Five-second rule

A common superstition, the five-second rule states that food dropped on the ground will not be contaminated with bacteria if it is picked up within five seconds of being dropped. Some may earnestly believe this assertion, whereas other people employ the rule as a polite social fiction that will allow them to still eat a lightly-contaminated piece of food, despite the potential reservations of their peers. 

 Dr. Jorge Parada, medical director of the infection prevention and control program at Loyola University Health System. Parada cautioned that as soon as something touches an unclean surface, it picks up dirt and bacteria.

"A dropped item is immediately contaminated and can't really be sanitized," said Parada in a health system news release. The amount of bacteria and what type of microbes are involved depend on the object that is dropped and where it falls, he added.

Rising off contaminated items with water may not clean them entirely, but it could significantly reduce the amount of bacteria on it, Parada noted.

"Maybe the dropped item only picks up 1,000 bacteria, but typically the inoculum, or amount of bacteria that is needed for most people to actually get infected, is 10,000 bacteria -- well, then the odds are that no harm will occur," he said.

That's not the case for items that are "cleaned" by licking them off or putting them in the mouth.

"That is double-dipping," Parada explained. "You are exposing yourself to bacteria and you are adding your own bacteria to that which contaminated the dropped item. No one is spared anything with this move."

     People who follow the "five-second rule" may be better off sticking to the phrase, "when in doubt, throw it out."

Alcohol Is a Social Lubricant, Study Confirms

In a study, published recently in the journal Psychological Science, researchers randomly assigned 720 men and women to groups of three people who didn't know one another. They said previous studies have focused on alcohol's effect on individuals.
"We felt that many of the most significant effects of alcohol would more likely be revealed in an experiment using a social setting," study author Michael Sayette, a professor of psychology at the University of Pittsburgh, said in a journal news release.
In total, 20 groups were formed consisting of every combination of genders. Each group was assigned one of the following scenarios: drink an alcoholic beverage, drink a placebo beverage or drink a nonalcoholic control beverage.
The alcoholic beverage contained one part vodka and 3.5 parts cranberry-juice cocktail, with a lower dose of vodka for women. To make placebo beverages more credible, glasses were smeared with vodka.
While seated at a round table, the participants drank three of their assigned beverages over the course of 36 minutes.
Group drinking sessions were videotaped so the researchers could analyze individual and group interactions frame by frame for facial action and group speech behavior.

Alcohol fueled social bonding and increased the amount of time people spent talking to one another. It also increased the frequency and enhanced the coordination of "true" smiles, the researchers said: All three members of the groups drinking alcohol were more likely to smile at the same time than the other groups.
Imbibers also were more likely to have all three members stay engaged in the group discussion.
Alcohol affected how strongly participants agreed with survey statements such as, "I like this group" and "the members of this group are interested in what I have to say."
[From these results], "we can begin to ask questions of great interest to alcohol researchers: Why does alcohol make us feel better in group settings? Is there evidence to suggest a particular participant may be vulnerable to developing a problem with alcohol?" Sayette said.
The study was funded by the U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
SOURCE: Association for Psychological Science, news release, June 29, 2012; June 29, 2012, Psychological Science

Help Prevent Malnutrition in Seniors

Seniors are particularly vulnerable to malnutrition, so caretakers must ensure that the elderly get enough carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals.
The American Academy of Family Physicians offers this advice:

• Provide plenty of healthy foods and snacks.
• Flavor foods with fresh herbs and spices, avoiding salt.
• Offer prepackaged supplements, such as nutrition shakes.
• Promote daily exercise, even a little bit, to help stimulate appetite and promote strong bones and muscles.
• Plan social activities centering around meals and exercise. 

Even without anemia, iron may help fatigue

Physicians often test for iron deficiency by measuring blood levels of hemoglobin, a protein in blood cells that carries oxygen. But hemoglobin levels usually don't fall until the later stages of iron deficiency, when a person has full-blown anemia.
In their study, Vaucher's team measured women's blood levels of ferritin, which is a marker of the body's stored iron. Doctors may or may not order that test when looking for iron deficiency.
Vaucher said that for a woman with unexplained fatigue, measuring ferritin would be wise.
"This marker will then give a better idea of whether iron load is low or not, even if women are not anemic," Vaucher said in an email.
All of the women in this study had ferritin levels below 50 micrograms per liter, which would be considered low to borderline-low.
Since women in the placebo group also improved, the effects of the iron supplement were not huge. They amounted to an extra 3.5 points shaved off a woman's fatigue score.
"That might seem like a small difference," said Dr. Christine Gerbstadt, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics who was not involved in the study.
But, she said in an interview, the iron-pill advantage was still significant in statistical terms, and that's something doctors should be aware of.
Fatigue is complex and subjective, and women in the placebo group might have improved for a number of reasons, Gerbstadt noted. Some, for example, may have started getting more sleep and generally taking better care of themselves.
So if you're habitually worn out, could taking iron be worth it?
Gerbstadt cautioned that you should first see a doctor to try to get at the cause of your fatigue. She said a range of problems, from depression to sleep disorders to physical health conditions, can lead to fatigue.
"It may or may not be iron," Gerbstadt said.
Vaucher, whose study was funded by Pierre Fabre Médicament, a French maker of pharmaceutical and health products, agreed.
"We do know (fatigue) is related to many different diseases that can be treated," he said. "Iron deficiency should therefore only be considered once other causes have been ruled out by a physician."
On top of that, iron pills can have side effects, like constipation, diarrhea and nausea. In this study, 35 percent of iron users reported at least one side effect - though 25 percent of placebo users did as well.
In general, experts recommend that women in their reproductive years get 18 milligrams of iron per day, and no more than 40 mg. (If you are actually iron deficient, your doctor may recommend supplements with a higher dose.)
Iron deficiency is much less common in men and in women who are past menopause. The current study included only women who were still menstruating (which increases the chances of low iron), so the findings do not apply to men or postmenopausal women.
To help prevent iron deficiency in the first place, experts advise getting a balanced diet that includes food rich in iron - like beef, poultry, fortified cereals, beans and spinach. Eating vitamin C-rich foods will also help your body absorb the iron in plant foods.
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/PFNK44 Canadian Medical Association Journal, online July 9, 2012.

