTH UPDATE: FIVE STUDIES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED

The latest health discoveries and conclusions:

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Here's a roundup of five medical studies published this week that can give you new insights into your health, mind and body. Remember, correlation is not causation – so if a study finds a connection between two things, it doesn't mean that one causes the other.

Hope for people with Parkinson’s
Journal: Cell Reports
Scientists at Harvard University say they see promising signs from their study on an experimental treatment for Parkinson's disease. The researchers transplanted tissue from fetal dopamine cells into the brains of patients with Parkinson’s in Canada.
Patients with severe symptoms experienced 50% fewer symptoms in the years after surgery. People who had been taking medication to control their Parkinson’s but found that the medicine no longer worked also saw significant improvements after surgery.
Looking at the brains of five patients after they died from non-Parkinson’s related illnesses, the scientists found that the transplanted cells stayed healthy. Earlier research led scientists to hypothesize that the cells would become corrupted, but the cells remained functional for at least 14 years after the patients got them. This is the first proof that this kind of transplant method could work.

"Though it is encouraging and even exciting to see some PD cells survive over a decade following a human transplant, we are still humbled by the challenges in developing a viable therapy," Dr. Michael Okun, national medical director for the National Parkinson Foundation, cautioned. "All transplants for Parkinson's disease remain hampered by an inability to constitute a complex multilevel brain circuitry."
Next, researchers will see whether they can replicate the success of this procedure using stem cells instead of the more controversial fetal cells.
Read more from Harvard
To lose weight, stop counting calories
Journal: JAMA
The key to losing weight is not about “dietary bookkeeping" - meaning you can’t merely eat less and exercise more. "Most people will lose that battle,” write Dr. David Ludwig and Mark Friedman in the latest edition of JAMA.
The two world-renowned obesity experts say that effective weight loss should be more about what you eat. That is because different food interacts differently with your body.
A real diet should not focus solely on how much fat or how many calories are in that food, the experts say. For instance, nuts are good for you despite their high calorie and fat content. But an ice cream sandwich is not. It may be low in calories, but it also has a significant number of refined carbohydrates, which will cause your insulin level to spike.
Because of the way insulin impacts you at your cellular level, fat cells will absorb the calories. But there aren’t enough nutrients in that ice cream sandwich to give your body the energy it needs, so your body craves more food, thinking it is still hungry.
Read more from Time magazine
The munchies and sleepless nights: Marijuana may hurt your sleep
Journal: Sleep
Often people will say they smoke pot to relax, but a new study found that most marijuana users have trouble getting a good night's sleep.
The study comes from researchers at the University of Pennsylvania who looked at the drug history of 1,811 participants who responded to the 2007-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The adults were from 20 to 58.
All marijuana users reported increased problems with sleeping through the night, feeling sleepy during the day and had trouble falling asleep.
Marijuana users who started using before age 15 had the most trouble. They were twice as likely to be sleep deprived as the others.
Read more from Time Magazine
Heart-stopping pollution: What bad air might do to you
Journal: Heart
Pollution can create more than a bad asthma day for people who live in smoggy areas.
In a new study, scientists looked at data that tracked hospital admissions in Wales and England from 2003 to 2009. They combined data on people who had heart attacks or strokes, and death data, with data collected on pollution.
The good news is there is no evidence that short-term exposure to air pollution increases your risk for a heart attack or stroke. Nor was there a clear link between pollution and cardiac deaths with one exception: Deaths because of irregular heartbeats and blood clots in the lungs did go up with high pollution.
Scientists also found more people were admitted to the hospital on days there were high levels of nitrogen in the air.
Read more from Science World Report
E-cigarettes send an increased number of callers to poison hotlines
Journal: JAMA
Poison centers are getting busier as more people use e-cigarettes.
Public health investigators compared data from poison centers around the country from September 2010 and February 2014. What they found was more calls about e-cigarette exposure; these e-cigarette-related problems made up about 41% of the calls.
The majority of the calls about regular cigarettes involved kids younger than 5. The e-cigarette calls were split between children and adults.
Most callers had questions about exposure to the e-cigarette from inhaling it or having the chemical come into contact with a person’s eyes or skin. About 58% of the callers had a bad reaction, compared with 36% of those exposed to regular cigarettes.
People who didn’t feel well after exposure to electronic cigarettes reported problems with eye irritation, vomiting and nausea.
Read more from AAPCC

MOEBIUS SYNDROME IN THE NEWS

This comes to us from the UK--a doctor and a nurse are running a 10K race in order to raise money for the Moebius Research Trust, which seeks to raise money to fund research into Moebius Syndrome.  Good for them!  Read more about it:

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A PLASTIC surgeon is helping children born with facial palsy to smile.
Consultant Adel Fattah, aged 39, performs delicate microsurgery at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.
He is running the Mersey Tunnel 10k on Sunday, June 8, with theatre staff nurse Laura Duffy-Abrahams from Runcorn to raise awareness of the rare condition.
Mum-of-two Laura, aged 29, from Sandymoor, said: “I cannot imagine my children not being able to smile at me every day.
“Hearing stories about what a difference this surgery is making, it is really amazing to be part of it.
“We are trying to support families.”
She has two children, Georgina, aged five, and a three-year-old son, Sebastian.
Pupils at her daughter’s school, Daresbury Primary, will be selling cakes on Wednesday June 4 to support the appeal.
They are raising money for The Moebius Research Trust, a charity set up by parents of children with Moebius syndrome which affects less than 20 children a year. They often have problems with hearing, eyesight, swallowing, speech and sleep.
Mr Fattah, who trained in Canada to perform this pioneering surgery, said: “When a child has facial disfigurement it can have a major psychological impact on their whole life.
“It leads to problems at school and affects their confidence.
“The results of surgery take about a year. You have to wait for nerves to grow and muscles to develop.
“We say a lot with our faces. When you see the children smile it is awesome. It makes me smile.”
Visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/AlderHeyFacialPalsy if you wish to sponsor them.
Visit moebiusresearchtrust.org/ for more information about The Meoebius Research Trust.

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