Health Headlines - January 1

Happy New Year!

Obstetrics Group Recommends Expanding Down Syndrome Tests

Experts at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) are recommending that maternal age no longer be a major criterium for testing pregnant women for Down syndrome. Currently, doctors don't routinely order the test for women under 35, due to risks linked to invasive amniocentesis, the Associated Press reported.

However, the advent of accurate, less invasive testing technologies means that younger women should now be screened for the birth defect, experts say. The new ACOG guidelines are published in the January issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

About 1 in every 800 babies is born with Down syndrome, which is caused by an extra chromosome. Risks rise gradually with maternal age: about one in every 1,200 pregnancies in women aged 25 are affected by Down syndrome compared to one in every 300 pregnancies for women aged 35.

New non-invasive tests -- such as a combination of first-trimester blood screening and detailed ultrasound of the fetal neck -- are more than 80 percent accurate in spotting Down syndrome, with very few false-positives, the AP reported. Routine use in all pregnant women could detect more cases much earlier, the ACOG experts say.

"The new recommendation makes a lot of sense," Dr. Nancy Green of the March of Dimes told the AP. "Maternal age no longer plays such an important role because the screening is better."

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Heart Disease Still Plagues Southern States

Heart disease hits Americans who live in southern states harder than residents of other regions of the country, according to the latest annual survey of cardiovascular disease in the United States.

Cardiovascular disease accounted for more than one-third of all deaths nationwide in 2004, the most recent year for which statistics are available.

Mississippi had the highest fatality rate from cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease, with nearly 406 deaths per 100,000 people. Oklahoma was next, with nearly 401 deaths per 100,000 people; Alabama, with 378 deaths; Tennessee, with nearly 374 deaths per 100,000; and West Virginia, with 373 deaths per 1,000 people, the Associated Press reported.

What's more, twice as many angioplasties were performed in southern states, compared to other regions of the country. There were similar trends in bypass surgery, open-heart surgeries and pacemaker implants, the AP said.

The yearly survey is conducted by the American Heart Association, which released the findings Friday, ahead of a January publication of the survey in its journal Circulation.

Wayne Rosamond, an epidemiologist at the University of North Carolina and chairman of the American Heart Association's Statistics Committee, said studies are under way to determine the reasons behind the regional differences, the news service said.

"What drives those shifts is not really well understood," he said. "There are a lot of things going on that are good, particularly on the prevention side."

Some of those encouraging signs, he said, are a drop in smoking rates among young people and a growing awareness of heart disease among women.

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Pet Owners Aren't Picture of Health: Study

Pet owners tend to be in pretty good shape, given all the exercise they get walking their animals, right?

Wrong, says a new Finnish study, which found that pet owners -- particularly dog owners -- are actually less healthy than people who don't own pets.

Researchers at the University of Turku studied more than 21,000 working-aged people. They found that pet owners smoked slightly more often and exercised less often than those who didn't have pets, the researchers reported in the current online issue of PloS One.

Dog owners exercised more than those without dogs, but this did not have an effect on their body mass index, the researchers found, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

Pet ownership was most common among people aged 40 or older, who tend to settle down as couples in single-family homes. Pet owners were also slightly more likely to have a low social standing or education, the CBC said.

"Pet owners had a slightly higher BMI (body mass index) than the rest, which indicates that people having a pet (particularly a dog) could use some exercise," the researchers concluded.

At Atlantic Veterinary College at the University of Prince Edward Island in Canada, researchers are testing whether fitting overweight dogs with pedometers will motivate dog owners to get more exercise for their pets and themselves, the CBC said.

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Bill Mandating Equal Coverage for Mental Health Could Pass

With Democrats winning both houses of Congress, health advocates say they have high hopes that legislation requiring equal insurance coverage f or mental and physical illnesses will finally pass in 2007.

A 1996 law already prohibits health plans that offer mental health coverage from setting lower annual and lifetime spending limits for mental treatments than for physical ailments. Backers of the new legislation want to see that expanded to co-payments, deductibles and limits on doctor visits.

"I'm very optimistic that 2007 will finally be the year that our health care system recognizes that the brain is, in fact, a part of the body," said Rep. Patrick Kennedy, a Rhode Island Democrat who sponsored the bill in the last Congress. "We've had majority support for this legislation six years in a row, and now we have a chance to bring it to the floor and pass it," the Associated Press reported on Friday.

The legislation has strong support in Congress but has run into GOP roadblocks. In the last session, 231 House members -- more than half of the members -- signed on as co-sponsors. The GOP leadership, which in the past had expressed concern that the proposal would drive up health insurance premiums, wouldn't bring it up for a vote, the AP said.

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Universal Studios Parks Ban Trans Fats

Universal Parks & Resorts, home to movie-inspired thrill rides, is the latest theme park operation to ban artery-clogging trans fats in junk foods and offer healthier choices at its three U.S. attractions in California and Florida.

Walt Disney Co. announced in October that it will also serve more nutritious kids' meals and phase out the artificial fats at its resorts. Customers will now also have more healthy side options to choose from, including salads and fruit bowls.

Trans fats are made when manufacturers add hydrogen to vegetable oil in a process called hydrogenation. Although they're cheaper to produce and give food a longer shelf life, trans fats also increase the risk of heart disease by raising the level of bad cholesterol in the blood, the Associated Press reported Friday. The average American eats almost 5 pounds of trans fats a year.

Besides Disney and Universal, SeaWorld Orlando also pledged earlier this year to limit fats and calories in some meals and to create healthier menus. Earlier this month, New York City became the first U.S. city to ban artificial trans fats in restaurant foods, the AP said.

Health Headlines - December 31

Pet Owners Aren't Picture of Health: Study

Pet owners tend to be in pretty good shape, given all the exercise they get walking their animals, right?

Wrong, says a new Finnish study, which found that pet owners -- particularly dog owners -- are actually less healthy than people who don't own pets.

Researchers at the University of Turku studied more than 21,000 working-aged people. They found that pet owners smoked slightly more often and exercised less often than those who didn't have pets, the researchers reported in the current online issue of PloS One.

Dog owners exercised more than those without dogs, but this did not have an effect on their body mass index, the researchers found, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

Pet ownership was most common among people aged 40 or older, who tend to settle down as couples in single-family homes. Pet owners were also slightly more likely to have a low social standing or education, the CBC said.

"Pet owners had a slightly higher BMI (body mass index) than the rest, which indicates that people having a pet (particularly a dog) could use some exercise," the researchers concluded.

At Atlantic Veterinary College at the University of Prince Edward Island in Canada, researchers are testing whether fitting overweight dogs with pedometers will motivate dog owners to get more exercise for their pets and themselves, the CBC said.

-----

Bill Mandating Equal Coverage for Mental Health Could Pass

With Democrats winning both houses of Congress, health advocates say they have high hopes that legislation requiring equal insurance coverage for mental and physical illnesses will finally pass in 2007.

A 1996 law already prohibits health plans that offer mental health coverage from setting lower annual and lifetime spending limits for mental treatments than for physical ailments. Backers of the new legislation want to see that expanded to co-payments, deductibles and limits on doctor visits.

"I'm very optimistic that 2007 will finally be the year that our health care system recognizes that the brain is, in fact, a part of the body," said Rep. Patrick Kennedy, a Rhode Island Democrat who sponsored the bill in the last Congress. "We've had majority support for this legislation six years in a row, and now we have a chance to bring it to the floor and pass it," the Associated Press reported on Friday.

The legislation has strong support in Congress but has run into GOP roadblocks. In the last session, 231 House members -- more than half of the members -- signed on as co-sponsors. The GOP leadership, which in the past had expressed concern that the proposal would drive up health insurance premiums, wouldn't bring it up for a vote, the AP said.

-----

Universal Studios Parks Ban Trans Fats

Universal Parks & Resorts, home to movie-inspired thrill rides, is the latest theme park operation to ban artery-clogging trans fats in junk foods and offer healthier choices at its three U.S. attractions in California and Florida.

Walt Disney Co. announced in October that it will also serve more nutritious kids' meals and phase out the artificial fats at its resorts. Customers will now also have more healthy side options to choose from, including salads and fruit bowls.

Trans fats are made when manufacturers add hydrogen to vegetable oil in a process called hydrogenation. Although they're cheaper to produce and give food a longer shelf life, trans fats also increase the risk of heart disease by raising the level of bad cholesterol in the blood, the Associated Press reported Friday. The average American eats almost 5 pounds of trans fats a year.

Besides Disney and Universal, SeaWorld Orlando also pledged earlier this year to limit fats and calories in some meals and to create healthier menus. Earlier this month, New York City became the first U.S. city to ban artificial trans fats in restaurant foods, the AP said.

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6 More Firms Cleared to Sell Generic Zocor

Six more companies have been approved to begin selling generic versions of Merck's cholesterol-lowering statin drug Zocor.

The authorizations, posted Wednesday on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Web site, bring to eight the number of companies granted sanction to sell the generics since Merck's patent on Zocor expired in June.

The move promises to be a boon to consumers, since the newer versions of the pill are expected to drive down prices of the drug by as much as 70 percent, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday.

