Monday, October 31, 2005

Health Headlines - October 31

White House to Announce Flu Pandemic Strategy

Increased efforts at early detection of human avian flu infections in the United States and other countries are expected to be part of the Bush administration's strategy to deal with a potential global pandemic.

The strategy, to be unveiled Tuesday, will include recommendations on how to isolate people who are sick and will place the onus on governors and mayors to decide who will receive stockpiled vaccines, the Associated Press reported.

It's also expected that Bush will ask Congress for more money for a vaccine to fight bird flu and to create an infrastructure that can deal with any kind of pandemic, whether it's bird flu or some other influenza strain.

The experts who've advised the Bush administration in the year-long search for a long-range plan have recommended that the influenza strategy should cover: plans on how to provide food supplies; everyday medical care for people who aren't afflicted with flu; basic utilities, and security.

In related news, several biotechnology companies are trying to develop a new and faster method of making a flu vaccine that can replace the current vaccine that requires people to be inoculated with the entire influenza virus.

The idea is to extract just a few genes from the flu virus and inject it into people, the AP reported.

Currently, it takes nine months to produce each year's flu shots. The process, which has changed little since the 18th century, may prove ineffective in dealing with the unexpected emergence of a new, deadly flu strain.

Meanwhile in Japan, officials Monday said they planned to slaughter 82,000 more chickens after signs of avian flu were detected at a farm in Ibaraki, northeast of Tokyo, the AP reported. The farm is located inside an area that's already been quarantined and where 1.5 million birds have already been destroyed.

Brain Structure May Affect Anxiety

The size of a particular brain structure may affect a person's vulnerability to anxiety, say Massachusetts General Hospital researchers.

They scanned the brains of 14 volunteers while they were exposed to anxiety-inducing situations and concluded that people with a thicker ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) are better able to cope with stressful experiences, BBC News reported.

"These results suggest that a bigger vmPFC may be protective against anxiety disorders or that a smaller one may be a predisposing factor," said researcher Dr. Mohammed Milad.

However, Milad said it's not yet known how vmPFC size might actually affect a person's susceptibility to anxiety. The study appears in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The next step in this research involves looking at genetic and environmental factors that may explain differences in vmPFC size, BBC News reported.

The researchers said that eventually it may be possible to use vmPFC size to predict a person's vulnerability to anxiety disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder.

Japanese Panel Recommends Lifting U.S, Canada Beef Ban

A two-year ban on U.S. and Canadian beef imports should be lifted, a panel of Japanese scientists recommended Monday.

The 2003 Japanese ban on beef imports from both countries was prompted by the discovery of mad cow disease. The panel concluded that there's little risk of mad cow disease in beef products from young Canadian and U.S. cattle if potentially dangerous body parts are removed, Agence France Presse reported.

"If these conditions are maintained, the risk is very slim," panel chairman Yasuhiro Yoshikawa told reporters. "Those who want to buy it (North American beef) can buy it. If people don't want to buy it, then they don't have to."

The government-appointed panel recommended that beef imports from the two countries could resume in December, after the required public hearings and government approval.

Gates Foundation to Boost Malaria Research

Calling the current lack of funding for malaria research "a disgrace," Microsoft mogul Bill Gates on Sunday announced that his charity, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, will earmark another $258.3 million in grants toward prevention and treatment of the mosquito-borne scourge.

The new funding comes on top of previous monies the foundation has designated for malaria research, the Washington Post reported. The new grants mean the foundation is now the single largest funder of malaria research worldwide, eclipsing the U.S. government.

Experts estimate that malaria kills 1.2 million people annually, most of them African children under 6 years of age. "It's really a tragedy that the world has done so little to stop this disease that kills 20,000 African children every day," Gates said in a press conference in New York. "If those children were in rich countries we'd have headlines, we'd take action."

One of the foundation grants, for $107.6 million, will fund sped-up research on what is hoped to be the world's first-ever malaria vaccine, currently being developed in Germany by a division of drug giant GlaxoSmithKline PLC. Researchers hope a cheap, easily distributed vaccine will be ready for use in just six years.

Researchers Find Key Stem Cell Trigger

U.S. scientists announced Saturday they had moved a big step closer to growing human organ tissue in the laboratory using embryonic stem cells, according to a report in The Times of London. The discovery could help pave the way for lifesaving treatments for a variety of illnesses, with stem cells someday being used to repair or replace lost tissues.

Reporting in the journal Nature Biotechnology, researchers at biotech company CyThera said they have found a way to turn embryonic stem cells in endoderm, a layer of cells in human embryos that eventually develops into organs.

CyThera scientific director Emmanuel Baetge told the Times that "If you were to use human embryonic stem cells to make products that treat disease such as diabetes or liver failure, you would have to go through the endoderm stage to get [them]."

Experts have hailed the results as proof of principle that stem cells can be manipulated to give rise to endoderm, which has so far been extremely difficult to obtain.

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:
Don't be a night owl.


Exercising just before bedtime may be asking for trouble. Aerobic exercise -- and exercise in general -- helps you fall asleep more quickly and sleep longer, but generally not if you if you work out just before turning in. Don't be tempted by your gym's late hours if you have to get up early the next morning; most of us need a few hours to relax and decompress after a workout before going to sleep, so you might pay a price the next day.

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.

Sunday, October 30, 2005

Health Headlines - October 30

W.H.O. Asks China for More Tests in Potential Human Bird Flu Death

One day after health officials in the Chinese province of Hunan ruled out bird flu in the death of a 12-year-old girl, the United Nation's World Health Organization on Friday requested that China conduct further tests to confirm that finding.

According to a report in The New York Times the girl, He Jin, lived near the site of the latest outbreak in poultry of avian flu in China. She died one week after falling ill on Oct. 11. Her younger brother has also been hospitalized with similar flu-like symptoms.

Chinese officials have so far reported no human deaths from avian influenza, but W.H.O. officials have asked for more extensive tests on the two children.

"We would not consider that any of these cases have been thoroughly tested yet, based on the extremely limited information we have seen," said Dr. Julie Hall, coordinator of epidemic response at the W.H.O.'s Beijing office. "We feel at this moment it is really too early to say if both of these cases are negative."

Also on Friday, a doctor at a hospital in central Vietnam reported that a 14-year-old girl and a 26-year-old man died earlier this week after showing symptoms of avian influenza, according to a report from Vietnamese news agency Thanh Nien Daily.

Worldwide, health officials have confirmed 77 humans cases of infection with the H5N1 bird flu virus, including 30 deaths. All cases have so far been confined to Southeast Asia.

Texas Oil Company Employees Given Fake Flu Shots

Up to 1,000 Houston-area workers of the Exxon-Mobil company, as well as 14 residents of a local senior citizens home received shots of purified water instead of the flu shot, officials announced Friday.

U.S. Attorney Chuck Rosenberg told the Associated Press that Iyad Abu El Hawa, 35, the owner of three Houston home health care centers, has been arrested and charged with Medicare fraud in connection with the fake shots given to 14 elderly residents of a home in LaPorte, Texas on Oct. 21. Charges stemming from the shots given to the Exxon-Mobil workers at a company health fair have not yet been filed.

"This is a very callous and disturbing crime," Rosenberg told the AP. "[El Zawa] purposefully put at risk many, many people." Medicare fraud carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

According to Rosenberg, the alleged fraud came to light when a nurse noticed irregularities in the handling of the flu shots.

The nurse, who was not identified, thought it odd that El Zawa's employees seemed ignorant of lot numbers used to track vaccines, and that they would not let a doctor at the health fair check the syringes. She kept two of the syringes for herself and gave them to the FBI.

Lyme Disease Often Misdiagnosed as Psychiatric Illness

Adults with chronic Lyme disease often display mood swings that can be misdiagnosed as psychiatric illness, causing delays in treatment for this debilitating condition, a new study found. On average, researchers say the average patient with chronic Lyme disease waits more than a year before receiving a proper diagnosis.

The four-year study, conducted by a team from Columbia University, New York, also found that over three-quarters of female Lyme disease patients, and about one-quarter of males, suffer from significant pain and disability linked to infection with the tick-borne illness.

"While much is known about early Lyme disease, very little is known about chronic Lyme disease, despite its rising prevalence and disabling effects," lead researcher Dr. Brian Fallon said in a prepared statement. The findings were presented Saturday at the annual Lyme Conference in Philadelphia.

In another study presented at the conference, researcher Dr. Daniel Cameron, director of First Medical Associates in Mt. Kisco, New York, found that the average quality of life for patients with chronic Lyme disease falls below that of patients with other chronic conditions such as heart failure. Re-treatment with the antibiotic amoxicillin can help ease patients' symptoms, however.

U.S. FDA Warns Against Cherry Industry Health Claims

Companies marketing products containing cherry juice concentrates or other cherry-derived products are often overstating the fruit's health benefits, officials at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned Friday.

According to the Associated Press, the agency has issued a letter to 29 companies making or marketing cherry products. In that letter, the FDA directs the businesses to cease making "unproven claims" on product labeling or Web sites that cherry products prevent or treat cancer, heart disease, arthritis and other illnesses. Failure to comply could result in product seizure under the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, the FDA warned.

The cherry industry has been promoting the fruit as a health food over the past few years, and the Web site of the Lansing, Mich.-based Cherry Marketing Institute describes cherries as "a natural pain killer."

Jane DePriest, the institute's marketing director, said her group hasn't contacted the the FDA on the warning letter, but told the AP "We want these businesses to take the letters seriously and respond to them."

