September 30, 20094:53 am
posted by Aric Thorpe, MHR

Weight Loss May Help with Sleep Apnea

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September 29, 20098:20 am
posted by Aric Thorpe, MHR

FDA to review a new tamper resistant form of Oxycontin

Oxycodone is commonly abused in rural areas where the availability of heroin is limited and a tamper resistant form of the heavily misused drug is much needed. However, with such great resolve on the part of the drug’s abusers to overcome tamper resistant protocols will their ever be any real gains in control measures? Efforts to resolve this issue are underway: The FDA had given Purdue Pharma’s control release oxycodone a tepid endorsement, according to documents released at an advisory meeting committee. However, there were issues with the initial tamper resistant form of oxycodone; as such the FDA asked Purdue Pharma to obtain more clinical data at a greater range of dosage levels. The results were disappointing in part as abusers of the drug quickly discovered that if they crushed the tablet and then ate or snorted the contents that most of the oxycodone quickly entered their systems, reportedly creating a heroin like effect for the user. In an attempt to overcome this drawback of the drug Purdue Pharma has added a resin base that makes it difficult to crush to form powder. Pharma’s new version of the drug is scheduled to be considered for approval, now for the second time, by the FDA. One can only hope. Click here to read an article from Boston Globe that discusses this study more.

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September 22, 200910:12 am
posted by Aric Thorpe, MHR

Internet Program Reduces College Drinking

According to a new study conducted by Australian researchers, web based interventions may be useful in reducing binge drinking in college students. The study, which was published in the Sept. 14 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, found that students who participated in the online program drank 17% less alcohol than controls. The online program consisted of a motivational online assessment accompanied by personalized feedback. While the program was not as successful as a similar online counseling program at the same campus, the accessibility and apparent student interest in the program make the possibilities alluring. According to Kypros Kypri, PhD, of the University of Newcastle, and colleagues, “Given the scale on which [the intervention] can be delivered and its acceptability to student drinkers, we can be optimistic that a widespread application of this intervention would produce a benefit in this population group…” Click here to read an article from US News and World Report that discusses the study further.

A thought for the church leader:

Romans 10:14- “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?”

I think a useful message that can be derived from this study for a Pastor or congregant seeking to help others is that “showing up” is half the battle. The overwhelming feeling that I get from the results of this study is that “something is better than nothing.” A person to person encounter would be ideal (in most cases) and, I theorize, create greater outcomes (perhaps on a smaller scale). If a “motivational survey” could reduce alcohol consumption by 17% in this college community, a cookie cutter program that cannot speak, or see, or hear, or reflect human emotion, how much more can the average person armed with a simple and clear message do in person?

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September 21, 20092:36 pm
posted by Aric Thorpe, MHR

Does childhood bullying influence your mental heath later in life?

It is commonly agreed that being bullied as a child “can” effect one’s emotional health as an adult; just how much of an effect though does bullying have on 13 to 24-year-olds? According to findings from a Finnish study published in the September 7 issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, female victims of bullying were found to be 70% more likely to have received psychiatric medications or to have been hospitalized for psychiatric treatment between the ages of 13 and 24; these numbers remained consistent even after accounting for psychiatric diagnosis at age 8. Boys were 60% more likely to  seek psychiatric care if they were either bulled or a bully themselves, and those that were both bullies and bullied were almost four times as likely. However, these numbers for males became statistically insignificant after adjustment for psychopathology scores at the age of 8. According to Andre Sourander, MD, PhD, of Turku University Hospital, and colleagues, “Bullying behavior should be considered a marker of the risk of a later psychiatric disorder, which if not treated promptly, might develop into a serious problem for those involved and for society as a whole… among girls, frequent childhood victimization may predict later psychiatric problems regardless of psychiatric problems at baseline.” Click here to read an article from Medpage Today that discusses these findings more.

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September 4, 20095:15 pm
posted by Aric Thorpe, MHR

Hopelessness increases stroke risk in middle-aged women

Now this is an interesting study; findings from an article recently published online in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association found that hopelessness may actually be associated with increased stroke risk. The study found that hopelessness among seemingly healthy middle-aged women was associated with subclinical carotid atherosclerosis. A cross-sectional study found that those with greater degrees of hopelessness had higher mean (P=0.0139) and maximum (P=0.0297) carotid intimal-medial thickening (which is an early marker of atherosclerosis and stroke risk) when compared to women who had a more optimistic view about their future. According to Susan Everson-Rose, PhD, MPH, of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, “This is the first study to suggest that hopelessness may be related to subclinical cardiovascular disease in women without clinical symptoms of heart disease and who are generally healthy.” Science has long proposed a mind-body connection. This is one of many studies that reinforces this theory.  Click here to read an article from Irish Health that discusses this study more.

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September 3, 20094:53 pm
posted by Aric Thorpe, MHR

TV drinking ads target adolescents

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September 2, 200912:12 pm
posted by Aric Thorpe, MHR

An increase in alcohol prices equates to less drinking

A study published in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research found that if the price of drinks increased college students drank less. The study, which gathered self-reports from college age patrons leaving a Florida bar, found that even “slight increases” in the price of alcohol lead to considerable decreases in consumption. According to Ryan J. O’ Mara, MS, and colleagues from the University of Florida in Gainesville, after adjusting for variables such as “the intention to get drunk,” sex, and body mass index, the cost per gram of alcohol was associated with an odds ratio of 0.97 (95% CI 0.95 to 0.99, P<0.001) of having a blood alcohol level exceeding the legal limit. In layman’s terms, a 10 cent increase in the cost of alcohol by graham, which on average would be approximately $1.40 increase per drink, equated to a 30% reduction in the risk of leaving the bar with a blood level of 0.08 g/210 L. Click here to read an article from Ivanhoe Medical that discusses this study more.

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September 1, 20098:54 am
posted by Aric Thorpe, MHR

Why can’t doctors help kids lose weight?

According to findings recently published online in British Medical Journal counseling from primary care physicians does not seem to help kids lose weight, neither does it help them increase their physical activity. The Australian randomized trial found little to no activity or weight-loss difference between obese children who received counseling from a family doctor and those that did not. The authors of the study advised that, as physician counseling and screening is such an expensive process, advocates for weight loss should question whether or not this type of approach should be used in the US. According to Melissa Wake, MD, of Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, and colleagues, “These findings cast doubt on many countries’ current policies that support universal surveillance coupled with brief, individualized secondary prevention by the primary care sector to reduce childhood obesity… resources may be better divided between primary prevention at the community and population levels, and enhancement of clinical treatment options for children with established obesity.” I can’t help but wonder, after reading the findings of this study, if the doctors were largely unsuccessful due to the fact that they’re not therapists, motivation being equally as important as the presentation of information. Click here to read an article from Medpage Today that discusses this study more.

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