JAMA: Brain imaging gives new insight into underlying cause of ADHD.
Results from brain scans suggest an association between a reduction in the transmission of dopamine markers with symptoms of inattention for individuals with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a preliminary study in the September 9 issue of JAMA
Eating a Mediterranean-type diet and staying active both may be linked to a lower risk for Alzheimer’s disease.
Reference: Archives of Neurology
Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of death in United States. Once diagnosed, patients have a very poor prognosis with median survival between 3 to 6 months.
A new study published in the Journal of American Medical Association has found a link between being obese in early adulthood and the risk of developing pancreatic cancer.
Individuals who were overweight (BMI of 25-29.9) from the ages of 14 to 39 years or obese (BMI > 30) from the ages of 20 to 49 years were at about twice the risk of developing pancreatic cancer (OR 1.67 & 2.58 respectively), independent of diabetes status. Also obesity at older age was associated with lower overall survival in patients with this malignancy.
The main drawback of the study is that this is a case control study, therefore the 2 factors studied (viz. pancreatic cancer and obesity) could occur together but not be causally related (although the authors did do adjust for most other risk factors of pancreatic cancer).
Reference: JAMA – Body Mass Index and Risk, Age of Onset, and Survival in Patients With Pancreatic Cancer
Links for more information on pancreatic cancer: Mayo Clinic, National Cancer Institute
Update (6/29/2009): YouTube Video from JAMA
A video from JAMA featuring Steve Nissen, one of the authors of the STRADIVARIUS trial.
This trial was designed to show that Rimonabant ( a drug used for weight loss in several countries but not US) could reduce plaque build up in the arteries which is a surrogate risk marker for developing heart attack and stroke.
This study used two methods to measure the amount of plaque in the arteries. The main method (called percent atheroma volume) to measure plaque thickness did not show any benefit. However, the second method (called normalized total atheroma volume) did show some benefit. The clinical benefit of this medication therefore will need to determined by additional studies before it gets FDA approval.
Reference: JAMA
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