Companies May Abandon Controversial Diabetes Drug

The makers of an experimental drug to help diabetics control blood sugar and cholesterol said Friday that they may abandon seeking approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Associated Press reported.

Drug companies Bristol-Myers Squibb and Merck & Co. said the FDA, before considering approval, wanted additional safety data about Pargluva (muraglitazar) -- data the companies said could take up to five years to obtain, the AP reported.

The agency and some physicians who have examined data about muraglitazar obtained during clinical trials have concerns that the drug could be linked to heart problems, the wire service said.

Bristol-Myers Squibb released a statement Friday saying it was considering options including "conducting additional studies or terminating further development of muraglitazar."

Last week, both companies said the FDA had issued an "approvable" letter if the drug makers met certain conditions. It wasn't until Friday that the companies said the FDA wanted additional safety data information, the AP reported.

Members of the FDA's Endrocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee voted 8-1 to recommend approval of the drug to treat type 2 diabetes, the wire service said. The full FDA usually follows the recommendations of its expert panels.

Last week, however, HealthDay reported that a group of prominent cardiologists warned that the FDA shouldn't approve Pargluva without additional studies, since the drug appeared to double the risk of death, heart attack, and stroke. The cardiologists' report was published Oct. 20 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Food Fact:
A touch of cinnamon.


For diabetes control, a dash of cinnamon may have a surprisingly sweet payoff. Researchers have found it may enhance insulin's ability to metabolize glucose. It's estimated that as little as 1/4 tsp. cinnamon may have a positive effect on blood sugar. Cinnamon is also rich in catechins, which are potentially health-protective, although the catechins in cinnamon are not as well studied as those found in tea. If your cinnamon has been sitting on the shelf for more than a year, toss it out. As with most spices, its flavor goes flat with time.

Fitness Tip of the day:
Set reasonable goals.


Want to lose 30 pounds or have killer abs? Great, but remember: Every long journey starts with one step. By focusing on smaller, incremental targets unrelated to results -- say, following through on a promise to walk a little every day at lunch for a week -- you'll feel a sense of achievement early and more often. Big goals take time to reach, and focusing on them too soon may do more harm than good.

FAQ of the day:
Is tofu a good source of calcium?


Many kinds of tofu are excellent sources of calcium, but not all. If tofu is processed with calcium sulfate -- as most are -- it will have about 260mg of calcium per cup. This calcium is as absorbable by the body as the calcium in milk. But tofu processed with nigiri will have little calcium. Similarly, calcium-fortified soy milk contains 300mg of calcium, the same as a cup of milk, but not all soy milks are fortified. Read the label to be sure.

Saturday, October 29, 2005

Health Headlines - October 29

Companies May Abandon Controversial Diabetes Drug

The makers of an experimental drug to help diabetics control blood sugar and cholesterol said Friday that they may abandon seeking approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Associated Press reported.

Drug companies Bristol-Myers Squibb and Merck & Co. said the FDA, before considering approval, wanted additional safety data about Pargluva (muraglitazar) -- data the companies said could take up to five years to obtain, the AP reported.

The agency and some physicians who have examined data about muraglitazar obtained during clinical trials have concerns that the drug could be linked to heart problems, the wire service said.

Bristol-Myers Squibb released a statement Friday saying it was considering options including "conducting additional studies or terminating further development of muraglitazar."

Last week, both companies said the FDA had issued an "approvable" letter if the drug makers met certain conditions. It wasn't until Friday that the companies said the FDA wanted additional safety data information, the AP reported.

Members of the FDA's Endrocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee voted 8-1 to recommend approval of the drug to treat type 2 diabetes, the wire service said. The full FDA usually follows the recommendations of its expert panels.

Last week, however, HealthDay reported that a group of prominent cardiologists warned that the FDA shouldn't approve Pargluva without additional studies, since the drug appeared to double the risk of death, heart attack, and stroke. The cardiologists' report was published Oct. 20 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Decision on Inhalable Insulin Postponed

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has delayed its decision on approving the first inhalable form of insulin, the Associated Press reported Friday.

The agency said it wanted to review more data on the drug, which would be marketed under the name Exubera. Makers Pfizer, Sanofi-Aventis, and Nektar Therapeutics have hailed the drug as a convenient alternative to insulin injections.

Last month, an FDA expert panel voted 7-2 to recommend approval by the full agency, the AP reported.

In announcing the FDA delay on Friday, the developers said the agency wanted to review "additional technical chemistry data." The companies did not elaborate.

The expert panel that reviewed Exubera said the drug's potential benefits outweighed potential risks, including whether the drug's effects had been sufficiently studied in people with lung problems, the wire service said.

Record Number of Unmarried U.S. Women Give Birth

A record number of babies were born to unwed women in the United States last year, the government's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) announced Friday.

And contrary to a popular impression, it isn't mostly teenagers who are giving birth out of wedlock, an NCHS spokeswoman told the Associated Press.

Teens accounted for 24 percent of unwed births last year, down from 50 percent in 1970, spokeswoman Stephanie Ventura said. By contrast, significant increases in unmarried births have been seen among women ages 25 to 29, she said.

There were 1,470,152 babies born to unmarried U.S. women in 2004, which accounted for 35.7 percent of all births in the country, the NCHS said.

No Consensus on Tamiflu Hoarding

Even though businesses and individuals in the United States have been hoarding Tamiflu to protect against bird flu, there's confusion about whether that's the right thing to do, the Associated Press reported.

While some doctors' groups advise people not to stock up on Tamiflu, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which includes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hasn't offered an opinion. That's frustrated local public health officials who want to offer advice to people.

"A lot of people have asked the CDC to provide some guidance about this, with patients asking doctors for prescriptions," Dr. Craig Conover, medical director for the Illinois Department of Public Health, told the AP.

On Thursday, Swiss drug maker Roche said it was temporarily halting shipments of Tamiflu to private-sector recipients in the United States. The move is intended to prevent hoarding of the drug and to guarantee there's enough to treat conventional flu cases this winter.

The American Medical Association opposes personal stockpiling of Tamiflu and warns that misuse of the drug could result in the development of drug-resistant flu strains.

In related news, the United States has awarded Chiron Corp. $62.5 million to produce a vaccine against the HN51 strain of bird flu that has world health officials worried about a possible human pandemic.

In a prepared statement, HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt said the U.S. government planned to buy enough vaccine for 20 million people, and enough antirviral medication for another 20 million. The Chiron agreement follows last month's announcement of a $100 million contract to Sanofi Pasteur to produce additional bird flu vaccine.

It's not clear how many doses each company will produce since details are still being worked out, the AP reported.

Chiron had produced about half of the annual U.S. doses of regular human flu vaccine before contamination problems last year forced the company to suspend production at a British plant for several months. The closing caused widespread flu vaccine shortages in the United States last fall.

Tissue Products May be Tainted

The Canadian government has warned that an unknown number of skin graft and dental surgery patients in that country may have received tainted human tissue from a U.S. company that may have illegally obtained body parts from corpses in funeral homes.

Over the past year, about 300 of the company's tissue products made of processed human bone, skin and tendons have been imported into Canada, the Globe and Mail reported.

The company, Biomedical Tissue Services Ltd. of Fort Lee, N.J. is being investigated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The FDA is trying to determine if human tissue used by the company met donor eligibility requirements or if the tissue donors were properly screened for infectious diseases such as HIV, hepatitis B and C, and syphilis.

Neither Health Canada or the FDA has received reports of adverse reactions caused by the tissue products. However, tissue processors that received material from Biomedical have issued a recall of tissue products, the Globe and Mail reported.

Cancer Drug May Boost Memory

An experimental cancer drug called bryostatin may aid in learning and memory and offer a possible treatment for Alzheimer's disease, according to a report in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The drug activates protein kinase-C, an important cellular messenger that also plays a role in learning and memory formation in the brain. U.S. researchers fed bryostatin to snails three days before they were put through a series of learning tasks. The drug seemed to promote the snails' long-term memories of the tasks, Newsday reported.

Health Tip: Winter Is Coming

Winter is fast approaching, and for many of us that means frosty mornings and snow-filled commutes. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest preparing a survival kit for your car.

Here's a list of items to include:

* Blanket.
* First-aid kit.
* Windshield scraper.
* Booster cables.
* Road map.
* Batteries and flashlight.
* Cell phone.
* Compass.
* Tool kit.
* Paper towels.
* Sand and salt to melt snow.
* Tow rope.
* Shovel.
* Dried foods and can opener.
* Canned, compressed air for tires.

Health Tip: When Sex Becomes Compulsive

Sex is a normal, healthy part of life, but it may become a problem when it interferes with your daily routine.

Here's a list of signs that your behavior may be sexually compulsive, provided by the Mayo Clinic:

* Having many sexual partners or extramarital affairs.
* Having sex with prostitutes and treating them as objects.
* Participating frequently in sexual chat rooms.
* Using sex to calm stress or depression.

Friday, October 28, 2005

Health Headlines - October 28

Doctors Ask Government About Tamiflu

Worried that bird flu in Asia could morph into a human flu pandemic, healthy patients, schools and even some doctors are asking if they should stock up on Tamiflu -— the one medicine experts believe might help fight the virus.

Although some doctors' groups say no, the agency in charge of the nation's public health has no answer. That has frustrated local health officials who want to know how to advise people.

"Those are questions that are under discussion," Christina Pearson, spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said this week. "Right now we're focused on the seasonal flu."

HHS includes the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, whose job includes dispensing public health recommendations.

