Month: September 2013

Drug use surges among US baby boomers, survey finds

Smoking marijuana_Reuters_Feb 6 2013.jpgThe use of illegal drugs among Americans in general is holding steady, but it’s surging among middle-aged baby boomers, according to report released Wednesday.

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health indicated that 9.2 percent of Americans aged 12 and over, or 23.9 million, were current consumers of illicit substances.

That’s down slightly from rates of 8.7 to 8.9 percent in 2009 to 2011, said the report, sponsored by the US government’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

But among adults aged 50 to 64, illicit drug use has grown substantially — a trend that the report attributed in part to “the aging … of members of the baby boom cohort” born between 1946 and 1964.

For adults aged 50 to 54, the rate more than doubled from 3.4 percent in 2002 to 7.2 percent last year. For those aged 55 to 59, it more than tripled from 1.9 percent to 6.6 percent.

“Among those aged 60 to 64, the rate increased from 1.1 percent in 2003 to 3.6 percent in 2012,” the report added.

Marijuana — ranked on par with heroin under federal law, despite a trend towards legalization at the state level — was the most commonly used illegal drug.

Current use between 2007 and 2012 grew from 5.8 percent to 7.3 percent of the overall population, and the number of Americans who used marijuana daily or almost daily grew from 5.1 million in 2007 to 7.6 million in 2012.

Current use is defined as consumption at least once during the month prior to participating in the survey.

The report also identified a significant increase in the number of Americans who had used heroin in the past year, from 373,000 in 2007 to 669,000 in 2012.

Among younger Americans, the survey found that past-month non-medical use of prescription drugs among young adults aged 18 to 25 was 5.3 percent — “significantly lower” than 6.4 percent in 2009.

And binge or heavy drinking among adolescents aged 12 to 17 — in a nation where the legal drinking age is 21 — “remained lower than their levels in 2002 and 2009.”

Commenting on the report, White House drug czar Gil Kerlikowske said reducing the impact of drug use called for “a robust public health response,” as well as smart law enforcement.

“For the first time in a decade, we are seeing real and significant reductions in the abuse of prescription drugs in America,” he said.

“Expanding prevention, treatment and support for people in recovery for substance use disorders will be our guide as we work to address other emerging challenges,” he said.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/09/05/drug-use-surges-among-us-baby-boomers-survey-finds/#ixzz2e6CfhDFI

 

 

How to spot vision problems in children

kid_glasses.jpgThere are many conditions that, although extremely rare, can cause blindness in a child if not caught on time. One such condition is pediatric glaucoma, which occurs when the pressure in the eye is elevated, causing damage to the optic nerve.

Other more common conditions that can affect a child’s vision include strabismus, a crossing of the eyes, or amblyopia, poor vision in one or both of the eyes. If untreated, pediatric eye conditions like these can lead to long term problems with vision, hinder the development of the eye and cause problems with socialization and learning.

I spoke to Dr. Shreya Prabhu, an assistant clinical professor of ophthalmology at Mt. Sinai Medical School in New York, to find out what parents need to know:

What signs and symptoms should parents be aware of?
There are two types of pediatric glaucoma – infantile and juvenile.

Infantile glaucoma, which becomes evident within months of birth, is associated with several visible symptoms that parents may be able to spot, according to Prabhu.

“(Children) don’t seem to want to open their eyes in the light, the surface of the eye looks cloudy, their eye looks teary,” Prabhu told FoxNews.com. “(These are) all things parents can look out for.”

Some infants with glaucoma will also have enlarged corneas – or unusually large eyes – a trait that can be difficult for parents to spot, but can sometimes be recognized by a pediatrician.

However, juvenile glaucoma, which develops during adolescence, is often asymptomatic.

“It’s only picked up if child goes for a vision exam and something is detected like poor vision or they go for a routine evaluation and someone looks inside their eyes,” Prabhu said.

