Reports

New Research states that Almonds may reduce Type 2 Diabetes Risk

Good news for almond lovers! A new study conducted at Loma Linda University and published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition suggests that people who include almonds in their diet have increased insulin sensitivity and lower levels of LDL cholesterol; both of which are risk factors for type 2 diabetes.

Michelle Wien, the lead study investigator stated, “”We have made great strides in chronic disease research from evidence of effective treatment to evidence of effective prevention.  It is promising for those with risk factors for chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, that dietary changes may help to improve factors that play a potential role in the disease development.”

For the full news item, please refer to http://www.endocrineweb.com/news/type-2-diabetes/3437-almonds-may-reduce-type-2-diabetes-risk

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New Study of Health-Related Quality of Life Among Colonia Residents

A recent article in Social Science & Medicine reports on findings from a study of health-related quality of life indicators among Mexican Americans living in South Texas colonias. “We found that border Mexican Americans living in colonias were of similar mental health status compared to the general population of the United States, but worse off in terms of physical health. Poor education and long-term residency in colonias were predictors of lower physical health. Women reported worse mental health than men. Length of time living in a colonia, co-morbidity status, and perceived problems with access to healthcare was associated with poorer mental health status.”

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Part of ACCORD trial stopped for safety

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute stopped part of a large, ongoing clinical trial of diabetes and cardiovascular disease a year and a half early due to safety concerns. Participants in the “intensive” blood glucose lowering treatment arm of the study are being moved to the less-intensive “standard” treatment arm after early data reported 54 extra deaths in the more intensive part of the study.

The ACCORD (Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes) study includes more than 10,000 adults with type 2 diabetes who are at especially high risk for heart attack and stroke. It is being carried out at 77 sites across the US and Canada; none of the study sites are in Texas.

The media kit from today’s press conference is available at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/prof/heart/other/accord/.

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Personal electronic health records

Recent news headlines have given us a foretaste of what may prove to be a major healthcare issue in coming years: personal electronic health records. Many eyes have been on the developing Google Health project for months now, but earlier this month Microsoft managed to jump out to an apparent lead over Google when it introduced Microsoft HealthVault (coverage from AFP and from IHT).

Obviously, there’s quite a bit of potential here — both for good and for problems. As librarians and information professionals, we need to get involved in helping our patrons — doctors and the patients who trust them — to understand the risks and benefits, particularly in terms of the privacy implications. Lauren Weinstein wrote a recent blog post looking at those issues, and Jon Udell specifically proposes the idea of “translucent” medical records — which would be stored online but encrypted using public key cryptography, so that even if a 3rd party could compel a service provider to release those records, they could not be opened and viewed without the patient’s participation.

Keep an eye out for more news as this issue grows, is debated and developed further!

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Presidential Proclamation – National Health Information Technology Week

President Barack Obama has declared the week of September 11-16, 2011 as National Health Information Technology Week. See the official proclamation at Presidential Proclamation – National Health Information Technology Week. In addition, the 2008 Federal  Strategic Health IT Plan has been updated to meet the new realities for health IT and IT policies. See more on the Federal Strategic Health IT Plan: 2011-2015 at the Health IT Buzz Blog Post.

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Report on Disparities from the Synthesis Project

Sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Synthesis Project has released a report on Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Access to and Quality of Health Care. Among the key findings: “The largest access disparities are for Spanish-speaking Hispanics.” (Thanks to Siobhan Champ-Blackwell.)

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Responding to the Epidemic: Strategies for Improving Diabetes Care in Texas

An alarming rate of increase is projected for the incidence of diabetes in Texas over the next 30 years. Based on statistics from the Office of the State Demographer, Texas will see an increase of 156,000 new cases of diabetes each year. A newly released report from the Texas Health Institute (THI) recommends a plan of action to curtail these predictions. According to the report, “The State Demographer projects a quadrupling of the number of  adult Texans with diabetes from approximately 2.2 million in 2010 to almost 8 million by 2040.” Counties in the Texas border region are expected to be particularly hard hit. Given that rates of diabetes in Hispanic populations are higher than the national average, “There are a large number of Hispanic residents at high-risk of developing diabetes, particularly in South Texas, where obesity rates are very high and insurance coverage is very low.”

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San Antonio Health Profiles Available

The San Antonio Metropolitan Health District (Metro Health) has released its latest annual summary of community health data, including data from 2007. The report shows a decrease in the number of births to mothers under the age of 18, but a continued increase in obesity (29.7% of area residents had a BMI of 30 or higher in 2007). There has also been a continued increase in cases of child abuse and neglect (16.2 confirmed cases per 1,000 children in 2007, up from 8.1 cases per 1,000 children in 2001).

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South Texas Health Status Review

The South Texas Health Status Review is “the first comprehensive statistical illustration of health disparities that impact residents in South Texas’ 38 counties.” Released in 2008, it was prepared by UT HSC’s Institute for Health Promotion Research. The Institute’s director, Amelie G. Ramirez, DrPH, was elected to the Institute of Medicine last October.

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State Rankings of Health

The report America’s Health Rankings 2008 is now available from the United Health Foundation.  It reports that Texas is now ranked 46th in the nation – dropping from 37 in 2007.  Only Tennessee, South Carolina, Mississippi, and Louisiana ranked lower than Texas.  According to the report, Texas faces challenges due to limited access to primary care, a high rate of uninsured population, a high percentage of children in poverty, and a high incidence of infectious disease.

The complete national report or state-by-state reports can be downloaded from http://www.americashealthrankings.org/2008/index.html.

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