"A lot of people have asked the CDC to provide some guidance about this, with patients asking doctors for prescriptions," said Dr. Craig Conover, medical director for the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Personal hoarding isn't fair, he said, "but on the other hand, I have heard people say that the more this gets used, the more manufacturing ability they'll develop. We've chosen to wait for CDC guidance on this."

Tamiflu is a prescription pill designed to treat regular flu. But it also seems to offer some protection to people against the type of flu that has devastated Asian poultry flocks and is spreading to birds in Europe. Bird flu has killed more than 60 people over the past two years.

On Thursday, Tamiflu's Swiss maker, Roche Holding AG, said it was temporarily suspending shipment to private U.S. suppliers because of increased global demand.

"We've seen recently some very large purchases at the wholesale level, companies or large entities who are possibly hoarding Tamiflu right now," said Darien Wilson, spokeswoman at Roche's U.S. offices in Nutley, N.J.

Prescriptions for the drug last week were nearly quadruple what they were a year before, according to Verispan, a Pennsylvania-based company that monitors pharmacy sales.

And this winter's flu season hasn't even started yet.

Maura Robbins of Chicago said she and her husband have discussed whether to seek prescriptions for their two young children as a precaution against a pandemic. They won't for now, because they "didn't want to buy into the hysteria or overreact," she said.

Dr. Bennett Kaye, a pediatrician affiliated with Chicago's Children's Memorial Hospital, said he tells patients that stocking up on Tamiflu "is definitely a bad, bad idea."

The virus circulating among Asian birds is not spreading between people and is not even very easy for people to catch from birds.

"Parents should not be worried about their kids catching bird flu this year unless they're planning on visiting a chicken farm in Vietnam," Kaye said.

Published reports suggest that some doctors are keeping supplies of Tamiflu to give to family and friends in case the bird flu mutates into a bigger threat, but no doctors reached for this story acknowledged that.

The American Medical Association is against personal stockpiling and says the misuse of Tamiflu could lead to drug-resistant flu strains.

The American Academy of Pediatrics is preparing a statement urging pediatricians "not to do personal or organizational stockpiles," said Dr. John Bradley, a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics' infectious disease committee. "The last sentence of the statement is that no pediatrician on this committee has a personal stockpile or is prescribing the drug" for healthy people.

Dr. Deborah Yokoe, an infectious disease specialist at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital, said, "Doctors are human, too. They have the same sorts of anxieties themselves. I'm sure some are keeping supplies, too."

Last week, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health issued a notice advising against personal stockpiling, prompted by patients' questions, and Yokoe said such messages will discourage some doctors from writing advance prescriptions for a potential flu pandemic.

Tamiflu isn't the only hot commodity being sought because of pandemic worries.

Kimberly-Clark Health Care says it has "ramped up to full capacity" face mask production to keep up with bird flu-linked demand from governments, hospitals and individuals. Surgical N-95 masks protect against airborne disease transmission.

Company spokesman David Parks declined to specify numbers but said some orders have been 50 times higher than usual.

3M spokeswoman Jacqueline Berry also reported a rise in face-mask orders but said reasons for demand include hurricane-related mold problems.

Cough and Cold Medicine Abuse

Although it's been all over the news lately, chugging cough medicine for an instant high certainly isn't a new practice for teens. They've been raiding the medicine cabinet for a quick, cheap, and - more importantly - legal high for decades. But recent coverage of the dangerous, potentially deadly practice of intentionally overdosing on cough and cold medicine has put parents, educators, and emergency departments on the alert.

Why Are Kids Abusing Cough and Cold Remedies?
Before the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) replaced the narcotic codeine with dextromethorphan as an over-the-counter (OTC) cough suppressant in the 1970s, teens were simply guzzling down cough syrup for a quick buzz. Over the years, teens have made the unsettling discovery that they could get high by taking mass quantities of any of the multitude of over-the-counter medicines containing dextromethorphan (also called DXM). Found in tablets, capsules, gel caps, and lozenges, as well as syrups, dextromethorphan-containing products are labeled DM, cough, cough suppressant, or Tuss (or contain "tuss" in the title).

Medicines containing dextromethorphan are easy to find, affordable for cash-strapped teens, and perfectly legal. Getting access to the dangerous drug is often as easy as walking into the local drugstore with a few dollars or raiding the family medicine cabinet. And because it's found in over-the-counter medicines, many teens are naively assuming that DXM can't be that dangerous.

Then and Now
Despite the recent media coverage, there's been "no significant change" in the number of emergency department visits from DXM abuse since 1994, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which monitors trends in drug-related emergency department visits and deaths nationwide.

The major difference between abuse of cough and cold medicines from past years is that teens are using the Internet to not only buy DXM in pure powder form, but to learn how to abuse it. Because drinking large volumes of cough syrup causes vomiting, the drug is being extracted from cough syrups and sold on the Internet in a tablet that can be swallowed or a powder that can be snorted. Online dosing calculators even teach abusers how much they'll need to take for their weight to get high.

One major way teens are getting their DXM fixes is by taking "triple C" - Coricidin HBP Cough and Cold, which contains 30 mg of DXM in little red tablets. Users taking large volumes of triple C run additional health risks because triple C contains an antihistamine as well. The list of other ingredients - decongestants, expectorants, and pain relievers - contained in other Coricidin products and OTC cough and cold preparations compound the risks associated with DXM and could lead to a serious drug overdose.

In addition to Triple C, other street names for DXM include: Candy, C-C-C, Dex, DM, Drex, Red Devils, Robo, Rojo, Skittles, Tussin, Velvet, and Vitamin D. Users are sometimes called "syrup heads," and the act of abusing DXM is often called "dexing," "robotripping," or "robodosing" (because users chug Robitussin or another cough syrup to achieve their desired high).

What Happens When Teens Abuse DXM?
Although DXM can be safely taken in 15- to 30-milligram doses to effectively suppress a cough, users tend to consume as much as 360 milligrams or more. Taking mass quantities of products containing DXM can cause hallucinations, loss of motor control, and "out-of-body" (disassociative) sensations.

Other possible side effects of DXM abuse include: confusion, impaired judgment, blurred vision, dizziness, paranoia, excessive sweating, slurred speech, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, headache, lethargy, numbness of fingers and toes, redness of face, dry and itchy skin, loss of consciousness, seizures, brain damage, and even death.

When consumed in large quantities, DXM can also cause hyperthermia, or high fever. This is a real concern for teens who take DXM while in a hot environment or while exerting themselves at a rave or dance club, where DXM is often sold and passed off as similar-looking drugs like PCP.

Being on the Lookout
If you suspect that your child may be abusing over-the-counter medicines or if your teen often attends raves or dance clubs where DXM can likely be found in abundance, it might be a good idea to:

Lock your medicine cabinet, or keep those OTC medicines that could potentially be abused in a less accessible place.
Avoid stockpiling OTC medicines. Having too many OTC medications at your teen's disposal could make abusing them more tempting.
Keep track of how much is in each bottle or container in your medicine cabinet.
Keep an eye out for not only traditional-looking cough and cold remedies in your teen's room, but also strange-looking tablets (DXM is often sold on the Internet and at raves in its pure form in various shapes and colors).
Look for possible warning signs of DXM abuse listed above.
Monitor your child's Internet usage. Be on the lookout for suspicious websites and emails that seem to be promoting the abuse of DXM or other drugs, both legal and illegal.
Above all, talk to your kids about drug abuse and explain that even though taking lots of a cough or cold medicine seems harmless, it's not. Whether it comes from inside the family medicine cabinet or the corner drugstore, when taken in large amounts dextromethorphan is still a drug that can be just as deadly as those sold by drug dealers on a seedy street corner. And even if you don't think your teen is doing it, chances are they know someone who is.

China Rules Out Bird Flu in Girl's Death

China on Friday ruled out bird flu in the death of a 12-year-old girl whose village suffered an outbreak, while Indonesia was testing dead chickens on Bali for the virus.

Highlighting the region's growing anxiety, Australia's health minister said the country would have to isolate itself in the event of a bird flu epidemic among humans. A Hong Kong lawmaker proposed arming the public to shoot all migratory birds.

The Thai government said three French tourists who became ill after visiting Thailand were found not to have bird flu.

The cases caused alarm when initial tests conducted on the Indian Ocean island of Reunion suggested the three might be carrying the virus. But more sophisticated tests in Paris found no virus, the Thai Health Ministry announced.

The World Health Organization said it wanted to see test results on the Chinese girl before it could confirm that the world's most populous nation hadn't suffered its first bird flu fatality.

Chinese authorities went on national television to assure the nation they could control the disease. They said they would quarantine any human cases and threatened to punish anyone who tries to hide an outbreak.

Scientists say China is a potentially a huge incubator for the disease because of its large poultry industry and vast territory. The country has reported three outbreaks since Oct. 19, the latest in the village where the girl died.

"Prevention and control of bird outbreaks is of chief importance," said Jia Youling, China's chief veterinary officer. "If we fail to do that well, then sooner or later there will be transmission from birds to human."

Bird flu has killed at least 62 people since it surfaced in 2003, according to the WHO. Most had contact with sick poultry. But health experts have warned that the virus could mutate into a form that can be easily transmitted between humans and trigger a global pandemic.

Chen Xianyi, vice director of the Health Ministry's department of disease control said tests on the girl, who died last week in the central province of Hunan, showed she died of pneumonia.

"The test results were negative" for bird flu, Chen said.

Still, a WHO spokeswoman said the U.N. agency was still waiting for official word from Beijing.

"We'd like to know what tests were conducted," said spokeswoman Aphaluck Bhatiasevi.

