JAMA news releases are made available to the public after 3 pm US Central time on the first 4 Tuesdays of each month. the Archives of Journals news releases are made available to the public after 3 pm Central time on Mondays. We also provide a list of previous news releases.
THIS WEEK'S CONTENTS
ARCHIVES OF GENERAL PSYCHIATRY NEWS RELEASES
(Embargoed Until: 3 P.M. (CT), Monday, December 3, 2007)
RATES OF ANXIETY, MOOD DISORDERS HIGH IN AREAS AFFECTED BY HURRICANE KATRINA
MALES WITH A FEMALE TWIN MAY BE AT HIGHER RISK FOR ANOREXIA NERVOSA
ARCHIVES OF PEDIATRICS & ADOLESCENT MEDICINE NEWS RELEASES
(Embargoed Until: 3 P.M. (CT), Monday, December 3, 2007)
STUDY SUGGESTS HONEY MAY HELP RELIEVE CHILDREN’S COUGH, IMPROVE SLEEP QUALITY DURING COLDS
PNEUMOCOCCAL VACCINE ASSOCIATED WITH REDUCED HOSPITALIZATIONS, COSTS FOR CHILDREN YOUNGER THAN 2 YEARS
HEPATITIS B VACCINE NOT ASSOCIATED WITH CHILDHOOD MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THESE NEWS RELEASES IS PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT. JOURNAL ATTRIBUTION IS REQUIRED.
JOURNALISTS CAN NOW ACCESS EMBARGOED JAMA/ARCHIVES STUDIES ON-LINE. Go to www.jamamedia.org for more information and to apply for access.
Please Note: The FOR THE MEDIA website now has a search feature to enable media to find previous JAMA/Archives news releases on specific medical topics. This search feature link is located on the home page at www.jamamedia.org
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 3 P.M. (CT), MONDAY, December 3, 2007
Media Advisory: To contact Sandro Galea, M.D., Dr.P.H., call Laura Bailey at 734-647-1848.
RATES OF ANXIETY, MOOD DISORDERS HIGH IN AREAS AFFECTED BY HURRICANE KATRINA
CHICAGO—Almost half of pre-hurricane residents of New Orleans and one-fourth of those living in other affected areas had evidence of an anxiety or mood disorder five to seven months following Hurricane Katrina, according to a report in the December issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
“Hurricane Katrina was the worst natural disaster in the United States in the past 75 years, creating a disaster region as large as Great Britain, killing more than 1,000 people, uprooting 500,000 others and causing more than $100 billion in damage,” the authors write as background information in the article. “This vast devastation would lead us to expect a high prevalence of mental illness among people who lived through Katrina.”
Sandro Galeo, M.D., Dr. P.H., of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and colleagues surveyed 1,043 residents who had been living in affected areas of Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi before Hurricane Katrina. The telephone survey was conducted between Jan. 19 and March 31, 2006, five to seven months after the storm. Participants were asked about stressors related to the hurricane and screened for symptoms of mood and anxiety disorders—which include depression, panic disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)—within 30 days of the interview.
A total of 31.2 percent of the participants had an anxiety-mood disorder, including 49.1 percent of the New Orleans metropolitan area residents and 26.4 percent of the other participants. Among all participants, 16.3 percent had PTSD; this included 30.3 percent of New Orleans residents and 12.5 percent of the others. Individuals who were younger than age 60, female, did not graduate college, had a low family income or were unmarried or unemployed before the hurricane were more likely to have anxiety-mood disorders, and those who were Hispanic or other minorities excluding blacks had lower rates of these conditions.
“The vast majority of respondents both in the New Orleans metro (91.9 percent) and in the remainder of the sample (81.7 percent) reported experiencing at least one of the 10 categories of hurricane-related stressors,” including the death of a loved one, robbery, injury or property loss, the authors write. Among New Orleans residents, the extent of exposure to these stressors was more strongly related to anxiety-mood disorders than among residents of other areas. While New Orleans residents were most likely to develop anxiety-mood disorders following physical illness or injury and physical adversity, the rest of the participants were more likely to develop such a disorder following property loss.
