ScienceDaily: Living Well News

---

• Gestational diabetes may raise risk for heart disease in midlife
• Nicotine withdrawal weakens brain connections tied to self-control over cigarette cravings
• Countering caregiver placebo effect in pets
• Boosting self-esteem prevents health problems for seniors
• Could grapefruit be good for your kidneys?
• Debunking water myths: Weight loss, calorie burn and more
• Texting program good option for teen girls' health, study shows
• Large waist linked to poor health, even among those in healthy body mass index ranges
• Superior visual thinking may be key to independence for high schoolers with autism
• Nicotine patches do not appear to help pregnant smokers to quit, study shows
• What's the upside of feeling too sad for chocolate?
• Women most likely to benefit from vaginal mesh surgery identified by research
• Personality may be key risk factor in preventive health care
• Early pregnancy alcohol linked to heightened premature, small baby risk
• Claim that raw milk reduces lactose intolerance doesn't pass smell test, study finds
• Bread, cereal drive UK children's high salt diet
• Spring allergy season is imminent, despite this winter's polar vortex

Gestational diabetes may raise risk for heart disease in midlife Posted: 12 Mar 2014 01:18 PM PDT Pregnant women may face an increased risk of early heart disease if they develop gestational diabetes. Early screening and intervention is important to identify later heart disease risk for these mothers, researchers said, along with recognizing reproductive characteristics that may contribute to disease risk in women to inform early prevention efforts.

Nicotine withdrawal weakens brain connections tied to self-control over cigarette cravings Posted: 12 Mar 2014 01:17 PM PDT A new brain imaging study shows how smokers suffering from nicotine withdrawal may have more trouble shifting from a key brain network—known as default mode, when people are in a so-called "introspective" state -— and into a control network that could help exert more conscious, self-control over cravings and to focus on quitting for good.

Countering caregiver placebo effect in pets Posted: 12 Mar 2014 12:02 PM PDT How do you know that your pet is benefiting from its pain medication? A new clinical trial design could help overcome pet owners' unconscious observation bias and determine whether the drugs they test are effective. "In veterinary medicine, we're one step removed from the patient, and so we run into what we call the 'caregiver placebo effect,' which is how we refer to a number of factors that result in unconscious influence on owners' responses," says a researcher. "Merely observing behavior can change it, and any changes in daily routine, like administering medication, will affect the way you relate to that animal and change its behavior." This makes controlling for the placebo effect more difficult, and even the most sensitive detection techniques still have trouble distinguishing between the real and the placebo effect.

Boosting self-esteem prevents health problems for seniors Posted: 12 Mar 2014 10:26 AM PDT The importance of boosting self-esteem is normally associated with the trials and tribulations of adolescence. But new research shows that it's even more important for older adults to maintain and improve upon those confidence levels as they enter their twilight years. "Improving self-esteem provides real health benefits in seniors," says the lead author. "The ultimate solution may be to prevent self esteem from declining."

Could grapefruit be good for your kidneys? Posted: 12 Mar 2014 10:24 AM PDT A natural product found in grapefruit can prevent kidney cysts from forming, new research indicates. Naringenin, which is also present in other citrus fruits, has been found to successfully block the formation of kidney cysts, an effect that occurs in polycystic kidney disease, by regulating the PKD2 protein responsible for the condition. With few treatments currently available, symptoms include high blood pressure and loss of kidney function, and lead to the need for dialysis.

Debunking water myths: Weight loss, calorie burn and more Posted: 12 Mar 2014 10:23 AM PDT Drinking a lot of water is often advised to those who are trying to lose weight. But a nutrition expert says, while it is important, it's not the magic bullet to weight loss. If losing weight is the goal, the researchers suggests trying long-running weight management programs based on real research.

Texting program good option for teen girls' health, study shows Posted: 12 Mar 2014 08:48 AM PDT An emergency medicine physician recently led a study that found a text-message program may be an effective violence prevention tool for at-risk teen girls. The team interviewed girls between the ages of 13 and 17 who reported past-year peer violence and depressive symptoms during emergency department visits for any medical issue. Overwhelmingly, the interviews showed that at-risk teen girls coming to the ED for care are very interested in receiving a text-message violence prevention intervention. The teens felt that a text-message program would enhance their existing coping strategies, and that they would not only use it themselves, but also refer their friends to it.