The girl lived in Wantang, a village where the government says 545 chickens and ducks died of bird flu last week. She died three days after developing a high fever on Oct. 13.

In Indonesia, authorities were waiting for test results on chickens that have died recently in Padang Sambian, a village on the outskirts of Bali's capital, Denpasar. Bird flu has killed four people and decimated poultry stocks across the sprawling archipelago.

Also Friday, Australia's health minister said the island continent of 20 million people would shut itself off from the rest of the world if a human flu pandemic breaks out.

"The best way of ensuring that you don't get infected with something like this, in the absence of an effective vaccine, would be isolation," Health Minister Tony Abbott told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio after returning from a bird flu conference in Canada.

Abbott's announcement came as Australia warned its people to avoid travel to 15 Asian countries at risk for possible outbreaks.

In Hong Kong, a lawmaker proposed allowing the public to carry guns and shoot migratory birds suspected of carrying the virus.

"Perhaps what we should do is give each person a gun," said lawmaker Tommy Cheung, who has a reputation for making unusual proposals, "and when we see a migrating bird, we can just shoot it down, so Hong Kong would be a much safer place."

Food Fact:
Broccoli vs. cancer.


The veggie's green pigment makes it a potent disease-fighter. Substances called isothiocyanates, found in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, stimulate our bodies to break down potential carcinogens. Plus, ounce for ounce, broccoli contains as much calcium as milk. Vegetables in the crucifer family range widely in color, shape and flavor, from squat purple turnips to lanky, leafy nappa cabbage. Most crucifers are strong-flavored and require an assertive seasoning to bring out their best.

Fitness Tip of the day:
Find the right activity.


Answers to three questions will tell you if your exercise program is right for you. Try different activities, and ask yourself : Do I look forward to this? Do I enjoy doing it? Do I feel good afterward? If you answer yes to all three, it's an activity you'll probably keep doing. Remember, no exercise program will work for long if you have to force yourself to do it.

FAQ of the day:
Will carbs make me fat?


It certainly hasn't worked that way for traditional Asian societies, where carbohydrates can make up as much as 80% of the diet and obesity is rare. Excess calories from any source will lead to weight gain. As for carbohydrates, the key for weight control is to limit consumption of refined grains and sugars, which pack a lot of calories in a portion, and emphasize whole grains rich in fiber, and whole fruits and vegetables, which are very low in calories.

Thursday, October 27, 2005

Health Headlines - October 27

Roche Suspends Tamiflu Shipments to U.S. Private Sector

Swiss drug maker Roche said Thursday that it was temporarily halting shipments of the anti-influenza drug Tamiflu to private sector recipients in the United States.

The move is intended to prevent hoarding of the drug and to guarantee there's enough to treat conventional flu cases this winter, The New York Times reported.

Companies have been stockpiling Tamiflu in order to give it to their employees in the event of an avian flu pandemic, Roche said. This stockpiling threatened to reduce the availability of Tamiflu to treat regular flu.

"At the present time, we do not have an avian influenza pandemic in the United States. However, we need to make sure that people exposed to this year's seasonal flu viruses will have access to Tamiflu," George Abercrombie, president of Roche's U.S. subsidiary, said in a statement.

This suspension of sales to the private sector won't affect U.S. government orders for Tamiflu.

Stockpiling also led Roche to suspend Tamiflu shipments in Canada, and there were reports the company was limiting Tamiflu supplies in Germany and Switzerland. The Swedish government is also limiting how much Tamiflu doctors can obtain, the Times reported.

The surging demand for Tamiflu is the result of increasing fears about the global spread of bird flu. Health officials hope that Tamiflu can help blunt the impact of a bird flu pandemic.

In related news, Russia announced Thursday that it had a new outbreak of the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus in chickens and ducks in a Siberian village of Rotovka, the Associated Press reported.

This lethal strain has also been found in birds in Croatia, Romania, Russia and Turkey, raising concern that it could spread across Europe. The H5N1 strain has killed at least 62 people in Asia since 2003.

U.S. Advisers Recommend Hep A Shots for All Kids

Hepatitis A vaccinations should be given to all children between 1 and 2 years old, the U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended in a unanimous vote late Wednesday.

The committee helps set U.S. guidelines and its recommendations are often adopted by federal health officials and heeded by doctors, the Associated Press reported.

Currently, the U.S. government recommends hepatitis A vaccinations for children in 17 states that had the highest rates of the disease. However, the impact of those vaccination campaigns seems to have leveled off and some health officials are worried that hepatitis A infection rates may rebound.

It's believed that expanding the vaccination effort across the United States may prevent 100,000 hepatitis A cases and 20 deaths in the lifetimes of children vaccinated in a single year, the AP reported. The direct cost of the vaccination program would increase from $22 million to $134 million.

Children account for about 25 percent of hepatitis A cases, but many adults contract the disease from infected children. While rarely fatal, hepatitis A attacks the liver and can cause diarrhea, fever and jaundice.

U.S. Reverses Psychiatric Drug Test Policy

The U.S. government has reversed a recently adopted policy that required long-term studies of new psychiatric drugs before they're allowed on the market, the Washington Post reported.

This policy reversal came after an expert panel unanimously voted against requiring long-term studies as a condition of approval for such drugs. The expert panel said that while such studies are necessary, delaying decisions on new drugs would hurt patients.

The experts made the new recommendation after they were inundated with complaints from the drug industry, patient advocates and academic researchers.

The critics said requiring long-term studies on new psychiatric drugs would provide little new information on the drugs and would cause drug companies to scale back on the development of new drugs, due to potential increases in cost and risk, the Post reported.

The FDA had started to implement the new plan over the previous six months. The plan said drug companies had to conduct studies for as long as six months before seeking FDA approval for new drugs.

Number of Diabetic Americans Continues to Rise

Close to 21 million Americans -- seven percent of the population -- now has diabetes, up 2.6 million from just three years ago, according to new statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Close to 6 million Americans may have diabetes and not know it, the CDC noted in its 2005 National Diabetes Fact Sheet released Wednesday. Another 41 million suffer from what experts call "pre-diabetes" -- a condition greatly increasingly risks for the type 2 form of the disease.

"Diabetes is a leading cause of adult blindness, lower-limb amputation, kidney disease and nerve damage," CDC diabetes program director Dr. Frank Vinicor said in a prepared statement. "Two-thirds of people with diabetes die from a heart attack or stroke."

According to the CDC, diabetes remains the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. The disease is hitting minorities especially hard, with Hispanics and blacks facing about twice the risk of becoming diabetic compared to whites. Medical expenditures and lost worker productivity means diabetes costs the country more than $132 billion annually, the CDC added.

FDA Warns of Glucose Meter Foul-Up

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has notified patients and health care providers that blood glucose meters made by Abbott Diabetes Care of Alameda, Calif., can unintentionally be switched from one unit of measurement to another, resulting in an inaccurate blood glucose interpretation by the user.

The agency warns users in the United States to make sure that their meter reading is displayed as mg/dL because an inaccurate reading can lead to taking the wrong dose of insulin or dietary changes, resulting in higher levels of sugar in the blood or hyperglycemia. Several cases of hyperglycemia, a serious and even life-threatening condition, have been reported, according to a prepared statement by the FDA.

The meters are designed to report blood glucose levels in two different measurements -- the U.S. standard, milligrams per deciliter or mg/dL, and the foreign standard, millimoles per liter or mmol/L -- and can be accidentally switched from one measurement to the other when a user is setting the time and date for the meter or if a meter is dropped or a battery replaced.

For information on how to change the meter reading back to mg/dl, users should refer to their owner's manual or contact Abbott Diabetes Care at 1-800-553-4105 (open 24 hrs. per day) or AbbottDiabetesCare.com. Doctors and consumers who have experienced a problem with any of the affected glucose meters should call the FDA (1-800-332-1088), or Abbott.

Food Fact:
Balanced diet?


Eat more blueberries, and you may be less prone to falls. Researchers at Tufts University fed antioxidant-rich extracts of blueberries, strawberries or spinach to rats for eight months -- and those that received blueberry extracts displayed better balance when walking over small rods. Similarly, the deep blue color of this all-American berry comes from anthocyanin, a powerful plant pigment believed to reduce some of the cognitive problems associated with aging.

Fitness Tip of the day:
Less is more.


Surprise! A few short exercise sessions a day can be as valuable as one longer session. The key to making exercise a habit is to fit it comfortably into your schedule. If you can't find a 30-minute block of time, try three 10-minute stints over the course of the day.

FAQ of the day:
Is a "plant-based" diet the same as "vegetarian"?


Nutritionists use the term "plant-based" for a diet that gets most of its calories from plant foods, but may include some animal foods. In some parts of the world, what nutritionists have called plant-based diets will include red meat like beef or pork, but eaten rarely, or in very small amounts. Vegan diets, which include no foods of animal origin, are plant-based by definition. So are lacto-ovo-vegetarian diets, which include dairy foods and eggs, as well as diets that include fish, shellfish and poultry. Population studies have demonstrated a significant link between plant-based foods (whole grains, vegetables, fruits, beans, soy) and a reduced risk of developing cancer and coronary heart disease.

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Health Headlines - October 26

Obesity May Contribute to Liver Trouble

A diet high in fat and sugar triggered immune system abnormalities -- including reduced levels of natural killer T (NKT) cells -- in the livers of mice, says a study led by Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

The study authors said these diet-related changes may contribute to obesity-related liver disease. The findings appear in the October issue of the journal Hepatology.

Natural killer T (NKT) cells in the liver regulate production of cytokines, which are cell proteins.