The rate of anxiety and mood disorders in New Orleans residents was higher than that typically found in studies of mental illness following natural disasters in the United States, while the rate among the other respondents was roughly equivalent, the authors note. In addition, they conclude, “evidence that avoidable stressors associated with the slow government response to Hurricane Katrina (e.g., physical adversity) had important implications for the mental health of people who lived through Katrina argues strongly for the importance of efficient provision of practical and logistical assistance in future disasters, not only on humanitarian grounds, but also as a way to minimize the adverse mental health effects of disasters.”
(Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2007;64(12):1427-1434. Available to the media pre-embargo at www.jamamedia.org).
Editor's Note: The Hurricane Katrina Community Advisory Group (CAG) is supported by a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health with supplemental support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Department of Health and Human Services. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.
For more information, contact JAMA/Archives media relations at 312/464-JAMA (5262) or e-mail mediarelations{at}jama-archives.org.
Go back to the top.
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 3 P.M. (CT), MONDAY, December 3, 2007
Media Advisory: To contact Marco Procopio, M.D., M.R.C.Psych., e-mail: marcoprocopio00{at}hotmail.com.
MALES WITH A FEMALE TWIN MAY BE AT HIGHER RISK FOR ANOREXIA NERVOSA
CHICAGO—Males who have a twin sister appear more likely to develop the eating disorder anorexia nervosa than other males, including those with a twin brother, according to a report in the December issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. This finding supports the hypothesis that exposure to female sex hormones in the womb may be related to the risk for anorexia nervosa.
“Anorexia nervosa is approximately 10 times more common in females than in males,” the authors write as background information in the article. “The reasons for this difference are not known, and it is likely that their unraveling will represent an important step forward in the understanding of the etiopathogenetic factors involved in the development of eating disorders.”
Marco Procopio, M.D., M.R.C.Psych., of the University of Sussex, Brighton, England, and Paul Marriott, Ph.D., of the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, analyzed data from a study of Swedish twins born between 1935 and 1958. Two sets of diagnostic criteria, one broader and one more narrow, were used to determine which twins had anorexia nervosa.
Overall, female twins were more likely than male twins to develop anorexia nervosa. The one exception was among males who had a dizygotic (fraternal) twin sister. “In fact, their risk is at a level that is not statistically significantly different from that of females from such a pair,” the authors write. Among 4,478 dizygotic opposite-sex twins, 20 females and 16 males had anorexia nervosa using narrow criteria and 32 females and 27 males qualified under the broad criteria. Risk for these female twins was not significantly different from than that of other female twins.
“A plausible explanation for this phenomenon is that in pregnancies bearing a female fetus, a substance is produced, probably hormonal, that increases the risk of having anorexia nervosa in adulthood,” the authors write. “Because the male half of an opposite-sex twin pair would also be exposed to this substance, it could account for the observed elevated risk in males with female twins. The most likely candidates are sex steroid hormones.”
“The results of our study are compatible with the hypothesis that intrauterine exposure to sex hormones might influence neurodevelopment, affecting the risk of developing anorexia nervosa in adult life,” they conclude. “This might be a factor contributing to the higher risk of developing anorexia nervosa in females.”
(Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2007;64(12):1402-1408. Available to the media pre-embargo at www.jamamedia.org).
Editor's Note: Please see the article for additional information, including author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.
For more information, contact JAMA/Archives media relations at 312/464-JAMA (5262) or e-mail mediarelations{at}jama-archives.org.
Go back to the top.
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 3 P.M. (CT), MONDAY, December 3, 2007
Media Advisory: To contact Ian M. Paul, M.D., M.Sc., call Megan Manlove at 717-531-8604.
STUDY SUGGESTS HONEY MAY HELP RELIEVE CHILDREN’S COUGH, IMPROVE SLEEP DURING COLDS
CHICAGO—A single dose of buckwheat honey before bedtime provided the greatest relief from cough and sleep difficulty compared with no treatment and an over-the-counter cough medicine in children with upper respiratory tract infections, according to a report in the December issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
“Cough is the reason for nearly 3 percent of all outpatient visits in the United States, more than any other symptom, and it most commonly occurs in conjunction with an upper respiratory tract infection,” the authors write as background information in the article. Cough is usually more bothersome at night because it disrupts sleep. Although unsupported by the American Academy of Pediatrics or the American College of Chest Physicians, dextromethorphan is the most commonly used over-the-counter remedy for children’s cough. “In many cultures, alternative remedies such as honey are used to treat upper respiratory tract infection symptoms including cough.”
