Hypnotherapy may help youngsters cope.

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

ABDOMINAL PAIN

Hypnotherapy may help youngsters cope.

THE QUESTION Hypnosis has been shown to help adults handle various types of pain. Might kids with chronic abdominal pain find similar relief?

THIS STUDY involved 53 children, 8 to 18 years old, who'd had abdominal pain for at least a year. (Irritable bowel syndrome was diagnosed in 22 of them, and 31 had pain for undetermined reasons.) They were randomly assigned to receive hypnotherapy or regular medical care plus supportive therapy.

Hypnotherapy involved six 50-minute sessions over three months, including instruction on self-hypnosis techniques, relaxation and visualization; the children were urged to practice daily. The other group received educational information, dietary advice and pain medication if needed plus six 30-minute sessions of supportive therapy over three months.

When treatments ended, 59 percent of the hypnotherapy group and 12 percent of the others were considered in remission (their pain having dropped by more than 80 percent). A year later, 85 percent of the hypnotherapy group, vs. 25 percent of the others, remained nearly pain-free.

WHO MAY BE AFFECTED? Children with abdominal pain, which can stem from constipation, infection, stress, anxiety or an underlying medical condition. In some cases, the cause of chronic pain is not determined.

CAVEATS The children assessed their own pain levels, using standardized scales. An expectation of benefit from hypnotherapy may have affected the results.

FIND THIS STUDY November issue of Gastroenterology.

LEARN MORE ABOUT abdominal pain in children at http://www.med.umich.edu (search for "your child topics") and http://www.kidshealth.org (click "Parents," then search for "abdominal pain").

BLOOD CLOTS

Participating in sports seems to ward off clots.

THE QUESTION If blood flow becomes sluggish, a clot can develop in a vein deep in the body. Might stepped-up blood flow from physical activity offer protection?

THIS STUDY analyzed data on 7,860 adults, most in their mid-40s; slightly less than half had had a blood clot in a leg vein or lung artery.

About 31 percent of those who'd had a clot, and 40 percent of the others, said they participated in a sports activity (such as rowing, swimming, jogging, karate, aerobics, horseback riding) at least weekly. Regular sports participation reduced the risk of a blood clot by 39 percent for women and 22 percent for men, compared with those who did not participate in sports.

Clots in a lung artery were 46 percent less likely to develop in active people than in the others; leg vein clots were 24 percent less likely. Risk did not change based on the frequency of participation or intensity of the sport.

WHO MAY BE AFFECTED? Anyone can develop a blood clot in a leg vein (deep vein thrombosis), but these clots are more common if a vein is damaged in surgery or by injury, if blood flow has been slowed by inactivity or if medication or genetics has made the blood more likely to clot. Nearly all lung-artery clots (pulmonary embolisms) occur because a clot in the leg has broken free of the vein and traveled through the bloodstream to the lungs.

CAVEATS Some of the benefit attributed to sports participation may have resulted from weight loss associated with the activity. Data on sports participation were based on the participants' recollection.

FIND THIS STUDY November issue of the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis.

LEARN MORE ABOUT blood clots in the leg at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health (click "Deep Vein Thrombosis"); learn about clots in a lung artery at http://www.mayoclinic.com (search for "pulmonary embolism").

HYPERTENSION

High blood pressure may be a cause of disability.

THE QUESTION Heart disease, stroke and kidney failure all occur more often in people with high blood pressure. Might disability later in life be more common as well?

THIS STUDY analyzed data on 999 older adults who tracked their blood pressure levels and ability to perform daily tasks over about 40 years. None of the participants had had a stroke. Midway through the study, about 70 percent were found to have hypertension.

Based on three standardized scales, functional ability (upper and lower body strength, physical mobility, ability to perform daily activities) declined more among people with hypertension than among those with normal blood pressure. Overall, as blood pressure increased, especially systolic pressure (the top number in a reading), functional ability decreased.

People with hypertension but no disability midway through the study were 15 percent to 36 percent more likely than people with normal pressure readings to develop disabilities by the end of the study. Women were more likely than men to develop disabilities.

WHO MAY BE AFFECTED? Older people. Nearly a third of Americans have high blood pressure, with the likelihood increasing with age. Hypertension generally remains once it develops, but it usually can be controlled.

CAVEATS The study did not determine the mechanism by which hypertension might cause disability. Data on functional abilities came from the participants' assessments.

FIND THIS STUDY Nov. 20 issue of Hypertension.

LEARN MORE ABOUT hypertension at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov and http://www.americanheart.org.

-- Linda Searing

The research described in Quick Study comes from credible, peer-reviewed journals. Nonetheless, conclusive evidence about a treatment's effectiveness is rarely found in a single study. Anyone considering changing or beginning treatment of any kind should consult with a physician.