The study found that the mice on the high-fat diet gained much more weight than mice fed a normal diet. The mice on the high-fat diet also developed fatty livers and had increased production of IL-12, a cytokine that reduces NKT cell viability, and had increased NKT cell death.

The high-fat diet also promoted production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. When the researchers induced liver injury in the mice, they found that those on the high-fat diet experienced more liver inflammation and damage than mice on the normal diet.

The findings show that high-fat diets are associated with a chronic inflammatory state in the liver, which promotes chronic liver disease, the study authors said. They said this may be the result of diet-induced depletion of NKT cells that normally balance production of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines.

"Further evaluation of other mouse strains, different age groups and genders will be necessary to clarify if any of these factors modulate susceptibility to diet-related changes in hepatic NKT cells," the authors said. "Nevertheless, our findings are important because they clearly demonstrate significant dietary effects on 'classic' NKT cells and cytokine production by other liver mononuclear cells."

Chewing Gum Speeds Surgery Recovery


New research has given doctors and their patients something to chew on: Patients who use chewing gum have shorter hospital stays after laparoscopic colon surgery than those who don't.

In laparascopic surgery, surgeons use video-equipped tools inserted through a tiny incision to operate in a specific area.

"We know that patients who undergo laparoscopic surgery have a faster recovery and less pain than with traditional techniques. We wanted to see if we could do even better. People today want to get home as soon as possible, back to their lives and families," Dr. James McCormick, a laparoscopic surgeon at The Western Pennsylvania Hospital in Pittsburgh and a lead investigator in this study, explained in a prepared statement.

"Something as simple as chewing gum can help make that a reality," he said.

In the study, 102 patients undergoing elective colon resection surgery were divided into two groups. Those in the control group received the standard fare after abdominal surgery -- sips of clear liquid. The patients in the study group were also given gum to chew at mealtimes.

Patients who chewed gum went home, on average, one day sooner than those who didn't receive gum, the researchers found.

The study authors said chewing gum after surgery can prevent or reduce postoperative ileus, a condition where the digestive system remains inactive for a period of time following surgery. Ileus is a major cause of postoperative problems and prolonged hospital stays, and costs up to $1 billion a year in the United States, the researchers said.

"There are a few scientific theories which attempt to explain why this approach works. Most prevalent is the concept of 'sham feeding,' " McCormick said.

"It is normal to sit down at meal time and chew and swallow for 15 minutes," he explained. "Gum chewing stimulates that activity nicely. The sooner the body thinks it is normal, the sooner it will act normally. And the sooner you get to go home."

The study was presented this week at the annual meeting of the American College of Surgeons, in San Francisco.

On-Campus Suicide a Hidden Killer

Back in 1998, Ron Gibori was a fraternity brother to bright, popular Jed Satow, a 20-year-old University of Arizona sophomore whose suicide that year shocked his family and friends.

"I made a promise at his memorial service that I would try and do something to make sure other students like myself would never have to lose a friend," Gibori said.

Then, less than six months later, another of Gibori's fraternity brothers took his own life. "I realized then that the promise I had made at Jed's memorial service couldn't go unfulfilled," he said.

Joining forces with Jed's parents Phillip and Donna Satow, Gibori helped create The Jed Foundation, a New York City-based nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness of the problem of suicide on America's college campuses.

According to Gibori, approximately 1,100 U.S. college students take their own lives each year. Nobody's sure if that number is rising or falling -- according to Gibori, a steep increase in on-campus suicides has been charted over the past 40 years, but that could simply reflect a more honest reporting of an event that's been too long cloaked in shame.

"Suicide is still an unexplored social taboo in our society today," Gibori said. Breaking that taboo is the key goal of The Jed Foundation and its Web-based help service, www.Ulifeline.org.

Students in trouble who head to the site can get youth-friendly, anonymous mental health information, as well as links to on-campus mental health centers at more than 530 U.S. colleges. "Right now, over 5 million students have access to the program," Gibori said.

The need is real. According to Los Angeles psychologist Michael Peck, a specialist in youth suicide, college can be a dangerous time for troubled young people.

Many are emotionally immature, he said, and while their newfound independence from parents is liberating, it can be scary, too. Alcohol and drugs are readily available, and the pressure to achieve and fit in can be overwhelming, especially at prestige schools.

In fact, "a study I did years ago found that elite colleges have much higher suicide-event rates than small, local community colleges," Peck said. Much of that owes to the fact that students attending smaller, local colleges are also more likely to be living in the relative comfort and safety of the family home.

"Elite colleges also come with higher stress because there's much more pressure on succeeding," he said. "When students aren't succeeding, they feel like they're failing both themselves and their parents, who are often paying a lot of money for these schools."

And Peck pointed to another grim phenomenon: The fact that suicide can be "contagious" on campus. "Students are closely packed together, so a suicide attempt or death may trigger other suicidal behavior by other students," he said. "That's always a problem."

There are warning signs, he said:

Apathy. "You'll see a drop-off in school participation, and a falling of grades and class attendance," Peck said.
Distance. Friends and family may notice a change in closeness or communication. "This might not always be in terms of frequency," Peck noted. "The student may still call his parents every Sunday like he's supposed to; but instead of the usual conversation, it's just 'Hi Mom, Dad, everything's fine, talk to you later.'"
Substance abuse. Friends, especially, should react to any abnormal increase in drinking or drug-taking behavior with concern, the psychologist said.
Unexplained gifts. "This actually happens a lot," Peck said. "A student will come to you and say 'I know you're taking chemistry -- here are my books, I won't need them anymore.'" These types of acts are usually a cry for help, he said -- something friends need to be sensitive to.
"Friends are the key ingredient here," Peck said. "Usually, if the student is going to tell anybody that they are at risk, they'll tell a friend." And he believes those closest to at-risk students need to be "understanding, not dismissive," and urge them to head for mental-health counseling.

Parents can also play a key role. "They need to be open to that idea that there can always be problems," he said, and to ease up on the pressure if their child seems to be struggling at school.

If and when problems do surface, parents may need to take decisive action. "They even have to be willing, in extreme circumstances, to bring their child home," Peck said.

Colleges have done much to raise awareness of campus suicide in the past decade or two, Peck said. "Most have a hotline now, a mental-health service, specific rules about partying and hazing," he said.

And yet students like Jed Satow can still fall through the cracks.

"I think the thing people say most often is, 'This can never happen to me, or to my friend,'" Gibori said. "There's that perception out there that people who are depressed are all dressed in black, pierced and tattooed."

But even the most outwardly cheerful, wholesome students can be struggling with hidden demons.

"My two friends in the fraternity who took their lives were probably two of the most popular kids there -- the most liked and the most sociable," Gibori said. "So the key message is that if you don't want it to be you or your friend, get educated on the warning signs, and know that depression is treatable, because everyone is vulnerable."

Health Tip: What's in Your Cookware?

Before you prepare your holiday feasts, take note of how your cookware is made, advises Health Canada.

Aluminum dissolves easily from pots and pans that are worn during cooking. The longer food is cooked in the aluminum, the greater the amount that can enter the food. Vegetables and acidic foods absorb the most aluminum.

Although small amounts of copper are good for your health, large amounts can be poisonous. Most pots and pans are coated with another layer to protect the copper, but sometimes the protective layer can erode.

Iron and chromium are also good for your health, but too much also can be toxic. Plastic cookware and plastic wrap are safe, but should not be placed in the microwave unless deemed microwave-safe.

Health Tip: Vitiligo Causes White Skin Patches

Vitiligo, a skin condition causing loss of pigment and white patches, affects about two of every 100 people, the American Academy of Dermatology says.

The severity of pigment loss varies with each person, and there is no way to predict how much pigment someone will lose.

People with the condition should avoid tanning because areas of vitiligo have no protection from the sun. Sunscreen should be worn at all times to avoid the possibility of skin cancer.

Makeup and micropigmentation tattooing may be helpful in disguising the white patches, and doctors may prescribe treatment to prevent further discoloration. Other treatments include topical corticosteroids, grafting, and depigmentation therapy. However, none of these therapies is a permanent cure.

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

Health Headlines - October 25

Parents Say Inactivity Is Main Cause of Childhood Obesity

Lack of exercise is a main cause of childhood obesity, according to many of the 961 parents who took part in a poll by the Associated Press and KOL, the children's service of America Online.

The poll found that inactivity was rated just ahead of easy access to junk food as the main concern of 21 percent of the parents who acknowledged that their children were overweight.

In terms of food, more than 50 percent of the parents said the cost of healthy food, along with food packaging and television commercials, were factors in terms of children's weight problems.

The survey found that children of parents who earned less than $50,000 a year were slightly more likely to be overweight than children from higher-income families, the AP reported. Parents with yearly incomes of less than $25,000 were more likely than parents with higher incomes to point to the cost of healthy food as a barrier to improving the eating habits of their children.

Rural parents were more likely than suburban parents to cite the cost of healthy food as an issue.

The survey also found that 49 percent of parents pointed to a lack of time for home-cooked meals as a problem, the AP reported.

Ginseng Effective Against Colds: Study

Taking ginseng appears to lower the risk of developing a cold, says a study by researchers at the University of Alberta in Canada.

Their study of 323 people found that 10 percent of those who took daily ginseng capsules for four months suffered two or more colds, compared to 25 percent of those who didn't take ginseng. The study also concluded that taking the herb seemed to reduce the severity of colds by about a third, BBC News reported.

The findings were published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

It's believed that ingredients in ginseng bolster the immune system by stimulating immunoglobin -- proteins that act as antibodies, BBC News reported.

