Eyespy

Eyespy brings you the latest quirky medical stories from around the world

Could birthdays predispose people to stroke and heart attacks? Apparently, the answer is yes. This frightening conclusion comes from a Canadian study that found more people were admitted to emergency departments on their birthday as a result of vascular events compared with the control conditions of asthma and appendicitis. The association was stronger if predisposing conditions such as hypertension were present (Neurology 2006 May 25; doi: 10.1212/01.wnl.0000217915.06 544.aa).

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 After last month's article on e-leaning, Eyespy was surprised to hear that doctors often show resistance to new technology, especially computer systems. Case study analyses of the implementation of computer information systems in three hospitals showed that the “implementers” themselves played an important part in whether the outcome was successful (CMAJ 2006;174: 1573-8). Implementation was successful when the implementers dealt with the real reasons underlying this resistance. Implementation failed when they didn't respond to resistance behaviour, offered antagonistic responses, or when support was aimed at the wrong object of resistance.

Summer is here, and Eyespy knows the best advice is to stay out of the sun, cover up, and use sunscreen lotions. But researchers have recently found that repeated exposure to such lotions can increase the levels of serum thyroid stimulating hormone in rats. In addition, the weight of the thyroid gland was also found to be increased. Should we put off the use of sunscreens then? Not yet, say researchers (http://news.bbc.co.uk).

Some people doubt the existence of a clinical entity defined by an overt addiction to videogames, but a company based in Amsterdam is all set to launch a rehabilitation programme for young cyberaddicts. It has been well known that authorities in countries such as South Korea, China, and the United States have become increasingly concerned about young people spending too much time in front of their computers. The Dutch rehabilitation programme is the first of its kind in Europe, aimed at parents worried about their children spending all their energy on video games (www.independent.co.uk).

Tick tock, tick tock. It's time to go to bed, your adrenal glands say. And that's what scientists from Oregon have just found—genes linked with the circadian cycle were rhythmically expressed in rhesus monkeys' adrenal glands. The suprachiasmatic nucleus was once thought to be the only part involved with body clock mechanisms, but that might not be the final word. The scientistss have identified 322 transcripts with rhythmic patterns of expression and most of them show activation at night (Molecular Endocrinology 2006;20:1164-76).

Pakistanis are concerned with penis enlargement and bird flu, whereas Indians want information about condoms and metatarsals. South Africans concentrate on malaria and AIDS, and Singaporeans want to know about body odour and slimming. In Ireland, loneliness and facial hair top the bill, and in the United Kingdom they search for information about chips and chicken tikka masala. Google Trends, which reports which nations conduct the most internet searches for particular items, offers up cultural insights (Independent 2006 May 17).

Many hospital patients are confused about whether to call their doctor “Doctor” or “Mister” (or “Miss”). Just when they start to get the hang of it, they're caught out again. Now they have physicians, dressed like surgeons, sticking a cardiac stent in them—and wanting to be called doctor. And the stent insertion is an intervention, rather than an operation, because it's not carried out by a card carrying surgeon. In the US, of course, “Doctor” will do for every vet, dentist, osteopath, and podiatrist (Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine 2006;99: 164-5).

Eyespy is concerned for your health during the World Cup. There's so much to celebrate, but watch out. A report by the Liberal Democrats party stated that Britons will consume an extra 218 billion calories during the tournament. Added to that, the British Beer and Pub Association reported that England's supporters will drink an extra 80 million pints of beer and lager, in supporting the team all the way to the final (www.timesonline.co.uk).

Given the choice between waiting to receive an electric shock and getting it over with as quickly as possible, some people choose to have a stronger shock rather than wait for a mild shock. Not surprising, say the scientists who used functional magnetic resonance imaging to study neural responses to cutaneous shock. The levels of dread correlated well with the increase in neural activity in the posterior elements of the pain matrix and were a result of anticipating the adverse event, rather than of simple fear or anxiety (Science 2006;312:754-8).

Not getting enough sleep is a risk factor for high blood pressure, according to an analysis of the first national health and nutrition examination survey in the US (Hypertension 2006;47: 833-9). Sleeping less than five hours a night was associated with a significantly increased risk of hypertension in people aged between 32 and 59, a relation only partially attenuated by adjustment for potential confounding factors such as obesity and diabetes.

Ozone pollution chokes not just our cities, but could choke our arteries as well. It has been known for some time that ozone reacts with cholesterol and produces substances called atheronals. These atheronals have been found in atherosclerotic plaques. Researchers have now found evidence that atheronals (and hence ozone) play an important role in atherogenesis itself, by activation of monocytes into macrophages. The inflammatory reactions thus induced have an important role in the formation of the fibrofatty plaques that cause narrowing of arterial walls (www.newscientist.com).

studentBMJ 2006;14:265-308 July ISSN 0966-6494