Month: August 2014

Two Americans treated for Ebola infection were released from Emory University Hospital this week. Kent Brantly, M.D., 33, and Nancy Writebol, 59, were infected while working at a hospital in Liberia. They were part of the mission groups Samaritan’s Purse and SIM. Dr. Brantly and Writebol were flown home in a specially equipped plane in early August. Both were treated in an isolation unit at Emory. They were given an experimental drug, ZMapp. The drug is so new it has not been tested in humans. It’s not known whether the drug helped them or if they would have recovered anyway. Standard treatment involves fluids, pain medicines and other supportive care. Emory doctors said the two are no longer infectious. Dr. Brantly appeared at a news conference August 21. He thanked and hugged members of the medical staff who cared for him. Writebol’s husband released a statement.

Exercise may help older women to avoid an abnormal heart rhythm, a new study suggests. The study focused on atrial fibrillation. In people with this irregular rhythm, the upper chambers of the heart quiver instead of contracting in a regular pattern. This can increase the risk of blood clots and stroke. The new study included more than 80,000 women. When the study began, the women were 50 to 79 years old. Researchers asked them how often they walked outside or exercised enough to sweat. Eleven years later, the most active women had a 10% lower rate of atrial fibrillation than those who walked less than 10 minutes a week. The most active women did exercise equal to 3 hours of brisk walking or 2 hours of slow cycling each week. The reduction in risk was similar for women who got more strenuous exercise — about 2 hours of running a week.

Walking, biking or even riding public transit to work can help with weight control, a new study suggests. The study was based on a survey of about 7,500 people in the United Kingdom. Nearly 74% commuted by car. About 10% of men and 11% of women used public transit. About 14% of men and 17% of women walked or biked to work. A nurse visited people and measured their height, weight and percentage of body fat. Researchers adjusted the numbers to account for factors that may affect weight. These included age, medical conditions, income, social class and other exercise. They found that BMI was lower for those who did not drive to work. Effects were similar whether people commuted by foot, bicycle or public transit. For example, men in these groups had BMI scores between 0.9 and 1.1 points lower than the men who drove themselves.