If adolescents begin to experience problems with peripheral vision, or complain of ‘tunnel vision,’ parents should take them to a doctor immediately, as these are signs that the disease has become more advanced.

Conditions like strabismus are much more easy to spot because they cause a visible crossing or wandering of the eye. However, poor vision can be more difficult for parents to notice without the help of an eye exam.

How early should a child get an eye examination? What should that exam cover?
Doctors will typically perform simple vision tests from birth to rule out major problems in infants, according to Prabhu. Then, as children get older, many will receive vision tests at school, in addition to regular eye evaluations during their yearly visit to their pediatrician.

“They’ll do things like check pupils, how well they seem to see with each eye, do an external exam and look for a red reflux in the retina… that (red eye) when people take pictures,” Prabhu said. “If you don’t see that red spot in the center of the eye, there could be something in the eye like a cataract or other things obscuring that.”

Doctors should also ask parents about any family history of eye conditions. If the pediatrician spots a problem, they will typically refer the child to an ophthalmologist for further treatment.

“Generally, the screening guidelines say (children) don’t need an ophthalmologist unless something is going on – they’re showing signs or failing vision tests at pediatrician or school,” Prabhu said.

What kinds of early interventions can make a difference?
Spotting vision problems early in a child’s life can play a crucial role in preserving a child’s eyesight.

“The benefit is, in congenital glaucoma, they can have severe vision loss if it is not treated early,” Prabhu said. “The later it’s diagnosed, the more ground you’ve lost.”

Juvenile glaucoma can typically be treated with eye drops, pills or surgery, while for infants, the best treatment option is usually surgical.

Additionally, being vigilant about a child’s eye health can completely resolve some cases of crossed eyes or poor vision.

Crossed eyes can be treated with a combination of glasses or surgical interventions, depending on the origin of the problem. Furthermore, poor vision can also be treated with glasses, or occasionally with eye patches to strengthen the weaker eye.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/09/05/how-to-spot-vision-problems-in-children/#ixzz2e5vKPuMt

 

5 reasons why we may outlive our kids

These are the five reasons why our youth may not be as lucky as the generation ahead of them.One has to wonder, based on recent statistics, whether the evolution of mankind might be reversing itself. These are the five reasons why our youth may not be as lucky as the generation ahead of them.

1. Cars are still a leading killer. 
For people ages 5 to 34, motor vehicle accidents are still the leading cause of death, claiming over 18,000 lives per year. When you superimpose the effects of alcohol on driving, the statistics get even worse.

While safety standards have become more stringent every year, especially for younger drivers, the risk of using a phone or texting while driving is a major hazard for our youth that didn’t exist 10 years ago.

While many car manufacturers, such as General Motors, have now implemented solutions such as vocal Facebook for your car, the number of distractions that teens and other young people have while driving has only increased. With the onslaught of new “super gadgets,” the distractions will get even worse.

2. Drowning in alcohol and drugs 
According to a recent survey funded by the US Department of Education, 81 percent of students used alcohol in the previous year. Furthermore, 62 percent of underage students consumed alcohol in the previous 30 days. The even more startling statistic is that 44 percent of students reported binge drinking during the previous 2 weeks.

The implications of alcohol among high school and college students is further worsening the mortality risk of these individuals by not only putting them in jeopardy for accidents, but also other health conditions related to depression and other risky behavior.

Colleges across the country are challenged by the enormous rise in alcohol consumption, which is impacting the well-being of the youth, often outside the purview of any supervising adult.

The use of drugs, in addition to alcohol, is another compounding factor for morbidity. The 30-day prevalence of amphetamines was as much as 5 percent and for marijuana as much as 16 percent. In an environment where stress and anxiety are rampant, and over 40 percent of college students are on some kind of medication, the number of students using alcohol and drugs is worrisome. The same survey respondents revealed that 82 percent of them viewed drinking as the central focus of their social life.

