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LOS ANGELES, May 31 (UPI) — Dieting alone may not be enough to prevent type 2 diabetes, a U.S. researcher cautions.

Preethi Srikanthan of the University of California, Los Angeles, says sarcopenia — low skeletal muscle mass and strength often found in those who are older or obese — may put individuals at risk for developing type 2 diabetes.

Srikanthan and colleagues Andrea Hevener and Arun Karlamangla looked at data on 14,528 people from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III.

The researchers found sarcopenia associated with insulin resistance — the root cause of diabetes — in both obese and non-obese individuals. Sarcopenia was also associated with high blood-sugar levels in obese people, but not in thin people.

These associations were stronger in people age 60 and under, in whom sarcopenia was associated with high levels of blood sugar in both obese and thin people, and with diabetes in obese individuals.

The researchers conclude dieting may just not be enough — it is also vital to have good muscle mass and strength.

The findings are published in the journal Plos One.

Copyright 2010 United Press International, Inc. (UPI). Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI’s prior written consent.

ELMWOOD PARK, Ill., May 31 (UPI) — A flying hockey puck to the mouth is not the only way to lose teeth, a U.S. implant dentist cautions.

Dr. Joseph Orrico of Elmwood Park, Ill., and a member of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry, says teeth can also be lost in all sorts of sports besides hockey and other kinds of accidents, too.

He advises the type of injury suffered will influence how the damaged teeth can be treated.

“Sometimes teeth are completely knocked out — roots and all, so in those cases place the tooth or teeth in a container of cold milk and get to a dentist within 30 minutes for a reinsertion procedure,” Orrico said in a statement.

The milk has a neutral pH balance and is a good fluid in which to try to keep alive any of the remaining living tissue on the root surface, Orrico says. However, time is of the essence. In situations when teeth are broken above the gum line, Orrico says the dentist might perform a root canal procedure to save the tooth structure and restore it with a crown. If a tooth is fractured below the gum line, it may be best to extract the fragment and insert a dental implant, a bridge or a removable dental prosthesis, Orrico says.

Copyright 2010 United Press International, Inc. (UPI). Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI’s prior written consent.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn., May 31 (UPI) — U.S. researchers found viruses and bacteria in East Tennessee drinking water before it was treated, a finding that may be a warning for untreated home wells.

Researchers at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville linked the contamination of the community water sources’ limestone — karst — aquifers to human feces.

“Karst aquifers have long been recognized as having high susceptibility to fecal contamination because they have features, such as sinkholes and caverns, which act as pathways for rapid flow and transport of contaminants,” Larry McKay said in a statement.

The study, published online in advance of print in a special edition of the journal Pathogens and Fecal Indicators in Ground Water, pointed out all eight of the sampled wells and springs were used for public water supply — water that is treated before distribution so the contamination in the study represented no direct risk to consumers.

However, the researchers say the results point to the health hazard potential of non-treated water.

“The real concern is for the numerous small non-community water systems and household wells, where local residents typically drink groundwater that hasn’t been filtered or disinfected,” McKay said. “It’s likely that many of these residents are being exposed to waterborne fecal contamination, both bacterial and viral, but it isn’t clear how big a health risk this represents. Local and regional research is needed to assess the health impacts.”

Fecal contamination of the water may create no symptoms in some, while others may become seriously ill or even die, McKay noted.

Copyright 2010 United Press International, Inc. (UPI). Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI’s prior written consent.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 31 (UPI) — The family dinner is alive and well, it just doesn’t resemble classic TV’s “Leave it to Beaver” lifestyle, researchers in Canada find.

Dean Simmons, a recent graduate of the University of British Columbia, surveyed families in British Columbia about their meals and says he was surprised to learn the vast majority of families were cooking at home on a regular basis — especially dinner.

“I expected them to be more about take-out and eating,” Simmons said in a statement.

Simmons says many people say they eat at home most of the time, even if they eat all of their lunches outside the home.

