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March 10, 2017 7:19 PM

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) Glaucoma is a common, serious eye condition that left untreated can lead to blindness, and its not just a problem for older people.

As CBS2s Dr. Max Gomez explained, a tiny new device is helping to save peoples eyesight.

Lori Karavolis, a 49-year-old nurse and mother of four, was in danger of losing her eyesight.

She has a family history of glaucoma, so she would have the pressure inside her eyes checked regularly, suddenly she got bad news.

Sky high actually, almost a dangerous level, she said. Will I go blind?

One way glaucoma develops is when fluid in the eye doesnt drain normally through tiny mesh-like channels.

Its peripheral vision loss, almost as a tunnel vision, as it gets to be more advanced. And then ultimately it can be full vision loss, Dr. Jennifer Davis explained.

Drops and laser surgery are treatment options, but those channels can close up again.

Now, theres a tiny implanted device called the I-stent that acts as a kind of drain for the excessive fluid.

Its a one millimeter titanium tube thats put in the drainage channels of the eye.

Weve seen a huge improvement in intraocular pressure after surgery, Dr. Davis said, There patients continue to be on fewer drops or no drops, and thats really the idea.

Its meant for people with mild to moderate glaucoma, but its only implanted in people who are also having cataract surgery.

Its not painful at all, and youre back to work or your life the next day, Karavolis said, Im doing great. I dont have to have drops, and just the daily thought of not having that increased pressure.

The I-stent was FDA approved in 2012, but its only recently that its been in widespread use.

Health insurance companies and commercial insurers have been covering it.

The vision lost to glaucoma doesnt come back. Thats why regular eye exams are important, to catch and treat glaucoma before it causes vision loss.

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New Implanted Device Could Save Eyesight In People Battling Glaucoma - CBS New York

Written by ANJALI MARAR | Pune | Published:March 11, 2017 2:20 am

GOOD TIMES seem to have arrived at least for the countrys biotechnology sector that has been awarded the highest budgetary hike in this years union budget. Though there has been an overall 10 per cent hike in the total budget allotted for science, biotechnology and earth sciences this year, it is the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) that has won the jackpot by being awarded the highest hike to Rs 2,222 crore as opposed to Rs 1,917 crore received last year. While Rs 37,435 crore has been allotted for science and technology this year, the same stood at Rs 33,467 crore in the 2016-2017 budget. Scientists in the city have given mixed reactions to this years budget as some are of the opinion that there is little clarity or specific plans mentioned for taking forward the ambitious Make in India and Start-Up India initiatives from these research fields.

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Its indeed a welcome move that DBT has been awarded higher amount of money this year. However, the budget is disappointing as there was no concrete plan or budgetary allocations for Start-Ups made, said Rajendra Jagdale, director general of Science and Technology Park . The monetary allocations for the current financial years activities for other scientific departments are Department of Science and Technology has bagged Rs 4,833 crore; Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) has been awarded Rs 4,446 crore while the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) has been allotted Rs 1,723 crore.

However, eminent scientist and former director of CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) RA Mashelkar, lauded the governments initiatives. He said, The governments priorities in scientific research seems to be heading in the right direction. He was particularly happy about start-ups , which according to him, will help India take a lead position in job creation. The aim is to get to the top position in start-ups which in turn can create more jobs. So from a job-seeker role, the country is progressing to that of a job-creator, said Mashelkar. Improving waste management, developing cost-effective bio-medical devices, improved research in scientific heritage research, electronic mobility are some of key the areas where greater emphasis is being given by DST . Industrial research will also be focusing on science and technology intervention for solving problems of common man.

According to another senior scientist, who did not wish to divulge his identity, the field of biotechnology has always been greatly dependent on the pharmaceutical industry for its survival. This needs to change, as there is much beyond pharmaceutical, only then can better research related to real life sciences will come to the fore, he said.

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More funds to flow into Department of Biotechnology's kitty | The ... - The Indian Express

Wichita Eagle

Arthritis advocacy gives hope and control for Kansas woman Wichita Eagle Penner, who is from North Newton, was honored this week with the Arthritis Foundation's 2016 Edward M. Kennedy Advocacy Award. She was joined in Washington, D.C., by around 400 other arthritis patients and met with members of Congress to ask for ...

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Arthritis advocacy gives hope and control for Kansas woman - Wichita Eagle

Holly Dwyer never knows when shes going to wake up in pain and unable to move.

The 21-year-old college student from Hill Point has a condition many associate with old age: arthritis. Dwyer has lived with the condition since she was about 6 years old, and now shes working to spread the word about juvenile patients.

Holly has been chosen as the adult honoree for this years Walk to Cure Arthritis in Dane County. Prior to the May 6 event, Hollys family will host a few fundraisers to raise money for their team. The funds will support research efforts to find a cure.

Most days Holly can find a way to stretch and manage her pain and stiffness but there are times where she needs to stay home. She said shes studying psychology at Viterbo University in La Crosse and doesnt like to miss out on school or work but sometimes her body gives her no choice.

There are days where I try to make it down the steps of my apartment and Im crying, she said. Its days like that where you have to hope for a better tomorrow.