Teva Pharmaceutical and Ranbaxy Laboratories, the first companies to file for approval of generic versions of Zocor, also known as simvastatin, had earlier won six months of exclusivity to sell a generic version of the formula. Other companies now receiving F.D.A. approval to sell the medication are Cobalt Pharmaceuticals of Canada; Aurobindo Pharma, Zydus Pharmaceuticals and Dr. Reddy's Laboratories of India; the Sandoz unit of Swiss drug maker Novartis; and the Perrigo Company of Allegan, Mich.

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Statins Pose Low Risk of Acute Pancreatitis: Study

While cholesterol-lowering statin drugs such as Lipitor and Pravachol may increase the risk of painful inflammation of the pancreas, the side effect is relatively rare, a new study says.

Researchers from Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C., found that while the drugs increased the risk of pancreatitis by 40 percent, the occurrence is rare -- only one of every 300,000 people taking the drugs for a year would be expected to develop the condition.

"Nevertheless, there are likely to be many millions of people on long-term statins, which means that scores of patients will face the serious complications of acute pancreatitis," cautioned Dr. Sonal Singh, chief researcher and an instructor in the university's Section of General Internal Medicine.

The study reviewed 33 spontaneous reports of statin-induced pancreatitis from the Canadian Adverse Drug Event Monitoring System and 20 published case reports. The researchers also pooled results from two observational studies on the association between statins and pancreatitis.

"We found that all statins can cause pancreatitis, so switching from one to another will not help," said Singh. "The data also suggest that pancreatitis can occur after several months of statin use, suggesting that this is usually not an immediate reaction. We also found that patients on both low and high doses developed pancreatitis. Hence, starting at a low dose of statin may not be sufficient to prevent the side effect of pancreatitis."

The findings were published in the current issue of Drug Safety.

Health Headlines - December 30

Bill Mandating Equal Coverage for Mental Health Could Pass

With Democrats winning both houses of Congress, health advocates say they have high hopes that legislation requiring equal insurance coverage for mental and physical illnesses will finally pass in 2007.

A 1996 law already prohibits health plans that offer mental health coverage from setting lower annual and lifetime spending limits for mental treatments than for physical ailments. Backers of the new legislation want to see that expanded to co-payments, deductibles and limits on doctor visits.

"I'm very optimistic that 2007 will finally be the year that our health care system recognizes that the brain is, in fact, a part of the body," said Rep. Patrick Kennedy, a Rhode Island Democrat who sponsored the bill in the last Congress. "We've had majority support for this legislation six years in a row, and now we have a chance to bring it to the floor and pass it," the Associated Press reported on Friday.

The legislation has strong support in Congress but has run into GOP roadblocks. In the last session, 231 House members -- more than half of the members -- signed on as co-sponsors. The GOP leadership, which in the past had expressed concern that the proposal would drive up health insurance premiums, wouldn't bring it up for a vote, the AP said.

-----

Universal Studios Parks Ban Trans Fats

Universal Parks & Resorts, home to movie-inspired thrill rides, is the latest theme park operation to ban artery-clogging trans fats in junk foods and offer healthier choices at its three U.S. attractions in California and Florida.

Walt Disney Co. announced in October that it will also serve more nutritious kids' meals and phase out the artificial fats at its resorts. Customers will now also have more healthy side options to choose from, including salads and fruit bowls.

Trans fats are made when manufacturers add hydrogen to vegetable oil in a process called hydrogenation. Although they're cheaper to produce and give food a longer shelf life, trans fats also increase the risk of heart disease by raising the level of bad cholesterol in the blood, the Associated Press reported Friday. The average American eats almost 5 pounds of trans fats a year.

Besides Disney and Universal, SeaWorld Orlando also pledged earlier this year to limit fats and calories in some meals and to create healthier menus. Earlier this month, New York City became the first U.S. city to ban artificial trans fats in restaurant foods, the AP said.

-----

6 More Firms Cleared to Sell Generic Zocor

Six more companies have been approved to begin selling generic versions of Merck's cholesterol-lowering statin drug Zocor.

The authorizations, posted Wednesday on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Web site, bring to eight the number of companies granted sanction to sell the generics since Merck's patent on Zocor expired in June.

The move promises to be a boon to consumers, since the newer versions of the pill are expected to drive down prices of the drug by as much as 70 percent, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday.

Teva Pharmaceutical and Ranbaxy Laboratories, the first companies to file for approval of generic versions of Zocor, also known as simvastatin, had earlier won six months of exclusivity to sell a generic version of the formula. Other companies now receiving F.D.A. approval to sell the medication are Cobalt Pharmaceuticals of Canada; Aurobindo Pharma, Zydus Pharmaceuticals and Dr. Reddy's Laboratories of India; the Sandoz unit of Swiss drug maker Novartis; and the Perrigo Company of Allegan, Mich.

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Statins Pose Low Risk of Acute Pancreatitis: Study

While cholesterol-lowering statin drugs such as Lipitor and Pravachol may increase the risk of painful inflammation of the pancreas, the side effect is relatively rare, a new study says.

Researchers from Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C., found that while the drugs increased the risk of pancreatitis by 40 percent, the occurrence is rare -- only one of every 300,000 people taking the drugs for a year would be expected to develop the condition.

"Nevertheless, there are likely to be many millions of people on long-term statins, which means that scores of patients will face the serious complications of acute pancreatitis," cautioned Dr. Sonal Singh, chief researcher and an instructor in the university's Section of General Internal Medicine.

The study reviewed 33 spontaneous reports of statin-induced pancreatitis from the Canadian Adverse Drug Event Monitoring System and 20 published case reports. The researchers also pooled results from two observational studies on the association between statins and pancreatitis.

"We found that all statins can cause pancreatitis, so switching from one to another will not help," said Singh. "The data also suggest that pancreatitis can occur after several months of statin use, suggesting that this is usually not an immediate reaction. We also found that patients on both low and high doses developed pancreatitis. Hence, starting at a low dose of statin may not be sufficient to prevent the side effect of pancreatitis."

The findings were published in the current issue of Drug Safety.

-----

Herpes Treatment Fails in Animal Tests

Quigley Corp. announced Thursday that tests to determine the efficacy of its herpes treatment for infections of the eye in an animal model proved ineffective.

The company said that tests of QR-435 against herpes keratitis, in which the herpes simplex virus infects the eye, showed that the treatment did not stay in the eye long enough to penetrate the cells to get to the virus. The treatment had eliminated the virus on direct contact in other studies, the Associated Press reported.

The drug maker's Quigley Pharma unit will seek other uses for the treatment, including developing the compound to treat respiratory viruses. The compound has been shown to have an effect against influenza viruses, such as the H5N1 strain of the bird flu, AP said.

Health Headlines - December 29

6 More Firms Cleared to Sell Generic Zocor

Six more companies have been approved to begin selling generic versions of Merck's cholesterol-lowering statin drug Zocor.

The authorizations, posted Wednesday on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Web site, bring to eight the number of companies granted sanction to sell the generics since Merck's patent on Zocor expired in June.

The move promises to be a boon to consumers, since the newer versions of the pill are expected to drive down prices of the drug by as much as 70 percent, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday.

Teva Pharmaceutical and Ranbaxy Laboratories, the first companies to file for approval of generic versions of Zocor, also known as simvastatin, had earlier won six months of exclusivity to sell a generic version of the formula. Other companies now receiving F.D.A. approval to sell the medication are Cobalt Pharmaceuticals of Canada; Aurobindo Pharma, Zydus Pharmaceuticals and Dr. Reddy's Laboratories of India; the Sandoz unit of Swiss drug maker Novartis; and the Perrigo Company of Allegan, Mich.

-----

Statins Pose Low Risk of Acute Pancreatitis: Study

While cholesterol-lowering statin drugs such as Lipitor and Pravachol may increase the risk of painful inflammation of the pancreas, the side effect is relatively rare, a new study says.
Researchers from Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C., found that while the drugs increased the risk of pancreatitis by 40 percent, the occurrence is rare -- only one of every 300,000 people taking the drugs for a year would be expected to develop the condition.

"Nevertheless, there are likely to be many millions of people on long-term statins, which means that scores of patients will face the serious complications of acute pancreatitis," cautioned Dr. Sonal Singh, chief researcher and an instructor in the university's Section of General Internal Medicine.

The study reviewed 33 spontaneous reports of statin-induced pancreatitis from the Canadian Adverse Drug Event Monitoring System and 20 published case reports. The researchers also pooled results from two observational studies on the association between statins and pancreatitis.

"We found that all statins can cause pancreatitis, so switching from one to another will not help," said Singh. "The data also suggest that pancreatitis can occur after several months of statin use, suggesting that this is usually not an immediate reaction. We also found that patients on both low and high doses developed pancreatitis. Hence, starting at a low dose of statin may not be sufficient to prevent the side effect of pancreatitis."

The findings were published in the current issue of Drug Safety.

-----

Herpes Treatment Fails in Animal Tests

Quigley Corp. announced Thursday that tests to determine the efficacy of its herpes treatment for infections of the eye in an animal model proved ineffective.

The company said that tests of QR-435 against herpes keratitis, in which the herpes simplex virus infects the eye, showed that the treatment did not stay in the eye long enough to penetrate the cells to get to the virus. The treatment had eliminated the virus on direct contact in other studies, the Associated Press reported.