“When people talk about home cooking, they generally refer to the evening meal,” Simmons said.

People also say they liked eating at home because adults can control what the family is eating — mainly avoiding preservatives and junk food — as well as controlling costs, the study says.

Simmons also finds people use home cooking as a way to connect to other family members and to their heritage.

Fifty years ago, the mother cooked almost all the meals, but increasingly men are cooking and teens are learning to cook.

“Nearly every teen I spoke to said learning to cook was important for when they moved out,” Simmons said.

The findings are being presented at the Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences at Concordia University in Montreal.

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LOS ANGELES, May 31 (UPI) — A U.S. psychiatrist recommends psychiatrists be included in disaster first-response teams.

Dr. Anand Pandya of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles says Sept. 11, 2001, survivors and victims’ families have provided insight into people’s needs in the immediate aftermath of a crisis.

“When the terrorists attacked the World Trade Center, it was very unusual to have psychiatrists available where the survivors were located,” Pandya said in a statement. “But we were at Ground Zero immediately after 9/11 and what we found was that people will seek psychiatric help immediately for early symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder such as insomnia and feeling disconnected or numb.”

Within 24 hours of the attack, Pandya found 268 psychiatrist volunteers began to serve 848 patients — evaluating symptoms, giving information, providing short-term medication, if needed, and referring patients to non-profit organizations and other medical professionals for follow-up care. The most commonly recorded symptoms were sleeplessness, anxiety, depression and constant, overwhelming bereavement.

The study, published in the Journal of Psychiatric Practice, suggests psychiatrists need be put where Salvation Army and American Red Cross workers are because the need for psychiatric medical help is also immediate.

Copyright 2010 United Press International, Inc. (UPI). Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI’s prior written consent.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 31 (UPI) — Canadian researchers say the more than 26 percent increase in Caesarean section births is not due to maternal requests.

Researchers at the University of British Columbia find fewer than 2 percent are requested by the mothers-to-be.

“There is a misconception that the overall increase of Caesarean births is the result of maternal request,” lead author Gillian Hanley, a doctoral student, said in a statement. “Our analysis of British Columbia data shows that this is not the case.”

The study, published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, finds an average of 21.2 per 100 deliveries were first-time Caesarean sections. The most common reasons are abnormal or difficult childbirth — 30 percent of Caesareans — and non-reassuring fetal heart rate at 19.1 percent.

Hanley and colleagues examined all deliveries in British Columbia between 2004 and 2007 and say there are significant regional variations. They suggest further research is needed into why institutions differ in their responses to similar conditions.

“For example, smaller institutions may lack the resources required to respond to medical emergencies in the same manner as a tertiary care facility,” Hanley said. “It is therefore more likely for practitioners there to recommend a Caesarean delivery with a lower medical threshold.”

Copyright 2010 United Press International, Inc. (UPI). Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI’s prior written consent.

CLEVELAND, May 31 (UPI) — U.S. dentists caution injury risk is nearly two times greater in athletes not using mouth protection.

Members of the American Dental Association point to the recent case of a Chicago Blackhawks player who was struck in the mouth by a speeding puck and reportedly lost seven teeth.

“I dread picturing the degree of damage that the player might have sustained without wearing a mouth guard,” Dr. Matthew Messina, a Cleveland dentist, said in a statement.

Messina says a properly fitted mouth guard is an important piece of athletic gear that protects the mouth and cushions the blows that might cause broken teeth, or injuries to the lips, tongue, face or jaw.

He suggests sports dentistry studies show those even in non-contact sports — such as gymnastics — benefit from using mouth guards and urges everyone — from children to adults — to wear a mouth guard during any recreational activity having mouth injury risks, including practice and training sessions.

Messina’s recommendations include ensuring the mouth guard:

– Fits comfortably and does not restrict speech or breathing. A dentist can ensure proper thickness and adequate protection in critical areas, based on the sporting activity.