3. Battling the bulge
Rising rates of obesity are reaching epidemic levels. September, in fact, has been dedicated to building awareness for childhood obesity.

Over the past several decades, more than 23 million children and teenagers have become obese or overweight, which is about one in three kids. These children are at risk for developing heart disease, diabetes and stroke – in addition to suffering the social consequences of being overweight.

The social environment in which many children are raised is impacting the nutrition and habits of our youth. Undoubtedly, the demands and stresses of the current environment have made it more convenient for children to consume food that is high in calories and poor in nutritional content.

The movement among schools to improve the nutritional value of food and beverages  available to children is a positive step in the right direction, but the rate at which the obesity epidemic is growing requires a much more aggressive push by parents, schools, colleges, manufacturers and many others to ensure that we break this trend quickly.

4. Kids need a heart
A recent report by the CBC revealed that while fewer people in the US are succumbing to cardiovascular disease most of the improvement was in the elderly population as opposed to the youth. The fact that the rates of decline were lower for older adults than younger ones is truly worrisome.

A major risk factor for heart disease is smoking. Recent reports suggest that 21 to 25 percent of younger adults smoke, in comparison with 10 percent of the elderly.

Some suggest that the reason for this increase in the prevalence of heart disease is because young adults who lack insurance have not obtained the necessary screening or treatment. It will be interesting to study the impact of recent changes resulting from ObamaCare, to see if this trend reverses as younger people are encouraged to purchase insurance.

Again, the impact of obesity and diet as contributing factors to the development of hypertension and diabetes will require a more aggressive approach to ensure that the rate of heart disease improves over the next few decades.

5. Down in the Dumps
The impact of mental health issues on adolescents has significant undertones to all of the previous four issues. The number of children who experience some sort of anxiety or depression is rising, as well, at a staggering rate.

The reason for this rise may be because we are better at diagnosing the condition or because there are truly more environmental and circumstantial factors that push our kids over the edge.

An interesting analysis of parents who discipline their teenagers with hostile screaming and cursing revealed that many of these children go on to develop significant behavior issues, some violent, later in life.

Many of the unfortunate tragedies and mass killings that have occurred recently have a common theme: an individual who has been suffering from some form of mental illness goes on a rampage to take innocent lives. While homicide and suicide remain at the top of the list of causes of death among the young, one has to really wonder the impact of mental health issues in contributing to these statistics.

The influence of social media on the pressures of current youth cannot be underestimated either. There have been many reports that question  whether Facebook is doing more harm than good, and whether it has undermined the ability for adolescents to adequately communicate with each other.

Twenty years ago, the incidents of obesity, alcohol, drugs, depression were not as prevalent. As a society, the future of our youth is truly at risk and many of these issues are interrelated. How we address them will determine whether our kids will really live longer than their parents
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/09/05/five-reasons-why-may-outlive-our-kids/#ixzz2e5uLz6M8

 

Baby boy dies after ingesting mother’s drug-laced breast milk

A child advocacy worker is criticizing Sacramento County’s response in the case of an 8-month-old boy who died after ingesting his mother’s drug-laced milk.

A report by the Sacramento Bee says Child Protective Services took three months to fully respond to the case of a child considered at risk after tests found he was exposed to the drugs.

Ryder Salmen died September 2012 after overdosing on a fatal mix of Xanax, methadone and the painkiller Opana. Court documents said the infant’s mother had been warned five months earlier to stop breastfeeding because of high levels of methadone found in her baby’s bloodstream. The test came after Ryder, then 4 months old, was brought to a hospital because he was lethargic.

Documents obtained under the California Public Records Act by the Sacramento Bee show that after the hospital visit, social workers determined Ryder was at risk. A safety plan was required for him to remain in his mother’s custody.

However, records show a CPS manager did not approve the safety assessment in Ryder’s case until three months after a social worker created it.

That response is unacceptable, said Ed Howard, senior counsel for the Children’s Advocacy Institute at the University Of San Diego School Of Law, who reviewed Ryder’s case file at the request of The Bee.