Hollys struggles started in kindergarten when her gym teacher noticed her unusual gait while running. Her mother, Kathy Dwyer, was advised to take her daughter in for medical evaluation. Kathy said she hadnt noticed anything off about Holly but heeded the teachers advice. Holly said she initially believed she was flat footed but doctors finally figured out what was wrong around her 8th birthday.

Kathy remembered being shocked by the diagnosis.

Your initial reaction is you just cant believe a child can have this, she said.

Holly said she has juvenile idiopathic arthritis, which differs from rheumatoid or osteoarthritis. No one knows what causes this condition and it affects everyone differently.

To this day, Holly needs to take NSAIDs and low-grade chemotherapy medication to treat this autoimmune disease. She started with pills but ended up needing injections. Kathy said adults administered the shots in the beginning but Holly was brave enough that she could do them on her own by age 10.

The chemotherapy has lovely side effects like grogginess and nausea, she said.

Shes also had several surgeries. She had her first total hip replacement at age 16, followed by the other at age 18. She also needed nerve relocation in her hand and elbow to prevent muscle atrophy and loss of sensation. Holly said almost all her joints are affected in some way by arthritis.

The surgeries were necessary for her to attend college and pursue a career, so she perseveres through the pain. Stiffness is common in the morning so she uses stretching and monitors her physical activity. Its been this way ever since she was a little kid.

My family used to joke and call me Grandma, she said.

Sometimes she needs crutches to get to class but she does all she can to make it, she said.

Juvenile arthritis is more frequent than most people think. More than 300,000 children and teens are living with arthritis in the U.S. Of those, about 6,000 live in Wisconsin, said Hana Johnson, market relations coordinator for the Arthritis Foundations Madison-area office.

Johnson said the walk not only tries to raise money but also spread the word about the far-reaching effects of arthritis.

A lot of people think of arthritis as an old persons disease, she said.

She said the office chose Holly as an honoree because she has been active with the Foundation since she was a little girl. She previously attended Camp MASH for children with autoimmune disorders and now volunteers as a counselor. Holly has also been willing to tell her story.

Holly will speak during the Dane County walk and will help kick it off with other honorees. Participants do not need to be residents of Dane County to participate, Johnson said.

Holly said shes glad to be part of the Arthritis Foundations efforts to support patients and their families.

We dont have to accept the pain as a forever situation, she said. We may have arthritis but arthritis doesnt have us.

Follow Heather Stanek on Twitter @HStanek1.

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Hill Point 20-something endures through arthritis - Reedsburg Times Press

Mancunian researchers have created a new social enterprise to develop new tests and treatments for a range of musculoskeletal conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Through Inspiral Biomedical Limited, these scientists will be making biological samples and data collected over the past two decades at the University of Manchester, available to other academic and industry researchers.

Inspiral Biomedical Ltd Chairperson, Professor Anne Barton, said: We know that our bank of biological samples and data holds an unprecedented opportunity to gain a better understanding of these conditions and how best to treat those individuals affected.

Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions can greatly affect peoples quality of life. More than 20% of the UKs population consult with a GP about MSK complaints and this number will rise as the population ages.

Professor Barton said: In Manchester, we are already utilising this data, but by making it available to other academic and industry researchers across the world will be able to bring new tests and treatments to patients more quickly.

Inspiral Biomedical Ltd is composed of Professor Wendy Thomson and Dr Steve Eyre, who in addition to Professor Barton. All three are from the Arthritis Research UK Centre for Genetics and Genomics.

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New spin out focuses on arthritis data-sharing - Lab News

Running, as a sport or hobby, confers undoubted health benefits.

Runners tend to be less overweight and more fit from a cardiovascular standpoint. Running may also mitigate against depression, diabetes and other ailments.

Researchers, however, are consistently unable to agree whether running is harmful to joints.

A new study, published by investigators from major medical centers across the country, suggests that running does not predispose runners to symptomatic knee degenerative arthritis. The authors also contend that running is not detrimental to the knees.

Previous studies of elite runners have yielded conflicting results.

For example, a propensity to develop more arthritis was observed, but not consistently. The problem is that elite runners tend to be a self-selected cohort. In lay terms, they are the holdouts who escape major joint pain, and therefore keep running.

No one is interested in the ex-runners who quit the sport, due to knee or hip pain. Consequently, researchers sometimes under-estimate the amount of joint damage running causes. Or they might overestimate the damage, by focusing on intense runners with punishing fitness routines.

No one knows, really.

Grace Lo and her collaborators, using data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative public-use data set, attempted to address these concerns, publishing a study of 2,637 recreational runners in Arthritis Care & Research.

Participants were studied retrospectively, or looking back in time. The likelihood of developing knee pain, or symptomatic knee osteoarthritis, appeared to be no higher in runners, compared to non-runners.

Data collected over eight years after enrollment in the Osteoarthritis Initiative seemed to confirm the findings. Physical activity surveys, and X-rays bolstered the conclusions, that Running does not appear to be detrimental from a knee health perspective.

