Overseas School Health Nurses Association
OSHNA DigestVolume 2.0 No 5 November 4, 2011OSHNA Mission: OSHNA supports the health and educational success of students by advancing the role of the professional school nurse and advocating for the well-being, academic success and life-long achievement of students in their care. Coffee and Depression in WomenMedscape Education Clinic Briefs 3 Oct 2011: This study by Lucas and colleagues uses the prospective cohort from the Nurses' Health Study to assess whether intake of caffeine overall and from various sources is associated with the risk for depression in women. In a 10-year cohort study of more than 50,000 older women, investigators found that compared with those who drank 1 cup or less of caffeinated coffee per week, those who drank 2 to 3 cups per day had a 15% decreased risk for depression, and those who drank 4 cups or more had a 20% decreased risk. "This is one of the first major studies to look to this relationship," lead author Michel Lucas, PhD, RD, epidemiologist/nutritionist at Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts, told Medscape Medical News. http://www.medscape.org/viewarticle/750799?src=cmemp AHA Statement Addresses best method to assess adiposity26 Sep 11: This scientific statement from the American Heart Association (AHA) addresses methods to assess total body fat, distribution of body fat, body composition, and ectopic fat. Body-mass index (BMI) and waist-circumference measurements should remain the primary tools for assessing adiposity in the population, according to a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association (AHA). Individuals with a high BMI or those with a disproportionately high waist circumference for any given BMI should be examined by clinicians for further risk stratification and targeted with lifestyle interventions, including weight loss, according to experts. Lead author of the statement Dr. Marc-Andre Cornier (U of Colorado, Denver) said that it remains important to continue to advance the mindset among clinicians that obesity is a clinical problem. In deciding it is a problem and that it is something to be treated, clinicians next have to assess these patients. The new AHA statement stresses the importance of using existing tools for the assessment of overweight and obesity, including BMI and waist circumference. While most patients are weighed when visiting their physician, waist circumference is used far less frequently and is a recommended adjunct tool. A higher waist circumference is linked with increased risks for adiposity-related morbidity and mortality. Cornier MA, Deprés JP, Davis N, et al. Assessing adiposity: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation 2011; DOI: 10.1161/CIR0b013e318233bc6a. Available at: http://circ.ahajournals.org. Study links lack of weekday sleep to obesity in male teens (link)24 Oct 11: Experts reported at the American College of Chest Physicians meeting in October. Baylor College of Medicine investigators found that the average sleep time on weekdays and weekends was six hours 32 minutes and nine hours 10 minutes, respectively, for males. Females slept an average of six hours 30 minutes and nine hours 22 minutes on weekdays and on the weekends, respectively. Compared to teens who slept for more than seven hours a night, males and females who slept for less than seven hours had an average BMI that was 3.8 and 4.7 percent higher, respectively. After adjusting for potential cofounders, sleep duration of less than eight hours correlated with obesity in male teens, and weekday sleep duration in males correlated negatively with obesity, with the fewest weekday sleep hours correlating with the highest BMI. There was no association between obesity and weekday sleep hours in female teens. This may be related to differences in growth rates and hormone secretion during puberty. http://www.physiciansbriefing.com/Article.asp?AID=657920California allows HPV shots for girls without parental OK (link)California Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law a bill to permit girls as young as 12 to receive the human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV) without parental consent. The law takes effect Jan. 1, and about 30 other States have similar laws in place. (On the flip-side: the TX governor has rescinded his state law that made this vaccine mandatory – a bill that he pushed to pass.)Pregnant Women and Flu Shots:Oct. 20, 2011 – Pregnant women are more likely to get the flu vaccine than they were a few years ago, and for good reason: Evidence continues to mount that the vaccine safely protects both mother and newborn from influenza and its complications. One new study shows that pregnant women who get the flu vaccine are no more likely to miscarry. A second, small study shows that babies of moms who received the vaccine retain some immunity for two months after birth. See AANP Update FDA finds no link between ADHD drugs and higher cardiovascular risk (link)Patients ages 2 to 24 who use Concerta, Ritalin and other medicines for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder are not at higher risk of cardiovascular events compared with nonusers, the FDA reported. The conclusion, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, was drawn from a review of medical records of about 1.2 million enrollees in four major health plans. The FDA recommended that clinicians periodically monitor the heart rate or blood pressure of patients using ADHD drugs. CardiologyToday.com **Stay tuned** Conference planning underway! Start thinking of your silent auction items and district basket ideas for our only fundraising event of the year. Remember ~ your donation and participation assists in funding our Mission and Strategic Plan!** |
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