Using Antiretrovirals To Prevent HIV Infections - World Health Organization

New guidance - Using antiretrovirals to prevent HIV infections

• People receiving PrEP must be HIV-negative. This is important so that future drug resistance is kept to a minimum


• Those using PrEP need to be encouraged to continue using condoms


• Make sure that those seeking PrEP do not have bone disease, kidney disease, or other medical conditions which would make them unsuitable for ARV therapy


• Making sure adverse events are carefully monitored


• Helping those using PrEP remember to take their medications every day


• Making sure that PrEP medications are easily and readily accessible


• Regularly checking the HIV-status of those taking PrEP, and also checking for signs of drug resistance if infection is detected


• For those who stop taking PrEP, ensuring they have access to HIV prevention services


• Help countries find ways of using their resources to best use. This involves gathering more data on the cost-benefits of PrEP

• Truvada (Tenofovir/emtricitabine) approved by FDA, USA

  This week, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), USA, approved ARV usage as part of an HIV prevention strategy, which should be used in combination with safe-sex practices (condom use), regular HIV testing, and counseling. The drug, Truvada, is estimated to cost $13,900 per person per year in the USA. The FDA said that it is the first medication it has approved which is indicated for HIV-negative adults who are at high risk of becoming infected with HIV.
  
  
  Truvada, a once-daily oral drug - is a combination of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate and emtricitabine.
   

Are IUDs the next morning-after pill?

Intrauterine devices (IUDs) are a highly effective form of emergency contraception, according to research published online May 8 in Human Reproduction.

Kelly Cleland, MPH, MPA, of Princeton University in New Jersey, and colleagues conducted a systematic review of the literature to evaluate the efficacy of IUDs for emergency contraception. A total of 42 studies conducted in six countries between 1979 and 2011 were evaluated, with eight different types of IUDs in 7,034 women reviewed.

The overall pregnancy rate was 0.09%, excluding one outlier study.

The researchers found that the majority (74%) of IUD insertions occurred within five days of intercourse, and the maximum timeframe from intercourse to insertion ranged from 2 to more than 10 days.

“IUDs are a highly effective method of contraception after unprotected intercourse,” the authors write. “Because they are safe for the majority of women, highly effective and cost-effective when left in place as ongoing contraception, whenever clinically feasible, IUDs should be included in the range of emergency contraception options offered to patients presented after unprotected intercourse.”

Protecting Your Brain: 'Use It or Lose It'

The findings of a new study suggest that the protective effects of an active cognitive lifestyle arise through multiple biological pathways. For some time researchers have been aware of a link between what we do with our brains and the long term risk for dementia. In general, those who are more mentally active or maintain an active cognitive lifestyle throughout their lives are at lower risk.
"The ideas of a 'brain reserve' or 'cognitive reserve' have been suggested to explain this, but were basically a black box. This research throws some light on what may be happening at the biological level," said Associate Professor Michael J. Valenzuela, a brain aging expert at the Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney, Australia, who led this new study.
Researchers used data from the Cognitive Function and Ageing Study, a large population-based study in the United Kingdom that has been following over 13,000 elderly individuals prospectively since 1991.
At the time of this study, 329 brains had been donated and were available for analysis. Brains were compared based on the individual's dementia status at death (yes or no) and cognitive lifestyle score, or CLS (low, middle, or high).
The three CLS groups did not differ among multiple Alzheimer's disease (AD) neuropathology measures, including plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and atrophy. This means that cognitive lifestyle seems to have no effect on the brain changes typically seen in those with Alzheimer's disease.
However, an active cognitive lifestyle in men was associated with less cerebrovascular disease, in particular disease of the brain's microscopic blood vessels. An active cognitive lifestyle in women was associated with greater brain weight. In both men and women, high CLS was associated with greater neuronal density and cortical thickness in the frontal lobe.
"These findings suggest that increased engagement in stimulating activities are part of a lifestyle that is, overall, more healthy," commented Dr. John Krystal, Editor of Biological Psychiatry. "Rather than specifically protecting the health of activated circuits, it seems that a more active lifestyle has general effects on brain health reflected in greater neuronal density and preservation of the blood supply to the brain."
"Overall, our research suggests that multiple complex brain changes may be responsible for the 'use it or lose it' effect," Valenzuela added.
With a globally aging society and the risk of dementia increasing significantly with age, dementia-prevention strategies are of rising importance. Understanding the mechanisms of cognitive enhancement through research such as this can help support and inform the development of effective strategies to enrich cognitive lifestyle and potentially reduce dementia risk.http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120425094358.htm