Intriguing as this study is, it still does not completely settle the question of whether recreational running damages knees. That would be too much to ask from a single study.

I note that 2,159 of the original 4,796 persons enrolled in the Osteoarthritis Initiative did not complete the full survey process.

How did those participants fare?

The authors reached overly broad conclusions regarding knee health in runners.

Could some participants have suffered minor structural damage from running that the study was not designed to capture?

Criticisms aside, Lo and colleagues deserve credit for casting their gaze beyond elite runners. Their subjects were an average of 60 years and pursuing running as a top-3 recreational activity.

We need more data on the Average Joe and Average Jane runner. Nearly two-thirds of the self-reported runners in this study, by the way, were men.

Perhaps a prospective study, looking into the future, would be more enlightening.

We could conceivably randomize young adults into groups that run, perform low impact exercise, or are sedentary. Follow-up study with interviews, examinations, and radiographs could be performed one or two decades later.

Who would want to sign up for managing such a long process? Imagine the costs and commitment, for subjects and researchers alike. At the gym, I see athletes in their 20s sprinting on the running machines. Middle-aged persons walk purposefully, on the same devices. The elderly walk even more slowly, or switch to stationary bicycles.

A small amount of knee pain may be physiologically useful. Pain fibers tell us, as we age, how to exercise prudently. We dont want to be tore up from the floor up, as a gentleman once described his health status to me.

A cost-benefit analysis makes sense. It might be worth incurring a bit of arthritis, if our recreational activities ward off heart disease.

Watching television all day is not the answer.

Good luck in finding an exercise program that works for you.

Scott T Anderson, MD, PhD (email [emailprotected]), is Clinical Professor, UC Davis Medical School. This article is informational, and does not constitute, medical advice.

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Verdict still out on whether running contributes to arthritis in the knee - Fairfield Daily Republic

Glaucoma has slowly robbed David Clark of his sight.

The father-of-two has had to take early retirement, quit reading and even avoid the city centre.

The retired scientist is one of tens of thousands of Scots suffering progressive loss of sight, with 1,340 people having been diagnosed in Dundee alone.

Glaucoma a condition where the optic nerve which connects the eye to the brain becomes damaged is the second largest cause of blindness in the UK.

And, according to the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) Scotland, it is estimated that almost half of those affected do not even know they have it. David spoke to the Tele ahead of World Glaucoma Week, which starts on Sunday.

The 71-year-old from Downfield said: I have always had poor eyesight. But it didnt stop me for many years.

By 1980, I was beginning to feel symptoms, particularly pressure in my eyes and white spots.

I was diagnosed with glaucoma and prescribed eye drops. I used them religiously I was only in my mid-thirties. But by 2001, my vision had deteriorated significantly and I had to take the early retirement opportunity that was offered. It became too difficult to do my job I was a biomedical scientist in haematology and it was a major thing for me.

My eyes were so important to my job. Of course it was disappointing, very disappointing. However, I had about six months to get used to it.

But not being able to drive and difficulty moving around when its dark, are difficult to deal with.

It can be tricky going into town. Places like the bottom of Reform Street, where you have people going in all directions and sometimes fast, can be really tricky. The entrances to the shopping centres can be tough as well. I tend to avoid those areas now its become too difficult.

Everything is slow and steady with glaucoma. My eyes and vision have just deteriorated little by little to where we are now.

David has lost all sight in his right eye and only has 25% in his left eye.

He has had three operations to try to steady the deterioration; a surgical procedure called trabeculectomy, used in the treatment of glaucoma to relieve pressure in the eye.

They have not been very successful for him, but he said the procedure was often a great success.

David wants to encourage people to be aware of the condition and seek treatment as soon as possible.

He added: In some ways, its the people who have great eyesight who are most at risk.

This is because theyre less likely to get regular eye tests.

Glaucoma is often first diagnosed by an optician.

RNIB Scotland director Campbell Chalmers said: Glaucoma has been nicknamed the sneak-thief of sight because its effects are usually unnoticeable until a relatively advanced stage.

By then the damage is done. Glaucoma doesnt have any symptoms in its early stages so people can lose up to 40% of their sight before they realise they have a problem.

We need to ensure that people are diagnosed early so that they do not reach the stage where sight loss is irreversible.

Regular eye tests, which are free in Scotland, are vital if glaucoma is to be detected early and sight loss prevented.

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'Glaucoma has stolen my sight', says former scientist David - Evening Telegraph

NASA astronaut Michael Barratt watches a water bubble float by on board the Discovery in 2011. NASA hide caption

NASA astronaut Michael Barratt watches a water bubble float by on board the Discovery in 2011.

Spending time in space changes people: Not just their outlook on life, but also their eyesight.

For years, a North Texas doctor has been trying to find out what is causing this vision change among astronauts. His latest research provides some clues and connects astronauts on the International Space Station, cancer patients on a roller coaster plane flight, and high-tech sleeping sacks.

After spending six months on the International Space Station, Michael Barratt had a strange request when he finally stepped foot on Earth.

He wanted a spinal tap.