Ian M. Paul, M.D., M.Sc., and colleagues at Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, conducted a study involving 105 children age 2 to 18 with upper respiratory tract infections who were sick for seven days or less and experienced symptoms during the night. Thirty-five children were randomly assigned to receive an age-appropriate dose of honey, 33 to receive dextromethorphan and 37 to receive no treatment for one night within 30 minutes of bedtime. The children’s parents were asked to complete a survey assessing their child’s cough and sleep difficulty the night before their assigned treatment and then again the night after treatment.
Honey was found to yield the greatest improvement followed by dextromethorphan, while no treatment showed the least improvement in cough frequency, cough severity, cough bothersome to child, child’s sleep and parent’s sleep. “In paired comparisons, honey was significantly superior to no treatment for cough frequency and the combined score, but dextromethorphan was not better than no treatment for any outcome,” the authors write. “Comparison of honey with dextromethorphan revealed no significant differences.”
“While our findings and the absence of contemporary studies supporting the use of dextromethorphan continue to question its effectiveness for the treatment of cough associated with upper respiratory tract infections, we have now provided evidence supporting honey, which is generally regarded as safe for children older than 1 year, as an alternative,” the authors conclude. “While additional studies to confirm our findings should be encouraged, each clinician should consider the findings for honey, the absence of such published findings for dextromethorphan and the potential for adverse effects and cumulative costs associated with the use of dextromethorphan when recommending treatments for families.”
(Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2007;161(12):1140-1146. Available to the media pre-embargo at www.jamamedia.org)
Editor's Note: This work was supported by an unrestricted research grant from the National Honey Board, an industry-funded agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.
For more information, contact JAMA/Archives media relations at 312/464-JAMA (5262) or e-mail mediarelations{at}jama-archives.org.
Go back to the top.
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 3 P.M. (CT), MONDAY, December 3, 2007
Media Advisory: To contact Fangjun Zhou, Ph.D., call Curtis Allen at 404-639-8487.
PNEUMOCOCCAL VACCINE ASSOCIATED WITH REDUCED HOSPITALIZATIONS, COSTS FOR CHILDREN YOUNGER THAN 2 YEARS
CHICAGO—Vaccinating children younger than age 2 with the pneumococcal vaccine appears to be associated with decreased hospitalizations from pneumonia and reduced health care expenses, according to a report in the December issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Pneumonia is the leading cause of childhood illness and death worldwide, accounting for 2 million childhood deaths per year, mainly in developing countries, according to background information in the article. In 2000, American children began receiving the 7-valent pneumonococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7)—which protects against pneumococcal pneumonia, caused by the Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria—as part of the routine immunization schedule. This vaccine is recommended for all children age 2 months to 23 months and children age 24 months to 59 months who are at increased risk for pneumococcal disease. The number of children age 19 to 35 months receiving three or more doses increased from 41 percent in 2002 to 83 percent in 2005.
Fangjun Zhou, Ph.D., and colleagues at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, analyzed health records from a database of approximately 40 large employers each year from 1997 to 2004. The researchers used claims data and coding from hospitals and physician visits to determine the number and cost of health care visits due to all-cause and pneumococcal pneumonia. More than 40,000 children younger than age 2 are represented in the database each year.
“Comparing the rates in 2004 with those in the baseline period of 1997 to 1999 among children younger than 2 years, hospitalizations due to all-cause pneumonia declined from 11.5 to 5.5 per 1,000 children (52.4 percent decline) and ambulatory [outpatient] visits due to all-cause pneumonia declined from 99.3 to 58.5 per 1,000 children (41.1 percent decline),” the authors write. “Rates of hospitalization due to pneumococcal pneumonia declined from 0.6 to 0.3 per 1,000 children (57.6 percent decline) and rates of ambulatory visits declined from 1.7 to 0.9 per 1,000 children (46.9 percent decline).”
