Bird flu spreads further in Asia
Three Asian nations reported more outbreaks of bird flu in poultry on Thursday, a day after health experts unveiled a $1 billion global plan to halt the spread of the virus.
Kuwait Announces Bird Flu in Fowl
Kuwait has detected two cases of bird flu in fowl, a senior official said Thursday, but it was not clear if the virus strain was the deadly version that has devastated poultry in Asia and has triggered fears of a human pandemic.
UK nurses and pharmacists to prescribe drugs
Nurses and pharmacists in Britain are to be given greater powers to prescribe medicines, the Department of Health said on Thursday, prompting an angry response from leading doctors who described it as dangerous.
Nurses have been prescribing drugs for minor injuries for some time but under new rules they will be able to prescribe for more serious conditions too.
Both groups will undergo training before being allowed to prescribe drugs after health secretary Patricia Hewitt announced the change, to give doctors more time for complex care.
The powers will only be given to experienced nurses and pharmacists and will start in the first half of 2006.
"Extending prescribing responsibilities is an important part of our commitment to modernize the NHS," Hewitt said in a statement.
"By expanding traditional prescribing roles, patients can more easily access the medicines they need from an increased number of highly trained health professionals."
But the British Medical Association (BMA), which represents doctors, has attacked the decision.
"This is an irresponsible and dangerous move," said Paul Miller, chairman of the BMA's consultants committee.
"Patients will suffer. I would not have me or my family subject to other than the highest level of care and prescribing, which is that provided by a fully trained doctor."
But the move was welcomed by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society which said it would result in faster access to medicines and help take the pressure off overworked GPs.
Uncanny Canines Sense Oncoming Seizures
Four o'clock in the morning a little more than two weeks ago, Cheryl Huey of Monroe, La., felt herself being roused from sleep.
Chelsea, the new 2-year-old female golden retriever that Huey and her teenage son Taylor had just brought home the day before had run from his bedroom to hers and was now agitatedly pawing at her arm.
"I got up and went to Taylor's bedroom and said, 'Hey, looks like we got to take her outside, she needs to go to the bathroom,'" Huey recalled.
However, "About 10 minutes later we were out in the parking lot, and Taylor starts having a seizure," Huey said. Taylor, 16, has epilepsy and experiences a temporarily debilitating attack about once a month.
Because the onset of a seizure is unpredictable and injury is possible if her son falls or is otherwise hurt during an attack, Cheryl Huey decided to adopt Chelsea -- a dog specifically trained to alert epileptics to seizures before they occur -- to help protect Taylor and give him an independence he hadn't had before.
Witnessing Chelsea's ability to sense the onset of an attack even as Taylor lay sleeping was extraordinary, Huey said. "At the time, I just couldn't believe it," she said.
"Then, out in the parking lot after he had stopped the seizure, I told her 'Stay, Chelsea,' and she crawled across his body and lay on top of him as I ran inside to get help. When I came out again, she was still across his body -- part of her training is to just protect and stay with him."
Jennifer Arnold, founder and operator of nonprofit Canine Assistants, where Chelsea was born and trained, said seizure-alert dogs can also be taught to push a button to dial 911, tug open doors to run and get help, and even use their mouths to bring their human a cordless phone or any medication they might need.
"Seeing Chelsea's reaction that first time, the response she had, I now have confidence that in the event of a seizure she's going to be in charge," Huey said.
Taylor Huey's new companion is giving him new freedom and peace of mind, too. "She's going to make me more confident and independent, help me do more stuff by myself," he said.
That's not always easy for people with epilepsy, which is still a very poorly understood disorder.
"It's a chronic condition and [an attack] is literally an electric storm in the brain that can change behaviors," explained Dr. Blanca Vasquez, director of clinical research at New York University's Comprehensive Epilepsy Center. While seizures can vary greatly in their intensity and outward manifestations, many are preceded by sensations known as an aura, she said.
Even from far across a room, seizure-alert dogs seem to be able to pick up on extremely subtle physiological changes -- minute alterations in odor or movement -- that may begin anywhere from 45 to five or 10 minutes before an actual attack. "More research needs to be done," Arnold said. "We don't exactly know right now what the dogs are responding to."
But their ability to sense these changes for their owners can be invaluable, since early warning of a seizure's onset helps people with epilepsy find a safe environment or take precautionary measures.