Study lead researcher Dr. Tapun Basu said the results show that ginseng is effective in warding off colds.

However, not everyone is convinced.

"We cannot advise people to use ginseng," Dr. Jim Kennedy, prescribing spokesman of the Royal College of GPs in Great Britain, told BBC News. "While the supposed benefits of ginseng are widely known, there is still no proof it helps. The evidence is still anecdotal."

Air Pollution in China Kills 400,000 People a Year: Report

Air pollution causes the premature deaths of more than 400,000 people in China each year, says an unpublished government report, Agence France Press reported.

About 300,000 people die from outdoor air pollution and another 111,000 die from indoor air pollution each year, said the study conducted in 2003 by the Chinese Academy on Environmental Planning.

"It's a conservative figure. The real figure could be higher," Wang Jin'nan, chief engineer of the academy, told AFP.

Wang said the report hasn't been made public because different levels of governments in China, especially at the provincial level, don't want bad publicity.

The figures in this report match World Bank estimates that air pollution-related illnesses such as lung and heart diseases kill about 400,000 people in China each year. Coal-fired power plants are the main source of outdoor air pollution in that country, AFP reported.

FDA Warns Against Use of Discontinued ADHD Drug

The risk of life-threatening liver problems caused by the discontinued Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder drug Cylert (pemoline) outweigh the drug's therapeutic value, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned Monday.

The agency said it is aware of 13 reports of liver failure among Cylert users, resulting in liver transplant or death.

"The agency has concluded that the overall risk of liver toxicity from Cylert and generic pemoline products outweighs the benefits of this drug," the FDA said in a statement posted on its Web site.

While the agency said pharmacies and wholesalers are allowed to continue selling the drug until current supplies are exhausted, it warned doctors to "transition their patients to an alternative therapy."

Maker Abbott Laboratories, citing declining sales, stopped producing the medication in March. The FDA said generic companies also have agreed to end production. Still, the consumer group Public Citizen issued a statement calling it "reckless and insensitive to the health and lives of children and adults using this drug ... to fail to institute an immediate recall of these dangerous products."

Public Citizen said despite Abbott's pronouncement that it would no longer produce or market Cylert, some 10,000 U.S. prescriptions for Cylert were written since the spring, and some 50,000 prescriptions were filled for generic versions.

Japanese Panel Delays Decision on U.S. Beef Ban

Japan has delayed a decision on whether to lift its two-year-old ban on U.S. beef imports.

The delay was announced Monday by a Japanese government panel on mad cow disease, even though the panel had prepared a draft report that concluded American beef posed a low risk, the Associated Press reported.

It was widely anticipated that the panel would send the report to the Japanese Food Commission, a move that would have started the process leading to the resumption of U.S. beef imports into Japan by the end of the year.

However, several panel members expressed worry about the reliability of U.S. mad cow disease safeguards and how they can be guaranteed.

The panel chairman said he hoped the panel would reach a final decision as early as their next meeting, scheduled for later this month or in early November, the AP reported.

Japan is the most lucrative overseas market for U.S. beef. Japan imposed the ban on U.S. beef imports in December 2004 after the first case of mad cow disease was reported in the United States.

Pillows Harbor Millions of Fungal Spores

You're sleeping with strangers -- millions of them.

A U.K. study says that your pillow plays host to millions of fungal spores from 16 species of fungi, including types that are normally found in bathrooms and bread, the Globe and Mail reported.

They also identified a fungi species called Aspergillus fumigatus, which is the leading cause of infection-related death in leukemia and bone marrow transplant patients.

"We really thought it was the kind of stuff you find on a bathroom wall in a damp house. To find it in the bed you sleep in is really a surprise," Ashley Woodcock of the University of Manchester told the Globe and Mail.

He and his team identified the fungi when they tested 10 pillows. While sleeping with these fungi shouldn't be dangerous for healthy people, it could proved fatal for people in ill health, especially those with weakened immune systems.

Food Fact:
Guac shock.


Think avocados are too lush and buttery to be good for you? Think again. Yes, avocados are high in fat, but it's the heart-healthy kind. Even "good" fat is highly caloric, so you have to keep portions under control, but in moderation as part of a diet low in saturated fat, avocados can help reduce bad cholesterol. To determine ripeness, press gently on the avocado's skin. If the flesh yields slightly, the avocado is ready to eat that day. Store avocados at room temperature, never in the refrigerator.

Fitness Tip of the day:
Buddy up!


Struggling to stick to your exercise program? Try working out with a partner. Adding a social aspect to your workout helps keep you both motivated and makes sessions more fun. Training with a friend provides mutual support for keeping a regular schedule and pushes you harder to meet your goals.

FAQ of the day:
What exactly is considered "red" meat?


Contrary to what some advertisements may dub "the other white meat," scientists define red meat as the meat from land mammals such as cattle, pigs and lamb. That means beef, lamb and, yes, pork.

Monday, October 24, 2005

Health Headlines - October 24

FDA Warns Against Use of Discontinued ADHD Drug

The risk of life-threatening liver problems caused by the discontinued Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder drug Cylert (pemoline) outweigh the drug's therapeutic value, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned Monday.

The agency said it is aware of 13 reports of liver failure among Cylert users, resulting in liver transplant or death.

"The agency has concluded that the overall risk of liver toxicity from Cylert and generic pemoline products outweighs the benefits of this drug," the FDA said in a statement posted on its Web site.

While the agency said pharmacies and wholesalers are allowed to continue selling the drug until current supplies are exhausted, it warned doctors to "transition their patients to an alternative therapy."

Maker Abbott Laboratories, citing declining sales, stopped producing the medication in March. The FDA said generic companies also have agreed to end production. Still, the consumer group Public Citizen issued a statement calling it "reckless and insensitive to the health and lives of children and adults using this drug ... to fail to institute an immediate recall of these dangerous products."

Public Citizen said despite Abbott's pronouncement that it would no longer produce or market Cylert, some 10,000 U.S. prescriptions for Cylert were written since the spring, and some 50,000 prescriptions were filled for generic versions.

Japanese Panel Delays Decision on U.S. Beef Ban

Japan has delayed a decision on whether to lift its two-year-old ban on U.S. beef imports.

The delay was announced Monday by a Japanese government panel on mad cow disease, even though the panel had prepared a draft report that concluded American beef posed a low risk, the Associated Press reported.

It was widely anticipated that the panel would send the report to the Japanese Food Commission, a move that would have started the process leading to the resumption of U.S. beef imports into Japan by the end of the year.

However, several panel members expressed worry about the reliability of U.S. mad cow disease safeguards and how they can be guaranteed.

The panel chairman said he hoped the panel would reach a final decision as early as their next meeting, scheduled for later this month or in early November, the AP reported.

Japan is the most lucrative overseas market for U.S. beef. Japan imposed the ban on U.S. beef imports in December 2004 after the first case of mad cow disease was reported in the United States.

Pillows Harbor Millions of Fungal Spores

You're sleeping with strangers -- millions of them.

A U.K. study says that your pillow plays host to millions of fungal spores from 16 species of fungi, including types that are normally found in bathrooms and bread, the Globe and Mail reported.

They also identified a fungi species called Aspergillus fumigatus, which is the leading cause of infection-related death in leukemia and bone marrow transplant patients.

"We really thought it was the kind of stuff you find on a bathroom wall in a damp house. To find it in the bed you sleep in is really a surprise," Ashley Woodcock of the University of Manchester told the Globe and Mail.

He and his team identified the fungi when they tested 10 pillows. While sleeping with these fungi shouldn't be dangerous for healthy people, it could proved fatal for people in ill health, especially those with weakened immune systems.

Epidural May Increase Need for Medical Help: Study

Women who have an epidural during childbirth are more likely to require medical assistance to deliver their babies, says a study that analyzed 21 previous studies involving more than 6,000 women.

The review, conducted by The Cochrane Review, an independent health database, concluded that women who had an epidurals were 40 percent more likely to need intervention during childbirth, such as the use of forceps to deliver the baby, BBC News reported.

Women who opted for an epidural were also more likely to have a longer second stage of labor -- when the baby is pushed out of the birth canal -- and were also more likely to have drugs to stimulate contractions, the study found.

These women also had an increased risk of low blood pressure and of being unable to move for a short time after delivery. However, when it came to the risk of Caesarean section, long-term backache or immediate adverse effects on the newborn, there were no significant differences between women who had an epidural and those who didn't opt for it, BBC News reported

Britain Says Parrot Had Deadly Strain of Avian Flu

British officials confirmed Sunday that it was the deadly H5N1 strain of avian flu that killed a parrot that had been under quarantine in that country.

The government also called for a worldwide ban on bird trade into the European Union (EU) to stop any further spread of avian flu, the BBC reported. Health officials fear a bird flu pandemic could mutate, and start to spread easily among humans.

Environment Minister Ben Bradshaw said the ban could be introduced within days. "My understanding is there would be considerable support throughout the EU for this," he told the BBC.

Meanwhile, the Associated Press reported Saturday that Croatian authorities began killing thousands of birds, and ordered that the area surrounding a national park where six birds died of avian flu be disinfected.

The virus found in the parrot most closely matched the strain found in ducks in China earlier this year. The avian flu has swept across Asia in the past two years, wiping out the poultry stocks and killing 61 people, the AP reported.

The EU said Friday it was preparing a ban on all poultry imports from Croatia. It has done the same in Russia, Romania, Turkey and one of the Greek isles, where bird flu has recently been discovered among flocks. The EU is also urging countries to start vaccination programs for zoo birds to head off the disease.

