Nighttime Light May Alter Circadian Rhythm, Lead to Obesity

"Innocuous" exposure to light at night alters circadian rhythms, which may in turn lead to weight gain, a new review suggests.

Clues that this might be a problem were first found in mice, which, when exposed to even low levels of light at night, "would shift their timing of food intake, and even though they were not eating any more calories, they were still gaining weight," coauthor Laura Fonken, PhD, from Ohio State University, Columbus, told Medscape Medical News.

"We think these results could be important to humans as well, [because] we all use computers late at night. We leave lights on late at night," she continued. "We have streetlights that come in our windows. All these different sources of light may be affecting the circadian system, which has consequences for metabolism."

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Pneumonia Protection With PCV-13 vaccine in the Elderly

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — The 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV-13) offers moderate protection against the most common forms of pneumococcal community-acquired pneumonia in healthy elderly people, a large prospective trial shows.

"Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines are effective in preventing invasive pneumococcal disease and pneumonia in children, but vaccine efficacy has not been investigated in adults older than 65," said Marc Bonten, MD, professor of molecular epidemiology of infectious disease at the Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care in Utrecht, the Netherlands.

"A clear medical need exists among adults to prevent pneumococcal disease, including pneumococcal community-acquired pneumonia. Whether the benefit we demonstrated in individuals translates into an overall public health benefit needs further analyses," he said.

The study results were presented here at the 16th International Congress on Infectious Diseases.

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CDC Videos on Physical Activity

These videos help explain the guidelines, give you tips on how to meet them and show you how to do muscle strengthening exercises properly. 

SEE VIDEOS by the CDC

Alcohol Mouthwash use 'linked to oral cancer'

Mouthwash use 'linked to oral cancer': People who use products more than three times a day increase risk. Warning from Dr David Conway of University of Glasgow Dental School

Major study examined the health of 4,000 people across nine countries
British Dental Association argued results of study were not conclusive
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2596497/Mouthwash-use-linked-oral-cancer-People-use-products-three-times-day-increase-risk.html#ixzz2xvK0jyBV Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

Heavy use of mouthwashes may lead to a higher risk of oral cancer, an expert claims.

Research suggests that people rinsing with such products more than three times a day have a greater chance of developing mouth and throat cancer.

Dr David Conway, a senior lecturer at the University of Glasgow Dental School, said people should not routinely use a mouthwash and stick to brushing and flossing instead.

Will Medicine Ever Become Safer?

Hello and welcome. I am Dr. George Lundberg and this is At Large at Medscape.

Hospitals are dangerous places. I no longer work in a hospital, and I try never to go to hospitals even to visit, unless, of course, I or my family were to become really sick and would obviously stand to benefit from hospitalization. I feel almost the same about surgicenters, free-standing emergency rooms, and urgent care facilities.

...

In 1999, the Institute of Medicine published the sentinel report To Err is Human, ^[2] still a best-seller. They pegged the annual number of American hospital deaths secondary to errors and adverse effects of treatment to be 44,000 to 98,000. In an interview earlier this year, I asked Lucian Leape whether that number still held. He said no, it was much larger. I asked whether we had made any progress. He said yes, but only in narrow fields.

In 2013, a new report^[3] in the Journal of Patient Safetyestimated American hospital deaths following adverse events at 210,000 to 440,000 per year. Medicare patients are reported to die at a rate of 180,000 per year from or with nosocomial infections and other medical care-related problems

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Wisely Choosing the Right Care

Hello and welcome. I am Dr. George Lundberg, at large for Medscape.

In about 1989, then-Secretary of Health and Human Services of the US government Dr. Louis Sullivan stated that between 30% and 40% of American medical care was unnecessary, wasted, or inappropriate. In 2013, Massachusetts health dignitaries stated that 30% of medical care in Massachusetts is unnecessary or inappropriate.

If they are correct, why have we in the American medical profession not fixed that in more than 20 years? Could it be that generation after generation of people who populate the system simply like it the way it is -- veritable pigs addicted to the money trough?

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Medscape Reference

Medscape's clinical reference is the most authoritative and accessible point-of-care medical reference for physicians and healthcare professionals, available online and via all major mobile devices. All content is free.

The clinical information represents the expertise and practical knowledge of top physicians and pharmacists from leading academic medical centers in the United States and worldwide.

The topics provided are comprehensive and span more than 30 medical specialties.

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Diseases and Conditions

More than 6000 evidence-based and physician-reviewed disease and condition articles are organized to rapidly and comprehensively answer clinical questions and to provide in-depth information in support of diagnosis, treatment, and other clinical decision-making. Topics are richly illustrated with more than 40,000 clinical photos, videos, diagrams, and radiographic images.

Procedures

More than 1000 clinical procedure articles provide clear, step-by-step instructions and include instructional videos and images to allow clinicians to master the newest techniques or to improve their skills in procedures they have performed previously.

Anatomy

More than 100 anatomy articles feature clinical images and diagrams of the human body's major systems and organs. The articles assist in the understanding of the anatomy involved in treating specific conditions and performing procedures. They can also facilitate physician-patient discussions.

Drug Monographs

More than 7100 monographs are provided for prescription and over-the-counter drugs, as well as for corresponding brand-name drugs, herbals, and supplements. Drug images are also included.

Drug Interaction Checker

Our Drug Interaction Checker provides rapid access to tens of thousands of interactions between brand and generic drugs, over-the-counter drugs, and supplements. Check mild interactions to serious contraindications for up to 30 drugs, herbals, and supplements at a time.

Formulary Information

Access health plan drug formulary information when looking up a particular drug, and save time and effort for you and your patient. Choose from our complete list of over 1800 insurance plans across all 50 US states. Customize your Medscape account with the health plans you accept, so that the information you need is saved and ready every time you look up a drug on our site or in the Medscape app. Easily compare tier status for drugs in the same class when considering an alternative drug for your patient.

Medical Calculators

Medscape Reference features 129 medical calculators covering formulas, scales, and classifications. Plus, more than 600 drug monographs in our drug reference include integrated dosing calculators.

Image Collections

Hundreds of image-rich slideshow presentations visually engage and challenge readers while expanding their knowledge of both common and uncommon diseases, case presentations, and current controversies in medicine.

Resources for Physical Exercise

Regular physical activity helps improve your overall health and fitness, and reduces your risk for many chronic diseases.

Physical activity is anything that gets your body moving. Start at a comfortable level. Once you get the hang of it, add a little more activity each time you exercise. Then try exercising more often.

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Remote Patient Visits/Prescriptions - Playing with Scorpions

Prescribing by Phone Is Like Playing With Scorpions

Can you practice medicine over the phone? What is an appropriate way to use communication technology to help treat patients? Recently on Medscape Connect, an all-physician discussion group, members discussed how they had used the phone and other devices to diagnose, prescribe, or otherwise deal remotely with medical issues.

A primary care physician started things off: "Given my experiences with my own patients, I always insist they come into the office before I prescribe antibiotics if I haven't just seen them. Have you had experiences where you were glad you made your patient come in to your office before treating them based on what they told you over the phone, or a time when you wish you had?"

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Electronic Patient–Physician Communications Face Barriers

Telephone calls and emails by patients can be very efficient, but these electronic communications may never be widely used unless physicians are reimbursed for them and are given extra time to do the work, according to a new study published in the August issue of Health Affairs.

Despite the potential advantages associated with e-communications, a 2008 study has found that less than 7% of physicians regularly communicate with their patients electronically.

READ FULL ARTICLE from medscape.com