The Labradors and retrievers trained by the experts at Alpharetta, Ga.-based Canine Assistants begin their 18 months of instruction at just 2 days of age, learning over 90 standard commands. More mysteriously, some protective measures seem to come to the dogs by instinct, Arnold said. For example, when sensing an oncoming seizure, "they tend to want their person to lie on the ground," she said.
As any person with epilepsy will tell you, that's about the most sensible action an individual can take before a seizure, since falling is the leading cause of serious injury during an attack.
"It's fascinating -- dogs who have never seen anyone have a seizure will tug at their person's sleeve, they want you on the ground," Arnold said. "How do they have that instinct that lying on the ground is safer? We have no idea."
Arnold's investment in Canine Assistants is a very personal one. Stricken with multiple sclerosis at 16, she was confined for a time to a wheelchair. Seeking to help his daughter, Arnold's father, now deceased, discovered that people were training dogs to help partially immobilized patients navigate the tasks of daily living.
Fortunately for Arnold, her MS has improved so she can walk again. But her experience, combined with a love of dogs, compelled her and her mother to start Canine Assistants in 1991. The company matches dogs with owners in need, charging no fees.
Right now, the seizure-alert arm of Canine Assistants is funded by pharmaceutical company UCB Pharma, Inc. Arnold's team also trains dogs to help individuals with other disorders such as Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease).
And the ability of these canines to sense other, hidden health dangers is emerging, too.
"There are already dogs that have been anecdotally reported to be able to pick up on dangerously low blood sugar, including one of our own seizure-alert dogs," Arnold said. "And a service dog a few years ago alerted his owner in the middle of the night that he was having a heart attack in his sleep -- and then did it again for a stranger in a mall."
For people with epilepsy, having a four-legged, early warning system that can be taken everywhere gives them a sense of security and independence many haven't had before.
Taylor Huey said he hasn't yet decided whether he'll start taking Chelsea to school, but he certainly feels comfortable bringing her to daily outings such as church or shopping.
And Chelsea's arrival means Cheryl Huey can finally let her teenager go off on his own without worry.
"Sunday we went to the mall, and he went with me," she said. "I went to get my nails done and, as usual, I said 'Come on, Taylor.' He looked at me and said, 'No, it's OK, I've got Chelsea.' And I thought, 'Yeah, you do.' "
Hair Bleach May Trigger Asthma
Hair stylists can develop occupational asthma and rhinitis (chronic runny nose) from exposure to chemicals called persulphate salts in hair bleaching agents, researchers say.
Scientists Uncover Protein's Weight-Loss Secrets
A study of protein-munching rats shows that a low-carb diet sparks a chain of biological events that ultimately curbs hunger.
Cannabis-based Drug Eases Arthritis Pain
The first-ever study focused on a cannabis-based medicine aimed at easing the pain of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) finds it may help suppress the disease.
MRI Deemed Vital to Diagnosing MS
Newly published expert guidelines in treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) are putting a stronger focus on MRI in the diagnosis of the disease.
Reflux-Linked Esophagus Cancer On the Rise
The incidence of a deadly form of esophagus cancer associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is rising at an alarming rate, experts say.
Some kids outgrow nut allergies: study
Nine percent of children allergic to tree nuts such as almonds and pecans eventually outgrow their allergy, even those who have had severe reactions, researchers said on Wednesday.
Food Fact:
The world's No. 1 fruit?
Believe it or not, it's not the apple or banana. It's the mango! The intense orange flesh is not only meltingly sweet, soft, juicy and delicious, but reflects a high level of beta carotene, which our bodies convert to much-needed vitamin A. A whole mango provides about 130 calories along with all the vitamin C that most of us need daily. Don't go by color alone when choosing a ripe mango. The flesh should give a little to pressure, much like a ripe avocado. For smoothies, frozen treats and fruit salads, buy frozen mango pieces. The price is right and ripeness is guaranteed.
Fitness Tip of the day:
Get in-line.
Step into a pair of skates for a head-turning pair of legs and a killer derriere. In-line skating is a strength-training and cardio workout all in one. Studies find in-line skating to be more aerobic than cycling, easier on your joints than running, and a great way to shape and tone muscles. Get rolling and you can burn 570 - 900 calories an hour!
FAQ of the day:
Will eating blueberries improve my balance?
They seem to help rats keep their footing. When researchers at Tufts University in Boston fed rats antioxidant-rich extracts of blueberries, strawberries or spinach for eight months, the animals were protected from age-related declines in brain functions, including cognitive function. For some reason, those that received the blueberry extracts were also better able to keep their balance when walking over small rods.
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