The drug maker's Quigley Pharma unit will seek other uses for the treatment, including developing the compound to treat respiratory viruses. The compound has been shown to have an effect against influenza viruses, such as the H5N1 strain of the bird flu, AP said.

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10th Death From Bird Flu in Egypt

A 26-year-old Egyptian man has died of bird flu, the third member of his extended family to die of the virus and the 10th in the country since an outbreak of the virus started in February, a World Health Organization (WHO) official said Wednesday.

Rida Farid Abdel Halim, a brick factory worker from the Nile Delta province of Gharbia, had been in a hospital for 10 days, according to Hassan el-Bushra, WHO's regional adviser for communicable diseases surveillance. A 15-year-old girl from the worker's family died on Monday, and a female relative died the day before, raising concerns about the possibility of human-to-human transmission.

Before the latest three deaths, only one person had died of the disease in Egypt since May.

The family had raised ducks at home, and the brother and sister had slaughtered the flock after ducks fell sick and died. The flu outbreak did extensive damage to the Egyptian poultry industry this year but preventive measures appear to have contained the disease.

Bird flu has killed at least 156 people worldwide since 2003, according to WHO. People can contract the virus by coming into contact with infected poultry but experts fear the virus could mutate into a form that passes from human to human, sparking a pandemic that could kill millions.

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Cancer Drug Telcyta Fails Late-Stage Trials

A new cancer drug, Telcyta, did not prolong survival in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer and platinum-resistant ovarian cancer and has failed three late-stage trials, Palo Alto, California-based Telik Inc. said in a statement Tuesday. The trials were conducted in the third of three testing stages needed for U.S. regulatory approval.

Telik's studies for lung cancer and advanced ovarian cancer, called ASSIST I and ASSIST II, did not achieve a "statistically significant improvement'" in overall survival, the company said. The third study, ASSIST III, failed to demonstrate its effectiveness in tumor response for ovarian cancer, Bloomberg News reported.

While all three trials showed some tumor response, two of the trials, ASSIST II and ASSIST III, contained "inconsistencies" that need to be investigated, the company added.

Health Headlines - December 28

10th Death From Bird Flu in Egypt

A 26-year-old Egyptian man has died of bird flu, the third member of his extended family to die of the virus and the 10th in the country since an outbreak of the virus started in February, a World Health Organization (WHO) official said Wednesday.

Rida Farid Abdel Halim, a brick factory worker from the Nile Delta province of Gharbia, had been in a hospital for 10 days, according to Hassan el-Bushra, WHO's regional adviser for communicable diseases surveillance. A 15-year-old girl from the worker's family died on Monday, and a female relative died the day before, raising concerns about the possibility of human-to-human transmission.

Before the latest three deaths, only one person had died of the disease in Egypt since May.

The family had raised ducks at home, and the brother and sister had slaughtered the flock after ducks fell sick and died. The flu outbreak did extensive damage to the Egyptian poultry industry this year but preventive measures appear to have contained the disease.

Bird flu has killed at least 156 people worldwide since 2003, according to WHO. People can contract the virus by coming into contact with infected poultry but experts fear the virus could mutate into a form that passes from human to human, sparking a pandemic that could kill millions.

-----

Cancer Drug Telcyta Fails Late-Stage Trials

A new cancer drug, Telcyta, did not prolong survival in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer and platinum-resistant ovarian cancer and has failed three late-stage trials, Palo Alto, California-based Telik Inc. said in a statement Tuesday. The trials were conducted in the third of three testing stages needed for U.S. regulatory approval.

Telik's studies for lung cancer and advanced ovarian cancer, called ASSIST I and ASSIST II, did not achieve a "statistically significant improvement'" in overall survival, the company said. The third study, ASSIST III, failed to demonstrate its effectiveness in tumor response for ovarian cancer, Bloomberg News reported.

While all three trials showed some tumor response, two of the trials, ASSIST II and ASSIST III, contained "inconsistencies" that need to be investigated, the company added.

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FDA May Rule That Foods From Cloned Animals OK for Market

The U.S. The Food and Drug Administration is expected to make a formal recommendation this week that could put milk and meat from cloned animals on the nation's grocery shelves.

FDA scientists said in a new study that they have found that food from cloned animals is safe to eat. "Meat and milk from clones and their progeny is as safe to eat" as food that isn't produced through cloning, the report said. Regardless of the decision, however, polls have shown that the public has little appetite for such foods and believes that the FDA should keep such products off the market, the Washington Post reported.

"We are not convinced that this is safe food," Jaydee Hanson of the Center for Food Safety told ABC's Good Morning America. "And we haven't seen the facts that would convince us," Hanson added. A poll taken earlier this year showed that 65 percent of the public called cloning animals morally wrong. Another poll found that 45 percent opposed using cloning in food production.

If the FDA approval goes through, the question is, will the cloned products be clearly marked so consumers know what they're buying? Experts say that may be unlikely. "It's very possible that these products will end up on the grocery store shelves without any specific label identifying them as having come from cloned animals," said Michael Fernandez, executive director of the Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology.

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Drug Plans Under Fire for Not Reporting Changes

Some prescription drug plans did not inform Medicare beneficiaries of impending changes in costs and benefits, Bush administration officials and Congressional aides said Tuesday. Because of this, beneficiaries may be given a six-week extension of the open-enrollment period, which ends Sunday, to help compare options available to them in 2007.

The administration told Congress of the problem last week, The New York Times reported on Tuesday, and officials said they would consider imposing penalties on companies that did not provide the necessary information to beneficiaries. "There could be penalties for plans that did not send out the annual notice of change on time," said Jeff Nelligan, a spokesman for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

In every state but Alaska and Hawaii, more than 50 drug plans are available, the Times reported. Many have increased or reduced their premiums for 2007 as well as adding coverage of generic drugs or reduced coverage of brand-name drugs. Some insurers have also adopted new techniques to control the use of certain drugs -- for example, requiring doctors to get prior approval for prescriptions and limiting the number of pills given to a patient each month.

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Drug-Eluting Stents May Hamper Heart's Self-Healing

New research shows that drug-eluting stents may interfere with the body's own natural bypass mechanism that reroutes blood past blocked arteries, according to a study in the Jan. 2 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Normally, the body's natural healing process, called coronary collateral function, can prevent complications that can lead to heart attack. But the study, conducted at the University Hospital in Bern, Switzerland, found that when physicians use stents to keep blocked arteries open, further blockages can occur, including a rare condition called stent thrombosis.

"The combination of sudden arterial blockages due to a rare condition called stent thrombosis, and the absence or impairment of the self-healing mechanism of coronary collateral function, potentially leads to a larger and deadlier heart attack in patients with drug-eluting stents," the study authors wrote.

Drug-eluting coronary stents are metallic, expandable, mesh-like tubes placed at the site of blockage in coronary arteries. These stents are coated with medication to prevent the formation of scar tissue, dramatically reducing the risk and occurrence of restenosis, or recurring blockage in the arteries.

Health Headlines - December 27

Bush AIDS Effort Hampered by Poor Records

Investigators have found that President George Bush's ambitious $15-billion program to fight AIDS in poor countries has suffered from poor record-keeping in its attempt to push for fast results.

A review of the three-year-old program found that it had both over-counted and undercounted thousands of patients it helped and, in some cases, was unable to verify claims of success by groups that took U.S. money to prevent the spread of disease or care for AIDS victims and their children, the Associated Press reported Tuesday. The Bush administration says it has worked to fix the problems that were found in multiple countries and outlined in several audits reviewed by the AP.

Joe Farinella, the assistant inspector general who oversaw the investigations into how U.S. AIDS money was spent overseas in 2004 and 2005, said, "It's not good enough for the auditors to hear from the mission that we did A, B and C but we can't prove it to you, or there's no documentation to prove that we did it."

Farinella told AP that many aid recipients failed to keep records that would provide "reasonable assurance that what they say was done was in fact carried out." The inspector general will recommend that the administration clarify its directives and improve reporting methods.

In the case of Guyana, for example, incorrect numbers made it into this year's annual report to Congress. Guyana cited services to 5,200 AIDS orphans, but auditors documented fewer than 300, many of them not even affected by AIDS.

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Schwarzenegger Has Surgery on Broken Leg

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was cleared to resume official duties Tuesday after he had successful surgery to repair a broken right thigh bone, fractured during a weekend family ski trip to Sun Valley, Idaho.

The 59-year-old Schwarzenegger had a 90-minute operation in which cables and screws were used to wire the broken bone back together, the Associated Press reported. The former bodybuilder and action-film star was expected to make a full recovery but will probably be on crutches for his second inauguration next month in Sacramento.

Schwarzenegger is expected to stay in the hospital for three days. The leg will take about eight weeks to heal, said a prepared statement by orthopedic surgeon Dr. Kevin Ehrhart, who performed the operation at St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica.

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Spanish Cancer Specialist Aiding Castro: Report

Spanish health officials have been sending medicine to Havana for Fidel Castro since June, a government official said Monday, and confirmed that a cancer specialist is also consulting on whether the ailing 80-year-old leader should undergo more surgery.

