Over-Prescription of Antipsychotics Subject of New Study

atypical-antipsychoticsA study whose results were released last Friday shows that a certain class of drugs known as “atypical antipsychotics” are being over prescribed with no increased positive outcomes and with perhaps bad side effects.

These new antipsychotic medications were first developed to treat schizophrenia, and were approved by the FDA only for this function. Over time however the drugs came to be used for other conditions, such as bipolar disorder, depression, and sometimes even for autism.

A consultant for a company that does data collection on prescription drugs, IMS Health wrote the study which appeared in the journal Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety. The consultant, Dr. Caleb Alexander of the University of Chicago stated that, “What we see is wide adoption for the use of these medications far beyond the evidence base to support it. We’re talking millions of prescriptions a year for antipsychotics in settings where there is uncertain evidence to support them.”

Diabetes on the Rise in the US

diabetesAccording to a government report issued last Wednesday, the number or cases of diabetes among adults in the United States more than doubled in the time period between 1996 and 2007, from 9 million to 19 million.

At least 95% of diabetes is type 2, the kind which develops over time, often related to obesity, where the cells lose their ability to react properly to insulin. The remaining 5% of diabetes patients have the type I variety, which is an auto-immune disease causing its sufferers to not have enough insulin-producing cells which are needed for the body to control blood sugar levels.

Dr. Chrisitne Resta of the department of endocrinology at the Maimonides Medical Center in New York said, “Rates of diabetes have risen in all age groups. Twenty years ago, type 2 diabetes was unheard of in children and young adults, but now it is being diagnosed even in these younger age groups. Part of this rise is increased detection — patients are being evaluated and tested sooner and more often. But part of it is a real increase in the rates.”
Dr. Resta does not find it hard to explain the cause for these disturbing statistics.

“The percentage of U.S. adults who are overweight or obese has also risen dramatically, and there is no doubt that rising rates of obesity are linked to the rising rates of diabetes,” she said.

Homeless Man’s Voice Gives Him Another Chance

Ted-Williams-homelessIn one of the first American viral videos of 2011, Ted Williams, a homeless man, is taped while begging for money with a rich, baritone radio voice. The fifty-three year old former radio announcer came upon unfortunate times as a result of drugs and alcohol. The Columbus Dispatch Newspaper posted the video on Monday, and it spread like wildfire. By Thursday, Williams was featured on morning news programs including The Today Show, on which he discussed new voice-over job offers with the Cleveland Cavaliers, as well as his unbelievably sudden rise to fame.

“I feel like Susan Boyle,” he said, “or Justin Bieber.” He went on to say that the attention is “outrageous. It’s just phenomenal. There is no way in the world that I could ever have imagined… all of this.” He shared that he had become known among drivers in Columbus, and they would drive by just to hear his “God-given gift of voice.” When asked about treatment of the homeless he simply said “don’t judge a book by its cover, everybody has their own little story.”

Study Shows Surgeons are Large Factor in Breast Cancer Outcome

A new study of 994 women with the most common type of non-invasive breast cancer, ductal carcinoma in situ, has found that the variety of treatments done by surgeons can have a significant difference in the rate of recurrence of the cancer.

Andrew Dick, the author of the study and a researcher at RAND Corporation in Pittsburgh said that, “Treatment variation is a troubling but well-known phenomenon in health care.” In addition, “The reason it is surprising in this case is that the variation is quite large, and related to factors that are very important in health outcomes.”

The study showed that the outcome variation by surgeon caused between 15% and 35% of cancer occurring in the other breast within the following five years after the surgery, with an additional 13% to 30% over the next 10 years.

The variant factors included having “negative margins”, that is, cancer cells which are more than 2 millimeters away from the tissue edge which has been removed; and also getting radiation treatments subsequent to the surgery.

Running- a Very Healthy Habit

Running is an activity that people do for various reasons. Studies have shown that the health benefits of running are many and widespread, and doctors often recommend it to their patients. First, running can boost your immune system and prevent anything from the common cold to cancer in some people. It is one of the best aerobic exercises, as it conditions your heart and lungs, and ensures the flow of blood and oxygen to all parts of the body; effects that are proven to lessen the risk of heart attacks.

Running can strengthen bones and increase their density, and is also good for the leg and core muscles. Many women take up running or jogging in order to maintain a flat stomach. Aside from boosting a person’s confidence in their appearance, running is a wonderful stress-reliever and can even ease mild depression. Many athletes enjoy running because of the “runner’s high,” the euphoric, calm and confident state of mind that is achieved after a hard run. Adults who exercise on a regular basis are found to be healthier and happier. Running creates an energetic and creative attitude.