Meanwhile, Russia reported a new outbreak of the lethal strain of the flu, Sweden confirmed a case, and Italy and the Congo became the latest countries to ban bird imports from nations where the virus has been reported.

Food Fact:
Asparagus tips.


Spear 25 on your fork to barely reach 100 calories? That's not all... This true dieter's delight is plentiful and inexpensive in spring. Asparagus is a great source of folic acid, and a good source of vitamins A and C. When buying asparagus, choose firm, bright green spears with tight tips. Wrap in plastic and store for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. If stems are thick, peel the outermost layer with a vegetable peeler. Steam or boil until just tender, about 3 minutes. Resist butter sauces or oil-rich vinaigrettes, which ruin the nutritional profile.

Fitness Tip of the day:
Lift weights, lose weight.


Marilyn Monroe knew it, and you should, too: For good health and a great shape, dumbbells are a girl's best friend. Dieters who lift weights and eat well lose more body fat, and feel stronger and more flexible. Lifting weights as you diet makes it easier to shed pounds; increased muscle mass will boost your metabolic rate over time, allowing you to burn calories even at rest. It also gives your muscles a tight, firm appearance.

FAQ of the day:
How much red meat is too much?


If you choose to include red meat in your diet, you can greatly reduce your risk of chronic disease by limiting how much and how often you eat it. In population studies, individuals who say that they eat red meat "less than once a week" are generally at significantly lower risk of heart disease and cancer than people who eat red meat several times a week. A good goal: No more than once a month. You don't have to reach this goal overnight; work your way down to once a week, then once every two weeks, then once a month. Take it one day at a time; try fish, chicken, beans or soy tonight!

Sunday, October 23, 2005

Health Headlines - October 23

Britain Calls for Worldwide Ban on Bird Trade

British health officials on Saturday called for a worldwide ban on bird trade into the European Union (EU) to stop the spread of avian flu, the BBC reported.

The appeal was made to EU after the first case of avian flu was reported in that country when a parrot from South America that was being held in quarantine died. Officials fear a bird flu pandemic could mutate, and start to spread easily among humans.

Environment Minister Ben Bradshaw said the ban could be introduced within days. "My understanding is there would be considerable support throughout the EU for this," he told the BBC.

Meanwhile, the Associated Press reported Saturday that Croatian authorities began killing thousands of birds, and ordered that the area surrounding a national park where six birds died of avian flu be disinfected.

Neither country has determined whether the birds had the deadly H5NI strain that has swept across Asia, wiping out the poultry stocks and killing 60 people in just two years, the AP reported.

The EU said Friday it was preparing a ban on all poultry imports from Croatia. It has done the same in Russia, Romania, Turkey and one of the Greek isles, where bird flu has recently been discovered among flocks. The EU is also urging countries to start vaccination programs for zoo birds to head off the disease.

Meanwhile, Russia reported a new outbreak of the lethal strain of the flu, Sweden confirmed a case, and Italy and the Congo became the latest countries to ban bird imports from nations where the virus has been reported.

U.S. Senate Shelves Action on Stem Cell Bill

The sponsors of a U.S. Senate bill that would ease restrictions on publicly funded human embryonic stem cell research have agreed to postpone action on the plan until early next year, the Associated Press reported Friday.

Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) said a deal had been struck to shelve debate on the measure. The harvesting of stem cells from human embryos is controversial because the embryos must be destroyed in the process. In 2001, President Bush banned federal funding for research on all but existing stem cell lines.

The U.S. House of Representatives has already passed a bill to ease the restrictions, but neither the House nor the Senate has enough votes to override a promised presidential veto, the AP reported.

Proponents of embryonic stem cell research say it could lead to the discovery of cures for diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, diabetes and cancer.

FDA Approves Fetal Stem Cell Transplants Into Human Brains

Stanford University Medical Center doctors have received U.S. government permission to conduct the first transplant of fetal stem cells into human brains. The transplant patients would be six children with Batten disease, a rare, fatal genetic disorder.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave its approval on Thursday, but the transplant tests must still be approved by an internal Stanford Review Board and that could take weeks, the Associated Press reported.

Batten disease is a degenerative condition that causes blindness, speechlessness, paralysis and then death. The disease is the result of a defective gene then that fails to produce an enzyme that's required to dispose of cellular waste in the brain. Most Batten disease patients die before they become teenagers.

The stem cells that would be used in the transplants would be immature neural cells programmed to form into mature brain cells. It's hoped that after these immature neural cells are injected into the children's brains, the brain will turn them into cells that can manufacture the missing enzyme, the AP reported.

This approach showed promise in mice with Batten disease, but has never been tested in humans.

Carotid Stent Studies May Prompt More Medicare Coverage

New research results on carotid stents may encourage U.S. health regulators to expand Medicare coverage for the procedure.

Preliminary results released Thursday from a government-mandated study found that a procedure using stents to open carotid arteries in the neck can be done by doctors with limited experience, if they receive training, The New York Times reported.

Results of a separate study released Wednesday found that a carotid stent reduced the need for a second surgery to clear the artery in the same location within three years.

The doctors involved in the studies said their results may help convince federal regulators to expand Medicare coverage to include carotid stent procedures, the Times reported.

Carotid stents offer an alternative to more invasive surgery to clear clogged neck arteries and reduce stroke risk. The carotid arteries carry blood to the brain; stents prop open blood vessels and prevent them from renarrowing after blockages have been removed.

An estimated 200,000 people in the United States have carotid-clearing surgery each year. While federal regulators have approved the marketing of stents to high-risk patients, Medicare covers less than 10 percent of them, the Times reported.

Mobile Devices Linked to Thumb Injuries

Repetitive stress injuries are afflicting people who use mobile handheld devices.

Some users of Blackberries, Sidekicks, Treos and other devices with miniature keyboards are suffering repetitive stress injuries to their thumbs, the Associated Press reported.

There are no U.S. national statistics on the prevalence of this so-called "Blackberry Thumb," but some doctors report an increase in these kinds of cases, according to Dr. Stuart Hirsch, an orthopedist at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Paterson, N.J.

Food Fact:
Baker's treat.


Is the secret to delicious low-fat treats already be in your pantry? When used in baking, applesauce helps lower the overall fat content of some of your favorite muffins, bars, quick breads and cakes. When you're adapting a high-fat recipe to low-fat healthfulness, start by replacing two-thirds of the original's butter or margarine with unsweetened applesauce. Like fat, a fruit puree such as applesauce coats the starchy flour particles in baking. Without this step, gluten forms when the flour is moistened and stirred, making the end result tough.

Fitness Tip of the day:
Lobby cardio.


If you're running late on a business trip and can't get to the gym, "hallway laps" can fill the exercise gap. Lace up your sneakers and jog in the halls at times when you won't disturb other guests. Or, take the stairs -- walk to a room on the 15th floor and you won't need to reserve a stair climber in the gym. Even if it's twice as difficult to squeeze in exercise as during a normal workday, on a business trip it's twice as important. A workout on the road boosts your energy, creativity and effectiveness.

FAQ of the day:
Can I eat red meat and still be healthy?


For most of us, being healthy does not mean you can never, ever take a bite of red meat, but there are a number of studies that suggest it makes sense to eat it less frequently. To take one example of the kinds of studies pointing in this direction, among Seventh Day Adventists, a religious group with a high percentage of vegetarians, men who ate beef at least three times a week were twice as likely to die of heart disease than men who did not. Red meat is very high in artery-clogging saturated fat; moderation and a balanced diet is a solid step toward good health.

Health tips offer advice on colds, flu

Because many of us spend the majority of the colder months indoors, we are more susceptible to catching a variety of viruses that circulate through our society.

While colds and flu can occur any time, instances are more apparent in the fall and winter.

Here are some tips to help ward off colds and flu:

Get the flu vaccine, either from your physician or local pharmacist. Most places charge $10-$20 for the shot version. A little pain now is worth the prevention of a whole lot of misery later.

FluMist is also available at many locations that offer the vaccine. But recipients must meet certain requirements in order to receive this form because it contains a weakened form of the influenza virus. Usually it is given to healthy children ages 5 and older, and healthy adults up to age 49.

One of the most effective and simple ways to ward off germs is by hand washing. This action may seem trivial, but it's been tested and it really works — especially if you are in public a lot, such as work or school. Touching your nose, mouth, and eyes with contaminated hands makes it easy for cold and flu viruses to enter the body.

Wash your hands in warm, soapy water for at least 10-15 seconds. Then dry with a clean paper towel. You can also use that same paper towel to open door handles as you head out. That way those sparkling clean hands won't be exposed to any more germs.

Take care of your body. Eat a balanced diet, get enough sleep and exercise — these three things together can help your body's immune system response.

Don't get too stressed out. Although this is easier said than done, excess stress can literally stress your body and weaken your immune system, too. So make time to take it easy.

If you do happen to get the flu or a cold, the above suggestions can still help your body recover. Here are some more tips on taking care of yourself while recuperating from a virus:

Relenza and Tamiflu are both antiviral medications that are used to treat type A and B influenza. In order for these medications to work, they need to be taken within 24-48 hours of the first sign of symptoms.

Drinking plenty of fluids, such as water, juice, soup and noncaffeinated beverages, can help loosen mucus, keep you hydrated and make you feel better. If you have a respiratory illness, you probably want to stay away from milk-based products, which tend to clog mucus membranes.
Abstain from alcohol and caffeine while you are sick, too. These beverages tend to dehydrate your body.

Although gargling with salt water may seem like an old-time remedy, this action can help relieve sore throat.