Madrid Public Health Commissioner Manuel Lamela declined to discuss either the medication or Castro's condition during a Christmas Day visit with the staff and patients at the Baby Jesus Hospital in Madrid, the Miami Herald reported on Tuesday. '"If I did, I would be revealing the patient's pathology," Lamela told the newspaper, "and we would be violating medical confidentiality and the Cuban government's media policy." Lamela did confirm, however, that Dr. Jose Luis Garcia Sabrido, chief of surgery at Madrid's Gregorio Maranon General Hospital, had traveled to Havana last Thursday and that Spain would continue to support and assistance the Cuban government.

Castro, whose medical condition is a state secret, has not appeared in public since undergoing emergency intestinal surgery in July -- after the Spanish medical shipments had begun, the Herald reported. His younger brother, Raul, 75, is in charge of the government. Cuban authorities deny that Castro suffers from terminal cancer -- as U.S. and other officials allege -- but have been less insistent of late that he will return to power.

The Spanish surgeon treating Castro told the Associated Press on Tuesday that his patient does not have cancer and is recovering slowly from a serious operation.

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Medicaid Whistle-Blower Law Goes Into Effect Jan. 1

Whistle-blowing in the U.S. healthcare industry is now a law, and with that novel accomplishment comes some serious challenges, the New York Times reports.

Managers of most hospitals and nursing homes will have to develop programs to teach their employees how to detect fraud and other illegal activities and to report them, the newspaper says. Not all health organizations are aware of the new law.

According to the Times, many health care organizations, such as hospitals and nursing homes, didn't know about the law when the newspaper contacted them last week.

The new provision is part the Deficit Reduction Act, signed into law last February. According to the newspaper, companies that do at least $5 million a year in Medicaid business as of Jan. 1, 2007 must teach employees waste and fraud detection, explain to them that they are bound by law to report anything they find, and promise them that they will be protected and possibly receive a monetary reward.

Is there much Medicaid fraud going on? According to the Times, the government recovered a record $3.1 billion in fraud and malfeasance paybacks this year, which was a record. Of that amount, health care paybacks were 72 percent.

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New Antibiotic Could Cut Dosage Time

British scientists are close to testing on humans an antibiotic they hope will reduce the amount of time a patient has to take a drug to get rid of a bacterial infection.

BBC News reports that London researchers have developed an antibiotic they call HT61, and it has shown promising laboratory results against one of the most antibiotic-resistant bacteria, the hospital superbug methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

Clive Page, professor of pharmacology at King's College London, one of the researchers, is quoted by BBC News as saying, "It [HT61]may lead us to providing a combination of drugs -- one to target the dividing bacteria and one to target the persistent form."

"If you take something like penicillin, and put this with it, you might be able to get a treatment course which lasts one or two days, rather than the current five to seven," Page concluded.

The scientists say they hope to start human testing next year, and if the trials are successful, offer the antibiotic to the public in five years.

Health Headlines - December 26

New Antibiotic Could Cut Dosage Time

British scientists are close to testing on humans an antibiotic they hope will reduce the amount of time a patient has to take a drug to get rid of a bacterial infection.

BBC News reports that London researchers have developed an antibiotic they call HT61, and it has shown good laboratory results against one of the most antibiotic-resistant bacteria, the hospital superbug methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

Clive Page, professor of pharmacology at King's College London, one of the researchers, is quoted by BBC News as saying, "It [HT61]may lead us to providing a combination of drugs -- one to target the dividing bacteria and one to target the persistent form.

"If you take something like penicillin, and put this with it, you might be able to get a treatment course which lasts one or two days, rather than the current five to seven," Page concluded.

The scientists say they hope to start human testing next year, and if the trials are successful, offer the antibiotic to the public in five years.

-----

First Lady Talks About Her Treatment for Skin Cancer

"I was never sick. I never felt badly."

Appearing on the CBS News show "Face the Nation" Sunday, that's how First Lady Laura Bush described her experience with squamous cell skin cancer.

In fact, Mrs. Bush told host Bob Shieffer, "... it never occurred to me to make it public. I thought it was an insect bite, actually, when I first got it, and then it just didn't get well."

In late October Mrs. Bush said she had a biopsy done on a sore on her right shin after it didn't heal on its own. The results, she said, turned out to be a malignant squamous cell carcinoma, the second most common form of skin cancer. It is more aggressive than basal cell cancer, the most common type. The most serious skin cancer is melanoma, which can spread quickly throughout the body and can cause death if not treated quickly.

The malignancy was surgically removed during a doctor's office visit, Mrs. Bush said.

She attributed the cause to spending a lot of time in the Texas sun when she was younger, and that she had fair skin. "I didn't tan, really," she told Shieffer. "But I would spend afternoons at the swimming pool and did those things that we all did growing up in Texas, and so I was out in the sun a lot."

-----

Health Care Shortage in L.A Jail System Leads to Death, Newspaper Reports

Medical professional staffing shortages in the Los Angeles County jail system have resulted in the lack of proper health care for hundreds of inmates and resulted in at least 14 deaths since 1999, the Los Angeles Times reports.

The newspaper says that the jail system, which houses an average of 18,000 people every day, is estimated to need almost twice the number of doctors, nurses and other medical workers to help avoid the delays in treating illness and injury that seem to be the rule rather than the exception.

In a review of medical records, including autopsies, the Times says it found that 20 percent of inmates seeking a doctor's attention never received it before they were released.

In one case cited by the newspaper, a 55-year old diabetic man arrested for drunk driving never had the medication he needed entered on his medical record when he was first incarcerated. He died a few days later after collapsing while cleaning latrines.

Sheriff's Lt. Stephen Smith, who oversees the L.A. county jail system's medical services bureau, told the Times that he was aware that there staffing shortages and that "bad outcomes" can occur. But, "we face unique challenges, and we do the best we can," the newspaper quotes Smith as saying.

-----

Olive Oil May Protect Against Cancer-Causing Substance

A little more than a couple of tablespoons of olive oil daily may be able to stave off the introduction of too many free radicals, substances that promote the growth of cancer cells, BBC News reports.

The broadcast news agency says a study of 182 European men found that the subjects who consumed as little as 25 milliliters (five teaspoons) of olive oil per day showed a reduced level of a substance that creates free radicals in their systems.

Olive oil contains monounsaturated fat that lowers HDL (bad) cholesterol levels. It also contains antioxidants called phenols, which based on the latest study, can help retard the accumulation of free radicals in a person's body.

The study showed that those who took olive oil during the course of the trial had a 13 percent reduction in the damaging substances, the BBC reported.

But more study is needed, scientists add. The BBC quotes Dr Anthea Martin, science information officer at Cancer Research UK, as saying, "Although this study suggests that olive oil can reduce DNA damage that could lead to the development of cancer, more long-term research is needed to confirm these effects."

-----

Hypertension Problems Can Occur in Black Children as Early as Age 10

Signs of elevated blood pressure in African Americans can be evident as early as age 10, according to new research from the Medical College of Georgia.

By percentage, blacks in the United States have more hypertension than whites, and the latest research, published in the Dec. 19 edition of the journal Circulation,, offers more information as to how early high blood pressure problems can occur.

In an article written by the Medical College of Georgia, Dr. Xiaoling Wang, a genetic epidemiologist and the study's lead author is quoted as saying, "... this 15-year study allows us to look at one population over an extended period of time, [helping] us identify the age that these problems begin to occur -- as early as age 10."

The research team found that by age 10, some black children already had escalated blood pressure at night, which can signal heart disease problems later in life. Over its 15 year span, the study also found the gap of nighttime high blood pressure between blacks and whites widened.

-----

Dietary Supplement Burns Fat

A common dietary fat supplement called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) helped overweight adults burn fat, even through the holiday season, says a study by American and Canadian researchers.

The six-month study included 40 overweight people, mainly women, who were divided into two groups. One group took a daily supplement of CLA while the other group took a placebo, CBC News reported.

Over the course of the study, the people in the CLA group lost an average of 2.2 pounds of fat and tended to lose fat from the abdomen. This type of fat is believed to increase the risk of heart disease. In contrast, the participants in the placebo group gained an average of 1.5 pounds in November and December alone.

"Despite no differences between the CLA and placebo group with regards to calorie intake or physical activity throughout the study, the CLA group still managed to lose weight prior to the holiday season and didn't gain any weight over the holidays," said study author Andrea Buchholz, professor of applied nutrition at the University of Guelph in Canada.

The study was published in the International Journal of Obesity.

CLA is a form of naturally occurring polyunsaturated fat found in meat and dairy products. CLA supplements are available in health-food stores and pharmacies. While animal studies have suggested that CLA helps burn existing fat and impedes proliferation of new fat cells, previous research in humans has yielded inconsistent findings, CBC News reported.

Health Headlines - December 25

Merry Christmas!

First Lady Talks About Her Treatment for Skin Cancer

"I was never sick. I never felt badly."

Appearing on the CBS News show "Face the Nation" Sunday, that's how First Lady Laura Bush described her experience with squamous cell skin cancer.

In fact, Mrs. Bush told host Bob Shieffer, "... it never occurred to me to make it public. I thought it was an insect bite, actually, when I first got it, and then it just didn't get well."

