Marijuana Use Linked to Rising Cardiovascular Events

TOULOUSE, FRANCE — Researchers in France are warning that marijuana use may increase the risk of cardiovascular events, particularly in younger adults, with fatal consequences^[1].

Their concerns stem from a review of reports made to the French Addictovigilance Network between 2006 and 2010 indicating that almost 2% of reported events concerned cardiovascular complications. What's more, the average age of the people with CV complications was 34, with the number of cardiovascular complications tripling over the study period.

"The general public thinks marijuana is harmless, but information revealing the potential health dangers of marijuana use needs to be disseminated to the public, policymakers, and healthcare providers," lead author Prof Émilie Jouanjus(Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse, France) commented in a press statement. This is especially important, given the growing move toward decriminalization of the drug and its use as medical treatment.

>LEARN MORE about the study from medscape.com

Upping Coffee Consumption Protects Against Type 2 Diabetes

The first study to examine whether a change in the amount of tea or coffee consumed has any effect on the subsequent risk for type 2 diabetes among healthy individuals has found that it does, at least for coffee. And the effects become apparent within a relatively short period of time, 4 years.

In this new observational analysis of 3 large US cohorts, those who increased their intake by around one-and-a-half cups of regular coffee per day, on average, had an 11% lower risk for type 2 diabetes over the following 4 years, compared with people who did not alter the amount of coffee they drank, report Shilpa N. Bhupathiraju, PhD, department of nutrition, Harvard Public School of Health, Boston, Massachusetts, and colleagues in the study, published online April 24 in Diabetologia.

> READ MORE on how much coffee and large study from medscape.com

Your Guide to Pain Relief

Got sore muscles or a raging headache? Before you reach for that bottle in your medicine cabinet for pain relief, know what you're taking -- and what side effects it might cause. Always read the label and follow directions before taking any medication.



Pain relievers come in two main varieties. Acetaminophen (Panadol, Tylenol) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs -- better known as NSAIDs -- both help to relieve pain and reduce fever. NSAIDs include ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), aspirin, and naproxen sodium (Aleve). Pain relievers come in many forms, including: tablets, caplets, gelcaps, and liquids.

>READ THE FULL ARTICLE for the OTC guide at webmd.com

>VIEW VIDEOS ON PAIN RELIEF PRESCRIPTIONS at webmd.com

5 Sketchy Things We Still Don’t Know About E-Cigarettes

The FDA has cracked down on e-cigs by asserting its regulatory power and proposing a ban on sales to minors

On Thursday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) flexed its regulatory muscles and extended its authority over more tobacco products, including the highly debated electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes. In the announcement, the agency said it now has jurisdiction over items that meet the statutory definition of tobacco products—which includes e-cigarettes, pipe tobacco, and hookah tobacco, among others. The FDA says it also plans to crack down on e-cigarettes by proposing a ban of their sale to people under 18 and by requiring health warnings on packaging.

The UK already has stiff regulations on e-cigarettes and some cities in the U.S., like Los Angeles, have bannedthem in several public places. The trouble with e-cigarettes is that they are so new, and there’s not enough evidence to definitively determine either how effective they are at helping people quit smoking—or the health risks associated with inhaling vaporized nicotine. Here are five things we are still scratching our heads over.

> READ FULL ARTICLE to learn about the facts of  electronic cigarettes FROM TIME

Spinal Corticosteroids Run Risk of Severe Neuro Effects

Epidural injections of corticosteroids to relieve pain — a widespread, off-label use — run the rare risk for blindness, stroke, paralysis, and death, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced today.

The FDA is requiring manufacturers of corticosteroids to revise drug labels to include this warning.

In today's announcement, directed at anesthesiologists and pain management physicians, the agency said it has not established the effectiveness and safety of epidural administration of corticosteroids such as hydrocortisone and methylprednisolone. As a consequence, "the FDA has not approved corticosteroids for such use."

>READ MORE for advising from the FDA at medscape.com

15-Minutes or less Visits Take Toll on Doctor-Patient Relationship

 Patients – and physicians – say they feel the time crunch as never before as doctors rush through appointments as if on roller skates to see more patients and perform more procedures to make up for flat or declining reimbursements. 

It’s not unusual for primary care doctors’ appointments to be scheduled at 15-minute intervals. Some physicians who work for hospitals say they’ve been asked to see patients every 11 minutes. 

And the problem may worsen as millions of consumers who gained health coverage through the Affordable Care Act begin to seek care — some of whom may have seen doctors rarely, if at all, and have a slew of untreated problems.

“Doctors have one eye on the patient and one eye on the clock,” said David J. Rothman, who studies the history of medicine at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons.

By all accounts, short visits take a toll on the doctor-patient relationship, which is considered a key ingredient of good care, and may represent a missed opportunity for getting patients more actively involved in their own health. There is less of a dialogue between patient and doctor, studies show, increasing the odds patients will leave the office frustrated.

>READ FULL ARTICLE about the struggle for control from medscape.com

What Is the Invisible vaccine Threat?

Over the past few years, an increasing number of parents are choosing not to vaccinate their children -- for religious reasons, for philosophical reasons, and for various other reasons. More and more children are now being potentially exposed to these vaccine-preventable diseases, and the consequences have been what one would have predicted. Last year, we had 189 cases of measles in this country; as of March 22, 2014, we have had about 80 cases, and thus we could have twice the number of cases this year as last year. In addition, we are seeing more cases of pertussis, more cases of mumps, and more cases of bacterial meningitis. This has been a constant discussion, a discussion in the media, and in many different forms of the media.

>VIEW FULL ARTICLE at medscape.com

Reduced Salt Intake Lowers BP, Improves Stroke and Heart Disease Mortality Rates

LONDON, UK – Efforts to reduce salt intake in the UK are likely to have contributed to a significant reduction in blood pressure as well as ischemic heart disease (IHD) and stroke mortality over a recent eight-year period, according to a new analysis^[1].

From 2003 to 2011, average salt intake declined 15% and systolic blood pressure declined by 2.7 mm Hg in individuals not taking antihypertensive medications. Over the same time period, there was a significant 42% reduction in stroke mortality and 40% reduction in IHD mortality, report investigators.

>READ FULL REPORT from medscape.com

Brain Foods

Medscape's 2-part Brain Food slideshow series looked at how what we eat can benefit the brain. From salmon cutting stroke risk to coffee curbing depression, the data are copious. But the past couple of years have seen countless studies also looking at how certain foods and dietary patterns can impair neurologic and psychiatric function. Based primarily on Medscape Medical News coverage and expert opinion, this slideshow examines recent data on what foods we should potentially avoid in the interest of preserving our cognitive capacities, and fending off -- or at least slowing -- diseases of the brain

SEE SLIDE SHOW from medscape.com

Low Back Pain: What Can You Do?

You may feel like resting, but moving is good for your back. Exercises for lower back pain can strengthen back, stomach, and leg muscles. They help support your spine, relieving back pain. Always ask your doctor before doing any exercise for back pain. Depending on the cause and intensity of your pain, some exercises may not be recommended and can be harmful.

SEE SLIDE SHOW from medscape.com

READ ARTICLE on Using Exercise to Ease Low Back Pain