Vitamin Squad

Campaign launched by health authorities to give vitamin D supplements to babies, writes CLAIRE O’CONNELL (Source: The Irish Times – Health)

HERSHEY, Pa., Sept. 6 (UPI) — About one out of six Americans struggles with weight loss and few maintain weight loss, U.S. researchers say.
Weight loss – Health – Shopping – Support Groups – Supplements (Source: Health News – UPI.com)

Giving iron supplements to children with marginally low birth weights (2000-2500 grams) dramatically reduces the risk of developing iron deficiency and anemia. This is shown by Umea researcher Magnus Domellöf and associates in the coming edition of the pediatric scientific journal Pediatrics. It has recently been discovered that both birth weight and the infants’ nutrition supply are important risk factors for later morbidity in adulthood… (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Giving iron supplements to children with marginally low birth weights (2000-2500 grams) dramatically reduces the risk of developing iron deficiency and anemia. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)

Source: Wessex Drug and Medicines Information Centre
Area: Evidence > Medicines Q & A
Some patients require calcium supplements because they have food intolerances. These patients may also be intolerant to the various excipients found in tablets. The table included in this Medicines Q&A is not a comprehensive list, but aims to assist healthcare professionals in choosing a calcium supplement for a patient who needs to avoid particular excipients. (Source: NeLM – Medicines Q and A)

The idea that copper may play a role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease is gaining momentum. Serum copper and ceruloplasmin were measured by both enzymatic (eCp) and immunologic (iCp) methods in 28 patients with Alzheimer’s disease and 29 age-matched controls. ‘‘Free copper’’ was determined by subtracting copper accounted for in the eCp assay from total serum copper. Percentage free copper, that is the proportion of serum copper not bound to ceruloplasmin, was significantly elevated in patients with Alzheimer’s compared to controls. There was significantly more ‘‘defective’’ ceruloplasmin, which is …

Authors: Katre P, Bhat D, Lubree H, Otiv S, Joshi S, Joglekar C, Rush E, Yajnik C
Maternal vitamin B12 deficiency and hyperhomocysteinemia predict poor pregnancy outcome, foetal adiposity and insulin resistance. In India amongst practicing clinicians and policy makers there is little appreciation of widespread vitamin B12 deficiency. We investigated 163 (86 rural, 77 urban) pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in a rural health centre and a referral hospital in the city of Pune, at 17, 28, and 34 weeks gestation for vitamin supplements, and circulating …

Conclusions  Shortened sleep duration in early life is a modifiable risk factor with important implications for obesity prevention and treatment. Insufficient nighttime sleep among infants and preschool-aged children may be a lasting risk factor for subsequent obesity. Napping does not appear to be a substitute for nighttime sleep in terms of obesity prevention. (Source: Archives of Pediatrics)

Abstract  The European guidelines for pulmonary hypertension (PH) have recently been updated and contain important new recommendations,
especially with regard to treatment goals and combination therapy for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Escalation therapy
should be initiated if patients in WHO functional class III or IV fail to improve or if patients in functional class II deteriorate.
The ultimate objective is to have all patients in functional classes I or II. In order to avoid serious toxic side effects
for the patient, it is important to be aware of potentially significant drug …

The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), including alternative therapies (ALT) and natural health products (NHP) such as vitamin and herbal supplements, is increasingly accepted in both the general population as well as in patients with mood and anxiety disorders. The level of acceptance and use of CAM, however, is unknown among patients being treated for psychotic disorders. Psychotic patients were surveyed about their use of and attitudes toward CAM. Questions included basic demographic and socio-economic items as well as the lifetime and 12-month use of CAM. Data were …