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December 5, 2007 Sign up Forward Archive Advertise News for nurse practitioners   Health Care News    Study: Fitness, not weight, key to longevity A new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found people who were fit but overweight or obese had a lower mortality risk than those who had low fitness levels but were of normal weight. ClipSyndicate (12/3), Reuters (12/5) Moderate drinking may have more health benefits than risks Experts say that having a glass of wine is good for the heart and can boost memory power but that heavier drinking has been associated with increased risks for breast cancer and other diseases. Concerns based on dietary needs, history of alcoholism and lifestyle choices are addressed by experts in this review. CNN (12/4) Three medications cause a third of drug reactions in seniors Researchers found that about 58,000 U.S. emergency room visits by people aged 65 and older in 2004 and 2005 were due to adverse reactions to insulin, the blood thinner warfarin, or the heart drug digoxin. A CDC medical officer says confusion about the appropriate dose for such drugs is a major problem. Yahoo!/HealthDay News (12/4) Fiber cereal may reduce diabetes risk for black women Increasing intake of cereal fiber may reduce black women's risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by up to 59%, according to a new study. Medscape (free registration) (12/4) Other News Study: Maternal depression raises children's risk of injury Medscape (free registration)/Reuters (12/3) Bedtime vinegar dose may lower waking glucose in diabetics Medscape (free registration)/Reuters (12/4) Evidence Supports Treatment of Spinal Fractures with Balloon Kyphoplasty. Approximately 700,000 spinal fractures occur each year, with osteoporosis as the primary underlying disease state. Results from a two-year prospective multicenter study demonstrate significant and sustained benefits for spinal fracture patients treated with balloon kyphoplasty. Learn more about this study - click here.   Pharmaceutical News  Research: Antibiotics no better than placebo for sinus infections A British study reports that antibiotics, nasal sprays and other medicines often prescribed by providers don't cure patients with sinus infections. Improvement in symptoms generally occurred in two weeks, regardless of whether the patients were treated with amoxicillin, steroid spray or placebo, researchers revealed. Yahoo!/Associated Press (12/4) FDA says desmopressin may pose risk of seizure Patients taking desmopressin, a bed-wetting treatment for children, may be at risk of hyponatremia, a lack of sodium in the blood that can cause seizures and death, the FDA warned Tuesday. The agency urged discontinuing use of desmopressin -- sold under brands such as DDAVP, DDVP and Stimate nasal spray -- in patients with fever and vomiting. Forbes/Associated Press (12/4), The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (12/4)   Emerging Trends, Products and Technologies  Microwave device shows promise for breast cancer A team of U.S. scientists has developed a microwave system that uses beams of microwave energy to heat and kill breast cancer cells in patients who undergo chemotherapy. The device could help improve the efficacy of chemotherapy drugs by increasing blood flow into tumors and could prevent the need for mastectomies in some, researchers say. M.I.T. Technology Review (12/5) Massachusetts calls for electronic medical record adoption The Massachusetts Health Policy Forum today is hosting a health IT conference that aims to address issues concerning EMRs and lessons learned from the Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative program. Health care officials said the state should devise plans for wider adoption of EMRs and should decide on allotment of costs for the implementation of the systems. The Boston Globe (free registration) (12/5)   Health Policy and Legislative News  Bush administration seeks health IT mandate for Medicare bill HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt has sent a letter to the Senate Finance Committee outlining a White House mandate that any bill to block a 10% cut in providers' Medicare fees should require health professionals to adopt health IT. The Hill (12/5) Leavitt urges health IT adoption: "The adoption of health IT and the effective creation of competition based on value or quality are interdependent" for providers, HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt said in a conversation with former WellPoint CEO Leonard Schaeffer. He also argued that pay-for-performance should be implemented to persuade health care professionals to adopt health IT. The Wall Street Journal (free content) (12/4)   AANP News  Manage breast health Breast self-exams. Women know they are supposed to do them, but ask any group if they know how and you'll likely have most shaking their heads no. FemmePharma Global Healthcare, a women's pharmaceutical company, hopes to help women manage their breast health by launching GoodBreastHealth.com featuring a unique video demonstrating a breast self-exam and current breast health information. AANP 2008 elections The Call for Nominations for 2008 AANP Elections has been issued. AANP members wishing to run for office in 2008 should go to the Members Only section of the AANP Web site for a listing of positions for 2008 as well as other information. Deadline for completion of the nominations form is Jan. 11, 2008. Questions may be emailed to elections@aanp.org. 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