Large waist linked to poor health, even among those in healthy body mass index ranges Posted: 12 Mar 2014 08:45 AM PDT Having a big belly has consequences beyond trouble squeezing into your pants. It's detrimental to your health, even if you have a healthy body mass index (BMI), a new international collaborative study has found. Men and women with large waist circumferences were more likely to die younger, and were more likely to die from illnesses such as heart disease, respiratory problems, and cancer after accounting for body mass index, smoking, alcohol use and physical activity.

Superior visual thinking may be key to independence for high schoolers with autism Posted: 12 Mar 2014 07:34 AM PDT Teaching independence to adolescents with autism can provide a crucial boost to their chances for success after high school, researchers has demonstrated. According to the researchers, independence is the biggest indicator of which students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are likely to live on their own, have a job, and participate in their communities after high school.

Nicotine patches do not appear to help pregnant smokers to quit, study shows Posted: 11 Mar 2014 03:46 PM PDT Nicotine patches do not appear to help pregnant smokers to quit, according to a study. Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes and may have long lasting effects in offspring. In England, 26% of women smoke in the year before their pregnancy and 12% smoke through to delivery. The rate is similar or even higher in other high income countries. Guidelines suggest adding nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) to behavioral smoking cessation support in pregnant smokers because of their excellent safety profile and proved effectiveness in other groups of smokers. However, there is a lack of good quality evidence on the effectiveness of NRT in pregnant smokers.

What's the upside of feeling too sad for chocolate? Posted: 11 Mar 2014 09:39 AM PDT The instant gratification and the pleasure derived from consuming excessive chocolate and deep-fried foods can lead way to a double-edged sword of negative consequences ranging from weight gain to feelings of low self-esteem. According to a new study, combating this type of self-destructive behavior may be achieved simply by making a person feel sad.

Women most likely to benefit from vaginal mesh surgery identified by research Posted: 11 Mar 2014 07:11 AM PDT Certain women with vaginal prolapse are most likely to benefit from undergoing vaginal mesh surgery, a technique that has become controversial and is the focus of numerous lawsuits. The findings provide valuable information regarding who should and should not be considered candidates for the surgery.

Personality may be key risk factor in preventive health care Posted: 11 Mar 2014 07:03 AM PDT When it comes to helping young adults avoid serious health problems later in life, assessing their personalities during routine medical exams could prove as useful as recording their family medical histories and smoking habits, according to new research. Being conscientious appears to be the best bet for good health among traits known as the "Big Five," which are the basis for most psychological personality assessments. Along with conscientiousness, the Big Five include extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism and openness to experience. Participants who were more conscientious when they were 26 years old were more likely to be in much better health at age 38 than those who were low in that personality trait, the study found.

Early pregnancy alcohol linked to heightened premature, small baby risk Posted: 10 Mar 2014 06:06 PM PDT Drinking alcohol during the first three months of pregnancy may heighten the risk of having a premature or unexpectedly small baby, suggests research. Drinking during the period leading up to conception was also linked to a higher risk of restricted fetal growth, this study shows, indicating that this may also be a critical period, suggest the authors.

Claim that raw milk reduces lactose intolerance doesn't pass smell test, study finds Posted: 10 Mar 2014 03:28 PM PDT Some sour news for lactose-intolerant people who hoped that raw milk might prove easier to stomach than pasteurized milk: A pilot study shows little difference in digestibility between the two. The study was small -- it involved 16 participants -- but the lead investigator said the results were highly consistent among all the participants and deflate some of the claims surrounding raw, or unpasteurized, milk.

Bread, cereal drive UK children's high salt diet Posted: 10 Mar 2014 01:15 PM PDT Children in London eat an unhealthy amount of salt, with a third of it coming from breads and cereals. In the largest UK study to date measuring children's salt consumption, researchers found that teens ate more salt than that country recommends for adults. On average, kids in all age groups eat more salt than the American Heart Association recommends.

Spring allergy season is imminent, despite this winter's polar vortex Posted: 10 Mar 2014 11:39 AM PDT This winter has been one of the coldest on record, but spring allergy season is already beginning and it's time for sufferers to start preparing now. An estimated 50 million Americans suffer from allergies, which are commonly called hay fever. "The symptoms people experience often resemble a common cold, but, if it happens every year at this time, it's most likely allergies," warned the lead author of a new paper.

You are subscribed to email updates from Living Well News -- ScienceDaily To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610