Last September, we covered the results of a Japanese study that found a link between diabetes and Alzheimer s disease. Now, new research published in the Archives of Neurology provides further evidence that diabetes may indeed lead to a higher risk of and a more rapid decline in cognitive function.

Although total pediatric drug prescriptions fell by 9 percent between 2002 and 2010, there were a few key areas in which overall use climbed: attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medications and oral contraceptives among youth.

Recent evidence is suggesting that HIV patients have a greater risk of heart attacks that occur earlier in life, even if the virus is well controlled by drugs. And while HIV is no longer a death sentence, doctors should still be reminded about this little-known threat.
According to a study published last month in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, HIV patients are four-times more likely to experience a sudden heart attack, compared to those not infected with the virus.

What purpose would a label for food containing genetically modified ingredients serve? The question has come to a head in California, where a measure that would require such labeling will appear on the state's November ballot.

Preventive care, when based on solid evidence, can save lives and money. So we were disconcerted to learn about the findings of a just-released report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Nearly half of all Americans did not receive routine clinical preventive services, according to the report based on data collected prior to 2010. The purpose of the report was to establish a baseline for such services before implementation of any healthcare reforms included in the Affordable Care Act of 2010.

And speaking of tobacco harm reduction, we've just learned that a proposal to ban e-cigarettes in New York was introduced in the State Senate. While no one thinks that the bill will become law in the near future, Long Island Republican Kemp Hannon, the Senate Health Committee chair who proposed it, says that he did it "to get some discussion going." Hannon says that, by gauging the reactions of people for and against a total ban, as well as gathering information "that would provide a rational basis for action or inaction," the Health Committee can decide where to go from there.

And because, you know, it's getting sunny out there, we'd like to give a shout-out to former Cincinnati Reds great, Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench. It s possible that during his 17-year career with the Reds, he may not have applied sunscreen as recommended. Well, he s now very aware of the consequences.
Bench, now 64, recently received treatment for basal cell carcinoma and is now a spokesman for the Play Sun Smart program, a skin cancer awareness initiative launched by The Major League Baseball Players Association, and the American Academy of Dermatology.

EDITOR'S NOTE: We often address light-hearted themes in Friday Dispatch. Today, however, we have the unpleasant task and mission of exposing a very serious issue. In fact, we ve decided to devote today s Dispatch to a single story, that of the unjust termination of Dr. James Enstrom from his research position of 34 years at UCLA, based on independent research that didn t accord with the University s ideological agenda. We think the story s that important.

Even smokers over the age of 80 can still benefit from quitting, suggests a new analysis in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Researchers from the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg, Germany have found that it s not just young smokers who can reduce their risk of mortality by quitting; the risk of death drops significantly when older adults stop smoking, too.

When it comes to diabetes, the best medical practice has long been to try to control blood sugar. However, the evidence that such strict control helps improve the many adverse health effects in diabetic patients has been surprisingly and frustratingly scant. Now, though, an observational study seems to indicate that better glycemic control actually helps diabetes patients reduce their risk of various cardiovascular events, including death.