Barratt isn't a masochist, he's a NASA astronaut. While flying hundreds of miles above Earth in 2009, he noticed his vision was changing. He was struggling to read manuals and checklists.

An image of astronaut Michael Barratt's right eye shows some of the changes in shape after long-duration space flight. Courtesy of NASA hide caption

An image of astronaut Michael Barratt's right eye shows some of the changes in shape after long-duration space flight.

"I spent a lot of time on the Russian segment as well. When you're reading in Russian in small print in a dark place, and your visual acuity starts to tank, you notice it!" Barratt says.

Barratt is also a very curious physician, which brings us to his request for a spinal tap to check the pressure in his brain. He knew he wasn't the first astronaut whose vision had changed while in space, and he hoped sticking a needle into his back might provide a clue to his vision loss. The leading theory at the time was that microgravity raises pressure in the head and reshapes the eyeballs, which could be problematic for long-term space travel to places like Mars.

"This is a medical issue that affects a large percentage of people who fly in space," Barratt says. "So the stakes are extremely high."

Scientists know that when people go into space, the fluid normally below their hearts goes into their heads. But is it creating enough pressure to damage the eyes? Does it flatten them and affect the optic nerve? Or is there something else at play?

Dr. Benjamin Levine is on a mission to find out. He's a professor at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and Director of the Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine. Instead of sticking needles in astronauts' backs, though, Levine decided to stick needles inside the brains of specific people who stay on Earth.

Trent Barton, a volunteer for the study looking at pressure inside the brain during space flights. Courtesy of David Ham hide caption

Trent Barton, a volunteer for the study looking at pressure inside the brain during space flights.

He found eight healthy cancer survivors who still had ports in their heads, once used to deliver chemotherapy. Those ports would allow him to directly measure their intracranial pressure.

Then, he convinced them to get on a plane for a sort of extreme roller coaster ride to simulate the zero gravity found on the ISS.

You know that feeling of weightlessness when you drop on a roller coaster? Well, these folks did that, except they plunged 8,000 feet in 30 seconds, dozens of times, all in the name of science.

Trent Barton, a lymphoma survivor from Dallas, went on the wild trip above the Texas-Mexico border.

"I enjoyed each and every rotation we did," Barton says.

Dr. Justin Lawley, instructor in internal medicine at University of Texas Southwestern, floating in zero gravity. Courtesy of David Ham hide caption

Dr. Justin Lawley, instructor in internal medicine at University of Texas Southwestern, floating in zero gravity.

During the flight, a needle in the port in his head monitored the pressure in the fluid surrounding his brain.

Turns out, Levine says, space flight doesn't cause pressure to be much higher than it is when you or I are standing up. But, it is a little higher. He published the results in The Journal of Physiology.

But, unlike us earthlings, astronauts never get to rest their brains in lower pressure. When they're standing up in zero gravity, the fluid stays in their heads and won't go to their feet. So, researchers like Levine are now trying to find a way to give these astronaut brains a rest. So we now think this mild but persistent pressure may be the thing that's stimulating remodeling the eye and causing the visual impairment," Levine says.

"We've been working with UnderArmour, the garment company, to come up with a soft, but comfortable almost like a sleeping sack or pair of trousers, that you can put on at night, hook up to a vacuum cleaner, suck the blood and fluid into the feet and unload the heart and the brain while you're sleeping," he says.

Astronaut Dr. Mike Barratt says he'd be willing to try the sleeping sack, but he also wants to do more tests on the ISS to better understand intracranial pressure before we send astronauts deeper into space.

As for Barratt's eyesight, six years after his flight?

"It's my right eye that has apparently been permanently remodeled," Barratt says. "Other than that, I'm totally normal."

In other words, he's still the same curious doctor, he just sees things a bit differently now that he's back on Earth.

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Doctor Launches Vision Quest To Help Astronauts' Eyeballs - NPR

Clinical trial gives hope for those with blindness

Sonia Azad, WFAA 8:23 AM. CST March 08, 2017

Dr. David Birch with the Restina Foundation of the Southwest speaks about a new clinical trial that could help restore eyesight for those suffering from the genetic disorder XLRS.

DALLAS -- Doctors in Dallas are offering new hope for people living with a rare genetic eye disorder called X-linked retinoschisis, or XLRS. Right now there is no treatment or cure, but a new clinical trial might be able to restore their eyesight over time.

Trevor Sorrels, 18, is in college in Corpus Christi. The avid scuba diver is an aspiring marine biologist.

He would like to study squids, said mom Karen. There's not a lot known about the different species of squids."

But its getting more difficult for Trevor to see, and glasses dont help.

Three of my brothers are affected by it, said Karen of the genetic disorder XLRS.

Like his uncles, Trevor was born with it, too. XLRS is a rare hereditary disease affecting boys. It usually becomes apparent by age four or five.

They don't produce a protein that's crucial for keeping the retina together, said Dr. David Birch, research director at the Retina Foundation of the Southwest. So what they get is a splitting."

When layers of your retina split, less information is passed from the eye to the brain, and there is a risk for detachment of the retina.

