Health Headlines - March 9

Dramatic Decline in U.S. Smoking Rates

American cigarette sales in 2005 were at their lowest since 1951 and per capita consumption of tobacco in the United States dropped to levels not seen since the early 1930s, according to a just-released report by the association of state attorneys.

About 378 billion cigarettes were sold in the United States last year, a 4.2 percent decline from 2004 and a drop of more than 20 percent since tobacco companies reached a $246 billion legal settlement with the states in 1998, the Washington Post reported.

The decline in cigarette smoking is the result of a number of factors, including higher prices for cigarettes, restrictions on advertising, and increased public awareness and acknowledgement about the dangers of smoking, association leaders and other tobacco-control advocates say.

The trend suggests that the United States may achieve its goal of having no more than 15 percent of youths and 12 percent of adults smoking by 2010. Currently, it's estimated that about 21.7 percent of high school students and 20.9 percent of adults still smoke.

FDA Warns On Illegal Steroids Sold as Dietary Supplements

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday issued warning letters to several companies telling them to stop distributing and selling illegal anabolic steroid products as dietary supplements.

The products, which are marketed as dietary supplements and promoted for building muscle and increasing strength, may cause serious long-term health problems in people who use them, the FDA said.

Potential health issues include: liver toxicity; testicular atrophy and male infertility; masculinization of women; breast enlargement in males; short stature in children; adverse effects on blood lipid levels; and possible increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

The FDA warning letters were issued for: Anabolic Xtreme Superdrol, manufactured for Anabolic Resources LLC, of Gilbert, Arizona, and distributed by Supplements To Go of Cincinnati, Ohio; and Methyl-1-P, manufactured for Legal Gear, Brighton, Mi., and distributed by Affordable Supplements of Wichita, Kansas.

Consumers with these products should stop taking them and return them to their place of purchase, the FDA said.

Oregon Assisted Suicide Numbers Remain Stable

The number of terminally ill patients in Oregon asking their doctors for a lethal dose of medication hasn't changed much in the past few years, says a state report.

In 2005, 38 people ended their lives under the Oregon Death with Dignity Act, compared with 37 people in 2004, said the report by the state's department of human services, the Associated Press reported.

Since the law was passed eight years ago, 246 people have used assisted suicide to end their lives. Most of those people were cancer patients and their median age was 70.

"Once again, our report shows little change in the demographics and characteristics among those who are using this law," state epidemiologist Dr. Mel Kohn told the AP.

In January, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the landmark Oregon law, which took effect in 1998. The court ruled that the Bush administration improperly threatened to use a federal drug law against Oregon doctors who prescribed a lethal drug dose to terminally ill patients who requested it.

A number of other states are considering some form of assisted suicide law.

Ambien Linked to Traffic Arrests

The popular sleeping pill Ambien appears to be showing up increasingly as a factor in traffic arrests in the United States, The New York Times reported.

Ambien is among the top 10 drugs found in impaired drivers by some state toxicology laboratories. For example, Ambien was found in the blood of 187 arrested drivers in Wisconsin from 1999 to 2004. In Washington state, Ambien was a factor in 78 impaired-driving arrests last year, up from 56 in 2004.

Some traffic arrests where Ambien was believed to be a factor included drivers who later claimed they were sleep-driving and had no memory of getting behind the wheel after they took the drug, the Times reported.

Ambien is the best-selling prescription sleeping pill in the United States, with 26.5 million prescriptions filled last year.

The drug's maker, Sanofi-Aventis, said the drug is safe when used as directed. However, spokeswoman Melissa Feltmann wrote in an email: "We are aware of reports of people driving while sleepwalking, and those reports have been provided to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as part of our ongoing post-marketing evaluation about the safety of our products."

FDA spokeswoman Susan Cruzan said the current label warnings on Ambien are sufficient. The warnings say the drug should not be used with alcohol and in some cases can cause sleepwalking or hallucinations, The Times reported.

Germany Reports Bird Flu in 2nd Mammal Species

The dangerous H5N1 bird flu virus has been found in a second species of mammal in Germany. Laboratory tests confirmed the presence of the virus in a sick stone marten (a weasel-like carnivore) found March 2 on the island of Ruegen in northern Germany.

The virus was found in a cat on the same island last month. Infected cats have also been found in Austria. It's believed the cats contracted the virus by eating infected birds. It was the first time that H5N1 had been found in an animal other than a bird in central Europe, the Associated Press reported.

After the stone marten was found, it was killed by a government veterinarian and tested for H5N1.

"The presence of an H5N1 infection in a second mammalian species is not surprising. Cats and martens have a comparable prey spectrum," Till Backhaus, regional minister for agriculture, said in a statement.

Former Texas Gov. Ann Richards Has Esophageal Cancer

Former Texas Gov. Ann Richards, 72, announced Wednesday that she's been diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus, one of the most deadly forms of cancer.

The diagnosis was made Tuesday after Richards underwent testing Monday at North Austin Medical Center, the Houston Chronicle reported.

According to a close friend of Richards, the former governor has been told her condition is treatable. She'll be treated a the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

"She's handling it very well. It's like she attacks most of the problems in her life. She meets them head-on and gets them solved," John Fainter, Richards' chief of staff as governor and friend of 30 years, told the Chronicle.

Esophageal cancer is a fairly rare cancer, affecting five of every 100,000 Americans. But it kills 90 percent of those diagnosed within five years and ranks as the seventh-leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, the newspaper reported.

Food Fact:
Tempeh -- jewel of the Southwest?

It may sound like a town in Arizona, but it's actually the meatiest of soy foods. Chewy and full-flavored, tempeh is made from whole soybeans, which means it's loaded with beneficial soy isoflavones. Tempeh slices easily, holds its shape during cooking and loves a good marinade.

Fitness Tip of the day:
Muscled out?

Inactive adults over age 30 lose about 3 - 5% of muscle tissue every 10 years; here's what you can do. Go to the weight room. Strength training prevents the reduction in muscle tissue that causes the body metabolism to slow and makes the bones more vulnerable to conditions like osteoporosis.

FAQ of the day:
Why warm up before a workout?

During a warm-up, your body gradually prepares to bring extra blood and oxygen to the muscles during your workout. Your heart and respiration rate slowly increase, capillaries dilate and blood supplies flow to your extremities, which will need extra oxygen to fuel your muscles when you pick up the pace. The added heat and blood flow allow muscles to become more compliant, and thus less prone to injury. Finally, a proper warm-up is likely to improve your performance.