In late October Mrs. Bush said she had a biopsy done on a sore on her right shin after it didn't heal on its own. The results, she said, turned out to be a malignant squamous cell carcinoma, the second most common form of skin cancer. It is more aggressive than basal cell cancer, the most common type. The most serious skin cancer is melanoma, which can spread quickly throughout the body and can cause death if not treated quickly.

The malignancy was surgically removed during a doctor's office visit, Mrs. Bush said.

She attributed the cause to spending a lot of time in the Texas sun when she was younger, and that she had fair skin. "I didn't tan, really," she told Shieffer. "But I would spend afternoons at the swimming pool and did those things that we all did growing up in Texas, and so I was out in the sun a lot."

-----

Health Care Shortage in L.A Jail System Leads to Death, Newspaper Reports

Medical professional staffing shortages in the Los Angeles County jail system have resulted in the lack of proper health care for hundreds of inmates and resulted in at least 14 deaths since 1999, the Los Angeles Times reports.

The newspaper says that the jail system, which houses an average of 18,000 people every day, is estimated to need almost twice the number of doctors, nurses and other medical workers to help avoid the delays in treating illness and injury that seem to be the rule rather than the exception.

In a review of medical records, including autopsies, the Times says it found that 20 percent of inmates seeking a doctor's attention never received it before they were released.

In one case cited by the newspaper, a 55-year old diabetic man arrested for drunk driving never had the medication he needed entered on his medical record when he was first incarcerated. He died a few days later after collapsing while cleaning latrines.

Sheriff's Lt. Stephen Smith, who oversees the L.A. county jail system's medical services bureau, told the Times that he was aware that there staffing shortages and that "bad outcomes" can occur. But, "we face unique challenges, and we do the best we can," the newspaper quotes Smith as saying.

-----

Olive Oil May Protect Against Cancer-Causing Substance

A little more than a couple of tablespoons of olive oil daily may be able to stave off the introduction of too many free radicals, substances that promote the growth of cancer cells, BBC News reports.

The broadcast news agency says a study of 182 European men found that the subjects who consumed as little as 25 milliliters (five teaspoons) of olive oil per day showed a reduced level of a substance that creates free radicals in their systems.

Olive oil contains monounsaturated fat that lowers HDL (bad) cholesterol levels. It also contains antioxidants called phenols, which based on the latest study, can help retard the accumulation of free radicals in a person's body.

The study showed that those who took olive oil during the course of the trial had a 13 percent reduction in the damaging substances, the BBC reported.

But more study is needed, scientists add. The BBC quotes Dr Anthea Martin, science information officer at Cancer Research UK, as saying, "Although this study suggests that olive oil can reduce DNA damage that could lead to the development of cancer, more long-term research is needed to confirm these effects."

-----

Hypertension Problems Can Occur in Black Children as Early as Age 10

Signs of elevated blood pressure in African Americans can be evident as early as age 10, according to new research from the Medical College of Georgia.

By percentage, blacks in the United States have more hypertension than whites, and the latest research, published in the Dec. 19 edition of the journal Circulation,, offers more information as to how early high blood pressure problems can occur.

In an article written by the Medical College of Georgia, Dr. Xiaoling Wang, a genetic epidemiologist and the study's lead author is quoted as saying, "... this 15-year study allows us to look at one population over an extended period of time, [helping] us identify the age that these problems begin to occur -- as early as age 10."

The research team found that by age 10, some black children already had escalated blood pressure at night, which can signal heart disease problems later in life. Over its 15 year span, the study also found the gap of nighttime high blood pressure between blacks and whites widened.

-----

Dietary Supplement Burns Fat

A common dietary fat supplement called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) helped overweight adults burn fat, even through the holiday season, says a study by American and Canadian researchers.

The six-month study included 40 overweight people, mainly women, who were divided into two groups. One group took a daily supplement of CLA while the other group took a placebo, CBC News reported.

Over the course of the study, the people in the CLA group lost an average of 2.2 pounds of fat and tended to lose fat from the abdomen. This type of fat is believed to increase the risk of heart disease. In contrast, the participants in the placebo group gained an average of 1.5 pounds in November and December alone.

"Despite no differences between the CLA and placebo group with regards to calorie intake or physical activity throughout the study, the CLA group still managed to lose weight prior to the holiday season and didn't gain any weight over the holidays," said study author Andrea Buchholz, professor of applied nutrition at the University of Guelph in Canada.

The study was published in the International Journal of Obesity.

CLA is a form of naturally occurring polyunsaturated fat found in meat and dairy products. CLA supplements are available in health-food stores and pharmacies. While animal studies have suggested that CLA helps burn existing fat and impedes proliferation of new fat cells, previous research in humans has yielded inconsistent findings, CBC News reported.

----

Slow Start to Flu Season in U.S.

There has been a slow start to the flu season in the United States this year, according to health officials.

In a report released Thursday for the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR, statistics showed that influenza activity remained low in the country overall between Oct. 1 and Dec. 9, but did increase in the southeastern states.

So far this season, influenza A (H1) viruses have been the most common, and most of those viruses are well matched by this year's influenza vaccine, the report said

Patient visits for influenza-like illness and influenza and pneumonia death rates have not exceeded national baseline levels, the report said. No influenza-associated hospitalizations from the Emerging Infections Program or New Vaccine Surveillance Network systems or influenza-related children's deaths have been reported to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which publishes the MMWR.

Health Headlines - December 24

Olive Oil May Protect Against Cancer-Causing Substance

A little more than a couple of tablespoons of olive oil daily may be able to stave off the introduction of too many free radicals, substances that promote the growth of cancer cells, BBC News reports.

The broadcast news agency says a study of 182 European men found that the subjects who consumed as little as 25 milliliters (five teaspoons) of olive oil per day showed a reduced level of a substance that creates free radicals in their systems.

Olive oil contains monounsaturated fat that lowers HDL (bad) cholesterol levels. It also contains antioxidants called phenols, which based on the latest study, can help retard the accumulation of free radicals in a person's body.

The study showed that those who took olive oil during the course of the trial had a 13 percent reduction in the damaging substances, the BBC reported.

But more study is needed, scientists add. The BBC quotes Dr Anthea Martin, science information officer at Cancer Research UK, as saying, "Although this study suggests that olive oil can reduce DNA damage that could lead to the development of cancer, more long-term research is needed to confirm these effects."

-----

Hypertension Problems Can Occur in Black Children as Early as Age 10

Signs of elevated blood pressure in African Americans can be evident as early as age 10, according to new research from the Medical College of Georgia.

By percentage, blacks in the United States have more hypertension than whites, and the latest research, published in the Dec. 19 edition of the journal Circulation,, offers more information as to how early high blood pressure problems can occur.

In an article written by the Medical College of Georgia, Dr. Xiaoling Wang, a genetic epidemiologist and the study's lead author is quoted as saying, "... this 15-year study allows us to look at one population over an extended period of time, [helping] us identify the age that these problems begin to occur -- as early as age 10."

The research team found that by age 10, some black children already had escalated blood pressure at night, which can signal heart disease problems later in life. Over its 15 year span, the study also found the gap of nighttime high blood pressure between blacks and whites widened.

-----

Antibody Raises Hopes for Alzheimer's Treatment

An antibody that may hinder production of a brain protein associated with Alzheimer's disease has been developed by scientists at Cardiff University in Great Britain.

"Highly encouraging" tests of the antibody showed that it's possible to decrease production of the protein amyloid, BBC News reported. A build-up of amyloid deposits that impair brain functioning is believed to be a major factor in Alzheimer's disease.

By limiting or reducing the build-up of amyloids, this new antibody may help improve memory and quality of life in Alzheimer's patients, the researchers said.

Along with providing a potential treatment for Alzheimer's, it may be possible to use the antibody as a preventive treatment for people in families with a history of the disease, BBC News reported.

The research appears in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.

There is currently no known cure for Alzheimer's. It will take many more years of research to determine if this antibody may be an effective treatment for the disease, the researchers said.

-----

Dietary Supplement Burns Fat

A common dietary fat supplement called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) helped overweight adults burn fat, even through the holiday season, says a study by American and Canadian researchers.

The six-month study included 40 overweight people, mainly women, who were divided into two groups. One group took a daily supplement of CLA while the other group took a placebo, CBC News reported.

Over the course of the study, the people in the CLA group lost an average of 2.2 pounds of fat and tended to lose fat from the abdomen. This type of fat is believed to increase the risk of heart disease. In contrast, the participants in the placebo group gained an average of 1.5 pounds in November and December alone.

"Despite no differences between the CLA and placebo group with regards to calorie intake or physical activity throughout the study, the CLA group still managed to lose weight prior to the holiday season and didn't gain any weight over the holidays," said study author Andrea Buchholz, professor of applied nutrition at the University of Guelph in Canada.

The study was published in the International Journal of Obesity.

CLA is a form of naturally occurring polyunsaturated fat found in meat and dairy products. CLA supplements are available in health-food stores and pharmacies. While animal studies have suggested that CLA helps burn existing fat and impedes proliferation of new fat cells, previous research in humans has yielded inconsistent findings, CBC News reported.

