Sunday, July 17, 2005

Health Headlines - July 17

Health Tip: Staying Safe at the Playground

Each year, thousands of kids are hurt on playgrounds in the United States, according to the National Program for Playground Safety.

Keep your kids safe by:

* Making sure your child's clothing has no loose strings. If these get caught in the equipment, they can cause strangulation.
* Having your child play only on age-appropriate equipment.
* Avoiding playgrounds with concrete, asphalt, grass, blacktop, or packed dirt surfaces. The area beneath the equipment should be hardwood fiber or mulch, pea gravel, or sand and synthetic material that will cushion a child's fall.
* Checking that the equipment is firmly anchored to the ground, that S-hooks are closed, and that bolts aren't protruding.

Health Tip: When Baby Begins to Crawl

If your baby is learning to crawl, take extra care to ensure her safety. A baby on the move can get into trouble very quickly.

The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto offers these tips:

* Use safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs. Don't use a pressure gate at the top of the stairs. It can topple if your child leans on it.
* Keep medicines and cleaning products locked up.
* Make sure there's no furniture near windows or balcony rails.
* Keep large toys and stuffed animals out of the crib or playpen. Your baby could use them to climb over the side.
* Don't let your child stand up in the high chair.
* Use the safety strap to secure your baby in a shopping cart.

FDA approves Cyberonics depression device

A stopwatch-sized device that uses electrical impulses to treat chronic depression won U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval, Cyberonics said on Friday.

Being smart no guarantee to happiness in old age

Being intelligent is no guarantee of a happy old age, researchers said.

US to rule on Barr contraceptive by Sept.

U.S. regulators will decide by Sept. 1 whether to approve Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s bid to sell the Plan B "morning-after" contraceptive without a prescription, two Senate Democrats said.

Gene variants tied to melanoma risk

In a Mediterranean population typically at low risk for developing melanoma, carriers of mutations in the pigmentation gene MC1R are at increased risk of developing the skin cancer and having it progress, a study hints.

Asthma gene variants may cut risk of brain cancer

New research suggests that gene variants, which are known to raise the risk of asthma, decrease the risk of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), a common type of brain cancer that is rapidly fatal.

U.S. probes deaths of patients using pain patches

U.S. regulators are investigating reports of deaths of patients who were using pain patches that contain the narcotic fentanyl, the Food and Drug Administration said.

Healing touch, music, aids heart surgery patients

People who learned about relaxed breathing and received soothing touch and music before heart surgery were more likely to be alive 6 months after the procedure, suggesting that these additional steps help speed recovery, according to a study released today.

Drug combo ups breast cancer survival-study

The combination of the anti-cancer drugs Herceptin and Taxotere appears to work better than Taxotere alone in women with advanced breast cancer that has spread beyond the breast, research shows. Moreover, there is little added toxicity when Herceptin is given.

Clot-buster more likely to work in women-study

Women suffering a sudden "ischemic" stroke caused by a blood clot in the brain are more likely than men to be helped from treatment with a commonly used clot-buster called tPA (tissue plasminogen activator), a study has shown.

Food Fact:
Kernels of wisdom.


The secret to tastier corn: Know exactly how long to cook it. Sweet and tender corn should be cooked in boiling water for no more than 1 or 2 minutes. For best flavor, cook corn the same day it's picked. It's naturally tasty - try it without butter to avoid added fat.There's nothing better than eating corn-on-the-cob on a summer's night. It's good for the soul and the body too. One ear's worth of kernels contains 85 calories and 3 grams fiber. Yellow corn contains lutein, a plant pigment that helps protect your eyes from macular degeneration. Hominy is corn that has been treated with an alkali to remove the hulls. The process boosts the availability of the niacin in corn as a nutrient.

Fitness Tip of the day:
Brain check.


Physical exercise may mean as much for your mind as it does for your body. Research shows exercise can relieve anxiety and depression, increase your energy levels, enhance your self-image, help release tension, and may improve sleeping patterns. Exercise also reduces your overall risk of dying prematurely and helps you control your weight.

FAQ of the day:
Do I need more soy if I'm menopausal?


There's some evidence that soy's isoflavones may help reduce hot flashes. More important is the benefit that soy foods rich in soy protein and isoflavones have on osteoporosis and heart disease. Like estrogen itself, soy's isoflavones help keep bones strong. You may want to take a soy protein isolate powder containing isoflavones daily to help prevent osteoporosis and lower blood cholesterol. With diet and exercise, you can greatly reduce your risk of heart disease after menopause, even without hormone replacement therapy.

No comments: