At what point is hand preference determined?

Researchers in Italy sought to determine just that. In the study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, they concluded that hand preference, whether you are “right-handed” or “left-handed”, is well defined at just 18 weeks gestation.

They founded their claims on analysis of fetal movement. By using 4D ultrasound scan, they looked at hand movements in the 14th, 18th and 22nd weeks of gestation. When the researchers followed up with the children at age 9, they noted an accuracy level in regards to determining the hand preference in gestation between 89 and 100 percent.

Why is this important?

“The researchers suggest that this is an important finding because left-handed people are more likely to suffer from conditions such as depression and autism spectrum disorder, and that their method of predicting handedness in the prenatal period may identify which children may be at higher risk to eventually develop these neurological problems,” says Dr. Guy Steinberg, maternal fetal medicine physician with Advocate Medical Group.

“They suggest that by knowing handedness in the prenatal period, these neurological conditions may be identified early in a child’s life, and therefore, interventions may be started early to counteract childhood development disparity.”

But is this study enough?

Dr. Steinberg says no.

“Although the ability to determine handedness in the prenatal period is an impressive and exciting finding, the clinical and practical implications of this information are unknown at this time.”

“More research is needed to determine at what age interventions should be started for these neurological conditions, and whether prenatal knowledge of this information improves outcomes. If there is a clear benefit to children by knowing handedness in the prenatal period, I would recommend that sonographers and maternal fetal medicine specialists determine this information during routine prenatal anatomy ultrasound.”

Dr. Dalia Davood, OB/GYN with Advocate Medical Group, echos Dr. Steinberg’s sentiments.

“While this study has shown the possible link between hand dominance and future developmental and/or behavioral issues, there needs to be further and larger studies done to be able to accurately say this could be of clinical significance.”

Read the original article here.

OK so this ones’ a stretch. Normally I report on some pretty real and hard science, new discoveries in cancer research etc. However, we also do a lot with nutrition and health.The information presented below is extremely questionable and just goes to show, that science can sometimes be manipulated to show whatever one desires as an outcome.

OK so this ones’ a stretch. Normally I report on some pretty real and hard science, new discoveries in cancer research etc. However, we also do a lot with nutrition and health.The information presented below is extremely questionable and just goes to show, that science can sometimes be manipulated to show whatever one desires as an outcome.

In this study done by Li-Qiang Qin — who works in the Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene at Soochow University & School of Public Health in China suggests that eating approximately one and a half ounces of cheese daily could reduce the risk of heart disease and/or stroke.
Published in the European Journal of Nutrition, the new study is derived from 15 “observational” studies of cheese and its effects on CV (cardio vascular) health.

It is true that cheese contains some nutrients (calcium, zinc, and vitamins A and B-12) that are good for you it is very high in saturated fats, that increase cholesterol leading to increased CV risk, stroke, or heart attack. On the other hand, this Chinese study alleges cheese may have the opposite effect. They looked at 15 observational studies in a Meta-Analysis as to if cheese affected total risk of cardio vascular problems leading to heart disease and/or stroke.

Over 200,000 people who were free of CV disease at the onset were followed for ten years.  Unbelievably, their observational investigation showed that regular cheese eaters vs non-cheese eaters were likely to have 18% less cardio vascular disease, 14% less coronal heart disease, and a 10% decrease in stroke risk. Therefore, decreased risk was more pronounced with those who ingested about 1.41 ounces of cheese daily.
While some may reveille in these findings, the study has many obvious flaws and misnomers. Mostly because its an observational study which allows for just about any bias one chooses to employ.

Secondly the two published studies on the subject were funded by Global Dairy Platform, Dairy Research Institute, and Dairy Australia. The study’s “scientists” receive help from Yili Group, a dairy company based in China.

While its unknown how much influence those entities had on the outcomes, it would be reasonable to assume that the initial premise on which the studies were based was irrevocable biased and slanted in the direction of a favorable outcome for the dairy industries. It would be somewhat akin to asking pig farmers to so a study on bacon and heart health. Needless to say, much more research needs to be done on both the topic and the studies themselves. As a final note, this author, the A$M and World Health agree with the American Heart Association (AHA) allowance of a maximum 5-6% of one’s daily calories come from saturated fats and that low-fat dairy is better for all.

**APS Pharmacy makes no claims about the efficacy of this article; always consult with your physician.

Last month, the first patient was enrolled in a clinical trial that will study the use of an epinephrine nasal spray for the treatment of anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction.

The study by INSYS Therapeutics will compare intranasal epinephrine administration with the more traditional delivery method, intermuscular injection, like with Mylan’s EpiPen. It will also examine the bioavailability of the solutions proposed with the product and measure the safety and tolerability of these formulations.

“We believe that delivering epinephrine through the mucosa of the nasal passages has the potential to compare favorably to intramuscular injection, both clinically and practically,” said Steve Sherman, senior vice president of regulatory affairs at INSYS Therapeutics, in a news release. “This study will test that hypothesis.”

INSYS expects enrollment in the study to be complete in the first quarter of 2018, with initial results for all enrolled patients available by February. Based on the results, the company will decide whether to proceed with additional trial phases as part of its clinical development program.

“Speed of delivery and magnitude of effect are the most important factors in treating anaphylaxis,” says Dr. Marlito Favila, urgent care physician with Advocate BroMenn Medical Center in Normal, Ill. “It will be interesting to see if their delivery system can bring the same concentration, onset and ultimately, effect.”

Read other articles by Lynn Hutley