– Is kept clean.

– Is replaced if it has holes or tears, becomes loose or, like other sports equipment, wears out.

Copyright 2010 United Press International, Inc. (UPI). Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI’s prior written consent.

BALTIMORE, May 31 (UPI) — U.S. researchers say they linked exposure to the cold sore virus to shrinking of brain regions in patients with schizophrenia.

Scientists at The John Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore say they cannot explain why schizophrenia may make the brain more vulnerable to viral assault. However, they associate the virus-linked-lessening of volumes in the areas of the anterior cingulate and cerebellum to losses in concentration, memory and dexterity often found in patients with schizophrenia.

The study, published in Schizophrenia Research, may point to new treatments for schizophrenia.

“We’re finding that some portion of cognitive impairment usually blamed solely on the disease of schizophrenia might actually be a combination of schizophrenia and prior exposure to herpes simplex virus 1 infection, which reproduces in the brain,” study leader David Schretlen says in statement.

“If we can identify schizophrenic patients with herpes simplex virus 1 antibodies early on, it might be possible to reduce the risk or the extent of cognitive deficits.”

Schretlen and colleagues used brain scans to measure brain area volumes in 40 patients with schizophrenia. Testing to measure coordination speed, organizational skills and verbal memory was done as well. Blood tests indicated 25 had antibodies for herpes simplex 1 and 15 did not.

Copyright 2010 United Press International, Inc. (UPI). Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI’s prior written consent.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 31 (UPI) — Canadian researchers say the more than 26 percent increase in Cesarean births is not due to maternal requests.

Researchers at the University of British Columbia find fewer than 2 percent are requested by the mothers-to-be.

“There is a misconception that the overall increase of Cesarean births is the result of maternal request,” lead author Gillian Hanley, a doctoral student, says in a statement. “Our analysis of British Columbia data shows that this is not the case.”

The study, published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, finds an average of 21.2 per 100 deliveries were first-time Cesarean sections. The most common reasons are abnormal or difficult childbirth — 30 percent of Cesareans — and non-reassuring fetal heart rate at 19.1 percent.

Hanley and colleagues examined all deliveries in British Columbia between 2004 and 2007 and say there are significant regional variations. They suggest further research is needed into why institutions differ in their responses to similar conditions.

“For example, smaller institutions may lack the resources required to respond to medical emergencies in the same manner as a tertiary care facility,” Hanley says. “It is therefore more likely for practitioners there to recommend a Cesarean delivery with a lower medical threshold.”

Copyright 2010 United Press International, Inc. (UPI). Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI’s prior written consent.

INDIANAPOLIS, May 31 (UPI) — Dialysis patients with high blood pressure may do well to cut salt and ditch drugs, a U.S. doctor suggests.

Dr. Rajiv Agarwal of the Indiana University School of Medicine and Roudebush Veteran Affairs Medical Center in Indianapolis says reducing fluid build-up in the blood is more effective than using anti-hypertensive medications. He suggests returning to the forgotten but effective strategy of achieving and maintaining dry weight — the lowest weight safely reached immediately after dialysis without developing low blood pressure symptoms.

Cutting salt intake helps control blood pressure and makes it easier for patients to get down to a proper dry-weight, Agarwal said.

Agarwal and Dr. Matthew Weir of the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore looked at medical studies on dry-weight and concluded salt restriction and dry-weight reduction through dialysis together provide more benefits to the heart than anti-hypertensive medications.

“Medication-directed approaches for blood pressure control should be a secondary consideration to manipulating the diet and dialysis prescription in order to achieve dry-weight,” the authors said in a statement.

The study, published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology, suggests dry-weight can be assessed inexpensively by using two tests — relative plasma volume monitoring, which detects changes in volume of a patient’s blood, and body impedance analysis, which determines lean body mass.

Copyright 2010 United Press International, Inc. (UPI). Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI’s prior written consent.