“These results add to the growing evidence base of benefits of PCV7 vaccination and suggest an important role for the vaccine in reducing the burden of pneumonia and associated medical costs,” the authors conclude.
(Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2007;161(12):1162-1168. Available to the media pre-embargo at www.jamamedia.org)
Editor's Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.
For more information, contact JAMA/Archives media relations at 312/464-JAMA (5262) or e-mail mediarelations{at}jama-archives.org.
Go back to the top.
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 3 P.M. (CT), MONDAY, December 3, 2007
Media Advisory: To contact Yann Mikaeloff, M.D., Ph.D., e-mail: yann.mikaeloff{at}bct.ap-hop-paris.fr. To contact corresponding editorialist Frederick B. Rivara, M.D., M.P.H., call Clare Hagerty at 206-685-1323.
HEPATITIS B VACCINE NOT ASSOCIATED WITH CHILDHOOD MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
CHICAGO—Vaccinating against the hepatitis B virus does not appear to be associated with the risk of developing multiple sclerosis in childhood, according to a report in the December issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Several studies have evaluated a possible association between the hepatitis B vaccine and the autoimmune neurological disease multiple sclerosis (MS) in adults, according to background information in the article. Most have found no significant increase in the risk of MS in the short or long term, although one identified a potentially increased risk within three years of vaccination. “Some of these epidemiologic studies have been criticized for methodological limitations,” including how vaccination status was confirmed, the authors write. “This controversy created public misgivings about hepatitis B vaccination. Hepatitis B vaccination in children remained low in several countries despite vaccination campaigns supporting early vaccination against hepatitis B in children as a means of inducing strong and long-lasting immunity and despite high levels of hepatitis B–related morbidity and mortality worldwide.”
Yann Mikaeloff, M.D., Ph.D., of Hôpital Bicêtre, Le Kremlin Bicêtre, France, and colleagues studied 143 children who developed MS before age 16, with a first episode of the disease occurring between 1994 and 2003. Each patient was matched to an average of eight control participants from the general French population who were the same age and sex and lived in the same location but did not have MS. Telephone interviews and questionnaires were used to collect vaccination records and information about family history of MS or other autoimmune diseases.
In the three years before the first episode of MS, approximately 32 percent of both the 143 patients and the 1,122 controls were vaccinated against hepatitis B. “Vaccination against hepatitis B within the three-year study period was not associated with an increased rate of a first episode of MS,” the authors write. “The rate was also not increased for hepatitis B vaccination within six months of the index date or at any time since birth or as a function of the number of injections or the brand of hepatitis B vaccine.”
“Vaccination against hepatitis B does not seem to increase the risk of a first episode of MS in childhood,” they conclude.
(Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2007;161(12):1176-1182. Available to the media pre-embargo at www.jamamedia.org)
Editor's Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.
EDITORIAL: MEDICAL JOURNALS BEAR RESPONSIBILITY FOR DISSEMINATING ACCURATE FINDINGS
It can sometimes be difficult to tell whether a new study represents a significant medical advance or flawed research, write Frederick P. Rivara, M.D., M.P.H., and Dimitri A. Christakis, M.D., M.P.H., of the University of Washington, Seattle, in an accompanying editorial. Dr. Rivara is editor and Dr. Christakis an associate editor of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
“In this issue of the Archives, Mikaeloff and colleagues conducted a large well-done study to examine a link between hepatitis B vaccine and multiple sclerosis,” they write. “We have published it both because of the rigor of the research and because of the need to reassure a public that is increasingly wary of vaccination. Going forward, we hope that the process of scientific discovery proceeds in a rigorous and thoughtful way that will increase the public’s health and not harm it.”
(Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2007;161(12):1214-1215. Available to the media pre-embargo at www.jamamedia.org)
Editor's Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.
For more information, contact JAMA/Archives media relations at 312/464-JAMA (5262) or e-mail mediarelations{at}jama-archives.org.
Go back to the top.