“Is it their policy to wait three months to approve safety assessments for the children of drug-addicted mothers?” Howard said. “This undermines the confidence about whether Sacramento County CPS is doing its job.”

In a written response, the deputy director of CPS said the safety assessment should be approved by a supervisor upon completion by a social worker.

“However, there are occasions when a time lapse occurs between the review of the safety assessment and the (approval). ,” Michelle Callejas said.

On the same day the first safety assessment was approved, the agency created a second safety assessment which said Ryder faced a low risk of future mistreatment.

But shortly after completing its second assessment, CPS received a report from police questioning Ryder’s safety. A Citrus Height police officer cited his mother for child endangerment when the car she was driving, with Ryder in the back seat, went off the road.

Based on the records, CPS apparently did not complete another risk assessment after the car accident. Ryder died less than a month after police made the report to CPS.

His mother, 32-year-old Sarah Ann Stephens of Citrus Heights, was charged recently with murder and two counts of child endangerment.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/

 

Compound reverses learning deficits in mice with down syndrome traits

Chromosomes DNA genes istock.jpgFor people with trisomy 21 – more commonly known as Down syndrome – learning and remembering important concepts can be a struggle, since some of their brain’s structures do not develop as fully as they should.

But now, researchers may have found a way to reverse the learning deficits associated with Down syndrome, after having discovered a compound that can significantly bolster cognition in mice with a condition very similar to trisomy 21.

In a new study published in the Sept. 4 issue of Science Translational Medicine, scientists injected a small molecule known as a sonic hedgehog pathway agonist into the brains of genetically engineered mice on the day of their birth.  The treatment enabled the rodents’ cerebellums to grow to a normal size, allowing them to perform just as well as unmodified mice in behavioral tests.

“We’ve been working for some time to characterize the basis for how people with trisomy 21 diverge in development from people without trisomy 21,” Roger Reeves, a professor in the McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, told FoxNews.com. “One of the early things we see is that people with Down syndrome have very small cerebellums, which does a lot more things than we used to think it did.”

Down syndrome is a condition that occurs when people receive three – rather than the typical two – copies of chromosome 21. Because of this “trisomy,” Down syndrome patients have extra copies of the more than 300 genes contained in that chromosome.  This leads to a range of symptoms, including mild to moderate intellectual disability, distinct facial features, heart defects and other health problems.

Through previous research, Reeves found that another distinct trait of people with Down syndrome is a cerebellum that’s approximately 60 percent of the normal size.  In order for this important brain region to grow and form, a small population of cells in the brain must quickly divide and multiply shortly after birth. This cell population requires a specific growth factor known as the sonic hedgehog pathway to stimulate the cells, triggering them to divide.

However, the trisomic cells in people with Down syndrome do not respond as well to this growth factor, stunting the development of the cerebellum – a region of the brain found to be important in cognitive processing and emotional control.

“We thought if we could stimulate these cells a bit at birth, we could make up the deficit,” Reeves said.

To test this theory, Reeves and his research team created a series of genetically engineered mice, all of which had extra copies of about half of the genes found in chromosome 21.  According to Reeves, this caused the mice to have many of the same characteristics seen in patients with Down syndrome, such as a smaller cerebellum and learning difficulties.

The researchers then injected the mice with a sonic hedgehog pathway agonist, which stimulates the growth factor pathway needed to trigger cerebellum development.   The compound was given to the mice just once on the day of birth.

“From that one injection, we were able to normalize the growth of the cerebellum, and they continued to have a structurally normal cerebellum when they grew up,” Reeves said.

Going one step further, the researchers conducted a series of behavioral tests on the mice to better understand how normalizing this brain structure would affect their overall performance.  One of these tests was the Morris water maze test, an experiment that involves placing the mice in a pool of water and seeing how long it takes them to escape using a platform hidden below the water’s surface.  The test measures the rodents’ spatial learning and memory capabilities, which are primarily controlled by the hippocampus.