The further damage can lead to blindness, said Dr. Birch. There are patients that go blind in their 40s or 50s."

Dr. Birch is excited about a first-of-its-kind gene therapy treatment. He said that by injecting a healthy copy of the mutated gene into Trevors eye, just one time, the gaps in the retina could eventually close over time. His vision would improve on its own.

It's interesting and helpful and exciting, said Karen, who added that she just hopes for her son to live a normal life. A life that would allow Trevor to see clearly -- and for mom to breathe a sigh of relief when hes underwater.

I said as long as you can see the sharks, I'm okay, joked Karen.

Twenty-seven patients will be enrolled in this clinical trial in six places in the country. Dallas is one of them.

For more information go here.

2017 WFAA-TV

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Clinical trial aims to help restore eyesight - WFAA.com

According to some scientists, it was vision, rather than mobility, that let fish evolve to land-dwelling creatures. A team of researchers examined old fossil data and are arguing that vision was the primary reason that fish made the jump to land hundreds of millions of years ago.

Researchers Malcolm A. MacIver of Northwestern University and Lars Schmitz of Claremont McKenna, Scripps, and Pitzer colleges analyzed fossilized fish before and after they made the transition to land. They found that the size of eyes nearly tripled prior to moving onto land, suggesting that eyesight played a strong role in this stage of evolution.

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Their reasoning is that light can travel much further on land than in the water. Larger eyes would have been almost useless underwater, but the large increase in eye size suggests a significant evolutionary drive. MacIver and Schmitz account for this by suggesting that pre-terrestrial fish used their eyes to spot food on the shore.

Insects and other invertebrates made the jump to land around 50 million years before fish did, so for a prehistoric fish, the shores would have been teeming with food just out of reach. Over millions of years, many fish species evolved better eyes as well as limbs to reach more of it.

This increased vision may have also led to increased brain size. In the water, where vision is minimal, the majority of brainpower is devoted to quick reflexes. But on land, being able to see further lends itself well to planning and strategy, and could have fostered what is known as prospective cognition, the ability to consider multiple outcomes and plan for the future.

Source: Northwestern University

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Vision Might Have Kickstarted Evolution on Land - Popular Mechanics

Science Daily

Research may provide solutions for the future treatment of diabetes ... Science Daily Researchers found that feeding resveratrol to obese mice over a period of 6 weeks altered the makeup of the bacteria in their intestines, improving glucose ... and more »

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Research may provide solutions for the future treatment of diabetes ... - Science Daily

Gluten-free diets are all the rage these days, but for most people, shunning gluten may offer no benefit to overall health, a new analysis suggests.

In fact, the people in the study who ate more gluten were 13 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes over the 30-year study than those who ate less gluten, the researchers found.

Some people should not consume gluten a protein found in grains such as wheat, rye and barley for health reasons. For example, some people have an intolerance to gluten, and others have Celiac disease, the researchers said. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that affects mostly the small intestine; when people with this disease eat gluten, their immune system responds by attacking the intestine's lining. A gluten intolerance, by contrast, means that a person experiences symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating or fatigue after eating gluten but does not actually have Celiac disease.

However, even some people who do not have Celiac disease or an intolerance to gluten believe that gluten-free diets are healthier than those that include gluten products, and the researchers wanted to see whether this belief might have any scientific merit, said lead study author Geng Zong, a nutrition research fellow at Harvard University's T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston. [Science You Can Eat: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Food]

In the study, the researchers looked at surveys conducted every 2 to 4 years in which nearly 200,000 people reported what they ate. The researchers estimated the participants' gluten intake based on this information, and then looked at which participants went on to develop type 2 diabetes over the 30-year study period. Type 2 diabetes the most common type of diabetes occurs when the body has lost the ability to use insulin efficiently. This inability, in turn, leads to high blood sugar levels, which over time, can damage blood vessel walls, nerves and other tissues.

The researchers focused on studying the people's risk of diabetes because this condition is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S., Zong said.

It turned out that, by the end of the study, nearly 16,000 people in the study had developed type 2 diabetes. Most people in the study ate less than 12 grams of gluten per day, the researchers found. When the researchers examined the relationship between gluten consumption and the people's risk of developing type 2 diabetes, they found that the people who ate the most gluten had a 13-percent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes during the study period than the people who ate the least gluten, according to the findings, presented today (March 9) at the American Heart Association's Epidemiology and Prevention / Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health 2017 Scientific Sessions meeting. [7 Biggest Diet Myths]

This finding suggests that there might be a link between people's gluten consumption and their risk of diabetes, the researchers said. However, it is not clear why the people who ate more gluten were less likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes than the people who ate less gluten, the researchers said.

One possible explanation is that the people who consumed more gluten also ate more fiber, which, as previous research suggested, may help to lower a person's diabetes risk. However, more research is needed to examine the relationship between gluten consumption and a person's risk of diabetes, the researchers said.

Originally published on Live Science.

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Going Gluten-Free Won't Help You Avoid Diabetes - Live Science

(Reuters Health) - Women who got their first period at age 11 or earlier are at higher risk of developing diabetes during pregnancy, a recent Australian study suggests.

