Parents are usually pleased when their newborn seems big and strong, but new research suggests that large babies may be at higher risk for the heart rhythm disorder atrial fibrillation later in life. Atrial fibrillation (a-fib) is the most common heart rhythm disorder, affecting more than 40 million people worldwide. People with a-fib have a five times increased risk of stroke. The association between birth weight and a-fib is controversial, which led the authors of this study to investigate it. Using a special data analysis technique, the researchers concluded that there was a link between greater birth weight and an increased risk of a-fib later in life. Specifically, people with a birth weight that’s 1 pound above the average 7.5 pounds are 30% more likely to develop a-fib, the findings showed. The study is scheduled to be presented Monday at a virtual meeting of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). “Our results suggest that the risk of atrial fibrillation in adulthood may be higher for large newborns [over 8 pounds, 13 ounces] than those with normal birth weight,” said study author Songzan Chen, from Zhejiang University, in Hangzhou, China. “Preventing elevated birth weight could be a novel way to avoid atrial fibrillation in offspring — for example with a balanced diet and regular check-ups during pregnancy, particularly for women who are overweight, obese or have…  read on >

When parents have concerns about the safety of childhood vaccinations, it can be tough to change their minds, as a new study shows. The study involved “vaccine-hesitant” parents — a group distinct from the staunch “anti-vaxxer” crowd. They have worries about one or more routine vaccines, and question whether the benefits for their child are worthwhile. Even though those parents are not “adamantly” opposed to vaccinations, it can still be hard for pediatricians to allay their concerns, said Jason Glanz, lead researcher on the study. So Glanz and his colleagues looked at whether giving parents more information — online material “tailored” to their specific concerns — might help. It didn’t. Parents who received the information were no more likely to have their babies up to date on vaccinations than other parents were, the study found. The news was not all bad. Overall, more than 90% of babies in the study were all caught up on vaccinations. So it may have been difficult to improve upon those numbers, according to Glanz, who is based at Kaiser Permanente Colorado’s Institute for Health Research in Aurora. But, he said, it’s also possible the customized information reinforced some parents’ worries. “It might have done more harm than good,” Glanz said. That’s because among vaccine-hesitant parents, those who were directed to general information that was not tailored, had the highest…  read on >

An experimental COVID-19 vaccine appeared to be safe and triggered an immune response in healthy people, according to preliminary results of a small, early-stage clinical trial. The study of the vaccine based on inactivated whole SARS-CoV-2 virus (BBIBP-CorV) included more than 600 volunteers in China, ages 18 to 80. By the 42nd day after vaccination, all had antibody responses to the virus, according to researchers. The vaccine was safe and well-tolerated at all doses tested, study leaders reported. The most common side effect was pain at the injection site. There were no serious adverse reactions. The findings were published Oct. 15 in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal. Similar results were reported from a previous trial for a different vaccine also based on inactivated whole SARS-CoV-2 virus. That trial was limited to people under age 60. The new trial found that people 60 and older responded more slowly to the vaccine. It took 42 days for antibodies to be detected in all of them, compared to 28 days among 18- to 59-year-olds. Antibody levels were also lower in 60- to 80-year-olds compared with the younger volunteers. “Protecting older people is a key aim of a successful COVID-19 vaccine as this age group is at greater risk of severe illness from the disease. However, vaccines are sometimes less effective in this group because the immune system weakens…  read on >

The common cold can make you miserable, but it might also help protect you against COVID-19, a new study suggests. The researchers added that people who’ve had COVID-19 may be immune to it for a long time, possibly even the rest of their lives. The research focused on memory B cells, long-lasting immune cells that detect pathogens, produce antibodies to destroy them, and remember them for the future. The study authors compared blood samples from 26 people who were recovering from mild to moderate COVID-19 and 21 healthy people whose samples were collected six to 10 years ago, long before they could have been exposed to COVID-19. They found that B cells that attacked previous cold-causing coronaviruses appeared to also recognize the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that causes COVID-19. This could mean that anyone who’s ever been infected by a common cold coronavirus — nearly everyone — may have some amount of immunity to COVID-19, according to infectious disease experts at the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, N.Y. The researchers also found that SARS-CoV-2 triggers memory B cells, which means those immune cells are ready to fight the coronavirus the next time it shows up in the body. “When we looked at blood samples from people who were recovering from COVID-19, it looked like many of them had a preexisting pool of memory B cells…  read on >

Learning to play a musical instrument helps fine-tune kids’ brains, researchers say. In a new study, 40 children (aged 10 to 13) performed memory and attention tasks while their brain activity was monitored with functional MRI. This type of imaging scan detects small changes in blood flow within the brain. Twenty of the children played an instrument, had completed at least two years of lessons, practiced at least two hours a week and regularly played in an orchestra or ensemble. The other 20 children had no musical training other than in the school curriculum. The two groups had no differences in reaction time. But the musically trained children did better on the memory task, according to the report published online Oct. 8 in the journal Frontiers in Neuroscience. And along with better memory recall, the musically trained kids had more activation in brain regions associated with attention control and auditory encoding — functions associated with improved reading, higher resilience, greater creativity and a better quality of life. “Our most important finding is that two different mechanisms seem to underlie the better performance of musically trained children in the attention and … memory task,” said team leader Leonie Kausel, a violinist and neuroscientist at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, in Santiago. Music training may increase the functional activity of certain brain networks, Kausel explained in…  read on >