“We didn’t expect to see any results from that,” Reeves said. “We knew that the most potent effects of the growth factor were in the specific cells (in the cerebellum) we were targeting, but it turned out that the mice that got a single shot of this agonist at birth, when tested three months later, they performed just as well as their (unmodified) litter mates in the water maze test.”

The sonic hedgehog agonist has yet to be proven effective in humans with Down syndrome, and future research is needed to determine exactly how the injection improved the mice’s cognitive abilities and whether or not the agonist has any side effects.  But Reeves remains hopeful that these findings could have translational potential.

“We’re on the verge of a revolution for expanding the potential of people born with trisomy 21,” Reeves said.
Source Fox News

 

 

13 may have been exposed to rare brain disease that killed NH patient

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Public health officials believe one person in New Hampshire has died of a rare, degenerative brain disease, and say there’s a remote chance up to 13 others in multiple states were exposed to the fatal illness through surgical equipment.

Dr. Joseph Pepe, president of Catholic Medical Center in Manchester, said officials are 95 percent certain that a patient who had brain surgery in May and died in August had sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease.

The disease progresses rapidly once symptoms appear and is always fatal, usually within a few months. But the symptoms can take decades to show up. They include behavior changes, memory loss, impaired coordination and other neurological problems.

Nearly 90 percent of cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease happen spontaneously, when an agent causes proteins in the brain to fold incorrectly. And because those abnormal proteins can survive standard sterilization practices, there is a small risk of exposure for those who had surgery after the patient who died, Pepe said.

“The risk of exposure is extremely low, but it’s not zero,” he said.

In fewer than 1 percent of the cases, the disease is transmitted by exposure to brain or nervous system tissue, state public health director Dr. Jose Montero said. Only four cases of transmission via surgical instruments have been recorded, none in the United States, he said. Another 10 to 15 percent of the cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob involve a genetic mutation that is passed down among families.

The disease can be verified only through a brain biopsy or autopsy. New Hampshire officials are still awaiting those results.

Meanwhile, the hospital has notified eight of its patients who may have been exposed, and hospitals in other states are working to do the same because some of the surgical equipment was rented and used elsewhere after being used in Manchester, Montero said. He would not identify the other states but said no more than five additional patients were potentially exposed.

Catholic Medical Center also has assigned a staffer to work with the potentially exposed patients, whom Pepe said range in age from mid-30s to mid-80s.

“They took it very well. I don’t believe that people were angry or extremely emotionally upset,” he said. “We did the best job we could in trying to alleviate their fear.”

Worldwide, Creutzfeldt-Jakob affects about one person in every one million each year; in the United States, about 200 cases are recorded annually, according to the National Institutes of Health.

In South Carolina, Greenville Hospital System last year began increasing the temperature used to sterilize its surgical instruments after a patient was discovered to have Creutzfeldt-Jakob. Eleven patients there were notified that they might have been exposed.

But Pepe said the measures required to eliminate all traces of the proteins would effectively render the equipment unusable. He said the New Hampshire equipment has been quarantined pending the autopsy results.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/09/05/as-many-as-13-may-have-been-exposed-to-rare-brain-disease-that-killed-nh/#ixzz2e5q2LuWS

 

Turmeric – anti-nausea drug combo potent cancer killer

A new study has found that anti-nausea drug thalidomide when combined with common kitchen spice turmeric creates hybrid molecules that effectively kill multiple myeloma cells.

Thalidomide was first introduced in the 1950s as an anti-nausea medication to help control morning sickness, but was later taken off the shelves in 1962 because it was found to cause birth defects.

In the late 1990`s the drug was re-introduced as a stand-alone or combination treatment for multiple myeloma.