----

Location Affects U.S. Health Insurance Costs

For Americans, the city in which they live can have a major impact on individual and family health insurance costs, reveals a study from the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

The estimates are from the AHRQ's Medical Expenditure Panel Survey for 2004, the most current data. Here are some highlights:

* For family health insurance plans, Seattle workers contributed the most (an average of $3,299 a year), while New York City-area workers contributed the least ($1,851).
* Average family coverage premiums were highest in New York ($11,244) and lowest ($8,521) in the Riverside, Calif., metro area, which includes San Bernardino and Ontario.
* For individual coverage, Boston workers paid the most ($867) while those in Riverside, Calif., paid the least ($449).
* Average premiums for single coverage were highest in San Francisco ($4,185) and lowest in Riverside ($3,012).

The agency's analysis also compares health insurance costs within states. For example, workers in the northern and central counties of New Jersey and part of the New Jersey shore contributed an average of $1,676 for family coverage, compared to an average of $3,079 for workers who lived in areas such as Atlantic City and Camden, which are farther from New York City.

-----

Slow Start to Flu Season in U.S.

There has been a slow start to the flu season in the United States this year, according to health officials.

In a report released Thursday for the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR, statistics showed that influenza activity remained low in the country overall between Oct. 1 and Dec. 9, but did increase in the southeastern states.

So far this season, influenza A (H1) viruses have been the most common, and most of those viruses are well matched by this year's influenza vaccine, the report said

Patient visits for influenza-like illness and influenza and pneumonia death rates have not exceeded national baseline levels, the report said. No influenza-associated hospitalizations from the Emerging Infections Program or New Vaccine Surveillance Network systems or influenza-related children's deaths have been reported to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which publishes the MMWR.

Health Headlines - December 23

Antibody Raises Hopes for Alzheimer's Treatment

An antibody that may hinder production of a brain protein associated with Alzheimer's disease has been developed by scientists at Cardiff University in Great Britain.

"Highly encouraging" tests of the antibody showed that it's possible to decrease production of the protein amyloid, BBC News reported. A build-up of amyloid deposits that impair brain functioning is believed to be a major factor in Alzheimer's disease.

By limiting or reducing the build-up of amyloids, this new antibody may help improve memory and quality of life in Alzheimer's patients, the researchers said.

Along with providing a potential treatment for Alzheimer's, it may be possible to use the antibody as a preventive treatment for people in families with a history of the disease, BBC News reported.

The research appears in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.

There is currently no known cure for Alzheimer's. It will take many more years of research to determine if this antibody may be an effective treatment for the disease, the researchers said.

-----

Dietary Supplement Burns Fat

A common dietary fat supplement called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) helped overweight adults burn fat, even through the holiday season, says a study by American and Canadian researchers.

The six-month study included 40 overweight people, mainly women, who were divided into two groups. One group took a daily supplement of CLA while the other group took a placebo, CBC News reported.

Over the course of the study, the people in the CLA group lost an average of 2.2 pounds of fat and tended to lose fat from the abdomen. This type of fat is believed to increase the risk of heart disease. In contrast, the participants in the placebo group gained an average of 1.5 pounds in November and December alone.

"Despite no differences between the CLA and placebo group with regards to calorie intake or physical activity throughout the study, the CLA group still managed to lose weight prior to the holiday season and didn't gain any weight over the holidays," said study author Andrea Buchholz, professor of applied nutrition at the University of Guelph in Canada.

The study was published in the International Journal of Obesity.

CLA is a form of naturally occurring polyunsaturated fat found in meat and dairy products. CLA supplements are available in health-food stores and pharmacies. While animal studies have suggested that CLA helps burn existing fat and impedes proliferation of new fat cells, previous research in humans has yielded inconsistent findings, CBC News reported.

----

Location Affects U.S. Health Insurance Costs

For Americans, the city in which they live can have a major impact on individual and family health insurance costs, reveals a study from the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

The estimates are from the AHRQ's Medical Expenditure Panel Survey for 2004, the most current data. Here are some highlights:

• For family health insurance plans, Seattle workers contributed the most (an average of $3,299 a year), while New York City-area workers contributed the least ($1,851).
• Average family coverage premiums were highest in New York ($11,244) and lowest ($8,521) in the Riverside, Calif., metro area, which includes San Bernardino and Ontario.
• For individual coverage, Boston workers paid the most ($867) while those in Riverside, Calif., paid the least ($449).
• Average premiums for single coverage were highest in San Francisco ($4,185) and lowest in Riverside ($3,012).

The agency's analysis also compares health insurance costs within states. For example, workers in the northern and central counties of New Jersey and part of the New Jersey shore contributed an average of $1,676 for family coverage, compared to an average of $3,079 for workers who lived in areas such as Atlantic City and Camden, which are farther from New York City.

-----

Surgeons More Handsome Than Other Docs: Study

Surgeons are taller and better looking than other doctors, according to jovial Spanish study in the Christmas issue of the British Medical Journal.

Some University of Barcelona Hospital doctors had noticed that the tallest, most handsome male medical students were more likely to go into surgery. Shorter students were more likely to become other types of doctors, CBC News reported.

The study authors decided to test their theory by randomly selecting 12 male surgeons and 12 other male doctors. Photos of the participants were shown to eight women (three doctors and five nurses) who were about the same age as the men.

The study found that, on average, the women rated senior male surgeons as better looking than senior male physicians, CBC News reported.

"Male surgeons are taller and better looking than physicians, but whether these differences are genetic or environmental is unclear," the study authors wrote.

-----

Slow Start to Flu Season in U.S.

There has been a slow start to the flu season in the United States this year, according to health officials.

In a report released Thursday for the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR, statistics showed that influenza activity remained low in the country overall between Oct. 1 and Dec. 9, but did increase in the southeastern states.

So far this season, influenza A (H1) viruses have been the most common, and most of those viruses are well matched by this year's influenza vaccine, the report said

Patient visits for influenza-like illness and influenza and pneumonia death rates have not exceeded national baseline levels, the report said. No influenza-associated hospitalizations from the Emerging Infections Program or New Vaccine Surveillance Network systems or influenza-related children's deaths have been reported to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which publishes the MMWR.

-----

Young Cyclists at Risk for Head and Neck Injuries: Report

During 2002-04, head and neck injuries accounted for almost two-thirds of 1,035 visits to emergency departments in Wisconsin for treatment of bicycle- and tricycle-related injuries to children younger than age 6, says a report in the current Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).

Most of the injuries, which included riders and passengers, did not involve motor vehicles. The emergency room charges associated with these injuries were more than $650,000. Boys were injured more often than girls, and most of these kinds of injuries occurred between April through September.

Previous studies have shown that helmets reduce the risk of cycling-related head injuries. Parents who buy bicycles or tricycles for their children should also buy a helmet for their youngsters, the report authors said.

MMWR is published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Health Headlines - December 22

Slow Start to Flu Season in U.S.

There has been a slow start to the flu season in the United States this year, according to health officials.

In a report released Thursday for the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR, statistics showed that influenza activity remained low in the country overall between Oct. 1 and Dec. 9, but did increase in the southeastern states.

So far this season, influenza A (H1) viruses have been the most common, and most of those viruses are well matched by this year's influenza vaccine, the report said

Patient visits for influenza-like illness and influenza and pneumonia death rates have not exceeded national baseline levels, the report said. No influenza-associated hospitalizations from the Emerging Infections Program or New Vaccine Surveillance Network systems or influenza-related children's deaths have been reported to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which publishes the MMWR.

-----

Young Cyclists at Risk for Head and Neck Injuries: Report

During 2002-04, head and neck injuries accounted for almost two-thirds of 1,035 visits to emergency departments in Wisconsin for treatment of bicycle- and tricycle-related injuries to children younger than age 6, says a report in the current Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).

Most of the injuries, which included riders and passengers, did not involve motor vehicles. The emergency room charges associated with these injuries were more than $650,000. Boys were injured more often than girls, and most of these kinds of injuries occurred between April through September.

Previous studies have shown that helmets reduce the risk of cycling-related head injuries. Parents who buy bicycles or tricycles for their children should also buy a helmet for their youngsters, the report authors said.

MMWR is published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

-----

Indiana Girl Source of 2005 U.S. Measles Outbreak

A 17-year-old girl who didn't get vaccinated before she traveled to Romania was the source of last year's measles outbreak in Indiana and Illinois that affected 34 people. It was the largest measles outbreak in the Unites States in a decade.

Three people were hospitalized as a result of the outbreak, but there were no deaths, the Associated Press reported. The outbreak accounted for more than half of the 66 measles cases in the United States in 2005.

The girl, a resident of Indiana, unknowingly brought the measles back home after her trip to Romania, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

"The outbreak occurred because measles was imported into a population of children whose parents had chosen not to vaccinate their children because of safety concerns, despite evidence that measles-containing vaccine is safe and effective," the CDC said.

The agency said most of the other 32 measles cases in 2005 originated in other countries, the AP reported. Of those 32 cases, 16 involved U.S. residents who were infected by measles while traveling abroad, and seven cases involved foreign visitors who were infected before they came to the United States.

-----

Newborn Cooling Cap Approved by FDA

A head-cooling device designed to prevent or reduce brain damage in babies starved of oxygen at birth was approved Wednesday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The Cool-Cap, made by Olympic Medical Corp. of Seattle, maintains a constant flow of chilled water around a newborn's head. Research has shown that cooling can reduce the brain's need for oxygen and slow a chain reaction that continues to destroy brain cells once blood flow resumes, the Associated Press reported.