The so-called love hormone, oxytocin, may be worth investigating as a treatment for COVID-19, a new study suggests. One of the most serious complications of infection with the new coronavirus is a “cytokine storm,” in which the body attacks its own tissues. There are currently no U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved treatments for COVID-19, which means that “repurposing existing drugs that can act on the adaptive immune response and prevent the cytokine storm in early phases of the disease is a priority,” according to the researchers. Previous research suggests that oxytocin — a hormone that’s produced in the brain and is involved in reproduction and childbirth — reduces inflammation. In this new study, researcher Ali Imami, a graduate research assistant at the University of Toledo in Ohio, and colleagues used a U.S. National Institutes of Health database to analyze characteristics of genes treated with drugs closely related to oxytocin. The investigators found that one drug in particular, carbetocin, has similar characteristics (called a signature) to genes with reduced expression of the inflammatory markers that trigger cytokine storm in COVID-19 patients. Carbetocin’s signature suggests that the drug may trigger activation of immune cells called T-cells that play an important role in immune response. In addition, carbetocin’s signature is also similar to that of lopinavir, an antiretroviral medication under study as a treatment for COVID-19. All of…  read on >

At Rutgers New Jersey Medical School’s trauma center, Dr. Stephanie Bonne and her team noticed a string of patient injuries caused by broken glass tables. “They were quite serious, significant injuries that required pretty big operations and long hospital stays,” said Bonne, who is an assistant professor of surgery and trauma medical director. “We wanted to see, is there anything that’s known about this that we can figure out. And, if not, maybe we should talk about it.” Bonne’s group found more than 3,200 U.S. cases of glass table-related injuries requiring trauma center care occurring between 2009 and 2015. The data was collected from the 96 sample hospitals included in the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database. More than half of the injuries were traced to faulty glass tables, the researchers noted. Multiplying that by the almost 5,000 emergency care centers nationwide, Bonne’s team estimated there are about 13,800 U.S. cases of severe injury tied to glass tables each year. The team also looked more closely at the 24 cases that their Level 1 trauma center treated between 2001 and 2016. In this smaller grouping, the investigators found that half of their patients experienced injuries to their deep organs, upper torso, abdomen or joint cavities and required surgery. About 8% died within a month of injury. Most of the injuries were suffered by children younger…  read on >

Millions of Americans pop zinc supplements at the first sign of the common cold. Now, new research suggests the nutrient might play a role in COVID-19 outcomes, too. Researchers from Spain reporting at a European coronavirus conference found that hospitalized COVID-19 patients with low blood levels of zinc tended to fare worse than those with healthier levels. “Lower zinc levels at admission correlate with higher inflammation in the course of infection and poorer outcome,” said a team led by Dr. Roberto Guerri-Fernandez of the Hospital Del Mar in Barcelona. One expert in the United States said the finding makes intuitive sense. “It has long been thought that zinc bolsters the immune system,” said pulmonologist Dr. Len Horovitz, of Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. “A possible explanation in this study is that zinc may have an anti-inflammatory effect that is protective.” In the new study, Guerri-Fernandez’s team tracked medical outcomes against the results of lab tests for 249 patients admitted to the hospital with COVID-19 in March and April. Patients averaged 63 years of age and 21 (8%) died from their illness. All of the patients had their blood zinc levels tested upon arrival — the average level was 61 micrograms per deciliter of blood (mcg/dL). However, among those who died of COVID-19, blood levels of zinc were much lower, averaging just 43 mcg/dL,…  read on >

Many heart attack survivors worry that resuming sex too soon afterwards might trigger another attack. But new research suggests the opposite may be true. Research out of Israel finds that resuming a normal sex life in the months after a heart attack may actually boost survival. Lead researcher Yariv Gerber believes part of the benefit could lie in a person’s mindset. “Sexuality and sexual activity are markers of well-being,” said Gerber, head of the School of Public Health at Tel Aviv University. “Resumption of sexual activity soon after a heart attack may be a part of one’s self-perception as a healthy, functioning, young and energetic person. This may lead to a healthier lifestyle generally.” In the study, Gerber’s team collected data on nearly 500 sexually active people aged 65 or under who were hospitalized for a heart attack in either 1992 or 1993. During a median follow-up of 22 years, 43% of the patients died. But the study found that those who’d maintained or increased the frequency of sex during the first six months after a heart attack had 35% lower risk of death, compared with those who had not. The survival benefit of having more sex appeared tied to reductions in non-cardiovascular deaths — for example, fewer deaths tied to cancer — the researchers noted. Of course the findings can’t prove that a return…  read on >