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MONDAY, Feb. 17, 2020 (American Heart Association News) — Bleeding strokes are the deadliest type of stroke and the hardest to treat. What might make matters worse is having both diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease versus either condition alone, new research shows. The study looked at 2,071 adults in the Kentucky Appalachian Stroke Registry who had a hemorrhagic stroke. The researchers reviewed each patient’s health records to look for a previous diagnosis of diabetes or Alzheimer’s disease. They found 75% of those with both conditions had died or needed hospice or long-term care after their stroke compared to 39% with neither condition, 42% with diabetes alone, and 62% with Alzheimer’s disease alone. This stroke registry gave us “the opportunity to think about how having more than one (health condition), like diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease, could influence outcomes compared to having just one,” said the study’s lead researcher Amanda L. Trout, a scientist at the Center for Advanced Translational Stroke Science at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. Trout will present the preliminary study Wednesday at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference in Los Angeles. Diabetes occurs when a person’s blood sugar is too high. The condition increases risk for stroke, heart disease and other health problems. Likewise, previous studies suggest stroke risk is higher for people with Alzheimer’s disease, a brain disorder that slowly erases… read on >

Fourteen of the more than 300 U.S. passengers evacuated from a cruise ship hit by the coronavirus outbreak have tested positive for infection during their flights home, U.S. health officials said Monday. The news comes from a joint statement from the Departments of State and Health and Human Services, CNN reported. The 14 passengers aboard the Diamond Princess, docked in Yokohama, Japan, tested positive for the new COVID-19 virus during the disembarkation process, officials said. They were part of an evacuation process involving two flights back to military bases in the United States. “After consultation with HHS officials, including experts from the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, the State Department made the decision to allow the 14 individuals, who were in isolation, separated from other passengers, and continued to be asymptomatic, to remain on the aircraft to complete the evacuation process,” the agencies said in the news release. One of the flights landed at Travis Air Force Base near Fairfield, California, around 11:28 p.m. local time Sunday, while the other arrived at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in San Antonio, Texas at 3:56 a.m. local time Monday, CNN reported. All of the passengers aboard the two flights are being closely monitored, the government statement said, and “any who become symptomatic will be moved to the specialized containment area, where they will… read on >

Going solo when trying to quit smoking isn’t enough, one lung health expert says. “Smokers develop a physiological dependence on nicotine, and they need more than willpower to quit,” said Dr. Danish Ahmad, a pulmonologist with Penn State Health’s Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. The American Cancer Society says that smokers typically try quitting eight to 10 times before succeeding. That may sound daunting, but there’s good news. According to Diane Schmeck, a certified tobacco treatment specialist at Penn State Health, “The more times people try to quit, the more successful they might be the next time.” Though about 70% of smokers know they want to quit, particularly to avoid lung cancer and cardiovascular disease, there are many lesser known health risks. Smoking can cause cancer of the esophagus, pancreas and stomach, as well as breathing issues that can lead to emphysema. “Smoking affects your small blood vessels, which can mean poor circulation in the arms or legs, or a greater risk of erectile dysfunction in males,” Schmeck said in a Penn State Health news release. But if you quit, benefits can be seen immediately, Ahmad said. “Within 20 minutes, a smoker’s heart rate and blood pressure improves, and within 12 hours, the carbon monoxide level drops,” he said. Smokers have the highest likelihood of quitting through programs integrating one-on-one counseling, group support and medication,… read on >