Being overweight is known to be a factor in early periods and also in whats known as gestational diabetes, but it did not fully explain the link between the two conditions, the researchers write in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Diabetes develops in as many as 9 percent of pregnant women in the United States and can carry serious health risks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Mothers with gestational diabetes are more likely to have high blood pressure and go into premature labor, said lead study author Danielle Schoenaker, a research officer at The University of Queensland.

There are also consequences for the baby, which is more likely to grow faster and be larger at birth, Schoenaker told Reuters Health by email. In the longer term, both mothers and their children are at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.

To explore the link between womens age at first menstruation, known as menarche, and their risk of developing gestational diabetes, the study team analyzed data on nearly 5,000 women participating in the larger Australian Longitudinal Study on Womens Health between 2000 and 2012.

The women included in the analysis all reported a live birth during the study and had completed a questionnaire every three to four years, answering questions about when they had their first period and whether they were diagnosed or treated for diabetes during pregnancy. None had type 2 diabetes or a previous history of gestational diabetes at the start of the study.

The average age at which women got their first period was just under 13 years, researchers found.

Women who had their first period at or before age 11 were more likely to have been overweight in childhood, to engage in little physical activity as adults and to currently be overweight or obese.

Overall, 357 women, or about 7.5 percent of the participants, reported being diagnosed with gestational diabetes. These women were also more likely to be overweight or obese and to have a sedentary lifestyle at the beginning of the study.

Women who got their first period before age 11 were 51 percent more likely to develop gestational diabetes, compared with those who started menstruating at age 13.

This was true even after the researchers took into account things that might influence age at menarche or risk for gestational diabetes, including mothers education level, physical activity, previous children, a hormonal condition known as polycystic ovary syndrome and body mass index (BMI), a measure of body fat based on height and weight.

Chronic disease risk, such as risk of type 2 or gestational diabetes may be programmed much earlier in life by exposures occurring during developmentally sensitive periods such as puberty, infancy or even intrauterine life, said Dr. Dana Dabelea, a professor at the University of Colorado Denver who studies gestational diabetes but was not involved in this research.

Interventions to address these health issues may need to start earlier to address the risk of diseases like diabetes, Dabelea said by email.

Women with early menarche are at increased risk of diabetes later in life so they should take additional precautions, especially active lifestyles and maintaining a healthy body weight, to mitigate this increased risk, Dabelea said.

Supporting healthy environments and behaviors from early in life are important strategies, and promoting healthy eating and physical activity should be a priority for young mothers and schools, and for all women throughout their lives, Schoenaker said.

SOURCE: bit.ly/2n66XQ5 American Journal of Epidemiology, online March 5, 2017.

CHICAGO A commercial flock of 17,000 chickens in Tennessee has been culled after becoming infected with low-pathogenic bird flu, state agricultural officials said on Thursday, days after a more dangerous form of the disease killed poultry in a neighboring county.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is investigating a multistate outbreak of listeriosis linked to the consumption of soft raw milk cheese made by Vulto Creamery that has led to two deaths.

(Reuters Health) - Up to one-fourth of adults in sub-Saharan Africa suffer from chronic kidney disease and only a small fraction ever reach a dialysis treatment center, a new study finds.

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Early first menstruation tied to pregnancy diabetes risk | Reuters - Reuters

Nurses central to getting diabetes care off to a better start Science Daily On the basis of these results, an implementation study of Stepping Up model of care, widened beyond insulin initiation to include intensification of diabetes therapy generally, will be carried out in the North-West Melbourne Primary Health Network ...

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Nurses central to getting diabetes care off to a better start - Science Daily

Mary Noffke

A north-central Iowa woman is being honored with a medal for surviving diabetes for 50 years.

Mary Noffke, of Webster City, is a recipient of the Boston-based Joslin Diabetes Center Medal for living courageously with Type 1 diabetes. Noffke was first diagnosed in the mid-1960s.

The diabetes did not show up until I was a sophomore in college and I was put on insulin right away, Noffke says. Ive been insulin-dependant since 1965 so Ive survived a long time with it. Its difficult for todays diabetes patients to understand how traumatic it was to be diagnosed with the ailment in the 60s.

I will tell you that the treatment in that era, and even before, it was even worse, Noffke says. Treatment was almost barbaric simply because not enough was known about it. Its a wonder anybody survived that era. Noffke is one of 3,500 people to receive the medal that is named after diabetes research pioneer Elliott P. Joslin. Several decades ago, it used to be awarded to people whod lived 25 years with diabetes, as that was considered a major landmark.

I will have to thank everybody who has donated money to the cause for the research, Noffke says. They began to come up with medications and then the insulin pump which is a wonder. I went on the insulin pump in 1997 and it totally changed my life. Noffke applied for the medal in January and received it last month. She says its a big honor to receive it after after living as a diabetic for 52 years.