The FDA approval is based on a study of 234 infants deprived of oxygen at birth. At 18 months, babies treated with the Cool-Cap had lower rates of death and severe disability than infants who received standard supportive care.

According to the FDA, the Cool-Cap could reduce the incidence of death and disability among the 5,000 to 9,000 infants who are starved of oxygen at birth each year in the United States. Currently, as many as 20 percent of such infants die and 25 percent suffer permanent brain damage, the AP reported.

-----

'Magic Mushrooms' May Ease Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

The active ingredient in psychedelic mushrooms appears to relieve symptoms of severe obsessive compulsive disorder, says a preliminary study by a University of Arizona psychiatrist.

The study of nine patients found that psilocybin reduced symptoms of the disorder for an average of four to 24 hours, but some patients remained symptom-free for days, the Associated Press reported.

"What we saw acutely was a drastic decrease in symptoms. The obsessions would really dissolve or reduce drastically for a period of time," said Dr. Francisco A. Moreno.

The findings appear in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

Moreno said the purpose of the study was to test the safety of psilocybin. He said a larger controlled study needs to be done to determine psilocybin's actual effectiveness in treating obsessive compulsive disorder, the AP reported.

-----

Woman With 2 Wombs Has Triplets

In what's believed to be a world-first, a British women gave birth to twins and a single baby at the same time from two separate wombs, BBC News reported.

Hannah Kersey, 23, had identical twins Ruby and Tilly and singleton Gracie in September. The babies were seven weeks' premature and were delivered by Cesarean section. The infants spent nine weeks in a hospital but are now at home in Devon in southwest England.

Kersey was born with a condition called uterus didelphys, which resulted in her developing two wombs. Doctors had told her it was unlikely she could get pregnant in both wombs, BBC News reported.

Only 70 women in the world are known to have become pregnant in two wombs. This is the first reported case of triplets, according to doctors.

"This is so rare you cannot put odds on it," Ellis Downes, consultant obstetrician at Chase Farm Hospital in London, told BBC News.

Health Headlines - December 21

Stress Common in Many Countries: Survey

Stress is a common problem in many industrialized countries, according to an AP-Ipsos survey of 10 countries released Wednesday.

The survey found that about 75 percent of people in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States experience stress on a daily basis and that stress becomes more intense during the holiday season.

Among the findings:

* Finances were cited as the leading cause of stress by people in the United States, Britain and Mexico.
* Jobs were the top source of stress for people in Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, South Korea and Spain.
* About half the respondents in Britain said they frequently or sometimes felt life was beyond their control. That was the highest level of the 10 countries in the survey.
* In most countries, men were more likely than women to say their lives never felt out of control.
* Germans feel stress more intensely than people in other nations.

"The level of stress in fast-paced technological societies has been accelerating," Gershen Kaufman, a practicing clinical psychologist and professor emeritus at Michigan State University, told the AP.

-----

Most Americans Have Had Premarital Sex

The vast majority (95 percent) of Americans have had premarital sex, says a study in the current issue of the journal Public Health Reports.

Researchers studied interviews with more than 38,000 people that were conducted in 1982, 1988, 1995 and 2002 for the U.S. National Survey of Family Growth. The analysis revealed that 99 percent of the respondents had had sex by age 44, and 95 percent had had premarital sex, the Associated Press reported.

Even among Americans who abstained from sex until at least age 20, about 80 percent had had premarital sex by age 44.

"This is reality-check research," study author Lawrence Finer, research director at the Guttmacher Institute in New York City, told the AP. "Premarital sex is normal behavior for the vast majority of Americans, and has been for decades."

The Guttmacher Institute is a private think tank that focuses on sexual and reproductive issues. The institute disagrees with U.S. government-funded programs that emphasize abstinence-only teachings.

"The data clearly show that the majority of older teens and adults have already had sex before marriage, which calls into question the federal government's funding of abstinence-only-until-marriage programs for 12- to 29-years-olds," Finer told the AP.

He said it would be better to provide young people with information about safe sex so they can protect themselves when they become sexually active.

-----

Practice Egg Safety During Holidays: FDA

Americans are being reminded not to allow any cracks in egg safety this holiday season. Eggs may contain Salmonella enteriditis bacteria that can cause illness if eggs aren't handled or cooked properly, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

In the United States, about 118,000 illnesses a year are caused by eating eggs contaminated with S. enteriditis.

Cookie dough is one of the major sources of raw egg eaten by Americans. Other holiday favorites, such as homemade eggnog and some types of stuffing, may also contain raw or undercooked eggs, the FDA said.

To avoid egg-related illness this holiday season: don't eat unbaked cookie dough; cook baked egg-containing foods to 160 degrees F and use a food thermometer to check the temperature; use pasteurized egg products in homemade eggnog and other recipes that call for raw or uncooked eggs.

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U.S. Cancels Anthrax Vaccine Contract

The U.S. government on Tuesday cancelled an $877 million contract with California-based VaxGen Inc. for a new anthrax vaccine.

The cancellation came after VaxGen missed an important deadline to start human tests of the vaccine, the Associated Press reported. That failure put VaxGen in default of its contract with the federal government, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

The cancellation isn't just bad news for VaxGen. It also means that the U.S. government now has no defined plan to find a next-generation anthrax vaccine, the AP reported.

The VaxGen vaccine was supposed to be a vital part of the federal government's $5.6 billion Project BioShield, a program to create drug stockpiles in case of a bioterror attack.

The current anthrax vaccine requires six shots over 18 months. The VaxGen vaccine was supposed to require no more than three shots, the AP reported.

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Youth Exposure to Alcohol Ads Increasing: Study

Youth exposure to alcohol ads on U.S. television increased 41 percent from 2001 to 2005, says a study released Wednesday by the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

Most of this growth can be traced to increased alcohol advertising on cable television, particularly by makers of distilled sprits, the study said. Among the findings, overall spending on televised alcohol ads jumped by 32 percent ($780 million to more than $1 billion) and the number of ads increased by 34 percent from 2001 to 2005. In addition, it showed that television programs popular with teens are filled with alcohol ads. In 2005, more than 1,300 alcohol ads were shown on 14 of the 15 programs with the largest teen audiences.

"More spending on television, especially on cable, translates into kids seeing more and more alcohol ads," David Jernigan, executive director of CAMY, said in a prepared statement. "Twenty state attorneys general and the Institute of Medicine have said the alcohol industry needs to do a better job of shielding our kids from its advertising.

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FDA Approves New Drug to Treat Schizophrenia

Extended-release Invega (paliperidone) tablets have been approved for treatment of schizophrenia, the U.S Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday.

The approval is based on the findings of three, six-week trials conducted in North America, Europe and Asia that included a total of 1,665 patients. The studies found that the drug was more effective than placebo at relieving symptoms of schizophrenia.

In the trials, the patients were given doses ranging from 3 milligrams to 15 mg a day. The recommended dose range for Invega is 3 mg to 12 mg. a day, the FDA said.

Side effects that were commonly reported by patients in the studies included restlessness, movement disorders, rapid heart beat and sleepiness.

Since the effectiveness of Invega has not been evaluated for longer than six weeks, patients taking the drug for extended periods should be periodically reevaluated by a doctor, the FDA said.

Invega belongs to a class of drugs called atypical antipsychotics. Compared to placebo, these drugs are associated with an increased death rate among elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis. Invega is not approved for treating dementia-related psychosis, the FDA said.

Health Headlines - December 20

Survey Finds High Satisfaction With Medicare Drug Benefit

Overall satisfaction with the U.S. Medicare drug benefit remains high, although many people view it as too complicated, suggests a national survey released Tuesday by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health.

The survey of 718 seniors enrolled in a Medicare drug plan also found that few respondents intend to switch plans for 2007. The survey was conducted Nov. 9-19. Among the key findings:

• One in 20 respondents (5 percent) said he or she expects to switch plans for 2007, while 66 percent said they did not expect to switch and 29 percent said they were uncertain.
• Three in four respondents (76 percent) said their experiences with their plans have been positive, including 46 percent who said their experiences have been "very positive."
• About one in four respondents (23 percent) who have used their plans said they'd had a problem with the new benefit, including 12 percent who said they'd had a major problem.
• Nearly three quarters (73 percent) said the Medicare drug benefit is "too complicated." The survey also found that 39 percent of respondents said there are too many plans, 15 percent said there are too few plans, and 32 percent said there are the right number of plans.
• Overall, 42 percent of the respondents said they had a favorable view of the drug benefit, while 34 percent said they had an unfavorable view of it. That level of favorability is the highest recorded in a series of 13 surveys conducted since he Medicare drug law was enacted in 2003.

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President Bush Signs Three Health-Related Bills

An autism bill that increases U.S. government funding for the disorder by 50 percent was one of three health-related bills signed Tuesday by President Bush.

The second bill provides more equal sharing of AIDS care and treatment money between cities and rural areas and southern states.

The third bill creates a government unit to manage federal response to a bioterrorism attack or a bird flu pandemic, the Associated Press reported.

The autism bill authorizes $945 million over five years for autism research, screening and treatment. Autism is diagnosed in about one in 166 American children.