Valentine’s Day is a great opportunity to shower your loved one with gifts, but some may do more harm than good. “If you want to impress your beloved this year, take a pass on gifts that cause sneezing and wheezing,” said allergist Dr. J. Allen Meadows, president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI). “Once you have an understanding of your valentine’s allergy and asthma triggers, you can search for gifts that express your love while keeping them healthy. That will make everyone’s heart go pit-a-pat,” he said in an ACAAI news release. Here are five valentines the college suggests you avoid: Sweets or snacks with mystery ingredients: Common food allergens are eggs, milk, nuts, fish, shellfish, wheat, soy and sesame. Before you buy those chocolates or exotic pastries, be sure the ingredients are OK. Romantic evenings by the fireplace: Smoke can trigger allergy symptoms for those with asthma. Try setting the romantic mood with LED candles. Heavy perfume or cologne: An overpowering scent can send your lover into a symptomatic frenzy. Rethink a gift of perfume if your valentine doesn’t wear scents — it’s probably for a reason. Flowers that cause sneezing: Avoid bouquets with daisies, goldenrod, sunflowers and chamomile. Roses are a safe bet for anyone who is allergic to pollen. Dust, mold and grime: Clean your home to get… read on >

U.S. soldiers who suffer a moderate or severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) are more likely to suffer other mental health woes than those with other serious injuries, a new study finds. It also showed that the rate of mental health disorders among seriously injured soldiers is much higher than previously reported. “A central takeaway is that severe TBI is associated with a greater risk of mental health conditions — not just PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder],” said lead investigator David Chin, an assistant professor of health policy and management at University of Massachusetts Amherst. “Our findings suggest that patients who are critically injured in combat and sustain severe TBIs have particularly high rates of mental health disorders,” Chin said in a university news release. He and his colleagues analyzed the records of nearly 5,000 U.S. military members — mostly from the Army or Marines — who were severely injured during combat in Iraq and Afghanistan between 2002 and 2011. Nearly a third suffered moderate or severe TBIs. Overall, 71% of the severely injured soldiers in the study were later diagnosed with at least one of five mental health conditions: post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and mood disorders, adjustment reactions, schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, and cognitive disorders. While previous research concluded that far fewer (42%) seriously injured combat soldiers were later diagnosed with mental health disorders,… read on >

You need to work on your relationship with your significant other all year round, not just on Valentine’s Day, a relationship expert advises. There are five key things you can do to keep your relationship healthy, according to Frank Provenzano, an instructor in psychology and a clinical psychologist at Furman University, in Greenville, S.C. Share one new thing with your partner every day. It can be something big or small, Provenzano said in a university news release. But you should “let that person know you. And show a desire to know them.” For every negative thing you say to your partner, say five positive things. “And they should be genuine” positive comments — not you’re loyal, thrifty and kind, he said. “They need to be reflective of the individual. If you can do 10-to-one, even better… When that five-to-one ratio begins to disappear, you’re bordering on contempt and moving into rough seas.” Make rules, but update them when necessary. Whether the rules are about things such as who does which household chores, or how to work together to accommodate each other’s needs, the rules should change to adapt to new circumstances as the relationship changes. Set expectations. “The reason for the rules is to set appropriate expectations. So as the relationship unfolds, nobody is surprised,” Provenzano said. “People have to understand it’s never going to… read on >

Could hot chocolate deliver relief to those suffering from the painful condition known as peripheral artery disease (PAD)? A small, new study says it’s entirely possible. Though you may be picturing a steaming cup of hot milk chocolate with tiny marshmallows bobbing on the top, the concoction the study volunteers drank was made from dark chocolate, and had a less sweet taste. “A food-derived, nutritional therapy that is accessible, inexpensive and safe may meaningfully improve walking ability in people with peripheral artery disease,” said study author Dr. Mary McDermott. She’s a professor in the departments of medicine and preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, in Chicago. “Peripheral artery disease is common and underdiagnosed,” she said, adding that it’s a major cause of disability in people over 55. PAD causes narrowing in the blood vessels that supply blood to the legs from the heart. Common symptoms include pain, particularly when walking, cramping and weakness in the leg muscles. McDermott noted that “these findings are particularly important because currently few therapies have been identified to help patients with PAD.” However, the study was a preliminary effort and only 44 people were enrolled, so further research is needed to confirm these findings, she said. The study was published Feb. 14 in the journal Circulation Research. Funding for the research was provided by the U.S. National… read on >