(Reporting by Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City)

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Webster City woman recognized for 50 years of surviving diabetes - Radio Iowa

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How 'Cannibalism' by Breast Cancer Cells Promotes Dormancy Observer Cancer cells, in red, cannibalize a type of stem cell, shown in green. The red cells with small specks of green are breast cancer cells that have eaten the stem cell. Author provided. Breast cancer death rates overall have steadily declined since ... and more »

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How 'Cannibalism' by Breast Cancer Cells Promotes Dormancy - Observer

Infection of pregnant women by the Asian strain of Zika virus has been linked to brain abnormalities such as microcephaly in their infants. Its not clear, however,at what stage of pregnancy the human fetus is most susceptible to the disease.

Anew study shows the human fetus may be most vulnerable to Zika infection very early in pregnancy. In addition, the lesser-known African strain of Zika might possibly cause nearly immediate death of the placenta. Researchers say the findings could lead to the development of stronger defenses in the global fight against Zika.

Although the placenta is an effective barrier to the transmission of certain diseases and pathogens, the Asian strain, which has been linked to microcephaly in humans, is generally thought to cross through the placenta, says R. Michael Roberts, professor of animal science and of biochemistry at the University of Missouri.

Spread mostly by infected mosquitos, incidences of the virus can be found throughout US states and territories where more than 3,100 cases in pregnant women, mainly travelers from countries where the disease is widespread, have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

For the new study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers created placental cells from an approved line of pluripotent stem cells that were similar to early stage placentas. These placental cells were then infected with an Asian and African strain of Zika virus to determine how the placental cells were affected by the viruses.

Zika enters its target cells in a complex, multistep process, says Megan A. Sheridan, a graduate student in Roberts lab. We found that the Asian strain of the virus infected and replicated in the cells; however, it didnt kill the cells as readily.

Our research suggests that the Asian strain infects the placenta in the early stages of pregnancy and essentially lies in wait where it is then transmitted to the fetus causing neurological disorders in infants such as microcephaly.

The team noticed substantially different results when placental cells were introduced to the African strain of the Zika virus. When exposed, placental cells were killed within days, indicating that African strain of Zika could possibly cause miscarriages in infected mothers.

The results from our testing of the African strain were unexpected, Roberts says. The cells were killed within 40-48 hours meaning that African Zika, while less prevalent, could be much more deadly during early pregnancy.

The findings suggest that the developing fetus could be most vulnerable to infection by Zika virus and other pathogens during a relatively narrow window within the first trimester of pregnancy.

The National Institutes of Health and Fundao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de So Paulo funded the work. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the funding agencies.

Source: University of Missouri

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African strain of Zika kills placenta cells in days - Futurity: Research News

Therapeutic target for diabetes-related blindness: Study reveals ... Science Daily Specific cells in the retina trigger inflammation and vision impairment associated with diabetes, according to new research. and more »

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Therapeutic target for diabetes-related blindness: Study reveals ... - Science Daily

(Press Release) Dr. David Khorram, Marianas Eye Institutes co-founder, travelled on behalf of the Saipan eye clinic to Ghana, in Africa, to provide needed cataract surgery.

Dr. Khorram was accompanied by his 16-year-old son, Arman, who also participated as a volunteer in the project. The duo were Global Impact Fellows with the non-profit organization, Unite for Sight, based out of New Haven, Connecticut. Global Impact Fellows undergo extensive training on providing care in rural and under-served areas. The training was a refresher of sorts for me, said Dr. Khorram, who has significant experience as a volunteer eye surgeon is such settings. However, it was all new for Arman, and it prepared him well for the time we spent in the villages in Ghana.

Large scale village cataract screening

On the ground in Ghana, the Khorrams were joined by three other volunteers, all university students, who had come to spend some weeks in Ghana as part of the Unite for Sight team. The team members, accompanied by staff from the Crystal Eye Clinic in Accra, the capital of Ghana, traveled each day to outlying villages and conducted large scale community screening campaigns to identify those with vision problems. In addition, the team members, including those from the Saipan eye clinic, gathered statistics to be used in research to improve care in the region. They saw up to 200 patients per day. The screenings were done in partnership with local village organizations who announced days ahead of time that we were arriving, Khorram explained. Because of the absence of hospitals and health centers, we used local schools or community centers to perform the exams. The university volunteers and Arman checked vision, while those of us with medical training, conducted the formal eye exams.

Cataract surgery in Ghana different than Saipan

On some days while the team members were in the outlying villages, Dr. Khorram joined local ophthalmologists from the Crystal Eye Clinic to help clear the backlog of cataract surgery. There are a limited number of ophthalmologists in the country, said Khorram. Not enough to serve the population. So volunteer ophthalmologists are needed to perform cataract surgery. Dr. Khorram explained that while cataract surgery is the most common eye surgery performed on Saipan, the surgery is a much different technique than the one used in Ghana. At Marianas Eye Institute, we use the most advanced techniques for cataract surgery, which requires expensive high-tech equipment. In most places in the world, this equipment is too expensive, so we use a technique that has been especially developed for these settings, the Saipan eye clinic surgeon explained.