A cool-mist humidifier can help relieve stuffy noses. But be sure to clean it regularly because mold can build up in the mechanism due to the excess moisture in the machine.

Because viruses cannot be helped by taking antibiotics, you can probably stick to some of the most basic over-the-counter medications for relief of symptoms. Ask your pharmacist for assistance in choosing the right medicine to take.

Saturday, October 22, 2005

Health Headlines - October 22

Bird Flu Cases Surface in Britain, Croatia

Officials from both Britain and Croatia have confirmed there were cases of bird flu in their countries, as other nations moved quickly to try and stem the spread of the disease.

The Associated Press reported Saturday that six swans found dead in a national park were Croatia's first cases, while in Britain a parrot that had been imported from South America died of bird flu while under quarantine.

Neither country has determined whether these birds had the deadly H5NI strain that has swept across Asia, wiping out the poultry stocks and killing 60 people in just two years, the AP reported.

Meanwhile, the European Union (EU) said it was preparing a ban on all poultry imports from Croatia. It has done the same in Russia, Romania, Turkey and one of the Greek isles, where bird flu has recently been discovered among flocks. The EU is also urging countries to start vaccination programs for zoo birds to head off the disease.

World health authorities have long warned that a human pandemic could result if the virus were to mutate, making it easier to spread from person to person.

In a related development, the Bloomberg news service reported Friday that the antiviral drug considered the world's best weapon against bird flu is likely to remain in short supply.

Roche's Tamiflu could remain scarce for up to a year, in part because its raw materials are obtained from some 40 suppliers, a spokesman for the Swiss company told Bloomberg. Nations are asking for the drug as the lethal H5N1 bird flu strain continues to appear among birds in more and more countries. On Thursday, Roche agreed to meet with generic drug makers to work out a deal to produce additional emergency supplies.

And ABC reported on Saturday that Taiwan officials will ignore the Tamiflu patent and make their own version of the drug, whether Roche agrees or not. Officials from that country say they are still in negotiations with the drug maker, but they have to address their country's public health concerns first.

U.S. Senate Shelves Action on Stem Cell Bill

The sponsors of a U.S. Senate bill that would ease restrictions on publicly funded human embryonic stem cell research have agreed to postpone action on the plan until early next year, the Associated Press reported Friday.

Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) said a deal had been struck to shelve debate on the measure. The harvesting of stem cells from human embryos is controversial because the embryos must be destroyed in the process. In 2001, President Bush banned federal funding for research on all but existing stem cell lines.

The U.S. House of Representatives has already passed a bill to ease the restrictions, but neither the House nor the Senate has enough votes to override a promised presidential veto, the AP reported.

Proponents of embryonic stem cell research say it could lead to the discovery of cures for diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, diabetes and cancer.

FDA Approves Fetal Stem Cell Transplants Into Human Brains

Stanford University Medical Center doctors have received U.S. government permission to conduct the first transplant of fetal stem cells into human brains. The transplant patients would be six children with Batten disease, a rare, fatal genetic disorder.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave its approval on Thursday, but the transplant tests must still be approved by an internal Stanford Review Board and that could take weeks, the Associated Press reported.

Batten disease is a degenerative condition that causes blindness, speechlessness, paralysis and then death. The disease is the result of a defective gene then that fails to produce an enzyme that's required to dispose of cellular waste in the brain. Most Batten disease patients die before they become teenagers.

The stem cells that would be used in the transplants would be immature neural cells programmed to form into mature brain cells. It's hoped that after these immature neural cells are injected into the children's brains, the brain will turn them into cells that can manufacture the missing enzyme, the AP reported.

This approach showed promise in mice with Batten disease, but has never been tested in humans.

Carotid Stent Studies May Prompt More Medicare Coverage

New research results on carotid stents may encourage U.S. health regulators to expand Medicare coverage for the procedure.

Preliminary results released Thursday from a government-mandated study found that a procedure using stents to open carotid arteries in the neck can be done by doctors with limited experience, if they receive training, The New York Times reported.

Results of a separate study released Wednesday found that a carotid stent reduced the need for a second surgery to clear the artery in the same location within three years.

The doctors involved in the studies said their results may help convince federal regulators to expand Medicare coverage to include carotid stent procedures, the Times reported.

Carotid stents offer an alternative to more invasive surgery to clear clogged neck arteries and reduce stroke risk. The carotid arteries carry blood to the brain; stents prop open blood vessels and prevent them from renarrowing after blockages have been removed.

An estimated 200,000 people in the United States have carotid-clearing surgery each year. While federal regulators have approved the marketing of stents to high-risk patients, Medicare covers less than 10 percent of them, the Times reported.

Mobile Devices Linked to Thumb Injuries

Repetitive stress injuries are afflicting people who use mobile handheld devices.

Some users of Blackberries, Sidekicks, Treos and other devices with miniature keyboards are suffering repetitive stress injuries to their thumbs, the Associated Press reported.

There are no U.S. national statistics on the prevalence of this so-called "Blackberry Thumb," but some doctors report an increase in these kinds of cases, according to Dr. Stuart Hirsch, an orthopedist at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Paterson, N.J.

"It's mostly the road warrior who prefers to answer e-mails on a thumb keyboard. If all you did was just answer with a simple 'yes' and 'no', it would not be a dilemma," Hirsch told the AP.

Mechanism Behind Autoimmune Diseases Found

A mechanism that could result in autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus or diabetes has been identified by researchers at National Jewish Medical and Research Center.

They found that a form of potentially harmful immune system B cells circulating in the body are not permanently inactivated as previously believed. It turns out these harmful B cells can reactivate and launch attacks on the body's own tissue.

"Keeping self-reactive B cells in a quiescent state is crucial for the prevention of autoimmunity. Our findings show how these cells can be reactivated and suggest lines of research that may lead to therapies for autoimmune diseases," research leader John Cambier, chairman of the integrated department of immunology at National Jewish and the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, said in a prepared statement.

Normally, these dangerous B cells are kept in a state of suspended animation, which prevents them from attacking body tissue. However, this study suggests that an active bacterial infection may draw self-reactive B cells to lymphoid organs -- such as the tonsils or lymph nodes -- where a strong immune/inflammatory response to the infection causes the cells to reawaken and trigger an autoimmune disease.

The findings were published online in Nature Immunology.

"There have been reports linking the onset of autoimmunity with a preceding bacterial infection," study author Stephen Gauld, a postdoctoral fellow in Cambier's lab, said in a prepared statement.

"We are now conducting experiments to determine the role of pro-inflammatory or bacterial products in the loss of B-cell anergy (suspended animation). We are also seeking to better understand the intracellular events that lead to anergy and its loss. Either of these lines of research could uncover potential targets for autoimmune therapy," Gauld said.

Health Tip: Young Athletes Must Drink Enough Water

If you have a young athlete at home, it's important to educate him about the importance of drinking enough water, advises the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Here's what your child should know:

Drink before you're thirsty.
Avoid caffeine. It causes water loss and can deplete calcium levels.
The best drink choices are water, 100 percent fruit juice and milk. During exercise, cold water is ideal since it clears the stomach quickly. Have sports drinks during events lasting more than an hour.
Overall, drink between 80 and 96 ounces of caffeine- and alcohol-free fluids throughout the day.
Monitor your hydration levels by weighing yourself before and after exercise, then take in two cups of fluid for every pound of body weight lost.
If you're well-hydrated, your urine will be light yellow or clear. Dark yellow urine means dehydration is setting in.

Health Tip: Pets Can Carry Disease

Regardless of how much you love your dog or cat, these and other animals can still transmit certain diseases to you and your family.

Diseases like E. coli, salmonellosis, toxoplasmosis, tuberculosis and rabies can be passed from animals to humans. And they can be deadly if left untreated, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

Here's how to protect yourself:

Have a veterinarian check your pet.
Set up a schedule of immunizations and de-worming for your pet.
Keep your pet clean and well-groomed, and trim its claws regularly.
Use disposable gloves when cleaning cages, litter boxes, animal pens and fish tanks.
Don't use pet waste as fertilizer.
Wash your hands with soap and hot water for 20 seconds immediately after handling, petting or cleaning up after animals.
Don't let your pets eat raw meat, drink from the toilet bowl, or dig through the garbage.
Keep your pets away from food preparation areas.

Food Fact:
Apple insider.


Shake the right tree, and your weight loss plan will be more fruitful. If you have a couple of hours to go until dinner, an apple is a near-perfect snack -- only 80 calories, practically fat-free and it's filling, so you're less likely to go prowling around afterward for more food. If you find Red Delicious's tough skin and bland flesh uninteresting, there are more than 2,000 other North American varieties to explore. And apples do help keep doctors away -- particularly the cardiologist. Apples are rich in pectin, a soluble fiber that lowers cholesterol. They also contain boron, a trace mineral that strengthens bones.

Fitness Tip of the day:
Dyna-band on the run.


Next time you head out on a business trip, pack a Dyna-band and a jump rope -- small items with big rewards. When time or the weather doesn't permit a gym visit or running, you can work up a sweat in your room with resistance training and cardio exercise using these two compact helpers. Nothing boosts your energy, creativity and effectiveness on the road like a workout.

FAQ of the day:
Will drinking water make me less hungry?


Water quenches thirst, not hunger. When volunteers in a study at Penn State University drank water with dinner, they consumed just as many calories as when they had nothing to drink. But when they were served water-rich foods, like fruits and vegetables, or broth-based soups, they spontaneously consumed fewer calories. So eat a lot of water-rich foods, and drinking water instead of high-calorie soft drinks is always a plus, but don't try to drown out your hunger.