Turmeric, an ancient spice grown in India and other tropical regions of Asia, has a long history of use in herbal remedies and has recently been studied as a means to prevent and treat cancer, arthritis and Alzheimer`s disease.

According to the American Cancer Society, laboratory studies have shown that curcumin, an active ingredient in turmeric, interfere with several important molecular pathways and inhibit the formation of cancer-causing enzymes in rodents.

“Although thalidomide disturbs the microenvironment of tumor cells in bone marrow, it disintegrates in the body. Curcumin, also active against cancers, is limited by its poor water solubility. But the combination of thalidomide and curcumin in the hybrid molecules enhances both the cytotoxicity and solubility,” study`s lead researcher Shijun Zhang, assistant professor in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry at the VCU School of Pharmacy, said.

The study is published by the journal Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry.

Home remedies to cure dandruff

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Dandruff mainly occurs due to growth of fungal infection on the scalp and is an infectious condition

Dandruff is a hair and scalp problem which is very common and is one of the most embarrassing hair conditions that one can face. It also leads to lower one’s self confidence eventually and in worst cases, constant itching can lead to acne.

There can be many causes of dandruff, but it mainly occurs due to growth of fungal infection on the scalp and is an infectious condition. The problem of dandruff can arise simply because of extreme exposure to heat and cold, or may be due to a complex problem like dermatitis. One might not be aware but problems like hormonal fluctuations, stress, neurological disorders can also lead to itchy, flaky scalp.

But, you need not to worry much as we bring to you seven easy home remedies to get rid of those pesky flakes:
Lemon wash: Take peels of around 3-4 lemons and boil them in water. After the solution cools down, apply it on your hair and then rinse it off. Repeat this activity at least twice a week and see the change.

Fenugreek (methi) paste: Soak fenugreek seeds overnight in water and then make a fine paste out of it. Now, apply this paste for around 30 minutes on your scalp and then wash it off later. Repeat this procedure for at least four weeks.

Aloe Vera gel: Aloe vera contains antibacterial and antifungal properties which help a lot in keeping a check on dandruff. Take some aloe vera gel and apply it on your scalp for around 30 minutes. Later, wash your hair with some mild shampoo. Repeat this remedy at least twice a day to keep dandruff under check.

Beetroot and ginger paste: Take some ginger and beetroot and grind them to make a fine paste. Now, apply this paste on your scalp every night and massage them well. Later, wash it off in morning.

Neem leaves paste: Take some neem leaves and boil them for 30 minutes. Now, crush them and make a paste. After this, apply this paste on your scalp for around an hour and then rinse it off later. You will notice that your hair look much healthier.

Tulsi and Amla paste: Tulsi (basil) is known since eons for its healing properties. Take few Tulsi leaves, make a paste of them and then mix this paste in amla powder. Apply this paste for around 30 minutes on your scalp and then wash your hair thoroughly. You will see that this remedy works wonders.

Reetha: Yes, reetha which is mainly used to wash hair is also a wonder home remedy when it comes to treating dandruff. You can either use reetha soap or one can also make a paste using reetha powder and apply it on your scalp. After two hours, wash it thoroughly with shampoo.

Try these home remedies and you can surely be able to say bye-bye to dandruff in a healthy and natural way.

 

Drinking milk in pregnancy helps kids gain height

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The new study has said children born to women who drank milk during pregnancy are more likely to be tall in their teenage.

A new study has found taking milk during pregnancy benefits children well into their early adulthood. It helps the children gain better height than those whose mothers did not take it adequately. Earlier studies said babies tend to weigh more and grow more quickly if expectant mothers drink milk. But the new study has said children born to women who drank milk during pregnancy are more likely to be tall in their teenage. The study`s results, published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, show teenagers of both genders were generally taller if their mothers took more than 150 millilitres – roughly a quarter of a pint of milk – a day during the pregnancy, compared to children born to women who drank less than that quantity, Daily Mail reported. The latest finding was reached after a team of scientists, who tracked babies born in the late `80s, found their height during adolescence was directly related to how much milk their mothers consumed when they were in the womb. Nutrition experts from Iceland, Denmark and the US wanted to examine if the benefits seen in the early stages of life from milk were extended into later years. They tracked babies born to 809 women in Denmark in 1988 and 1989 by monitoring how much milk the women had consumed during pregnancy. The babies were measured for weight and birth length and then followed up again almost 20 years later. Earlier this year, British scientists found pregnant women could boost their babies’ IQ by drinking more milk because it is rich in iodine. Source: Zee News