Cataract and diabetes

Cataract is the worlds leading cause of reversible blindness, affecting some 20 million people globally. Cataracts are also the leading cause of vision loss in Saipan. The World Health Organization has identified cataracts as a priority eye disease. It is also a priority at Marianas Eye Institute. Cataracts is a clouding of the natural lens inside the eye, which causes blurred vision. It occurs most commonly with aging, and with diabetes. Because Marianas Eye Institute is the major center for treatment of diabetic eye disease on Saipan, we also treat a lot of cataracts. Cataract surgery, with todays modern technique of phacoemulsification, can be performed in under 20 minutes, and the same day, the patient can see again, explained Russ Quinn, the Saipan eye clinics CEO. Dr. Dennis Williams, a renown ophthalmologist who is listed in Best Eye Doctors in America, performs the high-tech cataract surgery on Saipan, while Dr. Khorram now spends most of his professional time as an international volunteer eye surgeon.

Marianas Eye patients contribute

The trip to Ghana was a truly memorable experience, said Dr. Khorram. Like Saipan, the people were kind and appreciative, and full of laughter. Arman and I felt right at home there, he said. Marianas Eye Institute continues to support efforts to combat blindness and suffering. While our priority for eye care will always be Saipan, Tinian, and Rota, we feel a responsibility to help those beyond the shores of the Mariana Islands, said Quinn. Its great to participate in these projects, and everyone who is a patient at Marianas Eye Institute, helps make our support to the global fight against blindness possible, so we thank you all, he said.

Marianas Eye Institute is known as a regional leader in eye care, providing total eye care for the family, including express glasses, contact lenses, medical eye care, surgery and laser. Marianas Eye Institute is staffed by Dr. Dennis Williams, who has been listed in Americas Top Ophthalmologists, and Dr. Mark Robertson, a magna cum laude graduate, along with eight other highly talented and nationally certified eye care technicians, opticians, and contact lens technicians.

Located on Beach Road in Garapan, across 13 Fishermen Monument, Marianas Eye Institute is open Monday through Saturday and accepts new patients as well as walk-ins. Anyone interested in supporting the Saipan eye clinics global outreach program can call 235-9090.

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Saipan eye clinic combats cataract blindness in Africa - Marianas Variety

By Jia Naqvi By Jia Naqvi March 7

About one in four adults in the United States suffers from arthritis, according to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Vital Signs report published Tuesday.

Of the 54 million adults in the United States who have this debilitating condition, not all are elderly. About 60 percent of those with arthritiswere between the ages of 18 and 64, that is, working age. Activity limitations from arthritis increased by 20 percent since2002, the report found. Simple, everyday tasks, such as walking or lifting bags, are challengingfor 24 million peopleaffected by the conditionin the United States.

Even though movement is painful and difficult for people with arthritis, the report suggests that increased physical activity can mitigate arthritis symptoms by 40 percent. Despite the proven health benefits of physical activity for arthritis symptoms, about 1 in 3adults with arthritis in the United States self-reports being physically inactive.

Arthritisis typically treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and analgesics, among other types of medication, including opioids. However, the CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain recommends use of other strategies known to have less risk associated with them, such as exercise therapy.

Other coping strategies for arthritis symptoms, such asinterventions to help people understand and manage the disorder, can help boost people's confidence when dealing with the condition and reduce pain, stress, depression and fatigue by 10 to 20 percent, the report found. But only 1 in 10 adults takes part in such education programs in the United States. They are more likely to participate in these programs if a health-care provider recommends them, according to the report.

The report found that prevalence of arthritis among adults with preexisting conditions, such as heart disease and obesity, is high. About half of all the adults diagnosed with heart disease had arthritis, and nearly one-third of adults who were obese had arthritis. These conditions in combination with arthritis can be difficult to manage, according to the report.

The researchers analyzed data collected between 2013 and 2015 from the National Health Interview Survey, which is a nationally representative annual in-person interview survey of the health status and behaviors of the non-institutionalized civilian U.S. adult population.

The study has somelimitations. Among other things, people who responded to the survey self-reported that a doctor diagnosed them with arthritis, which was not confirmed by a health-care professional. Social desirability might have also biased peoples responses about their level of physical activity in daily life.

Because so few people participate in education programs for arthritis self-management strategies or are physically active, the CDC hopes to conduct future research to convince people tobecome more activeand learn more about self-management strategies for arthritis, saidCharles Helmick,a senior medical epidemiologist with the Arthritis Program at the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, part of theCDC.

"Over the course of the last 15 or 20 years, the burden of arthritis has only been growing," said Rowland Chang, a professor at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, a rheumatologist at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago and chair of the Arthritis Foundation's Board of Directors.

Like the CDC, the Arthritis Foundation hopes to improve the lives of people with arthritis.

"The foundation really believes we need to accelerate research into the pharmaceutical side to find better treatments for osteoarthritis because if we don't, we won't be able to bend the cost curve in this country," Chang said.

Read more:

I thought I was too young for arthritis. I was wrong.

Gout, a form of arthritis, is no longer limited to the well-to-do

Mental illness and heart disease are often found in the same patients

Women with diabetes are especially prone to developing heart disease

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Arthritis afflicts about 1 in 4 adults in the US, CDC report finds - Washington Post