If you need more than two hands to count the number of lovers you’ve had in your life, new research suggests you might want to worry about your cancer risk. People who have had 10 or more sexual partners had higher odds of being diagnosed with cancer than those who were less sexually active, researchers report. Women with that many sex partners had nearly double the risk of developing cancer as women who remained virgins or only had one sexual partner, the study found. Meanwhile, men’s odds of a cancer diagnosis were increased by nearly 70% compared with those reporting one or no sex partners, and by 57% for those who had two to four sex partners during their life. “We expected there to be an association between number of sexual partners and cancer risk as previous research has shown that specific sexually transmitted diseases may lead to several cancers,” said study co-author Lee Smith, director of research at the Cambridge Centre for Sport and Exercise Sciences at Anglia Ruskin University in England. “Indeed, a higher number of sexual partners means greater potential exposure to STIs [sexually transmitted infections]. “It is interesting that the risk is higher in women when compared to men,” Smith continued. “This may be because the link between certain STIs and cancer is stronger in women, such as HPV and cervical… read on >

Bedtime without your partner on Valentine’s Day could make sleep elusive. But a new study suggests one remedy: Cuddling up with a piece of his or her clothing. Researchers say having a loved one’s natural scent nearby could be as effective a sleep aid as melatonin. “One of the most surprising findings is how a romantic partner’s scent can improve sleep quality even outside of our conscious awareness,” said study senior author Frances Chen. She’s an associate professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver. For the study, 155 people were given two T-shirts to use as pillowcases. One had been worn by their lover; the other was clean or had been worn by a stranger. While the participants’ partners were wearing the shirts, they were told not to use deodorant or scents or do anything that might affect their body odor, such as smoking, exercising and eating certain foods. The T-shirts were frozen to preserve their scent. Participants spent two nights in a row sleeping with each shirt. They weren’t told which shirt was which, but they reported feeling more well-rested after using the T-shirt with their lover’s scent. Data from sleep monitors confirmed it. “Our findings provide new evidence that merely sleeping with a partner’s scent improves sleep efficiency. Our participants had an average sleep efficiency improvement of more… read on >

Drugs that many men with prostate cancer might already be taking — cholesterol-lowering statins — may help extend their survival if they have a “high-risk” form of the disease, new research suggests. High-risk patients include men with high blood levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA) and a “Gleason score” of 8 or more. Gleason scores are a calculation used to gauge prognosis in prostate cancer. Men with a high Gleason score may develop difficult-to-treat cancers. Prior research had suggested that statins and the diabetes drug metformin (often prescribed together) have anticancer properties. However, it hasn’t been clear which of the two drugs is the bigger cancer-fighter, or whether either might help against high-risk prostate cancer. To help answer those questions, a team led by Grace Lu-Yao of the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center–Jefferson Health, in Philadelphia, tracked data on nearly 13,000 high-risk prostate cancer patients. All were diagnosed between 2007 and 2011. The study couldn’t prove cause and effect, but it found that statins, taken alone or with metformin, did seem associated with an increase in survival. Men who took both statins and metformin had higher median survival (3.9 years) than those who took statins alone (3.6 years), metformin alone (3.1 years), or those who did not take either drug (3.1 years). The study was published Feb. 8 in the journal Cancer Medicine. “Both metformin and… read on >

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AHA News: Diabetes, Alzheimer’s Together Might Increase Stroke Severity

14 Americans From Cruise Ship Hit By Coronavirus Test Positive for Infection

Don’t Try to Kick the Smoking Habit Alone

5 Secrets to an Allergy-Free Valentine’s Day

Traumatic Brain Injuries Raise Risk of Psychiatric Ills in Soldiers

Shower Your Valentine With Love All Year Long

Hot Chocolate Could Help Ease Painful Clogged Leg Vessels

More Sex Partners, Higher Cancer Risk?

Restful Romance: Smelling Your Lover’s Shirt Can Help You Sleep

Cholesterol Drugs Might Help Curb ‘High-Risk’ Prostate Cancers