Skipping meds linked to more hospital visits for kids

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Skipping meds linked to more hospital visits for kids

Kids and teens with asthma and type 1 diabetes often don`t take their medication as prescribed, and those that skip doses are more likely to end up in the emergency room, according to a new review.

More than half of children with a chronic illness are put on medication, but past studies have found anywhere from 50 percent to 88 percent don`t take their drugs as prescribed.

“In our experience, most patients and families are surprised to learn how prevalent this problem is, and many clinicians are as well,” lead author Meghan McGrady of the Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology at Cincinnati Children`s Hospital Medical Center, said.

She and co-author Kevin Hommel set out to gauge the long-term healthcare utilization consequences of children with chronic illnesses not taking their medicine.

Their review included 10 past studies, nine of which found a link between skipping medication and more hospital visits.

Nine of the studies included children with asthma and the tenth focused on those with type 1 diabetes. Most studies looked at kids between two and 18 years old; one included young adults up to age 29.

Studies tracked children`s medication use through pharmacy refill records, family questionnaires and electronic monitors.

On average, kids with asthma whose families did not fill any of their prescriptions were more likely to go to the ER than children with at least one filled prescription. Likewise, those who rarely refilled their drugs had more ER trips than children who got at least half of their prescribed refills.

For example, one 2007 study of close to 1,500 children found those with no filled prescriptions for an inhaled corticosteroid, compared to one or two, were over 10 times more likely to have an ER visit for asthma.

But the opposite seemed to be true for outpatient and primary care visits. Two studies included outpatient visits and found that the fewer prescriptions a child with asthma had filled, the less likely it was that the child would have an asthma-related primary care visit.

Taking medication as prescribed and regularly scheduling checkups are both part of proper management of chronic conditions, so a child who lags in one category might logically lag in the other, the authors write in the journal Pediatrics.

“It could be that these findings capture the profile of families who have difficulties not only taking their medications, but also attending regularly scheduled follow-up clinic visits,” McGrady told Reuters Health.

According to the American Lung Association, about 7.1 million U.S. children and teens have asthma, and in 2009, there were approximately 774,000 asthma-related ER visits for kids under 15.

Children and teens who don`t take their prescribed medications regularly are at an increased risk of health complications, and also cost the healthcare system more money in the long run, researchers said.

It`s hard to say for sure how much money kids skipping their medication costs the U.S., but estimates suggest non-adherence in general accounts for $100 to $300 billion in healthcare costs each year, Kimberly Driscoll, a pediatric psychologist who studies type 1 diabetes treatment adherence at Florida State University College of Medicine in Tallahassee, said.

“More emergency department visits means more school absences, more hospitalizations and more unnecessary medical expenses,” said Michael Rapoff, who studies pediatric adherence to medication at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City.

For conditions such as asthma, long-acting medications reduce inflammation but don`t appear to have an immediate effect on symptoms, so some kids are more likely to skip them, Rapoff, who wasn`t involved in the new research, told Reuters Health.

The review did not differentiate between necessary and unnecessary ER visits, but there are acute incidents when kids with asthma or diabetes really do need to go to the hospital, whether they take their medicine properly or not, he said.

“The results of this study have implications for children, their parents and their health care providers,” McGrady said. “In all, multi-disciplinary approaches to adherence promotion are an important part of providing optimal medical care.”

Source: Zee News