The AIDS bill introduces updates, the first since 2000, designed to spread federal funding more equally around the country, the AP reported.

The third bill creates a new agency to supervise the development of equipment and medicine to deal with a bioterrorism attack or a bird flu pandemic. The new agency will be part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

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Skin Cancer Tumor Removed From Laura Bush

First Lady Laura Bush had a skin cancer tumor removed from her right shin in early November. The tumor was squamous cell carcinoma, the second most common form of skin cancer, the Associated Press reported.

The cancer was detected in late October after doctors did a biopsy on a sore that was not healing. The tumor was removed under local anesthetic. The surgery site is healing fine and Mrs. Bush's regular schedule has not been affected, said her press secretary Susan Whitson.

The situation was not revealed publicly at the time because Mrs. Bush decided it was a private matter. The White House acknowledged the surgery Monday after reporters noticed that Mrs. Bush had a bandage below her right knee, the AP reported.

Squamous cell carcinoma affects the middle layer of skin and is more likely than basal cell cancer -- the most common form of skin cancer -- to spread to other locations. Because of this, patients with squamous cell carcinoma need to have regular checks of the lymph nodes near the tumor site, according to information on the U.S. National Cancer Institute's Web site.

Most cases of basal and squamous cell carcinoma are highly curable. Together, these skin cancers account for less than 0.1 percent of U.S. cancer deaths, says the American Cancer Society. Melanoma skin cancer is much more deadly.

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Vaccine Kills Malaria Parasite in Mosquitoes

An experimental vaccine designed to kill the deadly malaria parasite inside mosquitoes has been developed by U.S. government scientists.

The vaccine has only been tested in mice, where it proved effective. The findings appear in this week's issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The vaccine would not provide people with immunity against malaria. Instead, it's meant to destroy the malaria parasite inside a mosquito after the insect bites a vaccinated human. This approach could prevent mosquitoes from spreading malaria, Agence France Presse reported.

"It's a transmission-blocking vaccine that attempts to get rid of the parasite reservoir inside its mosquito host," said Owen Rennert, scientific director of the U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Malaria kills up to three million people a year, many of them children in tropical regions of Africa, Asia and South and Central America. So far, attempts to create a vaccine against malaria have been unsuccessful or proven only partially effective, AFP reported.

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Brain Infection Deaths of Lupus Patients Taking Rituxan Probed

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is looking into the deaths of two lupus patients killed by a rare viral brain infection called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) while taking the drug Rituxan.

The agency said it is "working to gather more information about Rituxan and PML and to strengthen the warnings about PML in the Rituxan product label."

The FDA also warned doctors to watch for PML symptoms in patients taking Rituxan, including dizziness, vision problems and difficulty talking, the Boston Globe reported.

Rituxan has FDA approval for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, but doctors can use their discretion to prescribe it "off-label" for lupus and other conditions.

The two companies that co-market Rituxan, Biogen Idec Inc. of Massachusetts and Genentech Inc. of California, sent a letter to doctors about the deaths of the two lupus patients taking the drug. The companies also posted a letter on Genetech's Web site to alert doctors about 23 reported cases of PML in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients taking Rituxan, the Globe reported.

The drug's label already carries a warning about PML in that group of patients.

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Norovirus Suspected in Olive Garden Outbreak

Norovirus was the likely cause of an outbreak of flu-like illness last week that affected about 370 people who ate at an Olive Garden restaurant in Indianapolis.

Marion County Health Department spokesman John Althardt said that laboratory tests detected norovirus in three of the restaurant workers and in one patron, the Indianapolis Star reported.

"A norovirus is a highly contagious, hard to eliminate virus that is associated with restaurants, cruise ships and other settings where people are consuming food that has been prepared or handled by others," Althardt said.

"What we have asked the Olive Garden to do is to thoroughly clean the restaurant with a solution of one part bleach to 10 parts water, to cover every nook and cranny of the restaurant," he said.

The restaurant was shut down last Friday and has been cleared to reopen Tuesday at 4 p.m., the Star reported.

Health Headlines - December 19

Echinacea Ups Cancer-Linked Gastrointestinal Bacteria: Study

The popular herbal cold remedy Echinacea may increase concentrations of gastrointestinal bacteria linked with colon cancer, says a University of Arkansas study in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics.

The study included 15 healthy adults who took 10 days of daily doses of Echinacea purpurea, a commonly used variety of Echinacea. An analysis of the participants' stool samples revealed increased concentrations of anaerobic Bacteroides bacteria in general and of Bacteroides fragilis in particular.

Bacteroides play a role in the normal functioning of the colon but, under certain conditions, they can also act as pathogens. This is especially true of B. fragilis strains, the study authors said.

They noted that increased Bacterioides concentrations have been reported in people at high risk for colon cancer. Previous research has shown that B. fragilis may contribute to inflammatory bowel disease and diarrhea.

The findings indicate the need for larger studies on Echinacea and gastrointestinal bacteria, the study authors said.

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U.S. Government May Cut Medicaid Drug Payments to Pharmacies

The Bush Administration was expected Monday to propose wide-ranging cuts in Medicaid payments to pharmacies, The New York Times reported.

The payment reductions would be designed to enable Medicaid to get drug discounts similar to those given to large private market customers. Currently, Medicaid pays 35 percent more than the lowest price paid by private companies for certain popular brand-name drugs.

Under the proposed changes, states would receive new data to use in their calculations for what pharmacies are paid. The new data would redefine the "average manufacturer price" for generic and brand-name drugs, The Times reported.

States share the costs of Medicaid with the federal government and have the final say, subject to federal limits, on drug payments to pharmacies.

The proposed changes, which will not directly affect consumers, could save the federal and state governments $8.4 billion over the next five years, which represents a 5.6 percent decrease in total estimated Medicaid spending on prescription drugs, The Times reported.

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States Sue EPA to Lower Soot Levels

A lawsuit to force the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reduce levels of soot spewed from exhaust pipes and smokestacks was launched Monday by more than a dozen states, the Associated Press reported.

Cutting soot emissions could save thousands of lives, but the Bush administration refuses to reduce the allowed threshold for soot, despite scientific evidence and the opinions of federal government experts, the states argue.

New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer said that "fine particulate matter" in soot contributes to premature death, chronic respiratory disease, asthma attacks, increased hospital admissions, and other public health costs, the AP reported.

"It's unfortunate that this coalition of states must resort to legal action to get the EPA to do its job -- protect the environment and the public health," said Spitzer, the Democratic governor-elect of New York.

Other states that joined New York and the District of Columbia in the action filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

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Eli Lilly Promoted Unapproved Use of Anti-Psychotic Drug Zyprexa

Internal company marketing documents show that Eli Lilly encouraged primary care doctors to prescribe Zyprexa, a powerful medication for bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, for older patients who did not have either condition, The New York Times reported Monday.

Beginning in late 2000, the company began telling its sales representative to suggest to doctors that they prescribe Zyprexa to older patients with symptoms of dementia. The documents were given to The Times by a lawyer representing mentally ill patients.

The drug is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat dementia or dementia-related psychosis. In fact, the drug carries a prominent FDA warning that it increases the risk of death in older people with dementia-related psychosis.

Anne Nobles, vice president for corporate affairs at Eli Lilly, told The Times that the company never promoted Zyprexa for off-label use and, as required by law, always showed the FDA the marketing materials used by the company's sales representatives.

Off-label use refers to prescribing drugs for conditions for which they have not been approved. While doctors can prescribe drugs for off-label use, U.S. federal laws prohibit drug companies from promoting off-label prescriptions.

On the weekend, The Times reported that, for more than a decade, Eli Lilly executives told sales representatives to downplay the fact that Zyprexa may increase the risk of developing diabetes. The drug is the company's biggest-selling medicine. The generic name for Zyprexa is olanzapine.

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Common U.S. Breast Cancer Chemotherapy Less Effective than Other Regimes

A combination chemotherapy treatment called AC/T that's commonly used to treat breast cancer patients in the United States is not as effective as a treatment called CEF (commonly used in Canada) and an experimental treatment called EC/T, according to a study presented Sunday at a major breast cancer conference in San Antonio, Texas.

American and Canadian researchers compared AC/T (which uses the drugs doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide followed by paclitaxel) to CEF (cyclophosphamide, epirubicin and fluorouracil), and EC/T (a shorter, concentrated course of epirubicin and cyclophosphamide followed by paclitaxel), the Canadian Press reported.

The study of 2,104 breast cancer patients, aged 60 and younger, found that 30 months after treatment, cancer recurrence rates were 10 percent for women who received CEF and EC/T and 15 percent for those who received AC/T.

It's too early to determine whether EC/T or CEF is more effective, co-lead researcher Dr. Margot Burnell of Saint John Regional Hospital in New Brunswick, Canada, told CP. Researchers will continue to follow the study participants in order to try to answer that question and to determine if either combination offers breast cancer patients a survival advantage.

Burnell also said she doesn't believe the findings will lead to a wide-scale phasing out of AC/T, which causes the fewest side effects of all three treatments.

"You may see that this regime decreases in its . . . frequency of use, but . . . it is still a good regime for many women," Burnell noted.

Drug makers Pfizer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Amgen, Janssen Ortho and Ortho Biotech helped fund this study.