Something New and Exciting

For several years, you have trusted www.mymedicalreports.com as your site for the latest in breaking medical news and trusted health information. In the coming weeks we will be making a transition to a new and exciting site called http://www.123mymd.com/ which will have all you have been used to and even more!

This does not mean www.mymedicalreports.com is going away. It is being transitioned into a resource for physicians who are being faced with the challenge of meeting Meaningful Use and introducing electronic medical records into their practices and care of hospitalized patients. Certainly, non physicians will always be able to access www.mymedicalreports.com, but the new interviews and information will be aimed at practicing physicians.

Take a look at http://www.123mymd.com/ and let me know what you think. The blogs you have been used to reading on this site will be continued on our new site. You won't miss a beat!

Sudden Death In High School Athletes: Is It Time For Routine EKGs

The deaths of teenage basketball Star West Leonard closely followed by 17-year-old rugby player Matthew Hammerdorfer have raised a very reasonable question, "just how often do tragedies like this strike". According to the journal Circulation, the Journal of the American Heart Association, the rate of sudden cardiac deaths in young athletes was similar to that of deaths from lightning. But even though they are rare they are hard-hitting and have tremendous impact. The two primary causes of sudden death from heart conditions in which there were no previous symptoms are hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and a genetic condition called long  QT syndrome. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a thickening of the heart muscle and  can cause cardiac arrest during exertion.  The QT syndrome is a problem with electrical regulation of the heart. It is very difficult to detect these underlying heart conditions but a physical examination. EKGs can help but in the United States they are not recommended because testing is costly and can lead to false positive results which would mean unnecessary additional testing. There are many cardiologists who believe the EKGs should be standard. The European Society of cardiology recommends routine EKGs. One of the best ways to screen is through pointed questions for instance does the child have heart palpitations, a racing heart or passes out. Sadly the first warning in many of these cases is the sudden cardiac event while participating in a sports related activity.

Down Syndrome Blood Test

Down syndrome is a chromosomal disorder that results in cognitive delays. It is caused by having an extra copy of chromosome. Down syndrome can be diagnosed with a procedure called an amniocentesis where amniotic fluid is taken from the pregnant mother. This procedure does carry a small risk of miscarriage. Now there is news out of the journal nature medicine that a simple blood test could help detect a baby with down syndrome. The study which was performed in Greece involved 40 cases. The scientists were successful in detecting down syndrome however the authors believe that more cases are necessary and more studies need to be completed before the test can be approved for use. According to the article the scientists believe they can spot down syndrome through fetal DNA that has been shed into the mother's bloodstream. Once again this is not approved for use in United States

Diabetes Can Shorten Your Life

Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States it affects about 26 million Americans each year. We have known for quite some time that a person with diabetes has an increased risk of heart disease: things like heart attack and stroke. But now according to new report New England Journal of Medicine there are some more disturbing statistics. Overall, people with diabetes die younger than people who do not have diabetes. This particular report looked at 820,000 people by reviewing 97 existing studies. And what they found is that diabetes can shorten average person's life by six years. To put that in perspective a person who smokes cigarettes can shorten their life by seven years. Obviously this raises concern. But it doesn't take one major fact into account. People who control their blood sugar with close measurement and medication do much better than those who do not monitor and treat their blood sugar on a regular basis. So if you're a diabetic don't be discouraged but make sure you follow up closely with your doctor and take care of the condition every day.

Dangers of Smoking

It is a well-known fact that cigarette smoking can increase the risk of lung cancer. But according to a report in the British medical Journal it can play a role in the development of breast cancer as well. A study out of West Virginia University looked at over 80,000 women and followed them for 10 years. What they found is that cigarette smokers were at a 16% greater risk for breast cancer compared to non-smokers. Even those who kick the habit were 9% greater risk. When they took a look at the effect of long-term smoking the researchers found the longer a woman smoked the greater her risk for breast cancer. Perhaps the most disturbing part of all the statistics is the fact that the increased risk continued for up to 20 years after a woman stopped smoking. If lung cancer and emphysema and heart disease were not enough reasons to quit perhaps the concern over breast cancer might be a motivation. Put simply smoking cigarettes is one of the worst things you can do for your health.

Parents Overtreating Kids for Fever: A growing Problem

Do you have fever phobia? The American Academy of pediatrics says that it is a problem in this country. Fever is one of the most common clinical symptoms in children and certainly if the temperature is elevated it can be a warning sign that there are other problems. The fever is really the bodies way to fight infection and sometimes a low grade fever is not a bad thing. However due to advertising and the ready availability of many medications to control fever there are parents who will turn to medicine when the temperature is 99.5. Many of these medications used to treat fever have side effects themselves. The Academy of pediatrics lists what they consider to be the best recommendations and obviously each case should be considered on an individual basis but over treating a fever is not a good thing. There are two groups were you must take fever is extremely seriously: in children under three months of age and those who have chronic disease. I am not saying to ignore fever but think about how quickly you turn to medications and if you have questions talk with your physician.

Stress and Pregnancy

There are many women who are trying to have children and feel the stress of becoming pregnant. But does the stress make getting pregnant more difficult? According to a new report in the British medical Journal stress does not seem to play much of a role in fertility. The study looked at 14 prior studies and measure emotional distress and the success rate following fertility treatments. In the 3500 women tested stress did not seem to affect pregnancy. In addition feelings of tension worry and depression did not appear to play a role as well. It should be mentioned that this study looked at women undergoing fertility treatments. The authors make a point to say that this does not necessarily mean women who are not undergoing fertility treatments are not affected by stress. However it is a fair assumption that it would not play a role